Translation by Jessinthedungeons.


Chapter 21 - Every time she goes away


— How did they get in here? — I asked Severus softly, as I released my grip on Draco's arm and forced him to sit on the bed of my old room in the castle.

Severus stared for a moment at the blood that gushed from the neck of Draco's dead girlfriend and that was splattered at various points in the two of us. Draco focused on a point in Rowena's painting on the wall, in front of the bed, and just stood there, admiring nothing, without having any reaction. I wasn't sure which of the deaths the blond was reviving in his head, and my heart clenched for him.

— I don't know how they got in. — A muscle has contracted in Severus's jaw. — But it is certain that they have someone of a high level working with them.

— We need to find a way to free Minerva. As soon as possible. — I told him.

— Don't waste your time, she will be dead soon. — Draco spoke abruptly. — You've seen what he's capable of.

— Draco... — I whispered.

— Your only chance is to master your magic. And when you do... — There were tears staining Draco's bloody cheeks now. — When you do, — he repeated, — burn Malfoy Manor to the ground, with Lucius inside.

I didn't know how to answer his request. Draco stood up, stared at Severus, and left the room. I heard the loud knock of the door when he was gone. I ran a hand across my face, shuddering as I took my breath in and pushed my tears back. I understood so deeply now Draco's attitudes, when he acted like an idiot at school, aimed at meeting Lucius's oppressive expectation of him; that my stomach was wrapped in guilt for having judged him for so long.

When my eyes finally met Severus's, I noticed that his eyes were also wet. Slowly, he reached out to me.

— You and I, let's find a way to free Minerva. The tracker is not active on you, it was a Malfoy bluff. I need you to go to the Ministry now, the fireplace in my office is connected to the main hall. Once there, use your name and status to get an immediate Portkey to Castelobruxo. Bring Lupin. He will help us track down the werewolf lairs. — He approached me, now holding both my hands. — Don't get caught. I swear I will burn the whole world just to find you.

The rest of the world dissipated in a fog when his last words were absorbed by me. Being honest with myself, up to this point, I had not realized how strong Severus's feeling towards mine are. He had called me "my woman" while telling some lies to Lucius Malfoy, but it didn't thrill me as much as hearing his promise now. I think, perhaps, that was the most direct statement he ever made to me. And realizing it made my eyes burn again.

— What are you trying to tell me, Severus? — I whispered.

— What do you think, Granger? — He returned me a question, his eyes too serious as he stared at me.

— I think ... you feel something for me. — I whispered insecure. — But you never told me that.

Severus allowed himself to look into my face, I knew he was seeing a much paler tone on my skin, caused by the frisson of minutes before. I felt that my eyes were wide, still by the fear I felt in the previous situation and by the capture of Minerva. But there, now, the fear I felt was for us. Whatever our "we" meant.

— I didn't say, because we couldn't live like normal people, Hermione. Not now. Maybe never. — He ran his hand through his own hair, looking away from me. — Problems would always find us.

I know he's right. We were not the kind of person who leads a normal, quiet life. I raised my hand, leaning against his cheek, which reclined to my touch and let out a deep sigh as my thumb stroked his cheekbone.

— I know, Severus. But can you imagine us in a world free of this mess? — I asked, really curious.

— Obviously so. — He ran his hand over my waist, pulling me closer. — I would like to be with you in a world without this struggle for blood supremacy. But ... — his voice sounded thicker, as if his throat had suddenly dried up. — But at the same time, I do not want to live in such a world if the risk of creating it means that perhaps we will not survive to see it. That I may not survive to say what I want to you.

My eyes this time did not contain one of my tears. One of them slid down my cheek, while my thumb stroked his face again.

— There are two of us, Severus. — I whispered to him, closing my eyes and resting my forehead on his. — And I will not ask for anything that you are not ready or willing to give.

— I'm ready. And willing. — He whispered to me back. — But you deserve better than this, better than me.

My eyes were still closed when I begged him.

