The Coven

Disclaimer: Please don’t sue. Just playing with the characters.



A HUGE thanks to my beta, Snapeaholic. She rocks!





The Coven



Chapter 8: Mabon





Hermione washed her hands under the cold water spouting from the gargoyle faucet in the classroom’s wash basin. The three cauldrons of Skelegrow had been brewed and carefully siphoned into the containers that Professor Snape had left for her. Thankfully, he had left her alone during her detention. He was not gone from her thoughts whilst she brewed her potion, and her steely focus was the only thing that kept her from blundering her work. Every time her thoughts drifted to her dream, she reigned herself in and continued hesk. sk. It had taken her three hours to complete her the potion.



Hermione failed to stifle a yawn as Professor Snape returned from his office. “Have you finished, Miss Granger?”



“Yes, sir, I have. I was just cleaning up.” Hermione turned off the water, retrieved her wand and cast a Scourgify over the three cauldrons to clean them. “Sir, why does Madam Pomfrey need so much Skelegrow? Doesn’t she deal with more broken bones than missing ones?”



“She wants it in stock for the upcoming Quidditch season, Miss Granger. Tevelevel of animosity between some of the houses is at an all time high this year.” Hermione didn’t have to ask to which houses he was referring to. “Hexes may be flying at the matches this year. Be prepared.”



“Yes, sir. ‘Constant Vigilance!’” Snape shuddered at Hermione’s little joke. “Is Madam Pomfrey in need of any other potions sir?”



“All of them,” Snape replied and then sighed. He looked particularly tired this evening.



Hermione suddenly felt a little sorry for her sarky professor. He really does too much. “Um, sir, would you like some assistance with some of the potions? I could help you on the weekends, if you like.” Hermione prepared herself for an angry, sarcastic response, but it never came.



Instead, Professor Snape looked stunned. No one had ever offered to help him willingly, or at least without ateriterior motive. He knew she was sincere as she was not one for guile.



“Why, Miss Granger? Why would you be willing to help me?” Snape asked wearily.



“Sir, I don’t know everything you do for the school and the Order,” she said the last word in a whisper. “I can’t even imagine. If possible, I’d like to help lighten your load so you can concentration on more important things, it would be my pleasure. Let me help you, please.”



Snape considered her for a moment. “That would be satisfactory. Friday evenings, unless I am otherwise engaged. Seven o’clock, Miss Granger?”



“Yes, sir, I will see you then. Good evening, sir.”



“Good evening, Miss Granger.” He watched her run quickly up the stairs and out the door. Professor Snape was surprised once again. The little know-it-all never ceased to amaze him.



******************************



When Hermione arrived at her room, she discovered two notes under her door. She read the f.


Hey Hermione,



Where are you? The library? Just wanted to see if you wanted to play chess with us tonight. Maybe tomorrow.



Ron



The second note made her wince.



Hermione,



Where are you? I thought we were going to talk tonight. You said that I could come to you, righI feI feel a little stupid now.

I46;s46;s not a problem. Really. It’s no big deal. I’ll just see you in the morning.



Ginny



She had forgotten to tell Ginny about her detention. They were supposed to have met that night to talk over Ginny’s feelings for Harry. How could she have forgotten? It was too late in the evening to find Ginny and apologize as she was probably asleep. Hermione looked at her clock, realizing that she too should be asleep.



‘I’ll find her in the morning.’ Hermione yawned and crawled into bed with her school clothes still on.



******************************



Hermione hurried into the Great Hall the following morning, searching for Ginny. She quickly found the girl seated at the Gryffindor table, listlessly pushing her eggs around her plate with her fork. Ginny was sending covert, wistful looks in Harry’s direction while he and Ron discussed Quidditch. Hermione wondered to herself, how she not could not have seen Ginny’s feelings for Harry before now.



“Ginny, I’m so sorry. I completely forgot to tell you that I needed to reschedule our ‘study session’”.



Ginny caught on quickly. “Why didn’t you make it Hermione?” Hermione could tell that she was trying not to look sulky.



Hermione leaned in closer. “I had detention last night and I forgot to tell you about it during the day yesterday,” she looked down at her plate, a little ashamed at her detention warranting actions.



