Disclaimer/Author Note/Rating: Please see Chapter 1 for full disclaimers, legal info, etc.
Go raibh maith agaibh:
An early thanks to my reviewers both old and new. This is up too quickly to get feedback on Chapter 18 (Mercury Gray and Wyall Jared, you can stop shaking your heads at me now! LOL!), so I'll have to skip the individual commentary for now… I really hope you all enjoy this one.
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Chapter 20: In the Cards
The March rain was cold, but there was no mistaking the damp scent of fresh earth that carried on the wind. Spring wasn't upon Hogwart's yet, but it was coming, you could smell it in the air, you could feel it in the warmer sun. And if nothing else, you could see it in Oliver Wood's increasing distraction as the spring Quidditch season approached.
Serena and Severus had a quiet dinner in Serena's cottage that night. She made chicken with broccoli and ziti covered in a parmesan wine sauce that she made herself. Severus had sat at the kitchen counter watching her as she chopped and stirred and measured.
"You could just as easy set the kitchen utensils to making that for you," he said. "The spell is simple enough."
"I know the spells, Severus, but you know I gain a great deal of satisfaction by doing this myself, with my own two hands. I plan my garden the same way. Of course, when it comes to weeding the garden, I usually just have the hoe and the spade take care of that for me."
After dinner, Severus took his cape and fastened it around his shoulders. "I wish I could stay, but classes are tomorrow and the Headmaster asked me to stop by his office this evening for a moment."
"Then I will see you tomorrow." She gave him a light kiss. "Good night, Severus."
After he left, she waved her wand at the kitchen and the sink filled and the scrubber began working on the dishes. I may not mind cooking myself, she thought, but I surely do dislike washing the dishes.
She sat down on the sofa and dragged the coffee table a few inches closer. She opened a drawer and drew out a black velvet pouch with a Celtic knot stamped into the thick material. She untied the silken cords and drew out her deck of Tarot cards. Serena Castleton-Black had been one of the top students of her year in Divination, but she never told people about it. The future is not something to be looked at lightly, and she had quickly grown tired of other girls asking her to see their future and who they would date, and other such silly requests. She didn't even look to her own future often, preferring to have fate unfold life however it saw fit.
But for weeks now she'd had an urge to throw some cards. Something was coming in her future, something she needed more knowledge about. Tonight was as good a night as any to finally read for herself.
She shuffled the cards repeatedly. "What do I need to know about the future?" she asked the cards. Repeating the question over and over as she shuffled, she moved the cards until the weight of the deck felt just right in her hands.
"The first card thrown is the Question…" She turned the card over and couldn't help but smile. It was the Knight of Cups. The key to this card was 'the lover arrives.' It seemed obvious to her that although it could show a new opportunity, that this was clearly Severus. While her question, as she shuffled, had been about what she needed to know, he was obviously such a factor in her future that it wasn't surprising that he showed up in the symbols of the Question card.
Picking up the next card, she said, "This is below me, the more distant past which I build upon…" It was the 21st card of the Major Arcana, The World. The card of wholeness and mastery, representing every ending as a new beginning. Often the meaning of this card mean the only limits the Questioner had were those she placed on herself.
The next card was placed above the first two. "This card is above me, the more distant future…" The Seven of Wands. It showed a kilt-clad young man armed with a quarterstaff and prepared to fight. What are the keys to this card, she thought to herself. Then they came back to her: bravery, tenacity, continuing to fight when all seems lost… dogged determination and will.
"This card shows the recent past," It was the Nine of Swords. The image was that of a young woman, sitting up in bed, obviously in the throes of a nightmare. Behind her, the ghostly swords of her night terrors. Serena thought back to the nightmares she'd had recently. The worst had been the one in January, but there had been others since then.
"Doesn't surprise me at all," she muttered. She let her eyes travel over the cards for a moment, looking at the details in the images.
