Vana'diel Potter
A Fanfic by Viral Inque Author's Note: This is a Harry Potter fic set in FFXI's world of Vana'diel. It was inspired by my own character in FFXI, who's name happens to be Fleurdelacour. Stop by and say hi if you see me wandering around the streets of San d'Oria. I'm back in San d'Oria again, which is great, but I'm having trouble setting aside time for my story. But I'll continue writing this fic as long as you want to read it. Let me know what you think, good or bad. Enjoy.
Chapter III: Up the Right Tree
Harry was awakened by something hitting him from behind. He looked back sleepily to see Fleur standing behind him, rubbing her eyes and kneeing him softly in the back through the gap in the barn wall. She yawned and dropped Harry's robes on his head. Harry felt uneasy at the idea of waking up to find a girl standing over him.
"I'm sorry, 'Arry, but we 'ave to move," Fleur said through a yawn.
Harry stood up and stretched. His neck was sore from sleeping in an awkward position. He looked up see it was early morning, as the sky was still lightening. He couldn't have been asleep for more then two hours. It was also still chilly, and he gratefully slipped his robes back on.
"We 'ave to get something to eat soon, too. I'm starving," Fleur continued, nudging him out of the way so she could step out of the barn. She stretched like a cat and yawned again. Harry actually froze in amazement at the sight of how perfect she still looked after a full nights sleep. "What?" she asked when she noticed him looking at her.
"Nothing," Harry blushed. He checked to see that the fire was completely extinguished, and they headed out immediately.
Harry felt miserable. He wanted to brush his teeth, to take a shower, and to sit in the Great Hall for a bowl of hot porridge. Then he'd sleep for the rest of the day or two. Instead, all he could do was drag himself along the dusty path, kicking up clouds of dirt behind him. His shook his head dreamily as he realized he'd almost forgotten the events of just a few hours earlier.
He told Fleur everything that had happened with the rabbit-thing he had run into, embellishing his story a little without thinking about it. He showed her the crystal the creature had left behind after it shriveled up.
"It's not very pretty, is it?" Fleur said, turning her head at the smell still lingering on the crystal, "What does it do?"
Harry shrugged lazily and pocketed the stone. The two didn't say much after that, both too tired and too hungry to really want to bother. They walked sluggishly along the path until the sun was high in the sky above them. Fleur insisted they stop for a minute, and Harry fell thankfully to the ground.
"I can't take much more of zis," Fleur moaned, clutching at her stomach.
"Me neither," Harry sighed, looking guiltily at Fleur holding her stomach, having eaten her only food last night.
They wouldn't make it very far if they didn't have the energy to walk. It certainly didn't seem like they would be running into civilization any time soon. Harry forced his brain into action in the early hour to try and find a solution to the problem. He look at the sides of the road, which had been repopulated by giant, bamboo-like plants that impeded progress in any direction but along the dirt pathway. He kicked at the plants, but they didn't so much as give an inch.
An idea occurred to Harry. They hadn't run into one person, not a human one at least, since they had gotten there almost a day ago. So it was safe to assume that the area they had been moving through was fairly uninhabited, aside from the well worn road they had been walking on.
"Wouldn't you think there'd be some fruit trees or berry bushes around here somewhere, since there aren't people around here to eat them?" Harry asked hopefully.
"What are you getting at, 'Arry?" Fleur asked, intrigued by the question.
"Well, since no people live anywhere nearby, if there was, say, an apple tree nearby, it wouldn't have been harvested to sell at markets or whatever," Harry said excitedly, his idea sounding better the more it formed in his head, "And frankly, the only animals we've seen in the area so far seem to be carnivores exclusively, so-"
"Zere's a chance zere's food we can eat somewhere around 'ere," Fleur finished, looking optimistic, "But there is also a chance zat zere isn't any such zing as fruit 'ere. Do you zink it is worth checking out?"
"I think so," Harry answered.
"What are we talking about?" Fleur said, her optimism replaced by concern, "'Ow are we supposed to look for anything, when we can't go anywhere but forward?"
Fleur pointed first to her left, then to her right, at the bamboo-like plants. Harry's heart sank. He never would have thought, after all he had been through, that he'd end up starving to death.
"Wait!" Fleur screamed, jumping to her feet, sending several birds hanging around the road into the air, "Come 'ere, 'Arry!"
Harry stood up and walked over next to Fleur. He looked at her, puzzled and waiting for instruction.
"Oh, sorry, get on your knees, 'Arry," Fleur stated simply, pointing down at the ground in front of her.
