Chapter 4
Storm woke naturally the next morning. She had rolled over onto her stomach at some point in the night and her face was pressed into rough carpet. The pillow she'd commandeered was draped over her upright cheek and was shrouding her eyes in darkness. She was comfortable considering the hard wooden boards under the threadbare carpet were pressing into her chest harshly every time she breathed in, and her knees and hips were raw from lack of cushion.
"Good morning" Came Hermione's voice, chipper and very awake, spoken once she had noticed the Shifter stirring from her resting place.
Storm's head was swimming and her ears were ringing from the noise the previous night. She hadn't noticed it before falling asleep and wondered if it had been there all along. Though, she soon realised as she sat up slowly that the ringing was coming from something outside the window rather than herself. The world below in the little village had awoken long before she had, and it was business as normal for them.
She was jealous, sort of. She rubbed the back of a fist into tired eyes and scrubbed her palms across her face in an attempt to wake herself a little more. She blinked against the harsh light that had already filled the room. Her gaze was hazy and she couldn't fight off the yawn she stifled with the back of her hand as she sat back on her elbows, flicking dark bleary eyes around the room before they fell on her companion.
Immediately any jealousy that had accumulated in the pit of her stomach for those living life as they normally did disappeared. Dark curls were mussed from sleep and bright doe eyes were watching her knowingly; shining like depthless pots of honey in the morning light filtering into the room. Hermione was regarding her with such a kind, warm smile that had only the smallest lilt of amusement. Her flannel Pyjammas were wrinkled a little, and her cheeks were slightly pink. She looked toasty and comfortable, she looked as if she too hadn't long woken up. She looked beautiful.
For a moment Storm stopped breathing and her mind snapped immediately to the want to crawl in beside her and just go back to sleep. She wished in that moment they were still in a time where that was acceptable and found herself struck with how absurd the thought of once having that privilege was. It was only the confused furrow of the older woman before her shook her out of the trance.
She realised in an instant she had been staring, dopey and slack jawed in awe. She realised momentarily that just like crawling into bed beside this miraculous woman was out of bounds, wasn't allowed to stare so appreciatively anymore. She cleared her throat harshly as the scorch of a blush rushed up her cheeks and by the light laugh she knew Hermione had noticed exactly what she had been doing.
"Hey" Storm spoke, her voice rough and a little harsh from disuse. "Hey" She tried again as she cleared her throat, running a hand through messy hair; pushing it back and out of her face. "How are you feeling this morning? How's your knee?" Storm questioned as she made to push herself up and off the floor. Making the effort to push the embarrassment down into the pit of her stomach.
"Much better thank you." Hermione spoke politely, her own blush creeping up her neck as she watched the shifter move and stretch. She knew what had gone through Storm's mind as she had moved slowly into the waking world. Part of her ached for what had been, for what could have been. There was an echo of the conversation they had the night before flitting through her memory as dark eyes trailed themselves across the taller woman as she moved.
"Storm" Hermione started tentatively, dark eyes flicking themselves back down to the sheets that pooled around her hips. She sat back against the headboard and took a deep breath in to calm the nerves welling in the pit of her stomach as she considered what she was about to say and how it was best to say it.
"What's wrong?" Storm questioned, halfway through pulling clothes for the day out of her backpack. For a moment fear struck her, she worried she had been too transparent and had crossed a line. Dark eyes trained themselves entirely on the bookworm who seemed to be fighting with herself quietly. She looked torn, she looked a little afraid.
"I just wanted to say I'm sorry" Hermione started, her lips pulled down into a frown and her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Her stare was locked onto something just behind the Shifter. "What I said to Ginny, what I assumed about you that night, the way I treated you after. I never said I was sorry the other night when you called me out, and I've been thinking about it quite a lot. Though I don't think it really covers it, I figured I might as well actually start with an apology and work on the rest from there." She spoke quickly, almost unintelligibly.
Storm had to really focus on what she was saying to get it all and was quite taken back by how sudden it had seemed. She never really expected it at all, she appreciated the sentiment quite wholly. She stopped what she was doing and made to move towards the bed; slowly and tentatively. Hermione looked so entirely unsure of herself it was almost painful to watch. She had begun to wring her hands and almost looked as if she might cry.
The Shifter perched on the edge of the mattress, a small smirk tugging at the corners of her lips as she regarded the older woman who's gaze had finally settled on her once again. "Thank you" Storm stated clearly as she ducked her head to catch the shorter woman's eyes. Storm was nodding a little as she toyed with how best to try and comfort the older witch. She reached a hand out to place tentatively on the brunette's knee, patting it gently; awkwardly.
