Hiding Under the Ninth Earth
Book 03 : Epithalamium
Part III : The Beginning of Forever
Chapter Forty Four : Towering Impressions
Sunday 2 November 2003
"Lumos."
"How much further? Can you see?"
"It's blacker than a hag's arse up here," Severus muttered, holding his wand high in front of him.
"Brrr - and cold," Harry complained through chattering teeth.
Canting his body forward as he peered into the total blackness, Severus replied, "Hmmm, one would think Albus could have at least provided a little heat at this altitude."
Harry laughed nervously. "Severus, it's only a few storeys up."
Severus' raised brow in the wandlight was positively diabolical. "Oh? Can you see the floor?"
Leaning over a rail he only knew was there because his hand was on it, Harry would have thought he was suspended in nothingness for all he could see - if it weren't for the reassuring surface beneath his boots. "Ho! Where are our quarters?"
"I suspect we left them over a turn ago," Severus replied wryly. "In fact, I'm thinking we need to turn around and go back; we'll not know what purpose this section serves until Albus is good and ready for us to do so."
Harry nodded thoughtfully as they began a slow, cautious descent back the way they'd come, chuckling quietly because it suddenly occurred to him that Severus probably couldn't see the gesture.
A few moments later, the lit wand drew closer and Severus' hand fell on his shoulder from behind, squeezing it reassuringly as he whispered "Nox," extinguishing the light. Breathing a small sigh of relief, Harry murmured his thanks. Seemed silly for a grown man to hate the dark as he did, but wandlight never helped; it just made the dark parts more sinister. Holding onto Severus' presence like a talisman against an old panic, Harry distracted himself further by trying to piece together what they'd seen so far; surreal and almost manic, it was all so confusing.
That first step from the front entry into their 'new' quarters had been startling, to say the least. At first he'd thought they'd been portalled outdoors, but a blink, and a longer look around, soon corrected that first impression; they actually stood on the edge of a multi-storey, stone rotunda at least forty feet across.
"What the hell?" Severus had growled, marching to the centre, where a rolled parchment hung suspended at waist level.
His head reeling from a strong sense of lingering magic, Harry had felt the idiot when the most intellect he could muster was counting the unbroken columns (there were eight) soaring high to what appeared to be a glass domed ceiling far above them.
While he'd ogled (wondering where the diffuse, yet bright, lighting originated), Severus unrolled the parchment to reveal a floor plan with a small note attached. Harry never did get to see its contents. With an, "I'll be damned," and a scowl, Severus banished it in a puff of green smoke, which was followed by a heated comment about Albus having some serious explaining to do.
Harry hadn't replied; to his mind this was a given.
While Severus continued muttering inarticulate imprecations against the headmaster, the wispy remnants of Albus' communication had floated up the voluminous space. Watching its lazy climb, Harry regained his inner balance, wondering why the whole thing seemed so familiar. When he couldn't place it, he gave himself a shake and a scolding for being so fanciful.
Curious, he'd taken the few steps necessary to peer over Severus' outstretched arms holding the floor plan and chuckled.
"What, may I ask, do you find so amusing?" Severus had asked with some asperity.
Laughing softly, Harry ducked under the arm nearest him and, taking one side of the plan in hand, pressed his back lightly against the warm chest. He pointed to two dots (resting in their relative positions) in the centre of what represented the rotunda; the one on top bore an 'HSP', the other read, 'SSP'. "Look! It's just like the Marauder's Map."
Severus sniffed. "Sans that ridiculous password," he replied sourly as he wrapped an arm securely around Harry's waist. Resting his chin on Harry's shoulder, his breath warm against his cheek, Severus silently studied the parchment.
Harry's eyes flicked between the labelled paper rooms and the spaces around them. There were six openings piercing the smooth stone forming the base of the rotunda. Orienting himself, he pointed his thumb behind them, saying, "The Entry." He moved a finger clockwise and pointed to his left, "an alcove with The Bedroom Suite, and the Stair Down to Pool." He looked over his shoulder at his spouse, who was staring off into some unknown distance.
