Blood of My Blood

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Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.

~William Butler Yeats - The Second Coming

Chapter 8: Drowning

October 28, 2003

Near Midnight...

"Baron?"

"Yes, Hermione?"

"Could you---could you please take me to see Severus? I know you can get me out of here and back without disturbing the wards. Could you please?"

"Anything for you, child, anything."

Hermione smiled, and they made their way back down to the cavern, far below Malfoy Manor. As before the cave dazzled her. Hermione was amazed that something so beautiful could exist. The quartz glittered and sparkled on the walls, nodding it's agreement.

Hermione shivered as the Baron wrapped his ghostly arms about her. He was cold. So very cold. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again she was in her bedroom at Vestmere. Hermione smiled, she rather liked this room. "Did you leave him in his room?"

"Yes."

"And the staff."

The Baron smiled a very naughty smile. "Dismissed."

Hermione snorted. "You mean you chased them off."

"Perhaps."

Hermione shrugged and reached for the door. "Give me a few moments with him...okay."

"Yes, dearest."

Hermione took a deep breath and let herself out the door. She walked down the hall purposefully, and to Severus' room. Her fingers hovered upon the doorknob, as if she was afraid of what she would find beyond. Nodding to herself, she opened the door slowly and walked in. He could have been sleeping or dead. Hermione walked over to the bed, and sat down beside him. She could feel the spell fluctuating around him. Hermione felt like chiding the Baron. She felt like chiding herself. Why him? Why couldn't it have been anyone but him? Hermione smoothed back a strand of Severus' hair from his face. He wasn't very pretty. He really wasn't hideous like he was so want to believe either. No, he just needed a little sun. She didn't mind that he wasn't nice...well...she wasn't either.

"Baron...when will he wake up?"

"Near 11:30 on the thirty first."

"Exactly, 11:30?"

The Baron pondered. "I think I could hold the spell in place till then."

Hermione smiled. "Perfect, I will be here then."

The Baron frowned. "But Hermione...You will be at Stone Henge then."

Hermione smiled again. "I have my ways, Baron."

The Baron shrugged. Hermione turned back to the sleeping man on the bed. "You know. I lied to him when he asked me why I came to him with my problems." She looked at the Baron with sad, knowing eyes. "I didn't come to him because of what happened in the war. No, I came to him because I love him. Have loved him forever." A tear trickled down her cheek. "He really doesn't need more people hurting him, or using him. I should have stayed away. Far, far away."

"Oh, Hermione."

She shrugged. "I wish I didn't love him. Truly I do. He's not nice. He's not kind. He is mostly nasty and cruel. A complete bastard, really; but there it is, I do, and it won't just go away. So, Baron, please keep him under the spell as long as you can. I am selfish, so very selfish, but this is the only thing I can do."

"You don't have to explain yourself to me."

"If not you then who? There is no one else."

"The lad."

"Oh, that will come in its due course. I know what I have to do, Baron. I just hope he can find it in his heart not to hate me."

"Never that, Hermione."

"Oh, Baron, how can you say that?"

"Quite easily, my dear. He will not hate you."

"Don't be so sure." She took Severus' seemingly lifeless hand in her own. He was so cold. She conjured another set of blankets and covered him up. "We must be getting back, Baron. Don't want Malfoy to miss me; he might get the wrong idea. Or, really, any idea about what is really going on."

The Baron shrugged, he couldn't care less about Malfoy.

Hermoine kissed Severus' brow, then turned to the Baron. "Lead on, dear sir." She was smiling when she followed him out the door.

~*~

Things were falling apart, and Malfoy didn't know it yet. Hermoine sat on her bed at Malfoy manor, deciding what she needed to do next. She had so much to do, and so little time--no, it was not that she was short on time, no never that. She had all the time in the world.

~*~

October 29, 2003

Hermione glared at the Baron over her book. "Baron, I mean this with the utmost curtsey, kindness and respect--Bugger off! I can't read with you hovering so."

The Baron glared right back at her. "Respect indeed. I don't know what happened to your generation. You wouldn't know respect if it hit you upside the head.

Hermione snorted, and continued reading Dans Le Sang : Un traité sur les nombreuses utilisations du sang dans les travaux de la magie. "This is very important you know. I can't just enter the circle not knowing what I am doing."

"Just the circle?"

"No, not just the circle, what is going to come after too."

"Tell me."

"No, you might try to stop me. It's just better you don't know."

The Baron shook his head in exasperation. She was too headstrong by far at times. "I would help you, Hermione."

"Perhaps. Perhaps not, just let me do this one thing on your own. Please. All I ask is that you keep him asleep till I get there."

~*~

October 30, 2003

Early morning...around 4 a.m...

"Baron." Hermoine stared at the ceiling, as she lay sprawled across her bed.

"Yes, Hermione."

"If I don't make it through this..."

"Yes?"

"I love you."