Chapter Text
If someone told Hermione that April 28th would be crazy, she would probably believe it. And she would have been grateful for the advance head ups that her usual Wednesday would be thrown out the window, where she would take her practical Herbology and DADA classes.
Nothing in the world could prepare her for the flow of feelings that were going on inside her. It was lunchtime, before the second part of classes, when everything went downhill.
A few months had passed since the trial. And things were calm. Samuel had been taken out of school to finish his academic training at home, which was a much safer place for the young wizard who was suffering from the looks and judgments of his colleagues. He accepted his punishments in an exemplary way and accepted that his immaturity and impulsiveness had placed an eternal dark mark on his school and criminal record. But at the same time, Samuel seemed grateful. It was much better to stay home and be able to have a life than to be imprisoned as a prisoner in Azkaban. Even though the prison was about to be demolished and replaced, it would be very scary for anyone.
The following months were good. Hermione and Fleur were concerned about the near future of their daughter's birth, grateful for the support of the school and the family, but still... concerned. After all, they were still seventeen-year-olds who would soon be responsible for someone’s little life. Teenage pregnancy was not something romantic and glorified. It was difficult and costly. Hermione and Fleur actively sacrificed their futures for the sake of pregnancy.
An unexpected marriage, which even resulted in love was still something that happened very early. A greater responsibility that both hadn’t planned. Both did not plan children until their thirties because they wanted to focus on their professional life, which was very fair. Their married life, despite being very in tune, was still something they did not plan for this time of their lives. But pregnancy changed all of that. They had many more responsibilities, many more duties, and many more things that they planned before the summer. But, it didn't mean that they would change anything.
Although costly, and they were a rare exception of the general rule, teenage pregnancy for both was something that was paying off. Both were employed in the future, although it was linked to the Veela clan. Both owned a house in Paris, even though it was a late wedding gift. Both would have a beautiful daughter, even if she was unplanned. And both would have each other, which basically supported everything else.
If you questioned Fleur, she would be as honest as if you questioned Hermione. She was not planning to fall in love with the brunette. It was supposed to be a hot, sexual summer adventure. An exploration of the mental attraction Fleur felt for Hermione. It was supposed to be that explosive, sexual, full of orgasms and intellectual conversations in the summer. In the end, Fleur wanted to get to the end of the summer with a new friend and good memories.
For Hermione, it was even more out of the box. She wasn't looking for any of this. She wasn't looking for a summer sexual adventure. She wasn't looking for an intellectual or physical attraction. She just wanted peace of mind. Summer was about that. She was running away from trouble and England. But more and more, Hermione came to the conclusion that Minerva was right. Where there was a member of the golden trio, there would be an eventual problem. Hermione would roll her eyes at that, if it didn't make so much sense.
The two of them meeting seemed like a blow to fate with luck thrown into the wind where they might or might not have met. If Hermione hadn't gone to the beach that day to read, if Fleur hadn't gone swimming and flying, ifs... Hermione's grandmother always said that planting an 'if' seedling was like living in an uncertain future that will never exist, and Hermione was not that idealistic.
The coin had been tossed by the time Hermione arrived in France, and everything looked like a cascade of events later. Butterfly effect, as Muggles called it. A perfect storm, as Geraldine called it. A corrupted core, a maturing veela, a magical synergy beyond normal, an emotional sexual take and there they were. Pregnant. Married. In a future that the selves of the past did not imagine to have.
And neither would put that in a different position than reality. Living reality is a step by step of learning. Hermione did not expect a pregnancy and a marriage as much as Fleur. She didn't expect to find a woman she would love the way she loves Fleur, and she would absolutely not trade that for anything between earth and heaven, this earthly plane or any other.
After the initial shock, the pregnancy, the horrible magic laws, a marriage in less than a week. Most of the thirty-four weeks of gestation were generally smooth. A phase where they met and fell in love. A phase in which both learned so much about each other and especially about themselves.
Hermione joked more than once with Fleur that although she chose the least problematic member of the golden trio, she still fell in love with a giant magnet of random problems. This made Fleur laugh lightly and nod, saying that nothing would be as it was if she hadn't been with Hermione.
But Fleur was surprised by the depth of her feelings for the brunette. It was immeasurable. A love of books, as Luna had said. A beautiful and pure love, a love that generated life even before it was called love.
