The Firewalker

A/N: Anyone interested in the meaning of some of Andrene's words can find deffinitions in this entry of my LJ: http://www.livejournal.com/users/plaidpooka/8529.html

*************************

Severus studied the odd woman intently before allowing her in the room. The Firewalker had skin as dark as the wood of his mahogany desk; white teeth gleaming in sharp contrast as grinned at him mischievously. A blue scarf was wrapped around her head in a band, forcing her short hair--already twisted into dreadlocks--to stand up every which way. Andrene Christy appeared perhaps sixty years old, almost as tall as he was, and so skinny she made him look filled out (perhaps a first in his life). She wore a short knit top--a riot of orange and yellow exposing her midriff, prominent ribs, and a multitude of tattoos (darker even than her skin) weaving around her torso in graceful swirled patterns. A cotton skirt hung low on her hips, light blue with an almost web-like pattern of darker blue over it. An array of silver jewelry completed her outfit: earrings, necklaces, anklets, and silver bangles enough to rival Trelawney. Severus noticed even her sandaled feet had silver bands flashing on her toes. The Firewalker had obviously floo'd directly from her home. Severus was surprised she wasn't freezing down here in the dungeons; if she was cold, she did not show it.

Andrene did not mind his close scrutiny, nor did she mind being kept waiting in the hall. His study gave the Firewalker time to study him as well. Coo pon him! Standing in the doorway like a guard. Mebbe he is at that. He's a tall man, he is. Why is the child living in his rooms? Is she his boopsie? He acts it, standing there like it's up to him whether I come in or go. He'll be a boderation for certain and I don have the time. Got to get dis girl set right and get me home.

Having been a Firewalker since she was seven years old, Andrene focused her inner attention on the formidable man before her, slipping her focus through the wards Albus and Minerva had so carefully prepared. Reading his emotions easily, Andrene was surprised at what she found. The man was suspicious of her, distrustful--that was understandable. The wall of protectiveness was much stronger than she expected; probing gently beneath it, she searched out the reasons this scowling man was so protective of the girl. Ahhh...there 'tis; pride, respect, affection, wistfulness, but no possessiveness. The girl is not his boopsie then, though it clear the man is in love with her. That's why she's living here; the girl would feel safer with this black robed rat-bat than anyone. Amused, she widened her gamin grin, her enjoyment growing as she felt how uncomfortable this made the man. With an inward sigh, she realized she'd better use her tourist English for these people. They'd never understand her Patois. "Are you going to stand there like Merlin guarding Nimue's cave, or will you eventually ask me in?"

"You are Andrene Christie," Severus said. It was not a question.

"You are Professor Severus Snape. Now that we both know who we are, may I meet Miss Hermione?"

Reluctantly, Severus moved out of the doorway and allowed the Firewalker to enter. Finding herself staring at the woman in confusion, Hermione closed her mouth with a snap, embarrassed to have been so rude. The Firewalker simply gave her a friendly smile and a calculating appraisal. Andrene said gently, "What puzzles you, girl? Don't be afraid to be honest with me; we are going to have to be mighty honest with each other to get you sorted out."

"Well...it's just..." Hermione began hesitantly, "you don't feel like anything!" she finally blurted out.

Far from being offended, Andrene threw her head back and laughed. It was a rich, merry sound that echoed through the room. "Oh, Miss Hermione, but you are a fast one! You've begun figuring things out your own self, I see. You are not frightened of this gift?"

"No, but I find it difficult and confusing at times."

"That we can deal with, my brave girl, and we'll start right now. You cannot feel my emotions because I have walls up to protect you as well as myself. You've already experienced how difficult it is to go with no protections. I'm here to teach you these things." Seeing Hermione's wary look, the Firewalker laughed again. "You, child, are already learning to depend upon your gift. It is difficult to trust someone you cannot feel, isn't it?"

Hermione blushed in embarrassment, but remembering the older woman's words about honesty, she answered with just that. "Yes, it is."

"Feel me then, Hermione," said the Firewalker, dropping her wards.

Curious, Hermione concentrated on what she could feel. Mouth dropping open in shock, she stood gaping at the woman for some time. The Firewalker felt like the sun rising on a dark, cold morning to shine and warm the world. Love, kindness, and joy washed over Hermione in waves. Without thinking about it, she ran right up to the older woman who folded her securely into a tight hug. "All will be well, little girl," Andrene said softly. "I know you've had a hard time of it, but all will be well, I promise you. We just need a little time and a little work."

Severus had stood quietly watching the scene before him unfold. He had been very distrustful of the tall Jamaican. In his defense, he was both a Slytherin and a spy; trust was a good way get killed. So he stood there, appearing calm but inwardly as taut as a drawn bow, ready to protect his student if the Firewalker was not what she seemed. Watching Miss Granger dash up to hug the woman, and hearing the older woman's gentle words, Severus let his tense muscles relax. Nodding once to himself, he turned to slip out the door leading to the rest of his chambers.

Noticing his sneaky exit, Andrene called him back. "Professor Snape, you should stay, man. Tonight all we will do is discuss the gift and the things Hermione needs to learn. Your Headmaster tells me that you are at war."

