Seventeen

Disclaimer: I still haven't managed to snatch the ownership. If by now you don't know about wild theories about life inside the earth, then you appear to live by the motto Ignorance is bliss. Paper has rarely been wasted in the writing of this fic, but the electrons are likely the next species to rebel.

Hermione had no idea what exactly the meal had comprised, but it had tasted wonderful, and judging by her children's empty plates, they had equally enjoyed it.

"Would you like to look at the files this afternoon and see if we can hack into one of the Wilson computers?" Severus, sitting between her and Hugo, asked her quietly.

Hermione met his eyes. "I'd love to, but what about Rose and Hugo? I can't leave them behind just like that."

He smirked and then rolled his eyes in an exasperated manner. "They'll be fine here. This place is free of predators, and everyone will look out for them. Besides, if they want, they can come with us. My house is big enough and has plenty of books to keep them entertained. If they like reading, that is."

Hermione snorted. Both Rose and Hugo had taught themselves to read long before even a Muggle school would have accepted them, and both were avid readers. "They'll read pretty much anything they conceive as remotely interesting."

Severus smirked again. "Like mother like daughter like son, eh?" He turned to Hugo. "What would you like to do?"

The boy did not have to think. "Go back to the gardens and talk to the animals."

Rose, sitting between Lola and Karl, nodded enthusiastically. "Oh, I'd love that!"

Lola smiled. "That's sorted, then." Addressing Hermione, she said, "Are you fine with that? I'll be happy to show them around the potion gardens later and then bring them over to Sev's place." She turned to Severus. "You wish to go to your home?"

Severus nodded. "I think it might be a good idea. I want to see if we can access some of the Wilson computers now that we have all the information together." He smirked.

Lola nodded. "Good idea." She smiled at Hermione. "I'll bring your belongings over later with Rose and Hugo."

"Thank you. I appreciate it," Hermione said. Slowly, she was feeling more herself again. Thinking about the future did not bear any attempt yet; she'd take one day at a time. Right now, the prospect of talking shop with Severus in terms of disposing of evil was attractive.

Severus led Hermione to the nearby saucer-shaped craft. "One day, we'll walk, but today I'd rather try and get some information about the Wilsons."

Hermione nodded her agreement and climbed up the ladder. "How do these things work? Surely not on petrol."

"No, of course not. Any use involving combustion is considered destructive...negative...so it's not an option. The vehicles here are constructed with the principle of anti-gravity in mind." He smirked. "That's why there are no corners anywhere. People look at nature and simply copy her, seeing how well it works. These discs can easily cover a distance of thousands of miles in an hour."

He looked at her and grinned. "And it's ever so convenient that the discs can be cloaked. That way, we can travel around up there," he pointed upward with this hand, "without ever getting caught."

The saucer landed softly in the clearing of a forest. Hermione looked around curiously. The atmosphere felt slightly different here...she was unable to figure out what it was...and she wondered why they'd landed...there was no building in sight. "Where do you live?" she asked.

Severus smirked again. "Come." He led the way through the clearing into the forest. A short walk later, they reached the entrance to what looked like a cave.

"We are beneath the South Pole here. And Muggles who enter the inner earth through here must agree that they never return to the surface. This cave, which is really a corridor between here and the Pole entrance, slows the journey between the surface and the inner earth. If anyone changes their mind during the thirty-minute-long walk, they can still return."

"Are there many Muggles entering through here?" Hermione could not help her curiosity. In all her life, she'd never heard of the earth being hollow; she could not imagine many Muggles...or any at all, really...learning about that fact either.

"Barely more than a handful since I've lived here," Severus said. "I'm sure you can imagine one must be rather desperate to be willing to leave everything behind and enter an unknown territory and an unknown future."

They hadn't walked for long in the cave when Severus's home appeared to the side. The cave with its sandy, moist walls had gradually widened and, after a brief near-darkness, grew lighter again. The quartz structure softly reflected the sunlight and looked inviting.

