Chapter 32

~ Honest talk and necessary change of clothes ~

"How could you let such a thing happen?!" The Weasley girl filled with the courage of the Gryffindor shouts.

However, her target is misplaced. It should be the Queen that faces the 'wrath' of a love-filled rage, but instead, it's the French lady.

Whose guilt returned immediately, with double the amount, the moment Ginny shouted at her.

Guilt which took quite a while to settle in and sixteen whole apologies to both Lunas, of which none were received as they were supposed to have been and instead were argued back by the Queen and her own insistence that it was her fault instead.

"Ginny. Don't blame Fleur" The Queen quickly steps in, literally. Fleur could barely register that it happened. The Queen was standing in front of her... Protecting her. And she can't but let the guilt she is feeling double once again.

"How can I not?! If she wasn't 'curious' about why there was no water... Which still sounds crazy, then none of this would have happened" Ginny states back with clear anger in her voice. Half of the anger is justified, she is mad at her girlfriend's predicament from an accident. But for some reason, the other half of the anger is directed at Fleur herself, for her mere existence.

"I understand your logic on this. But by going by your own logic, then doesn't that mean that the fault still lies with me? If I didn't even suggest teaching this spell with Luna being there, or at all, then none of this would have happened?"

Ginny opens her mouth but no sound comes out. She wants to argue back, but she can't. The Queen's explanation makes sense. But she still wants to do something.

However, she doesn't know what to do. So she can only glare back and forth a few times between the two girls. And when she had finally had enough, she turned back and went to sit down near Luna to be with her.

Fleur seeing that the rage of this girl has more or less dissipated sighs tiredly.

Then she feels an affectionate pat on her shoulder and when she looks in that direction, she sees kind eyes and a patient smile from the Queen.

"Zank you. For defending me"

The Queen grins "Any day, any time, everywhere. No matter if you're in the right or the wrong. I would defend you, and any other wife of mine from the world if I had to"

Fleur rolls her eyes, of course, Lun would say something like that. Blowing a simple 'thank you' to extravagant proportions. She loves repeating about her being her' 'future wife' and topics revolving around that.

"I am not your wife yet, little girl. So zere's no need to protect me now" Fleur shoots back.

"I hear what you're saying... I just don't care" The Queen pats Fleur's shoulder once more and then sits back down in her sit "Besides, how else will I woo you? A few more defending events and your heart will be mine"

Fleur chuckles at the 'flirting' done by a younger girl.

But she doesn't shoot back this time, because coming from any other child these words would be next to meaningless, just empty words... This one though can actually keep her word and most definitely go way beyond just keeping it.

"Is she really going to be okay?"

The atmosphere between the two gets broken when they hear a question thrown in their direction.

The Queen turns her head and smiles patiently, then answers "She will be okay, Ginny. Just some rest and she'll be even better than before. I mean, she succeeded in wandless magic, she'll probably only remember the good part from it all at the end of the day"

Ginny looks back at the sleeping girl and finally only nods.

After a few more moments of silence, she states "I'll be sleeping here tonight"

It was basically a command, leaving no room for interpretation.

"Uh-huh. Can't say I didn't expect it, but can't say that I did either. Go ahead, I don't mind. But"

Ginny looks back at the Queen and her eyes when she hears the word 'but' and waits for her to continue.

"Fleur is sleeping in this room as well, so I don't want none... Of whatever it is that's between you"

Ginny frowns at the news, why is the room of her girlfriend occupied by her, to begin with? What if she stops liking her and instead falls for the stupid 'Veela' and her beauty the more she hangs out with her? Ginny already has no idea why it is that Luna likes her, so she chopped it up to being a small little crush, who knows how long it will last? But if it doesn't last a long time, it'd be better if she chose somebody else, everybody else is fine, just not Fleur.

But since she has no other option, she nods again and quickly turns around to look at the sleeping Luna, ignoring the other two's existence.

The Queen, seeing the agreement, nods to herself. Then casts a Muffliato spell around her and Fleur. Both to not interfere with Ginny and her Moon, but also because she wants to ask what is this all about.

