Happy Cinco de Mayo for those who celebrate it! I have a surprise for you all! I'm going to start making a playlist on youtube for each chapter I publish. I hope you enjoy the songs I pick! A warning, one of the songs for this chapter contains strong language for those who might want to avoid that. I have retrospectively created playlists so there is one for every chapter published thus far. Here is the link to my channel: channel/UCFnlvTPGw07aiWOzCoZQL1Q
Each song is intended for a section. My sections are usually indicated by the three dots (though I didn't really do this in earlier chapters since it focused on the golden trio). Happy reading!
The area around the phone box was, thankfully, quite deserted. Only a few muggles could be seen walking a dog or going to their cars. Severus walked purposefully to the box and dialed the specific number that allowed him to descend. He hoped fervently that this would not be the death of him. To die at the hands of some fool at the Ministry after having survived Nagini's attack would be humiliating. If he was lucky he'd be stupefied and they would discover their error, but the thought of that still grated on his pride. On guard, Severus stepped out of the phone box and started towards the lifts. He was quickly in the large main foyer and he felt every eye on him. The insignia seemed to be doing its work as witches and wizards alike looked at his chest and made a disgruntled face, as though they were disappointed they could do nothing to him. Others who may not have seen the insignia made no action against him since no one else made a move.
Severus held his head high. He had no reason to feel shame. And yet he did feel it. He thought of every execution he had been present for- how he longed to stop it. To give the frightened person some comfort as they coward in fear. Surely he had to be a heartless monster to have allowed these travesties to happen right under his nose with no sign of anguish on his face even as some begged him for help. Did these people glowering at him now know all of his sins? Could they see them tattooed upon his skin? Is that what the dark mark signified to most of wizard kind?
At last he reached the lift, unharmed, but no one entered the lift with him. There were many people who needed it, but they turned away as he entered.
He considered himself lucky. He was not hurt and no one had dared speak to him.
Reaching level two: the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, he strode forward and found the hall labeled Auror Headquarters with ease. He could now hear a flurry of conversation, clearly due to the excitement over Harry and Ron's first official day on the job. As expected, when Snape entered the room, all boisterous conversation ceased. Tension gripped all those assembled.
"Snape, you got here safely." Harry greeted him naturally. "I don't know who you're familiar with, but this is Imogen, Brinkley, and Wertz. Our senior officers are Proudfoot and Savage."
The introduction worked to soothe some of the tension. "Charmed." Severus greeted them all in his usual sardonic way. "Is Dawlish expected to joins us?"
"Looking to make a friend?" Proudfoot asked bravely. The others looked between the two men in awe. Was there going to be a fight with Snape already?
Severus sneered. "I don't require friends to validate myself, Proudfoot. I merely wanted to ensure he had been locked up for crimes against wizard-kind. I've not been in a position to received news of late."
Proudfoot nodded once and his mouth twitched up in one corner, showing some approval in spite of himself. "Yes, Dawlish is serving time in Azkaban for his service to the Death Eaters. I hope you're as eager to tip us off to established Death Eaters as much as you are to turn coat aurors."
"I can assure you," Severus said darkly. "it will give me great pleasure to see these Death Eaters rotting in Azkaban where they belong."
Everyone, including Severus himself, though he didn't show it, was surprised by this adamant unwavering declaration, and it did much to open the aurors' minds to him as a possible ally. They were still wary of him, but they were willing to see how this went. At the very least they knew they had a chance to benefit greatly from his information.
"Are you kids getting along nicely?" A grizzled man, about Mad-Eye Moody's age growled sarcastically as he entered. He had two fingers missing on his left hand and he had the look of a man who had seen much that weighed on him. "I need to see you three in my office." He pointed his three fingered hand directly at Harry, Ron, and Severus. "The rest of you have work to do. See to it."
The three men followed the man to an immaculately clean and organized office and Severus stood as Harry and Ron took the only two seats for visitors. The grizzled man sat at his own desk and grabbed a stack of three files before addressing them. "Potter, Weasley, you already know who I am, but I say this for Snape's benefit. I am Chief Auror Gawain Robards, Head of Magical Law Enforcement. If any of you violate our protocol or disobey orders, you will answer directly to me. I am not a patient, nor a merciful man. You have been warned." He fixed them with a hard stare, one at a time. "Now that you know where you stand with me, I want to know where the Ministry stands with you. What do you hope to gain here? What is your purpose?"
Harry and Ron answered first. Their answers were very similar in that they wanted to be aurors since they had so much experience dealing with the dark arts and they felt their job protecting the wizarding world wasn't quite done. Robards seemed satisfied by their responses, but now he turned a keen eye to Snape, clearly most eager to hear his reasons. "And you? You are quite an irregular candidate, Snape."
