Part 19

HERMIONE POV

She woke up feeling wonderfully warm. Her body ached sweetly, remembering Fleur's tender touch. But suddenly Hermione sat up in bed, feeling nausea rise to her throat. She rushed to the bathroom. It relieved her momentarily, but she felt another wave of nausea when Fleur put her hand on her shoulder and brushed her hair back, holding it. 'What's wrong ma cherie?' she asked worriedly. 'I don't know.' Hermione whispered, repulsed. She dove again and vomited into the toilet. She felt a slight relief when Fleur moved away from her so she could get up. 'I'll go make you some tea.' The blonde said, leaving. When she disappeared behind the door, Hermione felt better and even went to her bedroom to get dressed. The feeling began to intensify again when she went down to the kitchen, and when Fleur approached her, Hermione ran to the bathroom again, vomiting. 'Something's wrong here...' She mumbled to FLeur, pushing her away with her hand as she came to check on her. 'What's wrong?' The blonde asked anxiously. 'Will you please come out for a moment? I need to check on something.' As soon as Veela left, Hermione felt the feeling subside. 'This is bad...' she mumbled as she left the bathroom and met Fleur leaning against the wall in the hallway. 'What's going on, ma cherie?' She asked worriedly. Hermione covered her mouth and stopped her wife with her hand. 'I need to meet with Aurelie, she'll know how to reverse this.' 'What are you talking about?' Hermione rubbed her eyes, looking at Fleur nervously. 'I've been bad at dealing with our bond and my emotions about it. The worst part was missing you when I left the reservation to go to work. Aurelie gave me tea to ease those feelings. Something must have gone wrong...' Fleur looked at her with a mixture of concern and hurt. 'I see.' She finally said. 'Do you want me to come with you?' 'No, stay with Victoire. I'm sure the effect will wear off eventually.' Hermione replied reassuringly and smiled faintly, immediately getting dressed and heading outside. The snow had already melted and there was a hint of spring in the air. Aurelie was at Cecile's cottage with her grandmother when Hermione found her.

Aurelie's eyes narrowed, her usually calm demeanor replaced by something colder, calculating. "I see the tea worked... perhaps a little too well."

Hermione froze, her brow furrowing. "What do you mean by that?"

Cecile, who had been observing quietly from her chair, snapped her head toward Aurelie. "What did you do, girl?"

Aurelie didn't flinch under her grandmother's sharp gaze, her tone measured. "The tea was meant to soothe Hermione's emotions. But I... may have adjusted the brew. Just a little."

Hermione's stomach churned, anger bubbling beneath the surface. "Adjusted? How, exactly?"

"I amplified its effect on the bond," Aurelie admitted, crossing her arms. "Not to harm you, Hermione. I wanted you to reconsider... to see how dangerous it is for you to stay tied to Fleur."

Cecile's face hardened, and she rose from her chair with surprising swiftness for her age. "You meddled with a sacred bond? You arrogant fool!"

Hermione's voice shook with fury. "You wanted us apart."

Aurelie met her gaze, unrepentant. "Yes. Because being with Fleur will only drag you into the chaos that follows her. You've already been attacked because of her past. How much more will you endure before you see it's not worth it?"

"The bond isn't something you can tamper with, Aurelie!" Hermione snapped, her hands clenched into fists. "It's not a choice—it's a part of who we are. You've made things worse, and now the bond is... enraged."

Cecile stepped between them, her voice cold and commanding. "Enough. Both of you." She turned to Aurelie, her expression sharp. "You have tampered with magic you do not fully understand. Do you realize the risk you've put them in? A Veela bond isn't something to toy with—it seeks equilibrium. By disrupting it, you've forced it into survival mode."

Aurelie's confidence faltered, but she didn't back down entirely. "I was trying to protect her."

"Protect me?" Hermione's voice was icy. "By driving a wedge between me and the person I love most in this world? You've endangered both of us."

Cecile placed a firm hand on Hermione's shoulder. "We can still fix this, but it will take effort. And trust." She shot a warning look at Aurelie. "No more interference."

"What do we need to do?" Hermione asked, her voice quieter now but no less determined.

"The bond is fighting to reassert itself," Cecile explained. "You'll need to reconnect with Fleur completely. Emotionally, physically, and magically. That's the only way to calm it."

Hermione nodded, already turning toward the door. "Then I'll go to her now."

"Wait." Cecile's voice stopped her. "You'll also need to purge the remnants of the tea from your system. That means no more Occlumency or suppressing your emotions. Let the bond flow naturally."

Hermione hesitated, her heart pounding. "But if I stop using Occlumency, Fleur will feel everything. The pain, the fear—"

"She's your mate," Cecile said firmly. "She wants to feel it. To share it with you. That's the point of the bond."

Aurelie remained silent, her face pale but unreadable.

Without another word, Hermione left the cottage, her mind racing. The crisp spring air stung her cheeks as she hurried back toward home. She could feel the bond now, buzzing like a taut string about to snap.

As she approached the house, Fleur was waiting on the porch, her arms crossed and her expression a mixture of concern and frustration.

"Where have you been?" Fleur asked sharply, but her tone softened as she took in Hermione's pale face. "What's wrong?"

Hermione stopped in front of her, breathless. "We need to talk. Inside."

Fleur frowned but followed her without protest. Once they were seated in the living room, Hermione took a deep breath.

"Aurelie tampered with the tea," she said bluntly. "She wanted to drive us apart. And now the bond is... out of control."

Fleur's eyes darkened, her Veela side flickering to the surface. "She what?"

"Please, listen," Hermione said, reaching for her hands. "We can fix it, but we have to do it together. I need to stop suppressing my emotions, and we need to reconnect fully—"

"You've been suppressing your emotions?" Fleur interrupted, hurt flashing in her eyes.

"I thought I was protecting you," Hermione admitted, her voice trembling. "But I see now that I was wrong. I need you, Fleur. All of you. And you need to take all of me."

Fleur stared at her, the anger in her eyes softening into something deeper. "You foolish lioness," she murmured, cupping Hermione's face. "Do you think I would ever want you to protect me from yourself?"

Hermione leaned into her touch, her eyes shining. "I'm sorry.'

Fleur's lips curved into a faint smile, and she pulled Hermione close. "We made a lot of a mess when trying to protect each other, did we not?"