Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter… well, let's just say that I don't… nor do I make money off of this.

Authors Note: wow… lots of reviews… and I appreciate all of them. Because of my slowly growing fanbase (lol, sorry, I had to say that), I've decided that my next fic will probably be a Ginny/Hermione, or maybe another Fleur/Hermione fic. I only like to start one fic at a time, unless there is an exceptional reason to do otherwise, so I'll finish this one up first. Anyway, I've blabbered on long enough; I'll start the fic now.

"Talking"

'Thinking'

"Speaking entirely in French"

Narrative

At A Glance

Chapter 4: Affirmations at a glance

It had been just over a week since Hermione had come out to Harry, and she had to admit that she actually felt better after having done so. It felt good to finally be able to admit something she had, probably, known all along but either couldn't or refused to recognize. It also felt good to be rid of that nagging question at her conscience, and to finally be able to think clearly. It was also nice to know that Harry was there for her, as was Ginny, who had found them after breakfast the day of the task still asleep and had woken them with a smile on her face that clearly said she knew something.

Of course, it wasn't all 'fun and games'; she had a whole new slew of questions she needed to answer as well, though they weren't as stressing to Hermione as the previous one had been. What did this mean for her? Would she tell anyone besides Harry and, apparently, Ginny? Would she date anyone? How open would she be? So many questions because of a life changing answer… how problematic...

Luckily, Harry and Ginny were there to help her through it, though they had to be careful given Rita Skeeter's penitence for 'bugging' Harry and distorting his important conversations. This was not something Hermione wanted announced to the whole wizarding world via a yellow journalistic newspaper. Anyway, Hermione finally got around to deciding that she'd take this new realization for what it was, no more, no less. She liked girls, not guys, but she wasn't about to go around calling herself a lesbian. But beyond that, well, she wasn't too sure yet.

With the Yule Ball approaching, Hermione had found herself at an impasse. If she went with a guy, despite the fact that she didn't like whomever it may be, she'd be effectively hiding whom she really was. If she went with a girl, whomever it may be, then everyone else would know that she was into girls. Then there was the chance that Rita Skeeter would find a way to get a photo of her with her date into the newspaper and somehow link her to cheating on her 'dear love Harry' behind his back. Of course, if she went alone or not at all, nobody would question her at all, but that'd be a bit pathetic now, wouldn't it?

"Why can't life ever be easy?" Hermione half asked as she sank into the chair she was sitting in "Honestly, why is life so bloody complicated?"

"Well, personally I blame Snape." Ron stated from his spot at a desk nearby, with Harry next to him working on the same divination 'essay' "He makes our lives more difficult and complicated 'cause he hates us all."

"Don't forget Malfoy." Harry said with a smile, though unlike Ron, he knew what Hermione was talking about "He can be quite the prat you know."

"Well I figured that one didn't need to be pointed out." Ron replied "Now does this sound foreboding enough, or should I add in an animal attack in the near future?"

About that time, Ginny came into the portrait hole, and she seemed utterly ecstatic about something.

"What's got you in a-ah!" Hermione began, but couldn't finish her sentence as Ginny grabbed her by the arm and began to drag her off the couch and towards the rooms "Ginny! What the bloody hell?!"

"Just come on! I need to speak to you in private!" was Ginny's response as she dragged Hermione up the stairs, with the older girl nearly tripping on a couple of the stairs.

Harry and Ron hadn't moved from their seats as they watched the ordeal before them, but Harry was smiling throughout it's duration while Ron simply looked on in confusion.

"…what could be so bloody important that Ginny would drag Hermione up to their room like that?" Ron asked aloud, though it was to nobody in particular.

"It's probably nothing we should worry about." Harry said, suppressing a smirk "You know, 'girl talk' or that stuff."

"Eh, wouldn't surprise me knowing Ginny… poor Hermione though." Ron admitted, then seeing as they were the only ones in the commons, he had another question for his best mate "Hey, Harry, do you think Fleur has a date for the Yule ball yet?"

Harry blinked for a moment, his expression nonexistent as he realized that this could be a problem for Hermione…

With Hermione and Ginny…

"Ginny! Let me go already!" Hermione was shouting as she finally wrenched her arm from the redhead's grip "Honestly, what's so bloody important that you had to drag me up here?!"