— Don't tell me I don't deserve you. Don't even talk about tomorrow, or the future, any of that. — I opened my eyes and moved away from him to look at his face. His eyes were bright.

— I know the odds are bad. — He answered.

— You always sent the odds to shit, Severus. Always.

He tried, but could not smile, and came closer again, close enough for our breaths to mix.

— I want to kiss you again. — I told him, softly.

His fingers squeezed my waist, hands warm enough for the heat to pass through my sweater. I could feel a slight tremor in his fingers as he squeezed them over my skin.

— What are you waiting for? — He asked in a guttural tone of voice.

I had to climb on my toes to finally kiss him again. I could barely keep myself inside my own skin, it was like lighting again all the lighthouses that our kiss on James's birthday created. It was a response and a song, and I couldn't think or feel quickly enough. My hands closed on his shirt, my fingers intersected with the fabric, pulling him closer to me.

Severus's lips caressed mine with patient, slow movements, as if dashing their sensation. And when his teeth grazed my lower lip, my mouth opened to his tongue, which immediately slid inside. He leaned his hand against my chin, tilting my face more to better claim my mouth and I arched my body, silently begging him to take everything I knew he wanted. And he deserved it, even if he told me otherwise. This noble, selfless man, and an incredible Wizard, deserves me. I know.

I ran my hands over his shoulders, and climbed up his neck, my fingers rubbing the shaved area of the sides of his head, before I slid them down the silky black strands. I rolled my tongue against his, and Severus's moaning made my toes flex into my shoes, and I felt the trembling that ran through his body.

Suddenly he stopped, I opened my eyes, gasping.

— What is it?

— We... — He stopped, seeming for a moment to lose track of why he had interrupted our kiss. I saw him swallow dry, before gently retreating, trying to control his irregular breathing.

I looked at his swollen lips and a fierce part in me, howled internally with satisfaction to see that I had done that to him, that I had brought that blush to his cheeks and made grow the volume I felt of his excitement against my belly. He is mine. Completely mine.

— We are still team partners. I am your advisor. — Severus was able to say more formally, gently pushing me so that he could sit in my reading chair. — And, here in the castle, I plan to keep everything on a professional level. — My smile in response was anything but professional. — Before we got out through this tangent, I was trying to warn you not to get caught.

My heart withered any throb of seduction when he reminded me of our initial subject. I was busy going to the closet, looking for clean and preferably light robes, to land in the sultry heat of the Amazon with as much comfort as possible. Why were we kissing when something horrible like that had just happened? An innocent woman had just died and I was snogging Severus.

It is obvious that he noticed my sudden change. I couldn't hide the shadow of regret and shame in my gaze when Severus pulled me towards him again.

— Hey ... — he held my face, forcing me to look at him. — I know the timing is bad. But what happened here is a farewell. Don't blame yourself for seeking comfort, Granger. You are human.

I agreed with my head, slightly sniffling.

— I will miss you. — I finally admitted it. — Why can't we do this together?

— Because I need to put Scorpius under the Fidelius. I can't imagine what Lucius would do if he knew about his existence and found him.

Severus didn't have to explain anything else to me. Speaking Scorpius's name reminded me of the oath I made to myself more than four years earlier: I would unleash the magic. And along with that, it would destroy the rebels. No matter the difficulties, no matter how long it took, no matter how far I needed to go. It would be hard to be away from Severus, but I would give Scorpius and Draco the chance they have not yet had to be happy and free. I, a muggle-born who did not inherit magic from any powerful lineage, would be the savior of the magical world.

I hugged Severus for the last time, before he left the room and went on his own mission. And half an hour later, I was in the Department of Magical Transport, requesting a portkey to Brazil.

The assistant, a witch I did not know, reported that keys for international portals were only activated on Fridays, and that this week's one for the South American school was already crowded. I clenched my fingers into a fist and did exactly what Severus ordered me to do.

