She couldn't sleep. The waves was a sign of that. She could hear them loud like a rumbling train from the night she stayed at Leaky Cauldron. She tossed and turn and still to her dismay, it was not enough to lull her back to sleep. One, two, three minutes. Nothing, like the space of the dark pink curtains of her canopy bed looking back at her. She was met with frustration– grumbling curses under her breath.
Fleur stood up, giving a glance at her companion; Bellatrix – fast asleep on the adjacent bed.
She decided. She went out and took in the scene. It was pitch black, the sky was only illuminated by a bluish moon. It reminded her of the nights she stayed at her hometown, particularly a beach of South France.
Whispers of wind rushed passed her ears, calmed, her chaotic musings faded with it.
She leaned on the nearest frame and took a deep inhale of an aromatic sea-salt water. It was very unusual to listen to the constant splash of waves onto sand yet she's nowhere near France, thought Fleur. How she missed those summers she walked down the path that lined the coast while licking her favorite pistachio gelato— Despite a chilly night and sometimes with Gabrielle.
"I hope Gabrielle is doing alright" she said to no one in particular.
A clink of glass pulled Fleur from her reverie. When she looked up towards the sound, Hermione was nursing a half glass of wine.
"Hermione, why are you still up?"
Fleur looked took note of the wine she nursed and paused. "I see, three bottles isn't enough?" chuckled Fleur.
Hermione grimaced, and drank the last of the wine contents in one gulp. She set the glass down the rail, leaning closer to where Fleur was.
"I couldn't sleep, everything just feels— bizarre" with a dreamy smile, Hermione said. "Are all your outings like this?" she laughed.
"You could say that" Fleur replied. "Put Bellatrix and Bill together, it's a fascinating feat"
"I bet Tonks was amazed as well, I guess Bill never showed her that side?"
"Tonks haven't been around that long to know that, that's for sure"
"I guess she hasn't" Hermione looked at her glass. "She seemed pretty surprised like me, do you think they look good together?" Hermione gave a sheepish look. Fleur's eyes widened in sheer disbelief.
"Your look is saying a lot, I don't quite got a good grasp on it" Hermione dipped the glass towards Fleur's direction. "I'm guessing I'm wrong?"
"Definitely." Fleur started laughing and Hermione joined soon after. "Bill's gay"
It was Hermione's turn to look in disbelief. "I wouldn't have guessed it! He's so— "
"Manly, Perfect, Clean, a true gent?" Hermione nodded in agreement. "Basically everything a gay person would have. Queer, is the word"
"Have he? You know?"
Fleur wondered for a moment, clearly confused at Hermione's question. "Oh, you mean if he's out?"
"Yes?"
"Oui, he is. But not to his family"
"Doesn't that complicate things for him? Knowing Ron..." she trailed off.
Fleur regarded her, charmed at how Hermione looked. Fleur watched Hermione's hair danced gracefully with the wind; she looked angelic cupping her chin while in deep thought.
Captivating was only one word that described her. Fleur thought. When have she not been captivated? The first time she had set foot at Charles' she had been captivated by Hermione's simple beauty. Her laugh, her smile, her hair, her movement, she could go on and on and she'd still have a lot to say about her. Fleur reminisced that very day, like a perfect copy of a movie.
"Hey, would you like to go for a walk?" said Hermione.
Fleur raised a curious brow. Stretching her arms, she gave a soft smile to the brunette. "Sure"
Fleur and Hermione walked side-by-side. Their laughs sounded like chimes, echoing along the cliffs.
"So, Ronald" Fleur trailed.
"Ronald and Bill" Hermione sighed. "I never thought I'd meet his brother like this. I didn't know you two were well acquainted"
"We— have a very interesting past" Fleur replied. "A very long one too"
"Really? I guess, you two looked really good together" Hermione smiled.
"We were. Or so we thought we were. Everyone says so. We almost married each other, with a wedding and an altar. Everything was there, it was just a day away."
