Their Little Witch
Chapter 24
The next morning, Hermione woke up with her head resting on Bucky's chest, his arms wrapped around her securely. She took a deep breath, considering whether to go back to sleep for a few more minutes when She felt her body shift, and then her head was on his metal arm as he looked into her eyes,
"Good morning, Doll."
She smiles shyly at him,
"Good morning, Bucky. Did you sleep okay?"
He smiles softly at her,
"I'm not the one with nightmares, Doll. How did you sleep?"
A light blush covers her cheeks,
"Better with you here, actually."
If he looked a bit smug, she didn't comment on it. His eyes lock on hers,
"We have to go back to Wakanda later on today. We can't risk the ministry finding us here."
She nods; she'd expected that, really. Then she frowned slightly, trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice,
"So, no date today, then?"
He grins, gently playing with a loose curl on her head,
"Of course we are, just a little bit earlier than normal. I'm thinking lunch time. We'll be leaving at five, I got the message from Stark last night. Can you be ready by twelve?"
A small wave of relief coursed through her and she nods her head,
"What time is it now?"
He grabs his phone with his free hand, checking the screen,
"Coming up to nine."
She smiles curling onto his arm and he frowns slightly,
"Are you comfortable like that?"
"I'm assuming your metal arm doesn't cramp or go to sleep," He rolls his eyes, "And I'm comfy enough to stay like this for a while."
Bucky grimaces,
"I'd love to, really, but I really need to use the bathroom."
She giggles, rolling off his arm and watching as he darts up, rushing to use the facilities.
She stands up while he's gone, her legs ache but she doesn't stop to check them. She walks to the front of the tent, opening the door slightly so she could see the familiar fields that change colour with the breeze, the morning sun glows bright and she smiles softly, wrapping her arms around her middle. She feels a more toned pair of arms snake around her waist,
"It's beautiful here."
"It really is. I'd love this, a home in the middle of nowhere. I like the cities, don't get me wrong, but this is just… It's perfect, really. The burrow has a large pond behind it, and in the winter it freezes, we used to ice skate on it," She sighs wistfully, "I don't think my future is in England, though."
"No?"
"No, too much has happened here. I actually meant to ask Tony how difficult it would be to get me American citizenship."
She can't see him, but his face is contemplative,
"Tony has enough fingers in different places to negate a lot of the paperwork, I think. If you're sure that's what you want?"
She hums,
"I've been thinking about since I was in the dungeon, I just don't see much of a future here for myself. Not anymore."
Bucky rests his chin on the top of her head,
"Then we'll make it happen."
There's a moment of silence before Bucky speaks again,
"There are places in America like this, if you know where to look."
She smiles up at him,
"Do you know where to look?"
"I can find out."
The sound of birds chirping filled the air as a brush of breeze hit them both making Hermione lean more into Bucky and he pulls her back inside the tent,
"I'm going to go into the house; do you want me to send Luna out?"
Hermione frowns nibbling on her lower lip,
"She thinks I'm a burden."
Bucky sighs,
"No, no she doesn't. That girl adores you, she's just really struggled with not having you around, it hit her really hard. Give her a chance, you'll see. None of us meant what we said to you, we just got upset. "
Hermione nods hesitantly and Bucky grins at her, ruffling her hair,
"I'll see you at twelve."
She watches him leave, his large form takes up so much space in her tent that it almost feels empty in here without him.
She grabs her beaded bag, pulling out all the clothes that she has with her. The selection isn't great, she muses as she nibbles on her lower lip. She'd had more to think about than looks, recently, but she found herself wanting to look nice for her date.
When Luna tentatively approaches the wards, Hermione allows her to come through with a wave of her wand.
Luna looks shy and unsure, her blonde hair is slightly matted and she hasn't bothered to change out of her green PJ's. Hermione takes this in, staring at her friend intently before stepping forward and pulling the now trembling girl into her arms,
"Hey, Luna."
Luna chuckles wetly,
"Hey, 'Mione."
The two girls stayed in their embrace for a few minutes before breaking apart and sitting on the cushions that Hermione and Bucky had slept on last night. For a while neither of them says anything as Hermione summons a hairbrush and begins working the knots out of Luna's hair, humming a light tune that helps Luna to relax into her touch.
"I had sex with Steve," Luna blurts out suddenly, Hermione doesn't even hesitate as she continues brushing,
"I'd noticed that you two were closer now. I'm sorry that I wasn't there to talk to."
"You're here now," Luna murmurs, "And I've been waiting a whole week for this conversation."
Hermione smiles,
"How was it? Did it hurt?"
Luna puckers her lips as she thinks,
"I suppose it did the first time, but I had a hot bath after that helped. I haven't been bothered by Wrackspurts since, though."
Hermione smiles,
"The first time?"
