Chapter 21
Hermione tried to keep the conversation light… which was a tad bit comical when she considered the life that she had led. Voldemort and his Death Eaters were the looming epicenter of her life, and it was really difficult to answer the plethora of questions that were placed before her without them front and ugly.
“A troll… there was a troll in your school?” Rick questioned wonderingly. “How big was it?”
“Eh… fairly big. And smelly.” Hermione explained poorly. “Wait. Hold on for a second.” Hermione got up abruptly and went back into her tent. They had covered the robbery of Gringotts (minus the soul bearing goblet explanation), finding out she was a witch, and now the first time Hermione had nearly died at school. Evelyn looked curiously at a shuddering book with a belt around the middle.
“What is that?” Jonathon said with trepidation. Hermione unfortunately lost her hold of the Monsters Book of Monsters, and it immediately started snapping away across the ship. Well, “lost” her hold was a bit generous. Hermione was tired of talking and really would prefer reading a book right now. She was far from used to spending this much time talking about herself. Jonathon screamed like a little girl as the book snapped viciously at him. Jonathon finally made it up Izzy’s steps and the monster book started snapping towards Rick and Evelyn. “You did that on purpose!” Jonathon accused loudly.
“What the bloody hell is that?” Izzy said from the stern.
“It’s just a book,” Hermione said innocently. Ardeth skillfully balanced on the railing of the dirigible as the book snapped after a fleeing Rick and Evy.
“No harm ever came from reading a book, Evy!” Rick laughed as they ran away.
“Oh for heaven’s sakes! That was years ago and I assure you, I have learned my lesson!” Hermione took pity on them and summoned the book to her and ran her fingers along its spine. The book shivered and finally calmed. Hermione handed the open book to Rick. He poked it experimentally before deciding it was safe to hold.
“Here. Why don’t you read this for a bit? I’m sure you will find it interesting, and it will be a lot more detailed then I will be at the moment.” Rick actually looked excited and sat down on the ground next to Ardeth who scooted to look over his shoulder as they began to read. Jonathon glared at Hermione, but sat on the other side of Rick anyways to read over his other shoulder. Evelyn calmed her beating heart.
“I’m with Jonathon. I think you did that on purpose,” Evelyn said to a smirking Hermione.
“Well, your opinion is your own,” Hermione said with a cheshire cat grin before going into her tent for some much needed alone time. Evelyn was left alone also as she walked to the end of the boat and was left to her own devices since Alex had been kidnapped. She had finally stopped talking long enough to be very, very anxious; and wrung her hands with worry. Hermione was a new wealth of amazing stories and information, but it could only hold back her overwhelming stress for so long. Her son was currently in the clutches of people who would not hesitate to kill him. Would he really be okay for so long with them? And then, Evelyn began to have a vision.
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Ardeth watched Hermione disappear into her tent from his position next to Jonathon. He had learned so much about her in the last couple of hours and not as much as he wanted. Ardeth could still sense that there were details being held back, but he supposed after keeping silent for so long; it would be difficult to completely open up about everything.
“There are so many creatures in here. Is it really possible that all of them exist, and we had no idea of it?” Jonathon said in wonderment.
“We didn’t know old Imhotep existed,” Rick said simply. “Just rumors. Same as these. I can believe it. And on another note, how much do you think Hermione is holding back, Ardeth?”
“Holding back?” Jonathon said in disbelief. “She has been very forthcoming.”
“Yes,” Ardeth said carefully. “But you’ll notice, Hermione didn’t say WHY she was robbing a bank. She very carefully shocked you with stories of goblins and dragons and cursed vaults and waterfalls of enchantment without ever giving you a reason.”
“And Hermione doesn’t strike me as the type to rob a bank without a very good reason,” Rick inserted.
“Unlike you?” Jonathon said with a shit eating grin.
“SHhhhh,” Rick turned to Evy who was still staring out into the night sky. “Are you trying to put me in the dog house?”
“Then tell me or I’ll ask Izzy IN FRONT of Evy,” Jonathon threatened playfully.
