Disclaimer: Arduine, Guerin, and the plot are from my brain, all the rest
is courtesy of J.K. Rowling.
Severus was extremely jittery for the day after his one-sided encounter with the unconscious Amazon Queen, at least that was how Dumbledore described him. And of course, as with everything that happened upon school grounds, Dumbledore knew more than anyone suspected.
Severus made his way up to the hospital wing unusually early the next morning, around 6 AM, expecting to bypass Poppy and her barrage of questions. He couldn't even answer why to himself, let alone Madam Pomfrey.
He silently infiltrated the hospital, quietly and quickly making his way to the side room where the woman was, somehow erasing the seemingly ever- present click of his heeled shoes.
He turned the knob of the door slowly, even though he was sure that she was still asleep, and then his confidence was shattered; he stood in the doorway in shock, blood draining from his face.
She was awake! The woman had opened the curtains of the window above her headboard and was watching the sun rise over the red and orange trees of autumn. She was curled up at the top of the bed, her knees at her chest, wearing the bland white pajamas put on her unconscious body by Madam Pomfrey. The rising light cast contrasting shadows on her features and her tawny hair glowed gold where the rays of sun touched it.
Her head shot towards the door as soon as it opened. She was only half- shocked at who she saw there, unlike Severus who could not have been more surprised if she had turned into a basilisk. "Hello, Severus." she said quietly, "...that is your name isn't it? I remember hearing it before I fell asleep for the second time."
He blinked for a moment and gulped. "mmm... Yes. I am Severus." He relaxed slightly as Arduine motioned for him to take a seat.
She uncoiled herself from the top of the bed and faced her visitor. She cocked her head to the side and studied him for a moment. "Arduine." she said definitively.
"What?" he was more confused.
"You said last night that you did not know my name... it is Arduine." She smiled as his eyes widened at the accusation, it was then obvious that she felt the touch. There was a pregnant silence as Severus searched for something to say. She beat him to it. "I am sorry for the way I acted earlier. I shouldn't have lashed out at you like that. I especially should not have refused your help."
For the third time Severus reguarded her with complete surprise, only this time it was tinged with awe. He gulped again. "You shouldn't be sorry at all... what happened..." he spoke weakly. "Let's just say that I deserve it."
"You obviously regret what you did... I know you were forced, I was there..." she looked at him steadily, even though it took much strength to do so.
"That is still no excuse..." he hissed.
She just sighed, not knowing how to fight such an arguement.
"I'm surprised you are even talking to me..." he said quietly, looking out the window.
She smiled. "Well, I wasn't planning on it, let me tell you that... but you convinced me otherwise... last night..." She had reached over and grabbed her pillow and was now hugging it, resting her head on the top. "... no one has ever touched me like that..." she whispered.
"What?" Severus's head shot to face her, he knew the legends.
"Amazon culture is quite different from what you know here. Men are only allowed into out villages for proliferation pruposes. And so, every year since my 18th birthday, I could take the man of my choosing once a year. I tried to just pretend that I had had sex with these men, but they took me... to have the even greater knowledge that theydominated an Amazon Queen." her voice was flat and dark. "There is no emotional attachment to sex in my culture. It is reporduction. And after what happened..." she fumbled here. "...between you and I... I had a great emotional attachment to the action. I've physically and mentally relived that moment between us once a year since I was 18. And you, out of all those men... you were the only one who didn't want to take someone against her will... the only one who was sorry..."
Severus got up and sat down on the edge of the bed next to Arduine. He put his hand to the side of her face again and she closed her eyes and leaned into it, needing the touch like a drug. "They were fools... bloody fools, all of them..." he whispered to her.
She opened her eyes and smiled, taking his hand in both of hers. "Thank you..."
For one of the few times in his life, Severus genuinely smiled. "I should leave before Poppy discovers that I snuck in here."
Arduine nodded and watched him walk towards the door. "You will come back won't you?" she asked just before he opened the door to leave.
He turned on his heel and looked at her. She stared into his dark eyes for the first time and knew his answer before he said it. "Of course..." he whispered. "Goodday, Arduine."
His voice ran over her name like silk on velvet. "Goodday Severus."
He nodded and closed the door behind him.
Arduine looked out the window again to see that the sun had almost completely risen. She smiled to herself, remembering that she still didn't know what had happened to land her in the infirmary in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry... all she recalled was riding there with all speed, knowing that Dumbledore would be able to give her sanctuary after her tribe turned on her.
