Leaving the shadowed bulk of Hogwarts, Severus hurried towards the path to Hogsmeade. He was quite sure he knew exactly where Hermione Granger had gone, which was even more of a reason to keep Potter away. The last thing he needed was to have two students lost in the forbidden Dark Forest.
Severus had checked behind him several times before reaching the path; Potter was too predictable, so he was pleasantly surprised to see he hadn't been followed. Reaching the path, Severus performed a locating spell, hoping against rational hope that Hermione had stayed on the path.
She hadn't.
He couldn't pick up her presence very clearly, unfortunately, what he could pick up clearly indicated that she had indeed gone into the forest.
'Well' he thought to himself in some relief, 'at least she's wearing Potter's cloak, that should afford her some protection.'
Severus set a tracking spell on Hermione's footprints and in moments he was at the mushroom fairy circle, and his heart fell as he spied the luminous material of the invisibility cloak lying abandoned on the ground before the circle.
"Blast" he swore quietly as he reached down to pick it up. It was cool to the touch which meant it had been awhile since Hermione had been wearing it. From his tracking spell he could see Hermione's footprints glowing an eerie luminous green against the blackness of the forest floor.
"Miss Granger," he called quietly as he followed the path she had taken.
He didn't exactly relish the idea of alerting some of the denizens of the forest of his presence, however he had to let her know he was there. Only the creaking of branches in the slight wind that had picked up and the scratching sounds of something scurrying about beyond the light of his lantern greeted his words. Not for the first time, Professor Severus Snape wondered just what interest Hermione Granger had in the fey; and why, of all nights, she had to pick tonight to go exploring.
'It must have been because of Draco and that idiotic seventh year, Shafton' Severus realized and ground his teeth in frustration. Even his own Slytherin's often got on his last nerve and with those two tonight it had been worse than usual. It was rarely a good idea to slander a Malfoy in the Wizarding world, but with certain headstrong juvenile wizards of the Malfoy family it was shear stupidity.
And Hermione had taken advantage when the opportunity presented itself.
With a sigh, the lantern held up in front of him, Severus continued deeper into the forest after Hermione.
Hermione, still being tugged along by her hair, had felt a growing unease as they ventured further and further into the blackness of the forest. She knew she wasn't supposed to be here, and her heart beat uncomfortably hard as she realized she had been so careful to slip away unseen that no one knew where she was.
Including her!
As she followed the persistent fairy, Hermione heard rustling and scrabbling noises from just beyond the fairy's light, and once she was sure she heard the pounding of hoof beats but they faded away. Werewolves howled from close by and Hermione started to shiver though whether from fear or the cool forest air, she wasn't certain. She realized night had fallen and wondered if perhaps the fairy was a Will 'o' the Wisp that would leave her in the middle of the forest for Dumbledore to find in the morning, dead.
Hermione was definitely beginning to regret disobeying this particular order of Dumbledore's and she was about to try and break free of the tenacious fairy when she became aware that the forest was becoming lighter and warmer. As they climbed a ridge and reached the top Hermione gasped in astonishment at the sight before her.
Hundred's of fairies, like the one she had been following, danced in mid-air to the pan pipes played by a modestly covered Satyr. A bonfire roared in the center of a circle of dancing woodland animals and an assortment of dwarf type creatures. Hermione had stopped dead to stare at the scene before her, before her fairy tugged her along once again to a leafy bower and a beautiful Fairy Queen, sitting astride a familiar centaur, Firenze.
She wore a sparkling white dress and a crown of Spring flowers and smiled at Hermione when she curtsied, even though her fairy guide had helped a touch too enthusiastically in tugging her head down and Hermione rubbed her scalp gingerly as she smiled back at the Fairy Queen.
"Are you" Hermione began to ask as the Fairy Queen slipped down off the broad back of Firenze, "Titania?"
"I am known by many names, girl child, Titania is one of my much older names."
Over the pan pipes, Hermione could hear her musical laughter as a chorus of fairy voices called out her other names.
"Why did your fairy bring me here" Hermione paused, "uh, Titania?"
Her voice quivered with excitement as Hermione attempted to see everything at once; on her face, a look of complete wonder and awe.
Titania laughed, the sound, Hermione thought wonderingly, of tinkling silver bells.
"You came to us, did you not?"
Titania smiled warmly at Hermione, her next words shocking the already quite surprised Gryffindor.
"You were seeking answers from within the dusty pages of forbidden books, girl-child."
"How?"
Hermione's mouth had dropped open in astonishment.
"Our magic is far reaching and we are in contact with all that we are."
At Hermione's puzzled look Titania explained.
"You search for knowledge from us, yet that knowledge is within you."
It was Titania's turn to look puzzled.
"Why is that?" she asked pleasantly.
The Fairy Queen smiled gently at Hermione and beckoned her closer, patting an old tree stump beside her for Hermione to sit upon.
"I, uh, I don't understand" Hermione said nervously, biting her lower lip.
"You have come searching for the magic that is within your own heart, girl-child" Titania stated, smiling serenely at Hermione.
"Hermione."
Hermione said to her, her voice trembling slightly at her daring.
"Titania, your majesty, my name is Hermione Granger."
"A beautiful name indeed, it means Eloquence, did you know that?"
Hermione nodded and blushed.
"My parents told me."
Hermione looked at Titania earnestly.
"How could fey magic be inside me, I'm human?"
Titania smiled then swept an arm across the scene before them.
"We are all made of the same magic Hermione, at the core of all of us is the same energy and some human's have learned to use it in different ways, as you are learning with your magic."
Seeing the look of disbelief on Hermione's face Titania chuckled and pointed skywards. Hermione looked up to see what she was pointing at but could only see the velvet blackness of night and the many diamond points of the stars twinkling far above.
"You are aware Hermione" Titania spoke seriously, "that those stars are distant suns whose light has traveled for many years and long distances to reach us?"
Hermione nodded; she hd learned all about the stars in her last year at her Muggle school.
Titania continued.
"They are a different form of energy, just as we fairies are. You could think of us, Hermione, as tiny suns wearing a different form."
Titania looked curiously at Hermione whose brow was wrinkled in concentration.
"I believe you Titania, I'm just not sure I actually grasp these concepts" Hermione admitted ruefully, while wondering if there were any books she could use to research these concepts Titania had spoken of.
A fairy buzzed close to Titania's side and spoke quietly in her ear. Nodding to it, Titania looked at Hermione, a mysterious smile on her beautiful face.
"You are being sought Hermione, by one of your own."
The Fairy Queen looked thoughtfully at Hermione, as if weighing decisions.
"You may come and visit again Hermione, however" Titania smiled slyly at Hermione and shocked the Gryffindor with what followed, "you must not bring your body the next time, it is to dangerous for you in these woods, as you are now."
Hermione's mouth dropped open in shock as she stared unhappily at Titania.
"So your saying I can't come again" Hermione argued, upset, "I mean, I can't just leave my body behind!"
"Of course you can Hermione, humans, after all, do it unconsciously in their dreams all the time."
Hermione stared at the fairy in shock. Her dreams of the younger Severus, was it possible?
"If you like" Titania continued, as the music suddenly stopped and the animals and fairies disappeared into the blackness of the forest in the blink of an eye, "you can research what is known to humans as astral travel Hermione, I believe that will be of help."
Before she could reply, Hermione found herself alone in the dark forest, bereft of even her fairy guide, then in the distance she suddenly heard her name being called.
'Oh boy' Hermione stood up uncertainly, she was going to be in trouble, and there seemed no way to avoid it. Squaring her Gryffindor shoulder's, Hermione picked up her book bag and started firmly towards the sound of her name.
