Hermione had to pee, that and she wanted to shower. Having day dreamed about sleeping in when the magic wasn't pulling at her all the time, she was disappointed to have woken while it was still dark and a silent tempus showed it was six fifty in the morning. She hadn't moved though, because there was a heavy arm over her waist a leg slung over her knee. She had woken and not understood for a second.
So many things had rushed at her then, memories and thoughts. The room she was in was strangely plain and there was a tenderness, maybe closer to awareness, between her legs, the texture of the hair on the arm she was using as a pillow and how warm she was. It had taken a few minutes for her body to relax back into the bed and then she had realised she needed to pee. There was no way she was falling back to sleep but she didn't want to wake him. His other arm was wrapped around her waist and she didn't think she could get free without waking him up.
Deciding to try to ignore how it felt to wake up with someone, with him, naked, and she could feel the erection against her upper thigh. That made her flush and she was getting more upset as the minutes passed. Now she had to move and she was sorry for it, not sure if the way this felt would be repeated. Then she remembered that he had asked if they would sleep together tonight and she had agreed, told him it sounded good actually and she flushed at that too. It did sound good but thinking about that wasn't helping her so she gripped the wrist on her stomach and gently pulled.
In a second the arm locked tighter around her and his body lost all of its relaxation. She froze and waited, not sure what he thought and this was way different than prison or whatever.
"Witch." She couldn't tell from his tone what he thought but she didn't think it was that he didn't know who she was.
"Yes." She whispered and felt him shift and then he pulled her tighter to him.
"What did I do to deserve this?" His words were groaned and she felt his hand smooth up her stomach and the other one wrap into her curls. What could she say to that? Nothing was all she could say and she absently wished she didn't have to pee, that she could roll towards him or shift against the hard length behind her. Maybe it would have been embarrassing to want that but she didn't think anyone would blame her. She was twenty one years old and had finally had sex.
"Do you want to get up?" His quiet voice sounded petulant and she smiled into the dim room. Obviously Zavi had come and turned the lights off completely.
"No, but I do need to." She admitted and he hugged her to him for a second and then she was free. Now she had a new problem, she was naked and for a moment she didn't move but then decided he was going to see eventually. He had seen her but this felt different. Everything had been so charged then but now it was just her. Then she made up her mind and pushed herself up and then off the edge of the bed. He caught her hand as she turned away and she stilled. Their eyes met and he looked serious but let her go and she tried to smile but wasn't sure it worked. Then she did turn away from him and felt her hair swing around her, it was probably a disaster.
Finally free of her immediate needs, she stopped in front of the mirror in the main part of the bathroom and heard a quiet pop. She didn't look away from her reflection and tried to see if she looked as different as she felt. No, there were marks and her lips were a bit swollen, her hair was definitely a mess but the same woman looked back at her.
"Miss be's showering?" Zavi asked and she looked down at him, not registering she was naked or caring. The elf didn't and didn't understand her earlier embarrassment with it. She had given up on worrying about it and rarely walked around naked anyways.
"Yes please. Can you make sure we have things?" Hermione asked and he only popped away without a reply. She did smile a bit at that and walked around the corner that housed the shower. It was massive but there weren't thirty shower heads. There were big rain style ones though and she flicked her wand at the heads she wanted and then waited for it to steam up. Going on as if her life hadn't totally changed last night seemed the best course.
So she started as she usually did, with a conditioner on her hair, and thought about today. Breakfast with Sabrina and maybe Josh. Maybe her brother would be happier now that his friend was out. Some of the things he seemed to have issues with might dispel themselves now. If Thorfinn really wasn't concerned about Blaise or whatever then surely Josh would accept that, even if the rest of their opinions hadn't seemed to count.
Pop. Her thoughts were interrupted by Zavi standing on the other side of the glass and she waited. Was everything alright? Usually he only interrupted her shower if someone had requested her or arrived.
"Master be's wanting to come in." She blinked at the elf, who looked expectant like he normally did when she didn't immediately respond.
"Did he ask you?" She wanted to know if the elf was just relaying the situation or there had been a request.
"Master calls for Zavi." Zavi said with dignity and she nodded seriously back.
