Part 11

HERMIONE

Hermione had barely arrived at Harry and Ginny's when the flood of emotions hit her. Victoire's laughter echoed in her mind, mixed with the soft hum of Fleur's presence she could still feel through their bond. She tried to push it all aside as she sipped tea in the cozy warmth of the Grimmauld Place kitchen.

"Everything alright?" Harry asked, his green eyes scanning her face.

"Just tired," Hermione replied, forcing a smile.

Ginny set a plate of biscuits in front of her, sitting down with a knowing look. "Tired doesn't cover it," she said. "Fleur?"

Hermione sighed, fiddling with her teacup. "She's... trying. And I want to believe her, but..." She shook her head. "It's hard."

Harry leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "It's okay to take your time, Hermione. Fleur's been through a lot, but so have you."

Ginny placed a hand on Hermione's. "You're allowed to be careful with your heart. Just don't let fear make the decisions for you. And... I still can't believe you're with Phlegm! And you didn't tell me! Mum almost had a heart attack when she found out. Now you're both banned from the Weasley house. At least Ron felt better, saying it's no wonder he didn't have a chance with you if you prefer long-legged blondes."

Hermione smiled faintly. But as she stared down at her tea, her thoughts drifted back to Fleur—to the kiss, to the way she had looked last night, so vulnerable and determined. She didn't know when she started talking about everything what happened to her friends.

"She's trying, Hermione," Harry said after a while. "It's obvious she regrets what she's done. I can tell after what you just told us."

Hermione's jaw tightened. "It doesn't change the fact that she pushed me away for years and let me believe I wasn't enough for her."

Harry glanced up from his cup of tea. "People mess up, Hermione. Sometimes in ways they can't take back. But if she's trying to fix it now... isn't that worth considering?"

Hermione bit her lip, conflicted. "It's not that simple. Every time I look at her, I feel this... pull. Like I want to forgive her, but then I remember all the times she rejected me. How do you just forget that?"

"You don't," Ginny said, her tone firm but understanding. "You take it one day at a time. And if you can't forgive her, that's okay too."

Hermione nodded, though she wasn't sure she believed it. She appreciated their support, but it didn't make her next steps any clearer.

Theweek passed faster than she expected. In the evenings, she sat withHarry and Ginny, listening to their lives, Harry's trip plans,Ginny's first match, in which she would officially become a member ofthe national Quidditch team. She felt this carefreeness when oneevening Ron, Neville and Padma came to Grimmauld Place and they spenttime reminiscing about Hogwarts. Hermione, however, kept her thoughtsreturning to Fleur, already feeling unbearable headaches anddizziness related to their bond. She missed her daughter and thepeace of the reserve. In London, she took care of the rest of theofficial matters, sold her apartment and moved her savings toGringotts Bank in Paris. Apart from her friends, nothing kept herhere anymore. Now she was subject to the French Office of Magic. Shereturned home with a positive attitude, which quickly deterioratedwhen she saw Fleur arguing fiercely with Aurelie in the garden, bothof them had very dark eyes and horns sticking out of their heads -they almost turned into Veelas.'Home, sweet home.'Hermione muttered under her breath as she approached them.'...youtake too much liberties!' Fleur growled.'I take care ofwhat you can't take care of.' Aurelie said loudly. 'It was the sameat school! You made Liene fall in love with you, even though she waswith me! And then you drove her crazy with your games! You knew howyour thrall affected her, Fleur!' Aurelie started screaming, her bodystarting to cover in feathers.Hermione stopped deadlistening to this exchange. Was it possible? Could Fleur do such athing?The answer was clear after how cruel she was to thebrunette... Hermione shook her head. She suspected that there wassome deeper conflict between the cousins ​​than just theirrejection of Veelas culture. 'Because I met Hermione! My soulmate! Icared about Liene! You know very well that we don't control when wemeet our mate.' Fleur snapped, suddenly focusing her gaze on herwife, her features softening. Hermione's breath caught asFleur's sharp gaze softened upon meeting hers. The shift in Fleur'sdemeanor was startling, the feral anger dissolving into something rawand vulnerable. It was disarming, but Hermione forced herself tostand her ground, folding her arms as she approached the two Veelas.