"We are," Severus replied curtly, still standing at the door to his sitting room.

"Even down in my Jamaica I have heard of your enemy. We have had our own troubles with downpressors, and the one you face is a dogheart man for certain. It may be that this girl's gift may be a help to you. Stay and learn so that you can think on it."

With a nod to the Firewalker, Severus re-entered the room, sitting in one of the chairs before the fire. The women sat together on the sofa. Severus conjured tea for the three of them and, after the tea was poured, Andrene began.

"Hermione, you English are so polite...too much so I think. First I tell you that if you do not understand, or you have a question, you should interrupt me. I can only stay a week here with you, then I must be getting myself home."

"I'm supposed to learn everything in a week?" Hermione asked incredulously.

The Firewalker laughed again, the sweet sound echoing off the stone walls. "My girl, it will take you all your life to truly learn what you can do. I will teach you the building blocks; what you make of it is up to you." Taking a sip, she continued, "I will start with what you can do. Your gift allows you three main powers. They may seem simple on the surface, but a good Empath can accomplish a great deal with them. Empaths make excellent diplomats and arbiters--their gifts make it easier for them to get to the heart of a matter and make it very hard for them to be fooled. Empaths also make excellent spies," she said, with a saucy wink at the startled Potions master.

"What are the three things?" Hermione asked, intrigued.

"The first you are already aware of, overly so, I am thinking," Andrene said with a chuckle. "You can feel the emotions of those around you. The second is related to the first: you will be able to tell when someone is lying."

To this point, Severus had been trying to stay out of the discussion. With Andrene's last comment he could not hold back a disbelieving snort.

"I assure you it is quite true, winjy man. When an Empath knows what they about, it is more certain than your truth-getting potion. It's better 'cause you are not needing to make anyone drink it. It's sneakier 'cause they not even knowing you're doing it!" Seeing the man still looked at her in disbelief, Andrene decided to have some fun with him. "I am happy to show you...tell me four true things and one false one."

Interested despite himself, Severus gave the odd woman a calculating look while he considered it. "My name is Severus Draconis Snape. Though I teach Potions here at Hogwarts, I desire the Defense Against the Dark Arts position. I am the sole heir to a rather abysmal family estate in Spain. I find your manner of dress atrocious and I look forward to having my study once again to myself."

Laughing, Andrene replied, "Truth, truth and lie, truth, truth, half-truth, you sly devil. Albus warned me about you Slytherin. I now warn you, you hard-eared man, it is a fool who lies to an Empath and thinks he get away with it."

"Indeed," was the only answer Severus gave, though he regarded the Empath with far more respect than he had previously.

"What is the third thing an Empath can do?" asked Hermione.

"You can project an emotion onto others. This may be the most powerful gift the Firewalker possesses. With your projection, you can calm folks who are upset, give comfort to the grieving, give hope to the downpressed. It can be used for defense as well. You can throw such fear at an attacker that he flee in horror. But I warn you girl, this will not take the place of your magic in a fight. All peoples react differently to emotions and some will not react the way you expect."

"I'm not sure I understand," began Hermione. "Take fear for example--won't most people react the same way?"

Chuckling again, Andrene replied, "Trouble no set like rain. You will never know how each person will react and there won't be no storm clouds to warn you until they storm is atop you." Eyeing the black-robed wizard with frank speculation, she continued, "I think I could give you a good demonstration, if you be willing."

While Hermione gave a hearty 'yes,' Severus conceded with a small, silent nod of his head. It was obvious the Professor was curious, but cautious, as well. Taking but a moment to still her mind, the Firewalker then proceeded to strike them with as much raw fear as she thought prudent. Hermione and her Professor reacted in ways that were as opposite as any for which the Firewalker could've hoped. It made an impressive demonstration of the point she was trying to teach her young student. Hermione jumped to her feet, and with only a moment's hesitation, ducked behind Professor Snape. Snape stood as well, but did not retreat. Firmly standing his ground, he drew his wand and leveled it at Andrene's face. His features were calm, but his eyes blazed with ferocity. This is not a man I want to be on the wrong side of, Andrene thought. Even in his fear he is strong. He only looks winjy, dat man is a force of nature I am not wanting to cross. Abruptly, Andrene stopped projecting. Peeking around the veritable wall of black robes that was her professor, Hermione sheepishly returned to her seat beside the Firewalker. Sheathing his wand in his sleeve, Severus sat as well, his expression remaining calm. Probing his feelings lightly, Andrene felt how much his inability to resist reacting to her projection had unsettled him.

"You are a formidable man, Severus Snape," Andrene said with frank approval. "I would not want to be that dogheart man you fight when you decide to go a-knocking on his door. He better have eyes in the back of him head or him be a duppy before he know what hit him," she concluded with a friendly smile at the tense man.

Forcing himself to relax, Severus attempted to forgive himself for being unable to withstand the Empath's demonstration. At least he had not made a complete and utter fool of himself. The open admiration with which the Firewalker addressed him did much to calm him, despite understanding only about half of her speech. It was an intriguing demonstration--if Hermione were capable of learning such a skill, and learn it quickly enough to wield it when the Dark Lord ultimately made his move, it could prove to be useful, indeed.

