A/N Hi guys, I am back. The u.k is still in lockdown and I figured i'd use the free time I now have an abundance of wisely. This is kind of in the CBS universe, but not exactly. We'll see where we go with it!
There is peace even in the Storm.
It's on the last Saturday night of August when Storm finds herself moving through the packed street of Diagon alley. Her long legs move as quickly as possible as she makes a beeline for the Leaky cauldron. After the day she's had she's absolutely gagging for a pint; or six. The thought drags a wry smirk across her lips as she shakes her sleeve out to check her watch. With a huff she notes she's pretty late, something she's sure she will absolutely never hear the end of.
The tips of long fingers finally meet the rough wood of the door into the notorious pub and she pushes into the immediately dingy space. Her dark eyes flick around the area in order to find her friend and it doesn't take long at all before they spot the familiar mane of red settled in their normal spot. A wave confirms she's been spotted and then two fingers are held up in quiet demand as Storm herself waves briskly back as she heads over to the bar.
She can't help the roll of her eyes as she turns to the bartender and orders a quick four butter beers. She figures, if Ginny is on for a few then she might as well be too. The palms of her hands press into the top of the bar as she waits, money already set out ready to go. A tray laden with her order is levitated her way, and without second thought she pulls her own wand from her back pocket to send the drinks to where she knows Ginny is waiting for them. Her free hand pushing money into the chap's hand with a nod and a muttered "Keep the change".
Now that she's actually inside the pub she can feel herself relaxing, the anonymity of how quickly it's filling up soothing. There is already a low hum of chatter as patrons chat amongst themselves, the odd bang as tankards are dropped onto hard table tops once emptied of their contents. The prospect of ranting at her friend about how her day has gone is tantalizing and as she approaches the table, she realizes that actually that rant may have to wait. Dark eyes fall on someone else at their table for two, and she finds herself quirking an eyebrow at her companion who does nothing but smile oh so mischievously back.
"What time do you call this?" Is the first thing that Ginny says, the redhead having helped herself a tankard already. Her hazel eyes are staring up with a knowing look and a small shake of her head as she draws the first sip from the foam settled at the top of her beer. It's not like she hadn't already spent a good few hours with Ginny that morning, after all they WERE on the same team and did have a pretty early game.
"I would apologize, but it seems as though you've already got some company." Storm retorted as she all but flops into the only chair left opposite the two women already present at the small table. She can feel both sets of eyes on her as she moves to grab her own butterbeer from the tray, pulling it towards her lips before taking her first few hefty swigs. The fact she could feel the cold liquid run all the way down her throat before settling in the pit of her belly settling any qualms she had left from the day's events.
Ginny quirks an eyebrow as she watches the youngest of the trio practically inhale her drink. Hazel eyes finding Hermione watching their newest attendee with thinly veiled amusement, an eyebrow quirked and a small smirk hidden behind the rim of her own tankard.
"Hermione, you remember Storm don't you?" Ginny quizzes as she watches her friend set the now empty glass down onto the tray she had brought over and swipe the remaining beer off of it. She knew it would be a stressful day for her companion, and wasn't all that surprised.
"I apologize for interrupting your evening, but Ginny said you wouldn't mind" Hermione spoke, her dark eyes taking stock of the woman she hadn't seen in person for at least twelve years. Storm had been in Ginny's year at Hogwarts and had taken over from Harry as Gryffindor's seeker, though they hadn't ever actually spent a whole lot of time in each other's company. From what she could see there wasn't a whole lot that had changed.
Storm was very tall, and had been quite slim at school. She'd always had long dark and shaggy hair with equally dark eyes that almost appeared to look right through anyone she'd set them upon. She had always been loud, and quite brash. Having been on the receiving end of many detentions given out by Hermione herself.
"Of course not. It's a nice surprise" Storm stated honestly "If I'd have known I was making a second first impression I'd have made more of an effort to find my way here quicker." She smiled a true smile, flicking her dark eyes toward Ginny who had yet to say much at all.
