He felt Hermione shiver

Aquae Sulis
Part Four

Disclaimer: We are blatantly stealing this from J.K. Rowling. But somehow, announcing our thievery makes us feel better about ourselves.

They crashed to the ground with enough force that the wind was knocked out of Ron's lungs. He groaned as he sat up. It felt as though he'd caught a Bludger in the stomach. Hermione sat up as well, rubbing her stomach gingerly.

"Ooh. That hurt." She said, smiling ruefully.

"Yeah. Weird. I wonder why that was such a rough ride?" he said, as he stood. He offered his hand and pulled Hermione up to her feet.

"I don't know," she replied, brushing the dirt off her robes. "It seemed to have a hard time starting up, and then all of a sudden, it just took off! Got a bit scary, didn't it?"

Ron grinned. "Nah. I live for adventure."

She rolled her eyes. "Okay, we should figure out where we are."

They had been deposited in a large room with hallways branching out in several directions. The walls were covered in lively murals that seemed similar to the ones from Ron's dreams. There were no windows and the only light sources were the torches flickering along the walls. In the center of the room stood a large fountain. Three large stone snakes wound around the center column and azure water trickled silently from the open mouths.

"I think this is some kind of entryway. Ron! Look!" She pointed into the fountain.

"What is it?" He joined her at the lip of the fountain, and gazed down into the shallow pool. Under the glassy surface, imbedded in the tile sat a brick identical to the one they had left in Hogsmeade.


"It must be the Portkey back." He nodded in agreement, and made a mental note never to tease her for seeing everything.

Hermione glanced back and forth along the corridors. "Which way?"

Ron shrugged. He pointed toward the left corridor. "Let's try that one."

"Are you sure?"


"No. Do you have a better idea?"

They started off down the long hallway. The quiet was not peaceful. It was oppressive; it held the weight of centuries. He supposed he ought to feel relieved that there were no tourists to dodge, but the prickling feeling all over his skin told him that this wasn't as it should be. It seemed like it was the same day that he and Hermione had left behind in Hogsmeade, but what if it wasn't? The stillness whispered that they were not just the only people left at the Baths, but that they were the only people left in the world.

But that was ridiculous.

He looked at his watch. It still informed him it was just past noon on the 31st of October. Although he supposed that didn't necessarily mean anything, it was mildly reassuring. Hermione's hand tightened around his, and he squeezed back, but the truth was, he was probably more in need of comfort than she. He was literally walking through a dream; this was the weirdest thing that had ever happened to him, and that was saying a lot.

"Ron?" Hermione's voice broke into the thick silence. Her words didn't echo as they should amidst all the empty stone, but left her lips and fell to the ground, as if the air itself was reluctant to be disturbed.

"Yeah." He answered her unspoken question. "I don't like it either."

"Where is everyone?"

Ron shrugged. "I don't know." If he hadn't been so preoccupied with dream images and the churning sensation in his stomach, he might have made a comment about the futility of her asking him. But oddly, he probably did have a better idea what was going on than she did. He'd been here before. Sort of. At the very least, he knew the next right turn would take them straight to the heart of Aquae Sulis.

***

The sunlight that filled the open roofed room was strangely without warmth. An imitation of itself, thought Hermione, shivering in the breeze. The silence was so profound that it was a struggle to break it- it was like pushing against something invisible and adamantine. There was nothing comforting here at all, except for the tall redhead beside her, pale beneath his freckles.

Her stomach twisted. Her palm was clammy; she was sure of it. But the idea of removing her hand from Ron's was unappealing, even for the space of time it would take to wipe it off on her robes. She hoped he didn't mind.

It was odd, she thought, how her mind was wholly caught up in the inane details of the moment. Here they were, at one of the most powerfully magical places in the world, about to attempt one of the most difficult and dangerous spells known to the wizarding world, and she was utterly preoccupied by her sweaty palms.

"We're here," she announced, unnecessarily.

"Yeah," Ron muttered.

They stopped next to a pillar at the edge of the courtyard. The large, rectangular area was roofed around the perimeter, but the large pool in the center was open to the elements. Like everything else here, the water was preternaturally calm. More like a mirror than a pool of water, it looked like a chunk of sky set into the stone floor in front of them.

