closed :: restless hearts and restless souls

[heardmermaids]

Who: Hermione & Sebastian
What: A friendly chat.
Where: Hermione's flat.
When: Veerdi evening.

Despite being told that he doesn't need to bring a housewarming present, Sebastian has come to visit Hermione with a gift in hand. Should she be unimpressed, he can always say that the gift -- a cat bed in the shape of a book -- is for Crookshanks and not for her. The bed tucked under his arm is probably the first thing she'll notice about him and the second being he's brought along Velcro; from the short time they roomed together at Hellsing, Hermione is probably well aware that he never goes anywhere without his service animal.

Knock, knock?

Comments

[leviohhhhsa]

The words are like knives. That's a cliche, but it's all she knows how to liken them to. She folds her arms, presses her lips together and fights to keep her eyes locked on his. She won't look away, not if it kills her, no matter how much she wants to avert her eyes.

"God only knows what could have happened to you," she says, which is predictable but from the heart. Her tone is raw but quiet. "But we're never going to see eye to eye on this, are we?" She grits her teeth. She doesn't know what to think; it changes every second, the urge to tell him not to take these risks mingling with being happy for him, being relieved that it's worked, being proud of him in a way she can't define. And then there's the gap between universes, the subtle differences between what they both know.

"You did something right and I'm glad it worked." She shakes her head, curls flying, voice getting a little louder and a little stronger. "But- oh, I can't very well say it was right or wrong or anything else when I don't know the details, can I? In fact, I probably can't call it one thing or another at all, because it's just not that simple!"

[heardmermaids]

"I did something right? Well, there's a fi --" It's an effort of will to reign in his temper and he raises his hand to signify that he spoke without thinking.

"Hermione, it wasn't a simple choice to make," he says once his voice has evened out. "I thought about it for a long time and I spoke with many different people about it; however, in the end, it was my choice and no one else's. I can see that it troubles you not to know every detail of what I did and how the rites worked, but as my friend, I need you to trust that whatever I did was not immoral and to respect the fact that my actions were deeply personal and not anything I am willing to share."

"Can you accept that?"

[leviohhhhsa]

Her eyes flash at his first attempt, the words how dare you pretend to think I think that on her tongue, or something like them, but his quick change of heart makes her reign herself in, her mouth a flat, angry line.

She doesn't want to argue. She really doesn't, however argumentative people want to call her.

And she's not going to get anywhere. It makes her feel left out and distanced from him, but she tries to be mature, tries to remember that they're not in school anymore.

"Yes," she says at length, sounding exhausted. "Yes, or we'll spend years being stubborn at each other."

[heardmermaids]

"Thank you," he sounds profoundly relieved. If she doesn't look too put out by it, he'll even cross the room to hug her. His privacy really was something the he felt it necessary to have as a condition to their friendship, but losing Hermione's faith and companionship would've hurt him badly.

"I'm sorry to have hurt you."

[leviohhhhsa]

She sighs, responding slowly, but she does respond, wrapping her arms tightly around him.

He means it and everything, doesn't he. Typical. It amuses and upsets and annoys her all at the same time, and there's no way to change him. Even if there was, she probably wouldn't do it.

"You've got all your magic back, then?" she asks rather than linger on the issue of being hurt, not quite pulling back before she poses the question.

[heardmermaids]

"No and I don't think I ever will be able to perform magic 'properly', the way I used to. I've, ah, I've explained it to others by saying it was like a stroke and I have to relearn and rebuilt new pathways to do the same old tasks." That's not an ideal comparison, but it's something that most people can understand. "I'd always had a little bit left. I could cast a patronus charm, see dementors and thestrals, and all that, but everything else was just gone."