Yuleride

Chapter 25 ~ The Harvest

Hermione spent most of Saturday sleeping so she would be at her best Saturday night. She didn’t want any dragons creeping up on her, although dragons were for the most part, day creatures. She began to get ready at six, showering, and dressing in warm Muggle clothing. She didn’t want her robes tangling in her legs should she have to run.

At five minutes to eight there was a knock on her door. She opened it and found Professor Snape standing there in his robes, carrying a satchel and—oh horrors!

A broom. A black and silver Firebolt. Hermione’s eyes went wide as she saw it.

”You said nothing about flying,” she said tremulously.

”You didn’t ask me,” the wizard snapped back at her. “Now, come along if you’re coming.”

He turned and strode away.

Hermione stood in the doorway for a moment, then closed the door and followed him down the marble stairwell and out onto the grounds, Snape lighting his wand tip for light. Suddenly the wizard stopped and waited for her to catch up. He pushed the satchel into her hands, lay the broom vertically mid-air where it hover, then straddled it. He looked at Hermione.

”Get on,” he said shortly. “Side saddle and close to me as you can get.”

Hermione hated flying and hesitated.

”Do I leave you here?” he asked her, his eyes narrowed.

Hermione met his eyes and forced herself to be brave.

”No,” she said, getting on the broom and sliding back so her buttock rested between his thighs.

”Nox” Snape said, putting out his wand and pocketing it. Then he slid both arms slowly around Hermione, gripping the handle of the broom, yanking her back unceremoniously so she was even tighter against him. He rested his chin on her shoulder.

”We’re off,” he purred in her ear, kicking off from the ground, the Firebolt blasting upward into the sky, Hermione’s hair streaming as she let out a shriek.

”Isn’t this comfy?” Snape crooned as they ascended, then leveled out high above the landscape, the broom streaking through the night sky.

Hermione calmed. It was so dark that she couldn’t see the ground very well. Only clusters of lights in some places, smatterings of lights in others. The wind was very cold however, and she began shuddering against Snape, who slowed down the broom, carefully pulled out his wand, flicked it and murmured a warming spell before returning it to his pocket.

”Thank you,” Hermione said to him softly, aware of his pale cheek resting against hers, his arms around her body and her hips surrounded and gripped by his sinewy thighs. He certainly was holding her securely.

Snape didn’t reply as they zoomed toward their destination. Presently the smattering of lights disappeared and they soared through the darkness, the clouds thinning and hundreds of stars appearing in the heavens. Luminous, twinkling and beautiful as the wind whistled by them.

Hermione figured Snape must be using them to guide the direction of their flight. The air was crisp, clean and still cold although she was warm as toast in his arms. He didn’t speak, so neither did she as they flew. Suddenly, the broom dipped landward, Hermione letting out another shriek as they descended through the darkness toward the earth.

”How can you see it?” she cried out. “How can you see the ground to stop?”

”I don’t have to see it,” Snape said softly. “Trust me.”

Hermione leaned back into Snape in fear, expecting impact at any moment, but the wizard leveled out, and she could hear the sound of his boots dragging across the ground before they came to an easy stop.

”Do you know the night vision spell?” Snape asked her, not releasing her yet.

Hermione looked around. To use the night vision spell there had to be some minute source of light that could be amplified. The starlight should be enough. The spell lasted about fifteen minutes before it had to be reapplied.

”Yes,” she said.

”Good. It is safer to use than Lumos,” Snape said, “Cast it on yourself then me.”

Hermione climbed off the broom, pulled out her wand and did as the wizard asked. Suddenly, she could see, although everything had a greenish tint to it. They were on rocky ground, seemingly devoid of plant life. In the distance was a mountain with cliffs, roughly dragon-shaped, cliffs rising like wings beside the middle outcrop of rocks. She could see a cave between the leg-like foundations.

”Winged Ridge,” she breathed.

”Yes,” Snape said, dismounting and reducing his Firebolt, placing it into his pocket, then bringing out an atomizer.

Hermione started to open the satchel she was carrying, curious as to what he had in it. It was very light.

”No!” Snape cried as Hermione opened the bag and was caught in a horrible suction, half her body being pulled inside as Snape desperately caught her ankles.

