‘The Apprentice and the Necromancer’ by JunoMagic
Epilogue
Epilogue—Da Capo Al Fine
‘Ginny sent new pictures of James-Hermes. And Harry threatens to err…’ Hermione blushed.
‘Hex my bollocks off and serve them to me for lunch if we don’t attend the very same occasion next Sunday?’ Severus supplied with a snort.
Hermione laughed. ‘Something like that.’
‘All right. We’ll be there. Now, where are those ridiculous plants that you absolutely have to show me?’
‘Here.’ Hermione pointed at a meadow overflowing with blooming daffodils. ‘Look how many of them there are! Do you remember what that means?’
Of course he did. He would never forget their wedding day. ‘Joy and happiness,’ he replied, his voice very soft.
‘One day,’ Hermione said, her eyes filled with quiet determination, ‘maybe not tomorrow or next week…’
How Severus regretted the lines in her young face. How he mourned the lack of sparkle in her eyes. The absence of the shrill lilt of enthusiasm in her voice.
‘…maybe not even next year.’ She offered him a wry smile.
But she reached for him. Her almost spidery thin, always cold fingers curled around his hand. Her smile turned wistful. It was too bitter yet to be called hopeful, but there was a new hint of sweetness to it that had been missing since her rescue.
Hermione stepped into Severus’ embrace, her face turned up, her eyes never leaving his. ‘But I do believe that one day, one day, we’ll be fine.’
She drew his hand up to her lips and kissed his fingers.
‘Just fine.’
oooOooo
FINITE INCANTATEM
oooOooo
Was there some mention of an extra chapter here? I figured it would be after the end and jumped forward accordingly. Am I just confused, or wishfully thinking?
Again, congratulations on this– you really have outdone yourself. I definitely want to see more from you, fanfic or original work.
hob
ps, your spam protection is traumatizing me today, after all the Math I’ve been doing lately. Just so you know.
The extra chapter will fit in between the final chapter and the epilogue, I think. But since I’m having a really rough time of it right now offline, I have no idea when or if I will get around to writing it.
The rough time in real life – adversarial forces that will keep me from my o-fic for a while longer – will also push the sequel ahead. My loss, your gain? :-S
And I’m very sorry for the math trauma. I’m looking into a plugin for spam protection that will ask you custom questions (read: Who is Hermione’s one true love? First name, please.)
This is so great. I would like to come back here and print your amazing story. I don’t know if you read the recent meme on LJ about me (maddie50) where you reveal seven things about yourself. I admitted I have 8 crates of printed stories I maintain, which I re-read from time to time. Only the best mind you. I read chapters when I am on the treadmill or when I am too poorly to hold a book or get out of bed. I love your story. :-bd
Awww, you’re too kind! If you want to print this out, you might also want to take a look at the pdf files I created. They are all nicely formatted and stuff.
Also, I didn’t know you’re on lj – I must take a look when I have the time. 🙂
So, I read it straight through (with breaks for meals and sleep). May I just say wow? Wonderful blending of myth and religion, but mostly I love that evil events have lasting consequences, that happily ever after isn’t easy or unaffected, that trauma leaves scars but life goes on. That’s how good stories should be: real.
Had a few strange moments along the way, as there are elements in this story that will be appearing in future chapters of TPM. I swear to you, they’ve been in the planning long before I ever looked at this story. Great minds and synchronicity, I suppose.
Straight through?
Wow, what a great compliment! *beams*
I’m so thrilled that you liked it. I have to admit that I was a bit scared about how you’d like it! I think one aspect that I like best about the formatting I chose to employ in this story is that it makes it possible to cover long periods of time with comparatively few words and still shows how characters change, adjust, develop and grow.
And yay for GMTA. I can’t wait until you’re finished with TPM. I think I will devour that in one go!
What I like about Apprentice +:-)+ :
The idea of necromancy is really great. It explains the Peverells (better then Dumbledore) the wand, the cloak, the stone. It gives the story unexpected turns and twists.
Severus is neither hero no just cold Potions Master. He is a man capable of love. After all even JKR agreed.
The character of Hermione is full of life. I can believe that Snape loves her.
I love Louis and Alina they became a part of the story.
And thank you for Winky!
Thank you for your great sense of humour. Some of Ron’s sayings and thoughts made me giggle for long time. :-))
Have I mentioned the language? Very well written indeed! Helped to improve my English as well.
Your intimate scenes are beautiful and erotic without been porno or completely NC17-less. Just XD
And what I :-((
I wish you’d be kinder to Snape with Azkaban and sleepless nights.
I’m sorry for Draco.
Always thought of Umbridge as an old idiot. Does she evil enough for her role?
And one year for Hermione in the monastery… At least she had her hair back
Never boring, full of action, well written, with characters who acts like they should. Your novel works like a cup of hot black (coffee) for me. Inspiring! ^:-)^
Thank you so much for your kind words. I’m so happy you enjoyed my story, and words cannot express my gratitude and delight for the wonderful illustrations you have painted for it.
d:Db
WOW…just…WOW
This is one of the best fanfic stories I have ever read. (And I’ve read a LOT of them) Great plot, great characterization. I loved your original characters, very well written and believable.
I’m off to see what else you’ve written. Thank you so much for sharing your considerable talent.
Thank you for reading. I’m happy you enjoyed the story!
