CHAPTER SIX
Summary: Hermione suffers a terrible attack and who should find her but one of Wizarding Britain's most eligible bachelors. The relationship that builds between them is one no one saw coming, but no one predicted the danger that would surely follow. Post-War. Rated M for a reason.
Disclaimer: I do not own canon events or characters, they belong to J.K Rowling. I am not making a profit from this fanfic, everything is purely for entertainment purposes.
Q&A
rivergirl75 – she knew he was there, she just didn't react to him being there.
Fatalromance – Hermione's attack is going to stay under wraps, at least for now... ;)
Page count: 6
Wood Estate - Tuesday 24th November 1998
Early the next morning found Oliver once again waking to Hermione's cries. As he had the previous day, he left his room in his boxer briefs, not bothering to put anything else on, and he made his way to her room.
He found her in the same position as he had the night before, except now she was wearing grey tracksuit bottoms and a white t-shirt. He laid down beside her, not touching her, once again he didn't say anything but his presence there was known, he drifted off to sleep as Hermione's cries died down.
His alarm woke him up and he found himself wrapped around Hermione in his sleep, her scent of jasmine and lemons invading his senses, her hair tickling his forehead. He frowned before carefully removing himself from her and leaving the room to ready for training.
He made his way to the kitchen wearing his training uniform, his hair still wet from his shower and his broom in hand. His eyes caught the Monopoly board set up on the table and he chuckled, they had played once again the night before and they still didn't have a winner before they retired for the night, and so Hermione charmed the board to prevent cheating and they promised to continue the game the next day.
He entered the kitchen to see it empty, Hermione hadn't made breakfast and he felt disappointed. He put his broom on the kitchen island before proceeding to make scrambled eggs, bacon and sausages; he made two cups of tea and put all the food and the mugs on the table.
He decided to check on Hermione and see if she was awake before he sat down for breakfast. He headed to her room and knocked on the door, before opening it.
He saw Hermione stood in the door way to the bathroom and in clean clothes - blue jeans, black boots and a black blouse.
"Hey, jus' wanted tae see if ye wanted breakfast," he spoke.
She smiled at him. "I was just about to head to the kitchen."
He rolled his eyes and walked over to her, she scowled but didn't fight him when he picked her up in his arms and made his way to the kitchen.
"I am capable of making my own way there, you know?"
"Ye keep crawling ev'rywhere an' ye could damage yer leg further."
"Who is the healer here?"
He chuckled at her before setting her down at the table.
For the third practice in a row Oliver stepped out of the fireplace and into his manor furious. Once again he had the need for a drink, a Calming Draught or a shag and remembering Hermione and knowing that he didn't have any Calming Draughts, he choose the drink.
He headed to the bar, depositing his broom on to it before pouring himself a fire whiskey.
"Training not go well?"
He jumped before turning around, only just noticing Hermione on one of the corner suites. She was laid on her back with her head propped up by a pillow, her knees were bent and what looked to be a medical textbook levitated above her, whilst Merlin was half sprawled across her stomach.
He sighed, moving over to the other corner suite and he flopped down onto it and groaned.
"Naw," he sighed.
"The same?"
"The same," he confirmed.
"What about their brooms?"
"Ye were right, they've all had their brooms fer at least three years, a told them tae get new ones, they wouldn't listen tae me."
"You're their Captain," she frowned.
"Doesn't matter, Quidditch players get very attached tae their brooms; it'd be like telling ye tae give up yer book collection," he shrugged.
"Hmm," she hummed and he looked at her with a raised eyebrow, but she didn't say anything else.
He sighed and stood to make dinner.
"Where are you going?" she asked him.
"Tae make dinner."
"I ordered in from Tom."
"Tom?"
"The Leaky Cauldron, I pretty much get all my food from there, it should be here within the next ten minutes," she shrugged.
"A would've cooked."
"I know, but I thought you'd be tired and I didn't want you to stand for an obscene amount of time having to cook, when I can simply place a floo call and allow you time to relax. I didn't want to give you food poisoning or make you the same as yesterday, otherwise I would've just cooked for you, so I ordered from Tom instead," she didn't look at him, she was busy reading her book and running her hand through Merlin's fur.
He stared at her and he was slightly shocked by her thoughtfulness. He shook his head and sat back down, downing the rest of his drink and wincing at the burn, he leaned back and just watched her as she read, completely oblivious to the world as her attention was absorbed her book.
He watched the way she frowned, likely reading something she didn't agree with, the way she nodded her head slightly as if she agreed and the way she tilted her head, looking thoughtful. A small smile pulled at his mouth, she was certainly an enigma.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you," she spoke, bringing him out of his staring. She was still reading her book. "Thomas checked on me this morning, the bump on my head has gotten smaller and..." she nudged Merlin to get off her, she put her book down and stood up. He watched her with a raised eyebrow as she beamed at him.
He stared as she slowly took a step, followed by another, and another, she kept going until she had walked around the table and as she reached him, she fell down next him, her legs had been wobbling, but she had still walked.
"I can walk," she beamed. He stared at her in surprise.
"Depends on ye definition af walking," he teased, "tha' looked more like hobbling tae mae." She scowled at him.
"Shut up," she mumbled and crossed her arms childishly. "Thomas said I should be able to go home soon, a day or two, depends on how my walking is when he checks on me tomorrow, soon enough I'll be out of your hair and you can have your privacy back." She missed the frown on his face since the fireplace roared to life and boxed up food was left in its wake.
