Monday morning dawned, and 12 Grimmauld Place was nearly silent. Everything in the home was perfectly still, save for a third-story bedroom, tucked neatly away in the back of the home. That room was calm and content, though not perfectly still.
On a large bed, surrounded by black drapes keeping the rising sun at bay, Harry and Hermione laid tangled up in each other. A heap of limbs tangled in a mess of sheets. Both were breathing slowly and contentedly, sleeping off the new and exciting exertion of their activities the previous night.
Hermione was the first to wake, noting immediately the feeling of skin on skin… And notably more skin than she was accustomed to, as Harry was holding her from behind with one arm around her neck and shoulder and the other around her waist. She yawned leisurely and a languid smirk appeared on her lips as she felt Harry stir and constrict his grip around her.
"Good morning, lover." She breathed into the dark room.
"Mmmm. Good morning." Harry's voice softly rumbled into her ear and she felt his chest vibrate subtly with the phrase.
Entwining her fingers with his, she pushed back into him to solidify their contact.
"So last night wasn't a dream?" She asked.
Harry chuckled. "It was, and it wasn't... In all the best ways."
"Unfortunately, I think we should get going. Charles tends to be ready early." Hermione pointed out. "He was here by 9 the other day with the post."
"I can't tell you how much I don't want this last night to end, love." Harry replied, kissing the back of her head through her wild curls.
"It will be a wonderful memory…" she replied. "And we can make more."
"Now that sounds pretty good to me." He said, coaxing a chuckle from her.
"Me too." She said and rolled over to look him in the eyes before kissing him good morning.
Both blushing only slightly, they crawled out of bed and found their way down one flight of stairs to the bathrooms they'd been using for the last few nights to shower and get ready for the day before meeting in the kitchen for some tea and toasted muffins.
Just after nine, there was a knock on the door.
"Right on time." Harry said with a soft laugh.
—X—X—X—
"Mornin' Charles." Harry said brightly as he opened the front door to the street. "How are you today?"
"Very well, Sir. Good morning." Came Charles' ever respectful response.
"So do you have it?" Hermione asked excitedly.
Producing a small keyring from the pocket of his jacket, Charles smiled. "I do."
"Excellent!" She beamed. "I'm so excited to get on with this and start getting better."
Harry rubbed her back reassuringly, and Charles replied, "I'm excited for you as well, ma'am. Come on out and I'll show you what we've got."
They followed Charles down the stairs and walked a little way down the sidewalk before he indicated their new ride.
"That's… A big truck." Harry commented. "You can drive this?" He asked, turning toward Hermione.
"It's a little bigger than my father's Volvo, but it shouldn't be a problem." She said, considering the truck in front of them. "Might take some getting used to, though."
"Probably, and this one has some features that I don't think your father's car did." Charles said with a cheeky smile. He led them over to their new means of transportation. It was a somewhat boxy looking truck with big windows and rugged tires. The paint on it was Gryffindor scarlet and the trim pieces around the fenders, hood and doors were painted black.
"This beaut is a Land Rover Defender 110, this year's model." Charles said with a smile. "Four wheel drive, off-road tires, and a robust power train with a few magical enhancements."
"What sorts of enhancements?" Harry asked.
"Well, for starters, it doesn't need petrol." He said, pointing to a gauge on the dash. "The only reason you two will have to stop by a petrol station is for snacks or the loo."
Charles opened the door of the truck, revealing a nicely appointed leather trimmed interior with a number of gauges and indicators across the dash. Some of them looked like what you'd find in a normal car, but others were certainly magical. There was a radio with a cassette deck and a CD player, things Harry had seen in the Dursley's car, but there was also what looked like a piece of parchment embedded in the dashboard.
Hermione climbed into the driver's seat and noticed the page right away.
"What is that?" She asked, running her fingers around the black frame surrounding the parchment.
"That, is a nifty bit of military tech with a bit of a magical twist." Charles handed Hermione the keys and motioned for her to get in.
Harry looked askance at Charles, who looked confused for a moment before asking "Well, it's yours, isn't it sir?"
"I suppose it is." Harry said, running around to the other side to get in the passenger seat.
Hermione turned on the ignition and the car shuddered slightly as it fired up, easing into a smooth and quiet rumble from the engine. In the meantime, Harry was checking out the various controls on the dash. The framed piece of paper that looked rather out of place on the dashboard had sprung to life, not unlike the marauders map, but it showed a pulsing dot on a small map of their current section of London.
"Does that update as we move?" Harry asked.
"Yes it does." Charles answered. "It'll also show you information about your immediate area. Wards, natural magic, concentrations of magical folk, landmarks, and the like."
"That's brilliant!" Hermione said to nobody in particular. She turned her full attention to the small frame around the page. Harry beamed, recognizing the excited, intense look on her face. She's just seen something new and intriguing and he loved watching her tear into something she didn't understand, analyze it, pick it apart, and figure it out.
She glanced over to Harry and caught him looking at her with a goofy grin on his face.
"What is it?" She asked, a bashful smile tugging on her cheeks.
"I just think you're adorable when you're trying to suss out how something works." He said easily.
"There's some other equipment I want to show you before you head out." Charles abrubtly added. "Hop on out and I'll show you."
They did, and joined him at the back of the truck.
This handle here," he indicated a lever style handle on the side of the back hatch, "works two ways… If you pull it out, like a typical car door handle. It opens the rear door, into the car as you'd expect."
He demonstrated, opening the door revealing a large area for cargo with loops to tie things down and keep baggage secure. There was also a small bench seat in the far back.
"However," he closed the door with a soft thud, "if you cover these two tiny runes and push the handle in…"
Charles indicated two tiny marks. One above and one below the door handle. Looking carefully for them, they weren't hard to spot, but they were nearly the same shade of red as the rest of the paint on the car. From more than a meter away, they vanished completely.
Using his pinky and thumb of one hand to bridge the distance between the runes, and pushing in the handle with the other hand, the door clicked in a centimeter, then swung open again without him pulling on it.
Harry and Hermione were both rendered speechless for a moment.
