Chapter twenty eight; Respite

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It had been nice to sleep through the full night, and not with one eye open either. Olivia woke up feeling satisfied for the first time in months, she felt no struggle anymore. The five hours of solid sleep she had acquired had been absolute bliss, especially after almost ten days of sleeping with one eye open. It felt nice to just relax and not have to worry about being snatched whenever she fell asleep.

She noticed how quiet the tent was when she woke up that morning, the only audible sound being the birds chirping away outside. Ron's bed next to hers was unmade with his bag sat open on the covers. Olivia pushed herself up and slid into her boots before reaching over to grab one of Ron's fleeces to pull over her long sleeved t-shirt.

With her arms crossed over her chest for warmth she headed outside to find her three friends.

The morning that had settled over the small lake in the open forest line was beautiful. The sky the brightest shade of blue and the distant sun beated down over the county. The snow had disappeared as they welcomed the new month.

Harry, Hermione and Ron were stood over by the partly frozen lake and turned to face Olivia once Ron pointed her out, "How do you feel?"

Olivia nodded her head, "Great really," She told them, "I forgot how amazing it was to get more than two hours sleep a night."

Hermione smiled, "Aside from the sleep, how do you feel?"

Olivia had told them about the retrieval of the bracelet and what she had been up to over the past few days. She had told them how Snape had helped her to escape and how when it went tits up he came to the rescue by distracting Bellatrix. She'd also explained the positions the Carrow siblings held in the school, their punishment methods and how Amycus was now wandless by Olivia's doing.

Olivia smiled briefly and held her wrist up, looking at her bracelet intensely, "I feel much better, which is strange."

"How so?" Harry asked, speaking to her for the first time.

Olivia looked over to Harry and pursed her lips. He was stood looking awfully defensive, the wand Ron had nicked in his hand and quite an uncertain expression on his face. Olivia could guess that he looked doubtful that she actually felt better and that she wasn't just lying. She hid a small grin and met Harry's eyes, "I don't feel like strangling you with my hair anymore, Potter."

Harry, somewhat taken aback, was quick to jump on the defensive train, "So because you found your bracelet and put it back on you don't feel the urge to kill me anymore?" He asked before shaking his head, "I don't buy it. A person can't just change like that."

Olivia dismissed his words and jutted her hip to the side while reaching for the clasp of her bracelet with an arched brow, "Want to test the theory?" She quipped.

Harry shook his head wordlessly and turned away from Olivia to look elsewhere. His silence started one to overcome them all while they stood about quietly, not sure what to say to one another. In Olivia's mind, she wanted to speak to Harry. To apologise for almost murdering him on an angered rampage and to also give him a piece of her mind while she had herself under control. Harry needed to know that his last words to her before she left were uncalled for.

It was a while before Hermione broke the silence, bringing each of them from their respective thoughts, "So, what now?"

Ron looked expectantly to Harry and Hermione followed but it was Olivia who suggested their next move as she looked out to the small lake with her arms crossed, "I think we should go to see Xenophilius Lovegood."

While Ron's jaw dropped, Harry looked to Olivia incredulously, "I thought you said—"

"I know what I said." She interrupted while looking to him, "But when I had time to myself I had the chance to sit down and actually process the idea. I'm just as curious as Hermione, if not more, to know what that symbol Dumbledore was using meant. I want to know what I've been dreaming about and what I was inking into my skin."

Hermione nodded, "Okay. We'll go and visit Xenophilius Lovegood."

They reached a mutual agreement by nodding silently and it seemed neither person had any intention of moving nor speaking. Olivia chewed the bottom of her lip nervously before speaking up, "Harry?" The boy turned to face her silently, "Can we talk?"

Harry blinked several times before finally nodding slowly. He got up off the small blanket he had been sitting on and walked in her direction to meet her. All the while Olivia glanced over to Hermione and Ron, asking silently for some alone time so they could talk. Hermione noticed the meaning of her actions and nodded to Olivia before turning on her back and preparing to walk back up to the tent.

She had taken two of three steps when she came to realise Ron was still stood in his place, staring ahead at Olivia while trying to decipher what it was she wanted. With her own exasperated sigh, Hermione turned back and grabbed Ron's arm before proceeding to drag him along. 

"Wh-what are you doing?" He gaped.

Hermione rolled her eyes while continuing to pull Ron along, "For gods sakes Ronald, you can be so thick sometimes."

With Ron and Hermione's bickering as background noise, Olivia resorted to looking down the the ground while kicking the dirt about. Whatever was about to be said between her and Harry was guaranteed to be awkward. Olivia had, after all, almost killed him on impulse. She wasn't really expecting him to not say something to her however and was surprised when he didn't even spare her a glance. She swallowed her pride and pushed past her stubbornness for once to make the first move.

The initial clearing of her throat was awkward and what followed was no better.

"Harry?" She asked curiously of the boy who lived but after sensing no reply she decided to continue, "I-I want to apologise for almost killing you." She told him, swallowing thickly, "It was irrational and I was blindsided by my anger and— are you even listening to me?"

She watched as Harry showed no indication of him listening to a word she had to say. Olivia's nostrils flared as she stared irritably at Harry and after a moment, sat down in front of him and clapped right in his face, "I'm trying to apologise to you, you ignorant tosspot. The least you could do is fucking listen to me."

Harry finally looked to Olivia and the irritate expression on her face. She was right in what she was saying to him; she was attempting to apologise and the very least he could do was listen to what she had to say. He nodded at her a few times, "Yeah, sorry 'bout that."

