Chapter 1
Gift Fic Fest for my Secret Santa:
The amazing …insert name… Bilo!
Prompts that I tried to use:1. Sjaj u tamiSong by Dorian Gray
And a very rough English Translation:
2. Picture: sometimes the wolf cries girl
3. „You will always
be enough for me
not even the greatest
dreamer could convince me
that there is more to life
than loving you.“
-S. L. Gray
„I still believe
there is a right time
for everything,
even us.“
I swear somewhere this works
"In a parallel universe or another world,
or a different life,
we sit across from each other
at the kitchen table
and go over
the grocery
list.“
Word count: 4486
Beyond the looking glass
Things never went according to plan. How much one tried, it never truly happened.
Mystic shadows and glamorous smoke were what protected the multiple parallel universes from each other.
Multiple mirrors, all looking at each other but never really reflecting on one another. They were all ruled by mysterious forces, but that would be a story for another time. This time, we would look into a magical dimension, where things happened differently. In many worlds, the magical people shared the Earth with non-magical people, but not here. No, the magical dimension had people have their own part, unseen of the Earth.
The portal from our (human) world to theirs was through a forest at the end of the Earth. When the sun shined through the leaves of the singing trees, when all was aligned right, then maybe, maybe you could see the door to the Magic World.
No human could ever enter, but if they were watchful enough, if they were to stop to enjoy the music of the nature around, the sound of the river that couldn’t be seen, for it was on the other side of the portal, if they closed their eyes in the sun and then opened them in the dark, then they would be able perhaps to take a glance at what was beyond the darkness, hidden in the light.
Little fairy houses in the grass, or fairies sitting by the edge of the river perking their eyes at the humans beyond the mist, on the other side.
Fairies were just one of the many nations that lived and died without once stepping foot into the human world. Fairies kept themselves to the border, making sure the portal between worlds was protected.
Fairies, Fae, vampires, werewolves, trolls, sirens, mermaids, dragons, unicorns, pegasi- and more lived “peacefully” together. Well, peacefully was a relative word. Fae people were holding themselves further away and higher up from every other species. They were different indeed, and the most powerful too. Fae were magical people capable of shape-shifting into all the other species. It was said that no one from outside of the Fae have ever seen the true form of Fae. They showed to others as werewolves, vampires, dragons… even trolls.
“Watch out for the Fae!” parents told their children. “If you’re not careful, they will steal your face!”
Of course, that wasn’t true, but many believed it. Of course, Fae was evil. Of course, you had to watch out for them. Anyone could be a Fae, after all. You never truly knew, not outside your own coven or group or family. And even then, suspicions run high.
The fear and the distrust lasted for centuries until Fae realised that the fear they evoked was not something they enjoyed. They looked at how people were behaving, and their own children felt the effects. They couldn’t live between the other nations in peace. They couldn’t live together at all. Not anymore. That was when the separation took place. Segregation of all the nations that lived in the Magical Part of the Earth. Each nation changed, slowly thanks to this. Their land changed too to reflect their different personalities.
And soon, gone was the fear of the Fae. They were far away, after all. In their own part of the land. Yet, the legends remained. The fear laid dormant, but the warnings were written.
“Don’t go past the Shadows Mountains!”
Hermione looked to the horizon. Everyone always warned her as a kid. Fairies and Fae were in powers alike and so in name, but Hermione couldn’t believe all the legends and all the history between them. If Fae were so bad, why had they retreated themselves of their own accord into the Shadow Mountains? And if Fairies truly feared and hated the Fae so much, why were they still living at the portal with the human world when the Shadow Mountains were right next to them? Wouldn’t have they feared that the Fae wouldn’t keep their world?
Of course, the easy answer would have been pride, but Hermione wasn’t so sure. After all, her parents always said: “Just because someone says it, it doesn’t make it true. Remember, history is written by the winner.”
She’d never forgotten those words. Not even years later, after her parents had disappeared without ever being found again. People accused them that they’d had crossed the border. That they were long gone and dead since in their world time run so much slower. People rumoured that they’d found her mother’s scarf near the portal. However, Hermione knew it couldn’t be true. Her parents would have never abandoned her, if they indeed crossed over to the human world, they must have been forced or threatened. She was so little when they had left… but she remembered enough. She’d swore to herself that one day, she’d find a way to find out the truth. The truth of everything. Not just her parents, but the mysterious Shadows Mountains too. But she’d never had the chance to truly do it. Not until now.