Instead of the interior of the car as they knew it existed a moment ago, they were looking into the foyer of what might have been an entire house.
"No way." Harry and Hermione said in unison, awestruck.
"It's pretty much like a standard magical tent." Charles explained. "Just, bigger and fancier. Though, there is actually a tent in there somewhere as well, in case you need to hike a few klicks to where you'll be setting up for a few days."
"You really thought of everything, didn't you?" Hermione asked.
Charles chuckled and shrugged. "I have to admit, I didn't think about the built in housing. I was going to outfit you with a very nice tent and leave it at that."
"Then how did… This all come to be?" Harry asked.
"Well, my contact was of sufficient clearance to be informed of who the request was for. It seems they wanted to put forth their best work."
"I see." Harry said thoughtfully. "I suppose I'm alright with that on one condition."
Charles raised an eyebrow.
"I want to pay what anyone else would pay for this sort of work." Harry stated firmly. "I will not be taking any handouts."
Charles nodded slowly.
"And that includes any rush order charges or the like." Harry continued. "I'm sure the sorts of people that can turn out this level of enchantment over a weekend aren't easy to come by, and are kept in high demand."
"You're not wrong, and I understood. I'll make sure they invoice for everything." Charles looked unfazed by Harry's request.
"Brilliant. Thank you." Harry nodded. "Is there any chance you'd accept anything from me for your trouble? You really have helped us out quite a bit."
"I appreciate the offer, but no."
"Well, it was worth a shot." Harry quipped. "Was there anything else, then?"
"Just one thing." Charles walked back toward the front of the car, stopping to open the driver's door and pull a lever as he did. Harry and Hermione followed.
The hood popped open and Harry thought it looked pretty normal, with the exception of what appeared to be a large gemstone, maybe the size of a golf ball, embedded in the front of the engine.
Charles pointed to the blue stone and Hermione nodded.
"A tracker?" She asked.
"Yes." Came Charles' response. "It's tied in to your rings. We will not be following you around the country. When you're mobile and moving regularly, it's less likely anyone will plan an attack because you'll be less predictable.
"But, if something happens, be it contact from an enemy or an emergency of any variety, your rings will work. It'll be just the same as it is here. Long press for an emergency, a few quick taps to talk if you need to get a message sent. This stone serves as a sort of signal amplifier, allowing the rings to function from anywhere on the isles so long as you're within about 5 miles of this stone in the car. We know you cannot apparate, but we certainly can if you need the support."
"That's… really comforting, actually." Harry admitted. "While we're on the topic… Have there been any additional arrests or developments since we last talked about it?"
"A few, but nobody of any real consequence." Charles said, shaking his head. "Narcissa Malfoy has been a particularly fruitful inmate when it comes to interrogation. 'Singing like a bird' as they say. All too willing to share what she knows. We're vetting the intel she's providing, and it's mostly been what we are going off of. We've turned up a few supply stockpiles and small outposts with her guidance."
"Probably angling for leniency, being all cooperative like that." Harry mused.
"It's likely she'll find at least some. I don't think she'll get out anytime soon, though." Charles answered.
"Good. She'd better not." Harry said coldly.
Charles gave Harry a mildly surprised look, but didn't respond to the comment. "Anyway, that's about all I had to show you with the vehicle. Did you need anything else?"
"No, I don't think so." Hermione answered, also giving Harry a sideways look.
"Actually." Harry interjected. "Is there any way to get into Gringotts without using the front door? A more private satellite office perhaps, or a private back entrance?"
"I believe the minister has a few back channels available to him for that sort of thing. Would you like me to set it up?"
"I don't really mean to bother him any more than I need to." Harry hedged. "I just want to make sure the record is set straight at the bank regarding my, you know, still being alive."
"I'm nearly certain that's sorted, but I can make sure and get word to you." Charles reassured. "Do you two know where you'll be heading first?"
Hermione answered excitedly. "Not sure where we're going right away, but eventually we're heading north. Scotland. There are a few hotspots up there for me, and we want to be at the school for the weekend."
"Thank you, Charles. For everything." Harry added.
"Of course. I know you don't enjoy hearing it, and I suppose I understand that…" Charles' allowed his military rigidness to relax and looked them both in the eyes in turn. "But all of us on your detail know the truth of things. Being thrust into the situation you were, not even out of school yet, and succeeding in the grand scheme of things… Well, let it suffice to say that serving on your detail at all is thanks enough."
The pair both shifted uncomfortably for a moment before Hermione spoke up while Harry nodded. "We appreciate that, Charles. Thanks."
—X—X—X—
Just over an hour later, Harry's bags were packed, the house was tidied, and Harry was in the kitchen writing in a notebook when Hermione came downstairs with her beaded bag over her shoulder.
"Everything alright dear?" She asked, noticing Harry looking rather intensely focused on his notepad.
"Yes. I'm just sending Erica a note letting her know we're heading out. I think we're going to have to leave this in the back seat or something." He tapped his hand on a polished wooden box, perhaps large enough to fit a gallon of milk into. "I'm not sure if being in a mobile tent will mess with the enchantments.
"That's a good point." She agreed, making her way to stand next to him. "I am pretty sure my potion will be ready by now. Milly didn't seem to think it would take long to prepare."
"I can ask Erica to send both of ours to my vanishing cabinet. That way, we don't have to bring both." Harry offered.
"Great." She replied, smiling thoughtfully. "It's still not normal, this 'magic' business. Even after all these years."
"No, it's really not." Harry mused along with her. "It certainly hasn't lost its charm." He added with a sideways grin.
"Honestly." She replied, rolling her eyes but chuckling. "That was terrible, Harry."
"I stand by it." Harry said earnestly. "Got everything you need?"
"Everything I need is in the bag, aside from you."
Rising from the table, he pulled her into a soft kiss.
"So, where are you taking me?" Harry asked.
"Well, I was thinking Dorset." She said, an excited sparkle in her eyes. "There's a few spots clustered together there. The coast is beautiful too. I think it will do us some good to get out again. See nature without the threat of capture."