"What?" Harry cried, clearly confused.
"Just do it," Fleur sighed, putting a hand on her hip, "You'll see."
Harry did as he was told, unperturbed by getting the knees of his jeans dirty, since he was already filthy with dry dirt from the road. Fleur placed a foot on Harry's back, then tentatively, the other. Fleur hardly looked very heavy, so Harry was surprised as his back cracked under her weight. She shook unsteadily as she tried to balance herself on Harry's back. Harry winced as he struggled to hold Fleur up. Then Fleur went on her tiptoes, focusing her weight, and Harry's pain, on an even smaller area of his back.
Finally, Fleur was stable and Harry chanced a look as far up as he could. She was looking over the plants on the side of the road, scanning the area beyond them carefully. Harry's body shook again as Fleur slowly turned around to look down the opposite side. He fought to keep his arms from trembling, not wanting to admit to his extreme discomfort.
"It's 'opeless," Fleur moaned, and Harry could feel her sighing and slumping her shoulders. Harry pleaded in his mind for Fleur to get off of him, but she seemed to be standing there thinking. She turned again, this time facing the road in the direction they had been walking.
"Zere!" she cried, and Harry groaned as he fought to keep Fleur balanced while she made a sudden movement, presumably pointing at something. "Zere is a small grove of trees up ahead. It could be anything, but it looks very promising."
"Good," Harry groaned, "Let's go. Now."
Fleur slowly climbed down off Harry. As they continued walking down the road, Harry kept a step or two behind Fleur so he could nurse his aching back. When Fleur thought they might have walked far enough, she asked Harry to get down on his knees again. She explained that they had a little while longer to go.
They walked some more, and for a third time Harry had to bend down so Fleur could stand on his back. She quickly got back down, much to Harry's relief. She took five calculated strides back the way they had come. She stopped and stood there, pointing at the bamboo plants in front of her.
"It's zis way," she announced.
"That's great, Fleur," Harry said, "But now what?"
"Ze same as with ze fire last night, I supposed," Fleur shrugged.
They stood shoulder to shoulder, pointing their wands at the same strand of thick branches. "Expelliarmus!" they both shouted. The first couple of rows of plants parted like they were bending in a hard breeze, only to reveal more.
They repeated the process over and over, until both their voices started going hoarse. It was difficult moving, in a very tight space, and they had to lean on the branches to keep them from bending back. Soon, Harry was dizzy from the exertion and lack of food. To his surprise, Fleur pressed on relentlessly and without seeming to tire, a fine sweat forming on her forehead.
After what felt like an eternity, the branches seemed like they were starting to thin. This propelled Harry forward, determined to reach his goal. He tried not to entertain the idea that they could be heading towards nothing special- nothing they could eat anyway. With one last casting of the charm, the branches parted and then there were instantly no more. Instead, they found themselves standing in front of a glittering pond. The water was so clear you could see colorful little fish swimming around in the pristine water.
"Wow," Harry stated, watching a toad, or something like one, hop out of the water and onto a water lily.
"Yeah, I didn't even see ze pond from ze road," Fleur looked around her in awe.
Beyond the pond, there was a small cluster of lush trees. They seemed so out of place compared to the rough, emotionless branches they had just waded through. From the trees hung white, pear shaped fruit the size of grapefruits. Harry's mouth watered uncontrollably.
"Do you see what I see?" Harry smiled, pointing up at the trees.
"Yes, yes I do," Fleur laughed, and they ran, almost skipped actually, around the pond and to the nearest tree.
The fruit on the trees was so heavy that the branches holding them bent down to meet then eagerly. They each plucked two nice sized pieces and plopped down to the ground where they were standing. The skin of the fruit was rough and fuzzy, but once you ripped through that you found a juicy, creamy inside. Harry thought they tasted like a pineapple and mango smoothie, if there was such a thing.
Etiquette went out the window as the two of them ripped into the fruits and filled their empty stomachs. It was like a scene from a documentary on cave people. They communicated with grunts and hand signals and they wiped their mouths on the sleeves of their robes. After finishing their first piece, they paused long enough to smile at each other and give a thumbs up sign before digging into their second pieces.
When he was done, Harry tossed his empty rind aside casually, and fell back onto the soft grass, taking a moment to catch his breath. He felt like he'd just eaten a slice of heaven. Food had never tasted so good. Soon after, Fleur tossed the hollow skin of her fruit aside and smacked her lips in delight.