"And now," said Serena, "this card represents the near future…" As she drew the card off the deck, the one below it flew off as well. She froze for a minute, one card in her hand, the extra one still face down on the table. She'd always been taught that a card never left the deck unintentionally.
"Well then," she said. "Apparently you have a lot to tell me about the near future. She took the card in her hand and put it down to the right of the central two. The Three of Swords. Heartbreak. Tears and woe. The image was a heart, stabbed through by three swords as rain poured down from a grey sky. Not a promising card for the near future.
She reached out for the extra card on the table and hesitated as her fingers touched it. This could confirm dark times coming, or it could be a card that balanced it… She trembled. I don't want to look, she thought. But once a reading is started it should not, could not, be stopped…
She turned the card over. The Seven of Swords. The image on the card was that of a thief. Its meaning? Betrayal. Serena sagged into the sofa. Why did I have to look? She cursed at herself. A near future that shows heartbreak and betrayal.
A rattle at the door caused her to jump and her breath exhaled sharply. From the mail slot in the door, a single envelope flew in and fluttered to the floor. She caught the barest glimpse of an eagle owl soaring past her window as the letter settled onto the small carpet of her landing. Fear rose in her throat as she looked from the letter back to the two cards she'd just thrown.
The letter will wait. I need to finish the reading.
The rest of the reading called for four more cards to be thrown. They would form a column – or the Rod – to the right of the group of cards she'd already thrown down.
She threw the first one, the card that represented her in this exact moment of time. The Four of Wands. Romance and tranquility. Serena couldn't help but smile. The card showed two young lovers dancing beneath a canopy supported by the four wands. Over these past weeks, she'd found greater peace of mind and contentment than she had possessed in all of the years since Castlebann, and it was all because of Severus. Even with his dark moods and reserved manor, he had brought romance and contentment back into her life.
The next card – the card representing the people and influences around her – was the Strength card, the eighth card of the Major Arcana. It was a card of moral strength and courage. Interesting, she thought, that this represents those around me, yet my near future shows such grim tidings. Unwilling, her eyes slid over to the letter on the floor. This card will require some thought and reflection.
Serena drew the next card off the top of the deck. This would represent her hopes and fears. It was The Lovers, and Serena laughed out loud. "Of course," she said, "for that is my greatest hope to attain, and my greatest fear… that I shall never have it in this life." It was a card of love and respect, of beauty and honor. She sighed again. "And The Lovers can show the blending of two things, two principles, that together bring forth something that is greater than either of them alone…"
She was down the final card of her pattern. The Final Outcome. Serena took a deep breath and put the last card on the table. It was another Major Arcana card… The Wheel of Fortune. She sighed heavily. This meant there was no definitive outcome, nothing she could work to encourage or change. The Wheel of Fortune represented the inevitability of change and emotional upheaval. It could show destiny and fortune, but no matter what it meant that life would move on, for better or for worse.
She looked at the cards again, wondering if she should have never done this reading. She picked the cards up and reshuffled the deck before she tied them back in their velvet pouch and stashed them back in the drawer.
"Well, Serena," she said out loud. "Just don't forget the cardinal rule of reading Tarot cards… they show you the future as it stands that instant. Any decisions you make can affect the final outcome of your reading. You need to be an active participant in your future not just a bystander…"
She got up and walked over to the door. She picked up the envelope. On the front, all it said was Professor Serena Castleton-Black, Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The handwriting was elegant and neat. She didn't recognize it. Flipping the envelope over, she ripped open the flap and pulled the letter out.
It only took her a moment to read the content… "No," she said, choking on tears. "It canna be true. He wouldn't…" She read it again and felt the sword blades slide into her heart, tearing it to pieces. Heartbreak and betrayal had come to her far sooner than she ever expected.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Well, if I've done my job, at least some of you are now buzzing about the next chapter. As an extra note, my Tarot reading is based on real reading guidelines and the images are pulled from the Robin Wood Tarot Deck. While, I have based this reading on actual Tarot, my interpretations (and Serena's) are very linear and devised to suit this story. Please read/review… I'm really looking forward to hearing what you think!
