A/N: Hey to everyone whos followed/favourited and a special hey to Loompy! Let me know how we're vibing with this, thoughts etc! We've got some violence, angst and other lovely things on the way.

Also, Merry Christmas everyone! I Hope it's great for you all.

Kass

Chapter 2

There wasn't much of the night left when Hermione had finally given up the ghost and made her way to bed. She had spent hours staring at different maps and calculating different plans and routes. Her bright eyes had begun to sting and the small fire she had ignited in the stone hearth had smouldered down to a small cracking ember. A chill had settled into the room only sheltered by the fabric walls of the tent and she found that even though the tail end of summer was dwindling, it was much cooler than the day had been.

She sat back and stretched a little, twisting around in her seat to stretch her spine out. She felt as if she had bunched her shoulders up around her ears over the past few hours and definitely needed to lay down. There had been no rest since she had gotten up to get ready for the Quidditch world cup that morning.

With a quiet yawn she considered the fact that Storm hadn't quite made a reappearance yet that evening and she wasn't really sure if she was going to at all. The Shifter had a knack for avoiding awkward situations, she had always had the same talent and if this was anything it was awkward; that was for sure. Never would Hermione have expected to end up in such a situation with the Shifter she had once known so well.

She had thought twice about grabbing her before disapparating but had known she couldn't leave the girl, not there. There had been a time when Storm had saved her life without thought for her own safety and she owed her at least the same kindness. She wouldn't have been able to forgive herself for leaving the Shifter to certain death no matter how much she detested the younger witch.

There was plenty of history between them and not all of it was strictly friendly nor was it all pleasant. During their last year of Hogwarts they had quickly ventured into more of a romantic relationship that they had kept well hidden from the rest of the school. Hermione had quickly fallen for the shifter that she hadn't ever really given the time of day before that year or more specifically their encounter during the battle. They had quickly become quite attached to each other, and had even made plans for what the future might hold once their time at Hogwarts had come to an end.

Though, as the year had drawn to an end she had called it quits ahead of starting a life and a career outside of the school and they had gone their separate ways. She had allowed her fear to get ahold of her and had allowed it to push its way between them. She had convinced herself that it was for the best and that they could always rekindle their romance after they had settled into their respective lives. Storm had taken it well and had been willing to do whatever Hermione had wanted, willing to back off if that's what Hermione said she needed. Hermione had believed her and had been hopeful.

Her detest had come soon after. It had been the night after their conversation and respective breakup; one of the last they'd ever spend at Hogwarts and Hermione had considered her decision as she sat alone in her private dorm hours after everyone else had gone to bed. Storm had snuck out of the common room at sometime during the evening, citing going for a run as she had wandered past the brunette herself and Ginny. Hermione had made the snap decision to pull on her dressing gown and grab a book to settle down in front of the fire with in the common room to wait for the Shifter to return.

It had been the early hours of the morning when Storm eventually snuck in through the portrait hole. She had stumbled to a halt as soon as she had seen the brunette still sat there and looked almost as if she was merely a deer caught in the headlights. Her dark eyes were wide and she stared a little dumbly for a moment as if waiting for a fallout. It took a moment for Hermione to notice in the darkness, but she soon caught up to the situation. Storm was disheveled to say the least, her clothes were eschew and her hair was stood up in all sorts of directions. She had a very familiar look on her face that had told Hermione everything she had needed to know. She had stuttered something about not expecting Hermione to still be awake as she had stepped further into the common room after a moment of simply staring at each other in equal disbelief.

There had been immediate anger followed by an immediate sadness and feeling of betrayal welling in the pit of Hermione's stomach as she had simply stared at the girl she had been so attached to. As she stared at the girl she had been waiting for to ensure she was safe, to ask if she wanted to stay in her own quarters that night. Confusion pulled at her mind rapidly as another wave of emotion hit and hot tears pricked at her eyes as she considered how it was possible for Storm to do such things so soon after their end.