Hermione rolled her eyes then at how absurd it was that Storm would even hesitate in such situation. She lent forward quickly and all but flung her arms around Storm's neck as she pulled the Shifter entirely into her. A deep sigh escaped Storm's lips as the brunette all but fell into her. Storm returned the embrace, wrapping strong arms around Hermione's waist and held tight for as long as the older witch needed. She dared not move, dared not say anything.
It seemed as if it were an eternity later that Hermione finally pulled away looking much more confident, a wide and winning smile pulling at her lips. It had soon turned into a disbelieving laugh as Storm's stomach rumbled and effectively broke the moment. The taller witch looked sheepish at best and shook her head as she looked down at her own belly.
"I think we best get ready because the boss has spoken" Storm laughed, dark eyes lighting up impossibly as she considered the idea of eating something other than porridge for breakfast. "I know of a café that we can get a proper breakfast at before we head on, and then we can go and get some more supplies" Storm grinned as she stood up, moving to grab her things to disappear into the bathroom with.
"I want a full English, extra black pudding" She called through the door and Hermione found herself unable to stifle the giggle that escaped her chest. Storm had always been the same, driven almost entirely by two things; her libido and her stomach.
"You would" Hermione quipped lightly; loud enough for Storm to hear her through the door. She too moved to grab her clothes out of her bag, casting a quick Tergio on them once they were laid out on the bed.
It wasn't long before they were wandering through the small village Hermione didn't recognise. They had stopped for a quick breakfast and Storm had eaten her fill; easily consuming more in one sitting than she had for the entire week they had spent in the forest. The streets were bustling, though not as much as Hermione had been used to. It was worlds away from the capital city she had called home since leaving Hogwarts.
It was quaint and it seemed almost as if everyone knew everyone. Throwing easy smiles and hellos around as they walked past each other on the street. Storm was no different, she greeted people kindly; warmly. She seemed so genuinely pleased to see some of them that it was quite overwhelming to watch.
They had stopped into a supermarket that was quite empty considering the time of day and got to work quickly collecting things that wouldn't spoil. They moved quickly, keeping their voices low and trying to avoid others overhearing them. They had mostly made their way through the supermarket when it had happened.
The air seemed to become too dense to even breath in what felt like an instant. They paused in the bread isle, a few rows away from having eyes on the door to the shop. They were alone in the space and Hermione had stepped closer to Storm's side almost instantly, her fingers twisting themselves into the oversized t-shirt the Shifter was wearing.
There was a blood curdling scream that echoed over the shelves and a voice that whispered lowly in a language that Hermione hadn't recognised. Before she knew what she was doing she used the grip she already had on Storm's shirt and yanked hard pulling the Shifter down low behind the shelves. Storm followed her lead quickly and they huddled up together as tightly as they could. Storm's eyebrows were furrowed, her eyes were fixed to Hermione and there was a pained expression etched across sharp features.
"What is that?" She whispered, her voice quiet and barely audible over another echoed, shrill scream. There was a charge to the air, and Hermione was instantly reminded of that night in Hogsmede when they had been unable to apparate out due to a charm being broken and the air around them solidifying.
A nervous wave pulled at her chest and she grabbed out her beaded bag and extended it, shoving it into Storm's hands firmly. Quietly instructing the Shifter to hold it open so she could tip their groceries into it's depths. "Hermione? We need to pay for these" Storm spoke dumbly, as if she had no idea what was going on; as if she was speaking just to break the tension that had fallen.
"We'll come back and pay for them if we survive whatever this is" Hermione quipped harshly, her tone sharp as she spoke. "We need to get out of here. Something is coming. They know where we are" She stated simply, as a mater of factly. There were no ifs, ands or butts about it. They had been located.
She had no doubt that the Deatheaters had been watching this town, no doubt at all. She inwardly damned them both for being so careless, for being so stupid. How could they have risked it all after a night like the evening before. The giants had almost had them and they had been so entirely lucky to escape mostly unharmed.
Suddenly, there was a man standing at the end of the isle. Hermione noticed him first by the distorted reflection he had cast on the Lino floor. She picked her head up and her narrowed gaze fell immediately on the strange individual. He seemed almost as if he were sleepwalking, limbs hung limply at his sides and his own stare was aimed at the ground.
Storm twisted as Hermione's gaze had moved from her and dark coal like eyes fell onto the person before them. The hairs on the back of her neck raised as she watched confused but convinced there was something not quite right. They watched him silently with baited breath, Hermione moving to grip at the crook of Storm's elbow. She shoved the bag back into her jean pocket and grabbed her wand, never releasing her grip on the Shifter.