”Damn your curious eyes!” Snape snarled through clenched teeth as he struggled to pull her out, Hermione screaming. Finally, he managed to separate her from the satchel, closing the satchel with one hand as a gasping Hermione dropped to the ground.

”That’s a collecting satchel, you little idiot!” Snape hissed at her. “It would have been hell getting you out of there. If you want to know something, ask me, damn it!”

”Well, I didn’t know,” Hermione said as Snape roughly pulled her to her feet, his dark eyes washing over her as if to see if everything was intact. “And don’t call me names.”

Snape stared at her for a moment, then picked up the atomizer he’d dropped on the ground while she was getting sucked into the satchel. He pointed it at her and squeezed the little bulb several times covering her in stench.

”Arrrgh!” Hermione cried, trying to run as Snape sprayed her. “What in the name of Merlin is that stuff?” She pulled her sweater up over her nose, but that didn’t help because Snape had covered her liberally and her clothes stunk of the stuff.

”Essence of dragon,” Snape said with a slight smirk, turning the atomizer on himself. “Dragons have a keen sense of smell. They won’t blink a scaly eye when they scent this.”

”Well it’s awful,” Hermione complained as Snape put the atomizer in his pocket.

”Not as awful as being chomped in half by a dragon. Now, cast a dome of silence around us so we can go,” he told her. “Don’t make it too large.”

Hermione did so. The dome of silence would move with them and keep them from being heard by anything outside of it. They began to walk.

”I thought you were bringing a glow-bird,” Hermione said to the wizard.

”I have. It is in my pocket, petrified. It was easier to transport in this manner,” he replied, his black eyes shifting about. Suddenly, he grabbed Hermione and ducked down, throwing his robes over her.

”What?” she cried, struggling.

”Hold still,” he hissed, tightening his grip as a dark form whooshed over them, heading for the cave. A dragon landed, looked about and lurched into the dark opening. “There is a late arrival.”

Hermione looked at the cave as several flashes of light illuminated it for a few seconds.

”I imagine it’s trying to find a spot,” Snape said quietly.

There were several more flashes, and the dragon reappeared, backing out of the cave and firing into it before turning and leaping into the air.

”It seems fully occupied,” the dark wizard said, watching the dragon flap away.

”Have you been in this cave before?” Hermione asked him.

”Yes,” Snape answered, standing up now and letting Hermione rise as well. “Several times.”

”I don’t see why we had to come at night. Why not in the day when the dragons aren’t around?” Hermione asked him.

”Dragonsbane retracts into the ground during the day for protection. It won’t emerge without the presence of dragons to protect it. An evolutionary development. To be collected, dragons must be present.”

”No wonder it’s so expensive,” Hermione said in a low voice as they approached the cave. “Aren’t the dragons awake now.”

”Most likely half-awake, but they fall asleep quickly. We won’t disturb them when we enter. We are small compared to them. As long as we are careful.”

”Maybe we should disillusion ourselves,” Hermione suggested.

”It won’t help. Dragons can still see us,” Snape said as they approached the cave mouth.

”How will we be able to see in there?” Hermione asked him.

Damn, she asked a lot of questions.

“When dragons sleep, they breathe out minute tongues of fire. The spell should be able to use that light,” Snape said as Hermione refreshed the spell, just in case. They approached the mouth.

”Wait here,” Snape said, stepping outside of the dome and carefully peering inside the cave mouth. Several large dragons lay on the ground, heads resting on their scaly claws, little puffs of flame issuing from their scaly nostrils as they slept. Snape returned to Hermione.

”They’re asleep. Come on, slowly,” he said warningly.

Keeping close, he and Hermione entered the cave. Hermione stifled a gasp as she saw about eight dragons sleeping, their fangs sticking out of their closed mouths and little flames flicking out of their noses. She didn’t dare say a word as they entered. She looked around but didn’t see any Dragonsbane plants.

They moved further into the cave, until they were surrounded by the sleeping dragons. Snape shook his head slowly.

”It appears they are sleeping on top of the plants,” he said quietly. “I had hoped to avoid this . . . “

”So, we leave, right?” Hermione asked him, looking around at the dragons nervously.

”No, Snape said, reaching into his pocket and taking out his wand and the petrified glow-bird. “Remove the dome of silence and get as close to me as possible.”

”But . . . what . . .?” Hermione began.

