A/N: Thank you to everyone for all your kind words of encouragement, and for all the attention this fic has got so far, it's quite amazing really, anyways please do enjoy this next one too!
IndieFoxProductions: Heyy you, it's been a while haha. And I like my bus stops, sue me. :] Don't really though, because I have no money for that... :P Lol! Don't worry, that will most likely be the only chapter in this fic that will revolve around a bus stop, haha.
Jemjo storys: Ermm, no there won't be any veela's in the fic I'm afraid, in all honesty I kinda forget Fleur is a veela sometimes haha, bad of me I know. But I'm glad to hear your liking the story, I hope you like this chapter even more.
ADevlinGraceFan: I shall continue! :D
Leti2a: Yay your back too, woo! And yes she is quite the romantic right haha, Well I don't want to give anything away, but you'll find out more about her and the accident in the chapters to come. :] Haha, me and my bus stops right! Actually I thought of this story first before my Dest: Love one, I just happened to write that one first. And let me know what you thought of this chapter too. :D
Divodog: I know I'm so cruel, I'm sorry.. I'll try and not let that happen again, no promises though. :P And glad that you liked it though, don't spasm too much, I need you to be able to read this chapter too, haha.
A/N.2: Sorry for any mistakes that may be in this chapter, if there are any just happily pass them by, I really did try and get them all, I think I might have done so too, I've read through this chapter so much it's unreal, hahaha. Now, enjoy!
Chapter Two
Four Months Later
I never did like work. It was always the same process and it only ever left me feeling worn down and tired by the end of the day. I never could quite see how I liked it so much before. All I ever do is run the same errands for the higher-ups; my bosses. 'Hermione, my coffee!' or 'can you photocopy these papers, please? I will need them on my desk by this afternoon at the latest.' And each time I accept with the same forced smile etched onto my face, never once faltering.
I couldn't even if I tried; I need this job way too much.
We need this job way too much.
Plus I've been here for too long to quit now, all of that time would go to waste otherwise.
It isn't until I reach my apartment, after a long day spent at work, and I open that creaky front door – which I still need to fix one of these days – and breathe in that smell of roses and coconut and everything homey, that I really begin to realise why I put up with work so much.
It's because of Her, that's why. She's the reason I do anything anymore.
It's always been because of her.
My flower, My Fleur. My heavenly angel that fell down onto me all those months ago and I haven't been able to thank the heavens enough for bestowing such beauty and grace into my world.
Since we met at that bus stop, and I said 'hello' my world has never been quite the same. And it is all because of her.
And I don't think I would ever want it any other way.
I enter the living-room with a big smile washing onto my face and instantly my senses smell food wafting in through the open kitchen. I don't know what it is exactly; I mean it isn't as if anything is any different in my apartment.
It is still just that; Mine.
My decorations of black vases and scented candles are still placed on the tables I have standing at the sides of my flat. My wallpaper is still that same black and grey, flowered pattern that hangs nicely around my living-room and my furniture is still the same comfortable, leathered material it has always been before – even if Fleur never has been a big fan of leather sofas; I still have time to change her mind.
When I look around I know that everything is still the same, but it isn't until I look extra closely and notice the small, minor details around my flat that I begin to know why it is that I get that feeling sitting just at the pit of my stomach each time I come 'home.'
It's the beige coloured sofa cushions that sit patiently on my black settee, the think layers of endless fashion magazines that lay piled up on my brown, mahogany coffee table. The low, calming sounds of the French 'classics' that play on repeat on my stereo, filling up my apartment whole until it becomes the only sound I ever hear in the background. It's all the little things that make a tiny glow filter inside me until a warm smile encounters my face and all I can feel is nothing but pure, unadulterated bliss; and love.
Love in the strongest of forms, my heavenly angel standing there with her back towards me humming along to the song in the background as she whisks away the cake I know she is making us for desert – yet again. And I can do nothing, but simply stand there and gaze upon the heavenly creature I see before me and just shake my head and think how lucky I am to get to come back here to this, everyday.
And maybe what Ronald said was right – god I never thought I would ever hear myself say that – maybe all of these feelings that I get from just simply looking at the things she leaves lying around my place really is a sign.
Maybe what he had said was correct after all, and it isn't until right at this very moment that I can fully agree with it.
'Come on, Hermione, it's a sign!' Ron said to me slowly, almost as if he was speaking to someone slow-minded.