Something about the man made her hackles rise and she searched her keen mind for answers to the question of what might be happening. The sight made her blood run cold as she continued to watch him. She noted out of the corner of her eye that Storm's features had morphed ever so slightly, not enough to be noticed by anyone that didn't know what was happening. Hermione knew, she knew she was using what she could to try and determine what was going on.
Though, she also knew that Storm wouldn't be able to shift significantly in less she was sure she could do so without being seen. The ability was best kept under wraps, and would do more for them if she could use it secretly. They had some sort of element of surprise when it came to that, and that was something they'd need for later.
Everything fell silent bar the rush of blood in Hermione's ears as she waited with baited breath for something to happen. They dared not move, dared not speak. They were teetering on the edge of chaos and they both knew it was coming at them quickly. Whatever, whoever this man was had something to do with it. What, they didn't know.
He was soon joined by another person who looked almost exactly the same, though his hair was water logged and dripping wet and there was significant damage to his clothes. Another… and another after that joined what was starting to become a small horde of sleepwalkers, all with their gazes down turned as if waiting for a que… or a trigger.
Storm moved back, moved to lean herself against the brunette's front ever so slightly. She shuffled to put herself in front of the older witch, directly in the line of fire if anything were to happen. Her own wand had been drawn and was held out in front of them as they braced and waited for the penny to drop. "They smell like rot" came Storm's whisper, only audible for Hermione to hear just barely.
It was then it happened, Storm gasped as she realised one of the new comers was the short portly fellow who owned the inn. She stood suddenly, fuelled by anger as she realised innocent bystanders were being used as some kind of pawn in the dark plans made by this woman who had wreaked terror on their own world. The brunette followed her quickly standing and pressing her front into Storm's back once again, a quiet dread filling her stomach as she stopped Storm from moving forward anymore.
It was the sudden movement that had seemed to do it, it was the attempted step forward that had the horde moving in unison. Their heads all snapped up together and Hermione gasped in horror as she saw their eyes. They were milky as if covered entirely by spider webs and some of their features were skewed and deteriorated.
Her heart stopped as they began to race at them with inhuman speed and as soon as she realised what they were she screamed. "Infiri!"
As soon as the first word had left her lips, her wand was poised and she was screaming again. Storm couldn't quite make out her words but she was soon stumbling back as the force of Hermione's spell going off beside her hit her, a fire like whip crackled through the air and beat back the creatures that had made for them.
The flames licked at shelves and the ceiling above them started to moan under the heat of the spell. Storm could feel it, she could feel the hot air wafting her way. The Infiri seemed to back off, the first row of them consumed by flame and succumbing to the burn. The others stayed just outside of it's reach and Storm figured they were safe so long as the fire was going.
"My bag Storm! In it there is something called Peruvian instant darkness powder. Use Accio! Get your broom too, we need to get out!" She ordered calmly, her voice steady as she took total control of the situation. Storm had her strengths and Hermione also had hers. Though, she was sure the Infiri were simply a distraction, a way to stall them.
Storm worked quickly and wasted no time with pleasantries as she reached into Hermione's pocket to grab the bag. She did exactly as she was told and wrenched the fragile looking purse open and pointed her wand into it's depths. Her own words were spoken firmly, and a little black rock like thing came flying out and she caught it with reflexes only a seeker could boast. Her shrunken broom came next and soon she was stuffing the beaded bag back into her own pocket.
With another spoken spell she set the firebolt back to it's original size and she did what she always did best and mounted the broom. She settled comfortably and quickly against the polished wooden handle and almost immediately began hovering, feet settled against the footholds. "Get on!" She called, moving to hold out a hand in order to steady Hermione as she saddled up behind her.
Dark brown curls were being whipped around by heated winds kicking up from the flame still being directed by Hermione's wand. The brunette remained in total control of the powerful charm keeping the Infiri at bay as she followed Storm's lead. She wrapped an arm around the taller witch's waist tightly to keep herself on. "Get us out of here, and drop that powder just as we get to the doors. It'll distract people enough that they wont see us getting away on the broom" Hermione spoke calmly, exactly. Her tone leaving no room for misinterpretation.
Storm nodded and lent over to press her front into the handle. As soon as they had taken off the flames ceased and the Infiri that had managed to escape the kiss of fire were rushing back at them. Their horribly distorted bodies were moving like animals, climbing shelves and flinging themselves into the air in order to bring the pair down. It was sickening to see, the sight something out of a muggle horror film Storm had loved once.
Hermione's stomach lurched as she wrapped her other arm around the Shifter and lent into her back. The wind rushing past them quickly as Storm sped on through darkness that erupted around them as soon as they had been about to emerge into the daylight. The Shifter wasted no time and angled them up towards the sky once they were in the open and they were climbing higher and higher at speeds Hermione was sure she had never experienced on the back of a broom.
