Darkness in Tombs

A/N: Just a little note, so everyone knows. Yes, I have read The Mists of Avalon. No, I am not going to be using much of the information from that book in this story. Although I am a fan of her work, I do not have any intention of copying her ideas. I already borrow enough from JKR. I don't want to take anymore from someone else.

As far as a Disclaimer: JKR is the owner of anything you recognize. Anything you don't came out of my imagination. And as far as any tie to Camelot, or Merlin... That story has so many different versions at this point, I doubt anyone will mind me playing with it... On the off chance that they do... Uhm... I mean no offense. I'm just enjoying the ideas of WHAT IF?

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Darkness in Tombs

Severus had closed his eyes when Ginny Weasley had taken his hands. He felt for a few moments as if the ground beneath him were tilting, only to find when he opened his eyes that they were in a cavern of sorts. Torches were lit along the walls, lighting the crude hallway where they now stood. He took in their surroundings as Ginny stepped away from him.

Turning, he found himself staring at the paintings on the walls that depicted a story. In many ways, they were much like hieroglyphics, except that as he stood staring at them, the pictures began to move.

For several moments he watched, mesmerized. He was drawn so deeply into the story that was depicted through the pictures that Ginny startled him when she spoke to him from behind. "Come with me. The books are stored in this chamber."

Turning, he looked in the direction in which she pointed. He felt a strange sense of loss at not being able to stay and observe the rest of the tale the walls told.

As if sensing his distress, Ginny turned back to him. " I can bring you back another time if you like, and you can sit glued to the report it tells as if you were watching Muggle television."

With a nod, Severus followed her, but not without noticing all of the different scenes represented along the walls. When she led him into a darkened room that held only one candle, he dropped his jaw in awe.

There, within a glass case, was King Arthur. His face seemed vibrant and alive. It was as if he had died only yesterday and had yet to begin decomposing. Amazed, Severus moved closer to inspect the man within the case.

Ginny stood for a moment and let him take in what he was seeing. When he turned a questioning expression to her, she smiled and explained, "Merlin charmed his cadaver to remain forever young. Ageless and beautiful for all eternity."

Severus raised an eyebrow at that. "Why? I know he was Arthur, but he was still merely a Muggle."

Ginny met his gaze and pursed her lips impatiently. "A Muggle with a great vision. If the world had followed Arthur's lead, then there would be no animosity of Muggles. Wizards and Muggles would now live side by side, in peace."

Severus snorted and shook his head. "There was no chance of that from the beginning. Too many a man thirsts for power. They seek to enslave that which does not belong to them. That is true of all mortal men."

Ginny inclined her head. "As I said, if the world had followed his example. But of course, that would have only happened in a perfect world." Her gaze locked with his. "And we know this world is far from perfect, don't we, Professor Snape?"

Turning back to the man within the clear crystal casket, she spoke softly. "As to your question of why Merlin did this for a mere Muggle," she smiled. "He loved Arthur as he would a son. He had practically raised him after a certain point in his life. What wouldn't you do,"she asked softly, "for someone you loved?"

Severus contemplated her words and opened his mouth to make a flippant remark, but she had already turned and was moving to the other side of the room. "The books are here."

Not liking that she had dismissed the subject before he could even respond, Severus followed her with a huff. "I'll have you know that I have indeed loved." He scowled menacingly. "It brought me nothing but pain."

Ginny turned back to look at him. "Oh, I see. So you believe that if you give your love, it must be rewarded? Love isn't something you can use to barter for things. Love is a gift that you give freely. Not something that is to be used to gain a prize."

Severus stepped closer to her. "What would you know of it? You're too young to have even felt an ounce of the pain I have in my lifetime due to loving someone." His dark eyes bore into hers, his breathing becoming unsteady in his fury.

Sighing, Ginny squared her shoulders and closed the gap between them. Standing so close that their bodies could almost touch, she spoke softly. "I know you have felt pain, Severus. But you should not think that you are the only one to have loved, but not had that love returned."

Her discourse was so soft, that he had to bend down slightly to even hear the next words she spoke. "I have loved someone for a very long time without even the hope of that love being returned." Her eyes were sad when next she spoke. "He sees me as nothing but a bother, and probably a waste of his time."

Severus felt an unusual emotion coursing through him. The desire to take her in his arms was almost unbearable. He found himself leaning ever closer to her. Just when his lips could almost touch hers, she turned away from him. Suddenly the spell was broken, leaving him feeling strangely light-headed and confused.

Baffled, Severus turned in a full circle, wondering what enchantment was worked within these walls that would make him want to kiss her. The desire still tugged at him, but it had lessened. Shaking his head, he moved to follow her to the table upon which the books sat.

She took two in her small hands, and turned to place them in his. He was watching her closely, and when she smiled at him, but avoided his gaze, he gave voice to his question. "What was that? It was some kind of magic...that much, I know. But it was unlike anything else I have ever felt. A love spell, perhaps?"

Ginny nodded, but still refused to meet his eyes. "Almost, but not entirely." She gestured at the cavern surrounding them. "This place was built with the protective magic of love. There is a belief that if someone is here with the person they have feelings for, and confess those emotions, the recipient of those sentiments will get a heavy dose of the desires of the other." She shrugged. "Don't worry, Professor. The feeling will pass as soon as we get back to the manor."

