Disclaimer: Anything you recognize from the Harry Potter books and/or movies is not mine.
A/N: Now for the encore!
Thanks ilovelobsters, Following Padfoot's Pawprints, Caligirl-HPLVR, The Insane Imortal Dragon, Serpent91, Nercia Genisis, ourlittlesecret7, Reanne1102, WhiteTwitch, Kersies, Rubber Ducky Loser, and TheTrioLivesOn for the wonderful reviews!
Epilogue
"And while we have all gathered here in memory of Severus Snape, who passed away the day before Christmas eve, we wish him good luck on his travel onto his next adventure beyond us. His death is a great loss for us all but will not go in vain. We shall remember him well through our hearts and memories."
Hermione wiped a tear away from her eyes. So many people had showed up for Severus' funeral, that day, which just so happened to be the ninth of January - the Slytherin's birthday.
Her, along with almost seventy other people were gathered in a small, but very well-kept cemetery on the outskirts of London where the funeral was to take place.
To her immense surprise, Peter, James, and even Sirius had shown up for the ceremonies. Lily, Lucius, and the other Slytherin's who had known him came also, who stood far away from the Gryffindor's but not too far away from Hermione. Some of the professor's had even taken time off their schedules to come along to see the final parting of Severus.
It was now in the middle of January - so many days gone without the Slytherin boy at her side, Hermione realized. But she had gotten by well, and Remus was always trying to keep her mind positive about the situation.
Speaking of Remus, her and his relationship was going along steadily and without incident. Their affection towards one another was something that was becoming well known throughout Hogwarts, between students and Professor's. Neither of them really cared about the publicity that Hermione and Remus were receiving, but people were completely awed by the two of them.
For Remus, it was because of a leak in secrecy and his loss of Lycanthropy attracted many wizarding scientists, reporters, and various cursed werewolves looking for a cure. Sadly, Remus could only tell him he didn't have any idea of what had happened to it, leaving some rather dampened spirits to brood, to say the least.
As for Hermione; her publicity from killing the Dark Lord Voldemort was definitely well known. She was now labeled as The-Girl-Who-Lived. Death Eaters under the Imperius curse that night had spoken to the press of the Daily Prophet about her bringing forth unimaginable power to defeat the evil wizard, and she had even survived after an Avada Kedavra curse had hit her.
Hermione didn't like the publicity - it annoyed her greatly. Either she would be stared at constantly, approached by random strangers wanting her autograph, or by reporters asking for her side of the story. There was much more to it, but the girl only tried to ignore it in sheer hope that it would go away. She had no idea how Harry put up with it all.
A breeze of wind picked up, blowing her hair into her face. She chanced a glance at Remus, he looked quite solemn while listening attentively to the old priest whom stood by the newly dug hole where Severus' casket would be lowered. He must have sensed her staring, as he turned to face her and gave a gentle squeeze to her hand, which he held.
She gave him a watery smile, but kept the tears back. She'd shed enough tears, she thought. As much as she wanted it all to end, she had to be strong; for herself, for Remus, and for the memories of Harry, Ginny, Ron, and her parents.
"He led a life of obstacles, but his heart stayed strong. He had his friends, his family, and those who cared."
Hermione knew he didn't have much of a family to keep him going, but she knew that he had friends - whether he believed it or not.
"He will be remembered - and his spirit will go on."
"Amen," Hermione whispered, bowing her head a bit while her eyes became hooded.
There was more whispered and mumbled "amen's", and then a bit of quiet talking. Hermione looked up to see the priest and Dumbledore talking to one another, then the priest nodded and moved away from where he stood. Dumbledore took his place.
He cleared his throat and all eyes swerved to him, "Severus Snape was a good boy. Very ambitious, and quite smart for his age. I remember when he first entered Hogwarts and was sorted into his respected House. He was accepted with open arms, and has been, there since, one of the most noble students that have ever come to Hogwarts."
Hermione smiled as Dumbledore continued to speak about her friend, saying nothing but positive things about his life.
After about ten minutes of his speech, he nodded to the audience and retreated back into the crowd. The priest looked up, seeing if anyone else would speak up for the boy. For a moment, no one moved, until Hermione gave Remus a smile and let go of his hand.