She was sure she never wanted to experience such speeds again she dug the tips of her fingers into the Shifter's Quidditch toned stomach. Her face was buried in the younger witch's back to save her breath from being stolen right from her lungs.
"One of them was the guy that owns the inn! They must have done him last night! Or when we left this morning!" Storm yelled, her voice harsh and tense as she spoke of what she had seen over the noise of the rushing winds.
Hermione hadn't seen him, he hadn't been there as they had left. Hermione figured they now knew why he had been absent and her heart ached for how sad Storm sounded even over the rush of the wind. Though she dared not respond, dared not move her face from where her cheek was pressed inbetween Storm's shoulder blades.
A flash of green lit up her vision through her eyelids and before she could react or do anything Storm was wrenching the broom hard. She couldn't help the scream that ripped itself from her lungs as the Shifter did some sort of barrel roll and dark eyes flew open to see another green flash followed by another and another. They were under attack, they had been followed.
She hadn't yet put her wand away and she swivelled where she sat to see how many there were on their tails. Dark eyes examined the air around them and they were deep within the clouds. Four cloaked figures were falling behind and she was quirky thankful for Storm's ability when it came to flying and flying quickly. It would be hard for them to aim accurately, but there was always a chance they could hit.
"Impedimenta!" She bellowed, heart racing as she aimed for the closest cloaked figure racing after them. The shock of light erupted and soared through the air, but it missed.
Another rain of green fell around them, and Storm held them steady as Hermione took aim again and fired off a few different spells in quick succession. The first distracted their assailants and the second hit one of them square in the chest. He seemed to dwindle for a moment before sliding off his broom entirely to fall through the air.
She knew he was as good as dead, the ground was a vast patchwork of green and blue from the height they were flying at. There was no way he would survive the fall, especially if he was unconscious. She saw one of his companions slow and become distracted looking for him and used the brief second as an opportunity to hit him with a stunner.
Though, she hadn't got time to dwell on whether or not he had been hit. A shock of lightning struck between them and the remaining cloaked figures. The bolt was so bright and near it was near enough blinding. She hadn't noticed they had flown straight into stormclouds and as she jumped Storm had remained ever steady. She had reached back and curled fingers around one of Hermione's belt loops, holding onto the brunette for good measure.
"Storm! We need to land!" She yelled over a clap of thunder that shook her ribs. The cloaked figures dropping back and disappearing into blackened skies. They had lost them, they had turned back and ceased tailing them.
"I know, just a bit longer! We're okay!" The Shifter called back and it seemed she was determined to get as much space between them and their attackers as possible.
Hermione turned back, she huddled close to the Shifter who was still pressed to the handle of the broom. They were still making good speed and Hermione found as she turned she had to bury her face once again, though she kept turning to check they were still out of the woods. Those who had chased them were still entirely out of sight.
A wall of water hit them and Storm finally slowed down as rain fell through the clouds and drenched them both entirely within seconds. The water was heavy and it was almost impossible to see through. Storm made the choice then to aim for the ground and muttered a barely audible "Hold tight" Before clenching her thighs tightly to the broom and pushing the handle almost vertically down.
Another scream met her ears and she almost laughed at the ever predictable sound. She knew Hermione wasn't the biggest fan of flying, and she knew she was definitely pushing the limits. Adrenaline surged through her body, coursed through her veins as she held them both steady against the wood of the broom holding steady against the onslaught of wind and water.
A surge of lightning illuminated the ground below and Storm aimed for a quickly approaching field that seemed almost entirely empty. They'd be safe there for a while, there was nothing but fields around, and at the very least they'd be able to see anything coming; if it did. She slowed, pulling up on the handle and pushing her heels into the footholds of the broom. Wincing a little as nails dug sharply into her ribs through her soaked t-shirt.
Ground was almost too welcome as they landed and Hermione all but flung herself off of the broom. She doubled over and panted as she tried her best to regain control of her fried nerves. The sound of Storm laughing over the hammer of the rain around them set her off and she reached out without looking and swung; landing a swift backhand to the Shifter's arm.
"You didn't have to dive like that!" She scolded through gritted teeth, running her hands through soaking curls that hung around her shoulders in waves. She pulled her hair up into a low bun and out of the way. Her dark eyes fixed to Storm with a dangerous glare as she watched her continue to laugh. Her shoulders quivering with shudders of amusement.
