Redemption II

Chapter 79

Hermione had died. She was sure of it. There was no other explanation for the heavenly sight before her. Rows and rows of books reaching to the sky stood before her. The length of room stretched nearly two Quidditch fields and was just, if not more so, as wide. The center aisle went about 30 yards before a staircase dropped down into darkness. The light from the high gothic windows un-reaching to the floor or possible floors below. It was like cityscape of tall shelves and winding paths. She was sure could spend the rest of her life there and possibly not see everything.

Large bridges connected the upper floors cutting through the light that poured in. When Hermione finally looked all the way up, she almost fell down in awe. From the floor on which they stood, the library continued upward another five levels, their bridges intersecting and connecting to various floors. She idly wondered if they moved like the staircases at Hogwarts as she noted that the railings that guarded the central aisle had spots where it was missing. Everything the light touched glowed ethereal, the white stone from which everything was supported shined so bright that it was almost emitting its own power. The light seemed to bounce everywhere except down into the opening in front of them.

"I'm never leaving," Hermione spoke with breathy awe, actually falling back a step to be caught in Severus' arms. She giggled softly turning her head up to look into his face. "This is heaven."

"We're leaving at sundown." He said his words kindly but firmly, a soft smile highlighting his own shining eyes. He gave her arms a small squeeze before shifting her back firmly onto her feet. He grabbed hold of her sleeve when she made to run off, sometimes being a legilimens had its benefits, and turned his free wrist to look at his watch, "Which is in about 4 hours."

"Wet blanket." Hermione giggled a little but heeded his silent warning. These weren't just books, these were magical books. Who knew what sort of spells or curses they held inside. When he released her sleeve with a firm look, she reigned back her excitement, just a little. "Where should we even start?"

"Anywhere we want, but we should stay close together. Something or someone has kept this place clean and its highly possible they won't take kindly to us messing up their centuries-long work." Severus turned his eyes up as though searching for the aforementioned house-keeper before turning his eyes down to the shadowed place just beyond the stairs, "And stay out of there." He pointed to the staircase, he could actually feel the darkness as if it had its own mind, as though it was a living breathing entity.

"I think I can manage to find something else to keep my interest." Hermione was already walking down the aisle to the right when she spoke, leaving Severus behind to catch up. Her senses weren't as in tuned as his but her intuition was picking up on something else and it was pulling her along with an unseen force.

Severus grunted and frowned deeply as she wandered off before he shook his head and just conceded to allowing himself to be astonished by what was before him. He kept his ears tuned to her footfalls taking a similar path as she. He swept his eyes up and down the tall rows, his hands itching to run his fingers over the meticulously upkept tomes.

It was with immense will-power that Hermione kept her hands to herself. The room smelled wonderful, familiar, yet new. It was odd to even think but it was like Severus' very essence was all around her. The light lavender and sandalwood mixed with the unique smell of books and the knowledge they held within. It was enough of a thought to make her blood run hot.

Hermione forced her focus to the brass plates on the end of each of the bookshelves that were placed in the center just at her eye level. At first, they looked similar to the dewy decimal system but when she went a little farther, she noted that the word 'Gregorian' was written over the numbers and her brain suddenly clicked.