Just for something to say, he stated the obvious. "That's new." Receiving no response (not that he'd truly thought he would get one), he continued comparing the plans to the reality. His fingers swung past a large expanse of blank wall to a series of three deep, doorless openings immediately opposite the entry. "The Dining Nook, The Sitting Room, and The Auld Sod's Study." He'd snickered at an outraged huff of air on his cheek. Skipping over another large blank wall (which grew shorter until it reached another alcove at its bottom) he continued, "The entrance to The Ramp - well, that's new, too - and The Boy's Study." He ignored Severus' chuckle. He looked again over his shoulder, pleased to see that his spouse was smiling (well, saying he smiled was like saying the Mona Lisa grinned - with Severus it was more of an eye thing than a mouth thing).
While perplexed with his husband's continuing introspection, he found it impossible to complain when the spouse in question nuzzled his neck. He leant his head back, planting a kiss on Severus' jaw, responding to an intuition that it was he who comforting rather than the other way around. Odd that - as had been a decided lack of internal 'comments' flowing between them. Whatever disturbed his mate was either deeply private or else Severus wasn't secure enough about it himself to say anything - or both.
Wanting to distract him, Harry had been about to suggest they investigate the rooms when Severus murmured, "I wonder if..." and then, startling as if suddenly realising where he was, he'd moved away, stating firmly, "I want to see that ramp."
It had been as good a place to start as any and Harry had felt the unspoken 'need' missing from Severus' statement.
Turning to face what had been behind them, they'd studied the entry to their quarters. Harry's gaze followed Severus' up the side of the rotunda, noting that the ramp (which ascended anticlockwise) was open and airy once it cleared the solid walls of its base, spiralling until it reached the domed skylight high above.
They'd moved to a wide alcove just to the left of the entry. Flanked by two smooth columns, it held (facing each other) the entry to the ramp on their left and a doorless opening to the right. Stopping Severus from stepping onto the ramp's incline, Harry darted into the space which had been marked The Boy's Study. Taking a fast glance around, he'd left quickly, not needing nor wanting more than a few seconds to take it all in.
With a touch to his shoulder, Severus had asked patiently, "Well?"
Moments passed before he could summon a reply, moments in which he'd struggled to contain the old emotions the room had engendered. "It's funny, I lived ten years of my life in a dark cupboard," he'd said, shunting the bleak memories aside, "and the next seven in a dormitory I shared with other people." He glanced back at the opening and sighed. "Never had any real space to speak of until I moved in with you - and I liked it, liked how open it was." He looked around the Rotunda. "And while this is nice and airy - well, I'll miss it."
Severus made a noise in his throat. "Come here," he'd said softly, folding him in his arms.
When growing up, Harry would have given everything to feel as safe and warm and loved as he did whenever Severus held him. Nothing bad could touch him here. His life was no longer driven by fear; his hopes were never defined by empty wishes, and he supposed his current contentment was why the resurgence of the old feelings had left him so shaken.
"It's a horrid little room, not much larger than a service closet," he said sadly, his cheek resting on Severus' shoulder. "While it does have a fireplace big enough one can stand in and the cabinets look useful, there's no windows, no light; I can't imagine the fish will be too happy in there without their sun in the morning. Don't think I will be either," he finished almost on a whisper.
He'd pulled away a bit, not wanting to think about it anymore; there were other areas to explore more important than his one tiny room. "It doesn't matter. Maybe it will look different during the day. I'll work with Dobby tomorrow - see what we can do; I don't need much space and with all the cupboards..."
Severus' eyes had held a world of understanding. "Perhaps, but you don't really believe that, do you?" When he'd hesitated and then shook his head, Severus kissed his forehead. "Perhaps you can find somewhere else for your fish? Cally would be devastated should you get rid of them."
Harry secretly thought Severus might miss them as well, and feeling a bit more hopeful about the whole thing, they'd started up the steep ramp.