Snape nodded once, slowly in acknowledgement. "I am. But I am also an excellent source of information. I will not hide my intentions from you- I hope my name can be cleared so I have the chance to live out my life quietly once my work is done here. I never considered that I would live through the Second Wizarding War since my job was acting as double agent for one of the most powerful wizards in the world against a dark wizard of at least equal powers. Now that I find myself alive I must finish my job by ensuring all Death Eaters face justice. I won't waste your time by pretending that I don't do this mainly for myself. I will have less to fear if Death Eaters are put away, though I also witnessed many of their atrocities without the ability to stop them without giving my position as spy away. It will be… satisfying to see that they get what they deserve."
Robards gazed at him for a long moment, looking straight into Snape's eyes as though seeking something. At last he grunted and nodded. "You are certainly a source I have wanted for a long time- to have a fully cooperative and well-informed Death Eater at my disposal."
Snape winced at the term Death Eater as it referred to himself. He never could bear the agony of that accusation even after all this time, but he didn't argue- he bore the mark. He'd made that mistake in his youth.
"Even so," Robards continued. "It was not my decision that you three work in my department. Minister Shacklebolt arranged that. He also gave you three special exemptions from our rigorous three-year aptitude tests. We came to a consensus on this due to your extensive experience with the dark arts in the field. That being said; you will be watched much more closely than any other members of our staff. If we observe any breach of conduct- you're out."
"You don't have anything to worry about where me and Harry are concerned." Ron said assuredly.
Severus glared at the back of Ron's head, resisting the urge to smack him. Robards looked from Ron to Snape as though he suddenly understood something important about the two and leaned back, clasping his hands. "We'll see." He said thoughtfully. "Before you begin work today, though, I have some vital information to share that cannot be revealed to anyone outside of Auror Headquarters.
About a month ago we received word from the Headmistress of Hogwarts that a very talented oracle made a prophecy: 'Marked once, zealots, gather strength. The Ministry is too sure and lets a snake inside. Another ripple approaches. While not as strong as before, it is no less lethal. The inescapable ouroboros will show itself again soon.'" The Chief Auror quoted the prophecy word for word and all felt a sinking feeling in their guts, though for various reasons.
'So the Death Eaters are already gaining more power?" Harry guessed, deeply concerned. He thought it would take more time for them to regroup, and with Snape's knowledge they'd have a large advantage- perhaps even catch them all before they could do more harm.
"It would seem so, yes Potter. We believe the Death Eaters are amassing." Robards replied.
"The Ministry lets a snake inside." Ron mused. "I wonder who that might be."
Robards eyed Snape and, to his dissatisfaction, found little to no reaction. "We can assume nothing. All recent hires and recruits are being monitored, though that is not to say we don't consider certain people to be higher risks."
Severus smirked. "Take any precautions you feel necessary. I'm used to not being trusted. Still, you have nothing to fear from me whether you choose to believe it or not."
"On this job, Mister Snape, I've found it's best not to believe anyone." Robards said firmly. "Which is why the three of you will be placed on a squad with Brinkley and Savage. I'll have you report to Savage now, Snape, to give your list of names and places so we can begin sending out search parties."
"And what of the clearing of my name?" Snape inquired.
"Potter provided the Ministry with the memory of Dumbledore giving you orders to kill him so he-who-must-not-be-named would trust you. We reviewed it and found it authentic. As we speak, the Daily Prophet is writing an article on your innocence and the Minister for Magic will give a speech about the matter. These will be released to the wizarding public once you have given us all the information you have on the Death Eaters and have assisted in the successful capture of ten Death Eaters." Robards explained.
"Alive or Dead?" Snape asked bluntly.
Robards regarded Snape warily. "Either, but our preference, always, is to capture them alive so we might gather more information. If we believe you are deliberately preventing a live capture the terms of our arrangement are null and void. Do you agree to these terms?
Severus considered. He couldn't see a negative side to this and he understood the need for the Ministry to keep his name from being cleared until they got all they could from him, though it would mean more laying low. "Very well."
"Good." Robards barked. "Then sign this contract and we can get right to work."
Snape reviewed the contract and ascertained that it said exactly what Robards had just told him with no sneaky clauses. He signed the contract and Robards sent them out. Harry and Ron went to talk more with the other new recruits to hear training stories and share their own tales through the years of battling Voldemort. Snape met with Savage who had been waiting outside of Robards office for him. Savage promptly led him to an interrogation room.
"It's incredible the lengths all of you have gone to so that I might feel welcome here." Severus commented dryly as Savage closed the door and motioned him to sit.
"We're aurors, not the welcoming committee." Savage fired back. "Our kind gesture was allowing you to walk free rather than locking you in Azkaban and throwing away the key."
