A/N: Talk about a little side quest. We'll see what goes on here, I've no idea what I'm doing!
-0-
They laid Dedalus to rest where Albus had suggested; looking out over the lake in a quiet corner of the grounds. Albus took care of the particulars and Hermione and Minerva, hand in hand, set a small flame by the base of his headstone that would burn for as long as it was there.
The majority had left not long after; Molly & Arthur had taken Harry, Ron and Ginny back to their London house but the twins were working on the book with Severus and Filius. Every now and then, she could hear Filius exclaim his frustration as they did something outlandish, but for the most part they seemed to be doing well.
Minerva had been practically sleepwalking when they returned and Hermione made their apologies and ushered her to bed. She hadn't bothered to do anything other than Divest them of their clothes and get into bed with her.
She slept now, on Hermione's shoulder; warm puffs of air tickled the sensitive skin of her throat. Hermione, however, was not asleep. Despite being exhausted, her eyes would not close. Her mind went round and round on all the things she was mulling over.
Harry's necessity in the war.
Albus' involvement.
Narcissa's heritage.
Voldemort's absence.
That last one concerned her a little. It should have filled her with a sense of peace but his lack of visibility since they'd tussled in Draco's mind made her wonder whether he was not as damaged as he first appeared to be and that he was holed up somewhere plotting her demise.
Minerva stirred but Hermione ran her fingers through her hair until she settled. Minerva's exhaustion seemed to track with the magic they were using but Hermione had carried them from Scotland to London and she had not felt any ill effects even after she had also duelled a few Death Eaters.
Nothing ever made any sense.
"Hello, little Dragon."
Hermione smiled as she felt the bed dip.
"Hey!"
Lucia reached over and ran her thumb over Hermione's forehead and then Minerva's as well.
"Are you both well?"
"Perpetually tired," Hermione chuckled. "There's a lot going on and yet there also isn't."
"The calm before the storm."
Amalle stepped up beside the bed and bowed their head.
"Hey," Hermione said softly. "It's good to see you."
"I was concerned you would not want to ever see me again."
"I always want to see you but sometimes, you might do something I get annoyed at. I'm sure we annoy you all the time!" Amalle snorted but did not reply. They didn't rebuff either which made Hermione laugh. "I bet Lucia told you that, didn't she," Hermione grinned. "Come on, you gonna sit down? I wanna ask you some things." They did so and Hermione grinned at them as they sat ramrod straight, instead of leaning on their hand like Lucia. "Okay. First, I'm tired but -" She tried to figure out whether it was yesterday or the day before but ultimately found it didn't really matter. "I stepped from here to London. In one go." Lucia's eyes widened. "And then we fought a duel and I haven't had to pass out."
"That is impressive," Amalle nodded. "The fact that it did not tire you, is even more so. Our First often performs feats of magic that would drop us, so I can feasibly suggest this is simply your power growing."
"I took a nap earlier, but we also lost someone and I was upset, but it wasn't the same." Lucia nodded but she seemed preoccupied. Hermione watched her as she watched Minerva sleep.
"Is it weird to see someone who looks so like you and is like you in moments but is so different as well?"
Lucia chuckled, but did not look away.
"It is," she nodded. "She is so troubled, I can feel it from here. But there is also peace in your arms. It makes me glad that she has that. I know how it feels to be in Amalle's arms. It is comforting, I only hope that I -"
"Amica mea," Amalle whispered as they got up and stood beside her. They placed their hand on her shoulder. Hermione watched as a thumb traced the tendons and saw her own movements in it. "Nolite ergo solliciti esse, bene erit." [My love], [Don't worry, it is fine.]
"How do I suddenly know Latin?" Hermione mused quietly as her mind simply translated it properly.
Lucia finally laughed properly and reached up to tangle her hand with Amalle's.
"The same way we know your language, I suppose. We just do."
"Do you have anything to tell me? Can I pick your brains about something?"
"Can you what?"
Hermione laughed and had to bite it back rather quickly as Minerva stirred in her arms. She ran her fingers through her hair again and soothed her back to sleep before she turned back to them.
"I have two little issues."
"Oh," Amalle chuckled. "I highly doubt they will be small."
"They're small-ish," Hermione protested. "Do you want to sit again?"
"I am fine."
Hermione nodded and kissed Minerva's head.