— You got it wrong, Miss Gorgyn. — I read the last name on her badge in a cold voice. — Tell your boss that Hermione Granger is demanding a Portkey to Castelobruxo right now. And that I wait for ten minutes for it to activate, or I will tell the minister that Britain's only level ten witch has been obstructed from carrying out missions in her role of saving the Wizarding World because the Department of Magical Transport is bureaucratic and useless in emergency situations.

I didn't bother to smile at the end of my statement and didn't feel bad for the stunned look on the assistant's face, before she ran towards the boss's office to report what I requested.

I was really becoming a curly-brown-haired version of Severus Snape. I smiled at this thought.


— Are you kidding me, Tonks? — I asked with a squeaky voice.

— No, Hermione. The summer solstice in Brazil always closes all magical borders. Have you read about the influence of the magic of the fantastic creatures of Brazilian folklore has on astronomy?

— Not much. Sinistra gave an elective course on this, but I was never interested to the point of taking it. — I was sorry.

— At the summer solstice, there is an alignment of the magical energies of the legendary Amazonian beings and the intensity of the sun's rays of the solstice causes their magic to explode. During the first two weeks of the summer, all wizards in Brazil are prohibited from using magic, no non-essential magic elements are activated either. They need to do this so that only the magic of the creatures reacts with the aura of power of the sun. If they use magic, they can trigger a magical overload and the entire wizarding community is exposed. You arrived here at the last minute of open borders, for the next two weeks there is no way back.

— Tonks, the full moon is in two weeks. Minerva will have no chance against a pack of werewolves. She only has half the power and probably doesn't even have a wand anymore. And she is no longer young. Please, there has to be a way. — I could hear the despair in my voice as I explained, perhaps for the fifth time, the seriousness of the situation to her.

Tonks's expression softened, perhaps from seeing my pale face and my shallow eyes in tears. She put her hand on mine.

— Let's have faith that Remus will find a solution. — I said gently, looking down at my little bag of beads. — Does it still have that illegal extension spell? — She asked slightly amused. I confirmed it with my head, too worried to even answer it verbally. — Great!

Tonks stood up, leaving me alone in the small living room of the cottage in which she, Remus and little Ted lived. A few minutes later, she came back with some changes of clothes that I recognized were Remus's and reached out to me.

— Put it in your bag while I get some canned food for you.

— Tonks? What is it all about? — I asked, curious about her attitude.

But there was no time for her to answer me, the front door opened and Remus walked through it. He stared at me seriously, before looking away at the woman and giving her a slight nod. Tonks ran into the kitchen.

— Hermione, it's lucky you've camped in forests before. — His eyes smiled slightly.

Tonks came back with the stock of canned food and stuffed it inside my little bag, while Remus went up to Ted's room, probably to say goodbye to his son. She hastily explained to me that she already imagined that Remus would make the muggle-style crossing to one of the neighboring countries and get an international portkey from one of them, probably from French Guiana to France, and then from there to Hogwarts.

I held her tight when we said goodbye and gave her and Remus privacy before we left. The wet, warm wind of the Amazon swept my curls up my face as I waited for him, outside the cottage.

— What do we do now? — I asked Remus as soon as he joined me.

— We save Minerva. — He said, finding my gaze. — But we're going to need to use one of the Magic gates of the Curupiras. They are not affected by the effects of the solstice, because they feed on the magic of the beings themselves. — The way Remus stated it, it seemed to mean something more.

— Is it safe? — I asked, staring at him apprehensive.

No. I could practically see the word reflected in Remus's hazel eyes before he denied it with his head. I nodded silently.

I knew how fierce the mystical beings of the Amazon were. And the Curupira, as protector of the forest, revolts against all those who destroy it and, therefore, is viewed with great fear by the Mazioologists. They are creatures that terrorize and kill anyone who enters the forest to hunt or cut down trees. Or, at the very least, they make hunters get lost in the forest and forget the path through which they would get out of it. Not for nothing they are the protectors of Castelobruxo and do not let any non-magical being approach the school of magic.

The magical gates of the curupiras are cave-portals that immediately take those who pass through them, to other parts of the territory. None will take us out of Brazil, I know they are concentrated in the Amazon territory, so I could only imagine that Remus would take us as close as possible to the border with the country from where we could get the Portkey.