“And I’ll tell Evelyn that it was you who thought it would be funny to BORROW her archeology equipment to sell to gullible tourists for double the price because you couldn’t find your wallet,” Rick was grinning and Jonathon glared angrily.
“You win, but the jokes on you. Evy will probably ask when she runs out of questions to ask Hermione,” Jonathon said with a pout.
“Eveline will never run out of questions to ask Hermione,” Ardeth smiled.
“Arhhhhh…”
“Whoah, whoah, whoah!!!!” Rick leapt into action as Evy nearly vaulted off the side of the blimp and only barely caught onto her foot as she was about to fall to her death. Hermione rushed out of her tent at the sound of her yelling and immediately ran to a now shaking Evy.
“Are you okay?!” Hermione said frantically.
“I just had a vision,” Eveline said tearfully. Hermione listened to the conversation with deepening skepticism. If Hermione had little faith in the art of divination, the concept of reincarnation was absolutely ludicrous. But, she attempted to keep her tongue attached to the roof of her mouth while everyone discussed the visions. Ardeth was so earnest in his belief in fate she had to practically hold her lips shut not to go back in time and become the immature know-it-all Hermione that had stormed out of Professor Sinastra’s class all the while calling her a blithering idiot.
“Do you believe any of this, Hermione?” Rick had finally asked her in disbelief and everyone turned to her.
“You have been oddly quiet this entire time, Hermione,” Eveline said when Hermione maintained her silence.
“I… can’t say anything about my opinion without being a total bitch…. so let’s just leave it at that.” Hermione patted Eveline on the shoulder. “I’m glad you’re okay. I’m going to go bake.” Hermione walked back into the tent quickly.
“See, Hermione agrees with me,” Rick said surely. “The mark on my arm is just a coincidence.”
“My friend, there is a great difference between coincidence and fate,” Ardeth tried to reason, but Rick was having none of it. Rick pulled Eveline under his arm comfortingly.
“Come on. I’m not leaving you out of my sight in case you try to vault off the side of the blimp again.”
“It is a DIRIGIBLE!” Izzy yelled with frustration.
“No one gives a shit, Izzy!”
“So, this pyramid… is made of GOLD?” Jonathon questioned Ardeth with excitement, and Ardeth sighed with a fond smile.
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It was nearly dawn. Hermione was ready with fresh muffins on stasis, dragon hyde coat and boots, and wand in hand. She WANTED those bastards to be in Karnak. And if she got to curse Laknah’s balls off…Well, Hermione could not deny the immense pleasure it would give her. Jonathon stood with his shotgun on the blimp while Izzy hid underneath the steering wheel. Jonathon snorted. And people thought he was a coward. At least he wasn’t constantly terrified of being shot in the ass. Ardeth stood next to Hermione.
“I would like to spar with you sometime if you’d let me,” Ardeth said conversationally.
“I would actually enjoy that,” Hermione said with a smile. “I don’t get many chances to use magic on a non magical in a fight. I’m curious how it will go.” Ardeth felt his chest warm. He would certainly enjoy it. They immediately jumped over the side of the blimp to search the train frantically the minute that they landed. Jonathon stayed on a long distance lookout. Hermione’s stomach turned nauseous at the sight of the shriveled remains in a very opulent car.
“The creature’s work,” Ardeth said grimly. Hermione nodded and kept searching.
“Rick!” Both Ardeth and Hermione immediately stopped what they were doing to follow Evy’s voice. Hermione audibly breathed in relief to find out that not only did Eveline not find her son’s dead body, but she knew exactly where they were going next. They all immediately ran back to the blimp and went back into the air. Hermione felt her neck immediately tighten as they took off. The Temple was at least another half day’s journey… and the promised conversation could happen. Hermione looked to see Ardeth watching her and she breathed in a fortifying breath.
“Call me if we have a sighting,” Hermione said to Rick.
“Sure thing,” Rick gave her a smile that was a little too reassuring and Hermione felt her pulse kick up a notch. Ardeth followed after her into the tent and Hermione went straight to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee. When she finally sat Ardeth was just sitting… staring at her.
