Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Amphitrite	By : AndreaLorraine Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Snape/Hermione Views: 9422 -:- 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
- 6
- 7
- 8
�What
in the hell is the matter with you, Anatole?�

Nick�s
voice startled the man in question out of his thoughts. He was standing at the window that faced the
beach in Nick�s apartment. He couldn�t
stop thinking about what had happened the other night. He hadn�t been so inebriated as to see things, had he? No..he�d driven home just fine. Perfectly clear-headed.

�Nothing�I��
he trailed off, frowning.

�Bullshit,�
Nick said, balling up a dirty sock and throwing it at him. �What, did that girl Hermione call you and
tell you that you�re a horrible person and she never wants to see you again?�

�No,�
he answered. �But it does have something
to do with her.�

�And
you�re just going to keep it to yourself, hm?�

Anatole
stared at his feet for a few moments, oblivious to the sound of Nick hastily
packing.

�Have
you noticed anything weird about the beach across the street lately?� he asked suddenly.

Nick
paused his packing and turned to look at Anatole.

�It�s
been closed,� he said. �There was a
cave-in a few weeks ago, so they closed it down until they can make sure it�s
stable. But I guess we should have taken
that as a sign, huh?�

Anatole
nodded. The earth had given them a
two-week warning in the form of the cave-in, but they�d all been too busy to
notice. He�d been worried about Hermione
and Dawn from the moment the earthquake had jarred him out of his sleep. Were they somewhere safe? Would they know what to do? He wouldn�t know until he saw them or the
cellular phone service was fixed.

Wait a
second. There had been a cave-in on the beach across the
street? Hermione and Dawn had walked
right onto that beach! Suddenly it all
made sense. That was why they�d disappeared from his sight � they had fallen
in!

But
that still didn�t explain his panic attack upon approaching the
beachfront. There was no reason,
absolutely no reason at all, for him to have reacted like that. But he would worry about that later; right
now he had to know if the two women were all right.

In
a burst of motion, he spun and grasped Nick by the shoulders.

�Nick,
please don�t think I�m crazy or anything, but the other night when I dropped
you off�when I was about to leave, I saw Dawn and Hermione walking on the other
side of the road. I was about to call
out to them to ask if they needed a ride, but they turned onto the beach and
then just�disappeared! I can�t explain
it any other way�it�s like one moment they were there and the next, gone!�

Nick
frowned for a moment, but then his jaw dropped.

�Holy
shit, they could have fallen in!�

�Nick,
we have to go over there!�

Nick
dropped the box he was holding to the floor, concern written all over his
features.

�But�I
mean�is it safe? We won�t do anyone any
good if we fall in, too!�

�It�s
not any safer for whoever we might call!
Let�s just go over there. They�re
probably fine, but�but I have this feeling��

�All
right, we�ll go�but if it�s wrecked��

�I
know.�

* * * * * *

Draco
slouched even lower in the uncomfortable chair.
He didn�t understand why he couldn�t just apparate to the damned site. He�d had quite enough of riding rickety old
trains for hours and hours back in his Hogwarts days.

�Excuse
me, Sir?� an inquisitive voice startled him out of his thoughts. Finally someone who spoke English�

�Yes?�
he replied, looking up. A portly
middle-aged woman in an ill-fitting uniform had stationed herself right in
front of him.

�Sir,
you needn�t wait here anymore.�

�Really?�
he said, perking up. �The train is
here?�

�There
isn�t going to be a train.�

�Why
not?� he demanded, rising quickly to his feet.
He had not been sitting around
for the past two hours to be turned away, and he made sure his expression
showed it.

�There�s
been an earthquake, Sir. The rails have
been disrupted. No train can pass.�

�An
earthquake?� he repeated.

�Yes,
an earthquake,� she answered, nodding matter-of-factly. �You see, the Ionian coast of Greece lies directly on the junction of the Eurasian
tectonic plate and the Arabian tectonic plate��

�So
this sort of thing happens all the time,� he finished.

�Not
all the time,� she corrected nervously, wringing her hands together. �But not infrequently.�

Draco
felt anger bubbling to the surface, but tamped down on it. It wasn�t her fault. She hadn�t caused the earthquake. She wasn�t that chubby.

