By Adriana
trixielou60@hotmail.com
Author's Note: And the saga continues. I hope I capture some of the beauty of Belize, it's an incredible place.
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You can have my isolation. You can have the hate that it brings.
You can have my absence of faith.You can have my everything.
Help me, you tear down my reason. Help me, it's your sex I can smell
Help me, you make me perfect. Help me become somebody else.
From the song "Closer" by Nine Inch Nails
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Chapter 5: Closer
The trip to Belize had been tiring, to say the least. Hermione had fought down the feeling of motion sickness by the time they'd finally Apparated to a clump of mangrove trees located near the beach in Settee Point. They had taken a rambling path from Hogsmeade to Belize, Apparating first to Edinburgh, Scotland; then to Lisbon, Portugal; then on to the Azores Islands; on to Bermuda and finally to Belize.
"You're looking a little green, Dr. Granger."
"Was all that Apparating really necessary?"
"Tsk, tsk . . . that sounded a little petulent." Snape's tone was teasing, however. "We couldn't Apparate directly, you know that. We would have splinched for sure."
Hermione took in her surroundings. "Oh! It's breathtaking!"
It was early evening and the sun was already setting, the sky a dazzling array of purple and pink. Settee Point was located on the east coast of Belize, and while they couldn't enjoy the sunset over the water, Hermione had the feeling that the sunrise was quite spectacular. The beach was white and infinite and the sand was very, very fine. The water rolled to the shore in gentle waves, crashing in the timeless sound that began before man or wizard even walked the Earth.
There wasn't another person in sight.
Hermione took off her shoes and dug her toes in the sand. She quickly flicked a glance at Snape, then looked away before he noticed her incredulous look. She had been standing in Harry's living room, waiting for him, when the front door had quietly swung open. Snape had impatiently shrugged off an Invisibility Cloak and Hermione barely had time to register his appearance before he'd taken her hand to Apparate to Edinburgh.
She took a good hard look at him now and was secretly pleased at what she saw. He was wearing a white cotton shirt, the material rather rough and textured. It clung to him like a second skin and she had been surprised by the Potions Master's lean, but muscular build. However, the most amazing thing was the black denim pants and dragonhide boots he was wearing, which gave him a rather rakish appearance. Hermione was reminded of illustrations she'd seen of some of England's more notorius buckaneers.
He'd tied his long hair back in a ponytail and small strands had escaped in the gentle breeze coming off the barrier reef. His usual guarded countenance had given way to a more relaxed, at-ease expression. Hermione suddenly had the urge to run her fingers through his hair.
"You're staring again, Dr. Granger."
"Erm, I'm sorry Professor, but I have to say that you look nothing like the man I remember from my school days. Oh, I didn't mean that you usually . . . that you look . . . " she stammered uncomfortably.
Snape's mouth twitched. "You can thank Minerva for my make-over. She seemed to think that severe black robes would stand out in Paradise. I take it you approve?"
Hermione grinned. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were fishing for compliments, Professor."
"I'm not. But to change the subject slightly, I find your calling me 'Professor' rather incongruous, given that we're half the world away from Hogwarts. I will call you Hermione, for the duration of our trip, anyway. And you may call me Severus." Hermione inwardly shivered at the silky timbre of his voice.
"OK, S-s-severus." This is going to take some practice, Hermione thought.
Suddenly, they heard a soft popping sound behind them and they whirled in unison. Hermione noticed that Severus had placed a protective hand on her arm and had stepped in front of her, his movement an apparent instinctive reflex.
"Dr. Granger and Professor Snape, I presume?"
Standing before them was a small, rather shriveled old man. His face was dark and leathery and deep grooves ran over his forehead and along his prominent cheekbones. Long silver hair hung gracefully to his shoulders. His inky black eyes regarded them thoughtfully over his prominent nose, and Hermione thought that if she stared into his eyes too long, the history of Belize would be found in that gaze.
"You must be Cristobel," Snape said smoothly. "Albus told me about your history with him. I'm having a hard time picturing our Headmaster on a jaguar hunt."
Cristobel chuckled. "Ah yes, I remember. Jaguars are sacred to my people, but this particular jaguar was attacking children in the village. The people were wild with fear. It was fortunate that Albus was here, studying some of the wizard ruins. He has a real way with the wand. But that was at least a hundred years ago. Seems like only yesterday."
"But sir," said Hermione.
"Call me Cristobel." His voice was rather thin.
Hermione grinned, "But Cristobel, if Albus was here, why didn't he know about the Soul Gathering Spell?"
"Ah, that's easily explained. The Soul Gathering Spell can only be obtained by those with the right credentials. It's a very ancient, secret magic and it's closely guarded at the Temple of Ix Chel."
"But if that's the case, then how are we going to get to it?" Snape looked worried at this revelation.
