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Chapter 27: Unfogging the FutureRemus sat in his favorite well-worn armchair with a glass of firewhiskey. He had been pondering his new predicament as he watched the deep amber liquid swirl in the rounded glass he cradled in his right hand. Liam's advice form the previous evening preoccupied his thoughts as he tried to formulate plans about how to help and protect Hermione. Severus was an interesting choice for a mate. Not a bad one for her— both brilliant minds, though he had a rather temperamental disposition. Remus had noticed the glare and accusatory language Severus had used when he came in. Just what on earth did he think was going on when he walked in anyway?
Bloody perceptive bastard.
Hermione was beautiful, attractive, and wildly intelligent. Those characteristics in and of themselves were very appealing, and he had been lonely a long time. The bond itself was a strangely powerful magnet, yet to be honest about his feelings, his truest desire was to protect her. Remus found himself reverting to an almost animalistic nature when thinking on this. She was a part of his family now. He would let nothing harm her. He had been attracted to her during that impromptu meeting in the backroom of 12 Grimmauld Place. But those carnal yearnings had subsided, even though his sexual needs had not. How long had it been? Years? It was hard to find a good match for him. As much as witches (self- described as politically correct and contemporary) would try to be understanding, most would find themselves unable to deal with the wolf. It was inseparably a part of himself, Wolfsbane or not. And now? It had only been a few days, and he felt different. He was no longer afflicted with lycanthropy, yet, he couldn't divulge his sudden change in status. He knocked back the Ogden's and poured another glass. Who? Who was interesting? He needed a distraction, but Remus was not a casual lover. Tonks was… well, she was Tonks and a little too aloof for his tastes. Most single women he knew were soon to be wed or too young to be considered a serious prospect at all. Too young… what's too young? Hermione and Severus are 20 years apart and look at them! They had seemed so comfortable together at dinner talking and laughing, elbowing each other like they had been friends for years. They seemed so natural.
Of course Liam had explained the compulsory developmental stages and rituals of the Clisha in further detail, though it still surprised Remus to know how Clisha selected their mates. How Hermione had adjusted to her abilities in a few short years Liam told Remus he'd never fully comprehend. It had taken Leyna decades to master her visions and begin seeing during the day. Liam knew Hermione was already touching on these abilities now. He had reviewed other potential skills with the new knight including Hermione's ability to teleport anywhere by a single thought.
'Hermione thinks too much about it, always had,' Liam said. 'It didn't surprise me in the least when she found out she couldn't apparate.' Then he slipped and told Remus a wistful story of how Leyna had fallen asleep one night at her home in China, and woke up in Scotland laying beside Liam in his bed. Remus had noted his expression as he told the tale. Leyna, lonely, possibly hundreds of years before her meeting Merlin, had been attracted to Liam. He had been her confidant through various periods during her life, and Leyna found it amusing she would choose a vampire for a friend given her duties. But there he was. She had separated from him for her own relative safety and for Liam's as she felt his hunger begin to build. And there she was, in his bed and couldn't get herself back to China. No portkeys back then, nothing to help her. Once she began the physical trek across country again, she dreamt of home and woke up in her own bed.
Liam had led a life of practical celibacy since Leyna's marriage. Remus knew from the look on Liam's face he didn't want that. Hermione was right. Liam had sacrificed far too much and it appeared to keep him caged in a quiet misery. A lifetime penance for a multitude of wrongs which cold never be undone. Liam kept a great deal of his life private. The life of a vampire was far too bloody a thing to share or be understood or viewed with compassion. Remus had taken care to never hurt anyone while he was the wolf, however, he couldn't entirely be sure.
Liam told him he needed to find a way to protect Hermione, not by shutting her off from danger but by helping her walk through it. It was hard to fathom. Vampires, werewolves, Voldemort? How was she supposed to manage that? It was the duty of her people, but she was just one person. A single soul.
'She is endowed with all of the powers of the Clisha and her father, Merlin. Don't forget. When she unlocks that part of herself, she'll need you to keep her in control. She needs to be strong, not afraid.' He heard Liam tell him.
'She is going to train you and likewise you her. Think about what you have to offer.'
Remus decided he and Hermione needed to have another chat. And as the last of his second glass slid down his throat he began to formulate his questions for the young Queen.
***
Hermione sat beside Harry, hearing an inner monologue as she attempted to listen to both the conversation of her friends and acknowledge one of the first conscious premonitions. She smiled to herself as she heard Ron call her name for the third time.
