A/n: Hey! Thanks for the wicked comments so far. I really appreciate them!
I suppose all of my stories are what ifs really and based sort of in the same universe as the OG Calm Before the Storm. So we'll see how this unfolds.
Let me know what you think of this one guys! Hope everyones o.k
Chapter 3
A few days passed in relative silence and there was chatter amongst the two of them concerning their plans for moving on. They had figured after a calm few days and some much needed healing for the Shifter's arm it might be best to start making their way south. There was no real timeline but the quicker they found the rest of the Order, the quicker they could crack on with normality. While the Shifter absolutely loved camping and being entirely absorbed by the wilderness, there was something a lot less peaceful knowing there were people and beings out there that wanted them dead.
It was late on the night that would be the last they spent in this particular spot and Storm had still insisted on sitting outside the tent every night for a few hours once the sun had gone down and just simply watching. There had been nothing so far, not even a faint smell on the breeze to suggest there was anyone around. They were deep outside of the muggle territory and while there was the lingering scent of creatures that had been here previously, there was nothing new.
They were surrounded solidly by woodland, and there was little to no light around. The night had always brought with it an all encompassing darkness that made the Shifter nervous without explanation. She'd not realised the new dark one had a cacophony of different creatures at her beckon call and found herself sat once again quietly contemplating what that meant.
She was built for this, built for the wilderness. Everything in her arsenal of tricks allowed her to be prepared for any and every situation so long as she knew how to use her tools correctly. There had been many years spent practicing, learning what she needed to know to get by. But never did she actually think she'd be in a situation that could solely depend on her ability.
As she sat in the soft grass next to the fabric door to the tent she watched the world through eyes that had been shifted to resemble that of a cat, her irises now slits situated amongst glowing green pupils. Pointed ears sat atop her head and rotated as if they were satellites, scanning for any noise that might come from the depths of the trees that surrounded them. It was quiet, mostly. There was some sort of noise way off into the distance but she figured it wasn't really that concerning.
She rested her chin on her knees that had been pulled up to her chest, and she contemplated going inside and into the warmth the small fires Hermione conjured provided. She knew the brunette was sat just inside the tent reading by candlelight just as she had done every evening since they had unceremoniously arrived in this place. Storm considered the atmosphere that had settled between the two of them and was quite pleased with how things had unfolded. There had been a little bit of an awkwardness as they tentatively stepped around certain topics, but it was friendly at least for the most part.
Their conversation echoed somewhere deep within the depths of her memories as she pulled them to the forefront. She hadn't expected it to go so well and had been playing out the scenarios where she finally got to tell the brunette off. All of them had ended in Hermione arguing back with her, and telling her she was wrong. Never had she expected the woman she had once loved so dearly to accept what she had done and put an effort into a truce. It had almost seemed as if Hermione was shocked by what she had to say and that in itself was a little surprising.
But she figured it was best not to dwell on it all, best to just move forward as she had wanted to for all this time. She had finally been able to say what she wanted to say, finally been able to call the older woman out on her behaviour and it had been satisfying at the very least. A small smirk tugged at her lips as she shook off the memories and thoughts that surrounded the brunette.
With a heaved sigh and one final glance around her she made up her mind and pushed herself up and off the floor. She brushed herself off a little bit and ducked into the small tent they would be calling home for a little while. It was dimly lit but it was much warmer than it was outside and that hit her straight away. Her stomach grumbled as she stood up to full height once inside the room and the brunette who had been reading at the bench like table just barely looked up to raise an eyebrow in question, a small smirk tugging at her lips.
The shifter opened her mouth to explain she was just hungry and that normally one can of soup and some porridge was just a snack but she was cut off by a much louder rumble. The ground seemed to shiver a little and the rumble had been followed by another shake of the earth beneath them. It stopped for a moment, and Storm's brows furrowed together in confusion as she looked around the space for an explanation.
Another rumble and another followed soon after and dark eyes went wide as they met bright doe eyes that had become more saucer like as panic twisted Hermione's features.
"What was that?" Hermione hissed as she all but threw her book down onto the table and raced to follow Storm as she ducked back out of the door. Dark eyes squinted against the wall like darkness that had fallen around the forest as she stepped out into the night; hovering closely to the Shifter. She reached out and wrapped vice like fingers around the crook of the Shifter's elbow and used her grip as leverage to inch closer to the taller witch's back.
