A Long Way Back ~ Editing

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JKR. All situations are mine. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
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Chapter 2 ~ Settling In

On the other side of the world, a shaman sat on the slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain range before a small fire. His face and body was painted with earth and his eyes were closed. He appeared to be humming to himself, intoning a single note over and over as the firelight flickered over his form. He wasn't a very large man, but small, around five foot three, brown-skinned, wizened, with black hair and black eyes in the manner of his people.

He was listening. Listening for the sound of the worlds opening…listening for the Great Wind that signified one had been drawn back from there to here.

Suddenly, he heard it. The pale man who stole the sacred elixir had invoked it. A very small life returned, and the shaman felt it. He focused, trying to pinpoint where it had occurred…but the life…the life was too small for him to find the location. The shaman grunted in disappointment, closed his eyes and began to hum again.

He could not go yet.

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Hermione found herself enthralled as Severus recounted the five-year journey that led him to the miraculous elixir. It was the first time she had been interested in anything outside of her own sterile existence in a very long time.

"What is so amazing about the potion is that it works on a single part of the person to be resurrected, as long as there is enough potion to do the job. I could have brought your cat back using a single strand of fur or a piece of claw and it would have been fully restored," the wizard said, excitement evident in his voice. "I only used the ashes for greater effect. Any part would have sufficed."

Actually, Severus used the ashes because of the urn. He knew Hermione would fold immediately once she saw the resurrection was possible even from ash. And she had.

Hermione stared at the wizard with an almost wild look in her eyes. It was rather frightening.

"Severus, the implications of this potion are mind-boggling. Everyone who has lost loved ones can have them back," she breathed. "We can bring back Minerva, Ginny, Kingsley, Neville…and…and my parents. There are bound to be bits and pieces of them left somewhere. A strand of hair, a toenail clipping…anything! We can bring back everyone!"

Severus scowled at this. That would not and should not be possible.

"Yes…but then we would be playing gods, Hermione. Who is to say who is resurrected? Who decides who should be brought back to the land of the living and who is to remain dead? You? Me? The Ministry? The Kogi kept this elixir a secret for good reason, and used it only in extreme cases. We are going to have to keep this a secret from the wizarding world or we will be overcome by hordes of people wanting their loved ones back," he said, looking at her intently. "Not everyone can be brought back, Hermione. Not everyone should be," he said…thinking of Voldemort. "Playing with Fate can have serious repercussions, Hermione. There are places men are not meant to tread."

Again, Severus' conscience was starting to prick him. This was so much power, power that every Potions Master worth his salt would give anything to possess. But with such power would come great responsibility. In the wrong hands, the elixir would be devastating. And what would happen if one of the Dark Lord's still faithful servants got hold of the elixir? The hate would begin all over again.

Severus looked at Hermione. He could tell she was not in the least considering the ethical and moral implications of actually using the elixir. In a moment, she confirmed that belief with a mild form of blackmail on the side.

"I am willing to tread where the devil himself walks if it will bring back Harry," Hermione declared, her eyes taking on a maniacal gleam as she looked at the Potions Master. "In fact, I will only do this research on the elixir if the first person we resurrect is Harry, Severus. I want him back. I want him whole and alive. Give me an oath that we will use the elixir on Harry's ashes first. If you won't, Severus, then there is nothing more to say."

Severus looked at the witch. Harry's resurrection would cause quite a stir in the wizarding world. There would definitely be inquiries. There would definitely be…problems. But still, he wanted to know what made the elixir viable. He wanted to know its secret. He sighed.

"Very well Hermione. I vow that Harry Potter will be the first person we resurrect in the event we discover how to recreate the elixir," he said, frowning slightly as magic whirled about them, sealing his oath.

Hermione nodded, satisfied. Her eyes took on that familiar look they did when she was making plans.

"I have to clean my lab up," she said. "Get it in shape for research again. It shouldn't take long to do. I will have to purchase new equipment."

