Guardian of Three
For my darling, Rickmanlover24601
Though nobody really pays attention, we've been at Hogwarts for centuries…Guardians. Silent sentinels, no one thinks of the Guardians, unless there's something behind one they want.
Everyone knew the portraits gossiped. A few of the more intelligent ones that walk the halls have even clued in to the fact that the castle is sentient. Yet they always overlooked the Guardians. All the better for us, really; it makes our jobs that much easier. We can't hear, like our Wards, but we feel the vibrations from footsteps and voices, and we know each and every hand that touches us. We can also communicate with other Guardians, a boon when we cannot leave our stations.
Some of my counterparts, I hear, get abused…the ones who Guard the rooms where the Young Ones dwell during the Warmth, especially.
I've been lucky; the one I Guard has always been cautious with me. I'm never ill-treated, and He sets spells to help me when He's away. There have been times He's come to me in no shape to make the right vibrations that would let him pass by me, but I allow Him entrance; He has no one else to look after Him.
oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo
Then something changed. For the first time since I became His Guardian, there was a voice that gave off a high, light vibration. I learned from the other Guardians that the vibrations matched a She. His vibration changed too…it was less intense, and steadier. I stopped having to let Him in on those nights…She was there to take care of Him. Time went on, and She remained; I became Her Guardian as well, and in turn She helped me to Guard Him. I think She was even clever enough to sense me; some of Her vibrations were directly aimed at my face, and Her touch sometimes lingered.
oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo
One day, the calm was interrupted by a shockwave that shook the very foundations of the castle. In the midst of the bedlam, we Guardians fought beside our Wards. Many of us fell, among them the Great Guardian; his scream of fury and agony made us fight all the more viciously. Using our strength, we crushed many of those who tried to get through us, and impeded the progress of most.
Eventually, the vibrations of distress turned to joy. No more of the Dark Ones could be felt, and the assaults on the Guardians had ceased. Few of us were unharmed; I myself was covered in burns, though I had held firm. I worried for my Wards, though. From my post, I'd been unable to see how they'd fared.
My patient waiting was finally rewarded. Long after the Warmth ended, they came Home. Both touched my face gently as I let them by, and their vibrations were subdued. Not long after, though, the vibrations changed. They grew in intensity and speed until they reached a pitch the likes of which I had never felt in all my time with them. They eventually slowed down, then ceased altogether; my Wards were finally at rest.
oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo
When the Warmth returned, even I was surprised at the sudden shift in vibration patterns. They went from soft and easy to agitated in moments. Hers were nearly identical to what they'd been when She'd cared for Him. His, on the other hand, were harsh and jarring. There was an undertone, though, so subtle I almost missed it. It was the same pattern that He'd had before She'd come to him.
The next thing that happened shocked me to the core. For the first time in all of my years as a Guardian, I was shoved out of the way, hitting the wall with jarring force before slamming back into my place. As I recovered, I realized that I was now a barrier between Them. She leaned against me, then sank to the floor. Her proximity allowed me to feel her entire body shaking.
On my other side, the vibrations in the room indicated destruction. I had no real ties to any of the objects in the room, though I was saddened by the vibrations He was giving off.
Then my world went silent.
oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo
For five cycles of new Young Ones changing the Song in the castle, my Ward continued to radiate the same vibrations he had on that fateful day. No Others came to me; none wished to see Him. For five cycles I watched over Him. And I waited.
oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo
She returned to Him as the Warmth was once again fading. Placing Her hand on my face, I felt that her vibrations had changed. They were steadier, more controlled, yet they seemed incomplete. But there…another hand touched my face. The vibrations were pure, innocent, and they wrapped themselves around Hers in a Song that made me think of the Warmth. A Young One…Her Young One. One whose patterns were similar enough to those of my Ward that I knew. It was His Young One as well.
I knew what to do. Though I was going against the Code of the Guardians, I knew it was right; She was the only one who could change His patterns, and they needed to be changed. I let Them in.
oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo
She stepped inside hesitantly, still surprised that the door had opened so easily.
She saw him before he saw her. He looked like absolute crap, slouched in a chair and staring aimlessly into the fire. She saw how much alcohol remained in the bottle at his elbow, and scrunched up her nose. 'Maybe it will make him easier to approach,' she thought, then snorted at her own foolishness.
That small sound was enough.
Even as he leapt out of his chair and drew his wand, Hermione was positioning herself in front of her daughter and drawing her own wand.
Snape blinked owlishly and his wand slipped from suddenly nerveless fingers, rolling towards her feet.
"Hermione," he whispered.
She lowered her wand. "Hullo Severus."
He cleared his throat. "How…how have you been?" he finished lamely.
The corner of her mouth twitched. She'd expected this meeting to be awkward, but she was glad he didn't look like he would hex her.
"I've been…"
Hermione was cut off when a small form darted out from behind her to scoop up Severus's wand. Both adults stepped back when the wand began to spark.
The girl quirked her lips in a manner so familiar that it made Hermione's heart ache every time she saw it.
"Oh hush," the girl chastised. The wand gave off one last spark, almost in apology, then was silent.
She walked boldly up to Snape and offered him the wand, handle first.
"You dropped this, Sir."
Severus eyed the small person in front of him. She was tiny, even for her age, which he estimated to be about four. Her hair was wavy and black, and her mouth hinted at a stubbornness he'd been intimately familiar with many years ago. But her eyes…
Merlin, the girl had purple eyes.
He remembered the last time he'd seen eyes like those; the last time he saw his Great Grandmum. They were a family legacy, showing up once every few generations to a powerful witch in his line.
His eyes snapped up to lock with Hermione's as he accepted his wand.
"Sir, may I look at your books?" she entreated. "I won't hurt them, I promise!"
Snape nodded absently, his gaze still on Hermione.
"You may."
She scampered off gleefully, and Hermione stepped closer to Severus so they could talk without being overheard.
"Her name is Sara," Hermione offered. "Sara Eileen. I…well, I thought I should introduce you."
Even though he knew, he needed to hear her say it.
"She's…"
Hermione nodded. "The night after the battle."
"You left."
"You didn't want me here."
He opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off.
"It doesn't matter, Severus. We both made mistakes." She took a deep breath, visibly bracing herself. "What I need to know is whether or not you've changed your mind. Do you want me here, us here, now, or was coming here a mistake?"
Together, they turned and looked at Sara, who was happily bent over a book that likely weighed as much as she did.
oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo
Thus began my time as a Guardian of Three.
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