Chapter 35: Summer Interim III

Draco woke groggily to a miniature hippogriff chirping to his face. The little creature ruffled his wings at him and stood on top of a postcard, dutifully delivered in the dead of night.

"Hey, little guy," Draco greeted sleepily, pulling the hippogriff and the postcard under the bed linens with him.

Vik gave a surprised chirp, but snuggled into his chest happily, head-butting in to his chin, and generally loving over Draco as only something small, winged, and adorable could do.

Draco's hand reached out to the bed stand and snatched a small stone from it. He whispered a word and it started to glow softly, illuminating area under his blankets so he could examine his prize.

The postcard was a beautiful picture of the sea with moving surf crashing against the stone arches created by centuries of pounding water.

D,

Kept an eye on her as you requested. She's far too boring to even rate writing, but at least this post card looked interesting. Hasn't met up with any of her mudblood loving friends. She just stares at rocks and stupid flowers every day. You owe me big for this. Three months of my summer I could have been vacationing in Rome. As it is, maybe I'll get to meet up with my family next weekend for some roasted hog and a some beer with my brothers. I at least miss their sorry faces, unlike yours.

A.

Draco smiled as he read the postcard, patting Vik with a soothing gesture over his wings. The little hippogriff chirped softly, bumping into his hand with enthusiasm.

Hermione had been sneaky in the case the postcard was seen by anyone other than him. There was always the chance that his mother might find it and that would get back to his father soon after. Appearances had to be kept. So instead of a happy note about her activities, she wrote to him like a disgruntled third party.

She was saying that she had been keeping her eye out for trouble over the summer, but so far there hadn't been anything significant where she was. She'd managed to find quite a few nice ingredients while she was out traveling, and the time was going by fast. Most importantly, she was going to visit Hogsmeade next weekend with her Sky Brothers, and she was inviting him to attend if he could get away. Regardless, she missed him and was sorry she couldn't write more.

Draco grinned. It was amazing what could be said with words that pointed the normal reader in another direction entirely.

Vik chirped as Draco doused the rock light and slipped the postcard into the book on the bed stand. He cradled Vik to his chest under the warmth of the covers and closed his eyes, enjoying the scent of the sea and his sister that clung to the hippogriff's body. Vik showed no sign of disapproval or driving need to depart. He snuggled into Draco's embrace as the young wizard fell back to sleep.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"This place is even more gorgeous than when I visited before!" Hermione exclaimed as she looked around the renovated shop.

The inside of the shop was decorated like an olden time apothecary and general store. There was a beautiful mahogany counter towards the back that circled around many cabinets composed of countless drawers in which to store ingredients and small items of interest. There were fine glass doors protecting shelves for vials and jars of various sizes and shapes. Some were already filled and labeled. Some remained empty, waiting to be filled.

Wooden shelves lined with jars of preserves filled the front of the store, while side shelves had variety of wild-harvested items such as dried foods and fresh varieties preserved with a stasis spell.

There were different types of dried sausages, fish, and wild game hanging from ceiling mounted trellises. Nearby were shelves of various cooking, pickling, and preserving spices that gave the store a pleasant overall scent.

"You put this together so fast!" Draco boggled as he looked through many of the items. "It's so impressive!"

"Had a deadline to meet," Aleksander said with a grin.

"Da, and he's been slavedriving us to hunt for stock for the store," Petya and Valko complained.

"And who has been preparing the foods you bring back and organizing store?" Aleksander asked, cuffing his brothers upside the head. "Not Grandfather Frost, I tell you dat."

Hermione laughed. "I've missed you all."

"Missed you too, sestrá," Lazar said with a grin. "We saved you and Viktor spot in store to put figurines. There in window."

Hermione touched all of the fine stone and wood in the window. All of it was perfect for a little fun with transfiguration and old fashioned carving. The bird brothers had really outdone themselves while she and Viktor had been traveling together.

Mixed in with the raw materials were all the saved figurines she had made over the last year practicing her drills for Professor McGonagall. They had saved them all. Small sea serpents, unicorns, horses, squirrels, beavers, capercaillies, turtles, otters, mud lobsters, squirrels, and a virtual herd of winged horses that looked like Hermione had shrunk down all of Beauxbaton's carriage horses were all decorating the window shelf.