"Sounds perfect."
The sky was clear and blue, and there was a soft breeze as they set out. Traffic was light as Hermione pulled away from the curb while Harry looked into all the knobs and switches he could easily access from his seat.
They wove their way steadily through the heart of London, west from Islington, and made their way to the outskirts of London proper. It was then that Hermione took an exit and eventually parked at a petrol station.
"Break for the loo?" Harry asked, unsure why they were stopping.
"If you need it, go ahead." Hermione replied. "But actually, I was thinking… I'm guessing this is your first proper road trip? Your aunt and uncle don't sound like the types to take you on holiday."
"No, you're right." Harry admitted. "There was a neighbor down the street they'd leave me with when they went on holiday."
Hermione's light curiosity devolved rapidly into a scowl at that.
"It's alright, really."
"It's not, Harry. They had no right or reason to be such arses to you." Hermione said, shaking her head before taking a deep breath. "But, the good news is, you're with me now and I can help make some of it right."
"What do you have in mind?" Harry asked.
"You'll see." She said with a wink. "Go in and pick out a drink, and I'll grab us some things."
They went in and split up. The station wasn't huge on the inside, but there were a few aisles of snacks, ranging from sweets to crisps and everything in between. Harry made his way to the drinks in the glass coolers along the back wall, acquiring a Cherry Coke, then turned his attention to Hermione, who was already carrying an armful of various snacks, not all of which he recognized.
"You hungry?" He asked, with a sideways smile.
"Oh hush, you." She grinned at him. "We'll be driving for a while. We don't need to polish these off today."
She made her way to the till and unloaded her shopping. A bar of dairy milk, fruit pastilles, Turkish delight, a few small bags of Walker's, Wotsits, and a box of Jaffa Cakes, along with a few smaller boxes that ended up quickly buried by other items.
Once they were back on the road, Hermione explained some of her purchases.
"When I was little, mum and dad and me would go on holiday a few times a year." she was focusing on the road, but traffic was pretty sparse in the early afternoon outside of the city. "A few times we went to Ireland, there were a few summers in France, and sometimes we'd just find a little beach town or a campsite in the woods."
Harry admired her from the passenger seat. She was still intent on the road, holding the steering wheel easily in one hand, but her features had taken on a soft quality. An innocent, doe-eyed nostalgia for a simpler, and in some ways, happier time.
If she noticed him noticing her, she didn't react. Harry recognized that look on her face though, it was the same one he had seen on their date when he asked her about her parents. It hurt him that she was separated from them so completely, and it was all for his sake, no less. He loved her for it, among countless other things, but still didn't feel he deserved it.
"And all those snacks?" Harry prompted.
"They were definitely a tradition." She said, still with that fond smile on her lips. "You know they are dentists. Sweets weren't really allowed much at home, but when we were on holiday, all bets were off. For a week or two while we were gone, I was free to get anything I pleased. I always liked these fruit pastilles the best. Especially the red ones and the green ones."
"I'll keep that in mind when we crack those open." Harry added.
"Much appreciated." She said, glancing his way, before she continued in a voice that resonated with warmth and love. "So that's why I bought all those things, Harry. I want you to have a proper holiday, a good one, just the two of us… And for that, car snacks are a must."
Harry didn't respond to that. He didn't have to. He turned his attention to the lush, rolling fields outside his window, but reached over and put his hand on her leg. Feeling whole in a way he'd never thought possible, or even knew he was lacking, he was taking stock of the incredible sequence of events that led him to his current situation.
Meanwhile, Hermione had her eyes on the road and her mind on the future. She felt like in some ways, the future was finally here. Harry's hand just above her knee was an anchor of sorts. Not the sort that can drown you, but the kind that keeps you where you need to be.
Her thoughts shifted to the present, optimistic and relaxed. Harry was beside her, fallen into quiet contemplation. She didn't worry about him, though, not at that moment.
There are many kinds of silence, and the one she found herself in as they progressed westward from London and the world they'd eventually come back to was a pleasant one; a comfortable one.
She still had problems, certainly. What with still having little to no magic left in her, but she also had a solution, and it was one she was excited to begin.
—X—X—X—
The peaceful lull in their conversation stretched on, and Hermione fiddled with the radio, eventually dialing in a station playing something upbeat to pass the time.
Lush rolling hills gave way to less verdant fields, and the road began to wind more. Hermione's attention would occasionally leave the road and fall on Harry for a second or two at a time. He continued quietly looking out the window, watching the scenery fly past them.
She didn't sense any tension about him. It didn't appear to Hermione that he was brooding or overthinking anything as she'd seen him do regularly throughout their years spent together at Hogwarts. He was clearly lost in thought, but it didn't seem that they were bad thoughts.
Not one to allow her brain to wander idly for too long, and not wanting to disturb a wonderfully serene Harry, Hermione started playing a game she used to play on trips with her parents, scanning road signs and trying to find every letter in the alphabet in order.
The sound of Hermione idly humming along to the radio eventually stirred Harry from his thoughts.
"You seem to know a good many of these songs." Harry mused.
She looked shocked for a second that Harry noticed her half singing, half humming along. "I enjoy music." She said, smiling. "Always have, just don't get much opportunity to listen at Hogwarts… Plus, like many other areas, the magical world seems a bit behind the times in terms of music."
"Not a fan of stodgy orchestral waltzes?" Harry asked, faking surprise.
"Not really, no." Hermione shot him an obvious look before her attention snapped to a sign they were passing. "Yes!" She shouted, a wide smile brightening her face.
"What‽ Are we almost there?" Harry asked, excited at the prospect of stretching his legs for a while.
"Oh.. No." came her reply. "It's just that sign… It had a 'Z' on it."
"Looking for the letter 'Z', were you?" Harry asked, bemused.
"It's a silly game I used to play to pass the time on rides with my parents." She replied, that same look of nostalgia returning to her features. "Basically, watch for any signs you can see on the road. You have to find every letter of the alphabet in order. And you can only use a given sign for one letter."