"So I guess we get in, then," offered Ron, gesturing weakly at the pool. "Ladies first."

Hermione shot him a look. "You overwhelm me with your chivalry, Ron."

He grinned, but the grin was a bit shaky. "Be a gentleman or die trying, that's my motto."

"Very funny."

Ron's grin faded. He dropped her hand and stepped back. "Let's do this now before I really think about what we're doing." He grabbed the neck of his robes, and before Hermione could utter more than a squeak of protest, he'd pulled them over his head.

"What was that, Hermione?" He asked as soon as the robes hit the stone floor. Now clad in jeans and a T-shirt, he started to kick off his shoes. Hermione felt like an idiot. For a moment there she'd thought…

"Nothing," she said, blushing furiously.

"You might want to at least take off your shoes. There's nothing worse than soggy runners." The rather arch look on his face told her clearly that he may have let the opportunity to tease her pass by, but he was only too well aware that he had had an opportunity.

She pursed her lips slightly and stared him down.

"Fine, suit yourself," he said, and headed for the edge of the pool. As soon as his back turned, she hastily kicked off her shoes and pulled off her robes. She really hadn't been planning to go into the water wearing her school robes, so she couldn't understand why she'd acted like such an idiot. Sometimes she thought her neurons didn't fire properly when Ron was around. The bastard didn't have to always point that out, though, she thought, for once entirely unrepentant about using profanity.

Ron sat on the edge of the pool with his legs dangling in the water, watching her.

"Are you coming?" He swung his legs in the water, sending small waves across the entire surface of the pool.

"I'm coming!" Hermione checked the pocket of her jeans for her wand and the small pocketknife she'd brought with her. Making one last mental review of the spell to be certain there was nothing she'd forgotten, she sat beside Ron and eased herself into the water.

The water was blissfully warm and waist deep. The contrast to the chill air surrounding it made goosebumps rise instantly on her arms. Ron pulled his own wand from his pocket and slid the rest of the way into the water.

"This is nice," he commented. "Too bad we're not here for a swim."

"You can swim all you want when we've finished here." Hermione waded out to the center of the pool, careful to hold her wand above the water. "We're supposed to face east and west. I don't think it matters which way."

"You're already facing east," he said, making his way into the water to stand opposite her. "This seems all right to me."

"Okay," Hermione took a deep breath. She held out the pocketknife to him, and presented her hand, palm side up. "Do it." She scrunched her eyes shut. She felt him grasp her hand lightly, and she tensed, waiting for the sharp sting of the blade. The pad of his thumb brushed the center of her palm. Shivering, she thought perhaps she could block out the prick of the knife completely if she just concentrated on the way his hand felt on hers. She relaxed a little, and waited. And waited.

"Hermione, open your eyes." His voice was amused. She opened her eyes to see Ron wearing an expression of mingled amusement and anxiety.

"What's wrong?"

"Hermione, I can't cut you." He dropped her hand.

"But we have to! We both have to- the spell won't work at all if we don't-"

"But can't we cut ourselves? I really don't want to slice into you- I mean, it's one thing to poke yourself with a knife, but to have to cut into your-" he stopped and colored slightly.

He never finishes the interesting sentences, thought Hermione. She shook her head slightly. "I mean- well, I suppose we could. I just thought it was more in keeping with the spirit of the spell if we did it for each other. We're supposed to be united. Our blood mingles, our spells mingle…it just seems right," she explained anxiously.

"You just want a chance to make me bleed. I know all about that well-hidden violent streak of yours." He opened the blade on the pocketknife. "All right, you bloodthirsty wench. But try not to look like you're waiting for the executioner's axe, okay?" He held out his hand to her.

She smiled at him, and placed her hand in his, palm up. He hesitated for a moment, and then leaned down and kissed it. His lips lingered for the barest second before he straightened, and without a pause, made a small incision in the center of her palm. She watched the blood well up in the small valley of her palm. It was interesting, she thought, how she could feel the imprint of his lips more clearly than she could the wound. She looked up to find him holding out his own hand towards her.

"My turn," he said.

