A/N: A few more developments... a few more complications... a bit of building. I freely admit that I am taking creative liberties with bits of ancient history. I always welcome critiques and feedback. Thanks for reading!
Her bed was a disaster and Dia bit back a chuckle at imagining what Eleni would do to the both of them if she were to see it in such a state of disarray.
They had not moved nor spoken since Hermione had relayed her conditions for rejoining the Order. As much as their new arrangement pained her, Dia attempted to keep her darker thoughts at bay until she could unfold them in private. For now, she was happy to know that her apprentice wished to continue her studies. They were currently lying in the center of her bed, Hermione curled against her in a way that was entirely new and decidedly pleasant. A mass of curls was resting comfortably on her chest.
From the angle of the light Dia guessed that it was drawing close to six in the evening and distantly she felt a pressure to get them up and moving. There were a number of things that they both needed to attend to following their conversation, however… she couldn't quite bring herself to break the moment.
Fortunately, her apprentice chose that moment to shift and Dia tilted her chin down, blowing a stray curl out of her mouth, surprised when Hermione spoke first.
"I'm sorry for yelling at you."
The muffled words were pressed into her chest and Dia bit her lip, trying to ignore how the soft lips felt fluttering against her bare skin. Hermione shifted again and she felt a warm hand squeeze her shoulder.
"Do not be sorry for speaking your truth," Dia replied softly, allowing her focus to fall back and stare straight up at the ceiling. No matter how hard it is for me to accept...
"Are you upset?"
Dia paused, mouth working as she bit back a few choice swear words that threatened to break through at the innocent question. Not with you, darling...
"No, Hermione. I am not," she sighed, stroking a hand reassuringly along Hermione's back.
Her answer seemed to appease the witch's curiosity for the moment and they returned to silence, though Dia could practically hear the gentle chiming of Hermione's thoughts as her mind began to flutter again in earnest.
"Master?"
"You don't wish to address me by name?" Dia asked softly. She commanded it rather well not too long ago...
Abruptly Hermione twisted and propped herself up on both elbows on either side of her ribcage, nose wrinkling as she gazed down at Dia with an apologetic expression.
"I'm sorry for that," she whispered. Dia's lips quirked and she ran a light finger across the witch's nose, smoothing out the wrinkles.
"Don't be," she replied softly. Hermione's lips moved slightly and Dia waited, feeling that her apprentice was both nervous and embarrassed.
"Say what it is you wish to say," Dia encouraged, lifting her head to slide her hand underneath and prop herself upwards. It brought their faces slightly closer.
"I didn't finish telling you all of my conditions," Hermione said softly.
"Oh?" Dia infused a little bit of playfulness into the sound, trying to indicate that she was still willing to listen.
Sweet Circe, I don't think there's anything worse that she can layer in...
Hermione flopped to one side, lying on her back so that her head was close to Dia's on a different angle. She could just make out the witch's profile as Hermione stared up to the ceiling, her fingertips playing with the open collar of her robes.
"The last condition is not a condition as much as it is a request…"
Dia set aside the information she was absorbing through their bond, unable to discern much more than anxiety, indecision, and a thread of hope. Whatever this last request, it was something personal.
Rolling onto her side, Dia stretched her legs out… raising an eyebrow as she realized her feet were resting against a pillow and that both of their heads were resting closer toward the opposite end of the bed. How very indecorous.
She propped her head up with her hand and looked at the witch next to her, absently noting how lovely she looked in the golden shadows of the dying sun.
"Do you promise not to laugh?"
Dia frowned slightly, wondering what could have possibly elicited such a childlike question. She reached out and put a gentle hand on Hermione's shoulder.
"Nothing you request could make me laugh, Hermione," she replied softly, rubbing a thumb against the warm skin.
Unexpectedly, the witch reached up and captured her hand, twisting slightly as she rolled back to face Dia, curling in on herself slightly and letting the soft robes relax from where she had been holding them closed. The white silk draped between her breasts, offering the barest glimpse of the soft skin beneath.
"I want you to teach me about this…" Hermione kissed her wrist softly and Dia grew still, watching as long fingers opened her hand and pressed another kiss to the center of her palm.
A warm pulse licked her body and somehow Dia was unable to look away as Hermione's light hands began caressing her fingers, mixing cocoa and honey in an entirely new way that felt rather thrilling and dangerous.
