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teddy_radiatorTitle: Take These Stars Down To The World
Rating: R
(Highlight to View) Warning(s):Character Death
(Highlight to View) Prompt: Hermione creates a potion just for Severus, one which he doesn't believe he wants or needs (SS/HG or SS & HG)
Note: Special thanks to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
stgulik, not only for the delicious prompt, but for her Herculean effort to pull this together. Thank you for putting up with me.
This story is inspired by the film Chocolat, which in turn was based on the novel Chocolat by Joanne Harris. Dear Prompter, I hope I have given you a story that will please you as much as your prompt inspired me.
This fanfic is based on characters and situations created by J. K. Rowling, and owned by J. K. Rowling and various publishers, including but not limited to: Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books, Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended by the posting of this fanfic.
Summary: Severus' business is not doing very well. In fact, he plans to shut his doors for good. Then Hermione Granger arrives in town, to open her own business opposite his. What exactly is she up to, and what exactly is this cure-all potion of hers?
Thank you all, for taking this journey with me. There is a certain sadness when I finish a story I have enjoyed writing, and in spite of everything, I am happy with it. I apologise for it's distinct lack of smut, but I hope in its place I've crafted a story you have enjoyed.
Chorus
Guatemala is touted as the birthplace of chocolate, with the Mayans worshiping the cacao tree and calling chocolate the food of the gods. During the Mayan and Aztec periods chocolate was mainly consumed in drink form. They liked it bitter and spicy, adding chilies and cornmeal to the fermented cacao pulp mixture and drinking it for health and vitality. Even modern studies have shown cacao has the ability to reduce blood pressure, boost energy, act as a diuretic, and treat certain ailments like asthma, respiratory issues, so it should not be too surprising this ingredient has long been cherished.
Today, Guatemala produces 10,414 tons of chocolate, with 9,172 cacao farms over 3,920 hectares of land. The main variety of cacao used in Guatemalan chocolate is Criollo — other types include Forastera and Trinitario — which is touted as the best. Classified as fine grade, Criollo is the oldest known variety, although the rarest as it produces the least amount of seeds.
With its sweet aroma, delicate taste and lack of bitterness it is a favorite among chocoholics, despite only accounting for 1% of world production. Not surprisingly, despite producing excellent chocolate, Guatemalan exports are low.
Source: http://epicureandculture.com/history-of-chocolate-guatemala/
CODA
Tripoćion
Surely, surely this wasn't Severus Snape walking toward her. From the waiting area of the Portkey station, Hermione watched as every witch and wizard stopped to track the progress of her husband, bounding down the corridor toward her. His hair was tied back, showing the cut-glass planes of his swarthy cheeks. His complexion was sun-darkened and he glowed with both health and The Gift.
With his magnificent black eyes riveted only on her, Hermione was suddenly struck with one of the strongest cases of smug she had ever experienced. Severus was a beautiful creature, and he was all hers.
His dignity would never stoop to public displays of affection, however, even after five years' absence. His embrace was brief, but in that pure moment of absolute union, Hermione felt it. She did not need The Gift to know how happy he was to see her, the bliss he felt in returning home for good.
"Welcome home, darling," she said, "and Blessed Beltane."
They chatted as they walked, ignoring the staring, whispering crowds around them.
"Master Castillo sends his regards," he began, stretching and wincing as he worked out the kinks from the long Portkey journey. "He was miffed that you didn't come for the induction, even after I explained for the twentieth time you couldn't leave the business. He also sent you some first rate Criollo and told me to tell you the next time, you can come and get it yourself. Sentimental old bugger cried when I left."
"He always does. It's a sign that he loves you."
"That's no consolation when you're running for your Portkey with a little old wizard slobbering all over your shirt, wailing, 'If only you didn't have to leave so soon!'" His credible imitation of Master Castillo's fruity, lisping accent made Hermione giggle. "It may be awhile before The Guatemalan Portkey Authority will allow me back in the country," he added ruefully.
Once they were outside of the station, he cast a Muffliato and a Notice-Me-Not spell, and pulled her properly into his arms. "Gods, I've missed you, witch," he murmured into her ear, and Hermione shivered in anticipation and happiness. He pulled back from her and caressed her face with gentle hands that still held the faint aroma of chocolate. "Let's get out of here, so you can give me a proper homecoming."
