Part 8

FLEUR She felt her heart breaking, and the inner Veela wanted to come out and hurt Aurelie. How dare she kiss Hermione?! Fleur noticed it through the window. It looked like a tender kiss between lovers. But what could she expect? Hermione was a young, strong, attractive woman who had spent almost a year in the reserve of passionate and sexy Veelas. "What got you so upset?" Her mother asked as she entered the room. She didn't even hear the knock. "Did you know? Aurelie and Hermione... they..."

"I suspected that there was more than friendship between them, but I didn't see anything with my own eyes." Apolline replied calmly, watching Fleur warily, while placing dinner on the desk. "How could you let that happen?" Fleur sawthed, the words escaped involuntarily. "Me?" Apolline smiled coldly. "My little flower, you forget that Hermione is still a free woman. So is Aurelie. They can do whatever they want with their lives. If that bothers you, fight for the Englishwoman. Hermione has spent a lot of time here trying to heal from your bond."

"Too late." Fleur said with a trembling voice. "No, Fleur." Apolline said forcefully, sitting down next to her daughter and gently wrapping her arm around her. "As long as you live, it's never too late." "Even after what I've put her through?" "Sweetheart, it's not me you should be talking to, it's her. I just ask that you be sure of your intentions. I like this girl, she's strong and brave on the outside, no doubt about it, but underneath... please... if you really want to be with her, be honest. If you're not sure... let Aurelie make her happy."

Apolline left, leaving Fleur to herself. She didn't sleep a wink during the night, wondering what to do.

She was lying in bed in the morning when she heard a knock on the door. "Come in." Hermione, in jeans and a white shirt, entered the room. FLeur involuntarily looked at her, biting her lip. The witch looked very sexy, in addition to which she had her hair tied in a bun and delicate make-up. Veela sighed inwardly seeing the dilemma on the brunette's face. She suspected that this would not be an easy conversation. Hermione looked questioningly at Fleur, whose bed looked like it had been bombed as she tossed and turned all night, trying to fall asleep. She slowly sat down on the chair by the desk, her eyes sweeping over the uneaten dinner and clothes lying in the corner. "Victoire is in Cecile's care. She hasn't woken up yet." Hermione said looking at Fleur, with a slight blush as her gaze briefly moved to the satin nightgown, the strap of which fell to the side, exposing her cleavage and the top of her left breast. Fleur didn't correct him, she liked the brunette's reaction, especially when she remembered her kiss with Aurelie. Her blood boiled. "Do we know when she'll recover?" "Cecile said about two weeks." "Thank the gods." Fleur sighed, falling back onto the pillows, feeling a massive sense of relief. "However... she needs medicine to recover." Hermione said after a moment, as if it was hard for her to say those words. "What medicine?" Fleur raised herself on her elbows, looking at the brunette. She felt uneasy seeing that the other was very nervous. "Cecile said that Victoire will recover if she uses our blood combined in a ritual under a sacred tree... or..." Hermione closed her eyes. "...or if you kill the werewolf who hurt her so that the venom stops seeping out." Fleur held her breath. Suddenly her world spun. She lay back down, closing her eyes. "So... to save Victoire, either I marry you, or we have to kill Bill?" She stated quietly. "Yes."

Fleur closed her eyes, considering her options. Yes, her dislike for her ex-husband had quickly turned into anger over the attack on Victoire, but she couldn't imagine killing him. The Veela in her had no such objections, of course, demanding blood. And the second option? Could she make Hermione miserable, condemn her to a life on a reservation with a halfbreed who would probably never be allowed to leave the reservation after the attack on a wizard... what kind of life would await the brunette by her side? Even her high status and heroism in the war wouldn't save her from being ostracized from the magical community. "What would you choose?" She asked the brunette. "I'm not a murderer, Fleur. I couldn't kill Ginny and Ron's brother." Hermione replied simply.

"And life with me? You know that after we get married we can't break the bond or bond with anyone else?" Fleur asked curiously. "Yes, I've learned a bit about Veelas." Hermione replied with a sigh. "What about Aurelie?" "What about her?" "Don't pretend." Fleur scoffed. "I saw you yesterday."

Hermione chuckled gloomily. "Nothing will come of it. Aurelie is free, I'm not."

"How do you mean not? I didn't accept our bond." Fleur said looking away. "But you used me to make a child and separate me from it..." Hermione replied trying to be calm. "Listen, Fleur. We both don't like this situation, but there's Victoire and that should be our priority. I want to save her, and at the same time avoid doing something that will torment my conscience. I've had enough of war..."