"Oh yes, Steve's rather good at it. I'd like to ask him to be my boyfriend, though. I'd like to go on dates, dress up. I want a normal life for a while, you know?"
Hermione sighs,
"I know exactly what you mean. I can't see him turning you down, though. He's not that kind of guy."
Luna hums her agreement,
"I just wanted to talk to you first, I actually hadn't meant to sleep with him, you know? But it was right after the battle, I was tired, angry, scared and he was just there, being a perfect gentleman. He made me feel human."
"Don't regret it, Luna. It's normal, natural, even, though I do have a favour to ask, Bucky and I are having a lunch date, and I have nothing to wear, can you help me?"
Luna's face lights up,
"You really mean it?"
Hermione rolls her eyes,
"Of course I do, I wouldn't ask otherwise."
"I'd love to help you, I have some nice bits up in my room, I'll bring them down!" She claps her hands like an excited teenager, running out of the tent with the same grace that she seemed to carry with her in everything she did.
Less than a minute later, she was back, her cheeks flushed and her hair wild around her face. In her arms, she held a bundle of jumpers, dresses, skirts, shirts and shoes. If you could think of it, it was there.
Hermione's eyes widened, she'd been expecting clothes that Luna, herself, enjoyed. Bright colours, loud items with charms and various animals printed on them, but on first glance, a lot of it was really rather ordinary. Hermione raised a curious brow at Luna who smiled softly,
"These were my mums, but they were so nice that daddy said I could keep them. I'm sure there's something here that will suit you."
Hermione smiled sadly at her friend,
"Luna, I can't wear your mum's clothes. That should be for you."
Luna holds up a maroon, knee length dress that had a lot of flare and shook her head,
"Don't be silly, I have it, so you have it. You're my best friend."
Luna had Hermione try on a lot of clothes, everything from a green silk button up with a dark pair of jeans, to a bright pink leather jacket. Everything that she tries on, Hermione shakes her head at.
She can see Luna's building frustration, but the blonde girl didn't seem to see what Hermione did when she looked in the mirror,
"Maybe I should just cancel."
Luna glares frostily,
"You don't want to do that," her gaze softens, "Tell me what's bothering you, why don't you like any of the clothes you've tried on?"
Hermione wilts under her gaze, setting herself down on a chair,
"I look awful, Luna. The clothes are lovely, but me? I had a figure once, curves in good places, now I just look sick and I don't feel beautiful. I just wanted to feel beautiful." A single tear slides down her cheek and Luna kneels in front of her, her eyes soft,
"Hermione, you could go in a dirty potato sack and that man would still think you're the most beautiful girl in the world. He adores you, without you even trying," Luna takes Hermione's hands in hers, "When you were sick, after the battle, he looked after you every day. Fed you, brushed your hair, comforted you and still looked at you with this undivided attention. You're beautiful, Hermione. I wish you could see that, I wish you could see yourself the way we all see you."
A throat clears behind them and Hermione whirls to see Harry stood there, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck,
"You've always been beautiful, Hermione. She's right. I was hoping to come and sit with you before you go, but I'll just-"
"You can help us!" Luna cuts him off with a dreamy smile,
"Help me pick an outfit for Hermione. We're running out of time, now."
Harry nods, a dark blush on his face as Luna pulls him over to the clothes. Hermione watches them with a fond smile, she hadn't felt embarrassed around Harry since the first week after they'd been on the run, and there wasn't time for modesty or embarrassment.
When Luna and Harry came over, they placed the chosen clothes into her hands and told her to go change,
"This is what you're wearing, no ifs or buts."
They'd chosen well, she decided. They'd gone for a black knitted jumper dress, which had a large turtleneck style top that fell loosely around her chest, highlighting her cleavage. A pair of shimmer tights made her legs almost sparkle in the sun and they'd gone for a pair of black suede knee high flat boots. The outfit was nice, and it hugged what was left of her figure in a way that Ginny would have called 'Daring'.
When she stepped back out to her friends, they both grinned at her. Luna's face lit up and she turned, giving Harry a hug,
"You have a good eye, Harry. I wouldn't have put that together."
Harry seems to be wearing a permanent blush now, but he's grinning at the praise. They sit Hermione back in the chair and Harry starts murmuring charms, waving his wand in a way that she knew Luna had just that moment taught him. She felt her hair moving around her head and Luna was carefully applying some light make up, a spot of gloss on her lips, some eye liner and mascara.
When she looked in the mirror, her hand flew to her mouth. They'd done a great job of her, she thought. The make-up was subtle, highlighting the features on her face delicately and her hair was styled into a braided crown, half up and half down, reaching her shoulders in soft waves. She hadn't felt this nice in a long time.
Harry caught her eye,
"We should have told you more often how nice you looked, 'Mione, but you look beautiful now. I really hope your date goes well."