Already, Viktor had animated one of the unicorns to prance around the window. A handful of winged horses fluttered back and forth from one side of the window to the other, and an otter and a sea serpent played together in the water fountain set in the window.

"You like?" Viktor asked as he approached from behind her. He placed his chin on her shoulder.

"I love them," she said with a genuine smile. "I had no idea you had kept all my practice sculptures.

"Of course I keep them," Viktor said with a huff. "They were well done."

Draco picked up one of the animated horses and smiled. "You both create a pretty adorable construct." The winged horse pranced up his arm and stood on his shoulder, flapping its wings and neighing.

Viktor smiled. "None of them are as… complex as hippogriff," he said. "But they all have basic interactions.

"Probably a good thing," Severus' voice broke into the mix. "I'm not sure the world is ready for more than one obnoxiously cute and highly functional mini hippogriff."

"Master!" Hermione exclaimed, rushing over to hug Severus with enthusiasm. She leapt upon him like an sentient burr, latching herself to his robes as if they were mated velcro from the Muggle world. Vik shot out from her hair and twittered at him excitedly and landed on his shoulder, chirping sweetly.

Severus staggered slightly, the corners of his mouth twitched upward as his arms enfolded his exuberant Apprentice, allowing her indulgence and affront to his person. His hand gently stroked her hair. She beamed up at him adoringly and smashed her face into his robes, taking in his scent and practically rolled herself over his chest in order to impregnate his scent all over herself once more— the scent of family and the scent of home.

Draco, perhaps less comfortable with abasing himself to Severus in such a blatant manner in front of potential teasing witnesses, pressed himself against Severus with slightly less enthusiasm, but he too indulged in a slightly more subtle rubbing of his face against his godfather's robes.

"The laboratory is set up," Severus said with a sniff, ruffling both Hermione's and Draco's hair with his hands before he pried them off his robes so he could walk properly. "I wrote a list of the ingredients you should probably stock regularly and a second list of the ingredients you should have around in token amounts for special need use."

"What's this third list, Uncle?" Draco said, picking up a third piece of parchment.

"A perfect world wish list," Severus said with a smirk. "That I fully expect never to be fulfilled."

Aleksander laughed. "Do not be so sure, Master Snape," he chuckled. "Unlike most shops, the owners of dis one have many talents."

Lazar put his arm around Aleksander's shoulder. "Ve also want you to be at home here."

"And have many more reasons to insure you happy and stay with us," Petya said with a grin.

"Stay?" Hermione squeaked.

"Come, sestrá," Aleksander said excitedly, pulling Hermione to the stairs. "Come see your room. You too, Draco."

The flame-haired Bulgarian dragged Hermione up the stairs as she squealed, and Draco dashed up the stairs after with excitement.

Viktor bowed his head to Severus as the others disappeared up the staircase to the private quarters. "Am honored you accept our invitation to be partner in business," he said softly. "Ve are lucky and honored to have."

Severus closed his eyes a moment and then opened them, looking Viktor in the face. His face was impassive, but his black eyes did not have the coldness of occlusion in them. "Someone has to keep you from blowing up your laboratory like the Weasley twins"

Viktor grinned broadly. "Your laboratory now, Master," he said. "Let Petya stay in kitchen to blow tings up. His specialty."

Severus raised a brow. "Hopefully not to sell."

"No," Viktor said with a nod. Petya get his own kitchen to blow up in back and is in charge of smoker. Aleksander in charge of real one… for anything requiring pre-planning and flavor." His eyes twinkled with mischief managed. He pulled out a small box from his pocket and tapped it with his wand, making it larger. He handed it to Severus carefully.

Severus set the large box on the counter opened the box carefully, lifting the wood lid with his pale fingers that acted like spider legs crawling along the lid. The box opened with a creak, exposing bottle after bottle of collected ingredients he and Hermione had gathered throughout their summer travels. Severus ran his hand a cross the bottles as if to confirm their actual presence.