"I see." He said thoughtfully. He didn't quite understand the appeal, but didn't want to say anything against a happy memory she had of her family. "I figured you'd be more of a reader in the car."
"Well," she nodded her head, "I was once I got on a bit in school. Since I'm driving now though, I had to improvise."
"That's a good point." Harry conceded.
"But enough about my little game. What's had your head off in the clouds for the last hour, sweetie?"
"Just sort of taking it in, you know?" Harry put his hand over hers on the shifter in the middle of the car. "We really made it. The longer we're on our own like this, the more real it's becoming. Does that make sense?"
"Definitely. The last year had been totally off the rails." Hermione agreed. "Looks like we're nearing the spot."
She pointed to the map in the dashboard. The little indicator dot was blinking rapidly, showing their progress along a line that was clearly the road they were on. Around the southern edges of the map, the ragged coast of the island was coming into view, and near it, there were some glimmering dots on the paper.
"Well, I, for one, am ready to to get out of this car and stretch my legs a bit. How a bout you?" Harry asked.
"Absolutely."
They'd wound their way back toward the coast, there was much more green around them than there'd been for a good section of the drive. At a hairpin turn in the road, a simple sign with an arrow pointing to the right said in bold letters "TO THE SEA", and they turned south, winding through rugged green bushes that lined the road. It was not a long road, perhaps a mile or so, and eventually it wound into a rural car park.
Getting out of the car, they both stretched and took stock of the area.
They were at the top of a sloping hill that went down to the sea. To either sides of the small beach where the water met the land, sheer rock cliffs stood in proud contrast to the surrounding waters.
"Where are we?" Harry asked, taking Hermione's hand as they walked down the path toward the sparkling waters of the English Channel.
"Somewhere along the southern coast. Not much in the way of civilization around here, if that tiny town we drove through is any indication." She replied. "It makes sense there'd be some hotspots for us along the coast, though."
"It does?" Harry asked.
"Alright, I know you didn't take arithmancy, but did you pay any attention at all to Professor Binns?" She asked, with a knowing grin.
"I did." Harry replied stubbornly. "…When he was talking about magic itself and not droning on about ancient battles and uprisings and the like. You're getting at elemental stuff. Yeah, that does make sense."
"Yes. Erosion. The sea's never-ending effort to subdue land." She began with that telltale passion for understanding in her voice. "The tides are just basic astronomy, but fundamentally, there is a sort of raw magic in it. The energy of the surf being released and reabsorbed constantly."
"I've missed this, you know?" Harry admitted when she was done.
"Missed what?"
"You." Harry admitted, kissing the back of her hand and stopping in the middle of the path. "Relaxed and in your element. Talking about something that you enjoy instead of discussing how we might best avoid getting ourselves killed or kidnapped. It's been too long, old friend."
"You're sweet, love. And you're not wrong. I've missed this version of myself as well."
"I'm sure." He said earnestly, resuming his stride, and lacing his fingers together with hers. "So. You've told me the basics, but now that we're here, I'm incredibly curious. How does this whole thing work?"
"Well first, there's the potion I'm expecting. Hopefully it'll be ready and in the box before high tide, about quarter past six." She explained. "If it's not, we'll need to wait until low tide which, according to the charts I've reviewed, should be about one thirty in the morning."
"We can definitely watch out for it, but my stuff doesn't normally arrive until eight or so."
"Hmm. Then we might just need to kill an evening under the stars near the water."
"That doesn't sound so bad to me." Harry grinned. "Maybe that shop down by the beach has bathing suits. I definitely didn't get one of those Saturday."
"Let's find out!" She replied, eagerly taking the lead and pulling him by the hand down the path to the water.
It was about half-past three, so they had plenty of time to wander about, but when they arrived at the small beach shop, there were no swimsuits to be found. What was available were rentals of small paddle boats and kayaks.
A brief conversation with the warden sent them back to the car for a short drive to a nearby gift shop, where they could acquire some necessities. They bought a small cooler in addition to new bathing suits, a pair of sunglasses for Hermione, beach towels, sunscreen, and a battery powered radio.
It was still early May, but it was an uncommonly warm day for the season. The fact they spent most of the winter outside nearly freezing, then a few weeks in Scotland, made the temperature feel downright balmy by comparison. The water might still be a bit on the cold side, but at least they'd be able to lie out in the sun. And even if it had been hot out, this was more of a rocky beach than a sandy beach.
Making their way back to the seashore with their newly acquired sundries, they detoured to the public restrooms to change before turning down a path leading up a grassy hill wearing their new swimsuits.
Reaching the top, they found an enormous field of lush grass above the sheer cliffs and rugged shoreline. It was beautiful in a quaint, rural way, but it had a feature that made it particularly striking.
There was a small derelict tower standing proudly on the hillside, overlooking the sea.
"Any chance that's what brought us here?" Harry asked as they summited the slope and the tower came into full view.
"Definitely." Hermione said, excited at the prospect of doing something real - taking actual action to improve her condition.
They walked closer, and noticed in the tall grass near the tower, there was evidence of an old circle of simple bricks.
"Wasn't quite expecting this…" she mused, looking closer at the remnants of what appeared to be an old ritual circle that had been mostly absorbed back into the landscape. "But I think this will make things easier. I'm happy to have it for my first time trying this."
"It's midmorning in the States. Do you need to tell or ask Milly anything? I assume you brought your book."
"I did, and I might just, actually... I'd like to know how much of an effect something like this can have on the process. She might ask me not to use it."
"Want me to run back to the car and get your notebook?" Harry offered.
"No!" Hermione's answer came all too quickly. "No, I'll go and get it."
"Alright." Harry replied, surprised but not about to pry. "I'll set us up someplace nearby and see if I can get anything on that radio, then. Why don't you check the cabinet while you're there too?"
—X—X—X—
Hermione was gone long enough that Harry grew uneasy.
He'd gotten their towels laid out nicely on the grass like a picnic blanket, set the cooler in a convenient spot, got some sunscreen on, and had waited idly on his back, watching clouds for ten minutes. He also spent a while dialing in the radio they'd purchased before he was able to get a good signal.