Maybe you’ll be interested to hear that there is a sequel to “Apprentice”:
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4345778/1/The_Book_of_the_Dead
It’s still a WIP and will probably remain so for the next year (I expect it to be about as long as Apprentice when all is said and done). But there are already 25 chapters posted, and I hope I’ll get around to writing more this week.
Amazing – I had no idea what I was getting into when I began reading this as I am new to the fanfic thing. However, I have read quite a few and this is in the top of my list. I read it nearly straight through – I had to move into my new house – but if I didn’t have to do that I’m quite sure I wouldn’t have been able to put it down. I even printed parts of it so I could read when I didn’t have access to my pc…when I was on the road, in the bath, etc. lol
I loved the depth of the plot and the character development. Alina and her mother where an interesting addition and it was nice to see how Snape interacted with her (Alina). Now that I think about it, I would have loved to see more interaction between them. I am assuming that may come with the sequel? With that in mind, I also love how you showed Snapes capacity to love by refering to his Slytherins as his children. I don’t know if that’s what you intended but it just proves all the more how complex and deep he really is. Additionally, the way he came to love Hermione and the way he loved her at the end was one of the most plausible developments of their love that I have read – Kudos!! Also, although I enjoy a little erotica here and there I tend to think of Snape as more tender than how he has been portrayed in some of the fics – especially given his childhood and his love of Lily. Thanks for not making it PWP but rather a beautiful experience between two people who deeply care for one another. The wand connection was fantastic, however – wish I had a couple of those! 😉
BTW – thanks, for Winky, Dobby & Hedwig!!
I look forward to reading more of your work.
Thank you for reading, and I’m really happy you enjoyed the story so much!
It’s a great compliment when readers only want more of something at the end of such a long story. 😀
Alina is one of the main characters of the sequel, so there will be definitely many more scenes with her and with Severus… By the way, yes, it was wholly intentional that Snape referred to the Slytherins as ‘his children’. I’ve never subscribed to the fanon belief that Snape ‘hates’ teaching. He could have masqueraded as the care-taker instead of Filch just as easily. Or as one of the school governors. I think that he really IS a teacher at heart, which makes the burden of the part he had to play for the Order even harder to bear.
Thank you SO much. When “Apprentice” was a WIP, I know that many people were extremely impatient about Hermione and Severus getting together in every sense… but I wanted their relationship to *work*. So everything went very very slowly, and the erotic scenes that are the staple of romance genre fanfic just didn’t happen very often.
Thank you once more! I hope you’ll enjoy the sequel of “Apprentice”, too. Right now I’m working on an essay for the writers’ workshop I moderate with Aranel Took, but the next chapter of “Book of the Dead” is already pretty much visibile in my mind.
It took me a couple of days but I read it straight through. I liked the plot of your story. I was a little uncomfortable with Alina’s feelings for Snape but I do understand them. It’s normal for what they went through. Part 25 was hard for me because of the deep feelings running through your story. I enjoyed the story but it did stir feelings of grief and sadness. On a positive note, lol, finally, Umbridge got what she deserves! I’ve always thought it was a mistake to let her out of the Forbidden Forest still breathing. I’m looking forward to reading The Book of the Dead. +:-)+
I’m glad you enjoyed the story!
And I absolutely agree on Alina’s feelings for Snape – they made me uncomfortable, too. But I think under the circumstances they were as “logical” as feelings can ever be. Also, as a basically healthy and well-adjusted teenager she moved on quickly enough. 🙂
I know that “Apprentice” isn’t exactly a light, happy story, but I think within all the grief and pain, it offers enough happiness and healing not to lose heart.
(And he, Umbridge – the witch we love to hate?)
I’m looking forward to hearing what you think of BoD! Sadly, I don’t have much time for it right now, because I’m in the middle of a job and still working on a pinch-fic for the SS/HG exchange.
Even though I’ve never read your stuff, never read any of your writing, I’m going to agree with the first review.
You’ve outdone yourself. And anyone who shall ever write a Hermione/Severus fanficion again.
Congratulations. 🙂 It was simply perfect.
Thank you for reading! I’m very happy you liked this story.
And maybe you’ll even take a look at some of my other fanfics now? 😉 Just in case – you can find them here: JunoMagic at FFNet.
I can’t really add anything new. I loved your story and couldn’t stop reading it.
You have successfully managed to write an independent and complex story with an amazing plot and wholly believable characters, even making your OCs fit easily in the magical world we all were already familiar with. Truly impressive.
However, I have to say I was really looking forward to a true happy ending for Severus and Hermione,though knowing there’s a sequel I won’t give up hope just yet! 😛
I also liked your treatment of Inquisition and that abhorrent part of catholicism -and other religions- that is fanatism. Because of being from a mostly catholic country – even though I am not a believer myself- it is appreciated when someone differentiates between the religion nowadays, its past, and its fanatic branches – you wouldn’t believe the absurd picture some people have about Catholicism in Spain. I think your plot had an amazing consistence even with darings elements such as mixing ‘muggle’ religion and necromancy.
Sorry about the spelling and grammar mistakes but since English isn’t my first language I can’t help them! :-S
Thanks for such a wonderful fic!
Thank YOU for reading, and for taking the time to leave a comment!
I’m kind of sad about the lack of a truly happy ending myself. The story kind of ran away with me! I’m afraid that “The Book of the Dead” doesn’t really lend itself to a happy ending adorned with pink hearts and perfume, either. However, you may consider “Candyfloss Days” as the culmination of both Apprentice and BoD.
I also promise that I shall be returning to BoD soon – as soon as offline life allows, at least. :-X