Hermione P.O.V
Harry is still passed out upstairs. I wanted nothing more to go up there and rip him a new one, but Dean had assured me he would be find. Rationally, I knew he was right. With time and care Harry would be fine, and I was more than sure that Draco wouldn't mind taking care of him. Still though, I wanted to pound it into his head that he was idiot. I started to do the dishes, not entirely thinking about the plate in my hand.
After a minute, a hand touched mine and I realized that I had been staring out the window above the sink for who knows how long. Dean stood beside me and took the plate, "Lost to thought?"
"A little," I admit and move out of his way slightly. He picked up washing the dishes like he had started them. It was odd to see; surely he didn't normally do that. Well, for Jo maybe. I leaned back on the counter and watched him, not really knowing why. He didn't seem to mind, just continuing to scrub away. He started to hum a bit, a song I wasn't familiar with. I moved over and sat in a kitchen chair, not having anything to do with just about everyone gone from the house. Aside from Dean, Harry, Jo, and Draco, there was no one else. Might as well have been three, with the way Harry was still resting and Draco refusing to leave his side.
Good Merlin, the scene last night had been horrid. At first, we were all excited to have them back home, assumedly safe and sound. No one was suspecting Draco and Jo to be carrying a half dead looking Harry. I didn't even get the chance to really look at him before Ellen was whisking me off to some corner of the house. Shouts I couldn't make out followed after us. Well, one was clear enough. Dean had yelled out, "What the hell happened?" Jo I assumed had filled him in.
During all of it, I couldn't help but feel they were all keeping something from me. Now I know everyone is entitled to their secrets but this one felt as if everyone shared it – but me of course; that I couldn't live with. Damn my curiosity. Unfortunately, I couldn't squeeze anything out of Ellen last night. She had just looked at me with a knowing look and a touch of sympathy.
A touch to my shoulder snapped me out of my thoughts and I looked up at Dean who offered a bottle of water to me. I took it from him slowly, "Thank you,"
"No problem. What was running through your head just now?" He plunked down in the chair opposite me and swigged his water.
"Nothing much. Why?"
"You were spacing again; didn't even hear me ask if you wanted water." He grinned and sat his bottle on the table, leaning forward on it. I puffed out a little air and smiled, "Sorry. I do that sometimes."
"Noted. So come on, spill. What were you thinking about?" He was insistent wasn't he? Little bugger reminded me of Harry sometimes.
"Why do you want to know so much?" I fire back, leaning forward on one elbow. He didn't so much as blink but his grin widened slightly, "Why are you avoiding the question?"
"I am not!" He laughed when I huffed. I roll my eyes at him, feeling the muscles move in a way that had become oh so familiar over the years.
"So doing everything other than answering isn't your definition of avoiding?"
"Has anyone ever told you that you are an aggravating, pushy sonofa?"
"A couple times," I snort at that and it turned into a snicker when he grinned again. Sipping my water again, I played with the top watching my fingers screw and unscrew it. The baby kicked lightly and I put my hand over the bump and she eased. Yes, I was still clinging to the hope that it was a little girl, despite the odds otherwise.
"Is she kicking?" Dean asked quietly. I nodded slightly and rubbed at the spot where she kicked. That was when I realized he'd said girl.
"You think it's a girl too"? He nodded and peered over the table slightly to look down at the bump. Though staring normally put me off, I didn't mind. This was odd in and of itself. The baby kicked again and a little bitty foot showed through slightly and Dean's eyes bugged, "Isn't that weird?"
I laughed and soothed the spot, "No. Haven't you ever felt a baby kick?" He shook his head. I chuckled slightly, "Never had the chance to experience it or just too nervous to ask?"
"Way too nervous definitely," Dean stood from his chair and refilled his bottle with tap water.
"Why?" Silence filled the room after my question. He suddenly seemed so closed off that it felt like a backslash. What had I said? The water from the tap didn't stop running after the bottle was filled and that was when I noticed he had closed his eyes. I stood up slowly, trying not to make much noise by scraping the chair. "Dean? What is the matter?"
Dean crushed the bottle in his hand, sending water into the air and splashing himself in the process, "Nothing; just absolutely nothing," He roughly shut off the tap and stalked off, thick boots leaving behind a depressing echo.
