One Tin Soldier
Chapter Fourteen: White Horses
Disclaimer: I woke up one day and wasn't J.K. Rowling. I was sad, so I decided to write Fanfiction, and this is what you get! A/N: Lyrics from a wonderful song, which I highly recommend, by Tori Amos called "Winter" ~~~~~ "Mione?" She turned around, hair flying for a moment as she jolted startled. Harry jogged up to her and flopped into a bench at her side. The wind was blowing particularly cold that afternoon, so Harry pulled his scarf tighter.
"Yeah?"
She looked over at him, curious, albeit aloof as she had been for weeks. As it was now entering October the leaves had begun to fall. Gazing over the lake, she sighed. It was late afternoon, and Ron was covering some drills with the Quidditch team while Harry took a leave. He fidgeted, glad for the time his friend had given him but feeling a bit guilty for leaving his fellow players. He was glad for the new teammates that had been selected, but he was specifically distracted by the matter at hand.
Sixth year nearly doubled their workload, and the shift from simplistic classes with only the DA to worry about to his full workload was rather shocking for Harry. Yet still he managed to compose himself.
"I need to talk to you . . . " He looked up slowly.
Hermione cast a glance at him calmly, and let out a sigh. "I can't tell you."
"What if I told you I already knew?"
"Harry??" She swung around and looked at him with panic in her eyes. He simply looked at her.
"Oh god no, how did you... Harry, no...." She looked close to tears. He froze, shocked at her response.
He touched her trembling shoulder as she stared at the water. She jumped.
"'Mione, I was teasing...."
"Well, don't..." She gasped a bit.
"You're... Shaking..."
"What the devil d'you think I'd do when I thought we were good as dead?!" She snapped. Her eyes went wide, then she lowered her head. "Oh... oh no..."
He stared at her for a moment. "Dead? What the hell are you hiding, Hermione?!"
She shook her head slowly, eyes sad. He stood suddenly.
"Dammit, if your in danger then it isn't worth it, okay?!" Her head snapped to fix on his eyes.
"Harry, but it is too worth it! I don't have a thought to live for right now but keeping you and Ron safe! Who else do I have to fight for?"
"Yourself?" He growled. He took a deep breath, regaining his composure. "It's okay for me... I'm supposed to do this, It's my future to get into this mess, but Herm.... You've got all of this wit and a lot of power... you don't have to just throw it all away on someone who's going to die anyway..." He ended lamely.
She hit him in the shoulder, and rather hard too. She stared at him furiously. "You aren't going to die, Harry!"
He groaned, nodding. "Whatever you think..." He rubbed irritably at his shoulder, and disliking her continued glare, he let out a long breath. "Okay, OKAY.... I won't die... I'll live to get really old and crusty and have piles of children..." He rolled his eyes.
"And don't forget being and Auror!"
He looked over at her, and surprisingly enough there was a grin starting. It was one of the few times he'd seen her really smile since her parent's death. He relaxed. "Oh, yeah, can't forget that... Still Voldemort's knock offs to be rid of..."
They sat in silence for a moment or two, picturing a mad man in a mask with red eyes trying to destroy the world. Somehow, though, it always became the feared wizard. They shivered a bit, the water looking cloudy in the cold. Quite suddenly, a few white flecks started down form the steely sky. Hermione rubbed her hands together, smiling weakly at the starting snow.
"But you have to promise that you're going to live too..."
"Right..." Hermione murmured. She fell silent again, watching as the snow fell harder in a soft hush around them, turning the grass white.
Harry sighed, looking up.
"Thestrals are out again..." He said, more to himself than anyone else.
"I know."
He turned, and for a moment was going to ask how she saw them, but he remembered again. He sighed deeply as she shivered a bit beside him.
"But why are they white..?" Hermione mused. Harry turned to her, looking confused. The wind blew the hair into her face softly, framing her gentle features in a mask of wonder.
"They're black, Hermione.... Maybe you should get your eyes checked...."
She glared at him. "I'm serious, they're white.... I mean, otherwise they're exactly how you described them last year, but when I see them, they're always white...."
He gave her a very strange expression. She laughed quietly at this.
"You know Harry, last year I was giving you the same look when you were talking about them..." Pulling her cloak tighter, she settled even deeper into the bench, shivering still.