After finishing school, raised by her aunt and uncle, Hermione had left to travel and study the Dragonland, Vampires and other nations. The atmosphere in those countries was so different from the FaryLand. They weren’t as obsessed with Fae, for example. They didn’t warn their children to stay away, and it seemed that they were happy to just let their neighbours be as long as the Fae stayed in their part of the land. Hermione had made so many memories during that trip and so many precious friends…. And yet, one stayed in her mind the most. A Mysterious Vampire she’d met that had decided to come with her in most of the travels…. A good friend he was, although his sarcasm and dry wit drove her crazy sometimes.
With a pang in her heart, Hermione realised how much she missed him.
But she had had to come back to her childhood roots. The trip had kept her away enough, and she’d promised herself she’d return with the knowledge she’d accumulated and try to find the truth about her parents.
Sadly, he hadn’t come back with her but rather had stopped in DragonLand once more. Hermione wondered if he’d noticed something was wrong just like she’d done so. Subtle changes. The Vampires seemed paler, the Trolls less strong…. But the Fairies’ wings shined brighter than ever.
Being a Fairy and having lived the majority of her life near the portal, Hermione could tell that something was wrong. The portal felt… different. But she couldn’t really put her finger on it.
Until she saw the red robin.
It was a human bird! FaryLand only had blue and purple robins! Hermione tried to follow the bird, but she couldn’t. It flew too fast and in a dash, she lost it and flew out of sight.
Hermione ran towards the portal, wandering too close to the edge of the river.
“This wasn’t supposed to happen,” she murmured. Hermione wished she could get closer, but she couldn’t risk it. So from far away, she investigated and noted the changes dutifully in her mind.
“The Magic of the Portal is fading. But how? The Portal is the very essence of Magic. If it’s gone… what would happen to our world?”
It was a little-known secret that the Portal was the magical power that sustained the different Earth's existence. She didn’t have anyone to confide herself. Harry and Ron, her best friends were just bad as those who’d made the parents disappear. Maybe not as bad, but… close enough.
Murmurs could be heard tho. The name of Fae was said fearfully, as if they were all to blame, again. Shadows Mountains and Smoke Forest were all mentioned. It seemed that the cheerful atmosphere the Fairies were known for was gone, and in the end, things were just sombre. From the outside, sure they looked cheerful, but Hermione knew the truth. Despite the songs, the sunshine, and the flower showers… things were not the same.
She wondered if this was what Luna, the mermaid friend she’d made, had meant with her cryptic departure words. She knew her friends had the gift of sight, but usually, people with such gifts never told anyone what they saw. The future would be written in stone and unchangeable then. This way, it could still be changed. And yet, the blonde’s words haunted her at night in her sleep… Initially, she’d thought it was a weird romance reference to Severus, the vampire she’d met… but now she wasn’t so sure.
Sometimes the fair people stumble and fall on the other side
Sometimes rules are meant to be broken
With Bloodthirsty smile on a face
The one who hides in shadows
Will guide the one who stands in front of the light
Sometimes, the light is only a disguise for the dark
Sometimes, the danger is the safety you seek
The dragon needs rescuing and the villain aches to be seen
Sometimes, in the darkness, the lost truth can be found
Sometimes the prince charming is not who you’d hoped
Sometimes what you hear Isn’t the truth after all
Beware the door, for it’s closing now
Breaking even into pieces splattered in the wind
Cracked glass into the river
Catch it before all it’s lost
Her eyes glowed bright green as stepped closer to the forest at the bottom of the Mountains. The Smoke Forest. That was it. If she stepped forward, there would be no way to return home. Not without help from a Fae. One of the most forbidden acts in the Fairy world. Asking or accepting help from a Fae. Right next to entering their domain. But truly, what choice did she have?
Everything around her was green and filled with smoke. She wondered if Fae could shapeshift into trees too or if it was true that one sole person governed over them. As she moved, she could feel a fog appear and slow her watch. She turned to check her home when she saw that everything was surrounded by a green and purple spoke. The city disappeared, and for a moment Hermione gave on her own fear. However, it wasn’t in her nature to give up. Hermione Granger was not a quitter.
Slowly, but surely she advanced into the forest. She was so close she could breathe the mountain air.
“Well, well well! What do we have here! A FAIRY!” a mysterious voice spoke from somewhere around him. Hermione frowned. She recognised the voice. She’d recognise it anywhere!