"Much obliged." Snape drawled sarcastically.
Savage leaned back in his chair and examined Severus for several long moments before he finally leaned forward with quill and parchment ready. "Well, then, shall we get to it?"
Severus waved a hand indicating he was ready when Savage was.
"Who are all the Death Eaters you know of? I don't care if they're alive, dead, you know them to be locked up, or if there are extenuating circumstances. I want all names and the Ministry will conduct investigations from there." Savage instructed.
Severus appreciated how specific and blunt Savage was. Taking care to be as thorough as possible, Snape listed all the names of every Death Eater he remembered coming into contact with. He even mentioned the Malfoys though it pained him to do it, but their status as Death Eaters was practically common knowledge. He had to be honest if he ever hoped to keep on living now that he was alive.
Next Savage asked him about the safe houses Snape knew of and he listed them, giving instructions as to how to find the locations in instances where Savage didn't seem familiar with the place. It took them several hours to record all of the information and both men were sore of throat by the end of it.
Savage got each of them a cup of water when they finished. "You really told me everything you know, didn't you?" Savage said, surprised.
Severus nodded. "I tried to be as thorough as possible. If I remember someone I've missed today you'll be the first to know."
Savage appeared to examine him again. "Aren't you worried the Ministry won't honor their word?"
"We've signed a contract." Snape answered warily. "And besides, I know the current Minister of Magic is a man of his word. Shacklebolt may not be fond of me, but he will stand by his word.'
"You sound as though you know him very well." Savage mused.
"We are acquainted. Dumbledore had many friends." Severus explained vaguely.
"Hmmm." Savage considered. "You're free to go. Chief Robards may have something more for you, but we're done here."
Severus left the senior staff member and checked to see if Robards had any work for him to do. "You, Potter, and Weasley can go with Proudfoot for today. Savage is busy." Robards instructed. "Nothing too major going on- just some trouble with a wizard making various muggle homes seem haunted."
The rest of the afternoon was a lot of conducting interviews with muggles about their 'haunting' experiences, erasing minds, and tracking the wizard who was responsible. They made some progress, getting a good physical description from a woman who claimed to have seen the ghost himself. "We'll look through our files back at headquarters. It's good he's getting careless. We should be able to catch him soon." Proudfoot explained. He had let each of them conduct an interview and all of them worked to cast memory spells on all the muggles in the small town. It was relatively easy work and all of them rather enjoyed the charms the town had to offer, each purchasing a toffee apple or other such treat from a local sweets shop.
"Nothing like a good haunting case to put you through your paces." Proudfoot said when they arrived back at auror headquarters. He was right. They had used disguises to appear as though they were what muggles call "paranormal investigators" and they had used information gathering techniques as well as deduction skills. The only thing they hadn't done was fight the culprit which may come in time depending on the wizard's willingness to cooperate.
"Great work today." Proudfoot commended them. "Be ready for harder stuff in the morning."
Whit that they were sent home. Snape asked Harry to purchase him a copy of the Prophet on condition that Snape would pay him back once he was able to get into his vault at Gringotts. Harry did so as Snape went on to Ainsley Place ahead of them.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Harry." Ron said, heading to the floo grates rather than the way through the toilets again with Harry.
"Where are you off to?" Harry asked.
Ron shrugged. "Just tired- ready to be home."
Harry nodded. "See you in the morning." Harry watched Ron leave before heading to his own destination. Suddenly he felt very lonely and disconnected as though he was sitting within himself, watching someone else operate his body. Mechanically, he made his way to Ainsley Place and began eating his supper since Hermione and Snape were already studying and he would only be in the way. Not even Kreature was there since the house elf preferred the kitchens of Hogwarts during the school year. Perhaps he would go to bed early.
. . .
"What are you doing?"
Hermione jumped at the sudden voice just to her left. She recovered quickly and replied, "Good evening to you, too, Professor. I'm just studying."
"Of course you are. You're always studying." Snape teased. "What about?"
Hermione wondered if she should tell him for a moment, but saw no harm in it. "Well, before I left home last summer I cast essentia negare on my parents so we wouldn't be found if someone came looking and my parents wouldn't constantly be worried and trying to contact me- putting me and themselves at risk. Now that the war is over, though, I need a counter spell and none exists for it as far as I can tell…"
Snape looked down at her in surprise. "It seems," he said softly, "that I'm not the only one who never expected to see the end of the war."
Hermione blushed under Snape's appreciative gaze. "You said you were having some trouble with two of your classes?" Snape probed after a time.
"Yes." Hermione said, taking a calming breath. "Magical Theory and Advanced Arithmancy. Professor Vector is teaching both, but through correspondence it's almost like she forgets I'm not there for her lectures and there are an awful lot of gaps in one lesson to the next. Sometimes the books don't even have what I'm looking for."