If it had been a crowded beach on a hot July day, he would have been self-conscious. The last year hadn't been kind to his body at all. He was bordering on malnourished. The month at Shell Cottage and the week in the hospital had begun the process of mending that damage, but it would take months to resolve properly.
The one favor the Dursley's had ever done him in hindsight, was conditioning him to function on fewer calories in a day than a growing boy truly needed. He was used to the headaches, stomach cramps, and general weakness that came with it. That fact may well have saved his life during the last year.
Three or four top 40 songs had rung out over his little section of the hillside. A catchy tune with strings and a relaxed drum beat played on the radio. He couldn't help but agree that sometimes life was indeed a bittersweet symphony.
He wrestled with himself for some time, worrying but not wanting to seem too clingy or overprotective, before he finally stood up, looking for any sign of Hermione.
His initial reflex was to worry when, even after all that time, she wasn't anywhere in sight. He'd spent so long over the last year close by her and worried for their safety, and it was a hard mental habit to kick. She had her ring, and could call in the aurors if she needed to. He knew full well she could handle herself and was plenty more than smart enough to be careful. It wasn't that he thought he needed to worry, or that anything was actually going to happen, but he couldn't help the uneasy feeling blooming within him at her longer-than-expected absence.
He toyed with his ring, making sure he knew right where the stone was if he needed to use it, put his t-shirt and shoes back on, and made his way to the footpath leading back to the car park, just in time to see Hermione start her way up the hill.
Overwhelmed by a relief too deep for words, he let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding. She was carrying more than he would have expected, so he made his way to meet her and lend a hand.
"Did you miss me?" She called out when she saw him approaching.
"More than you know." He answered honestly. "Let me take something. What have you been up to?"
"Sorry, I got a little sidetracked." She admitted, handing him a bag he didn't recognize. "I wrote Milly a quick note right when I got back figuring it would be a bit before she saw it, but she replied immediately."
"Well, that's good." Harry said, sounding relieved.
"I know!" She said happily, but stopped walking when she finally registered the tension in him. "What's wrong, love?"
"Nothing anymore. It's silly." He said awkwardly.
The sea breeze blew tendrils of her chestnut hair across her face, and she used a hand to secure it behind her ear, giving him a clear view of the concern mounting in her eyes.
"It's, er… Forgive me if I can't say this without sounding like a git, alright?" He paused, and she nodded. "I didn't think you'd be gone much longer than 10 minutes, and it's been nearly an hour. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But it scared me, and it shouldn't have. I know you're perfectly capable, I know we're in the middle of nowhere, I know we're safe-"
"Harry, it's-" she looked like she was on the verge of tears
"And I know you wouldn't take any unnecessary risks. It's just… I get uneasy when you're far from me." Harry sighed, disappointed in himself. Hermione was looking increasingly guilty, and that was not his intent in the least.
"And it's not a you problem. It's me. I need to get it together. Please don't feel guilty on my account. My silly head still thinks we're still fighting in a war sometimes. I just need to do better. It'll just take …time, I think. I'll work on-"
"Harry, it happens to me too." She blurted, interrupting his rambling, apologetic confession.
"It... Does?" Harry was genuinely surprised.
She nodded. It was a slow, resigned motion, and Harry didn't pressure her or ask any questions when she started walking again. "It does. Let's go get settled in."
Harry nodded and followed her up the hill to the area he'd set up for them to spend the afternoon and evening.
It was clear that Hermione had found her way into the magically expanded dwelling in the back of the car. The bag she'd handed Harry contained a thermal carafe and a few insulated mugs. She'd also apparently walked around the cove to a restaurant they'd seen on the other side of the beach. The bag she held contained a couple takeaway containers. Whatever was in them smelled good, but Harry couldn't tell what exactly it was.
"You were busy." Harry observed, grinning.
She smiled wryly, nodding. "I lost track of time, I'm so-"
"Don't be, Hermione. It's really okay." Harry cut her off and pulled her into a one armed hug. "Let's just relax awhile and you can tell me whatever it is you want to."
They sat leaning against each other and staring into the distance over the ocean, joined at the hand, as the evening pulled the sun down toward the water.
"Luna pointed out something yesterday." Hermione broke the peaceful silence without taking her eyes off the horizon. "She thinks I'm traumatized."
He traced his fingers gently over the palm of her hand for a moment, formulating his response.
"We've practically been through hell, Hermione. If you are, it's nothing to be ashamed of." He paused while she wiped a silent tear from her eye. "What did she point out, and do you agree with her assessment?"
"I think so." she replied, still not looking away from the sun setting over the sparkling channel.
"Can you tell me about it?"
"It's… I didn't even notice I was doing it, Harry. Luna did though… It's you, Harry. I can't watch you walk away from me." She breathed out slowly as the words escaped her.
"You can't watch me walk away?" Harry asked, sliding closer to her.
"Luna noticed, every time you'd leave the room, I'd immediately focus my attention somewhere I'd be looking away from you."
A memory sent a jolt through Harry. It was only a few nights ago. She'd had a nightmare, and Harry woke to her screaming his name, crying out that she needed him, begging him to come back to her. He remembered the primal, ravenous grasp she'd held him in, like she was convincing herself he was real.
The first words, the first tormented thoughts she had once she came back to her senses, replayed in Harry's mind. He heard her voice wavering amid sobs, 'You t-turned and walked- walked away from me.'.
"Oh my God." He murmured as the realization hit him. The sound drew her glistening eyes to his face for the first time since they sat on their beach towels in the meadow. He was stunned, but now that the thought was upon him, he wasn't surprised. It made too much sense, now that it was out in the open.
"The last time I watched you walk away from me, Harry, you were..." She paused, gathering herself, before continuing. "…you were dead the next time I saw you."
There were no words. What would he possibly say to help with that?
Nothing.
What he could do though, is hold her close, and that's exactly what he did. Harry moved his legs, sitting cross legged and pulled Hermione into his lap and a tight hug.
