Okay, the usual disclaimers apply; I only own the meager plot that comes with the story. Other than that… I have no copyright whatsoever… maybe except owning all four books plus several other stuff related to Harry Potter =)
Salvation – Don't pass me by
SilverDawn
Chapter 3: The Dance
Why did you even agree to Albus' request? Severus, you idiot!
This was the phrase that kept popping into Severus' mind as he brought the lady Adariel onto the dance floor, his cool façade belying his totally, frazzled mindset.
All eyes had been on the couple as they bowed and curtsied at one another, and when the romantic waltz started, virtually everyone stopped what they were doing to look at them, and Albus and Minerva – the only two couples that were dancing.
And dance they did.
Though tense, Severus had led Hermione well, executing a natural flair in those confident steps that Hermione followed. She seemed a little nervous under all the stares too, but this did not prevent her from enjoying the waltz. The now silvan-haired girl marveled at the way the muscles rippled under the hand she had on his shoulder, and how he held onto her waist in a secure, almost protective manner. Smiling faintly, she fixed her gaze at a point on his chest, no daring to meet his eyes.
Not surprising, despite the fact that he had agreed to dance with her, Dominic had not seemed very pleased about it. No doubt he had done this to placate Glorfindel… Hermione thought wryly, a disappointed frown replacing the faint smile that had graced her lips a few seconds earlier. In her mind, although she had been profoundly shocked at seeing the man in her dreams appear in reality, she had been rather relieved to know that the dream she had for days consecutive hadn't been some bonkers one that signify a person entering a stage of permanent hysteria/paranoia.
However, Hermione was a little disappointed too. No, she hadn't been expecting the man to kiss her on first sight, but Dominic had not even seemed to know her, so he must not have gotten those dreams too…
…Boy, was she wrong.
Severus looked at the head of silvan hair surreptitiously, smiling slightly at the silent woman. He had stiffened somewhat when Adariel had placed her hand on his shoulders, but the hand entwining with hers was small and… feminine. He had no idea how else to describe it… it was slightly cold, no doubt due to the dress she was wearing, but he softness of the palm, and how well it fitted into his long hand made his stomach tingle oddly.
He noticed her shiver a little as they performed another turn, and instinctively, Severus brought her into a closer embrace, causing Hermione to blush, though this action wasn't seen by the man as she had her head bowed.
The couple never spoke, never looked at one another, but the closeness of their bodies, and the companionable silence that bonded them together seemed to make up for everything. They continued like this for several more dances. By this time, many other couples had joined them in the dance floor, and Glorfindel and Alexandria had passed them several times, giving both Severus 'Dominic' and Hermione 'Adariel' encouraging looks, hoping that they would at least talk.
Their hopes might have been in vain, but when they finished their fifth waltz together, Severus finally spoke up in dry tone, "You know, I'm not a monster, nor do I think myself as a madman. An evil git perhaps, but never a psychopath."
Startled, Hermione raised her head, blue-gray eyes gazing into those amused, black orbs. In a puzzled tone, she asked, "Why do you say that?"
"Because for the past half an hour, since we've started our first dance, we haven't talked, haven't given in to the endless tirade of meaningless enquiries as to who we truly are, unlike the other partners I've had earlier on – trust me, I had quite a few, and Godric bless me, Al… Glorfindel is going to kill me if I were to upset you with virtually anything."
The exasperated answer that was given to her made Hermione laugh softly. The melodic voice made Severus relaxed a little for he knew that the lady finally seemed to have opened up, thus in an idle tone, he continued, "So how about we go to the garden, and maybe we could even start a civil conversation for once."
"Of what?" Hermione teased despite herself
"Everything under the stars?" Severus asked sarcastically as Hermione gave in to another bout of laughter.
"If you insist." She replied demurely, placing her hand in Severus' proffered one. Together, the couple made their way to the balcony that led to the enchanted gardens, linked hand in hand. They had left as discreetly as they could, but three persons saw it…
Albus and Minerva grinned at one another, a look that would have been shocking if their students knew who they were. For once, they were glad that their fellow colleague had finally loosened up after all those years of self-induced isolation, and this had been one of the rare occasions that the man had laughed – truly laughed – since… God-knows-when. Obviously, he was as attracted to the girl as Albus had suspected – and the headmaster had told his deputy so. Minerva just laughed before becoming somber, a habit that she couldn't seem to get out of, "Still, we do not know who she is. What if she is a student? What will Se… Dominic think?"