"I sure 'ope zose weren't poisonous," Fleur stated nonchalantly.
"I would die happily," Harry laughed. After a slight pause, he added thoughtfully, "Say, what would you say to some fish?"
"I would say zat would make my day," Fleur smiled, looking at Harry hopefully with a raised eyebrow, "What do you propose?"
Harry sat up and eyed the pond, trying to formulate a plan of attack. He watched the fish swimming blithely through the water, oblivious to their presence. The more he thought about it, the more he became determined to get his hands on one of them, and his stomach egged him on silently. Unfortunately, he really didn't see how he could do it.
"Well," Harry said, half to himself, "There is one way."
"Yes?" Fleur implored probingly.
Harry got to his feet and threw off his robes, then tossed his wand carefully on top of them. Fleur watched him closely. Harry proceeded to kick off his sneakers and socks. Then he rolled the legs of his pants up to his knees.
"You can't be serious, 'Arry Potter," Fleur sniggered in disbelief.
"Sink or swim, Fleur. I don't plan on sharing," Harry smiled, taunting and daring Fleur to follow him as he walked towards the pond.
Fleur stood up and took a step forward, then a second, but stopped short hesitantly. She watched Harry step into the water in amusement. She felt silly doing it, but she took off her robes and kicked off her shoes. She waded into the water and turned to Harry.
"What now? We're supposed to make like bears?" she asked, shaking her head, unable to believe what she was doing.
"Unless you got a better idea," Harry shrugged, "Those fish sure look tasty."
"Oh, fine," Fleur sighed.
They both plunged their hands into the shallow, cool water. Their efforts to keep their clothes dry was wasted as water splashed up on Harry's jeans and Fleur's pleated blue skirt. They waited for the water to stop rippling so they could clearly see down into the pond. The colorful fish that made the pond home scattered when they plunged their hands in, then went on about their business once the water calmed. They scampered casually through their legs and around their still hands.
Harry was the first to make a move. He clasped his hands together as a fish scurried between his hands. The fish slipped out of his grasp effortlessly and swam on unperturbed. Fleur watched this intently, and took a go at it when a fish brushed by her left hand. She grabbed the fish's tail between her thumb and index finger. The fish flopped around madly as Fleur tried to pluck him out of the water, and slipped free before he even broke the surface of the pond.
Fleur growled under her breath. She starting snatching at every fish that came near here, splashing more water on their clothes. All the fish wisely moved away from them. Harry shot Fleur a frustrated look, which she returned by sticking her tongue out at him.
"Why are we doing zis," Fleur said, standing up straight and placing her hands on her hips, "We are already wet."
Fleur waded out of the pond and back to where their belongings were sitting. She grabbed her robe, then after a moments consideration took Harry's instead, and walked back into the water.
"'Ere, take one end," she said, snapping the robe in the air, which Harry caught clumsily in midair.
They dipped Fleur's robe into the water about six inches, and spread it out as far as it would go. The pond itself wasn't more then a foot deep top to bottom, and soon fish could be seen passing over the robe.
"On ze mark of zree," Fleur whispered, "Zree!"
They ripped the robe out of the pond. Water seeped through the material of Harry's robe until all that was left was three fish flopping around and gasping for breath.
"We did it!" Fleur cried.
They wrapped the fish up in the robe and waded out of the pond. One of the three fish turned out to be too small to even eat, so they dropped it gently back into the water. It swan away nervously back among its brothers.
They built another fire much the same way they had done the night before. They impaled the two fish onto long, sharp branches and stabbed the branches into the soft ground at an angle to the fire. In no time the smell of freshly cooking fish wafted into the air. Fat cooked off the fish and landed in the fire with a sizzle.
"We should really concentrate on finding a way 'ome once we are done 'ere," Fleur mused quietly as she watch the fish cook.
"Yeah, I know, I had almost forgotten myself," Harry realized.
When the fish were a golden brown they pulled them away from the fire. They forewent ettiquette again and bit into the fish off the end of the sticks. They tasted as good as the fruit from the trees and in no time there was nothing left but two fishy skeletons.
"Just give me a minute Fleur and we'll head out," Harry said, rubbing a hand over his swollen belly.
"I zink our safest bet is to keep following the road," Fleur said, craning her neck to look down into the direction they would be heading, "I'm sure there's a town or somezing in zat direction. I zink I saw someone earlier, but zen again it might not 'ave been a person at all."
But Fleur wasn't talking to Harry anymore. He was fast asleep next to her.
"Great, we are never getting 'ome."
