"Let her GO!" Snape yelled at Voldemort. Voldemort held Aegwyne, bloody and unconscious, by her throat. Aegwyne had long since been standing, and after a raking blow by Voldemort, she hasn't been up since. McGonagall tried to shoot her out of his hand, but it didn't work. Voldemort performed the disarming trick and watched the wand fly from their grasp. Aegwyne was coming to consciousness and as she did she realized her position. Dumbledore helped McGonagall up as Voldemort turned back to Aegwyne. But she was no where to be found. The others looked about. Suddenly a few footsteps were heard and a slow, small growl. Voldemort looked all about, not finding anything then as he looked up, a huge mass pounced on him and they skidded into rows of stalagmites made of ice. Voldemort flipped the black mass off. It landed on its feet, turning to face him and that made Voldemort realize the icy gaze of the panther.
"M-Midnight?" McGonagall straightened her glasses. "Aegwyne Midnight Shyne. Back from school…"
Snape watched in awe. Huge claws raked into the ice as she took off. In mid air, her claws extended more so. Voldemort picked up a huge stalagmite and thrusted it into the side of her ribcage. Taking some flesh and fur off, it cascaded into the wall. Aegwyne lost altitude, skidding into a wall. Harry and Aurora accompanied by Sirius watched; horrorstruck as she turned back into a human, being able to view a few of her ribs, poking out and broken. Aegwyne fought the pain, but alas, was losing the battle. She tried to get her wand out but Voldemort was looming over her. It dropped from he hand as she received a pelting kick in her broken ribs. Severus Snape was frantic. He looked as if he were about to turn Voldemort's insides to acid. Voldemort laughed and kicked her in the broken ribcage side and kicked her harder aside. She felt siring pain shoot through her as she lay, face down, on the snow. Severus ran towards her and picked her up as gently as possible.
Harry couldn't believe his eyes. Snape of all people! Caring for something that isn't Slytherin! Aurora thought it was sweet, even though she clung to her father, trying to not see the two penetrating ribs. Sirius patted her head, watching frostily. Aegwyne looked paler than before and her eyes were shut.
"Aegwyne. Can you hear me Aegwyne?" Snape wiped the snow from her face. Aegwyne was paler than anything was as she opened her eyes and looked up at him. "Se-Severus…"
She winced as a blood puddle formed under her as it leaked out of her robes her robes. She was a wreck. Nothing Madame Promfrey could fix. Her vision strayed as she felt more pain.
Dumbledore watched Voldemort sink back into the darkness as he made his escape. Helping McGonagall up, Dumbledore looked outside the cave to the warp hole in Hogwarts. Hermione and Ron's distorted faces watched in horror.
"Come Severus, let's get her to Poppy." Dumbledore said quietly. Severus nodded, gently picking her up. Her robes tattered and torn, looking like she had been attacked by a panther. She was a rag doll that a rhino played with.

