A/N: italic = French

Sometime in July

Fleur stepped outside Gringotts, inspecting the bandages of a nasty cut at her hand. She had received that while opening one of the older, abandoned vaults on the deeper levels of Gringotts' caves.

"Hey. What happened there?" An unexpected but very welcome voice asked behind her. Fleur turned around, smiling in her girlfriend's face.

"Hello. This is a lovely surprise!"

She kissed Hermione. Her girlfriend pecked at her lips, and pulled away.

"Hello to you, too. I have wanted to pick you up. But don't change the subject. What happened there?"

Hermione gestured toward Fleur's hand.

"I had to open a vault, that was secured by swishing sword blades."

Hermione frowned.

"It sounds like a classic old trap", Hermione said.

"Indeed. Only being hit by dragon fire adds an element of surprise to some of the older wards. The traps trigger more easily at the slightest movement. I just should have been more guarded", Fleur explained. Hermione paled.

"Oh. You still have to deal with the effects of that little stunt." Hermione blushed.

"Don't worry about it. Minor injuries come with the job as a curse breaker. This in nothing that won't heal. I just have to pop into the apothecary and buy some essence of dittany. Mind, if we make a little detour?"

Hermione nodded. They directed their steps into the direction of the apothecary at the other end of Diagon Alley.

"Did Ginny tell you, that Ron asked Harry to move into 12 Grimmauld Place? Apparently moving back into The Burrow after the break up with Lavender does not work out for him. He has actually managed to overstretched his Ronnikins-bonus. Molly refuses to play Hotel Mama anymore. She said, she raised her children to be independent and to be able to take responsibility for themselves. Even Fred and George hat achieved that, although they dropped out of school. She packed his things, put them in the yard, and locked his room with a password. Harry almost agreed to let him stay with us. Ron is his best mate. But Ginny put her foot down. She says, as much as she loved her brother, he would not fit into our little house community. Harry did not put up too much resistance. Ron will probably crash at George's flat for the time being."

"This boy. Will he ever grow up?" Fleur regretted the slip of tongue immediately. After all that happened there was a strong bond between the members of the golden trio. "I'm sorry. It is not my place. You were with him, so there must be something about him."

"And we know how well that turned out. You know, he often acts like a git and comes around later. I have decided that I will not suffer a heartbreak again in the process."

They had reached the apothecary at a little square at the end of the alley. Both interrupted their discussion for a moment. Fleur stepped inside to buy the essence of dittany. When she came out again, Hermione directed their steps towards a bench under tree beside a fountain in the middle of the square. Hermione got hold of Fleur's hand and started to unwrap the bandage.

"So he will not get a second chance from you?" Fleur picked up their train of thought from before. Hermione looked confused for a moment but nodded.

"First of all: He left Harry and me during our quest. Then he cheated on me with Lavender. With other words, he blew up his second chance a long time ago. Secondly. I'm with you now. I'm as happy with you as I wish I could be. I don't want to give that up." Hermione paused. "So, we have analyzed my rather short past."

Hermione examined the cut. It was clean and had stopped bleeding. She opened the little brown bottle and trickled some fluid on the wound. Fleur winced a little. It stung.

"We have not discussed Victor Krum", Fleur teased.

"Yes, well. What is there to tell? You were there the whole time." Hermione grinned, Fleur laughed. "What about you?"

Hermione watched as the cut knitted together without a trace. She gave a small kiss on the newly healed skin. Satisfied she screwed the lid on the bottle and rolled up the bandage. She put everything in her bag.

"Well, you know already about Caroline. That was during the summer before I came to Hogwarts. The whole year I tried to come to terms with the fact that I might be bisexual or lesbian. Without getting too physical, Roger Davies helped me to realize that I'm only into girls. Later I had two one night stands with women when loneliness got the better of me. Afterwards I felt more alone than ever. So that was the end of my career as womanizer."

