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Apolline Delacour stood on the vast pathway leading to her large, gorgeous white castle, anxiously awaiting the arrival of her longtime friend, Minerva McGonagall, while her very young and impatient daughter, Fleur, fidgeted with her white summer dress.
"Fleur, you're going to ruin your dress if you keep doing that." Apolline spoke softly to her six-year-old. She could hardly be mad at her for behaving in such a way though. They had been waiting for twenty minutes and a child's, especially a young veela child, attention span was limited.
The girl could probably feel her own nerves radiating off of her since they weren't only in the same clan, but they were related. She could hardly help herself either. A lot was riding on this going well.
Even with both of their spouses deceased, her and Minerva's kingdoms were forces to be reckoned with, but with that strength, came more countries attempting to overtake them and more attention from muggles.
If they somehow managed to get their children to get along and eventually fall in love like they hoped, so they could become betrothed, then they could join forces. Even though they had magic at their fingertips that could bring any kingdom down with a snap of their fingers, it was a very tight kept secret. The fact that the two magical women befriended each other was an anomaly.
Since they had to keep their magic hidden within their walls, they were forced to approach inevitable war the muggle way. Although, their ways were strange to a witch, both Queen's had powerful and numerous armies to be reckoned with.
If this merger went the way they both hoped, with the combination of Minerva's navy and her fortresses, they would be unstoppable. It would be an added bonus that their children wouldn't have to hide their magical abilities with their spouse. Plus, their grandchildren would be adorable.
"Where are they? They're taking forever." Fleur whined petulantly as she stomped her foot.
"Be patient sweetheart." Apolline absentmindedly stroked the top of her daughter's hair that had been partially tied back with a baby blue ribbon. "They've traveled a long way to see us and are probably far more restless than we are."
"I doubt that." Fleur grumbled as she crossed her arms.
Apolline opened her mouth to retort, but before she could say anything the gates opened and a deep red carriage drawn by two brown horses strutted in.
"They're here." Apolline smiled in relief, but it rapidly turned into a frown when she looked down to see her daughter still pouting. "Straighten your posture young lady. You need to make a good first impression."
Fleur grumbled, but when she received a stern look from her mother, she quickly stopped and straightened herself out. She sheepishly peered up to see a small nod from her mom, signaling her approval while the carriage came to a stop twenty feet in front of them.
A tall regal woman with brown hair tied up in a tight bun was the first to exit. She looked to her friend with a nervous smile they both shared while one of the carriage drivers jumped down and held out his hand which was grabbed by a much smaller one while tiny unsteady feet stepped out.
Fleur grimaced when she saw a five-year-old that had long brown straight hair wearing a navy-blue sailor dress step out, looking equally as displeased as her.
"Wipe that look off your face." Apolline commanded quietly with a scowl before hastily replacing it with a smile. "Minerva! Eet ees so good to see you!" She beamed as she kissed both of her friend's cheeks in greeting. "I 'ope ze trip 'ere was okay."
"It was perfect weather the entire way. I would dare to say it's a good omen." Minevra smiled with a little twinkle in her eye as she glanced from Hermione to Fleur who stayed a safe distance away from each other. "Hermione. Introduce yourself dear."She gently nudged her daughter towards the blonde.
Hermione pushed back against the nudge, earning her a scathing look from her own mother while Apolline not so subtly placed her hand on Fleur's back and pushed her forward. "Go on."
The two eyed each other distastefully, both refusing to say anything until Apolline cleared her throat and gave her daughter a pointed look.
Fleur glanced pitifully up at her mother, silently begging her to not make her do this, but there were no cracks in Apolline's armor today. With a defeated sigh, the young veela turned back to their guest. "Bonj-"
"English Fleur." Apolline reprimanded her daughter, who immediately cringed at the harsh tone.
"'E-ello..." Fleur stumbled on the word, the foreign language feeling weird on her tongue as she curtsied. "Princess 'Erm-'Ermione. I am..." She looked back up to her mom with a huff. "How do I say happy again?"
"'Appy." Apolline replied patiently.
Fleur nodded her head before turning her head to the brunette who was starting to look impatient. 'I'm doing my best.' She thought to herself with a frown, but wiped the look off her face when she sensed her mother's irritation at her attitude.
"'Appy you could come." Fleur finally finished while the other girl looked at her with those bored brown eyes.
Minerva looked equally unimpressed with her own daughter's attitude and promptly pushed her forward.
Hermione didn't need to see the way her mom was looking at her to know she was staring at her expectantly and wouldn't be happy if she stalled any longer.
"Hello Princess Fleur." Hermione spoke in perfect French while she curtsied in return, preening under her mother's proud gaze. "I'm happy to be here."
Fleur's blue eyes darkened, a scowl overtaking her features at the arrogant smile that took over the brunette's face. It was as if she was taunting her, because she was able to master her language already.
She could tell this girl was an insufferable know-it-all and couldn't believe she would have to spend her summer with her instead of playing at the beach with her cousins.
'I bet she doesn't even know how to hunt.' Fleur thought sourly to herself while Hermione was having her own doubts about the blonde.
'She looks conceited and air-headed. She probably doesn't even know how to read.' Hermione thought while she glared daggers at the young veela who was suddenly nudged forward again.
Fleur looked up to her mom with dread in her eyes this time. She was hoping her mother would forget this part of the greeting she was supposed to do, but Apolline never forgot anything. The hard look told her there was no wiggling out of this one, no matter how adorable she tried to look.
Hermione eyed the French girl warily as she shuffled closer to her, the veela's cheeks starting to turn a brilliant shade of red. Dread and horror started to fill both of their guts as Fleur reached forward and grabbed her hand. She leaned forward a bit while Hermione's face scrunched at the action and in one quick motion, Fleur pecked the top of her hand.
"Yuck!" Fleur cried as she jumped away and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and Hermione wiped the back of her hand on the side of her dress.
Hermione made a move to lunge at the French girl for insulting her, but Minerva was quick to grab her bicep while Fleur flinched away from the menacing English girl.
"Hermione!"
"Fleur!"
The Queens yelled in unison while the two kids turned away from each other, leaving the adults to stare at each other exasperated, but hopeful.
"I'm sure zey will grow to care for each ozer." Apolline smiled.
"Yes." Minevra nodded her head in agreement. "Of course."
/
A week later, Hermione sat underneath a tree, finding a little bit of reprieve from that stuck up girl. She sat in the shade with a book in her lap, drinking in the colors and pictures with bold words underneath while unbeknownst to her, a predator lurked in the shadows.
Bright blue eyes could be seen from a bush behind the brunette, carefully watching their prey. They had been waiting for the girl to fall into a false sense of security so they could strike. The newcomer had been nothing but a nuisance the past week, constantly bossing her around and correcting her English.
Little did the British girl know, she was in her territory right now. She knew these trees and bushes like the back of her hand. She often hunted with her cousins in this forest to hone her skills as a veela. She may not know English very well, but her senses were unparalleled.