In the hospital wing, Madame Promfrey had painfully cracked the ribs back into place. Aegwyne only screamed once, the other times she helped punch them back in. A week after the incident, Aegwyne was putting things on her shelves as Severus walked by. After she put a huge Dark Art book on the shelf, she faltered back and winced holding the gauze pad tighter to her under her robes. He poked his head into the classroom, watching her get a grip on the table. Breathing heavily she knelt down, picking up a few bottles, containing wings from fairies and butterflies. "For those stupid Hufflepuff girls who ALWAYS ask: How do you make the magical glittery dust?"
"I would be curious as to how to go about that myself, Ms. Shyne…" a voice came. Startled, Aegwyne turned to see Snape standing in the doorway. "Severus?"
He stepped in and leaned against a wall. Aegwyne finished putting the jars on the shelf and turned to face him. Usually when they are in the same room, it does get quiet. But it isn't from fear.
"So uh…how's your…how's you ribs doing?" he asked, looking down from the gems of her eyes. Aegwyne put her hand away from it. "It still hurts…a little…"
Snape nodded. He remembered the fury in her eyes when Voldemort tried to gang up on him. She remembered the pain she went through to make sure he was safe. She looked down for a few moments, then looked back up at him. "You were worried about me, weren't you, Severus?"
Severus looked at Aegwyne as she sat on the table. He looked down, he knew the answer, but could he say it? "I was, Aegwyne…But I cannot explain the reason…"
She hopped off the table and paced to him. "Well, why can't you? You could always talk to me whilst we were alone…nobody else in this room, so why can't you tell me?"
"It's just the…subject it regards. It isn't fitting." Snape looked away nervously. Aegwyne studied his eyes for what she could see of them.
"Well, whenever you wish to tell me, I will always be here to listen." She turned to go back to cleaning but Snape's hand caught hers. Aegwyne spun back towards him. "Don't go…I'll tell you." He said, his normal tone sounding just a little above a whisper. Aegwyne nodded "Alright."
"Aegwyne I…I don't know if I can say it…"
"Then whisper it…Nobody can hear whispers." Aegwyne replied, looking down. Severus leaned in and whispered something in her ear that made Aegwyne go bright red.
"Really? That's what you always wanted to tell me?"
Severus nodded, going a bit red himself. He was choking down a mad desire to kiss her. But he just built up courage to tell her his secret, so how could he?
"Severus…forgive me." And she hugged him. Snape, overcome by shock and pleasure, hugged back. Aegwyne shut her eyes, hearing his heart beat from within his robes mixed with the sound of his breathing. He never realized how small she was. She could almost look into his eyes, but she was a skinny thing. Of all his many years as a teacher, he vowed never to fall for a girl at work. He decided it was now or never. Aegwyne heard the rate of his heartbeat pick up.
"You have no idea how these past two years felt, Aegwyne. They made me think and feel things I would have never of before. And it's all since you came here. I hadn't the courage to say anything until now but-"
"That's how you've felt all along?" She asked, looking up at him.
Snape returned her gaze with a meaning in his eyes he had never shown before.
"I would have never thought that someone loved me…I would have never known." Aegwyne fought down the desire as he did, only they were so close now. So they just held onto another. What they craved wouldn't be too far off, but a huge rumble shook the grounds and the castle. Bottles fell off the shelf. They separated and looked around. "He's back." She whispered, as they both headed to the window. Dumbledore was holding off a huge snake. Aegwyne growled. "He can't hold it off much longer! Not on his own!"
"We have to do something." Aegwyne glared at the door then the Dark mark on her hand. "I have one trick up my sleeve…" She turned into her Panther form with wings. "Climb on. I'll get us out there fast." Snape climbed onto her back and she began running. Taking a sharp turn they flew out the door and around the back. Dumbledore tried every spell, but the snake just threw them off. "Give up Albus. This is the end."
"Is it now?" Aegwyne landed, Snape hopping off, she turning back into herself.
"Hello there, Aegwyne, Severus. Nice of you to join us." Voldemort hissed. Aegwyne grinned. "You chose a poor form, kittens just love the garden snakes." Her face became hardened again. Voldemort laughed. "And kittens also love yarn…" He tried to coil his tail around her but she jumped and landed behind it. Voldemort recollected into a human snake and then held his wand out. "Wanting that Rematch from the ice caverns Aegwyne? I think those few ribs dulled your sense in judgement!"
"I accept that." Aegwyne took out her wand and they just stared another down.

Harry's scar gave a painful jolt. "C'mon it's already started! T-they are fighting!" Harry yelled as Aurora, Sirius and Remus started bolting to the common room. "Who's winning?" Aurora asked. Harry looked down as he ran. "Voldemort. Come on, we can get a better view from the Gryffindor window! Hopefully she isn't mangled again. Remus winced as they kept running.

Aegwyne was blown back into a tree and fell, lying still. Voldemort grabbed her by the backs of her robes and pulled her up. "First Witch to die today, Aegwyne. But be assured, Albus and Severus will be meeting you shortly…oh very shortly." Suddenly Aegwyne started glowing. Voldemort couldn't keep a hold on her; he let her drop from his hand as she quickly stood up. "You will not lay a hand on either of them while I am alive. Tom Riddle and I swear nobody will have the solve the enigma of who killed you!"
She lunged at him, her wand inserting itself in his eye. His power started to deteriorate as he flung her into Hogwarts. She landed with a painful thud as Voldemort started to seep into nothing and he finally disappeared. Aegwyne curled up, her ribs giving a jolt of pain. Getting to her knees she watched the smoke clear Snape jogged to her and kneeled beside her. "Aegwyne…are you…alright?"
"Severus he…he did it again." She fell forward, Snape catching her. He held her in his arms. Aegwyne was pale again. She looked up at him and stared into his eyes. "This is- the second time you've held me today…"
He gave a small grin. "Well, maybe that be true."
Aegwyne grinned and then huddled in, feeling wounded and completely vulnerable.
She was taken inside once again. She had beaten out Harry for Madame Promfrey visits for the year.
Soon before the Summer Holidays came, Aegwyne walked along the castle alone and she looked over the forbidden forest. It was as serene as it was forbidden. She felt someone behind her. She turned, seeing Snape. Her eyes lit up. "Severus…"
He looked at her. "Hello Aegwyne." And they hugged. This was very odd for the both, but as Cassidy usually said, ("Only fools fall in love.") so they must have been the biggest fools. The moon was just rising over the trees. Aegwyne's green eyes reflected off the moon. "Severus, close your eyes for me. I have a surprise."
Snape shut his eyes, not knowing what to expect. She watched how cute he was with his eyes closed then she softly placed her lips on his. Snape was a little shocked but it was a welcome surprise. Her lips were soft, her hands were soft around his neck and her embrace was soft yet firm. This was a moment they wanted to last, something he wouldn't let go.

The End Finito