I gave him a small frown, Ron knows I hate being spoken to like that, he just loves to wind me up though. But instead of giving him a jibe back about his new dopey, haircut that makes his light, auburn hair stand out more than ever, I permitted to being quiet. Only because the topic at hand had very much everything to do with me and so I knew I should listen.
'And what would that sign be telling me exactly?' I said, with a frustrated roll of my eyes.
'Don't listen to him, Hermione; you know Ron's not exactly the best person to listen to when it comes to things like this.' My friend Harry said, walking next to me, Ron on the other side.
'Hey, I know a thing or two about relationships.' He said, sounding flabbergasted, and a tad hurt. I reached over and stroked his arm in a reassuring manner.
'I know you do, Ron, you know we're only joking. But I mean come on, just because I get tingles inside of me every time I look at her fluffy pillows doesn't mean I want to marry her.' I said jokingly, Ron chuckling beside me.
'I didn't mean that, it is obviously way too soon for something as committed as that.'
'Obviously.' Harry and I agreed simultaneously.
'I just meant that there's clearly a reason that you get those feelings every time you see something that's in relation to Fleur. I mean, even just hearing her name leaves a dopey smile on your face.' Ron teased, grinning at me knowingly when my warm smile quickly vanished at his words.
'So, what are you trying to say exactly?' I asked, squinting my eyes at him slightly.
'I don't know, like Harry said, maybe I'm not the best person to listen to when it comes to these things.' He gave a small shrug. 'All I know is that you haven't been happier than you have been these last four months and we all know it's because of her.'
'That's true.' Harry chimed in, cheerfully.
'Now you're saying you're getting all these warm feelings. Bloody hell Hermione, you must know that that isn't something that happens to just about anybody! I mean how long did it take for Harry to finally admit that he even had the slightest of feelings for Ginny, and now look at them, 'appy as Larry. Alls I'm saying is, that could be you too, you know.'
I turned to look at Harry from the side, seeing as we were still walking on ahead in a slow, calming pace, and couldn't help that little smile that crept upon my face at the sight of his dazed looking eyes staring into the distance, a happy beam spread across his manly features. And I just knew, maybe Ron was saying something right after all.
'I'm telling you, Hermione, it's a sign. You know it to be true.' He said, that grin etching on his face when he saw that for once I couldn't seem to find anything – witty or otherwise – to say back to either of them.
All three of us knew that that could only mean one thing. He was right.
So what would that mean for us, Fleur and I? Would anything between us be different now that I was suddenly feeling all of these 'feelings'? Would things suddenly change?
I didn't want them too… I really didn't want them too.
What we have been doing has been great so far, it's worked for the both of us. So why did I suddenly get this strange feeling inside of me, lurching in the pits of stomach, telling me that something was about to change.
In the end I just chalked it up to my being tired. After all I had just come back from a very long day at work. All this thinking about commitments had only just frazzled up my mind even more than it already was. I didn't have anything to worry about, I came to agree.
So with that I decided to move from my leaning on the archway between my living-room and kitchen and skipped, merrily, over to my beautiful flower.
I head over to her, only too happy to finally be able to have her in my arms once more, when I suddenly feel the air around us seem to change. As I head close to my angel, the air seems to suddenly go from warm to cold in a split second, and I feel the mood between us instantly switch. Does she know I've been here all along?
"Hey there, Beautiful," I say once I reach my Fleur.
I am just about to reach over and wrap my arms around her slim frame, when she suddenly turns around to face me, her face stone-cold, and her eyes seeming to burn with rage.
All I can do is let out a small gasp at the sight. Throughout the four months of us being together I have not once seen her face look so hard and stern before. It's almost enough to freeze the warmth that was boiling inside of me.
"Fleur?" I ask, my face scrunching up in confusion.
I try to reach out to touch her cheeks, knowing that the gesture always manages to calm her, almost soothe her. But it seems that it doesn't work this time, for she flinches away from my touch, like as if I burned her to the core. I almost get the feeling that I have. My heart sinks deep inside of me.
"What's wrong? Please say something?" I plead when the quietness begins to get too much.
When did her classic French music suddenly stop playing in the background? I could have sworn it was there but a moment ago. And why is she looking at me as if I have done wrong? I begin to rake my mind for any signs of anything I may have done or said that could have hurt her, but I come up blank. I don't remember doing anything. So why is she like this with me all of a sudden?
The quietness is still there, it begins to fill the whole kitchen until it becomes the only noise I can hear; silence. I do not like it.
Everything is just too quiet. Even Fleur.
