Work Text:
“Hermione!”
“Severus!”
Luna shot out of their fireplace in a frantic state. She looked around and didn’t see them. “Hermione and Severus!”
Hermione came running down the stairs, tying her robe. “Luna! What’s wrong?”
“Is Severus here?” She rubbed her hands together nervously.
“Yes, but he’s finishing getting dressed.” The brunette steered her towards the kitchen to start the teakettle. “I’m going to make a pot of tea for us to drink before you get into what’s bothering you, Luna.”
Luna took a slow, deep breath to calm her nerves as Severus entered the kitchen. “Hello, Severus.”
“Luna.” He dipped his head before turning to Hermione, “Go get dressed. I’ll finish the tea making.”
“Thank you.” Hermione hurried out of the room and went up the stairs.
“I’m sorry if I interrupted anything.” Luna looked down.
“Don’t apologise.” He poured the hot water into the teapot before closing it. He threw some bread into the toaster before bringing over the teapot along with some cups. “Do you want some toast?” He quirked his brow.
“No, I ate earlier.” She gave him a grateful smile as he handed her a cup of tea. “Mm. This is good tea.”
“Thank you. We prefer Yorkshire in the mornings to get us going.” Severus stacked up the toast as Hermione came back into the room, ready for the day. “Marmalade?”
“Yes, please. Orange, if we have any left.” Hermione beamed at him.
“Very well.” He went to the icebox to retrieve it and placed it on the table along with their toast.
“Thank you, Severus.” She started to spread it on her toast before giving her undivided attention to her friend. “Alright, Luna?”
“The tea helped, but I’m very worried.” Her eyes began to swell.
“About what in particular, Luna?” Severus took over the conversation.
“The mooncalves.”
He sat up straight. “Where are those mooncalves? Their dung is invaluable for someone like Neville and his plants.” He turned his head when he heard Hermione drop something.
“Honestly!”
“Sorry, love. Not something to talk about during our eating time.”
She waved him off as she pushed the plate away before drinking more of her tea. “What about these mooncalves, Luna?”
“Oh, there had been reports from muggles about strange creatures at the Forest of Dean around the full moon, so the Ministry reached out to me to check into it.” She sighed. “Since there was one last night, I had a hunch and went to the forest to observe them.”
“There’s mooncalves at the Forest of Dean?” Hermione and Severus shared a glance. “Tell me. Luna, what did you observe?”
Luna’s brows furrowed. “Yes, I found them, but they were acting strangely. I watched them swim in a pond nearby, and when they got out, a majority passed out. I believe they got sick.”
“Sick?” Severus sat back. “Hmm. I wonder.” He tipped his head back for a moment as the two ladies looked at him. “Luna, can you please show us where this is within the Forest of Dean. Both Hermione and I were there at one point during the war.”
“Oh!” Luna sat up. “Do you think something happened to the water during that time?”
“It’s possible since Harry was wearing a cursed necklace. It might have tampered with the water just enough.” He groaned. “Bloody fool.”
“It’s not either of your faults.” Hermione admonished him. She flicked her wrist to clean up the breakfast dishes. “But if that is true, we need to figure out a way to cleanse the water for those animals.”
They rose from the table and went to the apparition point.
“Just think of me when you apparate.” Luna smiled as she disappeared.
Severus rolled his eyes before holding out his arm, “Shall we, my love?”
Hermione squeezed his bicep before dipping her head. They disappeared and were standing next to Luna.
“You did it.” She clapped her hands but stopped at his sharp look. “Sorry, right this way.” She led them through the trees and out into an opening where the pond was.
“Oh dear.” Severus recognised the area. “Yes, this is where I left the sword for you all.”
“Why in the water, though?” Hermione tilted her head.
“Do you honestly think Potter would have just taken it from me in the open?” He quirked his brow.
“Oh, no, not at that time, no.” She shook her head. “I was asleep when you lured him out to the water. I don’t know why he didn’t leave the necklace with me.”
“It’s Potter and his people saving thing.” He shook his head. “It’s in the past, and it’s time we figure out the issue at hand.”
“Yes!” Luna perked up. “One of the mooncalves is over here. They didn’t make it back to their burrow.” She led them to the edge of the trees where a mooncalf lay shivering in fear. “No, don’t be afraid. They are here to help you and your group.”
The usual pale grey skin was tainted and made it look darker than normal. The wide, blue-green eyes had a tint of yellow around them.
“Bloody Salazar, they did get poisoned by the lake. We need to cleanse the lake somehow and then hopefully refill it with fresh water.” Severus cursed as he looked at the sickly animal.