Her nostrils flared as her jaw set impossibly, her face only centimetres away from the Shifter's shoulder. She could smell nothing but the shifter, and focussed for a moment on how distracting that truly was. For a moment she had stepped back into muscle memory she had forgotten existed, for a moment she stepped easily into how natural it was to be close to the taller witch.
Storm didn't flinch at the contact and if anything it seemed as if she had lent further into Hermione's familiar touch as features began to morph entirely, becoming unrecognisable. Once again dark eyes had become glowing beacons in the darkness and her nose and mouth had extended into a snout and ears once again swivelled atop her head. Her muscles had grown tense as her spine had straightened up impossibly as she focussed on figuring out what was coming.
As seconds ticked past the low grumbles had become louder and sounded almost as if they were booming footsteps looming nearer and nearer. There was a quiver for every rumble and as the booms became defending the trembling of the earth had become constant. "Giants" Storm whispered as she turned to grip at Hermione's forearms almost desperately, trying valiantly to keep the panic from her own voice. "Two of them. I can't figure out what else is there" She spoke again as she moved to release the brunette.
"We need to go, we need to go now" Hermione spoke, taking in the stricken look that had caused the Shifters features to drop in horror for only a second before the taller witch was visibly pulling herself together. Hermione nodded then as she steeled her own resolve and in a heartbeat her wand was drawn and the tent was collapsing, tying itself tightly, shrinking and zooming into the brunettes beaded bag she had held open.
Almost as soon as the tent was away the wards the bookworm had set up were going off and a roar that shattered the peace of the night bounced off the trees in a violent echo that sent sleeping birds up into the air in a frantic flock. Storm had wasted no time, she reached out and snatched the brunettes hand up in her own and tugged her away from their sanctuary and into the depths of the looming darkness.
They moved as quickly as they could in the blackness of the night. Storm's ability the only way of navigating the hazards that littered the forest floor in front of them. Hermione dared not light the tip of her wand to help them, surely that would give them away to whoever or whatever was hot on their tails. There was no way to know if it was just the giants gaining on them, but surely there was more to it.
It felt as if it was hopeless to run away from them as heavy breathing echoed somewhere over their heads and the stench of the giant's unwashed skin and hair hit their noses. The ground was shaking so violently they struggled to take confident steps as they ran, ducking around giant tree trunks that littered the landscape. Storm abruptly stopped and yanked the brunette into an ancient tree trunk that dwarfed them both. She unceremoniously pressed her body to the smaller witch and held her tightly to the tree that shielded them. The bark was unforgiving as the shorter witch was haphazardly slammed against it and her huff of pain was silenced by the palm of Storm's hand covering her lips and nose.
A crash ricocheted out and there was a low creak as a giant tree met it's match nearby. Everything went quiet for a moment only for the silence to be disrupted a moment later as the great oak slammed into the floor spraying them both with rocks and other sharp pieces of earth that tore easily through any exposed skin. Another followed, and another after that. The giants were on top of them now, and there was no way they were getting out of this without a fight.
"Stay here" Storm muttered quietly, her voice a mere ghost of a whisper as she spoke almost directly into Hermione's ear. Her breath hot against the shorter witch's skin causing a shiver to course down Hermione's spine. Before the brunette could react the pressure from the Shifters body holding her to the tree was gone and she was alone in the gloom. Dark eyes scanned the shadows that seemed to be all consuming and she thought for a moment this is what it might be like to be blind.
Another crash echoed followed by another and another as the falling trees inched closer to the one she was still pinned up against. She could feel her breathing starting to pick up, matching the pace of the trees hitting the forest floor, each in turn spraying her with Merlin knows what. With her wand gripped tightly and frustration filling her chest she reacted and sent a spark up into the night sky.
Immediately the spark exploded high above and only momentarily the world was illuminated in red and she could see exactly what was happening. Two mountainous giants that looked as if they were simply enlarged humans were looming over where she was hiding, their teeth barred as they wielded tree trunks as if they were clubs. They hadn't seen her, they'd been too focused on the spark she had sent up. Large dim eyes eyes focussed even still on the sky as the spark died off and disappeared.
Another went up, and another after that as she moved away from the tree to try and get a better angle to hit them with something; anything. She hadn't ever come up against a giant, not once had she ever had to face such a beast. Not in such a situation anyway, there was always Grawp but he wasn't exactly dangerous. Though, with a snort of amusement she considered there was definitely a first time for everything.
