Just another little something from me. Hope you enjoy!!


Lift Me Up

After a hard day of working on nothing but paperwork at her office in the Magical Law Enforcement section of the Ministry, Hermione looked forward to a nice evening of unwinding and relaxing. She decided to do so by first visiting her local Muggle library, and then it was off to her house to read her books by the crackling fireplace.

The library was a majestic building that rose three stories in the air. It was constructed in the early nineteen hundreds, but was still as sturdy as it had been when it was first built. After Hermione walked through the double doors she stopped and inhaled deeply, basking in the smell of old books. She opted to search through the old-fashioned card catalog instead of the electronic one. Hermione made her decision, walked over to the lift, and pressed the up button. She usually did not ride the Muggle contraption, admittedly being rather scared of tight spaces, but she wanted to get home before it got too dark.

"Please, 'old ze door!" a voice called out. Hermione reacted immediately by whipping her arm out to stop the lift doors.

"Zank you." the woman panted as she stepped into the lift, and straightened her clothes.

Hermione stared at the woman before a light clicked on in her head. "Fleur? Fleur Delacour?" she asked.

Fleur, as it was indeed Fleur, gave Hermione a strange look. "Do I know you?"

"No. Well, yes. Maybe."

Fleur looked even more confused. "Well? Do I?" she asked, rather rudely.

Hermione blushed and became rather flustered. "Well, you see, I know you. But you probably don't remember me."

"I am sorry, I do not. Now could you please press ze button for floor two?"

"Oh, right sorry. My floor too." Hermione mumbled as she jammed her finger against the round button labeled "2".

"So, 'ow do you know me, er,what is your name again?" Fleur asked.

"My name is-" Hermione started to answer, but she lurched forward as the elevator came to a sudden, halting stop. Hermione picked herself up and shrank into the corner. She slid down to the floor and started shaking. "O-o-oh my God. We're stuck. We're stuck and we're in a lift and it's small in here."

Fleur stood up and once again smoothed out her skirt. "It's alright, don't worry. I'm sure ze Muggles will 'ave it fixed soon."

"N-no, you don't understand. I don't like tight spaces." Hermione said shakily.

Fleur knelt down next to Hermione and put her hand on the other witch's shoulder. "It will be alright. Don't worry."

"Y-yeah. I suppose it will be alright." Hermione took a deep breath and smiled at Fleur. "You never got my name, did you?"

"No, I did not." Fleur set her purse down and sat next to Hermione.

"It's Hermione. Hermione Granger."

Fleur stared off to the side as long-ago memories came flooding back. "Ze Triwizard Tournament at 'ogwarts. You are 'arry Potter's friend, are you not?"

Hermione smiled. "Yes, and I'm also friends with the Weasleys."

Fleur's eyes narrowed. "Ah, yes. Ze Weasleys."

Hermione's hand flew to her mouth. "I'm so sorry, Fleur. I forgot about your broken engagement with Bill."

"It is alright, do not fret over it." Truth be told, Fleur wasn't that upset by Hermione's comment. Fleur had since moved on from Bill, and she now secretly thought of the whole incident as a blessing in disguise.

"So," Hermione said, sliding closer to Fleur. "if you don't mind me asking, what happened with you and Bill?"

Fleur sighed. "If you must know, he was, ah, playing around. With other women."

Hermione gasped and stared at Fleur. "No! Bill? Really?"

"Oui, really. I caught him in bed with another woman. An old friend of mine from school zat was visiting."

"No! A friend of yours? I hope you're not friends with her anymore."

Fleur smiled and chuckled. "Of course I am not friends with zat..." Fleur sighed and took a deep breath, "girl."

"So have you started seeing other people? Or is the break up with Bill still too fresh?" Hermione asked, well aware that she was invading the other witch's life, a life that she knew nothing about.

"Well, 'onestly? I 'aven't been seeing other people, but ze break up with Bill...I zink in ze end it all turned out for ze best. I am better off without 'im."