Fleur blushed at the last admission. She felt especially awkward about telling Hermione about her past. Fleur and Caroline may not have developed a deep emotional connection but have explored the physical aspects of their relationship quite thoroughly. Yes, there had been two one night stands after her divorce from Bill. That was long before Hermione had moved into 12 Grimmauld Place. Fleur was part veela, not a nun. Still she was not very proud about these particular episodes in her love life.

They stood up and started to walk again in the direction of the exit of Diagon Alley.

"Fleur, there is something I've meant to ask you since you explained to us the characteristics of veela." Hermione paused, continued rather timidly. "Do I have to brace myself against the prospect that one day you will turn away and identify your true mate at first sight?"

Fleur stopped in her tracks. She faced her girlfriend. Hermione averted her eyes. She looked so vulnerable. Fleur raised one hand to Hermione's cheek. Finally her lover looked at her.

"No. That will not happen. Only full veelas recognize their mates at first sight and feel deep love from right from the beginning. As a part veela, I have to search for my mate more thoroughly. I can even be attracted to someone and be with them sexually without creating the bond. But when I'm starting to love someone, there will be no other for me. Not as long as I'm with her. Not afterwards - should there be an afterwards for some reason or other. She will be my mate. My one and only."

Hermione took a deep breath.

"So it is possible that you already know your mate for quite some time now without recognizing her?"

Fleur did not blink. She did not want to break eye contact with Hermione.

"It is absolutely possible that I already know my mate."

Fleur looked at Hermione intently. She wanted to say those three little words there and than in the middle of Diagon Alley. Fleur hesitated. She did not doubt that Hermione was deeply in love with her. But did Hermione want to hear those three little words from Fleur so soon when they were so heavy with meaning? Finding your bond mate was no guarantee that you were loved back the same way. Saying 'I love you' was not just stating the fact that Fleur loved Hermione. It was commitment. For life. To this one person. This gorgeous woman. She felt that way for Hermione. Including the commitment. How could she not? Was Hermione ready for a livelong commitment to Fleur? She just did not want to scare Hermione away in case she was not ready yet.

"Are there any signs that let you know that she is the one?" Hermione asked.

"Other than the deep love I feel for her? My mother hinted, that there might be other signs or changes. For some reason she was to embarrassed to elaborate that point", Fleur said.

Hermione starred at Fleur for a while. Fleur tried to think of something more to say. Hermione gave her a little smile.

"Wow. How did we end up in such serious conversation? Actually I picked you up to have a small picnic with you that little park near Grimmauld Place. I've packed some bread, antipasti, wine, and a book - Orlando by Virgina Woolf", Hermione said. She raised her beaded bag.

"You want to read to me?" Fleur asked. Hermione nodded. Fleur slipped her hand into Hermione's.

"I love ... how you read to me."

Hermione raised her eyebrows when Fleur paused. If this three little words were to much right then, maybe there was another way to show her how much she meant to her.

"Hermione, I know, we already live in one house. Still I want to ask you to move in with me. To move into a shared bedroom."

"Oh?" Hermione gave Fleur a surprised look.

"I love ... falling asleep with you every night."

Hermione raised an eyebrow at the little pause again. She smiled.

"Yes, I love . . . the idea.

###

eptember 19th 2000

Hermione held Fleur tight. She winced. Hermione had pulled at some of her feathers at the back. Fleur tried to struggle.

"Sorry. And: Stop! No. Stay right here. We will not make a habit out of running away from each other in awkward moments", Hermione said. Fleur knew her girlfriend was referring to her own glass shattering attempt to ask her out. She took a deep breath and looked Hermione in the eyes. There was no fear. No anger. No disgust. Hermione had only trust, tenderness, and a smile in her eyes. She rearranged her arms around Fleur's waist, carefully avoiding the plumage.

"You really think, that you could scare me of with some feathers?"

Fleur shook her head, calmed down a bit more.

"May I touch them?"

Fleur nodded. Hermione reached out, let her hand glide from Fleur's shoulders down to her navel.

"They are so soft . . . OK. Off topic. What happened here? It is the first time that I've ever seen you shift. I also have thought that veelas only shift in dangerous situations, when they face a physical thread."

