A/N: I do not own anything to do with the Harry Potter universe... J K
Rowling owns it all. I'm just having fun with her characters. This is the
sequel to my first story Sekhmet's Book. Don't expect another update any
time soon- I have real life issues to deal with.
Enjoy...
Chapter 12
Hermione looked desolate but knew she had no sway over Hathor. She had turned her back on Michael to not prolong things. Michael had taken her completely by surprise when he had kissed her. She had sunk into it as she had Severus' face in her mind; being one of her last thoughts before Michael had entered. Hathor had interrupted things, Hermione knew what she had just told Michael but had needed to finish her sentence and never had the chance.
Michael had behaved uncharacteristically and she was so confused... he had kissed her but when she had said what she did, he seemed to want to back track so fast it was almost funny. She had meant to finish the sentence with... "I love you... but only as a friend, Michael. I am a married woman, whether I am thousands of years apart from Severus or not." She had wanted to let him down gently, Hathor had stopped that.
Hermione glared up at the goddess that stood before her; she was beautiful and resplendent in all of her jewels given to her by Ptah. Hermione's mind was becoming clearer by the second and the haziness that had appeared while the servants where there was beginning to uncloud. It had been as though she was in a trance-like state, she could hardly remember much when she was like this, and she knew that she was falling into such a state on somewhat a regular occurrence these days as well. People always seemed to be chanting things around her, Hathor mainly. Hermione had been told these were prayers to the gods to help with the baby's health when brought out into the light but Hermione was beginning to wonder.
Hathor glared back at Hermione. "Talibah," Hathor said through narrowed eyes. "You shall not see Mensah again before the baby has been birthed."
"Why?" Hermione asked harshly, there was no-way she would be kept from Michael... he was her only tie back to where she had come from and they needed one another for sanity's sake if nothing else. Hermione needed to be reminded she was not cracking up and that the life as she had known before was indeed not in fact a dream.
"You question me?" Hathor asked with a raised eyebrow. "How dare you?" Her eyes flashed in anger as Hermione stood her ground more firmly. "If you question me, then you also question the word of Re, the voice of this land!"
"I question your command that I not see Mensah again as he is the one that..."
"Silence, Talibah!" Hathor took out a packet of herbs from her robes and started to sprinkle them in a circle around Hermione before withdrawing a familiar looking book and holding it open in front of her.
"Hathor, I am sick of you chanting over me. It does not help the baby at all as you simply are serving to stress me out!" Hermione cried in frustration as she watched what Hathor was doing.
Hathor took no notice though and began her chant as she read from the book. Hermione always caught the first few lines before a trance-like state would overtake her. She had tried to fight it before but had never yet managed. "As it was at Memphis, so be it now! Hear me, I beseech thee, O powerful one!" Hermione moved her foot and it broke the circle, the trance-like state wavered slightly and for once she was able to keep a little bit of rational thought. She could hear and she could make sense of what was being said. Hermione listened to the chant, her constant translation spell doing its job perfectly.
"Lady of Rekht, Lady of Pekhet, Lady of Set, Lady of Rehesaui, Lady of Tchar and of Sehert! Mother in the horizon of Heaven, in the boat of millions of years. Thou art the great defender! Thou art overthrower of Qetu! Preserve us from the evil chamber of the souls of Hes-hra! Deliver us from the abode of fiends! O thou who art Sekhmet, life-giver to the Gods, Sekhmet, lady of flame, Sekhmet, great one of magic, Sekhmet, eternal is thy name! O hear me now! Sekhmet, with lioness head, Sekhmet, whose colour is red, Sekhmet, daughter of Re, Sekhmet, consort of Ptah, Sekhmet, mighty is thy name! O, hear me now! Sekhmet, goddess of pestilence, Sekhmet, goddess of wars, Sekhmet, queen of the wastelands, Sekhmet, terrible is thy name! O, come to me! Sekhmet, destroyer of rebellions, Sekhmet, scorching eye of Re, Sekhmet, protector, ruler Sekhmet, holy is thy name! O, reveal thyself to me! Sekhmet, mother of the gods, Sekhmet, mistress of the crowns, Sekhmet, thou art called only one, Sekhmet, beloved is thy name! Possess Talibah now, O great one!"
