Part 2

Hermione hoped she would die in battle at Harry's side, when that night, quiet sobbing soothed her to sleep, hearing the sounds of sex from the next room. From Bill and Fleur's room. She didn't die. She survived the war. She rejected Ron's feelings as gently as she could. Her friend quickly found comfort in the arms of Padma Patil. The biggest shock was the ceremonial dinner on the anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts. Sitting with friends at the table, she noticed a young couple led by Mrs. Weasley. The woman was affectionately hugging the little girl to herself, throwing compliments at her son and daughter-in-law. "I can't stand them." Ginny muttered, sitting next to Hermione. The brunette stared at the girl who had returned to Fleur's arms. From a distance, the resemblance between them was obvious. All the charm of the veela was on this child. Blond hair, beautiful face. But the eyes... Hermione recognized those eyes immediately. She looked into similar ones in the mirror every day. She sat petrified as Bill put his arm around Fleur with a proud father's smile, even though his daughter looked nothing like him. "Yeah. Mum still gushes over Victoire." Ron muttered. "She keeps asking when Padma's going to give her another grandchild. As if one wasn't enough for her right now." "She's nothing like the Weasleys." Ginny huffed, helping herself to potatoes.

Harry watched his friend in silence, and Hermione finally snapped out of it and looked at him sadly. Only Harry knew about Fleur, since he caught them kissing in their fourth year, right after the second task of the tournament. Hermione was terrified that she might lose Fleur in the lake's depths, right after the blonde admitted that the attraction she felt towards the young Gryffindor was justified. They were soulmates. Even though Fleur rejected her, Hermione couldn't resist the attraction. She felt like half of a magnet.

"Veelas are like that." Luna spoke in a dreamy tone. Supposedly, only the eyes are inherited from the other parent.

"But Bill doesn't have brown eyes." Ron noticed. "Mum said it must have been from Aunt Muriel. She was the only one in the family who had brown eyes." Ginny muttered. Harry looked meaningfully at Hermione. Suddenly Hermione felt a familiar presence. The magical aura immediately recognized that Fleur was standing behind her. "Good evening." The Frenchwoman greeted them, giving them a polite look. "Hello. I guess not all of you have met our daughter yet!" Bill announced happily. "It's Victoire." Hermione turned slowly towards the young couple, with the most neutral look she could muster. The girl looked at her with her big eyes and immediately reached out to her, trying to get out of Bill's arms. "Oh my, I think Victoire has a new favorite aunt." The man joked, completely unaware of what had happened. Hermione wanted to grab her daughter, but Fleur beat her to it.

"Feeding time." She said sharply and turned away, Bill smiled apologetically and followed his wife, sitting down a little further away as Fleur fed the baby in the company of her mother-in-law. "Our brother has become a real henpecked man. He even gave up traveling for the bank, now he works at a desk." Ron noted sarcastically.

For the first time, he could boast that he had a more interesting life than Mrs. Weasley's adored son. Ron had recently become an Auror, one of the youngest, right next to Harry. "Yeah... and they hang out at the Burrow all the time." Ginny sighed in exasperation. "And Fleur's parents?" Hermione asked quietly. "They haven't said a word since she married Bill. I hear she gave up her role as the successor to the Delacour clan and now Gabrielle is their leader." Luna said. Everyone looked at her questioningly. "Gabrielle is very nice. We've become friends over the years since the Triwizard Tournament." She shrugged. "Mum keeps complaining about Fleur's parents leaving the daughter in her care and she had to guide her through the beginnings of motherhood." Ginny muttered sarcastically. "Of course it suited her. She's been living with her beloved son for almost a year." She rolled her eyes. "Excuse me for a moment." Hermione mumbled and left the Great Hall, heading towards the bathroom. Fortunately, it was empty, unlike the brunette's head, which was in disarray. She washed her face and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Dark circles under her eyes, sunken cheeks. Since the war ended, Hermione threw herself into her studies to become the youngest healer in history at St. Mungo's. She worked long hours to avoid dreams, because in them she was either a guest at Malfoy Manor, Bellatrix's tortures, or running after the blonde Veela, unable to catch up with her, until she fell into the abyss. She felt her presence before she heard the door slam. Fleur was looking at her with an unreadable gaze. "A year Fleur... you had a year to tell me about Victoire." "Victoire has two parents already. There's no need to confuse her." "Isn't it obvious that she's mine? She has the same eyes..." Hermione mumbled, looking calmly at Fleur. Feeling the hard look of the most beautiful blue eyes she had ever seen in her life break her heart once again. "She couldn't be anyone else. Veelas can only have children with their soul mates." Fleur shrugged. "It doesn't change anything. I carried her and gave birth to her and chose her father. William is special." Hermione closed her eyes, breathing quickly. "Did you know that this one night would result in a child? Is that why you let me touch you?" She said with difficulty containing her anger, tightening her fingers on the sink.

