"Vse vmeste." They stood side by side, backs toward her cottage. Both had been looking toward the furthest three stones in the array, across the river. She didn't speak but did allow herself to look up and waited for him to meet her gaze. Together, in conjunction, both translations seemed applicable if he meant what she thought. Little showed on his face for a moment and then many things. She just watched him and thought about it.
Part of her wanted to argue and do these wards herself. It would take days and be difficult. They would be hers though. Then she made herself calm down and really look at him. Cast these wards together. In tandem. Then her eyes sharpened and he gave a nod of confirmation. They would be doing this in Russia, or he wanted to. That was interesting. Beyond merely worth thought but he wouldn't want her to think on it now. Her nod was agreement and acceptance. These would be their wards. Unable to have his magical signature removed.
Then she bit her lip and he frowned. Immediately she let it go and then looked her question. A gruff sound meant her to speak whatever she thought necessary, nothing more. She wouldn't have anyways.
"You will be bothered by them, even if you tone it down. My wards will always alert you, in some way." He looked steadily at her for a moment and then a single nod. Followed by a head tilt. She thought it meant that he had already considered all this. So he knew what he was signing up for and wanted to do it. The ramifications of that were another thing to consider later.
"Alright then." Her verbal response wasn't necessary and he didn't reciprocate, she wouldn't have bet that he would. Then he did speak and she listened carefully. It was basically what she expected a twelve stone array to be, if this wizard had planned it.
"Can they hold that?" His flicked glance told her that he wasn't pleased to be questioned on that and she didn't wilt but didn't take it back. His silence indicates she better rephrase or explain.
"You didn't make the array. I did. My plan was the same in number, well minus two, but these extra additions and layers." He nodded but not in agreement, that was acceptance of the legitimacy of her question. The straight look at her that was slightly disappointed was the answer to her question. She thought for a moment and then understood. He would never have approved an array he wasn't happy with. The magical capability of the array she had made, it had been judged to these standards.
Dolohov made a go ahead gesture and she told him what she thought he had meant and then he made another one. Not biting her lip but wanting to, she wondered what he wanted her to say, or consider. Why had he done it this way? She wouldn't even have tried to make ones this magically strong, it was overkill for normal warding and furthermore something few could do.
Having been looking over his shoulder at a Rowan tree, she snapped her eyes back to the dark ones watching her with the same intent expression she often noticed.
"I wouldn't have thought I could. Probably wouldn't have tried to make ones capable of this. Well played." Her compliment on his handling of her was thoughtless and she immediately looked down. His huff was amusement though and she grinned a little bit as she peered through her lashes at him. Already he was facing the furthest stones again and she straightened her posture and turned her mind away from her interesting master and to the task at hand.
Thorfinn entered his witch's cottage about half an hour after Dolohov had returned to his own. Yaxley seemed to think he was to be kept under observation so he wouldn't interrupt them. Which was needless, his witch wouldn't like it and neither would her mentor. Then he wondered if maybe Yax was just a bit lonely there, that was unsettling.
Today had been one of those days that he was ordered to sit, even if he already was like today. Then dark eyes pinned him and his own basic occlumency shields were the only thing that made him more than halfway certain that his mind wasn't being read. It went on for a minute before the rest of him was given the same scrutiny and then he was relegated to the sideline while the two older wizards talked about him.
Silently at first of course. Yaxley was less bothered, he could see. Thorfinn wasn't stupid and Hermione and him had even verbally talked about how much the two men knew about them. Dolohov would know exactly what Yaxley and him talked about yesterday. He had then spent the day with the little witch. Observing and noticing what she inadvertently gave away in addition to her usual semi open expression. Even he had noticed her relaxed smile and even her posture. So what this man could see, he wasn't sure.
"Beschestiye." The reluctant tone was surprising in the deep voice, when it came. He looked to Yaxley who had a nearly blank expression and wondered if he understood that. Disgrace or something like that. He didn't like it and tensed. Whatever it meant, it was in relation to him and maybe Hermione.
"That is not the intent." Yaxley spoke firmly and Thorfinn made himself relax a little bit. Dolohov just looked his continued disgruntlement for a minute and then Thorfinn decided to try and find out what was happening. The worst that would happen was ignoring him and that seemed to be the case right now.
"What exactly is this about?" He added exactly so they couldn't just give him a look that said Hermione. He already knew that. Dolohov looked away and Yaxley at the window for a moment before the man spoke.
"Antonin is traditional." Yaxley said the last word with emphasis and Thorfinn thought about that. Then he understood and was on his feet before he thought about it.
"I would happily sign paperwork now. If you want to draw it up, my portion, I will." Waiting for Dolohov to meet his eyes after Yaxley looked at him with no surprise and slight eye roll for his friends assumptions and lack of thought of this problem from other angles.
