A/N: Written for August 2018's Romance Awareness Month. Any other prompts and challenges are listed below so as not to give anything away.
Travelling Souls
Rowena shifted, starting to feel stiff and cooped up. Having her portrait painted had been something she had tried to put off for months, but earlier in the morning as she was wondering whether to help Helga with her gardening, she had been waylaid by the artist who had been commissioned by the other Founders.
There was a fireplace behind her, lit as the Winter Solstice neared, and a book in her lap. Her eyes drifted to the palette in the painter's hand, dashed with purple, red, a deep blue and a splatter of mahogany which Rowena assumed was for her hair.
He was going to need more brown. Her hair had been described by some as a mane, which Rowena rarely appreciated. She had it in a long plait but even then had to sweep it out of the way to ensure she didn't sit on it.
Eventually, the painter motioned that she could get up and stretch her legs. Rowena presumed he only meant a turn around the room but she was frustrated, bored and desperate for some space. She left the room, walking swiftly through the castle and out into the rose garden. It took some time for her body to relax as she exhaled softly, pleased that she was finally alone.
It was the sound of gravel crunching underfoot that made her turn and look around. Rowena reached for her magic, her palm glowing slightly. There were few people who came into the rose garden as everyone knew it was the place she went for solitude.
The girl was strikingly attractive. Her dark skin and untamed curly hair drew her in and Rowena was walking across the path towards her in an instant, curious and unable to stop herself. The clothes were unusual but not altogether out of place, Rowena had certainly seen much stranger.
Abruptly everything around her shifted and changed. Rowena cried out, squeezing her eyes shut against the nauseating sensations and then she was caught in the pouring rain. She cursed her powers, which had been so tightly in her control for a while. Casting a shield charm around herself to repel the water, she looked around, trying to orientate herself.
What she saw terrified and excited her in equal measures.
Rowena had travelled all over the world but she had never seen clothes like the people on the street were wearing. Several disillusionment spells later, she felt confident enough to walk among them without sticking out like a sore thumb. Wherever she was, the technology was so revolutionary that she could never have conceived it.
There were screens with unusual portraits on that were smooth, not painted. There were metal boxes that rushed around at a speed faster than a hippogriff at full gallop. Rowena could not understand. It was rapidly coming too overwhelming and she concentrated hard on her power, desperate to go back to the rose garden which was safe and familiar.
The girl was still standing there, this time with a clear expression of astonishment on her face.
"Are you okay?"
Rowena smoothed down her skirts, removing the shield charm that had remained.
"I just had quite an unusual experience. I am used to travelling away but where I just went…" Rowena assumed that the woman knew of what she could do - it was of no secret to anyone. Godric often had her go to Lancashire just to get a cheese he liked.
"I travel to," the woman said softly. "I'm sorry, I don't know your name."
"Rowena, and you are?"
"Hermione."
"Ah well, Mistress Hermione. Welcome to Hogwarts. How may I help you?" Rowena asked, uncharacteristically conversational. Something about Hermione intrigued her greatly.
"Like I said, I travel," Hermione said, with a sharp look in her eyes. "I travel through time."
Rowena processed that, her mind working rapidly. She knew that when soulmates met, often their powers bled into one another.
"You can travel through time? Then where I just visited was not my own power but yours… The future?"
"You really are brilliant," Hermione said softly. "You're famous for your intellect but I couldn't have imagined you'd be this incredible."
"The future is a nightmare!" Rowena exclaimed, still trying to wrap her mind around what was happening. "Did you travel?"
"No, no I didn't want to try in case something happened. I didn't expect to meet anyone, I just wanted to escape. I put everything in a bag and just… left."
Rowena extended her hand towards Hermione.
"In that case, let me offer you safety and sanctuary here. You must have many stories to tell and I am more than happy to listen. I feel like we have a lot to get to know about one another, Hermione."
Her name felt decadent on Rowena's tongue. Hermione took her hand with a brilliant smile and Rowena led her inside, excited to begin a new chapter in her life.
A/N:
Romance Awareness: Day 7 - Everyone has powers, and when you meet your soul mate you swap powers.
Chocolate Frog Cards: (Gold) Rowena Ravenclaw: Write about Rowena Ravenclaw.
Disney Challenge: C5. Write about a woman in power.
Trope of the Month: Cross - Gen, prompt: (character) Hermione.
Book Club: Offred - (dialogue) "The future is a nightmare.", (word) mistress, (colour) red
Amber's Attic: S4. Write about a portrait.
Lyric Alley: 14. This is me
Sophie's Shelf: 78. Rowena/Hermione (cross gen rare pairs)
Em's Emporium: 17. Write femslash.
Angel's Arcade: 16. (color) purple, (trait) long hair, (restriction) no male characters
Lo's Lowdown: C2. write about someone who likes their alone time.
Bex's Bazaar: O7. Write about someone packing up their life and moving on.
Film Festival: 58. (word) Revolutionary
Days of the Year: National Selfie Day: Write about someone having their portrait painted.
Summer Prompts: 7. (word) Gardening
Colour Prompts: Mahogany
Element Prompts: 18. (object) Fireplace
Shay's Musical Challenge: 5. Pippin - write about someone who likes adventuring
Gryffindor Themed Prompts: Character - Hermione Granger, trait - fearless.
Astronomy Prompts: June Solstice. Prompt: (word) Solstice
Snape Appreciation Challenge: 16. Babbling Beverage – write about a talented person