The decision to embark on the spiritual journey of the Fellowship of the Criollo had been at once the most difficult and easiest decision for Severus to make. After the enquiry was over, he and Hermione sat down and discussed the way forward. With trepidation, he had voiced the possibility of going on this sabbatical, but she had already been on that page for some time. The Gift, you see.
And while the idea of five years apart had seemed interminable, she knew it was not her decision to make or influence. All she could do was support him. And so he signed the ownership of Potions Potentes over to her, then moved to Guatemala. Master Castillo had been ecstatic to welcome such a world-renowned potioneer to serve in residence.
Except for twice-yearly reunions, they satisfied themselves with Floo calls, massive letters and the knowledge that they were moving in the right direction. It never occurred to either of them that this journey was anything other than their path together. They married on the same mountain on which Hermione had been inducted into the Criollo three years' earlier.
Hermione Apparated them to the corner of Diagon and Osmotic Alleys. In spite of his fatigue, Severus felt an excitement build in his belly. With a happy smile, Hermione took his hand and they walked down the pavement together. There was not much activity on the street as yet, but those who were out smiled as they passed, wishing them a Happy Beltane, and blessing them for a prosperous year. In the late afternoon, most of the shops were preparing to close for the evening Beltane block party. Severus knew that in a couple of hours, the street would be filled with witches and wizards in their ceremonial finery, dancing and eating and drinking and saluting the coming summer.
Standing outside on the pavement, dressed as Cernnunos and Hecate, were Ron and Lavender Weasley. Anthony, looking grown up and sporting a set of antlers that matched Ron's larger headdress, was talking to a young, ginger-haired child that could only be some species of Weasley cousin. He was holding a piece of parchment, and he and the girl were regarding it intently. Ron and Lavender's faces lit up when they saw Hermione and Severus, and they saluted them with glasses of wine.
As Severus returned their salute with a wave, Anthony spotted him and turned excitedly to Lavender. She smiled and nodded. He broke away from the others, and raced toward Severus, brandishing the parchment in his hand.
"Mister Snape! Mister Snape! Look, my Hogwarts letter arrived today!"
Severus read the letter with much ceremony. "Congratulations, Anthony," he remarked, and shook the boy's hand. "It is my earnest wish that Hogwarts will forever be both home and haven for you. My door is always open should you require any advice."
Anthony smiled up at the man who had pulled him from certain death, and hugged him fiercely. A shaft of sunlight broke through the afternoon clouds, bringing to mind the first time he saw Hermione on that fateful day when he almost gave up for good. The sunbeam illuminated a single building, and Severus laughed aloud. He knew it wasn't past her, but he doubted even Hermione could have planned it so well.
Bathed in the late sunlight was a two-storied building, its twin white porticos framing a bright teal-blue door. Welcoming, cheerful light poured from the windows, beckoning to one and all the promise of something wonderful inside. Even from this distance, he could see row upon row of shining canisters, sprigs of plants and flowers hanging from the rafters, the wispy, curling steam of a simmering cauldron. He could almost smell the fresh herbs, the powdery compounds, the bubbling concoction.
Swinging from a rose-gold metal arm was a huge sun-shaped sign that read:
Calliope Medicura – Life In The Key of Health and Happiness!
Hermione rose on tiptoe and kissed Severus, her lips honey sweet and soft as sin. "Welcome home, my love," she said, and threaded her arm in his. "Come on, Anthony. Let's show Mister Snape the house Simone built."
Calliope Medicura
During Severus' years away, Simone Calliope had become something of a legend. It had begun when Ronald and Lavender Weasley enlisted her aid in helping Anthony adjust to his new life. The boy's horrible ordeal had left so many emotional scars, but Severus had been correct; he was resilient and strong, and Ron and Lavender, together with Simone, were patient and doting guardians.
On the day Anthony asked Ron if he could call him 'Dad,' Hermione knew the worst was behind him. Simone, who became a second grandmother to the lad, could often be seen squiring him about Diagon Alley, sharing ice creams at Fortescue's and hot chocolates at Potions Potentes. They became a regular feature together on the streets of Wizarding London: the handsome, black-haired boy and his wizened, smiling companion with her unfashionable hat tilted at a jaunty angle, waving to shopkeepers with her handkerchief, her dried-apple face wreathed in smiles.
