things are happening! I hope you enjoy this chapter, It's been a lot of fun to write! thank you for the reviews they've been a real treat to read.
Hermione was beside herself in the waiting room of St. Mungos waiting to hear some kind of news. Harry was with her, he had been the first Auror on scene, and still had Severus' blood all over him from trying to stop the bleeding.
"Please be okay! Please be okay! Please be okay!" she sat rocking back and forth chanting, tears streaming down her face.
"He's gonna be okay Hermione," Harry said as soothingly as he could. "We know the curse that hit him, and there's a counter curse, we got there in time." He almost felt like he was trying to convince himself. It felt like hours before a Mediwitch finally came out to speak to them.
"Mr. Snape is stable for the time being." Hermione sobbed in relief, "He's lost quite a bit of blood and he'll be on blood replenishers and a course of healing potions for the next week. It may take him up to two months to fully recover, but we believe he will make a full recovery."
"When can I see him?!" Hermione practically begged.
"He might be groggy, but I'll take you to him now."
When Severus opened his eyes to the gleaming white light he thought for a moment he'd died, but her voice calling his name, her hands holding his nothing on the other side of the veil was so warm and wonderful as that. As his eyes adjusted to the light he saw her tear streaked face and in that moment she never looked more beautiful to him.
"You can't scare me like that again Severus!" she sobbed, clutching his hands.
"My dearests you are irrevocably stuck with me." His voice gravelly and low. "Is potter with you?"
"Of course," Harry said from the door frame. "I was trying to hang back and give you some privacy but I do need to get a statement."
"Do me a favor Potter," Snape said tiredly from his bed. "stuff that pompous Auror voice and Get your arse in here, and shut and ward the door."
"Glad your feeling better." Harry said with a chuckle, but complied nonchalantly with Snape's orders. Once the wards went up the tone changed drastically. "What can you tell me about the attack."
"Not much." Severus sigh wincing as he tried to move. "I let my guard down, I didn't even see him until he'd attacked me. I can say for certain it was a man, and that he was wearing a mask and robe. In passing it might have passed for Death Eater garb but it was too generic, clearly home made."
"I'd ask if you have any enemies but I think we know how that's gonna go." Harry said causing Severus to laugh, then cough and groan. "Sorry." Harry said sheepishly.
"I have an idea about who did it, I'm sure you do too." He looked pointedly at Harry who gave a grim nod in reply. "and I have an idea how to draw them out."
Severus Snape killed in Diagon Alley attack!
Former Headmaster, decorated war hero and controversial public figure was attacked in Diagon Alley early yesterday afternoon. He was taken to St. Mungos where initially he was stabilized and seemed to be on the road to recovery but late last night he took a turn for the worse and passed away suddenly.
A speaker for the Hospital has said that an autopsy will be performed to find the exact cause but it's believed a blood clot is responsible.
Mr. Snape leaves behind his girlfriend, Hermione Granger and the couple's Unborn child. There is no word on whether there will be a memorial service as of yet and Ms. Granger has been unavailable for questioning.
Auror Potter who was first on the scene has declined comment on the ongoing investigation into the attack that led to the Snape's death.
As Severus read the headline that was rocking the wizarding world over his morning tea, Hermione bustled into the bedroom with tray of potions.
"It's time to for potions!" she chirped.
"You're awfully chipper for someone whose supposed to be grieving my sudden death!" he said waving the paper around. "I am beginning to think you're enjoying torturing me with all these vile potions daily." Hermione merely tutted and uncorked the first one.
"I'm enjoying having you alive and safe." she sat down next to him and ran a hand across his stubbly cheek. "I have to make an appearance and play the grieving widow at Harry's today for your service."
"Oh to be a fly on that wall." Severus chuckled.
"Do you think this will work?" she looked worried.
"They won't hurt you." Severus said placing a warm hand on her belly. "but they'll be hard up to control the glee now that I'm gone. This should all be over in a few weeks."
"I have to admit I'm worried, what money we made off spinners end is going to run out soon and with you 'dead' and me still not having a job, I don't know how were going to get by until then." he tucked an errant curl behind her ear.
"My sweet girl, we've face harder times than this. As long as I have you I can bear anything that comes my way. I'd mud wrestle Hagrid naked for you." she laughed and he kept going, "I'd Eskimo kiss Voldemort for you! I'd trade clothes with Umbridge you!" until they were both crying from laughing.
Later that day at Grimauld place Hermione sat in Harry's sitting room with Ginny at her side. She decided to really drive the grief home by wearing the dress she'd been wearing during the attack, still spattered with blood. She wore no make up and went back and forth between bawling and what appeared to be a catatonic state. Witches and wizards milled around the place, talking in hushed tones occasionally stopping and offering condolences to the bereaved witch.
Harry was the only one who knew the truth but even he found himself forgetting that Severus was tucked into his bed at home reading potions journals and eating crisps.
When Ron and Lavender made their appearance, they made a beeline straight to Hermione. At first they were taken aback with her grief stricken appearance, but they recovered quickly with the most saccharine sympathy they could muster.
"Oh!" Lavender said quite dramatically, "You poor dear! And you with child and jobless!" Hermione almost broke character but covered it with a shriek of agony and continued sobbing.
Ron was saying loudly to anyone that would listen that he was sad for Hermione, how he never liked the wizard but would have never wished this on him. He was also heard speculating about Snape's list of enemies. Harry made his way over to the group with plate of biscuits and tea for Hermione. He set them down in front of her and pulled her into a hug, whispering in her ear.
To those around them it appeared he was just checking on the grieving woman, in reality they'd been checking in with each other for the next part of the plan.