She still does not say one word; she simply stands there, her hands now firmly placed on her hips, staring down at me as if expecting me to say something. Anything. But what does she want me to say? That I'm sorry? For what!
I'm about to exclaim this to her when she suddenly beats me to it.
"I am right 'ere 'Ermione!" She exclaims out of nowhere, her hands suddenly flying up as if to prove to me where she stands.
But of course I know she is there, I can see her perfectly well. Does she think me blind? Has she suddenly forgotten that I can see perfectly fine? Why is she trying to insult me like this? So many questions seem to fly around my mind so fast I do not know which one to ask first, so instead I say the first thing on my mind.
"I know that Fleur, I can see you. You're right there!" I shout back, my hands pointing to her standing form in front of me.
But it seems that my words fall onto deaf ears as she suddenly starts to look behind me, as if she is talking to someone else. But she said my name? Who else would she be talking too?
"Please, 'Ermione, just look at me! I am right 'ere, I 'ave always been right 'ere!" She starts to shout, her voice coming out wobbly as she speaks, I can see her eyes beginning to cloud over and grow misty as if her words are hurting her.
Her pain strikes like lightening to my heart.
Does she not think that I can see her? Doesn't she know that I'm home? She must do, though, as I'm standing right here, the last time I knew she could see just fine!
My mind starts to grow more and more confused by the second.
This isn't some silly prank of hers is it? I begin to wonder. No, she wouldn't do that to me.
"Fleur, what are you talking about? I know you're right there, I can see you." I tell her weakly, my voice growing soft as I look on at the woman in front of me.
She looks so lost, so confused, her face begins to scrunch up and I know that's her look when she starts to worry. I don't know what she would be worried about though. I can see her!
"Just look at me, please. Come back, come back to us 'Ermione, come back." Fleur's voice drops so suddenly, I don't even know if I heard her properly she was speaking so quietly. Almost as if she was afraid she would frighten me away.
Why is she saying this to me, though? I am perfectly fine; there isn't anything wrong with me. Where do I need to come back from?
Now I'm starting to get really confused. Fleur's eyes start to water and I feel my heart beat grow weak.
I don't like to see her so sad. I don't like this one bit.
I want to say something, but once again Fleur beats me to it instead.
"If you can 'ear my voice, 'Ermione, 'zen please, do 'zomething – anything – 'squeeze my 'and if you can, please!" Fleur says exhaustedly, it's almost like she's beginning to grow tired and I don't even know why.
This day has just grown stranger by the second, now she wants me to hold her hand? She didn't need to ask me to do that.
I just shake my head at Fleur's strange antics and decide to play along, even if I'm not enjoying this game one bit. I reach out in front of me to where I see her hand swinging idly by her side. I always love the feel of her soft, warm hand in mine. I can never get enough of her warm, warm touch. A tender smile adorns my face as I reach her hand and hold it tightly within my own, a perfect fit; every time.
I do as she said and give it one small squeeze. I wait for her to squeeze mine back, but she doesn't. Instead her hand just rests there, limply in my own. But as I look on at her frowning face I see a small flicker of light appear in her ocean blue eyes. It was like a small twinkle, a twinkle of hope. And her mouth falls open in shock, like she can't believe what I had just done.
All I did was hold her hand? I've held it many a time before, so she doesn't need to seem so surprised. But even so, I cannot help but find her now smiling face to be utterly cute and adorable; I always did love it when she would smile like that. Showing me those pearly whites of hers.
"She can 'ear me." Fleur says to me, her voice coming out whispered, as if she was speaking to herself. But why would she be doing that when I'm standing right there in front her.
I really don't like this game she's playing anymore.
"Fleur, okay real funny now, you've had your laugh." I say, faking a chuckle. "What's really going on here?" I ask her seriously, getting bored of her little game.
"Please, if you can 'ear me 'squeeze my 'and again, please." Fleur begs, her eyes finally looking into my own, but her eyes are so round, so wide it reminds me of the first time she ever saw me.
Her eyes were just as beautiful then too.
I just shake my head at that, though, she's known me for longer than four months now. It would be silly to think this is her seeing me for the very first time. But for some reason I get the urge to do as she says anyway, even if what she's asking of me seems completely absurd. She's acting as if she cannot even see me.
She's looking into me eyes again, but even so she still seems as if she's far away from here, like she is in a whole other world of her own. So I squeeze her hand once more, hoping with all hopes that that will be enough to please her strange behaviour. For some reason it seems to work too. She no longer looks at me as if I had just spoken for the first time. Her eyes grow smaller suddenly, they look lighter and warmer.
