As Harry stood to his feet, staggering backwards away from the now lifeless body of Severus Snape, Hermione took the chance to lurch forwards and empty the vial of anti-venom into his slightly open mouth. She could feel Harry and Ron staring at her, and hastily wiped away the tears. Just as she was about to turn and bark at them to leave her alone, Voldemort's voice reverberated around the room. Hermione gave Snape a gentle shake, but he did not seem to have responded to the potion. Her heart thumped painfully against her chest as she closed her eyes and listened.
"You have fought valiantly. Lord Voldemort knows how to value bravery. I speak now, Harry Potter, to you. I shall wait for one hour in the Forbidden Forest. If, at the end of that hour, you have not come to me, have not given yourself up, then battle recommences. This time, I shall enter the fray myself, Harry Potter, and I shall find you, and I shall punish every last man, woman and child who has tried to conceal you from me. One hour."
Hermione turned quickly, wiping another tear from her eyes.
"Harry, you must go!" She hissed. "You need to look at those memories...it's imperative."
"But, but I – "
"Go now!" She shrieked.
"What about you?" Ron asked. "You have to come with us."
"No...no! I'm going to stay here, I need to stay here and...and..." She sobbed, wiping at her eyes again.
"Hermione, I don't understand..."
"You will when you see those memories, Harry, everything will become clear if you just look at them." Ron patted Harry's shoulder, as if to force him away from Hermione, and she listened intently as they left the Shrieking Shack. She leant forwards, relieved by the silence, and wiped away some of the blood that covered Snape's face, her hand shaking as she did.
"Severus..." She whispered imploringly. "Severus, please."
Harry made his way up to the Headmaster's office, running faster than he had ever ran in his entire life. He reached the stone gargoyle which, as he had expected, demanded to hear the password.
"Dumbledore!" Harry blurted, simply because it had been the person who he longed to see. The gargoyle, however, responded, and slid aside to reveal the familiar staircase.
Harry came to a juddering halt when he arrived in the office to see it completely empty. None of the headmasters were in their frames – not even Dumbledore, whom he had been yearning to see. He took a moment to look around the office, surprised to find that it remained unchanged. Something that was new, however, was a stone paperweight in the shape of a snake – it had clearly belonged to Snape. For a reason that was not even apparent to Harry, he picked up the small item and pocketed it; he would give it to Hermione. After seeing how distraught she had been, he thought that she would like something to remind her. Harry spotted the Pensieve in the corner, and lugged it over to the desk. He tipped Snape's memories into them, feeling a churning sensation in his stomach that he could not identify. He found that he was reluctant to enter them, to discover things that would no doubt change his outlook on everything.
When Harry had plunged into the memories, he found himself tumbling forwards into a sunlit playground that would have been quite pretty, if it were not for the shadow of an ugly factory that fell over it. Harry watched as a young Snape conversed with a young redhead and a mean-looking girl who were clearly his own mother and aunt. Snape and his mother had been friends, best friends if the later scenes of them running and talking together were any proof. It also explained to him where his aunt Petunia's hatred of magic had come from – she had been jealous of his mother and of Snape, of the magic that they were both able to do and the secrets that they shared.
The memories of his mother and Snape at Hogwarts interested him the most. One in particular stood out, when they were walking across the castle courtyard bickering about something together.
"I thought we were supposed to be friends?" Snape demanded. "Best friends?"
"We are, Sev, but I don't like some of the people you're hanging around with! Do you know what they did to Mary Macdonald the other day?"
"It was nothing, it was a laugh that's all."
"It was Dark Magic, and if you think that's funny..."
"What about the stuff Potter and his mates get up to?"
"What's Potter got to do with anything? Why are you so obsessed with them? Why do you care what they're doing?"
"I'm just trying to show you they're not as wonderful as everyone seems to think they are." Snape had stared at his mother so intently that he seemed to make her blush.
Harry watched memory after memory and, the more he saw, the more he began to understand. Severus Snape had been in love with his mother since childhood. They had grown up together, and Snape had continuously seen to it that his mother had grown more and more disenchanted with him, until she had hated him completely. Harry watched in horror as a slightly older Snape fell to the floor in front of Dumbledore, his face full of agony.