“Detention? Why did you get detention? You haven’t done anything crazy in years, Hermione. Especially since the boys haven’t had an ‘adventure’”, Ginny made little quote marks with her fingers, “in years, you haven’t been in trouble. Even Malfoy has seemed to grow up and isn’t harassing you anymore. Why else would you get detention?”



Hermione looked over to the Slytherin table where the seventh year Head Boy was holding court. Hermione just couldn’t figure the platinum haired boy out. He no longer teased her about her heritage. He no longer bothered with any of them. Draco Malfoy didn’t concern himself with Gryffindors. What had changed for him? Could it be that he was at last satisfied with his station in life? Was there no need to compete with Hermione, Harry and Ron? Had he carved out his own niche in life or could it all be a ploy? He could simply be lulling them into a false sense of security with his newfound calm before he attacked.



“Well, what did you do to deserve detention?” Ginny persisted.



Hermione quietly filled Ginny in on her evening encounter with Professor Snape. Any attempt at being subtle didn’t last long.



“YOU SNIFFED HIM?” Ginny screeched. Everyone turned to look at the two girls.



Hermione tried to recover. “She’s talking about my cat,” she snapped. “He seemed under that weather, that’s all. He smelled off.”



Everyone seemed satisfied with her explanation. It was an odd thing to do, but those who knew Hermione knew of her deep attachment to Crookshanks.



“Geez Hermione, have any suppressed feelings come out lately?”



“Who has suppressed feelings?” Harry questioned from down the table.



Ginny just stopped cold, her eyes flying open wide. “No one.” She went back to poking her eggs, now cold and rubbery, and tried to shrink into herself.



Harry looked to Hermione for an answer. She just shrugged her shoulders and smiled at her friend. “Just girl talk, Harry. No big deal.”



As the trio got older, they found that discussing everything with one another was impossible. Especially when it came to their romantic lives. The boys didn’t want to know what Hermione was thinking about boys, and Hermione let them keep their neanderthal conversations to themselves. One more conversation about some girl’s attributes, and she would have screamed. No, it was best that some things in their lives were separate. Every other topic was fine, but romance was off limits. Unless, of course, they wanted the opinion of the opposite gender, but those conversations rarely came up.



“Ginny, why don’t we go for a quick walk after breakfast and talk? Please forgive me for not telling you about my detention.” She spoke the last word in a whisper.



“Okay, a walk around the lake would do me some good. I didn’t sleep well last night. Had the most vivid dream.”



Hermione choked on her toast. She was about to respond to Ginny when a great wave of laughter came from the Hufflepuff table. The Puffs all seemed to be looking toward to doors to the Great Hall. Zacharias Smith had just entered and the sixth year student was vainly trying not to be noticed, but wasn’t succeeding. The boy was sporting a very black eye and a swollen lip. As he sat down at the Hufflepuff table, his friends began to tease him. One of them put two grapefruits in his shirt, and took mock punches at Zacharias. The whole table erupted in laughter. Zacharias made some comment that Hermione couldn’t hear, but she assumed it was something along the lines of ‘Sod off!’.



Hermione looked over to Susan and Hannah for explanation. Hannah was looking disapprovingly at Susan. Susan, on the other hand, had a look of feigned innocence about her.



Hermione quickly finished her breakfast with Ginny, then motioned for Susan and Hannah to meet them out in the hallway. Hannah nodded back in acknowledgment.



“Come on, Ginny, let’s go.”



As the two Gryffindor girls were leaving, Harry called to them. “Where are you two going?”



Ron looked up from his whispered conversation with Lavender, waiting for Hermione and Ginny’s answer. “We just thought we would talk a little before class. Did you need something, Harry?” she asked. Ginny managed a little smile also without blushing, and Harry smiled back at her.



Hermione looked at the two of them, wondering what her best friend thought of the girl. Could he have feelings for Ginny too? Unfortunately, now was not the time to ponder that thought.



“I’ll see you two in class.” Hermione waved at them while dragging Ginny away with her other hand.



******************************



The four girls met in the hall way.



Hermione looked around before she spoke. “What happened to him?” She pointed back into the dining room.



Susan looked at Hannah. “Are you going to promise?”



