Yuletide Potions IX
Title: Yuletide Potions IX
Team: Order of the Phoenix
Word Count: 8 x 100
Challenges: Broken Memory Charm, Comfort and Joy (though there isn’t much joy in this set ....)---Yeah... what Kel said...
Rating: all ages
Characters: Minerva, Severus, Hermione; Hermione’s parents mentioned
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Part Five
Part Six
Part Seven
Part Eight
-----------------------
“What?”
Severus looked down at her-damn if her brown eyes weren’t sparkling with new found hope-his own heart clenched in the hopes that he wouldn’t let her down. “I will take you to Gerringong. I am not certain that anything can be done, but we will do our best to help your parents.”
When her arms tightened around his chest, he allowed himself a small moment to enjoy the feeling of her closeness without thinking about the fact that she would likely prefer to seek comfort from Minerva, had the older woman been standing any closer to them.
*
It had been a cough from Minerva which had allowed Severus the ability to extricate himself from Hermione’s grip. Yes, it had been pleasant for a brief moment, but the fact that he knew she only needed a warm body and security had made him want nothing more than to get as far away from her as possible.
But distance wasn’t possible now, was it? He now had to travel half-way around the world with her.
He sighed and then rubbed his temples with the palms of his hand. Severus had no idea how he was going to help her.
*****
After leaving both Severus and Minerva down in the now closed shop, Hermione all but ran through her flat collecting clothes, books, and anything that could possibly be of use to them in Australia. Various potions ingredients, a few small cauldrons, her favorite flint knife and stirring rods all zoomed through the room and made their way to her magical bag which had become an accessory she never left home without.
After quickly changing her clothes, Hermione did one last look around the room and on a whim, she grabbed an old family photo album, tucking it into her bag.
*
“Where is he?” Hermione asked as she ran into the workroom.
Minerva looked up from the book she was glancing over and replied, “Severus is making arrangements for transportation. He said he had some favors that he could call in.”
“Favors? From whom? I think that I can count on one hand the number of people who know that he’s alive.” Hermione bit her lower lip as she began to worry about someone other than her parents for the first time since receiving the letter. She hadn’t considered the complicated traveling arrangements. Before, she had always had time to prepare.
*
“I don’t know. He didn’t say. But he’ll be back here soon. I swear that I’ve never seen Severus so worried.”
Hermione nodded.
Minerva paused and placed the book she’d been reading on the desk. “I don’t want you to get your hopes up, Hermione. Severus will do everything that he can for your parents, but there is no guarantee that he’ll be successful.”
“I know. I don’t expect… I just feel…” Hermione felt a tear begin to slide down her face.
Minerva put an arm around her and lead Hermione to a chair. “Guilt is a very nasty parasite.”
*****
Severus returned to his shop to find that Hermione was once again distraught. And no matter how much he wanted to help her, he found himself dreading the thought of going to Australia with an overly emotional woman.
He walked over to the two women and placed a silver cauldron on the desk. “Are you ready, Hermione?”
She sniffed and wiped away her tears. “Yes. How are we getting there?”
“The only way available. By Portkey,” he said, nodding to the silver cauldron.
Hermione narrowed her eyes. “We’ll be tracked.”
“It’s authorized. Come, we only have a minute until it’s activated.”
*****
“Who did you get-”
“Come,” he said, cutting her off.
Realizing that he wouldn’t answer her right now anyway, Hermione grabbed the cauldron.
They both missed the final worried look on Minerva’s face as they were whisked away.
When Hermione felt her feet touch the ground at their destination, she looked around the room. “Where are we?”
“Tokyo, Japan. I was unable to secure us a direct Portkey. The greater the distance, the more difficult they are to create. I have the other here.”
Severus pulled a spoon out of his pocket. “It will activate in another two minutes.”
*
At last, Hermione felt her feet touch the ground in Gerringong. She and Severus had arrived in the familiar backyard of the home she had helped her parents to secure. (Not that her parents had known that she had helped them get the house.)
It was once she realized that they were really there, that her nerves kicked in.
“I don’t know how we can help them.”
Severus looked at her and she noticed that she could almost see the ideas swirling around in his head. “We will figure something out.”
And for the first time, she truly felt reassured.
