Just Around the Riverbend

Voracious Reader
angeles
ladysnape
Heidi191976
Sampdoria
Anathema
margaritama
meankitty
HarryGinny4Eva

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Hermione woke up first that morning, her pulse pounding a dull beat in her head. She was vaguely aware of someone snuggled against her, and opened her eyes to make sure she hadn’t done something stupid while drunk. She relaxed a little when she realized it was only Daisy. She vaguely remembered coming into Daisy’s room to wake her up from a nightmare, and staying with her to keep her calm.

Hermione gently disentangled herself from the soundly sleeping Daisy, and rolled slowly from the bed feeling quite nauseous and quite remorseful of her actions the previous night. She held on to one of the posters of Daisy’s bed, her tummy protesting.

She looked over as Daisy kicked off her blankets, and gasped at what she saw. Daisy’s shorts had ridden up, revealing two of her cane stripes, now a fading purple.

“Daisy!” she gasped. Daisy jumped violently, and raised her head, her blue eyes wild with sleepy panic.

“What?! Give Betsy Ross some cake, George!” she cried, and rubbed her eyes. Hermione’s pale face looked thunderous.

“Did Lucius cane you?” she asked. Daisy bent around to look at her bottom.

“Yeah. Last night. I disobeyed him and went to see Phelan.” She said, rubbing her eyes again. Hermione started towards the door. “Wait!” Daisy cried, quickly scrambling from her bed. Hermione paused at the door, looking at Daisy.

“What?”

“Don’t be mad at my cousin. What happened last night was a long time coming. I know I should be all angry and pouty about it…but I’m not so immature that I don’t realize it should have happened a while back. I told my cousin in my letter that I was easy to get along with, but since I got here I’ve been nothing but trouble. I’ve sucked at etiquette…I’ve run away into woods that I was unfamiliar with…twice…and I’ve been a general pain in his ass. My daddy would have never tolerated me acting like this. I felt so guilty that I was acting this way.
Last night was not enjoyable in the least…but it helped with some of the guilt I felt. Cousin Lucius said we could start over…don’t be mad at him…” Daisy said. Hermione’s rage was assuaged somewhat by Daisy’s answer.

“Are you sure you were all right with that?” Hermione asked. Daisy raised a dark eyebrow.

“Well I certainly didn’t ask him to do it, and I won’t invite him to do so again, but I’m fairly certain that I deserved it. Please don’t complicate things by going off half-cocked and…” Daisy paused, and sniffed slightly. “Half hung-over…” she said. Hermione had the grace to blush.

“Well…all right then. I’m going back to my room to find a hangover potion and take a shower.” She said, and disappeared slowly down the hall. Daisy shook her head.

~~

Hermione came downstairs feeling much more like a person. Her hair was still damp from her shower, but she no longer smelled like the dark corner of a bar. Daisy and Lucius were already eating, and Hermione sat down across from Daisy, quickly filling her plate.

“Feeling better this morning, Hermione?” Lucius asked behind his paper.

“Much. I apologize for anything I might have said last night. I’m a very mouthy drunk.” She said.

“Very honest, as well. And forward.” Lucius said, his grin hidden behind the paper.

“What do you mean?” Hermione asked, feeling her stomach start to flutter.

“I had no idea you were such a potty mouth. But I did discover that you like my reading glasses. You seemed to think they were, and I quote, ‘super mega awesome foxy hot.’” Lucius said. Hermione’s face paled several shades.

Daisy paused mid-bite. “You know….if you guys are going to talk about stuff like that…please warn me so I can go….I don’t know….anywhere but here. I don’t need to know about your UST.” She said, causing Hermione’s face to go from pale to bright red.

“What is UST?” Lucius asked, lowering his paper. Daisy gave a funny look to her cousin.

“Unresolved sexual tension. And with that I leave.” She said, shoving the rest of her toast in her mouth as she stood. “Adults.” She said, her word muffled by the toast.

Hermione and Lucius sat silently for several moments, neither looking at the other. It was an awkward, cutting silence.

“So…erm….your friend Mr. Potter was in bad shape last night….” Lucius finally said. Hermione’s embarrassed look faded, replaced by one of concern.

“How bad was it?” she asked.

“Bad enough that I didn’t leave him there. He spent the night here, in a spare room.”

“What? Are you fucking retarded? You brought a mentally unstable and drunk Harry Potter to Malfoy Manor? Oh my god….sweet Merlin you’re a dumbass!” she said, looking panicked. “Where is he? You have to take me to him now!” she said. Lucius folded his paper slowly, standing from his seat with deliberate slowness. He looked down his nose at her, a slight sneer on his face.

