Disclaimer: no I do not own anything quite so wonderful as the rights to Harry Potter, well not anything material anyways…
A/N: Read away my lovelies, I am grateful for any feedback you wish to depart, even if its just a word, or a sentence if you're feeling energetic.
Severus Snape lifted a scared head off the mud and blood that was supporting it. He surveyed the finale battleground, the healers had arrived "Good then I have no responsibility to force myself from the ground and access my situation. I can just lay here and rot in the peace I always sought." He thought bitterly. In the entire area where the battle had so violently raged mere hours ago there was not one shred of hope, triumph or even some effort of the survivors trying to gather broken pieces of what was left of their lives. Not even anger had a place in the desolate land, merely a sense of disbelieve or silent horror. He did not feel the pain of his grievous injuries; he wished he did. He wished he had something to worry about; no he could not even worry for himself any longer. He raised his head from the mud; bodies surrounded him he felt noting as he stared at the lifeless corpses he had once all considered as allies; Lucius Malfoy, Arthur Weasley, Molly Weasley, Bellatrix Black, Nymphardora Tonks, Fred and George Weasley, Narcissa Malfoy, Peter Pettigrew, Lavender Brown, Avery Nott, Marcus Flint, Blaise Zabini, Luna Lovegood, Charlie Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Gregory Goyle were just the start of what would be a list all too long, the golden trio had faced the Dark Lord he knew that he had fallen but whether the three survived remained to be seen. He wondered was it worth it? Would the next generation thrive in peace? What would be his role in the new age that had dawned so grim? He collapsed back in the mud his strength failing him, the paramedics would be here soon and fuss over his unworthy form; there was no denying it he had survived again "How very Slytherin" he sneered at himself. He almost laughed at the foolishness of this war so many broken what were they fighting so hard for? Would they remember? Would they care? The paramedics were upon him now they checked his injuries did what they could there; enough so he could raise himself again then left him to deal with others until the could take him to St Mungo's. It was over now but the relief so deserved never came. Looking around he saw Remus Lupin struggle from the paramedics to Tonks' body; he simply held her limp form disbelievingly, he looked up to see Severus surveying him. His eyes brown eyes bored into Snape's silently pleading him to tell him the answers, as lost a small child without their mother. Severus shook his head and turned away and unnoticed tears began to stream down the werewolf's face; another who had survived too long.
Time had passed but in the face of war even the mighty time had lost meaning. The survivors that needed treatment had been taken away; dawn had raised its grim head, shedding bitter light on the scene. A warlock had taken care of his remaining wounds so that he was able to walk asking him hurriedly if it was ok not to take him to Mungo's due to the lack of space he had nodded and watched the warlock hurry off not uttering a word. Pulling his pitiful form from the mud and proceed to stand and survey once again not knowing what else to do. What could he do? He had no home, no one to receive news that he had survived even; Spinner's end had been destroyed when Voldermort found his true alliance, "Then surviving seemed so out of reach and so needed just hours ago yet here I am where there is no will to survive but surviving all the same." He thought in wonderment. Hogwarts had rejected him a year ago he doubted if would be wanted there even if he was eventually now was no time to return; too complicated. So he just stood, searching for something; anything through the stench of death
Anguish coursed through her body, Harry had been killed so suddenly and now Ron had been lost, she hugged their bodies close as the healer began to leave regrettably; they had to many to tend to they couldn't stay and look after another grief ridden survivor. "Ron no," she whispered "you should held out a bit longer, I know Harry is gone but you've left me alone," she croaked through the tears "Both of you! How could" she howled to the grey dawn the healers were leaving to take those they could to saint Mungo's. Hermione had not yet cried for Harry though he had died several hours ago she had put all her energy into hoping for Ron to pull through, she was so sure he would; she couldn't believe he wouldn't. But now with both gone all too soon after her parents death, she even began to think about who else might of died, she didn't want to. Cries coursed through her and echo around the dead land, a shadow fell across her form she turned looking to find hope, answers, a purpose, anything. Severus Snape stood silently robes though soiled and blooded ever billowing in the wind, his face showing the injuries unavoidable in war but always showing an expression of indifferent distaste. Hermione gazed into his fathomless eyes searchingly after a period of silence, which could have been seconds or hours, Hermione croaked "Molly..." "Dead" he said harshly though without malice merely speaking the brutal truth "And… and Arthur?" "Again dead" he said quietly turning away from her to gaze in the plains around, the wind swirling around him. "The other weasleys?" she said tears pouring down her cheeks, "Hermione…" he said pausing trying to think of how to phrase what needed to be said, before resigning to listing the dead "Bill and Fleur are all that is well from the weasleys and Fred's wife Angelina is currently critical in St Mungo's," he said with a sigh "Tonks is dead and Remus is recovering, although I don't think he shall ever recover he's lost too much…. McGonagall is alive and not critical. Moody is alive but cannot currently stand up due to back injuries. Lavender Brown and Luna Lovegood are among the decease. The Patil twins are in St Mungo's. Zechariah Smith is at his home in Oxford. Pansy Parkinson is at the ministry awaiting trial it seems that they are still unsure