Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Slanaighear Ofrail An Seangharra	By : pittwitch Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female Views: 5226 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 14
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Out of the Shadows

Orra woke gently, warm, and safe, and feeling protected. She stretched and felt the hand on her hip tighten slightly. She smiled, remembering that she wasn't alone. Quietly, she slipped out of the bed, pausing to smile back at the man still sleeping peacefully. He rolled over to his back, and drew a deep rumbling breath.

She dressed quickly. As she made her way to her kitchen, the rumble of snoring emerged from Snape's room. She smiled, sort of happy to have the sound of someone else in the cottage.

Before long, a tired, grumpy looking Kellyn and Aideen, still spritely and bubbly, appeared at the door. Soon, the smell of strong coffee and bacon filled Orra's stone cottage. Aideen and Kellyn clutched their stoneware mugs with both hands, warming themselves, as Orra tended to their breakfast.

"So, tell us about him," Aideen cajoled after a hesitant sip of the steaming hot beverage.

"What's to tell?" Orra queried back, casting a dubious glance at her friend.

"You know, like is he good?" Aideen giggled and sipped her coffee again. Kellyn steadfastly refused to look anywhere but deep into the dark depths of her mug.

"Good at what?" Orra feigned ignorance. "Like is he good at chess?"

"Orra!" Aideen exclaimed.

"Seriously, 'deen, do you really think I'd sleep with him?" Orra shook her head in consternation. "As if he'd even want someone like me."

"I would!" the tiny blonde asserted enthusiastically, grinning to show all her teeth.

"You'd sleep with any man," Kellyn grumbled. She took a large gulp of her coffee, then turned a bleary eye towards Aideen. "Why don't you tell dear Orrs what you promised to Bill Weasley?"

Aideen glared at Kellyn, who snickered and hid her face behind her mug.

Orra set the spatula down in an ultra controlled move the did nothing to hide her tension from her two best friends. "Promised Bill Weasley what?" she asked between gritted teeth.

"Oh really, nothing that huge," Aideen started, then quickly cut herself off after a sharp, below the table kick from Kellyn.

"Spill it, Deen," Kellyn commanded.

Across the cottage, Snape lay sprawled on his back across the bed, blankets tangled around his feet, one arm out-flung, the other shielding his eyes from the early morning sunshine. A loud screech echoed off the stone walls, and he bolted upright, instantly alert, and slightly bewildered. He heard Orra yell, "Aideen! How could you!"
Then, his memories swirled back into his consciousness. Knowing Aideen posed no threat to his protector, Snape took time to dress before making his appearance in the kitchen where he found Kellyn grinning evilly at her two friends.

Orra was wielding her spatula like a sword, and raving at Aideen who just looked very confused.

"Of all the idiotic, asinine, ridiculous things you've gotten me into, Aideen, this is the WORST!" Orra's voice was dropping very low, into danger range.

"C'mon now Orrs, we can do it. I know we can."

"Just because we can do something, doesn't mean that we should do it." Orra banged the spatula against her wooden cutting board.

"Orrs, we just brought a man back from the dead." Aideen gulped and shrunk a little as she realized Snape was leaning in the doorframe, watching the proceedings with a seriously displeased, and frightening, scowl.

"Aideen," Orra sighed her name in exasperation. "We just shouldn't."

Aideen slowly turned away from Snape, stood and moved to Orra's side.
"I think we should. It's in your mam's book." She reached up to rest her hand on Orra's arm. Orra closed her eyes and bowed her head, turning her face away from Aideen.

From across the room, Snape sensed her sadness. Deciding to wade into the fray, he addressed Kellyn, "Pray tell, what exactly did she promise to Bill Weasley?"

Orra opened her eyes and glared out the window. Aideen hung her head, abashed. Kellyn stared straight at Snape, "Aideen promised Bill we would do a healing ceremony for his scars."

Snape stared in shock at the raven-haired woman who was refilling her coffee mug. She motioned to him with the pot. He nodded assent, accepting the mug she poured for him, then sat down at the table next to her.

"Is this something you can do?" he addressed all three women.

"Yes, of course!" asserted Aideen.

"No!" chorused Kellyn and Orra.

Angry, Aideen chided her friends. "Of course we CAN do it. We just haven't ever tried before now. We've seen what we can do ..." she paused and glanced at Snape with a bit of trepidation, " ... to heal people. Why not try the ceremony?"

"Uh, because," Kellyn snarked.

"We need to use these gifts." Aideen glowered at her friends.

"Gifts? Are you serious? You think this, this, well, whatever this is is a gift?" Orra sputtered.

"The power to heal?" Snape offered.

"A power to heal that comes from witchcraft, magic," Orra grumbled.

"And what is wrong with magic and witchcraft?" he inquired silkily, baiting his hostess.

"It's ..." she sighed, not finishing her sentence. Everyone in the room knew she meant evil, as they had been brought up to believe.

"Your own religion offers up many acts of magic ..." Snape lectured, leaning back in his chair to sip pensively from his coffee.

Orra stared at him with a doubtful look.

"Changing water into wine?" Snape proffered as an example.

"A miracle, not magic," Orra countered.

"Rising from the dead?" Snape posited.

"Again, a miracle, not magic," Orra growled.

"How do you know it wasn't magic? How do you know that magic isn't a gift from your God?"

"Yeah!" Aideen jumped in. "Healing is a gift of the Spirit!" She clapped her hands gleefully.
"It would be very wrong not to use it!"

"Good grief," Kellyn groused before downing the last of her coffee. "Blessed are we?"

Orra seemed to waver, unsure how to counter Aideen's latest argument. Deep down, she wanted to believe that her gift wasn't evil, or wrong.

She glowered at Snape first, then Aideen, before relenting only slightly. "I will see what mam's book has written in it."

Aideen leaped against her friend, hugging her exuberantly. "It will work. You'll see!" she whispered in Orra's ear.

"Whatever. Are you going to stare at that bacon all day or are we going to eat?" Kellyn asked, motioning toward the skillet with her mug. Orra relented and laughed, dragging the bacon from the skillet to a serving plate.

"If I may ask about this book of your mother's?" Snape asked as he filled his plate.

"A Book of Shadows," Aideen offered, talking with her mouthful. Orra and Kellyn both glared at her.

"Exactly. Shadows -- dark -- not good, Deen," Orra complained.

"Get over it, Orrs. You know as well as I do that the term is more recent that than book!" Kellyn interjected.

Snape met Orra's eyes. "I should like to see this book sometime?"

"I'll dig it out later." Orra tucked into her scrambled eggs.

"Dig it out? Where did you put it? You didn't really bury it somewhere did you?" Kellyn asked.

"No! Of course not. It's In the basement," Orra answered.

"What!" Kellyn and Aideen both exclaimed in consternation. "It's all damp and musty down there. The book will be destroyed!"

"Relax. I know how to keep a book. It's protected. Besides, it wouldn't be a great loss if it were destroyed."

"Orrs, how can you say that! The historical value alone makes the book priceless!" Kellyn sputtered.

"Whatever ..." Orra grumped.

Snape studied her reactions closely. He tried to gently probe against her thoughts with his, but found a blank wall. She didn't even blink or seem to struggle to block him.

Quite a curious woman you are, Orra O'Shea.

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Slanaighear Ofrail An Seangharra