“You told me to go check on him. I did. Do not speak that way to me in my home.” He said firmly, his blue eyes glacial. Tears filled Hermione’s eyes, and her lower lip began to tremble.

“He’s been my friend since we were eleven. Together we’ve faced Voldemort and fought in a war. He’s put up such a brave front to the public…but he’s not well. Please…if he wakes up half hung-over in a place he’s not familiar with he might finally break.” She said, her voice breaking. Lucius’ glacial expression softened.

“He needs help, Hermione. He can’t continue binge drinking to cope with the nightmares of his past.” He said.

“I know.” Hermione replied shakily. Lucius looked at her for a few moments, before he left the breakfast room, heading up the stairs. Hermione followed close behind, her stomach in knots. She was praying silently that Harry hadn’t woke up yet, and that she would be able to pull him gently from sleep.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.

As soon as Lucius opened the door Hermione knew there was a problem. The bed was empty and the covers were hanging off of the side as if the inhabitant had flown from the bed while still tangled in them. Hermione rushed past Lucius into the room, and looked around. Harry was sitting in the corner with his knees drawn up to his chest. Hermione rushed to him, going to her knees beside him.

“Harry?” she said gently. Harry lifted his head, and looked absolutely broken when he saw her.

“They got you too…” he said, tears filling his eyes. Hermione reached out and touched his face, gently pushing his black fringe away from his eyes.

“Harry…nobody got me. Harry, you’re at Malfoy Manor. I was too drunk to check on you last night, and Lucius went instead. He said you were in bad shape, so he brought you here. You’re free to go any time, Harry.” She said gently. Harry looked up, and saw Lucius standing at the doorway. Then he looked back at Hermione.

“You….you promise?” he asked, his voice breaking. She nodded, and gave him a watery smile.

“I promise. Cross my heart.” She added. Harry lowered his knees slightly, and Hermione wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close.

“I’m sorry.” He murmured into her hair.

“For what, Harry?” she asked, gently running her hand through his thick black hair.

“For being such a…a burden.” He whispered. Hermione squeezed him tightly.

“Harry Potter! You are not a burden to me! You have never been a burden, nor will you ever be a burden. My dear, dear friend.” She cooed, and kissed his forehead. Harry’s stomach grumbled, and Hermione laughed softly. “Let’s go get you a hangover potion, and then some breakfast, huh? I’d like to show you were I’ve been staying.” She said, changing the subject. Harry looked up and gave her a watery smile.

“Kay.”

~~

Daisy stood amid her newly arrived flowers, admiring the plants she had picked out. This was the first chance she’d had to really start placing them where she wanted. She decided to just place the plants where she wanted them while the morning weather was still cool, and then put them in the dirt either when the sun began to set, or the next morning, when it was cool.

She worked rather efficiently, quickly seeing the patterns of flowers in her head, and putting them were they would be planted.

She was aware of the vague feeling of being watched, but made no indication of knowing.

Phelan watched her move the plants, studying how she moved. She wasn’t very strong, he observed, as she had much trouble shifting the pots that held the roses. He could smell the light sheen of sweat she had worked up, and he had to admit it wasn’t the worst thing he’d ever smelled. Many Lycan females had the unpleasant smell of dog and dirt when they got worked up. But this little human smelled rather like blueberries.

“It’s creepy to watch people, you know.” She said loudly, moving a small pot of teal flowers. He moved closer to the shadows of the wall he was near. “Oh my god I know you’re there, wolf-man.” She said, not looking up from her task. Phelan huffed poutily. This little upstart shouldn’t know where he was…

“I was merely observing your…gardening. And why did you call me wolf-man?”

“I think we both know the answer to that question, wolfie. It was pretty obvious when you leapt over a wall of fire that you weren’t quite human.” She said. His face colored a bit. “Besides…you just look…wolfish.” She added.

“And you look….American.” he said lamely.

“Wow. Thank you Captain Obvious, leader of the Super Observant brigade.” She said sarcastically.

“Human.”

“Werewolf.”

“Bitch.”

“Pansy.”

“Whore.”

“Your mom.”

“….Fuck off.”

“Wanna help me put out the flowers?”

“…..When hell freezes over.”

“Well tell Satan to pull out the sleds, because I just recruited you.”

Daisy shoved a flat of flowers into Phelan’s hands, much to his chagrin. This little human was amusing, in an annoying sort of way…

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Aww....they're so cute. Everyone had interesting mornings.

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