"Hermione…"
Dia felt her lips part involuntarily as Hermione drew her fingers back toward her mouth, kissing each tip carefully before enveloping her index finger in warm, wet heat that caused her to inhale in an embarrassingly sharp manner. Gods above, witch!
Dia freed her hand and pressed the palm to Hermione's sternum, holding it there for a moment as she took a steadying breath, trying to recapture a bit of objectivity to hold the second unexpected discussion that suddenly needed to unfold.
Sweet Circe… could this woman be any more unpredictable?!
Hermione was watching her with an uncertain gaze and Dia let her fingers move upward to cup one rosy cheek, stroking it reassuringly as she smiled.
"You honor me with such an earnest request, darling," she murmured, her voice far huskier than she had intended and Hermione's face brightened hopefully when she realized that Dia was not rejecting her.
Dia wet her lips and took another breath, already certain that she was taking on more than she currently understood.
A large part of her mind was still reeling with the impending changes to their relationship that would occur in a scant matter of weeks… and the inherent difficulties that would arise immediately after.
Another part of her was stunned at how quickly her body had responded to Hermione's advances, and Dia knew that she would have to shut that part down if she were going to consider the ramifications of Hermione's request with any sense of propriety.
For Hippolyta's sake, you are no longer a hormonal little witchling! She needs your guidance, not your wanton cravings!
That prompted an idea that she could live with.
"I am not opposed to adding such a dimension to our relationship, however you must realize that adding in the physical can be challenging element indeed," Dia said eventually, withdrawing her hand from Hermione's grasp and letting it fall upon the white sheets between them.
And of course you couldn't be holding this conversation in the kitchen or your office! She had to wait until she was in your bed!
Caramel eyes gazed at her quietly and Dia watched a wave of insecurity flash through them. She sighed softly.
"May I ask a question?" Dia asked, deciding to begin with the basics. That seemed to rouse her apprentice and Hermione nodded, propping herself up on one elbow to mirror Dia's own position.
"Of course," she replied, eyes growing curious.
"Have you ever had sex, Hermione?"
Unexpectedly the witch chuckled and Dia was surprised when she didn't blush.
"If you can call it that," Hermione replied dryly. "With Ron… after the War. It wasn't terrible but… I think I just wanted to get it over with and I assumed I would like it when it happened. We tried a few times. He liked it. I didn't."
"And you believe that being with a woman would change the experience for you?" she asked curiously.
Hermione's eyes visibly darkened and Dia felt her breath catch as the witch's gaze raked over her own body.
"I do." Came the succinct reply a moment later.
Dia felt her jaw work for a moment as she struggled with the parameters of the idea that had sprung forth. It will work… for awhile. But you will have to redefine things later or you shall both regret it.
"All right."
Hermione's eyebrows lifted and a slow smile began to spread over her face before Dia pressed a finger to her sternum.
"But… similar to your conditions with our joining of the Order, I think there are a few things we must agree upon before we shift the arrangement to our relationship. Sex is complicated, Hermione… and our relationship is already going to meet plenty of challenges as we lift our connection to a higher level."
"Yes, I'd thought about that," Hermione replied softly, her brows furrowing as she looked at Dia pensively. "What did you have in mind?"
"May I assume you have never been with a woman in any sense at at all?"
"You may."
Dia nodded, unperturbed by that fact. It may prove advantageous.
"Then I wonder if you would permit us to begin in a manner similar to our current arrangement."
She pressed herself up to sitting, continuing to rest on one hip as she ran a hand through her curls. The other hand propped her up in an informal manner as Dia fell into her new role with ease.
"Long ago, the roles of master and apprentice were intended to overlap in a physical manner, much as you desire now. The Wizarding world has always taken a liberal view of human sexuality; only the influence of religion and Muggles have tempered it through time, and as it does with many traditions, the concept has since fallen out of vogue. It was once that masters would… instruct their apprentices toward developing a well-rounded appreciation and grasp of sex. Curricula were highly guarded and sought after, and for many, the balance between discipline-related knowledge and the physical was nearly equal."
Hermione's chin lifted and Dia could tell that the witch was curious by the new information. She rolled back slightly to look up at her more directly.
"Curricula?"
Dia smiled softly, reaching out a gentle hand to caress the witch's hip.
"In our world, sex was once held to the standard of an art, Hermione. Again, through outside influence and admittedly far too much inbreeding amongst Purebloods, that perspective was forced to shift… but, there are still those of us who still treat it with the open deference and interest that it once possessed in the ancient days."