"Alright." She answered and the elf was gone again. Merlin, she was almost done though and it was the only shower in this part of the suite. Each of their rooms had one too. There were at least a dozen on this floor alone, she hadn't actually counted. This was thought kind of frantically while she waited the few seconds it took for him to be there. Then she rinsed the last of her body wash off and was grateful the steam offered some cover. Only her hair potion left and she stepped out of the spray and picked up the bottle Zavi had made sure was there.
"Is that the vanilla smell?" He asked her as he opened the door and she scrunched the first dollop into the right side of her hair.
"Yes." She watched him meet her eyes and then his eyes were other places and she was flushing. The heat of the water might have made that less noticeable but she felt it and looked down, then up when he laughed lowly.
"Feel free to look your fill Hermione." She watched his eyes rake her body and meet hers again, his eyes weren't teasing or amused though. They were serious and she appreciated it. The direct way he spoke and that he wasn't actually teasing her about this.
"This is amazing." Thorfinn said quietly and she did watch him while he stepped into the spray and tilted his face back into it.
"Can you make this one a bit hotter. Not much." He sounded like this would be a treat and so she adjusted that one's temperature and smiled at the way his shoulders dropped and he rolled them before looking at her.
"This is the best morning of my life." He was grinning at her and she laughed at the exaggerated tones.
"Easy to please. Easy to replicate too." She pointed out and he winked at her playfully. Maybe it would be alright. They could just fake it until they were comfortable around each other. It wasn't the way the others around her had done it but she didn't mind being different.
"Just try you say." Following his words, he held a hand toward the bottle on the shelf four feet away from him and she watched the bottle, not him.
It slid easily off the shelf but was losing height and she didn't look at his face while she lifted it with her wandless magic but didn't send it to him. He could pull it and she wanted him to, to expect success. It was interesting to try and figure out what actually happened to their magical skills. She didn't think it was damage of any kind but kind of like a loss of muscle memory. Draco had talked about it for ages. Once she pointed out that he wandlessly stirred multiple cauldrons while brewing with her and couldn't summon his own bloody whiskey glass, he was more motivated to try wandlessly again. To trust his magic more.
"Where is breakfast?" He asked her and she squeezed the last of the water and excess potion out of her curls and picked up the towel charmed to stay dry in the steam. Then she wrapped it around herself and answered as she stepped out of the shower. Feeling better now that she wasn't naked and couldn't ogle him like she had been doing when she wasn't watching his face or the shampoo bottle.
"Same place. Or we could do it in here, the suite I mean. Do you want to invite Josh? I'm hungry." She admitted the last quietly, not wanting Zavi to do anything because of it, like wake Sabrina up or bring her a danish.
It was nice to be able to talk to whoever was in the shower. The builders had asked her a million questions and then had several meetings where they told her small details of the layout and reasons for choices. Eventually she had just let them go at it and stepped in when her opinion was asked. They were doing a set of flats above a vacant shop on the Alley right now and she couldn't wait to see what they would do with less space.
"Not here. I mean not in this suite." She accepted the firm words and thought about that. It didn't bother her but she wondered why he felt so strongly about it. She wanted to know him, which was something she accepted about herself.
The normalcy of her jeans and soft comfortable oversized sweater felt amazing and the spell so her hair wouldn't leak onto her shirt was as appreciated as it ever was. Small things that made life as a witch different from the muggle one she had expected to have one day.
Now she had nowhere to go, this room was basically empty and she didn't know if she should just leave him in here. What would she usually do? Her mind was blank and the shower turned off then the door opened. She wasn't sure what to do or say and so stared at herself and then the tiles around the mirror while she listened to him get dressed. It was intimate and quiet. She wasn't panicking but she didn't know what to do and so waited.
"We've got time?" He asked her as she turned to face him. His hair was damp and he was leaning casually against the part of the wall that separated their sinks.
"Yes, It's only quarter past seven. Breakfast usually isn't until eight or later." She answered and since he was looking intently at her she allowed herself the same luxury. He looked alright. A bit pale maybe but not sickly or exhausted. The shirt he had on was a soft navy blue cotton one that she had picked and it looked good on him. The lack of gray was welcome too.
"Will you come for a walk with me?" Hermione was surprised but nodded her assent. Then watched him walk toward her and extend his hand to her. Taking it was the only option, so she did.
