Chapter 25

"No!" Severus screamed as he watched Hermione's body drop to the floor. He ran over to her unconscious form, that lay idly on the pavement.

"Get away from her, you don't deserve to even touch her!" Ron bellowed for across the alleyway. He risen his wand in the direction of Severus once more, but Harry charged out of the side door and disarmed him.

"What happened? Why are you here?!" Ron was too busy looking across at Hermione's still form, as Severus attended to her. Harry looked in the same direction and instantly pieced things together. "What have you done? I told you to stay away! Didn't it go through your thick skull!"

"Why don't you know the facts, before you start accusing people! It was his fault!" Harry turned his attention to the couple as Ron pointed over to Severus. as Harry was distracted, Ron disapparated away.

Ginny joined the scene and ran straight over to Severus and Hermione. Who had now taken his jacket off and placed it around Hermione's cold body. "Oh my god Severus! What happened?"

Severus was now panicking, like he had never expressed in front of anyone before. "Your Dunderhead of a brother, that's what happened!"

"There's no time to discuss that now! She needs to be taken to St Mungos." Harry said gently lifting Hermione in his arms. Severus was in no fit state to do this himself. He was still shaking with anxiety, due to the state of things.

Harry ordered the other two, too grab on to him. Whilst he disapparated to the wizarding hospital. Hermione was immediately rushed off to the fourth floor and her three friends waited patiently in the waiting room. They waited right through until next morning. The clock blinked 4:45am. Ginny had drunkenly fallen asleep next to Harry. As Severus sat, with his mind zoned out.

The raven haired man, felt hurt and guilty of what he had done. Ron provoked him and he lost control. He will forever beat himself up about this, if the worse come to Hermione.

"You haven't spoken a word since we got here. She will be fine Severus. What's wrong with you?"

"It was all my fault…" He whispered.

"But Ron fired the curse. Not you." Harry tried to make Severus see things more clearly, but it didn't help. He was still in denial.

"I deflected it. The curse bounced from me and It hit her. It was in the heat of the moment and didn't care where it ended up." Severus talked into down to the floor, as he had his head in his hands.

"Severus you can't blame yourself. All of this is Ron's fault and no one else's" Harry stated holding Ginny closer to his side, whilst he talked in a low manner. He had never seen this downside of Severus before and was glad the older man was finally warming up to him, after so many years.

"I guess history always does repeats itself." Severus stated quietly, but Harry caught on.

"How do you mean?"

Severus hesitated for a little while, thinking it was too much of a touchy subject, but didn't care in the slightest. The story needed to be told and maybe, just maybe. Severus can finally let go of the guilt, he had been holding in since he was 18.

"A similar thing like this happened with your parents the night we all graduated from Hogwarts." Severus took a deep breath before continuing. As Harry's interests peaked.

A young 18-year-old Severus sat at the quiet bar, nestling a glass of firewhiskey in hand. Moments later The Marauders and Lily entered The Three Broomsticks. Severus just went by his business and ignored them. Throughout the night James was rubbing his relationship with Lily into Severus' face, trying to get a rise out of him. James eventually succeeded.

Both men ended up outside The Three Broomsticks duelling for her like a prize to be won. There was a sense of rage and passion, as Severus flung curses at James and he hurled them back. James had always been the bully at school, tormenting and humiliating Severus. Taking the only thing that was important to him away. But Severus was becoming more and more dominant as the fight progressed and his dark side was unleashed.

As James flung a curse at Severus, he swiftly deflected it from him and Lily fell to the ground. There was nothing they could do. James blamed Severus and he was too busy feeling guilt that he simply agreed. She was later sent to St Mungos and the couple never forgave him since. Severus hurt Lily; physically. She never gave him a second chance of rekindling their friendship. It was something that stuck in his mind ever since. He physically injured the love of his life, all due to the power that over took him and his mind.