"So you're willingly choosing a life with me?" Fleur asked incredulously. "I'm willingly choosing the option that will allow me to preserve both my daughter and my morals. The question remains: what do you want?"

Hermione looked at her expectantly.

"I won't kill William." Fleur replied firmly. "Then we have a clear situation." The brunette stated, standing up. "I'll ask Cecile to prepare everything for the ceremony. Can it be tonight?" "So soon?" "The sooner we do this, the sooner your grandmother can start treating Victoire." Fleur just nodded. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry that despite all your efforts you'll end up with me anyway. I don't like it either. Being the only option a few days after you were forcibly divorced by the Ministry. I'll try not to impose my presence..." Hermione said, already standing by the door and not looking at the blonde. "I just... I just want to raise our daughter, I want her to be healthy, happy and safe."

Fleur felt a lump in her throat, she blinked quickly to clear the tears from under her eyelids, but when she opened her eyes again, the young Englishwoman had already left. HERMIONE She sat alone on the terrace, her afternoon tea untouched next to her. She watched the sun go down and the wind gently stir the yellowing autumn leaves. She had already sent a letter to Harry and Ginny through Armand, letting them know about the situation. She felt uneasy herself. Only after marrying Fleur and taking care of the official formalities later would she know what role she would play in the Veelas community and whether she would be able to return to her profession as a healer in any other hospital in France. She already had a vague plan that she might try Muggle medicine. Hermione knew that now she would have a family to support. She had a very large savings in Gringotts and several deposits in Muggle banks, but she wanted to work. The job would allow her to be outside the reservation, at least for a while away from Fleur, who she suspected would not make this relationship easy for her. A relationship...? Hermione chuckled. It was just a name. There was no relationship between them except for the magically forced bond and the unfortunate child they fathered. "You look like you are going to the deathbed, not to your wedding." Gabrielle joked, sitting down next to her. She was already wearing a light, white tunic, a little less ornate than the one Hermione wore - a traditional wedding outfit, given to her by Apolline. "You know how it is." The brunette shrugged. "I'm sorry." Gabrielle said, squeezing the brunette's arm. "Maybe it won't be so bad... maybe Fleur will finally come to her senses and act like Veela." "The heart wants what it wants. Fleur is in love with Bill, I don't expect her to suddenly love me." The young Gryffindor said bitterly. "You still don't understand how the bond works." Gabrielle smiled gently. "It's not a matter of wanting to, Hermione. Fleur is programmed to love you. And you her. Your souls are connected, Fleur may tell herself she loves this asshole, but what she feels for him is like... loving an image in her head, a fantasy. The feeling between bonded mates is real, undeniable, tangible. It makes you feel physically ill when you're not together, constantly searching for each other, able to sense each other's emotions, each other's presence before you see each other." "Wow, Gabrielle..." Hermione sat there frozen, turning to the younger Delacour and smiling for the first time that day. "I didn't think you were a romantic, more of an adventurous, slightly spoiled princess." "You're confusing me with my sister." The blonde lightly punched her in the arm. Suddenly the bells rang and the lanterns were lit. "Come on, it's time."

They walked along a lantern-lit path. Hermione spotted a few Veelas among the trees, the rest of the tribe were to wait around the sacred tree. Cecile briefly told Hermione about the course of the ritual. Once there, Gabrielle left the brunette in front of Cecile, right next to the tree, where the older Veela doused her with water from their stream. The Englishwoman shivered as the light autumn wind blew over her wet robes, now clinging to her body. Veela directed her to a prepared spot under the tree, where Hermione knelt on a white cover, waiting for Fleur. When she saw the blonde, her heart beat faster, and out of the corner of her eye she also noticed Aurelie, who gave her cousin a hateful look and withdrew from the crowd. Hermione returned her gaze to Fleur, who had her hair in a braid and was phenomenally beautiful, like a Greek goddess, in a robe with a deep neckline. The young Gryffindor held her breath when she noticed that Fleur was not wearing a bra, when her nipples became visible after being doused with water. She focused her gaze on the blonde's face as she knelt before her. Thus began the ceremony, led by Cecile, who spoke the spells in Veela. Hermione saw a multi-colored magical vortex form around them, she watched it in fascination, from which she was only torn away by the touch of Fleur's hand, who gently, almost fearfully, intertwined their hands. Hermione looked into her eyes, strengthening her grip and smiling encouragingly. At the end of the ritual, Cecile approached them with a silver dagger. Hermione felt Fleur's trembling hand cut the inside of her hand and handed her the tool. The brunette did the same and then the two women exchanged a hug, and their blood merged. "Let it be known to all gathered here that from now on Fleur of the Delacour family and Hermione of the Granger family are one in holy blood magic and their union is indissoluble." Cecile declared forcefully turning to the crowd then she threw a smile at the young wives and whispered to them. "To complete the ritual you must consummate the union today, then the spell will be complete and from tomorrow we can begin healing Victoire." Hermione blushed. She knew that she would have to spend at least one night with Fleur. However, it seemed childish in her head, now however seeing as the crowd dispersed and Apolline, Gabrielle and Armand congratulated them, pointing to the cottage near the estate as their new home, the brunette realized what was about to happen. She quietly entered the new house behind Fleur, who cast an emotionless glance at the interior and immediately went to the bedroom at the back, whose large windows overlooked the forest. Hermione swallowed the nervousness building inside her and walked bravely after her wife.

