Runaway
Chapter 5-Restoration
By KZerina
Before she knew it, they'd arrived back at the cabin. She must have been reveling too much in Harry's closeness. He'd lifted her from his chest and held out his hand to let her of the Aethonian's back, then dismounting behind her.
She sighed and looked up at him, feeling a little heat flow into her cheeks. Harry smiled back and motioned for her to enter the barn. Hermione followed this gesture and walked inside.
The barn walls blocked the bitter cold, mountain wind from reaching her chafed face. It was almost warm in its own strange way.
Harry followed her in with his mount, but before he put the stallion away, he stopped by her and began to lean down. Suddenly a burst of white feathers attacked Hermione's face. She covered it and ducked away.
"Hedwig! What are you doing? Did you get a hold of some locoweed or something?" He paused. "Have you been in my potions stores?" he accused.
The snowy owl landed on a stall wall and fluffed her feathers angrily. She hooted her disapproval of being accused.
"What is with you?"
Hedwig turned her head and glared at Hermione, then turned and glowered at Harry.
"Go up there, and don't come down until you cool off. I might have something for you for deliver then," Harry said coolly. Hedwig perked up a bit before glaring at Hermione again. "If you don't, I'll just have to send it with Artemis."
At the sound of the name, a pair of golden eyes glinted from the rafters, and a hoot followed. Hermione could barely make out the shape of the rest of the Eagle owl in the darkness of the rafters.
"Not yet, girl. Later."
Another hoot and the eyes disappeared.
"See, Hedwig? She's rational. Now go."
Hedwig hooted indignantly and soared away to the rafters well out of sight. Harry sighed and rolled his eyes. "Over-protective owl," he mumbled. "Well maybe we should wait until we get back in the house before we do that again lest loony owl return for a second round."
Both he and Hermione smiled while Hedwig hooted her disapproval.
"Yes, I know you heard that," Harry shouted. "Now live with it."
Then, a large white dog appeared, breath rising from its nostrils.
"Leo? What are you doing?" The dog looked outside. "Another storm?"
The dog looked at him and blinked. "Ken! Morg! Come on! We've got to help Leona bring in the sheep!"
Two forms shot past and went out with the white dog. Harry turned to her and handed her the horse's reins. "Would you mind? Just take him to his stall, un-tack him, and brush him down a bit."
Hermione nodded and took the reins. She led him to the stall where a brass plate was screwed to the door. 'Sleipnir' it said. She looked at it curiously for a moment before continuing her task.
The sound of many hooves caught Hermione's attention, and she turned around. The sheep were coming in rather loudly.
"Ken, Morg, separate the goats and the sheep."
A couple of barks sounded, and the two dogs began to move swiftly through the herd, isolating the goats.
Hermione found the way the dogs listened and worked together fascinating and hadn't taken care of Sleipnir. The horse clicked his teeth in her ear, reminding her of her responsibility. She turned to him and smiled.
"Sorry," she said as she rubbed his muzzle.
Sleipnir burred in her ear and nudged her shoulder. He shifted the bit in his mouth and looked back at the saddle set on his back.
Hermione nodded and reached behind Sleipnir's ears and pulled off the bridle while the horse spat out the bit. After hanging the bridle over the wall, she moved to Sleipnir's side and unbuckled the girth-strap releasing the saddle from the Aethonian's back. She lifted it and took it and the bridle to the tack room near the end of the barn.
Inside she found where to put the tack. Next to the pegs sat a basket with a variety of brushes. Hermione picked out a couple and trod back to the stall.
Harry was now levitating a lamb into the indoor sheep pen. Ken and Morg had missed one in the separation of sheep and goats. She giggled at his antics as he talked to the dogs jokingly.
Then she returned to Sleipnir and brushed him down while the Aethonian munched on the hay in his hayrack.
Finally, her chore done and all the animals in their proper places, she headed for the barn door with Harry behind her. She put her hand on the handle to open it when Harry put his hand on hers, holding her back. He smiled and walked forward-through the door.
Hermione raised her eyebrows in surprise and followed suit, expecting to be outside. Instead, she found herself at the end of the hallway through the center of the house.
She looked around and looked at Harry. "Is that how you disappeared?" she asked, the realization sinking in.
Harry nodded. "I was in the barn all the time. I slept out there with the dogs. Between them and the hay in their crib, it was actually quite warm."