Go raibh maith agaibh:
An early thanks to my reviewers both old and new. This is up too quickly to get feedback on Chapter 18 (Mercury Gray and Wyall Jared, you can stop shaking your heads at me now! LOL!), so I'll have to skip the individual commentary for now… I really hope you all enjoy this one.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Chapter 20: In the Cards
The March rain was cold, but there was no mistaking the damp scent of fresh earth that carried on the wind. Spring wasn't upon Hogwart's yet, but it was coming, you could smell it in the air, you could feel it in the warmer sun. And if nothing else, you could see it in Oliver Wood's increasing distraction as the spring Quidditch season approached.
Serena and Severus had a quiet dinner in Serena's cottage that night. She made chicken with broccoli and ziti covered in a parmesan wine sauce that she made herself. Severus had sat at the kitchen counter watching her as she chopped and stirred and measured.
"You could just as easy set the kitchen utensils to making that for you," he said. "The spell is simple enough."
"I know the spells, Severus, but you know I gain a great deal of satisfaction by doing this myself, with my own two hands. I plan my garden the same way. Of course, when it comes to weeding the garden, I usually just have the hoe and the spade take care of that for me."
After dinner, Severus took his cape and fastened it around his shoulders. "I wish I could stay, but classes are tomorrow and the Headmaster asked me to stop by his office this evening for a moment."
"Then I will see you tomorrow." She gave him a light kiss. "Good night, Severus."
After he left, she waved her wand at the kitchen and the sink filled and the scrubber began working on the dishes. I may not mind cooking myself, she thought, but I surely do dislike washing the dishes.
She sat down on the sofa and dragged the coffee table a few inches closer. She opened a drawer and drew out a black velvet pouch with a Celtic knot stamped into the thick material. She untied the silken cords and drew out her deck of Tarot cards. Serena Castleton-Black had been one of the top students of her year in Divination, but she never told people about it. The future is not something to be looked at lightly, and she had quickly grown tired of other girls asking her to see their future and who they would date, and other such silly requests. She didn't even look to her own future often, preferring to have fate unfold life however it saw fit.
But for weeks now she'd had an urge to throw some cards. Something was coming in her future, something she needed more knowledge about. Tonight was as good a night as any to finally read for herself.
She shuffled the cards repeatedly. "What do I need to know about the future?" she asked the cards. Repeating the question over and over as she shuffled, she moved the cards until the weight of the deck felt just right in her hands.
"The first card thrown is the Question…" She turned the card over and couldn't help but smile. It was the Knight of Cups. The key to this card was 'the lover arrives.' It seemed obvious to her that although it could show a new opportunity, that this was clearly Severus. While her question, as she shuffled, had been about what she needed to know, he was obviously such a factor in her future that it wasn't surprising that he showed up in the symbols of the Question card.
Picking up the next card, she said, "This is below me, the more distant past which I build upon…" It was the 21st card of the Major Arcana, The World. The card of wholeness and mastery, representing every ending as a new beginning. Often the meaning of this card mean the only limits the Questioner had were those she placed on herself.
The next card was placed above the first two. "This card is above me, the more distant future…" The Seven of Wands. It showed a kilt-clad young man armed with a quarterstaff and prepared to fight. What are the keys to this card, she thought to herself. Then they came back to her: bravery, tenacity, continuing to fight when all seems lost… dogged determination and will.
"This card shows the recent past," It was the Nine of Swords. The image was that of a young woman, sitting up in bed, obviously in the throes of a nightmare. Behind her, the ghostly swords of her night terrors. Serena thought back to the nightmares she'd had recently. The worst had been the one in January, but there had been others since then.
"Doesn't surprise me at all," she muttered. She let her eyes travel over the cards for a moment, looking at the details in the images.
"And now," said Serena, "this card represents the near future…" As she drew the card off the deck, the one below it flew off as well. She froze for a minute, one card in her hand, the extra one still face down on the table. She'd always been taught that a card never left the deck unintentionally.