*DoP*
Draco P.O.V.
The door creaked open slightly behind me, "Hey, you holding up alright in here?" Jo asked, pushing her way through the door and shutting it behind her. I should have been asking her that question. Bruises covered her almost from head to toe, with the occasional scratch or two of course. She'd showered since we'd been back, so she wasn't bloody and grimy making the bruises look slightly better. I nod to her once and turned back to the unconscious body on the bed.
Harry was fairing far worse than either of us. The cuts on his chest were slow to heal, even with the healing spells I've casted. Ellen had said something about the claws of the wendigo off hand, but I hadn't really paid attention. All I could think about was how bad I'd fucked up. A hunter was dead, another in an induced coma for healing, and an armful of people were either dead, or seemingly forgetting all about their great camping trip, wondering where the scratches came from. Jo must have sensed my mood turn darker than it already was because she was there next to me in a second.
"It isn't your fault you know," My surprise at her sympathetic tone was over shadowed by my own worry. Jo placed her hand on my shoulder and I let myself sag under the grief of my big fuck up. I wasn't cut out for this and yesterday proved it easily enough. Merlin I could only assume what Singer thought of me now. It certainly couldn't be anything good. After all, his friend was dead because of me. To my horrid realization, a hand brushed something wet off my cheek. My head snapped up and I meet Jo's knowing look.
"Is it always like this?" I couldn't find it in myself to be any louder than a whisper. I had been through war, abuse from my father and so much worse, but this little task – yet something as insignificant as a level one monster tore me up for no reason. Was it that Harry was hurt? It couldn't be that; he'd been in danger and hurt more than I could count on both hands and feet. Maybe it was that innocent people were killed? Again though, hadn't normal people died during the war? It wasn't any of those things I knew.
"Not always. Yes, we lose hunters, but it's always for a good thing. Besides, what Fonzi did was his own fault. He knew what we were up against and he ignored everything he knew about it. Don't blame yourself for any of this Draco." She wound both arms around my shoulders, her hold tighter than I would have expected from someone I hadn't known long. I buried my head in the space between her neck and shoulder, holding her back just as tightly. The bonds formed in hard times truly were the strongest.
After a minute, she patted my shoulder and let me go, both of us straightening in our chairs. On the bed, I caught the smallest bit of movement. I quickly scanned over Harry, noticing it was his hand that had twitched. I pulled out my wand and cast an easy spell over him. It told me that he would probably wake up in about two minutes.
"Jo, he is waking up. Can you bring up a couple glasses of water? Please?" I moved around as I spoke, gathering an armful of potions I had brewed relentlessly since last night. Surprisingly, Singer had everything I needed – I guess magic and hunting weren't that far apart. Jo moved out the door in a flash of blond hair. Setting down the last of the potions I sat in my chair again, pulling it closer to the head of the bed. Not a moment too soon.
Harry's eyelids flickered before opening fully. I had to chuckle as he scrunched them closed again and groaned, "Alright Sleeping Beauty, time to wake up."
"Sorry, I don't remember being kissed awake," He turned his head away from the light with his eyes still closed. I smiled and rolled my eyes at his joke. He would be okay if he was acting that way. "No kiss included. Come on, you've got potions to take." Harry groaned again and struggled to sit up. I put a hand behind him to help. Right on time, Jo appeared two glasses of water in one hand.* I let Harry drink the first one then pressed the first vial of potions into his hand. He offered a half hearted withering glare before downing it.
By the time he'd finished with all the potions he was nearly begging for the second glass of water, "Gah, why can't these things taste any better?"
"Severus once told me it was because healing potions were meant to be 'punishment' for the kids that would do stupid things and get themselves injured all the time. Makes sense; give them something gross, the less likely they'd want to repeat getting hurt. You however seemed to be the exception," I smirked and propped my head in hand, leaning on the nightstand.
"Har har,"
"Well, come on Harry, how often has Ma told you that?" Jo laughed from her perch on the edge of the bed.
"Way too much," Harry scowled. He went to scratch at the bandages on his chest and I swatted his hand away, "Don't you dare. You mess up my handy work and I'll kill you." A chorus of laughter made me smile. Eventually, we decided that Harry should probably go see Ellen before she came to us. Surprising us both, Harry was able to get up on his own and walk. One good thing I guessed. In the house, it was cooler than the rooms in the truck so that was a bonus. I really had to start thinking about fixing that. Hermione was sitting on the couch, an old book from Singer's collection in her lap.