He
bit his lip hard, restraining both his annoyance and the smirk that wanted to
pop onto his face. That only seemed to
make her more nervous. Why was it that
people seemed more relieved when he screamed at them and threatened to kill
their firstborn children than when he actually tried to control his temper and
be nice?

Sighing
and running a hand through his hair (which, he noted, had lost some of its luster
and perfection during this whole ridiculous debacle), Draco tried to be
patient.

�Is
there any way I can get to Preveza
today? Or in the near future?� he asked.

�I�m
afraid not, Sir. The few roads that
aren�t damaged are reserved for use by rescue and aid vehicles,� she replied,
cringing slightly, as if she were afraid of what his response would be.

Rescue
and aid vehicles�? Draco blinked. Of course, there had been a bloody earthquake. He had heard her say it, but it didn�t
process until now. An earthquake, and
his father had been right in the thick of it.
Merlin, he could be hurt, or even�

�Do
you think�� he started, and then shook his head, �what I mean is, is there any
way I can hitch a ride on one of those rescue vehicles? My father is down there, I�m supposed to meet
him...�

The
woman�s nervousness broke at the mention of family. Her face softened, and she put a hand on his
shoulder.

�There�s
no way you can reach him?�

He
shook his head and lowered his eyes, suddenly feeling bad for his earlier
mocking. This situation wasn�t any
easier on her than it was on him.

�There
are a few trucks leaving the airport in less than an hour. I�m sure if you just explained the situation
and offered to help them out, they wouldn�t mind taking you.�

Draco
gave a grateful, if strained, smile and chewed his lip.

�Um�the
thing is, I don�t�I can�t speak Greek��

The
woman smiled and squeezed his shoulder.

�I�ll
talk to them for you.�

* * * * * *

A roar and a sharp crack pulled her halfway to
consciousness. Stuck in the ether, she
could hear shouting, but the words were dull and garbled. She could process only pieces of the panicked
conversation.

�---�bleeding!�

��you doing?�

��insane?�

��just a little girl!�

A nauseating lurch, two warm pillars that could only
be arms lifting her up.

��wakes up�tear out your throat!�

��responsibility�other children�!�

��it�s almost dawn, she needs��

��nothing you can do��

��I won�t!�

A low moan escaped her as she was jarred slightly,
causing pain to ripple through every inch of her body. She turned her head, wanting to curl up and
escape the piercing voices, and her cheek met a warm, sticky barrier. A barrier that smelled sweetly of blood�

Another moan rose, unbidden, from her throat, and
suddenly her body wanted to awaken. She
squirmed, but the arms held her tightly.
Then came the only complete sentence she understood, in a deep, gentle
voice.

�I�m sorry, little one, but you must go to sleep.�

Then there was something cool against her lips, and
before she could react she had swallowed whatever he had given her. She fought its effects for a few moments, her
mind clinging feverishly to the scent of blood.
But no matter how hard she tried to maintain her tenuous grip on
consciousness, her body was too weak and exhausted to obey. Succumbing to the lull of darkness once more,
Lilith slipped back into a near-comatose state.

* * * * * *

Lucius
glanced up from his breakfast when a pair of legs entered his peripheral
vision. By now, he recognized the feet
as Severus�s.

�Good
mor�oh.�

Clearly
Severus was not having a good morning.

�Hermione
had another nightmare. I tried to wake
her up, and got a fist in the face for my efforts.�

�Looks
like she got you good,� Lucius said, waving his wand absently. A cold pack appeared next to his plate, and
he held it out to Severus.

�I
can�t really blame her,� Snape said, placing it gingerly over his blackened
eye. �I suppose it might be a bit
frightening when this � � he gestured
at himself with his free hand, �is the first thing you see when you wake up.�

�Oh,
shut up, old man. You aren�t half as
ugly as you think you are.�

�Ah,
then you admit that you think I�m ugly?�

�Honestly,
Severus! I meant nothing of the
sort. Although I must say, it is a pity
she didn�t get you in the nose; one well-placed punch might be the answer to
all your olfactory woes,� Lucius jested, smirking.