"Well, I had to do something to save myself from your insufferable complaining" Ginny stated dryly, though a betraying smirk still tugged at her lips as she shifted ever so slightly in her seat.
"How very dare you. I am hurt, I even bought you a beer to make all the complaining easier to tolerate!" Storm laughed then as she moved to run long fingers through her hair in an attempt to push it out of her face.
"So, you admit you're insufferable" Ginny fires back, an eyebrow quirked in question as she watched the younger woman settle into her chair with a slouch and a sigh.
"I did no such thing, honestly. You're the one who chooses to spend your free time in my company." Storm muttered begrudgingly, though she would never admit it aloud she was grateful for the sniping and picking their friendship held.
"How are you Hermione?" Storm questioned before Ginny could even retaliate. It was a thinly veiled attempt to include the older woman. It was far too easy for Ginny and herself to get lost in the relentless teasing that consumed most of their conversations. She let her dark eyes settle finally on the woman opposite her, next to the redhead.
Hermione looked as if not a day had gone by since the last time Storm saw her. Her hair was down and a little smoother than the younger woman remembered, she wore a hoody and simple pair of jeans dark blue jeans. Though as Storm watched her set her own tankard back onto the table, she noticed a distinct lack of wedding ring. That piqued her interest, and she noted with a sigh that maybe it wasn't just her life that had had it's ups and downs.
"Absolutely brilliant" Was the reply she got, though it wasn't said in a biting tone. The older woman almost sounded as fed up as she felt.
"Hermione and Ron are getting divorced" Ginny added quietly before continuing a little louder "It's in its final stages and this one does nothing but go to work and go home to sit and do more work." She stated with a nudge to the brunette's shoulder.
"Oh, well that's delightful." Storm added after a moment, raising her hand to signal for another couple of drinks to be sent over to them. It seemed the night definitely called for a couple, and she had no doubt that Ginny asked the older woman along for one simple reason; misery sure does love company. "So, are we taking your mind off of it or are you wanting to talk about it?" She quizzed then as she turned back and settled again.
"Taking my mind off of it, it's incredibly morose of a topic for a first meeting don't you think?" The eldest of the group added, her own dark eyes watching as another tray made its way over towards them. Floating seamlessly over the ever-growing crowd at the bar.
"Well, that's fine with me." She stated with a sigh, eyeing the older woman and the redhead for a moment as if to confirm what had been said.
"Did Joey get off alright?" Ginny spoke then, breaking the small silence that had settled amongst them. Storm couldn't help but smirk at the thought of how her own day had gone.
"He's decided he wants to stay with his friends for Halloween, so I won't see him now until New Year's" Storm spoke a little bit quietly, her dark eyes finding the amber liquid that sloshed as she swirled her glass between her hands a little bit. She flicked her eyes up after a moment to take stock of the redhead and the newcomer.
Ginny had an altogether sympathetic look pulled across her features. She had been there the day Storm had found out about him, and for every big and small event since. Joey had even taken up calling her aunty and very much loved to see her as much as he could.
Hermione was fixing her with an almost unreadable expression, an eyebrow raised as if she wanted to question but didn't want to step over the line. Storm just shrugged, shifting in her seat to pull her well-worn wallet from back pocket of her dark jeans. Its black leather torn and soft between her fingers as she flipped it open. A photo sat just inside; a little boy no older than five thrown haphazardly over her shoulder giggling away. His equally dark and shaggy hair hanging down out of his face.
She holds the wallet out to the brunette who looks at the photo with a warm smile, but the curious stare that met her after was enough to say she still didn't quite understand.
"Joey is my son" Storm stated simply as she folded the wallet once again and left it to rest on the table beside her. "He's thirteen now, he lives with his other mother most of the time and he's leaving for his third year at Hogwarts" She spoke proudly, though there was a certain sadness that lingered just below the surface of her tone.
