I've drunk all the remedies
Too young for these memories
Swing low, bitter melodies
False hope from the teeth of the enemy
It's a long road and you're on your own
Take care of my broken soul
'Cause there must be
There must be angels, guiding the way
- Tom Walker, Angels
Two
Was this what heaven felt like? If so, Harry wasn't very impressed. There was heaviness, fatigue, a cloudy feeling over his senses as if they've been turned down a notch, and a damn pounding rhythm inside his head. Maybe it was a marching band welcoming him to the promised land. Does heaven have marching bands?
Oh well, it was but a small price to pay. Marching band or not, what he knew for certain was that heaven has angels. He actually saw one of them, so he knew he was in heaven. She was wearing white and there was an ethereal glow around her. She was also the most beautiful woman? being? that Harry had ever seen. She had wavy brown hair which reminded him of hot chocolate in the coldest winter day. Her eyes were bright ambers. She had a delicate nose, refined cheekbones, and a smile which reassured him that everything was going to be okay… even if he was dead.
She had a name fit for an angel too.
Hermione.
Angel Hermione.
The epitome of virtue and beauty.
He wished to see her again and talk to her again. Her presence was intoxicating. She was his true north and he felt absolutely drawn towards her.
It must be her angelic powers.
However, one thing did struck him as odd about the angel. Now that he thought about it, Hermione didn't have a halo. Weren't halos one of the defining characteristics of celestial beings? And wings, too. However, Harry considered that they could probably hide their wings if they didn't need to fly. But a halo, on the other hand. A halo was a must!
Mmmm… so perhaps he wasn't in heaven after all. Maybe this was hell, and Hermione was but a siren coaxing him to hell's deepest and darkest abyss. He definitely had more than his fair share of sins throughout his twenty-eight years on Earth that going to hell was a possibility.
It could be worse, Harry mused. Heaven or hell, angel or siren… at least she would be there.
Slowly, Harry opened his eyes. There was light (score one for heaven!) and hazy figures in black around him (that would be a point for hell - celestial beings were always in white). There was a sound of someone cursing followed by stone hitting stone. There was a whack! and then something shattered. Oh bugger, he was really in hell wasn't he? He closed his eyes to get them to refocus.
He blinked once. And then twice.
His surroundings were clearer now, but he wasn't wearing his glasses so the shapes were just clearer blobs. He definitely was in hell, then. There was no way his eyesight would remain this bad if he was up there.
"Well, well, look who has finally woken up," one of the dark figures said. Odd, the demon sounded an awful lot like one of his best friends.
"You look confused as hell, Harry," another familiar voice said.
Hell. He was in hell.
He felt metal touching his face as one of the demons took pity on him and gave him his glasses (probably so he could clearly see as they tortured him). His tired, confused eyes finally saw around him. There was a large open window allowing sunlight through, a sitting area, a fridge filled with drinks, and a table with an unfinished game of chess where black was clearly winning. There were multiple unknown apparatus around him, some of them beeping and blinking with different coloured lights.
This didn't seem like hell.
And over him, on either side of what looked to be his bed, were his closest friends Ron Weasley and Draco Malfoy. The two had smiles on their faces as they looked down on him.
"The healers did say he'd be quite loopy because of the potions…" Ron said, grinning slyly at Draco.
The blonde only snorted and quirked an eyebrow at Harry.
"Do you know who you are?" He asked Harry quite seriously. "How many fingers am I holding up?" He lifted his right middle finger up and waved it.
It took a lot of effort but Harry managed to roll his eyes. "I'm your boss," he growled, voice still raspy from sleep.
Draco dropped his hand and turned to look at Ron who was only shaking his head in amusement. "He's grouchy so he must be fine," he said.
Harry looked around him again, the puzzle pieces finally falling into place. He wasn't in hell nor was he actually dead. He was in a hospital room.
Harry tried to sit up but there was a sharp pain in his lower abdomen when he moved. The pain caught him by surprise and he groaned.
"Careful, mate," Ron said. The redhead pushed a button at the side of the bed and Harry felt the top half start to incline. "You're pretty banged up, Harry."
When he was finally sitting up, Harry looked at his two friends. Their faces had turned serious.
"What. Happened." He said. He tried to remember the events that might have put him in the hospital but doing so only made his headache worse. He looked expectantly at the two men for an explanation and waited.
Ron looked at Draco and nodded his head urging him to explain.
