Echoes of the Soul

They were standing in the clearing. Both of them were naked and they turned to each other and smiled. Severus held his hand out to Hermione and together they walked to the centre of the grassy circle and sat down.



‘Why are we here, do you think?’ Severus asked her.



Hermione looked around with interest. ‘Maybe because this is where it all started.’ She spoke softly. For a dream this felt very real and she could feel the mossy grass under her feet.



‘Or where it ended…’ Severus murmured.



‘You mean when Selene became me and you became Annalin?’ Hermione looked at him, her forehead furrowed in though. It was intriguing.



Severus didn’t answer her. His attention was taken by two figures walking through a gap in the trees.



‘I think this is why we are here.’ He murmured. Severus realised the people were Rasari and Iydella and instantly regretted not telling Hermione the truth.



‘Severus, those people are coming over here and we have no clothes on!’ Hermione hissed at him.



Severus chuckled. ‘Neither have they. I don’t think it matters.’



Rasari and Iydella stood at the edge of the grass and smiled down at them. Iydella spoke.



‘We are pleased to see you children. It has been a long journey.’ As she looked at Hermione her aura pulsed brightly and enveloped her. Hermione felt an overwhelming sense of calm and felt she should know this mysterious figure.



Rasari looked at Severus. ‘You have lived selflessly and I am proud of you. Always remember that.’ His aura wrapped itself around Severus and he felt imbued with strength and strangely comforted.



Iydella turned to Severus and looked at him, appraising his current form.



‘Do you intend to keep her?’ She asked coolly. Severus understood the question.



‘For as long as she will have me.’ He answered. Iydella smiled warmly at him.



Rasari looked at Hermione. ‘Will you bear the child that grows within you?’



Hermione blushed furiously. Thank goodness this is just a dream and not real, she though. Then she realised she was probably sharing her dream with Severus and glanced over at him. He looked pale and more than a little scared.



‘If he wishes it, I will.’ She answered, hoping she had said the right thing. Severus covered her hand with his. He knew that Hermione hadn’t taken Rasari’s words seriously but he knew the importance of it.



Iydella and Rasari look at them for a final time.



‘Be happy, children. Care for each other. Care for your children.’ Iydella spoke and Hermione grinned at Severus.



Both figures shimmered and disappeared.



Severus gazed at Hermione in wonder. Her eyes were bright amber, her skin glowing and her hair was lustrous and glossy. He could see Selene shining from her and realised she had been there all along, he just hadn’t seen her.



Hermione’s mouth fell open as she looked at Severus. He looked younger somehow, more vital, his skin had lost some of its pallor and was tighter around his face, his hair thicker and more shiny and his eyes were sparkling with life. He almost looked like Annalin. It must be this place, she mused.



‘What do we do now? She asked him.



‘What do you want to do?’ Severus asked her and a huge smiled spread across her face.



‘Well, this grass feels nice and comfy…’



Severus smiled and took her in his arms.





***



They woke late the next day. Severus awoke before Hermione and climbed off the broken bed without waking her. He had to see Albus.



Albus was expecting him, naturally. Severus scowled; he could never catch the old wizard out. As Severus stepped out of the floo Albus was sitting behind his desk, his fingers steepled as he looked over the top of his spectacles. Behind him, Fawkes was crooning softly.



‘Severus…please… take a seat.’ He gestured to the chair opposite.



‘The child. Tell me.’ Severus stated.



Albus sighed. He had hoped it wouldn’t come to this.



‘The child is necessary, Severus. I’m sorry. If I had told you sooner you may have taken measures to prevent such a thing, but it is vital. I have not been totally honest and I apologise. Again, a necessary precaution.’



‘You will tell me now, old man… I need to know the truth.’ Severus stared at him, his eyes pleading. He knew this was bigger than both he and Hermione but he needed some control, for her sake.



‘Rasari and Iydella are moving to a higher plane. It is their time. The next generation of leaders are already talking war and the rift is becoming ever wider. Rasari and Iydella had assumed that their bloodlines on Earth would be well established by now but because Selene and Annalin did not meet, there is no bloodline. Without issue from your relationship with Hermione, the Universe is at risk of being destroyed. It was only Iydella and Rasari who were able to prevent this happening. However, should Hermione’s child be safely delivered, war will be averted as both sides have a vested interest to protect the child.’



Albus sat back and looked at Severus cautiously. Severus stared back at him in disbelief for a short while then stood.



‘I need to get back before Hermione wakes up. She wont believe the dream was real, which means she wont believe she’s pregnant.’ He strode over to the floo.



‘Severus…’ Albus called to him.



‘Yes?’ he turned to face him.



‘Congratulations.’ He smiled warmly and Severus scowled before floo’ing back to Hermione



****

Severus arrived at Hermione’s house to find her still asleep and wrapped tightly in her bedclothes. He wandered into the kitchen and attempted to make tea the muggle way. He couldn’t understand why the thing with the water in it didn’t get hot, so he gave up in exasperation and used his wand. He walked into the bedroom with two steaming mugs and put them on the beside table.



Severus grinned at the wreck of Hermione’s bed and waved his wand. The bed righted itself in one silent movement and Hermione started to stir. Severus sat on the edge of the bed and watched her. Her skin and hair were still lustrous from the dream and he knew that if that was real, Hermione was definitely carrying his child. His heart swelled at the though of a baby growing inside her. Then he started to panic. How could he convince her the dream was real?



Hermione stretched a little and turned over, smiling at him. ‘Did you dream, Severus?’ She was looking closely at him. He looked the same as he had in the dream.



‘You know I did. You were there. Or had you forgotten already?’ He arched an eyebrow at her. They had made love tenderly on the grass after Iydella and Rasari left and Severus had a hard time restraining himself, but he didn’t want to harm the child.



‘You look…different.’ She murmured. He looked gorgeous and she felt moisture seeping from her pussy.



\'So do you.’ He smiled.



Hermione leapt from the bed into her bathroom, staring at herself in the mirror.



‘Oooh!’ She squealed. ‘Look at my hair!’



Severus watched her from the doorway with amusement. Her unruly curls had been replaced with sleek waves.



‘Well, at least I know I’m not really pregnant…’ she mumbled to herself as she stroked her hair and looked at her glowing skin.



Severus looked at her and sighed inwardly. ‘How do you mean?’ he asked.



‘My last assignment for my Masters was a longer lasting Contraceptive potion. I’m testing and so is Ginny’. She smiled brightly and Severus’ heart sank.



\'When was the last time you spoke with Mrs Potter, Hermione?’ Severus asked her softly.



‘Actually, it was ages ago. I must owl her.’ She turned to him.



‘You should.’ Severus laid his hands on her shoulders and stared in her eyes. ‘I think she has some happy news to share with you.’



Hermione stared at him. ‘Severus, please stop being so cryptic and tell me what you are getting at!’



Severus inhaled deeply. ‘Hermione, Ginny Potter is with child. Albus told me yesterday, he got an owl from Molly…’



Hermione’s face fell.







****



OOhh errr.... story is nearly finished, if I can shoehorn another lemon into it, I will.