As the story ended, Severus looked so broken. He had never discussed James and Lily with Harry ever. Even through the trial, Harry mentioned the memories Severus gave him on his death bed, but he just nodded in approval and nothing more was said. Now Severus was discussing them openly to their son.

Harry had always wanted to talk to an old friend of theirs and Severus was his only opinion, as most of them were dead. Before Harry could apologise for his dad's behaviour for acting in such a horrid way. A wizard doctor interrupted them with a cough.

"Mr Potter? Mr Snape?" At the mention of their names the two men shot up from their seats. Harry nudged Ginny to wake up before he stood.

"Miss Granger, is responding well to the treatment we're giving her." Severus relief suddenly shattered as he began to hear the disadvantage of the situation. "However, she is currently in a, what the muggles would say. A 'Medically Induced 'coma."

Severus dropped down into his seat in defeat. He had put the love of his life in a life threatening situation and there was nothing he could do to help her.

"She is allowed visitors. If you would like to see her." The doctor motioned to follow him and Harry acknowledged Severus, to join them.

The four of them entered the room and the doctor explained the procedures, before leaving them alone. Hermione was lay on the hospital bed, with tubes flowing from her arms, that pumped blood into her body. It looked that she was paralysed in her sleep, with her arms neatly beside her in a formal manner.

Severus pulled up a chair beside the bed and held her hand. They were ice cold. Ginny held the over and stroked her hair back, as a tears streamed down her cheeks. Harry held his partner in his arms, shooting a worried look over to the man, now transfixed on Hermione.

After Harry announced that he was going to take Ginny home and get some rest. Severus merely nodded and kept staring at the women in the bed. Around 12pm in the afternoon, the couple arrived back to find Severus in the same place they left him 7 hours ago. He hadn't moved from his position, since the early hours of the morning.

Harry ordered him to go home and sleep, or at least changed into a new set of clothes. But as usual Severus was having none of it. He wanted to be there when Hermione wakes up and if that be in a few weeks or even months. He will be right beside her bed waiting.

A week had indeed past and Hermione was at least making improvement, but she was still securely in her coma. Harry and Ginny visited after Harry's Auror shifts at the ministry. He had informed Kingsley what had happened. So they were no doubt, bringing Ron in for further questioning about the incident.

Severus had now grown a slight stubble on his chin. He hadn't slept, eat or showered for at least a week. He refused to leave. When she would awake. He wanted to tell her instantly, how sorry he was. At night when the hospital was silent and empty, he would sweetly whisper things in her ear, hoping she was listening.

One day, the man was reading one of his books, Harry had brought him to pass the time. Over the edge of the book, he saw a hand twitch from Hermione's side. Severus notice that she was finally waking up, with a flutter of her eyes. He rushed out of the room to alert the doctors.

Within moments he himself was ushered out of the room, so that the doctors could examine her over once more. Severus sent his patronus to Ginny, as Harry was currently at work. The couple soon joined him in the waiting room and Severus told them her status, of her now being awake. Half an hour later, the doctor received them from the waiting room.

Hermione was alive and well. Now sat up in her hospital bed, looking out the window. As her three friends flooded the room. Severus imagined how he would acknowledge her, as soon as she woke and rehearsed it in his head over and over. But now seeing her awake, that's all he was grateful for.

He stood to the side as Harry and Ginny comforted her. She greeted the couple with a smile, but when it was Severus' turn to speak, his mind went blank and didn't know what to say. It didn't help the situation in the slightest as Hermione shot him down with one word answers and continued to look out of the window whilst he asked her questions.

"Hermione the man hasn't changed in a week, give him some credit." Ginny stubbornly argued back.

"I don't want to speak to him." Hermione harshly stated.

Severus stepped back in shock. Her words hurt him. Made his heart break and tears prickle his eyes. "I'm sor-"

"Save it! You weren't sorry, that night when you and Ron fought for me, like a prize to be won! For a second, as I watched. I actually feared you. The darkness in your eyes and the power you had over him! You can't help yourself can you!"