The decision to explore the ramp they now descended had seemed simple at first, but had soon turned into a grand adventure. Wide enough for them to walk comfortably side by side, its book-lined walls were broken at irregular intervals by several plain and ornate doors. They'd passed eight on the way up, three of which could be opened
They'd found the first one, made of aged copper, near the bottom of the ramp. Its verdigris face bore a sculpted cauldron with swirls of vapour rising from a wide lip. In front of it stood a lopsided set of scales, the high side bearing a likeness of the gold weights Severus used, the lower sporting a large frog, its long sticky tongue extended as it caught a fly. A handful of neatly lined weights, gilded a gleaming gold like their counterparts on the balance, waited at its base for the final reckoning. When Severus had cautiously tried the handle, they'd found themselves entering his private lab exactly as they'd left it less than an hour before.
"Could be useful," he'd murmured, closing and warding it before moving on.
They next found two plain doors which resisted even the most stringent unlocking spell. When Harry couldn't even open them as he had Severus' cabinets years ago, he'd shook his head and silently agreed when his spouse remarked acidly, "Meddling old fart."
Severus stopped several times along the way to peruse the book titles. Harry had looked them over as well, but very few were familiar to him. Not that he was all that surprised; Severus had books tucked away in the oddest places in their old quarters - there was no telling how many he'd collected over the years. The third time Severus made one of his 'I'm-not-happy' noises, Harry put his hand on his arm. Judging from the thunderous expression gathering on his spouse's face, he should step out of the way before he got caught in the backlash of suppressed anger.
However, no one could ever accuse him of being sensible, so he put his sneakier Slytherin self aside and opted for the more direct Gryffindor approach. "Severus, is there a problem?"
It took Severus a few seconds for the question to register before he hissed, "These are all Albus' books!"
Harry's eyes travelled both directions at the seemingly endless bookcases. "Are none of these yours?" he asked reasonably, trying to keep his voice neutral.
His calm seemed to be working as Severus took a deep breath before replying, "Some. Actually all of mine and some of yours are here as well. Our more 'private' collection seems to be missing, although," he glanced up the ramp, "there is still more to explore."
The Gryffindor half won again when he said, "Well, we could just stand here and bitch about it, or we could move on and see what else the bugger has in store for us. What would be your pleasure?"
Severus' glare would have melted a cauldron, but at least they were climbing again.
Not far after, they'd found another decorated door, its purplewood face carved with a bas relief of a forest floor, complete with a tiny snake staring at them from its hiding place under the curling mountain ferns and angel cap mushrooms. A turn of the knob revealed their greenhouse, with Horatio visibly coiled under the near foliage. A brief conversation with the sleepy snake did little to dispel their curiosity as he'd told Harry he'd not stirred for several days since finding a whole cache of eggs nor had he noticed anything amiss.
Climbing onward, Harry had noticed, as they approached the beginning of the third level, a short stone column upon which sat a grotesque stone gargoyle; there'd been one at every level's end. Curious, he stopped ascending to take a closer look, walking to within a pace of it. Rather like a monkey, its huge ears stuck straight out from the sides of its round face which was topped by a tiny pointed cap. Sitting on its haunches with elbows resting on its bony knees, it held its chin in the palms of both hands with a look of utter boredom. As he moved his head to peek at the bat-like wings folded neatly down its back, he could have sworn he saw the eyes follow him.
Not that he would have been too surprised had it really done so. On impulse, he put his face close to see the impossible detail of its carving and jumped back with a small cry when, with loose flapping lips, it belched at him.
"What the..." Severus said from right behind him.
Heart pounding from the fright, Harry gave a weak chuckle. "More of Albus' whimsy, I assume."
Severus stood in front of it, scowling, his arms folded across his chest. Leaning in much the same way Harry had, he pulled back quickly as the gargoyle blew a long protracted raspberry at him. "Lovely," he murmured, wiping his face with a handkerchief.
Putting it back in his sleeve, he turned to leave, and wand drawn, suddenly threw a hex at it before Harry had even blinked. The gargoyle faded an instant before the hex hit and reappeared when it passed, harmlessly dissipating against the bookcase behind. When the odious creature stuck its thumbs in its ears, wiggling short stubby fingers at Severus with a "Nah-nah-NAH-nah-nah," in a high pitched, helium voice, Harry couldn't help it; the laugh burst out of him. The exasperated, "Good gads!" as he walked away just made it worse.
