I should probably be working on my other stories instead of writing a new one, but I have to start somewhere. So here you go, let me know what you think (constructively), and thanks for reading. -KHWT
Harry yawned himself awake, sitting up to the usual dank smell of canvas. A dim light was seeping through the tent fabric, and as Harry padded past the half-open tent flap he squinted outside.
A few meters away from the tent Ron was pacing a track into the ground, shoulders slumped but eyes alert.
"Morning," Harry called softly, stepping fully into the dawn. With a start, Ron turned and mumbled his own greeting. Abandoning his path, Ron stepped over to lean against the tent pole next to Harry.
"Don't happen to have any food on you, do you?" He asked gruffly. After a long watch his stomach was growling steadily.
"No," was the short reply,"We'll have to go out and find some today." Giving his ruffled friend a glance, Harry added, "You might be able to grab some sleep before we go."
"I suppose I will, as long as 'Mione's not up yet." Ron replied
"Who's not up yet?" came a voice from inside the tent. Looking around, the two boys saw Hermione seated at the table, already drawing the map from her beaded hand bag.
"Ah, good morning 'Mione," Harry said, moving to sit next to her as Ron shuffled to the bunk beds for a quick nap.
"Food today?" Was the distracted reply as Hermione heated a cup of water for tea with a tap of her wand.
"That's what I was thinking," Harry agreed, leaning towards Hermione to look over the map. "How about this little village? Blackwater?"
Hermione followed Harry's finger and thought for a moment, stirring her tea.
"Looks alright to me," she concurred, folding the map back up.
Harry and Hermione scrounged together a meager breakfast of yesterday's biscuits, thoroughly baring their small cupboard. After shaking Ron awake, the three teens consumed their breakfast and began packing up their tent. When everything was at last packed away and the trio were ready to move on, Hermione pulled out her map once again and led her companions in the direction of the village of Blackwater.
"Any news from the radio last night, Ron?" Harry asked casually, glancing briefly towards his friend.
"No magical deaths, three muggles were killed somewhere near London, and the death eaters are increasing patrols within major magical areas," Ron reported.
"Things are getting more and more dangerous," Hermione said, determinedly striding onto a dirt road, "The death eaters seem to be getting more and more organized."
"Well good thing we're on the case," Ron crowed suddenly, pumping a fist in the air. The other two grinned wryly, the tension of the bad news dissipating in the warmth of humor. Hermione shook her head and looked back at her map once more before putting it away, continuing down the dusty street.
Soon, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were striding through the streets of a small rural village, trying to find a grocery of some sort. Not many people were out, but those that were hurried about with their heads down, creating a somber mood. Just as the trio spotted a grocery, it started drizzling, so they rushed inside to escape getting too damp.
"Alright," Hermione began, turning to the boys, "We've got 20 pounds, so look judiciously. Focus on foods that will keep well." Harry and Ron both nodded before splitting off to find some food.
After about half an hour, everyone had gathered with their finds.
"Instant noodles Harry?" Ron smirked, noticing the ten or so brightly colored packages in his friends' arms.
"They're cheap and delicious," Harry replied, crossing his arms tighter over his treasure. Hermione rolled her eyes and grabbed the food that they were purchasing to check out. The cashier eyed them suspiciously as she scanned their purchases, although the boys tried to look innocent. Finally, brown bags in hand, the group headed back outside, happily noting the lack of rain.
"So, next we're heading east toward the Kent border?" Hermione asked, glancing towards the others for affirmation. They nodded silently, looking around for a secluded place to apparate. However, as Ron glanced the way they had come, he noticed a dark figure looming behind a hedge near a house.
"We might be being followed," he muttered to his companions, casually motioning with his eyes. Hermione bent down on the pretense of tying her shoe and Harry turned in her direction, looking over her towards where Ron had indicated. Indeed there was a figure, who, even as Harry watched, stepped onto the road.
There was more movement behind the man, whose dark face had become clearer, and three more people stepped onto the street ahead. Hermione stood up and the trio faced the four men who were leering at them from their spot in the road.
"Muggles or not?" Harry whispered out of the corner of his mouth, reaching into the pocket where his wand was stowed. Noticing his movement, one of the men, tall with skin fairer than Ron's gave a shout and plunged a hand into his jacket. Quickly he pulled a gun and reached down to cock it.
"Muggle!" Hermione whisper-shouted, drawing her wand subtly, hiding it against her pant leg. Ron did the same and the situation returned to a stare-down, each side waiting for the other to move.
"Check that no one else is around," Harry whispered to Ron, who slowly glanced around, moving as little as possible.
"Quit talking over there!" A mugger barked, his voice surprisingly high-pitched.
"What do you want from us?" Ron replied, shaking his head slightly to inform his friends that no one else was nearby.
"Whatever the hell you have on you!" The original man replied, taking a step forward and drawing a gun of his own, "and maybe a little more from her..." he leered, eyes moving toward Hermione.
"Like hell," Ron replied angrily, raising his wand towards the advancing criminals. The ginger robber shouted incoherently and a gunshot rang through the air, the bullet bursting into the ground at Ron's feet.
The three teens scattered in different directions, each aiming at one of their assailants. The man with the high-pitched voice and the dark haired man who had first followed them fell to two well placed stunners. Another gunshot rang out from the dark haired man's gun as it fell. Harry advanced on the now wild-eyed ginger man and Ron and Hermione cornered the remaining would-be mugger.