She had stood straight up then before the Shifter could get any more words out and had bolted to her own Headgirls room and had slammed the door behind herself, the sound echoing harshly to accentuate her rage. She had never expected anything of the sort, never expected the Shifter to be so callous when it came to such things. But she had been wrong, very wrong. She had convinced herself she had been wrong about everything.

It was at that point she had decided to severe all ties, to cut the Shifter off entirely and move on with her life sans Storm. It had been difficult and she had seen her at almost every holiday at the Weasley's home in the years that followed. They had shared cordial hellos and Storm had the sense to stay away and keep to herself.

She considered going out to the woman who was yet to come back in and bright brown eyes examined the tent door for a moment as she deliberated what the best course of action would be. But quickly she figured Storm was a grown woman and could make her own choices, she would come in if she wanted to and that was as easy as it would be. With that thought she nodded simply to herself and made her way towards the bunks that hadn't been used at all since the last time she had ended up on the run all those years ago.

Her wand was drawn from her jeans pocket and she waved it quickly, cleaning any dust that remained on the sheets and freshening them up easily. She had long since shrugged off her jacket, the warmth of the dying fire she had conjured earlier still warmed the space weakly and it was just comfortable enough to fall asleep. It was quiet and calm and she was exhausted after such a long day.

The stress of the unforeseen eruption of violence had truly taken its toll and she didn't bother to change before climbing into the bottom bunk and settling down for the night tugging the sheets up and around her. It was easy to fall into a fitful slumber almost as soon as her head had hit the pillow and she did not move at all until the next morning.

She woke in the same place she had fallen asleep and almost as soon as dark eyes fluttered open she wished she could close them again. She braced herself as her keen mind had begun to whir immediately with all of the plans she had made the night before. Plan A's, plan B's and C's of all different sorts had been drawn up. Her body ached as she sat up and threw her legs off of the side and stood to stretch, a heavy yawn taking her lips as she turned to examine the unused top bunk. Storm hadn't come in at all, she had stayed outside all night. Though that didn't necessarily shock her; Hermione couldn't help but worry.

She moved into the small bathroom the tent had, it was nothing fancy but it did the job well and Hermione couldn't help but praise what magic could make possible as she freshened herself up and slowly got ready for the day. She took her time, thinking over what had happened with a clearer mind; contemplating what might happen that day. She washed her face with cold water in an attempt to wake herself up a little more, washing away the stress the dark before had brought.

The night before she had started to plan a route, a way to get to where she thought the rest of the order may be headed. But without Storm being able to apparate for a while it would take a lot longer than usual. She had considered the possibility of just staying put for a few days, considered maybe just getting their bearings and putting a proper plan together. It was unlikely they would be found here and if they were then Storm's ability would ensure they were safe and now that she had slept on it, she figured that seemed like the most appropriate plan.

Hermione finished up and made her way back out into the main portion of the tent and started on a small breakfast and some tea for both herself and the scarce shifter. She considered how rude she had been to Storm the night before, how downright cold and callous and part of her felt a little bit bad. While Storm wasn't her favourite person anymore, there was definitely a lot of negative in the world right now without her making things more uncomfortable for them both.

She made the decision to try a little harder from then on to make it a little less testing for them both. She knew Storm well, and knew the taller witch wasn't necessarily combative and would take the digs and scoldings without much comment. Storm had always been great at seeing past what someone said and looking into the reasons why, especially if it was a person that used to hold quite a standing in her life.

Hermione knew she was one of them, she knew Storm would be hard pressed to become aggressive with her or do anything to intentionally make an atmosphere. While she had decided to cut her off, she had always known what Storm had done hadn't been done with the intention to cause harm or upset. Though it had still done both, it had still stung quite brutally; Hermione had always known it hadn't been done on purpose.

