Author's Notes: I know I've been gone a long time from the HP femslash famdom, but I hope you guys are still interested in reading my work. I've been working on a Twilight femslash fic with Alice and Bella for the past few months and had left my Fleurmoine work on the back burner. There are two fics I'm working on, but this is the longest so far so I decided to start posting it first. It is not finished and I haven't worked on it in a while. I won't make promises to update weekly, or to have this finished soon, but I hope you'll stick with me on it.

Many thanks to the readers that have contacted me for their encouraging words and for asking me not to forget this lovely couple. As much as I love Bella and Alice from Twilight and Spencer and Ashley from South of Nowhere, Fleur and Hermione are my first love when it comes to femslash. Maybe once I start posting and you guys tell me what you think, I will find my muse again and get this fic finished!

Without further ado, here's my latest attempt at writing! Hope you enjoy it and if you do, be kind and let me know!

ONE STEP AT A TIME

CHAPTER ONE: THE FAVOR

"A Ms. Fleur Delacour is here to see you, Dr. Granger," her secretary informed her. "I tried to explain that you don't see new patients without an appointment, but she said you're personal friends. She promised it will only take a few minutes."

"It's alright, Anna, don't worry. Give me ten minutes and then send Ms. Delacour in."

"Thank you."

Anna left. Hermione closed the file she had been reading and frowned. How had Fleur found her office? she wondered wildly, and why was she using her maiden name?

Hermione had a private practice in the Muggle world and not many knew about it. As far as most of the wizarding world knew, she was a part-time healer at the children's ward in St. Mungo's. Only a handful knew that she had used a time-turner for the second time in her life to go to a Muggle university and train as a healer at the same time.

Wanting to use her knowledge of potions and magic, her Muggle practice wasn't traditional. She didn't use magic on any of her patients, but some still saw her methods as peculiar. Others, however, loved and appreciated her technique. Word of mouth had been her only type of advertising and now she was a very busy doctor. Since she was single, she dedicated three days to each place and took a day off to spend it with her parents or close friends. She was also living in London and leading a mostly Muggle life.

Only Harry, Luna, Ron and Ginny knew the location of her office. If one of them had seen a need to give the blonde Veela the address, something was definitely wrong.

Her musings were interrupted by a delicate knock on the door. Hermione looked towards it and called for Fleur to come in. The minute she did, Hermione sucked in her breath. The last time she had seen Fleur, which had been many months ago, she had seemed happy and full of life. The woman that stood in front of her now seemed more like a shadow of her former self. She covered her shock quickly and got up to greet her. They kissed on each cheek and Hermione motioned for Fleur to sit down. Instead of going back to her chair, she sat facing Fleur.

"Bonjour, mon amie."

"Bonjour, Fleur. Comment vas-tu?"

"Très bien, merci. Et toi?"

"Très bien."

"Your French 'as certainly gotten much better."

"Thanks so much for saying that. I've been practicing a lot with my parents since I'm planning to go to Paris for two weeks."

"Ah, Paris. I miss that wonderful city."

"It's a beautiful place and I never get tired of going."

"I 'ope you enjoy it."

"I know I will." Hermione looked at her friend and smiled. "Not to be rude, but this is certainly a surprise."

"I know, and I'm sorry to just show up like this. I know you must be busy."

"It's no problem."

"Thank you, ma belle. You 'ave very loyal friends, so don't be mad at 'Arry or Luna. I begged them to tell me where your office was for over a week and they finally relented. No one else knows I'm 'ere so your secret is safe."

Hermione blushed prettily. "It's not really a secret, but I know everyone expected me to remain in the wizarding world and work at the ministry. Or at least be a full time healer at St. Mungo's. Believe it or not, this suits me better."

"Because no one knows about your past and you can just be you?"

"Something like that. I'm not one that enjoys the celebrity status I was given. I hated the spotlight."

"'Arry does, too and that is why 'e's moved out to the country. Luna loves it out there as well."