“Severus Snape?” She murmured. It could be him, but it could also be a Fae in disguise.
Her heart shivered at the thought that someone could pretend to be him, and actually fool her. He was…. special. They’d met in the DragonLand. He was a vampire traveling for research purposes as much as she did. When they had parted ways, she’d felt part of her heart leave too. They had never been anything more than friends, but he’d charmed her unknowingly for eternity. And for both species, eternity was beyond forever.
“H-Hermione?” gone was the sing-song voice that had greeted her. Back was the deep baritone voice that had made her fall, made her… Soon, she got lost in her own thoughts, arguing with herself about the possible outcomes of this encounter.
“You’re a Fae,” she said in the end, drawing an oblivious conclusion. She knew Vampires and she knew they wouldn’t be caught dead anywhere near FaeLand. His personality changed upon recognising her….he wasn’t an impostor. He was him. Luna’s words rang back in her head. Sometimes the prince charming is not who you’d hoped.
While Severus didn’t exactly look like the average prince charming…. For her, he had been more than that… And she’d hoped…
His onyx eyes stared at her, piercing into her very soul. She could tell he wanted to say something but didn’t know what to say precisely. It was funny because she’d always known him to have a sharp wit.
“Don’t worry Severus. I cannot judge that you came into our part of the world for research. I’d have done the same probably.” She spoke quickly, trying to not let the silence fill the air. She wasn’t good at all at managing her emotions. Maybe that was why she’d never said anything about it in the months they had traveled together.
Very quick, so quick that she could have imagined it, he threw a smile at her.
“What brings you here? Into the shadow land?” he asked humorously, but she could tell that he was waiting for something.
“The Portal…. Something is not right. I can feel it.”
Severus looked at her and Hermione realised that he knew too. His eyes, usually cold when looking at others, held a reflection of knowledge when gazing upon her.
“You know! That’s why you’re in the forest and not beyond the mountains!”
He cocked his head and then threw it back, laughing. It was only the second laugh Hermione had ever heard from him.
“Do you all honestly think that all of us live beyond the mountains?”
“I… that’s what the legends say. There was never any opportunity for me to study the truth!”
“Hermione, we live.. Everywhere. Beyond the Mountains, inside, the mountains. In the shadows and in the light. I personally live in the forest and the trees.”
“You… what?”
“Do you see the shadows and smoke that stand between us?”
Hermione hoped it was a rhetorical question. After all, the forest was called the Smoke Forest…
“How about they leave?”
“What?”
She opened her mouth to reply, but suddenly… she found herself amazed. In a matter of seconds, the shadows, the smoke, and several of the trees disappeared. It was all a dark field left and the Moon was visible. It seemed like all the Mountains have moved.
“What happened?” She whirled around as if she’d found the answer to her question.
“Fae are… one with the nature. Yes, we can take the shape of every other magical being, but we rest being …. Nature. We make up the smoke, the shadows, the mountains… sometimes even the clouds. We unite with the nature.”
“What?”
She could tell that he enjoyed making her speechless. “We’re one with magic. We’re energy beings that live on the natural form. But enough with the geography lesson. You’re not here for that, are you?”
His words brought her back to reality.
“The Portal!”
“The Portal, yes.”
“It’s dying! Something’s happened!”
“I know. All Fae know. We’re Magic, and the Portal is magic too. We feel it slowly fade away.”
“Do you know what causes it?”
“Don’t ask what you don’t want to know, Hermione.”
“What? How dare you? I broke all the rules by coming here to ask for help and see if you knew what was happening and you telling me I don’t want to know? More over, you know it’s dying and you don’t even try to help?”
Hermione was fuming. She didn’t even realise angry tears were running down her face until she felt his thumb wipe them away. He smiled slowly at her.
“My apologies. I never meant to make you cry.”
“What I meant is that the truth isn’t nice. Neither is the solution.”
“Explain.”
“Fairies aren’t what they seem.”
Hermione grinned. “If you were worried that I’d be hurt by you mentioning my kind are responsible with the Portal dying, don’t bother. I know we’re not as everyone thinks they are. My parents were taken away from me. Everyone said they stepped into the other side, but I know better. I’ve always known that Fairies are not the innocent beings everyone thinks. But I never thought we would ever do something like this.”