She wondered briefly what Storm was doing, wondered where the Shifter had gone until a jet of flame had erupted from what looked to be a huge black dragon and set one of the huge beasts and neighbouring trees and foliage alight easily. The giant was engulfed quickly by the surge and crackled as if he was merely a pillar of wicker. The giant wailed and screeched as it stumbled around and floundered in an attempt to smother the flames that were burning through flesh like it were kindling. His huge hands flailed and slammed into his own flesh as he tried to put out the fire.
It's companion roared and turned to swing it's club wildly towards the beast that had caused the flames. Though the beast had disappeared as quickly as it had appeared and it was swinging blindly at nothingness. It seemed to stumble and Hermione saw her opportunity in the flickering firelight coming from the downed beast now rolling around on the forest floor, it's skin crackling and sizzling; kicking off an acrid stench of burning flesh.
Acting quickly she hit the huge base of the tree nearest the beast still roaring with rage with a yelled "Bombarda Maxima" that was absorbed easily by the noise of all the commotion already going on. She watched with baited breath as the base of the tree exploded and the huge towering oak twisted and began to fall, slamming itself solidly into the giant's boulder like head rendering the beast quietly stunned. It seemed to dwindle for a moment and only a moment before its huge shoulders slouched and it started to fall. To her horror it had begun to fall quickly and towards her.
The brunette turned to run as the huge beast toppled, she ran as quickly as she could ever remember running. It was going well and she used the flickering light from the flames to guide her. As she ran she stumbled when her foot hit the ground and it caught on a small tree root she hadn't seen hiding amongst the shadows that swam across the forest floor. As she went down a blinding pain erupted through her knee and she couldn't help the blood curdling scream that ripped through her throat and echoed into the night. The world spun and then went entirely black.
Storm had seen it happen, she had been sneaking along the outskirts of the small battleground towards where she had left the brunette; racing towards where the spell that had taken out the second huge beast had emanated from. She had watched on unable to get there any faster as Hermione had tripped; she had been unable to catch her as she had fallen. The sickening pop had echoed out closely proceeding the scream.
Storm slid in the fallen leaves that lined the forest floor and skidded to a halt, her knees hitting the underbrush as she overshot the brunette ever so slightly. Her fingers clawed into the earth and she pulled herself right again before scrambling frantically back to the woman now unconscious face first in the dirt. The sight itself a little startling, she had never seen Hermione injured; not seriously anyway.
"Hey!" Storm whispered loudly as large paw like hands moved to grip at the the older witch's shoulder and yanked firmly but as gently as she could. Flipping the brunette easily so she was no longer breathing in the dust from the ground. Glowing eyes flicked themselves over the situation, examining the older witch carefully trying to pinpoint what had been hurt in the fall. The scream had made her blood run cold, it had made her heart stop and had her breath freezing in her lungs. She knew the brunette had been injured, she knew it was bad.
A low groan came from the girl on the floor as the Shifter moved to ensure the foot that had been tangled was undone and carefully released. She had swiped large, sharp claws through the roots that had held the bookworms ankle hostage and pulled the vine like anchors off. "Hey come on, you need to come back to me now. Whoever sent those gits wont be far off and that burning big'un will be like a beacon leading them right here, we need to get out of here now" She whispered again as the brunette began to stir.
Her palms met the bookworm's knee that looked as if it were facing a direction that was entirely unnatural and she immediately understood. Hermione's fall by the looks of it had popped her knee out of it's socket, and suddenly the scream made sense. Storm had seen this a few times during her years on the Quidditch pitch, and had even experienced it once herself. A dislocated knee was the sort of pain that had you retching up the contents of your stomach as you struggled to remain conscious.
Luckily, during her years on the quidditch pitch she had also picked up a few things that weren't injuries and knew exactly how to fix such a problem. Things like that were always useful, especially when the medics weren't around during practices. She quietly praised her own previous misfortune and steeled her resolve. Quickly she moved to pull her wand from her quidditch robes she still wore, the beaded bag the brunette had didn't have anything else for her to wear and she figured it wasn't the most uncomfortable situation ever.
A muttered spell and a dim beam of liquid like light spilled from the tip of her wand followed by a quiet pop. The joint moved and had snapped back into it's rightful place and the brunette gave another quiet gasp and whimper before she went limp once again. She was once again out cold and laying sprawled on the forest floor. Storm sighed heavily and looked around, there would be no way the giants were alone and she knew they'd have to move quickly now. She glanced down at her own shoulder and weighed up her options, either way she had to get Hermione out of there, and she had no more time to piss away.
