Chapter 10
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Hermione opened her eyes reluctantly. She was rested but something inside her told her to keep sleeping. Sunlight hit her face and she creased her eyes.
She sat up and instantly grabbed her head. She almost felt hung over. She looked around and memories flooded her, before she grasped where she was she shut out of the sofa.
Where was Harry?
As if he had heard her thoughts, the door to the teachers' lounge swung open and Harry entered. He was slightly surprised to see her.
"You're awake," he exclaimed.
She nodded but turned her focus to what he was holding. He followed her gaze and smiled widely. "Chocolate muffins!" he nodded and stretched out his hand. "And coffee," he added.
She almost ran to his side - ready to strike, attack, not sure which she needed most.
"Glorious," she mumbled and sat down on the sofa again. She sank her teeth into the muffin, she was hungry and desperate for sugar.
She knew this taste all too well.
"Where-?" she started.
"I bought the muffins last night at the shop," he started and Hermione frowned. She vaguely remembered Harry buying something but she had been so tired that she almost felt as if she had dreamt it.
"And the coffee?" she asked and looked down at the smoking hot drink.
"Well this is a teacher's lounge," he smiled. "They had a coffee machine, and a charm or two.." she frowned, "and now we have perfectly drinkable coffee!" he grinned.
He grabbed his own muffin and took a small bite.
"So, how far are we traveling today?" she asked. It wasn't that she was worried; she just wanted to know the plan. Harry looked up at her, trying to read her face. He wanted to know how tired she was. That was the worst thing about Hermione Granger, she was a master at hiding her thoughts.
"I honestly don't know. We are in the Czech Republic now, we still need to go through Slovakia and-
"Hungary", she added knowing Europe's geography well. He nodded.
"But I think we'll take it as it comes. But we should start by foot, maybe hitchhiking, we might take a local bus" he added thoughtfully, he glanced over at her, waiting for her to resist. She didn't, she just took in the information interestedly.
"We should buy some more food though," she added. "If we are walking across Europe, we shouldn't count on being this lucky. We should have food with us."
"Definitely!" he agreed.
"I want to wash up first!" she stated as she wiped her mouth after finishing her second muffin.
-
Hermione walked into the ladies room. It was a typical school bathroom with the wooden stalls lining the room, plenty of white sinks, and a few ironbins. She stood in front of the mirror and took off her very dirty shirt. She started washing herself.
This could so easily have been her school, only in Britain. If her parents had lived, she would have attended a Muggle school like this. She had no idea if they had planned a private school for her or not, but she knew that she would never have seen the inside of fancy Hogwarts.
She looked into the mirror and scoffed. She looked tired, but she hardly remembered when she didn't look tired.
She walked out of the restroom and immediately saw Harry exiting the gent's restroom. He was in a pair of jeans and nothing else. He was carrying his t-shirt, holding it up, obviously deciding that it was too dirty to keep on wearing. She stopped in her tracks and watched his naked back as he walked over to his duffle bag.
His back was toned and rippled. She wanted to run to him and touch it, maybe with her tongue.
She leaned against the wall, not able to walk.
Desire was a feeling that really could play with ones mind. If the devil gave me one trai - one flaw, it must have been desire, she thought. And lust, and need and…" she stopped her self when Harry turned around. She cursed his reflexes.
He raised his eyebrows, as if wondering if she needed something.
"I-I was just going to-"she turned around foolishly. "Hair!" she said and pointed at her hair.
"Hair?" he asked doubtfully and started grinning.
"-brush," she stuttered and walked over to her bag. She hurried back to the ladies room. Harry looked down at his naked body, could she really have reacted like that because of that. Had he embarrassed her? Or had she liked what she saw? The thought made him grin to himself.
-
"Two rooms please?" Harry asked the Innkeeper ten hours later. They had just crossed the border into Slovakia. Harry looked over his shoulder; no one seemed to be paying them much attention.