Through Anthony, Simone heard about Madam Malfoy's Home Away From Home, and inquired if she might help in some capacity. Narcissa gladly accepted her offer. The old witch had a way of comforting and calming even the most damaged in Narcissa's care. In time, these lost and lonely children, like Anthony, grew to know and adore Nanna Simone.
She had also taken it upon herself to act as Severus' 'official correspondent on all things Blighty'. Every Monday, as regular as clockwork, the owl post delivered one of her fat, wordy tomes to his remote lodgings in the Guatemalan hills. These letters were rambling and gossipy, written in the same juicy tone and rhythm as her speech. She wrote of her joy at being a gran to so many, but especially to 'Her Anthony' ('Oh, Severus, he's such a lovely boy, and every bit as smart as you were at that age!'). Every letter sang with her absolute delight at being part of a family again.
Severus' frequent bouts of homesickness were often cured just knowing another of her prattling letters would be waiting on him come Monday morning. She took great pains to reassure him that Hermione was happy and well, but missing him dreadfully. Those letters helped most of all. His last two years in South America had been much longer and lonelier without them. Halfway into his apprenticeship, he received a Floo call from a heartbroken and inconsolable Hermione to come home: Simone had died unexpectedly but peacefully in her sleep. Severus, Ron Weasley, Draco and Lucius Malfoy had served as her pallbearers. Wizarding London mourned.
To their surprise, when Simone's will was read, they discovered she had actually become an incredibly wealthy witch in her twilight years. All her family's money had eventually sifted down to her, their last remaining relative. She not only left half of her vast estate to Ron's family, but had given Anthony the lion's share to be kept in a trust until he came of age. The remaining portion was gifted to Severus and Hermione. With it, they made the decision to build a new Apothecary in Diagon Alley, on the corner of the same road where their story had begun.
This beautiful shop, with its bright blue door and welcoming windows, had been Simone's gift, her final thank you. If he closed his eyes, Severus could see her, waving her lace handkerchief like a pennant, and telling him how proud she was they had named it in her honour. The money had never meant that much to her; Simone's legacy would forever be measured in the friends she made and the love she gave.
Outside, the Beltane revelers danced and sang and rutted in the dark alleys to their hearts' content. Within, Severus lay in the arms of the witch he loved, flushed and damp with the sweat of their joining. He smiled to himself. Hermione had been right all along. Prometheus had chained himself to the rock, and waited for whatever fate had in store for him. And he stayed there, because through happiness or pain, he knew it had been worth it.
"I am surprised, knowing your insatiable curiosity, my Pandora," he rumbled, stroking the satiny curve of her breast, "that you have not demanded to know the composition and purpose of my potion."
"Well," she began formally, "knowing the Tripoćion has blessed it, and you are a shiny new member of the Fellowship of the Criollo, I simply deduced it is brilliant and perfect and you'll tell me all about it when you're ready."
He turned toward her, until they lay face to face. Teasingly, he asked, "You're not even going to take a guess?"
She pretended to ponder. "I think," she announced, her brow furrowed in mock concentration, "I think it must be a potion that makes me stop whatever I'm doing and shag you rotten."
"Witty, but when have you ever needed a potion for that?" he retorted, capturing her lips in a slow, sensual kiss.
"Point taken." She pressed against him as if she never wanted to be parted from him again, and his body responded to her warmth and her heat. "What, then?" she asked breathlessly, between his greedy kisses. "What did you create that the gods smiled so brightly upon?"
He rolled her over, pinning her beneath his weight. "Something so perfect…" he thrust into her tight heat, and moaned. "Something so prized…Something The Gift told me was mine for the taking…"
Severus soon found his rhythm, hard and fast and relentless, the way she loved it. He felt the impending climax building in his loins, saw the ecstasy on her face. He allowed himself to be taken away, knowing that the potion racing through his veins would spill into her clutching, grasping core along with his seed, and together they would bring down the fire…
They cried their release into the night. It fused them together, witch and wizard, man and woman, body and soul. Her waiting womb received him, the miracle shook them both, and they fell back, panting and replete. With tears in her eyes, Hermione clasped his hand in hers, and kissed it reverently.