Neither of them believed in the prerogative of true love, at least not until they met and got married. For both, love was built, while true love seemed like an explosive utopia of a passion that becomes love. It was not something they had. Of course, they had the physical passion, the intense sexual desire and, for the goddesses, the best sex Fleur ever had in her life. But what kind of love would be for two women so attracted to each other if there was no exposure of desire. But still, the concept of true love was confusing.
Fleur once heard that true love was the form of romantic affection that is considered pure and wholly positive and not just based on feelings of lust but a strong and lasting affection between lovers who are in a happy, passionate and fulfilling relationship. How could she not fail to call her love for Hermione true, when she had it all with the young Gryffindor? It was a pure love, a love to care for and protect, a love to maintain and nurture, a love that made her sigh with joy for no reason. A love that gave her one of the greatest gifts, life.
Fleur felt alive, alive with the touches, the moments, and the presence of Hermione. Live and pulsating with the warmth of love in their veins. She loved it so deeply that she didn't know where it started and ended.
A love that changed the two so intrinsically that Fleur knew that she would never again be the child she was, the woman she was. For within her, in more ways than one, there were parts of Hermione that changed to be hers. And within Hermione, there were parts of her that also changed the young Englishwoman's being.
They knew that it was a love for life and that nothing could undo that bond. Not even if love ended, if a painful decision to end came, the marks that one left on the other would be carried throughout an existence and perhaps for the next existence.
Fleur questioned whether, and if only if, soul mates really existed. And she hoped, prayed, implored anyone that, and if the answer was yes, that Hermione was hers. Because, the mere idea of living without one another made the air difficult to breathe. The day was gray and cold. Things lost color and even with life goals. It would seem that something was missing.
Hermione pushed her. Fleur supported her. They understood each other, loved each other, and possessed each other with an intensity beyond what anyone could have predicted. It was intense, warm, and vibrant with a myriad of colors so unique that nothing could make their love black and white.
The flame of life vibrated, danced and took everything and everyone. It took Fleur, took Hermione, created and changed. And nothing, absolutely nothing, would prepare the two girls for the birth of their daughter.
*********
Hermione groaned. Her hand was being squeezed by the force of two suns by her usually delicate and gentle wife. It was not possible that a single woman could generate so much strength with just five fingers.
"I love you, but I hate you for putting this child inside me!" Fleur barked while the contraction eased slightly. "I've been in this situation for three hours, Hermione! Three damn hours!" Fleur barked again and Hermione just nodded and ran a hand over Fleur's cheek.
"I'm a horrible person. I'm sorry I got you pregnant." The sentence ended, and Hermione sighed when the contractions were still at regular intervals and happening every six minutes. Both knew that this would soon be reduced. Since it would be impossible to give birth without constant contractions, it helped the blonde to push.
Their Wednesday had started normal. They had taken the morning classes, and Fleur was excited for the second period with practical classes. That was when the amniotic fluid bag broke, and Fleur felt foolish for not having noticed that the mucous plug had come out two days earlier. But she hadn't been too concerned, not only because she hadn't noticed what it was, but also, vaginal discharge was something that was going on regularly at this point. But, she should have known better.
She was calm when she approached Hermione and informed her with a delicate tone that they should go to the hospital. Hermione made a heroic effort not to panic, and Fleur would have to congratulate her wife in the near future.
The Gryffindor calmly sat her wife on the bench of the Gryffindor table, and in determined steps, she approached the Headmistress who was immersed in a long conversation with Adrianne. And she informed her succinctly and firmly that Fleur was going into labor. The two looked at each other and quickly moved to Fleur. Minerva called Dobby and asked the elf to fetch the suitcase they had packed for the hospital. In a short time, the two were guided to the Floo and went to the hospital.
Everything was reasonably calm since Dr. Sullivan had left the birth plan all organized. So, there were no problems with the ministry charging absurd fees, since everything had been paid for beforehand.
Back at the hospital, Narcissa was the one who first checked the two, which was much more out of courtesy. She informed them that Sullivan would be arriving at any moment, which was true because not even twenty minutes later and during the first contraction, where Hermione thought she would lose her hand, he arrived.
"Fleur, you're doing great!" Dr. Sullivan spoke when he entered the room, smiling broadly at the young veela who shot him with her eyes.
"Get that child out of me!" She ordered, and the man swallowed.
"We need the contractions to be even closer. I came to see how dilated you are." He spoke kindly and sat down on the stool that had already been used a few times. Fleur sighed irritably and put her legs in the stirrups so that the dilation was measured.