"Ginny and Ron took to the limelight quite well and seem to enjoy it."

"Ron always wanted to be noticed and now 'e is."

"Good for him, I guess."

"You don't sound too impressed."

Hermione chuckled. "To each his own."

"Can I be honest with you?" At Hermione's nod, the blonde continued. "I think the only reason 'e is so sought after is the fact that they no longer 'ave access to you or 'Arry, so they go to the one left. Ron was always the sidekick to me."

Hermione's eyes widened. "You really think so?"

"I know so. You were the 'eart and brains of that operation. 'Arry was the brave 'ero that made it to the end thanks to your combined effort. What did Ron do that was so important? From what I've 'eard, 'e left whenever it got to be too much to 'andle. I'm sure 'e made a contribution 'ere and there, but never as much as you or 'Arry."

"Hmm, I never thought about it that way and I don't think Harry did, either."

"You're both too 'umble to do so. I can say it because I'm not a big fan of the Weasley's right now."

"Are we finally getting to the reason of your visit?"

"Oui."

"Can I say something? And please don't take it the wrong way, Fleur, but you don't look well."

The blonde's eyes immediately filled with tears and Hermione grabbed one of her hands and squeezed softly.

"The past couple of months 'ave been difficult."

"Want to talk about it over a cup of tea at my place?"

"I don't want to bother you anymore than I already 'ave."

"It's no bother. I'm done with my patients for the day and was just going over notes. I can leave."

"Are you sure it's not a problem?"

"I'm positive. Let me grab my things and we'll get out of here. Besides, you've never seen my flat."

"Bon."

Hermione quickly put her things away and went outside to tell Anna she was leaving for the day. Since it was still an hour before their usual closing time, she told Anna to also lock up and take the rest of the afternoon off. She called Fleur and they left the office.

"Do you Apparate to your place?"

Hermione smiled. "No."

"Is it close by?"

"Not too bad. But don't worry, we're not walking." Hermione pointed to a silver Mercedes Benz Roadster that was parked outside. "That is my one guilty pleasure."

"I can see 'ow it would be better than chocolat! It's beautiful, but so little."

"It's a sports car, so it only has two seats."

"I bet you look sexy driving it," Fleur said as she walked closer to the car to get a better look.

Hermione stopped walking and stared after her, wide eyed and blushing. Noticing Fleur had reached the car and had turned around to watch her expectantly, Hermione moved. She pressed a button on the remote control key and unlocked it. Fleur wasted no time opening the door and sliding in. She was looking at everything, running her hand over the wood grain on the dash, the soft black leather and the controls on the radio.

"I take it you like my car," Hermione joked as they fastened their seatbelts.

"I love it! Let's go, 'Ermione. I want to see 'ow it drives," Fleur urged. Hermione chuckled at her eagerness and started the engine. Fleur sighed. "It purrs."

Her comment made Hermione laugh out loud and she peeled out of the parking lot after checking to see that no one was coming. It was very unlike her to show off, but Fleur seemed to like it and she was pleased with the reaction. Fleur encouraged her further and Hermione decided to take the long way home so Fleur would enjoy the ride as much as she could.

This was the Fleur she knew, full of life and always smiling. She knew once they got to her flat things would probably get serious again, but for now, it pleased her to make Fleur happy. Only Harry and Luna knew that she had a soft spot for the blonde beauty.

0-0

When they arrived at Hermione's building, Fleur looked up. "This is in a very nice part of town, 'Ermione, and it's one of the newer buildings. You must be doing better than everyone thinks."

"I can't complain. I have two jobs, I have marketed a fair share of potions, and I write articles for Luna's magazine. I've learned to live well."

"Doesn't it get lonely?" Fleur asked as they rode the elevator to one of the top floors.

"Sometimes," admitted the brunette.

"Don't you want to share it with someone special?"

Hermione had a faraway look in her eyes. "The one I would want to share it with is not obtainable to me."

"Why is that?"

