A/N: I don't own Harry Potter
This is for the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Auction day 29 Prompt 3: Hades & Persephone
Word Count: 2258
The blue flame torches flickered as Severus walked down the path. He waved a hand causing them to turn off as he passed. There was no point in lighting the path if there was no one to walk it. Sure, there were his minions, there were the souls of the damned that lived in his Underworld, but none of them were considered worthy enough. Severus hated to admit it, but maybe, just maybe he was a bit lonely down here in the Underworld.
"I know what will make me feel better," he stated. "Killing a field of flowers, lilies. I hate lilies," he muttered, turning down the path that would lead him to world above. The stairs were made of grey slate and looked more like slabs of stone than stairs. He took them slowly, his cloak billowing behind him.
He loved dressing for the part of Lord of the Underworld, keeping his clothing in dark colors; black, purples, and shades of grey. The purple served as a reminder that he was Lord down here, that he was just as much entitled to things as any other king. He smiled thinking about how the whole field of lilies would wilt before him.
There had been a mortal girl named Lily once upon time, she had betrayed him, broken his heart, now, now he was more than happy to make her namesake pay. He stepped out onto the field, looking around. It was a bright sunny day and that somehow made him feel worse. He scowled, looking around. He didn't see any sprites or other creatures at the moment. He was about to raise his hands making the whole field fall before him, when something caught his eye.
At first, he thought her a sprite, that he'd missed one of the nature spirits but then he realized she was something else, something more. Her brown hair reflected golden in the sun. She was sitting on the ground, her legs folded beneath her, a scroll in her hand. There was a thoughtful expression on her face. Severus stared at her, unable to believe such a creature existed. She was beauty incarnate, more wondrous than even Aphrodite.
He knew in that moment, he had to have her. He took a few steps towards her before pausing. No, that wasn't how to get her attention. A woman like that would never talk to him. No, if she saw him, she'd run in fear like so many others. He scowled deeply before raising a hand and summoning a chariot pulled by thestrals.
He stepped into the chariot and ordered the thestrals towards the young woman. She saw him and looked up, a look of confusion turning to horror. Once he was close enough, he grabbed her, pulling her to him. She screamed and tried to fight, but Severus held her tightly as he opened the Earth beneath them and took her to his home.
Hermione finally stopped screaming once the chariot stopped moving. She looked at the tall and dark man who was holding her. He was tall with pale skin, dark eyes, and a very distinguished nose.
"Welcome to my kingdom, now your kingdom as well, my love," he stated, gesturing to everything.
"Who are you?" she asked. Severus smiled. She hadn't heard of him?
"I am Severus, Lord of the Underworld and you are my bride -"
"Hermione," she answered. "Wait, you kidnapped me to be your wife?"
"Yes, I did. Now, over here is the throne room where we shall entertain the heroes who come questing for me to release one of their loved ones from the Underworld, not that I will, but it is part of the job."
"I don't want to marry you," Hermione said, glaring at him.
"You'll love me once you get to know me," he replied, "besides, no one ever really wants to live in the Underworld."
"But what about my mum? She'll come looking for me?"
"Let me worry about that, my Hermione. Now, this is our chamber, no one else is allowed inside. I've enchanted the doors to turn anyone who dares to enter into a bat."
"How original," Hermione muttered. "I don't want to be here, can I please go home now?"
"Home? You are home. This is our home."
"But what about the sunlight? What about the flowers?"
"There's plenty of sunlight, see, I've got these enchanted windows. They can make any weather you wish," he stated, leading Hermione into another room. She sighed and tried to slip past him, back out the door only to find herself standing before him once again.
"You can't escape me, my Hermione," he said, giving her a smirk. "I've made sure of that, I've made sure you can never leave me like she did," he added. "Now we need to discuss your wardrobe. I was thinking something billowy and black," he stated, while Hermione tried every door, always appearing right back before Severus.
"I like my white dress. It reminds me of Spring, of hope, of light," she growled.
"We'll just do our best to keep it clean then, a stark contrast might just set a few heroes' heads turning," Severus stated. "This is the dining hall," he said, leading her into a large room with a large table in the center. Severus pulled out a chair and motioned for her to sit. Instead she continued to stand and folded her arms across her chest.
"No, I will not sit at your table and I will not marry you," she stated. Severus sighed.
"I was hoping you'd come to your senses once you realized I was serious. Fine, be like that, my servant Luna here will take you to your chamber. We will sleep in separate chambers until the wedding. Does that suit you?"
"Fine, there's not going to be a wedding though," Hermione growled as she looked to the girl Severus had somehow summoned. She followed Luna from the dining room and into yet another blue torched lit corridor.
"He's not so bad once you get to know him," Luna commented. "He does give the heroes a fair chance," she added.
"He kidnapped me."
"Maybe he thought you wouldn't look at him otherwise," Luna shrugged. "Here we are, these will be your chambers until the wedding," she said, opening a wooden door with a golden handle to a set of suites. All were decorated in blacks and purples. Hermione growled seeing them.
"Those are the Lord's favorite colors," Luna commented, leaving Hermione to get settled.
Hermione tried to escape several times over the next two days. She tried sneaking out after a hero. She ended up back in her chambers. She tried taking the slab steps to the surface only to have them lead to Severus' throne room instead.
"This will be your throne, Hermione. It's made of the same onyx as mine, but in a softer design, unless you'd prefer something else?" he asked.