"Hermione… hell-oo? You need sleep. We all do. We can talk about this the weekend. I've got an hour and half to get ready for work," Ron stood and arched his back and lanky arms in a a loud vocal stretch. "Be careful 'Mione? 'Kay?"
"Ron," she stopped him before he left.
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for being such a good friend." She became the Hermione of his childhood and he held her long, making up for hugs he'd missed.
"Love you 'Mione. See you soon." He hung on dearly for a long moment and then finally took his leave.
Harry added before he left, "I trust you Hermione, but I'm not sure I'm ready to risk you using my scar as a portal to the future just yet. You understand?"
"I do, Harry. Talk to you soon." She nodded and embraced her friend in a tight hug before he disapparated. Harry kissed her cheek and said his goodbyes as well, and Hermione blushed inwardly with guilt. She had stayed far longer than she had promised to Severus. She felt him roll over, still half-asleep, and she descended the yielding stairs which betrayed her quiet footsteps by squeaking.
A groan from the long-limbed man escaped from the rumpled covers. "You lied." He glared at her through narrow eyes joking as he drew out the last word playfully. She crawled into bed beside him and looked at him apologetically with her best puppy dog look.
"I'm sorry. The conversation with Harry turned into coming clean with Ron. I'm relieved actually. It's a load off not keeping secrets from him anymore." She stifled a yawn as she talked through the sleep.
"And how did they take our
happy news?" He said sarcastically.
"Harry was genuinely happy for us. Ron…"
she winced and shrugged. "Enh. He was surprised. Supportive, but a bit worried that you'll
criticize me to death." She rolled her
eyes.
"And what did you say to that, my lady?" He grasped her wrists with a little force and pulled her on top of him, kissing her on her cheek and neck, as he awaited her response.
"I said, 'you shouldn't dish out heavy sarcasm if you can't take it.' " She giggled and laid her head on his shoulder in a restful way and let out a low sigh.
"That's so hmmm?" He was nibbling her tender flesh now, but all she wanted was for sleep to overtake her. "Oh, so sad, how tired are you?" He said, brushing hair from her face tenderly. "But that's not my fault…" he growled dangerously and continued to kiss her, running his fingers over her breasts and thighs, "I'll try to be quiet. Go right ahead and ssleep… if you musst." He drew the 's' sounds out as he was clearly trying to lure her into another round of lovemaking.
"You're cruel," she croaked into his flesh.
"You have no idea," he whispered low half threatening as he deftly maneuvered her onto her back. You think you'll take a passive role, do you? He smelled her skin and licked it teasingly, tracing a snaky path toward her breast.
She actually snored.
He relented and lifted the large comforter up to her neck, kissing her sweetly on her temple. Sleep well, beloved.
***
The dreams came almost immediately. So exhausted, she floated as she watched the familiar scene unfold beneath her. A group of centaurs and unicorns fled the Forbidden Forest, streaks of animals and magical creatures could be seen scattering beneath the thick trees. It must have been nearing fall as the wind blew leaves in a whirling pattern, falling like feathers to the forest floor. In the distant twilight hour she could see Hogwarts, it's majestic gates sealed and everything appearing a bit too still. She flew in for a closer look, and she saw them. A row of people stood proudly, wands raised in front of their chests like swords, daring anyone to strike. They did not hide at all. The last of the remaining sunlight parted the woods revealing a clearing where she and Harry stood facing each other. She knew this dream.
The grass was moist and wet, the earth pushing against the soles of her feet. The Death Eaters came and she was not afraid. Harry disarmed them by half. Where was her wand? She found she did not care. Dementors came and she felt strangely unaffected, too happy to have joyful memory stolen from her. A giant white stag marched in a wide circle dispelling the dark soulless creatures.
The Death Eaters regrouped and attempted to speak. Harry cast a 'silencio' as she chanted low,
'Earth'
The musical incantation rang in the air as the wind whipped her hair and knocked their enemies hundreds of feet into the forest. Three smaller oaks were uprooted and tears streamed down her face freely.
Do no harm.
The wisdom of her ancestors commanded her to care for the earth, respecting all nature, returning that which has been given to her. She walked to the fallen ones and replanted them by her own hand. She could vaguely hear a bewildered Harry in the distance with his protestations. Once again she chanted, connecting with earth, tree, grass, wind, moon, sun and stars. She gave herself to the plant and it responded accordingly, anchoring itself once again through the soil, stretching its roots and branches, rustling it's leaves, extending higher then it had before it had been so violently displaced. She whispered an unintelligible apology, intended only for nature.
Harry stood behind her in awe, only then understanding what was truly possible when one remembered their connections. Our roots.
