Chapter 16 – And then Death comes along

All heads turned to Severus when he came inside the Abode of Fate. He tried to assess the situation quickly.

'I didn't know you had company,' he said carefully.

Lachesis said, 'No problem. Come in, Thanatos, please.'

Satan put a smile on his face, yet Severus knew he was frustrated. But his words sounded joyful. 'Death, my man! What are you doing here?'

'Visiting,' was the answer. 'Are you also on a social call, Mephistopheles?'

'You know I prefer to be called Satan,' said The Father of Lies. 'But I am here to discuss an offer with young Clotho.'

Severus looked at Lachesis. 'So if this is a bad time...'

'Yes, it is,' said Satan, suddenly aggressive. 'Beat it, bonehead!'

'Nonsense,' countered Lachesis calmly. 'Thanatos is an old friend and he is always welcome here in the Abode. And there is no need for name-calling, either, Lucifer. We are all mature, grownup incarnations in here.'

Satan made a face to her, as if he was five-years old, and Severus rose an eyebrow. But Lachesis never let neither speak, for she added, 'Besides, Clotho was about to reject your offer anyway, Satan. I am sorry, but she is not interested in becoming one of your minions.'

Satan looked affronted, 'Minion? I offered her a position of queen! Step aside, old woman; let me talk to her.'

Lachesis smiled very insincerely. 'Sorry, but she is not in the mood right now. Now, if this is all, you can take your leave. This issue is closed.'

Severus was successful in hiding his bewilderment. It was not wise to confront Satan like that, but he had known Fate long enough to know she was not one for beating the bush. Satan fumed and disappeared without further ado, his foul cloud of sulfur appearing in his wake.

Lachesis sighed, visibly relieved. 'Thank the goddess! I thought I ought to throw him out.'

Severus was surprised. 'Satan is not a frequent visitor. May I inquire about the purpose of his coming?'

'In due time,' Lachesis said with a hint of playfulness. 'Please sit.'

He did so. 'I am sorry to appear unannounced, but frankly I didn't expect to find anyone home. You haven't been around. Is there anything wrong, Marlene, and is Satan involved in it anyway?'

She shrugged, 'Something unexpected came up, that's all. Satan was here trying to take advantage, as he always does. But you said you were looking for me. May I help you, my friend?'

Severus said, 'I wanted to ask you if you know about Hermione. I went to check on her, and I believe something happened.'

Lachesis gave him her nonchalant attitude, 'Yes, you can say that, I suppose. But I wouldn't worry if I were you.'

He paid little attention to her. 'I am telling you, she is different, I can feel it!' Severus didn't hide his uneasiness. 'Do you think she might try to get in contact with us again? She might lose her soul completely if she attempts suicide once more. Satan may win her over this time, and there will be nothing I can do! And why was he here anyway?'

Lachesis said with a smirk, 'Glad you asked. You see, it may have escaped your notice, but we have a new aspect in the Abode.'

'What? A new one of you? I didn't know that. When did this happen?'

Lachesis smiled at him fondly, took his hands between hers and said, 'It is quite recent. I will let the both of you greet each other.'

Severus saw Lachesis shimmer and in her place a young woman appeared. He was surprised to recognize the new Clotho.

'Hermione…?'

She smiled, her hands still holding his. 'Hello, Severus. I am so glad to see you.'

His heart seemed ready to jump from his chest. Hermione now was Fate?

'What happened to you? Why are you here? Oh, no! You didn't die on me, did you?'

She laughed quietly, pearly white teeth appearing, 'No, I am not dead. But I became an incarnation, just like you. Your friend Marlene McKinnon now has my life.'

'But why? Why would you want to be Fate?'

'Did you really come to check on me?'

Severus blushed so violently he feared his complexion would change entirely. Still, he managed to keep his voice steady to answer, 'Yes.'

'Why?'

He tried to sound very matter-of-factly, 'I used to check on you and your friends for so long it sort of became a habit.' He realized how that must have sounded, and then cringed. 'Please don't think I am some sort of stalker.' Actually, I am, he thought to himself, deeply ashamed.

'I guess there is no need to do that anymore,' she said. 'Lachesis said you are a friend.'

'Marlene and I didn't know each other well when we were wizards. Yet she helped me a lot in my first days as Death. I am deeply grateful to her.'

