Chapter Text
Hermione was in her impeccably clean uniform. Her tie was in place, her tamed hair cascaded down her back framing her face. She was sitting at the Gryffindor table. The first day at Hogwarts had been yesterday and now she was just waiting, nibbling on her lower lip and waiting for her friends to calm down enough for her to tell them something she should have told them yesterday, in view of the facts that would soon come to light.
"So, what do you want to tell us?" Harry asked with a sweet smile. Hermione considered that perhaps the table in the main hall was not the best place to address the topic. But in her nervousness and anxiety, Hermione spoke in a high-pitched tone that indicated she had something to say.
"Yeah, you're killing us here, 'Mione!" Ron spoke with his usual goofy expression. Hermione hated having to break Ron's passionate heart, especially in light of the current situation. She opened and closed her mouth to speak but nothing came out. When she finally mustered up the courage to say something, Amelia Hooch - Madam Hooch's niece, and the new head of the Gryffindor house - approached.
"Mrs. Granger, there you are! The headmistress is calling you. Your wife has arrived from France." Amelia spoke with an almost unnatural tranquility considering the information she provided.
"WHAT?!" cried the chorus of Harry, Ron, Neville and Ginny that were present around the table. Ron soon passed out, falling to the floor with a loud thump.
“Uh… Surprise?” Hermione said without knowing exactly what to say.
**********
Hermione was then taken to Professor McGonagall's office. Upon entering the room, she saw her favorite professor sipping a cup of tea. Small, round glasses were perched on the tip of her nose, and when the older woman saw her student, she smiled mysteriously.
"Hello, Mrs. Granger." Hermione smiled slightly and nodded to her favorite professor. She then scanned the room, looking for a specific person. Upon meeting the pair of sky-blue eyes, she approached without caring about the other people in the room. The blonde woman was standing, and Hermione knew she did not like to be idle for long. The Gryffindor hesitated for a moment and touched the woman's forearm. She leaned over, and still slightly uncertain, she pecked the blonde's cheek. The blonde smiled tightly. The situation was still very new for both of them.
"Did you have a pleasant trip?"
"It was good. I got sick, but it was good." When the blonde answered Hermione's eyes wandered slightly over the woman's stomach then back to face the blue eyes.
"I was worried about the floo trip, especially because of the distance..." The woman waved and smiled slightly, as if speaking without words that everything was fine. Hermione then smiled fondly at her and looked aside at the other woman, a now familiar person.
"It is a pleasure to see you again, Lady Delacour." The younger Gryffindor said. The truth is that Apolline Delacour could be absolutely unhappy with the current situation, but she was honest enough to say that the situation could involve someone much worse than Hermione.
"Hermione." She spoke in a long tone.
"Well, since we're all here. Let us be quick." Minerva spoke evenly in a light tone. "As we were talking about earlier, Apolline. In view of this new situation, I consider it much wiser if the two stay in the same room, considering..." Minerva looked at Fleur for a moment. "Mrs. Delacour will be sorted into one of our houses, as required by the regulations. But both will share a room in the Gryffindor tower."
"But Headmistress, there are no extra rooms in this sector..." Amelia spoke calmly.
"The castle will take care of that." Minerva spoke with amusement at the innocence of her new professor.
"Now, Mrs. Granger and Mrs. Delacour. You will be seeing each other again tonight. I believe Hermione needs to inform her friends of her new situation, and you have some medical appointments to get to." Fleur gave a slight nod. "Now, we will find out which house in the school you will be staying in, and then, Mrs. Granger, you need to speak to your friends," Minerva responded as she got up to grab the Sorting Hat. Both girls nodded. Minerva then placed the Sorting Hat over young Delacour's head. The hat moved and barely touched her blond hair when it shouted "Ravenclaw!" Hermione smiled because if there was one thing she had learned about Fleur Delacour, it was that the young woman had all the greatest characteristics of a Claw. She had perspicacity, intelligence, creativity, wisdom and is always one step ahead of everyone. She gave Hermione a run for her galleons more than once.