Hermione smiled,
"So do I. I really like him, Harry." He just grins at her before checking his watch,
"You only have a few minutes, you should take the tent down while you have time."
She nods, grabbing her wand and her beaded bag. When they step outside, she dismantles the wards and with a flourish of her wand, the tent begins to disassemble and fly into her bag. As the last pieces fly into her bag, she hears the door open from Luna's house and she turns to the blonde girl, her heart beating hard,
"Promise that I look okay?"
Luna smiles softly, the dreamy look in her eyes doing little to reassure her friend. She wraps an arm around Hermione's shoulders, turning her to face Bucky, who freezes in his tracks when his eyes land on her, his face flushes and his eyes gleam before he marches towards her, taking one of her trembling hands in his and raising it to his lips,
"You look," He places a gentle kiss on her knuckles, "absolutely gorgeous, Doll."
The smile that blooms on her face makes his heart skip a beat as he takes her in, he'd thought she was beautiful before, but this? Bucky knew he was in trouble.
He didn't let go of her hand,
"Shall we?"
She nods her head, taking him in. He was wearing a very well fitted white button up shirt, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He'd pulled his hair back into a tight bun, making the features on his face stand out more, his lower lip was dark, indicating that he'd been nervous enough to bite it harder than he normally would and she found that thought quite endearing. He was also wearing dark jeans, and he'd swapped his combat boots out for a polished pair of formal shoes. His top button was undone, but the shirt was tucked in. Hermione thought she'd have a hard time keeping her hands to herself, today.
He saw her checking him out, and he'd almost puffed his chest out a little bit, but he was worried that the buttons on his shirt wouldn't like that very much. He led her out past the river and into a small grove of trees, and she'd held onto his hand tightly as they'd navigated the roots and dips in the ground.
He walked them a bit further, they'd been walking for almost half an hour when they'd finally reached a small pond. Harry had suggested this spot, he'd found it while exploring one night, and he'd said it was a good spot for a picnic. He'd walked Bucky down while the girls were talking, and he'd helped him set the date up. They'd hung fairy lights from the branches of the trees and laid down blankets on the ground. Harry had charmed the area to be slightly darker, to imitate an evening. He'd also put a stasis on the picnic that Bucky had prepared.
Hermione was stunned, it was simply perfect. She'd turned to Bucky, a shy smile on her face,
"You did this?"
He nods his head slowly, suddenly unsure if he'd made the right call, he hadn't wanted to ask Hermione to apparate them around for their first date, and he hadn't had any English money for a restaurant.
Hermione leans up on her tip toes, pulling his head down and kissing his cheek softly,
"It's perfect, thank you."
He can't hide the sigh of relief that escapes from his mouth and she giggles at him. He leads her to the blanket, sitting her down opposite him. He pulled two glasses out from the picnic basket that Luna had lent him,
"I know it's a bit early for drinking, but one or two glasses won't hurt anyone."
He hands her a glass and the pulls a bottle of wine from the hamper,
"Luna said this was elf-made wine, she said you'd like it." He pours her a decent sized glass, pouring some for himself as well.
Hermione took a sip, it was sharp but also sweet, it tickled her tongue and tasted faintly of strawberries,
"It's perfect, Bucky."
He smiles at her, clinking their glasses together,
"To us."
She smiles,
"To us."
He pulls the food out, he'd brought strawberries and a fruit that Luna called a 'dirigble plumb' and both fruits were fresh from Luna's garden, he'd been shocked to see that the plumbs had grown upside down. He'd also bought along a plate of cookies that he'd baked with Steve that morning and a bowl of vanilla ice-cream. Really, he hadn't been able to prepare too much because he hadn't had the time after they'd finished getting the spot ready.
Hermione had smiled though, her eyes lighting up as she took it all in. When she'd looked at Bucky after he'd laid it all out, he couldn't see the emptiness that was usually present in her gaze, instead he found her eyes to be sparkling, enchanting pools of chocolate that seemed to want to lock him in place. She'd never looked more stunning that she had in that moment,
"Strawberries are my favourite."
And, after watching her use one to scoop up a small bit of ice-creams and then bite into it the way she had, he suddenly found that they were his favourite, now, too. Her lips had closed around the strawberry almost provocatively in a way that he was sure she hadn't meant, but the image would be locked in his mind for a while. He'd cleared his throat, picking up one of the funny orange plumbs and biting into it hesitantly. He was surprised at the sweetness of them, and it must have shown on his face because Hermione had giggled,
"They're shockingly good, aren't they?"
Then she'd picked one up, scooped some ice cream onto it, and she'd leaned over, gently feeding it to him. He'd nipped her fingers when she did and she had gently tapped his nose with her index finger,
"Be nice, Bucky."
He'd fed her a strawberry, and they'd continued like that for a while, just giggling and feeding each other fruits.