She could feel his gaze on her back as she retreated up to where the casket resided. She took a deep breath and glanced at the object that held her dead friend inside. She cleared her throat, trying to work words out from her tight throat as she looked away and into the expecting crowd.
"When I first came to Hogwarts," Hermione began, her memories flashing before her eyes of new and old. "I thought Severus Snape to be mean and sarcastic. I'm sure many people felt that way, but they never took the time to get to know the real Severus. They only saw what lay on the outside in his appearance and his attitude.
"In truth, he was a sweet boy, who cared deeply for what others thought of him. He might have been a Slytherin, but he was human. He had feelings, just as you and I do." Her eyes drifted to where Sirius stood and the boy looked partially guilty she realized. She breathed in deeply and continued, "I was one of the few people who actually took the time to get to know him. What I learned from Severus, I will never learn from anyone else the same way I did from him- he showed me just how much it hurts to lose a loved one.
"All my life, I've had friends that stuck by my side, through the good and the bad. But when I first arrived at the school, even though I had people willing to accept me as I was. I was more than happy for the gestures, but I found a difficult time in getting to know Severus."
Everyone stared at her, even Remus. None of them knew what she was talking about, and they listened eagerly as she continued. How they became friends had been a mystery to them all, even to the other Slytherin's.
"The first time I ran into him, I recall making a potion down in an abandoned dungeon classroom that I had been given permission to use. He hadn't known I was there, and we practically ran into each other when I tried to leave and he tried to enter. I also recall seeing him being picked on the previous afternoon, and had tried to help him then. He was a bit sour," she laughed slightly at remembering, "but after we spoke for a while, we began to actually get to know each other. He was one of the most brilliant people I had ever known. He was smart, dignified, and above all, one of the best friends I could ask for.
"Many people have been lost in this war," she stated pointedly and a few people nodded around the crowd. "I myself, have lost quite a few people but not in the same way as I lost Severus. But something he said to me before he died will remain with me until, I too, die. He said to me, 'You wont lose me, Hermione. I'll always be there. You can't get rid of a Slytherin that easily.' And I believe, as long as we remember him in our hearts, he will be here with us."
Nods followed her speech, and she could have sworn she heard some people blowing their noses. But she wasn't completely don't with her speech. She stood up straighter and pointed her wand towards his gravestone, that took shape of a brilliantly white marbled angel and whispered an incantation.
She watched as spidery cursive words etched themselves into the blank plague at the bottom of the stone.
In Loving Memory of
Severus Snape
Jan. 9, 1959 - Dec. 23, 1976
Son of Tobias and Eileen Snape
'Death is naught but the next great adventure for us all.'
'He will be remembered.'
"He will be remembered," Hermione repeated the sentence, looking out into the crowd but her eyes landed on her boyfriend, Remus. He gave her a nod and smile, warming her heart.
She walked back to where Remus and the others stood, quite a few eyes on her. She allowed the russet haired boy to slip an arm around her waste and pull her close to him. She leant against him, breathing in his scent along with the smells of roses and other flowers that had been brought to the funeral.
The funeral proceeded as a few more individuals stood up to speak about the deceased boy. It was all very touching in Hermione's opinion.
After about forty-five minutes of speeches, they got ready to lower the casket into the ground. Hermione and Remus stood next to Dumbledore near the front, watching as they lowered Severus' body into the ground.
It seemed like forever until it reached the bottom. With a soft thud, it landed and the robes were taken away, leaving the wooden object to lay on it's own.
People moved forward, each holding a red rose. They all stood, one by one by the newly dug grave and said their prayers before allowing the roses to drop onto the casket.
She watched as Sirius went up to it, and proclaimed, "I know we were never, ever friends, but I want you to know that I was wrong about you. You're not a slimy git - and I was wrong to think that. I hope you rest well." then he dropped the rose and walked away, avoiding all eye contact.
Hermione's mouth twitched into a smile. Sirius might still be a prat sometimes, but he at least tried to make amends.
After a few minutes, Hermione and Remus were left. They decided that they would go as one, and stepped up together.
"Well," Remus started, unsure of what to say. "I can't say much about you - I didn't know you well. I'm sorry about all the years my friends and I treated you horrifically, and I hope that you may forgive us, wherever you are."