Before long, Fleur got up, and Hermione kissed the blonde's cheek gently, saying they would see each other later. In a gentle smile, McGonagall approached and placed a hand on Hermione's shoulder.
"Let's get going, I think it will be wise for me to be around, considering the Weasley temperament." Hermione nodded dryly and closed her eyes in nervousness. "Calm down, everything will be fine." Minerva spoke in a calm tone. "Hogwarts has your back. As much as your family."
"I am grateful for that, but they are my friends, and I would really like them to understand what happened..." Hermione spoke with an uncertain tone. Minerva squeezed the shoulder that she was holding, lending her comfort.
"They will. They may need a little time, but they will."
Hermione arrived at the Gryffindor common room. Since classes were in session, the room held just her close friends. Harry, Ron, Ginny, Neville, and curiously enough, Luna were sitting and talking in a low whisper to each other. When Ginny saw Minerva looking at them with a raised eyebrow, she jumped on her feet, startling the rest of the group.
"Headmistress!" Within seconds everyone was on their feet, and Minerva smiled amusedly.
"Calm down and sit. I'm just here to support Mrs. Granger in the news she'll have to share." All eyes turned to Hermione, who swallowed.
"Congratulations on the wedding, Hermione. You look happy." Luna spoke dreamily and Hermione smiled slightly at her.
"Thank you, Luna."
"What is this bloody wedding story?" Ronald snarled, looking rather red and furious.
"Watch your tone, Mr. Weasley." Minerva spoke with a firm tone, and the redhead looked at her with wide eyes.
"Where do I start...?" Hermione questioned herself and sat on an armchair.
"The beginning may be a good idea..." Ginny, who was reasonably calm, spoke with an uncertain smile.
**********
Hermione went to France during the summer vacation before her final year. It lasted longer than usual because of the end of the war. With the battle of Hogwarts taking place in the sixth year, it made the castle a little precarious with extensive renovations being necessary. Hermione, Harry and Ron returned to Hogwarts for their final year of school as required, much to the chagrin of the boys, but Hermione, as always, was excited for another school year.
Hermione's uncles lived in a fairly exclusive French city with a semi-private beach, wonderful restaurants and a very calm climate. When Hermione arrived with her parents in Paris by international floo, they decided to take the long hours driving to her uncles' house. And, she could clearly see the magic around the small town. It was not just a semi-private city. It also seemed home to a magical group, but she wasn't sure how many magic bearers inhabited the city, but she was sure she would have time to explore the magical part of the city for herself.
At that moment, she was just happy to be with her uncles and parents. Oliver, Hermione's father, was excited to visit his younger brother. When Charlotte said she was going to transition to become Charlie, Oliver was supportive of his brother and helped him with each step of the transitioning process. Shortly after, Oliver married Mia and had Hermione. For many years, Hermione remembered spending time with her Uncle Charlie and his boyfriend Leo. Just before Hermione went to Hogwarts, Charlie and Leo moved to France. Leo was working on something important that promoted him to a prominent position in France, but Hermione could not remember what it was.
Charlie and Leo's house was spacious, and when Oliver parked, Hermione could have sworn she saw a broom flying over the house. But she shook her head, dismissing the idea.
Charlie ran out and hugged his brother tightly even going so far as to make his brother gasp before then reciprocating the hug with his younger brother.
"Oh, it's so good to see you!" Charlie replied. He was small, with messy brown hair and hazel eyes. He was bearded, and he smiled widely at Hermione. "Hermione! You look so beautiful! I'm glad to know that despite everything, you're fine." He spoke calmly, confusing Hermione.
"Uncle Charlie! It's great to see you again! But what do you mean by everything? What is this about?" Charlie hesitated for a second and smiled, pulling the girl into a hug before answering her question.
"The private school! Your father mentioned that you went to an important school somewhere in Scotland." He spoke with a shrug. "Mia, you look beautiful as always." He kissed the red-haired woman's cheeks. Hermione frowned, still confused.
