whoa
my flist has been busy this fine weekend! yay! for quirkie has written! she's posted several drabbles....and a new thread/comment on the round robin.
also, you can leave me more prompts here because i'm trying to break out of my extreme 3-month writer's block. :P
oh, and...
MERRY CHRISTMAS, moirariordan!!!!!!
Title: Here we are
Pairing: Harry/Hermione
Rating: G
Word Count: 1961
Prompt: tag, you’re it, and this picture
Notes: Happy Christmas moirariordan!!! Sorry this is late, but, well…. XD Oh, and I’m hopeless with titles… un-beta'd, as usual....
We were in the South of France when things began to change.
We were thin; it had been weeks since the last decent meal we had eaten at a table. Harry was almost as thin as he had been the first time I saw him, and Ron was starting to look shorter, as if his emaciation was causing him to fold in upon himself. I, I could count my ribs without touching them, could feel the gusts of wind play my ribs like a xylophone. Transfigured food wasn’t nourishing for long, especially after four weeks. We shouldn’t be doing much magic either, I would always remind them.
It was dawn, and I couldn’t sleep. The days were bleeding into each other and I can’t remember if it was Tuesday or Thursday the last time I slept. I looked around our shelter, a makeshift cave I had warded with Harry’s blood. It would hold for a week before our magical signatures would give us away. We were hiding in plain sight, a charming Muggle village below us, and a prominent Wizarding one behind us.
Ron was snoring, lightly, enough for me to stay calm and not want to rush over to check on him. Next to him was an empty rumpled sleeping bag, Gryffindor red.
Harry was slumped in the small opening, watching the sun come up and bathe the Muggle village in light. I walk over to him, my footsteps silent and steady.
“Harry, you should sleep.” My hand brushes his shoulder and he doesn’t flinch. I sit next to him, taking it as a sign he’s willing to talk, to argue, instead of brooding like he had the past week.
He turns to me. My heart breaks to see him so downtrodden, so pale and distraught. He’s sporting deep purple shadows under his eyes from lack of sleep and I want to pull him into my own bony embrace.
“We’ll have to go north again.” His voice cracks, as if he hasn’t said anything in days. I sigh.
“Harry, the last time-“
He stands up suddenly and I can hear Ron stir. “Yes, I know.” His voice is louder and he can’t look at me. “The last time was a mistake; we were at the wrong place. I know, Hermione.”
I sigh again and stand up to follow him. I reach out, my arm is outstretched and my hand is pleading with him to stay with us and stay calm and come to me, let me love you.
Neither boy catches that last meaning. Ron stands up, too, between us, and pleads with his eyes for me to not screw it up this time.
I let my hand fall and Harry walks away. I watch as he angrily stuffs his sleeping bag into his rucksack. He jerks his head, commanding us to follow him. Ron and I stare, and then we spring into motion to follow.
~*~
Harry leads us to Paris. We have to use some of his money for a hotel, and as I’m the only one of our trio that knows any French, I make our reservations.
The city is still beautiful, this evening. It’s different than the hovels and caves we’ve crawled through. We stay at a place I came with my parents to some summers ago. I get one room; we can share a bed for warmth and protection. I sleep easier knowing my boys are safe.
We eat, enjoying the company and fresh air, the view and the utter peace and anonymity the city offers us. Our previous home, sandwiched between the two worlds, I put false trails out so if we were tracked, they wouldn’t trace us here for a day or two. We’re free to relax, for now.
I sleep soundly, Ron on my left and Harry on my right. The bed is small and they are both pressed against me until I can’t breathe, but I know I’d not have it any other way.
~*~
My eyes open once first light hits. I blink and take in the unfamiliar surroundings. I can feel Ron behind me, his back against mine on this wonderfully soft bed. I blush as I find myself wrapped around Harry. Somehow, he’s become my pillow. My head is on his shoulder, and an arm and leg both are draped across him. I can feel the muscles of his chest contract and release as he breathes and I look up at his face to see if he’s awake.
I blush again to find his brilliant green eyes locked on mine. I start to move but he holds me against him. I can feel his arms wrapped around me and with his free hand he takes mine and entwines our fingers. I feel a ghost of a kiss on my head as I look at our hands. When I look up at him again he closes his eyes to tell me to sleep, sleep until we’re all fully rested.
~*~
Before I’m fully awake I can feel a frenzy of movement in the room. Harry embraces Ron and kisses my forehead before running out of the room. I jump out of the bed and run to the door before I even realize what’s happened, but Ron stops me with a hand on my elbow before I can throw the door open. I look at him, but he can’t meet my eyes, only shrugs.
“Look,” he points to the window.
