Hiking

June 19th 2009, Lower Austria, Oetscher region

A week of solitary, not too taxing hiking had sounded wonderful to the overstressed Artihmancy Mistress. And it had been very relaxing so far. As a child Hermione Granger's parents had taken their daughter skiing, on holidays in Italy, France and Spain that combined visiting numerous museums and churches with trips to the beach but they had never encouraged more strenouus activities as mountaneering or bycicle trips. Therefore the thirty-year-old woman was quite content with walks well below 2000 metres.

This particular path along a ravine in the Austrian Alps had breathtaking views of the valley, glimpses of the surrounding higher mountains and inviting pools of crystal clear water. Those were tempting, but at 12 degrees Celsius not suited to more than cooling one's feet. In the evening Hermione fell asleep quickly in the alpine hut that had been her destination for the day. Tomorrow would bring a rather ardous climb of 1000 metres difference in altitude in steep serpentines up to the 1893 metres summit of the Oetscher and – weather permitting – an uncomparable view across the Alps in the West and South and as far as the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary in the North and East over the gentle rolling hills of Lower Austria.

Cowbells (and the generator of the milking machine) woke up the young woman to a day that promised few clouds and perfect conditions for her undertaking. Realising that she hadn't thought of her work for nearly five days Hermione set off with a light heart.

Two hours later her heart was light still, but her muscles were protesting. The steady climb towards the Riffle pass took longer than expected, the slurry ground making her steps difficult. Making a note to herself about working out more when back home the young Arithmancer took another swig of her water bottle before resuming her hike. A sound like a gunshot and some shouts rang up from somewhere. It could not be hunting season for chamois yet. As Hermione finally reached the ridge the riddle was solved: far below on the other side a swarm of brightly coloured dots were moving quickly along the path from the North up to the Otscher summit. Those lunatics were running where Hermione would huff and puff like a tank engine! Faszinated – and in need of a break anyway – she sat down on a boulder and took her binoculars out of her backpack. The speed of the mountain-runners astonished her. The athletes, mostly men, were all light on their feet, gaining altitude quickly. One in particular, wearing number 394, caught her gaze. He was of medium height, had long toned legs and wore a dark green singlet that showed sinewy arms. The black runner's briefs could not have used more cloth than an average handkerchief and displayed beautifully the muscles of Number 394 thighs and bum. Hermione caught herself before drooling. Something about this man seemed awfully familiar. She was fairly sure to remember him in movement but ransacked her brain in vain. A fellow Arithmancer during a dance? One of Viktor's friends she had met on a skiing trip?

Hermione continued her trek up a steep slope and was glad that finally the Oetscher Schutzhaus came into view. She was enjoying her first tall glass of raspberry juice when the waitress came to take her order for food. Both women were distracted by the first runners coming at the trek below the hut. They would continue up to the summit for more than 400 altitude meters and then down the Raue Kamm, a very exposed track where one had to be absolutely free from giddiness, as the narrow path on one side wound close to a steep wall of rock and on the other side had a drop of several hundred metres. Hermione shuddered to think about even walking there, running was out of the question. Following her eyes the waitress prodded her gently.

"They are quite a sight, aren't they?"

The young Arithmancer startled at the direct query but caught herself.

"Yes, they are. Running up mountains seems to do wonders for those leg muscles."

"Quite. But don't expect too much. Looking is allright, if you wait for anything more, you will be disappointed." With these words bitterness had crept into the server's voice.

Hermione really did not want to hear about the other woman's disappointments, but the she had enough time on her hands and she could not think about what the waitress alluded.

"What do you mean? How would they disappoint me?"

"To compete in a run like this they have to train four times a week. Run for three or four hours, make at least 1500 altitude metres in each run. Drive to where you can run, cool down afterwards, be too tired for anything afterwards, be it your son's homework or your wife's wishes in the marital bed."

"Now Rosi, don't be bitter. Leo is very ambitious. In any area. If he wasn't running he would do something else and neglect you."

Both women turned around, gaping. Number 394 was nursing a beer, amused smirk on his face.

"Stefan! Why did you drop out from the race? You were in the top ten!"

"My knees don't like running down. I like the challenge of going against them uphill."

He sent a positively sinful smirk in Hermione's direction.

"And doing only the first half of the race keeps me alert enough for anything else."

Rosi chuckled and turned away, leaving the young woman alone with Nr 394 and a blush. The man pulled an amulet over his head and addressed Hermione directly,

"Ms Granger, I hope I can count on your discretion. It is still Granger, is it?"

The young woman choked on her raspberry juice.

"Professor Snape!"