And to think of it, at the moment, she didn't really care to know, she was happy to dwell in the little she had gained so far.
Severus was extremely jittery for the day after his one-sided encounter with the unconscious Amazon Queen, at least that was how Dumbledore described him. And of course, as with everything that happened upon school grounds, Dumbledore knew more than anyone suspected.
Severus made his way up to the hospital wing unusually early the next morning, around 6 AM, expecting to bypass Poppy and her barrage of questions. He couldn't even answer why to himself, let alone Madam Pomfrey.
He silently infiltrated the hospital, quietly and quickly making his way to the side room where the woman was, somehow erasing the seemingly ever- present click of his heeled shoes.
He turned the knob of the door slowly, even though he was sure that she was still asleep, and then his confidence was shattered; he stood in the doorway in shock, blood draining from his face.
She was awake! The woman had opened the curtains of the window above her headboard and was watching the sun rise over the red and orange trees of autumn. She was curled up at the top of the bed, her knees at her chest, wearing the bland white pajamas put on her unconscious body by Madam Pomfrey. The rising light cast contrasting shadows on her features and her tawny hair glowed gold where the rays of sun touched it.
Her head shot towards the door as soon as it opened. She was only half- shocked at who she saw there, unlike Severus who could not have been more surprised if she had turned into a basilisk. "Hello, Severus." she said quietly, "...that is your name isn't it? I remember hearing it before I fell asleep for the second time."
He blinked for a moment and gulped. "mmm... Yes. I am Severus." He relaxed slightly as Arduine motioned for him to take a seat.
She uncoiled herself from the top of the bed and faced her visitor. She cocked her head to the side and studied him for a moment. "Arduine." she said definitively.
"What?" he was more confused.
"You said last night that you did not know my name... it is Arduine." She smiled as his eyes widened at the accusation, it was then obvious that she felt the touch. There was a pregnant silence as Severus searched for something to say. She beat him to it. "I am sorry for the way I acted earlier. I shouldn't have lashed out at you like that. I especially should not have refused your help."
For the third time Severus reguarded her with complete surprise, only this time it was tinged with awe. He gulped again. "You shouldn't be sorry at all... what happened..." he spoke weakly. "Let's just say that I deserve it."
"You obviously regret what you did... I know you were forced, I was there..." she looked at him steadily, even though it took much strength to do so.
"That is still no excuse..." he hissed.
She just sighed, not knowing how to fight such an arguement.
"I'm surprised you are even talking to me..." he said quietly, looking out the window.
She smiled. "Well, I wasn't planning on it, let me tell you that... but you convinced me otherwise... last night..." She had reached over and grabbed her pillow and was now hugging it, resting her head on the top. "... no one has ever touched me like that..." she whispered.
"What?" Severus's head shot to face her, he knew the legends.
"Amazon culture is quite different from what you know here. Men are only allowed into out villages for proliferation pruposes. And so, every year since my 18th birthday, I could take the man of my choosing once a year. I tried to just pretend that I had had sex with these men, but they took me... to have the even greater knowledge that theydominated an Amazon Queen." her voice was flat and dark. "There is no emotional attachment to sex in my culture. It is reporduction. And after what happened..." she fumbled here. "...between you and I... I had a great emotional attachment to the action. I've physically and mentally relived that moment between us once a year since I was 18. And you, out of all those men... you were the only one who didn't want to take someone against her will... the only one who was sorry..."
Severus got up and sat down on the edge of the bed next to Arduine. He put his hand to the side of her face again and she closed her eyes and leaned into it, needing the touch like a drug. "They were fools... bloody fools, all of them..." he whispered to her.
She opened her eyes and smiled, taking his hand in both of hers. "Thank you..."
For one of the few times in his life, Severus genuinely smiled. "I should leave before Poppy discovers that I snuck in here."
Arduine nodded and watched him walk towards the door. "You will come back won't you?" she asked just before he opened the door to leave.
He turned on his heel and looked at her. She stared into his dark eyes for the first time and knew his answer before he said it. "Of course..." he whispered. "Goodday, Arduine."
His voice ran over her name like silk on velvet. "Goodday Severus."
He nodded and closed the door behind him.
Arduine looked out the window again to see that the sun had almost completely risen. She smiled to herself, remembering that she still didn't know what had happened to land her in the infirmary in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry... all she recalled was riding there with all speed, knowing that Dumbledore would be able to give her sanctuary after her tribe turned on her.
And to think of it, at the moment, she didn't really care to know, she was happy to dwell in the little she had gained so far.