She watched as Hermione flipped another page, completely immersed in whatever she was reading. She had no idea what she had in store for her, blissfully unaware of her surroundings as Fleur's bare feet soundlessly moved through the dirt and she emerged from the bushes.
When she was within three feet of her prey, Fleur crouched down, her tongue sticking out the side of her mouth as she carefully aimed where she would land. She had one shot and she wasn't going to blow it. She was going to give that know-it-all the scare of her life.
The second she had her feet properly planted and had her calculations down, she finally threw her full body weight at the poor unsuspecting girl.
A yelp left Hermione's mouth as another small body tackled her, sending her book flying while she fell onto her side with the full weight of a very amused veela on top of her giggling her head off.
"Fleur!" Hermione yelled out, glaring at the blonde who had trouble getting off of her while she was doubled over with laughter. "That wasn't funny!"
"That will teach you not to sit in MY forest." Fleur smiled triumphantly as she towered over the British princess who was pushing herself back up into a sitting position.
"It isn't your forest." Hermione retorted in the blonde's native tongue since they struggled to understand each other in English. "I can sit where I want."
"Nuh-uh." The veela shook her head as she crossed her arms. "This is MY kingdom so that means this is MY forest."
"It's your MOM'S kingdom."
"Which will be mine since I am the princess." Fleur stuck her tongue out at her new companion while Hermione jumped to her feet with a scowl.
"You're not a princess." Hermione growled, glowering at the cocky French girl in front of her. "You're a toad!"
The smile fell from Fleur's face, her blue eyes blazing dangerously at the insult hurled at her. Veela prided themselves in their above average senses and unnatural beauty. It was not wise to insult them about either of those things.
"I am NOT a toad!" Fleur seethed, clenching her fists.
"Yes, you are!" Hermione replied stubbornly. "You're a nasty toad!"
Fleur immediately shoved the other girl to the ground with a hard glare before she noticed the discarded book. An idea sprung into her head and without further thought, she snatched it from the ground and took off running.
"Hey! That's mine!"
Hermione quickly scrambled to her feet in hot pursuit of the other girl, running over the vast expanse of green grass while Fleur smiled wickedly to herself.
"It's in my kingdom!" She yelled over her shoulder. "So, it's mine now!"
"Give it back!" Hermione screamed as she started gaining on the veela. She was surprisingly fast for a girl that wasn't part creature.
"Oh, look." Minerva smiled over at Apolline while they enjoyed a nice brunch outside when she saw Hermione chasing after Fleur. "They're playing."
"I knew zey would start to get along eventual-"
The words died on Apolline's tongue, her face dropping along with her friend's when she saw Hermione hurl her body forward and tackle Fleur to the ground. The book flew from Fleur's hands, long forgotten when the two started to wrestle around. Hermione pulled at Fleur's hair while Fleur blindly swung at the girl on her.
The two moms jumped up, yelling in unison, "Girls!"
/
Seven years later, nothing much had changed in the princess' relationship. Every summer Hermione would go to France or vice versa, and all the girls would do is fight or bicker despite how much their mothers tried to get them to get along. With the addition of them starting to develop their magical abilities, it just made things worse, so it was agreed upon that there would be no magic during their summer visits.
"Is that how you show respect to your intended?" Apolline asked with a raised eyebrow when she walked into her daughter's room to find her throwing knives at a horrible drawing of Hermione on her wall.
Fleur scoffed in response as she threw her final knife, hitting the drawing in the head. "She is not my intended."
"Fleur Isabelle Delacour." The elder veela growled as she removed the knives from the wall before ripping down the drawing. "She will be here any moment. I expect you to be on your best behavior. No fighting this summer."
"She starts it!" Fleur cried petulantly as she got out of bed. "She's a little know-it-all and is always trying to boss me around."
"She is a knowledgeable girl." Apolline defended her friend's daughter. "She will make a great spouse."
Fleur grimaced at the thought while her mother rolled her eyes at her child's insistence on disliking the girl. Hermione was actually a sweet little girl and Fleur generally was too. She didn't understand why they were both fighting this arrangement and were insisting on being difficult. She just hoped that they would be a little more civil to each other this summer, but she wasn't going to hold her breath.
/
It was nearing the end of Hermione's visit and she had hated every single second of it. Fleur's cousin Chloe had been hanging out with them and helping her worst enemy pick on her. If they weren't bothering her while she was reading, calling her a nerd, they were making fun of her frizzy hair, or excluding her from whatever game they were playing.
She was currently chasing them around the castle while they kept her book away from her. That was their favorite game and it was growing old.
"If you don't give my book back..."
"Are you going to cry to my mom again?" Fleur smirked as she tossed the book to Chloe over Hermione's head.
"I'm going to beat you up again." Hermione corrected with a scowl, menacingly stalking towards the insufferable princess.
"You're not supposed to hit a lady." Chloe smiled triumphantly while Fleur readied herself.
"Yeah." Fleur agreed.
"Lucky for me, you're not a lady." Hermione pounced, tackling Fleur before they started to roll around.
"Take it back!" Fleur yelled as she rolled over so she was on top of her enemy.
"Give me my book back!"
"Non!" Fleur cried out and tried to scramble away, but Hermione tackled her again, landing on Fleur's back and landed a blow on the back of her head. "Chloe! Help!"
Fleur's cousin dutifully pushed Hermione off and took off running with the princess with Hermione hot on their tail. They managed to make it to their tree house in the woods and climbed up their makeshift ladder, pulling it up just before Hermione could grab it.
"This isn't fair!" Hermione yelled up at the giggling veela.
"Only veela are allowed up 'ere!" Fleur called out, evoking a huff from the bushy haired brunette.
Hermione sulked on the ground below, her temper flaring with the two girls laughing at her expense yet again. She would do anything to wipe that look off of their face and then she saw a beam holding up their treehouse they loved so much. Without much thought, she gave the beam a hard kick and then the giggling stopped when a rumble was heard.
"Uh-oh..." Hermione mumbled as she watched the wood start falling down on her.
Two days later, she left the castle with a very displeased Minerva while she struggled to stay on top of her horse with her arm in a sling, her body aching. Apolline stood back with her own daughter and her cousin, looking equally unhappy while Fleur stuck her tongue out at Hermione's retreating form.
A quick turn from Apolline and a stern look had Fleur stumbling back in her crutches, sending her crashing into her wounded cousin.
/
Three years later, Hermione sat sulking in the corner with her friend Harry, glaring at Fleur's back. She was conversing with yet another castle guard, waving her hand around animatedly, laying her French accent on thick, and giggling at whatever the man said.
"What is she doing?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow when the veela placed her hand on the guard's arm.
"She's flirting." Hermione grumbled. "She's always flirting with the guards."
Harry turned to his friend with a curious gleam in his green eyes, an amused smile starting to pull at his lips. "Are you jealous?"