Draco took a breath in. "The raid was a bust, Harry. They blew up the building while we and civilians were inside."
"What?" Harry hissed furiously. "Did we… did we lose anybody?"
Ron shook his head. "No. There were some serious injuries in your team but nothing critical. The civilians who were hurt are all stable except for two." Ron proceeded to list the injuries endured because of the raid.
Harry breathed in relief. He looked to his lap and tried to think of what he last remembered.
The building was a wizard equivalent to a Muggle mall although from the outside it looked like an abandoned warehouse. Space was tight in wizarding communities so wizards and witches decided it would be best to build one large building where they could fit more of their shops. The end result was The Emporium. It had five floors, one large basement, and an enormous attic. The Emporium opened at 8am every morning and closed at 7pm every night. The raid was scheduled at 7:45pm sharp. They had gotten intel that the men they were trying to apprehend had set up camp in one of the empty stalls in the building on the fifth floor. As soon as the floor was cleared, the Aurors were to take them. There was a security wizard whose shift was to end at 7:45pm. The next security wizard and the cleaners would be there immediately after to work the night. They worked floor by floor, so the fifth floor and its attic would be the last to be checked and cleaned. The Aurors couldn't completely empty the building since that would signal to the wizards they were trying to catch that something was off. They had to ensure the civilians wouldn't be caught in the crossfire which was an almost certainty since there would be four floors of concrete separating them.
The raid was supposed to be fast and quick. The wizards, two in total, would be outnumbered four to one since Harry's whole team of eight would be there. It was well planned out and rehearsed.
Harry recalled entering from one of The Emporium's windows perched in the middle of the attic with Draco right behind him. The Aurors had cleverly charmed ear pieces that allowed them to communicate with each other. As they finished their sweep of the attic, Harry heard from his earpiece that the rest of his team had finished clearing floors one and two. The cleaners had started their work on the first floor, Harry heard Bill say through the device. Harry and Draco located the spot in the attic right above the empty stall where the wizards would be hiding while the rest cleared floors three and four. The plan was simple. The team would split into two smaller groups and enter the fifth floor from both the north and south entrances with their wands drawn. Harry and Draco would come from above. They planned to corner the wizards from all sides.
He remembered glancing at his watch and saw that it was just a little past 8pm. Auror Ian Thompson said they were ready to enter through the south entrance while Bill echoed the same from the north. Harry and Draco looked at each other and nodded.
"Let's do this." Harry whispered into his earpiece.
"Yes, sir," Bill and Ian said simultaneously.
Harry strained his ears to pick up any sounds from below. There was silence for a long while as the two teams slowly and quietly entered the fifth floor. He looked at his watch, counting the seconds for his team to sweep the floor and congregate around the stall.
And then he heard yells and spells from below. He cursed since that meant they were found out before the wizards could be fully surrounded. With a nod from Draco, Harry tore a hole through the ceiling with a Bombarda and leapt into the melee.
The two wizards put up a really good fight. It seemed like they were expecting the Aurors, since the two men weren't in their stall but in one adjacent. They were the ones who fired the first spell. Harry couldn't remember how long the spell fight took, but he did remember how the two wizards all of a sudden became defensive instead of offensive. And then, they started to sprint towards the north exit dodging and deflecting all of the spells sent their way. Harry's Stupefy was cut short by the sound of multiple blasts which caused his ears to ring. The cement floor below him began to quiver and collapse and then all he remembered was darkness.
The next thing he knew for certain was waking up at the hospital.
Harry closed his eyes and breathed. "Did they both get away?"
He saw Draco grimace when he reopened his eyes. "Yeah, they did," his deputy answered.
"Damn it!" Harry swore. "How the fuck did this happen?"
He was angry. Not at one particular person, but just angry at the whole situation. The men they were trying to catch have been on the run for almost a year now. They were armed and they were dangerous. They were Hit Wizards gone rogue after a joint mission between them and the Aurors went awry. Harry could remember it clearly since he was asked to be part of the specialized Auror team that worked alongside the Hit Wizards. The Head Auror led it himself. It was a crackdown on a huge smuggling operation which brought illegal substances into Britain. They also trafficked "exotic" witches and women into Europe from all over the globe. It was a deplorable business and the Aurors, after months of gathering intel from the spies they had planted worldwide, finally were ready to act. They had intelligence that one of the heads of this smuggling ring only known as The Collector would be present when a new shipment of illegal goods and women would arrive from Asia. The drop off point? St. Katharine Docks near Tower Bridge in London.
