Appassionata
Chapter 13 of 13
kareliaThings are progressing on more than one level.
ReviewedDisclaimer: It's all JKR's and whoever she shares with. Not me, in any case.
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Chapter XIII
Appassionata
Overnight, the Orgonite did its job of dissipating the magic-restricting electronic rays. When Hermione and Severus arrived back in Hogsmeade the next day, both felt a slight presence of magic.
Finding Hogwarts, however, proved difficult. The castle did not appear to be there at all. At first, the couple walked the still familiar route out of Hogsmeade, via what used to be Honeydukes and the Post Office, then past the Shrieking Shack. But instead of the castle, all they saw was wasteland. Punctuated by towers and a criss-cross of pylons.
Hermione frowned. "What are those nitwits up to now? This area isn't even inhabited enough to justify that many pylons. The nearest Muggle village is miles away."
Severus studied her thoughtfully, marvelling how fast her mind worked. "First of all, we plant Orgonite muffins."
They hid Orgonite around the bases of twenty-three towers and noticed that those formed a perimeter around the pylons, of which there were also twenty-three.
"Something is going on here," murmured Severus. "There is something about the number twenty-three..." He was silent for a moment. "It is a significant number to those who follow the occult if I remember correctly."
He walked from one pylon to the next and back again. "Let's count the distance between each pylon..."
Hermione nodded and measured the distance from one pylon to the next by carefully estimating each step to be one foot long. She was somehow not surprised in discovering a distance of sixty-nine feet, three times twenty-three between each pylon, nor by the 253 feet Severus measured between the first and last pylons, another multiple of twenty-three.
The number twenty-three seemed to play a major part in the hiding of Hogwarts. The towers had been erected at a distance of twenty-three yards to each other. When Severus walked between the pylons and towers, he suddenly stopped. Searching in his pockets for paper and pencil, he said, "There is something odd about this set-up. I have a feeling they represent some shape that is significant to whoever built this." He marked the location of each pylon and tower, starting with the southernmost tower.
Once he'd noted down the last two towers, Hermione looked at the paper and gasped. "Severus, they're inverted pentagrams on a map, each with a triangle in the centre!"
When Severus looked at her blankly, Hermione took the pencil from him and connected the dots on the paper, first those representing the pylons, then those Severus had marked as towers.
Now the map displayed two inverted pentagrams, each with an equilateral triangle at its centre.
Severus frowned. "This symbolises the darkest of magic. An inverted pentagram alone is recognised even by Muggles as something dark. Satanic, they call it, I think." He took a deep breath. "I doubt a library will have anything useful, but let's see if we can find anything on the symbolism of the number twenty-three."
It was impossible to Disapparate within the criss-crossed network of towers and pylons, so the couple walked back towards Hogsmeade before Apparating from the edge of the village straight into the British Library in London.
As Severus had suspected, the search for information on the numerological significance of the number twenty-three yielded no results. Hermione was hopeful when they discovered a metaphysical section. However, as soon as they met in the centre of the first shelf they'd started to search at either end, Severus grumbled about the excessive amount of misinformation contained therein.
Hermione felt something akin to happiness well up deep within her as she realised just how much Severus and she thought alike. She could not help but agree. "It's no wonder Muggles are so ignorant about magic, given what they're told in these books." Turning her attention back to the subject at hand, a hollow laugh escaped her, and she shook her head while skimming through a publication entitled The Witches' Way to Obtaining Wealth.
Severus let out a snort as he skimmed the book over Hermione's shoulder. "Don't these people realise that such rigid rituals will only attract darker forces?" He wrapped his arm around her, deciding the work day had been long enough, and it was now time for pleasure. "Let's get back to the hotel. We'll talk to William when we get home. I'm sure he'll have at least some answers to the significance of the number twenty-three. And who knows, maybe Hogwarts will be visible soon. In the meantime, let's have ourselves a nice evening," he said with a suggestive expression.