— Let's go. — Remus said, walking in the direction of the gate that would take us to the limits of Brazilian territory.

We rushed, fast and silent. Remus told me that when they moved to Brazil, they wanted to live near the forest and one of these gates, because of his own transformations. He wanted a relatively safe escape route for Tonks and Ted in case one day he got out of control during the full moon.

Remus stood before the swirling smoke in the arch of stones that was the Magic gate. A muscle moved in his jaw, I could only imagine that he was grieving for leaving his family behind and getting entangled again in a war. My heart tightened and I knew I would understand if Remus refused to leave them here to help us track down a werewolf lair.

My former Defense Against the Dark Arts professor took another second in his grief, before winking at me and reaching out his hand to me to catch up. I tangled my fingers with Remus's and each of us wielded our own wand as we stepped under the arch and walked into the suffocating smoke contained in it. And yet I could hear, in the distance, so weak that I could have imagined, the fine and continuous whistling characteristic of the being with red hair and feet turned backwards that protected the Amazon rainforest.


We left with wands in fist and barely breathing because of all the smoke we inhaled. But there was no creature on the other side of the passage. At least none we could see or feel. We walked gently through the moss and jumped some rocks, bordering the forest, towards the north, to whatever country was closest to the border where we were. I let Remus lead the way, wishing I would at least be able to see in the darkening forest. It's strange that it gets dark so early this way. We entered the density of the forest, and the moisture from it hit me, although I did nothing to relieve the heat.

Remus and I had not talked since we entered the magic gate, and it was very little I explained to him before he had rushed to the Brazilian Ministry of Magic in search of a travel permit. But I knew that only our need for discretion was what kept his flood of questions at bay.

A few hours of walking later and the night was completely upon us, and now, it was the cold that penetrated my bones. Even so, I hesitated when Remus led us to the entrance of a cave.

— It doesn't lead anywhere. It's just going to keep us out of sight. — Remus indicated.

I let him in first and followed him. Every member of my body was sluggish and sore when I found myself staring at a camping site. Remus reviewed some abandoned items in a corner, and then lit a candle that was on one of the natural stone ledges, illuminating the entire enclosure. There was a mat and an old blanket in a corner, full of leaves and cobwebs.

— The pack of local werewolves usually indicate to foreigners, places like this, so that we can take shelter during transformations. — He said, examining traces of claws on the stone. — It's only overnight.

I swallowed the cry as I remembered the inhospitable conditions Remus was forced to live, once a month. I know how desolate the interior of the Shrieking Shack was, and this cave was no better in any sense of the word. I lifted the mat and hit it a few times, leaves and clouds of dust flying from it before I put it back on the ground.

— You must have quite a story there at Hogwarts, to have to come this far from home. — Remus said softly, as we sat side by side on the mat and I searched for some things in my little bag of beads.

I took off a warmer sweater, and one of Remus's coats Tonks had handed me.

— Yes. — I answered.

I opened one of the canned soup and handed it to him, reaching for another for me next.

— Is that all you have to say? — He asked me after taking a sip from his can. I could feel a slight tone of fun in his voice and frowned my forehead in confusion. Remus snorted. — Tonks and I keep an electronic subscription of The Daily Prophet. We both agreed to read news from home.

— You should save that money. They continue to employ sensationalist vultures as reporters. — I answered, knowing that I was running away from his question.

Remus was not going to accept it easily.

— Oh, but Miss Charlotte Firth asked some interesting questions. "Is he single?". — Remus repeated the question Charlotte asked me a few months ago in a perfect imitation of her voice.

— How do you know how to imitate the girl's voice so well? — I asked, while smiling at the imitation Remus did.

— She is the daughter of a friendly wolf. I've known her since she was a kid. — Remus smiled gently. — You didn't answer that when she asked.

I sighed, knowing I had no way to get away any more than Remus was asking me.