Some moments later, still chuckling, Harry watched it watch Severus' retreating back with an expression of wistful sadness. Almost feeling sorry for it, he cleared his throat and said softly, "If your purpose is to make him laugh, you're going to have to be a bit more intellectual about it. Severus never has struck me as a slap-stick kind of chap." His reward for the hint was a huge grin and a nod. Shaking his head, he moved on to rejoin Severus.
Half a turn later, they almost missed the third door and would have, had Harry not stopped them.
"What's wrong?" Severus had asked, his brow creased in concern.
Harry's fingers pressed into his scar. "Tingles a bit, almost like..." he said, investigating the nearby wall. Severus joined him and within moments they discovered the door cleverly hidden to look like the bookcases surrounding it. His eyes searching the unfamiliar titles, Harry had instinctively placed his hand on the book, The Symbology of Amulets, and whispered, "Defendo Maritas." Soundlessly, the wall swung away, the protected library behind it. Nothing had been disturbed, the glyph was inactive, and since this room, like the other two before it, were in Wizarding space, they relaxed a bit, assuming just the portals had been changed.
They'd climbed five turns total, the gargoyle greeting them at each level change, before it had gone shadowy, then dark, the way seemingly endless.
Now, as they fully re-entered the light, Harry wondered how long they would have been climbing had they not decided to turn back. On a whim, he looked up and chuckled. Severus stopped and followed his gaze; despite the four levels they'd just descended (each marked by a familiar belching sound), the ceiling was only a storey away.
"Hmph," Severus grunted. "Wizarding space - reminds me of some Muggle prints Flitwick collects. Esther? Ascher? Escher?" He waved his hand dismissively. "We may never know what's up there."
"Nah - Albus likes the drama, he likes to tease." He shook his head. "He's not capable of withholding it - he'd eat his own beard first. Face it, for Albus, the ending is everything - the journey there is just a farce that gets in the way of the conclusion."
Severus had snorted - a typical reaction when discussing the capricious headmaster. Harry was just glad to see he'd calmed down a bit.
Continuing down the ramp-way, Harry studied the rotunda it encircled, thinking the whole thing airy and open, and he had to wonder why it was even necessary in the first place; they'd been quite content with their rooms before.
He listened to the growing irritation (and something else - wariness? anxiety?) in Severus' voice as he counted eleven doors under his breath; the three they'd noted on the way up were still there, but not in reverse order. And their little companion followed them the whole way, just on the edge of sight until one came to a column, then it appeared in full view. There were no more tricks, its eyes almost thoughtful as it watched Severus pass, ignoring it in the manner of someone actually watching it closely. Harry couldn't wait to see what antics the little fellow got up to in the future, but wisely, he remained silent on the subject.
When they reached the bottom again, feet firmly planted on the polished stone of the rotunda floor, Harry asked, "Where to next?"
"Do you have a preference?"
"Not really, but I suppose we could leave the bedroom til last since we need to use it sometime soon anyway," he hinted.
His mouth twisted in a smile, Severus unrolled the parchment, glancing at the plan. "All right, then," he remarked, pointing forward, "The Dining Nook it is."
They bypassed the wide alcove leading to their bedroom, heading instead towards an opening set between two supporting columns. Walking between the deep, stone walled entrance, Harry realised they were actually passing under the ramp. Eyeing the mess of furniture in the centre of the much larger room, he dryly remarked, "Well, I now know where the window in my study went," noting the second bay of windows where before had only been one.
Severus sighed, obviously resigned to the unpleasant task, and drew his wand. "Looks like we have a bit of work to do."
Harry put a hand on his arm. "Don't worry, Sev. Unless you're just dying to help me move the furniture around, I'll do it tomorrow with Dobby. That is, if you trust me to do so," he added with a wink.
Severus chuckled. "Knowing my luck, you'll set my seat on the table."