'I had an excellent impression about her.'

'I was not aware that the aspects of Fate were three different individuals. I always assumed they were three aspects of the same person.'

Hermione said, 'Lachesis tells me it is on purpose. It constitutes a secret of the trade. So let's keep this amongst us, shall we?'

'I shall keep this secret until my life is over. Or my almost life as an Incarnation.'

She joked, 'I think we should form a band: Former Members of the Order of the Phoenix Who Became Incarnations of Immortality.' She laughed again, a mellifluous sound that resonated deep within Severus. He found himself smiling, too.

Hermione noticed, 'You are smiling. I have never seen you smile before.'

Severus was embarrassed. 'There was no reason for that before.'

'And now?'

He smiled again. 'Now there is.'

It was Hermione's turn to blush. Severus wished Marlene could see him now. Speaking of which…

'So Marlene is Hermione, now?'

'That's right,' said Hermione. 'She took over my life and my memories as well.'

'And you agreed to it?'

'I had to find out why Satan wanted Ron dead.'

Severus almost blurted out a bad word. 'She told you about it, didn't she?'

Hermione said, 'Don't blame her. I practically forced her to tell me.'

Severus stared at her. 'You… Were you negotiating information with Satan when I arrived?'

'No,' said Hermione. 'Satan wanted me to believe that Ron was murdered by you, the male incarnations, so I could be sexually available to all of you.' Severus widened his eyes, and Hermione continued, eyes fixed on him. 'I called out his lie, and he still maintained that you guys wanted to hit on me, so he said he could protect me if only I gave up being an aspect of Fate and lived in his domains.'

'Herm – I mean, Clotho – or whatever you want to be called, let me stress this most emphatically, I would and I have never ever agreed to such horrendous-'

Hermione interrupted him, 'Relax, Severus. I caught his lies right on the spot. Besides, I know you. You protected Ron for years. And Satan wanted me to believe you had him killed just to seduce me? Please. You would think the Father of Lies could come up with something better than this, right? But I went to Chronos, and he set the record straight. He is such a sweetheart.

'Yes, of course. Chronos…' Severus was struck by a thought, a horrible thought.

Then everything changed.

o0o 0o0 o0o 0o0

Meanwhile, Hermione was having a hard time controlling her two other thirds. The other aspects of Fate were all excited, bordering the hysterical. Atropos was positively out of control, yelling in her head, Kiss him! Kiss him!

Lachesis quieted her elder aspect, Leave them be, Atropos. Let them do this in their own pace.

The older one was impatient, They act like teenagers. Or preteens! Good grief, 12-year-olds would be snogging themselves silly by now!

Shush!

Kiss him! Kiss him!

Hermione asked, mentally, and very determinedly, Will you guys please shut your pie hole?

The other two aspects of Fate took pity on their younger sister and maintained silence. Too bad they had no idea of the moral dilemma Severus was going through at that precise moment.

o0o 0o0 o0o 0o0

Chronos…, thought Severus, his mental alarm bells ringing on full volume.

Severus recalled the romantic arrangement Marlene had with Chronos. Was it possible that Clotho's office included this agreement, and now Hermione was forced to keep the deal in place? Severus was friends with Chronos, and he knew about it. Also, since Severus was friends with the Incarnation of Time, he would never make advances over his friend's romantic interest, namely Hermione. Severus was too much of a gentleman to do that. Besides, he didn't believe Hermione would accept him in such circumstances.

All his glorious romantic fantasies crumbled like a house of cards in the wind.

Was Severus so damned that he would never, ever, be happy in love, be it dead, alive or in-between?

With his heart in a million pieces, Severus turned to Hermione sporting a pleasant smile. 'I am glad you did not succumb to the pack of lies of the Incarnation of Evil. Anyway, I believe a proper greeting is in order: welcome to our merry little group of immortals.' He stood up. 'I am sorry to leave abruptly, but there is a client shortly coming. I should not keep him waiting. Perhaps I should come by another time?'

'You are always welcome, Severus.' Hermione was smiling at him nonstop.

'See you later then,' he said, and went to Mort. He had plans to go straight home and give himself a good, long sulk.