The inn keeper didn't speak much English but he understood them well enough. It was a muggle Inn, but it reminded Harry of the small town of Hogsmeade. A large wooden beam held the roof up and a large blazing fire was lit.
"Restaurant," the Inn keeper said in broken English and pointed to the adjoining room. Hermione peered inside.
"Thank you," she said and felt her stomach grumbling.
She followed Harry and the Inn keeper to the rooms and entered hers silently. She sat down on the bed and took a deep breath. They had walked, hitchhiked and taken a cab the last bit of the way. She couldn't wait to go down and order a large plate of food.
There was a soft knock on her door and she didn't bother opening it.
"Come in," she answered and leaned down on the bed. Harry came inside.
"Yeah I know how you feel," he said when he saw her on the bed. "But we are making great process. I think we should reach Viktor in two days if we keep this up."
Hermione nodded but didn't answer.
Harry sat down on the bed next to her. He looked at her curiously. She looked so small sometimes; she could be so strong when she wanted to, but still so fragile.
He reached out and put his hand on hers. It completely covered her hand, it was so much smaller than his. She was so soft! She immediately opened her eyes and she could have shot herself for the reaction- it made Harry pull away.
"Ready to eat?" he asked a bit awkwardly.
"Meet me down there, and I'll just wash up," she suggested and Harry left quickly.
-
When Hermione walked down the stairs to meet him she felt a bit anxious. The truth couldn't be hidden anymore. She was in love with Harry, and she didn't quite know how to handle it. The words Mad-Eye had told her were being repeated in her mind over and over.
The moment she saw him all those thoughts were pushed away however. He was sitting at the table closest to the fire and the fire gave the whole room a golden glow. He had a goblet of mead in his hand and he raised it to her, flashing a dashing smile at her. Hermione grabbed the railing of the stairs; she didn't want to fall now that he was looking at her.
"Hi," she smiled softly and sat down opposite him.
"A glass of wine?" he asked kindly and started to stand up. "Red, right?" he asked and all she could do was nod. He walked over to the small bar. The restaurant, pub, Inn or what ever was its primary use, was empty, all but a few older men in there. In total there were seven of them, including the man in the bar.
Harry returned with a glass of red wine in one hand, and a menu in the other.
"They only had one, we'll have to share," he said and handed her the glass.
He placed the menu sideways between them and they both leaned into to read it.
"How is your Slovak?" Harry asked and smiled at her.
She smiled back and then said:
"There are pictures on the back," she flipped it over for him.
"You speak!" he announced and grinned. "I was starting to get worried."
In honesty he did wonder what was with her. She was acting unlike herself, at least unlike the part of her he had seen before.
"Tired I guess. Maybe being chased had that impact."
-
The next day was just like the two previous, tiring and quite hard. Hermione glanced sideways at Harry as he walked next to her. It had started raining a bit and his hair was dripping over his shoulders. He suddenly spun around hastily and yanked his thumb out. Hermione realized that he must have heard something she didn't. A car, a bus, a lorry… anything.
She spun around as well, sticking her thumb out.
A large lorry started slowing down at the side of the road. Harry and Hermione looked unbelievingly at each other, no one had stopped all day!
They ran up to the car and yanked open the door.
"Hi there, "Harry said in a friendly tone.
"You look wet!" the driver laughed.
"You speak English," Harry exhaled relieved.
"Yes I do, I am from Finland. I'm driving all the way down to Turkey. How far are you going?" the man asked.
"Just Bulgaria," Harry answered gratefully.
"Well get in then!" The man waved at them.
Harry exhaled yet again with gratitude; he held his hand out for Hermione to help her inside. She doubted.
She looked at the man again, he was looking weird at them. He was a bright blonde with an army cut, but his face was very red. It looked like the blood vessels were broken all over his face. Hermione quickly eyed the truck; it was littered to the maximum. The man seemed to have a thing for McDonalds because there were cartons all over the truck. She remembered all the warning her mother had told her, strangers, killers, bad people… and her mother hadn't even met dark wizards!