Hermione slipped from consciousness as the invoked spirit of Sekhmet invaded her, mind body and soul. Only this time, Hermione was there as well... in a small part of her own mind... the protector of her own sanity and of the life that was growing inside of her. Sekhmet was in control but Hermione was up for a fight.
Severus/Michael stormed from the room brushing past Hathor as he left. His mind was a whirl of fury that could be suppressed no longer. He was out for blood and he would get his desire. Michael was going to die.
"Creevey!" Severus stated in an angry but level voice as he stepped into the corridor. He waved his wand-ring over his face and returned his features to their original form again before looking around but Michael was not showing him self. "Show your self to me now!" Severus glared as he moved around in a slow circle.
"Severus, what has you so angry?" Michael's disembodied voice was heard off to the left. Severus' head whipped around at the sound but he continued to see only hieroglyphic covered sandstone walls.
"Show your self to me you coward," Severus spat, his face like a picture of thunder.
"I will when you have calmed down," Michael replied as his voice came from Severus' right hand side this time. Severus turned again to face the direction the voice had come from before thinking for a moment. Michael must be using a voice throwing spell, there was no-way he was stealthy enough to move past Severus with Potter in tow and without any kind of air movement that Severus would have definitely picked up on. Severus muttered a counter spell and waited for Creevey to speak again. "I ask you again. What is wrong, Severus?"
Severus turned so fast and his hand reached out grabbing hold of invisible cloth and tugging harshly to reveal two floating heads. His hand dropped the portion of cloak it held and he grabbed Michael round the throat, clasping tightly as the anger consumed his entire being once again. Severus closed the gap between Michael and himself and pushed his victim up against the cool sandstone wall with a satisfying thud. Michael made a choking noise and his eyes began to look bug-like.
"What... and I will say this slowly so you understand... clandestine things have you and my wife been up to while away from our own time?" Severus growled slowly and clearly. "I suggest that you think before you answer me for the wrong answer or an incomplete answer will not be replied to in a pleasant way."
"Severus what has gott.."
"Silence Potter! I am asking Creevey!" Severus shot a dark glare at Harry before returning his attentions to Michael. He released his tight hold on Michael's throat so that he could answer.
"Her-Hermione and I are friends, S-Severus. No-nothing more. I don't understand why you are being like th-this." Michael choked out as he attempted to gasp for breath.
"She told me," he nodded in the direction of the room Hermione was still in, "that she loved you. She said 'I love you too, Michael'. Is it yours?" Severus demanded.
"Is what mine?" Michael asked in total confusion, Hermione had never once shown an interest in him.
"The baby," Michael stared at Severus. It was true that he had something of a crush on Hermione but he would never muscle in on another man's wife- especially not Severus Snape's... no matter how desperate he might be. Michael shook his head quickly.
"No, not mine, Hermione was pregnant before we got here. She told you it was yours... in the diary she said it was yours." Michael replied quickly, Severus still looked dubious. "I would never make a move on your wife, Severus... I..."
"Shut up! She told me she loved you!"
"I do not understand, she has never shown.."
"She told me!" Severus ground out through gritted teeth as he applied pressure to Michael's throat again.
"You shall never get home if you kill me... you need me..." Michael squeaked.
"Severus he is right. We need him. He is the historian here and he has the ingredients." Harry said as he tried to pull Severus' arm away.
"The ingredients are back in the Hogwart's dungeons, Potter. We do not need this cockroach." Severus told him matter-of-factly.
"Not all of them. We still have others to collect," Michael gasped. Severus stared at him for a long moment before he was interrupted by the sound of someone approaching.
"Guards!" Severus' head whipped around to see the sun-god Re standing a few metres away. Suddenly guards were surrounding him as he held Michael pinned against the wall. "Release him, immediately." Re commanded as he approached slowly. Severus' hand dropped and he continued to stare at Creevey. "Take him to the torture chambers," Re ordered the guards.
"My Lord, please leave this ingrate to me." Michael implored as he averted his eyes again and rubbed his sore throat.
"This ingrate invaded my palace, he is mine." Re informed Michael in no uncertain terms before the guards pulled Severus away and Re followed leaving Michael seemingly alone in the corridor. Harry was under the invisibility cloak fully once more and hidden in the shadows. He had to get word to Hermione... she had to know what had happened and that her husband was now under Re's command.
This entire situation was turning into a complete nightmare.