She sat straight up in bed, panting heavily. Severus was fully dressed in his usual black button up suit and came running down the steps with cool water.
"Are you alright?" He asked, bringing the glass to her lips. "You've been feverish."
She took the glass, unable to speak and drank slowly until the last drop was gone. "What time is it?" Light streamed though the curtains of the window, casting long beams across the floor and bedspread.
"It's nearly two." He took a damp washcloth and held it to her head again, wiping her brow from the sweat which had poured off of her.
The feeling seemed pretty surreal to her, as her dream didn't appear frightening or thrilling at all, certainly not enough to throw her into a feverish fit. The sheets were sticking to her and she felt the need for a shower. She ached all over and wondered how she felt so ill all of a sudden. "A bath will do me good I think." She lazily peeled the sheets off her naked body, she or Severus must have removed her robes as she slept. She slid from the high bed onto the floor and walked into the bathroom to draw a cool bath.
She heard Severus gasp behind her and he rushed to her side. "How did this happen?"
Hermione realized she couldn't seen and turned her back to the tall mirror, looking over her shoulder to see what had caught his attention. A long bloody gash trailed down her back, resembling the work of a slicing spell. He quickly drew his wand to heal it, but he was noticeably unsettled. "Oh my God! Did I go anywhere?"
"Not that I know of. I wasn't here all the time, but you never came upstairs." His brown wrinkled with serious thought as he considered the possibilities. Sleepwalking?
She gave him a look that stopped his musing. "We don't know." Master Qian's wisdom echoed in her head. Don't speculate. Speculation is waste of valuable energy that can be used to focus on the present. Severus knew the temple's teachings as well as she did. She sat on the edge of the tub and swung her legs over the side. Then she saw. Oh my. "M-my feet Severus! Look!"
They were caked with dirt like she had been walking barefoot. A flash of her dream came before her. Bare of foot. All of the women, lined up in a row… were barefoot. She gasped and Severus watched as she slid into another waking vision. She saw Harry and she were running toward the center of the forest, Death Eaters chasing behind, flinging curses and hexes here and there, hitting trees when they missed. A burning hex seared through her shoulder blade as she felt her skin break. She felt the trees cry out in pain as curses intended for wizards and witches hit the forest trees instead. She was running, connected. There he was… Voldemort.
She felt the feeling well up inside her as she anticipated what had to be done. She turned to face Harry…
And started to see Severus standing before her. "You cried out. Are you okay?" His tone was firm demanding. Gods Hermione, tell me you're alright!
She looked a bit disoriented, and decided she needed time to think. She needed time before she spoke to Sibyll and Harry. "I'm fine."
"The hell you are! Look! You're bleeding again." His face grew long and strewn with worry as he muttered the healing charm again where her wound had reopened, identical to before. My mind is making this real.
Oh love. His protectiveness was kicking in. This was his fiancée, soon to be wife, his Queen, mother of their unborn child. He held her close to him, cradling her. She hugged him back taking control and pushing him away slightly.
"We have a lot to do today. Let me bathe and then we'll talk." He looked deep into her eyes, bracing himself for the understanding he would need to show her. He nodded wordlessly, remembering that although they were bound, she was still an independent witch. She needed her privacy as did he. She had grown accustomed to much solitude over the years. In the last few days they'd spent practically every minute together. Quite a change indeed.
He busied himself upstairs. Earlier he had been busy with the Wolfsbane research, following a lead. He'd also read several journal articles in the new Ars Alchema publication. Snape now found himself with nothing to do. It frightened him a bit, not fully understanding how much danger Hermione was really in. He remembered how he had felt in the alleyway, and when he saw her memory of her being attacked by two vampires. The former Death Eater wondered what his role would be. Now he was no longer a spy and needed to find some way to tell Dumbledore and the OOP. They would not be happy. And Draco, he would be stuck shouldering most of the uncomfortable responsibility of spying without someone to share it with. He would need to talk to Lupin and make sure they could keep her safe, together. So he made tea, sat on the couch and meditated. Be still. He told himself in a calming mantra which he hoped would have the desired result: pass time, and relax him. It was not working.
***
She felt the cool water lap up on her skin and splashed some on her face. I've got to talk to Harry. And what am I going to tell Severus? She reminded herself over and over, the future is not set. She mustn't have seen the whole thing. She couldn't see what everyone else was doing, what Severus, Remus and other members of the Order were doing. She needed guidance. She needed Sibyll.
As she quickly dried off she heard voices upstairs as she threw on a pair of jeans and the v-neck shirt she felt comfortable in. Remus.