***

The full impact of what they were trying to do had hit him when he saw Hermione's blood. He had never been particularly squeamish before, but his stomach had felt a bit queasy. And now, holding a wand covered in her blood and his blood, he was trying desperately not to be sick. His wand was tip to tip with hers; she was facing east, he was facing west. Her face was as pale as he knew his must be, and she licked her lips as she opened them to speak.

"Should we do this on the count of three or something?"

He laughed nervously. "Just nod when you're ready."

She tried to smile. "Okay." She took a deep breath and nodded.

His voice was a rougher echo of hers. "Consisto Ara, Pro Harry Potter,

Pro Sodalitas…"

At first it was just a small spark emanating between their wand tips. The flame grew slowly and split, sending licks of flame down each wand. Ron watched the flame eat through the smeared blood, drifting slowly down toward his hand, wrapped around the last few inches of the wand. The heat coming from it was not a heat that burned. It was not a consuming flame, but a transforming flame. He knew that instinctively. The dried blood on the surface of the willow was lit now; alive and glowing like a thin sheet of ember.

Finally, the entire wand was alight from tip to tip. Ron marveled that he could still hold on to it; it felt alive in his hand. The whole thing had taken only a few seconds. Did this mean the spell had worked? He looked at Hermione. Her eyes were wide, and she was visibly trembling.

"Again," she mouthed, and nodded.

"Consisto Ara, Pro Harry Potter, Pro Sodalitas…"

The instant the last syllable died on his lips, the bright brand of blood on their wands exploded into a blinding mist that filled the world.

***

She was thrown backward into the water, still clinging to her glowing wand. The warm water closed over her head, and she struggled to find her footing. The pool was suddenly bottomless. Panicking, she kicked upwards, trying to break the surface. She opened her eyes, trying to see the light that should surely be above her, but the darkness pressing in on all sides was opaque.

She couldn't hold her breath for much longer; her lungs hurt with the effort not to breathe. She kept pumping her legs, although she knew it was futile. They'd failed. This is what happened to those who failed.

The world around her seemed to freeze, and then she felt a fierce tugging in her midsection. It felt a little like a Portkey, she thought fuzzily, just before the tugging became an electric current ripping through her. Her entire body seized, and without conscious intent, she gasped at the pain. The delicious air that filled her lungs occupied her entire attention. It took a moment for her to realize that she was no longer underwater, but sprawled on cool stone. She sat up slowly, brushing the hair from her eyes. Where was Ron?

The grating sound of stone against stone made her look up sharply. She wasn't in the temple at all any longer- she was just below the steps, facing the entrance. And then she knew where the sound was coming from. The enormous Gorgon head in the center of the pediment was moving, blinking its eyes and looking straight at her. The lion-like face was framed by a mass of hair that was twisted with writhing serpents. Finely etched wings stretched on either side of the head, completing the circular shape. She had seen a picture of it in all the books about Aquae Sulis, but not even in wizard photographs did the statuary move. And it certainly never spoke.

The lips of the creature parted, and the voice that issued from it was the sound of grating stone in a thousand variations somehow transformed into speech.

"Why are you here?"

Was she meant to answer it?

"Where's Ron?" She didn't think before she spoke- the realization that he was not here with her was immediate and terrifying. "We came here together- what happened to him? Where is he?"

"I do not answer questions. You awoke me. Explain yourself."

Hermione steadied herself with a few deep breaths. She might not have chance of ever seeing Ron again unless she could reason with this thing.

"We came to help Harry." To her chagrin, her voice sounded thin and uncertain.

"Did you? Why?" The rasp of stone made cold shivers run down her spine. He's my friend- and he's in danger all the time-" She wondered if she ought to explain about Voldemort, but perhaps the Gorgon wouldn't appreciate storytelling hour. "We thought the proxy spell might help him-"

"You are playing at this magic, girl." The stone face was impassive except for the movement of eyes and lips, but Hermione could feel it sneering at her. "It is ancient and dangerous. It destroys those who cannot harness it, and it cannot be undone now. What right have you to even try? What is he to you? Friendship is not a bond strong enough."

Hermione was indignant. "Well, I disagree. We may have done the spell wrong, or we may not be powerful enough, but I know that I would die for Ron or Harry, and they would do the same for me."

The blank stone eyes of the Gorgon pinned her. "You may yet die for him. Is that all? What do you give him beyond your eagerness to be killed?"