"Fleur, what happened between you two? She treats you like you were an enemy"

"I... I don't know, but a lot of ze females back 'ome took a long while to warm up to me. And when I asked zem ze same zing, zey said zey were jealous of me and my looks... So maybe it's ze same 'ere as well? Ze girls back 'ome used to say zat if not for my Veela 'eritage I would be ze ugliest woman alive and zings like that. I got used to it and didn't really do anyzing to retaliate, that is until zey started insulting my parents when zey saw zat zeir words aren't doing anyzing to me. And so, I retaliated back. Which turned out to be a good zing, since after zat some of them even became my friends. Apparently protecting my family's 'onor, had earned some of zeir respect. It's not my fault I was born to a Half-Veela and a 'uman, zus becoming a Quarter-Veela, but I love my Family. My mozer warned me from a young age zat I will 'ave problems all around me my whole life, jealousy, envy... Stares of greedy lust and many ozer zings. I don't let zem get to me anymore, it took a while but I am fine now. 'owever, no matter what I will not try to change when it comes to the topic of my family. If anybody goes after zem, I will fight back instead of taking it"

While the Queen didn't foresee so many words in return to her question, she undoubtedly welcomes it all.

"I see why those girls started respecting you. I don't think anybody could do the opposite while hearing what you just said. You'll be a good mother one day yourself"

Fleur snorts "I'll be a great one, zank you" And states pridefully.

Several hours later, at night time.

"I'm sleeping with Luna"

A voice of the Gryffindor girl argues back.

"Slow down, what are you going to do with a sleeping woman anyway? She won't be any fun. And you might be a messy sleeper and disturb her. You'll be sleeping on another bed, there are four beds exactly for us"

Ginny harrumphs at the Queen's words but finally agrees to it. They've been going back and forth for several minutes now. But no matter how much she says or tries to logic things out, the Queen always has a perfectly sounding rebuttal.

"I'm not a messy sleeper" She whispers defeated.

And goes to the bed nearest Luna, but she seems to end up on a bed near Fleur instead. She blinks in confusion, not understanding what just happened.

"My apologies, only those that the bed deems to be my ally are allowed to get near it. It's the Queen's bed, after all, maybe you're an assassin, who knows" The Queen says innocently with a shrug.

"H-How does a bed do that?"

"Magic" Comes out blankly out of the Queen's mouth.

Defeated once more, she finally sits down on the bed that was 'designated' for her. Close to the bed that Fleur is already sitting gracefully at, with her perfect-looking body and her expensive-looking nightie. Ginny finally looks away when her eyes caught Fleur's head turning.

Well, at least one thing is the same between them now, she might not be as beautiful, but she's just as rich now.

Wanting to 'show' off, Ginny pulls her newly bought, expensive, and elegant nightie out of the bag and equips it rather slowly, which gives enough time for the french woman to see it. Fleur of course sees the intention behind the young girl's actions. But with a calm smile, she compliments it and her at the same time "You look good in zat"

"Thank you" Ginny murmurs yet again defeated, that wasn't the reaction she wanted to get.

Fleur simply thinks that this girl is quite adorable at the moment. She tries to act like a rich girl... But she has no idea what she's doing and instead comes off as a child imitating their parents or something. Basically, awkward beyond belief. So why would she be taunted into getting mad as she wants? When none of what she does requires such a hasty reaction from her.

She'd chuckle at her thoughts and from how adorably naive the girl is... But she doesn't because she might receive a hateful glare again, so she simply turns around and stands up from her bed.

"W-what are you doing?" Comes out of Ginny's mouth subconsciously and only after it does, do her hands jump up to her mouth as if trying to block what's already been said.

Of course, her question is still warranted, but she didn't want to seem 'curious' in Fleur.

"A small workout before sleep, Lun is doing it too. But I do zank you for asking me instead of 'er, I am flattered"

Fleur answers steadily as she continues doing perfect push-ups.

Ginny can't help but stare at the exposed parts of the french woman's body. She can see some muscles that have started forming, her calves and legs are the fittest, there's also some sweat that's starting to appear, and... Before she could think of anything else, Weasley turns her head away so quickly it almost gives her whiplash. She's supposed to be her enemy, yet here she is admiring her enemy's perf- stupid body.