— At that time, I barely got along with him. That same day, after the practice that followed Charlotte's interview, we both had an argument over one of Severus's blatant hypocrisies. You know he's a fucking hypocrite when he wants to be.

Remus laughed. — Oh yes, I like to remember that he wrote to the parents of the students asking for my head because of my condition, and the following year he went back to being a Death Eater.

I turned my head to face him. My protective instinct made me defend Severus, even if it was I who urged Remus to point out one of my advisor's flaws.

— He resented the past. — I whispered to Remus, who sighed audibly.

— I never apologized to him, for being… silent to what he suffered at our hands. — Remus muttered back, staring at the stones above us.

— But you apologized for trying to kill him, even if it wasn't intentionally. — I said, reaching for Remus's fingers and gently squeezing them.

Remus's eyes warmed slightly as he stared back at me.

— Did he tell you that I apologized?

— Minerva. — I answered. — She heard me grumble a few times about how my advisor was a horrible person and was trying to make me see him as a kind-hearted person.

— Did she succeed? — Remus asked.

— He did it. — I answered, staring at the flickering glow of the candle on the stone walls. —Severus is... unlike anything I ever imagined he would be. Although I had a vague idea that he is a loyal person, I had no idea what it's like to be the person at the top of his priority list.

— Severus wore a mask for a long time. — Remus commented.

In fact, he did. But he completely undressed it in my presence.

— Yes. — I confirmed it by pulling a loose line from the mat. — But he's no longer the person who wore that disguise, Remus.

— What would you answer Charlotte today? — The werewolf next to me asked.

I plucked the loose line from the mat while remembering my conversation with Severus, before we went into our separate missions.

— I don't know if I would have an answer to that question. It's complicated, we're both teammates, he's in a higher position in the Hogwarts hierarchy, and as long as I'm under his guidance, it won't matter what I'd like to answer to Charlotte. — Before he could ask me anything else, I completed: — I'm tired. And our voices echo in these walls. Let's talk when we can't get caught and killed by some forest creature.

Remus's gaze was bland towards me as he tilted his chin down in agreement and stood up from the mat. He settled on the other side of the cave, eyes stuck at the entrance.

— I will take the first shift. Rest. — He said, kindly.

I pulled the dusty blanket over me and closed my eyes, praying to any deity to keep us safe.


My exhaustion was a blanket over my senses as the gray morning light stained the walls of the cave. I spent most of the night having jolts with every crack and sound that came from the forest outside, so I couldn't rest a little. And from the dejected expression on Remus's face as he sat down, I knew he didn't sleep during his rest shifts either.

— Are you okay? — He asked, rubbing one hand over his face.

— Yes, given the circumstances. — I answered tired.

— We need to go further north. It's a long way to the border. — Remus paused. — And it is the direction where hybrids of humans and Mapinguaris live.

I shuddered. I had already heard about the Mapinguari in one of Hagrid's classes in the third year, it is one of the fiercest creatures that lives in this forest.

— So, we better stay unseen. — I said, getting up and picking up my little bag. Remus followed me to the outside and we didn't say any more words.

For three more days, we walked into the forest and spent the nights hiding in shelters, until we finally crossed the thickest forest and came across open fields. We covered two of these fields by the late afternoon of the fourth day and even though I was exhausted, when Remus suggested that we stop at night, I insisted that we continue until closer to the riverside.

The river was the border between the two countries and even if we rested still on the Brazilian bank, being closer to that European colony made me more confident of the fact that, very soon, Remus would take us to Hogwarts.

Finding shelter so close to the riverbed was not easy, but we found a place with large and steep boulders that gave us some cover. Remus was panting as we climbed one of them.

— How are you not out of breath? — He asked when climbing on the smoothest part of the stone.

I pushed back a lock of hair that had come loose from my braid, leaving my face free.

— Training at Hogwarts simulates atypical conditions. And I also trained a little bit of controlling the elements. The lessons about the air have helped me control it in my favor, at least inside me, this is how I manage to control my breathing. — I shuddered, remembering how suffocating that first and exhausting lesson on air that Severus gave me was.

