Fleur remained silent as she held Hermione's hand between her own and mulled over the recent events in her head. Glancing to the side the blonde haired Veela grew sad as she watched Professor Sprout and Madame Pomphrey cover up the body of the now deceased Neville Longbottom with a white sheet.
The cries of Molly Weasley had yet to cease as the Weasley clan mourned the loss of one of their own, one of the twins Fleur had been told though which one was difficult to be sure of.
Turning her gaze away from the now covered body Fleur pulled Hermione's hand to the side of her face and pressed her lips against the back of her hand before clutching it to her cheek, thanking whatever supernatural being there was that it wasn't Hermione beneath that white sheet.
"What happened to her?" asked Harry quietly as he sat on the opposite side of Fleur.
"I don't know….she just appeared out of nowhere, bloodied and 'urt but she still managed to 'elp fight off Death Eaters before 'er injuries overwhelmed 'er…"
Harry frowned, digesting the information given to him. Seeing Hermione like this just made him feel worse about the whole war. Too many people had suffered because of Voldemort and Harry couldn't help but feel responsible.
Maybe if he gave himself up then maybe everyone here would have a chance at surviving the night.
"So what's the plan mate? How we gonna get out of this one?" asked Ron as he approached the Boy-Who-Lived. Harry glanced at Hermione before releasing a deep, saddened sigh. Bringing his fingers to his brows he rubbed his forehead.
"I don't know Ron…Hermione's the one who usually comes up with the brilliant plans" Plans that didn't involve anyone dying anyway.
Getting to his feet Harry turned and gestured for Ron to follow before he silently walked towards the exit of the Great Hall. There was something he needed to do in Dumbledore's office involving a tear from the now deceased Severus Snape before he made his decision and he needed at least someone to know what his final decision was so he could report back to others.
Time passed at a snails pace as everyone waited for their time of recuperation to come to an end and the Dark Lord to begin his attack once again. The atmosphere within the Great Hall was heavy with grief and apprehension.
It felt like forever had passed before a sharp exhale escaped from Hermione quickly followed by the opening of her brown eyes. Fleur watched as the brunette blinked a few times before turning her gaze towards her. Hermione's eyes widened by a fraction at the sight of Fleur.
"You…stayed?" she asked weakly. A faint smile formed on Fleur's lips at her questioning tone before she nodded.
"Why?" asked Hermione in confusion.
"Because I care about you" answered Fleur softy as she gave Hermione's hand a light squeeze. Hermione winced; she didn't deserve anything from Fleur after what had happened back at Shell Cottage, not her time and certainly not her care.
"You shouldn't" stated Hermione quietly as she tugged her hand away from Fleur's grip and rested it on her stomach.
Frowning, Fleur opened her mouth to argue but was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Madame Pomphrey. The elderly nurse spoke to the teen softly; highlighting the fact that Hermione was lucky to be alive let alone conscious before giving Hermione a vial of incredibly strong healing potion and leaving to attend to another patient.
Grimacing at the bitter taste of the potion Hermione could already begin to feel the throbbing inside her chest lose some of its sting.
The awkward silence between them was maddening, Fleur wanted nothing more than to wrap her arms around the brunette and hold onto her for dear life whereas Hermione silently prayed that the gorgeous blonde would leave her alone.
The brunette's heart was filled with such guilt over her inability to protect Fleur from Bellatrix's influence over her body and mind. She didn't understand how Fleur could even stand to be in the same room as her let alone be concerned for her health after what Bellatrix had forced her body to do to her.
The images still haunted her and she wasn't even the one who had been hurt by her actions.
"Ermione please talk to me" pleaded Fleur.
The brunette turned her head so she could look at Fleur and a little piece of her broke at the sight of Fleur with tears in her kind blue eyes.
"…I don't know what to say…" it wasn't a lie. Hermione truly didn't know where to even start. A few tears caressed Fleur's cheeks as she sucked in a deep breath to try and rid herself of the forming lump in her throat.
Fleur knew she was being stupid but she couldn't help it; there was so much death surrounding them and when she had seen Hermione on the floor the only heart-breaking thing that had crossed her mind was that Hermione had been fatally injured and was going to leave her.
And it tore at her still for there was the possibility that it could happen before the night was over.
"Tell me 'ow zis 'appened" said Fleur as she pointed at Hermione's heavily bound chest and abdomen. Sighing Hermione closed her eyes and gathered her thoughts.
"I fell through a ceiling" she answered eventually.
"Mon dieu" gasped Fleur. A ceiling? The brunette was lucky that she hadn't been killed by the fall. Hermione frowned at Fleur's reaction. Why did she still care for her? It baffled her to no end; Fleur should hate her. She had every right to hate her so why didn't she?
"How did you get that?" asked Hermione as she weakly gestured at Fleur's bandaged hand. The Veela glanced down at her bandaged limb and shrugged her shoulders.
"An incendio curse caught my 'and" murmured Fleur.
Again there was silence between them. Both had questions that they wanted to ask each other but simultaneously feared the answers to their questions. Until Fleur couldn't bare the silence anymore.
"Do you still love me 'Ermione?" she asked. The brunette stared at her with wide eyes.
"Yes…I just can't see how you could love me after everything I've put you through"
The sound of panicked yelling drew Hermione out of her self-loathing and Fleur out of her puzzlement and their attention towards the entrance to the Great Hall.
"The Death Eaters are coming! They're launching another attack!" screamed a panicked third-year Hufflepuff.
Momentarily forgetting the reason she was lying in a makeshift bed Hermione shot up at the news. A sharp pain stabbed at her chest with a vengeance, forcing her to clutch onto her sides and gasp for breath as her chest constricted.
"No 'Ermione you need to stay 'ere" commanded Fleur as she forced Hermione to lie back down.
"I can't just lie here when everyone's in danger" came Hermione strangled reply.
The memories of the last time Fleur had allowed Hermione to put herself in danger when she had been hurt came to the forefront of her mind and merely strengthened her resolve. Never again would she allow the brunette to put herself in such danger.
"'Ermione you are not strong enough to be of any 'elp…if you really care about me zen you will stay 'ere where it is safer"
As various witches and wizards emptied the Great Hall, Fleur remained until she was convinced that Hermione would not follow. Staring into her brown eyes Fleur searched for any sign that the brunette would do as she was asked.
Releasing a defeated sigh Hermione nodded her head.
"Alright…just…try not to get hurt…please Fleur"