A/N Cheeky wee midweek update. Hit the review button if you can :o)
Chapter 9 Chicken Soup for the Soul
Hermione got up from her chair and shivered as soon as she stepped away from the fire. She turned and grabbed the blanket, wrapping it around her shoulder as she placed her book on the chair and wandered through to the kitchen. She could see as soon as she stepped through the door that Fleur's shoulders were shaking and she knew that Fleur was crying, Hermione froze unsure of what to do. She decided to clear her throat, announcing her presence, Fleur stiffened for a moment before wiping her face and turning to face Hermione. She was holding a knife in one hand and an onion in the other and offered them up as an explanation, "Ze onions, zey always make me cry," Fleur smiled as she said it however Hermione remained unconvinced. "Where did you go?" She asked in a quiet voice and Fleur could hear the fear in her voice.
Fleur put the onion and the knife on the counter top and after wiping her hands on a cloth she took a seat at the table indicating that Hermione should as well. Hermione sat down next to Fleur, holding the blanket around her shoulders, and looked at her intently. Fleur examined her face, thin, drawn in, pale with sunken eyes and focused on those eyes. They were dark, guarded and the fear was evident within them. She knew that she had to tread very carefully here and so Fleur took a deep breath and held her hand out. She wondered whether Hermione would trust her enough to take it, apparently she did and Fleur allowed herself a little smile. She softly held Hermione's hand in her own, stroking it lightly with her thumb in a very comforting way but maintained eye contact with her the whole time, "I can imagine zat what I am about to ask you is going to be difficult for you but, do you trust me?" Hermione took the question and rolled it around in her mind, did she trust Fleur, she could think of many arguments about why she should trust her but if she was honest with herself she didn't trust Fleur, not completely. But then she didn't trust anyone anymore, how could she?
"No Fleur, I don't trust you," she answered lowering her gaze to the floor not wanting to let Fleur see the shame in her eyes, she needn't have bothered. Fleur expected her to be conflicted she wanted to see if she would be honest with her, she squeezed Hermione's hand as she raised her free one very slowly towards Hermione's chin. Even though she saw the hand coming Hermione flinched away from the rising hand but Fleur was persistent, though gentle, as she tenderly lifted Hermione's chin until she gave her eyes to Fleur. She stared at the blonde watching, waiting, hoping, eyes beginning to brim with tears, Fleur smiled softly at her, reassuringly warm and filled with a kindness that made it all the way to her eyes, "'Ermione, zank you for being 'onest wiz me." She said still smiling, Fleur tenderly stroked Hermione's face, "I swear I will not 'urt you 'Ermione. My 'eart's desire is to 'elp you to 'eal from zis terrible war, from zese terrible pains zat 'ave been visited upon you. I do not believe zat 'ealing stops wiz ze skin, although it is a good place to start, but it zen continues on wiz ze mind and finally ze 'eart. I will 'elp you but eet will take time."
Hermione nodded, hanging on every word her older friend told her, and she knew that Fleur was being honest. After a moment she asked Fleur, "Why?" Fleur smiled again at her, slowly sweeping Hermione's bushy mane out of her face, ignoring the flinch that Hermione demonstrated at the action. She held her hand against her cheek, her heart breaking at how thin the skin there seemed, and replied, "Because I believe you are worth eet, I believe we 'ave asked too much of you and eet is time someone gives some of zat back." Fleur leaned forward and gently placed a soft kiss on Hermione's forehead, then getting to her feet she went back to chopping her onion. Hermione lifted her own hand up to her cheek where Fleur's had been and brushed her tips across the now empty space and sighed as tears spilled from her eyes. Hermione turned in her seat staring at Fleur's back, "Thank you Fleur." She told her friend and she meant it from the bottom of her torn asunder, but slowly mending heart.
Fleur turned to Hermione, she was biting her lip and smiling, "You are most welcome." She told her young friend as she tossed the chopped onion into the pan and started on a carrot. Hermione got to her feet, leaving her blanket on the chair and wandered over to the counter top beside Fleur. Picking a knife from the block in front of her, she pulled a carrot to her and began to chop. Fleur glanced over at Hermione and smiled at her participation, "We are making chicken soup, eet is not much, but is 'ealthy and will put some meat on your bones." She told Hermione and as she did so she playfully pinched her hipbone which was protruding visibly, holding her breath and praying that Hermione would see it for what it was. Fleur was rewarded with a giggle and a chunk of carrot being hurled in her direction. She smiled and placed another carrot in front of Hermione and she herself chopped another onion before walking over to the stove and stirred the pot of meet and vegetables which was simmering nicely.
"You never answered my question about where you went Fleur, are you hiding something from me?" Hermione said in a quiet voice. Fleur continued to stir the soup as Hermione stood leaning against the counter, watching the older witch closely. Fleur looked at Hermione looking at her and continued to stir the pot, "I am not 'iding anyzing as you say, I simply did not want to upset you." Hermione tensed up at the response but allowed Fleur to continue, "I needed to speak with Ronald and Ginerva about how best to help you," Hermione stiffened her eyes widening as her hand holding the knife began to shake. Fleur noticed her reaction and removed the spoon from the pot, she stepped over by Hermione and carefully removed the knife from her hand setting it down. "I did not zink you were ready to see either of them, so I met zem at Shell Cottage." Fleur stood very still bracing herself for Hermione's reaction, so far although evidently upset, she just stood and nodded her head, processing this new information. Fleur continued, "Ginny asked after you, she would very much like to see you, but I 'ave told 'er eet is better not to rush this' owever I 'ave given 'er ze task of finding me books on Legilimency so zat we can find a way to 'elp you fight Bellatrix." Hermione turned and lifted her eyes up to Fleur's she was truly surprised at what Fleur had said but it was unclear to Fleur which part of it surprised her.