— That's something incredible, Hermione. — Remus smiled.

— I still have a long training ahead of me. — I replied, trying to minimize the admiration in his tone.

— I'm glad you're the smartest witch of your generation, then. — Remus said softly, as I came closer to a support on the next rock. My nails complained as I buried my fingers in it and pulled myself up.

But even though I tried not to feel so convinced by Remus's words, they hit the eleven-year-old witch inside me, that girl who just wanted to prove to that magical new world that she deserved to be there. A wave of emotion swept over me, but I kept the burning of my eyes well hidden, when I answered it:

— I had excellent professors.


Before falling asleep, I admired the stars of the cloudless sky above me, while recalling all the interactions Severus and I had. I wanted to find the point where the key between us turned. It cannot have been in our first interactions, in the first of them, I was unjust in accusing him of having become a Death Eater out of spite. In the second of them, he threatened my position at Hogwarts after I rescued him unconscious from a pub. No, that's not where Severus came to see me differently. Was that when I called him a dictator? No, too soon.

Then I remembered the day of our argument because of the way he treated Harry. I called him an idiot. Does someone fall in love with someone else because they swear at them? Is that possible? I don't think so. Then the image of the day when I saw his different look on me filled my head: it was the day when I left Minerva's office and we waited together in the hallway to board the moving stairs of the castle. Severus noticed me checking him out and returned my greeting. There, that day, I saw the intense glow in his gaze upon me, as if he had seen my soul, and finally, truly, he saw me.

I imagined the glow of the stars I was admiring now, reflected in Severus's black pupils, and that night I slept better. Perhaps my insistence on approaching the border is what made me confident enough to allow me to feel hope and make me dream. I dreamed of Severus's warm embrace as we kissed. I felt the smooth glide of his nose on my cheek and I could almost feel the sensation of his mouth over mine.

Every time I thought of that kiss, an easy smile dominated my lips. It had been four days since I last saw him and the longing inside me was so suffocating at times, I thought it had been much longer. I let the gentle memory of his touch upon me lull me into a peaceful sleep and carry my mind to any place we could be together.

I do not know how long I had slept, when a strong hand squeezing my face, woke me up.

— Look what we found. — A cold male voice spoke slowly.

I had never seen a face like that. Hairy and with only one eye in the middle of the forehead. But I knew what they were as soon as I noticed two other creatures like that, trapping Remus beneath them. They were human-mapinguaris hybrids. They had reached us.

— Our father, — said the being who held a knife to my throat, addressing Remus. — It won't like you very much, since you are a hybrid too, right?

— I'm taking her to my pack. — Remus answered, softly.

The knife pressed my skin even harder as the creature holding me let out a humorless laugh.

— Alright. There is a rumor that a werewolf and a little witch are on the run together. — His smile widened. — A werewolf with no pack.

— He wants her all to himself, it seems. — One of the others joked.

I glanced at the creature above me and didn't let the fear I was feeling overwhelm me. Hybrids were not as fierce as a real mapinguari. They were conscious and intelligent humanoids; their feral side was only strength and the frightening eye in the middle of the forehead.

— You're going to let us go. — I required.

— Our esteemed creator will delight in mastering a bossy little thing like you. — Said the beast with a feral smile. The knife not disentangling from my skin. — You will come with us to our house.

— We're not going anywhere. — Remus warned. I could swear that shadow of claws appeared in his hands. Could Remus transform without being in a full moon? Fear came down my spine.

The hybrid over me just said, cold and bored: — Get up.

It was then that I felt a spark of power move and wake up inside me, as if some stick had poked it. And perhaps I would not have recognized this spark, if Severus had not spent three days exhaustively making me awaken my instincts towards my magical core.

Summon them! Use elemental magic, Granger! I could hear my advisor's voice echoing on the walls of my head the day he first taught me how to awaken instinctive magic in me.

I looked at Remus and I can only assume he noticed the sweat running down my temple and on my upper lip as my blood warmed. A slight movement of the chin down was his only sign of understanding.