Hazel eyes connected with cerulean ones and held their gaze for a few seconds. "He's already taken."

"Is it 'Arry?" Fleur gasped.

Hermione chuckled. "No! Harry is the bother I never had. And, no, it's not Ron," she finished making a disgusted face that made Fleur chuckle as well.

"I take it this topic is not up for discussion." It wasn't a question.

"I'm sorry, Fleur, but I don't talk about it with anyone, not even Harry and Luna."

"It's okay. I'm 'ere to listen if you ever need me," Fleur said as she squeezed Hermione's shoulder.

"Thanks, Fleur."

Hermione unlocked her door and motioned for Fleur to go in before her. Once inside, she locked the door again and watched as Fleur took in every detail of her flat. Only her parents, Harry and Luna had ever seen it.

"Is it okay if I look around?"

"Look all you want."

Fleur nodded and started exploring.

0-0

The flat was done in elegant shades of cream, burgundy and gold. Deep blue and dark green accents were thrown around to add color. Beautiful paintings covered several walls and she recognized some of the artists as being from Italy and France. Hermione certainly had good taste and the money to afford those little luxuries. The large leather sofa was anchored by two chairs and faced a beautifully done fireplace. Pictures of her parents and some friends sat on the mantel.

Fleur walked over to the pictures and ran her finger over some of the frames, a sad and faraway look in her eyes. What did surprise her was to see a picture of the two of them together taken at one of the Weasleys reunions. She was touched that Hermione thought highly enough of her to have it there. Tears welled up in her eyes when picture Hermione waved at her, but she blinked them away.

The dining room next to it was semi-formal and done beautifully as well. A forged bronze chandelier hung over the oak table and a base of burgundy calla lilies stood in the center of it. A wine cabinet took one wall and Fleur spent sometime there checking her collection, one that was substantial and had wines from all over the world. Fleur nodded in approval.

Next she went into the kitchen. It was an elegant merger of traditional and contemporary styles. The appliances were all in stainless steel and the counters were all done in Corian. While everything was clean and organized, something told Fleur her friend liked to spend time in there. There was a Kitchen Aid mixer in one corner and an espresso machine on another. Several cookbooks were stacked neatly on an open shelf in the oak cabinets.

Fleur kept walking around, looking at everything and learning more about the brunette. To say that she was surprised didn't even begin to cover it. It seemed she had only known Hermione on the surface and it saddened her to come to that realization.

"Why are you frowning, Fleur?"

Fleur tilted her head and looked at her. "I thought I knew you, but it seems I was wrong."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because we 'ave more in common than I ever realized and we could 'ave been closer friends all this time. I guess we never gave each other a chance."

Hermione nodded, accepting that as the honest truth. "It's never too late to start, is it?"

Fleur smiled. "You're right."

"Want to see the rest? I can order some take-out for us while you do."

"Even your bedroom?" Fleur joked.

"I've nothing to hide," Hermione smirked back.

"Hmm, we'll see about that," Fleur said as she walked out of the kitchen and around the corner.

Hermione looked after her retreating form for a minute. She had noticed the deep sadness that had come over her friend's face when she had been looking at the framed photographs and decided to find out what was troubling Fleur as soon as possible. She went back to the kitchen to order their food.

Fleur, meanwhile, opened doors as she kept exploring. The flat was big and spacious to begin with, but it was also obvious to her that Hermione had magically altered some rooms.

She walked into Hermione's office and smiled knowingly when she saw three enormous cherry bookcases completely full of books. A matching cabinet behind the desk hid a computer and a printer as well as reference books and dictionaries. As Fleur looked more closely at the shelves, she was impressed once again by the choices.

The magical books were concealed with charms, but Fleur still spotted them. There were several well looked after, original classics that must have cost a small fortune. It didn't really surprise Fleur to find so many books in there. Hermione wasn't called a bookworm for nothing. What did surprise her were the variety of subjects and the different languages. It would take an avid reader years to go through such an extensive collection.