“Hedwig,” I breathe and cross to her. She blinks at me and nods slightly, allowing me to look at the message she brought. I scan it once, twice, a smile forming on my lips before I turn to Ron. “They’ve found another.” I sit down on the bed, stunned. “Harry’s gone after it.”
Ron puts his arms around my shoulders, but I shrug him off and stand again. “We have to-“
“No.”
“Ron, we have to-“
“No. Harry said he’d be back within an hour. He’s only gone to scout it out with the Order, and then he’ll be back.”
“But-“
“No, Hermione.”
I shake my head. “What if he needs me? Which one is it? I need to know so I can find the significance, so we can destroy it.” I’ve begun to pace and throw my hands around. Ron looks at me, a strange look on his face.
“He told us to arrange breakfast and to checkout. I think we’ll need another room, in a different place tomorrow.”
I nod absently, thinking that maybe we finally found Ravenclaw’s relic. She was rumoured to favour France, but maybe it was Hufflepuff’s. We’ve seen nothing of the cup since the last Horcrux was destroyed.
Finally I cease my pacing to find Ron sitting on the bed with our belongings piled by the door. He’s writing on parchment, carefully balancing it on his knees. I’m curious, but with all of us so close, we need a few harmless secrets.
Like when Harry walks through the door, it takes everything in me not to run and jump into his arms. I’m so relieved he’s okay and alive. He nods at Ron and smiles at me. I can’t help but run to him and throw my arms around him. I hastily step back and he smiles at me again, looking healthier and younger. He holds something out to me. Ron sits up, parchment abandoned as I, stunned, open my hand out to his.
The object is small but heavy and I turn it over in my hand a few times before looking back at Harry. He taps it with his wand and suddenly we’re all staring at Hufflepuff’s cup.
“How?” is all I can manage to squeak out.
Harry grins. “Kingsley and Bill were both along this trip. They managed to disable the more deadly traps before I went in. It’s Hufflepuff’s cup, the fourth one we’ve found.”
The fourth one puts us that much closer to finishing this. This is a huge win for us, and we’re on the other side of the hill, especially with my theory of Ravenclaw’s relic. I breathe a sigh of relief and abandon all my hopes of secrecy as I catch Harry in another embrace. I hold him closely this time, sobbing with joy that he’s safe and foolish and we’ve found another and no one was injured this time. I close my eyes as I nuzzle further into him, smelling old magic and Harry. I linger until the silence is uncomfortable, and finally I pull away.
I have tears in my eyes, which he gently brushes away, one hand still on my hip. My breath catches, and I know our pose is intimate and Ron is still watching. I step away and his hand falls.
I still clutch the cup in my hand and we turn to Ron.
“We still have all day. Would you like to see the city?” I ask, hoping we can enjoy this day of freedom with each other. Ron nods, as does Harry, so we all take our first showers in weeks.
~*~
I check us out and get our breakfast as I wait for them to dress. The day is warm so I put on a dress. I actually feel like a girl today, not some soldier or warrior training for battle. My hair is pulled back and I have a smile on my face.
Harry leaves the room first, his unruly hair plastered to his head, still wet from the shower. My good mood is contagious and he hugs me with a smile. He keeps his arm around me, protectively, as we wait for Ron.
We eat and then we’re off to tour my favourite city in all of the world. It feels like a normal summer day, the three of us on holiday, waiting until September for school to start again. I try to let history slip into our conversation, but Ron rolls his eyes while Harry laughs. It’s familiar and I keep on.
~*~
The sun starts to set, leaving the sky brilliant in orange and pink. Ron finally looks tall among the buildings and us as he throws his head back and laughs, his hair clashing with the sky. He acts like a five year old, chasing pigeons around a fountain as Harry and I sit on a bench nearby. He takes my hand and holds it, rubbing his thumb lightly over my knuckles. The light touch sends shivers down my back and I blush as I watch Ron.
He comes upon a group of schoolchildren, all at least two heads shorter than he. They all gather around him, their shining faces looking up and up at him, pleading for him to play. I laugh and he looks over, gesturing for us to join them.
I pull Harry up with the hand he’s holding and we join Ron and the schoolchildren in a loud game of tag. Ron is it, and the girls scream as he chases them first. I smile and laugh, watching him and Harry play. I clutch my side after running away, and coach some boys to hide behind me. Ron tags Harry who instantly chases me.
I squeal when he catches me. He grabs my waist, picking me up and twirling me around. I run from his embrace and tag the nearest child before Harry catches me again. He lifts me up and pulls me closer to him.
“Harry?” I look over his shoulder at Ron. The Eiffel Tower is in the background, while the children laugh and scream and the birds fly away.