The small kettle she had packed had begun whistling then and effectively pulled her out of her own mind and back into the present moment. She bustled about, pouring tea and setting the mugs to stir themselves as she fixed some porridge. There wasn't a lot in the way of supplies, and already they were pretty much out of food. She had been able to multiply the one can of soup she had packed and that would serve as a meal for that evening, but It would be something they would have to attend to quite quickly or at least within the next few days.

With a quiet sigh she sat down to eat her own modest breakfast quickly, placing a warming charm on Storm's own. She flicked dark eyes over a map she had laid out on the table the night before, scanning it for somewhere near by where they might find a muggle shop to get themselves sorted. But it seemed as if the downside to their position deep within a forest was that there was very little around at all.

She figured so long as she kept the original cans and packages full of the original bits of food she could make it all last quite a while. Though the prospect of living on the same porridge and soup for however long wasn't appealing in the slightest she knew it was something they might just have to do. This situation wouldn't last forever and Storm wasn't the pickiest person when it came to food, she never cared much as long as there was something to eat.

A quiet huff escaped from her throat as she sat there staring into her half eaten bowl of porridge. It looked almost as bad as it tasted and she found her appetite disappearing entirely at the thought. With another more aggravated huff she grabbed her wand and pointed it at the bowl, ridding it of its contents entirely with one aggressive flick.

The cup of tea was much more suitable and as she sipped the hot liquid from the depths of the mug she sighed heavily. It was nice and calmed her entire being as the heat washed down her throat and settled into the pit of her stomach. It wasn't really cold where they were, but it wasn't exactly hot considering it was still summer; albeit the tail end. Though that wasn't surprising at all really considering exactly where in the world they were currently positioned.

The forest was quiet and calm, there was nothing really around them. The only noise that permeated the sanctuary of the tent was the quiet trickle of the stream they had pitched up beside. Part of it was situated inside of their enchantments that would shield them from anyone who might have stumbled across their camp. She knew there was a waterfall somewhere to the north of them and it all ended up in a large lake somewhere to the south.

Her mind wandered once again to the Shifter she had planned on coming here with all those years ago. They had selected this very spot and had every intention on finding the waterfall and lake in turn. She imagined Storm would have been thrilled to have been able to explore such things at the time. A part of her she had buried many years ago reared it's head then, and a pang of sadness radiated out as she considered what they may have had. She scoffed at her own silliness as she internally reminded herself of Storm's treachery and how the Shifter had been so quick to move on.

She shook the thoughts away and moved to pull her dark curls up into a low bun that held it out of the way and she stood to grab the bowl and mug she had fixed for the shifter in question. Moving quickly towards the door as her mind wandered towards the possibility of the witch she had once been so close to just disappearing in the night while she slept. Though, she knew that was ridiculous to even consider, a small well of panic opened up and she ducked through the flapped bit of fabric that separated the inside of the tent with the forest beyond and almost fell over as she tripped on something.

She whipped around quickly as she caught herself to see what had been placed immediately in front of the entrance and was surprised to find a bright eyed fox staring at her from where it lay sprawled out on it's back. She watched on a little dumbly as it moved and stood to stretch it's front paws out. It almost seemed as if it was bowing, yawning heavily and exposing sharp fanged teeth. A moment later the fox was gone and Storm was instead standing where it had just been.

Her quidditch robes were still hung on her larger frame though they were wrinkled now. Her dark eyes were rimmed heavily with black circles but her gaze was strong and firm as it fixed itself to Hermione's own. Sharp features looked gaunt as she yawned again and she shook her head a little before reaching out long fingers to wrap around the mug of tea Hermione had silently held out to her. "Thanks" She muttered quietly around the rim of the ceramic before drawing in hot liquid and allowing a heavy, contented sigh to escape her chest.

"I know it's supposed to be summer, but it's cold out here at night" She quipped easily as she pulled the mug away from her lips to allow herself to crouch as low as she could before flopping down onto the floor to sit cross legged beside the door of the tent; careful not to spill any of the precious liquid. She moved to rub the back of her neck and yet another yawn took her features as she tried to hide it behind the mug she had been given.