The group of three Aurors and three Hit Wizards staked out the dock for hours in disguise. Harry and Hit Wizard Livingston were hiding in two boats docked at the marina. The rest of the team were in surrounding buildings waiting for any signs of the shipment to arrive. Head Auror Windsor who was also at the scene had a bigger group of Aurors on standby waiting to move. They wanted the marina cleared so they could catch the wizards on the act. They wanted a clear and shut case to be presented to the High Prosecutor especially since there were rumours that The Collector was a powerful man in wizarding society.
It was just shy of 2am when apparition pops were heard. Harry peeked from his place underneath a tarp and spied a group of five wizards standing on the dock, their gazes to the distance. Four were surrounding a tall man dressed in a fine suit, but Harry couldn't see his face. Two wizards had their backs turned from the dock and was scanning the marina instead for any signs that they weren't alone. Harry relayed this information on his communicator, and then the boat arrived.
It emerged from underneath the dark water like Durmstrang's ship Harry had seen in his fourth year at Hogwarts. It was a large yacht with three floors of gleaming white and multiple windows spewing salt water. Along one side of the boat was a picture of a mermaid. She was looking sultrily at the men on the dock as she combed her hair on top of a rock. Images of waves crashed against her perch. Standing out against the water was the name of the vessel.
The Siren's Song
Harry watched as the ship approached the wooden dock and laid out its magical gangway. Two wizards emerged from within the boat and shook hands with the men standing on the dock. There were some words exchanged and then the wizards from the boat headed back into the vessel. They emerged carrying a crate which the suited man opened and inspected. At this point Harry assumed he was whom they call The Collector. After giving a nod, the two wizards from the boat and the two other wizards on the dock re-entered the ship to unload its contents.
Harry watched as crates were levitated out of the ship. Dozens of wooden boxes of varying sizes were displaced onto the dock on top of each other. And then, Harry saw as the wizards came out with women whose mouths have been gagged. They struggled against the strong grip of the men who escorted them out and cowered next to each other on the dock.
Harry heard Windsor's voice in his ear to go, go, go! What laid before them was the evidence they needed and now it was time to apprehend the men. Harry leapt from underneath the tarp and started firing spells just as he saw Hit Wizard Livingston doing the same. A glance to his left towards the buildings saw Windsor himself emerge as well as Auror Skylar Wayland. The other two Hit Wizards, Eric Channing and Brandon Mackenzie, were right behind them. Through his earpiece he heard the other Aurors on their way for the arrest.
Spells were fired left and right as the smugglers tried to ward off the Aurors. Harry and Livingston secured the women. He saw Windsor petrify one of the men from the boat while Hit Wizard Channing sent one of the other wizards into the water. However, the other four wizards including The Collector were starting their retreat and running away from the docks.
"Go!" Windsor yelled over the melee. "Do not let them get away!"
Harry told the women to stay put before chasing after the men. From behind him he saw the other group of Aurors swarm the dock to secure the boat. Some of them followed in chase.
"Do not let them get near civilians!" Harry commanded into his earpiece. He knew that despite the late hour, innocent men and women would be out in London. He saw the wizards head towards Tower Bridge and cursed. "Cut them off before they get to the bridge! Do not fire when Muggles are around!" He yelled. Tower Bridge was a popular tourist destination even at night. He could deal with the paperwork involved in Obliviating Muggles, but he could not imagine what would happen if any Muggles were harmed by the spell fight.
One wizard went down hard when Auror Wayland caused the cobblestoned street underneath him to buckle. Another wizard was petrified by Hit Wizard Channing. Harry kept his eyes trained on The Collector and the other wizard with him. He and Livingstone were still giving chase on the streets when Livingstone decided it was time to act. Harry yelled at him to stop but it was too late. The Collector saw the Incendio hurling towards him from Livingston's wand so he levitated a car filled with people into the line of fire. Harry watched the car burst into flames.
"NO!" He remembered yelling. He heard shouts and saw people running away from all directions. Livingston's shock and rage was palpable, and he sent a Bombarda Maxima towards the two men who were still trying to evade capture. The spell caused another explosion and Harry saw civilians thrown to the ground by the impact. Through the smoke and rubble, Harry avoided a spell fired at them by The Collector. He could see the two men gaining more and more distance from them as they ran opposite of the stampeding crowd.
