Chapter 5
Days turned into weeks, and weeks soon turned into more than a month on the road. Late August had quickly run into early October and the weather had become much more frigid. Their small tent held only a little amount of heat and they spent most of the time bundled up within it's walls.
Storm had taken to relaxing in the small armchair that had come along with the tent. At first the old, worn fabric had smelled a little bit too strongly for her but as time went on their own scent had permeated the material. It was perched right beside the little fire and actually, was quite comfortable indeed.
Hermione swapped between reading on the small cot like bottom bunk, tucked up within the warmth of the duvet and the other small armchair. She had almost run out of material to read, but figured she'd go back over some of the books she had within the confines of her bag. Some of the old volumes that dwelled within its depths had been there since the first time they had ended up on the run.
Together they worked hard and had successfully navigated their way across the channel, ending up somewhere in rural France. However, that's were things had begun to get a little bit more tricky; a little bit frustrating. Hermione only had a small clue as to where they were going, and there had never been any formal directions or previous experience ever being to the Delcour's home.
They had narrowed the exact location down to only a few places. So far they had only really managed to find two of them. They were both wrong, neither had been the place they were looking for. Though, they hadn't actually known for sure if what they thought they were looking for would be right in the end either. It was a toss up, a chance based on a conversation the Order had when things had started to stir once again.
Storm had found herself fighting to keep Hermione's spirits as high as possible as she became more and more frustrated with the idea of not knowing exactly what was happening. Though it seemed as if they were definitely getting on much better and the atmosphere between them at least was light. Storm found herself increasingly grateful for that fact.
They had run into little issue since the night in Storm's home town, and it had almost seemed too quiet. Their journey had been entirely void of creatures and death eaters alike. They had discussed the possibility that once they were out of the country, they would be much safer and it seemed that was most definitely correct.
Though, they had remained inconsistent with their travel. They would stay in a place anywhere between one night to three or four. They would walk or fly and only ever under the cover of darkness. It seemed as if they were going entirely unnoticed and that was more than welcome.
This was the longest they had stayed anywhere since their journey had started. Both women had been struck ill by what had seemed to be the flu. It had taken them both by surprise as neither had really even considered it to be a risk. Storm had become rather ill first, sniffling and putting on a brave face but insisting they carried on until they had woken one morning to the Shifter running a fever and sweating through everything.
She had been sheet white with dark circles under her eyes so deep they had made her look almost hollow. Hermione had fussed over her, she had cooked and had allowed the Shifter to sleep for days on end. She watched the taller woman, kept an eye on her and remained almost glued to her bottom bunk so she was always within earshot in case the Shifter stirred and needed something. Though as Storm was getting through the worst of it Hermione seemed to start.
Storm had been startled awake early that morning, the sun was still far below the horizon and everything within the tent was shadowed in darkness. For a moment she hadn't been confident about what had woken her and sat bolt upright in her bunk listening to the vast silence in an attempt to figure it out. The gloom was all consuming, and she had almost convinced herself it had been nothing when the sound of retching had come again.
Dark eyes widened and she was soon scrambling from the bed. She threw a leg over the wooden rails at the side of her bunk and quite literally jumped out of bed; bypassing the small ladder entirely. She had noticed the light coming from the small bathroom and bolted for it, moving easily across the small space. Her heart was hammering with panic as time seemed to slow down entirely.
She paused as she reached the bathroom door. Listening intently for any noise to indicate what was happening inside. She had no urge to invade Hermione's privacy but as she strained to hear, small whimpers flooded out to her. They met her ears and twisted her guts with guilt and she wanted to do nothing but burst through the door.
Another violent retch, another miserable groan and once again the sound of small; sad sniffles echoed in the otherwise silent space. She raised a fist and gently rapped it against the door separating her from her companion who seemed to have finally succumbed to the flu. "Hermione" She called quietly, her voice carrying in the dead of the night.
