Chapter 4

July 31st finally arrived and Severus was more than ready. Term time was now over, so he’d had chance to relax at Spinner’s End for a few days. With no work to occupy his thoughts, all he could concentrate on was the impending ritual this evening. He presumed his Muggle-witch was in daily employment and that she preferred her rituals to take place in the evening as before. So, after taking a light dinner, he cast an invisibility charm on himself before Apparating from his back garden to the clearing in the woods. There was nothing else to do now but wait.

He did not have to wait long before he heard the swishing of leaves and the crunch of twigs underfoot, indicating the presence of someone picking their way through the trees. There she is, he thought with a flash of excitement. He felt slightly disappointed that she was clothed as he watched her enter the copse, a bag on her shoulder. It was ridiculous to think she walked around stark naked all the time, he conceded, but nonetheless he’d only ever seen her without clothes and therefore only ever imagined her that way. And he’d been imagining her more and more lately.

He watched as she assembled her altar on the tree-stump in a purposeful manner; she’d obviously done this many times before. She busied herself with hanging the flag in the branches and set to work on lighting the candles and the little fire. When she was sure she had everything just so, she began to peel off her dress, revealing her naked body underneath. Severus could not stop his eyes from roaming up and down as he drank in her female form. He liked the way she seemed so uninhibited about her nakedness, and he had the distinct impression she found it liberating. She seemed to compose herself for a moment before lifting her wand and beginning to cast the circle.

The opening ritual, just like the book said, he thought to himself. He’d positioned himself just slightly to the left of the tree bearing the flag, so he could see her up close, hear her words clearly and observe her movements. She wasn’t the most beautiful of women, he decided, but pretty and nubile enough for his body to respond to her. And her eyes… well, he’d always had a thing for green eyes, and hers were exceptionally pretty. He cursed himself inwardly for allowing himself to think of such romantic notions as she began to chant over a bowl of water:

“I consecrate thee, O water, by these names:

Abrach, Aradia, Aranom.

By the Goddess, so mote it be.”

She waved her wand in a circle three times before placing it back on the altar. Next, she picked up another bowl, and began to chant once more:

“I consecrate thee, O salt, by these names:

Abrach, Aradia, Aranom.

By the Goddess, so mote it be.”

Again, she waved her wand in a circle three times before placing it back on the altar, next to the bowl of water.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before continuing. She turned ever so slightly, so that she was directly facing him and, raising her wand, said clearly:

“Let the power of the Goddess be within me tonight. Abracadabra!”

It all happened in a flash. Severus withdrew his wand almost instinctively and Stunned her as soon as he heard the last word, regretting it the second the spell left his wand. It hit her squarely in the chest and she crumpled unconscious onto the leaf-strewn woodland.

What the hell, he thought, panic rising in his chest. She’d just said the Killing Curse! All the years of living in fear of the Dark Lord had honed his reflexes to be constantly vigilant for attacks, and he’d moved with such lightning speed he was almost unaware of what he was doing. And now he’d just Stunned a Muggle who could no more kill him with her wand than protect herself with it. He was invisible, for Merlin’s sake! She couldn’t even see he was there! What have I done? This wasn’t supposed to happen!

He stepped towards her, to see how badly he’d hurt her. Crouching beside her, he brought his fingers to her neck and was relieved to find a pulse. He noticed a small silver necklace glimmering at her throat; it said the name “Sarah” surrounded by little stars. He felt a sudden wave of tenderness; she looked so young. I can’t just leave her here, he thought. But if I take her to my house she will assume I have kidnapped her, or worse. Hadn’t she spoken of the Killing Curse? I must find out what that meant! Hundreds of thoughts were flying through his mind as he tried to decide what to do, running his hand through his stringy black hair in anguish.

She must come home with me, he thought finally, removing the invisibility charm from himself. He looked down at her and saw how vulnerable she was now in her nudity. Averting his eyes, with a flick of his wand he charmed her dress onto her body and with another extinguished the flames and packed her things away inside her bag. Carefully picking her up in his arms and with her bag over his shoulder, he Apparated into his lounge and laid her gently onto his battered leather sofa.