AN: A huge thank you to everyone that reviewed the last chapter. You guys are amazing and continue to inspire me to write.
A special shoutout to GotNoName123 for a review that had me actually laughing.
Renu: I'm glad you like the story so far. The eccentricity of Time is something I am having a lot of fun writing. I hope you like my twists on some of the characters later in the story as well.
As always, please read and review.
Hermione woke up the next morning with nervous butterflies dancing around in her stomach. Today was the day in which the champions would be chosen, and Hermione couldn't help but worry about Fleur. The first time around, she had only worried about Harry, and if she was being honest it wasn't anything like the worry she was feeling for Fleur.
Upon entering the Great Hall for breakfast, the Golden Trio sat next to one another and began talking amicably about the day's events. It was indeed odd to have someone who knew practically everything that was going to happen before it did, but at the same time it came in handy. They had discussed a best course of action and decided that keeping the timeline as intact as possible would give them the best advantage since it would better ensure that Hermione actually did know what was going to happen.
Dumbledore tapped on his glass and stood, beginning the speech Hermione had already heard once before about the tournament. When the goblet began to spit out names Hermione was relieved to see that each of the chosen champions were the same in this time. As a certain lithe blonde made her way to the front, Hermione's eyes tracked her every movement. Of course, Fleur knew this and added an extra sway to her hips and turned over her shoulder as she passed through the door to throw a teasing smile toward her mate.
Fleur Delacour was never one to back down from a challenge or run when things got hard. Of course, upon finding out that her mate was actually from 20 plus years in the future was incredibly intimidating. Not only was Hermione's magic far too advanced for someone so young, but there existed that certain look in her eyes that said she had seen and experienced some shit. Then there was the fact that Fleur had met a man in a silver pocket watch who showed her that he was some sentient creation embodying the most powerful wizard in magical history and time itself. It was indeed a lot to wrap one's mind around but Fleur knew deep down that her mate wasn't lying to her.
The tournament was explained to the group and they were sent off to begin training for the first task, unfortunately with no idea what the task would even be. Fleur was struggling with herself on whether or not to let Hermione tell her what the first task was, knowing that she inevitably would tell her and Harry in order to protect those she cared about. On one hand, Fleur did not want to have an unfair advantage and feel like she won because of it. On the other hand, however, Fleur knew that there were far greater forces at play and larger things to worry about.
Hermione smiled as Fleur approached her, and Ginny frowned at the veela. Harry came over soon after Fleur and the group began talking about the first task and its potential danger. They all made their way to the library and took their places on various armchairs and couches. It didn't take long for Fleur and Hermione to end up subtly touching one another, something Harry and Ron failed to notice entirely.
However, for another member of the Weasley family, such actions were as obvious as Snape in a dress and heels. Ginny coughed and made eye contact with Hermione, giving her head a subtle jerk towards the door, excusing herself to go to the restroom. Hermione sighed and stood up before following the red head down the corridor.
Once inside and alone, Hermione silently cast silencing charms and protective wards around them so that they would have complete privacy. The red headed girl looked angry and offended as she rounded on her brunette friend.
"Hermione Jean Granger what is going on? First I have to hear about you passing out from my brother, which is ridiculous by the way, and now you're somehow close to the Beauxbatons champion? That and you've been acting strangely for a few days now. I rather feel like there's some sort of secret I'm not being let in on." Ginny huffed as she finished and crossed her arms.
"Oh Gin, I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I wasn't sure how you would take it or if you'd even believe me when I did. But here, take this, it should answer all of your questions." Hermione handed Ginny the silver pocket watch and Ginny stared at it with a baffled look before looking up at Hermione's serious face.
"You're serious?"
Hermione nodded and Ginny took hold of the pocket watch. Not even a millisecond later, Ginny handed it back, her brow furrowed.
"That's bloody insane." Ginny muttered to herself. "So the boys know I'm assuming?"
Hermione nodded.
"That doesn't explain the French woman you seem strangely comfortable with."
Hermione blushed. "Well, in my past life I dated your brother for quite some time. We thought we would get married someday, it was what everyone seemed to expect. After the war ended however, we realized that it wasn't what either of us wanted and we went our separate ways. I met Fleur in my 30's through work, it had been decades since we last saw one another. Merlin Ginny, when I laid eyes on her it was as if something just clicked into place within me. We fell in love and got married soon after, though it had been only a few months of marriage before I was thrown back in time."
Ginny gave Hermione an incredulous look before bursting out in a fit of laughter. When she finally caught her breath and fanned her red face, Ginny looked at Hermione who looked rather affronted by her friend's laughter.
"You mean to tell me that you ended up going from my brother to that gorgeous thing? Merlin's balls 'Mione that's the most ridiculous improvement story I have ever heard. Ron and every other man around can't even breathe when she is around and here you are saying you were actually married to her in a past life. My nerdy bookworm of a friend landing the absolute most beautiful person I have ever seen in my entire life?" Ginny began to laugh once again and Hermione's frown deepened. She crossed her arms petulantly in front of her.
