They reached Italy by February, which was record time considering many of
the waterways were still freezing over and snow was still a frequent
occurrence. Their eventual goal was Rome, where they would remain until the
late spring, when it was warm enough for proper travel.
Tatoya became quite taken with Severus, and delightedly taught him as many Gypsy tricks as she could cram into his spongy mind. He learned more about muggle herb lore than he could have ever hoped to know, and was also improving his skills at wandless magic. He could now summon various objects without the use of his wand--even without whispering "accio." Hermoine, too, had been taken under the wing of the old woman, who regularly invited her for tea.
"You are a beautiful girl," she would grin toothlessly as she bustled around her houseboat, which she kept meticulously clean. "And I can feel the magic in you."
Severus was also thrilled to find himself in demand as a Potions brewer again. People came to him begging for everything from remedies for headaches to contraception. It was a relief for him to be working with potions again--they were his life. Besides, it meant he was useful for something other than doing Roux's dirty work. He had even started to make money--word of him had reached people in the countryside when they were traveling, and various peasants would come to the Gypsy camp and offer him what little money they had for a remedy or two. Of course, he often let them off for free, but never hesitated to extract a healthy sum when approached by someone who reeked of money.
Roux, of course, was well aware of Severus' success. He hated it.
~~
"Albus!" shouted Professor McGonagall, pounding on his office door.
"Come in, come in!" he shouted, and she entered quickly. Something was obviously on her mind-something important.
The Headmaster had not been the same after his acknowledgement of Severus' death. His eyes didn't twinkle nearly so often, and when he was largely unobserved he would allow the melancholy to show on his face. He missed the young wizard (for Severus was young by wizarding standards), and regarded his loss like that of a beloved child.
"There's an expert with herbs making waves in Italy," she gasped. "He's apparently quite the whiz with potions of every sort, with raven hair and eyes just as dark. I think it might be--"
Albus sighed. "We should look into it, Minerva, just in case, but don't tell anyone. And don't get your hopes up."
"Who will we send?"
"You're the Deputy Headmistress, and it's time for you to get some training in. I'll go search for him myself."
~~
There was a snowstorm on the day they were supposed to reach Rome, which prevented the Kumpania from getting anywhere at all. Hermione and Severus remained in their houseboat, sipping hot tea sent to them by Tatoya and wrapped in the thickest blankets they could find.
"Merlin, it's cold," Hermione shivered. Severus grinned and appreciatively sipped his tea.
"It used to get like this down in the Dungeons--I hate magical heating. It gives me a headache."
"Muggle heating always did that to me--I guess it's just artificial warmth as a whole." Severus nodded his assent and wrapped his blanket more tightly around himself. He'd made sure Hermione got the thicker one. "So," Hermione asked absentmindedly, "what do you miss most about home?"
"The labratory."
"The library."
"Figures."
They both smiled this time, and Hermione noticed that Severus looked younger than he had even during her first year at Hogwarts. Even Tatoya had to be older than she seemed--the woman couldn't have been less than a hundred years old and yet she could keep up with the most energetic young housewife. The energy had been creeping into her own system, as well. Perhaps it was just part of the Gypsy magic passed down to all of the Roma-- but maybe it was something about their society and the free spirits of whom it was made.
"There isn't much I wouldn't do to have my laboratory back again. The dungeons are actually quite comfortable, contrary to popular belief." Hermione just laughed.
"So... what kind of music do you listen to?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow.
"Classical, of course! Bach, especially. The other great composers are exactly that--but I think Bach was the best of them all. There's so much perfect logic to his work, such organization! And underneath it all, if you leave it to a really great musician, there is this perfect tension, the sort of emotion that's so subtle that it takes a very cultured person to appreciate it..." Hermione was amazed. Since when was the evil Potions Master so appreciative of art? He never ceased to surprise her, these days. First, his loneliness, then his compassion for Vesh, and then this candid musical discussion! Incredible.
"Well, I'm partial to Liszt, myself," Hermione laughed after he'd finished. "He knew he was great and wasn't afraid to let the world know it, too. And the Mephisto Waltz! Wow!" Severus was turning out to be an excellent listener as well. "And of couse," she finished, "I like the music even better when I read."
"Ugh," Severus sighed, feigning disgust. "You and your silly books! I've never seen you without them, or not thinking of them." He stopped, thought for a moment, and asked, "They're really quite the addiction for you, aren't they?"
"Of course!" Hermione grinned. "I couldn't live without them!" She would have stopped there, but she felt a need to say something more.
"In fact, if we had books, I would consider this day absolutely perfect-- there's nothing like reading a good book on a cold day, with a friend and something hot to drink."
"We're friends then?" Severus asked, looking somewhat hopeful. Hermione grinned--how could he doubt that after all these weeks? It felt like longer.
"Of course we're friends, Severus. Don't ever think otherwise."
~~
"Atani, come here!" Roux barked, and felt gratified when his loyal subject had arrived within seconds. Atani meekly approached his leader, and knelt by his feet.
"Rom Baro, what do you ask of me?" he murmured solemnly.
"Why is Nanosh betraying us? I thought him to be such a loyal subject, and now he disappoints me! Is it because that outsider saved the boy?" Atani nodded. Roux snarled and hurled a glass at the wall, shattering it and spraying ale all over the floor.
"Atani, you are loyal to me, are you not?" The young man nodded, his eyes dark and serious. Roux nodded, closing his own eyes and taking a deep breath.