"What are you having trouble understanding?" Snape asked, trying to see what exactly she needed materials for.
"Well, it's like she's drawing correlations between the two subjects. She talks about the theory behind numerology and how it, in turn, has significance in spells themselves as well as potions. It's all very nebulous and broad in nature. She's basically teaching us how spells are created from the ground up and it's difficult when I feel I'm only getting part of the information." Hermione explained.
Snape motioned for her to follow as he turned to go to his own room. "Come with me." Hermione followed in his wake, though she hesitated at his door when he entered. She had not been in his room much at all since he had put his books on shelves, displayed his various potion ingredients, and other various knick knacks. He was well and had no need of her assistance so she felt like an intruder now that he was his own man once more.
Snape perused his shelf, grabbing a book and holding it out for Hermione to take as he looked for the next book. He had noticed her hesitancy to enter. Was she nervous or did she distrust him so much? Either way, she would need to come in to receive his assistance. He wasn't an owl, he would not deliver materials to her. To his satisfaction Hermione scurried into his room to clasp the book to her chest, and she gratefully took the next, and the next, as well as the various scraps of parchment he retrieved for her- his own personal notes on creating his own spells and analyzing pre-existing spells.
Once she had the materials she spread them out on his work table and Snape began to explain some of the intricacies of spell creation. "Numbers are very important in a spell. They help you determine wand waving pattern, number of chants, as well as incantation syllables. But this cannot be determined without the spell itself already in existence."
"But how can you create something only if it's already been created?" Hermione asked, bewildered.
Severus thought for a moment. "The concept has to exist. A witch or wizard has to have a will and that will, if you listen to it, and use Arithmancy to help predict it, you can then create the spell."
Hermione still looked confused and Snape tried again to explain the process. After several unsuccessful attempts, Hermione pretended to get it. "I see now." She said unconvincingly.
"No you don't." Severus growled in frustration. "Do not simply say you understand to appease me, Miss Granger. You can get this. You just need time and practice…"
"I'm sorry, sir, but I don't want to bother you. I can take the materials you leant me and study. I'm sure I'll get it." Hermione said, turning to gather the study materials and leave.
"Miss Granger." He called her back, resisting the urge to put his hand on her shoulder and turn her towards him. She stopped and looked back at him. Severus studied her for a moment. Was he really going to do this? He sighed. "If you haven't grasped it yet on your own you will still have difficulty even with the extra resources. This isn't exactly a topic conducive to only theory. You'll need hands on practice. I propose we start a guided independent study. I will help you create your own spell and if you keep notes on your progress you will be able to write an academic essay that can be published. It would be useful to show to any future employers."
"An independent study?" Hermione questioned in disbelief that Snape would initiate a project the two of them could work on. She had thought he wouldn't want to have much to do with her after his health returned to him, and it had already surprised her he had offered to help her with her studies. "What new spell would we create?"
Snape huffed in slight annoyance. "Please, Miss Granger, I thought you were more clever than this. I am offering to help you revert the enchantment on your parents."
Hermione stared at Snape in utter shock and he stood awkwardly under her scrutiny. Tears began to gather in Hermione's eyes. With a sudden strangled cry, she all but threw the books she'd been holding on the table and launched herself at Severus, wrapping her arms around his middle and sobbing into his chest. "Thank you! Thank you!" She wept. After all this time worrying about what she would do and finding no answers, Snape seemingly had all she needed to reunite with her parents. He was not just willing to help her, but he actually knew how.
Severus blushed crimson. One hand braced himself against the table and the other hovered uncertainly. Slowly, he rested his hand on top of her head and slid it down over her soft tresses to rest on her shoulder. Damn Potter and Weasley for making her fix this on her own when she had erased her parents' memories for their sakes. It was their fault she was here soaking his shirt front with her tears. But he was surprised to find he liked comforting her. In fact, it was probably indecent how emotionally involved he was feeling. He couldn't recall feeling this ache of sympathy while allaying Narcissa's fears for her son. But that wasn't right. He couldn't be feeling for this young woman- not this deeply. He had to be tired. Merely worn thin from his stressful day. That's why the sudden emotional response effected him so. "Hermione." He said soothingly.
As Hermione's head snapped up in shock, Severus realized he had just used her first name, but he did not dwell on this long for she looked up at him with a stunning mixture of surprise, sadness, and perhaps what could be longing. Dewey eyes looked up at him beneath spiked eyelashes- clinging together with moisture. Light freckles stood out on rosy cheeks and her plump lips were slightly parted and aggravated to a sweet raspberry color. Her mouth hypnotized Snape and he felt afraid to move, as though he might frighten her away. Her heart was fluttering like a skittish dove against his chest.