"Ginevra Weasley it's true! Would you quit laughing like I've just told the best joke you've ever heard?"
Ginny stopped and upon seeing her friend's face, wrapped Hermione in a hug. The girls talked more about Fleur and the future that Hermione was sent to change before heading back to the library. Hermione had told Ginny to keep quiet about Fleur to the boys since she wasn't sure how they would react. Ron would probably get jealous and cause problems that Hermione couldn't afford to be dealing with at the moment. Ginny warned her that Harry would likely notice something soon though, and Hermione agreed to tell them after the first task passed.
Hermione did end up telling her champions what the first task would be and they both set about preparing their strategies on how to deal with it. It was a couple hours later that the boys and Ginny excused themselves, tired of studying and being surrounded by books.
Fleur looked at Hermione, nose buried deep within a book, and smiled. The veela within her was happy to have found its mate though it was now pushing to begin the mating ritual so that they would be magically bonded together. Fleur blinked to try and get rid of the urge to reach out to Hermione and succeeded until Hermione looked up at her with a raised eyebrow and small smile.
"Come on Fleur you can't distract me like that" Hermione spoke. "Your thrall is all over me and it's quite hard to concentrate when I can feel it pulling me closer."
It did feel like that to Hermione, a tantalizing presence pulling her closer, making her crave the closeness of her veela counterpart. Hermione knew how the thrall worked to speed up the ritual between mates, each portion of the ritual requiring a different aspect of Fleur's thrall. This gentle pull was intended to get the two closer together in an attempt to speed up the first part of their mating ritual which is a kiss.
Once the kiss was completed, Fleur's thrall would become possessive and more animalistic. The first portion of the ritual was intended to let mates get to know one another and insert a sort of closeness that neither would be able to shake until after the ritual was fully completed. The veela within Fleur was getting more and more restless as the days ticked by, needing her mate touching her, needing to learn all that she could about the small brunette.
These were the moments in which Fleur could better control her instincts, for once they had their first kiss, the veela within her would push to complete the rest of the ritual. If she resisted or Hermione wished to wait, Fleur would become more and more overwhelmed with her veela instincts and her thrall would likely go haywire and attract all sorts of unwanted attention. The second event of the ritual is the marking, a small white scar left by Fleur to claim her mate so that all creatures and humans alike would know that Hermione was spoken for. The bite was said to be aphrodisiacal and painless, the veela's way of ensuring that the third and final step of the ritual went smoothly and followed soon after.
Though Hermione and Fleur both knew the ritual, Hermione had no idea how different each step would be for a teenager. Her hormones and magic were constantly active and strong and it took her by surprise to feel the differences this soon in the process. Fleur's thrall was intoxicating and unlike when she was 35 and experienced, this body had never felt such emotions and tantalizing temptations before.
Fleur smiled as Hermione stood up and offered her hand, unable to ignore or deny the desire to touch her veela in some way. They made their way to the black lake and Hermione cast her normal protective wards around them for privacy. The pair sat and talked for hours, summoning food when they got hungry and blankets and pillows as the sun began to set. Hermione found herself slowly edging toward Fleur throughout their day together, something Fleur was happy to notice and accommodate.
Fleur wrapped her arm around Hermione's waist and pulled her close so that the smaller witch could rest her head on Fleur's shoulder. Both girls breathed the other in slowly and sat intertwined watching the sun go down over the lake. Hermione briefly wondered if they would consider this night their first official date as she laid her head on Fleur's chest and closed her eyes. Fleur made sure that there were enough blankets and pillows around and under them as she cradled the sleeping form of her mate against her.
The two girls quickly fell asleep together, lying on the hill overlooking the black lake where they had watched the sun go down.
The next morning Hermione stirred awake, slowly becoming aware that there was a warmth against her and arms securing her in place. She breathed in the familiar scent of vanilla and flowers that was distinctly Fleur before blushing madly at the position she found herself in. With one arm draped over Fleur's stomach, head tucked in her neck, and one leg draped in between Fleur's, Hermione was very comfortably laying half on top of the blonde witch.
It was odd really, having been in that same position many times over the years, including with an older version of the witch beneath her, yet this young body having not experienced any of that. Though her mind knew it was nothing compromising or overly intimate, Hermione's young body was experiencing something new and exciting. Her heart began to race as Fleur's fingers gently shifted to touch the skin of her side in her sleep.
As Fleur began to wake, so too did her thrall, and Hermione quickly rolled away at the feeling of warmth spreading down from her stomach. The thrall was almost playful as it welcomed her, knowing that it had successfully gotten Fleur's mate close to her.
Fleur blushed as she realized all of this, smiling apologetically at Hermione as she sat up as well. Hermione took in the sight before her, a younger version of the woman she once knew and loved, and could barely breathe at her beauty. This Fleur was unmarred by the harsh world and responsibilities that the war had created for them both. Hermione too lacked the scars, both emotional and physical, caused by the war.
This was their second chance Hermione realized. A chance to do it all over again as it should have been the first time.