"I'm glad you find it funny! We could have died!" Hermione shrieked angrily as she threw her hands up into the air exhasperatedly, her temper flaring as she considered once again how stupid they had been. They had ventured into a town familiar to the shifter, they had behaved as if it might have just been another day. The worst part was; she had let them. She had been so distracted by the morning she had with the Shifter she had let the objective slip from sight.
"But we didn't, and nobody can keep up with me on a broom Hermione." Storm spoke arrogantly. Though, as Hermione flicked her stare towards her she seemed quite sheepish. "And nobody can beat you in a duel. I think we make an okay team. I only regret that Mark…" She continued, but her words broke off as she said his name. She looked suddenly sad, and Hermione didn't have to ask who Mark was.
"Let's get the charms and spells we need in place and then we can sort the tent out" Hermione spoke then, her anger gone as she considered what had been lost. Their stupidity had cost someone his life, might have cost all of those turned into infiri their lives. She dared not dwell on it, dared not allow herself to think too much into what had happened.
They had deserved a night in a proper bed, in a proper room. They had needed supplies, clothes and food. Though opting to go somewhere Storm frequented might have been a severe oversight, the chances were just as significant of there being no watch detail over the town. After all, this woman might have suspected they'd stay away from such a place.
Storm said nothing and instead got to work setting a perimeter and Hermione did the same. They worked in silence, only the mutterings of their incantations spoken; drowned out by the sound of the rain pouring in thick droves around them. It was cold, bitingly so and she couldn't wait to get inside the tent they had called home since embarking on this journey.
Her thoughts turned to what they had managed to snag from the store. She knew she had grabbed cans of beans, some sausages, bacon, eggs and black pudding. She had managed to pick up some other goodies, obviously dwelling quite solidly on their breakfast as they had wandered around the store. Though, she noted with a small snort that she had actually picked up other things and considered what she might make for dinner that evening.
It wasn't that Hermione was a particularly bad cook, it was more so that she was constantly quite occupied with other things and cooking was not high up on her priority list. After their second night of burnt soup Storm had taken over on that front and they had come up with a routine that had Hermione frantically scribbling notes on maps, and drawing out rough directions on scraps of parchment. Storm would sit beside the suspended fire and swirl around slowly bubbling soup in a pan until it was hot enough to eat.
They would eat together and after that Storm would venture back outside to keep watch for a few hours. It had been alright the first few days, sleeping and watching the brunette work but as the days have drawn on the inability to wander had begun to eat her up from the inside. It had been nothing short of sweet relief the night before to run and shift, to fly above the village in search of her own home.
She ached for the beach and the trees that resided on her land void of muggles, warded to keep them at bay. She ached so desperately for the freedom that came with Quidditch practice and her daily swim in the sea every afternoon. She would explore and stretch her muscles out before coming home to cook herself a modest dinner and rest on her sofa until she fell asleep.
It was a lonely existence, but it was one she loved. She was never hugely fond of big groups of people, never fond of spending too much time around those who had no idea of her gift. To be in Hermione's presence and to be able to shift as and when she wanted was nothing short of liberating.
As she reached the spot she started at she turned to see what the brunette was doing, watching as Hermione muttered her own incantations. Water was pouring down the bridge of her nose now, and dripping into her eyes from eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Storm watched on through rain blurred vision, rubbing the back of her neck with a paw like hand as she blinked away a few droplets stuck to her eyelashes.
"We'll have to get the maps out and figure out where we are exactly" Hermione spoke then, turning quickly on heel. Her voice was pointed and there was a tinge of something Storm couldn't quite place. "You'll need to help me, we need to start plotting a proper route" She added as she motioned for Storm's pocket.
The Shifter raised a brow and looked down at herself a little startled. Panic welled as she examined her soaked jeans and ensured there was nothing untoward, nothing bulging or poking out where it shouldn't have been. Though, as she examined she realised it wasn't that time of the cycle and there wasn't anything to bulge at that point in time anyway.
"My bag Storm" Hermione spoke, a tone of amusement echoing in her voice. Storm felt the immediate shock of embarrassment flush her face, red hot against the freeze of the rain numbing her extremities.
"Oh Sorry" She quipped with a nervous laugh as she moved to pull the bag from her pocket in order to toss it to the woman who was watching her and trying with all her might not to smile. Storm could see it, she could see the corners of her lips twitching and her eyes sparkling a little. A deep contrast to the mood that had previously settled between them.
"Why does it always have to be about that for you? Honestly, it's not even there and you're making sure it's alright" Hermione quizzed as she moved closer to the younger witch, looking up at the shifter through damp eyelashes. Her lips were quirked up on one side and there was a trace of familiarity to the way she was regarding the taller witch.