Hermione's eyes sparkled. "And what do you have in mind for a nice evening, Severus?"
His eyes met hers before they slowly raked downwards. "Ah, Miss Granger, I can think of a few things." Action followed his words as he bent to kiss her lips in a soft, tender, and promising fashion.
Hermione was unable to suppress a delightful shudder, which only intensified as he broke the contact briefly. "You like that, do you?" He chuckled, and his voice turned into a growl as he demanded, "Let's Apparate. Now!"
Back at the hotel room, Severus wasted no time and discarded their clothing with a spell. He bent to pick her up and spread her out on the bed like an exquisite decoration.
A shiver of anticipation waved over her as he parted her thighs. He made a growl-like sound of appreciation as his eyes raked over her naked form, and Hermione pulled his head down in demand for a kiss.
His hands moved softly over her breasts, touching, rolling her nipples between his fingers, cupping each breast in his hand. "Perfect..." he whispered in between kisses. Then his hands captured hers and positioned them above her head. Holding her arms down firmly with one hand, his other slowly wandered downward with feather-light strokes while his mouth moved to her breasts, eliciting a moan from Hermione. Encouraged by her reaction, he spread her legs wider and bent down to explore her nether lips with his tongue. As he licked and flicked her clit, she writhed beneath him, ever more needy.
"Please... Severus..."
If he continued at this rate, she would be undone within seconds. "Please... I want to come with you inside me," she managed to utter.
He needed no second invitation. Grabbing her hips, he positioned himself over her and slid home. Finding rhythm immediately, she wrapped her legs around him, urging him to thrust deeper.
"Severus..." She cried his name as bolts of pleasure shot through her, which was his undoing. His thrusts became erratic, and he gasped, "Hermione..."
He collapsed on top of her, breathing hard, looking at her in wonder.
Hermione smiled at him. "Hold me, Severus." She moved his arm around her, and he held her tightly.
Sated and content, both soon fell asleep.
* * *
Hermione and Severus Apparated back to Hogsmeade shortly after breakfast the following morning.
Squinting his eyes, Severus said, "The castle still isn't visible."
"No. Shall we go there in any case? At least we'll be able to find out if the magic is coming back." Hermione looked at him questioningly, and he nodded.
The couple headed out of the village towards the Hogwarts grounds. Hermione cast simple spells every few minutes to determine levels of magic until they reached the first pylon.
"Well, at least the magic is coming back," she said, relieved, as a dead leaf slowly rose a foot or so from the ground, directed by a deft Wingardium Leviosa.
"I'd expect this to take a few days, Hermione," Severus said. "Once the Orgonite is planted, the magic comes back gradually. It's been that way around Spinner's End as well as the Healing Sanctuary."
"Yes, I know. It's just... I was hoping to at least be able to see the castle." She smiled uncertainly, unable to entirely hide her disappointment.
Severus cupped her face in his hands and looked at her intently. "The presence of magic is the first step, a proof, if you will, that the Orgonite is doing what it's designed to do. Everything else will fall into place, don't doubt that." His voice carried a note of urgency. I want her to be happy, not doubting herself...
"I know..." She returned his look. "Somehow, everything is easier to bear with you around. I think if I'd been on my own, I'd given up long ago."
The corners of his mouth moved upwards, and he rewarded her with a rare, genuine smile.
"I'm glad you're here with me, Hermione. I'm not sure if I would have had the courage to come here on my own." His lips came crashing down on hers, his tongue seeking entry forcefully.
They stood there, in the midst of the towers and pylons, lost in the sensation of tongues exploring each other as if it were the first time, both overwhelmed by the sheer intensity of their feelings.
"Gods, Severus, how I love you." The words came out entirely out of their own accord as soon as their lips parted. Embarrassed, she studied the ground.
Severus chuckled quietly and cupped her chin with his hand. "The feeling is wholly mutual, Hermione."
She looked at him then, and his expression reflected his words. "I love you, too."
