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Harry Potter and the Second Chance - Interlude 6 - A New Relationship
🕑 Added 2025-03-17 20:00:03 +0000 UTCStory Note 1 – I know there is likely going to be a lot of feedback on this chapter and I certainly welcome the feedback as I view it as a chance to grow but I do hope everyone reads all the story notes before commenting as hopefully some questions or comments or concerns are addressed as well. Hope you all enjoy the chapter!
Hermione sat alone in the dimly lit room, her hands clasped together in her lap, her brown eyes fixed on the far wall. The room was one of the first she'd discovered at Hogwarts back in her first year, before she'd made friends, before Harry and Ron had become part of her world. Back then, it had been her sanctuary—a quiet place to think, to escape, to be alone when she felt like she was alone.
IT had been a couple of years but now, she found herself returning to it, though the reason felt different.
Her mind was a whirlwind, thoughts twisting and overlapping. The more she tried to sort through them, the more tangled they became. She didn’t even registered the faint creak of the door opening behind her. She was so lost in thought that she didn’t hear the soft footsteps approaching.
"Bonjour, Hermione."
Hermione jumped, whipping around in her seat. Her heart pounded as she found herself face to face with Fleur Delacour, who was standing far too close.
"Fleur!" she gasped, pressing a hand to her chest. "You scared me!"
Fleur smiled, tilting her head slightly, the candlelight casting a soft glow on her delicate features. "I did not mean to. I 'ave been looking for you."
Hermione furrowed her brows. "Looking for me?"
Fleur gave a small nod. "Oui. But you 'ave been ... how do you say ... difficult to find." She crossed her arms, her sharp blue eyes scanning Hermione’s face. "At first, I thought perhaps you were simply busy, but it seems no one has been able to find you once classes had finished. And then I remembered this room." Her voice softened. "You told me about it once. How it had become your sanctuary in your first year."
Hermione glanced away, guilt creeping into her expression. She hadn't realized Fleur had remembered that.
Fleur caught the flicker of guilt instantly and raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow. "Ah," she said slowly. "So ... you 'ave been hiding. And it is me you are avoiding?"
Hermione tensed. "I—no, I mean—" She exhaled and rubbed her temples. "Alright, maybe I have been."
Fleur let out a quiet sigh before gracefully sitting down across from her. "I thought so," she said. "Which means we need to talk, non?"
Hermione hesitated, her mind racing. She didn’t know if she was ready for this conversation.
Fleur studied her carefully, then said, "Tell me, 'Ermione, why 'ave you been avoiding me?"
Hermione sighed. "I haven’t been doing it on purpose, not really. I just ... I needed space to think."
"About what?" Fleur asked, tilting her head.
Hermione hesitated again. She couldn't quite put her feelings into words. But when Harry had mentioned that he was happy that Fleur had been there to save him it had hurt her more than she understood. It had made Hermione feel things that she didn’t want to examine too closely.
Finally, she let out a deep breathe settled on, "About a lot of things."
Fleur pursed her lips before shaking her head. "That is an incredibly vague answer."
Hermione exhaled sharply and leaned back in her chair, staring up at the ceiling. "It's complicated, Fleur. I don’t know how to explain it." She looked at the far wall before she shook her head. "Harry told me all about it."
Fleur’s eyebrows shot up even higher. "Harry?"
Hermione nodded, her gaze drifting down to her hands.
Fleur studied her for a moment, then leaned forward. "I’m confused, Hermione, what did 'e tell you?"
Hermione let out a breath, trying to keep her voice steady. "I know you helped him with the Horcrux. I know you were there when he needed you. And I know how much he appreciated that." She clenched her hands together. "Even though I trust him that you weren’t supposed to be there, at least you were able to be there for him." Her voice wavered slightly as she added, "What kind of girlfriend does that make me if I'm not there when Harry needs me?"
Fleur frowned, shaking her head. "Non, 'Ermione. That is not fair to yourself."
Hermione bit her lip but didn't say anything.