"What happened?"
"We both happened. I guess we couldn't keep the facade up that we were romantically irrevocably in-love with each other" Fleur gave a snort at the memory. "He was there, sitting on the stairs behind the gardens of the Burrow. It was bad luck to see each other on the wedding day. He looked at me, looking disheveled and confused"
"He told me, 'I kissed Remus and it felt so right' and cried in front of me" Hermione watched as Fleur's eyes sullen. "He knew he was having a problem, I knew I was too and I confessed as well, I didn't love him like a lover too. At that time, I was interested in someone...yet I know it was an impossible"
"How did it end?"
The blonde stretched and yawned. "Well— we talked about it and held each other, and planned to ditched the wedding. It didn't end too well though. The Weasley's practically hate me, thinking I was the one who had the idea to run off"
"Until now?"
Fleur shook her head. "I guess if Ron knew who I was. I think we'll see."
"I don't know what's with weddings and Weasleys!" exclaimed the brunette, stomping through the seashore, clearly frustrated.
"Calm down, chérie" giggled Fleur, gesturing her companion to slow down.
"I guess you would say I have a familiar story, thought it didn't end like yours" defeated Hermione flopped down by the shore, just a few feet from the water. Fleur followed. "Ron— " Hermione started. "We were best friends since elementary, Harry, him and I. I wasn't quite noticeable then. Bushy haired and glasses, braces, a typical nerd you would say if you saw me"
"You a nerd? C'est impossible!" Fleur cried out. Hermione laughed, "You flatter me, Fleur."
"I know you love books, smart is one thing, but you are belle ma chérie"
"Ron didn't think that before, not until we were juniors"
"Let me guess, the braces were gone? And the duck became a swan?"
She gave a small nod of agreement "Yeah, guys flocked everywhere, homecoming queen, class president, homecoming committee, top A student, you name it"
"An overachiever, I see?"
Hermione snorted "Hardly, I couldn't even join a sports club without breaking something. You could say I'm horrible at anything physical. Ron on the other hand was the captain of the football team, him and Harry being the quarterback" she gave another long sigh.
"That's when everything went downward" Hermione gave a sarcastic laugh. "He'd notice me eventually, he'd think we'd be good together. I had a crush on Ron back then but I knew he wouldn't notice, he'd always be around the popular girls even when he's such a git. I guess girl like the underdog kind of guy, he perfectly fits the description" She started drawing on the sand, Fleur noted.
"It's alright, if you don't want to tell me about it"
The brunette barista contemplated for a moment. "No, it's alright. I pictured this whole scene with him, a happy family, kids running around the background when we were together. He was such a sweet guy and I didn't care what anyone was telling me about him being a cheater and so on..." she took a deep breath. "Until Valentine happened."
Hermione watched the sea waves as if she's looking for some courage in the dark endless void of the sea. "I— I walked in on them, having sex at Cedric's party. Ginny knew, and she did warn me about it that Ron's doing something behind my back. I didn't believe her at first because I was so wrapped up in my own future bubble. We broke it off, and when he came running back… I was stupid enough to give him another chance. Penelope, Vicky, Catherine… again and again"
"He doesn't deserve you"
"I finally snapped when he asked my parents for my hand in marriage a few weeks ago. I love him, but everything was so wrong...I've been dreaming for Ron to propose to me before, I didn't care if we were just coming fresh out of high school as long as I was with him"
"Mon dieu! How was that even possible?" Fleur placed a hand on top of Hermione's. She didn't mind in fact she had intertwined her hands with her.
Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "If I were two years younger, I would have probably forgave him and said yes" Hermione said in a soft voice, her eyes diverting to the path before her.
"Do you still love Ronald Weasley?"
Hermione paused and Fleur knew she had asked a question that might be left unanswered. Seconds ticked by and they just sat still. The water cascading back and forth the sand eventually touched Fleur's feet.