Suddenly taking in a sharp breath, he uttered, "Look! Just... look!"
Hermione followed his eyes and gasped. "Hogwarts Castle," she whispered with reverence.
They found themselves standing only a few feet from the entrance door. Severus made for the nearest wall and touched it. "It's solid. For a moment, I was afraid it was an illusion."
Hermione joined him and let her fingers rake over the ancient stone. "Yes! It's real. Want to go inside?"
He smirked at her. "You couldn't stop me if you tried."
The entrance door opened as easily as it had always done. As they left it behind to approach the Great Hall, Severus asked, "What was it like here just before you left? Was there a lot of damage?"
"No structural damage, as far as I know. The plumbing had gone down the drain, literally, but I guess that was due to the magic disappearing."
Severus frowned. "It looks entirely too clean for having been unused for months."
Hermione suddenly remembered her last exchange with Dobby. She told Severus and added, "If Hogwarts merely became invisible because the magic had disappeared and, without that, we are unable to see anything fourth-dimensional, then the house-elves probably still live here!"
Severus cocked his head. "You have a point. Shall we try the kitchen, then?"
Hermione nodded, and they turned towards the stairs. Before Severus reached the portrait that was the entrance to the kitchen, it swung open widely, revealing a beaming Dobby.
"Mr Harry Potter's best friend and the Potions master! I knew you would bring the magic back!"
Neither Hermione nor Severus had any idea how many hours they'd spent inside the castle. At first, Dobby and other house-elves insisted on presenting the couple with dishes befitting a feast, all conjured with elf magic. Later, Dobby took them on a grand tour, happy to show off the hard work the house-elves had been indulging in to be prepared for the day Hogwarts would be functional again.
"The water supply has been a real problem, sir," Dobby explained. "Every single day, half of the house-elves had to boil and filter the water before it was usable. But Dobby hopes the water will come back properly now that you have brought back the magic."
When the couple finally left the castle, the sun was setting, its milky hues promising the arrival of colder weather.
Hogsmeade appeared less abandoned as Hermione and Severus walked through. There were noticeably fewer weeds in the gardens, and some of the houses seemed in better shape than earlier in the day.
"Look at this! I don't remember seeing the sign of Honeydukes when we walked past it this morning!"
Severus turned to follow Hermione's eyes. "You're right. And I don't recall seeing any owls, either." He pointed to the eaves above the sign where an eagle owl was perching, entirely missing the red and gold ball rapidly approaching from the opposite side.
"Fawkes!" shrieked Hermione as the phoenix landed unceremoniously on her shoulder. "Merlin, you frightened me!"
"Back from your mission, whatever that was, Fawkes?" Severus enquired as they slowly walked down the road towards the end of the village.
Fawkes suddenly shook his head vigourously, causing the couple to stop abruptly. "What's up with you?" Hermione asked, looking at the bird with a more worried than annoyed expression. She turned to Severus. "I think we should try and Apparate from here, Severus." Fawkes nodded and let out a squeak that sounded much unlike a phoenix.
"As you wish." Severus shrugged. "It's only a few yards to the edge."
"And if the magic is back, Muggles would have to wait outside the village, Severus." Hermione felt suddenly overcome with dread, unsure whether it was a premonition or Fawkes' strange behaviour.
Suddenly, both heard someone speak, and both kept silent.
"Yeah, as soon as we have the traitor, you'll drive back to London and deposit him at Holloway Prison. There he can rot because nobody will know where he is. And I will personally take care of that young witch. Thank you so much for your help, Mr Moody."
"Gotta do what's right," growled Moody's voice, sounding only yards away.
Hermione's eyes narrowed. "The bastards," she whispered. Fawkes squeaked again and became restless.
"Right, let's Apparate now, back to Spinner's End. I don't want to risk being found at the hotel. Did you leave anything important there?" Severus asked her, his voice betraying his cool demeanour.