"What the hell is going on here?" Hermione demanded, her voice steady despite the chaos swirling in her chest.

Both Fleur and Aurelie froze, their eyes still dark but slowly regaining their usual color. The feathers on Aurelie's arms receded, and Fleur's horns melted away, though her expression remained tense.

Aurelie was the first to speak. "I was reminding Fleur of her past mistakes. Clearly, she needs it."

Fleur's jaw tightened, and she turned to Hermione. "This isn't what it looks like."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Because it looks like you two were about to tear each other apart. And what's this about Liene? Who is she, and why am I just hearing about her now?"

Fleur took a step closer, her hands raised as if in surrender. "Liene was... someone I dated in school. It wasn't serious. Aurelie is blowing things out of proportion."

Aurelie scoffed, crossing her arms. "Not serious? You let her think you'd chosen her! You knew how deep your thrall went, and you didn't care!"

Hermione's stomach churned. "So, it's true. You used your Veela thrall on her?"

Fleur's face fell. "Not intentionally. Veelas don't always have control over how others respond to them. I didn't mean to hurt Liene, and I ended things when I realized it was affecting her. That's all there is to it."

Aurelie let out a bitter laugh. "That's all there is to it? You broke her heart, Fleur. You turned her into a shell of who she used to be."

Hermione felt a cold weight settle in her chest. Fleur's actions with Liene sounded disturbingly familiar. The parallels between their situations were impossible to ignore.

She took a step back, shaking her head. "I need to think," she muttered, turning on her heel and walking toward the house.

"Hermione, wait!" Fleur called, but Hermione didn't stop. She couldn't.

That evening, Hermione sat before the Cecile's hut, staring blankly at the fire. Her mind was a whirlwind of emotions—confusion, anger, hurt. She barely registered Aurelie's presence until the other woman sat down beside her.

"You deserve to know the truth," Aurelie said softly.

Hermione glanced at her, wary. "And what truth is that?"

Aurelie hesitated, her gaze dropping to her hands. "Fleur has always been... reckless when it comes to her thrall. She's charming, and she knows it. But it's more than that. She doesn't think about how her actions affect the people around her."

Hermione frowned. "And you think that's what she's doing with me?"

Aurelie shook her head. "No. You're different. You're her soulmate—our bond doesn't work the same way with soulmates. But that doesn't mean she's changed, Hermione. Fleur is impulsive. She acts first and thinks later. And when things go wrong, she expects everyone to forgive her."

Hermione's heart ached at the truth in Aurelie's words. She had experienced Fleur's impulsiveness firsthand, had borne the brunt of her thoughtless decisions.

"So, what are you saying?" Hermione asked quietly.

"I'm saying you deserve better," Aurelie said, her voice trembling slightly. "You deserve someone who will put you first, who won't hurt you the way Fleur has. And if Fleur can't be that person, then..."

Hermione stared at her, the implications of Aurelie's words sinking in.

Later that night, Fleur cornered Hermione in their bedroom.

"We need to talk," Fleur said, her tone pleading.

Hermione sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Fine. Let's talk."

Fleur hesitated before sitting beside her, keeping a careful distance. "What Aurelie said earlier... it wasn't fair. She's been holding onto this grudge for years, and she's using it to drive a wedge between us."

Hermione looked at her sharply. "But was she wrong? Did you hurt Liene the way she said you did?"

Fleur's shoulders slumped. "I didn't mean to. I was young, and I didn't understand the power I had. When I realized what I was doing to her, I ended it. I didn't want to hurt her."

"But you did," Hermione said, her voice trembling. "Just like you hurt me."

Fleur flinched. "I'm not that person anymore, Hermione. I'm trying to be better—for you, for Victoire, for us."

Hermione closed her eyes, the weight of Fleur's words pressing down on her. "But how do I trust you, Fleur? How do I know you won't hurt me again?"

Fleur reached out, her hand hovering over Hermione's. "I don't have an answer for that. All I can do is show you. But I need you to give me the chance."

Hermione pulled her hand away, tears brimming in her eyes. "I don't know if I can."