He thought on this, still gazing at her quietly. After a few moments of silence, he threw his scarf around her neck casually, standing.
"It isn't much fun..." He sighed, "Is it?"
"Is what?" She asked, looking up and smiling softly at the gift of the scarf. His stomach thumped a little at her expression.
"Being able to see them..." He looked up as one dived nearby them into the woods.
She seemed thoughtful for a moment.
"I like it." He raised an eyebrow.
"Because it reminds me of my father, because he loved white horses... it reminds me of my parents, and I can't forget them...." She pulled the scarf tighter.
Raising his hand, Harry adjusted a few bits of the fabric around her neck, his finger brushing her cheek a little. The two faltered slightly, but she smiled still a bit more. Harry fell silent, and turned, walking away.
Hermione stood alone as the wind picked up and watched his receding back, rubbing her hands together before slipping on a pair of well-worn, black gloves.
~~~~~ "Winter" Snow can wait
I forgot my mittens
Wipe my nose
Get my new boots on
I get a little warm in my heart
When I think of winter
I put my hand in my father's glove
I run off where the drifts get deeper
Sleeping beauty trips me with a frown
I hear a voice
"You must learn to stand up for yourself
Cause I can't always be around"
He says
When you gonna make up your mind
When you gonna love you as much as I do
When you gonna make up your mind
Cause things are gonna change so fast
All the white horses are still in bed
I tell you that I'll always want you near
You say that things change my dear
Boys get discovered as winter melts
Flowers competing for the sun
Years go by and I'm here still waiting
Withering where some snowman was
Mirror mirror where's the crystal palace
But I only can see myself
Skating around the truth who I am
But I know dad the ice is getting thin
When you gonna make up your mind
When you gonna love you as much as I do
When you gonna make up your mind
Cause things are gonna change so fast
All the white horses are still in bed
I tell you that I'll always want you near
You say that things change my dear
Hair is gray and the fires are burning
So many dreams on the shelf
You say I wanted you to be proud of me
I always wanted that myself
When you gonna make up your mind
When you gonna love you as much as I do
When you gonna make up your mind
Cause things are gonna change so fast
All the white horses have gone ahead
I tell you that I'll always want you near
You say that things change my dear
Never change
All the white horses
Chapter Fourteen: White Horses
Disclaimer: I woke up one day and wasn't J.K. Rowling. I was sad, so I decided to write Fanfiction, and this is what you get! A/N: Lyrics from a wonderful song, which I highly recommend, by Tori Amos called "Winter" ~~~~~ "Mione?" She turned around, hair flying for a moment as she jolted startled. Harry jogged up to her and flopped into a bench at her side. The wind was blowing particularly cold that afternoon, so Harry pulled his scarf tighter.
"Yeah?"
She looked over at him, curious, albeit aloof as she had been for weeks. As it was now entering October the leaves had begun to fall. Gazing over the lake, she sighed. It was late afternoon, and Ron was covering some drills with the Quidditch team while Harry took a leave. He fidgeted, glad for the time his friend had given him but feeling a bit guilty for leaving his fellow players. He was glad for the new teammates that had been selected, but he was specifically distracted by the matter at hand.
Sixth year nearly doubled their workload, and the shift from simplistic classes with only the DA to worry about to his full workload was rather shocking for Harry. Yet still he managed to compose himself.
"I need to talk to you . . . " He looked up slowly.
Hermione cast a glance at him calmly, and let out a sigh. "I can't tell you."
"What if I told you I already knew?"
"Harry??" She swung around and looked at him with panic in her eyes. He simply looked at her.
"Oh god no, how did you... Harry, no...." She looked close to tears. He froze, shocked at her response.
He touched her trembling shoulder as she stared at the water. She jumped.
"'Mione, I was teasing...."
"Well, don't..." She gasped a bit.
"You're... Shaking..."
"What the devil d'you think I'd do when I thought we were good as dead?!" She snapped. Her eyes went wide, then she lowered her head. "Oh... oh no..."
He stared at her for a moment. "Dead? What the hell are you hiding, Hermione?!"
She shook her head slowly, eyes sad. He stood suddenly.
"Dammit, if your in danger then it isn't worth it, okay?!" Her head snapped to fix on his eyes.
"Harry, but it is too worth it! I don't have a thought to live for right now but keeping you and Ron safe! Who else do I have to fight for?"
