(A/N: Thanks all who reviewed. I really appreciate it. Review again,
please!)
(Disclaimer: Don't own it, J.K. does. Praise her to high heaven and beyond).
Chapter Six
Hermione awoke with a start. Someone was shaking her shoulders excitedly. She opened her eyes, and looked into Severus' elated eyes. She stretched. "What time is it?" she asked sleepily. It was still dark out.
"Oh, never mind that," responded Severus impatiently. "I know how to get the unicorn blood."
"What?" Hermione asked, sitting bolt upright in her chair, all attention. Severus returned to his chair, looking smugly at her.
"Well you see," he began, "I had fallen asleep, into a sort of light doze, and I had this recurring dream. This dream recounts the last time I saw Sevolod alive. We were having this discussion, about centaurs, actually, before we got smashed. Anyway, he imparted this interesting, and at the time useless, bit of information, to me over dinner. He said, 'If you ever want to get a unicorn's blood, Sev, for something other than escape from death, to be used for honorable purposes, then all you have to do is a mind link. Establish a connection, and then back away mentally. Allow the unicorn to make the next step. If they accept you, you will know. They will approach you.'" Severus' grin faded. "Now all we need to know is how to establish the mind connection."
Hermione spoke up, elated. "That part I know," she answered happily. "You are supposed to think of a happy time in your life, sort of go there in your mind. The unicorn, sensing your purity of spirit at the moment, will come over to you."
"Perhaps you'd better do that part," said Severus dryly. "Haven't got any real purity of mind or soul, thanks."
"No, you're going to do it," Hermione said quickly. "I…don't feel up to it."
Severus looked askance at her, raising one of his magnificent black eyebrows. "Hm." But he made no further objections, and in twenty minutes the pair was back out in the Forbidden Forest.
"All right," Hermione began, "You start by sitting comfortably, and closing your eyes, and placing yourself into the happy memory you have chosen." She stepped back to allow him some more room.
Severus, feeling a trifle foolish, sat down on the tree stump they had sat on before, closed his eyes, and wracked his brains for a happy memory. It was slow in coming, but he finally found one: Leaving for Hogwarts with Sevolod when he was ten; they were both starting a year early. He tried to recreate the excitement and anticipation he had felt. To be leaving such a cold, empty house – he couldn't be anything but overjoyed. Hermione looked at his face; a soft smile played about his lips. She smiled as well, and turned to gaze over through the trees. Suddenly, she saw what they were both hoping to see: a unicorn, walking daintily toward them. He bowed slightly to Hermione, and then moved to Severus. He felt its presence; and did not try to move. Instead, he remained perfectly still with his eyes closed tight. He suddenly felt the presence of another mind with his own. The mind spoke to him.
Actually, it was nothing like human speech at all. The unicorn did not use words to communicate, but something like a series of pictures and feelings to convey his meaning to Severus. When the unicorn had finished, Severus felt oddly peaceful and serene. Next, he attempted to communicate with the beautiful creature kneeling in front of him. He thought about Voldemort, and he could feel the creature's disgust. He explained his need of the unicorn blood. All was silent for a few moments, until Severus suddenly saw, in his mind, a unicorn slaying itself. He opened his eyes, and the unicorn raised its mournful eyes to look at him. They held their eye contact for a few moments, until the unicorn broke the connection. He lay down on the forest floor, and suddenly a long gash appeared on the creature's side. Silver blood began to collect around the wound. The unicorn raised its magnificent head one last time to look at Severus. Then, the head dropped, the beautiful, expressive eyes closed, and the creature was still.
Severus motioned for Hermione to come forward and help him to collect the blood. When it was all safely in jars closed tight, Severus knelt beside the animal. He muttered an old incantation he had learned from eavesdropping on his aunt and his mother when he was a boy. This chant thanked the animal for its sacrifice, and assure him that he had not wasted his life. It was mainly for hunters after the hunt, but Severus felt it would do as well in this situation anyway. When Severus and Hermione stood to begin their walk back to the castle, the unicorn's body disappeared. Hermione gasped, and Severus smiled faintly.