"What!?" Hermione yelled out, finally breaking her gaze from the insufferable girl. "Absolutely not."
"I think you like her." Harry grinned, earning him a punch in the arm. "Ow!" He cried out, rubbing the sore limb.
"I would never like a stuck-up snob like her." Hermione growled, glaring back over to the blonde who looked over her shoulder and grinned cheekily at the English witch.
Hermione rolled her eyes and flipped Fleur off in response, but the veela was unaffected by her behavior at this point. With a flip of her annoyingly beautiful hair, she dismissed the rude gesture, leaving Hermione fuming. How she wished that wand she had borrowed from Ron, without asking, hadn't been confiscated after an earlier incident where she turned Fleur's hair a bright ugly shade of green.
The sound of Fleur's screeches when she woke up made it worth it though. That would teach her to make fun of her frizzy untamed hair and her figure she had yet to grow into. Not everyone could be born a veela, have effortless beauty, and float through puberty like it was a stroll in the park.
Another over the top loud laugh fell from Fleur's mouth at something the guard said that made Hermione grit her teeth. She was really laying it on thick.
"Harry, give me your wand."
"What?" Harry paled, backing away. "No! Your mom said-"
"She's not here right now." Hermione retorted. "She's trying to irritate me and needs to be knocked down a couple of notches."
"No, Hermione." Harry cried while Hermione got up and started to corner him. "She's going to take mine away too!"
"Zinking of turning my 'air green again?" Fleur growled from behind the pair, startling them both. They thought she had been too preoccupied with the guard to notice their banter.
"No." Hermione turned around with a fake smile. "I was actually thinking a darker shade of orange this time."
Those bright icy blue eyes narrowed and were met with defiant burning amber staring right back. "Too bad you can't find a spell to fix your 'air." She smiled that fake sweet smile that made Hermione want to throttle the veela.
"Too bad there isn't a spell to fix your horrible personality." Hermione shot back while Harry desperately searched for a way to end their squabble before it got out of hand. Minerva had asked him to try to keep the peace, but it was much harder said than done.
"Uh..." Harry floundered for a moment while the feuding princess' stood toe to toe. "Do you guys fancy a game of cards?"
Two pairs of eyes turned to him, eyeing the raven-haired boy in a way that made him shrink in on himself.
"Sure." Hermione was the first to speak as she stepped away from the French princess. "But she can't play." She added at the last second.
Fleur scoffed, following the duo despite Hermione trying to blow her off yet again this summer. She was bored to tears in this castle, attempting to entertain her was the least her host could do. She didn't have her vast forest to run through and hunt or the beach to go for a nice swim. Instead, she was held captive in this dreary castle with only somewhat attractive guards to distract her from her prison.
"Scared you will lose?" Fleur asked with a raised eyebrow, her cocky tone making Hermione pause in her steps like she knew it would.
"No." Hermione spoke without turning around, a smirk forming on her lips. "You're just too dim-witted to understand the game."
Fleur bristled at the insult, that familiar anger bubbling beneath the surface again. "Excusez-moi?"
"L-let's give her a chance." Harry stuttered, caught once more between two powerful forces.
Hermione looked over to her friend with a scowl before letting out a huff. "Fine, but I'm not explaining it more than once."
Two hours later, Hermione and Harry sat at the opposite side of the table across from a preening veela who was doing her best to keep a straight face. It was great to see the usual know-it-all ruffled and irritated at the fact she couldn't beat her at a game of wits. She actually quite liked this poker game. Hermione turned out to not be as good as Fleur thought she would be.
It was an added bonus to see how irate Hermione got every time she beat her via bluffing or by just having a better hand. She would never admit that she found the way Hermione's nose would scrunch and her eyes would squint just before defeat was adorable. It was also her tell. She was horrible at hiding her displeasure when she got dealt a bad hand.
Harry had already folded while Hermione glowered at the blonde over her cards. She couldn't tell if Fleur was bluffing or not, but she had gone all in, leaving her with only two options. Fold or call.
Fleur raised a challenging eyebrow, a smirk forming at the corner of her stupid full pink lips, almost as if she was saying Hermione wasn't brave enough to go all in.
"I'll call." Hermione finally decided, pushing the rest of her chips in before putting her cards on the table. "Three of a kind." She smiled triumphantly, but the grin that overtook the French princess' face made her own drop.
"I zink I won again." Fleur smiled innocently as she placed her own on the table, showing a royal flush. Hermione really was too easy to goad into going all in when she didn't have the best hand. Her pride was always her downfall.
"What!?" Hermione cried, standing up and placing her hands on the table. "H-how?"
"She's won every time." Harry groaned as he placed his head on the table.
"Looks like you may be ze dim-witted one." Fleur threw a cheeky wink in Hermione's direction while she raked in the rest of the chips. "I must admit, zis 'as been quite fun. Care to go again?"
Hermione huffed as she fell back into her chair, crossing her arms petulantly. "No."
/
Two years later, Minerva was a bundle of nerves as they headed to the French kingdom. Hermione had to practically be dragged out of her room when the time came to leave. Three guards had to actually escort them to the boat so her daughter wouldn't run away.
She had been in constant contact with her friend about Fleur's state as well and neither of the girls seemed like they were budging, despite years of spending time together. They needed this merger to go through and in all honestly, the girls were a good match. They were just too stubborn and thick headed to admit it.
There were far worse options for both of them, but they refused to acknowledge that. All they could see was their rivalry and childish resentment. They would have to break soon though, because this was their last chance. They were both of age and needed to choose a suitor like their mothers had when they were their age.
"Hermione, you're being unreasonable and that's not like you." Minerva sighed as she pulled her daughter from the carriage. "It's just one more summer."
"I don't want to see her." Hermione replied once she had been forced out, a scowl firmly planted on her face. "She doesn't want to see me either. So, why do we have to keep doing this?"
"That isn't true." Minerva shook her head, searching to find a way to remedy this horrible situation. "She's actually excited to see you."
Hermione stopped, giving her mother a look that said she didn't believe her while the older brunette pursed her lips before she cracked. "Fine! She didn't say that, but I'm sure she is. Now, come along. We need to get your ready for the feast."
"Feast?" Hermione groaned. "We're not getting married. There is nothing to celebrate."
Deep in the castle, Apolline was having a similar discussion with her daughter who was refusing to open her bedroom door.
"Fleur!" Apolline bellowed for the hundredth time that night. "Don't make me break this door down." The regal blonde growled as she started to pull out her wand, ready to make good on her promise.
"Ugh!" Fleur whined before finally swinging open her door to show she wasn't even remotely ready for the feast. "Why do I need to get dressed up for her? Better yet, why are we having a celebratory feast? There is nothing to celebrate! I already told you that I am not marrying that insufferable-"
"I'm going to stop you before you finish that sentence." Apolline grumbled menacingly. She had had it with Fleur's attitude. She was far too old to be acting so childishly. "How about you attempt to be civil for one night? Maybe it won't result in carnage for once."
