"It makes no difference how deeply seated may be the trouble, how hopeless the outlook, how muddled the tangle, how great the mistake. A sufficient realization of love will dissolve it all."
~Emmet Fox
The trees were alive, pulsing with the drums that resounded through the clearing, the beat was hypnotic and Harry found himself transfixed by the music. The clearing was lit up, literally sparkling and Harry noticed a small pool of water surrounded by white candles, one for each of the four quarters of the Earth. Apart from that there were just a couple of elves, one was beating the drum whilst the another drew a circle around the outside of the candles chanting softly.
"Harry, Nimthîriel wishes you to wear this" said Hyperion, coming up behind him with a white robe in his arms.
"Where do I change?" asked Harry, taking the robes from the elf.
"You may go into the tree line, however I must ask that you do not stray" chuckled Hyperion, amusement ringing in his voice.
Blushing, Harry melted into the forest, becoming one with the tree line. Making sure he was concealed from view, he pulled off his robes and donned the garment he had been gifted. The material felt like water against his skin, although there was a warmth weaved into the white strands that comforted him slightly. Straightening himself up, he wished he could see himself, it would be just his luck to somehow offend the elves with his appearance.
"You look fine Harry" came Tom's voice. Turning, Harry saw him emerge from the dense forest, his arms were full of wild daisies, they seemed to sparkled even though the moon's rays couldn't breach the canopy above their heads, leaving them in darkness.
"How did you know what I was thinking?" asked Harry, glad that the darkness meant Tom couldn't see the blush spreading over his cheeks.
"My heightened legillimency skill means I do not need any eye contact with people in order to read their minds. Although I normally tune it out, it gets rather irritating hearing the insignificant thoughts of the Death Eaters after a while" answered Tom, grimacing slightly. Vaguely Harry was aware that he had been told something like this before, however his thoughts were mainly dwelling over the fact that Tom could have potentially heard everything he had thought around him. Mortified, Harry's mind reminded him that Tom said he normally tunes thoughts out. Slowly Harry's embarrassment faded as he convinced himself that his mentor never had any idea about his growing attachment to him. It wasn't as if he thought about it often and so the risk of Tom having heard then was reduced slightly. Internally he sighed in relief, his face however had remained calm despite the calamity of his mind and he walked with Tom out to the clearing.
The elf had finished the circle and was chatting with Hyperion, the drumming still continued however and lulled Harry into a peaceful mindset. It seemed as if all his troubles were being carried away on the notes, disappearing and leaving only goodness behind. Approaching Hyperion, the other elf turned to him and Harry's breath was taken away. Her thick, flame-like hair shimmered and contrasting with her pale face made her seem unearthly. She smiled at him and there was such gentleness in her honey coloured eyes that Harry felt a sudden warmth to her. She wore a white muslin dress that reached down to her feet, it was figure hugging and the sleeves flared past the elbows making her seem regal and sophisticated, making Harry hold himself straigher.
"Harry, this is Nimthîriel, she will talk us through the ritual and invoke the goddess" explained Tom.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Harry, there has been much talk about you in our Kingdoms and it is an honour to finally see you in person" her voice, like Hyperion's, almost caressed his ears however she sounded wise and Harry could tell that she had seen a lot in her lifetime, be that good or bad her voice gave him no indication.
"The honour is mine, however if you do not object to my asking, why is Tom taking me through the ritual?" Harry bowed slightly in respect, his question hanging in the air between them.
"Alderan has informed me that he is your mentor, as your mentor he shall be more in tuned to your aura than we are. We may see them, however seeing and feeling are two different things entirely" answered Nimthîriel.
"Thank you" replied Harry, tilting his head to show his gratitude.
"It is quite alright childe, now Tom, please scatter the daisies into the pool, Hyperion you may stay but please do not enter the circle. It is for Harry and Tom alone."