There was a short silence followed by rummaging and then the door was opening to reveal an absolutely downcast looking Hermione. Her cheeks were luminous in the darkness and her lips had lost all their colour entirely in contrast. Bright doe like eyes were watering and there were tears streaming down glowing features, glazing them entirely. Storm thought immediately that she had never seen the older woman look so unwell.
It was startling and it was scary. She stood looking on dumbly as the brunette fiddled with the hem of one of the sleeves of her nightdress looking all together lost. "Are you alright?" Storm questioned, unsure of what else she might even say.
"No" Hermione spoke, her voice wavering as more tears began to spill hotly, glazing her features further.
Storm didn't have to ask, she knew. She knew the tears were coming so quickly because Hermione felt helplessly poorly. She had felt the same only a few days ago. She moved then and threw a comforting arm across the brunette's shoulders, noting the sheer amount of heat the brunette was kicking off; scorching even through the fabric of her sleepwear. She was definitely running a fever, and Storm could do nothing but quietly steer the shivering brunette back towards the bunks.
Hermione followed blindly, leaning herself into Storm's comfortably warm side. The panic that had welled as her stomach had flopped and woken her from her slumber had begun to subside and comfort washed over shoulders quaking with tremors. Storm was watching her, examining her in the darkness through the corner of her eye. She had felt the older woman's muscles relax ever so slightly as she had pulled her into her own body and was grateful to be able to offer some form of comfort.
As they came to a stop before the bunks Storm halted the brunette and moved to pull back the covers to allow the older woman easier access to the sanctuary of the cot. Paw like hands wasted no time in moving to help Hermione clamber in, dragging the blankets back over her as soon as she had laid down.
The brunette had done as instructed and had thrown her legs up and onto the bed, moving to sink into its uncomfortable embrace and settle back against the pillows. She allowed Storm to pull the covers back up and tuck them around her feverish body. The warmth was soothing and immediately began to lull her into a little more of a calm, but it wasn't enough.
Storm had knelt beside the bunks and had begun faffing with a glass she had grabbed off the table on their way past; filling it with water in the darkness. She held it out to the brunette in order to get her to drink something. Fluids were the only way to fight off a fever, and Storm knew Hermione was running a good one. She was shivering so hard she was rocking the whole bed frame as if she were simply freezing yet her body was radiating heat.
"Have a little drink, and then try and get some more sleep" Storm muttered quietly, offering a small reassuring smile to the older witch who had taken the glass timidly. As soon as her hands were free she reached for her wand in the darkness and summoned a small cloth Hermione had used earlier in the week to wipe her own feverish face. She cleaned it quickly and drenched it again with cold water. Storm lent forward and as Hermione had dropped the glass to her lap she had swiped the cold flannel over heated skin over the brunette's eyes; successfully wiping away remnants of her tears. A small sigh of relief met her ears and the corners of her lips twitched up in a small smile.
Storm herself felt a welling helplessness as she sat back on her heels and watched on knowing there was little more she could actually do to make the situation better. It would have to run it's course and only sleeping and staying hydrated would help it on it's way. Of course, she wished she could do something else. The sight of a downright pitiful looking Hermione tore at her.
The brunette sipped tentatively at the glass again, taking small gulps of cold liquid before handing the glass back now half empty. Her stomach was still twisting uncomfortably and her throat was raw after retching so violently. It felt as if her brain was pressing into the front of her skull and her entire body ached so desperately. She was freezing and the urge to cry again washed over her as dark eyes fell to Storm's face; worry etched over her features.
A warm hand met her cheek and she fixed her gaze to Storm's bottomless stare. Dark coal like eyes were regarding her so intensely it was almost too much to hold the eye contact. She seemed to be making sure the brunette was alright for now and Hermione knew she would be heading back to her own bunk soon. With that thought she made a snap decision she was sure she would think about endlessly once her flu fogged mind had finally cleared in a few days.
As Storm had nodded and smiled warmly, as she had made to get up Hermione reached out and grabbed her hand; pulling her back down. Storm's brows had furrowed in confusion as she had crouched once again, her features growing soft as she noted dark eyes were once again swimming with unshed tears. Hermione's bottom lip was wobbling a little pathetically as she seemed to fight with what she wanted to say.
