A/N: This ought to be the last chapter until Saturday night. I'll be
trying, of course, but... school is unpredictable. Enjoy!
~~
Hermione knew something was wrong the moment Severus lay down next to her. She was getting used to having him there--so used to it that she could tell how he was feeling just by his body language.
"What's wrong?" she murmured, and felt him stiffen next to her. Obviously she couldn't expect him to open up tonight.
"Nothing," he snapped, and inched even farther away from her. He always kept to his side of the bed, but he hadn't deliberately moved this far away from her in a while. Hermione sighed and turned to face the wall. She didn't fall asleep for a long time.
~~
Roux was furious--but this time his fury was mixed with something even more powerful. Fear was creeping through him like an illness. How had the outsider managed to survive, even after Atani swore he'd hit him with the car? Roux had seen the dent himself! And yet, somehow, the man came walking in as solid as ever, with a concerned-looking Hermione on his arm.
Well, if Atani couldn't do his job, Roux would have to take the situation into his own hands. Unfortunately, no one else in the Kumpania would help him--Tatoya and Nanosh still couldn't shut their mouths about how wonderful "Vesh's Saviour" was. It made him want to retch. Especially when everyone else seemed to buy the story.
He was still disturbed by the fact that Atani had failed in his work--and was even more upset by the fact that Atani had given himself away so quickly upon seeing Severus alive, well, and sitting across from him on the main floor of the inn.
Roux wasn't particularly fond of worthless subjects. He simply couldn't tolerate them.
"Atani!" he bellowed, and he hoped that pathetic worm knew these were the last summons he would ever receive.
~~
Severus was already gone when Hermione awoke the next morning. With a sigh, she went about her business and headed out to do her own thing for the day. Something about his behavior the night before had bothered her--they had been getting along so well until then! Something besides the car assault...
Hermione desperately needed to find a library. That was the only place where she could sort out her thoughts and decide what to do next.
~~
"There is great evil rising," whispered Tatoya conspiratorially. "I can feel it in the earth beneath my feet as I walk, and my heart grows heavy." Severus frowned and nodded in agreement. How much could this one woman know? She reminded him of Albus with her uncanny abilities to read situations. Thinking of Albus made him wish he was back at home--this time, there would be no Hogwarts dungeons to return to after his meetings with Voldemort.
"Look at me," Tatoya insisted, and once again Severus could not help but obey. She looked at him very gravely.
"You feel that you are part of this evil," she declared matter of factly. "But you are not. No matter what scars you bear," he tensed as her eyes drifted to his covered forearm, "you are a force for good. The world needs you, Raven-hair." Tatoya had taken to calling him Raven-hair; Severus assumed it was an affectionate term. He let her grab his hand and squeeze it reassuringly.
"Hermione senses your importance, too--and not just for the goodness. She can see you for yourself. Never underestimate her." Severus nodded, and Tatoya winked at him almost lecherously. Unsure of how to react, Severus just shifted uncomfortably. If only Tatoya knew of the things he'd done...
"You feel regret," she said, as more of a declaration than a question. He nodded. "That, Raven-hair, is what makes you human. It makes you good." She stressed good, and smiled at him. "Learn from your past. Do not let it rule you."
Severus wasn't sure if he could obey.
~~
Albus felt a little better when he reached Rome, simply because it was beautiful. Perhaps Severus was here after all. But why hadn't he tried to come home by now? Could it be that, even if the Potions Master was here, he wouldn't want to come home? He tried not to think these things, and began to consider what areas of the city he should search first. Perhaps the largest library in the city?
~~
Hermione left the library and headed back to the inn, deciding that she would simply deal with situations as they came.
Roux pulled her aside as she entered, and Hermione cringed.
"Hermione, are you happy here in Rome?" He seemed so genuinely concerned that Hermione almost believed him. Seconds later, she was once again thorougly disgusted.
"I'm fine," she sighed. "It's beautiful--I'm just a little restless lately." Roux got a contemplative look on his face, and Hermione knew she'd said exactly the wrong thing. Here in Rome, someone could find her. There had to at least be owlpost here... She wasn't restless enough to actually travel...
"We will travel!" Roux declared. "And I know exactly where to take us! You will see Romania, Hermione!" he grinned. "You will see Transylvania, where the women still hang cloves of garlic in their doorways!" He was off on his own tangent now, and Hermione knew there was no going back.
That night, Roux stood up in the inn and gathered all of his subjects around him.
"Tomorrow," he called gleefully, "we travel!" Everyone looked a little confused, but cheered anyway. "Pack your belongings, all of you! Tomorrow, we're going home!"
~~
Severus found himself rubbing his forearm more often, an old habit he thought he was rid of. He couldn't believe the nightmare was beginning again, and with Hermione bound to him until their year was up. The poor girl was stuck with him, and it was likely to get her killed. Voldemort would know he was bound to her; Severus could always feel the magic that held them together. And he didn't know if he'd be able to lie his way back into favor this time. He'd been fortunate to convince Voldemort to forgive him once. It would take a miracle to win him over twice.
The Dark Lord was still weak, but the Dark Mark was becoming more prominent with every passing day. There was no doubt in Severus' mind that evil was returning. Not only that, but Roux was beginning to eye him even more cautiously, and he hadn't seen Atani in quite a while...
