the guardian | h.potter

6.4

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— The snow beneath Finley was cold and the sticks poking her butt were hard.

She could be sat on her cot, wrapped up in Harry's arms. All snuggled and cozy and warm.

But, she chose to sit out here.

She did so because Hermione was too stubborn to go inside where Ron was. Harry sat beside his best friend, chatting it up with him.

The girls were right outside the tent flaps, their backs to the tent.

Finley could feel Harry's gaze every so often. She could hear bits and pieces of their conversation.

She decided to spark up her own.

"You can't stay mad at him forever," Finley pointed out as she fiddled with a broken stick in her hand.

"I know that, but he doesn't." Hermione smirks over at Finley with a mischievous glint in her eyes before focusing back on the woods in front of her.

"And how long do you plan on keeping up this show? I'd like to have the old us back, now." Finley snapped the twig into more little pieces, collecting them in one hand before throwing each at a tree several feet away.

Before Hermione could answer, the sound of a small explosion and Harry screaming, "Reducio!"

"What's going on in there?" Hermione snapped, standing up and entering the tent.

"Nothing," both the boys answered immediately.

Finley followed behind Hermione, catching a glimpse of Harry stuffing his new wand in his pocket.

"We need to talk," Hermione started.

"Y-Yeah, all right." Ron nodded. He and Harry stood in front of the girls. Hermione shot Finley a mischievous glance subtly before walking forward to stand in between the boys on the other side of Finley.

"I want to see Xenophilius Lovegood," Hermione declared. Finley eyed the book in Hermione's hands, nodding softly to herself.

"Sorry?" Harry questioned almost immediately. He didn't expect that from her at all.

Hermione opened her book to flip to the marked page. "See this?" She showed the page to Harry. "It's a letter Dumbledore wrote to Grindelwald. Look at the signature."

Finley approached the two, taking the book from Hermione when they were done with it to see what they had seen. "It's the same mark."

"It keeps cropping up," Hermione commented. She closed the book that was handed back to her. In 'Beedle The Bard.' In the graveyard in Godric's Hollow."

"It was there, too." Harry's eyes casted to focus on nothing.

"Where?" Finley tilted her head.

"Out-Outside Gregorovitch's Wand Shop," Harry informed wearily. As if coming to a conclusion he didn't like.

"But what does it mean?" Ron spoke up. He was lost through most of this whole conversation, but held on by a thread of information he knew.

"Look, you've got no idea where the next Horcrux is, and neither do I. But this– this means something. I'm sure of it." Hermione nodded, maintaining eye contact with Harry to prove how serious she was.

Finley's focus wavered as her thoughts clouded her mind.

"Yeah," Ron agrees confidently, doing anything in his power to win Hermione's affection back. "Hermione's right!" Ron strutted to stand beside the girl, getting a little too close. "We ought to see Lovegood."

Finley chuckled at the redhead, shaking her head.

"Uh, let's vote on it." Ron nodded to himself, as if it was the best plan of the day. "Those in favor?" Ron raised his hand high in the air.

The other three stared at him with deadpanned expressions.

He couldn't be serious, could he?

Ron noticed the silence and the looks, lowering his hand awkwardly. Hermione raised her eyebrows. It wasn't long before she was making her way to exit the tent once more.

"It's settled, we're going. We leave in the morning." Finley nodded to the two other boys, leaving no room for comments.

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Finley laid on top of Harry's chest as he slept, later that night. Her hands were on his forehead, studying the scar with curiosity and wonder.

It was around four in the morning now, and she hadn't slept a wink. She never did these days.

Finley traced the lightning bolt from the top to the bottom, gently. As if handling a shard of glass.

Harry mumbled to himself with a groan, turning over slightly at the weight on top of him.

It wasn't unusual for her to be on top of him, so he stayed asleep for the most part.

"Fin?" He mumbled, most likely a single brain cell working to communicate with his girlfriend. "What're y'doing up?" He slurred, raising one of his hands to pet down her wild red hair.

"Couldn't sleep," she answered in a whisper.

He hummed, slowly starting to wake up more. But if left in the quiet long enough, he'd be out easily.

"Why?"

"I don't know. Still on edge, I guess." She half-answered. It wasn't a completely true answer, but it'd suffice this state of Harry.

"Try to get some sleep, please. You need it."

Finley chuckled quietly, shaking her head. "Was that an insult?"

"I don't know. Was it? What'd I say?" Harry questioned, not even opening his eyes anymore.

"Go back to sleep," Finley commanded in a gentle tone.

He hummed once more, leaning his head slightly forward. "Kiss."

Finley grinned, leaning forward to meet him in the middle to connect their lips in a soft kiss. "Good, now go back to sleep."

Harry drunkly smiled to himself before passing out once again.

Finley stayed silent the rest of the night as she continued to fiddle and tease with Harry's scar on his forehead.

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Author's Note: we love a fellow insomniac
- J.S.