"It's Fleur."

Hermione's mind ground to a screeching halt, and her body froze along with it.

"…what about Fleur?" Hermione slowly asked.

"She wants to speak to you." Ginny continued with the widest of grins "Tonight. Alone. She wouldn't tell me where, but she did say you'd know exactly where to find her."

'Where we met on the grounds…' Hermione thought in her mind, which was beginning to get stirred up by the thought of being alone with Fleur again… especially now that Hermione knew just why she found the quarter veela so interesting.

"Do you know why she wants to talk to me?" Hermione queried, clearly more rational than she used to be on the subject.

"No, she didn't say." Ginny answered, but her grin turned to a smirk "But doesn't it seem suspicious that she wants to see you the very day the Yule ball is announced?"

"You think she's… gonna…" Hermione managed, but her voice seemed to catch before she could finish her sentence.

"Ask you to the ball?" Ginny finished, still grinning like a madwoman "Come on, Hermione! With what you told me about the first time you two honestly met, I wouldn't be surprised if she wanted you to be her girlfriend, let alone ask you to a dance!"

'Fleur… as my girlfriend?' Hermione thought with a blush as she sat down on her bed 'As odd as it sounds to say I have a 'girlfriend'… would it be that bad? Hell, I do fancy her… and unless she's always that friendly, it could be mutual. But what if-'

A good knock to the head woke Hermione from her thoughts as Ginny looked down at her with sigh.

"Ginny-"

"You think too much." Ginny cut in "Just go down there tonight, talk to her, and let whatever will happen, happen. There's no point working yourself up over this, trust me."

"Since when have you been the expert…" Hermione began angrily, but then stopped to realize that Ginny had done something similar with Harry, and Harry was currently doing the same with Cho "…okay, maybe you do have a point."

"Trust me on this. If you go down there with your head on properly and don't second guess yourself, everything will work out." Ginny said in a manner that reminded Hermione of a teacher "Now you might want to find Harry before you leave tonight; I think he'll be able to help you find your way outside without too much trouble."

"Alright." Hermione said with a nod to accompany it "But before that, I had a question for you."

"Shoot."

"How come it doesn't seem to bother you that I'm, well, interested in… girls?" Hermione asked softly, ensuring that nobody but Ginny heard her.

"Well, is there a reason I should be bothered by it?" Ginny retorted with another grin as she made her way to the door.

"Well, no, not really."

"Then there's your answer." Ginny stated, moments before she opened the door and left.

It was several moments of contemplation before Hermione fell backwards to lay down onto her bed, her eyes gazing up at the bottom of the bunk above her.

"…Ginny's smarter than I gave her credit for..." she muttered aloud as she decided that maybe Ginny had just provided her with the answer to her questions.

That Night…

"Mischief managed." Hermione whispered to the Marauder's Map, watching under her wandlight as the magical ink faded from the scroll.

She peeled the invisibility cloak off a moment later, knowing that she was now in the clear entirely. The night was significantly colder and brighter than the last time she'd been out here and met Fleur, but that wasn't something she was too concerned with. It did keep her mind preoccupied a bit as she scanned the surroundings while placing the cloak and the scroll inside her cloak. She found a seat near where she and Fleur had previously sat, and Hermione simply waited till she heard the sound of footsteps like the last time.

It wasn't a long wait before she heard faint footsteps from behind her, and it didn't take a genius to figure out just who it was.

"Hello Fleur." Hermione greeted without looking, though she had rather little emotion behind her voice.

"Bonsoir Hermione." the French girl responded happily "I'm glad you made it out here tonight."

"Yeah, I'm glad I made it too." Hermione muttered, not sure if Fleur heard her.

"You are actually speaking in sentences this time." Fleur stated as she sat down on Hermione's left "You have figured your interest in women out then, non?"

Hermione's gaze snapped to the smirking blonde's face immediately, her own eyes wide as she swore her heart missed a beat or two.

"What are you talking about?" she tried to ask with an air of ignorance, though she failed miserably.

"Please, mon amie, I can read emotions like you can read a book." Fleur claimed proudly "It comes naturally with my veela blood, and with years of having boys and men stare at you with similar emotions, however unnaturally acquired they may be."