She overheard though the bedroom door that the two gentlemen were not arguing and she sighed a relief. She heard Severus' laughter in her head as he poked fun at her thoughts which he'd obviously heard. God, when could he hear her and when could he not?
"Hey Remus." She waved at him and walked to Severus who she deliberately kissed on the cheek, making eye contact with him as she passed. Severus stifled a visible reaction at her public display of affection, something he was still getting used to. Gods, how do you do that?
"Hermione, I need to speak with you today. Not long but still."
"Alone?" She perceived.
Remus shot a glance to Severus. It couldn't hurt but couldn't help either. Eventually he'd find out and they were all in this together, but initially… "Either is fine." He lied.
Severus looked back at Remus then to Hermione. "That's fine, I'll be in the lab if you need me."
Are you sure? Hermione thought to him through their link.
I'm sure, my love. Won't be far. I trust you. And we still need to talk about that dream. He crossed to the door and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder as he exited the den.
"What's up?" She asked as she poured him a cup of tea.
He took the proffered cup and decided where to begin. "Is Snape alright with this?"
She sighed. "Yes, he's fine. He misunderstood the other evening when you were comforting me, but we worked it out. Remus, look… I don't want there to be any tension between you two. This is about all of us, together, working this out. Queen or not, I expect us all to be open with each other about what we need. What's been on you mind?"
"I've been thinking about how to protect you." Hermione resisted the urge to roll her eyes and bit her tongue. She didn't want to be overprotected, but remembered her mother's words… You'll need someone to watch out for you… you'll be distracted and attacked at the most inopportune times…
"I want you to tell me all of the things you know about self-defense, Defense against the Dark Arts, your grades, whether or not you can transfigure. Everything."
Hermione made a pot of fruit tea for herself, decaf, lavender, flowers, chamomile, as she thought. "I took meditation and Occlumency from Severus when I was 16. That summer when I first found out about the visions? Later that year, I started to mind read… that was terrible."
Remus bit his tongue as he recalled was Liam had related to him about the Clisha. "Tell me more about that."
"It was… noisy to say the least. I had no control. All that year I'd had visions of Lucius raping and torturing Rose Levi. I was so tired, I had barely gotten any sleep for months. Then when I started hearing the thoughts…" She shook her head. "It was overwhelming. I isolated myself for Christmas, fortunately school was out. And when I returned to my Occlumency lessons I could block him out entirely. I made myself blank. That helped with the mind reading, but every now and then I heard things I shouldn't. Harry agreed to obliviate certain memories."
Obliviated? Damn Hermione, that's dangerous. Remus's jaw hung open in surprise. Liam hadn't told him that part. But Liam wasn't a wizard and he hadn't mentioned it. Maybe Hermione hadn't told Liam about that. She sensed his thoughts and answered his unspoken question.
"Severus knows everything. I've kept nothing from him. No secrets. Secrets between us will only pull us apart and we need to be focused."
Remus nodded. "I'm glad you've talked with him. Liam told me you don't feel comfortable with mind reading…"
"Because it's unethical."
"Right." Remus said not convincingly.
"You're wondering why I don't use such a gift. It's a curse. Can you imagine for a moment, thinking about who's going to cheat on a test, or murder someone, or have horrible memories that don't even belong to you? There is no way for me to know whether or not you've actually done those things that I see or will do them, or how long ago it happened. It's not accurate and it's an invasion of privacy. It's wrong. Gift or not. I think Albus and Harry are already a bit upset that I won't try to read Draco's mind, or Lucius's, or Voldemort's."
"I'm just saying, Liam tells me this is a gift you're people have had for thousands of years. Surely there is a capacity in which you could use it." Remus stressed this to her, trying to convey what Liam had requested. Liam had never agreed with Hermione's decision not to use these gifts.
"It's lazy. It avoids the trouble of conversation and other more normal methods of communication which are more normal for both parties. If I use it with some people and not others, slowly the boundaries will be blurred and I will be unable to restrain myself from that one peek of information I want from Dumbledore that I shouldn't see, that one secret Severus wishes to keep to himself. I won't allow myself to do that. I can tell whether or not people are lying and now, from time to time I can hear your thoughts or Severus's, like you can mine, once you practice, and Harry's. Beyond that I'm unwilling to…"
"Harry's?" He interrupted. "I knew you were close— but why him?"
"We magically bound ourselves as brother and sister in our seventh year," Hermione said matter-of-factly.
"Really?" She nodded.