"Destiny will play her part. If Fate thinks that they are meant to be, it will be as she said. If not, than… May it be." Albus replied wisely, before leading her off to one of the tables to get some finger food…
At the center of the ballroom, a certain elf-boy looked at where the couple had 'sneaked' off, giving a small smile of his own. This time, he was glad that his friend – possibly his best friend – was also having a good time. If my instincts are correct, Draco thought to himself, she wouldn't be coming back tonight at all.
With that thought in mind, he looked at the woman in his arms, and smiled.
Maybe, I won't too.
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"This is beautiful!" Hermione whispered to no one in particular, admiring the falling flecks of snow. Walking around the enchanted garden, she was mildly satisfied to see that everything that she had designed was still intact and in wonderful condition.
All sorts of flowers that shouldn't be blooming in winter bloomed, as well as several other exotic species of plants. Beds of red, champagne, yellow, and lavender roses decked the pathway that led to the center of the garden, where trees were planted in a rough semicircle to provide privacy for the people in the main garden. There were also routes leading even more romantic spots that were protected by various sorts of plants, and a garden maze that was as complicated as the secret passageways in Hogwarts itself. Of course, spells could guide you out of the maze if you actually got lost.
Severus was also enchanted by the garden. Never in his life would he have thought that Hogwarts' students – his students – were able to charm something of such a big magnitude. However, if there was something even more enchanting that the snow that speckled the beds of flowers and bounty of trees, it was the silvan angel that was flitting from one flower bed to another.
As much as he hate to admit this, Severus could not tear his gaze from the young woman whether he wished to or not. Snow melted on her hair, leaving it shining platinum amidst the globes of soft lighting of the garden, and the contented smile she had on her face was so radiant, it made the Potions Master want to smile too.
However, he did realized something… she was shivering slightly, and despite the considerable distance they now had between them, Severus, with his keen eyesight, could see that she was starting to get cold. It was too obvious from the gradual reddening of her cheeks and the slightly pale lips. Sighing, he took out his wand and murmured softly, "Accio cloak."
Immediately, a navy blue cloak with an elaborate pin flew to his hand. It was lined with rabbit fur in the inside, and walking up to the woman who was still caught up in her own reverie, Severus gently placed the cloak onto her shoulders, chastising softly, "Adariel, you should have magicked out a cloak or something to keep you warm."
Hermione grinned sheepishly at this, replying in a rather embarrassed tone, "I forgot to bring my wand."
"That could be a bad thing to do. If I was Voldemort, you'd be dead by now." Severus warned, with a tinge of amusement.
"But you wouldn't hurt me. That much, I know." Hermione said softly, playing with the pin of the cloak. Gazing at the engravings on the pin, she frowned at the entwined snake and phoenix, asking curiously, "What is this? It looks lovely."
"My family's crest." The man shrugged it off, leading her off to one of the winter cherry blossoms. It was in full bloom, and every now and then, silky pink petals would fall with the wind, creating a wonderful atmosphere around them.
"So… conversation on what?" Hermione asked the man who was seated beside her, both of them leaning against the comforting trunk of the sakura tree.
"Actually," Severus answered awkwardly, "I have no idea…" This uncertain statement caused Hermione to giggle, and irritated, Severus playfully swatted at her as she dodged the blow.
"Okay, okay," Hermione surrendered, "Do you really like transfiguration?" She eyed Severus peculiarly, and this innocent, curious stare made the man fidget albeit uncomfortably. She seemed to be looking into his soul, and finally, the usually anti-Gryffindor-anti-Minerva man confessed.
"I like transfiguration, but I'm not exactly good at it. You should see how much I had to study it to get good grades. Potions is more of my forte, and it is quite a handy thing too, though not many people are able to see it…"
"Transfiguration can be fun, but I'm currently researching on Animagi transformations. The challenge it poses to one's mind too tempting to ignore…"
"A regular scholar." Severus laughed, as Hermione blushed, continuing, "Potions is quite an interesting subject actually. I'd be honest with you, I'm not really good at it, but I had been hoping to experiment with some of the more advanced ones. Still, time doesn't allow me to… so maybe, I'll try it next year."
Her wanting to try advanced potions sparked Severus' curiosity, and he asked, "What potions do you have in mind?"
Blue-gray eyes went thoughtful for a while as the black-haired man slung an arm casually over her shoulder. She was a little startled by his action, but continued in a smooth tone, "Wolvesbane is on top of my priority list. Perhaps it could be refined further to prevent the werewolf from even transforming, Re… my friend will definitely benefit from it. Then maybe, I would try researching for a cure for Cruciatus. That could help a lot now, especially with the war against him."