If he got Hermione killed because of this, he'd never be able to forgive himself.
~~
Hermione knew something was wrong the moment Severus lay down next to her. She was getting used to having him there--so used to it that she could tell how he was feeling just by his body language.
"What's wrong?" she murmured, and felt him stiffen next to her. Obviously she couldn't expect him to open up tonight.
"Nothing," he snapped, and inched even farther away from her. He always kept to his side of the bed, but he hadn't deliberately moved this far away from her in a while. Hermione sighed and turned to face the wall. She didn't fall asleep for a long time.
~~
Roux was furious--but this time his fury was mixed with something even more powerful. Fear was creeping through him like an illness. How had the outsider managed to survive, even after Atani swore he'd hit him with the car? Roux had seen the dent himself! And yet, somehow, the man came walking in as solid as ever, with a concerned-looking Hermione on his arm.
Well, if Atani couldn't do his job, Roux would have to take the situation into his own hands. Unfortunately, no one else in the Kumpania would help him--Tatoya and Nanosh still couldn't shut their mouths about how wonderful "Vesh's Saviour" was. It made him want to retch. Especially when everyone else seemed to buy the story.
He was still disturbed by the fact that Atani had failed in his work--and was even more upset by the fact that Atani had given himself away so quickly upon seeing Severus alive, well, and sitting across from him on the main floor of the inn.
Roux wasn't particularly fond of worthless subjects. He simply couldn't tolerate them.
"Atani!" he bellowed, and he hoped that pathetic worm knew these were the last summons he would ever receive.
~~
Severus was already gone when Hermione awoke the next morning. With a sigh, she went about her business and headed out to do her own thing for the day. Something about his behavior the night before had bothered her--they had been getting along so well until then! Something besides the car assault...
Hermione desperately needed to find a library. That was the only place where she could sort out her thoughts and decide what to do next.
~~
"There is great evil rising," whispered Tatoya conspiratorially. "I can feel it in the earth beneath my feet as I walk, and my heart grows heavy." Severus frowned and nodded in agreement. How much could this one woman know? She reminded him of Albus with her uncanny abilities to read situations. Thinking of Albus made him wish he was back at home--this time, there would be no Hogwarts dungeons to return to after his meetings with Voldemort.
"Look at me," Tatoya insisted, and once again Severus could not help but obey. She looked at him very gravely.
"You feel that you are part of this evil," she declared matter of factly. "But you are not. No matter what scars you bear," he tensed as her eyes drifted to his covered forearm, "you are a force for good. The world needs you, Raven-hair." Tatoya had taken to calling him Raven-hair; Severus assumed it was an affectionate term. He let her grab his hand and squeeze it reassuringly.
"Hermione senses your importance, too--and not just for the goodness. She can see you for yourself. Never underestimate her." Severus nodded, and Tatoya winked at him almost lecherously. Unsure of how to react, Severus just shifted uncomfortably. If only Tatoya knew of the things he'd done...
"You feel regret," she said, as more of a declaration than a question. He nodded. "That, Raven-hair, is what makes you human. It makes you good." She stressed good, and smiled at him. "Learn from your past. Do not let it rule you."
Severus wasn't sure if he could obey.
~~
Albus felt a little better when he reached Rome, simply because it was beautiful. Perhaps Severus was here after all. But why hadn't he tried to come home by now? Could it be that, even if the Potions Master was here, he wouldn't want to come home? He tried not to think these things, and began to consider what areas of the city he should search first. Perhaps the largest library in the city?
~~
Hermione left the library and headed back to the inn, deciding that she would simply deal with situations as they came.
Roux pulled her aside as she entered, and Hermione cringed.
"Hermione, are you happy here in Rome?" He seemed so genuinely concerned that Hermione almost believed him. Seconds later, she was once again thorougly disgusted.
"I'm fine," she sighed. "It's beautiful--I'm just a little restless lately." Roux got a contemplative look on his face, and Hermione knew she'd said exactly the wrong thing. Here in Rome, someone could find her. There had to at least be owlpost here... She wasn't restless enough to actually travel...
"We will travel!" Roux declared. "And I know exactly where to take us! You will see Romania, Hermione!" he grinned. "You will see Transylvania, where the women still hang cloves of garlic in their doorways!" He was off on his own tangent now, and Hermione knew there was no going back.
That night, Roux stood up in the inn and gathered all of his subjects around him.
"Tomorrow," he called gleefully, "we travel!" Everyone looked a little confused, but cheered anyway. "Pack your belongings, all of you! Tomorrow, we're going home!"
~~
Severus found himself rubbing his forearm more often, an old habit he thought he was rid of. He couldn't believe the nightmare was beginning again, and with Hermione bound to him until their year was up. The poor girl was stuck with him, and it was likely to get her killed. Voldemort would know he was bound to her; Severus could always feel the magic that held them together. And he didn't know if he'd be able to lie his way back into favor this time. He'd been fortunate to convince Voldemort to forgive him once. It would take a miracle to win him over twice.
The Dark Lord was still weak, but the Dark Mark was becoming more prominent with every passing day. There was no doubt in Severus' mind that evil was returning. Not only that, but Roux was beginning to eye him even more cautiously, and he hadn't seen Atani in quite a while...
If he got Hermione killed because of this, he'd never be able to forgive himself.