Fleur came out of her kneeling position and sat down on the blanket. Hermione mimicked her, never letting her lover go.

"As I'm only part veela, I can't shift fully. Normally I only spout some feathers when I feel threatened or deeply annoyed. I learned that during the second task of the Triwizard Tournament while I was under water. It took me by surprise. That was the moment when the grindylows got their hold on me. I was lucky that they - the feathers that is - vanished before I reached the surface of the lake again. But it must have happened during the first task as well. Only I was too preoccupied with the dragon to notice it. And I was fully covered in cloth that time. The last time I shifted, was at the Burrow, when Ron acted like little boy losing his favorite toy. But it has never, ever happened in an intimate moment with someone. On the other hand, I've never reached this depth of intimacy with someone before."

"I thought that there was a lot going on under your shirt that day", Hermione said, grinning.

Fleur paused, trying to think of an explanation for this incident.

"Oh, Merlin. Maybe this is what my mother didn't want to tell me. She was never good at talking about sex with me or Gabrielle", Fleur said, sighing, letting herself fall back into the cushions. Understanding dawned on Hermione's face.

"So sprouting feathers is veela magic kicking in to show you that I am your mate?"

Fleur felt unable to meet Hermonie's gaze.

"Yes."

Hermione took Fleur's chin gently in her hand, tilting her head slightly, so they were finally looking at each other again.

"So it is something good." It was an exclamation not a question.

"I hope so. I know, our relationship is still quite fresh and we never had THE talk about our commitment to each other. But . . . "

Hermione interrupted her with a kiss.

"You could have just said 'I love you'. I simply would have said it back. Which I do by the way. I love you, Fleur. Dearly. Merlin, how can I answer properly to sprouting feathers? How can I compete with that?" She smirked. "You wait here. Do not dare to move!"

Without bothering to put on a gown, Hermione stormed out of the room. From the corridor Fleur heard a shout of surprise. Harry! Hermione was crashing into Harry. Naked as she was. What had gotten into her?

###

Sometime in August 2000

Fleur stood before the fireplace in the kitchen. Suddenly the flames turned green. Gabrielle stepped out of the fireplace and through her arms around her sisters. She tried to say something, but Fleur picked her up and twirled her around despite Gabrielle's protests. The older veela only laughed. The flames in the fireplace turned green again. Fleur stopped, put Gabrielle back down, raised an eyebrow at her sister. Gabrielle shrugged.

"I wanted to warn you. It was a last minute decision", she said.

Fleur's hands got cold. She eyed the green fire preparing for the worst. Appoline Delacoure stepped out of the fireplace, closely followed by her husband.

"Maman! Papa! I didn't know that you would accompany Gabrielle", Fleur said while she kissed her parents on both cheeks. "Otherwise I would have prepared something."

'I would have kept Hermione out of harms way', she added in her mind.

"My dear. We could not resist the chance to have our two girls together for one or two hours", her father said.

"You have written so much about Hermione. We would like to meet her", her mother said. Her father looked uneasy. Gabrielle rolled her eyes behind her mother's back. Fleur felt panic rise inside her chest. Her mother could be very forward. In some ways, she was a lot like a French version ofMolly Weasley with a veela attitude when it came to the partners of her off-spring. Fleur knew that all too well as Molly Weasley's ex-daughter-in-law. Poor Caroline! Poor Phillipe! Phillipe and Gabrielle were seven and six years old at the time. They were only childhood-friends. Still a nerve twitched below his right eye, whenever he suspected that Appoline Delacoure was near him. OK, that was a little bit exaggerated. Nevertheless, he decided against attending Beauxbaton and went to magical school in Switzerland instead. Even Bill had to got trough the mills, although her mother had known that the marriage was a means of resistance and mutual protection. That should never happen to Hermione.

"You have already met her at my wedding with Bill", Fleur said.

Gabrielle shook her had as if to say 'not good enough'. And she was right.