There was no more past to atone for, no sorrow to relive. There was only the long road before them, the limitless now. They had done all that must be done; the rock was no longer a prison, but a shield to protect them. The eagle, nothing more than a shadow overhead, seeking its purpose elsewhere.
They fell asleep with their joined hands pressed gently against her belly, like guarding angels protecting the slumbering covenant.
FIN
Rating: R
(Highlight to View) Warning(s):Character Death
(Highlight to View) Prompt: Hermione creates a potion just for Severus, one which he doesn't believe he wants or needs (SS/HG or SS & HG)
Note: Special thanks to
stgulik, not only for the delicious prompt, but for her Herculean effort to pull this together. Thank you for putting up with me.This story is inspired by the film Chocolat, which in turn was based on the novel Chocolat by Joanne Harris. Dear Prompter, I hope I have given you a story that will please you as much as your prompt inspired me.
This fanfic is based on characters and situations created by J. K. Rowling, and owned by J. K. Rowling and various publishers, including but not limited to: Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books, Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended by the posting of this fanfic.
Summary: Severus' business is not doing very well. In fact, he plans to shut his doors for good. Then Hermione Granger arrives in town, to open her own business opposite his. What exactly is she up to, and what exactly is this cure-all potion of hers?
Thank you all, for taking this journey with me. There is a certain sadness when I finish a story I have enjoyed writing, and in spite of everything, I am happy with it. I apologise for it's distinct lack of smut, but I hope in its place I've crafted a story you have enjoyed.
Chorus
Guatemala is touted as the birthplace of chocolate, with the Mayans worshiping the cacao tree and calling chocolate the food of the gods. During the Mayan and Aztec periods chocolate was mainly consumed in drink form. They liked it bitter and spicy, adding chilies and cornmeal to the fermented cacao pulp mixture and drinking it for health and vitality. Even modern studies have shown cacao has the ability to reduce blood pressure, boost energy, act as a diuretic, and treat certain ailments like asthma, respiratory issues, so it should not be too surprising this ingredient has long been cherished.
Today, Guatemala produces 10,414 tons of chocolate, with 9,172 cacao farms over 3,920 hectares of land. The main variety of cacao used in Guatemalan chocolate is Criollo — other types include Forastera and Trinitario — which is touted as the best. Classified as fine grade, Criollo is the oldest known variety, although the rarest as it produces the least amount of seeds.
With its sweet aroma, delicate taste and lack of bitterness it is a favorite among chocoholics, despite only accounting for 1% of world production. Not surprisingly, despite producing excellent chocolate, Guatemalan exports are low.
Source: http://epicureandculture.com/history-of-chocolate-guatemala/
CODA
Tripoćion
Surely, surely this wasn't Severus Snape walking toward her. From the waiting area of the Portkey station, Hermione watched as every witch and wizard stopped to track the progress of her husband, bounding down the corridor toward her. His hair was tied back, showing the cut-glass planes of his swarthy cheeks. His complexion was sun-darkened and he glowed with both health and The Gift.
With his magnificent black eyes riveted only on her, Hermione was suddenly struck with one of the strongest cases of smug she had ever experienced. Severus was a beautiful creature, and he was all hers.
His dignity would never stoop to public displays of affection, however, even after five years' absence. His embrace was brief, but in that pure moment of absolute union, Hermione felt it. She did not need The Gift to know how happy he was to see her, the bliss he felt in returning home for good.
"Welcome home, darling," she said, "and Blessed Beltane."
They chatted as they walked, ignoring the staring, whispering crowds around them.
"Master Castillo sends his regards," he began, stretching and wincing as he worked out the kinks from the long Portkey journey. "He was miffed that you didn't come for the induction, even after I explained for the twentieth time you couldn't leave the business. He also sent you some first rate Criollo and told me to tell you the next time, you can come and get it yourself. Sentimental old bugger cried when I left."
"He always does. It's a sign that he loves you."
