Letters and Thrall
Disclaimer: Own Nothing. No Profits.
AN: I know, I know, I've been away for a while, but! I'm back! So read on and review for the Fleurmione goodness awaiting you, oh! And if you're worries about Ron blowing his lid, well you should be. I haven't forgotten about the jealous little weasel so you shouldn't either. *wink, wink. Read. Review. Enjoy.
At breakfast on Saturday morning Hermione received a rather odd piece of mail. A large swooping owl with great round inky eyes landed in front of her, nearly spilling her pumpkin juice in the process. Ashy in color with lighter off-white spots, it stared at her with those endless black pools. The sharp talon foot reached out to her, showing the envelope stained as black as the creature's eyes.
"Who's owl is that's?" Harry asked around the lip of his goblet, giving the owl a curious glance before turning his questioning gaze onto Hermione. Hermione shrugged, for she had not an idea to whom the owl belonged.
She reached out to grasp the letter. "Stop!" Ginny hushed, trying not to draw attentions from the Professors' table. "What if it's enchanted?"
Harry and Hermione frowned at one another, "Don't be ridiculous, Ginny, who would want to hex, Hermione?" Harry rolled his eyes and tucked back into his breakfast sausage.
Ginny sneered at him from across the table. "Oh really? Because no one would ever want to hurt the heir to the House of Black? No one would ever think to add a simple infatuation spell to the seal so once it's broken, Hermione's off to marry Merlin knows who! Seriously, Hermione, you shouldn't open it." She warned.
Hermione bit her lip. "Ok, ok, I get your point, Gin." She sighed. "I'll do a detection spell, okay? Sirius and Professor Snape taught me a few before the start of the school year, just in case…Would that make you feel better?" She peered across the table to the frowning red head. Ginny nodded with a reluctant sigh and watched as Hermione whispered an incantation under her breath. The envelope glowed gold at first, then the gold faded to a light blue indicating no trace of spell work. It was safe.
Tucking her finger under the lip, she drags it left and breaks the unmarked seal, opening the envelope. The inside was just as black as the out, though Hermione hadn't really expected different, the choice was obvious meant to mean something of significance. She pulls out the folded parchment and carefully does another detection spell, finding nothing she unfolds it and reads.
'To the Heir of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black,
Miss Black, the Daily Prophet would have everyone believe you to be courted by a Half-Breed.
I know this isn't so, for one of such breeding is beneath your station.
To rectify this little…situation, I have taken it upon myself to begin courting you.
I believe this to be an acceptable match for one as you, for I to, am Heir to a Pureblood House.
You needn't thank me, your hand in marriage, when you should so accept, will be enough thanks.
Until my next correspondence,
Your Beloved Fiancé.'
Hermione stared in disgust at the note, her stomach churning in on itself as she read and reread the damnable thing. "Oh my god…" Came her whisper of horror as she looked up to Ginny and Harry, Ginny snatched the letter from her hand, snorting loudly and she read. A constant nudging to her arm had her snapping out from her shock. "What Harry?!" She barked.
Silently, the boy pointed above their heads where a swarm of owls flew in and dropped letter after letter onto the table in front of Hermione. "Mione…" He whispered with worry.
"This, this cannot be happening!" She gasped, standing from the table hurriedly and turning as if to run from the Great Hall. A firm hand stopped her escape and Snape stood at her side.
"Calm yourself, Hermione." He said sternly, but not unkindly. "Mr. Potter, Ms. Weasley please escort Miss Black to the Headmaster's office." He tilted his head to his Goddaughter, "Go now, Minerva and I will handle the owls."
Hermione blinked up at him in confusion as he came to her rescue…it was odd, all things considered it shouldn't have seemed out of place, but it seemed her life was bent on turning everything she thought she knew upside down. Her once enemies were now family, friends had turned into enemies and she was fairly certain that she had feelings for…a girl. Not that that was something she'd admit to.
Not ever….well, not yet.
Hermione paced the deserted hall, her arms folded about her chest as she muttered to herself, shaking her head as she tried to get her thoughts in order. Her hair was untamed and wild, more so than usual as her hands tugged and tousled it as she paced. So worked up, she had rid herself of her robes before departing from her room, even going so far as to remove the sweater she usually wore over her collared shirt.
The white shirt was crumpled and wrinkled, half untucked from the waistband of her pleaded skirt, her tie loosened and the top buttons undone, she reflected the whirlwind swirling within her mind. Her day had been spent going through offer after offer of 'proper' marriage proposals, after reading the thirtieth one, she had told Dumbledore to just burn the rest. Her mail would be sorted by the house elves for now.
She hadn't even had the chance to talk with Fleur about what was going on, but McGonagall had informed her that the girl was being hassled just as much, only the mail she received was of a darker nature. The words and hexes contained within the Veela's mail hadn't been pretty and Hermione had felt awful for getting the girl involved in this mess. Because of her, a perfectly lovely girl was being called all sorts of disgusting things and being accused of taking advantage of Hermione, it didn't matter that she and Fleur knew different, Hermione couldn't stand the thought of people believing the worst of her friend.
Because they were friends now, weren't they? Hermione thought so and she hoped Fleur thought of her in such a way too.
Hermione had thought that Fleur wouldn't want to be around her anymore, what with the backlash, but her worries had been squashed when Harry had given her a note Fleur had slipped him during dinner, Snape had thought it best if Hermione had the day to ground herself. That's why she was here now, in a deserted hallway, in front of the third floor's Prefect bathroom.
She was waiting for Fleur. She was a minute late already and Hermione worried with every passing tick of her watch, that the French witch had changed her mind about meeting her. So caught up in her pacing she jumped and nearly screamed as a hand clasped her shoulder. "Fleur!" She squeaked. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!" Her glared at the giggling witch.