"Stay with me" She muttered the demand after a moment, unafraid to voice what she needed. There would never be any judgement from Storm, she knew she could ask anything of the Shifter within reason and she would do her best to comply. In that second she knew that she most definitely didn't want to be alone; specifically she craved the Shifter's closeness.
Storm nodded with realisation and without question she moved to pull the corner of the duvet up in order to slide under it. Hermione huffed an immediate a sigh of relief and her breathing came in a violent shudder as she tried to calm herself. The brunette moved over, scooting across the small bed to allow for Storm's large frame to manoeuvre and saddle up behind her. The bed dipped and creaked under their combined weight, but she couldn't find it in her to care if the whole thing broke right then.
They adjusted their positions, neither seemed to care much about being any sort of bashful at all. They fell into step with practiced ease and Storm slid a hand under the pillow and wrapped her arm around Hermione's chest, pulling the brunette back a bit. She complied without hesitation and moved back into the large body. Her smaller frame fitting precisely to the curve of Storm's stomach with her back pressed tightly to the Shifter's front. Hermione moved to take Storm's hand as the Shifter draped her arm across the brunettes waist and they settled contentedly.
Hermione had been consumed entirely by comfort, she had been enveloped by the warmth of Storm's being and her heart rate had slowed considerably. She could feel it washing over her as if it were a physical wave and dark eyes fluttered shut once again. She was exhausted and her body ached all over from the onslaught of the flu as it took hold entirely.
With Storm wrapped around her so tightly, protectively she fell back into a deep slumber. She slept on for hours and hadn't stirred once until much later in the day. When she woke the large body was gone, and she was alone once again. Her heart had dropped as loneliness consumed her, as fatigue attacked every fibre of her being. Her throat was so raw that it hurt to swallow even a breath of air, her lungs were heavy and she was drenched with a cold sweat. She was unnaturally clammy and there was a cold that was settling across her bones coming from the empty space beside her left by the Shifter.
She remembered how toasty she had been as soon as Storm had wrapped her up so tightly in an embrace that had provided the comfort she had needed when she sought solace in Storm's embrace. She ached for that hold to still be there as she re-entered the waking world. Dark eyes squinted against the brightness of the room and she poked her head out from where she lay in order to scan the space for the Shifter she missed so undeniably.
Storm was sat with her back to her, visibly stirring a pot that sat over a small flame. A steaming mug of what looked to be tea sat on a metal tray on the table next to her and she seemed as if she had no idea Hermione had even woken. The brunette was struck then as she noticed how even from behind Storm seemed to have only just woken herself. She was still clad in her sleep wear and her normally messy hair was even more so. She knew the Shifter wasn't yet entirely recovered from her own bout of flu and must have needed the rest as much as Hermione did.
Though, as she watched the younger witch pour the contents of the pot into a bowl sat beside the mug on the metal tray and move to levitate it she was awed. The Shifter's lips had curled up into a crooked grin as soon as dark eyes fell onto Hermione now awake and looking back at her. She looked so entirely delighted to see her that Hermione had been left speechless with a rather large lump in her throat.
She had been right, she was sure Storm had only just woken herself. Her dark hair was indeed stuck up in every direction, and there was still the imprint of the pillow they had shared on her cheek. Her gaze was noticeably hazy and as she got closer and moved to settle the tray on Hermione's lap gently, Hermione thought she must have still been half asleep.
"You look a bit peaky still" Storm spoke first and her voice was hoarse and she sounded groggy at best, breaking the silence as Hermione took a spoon that had been held out to her. The bowl seemed to contain a broth like soup, and she recognised it as the one she had made Storm herself a few days before. "How are you feeling?" She questioned before Hermione could respond, and settled cross legged on the floor beside the bottom bunk the brunette was still residing in.
Hermione had picked up the mug of tea and pulled it to her lips that felt far too dry for her liking. She sipped the sweet liquid tentatively and allowed it to sink into her stomach before she answered. Using the opportunity to take stock of how she was actually feeling. "Awful" She admitted, and it was absolutely the truth. There was no need to lie to Storm, she had seen her the night before. She had felt the same way only a few days prior.