Ginny, eyes then refocus after a moment and this time she sees the Queen, who, just like Fleur said, is also doing push-ups. But quite a bit faster and seemingly easier than the french Lady.

And the young Gryffindor can see why, the Queen's body, or at least what she can see from the exposed parts, is next to perfection, it doesn't look as appetizing as Fleur's did, but that's most likely because she's older and more developed, however, Fleur's body can't compete with the Queen's on the term of the 'fitness' levels, it's as if there's no fat on that small body whatsoever.

Perfectly defined muscles all around, yet not bulging, thus instead of looking ridiculous, she looks... Great, which is not a thing Ginny thought possible when concerning muscles. She has witnessed... Don't ask her how, quite a few muscly boys around places and none of them had looked even close to 'decent' to her, yet here she is thinking that both of the women and their bodies look good with muscles. What has happened to her these days? She 'perved' on the boys just a week ago, yet after her Luna had kissed her, she can't take her eyes off of females instead and now it's as if boys don't exist in her eyes at all.

Simply said, she has gone crazy.

"Darling, you can look at me all you want. I am sure it feels as amazing for you just as it does for me" The Queen winks at Ginny as she stands up from finishing her round of push-ups. Ginny notices only one little bead of sweat roll down from the Queen's throat down... Where she shouldn't be looking anymore, thus she turns around and just gets onto the bed, pulls the blanket over her head quickly, and shouts back "I'm sleeping now!"

The Queen chuckles but says nothing. And with the excitement of the night over, she continues with the workout, there are still two things to be done before she can go to sleep. And as she starts with her lunges, Fleur has finished her push-ups. And so the two quietly do their workouts, while Ginny tries really hard to sleep and stop thinking about what she has just witnessed.

In the middle of the night, a lone figure stands up from her bed. It looks around, seeing everybody else asleep. It walks towards another bed, it doesn't take a lot of steps as its target's bed is close to its own.

The Queen, with the Nightvision charm hidden behind the FIdelus charm, looks at her Moon and her eyes travel down and then up again. She examines Luna's body for several seconds before nodding to herself. With that, the Queen turns around and starts using a lot of spells one after another.

Luna starts floating, and her bedsheets, which had a certain spot that shouldn't be there, disappear, while new ones appear in the old ones' place. Then Luna's previously wet, but already dried and old clothes and underwear disrobe by themselves, and new ones, better-looking ones robe themselves onto her body. And then her body floats down on the bed.

And just like that, the Queen's Moon that has suffered probably one of the most embarrassing and shameful experiences, had it fixed for her.

After finishing it, the Queen turns back once more and walks up closer to Luna, she pats her head and gets her mouth close to her ears.

"You're awake, aren't you?" The Queen whispers, not deterred by the silence she continues "Don't worry about what just happened, I didn't look. Sleep well, there are people" The Queen's eyes travel to the other two women sleeping "One more than the other, worried about you. I'll also wake up earlier this time, to check if everything is alright, I won't let anybody else see you like this, to save you from unnecessary embarrassment. Goodnight"

The Queen whispered all that sweetly into her Moon's ear and with one more head pat, she turned around and walked back to her bed, and swiftly fell asleep.

And just like Lun thought it'd be, from previous experience... She did have to test this spell, after all, Luna was indeed 'awake' but not able to do much of anything. Her senses are still dull, but since she wasn't using any of them at the moment, her hearing was more or less enough to hear all of what Lun had said to her.

She didn't really understand why those things were said to her, but she was thankful nonetheless. She's thankful because she doesn't need to 'suffer' through this alone like she would need to in the past. She's thankful because there are people that worry about her, besides her dad. And she's thankful because she has friends that don't mind using their time for her.

The next morning, very early. The Queen got up and looked at her Moon's bed. Seeing a similar sight as she did in the night. And just like yesterday, her back turned towards her Moon, she redid her actions. New clothes on, old clothes off, new bedsheets on, old bedsheets off. Simple as that. But this time, she also adds an illusion on top of the new clothes, to look exactly like Luna's first pair... She doesn't want any questions from Ginny, or Fleur about it at least now.