Hermione was appalled. Harry slept out in the barn with the animals while she had his bed. "You didn't have to do that. I could have slept on the couch."
"Think about it, Hermione. We weren't exactly on speaking terms. It was fine," he smiled.
Harry slipped off his cloak and hung it on a rack in his wardrobe. He motioned for her to hand him hers so he could hang it as well.
He stepped out of the room and traveled to the sitting room where he peeked out the window. "Looks like Leo was right," Harry observed. "Look at the clouds that are forming out there. Smart dog, Leo."
Hermione sat on the couch unsure of what to do. He had changed his attitude toward her so quickly it was uncanny. No one made a decision like that in just seconds. Love? It just didn't work that way-even with Harry Potter, who at the moment seemed to enjoy watching the clouds shift and churn.
Slowly he moved his gaze from the clouds and sat on the couch next to her with a sigh.
"I suppose you want to know about this sudden change?" Harry inquired, almost reading her mind.
She nodded and shifted into a more comfortable position so she could listen more easily and let him know he had her attention.
"Well, you can thank Dobby for getting the ball rolling. After you figured me out and told me, he tried to talk me into not moving again-to talk to you and go back to the wizarding world," Harry chuckled. "He claimed he knew I wanted to, and, I guess, he was right, though at the time I sure didn't think so.
"Then, all that week we were snowed in, the repressed part of me that knew where I belonged began to fight its way free. I thought about every second I could. When I seemed extremely angry with you with my glaring and little to no talking, I wasn't exactly in a talkative mood. I was brooding and fighting within myself whether to stay with you or not.
"At the last fleeting second, there in the village, I realized that if I didn't decide now, I may never have a chance to again. So I did and here we are…."
Harry smiled and looked at her. Apparently neither of them was sure what to do next, and an awkward silence ensued.
Still unsure what her next move should be, Hermione slid into the space right next to Harry and leaned her head on his shoulder. She looked up at him and looked into his currently deep blue eyes and the platinum blonde hair draped in front of them. She reached one hand up and started fiddling with a few strands, recognizing the absence of his scar as well.
She was kind of disappointed. She liked the unusual contrast of green and black. At least his hair still stuck out all over the place. He never could control it, no matter how hard he tried.
Harry must have noticed a slightly saddened expression on her face, though she tried to hide it, since he asked what was wrong.
"I just like the old you better," she replied. "Blonde and blue is too normal for you."
"That was the point."
"I understand the disguise, but since everyone in the house knows it's you, do you think you could put it back the way it was five years ago…before our mishap?"
Harry put on a humorous contemplative expression and, tilting her chin up, kissed her. She closed her eyes and reveled in the moment. When they released and her eyes opened, she was looking into the familiar bright green eyes of her best friend. Her eyes lit up, and she threw her arms around Harry's neck, hugging him tightly. Harry relaxed back into the couch and wrapped his arms comfortably around her waist.
Hermione could feel his breath on her neck. Every muscle in her body relaxed, and she curled up in his lap. They had been that way for what seemed like only a minute when Berry came stomping into the room.
She looked absolutely furious. Hermione almost expected to see huge billowing clouds of steam erupt from her ears, and she almost instinctively recoiled back into Harry's protective grip.
"Berry, it's fine. She's not what I made you think," Harry explained while Berry continued to fume. "Berry, you stop that this instant. She will be welcome here whenever she wants, for however long she wants. You will learn to live with her."
It seemed as though nothing Harry said would calm her down. Then he said his next sentence.
"Berry, I love her and there's nothing you can do about it."
That was the last thing she expected him to say. Apparently, the House-Elf didn't expect it either since her large eyes seemed even larger as they widened in shock at the words that escaped Harry's mouth. Hermione looked at Harry who stared intently at Berry as if daring her to contradict him.
She didn't. She seemed almost petrified. Although in the background, she noticed Dobby doing a strange jig. He must have liked the words.
"Now go," Harry said in a finalizing way.
Berry blinked a couple of times before turning away, awestruck at Harry's sudden change of attitude.
Harry watched her trudge away. Then his expression changed to confusion as he noticed Dobby, who scooted away quickly.
"That was…random," Hermione commented.
"No…that was Dobby. Random and strange are normal for him, though I am starting to break some of those habits," he said before turning back to Hermione and smiling.