Cristobel's eyes twinkled that universal "old man's twinkle." He gave Hermione a knowing look. "I have a feeling that you won't have a problem. Now, I'm sure you're both very tired. I'll take you to your rooms."
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Hermione had been surprised to find their quarters to be very luxurious, not to mention, very extensive. The hacienda was set on a cliff overlooking the beach and a narrow stone staircase lead from the house down to the water. Plush floral couches decorated the main living room and potted palms were scattered throughout. Hermione noticed a vase of beautiful red flowers on a small table by the couch and made a mental note to look them up in her handbook, "The Flora and Fauna of Belize". Cristobel explained that this house could not be seen by the average Muggle, in fact, when Muggles looked at the cliff, they only saw some palm trees and native bushes.
They learned that Settee Point had a wizarding community located on the outskirts of town. Cristobel told them that all Mayan healers had been wizards and that except for healing purposes, wizards and Muggles did not mix. He added that he'd come from a long line of wizard healers.
"Your English is quite spectacular," Hermione complimented him.
"Too much muggle TV," said Cristobel. "I learned from watching re-runs of Gilligan's Island and Green Acres." He chuckled at Snape's look of disbelief. "It's a weakness of mine. I may be an old Mayan healer, but I still love the television."
They were seated on a balcony off the central living room and Cristobel had thoughtfully conjured up a plate of figs, papayas, chunks of fresh coconut and some grapes. He also had conjured a bottle of red wine and some Ogden's Fire Whisky. He smiled at Snape's raised eyebrow. "I'm just trying to give you all the comforts of home. I can supply you with something more substantial, if you wish," the old man added.
Hermione and Severus looked at each other and reading her thoughts, Severus said, "No, thank you, Cristobel. I think it's best if we eat lightly tonight. All our apparating has apparently given Dr. Granger a sour stomach." Hermione looked at him gratefully.
Cristobel smiled. "I understand. Feel free to explore the house, it's rather nice, isn't it? I'll take my leave, you have a big day tomorrow. I'll be by in the morning to take you to the temple. We'll have to go by canoe."
Hermione gaped at him. "Canoe?"
"I'm afraid that we can't Apparate directly to the Temple of Ix Chel, Dr. Granger. It's rather like your Hogwarts, I gather. The temple served the wizarding community in central Belize for hundreds of years and it's unknown to Muggle society."
"This is going to be interesting," Hermione muttered to herself.
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Severus woke early the next morning and quickly ascertained that Hermione was still asleep. He secretly smiled to himself. He was enjoying her company more than he ever thought possible. He knew her to be very intelligent, but more than that, he was very pleased to find that she had a gentle humor. He had expected her to fall back on her old Gryffindor ways, but instead he had been surprised to find that she no longer had the annoying habit of chattering on about all the things she'd read, eager to show off her knowledge.
He had taken a room next to hers, when they'd said their goodnights to each other. He'd tried not to imagine her roaming around in her room, wearing some sort of silky nightgown. He pictured her in something slinky, the colour of deep Slytherin green. A wizard could fantasize, couldn't he?
Don't go there Severus, he thought. We're here on business.
Besides, he doubted that he was emotionally equipped to deal with the rewards of a soft, beautiful woman. He thought back to all the horrible things he'd seen and done in his life and knew that Hermione deserved better than a middle-aged wizard with a very dark past. As if she'd even consider him.
He sighed.
Taking his coffee to the balcony, he was rewarded by the sight of the sun peeping up over the horizon of the ocean. Hermione should be here to see this, he thought.
"Wow," said a soft voice behind him.
He turned. Alright, so her nightgown wasn't green, but instead it was a light lavendar colour. She wore a matching robe over it, tied at the waist. The colour looked perfect against her dark, chestnut hair and he could see the soft curves of her breasts and hips. He quickly averted his eyes.
Hermione took in his expression and realized that Severus was actually embarrassed. It amused her to no end.
Clearing his throat, he said, "Yes, it's really beautiful isn't it?" Severus looked at her and thought, "Yes it is indeed beautiful."
"It's spectacular. It makes me wish we didn't have to go back so soon. I think I could get used to this place."
The stood together in silence and watched the sun rise.
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The canoe trip turned out to be quite enjoyable. They'd Apparated to a location on the New River, and had floated peacefully down the the river to the lagoon, which was situated near the ruins of Lamanai. The shores were dotted with Red and Black Mangrove, as well as Buttonwood trees. Cristobel had waved a lazy wand and the boat had propelled itself down the middle of the river. Howler monkeys screeched a warning to each other and Hermione had been entranced at the abundance of animal life all around them.
Cristobel was telling Severus about the magical creatures that roamed the jungle. "We have our share of Acromantulas, but unlike those of the Forbidden Forest, they're quite colorful," he said. "They have voracious appetites, of course, and should be avoided at all costs. Most of the creatures are harmless, but I must warn you about the Hualthici.