It reminds me of when I would see little children playing with their mums or dads, and see their small smiling faces, all happiness and joy as their parent would lift them up high into the air and twirl them around without a fair care. They would simply have that warm, tender look in there eyes. And that's exactly what Fleur has with me now, like she's happy that I did that one simple act of squeezing her hand back and holding onto it tightly.
It's at that moment that I know that I would do anything to see that look in her eyes, everyday.
Then suddenly I begin to hear the sound of a beeping noise coming from the background. Where I once heard Fleur's music singing calming in the breeze, now it's the incessant sound of what seems to be a beeping machine. I haven't even the faintest idea where it could be coming from.
Beep… Beep… Beep.
I know the fire alarm is okay; I had it checked recently, so it cannot be that. My alarm doesn't seem to make this particular beeping noise either, that is more of a ringing if anything. So what could this possibly be? My mind begins to feel hazy and my head suddenly feels like it's been pounded into by a truck.
I never usually am ones for headaches, but I guess that this is what they'd feel like. My hand goes shooting up to my skull and my eyes clench tightly shut.
Everything Hurts!
My back suddenly feels like it's caving in and I can no longer find the will to stand anymore. The beeping continues and Fleur does nothing but simply stand there, her face a mixture of shock and disbelief.
Can she not see my pain!
My stomach starts to feel tight, like my insides are wrapping themselves around each other, over and over again. I feel like screeching at the pain, but I simply can't, for my mouth suddenly feels like it cannot move. I cannot speak or say a word; my mouth just simply hangs open in pain.
Where did all of this come from?
My morning had been perfectly fine, Fleur was okay with me and nothing seemed to be causing me this much agony. So why was it all changing so vastly in front of me?
I just want that beeping to go away!
"Please, 'Ermione, please, come back!" I hear Fleur's heavenly voice say from in front of me, her voice starting to break. My heart breaks a little more at the sound.
I try to look up at her but I cannot bring myself too as I have already fallen in pain, my hand wrapped around my stomach, as if it's trying to hold everything in. It doesn't seem to work.
"Come back to us, come back." Her words begin to repeat themselves, like a mantra and no matter what I cannot seem to get them out of my mind.
Even though I have no idea where she wants me to come back too, I get this sudden urge to do so. I feel my heart clench and my stomach start to burn with the desire. The want and need to come back. I don't know why, and I don't know how, but I'm ready.
I am ready to come back.
And just like that a brilliant white light flashes right before my very eyes. It shoots out of nowhere and begins to vanish into my Fleur until she begins to glow, the brightest of white I have ever seen.
My hand has to come up to cover my eyes from the brightness, it is almost blinding. I can no longer feel any pain on my body anymore and my head starts to feel lighter, like it is resting amongst the softest of cushions.
Maybe a pillow full of clouds?
Nothing in my mind makes sense, but I no longer worry about that anymore. This white light in front of me makes me feel safe, almost protected. And I start to feel like I can achieve anything. So much so that I don't even think twice before I begin to stand on my own two feet. The act seeming physically impossible not a moment ago, but now I can feel myself smiling at my own accomplishment.
I stand and begin to slowly hover over to my glowing Fleur. As I get closer I can see her eyes light up, her mouth smiling back at me. She almost looks proud; like she cannot believe I am doing all of this too.
All I want to do is run up and hug her, have her arms all around me and feel like I am home again. So that is what I aim to do, as I make my way over to the white light. I outstretch my arms, ready to feel her warm form against me, but then as I close my arms I seem to go straight through her instead. As if I had just tried to hug a ghost. My mind begins to baffle and my head starts to blur but Fleur continues to smile, telling me to come back to her with her eyes.
I want to come back. I want to come back to her.
So I stand straight once more and instead of trying to hug her form I simply reach my hand out to touch her. As I do the whiteness becomes clearer and brighter, and as my hand touches her arm, I flinch my hand away. The touch burns me to the core.
But I no longer get the chance to try again before the white light suddenly encases me, and all I can do is stand there and watch as it wraps itself around me, hugging me tightly. And suddenly I am being sucked into the brightness and lifted up high, the urge to scream being buried deep inside as everything just happens too fast me for to keep up. The next thing I know I'm shooting up into a seated position and I breathe a massive gasp.
Beep… Beep… Beep.
The first thing my mind seems to notice is the beeping noise in the background. It is still there, but now it no longer feels so distant. It almost seems like the noise is right beside me.
