CHAPTER 35:
THE FIRST DATE
After some discussion, Harry and Ranni decided to have a picnic as their first date. It was Ranni who chose the site, and to his surprise, she chose the Cathedral of Manus Celes. And while her usual robes based on her mentor Renna's attire were not available, at least until Boc was finished with the first set, Rennala fetched some old Raya Lucaria robes, the sleeves voluminous enough to fit both sets of Ranni's arms.
Adula had been the one to bring them over, oddly enough. Ranni had explained that, when not guarding the Three Sisters, Adula often flew over to the Moonlit Altar. The Dragon loved moongazing, and the Moon was perpetually hanging in the sky on the Moonlit Altar, with a night sky seemingly always overhead.
It was strange to set out a picnic underneath a night sky, even if it was actually closer to noon. But it was a beautiful milieu they were doing so. A night sky, a ruined cathedral nearby, the sounds of distant animals and birds helping enhance the tableau.
As he munched on a sandwich, he looked over to the ruined cathedral. While he had been around the Moonlit Altar before, he didn't pay attention to the cathedral before. "…So, has that always been so ruined?"
"Most of it. I fear during my struggle with the Two Fingers that I caused more destruction," Ranni said. "It fled to the Cathedral of Manus Celes after I wounded it with the Fingerslayer Blade. 'Twas there that I dealt the final blow."
"…And you nearly died," Harry said.
"An experience I would not recommend, save for mine enemies," Ranni said. "Twice, I hath experienced death, even if 'twas not a permanent experience. 'Tis not an experience I recommend."
"Yeah…I died, or nearly died, once myself," Harry said. On Ranni's look, he said, "It's when I confronted Voldemort during the Battle of Hogwarts. He used the Killing Curse on me. Thankfully, it only killed the Horcrux within me. You know the rest."
"More or less."
The two sat together in companionable silence, eating and drinking. Harry had to wonder where the food and drink went on Ranni, once upon a time. On asking her, she told him that she dissolved the food and drink directly into magical energy to fuel her existence. Not that she needed to eat at all, but it helped keep her magical capacity topped up. She mostly ate for pleasure, and on an irregular basis at best.
After a few minutes of such silence, Ranni broke it. "I remember when we had a picnic hither during my youth. 'Twas a lovely day out. 'Tis the earliest of my fondest memories. Radahn goaded Radagon into a wrestling match, Rykard was off reading on his lonesome, as was his wont to do, and Mother…she entertained me with the illusions she had summoned, of wolves and Trolls, even of a Dragon." She flopped back onto the blanket they had spread out over the ground, looking up at the star-filled sky. "Radahn was right. The stars are filled with both beauty and horror. So too is the world. Mayhap it was only when thou did arrive and get involved in my affairs that I remembered that."
Harry lied down next to her, looking up at the starry sky. "And you were going to leave this world for that?"
"Indeed. Iiji and Blaidd were the only ones I had left in the world. My mother was insane, many of my siblings were either like her, or dead, or malign. What else did I hath left in this world? Especially as, should my plans ripen, Blaidd may hath been driven mad, and Iiji targeted by assassins sent by the Golden Order. As I hath said before, I ask much of them, mayhap too much. But…then, Delphi came along, and thine daughter thawed mine heart. And when thee and thine came to the Lands Between…thou hath done so much for me, all of thee, with little desire for reward, even after thou learned of my culpability in the Shattering."
"I know. But Ranni…I helped your mother because it was the right thing to do, regardless of your character or actions. Besides, I think on some level, I did see a daughter trying to help her mother at the time. I think that's why I helped you. Because you could feel love for others, and be loved in your turn. By Rennala, by Blaidd and Iiji…by Delphi…hell, you've reconciled with Malenia, and Godwyn. So…yes. You are worth fighting for, Ranni. It took a while for me to accept that, but you are."
"Hmm. I thank thee. I am glad to hath won thy loyalty. That is why…I will stay on this world. My Order will be taken far away, yes, away from where the people may hath the certainties of sight, sound, and sensation of that Order…but there is still much to see and do in this world. I hath lived in obscurity for centuries, doing so for centuries still is far from arduous. Indeed, I find it pleasant. And given thine own hatred of fame, mayhap thou wouldst find that agreeable."
"Yeah…as long as we can still help people when we need to."