Harry knew the raid was a failure.
He watched in disbelief as Livingston raised his wand again and Harry snapped. He sent an Expelliarmus towards the wizard which was blocked by a quick Protego.
"What the HELL are you doing Potter?! You're letting them get away!" Livingston cried in a rage.
"I'm stopping you from killing more people!" Harry yelled. He trained his wand on Livingston. "Drop your wand, Hit Wizard Livingston. You're under arrest."
"To hell with that," Anthony Livingston said angrily. "I was doing my job like you should have been!"
"The end doesn't justify the means, Livingston! We do not hurt innocents and already you've killed some civilians and injured a lot more!" Harry yelled. He saw Auror Wayland approaching him from the left with his wand trained on Livingston as well.
"Bullshit," Livingston spat angrily. "The fucker killed those Muggles, not me."
"I said drop. Your. Wand." Harry snapped angrily.
"No," Livingston cried. He sent a Sectusempra in Harry's direction which was deflected by Wayland's carefully cast Protego. Harry retaliated with a Reducto which forced Livingston to jump out of the way. From the right Harry saw Hit Wizard Mackenzie running towards them with his wand drawn. He expected the other Hit Wizard to help in apprehending Livingston, but instead he sent an inferno of spells towards Harry and Skylar. The two Aurors dived out of the way and drew their shields.
"You don't want to go down with him, Brandon!" Harry yelled. "Stop this and drop your wand!"
"You say that too much, Potter," Livingston sneered. He and Mackenzie assaulted the two Aurors with spells forcing them to keep their shields up and retreat. When the spells stopped coming and some of the dust settled, Harry saw that the street in front of him was empty.
The two Hit Wizards were gone.
That night they lost three Muggles who were in the car, injured a dozen more by the explosions, and had to Obliviate all of their memories. They managed to apprehend the two men from the boats and three of the men with The Collector. They secured the terrified women who were trafficked across the globe, but lost The Collector and the other wizard with him. None of the men who were captured were saying anything, and even Veritaserum did not help for they didn't know the identity of The Collector or any of the other higher ups in the organization. All they were able to tell the Aurors were the items they smuggled and where they abducted the women from.
The Aurors knew that The Collector had all means to disappear, and months of silence from their spies confirmed that. No one knew when the next shipment of illegal goods would arrive in Britain. The smuggling operation decreased in priority since they had to wait for The Collector's next move and had to gather their intelligence all over again. So they turned their attention to the second most pressing matter at hand which was apprehending the two Hit Wizards who had gone rogue.
"I think there was a mole, Harry," Draco said. Harry's head snapped from his thoughts and he turned to look at Draco.
"What do you mean?" He asked in a whisper.
"I've been turning the raid over and over in my head. It just doesn't make any sense. First, they were expecting us. We were ambushed. Sure, you could argue that they were more than just vigilant and had a plan of attack for if authorities do arrive, but their actions were well thought out and measured. They drew us further into the middle of the hallway. They wanted us there and away from the exits. Then, they turned more defensive. And the exploding tonics too, Harry. They were placed at the weakest points of the building. They knew they were going to blow that place and they wanted us in it." Draco explained. Ron only stood at Harry's bedside with his arms crossed and a frown as he tried to think who could have possibly done it.
Before Harry could answer, there was a knock on his door. The doorknob clicked and Gabrielle's face peeked inside. She smiled widely when she saw that Harry was conscious and immediately started for his bed with an exclamation. "Harry! Oh, Dieu merci!"
"We'll talk later," he whispered to Draco and Ron. He turned his gaze to the young woman who gently gave him a hug and smiled. Gabrielle Delacour was like a little sister to him. They grew close when Bill and Fleur married and their bond from the Triwizard Tournament only increased in strength. Gabrielle had admired Harry since the Tournament and was glad that as members of the extended Weasley clan, they had become family to each other.
"I'm so glad you're awake!" Gabrielle exclaimed. "How are you feeling?"
"Better now that you're here," Harry said genuinely. Gabrielle was like sunshine and brought joy everywhere she went. "How is Bill doing? And Fleur?"
The door creaked open again and the two people he was asking about entered followed by Neville Longbottom and Head Auror Windsor.