“No, I’m not.” Hannah replied.



“Then you need to go cause I’m not talking.” Susan crossed her arms in front of her chest.



“Fine,” Hannah huffed and stomped off to the entryway to the greenhouses for Herbology.



Hermione and Ginny looked at each other. “Um Susan, what’s going on with you and Hannah,” Ginny asked tentatively. “Why is she so angry?”



“I will tell you, but you two have to promise me something first. Anything I tell you stays with us. You can’t tell anyone else, ESPECIALLY the professors. Now I know that this is difficult for you being head girl and a prefect and all, but I’m not talking until you do.”



Ginny looked at Hermione, who nodded her assent. “All right Susan, we won’t tell.”



“Oh, I’m so glad. Okay, here it goes. After the other night, I thought I would have a little talk with Zacharias. You know, over what Luna told us.” Susan looked at her shoes. “I probably shouldn’t have even approached him on the subject. It’s really none of my business, but after what Luna said, I had a feeling he wasn’t treating her right. So, I asked him if I could talk to him about something, in private. You should have seen the look he gave his friends. Like I fancied him, or something.” Susan pulled a face. “Anyway, I took him over to the window seat and I asked him about Luna. I said I was her friend and that she mentioned him to me. Well, he got all upset that she would even talk about him and then he referred to her as a ‘slut’. So, I hit him... several times.”



“Oh Susan, you shouldn’t have done that.” Hermione scolded. “You could be get in deep trouble for this.”



“I know, but the wanker was disrespecting our friend. She deserves so much better than that. She deserves better than him,” Susan looked a little sad. “I just hope she’s not too angry with me when she finds out. He might not be much, but she may have cared about him.”



Ginny looked at Susan’s hands. “Let me see those.” Ginny lifted up Susan’s right hand. The knuckles were badly bruised.



“I’m not the best healer in the world, but I can try.” Ginny waved her wand over Susan’s hands, and the swelling lessened a bit.



“Thanks. That helps. Hannah is an excellent healer, but she’s furious with me now.”



“She didn’t see you attack Zacharias, did she?” Hermione inquired.



“No. I made a point to approach him before any of the prefects had come down. I didn’t want to put Hannah in an awkward situation if anything happened.”



Ginny smirked. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that you were planning on beating the boy up.”



Susan feigned a shocked expression. “Why, Ginny Weasley, I’d NEVER do anything like that.”



“MISS BONES!” The girls turned toward the front entryway to see the tiny whirlwind that was Professor Sprout charging toward them as fast as her little legs could carry her.



“Oh, bugger,” Susan said under her breath.



The Head of Hufflepuff stopped in front of the girls. “Miss Granger, Miss Weasley, I need to speak to Miss Bones alone. Please run along.”



Susan’s face lost all color. “I’ll see you at lunch.” She managed a weak smile to her friends.



“I’ll see you at lunch,” Ginny gave Susan a covert ‘chin up’ gesture.



“I’ll see you in Herbology,” Hermione answered, looking at her friend with a sympathetic expression.



“Miss Granger, in case I am late, tell the class that I will be there shortly.”



“Yes, Professor,” Hermione answered. Both girls looked at Susan one last time before heading their separate ways.



Susan turned back to her furious Head of House.



******************************



Herbology had been surprisingly quiet. Professor Sprout had arrived only five minutes late, followed by a very subdued Susan. The class was a review of some previous material, or at least the material was review for Hermione. She had handled enough Devil’s Snare to last her a lifetime.



As she walked with toys oys back to the castle for lunch, Hermione spotted Professor McGonnagall heading toward the dining hall.



“Professor McGonnagall, may I have a moment, please?” Hermione ran to catch up with the professor outside of the dining hall. She turned to the boys. “Save me a seat. I should only be a minute.”



“Hurry or Ron might eat your food along with his.” Harry teased.



“Shut up, Harry,” Ron groused.



Hermione laughed and then turned to her teacher. She whispered, “I forgot to ask you and Professor Dumbledore where our group can meet tonight. Perhaps we could use the Forest, just the outskirts of it? Not too far from Hagrid’s hut? I’m sorry, but it completely slipped my mind last night.”