After this, Hyperion bowed to her and removed himself to the forest edge, close enough to get an idea of what was happening but not hear or see everything. Harry watched as Nimthîriel entered the circle after Tom had scattered the daisies and moved to Harry's side. She moved so gracefully that Harry's breath caught in his throat, gliding along the ground as if she were a ghost. The drum beat increased, the faster tempo speeding up Harry's heart and creating a thrill in the air that was almost palpable.
"Guardian of the North, I call upon thee to provide us with your presence this passing night. Purity is important in life. Nature is innocence in its purest form, providing us with life and means with which to nurture that life. I ask that you watch over these two vampyres, and help them through this ritual, washing away the deeds of the past and creating a blank page on which those of the future may be written" Nimthîriel voice radiated with power, she seemed to dance slightly, as if she couldn't keep still and it was like the music held her in a trance. From her fingertips fire streamed out, lighting the Northern candle, its flame rising high and Harry felt the trees shake slightly as Earth joined them.
"Protector from the East, I call upon thee to blow away the blemishes on past times. Erode the view of darkness in this child's aura and replace it with that of the light, although the heart remains the same. Purify the pain that lingers in his soul and remove the wounds of old" now she lit the Eastern candle, the yellow flame flickering a little as a small breeze blew through the clearing.
"Watcher of the South, I call upon thee to provide warmth in this childe. Use your knowledge to guide him on the quest laid out before him. His path shall be a hard one but with you to light the way he may stumble but he shall not fall. Burn away the darkness from him but retain what is in his heart, masks can be deceiving but in war measures such measures must be taken" Nimthîriel lit the Southern candle and the flame rose, exuding violently out of the candle before settling back down.
"And lastly but certainly not lease, West, I call upon thee to wash away the anger in this childe. Purify him so that he feels content and watch over him as if he were your own. Water can erode even the most stubborn rocks and so I ask of you to use your power to remove the darkness from this child's aura, restore his innocence and mask his true affinity so that he may restore the balance to what it once was equal" the Western candle was lit and Harry saw the pool ripple indicating Water's presence. There was magic in the air, however not the same as his or Tom's. No, this was old magic, magic as ancient as time itself and Harry could almost see wizened mages invoking the elements and chanting softly. Suddenly Harry was nervous, Nimthîriel speech had instilled confidence in him, but, now that it was over, he felt his stomach cramp at the sudden onslaught of anxiety, it was as if the High Elf's words had been a damn but once gone the nerves flooded through, engulfing him.
"Let go of your nervousness, try to relax. Without relaxation the ritual cannot be completed" whispered Tom, his breath ghosting over the back of Harry's neck. Shuddering slightly, Harry willed himself to calm down, he had been through worse than this after all.
"Harry, Tom come over" called Nimthîriel, her voice floating over to them across the clearing, sharp and clear.
Walking to the pool, Harry stepped into the circle. Immediately the elements seemed to lap at him gently, soothing his fears and he felt his muscles unwind slightly. Sighing, he looked at Nimthîriel who had stepped out of the circle.
"Harry, I want you to step into the pool. No, take off the robe first," she added when Harry made to enter fully clothed, "Tom remember the oil and if you have any questions ask the elements. These rituals aren't meant to be crowded and so Hyperion, Lucia and I shall take our leave. Once you are done, leave the clearing the way it is, I shall return later to release the elements."
Watching her walk over to Hyperion, Lucia joined them quickly - the drum clasped in her hand - before they dissolved in a beam of light. He was reluctant to undress in front of Tom, it was embarrassing and he still had memories from the previous night burned into his skull.
"Harry, there is no need to be embarrassed, I too have been through this ritual" assured Tom.
"Who was your mentor?" asked Harry, still not undressing.
"Alderan" chuckled Tom, his eyes hinting for a moment the embarrassment from his youth.
"That makes me feel slightly better" said Harry, smiling at his mentor. Pulling off the garment he slid into the pool, his eyes firmly trained on the ground. He heard Tom chuckle again at his charge's awkwardness, but this soon melted away as he truly focused on the water. It was warm but not unpleasantly so, the slight rippling relaxed him fully and he stretched out, sighing as he rested his head on the moss that marked the edge of the waterline. Feeling hands at his shoulders, he jumped slightly before he realised Tom was rubbing some sort of oil on his back. It smelt of daisies, the smell of the petals floating in the pool adding to its intensity.
