Tears slid down her face, betraying her, exposing the inner turmoil behind her usually calm and collected façade.
To him, they looked like falling stars. He wished he could kiss them away.
"I'm sorry," he murmured, too ashamed to look into her cold, sad eyes.
"You should be! But do you honestly think that pathetic excuse for an apology will fix everything?"
"I thought that by coming back-"
"Coming back? What exactly do you think coming back would accomplish? Do you want pity for you sins? Some sort of absolution for the guilt that weighs on your shoulders? NO! You left this family. Our family. You left us for nothing more than a cheap whore from Knockturn Alley and your own selfish devices." Her voice became hoarse from all yelling and it barely registered above a whisper.
"Do you know how much it hurts to tell your children that Daddy isn't coming home? Do you know how much it hurts me, knowing you never really loved me? You have destroyed everything we built together. Just coming back won't fix anything, you selfish bastard!"
As her anger renewed the strength in her resolve, the man looked on in awe at the fierce beauty before him. He said the only logical thing that came to his mind.
"Then what can I do?"
"Leave and never come back. I want you to know that for as long as you live, you will never experience even a modicum of the happiness you had and could have had here."
The finality in her voice shook soul. He was slowly beginning to realize that grand gestures and eloquent words would not be his saving grace. Damn it! I really lost her! This can't be happening, I love her! Reality was starting to sink into his consciousness.
"But I love you,!" Severus said without thinking, finally showing an ounce of honesty.
She stared back coldly. It was deadly silent. Seconds, minutes, hours, they all seemed to melt together. He was fully aware that his salvation and redemption hung from a very fragile string.
Slowly, almost as if her were gliding, she advanced toward him. A sharp crack resonated in the air. A look of horror sank into the Potion Master's face, his fingers lingering on the cheek where Hermione had slapped him. With all the dignity and grace she could muster, Hermione turned around and closed the door in the desperate man's face.
Upon hear the click of the door shutting, Severus began to scream.
"But I love you! I love you!"
On the other side of the down, Hermione sank down to the floor, weeping for her broken heart… and his.
You just didn't love me enough.