"We're almost there, Fleur. We need a little less than an inch more. We are 8 cm, and we need 10 cm." He spoke calmly and immediately afterwards a long contraction was present. "What is the interval?" He questioned Hermione, whose hand was sore and eyes were on the clock.
"It is every five minutes, and I will probably need a cast and orthopedic surgery after this delivery." Hermione spoke in a playful tone, and Fleur grunted.
"Sorry, love." She spoke sheepishly, and Hermione shrugged.
"My hand is yours to grab." Hermione spoke calmly. "Just ease between contractions… Maybe?" This was asked in a low tone, and Fleur blushed.
"Oh, sorry..." She finally released Hermione's hand slightly, which made the Gryffindor sigh when the blood returned to her fingertips.
"It is good too." Hermione spoke with a slight smile. They were at that moment in a long wait since Fleur's body was determined to push the child out, but she still needed time to further dilate.
They talked for a while longer and about another hour passed… a long scruciating hour where Hermione almost lost one of her hands and gently tried to guide Fleur to drink some water.
"Okay, Fleur, it seems to me that we are finally at ten centimeters!" Dr. Sullivan spoke excitedly and smiled widely. "We are going to move these two to the obstetric center. Hermione, accompany the nurse. She will help you with asepsis and give you clothes to access the operating room. I know this is not what you plan, but as I said before, we need to be prepared for everything.
Hermione was extremely nervous. She washed her hands according to the nurse's instructions with shaking hands. The woman was kind and tried to calm the young mother, but nothing the woman really said helped because the young woman was too anxious to be able to remain calm, not that she was going to tell Fleur how nervous she was. She thought Fleur actually knew what she was feeling since Hermione's magic was absolutely everywhere in nervousness, but she had promised Fleur that she would stay calm and was absolutely focused on keeping that promise.
She was guided to a bright, sterile room. Fleur was on a high stretcher, which was slightly tilted to help with the delivery. She moved quickly to approach her wife, and her hands clutched. She leaned over and kissed the blonde's forehead.
"I love you." She whispered softly to the veela who just smiled. Fleur was concentrating on the next few moments. She was focusing on pushing.
"Okay, girls, let's get started then." Dr. Sulivan smiled widely and approached the two. He put himself in position and then started giving instructions on how and when Fleur was supposed to push.
The only thing that went through Hermione's mind was how strong Fleur is. She always considered Fleur to be a strong, determined, and beautiful woman. But at that moment, when her hand was almost broken by the force of the veela, when the sounds of pain and force were made, when she listened to Dr. Sullivan's instructions without batting an eye and did her best to do what the man was saying, Hermione just thought about how strong she was.
The brunette whispered words of support and helped the veela to remain calm. That was when a new sound broke the atmosphere. Sullivan celebrated, and in a few seconds, the sound of a high-pitched cry took over the room, and Hermione felt her heart race.
"Oh, my love, you did it! She is here!"
Everything then went off without a hitch. In rapid movements, the little child was evaluated, and Fleur had to expel the rest of the placenta. When it was over, the young veela was exhausted and was lying covered. In a moment, the little child came back, now clean to the living room. She had light brown hair, almost dark blond, her wrinkled face was calm, and she quickly sought comfort against her mother's neck and chest, when the nurse placed her there.
"She is magnificent!" Hermione spoke delightedly and raised her hand tentatively to the center of the child's back. It was like a magical thrust. It was something she knew, an energy that she knew. She smiled widely and leaned over. "Oh, my little flame. It's so good to have you with us.” The little baby cooed lightly and snuggled up against her mother.
"Photo time!" A nurse spoke excitedly and pulled out a magic camera. She took a photo of a few moments like of the two new mothers smiling at each other and looking delightedly at the little child. Hermione's fingers danced softly, like touches of butterfly wings against the fluffy, soft hair of the newborn veela.
"She is a dream come true, lionne." Fleur spoke with teary eyes, a tired face and a wide smile on her face.
"Mommy, we're going to take you to the bedroom to give you a nice shower and then the little one will be under observation until you're ready. Mamma Hermione, do you want to go with Fleur or with the little one?" Hermione hesitated and looked at Fleur and the child.
"Go with her, my mom will help me with the bath. I don't want her alone." Hermione nodded and leaned over, kissing Fleur's lips before following the nurse who placed the little baby in a comfortable crib wrapped in soft fabric. The swaddle that they had gotten from Ginny was perfectly wrapped around the child. They knew it would make the redhead happy.