"What is that for?" asked Harry, fending off the fog that was seeping into his mind, obscuring all else.
"Daisies are a symbol of purity, they are meant to cleanse you and mask your true aura" explained Tom, kneading a particularly tense spot. Moaning, Harry leaned back into his hands, losing his battle with the fog entirely and just enjoying the lulling water and Tom's hands. His mind was blank, too relaxed to think even the most mundane thoughts. When Tom's hands were removed Harry restrained the urge to whimper, until he saw Tom's clothes were in a heap next to his robe and the man was sliding in beside him. He looked glorious in the moonlight, casting shadows over him and making his seem almost ghostly. Raising his hand, Harry examined the appendage and saw that he too seemed like a spirit. It was unearthly, and scanning the sky, Harry could see the stars twinkling in the heavens, swirling above them in an eternal celestial dance as they watched the scene below, always watching but never interfering. Wind rustled the trees around them, and it seemed to get hotter as Tom massaged more of the oil into Harry's skin, roaming up his arms before moving onto his chest. Harry's knees weakened as Tom brushed a particularly sensitive spot, leaning heavily on the side to keep himself upright. Looking directly into Tom's eyes he saw the usually hard sapphires had melted, making his expression softer and more gentle. Lust lingered behind the clouded orbs, peeking out once and again from the mask, especially when Tom brushed a sensitive nerve.
'He knows' thought Harry, an unexplainable thrill running through him at this idea.
Almost as if he was in a trance, he moved closer to Tom, creating small waves that lapped against the older vampyres chest. Running his fingertips down his face, Harry marvelled at how smooth his skin was, feeling Tom relax slightly, unconsciously calmed by this and Harry gained a little more confidence. Leaning in closer, Harry allowed his lips to brush Tom's, lingering slightly before withdrawing. As his eyes fluttered open the trance was broken, the spell had ended and Harry felt mortification coil in his stomach.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't-" started Harry. Tom placed a finger on his lips shushing him. Harry feet had turned to stone, as Tom moved closer to him he found that they couldn't and wouldn't move. His horror at his previous act crumbled as Tom kissed him softly. Melting against him, Harry wound his fingers in Tom's hair, anchoring them together. Tugging slightly at the black strands, Tom moaned and Harry took this opportunity to deepen the kiss, feeling Tom's arms wrap around him as he did. They moved as one, gentle as ones first kiss should be, getting to know the feel of one another as the moon rose higher in the sky, sitting on her throne and surrounded by her celestial children, gazing at the display down below. Pulling apart the two panted slightly, their lips slightly swollen. It felt as if a bond had been created between them and Harry felt his heart expand slightly as Tom looked at him, his features trying to retain their impassiveness but, underneath the shaky composure, Harry could see that Tom was as baffled as he was. Finishing the massage, they never spoke, too wrapped up in their thoughts to pay much attention to the present. Both knew something had changed between them tonight, however some discussions are best left for later and, finishing up, they left in silence leaving the clearing behind them but not the events that had transpired.
A/N: Hey guys thanks for the feedback. My exams are finally finished (for the moment) and so I have my FF hours back :D I have to say this is my favourite chapter so far, I really enjoyed writing this one and I think it flows quite well as parts just seemed to write themselves - feel free to correct me on that, it is only my opinion. The ritual is a modified version of a Wiccan purifying ritual, I tweaked it a little but the basic elements are the same (circle, candles inviting elements, bathing and the oil - although the oil was done after they were out of the pool - followed by meditation and deep breathing, so really the only thing I missed out was the last two parts). It was really fascinating researching this and my dad helped loads. I hope you liked Nimthîriel, she might come back later but this will probably be her main appearance, it was fun writing her :)
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter.
I apologise for any spelling and/or grammar mistakes present in this chapter, it hasn't been beta'd so there might be more than usual.
Please review!