The house didn't look very large from the cave's entrance, and Hermione was surprised how spacious it was inside. The computer room offered no natural lighting aside from the quartz reflecting the daylight. Two walls were completely dark, obviously built against the sandstone of the cave, and the ceiling seemed to be partially constructed against the cave as well, as parts of it were darker than the rest. Severus moved his wand, and the entire room was bathed in soft light, giving it a feel of cosiness rather than the starkness offices normally emitted.

Severus switched the computer on, then turned and summoned a chair next to his, and motioned for Hermione to sit down. "Let's see what we can find..."

She was surprised when, after a few minutes, Severus took his wand and waved it at the computer. "I thought it's impossible to use magic with computers," she said.

He chuckled. "How do you think I prevented anyone from accessing your computer in Phoenix? There is a lot I can do with programming, but anyone with that knowledge could reverse it. Last summer when Lucius and I visited your office while you were in London, I added a spell to it so only you and I could use your computer. Only when we manipulated the contents of it the other day did I cancel the spell. That's why Edwina had trouble getting into it. Even if she did know the password. And of course now anyone with that knowledge can access it, but they won't find anything of use."

"Oh..." Hermione was lost for words.

By the end of the afternoon, Hermione realised she'd learned more in a few hours about computing from Severus than she'd learned in two years at work. Severus had successfully hacked into Rolf Wilson's computer and was now equipped with plenty of damaging evidence of how Muggle governments had hoodwinked their peoples throughout the world for many centuries by simply withholding basic knowledge, which was once known to everyone, but became arcane with active suppression and by manipulating what came to be known as religion. Furthermore, he'd gifted the Wilson computer with a variety of viruses that would make it impossible for Mr Wilson to retrieve any data whatsoever.

"I don't know why, but I'm positively feeling accomplished," Hermione stated, then added hastily, "I mean, I've learned a lot about programming this afternoon, but you're the one who did all the work."

"Oh, I love doing that kind of thing. I got a kick out of hacking into the McMurdo Base computer. It cost me a fortune, and I froze my arse off because I had to be on the surface to do that, but it was worth it. Of course, once I had the connection to the internet via their satellite going, I was able to use it down here. But, gods, it was freezing, and no matter which warming charm I applied, it wasn't enough. No wonder. Even in summer here, the high is about minus ten at best..."

Turquoise hues permeating the air announced Lola's arrival. As Severus went to open the door, Hermione was marvelling at the differences between the world she knew and the world she was now getting to know. How can I see someone's arrival just by their aura...

"Lola. Come in," Severus said and held the door open for her.

She entered and enquired, "So, Sev, are you done with business?" She grinned at Hermione.

"We are, yes," he confirmed. "I take it you came here to insist I indulge in pleasurable activities now?" His sneer held no bite.

"Of course. I do know you, you know! Once you're engaged with something, you entirely forget about pleasure."

"Um, Lola?" Hermione started.

Lola smiled. "They are in the auditorium enjoying themselves already. You will see them shortly."

Can she read my mind? Hermione wondered.

Severus sighed exaggeratedly. "That involves dancing." Turning to Hermione, he said, "Allow me," and transfigured her trainers into elegant pumps. Then he looked her up and down. "Did you, by any chance, bring... that dress?"

Hermione felt blood rise to her head. She hadn't thought she'd need it, but couldn't resist packing it just to maintain the memory of that weekend in Buenos Aires. "I did, yes."

"Oh, good. I guess I better change as well." Then, Severus turned to Lola. "Shan't be long, dear."

A few minutes later, Lola cast an appraising look at Hermione. "You look beautiful."

"She does." Severus's glance was bordering on predatory, and Lola's smile turned into a wide grin as they exited the house.

The craft took them into Agharta proper and landed in front of a large dome-shaped structure of clear crystal with many points left intact, bathing it in an air of majesty.

Hermione's eyes widened as she entered the auditorium. The place was even larger than it had appeared from outside, and the atmosphere was one Hermione had never before in her life experienced.

Joy...pure, unadulterated joy... seemed to emanate out of every being's pores. There was the sound of people talking, and music drifted from further inside. Many were standing together in small groups...Hermione noticed it was often two males and one female...and some appeared to communicate soundlessly.