Hermione faltered. Purchasing new equipment would mean she would have to leave the manor and go out into wizarding society again. She looked at Severus.

"Or I could make a list of what I need and you could make the purchases," she said to him.

The Potions Master shook his head.

"No. Your list…your job," he responded.

The Potions Master knew she was hedging on stepping back into the real world. He wasn't going to enable her to remain withdrawn. And he told her so.

"I am not hiding," Hermione spat.

Severus looked at her with a bit of exasperation.

"When was the last time you left this…house? And I use the term loosely," he said to her.

Hermione didn't answer at first.

Severus arched his eyebrows at her.

"Well?" he urged.

"Three years ago, when my parents died," she replied.

Severus blinked at her.

"You've been locked away in this place for three years, Hermione? Three years?" he said in disbelief.

"There was no reason to leave," she said, frowning at him. "My supplies are delivered by specialized port key that only allows items to be transported, not people. I send a list of what I want to the supplier with the key and my order is filled sent back via that same key. As long as I can get what I need, then there is no reason to leave here. Everything is automatically paid for from my 'ample' bank account."

Hermione said this with more than a hint of bitterness in her voice. She hated having Harry's money. Every galleon stunk of death as far as she was concerned. She continued.

"The only reason I can't get my lab equipment this way is because I don't know what new developments have been made. I might miss purchasing something that would facilitate my research…hmm. I wonder if there are catalogs…" she mused. "I bet there are…"

"You've gone back to believing books hold the answer to almost anything I see," Severus said, his nose wrinkled as he looked at the still soot-covered witch. Suddenly he pulled out his wand and scourgified her. Hermione might not care how she looked, but he had to look at her. She could at least be clean.

Hermione didn't answer him concerning her reliance on books. Instead she said, "How will I contact you when the lab is ready?"

Severus raised an eyebrow at her.

"I think a good loud shout will do it," he responded.

Hermione scowled at him.

"A shout? What do you mean 'a shout?'" she asked him. Then a look of horror crossed her face. "No. No! You are not staying here, Severus."

"Why? Don't tell me there's no room," he purred at her.

Hermione blustered.

"Of course there's room, but I don't want you staying here. It will infringe on my privacy," she said evenly.

"Hermione, this house is so cavernous that I could stay here for weeks and you'd never even see me," the Potions Master replied. "Besides, I have nowhere to go. I no longer work at Hogwarts and since I embarked on my journey right after I resigned, I never purchased a home."

"You can stay in Hogsmeade…or even Knockturn Alley as far as I'm concerned. As long as you aren't under my roof," Hermione said coldly. "I'm under no obligation to house you."

Severus looked at her darkly.

"I still have the elixir, Hermione. I want you to do this research for me, but I am not about to be treated badly by you. I am giving you the chance to rewrite history…to possibly bring back someone you dearly love. You mean to tell me you are so cold, selfish and thoughtless that you would send me out into the night while you have all this room?"

The witch just looked at him.

"Hermione, I did nothing to hurt you. I was good to you…as good as a man like me can be anyway. But you are treating me as if I was your enemy. I was your lover, not your enemy. I left because you drove me away. Now I am back in the capacity of an associate, a partner. I need someplace to stay, and I need to be close at hand while you do your research. Actually, I plan on helping you. It makes sense for me to stay here," he said to her.

Hermione still didn't answer him. The Potions Master stared at her for a moment.

"Do you think I will creep into your bed in the middle of the night?" he asked her.

Hermione looked at him.

"No. If you did, you'd be minus a nut or two, I assure you," she said, frowning.

"Then give me a feasible reason I shouldn't stay in this great mausoleum of yours," the Potions Master demanded.

"The bedrooms aren't furnished," she replied.

In answer, Severus tapped his wand on the arm of the chair.

"Unlike you, Hermione, I am willing to transfigure items for comfort. I will furnish my own room. There are plenty of cobwebs to work with, if nothing else. Now is that your only excuse for denying me shelter?"

