Amour

EPITHET

Snape and Voldemort apparated in front of the gates of Hogwarts.He waved a hand and the gate swung open and Voldemort almost levitated in.The Carrow twins apparated soon after them and they strolled inside,as if the whole establishment belonged to them.It was the darkest hour before the dawn and the death-eaters and their master walked as one with the shadows.They came around to the backyard where Dumbledore's tomb was and Voldemort opened his arms wide,taking in a long breath,savouring the moment.But there was another crack heard through the air as someone else apparated there too and ran up the gravel pathway to meet them."M' lord!"Yaxley said in an urgent whisper,but stopped short when he saw he had obviously interrupted his lord."It's the trio."he fearfully continued.Voldemort's expression changed somewhat and Snape's ears pricked up instantaneously."They broke into the Ministry this evening.The audacity of them!" Voldemort clutched at his cloak,"Tell me you caught them!" Yaxley tried to squirm out of his grip,"N-no m-m' lord.They escaped yet again." Voldemort made a ferocious growl and ground his teeth.Snape was relieved but interested in knowing more."Apparently,they used polyjuice potion to turn into Ministry officials and hung around for a while,till they were caught.Nothing was reported stolen,except Mad eye Moody's eyeball and Umbridge had been stunned unconscious by the Granger girl." Snape noticed that Voldemort's eyes showed a hidden panic with the mention of Umbridge's name.But he was confused and anxious.What were they thinking,breaking into the Ministry of magic for no apparent reason at all?Or did they take something that hasn't still been found out?It must've been something truly important to make Hermione take such a risk..."There's one good news m'lord.I chased them after their cover was blown and right at the moment when they were disapparating,I got hold of the Weasley boy and I got a glimpse of the house they had been hiding in for so long.The boy got splinched in the process but Granger apparated them somewhere else but the thing is that,they can't go back to Black's old house anymore 'cause their secret is out."he finished.Voldemort didn't look pleased but it was of some satisfaction,however.He turned back to the task at hand and concentrated on accumulating his power to remove the enchantments over the stone slab of Dumbledore's grave.It broke open with a resounding crack and Snape found himself digging his nails into his palms.Voldemort's face split into a grin as he worked out the wand from Dumbledore's frozen hand.He raised it to his eye level and examined it as if it were a rare piece of artifact."What do you think you are do-"McGonagall stopped dead as the Dark lord and his followers came into her focus.Snape prayed that she didn't do anything to stop them because Voldemort would inevitably kill her and he would be able to do nothing to stop it.But either she was too shocked to act or wasn't stupid enough to take on the Dark lord by herself,that she stayed glued to her position with only a gasp escaping her throat,while Voldemort gave a wicked smile directed towards her and disappeared in a cloud of black smoke.After a pause where they stared at each other,Snape came forward to speak to her and resume the role he had been set."I am to assume the position of the headmaster of Hogwarts."As soon as the words were said,McGonagall shook herself out of her immobility and tried to slap him.Snape caught her hand before it could contact with his skin and she struggled to get out of his grip."How dare you show me your face!?How dare you even think about standing where he stood?!" He couldn't say anything out loud because The Carrow brothers were there.He decided now was not the time to make her understand what was really going on."Minerva,don't even think about going for your wand.Resisting me is going against the Dark lord himself.Do you really wanna do that?Cooperate with us and I assure you,no harm will be done to anyone."he drawled,trying desperately to communicate through his eyes,that he meant to act as their protector from greater evils and that all that he was doing was necessary.But how can I expect her to trust me,after I asphixiated her faith with my own hands?McGonagall jerked her hand free,her face exuding anger,disgust and repulsion and finally helplessness as she accepted the fact that really,their hands were tied.She stepped away to let the newest addition to the Hogwarts staff enter the castle..................................................
Hermione planted a wreath, that she had made with leaves, on the small mound where they had buried Moody's eyeball.She made her way back to the tent and heard heated conversation coming from inside."--this isn't going anywhere.We are stuck in this shithole for God knows how long..." "Ron you're just losing your patience-" "Damn right I'm losing my patience!There's no food,there's hardly a good place to sleep,we have to steal food from the village-We're living like bloody hippies.All that would've still been worth it if we had actually been going somewhere with the real purpose we are suffering this for."Hermione entered the tent at that moment.Ron looked all red and about to say something more but bit his tongue instead;Harry looked embarrased and tugged at the end of his shirt."Is there a problem?"Hermione said coldly.She was getting tired of Ron's constant complaints too.Didn't he know then that we may starve,may not have  decent living conditions,may even face death?Then why is he being cranky now?"You heard me.Do I need to tell you about our condition?Can't you see?"Ron half-shouted half-grumbled.