"Why on earth did you stay out here all night then?" Hermione questioned as her brows knitted together in confusion, unsure what would poses the Shifter. She watched the girl she had once known closely as she stood not too far away unsure if she too should sit.

Storm looked up then, her own features twisted with confusion. Hermione noted she seemed as if she had barely slept at all. She looked exhausted and her wounded shoulder was slumped in such a way that seemed entirely unnatural. There was a stiffness to the way she was moving and she was staring almost as if she didn't understand the question at all.

"Well?" Hermione prompted a little impatiently unable to hide the welling frustration as she folded her arms across her chest and waited for the answer Storm was so stuck on.

"I thought you told me to keep watch?" Storm muttered, her lips curving down into a frown as she shook her head a little in disbelief. "Surely that meant to stay out here and you know… make sure nobody was coming to murder us in the night" She quipped a little sarcastically, a small smirk that held no amusement tugged at her lips as she pulled her mug up to take another strong sip of steaming liquid.

"I didn't mean all bloody night Storm. I was just worried someone might have been able to follow us initially. There's no way they'll find us if they didn't follow our apparation" Hermione clarified as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, her voice terse as she shook her head in disbelief and threw her hands up exasperatedly. She didn't realise she would have to spell it out to the witch in front of her, or give her instructions to the letter.

"Well you could have made that a bit clearer Hermione! All you said was to keep watch, so I did. I expected you to tell me when to stop at least" She stated simply with a deep huff as she dropped her head to shake it in frustration, rubbing a fist into her eyes in turn to stave off the sting of fatigue. "I've not slept at all, I'm exhausted! Been staring at that damn tree all night because I kept thinking it was moving" She stated with a low, humourless laugh as she moved to motion at a tree nearest the edge of their camp. It sat just outside of the perimeter, outside of the enchantments that had been placed.

"I didn't think you would take what I said as literally as that? Since when do you even listen at all?" Hermione retorted, her voice sharp as she fought the welling pang of guilt. Storm truly looked exhausted and her temper was as short as it had always been when she hadn't gotten enough of a rest. The Shifter had been in the air for hours before the battle had even broke out, and from what Ginny had said they'd have been practicing from the crack of dawn on top of that.

"You're right Hermione, I should know better than to take everything you say so seriously. I remember now" Storm snapped angrily as she shook her head, pushed herself up off the floor and raised her now empty mug with a quiet nod. "Thanks for the tea, if you don't mind I'll try and get an hour or so before we get moving." She grumbled as she moved to make her way into the tent, disappearing to leave Hermione stood there quietly contemplating what on earth the younger witch might have even meant at all.

"What is that even supposed to mean?" Hermione asked, though it had come out as more of a demand as she followed the Shifter into the tent. Her hackles had risen and she was ready for the argument that was brewing. She watched unabashedly as Storm shrugged off her Quidditch cape and top with much difficulty. The wince that took her features obvious even from the other side of the tent distracting from the body that was now on show.

The atmosphere was cold again and she was struggling to keep herself from getting too agitated. She was trying desperately to keep things neutral between them, struggling not to retaliate as aggressively as she wanted to. There was an anger bubbling quietly within the pit of her stomach as she considered what the Shifter might have meant by what she had said, considering what might have been behind the thinly veiled accusation. She was quite surprised by the outburst and wondered what she had done to deserve to be spoken to in such a way.

"You're just good at saying one thing and meaning another, obviously that's not changed is all" Storm muttered with a lopsided shrug as she hung her clothes over a small dresser that was next to the bunks and flopped down heavily into the bottom one. Hermione had claimed that one the night before, though Storm hadn't known and for a moment before realising the brunette had slept there she settled. The smell of her perfume hit her instantly and Storm immediately pushed herself almost violently off the bed; muttering to herself about it being Hermione's bed.