She reached down and picked up the brunettes wand, stuffing it into her own robe pocket quickly. Her own followed and she moved to grab the bookworm's shoulders and pulled her up a little roughly. She lent over and pressed her own damaged shoulder into the flesh of the bookworms stomach. With a quiet huff of exertion and strength that wasn't necessarily just human she hoisted the brunette's dead weight up and over her shoulder. She made sure she was steady and pulled her wand out again and twisted it. With a quiet pop they left the chaos that had ensued in the once peaceful forest behind.
The little alley in which they landed was deserted, there was no one around and only the street lamps lit the darkness. But Storm knew this place, she knew this place very well indeed. It was a small fishing village on the coast and somewhere Storm had called home ever since she had left Hogwarts. They had landed in the small gully just outside a local inn and with ever waning strength she made to move out of the darkness and into the orangey glow of the lamps high above.
There was a comfort that fell around her shoulders as she heaved in a large breath of salty air and strained her ears to listen to distant waves sloshing lazily in the harbour. It was warm here and she knew there would be peace again for a moment or so. She could feel the trickle of blood from the wound that hadn't closed yet and she considered for the first time since deciding to apparate the potential danger that specific magic could have caused her existing wound.
Hermione was still out cold, slumped over her shoulder as she moved to kick open the tavern door as gently as she could. Her dark eyes much more human as they took in the dim space and a small man slouched snoring in a chair just inside. She had never actually stayed here, never actually felt the need to. But she frequented this establishment and knew the owners as well as she could.
She cleared her throat loudly as the door shut behind her with a harsh thud. The small portly gentleman stirred rather abruptly and blinked at her a few times as he shook himself awake. A stubby hand rubbed into his eyes as he adjusted to the scene before him. As he registered who was standing in front of him a wide, slightly gappy grin took his thin lips.
"Bloody hell Stormy, what on earth has you here at this ungodly hour? Haven't seen you in days!" He spoke, his voice booming as he chortled warmly.
"I can't really explain too much mate, but this one here has had a bit too much to drink" Storm started falsely, nodding towards her own shoulder that Hermione was still slouched over. "Any chance of a spare room?" She questioned, getting to the point as quickly as she could without being rude. This was a good chance, they could spend the night here and Storm could try and sneak into her own house in order to grab some more bits and pieces.
"Of course Stormy, hang on just a tic and I'll grab you the key" he smiled widely, warmly. The familiarity was soothing and it felt as if it could just be another day in the life of. It felt as if it was only seconds that passed until she was stumbling into a dark room, a window on the far wall allowing gloomy moonlight in to cast shadows over the space.
She felt the wall distractedly and in an instant she had found the light switch and turned on the overhead lamp. The room smelled of fresh linen and it was modest. There was a double bed and a small muggle t.v. A little kettle and some teas and coffees sat on the table the T.v sat on. There was a bathroom and she made a mental note to check it a little later on.
With a quiet sigh she gently lowered the brunette down onto the bed, careful not to bounce her around too much. While the spell may have righted the dislocation, it wasn't capable of making it as if it had never happened at all. She knew Hermione would be in pain when she woke and wanted to ensure there was little she did to add to that pain.
She examined the situation and noted the unnecessary amount of pillows at the head of the bed. She made the decision then to grab a few and slide them under the bookworms affected limb, propping it up as far as it could go without looking uncomfortable. After fluffing it a little she stood back and admired her handiwork. She figured she best get the second part of her plan out of the way before Hermione could rouse. After all, she hadn't been out all that long and surely wouldn't be for very much longer.
Storm knew she had a small window of opportunity and knew she had to take it. The brunette wouldn't be happy at all if she knew what the shifter was doing, and would no doubt try and stop her. With that thought Storm made her way towards the window and pushed it up with a quiet screech, another look round had her steeling her resolve and she was pushing herself out and into the night air.
As soon as she did she shifted into a huge black owl and aimed her path towards her own home sat at the very edge of the village, away from any other house nestled between the beach and a small woodland. As she soared ever higher the place she had called home for years now came into view and her heart leapt up into her throat. She knew it would be watched, she knew there would be a darkness shrouding it.
Of course there would be, they would make it so if she or Hermione did decide to rock up they'd be caught. However, her little ability wasn't widely known. Nobody knew really, nobody except Ginny and Hermione herself. She had managed to keep it under wraps incredibly well and that would now play to their advantage.