�I
should have known better than to come to you for sympathy,� he said, sitting
down across from the blond wizard.
�Where�s Dawn?�

�With
some of the others assessing the damage.�

�Is
it as bad as it seemed last night?�

�Yes
and no. The stability of the original
entrance is questionable, but they found a new corridor.�

�Oh? Where?�

�Beneath
the cabins. The only problem is that we
can�t explore it until all the debris is cleared.�

�Beneath
the cabins, hm? I wonder if that has
something to do with Hermione�s nightmares?�

�An
intriguing possibility. Are you hungry?�

Severus
knew better than to say no. It wouldn�t
have mattered, anyway; Lucius was already preparing a plate of food for
him. A moment later it was pushed
towards him.

�The
whereabouts of the silverware is currently unknown,� Lucius chuckled, �so
you�ll have to use your hands.�

�I�m
surprised you didn�t stomp away in righteous fury at the uncivilized manner of
dining.�

�Righteous
fury won�t fill my stomach. Besides,
it�s not all that messy.�

Nodding,
Severus began to pick at his plate.

* * * * * *

Anatole
slowed as they crossed the cracked pavement towards the beach. Nick looked back, confused.

�What
are you doing? Did you change your
mind?�

�No. I�it�s just�when I was here the other day, I
felt weird.�

�Weird?�

�It
was like I had a panic attack or something.�

Nick
frowned. Anatole was a fairly laid back
person; he was not the type to experience anxiety like that.

�Do
you want to go back?� he asked, feeling a small surge of apprehension. What if Hermione and Dawn had fallen into the pit? It had been a few days; if there was no
water, they would probably be dead, or close to it. He wasn�t prepared for that, but he didn�t
think he could turn back. He had really
liked Dawn, and Hermione, too, and if there was a chance that they were in
trouble, he felt obligated to do what he could to help.

Anatole
hesitated for a moment, his eyes focusing on anything but his friend. He took a deep breath, and then clenched his
jaw.

�No. We�re not going back.�

�I�ll
go first,� Nick said with a strained smile.
Anatole nodded, and Nick took the last few steps toward the bent
guardrail.

Anatole
tensed as he lifted a leg to step over the crumpled metal. But Nick seemed unaffected; he turned around
on the other side and beckoned him forward.
Perhaps it had just been his imagination the other night, or the
alcohol�

He
stepped forward, ignoring the sinking of his stomach and the alarms going off
inside his head.

* * * * * *

�Cyrus! CYRUS!!�

The
dark-skinned head excavator looked up from the stack of scrolls on the
table. Dharvish was running towards him,
waving his hands frantically.

�What
is it? What�s wrong?� he called,
shooting out of his seat.

Dharvish
stopped in front of him and leaned down with his hands on his knees and panted.

�Muggles�we�ve
been breached! The wards�no one checked
them! Muggles on the beach!�

�Shit! Where are they? Who�s responsible for the wards?!�

* * * * * *

�What�what
is all this?� Nick stammered, his eyes wide.
�You can�t see any of this from the city!�

Anatole
was speechless. There were people
everywhere, people of all races and ethnicities. There was a row of cabins far to the right,
and another across from them, most of which had collapsed into the fissure that
had opened along the beach. The people
were in clusters, huddling around objects he couldn�t recognize. The shoreline was bustling with activity. From Nick�s window and from across the
street, it had looked completely deserted.

As
they gaped, a short dark-skinned man turned in their direction. His eyes widened as he noticed them, and
several others nearby rose from their work to stare. The dark-skinned man took a few halting steps
backwards, and then broke into a full sprint towards the row of cabins.

* * * * * *

�I
think we�re in trouble, Nick,� Anatole whispered, swallowing heavily. They were surrounded now, and the mysterious
group did not look very happy.

�Whatever
gave you that idea?� Nick answered. His
eyes darted from person to person. They
were looking at the two men as if they had never seen human beings before;
there was only a shared look of stony determination. Determination to do what, he couldn�t say;
that was probably what scared him the most.

�Should
we try talking to them?�

�It
can�t hurt,� he said, cringing at his choice of words. Raising his hands in a surrendering gesture,
Nick said cautiously, �We�re sorry if we�ve trespassed in some way.�

There
was no response, but some of the people exchanged glances.

�We
were just looking for someone,� Nick went on.

At
last someone responded to them. He was a
dark-skinned, imposing man with a deep voice and a stern face.

�Why
would that someone be on this beach?�

�It�s
two people, actually,� Anatole said, encouraged by the man�s attention. �I saw them walk onto the beach a few nights
ago. I didn�t realize that there had
been a cave-in until today. We thought
maybe they had fallen in.�

�No
one has been here, and no one has fallen in.�
The man�s voice was sharp and unyielding.

