enchantement - SOULBOUND I̲̅ || SS/HG ✔️

56. Smoke

"She looks different, don't you think, Professor Ravensun?" Whispered Ron to his friends as they silently sat down on the floor - circling an oval table - their limbs anticipating the upcoming discomfort of numbness, "she's gorgeously pale."

His ascertainment made Harry roll his eyes. Although he was still trying to understand his sexuality through the various secret meetings with the young Malfoy heir in the Room of Requirement, it had come to his notice that their divination teacher's beauty had subsisted, her flawless skin now tainted with dark circle under her ravishing gaze. Her strident blue eyes had lost their usual spark and her seductive smirk oust from her face as her eyes battled to stay open. Her lividity - he recalled - had been pointed out by Slughorn during his party a few days prior while he was having a drink with Hermione.

Trying hard not to recoil as the memory of last night came rushing back to him, the worry that oozed from Snape when he had expressed his concern about his divination teacher still unnerving him.

Harry then nudged Hermione, hoping to get her attention away from her books. "Although building a wall around you with these - " he started, pointing at the growing pile of novels surrounding her, "- will hide you from Professor Ravensun, don't you think you are exaggerating?"

"I've done this more times than I can count with Trelawney. This class is despicable, improbable, statistically far more irregular and incorrect than any other subject material taught within these walls. Forgive me from shielding myself from the ridiculousness and keeping my sanity intact!" She snapped, taking out of her bag the last book to add to the pile before whispering, "besides, seeing the face of the woman who shared my husband's bed is unhealthy and boiling my blood."

"The moody 'Mione is back!" Lamented Ron as his eyes surveyed the class in search for his demanding girlfriend, "one day you enjoy divination, staying after class and the other you turn tetchy."

Frowning at his statement, Hermione decided to ignore his comment, her morning happiness dissipated as the class went on. As per usual, she let her mind wondered elsewhere as the clock ticked behind her, yet as the minutes went by she started to notice the way her teacher would occasionally grasp onto a chair or let out long torturous sigh, as if experiencing constant pain.

"Professor?" A voice in the back of the classroom spoke, ripping the attention of every student away from their swaying teacher, "are you feeling alright? Would you like one of us to bring Madame Pomfrey?"

It daunted her how the smile Ravensun gave back to the Slytherin girl seemed to have caused every limb in her body to ache in response, "Thank you for your concern Ms Dashwood, it is very kind of you." Waving her wand lazily around the room, a crystal ball appeared in the centre of each table, a velvet cloth covering them from the prying student's eyes. "Don't worry, if my headache persist I will bring myself to see Poppy. Today we will be studying the finery of divination through this mythical object. Turn your books to page thirty were you will have every explanation regarding the meaning behind the clouds you will - for some of you - encounter."

The sound of rapid pages shuffling irritated the young Gryffindor as everyone's response seemed far to ecstatic to her liking. She had tried, various times, to understand the purpose and 'beauty' behind the art of divination, yet the longer she focused her attention on the endless babbling of Ms Trelawney, Hermione had resigned that her rationality was far too potent to woo her in card reading.

Harry and Ron had decided to go first, their nose practically glued to the crystal as they patiently waited for smoke to appear inside the sphere. "You do realise that the likely-hood that it is valid information is -"

"- You know what, you try it!" Interrupted Ron, obviously provoked by both the unresponsive globe and his snappy friend, "although I doubt it will work with a close-minded being such as yourself."

Raising a defiant eyebrow at her friends - ready to prove them the ridiculousness of this class - Hermione took the sphere in her hands, waited a few minutes until the so-called 'magical recognition' occurred and then placed it in front of her. "Now we wait until our heart give up on us."

Their pairs of eyes were focused on the globe, now waiting for the hint on the future of the young muggleborn witch sitting patiently before it. In the other corner of the class, Ravensun had finished helping a group of seductive Slytherins until she heard Hermione's willingness to try the object. From the distance she could see the faint, nearly invisible glow that radiated from the globe as it came into contact with her small hands, her magic flowing down her fingers, infiltrating the sphere.

Unable to ignore the sudden urge to find out what it will show her, Ravensun walked slowly towards the trio, her eyes not once leaving the now smoked crystal.

"It is working," Ron gasped, squinting his eyes while Harry searched in their textbook for the page, "that's strange, its not just one color."

Hermione was frozen, unable to move or even breath. She had never believed in the powers of divination, especially not air filled globes that were used by charlatans to tell the supposed future. Yet here it was, standing magically before her, a black cloud with red gleam swirled around the crystal. "What does it mean?" She managed to ask, letting go of a breath she hadn't realised she was holding, "why is it two colours?"

Having caught the attention of the entire class, everyone was searching through their textbook, seeking information about the unusual appearance in her sphere. "Black clouds are the representation of darkness, negative and malevolent events coming in the future," spoke a Gryffindor as he read through the passage, "however, red clouds mean threat, grave danger."

"But Professor, the books says only one colour of smoke can appear during a session, why does she have two?" Questioned Harry, looking up at the paralysed teacher behind his friend.

She had wanted this for months, praying to the gods to end her torment and give her the happiness she deserved with the love of her life. Yet it had been taken away from her with such force and rapidity she had no choice but to let it go. Her alliance had proven her useful through the months, as it had made her stronger, beautiful, but also human. She had found a way around the curse that was placed upon her, her dangerous initiative nearly destroying the trust that had nestled between herself and Lucius Malfoy. Together they knew they could obtain what they most desired, unifying their strength in order to destroy any obstacle in their way. Yet as the months passed, she lost faith in the future.

It had all been an accident, an unforeseeable event that had shattered the unexpected yet pleasant friendship that grew between her and the younger Hermione, leading to the destruction of her liaison with Severus. Anger and hatred dominated her soul as she had strolled down the hallways at night, knowing that somewhere within these walls they were united in absolute bliss while she lingered and held onto past memories. She had prayed for her death, searching in the darkness of the restricted section for books regarding the Anima Victum Vow, yet none answered the question Lucius and herself wondered.

A flicker of light lit behind her tired orbs as she watched the smoke dance around the crystal, relief taking over her as finally, it was all coming to an end.

"It means death," said someone beside the trio, his eyes meeting Hermione's worryingly, "the crystal stone used to build the sphere performs what we call a 'magical recognition' were a fragment of the wizard's magic and soul is temporally dragged within its depth for crystal-reading. The appearance of smoke is rare, and only happen when the wizard's third eye connection with the spiritual realm is consequential or when the wizard will soon face grave danger." Continued the Gryffindor, his finger tracing down the lines with precision, trying as hard as he could to keep his voice calm and steady.

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A/N: Don't worry it is completely normal that what is going on is relatively vague, the truth will come up soon though. 😲🤫🔥🤯💗

⚠️I have decided that I will not reveal everything in this book, as it still needs a few of its secret for the sequel, therefore the story might end soon. ⚠️