Severus nearly lost his hold on the books he was holding. She's just confessed to me that I am the one she loves! The idea took his breath away. He would have sputtered like a fool if he had tried to say anything at that moment. So, instead, he chose silence.

When she had placed one more volume in his open arms, she took the remaining three, and then turned back to face him. "Well, now that we have what we came for, perhaps we should go back?"

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Hermione sat on the sofa staring coldly at Pettigrew as he lay on the floor, facing away from her. Lucius had gone to alert the Order and summon Aurors. She had chosen to stay behind and keep an eye on the sniveling idiot. Her wand was poised and ready for the slightest unwanted move on his part.

The wizard turned his head and made to sniff the air, before speaking softly to Hermione. "You poor dear. You are already feeling the effects of pregnancy, aren't you?"

Her eyes widening, she felt an icy grip of fear take hold of her. "I don't know what you are talking about. Shut up, Pettigrew!"

He rolled over, so he was facing her. "I meant no harm, my dear. My mother was a Healer. She knew many a remedy for morning sickness. Would you like for me to share one with you?"

Hermione shook her head. "I want nothing you can offer me. How dare you try to barter with me."

Peter laughed. "Barter? Me? Why would I want to barter? No, I just want your pregnancy to be as easy as possible. As it behooves the Dark Lord, it serves me to offer my advice, should you want it."

Instantly, Hermione was up, and aiming her wand at Pettigrew's throat. "My child is of no consequence to him! Why would you say he was?"

Pettigrew's expression was one of calm patience. "He has use of her. Her body is to be the next housing for his soul–"

"Shut up! You disgusting wanker! How can you even think to tell me such garbage?" Her voice shook as it rose volumes. "Besides, he made himself a body from Harry's blood. Why would he need to replace it?"

The wizard cut his eyes slyly to the side, before he met her eyes. "You haven't seen him lately, have you?" He smirked. "No, of course you haven't. His body is decaying at a rapid rate. It was a Dark Arts spell that he used to build that body, and as such, there are consequences."

His smile grew malevolent as his eyes slid to her mid-section. "But, with the Dark Lord's power, he has no need to use any such spell to inhabit your baby before her birth." His cold eyes met and held hers. "He only has to make her little tiny soul leave. She is, after all, no match for his powers yet."

He should have known to stop. But being the idiot he was, he continued, "And now the Chronicles of Merlin. Imagine how delighted he'll be? He was very pleased with the news of your child, but now? Oh, I shall be rewarded well! Maybe after he's reborn as your daughter, she'll even allow me to have her mother for a night? Oh, I can hardly wait!"

Shaking so violently she had to sit back down, Hermione felt a deep rage taking over inside of her. Her wand forgotten, she stood back up and glared angrily at the wizard before her.

His eyes met hers, and he knew a moment of fear as the air around her seemed to crackle. She never raised her hand. She never even raised her voice. Indeed, it was the softest whisper he had ever heard. But it held within it enough power to make him regret his choice to hint to her what the Dark Lord's plans were.

"You would have to get the information to him, Peter." The quiet use of his first name made him gulp. "And you may be able to do it from Azkaban. But you can't give him any news... if you are dead."

Peter fumbled with his robes and clumsily groped for his wand. It did him no good, because before he could even make to point it at her, the killing curse had slid from her lips, flowing like hot lava over his body.

He fell dead, the wand still gripped tightly in his hand. Hermione stood stock still. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she just stared at the dead Death Eater before her. Finally succumbing to the shock and fear that she felt, she lowered herself back to the couch. She had just cast the killing curse. In her life, she had done a great many things. But, killing someone in such a way was not one of those things. Burying her face in her hands, she sobbed freely.

Almost as if on cue, Lucius entered with Tonks following close behind him. "So you see, we have him here–" Lucius stopped in mid-sentence and stared at the dead wizard and the wand clasped in his hand. Turning, he looked at first Hermione, then at her wand that lay a good several feet from her on the divan.

Tonks moved to Hermione's side. "Whotcher, Hermione. What did the bloke do?"

Hermione looked up through eyes filled with tears. "I– It was..."

Lucius interrupted. "Isn't it obvious?" He gestured to Pettigrew. "The damn fool was too chicken to find himself going to Azkaban. So, he cast the killing curse on himself."

Tonks stood and moved back to stand beside the body. She circled it several times, looking at it from different angles before finally nodding. "Yes, it is definitely obvious." Removing the stones, she cast the levitation spell on the corpse. Moving to stand next to it, she looked back to Hermione and Lucius. "As the cause of death is apparent, I'll just take him straight to the burning pyre. There is no one left to mourn him, so it should take no time at all to put his body to rest."

With a fleeting smile in Hermione's direction, Tonks Apparated herself and the remains away.

Lucius moved to sit beside Hermione and gathered her in his arms. She held to him for several moments before pulling back to look at him. "That wasn't what happened," she whispered, shaking her head.

Lucius took her face in his hands and began kissing her tear-streaked cheeks. "It doesn't matter what happened. As far as I am concerned, that is all they ever need know."

A moment passed before Hermione sighed and stood up. She moved to stand before the fire. Staring into its depths for several moments, she said in a dangerously soft voice, "Voldemort knows about Hope. He has plans to use her body as the next place to house his evil soul."

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