�But�but
I saw them walk onto this beach!�
Anatole protested, ignoring the elbow that Nick jabbed into his side. �What is going on here? Who are you people? Why can�t we see all this from the city?�

�Anatole,
shut up!� Nick hissed, elbowing him again.

�No! Something isn�t right here, and I want an
explanation!�

�You
want an explanation?� the man said, his voice full of a cloying amicability
that made both men uncomfortable. He
lifted his right hand, in which he held a slender piece of wood. �Just look right here and you�ll get it.�

His
tone was so strange that a sudden surge of fear filled the two men, but even as
they turned to run, two of the strange folk caught them and twisted their arms
behind their backs. It wasn�t painful,
but it was enough to keep them from struggling.

�Now,�
the man said, coming closer, �just hold still and everything will be all
right.� He raised the polished stick in
his hand and waved it.

�Obliv��

�Cyrus,
no! Stop!�

The
high-pitched cry stopped him in mid-gesture, and everyone, Anatole and Nick
included, looked towards the source of the voice.

�Dawn!�
Nick nearly shouted. He had never been
so happy to see a familiar face in his entire life.

�For
Merlin�s sake, let them go!� she demanded, storming into the circle.

�They�re
Muggles!� Cyrus shot back, looking dismayed.
�I have to alter their memories!�

�I
know them, Cyrus. I won�t let you,� she
said, planting herself in front of them and crossing her arms over her chest.

�How
do you know them?� he asked incredulously.

�Alter
our memories?� Anatole murmured to no one in particular.

�Hermione
and I went on dates with them earlier in the week,� Dawn declared. That set the small crowd whispering, and
Cyrus made a sound of frustration.

�Dawn,
if we don�t obliviate them we�re violating the International Wizarding Laws
regarding Muggles!�

�They
can keep the secret.�

�I�m
glad you think so but I�d rather know for sure.�

�I
vouch for them. If they reveal us I will
take full responsibility.�

�It�s
not that simple!�

�Yes
it is. Put the wards back up. I�ll take care of them.�

With
a dark look of consternation, Cyrus jerked his arm toward Essah, the wizard in
charge of the anti-Muggle wards.

�We
will all discuss this at dinner. For now their memories may remain intact, but
I�m not making any promises.�

With
that, Cyrus stalked away, muttering to himself.
The crowd dispensed slowly in small clumps, quietly discussing this
latest development. At last Anatole and
Nick were left alone with Dawn.

�What�the
hell�was that?!� Nick demanded, rotating his arm to work the soreness out of
it.

�Yeah,
what were they talking about? Altering
memories? International laws? Muggers?� Anatole added, his face contorting
comically as he tried to make sense of it all.

�Muggles,�
she corrected absently.

�What
in the hell is a Muggle?�

�You�re
a Muggle.�

�I�m
a Muggle?� Anatole said, looking anxious.

�So
is Nick.�

The
two men exchanged glances, even more confused than before.

* * * * * *

��so
then she says that she and that English girl Hermione went on dates with the
Muggles earlier in the week��

Lucius
and Severus had been eavesdropping with some interest for a few minutes, but
now their attention had most definitely been captured. Both of them turned their heads toward the
conversation in unison, the same expression on their faces.

�Dates?�
Lucius said, one blond eyebrow rising austerely. The gossipers glanced over at his
interruption. Some of them looked
faintly alarmed, doubtless knowing of his tumultuous relationship with Dawn.

�Y-yes,�
the speaker stammered. �She said she had
gone out with them��

�Really,�
Lucius practically purred, in that way of his.
Any alumni of Hogwarts would have recognized the tell-tale signs of
Slytherin intimidation; he looked, for all purposes, like a cobra ready to
strike. The fact that Severus was
wearing the same look was telling.

�And
where are these Muggles now?�

�Last
I saw, walking on the beach with�the American witch.�

�Thank
you for this valuable information,� Lucius stated, standing and striding over
to pat the informant on the shoulder. He
did a little more than pat, though; Severus bit back a smirk at the wizard�s
pained expression. �Shall we, Severus?�

He
nodded, and the two of them sauntered off toward the shoreline, a study in
opposites.

