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They had watched the farm for weeks to ensure they knew when to strike. Whoever owned the farm had acres and acres of crops. Not counting the personal garden they kept closer to the house. It was a gold mine waiting to be hit. There were tomatoes, onions, potatoes, and wheat just ripe for the picking. It helped that it was just coming up on the first harvest and things were ready to be picked. Harry had first spotted the farm and staked it out to make sure it was safe enough for them to do a large swoop all at once.
Whoever lived here didn’t seem too concerned with the outside world. They hardly went to town, and when they did, they were never gone long. It was sheer luck that they managed to out wait them for their monthly trip to town. They had almost struck in the middle of the night when they overheard the wife talking about going into town that weekend.
So they waited, They counted the days until the owners left and plotted and planned their next move. anything that wasn’t nailed down was there for the taking. It had been so long since they had had a proper meal that everything looked delicious.
It was how they decided that it was best to find something to eat before raiding the farm. Hermione did a quick run to a local supermarket, something they hadn’t been able to risk in weeks. Her hunger caused her to overstock. Which was good in the long run but bad in the short term.
It meant they couldn’t go back to the supermarket for a while. Yet it enabled them to have a proper meal at last. Their first proper meal in weeks and it all smelled divine.
“Did you manage to get any tea?” Harry had stayed behind to sit with Ron. They had decided it was unsafe to leave him alone. Best not to risk things by tempting the fates too much. It was already bad enough that they had resorted to stealing when their muggle money had run out. But needs dictated they didn’t have a choice.
They needed the energy for what they had to pull off that evening.
“It’s in the bag somewhere.” Hermione was neck-deep in sorting out the shopping. It was the largest haul they had ever gotten, and they had trouble finding places to put things. “If we’re hitting the farms we’re going to need more cabinet space Harry. Or this just isn’t going to work. Unless you want random crates of wheat just sitting out in the main room.” Harry frowned as he looked around their tent and sighed.
He knew she was correct, they hadn’t bothered to really set up the tent with everything that had happened. They had just kept things as they had found them and run with it.
“Did you see a furniture store in town? Maybe pick up a few of those IKEA shelves?” There wasn’t an IKEA for miles, even Harry had to know that, but Hermione knew what he was talking about.
“I don’t know Harry. It might be worth a look. Wasn’t there an IKEA in North Hampshire?” They had passed through North Hampshire weeks ago. “Maybe pop back over there and pick up a few? Best to get it right the first time, so we’re not having to go back and forth on furniture.” Harry nodded, even as he pulled out a notebook and a pen.
“Anything else while I’m near a big town?” They avoided big towns like the plague. There was more risk of running into Death Eaters in a bigger town than in a smaller one. It was best to get it all out of the way simultaneously.
“If you really want a list we need winter clothes, boots, scarves, hats and the like. If you’re truly hitting up an IKEA, mattress pads and quilts might not be a bad idea. Winter’s coming faster this year than I think it ever has. Might as well make sure we’re prepared.” Harry nodded even as he jotted down the items on the list.
“What about food storage? If we’re taking as much as I think we are, we’ll need containers and the like won’t we?” Harry was right, and Hermione sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose before she racked her brain.
“See if you can find any canning supplies. You’ll be able to, but it’s a matter of how much. Clear them out. Be sure to get a pressure canner as well. It’s going to be more work for us but best not to let the food spoil if we can help it.” Harry nodded, adding it to the list as he ran through a mental list of his own.
They wouldn’t be remiss to pick up a few bookcases as well. Hermione’s books stayed tucked away in her bag unless they needed them, but it would help to display them on a bookcase for easier access. Adding bookcases to the list, Harry pushed the list over to Hermione and watched as she added a few things to the bottom of the list before she handed it back.
“Stay out of sight and don’t risk your life for anything on that list.” Her tone was firm, even as her hope grew the longer she stared at the list in his hand. “Try to avoid any food shopping unless it’s dry goods. No telling what all we’ll be able to get at the farm. Best to wait until we’re done at the farm. Oh, and get containers and crates to store things in as well until we can start canning.” Hermione glanced at her wristwatch before she tapped the face. “If you want to get a nap in before we head to the farm you’ll need to be back by three.”
Harry nodded, before picking up her beaded bag and his invisibility cloak before he left her on her own. They did their best not to leave each other alone, but sometimes it couldn’t be helped with the things that they had to accomplish.
Hermione settled in to wait as she slowly wrote out a list on what all they could possibly get from the farm. They had scouted the place out for nearly a week; which was unusual. They normally stayed in one spot less than two days; but the prospect of padding their pantry before the first snow fall was too great.
They had known hunger far too much since this war had started, and it was something Hermione wasn’t willing to risk any longer. Once the snow started falling, walking anywhere would be out of the question and without Ron with them, they were down to sleeping in four-hour shifts to allow them both to sleep.