She sensed strong magic in the middle bookcase and figured it was a door of some sort. Before she could begin to figure it out, Hermione walked into the office.

"I see you've found my secret door," she commented as she walked closer to Fleur.

"I sensed the strong magic protecting it."

"It leads to my lab. Want to go in?"

"Sure."

Hermione waved her hand at the bookcase and it slid back. She walked in closely followed by Fleur.

"Mon Dieu! This is wonderful, ma ma chérie."

Hermione looked around proudly. It was a spacious and modern lab and she loved spending hours in it.

"Thanks. I enjoy it."

"I can tell. So far, I am very impressed."

"Want to see the rest of the place before our food gets here or do you want to look around here for a bit?"

"I'd like to see the rest. I can look at the lab another day."

To both of them, that statement sounded like the promise of more visits. Unbeknownst to the other, the idea appealed to both greatly. Hermione led Fleur out to finish the tour. There were two guest bedrooms, elegantly appointed, a guest bathroom and finally, Hermione's bedroom.

Like the rest of the flat, this room was very elegant. What differentiated it from the rest of the place, however, was the romantic feel it had to it. It was most definitely a feminine room, a place where Hermione could come and forget about the outside world. The king size bed was inviting, as were the many candles scattered around the room. A comfortable looking chair stood next to a table were a lamp and several books rested. Fleur could see Hermione there every night before going to bed. A plasma TV hung on the wall facing the bed and a painting of a beautiful blonde woman wrapped in a white sheet while sleeping on a sofa hung over the bed. Fleur was again surprised by the choice. It was a highly sensual painting, but at the same time, it was a very tranquil scene. Hermione had excellent taste in art pieces.

The bathroom was huge and even had an oval tub complete with jets. A separate shower had a frosted glass door and another door led to a big walk-in closet.

"Unexpected, but totally you," was Fleur's comment as they walked back out into the hall.

"Unexpected how?"

"I'm not sure. It was more feminine than I would 'ave thought."

"Because I'm not romantic in the least?" Hermione joked.

"Because you're one of the most practical women I know, and I don't mean that in a bad way."

"I guess you're right."

"I never said you weren't romantic, either."

"I know everyone thinks that and it's okay. It's what I portray to the world."

"What a silly thing to do, mon amie. After looking at your place, I can see there's a very passionate and romantic soul inside of you." Fleur ran the tip of her index finger softly over Hermione's cheek. "You shouldn't 'ide that part of you at all. It suits you perfectly," she told her before turning and walking back out of the room and returning to the living room area.

For the second time that evening, a comment made by Fleur had left her speechless. She stood there for several seconds digesting what the blonde had said before the door bell chimed and she hurried out of the room.

She walked quickly down the hallway and towards the front door. After checking who it was, she opened it and smiled at the young man in front of her.

"Hello, Danny."

"Hi, Dr. Granger. Here's your order."

"Thanks, Danny." Hermione handed him a few pound notes and smiled at him. "Keep the change."

His eyes widened. "Thank you so much!"

Hermione took the package from him and closed the door once he had left.

"You're also generous to a fault, mon amie, another good quality. The man that 'olds your 'eart captive and doesn't appreciate it is a fool."

Hermione jumped at the comment, having forgotten for a moment that Fleur was close to her and blushed delicately. She shrugged her shoulders gracefully.

"Danny's a university student that wants to go to medical school. I help in any way I can."

"The more I spend time with you one on one, the more I realize I don't know you at all."

"Is that bad?"

"Non. As long as we rectify it, that is."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning I'd like to get to know you better. The real you, that is. Not the woman you portray to the rest of the world."

"I feel I should warn you there's isn't much of interest. You might find yourself bored to tears."

"I beg to differ, Dr. Granger, and I'll be the judge of that."

"Thank you. However, we might want to leave that for another occasion. You're here for a reason and we're going to talk about that now."

"Hmm, you might regret bringing that up again while we eat."