After giving the Shifter a lingering look she made to open up the small bag and made quick work of reaching down into it in order to pull the temporary home from it's depths. She pointed her wand at it and set it about sorting itself out. The leafy green shelter popped open and came alive before them as ropes flailed in the air before pegging themselves into the soft floor. It seemed as if this was a farmers field and it had been harvested already for the year. The earth was churned up and Storm figured that was a good sign, whoever owned it wouldn't be back for a bit.
"How do you know it's not there?" Storm questioned after a moment of silence, the weight of the brunettes statement hitting her. Her eyebrows raised suggestively as she smirked a crooked smirk. Her voice was teasing and she knew she had caught Hermione out as the brunette spluttered a little abashedly a beat after the question was voiced.
"Well you would be talking about it non stop for one." Hermione retorted a little too quickly, and immediately the shifter knew she was lying. Her interest piqued and she stepped a little closer to the woman who had folded her arms in defiance and faced the tent entirely.
"Tell the truth Granger, I know when you're bullshitting" Storm prodded, pushing for the actual answer. She was intrigued to say the least, that was for sure. "You forget for the most part of a year we were quite attached, and even for years before that I fancied the pants off of you. You can't get past me" Storm quipped easily as she moved a little closer to the tent herself. Her hair was drenched entirely and she moved to slick it back out of her eyes. Her clothes were stuck to her uncomfortably and made her skin feel like it was flaming in contrast to the icy water still pouring from the heavens.
Hermione seemed to pause for a moment and Storm could see a nerve in her jaw twitching even through the downpour. "That was the truth!" Hermione retorted with a scoff, her head turning a little but never enough to actually face the taller witch still watching her. "Also, it's impossible for me to forget something so significant Storm, don't be so daft" She stated simply, though these words were not said so fiercely and Storm knew they were true at least.
The tent had erected itself fully and now stood ready for them to go in. Neither made a move, Storm was determined to get the truth. "Nope, I don't believe you" She quipped easily with a laugh, shaking her head as she moved to block the small doorway into the shelter and out of the rain.
Hermione looked downright affronted and lashed out to smack her shoulder rather hard as she heaved a deep breath in order to fuel what would have been a scolding. Though, as her palm had impacted Storm had stumbled back clumsily into the side of the tent and doubled over, her hand flying to her arm that had previously been wounded by the Deatheaters at the Quidditch World Cup. The gash had been reopened the night before when they had fought the giants and now again as Hermione had unthinkingly lashed out. There had been no ill intentions there, and the strike was done playfully.
She inhaled a sharp breath through her nose as the impact directly to the gash hidden below the fabric of her t-shirt knocked her sick. The pain shot through her body almost immediately and she tried to play it off by crouching and heaving a deep calming breath into her lungs. "Ouch" She muttered though couldn't help it as her jaw tightened to grit her teeth together.
Hermione had gasped and immediately began to apologise profusely. Her hands shot out to steady the Shifter before her. "I'm so sorry Storm, I forgot! I forgot it was there!" She called, moving to crouch in front of the Shifter her hands moving to cup soaked cheeks as she made sure the younger witch was sort of all right. Dark eyes scanned across her face frantically, searching for any sign of anything more than pain.
"It's okay, it's okay" Storm muttered quietly as she twisted her lips up into a forced, tight lipped smile. She breathed hard again, steadying her stomach that had begun moving in waves. The touch Hermione had laid to her cheeks was all together calming and as soaked palms stroked at her skin and the pads of Hermione's thumbs wiped water away from her eyes she couldn't help the sigh that escaped her chest.
"Lets go in, we'll have a look at that. I picked up a sewing kit and another few things first aid wise, we might be able to stitch it up" Hermione spoke, her voice shaking a little as she moved to stand; offering the Shifter her hands. Storm took them willingly and Hermione pulled the taller witch up from her crouching position. She noted a little longingly how warm Storm's hands were in her own, noting how familiar they felt even after five years.
"Okay, but I hope you worked on your stitch because I remember those hats!" Storm laughed, not missing a beat at all. She tried her best to keep the tone light, tried her best to keep from making Hermione feel too bad but she could feel the telltale trickle down her arm. One glance down confirmed what she had thought. Dark eyes fell on pink swirls mixing with rainwater, blood was trickling down her arm from somewhere under her short sleeve.
Hermione had seen it too and had groaned a little as she made to pull the shifter into the tent. It was a little warmer than it was outside, but not by much. She hadn't released Storm's hand until she was moving to shove the shifter down into the bench like seat at the table in the middle of the room carefully; it's surface still littered with maps. She pointed her wand at the fire pit and ignited a roaring flame, burning hot enough to heat the space quickly.