She smiled back and snuggled up against him, sighing contentedly. She knew that she'd found where she belonged, and it didn't matter where she was, as long as she was with Harry.
He seemed to understand that since he held her tighter and set his head on her shoulder so close that his cheek brushed hers. She felt a shiver roll down her spine from his close proximity. She couldn't help it. It just happened that way, and he always seemed to know.
"What do you want for dinner?" Harry asked suddenly.
"What?"
"It's about time to start cooking dinner. What would you like?"
Hermione had been taken aback by the fact that he asked a question. It took her a minute to clear her brain completely of her revelry in order to answer his question coherently.
"I don't know what you've got."
"Pork…chicken…maybe beef."
Hermione thought for a moment. "Pork."
Harry nodded and, kissing her cheek, went to the kitchen to cook. Hermione reclined and watched him move between burners and the oven. The succulent aromas that filled the cabin were so alluring. She walked over and peered at the food around Harry who put a green bean on a fork for her to eat. He smiled and checked the meat's progress.
He took all the food off the burners or out of the oven and put them in serving dishes. He set them on the table and magically set it. He pulled out a chair for her in which she politely sat, and he seated himself beside her offering her the food. Hermione smiled and served herself, handing it to Harry when she was finished.
They ate in silence even now, but it was different somehow. It wasn't awkward like it had been over the past week when they were being …antisocial. It was more like reveling in the presence of the other. When she finished, she leaned her head on Harry's shoulder. Harry wrapped his arm around her shoulder in return while finishing the last few bites.
"Sure you don't want any more?" he asked.
Hermione nodded, and Harry cleared the table. He went to the counter and wrapped up the remaining food, placing it in the refrigerator.
Then Harry turned to her. "Why don't you go sit on the couch. I'll be right back."
Hermione nodded and sat on the couch as Harry asked. When he returned he sat next to her.
"Close your eyes and turn away from me."
She was confused, but did as he requested. After a few minutes of complete silence, she felt something fall around her neck. She wanted to look, but she waited for Harry to give an "okay."
He kissed her cheek, and she opened her eyes. She reached up and grabbed hold of whatever was now around her neck. Then she looked down at it. Rubies and sapphires gleamed up at her. It was the pendant she'd thrown. A tear dropped to her hand. She whipped around and hugged Harry so fiercely that she knocked him over backwards onto the couch.
He didn't seem to mind though. He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and pressed his cheek to hers. Now everything was going to be just fine. They were together again, and he had definately forgiven her.
"I missed you, 'Mi. Maybe I didn't always know it, but I did."
Hermione opened her eyes and looked out the window. It was dark and snowy. This reminded her of the sleeping arrangements.
"Harry, I'll sleep on the couch tonight."
He looked back at her. "It's not all that comfortable. If you want the bed, you-"
"No, I've had the bed the entire time I've been here. It's your bed; you should be able to sleep in it instead of your guest."
"You're sure?"
Hermione nodded decidedly and shivered.
"Cold?" Harry asked, detecting the movement.
Hermione nodded. Harry sat up and led her to the floor in front of the fire. They sat down and Harry, with his arms around her waist, lay down with her closer to the fire. It was very comfortable and warm, so much so that she fell asleep there in Harry's arms.
***
She woke up uncomfortable on the couch. Harry must have put her there when he went to bed. She smiled. He had honored her request even though she was asleep.
So, she rolled over and closed her eyes, but she couldn't get back to sleep. She tried for at least half an hour. She didn't want to bother Harry, but she couldn't avoid it.
She got up and walked to Harry's bedroom and knocked on the door. There was no answer so she slowly opened it. She saw him lying asleep in his bed. Kosse lay at the foot of the bed. He looked at her and went back to sleep.
Hermione walked over to Harry and prodded him, calling his name, trying to wake him up, but he didn't budge. She wasn't sure she should do what she was about to do, but she did it anyway. She climbed into the bed next to him.
Suddenly, Harry began to push her.
"Kosse, get off the bed."
Hermione looked at him strangely, and Kosse made a strange noise and lifted his head above the mattress.
"Ifyoudown, who-whatyoudoinginbed?" He looked at her and rolled back over. "Ehm…g'night."
"Is it okay?"
She was answered with a small snore. Then Harry shifted and stopped. With that, the rhythmic breathing of sleep overtook him, so she slid under the covers and fell asleep herself.