Plans never went smoothly and this one had failed miserably.
Harry sighed deeply before pulling a shocked Michael back under the invisibility cloak.
Enjoy...
Chapter 12
Hermione looked desolate but knew she had no sway over Hathor. She had turned her back on Michael to not prolong things. Michael had taken her completely by surprise when he had kissed her. She had sunk into it as she had Severus' face in her mind; being one of her last thoughts before Michael had entered. Hathor had interrupted things, Hermione knew what she had just told Michael but had needed to finish her sentence and never had the chance.
Michael had behaved uncharacteristically and she was so confused... he had kissed her but when she had said what she did, he seemed to want to back track so fast it was almost funny. She had meant to finish the sentence with... "I love you... but only as a friend, Michael. I am a married woman, whether I am thousands of years apart from Severus or not." She had wanted to let him down gently, Hathor had stopped that.
Hermione glared up at the goddess that stood before her; she was beautiful and resplendent in all of her jewels given to her by Ptah. Hermione's mind was becoming clearer by the second and the haziness that had appeared while the servants where there was beginning to uncloud. It had been as though she was in a trance-like state, she could hardly remember much when she was like this, and she knew that she was falling into such a state on somewhat a regular occurrence these days as well. People always seemed to be chanting things around her, Hathor mainly. Hermione had been told these were prayers to the gods to help with the baby's health when brought out into the light but Hermione was beginning to wonder.
Hathor glared back at Hermione. "Talibah," Hathor said through narrowed eyes. "You shall not see Mensah again before the baby has been birthed."
"Why?" Hermione asked harshly, there was no-way she would be kept from Michael... he was her only tie back to where she had come from and they needed one another for sanity's sake if nothing else. Hermione needed to be reminded she was not cracking up and that the life as she had known before was indeed not in fact a dream.
"You question me?" Hathor asked with a raised eyebrow. "How dare you?" Her eyes flashed in anger as Hermione stood her ground more firmly. "If you question me, then you also question the word of Re, the voice of this land!"
"I question your command that I not see Mensah again as he is the one that..."
"Silence, Talibah!" Hathor took out a packet of herbs from her robes and started to sprinkle them in a circle around Hermione before withdrawing a familiar looking book and holding it open in front of her.
"Hathor, I am sick of you chanting over me. It does not help the baby at all as you simply are serving to stress me out!" Hermione cried in frustration as she watched what Hathor was doing.
Hathor took no notice though and began her chant as she read from the book. Hermione always caught the first few lines before a trance-like state would overtake her. She had tried to fight it before but had never yet managed. "As it was at Memphis, so be it now! Hear me, I beseech thee, O powerful one!" Hermione moved her foot and it broke the circle, the trance-like state wavered slightly and for once she was able to keep a little bit of rational thought. She could hear and she could make sense of what was being said. Hermione listened to the chant, her constant translation spell doing its job perfectly.
"Lady of Rekht, Lady of Pekhet, Lady of Set, Lady of Rehesaui, Lady of Tchar and of Sehert! Mother in the horizon of Heaven, in the boat of millions of years. Thou art the great defender! Thou art overthrower of Qetu! Preserve us from the evil chamber of the souls of Hes-hra! Deliver us from the abode of fiends! O thou who art Sekhmet, life-giver to the Gods, Sekhmet, lady of flame, Sekhmet, great one of magic, Sekhmet, eternal is thy name! O hear me now! Sekhmet, with lioness head, Sekhmet, whose colour is red, Sekhmet, daughter of Re, Sekhmet, consort of Ptah, Sekhmet, mighty is thy name! O, hear me now! Sekhmet, goddess of pestilence, Sekhmet, goddess of wars, Sekhmet, queen of the wastelands, Sekhmet, terrible is thy name! O, come to me! Sekhmet, destroyer of rebellions, Sekhmet, scorching eye of Re, Sekhmet, protector, ruler Sekhmet, holy is thy name! O, reveal thyself to me! Sekhmet, mother of the gods, Sekhmet, mistress of the crowns, Sekhmet, thou art called only one, Sekhmet, beloved is thy name! Possess Talibah now, O great one!"
Hermione slipped from consciousness as the invoked spirit of Sekhmet invaded her, mind body and soul. Only this time, Hermione was there as well... in a small part of her own mind... the protector of her own sanity and of the life that was growing inside of her. Sekhmet was in control but Hermione was up for a fight.