"Where's Leo?" Oliver asked, curious.
"He has to work for a few more hours, but he should get an flo…-lift home soon."
A few hours passed quickly. Hermione was not a fool. Although quiet, the young woman paid attention to details. When Leo arrived and they finally went to dinner, Hermione waited for the opportunity to cement her hypothesis.
"So, Uncle Leo, do you think Gringotts will have much better security now?" She chose the subject wisely, as Leo spent about half an hour talking about his job as a security guard at a bank.
"Oh, yes, now that they've removed the drag-" Leo realized his mistake and gasped before looking at Hermione.
"I was Undesirable Number Two. I learned to see magic easily to keep us safe. I just don't understand why everyone is pretending that magic doesn't exist." She pointed at Charlie. "You knew I was going to Hogwarts, but you were afraid to speak to my parents. Did you know I needed their permission to go to school? I know why my parents pretended it didn't exist around you. But you?" She questioned amusedly and then she turned to Leo. "And do you work as a curse breaker?" Leo smiled and shrugged.
"I said it was foolish to pretend that we were Muggles." Leo spoke laughing to his husband. "She is the brightest witch of her age."
"Wait! Who's a magic one here?" Oliver asked confused.
"Uncle Leo." Hermione replied with amusement.
"Uh, of course, I knew that...." Oliver spoke again and Mia burst out laughing with her husband.
"So you work with the same thing as..." Mia said and thought for a moment. "William?" She asked Hermione.
"Yes, Bill."
"Weasley?" Leo asked and Hermione nodded in agreement. "He's a nice guy, I met him before. I work for the France's Gringotts. So every day, I go to Paris to work and return at night. We chose this city near the beach mainly because it is quiet and has great coverage against Muggles."
"I imagine you guys should be concerned, but it's a beautiful city, and we're going to enjoy it. Now that Hermione doesn't have to hide, everything is easier. But, am I going to ask you to leave the simple household chores for me to do?" Mia spoke slightly anxiously.
"Sure, Mia." Charlie spoke fun. "Now, Hermione, tell me what you plan to do after saving the magical world. Also, let me tell you, you are likely to be almost unknown here. The news did not spread across Europe as it did in the first war. The English Ministry withholds most information. So many people around will not recognize you so easily. " Hermione nodded and smiled. "Now, tell me about your plans."
Hermione said she would really like to specialize in spells and eventually teach, maybe working a few years as an Unspeakable for the Ministry to experience new things. Charlie, despite being Non-Magiques, which as Hermione found out was the French word for Muggles, knew a lot about the magical world. He even worked as a consultant for the Muggle artifacts sector in the French ministry.
The first days in France were peaceful. Hermione had fun with her uncles and parents, going swimming and exploring the Muggle part of the small town. They had arrived on Saturday, so, they would have to wait until the following weekend to see the magical part of the city with Leo and Charlie. Whenever Hermione was allowed to walk and roam around, if she kept her wand close.
The Gryffindor found herself sitting on a far side of a beach of pink sand and crystal-clear turquoise water. It was hot, but not as unbearable as Hermione had expected. She was on a large rock, beneath a lonely tree that cast a great shadow, calmly reading an advanced spell book that Leo had loaned to her.
That was when a sound different from the waves crashing and the coastal wind that caught Hermione's attention. The sound of flapping wings made the brunette lower the book and look ahead. Hermione was on a stone that overlooked a small gorge about ten meters high. It was isolated, and therefore, Hermione chose this spot to practice the wand movements that the book described, and the giant tree provided protection against the sun.
Hermione felt her eyes widen at the image in front of her. As if she were an angel ascending to the heavens, a blonde woman wearing only a turquoise bikini ascended slowly with large white feathered wings with azure tips. After hearing Hermione gasp, the woman turned in the air and opened her eyes wide.
