CHAPTER TEN

Live and Let Die

The boat house glowed ominously in the dark. I could see two figures inside, disfigured by the glass of the windows. My breath was fast and shallow as I stepped toward the entrance.

Their voices were barely above a whisper, Severus' and the Dark Lord's. They stood so close, so intimately near each other, though I knew Severus would be uncomfortable. Not because he showed it, but because he'd told me once how much he hated being around him.

Nothing in the world, wizarding or muggle, could have prepared me for what happened next.

Voldemort slashed open Severus' throat with a lazy flick of his wand. Severus collapsed so slowly that my reaction caught in my throat.

With a faint pop, the Dark Lord vanished, and the sound of Severus gurgling was smothered by my scream.

I caught the man before he hit the floor, lowering him down and sinking to my knees. I was babbling and I knew it.

"Oh Merlin, Severus, oh geez this is dark magic, I don't know how to heal this, I can't-"

Severus silenced me with a finger to my lips. He was deathly white, his black eyes standing out more prominently than ever. "Shh," he whispered.

"Severus, you can't die. Please, don't leave me. I need you!"

"You will go on."

I let out a strangled, maniacal laugh. "Don't be stupid. The Dark Lord will-"

Severus silenced me again, his finger like ice against my mouth. "You must...you must give this to Potter," he said, his voice breaking. A strand of white memories streamed from his temple. I conjured a flask and caught it.

"Severus-"

The man grabbed my wrist, pulling me closer. "Look at me." I did, breath caught somewhere down in my lungs. "I never stopped...loving her."

The tears were coming. "Go be with her, Severus. Find Lily."

Severus' eyes were clouding. "Find your Lily, and don't ever let her go."

The wetness in my eyes fell like a flood, the dam finally breaking. "Severus, I-"

"Sam. Thank you."

Black eyes closed. I pulled the body closer, hung my head, and cried.

I didn't hear the footsteps as they approached. I sobbed into Severus' chest right up until Harry Potter put a hand on my shoulder.

I jumped. "Harry!"

"Hello, Sam," he said sadly. He looked at Severus, but didn't look particularly upset about his demise.

I sucked in a breath. "This is for you," I said, voice shaking. "You need to know. You need to understand."

"You bet I do," he said, bitterness in his tone.

I sniffed. "I'm s-"

Voldemort's voice boomed across the land. Harry bolted, returning as I now saw to where he, Ron, and Hermione had been hiding. Instinctively, I pulled Severus' body closer to me, as though they would be able to do more harm to him, but they left.

"Severus," I whispered. "I swear I'll finish this. And when it's over, I'll clear our names. You are the bravest man I ever knew, and I'll be sure the wizarding world knows it in the end."

I stood, laying the body flat and covering it with my cloak. It would be safe here, away from the fight.

"Goodbye, Severus."

Back at the castle, the battle had ceased. Temporarily. The Death Eaters had taken refuge in the forest, where I rejoined them. Lucius started to approach me, but I just caught his eye and shook my head purposefully. With my red rimmed eyes, I was certain he got the message.

I crouched at the base of a tree, needing something to support me.

Narcissa joined me. "Have you seen Draco?" she asked, her eyes as watery as mine.

I shook my head, the idea of losing Draco, too, overwhelming me with a wave of despair. I couldn't bear to lose anyone else.

When Harry entered the clearing, however, I knew my losses weren't over. So it was with an already shattered heart that I watched my cousin take the killing curse in the chest.

I gasped involuntarily, as though a physical part of my body had just been removed. If I had a soul, it was surely decimated by now.

"Make sure he's dead," the Dark Lord ordered.

I didn't realise I'd even moved until I was already at Harry's side, Narcissa with me. She leaned over him, her long hair covering his face as she listened for breath. I squeezed his wrist, checking for a pulse.

I frowned, confused when I felt a faint pulse under his skin. I could hear Narcissa whispering. "Is Draco alive?"

My cousin's response was inaudible, but when Narcissa straightened and pronounced him dead, I knew what the answer had to be.

My already aching heart flooded with relief, thankful that both Harry and Draco were all right, albeit still in the midst of a battle. I nodded to confirm Narcissa's pronouncement, then backed away to sink into the crowd.

As everyone herded toward the castle in celebration of Harry Potter's death, Narcissa held me back.

"You lied," I whispered.

"Just because my husband's an idiot doesn't mean I am," she replied.

I beamed, fresh tears falling. Though I knew her motives were different than mine, I was quite glad to have them aiming at the same result.

Back at the castle, the two sides faced off. I hung back, torn between leaving the fight and staying to ensure Harry came out on top. I watched from a mound of ruins as Draco crossed over to rejoin his family among the Death Eaters.