She went to where the child was. She was on the other side of a glass, and there, she could see that there was a small sign with the name 'Child Granger-Delacour.” Part of her considered what were the magic means used to prevent children from being stolen. This made her look critically at the magic around. She slightly projected her arcane eye to see the magic lines as Professor Flitwick had taught earlier this year. She saw several arcane circles that protected each of the small cradles, and there was a marked difference between those who had a child and those who did not. It was almost like a guide to magical protection. Hermione was satisfied with that.
"Where is she?" Ginny asked, appearing suddenly beside Hermione, which made the brunette jump slightly.
"Ginny, we're in a hospital. Get yourself under control." She scolded, and the redhead blushed slightly. "There, there is our little girl."
"Oh, she's using the blanket I gave her!" Ginny spoke in a low, animated tone that made Hermione smile.
"Of course, it was a gift from her godmother." The two smiled at each other.
"She is wonderfully beautiful, Hermione. She clearly took after Fleur." Ginny joked, and Hermione elbowed her slightly. "Okay, I can see some part of you. Hopefully, she'll have your genius brain and Fleur's social skills." Ginny teased again, and Hermione grunted. "Okay, okay, I’ll stop." Ginny put her arm over Hermione's shoulder and hugged her sideways. "Congratulations on the child," she whispered, and the two stood there, silently watching the little girl. That was when a very excited Harry appeared. He hugged the two women and was delighted to look at the little girl. He said nothing, just stayed there with wide, animated eyes.
It took a little over an hour. The little baby was taken by Dr. Sullivan for an evaluation and in a short time, everyone was with Fleur, sitting and smiling widely.
"Are we finally going to know the name of this little creature?" Adrianne spoke while her finger was firmly gripped by the baby.
"So impatient." Fleur grunted playfully.
"No, niece, not impatient. I am curious. You've been hiding that name from us all for months." The older redhead grunted and a few grunts of agreement were made. Geraldine looked at everything with great amusement. She approached the little girl and ran her fingertip over the tiny foot with a green sock.
"The child's name?" Estelle asked huffing slightly, and Hermione and Fleur looked at each other and smiled. At the same moment, a small knock on the door was heard, and Oliver and Mia came in accompanied by Minerva.
"Now, we can say the name." Hermione spoke with a broad smile and hugged her parents and headmistress. They exchanged a few words of joy and cooed at the little child.
"Guys, we formally want you to meet Maya Olivia Granger Delacour." Mia sighed when she saw that her mother was honored in her first granddaughter, and she sighed shakily, approaching the two young mothers and hugging them tight.
"Oh, thank you girls. This is quite a tribute." Mia spoke with thrilled eyes and then turned to the little baby. "Hi, Maya, it's a pleasure to finally have a name to call you." She spoke sweetly and lightly poked the little baby's nose, who the little coo and stretched.
That was when something unusual happened. The child sneezed slightly, which made the three adults mutter a sound of pleasure and then sigh slightly in surprise. But then, the little girl's light brown hair quickly changed color, becoming blue and then black and then returning to the original color.
"Oh, boy ..." Hermione said, swallowing and looking wide-eyed at Fleur.
**********
The purple dome vibrated slightly. Sky McGonnagal looked at everything with her mouth ajar and her eyes wide in a mixture of fascination and awe. The Blue Island turned into a wave of magic, unnatural, not arcane, just magic as it was on its own. Sky swallowed and took three hesitant steps to the back wall of the temple.
There, everything was eroded by time, a natural process of so many years on an isolated island in the middle of the ocean. Nature followed its course and the constructions of men as well because time was eating away at everything, changing and taking. But, what Sky was seeing was an almost unnatural process.
The Veelan runes that ruled the walls, which were previously erased and lifeless, shone in a myriad of colors. Roses, purples, blues, golds, silver, and bronze vibrated and shone, giving a new air and a new grace to the old eroded temple.
The Sacred Flame shone with the strength of a lighthouse, indicating again that something had happened in the world. Sky didn't understand what was affecting the Veela relic to the point of changing the entire small island. But something was changing. Sky approached the pink flame, which was on a well-ornamented bronze plate. The plate vibrated a sweet, metallic sound that sounded strange and familiar at the same time to the veela's ears. That's when Sky saw it. A myriad of women, an almost physical figure, with long black hair and one green and one blue eye. The woman smiled, and when she spoke, her voice sounded like thousands of low, high-pitched voices, belonging to many more versions of herself. She spoke slowly and, at the same time, her body, which was already ethereal, disappeared with the breath of the sea breeze.
"My child, Fortune, are those who shape their own history."