Little Vik flew down from his shoulder and inspected the jars, fluttering his wings excitedly as he chirped his approval.

"You were very thorough," Severus said softly, reverently touching the labels with the tip of his index finger.

Viktor gave him a smug smile. "Her-my-own very diligent taskmaster," he said. "No idea where she get it from."

Severus snorted, shooting Viktor a smirk of his own as he carried the box of various reagents down a hidden corridor into his new laboratory. He emerged a few minutes later and waved his hand, causing a door to slide closed as well as a set of shelves making it look like part of the store wall. There was a surge of magic as multiple wards slammed into place.

"Store not even open yet," Viktor chuckled. "You vaste no time protecting."

"Says the man who charmed four statues to protect the store," Severus counted with a lifted eyebrow.

Viktor waved his hands as he blushed. "You one who challenged Apprentice to make life-sized sculptures of an Orthus, chimera, manticore, and minotaur."

"You, Viktor," Severus said, aiming one pale finger at him, " are the one who refused to let her revert them back into boulders and charmed them to life."

Viktor attempted his best halo look, which may have actually worked had it been aimed at anyone but Severus Snape. "Okay, okay. Guilty. I admit," Viktor chuckled.

Severus' eyes slid over to look at the two-headed dog with the serpent tail sitting in the corner looking like any well-detailed sculpture. Hermione had named it Orthus after the "child" of Echidna and Typhon from Greek Mythology from which it had been based. Hermione had gone through a life-size sculpture making phase while working on her meditations, and every night he had given her a different "beast" to focus on. While there had been many sculptures due to many nights of meditation, Hermione had not shown any emotional attachment to them like she had for Little Vik. The little hippogriff remained her most endearing construct.

The surviving sculptures, however, had all been creatures that were much like Viktor and Hermione— beasts that combined multiple animals. Viktor adored them and begged her not to destroy them. Severus had wondered where Viktor was going to find places for them, but the Bulgarian had only grinned, shrunk them down to be portable, and scurried off with them without a further word.

Until Severus had come to help set up the store earlier in the summer, he had not thought about the sculptures…that is, until a full-sized manticore pinned him down to the floor and licked his face and purred so loudly that the floor rumbled underneath him. Viktor, as was his talent, had charmed each of the store guardians to know exactly who their most important people were. Severus had apparently already made the list, which he was probably never more grateful for as a manticore was "happily" nuzzling him mercilessly into the floorboards of the shop.

For the most part, the guardian statues remained in place and unmoving as to not give away their nature to casual inspection. Their little "brothers and sisters" in the shop window did all the moving and fluttering about for them with their obnoxiously charming and very disarming manners.

There was a shudder in the store wards, and Viktor and Severus froze in place, Viktor waved his hand towards the storefront, insuring that the store was darkened from outside viewers. Severus instantly disillusioned them both.

:Master?: Hermione was touching his mind immediately, sensing the wards snap into place.

:Be still,: he commanded. He could see the eyes glowing on all the statuaries in the store.

Almost instantly all sound in the store vanished, his command relayed to those upstairs in the living quarters with startling efficiency. Hermione's presence took up her place against his mind with the familiar warmth that both offered support and silently asked for his. He soothed her automatically, even as his eyes narrowed and he watched the store window suspiciously.

Lucius Malfoy walked in front of the large storefront window, staring into the gloom with no enthusiasm. Severus could tell he wasn't specifically looking to find anything in the closed store, but he was glad Viktor's immediate response had been to make it look even less ready to open than it was.

Lucius turned away and continued to walk past, apparently off to do business of his own at some other place.

Viktor and Severus watching him go, moving towards the window slowly to keep a wary eye on the elder Malfoy's whereabouts. The blond wizard made his way to the Hog's Head Tavern and disappeared.

"Man make horrible spy," Viktor commented as he relaxed. "Hair stand out like bear at fashion show."

Severus gave Viktor a look that asked "and you would know this how?" mixed with "you're probably right about the former."

Viktor gave a gallant shrug.

:Do we need to trail him?: Hermione's direct and to the point question pinged off his mind.

