The Confectionary Chronicles || HP/SPN

Lollies and Loki- CH33

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE:

Loki returned to Henningsvær on a surprisingly clear winter's day; the sun was bright, the skies were blue and the air was cool but crisp, carrying both the scent of the ocean and a promise of the warmer months ahead. He didn't send a message, or alert anyone that he was coming, he just appeared in the living room— literally appeared, in fact, right out of thin air in front of a startled, panicking Hermione who'd reacted on pure instinct by blasting him with her magic and summoning both the wooden practice sword Gunther Gryffindor had given her and the athame Morgana had given her to either hand. The second she recognised who'd just appeared in front of her, however, the armed and braced-for-a-fight Hermione immediately dropped her somewhat-makeshift weapons where she was standing and threw herself into his arms.

The commotion she'd caused by summoning the wooden sword and athame from her bedroom to the living room had brought Fenris, the currently-mortal Sköll, his human wife Astrid and the visiting Hati all running, with Fenris, Sköll and Hati all clearly ready to fight, just as she'd been, and the preparation for violence left them just as quickly as it had left her when they realised just who it was holding her.

It was a happy reunion all around, and the news Loki had brought that the pagan deities who'd considered Ragnarök to be set in motion because of Odin's death had been dissuaded, along with any others who'd been angry with Loki's actions (something about attracting attention? Loki hadn't been at all specific about whose attention it was the deities hadn't wanted to attract, and Hermione knew better than to ask questions when he was being purposefully vague— her god was the original Silvertongue; if he didn't want to talk about something then he'd talk his way around the topic until she'd forgotten what it was she'd asked in the first place, not remembering until hours later) had been met with much cheer. Fenris was already making plans to move out, expressing his gratitude to his son for having hosted him but more than ready to stretch his metaphorical wings after regaining his godhood following nearly a century spent as a mortal, and Hati was talking about inviting Váli, Eris and Jörmungandr over and bringing out the mead to celebrate.

After her initial enthusiastic greeting, Hermione faded back slightly into the background, waiting for a quieter moment before asking Loki for a private word, to which her god willingly obliged. She wasn't sure where he took her, only that it was outdoors and that the forest clearing was warm, so wherever they were, it had to be summer. Loki sat down on the grass, under the sun, and she happily plonked down beside him, curling up into his side.

"It's good to see you, pumpkin," he told her, his voice so very fond, and she beamed up at him.

"It's so good to see you too," she told him earnestly, snuggling into his side for another hug before taking a deep breath and asking her question. "Loki," she said, "do you– do you remember your offer? From when– when I first woke up?"

Loki looked puzzled for a moment, his offer to take away her emotional pain like he'd taken away the physical pain clearly not something he'd been agonising over like she had, though comprehension quickly dawned visibly on his face, and Hermione hastened to explain to him what she'd decided on with Dr. Mia's help. "I don't want to completely forget what happened," she said, "I don't think that would help me much either, it would just be running away, but... but I don't want it to keep hurting like it does. Is that... is that weak of me?"

"Of course not," Loki said gently, his warm golden eyes so kind as he smiled warmly down at her, "sweetheart, it's human of you."

Hermione could feel the hot tears stinging at her eyes at the relief his validation of her emotions brought her, one even escaping to trickle down her cheek. "Then please," she choked, "please."