“Technically, none of the current Fairies are doing it. It’s all a consequence of the past.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Fairies are the reason Fae are isolated within this land. Mainly. It wasn’t force, but choice. We didn’t want to… live everyday looking into people who were watching us with so much hatred and fear. Fairies have always feared us. Fae…. some of us, in the beginning, chose to live as one species….designed and…”
“Faries….are Fae?”
“No. Not anymore. They evolved, they changed. But once upon a time… they were. The Portal of the worlds has been there before made by the Fae who used to live with humans and the other magical representatives. That was eons and eons ago. Earth is now so different. We’re different too. Fae live for a very long time. So do Fairies and any other species really that live on the Magical Earth. But us, Fae… live the longest.”
“Severus? Where is this going? I already know this?”
“Your parents… were not pushed.”
“What?”
“Before they had you… they had nothing to lose. They voiced their opinions strongly on the segregation imposed by the Fairies and how the Portal needed our magic united to survive. People argued that they don’t really need the Portal. We don’t go to the human world, after all. Which is true. But we’re anchored. We need the Portal, for we still live on Earth. Without it, we’d float in space and probably die….without oxygen. Your parents sustained the Portal as much as possible. But people got suspicious. Very suspicious.”
“Sustained? But… Fairies cannot…”
Hermione’s eyes widened. “My parents were Fae?”
“Yes. Two of the few remaining original Fae that had decided to just stick to being… Fairies. The only two not captured by the Fairies Council and not kept in the dungeons. Fae cannot live like that. In hatred or fear. They slowly… fade away. “
“Just as the Portal is doing now,” Hermione whispered.
“Indeed.’
“I’m not a Fae tho,” Hermione stated.
“No, you aren’t. Your mother fell pregnant while resembling a Fae, and ever since, they had stopped shape shifting.”
“Did you know them?” She couldn’t help but ask.
“No, but their magic reached us when they…”
“Died. You can say it. I’m not a fragile little flower.”
“They didn’t die. They stepped through the portal and their essence got left back.”
“So, they’re in the human world now?”
“They’re humans. Their crossing fed the Portal. Their sacrifice was to buy us, Fae more time, to find a way, to change things.
“Change things how, Severus?”
“Changing time.”
“That’s … not possible.”
“Not really. Not without a price. One that I was ready to pay until meeting you.”
“What?”
“I never truly cared about anyone else as I care for you. I am the lonely wolf of my kind. I always preferred to be in the shadows and alone. I left the Shadows Mountains in order to find ancient magiks of all civilisations. To find a way to turn back to the time before the segregation of the nations. And to remember the individual cultures that would need to be reborn together.”
Hermione felt tears prickle at her eyes again. “You know Sev…. this is the first time you ever said you care about me.”
He stepped closer to her and put his hand gently on her shoulder. “If I said it… I don’t think
I would have been able to leave you when I did.”
“I could have helped.”
Severus shook his head. “Putting you in danger wasn’t an option. My mission was dangerous and I had already made it even more so for I spent so many months just travelling with you. I tried to leave, but I couldn’t. When I finally did, I contemplated taking you with me. But putting the woman I loved in danger wasn’t on my list.”
Hermione gasped.
“YOU… Love me?”
Wide eyes stared at him.
“How could I not? I shouldn’t really. I’m old enough to be your pre-ancestor, honestly. I am truly part of the enemy of your kind... And soon to be the reason your kind will never exist as it is now. But you… Hermione, you captured my interest from the moment I saw you. Your knowing smile, the way you put passion into everything you do, your kindness and loyalty… you truly are what Faries should have been. And you, truly, are… the one for me. Even after I…”
His words got cut off after a bushy-haired girl tackled him, engulfing him in a kiss.
“I love you too, you idiot,” she murmured between tears.
For a few minutes, they stood together, kissing in silence, with the moon high above.
“I’m sorry,” they both said after.
“You kept mentioning you found a way to time travel and change the past. How does it work? How do you change this without creating an alternate timeline?”
“Because they don’t exist here. Time cannot be bent. What I managed to find in my travels is how to unravel it. Destroy every moment that has ever happened after the first Fairies were designed by the Fae and force-feed them the future. Avoid the Segregation of the Nations.”
“You were there? When it happened?”
Severus smiled sadly at her. “I told you, I’m old.”
“Shut up!” She smacked his arm. “We live with billions of years. You’re not old.”
“Maybe not, but you’re still young.”
Hermione glared at him.
“Can I come?”