"Well then," she said. "Apparently you have a lot to tell me about the near future. She took the card in her hand and put it down to the right of the central two. The Three of Swords. Heartbreak. Tears and woe. The image was a heart, stabbed through by three swords as rain poured down from a grey sky. Not a promising card for the near future.
She reached out for the extra card on the table and hesitated as her fingers touched it. This could confirm dark times coming, or it could be a card that balanced it… She trembled. I don't want to look, she thought. But once a reading is started it should not, could not, be stopped…
She turned the card over. The Seven of Swords. The image on the card was that of a thief. Its meaning? Betrayal. Serena sagged into the sofa. Why did I have to look? She cursed at herself. A near future that shows heartbreak and betrayal.
A rattle at the door caused her to jump and her breath exhaled sharply. From the mail slot in the door, a single envelope flew in and fluttered to the floor. She caught the barest glimpse of an eagle owl soaring past her window as the letter settled onto the small carpet of her landing. Fear rose in her throat as she looked from the letter back to the two cards she'd just thrown.
The letter will wait. I need to finish the reading.
The rest of the reading called for four more cards to be thrown. They would form a column – or the Rod – to the right of the group of cards she'd already thrown down.
She threw the first one, the card that represented her in this exact moment of time. The Four of Wands. Romance and tranquility. Serena couldn't help but smile. The card showed two young lovers dancing beneath a canopy supported by the four wands. Over these past weeks, she'd found greater peace of mind and contentment than she had possessed in all of the years since Castlebann, and it was all because of Severus. Even with his dark moods and reserved manor, he had brought romance and contentment back into her life.
The next card – the card representing the people and influences around her – was the Strength card, the eighth card of the Major Arcana. It was a card of moral strength and courage. Interesting, she thought, that this represents those around me, yet my near future shows such grim tidings. Unwilling, her eyes slid over to the letter on the floor. This card will require some thought and reflection.
Serena drew the next card off the top of the deck. This would represent her hopes and fears. It was The Lovers, and Serena laughed out loud. "Of course," she said, "for that is my greatest hope to attain, and my greatest fear… that I shall never have it in this life." It was a card of love and respect, of beauty and honor. She sighed again. "And The Lovers can show the blending of two things, two principles, that together bring forth something that is greater than either of them alone…"
She was down the final card of her pattern. The Final Outcome. Serena took a deep breath and put the last card on the table. It was another Major Arcana card… The Wheel of Fortune. She sighed heavily. This meant there was no definitive outcome, nothing she could work to encourage or change. The Wheel of Fortune represented the inevitability of change and emotional upheaval. It could show destiny and fortune, but no matter what it meant that life would move on, for better or for worse.
She looked at the cards again, wondering if she should have never done this reading. She picked the cards up and reshuffled the deck before she tied them back in their velvet pouch and stashed them back in the drawer.
"Well, Serena," she said out loud. "Just don't forget the cardinal rule of reading Tarot cards… they show you the future as it stands that instant. Any decisions you make can affect the final outcome of your reading. You need to be an active participant in your future not just a bystander…"
She got up and walked over to the door. She picked up the envelope. On the front, all it said was Professor Serena Castleton-Black, Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The handwriting was elegant and neat. She didn't recognize it. Flipping the envelope over, she ripped open the flap and pulled the letter out.
It only took her a moment to read the content… "No," she said, choking on tears. "It canna be true. He wouldn't…" She read it again and felt the sword blades slide into her heart, tearing it to pieces. Heartbreak and betrayal had come to her far sooner than she ever expected.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Well, if I've done my job, at least some of you are now buzzing about the next chapter. As an extra note, my Tarot reading is based on real reading guidelines and the images are pulled from the Robin Wood Tarot Deck. While, I have based this reading on actual Tarot, my interpretations (and Serena's) are very linear and devised to suit this story. Please read/review… I'm really looking forward to hearing what you think!