"That's no consolation when you're running for your Portkey with a little old wizard slobbering all over your shirt, wailing, 'If only you didn't have to leave so soon!'" His credible imitation of Master Castillo's fruity, lisping accent made Hermione giggle. "It may be awhile before The Guatemalan Portkey Authority will allow me back in the country," he added ruefully.
Once they were outside of the station, he cast a Muffliato and a Notice-Me-Not spell, and pulled her properly into his arms. "Gods, I've missed you, witch," he murmured into her ear, and Hermione shivered in anticipation and happiness. He pulled back from her and caressed her face with gentle hands that still held the faint aroma of chocolate. "Let's get out of here, so you can give me a proper homecoming."
The decision to embark on the spiritual journey of the Fellowship of the Criollo had been at once the most difficult and easiest decision for Severus to make. After the enquiry was over, he and Hermione sat down and discussed the way forward. With trepidation, he had voiced the possibility of going on this sabbatical, but she had already been on that page for some time. The Gift, you see.
And while the idea of five years apart had seemed interminable, she knew it was not her decision to make or influence. All she could do was support him. And so he signed the ownership of Potions Potentes over to her, then moved to Guatemala. Master Castillo had been ecstatic to welcome such a world-renowned potioneer to serve in residence.
Except for twice-yearly reunions, they satisfied themselves with Floo calls, massive letters and the knowledge that they were moving in the right direction. It never occurred to either of them that this journey was anything other than their path together. They married on the same mountain on which Hermione had been inducted into the Criollo three years' earlier.
Hermione Apparated them to the corner of Diagon and Osmotic Alleys. In spite of his fatigue, Severus felt an excitement build in his belly. With a happy smile, Hermione took his hand and they walked down the pavement together. There was not much activity on the street as yet, but those who were out smiled as they passed, wishing them a Happy Beltane, and blessing them for a prosperous year. In the late afternoon, most of the shops were preparing to close for the evening Beltane block party. Severus knew that in a couple of hours, the street would be filled with witches and wizards in their ceremonial finery, dancing and eating and drinking and saluting the coming summer.
Standing outside on the pavement, dressed as Cernnunos and Hecate, were Ron and Lavender Weasley. Anthony, looking grown up and sporting a set of antlers that matched Ron's larger headdress, was talking to a young, ginger-haired child that could only be some species of Weasley cousin. He was holding a piece of parchment, and he and the girl were regarding it intently. Ron and Lavender's faces lit up when they saw Hermione and Severus, and they saluted them with glasses of wine.
As Severus returned their salute with a wave, Anthony spotted him and turned excitedly to Lavender. She smiled and nodded. He broke away from the others, and raced toward Severus, brandishing the parchment in his hand.
"Mister Snape! Mister Snape! Look, my Hogwarts letter arrived today!"
Severus read the letter with much ceremony. "Congratulations, Anthony," he remarked, and shook the boy's hand. "It is my earnest wish that Hogwarts will forever be both home and haven for you. My door is always open should you require any advice."
Anthony smiled up at the man who had pulled him from certain death, and hugged him fiercely. A shaft of sunlight broke through the afternoon clouds, bringing to mind the first time he saw Hermione on that fateful day when he almost gave up for good. The sunbeam illuminated a single building, and Severus laughed aloud. He knew it wasn't past her, but he doubted even Hermione could have planned it so well.
Bathed in the late sunlight was a two-storied building, its twin white porticos framing a bright teal-blue door. Welcoming, cheerful light poured from the windows, beckoning to one and all the promise of something wonderful inside. Even from this distance, he could see row upon row of shining canisters, sprigs of plants and flowers hanging from the rafters, the wispy, curling steam of a simmering cauldron. He could almost smell the fresh herbs, the powdery compounds, the bubbling concoction.
Swinging from a rose-gold metal arm was a huge sun-shaped sign that read:
Calliope Medicura – Life In The Key of Health and Happiness!
Hermione rose on tiptoe and kissed Severus, her lips honey sweet and soft as sin. "Welcome home, my love," she said, and threaded her arm in his. "Come on, Anthony. Let's show Mister Snape the house Simone built."
Calliope Medicura
During Severus' years away, Simone Calliope had become something of a legend. It had begun when Ronald and Lavender Weasley enlisted her aid in helping Anthony adjust to his new life. The boy's horrible ordeal had left so many emotional scars, but Severus had been correct; he was resilient and strong, and Ron and Lavender, together with Simone, were patient and doting guardians.
