#7 ~ The Ghost and Lady Snape

Disclaimer: All characters belong to JKR (except Marcus Delaluci). All situations are mine. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
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Chapter 13 ~ Moving Towards Confrontation

Husband and wife lay together in bed naked, sleeping the sleep of the sated. Severus was spooned around Hermione’s back protectively, his arms wrapped around her waist, one long leg thrown over both of hers, and his chin resting on top of her head. Hermione’s hands covered those of her husband, both sets drawn close to her belly. Around them shimmered a mist of sparkling light not discernible by the human eye, the powerful residue of their shared love. It formed a protective barrier against an attack by Alistar The two lovers slept undisturbed through the night.

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Alistar drifted into the DA classroom. The spirit hesitated. He could feel traces of leftover dark magic from the examples Marcus demonstrated for his students during lessons. The traces weren’t powerful, but Alistar absorbed them just the same. After expending energy fleeing the light Severus and Hermione had unknowingly sent throughout the castle, every little bit helped. He swooped through the dark energies until he could detect no more, then floated curiously toward the DA office.

Alistar could sense something familiar and dark here. Powerful magic that wasn’t completely of human origin. Distinctly animal. Distinctly…dragon-like. There had been no dragons in this area for a thousand years. He had banished the last dragon himself. Alistar drifted over to the cluttered desk and stared down at the parchments. The language was different now, the cuneiform unrecognizable, for the most part. He looked closer. He recognized a word.

Delaluci.

Delaluci, the name of the last virgin taken. He searched the rest of the parchments and saw the name over and over again. He drifted around to the front of the desk, and there was a small wooden plaque that read, Marcus Delaluci. How could this be? Fiona Delaluci had been an only child, as each of her parents had been. Of course, they were probably not the only Delaluci’s in existence at the time, but the trace of dragon magic…it could not be coincidence. A descendent of Fiona Delaluci was here at Hogwarts, and since the woman was abducted by a dragon…

Alistar roiled with excitement. Where was he? Where was the descendent of his enemy? Where was that blood? That precious, powerful blood? The ghost drifted through the walls of the office, into Marcus’ private study. Yes, the dragon magic was stronger here. He lived here, this Marcus Delaluci, and he was dark, very dark. He tasted like…like…the wizard in the main hall! No wonder he ran…he had sensed Alistar and fled. The blood had revealed him. At least he didn’t have the heart of a dragon.

Alistar floated into the bedroom to investigate further. Marcus wasn’t there but his darkness was flooded the room. The ghost drifted over to the floo, and settled in the stone, to wait. This Marcus Delaluci was a teacher. He would have to return to teach. Alistar would be waiting for him.

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Several hours later, Severus awoke curled around his wife’s warm body. He lay there, listening to her breathe, his mind drifting back to the night before and the loving they had shared. He hardened against her, and she shifted sleepily, and issued a little moan from the land of Nod. He smiled, and gently moved her riot of curls to press a tender kiss to the back of her neck. She shifted again, this time sliding closer to him, and turning in his arms to face him. Her eyes half-open, she gave him a sleepy, sexy smile.

“Good morning, wife,” Severus purred, kissing her mouth softly. His erection rested against her belly, and throbbed when their lips connected.

“Good morning, husband,” Hermione replied softly, feeling the pulse of his cock against her belly, “it seems you are happy to see me.”

Severus growled as a reply. Hermione threw her leg over his hip, and he could feel the warmth of her sex against his thigh.

“I’m happy to see you too,” she whispered, moving against him.

“How happy?” he asked, his voice thick with desire.

In response, she kissed him softly, yet hungrily, her motive unmistakable.

They strengthened the barrier a little more.

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Severus retired to his lab after a shower with his wife, and a quick breakfast in his study. He now pored through his private potions stores, the one that contained illegal ingredients and located the necessary items for brewing the potion that would allow him, Hermione and Marcus to leave their bodies and destroy Alistar on his own ground. His wife had gone to the library to read up on astral projection and the astral plane. She didn’t believe in either, but being the witch she was, she still thought reading up on it a good idea.

Hermione sat in the library curled up with a book in one of the few cushy armchairs she had convinced Madame Pince to provide for visitors. The librarian wasn’t thrilled with the idea of students getting comfortable in the library. They were there to work, after all. This wasn’t a coffee house. The longer they stayed, the more out of order her books became. But after Hermione cajoled her day after day and week after week, Madame Pince finally conceded to the chairs, if only to get the annoying Spells Mistress off her back. She still discouraged students hanging about quite effectively, swooping down on them with pointed questions and driving them away before they could ruin the order of things too badly.

Hermione read through the book on the Astral Plane”

The Astral Plane is a plane of spirit and energy. The wizard journeys there in spirit form (raw animus). There is no \'ground\' on the Astral Plane, nor is there an up or down. It is just a vast space, filled with a glowing multicolored vapor or mist. Because of this \'mist\' visibility is not far and orientation in the Astral Plane is hard. Generally one needs some form of spell or guide to provide directions.