"Merde, a non-magique!" The woman pulled out her wand, and Hermione's instinctive reaction was to pull out her own wand. With a wordless Expelliarmus, she disarmed the woman. The two faced each other for a long time. "Alors, tu es magique..." The woman said with a smile. “Puis-je le récupérer?”
"Also… English?" Hermione said feeling her cheeks heat.
“Oh, American?” The woman curiously asked and slowly landed a few feet in front of Hermione.
"British."
"And does she have a name?" The blonde spoke with amusement.
"I think it's only fair for you to introduce yourself first since you intruded upon my space." Hermione's amused tone made the blonde raise an eyebrow. Hermione, fascinated, saw the wings slowly shrink and disappear on the woman's back.
“Fleur Delacour.” The woman stepped forward and held out her hand. Hermione jumped to her feet and grabbed the outstretched hand.
"Hermione Granger, it's a pleasure." When their hands touched, they both felt the magic tingling pass from one to the other, and they smiled with the familiarity. It seemed that their magic cores resonated in agreement.
"The pleasure is mine." The blonde smiled widely. "So, Hermione, can I have my wand back?" Fleur asked in amusement as she pointed the pink wand in Hermione's hand.
"Oh! Sure! I'm sorry!" Hermione blushed and handed the wand to the blonde. "I thought you were going to obliviate me. It was a bit of an instinctive mental leap." Hermione blushed heavily, and Fleur laughed quietly.
"I think I would have had the same reaction. It has been a long time since I was taken by surprise." The two looked at each other, and a slightly awkward atmosphere settled in until the blue eyes moved behind Hermione and saw the book carefully left on the ground.
"Are you studying advanced magic?" She spoke in an excited tone.
"Oh, yes! My uncle lent me that book!" Hermione took a few steps back and picked up the book.
"August Moreau's Magical Theorems." Fleur read softly. "Can I?" She questioned gently and Hermione held the book out to her.
Long later they were both sitting under the enormous tree, Fleur's hair was quickly pulled over her right shoulder and tamed so it wouldn't fly upwind. They chatted friendly about various academic subjects. Hermione found it fascinating that the blonde was as much into school conversations as she was. They had already covered transfigurations and spells, and they were slowly migrating to the art of reading ancient runes.
"I find it fascinating that if we look at the origin of Elder Futhark's alphabet, and if we pay enough attention, we can see the inclusion of Etruscan or Raetic alphabets, even the Latin alphabet! And when I read about the theory that runes were derived from the Byzantine Greek alphabet, I found it so absurd, but if we look at the 4th century Gothic alphabet that is derived from Greek, we have two letters derived from runes-" Hermione, who spoke animatedly, stopped talking and Fleur, who was fascinatedly paying attention, was curious.
"Which are they?" Hermione hesitated for a brief glance. "Ah, come on, you're not going to leave me hanging, are you?" The Gryffindor smiled widely. It was the first time that anyone besides her professors was interested in her ramblings.
"I'll tell you, of course. So originally it was Jer and Uruz, which are like the ones they found in the Kylver Stone."
"Did you know that the Kylver Stone was removed from exhibition after magical manifestations?" Fleur spoke right away and Hermione felt metaphorically on tiptoe.
"What happened?" The blonde opened her mouth to respond when a loud growling stomach was present. The two looked at each other, and Fleur blushed strongly with her angry stomach.
"Hey, what do you think about going to the restaurant on the beach and eating something? Uh, that is, if you can of course..." Hermione asked and quickly corrected herself.
"Oh, yes! There's a small cafeteria near the fountain with a delicious Croque-Monsieur. You will like it!" Fleur got up quickly, pulled out her wand, and conjured a dress around her. She then reached out to Hermione and pulled the young brunette up. Curiously, Fleur held Hermione’s hand all the way to a small bistro on the street next to the beach.
The two young women continued talking for a long time sitting at the cafe. They ate the Croque-Monsieur and shared a piece of Clafoutis, something that the blonde seemed to be very fond of having even though Hermione liked the strawberry meringue pie better that her uncle had made a few days ago.