A Fanfic by Viral Inque Author's Note: This is a Harry Potter fic set in FFXI's world of Vana'diel. It was inspired by my own character in FFXI, who's name happens to be Fleurdelacour. Stop by and say hi if you see me wandering around the streets of San d'Oria. I'm back in San d'Oria again, which is great, but I'm having trouble setting aside time for my story. But I'll continue writing this fic as long as you want to read it. Let me know what you think, good or bad. Enjoy.
Chapter III: Up the Right Tree
Harry was awakened by something hitting him from behind. He looked back sleepily to see Fleur standing behind him, rubbing her eyes and kneeing him softly in the back through the gap in the barn wall. She yawned and dropped Harry's robes on his head. Harry felt uneasy at the idea of waking up to find a girl standing over him.
"I'm sorry, 'Arry, but we 'ave to move," Fleur said through a yawn.
Harry stood up and stretched. His neck was sore from sleeping in an awkward position. He looked up see it was early morning, as the sky was still lightening. He couldn't have been asleep for more then two hours. It was also still chilly, and he gratefully slipped his robes back on.
"We 'ave to get something to eat soon, too. I'm starving," Fleur continued, nudging him out of the way so she could step out of the barn. She stretched like a cat and yawned again. Harry actually froze in amazement at the sight of how perfect she still looked after a full nights sleep. "What?" she asked when she noticed him looking at her.
"Nothing," Harry blushed. He checked to see that the fire was completely extinguished, and they headed out immediately.
Harry felt miserable. He wanted to brush his teeth, to take a shower, and to sit in the Great Hall for a bowl of hot porridge. Then he'd sleep for the rest of the day or two. Instead, all he could do was drag himself along the dusty path, kicking up clouds of dirt behind him. His shook his head dreamily as he realized he'd almost forgotten the events of just a few hours earlier.
He told Fleur everything that had happened with the rabbit-thing he had run into, embellishing his story a little without thinking about it. He showed her the crystal the creature had left behind after it shriveled up.
"It's not very pretty, is it?" Fleur said, turning her head at the smell still lingering on the crystal, "What does it do?"
Harry shrugged lazily and pocketed the stone. The two didn't say much after that, both too tired and too hungry to really want to bother. They walked sluggishly along the path until the sun was high in the sky above them. Fleur insisted they stop for a minute, and Harry fell thankfully to the ground.
"I can't take much more of zis," Fleur moaned, clutching at her stomach.
"Me neither," Harry sighed, looking guiltily at Fleur holding her stomach, having eaten her only food last night.
They wouldn't make it very far if they didn't have the energy to walk. It certainly didn't seem like they would be running into civilization any time soon. Harry forced his brain into action in the early hour to try and find a solution to the problem. He look at the sides of the road, which had been repopulated by giant, bamboo-like plants that impeded progress in any direction but along the dirt pathway. He kicked at the plants, but they didn't so much as give an inch.
An idea occurred to Harry. They hadn't run into one person, not a human one at least, since they had gotten there almost a day ago. So it was safe to assume that the area they had been moving through was fairly uninhabited, aside from the well worn road they had been walking on.
"Wouldn't you think there'd be some fruit trees or berry bushes around here somewhere, since there aren't people around here to eat them?" Harry asked hopefully.
"What are you getting at, 'Arry?" Fleur asked, intrigued by the question.
"Well, since no people live anywhere nearby, if there was, say, an apple tree nearby, it wouldn't have been harvested to sell at markets or whatever," Harry said excitedly, his idea sounding better the more it formed in his head, "And frankly, the only animals we've seen in the area so far seem to be carnivores exclusively, so-"
"Zere's a chance zere's food we can eat somewhere around 'ere," Fleur finished, looking optimistic, "But there is also a chance zat zere isn't any such zing as fruit 'ere. Do you zink it is worth checking out?"
"I think so," Harry answered.
"What are we talking about?" Fleur said, her optimism replaced by concern, "'Ow are we supposed to look for anything, when we can't go anywhere but forward?"
Fleur pointed first to her left, then to her right, at the bamboo-like plants. Harry's heart sank. He never would have thought, after all he had been through, that he'd end up starving to death.
"Wait!" Fleur screamed, jumping to her feet, sending several birds hanging around the road into the air, "Come 'ere, 'Arry!"
Harry stood up and walked over next to Fleur. He looked at her, puzzled and waiting for instruction.
"Oh, sorry, get on your knees, 'Arry," Fleur stated simply, pointing down at the ground in front of her.