“Okay. I’ve been avoiding you.” Hermione started.
“You don’t say,” Ardeth said sarcastically as he took a sip of coffee. He had been wondering how this conversation was going to go. Although, Ardeth thought that Hermione was going to find a way to get out of it. But, when Hermione made a promise, she kept it.
“Ardeth,” Hermione said with frustration. “Wizards and witches live longer than humans. And if I married you, you would either die long before me or…” Hermione gulped nervously. This was the part that she had determined to tell him.
“Or?” Ardeth sounded so calm. It made Hermione want to pop him one.
“Bind our souls together,” Hermione finally said bluntly. Ardeth finally put down the coffee and looked at Hermione in surprise.
“Bind?”
“Yes. It’s a marriage ceremony that binds our souls together, and if one of us dies; the other one feels a lot of pain. If one of us wants out, the other feels a lot of pain. Sleep with someone else: Pain. Away from each other for too long? Pain.” Ardeth watched Hermione unwaveringly.
“And you don’t want to be trapped with me?” Ardeth asked cynically. Hermione in turn looked at him weirdly.
“I can’t sleep through the night, Ardeth. I sleep two nights a week at most. I’m covered in scars. I have the ability to hex your balls off. WHY wouldn’t YOU want out? Plus,” Hermione warmed up her coffee wandlessly and took a sip. “...You have been pursuing a woman you didn’t fully know for the last eleven years.” Ardeth’s face maintained his emotionless mask while Hermione continued. “Not to mention the fact that I’m slowly turning into a mix of Mad Eye Moody and Professor Snape. Neither of the men were the most liked. Brilliant? Yes. Liked? No.”
“I know you,” Ardeth said persistently, and Hermione placed her coffee down on the table hard.
“You know that I trapped a witch who could turn herself into a beetle in a jar to put the fear of Merlin in her?” Ardeth’s eyebrows went up in surprise. Hermione continued. “You know that I intentionally attempted to lead a witch to her death when I was fifteen? What about the time I punched Draco Malfoy in the nose for calling me a mudblood? Or when his lovely Aunty Bella pinned me down and carved ‘Mudblood’ into me? OR the fact that I still hold onto that knife and used it on the charming Laknah?” Hermione continued to rant uninterrupted as Ardeth listened raptly.
“What about the time I hunted down objects that possessed pieces of a dark lord’s soul so we could actually kill the snake bastard? Turned myself into a cat person. Helped the groundskeeper smuggle a dragon off school property. Helped an escaped convict avoid being executed. Why would any of that make you NOT WANT ME!?” Hermione finally yelled angrily. “AND… to top it all off, I ERASED my parents’ memories of me when the war began and shipped them OFF TO AUSTRALIA so they wouldn’t be SLAUGHTERED IN THEIR SLEEP by a psychotic werewolf who enjoyed eating his victims!” Hermione had been growing more and more upset and had finally begun crying. “And then you come along,” Hermione choked. “You come along and I’ve only met you a handle of times and you manage to change the shape of my patronus. You wormed your way in without my consent, and I chose to hide for eleven years and PRAY it goes away so you wouldn’t break me. Because… it would break me if you knew EVERYTHING and walked away. But NO, my patronus is still a bloody HAWK!”
Hermione cried uncontrollably and Ardeth finally stood up and grabbed ahold of her and enveloped her in a huge hug. Hermione held onto him desperately and took his pity hug. There was absolutely no way that he wanted her after all that. She was going to end up alone and bitter like Professor Snape. Hell, Hermione already had the snark. Why not make it official?
“I would be honored to bind my soul to yours,” Ardeth said. Hermione began crying even harder. Ardeth rubbed her back. “You are beautiful inside and out, and have been through a lot. We are fated. Your experiences made you the woman I’m in love with.” Hermione snorted indelicately.
“Fate is utter bullshit,” Hermione said while desperately trying to clear some of the liquid from her face with her sleeve.