As she drew nearer she angled herself downwards and began to make large loops around the property, examining it with sharp eyes closely. She saw them almost immediately, two hooded figures much like those that ruined the cup were sat on her decking and two were sat at her front door. Though, it seemed as if that was all the guard detail her home had and with a quietly confident thought she shifted and dropped down onto the roof of her home.
The building was double storied and there was a sort of overhang that sat partially over the porch that looked over the beach and ocean in turn. The overhang was directly under her own bedroom window and would provide cover from the goons that sat below. She shifted again and became much, much smaller. A spider like body carried her down the wall and in through the smallest of gaps in her own windowpane.
She squeezed through and as soon as she was inside her room she shifted back up into her usual human form and began grabbing things she thought they might need. Her underwear drawer was wrenched open and she pulled out her wallet that contained all of her false muggle identification and some cash she had left at home. Quietly praising the fact she had figured she wouldn't need it for the cup.
She grabbed different articles of clothing and threw them down onto her unmade and messy bed. Storm moved quickly and grabbed a bag out of her closet and began to shove the articles she had gathered into it's depths. It wasn't much but at least it was a change of clothes for herself and at least something different for Hermione to throw on if she wanted.
Storm paused, dark eyes darting around the room as her mind raced and she considered whether or not she may have missed something. They'd be able to get food in the morning, and there wasn't really anything she had in the way of medical supplies. Her gaze fell upon the issue of quidditch weekly left sprawled out open on her bedside table and as if a lightbulb went off somewhere in her head she remembered the broom she had been gifted many years ago.
It was well worn, and had been used brutally for years until she had received her newest one. But it sat still reliable as ever somewhere in her basement. That could be their ticket out of there, that could be their way to wherever Hermione thought they needed to go.
With that thought she grabbed her bag and threw it over her shoulders, slinging it onto her back haphazardly as she moved out of the room as quickly and quietly as she could. The landing was dark, there were no lights on and she had to shift her eyes to see what she needed to see. The floor was made entirely of wood and the stairs too were the same. She stepped carefully, avoiding the panels that creaked and tiptoed down the steps one at a time.
The goons sat outside on the decking had no idea she was there and the others wouldn't be able to even see into the house front he angle they sat at. The windows that faced the front of the property were small and the glass was stained in different colours. The door was old and wrought wood, it had a small peep hole but that's about it. She never used that entrance, not once could she remember ever going that way.
The window that faced the ocean spanned the entire side of the room and the view out of it was something Storm had loved from day one. The waves were visible crashing against the beach under the light of the moon and the sight was so soothing it made Storm almost want to flop lazily into her plush, overstuffed couch and turn on the tv. She longed, ached to just be home but knew she couldn't.
She could see the silhouettes of the gits outside paying her no mind, arrogantly chatting away and laughing with each other. It filled her with anger, a blind rage that had her wishing to end them both where they sat. How dare they infiltrate her peace, her sanctuary, her home. How dare they threaten Hermione, herself and everyone else. How DARE they laugh about it?
She seethed, her jaw set tight and she inhaled sharply through her nose in an attempt to cool the fire bubbling deep within the pit of her belly. She had to make it back to Hermione tonight, the brunette was injured and all they needed were some things. Storm knew if she did anything in that moment, there would be more goons right behind these anyway.
Begrudgingly she wrenched open the door to her basement and all but hopped down the steps a few at a time like she had done countless times before. The broom was right where she thought it might be, stashed with the rest of the quidditch paraphernalia she had acquired throughout the years. She grabbed it and took stock of whether or not there might be anything else she could use but quickly decided she had enough to get out of there.
Turning quickly on heel she took off back up the stairs and pulled her wand from her pocket once again, she had just enough time to do this and get out before others arrived. Without really dwelling on what she was doing she marched through her home and moved to grip the door with the hand that still held her wand tightly. She expertly pulled the sliding glass open with one finger and the noise seemed to do exactly what she had intended it to.
The two guards on this side of her home jumped up in shock and stumbled back as she stepped out and quickly fired two curses off at them. Each curse hit it's mark dead on and in turn the goons stumbled back and into the chairs they had been sat on out cold. There was much more she wanted to do with them but there was no time. With another twist of her wand she was back in the room she had left the brunette in.
The older witch was sat up, staring at her. Dark eyes narrowed dangerously as she examined the state of the shifter loaded down with items she knew she had gone out to acquire. "Storm" Hermione quipped sharply, there was almost a growl to her voice as she spoke.
"I got Pyjammas!" Storm retorted lightly "And a broom!" She held out the old firebolt proudly, her lips twisting up into a beaming grin. She was quite proud of herself and knew she had done well not to get caught. Being able to stun the two gits had only been a bonus.
