He would have killed for her hugs, when he had been eleven or twelve, though it would have killed him to admit it. Now he was getting one for free. He felt delirious, maybe. Everything suddenly felt upside down and oddly funny. Hestia was hugging him.
She had always – protected him. It was good to know, maybe, that she wanted to do that still, that he had not simply abandoned her by going to Hogwarts and staying for so many years. There was nothing, really, to properly bind them – no family ties, and no use he could be to her as a youthful thief or lookout. But here she was, somehow looking after him. He could feel his chin digging into her bony shoulder.
Hestia’s next question came as if out of nowhere, but it was only the moment she had Jimmy remembered food was a thing that existed again. “I,” he started, voice scratchy, and confused by his body feeling anything that was not a numb gaping grief. Hunger. He was, apparently, hungry. He mustered a weak smile as he dragged his head back off her shoulder. “No. Not for a while. Do you have anything good?”
She had always – protected him. It was good to know, maybe, that she wanted to do that still, that he had not simply abandoned her by going to Hogwarts and staying for so many years. There was nothing, really, to properly bind them – no family ties, and no use he could be to her as a youthful thief or lookout. But here she was, somehow looking after him. He could feel his chin digging into her bony shoulder.
Hestia’s next question came as if out of nowhere, but it was only the moment she had Jimmy remembered food was a thing that existed again. “I,” he started, voice scratchy, and confused by his body feeling anything that was not a numb gaping grief. Hunger. He was, apparently, hungry. He mustered a weak smile as he dragged his head back off her shoulder. “No. Not for a while. Do you have anything good?”