I want to look but my head is still amazed at the sight of my feet being covered by a plain white sheet. I start to follow the whiteness of the sheet and see it leads to the end of a bed; I look further down and see the plainness of cream coloured walls. I gasp in shock once more.
The sight seems familiar, but for the life of me I cannot seem to know why. It doesn't seem like Harry and Ginny's apartment, and it is certainly not Ron's. So why is it so familiar?
I turn to look at left side and see an indoor window that seems to lead out to a white corridor. A white door sits patiently in the corner of the small room. It isn't until I look right beside me that I find the source of the beeping noise; it's coming from a heart monitor. The beeping follows that of each even breathe I seem to take. My mouth falls open in surprise.
What's going on? Why am I in a hospital room, with all these machines lined up beside me? Why is there a lead going up into my nose?
I decide to look to the right to see if anything there will give me answers, but instead I'm shocked to come across what seems to be a head of golden hair lying face first onto the hospital bed. The bright blonde seems very familiar to me, and I begin to smile when I realise just who it must belong too.
I want to nudge the sleeping form of my heavenly Fleur, mainly to see her face once more but also because she simply cannot be comfortable lying as she is. Her bottom half sitting on the hospital chair that's been moved up closely to the bed I am lying on and her top half resting on the bed. Her hands are tucked under her head as she sleeps on. I get the sudden urge to run my hand through her golden locks, but when I see her begin to stir my hand goes shooting back to my side.
Fleur wriggles around a bit more, her hand moving down to her abdomen like she's trying to make herself comfortable once more, before going back to its original place. I'm about to touch her again when I'm suddenly stopped by her body rising from its place, her hands reaching out into the air as she begins to stretch out her limbs. She lets out a small groan as she does so, like as if she had been in need of that stretch for awhile.
How long had she been here for? Or more so, how long have I been here for? She starts to bring her hands to her eyes soon after and rubs them awake.
It is probably one of the cutest sights I have ever bore witness too, and I cannot help the grin from appearing on my face.
She still doesn't seem to register that I am awake, though, so I decide to say something instead. I let out a little cough before I open my mouth and hear a throaty "Hello" come out of me.
Have I not spoken in a while? Just saying that one word causes a stinging pain to appear at the back of my throat.
I'm about to rub it better when Fleur suddenly seems to notice my existence and her face shoots up to look at my own. Her eyes widen so much I almost think their going to come shooting out of their sockets. Her mouth forms into a wide 'O' shape and I almost laugh at how surprised she looks.
"You are awake?" She whispers so quietly you can barely hear her words.
I want to nod in agreement but my head begins to feel that pounding again and I know better than to move it anymore. Instead I settle for a simple smile, hoping that she'll know what I mean by that.
But instead of getting recognition on her face she only begins to look panicked, as if she's scared of what I might think. My face falls at the look of fear that seems to wash upon her pale features. I'm about to say something to reassure her but once again she beats me to it.
"I am 'zo 'zorry, you are probably terrified right now!" She begins, lifting her hands up in front of her, like as if she is surrounding. "I know you do not know 'who I am, but please do not be frightened." She says her eyes still wide and round. I would have laughed had she not looked so serious about what she was saying.
Why would I not remember my Fleur? I think I would know who my girlfriend was? I'm about to tell her this, but something about the worry on her face stops me from doing so.
"I do not know you?" I ask her sarcastically, pretending to play along with her game again.
But when I receive a shake of her head, I know that this isn't one of those games she would play on me.
My heart drops.
"Wh-what?"
"Non, you do not know me, but please do not be 'scared, I will explain 'everyzing to you, but you must get checked first." Fleur started to explain, before her face creases up as she looks around her, mumbling little things like how 'that's what the doctor told her to do,' and 'whether she should push the button now.' But all of that seems irrelevant to me because what does she mean I do not know her!
I think I know her very well seeing as we had been together for the last four months. Or at least I thought we were.
This isn't her breaking up with me is it? But why would she do that, in a hospital of all places.
Fleur continues to mumble, that panicked look never leaving her soft features that is until she comes across me again, and her eyes instantly begin to soften. Her worries begin to wash away as she looks deeply into my brown eyes.
Her brilliant blues are the only thing I can seem to see now.
"My name iz' Fleur Delacour. Four months ago you 'saved me from a terrible accident." She says with a small shake of her head, like she cannot bear to think of it. "A-and, I 'ave been 'ere everyday, ever since…" She leaves off, her eyes still looking back at me so intensely.
"It is nice to finally meet you, 'Ermione."