Knowledge is Power

Chapter 43

Nightshade was bored during the temple tours because there was indeed no fuckin' statue of him.
//Owls symbolized death back then, you know,// he commented sulkily to prof.
//Is that why you named yourself after a poisonous plant,// Severus asked as they were led out of the fourth temple by Sekhmet who walked at the side of a priest with whom she shamelessly flirted.
//Maybe. I didn't think about it. What, do you think I have some past life memories of that shit or something?//
//I don't know,// Severus replied.
//Do you?//

Nightshade laughed.
//Fuck no. But does this mean you're taking Sekhmet seriously now?//
//Fuck no,// Severus replied, and that shit made Nightshade's day!
This wasn't due to Prof not believing Sekhmet, because though he liked her well enough, Nightshade didn't give a shit. Prof never said fuck, though, so that was cool. It meant he really didn't like Sekhmet.

"All the Muggles believe the old religions of Egypt are dead," Mag commented.
"Gods they would be so shocked if they knew the half of what they are incorrect about," she concluded with a chuckle.
"My dad would've loved to know about all of this," Severus said sadly.
"I think I'd have liked him a lot," Mag said, lightly touching his arm in sympathy.
"He sounds great."

"He really was," Severus replied.
"Want to ride a camel," Sekhmet asked brightly.
"Sure," Mag said at the same time that Severus said, "NO."
Nightshade wondered how that shit was gonna go down, but Mag only shrugged.
"Not today then," she agreed easily.
They spent the rest of the day sight seeing and Nightshade used the opportunity to stretch his wings flying ahead or above or just circling around. He supposed the sights were Alright. Cairo had gotten rather modern but the old (Literal) underground may have been taken right from the past, that's how old school it was. Severus and Mag were both in love with the place.

"If you want, we can go to Shedet tomorrow," Sekhmet offered, turning to Mag.
"The oldest city in Egypt! Yes that would be great! Don't you think so, Severus?"
Severus nodded.
'It's called Faiyum now, isn't it?"
Sekhmet nodded and they all agreed they preferred the original name.
//How old is oldest,// Nightshade asked, curious in spite of his mild boredom.
"Around four thousand years before the Muggle god," Severus replied.

Shedet was interesting. Mag and Severus found a book store there they really liked, and a cloak shop. There was a map shop too and they got some maps of ancient Egypt for the wall of the library in WestCraven manor. Egyptian wizards used reconstructive visual spells to discover all the geographical details that were lost to history. Nightshade wondered if he looked at the maps long enough, if it would bring up a past life memory but no such luck.

"Mum and Dad are going to be so excited about these maps, and the books we found too," Mag said as they left the map shop.
As she spoke, she turned to Severus with shining eyes.
"It's so interesting to finally be adding to the WestCraven library like all my ancestors before me."
Severus gave an understanding nod.
"It's difficult to believe that some day I'll actually be marrying into that library. I swear I used to worship it growing up!"

Nightshade's head whipped back and forth between Prof and Mags. The marriage bit had been spoken so casually that he wondered if Mags even heard, considering she made no comment.
//Mags?//
//Yes? Is something the matter?//
//Nah, but did you just hear him mention getting married?//
//Of course. I assumed we would eventually. There is no reason not to. We're already together and...well...//

"It isn't safe to do that now, I'm sorry," Severus said quickly, obviously misreading Mag's reason for being quiet.
"I understand that. There is plenty of time," Mag assured.
"Don't worry about it. I know we can't risk drawing attention."
Severus gave her a relieved smile as he took her hand.
His other arm was full of rolled maps. Mag had a bag over her other arm full of the books they'd bought.

Next Sekhmet took them to lunch and that was Nightshade's favorite thing about the oldest city in Egypt. The food was rockin'! The beef was so tender it fell apart in his beak! The bread was all herbal tasting which was nice because it was different and somehow felt super old school. There were also figs stuffed with nuts and honey! They made his beak all sticky but it was worth it and he washed off in Prof's wine because an owl gotta drink.

After that they did some sight seeing in the oldest city in Egypt. Sekhmet offered to take them to a wand shop that was supposed to be excellent, but Mag politely explained that wooden wands weren't powerful enough. She then told Sekhmet of the ones she made of quartz that were twice as strong and Sekhmet's look of dubious disbelief faded away, leaving one of hungry interest in its place.
"I want one. If I pay you before you leave, will you mail it to me," she asked, and Mag nodded.
"I'll have to think of the stones I feel would suit you best. This one is going to be fun to design."
"Well even if you aren't aware, you know me well, and I know it'll be excellent," Sekhmet said.

Severus itched to suggest that Mag load the wand up with amethyst, as he read it was a stone that helped mental instability. He kept his mouth shut with an effort, though. The new books had made him happy and he saw no reason to ruin a rare good mood by picking a fight with Sekhmet over her lack of sanity.

Sekhmet apparated them back to Cairo in the evening and they dropped off their new acquisitions in their hotel room.
"You've got to let me take you out to dinner," Sekhmet told Mag.
"If we get Severus drunk enough he may be tolerable and you've both got to try our whisky! It is out of this world literally. The piss of the gods! It'll give you visions...and real ones at that. Sometimes it's the future one sees, sometimes the past, sometimes the present. Last time I got so drunk I knew my uncle was taking a shit and would run out of toilet paper so I wrote my aunt to bring him some more before he made it complicated."

Severus gaped.
"So you're going to try to poison us and this is your cover story," he suggested flatly.
Sekhmet sighed and rolled her eyes.
"Of course not. If I planned to poison you, I would never have said a word. Don't be silly."
"Oh come on Severus! It'll be fun," Mag said.
"It's all about new experiences here in Egypt, isn't it?"
"Yes, so long as we survive them," Severus replied grimly.

The restaurant was open and airy, with soft Egyptian flute like music playing in the background. Nightshade didn't know if the music was prerecorded or if there were live performers, but no one was in sight. They ate on low couches with small tables in front of them. Nightshade wished he remembered what they ate, but he only remembered the overly sweet, strong as fuck whisky. It made the room warm and spinny and he felt very light and floaty even without opening his wings.

//I see me going to school with you next year, but I think that's just because I planned to do that,// Nightshade thought to Prof.
//What if Mag wants you with her,// Severus carefully thought to Nightshade.
In mid thought, he realized just how drunk he was because thinking was difficult.

//You need me, though. I protect you from the world...I basically protect you from yourself,// Nightshade announced and Severus laughed.
//You're ridiculous!.//

"I see myself visiting you for the holidays," Sekhmet proclaimed and Mag clapped.
"Brilliant! We'll have such fun! You can meet all of our friends...There will only be a few, don't worry. It isn't as if we connect with many people."

Sekhmet threw Severus an incredulous look.
"He has friends?"
"I do," Severus told her with a frown.
"Not everyone annoys me. Just most everyone."
"I don't see anything," Mag said sadly.
"But I really like the way this drink makes me feel. All light and floaty."
//Yeah,// Nightshade agreed.
//Like I am floating without using my wings.//

"Hopefully we're not ghosts and like...you know like those ghosts who don't realize they're dead," Severus said carefully, realizing again just how drunk he was in case he'd forgotten.
"Are you sure you didn't poison us," he asked Sekhmet with a frown.
"We aren't having this conversation again," Sekhmet said in a bored tone.
"If you like, I could hex the hell out of you. It'll hurt really bad and you'll know you're alive."
Severus laughed.
"No thank you, but that was good. I almost respect it."