"Heh…thou art incorrigible." One of her hands snaked over and took his own, gently squeezing it. Then, another arm lazily rose, and pointed to the sky, specifically to the Moon hanging overhead. "My mother took me here, long ago, to meet with my Moon, as she did before me. Her Moon was full and radiant and filled with wonder, but mine was dark and mysterious and cold, but no less wondrous. But both art so beautiful."
"…As are you," Harry said.
Ranni didn't reply at first, merely humming happily at his compliment. Instead, she sat up, and continued eating, with Harry doing the same. Once they had finished, Ranni then stood. "Prithee, let us pack up these things. Then, I hath something to show thee…"
They went into the ruins of the Cathedral of Manus Celes. Ranni indicated a hole in the floor, and with the aid of some Apparition, they made it down. Harry activated a Lumos, while Ranni activated a sorcery.
They went down the tunnel, the smell getting worse, until they came across the source. Harry recoiled when he recognised the bizarre shape. "Is that your Two Fingers?"
Ranni nodded. "To quote a poem that Hermione taught me, 'Look upon my works, ye mighty, and despair'," she said solemnly. "The poem was meant as a warning of hubris against those who contend against the gods and time…but I mean it as a warning to them, to the Greater Will and its peons, to say nothing of the other Outer Gods."
The Two Fingers had a number of wounds, all leaking bright red blood, and all looking like they had been cursed, the wounds fracturing the skin of the monster even further. The Two Fingers itself was now pale blue, almost as blue as Ranni's skin. "Ugh, what you did to it didn't improve its looks," Harry said.
Ranni chuckled. "Aye. But without thee, without mine allies and friends…mayhap I would hath never achieved this," she said quietly. "To paraphrase Isaac Newton from thine world, if I hath achieved more, 'twas by standing on the shoulders of giants." She looked to him. "I made a mistake in closing myself off, not trusting any, barring a select few. True, I hath dealt with many traitors to my cause, with Darriwil being only the latest. And yet…what would I hath achieved without thine help?"
"…I can't answer that, Ranni. You're still a very capable person. Hell, some Tarnished could have come along and helped you out. But that's beside the point." He looked at the Two Fingers' corpse. "…You're free from that thing at least. And soon, we'll free the Lands Between from the Greater Will and the Golden Order. I dunno whether that will make things better, things don't go like they do in a fairytale…but between your mother and the Haligtree, we can but hope, right?"
"…Yes. Yes, we can but hope," Ranni said quietly.
As they flew back to the Caria Manor on Adula, Ranni reflected on their relationship. Ugh, to think she was acting too much like some swooning maiden from some tawdry romance book or ballad of late. Maybe it was her heart being thawed by this group of interlopers.
And yet, was that such a bad thing, her heart being thawed? She already had a bond with little Delphi for years. She had played voyeur to the goings-on of the Potter and Tonks household. She had a connection to these people long before they became aware of it.
And despite the shaky nature of this connection when the truth came out…against all odds, that connection had only grown. Hermione was on the verge of becoming her sister by adoption, and she certainly felt more at ease speaking with her than any of her other siblings, save perhaps for Godwyn. Andromeda Tonks gave her an aunt of sorts, and was a woman of considerable intelligence and an incisive mind. Teddy and Delphi gave an ambience of energy that her circle lacked, what with there being no children.
And Harry…dear Harry. Ranni saw in him a mirror, not a dark mirror, but a light mirror. He had gone through much of what she had, albeit not quite as seriously. True, she did not downplay how dangerous Voldemort and his minions were…but they were not gods, nor were they demigods.
She had been interested in him almost from the beginning. Not in any romantic sense, but rather, intrigued by his life, by the parallels between his life and her own. True, he blundered his way to victory, with Dumbledore's manipulations actually helping him, even if they scarred him deeply. Ranni, on the other hand, was considerably more calculating. Her actions were considered carefully before she undertook them. If she had ever attended Hogwarts, she would be a shoe-in for Ravenclaw or Slytherin.
When had the seeds for her actual romantic interest had been sown, then? Perhaps around the time that he and Hermione (albeit mostly the latter) had cured her mother. Or perhaps when he had the dubious blessing of Grace thrust upon him by Marika, her stepmother's meddling giving them another commonality.
Whenever they had been sown, she was sure that, in her at least, they had grown. Yet to truly bear fruit, yes, but she felt a strong affection, even love for him. It made her more impulsive, hence her farewell kiss before her sojourn to slay her Two Fingers, to say nothing of her proposal. Fie, she was no longer a hormone-addled smitten teenager.