In the midst of this, our Horcrux hunt and things changing, and in my favourite city, Harry dips his head and kisses me.
also, you can leave me more prompts here because i'm trying to break out of my extreme 3-month writer's block. :P
oh, and...
MERRY CHRISTMAS, moirariordan!!!!!!
Title: Here we are
Pairing: Harry/Hermione
Rating: G
Word Count: 1961
Prompt: tag, you’re it, and this picture
Notes: Happy Christmas moirariordan!!! Sorry this is late, but, well…. XD Oh, and I’m hopeless with titles… un-beta'd, as usual....
We were in the South of France when things began to change.
We were thin; it had been weeks since the last decent meal we had eaten at a table. Harry was almost as thin as he had been the first time I saw him, and Ron was starting to look shorter, as if his emaciation was causing him to fold in upon himself. I, I could count my ribs without touching them, could feel the gusts of wind play my ribs like a xylophone. Transfigured food wasn’t nourishing for long, especially after four weeks. We shouldn’t be doing much magic either, I would always remind them.
It was dawn, and I couldn’t sleep. The days were bleeding into each other and I can’t remember if it was Tuesday or Thursday the last time I slept. I looked around our shelter, a makeshift cave I had warded with Harry’s blood. It would hold for a week before our magical signatures would give us away. We were hiding in plain sight, a charming Muggle village below us, and a prominent Wizarding one behind us.
Ron was snoring, lightly, enough for me to stay calm and not want to rush over to check on him. Next to him was an empty rumpled sleeping bag, Gryffindor red.
Harry was slumped in the small opening, watching the sun come up and bathe the Muggle village in light. I walk over to him, my footsteps silent and steady.
“Harry, you should sleep.” My hand brushes his shoulder and he doesn’t flinch. I sit next to him, taking it as a sign he’s willing to talk, to argue, instead of brooding like he had the past week.
He turns to me. My heart breaks to see him so downtrodden, so pale and distraught. He’s sporting deep purple shadows under his eyes from lack of sleep and I want to pull him into my own bony embrace.
“We’ll have to go north again.” His voice cracks, as if he hasn’t said anything in days. I sigh.
“Harry, the last time-“
He stands up suddenly and I can hear Ron stir. “Yes, I know.” His voice is louder and he can’t look at me. “The last time was a mistake; we were at the wrong place. I know, Hermione.”
I sigh again and stand up to follow him. I reach out, my arm is outstretched and my hand is pleading with him to stay with us and stay calm and come to me, let me love you.
Neither boy catches that last meaning. Ron stands up, too, between us, and pleads with his eyes for me to not screw it up this time.
I let my hand fall and Harry walks away. I watch as he angrily stuffs his sleeping bag into his rucksack. He jerks his head, commanding us to follow him. Ron and I stare, and then we spring into motion to follow.
~*~
Harry leads us to Paris. We have to use some of his money for a hotel, and as I’m the only one of our trio that knows any French, I make our reservations.
The city is still beautiful, this evening. It’s different than the hovels and caves we’ve crawled through. We stay at a place I came with my parents to some summers ago. I get one room; we can share a bed for warmth and protection. I sleep easier knowing my boys are safe.
We eat, enjoying the company and fresh air, the view and the utter peace and anonymity the city offers us. Our previous home, sandwiched between the two worlds, I put false trails out so if we were tracked, they wouldn’t trace us here for a day or two. We’re free to relax, for now.
I sleep soundly, Ron on my left and Harry on my right. The bed is small and they are both pressed against me until I can’t breathe, but I know I’d not have it any other way.
~*~
My eyes open once first light hits. I blink and take in the unfamiliar surroundings. I can feel Ron behind me, his back against mine on this wonderfully soft bed. I blush as I find myself wrapped around Harry. Somehow, he’s become my pillow. My head is on his shoulder, and an arm and leg both are draped across him. I can feel the muscles of his chest contract and release as he breathes and I look up at his face to see if he’s awake.
I blush again to find his brilliant green eyes locked on mine. I start to move but he holds me against him. I can feel his arms wrapped around me and with his free hand he takes mine and entwines our fingers. I feel a ghost of a kiss on my head as I look at our hands. When I look up at him again he closes his eyes to tell me to sleep, sleep until we’re all fully rested.
~*~
Before I’m fully awake I can feel a frenzy of movement in the room. Harry embraces Ron and kisses my forehead before running out of the room. I jump out of the bed and run to the door before I even realize what’s happened, but Ron stops me with a hand on my elbow before I can throw the door open. I look at him, but he can’t meet my eyes, only shrugs.
“Look,” he points to the window.