Though, there had never been any tears from the Shifter; she too had seemed miserable at best. She had slept for days curled up in the top bunk, unmoving for extended periods of time. Storm had been quiet, only ever making a peep when she moved to go to the bathroom.
"You scared me last night, I've never seen you look so poorly" Storm muttered, and the genuine concern plastered to her sleepy features was startling. She was watching Hermione with the same intensity as she had been last night. It was as if she was afraid the brunette was simply going to vanish. Dark eyes were tracing over every aspect of her face and it was almost a bit too earnest for Hermione to take.
She was overwhelmed by how much she wanted the Shifter to be near, even more so than she was where she sat beside her on the floor. That was too far away for Hermione's liking in that moment. She felt vulnerable and weak and she truly felt as if the only thing that might make it any better was the taller witch's presence. It had been an awful night until Storm had obliged her request and climbed into the bottom bunk with her.
"Thank you for being with me" Hermione spoke, her voice a little strained as dark eyes met equally dark eyes for a moment to try and convey her appreciation without words. Her voice catching in her throat as dark eyes began to water again. Her body felt heavy and her eyes were stinging terribly. There was a twisting in her gut and the cold that seeped into the tent from the cold outside was seeping into her bones.
"Absolutely, I'm just glad I could do something to help a little at least" Stormreplied easily, nodding enthusiastically. A sheepish smile had tugged its way across her lips and she almost looked bashful.
The most overwhelming urge to grab her and pull her up off the floor and back into bed washed over the brunette and she had to physically restrain herself. Her fingers twitched around the mug of tea she was still holding, sipping tentatively to keep herself occupied. She wanted nothing more than to do just that, but didn't want to step over any sort of boundary.
"I think I'm going to have this and try and get some more sleep. I don't think I've felt this poorly in a long time" Hermione admitted as she sat back against the headboard of the bottom bunk. The hard wood cold against her back making sending a shiver up her spine. She still felt as if she was freezing and wouldn't be able to get warm. Though, she was unsure if she was still feverish or if it was actually just a particularly cold day.
The tent didn't hold the heat very well at all. Every night had seemed to get more and more bitter and she had made a note to try and find some more in the way of blankets and sheets. Though, she considered then the possibility of just suggesting the Shifter sleep with her from then onwards. The thought made her smirk to herself as she thought about the likelihood of Storm saying no being quite slim, but figured it probably wouldn't be the best idea no matter how much she found herself longing for that outcome.
"I think that's probably a good idea" Storm agreed, sitting back into the small dresser behind her. "I might do the same" She quipped, looking up at the bunk that had been unused for most of the night. The one she had slept in since they had embarked on the journey together.
"Will you rest with me? I'm still freezing and you're quite a bit like a radiator" Hermione spoke, trying to keep her tone as nonchalant as possible.
"Only if you're sure that's what you want" Storm replied easily, her smile bright as she visibly tried to keep it from growing too large.
"I don't think I could think of anything better right now" Hermione admitted honestly, quietly as she sipped at the broth Storm had made for her. It was soothing on her throat, easing the burn as it went down.
Storm just nodded, folding her arms across her knees as she lent forward to lean her chin on her forearms. She looked as if she might fall asleep there, but Hermione figured Storm could sleep anywhere if she really tried hard enough. There had even been a time she had found her napping in the corner of the library, dribbling liberally on the tabletop her cheek had been pressed to.
Though, since Hogwarts it seemed some things had changed. She had noticed the Shifter had trouble sleeping at night, she had noticed the fidgeting as Storm tried to settle in the bunk above her own. The younger witch never complained about it, she just seemed to get on with it. Those nights the bunk would rattle as she tried to settle would always be followed by mornings where the Shifter had looked nothing short of exhausted.