"I come with a warning – no, a request...please..."
"What request could a Death Eater make of me?"
"The prophecy..."
"Ah, yes. How much did you relay to Lord Voldemort?"
"Everything I heard! That is why...it is for that reason...he thinks it means Lily Evans! He is going to hunt her down...kill them all."
"If she means so much to you," Dumbledore said, "surely Lord Voldemort will spare her? Could you not ask for mercy for the mother, in exchange of the son?"
"I have...I have asked him."
"You disgust me." Harry was taken aback by the contempt in the Headmaster's voice.
"Hide them all..." Snape begged. "Keep her...them safe."
"And what will you give me in return, Severus?"
"Anything."
Harry watched as the years flew by, as Snape promised to help keep Harry safe as penance for what he had done, as he complained as Harry started school. He was taken aback as he watched Snape try to heal Dumbledore's withered hand, even more so when the headmaster made Severus promise to kill him. Harry watched intently during one particular scene, one scene that would change his life forever.
"There will come a time after my death," Dumbledore explained, "When Lord Voldemort will seem to fear for the life of his snake. If there comes a time when Lord Voldemort keeps it safe behind him then, I think, it will be safe to tell Harry."
"Tell him what?"
"That on the night Lord Voldemort tried to kill him, a fragment of Voldemort's soul was blasted from the whole and latched itself onto Harry. While that fragment of soul, unmissed by Voldemort, remains attached to, and protected by Harry, Lord Voldemort cannot die."
"So the boy...the boy must die?"
"And Voldemort himself must do it."
The memory faded and, for a moment, Harry thought it was the end. He stood in blackness for a moment, contemplating what he had just heard until, suddenly, there was a rush of colour and sound and light. He saw Hermione sitting in a dirty house, begging Snape to help her, saw her taking a potion as she was watched by Snape and transforming into a black-haired, dark-eyed witch. He watched again as she rowed with Snape about her freedom, as she watched the memories that he too had just seen and swore to be Snape's friend. Harry could not believe it as he saw Hermione and Snape stood at his parents' grave as Hermione wept, a rose led atop the wreath that he had left, placed there by Hermione's hand. The colour was almost overwhelming as he saw Hermione pressed against Snape in a forest, her head buried in his robes as, behind her, he and Ron dived into the lake to collect the sword. It flashed again to an image of them at Lovegood's house, of Hermione and Snape laughing together with Aberforth Dumbledore over drinks in the Hog's Head, then of Hermione standing so close to Snape, close enough that they looked as if they might be about to kiss.
And then...then they were kissing. Snape's hands cupping Hermione's face, hers entangled in his long hair, before they broke away and Snape commanded her to look at him... "Look...at...me." He'd said that just before he'd died, hadn't he? He had been talking to Hermione...Harry willed the memory to end as Hermione took Snape's hand and appeared to be leading him to bed...The memory jumped quickly to Hermione sitting in a battered chair wearing a dressing gown that clearly belonged to Snape, telling him that she had feelings for him but that it was better for the two of them if it ended, that she would not compete with Lily Potter...And then Harry watched as Snape ran through the forest, looking for her desperately, and his heart pounded as Snape looked towards Hogwarts glittering in the moonlight and screamed her name into the darkness... "Hermione!"
"Lily?"
Severus had expected that, after being bitten in the neck by a venomous snake, he would have felt some pain. He was surprised, therefore, to find that he could feel nothing, as he re-gained awareness that he was led on a cold, hard floor. Slowly opening his eyes, and gradually raising himself into a sitting position, he realised that he was surrounded by nothing but light – white, pure, endless light that almost seemed to hurt his eyes. He frowned as he stood up, confused as to where he was and why he seemed to be wearing a white shirt and a pair of white trousers; neither of which he actually possessed. As Severus turned on the spot, he saw suddenly that he was not alone. In the distance, he could see a flash of red and, as he approached, he came to realise who it was. She was sat on a familiar swing, smiling at him warmly and looking the very image of an angel – whether it was due to the realisation that the light seemed to originate from her, or the fact that she was even there at all, Snape felt a little overwhelmed.
"Yes." She replied quietly, the smile remaining upon her face. "I've been waiting for you, Sev."