Severus took her hand and squeezed it gently. "Overwhelmed?" He smiled when she nodded. "I remember when Karl brought me here the first time. I felt... I don't know how I felt to be honest. I had only just realised there might be more to life than brooding, and this here..." he waved his hand toward the crowd "...confirmed it with absolute clarity that joy can be experienced..."

Hermione nodded again, too lost for words. She watched silently as Lola touched his arm. "Come. Dancing will help Hermione to adjust."

Her hand still in Severus's, she followed the tall woman towards the centre and listened to Lola's melodic voice explaining the particularly happy atmosphere.

"Everyone is excited about the drastic change up above. News of people waking up and disobeying their masters have been coming in thick and fast all day. We have never felt this hopeful about improvements..." Lola was interrupted by a woman stepping into her path, who was considerably shorter than any others Hermione had seen since her arrival. "Hello, Reia!"

"Ah, just the person I was hoping to meet," Severus said. He took a flash drive out of his pocket and handed it to her. "You could utilise this information for flyers if you like. Then we can distribute them all over the planet."

"Severus! Wonderful! Is it juicy stuff?" Reia grinned. Then she looked at Hermione. "Hi. I'm Reia. My parents are from the surface, which is why I look a bit out of place amongst all these tall people." She offered her hand.

Hermione took it. "Hermione. I am from up there."

"Hermione has considerably contributed to what's going on at the moment," Severus said, pointing to the ceiling. He smirked slightly. "I doubt without her... action... everything would have happened so fast."

They exchanged more niceties until Severus interrupted. "Please excuse us. I think Hermione needs to relax some. The last few days have been rather... trying." He bowed slightly to Reia and moved further into the auditorium, this time with his hand lightly pressed on the small of Hermione's back. It felt reassuring and exhilarating.

As they moved through the crowd, the music became more audible, and suddenly, Hermione found herself facing a dance floor. A band was playing on one edge, and a few couples were dancing.

"May I have this dance, milady?" Severus bowed to her, and Hermione accepted, her memory instantly taking her back to the last time she'd danced with him in Buenos Aires. As if on cue, the first soft, longing tones of Libertango rang into the auditorium, prompting more couples to enter the dance floor.

At first, Hermione and Severus danced silently, giving themselves over to the rhythm and music. Eventually, Severus said, "Reia is the first generation of German inner earth dwellers who was born here. Quite a sizeable group came here after the end of the last Muggle world war. She, as well as the other Germans, has a talent for writing up flyers we occasionally distribute on the surface." He smirked. "And the information we found this afternoon will make a prominent appearance on them."

Hermione looked at him in surprise. "It's not the first time you've done that?"

"No. Pretty much all the scandals that have been uncovered over the past ten, maybe fifteen years, made their way into the media because we made sure they did. Sometimes by dropping flyers, other times by informing certain Muggles who have maintained contact with Karl or Lola or others down here. People do not like to interfere, but will do so if what's going on above affects us down here. Like pollution," he explained and pointed his head to the side. "Looks like Rose and Hugo are having a good time as well."

Distracted, Hermione followed his eyes. Rose was dancing with a tall boy not much older than herself. His hair could be considered strong competition for Lucius, Hermione mused. Hugo tangoed past his mother, beaming. His partner was a blonde girl, who looked younger than him, although she was slightly taller than Hugo.

Hermione danced one waltz with Karl while Severus chose Reia as a partner. As if by silent agreement, once the waltz was over, they headed for each other and continued to dance the night away until Hermione was unable to suppress a yawn.

"I think it's bedtime for you, young lady," Severus said, his smirk belying the sternness in his voice.

Hermione grinned tiredly as he led her off the dance floor. Rose and Hugo had decided to spend the night at Lola and Karl's home in order to be closer to their new-found friends the next day. "Come. I'll take you home."

The short journey back to his house passed in silence. Hermione barely noticed that this time they landed at a different spot, which led them straight to his front door on the other side of the cave.

Hermione hurried to the bathroom, changed and headed for bed. When the mattress dipped slightly, announcing the arrival of another, she realised she was too tired to care before falling into a deep sleep.

A/N: For details of the prompt, please see chapter 1.

Grateful thanks to southernwitch69, as ever, for whipping this chapter into shape.