I haven't abandoned this fic don't worry. I've just been dealing with work and my summer classes that have started.
The two walked through the almost empty castle, most students were out in the courtyards or around the grounds. It was the middle of September and there was only about a month of nice weather left. Hermione dreaded the month or so in between fall and winter, she could never seem to stay warm. During that time everything seemed so grey and when she had to run though the seemingly endless rain it was like needles pricking her skin.
"H-have you ever been to Scotland?" Hermione inquired.
"No, juzt London a few timez to vizit some of my family. I zpent most of my life in France which I am mizzing very much. Especially the warm weather and my family's home in the South. This time of year you can still sunbathe by the pool."
Hermione smiled, if it was up to her she would never spend another winter Scotland after she graduated Hogwarts. She wasn't sure what she wanted to do after Hogwarts, but she knew she wanted a career that involved helping people. Then she thought she might get married and maybe have kids. But, first she had to pass her O.W.L.S.
"Iz Scotland your home?" the older witch asked.
"No," she paused for moment thinking about her concept of home, which had changed over the past three years. "Well Hogwarts is more of a home than my parents' house … honestly at times I feel very alien in their home. I'd have to say that my friend Ron's house feels the most like home. I usually spend part of the summer there with his family."
Fleur was about to ask about her family and Ron went they entered the Hall. There were a handful of students at each of the four massive tables, most were talking or reading. She looked towards the Ravenclaw table to find her school mates or some of the Hogwarts students she had talked with the night before, but there were none that she recognized. Hermione saw this too and turned to the older girl.
"You're welcome to eat lunch with the Gryffindor table, I could introduce you to some of my housemates."
Fleur nodded, and wished for the hundredth time since they landed that she was back at Beauxbatons. She hated feeling out of place and unsure, but something broke her negative thoughts. Hermione had grabbed her hand and led her over to the Gryffindor table where Harry, Ron and Ginny were eating their lunch. But mostly they were staring at the girl next to Hermione.
Ginny was the first to speak, "Uhh hey 'Mione" she could tell that Ginny was also trying to not to stare at her new friend ... is that what she going to refer to Fleur as? "Have you been in the library all morning again?"
"Yeah I had s-some research and revision to do." She turned her head a bit towards Harry and Ron who were seated opposite of Ginny "Ummm guys this is Fleur Delacour, one of the Beauxbatons students." The two girls sat down next to Ginny, "F-fleur this is Harry and Ron" she said motioning to the boys "and next to you is Ginny, she's Ron's younger sister."
"Hey, I may be younger, but ask Ron how bloody good my bat boogey hex is."
The girls and Harry laughed while Ron's ears turned a little red. Harry passed the two girls plates and the remaining sandwiches. Harry had always been the more poised one of the group and he took to asking Fleur about Beauxbatons and how they taught Defense Against the Dark Arts. While Ron was trying to eat his probably eighth sandwich and read the Quidditch section of the Prophet all while starting at Fleur. With the boys and Fleur engrossed in their conversation Ginny whispered to Hermione , "So did you find out anything useful?"
"Actually I did, I'll show you in the common room later tonight." She replied. The thought of the book in her bag made Hermione anxious about what she was going to find out later that night. She wished she could have one semi-normal year at Hogwarts, but that didn't seem likely to ever occur.
After a while the boys and Fleur had gotten into a conversation about Quidditch and Krum and the tournament. Quidditch this year was going to consist of six teams, the four from Hogwarts and the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang teams. The playing schedule was also changed this year to accommodate the tournament with all the matches to be played before term ended for the Christmas holiday. Then after the holidays the tournament would begin. Ron was saying how unfair it was going to be for Durmstrang to have Victor on their team and how they'd end up winning the whole thing. Hermione was surprisingly looking forward to Quidditch this year, even though she thought the sport to be brutish and dangerous. Besides the first game was in two weeks and it looked like there were very good odds that Durmstrang would beat Slytherin.
"Hermione are you still coming to Hagrid's this afternoon?" asked Harry.
After her whirlwind of a morning she had almost forgotten Hagrid had invited them over for tea in the afternoon.
"Iz 'agrid ze very tall one with ze fluffy brown beard?" Fleur asked turning to Hermione.
Hermione smiled at her description of the half giant. "Yes he's the Keeper of Keys and Grounds and he teaches Care of Magical Creatures. He'll also be taking care of your school's Abraxan horses while you are here." She turned back to Harry and Ron "I'll see you there at three right?"
"Of course" replied Harry, "we'll meet you after the pickup Quidditch game, over by the greenhouses." Ginny and Ron said their goodbyes to Fleur and Hermione and headed out with Harry to the Quidditch field. The girls stacked their lunch plates and cleaned up their space for the house elves that were coming around to clean the Hall. They grabbed their bags and started to walk out.
"Sorry for gr-grabbing your hand when we walked in, it's just you looked frozen just standing there and there were people staring at you." Hermione felt nervous for the umpteenth time that day but she felt the need to apologize for invading Fleur's personal space.
"It iz perfectly alright mon petit. It iz just strange being so far away from 'ome and not knowing everyone who passes by me."
They had somehow made it back to the Beauxbatons carriage which was situated off of the East courtyard under a large oak tree. They came to a stop at the small pastel blue door. Fleur had her hand on the latch with one foot on the small wooden step almost ready to enter when she turned around to speak to Hermione.
"Thank you for all your 'elp today and for letting me borrow ze runes book. I'll be sure you have it before Thursday."
"O-oh it's no prob-" but before Hermione could finish speaking Fleur had kissed her on either cheek and stepped into the carriage.
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