"My help. All that I can do." She was twisting her hands furiously. It was the truth, no matter how feeble it sounded. "Sometimes there's nothing I can do but wait with him, but this spell was something I could do, or I thought I could do, and…he needed help."

***

Dimly, Ron became aware of the hard stone beneath his back. Opening his eyes revealed a vast expanse of clear blue sky, and for a moment, he was hypnotized by the azure nothingness. 'Hermione!' It came like an urgent whisper in his brain. He struggled up into a sitting position and tried to shake the haze from his head. The last thing he remembered was the energy flowing between their wands and then…nothing. Ron scrambled to his feet, frantically searching from side to side. He shouted her name. Nothing. Not even an answering echo, and Ron had the disturbing thought that Hermione had been absorbed by the place as easily as his shout.

Slowly, he took in his surroundings. He was standing before the pediment of the temple…and the giant stone Gorgon head from his dream. It towered over him, massive and foreboding. And the eyes, large and bulbous, seemed to be searching, seeing…Ron shook his head. That was ridiculous. It was stone and masonry, nothing more. But there was something…he tilted his head to the side, gazing at the face. What had Hermione told him in the dream? 'Look.' The urgent whisper came again, louder and insistent. 'Look…' Staring intently, his eyes roamed over the face, following every line, every carved shape until his eyes locked on the massive stone pupils. A moment passed. And then, from deep within the pediment came the sound of masonry grinding against itself. As Ron watched, thunderstruck, chunks of rock and debris issued from the Gorgon's mouth as the half-lidded eyes slowly opened.

"Who are you?" The voice that ground from the stone mouth was deep, filled with sand and grit.

Ron struggled to find his voice. "R-Ron. Weasley. What are you? And where is Hermione? Did we…fail?"

"You have not failed…yet. I am the Watcher. I keep the magic of this place. The magic you request is very old…very powerful…complex. It requires more than words. What have you given?"

"Given? I don't understand." He felt like an idiot, but the thing was talking in riddles.

"He whom you have chosen this magic for…is he your blood?"

Ron felt his heart sink. "Well…no. He's not."

"Then what right have you to ask for this protection?"

He felt his indignation rise. "Look, he may not be my blood brother, but he might as well be. I mean, he's basically a part of my family now, besides being my best friend. His parents are dead and…"

"Ahhh…" The gorgon's gritty hiss interrupted Ron. "So…you have given him…family."

Ron was taken aback. "Well, yeah. My mum and dad love him like one of their own, really. Well, we couldn't let him stay with the Dursleys', could we! Disgusting, buggering gits." He muttered the last bit under his breath.

The large stone eyes fluttered. "You do not like your friend's family? But they are his blood…"

"They're not his real family. I mean, they may be his relatives, but they're not his family. They're idiots." Ron found himself shouting. "Yeah, I've given him my family. So, basically, he is my brother. And he's going to have fight this powerful Dark wizard and we thought this spell might help and so are you going to help or not?" He was afraid that maybe he'd gone too far. But it had all spilled out of him so fast that he couldn't stop.

"Enough…" hissed the gorgon.

And suddenly, there she was. She was standing beside him, as if she'd never moved. He didn't stop to think, he acted, rushing forward and gathering her in his arms. For a moment, neither of them spoke, and Ron could feel his heart crashing wildly inside his chest as he held her.

"Your task is not complete." The voice of the Gorgon ground from behind them. Ron and Hermione broke apart, whirling toward the giant stone face.

Ron stepped forward angrily. "What do you mean, not complete? I thought you said we hadn't failed!"

The stone lips twisted into a grin. "Ah. Yes. But did you not consider that magic this powerful would require…a sacrifice?"

Ron could feel the blood drain from his face. "A sacrifice? What…what do you mean? Haven't we already taken care of that with the blood? And all that business about what we'd given to Harry and…" The words faltered and died in his throat.

"The spell is not complete until a sacrifice has been made. Only then can the one you have chosen receive your protection. Only then will the spell be complete. You must choose."

"Choose? We don't understand," Hermione said. But the tenor of her voice belied her question. Ron was quite sure that she did understand, even thought he bloody well didn't.

Bits of rock and dust spewed forth from the Gorgon's mouth as it moved its massive lips to speak. "Choose who will stay. Only one leaves this place."