"Oh, I didn't realize you had a son" Hermione spoke, her eyebrows pulled together. "He looks like you" she adds as an afterthought as she motions towards the now shut wallet sat disregarded on the tables surface. Genuine surprise at the revelation caught her off guard, not that she believed much that she read in the prophet but she was astonished they hadn't splashed it all over the front pages. Storm was a pretty decent quidditch player, and she had been the target of a few pretty horrid articles.
"Apparently painting me to be a lonely bed hop is much better than painting me as a decent mother, sells more papers" Storm stated wryly, a smirk tugging itself across her lips once again as Ginny scoffed from across the table.
"You are a lonely bed hop that's why Storm" Ginny quipped, finally interjecting. Her tone was light, and all Hermione could do was roll her eyes. Typical of Ginny to ruin a sensitive moment with utter nonsense.
"Only because you won't have me Red! I have to soothe my sorrows somehow!" Storm winked; her lips tugged up furhter into a crooked grin as she threw back everything she got just as quickly.
"Honestly, I've heard the way you snore. I wouldn't get a wink of sleep!" The redhead snipped back as she fixed the dark-haired woman with a stern glare.
"Well, I'd hope you wouldn't be getting a wink of sleep anyway. I think if you do, you're really doing it wrong" Storm laughed then, raising an eyebrow in challenge. "Do you need some lessons?" she added after a moment's pause, throwing a wink at her flustered friend.
Hermione could do nothing but shake her head, though she couldn't quite hide her own amusement as she watched a crimson red blush rush up Ginny's neck. Her entire face darkening as she huffed in defeat, folding her arms defiantly across her chest with a roll of her eyes.
"Is this all you two talk about? Honestly it's like being back in school" She scolded playfully before draining her glass of its contents finally. The alcohol warming her in a way she hadn't felt in a long time, though she couldn't deny being grateful for it. It had been such a great while since she let her hair down and just enjoyed herself. She had been suffocating under the weight of the divorce, and grappling with not only losing her husband, but one of her best friends.
Ginny had always been supportive of her, something which had been a little bit surprising after everything had come to light. There hadn't necessarily been anything of great magnitude that had ended their marriage, just small things that added up in the end. The spark had long since been extinguished and they really struggled to cope as a pair when thrust into the mundane normalcy of everyday lives. The youngest redhead had sat her down with a sad smile and had told her that it would quite simply be okay, and that she would always regard her as family. They had all been through far too much together.
"It definitely does feel like being back at school!" Storm laughed again effectively pulling the eldest of the three out of her own head. "Honestly, being told off by Granger herself. I never thought I'd see the day that'd happen again" She stated, her grin so wide her eyes were barely there. There was no malice in her tone, just simply fact.
"Well, it's not like you were innocent. I swear the only thing I remember actually talking to you about is detention" Hermione quipped, shaking her head as she ran her hand through her own hair.
"I honestly think you just followed me around to give yourself something to do when you were bored!" Storm stated, shaking her head in disbelief. She would be hard pressed to remember an occasion where she had gotten a detention and it hadn't been from Hermione during her reign as head girl.
"You were hardly inconspicuous. I seem to recall you trying to rip a boy's arm off to feed it to him! In the middle of the common room! Right in front of my nose!" She spoke, her tone laced entirely with disbelief. She remembered being so shocked as the two students all but crashed through the table where she had set up a few of her books. Sending it splintering into the air around them with a loud crack as they hit the floor.
"I dread to think what he actually did to deserve the amount of tugging he sustained before I broke it up" She stated, her own smirk tugging at her lips. She could hear Ginny sniggering at the memory somewhere beside her. She had done no more than egg the other girl on, and had very nearly ended up with a detention herself.