Hermione trembled and she felt a flood of heat rush through her veins. She had a great desire to say his name. Softly she began to stutter the name she could practically taste on her tongue. "Se-… Seve-…"
Suddenly the cold realization of what she wanted caused her to stumble back. Avoiding Snape's eyes, fearing she had made him angry by crossing a line, she spotted the discarded books and note. She began to gather them up in unsteady hands. She then hastened out the door. At the entryway she turned slightly and managed a mortified, "I'm sorry, Professor." Before scrambling to her room.
Snape looked after her, his heart hammering in his chest. She nearly used his Christian name. And the way she had looked at him. No. He told himself firmly. She must have been afraid. The way she had run from him. He was a monster to even hope she had enjoyed that moment as much as he had. You had best put it out of your mind. He scolded himself.
Gathering his wits, he went to his water basin and splashed cool water on his face. It did calm him, but he couldn't quite manage to avoid intrusive thoughts of Hermione's name on his lips and the beckoning call of her delicious mouth.
. . .
Ron plunked down in his usual private booth at The Three Broomsticks. He felt a bit guilty about telling Harry he was going home, but he had Hermione to keep him company. He'd be fine. And besides, Ron had been eager to vent to Pansy. He had been careful to keep the secret about Snape living with them but he made it sound as though his whole family visited Harry and Hermione and that Fred had taken Snape's place in his complaints. Fred had been recovering, after all, so it would make more sense to the situation.
"Sorry, it took me a while to get Bud to sleep. He's fine with our house elf once he's sleeping but Miff can't do anything to help him drift off herself." Pansy explained, closing the door to their booth after her before sitting across from Ron.
The two had begun meeting at The Three Broomsticks at least two evenings a week since Ron had come back a few days after Pansy's drinking incident. She had grudgingly thanked him and they had started talking together about things they were troubled by: feeding each others' bitterness.
"It's still odd to me…" Ron started, wondering if he should say more.
"What?" Pansy prompted
"Well, my mum had six kids but she raised all of us. Your mum only has the two of you but she can't even spare the time for your brother." Ron pointed out.
Pansy grew angry. "How nice for you, then, isn't it?"
Ron knew he shouldn't have said anything, but he had grown used to saying whatever was on his mind with Pansy. "That's not what I meant and you know it." He grumbled. "I just think it's wrong for your mum to give you so much responsibility."
"Oh, so now I can't handle responsibility." Pansy retorted, but Ron could tell she was joking now. She had a very sarcastic sense of humor and he rather liked it. "You're right." She admitted after a moment's thought. "I just… haven't seen it that way. I like taking care of Bud. Especially since-"
She broke off and again Ron was left wondering what she was hiding. He knew it had something to do with her parents but he couldn't figure out what exactly. "My mum and dad are so focused on work." She finally completed the thought. "I didn't get much attention as a child. I want Bud to feel more loved than I did. Is that strange? Though, you might not even know what I'm really talking about. Our families are so different."
"Not too different." Ron objected. "My mum always preferred Ginny when she was born a year after me. Fred and George were such a handful and Ginny being the only girl… I was lost in the shuffle. And dad is always working. I suppose if I had a little brother that was just one of the bunch like me, I'd want to be sure he got the attention I always wanted as a kid, too."
Pansy looked at him, curiosity on her fey-like puckered face. "Perhaps we aren't so different after all." She said finally with a small smile. Ron grinned. "So, how are evening classes?" He asked, mostly to change the subject to a lighter topic.
"Alright." Pansy shrugged. "I don't have many to complete. I tested out of most, but I still don't know what to do when I'm done. McGonagall will let us do internships but I'm not sure what really appeals to me."
"Maybe you could get an internship at the Ministry. You could be an auror." Ron said teasingly.
Pansy stuck her tongue out at him. "Are you trying to annoy me, Weasley?"
Just then their orders arrived. A bottle of mead, two cups, ham hock, gravy, potatoes, and fresh bread for them both was set, steaming before them. They waited until their server cleared out to resume the conversation.
"But you might be onto something. Would they take someone like me on as an auror apprentice?" Pansy asked. The more she thought of it, the better she like it. She could protect her family from a position like that- protect Bud. Whether that meant helping arrest threatening wizards, or warn her parents if anyone was after them.
Ron seemed surprised. "I didn't know you were interested in being an auror."
"I haven't been, but after going through the war- it feels right somehow." Pansy gave Ron a reason he could understand. They may have more in common than she originally thought, but he couldn't know about or understand the full situation she was experiencing with her family.