Ron's mouth went dry. "Why?" he demanded. "There's nothing in the spell that says anything about sacrifice. How will that help protect Harry? Answer me!" But the stone face remained impassive and silent.

***

Ron's brain was filled with a hundred frantic thoughts. It wasn't that Ron had never considered death before. He had, in fact, been face to face with it more than once. But he never imagined that his actual death would sneak up on him like this. Would he just fall over dead? Or would it be…painful? But he'd known the risks when he decided to come, and it was important to do this for Harry. And if it meant that he had to…he would do it. Harry had important things to do, and if this was the only way Ron could help him, then he would do it. Harry…Ron felt sick when he thought about how guilty Harry was going to feel. Hermione was going to have to make sure that Harry was okay. He glanced over at Hermione, who was lost in her own thoughts. There were a thousand things to say, to tell her. She needed to understand that he…

"Now." The Gorgon's grating voice startled them from their thoughts.

"No! We need a second!" Ron started forward furiously, but was stopped by Hermione's outstretched hand.

Her face was pale and determined. "Ron. I'm…so sorry. This was my idea in the first place and I'm going to be the one to finish it. Make sure that my parents know why we had to do this and, and tell Harry, too. " Her voice broke a little then, and Ron was startled out of his frozen silence.

"What?" he sputtered. "Do you think you're…you're not staying here Hermione. You are leaving right now."

Hermione shook her head vigorously. "No. No! It's my responsibility. I'm going to stay."

"You've got to be kidding. It's not your fault any more than it's mine!" Ron exclaimed loudly.

"I'm the one who found the spell to begin with. I'm the one who found the Portkey and I'm the one who's going to stay. Its just dying a little sooner than I would have done, right?" Hermione shot back.

Ron gave a mirthless laugh. "You sound like Harry. It doesn't matter Hermione. I'm not leaving you here, and that's it. It has to be me."

"Why? Why should it be you? I knew the risks when I came."

He stared at her for a moment, eyes narrowed. The time for hesitation was very definitely in the past. Reaching forward, he grasped her by the shoulders. His eyes locked with hers as he spoke. "Because I would rather die here then have to suffer the rest of my life without you." And with a certainty he'd never possessed until that moment, he pulled her to him and kissed her. She melted against him, and for a moment, the world slipped away.

He held her for a moment, savoring the feeling of her in his arms. He kissed the top of her head, and pushed her back. "Now go. I mean it."

"I'm not leaving Ron. I won't leave you. We'll stay here together and don't try to talk me out of it, because I've made up my mind." She gave him a determined smile.

Ron gave an exasperated sigh. "Hermione. That doesn't make any sense!"

"It's the only solution. How could I ever go back to the world knowing that I'd left you here?"

He grasped her hands in frustration. "Maybe you wouldn't be happy, but at least you'd be alive!"

She smiled sadly, reaching up to touch his cheek. "But you wouldn't be there."

"Hermione. I-I…"

She put her fingertips against his lips. "Shh…I know." Her eyes brimmed with unshed tears. "We've done what we came here to do. The spell will be cast and Harry will be safe. And we'll do this last thing together. Like we always have." His breath caught in his throat, and the rush of emotion that filled his chest was almost too much to bear. He crushed her to him, kissing her lips and face with gentle intensity, savoring the feel of her smooth skin under his.

When she finally pulled away, her eyes were clear and bright. "Let's finish this."

They faced the Gorgon, hands clasped between them.

"We've chosen. It's the both of us." Hermione said, in a loud clear voice. Ron glanced over at her and felt the pang of a thousand missed opportunities. He squeezed her hand and she squeezed back. They waited in tense silence.

The now-familiar grating of stone answered her. "You chose…wisely. The task is complete."

Hermione and Ron stared at each other in bewilderment. The Gorgon continued to speak.

"A sacrifice was required, one that would be freely given. You were both prepared to give your lives for your friend, but would you give your lives for each other? That was final test. The bond of friendship is a powerful one. Your bond of love makes it all the stronger. The spell will be cast when you leave these grounds." The heavy stone lids began to shut.

"Wait!" They both shouted together.