Fleur stood by the window with her arms folded across her chest and seemed to Hermione somewhat frightened. Hermione approached her, seeing the tears in her blue eyes her heart sank painfully, she also looked out the window. "I'll try to do it quickly so you don't have to suffer for long." She whispered feeling dread and discomfort. She expected that it wouldn't have much to do with pleasure. Suddenly remembering all those history books about the first nights of newlywed queens, who were often much younger than their aging husbands and had to fulfill their duty. She felt like a creepy old man who had to deflower an unwilling girl. "I'm sorry." "It's not your fault... it's just that everything is wrong..." Fleur sobbed, hugging herself, tears flowing freely. "I know..." Hermione said hugging her, with relief she felt that the woman didn't resist but nestled into her arms desperately. "I didn't want to tie you to me like this..." Fleur whispered during the sobbing. "To sentence you to a life of exclusion."

Hermione's heart stopped.

"Don't you think this decision is mine? What else did you decide and when?" She asked quietly, dropping her arms and moving away from the blonde. Fleur looked at her with tearful eyes. Suddenly the brunette understood. "All of this... rejecting me... was this your version of protecting me...?" She asked in disbelief.

"I didn't want to sentence you to such a life, Hermione... you probably know what happened to my aunt, to Aurelie's mother? They killed her when she tried to fight for a change in the system, you saw how we live here, what they did to my father, taking away his position, just because he got involved with my mother. And you... you had the world before you, Hermione... we met so young..." Fleur spoke quickly, trying to grab her hand, but the brunette pulled away, stunned by this new revelation.

"You had no right to decide for me. You preferred me to suffer watching you and Bill? I almost died Fleur! How could that be in any way better than living with a destined loved one?" Fleur was silent, tears were streaming down her beautiful face, but Hermione was too focused on her anger that was growing inside her. "Victoire." She said after a moment. "Why did you want to have a child, Fleur?"This time Fleur cried harder, but Hermione couldn't bring herself to sympathize.

"Because I couldn't stand my marriage and being away from you anymore." "So you used the child to keep pretending to be happy? To continue this fake life?" Hermione said slowly. Fleur just looked at her and the brunette was struggling with emotions so strong that she needed to release them. She pressed Fleur against the window suddenly, immobilizing her with her body.

"I hate that I can't hate you. I'm so mad at you." Hermione seethed, suddenly feeling the need to mark Fleur, who had surrendered to her defenselessly.

Hermione tightened her grip on Fleur's wrists, pressing her against the window, and kissed her hard. The blonde tried to keep up, but Hermione bit her lip and moved lower, kissing her neck and sinking her teeth into it, marking it. With a wordless spell, she pulled off their clothes and, turning her wife away from the window, pushed her onto the bed, immediately dipping between her legs and pushing two fingers into her pussy. Fleur moaned, arching her back. Hermione ignored the tears streaming down the blonde's cheeks, lowered her head and began licking her, while working her fingers in and out. It didn't take long for Fleur's body to reach orgasm. The brunette, not waiting and ignoring the vulnerable gaze of blue eyes, knelt on the bed, grabbed her partner's hand, guiding it to her clit, pressed Fleur's fingers, forcing them to move, to get some friction. She was wet and needed an outlet. After a moment she moaned, falling next on the pillows. Both were breathing heavily, Fleur turned to the side, wrapping her arms around her. Hermione, unable to bear the sight and the storm of emotions inside her, with one movement of her hand got dressed and left the house into the forest.