Severus laughed at the amount of venom she had when spat out the word 'him'. Hermione looked at him with mild annoyance, but he changed the subject before she could start a retort at his laughing at her.
"Potions aside, what else do you enjoy doing?" Severus asked, interested in the habits of this mysterious woman.
"Sleep?" Hermione suggested in a cynical tone, causing the man to chuckle once more. Giving her a mock-stern look, he spoke in a strict tone, "Sleep isn't an option."
"Study?" She asked hopefully, making her companion laugh once more.
"Okay! I like to play the double cello…" Hermione confessed as Severus arched an eyebrow. He must have heard wrongly, but… double cello? At his befuddled expression, Hermione continued explaining, "The strong tone the double cello gives reflects most of my melancholy… but I like other instruments too! The harp – quite a complicated instrument, violin, japanese Zen, and the Chinese flute are among my favorites."
"You can play so many types?" Severus asked in a surprised tone, causing Hermione to laugh dryly, "Let's just say I've a knack for it."
"That might be an understatement." He retorted as the woman grew quiet once more. There it goes again… silent treatment. Severus thought wryly. Clearing his throat, he started, "Well, other than transfiguration and potions, I like dueling."
Hermione looked at him in disbelief.
"You don't believe me?" He asked slyly, standing up from where they were seated. Breaking two branches, he threw one at Hermione, and on giving a mock salute, lunged at her playfully. Hermione squealed, dodging the branch with basic instinct. Severus smiled at her ability to block, and continued the mock-fence with a light heart.
"En garde!"
"Dominic! I'm not good at this!"
"Nevermind."
There was a brief exchange of mischievous blows, and the couple had a lot of fun, with Severus attacking while Hermione tried defending. She even took to hiding behind the tree when she could no longer defend herself well. The gardens were filled with the gaily laughter of the couple, and now, they had thrown away the branches whilst Hermione hid from Severus. They had been running to the entrance of the garden maze, but all of a sudden, Hermione felt sick.
Oh god, must you choose now?
She felt faint, and collapsed against the manicured shrubs. Inhaling deep breaths, she finally knew that she should not have come when she had already felt sick earlier on. A few paces away, Severus rushed towards the fallen lady, asking in a worried manner, "Are you all right?"
Hermione managed a weak smile, whispering, "Fine. The weather's getting into me."
Helping the silvan-haired woman up, Severus murmured, "Let's get back to the Hall." Hermione could only nod her head in agreement, fearing that her voice might elude her.
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He had been thoughtful enough to cast a drying spell on them after they had gone back into the Hall. Alexandria and Glorfindel had seemed pleased to find that Hermione and Severus had a wonderful time in the gardens, and once again, had urged them to dance. It seemed that these would be the last three waltzes before the music started to change to funkier ones, or so Alexandria had informed.
Hermione had wanted to finish the last three waltzes with 'Dominic', but by the end of the first waltz, she felt dizzy again. Dominic seemed to have noticed this, and he had whispered, "Do you need me to send you to Poppy?" She was about to shook her head 'no', when an elf went over to their side and asked in the voice that sounded so familiar to Hermione, "Good sir, may I have the next dance with my fair lady?"
Severus had seemed tempted to reject his offer, but when the elf had continued with a, 'I insist', he reluctantly handed Hermione over, a longing look in his eyes.
Thus now, Hermione was dancing in the arms of Legolas, allowing herself the luxury of leaning against him, allowing him to bear her weight. She felt weak, and obviously, Draco 'Legolas' Malfoy had seen it.
"Drake… I don't feel so good." Hermione whispered, tightening her grip on his shoulder. Her vision was getting hazier by the minute, and Draco immediately felt worried.
"Bookworm, I'm getting you to bed. And tomorrow, I'm getting Dr. Matthews to take a look at you. No arguments." Draco ordered, his sapphire eyes solemn. Looking at those eyes, Hermione knew that Draco was being very stern, but still, she shook her head, smiling faintly, "Stay with Galadriel. You seemed to take a liking for her."
"Hermione…"
"Please, have fun. If not for yourself, for me?" She pleaded, giving him those puppy eyes that he had no immunity to. They continued to stare at one another, no one of them willing to give in, until Draco surrendered.
"Oh all right." He grumbled as Hermione gave a bright smile, kissing him on his cheek.
"I can never win you when you give me those eyes, now can I?" Draco asked mockingly.
"No, I don't think so." Hermione continued smiling despite the fear that she had bottled inside.