"Thank you Harry." she said as she pulled back. Wiping her eyes and making some attempt to compose herself.
"The tea is well sugared, I know you haven't eaten much today." He said taking a seat across from her, since Ginny and Lavender were on either side of Hermione. Ron was sitting on the arm of the sofa next to Lavender.
"I'm so glad Severus asked you to be our baby's Godfather. I don't know how I'd get through this otherwise."Hermione said breaking into fresh tears. Ginny was silently rubbing Hermione's back with tears streaming down her face, Harry Felt terrible at putting her through this but knew she was to unskilled at hiding her emotions. "I don't know how I'm going to be a single mother, I don't know how to go back home to our cottage alone. I feel like he's going to walk through the door any moment."
"You can always meet someone new!" Lavender said as though Severus had left her for another woman and not died suddenly. "you're young!"
"And if you get back out there before you get much bigger you may meet a nice bloke who won't mind you having a kid." Ron continued for her "I could set you up with nice young man in muggle affairs, he's looking for someone to take to a wedding next week!"
"How can you two be so insensitive!" Ginny finally snapped! "Hermione has lost the love of her life and father of her child! She's grieving! For Merlin's sake she's still covered in his blood!" Harry had been waiting for Ginny to explode on the two, he was surprised she held out this long. He watched them react, Ron's ears flushed slightly, and there was a momentary flicker of guilt. Lavender had a similar flicker of guilt.
"Lets not do this in front of Hermione,"Harry said nodding down to the witch who had gone back to her catatonic state. Seemingly she was staring vacantly into space but she was carefully taking everything around her in. "Ron I noticed you didn't respond to the call about the attack I thought you were on rotation that day?"
"I had taken the morning off, I was actually visiting lavender in her shop when it happened. We heard the commotion but didn't know what it was until later." Ron replied smoothly.
"Why did you take the morning off? I didn't know about that." Harry questioned. Ron's eyes darted left before he answered. Harry knew he was lying.
"Lav had a clogged sink in her shop." he supplied.
"It was a hair washing sink, those things are always clogging but I'm rubbish at unclogging it. Ron's a wiz with home improvement charms and forever coming to my rescue." Lavender added. Harry mentally checked off another box, over explaining, definitely lying.
Hermione had excused herself a at this point, citing she hadn't slept since she attack and she was getting really tired. "Dreamless sleep potion is off limits for expecting mothers." she said rubbing her round bump lovingly. "This little one is all I have left of my soul mate so I need to try and rest for their sake."
Harry noted the reactions again, more guilt. It seemed Hermione's grief brought it out most. He made a mental note that next time they'd make use of that. When she left the group was momentarily quiet before Ron spoke up.
"So your the baby's godfather?" He asked, a hint of jealousy in his voice.
"Yeah, Severus asked me weeks ago back when they were still living in spinner's end trying to fix it up." Harry said. "We were talking about our messed up childhoods were and how scary being a dad sounded. He was really looking forward to it though, I know how he felt, having a real family for the first time after years of feeling unwanted." Harry choked up a little and it wasn't an act. He knew about Severus' childhood from the memories he'd 'accidentally' seen in his pensieve in fifth year. Although he didn't mention to Severus at the time he recognized the corner he'd been staring at from a memory of a young Snape cowering in fear from an approaching beating.
"How do you know all this stuff?" Ron was getting irritated now, he'd expected his friend to still dislike the man. Hearing him humanized was filling him with guilt he didn't want to feel.
"We really got to know each other in the last few weeks," Harry said. "I mean I already knew a lot because I've seen his memories from the war, but he had a few heart to hearts over a glass of firewhiskey since he started dating Hermione."
"I simply can't imagine a man that cold and cruel having a heart to heart with anyone." Lavender said, her tone clipped.
"You should have gotten to know the real Severus Snape then." Harry said, "He was not the guy who taught us potions at all. Everyone pictured this guy dressed in stuffy black robes, drinking brandy and reading by the fire while some classical music plays softly in the back ground, but then you go to his house and he's jamming out to 'The Sex Pistols' in Jeans and t-shirt while he works in the garden."
Harry and Ginny were having a good chuckle, recalling all the times dinner devolved into laughing and dancing to the wireless. Lavender and Ron looked a bit shaken having their image of the dark and dangerous man turned on its head.
It didn't take long after that for Ron and Lavender to clear out but Harry had more than from their body language alone. He invited them so come around later in the week, they were having Hermione over for dinner and "she needs the distraction right now." Harry said waving them off.
When the house was cleared out and Ginny had gone upstairs to rest, feeling drained, Harry popped over to see Severus and Hermione for debriefing and step two.
"So they already have dates line up and I'm not even cold in the ground!" Snape said with a laugh after getting the run down of the events.
"I could hardly believe that part myself!" Harry said, I mean tact and subtlety aren't their strong suits but that's a new level even for them."
"I think I have a hypothesis regarding motives." Hermione added. "I know the intent hadn't been to kill, I think they were trying to frighten me away from you."
"Yes," Severus said furrowing his brow. "I had a similar thought. Hence the death eater costume. Make it appear that I can't escape my past. Attack me with a curse of my own creation. All publicly while the world is trying to decide if I'm a monster or a romantic lead."
"Well whats next?" Hermione asked?
"If my suspicion is correct, they can't stop themselves from running to the press." Harry said. "You're public mourning, Nice touch with the dress by the way, doesn't fit their narrative and they'll be trying to skew perceptions next. So I give it at least three days before an 'expose' on the whole thing hits the Prophet."