"Take your shirt off, it'll only get in the way" She ordered and immediately began pulling things from the bag again. "I'll have you know my stitch was expert, those hat's were a work of art. Each and every one of them" She added and flashed Storm a wicked smirk before laughing a little at herself.
"Please works" Storm muttered with a light laugh as she moved to shrug her dark purple, water logged t-shirt off of her inhumanly heated skin. She flopped it on the floor with an almighty slop, the sound of wet hitting the base of the tent making her cringe a little.
"Oh shut up, and pick that up off the floor before you forget it and it starts to stink" Hermione muttered finally as she returned her attention back to the shifter now sat much less clothed before her. She raised an eyebrow and watched as Storm grumbled and moved to pull her wand from her pocket, using it to dry and cast away the t-shirt she had so haphazardly discarded with little argument.
Immediately after she had done as she had been instructed she turned her attention back to Hermione, and flashed a crooked grin. Her eyes were full of mischief and she looked all too pleased with herself as she sat back and allowed the brunette to start what she needed to do. She knew Hermione had been stressing about this wound for days, and was quite pleased to allow her to do what she wanted. Any excuse to have the brunettes hands on her while she could, she would take them all.
As Hermione's stare fell to the wound she blanched a little bit, her face fell as dark eyes took in the state of the torn skin. It was deep and was still rather gaping. It sat just below Storm's shoulder and stretched down across her bicep to just above where the sleeve of her t-shirt fell. It looked angry, the skin around it was almost glowing it was so red and to touch it was far too warm. Hermione had a bad feeling about it, and knew it was imperative to clean it thoroughly before sewing it up.
She uncorked a small bottle of clear liquid, the same one from their first night and muttered something about it stinging. Storm knew what was coming but that didn't stop her from hissing as the liquid met her wound. It stung deeply and made her feel queasy to say the least. She felt as if her head was swimming and her vision was growing a little dark at the edges.
She focussed hard on the brunette, watching the way she was working. Her concentration had her eyebrows furrowed, but it seemed almost as if there had been no change from the last time she had been allowed to just look at her this closely. Dark eyes flitted themselves across Hermione's features, taking in the sight and allowing it to wash over her and soothe her.
"Will you tell me how you knew now? I'm sure it'll distract me from the needle" Storm asked quietly, genuinely curious and quite afraid of passing out entirely as the brunette gripped her upper arm tightly again and began to pluck at tender, torn skin with the tip of a wide needle.
Hermione huffed a little exaggeratedly as she paused to lift dark eyes narrowed in concentration to watch Storm's face for any signs of pain. The Shifter had winced and bit into her bottom lip as she delved the needle in for the first time, but had remained otherwise stoic. She continued, working the needle in and out of damaged skin; pulling the grisly gaping wound together. "You came out of the bathroom last night wearing those… trousers. If it were there you normally can see it quite well defined in those.. Not that I was looking for that specifically, it's just normally quite obvious is all" Hermione spoke finally, allowing the shifter that little tidbit of information.
Storm seemed to still entirely, dark eyes widening a little as they watched a red tint creep up the older witch's neck and colour her features so solidly. A wide, face splitting smirk was soon dragging it's way across her own lips. She didn't know exactly what she had expected, but that was most definitely not it.
"Bloody hell" She muttered, her voice stuck in her throat. A low chuckle escaped her lips as she shook her head in disbelief, the revelation most definitely distracting her from the brunette tugging at the thread now holding her arm together. "You were definitely looking for that specifically, don't even deny it at this point" She teased, pride welling in her chest for a reason she couldn't quite pinpoint.
"Oh stop it" Hermione quipped lightly, trying to keep the embarrassment at bay as she avoided eye contact with the younger witch. Storm looked as if someone had just told her the best secret in the world and she couldn't stop her own lips from quirking a little in amusement as she considered it.
"Why didn't you tell me before?" Storm questioned, making a mental note to avoid going commando in those particular pair of sleep trousers from now on. Though it was nice to know that's what Hermione had noticed the night before, she figured it wasn't really decent for her to do such things in the brunettes presence any longer.
"It's not a big deal, besides it's not like it's happened since we were actually together and back then it was a rather significant… attraction of mine" Hermione explained, her voice catching a little as she focussed harder on the task at hand. She had never really admitted such things to the shifter before her, but figured there were much worse things to discuss.
"Oh" Storm muttered, and she was surprised to find a small pang of sadness welling within the pit of her stomach as she considered the past tense of Hermione's words. She knew exactly where they stood, she knew they were just friends now. But a rather large part of her wished that wasn't the case. She wished the brunette was speaking in present tense; she wished a lot of things.
