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When Ethaline woke up she didn't feel Harry's warmth anymore making her feel two things.
One, annoyed.
Two, worried.
She immediately stood up and looked around, seeing the tent unharmed before concluding everything was fine as Hermione was sleeping soundly at her own bed. Ethaline was quick to change and do her on the run morning routine, brushing out her long blonde hair and letting it flow feeling down her back.
She heard some voices outside making her grab her wand and listen for a quick second before stepping out. Sighing in relief she put the wand down and looked at Harry, "Did you decide to go for a morning dip?"
"Not exactly," Harry replied, shivering before Ethaline reached inside and grabbed him a blanket. She immediately wrapped him in it, holding him tightly as the worried thoughts began to circle her mind.
Where had he been?
Was he harmed?
"I'm okay," Harry replied, kissing her forehead gently. His cold lips made her flinch slightly before she nodded, accepting his answer. "In fact I'm more than okay..." he said as Ron came out of the bushes.
The ginger blushed the color of his hair, "I had to take a wee."
Ethaline raised an eyebrow, "I thought you'd grace me with your absence a little more." She teased, making him shrug.
"I couldn't take the crown of drama queen that's reserved for you." Ron fired back, making her smile before she nodded his way gently.
Ron did the same, feeling her welcome just as Hermione walked out of the tent. "Is everything alright? I best not be in the middle of another argument—" she immediately stopped talking when she saw Ron.
Ron gave her an awkward toothy smile, "Mione." He said, holding his arms out.
Hermione flared her nostrils, "Where's my wand?!"
Ethaline and Harry were quick to move back, the two of them hitting a tree as she approached them like a mad woman, "You tell me where my wand is—"
"I don't know!" Harry said, the warm feeling of a reunion falling short as Hermione furiously grabbed some dirt and threw it at Ron.
"You're a complete—" she hit him once, "Arse Ronald Weasley!"
Ethalien inhaled sharply before it became quite, she sucked in her cheeks, "So no I miss you kiss?"
Harry snorted lightly while shaking his head as Ron and Hermione avoided eye contact and sent daggers in their friends direction. "Shut up Malfoy," Ron muttered before they all began to walk over to the tent.
Hermione however, opted out and said she as going to check the barrier. Once they were inside Ethaline grabbed a cup of warm butterbeer and handed it to Ron, not even asking if he wanted one. The ginger knew not to decline it and took a sip do it.
"How did you find us?" Ethaline asked immediately, knowing that if it was easy then they should really move again.
Ron quickly shut her down, "It wasn't easy. The first hour after I left I wanted to go back," he admitted, "I just couldn't find you guys. I was staying at the Leaky Couldron for some weeks before looking for you guys again. I ran into some odd bloke, wanted to take me in but I got out just in time—" Ron grabbed his back quickly, "Which reminds me! I've got another wand!"
Ethaline furrowed her eyebrows and turned to Harry, "Why on earth did you need another wand?"
He pulled our the wand from behind him, "It broke. Hermione cast a spell and it rebounded over at Godric's Hollow. I didn't know you, well you didn't know."
Ethaline nodded slowly as Ron continued, "Anyway, there was a light...a light that appeared one day and I began to follow it—something inside me was telling me to follow it and it led me here, to you guys. Specifically Harry."
The blonde turned to Harry again, "Where did you go? When I awoke you were gone." Ethaline raised an eyebrow to encourage him to speak.
"It was quite odd really," Harry admitted, "There was a doe...a patronus and it led me to the river where Godric Gryffindor's sword was at. Ron saved me and destroyed the Horcrux." Harry showed her the broken locket and the sword.
Ethakine let out a sigh of relief and took the information in before she stood up, "I'm going to check on our resident muggle born...hopefully she fell in a ditch somewhere and is stuck because I don't fancy a walk to find her."
And with that she left and began to look for her.
Over by the rock she saw Hermione sitting down, her eyes starring down at a book but judging by the look on her face she wasn't reading. When Hermione heard the crunching of leaves she immediately wiped the tears and looked up. "Malfoy."
"Don't sound to happy," Ethaline muttered, motioning for her to scoot over and she did before Ethaline took a seat in the hard ground next to her.
There was some silence that went on for a minute or two, both girls starring over at the tent where the two boys were currently sitting at. "Funny little thing Ron is...isn't he?" Ethaline suddenly said, making Hermione frown.
"I don't know way you mean."
"He leaves...and then comes back and expects you to forgive him just like that." Ethaline continued, an amused look on her face, "It's funny—hilarious even."
Hermione cracked a smile, "I suppose it is." She replied quietly.
Ethaline bit her lip slightly, "Under different circumstances I'd tell you to make him work for your forgiveness...to hold a grudge so he can see how much he hurt you but I can't say the same thing now."
Hermione turned to a fever, bringing her knees to her chest, "Why not?"
"You're a smart girl Granger," Ethaline muttered, "We're running on borrowed time. Only mighty beings know how long we'll be here. With that being said, not forgiving him is wasting it when you could be loving someone or appreciating their presence because they could be gone in an instant."
Hermione took her words into consideration, her face leaning into her knees, "Then I want to say thank you." Hermione muttered before looking up at Ethaline.
"I want to say thank you for protecting me and pushing me out of harms way...I know you do it because you're giving me time to run invade they ever caught us...because I'm Muggleborn."
Ethaline shook her head, "Not just because of that Granger.,,"
Hermione looked genuinely surprised, "Then why else?"
"Because you're important to Harry...and you're...well you're important to me." She muttered, looking away as Hermione inched closer to her.
"Because I'm what?" Hermione teased, knowing she wasn't going to say it again but still taunting her.
"I think they're calling us—"
"No they're not." Hermione said, her smile evident as the two girls laughed quietly.
There was silence once again before Hermione broke it, "You're important to me too," Hermione said, watching as Ethaline tried to hide the smile forming on her face.
"Of course I'm important I'm the mother of dragons." Ethaline said, standing up, "If my friends saw me on the ground they'd pick me right back up."
Hermione chuckled, the smile never leaving before the two made their way back into the tent. Hermione kept her words into consideration and subconsciously forgave Ron, she just wanted to see how far he'd go for her forgiveness.
The group discussed what was next, awkwardly agreeing to head to the Lovegood's residence. However Ron couldn't help but make the situation awkward as he made them raise their hand to vote because he was trying to get on Hermione's good side,
Ethaline was quick to mature the moment as she ignored the two, "We've been camping out for months trying to figure out what's next. This is our only lead." She said making Harry think about it.
"What if we waste time—"
"We have that," Ethaline cut off, "We have time because we don't know what we're doing."
Harry pinched the bridge of his nose, considering her words before finding that it was their best solution. He sighed, "Alright let's go. Ron will you be alright apparating?"
"Never better, mate."