Summary- All her life Harry, short for Harriette, had always been one of the boys and nothing was really going to stop that. Not even a Zombie apocalypse. So, what if the group she was currently in was under the mistaken perception that she was actually a male. After all, considering all that was going around them did it really matter? Fem!Harry
Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter, or the Walking Dead. Nor do I make any profit off of either one of them.
Chapter fourteen
Harry, seeing both the brothers in the clearing waiting for her to get back. And seeing that it looked like they did a little venting of their own, if the dead bodies of the Walkers around them meant anything. Quickly adjusted the straps of her bags and the guns she now had on her, before with a raised an eyebrow, asked the both of them in her normally blunt way; her tone mildly curious as she did so.
"Okay, why are you two here? And why do you look so ticked off?" Harry even if she already had a good idea as to why they were there really wasn't prepared for the reaction her questions got her.
And at the same time Harry began to wonder if perhaps she was a little too used to having to do everything on her own as she saw how the two reacted to what she had just asked. Not to mention what they had to say to her what she had just said as well.
Because as soon as Harry had asked her questions both brothers shot up and had rather angry looks on their faces before they started speaking. What really got Harry, and made what they were saying really sink in, was the fact it was actually Daryl. Who was usually the calmest and quietest of the two brothers, was the one who looked to be the most upset and was the one who was actually doing most of the talking out of the two of them. Telling Harry, then and there, that she really had done something wrong if it was Daryl that was reaction like this.
"Where did you go? Do you realize just how worried we got when we found we couldn't find you? That we had to find out from, Rick and Glenn of all people, that you had decided to go on a supply run? By yourself at that! Then when we tried to catch up with you, you disappeared right in front of us and were gone for hours? And we had no idea just where you were? If you were okay or not?!"
Harry hearing this felt both her eyebrows raise up, and just as she was about to answer Daryl, Merle raised a hand to stop her and added his two cents in before she could. Acting more serious than Harry had ever really seen him be yet. Reminding Harry of the fact yes Merle had been in the Marines, and yes he could be very much a responsible adult; when he wanted to.
"Look, me and my brother aren't trying to say you need to inform us where you are at all times, or that you don't need a little alone time for yourself. No, everyone needs that at one point or another, but try to see it from our point of view for a second. You are one of the very few in this group that we actually get along with, and one of the few that from the very beginning wasn't disgusted or trying to get rid of us. Because of that, and the fact you pretty much saved my life up there on that roof, you earned our respect. You went even further than that and earn our…hell earned our friendship something I thought would have been impossible before I actually met ya. Then you went off somewhere, just after we had almost lost a member of our group to walkers and after a big fight with another member of the group. When you disappeared in front of us, we weren't sure if we were going to see ya again after that, we weren't sure you hadn't had enough and left for good or something like that."
Harry hearing this and seeing the visible emotions on both brothers faces couldn't help but swallow a bit. She hated to admit it but right now, she had no idea what to say or do, but at the same time she knew she did have to do something. So, with that in mind, Harry asked both brothers.
"So, then what do you want me to do? I mean for most of my life I've been the one to deal with things, I was the one the others turned to when they were in trouble. I had myself to trust and I knew what I needed to do to get things done. And even more recently with everything that had happened, even before the whole walking dead started, I was the only one that I could trust. " Here Harry swallowed heavily, looked at the two brothers who were listening to everything she said intensely before continuing on.
"Now with you guys, I've started to trust again, and I didn't mean to hurt you by not letting you know I was leaving in the first place; not in the least bit. But my first instinct, at least right now, is to just go get it done by myself. Now because of that, I don't know what you want me to say or do? I have never really been all that great with interacting with others; been told I'm too prickly to be good at it."
Harry realizing that to her horror she was starting to ramble a bit shut her mouth with a click before looking at both brothers; wondering how they were going to respond to what she had just said. She didn't have to wait long before Daryl responded; now sounding a lot calmer than he had before.
"Like my brother said we don't want to control you or know where you are at, at all times; we ain't your parents. Nor are we your keepers. But we are your friends and we would like to know when you're going to leave the group like you did earlier and, you know, not hear it from Rick or someone else. " Here Daryl seemed to give a slight smirk, letting Harry know he was nowhere near as upset as he had been moments ago Something Harry found herself oddly grateful about as she continued to listen to what he had to say.
"Honestly, we don't blame you for wanting to get away from the group for a little bit, like Merle said everyone wants to get way for a little bit but considering all that's going on. Could maybe next time you take one of us with you or something…" Here Daryl paused as he thought on what he just said and how it could be taken, before starting to talk once more; before Harry could react anything about what he had just said.
"I'm not saying you need our protection or anything like that. We know that you can defend yourself plenty well enough, even without you magic. But at the same time, we'd both feel better if we could cover your back, as a just in case you know. Or if not that, at least knew where you were, if only to put our mind at ease."