— We don't have all day, little witch. — He pushed me a step.

But I was waiting for it. Balance, Severus had taught me that this was crucial to winning any duel on an uneven surface, like that stony ground. And when the push of the hybrid caused him to also start walking unevenly, I turned so fast towards him, that he did not see me move my hands and knock him down with the force of a breath of air. The mix of mystical animal and man holding me, stumbled backwards and Remus jumped on it, hitting his head on one of the stones, as I cast my magic into the river and conjured a column of water over the other two. I released every drop of magic in me, forming a wall between us and them.

— Run! — I yelled at Remus.

I felt Remus come to my side and put a steady hand under my arm, while I still controlled the river water on our backs. Remus released a Bombarda on the biggest rock in front of us and I forced my water column to push the two hybrids into the open hole, sealing them inside. I modified my spell to now use the power to manipulate the earth element and directed it to the rock above where Remus had opened the rift. There was a rain of dust and debris when I sealed the entrance.

— Our magic is weak! — Remus found out of breath. — It is the suppressive effect of magic in the Brazilian territory. We need to cross that border now!

We did not have time to choose a direction, as the hybrid passed out at our feet was slowly awakening. We were out of time.

— Hurry! — Remus growled and I didn't miss a beat as we staggered into the night.

My bag was lost somewhere during the battle. I had now only my wand with me, and Remus his. Thanks to Merlin, we were both wizards of full magic. But with the suppression of our magic, we dared not stop, and ran down the stony bank of the river until we could reach the best point to cross it.

With my weakened magic and the waters too bulky, I could not make a way through them. And there was still the current, which was strong enough to drag us if we were not excellent swimmers. We needed to run to the smallest point between the two banks. And fast.

— Why the hell isn't there a bridge connecting these two countries? — I asked Remus.

He looked back instead of answering me. It seemed that we had lost the remaining hybrid. Remus pulled me behind one of the larger stones and we both put our bodies forward in search of catching our breath. We gasped for a few minutes as we tried to swallow as much air as possible into our lungs.

— I don't know. — He answered at last, trying to see, even in the darkness, the opposite bank of the river. — How much of your power can you access?

I focused on shaking my inner magic. It was much stronger now, since we were practically out of Brazil, but I could still feel the muffled effects of the magical suppression that surrounded us. I wondered if this was how wizards who lost their magic felt. As if their magic was an echo of what had once been. Just a reminder of the magical potential that was within each of them. I hated the feeling.

— Not much. What are you thinking? — I asked him, who still kept his gaze on the opposite bank.

— The elemental magic you did back there? — He turned his eyes to me, I frowned my forehead in confusion. — From one bank to another, I estimate four hundred meters away. — My eyes widened when I understood the idea of Remus. — I need you to freeze the top layer of water and make us an ice walkway.

I denied it with my head.

— Remus, I don't have enough magic.

— It will get stronger as we cross, Hermione. On the French side there are no magic ties.

— I've never done that before. — I begged.

— I trust you. — Remus put both hands on my face, forcing me to face him more closely in the darkness that surrounded us. — And it's our only chance. And Minerva's, at least try. Please. — It was his turn to beg me.

My heart was pounding against my chest when I confirmed it with my head to him. We came out from behind the stone where we had been hiding and I focused my mind on Severus's training days ago. Remus muttered a mental calculation made with base on our body weights and estimated how thick the ice I would need to form. I crouched on the shore where the dark waters of the Oiapoque wet our shoes and dipped my hands in the water, echoing the charm I knew would freeze every drop I needed to become solid.

We smiled at each other when, slowly, the solid plate of ice was extending over the waters, clear as glass and letting us see the current below it flowing with the same force as before. We held hands and walked down the ice walkway confident. I was careful not to look to the sides, to see the force of the current of the river flowing under our thin bridge, and so not to lose my concentration.

Remus was right, we hadn't even reached halfway through the crossing when I could perceive my magic slowly increasing. I harnessed this new wave of power to reinforce the ice beneath us, but at the same instant, we heard a growl.

