Sun After the Storm
Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter Characters nor the plot. They belong to J K Rowling.
Summary: The war is now over. Hermione seems to have lost something. Can it be replaced? Spoilers from Book Six.
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After a storm has passed, sun will shine. And it will seem beautiful, and lively, but you must not forget those we have lost, and those who still remain. We must rejoice in what we have left, and what will be made of them. We must look toward the future now and be happy.
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She sat by the window of her parent's old vacation house. What was she to do? She could hardly think now, too much had happened, and in so little time. He had looked horrible when she found him. Battered up, she supposed, from a Death Eater meeting that had gone horribly wrong. At first he wouldn't let her help him, no he had fought her off several times. But he soon gave in, finally realizing that she wasn't likely to quit any time soon, or ever, for that matter. She stood from the window and signed, today had been one long day. She went into the kitchen and made herself some tea.
The war had stopped. It had been horrible, it seemed that there was some fight or another every day. More muggles had died than wizards; the total now had risen to three hundred muggles, and two hundred and fifty witches and wizards. Every story she had read in the paper had been horrific. There had been two attacks alone in the middle of London. People didn't know what to make of it. What the hell was he trying to do? 'He', being Voldemort, of course.
Hogwarts had been closed because of the war. At the time it had seemed like a good idea, even to her. But she was horribly wrong. The attack had come in the middle of the night. Obeying her parents she wished she had never done. They had just thought that they were robbers; with a weapon in their hands the older Grangers had told their only daughter to hide. She knew where they were talking about. The only place safe inside of a house with really nowhere to hide. She had gone into the little panic room located on the inside of her bedroom. She looked the door behind her, and quickly turned on the little hidden cameras that had been installed before they bought the house. But before she was able to really get a look at the intruders, the power had gone off. She couldn't hear anything; she was completely unaware of the happenings outside of that little panic room.
Thirty minutes had gone by, and there was no sign of her parents. She wanted to know what was taking so long, and if her parents were okay. But another ten had passed and still nothing. After pondering over whether or not she should have a look around, she quietly opened the door of the panic room. It was quiet outside. No one was in her room; it didn't even look like anyone had gone into her room. She opened her door and walked into the hall. She stopped dead in her tracks; there in the hall was her mother's body, limp and unmoving. Tears formed in her eyes, and fell down her cheeks. She raced to her mother's body, and fell beside it. She clutched her body, and let out more tears.
The next thing she knew she was being pulled away. Away from her mother's body. And try as she might, she could not hold on tight enough. She didn't know who was holding her, but even though she fought that strong person, he would not let go. She didn't see her father's body, but she somehow knew that he had been killed as well. Later she would find out who had killed her parents. And oh how she would hate them for it. They had taken her to Order Headquarters, after trying to question her. Days had passed where she felt numb. There was no pain, or grief, that a person should feel after a loved one had been killed. But anger, which had quickly developed where that pain and grief should have been.
For weeks after she seemed to loose herself in studying. There was nothing that could pull her away. She wanted to revenge her parent's deaths but to do that she would need to be ready. Ready to fight those who she knew were stronger than she was. She had gone to the Ministry about a month after her parent's deaths and had taken her NEWRTS. No one had known where she had gone, and when she had gotten back they were all the more surprised that she was fine. Three days had passed, and two owls landed in the kitchen on a very rainy day. She took both letters off the owls and thanked them for delivering them. One was from the Ministry, and the other was undefined. After ten minutes of Remus's "checking" she was allowed to open her letters. Leaning over her shoulder was one snooping Ron.
"It's your N.E.W.E.R.T.S. scores. When did you take them?" He had asked, with a look of shock on his face.
She just smiled in response, and said nothing further. Ron had taken the letter out of her hands, and danced around the kitchen.
"Let's see what she got shall we?" he laughed before reading the contents on the inside, "Bloody hell! We're sitting next to a genius!"
"What are you talking about Ron?" His sister had asked sitting next to her.
"Well, you know the N.E.W.E.R.T.S. are scored by numbers instead of letters, kind of like those things muggles take."
"SAT," She said helping him out a little.
"Yeah those, well she scored a perfect score on everything! It even says that her score it high than anyone's from six decades. That's sixty years!"
