Chapter 16:
On Monday morning, before leaving for the stadium, Oliver kissed her by the fireplace and made her promise to see him at the pitch before she left for her mission, if called. On Tuesday, she did just that. A much somber Oliver greeted her this time around. "Are Harry and Ron going with you?" he asked concernedly.
"We aren't sure if we'll be back by his wedding so Ron isn't coming along. Harry will be there but he might come back early to set up the last few stages of this one."
He nodded and hugged her flush against him locking her in a tight embrace. "Take care of yourself lass. Know I'll be waiting for you." She nodded and put an arm around his neck, pecked him on his lips and ran off.
"Be safe," he called after her, a little too softly for anyone to hear and waited right there till she disappeared from view and then some more before turning around and flying back to his post. His team teased him mercilessly all through the day about his sappy behavior with his wife, but he didn't care. He was enamored with her, little else mattered to him.
!
That evening when he got home he could not bear to step out of the fireplace. The house looked too dull, too dark, too big, too empty without her tiny little presence. He couldn't bear to sit in his own house, she'd instilled herself in every nook and cranny of it in two short weeks.
As he walked around aimlessly through the empty house, he saw her in her wedding dress, bending worriedly over the teapot in the kitchen.
He saw them talking at the breakfast bar, him with a cup in his hands, her with a smile on her lips, easy banter flowing between them and he cursed himself for missing her rancid tea now; it apparently had managed to grow on him!
He saw her by the large window in their den, lecturing him about the importance of safety while playing his ungodly game as she bent down to dress his wound, blaspheming his stupidity at not getting a healer to dress it for him.
He saw them sitting on the couch opposite the fireplace, with his head in her lap as she tried to explain, very animatedly, a new interesting piece of information she had just read from the book now perched upside down on his chest, her fingers still holding its bind to save the page.
He saw her sprawled under him in his indoor gym as he did his push-ups, kissing her every time he came down while her laughter rolled over him like honey.
He saw them sitting on her armchair in her library, their legs stretched out on the tiny ottoman in front of it, with her on his lap, back pressed into him, settling comfortably and studying for her NEWTs while he laid his head back, eyes closed, exhausted from the day's practice.
He saw her in the attic, scolding him about the random crap he had hoarded over the years, making him promise to look through it all to rid them of the stuff they didn't need by auctioning it out and donating the money to charity.
He saw her chasing Mini all around the three guestrooms and the other spare rooms, reasoning out passionately as she tried to help her with her chores.
He saw her everywhere and yet craved more than ever to see her right then, right there. If this continues, I'm gonna pull all my hair off and go mad before the poor girl's back, he thought to himself and stepped back into the fireplace to visit his parents, trying to take his mind off things.
!
His mother was ecstatic to see him twice in a span of two days and said as much, before stopping mid-welcome and asking what was wrong. He just shrugged and got out of the fireplace. His father came straight to the point, as always, and asked about Hermione's absence. "She's out on a mission," he replied and that was all he spoke almost through the entire evening. He sat quietly through dinner, throwing fugitive glances at the seat beside him, the one Hermione had taken both the times she'd gone to Wood Manor with him and he groaned inside. She was like a ghostly presence, tagging along everywhere he went and it had just been 2 weeks since their wedding! If this continues, I'll either be at Mungo's or trying my darnedest best to convince her to take a job locally after her NEWTs, he thought darkly, scowling at his food.
He sure has it bad his father thought amused, laughing indulgently at his only son who looked like a love-sick puppy scowling at his food and trying very badly to not stare at Hermione's vacant chair. "Wonder when he'll realize it and speak to her," he whispered to his wife, eyes lit up with mirth.
!
The whole of Oliver's week had been the same. He'd even gone to Ron's wedding, on Friday night, alone, hating being there without her, but knowing he had to make an appearance. He had hoped to have a word with Harry but he hadn't returned either, so he knew she wouldn't be back anytime soon, Harry was to return earlier after all. He danced once with the bride, once with Ginny and once with his mum and then left early. The whole of the next day, he went through all his stuff in the attic and sorted it out, piling what he wanted to keep and give away by two separate walls. Looking around, after his work he smiled, she'll be proud of me he thought and then chided himself for that very thought!
Sunday he spent maintaining his brooms. Thankfully that was a task difficult enough to engage his attention and he had a collection large enough to occupy the entire day. He chose a broom for Hermione to fly on, extending its safety spells and cushioning charms to its limits. Polishing its wood to match her eyes to their shade he loved the most. He miniaturized it and kept it with his own miniaturized broom in the big glass bowl in his wardrobe where he stored his wallet and all the other little paraphernalia that meant the most to him.
On Tuesday evening he walked in on the most pleasant sight. Curled up on their bed was Hermione! He was by her side in a heartbeat, grinning like a fool. He quickly scanned her face and the visible parts of her body for signs of cuts or wounds but found none. Then he looked all around the house for the status letter. Not finding it anywhere, he spelled changed her clothes to her favorite night wear and went back to the sitting room to floo call Ginny.
"Ginny, there's no status letter," he informed her, after exchanging pleasantries and telling her that Hermione was back.
"Oh," he saw her furrow her brows and then give a knowing nod. "May be she apparated back to your place. If they are strong enough to apparate, the ministry just assumes they are strong enough to care for themselves too and doesn't bother with the letters then. But I must warn you, she will probably sleep for the next two days straight," Ginny finished.
Oliver smiled and nodded. She was here, that was all that mattered to him. She could sleep the remainder of the week, he did not care. He finished the call and happily made his way to the little kitchen table for dinner and then snuggled her close to him at night, hugging her tight, welcoming her back home in that quiet way.
In the morning, he left her a cup of tea with a heat charm on it by their bedside table along with a small vial of pepper up potion, should she need one. He found the tray untouched when he returned, but he did the same the next day morning again before leaving for work. That evening she welcomed him by the fireplace and he brought her in to him immediately, holding her tightly close. Please don't leave again. I go mad without you he said in his mind while they both discussed their day with each other as he happily sipped her rancid tea, he'd missed it almost as much as he'd missed her he realized and laughed at his pathetic state internally.
"Oliver, I know this is not what you want to hear right now, but I have to leave again tomorrow. It's a short trip this time though. Just a few more hectic weeks and then I'll resign from this in October and start studying for my NEWTs. So I'll be home from then till my results come in around Christmas and then we'll take it from there, depending on my scores."
He sniggered at that. "You're gonna get all 'O's lass, you might as well start thinking of what you'd like to pursue further." Just please pick anything that will keep you in close vicinity, that's all I'm asking. Even a job as hectic as a healer's will do but stay around here. Let me at least see you once every day he pleaded in his head. "And I'll miss you too much when you're gone but it's necessary, so I'll make my peace with it. Just stay safe and come back to me as quick as you can, alright?"
She gave him a half smile and nodded. "Thank you. I'll leave very early tomorrow so can we make it an early night?"
"As you wish love," he said and walked up to her chair, picking her up and going straight to their bedroom. He made sure he didn't come down too demanding on her that night, knowing she'd need her strength for the next few days. Promising himself he'll make her forget her missions when he got her next time around, he gathered her in his arms and slept.
He woke up in the small hours of the morning to kiss her goodbye by the fireplace as she flooed to the ministry and then walked back to bed, bracing himself for the ordeal of the next few days.