It honestly feels unreal to finish a story. Surreal. Suppose I'll have to do that more often, won't I?

Anyway, enjoy. This is the product of 2am me. I like her better than 8am me. She's a lot more tired and unmotivated. She says she just wants to go back to bed, but I can't imagine why...

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Peaceful.

It summed everything up quite nicely, didn't it?

The brook's quiet gurgle, the tree's rustling whisper, together creating the perfect solitude.

She was in the middle of Michigan, a gorgeous, remote little wood about sixty miles from the nearest civilization.

Her friends thought she was avoiding them; they were right.

Was it so selfish to wish for silence so soon after the war?

She deserved a little peace.

Even after Voldemort's war ended, she'd taken a year off, disappearing from society. Granted, she was much closer then, only camping around the woods near Britain and Ireland.

After the Ministry war, though, she felt she deserved a longer break.

Two years; that was the plan. The twenty-five year-old had set off for America, hoping the longer distance would finally set her mind to rest.

She's never really recovered mentally from the first war. The trauma from the horcrux link alone haunted her to this day. The second war wasn't much better, but thankfully, she came to terms with it much easier.

For that reason, of course, she was taking two years. It had done wonders already; it was better than the mind-healer–just herself and her thoughts, sorting feelings and betrayals, reconciling grief and hatred.

The sun caught the water as the creek carried another of her leaves.

Kate smiled.

Girl-who-lived, indeed. She'd shown them.

They thought she was unbreakable. She proved them right.

They thought she was broken. Look how wrong!

She set a flower into the stream, tilting her head as a far-away sound caught her ear.

It was getting louder–heading towards her.

"No war here." She murmured, reassuring herself.

A earsplitting roar echoed through the woods as a massive green humanoid troll crashed into her small clearing a mere twenty feet away.

The tree-blocked sunlight cast long beams of sunlight, but the bizarre picture was not her focus.

Kate fell back, head pounding and hand reaching for her wand as she scrambled to her feet.

He spotted her.

Reason voiced itself, though, and she kept it pointed to the ground, warily waiting for the other to move.

Hulk, he was called. She'd seen him on the news a couple months back while picking up groceries.

She kept her face even.

He grunted.

She held her ground.

He growled, taking a step forward.

Kate reacted instinctively. Yield. She took a step back, tilting her head back to the side.

It had been seven years since she'd done that.

Seven since Remus had died.

She flicked her eyes back after a second, but the Hulk's growl was shorter, tamer, and only a half-step.

She repeated her retreat, dropping her eyes to the side.

He huffed. She straightened.

They stared.

At this time, she'd sit with Remus, and they'd wait for the moon to subside.

She slowly slid her wand back into her holster, taking a cautious step forward.

He allowed it, eyes carefully watching.

One step, then another. She slowly lowered herself to the ground, resuming her original spot.

She sat. She waited. She watched him out of the corner of her eye.

He shifted. He took a step closer, slowly, expectantly.

She kept still.

He took another.

She did not move.

He made his way to her side, seating himself beside her as if she was the frightened rabbit.

In a way, she was. Her common sense screamed to run. Her instincts screamed to stay. Her instinct had never failed her before, so she'd resolved to trust them a war and a half ago.

Side by side, neither facing each other.

Kate brought her knees up to rest her chin on.

The Hulk brought his own up to copy her.

She fell asleep a couple hours later.

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She woke up on her back to the sun in her face. It had shifted, burning orange behind her eyelids.

She winced at the brightness, turning her face only to freeze as her gaze landed on the man a few paces away. Her hand one more reached for her wand.

He was watching her cautiously, back against a tree. Remembrance flooded her. This was the Hulk, wasn't it.

It would be quite the coincidence if the green man had wandered off and an unrelated man had found her hours later, deep in the woods, when in a year and a half no one else had the entire time she'd been here.

The man cleared his throat, still watching her like she'd dart away any second. If he was the Hulk, that is. "Hi."

Kate rolled to her stomach, coming to her knees. "Hi."

There was an awkward silence, one she broke.

"You're the Hulk, aren't you."

He answered carefully. "I am."

"What brought you here?"

It seems she'd been too blunt.

His face closed off. "Lots of agencies are after me." He paused. "I'd watch what you say, Miss. I don't want to hurt you."

He's not the best at phrasing things. Kate suppressed her amusement. It came off as a threat.

Kate nodded. "Kate Potter." She offered a hand.

He shot her a look of disbelief, but leant forward to accept it warily. "Bruce. Banner."

"Nice to meet you, Bruce."

He smiled faintly. "You as well, Kate."

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Seven months later…

"Kate!" Hermione shrieked, squeezing the life out of her. "We missed you so much!"

"Lemme breathe!" the young woman wheezed.

"Hi, Kate." Ron grinned.

Kate returned the smile. "Ron, Hermione, this is Bruce. Bruce, my friends."

"Hi."

"How are ya?" Ron shook Bruce's hand cheerfully.

Hermione's eyes narrowed. She gasped. "You're dating, aren't you?"

Kate blushed.