She reached up with her one good arm to hoist herself up onto the top bunk easily considering her wound. Her bandages clearly visible now that she had discarded the top half of her quidditch robes, leaving herself in a sports bra and the burgundy trousers of her quidditch gear. It was obvious the wound had continued to bleed throughout the night as the bandage was no longer a stark white, it was a deep red and almost matched the trousers Storm still wore.

Hermione considered ordering her back down so she could sort it, but figured now was most definitely not the time to poke the proverbial bear. Storm was in a bad enough mood as it was and she was sure while it was unpleasant and entirely uncalled for she would be in a much better place once she'd had some sleep.

"I have no idea what you're even talking about Storm. You're clearly overtired and you're behaving like a child, we can continue the conversation once you've rested a while." Hermione spoke from where she had perched herself at the table, pulling a few books and things from within the contents of her beaded bag in an attempt to occupy herself. She could feel the anger bubbling and had to use every ounce of her willpower to squash it.

She had promised herself earlier that she would try to make this situation as easy as possible for both of them and knew perfectly well the Shifter was only lashing out because she was sleep deprived. It had happened a few times at Hogwarts, and she had quickly figured out a rest was the best cure for this sort of attitude. She knew not much changes in those sorts of circumstances and figured it was best to be left alone.

"Ah, so i'm a child now. I guess that finally explains why you came to the conclusion that I am not the relationship sort then" Came Storm's voice, quiet and calm from the top bunk where she had finally settled. Her words had made Hermione's blood run cold and she snapped her head up to stare at the beds, though unable to actually see the Shifter in question.

She almost immediately had a sickening feeling wash over her as she thought back to the one thing Storm might be referencing. She'd had a conversation with Ginny the morning after breaking things off with Storm, a conversation that she had thought had remained private between the two of them. She had tried to justify the split to the questioning redhead and had said some things she hadn't truly meant. She had stated simply that she didn't want to continue the relationship in the outside world because Storm just wasn't someone she felt was the relationship sort.

Ginny had seen through it, she had seen through the callous words and had seen it for all it was. Hermione was terrified of what was to come after Hogwarts. She was terrified of starting her job at the ministry, terrified of moving out on her own into London and was terrified of being distracted by the Shifter and allowing herself to be so. Mostly she was terrified of the sheer amount of new things she could simply fail at and Storm had been the only factor she could control. That had been the true reason, that had been how she had explained it to Storm. They had agreed to see how things went afterwards, they had agreed to remain friends at least until they'd settled.

She had never realised Storm had heard what she had said, she had no idea the Shifter had even been around. A pang of guilt erupted and this time there was nothing she could do to quash the sinking feeling that took hold of her heart, anchoring it to the pit of her stomach as she considered the hurt she too must have caused. Storm's actions suddenly made a whole lot more sense, and the years since they had left Hogwarts had felt as if they were entirely misspent.

"What?" She snapped, panic welling within her as she questioned everything in quick succession. Dark eyes unblinking as they remained fixed to the bunks.

Storm moved then and hung her head over the side to make eye contact, though the anger had seemed to have subsided entirely and there was a sadness there hidden amongst the exhaustion. "I heard you talking to Ginny, you could have just told me the truth in the first place. But no, you just lied to me and then shut me out completely. You have nothing nice to say about me ever, and honestly Hermione I don't even know how I could have thought you ever even liked me at all much less anything else. You just didn't have to lie" She stated simply, expressing finally her frustration that had mounted.

There had never been opportunity to call the brunette out on her actions. She had never been able to express her feelings and she had wanted to so desperately, she had wanted to tell Hermione exactly how shitty what she had done was. There were no other words she could find, and though nothing would change at least the brunette would understand why she had done what she had done.

She had been devastated, knocked sick as she had heard the girl she had loved so dearly speak so poorly of her. An emptiness had instantly been opened up within her chest as she had stood listening to the words she had struggled to believe. Though she understood, she had always understood; she just wished Hermione would have the same understanding. Instead, she just berated her and ignored her at every opportunity and Storm was still the mug who would sit outside all night just because the brunette had asked.