Ah, this was why Dumbledore was sending Peeves with them. He could navigate the plane. She continued to read.

The caster\'s spirit is attached to the physical body by a sort of umbilical cord of a silvery color (thus called the silver cord). This silver cord is the life link. If the silver cord is severed while on the Astral Plane, the spirit is basically stuck there. Unless the caster receives help from another, he or she is stuck for eternity. His or her body on the planes of men will die within a few days.

Protect the silver cord or stay trapped forever. Ok.

Various creatures, many of which are of malevolent natures, roam the planes. Spirits of the dead also travel here.

So there would be other entities on the astral plane besides them. Most would be unfriendly. And ghosts of the dead as well, They would have to be on guard for these creatures as well as Alistar. She read on.

In the case of ghosts that occupy both the earth and astral realms, if the spirit’s connection to the earth realm is severed it will dissipated back into nature. A spirit whose dissipates into nature, cannot be reincarnated or raised, or resurrected.

Hermione reread this passage again. This is how they would have to destroy Alistar, sever his connection to the earth realm. How was he connected? Well, he had a hold on her. She would have to break that. Severus’ love for her would probably be important in that dissolution. Then the ghost was tied to Marcus through the blood of his ancestor. They would have to find a way to neutralize that connection as well. And then there was the blood of all the women he had killed…now that was a problem. The original book was gone that contained actual blood either from himself or the witches he’d killed, so they couldn’t use it. Hm. Actually it was the spirit of the blood that tied Alistar to earth, since the astral plane was all spirit. There might be a way yet. But once they broke his bond, he would dissipate and be gone forever. She continued reading.

The matter of the immediate environ of the Astral plane is controlled by the mind of the caster. The deepest fears of the caster can manifest and paralyze the visitor into inaction, effectively stopping any advancement or retreat, holding them in limbo. Unless rescued by another, the body will go into a catatonic state, and the caster be stuck on the astral plane forever, even after the body expires.

So, there was some spiritual matter on the Astral that could be controlled by the mind. This could be good. She had a formidable mind. Maybe she would be able to form some type of weapon to fight Alistar with. She reread the passage, her eyes moving haltingly over the sentences that warned about the paralyzing nature of fears manifested on the plane. She had no idea what her deepest fear was, but it was probably connected to Severus. Hopefully it would not manifest. Severus’ fear had always been losing her before they married. She didn’t know if marrying her had eased that fear or not. She had no idea what Marcus’ worst fear would be. He was so self-centered, it was.probably castration or something else concerning the use of his dick. All she knew is that they all needed courage, and lots of it. She read further.

On the Astral Plane, spells that require material components will not work. Spells that rely on physical effects to produce damage have no effect. Only pure energy spells or spells oriented to spirits will do physical damage.

Hermione did know a couple of pure energy spells. The only problem was she required her wand to focus those energies, and she wouldn’t be able to take her wand into the spirit world. Maybe she could form one with her mind when she got there. But would it function? There was so much she couldn’t be sure of. She wasn’t even sure if any of what she was reading was even true. She turned the book over and read the title and author’s name again.

Surviving the Astral Plane by I. Travellfar.

Well, she might not be sure about the existence of an astral plane, but Severus was. She would put her faith in him and take this seriously. The situation was, after all, serious. Alistar had to be destroyed, not just for her sake, but for the sake of muggle-borns all over the wizarding world. He was a terror that overshadowed even Voldemort, who for all his power, was still flesh and blood. If Alistar regained his full powers, he would be unstoppable.

Hermione closed the book, and under the eagle-eyed scrutiny of Madame Pince, who had surreptiously been watching her from between the gap in a bookshelf close by, returned the book to its proper place. She turned to leave the library.

“Good-bye, Madame Pince,” she called in the direction of the bookshelf the librarian was hiding behind as she exited.

“Good-bye, Lady Snape,” Madame Pince called back before she could stop herself, turning red as a salamander as she realized her mistake. She walked over to the shelf Hermione had returned the book to, and pulled it out curiously. She read the title. She was surprised that the brilliant witch would waste time on such a wooly topic. She put the book back and set off about her duties.

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Marcus woke up refreshed, and after showering, enjoyed a hearty breakfast and flirted with Madame Rosmerta. She was alone at the inn as was usual in the early mornings, staff not arriving until eleven, before the lunch rush. She leaned over the table, smiling, her eyes twinkling, giving Marcus an eyeful of her cleavage, and making it plain she found him attractive. If he hadn’t been pressed for time, Marcus wouldn’t have minded finding out just how attractive she found him, preferably on top of one of the serving tables, but duty called. No time for a booty call. He had to get back to Hogwarts. Maybe another time. He paid the innkeeper for his meal, gave her a lascivious smile and telescoped his eyes at her, which made her gasp. Grinning he left the inn, walked to the public apparation point and disapparated for Hogwarts. He had just enough time left to run into his rooms for a quick change of clothes before class started.

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A/N: Hope you are up on it, Marcus. You have a visitor waiting. Please review.