An hour or later, Ginny and Fleur are up. Ginny is getting ready for classes while completely ignoring the few grunts coming from the direction of the French Lady... It's an 'early' workout, Fleur mentioned to her when she had looked at her. She didn't ask her, why did she have to say anything? She isn't interested in her.

The Queen wasn't doing it with Fleur this time, because she was already up and ready. So if Ginny is correct in her thinking, she had already done it a long time ago.

"Can I really not stay?" Ginny asks after she finished getting ready while looking at both Lunas.

"You have classes" The Queen answers simply, not taking her eyes off of her Moon.

"You do too!" Ginny shoots back.

"Yes, but they aren't important to me. You still have things to learn, unlike me"

Ginny harrumphs at the Queen's nonchalantly spoken narcissistic words and then pouts.

"What are you going to do about Luna and yourself? The teachers won't be happy with students missing class" Ginny says.

The Queen waves her hand non-committally "I will just tell them all that I kidnapped Luna for a day or something, whatever"

Ginny's eyes widen at the Queen's 'answer'.

"Y-you w-what? That is crazy"

"Just a normal day for me, nothing crazy about it. Now just go, don't want to be late and make the teachers 'unhappy'" The Queen chuckles at the end while throwing a glance at the Gryffindor girl.

"Don't mock me!" Shouts Ginny, and she leaves right thereafter. The door closes slowly though.

The Queen rolls her eyes, she had already told that she could be as loud as she'd like to. So she shouts sometimes like she was told, yet at other times she tries to be as quiet as a mute.

"She's an adorable little zing" Fleur states between her breaths, she still gets quite tired after heavier workouts.

"Well of course she is, she's all wrapped up under my Moon's little finger after all. Just protecting her 'territory'" The Queen looks at FLeur and then adds "You know, besides the whole 'jealousy' glaring business with you"

"Indeed. But I zink she's getting better wiz my presence" Fleur muses sitting down on a chair.

"Oh, how so?"

"She 'adn't glared at me once zis morning, just plainly ignored me"

"Hmm. That is progress, I suppose" The Queen answers, then asks something "Do you think she's scared that you will take Luna from her? You know, the 'Veela' charm and all. It works for those that find you attractive, in simple laymen's terms. And since Luna likes a girl, Ginny might see you as a possible rival of sorts, thus her being aggressive towards you?"

"No zat shouldn't be true... Zough, now zat I zink about it, zat might be a possibility, she 'ad looked at me yesterday quite differently, when I was doing push-ups, from all ze ozer looks zrown at me by 'er zat night... She 'erself might be affected by me now zat Luna 'ad 'awakened' 'er 'love' for girls"

"Good observation. Perhaps that's why she ignored you this morning instead of glaring at you, she might've understood that when she looks at you, she feels more than just anger. So without looking at you, she doesn't see your charm"

"But zis affect of charm is less for females zan it is for males in my experience. I mean, you don't look at me like zat nor 'ad you once before... Is me being a Veela not do anyzing for you?" Fleur asks with some interest.

"Oh, trust me, Fleur, it does a lot. I just have a lot of self-control. Don't put me in the same compartment as Lust-filled horny teens. I am the Queen after all"

Fleur blinks a few times, she didn't expect that answer. So it seems that little Lun has been... Holding herself back?

"Zen what about Luna?" Fleur asks interested, pointing at the sleeping Ravenclaw.

"Moon? That is different. Love is a powerful thing. And her eyes are only there for Ginny... At the moment, I will get her eyes to look at me too eventually. But yeah, that's how it is. Basically, if Ginny is actually thinking that Luna might 'fall' for you and your beautiful charm, she's simply overthinking it. Luna would never. Unless you yourself try to get to fall in love with yourself... Then anything can happen"

"I see. Well, it's a good zing I am not into little girls and children, so nozing like zat will 'appen"

"Is that so? Then are you not into me?" The Queen says as she stands up and gets closer to Fleur.

Fleur looks up at the Queen... Well doesn't actually, even with her sitting, Lun's eyes are practically at the same level as hers.

"I said what I said. You need to grow up first" Lady Delacour answers back.

"Oooh, is the big Veela calling me short?" The Queen raises an eyebrow as she asks.