Then again, Ranni had never been truly in love, in romantic love. While she had more than a few suitors, her station and then her situation precluded her from desiring any spouses. She had maybe a crush or two, but she never acted on them. And too many of her suitors or would-be lovers were libidinous idiots or pompous arses at best…and at worst…well, Pidia was far from the only person to have had designs on her body, or to have a plot to control her as some sort of pliant sex object.
What drew her to Harry? It was hard to pin down any one thing. He was attractive, true, if a touch on the scrawny side, and while nowhere near her levels of intelligence or Hermione's, he was still sharp-minded. And unlike many in the Lands Between, he was not threatened by a powerful and intelligent woman, his issues being more to do with her morality rather than any chauvinism or misogyny.
But in the end, perhaps his greatest asset was his compassion, his empathy. How else could one explain how he adopted the daughter of two of his greatest foes? While he had a clearly defined set of morals, he was just flexible enough with them to ally with her. He was no all-loving fool, he treated her with caution for a long time, and she honestly could not blame him. Caution was prudent in the Lands Between, and her hands were far from clean. And yet, when she asked for his help and Hermione's in saving Rennala, they agreed. And when they came back, all they wanted in recompense was the truth behind Ranni's survival when they heard of her dying. And even after they heard the truth, they still agreed to help her.
And their bond had grown from there. Slowly, gradually, and yet, even now, it bore fruit. And for all his misgivings about her, he had grown closer to her. True, strengthening a bond was part of Ranni's plan for him, not to truly manipulate him, but rather, to have him understand her viewpoint, to entice him to help her with the truth. He better served as an ally than as an enemy. And yet, she had bared her heart to him. Gradually, yes, and yet, it left her vulnerable to this. To the insidiously warm tendrils of love.
Ugh, she was a fool. But mayhap this was a folly she could enjoy without her plans being upset. Yes, mayhap…
Adula landed near the Three Sisters, and the pair of them dismounted. Ranni gently stroked the Dragon's snout. "I thank thee, O Adula, for thine indulgence. Rare doth we use thee as a steed, for that doth not befit thine dignity."
A gentle rumble came from the Dragon, and then, Harry heard a low feminine voice enter his mind. Thou wished for the scenic route, Lady Ranni. I can understand such things when undergoing courtship.
"…Uhh, is that Adula talking to us?" Harry asked in realisation.
A low, rhythmic rumbling came from the Dragon, a chuckle, he realised. Forgive me, but my loyalties art to Lady Ranni alone. But seeing the bond thou doth share, I hath decided to speak to thee. I am not like some of my kin, who can change their forms to a frame not unlike thine own, so this must suffice. I hath seen the way thee and thine kith and kin act around my lady. However, while I am sure that thou need little warning, heed my words. Adula glared at Harry. Should thou doth betray my lady, I will hunt thee down and eat thee alive. And chosen by Grace that thou art, that merely means I can repeat the process to thee, until the agony of thine demises hath been suitable penance for thine crime against Lady Ranni.
"You'd probably have to get in line, behind Blaidd, Iiji, and Rennala at least," Harry snarked, before he glared back. "The same goes for you. If you harm Delphi, Hermione, or the Tonkses, to say nothing of those I care about in this world…well, it won't be pretty."
Another chuckle from Adula. Ahh, thou hath quite the resolve, to threaten a Dragon such as I. I can see why Lady Ranni hath bonded with thee. By thine leave, Lady Ranni.
Ranni nodded, and the Dragon lumbered away. "Well, she's protective of you," Harry noted. "Didn't you say she originally intended to eat you?"
"Indeed. Some friendships hath strange origins," Ranni noted. "Then again, Godwyn befriended Fortissax after beating him."
Harry chuckled, before he realised something. "Is…Fortissax dead, though?"
"Not that I know of, but…Godwyn suspects Fortissax hath been tainted with the Rune of Death, just as Those Who Live in Death hath been. An ignoble fate for such a noble being. She intends to find out where he is at a later date. Come…let us see what tidings the others may hath…"
CHAPTER 35 ANNOTATIONS:
So, Harry and Ranni have had a nice little date. I was going to end the chapter on a cliffhanger with Rya asking for help against the Death Eaters-turned-Bloody Fingers, but I felt that would detract from the mood of this chapter.
Review-answering time! docsherer: Thanks for your support of my annotations. I appreciate it…
No numbered annotations this time.