Go on to Chapter Ten
Team: Order of the Phoenix
Word Count: 8 x 100
Challenges: Broken Memory Charm, Comfort and Joy (though there isn’t much joy in this set ....)---Yeah... what Kel said...
Rating: all ages
Characters: Minerva, Severus, Hermione; Hermione’s parents mentioned
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Part Five
Part Six
Part Seven
Part Eight
-----------------------
“What?”
Severus looked down at her-damn if her brown eyes weren’t sparkling with new found hope-his own heart clenched in the hopes that he wouldn’t let her down. “I will take you to Gerringong. I am not certain that anything can be done, but we will do our best to help your parents.”
When her arms tightened around his chest, he allowed himself a small moment to enjoy the feeling of her closeness without thinking about the fact that she would likely prefer to seek comfort from Minerva, had the older woman been standing any closer to them.
*
It had been a cough from Minerva which had allowed Severus the ability to extricate himself from Hermione’s grip. Yes, it had been pleasant for a brief moment, but the fact that he knew she only needed a warm body and security had made him want nothing more than to get as far away from her as possible.
But distance wasn’t possible now, was it? He now had to travel half-way around the world with her.
He sighed and then rubbed his temples with the palms of his hand. Severus had no idea how he was going to help her.
*****
After leaving both Severus and Minerva down in the now closed shop, Hermione all but ran through her flat collecting clothes, books, and anything that could possibly be of use to them in Australia. Various potions ingredients, a few small cauldrons, her favorite flint knife and stirring rods all zoomed through the room and made their way to her magical bag which had become an accessory she never left home without.
After quickly changing her clothes, Hermione did one last look around the room and on a whim, she grabbed an old family photo album, tucking it into her bag.
*
“Where is he?” Hermione asked as she ran into the workroom.
Minerva looked up from the book she was glancing over and replied, “Severus is making arrangements for transportation. He said he had some favors that he could call in.”
“Favors? From whom? I think that I can count on one hand the number of people who know that he’s alive.” Hermione bit her lower lip as she began to worry about someone other than her parents for the first time since receiving the letter. She hadn’t considered the complicated traveling arrangements. Before, she had always had time to prepare.
*
“I don’t know. He didn’t say. But he’ll be back here soon. I swear that I’ve never seen Severus so worried.”
Hermione nodded.
Minerva paused and placed the book she’d been reading on the desk. “I don’t want you to get your hopes up, Hermione. Severus will do everything that he can for your parents, but there is no guarantee that he’ll be successful.”
“I know. I don’t expect… I just feel…” Hermione felt a tear begin to slide down her face.
Minerva put an arm around her and lead Hermione to a chair. “Guilt is a very nasty parasite.”
*****
Severus returned to his shop to find that Hermione was once again distraught. And no matter how much he wanted to help her, he found himself dreading the thought of going to Australia with an overly emotional woman.
He walked over to the two women and placed a silver cauldron on the desk. “Are you ready, Hermione?”
She sniffed and wiped away her tears. “Yes. How are we getting there?”
“The only way available. By Portkey,” he said, nodding to the silver cauldron.
Hermione narrowed her eyes. “We’ll be tracked.”
“It’s authorized. Come, we only have a minute until it’s activated.”
*****
“Who did you get-”
“Come,” he said, cutting her off.
Realizing that he wouldn’t answer her right now anyway, Hermione grabbed the cauldron.
They both missed the final worried look on Minerva’s face as they were whisked away.
When Hermione felt her feet touch the ground at their destination, she looked around the room. “Where are we?”
“Tokyo, Japan. I was unable to secure us a direct Portkey. The greater the distance, the more difficult they are to create. I have the other here.”
Severus pulled a spoon out of his pocket. “It will activate in another two minutes.”
*
At last, Hermione felt her feet touch the ground in Gerringong. She and Severus had arrived in the familiar backyard of the home she had helped her parents to secure. (Not that her parents had known that she had helped them get the house.)
It was once she realized that they were really there, that her nerves kicked in.
“I don’t know how we can help them.”
Severus looked at her and she noticed that she could almost see the ideas swirling around in his head. “We will figure something out.”
And for the first time, she truly felt reassured.
Go on to Chapter Ten