It took a minute but the dark eyes were steady and Thorfinn dropped his shields, which surprised both men. They didn't enter his mind but he let the truth of his words be read. Not memories or even his actual emotions but they would get enough passively. Part of dealing with wizards of this caliber was just understanding what they could do. Neither man would have asked for this. His offering though, it would be accepted.
Silence reigned for minutes after and eventually Dolohov gave him a nod. Then he scowled and looked to Yaxley again. The man looked his exasperation at his friend.
"Antonin. The witch is muggle raised. It is rarely obvious but in this, she will not see it as you do. Can not." Thorfinn agreed with Yaxley's estimation of the situation. Dolohov gave an unhappy growl and summoned the whiskey bottle with a raised hand. It slipped into his palm and Thorfinn watched the wizard. Here wasn't a good place to think thoughts about the Russians' feelings. Dangerous actually and the man's being here meant his witch was done for the day. With that thought he looked to the door and Yaxley smiled indulgently when he caught his eye. The nod said go to her then, tomorrow as usual. He grinned and grabbed his coat.
"Finn. The kitchen." His witch's voice called and he smiled at the happiness in her tone. Today had been a good one then and he grinned a little at the nearly incomprehensible relationship between master and apprentice. He mostly just accepted it and didn't wonder how, or tried to.
"Good day then?" He asked her. She was mixing something on the counter and as he walked toward he could see the trifle bowl and this time chuckled lowly.
"I'll just finish and then it can set for an hour. Once I start talking I know I won't want to stop and I want trifle." Her words were a bit strained sounding, though she did laugh at herself as she finished. He stole strawberry slices and then wiped whipped cream on her nose as she finished. Grumbling and swatting at him she finally added the chocolate shavings to the top and then carefully placed a cherry. As usual when she was pleased with something she smiled at it for a moment and then she turned to him.
As her left arm wrapped around his waist, her right hand waved and the trifle soared past him and the fridge door opened before it settled gently into the place, her magics had just cleared on the shelf. It was such a casual display of detailed and precise wandless magic. The witch was gaining confidence and using her magic noticeably differently to when they had first started hanging out. Then her other arm was wrapped around him and she buried her face into his chest. He could feel her breathing a bit faster than normal and trying to calm down.
"What did you do today?" She asked into his shirt and he knew she wanted to try and sort her thoughts out.
"Yax brought up clocks and this time a really old scroll in Druidic runes. How he knows what you're thinking about is weird. This one though, he was as interested as me and has several potential designs of his own." He didn't say what he thought about doing this kind of magic with the unique wizard. Letting his tone tell her how it felt and some of his awe.
Her head came up and her golden eyes were full of happiness and her smile was enough to make him groan internally. The curls were wild around her face and she had definitely had her hands in it today. He loved it like this. Just a simple long sleeve shirt and her favourite pair of jeans. She looked as if she was tired but not sleepy.
"I can't wait to see what you do." The truth of that was easy to read and he just smiled back at her. Having one of those moments where he had no idea how this was his life. Better just to pretend it was normal to be so happy and eventually the nearly overwhelming feelings would pass. 'Bas and him had talked about it a bit and decided that was the best they could do, for now anyway. As if the thought of him had conjured an interruption to their moment the floo chimed.
"Rabastan." She said lowly and he looked his question. She indicated she hadn't been expecting him and both turned at the footsteps nearing the kitchen doorway.
His friend was excited and nervous. He hadn't seen him since about ten this morning and wondered what had happened.
"She wants to have dinner. In one of her letters she mentioned that maybe it would be easier if there was less time for us to think about each other." This was blurted out in a rush and he noticed the head beside him nod as he did. Accepting the information.
"So will you come to dinner?" He asked as if they had not answered the question the last time he had asked it.
"Of course." Hermione answered instantly. He hadn't had time to think about it but would have come to the same conclusion. "I even just made trifle." She added with a smile and Rabastan beamed at her. Practically bouncing and he watched her smile softly at the wizard. Then her eyes flicked to him and they shared a moment of enjoying the potential of happiness for their friends. It was a frequent topic of conversation. Not actual information but their thoughts on the two. It came to mind a lot. Both of them being involved.
"Come on then." He was making hand gestures to indicate his readiness and Thorfinn chuckled while his witch gave a nod and then walked to the fridge. Hearing the floo chime his departure, the witch stopped and met his eyes.
"I wanted to talk to you about some things I thought of today." She pouted a little bit and he just kissed it away.
"What you can't talk about at dinner, we can talk about in the shower later." She looked thoughtful and he laughed when she got a mischievous look on her face.
"Or maybe after the shower?" She suggested as if he might protest. He just kissed her harder. The trifle stopping him from lifting her to the counter so he could plunder her mouth at a better angle.
"Let's go little witch. Or we won't be." She laughed at him but he could see that she too might prefer their friends didn't need them at this precise moment.