Fleur opened her mouth to retort, but one stern look from her elder was enough to kill whatever smart remark she had on the tip of her tongue. "Fine." She begrudgingly agreed before closing the door in her mom's face so she could get ready. "But if you make me kiss her hand again, I swear I'm going to get sick." She yelled through the door while Apolline shook her head.
After shimmying into her dress and hastily fixing her hair, Fleur made her way down to the dining hall with her cousin Chloe. She had to refrain from rolling her eyes when she saw how over the top the decorations were.
There was an excessive amount red drapes and candles to give a more quaint, romantic ambiance. Her mother even hired a band of musicians to play softly in the background while all of the older diplomats chattered amongst themselves excitedly.
"This is subtle." Fleur grumbled as she picked up a rose petal from one of the tables. She inspected it for a moment before tossing it aside as if it had offended her.
Chloe chuckled at the displeased look on her cousin's face. "They don't give up, do they?"
"No, they don't." Fleur sighed as she grabbed a glass of wine. "It's infuriating."
"Awe, come on." Chloe nudged the other veela with a playful smile. "It's actually pretty cute and if it works out, you two would have a great story."
Fleur choked on the liquid in her mouth before turning to her cousin with wide eyes. "You can't be saying-"
"You could do worse than Hermione." Chloe shrugged as she looked around at the beautiful decorations. "She's not that bad."
"Not that bad!?" Fleur screeched, but lowered her voice when she drew the attention of some of the other veela. "Do you even hear yourself? You hate her Chloe."
"I don't hate her." Chloe rolled her deep blue eyes.
"You used to-"
"We were kids." The younger veela laughed as she shook her head. "Come on, you're telling me you don't like her even a little?"
"I don't." Fleur huffed petulantly, but another laugh ripping from her cousin's chest made her frown. "What? I don't!"
"Yeah, sure." Chloe nodded her head in mock agreement with a condescending smile pulling at her lips. "That's why you were always pestering her."
"She pestered me."
"You pestered each other." Chloe corrected. "If you really didn't like her, you wouldn't have stolen her books, because they took attention away from you."
"I didn't steal them for that reason." Fleur growled, narrowing her eyes at the other blonde who was entirely too amused by this entire situation.
"I stole them, because...because..." She furrowed her brow, looking for a logical explanation for her behavior. Why did she always steal Hermione's books and make fun of her for reading when she would turn around and read those same books?
"Because you like her. In fact, I think you loooooove her." Chloe finished in a sing-song voice that made Fleur grimace.
"No, it was because she was always treating me like I was stupid and was annoying." Fleur shot back as she crossed her arms. "I can't believe you're actually defending her. She broke our legs in the treehouse!"
The memory made Chloe laugh again, a fond twinkle shining in her eyes. "To be fair, we kind of deserved it. We were horrible to her that entire summer."
"She deserved it." Fleur replied weakly. Her excuses were starting to sound flimsy, even to her. She didn't love, let alone like Hermione Granger. Did she?
"Why don't you tell her that then." Chloe nodded her head in the direction behind Fleur, a knowing smile pulling at her lips.
Fleur furrowed her brow at the look her cousin gave her, turning around to see what had her so smug, only to see Hermione entering from the opposite side of the hall.
Her breath caught in her throat when saw the British princess. Only a year had passed since she last saw her, but she looked so different. The brunette's cheeks weren't as rounded and had narrowed a little instead, her jaw line more defined. She had become curvier, filling out the white and gold gown with loose straps that clung to her slim biceps and showed off her dainty shoulders that were splashed with a couple of freckles.
Even though she lived in England, her skin had darkened from days out in the sun and her hair had lost its frizzy nature. Not that she ever really minded it to begin with. She only poked fun at it, because she knew it would evoke a reaction from the other girl. Now though, it was smooth and straight, spilling down to her shoulders with a little of it tied back to better showcase her features.
Fleur didn't know what to say. She was speechless. It felt like she was looking at Hermione for the first time. Her heart was pounding and her palms were sweating, making it increasingly difficult to hold the glass of wine in her hand and then their eyes locked.
Hermione raised a questioning eyebrow when she saw the awestruck look on Fleur's face. She was having a difficult time keeping a neutral expression on her face when she saw the silver gown Fleur wore that clung to her every curve in a way that made her mouth feel dry. The gown sparkled almost like it was embroidered with diamonds, it wouldn't be surprising if it actually was.
Diamonds or no diamonds, Fleur still would have looked magnificent in anything she wore. She always did. Her veela heritage was obvious with her long flowing blonde hair and those crystal blue eyes that stuck out even across the room. It was no secret that Fleur was pretty much perfect in every way. In fact, that's what she hated so much about her 'intended'.
She had always been devastatingly beautiful and she knew it. It showed in the way she floated instead of walked into a room as if she owned the place. The second she entered a room, every pair of eyes were always drawn to her. It was inevitable.
It wasn't like looks were all Fleur had either. She hated to admit it, but Fleur was actually quite witty and smart in her own right. She often challenged Hermione intellectually and in her views. It was infuriating that she had a tendency to be right. It made it even worse when she would flash that stupid gorgeous cocky smile when she knew she had won.
She wasn't sporting her usual air of superiority right now though. In fact, Fleur looked like she was floundering and at a loss. That never happened. Fleur always had something smart or cutting to say. Sometimes she wouldn't have to say anything, she would just have to smirk over at Hermione.
She was looking at her in a way she never had before and it was confusing to say the least. It made her heart flutter uncomfortably in her chest and filled her with a sense of unease. Then she smiled at her. Not in the usual conceited way she was used to, but a nervous, tentative one instead.
"She looks gorgeous." Chloe smiled triumphantly when she saw how her cousin dumbly stared at the girl she swore she didn't have any feelings for.
"Yeah." Fleur nodded her head numbly, unable to take her eyes off the British princess.
"What are you waiting for?" Chloe asked with a smirk, taking the drink from Fleur's hands, before she nudged her cousin forward, causing the older veela to stumble forward clumsily. "Go pester your bride to be."
"She's not-"
Fleur tried to defend herself, but another not so subtle push forward sent her closer to the girl, evoking a weird look from Hermione.
'I look like an idiot.' Fleur thought to herself with a grimace. She straightened her posture, sending her cousin a heated look before she cautiously approached the British princess. 'It's just Hermione. I'm a veela for Merlin's sake. There's nothing to be nervous about. I naturally exude charm.'
"Bonjour Fleur." Hermione spoke as neutrally as she could with those wide blue eyes looking at her in wonder. She did the customary curtsey while Fleur followed suit.
"'Ello 'Ermione." Fleur grabbed the brunette's hand of her own accord for the first time in her life, leaning down to place a lingering kiss on the top of Hermione's delicate hand.
