seventy-eight - eighty-three
Chapter 13 of 13
Ladymage SamikoSeverus and Hermione walk the separate paths they have chosen.
Middle of Nowhere, Asia gave way to Middle of Nowhere, Siberia. Followed by Middle of Nowhere, Maui, Alaska, Nebraska, Greenland, Kenya, Nubia. Severus had realized that the world was open to him; he could go anywhere he liked, do whatever he wanted to do. No obligations. No manipulations or goading. Just a wand and a travel case and his own free will. And so he gathered black ice roses from a glacier. He spoke with Hawaiian menehune. He witnessed Jinn raising a sand storm. Severus saw places and events he'd only ever seen in musty books… and long-ago, childish dreams.
A warm summer's day saw Severus's return to Nowhere, Asia, perhaps the exact nowhere where he'd begun with its same emptiness. He'd felt a strange pull towards the place, a restlessness that drove him to seek out this place where he'd first felt at peace. And yet he could not now recapture that feeling; something was out of sync, something that refused to let him rediscover that one-ness he had absorbed with the eagerness of a starving child.
And the agitation only grew with his attempts to calm himself. Why, why couldn't he find the peace he'd purchased so dearly?
"You look lost."
Severus scowled. Translation spells were all very well, but he preferred to simply ignore people. Unfortunately, it was difficult to ignore several dozen people who'd happened upon you in Middle of Nowhere. "I am not lost," he informed them tersely.
"Yes, you are." He found himself contradicted by a tiny, apparently ancient woman fantastically festooned with cloth strips and metal discs and bells of all sizes. But her eyes were sharp and her expression determined. "You will come with us. We will un-lose you."
"I am not your concern."
"We are sent for you. You will come."
Dear Mione,
It's been a while since you left. I can't help wondering why. I mean, I can guess you don't want to see us, but why not? We miss you. Hell, Ron's even got your photo by his bed. So even if you feel you can't 'come home', for whatever reason, please try to visit. I feel like we're all moving on, and we've left you behind somewhere. I don't like the feeling. You're one of us, Mione. You should be here, bossing everybody about until the wizarding world's back to normal… or better.
We're finally settling in here…
Hermione smiled a little as she finished reading Harry's letter. She half-wished she could visit like he asked, but… no. He was right that they'd left her behind somewhere, and how could she set the wizarding world in order when she couldn't even manage herself? These past few months had been a continuous exercise in frustration. The nightmares, the fears, the helplessness and hopelessness… No one she'd seen had seemed to make the slightest difference in the way she felt or thought.
She constantly asked what the point of it all was. She had yet to find any real answer.
"You look lost."
Hermione looked up, startled, to see a neatly dressed woman of middle age standing before her. "No, I'm not lost," she replied, puzzled. She was firmly seated on her park bench and knew her way around.
"I don't mean geographically, dear." The woman seated herself on the bench. Her face was pleasantly lined, her hair in a practical knot, her hands well-worn. She rather reminded Hermione of Professor McGonagall, actually. "No, I meant here and here." She tapped her head and heart in turn.
Hermione looked away, embarassed and angry with herself. "Is it really that obvious?"
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Latest 25 Reviews for And Ye Shall Find
162 Reviews | 7.02/10 Average
Hmm, fascinating. I've just finished reading all 100 of your stories. Very enjoyable. Life is a bit traumatic and the quick short drabbles were perfect for most days. I was surprised to end with this one and see it unfinished. Would love to see the rest of it. THANKS for writing all of them!
I'd love to see this continued too! Such a bittersweet and compeling tale. I'm anxious to see how they become unlost!
looking forward to reading more.
Any hope of this being finished? I am just rereading this, and I love it. Please let me know!
Response from Ladymage Samiko (Author of And Ye Shall Find)
With any luck, yes. It's on my list of things to do, which has gotten a bit stalled due to RL. It may take a while, but I _do_ want to finish.
beautifully done! thanks
Have the gypsys come for Severus?
I agree with Hermione that going back to her muggle roots is the place to go. Clearly she could use some mental health assistance as well. PTSD is no laughing matter.
Dumbledore, she realized, had avoided Crookshanks. Amen to that! 
I like the way your HG took the hint and left with out any overt pouting.
This is awesome - can;t wait for more, I am totally engrossed.
The first other people to impinge on their mutual lostness - very, very interesting.
Yay! I love this story and I'm so glad to see an update.
Both of them searching, and both of them lost. Wonder what their new aquaintances will do for them? Great chapter. :D
Oh I love the old lady 'intruders' telling Severus and Hermione they were lost! I can't wait to see what these old gals suggest!
Thank you for such a deep, emotional portrait of both characters. I love your writing, not only in this case but in your other stories.
I've read this last year, way before finding the gut to begin to review, and it still is a favourite.
I hope you'll find it in yourself to give it a continuation 
*off to check whether I DID mark it as a favourite - I've never really paid much attention to how they work :)*
Wow - great take on Dumbledore's motives here. I totally agree. Thank you very much for posting this, Cat
Hmmm...Dumbledore was distinctly Machiavellian, wasn't he... >.<
another wonderful chapter exploring lots of rich emotional territory. i loved your description of snape's journey to Nowhere - very poetic. i feel sad for hermione. i look forward to whatever happens next in this beautiful story you are weaving.
Poor Hermione. She is really lost. As is Severus. I hope they can find themselves soon. They're both too intelligent to be wasting away as they are.
Lots of momentous decisions.
I wouldn't be surprised if it never dawned on Severus as to why she was so upset with his leaving. It wasn't that she was caring for him so much, it was that he was caring for her and her alone. She finally had someone whose priority was her and not someone else. He was her support and he left her. I think it will be quite some time before Hermione can really face that.
they had to come apart so they could come together. thanks so much and i look forward to the next installment.
Anonymous
What an interesting turn of events! Now what will the both of them do, and how on earth are they going to get back totgether? For I simply can't believe that you're letting them out if it, now, will you? ;o)
He will be back. I'm sure.
Anonymous
Well done, very well done!