"Oh! I've read about those!" Hermione gave Severus an apologetic look. He merely rolled his eyes.
"Yes, they're quite vicious. They are unmistakable when you see them. They have the body of jaguar and the head of a crocodile and unfortunately, the gods saw fit to also equipt them with the wings of the Laughing Falcon. They fly in flocks. If you see them, it's best to get out of their way. Their teeth are very sharp."
Hermione couldn't hide her look of anxiety.
Severus abruptly changed the subject. "I would like to collect some fresh flowers of the sapodilla tree. I believe that they have properties that will be useful in our potion. They're rather hard to find in Britain."
Cristobel nodded. "You'll find the trees dotted around the Temple of Ix Chel. I'm sure you'll be able to find what you're looking for."
Once the canoe landed, they walked along the path to a clearing in the forest. There, in splendid majesty, was the Temple of Ix Chel. The pyramid was perfectly intact, as if immune to the destructive forces of the harsh sun and creeping jungle. There had to be at least a hundred steps to the top.
"I leave you here, my friends. I can go no further," said Cristobel.
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The climb to the top was grueling and Hermione found herself panting alongside Severus. At the top of the temple there was a door carved with the figure of a priest in elaborate headdress. He was clutching what Hermione recognized to be a Soul Tube against his chest. She had read that the Soul Tube was a piece of hollowed out wood, usually made from a branch of black poison wood. The ends were adorned with two white lilies. The Mayans believed that the Soul Tube guided the Soul from the Earth to the Afterlife at the time of death.
How fitting.
As they made their way into the altar room, they were stopped by two fierce looking Mayans, who were guarding the entrance. They both wore matching headpieces of colorful feathers and their chests were adorned in beads of deep green jade.
And they didn't look happy to see them.
Snape uttered a couple of words Hermione didn't recognize and their scowls deepened.
"What did you say?" she asked.
"I asked them for the Soul Gathering Spell, of course. Albus had me practicing my Yucotec Mayan before we left. You look surprised."
Before she could answer, one of the warriors pointed at her and began talking excitedly to the other. Hermione realized that they were pointing at the sapphire pendant around her neck.
She had instinctively worn her robes of the Order of Chiron, although she couldn't say why. It became evident that this had been a wise choice as the warriors lead her to a large mural on the west side of the Temple. The Goddess Ix Chel had been painted on it and Hermione gasped to see her wearing a matching sapphire pendant, with rays of light coming out of the gem.
"Oh! That's what Cristobel meant when he said we wouldn't have trouble obtaining the spell!"
Walking over to a large recess in the wall, one of the warriors pulled out a parchment from a clay urn, which was decorated with large pieces of amythest and malachite.
Snape was pleased. He examined the delicate parchment. "It appears that our mission has been a success. I can decipher some of the hierglyphics, but Albus is the real expert."
He looked into Hermione's excited face and couldn't help giving her a wide smile.
He didn't remember ever smiling so much in a twenty-four hour period.
"What are you doing to me, Hermione?" he thought.
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Going down the steps was certainly easier than going up them, Hermione decided. Once they reached the bottom, Severus began to scout the area for sapodilla. "We're looking for a variety of evergreen, Hermione," he said. "The flower is small and white and very fragrant. They're not hard to miss. I think it's best if we split up, it'll go faster that way."
Hermione pulled out her wand and found a path leading towards the lagoon. Scanning the trees, she noticed what looked to be the correct tree about fifty meters from the temple. She was so excited to see it that she didn't notice the jungle getting very quiet.
She was reaching for a blossom when the air was pierced by the sound of high-pitched screeching. Looking up in horror she realized that a flock of foul-looking creatures were descending upon her. She pointed her wand but it was too late, they attacked with a single-minded frenzy.
Hualthici!
One of the creatures reached her as she gripped her wand, it's crocodile jaws snapping with ferocious menace. As she swung her arm in defense, her wand dropped to the ground.
"Severus!" she screamed.
She continued fighting them, but they dove at her, tearing at the flesh of her arms as she tried to protect her head. "Severus!"
He was there in an instant. Wand blazing, he cast a spell that caused them to instantly incinerate in a huge ball of green fire. They were showered with ashes, and the dying screams of the animals echoed throughout the jungle.
Hermione was lying on the ground, whimpering in pain and fear. Severus gathered her in his arms.
"It's alright. I'm here. I won't let anything hurt you, I promise. Shhhh. Shhhh. I'm here . . . I'm here." He clutched her tightly.
When Cristobel found them, they were still holding each other, Severus softly crooning to her as she cried.
TBC
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Author's notes: Gee whiz, that took a lot of research! I hope it was worth it. By the way, Ix Chel is the Mayan Goddess of Childbirth and Healing. Her name means, "She of the rainbow." Pretty cool, huh?
As always, please review. I really want to know what you think!