"Yourself?" He growled. He took a deep breath, regaining his composure. "It's okay for me... I'm supposed to do this, It's my future to get into this mess, but Herm.... You've got all of this wit and a lot of power... you don't have to just throw it all away on someone who's going to die anyway..." He ended lamely.
She hit him in the shoulder, and rather hard too. She stared at him furiously. "You aren't going to die, Harry!"
He groaned, nodding. "Whatever you think..." He rubbed irritably at his shoulder, and disliking her continued glare, he let out a long breath. "Okay, OKAY.... I won't die... I'll live to get really old and crusty and have piles of children..." He rolled his eyes.
"And don't forget being and Auror!"
He looked over at her, and surprisingly enough there was a grin starting. It was one of the few times he'd seen her really smile since her parent's death. He relaxed. "Oh, yeah, can't forget that... Still Voldemort's knock offs to be rid of..."
They sat in silence for a moment or two, picturing a mad man in a mask with red eyes trying to destroy the world. Somehow, though, it always became the feared wizard. They shivered a bit, the water looking cloudy in the cold. Quite suddenly, a few white flecks started down form the steely sky. Hermione rubbed her hands together, smiling weakly at the starting snow.
"But you have to promise that you're going to live too..."
"Right..." Hermione murmured. She fell silent again, watching as the snow fell harder in a soft hush around them, turning the grass white.
Harry sighed, looking up.
"Thestrals are out again..." He said, more to himself than anyone else.
"I know."
He turned, and for a moment was going to ask how she saw them, but he remembered again. He sighed deeply as she shivered a bit beside him.
"But why are they white..?" Hermione mused. Harry turned to her, looking confused. The wind blew the hair into her face softly, framing her gentle features in a mask of wonder.
"They're black, Hermione.... Maybe you should get your eyes checked...."
She glared at him. "I'm serious, they're white.... I mean, otherwise they're exactly how you described them last year, but when I see them, they're always white...."
He gave her a very strange expression. She laughed quietly at this.
"You know Harry, last year I was giving you the same look when you were talking about them..." Pulling her cloak tighter, she settled even deeper into the bench, shivering still.
He thought on this, still gazing at her quietly. After a few moments of silence, he threw his scarf around her neck casually, standing.
"It isn't much fun..." He sighed, "Is it?"
"Is what?" She asked, looking up and smiling softly at the gift of the scarf. His stomach thumped a little at her expression.
"Being able to see them..." He looked up as one dived nearby them into the woods.
She seemed thoughtful for a moment.
"I like it." He raised an eyebrow.
"Because it reminds me of my father, because he loved white horses... it reminds me of my parents, and I can't forget them...." She pulled the scarf tighter.
Raising his hand, Harry adjusted a few bits of the fabric around her neck, his finger brushing her cheek a little. The two faltered slightly, but she smiled still a bit more. Harry fell silent, and turned, walking away.
Hermione stood alone as the wind picked up and watched his receding back, rubbing her hands together before slipping on a pair of well-worn, black gloves.
~~~~~ "Winter" Snow can wait
I forgot my mittens
Wipe my nose
Get my new boots on
I get a little warm in my heart
When I think of winter
I put my hand in my father's glove
I run off where the drifts get deeper
Sleeping beauty trips me with a frown
I hear a voice
"You must learn to stand up for yourself
Cause I can't always be around"
He says
When you gonna make up your mind
When you gonna love you as much as I do
When you gonna make up your mind
Cause things are gonna change so fast
All the white horses are still in bed
I tell you that I'll always want you near
You say that things change my dear
Boys get discovered as winter melts
Flowers competing for the sun
Years go by and I'm here still waiting
Withering where some snowman was
Mirror mirror where's the crystal palace
But I only can see myself
Skating around the truth who I am
But I know dad the ice is getting thin
When you gonna make up your mind
When you gonna love you as much as I do
When you gonna make up your mind
Cause things are gonna change so fast
All the white horses are still in bed
I tell you that I'll always want you near
You say that things change my dear
Hair is gray and the fires are burning
So many dreams on the shelf
You say I wanted you to be proud of me
I always wanted that myself
When you gonna make up your mind
When you gonna love you as much as I do
When you gonna make up your mind
Cause things are gonna change so fast
All the white horses have gone ahead
I tell you that I'll always want you near
You say that things change my dear
Never change
All the white horses