"I take it you have done your own… thorough research?" Hermione asked softly, her voice rather low. Arousal had begun to limn their bond and Dia smiled slowly, interested by her apprentice's latent curiosity.
In actuality, she wasn't entirely surprised by Hermione's newfound interest. The witch had been insatiable as she had explored her own training, the complementary asides to their disciplines, reconnecting to nature, and the myriad of other non-traditional measures that Dia had included alongside her formal curricula. In Dia's own eyes, sex was merely another way to understand one's own connection to the physical world… albeit with more spiritual and emotional underpinnings if one so wished.
It seemed, perhaps, that Hermione was similarly intentioned.
"Indeed," Dia purred, tilting her head to one side as she continued to lecture. "There are many facets to sex beyond actions exchanged between two bodies, darling."
She leaned forward, slowly trailing a dark fingertip along the witch's hip.
"First of all, there is anticipation… the delicious quickening of energy that ignites the senses and heightens tension to truly exquisite levels, causing the resulting moments of satisfaction to resonate with even greater clarity."
She reached the bare skin of Hermione's leg and Dia spread her fingers gently, skimming the warm skin as she continued, deliberately pitching her voice to play into her accent… letting the words unfold with silky precision.
"That of course leads into the more subtle blends of foreplay and signaling… the heady connection one forges with one's partner… or partners, to develop events and turn them toward the myriad of options that one can explore alongside another's body."
Dia wet her lips, eyes closing somewhat as she brushed her fingers along the curve of Hermione's knee before dragging them back upward…
"Sex itself is a joining," she whispered. "A blending of magics alongside a rolling dance of ever-changing qualities and dynamics… it winds together sensation and passion, pulling personal preference, improvisation, and curiosity into an exquisite journey that one can experience in a breathless rush of energy… or carefully, over untold hours, until surely… one believes there is nothing beyond such beautiful agony."
Her fingers had stopped short of dipping below the hem of Hermione's robes, caressing the soft skin of the witch's outer thigh where the fabric had ridden up considerably. The warm body beneath her hand shuddered and Dia's nostrils flared slightly, detecting the warm musk of the witch's arousal.
Dia's eyes flicked upward to find Hermione watching her hand attentively while bright white teeth worried her bottom lip. The witch's flushed face and shallow breathing betrayed her excitement, painting an instant smirk upon Dia's lips. Long lashes fluttered as Hermione finally noticed her attention, blushing sweetly as Dia withdrew her hand.
Satisfied that she had made her point, Dia sat back and folded her hands across her thigh demurely. Surely you knew what you were asking me, little witch?
"I want what you offer," Hermione said quietly, her gaze firm. "I want you to teach me… and I want you."
Dia pressed her thighs together, ignoring the wave of heat that flooded her center at her apprentice's forward words. She should have anticipated that Hermione's forthright nature would assert itself. Gods above.
"I think it best to wait until after you submit your theses, darling. The redrawing of our contract will also complicate matters further," she demurred quickly, offering a small smile.
Hermione's focus had shifted to Dia's bare legs. Her dark skin was visible from the knee down where the white fabric had slid to one side. The witch reached out and pressed a warm hand to her shin.
"How do you mean?" she purred.
"Hermione, a formal bond is much more intimate than what we share now," Dia said seriously, trying to ignore the small circles that were beginning to move higher. She flushed with heat and Dia couldn't ever remember having had an apprentice that had embraced her body so quickly… and with such blatant curiosity.
"I know that," Hermione said impatiently, nudging at the hem of Dia's robes.
"What we have will… deepen," Dia tried, pressing her own hand against Hermione's wrist to stop the distracting movements. "It will be a challenging time for both of us to… renegotiate the difficulties of added information. It is half the reason I began learning Occlumency to begin with."
Finally, a quizzical quirking of elegant brows.
"Then you've been formally bonded?"
Dia nodded and sat back. "Once."
"To Minerva?" Hermione quickly deduced, her eyes widening.
"Yes," she replied succinctly, her expression closing the matter. "It is a private experience."
Hermione's expression shifted and she sat up slowly, a small pucker marring the space between her brows.
"I am not sorry for demanding this condition, Master," Hermione murmured, the soft tone of voice betraying her firm words. Oh, my darling… you are too good for me.
Dia reached forward and smoothed an errant curl behind the shell of one ear.
"Dia," she amended, noting how the witch turned into her touch unconsciously. Distantly, she was pleased to see that the sunburnt skin had shifted to a light shade of rose. A dusting of freckles crossed the witch's nose.
