This was not how I wanted to spend my Friday night, Hermione thought as she scaled down an old rope ladder as she descended a dark hole in the cemetery.
It took one week to be able to find what they believed to be the origins of the earthquake. The earthquake consisted of several smaller pockets all of which occurred simultaneously from Chester, Warrington, Wiggan and Foby. When drawn on a map all of these cities encircle a center point of Liverpool. The only known tunnels in the area are the Williamson Tunnels. The tunnels are a series of extensive subterranean excavations believed to have been created under the direction of tobacco merchant Joseph Williamson between 1810 and 1840. However, the tunnels were filled in with rubble during the 19th and early 20th centuries and remained inaccessible until archaeological investigations were carried out in 1995. Excavations are still being carried out today. Nonetheless, if the earthquakes originated from the magical powers of the dagger then these tunnels should have been affected by the seismic powers, however, they remained undisturbed.
The possibility that the tunnels they were looking for still remained unknown and inaccessible became high.
It wasn't until they researched at a local library that they came across a new lead. They found in the archives the original journal from a local girl born in the 1900s named Agatha Gerald. She became worried about her father when one day he appeared with a branded mark on his wrist. A cross with a V underneath. Afraid that he was a part of a religious cult she followed him when she noticed he began to sneak out at night. She followed him in the dead of night as he maneuvered through a series of tunnels he used for his job as a tobacco smuggler in 1916 during the prohibition. She followed him until she reached a dead-end cavern. Finding no trace of her father, once he disappeared. The only thing Agatha wrote worth knowing about the cavern she found was that it was marked. She believed that he vanished with magic and was a part of a devil-worshiping cult. Not much thought was ever given to Agatha's diary entry. Any scholars who came across it believed that her ramblings of her father were an indicator that he was involved with the Freemasons. No one ever thought of the possibility that there was a connection to the diary and King James' dagger until now.
Agatha wrote that the entrance to the tunnels was located underneath an unmarked gravestone in the cemetery behind the old school. When moved revealed a hole and a rope ladder. From research the old school she was referring to burned down in 1962 and was never rebuilt. But the closest cemetery to that spot was Prescot cemetery. Which was an active cemetery when Agatha was still alive. The cemetery is just over a two-hour walk from the Williamson Tunnels. The tunnels may connect amongst the distance.
If what Agatha wrote was true then there is an entry to the tunnels in Prescot cemetery that are connected to the Williamson tunnels. There is also a false wall in the tunnels that had been marked. She didn't directly state how the wall was marked, all she wrote was diev et mon droit. It is the motto of the Monarch of the United Kingdom outside Scotland. One that King Jame would have used during his reign. It seemed so easy to connect the dots now that they have all of the information when in reality it took several long restless days and endless nights of research. Hermione loved research and even prided herself on her ability to comb through research with a magnifying glass but this was just tedious.
Using a glamour charm, to disguise their movements, Hermione and Severus made their way through Prescot Cemetery earlier this evening. Looking for an unmarked grave was a strenuous task. Many graves were named but over time the carvings had faded. The two used flashlights as they read each grave, opting out of using magic. If they were caught for trespassing then they didn't want to have to answer any more unnecessary questions than necessary. There was also the possibility that any magic could trigger the dagger's energy and create another earthquake. Something the pair were trying to avoid. The two separated to cover more ground. There were hundreds of names and unmarked graves to go through. It was after two hours when Severus indicated that he found it. By the time Hermione made her way over to him, Severus was standing over a dark hole in the ground. The grave had been pushed off to the side.
Luckily the tunnel appeared to be only one way once Hermione and Severus reached the bottom of the rope and examined their surroundings. The tunnel was approximately 7 feet tall and only a few feet wide. It was difficult for the pair to walk side by side. The walls were composed of dirt and rocks jutting out from the sides. Depending on the stretch of land above them, some roots hung low from the top. When they shined their flashlights down the length of the tunnel it extended several hundred meters before the path curled off to the side. It was a good call on both of their parts that they wore a pair of dragon hide boots and had the foresight to wear jackets. Despite there only one known exit, the air was cold and there was a draft. The air was thick from the dirt. The ground was uneven and damp with moisture. Hermione pulled her hair up and out of her face as Severus studied the integrity of the tunnel.
