Chapter 13
The ground squishes under your feet as you land, and you open your eyes, finding yourself in some sort of swamp lands. Trees covered in hanging vines surround the area, dripping down into the mud and filth of the ground below.
You look at your mother, letting go of her hand as you do.
“Where are we?” You ask her, trying to show Severus as much as you can of your surroundings.
She looks around too, pulling out her map and studying it again as the ink swirls on the page, changing into a new twist of lines and symbols.
“Somewhere outside of Ireland I think.” She answers, tracing a path on the page with her finger.
Can you get me a better look at the new map? Severus asks.
You step closer to her, looking at the paper.
“Did it change?” You ask, trying to sound oblivious.
Your mother looks at you out of the corner of her eye, tilting the page slightly to show you.
“Yeah.” She answers, clearing her throat slightly. “It’s enchanted, it knows where it is, and it changes as we get closer.”
You let your eyes pour over the map, soaking in as many details as you can, hoping Severus can memorize it quickly.
“That’s actually pretty interesting.” You answer, looking back at your mother, almost meaning it this time.
Her lips twitch as she pulls the map back towards her, and you swear she nearly smiled. Something inside of you sparks as you look at her face, softer and more familiar than it’s been. You push it away, not willing to sacrifice everything for her finally being herself for a fleeting moment.
“We should get moving, I don’t know what lives out here.” She says gruffly, turning away and walking away from the large pond of water beside you.
You nod, following behind her, wrapping your arms around yourself as you do.
She’s still in there somewhere. You push to Severus. But is it worth it?
You watch her red curls as they bounce along her back with every step.
That’s for you to decide. He answers. I worked for The Dark Lord, many of his servants were only doing it to protect people.
You sigh softly, looking into the dim swamplands around you as you follow behind her.
You did it for Dumbledore, he knew you were good. You reply. It was different. She faked her own death. She let my father die. She left me.
Your hands form fists, grabbing into the cloth of your jacket.
No one else knew I was good. He answers softly. I did it for more than just Dumbledore.
You sigh softly, releasing your tight grip on your clothes. You follow your mother as she turns, finally stepping onto a slightly dryer path.
I meant to ask, Severus pushes, is her name really Selene?
Your eyes flit back to her, now looking at her side profile as she looks to the side.
Yes. You answer. My father’s name was Alistair.
You can almost see him nodding, taking in the information. You follow your mother as she follows the map, passing through the eerily quiet swamp.
Tobias and Eileen. He says quietly. Those were my parents’ names.
You smile, twisting the ring on your finger with your thumb gently.
Your name is my favorite. You answer, imagining his small, crooked smile.
“I think you’ve wandered into the wrong forest.” A voice echoes, and you both freeze in your tracks.
Your eyes search through the bog to find the source of the voice, only to lock eyes with what looks like a Phoenix perched on a branch in one of the trees. It’s larger than Fawkes, with deep blue, green, and grey feathers covering every inch of it’s body instead of fiery red and yellow.
“Or perhaps,” The voice continues, without the beak of the bird’s mouth moving, “you’re exactly where you need to be.”
It’s an Augurey. Severus pushes to you. They’re supposed to be a sign of death, though they usually can’t communicate like this. Get out of there.
You nod, stepping closer to your mother and pulling at the sleeve of her jacket, but her feet remain planted.
“We really should be going.” You say, pulling at her again, harder this time.
The large bird flaps it’s feathers, looking down at you as it’s head cocks to one side. His eyes shift, locking onto your mother’s.
“Your future is clear as crystal.” He says, his voice hissing into your mind. “Do you wish to know how you die?”
Your mother doesn’t answer at first, considering the idea.
“No thank you.” You answer for her, pulling again.
Finally, she looks away from the bird, looking at you.
“Your future is foggier.” The strange bird continues, turning it’s crystal-like eyes towards you. “Your death is unclear, dependent on—ah.”
His eyes widen further.
“Are you sure you don’t want to know?” He asks, leaning his neck down towards you.
Your heart races, hammering wildly against your ribs as you look up at him. You find yourself lost in his eyes, watching the blue-green pearls disappear and reappear with every blink of his small eyelids.
Do you want to know? Wouldn’t it make it all so much easier to know how you die? To avoid the terror? Perhaps to escape death itself?
“(Y/N)!” Your mother calls, shaking your body like you shook hers moments ago, breaking you out of the trance you were in. “We aren’t interested in your prophecy.”
She pulls you away, and you feel a strange sense of longing as the bird disappears from view behind you.
“Be careful.” He calls as your mother pulls you down the winding path. “Your undoing is both simpler, and more complex than you could ever imagine.”
Your heart slows to it’s normal pace as you get a to a safe distance away from the creature, and your mother finally lets go of your arm, hesitantly walking beside you instead of trailing ahead.
“This bog is just as cursed as the forest.” She mutters. “I should have known better than to think otherwise.”
You nod, looking over as she unfolds the map again.
“We just have to go a little further.” She says, trailing the map with her fingertip. “There’s a town we can stop in for the night. Shouldn’t be touched by the darkness.”
You shudder in the thick air of the swamp, nodding as you let your mother lead the way.
Are you alright? Severus asks.
You pull your jacket closer, wrapping yourself in it’s protection as though it alone can stop the magic all around you from harming you.
I think so. You answer. Is it true? What it said?
You almost hear his gentle sigh as you begin up a slight incline, and you start to feel more hopeful that you’re on the way out.
They’ve been known to be truthful. He answers. But fate can always change.
You just nod again, letting each step up the hill lift your spirits higher. You try not to contemplate your own mortality. You don’t dare to think what it would be to leave Nova without a mother. Severus without a wife.
Finally, you follow your mother through the last line of trees, stepping into a clearing and letting the light of the moon wash over you. You breathe in the cleaner, thinner air as you make your way towards the flickering lights of the small town ahead.
“We’ll stop here.” Your mother decides, stopping under a tree a good distance away from the town. “Let’s not push our luck making more friends today.”
You can almost swear there’s a hint of a smile on her lips as she sets her pack on the ground, opening the top before positioning her wand over it. She waves it once, and a cloth tent rises out of the pack.
“I only had room for one.” She says, the smile fading as a hint of what looks like nervousness covers her features. “We’ll have to share it.”
You nod, ducking into the tent first and sitting along the far edge. She follows behind you, letting the entry panels shut behind her before securing the tent with cloaking and protection spells. You watch as she murmurs the enchantments, waving her wand in a methodic manner. She looks almost beautiful again. Almost like a witch who loves the art of magic.
She opens her pack as she finishes, pulling out two, thin blankets and tossing one to you.
“Sleep.” She says, not meeting your gaze. “We have a long day again tomorrow.”
You nod, wrapping yourself in the blanket as you lay down, facing the wall of the tent. You hear her shuffle behind you, and you risk a glance back towards her. She lays with her back to you as well, her head facing the opening.
I love you. You push to Severus as you close your eyes, and you find yourself falling asleep before he even has the chance to reply.