Theology of Beauty and the Observations of Trees
She loved listening to the sounds emerging from under her feet, when she walked through the forest. Despite her knowing and living true magic, they mixed with the sounds of nature and made the common experience of walking through the forest magical in a way. The sun had not set yet, and rays of sunshine came through the treetops, increasing the beauty of the dangerous yet useful grounds. The warm light made the red, yellow and orange leaves on the ground look picturesque.
"You still are fascinated by old trees, aren't you?" His amused voice called her out of her musings. She looked over her shoulder, a playful smile gracing her lips. "It's not just `old trees`; it's the hidden magic in the earth, the plants, the animals residing here, and the perfect harmony of it all. You like to play the cynic, Severus, but I know that its beauty does not leave you untouched." Since she had stopped in her tracks, while he had walked on, they were now standing side by side. He snorted curtly. "I've walked this forest before you were born, Hermione. It has lost its charm on me." She shook her head, the playful smile still on her lips. "Is that the fate that awaits me? When you've known me long enough, I will have lost my charm on you?" She swung the basket in her hand, unusually carefree that day, before she felt his strong hand wrap around her wrist. The solid form of his body behind her made her stop in her track, and his warmth was welcome in the cool autumn climate. She felt his warm breath hit the shell of her ear; his nose caressing her temple. "You are ever evolving, Hermione, and God knows, that you have already accumulated experiences and knowledge enough for a lifetime. Your essence may stay the same, but it is comparable to the comfort the forest provides in its consistency. While the world in which we live brings chaos in various forms, you become my haven." He withdrew from her, continuing on the path they had taken. "While the forest may provide me consistency with Potions ingredients and welcoming silence, it does not offer anything new to draw me in. Humans are different - we bring changes with us, and might they be only in the detail. Engaging with another brings forth ideas, hopes, and often enough it brings conflict. We do it without any conscious effort. It can be difficult to find someone whose flaws and strengths, interests and aversions fit our own, but once we find someone compatible, it does not get old."
She walked silently behind him, the playfulness now gone. The Potions Master looked calm and thoughtful, while he explained his thought process, and she knew it was an earnest confession on his part. "While I understand, I still would like to point out, that one should keep ones childlike wonder alive. If we go through life rolling our eyes at beauty, because we know how it works, then life becomes tiresome. Everything has so many layers, and there is so much to discover. The superficial beauty is not the only one to admire.", her feet quickened in excitement, "There is the beauty that is obvious to the eye, which makes us wonder and ask questions; then there is the layer of beauty in the curiosity regarding the workings of what is being admired, followed by the beauty we can find in the exploration and gain of knowledge. It is beauty in various forms which keeps us alive. A child might die, if it doesn't receive the beauty it needs which arises from the touch of a caretaker, and adults may very well die, if they cannot see the beauty anymore. I believe you are one of the people who are most likely to see its importance, considering your traumatic experiences and your pursuits as a researcher."
His analytic gaze focused on her, his feet stilling. She was right, as usual. How such a young witch could be so wise while at other times so stubbornly lost was a riddle to him. "You have a point", his dark voice conceded, before continuing to walk as if nothing had happened.
It didn't take them long to reach the clearing in which they found the sought for ingredient they needed for their potion project: Boom Berries. "The chances of increasing the restorative properties of our potion with the Boom Berry juice should be good." Her feminine voice was pregnant with excitement she was trying to turn down a notch, a fact that amused the wizard, who was placing a hand full of Boom Berries in his basket. "The chances are, indeed, good, especially since we decided to pick them ourselves, instead of buying juice whose production may date back to quite a while." When he turned to see Hermione work, he felt compelled to watch her for a while. The sun, which was about to set, still sent soft rays through the clearing. Her hair was shining in gold and red, making him smile due to those colors being connected to his former student's house. Her slender hand, which one month ago had still be freshly tanned from their vacation, was now softly glowing in a paler shade; bringing a Berry to her mouth. He stood there, transfixed. She had talked about beauty many times, without ever referring to herself in correlation to it, yet the picture of her in that moment was truly breath-taking. Autumn colors surrounded her, the warm darkening sunlight was matching her to the environment, and her soft lips closed around the berry; her eyes closing. She looked ethereal and arousing, begging the question if one should admire from respectful distance, or consume her with passion.
His hand on her shoulders made her head snap to the side, but when she felt his lips press onto the crown of her head, she closed her eyes again. Sometimes she felt ashamed of how wanton she was for his touch, but then she shifted her perspective and recognized it as the gift it was: She could appreciate even the most basic of touches and had not been desensitized.
"You are much more beautiful than this forest could ever be", he whispered, kissing her behind the ear, "Those old trees might have seen a lot, but I've seen your naked body, writhing in ecstasy, and that trumps everything they could've seen." His hands had slid teasingly to her waist, his thumbs caressing the side of her breasts in passing. She shuddered and her breath with her. His tall body was pressed against hers, making it impossible for her to miss his hardened manhood pressing against the curves of her jeans-clad behind.
"Don't say that", she said urgently, "they can hear you." He looked at the trees and then at her with unreadable expression. "You really believe the trees are listening?" Turning in his arms she placed a hand on his shoulder, and run through his hair with another. The basket had fallen to the ground upon feeling his desire. Her eyes glittered with mischief. "Maybe Tolkien didn't make up the Ents, maybe they do exist like Luna likes to claim." A smirk was pulling on the corners of his mouth, his head leaning down to touch her forehead with his. "If they do, and the trees around us do hear us, then I think it only appropriate to give them something to see as well."
When the sun had set - Severus and Hermione walking back to the Castle hand in hand - the trees had seen and heard many things. Two bodies joined as one, passionate exclamations of love and pleasure, and climaxes which would lead to a new life both were yet unaware of.