"What?" Harry cried, clearly confused.
"Just do it," Fleur sighed, putting a hand on her hip, "You'll see."
Harry did as he was told, unperturbed by getting the knees of his jeans dirty, since he was already filthy with dry dirt from the road. Fleur placed a foot on Harry's back, then tentatively, the other. Fleur hardly looked very heavy, so Harry was surprised as his back cracked under her weight. She shook unsteadily as she tried to balance herself on Harry's back. Harry winced as he struggled to hold Fleur up. Then Fleur went on her tiptoes, focusing her weight, and Harry's pain, on an even smaller area of his back.
Finally, Fleur was stable and Harry chanced a look as far up as he could. She was looking over the plants on the side of the road, scanning the area beyond them carefully. Harry's body shook again as Fleur slowly turned around to look down the opposite side. He fought to keep his arms from trembling, not wanting to admit to his extreme discomfort.
"It's 'opeless," Fleur moaned, and Harry could feel her sighing and slumping her shoulders. Harry pleaded in his mind for Fleur to get off of him, but she seemed to be standing there thinking. She turned again, this time facing the road in the direction they had been walking.
"Zere!" she cried, and Harry groaned as he fought to keep Fleur balanced while she made a sudden movement, presumably pointing at something. "Zere is a small grove of trees up ahead. It could be anything, but it looks very promising."
"Good," Harry groaned, "Let's go. Now."
Fleur slowly climbed down off Harry. As they continued walking down the road, Harry kept a step or two behind Fleur so he could nurse his aching back. When Fleur thought they might have walked far enough, she asked Harry to get down on his knees again. She explained that they had a little while longer to go.
They walked some more, and for a third time Harry had to bend down so Fleur could stand on his back. She quickly got back down, much to Harry's relief. She took five calculated strides back the way they had come. She stopped and stood there, pointing at the bamboo plants in front of her.
"It's zis way," she announced.
"That's great, Fleur," Harry said, "But now what?"
"Ze same as with ze fire last night, I supposed," Fleur shrugged.
They stood shoulder to shoulder, pointing their wands at the same strand of thick branches. "Expelliarmus!" they both shouted. The first couple of rows of plants parted like they were bending in a hard breeze, only to reveal more.
They repeated the process over and over, until both their voices started going hoarse. It was difficult moving, in a very tight space, and they had to lean on the branches to keep them from bending back. Soon, Harry was dizzy from the exertion and lack of food. To his surprise, Fleur pressed on relentlessly and without seeming to tire, a fine sweat forming on her forehead.
After what felt like an eternity, the branches seemed like they were starting to thin. This propelled Harry forward, determined to reach his goal. He tried not to entertain the idea that they could be heading towards nothing special- nothing they could eat anyway. With one last casting of the charm, the branches parted and then there were instantly no more. Instead, they found themselves standing in front of a glittering pond. The water was so clear you could see colorful little fish swimming around in the pristine water.
"Wow," Harry stated, watching a toad, or something like one, hop out of the water and onto a water lily.
"Yeah, I didn't even see ze pond from ze road," Fleur looked around her in awe.
Beyond the pond, there was a small cluster of lush trees. They seemed so out of place compared to the rough, emotionless branches they had just waded through. From the trees hung white, pear shaped fruit the size of grapefruits. Harry's mouth watered uncontrollably.
"Do you see what I see?" Harry smiled, pointing up at the trees.
"Yes, yes I do," Fleur laughed, and they ran, almost skipped actually, around the pond and to the nearest tree.
The fruit on the trees was so heavy that the branches holding them bent down to meet then eagerly. They each plucked two nice sized pieces and plopped down to the ground where they were standing. The skin of the fruit was rough and fuzzy, but once you ripped through that you found a juicy, creamy inside. Harry thought they tasted like a pineapple and mango smoothie, if there was such a thing.
Etiquette went out the window as the two of them ripped into the fruits and filled their empty stomachs. It was like a scene from a documentary on cave people. They communicated with grunts and hand signals and they wiped their mouths on the sleeves of their robes. After finishing their first piece, they paused long enough to smile at each other and give a thumbs up sign before digging into their second pieces.
When he was done, Harry tossed his empty rind aside casually, and fell back onto the soft grass, taking a moment to catch his breath. He felt like he'd just eaten a slice of heaven. Food had never tasted so good. Soon after, Fleur tossed the hollow skin of her fruit aside and smacked her lips in delight.