It wasn't until Harry sprang to life that I realised I hadn't been breathing. This was it: the final moments.

From my perch, I deflected the spells aimed at unprotected students. Everyone was scattering, the battle resuming without warning. The students flooded back into the castle, Death Eaters on their heels.

"Sam!" came a shout. I ducked instinctively, then glanced over to find Ron and Hermione waving me over.

I crossed carefully over to them, a shield charm just a thought away. "Uh, hey," I said awkwardly.

Hermione through her arms around my neck and pulled me into a long hug. "I can't believe I ever doubted you. Sam, you are so brave!"

"Um. Thanks?" I hedged, unsure. Ron pulled me in for a hug next. "Oh, ok, uh, what's-?"

"Harry told us what he saw in the Penseive. About you and Snape, how you fought to protect him all this time, how you sacrificed your life for him. Sam, I am so relieved."

"We all are," said Ron. "Harry especially. He was gutted when we thought you betrayed him."

"Imagine how Sam felt!"

I nodded. "Yeah, this has all been...hellish. To say the least. But uh, could we hold off on the chick flick moment until this war is over?" I suggested.

"Oh!" Hermione cried. "Of course! We should find-"

At that moment, a thunderous crash threw us off our feet. In the middle of the courtyard, Harry and Voldemort were locked in a ferocious duel, everyone else stopping to watch as the Boy Who Lived took on the Dark Lord.

Like lightning, the magic crackled through the air. Harry was overpowering Voldemort, the whole world on hold as the spell broke and the Dark Lord collapsed once and for all.

And so did I.

I crumpled to my knees, a huge weight lifting from my shoulders as the charade vanished. The Dark Lord was gone. Harry was safe now. No more pretending. No more-

Severus.

With the wards still down, I was able to disapparate to the boat house and return with Severus' body in my arms to the courtyard. He joined the dead among the Order's ranks.

The body count was high. Familiar faces of both student and Order-member caught my eye. I couldn't believe the death toll.

"Sam?" I turned to find Draco Malfoy at my side, looking entirely out of place. "Were you and Severus really on Potter's side all this time?"

I nodded.

"And you never let on."

"It was for his protection. And yours."

"Right."

I looked hard at him. "Are you all right?"

"It's just...it's all over. He's dead. It's like my whole world turned upside down."

"Maybe that's a good thing. Maybe now you can live the life you want to instead of the one you were given."

"I'd like that."

"You deserve it."

"Thanks, Sam. For everything. I mean it."

I smiled. "I'd say anytime, but I really don't mean it."

Draco snorted. "Fair enough."

As Draco returned to where his parents were huddled awkwardly in the Great Hall, I found myself with an armful of Harry Potter as he hugged me tightly.

"Oh, Sam, I've never been so happy to be proven wrong in my entire life!"

I managed a laugh at that. "You have no idea how many times I wanted to tell you. But I couldn't. I had to-"

"I know," Harry interrupted. "You don't have to apologise. I just want you to know how grateful I am."

"I'm so glad you're safe. We're all safe." I sighed contentedly.

"I wish Snape could have known about all of this," he said suddenly.

"Me, too. But...I'm sure he would agree that it was all worth it, that you survived and defeated Voldemort for good. All the pain and the lying...we made it in the end."

"Now we can all go and live boring, adult lives without any fun whatsoever."

I laughed properly at that. "Sounds good to me."

Harry turned suddenly, spotting something. "Oh, Ginny's waving me over. Gotta go."

"Go get your girl," I teased him, pushing him in her direction. "Go get your Lily," I whispered after him. "Er, I mean...whatever."

I wrapped my arms around my torso, suddenly feeling tired and weakened. My body was finally relaxing again, and I felt as though I could sleep for years.

So relaxed was I that I almost failed to react when none other than Terence Higgs appeared soundlessly and kissed me on the lips. As the realisation sunk in, all the numbness vanished, a spark of life settling within me once again as I snaked arms around the boy's neck and kissed him deeply.

"Hey, Sam!" came a shout.

Terence and I broke apart, matching smiles on our faces. With the veil cast aside, I could see Terence properly, how good he had been for me even when I hadn't noticed. But Luna and Stewart were beckoning me to where they were sitting atop the Ravenclaw table, or what was left of it. My grin widened, a warmth spreading through me despite all the losses, and crossed over to them, Terence's hand in mine. As I sat, they each tugged me in for a hug, somehow managing to stitch my broken self back into place without even saying a word. I wrapped my school cloak tighter around me, the Ravenclaw crest peaking out beneath the dirt and grime of the battle.