“Don’t hold back darling,” Ardeth said sarcastically.
“It is,” Hermione grumbled.
“I chose you then. Just don’t turn me into a beetle and trap me in a jar when you’re angry,” Hermione started to laugh AND cry hysterically.
“I’ll just send a flock of birds after you instead,” Hermione joked.
“You can do that?” Ardeth said curiously.
“I have done it… to Ronald,” Hermione pulled back. Ardeth was smiling huge. Well, that was a good sign. “Are you sure?” Ardeth put his forehead to hers.
“Yes,” Ardeth breathed. Hermione held onto him and allowed herself to finally relax.
“Thank Merlin.”
“I still need to ask your Father for permission to marry you.”
“My parents still have their memories erased,” Hermione said sadly.
“Then,” Ardeth furrowed his brow in confusion. “Who is your Papa? Your grandfather? Jonathon said his was trying to ‘gain Papa’s approval.’” Ardeth was further confused when Hermione grinned back and began to laugh hysterically.
“I see,” Ardeth sighed. “I have missed another of your private jokes.
“Papa,” Hermione choked out. “Is my cat, Harry. I told Jonathon I was the type of fiance with a cat to please instead of a father with a shotgun. The joke stuck.” Ardeth started laughing also.
“So Harry hates Jonathon?”
“Absolutely. Scratches him at every opportunity. My cat in the future also hated Ronald with a passion.”
“Then that settles it. I must convince Harry of my sincerity,” Ardeth said half seriously.
“Best of luck to you,” Hermione chuckled. “Ardeth, I’m going to go take a shower. I’m a mess.” Hermione kissed him sweetly on the cheek. “I’ll bring out the muffins when I’m done.” Hermione left and Ardeth walked out with the biggest grin on his face. Rick took one look at his face and knew.
“So… it went well?” Rick smirked.
“I’m getting married,” Ardeth said happily. “.... so long as I can get Harry’s approval.”
“You aren’t getting married then,” Jonathon scoffed.
“Oh, you’ll be fine,” Evelyn brushed off. “Congratulations, Ardeth!”
“Yeah, good job pal,” Rick thumped him in the back. “I’ll help you find a ring when all this is over.”
“A ring?”
“European tradition to present a ring upon requesting a woman’s hand in marriage,” Evelyn explained.
“One of many of the expensive installments of keeping a wife,” Jonathon said pompously. “Ow! Don’t hit me!”
“Then don’t be so obnoxious,” Evelyn warned.
“Muffins anyone!” They were all on the muffins within seconds. Izzy looked at Hermione with appreciation.
“You can bake AND are easy on the eyes. Are you sure you won’t marry me instead?” Izzy asked hopefully.
“Far be it from me to be judgemental… but I’m not terribly attracted to a man who cowers under the steering wheel while everyone else risks getting shot in the ass,” Hermione said before taking the bite of a muffin and boldly sitting on Ardeth’s lap. Ardeth’s mouth dropped in shock and Hermione just shoved a muffin in it before going back to eating her own.
“Ah… young lovers,” Jonathon said goofily. “It would be picture perfect if you were sharing the muffin.”
“I made the muffins. I’m not splitting,” Hermione said bluntly. Ardeth finally got over the shock and took the muffin out of his mouth. If Hermione was always this physically affectionate… It was going to be a rough road until they were actually married.
“Problem?” Hermione grinned with a twinkle in her eye, and Ardeth narrowed his eyes back at her suspiciously. Something told him she knew EXACTLY the effect she was having on him. “Nice gun,” Hermione whispered in his ear and got up with Ardeth hastily crossing his legs.
“So Rick,” Hermione said as she plopped down next to him and Evy. “How did you like the Monster Book of Monsters?”
“I liked it just fine until it stopped being a book again and tried to eat my arm.”
“It does that,” Hermione nodded in understanding.
“And I thought the Book of the Dead would be the only book to give me nightmares,” Jonathon shivered. Hermione smirked to herself. I guess she knew exactly what book she was going to have Alex take home to hide in Jonathon’s room.