"Hermione," Andrene continued, "I expect you see the danger now in assuming you will know how folks will react. If you project fear at a hundred men, they will react in a hundred ways. An if you be very unlucky, one of them might react like your Professor, and instead of avoiding a fight, you will be in a worse one than you expected."

Looking at Severus with wide, appraising eyes, Hermione said in all sincerity, "I believe I'd rather fight Voldemort!"

Severus' laugh rang through the room.

Oddly enough, the rather harsh demonstration brought three radically different people closer together, rather than driving them apart. For a moment, the two women sat chatting about inconsequential things while Severus stared into his tea cup, lost in thought. Eventually Andrene returned the discussion to the matter at hand. "The night slips by and I am sleepy, I am. Before I rest these bones I must tell you, girl, that being an Empath isn't all easy and safe. I expect you are knowing part of this already?"

"It was horrible at first," confessed Hermione in a quiet voice. "I tried so hard to ignore it, but I couldn't focus on anything else. I didn't know what was going on--thought I was barking mad there for awhile. Even after Headmaster Dumbledore explained it to me, there've been times..." Her soft voice trailed off, remembering with fear the way she'd completely broken down--despite the best efforts of a rational mind--when Sirius had furiously entered the room earlier.

Taking the distressed girl's hand and squeezing it tightly, Andrene said, "Don' let it get to you, girl. That is why I am here, to teach you how to protect yourself. What you went through is the greatest danger a Firewalker faces. One who is untrained--or careless--can be literally overcome by the emotions of those around her. It makes you helpless and it will drive you mad. There is no cure for a Firewalker who runs mad, so it is of grave importance, girl, that you take the lessons I give you seriously."

For the first time, Severus interrupted the Firewalker to make a comment. "I assure you, Madame Christie, that Miss Granger is the most serious of students--some times too much so, in my opinion. I imagine that your only difficulty will be to quiet her constant questions long enough to teach her anything at all." Though he said this in the most serious tones, both the women easily picked up on his inner amusement and chuckled at his teasing. Instead of irritating the dour-seeming spy, Severus' eyes got a slight look of pleased wonder. It was refreshing indeed to be seen as the man he was, rather than the persona he was avowed to portray until the Dark Lord at last fell. Dangerous, perhaps...but refreshing.

Returning to her explanation, Andrene continued, "When I walked in the room tonight, you felt nothing, nuh true?"

Nodding, Hermione answered, "It was very confusing...you didn't feel like anything at all."

"I had my wards up full strong. I wanted to get a look at how you were doing before I lowered them at all. When I found you not only sane, but inquisitive, I knew dropping them would nuh harm you. Your friends have protected you well," she said, raising a knowing look to the Potions Professor. Feeling his instant unease, Andrene took pity on the man and returned her gaze to her student.

"Everyone has been very kind," Hermione said. "I've caused Professor Snape no end of trouble." There were many replies to this statement that Severus considered making. Deciding that all were equally dangerous, in one way or another, he held his tongue.

"The personal ward I had raised does two things," Andrene continued. "When it is all the way up, I can feel no one else's emotions, nor can they feel mine."

"Is that very important?" Hermione asked, tilting her head in thought. "If Empaths are so rare, you must not need to block your own emotions from others with any frequency."

"Ahh...you are a clever girl! But there are other reasons to block your own emotions, Miss Hermione. That brings us to the second greatest danger an Empath faces...the Dementors. They will flock to you now like a bat to a flame and they will make you helpless faster than you can say Expecto Patronum. However, though you are most at risk, with your protections you are also most protected. Tell me girl, if your wall is up full strength, and none of your feelings are getting through, what will this do to the Dementors?"

Thinking only for a moment, Hermione blurted out in pleased surprise, "They wouldn't even know you were there!"

"Exactly," beamed the pleased Firewalker, "they feed off emotions, an that's how they see, too. They would take no more notice of you than if you were a nanny goat."

So ended serious discussion for the evening. The three drank tea and chatted companionably--the women, rather--the black-robed man mostly listened, a slightly bemused smirk playing about his lips. When Turpin rushed in to greet the new visitor, Andrene took no more offense to his rough talk than Hermione had. In fact, despite Severus' grumbling that she shouldn't encourage the Jarvey to bad habits, Andrene began teaching the overgrown weasel to curse in Jamaican. Turpin scurried merrily about shouting phrases like "bumbo clot," and calling his master a "sanfi bitch."

Eventually Severus took his leave and headed off to bed, leaving Hermione alone with the Firewalker as her caretaker. Molly Weasley would not be coming anymore; for the week the Firewalker would be residing at Hogwarts, she would be with Hermione twenty-four hours a day. The need for the Order to find companions for Hermione was over. Hermione felt two ways about this--on the one hand, she was glad to stop being a bother (and instead learn how to control her new gift)...on the other, she'd so hoped to spend time with Professor Snape this weekend. Sighing, Hermione drifted off to sleep in her transfigured cot, reflecting on how it had felt to be cradled on her snarky Professor's lap earlier in the evening. She fell asleep with a slight grin on her face.