"That was different. We barely talked to her. She wasn't your girlfriend than. We would like to be introduced properly and get to know her. Especially when there is a chance that she is your mate."

Was there any chance that she could warn Hermione? Where was she anyway? Was she still at the Ministry or already at home? 'Think, Fleur, think.' An owl? Too obvious. Especially when Hermione was already at home. Floo her? Also too obvious. The floo connection was right here in the kitchen. And she had to know where Hermione was. The DA coin would be great in situations like this. But Fleur did not have one. She made a mental note to ask Hermione for one. Or enchanted parchment. Any means of long distant communication.

"Maman, please don't pressure Hermione when you meet her. No subtile hints, no talking about life long bonds, no scheduling grandchildren. Especially not scheduling grandchildren. I want this relationship to develop naturally."

Apolline Delacoure huffed at the last remark. Fleur heard some bustling and muttering in the corridor. Kreacher! There was her chance to save Hermione from an awkward experience with her mother. She excused herself for a moment and ran outside.

"Kreacher, please find Hermione and tell her not to come the kitchen. Otherwise she will be shanghaied by my mother. I will try to get my parents out of here", Fleur said. Kreacher nodded conspiratorially and made his way upstairs. Fleur returned to the kitchen, kept watching the door in case she could see Hermione coming in.

"So, what are you plans? Should we have dinner here or would you like to visit Diagon Alley? We could eat in the Leaky Cauldron and go shopping for a bit", Fleur said.

A key turned in the front door. Someone stepped into the house. 'Please, let it be Harry or Ginny', Fleur pleaded silently. Immediately after the door opened, Hermione's voice carried through the house.

"Fleur? Are you there? When did you say Gabrielle will arrive? Maybe we could take her and visit George in the joke-shop if she likes. It is always worth a visit. And than we go from there."

Apolline's face lit up in anticipation. There was no way to keep Hermione out of this anymore.

"We are in the kitchen, love", Fleur answered. Hermione came running in, greeted her with a kiss and a hug. Over her shoulder, Fleur saw Kreacher appearing in the door frame. He looked defeated. Fleur gave him a small reassuring smile.

"Hermione, my parents decided to surprise me. There are here as well", Fleur said. Hermione turned around to face a shyly waving Gabrielle, Antoine Delacoure, who was shrugging apologetically and the toothy grin of Apolline Delacoure. Hermione made a step closer to Fleur, reaching for her hand. Fleur took the hand and squeezed it lightly.

The three Delacours greeted Hermione according to French custom. Two kisses on the cheek. The young couple prepared some tea. Kreacher presented some cookies and tarts. Fleur asked him quietly to alert Ginny and Harry to go directly into the kitchen when they come home. Maybe they could outnumber her mother? Well. It was a straw.

For the next hour Fleur felt like she and Hermione were playing ping-pong with her mother. She tried in vain to deflect every awkward question while her mother came up with a new one. Antoine tried to interrupt his wife's flow at first. Apolline only padded his arm and continued. She was a woman with a mission. Antoine and Gabrielle just watched with horrified fascination while munching the cookies like popcorn during a movie. Was not Hermione with the youngest Weasley boy? What happened? Uh. So sorry. He seemed to be such a nice young man. Anyone after him? What about Harry? So he is with the Weasley girl now. And Viktor Krum? Only rumors? That Skeeter woman did never forget a story and knew to warm it up, didn't she. What were Hermione's parents doing in the Muggle world? They were dentists? What are dentists? Mh. So they are a kind of healers for teeth? Ah. Did she visit them often? Yes, they settled back to London a while ago. Back to London? Oh, they lived in Australia during the war? Interesting. Clever move. Hermione had returned to Hogwarts after the final battle to gain her N.E.W.T.s? Oh, the best of her year. Impressive. And now? The Ministry? What was Hermione's job at the Ministry? Ah, apprentice at department of Magical Law Enforcement. Oh, with great perspectives. Was Fleur the first women Hermione dated? Yes. How did she feel about being with a veela? Maman, please. Had she thought about how she wants to combine her carrier with a family?