On the day Anthony asked Ron if he could call him 'Dad,' Hermione knew the worst was behind him. Simone, who became a second grandmother to the lad, could often be seen squiring him about Diagon Alley, sharing ice creams at Fortescue's and hot chocolates at Potions Potentes. They became a regular feature together on the streets of Wizarding London: the handsome, black-haired boy and his wizened, smiling companion with her unfashionable hat tilted at a jaunty angle, waving to shopkeepers with her handkerchief, her dried-apple face wreathed in smiles.
Through Anthony, Simone heard about Madam Malfoy's Home Away From Home, and inquired if she might help in some capacity. Narcissa gladly accepted her offer. The old witch had a way of comforting and calming even the most damaged in Narcissa's care. In time, these lost and lonely children, like Anthony, grew to know and adore Nanna Simone.
She had also taken it upon herself to act as Severus' 'official correspondent on all things Blighty'. Every Monday, as regular as clockwork, the owl post delivered one of her fat, wordy tomes to his remote lodgings in the Guatemalan hills. These letters were rambling and gossipy, written in the same juicy tone and rhythm as her speech. She wrote of her joy at being a gran to so many, but especially to 'Her Anthony' ('Oh, Severus, he's such a lovely boy, and every bit as smart as you were at that age!'). Every letter sang with her absolute delight at being part of a family again.
Severus' frequent bouts of homesickness were often cured just knowing another of her prattling letters would be waiting on him come Monday morning. She took great pains to reassure him that Hermione was happy and well, but missing him dreadfully. Those letters helped most of all. His last two years in South America had been much longer and lonelier without them. Halfway into his apprenticeship, he received a Floo call from a heartbroken and inconsolable Hermione to come home: Simone had died unexpectedly but peacefully in her sleep. Severus, Ron Weasley, Draco and Lucius Malfoy had served as her pallbearers. Wizarding London mourned.
To their surprise, when Simone's will was read, they discovered she had actually become an incredibly wealthy witch in her twilight years. All her family's money had eventually sifted down to her, their last remaining relative. She not only left half of her vast estate to Ron's family, but had given Anthony the lion's share to be kept in a trust until he came of age. The remaining portion was gifted to Severus and Hermione. With it, they made the decision to build a new Apothecary in Diagon Alley, on the corner of the same road where their story had begun.
This beautiful shop, with its bright blue door and welcoming windows, had been Simone's gift, her final thank you. If he closed his eyes, Severus could see her, waving her lace handkerchief like a pennant, and telling him how proud she was they had named it in her honour. The money had never meant that much to her; Simone's legacy would forever be measured in the friends she made and the love she gave.
Outside, the Beltane revelers danced and sang and rutted in the dark alleys to their hearts' content. Within, Severus lay in the arms of the witch he loved, flushed and damp with the sweat of their joining. He smiled to himself. Hermione had been right all along. Prometheus had chained himself to the rock, and waited for whatever fate had in store for him. And he stayed there, because through happiness or pain, he knew it had been worth it.
"I am surprised, knowing your insatiable curiosity, my Pandora," he rumbled, stroking the satiny curve of her breast, "that you have not demanded to know the composition and purpose of my potion."
"Well," she began formally, "knowing the Tripoćion has blessed it, and you are a shiny new member of the Fellowship of the Criollo, I simply deduced it is brilliant and perfect and you'll tell me all about it when you're ready."
He turned toward her, until they lay face to face. Teasingly, he asked, "You're not even going to take a guess?"
She pretended to ponder. "I think," she announced, her brow furrowed in mock concentration, "I think it must be a potion that makes me stop whatever I'm doing and shag you rotten."
"Witty, but when have you ever needed a potion for that?" he retorted, capturing her lips in a slow, sensual kiss.
"Point taken." She pressed against him as if she never wanted to be parted from him again, and his body responded to her warmth and her heat. "What, then?" she asked breathlessly, between his greedy kisses. "What did you create that the gods smiled so brightly upon?"