"Yes," he said, "It was too pure to remain here without the life force in it."
Hermione checked her watch, and noting that it was time for breakfast, they entered the Great Hall for the morning meal. Afterwards, Severus and Hermione went their separate ways; she to try to sleep, and he to attempt to sleep, without success.
*~*
*Harry and Ron stood before her, smiling. "Hey, 'Mione," said Ron, using the pet name she had hated so much during their Hogwarts days. Harry smiled at her.
"Guys," she said, her throat dry. She drew in a deep, ragged breath. "I can't believe it, what…how…" she trailed off. But Harry and Ron seemed to understand her.
"Back at Hogwarts, are we?" teased Harry. She smiled weakly.
Ron laughed. "In our third year, I had a bet running with Harry on what subject you would return to teach. I said DADA, he said Arithmancy. Looks like I win, old chap," he said to Harry, who groaned good-naturedly.
The duo suddenly changed tracks. "Mione, we need to tell you something. It's important. We -- "*
Hermione sat straight up on her couch, breathing heavily. She blinked, realizing it was only a dream, but not before her eyes frantically searched the room for her two best friends. Dead, she reminded herself. And then she surrendered to the tears.
*~*
Severus sat at his desk, writing out an order for asphodel and wormwood. He was unbelievably tired. He didn't want to sleep, though, because of the dreams. He sighed deeply. He just didn't feel like he could deal with the dreams just now. Severus rose from his chair, crossing the cold room to his trunk sitting in the corner. He hesitated; it had been so long… But in the end, his instinct won out over reason, and he opened the chest, plunged a hand in, and extracted a violin. He stood by the window, overlooking the fields and grass of the Hogwarts grounds, and began to play Pachabel's Canon, his favorite. He was only halfway through with the melody, when he was interrupted by a transparent figure entering the room through the window he was staring out of. Severus was so startled that he hit a wrong note, causing a high-pitched screeching sound to be emitted from his instrument. Both Severus and Sevolod winced. It was Sevolod who broke the silence first.
"Did you get it?"
Severus favored his twin with his best look of annoyance. "What thing, exactly, might you be referring to?"
Sevolod rolled his eyes. "Sev, ya arse! The unicorn blood, o'course!"
"Yes," Severus sniffed. "Why did you tell me to go and talk to those bloody centaurs? Can't get a straight answer out of them. Besides, you yourself told me how to get the damned blood, twenty years ago. Or did you forget?" he added sarcastically.
But Sevolod just smiled and ignored his brother. "During a conversation about centaurs, if I recall correctly. And are you two going to be making the potion?"
Severus raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh, no," he said, ignoring the startled look on Sevolod's face. "No, now that we've got the means to possibly destroy the Dark Lord, I think I'll just not make the bloody potion. Damn it all, 'Lod," he sighed, "Of course we're going to make the potion. Are you mad?"
Sevolod chuckled appreciatively. "Hm. And how do you feel about all this, brother?"
Severus busied himself with putting his violin away. He did not meet his brother's eyes. "I can't think that you would mean that I would feel anything other than overjoyed by the prospect of the Dark Lord's demise."
Sevolod snorted. "The day you, Severus Snape, show joy will be a cold day in hell." His voice softened. "C'mon. You know what I mean. Are you finally going to forgive yourself, after You-Know-Who's gone?"
Severus' eyes glittered. "My debt is too large, it can never be paid. Not to Dumbledore, not to you. After he's gone, I won't even have any way to make amends anymore."
Sevolod shook his head. "Sev, what you don't understand is that you have forgiveness already. From everyone but yourself. You're too damned stubborn to see that nobody holds the actions of an eighteen year old boy against him." His voice grew slightly louder. Albus forgave you the same damn day you went to him. There was never anything for me to forgive. All that's left is for you to forgive yourself."
Severus turned toward the window, and stared out at the grounds. He could feel the tears about to come. It seemed that he and his brother had this conversation about once a month. "I'd appreciate it if you'd leave now, 'Lod," he said firmly, using his brother's childhood nickname. To his surprise, Sevolod left without another word.