Hermione didn't know whether to pale or blush, so she simply opted to avert her gaze to the ground below.

"…so you've known about my feelings all along?" Hermione questioned softly.

"Oui, that is a fair statement." Fleur replied with her expression unchanging "It put both of us on the same page non?"

Hermione felt too awkward to come up with another response, instead finding the dirt and it's composition ever the more interesting.

'Well, at least I don't have to worry about that part of tonight…' Hermione thought in an attempt at optimism.

"Desole, mon amie, I probably shouldn't have said anything." Fleur finally said after about a minute of silence "I can see that you feel a bit, what is it… put off?"

"You could say that." Hermione responded in a low mutter.

"Hm… would asking you to the Yule ball make things worse, or better?" Fleur asked with a knowing smirk.

Hermione, despite the fact that she was now blushing and had a racing heart, managed a smile as well, though her gaze didn't change.

"Not sure. I figured you'd ask that, but I really don't have an answer to it yet." Hermione responded honesly.

"Oh? Is that so?"

"I mean, I just figured out that…" Hermione began but stopped out of sheer nerves.

"Go ahead, mon amie." Fleur urged "I already know, remember?"

"…that I like girls… and you… and I'm not sure I would want to… out myself yet."

"Hm… understandable. It is a big decision for you, non?" Fleur asked rhetorically.

"'Big decision' is an understatement." Hermione stated with a frown "'Life changing' is a much more accurate description. I mean, certainly you know how it feels, right?."

"Non, I do not know that feeling." Fleur said with an indifferent expression before explaining a bit more "I have never hidden my interest in women before."

Hermione looked at the older girl finally, though her expression was a mixture of surprise, shock, and disbelief. Fleur apparently thought it was funny, as she let out one of her beautiful, melodic laughs a moment later.

"Do not look at me so! Understanding of your own emotions also comes as part of the veela heritage." Fleur explained between bouts of laughter "You look downright adorable when you have that expression!"

Now Hermione was surprised. 'Smart', 'Brilliant', 'Hard worker', and other similar statements were things normally applied to her by others, but 'adorable' was certainly a new one. Plus, she wasn't sure if it was entirely a compliment or not.

"So you've always… found women attractive?" Hermione asked carefully.

"Oui, for as long as I can remember." Fleur admitted with a smile "My family is no different. In fact my sister, Gabrielle, is the only part veela in the family who is not interested in women to some degree."

"That's… surprising."

"To most, oui."

It was silent again, something that, by Hermione's count, had become a regular activity for her few conversations with Fleur.

"Fleur?"

"Oui?"

"Do you need an answer?" Hermione asked, referring to the Yule ball question.

"Oui, but not now." Fleur explained as she stood up from her seat in the grass "I will give you the time you need to make your decision, but please be considerate. On another note, I plan on spending my lunches in the library, and my free time near the carriage we arrived in. I would love for you to join me, mon amie."

"Of… of course." Hermione said, a smile passing across her features as she followed Fleur's lead in standing up "I wouldn't mind that at all."

"Tres bien! Then I shall see you tomorrow, mon amie." Fleur exclaimed happily "Until then…"

As Hermione had been expecting, more like hoping actually, Fleur closed what little distance there was between them, and slid a delicate hand up onto her cheek, and planting a soft kiss on the other. Unlike the last time, Hermione was not paralyzed and shocked by it. Instead, though it was fleeting as Fleur pulled away and left once again without another word, she actually enjoyed it. She was smiling as one hand went up to touch the spot that was just kissed, which she knew to be the opposite cheek from the previous time.

"Ginny was right…"

Authors Note: Well, I might have broken my 1 a day posting streak, but meh, life gets in the way like that. Well, reviews and constructive criticisms are approved, and as usual any suggestions would be helpful. Oh, and to explain the part with Fleur: let's face it, a creature, such as a veela, that has such strong ties to emotional manipulation would logically also have some comprehension of various peoples' emotions. Plus, I thought it'd be more fitting for the way the story is going. As for the scene with Ginny, it may have been a bit OOC, but hell, I wanted to express my opinion on the subject.