chapter 4

They hadn't even made it out of the hotel parking lot by the time Harry realized that Alanna was unable to drive. Drifting in and out of sleep, her eyes would close and her head would nod and then jerk upright with her eyes flying open. Harry gently asked her to pull over, and with only mild resistance, Alanna did so and they exchanged seats. After clicking her seatbelt in place, Alanna promptly fell asleep with her head propped against the window. Harry smiled and brushed the hair back from her face and tucked it behind her ear. God, he had missed her. He knew that if he told her how much, it would send her running again. It was the little things that tugged at him the most after she left: her many side projects, how she would knit one sock and then lose interest, the way she looked when she read, her eyes quickly scanning the material with her brow furrowed. But of all, he had missed her fervor. She was what Mrs. Weasley would have called "spit-fire" had they ever met. No, she didn't always think before she spoke, but he could always rely on her for an honest opinion. Her unquestioning loyalty was what had kept them friends over the years. There were some things he couldn't confide in her and for the most part, she understood. She was by far the single person he had felt closest to his entire life; regardless that she was a Muggle. Muggle. He hated using that word to describe her; she was far from ordinary in his opinion, that she had no magic abilities was completely irrelevant in their friendship.

He glanced over at her again. There was no denying that she was beautiful. When they were younger, Harry had adopted more of a "big brother" role and was constantly deterring boys from seeking Alanna. Although he knew that she was perfectly capable, Harry had always been there to keep her safe. When she left without a trace, he had been able to do very little. Wandering aimlessly, Harry had devoted his time to his studies, physical activity, and women that he had absolutely no attachment to. Hermione's part in Alanna's disappearance had nearly ended their friendship, but Harry believed that life was truly too short to hold grudges. And Alanna was back.

Pulling into his driveway, Harry parked and first let Bear into the house. Coming back for Alanna, he lifted her out of the car with ease. She had lost weight, too much, in Harry's opinion. Alanna had always been fit and curvy, but her lack of heft worried him as he hoisted her into his arms. Harry wondered how long her late-night walks had been lasting lately… Entering the house cautiously, so as not to bump her on the doorframe or any other obstacle, Harry placed Alanna gently on the futon, walked to his closet and returned with a pillow and a quilt. Softly elevating her head and placing the pillow beneath, then removing her shoes and setting the quilt on her, Harry kissed her forehead and moved over to his overly-stuffed sitting chair. If Alanna insisted on the futon tonight, he wanted to at least be near her. She was back and under his watchful gaze he prayed that she wasn't a figment of his imagination. Until he was positive that she was not a façade and that she wouldn't sneak out within the hour, he would stay as close as he possibly could without holding too tightly and causing her to rebel from the arrangement that they had instilled. Pointing his wand at the lights and whispering "nox", Harry left them in darkness.

The next morning, Alanna woke up feeling refreshed and effervescent. Looking around, she sought for Harry in the early morning light. Lifting her head, she inhaled and smelled something delectable. Pushing herself from the futon, she trudged into the kitchen. Harry was standing with his back to her, placing something into the oven. Bear sat at his feet, a look of intense concentration on his face and a line of drool hanging delicately from his upper lip; it seemed that Bear had the same thoughts as Alanna. One thing could be said for traveling: while on the road, the cuisine was awful. It had been almost a week since Alanna had enjoyed a meal that could have been considered palatable. Noticing Alanna, Bear left his silent begging and trotted over to her, rolling onto the floor for a tummy rub. Alanna grinned and kneeled, giving him his morning scratch. Hearing Alanna's cooing, Harry turned around.

"Hey there. Sooo… I've been trying my hand at cooking lately, and I came up with some guava and cream cheese pastries. I know you like guava. And cream cheese, so hopefully these will be really good. If not, there's a fruit bowl, too." Alanna chuckled.

"Turning all domestic, are we now? Guava and cream cheese pastries? Very masculine," Alanna teased, "where's the steak?"

"Well, I have been known for my feminine wiles… But seriously, they should be damn tasty." Alanna glanced over at the counter, where Harry's wand sat.

"Yeah, I'm sure that they'll be so light that it will almost be like magic. I'll have to be careful they don't fly off my plate. What is it you say, 'wingardrium levyosa'?" Alanna lifted herself from the floor and mimicked flicking a wand. Harry, humored by the interpretation and her mispronunciation, snickered.

"Sure, sure, poke fun all you want, but when my hexed pastries knock you off your feet, we'll see who's laughing then." The timer rang, and Harry removed the pastries from the oven. From the outside, they truly did look "damn tasty". Harry placed a couple on a plate and then some on another. Placing the plate with the larger two pastries on the bar in front of a stool, he pointed at them and said, "eat." Alanna settled herself onto the stool and took a large bite. They tasted just as great as they looked; charm or not, they really were light, all joking aside. The combination of guava and cream cheese was surprisingly good and Alanna was glad that Harry had placed two before her. Adding the fruit bowl to the bar ledge, Harry joined Alanna and they simultaneously ate. After almost everything had been munched upon, Alanna stood up. She stretched and patted her stomach.

"Okay, I'm feeling pretty crunchy, so I'm gonna go take a shower." Harry looked at her incredulously.

" 'Crunchy'? Where did you hear that word to describe a person? Do tell." Alanna giggled.

"You know, 'crunchy'? Let me use it in a sentence: I'm feeling 'crunchy', so I'm gonna go take a shower." Harry shook his head.

"The towels are in the closet across the hall. Make sure you wash all that 'crunchy' away, that shit sounds contagious." Alanna laughed and walked off to the shower, leaving Harry and Bear to finish breakfast.