"Where on earth?" Hermione questioned then, an eyebrow raised as a begrudging smile tugged its way across her lips. She shifted on the bed a little, making more room for the shifter to sit down beside her; watching as Storm dropped the things she was holding in the corner before making her way over to the bed.
"We're in the little village near my house, I thought I'd pop back and get some stuff. Nobody know's I'm a shifter remember, so I got in and out without anyone even seeing me" Storm lied, twisting the last part into a more favourable story. "There are only four guards, they're not very good are they?" Storm added though the question was rhetorical.
"Oh" Hermione muttered, eyebrows furrowing thoughtfully as she considered what the shifter had done. She was a little impressed but would be hard pressed to admit it. After all, Storm had managed to get them out of danger and into some form of relative safety. It had also seemed as if she had sorted her knee out and there was only a dull throb left of the sharp, shooting pain that had been there the last time she was awake.
Dark eyes fell onto the Shifter's profile as Storm sat down as gently as Hermione had ever known her to. She examined the small knicks in the younger woman's skin from the trees falling and spraying them with bits of wood and earth. It seemed as if some were lodged and it did look quite sore. She figured she was probably much the same and knew they'd have to get the pieces of Merlin knows what out before they went bad.
"Shall we get cleaned up?" Hermione asked, her tone lighter than it had been for a while. She felt quite relieved to be out of the tent and into some semblance of normalcy even if it was just for the evening. "I'm sure I have some tweezers, we'll need to pull those little bits of wood out of your face before they get infected" She spoke quietly, much perkier than she had felt for days considering the events of the evening.
"Sounds good to me, I definitely could do with a hot shower and a change of clothes." Storm muttered, running the palm of one of her hands across her face gently; wincing as she did. She hadn't noticed before, but her skin there was tender and throbbing quite rhythmically. "How's your knee? You went down hard there, I've never seen anything like it off the quidditch pitch and outside of a war" she teased the older woman, "If it wasn't such a life or death situation I'd have laughed" She added and nudged her gently as Hermione moved to rummage around in her bag for what Storm assumed were the pair of tweezers.
"It's better than it could be, thank you" Hermione spoke seriously as she paused to look up at the taller witch smiling kindly down at her. There was a warmth there that Hermione hadn't realised she had missed so desperately and it made her heart skip a little in surprise. There was an ease even in the most tense of times that she had always appreciated.
"Anytime" Storm murmured, rubbing the back of her neck a little awkwardly as she grasped for what else she might be able to say in that moment. Feeling the intensity of the brunettes stare warming her uncomfortably under the collar. "So, impaled by tiny bits of wood; not how I thought tonight was going to go really" Storm spoke then, laughing to herself as she made the crude joke.
"Don't be so disgusting" Hermione scolded as she sucked her teeth in disgust, shaking her head as she went back to rummaging through her bag a little before giving up and grabbing her wand from the bedside table Storm had left it on. "Honestly, are you an adult?" She questioned rhetorically with a roll of her eyes as she pointed the tip of her wand into the bag to summon the pair of tweezers.
"Oh come on Hermione, I'm sure you're not impartial to a being impaled by some tiny bits of wood" She continued, teasing the older woman daringly. Dark eyes bright and flashing mischievously as Storm's lips twisted up into a crooked grin and sharp white teeth were exposed.
Hermione paused once again, her jaw tightening as she flicked dark narrowed eyes up at the shifter from under her eyelashes. Her lips pursed for a moment as she quickly considered her retort. "I'll have you know" She started, her words pointed "there has only ever been one tiny bit of wood that has gotten anywhere near me, thank you kindly" She spoke, putting emphasis on the word tiny as dark eyes flicked themselves pointedly towards Storm's crotch. Her own payback sweet as she laughed quietly to herself as Storm's face dropped entirely.
She had learned while they were dating of a certain trick Storm used to get out of a certain cycle of the female anatomy. She had been surprised at first, but it had quickly become a normality in their relationship and something she had never been opposed to at all. Though, it had been anything but tiny, Storm had left herself wide open for the returned teasing.
"I am both shocked and hurt" Storm muttered, placing her hand over her heart in feign hurt. "It's not tiny, I'll refresh your memory right now if I need to" She stated, her lip protruding in a petulant pout as Hermione grabbed her by the collar and pulled her round to get at the side of her face that had been subjected to the flying debris; effectively stopping the Shifter from doing anything of the sort.