"What?" Harry whispered from the corner of his mouth,
"I'm not sure, I just feel…" she doubted and looked up at Harry's face. He was concerned, but he was getting wet and Hermione felt silly. She shouldn't give them pneumonia just because she had a "feeling." She grabbed his hand and climbed up on the seat next to the man driving.
"My name is Tommy," he grinned at them. Hermione smiled back carefully.
"My name is Hermione, this is Harry - my brother," she added.
Tommy pressed the gas and they started forward at a great speed. Hermione had to admit that it did feel better sitting in this warm car, and not walking outside in the rain like they had just a few moments ago.
Harry kept up polite conversation with Tommy, telling Tommy all about the backpacking trip Hermione and he were making since they had finished school. Tommy, very obviously a muggle, bought every single word of it. He in return told them about his boring job, his small flat in Helsinki and his dream about starting his own company.
When they stopped to get gas Hermione took the opportunity to glance backwards in the car. She could see the small sleeping space he had behind his seat, it looked perfectly normal.
"What?" Harry asked, obviously noticing her worry.
"I don't know…" she drawled and looked around again.
"What?" he repeated, almost laughing now. "You have just seen too many muggle movies!"
"I just have a feeling about this guy," she said.
"Did he do something`" Harry asked, honestly worried at her reaction.
"No…" she had to admit. Tommy returned and they dropped the subject.
-
"So Harry, you're not married?" Tommy asked a few hours later.
"No Tommy, not yet." Harry answered truthfully. Hermione stared straight ahead, keeping her eyes on the road. "How about yourself?"
"Oh no not me, keeping myself free and open to options," Tommy laughed.
Probably because no one will have you," Hermione thought and felt malevolent.
They had stopped at two McDonalds so far and Tommy had burped loudly after each meal and Hermione found him rather nasty.
"And you little Hermione?" he asked.
That was another reason she didn't like him. He kept calling her "little" Hermione.
"Nope, not married," she mumbled and Harry rolled his eyes at her. He found her a bit too short and rude to the man. He had after all been the only person kind enough to help them today.
Harry leaned his head forward and fell asleep after a while for no one had spoken in more than an hour. Hermione still kept her eyes on the road, just waiting for something to happen. Not long after Harry started sleeping Tommy started talking again.
"You can change," he said and Hermione snapped out of her fixed concentration on the road.
"What?"
"The radio, if you like." He nodded towards the radio.
,
"No that's okay," she said. Harry shifted in his seat and his left leg now pressed even closer to her right leg. The warmth from him felt burning, as it usually did. She looked down at his leg.
"So where do you want to stop and rest?" Tommy asked.
"I'm not sure," Hermione looked down at the clock, it was just four o'clock, and there was still about four hours until dark.
"Maybe we could all get rooms in the same hotel, and carry on tomorrow?" Tommy said and looked at her. Hermione could feel his eyes burning her cheek.
Oh honestly, could he be such a cliché? she thought. She turned and looked at him, an incredulous look on her face.
"Yeah, I mean I could help pay for your rooms. I know how you young kids are pretty poor," he grinned at her.
"I think we can make due," she answered without smiling. So this was what she had felt? She knew these kinds of men so well, she met them at the bar all the time. She was sure without a doubt that Tommy would keep going. She watched him drumming his fingers on his right leg, on his knee, close to her. She just knew what was coming.
"I am just trying to be helpful. We could go and get some beers maybe," he suggested.
"I think me and my -brother," she hesitated at the word brother, "are pretty tired. As you can see." She nodded at Harry sleeping with his head on the window. "We'll want to sleep."
She kept her tone calm, but firm.
"Well if he wants to sleep, then maybe you can I can…" he started but she cut him of.
"No."
"I was just-"
"No!" she felt more tired than angry. Why was it always the same?
"Hey little lady, don't get rude with me. Don't forget who is helping who here."
