Work Text:
The ground was cold. Her body ached - like a hippogriff had been sitting on her for several hours. The pounding in her head was what caused her body to stir as she pushed herself up from the ground. There was a tree nearby that she could crawl to as protection from the snow. Hermione let out a groan as she crawled across the frozen ground and positioned herself in front of the tree. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back with a sigh.
"How did I end up here?" she groaned, scrubbing her hands over her face. After a few moments of shivering, Hermione reached for her pocket. She wrapped her fingers around the base of her wand and slowly pulled it out of her pocket - well, part of it anyways. "You've got to be kidding me."
Hermione took a deep breath, mumbling a warming charm under her breath as she pulled the other half of her wand out of her hands. She studied it for a few minutes as she waited for the charm to begin working its magic. Glancing around, Hermione took note of her surroundings. Everything was covered with snow and ice; she most certainly wasn't in London anymore. While it was important for her to determine where she was, Hermione's more pressing issue was to stay alive until someone came along or regained enough of her strength for her to go find more shelter.
Soon Hermione found her eyelids getting heavy and her body urging her to go to sleep. The warming charm would work enough to help her survive the night, but when morning came, she knew she needed to get moving. She couldn't stay lost in the woods forever. If she were lucky, she'd stumble into a village knowledgeable of the magical folks. With a sigh, Hermione closed her eyes, giving in to her body's wishes - hoping her body would be discovered soon.
. . . . . . . .
"Ghost," Jon yelled, chasing after him through the snow. "Where the hell are you going?"
Jon's foot slid out from underneath him as he moved down the hillside, dropping down to his knees as he continued down the hill. He shook his head and cursed under his breath as he felt something tear through his pants and lacerate his shin. He winced, biting down on his lower lip, digging his heel into the snow to stop his slide.
Wolf let out a howl as he began sniffing around the tree across from where Jon was kneeling. As the snow was disturbed by Wolf's investigation, Jon noticed the snow was hiding something. He pushed himself off the ground and made his way over to the tree, brushing his hand over the object that was hidden by the snow. Jon studied the thing he was unburying with a furrowed brow and suddenly realized he was uncovering a leg. He reached forward and pulled the body away from the tree, allowing the snow to fall to the ground, revealing her face.
Jon looked at the face of the young woman in his arms and cursed under his breath. He stood up and slid his arm under her nears, lifting her into the air. With a glance down at Wolf, he nodded his head. "Good boy. Let's get her to the other side of the wall."
. . . . . . . .
Hermione's eyes fluttered open slowly. Her heart began to race as she pushed herself up on the bed, looking frantically around the room for a sign as to where she was. She tossed the blanket aside and began to climb off the bed when the door cracked open.
"You're awake," the man said, offering a smile as he closed the door behind him and made his way over to the bed. He took a seat beside her and offered her a bowl of soup. "Here, you need to eat something."
Hermione furrowed her brow and took the bowl offered to her with a cautious smile. "Thanks," she began, looking at the man seated beside her, eyeing him up and down slowly. She furrowed her brow as she lifted the bowl to her lips, taking a sip. Normally she would prefer to use a spoon, but she would compromise at this point. Besides, she needed to figure out where in Merlin's name she was and how she got here.
"Welcome to Winterfell," he said, leaning back in the chair by her bedside. He crossed his arms over his chest as he watched her eat. He could tell she was anxious about her situation, and he couldn't blame her. It had been touch and go with her life for the first few days she was here. "My name is Jon Snow. Ghost, my dire wolf, and I were out to check the base of the wall when he caught your scent."
Hermione slowly nodded her head as she lowered the bowl from her lips to her lap. She looked up at Jon with a soft smile on her lips. "Thank you, Jon Snow, for saving my life."
"You should thank Ghost," Jon laughed, reaching out to take the bowl away from her. "I wanted to turn back long before we found you, but he wouldn't give up his search."
Hermione started to laugh but winced in pain, reaching for her ribs. She cursed herself under her breath for not casting a repair when she had the chance after she had first woken up in the woods. Her body had already started to heal, which meant she'd be in pain for a while - her best guess was a few broken ribs from a crash landing in Winterfell. She straightened herself up a bit and offered a hand to Jon. "I'm Hermione Granger, it's a pleasure to meet you, and I look forward to meeting Ghost at some point during my recovery."
"And he, you," Jon replied, shaking her hand. He looked at her for a few moments, his calloused fingertips brushing over her soft skin as a smile pulled at the corners of his lips. "What were you doing outside the wall?"
"What do you know about magic?" Hermione asked, wrapping her arms around her stomach, worrying her lip as she waited for his response.
"I've heard legends, but I always assumed they were nothing more than stories," Jon replied.
Hermione chuckled, letting out a small yawn, stretching her arms out by her side. It seemed to hurt less when they weren't extended above her head.
"Rest," Jon insisted, pushing himself up from the chair. "You've had a long few days, and your body is only beginning to recover. We can talk more in the morning. Good night, Hermione Granger."
"Good night, Jon Snow," Hermione replied, scooting down on the bed as she rested her head on the pillow. Sleep came quickly to the young witch as Jon Snow kept a watchful eye on her from the far side of the door. Other than her name, he knew nothing of her, but he could tell she was worth getting to know.