It was a few days later that the first task was set to begin and Hermione was a nervous wreck. She had spent all of her time researching everything she could on dragons, helping Harry learn the basic spells he needed to survive the task, and helping Fleur with more advanced measures to get around a dragon.
Hermione snuck into the tent and gave Harry a long hug before wishing him luck as the champions got ready for the first task. Unlike the first time however, Hermione immediately turned and jumped into Fleur's arms as well.
"I will be fine mon amour. I had a great teacher non?" Fleur gave her mate a smile and set her gently back on her feet.
Hermione backed out of the tent once she was dismissed by the professors and made her way up to the stands where she watched the tournament begin. Cedric Diggory was the first to go, taking a long time to get the egg and coming out with many wounds immediately addressed by the medical team standing by.
It was when Fleur stepped onto the field that Hermione's heart nearly stopped. She knew that her mate would be okay but still she couldn't help but be worried as the great dragon turned its head toward Fleur.
Fleur leapt behind a rock as a jet of white hot flame erupted from the dragon's mouth upon seeing her. She took a deep breath and began to cast a rather complex charm to turn the rocks underneath the dragon's feet into quicksand. Firing with deadly precision Fleur jumped out from behind the rock and cast her spell, surprising the dragon as it found itself being sucked into the earth. It began to send jets of flame all over in a panic, its movements causing it to sink further and further into the dirt until it was elbows deep. It was then that Fleur cast a binding jinx combined with a transfiguration of chains that Hermione and Fleur had designed together in order to cancel out the dragon's ability to breathe fire. The chains themselves were lined with runes and resembled a magical muzzle which fit securely over the thrashing dragon's head. Fleur sprinted over toward the golden egg, knowing that her charms would only last a few minutes longer.
Upon successfully grabbing the egg, Fleur placed it on the edge of the arena and walked back toward the dragon much to the surprise of the onlookers and dragon keepers that had begun to move in to subdue the dragon.
Hermione and Fleur had done extensive research and discovered that veela and dragons had a special connection based in their shared ancient magical origin. It was said that the veela and dragons not only lived together but fought together, and some texts referred to the rare ability of a veela to truly magically connect with a dragon.
Fleur and Hermione spent days practicing an ancient spell designed to link a dragon's mind with that of a veela, enlisting the help of Chronos and his vast library to ensure that it would work as planned. The first time around, Hermione had shuddered at the horrible treatment of the gorgeous but deadly creatures during the first task, taking note of the long scars that lined their bodies. Dragons were a long feared and revered line dating back to Merlin's first encounters, but they used to live at peace with the world until they began to be hunted and captured for entertainment.
As Fleur approached she made eye contact with the frenzied dragon and cast the spell to connect their two minds. At once Fleur was slammed with the fear and pain of the dragon before her and it nearly brought her to her knees. Never breaking eye contact, Fleur did her best to send calming waves through the new connection until she could feel the dragon's panic subside ever so slightly.
"My name is Fleur Delacour. I am not here to hurt you. I want to free you but I need your help to do so."
The dragon's eyes seemed to widen as it regarded the veela before it. It blinked slowly in affirmation before stilling its movements and watching her.
"My mate wishes to free the dragons from this cycle of abuse and subjugation. I know that you are scared of witches and wizards but I promise that you can trust me and her. We are working on ways to make sure that you stay safe, a place for you to go once you are out of here."
The large green dragon blinked once more.
"I am Ayllon" a female voice rumbled through Fleur's head.
It was Fleur's turn to be surprised and she couldn't help her excitement.
"You say you can free us, protect us. I do not believe you."
"I know and I don't blame you. We have found a series of mountains completely uninhabited by humans, it is too high for them to go without magic. We are working on creating runes that would prevent apparation to the mountain that would be controlled by you. This would allow you to choose which witches and wizards may visit. We have texts from Merlin that we are consulting to find such magical precautions to protect you. So far we have only found a few, but it should be enough to give you shelter until we figure out a more permanent solution."
"Merlin? I am not old enough to know him but Rasei, the Hungarian Horntail, may. He is the oldest dragon at our sanctuary. If what you say is true then I am sure Rasei will help."
Fleur blinked at the dragon before waving her wand and releasing the chains that held its massive jaws in place. It was a sign of trust, knowing that the dragon could roast her or swallow her whole in less than a second if it so pleased. She sighed in relief however when Ayllon simply looked at her and blinked, their silent form of trust passing between them. Fleur quickly reset the ground beneath Ayllon's feet as well before turning around and grabbing the golden egg and heading out of the arena.
Hermione and Fleur both smiled to themselves as murmurs of shock surrounded them. The first change to the timeline had been made and Hermione could not have been more happy with how it turned out. With the help of Chronos and the many allies that they were planning to make over the next few months, the dragons would successfully be saved. They would likely prove to be invaluable assets to the upcoming war as well.
Hermione now had powerful allies, a place to safely store the horcruxes they would soon begin collecting, and a way to destroy them since dragon fire was one of the few things that could.