"Stefan Prinz in these parts of the continent."

"But - "

"If you are going to say `I saw you die´ I am disappointed. I would have thought you of all pupils I ever thaught would remember my opening speech, `Put a stopper in death´ etc."

Hermione was getting angry at the flippant manner with which he talked about an event that haunted her until this day. Her voice got a little shrill.

"I was going to say that you got impossibly younger. I can't quite believe what I am hearing and seeing. And I hate how you talk about the day you died! It took me three years of Muggle therapy to come to terms with the fact that I did not check for signs of life! That I didn't try to close your wounds and put you in Stasis!"

"Thank G-d you didn't! I would have died for real in that case. Usually Nagini bit her victims in the thigh or upper arm. I prepared for such an event. When Nagini nicked my jugular she got much more venom into me than her usual way. Therefore it was important that the wound bled freely, getting the venom out again, as it is very corosive." He got very serious. "Miss Granger, I am saddened that your burden from the war got even heavier due to you witnessing my supposed death. But I cannot apologize for it as I would not mean it. Cutting nearly all ties with my former life was the only way for me to finally have a life that is my own. Imagine Potter or Weasley died because of you and then be forced to live your year on the run twenty times over. It took me nearly five years to put myself together again. I dropped my Occlumency shields after having them up for close to two decades. I cried for six months straight."

She nodded emphatically. Snape drew himself together and continued in a less sombre vein, "As to my supposed youth – I was 38 when you last saw me. I guess I looked older than that but 38 is very young for wizards, as we live longer than non-magical persons and age more slowly. And I live a very relaxing life since the end of the war."

"I am glad and I wish you all the best. I guess from a student's point every teacher is old. After the war I researched your patents from the time before Voldemort came back. Are you still researching new potions?"

"That and I dabble in charms – creation. You work for Gringotts?"

"Part-time, yes, for three days. The other time I work for private clients or do research."

"Sounds good."

"It is."

Snape – or Prinz – looked at the sky.

"Ms Granger, do you want to go up to the summit today?"

"I planned to, but I did not know about the race. It will be very busy up there, won't it?"

"Yes, and there are some clouds coming in from the Hochkar. Do you want to see something truly spectacular?"

"Yes, of course."

"If you're planning to sleep here in the Schutzhaus we could get up at 3.30, climb up to the summit and watch the sunrise there. The weather should hold."

"Staying here and going to bed early sounds better and better. I can't imagine ever getting up from this bench and climbing for another hour or two."

"Then it's settled. I'll go and tell Rosi."

Hermione did not go to bed early that night as a few locals also stayed. Rosi's husband brought out an instrument that worked like an accordion but with buttons instead of keys. Stories were told and songs were sung until midnight, Snape not quite right in the middle of it but sharing an amusing tale ever now and then.

The bunk bed had been surprisingly comfortable but getting up was not easy. Only when Snape – Stefan as she was to call him – adopted his teaching voice did she carry her boots downstairs. Before leaving through the backdoor they filled up their water bottles. Stefan lent Hermione a headlamp which was sorely needed after reaching the ridge where the ground was rougher than on the easily reachable treks.

The sky turned slate, then blue-grey and finally pink. The Potions master made the young witch hurry up a bit but when they finally reached the peak every toil and trouble was forgotten. Leaning against the base of the summit cross she felt tears of joy run down her face. The rising sun tinted the peaks to her right while in the valleys between the lower hills to the North early morning mist was still clinging. Jackdaws were using the currents in the air, flying playfully.

When she looked over to Snape he too had turned his face towards the East, catching the first rays of the sun. Hermione reached over to press his left hand.

"Thank you for showing me this."

"Thank you for coming with me. I've done this numerous times and the solitude up here is very soothing, but sharing such a moment is even better."

A Severus Snape without Occlumency shields was quite a disconcerting notion but someone whom the witch found very interesting and likeable. After sharing a cup of coffee he had brought along in a thermos they started the trek down to the Schutzhaus where they shared breakfast with Rosi and her husband, the first blushing and the latter smug. Sitting side by side in the chairlift that took them down to Lackenhof Snape told her about a modified potion he had gifted to Leo the evening before.

Walking leasurely through the quiet village the Potions master enquired after the length of Hermione's holiday.

"I've got a week left and so far there are no urgent projects from private clients."

"Would you like to see my home? I have a guest room and there are some beautiful hikes around my house."

The house and the walks were indeed lovely, but the guest room was not used that week. Later on it would be converted into a study for Hermione, because it did not matter whether she worked in Devonshire or in Lower Austria on her projects as long as she was able to use Gringotts' Floo network.

Fin