Fleur continued, her voice firm but gentle. "It was only luck that I was there. And I am certain that if 'Arry had known he would be in trouble, he would 'ave wanted you by 'is side. If half of the stories you have told me so far are true you have stood by his side during worse." She sighed and gave Hermione a pointed look. "You are more skilled with magic than most of the students in my year, and more mature than a significant amount as well. I 'ave no doubt 'Arry knows that."
Hermione hesitated, but Fleur wasn’t finished.
"And you 'ave history with him," Fleur added softly. "Years of friendship, of trust. Do you really think that 'Arry would not have wanted you by his side?"
Hermione inhaled sharply.
Of course, she knew Harry trusted her. But Fleur’s words were cutting through the fog of self-doubt that had been clouding her mind.
She nodded slowly, looking slightly cheered up. "... Yeah. You're right."
Fleur smirked, tossing her silvery hair over her shoulder. "Bien sûr I am right."
Hermione rolled her eyes but couldn’t fight back the small smile tugging at her lips. "You're insufferable, you know that?"
Fleur grinned. "I 'ave been told this before."
Hermione let out a small laugh, some of the weight in her chest easing just a bit.
Fleur took a deep breath, clearly thinking carefully about how to proceed. "I’m glad you are feeling better, but that is not what I wanted to talk about, though."
Hermione blinked in confusion, her mind still lingering on the conversation they'd just had. "What do you mean?"
Fleur's eyes softened, a flicker of something that resembled vulnerability passing through them. "What I wanted to talk about," she said slowly, "is something that I’d been thinking about for a while now." She took a small pause, her gaze unwavering. "But after what happened in that horrible shack ... I am certain."
Hermione furrowed her brow, trying to keep up. "What?"
Fleur hesitated but then took a step closer, her voice quiet but certain. "I really like Harry."
For half a second, Hermione stared at her in confusion, not fully understanding. Her mind tried to process the words. It was only after a brief moment that realization washed over her, and her breath hitched. Her eyes widened as understanding settled like a heavy weight on her chest.
The initial shock quickly shifted into something deeper—something that felt all too familiar. The feeling of being caught off guard, the sting of betrayal.
Hermione took an involuntary step back. "No ... no, this can’t be happening," she muttered to herself, shaking her head.
Fleur's gaze softened, but Hermione was already retreating inwardly. She pressed a hand to her forehead, trying to process what was happening. "You ... you like Harry?" she repeated, her voice a little unsteady. "I—"
Fleur nodded and opened her mouth to say something, but Hermione wasn’t listening anymore. She felt something cold and sharp grip her chest. Her thoughts rushed through her, the pieces falling into place.
It hit her like a wave—had Fleur been using her? Had she been ... using her to get closer to Harry? All the time spent together, the shared moments, the time Fleur had shown an interest in her feelings ... Was this all just a way to get closer to him?
"You—" Hermione started, her voice trembling, "You used me ... to learn more about Harry, didn’t you?" The words tumbled out before she could stop them, and the pain they carried was evident in her tone.
Fleur’s expression faltered for the briefest of moments, and then she shook her head, her steps measured as she moved closer. "Non, Hermione," she said, her voice calm but insistent. "That is not it at all."
Before Hermione could step away again, Fleur reached out, taking both of Hermione’s hands in her own. Hermione froze. Her gaze flickered down to their entwined hands before looking back up to Fleur, her surprise evident. How had Fleur managed to close the distance between them so quickly?
Fleur, still holding Hermione’s hands gently, let out a slow breath. "Despite realizing only recently that my feelings for 'Arry are more than just admiration, I have known for a long time now ..." She paused, her voice barely above a whisper. "I 'ave feelings for you, Hermione."
For a moment, all the noise in Hermione’s mind quieted. The words hung in the air, impossibly soft, and Hermione felt her pulse quicken. She stared at Fleur, trying to reconcile what was happening. "You—" she started again, but this time, no words came.
Fleur's gaze softened, and then, without warning, she leaned in.
Hermione’s breath caught in her throat as Fleur closed the distance. She didn’t know how to react at first. Her body went stiff, unsure, the reality of the situation overwhelming her. But as Fleur’s lips met hers—gentle, soft, and undeniably real—something inside Hermione shifted.