"So, how much do you guys see when you're not here?"
"Most," Amalle nodded. "We miss some things, but even if we are not paying attention, we seem to have enough of a connection with you that we just know."
"That's handy," Hermione nodded. "Okay, so we rescued Draco's Mum after we freed him and Severus from the enemy. She'd been tortured with a particularly awful curse."
"The same one -" Lucia nodded towards Minerva and Hermione nodded. "It always shocks me the levels of pain we will bring to each other."
"Yeah," Hermione sighed. "We managed to get her comfortable and I took what you said about the healing working differently on people we don't really 'love' but Min was her teacher at one point, so I think we did as much as we could and then left her to it. Except, while we were doing so, I was watching her face. Her eyes glowed," Hermione said quietly. "Like mine do. Like Min's do."
"Ours also do, in," Amalle smirked. "Moments."
Lucia smacked their stomach and kissed their hand in apology at the same time. They let that sit for a moment before Lucia shifted.
"You are saying it is odd because -"
"Because we know Draco and his lineage have Draconvir blood. Narcissa does not. At least, none that we know of. Their family wanted to keep the magic -" She spat the next words. "Pure. So they checked the lineage of the people coming into the family. Narcissa insists that they found no relations - which in itself is odd. They're both what they called "pureblood" families so they must converge somewhere."
"Perhaps from before the records."
Hermione looked up at the odd tone.
"Oh," she blinked. "In your time?"
"Perhaps."
Hermione was the one to fall quiet now.
"What are the odds that two people with Drconvir blood join?"
"Middling," Amalle nodded sagely. "We might seek each other out without realising, I think."
Hermione nodded and thought about it.
"She is going to leave him; she's in love with someone else. He isn't a particularly good man, Draconvir blood or not."
"A thimble of blood does not a Draconvir make. And I will never begrudge more love in the world, little Dragon."
"You pushed us hard enough into it," Minerva grumbled.
Hermione snorted and nuzzled her softly.
"Don't be grumpy just because we woke you."
"In my head and in my bed, I see."
Lucia laughed and leaned over to kiss Minerva's hair. For whatever reason, she paused before retaking her seat and Minerva tutted.
"Thank you," she nodded.
Hermione and Amalle frowned and looked at them both.
"We couldn't hear that, what did you say?"
"I didn't say anything?"
"But -" Amalle looked at Hermione. "How did you -"
"We are the same," Lucia muttered. "She did not need words to know what I meant."
"You are awfully maudlin, Lucia. Are you alright?"
"I confess I do not know why, but it lingers. I wonder if it is not being aware of what is going on here that ails me."
"It would ail even the best of them," Hermione teased gently. "It is alright if it is too much."
"How can it be too much for me in peacetime when you are here, fighting for your lives."
"Lucia," Amalle said gently. "Peace can be difficult, as well."
"I know that for a fact," Minerva muttered. "This will pass, as it always does and when another comes along, someone else can take it on."
Lucia snorted and squeezed Minerva's hand before she leaned back tiredly on Amalle's body.
"What was the second thing?" Lucia asked after a moment.
"Um." Hermione paused and tried to remember what they needed. "Actually, I can't remember. Min, what did we need to ask them?"
"Something to do with the connection?"
"Oh," Hermione nodded. "Yes, thank you."
She recounted what happened when she had separated Draco from Voldemort mostly for Amalle's benefit and as she came to a close on the story, she let it sit for a moment.
"I only wonder if you know what or how I did that because he hasn't been seen since. His commanders are running amok and we lost someone because of it."
"I do not know," Amalle muttered as they shook their head. "I just do not. That sounds like something out of a dream, not in the world as you and I are."
"I said that the first time," Lucia nodded. "I believe your idea that you travelled along the bond between them is sound but how you did that, I do not know. Nor do I know how or what you did there."
"Will you look at our knives again?" Hermione asked. "I don't really even know much about them and we're just making people take them to show their allegiance, I guess."
"Oh," Amalle muttered. "The rings!"
Hermione summoned both to the bed from their pile of clothes and lay them on the bed. She had realised rather belatedly that they were stark naked under the covers and wasn't sure what to do about that as she untangled her arms from Minerva and pulled the knives from their sheaths.
"What ring?"
Amalle ran her hands over the knives without touching them and looked at the intricately designed handles and blades.