"What?"
"It is clear to me that you understand the formal parameters of our relationship," Dia murmured. "If we are to proceed together in a manner that will work for the both of us, it is time you begin learning the more nebulous realm of the informal."
A smile began to curl upwards upon Hermione's lips and she looked at Dia curiously, a searching expression on her face.
"Is that what you prefer? Dia? Or Diamantina?" she asked quietly. The thoughtful clarification surprised her.
"I trust you to navigate what will work for you," Dia replied softly.
Reaching down, she drew Hermione's hand to her mouth and pressed a gentle kiss against the thin knuckles.
"Come, darling. That is enough discussion for one day."
Their bond thrummed peaceably and for the first time since the beginning of the week, Dia felt reassured that they were going to be all right.
Pomona sat back and folded one hand across her lap, brow furrowed as the other stroked her chin thoughtfully.
Filius had yet to return from Hogsmeade even as the sky began to darken and the clock struck half past five. Hestia had walked her through the particulars of her research into the artifacts preserved in Alexandria and the more she had absorbed, the more Pomona was convinced her suspicions could be no coincidence.
Sighing heavily, she stirred a new cup of spiced tea and glanced at the parchment that had remained curled at the younger professor's side.
"Eighty-five of the artifacts on that list would fall under Class-B restricted materials by current Ministry standards including eight of the twelve exceptions you mentioned. An additional four items would be considered Class-A Dark Arts and predictably, that includes the mystery artifact," Pomona declared, sitting back and setting her spoon on its saucer.
"Do you have eidetic memory?" Hestia asked incredulously. The younger witch was staring at her with a combination of shock and appreciation. Pomona sniffed and shook her head.
"No. Rather a well-disciplined way of breaking down visual information," she replied evenly. Hestia seemed to mull over that with admiration.
"Now then, Hestia," Pomona said eventually, resettling in her armchair and taking a fortifying sip of tea. "Thank you for indulging me with your retelling of events. You betray your Auror talents with finesse and I daresay there is little to learn from your actual interactions with the Library staff beyond the fact they can be counted on to know the Archive materials to a tee. Now tell me, what do you know of the Pyramid Texts?"
Hestia sat forward slightly, her dark brown hair falling over one shoulder as she rested her elbows on her knees.
"I vaguely remember reading about them in the Academy. They're the oldest collection of religious spells recorded in Ancient Egypt," she replied, clearly a bit skeptical as to why Pomona was bringing them up.
"Indeed. Eventually they evolved and were later recorded as the Book of the Dead," she replied, taking a bite of shortbread.
"And you believe they somehow connect with this list of artifacts?"
Pomona sighed, realizing the younger witch was impatient to hear her hypothesis. This is when I appreciate Neville's patience...
"The Pyramid Texts begin with inscriptions found at the Pyramid of Unas at Saqqara. Many remember Unas to have been a peaceable ruler in the ancient world. Wizarding lore tells us that he was a wise man with a relatively long rule and he was responsible for allowing the oldest Mages of the day to record their spellwork in stone. Many believe that Unas' advisors were some of the first Necromancers," Pomona explained.
Hestia's eyes had grown wide and Pomona was pleased to see that she was listening attentively. Nothing like Necromancy to shut down a conversation...
"The Unas Pyramid marked the end of a dynasty and the beginning of a tumultuous new chapter in Ancient Egypt. Focus began to shift the overwhelming attention of the Sun god, Ra, to the God of the Dead, Osiris. There are over seven hundred recorded spells at several locations comprising the Pyramid Texts, and Arithmancers have spent hundreds of years debating whether or not the spellwork was recorded for posterity, or as a complex system to unlock ancient magic between the nine Pyramids whose walls contain the inscriptions."
Pomona let her gaze drift over the fire, distantly considering some of the alternative theories and whether or not to share them with Hestia. Not enough evidence. Let us continue with what we have gathered.
"The texts are notable for many reasons," Pomona continued, sipping her tea quietly. "One of many being that they are thought to be the first recorded instance of an important funerary ritual called the Opening of the Mouth and Eyes. An old ritual to be sure, with references going back several more dynasties."
Hestia shifted as if to interrupt and Pomona gave her a sharp look indicating that she was not finished.
The witch bit her lip and had the grace to look mollified. Gryffindors.