"Bravo Ron. I think that's the smartest thing I've ever heard you say." His sister said.
She laughed silently at the memory. She missed them. Good times like that were very rare after that. For the second letter, was a proposal for an apprenticeship. She would have to go to France for two years. The field would be healing. She had agreed, hoping to escape the memories of her parents. She had left a week later to begin her training.
Two years had passed and, and her training was over. But the war was still raging on. She would go back to England but only for two months. For in those two months, the war would come raging down, and there would finally be an end. Everyone seem rejoiced that there was no more fighting, but those who had lost someone would feel grateful that those who had committed the crime would be put to a stop. She was one of those grateful ones. She had helped in the end, and more after in healing those that needed it. When those that needed healing were well enough she left. She didn't know what else to do. She wasn't alone, that was for sure, but she wanted to be.
She had taken a walk that rainy night she left. Completely lost in thought, she let her feet do the walking unaware of were exactly they were taking her. She didn't realize till later that something had been pulling her towards it, and that her feet seemed to be the only thing obeying it. She walked up old, dusty, steps that creaked every time she stepped on one. She stopped at the top, and looked around. She wondered how she had gotten here. But her thoughts were interrupted.
"Go away." Came a dry voice located somewhere in the room. She knew that voice.
"Professor Snape?" She called out.
"Leave, Miss Granger. Just go."
"Go where?" She asked more herself then the man hidden in the shadows.
"I don't care Miss Granger, just leave." He snapped out.
"Why do you hide here?" she asked him looking once around the room.
The room they were standing in was dark, and cold. There were wholes in the roof, which let the rain in. The floors were wet because of it, and there were cobwebs, and dust that covered everything she could see. Severus Snape could not answer her.
"Please come out of the shadows." She said in a gentle tone.
"Why? So that you can take a hit at me too?"
"Why would I want to do that?"
"Because Miss Granger, I killed Professor Dumbledore." He replied in a tone that she couldn't quite distinguish. It almost sound as though he felt hurt over it. Something she thought that he was incapable of. Though he is human, and humans feel.
"I don't think you really had a choice."
"What?"
"You heard me."
"That's not what I meant."
"I know."
"Explained to me exactly what you think you know."
"Only that you had made not one but two unbreakable vows." He stayed silent so she continued on. "One with Narcissa Malfoy, and the other with Albus Dumbledore."
"How do you know about that?" He asked in a demanding tone.
"It was easy to figure out. Especially when you have one of the parties admitting to it. Narcissa Malfoy said that she made you promise that you would kill Albus Dumbledore if her son could not do it."
"And what. Miss Granger, gave away the unbreakable vow that I made to Professor Dumbledore?" He said interrupting her.
"Harry told me what happened on the Astronomy tower that night Dumbledore died. Everything. Even how you and Dumbledore had locked eyes for seemed like a minute. It only makes since. If you were truly on our side then that's what he would have made you do."
"Bravo, Miss Granger. Become a detective. I don't care if you know the truth. Just leave me alone."
"No." She stopped amazed at her own courage, "Now please come out."
When he did come out, she was greatly surprised at his condition. He seemed even paler, then she remembered, and he was covered in blood. And after a second she realized that it was his blood he was covered in. she rushed forward, and stopped short when he took a step back.
"I'm not going to hurt you Professor Snape."
"Then what are you going to do?" He asked in a bewildered tone.
"Heal you."
She had talked him into going with her so that she could heal him in a more sanitary place. He had agreed, and she apparated the both of them to her parent's old vacation house. She had him lay down on a bed, as she attended to his wounds. When they were healed as much as they could be she went off to make him soup. He looked as if he hadn't eaten in months. After he was done eating or rather when she was satisfied with how much he ate, she made him sleep.
Hermione was now sitting at her kitchen table, wondering what she was going to do next.
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End of Chapter 1
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A/N: This is my new story. I hoped you like it. Please review. I just want to let you know that this story won't be very long. Or at least that's what I'm planning for. I'm not sure yet if it's going to be a Snap/Hermione ship, but I am sure that they become friends. If you have any questions let me know! Next Chapter up soon!