"I don't care how it's done, but I want you to get close to the outsider, and I want you to kill him."
Tatoya became quite taken with Severus, and delightedly taught him as many Gypsy tricks as she could cram into his spongy mind. He learned more about muggle herb lore than he could have ever hoped to know, and was also improving his skills at wandless magic. He could now summon various objects without the use of his wand--even without whispering "accio." Hermoine, too, had been taken under the wing of the old woman, who regularly invited her for tea.
"You are a beautiful girl," she would grin toothlessly as she bustled around her houseboat, which she kept meticulously clean. "And I can feel the magic in you."
Severus was also thrilled to find himself in demand as a Potions brewer again. People came to him begging for everything from remedies for headaches to contraception. It was a relief for him to be working with potions again--they were his life. Besides, it meant he was useful for something other than doing Roux's dirty work. He had even started to make money--word of him had reached people in the countryside when they were traveling, and various peasants would come to the Gypsy camp and offer him what little money they had for a remedy or two. Of course, he often let them off for free, but never hesitated to extract a healthy sum when approached by someone who reeked of money.
Roux, of course, was well aware of Severus' success. He hated it.
~~
"Albus!" shouted Professor McGonagall, pounding on his office door.
"Come in, come in!" he shouted, and she entered quickly. Something was obviously on her mind-something important.
The Headmaster had not been the same after his acknowledgement of Severus' death. His eyes didn't twinkle nearly so often, and when he was largely unobserved he would allow the melancholy to show on his face. He missed the young wizard (for Severus was young by wizarding standards), and regarded his loss like that of a beloved child.
"There's an expert with herbs making waves in Italy," she gasped. "He's apparently quite the whiz with potions of every sort, with raven hair and eyes just as dark. I think it might be--"
Albus sighed. "We should look into it, Minerva, just in case, but don't tell anyone. And don't get your hopes up."
"Who will we send?"
"You're the Deputy Headmistress, and it's time for you to get some training in. I'll go search for him myself."
~~
There was a snowstorm on the day they were supposed to reach Rome, which prevented the Kumpania from getting anywhere at all. Hermione and Severus remained in their houseboat, sipping hot tea sent to them by Tatoya and wrapped in the thickest blankets they could find.
"Merlin, it's cold," Hermione shivered. Severus grinned and appreciatively sipped his tea.
"It used to get like this down in the Dungeons--I hate magical heating. It gives me a headache."
"Muggle heating always did that to me--I guess it's just artificial warmth as a whole." Severus nodded his assent and wrapped his blanket more tightly around himself. He'd made sure Hermione got the thicker one. "So," Hermione asked absentmindedly, "what do you miss most about home?"
"The labratory."
"The library."
"Figures."
They both smiled this time, and Hermione noticed that Severus looked younger than he had even during her first year at Hogwarts. Even Tatoya had to be older than she seemed--the woman couldn't have been less than a hundred years old and yet she could keep up with the most energetic young housewife. The energy had been creeping into her own system, as well. Perhaps it was just part of the Gypsy magic passed down to all of the Roma-- but maybe it was something about their society and the free spirits of whom it was made.
"There isn't much I wouldn't do to have my laboratory back again. The dungeons are actually quite comfortable, contrary to popular belief." Hermione just laughed.
"So... what kind of music do you listen to?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow.
"Classical, of course! Bach, especially. The other great composers are exactly that--but I think Bach was the best of them all. There's so much perfect logic to his work, such organization! And underneath it all, if you leave it to a really great musician, there is this perfect tension, the sort of emotion that's so subtle that it takes a very cultured person to appreciate it..." Hermione was amazed. Since when was the evil Potions Master so appreciative of art? He never ceased to surprise her, these days. First, his loneliness, then his compassion for Vesh, and then this candid musical discussion! Incredible.
"Well, I'm partial to Liszt, myself," Hermione laughed after he'd finished. "He knew he was great and wasn't afraid to let the world know it, too. And the Mephisto Waltz! Wow!" Severus was turning out to be an excellent listener as well. "And of couse," she finished, "I like the music even better when I read."
"Ugh," Severus sighed, feigning disgust. "You and your silly books! I've never seen you without them, or not thinking of them." He stopped, thought for a moment, and asked, "They're really quite the addiction for you, aren't they?"
"Of course!" Hermione grinned. "I couldn't live without them!" She would have stopped there, but she felt a need to say something more.
"In fact, if we had books, I would consider this day absolutely perfect-- there's nothing like reading a good book on a cold day, with a friend and something hot to drink."
"We're friends then?" Severus asked, looking somewhat hopeful. Hermione grinned--how could he doubt that after all these weeks? It felt like longer.
"Of course we're friends, Severus. Don't ever think otherwise."
~~
"Atani, come here!" Roux barked, and felt gratified when his loyal subject had arrived within seconds. Atani meekly approached his leader, and knelt by his feet.
"Rom Baro, what do you ask of me?" he murmured solemnly.
"Why is Nanosh betraying us? I thought him to be such a loyal subject, and now he disappoints me! Is it because that outsider saved the boy?" Atani nodded. Roux snarled and hurled a glass at the wall, shattering it and spraying ale all over the floor.
"Atani, you are loyal to me, are you not?" The young man nodded, his eyes dark and serious. Roux nodded, closing his own eyes and taking a deep breath.
"I don't care how it's done, but I want you to get close to the outsider, and I want you to kill him."