"You had us scared, commander," Bill said with a grin. Fleur simply beamed and patted his hand.
"How're you doing, Harry?" Neville greeted with a smile.
The door opened again and Harry guessed that it was Mrs. Weasley or another one of the Weasley clan who came to see him. But when he spied the figure who entered through the door, the breath caught in his throat.
It was the angel from his dreams.
Hermione.
She walked towards the end of his bed and the people around him respectfully made room. She wasn't wearing white this time but a blue dress which brought out the beautiful browns of her eyes and accentuated her figure. Her caramel coloured hair was brushed back exposing a graceful neck and Harry spied two pearl drops from her ears. Her bare arms extended from the sapphire sleeves and grasped the clipboard containing his charts.
"It's really good to see that you are awake, Auror Potter," she told him with a smile. She knew his name. How did she know his name? Who was she? Was her name even Hermione? He opened his mouth to speak but no words came from it. She looked down at the clipboard and flicked through the notes. "You're recovering well, Auror Potter. I just want to do another scan of you before I leave for the day. Do you mind if your friends are here when I perform the spell?"
Harry looked at the expectant faces around him waiting for his reply. "Oh… no, no. They can stay. But… I'm sorry, who are you?" Ron looked at him as if he had gone around the bend while Draco outwardly grinned.
Hermione flushed at the unexpected question. Perhaps she should have introduced herself again since he was clearly out of it last night. "I'm your healer, Mr. Potter. Hermione Granger."
Granger? Harry thought. That sounded awfully familiar.
"She's only the brilliant witch who saved your sorry arse, Potter," Windsor said snarkily.
"She's also my best friend, Harry. Don't you remember all the lunch meetings I tried to arrange months ago for you two to meet?" Gabrielle piped, raising a delicate eyebrow.
It was all coming back to him now. Harry did hear of the name Hermione Granger from the Delacours and some of the Weasleys before. There were never any good opportunities for them to meet. He was so caught up with the preparation for the raid that lunch meetings and dinner parties took a backseat. Damn, he cursed. If he had known that this beautiful angel was who he was going to meet then he would have made more of an effort to attend the social gatherings.
"Er, right," Hermione said, feeling awkward at the attention she was getting. "Well, then, shall we get to it?" She asked Harry. He could only give her a silent nod.
All of them watched her as she waved her wand in practiced motions and muttered a spell. A thin white mist descended upon Harry and he shivered when the mist touched his skin. She touched the tip of her wand to an empty page on the clipboard and watched as words began to fill the pages. She stood silent for a moment reading the results while the occupants of the room looked at her. She lifted her head and grinned broadly at Harry. He swore he felt his heart beat harder against his rib cage.
"You're recovering really well, Auror Potter," Hermione said. "I know you're still feeling pain and discomfort right now due to the deep wound on your side, so we'll keep you on a daily dose of pepper up potion. I want to constantly monitor your ribs and lungs too, so I want to keep you here for at least two days. You still have a concussion so we'll be monitoring that as well. But other than that, you're fit as a fiddle."
He remained silent. Ron raised an eyebrow at his best friend before he turned his head to the healer. "That's great to hear, Healer Granger. Thank you for all that you've done."
Hermione turned his attention to Ron and smiled at him. "It was my pleasure. And please, call me Hermione," she urged and also nodded her head at the men she wasn't quite familiar with yet. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll take my leave."
Harry watched Healer Granger - Hermione - turn towards the door with the Delacours trailing after her. They stood by the exit for a moment and chatted. The men around him had started a conversation about the other Aurors in his team but he was barely paying any attention. He tried to hear what was being said by the door.
"I never got to ask you last night, Hermione, but how did your date go with Samuel? I see that you wore the dress." Gabrielle asked in French with a smirk.
Hermione groaned. "C'était terrible," she replied. Harry couldn't explain it but there was something so captivating with how the lyrical language flowed from her lips. He wasn't fluent, but he knew enough French to get by in conversation. It was useful in his job and the Delacours were eager teachers. Their topic of conversation had spiked his interest and Harry blatantly eavesdropped as they spoke in French.
"You said he would be perfect for her!" Fleur told Gabrielle. "What happened?"
"He only had himself to talk about," Hermione said with a frown. "It was less of a conversation and more of me listening to him speak."
Gabrielle groaned. "He was so… handsome. And polished! He seemed smart as well since he ran his own company. I thought you two would hit it off!"