The first morning they'd had together, Hermione had put down the fact Storm was exhausted to the game and not sleeping the night before due to pre quidditch nerves. But it seemed that experience hadn't been a one off. As weeks went on it seemed to be an experience they had often. If anything good had come from the bout of flu it had been that Storm had been able to rest properly for the first time since they had embarked on their journey.
It wasn't long before she was finishing her small meal and Storm was moving to clamber back in beside her to settle as they had done in the night. Immediately she felt the warmth envelope her, and felt Storm sigh heavily as she moved to lay her head on the Shifter's chest. She couldn't help but feel the contentment easing back into her soul, couldn't help the flickering thought of potentially being able to do this every night for the foreseeable.
Though, they hadn't. As soon as Hermione had started to feel well again, as soon as she was able to sleep through uninterrupted Storm retired back to her own bunk. The tossing and turning, the fidgeting and sleepless nights had resumed and Hermione couldn't help but consider what it might be like if they had just continued with the short lived routine. They never discussed it however, and soon another few weeks were flying past them.
October soon melded into November and they found themselves for once trudging along under the bright, early winter sun. They were following a river with the intention of camping somewhere along the shores of a rather large reservoir famed for being a hot spot for natural swimmers. Hermione mentioned something about her parents saying something about it when she had brought her skiing one year.
"Im so glad we chose to walk in the daylight today" Storm mentioned as she meandered along beside the river edge, only a small way away from where Hermione was wandering. She had her thumbs hooked under the straps of her backpack and looked entirely at peace.
"Well, seeing as we haven't had any trouble I don't think we're really in danger here. Plus" She spoke, dropping her voice as a couple off muggles trundled past, offering up easy hellos as they did. "This place is full of muggles, it's less likely we'll come across any magical creatures or deatheaters here" She clarified after the couple had strolled out of earshot.
"I'm sure you're right" Storm conceded. Hermione made a lot of sense and though neither had dropped their guard completely it was nice to actually see the light of day for once. She figured they both needed the boost that came along with some sunshine.
They had managed to grab some more bits of clothing. Hermione now sported a coat, a fluffy hat and a new pair of mittens. She had a knitted jumper on as well, though that had been her own creation. It was quite the garment, and Storm was actually quite looking forward to receiving the one she knew Hermione was in the middle of making for her.
She too had managed to find a coat and her own hat was pulled low over her ears, hiding the fact they were rather furry. She had an oversized hoody on that she'd picked up from her home the night they'd gone back to the town she had lived in since leaving Hogwarts. Though, she never really felt the cold as much as most did.
As they wandered down the path that had been created by hikers footsteps carving the slim trail into the land they chatted idly. Conversation flowed between them easily and Storm found herself enthralled by the stories Hermione chose to share about the times she found herself in similar places with her parents. She enjoyed listening to the brunette chat about easier times, and found she was quite pleased by the fact Hermione had once again ensured they were safe out in Australia.
"I bet the water is freezing" Storm spoke during a small lull in conversation where only the sound of their footsteps crunching over dead leaves echoed into the air. The babble of the river flowing beside them was constant and it was enticing. Storm found herself drawn to the waters depths and her skin crawled with the want to explore them vastly.
The river was opening up just ahead of them and through a small clearing they could see the edge of the large reservoir. The flow of the water beside them had gotten slower as the bodies of water were merging into one and Storm could feel herself itching to shift and jump in. Much to her displeasure there were far too many people around to be able to do such thing, and she figured she'd have to just cope with imagining what it might be like.
As they trudged on and more of the reservoir was revealed to them, they noticed with differing emotions the amount of people swimming in the surely freezing water. Storm felt an instant pang of jealousy as she noted the group all clad in what looked to be thick wetsuits. Hermione scoffed and had muttered something about how she didn't see the appeal.
Storm almost laughed, but the sound caught in her throat as a piercing scream ripped through the air. Everyone around seemed to freeze as the sound rang out and lingered for a second. The scream had been followed by panicked splashing and Storm went wide eyed as she spotted where the commotion was coming from. "That little girls in trouble!" Hermione shrieked and moved to grip the Shifter's forearm in panic; but it wasn't there. Her fingers gripped around thin air and she jerked to turn her attention to the taller witch.