It had been almost too much and she had felt herself snap before she could reign it back in. For years she had just taken it and kept herself quiet about the events that had unfolded. She had allowed Hermione the space she had wanted and had left it all well enough alone. But she was exhausted and her patience was much thinner than it normally was. Her filter was pretty much none existent and she found herself for the first time in years with the ability to actually talk to the brunette and tell her how she felt.

"Storm" Hermione started as she grasped for the right words, shaking her head as she sat back unable to find an answer to what she wanted to say.

"Just please stop talking to me like dirt. I'll stay out of your way and we'll get to where we need to go and I'll be out of your hair again. No problem" Storm muttered her request, dark eyes now fixed downwards on a spot on the floor. The fire had disappeared, the anger that had been there had vanished. Hermione had realised where it had come from, where it had stemmed from.

In Storm's mind she had done as Hermione had asked that night despite the exhaustion from the day and it had yet again been insufficient, it had been wrong. In her mind she had put everything into their relationship at Hogwarts and had given Hermione everything she'd had and it hadn't been good enough. Hermione had spent years after berating her and putting her down to make what the shifter had done afterwards easier to cope with, but had never considered what she had done herself.

She'd had every intention of getting settled into real life and trying to rekindle the romance with the Shifter who had vowed to wait. But that had all changed once Storm had returned to the common room late that evening. Hermione had just assumed Storm had been feeding her what she had wanted to hear, she had assumed Storm had been using her for what had transpired between them in the privacy of her dorm. She had figured Storm had just simply moved onto the next as soon as she could and she had never considered that the Shifter had heard what she had said and had been just as hurt.

There were no words, she was at an entire loss for what she could even say. Storm was staring at her again, an intensity behind her gaze that was so reminiscent of the past that it was startling, Hermione knew she was waiting for an explanation or a denial. She knew Storm was waiting for her to say something at all.

"Okay" was all she could voice at that moment as her own gaze fell to the table in front of her. "We'll stay here for a couple of days, when you get up I want to have another look at your shoulder, it looks as if it's soaked through the bandage already" She spoke again, swallowing hard as she flicked her gaze back up to the shifter who had entirely deflated.

She wondered how long Storm had waited to tell her off as such. She wondered how long she had held in the anger and Hermione couldn't find it in her to hold it against the girl she had once been so incredibly fond of. A sadness welled within the pit of her stomach and she mourned the loss caused by her own stupidity and cowardice. If only she had just been brave enough, if only she had just been able to face the reality of Storm the same way she had faced every other issue in her life.

"Yeah, it has. It doesn't feel great" Storm muttered then, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips as she spoke. Her tone changing entirely, sounding almost relieved.

Storm wasn't the type to hold a grudge, she never had been. She was good at saying what she thought and voicing her feelings truthfully and then moving on with it. That was something she had always admired about the Shifter.

"Sleep for a bit, we are at least relatively safe here" Hermione spoke calmly, watching as the Shifter's head disappeared again as she moved to sprawl out in the top bunk that must have been a little too small for the witch who had most definitely broke the six foot mark. She made a mental note to expand the bunk once the younger witch rose again whenever that may be.

It was quiet for hours as Hermione had pottered around and eventually settled outside the tent with a book she had been itching to read for months. If anything positive came from the events was she at least had some free time to actually get on with some reading. She missed becoming engrossed in books like she had done when she was younger, and had found quickly that adult life left little time for things she enjoyed.

She didn't know exactly how long had passed since she had settled comfortably in the grass outside the tent. The sun was high in the sky and there was a cacophony of different sounds coming from the trees that surrounded their position. It was serene and so incredibly peaceful it felt as if it truly shouldn't exist in the same world as the hell that was surely going on elsewhere just then.

"I don't think I make tea as good as you do" Came Storm's voice, heavy from disuse as the Shifter appeared seemingly from nowhere to flop down into the grass beside her. Two mugs full of steaming liquid levitated in front of them both as the taller witch sprawled lazily with long legs spread out and crossed at the ankles.