"Amica mea," Amalle muttered. "These are like the rings of the Council."
Lucia frowned and looked closer at them.
"Oh," she blinked. "You are correct, they are."
"Do you think they made them later? Does your Council carry swords or knives?"
"No, but we have had peace for a very long time."
Hermione huffed.
"Must be nice," she joked. "So they wear rings? Don't suppose they demand people kiss them, do they?"
"Oh," Lucia blushed. "Well now I feel very stupid. Yes, that is exactly what they do."
"I wonder if they were fashioned from the rings or in conjunction with them. I don't suppose it matters too much but I'm glad we're using them correctly, I suppose."
"Will they not answer your questions?"
"No," Amalle muttered. "And they are less than pleased that someone as low as me is afforded this insight."
"Is it making it difficult for you?" Minerva asked it carefully but Amalle smiled.
"Not more than usual," they chuckled. "Our views were always outlandish."
"This whole thing brings me to something that has been bothering me," Minerva said as she sat up. She brought the covers up with her and tucked them under her biceps.
"Don't look at me like that," she snorted. "We were napping."
"A thing I rather enjoy as often as possible," Lucia teased back. "In varying degrees of quiet."
"Hopeless," Hermione muttered as they laughed. "What's up?"
"The Chocolate Frog Card."
The other two looked at her for a long time before they looked to Hermione for a translation.
"Ha," she laughed. "In our age, we have sweets, desserts, that people buy and some are laced with magic. We have a frog chocolate that is charmed to jump a little before you can catch it and eat it."
"That is truly horrific."
Hermione snorted as she realised that it actually was and was suddenly put off ever eating another one. She sat up as well; Minerva was warm as she pressed against her as the other two got comfortable again.
"Anyway," Hermione mused. "Recently they had a game, I suppose, where they hide little collection cards inside the packages. There was a mermaid, a kelpie?" She thought back. "I don't think Ginny said anything else about it but there were 5 special edition cards of these dragon people. And Ginny got one."
"They're one of us," Amalle said quickly. "They have to be. There would be none so ignorant to advertise our lineage so boldly. They are one of us."
They all stared at each other for a long while before Minerva cleared her throat.
"I will ask then, is it possible he is an enemy?"
Lucia looked over at Amalle and they spent a long time just staring before Amalle made a noise and turned back.
"Yes," they said quietly. "Not totally. But if they have been on their own for so long and they are doing this, I would definitely be careful at the very least. I would equally caution against both of you going."
Hermione prickled but Lucia's hand on her leg made her pause.
"If he knows you are mated, darling, it could be disastrous. If he is alone," Lucia swallowed. "We are not meant to be alone, darlings."
"We will be careful," Minerva muttered.
Hermione left her hand on her bare back as Minerva leaned forward and took Lucia's hand.
"Amalle, take her home. She's tired and needs you."
"Come, Amator."
"Take care, the two of you."
"We will," Hermione said gently. "Feel better."
Amalle made a noise but didn't reply. They nodded their goodbye and almost as Hermione blinked they disappeared.
"That was bizarre."
"And concerning," Hermione muttered.
"Quite."
Minerva patted Hermione's thigh and pressed it against the bed while she shifted over it and between Hermione's legs. She leaned back and Hermione breathed her in as she wrapped her arms around her.
"Don't you go maudlin on me too," Hermione chuckled. "You okay?"
"Yes," Minerva nodded. "I am, actually."
"You were magically tired," Hermione whispered. "I was not."
"Did they say anything about it?"
"Only that their First is rather powerful and rarely needs time off after doing great feats."
"Bloody hell," Minerva sighed. "What does that even mean?"
"I don't know."
Minerva groaned as Hermione traced her fingers over her skin.
"I see what you're doing?"
"You do?" Hermione grinned against her shoulders. "And what is that?"
"Nothing you'll be doing just yet, thank you very much." Hermione laughed and moved her hands back to where they started. "You are incorrigible, mo leannan alainn." [my beautiful lover]
"You are desirable. Exquisite. Delicious -"
She watched Minerva's shoulder go a bit pink and she kissed them with a smile.
"Perhaps you might like to bathe with me and then, perhaps, we may have a new discussion."
"I would love to," Hermione whispered. Minerva got up and held out her hand for Hermione to join her. As their hands joined, Hermione smirked at her. "Perhaps I can see how long I can hold my breath for."