Storm had taken off at a sprint, shrugging her backpack off and her jacket before she reached the waters edge. Her long legs took her quickly and she was all but a blur of movement as she had raced towards the body of water and all but launched herself off of a small boating dock they had been walking towards. It seemed as if she was suspended for hours not seconds as she dove and the water hit her like a brick as she disappeared underneath the rippling surface.
It felt as if she had a thousand needles prickling at her skin at once and her breath caught in her lungs. She fought on to keep moving, shifting a little only enough to propel her through the dense body of liquid quicker. Her eyes stung as she shifted them to see through the darkness, their surface glazing over to allow her to see almost perfectly. Her fingers grew webbing and she kicked hard, swimming quickly as she honed into the flailing feet ahead of her. She couldn't risk changing any more and hurried to get to the youngster drowning before her eyes.
Hermione lost sight of her as soon as she had leapt off the edge of the wooden pier and she disappeared into the depths of the water. Her dark eyes had widened as she stood still gaping in shock as the almighty splash seemed to swallow Storm whole. She ran then, hurrying after her companion as quickly as she could. She stopped only to pick her haphazardly discarded things up on her way. As she got to the point Storm disappeared, she had to push through a crowd of onlookers now crowding the dock all muttering about what was happening.
The young girl must have swam too far out and had gotten into trouble she heard one of them say. There was a man already on the phone to what she assumed was emergency services and she could do nothing but stare on. The girl was splashing violently, panting and Hermione noted then she looked like she was almost out of energy. Her head was barely above the water, and Storm still hadn't resurfaced.
Hot breath caught in her lungs as her heart hammered against her rib cage. Dark eyes frantically searched the surface of the murky water for any sign of the Shifter. Hermione knew Storm wouldn't have been able to Shift, she wouldn't have been able to risk it. She was relying on her human body to carry out this task that it was simply just not designed for and Hermione knew she hadnt thought it through at all.
A cacophony of different scenarios ran through her mind as she waited with baited breath for the taller woman to resurface, and it seemed the crowd had also grown quiet waiting for something else to happen. They all looked on as the young girl sank lower and lower into the icy depths and soon she had disappeared beneath the surface and everything fell quiet. There were people on the other side of the reservoir that seemed to be trying to get to where the girl was, but they were still so far away from where she had gone under.
It was then, only a second later that it happened. Bursting through the surface with the young girl held tight to her strong frame Storm re-emerged. Hermione swore she could hear the huge gulping breath of air the Shifter had taken, she would swear her own heart had stopped and restarted. She watched helpless as Storm kicked backwards and started to pull the small body of the girl back towards the pier.
It felt like hours, but in reality had only been a few minutes in total. As soon as the Shifter was within ear shot she yelled over to the group now huddled around the dock "She's not breathing!" Her voice was strained and laden with heavy breaths.
Hermione was at the front nearest the water, Storm's things discarded to the ground as she dropped to her knees to reach over to grab the young girl from the Shifter's arms. Pulling with all her might to help the younger woman get her up and onto dry land. The young girl's mother was screaming from somewhere at the back of the group and people were parting ways now to let her through.
Her wails were heart wrenching, but it seemed Storm hadn't heard them. She had a look of total focus on her face as she too clambered from the depths; dripping icy water all over the place as she got to work. Her palms were pressed one over the other to the young woman's chest and she was pumping with all her might in a way that told Hermione she had done it before.
She had wasted no time, wasn't worried about using magic and had jumped straight into muggle CPR.
Hermione had sat knelt at her side, speechless as she listened to the huff of exertion coming from the Shifter beside her. She could feel the cold radiating from the lifeless body before them and from Storm beside her. The young girl's mother had joined them, her shrieks of despair and cries of sorrow lingered like a fog and Hermione found herself fighting down a lump that had formed in her throat as tears pricked at her own eyes.