She dared to look up while her lips remained on the other girl's skin to see an uncharacteristic blush lightly dusting Hermione's cheeks. The sight was enough to make a smile tug at Fleur's full pink lips and fill her with a sense of glee and accomplishment as she straightened her posture, reluctant to let Hermione's hand go.
The scene did not go unnoticed by two Queens in the background, smiling knowingly and nudging each other excitedly. The night hadn't seemed like it was going to turn out well a half hour earlier, but now, it looked more than promising. Their daughters couldn't take their eyes off of each other and their infatuation would be obvious even to a blind man. Their hard work and planning might actually pay off.
"I am 'appy you could come." Fleur tried to repress her grin, remembering their first meeting suddenly fondly instead of with irritation.
Hermione rolled her eyes at the veela's antics, but played along none the less. "I'm happy to be here."
"You don't look very 'appy." Fleur challenged with a knowing smirk.
There was that smirk Hermione knew so well. She should have known this was just another clever trap carefully crafted by the French woman. "I wonder why that is."
"I 'avent ze slightest clue." Fleur shrugged, feigning ignorance while she looked at the brunette with innocent blue eyes.
Bright amber narrowed while Hermione crossed her arms defensively. "Go on then."
Fleur furrowed her brow in confusion, perplexed by what Hermione was saying. "I don't understand."
"Get the comment out that is on the tip of your tongue. Might as well get it out of your system now." Hermione grumbled, tapping her foot impatiently.
"I-"
"Oh 'Ermione." Hermione mocked the French witch's accent, waving her hand around in a way that would normally annoy Fleur, but she actually found it adorable in this moment. "Could you not find a spell to fix zat frizzy 'air? Are you sure you should go wiz zat color scheme for your complexion or body shape?"
The smirk that was on Fleur's face was starting to spread into an amused smile, her eyes gleaming as she watched the scene unfold in front of her.
"Zat isn't what I was going to say actually."
Hermione looked taken aback by the lack of a witty comeback that she was so used to. What game was Fleur playing at?
"Oh?"
"I was actually going to say..." Fleur licked her lips, suddenly nervous again as she stepped a little closer to the British witch. She knew this may result in a slap to the face, but she was willing to risk it. "Zat you look absolutely stunning."
"Well, you-" Hermione stopped midsentence. She was about to sling an insult right back at the veela, but when it finally caught up to her that Fleur actually gave her a compliment, she was flabbergasted. "Wait, what?"
"I said..." Fleur sighed, trying to steady her shaking hands. "You look très belle." She smiled bashfully, her blonde hair sweeping in front of her crystal blues in a way that made Hermione blush again.
"Oh..." Hermione floundered, not even quite sure how to interact with Fleur without fighting at this point. This was definitely new and dizzying. "You..." She eyed the blonde up and down, taking her appearance in before gulping uncomfortably. "You look gorgeous. As usual." She said the last bit under her breath, but Fleur still caught it, causing a smile to almost split her face in two.
"You zink I'm always gorgeous?" She tilted her head to the side while she clasped her hands behind her back.
"Come on Fleur." Hermione groaned, feeling more and more uncomfortable the longer they conversed like this. She wasn't used to this. What happened to the arrogant girl she practically grew up with? "You know you're gorgeous."
"Oui." Fleur nodded her head, evoking an eye roll from the brunette. "But I've never 'eard you say eet before."
"I didn't think I had to say it." Hermione grumbled. "Or that my opinion on the subject mattered."
"Why wouldn't eet?" Fleur asked, genuinely curious this time. She and Hermione didn't always get along, but Hermione had to know that she was exceptionally bright and pretty in her own right. Why wouldn't her opinion matter?
Hermione huffed, looking exasperated as if the answer was obvious. "You've made it clear you don't like my opinions."
"Non." Fleur shook her head. "I didn't like being corrected."
"And you do now?" Hermione asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I don't know." Fleur shrugged. "People change."
Hermione hummed like she usually did when she was deep in thought, her nose crinkling in a way that made Fleur grin. The British princess was getting nervous and flustered. Fleur was surprising her and the French heiress was weirdly enjoying it. This was new and weird, but it felt good and right.
"Can I get you a drink?" Fleur broke the ice once more.
Hermione eyed her warily as if she was expecting a trick, but when Fleur just continued to stare blankly at her, she nodded her head. The simple gesture was enough to make Fleur grab a glass nearby and hand it to the British woman.
She glanced to the side, feeling eyes on her, only to see their mothers watching them with giant grins planted on their faces.
"Don't look now..." Fleur mumbled as she leaned in toward Hermione so only, she could hear her, her hand lingering on the glass Hermione was holding. "But I zink we're being watched."
Hermione dared a look to where Fleur nodded her head only to see her mother attempting to look away, pretending like she wasn't watching the interaction intently. A scoff slipped past her lips as she took a sip of the sweet white wine. Her mother was probably having a field day right now.
"They look entirely too pleased with themselves." Hermione mumbled.
"Oui." Fleur nodded her head. "Per'aps we should get into anozer fight to zrow zem off. We wouldn't want zem to zink we're getting along or anyzing."
"Yes, we wouldn't want that."
"Non." Fleur shook her head with a playful smile pulling at her full pink lips. "We definitely wouldn't want zat."
Those bright blue eyes twinkled and lingered on Hermione for a moment too long, bringing another blush to her cheeks while she tried to remain cool and looked away.
"So..." Hermione cleared her throat as she lowered her glass. "Have you found any suitors?"
"Non, no one 'as caught my eye..." Fleur replied, looking at Hermione strangely while she wrestled with herself. She was afraid to ask Hermione the same question. What if she had found a different suitor while she had been away? The thought shouldn't bother her, but it did. Either way, it was only polite to ask her the same. "What about you?"
Hermione lost her voice when she noticed that Fleur looked almost fragile when she asked that question. This really wasn't like the veela at all. Fleur wasn't a sensitive person, but she seemed unsure and nervous. She could lie and say she had, but she really hadn't met anyone that she liked and since she couldn't bring herself to speak, she simply shook her head.
A small smile formed on Fleur's lips as she looked down, seemingly pleased with the answer. "Bien."
"I don't think it's good." Hermione mumbled as she shifted her gaze to the side. "I'm running out of time."
"Well, you never know." Fleur shrugged, moving a little closer to the British princess, causing Hermione to tense at the proximity. "You might find someone zat suits you well. People can be surprising."
Hermione gulped uneasily, doing her best to look unimpressed while Fleur looked pleased with herself. She was probably blushing again.
'Damnit. She's messing with me again.' Hermione thought sourly to herself while she finished off her wine.
There was no way Fleur Delacour could be implying what she thought she was. The blonde had always been so far out of her reach and she knew it. Fleur never liked her from the start. She constantly picked on her and practically made it her job to make her life a living Hell. Why was she suddenly being so nice now?
"You mean, someone like you?" Hermione asked with a raised eyebrow as she placed her glass down on a table.