Professor McGonnagall paused a moment while a few students passed them. “I don’t see why not, just be sure to stay within a hundred meters from the edge of the forest. The centaurs won’t bother you, but I can’t guarantee everything else in the forest will be as cooperative,” she gave a tight smile. “I’ll inform Professor Dumbledore, and then I will tell Hagrid. Be sure to stop in to see him before you enter the forrest. He’ll need to be aware of your arrival.”



“Yes Professor, and thank you.” Hermione hurried off the join her friends for lunch.



*******************************



The girls met that evening in the Great Hall after dinner. Susan and Hannah still were not speaking to each other. They stood in the entryway, glaring at one another. The tension was thick between them, and Hermione had had enough.



“Will you two PLEASE stop this and talk to one another? We can’t go out there and celebrate this holiday as a coven with this acrimony between you two. Now talk this out.” She crossed her arms in front of herself signaling that there was no debating her on this.



Hannah pointed at Susan. “You can’t go around hitting members of your own house. It isn’t right. He may be an ass, but he’s sti Huf Hufflepuff and we don’t beat the shit out of each other.”



Susan rolled her eyes and huffed a breath. “You’re right.”



Hannah was shocked. “What? You agree with me?” She looked at Hermione. “Well, that was easy. Too easy.” Hannah looked suspicious.



“No, you’re right. I lost my temper, and I was out of line,” Susan turned to Luna and took her hand. “Have you heard abouts?&#s?” Luna shook her head. “I confronted Zacharias Smith this morning about your relationship with him. I was worried about what you said the other night. He said something that I felt was disrespectful about you and I, in turn, smashed his face in,” Susan looked at Luna’s blank face. “Oh, I’m sorry Luna. I didn’t mean to ruin whatever it was that you had with that wanker. I just, I just wanted to make sure that he was treating you well. He’s not worth it, you know. You deserve so much more than Zacharias Smith,” she looked at Hannah. “Even if he is in my house.”



Susan smiled at Hermione and Ginny. “I dit put punished though. Even if Smith didn’t come forward with a complaint, there were enough rumors floating around for Professor Sprout to ask for my “help” for the next month in the greenhouses. For the next month, I’ll be up to my elbows in dragon dung every evening. Good thing I like Herbology.”



“So, can we go now.” Ginny asked impatiently. She was carrying two bags of food and the supplies for the sabbat, and her shoulder was getting sore from having the bags slung over it.



“You still my mate?” Susan looked to Hannah.



“Yeah, but don’t do anything stupid like that again. At least not for the rest of the school year. You can beat up whomever you please once we graduate.”



Susan turned to Luna. “I should have kept my conk out of your business. Will you forgive me?”



Luna blinked. “What’s to forgive? He wasn’t my boyfriend. It could have ended at any time. I’m just glad that you precipitated it. Now I can look for a boy who likes to snog.”



“Hold off on that thought for another month, please Luna. Don’t want you to be too tempted. After the ritual, you can find a boy to snog to your hearts content,” Hermione warned.



“Hermione, trust us. None of us is going to run out and lose our virginities in the next month. We’ve lasted this long, and we won’t do anything stupid,” Hannah said.



“Okay, sorry,” Hermione looked chagrinned. “Let’s go see Hagrid.”



The girls started to leave the castle for the grounds. Susan walked up to Ginny, reached over, and took one of the bags from her. The girls linked arms with Ginny and Susan at the ends, and made their way to Hagrid’s hut.



*****************************



The girls walked closer to Hagrid’s hut and found him outside on his front step. He appeared to be carving some wood with a long knife. Fang, his boorhound, was lying at his feet.



Hagrid smiled at the girls. “Hermione, girls, Professor McGonnagall told me to expect yeh. Heading into the Forbidden Forest?”



“Going there now.” Hermione replied. “What are you making there Hagrid?”



Hagrid looked to the piece of wood in his hand. Luna walked up to Fang and began to pat him on the head. “Nuthin, just whittling. Seein if something comes from this piece of wood.” He look up to the sky. “Shouldn’t you be off soon?”



The girls looked to each other. It was time. They could feel it between themselves. Yes, it was time to go.



“Yes Hagrid, we’ll see you later. Maybe tomorrow,” Ginny answered.