The Gryffindor girl nodded and smiled sadly at him and he continued, "Even if you can't hear me, I want to thank you for being there with Hermione when she faced… Voldemort. I don't know what I would have done without her."
Hermione's face flushed and she looked away. The ex-werewolf continued his speech, and Hermione was soon close to tears. He sounded like he meant every word that he said and she knew that he more than likely did.
When he finished, he nudged Hermione, who started with surprise.
She looked down at the grave, then at the ruby red rose in her hands and vaguely noticed that it had a tint of white around the tips of the petals. She twirled it idly between her fingers, ignoring the prickle of thorns from the stem.
"Severus, you're a good friend," she said, using a present tense instead of past like everyone else had. "I'll never forget you, you know. You taught me so much and I only wish I could return that favor. I miss you, and I hope that you're happy wherever you are now. I want you to be happy. As cruel as life was, and is, you deserve much better. I only wish you could have had that."
She smiled sadly at the twirling rose in her hands, not really seeing it, but seeing beyond into old memories of her and Severus, brewing in the potions lab, talking with Lucius, and just having fun.
"I will miss you."
The rose dropped from her fingers, twirling it's last dance in the light. It toppled onto the casket with a muffled thump as it landed atop the crimson sea of red. But she didn't stop there. Her eyes fixed firmly on the rose she dropped, she lifted her hands up to her neck.
After a moment of fumbling, she unclasped a necklace around her neck. Remus watched in confusion.
Hermione fingered the piece of jewelry, which just so happened to be her locket - the locket that contained Ron, Harry, and Ginny's pictures inside. She gave it a sad, longing smile.
"What's that?" Remus asked curiously.
She didn't look at him. "It's my only connection to my old life," she whispered and opened it, allowing Remus to see the pictures inside. "Harry, Ron, Ginny…"
Remus wrapped an arm around her waist in a comforting way and pulled her close to him.
"You miss them," it wasn't a question.
Her eyes glistened a bit when she looked up, "Yes, but the future is changed too much. I will never see them as I knew, even if I did go back."
He nodded in understanding, though she knew he couldn't know the complete pain it brought her.
"My life has been completely changed," she tilted her head to the side, staring at the rose-shaped locket. "I'll never see the Harry, Ron, and Ginny I once knew. I'll never see my mum, or my dad. I'll never even see.. Severus in his adulthood." She gave a choked laugh, "And I'm going to miss it. I never thought I'd say that before."
With a quizzical look, Hermione said, "He was one hell of a prat as a professor."
He chuckled lightly, his other arm wrapping around her as he pulled her close. He looked over her shoulder and watched as she toyed with the locket.
"Remus?"
"Yes?"
Hermione shifted a bit, holding the locket out into the light. "Do you think it's time I let go of the past and look forward to what is to come?"
Remus was silent for a long time before he whispered, "You should always move forward, but never forget. Memories are what hold us together - without them, we'd be nothing."
The girl nodded slightly, "I should let go of my past and take up my new future."
Her hands tightly gripped onto the golden chain before she tossed it upwards - high in the air as it spun before descending down. The chain and locket itself sparkled in the sunlight, and the smiling faces of her friends were visible from the photographs for mere seconds before it plummeted downwards into the grave where it landed on the layers of roses.
And Hermione turned away, not looking back. She would leave her past behind. It was all she could do. Her fingers entwined with Remus', and she knew then, that she had done the right thing.
She had let go.
Lily stood beside a large broken grave of a grey angel, quite a ways away from where Severus' funeral was being held. The ceremonies were over and everyone was gathering to leave soon. All who were left only lingered because of memories.
She was knelt down in the deadened grass, placing random flowers on graves that looked quite neglected. She smiled and gave her respects to them.
She was just finishing laying a couple of roses against the base of the angel statue when she heard the sound of a twig snapping. She whipped around, and breathed a sign of relief when she saw who it was.
James stood there, hesitantly with his hands thrust into his jeans pockets and his scarf tied high against his neck, keeping the cold out.
Lily offered a smile and stood up, dusting her hands off lightly on her coat.
"What are you doing all the way out here?" James asked as he walked forward, taking uncertain steps around the graves.