Harry hearing what Daryl had said and knowing that before her brothers had been killed during the war, they had felt the same way. And had even had a similar agreement to what Daryl had just suggested himself, found herself agreeing with what Daryl had just asked.
It wasn't too much and besides Daryl was right, with how things were, it was always better to at least have someone backing you up. Or if not, that helping you in some way; unless you couldn't have anyone that is.
Daryl, and Merle, seeing that Harry was agreeing with what had been asked both seemed to relax slightly. Harry seeing this couldn't help but smile slightly, and then after shifting once more, because the bags she was carrying were starting to dig into her shoulder, told the two brothers with her.
"Well, we should get back to the farm before they send out a search party or something like that for us. Besides I'm sure the others are looking forward to whatever supplies I got them." It was after she said this that both brothers took really notices of what she was carrying, both their eyes lingering on the large hiking backpack and the several guns she had slung a crossed her back as they did this.
Seeing this and seeing that they all looked to be rather heavy both brothers went to help her carry them, and Harry knowing that they were really just trying to help her let Daryl take the four different guns she had brought with her.
While Merle lift the straining hiking bag from her shoulders before heading back to the farm. One Harry almost wished she had placed a feather light charm on before she had carried it off but hadn't because she felt it would have been to suspicious otherwise. But now that the bag was removed from her Harry, after rolling her shoulders a bit to release the slight ache that had built in them, followed behind them; smiling slight at the fact she now had friends once more.
As they got back to the farm Harry noticed that both Glenn and Rick looked to be waiting for her, if the relieved looks both of them had on their faces when they saw her return meant anything. Seeing this, Harry refrained from rolling her eyes before following both brothers as they continued over to where Rick and Glenn where now waiting for them.
Once they got there and once the bags were all placed down; including the mesh back Harry had gotten from the store. Harry began to carful take everything she had gotten out of the bags and quickly began to separate them all into different piles; leaving Rick and Glenn slightly wide eyed at everything she had brought back as she did so.
After Harry everything out of the bags, and had them separated into piles for each member of the group, and after she had placed a couple of things back in the bags, like the candy and a good deal of the things she had gotten at the new age store, Harry watched as the rest of the group began to come over to see just what Harry had managed to bring back.
Including both Lori and Shane, which caused Harr to hold back a groan as both of them had looks on their faces that screamed they were going to be looking for a fight. Something that was proven true when Shane, upon seeing the guns that Harry had brought, and which Daryl had still slung a crossed his back, tried to take them from him while saying.
"Well, at least the girl did something good for once, I'm sure these guns will be put to some use. As long as she wasn't stupid enough to get faulty guns or ones that don't have any bullets in them."
Harry hearing this was about to do something, that she really wouldn't regret and would most likely end up with Shane once more on the ground clutching himself in agony. When Daryl reacted before she could. Grabbing Shane's hand in a tight grip while telling the former police officer in a firm tone; one that had slight shivers going down Harry's back as she listened.
"Harry found these guns, and I think she has a plan for them. They're hers." It was Lori who responded to this, her voice seriously grating on Harry's ears, and seriously making Harry wish that she could somehow permanently silencing Lori without getting everyone turning against her.
"What would she need with guns like that for? Guns, like that are better left in the hands of men like Shane's. You know, who knows how to deal with them, and can protect us better with them. I demand you hand them over to him right this minute." Harry hearing this already had enough of the woman and before Daryl could stop her, this time she responded.
"You and what army is going to take those guns from me? I found those guns so I could teach the others to defend themselves without having to depend on someone else to save them. Because like it or not, there isn't always going to be a man around to help save the day. Sometimes you are going to have to be on your own, and sometimes you are going to have to save yourself if you don't want to die. " Here Harry looked at the others in the group, who Harry knew didn't have any weapons nor did they know how to use a weapon in the first place Before shaking her head in a negative fashion as she finished what she was saying.
"No, I'm not giving those guns to Shane. I found them and according the rules, Shane made, and the ones Rick backs up, you know the ones you used to hoard most of the supplies group had…that means they are mine to do with what I want. And I plan to give one to Carol, one to Andrea, one to Amy, and keep one for myself. I even got a smaller set of daggers for Sophia; so she can defend herself as well. That is, if they are willing to learn to defend themselves, they can have those guns…and if it is okay with Carol in regards to Sophia and the daggers I have."
As she said this, and as she left out the fact that she also got a set of daggers for Carl as well seeing as she knew how Lori would react to that and was planning on handing that set of dagger to Rick later on so he could teach his own son. Something she was sure the former police officer would be grateful for. As Harry knew that he would rather his son of some type of way to defend himself if worse came to worse.
Harry, after this was all said, glared hard at Lori daring her to say something about what she had just said. Of course, Lori, being herself, wasn't about to let this challenge go unanswered, not in the least bit, and she opened her mouth to let Harry know just what she thought of her idea. Ignoring, or not noticing, the fact that every single female that Harry had just named looked to be both grateful and excited about the lessons Harry had just mentioned as she did so.