He rolled her over, pinning her beneath his weight. "Something so perfect…" he thrust into her tight heat, and moaned. "Something so prized…Something The Gift told me was mine for the taking…"
Severus soon found his rhythm, hard and fast and relentless, the way she loved it. He felt the impending climax building in his loins, saw the ecstasy on her face. He allowed himself to be taken away, knowing that the potion racing through his veins would spill into her clutching, grasping core along with his seed, and together they would bring down the fire…
They cried their release into the night. It fused them together, witch and wizard, man and woman, body and soul. Her waiting womb received him, the miracle shook them both, and they fell back, panting and replete. With tears in her eyes, Hermione clasped his hand in hers, and kissed it reverently.
There was no more past to atone for, no sorrow to relive. There was only the long road before them, the limitless now. They had done all that must be done; the rock was no longer a prison, but a shield to protect them. The eagle, nothing more than a shadow overhead, seeking its purpose elsewhere.
They fell asleep with their joined hands pressed gently against her belly, like guarding angels protecting the slumbering covenant.
FIN
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2016-06-17 12:46 am (UTC)So many things I loved! I loved your amazing original characters. I could read a whole novel about Calliope Simone, or was it Simone Calliope? She and that crazy-powerful little wizard Anthony were so easy to picture and came so breathingly alive in my mind.
I love your Lavender, so immensely broken at the start, then dressing as fucking Hecate by the end!
I love this Ron, how he is the complete opposite of how I have come to expect him to be written - and I love what a beautiful family they all make together.
(The only one I am left wondering about is Mr. Toggle and if he ever got enough confidence to show his wife the man he could be! wink wink.)
I loved all the Prometheus and Pandora analogies, really very clever and well done.
I loved the Gift that Hermione created. How selfless and amazing it would be to give the gift of loving yourself to others.
I loved so much when Severus finally drank the potion and I swear I experienced right along with him what taking such a potion might really feel like.
And maybe my favorite Snape line ever, "Oh, I am undone."
I loved the mythology of the Criollo - it put me in mind of ayahuasca ceremonies and rituals, but definitely tastier. I loved that Severus was drawn to experience the same thing and that he went and did just that, without either of them feeling like they were separating even with it taking five years .
I love Severus coming back, full of his Gift, with tanned skin and a smile on his face. Oh, what an amazing future they are sure to have together.
Mostly, I love you and the fact that you always take the time to write it all down.
Smooooooooooooch!
no subject
Date: 2016-06-17 07:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-06-17 12:48 am (UTC)Simone was a joyful old woman who brought to every occasion an accepting and loving attitude. I can imagine how much Anthony loved spending time with his Nanna Simone. She was a blessing to everyone.
Thank you for this story. Prometheus is now unbound, and he and Pandora are lighting the fires of love!
no subject
Date: 2016-06-17 01:17 am (UTC)Prometheus did the job.
Beautiful.
no subject
Date: 2016-06-17 02:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-06-17 04:34 am (UTC)And what a great homecoming! I wasn't sure I'd ever see a story where this couple's best friends, for all intents and purposes, are Ron and Lavender, but it just works. Seeing little Anthony not so little any more, but well adjusted and excited for both the return of Severus and his Hogwarts letter made my heart happy. There's no doubt in my mind that Grandma Molly is spoiling the pants off the kid. And Simone ... Just what the boy needed in his most difficult of times. And that she wrote all the juicy gossip to Severus on a weekly basis made me smile almost as much as the fact that he lived for her letters. She was such a lovely woman that her death should have been sad, but all I could think of were the good points of her life and the people she touched, and I think it was a life well lived. And she lives on in the lovely little shop.
So much happy in the end here. There were no steamy sex scenes, as you pointed out, but this absolutely had no need for them whatsoever (what am I saying?!). I can't even say how pleased I am with this, so I will stop just rambling.
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Date: 2016-06-17 06:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-06-17 07:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-06-29 12:41 pm (UTC)https://teddyradiator.wordpress.com/2016/06/29/take-these-stars-down-to-the-world/
I really hope you enjoy it! ♥
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Date: 2016-06-29 01:13 pm (UTC)Mr D is going to the US next week for a few days, so I will save this to read on one of the evenings he's gone. :)
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Date: 2016-06-17 11:07 am (UTC)