The
gossipers sat silently, gaping at each other.
Rubbing his shoulder, the loose-lipped wizard mumbled,

�Always
was something a bit off about those two��

* * * * * *

�So�let
me recap,� Anatole said, his face a mixture of confusion and disbelief. �You�re a witch.�

�Correct.�

�And
all the men here are wizards.�

�Mm-hmm.�

�And
you have wands and can cast spells.�

�Yes.�

�And�you
expect us to believe that?� he said.

�Would
you like me to prove it?�

�Yes!�
both men said in unison.

�What
do you want me to do?� Dawn asked, twirling her wand absently.

�What
can you do?� Nick asked, looking interested.

�A
lot,� she replied, grinning.

�Well,
if you�re a witch�then shouldn�t you be able to turn me into a frog?� Anatole
said, sarcasm seeping into his tone.

She
gave him a sideways glance and flourished her wand.

�Amphibious!�

Nick
started badly at the flash of light that accompanied the spell, and scrambled
away from the bulge-eyed frog that now sat next to him in the sand.

�Holy
Jesus!� he nearly shouted. �Turn him
back!�

�Oh,
I can�t. Not for twenty-four hours,
anyway,� she said casually, shrugging.

�What?! Twenty-four hours?! He could get eaten, or stepped on, or�� Nick
sputtered, gathering the dazed-looking frog between his palms.

�I�m
just kidding, Nick. Put him down, I�ll
change him back.�

Hesitantly,
he placed the frog back on the sand.

�Finite incantatem!� she said, and the slimy green skin paled, stretched,
and became a man once more. A
frightened, panicked, and badly confused man.

�What?
Why?� Anatole croaked, looking at his hands.

�You
asked me to turn you into a frog,� Dawn answered, completely unrepentant.

Unable
to think of any response, Anatole slumped back onto the sand.

�So
it�s true,� Nick said, his eyes wide.
�You�re a witch, and you can do magic!�

Dawn
nodded, smiling.

�Wait!�
Anatole exclaimed, surging up into a sitting position. �Then Hermione�?�

�Hermione
is a witch, just like me.�

�So�this
is your job? This is where you work?�

�For
the time being, yes.�

�What
is it? What do you do?� Nick questioned,
his face rapt with interest.

�Well,
you know there was a cave-in on this beach, right?�

Both
men nodded.

�The
cave-in revealed an ancient school of witchcraft and wizardry beneath this
beach. We�re working to excavate it.�

�There
are schools for magic?� Nick asked, leaning forward.

�Of
course there are. We aren�t just born
knowing how to do everything the right way.
It�s a learning process, like everything else.�

�How
do you know that you�re magical?�

�Well,
most of the time you come from a magical family, so you know right away that
you�re a witch or wizard. Sometimes,
though, regular non-magical people can have magical children. If that�s the case, at first it�s just a
feeling�a strange little tingling of your senses that tells you there�s
something more. Then you start to be
able to do unexplainable things when you�re experiencing a very strong emotion. That�s usually sometime around your ninth or
tenth birthday. Then you get your
letter.�

�Letter
for what?� Anatole asked, beginning to look just as enthralled as Nick.

�For
school. You have to learn how to focus
your magic, or else you�ll have no control over it.�

�How
on earth can you keep all of this hidden from normal people?� Nick asked,
shaking his head in awe.

�Spells
or wards, usually. There are spells that
can render something invisible unless you�re looking for it, spells that
misdirect the Muggle mind��

�What
are wards? That�angry man said something
about them.�

�They�re
magical barriers put up to prevent entrance to something.�

�Then
how come we were able to come onto the beach?� Nick questioned.

�The
earthquake disrupted the wards. We were
so busy making sure everyone was all right to even think about them.�

�Is
that why I felt like I was about to have a heart attack the last time I tried
to come onto the beach?� Anatole asked, frowning.

�Most
likely,� she nodded. �So, any more
questions?�

�Not
at the moment,� Nick said. �But I�m sure
I�ll think of more eventually.�

�I�m
sure you will,� Dawn said, smiling. A
moment later her smile diminished, when her eyes fixed on the two figures
moving rapidly in their direction.

�Brace
yourselves, boys,� she murmured.

�For
what?� Anatole said, tensing and glancing around nervously.

