enchantement - SOULBOUND I̲̅ || SS/HG ✔️

45. Auguendae

"I'm quite surprised, I thought you wouldn't resist me. No one has." Laughed Lucifer, playing with the fire from the fireplace standing proudly beside the couch, "it pains me to say this but you won. Tell me what you desire more than anything in this world and I will grant it to you, in return however, whenever I ask of you something, you will have to give it to me willingly."

"And if I don't?" Asked Hermione, her eyes drifting shyly on the opposite side of the room, letting her gaze stroll down the rows of books ornating the walls.

She was apprehensive knowing that he was her last resort to save Severus. After their argument last night, she knew he was planning something, hiding it rigorously. Nevertheless, no matter what, she needed to make sure that his life will not be taken during the war. If making a deal with the Devil was her only resort, she was going to dive head first.

Hearing her thoughts - one of his many angelic skills - Lucifer placed a comforting hand on her knee - gently squeezing it - tempting her to turn around and look at him.

"What you've asked of me will no longer be" he answered her, his ruby eyes glowing radiantly in the dim blazing room, "I cannot promise you immortality, however, I can assure you that this man you dearly love will not die in vain. Unfortunately there are rules that even I cannot overlook. But, if he is faced with death or pain, I will give him the strength to hold on, but again, there are limits that I cannot brave."

The way she had found herself here was by pure coincidence, or so she had told him. Deep down in the darkest and most sacred corner of her mind, Hermione's truth was very dissimilar to the one she had given the prince of Hell, yet, she wouldn't be an insufferable know-it-all if she had shared her plan with him. Severus would have been furious, but to this point, with Voldemort growing more powerful each day, she needed to find a way to protect her husband.

"You are quite the human. Resist my temptations, refuse to kiss me. Although you did struggle my charms at first - poor Severus nearly forgotten - yet your love for him is quite impressive."

During his eternal existence, Lucifer had spent it proving his father that human sins were easily manipulated with diversion. Following his mother's betrayal, who was nothing but hell in heaven, focused on her favourite angel sons - making them stronger - or pleasing her husband's vision of humanity, Lucifer viewed woman as liars and miscreants, unable to feel compassion or any emotion remotely close to love. Yet as the small woman sitting soundly beside him trembled at the notion of losing her husband, he was now proven erroneous. His mother had forgotten him, disrupting the peace that once bore his heart. But Hermione was now giving him hope in love, in happiness and sharing it with another being.

After a few minutes of silence, Hermione started struggling in keeping the defence around her mind impenetrable. Abruptly standing up, causing the man to jump in surprise, she spoke with a hurried voice:

"I need you to erase my memory Lucifer. I am sure you know that in the wizarding world a man named Tom Riddle is menacing to terminate the existence of muggle borns and is now approaching Hogwarts with his despicable servants. I don't have much time, but if I ever were to be captured, I do not want to risk him finding out about your existence. The deal he would make with you could end us all," her voice trailed of, vision of what horrors and atrocities Voldemort could cause with a simple deal with the devil frightened her. "Do it now."

"Pity, I quite enjoyed your company these few months." Hermione frowned at the hint of sadness in his voice, yet she had no other choice, her friendship with him had not only led her to make a deal with him but to know far more about the underworld and forbidden spells than she would have ever believed possible.

He needed to be kept a secret, her secret.

Walking up in fright, Hermione shivered at the cold blast of air coming from the opened window in the room. Gently standing up, feeling her legs numbed, as if paralyzed by the freezing breeze, Hermione helped herself by holding onto the edge of her bed and walked discretely - not making a sound - towards the window.

As she reached it, she saw two small lights shining weakly behind shadowed trees in the forbidden forest. At this distance, they were merely dots, yet Hermione could detect the presence of wizard. Wondering if it could be Hagrid, she drifted her gaze to his hut only to find the that the lights were off and fog from the chimney was coming out of the roof. He was sleeping, yet those bulbs were still vividly illuminating a small section of the forest.

"It will be painful at first, but once you master it you won't feel the throbbing in your temple. It's temporary don't worry," she heard Lucifer voice in her mind before a flash of his claws being dragged along the side of her exposed back startled her, "quite an inappropriate dress for class, don't you think?"

His smirk caused her to chuckle and roll her eyes in exasperation, "well how would you have me dressed for a party? I came running after Harry left searching for Severus and the nasty Malfoy's offspring."

"Don't try to seduce me, witch," he teasingly threatened, his index finger wiggling infront of her face, "alright now close your eyes and focus on a specific area in Hogwarts. Good. Now visualise yourself inside, what do you see?"

Focused on the exercise, Hermione's imagination formed a gloomy yet comforting atmosphere of the Slytherin's dungeons. "I see Severus's Chesterfield sofa, the fire is lit." Taking a deep breath, inhaling her surroundings, the Gryffindor added, "I can smell firewisky and burned wood."

Hearing Lucifer chuckle caused her to bite her lips nervously. "You're doing it again, going ahead of time. Poor Severus, he might need my finest Hellfire to get through life with you."

"Hellfire?"

She felt a harsh whip in her back, making her stumble to the ground. "You need to learn to focus Hermione. Futilities like what is Hellfire will not help you develop your hearing. But knowing your know-it-all self, to help you sleep at night, Hellfire is a beverage made by me, the Devil. Now back onto the class!"

Focusing as hard as she could, Hermione's magic was entirely focused on Severus' chambers. "Augendae" she cast, knowing that now more then ever, she was ready for war.

"Augendae."