The girl's face was pale, her lips were blue and waterlogged hair had splayed out underneath her. Storm was still going, her brows furrowed in concentration as her own body shook with violent shivers. Hermione noticed her own lips had turned an unnatural shade of purple and she looked gaunt. She watched as Storm breathed air into the young girl's lungs and moved to continue chest compressions.
It felt like an eternity, and hope seemed to be dwindling when it happened. The young girl seemed to splutter and cough water up from both her nose and mouth. "Thank fuck" Storm muttered exasperatedly as she pulled at small shoulders as the girl heaved out more water onto the dock. Storm's large hands holding long hair back and out of the way, "You're okay, you're okay" She repeated over and over again as the young girl regained some sort of consciousness.
"Has anyone phoned an ambulance?" She asked, turning her attention to the bystanders standing around the scene all watching on with shock written across their faces.
A guy that was fully kitted out in his hiking gear had a muggle flip phone pressed to his ear, and gave the Shifter a thumbs up with a tight lipped smile. He was talking quickly and Storm relaxed back onto her heels as she sat and flicked dark eyes up to look at Hermione.
Hermione returned the stare, awed and shocked by the set of skills she had no idea the shifter possessed. Dark eyes flicked over Storm's face and she noted how cold she actually seemed to be. She was heaving breaths in and out as if still trying to regain her composure, and Hermione worried then that she would become hyperthermic from the excursion.
Part of her wanted to shake her for being so stupid, running over and diving into the freezing pool with no protective layering on was plain daft. Her heart could have stopped as soon as she hit the water, she could have succumbed to the freeze just as quickly as anyone else in her human form. She had been right, the Shifter hadnt used her ability, she couldn't have with so many muggles watching on as they did when anything of interest happened.
The young girl's mother had taken over, speaking quickly in french as she looked up into Storm's face; holding her daughter panting and barely awake in her arms. A jacket offered by one of the bystanders tucked over the soaking girl quivering still on the dock. Storm was shaking her head, holding her hands up and muttering about it being no big deal.
The Shifter seemed to have enough and when the wail of sirens met them she knew the young woman would be safe. She stood and gestured away from the group of onlookers, her shoulders were quivering hard and Hermione figured the sooner they were away from the group of muggles, the sooner she could dry Storm off and make sure she was alright. She was entirely struck dumb by the whole ordeal and hadn't expected anything of the sort.
Her heart swelled as she considered what the Shifter had so thoughtlessly done. She had simply raced into a life threatening situation to pull the girl back to safety. She had risked her own life for a stranger without more than a seconds consideration. Though, Hermione wasn't sure why she was so surprised. Storm had always been the same, she had always helped and stood up for those in need with almost total disregard for her own personal welfare.
She was kind, and brave and so genuine that it was almost painful to consider. Hermione's mind was swimming as she reached down to wrap her fingers around Storm's freezing hand and used the leverage to lead the taller woman away from the scene in silence. Only the panting from the taller witch was audible and Storm seemed to clumsily follow behind her, blindly allowing the older witch to lead the way.
The noise of the crowd dimmed as they walked on, the Shifter leaving a trail of water behind her as she walked. The noise of her shoes squelching echoed almost comically and it made Hermione's heart soar as if it were simply another snitch for the younger woman to catch. The thought made her laugh out loud as she considered the metaphor and she turned to look at the dark haired witch who was regarding her with thinly veiled confusion plastered to her face.
She couldn't stand it, not for one second longer. Being back within Storm's presence had reminded her of exactly why she had fallen for the Shifter all those years ago. She had told herself it was daft, had kept herself in control and denied herself what she truly wanted. But she would do so no more and was quite willing to be brave for once.
She whipped around then, almost as if she felt like she had to do what she wanted to do quickly before chickening out. She didn't want the bravery to end and all but launched herself into Storm's arms. She flung her arms around the Shifter's neck and pulled the younger woman down into her and simply… kissed her hard.
Storm seemed stunned, she froze entirely for only a second before all of her muscles were relaxing and the grip she had around Hermione's waist had grown tighter. Strong arms were pulling the brunette in, pulling her closer as if it was impossible to be near enough. They both parted reluctantly and as Hermione's eyes fluttered open to look up at the taller woman through her eyelashes she noted the winning smile plastered to the Shifter's otherwise dazed looking features.