"No, nothing that can't be replaced. Let's go." She took his hand, and they Apparated back into the sanctuary of Spinner's End, startling Kingsley and Draco.
"Thank Merlin, you two made it back safely!" Kingsley exclaimed. "We were so afraid they'd caught you, and there was no way for us to alert you beforehand!"
Upon the blank looks Hermione and Severus cast at him, he said, "William paid us a visit a few hours ago and told us that Moody visited Mr Lovegood.
"And Mr Lovegood, of course, doesn't know anything about you. Unfortunately Luna arrived before Moody left, and he coerced her into telling him what she knew. Which, thankfully, wasn't all that much, but probably enough to find you."
Parvati handed Hermione two envelopes. "William brought these for you."
Hermione glanced at the writing and opened the first one.
Dear Hermione,
You're a heroine here at the Sanctuary! Ever since we planted the Orgonite, the magic has been returning gradually, and now it is almost fully back. I managed to Apparate from the bedroom to the kitchen, and I'll have you know, it was the most exhilarating experience since returning to this realm.
Professor Sprout has just returned from a quick visit to Dean and Pansy in Ireland, also by way of Apparating. Both have been working hard on restoring the magic...it is back in full force around their village, and they're working on a wider perimeter now. Pansy is turning out to be quite the psychic, and she's developed a few nifty exercises to prevent her parents and other Death Eaters from tracing her.
Ron has gone to London to see how the magic is progressing there. He'll be back here later, and I'll let you know if he has any news of mutual acquaintances.
That's all for now. Please do keep in touch! Mum says to tell you hi.
Love,
Charlie
Wordlessly, Hermione handed the letter to Severus and opened the next one with a feeling of foreboding.
Dear Hermione,
I'm sure you didn't expect to hear from me again so soon, but unfortunately, a situation has arisen that has me at a loss. Last night, Ron returned with Ginny and Millicent Bullstrode. It looks like Alastor Moody, in his enthusiasm to go after Severus, has rid himself of all ethics and now works closely with the people who are trying to keep the magic suppressed. With his help, Ginny and Millicent were kidnapped, and while Ginny recovered rather quickly, Millicent was not so lucky.
When you were here, you mentioned Kingsley's experience with such government forces and practices and how he recovered. We need your help with Millicent. I am at a complete loss as to how to help her. She has so far not even reacted to any healing sessions Madam Sprout has tried.
Help!
Love,
Charlie
P.S. Ernie visited this morning. He was very happy to see the magic back here, and Mum taught him how to brew the Orgonite. He said he and Blaise would start straight away and let us know how it goes.
Kingsley flew over the contents of the letter next and then handed it to Parvati. "If I get hold of Moody, I don't know what I'll do, but I promise he won't enjoy it," he said in an uncharacteristically low voice, frowning deeply.
Severus nodded slowly. "Revenge does come to mind..." He turned to Parvati. "Do we have a spare room?"
"Since we enlarged the house, yes. Also, nobody sleeps in the lab room, so there is plenty of space."
Severus thought for a moment. "Okay," he said slowly. "This might work. If we..." His speech was interrupted by a loud knock at the door.
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A/N: Eternal thanks go to NotSoSaintly for poking and prodding at my writing and for placing commas where they belong. Another grateful thank-you to SouthernWitch69 for giving a rewritten scene another once-over. Any errors you see are mine and mine alone.
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Latest 25 Reviews for Without Magic
112 Reviews | 7.57/10 Average
i realize it has been 4 years since you updated this story, but it would be wonderful if you finished it
i read a great deal of fan fiction, and you have here a totally different approach to a story
please!!!!
I love this !Please, please, please update soon.