"Definitely." Hermione, who loved the Weasleys to no end, was rather upset at the news of Bill cheating on this beautiful witch.

Fleur clapped her hands. "So. Hermione. We are obviously stuck 'ere for a while, why don't we try to get to know each other a little better?"

"Alright. What do you want to know?" Hermione asked, becoming rather timid. She didn't know if she wanted to reveal personal details of her life to someone who was basically a stranger to her.

"Well, last I remember, when I was still with Bill, you and 'is younger brother...what was his name again?"

"Ron." Hermione groaned inwardly, she didn't like discussing Ron.

"Oui, Ronald. Last I remember, 'e was courting you. Are you still with him?"

This time Hermione voiced her groan. "God, no. We went on one date, he was a total prat, though we're still friends, but anyway...the date was a disaster and we both agreed to be just friends."

Fleur laughed. "'e was zat bad?"

"Ugh. Yes, he was that bad. He couldn't even keep a simple conversation going, he just keep mumbling stupid things. Then he slopped food all over himself. And then, god, when he went to kiss me, he had garlic breath and he was a very sloppy kisser."

Fleur couldn't stop herself from giggling. "I guess we both have poor taste in men, 'ermione. And it seems we 'ave 'ad a fatal attraction to ze Weasleys."

Hermione chuckled a little bit. "I guess so." Hermione bit her lip as she thought of a personal question to ask Fleur. "So, Fleur, what's it like being part veela?"

Fleur was quiet for a moment. "Well...it is...I cannot..." Fleur sighed and slumped against the side of lift. "It is rather 'orrible at times. Most of ze time I cannot tell if it is my personality zat people are interested in, or if it is ze veela charm. It is very hard cross to bear, 'ermione."

Hermione nodded, sorry that she had brought up such a touchy subject. "Alright. Ask me a personal question."

"Alright." Fleur thought to herself for a few seconds. "What...is it like...being muggle-born? I come from an intensely pure-blood family."

"Well, it doesn't exactly have its perks." Hermione said after a moment. "In fact, when I was in my second year at Hogwarts, a foul little boy named Draco Malfoy called me a 'mud-blood' in front of a huge crowd of people."

Fleur gasped. "'e did not!"

Hermione nodded. "He did. I didn't even know what it meant then, but I could tell it was something very despicable and hurtful." she looked off to the side. "I know there are some people in the Ministry that think I shouldn't be the head of my department because I'm muggle-born. Some of them are even in my own department."

"Don't trouble yourself over what other people zink, 'ermione. Zey do not matter in ze least." Fleur said, attempting to assure her lift-mate. She clapped her hands together. "'ow about we go on ze lighter side of ze spectrum? We need to be asking cheerier questions. You go first."

"Er..." Hermione had never been good at these kinds of games. "Uh..alright. How um...how far have you gone?"

Fleur looked perplexed. "What do you mean? 'ow far 'ave I traveled? Is zat what you mean?"

Hermione blushed. "Er, no. How far have you gone..." Hermione shifted her eyes and whispered, "sex-wise?"

"Ah." Fleur straightened up. "All ze way."

If it was possible, Hermione blushed an even darker shade of crimson. Her voice went unnaturally high. "Oh, uh, that's er...nice. Your turn."

Fleur grinned suddenly. "Ah, my dear 'ermione. You 'ave not gone all ze way, 'ave you?"

Hermione sighed and her shoulders sagged. "I suppose that you think it's pathetic, don't you? Poor little muggle-born can't get anything because no one finds her attractive enough."

Fleur looked at Hermione in disbelief. "Not attractive enough? 'ermione, you are one of ze most attractive people I 'ave ever 'ad ze pleasure of meeting."

Hermione bit her lip, slightly embarrassed. "Thanks."