Ron got the feeling Pansy was withholding something again, but her reasons could be her own. Truth be told, the Ministry was hurting for help since aurors were either killed fighting Death Eaters or imprisoned for helping them, like Dawlish. Surely Pansy, whatever her reasons, would be a great addition since she also knew a bit about the goings on of Death Eaters, while perhaps not as much as Snape. And she wouldn't be as dangerous to have around. "I'll put in a good word for you." Rob offered. "But only if you're sure."
Pansy looked up at him, startled. He really was going to help her. Ron Weasley. And he listened to her. Even Draco hadn't done that much. He'd had too much on his own plate to deal with. "Yes, I'm sure." She said more firmly. She would protect her family- even if her parents seemed determined to see them all in Azkaban- or worse. "Thank you."
. . .
Luna drifted from the Ravenclaw common room, heading for her nightly Divination courses with Firenze. Luna took like a fish to water using nature and astronomy to help her divine. Somehow she was able to read people the best. As a result she had gotten to know Firenze very well. He was very intelligent and wise, and thus cautious. He measured before he took action. He was also very loyal. His loyalty to Hogwarts was still very strong even after Dumbledore's death, and his loyalty to his herd remained though they had tried to kill him. Luna had discovered he was still searching for a proper time to return to them and try to speak to them about the prudence of befriending humans.
"Oh, how are you doing,, dear?" Professor Trelawney's voice broke through her thoughts as she rounded a corner and was about to pass the other divination instructor by.
"Very well." Luna replied politely. "How are you, Professor?"
Trelawney gestured vaguely. "Ah, well, I see much woe approaching but I'm taking pleasure in the present before it comes."
Luna thought it best not to reply. She thought Professor Trelawney brought much of her own woe on herself, but it wouldn't do Trelawney any good if Luna were to say so, in this situation at least.
"Keeping occupied helps. I should have liked to have you as my student these evenings to help while away the time. There is much I could teach you." Trelawney continued, getting to the point of her striking up a conversation with Luna.
Luna smiled kindly. "Perhaps a private lesson sometime after Divination or Xylomancy." She suggested since she had both classes during the day with Trelawney. "But I do enjoy learning different ways from both of you. Professor Firenze is very talented too."
Trelawney frowned slightly. "Yes, well, I suppose he seems smarter than your average horse."
Luna got very angry then. She had always liked Trelawney but this rudeness because of jealously was not acceptable. "He is a centaur, Professor. I know you two don't get along, but I will not listen to insults about my Professors. I must be on my way, and I won't be wanting that private lesson after all."
Luna flounced off and Trelawney was left sputtering excuses behind her. Luna knew she'd have to listen to it all tomorrow after Divination class but she didn't much care. Nor did she plan on apologizing or dismissing it as a misunderstanding. She knew what it was like to be bullied because of being different and while she could take it herself, she wouldn't sit by peaceably when others were being bullied.
Luna had a deep frown and a crease between her brows when she entered Professor Firenze's forest classroom. The centaur noticed and knew she wouldn't be able to concentrate in this state of mind.
"Would you like some tea before we begin, Miss Lovegood?" Firenze asked, knowing the drink often helped soothe humans. "You seem upset."
Luna forced a small smile. "Thank you, Professor, but I'm fine. I think if I practice some breathing techniques I'll be ready."
Firenze inclined his head. "Very well. But know if something is upsetting you, I or one of your other teachers will always listen to your troubles."
Luna gave a genuine smile then. "You are very kind, sir. I'll let you know if I have any problems, but this time it's nothing to worry about."
They took several minutes to calm their minds and prepare to focus on nature's whispers about what was to come.
"I think today we will look at your skills in Xylomancy. I know you are learning with Professor Trelawney, but I'd like to see how you are progressing in this study. I have found several good books on the subject and it's quite a passion of mine." Firenze said. "If you will walk with me to the Forbidden Forest. Hagrid will be there waiting for us as well."
Luna followed him down to the front door s and wondered as they went if Hagrid was coming in case Professor Firenze's herd tried to hurt him again. "Good evening, you two." The half- giant greeted them gruffly. Fang loped over to Luna for a scratch behind the ears and she happily obliged. The small company then set out into the forest in companionable silence while Luna concentrated on seeking answers from nature.
Xylomancy was slightly different than Divination or Astronomy since it could have to do with a person's state of mind, their past, present or future depending on what was important at the time. It was much more like tarot reading which was one of Trelawney's specialties. Firenze didn't take much stock in fortune-telling. He considered such practices frivolous and preferred the seriousness of interpreting nature's guidance and warnings. Perhaps, thought Luna, Xylomancy was different since it had to do with trees. It was sort of like a direct line from nature to the person now that she considered it.