She didn't resist at all, instead wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her head against his.
"I'm sorry. That must have been… Merlin, I don't even know." Harry recalled her mentioning the sight of him in Hagrid's arms when they'd talked just after her mind was mended. He should have known then that it wasn't something she'd get over easily.
"I'm here now, Hermione. I'm here and I'll tell you again, I'm not going anywhere. I'll be here to tell you every time you need to hear it." He could feel hot tears on his neck, and admittedly on his face. "That morning, hell, the entire battle was too much. But that, talking to you like that, then leaving… It was the hardest thing I've ever done."
She said nothing, but relaxed into his sun met the horizon and the sky caught fire, blazing orange, red, and yellow spread across the sky to the west, fading to deep blue and black in the east.
The wind shifted, bringing in cool air from over the water and Harry shivered. They were still in their bathing suits, having foregone a lie out in the sun in favor of sitting close and enjoying simply being together.
"Can you do me a favor, Hermione?" Harry asked, breathing deep and burying his face in her hair.
"You cold? Want to go change?" She asked in return.
"Well, yes." He admitted, "But that isn't what I was going to ask."
"What then?" She asked, shifting off of his lap and standing.
He stood next to her and took both of her hands in his, looking her in the eyes.
"Will you please talk to someone?" He leaned in and kissed her forehead. "Ideally Milly. She seemed to really get you and she gave you that notebook for exactly this sort of thing."
"I just feel like I've no right to be so shaken still. It's not rational. It doesn't make sense." She said, resting her forehead on his bare chest.
"It does, though, at least to me it does." He replied. She shook her head, and he continued, "That morning was crushing. For both of us. I saw those memories, and it changed everything. What I thought about Snape, what I thought about Dumbledore. It was terrible, and that's before factoring in the confirmation that I needed to do what I did."
"Don't go back into it all just to make me feel better."
"It's okay. Really. I remember having the thought that learning all of that at once made things pretty simple for me going forward."
She leaned back from his embrace, scowling. "How on earth did that make anything simple?"
"Simple, but not easy." He countered, smiling weakly. "It just sort of cut through all the noise in my head of the surrounding battle, you know? Nothing really mattered anymore, except for what did…" he held her cheek in his hand and pulled her in to kiss her forehead.
"That was when…" she murmured.
"Yeah." He smiled. "That was when the letter from Christmas went out the window... My moment of selfishness."
"Don't even joke about that, Harry." She said sternly.
"It's true though. I mean, I made it through the day somehow and still it's affecting you. You won't convince me that in some capacity, that's not my fault."
"You're wrong." She said firmly, unyielding.
"Well, regardless, it was a horrible sequence of events for the both of us. That's why I'm talking to Erica. She's helping me make sense of things. And I really think that her or Milly could do the same for you."
"Really?" She looked surprised and curious. "I hadn't noticed.?"
"I haven't really been broadcasting it." He admitted. "There's a bit more, too."
"What more?"
"It's silly."
"I'm sure it isn't, Harry."
"Ever since I, er, came back, I get sort of scared of the dark." He admitted, a little embarrassed at the childish phobia.
"It was never an issue before!" He clarified quickly.
"Harry, that's nothing to be embarrassed about. You told me the story. If anything it makes sense." She comforted him.
"I had a nightmare in the hospital before you got better. I don't know if I ever touched on that before." He paused, and she shook her head. "It was the first time I tried sleeping without a dreamless draught. Didn't make it an hour before I had a nightmare that I was in that empty blackness again."
"I'm glad you are talking to Erica then." Hermione replied, looking down. "It just doesn't feel right for me to go bothering others for help with something so… Abstract."
"If there's one thing I've learned over the years, it's that everyone needs help now and again, and that often you'll find those who offer it will give you far more than you feel you deserve."
"Alright. First thing tomorrow."
—X—X—X—
They spent the next few minutes layering up, the sounds of rustling fabric filling the air as Harry threw on jeans and a hooded sweatshirt over his trunks, Hermione adding jeans and a dark, soft knit sweater over her swimsuit. They devoured the meal Hermione had picked up—crispy fish and chips, caught earlier that day and still warm from the fryer, with a light, flaky texture and the salty tang of the sea.
High tide arrived before they could acquire her new potion, resulting in a delay and giving them a few extra hours until the start of her process.
Hermione wrote Milly again and learned that the potion would last for two hours, give or take, and she also received a few points of advice for using the circle.
As the sun disappeared, the night sky blazed with countless stars, mirroring the afternoon's shimmering waves. The sound of the surf, a relentless crashing against the jagged rocks at high tide, was both menacing and strangely calming.
A comfortable calm filled the air, punctuated only by their shared laughter and the soft glow of the stars reflected in their smiling faces. Laying in the cool grass, they allowed themselves to forget their troubles and live in the moment. The energy between them was excited and optimistic, with only a hint of nervousness at the uncertainty of the process they were about to undertake.
"Milly tells me that for the circle to work best, we should attune it to me." Hermione said into the night.
"How do we do that?"
"A standard pentagram is best."
"Alright. How do we make it yours, though?"
"I really need to get you into arithmancy." She replied, but he could hear her smile in her voice. "The five points can be made to represent different things depending on what you're doing. For some rituals, they can represent either the five elements; Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit. For tonight, though, they should represent the five senses; Sight, Touch, Taste, Scent, and Sound."
"Sounds straightforward enough." Harry said, shifting a few centimeters closer to her so their cheeks were almost touching. "So is it the senses as you experience them, or the senses as others perceive you?"
"It can be either, or both."
"Hmm…" Harry hummed as he thought through their options. "I think I've got some suggestions."
"Let's have it then."
"I'm pretty sure I stashed some of those spun sugar quills you like in my backpack. That can be taste. For scent, I'd say either that lotion of yours or your shampoo. Those both make me think of you."
"You were holding out sugar quills on me this whole time?" She asked accusatorially, and Harry chuckled. "Those will do nicely. For sight, I was wondering if I might borrow your glasses for a while."