"That wont be necessary, I remember it quite well" Hermione admitted easily as she began to pluck pieces of debris from where it had been lodged in Storm's face by the Giants and their destruction.
"So you haven't… you know with anyone else then? Have you even dated anyone since… you know?" Storm muttered as she allowed the older witch to get as close as she wanted to and manoeuvre her into the best position to get to the shards imbedded in her face. Hermione's touch was gentle, and her hands were surprisingly warm and the whole instance was soothing.
"Nope, and nope" The brunette answered honestly, her voice quiet and almost a whisper given their proximity. "Ive never really found anyone I wanted to become romantically linked to in any sense of the term" She explained, sighing a little as she considered how Storm's breathing had changed and become much deeper. It was reminiscent of their time at Hogwarts, the Shifter would always become so very relaxed anytime Hermione put her hands on her like this.
"I suppose it's not easy with your job to have any sort of spare time is it?" Storm quizzed, she didn't know much about the ins and outs of what Hermione did exactly but she knew the bookworm well enough to know what her work ethic was like. Hermione had barely left the library at Hogwarts, and when she did it was only when she was absolutely sure there was nothing left to do, or she had had enough for the night. Though, as they had gotten closer throughout the last year there had seemed to be less evenings spent wasted in the library, and more spare time for Hermione to spend with Storm.
"It is quite difficult, but honestly there just hasn't been anyone who's caught my eye. They're all the same and nobody has quite stood out" She spoke a little more quieter than before, almost as if she really wasn't too sure what to say. It was awkward to discuss with the Shifter but not for any other reason than she had wondered what could have been since the whole situation had come to light.
"For what it's worth, you deserve more than some average quill pusher anyway. It would be an incredible injustice to see you settle for someone you didn't really want" Storm muttered, her words barely audible as she mumbled them out. A pang of jealousy radiated within her chest as she considered Hermione with someone else, something she had never really thought of before as it had never actually been anywhere for her to witness.
Though, she guessed it'd be something she would have to deal with sooner or later. There would be a time when the brunette still gently holding her jaw between her thumb and forefinger would find someone she wanted. A deep sigh escaped her chest before she could stop it and she found herself pulling away from the older witch before she could allow herself to become too enveloped by a painful familiarity.
Hermione noticed, she watched the way Storm's shoulders slumped a little and how she seemed to try and hide the deflation. "Thank you" She spoke in turn, her jaw setting a little as she considered the situation they'd found themselves in. She had the option here to tell Storm the truth, to tell her what she had left out their first night together. But she knew all it would do was reopen old wounds.
"I guess it's your turn, give me those" Storm smiled and it seemed so entirely forced that the sight of it sent a pang of sadness deep into the pit of Hermione's stomach. She held a large hand out, palm side up and closed her fingers around the tweezers Hermione had handed over.
Their roles were reversed, but Storm worked in silence as she tried to get all the small slivers of tree out of the brunettes cheek as gently as she could. Holding the brunettes jaw firmly, watching as she winced now and again; muttering a quiet apology each time. Hermione's voice broke the temporary silence as the brunette spoke of her own curiosity.
"How many people have you been with since Hogwarts then?" She tried to make the question sound light, but knew there had to have been a few. Storm was attractive, she was easy going and had the natural ability to make people feel relaxed in her presence. Of course it would be daft to assume she had remained such as Hermione had.
The Shifter seemed to pause and her eyebrows furrowed as she flicked dark eyes to meet Hermione's own. She looked downright confused and surprised by the question but eventually she answered. "I think like two since you and they weren't any more than a wham bam thank you ma'am" She stated simply, a small smirk tugging at her lips as Hermione wrinkled her nose at her terminology.
"Why must you be so vulgar at every given opportunity?" She questioned but moved on before Storm could do anything but give an amused snort. "So only one since Hogwarts then?" She added, a little surprised at that fact.
"No, Two. It was only you at Hogwarts Hermione" Storm muttered, unsure as to why the brunette had thought any different. It almost seemed as if she was trying to get to the bottom of some sort of mystery, asking pointed questions to find out an answer she thought she had already known.
A pang of anger echoed in Hermione's chest as Storm lied to her, as the Shifter refused to admit what they had both know she had done. Hermione had witnessed it, she had seen Storm stumble back in that night after they'd broken up. It had been so obvious and Storm knew she had been caught out.
"Are you just going to skip over whoever it was you were with that night I caught you coming back at Merlin knows what time?" Hermione asked, her question was sharper than she had intended it to be and Storm recoiled a little in surprise.