"I would never hurt you." Severus declared, over his broken voice. But Hermione was having none of it.

"I wouldn't be here, if it wasn't for you and him!" Hermione shouted. Trying to make her point heard.

Severus knew he only had himself to blame. He took this opportunity to stubbornly walk out and not return, until they had both calmed down. Harry and Ginny stayed with Hermione until his return. They explained the fight in detail to Hermione, but she was still stubbornly stuck to her own mind that was made up.

She had only just forgiven him about his betrayal from years ago and now he does this to her. Her mood seemed to calm down more, as Harry told her the same story Severus told him about is parents. Explaining the way, he felt about it, and how he must be feeling about this. Convincing her that it was Ron's provocation had drove him over the edge.

Hermione felt more guilt about blaming Severus, but still wasn't letting him off the hook that easily. After Severus had a good night sleep, a decent meal and wore a clean outfit of clothes. He then returned to Hermione's bedside, to keep her company. She was still mad at him and giving him the silent treatment, but that didn't stop him from trying to make amends. Each day he brought her new flowers, magazines and snacks. She was truly grateful for his effort, but she certainly wasn't going to tell him.

One night he sat by her bedside, watching her sleep. Tears unexpectedly trickled down his face, as he realised quiet sobs into the night. He wanted to hug and kiss Hermione. Tell her that everything would be ok and that he would always be there for her, when she needed him. She simply would not give him the time of day.

Severus didn't notice Hermione wake up at the sound of his crying and felt her heart ache for him. Watching the love of her life break down, because of her stubbornness.

"What's wrong?" She asked lazily.

"Nothing. Just got dust in my eye." He looked away and wiped his eyes, as the sound of her voice. He didn't want to look weak. She had already seen him at his weakest, but he needed her to see him as strong. Someone who would protect her.

"You can't fool me. you're going soft in your old age." She flashed a smile at him.

He returned the expression. "At least your talking to me, that's progress."

Hermione fell silent at his words, completely forgetting that she was giving him the silent treatment.

"I'm sorry you saw me in a different light that night. Weasley provoked me and I shouldn't have lost control of my emotions." He explained it briefly, not wanting to overdo it.

Hermione looked down with sorrow. "I'm sorry too, for jumping to conclusions to fast. Forgive me?"

"Only if you forgive me?" Giving her a smirk.

"Barely." Hermione couldn't help her smile and patted the empty side on the bed next to her.

He climbed next to her and captured her lips with a soft kiss. The next day Harry and Ginny came to visit like usual and was happy they made up. Also expressing the good news that Ron had been sent to Azkaban for a month and kicked him out of the Auror department for good. Telling him, he didn't deserve his badge and sentencing him to community service for 6 months after his imprisonment.

The wizard doctor went over her final examination with Hermione, before she left the Hospital.

"Now in my notes here, it says in late February 1998 you-" The doctor was immediately cut off by Hermione herself.

"That isn't to be discussed right now, Doctor." Giving him a look, to shut up.

The doctor just brushed this off and continued. "Very well. All your organs seem to be intact, but your nervous system is still damaged. Causing you to be a bit weak on your legs for at least several more weeks. Overall, you seem perfectly fine to head on home."

Severus took her home to live at Spinners End for the first time. Out of all the years they known each other, Hermione had never saw the house Severus grew up in and was nervous and excited to live there, until she was back on her feet.

They entered through the door and Severus headed upstairs to unpack. Hermione took the chance too nosey around the house by herself, that was when she entered the Livingroom and let out a scream. Severus darted downstairs with his wand in hand, before lowering down in humiliation.

Watching Hermione's eyes light up happily, as she browsed through his bookcase along the four walls of the sitting area. Severus generally thought she had fell and hurt herself, as she was still on crouches. But he was just relieved at her positive attitude towards the house that brought so much misery to him, during his childhood.

"You're going to put me in an early grave witch." Pointing his wand at her, trying to playfully tell her off, for giving him a heart attack.