"I'm in love with someone else." Hermione broke the silence, but without the answer Fleur expected.
"Hermi—"
The barista shushed her with another question "Fleur...Do you love Bellatrix?"
"Love Bella?" the blonde continued ever so slowly, her eyes meeting Hermione's soulful brown ones. She waited for a moment, she might have heard wrong, mistaken.
"We… Bella and I—" she tried to reply.
A relationship between her and Bella is a castle in the air, they don't have feelings for each other, or at least she doesn't. "—are just best friends." She could feel the heavy ring hanging on her neck, taunting her.
"I saw you the other night" Hermione told her. Confused, Fleur kept quiet. Waiting for the young girl to continue. "You must've been deprived all this time, I mean, I did show up unannounced and lived at your house, surely Bellatrix felt the same" Hermione gave a soft chuckle. "And the chain you've been hiding all this time…" the brunette traced her fingers along the chains on Fleur's neck. "I bet they're the same as Bellatrix's ring she's wearing today."
Hermione moved to pull it out.
Fleur felt the world slow. She could feel her heart hammering against her chest. She was afraid. She's going to get caught for the wrong reason. She could explain, but what good would that do her to convince Hermione?
Fleur pursed her lips. She kept Hermione's hand at bay, stopping her would make everything more complicated than it was now. But, Hermione should not know, she can't know. She gripped Hermione's hand tighter, first with her left and then soon enveloped them with both. The young barista from Charles' watched closely, then slowly averted her gaze.
"Chérie" Fleur said. "Whatever it is you are thinking, forget them"
She took in Hermione's eyes, the swirling emotions in them made Fleur more restless and captivated. They were calling her and she felt the world isolate them in this very moment. She could only see Hermione, hear her, feel her, smell her. Even the ocean did not matter. Only Hermione. Their faces inched closer and closer, unbeknownst to them, gravity was doing its part.
"Fleur" Hermione softly said. Fleur could feel the tremble of Hermione's lips grazing against hers. Her hand slipped to the side of the younger woman's face, caressing her cheek like a delicate masterpiece. "I want to know—"
"Shh… Chérie" she hushed her with her lips.
Fleur could not describe the sensation she felt when her lips pressed softly onto Hermione Granger's own. A hint of wine, ever so present, made her intoxicated as if she drank a whole bottle of a hundred year old French wine. Sweet and bitter at the same time. She pressed deeper, harder, wanting more. She could feel Hermione's hand drop the chain and move to clasp her neck, deepening their kiss further than what she had intended.
Hungrily, they kissed.
I have to let her know. The thoughts were pushed back further and only feelings conquered. She opened her mouth as she felt Hermione's tongue slide against her lower lips. Another burst of sensation went through her and she knew Hermione did as well, for her soft moans were approval in her ears. This moment, she never wanted to part from it.
She moved her hands lower, gripping the younger woman's shirt, pulling her closer. So much closer that she could only feel their ragged breaths. But she wanted more. She wanted her so much more than this. Fleur trailed her hands on Hermione´s side. The soft whimpers were like signals to where she should go. Slowly, moving upwards again to touch the brunette's bare skin.
"Fleur…" Hermione muttered. She was agonizing. She wanted this so badly but why, even though in this alcoholic induced state she thought of the right thing to do. "...I- I can't" with a heavy sigh, Fleur moved away.
"I-" Fleur started, but Hermione hushed her with a single finger on her lips.
"It's not right Fleur, I don't know if you're telling me the truth, we're both drunk. Maybe- maybe we're just swept up by the moment and we'll suddenly wake up tomorrow with big regrets" she said. "I don't want our friendship, your relationship with Bella to come to ruins just because I lived with you. I— I'm not Ron. I can't let you cheat on Bella"
"Hermione—" Hermione tried to stand, but Fleur held her in an embrace. "I'm falling for you"