"What else can you do?" He pushed forward hoping to readdress the ethics of mind reading at a later time.
"I can do elemental magic. That I'll have to show you sometime. Talking about it doesn't seem to do it justice. I talked to Harry about it earlier. I'm going to arrange a meeting with Sibyll, Professor Sprout, Professor McGonagall, Ginny, and Molly Weasley later this week."
"What's it like?"
"It's like feeling magic and energy of nature course through your veins. It's… untamed, wild." Her eyes flashed almost happily as she said this. "Would you like to see?"
"Sure." But he didn't know what she was getting at.
"Let me have your hands." She clasped his and they were there on the Quidditch pitch. Again the 16-year-old Hermione was barefoot, in her nightgown. He heard her chant low: Earth. The wind, air, the very sky whipped past her ripping blades of grass through the air carrying them down the field in streaks of green. Dirt kicked up from the ground rumbling in a short cloud as everything in front of the young witch was utterly flattened. She released his hands.
Remus' heart was racing. "Wow."
Hermione went on to describe her experiences at the greenhouse, the first premonition about Harry involving the Death Eaters and the role elemental magic played in each.
Then she threw it out there. "I am also a master of Kaatal."
He choked on his tea which sloshed over the side of his cup. "You're what?"
She walked over to a wooden box, one she hadn't opened for a while and opened it in front of him, exposing the beautiful glossy wood of the ebony Chil. Inside, she pulled out a tiny necklace on which floated a simple golden triangle, flat, plain and free of decoration or engraving of any kind. Recognition spread across Remus' face as he had only met one other.
"You achieved all three levels? My God, Hermione!"
"I haven't used them since… well, since a long time ago."
"You don't practice anymore?" He asked with disappointment.
"No." She hesitated a bit. But this man was bound to protect her, and he had to know everything. "I killed two men in cold blood the same evening I tested," her quiet voice said with regret.
Remus paled as he saw a shadow cross her face. She was tormented. It was startling how much older she looked when thinking. Her youth vanished, replaced with the age only fear and too much pain could bring.
She shuddered a bit and placed the box far in front of her between them. "They were vampires," she began. "They had attacked me. One was responsible for attacking my mother so long ago. But… it was gruesome. There was no other way at the time, I didn't have my wand." She was talking to herself now, the conversation she always had, the war with herself about whether or not she could've done something different, whether or not she had done the right thing.
Wands are useless against vampires. Remus knew that.
"Hermione…"
But she was already recalling Severus's soothing words. It's not your fault.. what could you do? Do you think they would've let you go?
"I know I should practice, it'll take some time to get used to it again."
Remus nodded. "What else?" He mercifully changed the topic.
She quickly ran through her grades and classes. She was excellent in DADA and transfiguration but she hadn't attempted to become an animagus yet. "I sing," Now why is that important? She heard him think. And then she thought about it. The Clisha had often used feminine persuasion to get what they wanted. Hermione recalled her attempts at hypnotizing Lucius into being more docile, malleable. It had worked for a little while. "And I throw knives."
"I beg your pardon?"
"Hobby."
"A hobby. Sure." She stood up and they entered the bedroom off the den. Hermione waved her hand and the door on the other side of the room spun to reveal the large wooden block. Remus turned to see Hermione pulling several dangerously sharp knives from her arsenal which hung on the wall.
He watched in silence as she threw them in rapid succession, hitting dead center of the board. Thump, thump thump. Then she walked over and retrieved them.
"Good grief girl. How long have you been doing that?"
"Since just before I started having the nightmares about Lucius. Harry says he's beginning to stir." Goddamn son of a bitch, thump, thump, thump.
"You afraid he'll say something?"
"Not at all." She said coldly as she threw the knives again, punctuating her words.
"Aren't you afraid he'll…"
"Or he'll what?!" She turned on him angrily. Remus blanched. "I was the victim here. He stalked me since I was sixteen! He tortured Rose Levi practically to death. He wouldn't dare tempt me or I'd fix him good. I left him a little reminder. He wouldn't dare…" She threw the knives again. A habit she had associated with Malfoy and stress relief. She regained control of herself, putting on a calmer face and replaced the knives. Severus peeked out of the lab as she was replacing them.
"You alright?" addressing Hermione.
"I'm fine, just… showing Remus my collection." He heard her before, thinking strongly about Lucius. He could feel her rage right through the wall. She was calmer now. Severus walked over a placed a comforting hand on her back.
"Anyone for some tea?" She asked, exchanging her tone for a lighter one.