Then she let him lead her out of the bathroom and the suite. He looked to her and she gestured in the direction that would take them to the doors out onto the balcony, to the stairs that funneled now into the terrace. When they reached the doors he stopped and she looked out at the morning sun colouring the mountains around them and the shadowed valleys they could see. It was beautiful and she waited until he opened the doors before casting warming charms on herself and looking up at him. He nodded once and she cast some on him and then they walked out into the morning air.
Both were silent as he led them down the long stairs and then on to the large patio area. She just let herself feel his warm hand in hers and the magics of the land. It was almost full harvest and without thinking she called out.
"Zavi, Patter." Of course he stopped walking when she did and she felt stupid.
"Miss calls." Zavi said and Patter wiggled her ears.
"Sorry. I just wanted to know how things were going. I haven't been here this week." She met Thorfinn's eyes and waited for some kind of assent. He nodded and looked around before looking down at the elves, smiling at them and she felt better.
"How are the harvests?" She asked seriously and thought the seconds of silence were because Thorfinn was with her. Zavi wasn't a Rowle elf though and so met her eyes and she knew he would speak.
"Miss be's right about the squash. Many more after the leaves were left. Not ready though. Onions being picked today." Was the short version and she debated asking anything else. Then wanted to know and couldn't think of why she shouldn't ask.
"What about the livestock?" She asked quietly and Zavi gave her a small ear waggle before speaking.
"Miss be's worrying about nothing. Meat be's in cupboards and animals be's fine." His direct stare was his actual answer and she accepted that he didn't like how she felt about slaughtering.
"What was wrong?" The wizard beside her asked and Patter shifted, not having looked up since she arrived.
"Nothing is wrong really, I asked to see at the Dale last year and had never been around a farm or anything. You can go Patter. If you don't want to stay." Hermione offered and the elf was immediately gone with a louder than usual pop. That got a look and she shrugged.
"Patter doesn't like outside as much as the house but Zavi isn't a Rowle elf." She said quietly and thought he understood.
"When she did the ritual here, it tied you too?" Rowle asked the elf directly and she was relieved. Not everyone talked to them as if they were as capable as they were.
"Master be's Right." Zavi said and he gestured her continue, looking between her and the elf.
"Did anything besides the squash show as more than expected since last week?" She asked and took a step. He met her eyes and then walked with her. They weren't running and Zavi had no problem keeping up, his long ears bounced slightly beside her.
"The apples Miss. There be's so many. Twist opened a fourth closet." That was a surprise and she looked her question.
"We be's planting too Miss. In The Valley with three stones." Zavi said and she knew what he meant.
"Did you?" She asked archly and the elf dropped his ears quickly before nodding seriously and his ears flopped normally. Zavi wasn't really upset and neither was she.
"Miss likes that small valley." Her elf said firmly and the wizard chuckled lowly beside her. She nudged him without thinking. He laughed harder then and she rolled her eyes. The elf looked pleased though and she gave a nod at his look, with a pop he was gone.
"Clearly you can't be around or they don't gossip." She grumbled and that stopped the low laughter.
"You mentioned the elf. You two get along well?" He asked and she thought about that.
"Zavi is a friend. He wouldn't agree but he helped me so much at first. When I didn't know really anything about how these homes ran or even how to answer a letter if it wasn't from my friends. He lets me be me too. Sticks up for me to the other elves. I wasn't sure if he would be able to come with me." She paused and thought about that. How it had felt and how much better she felt after he himself told her that he was hers, of course he would go with her. Daphne had answered but she knew they had preferences and opinions.
"He can." She could hear the assurance and smiled at the field and headed that way, wanting to see if she could see into the valley he had mentioned.
"I know. I asked Daph and she explained. I didn't even know he was my personal elf. When I got the Dale he was like the head elf. I understand better now. Do you have one?" She realised they hadn't been bothered by another elf and wished she hadn't asked when his face looked grim and she knew the answer would be bad.
"No. Father took out his frustrations on things that weren't his." The low tone told the story and she gently squeezed his hand. Wondering then if Sabrina had lost her companion from that time too. Hermione hadn't asked and wouldn't. She could ask something related though and she hoped it would be a small diversion from the memory she had thoughtlessly brought up.