"Then we'll talk about it after we have dinner. My balcony offers an incredible view of the city at night."

"Sounds like a good idea."

"Hope you like Thai."

"Another thing we 'ave in common, then," Fleur said with a small smile.

0-0

After they had eaten the delicious dinner, Hermione offered to open a bottle of wine, but Fleur politely declined. They walked out to the balcony and Hermione noticed the temperature had dropped dramatically over the last few hours. Fall was well on its way it seemed. She excused herself for a moment and left Fleur leaning against the railing. She was back several minutes later wearing snug jeans and a cable knit sweater and carrying a soft, throw blanket in her arms.

She put the throw over Fleur's shoulders and smiled at her. "That should keep you warm."

"Merci, mon amie."

"Now then, tell me what is going on with you and why your eyes look so sad all the time."

"I need a favor and I need you to keep it quiet."

"What is it?"

"Bill and I 'ave been separated for about two months. We're going to divorce in a few days."

Hermione gasped in surprise. "I'm so sorry, Fleur."

"It is what it is, I guess."

"What can I help you with?"

"I think I might be pregnant."

"Oh, no!"

"I don't want 'im or anyone else to find out if I am."

"Why not? As the father, he should know."

"Bill doesn't want children because of what 'appened to 'im. 'E won't want this child. Besides, William is in love with another woman and moved in with 'er a couple of weeks ago."

"Oh, darling, I'm so sorry to hear that. What can I do to help?"

"I need you to perform the tests to see if I'm pregnant or not. If I am, I want you to keep it a secret and to be my doctor for the duration of the pregnancy."

"What about Mr. and Mrs. Weasley?"

"They know what is going on, but don't want to take sides. Bill is their son and I've never been one of their favorite people. I know deep down Molly blames me for this."

"Why would she do that?"

"No one knows this, but I 'eard 'er talking to Bill not long before we separated and 'e told 'er I was too 'igh maintenance and we didn't 'ave much in common. She agreed."

"What a bloody arse!" Hermione exclaimed. "He doesn't know what he's missing. How very ignorant of him."

Her heated words surprised Fleur. "What do you mean by that, ma chérie?"

"You're intelligent, beautiful and sophisticated. He could have learned from that. Instead, it seems like he wants another Molly as a wife."

Fleur actually smiled through her tears. "Is that why things never worked out between you and Ronald?"

"Maybe. I'll never stop seeking knowledge and he saw me as a freak because of that. His ideal wife will stay a home, give him lots of children and have a hot meal on the table the moment he walks in the door."

"Is something wrong with that?"

"Not necessarily, if you're a woman that enjoys that as well. I'd never be able to do so."

"And yet your career is taking care of pregnant women and their babies."

"Fleur, don't misunderstand me, please. I love children and I want to have some at some point. However, it doesn't mean I have to stop doing the things I enjoy in order to do so."

"So you want to be a career woman who has a family."

"Is something wrong with that?" Hermione asked defensively.

"Non! I think it's wonderful. You would be great at it. I still think the man you love is a fool for not returning your feelings."

"Let's get back to you. Are you sure that once Bill finds out about the baby he won't change his mind?"

"'E told me as 'e was leaving that 'e was a beer and rare steak man."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"'E finished by saying I was a caviar and champagne kind of woman."

"And?"

"The two don't mix."

"And it took him five bloody years to realize that?"

Fleur looked out at the city below her. "I suspect 'e's been 'aving affairs for most of that time."

"What? He is such a bleeding wanker!"

"You seem upset."

"Of course I'm upset, Fleur. You're my friend and you're hurting. Why didn't you leave him before?"

"I loved 'im," was the quiet reply.

Hermione looked out at the city and didn't know what to say to that. She simply put her arm around Fleur's shoulder and gave her a squeeze. They stood like that for endless minutes until Fleur finally broke the silence.

"So, will you do it? Will you agree to be my doctor?"

"Yes, mon amie, I'll do it."

0-0