�You�re
about to meet two of the most fearsome wizards of our time, and one of them
just happens to be my�er, boyfriend.�

�Don�t
let them turn us into anything!� Anatole begged. Nick just frowned.

�I
won�t, I promise. Don�t be afraid. They won�t do anything to hurt you.�

A
moment later Lucius swaggered up to the trio, his hands in his pockets and his
chin high. Severus skulked behind him,
his face blank.

�So,
Dawn, what�s this I hear about you going on a date with these Muggles?� Lucius
queried a trifle disdainfully.

�Honestly,
Lucius, what kind of girl do you take me for?� she shot back, her tone playful.

�The
kind of girl that I know you are,� he baited, crossing his arms over his chest.

�So
what if I had a bit of fun with these gents?� she said, wrapping her arms
around Anatole and Nick and pulling them against her. Anatole shook his head, and Nick made a
choked sound of negation. Clearly, they
were already terrified of Lucius. �It�s
not like we were together at the time,� she barbed, her voice full of false
innocence.

�You
are pushing it, dear girl,� he said softly.

�Will
you relax, Lucius?� she said, rolling her eyes and releasing the horrified
men. �I only went so that Hermione would
have someone to double with.�

�It
was Hermione�s idea?� Snape interjected, his face as unreadable as ever.

�Actually,
Sir, it was my idea,� Anatole spoke up.
To his credit, his voice barely quivered. �Don�t blame Hermione.�

�Oh,
rest assured, I won�t,� he said darkly.
�It�s not as though I have any claim on her, anyway.� With that, he turned and stalked away.

�Severus!�
Lucius called after him. The dark-haired
man ignored it and kept walking. With an
exasperated sigh, Lucius turned back to the group huddled on the sand. �You just had to say it like that, didn�t
you?� he groused.

�You�re
the one who wanted to know the circumstances of the date, Mister Jealousy. If I hadn�t said it you would have hexed
these two into oblivion!�

�Well
now they don�t have to worry about me, that�s for sure.�

�Stop
it, Lucius. Snape won�t do anything and
you know it.�

�No,
he won�t, and that�s exactly the
point.�

�He
would have found out eventually.�

Rubbing
the bridge of his nose, Lucius sighed.

�Yes,
I suppose. Well, I�d better be off after
him, then.�

�I�m
sorry,� Dawn said.

�It�s
all right,� he replied, waving a hand.
�It�s my purgatory.� He turned
and trudged across the sand, following the footprints Severus had left behind.

�He�s�pleasant,�
Nick said at last, making a face. Dawn
laughed, amused by Nick�s attempt to find something good to say about Lucius.

�You
can say it,� she chuckled. �He�s
perfectly awful when he�s jealous.�

�He�s
got nothing to be jealous of. You seem
pretty enamored of him,� he replied, looking somewhat glum.

�I
suppose I am�� she said thoughtfully, burrowing her toes into the sand.

�That
other wizard,� Anatole piped up, �does he like Hermione?�

Dawn
nodded regretfully. It was clear to her
that Anatole liked Hermione just as much as Snape did, if not more.

�Isn�t
he a bit old for her?�

�He�s
only forty-three.�

�Only forty-three?!�

�Wizards
and witches live longer than normal people.
Age doesn�t matter to us. As they
say, love doesn�t heed the calendar.�

Anatole
sighed and slumped down onto the sand.

�I
guess I don�t stand a chance against a wizard.�

* * * * * *

Draco
had quickly become frustrated by the fact that he couldn�t use his wand. He knew there were people trapped beneath the
rubble, and one spell would do more to free them and ensure their survival than
all the dogs and the bulldozers and the human hands.

He
did what he could, walking through the ravaged streets and handing out rice and
oats to tired mothers and grubby-faced children. They wouldn�t let him do much else. If he ever found a moment where no one was
looking, he�d cast a few spells here and there; nothing too major, since he
couldn�t risk drawing attention to himself.

As
he rounded a corner, something ran right into him, nearly knocking him
backwards. It was a little boy, and he�d
bounced right off and landed on his back in the dirt. He was up and clinging to the hem of Draco�s
shirt before he could even extend a hand to help him. He tugged insistently, saying something over
and over. Draco couldn�t understand it,
but from the look in the boy�s eyes, he wanted help.