"You're just crazy and trying to turn the others into butch bitches like yourself! What are you a lesbian or something like that? Trying to get the ladies here alone with you so you could have your way with them? I don't believe that fiancé story in the least bit, and bet the reason your always against me is because you like me or something sick like that! But know I would never want to be with you like that; it's just wrong. I say, and have been saying, that you really need to be removed from the group before your sickness spreads to the others, and what you just said only proves my case even further!"
Harry hearing this rant, could only stare in utter disbelieve at the obviously delusional women in front of her; her face tinted a faint shade of green as she did so. Before swallowing heavily and taking a deep breath in a failed attempt to calm herself down; as well as to stop herself from losing her lunch at Lori's suggestion, which was a bit more successful.
"I think you're the insane one here. One, while I don't have anything against lesbians and have had friends that are in love with the same gender, I'm not into that and even if I was, I would never do anything like you suggested. Nor would I ever want to be anywhere near you considering just where you've been…or perhaps the lack of knowing just where you've been should be said. As for what I just said being an excuse for why I should be kicked out…did you somehow find some drugs and get high or something like that? Because that is the only excuse, I can think of that would explain how me teaching the others to defend themselves is something that is so horrible it would get me kicked out of this group." This reply got a short laugh from Merle and caused Lori's face to go pale with rage and once more Lori tried to slap Harry.
Only for the same thing that had happened last time to happen again, and Lori found her hand in the iron grip of Harry. However, this time Lori wasn't in the mood to give up and she brought her other hand up to slap Harry, thinking that she would be able to, now.
Sadly, Harry was expecting this and was able to grab Lori's hand, with the same hand that was still holding the other; leaving both Lori's hands in Harry's steel grip. Harry, knowing if she released Lori's hands now that Lori would try to hit her again, and not in the mood to keep dodging or catching Lori's hands until she got tired of trying to hit her, told Lori; her tone just short of a growl as she did so.
"If you don't like what I am saying, then don't try to dish it out yourself. Because if you haven't noticed I don't even speak to you unless you try to speak to me first. And every time you do speak to me, you spite out some type of insult at me; I'm just returning the favor in that regrade. With you, I honestly think you should go with the say silence is golden, while you're around me!" AS she said this Harry noticed that the others weren't moving in to stop her, and she even noticed that Rick wasn't moving to help his wife and looked to be reluctantly agreeing with what she was saying. Seeing this Harry couldn't help but wonder just what had changed and when did the group slowly start to grow on her?
Calming down and seeing that Lori was no longer pulling her hands trying to get them free, Harry released them. Knowing at the moment her message had gotten through to Lori and that she wouldn't be trying to hit her; at least not right now.
This was proven when after her hands got released Lori stomped her foot and looked ready to throw a fit as she stormed over to where Shane, who had been stopped from helping by having Daryl point an arrow straight at him, was now standing; both of them giving Harry looks of pure death once they were standing side by side.
Harry seeing that, that drama was finally over gave a slight sigh before she went over to the piles of supplies, she had gathered and began to give them to the others. Who all looked grateful, and a little awed, by everything she had managed to grab. Causing Harry to both blush slightly and feel guilty about the fact she had so much more she could give them as they did so.
After Harry had given out most of the things got to the pile of candy she had brought and remembering just why she had gotten them. Took out two bars of candy for the two kids in the group. Of course, Lori seeing this, and ignoring the fact that Carl's eyes seem to light up at seeing the candy in Harry's hand, snapped out.
"Carl don't you dare take that candy from woman. I know I have told you not to take any candy from strangers and I don't think they get much stranger than her!" This said Lori snatch the candy bar from Harry's hand before spinning around and stomped back to the farmhouse, muttering the who way that she wouldn't let Harry turn her child away from her like she had done with everyone else.
Harry hearing this and seeing the look on Carl's face, grabbed another bar and gave it to Rick to give to his son; Rick wasn't a stranger to Carl now was he. Then before Lori could get all the way to the house, Harry called out to her.
"So, does this mean you don't want any of the supplies I got you?" Lori hearing this turned back to Harry and with a snarl that could be seen clearly even with how far Lori was away from the rest of the group screamed out.
"Unlike the rest of these people I can't be bought!" Harry hearing this resisted the urge to call by, no but you certainly can be fucked can't you. Before handing all the prenatal, health items, clothes and baby items to a really grateful Rick; actually giving him the hiking bag to carry it all in to make it all easier.
Harry after giving Rick these things and after making sure everyone else had gotten the supplies she had gotten, raised up the mesh bag filled with different types of candy and asked the rest of the group.
"I know I originally got all this for the kids, but does anyone here want some candy? After all I've been told that chocolate cures all and I get the feeling we could all use with a little mood lifting."