"Daph said it was normal for children of the family to take their elves with them when they leave, bring them into their new homes." He was looking down at her and she got a nod.
"Zavi has looked after Sabrina and me. Mitts lets no one else do for Sinclair. Is there a way we could prepare elves to go with Sabrina?" His hand tightened into hers and she was glad for the contact. Holding someone's hand when she didn't really know him was odd but they were betrothed and had sex the night before so nothing was normal really.
"I don't think it will be soon or anything. Coming here, or even leaving Zavi with Josh wouldn't have been as comfortable for me. I don't want that for her. I mean she can always come home and I know that being part of this family is important to her. Please don't think I mean anything but what I said." She stopped walking and met his eyes. So glad she could, that she could meet them directly and show him she meant it. Like she had during their visits.
Hermione knew he understood when he tipped his head back and blew out a breath. Then he rolled his shoulders and the tension seemed to leach from him. When he looked back at her she thought it was a soft look, something thoughtful and approving. That was a relief and she wondered if they should talk frankly about how they would deal with each other. Not right now though.
"Yes we should do that. We will talk to elves and then Sabrina if we need to." He was still looking at her when he began to walk again.
"Maybe we could find another way to spin it. Explain to the elves that we don't want to set her back. I don't want her to think we are preparing to marry her off." As usual she tried to think about Sabrina from all angles.
"This sort of scheming is alright?" He seemed genuinely curious and amused. In that moment she realised that she had someone. Blaise and the others had done more than she could ever have expected but the only other person that loved Sabrina close to how she did was here now.
"She didn't give any advice then?" She asked archly. He only paused for a second when she veered up a small trail. She gave a slight pull. Wanting to be able to use her hands on the steep ground.
"Where are we going witch? Yes she did." Her smile was clearly heard and she could hear his amusement too. She hadn't thought much about the next day until yesterday but she hadn't expected anything as great as this.
"To see if the clouds are covering The Valley Zavi mentioned." She answered and before she could pull herself up the two feet of the boulder in her way, she was lifted and had to catch herself.
"Merlin. That's easier. Thank you." She smiled at him while he easily stepped up and then turned forward again, they were almost there. The pulse of excitement to see the place was reaffirming too.
"Do you always climb to see? You must be an expert climber." She snorted at the question and his incredulous tones.
"No. Actually I started flying a bit." It was an admittance and she was tired of being teased for it. Not everyone knew but enough did. Sinclair had crowed to Harry and Draco about flying with her.
"Draco told me you didn't." Was his word choice and she knew it had been phrased differently.
"Probably said something like the witch is fucking brilliant but what witch can't fly? I'll leave out further expletives and probably colourful descriptions." She was joking but her grumble was genuine too.
"Something like that." His amusement was clear and she thought about how Sabrina had described him. Closer to this person than she had expected when the witch talked about laughing together. That he liked to have fun and was always happy to put off anything dry for a diversion.
"I can see!" She stopped at the overhang and ignored the low gasp from the wizard behind her. Sure enough there was a ripple to the shadows in that valley and she knew it was the leaves on the trees. Then he was right behind her and had a firm hand on her waist.
"You're too close to the edge." He said into her hair and she nodded while scanning what she could see, hoping the hippogriff pair would be out but they weren't.
"If I fall i'll apparate." Was her reply and he squeezed that hip tighter and stepped closer.
"Don't fall. Which one?" He asked her and she pointed to the specific valley she meant.
"What's special about it?" His question made sense but she wasn't sure how to answer. Looking at view was easier than watching him and talking about land that was his.
"Do you have a favourite place here? I mean pick one of them." She was sure he had hundreds or at least many, she had more than she had fingers already.
"Yeah. Favourite swimming places and places I can only fly to." He said and she could hear something in his voice. It was reassuring, that he liked the land, how it felt here.
"I didn't explore all that much before the ritual. After though, I came back often. More than I told anyone about. It's all mixed together. Josh and the Rosier lands. The journal talked about how the lands felt to her. How the magics felt and even after I did the harvest ritual it didn't feel anything like that there. Here though was totally different. My feelings here were different and I don't know why that is. I asked Pans and she said she feels both places. That her family magics are at home where she grew up and that she feels the welcome from Cassius' lands too. I'm not unwelcome at the Dale. The magics aren't hostile or resistant." That was the best she could explain that but she needed it to make some sense.