*~*
Severus and Hermione did not cross paths again until dinner in the Hall. He looked tired, and she looked upset. Neither of them, however, commented on the appearance of the other, indeed, Severus only said curtly that she should join him in the dungeons after dinner to assist with the potion.
Hermione responded tiredly, "Is that a command or a request, sir?"
He, not making eye contact with her, replied, "A command." Not long after their little exchange, Severus left the table without eating much of anything. Hermione followed soon after, changing into work robes of emerald green and tying back her long hair into a bun before heading to the dungeons.
She approached the dungeons, which looked exactly as they had during her seventh year. Hermione paused at the door of the largest lab, where she had had double Potions for seven years. She put her hand on the doorknob, and pushed it open. Severus was already in the room, sitting on his desk and summoning ingredients with an almost lazy wave of his wand.
He looked at her, standing at the door hesitantly. "Come in; and you can tell me why you have that look on your face."
She snorted silently to herself. She shook her head. "It's just odd to see you using a wand, sir. You usually dismissed them as foolish during class."
Severus glanced at her, walking business-like into his classroom. "Wands have their uses," he said cryptically, refusing to elaborate. He finished lining up all the ingredients on a small desk in the first row, and then he summoned his cauldron. It took a moment, but the cauldron flew into the room, and landed on the small, already burning fire. Severus then unrolled a strip of parchment, which he promptly handed to Hermione. "Read," he instructed.
Hermione sighed inaudibly. The man had more mood swings than she did, for crying out loud! One minute he's someone one could be friends with, and the next he's as cold as ever. But she took the paper anyway, and began to read. Written in his tiny, cramped script were all the ingredients they would need, and the order in which they would be added. She read through it, and then looked at him. "This all seems to be in order," she said.
He nodded curtly. "Good. We will both make separate cauldrons of the potion, and compare them at the end. I have no doubt that they will be the same." With a wave of his wand, he summoned a second cauldron, which positioned itself in front of Hermione.
They began to work in silence.
(Disclaimer: Don't own it, J.K. does. Praise her to high heaven and beyond).
Chapter Six
Hermione awoke with a start. Someone was shaking her shoulders excitedly. She opened her eyes, and looked into Severus' elated eyes. She stretched. "What time is it?" she asked sleepily. It was still dark out.
"Oh, never mind that," responded Severus impatiently. "I know how to get the unicorn blood."
"What?" Hermione asked, sitting bolt upright in her chair, all attention. Severus returned to his chair, looking smugly at her.
"Well you see," he began, "I had fallen asleep, into a sort of light doze, and I had this recurring dream. This dream recounts the last time I saw Sevolod alive. We were having this discussion, about centaurs, actually, before we got smashed. Anyway, he imparted this interesting, and at the time useless, bit of information, to me over dinner. He said, 'If you ever want to get a unicorn's blood, Sev, for something other than escape from death, to be used for honorable purposes, then all you have to do is a mind link. Establish a connection, and then back away mentally. Allow the unicorn to make the next step. If they accept you, you will know. They will approach you.'" Severus' grin faded. "Now all we need to know is how to establish the mind connection."
Hermione spoke up, elated. "That part I know," she answered happily. "You are supposed to think of a happy time in your life, sort of go there in your mind. The unicorn, sensing your purity of spirit at the moment, will come over to you."
"Perhaps you'd better do that part," said Severus dryly. "Haven't got any real purity of mind or soul, thanks."
"No, you're going to do it," Hermione said quickly. "I…don't feel up to it."
Severus looked askance at her, raising one of his magnificent black eyebrows. "Hm." But he made no further objections, and in twenty minutes the pair was back out in the Forbidden Forest.
"All right," Hermione began, "You start by sitting comfortably, and closing your eyes, and placing yourself into the happy memory you have chosen." She stepped back to allow him some more room.