"I can only presume I am dead." She slowly tilted her head to one side.
"Something like that...but really, that decision can only be made by you."
"I do not understand. Where is this place?" She stood and walked towards him, stopping but a few feet away. He found himself anxious to reach out and touch her, to confirm that she was real and not just some twisted figment of his dying imagination.
"I'm not sure where it is...but you're here because you have a choice. You can choose to come with me now, to take my hand and walk away from it all, or you can decide to return..."
A distant noise suddenly interrupted the peace; it was the sound of crying, of shouting, that seemed as if it was travelling from miles away. It ended just as swiftly as it had begun.
"Ah yes," Severus replied, smirking slightly, "the difficult choice between heaven and hell...how must one be expected to choose?" Lily laughed.
"You always did have a dry sense of humour." She sighed. "My real purpose here is to try and help you to choose. I have to tell you in all fairness, Sev, that I am highly biased towards the choice to live."
"I see. You do not wish for my presence to sully your perfect heaven, is that it?"
"Most certainly not." She replied. "I simply believe that you have not yet given all you are able to, Severus – that there is still too much left for life to give you."
"These past seven years at least, Lily, I have given towards the protection and education of your only son. What more is there to be done, now that it is all over and my task is finished?"
"Many things." Lily narrowed her eyes. "I've been watching you Severus, and I know that your life is not as miserable as you claim it to be. I know that there's something worth living for, if only you'd give it a chance."
"To what are you referring?"
"'To whom' would perhaps be a little more appropriate, Severus, as I am referring to Hermione Granger."
"How do you...? How can you...?"
"Know about her? Speak about her?" Lily smiled widely. "There's nothing to be ashamed of, you know, in loving someone."
"I do not love her." Severus growled.
"No, you don't..." Snape watched carefully as Lily walked back over to the swing and sat down, gently beginning to rock backwards and forwards. Severus too moved forwards and sat on the swing next to hers, mimicking her motions. She turned to him, a questioning look upon her face. "Why is that? You could fall in love with her quite easily, you know...I can tell just from watching you."
"I swore to Albus that I would help your son. I devoted my life to it, to your memory. To...to fall in love...such a thing would dishonour it." Lily laughed, swinging forwards much higher than she had before, and Severus kicked his legs to match her. He felt so odd, doing something as childish as that; something that he had not done in a long time.
"You are still as strange as ever! Love is something so truly honourable, that it overrides everything else. It is more important. Surely my death should have taught you that?"
"It taught me that all good things are snatched away."
"You are so terribly melancholy! How can you be so miserable in a place as beautiful as this?" Lily threw back her head, her hair blowing in an invisible wind that Severus could neither feel nor hear. It reminded him of Hermione, on the evening when he had approached her unseen, and watched her swinging so freely in the playground.
"What is it that you are truly trying to tell me, Lily?" Severus asked suddenly, bringing himself to an abrupt stop. "You have been insinuating it since the very moment I...awoke." She too stopped, pausing for a moment, before standing and coming to kneel in front of Severus. She took her hands in his, and he could not fight the urge to pull them away. She did not look offended when he did, but simply sat back and placed her hands upon her lap.
"I know that you will choose to return to life," She said simply, "because I am going to ask you to. This shall be the last favour I will ask of you and, when you have done it, you will be free."
"Free? From what?"
"From me." She smiled somewhat sadly. "It has been 17 years since I died, and many more before that since you and I...You were not to blame for my death, Severus – the guilt should never have been yours. You are free from it now...you owe nothing to me, and I expect nothing of you."
He stared at her for a moment; it could have been an hour or a day, a month or a year. It felt like an eternity to Severus, until he finally found the power to speak.
"Hermione...?"
"Will be there when you wake, I don't doubt." She sighed. "And when you do wake, it is time to tell her that you're able to forget the past and move onto the future."
Everything seemed to be swimming before Severus' very eyes, the white light momentarily disappearing as a grey, rotting room took its place. He blinked and it swam into focus, but even then the edges seemed to fade.
"You are simply a figment of my imagination, aren't you? This is all in my mind, isn't it? It is not real."
"It may be in your mind, Severus, but why on earth should that mean it isn't real?