She stood up and slowly made her way over to it, having to crawl half way because her legs couldn't take the distance. She picked up the food and made her way back over to Oliver. She pulled herself up onto the corner suite next to him and put the food on the table, taking it out of the box and handing his food to him.
"I didn't know what to get you and so I ordered medium-rare steak, with potatoes and vegetables," she shrugged, summoning knives and forks and handing them to him.
"Hoo did ye know hoo a like mea steak?"
"I didn't, I just guessed and hoped it was right."
She turned and pulled out the food that was dog appropriate and put it on the floor for Merlin who was there in a flash, she chuckled before pulling out her food and eating the chicken, potatoes and vegetable dinner she had ordered for herself.
"Why hasn't Tom asked for payment?" he asked her.
"Already paid, he has my vault information, buying dinner is the least I can do for you," she shrugged.
"A'm not comfortable allowing ye tae buy mae dinner."
"I can afford it."
He sighed realising he wasn't going to win and he dropped the subject. They ate in comfortable silence and when done, Hermione banished everything to the sink or bin.
Oliver sighed and his head thudded against the back of his seat, he ran his hand through his hair and rubbed it over his face.
Hermione watched him and his aggravated state and she sighed, before sliding off her seat and onto the floor. Oliver felt the shift and lifted his head to look at her with a raised eyebrow.
"Shirt off and lay down," she told him, he looked at her confused before he understood and a smile tugged at his mouth. He sat up, pulled off his Quidditch jumper, dropping it to the floor before he laid down on his stomach, burying his head in a pillow.
Hermione chuckled at his eagerness for a massage, she sat on the edge of the corner suite, beside him, rubbed her hands together to warm them before reaching to his shoulders and she started to ease the ache in his muscles.
He sighed happily and hummed.
"Bloody hell, Oliver," she spoke shocked. "How the hell do you have knots? I got them all out yesterday." He shrugged. "How's your bruise?"
"Fine," his reply muffled by the pillow.
She prodded it. "Fuck!" he cursed and she smirked.
"Okay, so it hurts a wee bit," she prodded him again. "Shit! Okay, a lot."
She snorted at him, before summoning her cream and putting some onto and around his bruise and then going back to massaging his shoulders, moving onto his neck, then the middle of his back and down to the small of his back.
All the while he let out sighs, groans and shifted into her touch. She stopped an hour later when her hands were starting to hurt, she noticed that his breathing had evened out and she gave a chuckle.
"Bobby," Hermione called softly.
"Miss," the house-elf bowed after appearing in front of her.
She smiled at him. "Please may I have a blanket?"
"Of course, Miss," he was gone only seconds before he reappeared with a soft, looking white blanket.
"Thank you, Bobby," she spoke, taking the blanket from him, he bowed before leaving.
Hermione covered Oliver with the blanket before moving back over to the other corner suite. She laid down and proceeded to read her medical text book.
It had long since grown dark outside, Hermione was a good half-way into her textbook, Merlin was draped over her asleep, there was not a sound in the room and the only light came from her signature blue-bell flames floating above her.
That was when Oliver woke, he gave a groan, before shifting, stretching his body out and then he lifted his face from the pillow and looked around with sleepy eyes.
He noticed Hermione reading her book.
"What time is it?" he yawned, his voice husky with sleep.
She snorted at him as he blinked, ridding the sleep from his eyes and he ran his hand through his hair.
"Almost ten," she answered.
"Where did this blanket come from?"
"Bobby, I asked him for one and he brought one to me," she shrugged.
"He answered ye call?" he spoke surprised.
"Yeah, why? Was he not supposed to?"
"Naw, it's nothing, don' worry aboot it," he said, but when she looked at him he had a thoughtful frown on his face. "Hoo long have a been asleep?" he changed the subject.
"A couple of hours, you fell asleep during the massage, sometime when I reached the middle of your back," she replied amused.
"It felt nice, a was relaxed," he defended and she snorted at him.
"That was the whole point of me giving you a massage, you looked about as stressed as Harry our fifth year." He rolled his eyes at her, before noticing the Monopoly board.
"Ye wanna finish playing?" he asked her, gesturing to the table.
Her eyes followed and a smirk formed on her face.
"I don't know, are you sure you can take losing?"
"A'll have ye know tha' a'm very good at winning, a've won numerous Quidditch matches, including the House Cup me final year," he gloated.
Her smirk widened. "I won a war," she said and he narrowed his eyes at her.
They both slid onto the floor on either side of the table and proceeded to continue the game from where they left off the previous night.
An hour and a half later, Hermione stood up and gave a dramatic bow and Oliver crossed his arms, huffed and scowled at her.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you," she spoke with a snotty tone and an amused smile pulled at his mouth as she bowed once more. "As your Queen of Board Games, I accept the honour and the title."
He snorted at her. "Ye only beat mae by one game," he pointed out.
"True, but I still beat you," she said smugly, before sitting back down and proceeding to clear the game away. "Well, it's almost twelve, we should probably get some sleep."
He agreed and before he could help her to her room, both she and Merlin were walking out of the room, though she looked to be struggling, she was using the wall for support and her legs were wobbling. By the time he reached her she was at the door of her room, they said their goodnights and went their separate ways.