"HERMIONE!"
-0-
It was Minerva's turn to come awake without reason after she had fallen beside her young lover with a sigh after a series of earth shattering orgasms. She kissed Hermione's shoulder and rolled onto her back to study the ceiling above her. Hermione was a truly beautiful lover. What she lacked in experience, she made up in imagination and feeling. She gave and gave and gave and was so very responsive that even without trying, she made Minerva feel like the most powerful woman in the world. She scoffed at the almost distant memories of being worried about making love to someone so young.
"Old fool," Minerva snorted to herself.
She stretched and groaned as her muscles pulled. It was a delicious burn, though and as she catalogued those aches, she confirmed something she'd realised only recently; she was stronger. She pointed her toes and felt her ankle crack and grinned ruefully. There were still a few little niggles but the idea that she was getting 'younger' as it were, was definitely correct. She felt loose, somehow. None of the creaks and groans she had only a year ago and she was beginning to feel a little like a caged lion.
She appreciated Hermione letting her take Narcissa's pain earlier, even if she did not really feel it. It was as if her body needed that to be alright with the idea of the Cruciatus in general. She nodded to herself as she checked on Hermione once more and rolled out of bed. She pulled on a set of pyjamas and a robe before she found a pair of slippers. Something had woken her and she slipped out of the room to find Severus standing at the fire with a drink in his hand.
She nodded in understanding and went over to the small bar to pour herself on as well. She joined him and topped his up before she sent the bottle back and stood beside him, taking comfort from the flames.
"Bad dreams? Or potential worries?"
"Are they different?" He said it quietly, but his worry echoed Minerva's own not so long ago and she turned to him as she sipped.
"Not all the time, no." He nodded and drained the new drink and hissed at the strength. "Come and sit with me," she whispered. She reached out hesitantly and only just managed to school her features when he turned his hand over and gripped hers tightly.
"Severus," she whispered softly. "It is going to be okay."
"And if I do not make the end of this war, what then?"
"You will."
"Woman, I cannot -"
"Breathe," she said quietly. "Take it from someone who borrows trouble in the most atrocious way; not everything is about karmic resolution."
He scoffed and went to sit down. She followed him and perched on the arm of the adjacent sofa.
"Do you want to tell me?"
"No," he muttered. "Your woman told you, obviously."
"She has not said a word of what transpired between you," Minerva said softly. "And considering we share our thoughts -" He looked up sharply. She wasn't sure they'd ever actually admitted that out loud. "It is no mean feat to have kept it so separate."
"She is innocent in this. Tainted only by name."
Minerva blinked and realised a little belatedly that he was talking of Narcissa and not about Hermione. She chuckled and sat down properly.
"She is not tainted at all, dear one. If you cannot handle her previous relationships -"
"Don't be perverse," he snapped.
"I am not," she said gently. "It is an indisputable fact that she was," she winced. "Is, married to Lucius, who used to be your best friend."
He hurled the glass at the fire and made a noise of disgust at the unsatisfactory impact it made.
"He is an idiot."
"I always said he was," she chuckled. "But it does not change the facts."
"I wish him dead."
"No you don't," she whispered. "And that is the issue, isn't it."
He didn't reply but she felt him, somehow, respond.
"If she -"
"She has made you aware of her intentions, I assume?"
"We haven't -"
"Severus," Minerva chastised. "She is not a shrinking violet. From the minute she arrived at Hogwarts, nobody could be in any doubt of anything she felt or did."
"She has changed," he muttered. "She is not so effusive."
"I think she would be if she felt like you would receive it."
"I do not know what you -"
"She called you a lover, earlier."
That threw him and she smiled into her glass.
"She -" He paused. "What?"
"She thanked us for saving her son, and her lover. I don't know anyone else we saved, do you?"
"We aren't -" He seemed to realise what he was saying and snapped his mouth shut.
"You may talk to me about it, if you can stand it. It will go no further, I hope you know that."
"I am not a child."
"And yet," she snapped. "When you first stumbled off the boat, sopping wet, you wedged yourself in my chest like a splinter and even as grown and surly as you are, in my heart, you often remind me of that little boy."
It was the first time she'd said anything like that and she wondered where her bravery was coming from.
Tell him, love. I'm going back to sleep.
Is that you making me say ridiculous things?
