She leans her head against the glass and stares out into the distance. Her brown hair spreads across her shoulders in a curtain of frizz and her lip is tucked pertly underneath her front teeth.
"You're biting your lip again." He comments, leaning back in his chair and observing her. Black eyes sweep over her form quickly as he takes her in, noting her thin frame and slight shake that's all too common these days.
Her eyes move towards him for a second, briefly making contact before returning to look past the glass. She finally ceases biting her lip.
He moves towards her across the table and takes her hand in his.
"Where are you?" He asks.
Just like every time before, he knows he won't receive an answer.
—-
He's running, her screams filling his ears and penetrating his lungs with every breath he takes. If only he can get there fast enough. If he can only keep moving.
The curse cast by the death eater that now lay dying slowed his movements. Her screams are getting louder. He finally makes out that she is screaming for help. She's begging no and pleading for someone to just kill her.
His eyes focus in the distance and when he finally sees her broken and naked body lying on the ground covered in blood he falls to ghe ground beside her.
Still falling, deeper into the darkness, finally being awakened by his own cries of help. She turns in her sleep and snuggles against him. He clings to her crying as he falls back asleep.
—-
The letter came from St. Mungos earlier in the day. He knows exactly what it must say and she sinks to her knees right there in the kitchen and begins to cry. Rushing to hold her, his black hair mingling with her brown, their bodies move to the floor and he pulls her close. He too mourns for the loss.
He knows that the two boys had performed some sort of linking spell before entering battle, in hopes that their combined magical essences would be enough to help Harry kill Voldemort. He also knows that they had purposely kept it a secret from her, knowing that she would demand to be linked as well not caring that if one went down, all of them would. Silently cursing their lack of forethought in realizing what emotional damage it would do to her, he whispers to her that he loves her.
"I know that they loved you too."
Her only reply is a very feeble agreement, followed by harder sobs.
—-
Days passed before she is eating again, no matter how he struggles to make her see reason. He's aware that she was in more pain than he could ever imagine. His only hope is that he can see her out of it.
Weeks go by and she still sits in her chair by the window. He wonders what she saw when she stared out. Every day he asks but he never gets a reply. She eats, sleeps, and goes about her day in almost complete silence. They make love only when she initiates it, and he thinks that perhaps it's her way of apologizing to him.
He knows he is loosing her, but he doesn't realize he has lost her completely until the day she finally gives him an answer.
"I dream of being with them."
Her eyes meet his and he knows what she means. He knows what she wants.
"What of me? I will dream of being with you." He questions, taking her hand in his.
"You can come with me."
She lets go of his hand when he begins to cry.
—-
The potion is finished a few days later. When he hands her the glass vial filled with dark green liquid, she smiles for the first time in months.
She hands him a vial as well and he takes it between his shaking fingers. Placing both hands on her shoulders, he kisses her forehead.
"I love you." She whispers. He feels movement between them, and her body hits the floor before he can realize what is happening.
Stumbling in shock towards the door, he slides down against it and stares at her unmoving form, crying until he finds he can cry no more.
"I love you too, Hermione Snape."
—-
When their bodies are found many hours later, the story will hit the evening edition of the Daily Prophet within minutes. Hundreds will show up to the joint funeral of the last two remaining war heros.
Those closest to the couple will not be surprised though. For them, it was only a matter of time before the truly weary got their rest.