"Maman! Stopp!" Fleur rises an eyebrow at her mother. Apolline Delacoure looked indignated at her daughter, lowering the corners of her mouth, straightening her self.

"Fleur, tell me at least, that you two have talked about children. If she really is your mate, she has to now about the implications of being a parent of a child with veela inheritance", Apolline said.

"Maman, please remember now what you promised to me. And I beg you to speak English", Fleur said.

"No. We have not yet talked about kids. We will, when the time comes. But I think, I already have picked up some of the implications just by being with your daughter, Mrs Delacoure", Hermione said. When Hermione started to speak French, Apolline froze for a moment. She had the grace to blush. Hermione continued: "I might not yet be able to read academic tomes in your tongue, but I manage some every day conversation. My parents often took me to France on vacation when I was younger and I learned to speak French a bit. I've started to practice again, after I fell in love with Fleur."

Antoine hid a smile behind a teacup. Gabrielle simply laughed. Fleur squeezed Hermione's hand.

"So, our kids - no, our daughters - probably will be stunningly beautiful. Seeing you together with you mother and sister, they will maybe even look a lot like you, Fleur. They will have to decide at the age of eleven either to join your grandmother's clan or to go to a magical school like Hogwarts or Beauxbaton."

Fleur's heart soared. Her family faded into the background. Hermione's speech implied a 'when'. Not an 'if'. Apolline entered into Fleur's range of perception again. She tried to say something. Fleur cut her mother short.

"Yes, I think, that sums it up quite nicely. Although they will not necessarily look like me. Admittedly, Maman, Gabrielle, and I are tall and blond. But when you look closely, you will see that I've actually inherit my father's blue eyes and his ears. Gabrielle got his nose and mouth", Fleur answered, looking at her girlfriend. "I would love to have our kids your eyes and hair."

"No, not my hair. Please!" Hermione said, still holding eye contact. Fleur ruffled said hair a bit. Hermione scrunched up her nose.

"And that expression", Fleur added, smiling.

"Don't get so sappy, you two", Gabrielle said, grinning. Appoline frowned at her younger daughter. Now that his wife was distracted, Antoine used his chance to take charge of the situation.

"Hermione, please call us Antoine and Appoline. You said something about visiting George Weasley's joke shop when you came home. I would really like to see it. He and his twin were such a charming duo at the wedding. I would love to pay him a visit. And William, of course, if he can spare some time on such a short notice. We could just go shopping in Diagon Alley afterwards and I can spoil the four of you a little bit."

He said it and he did it.

###

September 19th 2000

Fleur did as she was told. She was waiting for Hermione to return, nervously trying not to fumble with the feathers. The bedroom door opened again. Hermione came back in, walking over to Fleur with a shy smile on her face. Fleur sat on the edge of the bed.

"Maybe this is an adequate answer. I had that hidden in my desk in the study for two weeks now. I have waited for the right moment", Hermione said. She kneeled down in front of Fleur, presenting a simple silvery ring to her. Fleur's heart skipped a beat. Was Hermione doing what Fleur thought that she was doing?

"As you said before, our relationship is still quite fresh. We are officially together for only six month. But our connection is so much older. I have never been indifferent to you since I first set eyes on you in my fourth year at Hogwarts. On the contrary. You have always provoked strong emotions in me. At first I was irritated - oh, shush!" Fleur laughed at her lover's diplomatic attempt to describe her early attitude towards the veela girl when their ways had crossed for the first time. "Than I was grateful for the way you took care of me in my darkest hours. The news of your and Bill's divorce made my heart jump with joy, though I didn't know why. We've been living together in the same house for over a year now. Soon after I moved in I realized that I was falling in love with you. Being with you is the best thing that ever happened to me. Fleur Isabelle Delacour, will you marry me?"

Hermione's eyes welled with tears. So did Fleur's eyes. Hermione was right. Their connection was so much older than six month. There was only one answer to that question.

"Yes! A thousand times yes."

A/N: There you go. Part two of this little instalment.

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