Close Your Eyes
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A/N: To waybystarlight,
I didn't have another chapter of Falling Leaves, but I wrote you this and hope it'll serve as a virtual hug :)
Honestly, hundreds of specialists recommended it. Not only good vibes, communing with nature nutters as Ronald had implied. Not that there was anything wrong with communing with nature—in fact, magic, in its incipience, had been drawn from striking a balance with natural elements. Hermione had never been one to adhere to the more traditional rituals, but she had studied them—in detail, she might add—along with runic knowledge in Arithmancy. It was a fascinating subject. But that wasn't the point, the point was it was proven, both by science and ancestral wisdom, muggle and magical, that meditation could improve a person's concentration, their general state of mind, and increase their patience and tolerance, among a slew of other things.
And being that Ron and Harry had been really testing her lately, Hermione could really use all the help she could get in that regard. If only there was a quiet place in this Circe-forsaken house for her to try!
"Oh, I'm sorry, Remus, I thought the Library was free."
"Sorry to disappoint."
"Nonsense, you could never disappoint." Oh. Had she really said that?
Remus just chuckled. "Looking for any particular book?"
"No, actually—I've been trying to take up meditation, you see, but…"
"Ah. Yes, I suppose the lack of peace and solitude isn't quite conducive to it, is it?"
"Not exactly, no." Hermione frowned. "I love them, I do, but between all the Weasleys and the former Order members, things have been sort of…hectic?"
"I could leave the Library to you if you'd like, it'd be no trouble."
"No! Please stay, I wouldn't want to force you out. To be completely fair, I'm not sure I know how to start. I mean, I've read all the books, but it's not really that kind of skill."
"I have some experience with it, would you like help trying?"
"That… that would be lovely, actually. If you wouldn't mind, of course."
Remus closed the book he'd been reading and Hermione tried to keep from glancing at the cover. Launching into a discussion on whatever topic it happened to be about would be counterproductive. Remus rose from his chair and offered her a hand. She hoped the heat she felt on her cheeks wouldn't translate to a blush as she accepted it. Perhaps he would mistake it for frustration over the lack of peace?
Slim chance—he was nowhere near as dense as Ron and Harry. No, he was perhaps too perceptive. But he didn't comment on it, at least—It was the best she could hope for.
Remus lowered himself to the floor, helping her along as she mimicked his cross-legged position and tried to squash the fluttering in her belly.
"Now," Remus started, his voice light and raspy, "Close your eyes, Hermione."
She obeyed, the warmth of his hand around hers and the ground beneath her the only things grounding her.
He continued. "Take a deep breath, bringing it slowly in, holding it inside for a moment, then letting it gently leave your lungs. Picture yourself at a lake shore. It's a bright day, the woods nearby providing a refreshing breeze. The water is lapping gently against your feet. Free your mind from any other thoughts, let any worries drift away. There are birds chirping nearby, woodland creatures disturbing the tree leaves as they playfully chase each other. Focus on them, on their freedom, on the serenity of the day. Let your mind rest, wander aimlessly, light as a feather, floating, fluttering in the wind."
Hermione followed his instructions, leaving behind everything except for the cadence of Remus' voice, as sweet and soft as the milk chocolate he so favoured. She could fall asleep to it, weightless as she felt, if it weren't for her craving to hear more of it.
"Now slowly return to me, eyes still closed… Focus on your other senses, on the scent of books that surround you, of parchment old and new, on the smell pine wood releases as it burns, on the dry heat that warms your skin like a caress. Feel the places where your body connects with the ground, and how cool it feels to your skin in comparison. Make a slow, mental check of every part of your body—of your head, your neck, your torso. Relax your shoulders. Feel how your lungs expand as you take air in, then deflate when you let it out.
"Now slowly, very slowly, open your eyes."
She did. It was… singular, how very soothing that felt. As though gravity had less of a hold on her than Remus did, keeping her from levitating off the floor. His thumb traced a pattern on the back of her hand, so very softly that Hermione doubted Remus himself was aware of it. She looked at the clasped pair for just a moment, before raising her gaze to his face. The gentlest of smiles pulled at his lips, green eyes penetrating and warm.
He never really let go of her hand.