10 Things I Hate About You

Everyone is celebrating. The Dark Lord is dead. Harry 'The Boy Who Died to Save Us All' Potter defeated him. The funeral for the saviour of the wizarding world was spectacular. Thousands of people showed up to pay tribute to a boy very few knew.

Harry would have hated it. So many of his friends are dead, I would be surprised if more ten people at the funeral actually knew who Harry truly was.

Ron and Hermione are still in Saint Mungo's with permanent damage. Ron lost a leg and Hermione lost their unborn child. Molly has been dead for six months. She died saving Percy, who she thought was under Imperius Curse. He wasn't though. He killed two of his brothers, Charlie and George, then his only sister Ginny, before Fred cast his first and last killing curse to kill him. The last of the Weasley family was at Saint Mungo's with Ron and Hermione. They didn't come to the funeral.

I was there. The funeral was yesterday. Today is a funeral for someone else entirely. I hadn't cried at any of the so called 'war funerals', not even three months ago when Tonks was laid to rest, until today. The man being laid to rest was a true war hero. But there are only three people here to pay him respects: the minister of magic, who has been presiding over all the funerals, Minerva and me.

As the casket is lowered into the ground I take the piece of paper out of my right pocket, and the single red rose out of my left. I step up to the side of the grave and toss the paper and rose in. I hope that he will have the peace in the afterlife that he never had in this one.

Severus,

I hate the way Sirius and James tormented you.

I hate the way weakness wouldn't allow me to stand up to them.

I hate the way you looked at me the morning after you discovered my secret.

I hate the way you still sneered at me after 14 years of being apart.

I hate the way my body reacts when you brought me my potion and our fingers brushed.

I hate the way you wouldn't believe me about 'Wormtail' the traitor.

I hate the way your face appeared in my mind when Sirius would take me, when I came.

I hate the way you killed Dumbledore.

I hate the way you died for Harry so he could kill Voldemort.

But most of all, I hate the way I don't hate you,

not even somewhat,

not even a little bit,

not at all.

Love Always,

Remus