Lessons In Love

Chapter 54: Calm in the Storm

Opening her eyes, Hermione calmly stepped forward and straightened her posture, finding an even stone to stand upon to gain better ground. Snape has made wandless magic look so simple, so easy, he had done it so many times and mastered the art of it... he hardly had to think about it and whatever he wanted would be performed effortlessly. Hermione had to stop letting her thoughts swirl, she had to concentrate. She took a deep breath and held the keys in front of her and tried to remember his words once more.

You are your own power.

Hermione closed her eyes and evened her breathing and softly spoke to herself in a whisper,

"Let me hear the water," the dripping sound resonated with echoes in her mind and she took another deep breath, "Let me feel the stone beneath my feet," the freezing rock sent shivers up her spine, "And let me see what I yearn for..."

She could feel the energy surround her but she only had to harness it into what she needed, what she wanted... I want to see Severus Snape...

Now... let it flow.

Hermione opened her eyes to see the keys she had been holding, levitating in front of her. Her arms hesitantly fell at her side and she watched as the metal jingled in front of her, mimicking a wind chime. The key she needed flew to the top of the link and started pointed down the hallway. She took a deep, shaky breath and tried to control herself, the spell was not over. She still needed to concentrate or the magic would end. She stepped forward and the keys started moving ahead of her, bobbing up and down as they went, leading her to the cell she needed. Hermione kept her eyes on the means to her end and followed quickly.

The keys turned a few corners that she would have never taken herself and brought her to a long corridor that had only one door. Hermione could only guess which one it was. Her gait quickened and her heart pounded, only the door separated her from the man inside. She came to a halt in front of the iron clad entrance with the number 3 engraved haphazardly into it and she inhaled deeply. Hermione let her hand rest on it and she could feel the freezing touch that sent shivers and aches through her arm. The keys fell from the air and she quickly caught them, fingering the silver key that would be her saving grace. Would he be upset that she came to see him? Would he be happy?

She shuddered to think of the consequences and bravely put the key into the lock and heard the metal fit into the right slots and pieces before she turned it gently, trying to be silent. Hearing a click noise, Hermione softly removed the key and with quivering hands and a erratically beating heart, grabbed the handle and pulled. She had some trouble opening the heavy door and braced her weight against it as she tried to slip through the threshold. Hermione almost tripped as the heavy door closed tightly behind her, leaving her in the dark. Feeling herself being pulled into some unknown force, she shut her eyes firmly and prepared herself for whatever was coming next.

It felt as though she had entered into a portkey and was being transported to another place. Her stomach was in knots as she felt her body, weightless, being thrown around in the energy that was sweeping her away. As soon as it had come, it had disappeared and Hermione felt her body being taken within the grasps of gravity and she could feel herself falling. As she assumed, she was nearing the ground, her pace of diminishing had slowed and she landed on her feet on another cold stone floor. Hermione felt another door in front of her with her hands as it was still pitch black and she was unable to see anything. She reached for the handle and found that she was able to turn it with ease. Hermione walked through the entrance and saw a small room with stone walls and a small, barred window that let just enough light in for her to see a figure standing in the shadows. Wherever she was, the storm was still raging beyond the walls and rain flew in like needles, soaking the floors and creating a reflection.