"What?" The shifter questioned, her expression blank. "Hermione the night you caught me coming back I was absolutely trashed! I thought you were mad at me for getting drunk! I hadn't slept with anyone" She explained, though there was a distinct tone of irritation in her voice. Her lips had twisted into a small frown and she was shaking her head a little in disbelief. "I can't believe you really thought so lowly of me, I was in love with you." She added, deflating entirely.
Hermione was struck dumb. She had gotten it all wrong, everything so entirely wrong. She had jumped to all the wrong conclusions, said all the wrong things and they had both suffered for it. Sadness filled her chest as it began to tighten around her quickly throbbing heart, dark eyes fixed themselves once again to Storm who was staring back with such an empty expression it was as if it had all just happened yesterday.
"I just… I didn't think" Hermione tried, but it was fruitless. She had been a coward to break it off with the Shifter in the first place. She had been even more so as she had lied to the redhead to try and get her off her back for it. She had allowed her own insecurities and fears cloud her judgement again as she had jumped to the conclusion of Storm being with someone else the night she had stumbled back through the portrait hole. She had shut herself off to the girl she had been so in love with for years and had been so alone for it. Really this outcome was far worse than anything she had been afraid of happening.
"For such a brilliant woman Hermione, you often don't think do you" Storm spoke, though there was a surprising lack of venom to her words. She was simply just making a statement. "It's done now, there's no point in rehashing it all. It'll only open old wounds" her voice was quiet, calm and that was all she could say on the matter. Quietly she got back to work, pulling out fragments of tree and ensuring she got every bit she could before sitting back and holding the tweezers back out to the older witch.
"Did you want to shower first?" Hermione questioned, figuring the shifter might like five moments with her own thoughts. She had grown entirely somber and it was so unlike Storm that Hermione worried. Though, she figured her right to worry about the girl before her had dwindled away to nothing as she considered just how awfully she had screwed up.
"Sure" The shifter stated simply as she stood to collect a few things from her backpack she had discarded into the corner before disappearing into the bathroom; leaving Hermione alone once again.
The brunette considered what had been said and mostly what hadnt been. She considered her options and her emotions. Everything was so up in the air right now that it would almost be irresponsible to try and make anything else known. She considered there would be plenty of time after all of this was over, plenty of time when Storm had somewhere to escape to. The last thing she wanted was to trap the younger woman.
Storm returned a few minutes later and Hermione noted she seemed much more comfortable than she had done. Her short curls were longer than they were dry and hung somewhere around her shoulders, they had been pushed back and away from bright eyes that met Hermione's own for a moment. She wore a grey pair of cotton joggers and an oversized t-shirt that hung over broad shoulders with some sort of daft logo on the front of it. "I've seen that before" Hermione laughed quietly as she pulled the front of it out on her way past, shaking her head in disbelief.
"It's been my favourite for years" Storm smirked as she looked down at the smiley face emblazoned on her stomach. It seemed far too happy, even for a cartoon and that's why she loved it so much. "It's the same one from Hogwarts, I think I got it in fifth year. It was way, way too big then; but it's not so bad now" She explained as she moved closer to the bed Hermione was still perched on the edge of. Pausing momentarily to put her things back into her backpack, tucking it all away nicely.
"I remember you saying" Hermione quipped easily, happily as she noted Storm's tone seemed much more chipper indeed. "Right, I'll be back in a moment. You can choose what to put on the television, I have my book" She offered the shifter a small smile as she turned to shut herself into the bathroom.
When she returned she noted Storm had sprawled out on the floor beside the bed, her head on a singular pillow and covered by the blanket that had resided at the end of the bed. There was some sort of cartoon on the television but the Shifter was none the wiser, she was already snoring quietly, her forearm thrust over her eyes. The brunette figured it was late, very late in reality and she knew she too wasn't long for the waking world.
She made a mental note to make sure she got a good look at the wound on Storm's shoulder in the morning and shut off the light before climbing into the first proper bed she'd slept in for almost a week. It was comfortable, much more so than the cot like bed she'd had in the tent. She hung her head over the side and dark eyes flicked over the Shifter, breathing deeply and unphased by the hard floor she had chosen to claim as her own resting place.
A small sigh escaped her lips as she once again considered what had been said and with one last glance she moved to turn the lights out and settle herself. There was nothing she could do now, not that very moment at least. She would apologise to Storm tomorrow, she would at least be able to say she was sorry.