Severus, feeling a trifle foolish, sat down on the tree stump they had sat on before, closed his eyes, and wracked his brains for a happy memory. It was slow in coming, but he finally found one: Leaving for Hogwarts with Sevolod when he was ten; they were both starting a year early. He tried to recreate the excitement and anticipation he had felt. To be leaving such a cold, empty house – he couldn't be anything but overjoyed. Hermione looked at his face; a soft smile played about his lips. She smiled as well, and turned to gaze over through the trees. Suddenly, she saw what they were both hoping to see: a unicorn, walking daintily toward them. He bowed slightly to Hermione, and then moved to Severus. He felt its presence; and did not try to move. Instead, he remained perfectly still with his eyes closed tight. He suddenly felt the presence of another mind with his own. The mind spoke to him.
Actually, it was nothing like human speech at all. The unicorn did not use words to communicate, but something like a series of pictures and feelings to convey his meaning to Severus. When the unicorn had finished, Severus felt oddly peaceful and serene. Next, he attempted to communicate with the beautiful creature kneeling in front of him. He thought about Voldemort, and he could feel the creature's disgust. He explained his need of the unicorn blood. All was silent for a few moments, until Severus suddenly saw, in his mind, a unicorn slaying itself. He opened his eyes, and the unicorn raised its mournful eyes to look at him. They held their eye contact for a few moments, until the unicorn broke the connection. He lay down on the forest floor, and suddenly a long gash appeared on the creature's side. Silver blood began to collect around the wound. The unicorn raised its magnificent head one last time to look at Severus. Then, the head dropped, the beautiful, expressive eyes closed, and the creature was still.
Severus motioned for Hermione to come forward and help him to collect the blood. When it was all safely in jars closed tight, Severus knelt beside the animal. He muttered an old incantation he had learned from eavesdropping on his aunt and his mother when he was a boy. This chant thanked the animal for its sacrifice, and assure him that he had not wasted his life. It was mainly for hunters after the hunt, but Severus felt it would do as well in this situation anyway. When Severus and Hermione stood to begin their walk back to the castle, the unicorn's body disappeared. Hermione gasped, and Severus smiled faintly.
"Yes," he said, "It was too pure to remain here without the life force in it."
Hermione checked her watch, and noting that it was time for breakfast, they entered the Great Hall for the morning meal. Afterwards, Severus and Hermione went their separate ways; she to try to sleep, and he to attempt to sleep, without success.
*~*
*Harry and Ron stood before her, smiling. "Hey, 'Mione," said Ron, using the pet name she had hated so much during their Hogwarts days. Harry smiled at her.
"Guys," she said, her throat dry. She drew in a deep, ragged breath. "I can't believe it, what…how…" she trailed off. But Harry and Ron seemed to understand her.
"Back at Hogwarts, are we?" teased Harry. She smiled weakly.
Ron laughed. "In our third year, I had a bet running with Harry on what subject you would return to teach. I said DADA, he said Arithmancy. Looks like I win, old chap," he said to Harry, who groaned good-naturedly.
The duo suddenly changed tracks. "Mione, we need to tell you something. It's important. We -- "*
Hermione sat straight up on her couch, breathing heavily. She blinked, realizing it was only a dream, but not before her eyes frantically searched the room for her two best friends. Dead, she reminded herself. And then she surrendered to the tears.
*~*
Severus sat at his desk, writing out an order for asphodel and wormwood. He was unbelievably tired. He didn't want to sleep, though, because of the dreams. He sighed deeply. He just didn't feel like he could deal with the dreams just now. Severus rose from his chair, crossing the cold room to his trunk sitting in the corner. He hesitated; it had been so long… But in the end, his instinct won out over reason, and he opened the chest, plunged a hand in, and extracted a violin. He stood by the window, overlooking the fields and grass of the Hogwarts grounds, and began to play Pachabel's Canon, his favorite. He was only halfway through with the melody, when he was interrupted by a transparent figure entering the room through the window he was staring out of. Severus was so startled that he hit a wrong note, causing a high-pitched screeching sound to be emitted from his instrument. Both Severus and Sevolod winced. It was Sevolod who broke the silence first.