Hermione gave a juddering sigh, once again stroking Severus' face and pleading with him to wake up. She had ceased crying, but her eyes stung and she longed to close them, to join him in what appeared to be only a restful sleep. It was strange, sitting there in the silence of the Shrieking Shack and knowing that, so nearby, the noise would be thunderous and a battle raged. Hermione thought that she preferred it that way, being alone with Severus and distanced from everyone else – after all, that was how it had been for quite a long time, and they had always had their own, personal battles to fight.
Hermione did not know how long she sat there – no one came to the Shrieking Shack, and she did not wear a watch. She had begun to pace, and was walking the length of the room in long, careful steps until, suddenly, Severus gave a loud groan. Hermione ran over to him, dropping to her knees and gently placing a hand on his chest. He moaned again, before slowly opening his eyes.
"Her...Hermione? Hermione?"
"Yes! Yes, I'm here...I'm here!"
"Water." He mumbled groggily. "I need water." Hermione took out her wand and conjured a glass, before magically filling it with water. He sipped it carefully, wincing slightly as he swallowed.
"I'm so glad you're alright." She whispered, a little self-conscious that she was once again crying. "I thought you were...I thought...I was sure I hadn't made it in time."
"I am grateful that you did." His voice was gruff and, if possible, deeper than it had been before. "Would you heal the wounds on my neck, and clean the blood?" Hermione frowned slightly.
"I've never really done any healing spells before; I know the theory, but..."
"I trust you." Hermione gently placed a hand upon his neck, before dragging her wand along the gaping holes. It healed, but the skin was a little puckered.
"There'll be a scar." She said quietly, brushing her finger along it.
"I do not mind; I was hardly a piece of art to begin with." Hermione smiled, before waving her wand again and cleaning the blood from the floor.
"Harry took your memories...he's probably watched them by now."
"I am glad. It means that all of this shall soon be coming to an end." He looked at her carefully for a moment, a look so intense that it seemed to make Hermione's heart beat just that little bit faster. "You must forgive me." He said quietly, after a moment.
"What for?"
"I gave Potter some extra memories, besides the ones that Albus instructed me to give. I gave him memories of...of you and I." Hermione did not say anything. "In the event that I did not recover, I wanted him to know that – "
Before he could finish, Severus was interrupted by a loud voice that evidently echoed everywhere across Hogwarts and Hogsmeade. It was Lord Voldemort.
"Harry Potter is dead. He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself while you lay down your lives for him. We bring you his body as proof that your hero is gone. The battle is won. You have lost half of your fighters. The Boy Who Lived is finished. There must be no more war. Anyone who continues to resist, man, woman or child, will be slaughtered, as will every member of their family." Hermione shook her head sadly, her lips trembling as tears begin to steam down her cheeks.
"Harry..." She whispered.
"Have faith, Hermione, that all will be well."
"How can it be?" She asked. "It's over." Snape struggled to his feet, before bending down and offering Hermione is hand. She stood too, and they faced one another solemnly.
"You must return to the castle, return to the members of the Order that remain."
"But what will you do?" Hermione asked. "Come with me, join us and fight!"
"I cannot." Severus replied quickly, before giving a sigh. "I do not wish to."
"But then...what are you going to do?"
"I am to disappear. Severus Snape is, in the eyes of the rest of the world, dead. I have created a false identity for myself, and I shall travel the world and finally take the opportunity to live a proper life." Hermione smiled sadly. She wanted to go with him, to beg him to let her, but she did not have the guts to do it. She swallowed nervously.
"I...I'll return here to say goodbye. You mustn't leave before I do." For a moment, Hermione thought that a flicker of disappointment flickered across Snape's face but, no sooner had she thought it, the look had disappeared.
"I shall wait here." Hermione reached out and took his hand in hers.
"You must promise."
"I swear that I shall stay here." Hermione smiled sadly.
"Thank you." She squeezed his hand gently, before letting go and running from the Shrieking Shack, leaving Severus to stand there alone and wait.
A/N: I just couldn't bear to let Snape die - I didn't think he should have done in the book either, he deserved a fresh start I think. Anyway, many thanks to all of those who read and reviewed the last chapter, please do the same and let me know what you think of this one! As with the previous chapter, passages in italics are taken from Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows. Thanks again! :)