Hermione pulled out her beaded bag and dug around for her potions box. “Do you think putting in a diluted version of this?” She held up a healing potion.
Severus looked at it. “It might, but it wouldn’t solve the issue with the contaminated water supply.” He took a falling leaf and changed it into a large beaker. “Aguamenti!” Some water went into the cup before he took a dropper from her bag and put a little bit into the container before using the dropper to insert the mixture into the sick mooncalf’s mouth.
They all watched to see what happened as the steam gently wafted from its ears. The sickly hue faded away, and his eyes returned to normal shade. The animal rose, wide-eyed at the strange people. “Eek.”
“It’s happy.” Luna hopped in her crouch, clapping. ‘
“Brilliant, now to add to the water after we vaporise it away from making them ill again.” Severus rose from his hunches.
“I’m going to make this bigger and add the rest of the flask to it to mix it. Something tells me that we will need it.” Hermione took it from him to do exactly that.
He walked over to the pond to see if he could see a certain spot, to do the whole lot.
“Water moves around, Severus; better do the whole pond.” Luna sagely advised.
“I was thinking a dark magic like Fiendfyre, but I don’t know if it would still have an adverse effect on them.” He looked down at the wispy white blond.
“Hmm.” She tapped her chin. “I think that would be all right because it would disappear with the water itself.”
Good point.” He nodded as he looked back at the mooncalf, “Will they get better?”
“I believe so.” She smiled at him. “If you use that spell on this.” She waved at the water. “It will kill the poison within it and then use the potion that Hermione’s mixing up for them to feel better; it should work.”
“Excellent. Keep an eye out for them.” Severus requested. “I can’t be interrupted during that spell. “It’s dangerous.”
“Good luck.” She left him to join Hermione and the mooncalf.
He took a deep breath before raising his arm to cast the Fiendfyre spell. A large roar came out of his wand and shot into the water. Within seconds, the water started to have dark bubbles. “Hermione.”
“Yes?” She came over.
“Can you cast a bubble head charm, so I don’t inhale this?” He bobbed his head at the dark mist that was rising.
“Of course.” She did as she was asked and did one for herself as well. “Let me know when you are ready for the next step.”
“It will be soon.” He murmured as he focused on making it steam and evaporating the water from the pond. When it got about halfway down, he heard a strange noise behind him. Severus glanced over his shoulder to see all the mooncalves out and behind a shield, screaming at him. “What is going on?”
“To them, you look like an evil person hurting their special place.” Luna kindly replied. “I’m trying to explain, but they aren’t happy at the moment.”
Severus sighed as he looked up to see a full moon rising. “Have we been here all day?”
“Hmm. A bit we did have a late breakfast, and that is a rather large pond.” Hermione answered him. “I was hoping to see them for a bit anyway.”
“Why?”
“I’m hoping to get a sample from them to check it for poisons.” She remarked, “And hopefully Luna would bring us a sample after the third night to see if there are any changes in their dung?”
“I can do that.” Luna smiled. “It would be interesting to see if there are changes. I know next month is supposed to be the Supermoon, so I was hoping to get some then for Neville for his greenhouse.”
“Hopefully this works.” Severus nodded as he burned the last of the water out. He stepped back before casting a spell. “Oh, good, the soil down there is fine, so we should be able to help these creatures after we refill it.” He spun around. “Let them go.”
Hermione and Luna released the barriers as the mooncalves ran forward and gasped collectively at the empty pond. They started to wail.
“Bloody hell.” Severus covered his ears as he stepped back away from the noise.
“Do you think we are able to breathe now?” Hermione asked.
Luna looked down and saw there was no adverse effect on the creatures. “Yes, we can dispel our bubble charms.”
“Good.” Severus waved his arm. “Finite Incantatem.” He took a deep breath and was relieved to smell fresh air.
“Severus, we need to do something for them.” Hermione and Luna joined him at the pond, a little way away from the group.
“Indeed.” He quirked a brow at them. “We should refill the pond, but I don’t want them to jump in right away.”
“Hmm. Good point.” Luna tilted her head. “I know.” She flicked her wand, and there was a small shield around the pond and them as well. “Will this work?”
“Brilliant, Luna.” Hermione beamed before growing serious. “Can we make rain clouds to help refill the pond?”
“Yes, but we will have to do it in two folds because we need to add that potion into the water as well.” Severus dipped at her hand.
“Right.” Hermione’s face turned determined. “What’s the spell?”
“Oh, it’s nubes pluviales,” Luna replied. “If we do it together, it will be faster.”
They raised their wands to the sky above the pond, which caused the group of mooncalves to quiet down in fascination.
“Nubes Pluviales!” They shouted. Three large rainclouds shot out of their wands and started to pour into the dry hole, garnering a loud gasp.