The Gorgon's eyes snapped back open. "You are both free to leave. Now go!" The face twisted and writhed as it settled back into the pediment. They watched as the visage slowly turned back to inanimate stone. Then there was silence once again. Ron turned slowly to Hermione. She stared back, eyes wide with shock.

"Let's get the hell out of here!" And he pulled her from the room.

***

As before, Ron landed in an inelegant heap on the ground. Seconds later, Hermione burst of the air and landed directly on top of him. He yelped.

"Ooh. Sorry!" She tried to move, but his arms caught her and held her still.

"It didn't hurt. If fact, I'm rather enjoying it." He gave her a devilish grin. She giggled and moved to sit up.

"Ron. Look!" She was staring at her wand. The slender willow wand had turned a light shade of sienna. Ron pulled his wand out his sleeve. It too had changed a similar shade of reddish-brown.


"What does that mean?"

Hermione shook her head. "I don't know. Unless…Oh, Ron. Let's try doing a spell together. An easy one."

He gave her a puzzled look. "Why?

"I just want to see. Let's do, oh, Wingardium Leviosa."

He grinned at her, and rolled his eyes. "How did I know you'd pick that one?"

They searched for a suitable object, but came up empty. Finally, Hermione pulled the pocketknife from her robes. She set it the ground and stepped back. "Okay, we'll say the words together. Ready?" Ron nodded, and they both pointed their wands toward the knife.

"Wingardium Leviosa!"

Two bright red streams shot from their wands and hit the small knife. It hurtled straight up into the air and disappeared. Their mouths dropped open.

Finally Ron spoke. "Did you see that? That was…awesome!"

Hermione was nodding. "I think that our wands are linked now. Any spell we do together is more powerful. Wow."

Dusk was falling all around, and the huge harvest moon cast orange rays across the lot. The light fell across Hermione's face as she focused on her wand. Ron caught his breath. A single damp curl had fallen on her cheek, and he brushed it away with his index finger.

He wanted to tell her, suddenly, what this day had meant to him. He wanted to talk about how things were never going to be the same for them, and how happy that made him. He didn't even know where to start, but he couldn't let this moment go by without saying something.

"You're amazing to me, Hermione Granger." Hermione's cheeks glowed pink, and she stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek.

***

The Three Broomsticks was crowded with Hogwarts students, and it took Ron a moment to pick Harry out of the bunch. He finally spotted he and Ginny sitting at a table in the far corner. It was like seeing him again after summer holidays, Ron thought. It felt as though they'd been away for ages- like a reunion. He couldn't wipe the smile off his face.

He reached for Hermione's hand and he walked toward them. Ginny was leaning forward, talking and laughing as Harry listened intently. The look on Harry's face was uncannily like the expressions his chess pieces wore around Ginny, and Harry had his arm slung around the back of Ginny's chair. It suddenly occurred to Ron that he might have missed something somewhere. When did that happen? He stopped and turned to Hermione with a quizzical expression. She laughed and shook her head at him, pulling him forward to the table.

"Ron! Hermione!" Harry removed his arm from the back of Ginny's chair. "Where've you been all day?" There was a teasing note in his voice.

"Around," said Ron vaguely. He and Hermione sat down at the table. Ginny was sending significant looks in Hermione's direction- apparently the fact they had walked in hand and hand had not escaped her attention.

"Hey, Hermione," Ginny said casually. "Should we treat these louts to some butterbeer?"

Ha ha, thought Ron. That's subtle. As if we don't know that she's pulling her away for a spot of girl talk. He was much too happy to care, though, and he squeezed Hermione's hand briefly under the table.

"Sure," said Hermione, equally as nonchalant.

Neither Harry nor Ron even pretended not to watch them as they walked away from the table. When Ron turned his eyes back from Hermione, he found himself looking squarely into his best friend's amused face. Harry grinned slightly, and nodded in the direction that the girls were heading.

"What?" Ron attempted innocence.

Harry cocked his head and raised an eyebrow.

All Ron could do was grin back.

fin

Author's Notes:

And thus the saga of Aquae Sulis comes to an end. It was a perilous journey fraught with death, moving trucks, and plot holes. But like Ron and Hermione we persevere! Like Harry and Ginny we giggle! And like Fred and George we generally have a pretty good time.