When the sun started to set, Hermione insisted on walking with Fleur to the blonde's house. The house was one of the biggest mansions there. It was the exact opposite of Malfoy Manor. It was beautiful with dozens of mirrored plants. Fleur spoke calmly about what life was like at Beauxbatons when the realization hit them that they had arrived at the gate.
"Thanks for the company today, Fleur. I hope we can see each other again." Hermione spoke politely and honestly.
"Can I kiss you?" The question was completely off the beat of the night and left Hermione at a loss.
"What?"
"Can I kiss you?" Fleur repeated with the same sincerity.
"Fleur, I don't know if it would be wise. We live in different countries." Hermione spoke confusedly, but the absence of a denial did not go unnoticed by either of them.
"Hermione, I understand the hesitation since the summer vacation will be over soon but I, just like you, am not looking for something permanent..." Fleur spoke calmly. "I really enjoyed our afternoon, and we can keep building a friendship regardless. But, I've been dying to kiss you since we sat down to talk.... Can I kiss you? Please?" Fleur pleaded softly.
“Yes.”
Fleur approached slowly, her blonde hair flying lightly with the sea breeze that assaulted the city at night. The blonde brought her hand up to Hermione's cheek, making the tiny two-inch difference decrease further when the blonde tilted her head down, and Hermione tilted up. The lips touched in a slow brush. It was a hesitant first kiss. Fleur sighed against Hermione's lips, and suddenly, they were closer. The Gryffindor raised her hand to Fleur's hip, pulling it slightly against her. Her lips parted, and the blonde sucked slightly on the brunette's lower lip making the shorter woman gasp softly. Hermione parted her mouth from Fleur’s and pecked her lip slightly while smiling.
“Can you send me an owl tomorrow, and can we arrange something?" Fleur nodded and smiled sheepishly for the Gryffindor request. Her cheeks flushed slightly.
"Oui." Hermione then took a step away from the blonde who frowned, then sighed in agreement. "Bonne nuit, Hermione." She then took two steps back, and the mansion's gate magically opened. Hermione noticed that the mansion's wards were strong. Because when the gate closed, she could no longer see Fleur on the other side of the bars beside several plants.
"Good night, Fleur." Hermione sighed contentedly, turning to walk over to Charlie's house.
When she arrived at the house, both her uncles and her parents were in the kitchen, Mia was making an elaborate dish with pasta. Leo was cooking with Mia while Charlie was teaching wizard chess to Oliver.
"Oh Hermione, this is amazing. Can I get one for Christmas?" Oliver spoke excitedly.
"Hello everyone." The young woman spoke laughing at her father. "Sure, Dad, I can give you a Wizard's Chess board for Christmas." Oliver smiled and chuckled.
"And where were you?" Mia asked after her daughter kissed her on the cheek.
"I went to the beach to read, and then I met a girl the same age as me. She's cool, and we were talking in a bistro near the waterfront." Leo smiled widely at the phrase as did Mia.
"That is great dear! Merlin knows that nobody wants you to feel stuck with the elders." Leo laughed at his own joke and elbowed Mia.
"Speak for yourself. I am ridiculously young." The woman said, and Leo laughed at that. Mia just winked playfully at her daughter.
"I like to spend time with you, you bunch of old people." Hermione laughed at Charlie's disgruntled moan.
"I'm old, leave me. I'm here playing a game of old people with my older brother." He spoke playfully.
"Despite that, I'm glad you found someone your age to spend some time. Does this girl have a name?" Mia asked and gave a knowing wink.
"Yes, mother, Fleur."
"Oh, the Delacour girl?" Leo spoke curiously, and Hermione nodded. "She's a good girl as far as I know." He spoke with a shrug.
"What do you say, Hermione?"
"She is cool." Hermione spoke with a little blush, and Mia raised an eyebrow and smiled knowingly.
"Oh, I see."