Harry waggled his brows. "Hmmm. Interesting notion, although I daresay your chair wouldn't fit - might be adequate for serving up a small Severus snack, though."
While Severus snickered, Harry walked over to investigate the window seats curving along the edge. While it was too dark to really tell, the view seemed different, but that didn't stop him from straining, trying to place the bits he could see. He returned to the table and had Severus unroll the plan. Pointing, he mused, "You know, I hadn't realised this symbol meant windows - given the shapes of the rest of the rooms, I think we may be in an upper tower."
Which comment had earned him a sharp glance and a disdainful sniff. "We entered through the dungeons," Severus began, "however, I suppose, given how much Wizarding space is already in use here, it is not out of the realm of possibility that Albus kept the entrance the same just to placate me."
"Placate you?" Harry asked, brows raised.
"I have a reputation to maintain," he said without conceit. "Can you imagine the speculation if I moved out of the dungeons? Not to mention how difficult it would be to control my Slytherin snakelets were I not in close proximity?"
Point taken. "'Severus Snape', 'Potions master', and 'The Dungeons' are rather synonymous, aren't they? Rather like a trademark." When Severus shook his head, Harry commented, "Well, no one but us comes here except sometimes Albus or the staff, so I guess your secret is safe. It feels like the dungeons, though, in a safe kind of way, just missing all the - icky - stuff."
"No, I think you had the right of it the first time," Severus said sadly, looking oddly bereft. "It's too - light."
"Light?" Harry asked, placing his hands on his shoulders.
Severus took the comfort he offered, wrapping his arms around him, drawing him close as he murmured, "There's no - weight. For all that the walls are thick and heavy and substantial it's not a part of the inner foundation - one cannot feel the castle pressing down on it."
"And you'll miss that?" Harry asked, surprised at the light sweat he could feel dampening Severus' hair and neck.
"Perhaps. It's just - different."
Harry didn't know what to say, so he kissed him and they moved on.
Next came The Sitting Room, the furniture again occupying the middle. Skirting the pile, Harry whistled when he stepped fully inside; once small and cosy it now had three window bays with deep seats. Two pass-through fireplaces graced either end of the long room, both with blazes cheerfully warming the ungainly space.
"Well, at least it's warmer in here than it was before," was Severus' only comment as he hastily left the chamber.
"Are you all right, love?" Harry asked once they were back in the rotunda. He ran his hands down Severus' arms.
"I..." Severus began and stopped, looking all around them. He finally took Harry's hands and bestowed a chaste kiss to his cheek. "I'll be fine," he said, sounding almost convinced. "I may suggest and cause sweeping changes in all manner of things, but I don't necessarily," he took a deep breath, "do well when suddenly subjected to them." He gave Harry a self-deprecating smile. "I just need some time to adjust."
"That and a good yell at Albus?"
"That, too," he said absently, glancing to the side at the entrance to his study, deeply set between two more pillars. Straightening his shoulders, he stated, "Might as well get it over with..."
When they boldly walked into it through the third deep opening under the ramp, Severus' stiffness eased as he breathed a nearly inaudible sigh of relief. "We didn't move this," he commented, running his hand over his desk. "It's still in the dungeons."
Harry stifled the immediate question about 'we', focusing instead on Severus' better spirits. He could feel what he meant about the 'weight' now that he had something with which to compare it. "It's almost like being in a cave."
"Precisely," Severus murmured as he breathed deeply of the familiar scents.
He knew where Severus would be spending most of his time.
While Severus checked all his personal belongings, Harry cruised the perimeter. He stopped at the back when he saw the book, The Symbology of Amulets. Curious at the duplication, he touched his fingertips to the spine, jerking them away when he felt the latent power contained therein.
"Severus!" he said sharply, pointing to the volume.
Severus was at his side in an instant. He drew his wand and placed his fingers on the book, closing his eyes. A few moments later he whispered, "Dìon m'leannan." Soundlessly, the library opened as it always had in the past. They glanced around the room, identical to the one they'd opened earlier in the evening off the ramp. "Why on earth would there be two openings?" Severus asked, bemused, as he closed and re-warded the room.