Severus/Michael stormed from the room brushing past Hathor as he left. His mind was a whirl of fury that could be suppressed no longer. He was out for blood and he would get his desire. Michael was going to die.
"Creevey!" Severus stated in an angry but level voice as he stepped into the corridor. He waved his wand-ring over his face and returned his features to their original form again before looking around but Michael was not showing him self. "Show your self to me now!" Severus glared as he moved around in a slow circle.
"Severus, what has you so angry?" Michael's disembodied voice was heard off to the left. Severus' head whipped around at the sound but he continued to see only hieroglyphic covered sandstone walls.
"Show your self to me you coward," Severus spat, his face like a picture of thunder.
"I will when you have calmed down," Michael replied as his voice came from Severus' right hand side this time. Severus turned again to face the direction the voice had come from before thinking for a moment. Michael must be using a voice throwing spell, there was no-way he was stealthy enough to move past Severus with Potter in tow and without any kind of air movement that Severus would have definitely picked up on. Severus muttered a counter spell and waited for Creevey to speak again. "I ask you again. What is wrong, Severus?"
Severus turned so fast and his hand reached out grabbing hold of invisible cloth and tugging harshly to reveal two floating heads. His hand dropped the portion of cloak it held and he grabbed Michael round the throat, clasping tightly as the anger consumed his entire being once again. Severus closed the gap between Michael and himself and pushed his victim up against the cool sandstone wall with a satisfying thud. Michael made a choking noise and his eyes began to look bug-like.
"What... and I will say this slowly so you understand... clandestine things have you and my wife been up to while away from our own time?" Severus growled slowly and clearly. "I suggest that you think before you answer me for the wrong answer or an incomplete answer will not be replied to in a pleasant way."
"Severus what has gott.."
"Silence Potter! I am asking Creevey!" Severus shot a dark glare at Harry before returning his attentions to Michael. He released his tight hold on Michael's throat so that he could answer.
"Her-Hermione and I are friends, S-Severus. No-nothing more. I don't understand why you are being like th-this." Michael choked out as he attempted to gasp for breath.
"She told me," he nodded in the direction of the room Hermione was still in, "that she loved you. She said 'I love you too, Michael'. Is it yours?" Severus demanded.
"Is what mine?" Michael asked in total confusion, Hermione had never once shown an interest in him.
"The baby," Michael stared at Severus. It was true that he had something of a crush on Hermione but he would never muscle in on another man's wife- especially not Severus Snape's... no matter how desperate he might be. Michael shook his head quickly.
"No, not mine, Hermione was pregnant before we got here. She told you it was yours... in the diary she said it was yours." Michael replied quickly, Severus still looked dubious. "I would never make a move on your wife, Severus... I..."
"Shut up! She told me she loved you!"
"I do not understand, she has never shown.."
"She told me!" Severus ground out through gritted teeth as he applied pressure to Michael's throat again.
"You shall never get home if you kill me... you need me..." Michael squeaked.
"Severus he is right. We need him. He is the historian here and he has the ingredients." Harry said as he tried to pull Severus' arm away.
"The ingredients are back in the Hogwart's dungeons, Potter. We do not need this cockroach." Severus told him matter-of-factly.
"Not all of them. We still have others to collect," Michael gasped. Severus stared at him for a long moment before he was interrupted by the sound of someone approaching.
"Guards!" Severus' head whipped around to see the sun-god Re standing a few metres away. Suddenly guards were surrounding him as he held Michael pinned against the wall. "Release him, immediately." Re commanded as he approached slowly. Severus' hand dropped and he continued to stare at Creevey. "Take him to the torture chambers," Re ordered the guards.
"My Lord, please leave this ingrate to me." Michael implored as he averted his eyes again and rubbed his sore throat.
"This ingrate invaded my palace, he is mine." Re informed Michael in no uncertain terms before the guards pulled Severus away and Re followed leaving Michael seemingly alone in the corridor. Harry was under the invisibility cloak fully once more and hidden in the shadows. He had to get word to Hermione... she had to know what had happened and that her husband was now under Re's command.
This entire situation was turning into a complete nightmare.
Plans never went smoothly and this one had failed miserably.
Harry sighed deeply before pulling a shocked Michael back under the invisibility cloak.