"I would prefer to go home!" Hermione yelled. Severus ignored her and started talking about the velvet cushions on the throne. Hermione threw her hands up and stormed back to her own chambers. There had to be a way out of here!
"Hermione, dinner," Luna stated, poking her head into the room. Hermione had thrown the bedding into a pile, tried to set a wall on fire, and managed to accomplish absolutely nothing.
"Not hungry," she stated.
"It's been almost three days since you've been here, surely you must be hungry? Lord Severus is having dinner, maybe just go keep him company?" Luna suggested. Hermione sighed.
"I can think of a hundred things I'd rather do, and fighting a lion is one of them," she said.
"Very well then, I'll tell Lord Severus you're not interested. He was in such a good mood today to."
"A good mood?"
"A whole boatload of souls, something about a war, that always puts him in a good mood," Luna replied.
"You know what, I think I will go keep him company. Maybe he'll release me," she stated, stalking past Luna to the dining room.
Severus rose from his seat upon seeing her.
"Hermione, how wonderful for you to join me," he said, pulling out a chair for her. She sat, glancing at the table. Luna was right, she was famished.
"I heard there was war?" she said, looking at Severus.
"Yes, yes, a hundred new souls for our kingdom. It's a shame though, these people never learn, it's always one killing the other. It's good for me, but not so much for anyone else, if you think about it."
Hermione took a moment to do just that. Maybe Severus wasn't so one sided after all? He did care about those who entered his kingdom. She'd witnessed several heroes come and go over the last few days. They were always given a fair chance, although most did fail.
"What are they fighting about?"
"No idea, something petty, as mortals always do," Severus answered, starting to talk about the previous wars he'd witnessed. Hermione couldn't help but realize his voice was fairly relaxing, something she could listen to for a long time. While he talked, Hermione absent mindedly picked at the food on the table. She'd found a pomegranate and popped one of the seeds in her mouth. She sucked as she listened to Severus, who had changed the topic to this one hero who had managed to rescue his true love.
"So they do sometimes win then?"
"Of course, if the love is true, they will win. They have something special," Severus said, looking at Hermione. For a moment, she felt something flutter in her own heart.
"And you don't? You have this whole kingdom?"
"And subjects who are afraid of me, heroes that come and go, lovers happily trying to win their love back, and where does that leave me? Alone."
"Is that why you took me?' Hermione asked, sucking on a third pomegranate seed.
"That and I was mesmerized by your beauty. I had no idea you were intelligent as well."
"I like to read, poetry mostly," she said. "You read?" she asked, curious despite herself.
"I do, I have a vast library, some scrolls that have never seen the light of day. Would you be interested in seeing it?"
"Very much so," Hermione answered, looking at her host. She had to admit, he wasn't bad looking once one got past his idea of finding a wife was abducting a girl from the middle of a field.
"After dinner then," Severus stated, giving Hermione a smile. She returned it slowly.
Dinner ended with both of them still talking about their favorite poets and philosophers.
"No, he's got it completely wrong, man is just not capable of such things," she said, causing Severus to laugh, he put a hand on her shoulder, to lead her to the library. Suddenly the whole world shook. The click of heels could heard echoing through the whole Underworld.
"Mum," Hermione whispered as Minerva stepped into the room.
"Unhand my daughter," she ordered, glaring at Severus. He turned to Hermione.
"She's your mum?"
"Yeah, I told you she'd be looking for me," Hermione said. "Mum, how did you find me?"
"The sun finally told me, in the form of a stupid haiku, but here I am to take you back home to the surface."
"Severus... I..."
"I realize you don't belong down here, Hermione. You're too smart, too brilliant to locked away with a god like me," Severus muttered, glaring at Minerva, who was currently returning that expression. Hermione nodded, giving Severus a sad smile.
"I do want to see that library though," she said.
"And you will!" Luna announced, running into the room. She turned to Minerva.
"Hello, Goddess, I'm afraid Hermione is unable to leave the Underworld for she has partaken of our food," Luna explained. Hermione and Severus turned to the table where the pomegranate lay open, the pits of the seeds on the plate.
"Hermione, is this true?"
"It is, Mum. I did eat the food," she confessed. She looked at Severus, expecting him to be smiling at she was his, that she couldn't leave. Instead, he looked deep in thought.
"Minerva, I have a proposition for you concerning Hermione. Since she did eat six seeds, I ask that she spend six months here with me, in the Underworld. The other six she shall spend with you, on the surface. Is this deal amicable to you?" he asked.
"Hermione? Do you wish to stay with Severus for half the year?"
"I do, Mum. I... I think I could grow to care for him," she admitted. Minerva nodded her head.
"Very well, for those six months without my daughter, nothing will grow and the world shall be cold as a reminder that she is the light of my life."
Hermione smiled and hugged Minerva.
"Thank you!" she exclaimed, before turning her attention back to Severus.
"I believe you were about to show me a library and then, I think maybe we might talk about this idea of wedding you have?" she asked, allowing Severus to take her hand and lead her from the dining chamber, leaving a very annoyed Minerva standing there. Luna smiled watching them.
"Eros does good work," she commented.
"Too good," Minerva muttered. "I need to have a word with him," she stated before disappearing. Luna smiled and started cleaning off the table, knowing Hermione would never have been able to resist the pomegranate They were quite good after all.