Redemption II

Chapter 88

"The castle is...angry...that the rightful heir has abandoned it." Librous glanced back at them as they came up to the entrance, the wards around the entire castle were starting to shift and break apart, making apparation inside excessively dangerous. He'd by some miracle got the both of them to follow after him, even with the little amount of information he had provided. Hastily dressed and sexually frustrated, they'd followed him, on foot, back to the castle.

"The castle or you?" Severus' jaw twitched. He remembered his last conversation with the little elf very well. In addition to that, it wasn't exactly the ideal position to be interrupted in but he had no shame in what he was sure had been about to transpire. He'd only put on his jacket, forgoing a shirt beneath as he'd been too busy thinking about his theory regarding what laid inside the East wing.

"The Daughter has entered the castle." Librous frowned deeper when his words didn't spark the sort of urgency he had been expecting, "She is in the catacombs."

"It's her castle too. What's the problem?" It didn't take much brilliance to figure out now who the names on the books in the library had been written about. Hermione's exceptional embarrassment, not only for her lack of clothes when he'd appeared but for being caught outside in such a state; combined with her contemplative brow.

She knew Galia had wanted to see her son again but she didn't think she'd enter the castle alone. She had dressed quickly in a t-shirt and jeans she'd summoned from the laundry line outside, keeping her bathing suit underneath. She could tell there was something wrong when Librous had spoken to them, urging them to come with him to the castle and had thus convinced Severus to go. Though he'd truly only wanted Severus, there was no way she was going to let him go alone.

Librous snarled and closed his fists tight, "The problem is, that it is not hers to claim. The beast has awoken. It has sensed her power." He motioned towards the East Wing as if they could see the magical protection surrounding it warping and bending. "The wards are crumbling. I do not know what lies beyond but I assure you, we do not want it running free."

"Actually...I do have an idea." He turned his eyes up trying to sense the wards but they weren't his own and thus, it was difficult. He'd been mulling over the possibilities of what could lay inside ever since he'd used the rest of the potion Librous had given him to save Hermione's father. He'd done research in his own texts while Hermione had been away all week but he hadn't yet found enough evidence to share his thoughts and without the potion to deconstruct, he was only able to rely on his memories.

When they entered the entrance hall Severus instantly felt a pressure descending, a darkness creeping, like smoke before a fire. He turned his eyes over the space trying to find anything out of place. Unfortunately, the room was not so familiar with him and it was hard to decern any changes.

"This way. It is the fastest." Librous clicked his fingers conjuring up a staircase that materialized out of the wall leading up to the throne room. He started up the stairs without looking back, his ears twitching from the faintest sound of cracking stone. He looked towards the wall barring off the East Wing but saw nothing, so he turned his head back towards the throne room doors.

Hermione frowned deeply, she too could feel a weight pressing down upon them. She turned her eyes up towards the glass ceiling, she too hearing something. "Why haven't you simply removed Galia yourself?"

"Servants cannot open the door, only the master of the castle or its descendants can." Librous huffed softly, obviously annoyed by such a question.