"Did you get it?"
Severus favored his twin with his best look of annoyance. "What thing, exactly, might you be referring to?"
Sevolod rolled his eyes. "Sev, ya arse! The unicorn blood, o'course!"
"Yes," Severus sniffed. "Why did you tell me to go and talk to those bloody centaurs? Can't get a straight answer out of them. Besides, you yourself told me how to get the damned blood, twenty years ago. Or did you forget?" he added sarcastically.
But Sevolod just smiled and ignored his brother. "During a conversation about centaurs, if I recall correctly. And are you two going to be making the potion?"
Severus raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh, no," he said, ignoring the startled look on Sevolod's face. "No, now that we've got the means to possibly destroy the Dark Lord, I think I'll just not make the bloody potion. Damn it all, 'Lod," he sighed, "Of course we're going to make the potion. Are you mad?"
Sevolod chuckled appreciatively. "Hm. And how do you feel about all this, brother?"
Severus busied himself with putting his violin away. He did not meet his brother's eyes. "I can't think that you would mean that I would feel anything other than overjoyed by the prospect of the Dark Lord's demise."
Sevolod snorted. "The day you, Severus Snape, show joy will be a cold day in hell." His voice softened. "C'mon. You know what I mean. Are you finally going to forgive yourself, after You-Know-Who's gone?"
Severus' eyes glittered. "My debt is too large, it can never be paid. Not to Dumbledore, not to you. After he's gone, I won't even have any way to make amends anymore."
Sevolod shook his head. "Sev, what you don't understand is that you have forgiveness already. From everyone but yourself. You're too damned stubborn to see that nobody holds the actions of an eighteen year old boy against him." His voice grew slightly louder. Albus forgave you the same damn day you went to him. There was never anything for me to forgive. All that's left is for you to forgive yourself."
Severus turned toward the window, and stared out at the grounds. He could feel the tears about to come. It seemed that he and his brother had this conversation about once a month. "I'd appreciate it if you'd leave now, 'Lod," he said firmly, using his brother's childhood nickname. To his surprise, Sevolod left without another word.
*~*
Severus and Hermione did not cross paths again until dinner in the Hall. He looked tired, and she looked upset. Neither of them, however, commented on the appearance of the other, indeed, Severus only said curtly that she should join him in the dungeons after dinner to assist with the potion.
Hermione responded tiredly, "Is that a command or a request, sir?"
He, not making eye contact with her, replied, "A command." Not long after their little exchange, Severus left the table without eating much of anything. Hermione followed soon after, changing into work robes of emerald green and tying back her long hair into a bun before heading to the dungeons.
She approached the dungeons, which looked exactly as they had during her seventh year. Hermione paused at the door of the largest lab, where she had had double Potions for seven years. She put her hand on the doorknob, and pushed it open. Severus was already in the room, sitting on his desk and summoning ingredients with an almost lazy wave of his wand.
He looked at her, standing at the door hesitantly. "Come in; and you can tell me why you have that look on your face."
She snorted silently to herself. She shook her head. "It's just odd to see you using a wand, sir. You usually dismissed them as foolish during class."
Severus glanced at her, walking business-like into his classroom. "Wands have their uses," he said cryptically, refusing to elaborate. He finished lining up all the ingredients on a small desk in the first row, and then he summoned his cauldron. It took a moment, but the cauldron flew into the room, and landed on the small, already burning fire. Severus then unrolled a strip of parchment, which he promptly handed to Hermione. "Read," he instructed.
Hermione sighed inaudibly. The man had more mood swings than she did, for crying out loud! One minute he's someone one could be friends with, and the next he's as cold as ever. But she took the paper anyway, and began to read. Written in his tiny, cramped script were all the ingredients they would need, and the order in which they would be added. She read through it, and then looked at him. "This all seems to be in order," she said.
He nodded curtly. "Good. We will both make separate cauldrons of the potion, and compare them at the end. I have no doubt that they will be the same." With a wave of his wand, he summoned a second cauldron, which positioned itself in front of Hermione.
They began to work in silence.