"Right, I think we've had enough of your help then," Hermione sighed.
He started to turn from the road and glared at her.
Hermione looked back just as sternly.
"Thank you for the lift, but I think dinner and drinks will have to wait for another time." She could feel the temper rising in Tommy but she didn't care, she wasn't for sale for anyone.
"You are quite impolite," he hissed and glared at her. "I have not asked you for anything, I am just telling you that I have been driving all day and I expect some company at dinner tonight. As a friend of course…" he drawled the last words.
"Fine," she hissed back, just trying to keep the peace.
She looked over at Harry, he was still sleeping and she didn't want to wake him.
Her reactions were faster than she knew. Suddenly she had Tommy's three middle fingers in her hand and she had bent them in an awkward position.
He had placed his hand on her knee, and she had twisted them on pure response.
"Oh damn," he murmured and the whole truck swayed slightly. She let go off him quickly.
"Why did you do that for?" he asked and turned to her.
"You are such a sleazy old nasty man. Could you be more pathetic?" she snapped at him. He looked intently at her and then slammed the breaks. If Harry wasn't wearing his seatbelt he would have slammed into the steering wheel. He opened his eyes quickly.
"What's going on?"
Hermione answered hurriedly before Tommy could open his mouth.
"Tommy is tired and wants to sleep at the next hotel, but we want to keep going, right?" she asked.
"Sleep?" Harry asked and looked down at his watch.
Tommy looked at Hermione, half closing his eyes.
"Yes, I want to stop for a few days actually. Enjoy Hungary," he murmured.
"So we're at least in Hungary?" Harry asked hopefully.
"Get out now," Tommy said losing patience and Hermione started pushing her elbow into Harry. He obeyed without question and jumped out. He reached out and grabbed her as she started to jump down.
"Goodbye," Tommy said and sped away.
Harry turned to Hermione.
"What happened?" he demanded.
"He wanted to rest," Hermione said innocently. "We should keep walking so we find somewhere to sleep before it gets dark."
"Do you honestly think I bought that, what happened?" he asked more determined.
"Just never mind," she said and looked around, "we are in the middle of nowhere, we'll have to sleep in the forest. We might be able to find some abandoned cottage or farm." she thought aloud. All she could see around her was forest, and the lonely paved road they were standing on. "What way is north?" she asked.
"Hermione," he said warningly, "what happened?"
Thunder boomed over them and they looked at each other. "Let's hurry," Harry said and took her hand.
Hermione was used to running in forest and nature. She had no trouble finding her way in-between roots and soft ground. Harry had a bit more trouble and she could hear him swear behind her, it made her giggle.
"You better not be laughing at me," he murmured but at good spirits.
"There'll be some cover soon," she promised.
"How do you know?" he insisted. Hermione stopped.
"Look at these trails, "she pointed, "People have walked here. And look at these trees," she nodded. "They were planted within twenty years. People exist in this area. "…lucky for us," she added.
Harry had no idea if she was right or wrong. All he knew was that he was very tried of traveling like a muggle. Right about now he would have given his right arm for his broom. He could always use his wand, but Dumbledore had said it was only at life or death situations.
We might freeze to death in this bloody forest," he thought sourly, that would count as life or death… He hissed again as he felt the wind pick up.
"There!" Hermione exclaimed proudly and pointed at something. They had reached a small meadow and at the edge of it was… something. Something dark… a house?
"What is it?" Harry asked and even though he was wearing his glasses he couldn't see.
"An abandoned cottage," she said happily.
Harry had to admit, that any sort of shelter at this point was glorious. The rain had returned and they were both shaking from the cold.
Harry eyed the house doubtfully as they approached. It was completely overgrown with tree branches and forest. It looked ready to collapse at any moment.
He eyed her suspiciously.
She laughed at him and walked forwards.
"It's fine, I've slept in houses like this plenty of times.
"Oh, okay then," he mocked her and she turned to grin at him.
"This is our home for the night!" she smiled.
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