We turned around at the same time and we both spotted the three hybrids that attacked us on the Brazilian shore. The largest of them raised their hands in a fist and struck the ice walkway on which we stood.

— Run! — Remus screamed, as soon as the crack drew a tortuous line straight to us.

He and I ran, the smooth ice making me take treacherous steps that could throw me straight into the mighty stream of the river, but I used my air magic to cover Remus and I with a breeze that forced us to stand upright.

— Faster! — He ordered it. — Don't look! — He completed when I began to turn my head to see if the creatures had followed us.

Remus stretched out a hand to hold my elbow, and forced me to accelerate the race for the two hundred meters that still separated us from the French-Guiana bank.

Water splashed under my boots when the crack finally caught up with us, Remus gasped and propelled us faster forward, throwing us into the muddy bushes on the opposite bank of the Oiapoque. The magic flooded my veins like a tsunami and I immediately got on my feet, but there was something about the legend of the mapinguaris that I hadn't realized until that moment: they were fast, a lot.

I had barely turned around when the tallest hybrid of the three, hit me. Such a strong blow to the face, my teeth cut off my lip. I staggered to the right and he held my arm, hitting me once again, now on the side of the head.

— You will come with me, you treacherous bitch! — He hissed, when he released the grip on my arm and grabbed my hair, so hard, that tears stung my eyes.

The brute dragged me back through the black water of the river and I got a glimpse of Remus facing off against the other two creatures. I think I heard him shout my name, as I struggled and scratched the hairy arm that dragged me in the middle of the water. I was sure I would die, I couldn't access my magic, the adrenaline of capture didn't leave me focused enough to summon elemental magic. And my wand was somewhere on the French shore where Remus launched us.

The water suddenly became more freezing around us, and I stopped struggling long enough to see the breath of ice freezing a spiral around us and forcing the brute to stop where we were.

A broom hit the frozen area before us, and when the wizard came out of it, with his wand in a fist, I let out a trembling sob. Sparks flew through Dean's hair as he glimpsed the hybrid's hand squeezing my hair. Another impact hit the ice behind us and I started crying for real, some web that I had kept on me coming loose when I recognized the figure of Harry, also wielding a wand towards us. The man who killed Voldemort emanated power, just like a top—level wizard. I knew what had made this possible: the potion Severus created.

Harry walked closer to us and said with lethal calm: — Release her now!

The tightness of the hybrid in my hair increased, and a groan of pain echoed from me. I saw the instant that anger flared on my best friend's face and I glimpsed the glow of the green light flying from his wand and taking down the brute holding me. Dean, on the opposite bank, had already helped Remus knock down the other two. I turned again to Harry, who spread his arms and hugged me tight before forcing me to ride his broom and launch us into the sky. Next to us, Dean and Remus did the same.

— You took the potion. — I muttered to Harry, my eyes now shedding tears of relief.

The smile that Harry gave me back was also emotional, but at the same time soft.

— I will always be here for you, Hermione.

My throat tightened to the point of pain, and I squeezed even harder my arms around his waist, hugging him tightly, but said nothing.

— And I miss the magic too. — He muttered, entwining his hands in mine, while the broom made its way cutting through the wind around us.


Final Notes


1. Amazonian mythology! I was eager to bring this up, even if briefly presenting them. Some of the information of the two beings (Curupira and Mapinguari) can be found by the link: survianafics. carrd. co

2. Anyone who hasn't noticed that potion Severus gave Harry for James's birthday needs to go back to Chapter Nineteen. hahahahaha.

3. Charlotte Firth is a journalist who appeared in Chapter Five and that is her pseudonym in the Wizarding World. She is the embodiment of Jussara Souza, a dear friend and assiduous reader of New World and our newest graduate in communication with an MA. Congratulations Jubs!

4. The song that inspires this chapter is "Ain't No Sunshine". After all, while Hermione is away and taking risks, Severus cannot live without her light in his life.

Translation by Jessinthedungeons.