Making their way along the tunnel, the air was thick with tension. The tension wasn't only from the suspense and the lack of clean oxygen but from the silence between the pair. While working together they began to develop a fellowship that they had not anticipated, when they first met up all of those weeks ago. But after sleeping in each other's arms they became aware that their feelings for the other may not be only strictly friendly or professional. With awkward glances from Hermione and Severus looking anywhere but at her, it was uncomfortable in the close spaces.
Hermione started to talk to try and ease the tension. Despite any awkwardness between the two they never had an issue conversing. Most likely due to the fact that the pair are quite intellectually matched; a rare occurrence in both of their experiences. "I looked into the symbol that Agatha's father had but I couldn't find anything in any books."
"It's possibly a Christian symbol turned into a dagger. King James was a devoted Catholic during his reign," Severus said as he engaged her in conversation. When the tunnel took a sharp turn they came across some fallen stones that blocked the path. Severus helped guide Hermione as she climbed over it first. His fingers lingering on her waist under her clothes. His hands burned against the coolness of her skin. Once she made it over he quickly maneuvered through the debris himself.
"It's a possibility that her father was a part of a secret organization descended from either the King's soldiers or the survivors of the original earthquake and were sworn to protect it or to try and to destroy it," Hermione said, trying to distract herself from their closeness as the tunnel wined in spirals.
"I'm not entirely sure what Agatha meant by the wall being marked," Hermione said, looking to the man on her left. "What kind of marking are we exactly looking for? A discrepancy? Or a symbol?
"The phrase diev et mon droit means "God and my right". Severus said as the two found themselves at the end of the tunnel. The cavern was carved with more care and precision than the tunnel they walked in was. The stones along the walls were smooth, the cracks separating each brick was barely legible. "So if what she said was the wall was marked with God and my right. She could have meant literally that God or a symbol of God was located on the right side of the wall," Severus said as he walked to the wall to their right. A few minutes had passed as the two examined the wall.
Hermione was squatted down examining the lower stones when she noticed that one of the vertical lines in the stone was curved. Moving closer and brushing away some old dust there was a carving of a circle. While moving closer she lost her balance and put her weight on her hand to steady herself. The circle pushed inwards with a grown. The wall gave way and shifted inwards to the attaching wall resulting in a space between the two.
"Well that went well," Hermione said as she stood up.
"It seems we are on the right path," Severus said as he motioned for Hermione to go first. The tunnel had decreased in size. Resulting in the need for Hermione to walk ahead while Severus trailed behind her. It was easier to ignore the tension between them as they walked one by one. But both were aware of its presence.
They walked in silence for almost 10 minutes letting the winding tunnel guide their way in the dark. Hermione suddenly stopped as a loud groaning sound began to echo throughout the air. Rubble and stones began to shift as the earth shifted under their feet. It was an aftershock from the earthquake. The idea was daunting since they were underground. The ground rumbled and shook. They were walking for so long it was too late to turn back now. The tunnel was so straight and narrow there was nowhere for them to go. Severus was much more steady on his feet than Hermione was when the ground felt like it was tilted sideways. With the sudden unleveled ground Hermione ended up falling backwards, luckily Severus was there to catch her and steady her. He made no protest or attempt to correct her stance while the earth shook around them. Hermione's back was pressed up against Severus' chest and he kept his arms wrapped around her tight.
The air grew silent.
After a minute once it became apparent that the quake had passed. Hermione attempted to upright herself only to find that Severus' arms were protecting and protesting her escape.
"You can let me go now," Hermione said weakly, trying to cover up her anxious excitement with discomfort. She didn't want him to know that she was enjoying her embrace.
"There is no need to sound so ungracious," Severus said with a drawl as his hands moved up under her arms to guide her upright. Hermione turned to face him with a scowl on her lips. Sometimes he could still be a bastard despite his more lenient nature nowadays. A retort died on her tongue as the ground shook more prominently this time as the aftershock of the quake spread through the tunnel. A few feet before them debris from the roof caved in. Stones scattered before them blocking their path forward. The movement of the ground caused the pair to fly sideways. Back and forth until she fell back into the wall.