"Talking about wedding plans?" Chloe smiled as she approached the pair. She could see things were going so well from across the room and was giddy at the prospect of Fleur finally coming to her senses. All it took was a nudge from the right person. She would definitely be getting a lot of praise from her aunt for this one.
"What?" Hermione asked with a furrowed brow as Chloe kissed both her cheeks in greeting. "Wedding?"
"Well, I just zought-" Chloe floundered, looking from Fleur to Hermione. "You guys looked so-"
"Why in the world would I be marrying Fleur?" Hermione asked with a scoff, ruffling the veela's feathers that had been doing her best to be charming.
"Why wouldn't you?" Fleur shot back petulantly while the music came to screeching halt. 'Perfect timing.' She thought with a roll of her eyes while she inwardly seethed. What was so wrong with her that Hermione wouldn't even consider her as an option? It was clear Hermione was enjoying herself just as much as Fleur was so why was she being so difficult?
"Wait..." Bright amber looked from Fleur to the Queens who looked apprehensive. Everything was riding on this moment. "Are you saying..." She looked back to the veela as this new revelation washed over her. Was Fleur really interested? Was she being genuine? "You want to...?"
"I don't know." Fleur mumbled as she shrugged her shoulders with a light blush on her cheeks. Not only was she potentially being rejected, but now it was on display for everyone to see. "Why not?"
"Why would you want to?" Hermione's voice lost the edge in it, taking on a softer tone when she saw Fleur clearly looked uncomfortable. At least, it was clear to her. She had known Fleur since she was five, she knew better than to take this fake icy exterior at face value. Fleur was nervous.
"Well..." Fleur licked her lips, her eyes darting to all of the other ones watching her. She could feel the pressure steadily building. She hadn't meant to go quite this far, but now that they were at this point, she couldn't see why they shouldn't get married.
Hermione was intelligent and was one of the only people who could stand toe to toe with her. She challenged Fleur and made the veela better. She studied harder when Hermione was around, because she hated the idea of the brilliant witch thinking she was dim-witted and just a pretty face. She wanted the English woman to see her as more than that. It didn't register in her head until now that she felt that way, because she cared about Hermione.
Yes, she picked on Hermione, but perhaps she had picked on her so much, because she was trying to gain her attention like Chloe suggested. Maybe she found that scowl the brunette wore when Fleur got under her skin endearing. Seeing those eyes narrow filled her with delight. She thought the feeling was because it meant she got under the English witch's skin and maybe that was part of the reason, but there was always something else there.
They knew each other since they were children, were intellectually and physically compatible, and given how things had been going before this moment, it made perfect sense. She knew Hermione couldn't deny that this felt right. She would be lying if she said it. She knew she felt it too.
Any one of those things would have been good to say, but Fleur was cracking under the pressure and all of the people watching were making it difficult to think. "You're beautiful."
Hermione furrowed her brow at the response. That was it? That was all Fleur could come up with? She was suddenly beautiful so now she was worthy of the perfect French princess? It wasn't that they were actually quite compatible despite their bickering? It had nothing to do with something more than what was on the surface of her skin? She always accused Fleur of being shallow, but she didn't truly believe it until this moment.
"What else?" Hermione pressed. Fleur was more articulate than this. She knew firsthand, how sharp the veela's wit was and the blonde had to know how flimsy this sounded.
Those crystal blue eyes flittered to Chloe for an answer who only shook her head at Fleur in warning, tilting her head in Hermione's direction to tell her cousin to focus on the girl she was talking to instead of her for answers.
Fleur looked helpless when she finally turned back to Hermione that was looking at her in a way that made her want to disappear. Her brain wasn't working properly and she felt absolutely hopeless.
"What else ees zere?" She finally asked pitifully as if Hermione would tell her.
Hermione looked like she had been slapped in the face, her patience dissipating when that question was directed at her. That was really all Fleur cared about? Looks? She had childishly thought Fleur was vain, but she thought it was just that. A childish thought.
Maybe she had been wrong about Fleur all along and had hoped for too much when they started to get along. She couldn't believe she considered giving Fleur a chance for even a second.
"I think we're done here." Hermione spoke before clenching her jaw and turning on her heel with her mother quickly running after her while Apolline gave Fleur a disapproving look.
/
"What else is there!?" Chloe screeched when she finally pulled Fleur back to her room.
Fleur flinched at the tone before moving to sit at her dresser and put her head in her hands. She was still in shock at her horrible attempt at wooing Hermione Granger.
In her defense, she was used to flirting with people she didn't care about. She didn't realize how much more difficult it would be with someone she actually did. "I didn't mean to say that."
"You should write a book." Chloe scoffed. "You can call it 'how to insult a woman in five syllables or less.'"
"I wasn't trying to insult her." Fleur defended herself as she looked up to her fuming cousin. "It's just...she's so...and the way she looked...and... you know?" She let out a dreamy sigh as she slumped in her chair, earning a perplexed look from the other veela.
"You are aware that that wasn't an actual sentence, right?" A smirk slowly started to form on Chloe's face when she noticed Fleur's starting to heat up. The poor thing never stood a chance. She had been infatuated with Hermione Granger for as long as Chloe could remember and she was feeling the full force of it all at once. It was a lot for anyone to take.
"Well, I'm sure you're pleased with yourself." Apolline growled as she entered the room while Fleur started to shrink in on herself.
"Mother, I-"
"You finally got what you wanted." The elder grumbled as she crossed her arms, glaring over at her daughter.
Fleur gulped uneasily underneath that scathing look, dreading the answer to the question she was about to ask. "What do you mean?"
"Hermione Granger and Minerva are leaving. She has officially rejected the proposal and is going back to England to find other prospects."
"What!?" Fleur shot up from her seat. She knew she had messed up quite horribly, but she figured she could try to smooth things over the next couple of months.
Now, she stood no chance of trying to figure out whatever she was feeling towards Hermione. She was going to leave and marry someone else. The thought made her surprisingly sick and filled her with rage.
"She's not here Fleur, you can cut the act." Apolline rolled her eyes while Fleur's narrowed.
"When is she leaving?"
Apolline eyed her daughter curiously. This wasn't the reaction she had been expecting. "Tomorrow night."
/
The sun was resting high in the sky while a predator prowled in the shadow of familiar bushes, only their bright blue eyes showing from the darkness as they watched their prey. They were quite uncomfortable from being hunched over for the last ten minutes. The bush that she used to easily hide in was now rather difficult to conceal herself in, but she crouched as low as possible in the cramped space all the same while her toes wiggled anxiously in the dirt.
She wanted nothing more than to pounce already, but she had been trained to be patient and to strike at the right moment. The brunette was exactly where she thought she would be on her last day at the French castle and the realization that she knew the English witch so well pleased her to no end. Her prey was rather predictable. This spot had always been her favorite place to escape to and read. She couldn't blame the British princess for it though. It was her favorite spot in the forest too.