He
allowed the boy to tug him forward, checking with one hand to make sure he
still had his wand. The boy led him to a
small cabin that looked as though it was ready to collapse; upon stepping
inside, it was clear that it had already started to. The boy�s mother was there, pacing and
crying. When she saw the Red Cross
t-shirt they had given him, she began pointing frantically to the back of the
house. He could hear the thin cry of a
baby; it was coming from the pile of wooden beams that had given way.

He
examined the mess of wood and plaster, his heart pounding as the baby�s
plaintive cries echoed in his ears. He
could barely see the outline of the crib; maybe if he could get himself in
there, he could lift the beam free?
Crouching down, he put his shoulder against the board and pushed with
all his strength. It moved a few inches,
but so did all the other rubble.

It
was trapping the baby in, but the precarious arrangement of boards was also
holding the rest of that portion of the house up. Draco chewed his lip, looking for any way he
could possibly get to the child without causing any more damage. There was none, or if there was he didn�t
have the time to think of it. He had no
choice.

Furrowing
his brow, he swished and flicked and shouted the levitation spell. The beams rose up, linking together and
forming a barrier to hold the rest of the house in place. He gestured toward the mother with his free
hand, and she ran to the crib and snatched the infant out of it.

Once
both were clear, he released the spell, and the boards fell heavily to the
floor. Breathing hard, he leaned against
the wall. Levitating one object was
simple enough, but levitating several and holding them up against a downward
force was entirely different.

After
a moment, he turned to face the small family.
The child had quieted the instant it found its mother�s arms. She was preoccupied with making sure the baby
was all right, but the little boy was staring at him openly, his eyes wide with
awe.

Smiling,
Draco brought his pointer finger to his lips and winked. When the mother saw that her child was
unharmed, she handed it off to the boy and enveloped Draco in a crushing
hug. Then she pulled back, only to move
forward again and kiss him right on the lips.

A
moment later she released him, tears in her eyes. Just when he thought he was free, her husband
appeared and he had to endure the same crushing embrace, kiss and all.

Finally
he managed to slip away, giving the little boy one last wave. He rubbed his sore ribs as he walked back
towards the trucks. One of the men
helped him up, smiling and patting him on the back.

As
they started moving, Draco leaned over to Gerard, who, he�d discovered earlier,
spoke French.

�Combien
du temps jusqu�a Preveza?�

Gerard
clicked his tongue and shook his head.

�Il
y a douze villes avant Preveza.�

�Douze?�
Draco asked, incredulous. They had been
on the road for at least three hours already, and they still had twelve more
villages to go?

�Oui. Avec tous les arrets, nous n�arriverons pas
avant la nuit.�

Sighing,
Draco leaned back and tried to get comfortable.
With a chuckle, Gerard gave him a pat on the shoulder and said,

�Votre
pere sera la.�

* * * * * *

As
the sun began to sink over the sedate ocean waves, Lucius began to fidget.

�He
should be here by now.�

�I�m
sure Draco is fine,� Hermione said, looking up from the potion bottle she was
cleaning.

�The
rail system was probably disrupted,� Severus added quietly. His companions glanced at him, surprised; it
was the first thing he�d said since that afternoon.

�Severus
is probably right,� Hermione agreed. She
was mystified as to why he had cooled so much toward her. At first she thought it was the black eye
she�d inadvertently given him, but now she wasn�t so sure.

�Why
wouldn�t he just apparate here?� Dawn asked around a mouthful of her dinner.

�I
told him not to.�

�If
he�s anything like you I doubt that would stop him.�

�Point
taken, but he doesn�t know where he�s apparating to, so he couldn�t even if he
wanted to.�

�Then
I suppose we�ll just have to wait,� Hermione said. �Shame.�

Lucius
gave her a half-hearted dirty look and drummed his fingers on the table.

�What�s
apparating?� Nick asked. Anatole had
been quiet thusfar, but Nick had been full of questions, prompting Lucius to
make a remark about curiosity killing the Muggle. That had earned him a stinging punch in the
arm.

�It�s
when you magically transport yourself from one place to another,� Dawn answered
automatically.

�Draco
doesn�t know where he�s going, but you do, Lucius,� Snape said.