Response from karelia (Author of Without Magic)
I'm so glad you like it! I'm working on the next chapter, but I am a slow writer, sorry! LOL
okay now this makes a full 6500 words that your muse has accumulated and you left me with an evil cliffy. Well done as always. Irish
hmm have I mentioned lately that Ron is a prat. I really would like to see Draco and Ginny get together that would really fry his bullocks. Well done as always. Irish
Ahh Ron is ever the prat. Can we have him attacked by Reptoids please. Off for coffee another thing I have in common with Hermione. Well done as always. Irish
Ahh now we are upto an even 5000 words. Is that half a chapter at least.Talk about a startling way to realise that you love someone and that that love is most likely returned.What will Severus do with this knowledge. Imagine the magic they could make!Well done as always. Irish
Is this the button that you mean? Gee I would think that you would be sick of seeing my name on your review page by now. Do I need to repeat myself? More more more! Irish
You know this story gets better and better with each reading. I meant to ask, how do you plan on bringing Ginny and Draco together? He wants companionship and Hermione knows that she once fancied him minus the attitude.Well Done Irish
There is that mention of chocolate again! Lets see I am up to 3500 words that you owe me. Have I reached a new chapter yet? Well done, as always, my friend. Irish
hee hee hee it would not be fair for me to guess...I already know. I so enjoy this story! Irish
"I believe in magic" Are Wendy? I love that story and what a perfect way to use it! Well Done as always. Is your muse full yet? Irish
oops I had to back up! This may be my 2nd well third reading of this, but I still get caught up in the story and want to keep going. That should be the highest compliment. Irish
Ahhh now I can sit and enjoy the next chapter my vegie curry is all ready to go. Hmm I think we are upto 1500 words! Cheers
Okay so you have 13 chapters of this posted at 500 words per review per chapter that means another 6500 words is that enough to complete the story (hee hee hee). love it! Irish
I am back again for a pleasant Sunday afternoon read. Of all your WIP I hope that this is the one that you come back to first. It has quickly become one of my favorites! Cheers! Irish
Wow what a story did not want to stop reading at all. Finding the solution in an interesting way ia alway fun. Cannot wait to read more.
Response from karelia (Author of Without Magic)
Thank you for your review. Your words absolutely made my day!
Okay fair Lady I have read everything you have written and what did you do but left us with an evil cliffie to top everything off. More more more. You know I am insatiable!
I have become addicted to this story, and I can't wait to read the next chapter. I really like how you have brought the different characters in. I hope you have a wicked end for Moody, and something humiliating and wicked for Ron. Never like him anyway.
Response from karelia (Author of Without Magic)
It's wonderful to hear you say you're addicted to this story, thank you!
Hurray! I'm so glad this story is back on track. :)
This chapter was great! Those evil bastards - inverted pentagrams eh?
And they love each other! Yippeeeeee!!! Looking forward to more.
Response from karelia (Author of Without Magic)
I'm so glad you're still reading it!!!
Thanks, my lovely!
This is a great story! But that's a terribly cruel cliffhanger! Please update soon!
Response from karelia (Author of Without Magic)
Thank you for reading and reviewing! I'm cruel, aren't I... *snicker* :-)
Ahhhh! Cliffie! Thanks for a new chapter!
Response from karelia (Author of Without Magic)
*looks sheepish* I can't seem to help myself when it comes to cliffhangers...
Thank you for reading and reviewing!
~nods in approval~
Response from karelia (Author of Without Magic)
Oh, I do like it when you do that. :-)
Thanks, mate!
So Moody has gone off the deep end. That is not surprising as he is so zealous and he has always seemed to hate Snape. And success with bringing the castle back, which you neatly tied in with the expression of love. Thanks for the chapter.
Response from karelia (Author of Without Magic)
You are most welcome, and thank you for reading and reviewing!
Good to see you back in there. I feared you would never update. Now I'm looking forward the next. Oh and BTW I love your fic.
Response from karelia (Author of Without Magic)
I know... it's been so long, and I'm really sorry about that. Won't happen again if I can help it!!!
Thank you so much for reading and reviewing and telling me you love the fic! That definitely makes me want to sit down right away and write some more. :-)