Lendoren

Story by kelokelo, translation by Septentrion

Everything you recognise belongs to Jo

Chapter beta’ed by Tanit

Ch.9 Lendoren!

Professor Flitwick had come to see Severus in the dungeons just before dinner was served.

“Snape, she’s going to cause troubles if she keeps up that speed.”

“What troubles?” Severus asked harshly.

“Well, you’ll have to teach her quickly how to channel her powers lest her classmates suspect something.”

“How so?”

“She managed a perfect Revelare on her first try…”

Severus grimaced. It was good news, she was taking hold of her inheritance, but the others would wonder about it before long. She was already skilful before but like everyone, she had to get through a learning phase first before she could master a spell. That phase seemed to be near to nothing now.

« I’ll do what I can, Flitwick. If you can do it, try to counter her as much as you can so that she will still know a bit of failure in front of her classmates. Don’t worry for her, she won’t be hurt.”

During meal, he didn’t need Arlin’s comments to understand his explanations had been enough to make Hermione understand what was going on. He was hearing her worry clearly enough. She was also looking for him unconsciously.

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Hermione worked very late that evening, she wanted to work herself exhausted in the hope her dreams would cease. They must be only dreams. She wanted to be persuaded of that. So she went to bed well after midnight, drunk with tiredness, but nonetheless anxious about the night to come. However she fell asleep easily and found herself, as always, in the clearing. She had to acknowledge she was going backwards but couldn’t resist.

“The Lendoren know me as Erwin,” the usual voice told her calmly. Hermione couldn’t suppress a moan.

“It seems I’m the cause of a great anxiety in you, it’s scary,” he gibed.

“But…I’m not ready for…that.”

“What for?”

“For…for…everything,” Hermione moaned whereas her voice increased in volume. “I don’t know…anything about this and…”

“Shush, please be quiet first.”

“But…”

“No buts! First you calm down because when you yell in your head, your yelling in mine as well. In the two days since you’ve been in Hogwarts, you’ve had me jumping more than all the time you were at the Burrow, so now that you know, please have a thought for me and yell less wildly!”

« Wh…what? All you can tell me about what’s happening to me is to calm down? Your acting as if you’re mocking me. »

Hermione finished her speech yelling again.

“Hermione, enough! We’ll never have anything done if you don’t calm down first!”

Hermione shut up, she was on the verge of tears. She had been unlucky enough to find an ill-bread boor! It sounded great, Professor’s Gryffin’s promised happiness with such a bloke!

“Well? When you cease lamenting on your fate, we may broach more urgent matters, alright? Look, I know it’s not easy for you to adm…”

“No, you don’t know anything,” Hermione yelled again. “And since when do you intrude in my thoughts?”

“First, let me remind you I don’t have more of a choice than you,” Erwin interrupted her brutally. “Second, our conversations when you were at the Burrow didn’t seem unpleasant to you and…”

“Let’s talk about that! You hid game at the Burrow, all the more when…” She couldn’t finish her sentence.

« When I nearly made love to you in your mind?”

The memory was so good to Hermione that tears invaded her eyes again.

“I didn’t hide anything from you at the Burrow, Hermione,” Erwin continued more softly. “Everything I told you was true and matched what I think. And I didn’t hide the great desire you inspire in me either. Now, yes, you’re scared but that’s no reason to blame me. I repeat it to you, and you know it, neither you nor I have a choice. You must admit it’s my role to guide you for a while until you take hold of all your power. And you won’t be able to find any explanations other than mine, there won’t be a book to help you this time.”

His tone was amused when he finished his speech. In the meanwhile, she felt him snake his arms around her.

“What does that clearing mean?” she asked slowly.

“I imagined that scenery for you for I know you like to watch Ron and Harry fly while you’re leaning against a tree. I thought it’d be easier. I’m not such a barbarian as you’d like to believe.” He was ironic.

« Listen, » he continued, « now you’ll soon be awakened by your clock. We’re going to be separated for a short while but I’ll make the link to you when you’re awake from now on. »

“Why?”

“For us to get accustomed to each other. Two important things. First don’t tell anyone and the…”

« But… »

« No but, Hermione. Just do it. Please.”

He went on after a silence for Hermione was silently sulking.

“Well then, even if the teachers know about you being a Lendoren, you must reduce your power from now on. You already mastered the Revelare on your first try, you should show your classmates you struggle at least a bit!”

Hermione didn’t answer. What good would it have done? “He’s not going to dictate my behaviour.”

Her clock rang at that moment and she woke up. She sighed. She didn’t have any choice; she had to speak to Professor Gryffin. Either she was fantasizing, or…well… her situation was indescribable. Even in her nightmares, she couldn’t have made up such a thing: a companion she didn’t know from Adam, who could talk to her wherever he was, and where was he by the way? He was moreover authoritarian and he would become her… lover? The idea made her shiver, but she realised with horror that she couldn’t tell if she was shivering out of horror or anticipated pleasure. She only remembered too well the state in which she woke up when she was at the Burrow.

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She was like an robot when she came in the Great Hall for breakfast. Harry, Ron and Ginny, who were watching for her since last night, worried. Their Hermione wasn’t the same since they came to Hogwarts. Yet she had been so happy to come back! Ginny took the plunge:

“What’s going on with you since we’re back at the castle, Hermione?”

“What?” Hermione answered. She was lost in her thoughts.

“I was saying,” Ginny continued patiently, “what’s going on with you since…”

“Nothing, nothing’s… well, no, everything’s right, Ginny! Everything’s right, I swear,” she insisted in front of the doubtful faces of her friend.

“Then why are you worry since we’re here?” Harry ventured.

“But I’m not worry, Harry! It’s the NEWTs year, don’t you realise all the work we’re going to have?” she exclaimed vehemently. She couldn’t find anything else to tell them at that moment. How to tell them that she was either mad, or she was going to be mad?

Ron tried timidly: « But today is only our third day of class, Hermione. And given your good results yesterday in Flitwick’s class, you shouldn’t have to worry, should you?”

“Don’t wait for me, I must speak to Professor Gryffin before he starts classes,” she said ignoring Ron while she left the table. She had hardly eaten.

Ginny, Harry and Ron watched her go, worry on their faces. Something was really bothering her!


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