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Severus had been too far away to hear their conversation, but seeing Adariel so willingly give that elf-boy a kiss made him more than jealous. Trying to calm his anger, he stalked over to the gardens once again, hoping that the falling snow would cool his ignited temper.
I had better go back before I blow my top…
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After their dance, Hermione looked around, searching for a certain man's silhouette. He seemed not to be there, thus she went over to where Glorfindel and Alexandria were seated, asking, "Hello. Have you seen Dominic anywhere?"
"No." Glorfindel replied, surprised that Severus was not with Adariel.
"I thought he was with you." Alexandria – Minerva – prompted, handing a glass of iced water to the lady.
Hermione had a lost look, mumbling, "I had the previous dance with my… brother. Then, he's gone."
The two professors kept quiet, both amused to know that Severus must have felt jealous. They kept to themselves for a while, until Hermione started, "In that case, I have to go."
Her statement startled both of them, and as one, they asked, "You're going?"
Their question was answered with a nod. Flabbergasted, Minerva tried to make the lady stay – she wanted to know whom she was, "But surely, you wish to know whom Dominic is?" Hermione thought back to her dreams, blushing in the process, "I'd rather not." That way, I wouldn't have to know what that dream meant.
"If this is your wish, then so be it. I hope you've had a good time, Adariel. It's a pleasure meeting you. Perhaps we could owl one another sometime later?" Glorfindel asked hopefully as Alexandria nodded her head in agreement.
"It'll be a pleasure." Hermione smiled. She scanned the Hall once more, but finding no Dominic, went out with a heavy heart…
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Once outside, Hermione grabbed hold of a pillar, leaning heavily against it as she tried regaining her sense of balance. The dizzy spells were getting worse. Formerly, she would just get knocked out for a few minutes, but now, she could faint and only recover after hours. Thankfully, it had usually been in the evening, so only Draco, Harry and Ron knew about her problem. Luckily, those three had been quiet about her illness, only asking her to see Madame Pomfrey. Of course, she had not gone there. After all, it was of no use – Madame Pomfrey would only allow her to take some mild headache cures, which had no effect on her at all.
Walking towards her room, which was in the dungeons itself (a request by Draco), she could fell the headache coming again. The havoc that the pain wrecked in her mind was excruciating, making her stifle a strangled scream. She could no longer see anything; everything was black, total darkness, no light whatsoever, and her senses only concentrated on the immense pain centered in her mind.
In fact, Hermione was so caught up in the whirlpool of torture that she did not even feel herself huddled in a fetal position near the foot of the second basement dungeons, near Potions classroom. She did not hear the footsteps that were coming from the top of the stairs too…
"We've got a damsel in distress here." A sixth-year Slytherin drawled as his mates went forward to form a semicircle around the writhing form of Hermione.
"She's hot." Another Slytherin whistled, kneeling down to touch her flawless face. Hermione flinched at the rough touch; opening eyes that she had thought were opened. When the boys saw those blue-gray eyes, many were enchanted, and a brown-haired one said slyly, "Let's have some fun with her."
The ominous light that glowed in those cold, black eyes made Hermione shrink in fear.
"No… NO!"
She slashed at the boy, a streak of red immediately forming on his face. The boy placed a hand on his face, and on feeling blood, brought it to his lips, and, licking the vile, red substance, he smiled evilly, "You like it hard?"
Two boys pinned her down to the floor as one of the boys tore away her dress, another fumbling with the straps of her bra. The one she had slashed was standing, looking down at her with one of the worst expressions on his face. Ripping away her chaste, white panties, he started playing fingering her entrance, roughly shoving a finger into her tight passageway.
Hermione stiffened at the sudden assault on her body.
Trembling, she screamed… a bloodcurdling one at that.
Another boy started playing with her breasts, biting them hard as Hermione gave another scream…
Someone help me… please!
At that time, her silent plea did not seem to be answered.
She wanted to scream some more, but a foreign object entered into her mouth, gagging her…
God! Help me!
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End of chapter 3
Sorry about cutting this chapter short… but I just couldn't seem to write out the next scene between Sev and Hermione. I've been poring over it for a week, and argh…! It still isn't correct. Guess I'll never be able to write steamy scenes well…
What would you think if I rewrite this chapter? I'll haveta finish the next chapter of Awakening before I revamp this though. What do you say? Should I do it? Or not?
Well, Review soon… and sorry for the delay!!!
Toodles
SilverDawn
P/s ~ happy belated birthday to me!!! *dopey grin*