Harry shrugged. "Convenience?" he ventured.
"Perhaps," he muttered, the word clipped short.
Harry knew that tone well; a quick glance confirmed it - Severus had a mystery between his teeth and would be hard-pressed to release it until it was solved, which did not bode well for sleeping any time soon. Keeping his tone light, he said, "Severus, whatever it is - can it keep until the morning?"
With a snort and rueful chuckle, Severus replied softly, "Perhaps," this one with an entirely different meaning as his eyes flicked to the clock on the mantel. "Shall we...?" he asked, extending his arm in invitation.
As they walked arm-in-arm to their bedroom, Harry remarked, "Good thing we're used to napping at this time every afternoon, else we'd never get to sleep."
For the third time, Severus replied, "Perhaps," this time with suppressed humour.
Almost inured to the changes, Harry nonetheless held his breath when they entered the alcove holding the entrance to their bedroom. To the left was a blank wall, to the right an opening. Standing in the doorway to their bedroom, he immediately noted their wardrobes were now to his left; beyond them, near the first of three bays of windows (complete with seats) was the door to their toilet room. Inside the spacious bedroom, the fireplace was larger and off to the far side now, beyond their four-poster; he noted Severus eyeing the large rug in front it and couldn't quite hide the grin as he thought of how all that open space could be employed. To the side was the entrance to a small storage closet, but the entry within it to their bathing pool was gone.
That was now accessed by a stairway just outside the door to their suite, running under the ramp above. Descending, they'd not stayed long as the pool seemed as it always had been, just one level down. Severus thought this an improvement. "Less worry about the damp," he said, running his hands over the stone walls sans the shelves that used to line the walls. "I have to admit, now that I've seen it, I prefer all the books in one place - makes it easier to sort them."
Harry rather missed the jumble.
Back in their room, as he got undressed, Harry groused, "Hey! No fair - you get the side with the fireplace."
Severus raised a brow as he crawled under the heavy duvet, his back to the cosy blaze. "Oh? Seems perfectly fair to me. You steal all my body heat not to mention all the covers..."
"I do not!"
"...do, too - even the sheets." Settling in with a decadent groan, he drawled, "Tomorrow I'll wake first, freezing, while you slumber in a nest of purloined bedclothes. Then, while you lounge around all morning, I'll have to endure an insufferably cheerful Dumbledore - in public, mind you, so I won't even get in a good insult - and then I'll dodge cauldrons all morning attempting to teach Double Potions to my Slytherin/Gryffindor fifth years."
Harry crawled under the covers, shivering. "Oh, poor baby!" he said, scooting over to share (he did not steal!) the warmth on Severus' side of the bed. "Are those the ones with the elephant ears?"
Severus replied, yawning, "No, that's my Slytherin/Gryffindor fourth years tomorrow afternoon." He extended his arm with a growled, "Heat poacher," as Harry slid in.
Ah - bliss. Merlin, Severus was toasty.
"Ah - hell!" Severus' skin twitched. "Thermal thief!
Harry snuggled, imagining his skin sizzling nicely wherever they touched. Sniggering, he retorted, "Fire filcher."
"Blanket bandit," Severus muttered, shivering as he pulled Harry closer to him.
Harry yelped. "Damn! Well, at least I don't have cold feet." He tried to squirm his legs away from Severus', but they were hopelessly tangled. "Where're your socks?"
"I hate wearing socks to bed," Severus grumbled, deliberately rubbing his icy feet on Harry's warm leg, earning him another yowl. "And my feet are not cold."
Indignantly Harry chuffed, "Well, not anymore - they're warm and now my legs are cold."
Extinguishing the lights, his mouth questing across Harry's face, Severus suggested, "There are - other - ways to warm them up..."
"Mmmm. I could live with that." Harry felt a hand snake under the covers and gasped when it stopped, "Oh! Yeah. Wrong leg, but who am I..."
Harry found verbal conversation impossible with an agile tongue exploring his mouth and, not too long after, couldn't quite remember what it was he'd wanted to say.
A bit warm, though.
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TBC