"Isn't it supposed to be you, though?" Harry asked, turning his head to face her instead of the night sky.
"Yes, but lately they're the first thing I look for in a crowd, and I'm happy every time I find them." She turned her head to face him and their noses touched.
"Are you trying to make me blush? Because that might work." He smiled as he kissed her. "Of course you can nick my glasses for a couple of hours if it helps."
"Perfect, and thank you. That leaves Touch and Sound. Any thoughts there?"
"Yes actually. What about your beaded bag? It's been practically a part of your body for the last year. You ought to have memorized the feel of it by now. I think that might serve for touch. And then for sound, I'm thinking it's breezy out. What if we use an open book? The rustling of pages is a very 'Hermione' sound, if you ask me."
"I'll admit I was stumped on that last one, but that idea is perfect!"
"Shall we get started, then?"
"Why the rush?" She asked coyly, "We've got a while, and it won't take long to gather what we need."
"Hmm. I see your point." He answered smoothly, shuffling over to orient himself next to her.. "Now that you mention it, I can think of a few other ways we might spend some time out here."
"Could you now?"
"Oh certainly… Cool ocean breeze, cozy blanket, a little music, star-studded sky, gorgeous girlfriend… I'm sure we can figure something out to keep us occupied."
—X—X—X—
By one o'clock on Tuesday morning, they were nearly ready. Harry had started a small fire near the circle, casting warm, flickering light over the ancient circle inscribed by bricks in the dirt.
Hermione meticulously partitioned the circle into equal segments. As the pentagram's points sharpened to perfection, with an item representative of her at each point, the energy coursing through the circle intensified, a palpable thrum in the air.
"I'm almost ready for your glasses, Harry. I'm going to take the potion now."
"Right. Is there anything else you need me to do?"
"I don't think so, love. Just stay close and keep me company. If anything starts to go wrong though, I'll need you to break the circle. Just moving one of the objects should do the trick."
"Alright then." Harry took Hermione by the shoulders and their eyes met in the flickering firelight. "Uh, good luck and all that. You know I'll be right here with you if you need anything."
"Thanks sweetie." She beamed in the darkness and leaned in to kiss him before separating from him and retrieving a vial that had been set on their beach towels.
It wasn't very large, perhaps two mouthfuls worth. It was swirling with a clear liquid that sparkled like there were tiny motes of light suspended in it, and it glowed with a pale silver light.
"Here goes nothing." She said, popping the stopper off the bottle. "I'm told it affects everyone differently at first, but it should be harmless, alright? Don't worry too much if something strange happens." She didn't wait for Harry's reply before putting the bottle to her lips and tipping it back.
"Well?" Harry asked, a few moments after she finished it off.
"Didn't really taste like anything." She said, walking to set the empty vial down on the grass near the fire. "Oh… There it-" she stopped speaking mid-sentence, exhaling slowly.
"Are you okay?" Harry asked nervously.
"I- yes. But I think I need to sit down." She drawled as she knelt on the ground, then sat cross-legged on the grass.
"What's going on? What are you feeling?" Harry was kneeling next to her with his hand on her back soothingly.
"Heart's racing." She said, still breathing deliberately slowly. "Lightheaded."
"I'm right here and I've got you, love. If it doesn't stop soon, I'll have the aurors here before you know it."
"I'm… Okay." She said, still speaking slowly. "Don't worry."
Harry didn't really want to follow that last instruction, but there wasn't much else for him to do besides wait with her to see the potion's full effect.
He held her hand and put his other hand on her back as she continued taking deep breaths. After another minute, her eyes fell shut, and she bowed her head forward in concentration.
She took her hand back from his grip and rubbed both her temples, and Harry noticed some of the tension leaving her. She was finally relaxing after the initial shock of the potion on her system.
"I think it's settled." She said, still with her head bowed and rubbing the sides of her forehead. "Yes. It's done."
She raised her head from its bowed position and opened her eyes.
"Whoa!" Harry was taken aback at the sight of her.
"What is it?" She asked.
"Your eyes… They're glowing." Harry answered.
The fire, fanned by the sea breeze, had picked up nicely and was roaring, casting bright orange light around the top of the cliff where they'd taken up residence.
Harry could clearly see her face bathed in warm light, hair flowing in the cool breeze, but her eyes were pale white orbs. No irises, no pupils, just eerie glowing white light where the familiar chocolate brown eyes he often found himself lost in typically resided.
"This is amazing, Harry, it's so bright!" She said, sounding awestruck.
He looked around at the dark hill and the ocean below. Beyond perhaps twenty feet from their fire, the night was pitch black but for a small amount of moonlight.
"What do you see, love? Tell me."
"I can see… everything." She said, slowly standing and turning in place, taking in the rural countryside and coast. "It's remarkable. Some things glow in different colors, like the grass, it's a faint yellow. But then there's the trees in the distance, I can see small orange dots about the tree line. I think it's small creatures of some kind. Perhaps raccoons, or squirrels, or owls.."
"What do I look like?" He asked, finally relieved and confident that nothing too serious had happened to her when she took the potion.
"You remember that scan we both had? The color of your core?"
"Yes, of course."
"You've got a dim glow about you, something close to that color. It's brighter 'round your head." She said, walking over to him.
Filled with unrestrained glee and a sense of renewed purpose, she leaned in for a kiss, her excitement bubbling over as she eagerly started a task she believed would help her regain her stolen power.
"Oh, that's interesting." She said, looking at him strangely as she took a step back. "When we kissed, you change color. I'm actually seeing your aura." She whispered the last phrase.
She was clearly fascinated to be seeing the world through a new, magical lens. Harry smiled and enjoyed her enthusiasm. Joy was practically radiating from her, and he loved to see it.
"Do you need to try to, uh, collect anything before you get in the circle?" He asked.
She looked around, wonder still apparent in her face, though her eyes looked positively supernatural.
"Yes, I can see a few 'clouds' I suppose I'd call them. Mostly around the tower. I'll go and see what I can do."