The cookies were still warm, thanks to the charm Harry had put on them, and he nervously watched as Hermione tried one, until she'd moaned and he'd grinned. He'd enjoyed baking before the war; it was something he'd done with his sisters.
They'd laid on the blanket together, looking up at the fairy lights and his hand found hers, his fingers snaking around hers. She'd smiled up at him,
"This is perfect. I never want this to end."
He smiled at her,
"It's almost perfect."
"Almost?"
He'd dipped his finger into the ice cream, then he'd put it on her nose, making her eyes widen when he leant forward to kiss it off, making a dark blush travel up her face,
"You're adorable when you blush like that."
She sucked in a breath, ignoring her hammering heart; she'd scooped up a bit of ice cream and gently grazed it along his lower lip, his eyes following her fingers as she licked the rest off. Then she'd leaned up to him, catching his lips in hers. He'd frozen at first, and just when she'd started to pull away, he'd kissed her back, looping a hand into her hair and pulling her closer as she nipped on his lower lip, making him groan. The kiss was gentle, exploring. And Hermione's hand had unconsciously pulled Bucky's hair out of its bun.
When they'd broken apart, both of them were blushing, their lips slightly swollen. Bucky pressed his forehead into hers,
"Cheeky witch," He grumbled as he pulled her to her feet, "What ever will I do with you?"
She grins up at him,
"I don't know, what will you do?"
He smiles, pulling his phone out,
"Take a picture with me?"
They pose for photos, a few with smiles, one with a kiss and a couple of funnier ones, poking their tongues out.
Then, he pressed a button and some music began to play. He set the phone down, offering his hand to Hermione,
"It would be a waste of your outfit if I didn't get at least one dance, Doll."
She shyly puts her hand in his, letting him lead her in a slow dance, swaying her hips to the music as he twirled her around,
"You really look wonderful, Hermione."
She smiles up at him,
"Thank you. You've brushed up quite well, too."
He pulls her tighter to his chest, spinning with her,
"Have you had a good time?"
"I've had a great time, actually."
He grins, letting go with one hand to spin her and she twirls beautifully, leaning into a dip which he takes advantage of to kiss her softly,
"I'm glad," He murmurs against her lips, his breath warming her cheeks and she smiles, leaning in for another brief kiss before he straightens her out, pulling her back into his arms.
Hermione rests her head on his chest as they sway, she hadn't imagined that it would be like this, she'd thought it would be more awkward, more shy. But then, she supposes, Bucky and her had an almost natural ease with each other, it came as naturally as breathing, and had done since day one really.
"So, you'd call this a successful first date?"
She grins up at him, her eyes gleaming with mischief,
"First date?"
He smirks as they twirl,
"The first of many, I think."
"In that case, Mister Barnes, I would definitely call this a successful first date."
They twirl and spin for a while longer, no longer trying to keep with the music, but dancing for the sake of it. They're in the middle of another twirl when Hermione's foot gets caught under a root, sending them both to the floor in a fit of giggles, Bucky had caught her, and she'd landed on his chest until he flipped them over, so that he was looking down at her, his eyes locked on hers and his face suddenly serious,
"Be mine?"
Her eyes widen, a shy smile blooming over her cheeks and into her eyes,
"As if I'd say no."
He leans in, stealing another kiss from her and she loops her arms around his neck, pressing them both together, he has one hand on her hip and another keeping himself from crushing her.
After a few moments, they break away with matching smiles and he lays down next to her, staring up at the sky. It was easy to forget that they still had most of the day left.
Hermione flicks her eyes to him,
"You know, Steve and Luna are sleeping together, but they haven't actually made it official yet?"
Bucky groans,
"That's because Steve is a bloody idiot, doing it all in the wrong order. His Ma would not have approved."
Hermione smiles slightly,
"Xeno, Luna's dad, probably wouldn't mind. He was more away with the fairies than Luna has ever been."
Bucky frowns,
"I'm not sure that's possible."
She giggles at him,
"One day, you'll meet him and then you'll understand."
He just shakes his head,
"I highly doubt I'll ever understand Luna."
They chat for a while, Bucky tells her about his life before the war, about the close friendship he had with Steve and Hermione tells him stories from Hogwarts until Bucky sighs,
"We should head back; it's almost time to go."
Hermione swallows her disappointment, part of her wanted to stay right here, in this moment.
She lets him help her to her feet, and she shyly holds out her hand, because suddenly all the little things that came so naturally, the small touches and gestures, seemed to mean to much more. She couldn't stop her sigh of relief when Bucky didn't hesitate, looping his fingers through hers as he grabbed the basket, which they'd filled with all the things he'd bought out here and they began to walk back to The Rook, swinging their arms between them.
A.N. Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Marvel. Please review! Please remember that this doesn't follow canon at all, so some of the characters may behave a bit differently to what you are used to! If anyone wants to design me a cover, please feel free!