Her back was pressed along the cold stone as Severus fell on her caging her body in as he tried to steady himself. Once the aftershock ended they were able to truly take stock of their positions. The way Severus' arms were placed by her head. How he was curved onto her to protect her from falling debris. And the way his groin was pressed firmly against her lower abdomen. They were breathing heavily from the commotion and the dirt in the air. But when their eyes locked onto each other in their intimate position it seemed to make catching their breaths even more difficult. Their faces were only a few inches away from one another. Even from their close view, they could see each other entirely. His eyes were always dark but now they looked like a pool of endless darkness. Most would find it unnerving to look him in the eye but as her honey-coated eyes locked onto his, she couldn't look away. The thickness of the air slowly settled as the last of the dirt fell slowly around them. But the air seemed to electrify the longer they looked at one another. The atmosphere was strung until the moment their gazes lowered onto the other's lips. That was when the string snapped. And their mouths crashed together.
Hermione wasn't sure who kissed who, only that neither pulled away. Even though the air was cold, her bones felt alight with fire. It had awakened something in her that she never felt before. A spark that once started could not be put out. She will never be able to forget the taste of his mouth on hers as their lips moved together. She had been kissed before but none of them compared to the passion that this held. It was intoxicating and she never wanted it to stop. And for a few minutes, they didn't. Pressed up together it wasn't hard to feel Severus' growing arousal. She could feel her own desire growing as well. One of Severus' hands moved onto her waist to hold her either to the wall or to him, she couldn't be sure. His kiss was bruising. Her lips would sure be swollen and maybe even bleeding from their raw and chapped state. His hand grazed up along her body briefly grazing her breast. Not lingering nearly enough for her liking. His hand moved to her neck, wrapping around her gently. Briefly squeezing, putting pressure on her throat as he tore his mouth away from her. If it wasn't for his hand holding her in place she would have followed him until his mouth was reunited with hers.
Panting heavily while still pressed together, their eyes once again were searching the others. This time Severus' gaze had softened. "We shouldn't do this here," Severus said as he remained in his position. Their bodies still pressed together.
"Your right," Hermione panted. "This isn't the time nor the place," Hermione said, making sure that her want and need for this to continue was known. "Relationships that begin during high and intense dangerous situations often result in disastrous consequences," Hermione said, pointing out a flaw in their plan. They should have realized, now that they were both aware of the other's attraction for them, that nothing was stopping them from pursuing a relationship. The problem was the possibility of the fire burning so passionately between the two that it ended up dying out leaving the pair burned.
"I detest and loathe that theory," Severus said while his voice lacked its normal disgust. "Want to prove it wrong?" Severus asked. Wanting to let her know that he was willing to try if she was.
"What do you propose?" Hermione asked excitedly.
"Have dinner with me next Friday?" Severus asked all pretense aside.
"It's a date," Hermione said.
"Agreed," Severus said as he finally pushed off of the wall and stepped back from Hermione. He took one look before he went to check to see if the cave in destroyed the way they had come. Hermione also figured that he had left to be alone to compose himself. She herself was also struggling with all that has transpired.
Hermione leaned back against the wall to try to keep herself steady. This was what she wanted. A chance to explore whatever was growing between them. She didn't seek this out when he first approached her about working together. But she couldn't deny that it had transcended past what she had expected. She closed her eyes in an attempt to keep the room from spinning. She felt dizzy and slightly nauseous. Eyes closed she was able to take stock of her body. Her body was exhausted and stiff as if she was waking up from a deep sleep in a strained position. The arousal she was feeling earlier from the kiss had completely dissipated now. Her head hurt, probably from fallen debris. She also noticed that both of her wrists hurt. They felt sore and rubbed raw when she was positive that they weren't hurt during all of the excitement. Opening her eyes the dark tunnels disappeared around her as her eyes squinted in adjustment to the bright light around her. The memory faded as Tobias Snape moved to stand in front of her.