He stayed by the fire as she walked confidently through the darkness to the crumbling tower not far from him. He watched as she produced her wand and concentrated for a few minutes, walking in a circle around the tower and waving her wand in delicate arcs.
Harry took a few minutes to stoke the fire while Hermione went about her business, and when she came back, he was standing near the circle with his glasses in his hand.
"Should be all set… How are you feeling?" He asked.
"Good, really." She paused to take stock of herself. "It's odd. It's easier to cast already, but I can sort of tell how it's not really coming from me so much as it's flowing through me."
"Well, it's a good start, isn't it?"
"Quite." She smiled, stepping across the ancient stone circle. "Wish me luck!"
"Good luck, then. I'll be right here the whole time." He set his glasses on the circle, precisely in the spot Hermione had marked earlier.
Hermione's heart was racing, but not because of the potion anymore. The fact that they had stumbled upon an ancient circle on their first stop was a stroke of luck she would have never dared to wish for.
She'd started pondering the arithmancy involved immediately when they noticed the worn stones set into the grass atop the cliff. If her math was correct, which was a safe bet, one stop at a place like this could have the effect of four or five places without an established circle. The amount of power that could be harnessed by an old circle like this one was incredible.
Harry placed his glasses on the circle and she could feel a change in the air as he did. She knelt down and set her wand in front of her, then placed her palms on either side of the north point of the pentagram she'd inscribed, where her beaded bag was resting with its strap neatly coiled.
In her mind, she conjured a mental image of the surrounding area, the region she intended to draw power from. She envisioned the beach, littered with jagged rocks; the smooth silt exposed by the receding tide, briefly exposed to the air for only a few minutes as the tides shifted.
Thinking of the crumbling tower, she tried to envision it in its prime, standing tall and proud over the bay. She could picture the fields of swaying grass, trees extending their roots deep into the rocky ground.
Holding all of those images in her mind, she pushed a small amount of energy into the stones at her feet.
"It worked!" She practically squealed in excitement. "I can see it. It's beautiful."
Harry didn't see anything, but he did feel a shift in the night. The wind, formerly coming in a straight line from the south, shifted to swirl around them. He felt his reflex to worry flaring up again, and did his best to squash it down. They weren't in a war, on the run, or in immediate danger anymore. He needed to remember how to be vigilant and safe without being paranoid.
Eventually, he laid on his side near the fire and looked up at the blurry stars in the sky.
Hermione, meanwhile, was basking in a flood of beautiful shimmering colors as the initialized circle sprang into action, pulling and channeling energy into its area.
She took her wand from the ground and knelt in the center of the circle, focusing on the swirling energies around her, willing them to flow into her.
Harry's attention was captured when a translucent dome of energy appeared over the circle, and wispy, ethereal streams of magic began flowing from the 5 points of the pentagram, converging on Hermione in the center. He could see her lips moving as she finished an incantation, but no sound made it through the dome to his ears.
The instant the streams touched her, Harry instinctively shielded his eyes as the dome and the five points surrounding it erupted into an excruciatingly bright blue-white light. He could sense the deep, resonating hum of energy pulsing through the very air around him.
Moments later, his eyes adjusted to the sudden light, and he turned squinting eyes to the circle. It reminded him of the protections cast around Hogwarts during the battle, a shimmering wall of force, pulsing with light and power. In the middle, he could see a dark silhouette of Hermione. She was standing now, and though he couldn't see her wand through the rippling lights, she was posed as if she was casting and maintaining concentration on a spell.
Unknown minutes passed, as Harry stood vigilantly watching her running through various motions, and he recognized at least a few of the spells she was practicing. Still, though, no effects or sounds of what she was doing made it outside of the circle.
Eventually, he noticed her slowing down. He wasn't sure what the process would be to stop the flow, but trusted her to know when to end it.
Until, he watched as her silhouetted shadow hunched over with her hands on her knees and her head bowed in what looked an awful lot like exhaustion.
It was his first sign that anything strenuous was happening within the circle, and it was more than enough to make Harry's nerves flare once more. He didn't like that she had to do this alone; he didn't like that she had to do this at all, and most of all he didn't like that it was his fault she needed this entire process
He fought off a powerful compulsion to break the circle immediately at any sign of her faltering, but when she dropped from her crouching position to one knee, he immediately snapped into action. Springing forward, he carefully kicked at the bottle of her shampoo that was at one point along the circle.
Instantaneously, the energy dome exploded in a blinding flash, sending a searing wave of heat, light, and pressure. It threw Harry through the air, and left him gasping for breath on the ground a small distance from where he'd been standing previously.
A few stunned seconds passed before he came back to his sensses. He looked around the dark hillside. Although nearly extinguished by the eruption of power, the fire still emitted a dim orange light. He scrambled back to the circle and found Hermione laying on her side in the center, panting.
"Are you alright‽" He yelled, even though he was close to her.
"Wh- what happened?" She asked, dazed and confused.
He dropped immediately to his knees and looked her over as best he could without his glasses in the dim light. "You were pushing too hard and got worn out. I broke the circle to get you out." He was checking her over, her hands, her feet, making sure that nothing was broken.
"I was… f-fine, Harry." She slurred, and groggily flopped onto her back.
"You were not fine." He shot back sharply.
She furrowed her brow at that. "I had it-" she paused to take a gasping breath, "under control."
"You did, right up until you didn't." He answered. "Can you stand up?"
"You shouldn't have done that, Harry." She sounded completely exhausted, but those words were clearer than anything she'd said yet.
"You can take it out of my hide once we get you inside, I promise." He scrambled to collect his glasses and slammed them onto his face.
"Too far." She breathed, once more sounding like she was on the edge of collapse.
"I'll carry you if I have to. It's not that far."
—X—X—X—
So just hold on
Driving through the valley of a great unknown
Open up the headlight
Shine on
Everyone around you has a heart of stone
But you just roll on
Remember walking when you thought you couldn't stand
Remember what it feels like
I know you think that they could never understand
Oh, but you don't wanna be right
And now you only wanna make it out alive
Artist: Rob Thomas
Track: The Great Unknown
Album: The Great Unknown