"I sure 'ope zose weren't poisonous," Fleur stated nonchalantly.
"I would die happily," Harry laughed. After a slight pause, he added thoughtfully, "Say, what would you say to some fish?"
"I would say zat would make my day," Fleur smiled, looking at Harry hopefully with a raised eyebrow, "What do you propose?"
Harry sat up and eyed the pond, trying to formulate a plan of attack. He watched the fish swimming blithely through the water, oblivious to their presence. The more he thought about it, the more he became determined to get his hands on one of them, and his stomach egged him on silently. Unfortunately, he really didn't see how he could do it.
"Well," Harry said, half to himself, "There is one way."
"Yes?" Fleur implored probingly.
Harry got to his feet and threw off his robes, then tossed his wand carefully on top of them. Fleur watched him closely. Harry proceeded to kick off his sneakers and socks. Then he rolled the legs of his pants up to his knees.
"You can't be serious, 'Arry Potter," Fleur sniggered in disbelief.
"Sink or swim, Fleur. I don't plan on sharing," Harry smiled, taunting and daring Fleur to follow him as he walked towards the pond.
Fleur stood up and took a step forward, then a second, but stopped short hesitantly. She watched Harry step into the water in amusement. She felt silly doing it, but she took off her robes and kicked off her shoes. She waded into the water and turned to Harry.
"What now? We're supposed to make like bears?" she asked, shaking her head, unable to believe what she was doing.
"Unless you got a better idea," Harry shrugged, "Those fish sure look tasty."
"Oh, fine," Fleur sighed.
They both plunged their hands into the shallow, cool water. Their efforts to keep their clothes dry was wasted as water splashed up on Harry's jeans and Fleur's pleated blue skirt. They waited for the water to stop rippling so they could clearly see down into the pond. The colorful fish that made the pond home scattered when they plunged their hands in, then went on about their business once the water calmed. They scampered casually through their legs and around their still hands.
Harry was the first to make a move. He clasped his hands together as a fish scurried between his hands. The fish slipped out of his grasp effortlessly and swam on unperturbed. Fleur watched this intently, and took a go at it when a fish brushed by her left hand. She grabbed the fish's tail between her thumb and index finger. The fish flopped around madly as Fleur tried to pluck him out of the water, and slipped free before he even broke the surface of the pond.
Fleur growled under her breath. She starting snatching at every fish that came near here, splashing more water on their clothes. All the fish wisely moved away from them. Harry shot Fleur a frustrated look, which she returned by sticking her tongue out at him.
"Why are we doing zis," Fleur said, standing up straight and placing her hands on her hips, "We are already wet."
Fleur waded out of the pond and back to where their belongings were sitting. She grabbed her robe, then after a moments consideration took Harry's instead, and walked back into the water.
"'Ere, take one end," she said, snapping the robe in the air, which Harry caught clumsily in midair.
They dipped Fleur's robe into the water about six inches, and spread it out as far as it would go. The pond itself wasn't more then a foot deep top to bottom, and soon fish could be seen passing over the robe.
"On ze mark of zree," Fleur whispered, "Zree!"
They ripped the robe out of the pond. Water seeped through the material of Harry's robe until all that was left was three fish flopping around and gasping for breath.
"We did it!" Fleur cried.
They wrapped the fish up in the robe and waded out of the pond. One of the three fish turned out to be too small to even eat, so they dropped it gently back into the water. It swan away nervously back among its brothers.
They built another fire much the same way they had done the night before. They impaled the two fish onto long, sharp branches and stabbed the branches into the soft ground at an angle to the fire. In no time the smell of freshly cooking fish wafted into the air. Fat cooked off the fish and landed in the fire with a sizzle.
"We should really concentrate on finding a way 'ome once we are done 'ere," Fleur mused quietly as she watch the fish cook.
"Yeah, I know, I had almost forgotten myself," Harry realized.
When the fish were a golden brown they pulled them away from the fire. They forewent ettiquette again and bit into the fish off the end of the sticks. They tasted as good as the fruit from the trees and in no time there was nothing left but two fishy skeletons.
"Just give me a minute Fleur and we'll head out," Harry said, rubbing a hand over his swollen belly.
"I zink our safest bet is to keep following the road," Fleur said, craning her neck to look down into the direction they would be heading, "I'm sure there's a town or somezing in zat direction. I zink I saw someone earlier, but zen again it might not 'ave been a person at all."
But Fleur wasn't talking to Harry anymore. He was fast asleep next to her.
"Great, we are never getting 'ome."