Olivia didn't expect an apology from Harry, but took it nonetheless. Nodding her head, she continued, "Right, I am sorry mate. I didn't mean to kill you, you know? It was all just a bit mental."

"I know—" Harry agreed.

"—I was just on edge I reckon, the whole on the run and fugitive thing finally got to me. I feel a lot better now though."

"That's good."

"Yeah, it is. Although you were being a right knob about the whole thing Harry, you know?"

Harry's agreeing came to a halt. His eyebrows knitted together and he started at Olivia incredulously, "I-I was being—? What? How was it me?"

"You brought Draco into it." She replied calmly before tutting, "Dick move, Potter." Harry spluttered while his eyes remained wide. Olivia sighed deeply and sat on her bum, drawing her knees up to her chest, "He's a sensitive subject Harry. I know he did wrong, what you said was uncalled for."

For a long time Harry was speechless, he tried multiple times to defend himself or form a reply but he couldn't think what to say, "I—" He sighed, "—you're right. I shouldn't of said that, I'm sorry."

A small smile graced Olivia's face as she looked at Harry, "Apology accepted, only if you'll accept mine."

A small laugh passed Harry's lips and he nodded his head, "Yes Olivia, I accept your apology."

Olivia's smile widened and she looked out to the area surrounding them with satisfaction, "I wasn't going to leave until you accepted it either way."

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With everything between the four friends finally looking up again, they had some time to relax before they dove into their next hectic mission. It was a rarity for all four to be sat outside the tent, laughing and smiling together without any knock on affect or ill feeling from a Horcrux.

Sat around a small fire they had made, each of them sat with a smile on their faces. Olivia was sat next to Ron, with her arm linked into his while resting her head on his shoulder. The night had been dedicated to reminiscing the old and new while they had a small period of respite.

A story that had just been retold by Olivia was the one in which she had purposefully shoved Ginny into Harry, in order to catch the boys eye. Each of them remembered vividly as Olivia and Ginny then proceeded to chase each other around Hogwarts, firing spells as a decoy and Olivia jumping over Professor Flitwick.

The one that came after that was the night of their second year when Harry and Ron flew Arthur's Ford Angelina all the way to Scotland after they missed the Hogwarts Express. When Ron crashed the car right into the Womping Willow before it drove itself into the Forbidden Forest.

The current topic of conversation was who they had fought with in school, not just duels but actual fights. Olivia had picked numerous fights during her period of schooling, the majority of them with Pansy Parkinson — whom she had grown to tolerate. She had also picked fights with several Professors and other students around the castle, putting her at the top of who'd fought the most.

Hermione came in at a close second all thanks to her quick decision to punch Draco Malfoy square in the face in their third year. The almighty hit was discussed and laughed about for a while, but it didn't take long for one of them to fall to overpowering emotions.

When Olivia's laugher died down suddenly the three knew the underlying cause.

Draco Malfoy was becoming quite a problem to Olivia. It was a fight not to think about him and it took a great deal of focus to think of something different. The mention of his name, or a memory even, was all it took for her mind to drift to thinking of him. As of the moment, Olivia wasn't very strong minded like she usually was. If she was placed in the face of danger she could muster enough concentration to protect herself, but Draco Malfoy was ultimately her weakness.

She chewed on the inside of her cheek silently while taking a sudden interest in the fire, "I wonder how he is."

Her words were nothing but a mere whisper under her breath but they were loud enough for the three to hear. Ron rubbed her arm and pretended like he never even knew the boy as he prepared to comfort Olivia, "I'm sure he'll be alright."

Hermione had done the same, shoved all of her feelings towards Draco under the rug in order to aid her friend, "You'll see him soon and then hopefully you can be together."

"I don't want to see him until the war is done with."

"Why not?" Harry asked with a frown.

"Because being around him makes me lose concentration, I can't afford to do that. It'll cost mine, or somebody else's life the minute I think about him."

Hermione cocked her head to the side, "Olivia, thinking about somebody you love isn't a weakness."

"Isn't it?" Olivia replied, "Say we got attacked now — touch wood — I wouldn't be able to fight quick. My reactions are off because my heads a sloppy mess." She grumbled, "I hate it."

Ron butted shoulders with her, "You know that's not a bad thing? I reckon it'll only prove to make you stronger in the end because you'll have to fight harder not to think about him."

Dumbfounded by his words of wisdom, the three stared at Ron blankly for what could've been minuets. It was Olivia who eventually cracked a smile and shoved him playfully, "Who are you and what've you done with Ronald Weasley?"

Ron laughed astonished, "What? I say one smart thing and you think it's not me. I don't believe this."

Harry laughed, "Is that how you stay focused then Ron? Not think about your loved ones."

Olivia smirked as both Ron and Hermione flushed — the latter discreetly, "Well, I-I mean—"

"Aha! I knew it!" Olivia beamed while shoving him again, almost too hard that he nearly toppled to the side.

"Aw, come on Liv." Ron grumbled, "What are you doing to me."

"Nothing!" She defended with a high pitched laugh, "Nothing."

"Why can't you just take my advice and say thank you?" Ron frowned, crossing his arms to sulk.

"Your right Ron." Olivia said while slinging her arm around his shoulder, "I'm sorry, we love you. Harry and I will be sure to take the advice."

Harry's eyes widened drastically as he looked to Olivia in shock. Her and Hermione started to laugh as the tension between Harry and Ron suddenly grew and the two avoided eye contact all together. While throwing her head back and pulling Ron closer into her side, a bright smile filled Olivia's face and she looked to her three best friends, "I love you guys, so much."

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