Disclaimer: I do not make any profit from molding JK Rowling's characters into my story.
A/N: A story I thought I'd throw out there to see if it's received well. I was listening to Jeremih's "Broken Down" when I thought of this. Enjoy!
It finally ends tonight.
These are the words playing through his head like a mantra as Severus Snape traverses the tunnel leading to the Shrieking Shack.
His Master has summoned him for a special assignment. Severus' robes flare as he glides down the tunnel with only the determination to see this thing through once and for all. It's the final battle, and he's grateful to finally see the end.
As Professor Severus Snape slowly came to consciousness, he was vaguely aware of a small sound coming from his left side. The second thing he noticed was being extremely light-headed and the sense that the earth was slightly spinning. If he didn't know better, he'd say the welcomed oblivion of death did not come and swallow him whole. No! This can't be happening; I'm suppose to die, he desperately thought.
There was a desperate gurgling sound on the edge of his hearing, and it took him a few moments to realize that it was he who was doing the gurgling. A touch of cool, soft skin was on his cheeks, and he settled down slightly from the soothing affect that skin had upon him. Severus heard soft murmuring close to his ears, but he couldn't make out the gentle words; it was as if he were on one side of a tunnel and the gentle voice was on the other.
The sense of calmness left him suddenly, and he started thrashing about in search for that calmness to come back to him. He settled again when the soft skin came to his cheek and that gentle voice, which whispered of safe, sweet things, sang in his ears. His understanding of words finally started to return to him, but slowly.
"Pl- fessor, don't move. I have to fix- ound on your neck. You're- at an alarming rate," the sweet, angelic tone spoke to him.
From what he heard, he understood that he was in danger and needed attention before whatever it was that it was happened to him. He tried to form words of assent, but a large blackness took him.
When Hermione Granger, Griffyndor student of Hogwarts and know-it-all, witnessed the brutal attack on Professor Snape and the bestowing of his memories to Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, her only thought aside from the conjuring of a flask to put said memories into something to view later were to save the man's life, thus she found herself kneeling beside him desperately searching her memory for healing spells or anything that would help. A tugging from someone on her arm urged her to get up, but her only thought was to help Professor Snape, for a good man such as him to die would be a waste.
The tugging became insistent, so she got up and made to go where it lead. When her, Harry, and Ron rounded a corner, she drew back, slowing to an unnoticed pace so as not to alert her two friends that she wasn't following. She kept her attention on Harry and Ron's progress through the tunnel, and when it was safe enough, she turned and headed back to the Professor.
She got back to where they left him and noticed that he was so still she almost lost hope that he was still alive. Hermione rushed over to him and dropped to her knees beside him. When she settled beside him, he came to some consciousness thrashing a little and making gurgling sounds. She feared he might tear his wounds open some more, so she placed her hands on either side of his face. He calmed a little at her touch, so she moved to take our her wand, but, at the loss of her touch, he started thrashing again. Hermione quickly dropped her wand next to her and returned her hands to her Professor.
When he calmed again, she spoke to him in soothing tones, "Please, Professor, don't move. I have to fix this wound on your neck. You're losing blood at an alarming rate."
She sought for any signs of assent, and when she got one in the form of him losing consciousness once again. She sighed, thinking there was nothing for it, but a new determination took her over.
Hogwarts' resident know-it-all grabbed up her wand and cast a diagnostic spell she learnt from Madame Pomphrey last year when Dumbledore decided it would be prudent for the students of Hogwarts to know some healing techniques. She found that her Professor must have foresaw such betrayal because the venom from Nagini that ran through his veins is quite weak from such a snake. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief because now all she has to worry about was the viscous wound on his neck which bled like a fountain.
After ending the diagnostic spell, she searched through her bag for the potions she kept in case of an emergency. Dittany, Blood-Replenishing, and Anti-Venin. With these potions in hand, Hermione began to work. Dittany first to close the wound; Anti-Venin to purge the rest of Nagini's venom, and Blood-Replenishing to replace the blood loss. It took a bit to get the Anti-Venin and Blood-Replenishing down Professor Snape, yet she worked until she was sure he swallowed it all.
Hermione sat back and waited for the potions to work enough so she can move him to a safer place until Harry defeats Voldemort. A few minutes passed in what seemed like hours when he finally started showing signs of recovery. She sprang into action, grabbing up her wand and bag. After checking everything to make sure she didn't leave any clue that she was here to help him, Hermione levitated Professor Snape and moved him through the Shrieking Shack and out the front door instead of retracing her steps through the tunnel under the Whomping Willow in case someone happened through there.
Once out of the decrepit building, she made her way to Hogsmeade thinking of the best place to hide him that no one would think to look. Aberforth, her mind supplied. Yes, he wouldn't let anything or anyone happen to Professor Snape. With that, Hermione veered towards the Hogs Head Inn.