"Didn't you know that this was inevitable?I don't see-"
"Of course you don't see!This little inconvenience is no trouble for you.You'll have fame and fortune awaiting at the end of the line.We,on the other hand, will get sidetracked,like we always do.We're always the sidekicks.You will go ahead and join your trophy lover and be 'Saviors of the world!' He is already climbing his way to stardom."Ron shoved a newspaper to her chest.Hermione straightened it up to read the headlines.Their recent escapade at the Ministry dominated the front page but the lower half contained the news,'Severus Snape confirmed as the new Hogwarts headmaster.' There was an accompanying snapshot of Snape standing cross-armed at Dumbledore's podium,his face betraying no emotions,flaunted by the Carrow twins."Are you out of your mind Ron?Can you hear yourself talk?Do you realise it's your best friend you are talking to?"Harry tried to reason with him.Ron pushed him off."How long have you been wearing the locket Ronald?"Hermione asked,slowly peeling her eyes away from the picture.He looked a little taken aback but he took it off and throwing it at her feet,he said,"It was a mistake,agreeing to do this.I have a family to look after.It's with them where I belong.I need to take care of them.But you don't even need to worry about that ,do you?Because you don't have anyone left!"Hermione felt the tears pricking at her eyes and though she knew the horcrux had been affecting his mind,she said,"If that's what you think,then you should go.Leave,now."Ron wanted to say something but refrained and treaded out of the tent and disapparated.Hermione fell to the ground,crushing the newspaper containing Snape's picture to her chest,the tears flowing freely now.Through a blurry vision she saw Harry still standing there with his hands on his hips."Feel free to leave too,if you want."she mumbled.After a long sigh Harry said,"Ron was wrong,you know.I don't know if it's worth anything,but you still have me.".................................
They stopped bringing up the subject of Ron any longer;Harry had tried to remark,"He'll come along" or "The dude's bang out of order" but gradually stopped when he saw it was a one-way conversation.As much as Hermione didn't wanna be left alone or make Harry feel isolated,she distanced herself a little,caving in with all the frustration and despair,reading between the lines of The Tales of Beedle the Bard over and over again,desperate to get some clue,even using revealing charms but to no avail.One night,not contrary to her behaviour lately,she had fallen asleep near the mouth of the tent,where she had been reading,not bothering to get all the way up to her sleeping bag.She was awakened by something feathery poking her cheek lightly.She tried to swat it away thinking it to be a fly but with the first rays of dawn seeping inside,she realised it was actually a flower.It was floating over her head and as her eyes grew larger,surprised by its appearance,it motioned as if it was beckoning her to follow it.She rubbed at her groggy eyes as the flower popped out through the tent door.Hermione got up a little dubiously and followed suit.As she held up the flap of the tent's door and came out in the open, a blast of sunlight hit her face and she had to shield her eyes.When she could open them again,she could hardly believe her eyes;the entire meadow that had been barren last night was now filled to the edge with vibrant pink azaleas,dancing in the wind.After what seemed like an eternity,Hermione felt a smile spreading across her face.As she stood spellbound,the flower that had sumoned her previously,nudged her again and it was only then that she realised that it had a little note tied to its stem.She opened it to discover a short poem in an elegant script that could only belong to one person.
          Teach me to love?
   Go teach thyself more wit
   I,chief professor am of it.
   The god of love,if such a thing there be-
  May learn to love,from me.

Subtle Professor,very subtle.Hermione blushed.The azaleas bowed their heads towards her and music rippled through the air.
Despite my absence there
You remain somewhere in me.
When I attain my final sleep
Keep coming in my dreams.
This is all I'm asking for.
This is all I'm asking for.

When it's pouring cats and dogs
Feel me in the raindrops
If the morning sun teases you
It's the rays I'm coming through
Even if I don't utter a word
Understand my thoughts are only for you.
This is all I'm asking for.

I,wrapped up in the wind,
Caressing your skin,will pass you by
Halt me if you have the mind
I'll rest on your lips awhile.
Even if you fail to see me around
Know that I'm there,waiting to be found.
This is all I'm asking for.
This is all I'm asking for.

Despite her smile and the warmth spreading inside her heart,Hermione found her eyes getting moistened. "Flowers,huh?"Harry asked,arriving behind her.The song must've woken him up."How did he deliver them here?We have protective spells around the tent..."he wondered.Hermione had been thinking the same thing,but she was too overwhelmed.Harry saw her smiling and joined in,giving her a sideways hug,"He's quite the romantic.But azaleas?What does it mean?" Hermione wiped a single tear from her cheek and replied,"The name Azalea also means 'Take care of yourself'."