The gentle caress of a breeze caused leaves to shiver. A squirrel ran by overhead, his foot landing on a weak twig which snapped under his weight. He quickly recovered and skittered on to find shelter from owls. The twig continued its journey to the forest floor, narrowly missing the top of a silvery-blonde head. Luna's eyes had snapped up half-way through the twig's decent and she watched it land at her feet. "Here we are." She said for the sake of the rest of her part so they would know o stop with her.
Luna bent to grasp the twig. It was rather lovely. Very fresh, angled sharply in the middle, and near the bend was a full, light pink blossom.
Firenze looked intrigued. A nice reading for his young, gentle charge. Perhaps the danger she had predicted several weeks ago wouldn't affect her badly. "What do you see?" He asked.
Luna continued to inspect the little twig. "Since it fell in front of me it indicates surprise. It's also from a cherry tree which speaks of rebirth or awakening potential. "She blushed, thinking of her newly discovered gift. The blush deepened as the next meanings came to her. She hoped she wasn't mistaken and saying embarrassing things. She didn't want Professor Firenze thinking she was just looking for love advice. "The sharp bend in the twig means a sudden change in fate and just after there's a blossom. I think this means… love? It comes soon after helping a friend in need- the nodes indicating friends. All of them look healthy, except this one. It has a scratch through it that leads to the blossom. The shape of the scratch means-" She stopped suddenly. She knew which friend it was by that shape. Her heart fluttered as she thought about Harry. She had always liked spending time with him, and she secretly had deeper feelings, but since her best friend had seemed interested she'd ignored her joy at seeing him. But it looked like fate was changing. Ginny was with Neville, and this little twig now indicated the powerful wizard with a deep lightening bolt-shaped scratch. She recovered herself and avoided telling them who the person was. "The shape means that the friend is bottling up their emotions. The scratch is deep and rather old but it's grown in size recently. They must be struggling with problems from their past that have gotten worse."
Firenze held his hand out for the twig to double check her reading. He took note of the lightening-bolt mark and recognized the significance but he felt no need to embarrass the girl. This had turned out to be a very personal reading so he knew sensitivity would be best. Humans could be very private beings. So different from centaurs who spoke openly about their problems. That's how a herd could be so close. Perhaps that was why humans had so many problems. "Very accurate, Miss Lovegood." He praised. "I would point out just a few details that were overlooked. Notice the shortness of the length between the broken end and the sharp bend. This indicates how little of life you've experienced thus far. When you look at the length from the bend to the tip of the branch you see that it is at least four times the length of the first section which suggests a long life. The strength and flexibility of the twig tells us you are firm in spirit, but are able to change with time. A good quality. The lack of marks past the blossom show a future yet unwritten. I suppose nature thought your near future very important at the moment."
Luna took note of the details she had missed and was both relieved and bashful about the accuracy of her reading. She was glad she didn't sound like one of the girls who was interested in Divination just to look into their love lives. Not that she looked down on those girls, but she took her gift seriously.
The group made their way back towards the grounds of Hogwarts and Luna began worrying about Harry. If he wasn't letting Hermione or Ron know about his feelings, then they would fester and grow. She wondered if it would be too strange to send him an owl. Remembering how the twig had surprised her, Luna felt a strengthening of her resolve. Being spontaneous couldn't hurt, and if Harry really was hurting she wanted to help him whether something more came of it or not.
. . .
Harry had felt restless after eating and he found himself wandering aimlessly about the yard. He was careful to stay within the boundary of the wards though the forest called to him and he thought idly that it might feel good to just keep wandering into the woods with no direction or purpose. Just wander until everyone forgot him. And maybe he could forget too…
The fluttering wings of an owl caught his attention and he put his arm up just in time to let the lovely creature land. It was a sweet barred owl that nibbled on his glasses while it waited patiently for him to take the letter it was holding. Harry stroked the owl's head before taking the envelope and carried the creature inside where he could read the letter.
The door to Hermione's room had just shut and Snape was coming out of his room when Harry came in. Harry thought he looked a little unsettled about something. "Savage wasn't too rough on you today, was he?"
Snape quickly reorganized his features into a more expected sneer. "It's nothing I couldn't handle. You should understand this as well as I, Potter. Nothing compares to the intimidation of the Dark Lord."
Harry grew very solemn and nodded. After a moment of reflection on both their parts, Harry changed the subject, remembering the owl on his weakening arm. "I was just about to make some tea and read this letter. Would you like to join me?"
Severus considered and finally agreed. Potter would be occupied, after all, and he was on his way to have some tea and sort out his thoughts anyway.
Severus motioned for Harry to lead the way and asked as the young man took a seat. "How did an owl reach you here?"
Harry shrugged. "I'm not sure, but the letter is from Luna Lovegood."