He shook his head. “The time flow would kill you. You’d have no body to go to. Besides, there’s no guarantee your parents would meet now or would have you. And even if they did, it wouldn’t be you.”
“But I just found you again,” Hermione cried.
“I’m sorry,” was his reply. “But I’m afraid our time has passed and won’t come again.”
Hermione wanted to say something but wasn’t sure how could she reply to his words. She deeply wished she would have made a move a few months back before they’d departed. Maybe their time would haven’t passed then.
Instead, she just nodded and kissed his cheeks. “How can I help?”
“Stay with me until I finish the Time Spell around the Portal?”
“When is that going to be?”
“During the New Moon, when it’s dark out. In about two weeks from now.”
“That means we have two weeks!” was all that she could say.
Severus chuckled. “Indeed.”
….
The two weeks flew faster than Hermione could have ever imagined. She’d tried to think of ways she could go with Severus through time, but all of them, he shut down. And he was right. They were all crazy and were never going to work.
Then it was time for the goodbye. She kissed him before backing away, as he raised his arms to the sky. To her gaze and wonder. The Moon seemed to come down into his hand.
Magic swirled around. And Time. Hermione could only watch as Severus jumped in and soon everything around was fading to black.
“He did it,” she whispered. “He did it.”
But then, as she felt herself fading too, Hermione took the last decision she’d ever take in this life.
“No, Severus. You’re wrong. I still believe there is a right time for everything, even us. After all, our time hasn’t passed. It hasn’t even begun!”
And with that, she jumped into the swirls of magic, everything fading to black.
…………………….
“Severus! That dog of yours brought us a squirrel again!” Hermione shouted, looking at the dog who was currently playing with a very innocent face.
“He’s mine now, hmmm? Who bought him? Not you? How about that cat of yours and the rats he keeps dropping?”
Hermione laughed. “At least Crooks doesn’t bring it in the house.”
Severus took her in his arms and rotated her around. “You minx, squirrels are at least cute!”
“Sev! We’re not young anymore!”
He put her down and looked her in the eyes. “Darling, you’ve never known me young.”
She smiled at him. “Pretty sure it was a baby face Severus who saved me from the Magic and Time Portal.”
“Please! Don’t remind me. I never thought that something like that was possible. No idea how you survived the Time Rewind. “
“Love is the most powerful magic of all.”
“Indeed. And Speaking of love, I have a surprise for you.
She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. “Surprise?”
“Yes!”
“Come!
“Okay, Severus, I’m coming.”
She let herself be dragged through their backyard, towards the forest that held the Portal. She closed her eyes for a second, taking in the feeling of being closer to her old home when Severus’ voice made her open them back up.
I forget what fear is
My heart slows my steps
Take my hands, look at the road ahead
Move your body closer to mine, it's warm outside
Look, it's not day yet
Stars are falling
Colours everywhere
Even in the dark
“Sev… are you singing?”
She looked at him and then realised he’d led her straight to the Portal. But how…
“I… I can see it?”
Gaze through the door
And see the world beyond
look at the shine
Glowing in the dark
Shadows are coming
And they stand still
Before us
Hermione looked and saw that the Portal was reflecting the Magical World. With tears down her face, she moved forward and watched as Fae Shadows danced in Fairy Lights. Vampires having a wedding with the Trolls and Dragons flying above.
“How did you? How did you do that?”
Severus smiled and hugged her. “A hundred years of research through my memories and work. Fae have a long memory and when I travelled, while my goal was a time travel way… I learned so much more. It won't’ last long, but I wanted to show you the result of our work. We did it.”
Hermione watched as the light faded and forest became just trees. She hugged Severus back and cried.
“Severus…. Do you regret saving me? That for it we had to jump through the Portal in the Human world?”
He looked at her incredulously.
“100 years later woman and you ask me if I regret saving you? You will always be enough for me, nothing could convince me that there is more to life than loving you. Missing home from time to time, but doesn’t mean I’d change my life here with you. It’s the happiest I’ve ever been. That’s why I brought both of us here. I want you to know, the way you chose to jump after me… I choose to stay here with you.”
Hermione laughed. “I love you too, Sev. Now come, you still have to pick that squirrel your dog brought home,” she said and started walking ahead, back to their house.”
“MY DOG?” he shouted after her, making her laugh even more.
“Stop complaining and move. We have to make the shopping list for tomorrow.”
Severus dutifully followed.
Things never went according to plan. Sometimes, they came out better than the plan. Much Better.
THE END.