She had addressed both of them and they followed her into the kitchen. As she poured Remus continued to ask her about her competencies. She rattled off the spoken and written languages she knew: Latin, German, Spanish, Ancient Runes and Chinese, the names of the most difficult curses and spells she could cast.
Finally when all topics were exhausted, she spoke up. "I need to go see Sibyll." She looked at Severus. "I need to talk to her about what happened today."
"You've got to be kidding me!" Remus exclaimed.
Clearly, they hadn't discussed everything. Albus, Harry, Severus and Hermione had kept Sibyll's gift a secret for years, fearing she would become a huge target if her rather significant abilities were to become public. Professor Trelawney stayed to herself, still playing her role as fraud teaching students the art of divination. Firenze suspected something but wisely kept his thoughts to himself. They had come to an understanding.
Feeling Hermione's fatigue, Severus explained. "Remus, Hermione had a vision of Sibyll back in her sixth year. She helped Sibyll to unlock a block Lily had placed there to prevent her from her rather public prophesies. Sibyll is far too powerful to have anyone know how accurate and frequent her rather earth shaking predictions are. Hermione and I trained her over that summer in Occlumency and meditation so she could get control over her gifts. She continues to stay on at Hogwarts for her protection."
Remus listened carefully, stunned by the explanation Severus gave. "You said, Lily helped her with a block. Why? Why Lily?"
"Lily was a Seer too Remus. She never told anyone, not even Harry's father," Hermione added.
Oh. They could see puzzle pieces of history between Remus and Lily fall into place as his expression changed. The original Marauders were close, and Remus was more than a bit hurt that she hadn't confided in them. All for one and one for all. His eyes glassed over, eyes unfocused.
"Remus," Hermione carefully added, placing a hand on his arm, "Sibyll said she thinks Lily predicted her own death."
Remus stood up nervously and walked to the window. His eyes contracted with the tears that began to fall. Hermione followed close behind, but gave him space. They were very close. The loss of Lily and James Potter hit everyone hard. Why? Why didn't she tell anyone?
"Remus, only Lily knows why she didn't say anything. You know about the prophecy, perhaps…" Don't finish that thought. Perhaps she did too, maybe she wanted to help the prophecy be fulfilled? She took a deep breath. "Sometimes you feel like the future is unstoppable. Only Sibyll knew that she was a Seer. Maybe you should talk to her. I need to leave to meet her now anyway. I can ask her if she'll see you if you like. The only way to can see her is by making a trip to the school, discretely but it's possible." He nodded without saying anything and she gave his shoulders a squeeze from behind.
Take care of him, Severus. I'll be back soon.
You'll be ok alone? You haven't been out by yourself for awhile, and Grumple's still out there… I'll be fine. Don't worry. I also need to see Harry tonight. Can you invite him for dinner?He groaned inwardly. Yes, but we also still need to talk about your vision today. Come back soon?
That's why Harry needs to come. She felt the sharp catch in his chest. I'll tell you as soon as I get back. Don't worry. No secrets, remember? She smiled up at him and hugged him fiercely. He kissed her goodbye and she vanished.
***
The phone rang and a chubby hand picked it up. "Yes, what is it?"
A man in parked old Audi sat in wait, in a poorly lit area one block down from the flat. The other man drank day old coffee in the front seat, long since bored out of his mind.
"No sign of her sir, she may be in her apartment, she may not. She hasn't come or gone from this location in days, not since her jog earlier this week. What do you want us to do?"
"She took leave from the Ministry and hasn't been seen there. She may be on vacation, but she's up to something. Keep an eye out for her two more days. We need to take care of this little problem, make sure she's on a permanent vacation. Any sign of other magical activity around her flat?"
"We're not even sure which flat is hers yet, but when we see anything, we'll let you know," the hired thug said obediently.
Grumple hung up without pleasantries. They were being paid well enough to avoid politeness. He didn't feel like being polite.
The phone rang on the mogul's desk and he picked it up. "Mr. Grumple sir, Minister Fudge is on line two."
"Patch him through Greta."
The line flashed before him as he hesitated in picking the receiver up. "Minister, thank you for holding. What can I do for you?" Grumple slipped on his business persona.
"Mr. Grumple, I believe we need to discuss the terms of our arrangement. Some things have come to my attention that are unsettling to say the least. Can you Floo over to my office? I'm not comfortable continuing this conversation by phone."
"I am a very busy man, Cornelius, can't this wait until tomorrow?"
That was the wrong thing to say to a man cornered by Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter.
