Chapter 28

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(Second Interlude: Two Dreams)

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He was standing on a vast desert plain— a grim streak of black in a sun-washed sepia landscape— scanning the horizon. He'd been walking aimlessly for too long — he needed a plan; wanted a purpose. What am I doing here? ... Suddenly a fearsome roar sounded behind him, too close for comfort; he spun into a defensive stance, only to find that he had no wand. He found himself facing an enormous lion; the beast snarled at him hungrily, its deadly incisors gleaming in the relentless sunshine. He took a step backward, only for the beast to advance on him in a slow, predatory circle. Without the use of magic, he could do naught but stand by helplessly. Is this it? he wondered, Is this how I am to die? As if in response, the beast snarled at him, ducking low before circling 'round in the opposite direction, advancing ever closer on the defenseless wizard. He stood completely still as it slunk behind him, tensing as its flanks brushed along the backs of his legs. Suddenly it leapt up in front of him, its heavy paws landing on his shoulders as it stood face to face with him. As he looked into its golden eyes, he felt its claws gently flex, tearing small holes in the fabric of his cloak. Shuddering as it bared its teeth at him only inches away from his face, he shakily raised a hand to its forearm, attempting to gently push it off of him. The beast snarled again, but as he raised his other hand to the opposite side, gently coaxing it down, the lion momentarily relented, standing on all fours as the wizard crouched down in front of it, tentatively soothing it with gentle motions. As the wizard's taming gestures became more confident, the snarl faded away into a soft purr as the beast gentled under his touch. As the wizard's hands stroked tenderly over the lion's humongous head, its magnificent golden mane suddenly morphed away as the beast transformed into a sleek lioness. She purred louder now, rolling onto her side like an over-sized house cat as the wizard continued to calm her with his reverent caresses. When he was at last satisfied that the beast meant him no harm, he stilled his hand and began to rise cautiously to his feet again. Before he had unbent his knees, the beast's claws came out and caught on the sleeve of his coat, lazily dragging him back toward her supine form. He gently resisted, tenderly removing the paw as he attempted to extricate himself as smoothly as possible. The lioness would not have it, though: she growled lightly as he turned away, leaping up lethargically and catching the tail of his cloak with her teeth, tugging on it playfully. The wizard quelled his impatience and turned toward her apologetically, placed his hand on the top of her head as she nudged eagerly into his caress, then turned to depart again, only to have his hand seized lightly by her formidable jaws. He gasped before she released him; she hadn't broken the skin, but the bite was a clear warning. "I must go," he begged, backing away as she snarled a threat in response. Her claws caught his leg as he turned again to flee, easily felling him before bounding on top of him, purring fiercely as he thrashed beneath her, unable to fend her off as she proceeded to deliriously tear him to shreds.

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Hermione was walking silently alongside Professor Snape as he led her out into an expansive clearing, well-it by moonlight. She didn't know where he was taking her, but was tentatively placing her trust in him, nonetheless. The wizard beside her moved somberly, his head held high as he wore an expression so serious that Hermione was compelled to follow suit, moving along with similar solemnity, though she couldn't stop a flicker of worry from clouding her features. Their progression seemed almost funereal to her, and the thought made her distinctly uncomfortable. Why won't he look at me? ... She was suddenly overcome with the desire to reach out and take his hand, but hesitated, fearing that the move would not be welcome. Though he was close enough to touch, she felt utterly alone as she continued the long trek with him. Suddenly they halted before a wide rise in the rocky earth; Snape looked down at her then with a terrifyingly blank expression, nodding once before placing a stiff hand on her back, urging her forward. Together they climbed the short hill until they reached a large opening in the ground. They were standing at the mouth of a gigantic hole — a seemingly bottomless pit that gaped soundlessly, frightening Hermione, and she started backing away, lest she fall in. She had only managed a single step backward before she felt a stiff hand at her back again, and turned to find Snape staring down at her with hard eyes. She searched his face as she struggled to comprehend what he had in mind, lifting a shaky hand to his chest as her distressed eyes scanned his. "I'm sorry, Nina," he said, taking a menacing step forward. "No," she replied, her voice unaccountably small, "I'm not Nina..." Snape frowned at her, and she raised shaking fingers to his face, afraid to touch him, but desperate to reach him. "No more games," he replied in a stern voice. What did he mean by that? What was he going to do? Unable to bear the coldness of his regard, Hermione clung to his coat, her other hand pressing shakily over his heart. "It's me, Professor — can't you tell? Please, don't do this..." before she could plead any further, he dove down and seized her mouth with his, gripping her roughly by the shoulders as he kissed her violently, causing her to emit a small cry as he bit down on her lip. He then pulled away swiftly, his expression fierce before he forced it back into a mask of stone, a spot of her blood staining his mouth. The hands on her shoulders tensed as he forced her back slowly, with strength she was unable to resist. "Please, Professor," she cried, "You're making a mistake! I'm not Nina!" Her footing slipped as she encountered the edge of the abyss, and a jolt of terror ran through her. Maybe if I kissed him again, she thought; kiss him sweetly; make him see... wrapping an arm around his neck for stability, Hermione pulled herself up and pressed her face against his, her eyelashes fluttering against his cheek as she cried softly, clinging to him with her whole body. He felt solid against her, and she wept with confusion as she longed to hold on to him and flee from him at the same time. With all the desperation she could muster, she looked into his unyielding eyes, willing him to understand. "I'm sorry," he said coldly, before taking a step back and pushing her over the edge.

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