No. She felt Hermione chuckle. But I think I'm truly realising that this whole thing is actually about love and not power. We are love, babe. Tell him your truth.
Minerva rolled her eyes affectionately. She turned back to see Severus staring down at his hands.
"I know enough about you, Severus, that I know that having somebody love you is like some cruel trick. How can anyone love someone like me?" She sighed. "That sound familiar?"
He looked up at her.
"We may talk, you and I, but I feel like we rarely communicate. My past is not quite as yours was but it is a close thing. It took a long time for me to understand that it was not my fault my parents could not understand me, nor put aside their selfish ways to give me what I deserved."
"Madam -"
"Don't," she sighed. "Aren't you tired of fighting, darling?"
He had been on his way to snapping again and he paused, mid-breath and stared at him.
"You have never -"
"I have never had the clarity I have now." She admitted. "I have never had the bravery. Hermione gives me that. I would walk across coals for her and now that I know that feeling, now that I know love, I see everything so much clearer."
"I'm sure your new heritage has nothing to do with that."
"It has a lot," she admitted. "But the feelings that you have always created in me have nothing to do with that. I have loved you, Severus, for as long as I have known you. It is why Hermione was able to free you."
He sighed and sat back. His hand laid on the arm of the chair and she reached over and took it. His long fingers gripped her tightly and she tried to ignore it as he shuddered and she took his sadness. She hadn't managed to tell Hermione yet but now and then, when she was doing this, if she concentrated, she could feel it. An echo, almost, of whatever it was.
She sighed and stroked her thumb over his hand as she did his best to sob as quietly as possible.
"Breathe," she whispered as she squeezed his hand. "If you want this to work, you will make it work. Trust in your heart as much as I do."
"I cannot ever repay you -"
"You do not ever have to repay me, Severus." She got up with her hand firmly in his and knelt at his feet.
"No, Minerva -"
"Yes, listen to me," she whispered. "I am sorry, Severus. I am so, so sorry I did nothing to help. Please believe that I will do whatever I need to in order to make up for the pain I forced you to live with in the face of my cowardice."
"Get up," he said gently. "Please Minerva, I do not want you to ever do that again."
"Severus -"
"Listen," he said sternly, but not harshly. "I am a curmudgeon, I am downright unpleasant, and yes, I am fucking pathetic in moments, but you are never to get on your knees to appease my pain. You are worth more than that."
She chuckled and shook her head.
"Stand up."
"What?"
"Get up, Severus," she muttered.
He did and she pulled him into her arms and held him.
"I love you, you grumpy sod."
He chuckled and just for a moment, his arms wrapped around her middle and she rocked them gently.
"Go to bed. Hold your woman. Feel that love and enjoy it, Severus, because it is delicious." She cupped his face. "Have her show you. She will understand."
He blinked and almost as if he'd been Imperioused, walked back to the door to their rooms. He paused and looked back and she nodded for him to go inside before she slumped down on the sofa. She shook her head and chuckled sadly at how broken he was. The difference between Severus and Harry was so slight that she could not help but be amazed at the difference between the first kind face you see when you are broken like that. She had seen Poppy. Harry had seen Ron. Severus had found Lucius and she wondered if he had more moral fortitude could he have chosen better, but then again, it didn't matter now. She made a noise of protest as Hermione straddled her middle and settled on top of her.
"I'm heavy now?"
"You know you're not," she muttered.
"You're such a softy," she whispered. "And I love that about you."
"I do not like that I felt like I didn't mean to say all that."
"I think you absolutely did," she whispered. "So now you can simply love him as he needs and we can go back to sleep."
"From your lips, sweetheart," Minerva muttered. For all her gentle arguments, she felt her eyes getting heavy and she tutted at Hermione's smirk that she didn't even need to open her eyes to see.
"Shut up," she said affectionately.
"Yes Domina," Hermione whispered salaciously.
Minerva shook her head and just as Hermione was sure she had dropped off, she spun them so Hermione was beneath her.
"MIN!"
They were out by the fire, on the couches that were for public use and Minerva didn't care one iota. She kissed Hermione deeply and settled beside her and pulled her as close as she could.
"I love you, Leannan."
"Tha gaol agam ort, mo bean."
Minerva made a noise of happiness and nuzzled Hermione's neck as she finally fell back asleep and let the rest go.