"Mind who you are speaking with, Grumple. You are running your company, and I am running the Ministry. We are both busy, so let's get this over with. Come in 30 minutes. We need to discuss the terms of our contract." Cornelius Fudge was sweating. He needed to persuade Grumple to come himself, which he never did, he always sent a representative. Fudge felt like Grumple held all the marbles. Now he wanted them back.
Finally Grumple graced him with a response. "All right then." He replace the phone on it's rest. That was likely the most forceful statement Grumple had ever heard the Minister make, about any subject. Cornelius Fudge being non-committal, like any politician, allowed him almost infinite wiggle room and ways to deny any wrongdoing.
Cornelius Fudge was so easy to manipulate, he was shocked to believe he could feel pressure at all from the buffoon. His mind quickly raced with what he needed to say, what he could offer. What could be done to buy more time? A few more days, weeks maybe, and everything would be finished.
Yes, Grumple was a man on the edge.
***
Hermione made a pitstop before seeing Sibyll. She had unfinished business with Liam. She knocked on his hotel room door and he answered,
"Liam?"
"Hermione! This is a surprise." He greeted her sweetly with a fatherly embrace, as he routinely did.
"Sorry I showed up without calling you first. I had some more questions to ask you from yesterday."
"Have a seat. Coffee?"
"No thank you. I've had too much tea today already."
"What's been on your mind?"
"Liam…" She didn't know quite how to broach the subject. "I've been wondering ever since we had dinner the night Remus was released. I thought I saw something there. Are you okay?"
He was silent for a moment and Hermione realized she hadn't often asked that question of him. Painfully, she realized for the first time it was usually him asking her how she was. A frown came over her and she sat nearer him.
"Liam. I'm so sorry. I've not been as good of a friend as I should have been. You've always helped me…"
"It's what I'm here for." But she could hear the weariness in his voice.
"It not all you're here for." She admitted quietly.
"I would've done anything for your mother Hermione. Anything. She was completely undone by Merlin's death and after she was attacked," his voice choked betraying some subtle emotion Hermione couldn't place. Guilt? "She was late in her pregnancy with you when they attacked her." Liam looked in the distance of the room as he recalled the events.
It dawned on her. "You knew them. You recognized them didn't you?" He merely nodded, unable to continue that line of thought.
"Afterwards she had constant visions of the end of the Clisha. She knew she had to get you out. The time turner was still a somewhat new invention back then."
A time turner! "God, I can't imagine, you came so far. Was it difficult?"
"Terribly. Think. We came from a time where there were no modern inventions, no reliable medicine except that of the secretive and persecuted wizard community. Leyna traveled injured. She was already in labor with you." Liam started to tremble a bit as he recalled. He had never discussed this in so much detail before. Hermione only had a vague idea. "It took her three days to deliver you. You were early and she tried to use what time she had between contractions to foresee which parents would be good for you." He closed his eyes and saw the blood again on his hands, unable to stop the opening wound in her neck with pressure as Leyna drifted in an out of consciousness. He didn't know which were visions and which times were attempts at sleep anymore. The vampire had added a poison to his fangs which made the wound unable to stay closed. Where Liam once had envied and resented Merlin, now he was desperate for the wizards healing abilities. He had never in his life felt so helpless.
Hermione saw this, and understood. She took him in her arms tightly. It wasn't your fault, Liam. You did everything you could. And here I am, healthy, happy just like my mother wanted. She'd be proud of you.
After a long silence, she added, "Liam. It's wrong for you to stop living. You've put your life on hold and that's not living. Stop punishing yourself. Mom would've wanted you to be happy. I want you to be happy."
I still love her.
I don't imagine that will stop, even if you consider the possibility of loving someone else. What would you have done if she and Merlin had lived? Would you have pined for her ad infinitum?
He hadn't thought of it like that. She released him from her embrace, and looked at him seriously. "I know you're helping me to train Remus. Your advice is so helpful to us, especially now. I don't want you to feel… left out? Is that what was going on that night? Where you fit in now?"
She took his silence as agreement. "I'm happy for you to counsel me as you have, I certainly could use it. But maybe… you'd rather have a vacation? A long one." Let him go.
"What are you saying?" His tone took almost a defensive quality.
"Wait, wait." She held up a hand to stop the protest. "I'm not saying I don't need you, because I do. You're family to me Liam. That will never change. But you said I am the Queen, and if you need a break… a real break? Then I'm voting you off the island. Do something normal."
He gave her a long look. Hmph. "You're more like your mother than you'll ever know Hermione. She would've said the same thing."
"I'll take it as a compliment. After we knight Remus, take off okay? If there's an emergency I'll call you. Go, sell antiques, see Europe."