"Anything good?"
"Yes actually; I love lore so this makes a wonderful read. Too bad banshees aren't real. Who carries around a golden dagger anyways?" She hardly looked up from the book. I didn't blame her I have after all been wanting to get my hands on one of those witchcraft books he had. "Good. Does seem farfetched though,"
Jo and Harry glanced at each other as she helped him sit in Singer's chair. Ohhhh right, Hermione wasn't supposed to know about the hunting thing. Hermione looked up from her book and looked at each of us, "Why are you all so quiet all of a sudden?"
"Hey 'Mione, do you know where Ellen is? I wanted her to know I was awake." Harry diverted, probably unsuccessfully. Jo looked around confusion written plain as day, "Yeah where are Mom, Bobby and Sam?"
"You have a phone dolt. Call her. And they went to Harry's favorite café I guess. Something about wanting to surprise him with his favorites," As soon as she said it, she clapped a hand over her mouth. Harry and I chuckled at her blunder.
"So much for the surprise huh?" Jo said and stood, shaking her head in good natured teasing. Hermione just hid behind her hands, though I could see the little peek of a smile. Dean came in not too much longer, instantly brightening at the sight of Harry, "Well look at you, alive after all."
"No thanks to you," Even though the words may have sounded biting, I knew that Harry was only playing. It was in his clear green eyes. I looked over him again, checking for signs of fatigue or pain; there was none. Sure, he didn't look to great covered in bandages and small scratches and bruises. It wasn't the worst I'd ever seen but it could not have been comfortable. Still though, he only showed ease. A nudge to my side – thank you Hermione – reminded me that I was staring. I shook my head and looked at her. She only smiled knowingly and turned back to her book.
I looked over her shoulder and we started to discuss the passages she read together, trying to figure if the way to kill or capture monsters were rational and realistic. Dean, Jo, and Harry's conversation drifted away as I poured my focus into the book with her. She didn't need to know all of this was real; beside theory is much more fun than practice. I vaguely wondered if I would be like Singer: someone who helped with information, pretended to be authorities and such. I definitely wasn't cut out for actually doing it, as much was proven last night.
The sound of tires on the gravel caught all of our attentions. Based on Jo's face (she faced the window) it wasn't who we were expecting. Dean and I stood and Jo followed us out the door. The car was completely black, which wasn't the problem with it. It was the man behind the wheel. I didn't even think about it as I flew down the steps, oblivious to the calls following me.
The man in the car stepped out and caught me as I flung myself at him. The two of us embraced, even though he was laughing at my antics, "My Draco has not seeing me in three weeks taken a toll on you?"
"Shut up Uncle Severus. How did you find me? How long have you been out of the hospital?"
"How do you expect me to answer any of that while 'shutting up'?" I laughed and pulled away, "You know what I mean."
"I do. However, I think you friends may kill me if you do not explain rather quickly." Severus looked over my head and I turned. Jo had her arms crossed and was staring down Severus like he'd offended her. Dean was less than impressed at being left in the dust with no clue whatsoever. "Yeah, I probably should. Come on," I let him go and he followed me back up to the porch.
"Dean, Jo, this is my godfather, Severus Snape." I watched as Dean and Severus shook hands, Dean actually wincing slightly under Severus' grip. I hid a smirk at that. It was good that he had the strength for that, better that he had used it to gain some respect already. Jo was next, her own handshake rather firm. I couldn't tell if she winced or not but I doubted it. Something told me that Jo would never let any guy show her up.
"Nice to meet you Severus," Jo said after releasing his hand. She turned back into the house; most likely telling the others of the new guest. Well, better late than never.
*DoP*
Short chapter is short and I apologize for that, especially since I've been gone so long. I have finally gotten past the wall of writer's block that had prevented this chapter from appearing sooner. With any hope, I'll have another in a week max.
(*) It is very possible to hold two glasses in one hand, without putting your fingers in the water. It works better if you have big hands, but you pretty much balance both glasses in the palm of your hand. I figured Jo would have it down, considering she worked at the Roadhouse.