"There isn't enough food for two people," she said lamely.

Hermione ate little more than porridge. Sometimes spaghetti and canned sauce, which explained her terrible physical condition. It seemed she denied herself good food as part of her self-punishment.

Severus scowled at her.

"I will order my own supplies," he shot back. "I know how to cook. Anything else?"

Hermione shook her head.

"I guess not," she conceded. "But what about your things?"

Severus patted his robes pocket.

"Reduced," he said.

It figured he came ready to move in. The wizard had planned this from the get go.

"Still a Slytherin," Hermione seethed at him.

He quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Always," he replied giving her a wicked grin.

It reminded her of the grin he used to give her before wrestling her to the bed when she played hard to get. Back then, as far as the wizard was concerned, she was never hard to get. She just had to be persuaded a bit. Hermione pushed the memory out of her mind.

Severus noted the far away look in her eyes. He wondered if her occlumency skills had atrophied from non-use and decided to find out. He reached into her mind. She didn't feel a thing.

Hermione's mind was as bad as her house was. Every memory was gray and foggy, as if draped in gauze. There was only one clear memory. That of her casting the Killing curse on Harry. It was as fresh as the day it occurred. He could find nothing about himself or their relationship. It was deeply buried in her psyche and not brought to mind. Yet, he saw himself grinning wickedly for a quick second, then it was gone. The Potions Master pulled out.

He shook his head.

"What?" Hermione asked him. She had been sitting quietly, thinking of nothing as she was wont to do. It took her a little time to learn to shut her brain down. It used to always be filled with thoughts, ideas and musings. Now, she left it blank as much as possible.

"Nothing," he answered her, rising. "Except I'd like to get a shower and settle in."

Hermione looked up at him.

"There are plenty of bathrooms. No towels or soap I'm afraid," she said. "And the bedrooms are on the second and third floors. All empty."

"Except for cobwebs, I imagine," the wizard said, frowning slightly.

"Plenty of those," she said unmoving.

Severus looked down at her.

"Aren't you going to show me around?" he asked her.

Hermione shook her head.

"You're the big world explorer. A house shouldn't provide much of a challenge for you, even one as sepulchral as this one. You can find your way about, I'm sure," she said, rising. She walked past him.

"Where are you going?" he asked her.

"To bed," Hermione replied, exiting the study and making a right.

Severus stood there a moment, then sat back down in the uncomfortable armchair. The witch really didn't give a damn how he occupied himself, did she?

Hermione had changed so much. It was as if a darkness had entered and possessed her. But Severus knew what guilt could do to a person. Hermione had one life she had taken. He had hundreds over the years due to his double role as a spy, serving both Albus and Voldemort. Until he had taken up with Hermione, he was very much like the witch was now. When they separated however, he didn't allow himself to sink back into that awful place. The witch had given him the strength to continue…to live as fully as he could. He didn't lose that when he lost her. For that, he was eternally grateful to Hermione.

The wizard's stomach rumbled. He was hungry. Hermione hadn't offered him so much as a drink of water. He had to find something to eat. In order to do that, he had to find the kitchen. He imagined her food was just as meager as her furnishings. The witch would probably get pissed off that he ate some of her "supplies."

Gods, how did Hermione become such a miserable creature?

Easily. She removed herself from love. Anyone who didn't love something was miserable. Severus knew this firsthand.

The wizard rose from the armchair and strode out into the corridor. He looked up and down, trying to decide which way to go in search of the kitchen. He decided to go right since it led away from the manor entrance. Most likely the kitchen would be at the back of the house.

On the second floor landing, looking around a corner, Hermione peeked down at the wizard striding through the main hall. Severus walked past without looking up. The witch sighed. How had he wriggled his way back into her life again?

But he was a Slytherin. A snake. Snakes were good at that.

Well, it didn't really matter. He had something she wanted. Severus could stay here until she got it, then go on with his life. She only wanted that one thing his elixir could provide her.

Redemption.

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A/N: Very tired. Please review.