"You killed them!" The ginger yelled, making a sudden feint before darting towards Harry, who was halfway through intoning his classic disarming curse.
A bang echoed from Hermione and Ron's location, but Harry had no time to worry about them as his curse sailed just past his zig-zagging opponent. Less than ten feet away now, the man raised his gun and Harry jumped to the side while simultaneously shouting "Stupify!"
Two loud noises echoed through the street as Harry and the man both hit the ground, one unconscious and the other breathing harshly. Pain washed through Harry as he tried to reorient himself. His vision refocused slightly as he glanced towards his unconscious enemy before gazing towards the location of said enemy's bullet.
Harry's shirt was torn at the left shoulder, blood slowly soaking the area around the gunpowder- stained hole. He let his wand roll from his right hand and slowly reached to brush against his wound. Hissing at the pain this simple touch caused, he looked up at the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps.
Ron and Hermione were both approaching from a spot down the street where Harry could see the unconscious body of the last robber. Both looked slightly ruffled and pale, although neither moved with any difficulty.
"Harry, are you alright?" Ron asked worriedly, glancing towards the bloodstain on Harry's shoulder.
"Got shot," Harry grunted, leaning forward to move his weight of his trapped legs.
"Of course you did," Hermione muttered, ruffling through her bag before emerging with a small bottle and an "aha!" Directing Ron to support Harry from behind, she carefully dropped some of the magical dittany onto Harry's wound.
Reaching forward, she unbuttoned his shirt carefully before pulling the damaged material away from his shoulder. The wound had stopped bleeding, but was still an angry red, and looked like it had barely closed. Hermione frowned and reached around her friend to look at the back of his injured shoulder.
"Oh," she said quietly, sitting back on her heels thinking hard.
"What?" Ron replied, gently holding Harry.
"The bullet is still in there," Hermione murmured, still perusing her memory for useful medical information, "it won't heal properly until we get it out."
Harry groaned but sat up, wincing as the movement pulled at his injury.
"You good, mate?" Ron asked, still holding onto Harry.
"For now," Harry replied, " and we should probably get moving anyways."
Ron and Hermione shared a glance over a raven-haired head before Hermione spoke to Harry carefully, "We do need to keep moving, but if you can't stand or the pain gets too bad, let us know and we'll take a break."
Harry nodded and Hermione helped him to stand up as Ron gathered up the groceries, scanning the area warily. When Harry was on his feet, however unsteadily, the trio formed a tight group. They shuffled over into the shadow of the nearby hedge and then everyone grasped hands, Hermione and Ron holding Harry firmly between them. With a final bang the dusty road emptied of conscious people as the trio apparated away.
Miles away, another pop sounded as the three appeared in a foliage covered grove. Ron and Hermione settled Harry with their packs before quickly circling the area around them, casting protective enchantments.
"Where are we Hermione?" Ron asked without looking away from his work.
"In the Forest of Sherwood somewhere. I used to look through maps and pictures of this area during my Robin Hood phase," Hermione replied, finally lowering her wand and moving back to Harry.
"Robin Hood?" Ron muttered to himself, making a mental note to ask Hermione later.
With a wave of her wand, Hermione had the tent set up and she and Ron hauled first Harry and then their belongings into the tent.
"Alright," Hermione said, putting up her hair, "let's get this over with." Ron and Harry nodded and Harry scooted to the edge of the mattress, sitting with his left arm draped motionless across his lap. Hermione had Ron help Harry out of his shirt before continuing.
"I'm going to try to get the bullet out with magic, but it'll likely be a bit slow since I've never done this before. Ron, I need you to keep the entrance of the wound clean and Harry in place," Hermione stated, before reaching into her bag and pulling out a bandage which she folded over several times and handed to Harry.
"Put this in your mouth so you don't hurt yourself," she said with a slight waver in her voice, but a firm hand. Everybody took their places and Hermione, after checking the supplies she laid out, began speaking in an undertone, wand pointed at her friend's shoulder.
Immediately, Harry felt a sharp pain spread through his shoulder, along with the uncomfortable sensation of something crawling under his skin. Ron gripped his shoulder tightly as Hermione's mouth set into a thin line. Slowly, the pain in his shoulder inched forward, spreading into his chest.
Once, Hermione tapped a nerve and Harry's back automatically arched, his vision momentarily going white before the pain died down.
After several tense minutes, Harry noticed a sudden drop in the pain and the skin around his wound itched terribly. Ignoring the urge, to scratch his shoulder, he instead watched as slowly, the bullet exited his shoulder, falling into the palm of Hermione's hand.
Everyone sighed in relief, Harry slumping against an unusually pale Ron.
"Thank you," he breathed to Hermione as she gently cleaned his shoulder before applying more Murtlap and at last bandaging it.
"You're welcome Harry," she smiled, glad that at last, her friend wasn't in terrible pain.
As Harry settled back and the other two sat around the nearby table, Ron swiped a hand through his hair, "Merlin, next time we're out of food, let's just order delivery!"
Laughing, Hermione swatted at him, as Harry chuckled drowsily.
Although the day had been filled with twists and turns, one thing at least remained constant for the trio: the love they held for one another.
Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think and what I can work on! -KHWT