It was as if time slowed down, and in that instant, all of Hermione’s doubts and worries seemed to evaporate. Her mind went quiet, and she allowed herself to just ... feel. To emjoy the moment without thinking, without questioning.
Fleur’s kiss deepened slightly, and Hermione felt herself relax into it, the initial tension in her shoulders fading away as she grew more accustomed to the feeling. It was nothing like she had expected. It was ... better. Much more than she ever could have anticipated.
Her pulse raced as she lost track of time, the world outside the room fading to nothing. It was soft and careful, but it was also full of an unspoken intensity that surprised Hermione.
Slowly, she began to respond, her hands moving from where they had been locked with Fleur’s, now gently resting on Fleur’s shoulders as she leaned in, her body naturally shifting closer. Her lips softened against Fleur’s and she found herself not wanting the kiss to end, not knowing what was coming next.
Fleur seemed to sense the shift in her, and she responded with equal gentleness, her hands moving to rest on Hermione’s waist. Their bodies were close now, their hearts beating in sync with each other as the kiss continued.
Hermione’s mind was hazy, but the feeling of Fleur’s lips on hers was undeniable. She wasn’t thinking about anything, she was just here, in this moment, with Fleur, and it felt ... right.
When they finally pulled apart, both of them breathing heavily, Hermione couldn’t quite bring herself to look away from Fleur’s gaze. She was processing everything, her mind swirling with questions and emotions she wasn’t quite sure how to manage.
Fleur, however, was smiling softly, her fingers still resting gently on Hermione’s waist. "That ..." she said, her voice hushed, "was more wonderful than I expected."
Hermione blinked a few times, her heart still racing. She felt her cheeks heat up, a flush creeping over her skin. She wasn’t sure how to respond. She didn’t know what any of this meant, but she didn’t want to pull away either.
"I ... I don’t know what this means," Hermione admitted quietly, her voice still shaky from the kiss. "I wasn’t expecting this ... with you."
Fleur’s smile remained, though her eyes showed a hint of something deeper, something tender. "That is alright," she said gently. "If nothing comes out of it that is your choice but I just wanted you to know ... how I feel."
Hermione nodded slowly, trying to absorb the weight of Fleur’s words. She wasn’t sure what would happen next—whether this would change everything or even what it meant. But for now, she wasn’t afraid. She felt ... oddly peaceful.
"Okay," Hermione whispered, a small smile tugging at her lips despite the confusion in her heart.
Fleur’s fingers gently brushed Hermione’s cheek, a soft and affectionate gesture that made Hermione’s heart flutter. "There is no need to rush, Hermione," Fleur said softly. "We will figure it out together."
Hermione nodded again, still lost in the afterglow of the kiss. She didn’t know where this would lead, but for the first time in what felt like a long time, she wasn’t worried about the future. She was just ... present.
Kind Regards,
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Story Note 2 – First of all, and perhaps easiest to deal with is the length of the chapter, I hope that everyone is ok with the chapter length. When writing the chapter I had written this several different ways trying to make it longer (adding to this interaction and adding another scene that was happening elsewhere). But in the end, I chose to only focus on this moment as when I tried to expand the chapter it just took away from the story and the moment being shared and I really didn’t want that.
Story Note 3 – Second of all, I had said right off the start that this would be a Harry/Hermione/Fleur story and as such I really hope that this chapter did not come as a surprise to anyone because I had tried to lay that out right from the start (especially as I have been laying the seeds all throughout). However, beyond this I tried to write all three individuals more as equal members of the relationship rather than just this being Harry with two girls, which is something that has certainly been done before. I had tried to write something new and as such Fleur and Hermione will certainly have their own relationship which will start to influence the events of the story and their own relationships with Harry.
Thanks to those of you out to those of you who enjoy my stories, I promise to keep updating the stories as long as you enjoy them, and a special thanks to those of you who have taken the time to leave feedback or reach out to me directly.
Disclaimer – It has come to my attention recently that I unfortunately do not own Harry Potter. Who knew.