"I've been to Europe." He said dryly.
"You're hundreds of years old Liam. Go see… something."
He laughed. And changed the topic. "So tell me, how are you adjusting." His emphasis on the word with a raised eyebrow earned him a hard slap on the arm. "Hey? What was that for?"
"As if you don't know! Why didn't you tell me I'd be pregnant the first go 'round!"
"Scares you doesn't it?" Hermione gave him a furious look at his apparent glee in her ignorance. "Don't worry, all of them found out that way."
"You can't be serious."
"What would you do? Wait to mate until you're ready to conceive? All the previous Clisha's were hundreds of years old. You're mom found out the same way. Found out in the diary."
"You're joking."
"I'm not. You should've seen the look on her face. She was so pissed, happy yes—but cursed for days." He laughed to himself in memory. "Merlin freaked out too but he was thrilled. Thought he was too old to have kids. Him being happy and her all worried about training him."
"Training Merlin?" She gasped. She had visions of Remus training Severus. God.
"Can you imagine? Wow, the arguments were spectacular."
Author's Notes:
From the previous chapter, * "You never studied." Was the line Ray (Dan Ackroyd) gave Peter (Bill Murray) in Ghostbusters during their jail time.
I'm going on vacation for a few days but will post another chapter soon. It's not remotely written yet.
Next stop, meeting with Sibyll, Dumbledore's and Harry's face off with the Minister, and what happens with Grumple? Remus gets knighted…. Woo hoo!
Many thanks to readers who have reviewed.
Elf-princess777~ Wow! Thanks! And you're just in the nick of time, I was reading your review just as I am submitting this chapter.
xmaverickf14x~ Thank you for reading! Let me know what you think of the next chapter!
Lisa M. ~ You so nailed the answer! You and redlady27 were the only ones to do it, or guess for that matter. Glad you liked the story. Keep reading!
redlady27~ Thanks! 10 points to… which house are you in? for the correct answer to the quote. And yeah, Snape's gonna find a bit of a snag and more jealously until he figures out that whole telepathy link with Hermione. It's not going to build his confidence any.
Disenchanted Glow~ Whoops, sorry, Ron and Harry aren't thinking along those lines and Severus was still in bed sleeping (where all of us should have the good fortune to be at 6:30 in the morning. Especially with him. Smile.) And I hope you like the short bit in this chapter about Liam and Leyna. I don't know what painful tidbits it will take to help Liam to k\move on, but you just wait until Remus gets knighted. THAT is going to be a spectacle… and that is saying something.
Lilly Bell~ There will be more on Ginny as Hermione's friend and where elemental magic is concerned, however, I'm not sure there will be a lot of time spent on her relationship with Harry which was developed pretty well (I think) in a previous chapter. My mind has been focused on the final battle, and hey? After that… who knows?
Ezmerelda~ I haven't thought about how Ron and Severus will interact, so thanks for bringing it up. Everyone has a healthy amount of respect for him in the order, however that doesn't always translate as in accepting he is what's best for Hermione. Knowing her, she may not let it go anywhere, she may knight Remus, but this is a girl who defends herself. She's not about to let her friends make these important choices for her!
Once again I try to post what I was unable to before: The horoscopes of Severus and Hermione. For some reasons this was messed up before, so… I'm typing it… from scratch… again.
These horoscopes are hysterical. Interestingly enough, I believe that Snape is a Scorpio, a water sign. Check out this description at ing and a chapter on x-ray vision. No doubt people say things about your eyes: "If looks could kill" and "I feel like you're mentally undressing me" etc. You've proven to everyone that you can hold on. Your staying power is second to none. Now learn to let go. Every day, find something to sell, give away, throw out, or burn. If you want to get more out of life, let go of old crap, literally, figuratively, and most of all, psychologically.
TIP: Remember and forgive.
You have forgiveness issues that make your personal relationships challenging. People whisper about your sex life. They dare to include your in their most passionate sexual fantasies. Love is or hate it, yours is a fate of "sun sign Scorpio". You must contend with powerful desires.
Topaz signifies fidelity and is a good choice for Scorpio. A totem for Scorpio is the scorpion, a creature known to sting when bothered. A lower form of Scorpio is the snake and a higher form is the eagle. A Scorpio is also represented by a phoenix rising from the ashes. Scorpio is a fixed, water sign represented by an iceberg. Just as a state or province has its governor, each sign of the zodiac has to have its ruler. Scorpio is ruled by Pluto."
Are your rolling yet?