Her fingertips twitched and gripped the grass tighter when the brunette turned the page of her book, blissfully unaware of her presence while she did her best to keep still. Hermione looked painfully beautiful and peaceful under the shade of the tree with small beams of light peeking through the leaves shining on her face and book. The light played on the brunette's face, showing off her features while Fleur's muscles twitched in anticipation, a satisfied smile pulling at her lips. It was time to strike.
"Don't even think about it." Hermione spoke without looking up from her book.
The smile fell from Fleur's face at the command. How did she know she was there!? She had been so careful and quiet. She had easily become the best hunter in the veela clan, practicing every day to improve her skills. How did Hermione Granger, a non-veela, know she was lurking in the bushes?
The revelation that Hermione had already detected her presence ruffled the hunter. Just because the brunette knew she was there, it didn't mean she could stop her attack though.
A frustrated growl left Fleur's lips before she jumped out anyway, ignoring Hermione's command as she tackled her. Much to Fleur's surprise, Hermione twisted her body when she felt contact and landed on top of the veela with amber burning a hole into her.
"'Ow did you know?" Fleur pouted, her veela pride wounded at the fact that she had been outwitted once more, but she was not all that opposed to the position she found herself in.
"You're entirely too predictable." Hermione rolled her eyes and moved to get up, but before she could, Fleur twisted her hips and had the brunette pinned beneath her, a triumphant smile shining on her perfect features.
"Am I now?"
"Get off me." Hermione growled, lifting her hands to shove Fleur, but the blonde was quick and pinned her wrists to the ground.
"Non." Fleur shook her head stubbornly. "Not until you tell me why you're leaving."
"You have to be kidding me." The pinned princess scoffed. "There is no way that you're this thick."
"I'm not zick." Fleur retorted with a frown. "I know why...I just-"
"Then why are you doing this?" Hermione groaned, hitting the back of her head on the soft grass. "Why would you possibly want me to stay? Besides my beauty of course." Hermione grumbled the last bit, making Fleur flinch.
"I did not mean zat..." Fleur mumbled, dropping her head, but it quickly shot up when she heard an incredulous scoff. "Non, I did not mean eet like zat. Of course, you are très belle...I…" She let out a breath when she saw Hermione watching her with a raised eyebrow. She was failing once more. Where was her veela charm when she really needed it? "'Ermione..."
"Fleur." Hermione deadpanned, looking entirely unamused.
"Do you 'ave to look at me like zat?" Fleur cringed, her confidence crumbling under that scrutinizing gaze.
"I can hardly control how I look." Hermione rolled her eyes and moved to get up, but the veela tightened her grip, keeping her firmly in place. "Fleur! If you have nothing to say, then let me go."
Fleur ignored her captive's demands, her eyes zeroing in on the girl beneath her growing increasingly more uncomfortable by the way the veela was looking at her. "Did you really formally reject my proposal?"
"Yes." Hermione replied simply, causing a frown to take over the blonde's countenance.
"'Ow could you refuse when I never formally asked?" Fleur shot back, reverting back to her childish antics.
She regretted the question the second it left her lips, especially when that scowl formed on Hermione's face. Even though Hermione looked angry, she knew the question stung and that wasn't what she meant to say.
"Well, since you never asked, I guess there isn't anything to talk about." Hermione tried to wiggle out from under the blonde, but Fleur adjusted her hips, making Hermione's attempt futile. "Seriously, this is getting old." The British witch growled. "Again, if you have nothing to say, then-"
"If I tell you..." Fleur sighed, her shoulders slumping as trepidation coursed through her entire being. "Will you stay?" She asked the last part so quietly it shocked the English princess.
Hermione eyed the French witch warily, unsure of where this was going, but Fleur seemed so fragile just like she had the night before. It made it hard to breathe and almost impossible to deny her. Still, this could be another trick and she didn't fully trust Fleur because of their history.
"If this is another trap so you can make fun of my hair or-"
"I like your 'air." Fleur cut Hermione off before she could continue on. "I always 'ave. I just liked teasing you, because you would get so ruffled and your nose would crinkle..."
A smile broke out on the French princess' face when Hermione unknowingly scrunched her nose. "Just like zat. I can 'ardly be 'eld responsible for my actions when you make such adorable faces when you're annoyed."
"Fleur, what are you going on about?" Hermione mumbled, looking away from those sparkling blue eyes while a blush dusted her cheeks. "You always-"
"I know." Fleur gulped, swallowing the lump in her throat. "I was mean, but eet was because I liked you."
"That doesn't make any sense." The brunette grumbled, shifting uncomfortably, looking anywhere but the veela. "You would steal my books."
"Because you wouldn't pay any attention to me when you were reading." Fleur pouted. "Eet was ze only way to get you to look my way. You 'ad zero interest in me from ze beginning."
"You were the one who was disgusted by kissing my hand." Hermione cried out, finally turning to look at Fleur with blazing amber eyes.
"I was six." Fleur laughed, shaking her head. "I should be so lucky to kiss your 'and."
"At least we can agree about something." Hermione huffed, evoking another insufferable earsplitting smile to take over her captor's face.
"Oui. We can agree upon zat." Fleur nodded her head before a solemn look overtook her features. "Don't go 'Ermione."
"I still don't know why you want me to stay." The brilliant witch sighed, her posture softening and relaxing while Fleur loosened her hold.
"'Ermione...I meant to say more last night, but zere were so many eyes on us and you were looking…" Fleur licked her dry lips as she gazed down at the tempting girl trapped beneath her. "Ze way you did and I panicked."
"Fleur Delacour...panicked?" Hermione scoffed.
"Oui, you 'ave a 'abbit of doing zat to me." Fleur smiled bashfully as she prepared to put herself out there.
"What I meant to say was you are ze most brilliant woman I 'ave ever met." Fleur spoke softly as she ran her thumb over the brunette's wrist. "You challenge me and make me better. You make me laugh when you don't mean to, my eyes are always drawn to you, and I'm always secretly seeking your approval. Zere ees no one better matched for me."
"Just because you haven't met someone better doesn't mean we should get married." Hermione sighed.
"Non, eet does not." The veela agreed again, a coy smile pulling at her lips when an idea popped into her head. "But eet does not mean eet should be dismissed eizer. I zink some research needs to be done before we make a decision. You like research, non?"
A blush started to light up Hermione's cheeks at the implication, her heart pounding painfully in her chest when she saw how Fleur looked at her. It should be illegal to look so alluring. "I do..."
"Well zen eet ees settled, you will stay for ze summer so we can zuroughly..." Fleur raised an eyebrow, a smirk pulling at her full pink lips when she saw how flustered Hermione looked. "Research."
"I-"
"I know you feel zis too." Fleur cut Hermione off before she could deny her.