Fleur chuckles, no... Even knowing that she's one of the esteemed 'future' wives, she won't make a mistake and risk calling Lun short, small and anything similar

"No, I am calling you young, zat's all"

The Queen grins "Good answer, don't worry though, we have plenty of time to get to know each other. And at some point, I won't be young anymore... And some more protection events will happen. Thus you won't have any more excuses from keeping yourself from falling for me, the Queen. Nobody can resist me"

"What is it wiz you and 'defending' events?"

The Queen shrugs "They work better than you believe. The heart... While mostly true to one's beliefs... It, too, can be manipulated just like everything else. And defending somebody in a tense situation, makes the heart and the brain work in tandem as they release chemicals that make the 'defendee' like the 'defender' more than before. This process is quite fast and potent as well"

"O-ho" Fleur muses out loud "So, is ze, Queen, admitting to trying to manipulate me?"

"Yes. How do you think I even got into this school and had the chance to meet all of my future wives, to begin with?" The Queen answers honestly "Manipulation is the strongest weapon there is, right after it comes Information. And I? The Queen, am a master at both of those things. So before long, your heart with be mine, and mine will be yours in return... Well the second statement is already true but you know what I mean"

"Is ze Queen not afraid zat by letting me know zese zings, she would make me like 'er less?"

"No. Because the third strongest weapon is Honesty. And that's what I am doing here. Being honest"

Fleur smiles charmfully at the Queen.

"Ze Queen really does know what to say at all times"

"Thank you, I will take that as a compliment" The Queen smiles back.

Fleur rolls her eyes exasperated.

And then the Queen feels it. Her Moon needs help again. She knows that giving water to Luna isn't the best decision, but she'd rather do this a bunch more times than let her go without water. She just wishes she could feed her as well, but unfortunately she doesn't have a way to do that safely... Though she supposes she could be like a bird... There is that, but that would require them to basically 'kiss', which in no way would the Queen do without her future wife's avid permission. So that option is also invalid in the end.

"Fleur, can you look away from Luna for a few minutes? And don't look back"

Fleur blinks confused by the sudden change of topic and the Queen's serious tone, so she nods apprehensively. She still does that as she was asked though, and doesn't even think of looking back.

And during the next few minutes, the french Veela hears rustles of clothing and bedsheets. She even sees out of the corner of her eyes, a pair of panties, new panties, fly in the direction of the bed where Luna is sleeping. And just like that, it clicks in her mind. It seems that the Queen is dealing with the 'bathroom' problem they were speaking about before Ginny arrived yesterday.

"I am finished. You can look now, Fleur"

"Okay" Fleur answers back and looks towards the bed of the resting Ravenclaw girl. New bedsheets and also new clothes, there's a little bit of picking out at the top where the blanket doesn't reach.

"Did... You do this multiple times?" Fleur asks finally after several moments of silence.

"Yes, but I didn't look just like you haven't. I don't want to make Luna feel embarrassed... Even if such a concept seems pretty much impossible when it comes to her. But I am not taking the risk"

"What do you mean you didn't look? Zen, 'ow did you do it?"

"I took some time to look over her body, memorizing the structure of it. And when I was satisfied, I did it by memory while turned around"

"Zat's... Strange, but impressive at ze same time"

The Queen shrugs and stays silent, as she walks back to the table and sits down on a chair.

"So... You said you don't like little girls and children... Does your taste, then, lie in older women? Any gossipy stories you can tell me? Or are we not at that point yet and I should ask again in the future?" The Queen suddenly returns to their previous topic and throws a question to the Veela who was still stuck on the fact that the Queen was changing Luna's underwear.

"Ze stories itself, yes. Ask me later, I am not comfortable sharing zem yet"

"Understandable, I will do that at some point, I am quite interested in knowing this and everything else about you and the others. But I won't force anything"

"I appreciate zat. But yes, I can tell you zis at ze very least. I 'ave, indeed, only liked older girls up to zis point. Younger girls to me seem more like sisters, zat might be because I 'ave a little sister back 'ome, so I had never seen younger girls as possible romantic options"

"A valid reason. Though, there's no way I am sticking with the title 'sister' for long. But anyway, I am not interested in that at the moment. You mentioned a little sister, care to tell me about her? Or... I ask in the future as well?"