“Call for me if yeh need to. You are very capable witches, but I’d feel better if you gave a shout out so I’d know I could hear yeh.”



“Will do, Hagrid.” Hermione replied. Hannah waved good-bye to Hagrid, while Susan moved Luna away from the mountainous canine. The girls carefully stepped into the dark forest, once again, hand in hand.



“Lumos,” they all said almost simultaneously. The ends of their wands brightened the darkness that was caused by the forest’s dwindling canopy.



They had only walk into the forest a few meters when Luna stopped them. She pointed to a clearing to the left. “This way,” she said quietly.



The girls followed Luna past a few trees, carefully walking over the root covered floor. Ginny made a sharp, gasping breath. There, in the clearing, was the site for their coven to meet.



The clearing was approximately ten meters in diameter. In the center of that space was a large, flat stone. Quite a large stone, at that. A perfect altar.



“Has this place always been here?” Ginny questioned. She looked at the other girls.



“I don’t know. I’ve never seen it before,” Hermione answered. “We don’t go spend enough time in the forbidden forest.”



“Yeah, there’s the name and all,” Susan quipped.



The ground around the stone was pristine. No tree stumps, no leaves or other debris, just a flat, smooth surface.



“Did someone prepare this for us?” Hannah asked.



“I don’t know,” she paused. “It’s odd, isn’t it.”



“Shave and a haircut,” Luna shouted out toward Hagrid’s hut, startling them from their reverie.



“Six pence,” was Hagrid’s booming response.



“Don’t do that again please,” Ginny said.



The girls slowly walked around the rock, wondering at the surroundings, until they were standing in a circle around it.



Hermione turned and conjured nine torches around the circle behind the girls. She then removed a small bottle from her bag. Walking from torch to torch, Hermione placed a few drops of oil from the bottle onto the wick of each torch.



“Incendio,” the girls cried out together. The torches blazed.



“We must first sanctify our circle,” Ginny told the group.



“Wait. There’s something that I must do first,” Hermione stated.



“What is it?” Susan sounded tense. “What MUST you do? Hurry up already.”



“Susan, it’s just some organization for the coven that I want to do before we enter the sacredcle.cle.”



Ginny laughed. “You want to organize now? Hermione, couldn’t this wait?”



“No, it can’t. The fact that I forgot to ask Professor McGonnagall about our meeting site scares me. I don’t forget things. I forgot to tell you about my detention too,” the other three girls looked at one another. “Later, I’ll tell you about it later. We have to get this out of the way,” Hermione paused. “Please.”



The girls knew that working without organization did not make Hermione comfortable. She liked to plan things out. Not that improvisation was impossible for her, it just wasn’t what she preferred.



“We need to decide on our coven offices. High Priestess, Watcher, the like. These will be our jobs for life. I have some ideas, but we should all decide.”



Ginny smiled. “Well, I for one nominate Hermione as Head Priestess.”



“I second it. It’s the most obvious choice,” Hannah stated.



Hermione looked humbled. She had hoped they would choose her as High Priestess, but didn’t want to assume anything. Arrogance and pomposity did not make for a good leader.



“Thank you all. I promise that I will take my responsibilities with the utmost seriousness and dedication. I won’t let you down.”



Hermione reached into her book bag, taking out a quill and a red leather book. “Luna, you will be our scribe. Keep our history for us to reflect and remember.”



Luna took the book and began to delicately flip through the pages.



Hermione then withdrew a dagger from her bag. She handed it to Susan. “Susan, you are our watcher. After this morning, I have no doubt that you will fiercely protect our coven from any harm.”



Susan’s face pinked up. “Thank you Hermione,” she said softly.



Reaching into her bag, Hermione pulled out a roll of magical cloth bandages. Hannah stepped forward to take it.



“Yes, Hannah, you are our healer. Your job is to keep us healthy and strong in our coven. You bind us together.”



Hannah reached out her hand to Susan. The smile that they gave each other spoke of forgiveness. All was right again between the two friends.