"Why must I feel this too?" Hermione shot back, trying to hide how flustered she was, but failed horribly. "Because you're beautiful? Because you're...you're...ugh..." She groaned in frustration. "You're the most infuriating woman I have ever met, but..." Hermione let out a breath, her resolve crumbling when she saw those icy blues watching her so intently. "You're also brilliant and witty."
"Oh? I zought you said I'm dim-witted." The blonde challenged good-naturedly.
"We both know that isn't true." Hermione grumbled. "I lost too many card games to you for that to be true."
"I do so enjoy your games." Fleur smiled cheekily, earning her a playful glare.
"And my castle guards."
"Oh, zat was to make you jealous cherie." Fleur grinned evilly, leaning in toward the English princess. "Did eet work?"
"I..." Hermione fumbled for what to say. It was impossible to form a coherent thought when the French princess was so close and looking at her like she was something she wanted to devour. "You..." She furrowed her brow as all of this information washed over her. "What? You were flirting with them to..." Fleur nodded her head while Hermione pieced the puzzle together. "So...this whole time?" She looked up incredulously at Fleur while Fleur tried to hold back a laugh.
"I didn't really realize I was doing eet until Chloe so kindly pointed eet out to me."
"Well, I guess it makes sense in a horrible way." Hermione mumbled to herself. "I did dye your hair, because..."
"You secretly liked my 'air and wanted to run your fingers zrough eet?" Fleur asked with a raised eyebrow, that insufferable smirk taking over her features.
"I wouldn't go that far." Hermione rolled her eyes, laughing at the veela's cockiness. "But I did admire it."
"Oh, what else did you admire about moi?" Fleur pressed flirtatiously.
"I don't think I should say." Hermione shrugged her shoulders, making the French witch pout. "Your ego is already entirely too big."
"Eet's ze least you can do after you called me a..." Fleur crinkled her nose when she remembered their first encounter in the forest.
"Nasty toad?" Hermione finished with a smirk.
"Oui..." Fleur narrowed her eyes. "Zat."
"You were being a..."
"If I remember correctly." Fleur cut off the brunette once more, not wanting to hear the insult slung at her again. Things were going so well after all. "You were reading a book at ze time…"
"That you stole." Hermoine glared up at the veela.
"Oui." Fleur nodded her head, a smile starting to take over her countenance. "I believe eet was called 'Ze Princess and ze frog.' Ees zat where you got ze idea for ze insult?"
A smile threatened to take over the serious look the brunette was trying to portray. "Maybe."
"Hmmm." Fleur hummed to herself as she leaned in a little closer. "Well, you do remember what 'appens zen when a Princess kisses the toad."
"Frog." Hermione corrected, but not in the usual harsh way she did. Instead, it came out breathless while Fleur inched closer to her. Was she going to...?
"Per'aps eef you kiss me, I will no longer be zis nasty toad you 'ave so lovingly labeled me as."
"Oh?" Hermione asked as her amber eyes drifted down to those tempting pink lips. "And what makes you think I would do something like that?"
"Because-" Fleur meant to continue their game, but before she could get another word out, Hermione slipped a hand out from the now loose hold and grabbed the front of veela's dress.
In one swift movement, she pulled Fleur down the rest of the way and closed the gap between them before she pressed her lips to the ones that spent years teasing and challenging her. Fleur always did know how to draw her in and make her lose all of her senses.
Fleur was taken aback by the sudden action. She had been prepared for a lot of different reactions from her childhood rival, but nothing could prepare her for this. Who knew Hermione Granger's mouth could be used for things other than insulting her and would be equally talented, if not more so?
It felt like the wind had been knocked out of Fleur as she felt her entire body relax onto the princess below her and all but melted into the kiss. Hermione didn't do much but press her lips softly against her own, but it was enough to make Fleur forget all sense of self.
She exhaled through her nose as she tangled her free hand in long brown locks splayed out on the ground while Hermione's grip on her dress tightened. Fleur idly thought that Hermione tasted sweet like honey as she released her prisoner's wrist in favor of intertwining their fingers. She couldn't imagine ever kissing anyone else again.
Hermione was having similar thoughts on the kiss she didn't expect to enrapture her so quickly. Fleur was surprisingly gentle and sweet, something she never expected from the French princess. Her lips were like velvet, just simply pressing against her own instead of demanding more than Hermione was willing to give.
Hermione felt that familiar flutter in her chest when Fleur's finger's intertwined with her own instead of pinning her down. It was a small gesture, but it spoke volumes to the English witch. Any doubt Hermione had about this arrangement had been sufficiently eradicated by such a simple action. Nothing could be more perfect than this.
After what felt like an eternity, Fleur finally pulled back, pushing herself up on her elbows while crystal blue eyes peered down at amber hidden behind still closed eyelids. Hermione looked like she was in a state of bliss as she idly licked her lips to get one last taste of the strawberry that lingered from Fleur's mouth before her eyelids fluttered open.
A dopey smile tugged at Fleur's lips as she gazed adoringly at Hermione. "You're definitely not leaving now."
"Is that so?" Hermione smiled playfully back while Fleur nodded her head. "What makes you so sure of that?"
"Well, you are in MY kingdom and MY forest..." Fleur drawled, her smile turning devious. "So zat means you're mine." She purred, moving in to close the distance between them again, but in another surprising display of athleticism and speed, Hermione twisted her hips and had Fleur pinned beneath her with a triumphant smile shining on her face.
"You have to be a princess to inherit OUR kingdom." Hermione smirked when she saw a pout overtake Fleur's countenance.
"But I zought...wait..." A grin replaced the pout Fleur wore when what her intended said caught up with her. "Are you saying...?"
"Mmm, maybe." Hermione smiled coyly. "I would have to be asked properly first by an actual princess. I guess one kiss wasn't enough like the book suggested." Hermione mumbled as she started to lean in so their lips were only centimeters apart.
"Books can be so inaccurate sometimes." Fleur smiled lightly before Hermione closed the gap again, pressing her lips back to the French witch's, this time moving her mouth in a beautiful dance with Fleur's.
Down the way, Apolline and Minerva walked towards the forest, their heads hung in defeat. They didn't understand what went wrong. Their daughters were clearly enamored with each other since day one, even if they didn't know it. They were always bothering the other to get their attention, even if the attention wasn't positive.
They really thought they had realized how perfect they were for each other last night, but now it looked like it was never going to happen. They just wanted to stop whatever horrible fight that was surely brewing so they scoured the castle for the troublemakers.
"Zere zey are..." Apolline groaned when she saw the two girls wrestling around in the forest like they usually did, but something seemed odd about the whole encounter.
Minerva and Apolline's eyes widened when they realized their daughters were entangled in a heated embrace. Their lips were locked as they rolled around in the grass, fighting for dominance as they pulled at each other clothes, about to engage in activities they were supposed to save for their wedding night.
The two took off running towards the princess', pulling out their wands to pull them apart for entirely different reasons now as they yelled in unison, "girls!"