"Any updates?" Fleur asked her grandmother as she entered the older woman's study. It had been a few days since she had finally woken up and although still weak she felt a lot better. Well she felt physically better. Mentally she was barely keeping it together. If she didn't have the search for Hermione to focus all her attention on Fleur wasn't sure what would happen.
"Come sit and I will tell you." Sabine motioned for her granddaughter to take a chair in front of her desk.
"So that means you do have an update?" Fleur asked as she took a seat.
Sabine sighed as she sat back in her chair and looked her granddaughter over. Fleur's color was back to normal and although clear her eyes looked haunted. It was to be expected after finding out what was done to her but Sabine still felt horrible for Fleur. "We have some information but we haven't been able to confirm anything yet."
"Well what is? Do you know where she is?" Fleur found herself feeling some excitement at the prospect of finally finding out where her mate was. She desperately wanted to reunite with Hermione.
"One of our contacts at the bank that we asked to look into whether or not she had been accessing her vault has gotten back to us." Sabine didn't think Fleur was going to like what she said next.
Noticing her grandmother's reluctance Fleur became concerned. "What is it?"
"It seems that although Hermione hasn't personally accessed the vault the co-owner has." Sabine said.
"Hermione doesn't have a private vault?" When her grandmother shook her head Fleur questioned. "Well who else does it belong to?"
"A woman named Luna Lovegood." Sabine told her.
"Luna?" Fleur knew who the witch was but didn't know that she and Hermione spoke let alone were close. "Why would she share a vault with Luna?"
"We just know that she shares one with her not why she does." Sabine had asked her contact for more information but the man couldn't find out any details other than when Hermione took over the vault of Bellatrix LeStrange as was her right to as reparations from the war, she filed paperwork a couple months later to legally give Luna co-ownership as well.
"So my mate, who I've been forced to be apart from for years shares a vault with another woman. A woman who I have never seen her interact with but is familiar enough with her to give her legal rights to half of a fortune she earned from her sacrifices and triumphs from the war." Fleur couldn't pinpoint exactly what she was feeling. Despair, anger and jealously where fighting for dominance with depression and sadness gaining momentum. It was the feeling of betrayal that surprised her and she quickly stamped down on it. She and Hermione weren't a couple that meant that Hermione could have relationships with whoever she liked.
"That's the sum of it." Sabine said.
"Have you contacted Luna at all?" Fleur didn't want to cause any conflicts in Hermione's relationship but it was important that she at least speak to Hermione about what happened.
Sabine shook her head. "We haven't. We did look into her though. She is a case manager for the British ministry of magic's magical creature department. It was actually a letter of recommendation from Hermione that got her the job."
"Hermione got her the job?" Fleur asked.
"Luna is more than qualified but Hermione was the deciding factor." Sabine told her.
"So what do we do now?" Fleur didn't know if they could do anything. If Hermione was in a relationship she might not even care that she was Fleur's mate.
"I have scheduled an appointment to speak to her at the ministry in two days time."Sabine said.
"I'm going with you." Fleur wanted to see the person her mate was with with her own two eyes.
Sabine was expecting Fleur to say that. "As I will not be able to stop you I included you already. You, myself and your mother will be the ones in attendance."
"How are we going to get her to tell us about Hermione?" Fleur wasn't sure if Luna would be forthcoming with any information. "It's not like we can say the woman you are in a relationship with is my mate and I need to find her so I can take her away from you."
"We don't know if they are in a relationship. Don't get all worked up until you have all the facts. It will do you no good." Sabine warned.
"It will do me no good if my mate is in a relationship and rejects me." Fleur replied.
Sabine sighed. "I know this is a tough situation to be in and I wish that I could turn back time and make it all go away but I can't. All I can do is try to right the wrong. This is the only lead we have on Hermione so we need to tread carefully."
"I know it's just hard waiting around while my life unravels around me." Fleur said.
"It might be unraveling but we are already building it back up. You aren't alone my dear." Sabine reminded her.
"I know, I'm just frustrated. What is happening with Bill?" Fleur asked.
"He should have been notified of the divorce proceedings by now. I assume he has as he has made no more attempts to contact you. Unless you haven't told us about it." Sabine inquired.
Fleur shook her head. "I haven't heard anything which I'm happy about. I don't ever want to see or think about that man again."
"Unfortunately you are going to have to because we will be submitting our claims to the British of his wrongdoings next week." Sabine wished she could save Fleur from having to relive her trauma in front of an audience but if they wanted justice it had to be done.
"We aren't going to wait longer to find Hermione?" Fleur had assumed they wouldn't be doing anything until they found her mate. Their case wouldn't be solid without the savior backing them.
"I would prefer to wait until we found her however we don't want to give Bill to much time to cover his tracks. He has ties to the Potter boy and his brother was considered a friend of Hermione's so his family has a lot of clout within the magical world. If we leave him for to long he will have a chance to tell his side of the story and we likely would be the ones accused of wrongdoing instead of being the accusers." Sabine explained.
Fleur hated that that made sense. "That wouldn't be the case if I wasn't a Veela."
"No it wouldn't but you are and we will fight hard to have the proper punishment be doled out. Now if we find Hermione before that we will rethink our strategy after we speak to her but since that isn't guaranteed to happen we have to work with what we have got." Sabine did wish they had a better case but without Hermione they were fighting an uphill battle.
"I just hope that she will actually want me." Fleur had been trying to convince herself that Hermione was her mate and they were meant to be together but it was hard. Now hearing that she might be in a relationship with Luna Fleur's insecurities were rearing their ugly head.
"She will want you." Seeing Fleur wasn't convinced Sabine tried again. "Hermione is your soulmate. You are destine to be together. No one can stop the hand of fate."
"If you say so." Every one she had talked to had said the same thing but Fleur wasn't convinced.
"I'm not just saying it, I mean it. Hermione will not brush you aside. From all the stories I've heard of her she seems to be an honorable, caring young woman. I'm sure she will at least hear you out." Sabine along with the rest of the flock had been more than proud that Hermione was Fleur's mate. Known as the girl who singlehandedly won the war by not only defeating Voldemort herself but she personally led many successful attacks against the Death Eaters. There were many arguments about who was at fault for things getting so bad and who was responsible for the war but the one thing all the sides involved agreed on was without Hermione Granger all would have been lost. Having such a respectable person as the one to stand beside the future clan elder as a member of the Delacour flock would bring all Veela a new level of respect.
"If we can find her." Fleur hoped that even though Luna might be in a relationship with Hermione that the woman would be kind enough to at least pass on a message to Hermione. Then again if Fleur where in the same position she wouldn't want anyone who had romantic feelings for her mate to have contact with her.
"We will find her." Sabine promised. "Now why don't you go spend time with your mother. She mentioned that she might like to go flying. It would be good for you to stretch your wings for a bit."
"I think I will. Thank you grand mere." Fleur said.
"Your welcome dear. Have fun." Sabine called out as Fleur made her way out the door.
"I will." Fleur told her as she closed the door behind her. She didn't really feel like being under the watchful eye of her mother but flying did sound like a nice idea. Her mind was overwhelmed with to many thoughts and the idea of giving herself over completely to her Veela side was very appealing. She knew that she would still experience the pain of being away from her mate but she would rather just feel that than all the other emotions that where close to overwhelming her. Hopefully they would find Hermione soon so that the ache of loneliness would go away.