The Luck of Little Hangleton by Pipenerd (2006)
Written for the 2006 Dark Lord WishFest.
Prompt: "...a romantic situation where Tom/Harry make love in a forest on Midsummer's Eve, then afterwards Tom softly recites Sonnet 18 by Shakespeare to Harry. I do not mind what the rating is as long as the love between Tom and Harry is evident..."
Thanks to: Sabrina Numair, most patient of Betas, and Mr. Pipenerd, who played Kit Marlowe to my Will Shakespeare during the writing of this fic.
Pairs: Harry/Tom (Lord Voldemort), Hermione/Ron.
Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling created and owns Harry Potter. looks in mirror Nope, not her. Rights are held by JKR, Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic. Warner Brothers and goodness knows who else. If the fans had copyright, the series would be much more interesting! Not profiting, just enjoying.
"I'm so glad those storms finally moved out of the area. We've been able to collect all the herbs on our wish list!"
"Yes, and we'd better put the Vervain and St. John's Wort in the oven to quick-dry as soon as we get home. We should be plenty of time before the parade starts."
"You know, I was a bit surprised at how the fields and woods around the village have remained so pristine. There's so much development going on these days."
"That's partly because of the school up on the hill. They own quite a bit of property hereabouts. Nice that they're demonstrating stewardship of the land."
"You mean that big house is a school? What kind of school is it?"
"I'm not exactly sure, but I've heard it's terribly exclusive. The students are all older and it seems as if they only offer graduate-level seminars and workshops. I was at the cafe´ one evening when a couple of the staff came in. They were dressed rather artistically and since they were talking about local legends, I thought they must be teaching a class in folklore."
They stopped in a sunny clearing. A carpet of fragrant wildflowers and grasses stretched to the banks of the small stream that trickled and splashed over rocks to create a miniature waterfall.
"Thisis why I suggested we take this path back home."
"Oh! It's truly lovely, dear. You can feel the presence of the Lady…This would be a wonderful place to celebrate the moons and Sabbats!"
"And so I have. But you really must see this!"
"A standing stone? This is too perfect! And is that a dragon?"
"It's a serpent, and there's a lion on the other side. The bit I find fascinating is that our Oak King wears a lion on his coat of arms, and the Holly King's device is a serpent."
"It looks as if some of the local teenagers have been enjoying this spot, as well. Do you know anyone with those initials?"
"No, but then I haven't lived here long enough to learn the names of the local families. From the inscription, I think we can assume the presence of the Lady must have touched them as well."
"Whoever they are, I hope the Lady blesses their love."
"So mote it be."
"This stone is simply humming with positive energy! I want to leave an offering here for Her."
"You're earrings? Are you sure, dear?"
"I can always make another pair. And don't they look pretty, sparkling among the leaves?"
"I'm certain She'll enjoy them. Honestly, this is why I love you so much!"
"I love you, too. The moon will be full at the end of the week. I can't wait to come back here!"
"I'm so glad you like this place. We should think about getting these herbs home; it would be disrespectful to let them wilt. I think you're going to enjoy the festivities in the village this afternoon…" Their voices faded as they left the clearing.
The Midsummer's Day sun filtered through the trees, casting a warm light on the serpent-etched side of the monument. Beneath the coat of arms, letters were engraved within the outline of a heart: TR+HP. A sense of tranquility radiated from the stone across the glade, and the sounds of distant laughter drifted on the breeze.
Finis
Author's Notes: Thank you for reading! Little Hangleton has reached a sort of benchmark: over 9,000 hits! Sadly, only a dozen readers have left comments! If you read it and found something enjoyable, I would love to hear from you. All comments will be answered!