Categories > Books > Harry Potter > No One Mourns the Wicked

Chapter 2 - The Wizard & I

by tarise 0 reviews

Hermione is on vacation from the Ministry... and ready for some much needed time with Severus. Meanwhile, Ron's jealousy flares & Mad Eye is planning something quite devious.

Category: Harry Potter - Rating: PG-13 - Genres: Drama, Romance - Characters: Harry, Hermione, Moody, Ron, Snape - Warnings: [?] - Published: 2007-02-10 - Updated: 2007-02-10 - 1314 words

-1TrainWreck
*Disclaimer: Again, I don't own these characters. If J.K. Rowling is willing to loan them out, I'd be happy to take Severus (but then again, I may have some competition on my hands, eh girls?) Something I didn't mention in Chapter 1, the title of the story and the chapters (plus Hermione's pet, Boq) come directly from WICKED - original story by Gregory Maguire & Broadway play originally starring the absolutely beautiful Idina Menzel. (I heart Idina! WOOT!) Again, no legal action please - college students are broke. Now, onto chapter 2!*

Hermione burst through the door of her flat, excited that she actually got a vacation. Now, perhaps she could get a chance to spend some much needed time with Severus. She quickly threw all of her Ministry work onto the couch and proceeded to her study. The flat itself was a two bedroom/one bathroom apartment with a common room, housing the kitchen, dining room, and living room all in one, and since Hermione lived alone, she could afford to convert one of the bedrooms into a study.

She sat down at her desk to dig through the drawers until she was able to extract parchment, an inkwell, and a quill and set off to writing the former Head of Slytherin House:

Ashwinder,
I've got some time off from my stuffy job and would very much like to see you. Meet me here tonight and we'll leave... together. If you can't make it, please reply by owl. Please don't disappoint.
-yours,
Caramel Kitten


Hermione stifled a giggle when she had to write her codename. Since the Ministry of Magic was still on high alert, they were still checking all owls except for those carrying Ministry seals, so she knew her letter would be safe. She opened a window, then walked over to her barn owl's cage and opened it. After attaching the scroll baring the name "Black Ashwinder" and a Ministry Seal, she took the barn owl to the window and said, "Boq, you remember that 'Ashwinder' is a codename, right? It's for Severus Snape. Take this to him as fast as you can fly, and don't leave until he says so." The barn owl cooed and flew off. As it disappeared into the sky, she bid Boq to have a safe journey.

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Back at the Ministry, Alistor Moody pondered his conversation with the mysterious Hermione Granger. His eye detected that her erratic behavior wasn't from a lack of sleep... but from something else. Why did she erupt like that in the board room? Severus Snape was an evil man, didn't she want to capture him? He thought back to the meeting when she shouted Don't say such things as that! You don't even know him! You're so blinded by hate and rage that you're acting like a stupid little boy! Both of you!! She was hiding something... and, come what may, he was going to find out what it was. Even if it meant keeping tabs on her while she was on vacation. He'd have to order a 24 hour surveillance. If nothing happened, he would apologize to Hermione later. It would start tomorrow...

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It was late in the afternoon, Severus was curled up in his favorite over-stuffed chair, nursing a brandy and a copy of Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven" while sitting in front of a roaring fire when he heard a tapping at his window. Severus gave a slight chuckle and said, "How ironic. 'And I heard a tapping, as if someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.'" He sat the book and brandy glass aside to answer the tapping. Much to his surprise, it was Hermione's barn owl, Boq. He opened the window and took the note from the owl, fishing a few owl treats from the bag next to the window.

He began to remember when he gave Boq to Hermione; it was shortly after the final battle, while Hogwarts collapsed, no one had time to rush up to the owlery to let the birds go, nor did anyone have enough time to get any of their belongings - books, clothes, pets... all of the pets died. Crookshanks, Potter's and Weasley's stupid birds had died. He actually liked Crookshanks; if the cat was good for anything, he was good for catching mice in the dungeon. After Hogwarts collapsed, everyone Accio/-ed all of their possessions from the rubble, or what could be salvaged and they moved on. Once he was able to go without getting caught, he managed to /Accio most of his potions manuals, including the one Harry Potter had gotten his filthy hands on in his 6th year. Hermione had replaced the other books and had even bought him new potion components. As a gift in return for her generosity, he bought Boq for her - to be a companion and to relay messages back and forth to each other.

After taking care of Boq, Snape sat down in his over-stuffed chair and opened the letter to his codename: "Black Ashwinder." He studied it for a moment and sighed, "Ah, my dear Gryffindor darling, the fun we'll have. I'll certainly meet you." He dismissed Boq, who flew off into the darkening sky. Snape pulled a put-outer from the small table drawer beside his chair and doused the fire in the fireplace. Drinking the last of his "liquid courage" brandy, he put away the put-outer and apparated to Hermione's bedroom.

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Hermione sat at the table in her dining room, sipping brandied coffee and catching up on the latest news in the "Daily Prophet," as well as the latest slander and lies from Rita Skeeter, keeping her threat to turn Rita back into a bug if she misbehaves intact. Hermione opened up a chocolate frog and began to nibble on it as she continued. When she took a long draught of coffee from her mug, she looked at the collectable card as the visage of Professor Severus Snape appeared, scowling at whomever might be looking at the card when she heard a ~POP!~ come from her bedroom. She thought, is it Severus?

The mystery guest tapped on the bedroom door and inquired, "Is it safe for a snake to roam?" She smiled and replied, "Certainly! There are no shovels waiting to kill you here." She thought speaking in code was ridiculous, but if it kept her mystery lover safe, so be it.

The door opened to reveal Severus, he barely had time to ready himself before Hermione rushed to embrace him, nearly knocking him over. He asked, "Are you ready to leave, fair one?" She kissed him and nodded in reply. "Let me take you somewhere special," spoke Severus, wrapping his arms around her and apparating them out of the room.

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Ron trudged up the stairs to Hermione's flat and knocked on the door. He heard another man's voice, he couldn't place it at first - yet he knew it was familiar to him. Ron knocked again, "Hermione! Are you in there? Bloody hell! It's not nice to leave someone 'anging out in the cold! Lemme in!" He heard a faint popping sound and cried out, "Dammit! She's bloody well skipped out on me!" and apparated into her flat. He called out, hoping that only the mystery man had left. He received no reply and walked to her study. Hermione's such an obsessive compulsive neat-freak, thought Ron, so she probably has her plans written down on her calendar.

After minutes of searching, he finally found what he was looking for. Hermione was on VACATION?! Ron was outraged! He never got time off! "Of course! It all makes sense now! She's gone off with Krum, that has to be the only explanation," seethed Ron, "Damn that Viktor Krum! Damn him to Azkaban!" Ron's face was redder than his hair with anger. The youngest Weasley boy apparated from Hermione's flat to the nearest pub for a pint.
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