Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
Authors note: Review, please! I love constructive criticism :)
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Summary: Hermione was riding horses before she could walk. When her parents died when she was just a few months old, she moved to live with her uncle on his ranch. Imagine her surprise when one summer, Draco Malfoy arrives for lessons.
Gypsy Hollow
Chapter 5 - Days with Thumper
Sunday morning, Hermione awoke with a yawn. Leisurely stretching her arms above her head, she cast a fleeting glance at her clock. She cursed as she leaped out of bed, desperately tugging on her two-tone chocolate and pink jodhpurs and a navy blue tee shirt.
She yanked her socks on as she hopped down the stairs, calling angrily out to her uncle. When he appeared in front of her as she dropped some bread in the toaster, she threw her sharpest daggers at him. He raised his eyebrows in question as she poked him roughly in the ribs.
"Why on earth didn't you wake me this morning?" She growled. Realisation flashed across his face as he shrugged, backing away slightly as she jabbed him angrily again. Her hair was at odd angles as she quickly pulled it back into a pony tail and grabbed her boots, pulling them on.
"Easy." Her uncle replied. "You've been working hard at school all year - the last five years - and you deserve a rest. It's your summer holiday, Hermione, relax." He insisted. Her hand flicked out and caught the toast as it popped, dropping it on to the plate as she speedily spread butter and jam on it. She felt a hand on her arm, restricting movement. "Calm down." He demanded. Hermione shook her head.
"There are 18 horses out there to look after, in case you haven't noticed." She reminded him, trying her hardest not to sound rude. "And they need me."
"Robin and Emily do fine handling them all by themselves when you're not here." He told her. "And they'll do fine for one more day while you finally relax. In fact, they've already done the morning feeds while you've been sleeping." Hermione took a bite of her toast as she searched the room for her riding hat.
"Well I can help. I want to help."
"Hermione, I want you to spend the day with Thumper." He changed his method. It worked - she froze. "Take your time grooming him, mucking around with him like you used to; he's missed you as much as I have." He watched her turn it over in her head before her expression lit up like the sun.
"So I don't have to work? Emily and Robin will look after all of the others? And they're fine with it?" She clarified, cautious. It seemed unfair to load them up with the extra work when she was there to do it.
"They were the ones to suggest it, actually. You'll be fine - just have fun today." He made her promise. Grinning like a maniac, Hermione nodded, before running back upstairs to tidy her hair. When she returned to the living room, her ringlets were in a neat french plait. Finally finding her hat under the table, she turned to walk outside.
When she called in greeting to the girls, Thumper's head eagerly popped over the stall door as he searched for her. Hermione smiled brightly and skipped over to him, dropping her hat at her feet as she ran her fingers gently down his nose.
As she moved to walk away, he whinnied in distress, making her laugh. She quickly disappeared before returning with a grooming kit, smiling at him. She placed it next to her hat and let herself into his stall, haltering him and leading him to a post outside. She tied a quick release knot, patting his shoulder lightly before starting work.
Taking the hoof pick, Hermione ran her hands down his left foreleg, squeezing the back of the leg along the tendons just above the pastern. He obediently lifted his leg for her, and held the hoof in one hand as she began to pry the dirt, manure and stones lodged in the frog sole of the foot. As she finished she gently placed the foot down on the ground and continued until all four feet were done.
Next she moved onto the curry comb. Starting on the left side she used it to loosen the dirt in Thumper's coat. She curried in circular sweeps all over his body, being careful to use a light touch over bony areas of the shoulders, hips and legs.
After she had finished she moved to comb out the tail. Starting at the bottom of the strands she brush downwards in sections until she could smoothly comb it from the top to the bottom. She did the same to the mane, running her fingers through the silk hair.
She then picked up the body brush, whisking out the dirt brought to the surface by the curry comb. She moved around Thumper's body, brushing in sweeping strokes and following the direction of the hair the way it grew. Gently, she ran the brush down Thumper's legs, taking off the small patches of dried mud she had missed the night before.
With a finishing brush, she used sweeping to brush away any dust missed by the body brush. She gently whisked away dust from the broader areas of the dapple grey's face, ears and throat, before she finally used a soft clothe to wipe around the horse's eyes and muzzle, and clean away any dirt or chaff, as well as wipe around the dock and tail head.
Hermione stepped back to admire her work. Thumper's coat shone with a glossy sparkle, while his mane and tail flowed smoothly down like cascading waterfalls. His clean face was turned towards her patiently and she cooed to him lovingly as she stepped forward to lean against his side.
"What now, buddy?" She asked him, relaying the options. "You can go out into the field, or we can go into the school, or we can go back on the trail." He stomped one hoof and Hermione looked at him curiously. "The field?" He rocked his head up and down, making her laugh. "As you wish, Mon Amie."
Hermione left him waiting calmly at the post as she ran into the house and up the stairs, grabbing the book she had dismissed last night from her bedside table. She returned downstairs to grab a can of coke from the fridge before heading back outside.