"Oh Hermione! You should have seen your face!" Fleur laughed quietly, her hand falling down Hermione's arm to clasp her forearm, pulling her into the Prefect bathroom.
"It's not funny." Hermione argued, following the girl. "We shouldn't be here Fleur, it's against the rules." She warmed even though she did nothing to stop the older girl and continued following her pass the door, swallowing heavily as Fleur locked the door behind them. "What are we doing?" She whispered though there was no need to.
Fleur grinned at her softly, pulling Hermione deeper into the room as her hand slipped further down to hold the Gryffindor's hand. "Are you afraid, Hermione?" She challenged.
Hermione squared her shoulders, her eyes narrowing at the insult, or what she thought was an insult. "I am not afraid!" She hissed, still keeping her voice low. "I merely would like to know why exactly I am breaking school rules right now." She fired back.
"Ah, but you see, that's the beauty of breaking the rules just for the sake of breaking a rule…there is no reason." Fleur smirked.
"Are you saying that there is no good reason as to why you've dragged and locked me into a bathroom in the middle of the night?" Hermione's eyes widened at the thought.
Again Fleur giggled at the girl's reaction. "Well…there is a reason, but my point is still a valid one." Fleur grinned as she dropped Hermione's hand to take off her cloak revealing a messenger bag of some sort, from that she retrieved her Golden Egg. Hermione just looked on, crossing her arms and waiting for an explanation. Fleur grinned. "I've figured out how to get my clue."
Hermione gasped, taking two steps and putting herself directly in front of Fleur, her hands tracing the design on the egg. "How?" She spoke with wide eyes, staring up at the girl in wonder. As far as Hermione knew, she was the only Champion to even attempt at getting the clue from the egg. The others had been seen glaring at the thing as it screeched at them.
Fleur shrugged. "The Veela are descendent from the Siren, as are Mermaids…we would recognize the sound anywhere." She whispered back to Hermione as she spoke of her heritage.
Hermione's eyes sparked as she too realized what Fleur meant. "A Mermaid's song can't be heard above the water!" She jumped in place at the information.
"Yes, Hermione, yes." Fleur smiled, watching the girl hop in the excitement of understanding and learning more of the heritage that surrounded the Veela and their kin. "Thus, the Prefect's bathroom."
Hermione nodded, "You have to submerge yourself in order to hear the clue…but why, why am I here?" She frowned, eyes narrowing as a blush erupted on the cheeks of the blonde.
"Hermione…" She said softly, reaching for the girl's hand as she led her to the lip of the pool like tub. Fleur waited till they were both seated to speak. "You are here because…I was, am, worried about you. Harry told me what happened at breakfast. I am sorry I was not there. To think those imbeciles believe that they can just gain your hand by a letter! Ils ne savent rien de l'amour que vous méritez! De mon amour pour vous! Ils ne pourraient jamais l'égaler !" She raved, switching from English to French without even realizing.
"Whoa!" Hermione called, placing her hands atop Fleur's to try and calm the witch. "Honestly Fleur, I didn't catch half of what you said." She laughed, happy when Fleur joined in too, the girl obviously embarrassed by her tangent. Hermione shook her head. "But it doesn't matter, thank you for being concerned for me, it means a lot to me, but I am fine, Fleur. Honestly, I am…Actually, I was more concerned about you." She stressed. "Professor McGonagall informed me about the letters you are receiving. Fleur I am so sorry for the awful things they are saying to you, about you." Hermione eyes watered at just the thought of the ignorance being thrown Fleur's way.
Fleur shook her head. "Non, Hermione. The ignorance I can handle, it is nothing." She shrugged as though it really did mean nothing to her. "Just as long as you do not believe such things about me-"
"Of course I don't! Fleur! I would never think such things about you!" Hermione cut in causing the blonde to smile widely.
"Then I have nothing to worry about." She said simply.
"But are you sure you're okay?" Hermione pressed causing Fleur to laugh and shake her head.
"Oui, yes, Hermione, all is well." Fleur squeezed her hands, grinning eyes peering into Hermione's worried ones. Hermione squeezed her hands in return, sighing out a deep breath as the stress left her body. She stared at Fleur, but really looked at her, allowed herself to look at the French witch. She was beautiful, it was easy for Hermione to admit, everyone could see how beautiful the girl was, but it wasn't just that.
There was something else there, hidden beneath Fleur's beauty, something magnetic that pulled Hermione, intrigued her. She wondered if perhaps, she was seeing the Veela within Fleur, if it was the Veela that sparkled in those blue eyes as they looked upon Hermione. When Fleur shifted, and her silver-blonde hair fell against her shoulder releasing a wave of vanilla and jasmine, was that the Thrall, Fleur so complained about? The one that wasn't supposed to captivate Hermione as it does the male population?
Was it the Veela that inched closer to Hermione, or was it Fleur? Were they separate? What made Hermione copy her movements and move in that much closer? When Fleur's eyes shift and flicker, looking more silver than blue, her pupil looking more avian than human, was that too just the Veela, or was Fleur and the Veela the same entity?
Was it Fleur whose breath ghosted across Hermione's cheek, was it Fleur who had gotten so close and invaded Hermione's space without so much as a complaint from the younger girl? Why was Hermione leaning in as well? Was she caught up in the Veela's Thrall, the one that wasn't supposed to work on her? Was this of her own doing? Did she want to be so close to Fleur?
Was Hermione about to let Fleur kiss her?
"Well, well, well…what do we have here? Do the two love birds want to have a romantic soak together? Hmm?" Myrtle's giggled words echoed around the bathroom, shattering whatever moment the girls where in and sending them to opposite sides of the bath as Hermione pulled away in her shocked stupor.