“We need to cancel halfway up the pond so we can add the potion with a bit of whirlpool action,” Severus explained how they were going to spread the potion.
“Yes, sir.” Hermione and Luna replied cheekily.
“Don’t be daft and get ready.” He shook his head as he got ready to flick his wand. “Now.”
“Finite Incantatem!” The rain clouds disappeared, which made the group start chirping at them again.
“Imbeciles.” He muttered.
“Severus, this is their sacred pond.” Luna admonished him.
“Sorry, you are right.” He shook out his arms before he glanced over to his wife. “Love, when I tell you to start pouring, crouch down and slowly drizzle the flask contents into the eddy’s edge.”
“What should I do?” Luna asked.
“Make sure that they won’t attack us when we lift the final barrier to the water.” He smiled at her.
“I can do that.” Luna grinned before turning to her animals.
Hermione and Severus gave each other a reassuring glance. “Let’s do this.”
She knelt with her hand on the cork of the flask. Severus raised his hand, pointed the wand downward and slowly moved the water around in a whirlpool motion. He dipped his head when he knew it was ready for her mixture.
Hermione carefully uncorked the beaker and slowly poured it into the swirling water below her. She was amazed to see it mixing well. She vanished the container after she emptied it before rising to her feet. “Shall we finish filling this?”
“Yes.” Severus stopped the whirlpool.
“Nubes Pluviales!” They cried out together. The rain clouds burst out of their wands and started pouring into the pond, quieting the chittering mooncalves. It took about thirty to forty minutes to finish refilling the pond to its correct levels. They smiled as they cancelled the spell. “Release them, Luna.”
Luna looked behind her first to see the fresh water waiting for the little swimmers. “Yes.” She snapped her wand. “Finite Incantatem. Go on, my friends. Go have a nice swim for a change.”
Hermione, Severus and Luna watched with abated breath as the creatures rushed forward to dive into the water. The mooncalves squealed in delight at the fresh, cold water that they were swimming in. The two witches gave each other hugs in glee.
“I’m waiting to see what happens after they get out.” Severus was still standing there, stiff.
“Oh, good point.” Luna watched them in a subdued manner.
They all watched one of the bigger mooncalves get out of the water and preen at the full moon. It walked over to them and gave them a half-bow.
“Oh!” Luna clapped happily. “That means that it’s pleased with the new water and look!” She pointed to it. “The potion is already helping them.”
Hermione and Severus were amazed that their plan worked the first time. Severus relaxed his stance as he watched the elder mooncalf call his group out of the water. It started to walk towards its burrow but stopped to leave some poo for them.
The rest of the group got out of the water and made way to their home for the night. Some left a present for them, and some didn’t.
Hermione waited a bit before she moved to get a couple of different ones because she was curious to see if there was a difference between an adult one and a child one. She yawned as she rose from the ground. “I’m famished.”
Luna’s stomach rumbled as well. She grabbed it, “It appears that I am too.”
Severus smirked. “Let’s go back to the Snape abode and I’ll whip up some food for us all.”
“Sounds like a good idea, and I’ll put this in the lab until later.” Hermione nodded. “Luna?”
“Oh, you want me to come over?” Luna looked surprised.
“Luna, you did the best thing by saving those mooncalves from extinction in this area.” Severus praised her. “Plus, I imagine Hermione wants to talk to you about your next collection of the dung.”
Hermione blubbered before she admitted defeat. “Yes, I did, but I was going to wait until after dinner.”
“Hold my arm, ladies.” Severus raised his arms. They each grabbed an arm before he popped them back to Snapes’ home. “Go put that away before it reeks this house.”
“Be right back.” She kissed him on the cheek.
“Luna, please set the table while I whip up a light meal for us.” Severus went to the icebox and pulled out some eggs and cheese. He popped some bread in the toaster as he whisked together eggs, cheese and some seasoning before folding it all together on a flat griddle pan. “Can you get us something to drink?”
“Pumpkin juice?” Luna checked the icebox.
“Sounds perfect with the omelettes that he’s making.” Hermione smiled as she came back into the kitchen. She took the toast out and stacked it on the plate before adding more to it.
Severus carefully made one long omelette and cut it into three pieces before plating it. “Are we ready, ladies?” He picked up the plates and brought them to the table.
Hermione and Luna brought over the toast and juice. Hermione went back for the marmalade and butter for the other two.
Severus raised his pumpkin juice. “Cheers to a successful mission, ladies.”
“Cheers!” Hermione and Luna clicked their glasses together with him.
They enjoyed the rest of their meal, and Luna left with a happy heart.