of her alliance, she was a member of the order if you didn't know, it seems she joined after Draco was killed for being a traitor to the Dark Lord. These are only the ones I know of." He said shortly Hermione sobs became more violent "Was it all worth it?" she said angrily to the sky, he drank in the emotion that seeped from her voice. "Where do I go from here! I shall be celebrated as one of the valiant heroines from the war but what good will it do, the whole wizardding world will admire me, sympathise with me but what's it all worth? I have no one, I have nothing left, no place I belong." She screamed in anguish then continued more quietly "Why was I one of the survivors? Why do I have deal with the guilt and grief? My life means so little now that those I love are gone." Severus Snape looked at young woman still clinging to the dead hands of her closest friends in a pool of mud and blood "How ironic," he thought to him self; he and the 'inferior mudblood' sullied with the same brush so different when surrounded by those who made a difference to their lives but when all was lost here they remain the same. It's a shame that one so young should suffer the cruellest end of life, he resolved into sitting by her side and after a pause said "And so it begins, the questions that cannot be answered plague you forever, I'm afraid Hermione." She let go of the corpses and looked at him expectantly, as if he could give her the answers or perhaps some wisdom to carry her through, or perhaps comfort, his eyes showed a glint of regret while searching hers giving her the answers to her silent questions. "There is no savoir this far down." He said seemingly randomly but to her it was hearing her sentence ring out with pristine clarity around an unforgiving court of life. Silence reigned supreme in the land which time deserted; there was no future, no defined past or present.
The tears dried to her surprise she thought they stream down her face to the end of her being; she was not grateful; this suggested that something should change though their was no change in sight. As emptiness consumed the light began to fail, and perhaps the temperature began to fall also but it was not felt. "What now?" she said quietly but clearly. He turned once again to survey her, "This would be the time to gather up what is left of one's life when there is nothing else left to do." He said simply "What if there is nothing left to gather?" she pleaded, "Then I suppose we remain the same." He stated. "We cannot stay here forever." She said desperately but emotionlessly as if she didn't hope "Don't say it unless you mean to say it with conviction." He said indifferently "You mean this is the fate of the broken?" she asked. "When there is no future there is no fate." He said and it hung thickly in the air.
"I'm sorry."
"To whom do you direct your apology?" he said, "It's not enough but at everyone, I'm sorry to those who died for surviving I'm sorry to those who lived who miss someone when I lived, I'm sorry to my parent for being a witch and making them a target, I'm sorry to muggles because I have the gift of being a witch and don't appreciate it and I'm sorry to you Severus, I'm sorry for berating your attitude of indifference when it's all I can now perceive." She said blankly
"And I am sorry you are not still berating my attitude." He said after a while, and she nodded in appreciation.
Rain started to fall in heavy slow drops, Severus' hand rested in the mud he felt something beneath the soft mud a spark of curiosity flicked and he began to wipe away the mud of about an 80cm² area glad to have some sort of focus. After he became more involved in clearing the mud Hermione noticed the movement and her attention was caught by the act. It was a large slab of smooth stone; he stared at it before moving his hands hunting for something. He picked a jagged piece of rock out of the mud and sharpened it on an edge of the slab; with it he began to chisel into the rock. After a while the marking he made formed letters, which formed words the first of which formed Harry Potter, she realised what he was doing and hurried to grab her wand. "Lumos," she said and simply held it over the stone so he could see it clearly, and watched silently as the words 'Ronald Weasley' began to form on the stone.
He smiled slightly at her understanding of the situation. When his hands tired he put down the stone he was using as a chisel; she picked it up and handed him the lit wand wordlessly. They worked on long after the last of the light had dipped over the horizon and still sleep had not come to claim them their hands blistered and bled but still they continued needing to have something to do.
Another grey sunrise dawned as they added the last words together; 'Each name another reason to endure' Rain once again splashed down clearing the last of the mud from the stone. The stone was crudely crafted but unknown to them even years later when the names have no relevance to two muggles who happen to stumble across it, it's beauty would prove overwhelming and a few more tear drops would fall upon it.
When the rain ceased, Severus Snape drew away from the silent sitting position; the closest either had come to sleep. He stood and turned to walk away; "Don't leave me," she pleaded desperately, he turned to face her regarding her silently "Then come with me." he said his expression not changing. She looked wide eyed at him then ran her fingers over the stone "A last tribute to the fallen" she said to her self sadly "Where are you going?"
"Honestly, I don't know." He replied turning to look over the land.
"I don't suppose it matters." She said taking his hand.
A/N: This is currently a one-shot I have no firm intentions of extending it (I personally quite like it as a one shot) but I'm not sure if its satisfying enough, but then again I'm not sure if I could maintain this tone through additional chapters and I have nowhere to be going with this but your views on the matter would be greatly appreciated if would care to share them (even if its "This is so sickeningly awful it would a crime to force more of this crap on the undeserving public" in fact especially if you think that I need to know).