“Hedwig,” I breathe and cross to her. She blinks at me and nods slightly, allowing me to look at the message she brought. I scan it once, twice, a smile forming on my lips before I turn to Ron. “They’ve found another.” I sit down on the bed, stunned. “Harry’s gone after it.”
Ron puts his arms around my shoulders, but I shrug him off and stand again. “We have to-“
“No.”
“Ron, we have to-“
“No. Harry said he’d be back within an hour. He’s only gone to scout it out with the Order, and then he’ll be back.”
“But-“
“No, Hermione.”
I shake my head. “What if he needs me? Which one is it? I need to know so I can find the significance, so we can destroy it.” I’ve begun to pace and throw my hands around. Ron looks at me, a strange look on his face.
“He told us to arrange breakfast and to checkout. I think we’ll need another room, in a different place tomorrow.”
I nod absently, thinking that maybe we finally found Ravenclaw’s relic. She was rumoured to favour France, but maybe it was Hufflepuff’s. We’ve seen nothing of the cup since the last Horcrux was destroyed.
Finally I cease my pacing to find Ron sitting on the bed with our belongings piled by the door. He’s writing on parchment, carefully balancing it on his knees. I’m curious, but with all of us so close, we need a few harmless secrets.
Like when Harry walks through the door, it takes everything in me not to run and jump into his arms. I’m so relieved he’s okay and alive. He nods at Ron and smiles at me. I can’t help but run to him and throw my arms around him. I hastily step back and he smiles at me again, looking healthier and younger. He holds something out to me. Ron sits up, parchment abandoned as I, stunned, open my hand out to his.
The object is small but heavy and I turn it over in my hand a few times before looking back at Harry. He taps it with his wand and suddenly we’re all staring at Hufflepuff’s cup.
“How?” is all I can manage to squeak out.
Harry grins. “Kingsley and Bill were both along this trip. They managed to disable the more deadly traps before I went in. It’s Hufflepuff’s cup, the fourth one we’ve found.”
The fourth one puts us that much closer to finishing this. This is a huge win for us, and we’re on the other side of the hill, especially with my theory of Ravenclaw’s relic. I breathe a sigh of relief and abandon all my hopes of secrecy as I catch Harry in another embrace. I hold him closely this time, sobbing with joy that he’s safe and foolish and we’ve found another and no one was injured this time. I close my eyes as I nuzzle further into him, smelling old magic and Harry. I linger until the silence is uncomfortable, and finally I pull away.
I have tears in my eyes, which he gently brushes away, one hand still on my hip. My breath catches, and I know our pose is intimate and Ron is still watching. I step away and his hand falls.
I still clutch the cup in my hand and we turn to Ron.
“We still have all day. Would you like to see the city?” I ask, hoping we can enjoy this day of freedom with each other. Ron nods, as does Harry, so we all take our first showers in weeks.
~*~
I check us out and get our breakfast as I wait for them to dress. The day is warm so I put on a dress. I actually feel like a girl today, not some soldier or warrior training for battle. My hair is pulled back and I have a smile on my face.
Harry leaves the room first, his unruly hair plastered to his head, still wet from the shower. My good mood is contagious and he hugs me with a smile. He keeps his arm around me, protectively, as we wait for Ron.
We eat and then we’re off to tour my favourite city in all of the world. It feels like a normal summer day, the three of us on holiday, waiting until September for school to start again. I try to let history slip into our conversation, but Ron rolls his eyes while Harry laughs. It’s familiar and I keep on.
~*~
The sun starts to set, leaving the sky brilliant in orange and pink. Ron finally looks tall among the buildings and us as he throws his head back and laughs, his hair clashing with the sky. He acts like a five year old, chasing pigeons around a fountain as Harry and I sit on a bench nearby. He takes my hand and holds it, rubbing his thumb lightly over my knuckles. The light touch sends shivers down my back and I blush as I watch Ron.
He comes upon a group of schoolchildren, all at least two heads shorter than he. They all gather around him, their shining faces looking up and up at him, pleading for him to play. I laugh and he looks over, gesturing for us to join them.
I pull Harry up with the hand he’s holding and we join Ron and the schoolchildren in a loud game of tag. Ron is it, and the girls scream as he chases them first. I smile and laugh, watching him and Harry play. I clutch my side after running away, and coach some boys to hide behind me. Ron tags Harry who instantly chases me.
I squeal when he catches me. He grabs my waist, picking me up and twirling me around. I run from his embrace and tag the nearest child before Harry catches me again. He lifts me up and pulls me closer to him.
“Harry?” I look over his shoulder at Ron. The Eiffel Tower is in the background, while the children laugh and scream and the birds fly away.
In the midst of this, our Horcrux hunt and things changing, and in my favourite city, Harry dips his head and kisses me.