Being back with the brunette was like stepping into the past. It reminded her of a lot of things that weren't the case anymore, and though so much time had passed it was like none had at all. She lifted her gaze and realised Hermione was looking at her a little intensely then as if she was trying to read her emotions. She knew she was transparent especially when it came to the older woman and there wasn't really much she could do about it.
"This is going to sting" Came her voice as she poured out a bit more of the clear liquid onto the sealed wound. While Storm knew her words had been aimed towards that particular action, she couldn't help the wry thought that clouded her mind as she likened it to their situation.
"You bet" Storm stated with a laugh, though it lacked a certain level of amusement that was normally there. "Shall we get dry and have a look at those maps then? I suppose we're stuck here for another day and then we'll travel at night." She added as Hermione finally released her, a small smile tugging at her lips as she moved to rub the back of her neck. They were still mostly soaked, though that was easily remedied and had things to do. She couldn't sit dwelling on what she no longer had and figured the best way forward was to be distracted.
Hermione complied, washing her over with a drying spell and following with one for herself. In an instant they were both warm, they were both dry and Storm was working on tugging on her recently discarded t-shirt. There was a lot to do, and they were best off getting to it.
Hermione remained silent and worked to pull the relevant maps to the front of the pile strewn across the bench. She saddled up close to the shifter and pressed their shoulders together as she began talking through what she knew already. There were a couple of potential places, but Hermione had figured Fleur's family's house in France was probably the most likely. Though that posed it's own challenges in itself it was the best place they had.
The idea had been to try and get other ministries to help them out with the task at hand. They didn't know exactly how many were on the dark side, but Hermione knew Voldemort had had more followers than they had anticipated. It had seemed as if it were a never ending sea of them, and it had been luxury when it had all ended. Though, they had never been under the impression everyone's mind frames had changed, they knew there were those who had just outwardly melded with the rest of the society.
They had no doubt about the fact there would be a lot for them to do to regain anything they'd had before. Once again the ministry had been caught out, an it was a little bit tedious at this point. Though, as Hermione looked over at Storm now concentrating hard on the maps, quill in hand as she drew her own thoughts onto the grid lined paper before them she figured there were definitely much worse people to be stranded with.
Dark eyes roamed sharp features as nostrils flared and she inhaled the scent of the Shifter deeply. She had to physically stop herself to leaning in any further as she watched Storm plot a much different route than she would have expected. The shifter was muttering quietly to herself about Giants and varying different magical creatures they'd have to avoid.
It seemed she had a decent knowledge on all things that were not human. "Where did you get all this information" Hermione questioned out loud as she watched the way the Shifter had circled a set of mountains and drew a line through the middle of them.
"My dad, he thought it was important to know things about different creatures we could become. Part of that was knowing where in the world they were, and where they could be and have been" She explained quietly, dotting the quill to a small lake south of the mountains she had just circled. "We need to know what she's got, because that could impact us quite significantly" she smiled kindly, noting with baited breath how close Hermione seemed to be to her.
She could see easily the flecks of gold in brown eyes, she could see smile lines and strays wisps of curls that had escaped the bun the brunette had pulled her hair up into. She cleared her throat, and sighed heavily again before dragging her attention away and back towards the maps.
"He was quite the clever man, wasn't he?" Hermione muttered, a small smile tugging at her lips as she examined Storm's quill tracks. The Shifter began pointing out bits on the map, recalling all of the things her father had taught her about the different magical beasts that wandered that terrain.
They spent hours the same, going though each and every map Hermione had. Storm examined them all, they both sat going over what the best course of action would be, making a plan for a few trips in advance so they were never caught out. They had decided it would be best to rest a few days, and travel at night. That way there were no patterns for those chasing them to follow.
That night Storm cooked a little more than just soup and Hermione sat in silence watching her work. She made to sort them drinks out with a bottle of whiskey Storm had insisted on, pouring only a little into two glasses. She figured at the very least it may help them get some sleep.
They finally sat down together, each on opposite sides of the bench. They chatted idly, about things much happier than anything they had to deal with at the present. For the first time since embarking on this journey together, they caught up on the last five years. Storm listened to Hermione talk about work, and what she was doing exactly. Hermione had listened to Storm go on about things she enjoyed doing, and Storm told her stories of bizarre things that had happened in the little fishing village she called home.
It was the most relaxed the brunette felt in a long time, and as she climbed into bed she felt as if they might actually get somewhere. She was hopeful, and though they'd had a few bad days; they'd made it out alive and unscathed. She fell asleep that night listening to Storm's quiet snoring, with dreams of what might be floating through her keen mind.