Hermione looked up from the pages of her book, a small wry smile tugging at her lips as she considered what was so obviously a peace offering from the darker haired witch beside her. "That had always been the case" The brunette quipped, though there was a much more playful tone to her voice as she nudged the Shifter beside her carefully with her shoulder before reaching out to grab the floating mug.

Storm was already quietly sipping her own as dark eyes flicked across their surroundings, taking in the little details she hadn't quite paid attention to before. She snorted a little, blowing a stream of air out of her nose as she huffed with amusement.

"So, what's the plan then batman?" Storm questioned after a moment of silence. They hadn't actually discussed what might happen yet and Hermione figured it was probably best if they were actually on the same page.

"Well" She started as she twisted a little to examine the Shifter's sharp profile. It was still quite jarring to be in such a situation with Storm. She hadn't been this close to the taller woman in years and that small fact mixed with their reality it was all a little overwhelming. Hermione pulled a calming breath in as Storm turned to look at her, a dark eyebrow raised in curious question as she settled her mug on her thigh.

"I think we definitely should stay here for another day or two at least and then we'll make our way to a small muggle town that's a few hours walk south of here. Once we're there we can stock up on supplies and get you a change of clothes" Hermione clarified then, itching to go and get a map to show Storm the route she had planned for them to take but she guessed they could look at that later, there was no rush after all.

"Alright. Do you think they'll be actively looking for you Harry and Ron? Or do you think they'll sort of wait for you three to stumble into them for old times sake?" Storm questioned then, a crooked smirk tugging at her lips as she almost teased.

"I think they'll be actively looking. They'll be wanting to make an example of us and show that we wont stop them again" Hermione spoke simply having already considered the question. She had mulled it over for hours the night before, weighing up the options that could be ahead of them. "From what little we actually know about her we know she's got quite a few different creatures at her disposal. Much more than… than you know who at least" Hermione spoke, almost whispering.

She dared not use his name, not again. The last time they had been forced to go on the run it had been put under a Taboo curse and had led them to being discovered. Of course she had no doubt that this time would be no different. It would be an easy way to discover those who got too cocky.

"Is it wise we stay here then?" Storm spoke suddenly a little more serious as dark eyes flicked around them once again as if scanning the trees for those who might be lurking in the shadows. Eyeing the distance as if someone was there just beyond their field of vision. "I mean, there are giants in these mountains, and there are all sorts of creatures in this forest Hermione. I can smell them, they're all around here" She spoke, her nose changing into much more of a snout and becoming quite leathery looking. Nostrils twitching as if proving her point.

"They wont get through these enchantments and if they do come near we'll have a few minutes warning at least" Hermione reassured her as she moved to grab her wand in order to summon the maps she had been using. She splayed it out in the grass in front of them and pointed towards a spot that had been marked with a small glowing x.

"This is where we are" She spoke quietly, flicking dark eyes up to meet Storm's own as the Shifter lent over to examine the map that had been brought to her attention. "From what we know, there are giants in the mountains miles to the north and they don't come this far down and there aren't any sightings in this area of the creatures she is using" She clarified confidentially, taking a sip of the hot tea storm had made for her.

"Have you considered the idea of blending in with the muggles?" Storm questioned seriously as she made to pull at the bandages that were sopping with blood still seeping from the wound at her shoulder. It wasn't as bad as it had been, but the fabric was saturated now and useless. It was sticky and cold, and was starting to make her feel queasy. "I mean, I doubt they would consider that actually" She added as Hermione moved to slap her hands away from the wound she had sustained the night before.

"I haven't considered that actually" Hermione muttered as her brows furrowed in concentration. A small frown tugging at her lips as she undid the knot she had done in the bandage with difficulty. She pulled it free and her nose wrinkled almost immediately as she noted the state of the Shifter's shoulder. In the light of day it looked gruesome at best. The skin around the deep gash was torn messily and the wound itself was deeper than she had initially thought it had been.