:No,: Severus answered. :I know what he is going there for already. There is something we need to do before the term begins again. Grab the bag on the second shelf to the right in my quarters upstairs. My wards are the same.:

:Yes, Master,: came her reply as there was the sound of quiet shuffling from upstairs.

Severus turned to Viktor who was looking at him intently, suspecting he was talking with Hermione in the "silence."

"We have a matter of diplomacy to attend to," Severus explained. "It must be now, before the term starts. You and your brothers should probably join us."

Viktor inclined his head. "Then we will attend."

Severus found himself surprised, yet again, that there was no argument, only acceptance. Unable to find words fitting for the situation he found himself in, he bowed his head in acknowledgment as Viktor scurried up the stairs to gather his brothers.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Severus stood tall in the clearing in the Forest with Hermione on one side and Viktor on the other as gryphon and simurgh. Around Hermione's neck was Draco, curled multiple times around her neck, half buried in her feathers. He was not completely hiding, but his body wove casually in and out of her neck feathers like an adornment rather than a living thing. Aleksander, Lazar, Valko, and Petya perched in the trees nearby, still save for the movement of their feathers in the forest breeze.

They stood there silently without moving for quite a few minutes before the footfalls signaled that company was treading their way. As the dark shapes of man and horse materialized in the dimness of the forest, Severus bowed his head respectfully, placing his hands on Hermione and Viktor's withers, pressing his fingers into their feathers and fur in a gesture of comfort for them and peace for the centaurs.

Viktor and Hermione, tense but trusting Severus' touch, slowly dropped into a respectful bow, dipping their heads over their front legs as the centaurs approached.

"You come early this year, Owl Master Snape," a low voice said as he broke from the group of centaurs. The others had weapons out, but they did not draw them. "And you bring quite the quite the honor guard."

Severus straighted but inclined his head to the main centaur. "You as well, Magorian," he said softly. "I am glad to see your colony has been doing well."

"We have kept most of the human annoyances out of our territory," Magorian said simply. "And there have not been many youths in the last year encroaching in the forest that have not had acceptable reason to be."

"Your tolerance of the students is well appreciated," Severus replied.

"They are young," Magorian replied. "Even we centaur know tolerance to the young of whatever species. Some of us are better skilled at tolerance than others." Magorian jutted his chin out towards a centaur on the edge of his entourage. Firenze bowed his head respectfully towards Severus, but did not approach while the colony leader was parlaying.

Severus nodded. "I believe I have been learning my own kind of tolerance as well, Magorian. You may find this amusing."

Magorian gave a smirk that turned into a smile. "I never thought to see anyone stand at your side, save Dumbledore, and he… always speaks one thing and means another. What brings you to our home without the silver-tongued wizard?"

"I come to honor our agreement," Severus replied. "I did not forget."

"Few remember agreements with beasts during times of peace," Magorian grunted. "Usually, they remember us… when time of war comes to carry them away into the night under the stars."

"We both know that being a beast does not make one less of an ally, Magorian," Severus replied. "Nor do our promises expire when they are no longer convenient."

Magorian lifted his chin and nodded. "You are correct, Owl Master," he said deeply. He seemed to ponder something before taking a deep breath, his sides heaving as though he had run a long distance. "What bring you?"

Severus shrugged a bag off his shoulder and extended the satchel to Magorian. The centaur took it carefully and undid the buckle.

"Flint and metal for our arrows, but not pre-shaped to insult our own methods. I am glad you remember such details," Magorian said with a sniff. "Quality crystals for our divination, cloth for both bandages and wraps, hide glue and sinew for our bows, liniment for our aches, and healing paste for those whose injuries keep them from using our traditional herbs. You honor us by not insulting our ways, Owl Master. It has always been so, but I am glad it has not changed."

Severus nodded.

"The winds are shifting, Owl Master," Magorian looked up towards the sky through the trees. "But none of us can say for sure what comes when the winds stop. I can see you have found family where once you were a star that walked the heavens alone. Now, you are a star whose planets faithfully orbit. This is no small thing to us, nor should it be to you."

"It is not, Magorian," Severus replied, his hands stroked Hermione's feathers, Viktor's fur, and Draco's scales with practiced care.