"And," Fleur said, "it's nothing to be ashamed of if you 'ave not 'ad sex yet. It is perfectly alright to wait for ze right person. Trust me, it will be much more special zat way."

"You didn't wait, did you?"

Fleur looked suddenly sad. "Unfortunately, no I did not. I wasted my virginity on some idiot who I thought 'ad real feelings for me. It was ze veela charm zat got 'im. Zat was ze only reason 'e was interested in me."

"I'm sorry." Hermione murmured.

"It is all in ze past. Let us not dwell on it." Fleur said, smiling despite the sensitive nature their conversation had taken a turn towards. "Now I believe it is my turn to ask you a question."

Hermione prepared for the worst.

Fleur took a moment to think over her question, trying to time it just right. "'ave you ever been with a girl?" she asked, not skipping a beat.

Hermione's eyes widened. "Uh, er, no. No I have not." she sputtered.

"Really 'ermione? You 'ad struck me as rather open-minded." Fleur said as she started to love every minute of their trapped-lift time.

"Well, uh..." Hermione mumbled. "I am open-minded. I've just...I've never been with a girl. Never even kissed one. Have you ever been with a girl?"

This time Fleur blushed. "Once. I didn't go all ze way with her. Though I would've liked to. I zink..." Fleur's blush deepened. "I zink zat I was in love with her."

Hermione was quiet for a moment. "Was that the first time you ever thought that?"

Fleur averted her eyes. "Oui, I believe so. When I kissed 'er, it was like nothing else mattered."

"What happened?"

"'er parents found out and banned us from seeing each other. It was rather 'ard, as she was in my year at Beauxbatons, and in many of my classes." Fleur sighed as she remembered the painful memories.

Hermione was at a loss for words. She turned to face Fleur, grabbed her chin, and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

Fleur was surprised, yet pleased. She kicked her brain into gear, and was just about to kiss Hermione back when the other witch pulled back, a look of horror on her face.

"Oh...oh my god. I'm so sorry." Hermione whirled herself to face the other side of the lift, embarrassed beyond all reason.

Fleur was so surprised that she did not speak for almost a full minute. She placed a hand on Hermione's shoulder. "'ermione?" she asked quietly.

A sob escaped Hermione. "I'm so stupid. Why do I always do stupid stuff like this? I'm so sorry, I don't know what came over me. Just ignore me for the rest of the time that we're trapped in here. Please."

Fleur, who was very pleased by Hermione's show of affection, squeezed the other girl's shoulder. "Turn around, 'ermione."

Hermione turned around, reluctantly. "Yeah?" she mumbled.

Fleur leaned in slowly and captured Hermione's lips. She brought her hands up and ran her hands through Hermione's bushy hair. Hermione moaned into the kiss and Fleur gently slid her tongue into Hermione's mouth. Their tongues caressed each other and, several moments later, they broke the kiss and stared into each other's eyes.

"That was..." Hermione started.

"Oui?" Fleur said, immensely pleased with the turn of events.

"Amazing." Hermione finished.

Fleur placed her hand on Hermione's thigh and slowly trailed her fingers upward. "I can zink of a few other things zat would be quite amazing as well."

Hermione's breath caught in her throat. Her eyelids fluttered closed as Fleur's hand climbed higher. Suddenly, the lift jolted to life and started upward, causing the two witches to fall into each other. "Goddammit." Hermione muttered.

"Yes, it would seem zat ze Muggles have ze worst timing." Fleur chuckled. She picked herself up and offered Hermione her hand.

The lift announced their arrival to the second floor with a ding. The doors opened and both girls stood still, unsure of what to do.

"Er..." Hermione said.

"Well, would you like to go out on a date with me?" Fleur asked quickly, surprised at how shy she herself was feeling.

Hermione's face broke out into a huge grin. "Yeah, I would. How about tomorrow night?"

"It is a date." Fleur smiled.

The two grinned at each other and went their separate ways, until the next night when they would be together again.

Well, how was that? Let me know.