�That�s
true�I suppose I could apparate to the train station to see if he�s there.�

�Indeed
you could.�

�That�s
settled, then,� Lucius said. He stood up
and stepped a few feet away from the table; and then, closing his eyes and
concentrating, blinked out of existence with a quiet pop.

* * * * * *

Lucius
had only been wandering around the station for a few minutes when a hand
clasped his shoulder. He spun around and
saw nothing.

�Excuse
me, Sir.�

Adjusting
his glance downward, Lucius met the eyes of a short, plump woman in an
ill-fitting uniform.

�Yes?�

�Are
you looking for your son, by any chance?�

Blinking,
he managed to nod.

�Yes. Yes I am.
Have you seen him?�

�Yes,
I spoke with him earlier.�

�Well,
where is he, then?�

�He
left with one of the rescue and aid vehicles.
It was the only way he�d be able to make it down to Preveza in any sort
of timely fashion. Looks like you must
have missed each other.�

�Thank
you so very much, ma�am,� he said, smiling.

�Would
you like me to see if I can book you a hotel reservation?� she asked, turning
to pluck a brochure off the rack behind her.

When
she turned around, he was gone.

* * * * * *

�Severus,
why are you mad at me?� Hermione demanded.
He didn�t pause in his mixing of the Dreamless Sleep potion.

�I�m
not.�

�Oh,
please! You�ve been acting aloof all
day! I already apologized for hitting
you. You know I didn�t mean it!�

�I
assure you, Miss Granger, your apology was accepted.�

�See,
that�s how I know you�re mad at me,� she said, climbing out of bed and taking
the small stirring rod out of his hand.
�I asked you to call me Hermione, and you were actually starting to
remember. And now it�s back to �Miss
Granger�. Why?�

�I
had a mistaken notion about you, that�s why,� he said, taking back his stirring
rod and returning his attention to the potion.

�What
notion was that?� she asked, her hands on her hips.

He
shook his head, his lips pursed tightly.

�Well
come on, aren�t you going to tell me?� she pressed, anger seeping into her
tone. �You certainly never had a problem
telling me what you thought about me in the past!�

�It
is childish for you to even bring that up,� he said through his teeth. �Now leave me alone, or else this potion will
be ruined and you�ll just have to suffer with your nightmares!�

�You
know as well as I that Dreamless Sleep potion can be left to sit for up to
three hours without any adverse effects.
You�re just using it as an excuse not to talk to me! If you don�t tell me what�s bothering you,
you�ll just hold in your anger and end up resenting me, and I don�t want that!�

There
was silence after her outburst. At last
he spoke.

�I
was under the impression that you didn�t care.�

�Of
course I care! I like you, Severus. I�ve never known anyone half as intelligent
as you. I feel at ease around you, and
safe. You�ve kept me out of harm�s way
dozens of times, then and now. You�ve
stood by me when half the excavation crew probably thinks I�m crazy! You have been the bright spot of this whole
experience, so if you think for one moment that I don�t care, you are completely, totally wrong!�

He
blinked, as if he was taken aback by her words.
But then his brow furrowed, and his demeanor grew cold again.

�You
went on a date with that Muggle.�

�What
does that have to do with anything?� she asked, bewildered.

Severus
looked away, unable to answer.

�Why
do you even care about my personal life?� Hermione demanded. �Don�t tell me you�ve been spending too much
time with Lucius and think I�m too good for a Muggle or something ridiculous
like that!�

�You
may date whoever you wish, Miss Granger.�
He returned his attention to the potion, but she could tell that he was
angry; his jaw was clenched and his movements were abnormally jerky.

For
a minute she simply watched him, trying to piece together the veiled meanings
of his statements. A moment later her
eyes widened.

He
was jealous!

She
pulled his chair away from the desk and spun it around to face her.

�What
in the name of Merlin do you think you�re��

�Do
you like me?� she demanded, her face right up in his.

His
heart skipped a beat.

�What?�
he heard his mouth blurt out.

�I said�do you like me?�

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Translations:

Draco: �How long until we
get to Preveza?�

Gerard: �There are still
twelve villages before Preveza.�

Draco: �Twelve?!�

Gerard: �With all the stops,
we won�t arrive before nightfall. Your
father will be there.�

Only one gleeful author�s
note to add to this horrid cliffhanger:
I AM GOING TO GREECE IN JULY! WOO
HOO!!!
- 6
- 7
- 8
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Amphitrite