It was messing with their system in a way she hadn’t imagined, but such was the price they paid to be able to sleep solidly. When Hermione finally pushed her list away nearly two hours later, she looked at the entrance of the tent for a moment before she sighed.
There were potions she could be brewing while she waited, but sleep sounded amazing right now. When she laid down she found herself asleep within minutes, a testament to the exhaustion they were both carrying around on their shoulders.
Everything else could wait just a little while longer.
By the time Harry had returned from his impromptu shopping trip, Hermione was just waking up. It took nearly two hours to put everything away, even with using magic to build their new cupboards and bookcases. The books were set aside to be sorted later. Harry had taken so long in town that he barely had time for a nap.
It was all Hermione could do not to wake up the longer he slept. She puttered around the tent, cleaning this and changing that out. Slowly trying to make it more like a home than it had ever been. Pulling out a bag of scrape fabric she had kept for this very reason, Hermione set a large hook needle to set about turning it into a scrap rug. It would come out a very weird rainbow pattern, but it was better than nothing and with a bit of luck, she might be able to pick up some more scrap fabric to add to it tonight.
As the hours ticked by and the sun began to set, Hermione regretfully woke Harry from his nap before setting a cup of tea in front of him when he sat down at the table. He had eaten something to hold him over when he had returned, and they were running out of time to get to the farm.
Even with magic they had hours worth of work ahead of them.
“You sure you’re ready for this? This is probably about to be the most fast-paced and largest haul we’ve ever done?” Hermione started checking the bags Harry had picked up to make sure they had enough. Even with charms added to them to extend them, they still needed several dozen to get through this trip.
“Don’t have much of a choice now, do I?” Harry gave her a smile that caused her to laugh and with two silent ‘pops’ they disappeared from their encampment.
Reappearing just on the edge of the farm.
It was time to get to work.
The farm was as destered as they had hoped it would be.
That was the easy part. The hard part would be the next ten hours they had to put in. Slowly, they worked their way through the fields, starting with the harder plants first. Wheat, barley, and corn were all pulled and placed into big burlap bags. They would sort through them later and divide them out by weight. From there, they moved onto the vegetable garden up by the house. It was apparent these were for home consumption versus to sell, even if they had planted enough to see them through a year. Carefully picking their way through the fruits and vegetables, they worked for hours digging potatoes and onions and picking tomatoes off the vine.
Their final stop was the hen house, which Harry was apprehensive about.
“They’re all asleep. If you have to hit them with a freezing spell. Get in, get your eggs and get out.” When Hermione turned to walk towards the barn, Harry nearly had a panic attack.
“Where are you going?” His voice wasn’t louder than a whisper, but it still carried across the open ground as if he had spoken at full volume.
“You’ll see. Now go!” The glare she gave him was enough to get Harry moving as she continued on her way to the main barn. Harry took a deep breath before entering the hen house and he gingerly started gathering eggs.
When he filled his first bag, he moved on to the second. By the time he finished in the hen house, Hermione was back from the barn, with a nearly feral grin.
“What’s that look for?” He was cautious. Whenever she got that look on her face, things usually didn’t bode well for him.
“Do you trust me?” It was such an odd question that it threw Harry.
“Of course I trust you. What kind of question is that?” The anger that was bleeding into his tone was from the Horcrux, and Hermione knew it.
“Here. Take these. Head back to the tent. I'll meet you there in three hours.” When Harry went to open his mouth, Hermione shot him one of her looks before he promptly shut his mouth. “Go. I’ll be there when the sun rises, I promise.”
Harry left her on the farm with a sinking feeling in his gut, but he didn’t have time to worry about it long. Even with her staying behind he had bags upon bags of produce and eggs to sort through and get ready for long term storage.
There was no rest for the wicked.
The sun was just peaking over the horizon when Hermione entered the tent. While it was evident she had tried to wash the blood off, her jeans were stained with the dark red liquid which immediately sent Harry into a panic.
“What happened? Why didn’t you send a patronus? Where you…”
“I’m fine Harry. Promise. Not a scratch on me.” At his dubious look, Hermione grinned a feral grin before she pulled out one of the burlap bags from her beaded bag. Reaching inside she pulled out a chicken that had obviously been slaughtered recently. Harry stared, gobsmacked before he found his tongue.
“Did you….” He found he couldn’t form the words and Hermione decided to put him out of his misery.
“Do you want to eat this winter or not? It’s not like we can keep popping to the grocer every time we run out of something.” Harry nodded, still dumbfounded, as Hermione made her way toward the entrance of the tent.
“Where are you going?” The question was out of his mouth before he had time to truly think about it. Hermione raised an eyebrow as she burst out laughing.
“Would you prefer I clean and pluck the chickens inside the tent?” Harry pulled a face at the mere thought, and the mess he could see that making. Waving her on, he started sorting through the bags she had set on the table while she dealt with the chickens.
They would be okay.
They always found a way.