"Why else?" Fleur shrugged. "You wanted me, and I wanted a child with Bill. I think it was a good arrangement." "For a year I thought I had used you...I blamed myself for cheating on your husband...and you used me." "I think those are strong words." "I want to be in Victoire's life. Now that I know I have a daughter... I want to be a part of her life." Hermione said firmly. "Look at yourself. You're a worn-out workaholic. What can you offer her? How will you explain your presence when she's known me and Bill as her parents since birth? Come on. Be realistic, ma lionne." Fleur snorted. "So you're just going to take my child away?" Hermione leaned her weight against the sink, feeling nausea creep in. "She's my child. I can't take something that was never yours. That's your problem. You think that because my cursed nature chose you and your magical aura to be my soulmate, that I belong to you!" Fleur said angrily, her eyes turning black. "I will fight this for the rest of my life. You are nothing to me compared to Bill. I worked too hard for this life I have, to fit in with his family, to give it up for some woman! You have no idea how much I despise you and myself for this curse that draws us together!" Hermione closed her eyes and vomited into the sink. Shivers shook her body, cold sweat poured down her neck and back. "Pathetic. Don't come near my family, especially Victoire." Fleur warned and left, slamming the door. Hermione slid to the floor. She didn't have the strength to cry. "Hermione? Is everything okay?" Harry's voice rang out from behind the door. She didn't answer. She heard only quick footsteps, her name and fell into unconsciousness. *** "Our magic won't work here. These are ancient bonds of destiny. She needs this kind of magic to bind her." Hermione heard, feeling the soft bed beneath her and the smell of disinfectants and healing magic in the air. She was in St. Mungo's. When she opened her eyes, she saw Harry and Ginny next to her, talking to Eric, her fellow healer, who looked at her with concern, noticing that she had opened her eyes. "Hermione. It's good that you woke up. We were worried." Ginny said, immediately grabbing her hand. "What happened?" Hermione glanced helplessly at Harry, who noticed immediately. "Ginny, can you go with Eric to get some potions for Hermione? I'd like to have a word with her." The redhead raised her eyebrows, but obediently stood up and left with the healer. "It's because of Victoire, isn't it? I saw Fleur coming out of the bathroom." Hermione nodded and looked at the ceiling. "She forbade me from having contact with her daughter. She said she used me to have a child, because it's impossible with Bill because he's not her soulmate." "Fuck." Harry cursed, shaking his head. Hermione involuntarily raised the corners of her mouth. "Ginny wouldn't let you say that." "Ginny would tear Fleur to pieces if she found out what she did to you. You're her best friend." Harry sighed. "What are you going to do?" "Nothing. I don't want to ruin her family." "But it's your child." "I know." Hermione said angrily. "Do you think it doesn't hurt me to think that I won't experience her life, her first steps, her words, flying on a broomstick and going to Hogwarts? I'll miss everything... as usual." "You can't let yourself be treated like that, Mione." "Too late. This has gone too far. Fleur's lies, her life... I can't destroy it... I don't want her to suffer." "She doesn't really care about your suffering." Harry noted bitterly. "Eric said you had to seek a cure at the source of the problem." "What's the alternative?" Hermione asked cautiously, looking at Harry, who looked down. "You know how, Mione... you're the smartest witch of your age." "Maybe that would be a way out..." The girl muttered. "You can't be serious!" Harry jumped up, running his hand through his hair. "Is this why we fought Voldemort, for you to give up now when you have so many possibilities?! You can change the world Hermione, you've always wanted that! Don't let Fleur decide your life and death!" Young Gryffindor was silent. "Hermione... you have family in us, friends. You'll always be a part of our lives." Harry grabbed her hand, wiping away the tears in his eyes. Hermione was crying quietly too. "You're right."