Hermione shook her head. "Unfortunately not," she said. After a second of pause, she continued. "He kissed me before I left for the hospital last night."
Fleur and Gabrielle looked at each other. "And? How was it?" Fleur asked.
Hermione grimaced. "C'était... mouillé." 'It was… wet.'
Fleur and Gabrielle laughed. "Je suis vraiment désolée, Hermione," Gabrielle consoled. 'I'm so sorry, Hermione.' "Tell you what, I've got another wizard in mind who I think would be perfect for you…"
"Oh non, Mademoiselle Delacour," Hermione cut off the younger witch with a shake of her head. "Samuel was the third wizard you've introduced me to."
Gabrielle pouted. "But Hermione… I know this one will be just right!"
Hermione shook her head again. "No, no more. I want to meet someone on my own terms. Those dates always felt so forced anyway. Thank you for trying though, Gabrielle," Hermione said and grasped the blonde's hand. Gabrielle glumly nodded in acquiescence. Hermione glanced at her watch and saw the time. "I should head home. The wizard I checked before coming here threw up all over my robes and all I want is a hot bath right now followed by a long, long sleep. I'm absolutely knackered," she said with a sigh. "But call me if there's any emergency, Fleur," she told the other healer.
Fleur could only smile at her friend. "We'll be fine, Hermione. You need to get some rest."
Harry watched as the women hugged and kissed each other on the cheek.
Hermione turned her attention to the group of Aurors and nodded in their direction. "Have a good day, gentlemen," she said in goodbye. The Aurors smiled and said their farewells.
She turned to her patient. Their eyes met like they did the night before and she smiled. He really did have beautiful eyes. They were a dazzling deep forest green and she could get lost in them if she were so inclined.
She would have to watch herself around Auror Potter, she mused. Even as he sat there sick and bruised, Auror Potter looked good. It wasn't fair, really. It should be illegal to be so damn fanciable if one was sick. How could the healers and the mediwitches possibly do their jobs if they couldn't help but stare at him? She had heard all the gossip and the whispers about the Aurors in the break room, especially about their "one fine commander". The mediwitches (and yes, even some of her most senior healers) were in absolute tizzy that the Harry Potter was in their hospital. They couldn't really talk about it anywhere else of course, since the whole incident was hush hush as commanded by the Minister himself. But within St. Mungo's staff rooms and lounges, the whispers about the Auror, and especially about his excellent anatomy, were told to listening ears.
Perhaps he should arrest himself for causing a public disturbance because of his unlawfully good looks. The thought made Hermione grin.
"Take care, Auror Potter," she told him softly.
"You too, Healer Granger," Harry said. He wondered what she was thinking about since the smile on her lips was as playful as a sprite's.
The Chief Healer nodded her head one last time before she walked out of the door.
Harry smiled to himself and thought. He was more than just a little intrigued by his healer. She carried herself with confidence, yet she was also humble. He could tell she was hardworking and dedicated to her craft with her insistence that she be alerted to any emergencies despite working the whole night before. Her and the Delacours were close with each other too, and that spoke a lot to her character since the part-Veela sisters were selective with whom they considered friends and family. Head Auror Windsor seemed to be taken with her as well, and that was telling since the man was a good judge of character. Moreover, she was his saviour.
Her striking good looks was just the cherry on top of the sundae that made Harry fascinated by her. He was only a warm-blooded man after all and he was simply beguiled by her beauty. There was just something else about the tumble of her hair over her delicate shoulders; about the way the light seemed to dance over her smooth skin. He was drawn to the way her eyes sparkled and how the little dimple on her left cheek would appear when she smiled. Her presence filled the space around her and already Harry couldn't get enough.
Yes, Harry was definitely enchanted by Hermione Granger.
He wanted to see her again.
The lion of Gryffindor was determined and nothing was going to get in his way.
Author's Note: Yay! Harry's awake! And we also know more about what's going on with the Aurors. Chapter 2 came quickly since this fic is really fun to write. It's a breath of fresh air from the other two WIPs I have! I'm not saying that as a bad thing against Semper Fidelis and Desire Made Real, but those two are a lot more intense (not to mention angsty AF with regards to SF) while this one is just straight fluff. I'm super excited to show you where I want to take this fic. On another note, I am blown away by the positive response Chapter 1 had received, so I hope this chapter was a good follow up. As always, thank you for your support!