"He tried to steal my chocolate frog Hermione, honestly. He deserved everything he got!" Storm chuckled to herself, shaking her head as she sat forward in her chair to eye the contents of the table. Her cheeks had started to warm and she was definitely feeling pretty chilled out. The day's events feeling as if they had been weeks ago, not hours.
They continued much the same, laughing amongst the three of them tucked away in their little corner of the now busy pub. Ginny had bid her farewells after another drink, and Storm had been surprised to find Hermione had taken her seat once again after the redhead had disappeared through the crowd.
"Did you want another one?" Storm quizzed a little sheepishly as she nodded towards the mostly empty glass situated in front of the older woman, some of her bravado leaving with the redhead.
"Just one more" Hermione replied quietly after a moment of deliberation. It didn't take long for Storm to get to her feet, collecting her wallet from the top of the table.
"I'll just be right back; I'll settle up while I'm at it if this is the last round." She stated with a smile as she tucked her chair under and turned to move off before pausing briefly "Will you be alright on your own?" She spoke after turning back, catching the older woman off guard. Dark eyes had been glued to her back just a moment before.
"Oh of course, not to worry" Hermione admitted, shaking herself out of her stupor to answer the girl, only to slip back into it as she watched her unexpected companion make her way towards the bar. She had forgotten a lot about the younger woman, never having spent a mass amount of time with her. Only really giving her much thought when Ginny brought her up, or when dreams of the battle plagued her mind.
She had been briefly separated from Harry and Ron during the fight. Having watched a few death eaters corner a younger girl behind a pillar. She remembered how the defensive spells never stopped, not once until she had helped to take down the cloaked figures. How once the girl had finally jumped from her hiding space, torn and bloodied her face split in two with a massive grin. How her eyes had lit up when she realized someone had come to her aid.
It had been a moment among the chaos Hermione had really truly remembered for what had come next. She had all but run at the young woman who was quite obviously worse for wear, bleeding profusely from multiple places. Before she could even think about healing any of the gaping wounds that had become clearer as she had gotten closer the younger witch had reached for her, grabbed her roughly by the shoulders and shoved her hard into a wall.
A split second later she watched a very familiar curse speed past the taller woman's back right through the space where she had been just seconds before. A heavy body panting as it pressed her tightly to the flagstone that shook with every explosion that rocked the castle. It was as if all time slowed and she watched as another green curse flew past, another cutting spell slammed into the pillar they had been hidden behind. A strong shoulder had shielded her face from the debris before the weight holding her was gone once again.
Another moment of quiet and she found dark eyes boring into her own, an intense stare marred with drips of blood and broken flesh. "Will you be alright on your own?" Was the question that had left the younger woman's lips twisted up into a smirk.
The seat dipping beside her pulled her out of her own mind once again, and she was unsurprised to find those same dark eyes boring just as intensely into her own as they had many years before.
"Are you alright?" Came the voiced question spoken so quietly she barely had heard it at all.
"You asked me that during the battle you know?" She spoke then, taking her beverage from her unexpected comrade.
"How could I forget?" Storm smirked then, shaking her head as she moved to push her hair from her face once again. Allowing Hermione just a brief moment to take in the small white scars that littered her sharp cheekbone and jaw on the one side.
"If your son is thirteen, were you not carrying him then?" Hermione asked brazenly, the words leaving her mouth before she could simply stop them. Though the kind smile that met her question eased her worry of stepping over the line of appropriate first, second encounter chat.
"Not long after the battle, but I didn't carry him" Storm retorted with a small sigh, shaking her head coyly. "I'm a shapeshifter, Hermione. I thought that was common knowledge!" She added as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"What difference does that make?" Hermione asked then with a raised brow. Her keen brain pulling up any and all memories she had regarding the topic and the woman in front of her. There had been an incident during one of the quidditch matches after she had gone back for her last year where Storm had been knocked from her broom and shifted midair in front of the entirety of two houses. She had been dogged for weeks upon weeks afterwards. Though Hermione had been shocked shapeshifters to that degree in fact existed, she didn't really dwell upon the ins and outs of it.