Not to mention, he also had an extra eye to keep on Satan, that scoundrel.

o0o 0o0 o0o 0o0 o0o

Sadly, however, beyond that initial flirt, nothing else developed between Severus and Hermione. Atropos was so outraged she took over the body.

'What happened? What did we miss?' she asked.

I don't know, said Lachesis, pensively. The flirting was coming so nicely, but then suddenly, he withdrew. Why would he do that? He waited so long!

Guys?, asked Hermione. What is going on here?

Lachesis said, Sweetie, didn't you realize how he was trying to flirt with you?

Atropos commented sourly, Badly, by the way.

Hermione said hesitantly, It did seem so... At least that's what I thought.

Lachesis added, But then he changed his mind.

Atropos said, 'Why would he do that? After all this time, when he finally has his chance? All those years?'

Years?, repeated Hermione. What do you mean, years?

Atropos suggested, 'Maybe this is a good time for a cup of tea, ladies. Don't you think?'

And so they started to exchange confidences while making tea preparations. It was the middle-aged aspect that broke the news to Hermione.

Sweetie, said Lachesis, that man has been in love with you for years.

Hermione was shocked to hear that. No, you must be wrong. He never -

'Never said anything?' asked Atropos, checking on the kettle. 'Of course he wouldn't. He respected you too much, as well as your marriage, your husband. Severus is a very honored man.'

But Harry's mother... recalled Hermione. He had loved her his whole life.

Lachesis corrected her, Actually, he pined over her a long time even after he was declared dead, I give you that. He used to come here and talk his head off about Lily to Marlene. The two ladies were good friends, you know.

Hermione asked, Then how he came over Harry's mother?

Atropos reassured her, 'That was not easy, for this man is as loyal as a dog. Eventually, though, he realized it was an impossible love. Then you came along, with your brilliant mind, and his heart was captured. He was so distraught about you when you were younger.'

So he then started coming here and pining for you with Marlene, said Lachesis.

He never told me anything, said Hermione, baffled.

He would never, said the middle-aged aspect. But I have to admit that Severus's crush on you alerted Marlene to the convenience of having you as an aspect of Fate.

Hermione recalled part of their conversation at the willow grove in Ireland. She didn't reveal anything. What sort of matchmaker was that?

Marlene would never use Severus's feelings to convince you, said Lachesis, sensing her concerns. Yes, she sought to bring you two together, but she has always been a subtle lass.

Atropos exclaimed dramatically, 'Oh what a tangled web we weave!'

Quit citing Sir Walter Scott and help me here, asked Lachesis. Severus was almost making a move at Hermione and solving all problems at once. Even Satan would back down if Severus claimed Clotho as his lover. What could have stopped him?

Hermione asked, Not to change the subject, but is there anything about this whole Satan business you guys are not telling me?

Atropos had the decency to look uncomfortable. 'Well, we don't know anything for sure, but we very much suspect Satan is keen on keeping you from being Fate.'

Why?, asked the girl.

Lachesis answered, It is quite possible he heard you might thwart some future plan of his and he wants to prevent it.

Atropos said, 'Yes, Lachesis may be on to something. He did seem a bit too anxious, if I may say so…'

Hermione said, Offering me an honored place in his domains was a bit over the top, wasn't it? Though being called queen does sound nice...

'Don't kid yourself,' said Atropos seriously. 'He would have you caged and used as a sexual treat for his own purposes. Learn this quickly: every little thing Satan says is a lie, tailored specifically for your desires. He will say anything you want to hear and he will do good in none of his words. Father of All Lies is a pale title for him.'

Hermione had never heard such repugnance in the older aspect of Fate. She wondered if there was some personal reason for such intense hatred.

'No, dear, nothing personal,' guaranteed Atropos, reading her mind. 'He just gets to my nerves.'

And Satan surely did something to get to Death's nerves, I'd bet, said Lachesis. I would love to know what.

'Perhaps we need more information,' said Atropos. 'Chronos is a dear friend to Death. He might know what it is that pissed off the Prince of Evil so royally.'

It was at this moment that the front door of the Abode chimed delicately. Atropos frowned. 'Who might it be now?'

Lachesis said, Put some more water in the kettle and let's go find out.

Hermione was awed at Lachesis's ability to foresee circumstances. When the door opened, Fate found out it was a literal call from Nature.

Gaia herself had come for a visit.