"On one of my walks I followed that little trail and seen this. I appreciate views I have to walk to get to more, look closer than when I fly. The sun was shining only on that one and I could see how wild it was. The three big dark slices of stone. So I went there and the only thing I could think of was wanting something to grow there. It was the local scrub and I couldn't even find anything more than usual bugs and rabbit tracks. I asked Zavi about it, tried to get some ideas from Cam too but he didn't get where I was heading and I didn't want to explain. We planted a few new kinds of apples. Hardier ones in the rockier ground and it worked." She trailed off and felt like this was a moment.
She had tried so hard not to take from the land, only try to serve it if she could. It wasn't hers and at best she was an amateur steward or something. It was his and he had grown up knowing it would be. What did he think about the mountains and valleys? What would he think of her caring?
"Let's go and see next time." Were his eventual words and he pulled her back against his chest. Silently they stood together and watched the light change and the clouds start rolling toward them from the far peaks.
"Thank you." He said quietly and she didn't feel like she had to respond. Maybe it was for now or more. It didn't matter and she enjoyed the silence with him, not being alone. Pop.
"Miss be's having breakfast." Zavi said and she felt the chest behind her shift away from her, though the hand stayed on her hip. She didn't move though, Zavi made a small cough in warning and then she was inside the same doors they had left through and she scowled at the elf. The hand on her hip fell and she suddenly felt awkward.
"Miss be's hungry." Pop. He was a menace and she was hungry, he wasn't there to scowl at anymore either.
"This way right?" Thorfinn asked and pointed left. She nodded and they walked quietly together to the breakfast room. Sabrina sat there and she wondered about Josh.
"Give me a sec." He said to her and then grinned at Sabrina before jogging back toward the floo they had come into last night.
"Where did he go?" Sabrina sounded bemused and she made herself meet the eyes she had so many times. Only curiosity showed and she settled into her chair and accepted the cup of coffee Sabrina fixed for her.
"To get Josh I think." She answered and then waited.
"Look at me Hermione." It was a request but Sabrina meant it and she complied. Then she was assessed and after a minute the witch sat back and picked up her own cup.
"Zavi said you were outside." Were the eventual words and Hermione nodded.
"He wanted to go. They planted apples in my valley Rina, late too and somehow kept me away from there for months." The witch grinned at her and she knew then that Sabrina had known.
"I asked Cam a direct question without trying to leave out acceptable reasons for wanting to know. They have a few similar fields, mountain sides actually." The witch supplied pertly and Hermione only felt proud of her.
"You look so much better." It was said seriously and she looked up from her cup.
"It's such a relief." She admitted quietly and Sabrina nodded seriously before she looked her question. It was easy to see her hope and uncertainty.
"He's alright i think. Laughs easily, or it's like you said at least. I think it might be okay." The same way her brother had last night, Sabrina put down her cup first but melted into her chair easily.
"I'm so happy Hermione. He's home and you are okay. He likes it, the Tower. Are you, do you feel alright?" Hermione thought about that and wondered how to answer.
"Physically I'm more than fine. Magically and my whole body too, it's like a huge weight is gone. I can't explain it. It's surreal to be able to feel my own skin the way I did before. Today should be easier, sorry about the eye contact thing yesterday." It wasn't the best to talk to his sister about this but they had been as close as two could be for a long time. Close enough that the witch deserved answers.
"Is that what it was?" The witch looked curious and Hermione didn't blame her. Blaise would be rabid to hear and the Black sisters would approach it differently but want as many magical details as she could give.
"It was like our magics reached for each other when we did. It tried anyways but that made it almost impossible to function." She blushed and so did Sabrina but she wasn't embarrassed and she didn't think Sabrina was either. They had talked about sex, what they knew, and not having had it several times. Everyone around them had active sex lives and it was part of life so they approached it as they did anything else they wanted to know one day. Hermione's day had happened and Sabrina knew it. Everyone would know which wasn't comfortable at all.
"Twist made danishes." Was Sabrina's comment and the two grinned at each other over coffee and chatted easily while they waited.