Wolfblood

CHAPTER FIVE

Page count: 13

Several days had passed since Derek had taken Hermione's spare bedroom for himself and they'd been getting along rather well. The first morning of his stay with her, Hermione had apparated him back to his home –which he hated and swore to never do it again- and he packed himself some clean clothes and wash products before they returned to the cottage.

In the days that came after, Hermione and Derek barely left the cottage due to the storm that held the residents of Beacon Hills hostage; the rain being harsh and loud, the wind biting and cold, and the sky dark and grey. Being confined in the cottage, they'd spent a lot of time getting to know each other, gaining a better understanding of one another, and when they got a little overwhelmed being stuck in the cottage together, they read in silence.

Hermione had shown Derek her library and his astonished expression at just how many books she owned had made her laugh. Whilst she got the feeling he didn't enjoy reading as much as she did, she knew that he had an appreciation for learning and knowledge. He'd been interested in some of her books on magical creatures, spell work and potions, but once he'd walked past her potions lab and gotten a whiff of the potions that were being brewed behind the closed door, he swore to never go near it again.

And finally, after days of rain and storms, the weather had cleared up and the sun had made an appearance. As soon as Hermione woke that morning, the first thing she did was dress and ready for the day, excited that she could leave the cottage without the risk of returning like a drowned rat and unable to feel her body parts. She'd decided to go hiking through the woods, wanting to do some more exploring but before that, she needed to take Snowball to see Dr. Deaton.

She left her room, Magic and Crookshanks following at her heels as she made her way to the kitchen. She quickly fed them both before moving to collect Snowball from his cage, and he perched on her shoulder as she made herself some breakfast, feeding him little bits of toast and cooked bacon whilst she waited for the eggs.

By the time she'd finished and taken a seat at the table, Derek made an appearance, dressed for the day but still looking half asleep. She had quickly learned that it was best not to talk to him until after he'd had his first cup of coffee.

He took the chair opposite her, gratefully picking up the mug of coffee she'd left beside his breakfast, held under a Stasis Charm to keep it warm. As he sipped at the hot liquid, he eyed the wild bird sitting on her shoulder, rubbing its head against Hermione's cheek and nipping at her finger affectionately as she gave him some more bacon.

He'd seen Hermione and the owl interact like this several times over the last few days and he still found it odd how the wild animal trusted Hermione so much. Hermione had tried to get him to pet the owl but after seeing the way the owl had looked at him, as if it wanted to bite him, he'd refused to go anywhere near it.

He moved his eyes away from her shoulder and down her body, seeing that not only was she ready for the day, but that she appeared as though she planned to leave the cottage.

"What are you up to?"

She sat up straight in her chair after she'd been bent over slightly, scratching Magic behind the ears as he sat beside her.

"I need to take Snowball to the animal clinic for a check-up, and then I thought I'd go for a walk in the woods, and I might take Magic with me. It's been a while since I've been able to take him for a proper walk and he's been too full of energy over the last few days."

He snorted at her, knowing that it was true. He'd be sat reading and unexpectedly he'd find himself being pounced on by the over-excited puppy that just wanted to play and wouldn't leave him alone until he threw his ball, played tug of war with an old rag and then gave him a belly rub.