Hermione placed a hand on Fleur's, "And Ronald?" she asked. Fleur bit her lip she did not want the young witch to hurt anymore than she had been already, nor did she want to lie to her. "Ron did look as though he was working to get through zings, 'e confirmed about ze 'Orcruxes and told Ginny and I about 'allows as well as some of ze ozer things zat you 'ave gone through." Fleur told Hermione, the younger girl flushed with shame and looked away from Fleur. The blonde grimaced but decided to do a little probing, "'Ermione, do you remember being at Malfoy Mannor?" she asked watching Hermione carefully, she could see that the young girl shuddered slightly and then nodded her head. "And do you know 'ow long you were zere?" she pushed. Hermione considered this for a moment, taking a deep breath which caused her body to shudder as she shook her head answering "no," in a whisper. Fleur watched her carefully and could see some sort of battle raging behind those brown eyes that Hermione was working so hard at hiding, she reached out and took Hermione's hand in her own and gave it a gentle squeeze, "in your own time 'Ermione, I will not push you." She told the younger witch and Fleur could see her shoulders slump with relief as she let out a breath. Fleur went back to the soup on the stove, giving it another stir before turning the heat down and going over to the coffee pot to brew a pot. Hermione stood rooted to the spot, it was as though Fleur's seemingly harmless questions had set of a reaction within her head and she was flashing through some of the tortures she was subjected to, she was turning more pale and shaking as she swallowed, "I don't know, most of the time I couldn't see out of a window, it was a few days though," she answered in a whisper. Fleur turned to Hermione, it was not quite what the young girl had said but the way she had said it, in a whisper but somewhat detached as though she was reciting the weather forecast for the day, she swallowed and stepped to Hermione close but not touching the clearly distressed witch. "Oui, it was some time, more zan a few days actually." She told Hermione, who nodded at this news, it had not been a surprise to her, she had known it had been a long time, Hermione had suspected that it had been a couple of weeks between Harry and Ron leaving and their disastrous rescue attempt, "It's not important," she explained to Fleur, "The Horcruxes are important, Malfoy Manner is not." There was solid conviction in her voice and Fleur didn't like it.
"Of course eet is important 'Ermione, zink about eet zis way: While you were at Malfoy Manner somezing 'appened to you zat somehow meant zat Bellatrix Lestrange can attack your mind. Until we know what eet iz zat caused zis, you cannot 'ope to go out in search of zese 'Orcruxes wizout Bellatrix finding out and telling You-Know-OO. So eet is only logical zat we sort zis out first." Fleur was still holding Hermione's eyes which were now spilling tears down her pale white cheeks. Hermione could not fault Fleur's logic and knew she was beaten but she just couldn't bring herself to speak, as though talking about it would somehow make it more real, "I know Fleur!" she cried out in desperation and Fleur prepared herself thinking that the younger girl was going to bolt from the room like a frightened filly escaping the stables. Fleur was absolutely stunned when a shaking and sobbing Hermione threw herself into Fleur's arms.
It took Fleur a moment to realize what had happened but as soon as she did she wrapped her arms around Hermione and rubbed soothing circles in her back, "As I said 'Ermione, only when you are ready." She told the distraught witch. After a few moments Hermione nodded her head and pulled away, wiping her face and turning away from Fleur, "I'm sorry," she mumbled as she went over to the stove and took it upon herself to stir the soup. Fleur took a calming breath, the apology had angered her, these words should have come from Ron Weasley not Hermione, that boy had a lot to answer for! Harry too if he were still alive, but unfortunately he wasn't and so all of her rage would be directed at Ron for the moment. She shook her head as she pushed these thoughts out of her mind for the moment and walked over to pour herself a coffee, "'Ermione, look at me," she said as she took a mouthful of coffee and waited patiently for her friend to look at her. When Hermione finally turned her gaze to Fleur, the older witch told her sternly, "You 'ave nothing to apologise for, do you 'ear me? None of zis and nothing zat 'appened is your fault." Hermione shrugged her shoulders, not really believing what she was being told. Fleur set her coffee down and stepped aside the young witch again raising her chin giving Hermione her eyes, "I promise, I 'ave never and will never lie to you. You 'ave nothing to be sorry for." Fleur held Hermione's gaze until she nodded her head then released her chin.
"Well, that is good zen. Now 'ow about some nice chicken soup? Good for your body and soul my Maman tells me." She smiled as she said it and Hermione was grateful for the change in conversation. Fleur served up two bowls of soup and some bread and butter. The two witches tucked into the fruits of their labour enjoying each bite. Hermione ate more than half her soup and bread before declaring that she was full, Fleur reminded herself that it was progress and took care of the washing up, when she was done a very tired Hermione was resting her head in her arms watching every move that Fleur made, "Time for bed for you I zink." Fleur told Hermione in a sing song voice as she smiled at her. Hermione sat up and for a moment Fleur thought she might protest, instead Hermione must have thought better of it and asked, "will you come with me...please?" in a very small voice, as she asked her face flushing with embarrassment as she did so. Fleur smiled, walked over to the young witch and held her hand out to her, "Oui, of course I will."