"What was that for? You're supposed to hate me" Storm muttered quietly and shaking her head a little; sending little droplets of freezing water flying. Though, she never let go. She kept the brunette tight to her soaking wet body, her thumbs stroking the shorter witch's back gently where her hands were resting.
"As much as I might have wanted to hate you, I never could." Hermione murmured with a roll of her eyes and a crooked smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. "Also, recent information has come to light that I was entirely wrong in the first place and there is no excuse for that" She stated simply, honestly. If Storm could be brave, she could be too. She was a Gryffindor after all.
"Did Hermione Granger just admit to being wrong?" Storm spoke, her tone light as she mocked the older witch easily. "Bloody hell, pigs are flying" She laughed out loud as she watched Hermione's features twist up with delight.
"Oh shut up" The older woman fired back, moving to pull herself out of Storm's embrace reluctantly. Though, she quickly grabbed her hand once again and laced their fingers together as she continued to pull the still dripping wet Shifter along with her. There were still muggles everywhere, and they had to get somewhere where Hermione could dry the younger woman off.
They weren't far at all from where they had decided they wanted to camp for the next few days, but she was conscious of the Shifter only recently getting over a nasty bout of the flu. They couldn't afford to have either of them sick again, and she had hated seeing the Shifter so poorly. They walked on for a few minutes, a sort of tension building between them as they each quietly considered the implications of what had just happened.
"I hate to ask this and like break the mood Hermione, but what does this actually mean?" Storm questioned, trying to play it off as nonchalant as she possibly could. Her dark eyes fixed to the side of Hermione's face for a moment as they navigated the muggle filled path leading away from the reservoir now.
"Well, I suppose it means that if you're willing anyway, I just don't want to be without you a moment longer" Hermione clarified tentatively, her words coming after a moment of thought. Bright brown eyes flicked up to meet Storm's own, and Hermione offered a nervous smile as she waited for the answer.
"I've been hopelessly in love with you since the minute I laid eyes on you for the first time. I'm sure I was only in first year." Storm admitted boldly with a shrug. "Nobody has ever, or will ever compare" She added and there was nothing showy or intentionally romantic in the way she spoke. She was simply just statin a fact.
Hermione felt an immediate whoosh of emotion flood her body, her eyes stung as she considered the fact they had gone years without each other because she had been so stupid. She had given up and assumed things about this woman beside her that had separated them. The idea of wanting to hate Storm was ludicrous and she couldn't believe she had been so outright daft.
She stopped then, dark eyes swimming with unshed tears as the weight of the situation had hit her. She knew she had loved Storm so hopelessly and had felt as if she had been betrayed by her that night she had come stumbling in; drunk. She had based everything on that situation and because of that they had each spent years lonely. Longing for someone they had thought was entirely unobtainable once again.
They had ended up here, in the middle of a hiking trail surrounded by muggles. They ended up together; hunted and sought after by murderers looking to clean the lines of the magical world. Fate had truly laid a hand and flashes of what might already be flitted through her mind. Leaving Storm had been the worst decision she had ever made, and here she was; stood with the woman she'd treated awfully for years.
"Never change, please" She had said it and her voice came out pleading. She felt as if words just simply would never be enough to express the gratitude she had for getting a second chance at happiness.
Storm just nodded simply, understanding. She knew what was going through the brunette's keen mind. She didn't need for it to be explained to her. The pained expression Hermione was wearing said it all. Without a pause she moved and wrapped an arm around the brunette's waist. Sliding her hand easily into the back pocket of her jeans and held her close to her side still dripping with water.
"What are we having for dinner? I think we should still have some nice bits left, I can make pasta?" Storm offered, changing the subject as they continued their wander along. The cold biting into her skin now, seeping into her bones and she was sure she was losing all feeling in her toes and fingers. Her nose was running like a tap, but she was happy.