"Now, Muggles believe that the ceremony was an act to prepare or re-animate a person's soul in preparation for the afterlife. The soul would then be able to breathe, eat, see, speak, and continue the journey to the Underworld, while the person's physical body would also be released to search for the soul and reconnect as one in the afterlife to unite the individual's immortal soul," Pomona paused and took a bit of biscuit, adding dryly, "Quite poetic."
She shifted and waved a bit of the biscuit as she continued, her brow furrowing as she thought hard.
"Our own understanding of the writings is less symbolic and a bit more troubling."
Pomona crossed her legs and polished off her biscuit.
"Some scholars believe that the ceremony simply released an individual from any curses or hexes absorbed during life, also freeing descendants from more nefarious spells that could be transferred down a bloodline… 'opening their eyes and mouth' to move beyond the Veil without guilt or cause for return as ghosts. However there are others who believe the ceremony does exactly as it indicates - that it's purpose is to reanimate the dead in a manner similar to Inferi, albeit providing the dead with an echo of their individuality… creating a much more formidable weapon."
Hestia's eyes were as wide as saucers and she visibly gulped.
"One of the darkest beliefs is that the ceremony allows the soul to float between this world and the next - Opening the Eyes and Mouth to a state beyond our comprehension, rending the soul in the process and allowing an individual to cross between the Veil at will, thereby making them a master of Death itself."
For a moment, the room was silent as Pomona waited for Hestia to absorb those theories - her expression revealing her utter horror at the last notion. The witch gazed into the crackling flames open-mouthed and it was a moment before her lashes fluttered and she re-focused on Pomona with a questioning gaze.
Reaching out, Pomona tapped the parchment that had fallen into the crease of the chesterfield at Hestia's side.
"Now, there are a seven total items required for the ritual and five artifacts on this inventory that could be utilized. Three are located in the Library Vaults. One is in Restoration and is a Class-A Dark Object. And your missing item is also required."
"Why do you know all of this, Pomona?" Hestia asked softly, her gaze searching but her voice hard and accusatory. Pomona noted that the witch was grasping her wand rather firmly. Smart girl.
"You can put down your wand, dear," Pomona said quietly, smiling even as Hestia's eyes fluttered in surprise. She lifted a wry eyebrow and sniffed mirthlessly as she added, "Just because I'm old doesn't mean I've forgotten the Auror ways… though I have no doubt that you'd give me a run for my Galleons if we were to duel now in my living room."
Hestia gave her a lopsided smile and relaxed slightly, though she clearly was waiting for an answer.
"I cannot give you a solid answer to that without betraying the trust of someone I love. However I will say that in my younger days I held company with one who would go on to become a true Necromancer. Let us say simply that I managed to pick up on aspects of their research in the time that we were together and that fortunately or unfortunately, in this case, I know little more about the actual discipline of Necromancy beyond what I've just shared," Pomona explained, shaking her head softly. Merlin, I haven't thought about her in years…
"I… didn't realize that Necromancy was still considered a valid practice," Hestia murmured, visibly shuddering.
"Not all Soul Magic is Dark, my dear," Pomona replied, pausing to sip her tea. The spicy blend soothed the back of her throat which had become tight with remembered emotion. "Like many aspects of our world, that which is unique or difficult to understand is often regarded with fear."
Hestia nodded, though something in her expression told Pomona that she was not entirely convinced. Setting down her cup she tried a different tactic.
"As an Auror were you not trained by learning counterspells and curses alongside the actual hexes and curses themselves?" Pomona asked curiously.
Hestia frowned and nodded.
"Does that make you a Dark witch?"
Understanding crossed the woman's face and Hestia gave a thoughtful nod.
"Point taken, Pomona. Forgive my suspicion," she replied firmly, her eyes already gaining a bit of the flashing steel that Pomona had come to appreciate.
Though the witch was a firecracker to be sure, she was also possessed of a soulful maturity that allowed her to empathize and understand even the most polar opposite of individuals. Pomona was reasonably sure it was a quality that had once made her such a skillful Auror.
Hestia rose quietly, crossing her arms and moving closer to the fire where her dark hair took on a reddish tinge.
"Well, fuck me sideways with a Cleansweep," the witch murmured. Pomona's eyebrows rose to greet her hairline. Before she could open her mouth to inquire, Hestia whirled around and pinned her with an intense look.
"It seems like we have a problem on our hands," she said softly.
Pomona's lips twisted and she nodded in agreement, vanishing away her tea and biscuits.
Her appetite seemed to have disappeared.
"Indeed it does."