There must have been a great deal of pain that came along with such injury and she found herself wondering how much of a brave face Storm was actually putting on. She pulled her beaded bag from her pocket and pointed her wand at it, summoning a small muggle first aid kit she had packed just in case. There wasn't always a magical remedy, especially for wounds sustained through dark magic.

"Well, I think that might be something to think about. You don't have a broom in there, or two do you? Because truly flying would be the quickest way to travel at the moment, and probably the safest" Storm muttered tensely as she allowed the brunette to poke at her. She avoided looking at the injury and kept her eyes fixed to the very same tree she had been focused on the night before.

"I haven't unfortunately. This all happened far quicker than we had expected and my bag was only a quarter packed at best" Hermione spoke a little morosely, moving to point her wand at Storm's arm to hit it with a quick cleaning spell. She moved to do the same to the sole bandage that had been in her small medical kit. "I think we'll need to have a look into something for this as well. If we're not careful it will get infected and honestly Storm, that's not what we need"

"Well, lets see where we end up then shall we. I know I could use another hour or so at least." Storm retorted easily, jerking away with a hiss and a wince as the brunette pressed a little too hard to the wound at her arm as she retied the fresh bandage. She was sore to say the least, and felt as if she was stiff all over from taking so many hits the night before. "I didn't sleep at all the night before last either" She admitted and for a moment Hermione wondered why.

Her question must have written itself across her face as her eyebrows knitted together and her head tilted curiously. She had never known Storm to struggle to sleep, and the admission was a little surprising. The Shifter had been notoriously able to sleep through absolutely anything, and had always been a nightmare to try and wake. Some things did in fact change then.

"Nerves Hermione, obviously" Storm muttered with a light laugh, a lopsided grin tugging at her lips a little sheepishly as she admitted to having pregame jitters. "I don't like to lose especially against the Bulgarians. That bloody Krum is an arrogant git and apparently he was due to retire after the game. Of course I wanted him to retire after being beaten to the snitch" She muttered as the bookworm finally released her. Moving to flop back into the grass lazily.

Hermione couldn't help the roll of her eyes, shaking her head a little in disbelief as she considered Storm's words. "Of course that's why you couldn't sleep. I don't see why everyone detests him so, he's actually a really nice guy" she argued lightly as she sucked her teeth a little in distaste. It was a constant theme with the people in her life, nobody liked Krum.

"Well he looks like a git whose never heard of a smile. Besides, he's far too arrogant and I just wanted to wipe that look off of his face" Storm stated simply as she moved to fold her good arm behind her head to use as a sort of pillow as she fidgeted a little to get comfortable.

"I'm sure if Death eaters hadn't of crashed the cup you'd have won, oh modest one" Hermione prodded, her tone teasing as she moved to open her book once again. Dark eyes scanning the page she had been on to find where she had left off.

"I'm glad you see it my way, I'd have crushed him if it came to a race. Quidditch Weekly says I'm the worlds fastest seeker you know. It's my proudest achievement to date" Storm spoke, and she honestly sounded quite pleased with herself. Her voice was light in a way, and heavy in another as she relaxed and dark eyes began to flutter in such a way that was a telltale sign sleep was coming quickly.

Of course, Hermione knew that. She had read the article begrudgingly as the cover of the magazine had caught her eye. It had been laid out messily on Harry's desk and she couldn't help herself. She had wanted to know what had been said. She considered Storm's words, considered what she had said about flying being the quickest and safest passage to their destination. She considered how the Shifter had seemed to think they should move on sooner rather than later.

The words on the pages of her book seemed to blur together as the quiet snores of the witch beside her joined the constant trickle of the stream that flowed steadily not far away. Birds were still singing, and there was the quiet rush of wind that whistled around them and through the trees. It felt as if they would be safe there for a while if only a little while at least. But she considered whether or not that was actually the case.