Snape's mouth twisted in consideration. Perhaps the Lovegood girl had found Potter's house elf. She did seem to make the oddest acquaintances with ease. Deciding it wasn't an immediate threat, he set to preparing the tea and retrieving some scones that he had baked earlier that day. The three tenants at Ainsley Place took turns preparing meals since Kreature was away.
While waiting for the tea to boil, Severus also prepared a glass of water and thawed, using a magical flame, a frozen mouse for the owl which Harry had perched on the back of a chair while he opened his letter. Severus used Mobilicorpus to wiggle the mouse tantalizingly before the owl and the bird promptly bit the rodent out of the air, the little tail dangling adorably from his beak as Severus placed the cup of water nearby for the owl to drink.
"Thank you." Harry said absently as Severus plated the scones for each of them and poured their tea. He then took a seat and looked into his tea cup contemplating the moment he and Hermione had just shared. He really couldn't deny any longer that he was feeling an attraction to his former student. But not love. He told himself almost as a reprimand. No one could replace his love for Lily. For some inexplicable reason he was lusting after the girl. Hermione. He still couldn't believe he'd called her by her first name. Irresponsible. He thought angrily. Surely this was all a result of dealing with his guilt. It was a perversion of his desire to make peace with his past. He was trying to be kind towards Granger in contrast with his previous meanness and the sudden large change in behavior was causing him to overcompensate. That had to be it. He would simply need to watch himself. Now that he had set them on an intensive study together he would need to be very careful.
Unaware of Snape's thoughts about his companion, Harry was engrossed in the letter he had received.
Harry,
I've never gotten to thank you properly for helping me
escape Malfoy Manor. Would you be able to risk going
to Hogsmeade with me sometime soon? My treat. Let
me know when you have time if you'd like to go.
~Luna Lovegood
It was just a scrap of a letter really, but Harry couldn't help but reread it several times. He was taken off guard, wondering first how an owl had found its way to Ainsley Place, then why Luna would suddenly decide to write to him. They had never corresponded before. Perhaps helping her had meant more to her than he realized, though it wasn't as though he could just leave her there. And Ron and Hermione had helped as well yet they were not included in the missive.
Deciding he would like to get out of the house and thinking Hogsmeade as good a place as any to make a public debut, Harry left to get his stationary supplies. Snape was gone when he returned and he assumed the man had gone back to his room. Not that Harry minded. They didn't need to talk much to be on good terms and Harry rather wanted to finish his tea and write his response in peace.
Hello Luna,he began after some deliberation.
It's great to hear from you. I hope classes are going
well.
Thank you for the invitation to Hogsmeade. I've been
looking for a reason to get out of the house other
than for work. How is Saturday? I won't be busy
then.
Harry
Harry looked the note over and felt as though something was missing. Struck by realization he quilled in a final sentiment.
P. S. You don't need to thank me, Luna. I'm
just glad we were able to be there for you.
See you at Hogsmeade.
Smiling slightly in satisfaction, Harry packed the response into an envelope, sealed it, and sent it off with the owl who had waited so patiently. As the silent bird flew away, the dark loneliness began to seep in again, though not as keenly since the prospect of a day out with his friend hung in the near future.
. . .
Heather passed the knife Wormtail had used in the ritual to bring back the Dark Lord to her husband. They were in the same graveyard and, while it was risky since aurors knew of the location, it had Significance. Two Death Eaters stood as sentinels, having already been initiated, while the ceremony got underway.
"You have been summoned her quietly, without your marks, because today you become the trusted- the truly loyal." Xyllius began dramatically. "There are many who believe the Cause died with the Dark Lord. But what is death to Death Eaters? As disciples of the Dark Lord, we consume mortality and the finite fate of Mudbloods, to cleanse the wizarding world until only Pure Blood remains!"
There were inspired gasps and nods in agreement. Xyllius continued. "Before we can carry out this righteous undertaking, we need to let our blood as a symbol of our dedication to keep our blood Pure." Heather now produced a large goblet. Xyllius was the first to use the knife. He cut a deliberate symbol, the rune Naudiz, on the forehead of the skull in his dark mark. It was to symbolize both the scarcity, and need for pure blood as well as the sense of justice for defending the wizarding world from the infection that was Mudbloods. He then let his blood flow into the goblet and passed the knife to his wife and held the goblet for her. It continued this way until all had followed suit.
"Now we will drink. This blood is the death of our impurity. We will now, truly, be Death Eaters as the Dark Lord intended." Xyllius took the first gulp and passed it, a look of rapturous elation on his face as blood spilled from the corners of his mouth. His dream was becoming realized. They would continue on with even more zealous drive than before to see the magnificent Dark Lord's will done.