"You and your family are welcome in our lands, Owl Master Snape," Magorian said finally. "Whether for safety or to hunt. Show us now, your other faces, that we may recognize you on the fields of battle and know our allies from our enemies."

Severus removed his hands from their withers.

Draco slipped off Hermione's neck and took his human form, bowing. Hermione and Viktor followed suit, and all four elemental birds drifted in from the trees and did the same.

Magorian came in close, circling Severus and his charges with heavy hoof beats. He jutted his chin and gestured with his head, and the entire herd of centaurs came over to circle them. "Now," Magorian said, "take your true forms and take in the scent of my herd, so you may know us in peace and in war, in the forest or out.

:True form, Master?" Hermione boggled into Severus' mind.

:For the centaur, my Apprentice,: Severus explained, :Our human form is the animagus form. Our beast is our true form. Our soul. The truest expression of who and what we are.:

Hermione fell into her gryphon shape with new knowledge as Viktor and her Sky Brothers changed as well. Draco shifted and wove around her neck once more, setting his head on hers. She leaned into Severus with her head, garnering his touch before she walked around the centaur herd and pressed her head to each centaur's hand, taking in their scent and memorizing it as Draco tasted the scents with his flicking tongue. Viktor did the same as Hermione, while Aleksander, Lazar, Valko, and Petya landed on extended arms as the centaurs brought them closer to their head and allowed them to scent their hair.

Finally, when the ritual was done, Magorian seemed satisfied. "We welcome our allies into our Home," he said formally. "May the stars forever guide your path and the ground never fail beneath your feet as our allies shall never fail us."

Severus repeated the formal words with a bow.

"You may tell your Dumbledore that we will not bring harm to your school's children in whatever manner appeases him, Owl Master," the elder centaur said with a tilt of his head. "You may tell him we enjoyed the fruit basket or whatever thing you see fit to make up." Magorian's smirk let it be known that every year's "negotiation of terms" had been creatively modified as to how it was actually brokered.

Severus nodded.

"The half-giant has been strangely absent this summer," Firenze said, stepping out of the herd at last. "It concerns us because he is normally walking through the forest regularly. His hut fire has been cold many nights."

Severus frowned. "I did not realize he was away. Albus did not tell me anything."

"Be careful, Severus," Firenze cautioned. "Whatever is brewing has even the planets confused."

"Thank you for the warning, Firenze," Severus said with a bow of his head.

Magorian snorted and tossed his head, and the herd filtered back into the forest like ghosts.

Severus closed his eyes, touching Hermione on the head and soothed her feathers as his other hand massaged Viktor's large ears. "Meet back at the shop, everyone."

And with that, they took to the air and headed back towards Hogsmeade.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

That night, for the first time, the strangely assembled animagus family slept together on a large cushion in the middle of their shared living room, deciding to eschew their separate rooms on this particular occasion.

Hermione and Viktor snuggled up together as per their usual routine, but Draco wove himself between Viktor and Hermione's interlocked wings. Vik wedged himself between their heads as usual as Severus roosted in between Hermione and Viktor's touching withers. All four elemental birds perched nestled in the area near Hermione's furred belly where her wing folded over them and Viktor's massive tail folded over her wing.

As the sounds of their combined soft snores claimed each bird, serpent, and beast, it was then, and only then, that the dark owl roosting between Hermione's and Viktor's withers closed his eyes and allowed sleep to claim him at last.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

A/N: I believe this was the summer when Hagrid and Olympe had traveled to try and talk the giants into being neutral during the upcoming war on Dumbledore's orders. (Didn't he come back nursing his face with a dragon steak?) Anyway, that's why I have him MIA this summer during the centaur business. Not sure how I'm going to weave him back in along with Dolores Umbridge into my story just yet, but who knows, I may listen to more epic music and have it involve flaming trees falling and grandiose battle scenes! (or maybe not... I'm sleep deprived, can you tell?) Having Hagrid know anything is dangerous, as we all know that he's a great guy and all, but he can't keep his trap shut to save his immortal soul. Thank you all for your wonderful comments. You really make me smile.