A strangled cry brought Fleur swiftly back into consciousness. The French Veela's heart pounded wildly in her chest as she sat up and focused on the dark haired brunette next to her. Hermione's eyes were still closed but she was breathing rapidly with sweat dripping down from her forehead. The brunette started to thrash in her sleep. Out of fear that she would reopen her wounds Fleur quickly found herself straddling the brunette's hips to restrain her movements while she caressed Hermione's face.
"'Ermione, Mon amour wake up you are safe now. Zey cannot 'urt you. Please 'Ermione" the thrashing came to a swift halt and the brunette's body froze underneath her own. Dark brown eyes shot open in a panic and before Fleur could even release a breath of relief she quickly found herself on her back with her arms pinned above her head while wild, angered brown eyes stared down at her.
"Ermione?" whispered Fleur fearfully as she stared up at her loves enraged features. Merlin what had they done to her? Her voice triggered something in Hermione's heart and the French witch watched in fascination as the anger dissipated from Hermione's eyes only to be replaced with regret. Fleur remained still underneath the injured teen as Hermione released her wrists from where she had pinned them above her head.
The fear in Fleur's voice had brought her out of her anger but for the life of her Hermione had no idea where that anger had come from. She didn't know why she had done that? Reacted the way she had all she could remember was opening her eyes and feeling a weight on her, she had panicked and reacted on instinct which was to force the weight off of her. For too long she had been on the receiving end of someone else's cruelty and she would not be subjected to more. Such intense anger had coursed through her veins, it made her strong enough to switch positions at least but she had frightened Fleur.
A horrible pain began to replace the dissipating adrenaline; it travelled along the right side of her body like wildfire and attacked her chest and shoulder. Clutching pitifully at her chest Hermione closed her eyes and hissed in pain, her head bowed forward while her body tilted to the side before falling onto the mattress.
"I'm sorry...please Fleur I'm so sorry I didn't mean to..." Fleur shushed Hermione as she turned onto her side and brushed a few strands of dark brown hair from Hermione's eyes. The teen was shuddering uncontrollably from the pain of her injuries and the sudden movement probably hadn't helped the healing process in the slightest. Glancing up at the dreamless sleep potion on the bedside table Fleur looked down at her love with concerned blue eyes.
Pressing her lips to Hermione's forehead Fleur sat up and reached for the potion. As grateful as she was that Hermione had woken up and wasn't on the verge of death any longer she still had a long way to go before she could be deemed at least physically healthy. Emotionally and mentally were a whole different issue, something more had happened to the young woman, Fleur knew it the moment she had seen the panic and unrelenting rage in those dark brown eyes.
"'Ermione zis will 'elp you by putting you to sleep" Fearful brown eyes opened slightly to look up at Fleur.
"Please Fleur...I don't want to sleep" Bellatrix would find it easier to invade her mind if she were to sleep, she would be a sitting duck for the vile woman's influence to grow inside her mind and god knew what that deranged lunatic would make her do if she was left alone with Fleur.
"Mon amour you need to sleep, your body will not 'eal if you do not rest" the pleading tone swayed Hermione to concede. She had already brought enough trouble to the French Veela's life and she didn't want to make her life any worse. Besides, she was already on the verge of passing out from the pain of her injuries.
"Alright...but I want you to leave Fleur when I take it..." the hurt on Fleur's face didn't bother her as much as it usually would which worried Hermione, was she really becoming so cold hearted? Or was it the Horcrux inside her that was twisting her?
"'Ermione I do not zink zat you should be left alone in your current state..." Hermione hissed in pain through clenched teeth.
"Please Fleur...it's for your own good, please" Hermione didn't care that she was begging, fuck what remained of her dignity all that mattered was Fleur and her safety now. She couldn't trust herself to be alone with Fleur now that Bellatrix had direct access to her thoughts, she couldn't risk Fleur's safety.
"'Ave I done somezing wrong? If I 'ave zen I am sorry please 'Ermione let me look after you. I cannot leave you alone when you are like zis" Hermione shuddered once again from the pain, God what had happened to her?
"No...no Fleur it's not you...it's me. I'll explain everything to you...when I feel better..." Fleur's eyes widened as she watched Hermione's body relax as she passed out in front of her eyes. Fleur released a tired sigh as she carefully eased Hermione to lie on her back so at least her ribs and shoulder would have better luck at healing properly.
Brushing Hermione's hair from out of her face Fleur gently traced her fingers down the young woman's face to eventually settle on the rough bandages wrapped around her chest. Closing her eyes, Fleur concentrated on the steady beat of Hermione's heart beneath her finger tips. It comforted the French Veela in ways she had never thought possible.
To know that Hermione was indeed here with her and she wasn't just dreaming relieved Fleur. And the evidence of her heartbeat soothed her agitated state of mind slightly. As she pressed herself against Hermione's side with her hand rested on top of her chest Fleur's thoughts returned to Hermione's pleas for her to be left alone.
What had she meant by it being her? Fleur knew that Hermione would never intentionally hurt her so what had the poor teen so desperate for her to leave? A horrible sense of foreboding flittered across Fleur's tired mind as her eyelids grew heavy and difficult to keep open.
Fleur feared that something had happened to Hermione and it didn't appear to be for the better if it scared the intelligent Gryffindor to the point where she desired solitude. Clutching the brunette tighter Fleur promised herself and Hermione that no matter what she was going to help Hermione past the horrors she had suffered at the hands of Voldemort's Deatheaters. She would not lose Hermione.