Hermione turned to Ginny, her best female friend. Her first true friend who wasn’t a boy. Hermione came to rely heavily on the statuesque redhead. She reached into her bag and withdrew a pendant on a chain. Putting it around Ginny’s neck, she spoke. “Ginny, you are the Maiden and our Guide. Your knowledge of this craft is invaluable. You are our heart, Ginny. You are my rock. Without you, I don’t think this would be happening.” Hermione wiped away the tears that had begun to form in her eyes.



“It’s time to start the ceremony,” Hermione looked at the black robes they were all wearing. “Let’s transfigure our robes into colors appropriate for Mabon. Orange, indigo, yellow, dark red and brown are our choices.



“I’ll take brown. Luna, how about you?” Ginny asked.



“Indigo, please.” Ginny transfigured her robes brown and changed Luna’s indigo.



Hermione changed her own robes dark red. Hannah transformed her robes orange.



Hermione looked to Susan. “Um, Hermione, could you change mine for me? I’m terrible at transfiguration,” Susan asked.



“Certainly. What color?”



“I’ll take yellow. It’s the color of my house, after all.” Hermione swished, changing to Susan’s robes. “Hey, they almost look like my Quidditch robes,” she smiled.



“All right,” Hermione spoke quietly. “Ginny, if you please.” She held out her hand to Ginny.



Ginny removed the athame* from her bag and handed it to Hermione. Hermione took the athame and walked around the alter pointing it toward the ground, and spoke, “This is our sacred circle, we enter it with pure hearts to praise the Goddess for her gifts.” A line on the ground appeared as if it were drawn from the end of the athame.



With that finished, the girls spread out arms length from one another, and then, walked forward toward the altar.



The sensation that hit them as the entered the circle made Susan gasp. When they walked forward, it was as if they walked into a new environment, a new world; a calm and peaceful place. Hermione later likened it to the feeling she experienced before having her tonsils removed as a child with the Muggle narcotics working through her systems to relax her. That is what this space felt like to Hermione, except without the cloudy, hazy feeling she had experienced in the hospital.



“Is it this place, or is it us?” Susan asked.



“I don’t know, perhaps both.” The feeling was beginning to overwhelm Hermione. “Let’s join hands. We need to ground ourselves before we continue.”



The girls joined hands, and while the calm feeling remained, a more steady feeling increased.



The girls let go of each other. Ginny and Susan carried the bags toward the altar accompanied by Hermione.



Hermione took the brown and red candles from the bag. Ginny lit them with an Incendio. Next out of the bag were the harvest foods: Apples, corn, grapes, peaches and wheat. While Hermione placed those items on the altar, Ginny removed leaves, pine cones, acorns and a pomegranate. She also removed a decanter of wine that she had magically sealed to prevent spilling. The chalise and five-point pentacle were the last items.



“Where did you get that?” Hermione gestured to the wine.



“I have my ways,” Ginny replied cheekily. “Have you forgotten who my brothers are?”



Hermione rolled her eyes and took the empty bags from Susan and Ginny and placed them behind the altar. She then poured the wine into the chalice.



Turning to the other girls, she said, “We are here tonight to celebrate Mabon, the time of plenty. Time to be thankful for the bounty in our lives. I am especially thankful that we are all here tonight, together as a coven for the first time. Let us pass the cup, take a drink and thank the Goddess for one thing we are thankful for. Ginny, why don’t you go first.”



Ginny took the cup, sipped and spoke. “Oh Goddess, mother of us all, I thank you for my family. They are always there for me. A human fortress to keep evil and danger away from me. They keep me safe and give me strength.”



Ginny passed the cup to Hannah. The blond girl wet her lips with the wine. “I am thankful Goddess for Madam Pomfrey. She has shown me my future, what I want to do with my life, what I want to be and become.”



Hannah handed the to to Susan.



Susan took a large gulp of the wine. “Goddess,” she pause, looking up into the sky. “I don’t know where to begin. Thank you for my parents and my brother. Also, thank you for my auntie. Oh, and this school and for all my friends. There are too many things that I’m thankful for, I can’t name just one. Quidditch. Yes, I’m thankful for Quidditch.” She laughed heartily, handing the cup to Luna.



The eccentric girl began immediately. “Goddess, thank you for hope. Yes, hope and magic. Without either, we wouldn’t be here right now,” she took a dainty sip.



Ginny seconded her.