Chapter 12 Surprises

Hermione Granger was trying to be inconspicuous as she wandered the great art galleries of Disney Headquarters. She found herself in a room of Warhol-type paintings of famous Disney characters. The treatment of Minnie Mouse caused her to smile as she thought about the austere Minerva McGonagall being a childhood muse for Walt Disney. What sort of strange parallel universe had she been inhabiting this past week? She really hoped that Snape would reappear before anyone saw her by herself and wondered what she was doing away from the gala all alone.

Thoughts of Snape caused her to become reflective about these past few days. It was easy to see that her own life was in a rut. She was bored at work, and her social life was in the tanker. Being a favourite aunt to the Potter children was her most satisfying role lately. How could someone who had so many opportunities when graduating be in her position?

These past few days spent in Snape’s company had awoken something in Hermione. She hadn’t felt this alive in ages, but if she was honest with herself she knew that it wasn’t just the adventure, or dressing up like Cinderella. There was something about the taciturn man to which she was responding.

Free from the constraints of a student/teacher relationship, and with the perspective that a couple of years brought, she could see the man in a wholly different light. Yes, he still had a prickly demeanour, but his intensity was compelling. It made her want to see more of the man, and she wondered if that would be possible after tonight. Well, come what may, Hermione knew that it was time for some major changes in her life, whether they involved Snape or not.

Lost in her musings, Hermione had lost track of how long Snape had been gone. “Please hurry back,” she thought.

She thought she sensed movement in the shadows beside her. “Severus, is that you?” she asked in a quiet tone.

As she turned around to locate the source of movement, a wand was suddenly thrust under her chin, pointed at her throat. “You will accompany me quietly.”

It only took a split second to recognize the nasal twang of Patrick Weathersby. With his free arm, he pinned Hermione’s arms behind her and directed her to an unseen doorway at the far end of the room. Once inside, Hermione realized they were in a stairwell.

“What is going on?” Hermione demanded as Weathersby forced her up a stairwell.

“That’s what we’re going to find out,” Weathersby replied. “Your boyfriend has been poking around in the wrong places. I’ll bet he thought he was clever, using you as a decoy. Didn’t think we’d be watching him closely, huh. Well I’ve watched every move he’s made since he’s been here. I’ll bet he’s not feeling too clever now.”

Hermione didn’t say a word. She didn’t know what had happened since Snape had left and felt that it would be better to remain quiet until she could assess the situation. Before she knew it, Weathersby was forcing her through the door of an office. Once inside, she saw Snape tied to a chair with a troll guard on either side of him.

“Severus!” she couldn’t keep from exclaiming.

“Yes, Severus, look who I found downstairs in the East gallery,” Weathersby taunted. “Tie her up too, boys.”

The two security trolls forced Hermione into a chair and tied her hands behind her back like Snape’s. They set the chairs in such a manner that Hermione and Snape were now back to back and couldn’t look at each other.

“Are you ready to tell me what you were doing in Mr Eisner’s office?” Hermione heard Weathersby ask Snape. After a moment, during which Snape offered no reply, Weathersby said, “Well, it will get pretty interesting once Mr Eisner gets here. You’re gonna regret crossing us. You don’t know who you’re messing with. Boys, don’t let them move an inch while I fetch the boss.” With that, Weathersby left the room and the security trolls gave a cruel laugh. The one closest to Hermione began to leer at her.

“Hermione,” whispered Snape “Can you lean back far enough for me to reach your bracelet?”

“I can try,” she replied.

The trolls didn’t seem perturbed by Snape and Hermione speaking to each other. Hermione remembered from her studies that while trolls could be trained for some positions, such as security jobs, their understanding of human language was fairly limited and usually had to be part of the training for the situation. She hoped that was true of these two and was glad that Weathersby hadn’t asked them to keep her and Snape apart, or keep them from talking. Still, she followed Snape’s lead on speaking softly.

“On the count of three,” Snape instructed, “lean back as far as you can in your chair. One, two, three.”

Hermione leaned back and felt Snape fumbling for her wrists. After a moment he caught her hand and found the bracelet. Wondering what he was up to, she felt him move the bracelet around until he could touch the emerald. Suddenly, Hermione felt that now familiar feeling of a strong pull below her navel. Then the room disappeared in a howl of wind and a rush of colours. The bracelet had been a Portkey.

In no time at all, Hermione landed with a little stumble. Snape grabbed on to keep her from falling over. Shocked by the unexpected series of events, both the sudden onset of danger from Weathersby, then the quick escape act by Snape, Hermione felt very shaken. Closing the arms length between them, she hugged Snape as if he was a life preserver.

“Are you alright, Severus?” she asked in a tremulous voice.

“Of course,” he answered. “What about yourself Hermione? Weathersby didn’t manhandle you, did he? I never meant for you to be in any danger. I’m afraid my espionage skills are a bit rusty.”

As Hermione gazed up in Snape’s face, she saw real concern written all over it. She had never seen him look less guarded.

“Yes, yes, I’m fine. Just shaken up a bit. One minute I was waiting for you to return, and the next minute I’m being taken hostage at wand point. It was rather disconcerting. Why didn’t you tell me that the bracelet was a Portkey? Couldn’t I have accidentally sent myself here, and where is here?” Once Hermione realized she was safe, a million questions began to fire in her head.

Snape had the decency to look a bit sheepish about the Portkey. “I really didn’t think we would need it, but each piece of your jewellery is a Portkey. I am the only one that can activate them. As far as where we are, we are in the Amazon rainforest. Senor Raton’s home is just down this path.”

Because they were surrounded by tropical plants, Hermione had not known, until that moment, that the Portkey had taken them to a different continent. Snape pointed towards a narrow dirt road. Hermione could see lights twinkling in the distance.

“Shall we?” said Snape. Hermione took his arm. Her evening attire was certainly not made for traipsing along a dirt road in the Amazon. Plus it gave her the added advantage of staying close to him. She figured she could wait until they were safely inside to hear Snape’s story.