"No, zis is fine. I am quite 'appy to talk about my family, at ze very least about ze general zings and of ze important stuff"

"Well, start with the basics then. What's her name?"

Fleur raises her eyebrow "I zought information is ze second best weapon and yet you don't know even zat? Don't you know everyzing when it comes to ze others?"

"That is indeed the case... But you were more of a... Improvised choice. A few hours before the time of my speech, I didn't know about Beauxbatons and Drumstrang arriving at Hogwarts or even about the Triwizard Tournament happening. Basically, I only got the very 'basic' details about you and your fellow Beauxbatons students. Names, last names, your equivalent of a Hogwarts house, class grades, and things like that"

"And you chose me because? I wondered zat zis the whole time"

"Veela"

"Oh..." Fleur lets out at the Queen's answer.

"Don't be down because of that answer. In Hogwarts, I chose similarly. Every choice of mine is pretty 'normal', but all of them have that 'one' thing that sets them apart. And the fact that you're part Veela is what set you apart from the others. Besides, it doesn't matter how one meets another, or what reason one has to talk to the other. All that matters is the end, that they stand together rather than alone. I mean, if I didn't choose you because of your being Veela, or if I didn't choose somebody else because of another reason... Then we wouldn't be talking and having a good time now, right?"

Fleur thinks for a bit, then nods "I 'aven't zought about it in zat way, zat indeed seems true" But her answer still answers disingenuous

"Let's say this as an example. If somebody made a 'bet' with one of the girls to try and tell you that she's in love with you when she truly isn't, yet she does it anyway and then you answer positively because you think she's cute or whatever and you don't know the real reason behind her 'confession' thus locking her into a position that nobody should envy. Now, she either tells the truth that this was only a bet and all ends there, with some bad blood between you two. Or... She sticks to it as a lie because she feels guilty, yet over time both of you fall for each other truly. But then the truth comes out not out of her lips but the friends that made her do the 'bet'. Do you think you should be angry and shout, scream and argue, and even think of breaking up with the girl that 'lied'? Because of the circumstances of your meeting? Forsaking all of the memories you two have made before the truth came out?"

Fleur thinks for quite a while about what her reaction would be to such a situation, but before she could think up an answer, the Queen says hers.

"No. If you'd do such a thing, you'd be doing the biggest mistake of your life. It would be a stupid decision to do such a thing. And the reason is simple. If there was no 'bet', there would've never been love that blossomed between the two of you, to begin with. Basically, what I am saying is this. Just because it happened for a reason you might not feel strongly positive about, it doesn't matter that what happens after it should be looked upon poorly when you know the truth. Thus my picking you over the others because you're a Veela isn't a bad thing even though it may seem like it is. Because that's just the reason why we are here now and in the future might become even more"

"I see"

"Have my words made any impact on you? Do you feel better?"

"I do, actually. When you mentioned zat you chose me because I am part-Veela, it hurt. Because my mind went immediately to all ze ozers zat 'chase' me because of ze charm... But with your explanation, I am seeing it all in a different light. And it's not like you did it while being unrespectful, for ze most part, you didn't try to jump me or leer at me ze whole time like ze others. Ze only bad part of your 'choosing' of me is ze fact zat you told ze entire student body of 'ogwarts of my Veela 'eritage and me liking girls... Well deducing zat, but still. You know, back at ze initial ceremony"

The Queen chuckles and then apologies "Sorry for that, I had to make an impact. First impressions and all that. It worked though, did it not?"

"Did it? I don't know" Fleur says back mysteriously, not giving anything away.

"Fine, keep your secrets... On this, at least. We seem to have jumped over a hundred topics in one swoop. I haven't heard your sister's name yet" The Queen states with a smile.

"Gabrielle. Gabrriele Delacour is 'er name"

With that, the two ladies go into a lengthy conversation about Fleur's sister, eventually getting to speak about Fleur's parents a little bit as well.

And they talked without stopping until there was another knock and a "It's me" came from Ginny.

~ End of Chapter 32 ~