”No more questions. Just follow my instructions!” the wizard hissed at her, his eyes hard.

Hermione swallowed and removed the dome of silence. The glow-bird looked like an ordinary bird. Snape tapped it with his wand.

”Finite Incantatum,” he breathed removing the spell and quickly putting his wand into his pocket and bringing out a closed fist.

”Awwwrk!” the bird squawked.

Immediately, several dragons opened their eyes.

”YAAAAAAH!” Snape yelled throwing the glow-bird straight up into the air. It flared up brightly, almost blinding as it ascended.

The dragons all leapt to their feet, at first orienting on the glowing bird streaking toward the ceiling and firing flames at it, incinerating it instantly. As the small, smoking corpse fell toward the ground, Snape threw a fistful of powder straight up in the air and it fell back down on he and Hermione, just at the dragons saw them. They were still standing and blasted flame at the pair.

”No!” Hermione cried as the flames rolled toward them from all sides. Snape stood there watching as the flame slowed then froze in place. Everything froze in place except he and Hermione.

”Quickly! We only have five minutes,” the wizard said, running through the frozen flames as if it were fog and underneath the first dragon.

Hermione followed, passing through the brilliant flame easily, feeling no heat and watched as Snape slashed his wand at the low plants underneath the creature.

”Sectumsempra!” he cried, then, “Open the satchel toward the plants!”

Hermione did so and they were sucked into the satchel. She followed Snape about as he quickly sliced the plants, sucking them into the bag. After about four minutes, she became aware of the cavern warming.

”We have to go!” Snape hissed. “Run! Now!”

He grabbed Hermione by the wrist as roars began to echo and the temperature in the cave rose quickly. The dragons slowly connected to the floor and began to pursue Snape and Hermione, their flames slowly gaining speed, shooting toward the fleeing pair, who were out of the cave now, the dragons right behind them.

Hermione couldn’t help looking back and a dragon was right on top of her, jaws agape and flame pouring right at her. Suddenly, Snape was on top of her and there was a sickening crush and pull for about thirty seconds, then she was on the cold ground, Snape on top of her. She opened her eyes and recognized the gates of Hogwarts.

They were back, and her heart was pounding, full of exhilaration. Snape’s robes were smoking, but he was unhurt, looking down at the witch’s red face and wide eyes.

”We made it!” she gasped, looking up into Snape’s sober face. “I can’t believe it. I thought we were dead for sure! What did you do to them to freeze them?”

”Nothing,” the wizard purred, not getting off of the witch. “What I did, I did to us. I used Fleet powder. It’s my own creation. We sped up while the dragons remained in regular motion. We were out of sync with them and invisible to the naked eye.”

”Amazing,” Hermione breathed.

”Yesss,” the wizard agreed, looking down at her. “I can feel your heart racing. It’s good to be alive, isn’t it?”

”It is,” she breathed up at him.

They lay there, looking at each other for a moment, Hermione aware of the weight of his body on top of hers. His heart was racing as well, although he seemed calm.

”Quite the adventure,” the wizard said to her softly. “A small one, but an adventure still. There can be many more just as exhilarating, Hermione.”

Hermione stared up at him, blinking, not knowing what to say. Then, he kissed her softly, his lips pressing against hers gently, teasingly, sweetness starting to wash over her. She accepted it for a moment, letting herself revel in his magic before twisting her head away. Snape stared down at her.

”Still fighting it,” he said softly, then rolled off of her and got to his feet. He helped her up and took the satchel from her, cold again.

”You did well,” he said, unwarding the gate and walking through, leaving it open. He began quickly striding across the grounds, leaving Hermione staring after him.

He was a good distance away when Hermione came to herself, entering the gates and warding them back. She hurried to catch up to him, but Snape was walking so quickly that she couldn’t do it. He entered the castle. By the time she made it in, he was gone. Presumably to his quarters.

Hermione stood there in the entrance hall, not knowing how to feel. Then she let out a sigh and climbed the marble stairwell, heading for her own quarters.

He hadn’t even said good night.

*************************************
A/N: I hope this chappie is all right. I have a stomach virus and haven’t eaten a thing in 24 hours. I’ve been drinking water, milk and a little soup. So I feel a bit lightheaded. But I wanted to do this chapter, so attempted it. Thanks for reading.