Untying the quick release not, Hermione led him down the end of the barn to take him to the furthest paddock. They walked along the road for a while before heading onto a bridle path, which eventually led into the field. It was a long, relaxing walk that they both enjoyed thoroughly.
As she expected, when Hermione took off Thumper's halter he refused to move. She closed the gate behind her and walked to the chestnut tree, the steady thuds of Thumper's hooves echoing soundly behind her. She collapsed against the trunk and opened the book, giggling as her horse bent his neck to nibble at her hair. She batted him away lightly and he nickered playfully, hopping back a few steps before trotting around the tree.
It was when he started pacing back and forth before her that Hermione gave up on her book. She placed it and the drink in the knothole in the tree to save them from Thumper's curiosity. Walking towards him, he butted her gently with his head, causing her to stumble backwards with a laugh. She lifted her hand to scratch him under his forelock and the roots of his mane, and he attempted to return the favor by cropping her t-shirt.
She spent an hour or so simply lavishing him with loving attention, petting and massaging him. She looked at her watch to see it was already almost 12 o' clock. She yawned, still tired from her dream, and chased Thumper off. He scampered away, glancing back at her playfully, but she just waved him off and fell back against the tree. Hermione couldn't stop herself from closing her eyes and giving into the heavy feeling of sleep.
Hermione woke up two hours later to being impatiently nudged by a long nose. She yawned and stretched her arms above her head, nudging him right back. She wobbled as she climbed to her feet, remembering to pick her book and drink from the knothole before she led him to the gate. Replacing his halter, she opened the gate to take him back to the barn.
"I think a lesson, now, don't you? Maybe we could get Uncle Luke to help. Or we could go on a hack with him?" Hermione thought this over before shaking her head. "No," she continued, "we need to figure out what's been up with him recently. I don't suppose you know?" Silence. "Didn't think so."
The walk back woke Hermione up. After giving him another quick groom and turning Thumper into his stall, she took the grooming kit she had left out and put it away, getting Thumper's tack as she did so. It took her a few minutes to put everything on - he was very well behaved with it all - before she ran inside to find her uncle.
He was in the kitchen, getting himself a drink. Hermione watched him silently before asking him to teach her. She laughed as he spilt some of his drink when he jumped in surprise, giggling as he grumbled to himself. He reluctantly agreed to help with the schooling and followed her outside when she went to get Thumper.
By the end of the training, both horse and rider were thoroughly exhausted. Look had certainly put them through their paces. It was as she was walking Thumper back to his stall that she decided to finally ask her uncle what she had been meaning to.
"You're scared." She evaluated. "Why?" Luke turned towards her, shock evident.
"What are you talking about?"
"You're afraid to get on a horse." She explained. "Why is that?"
"I'm not afraid." He insisted.
"Prove it." He raised his eyebrows. She felt the arrogant, stubborn part of her brain kicking in. She stopped outside the stall and turned to face her uncle. "Mount Thumper, right now, and take him back into the school."
"He's tired, Hermione." He reasoned weakly.
"He wouldn't mind a few extra minutes of a relaxing walk. It'll do him good - help him stretch his legs." She replied easily, her eyes burning with defiance and challenge. Luke looked at her for a moment, analyzing her.
"Hermione, I'm not getting on Thumper." He said forcefully. She didn't flinch.
"Then come on a hack with me, ride Kestrel." She suggested.
"I'm not getting on a horse!" The volume was rising, and many of the horses were poking their heads of the doors to watch curiously.
"Why not?" She argued.
"We are not having this conversation, Hermione!"
"Yes, we are!" It was basically a shout. Luke recoiled slightly in her sudden, admittedly frightening rage. He watched her abruptly calm down, her voice returning to its natural volume. "Uncle, I won't force you to ride. But please, just explain to me why you won't."
"Young lady, you will treat me with respect!" He demanded.
"I am." She insisted quietly. "You're my family, all that I have left. If you're hurting, or ill, or afraid of the animals you have taught me to love, I want to know why. I want to make it better."
"Hermione." He was pleading with her, asking her to just drop it.
"No! You and these horses... They're all I've ever known. It's so important to me. Please, just explain why you're afraid." She begged him desperately. He simply shook his head, turning to stroke Thumper's nose.
"It's not for you to worry about." He promised her.
"Uncle!" She cried, angry tears forming in the back of her eyes.
"You did well in the school today, Hermione."
"Uncle, please!"
"I'm going back inside. Enjoy the rest of your day." He was stoic, quickly turning to stride towards the house, ignoring her completely. She shook madly, the tears escaping in her frustration. She moved to run after him, but Emily, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, held her back.
"Uncle!" He didn't even glance at her. Seething at his stubborn attitude, she yanked her arms from Emily's grasp, storming off to finish seeing to Thumper. She tried to restrain her anger when around the horses, but eventually decided to leave them in the fear of hurting one accidentally.
Heading towards the hay stacks at the back of the stables, she took her frustration out on the bales. She punched and kicked and shouted and eventually, sliding to the floor against one of them, head in her hands, she cried.