"It doesn't just have to be animals you know. I can change into anything living really and it doesn't just have to be every…" She paused then for a moment and Hermione could swear she saw a blush creeping it's way up her neck "Part of me that changes" She finished quietly as if she was embarrassed to speak it any louder, averting her gaze from the intense stare the brunette was fixing her with.
Hermione is once again stunned by the younger woman sat beside her now, unable to really wrap her head around the admission. She couldn't help then but drag her eyes down the shifter's body, taking in the way broad shoulder slouched a bit. How a long sleeved tshirt clung to what seemed to be well worked muscles. Down to a beltbuckle sat peaking from beneath the hem of that same tshirt. She paused, the alcohol fueling her curiosity.
"Hey, my eyes are up here!" Storm teased then clearing her throat before laughing again. Shifting to scoot a little further away from the older woman who seemed to be leaning into her side to get a better look at her crotch. "It's not there now anyway! Only on special occassions and certain weeks in a month" The shifter stated factually, an eyebrow raised as she watched the older woman snap her eyes away and blush furiously at having been caught staring.
"Bloody hell" Was all she could think to say, unsure really what else she could add to that.
"Variety is the spice of life" Storm added with another laugh before shrugging as if it was the most normal thing in the world. She supposed it wasn't really all that strange, and definitely could see some upsides to being able to change at will whenever it was convenient.
"Were you always this unbelievable?" Hermione questioned then, sighing deeply into her tankard as she waited for the response, she knew she was going to get.
"Of course, I wouldn't want to be anything else!" Storm teased then as she slouched down against the cushion of the bench seat behind them both, pulling her drink back to her lips to drain it of it's contents.
"Did you want to grab some coffee? Or something?" Hermione asked then, watching as Storm set her empty glass down once again.
"When?" Storm replied, moving to watch as the older woman seemed to blush again. She couldn't quite understand what about coffee warranted a blush, but here they were.
"Now?" Hermione spoke again before placing her own glass back down before meeting the shifter's curious stare.
"If that's what you want to do" Storm replied with a genuine smile. She had wanted nothing more than to get to know this woman when she was at school, and to be given the opportunity to do so now was something she wouldn't deny. She only really had Ginny, and it seemed like Hermione too could use one more friend. It seemed she wasn't going to get a reply, and she stood after the older woman. Wandering after her as she made her way towards the door and out onto the now much quieter street.
As soon as the cool night air hit her, she could feel the warmth spread further across her cheeks and was grateful for the even pavement under her feet as she caught up to the older woman. Hermione was watching her again, and something about the way she was staring made her fidget a little uncomfortably. It was so intense and Storm couldn't help but smooth out her tshirt and ruffle her hair a little bit in an attempt to look a little bit more kept.
"Where are we going for coffee?" She asked then unable to keep the curiosity at bay. She hoped wherever they were going did decaff, otherwise she was sure she'd be up until dawn.
"I have coffee" Hermione spoke after clearing her throat, "I mean if that's alright?" She asked once again, a little bit unsure of herself as she came to a stop just outside of a shop that had long since closed for the evening.
Storm's eyes widened at the implication of what the words could actually mean. She had watched a lot of awful muggle television and coffee had always seemed to be a precursor to other activities after a date. But she figured they hadn't been on a date, and Hermione had been married to a man. She figured quickly that the notion was entirely absurd and the older witch did in fact just want a friendly hot beverage.
"Yeah of course, I wouldn't know where to get coffee at this time really anyway" She added a little sheepishly, feeling a little silly for even considering the idea of Hermione having more than a platonic feeling toward her.
"Brilliant" Was the only reply she was afforded before the older woman reached out to wrap her fingers around her bicep. That was the last thing she noted before she was being squeezed and spun uncomfortably in a side along apparation.