"I'm just thinking," she replied and brushed a strand of fiery red hair out of her eyes. "You?"
"Thinking," he nodded. "You know. About everything that's been going on."
Lily nodded as well, albeit solemnly. "Yeah. I hope Hermione will be okay."
"I do too," he said unsurely. "I mean, I've only known her for a while, but she's changed my life in so many ways."
Lily looked questionably at him. "In what ways?" she asked.
"I've learned that… maturity comes with a price."
"A price?" she asked with raised eyebrows. From what she gathered, he hadn't lost anything.
"Yeah," he said, then ruffled the back of his hair up nervously. "And it comes with a reward."
"James," Lily said warningly, "You're confusing me, and yourself. Make sense."
He blushed sheepishly for a moment, "What I meant was… all that's happened… has shown me responsibility."
Lily's eyes grew wide and her mouth dropped open slightly. Did she hear right? James Potter and the word maturity used positively in a sentence?
"Y-You and… and Responsibility," she said feebly.
"Yes," he said indignantly although his face was still colored a deep pink. "And well, I was hoping…"
Lily knew what was coming up. She had that gut feeling that had once told her to run. But she didn't this time - she held fast to the ground below her feet. "Yes?" she inquired with a bit of hesitancy.
"I was… hoping you'd go out with me?" he said evenly, his eyes focused on her.
Lily's breath stopped. She stared at James, calculatingly. Should she tell him her feelings?
She sighed, breathing in deeply afterwards. She then found a place to sit down on the ground, bringing her knee's up to her chest. She looked up at James, who had doubt written all over his face. She motioned for him to sit down, which he did, but watched his space.
"James," she began, "I know that you've… liked me for a long time. Whether it was real or not, I don't kno-"
James looked affronted, "It was real! Lily, I've liked since the first time I met you!"
Her lips twitched slightly. "Yes, let me finish." James looked away, his ears flaming red. "James.. Remember, not too long ago, you started to get those letters?"
He nodded, ears becoming redder. She had to hold back the laugh that began bubbling up in her chest. "Well, let me tell you a small story."
He looked incredulously at her but she silenced him with a look. She took in a deep breath before looking up into the sky at the puffy white clouds. "You see, there once was a muggleborn witch. She had a mother, father, and a sister whom she loved dearly. But only her mother and father's feelings were mutual. Her sister would pick on this girl because of what she was, calling her horrible names out of spite; she was cruel and mean. But her muggbleborn sister knew she didn't mean it, and when she went off to school, she began to realize just how different she was. She wasn't popular in muggle standards, nor in wizarding, but she still had ease fitting in. She realized that 'how' was just like 'why' she was different.
"She never tried to be someone she wasn't. She always tried her best and worked hard to get her studies up and to make friends. That's what made her different. Most of the people in the world have been molded into people they want to be. And because of that, she refused to acknowledge the people around her who were determined to be someone they weren't."
Lily glanced at James, realizing he looked as if he had no idea where the story was going, and in truth, Lily didn't either. "Then a boy came along. He was popular, handsome, and annoying, acting like all the other popular wannabe's. The girl despised him for so long that that's all she ever knew about him. Her distaste for him had grown; although she'd never really gotten to know the real him and was only annoyed by his constant - and failed - attempts to ask her out. She only saw what lay on the outside , but slowly, she began growing feelings for the boy despite her constant denial. Then another girl came along - one that was smart, and knew how to speak her mind.
"She showed the girl that if she loved someone or something, to show it and not hide it away. The girl realized that the boy who showed his affection only showed it to her because of his love - whether it was true or not from the beginning, she realized that in the end… he truly did love her. And she loved him."
The boy next to her stiffened and she chanced a shy glance at him. He was looking at her with wide eyes.
"Y-You mean… you… you were… you.."
She gave a strangled laugh, trying to hide her embarrassment. "It was me, sending you those letters. I was too scared to face you in person."
"Y…you…" his voice trailed off and he stared dumbly at her, his eyes as large as saucers.
She felt her face redden at his staring, but she was quite amused by his stuttering. "James, all I'm trying to say is… yes, I'll go out with you."
James snapped out of his stupor and a large, stupid grin appeared on his face. Lily laughed at him, trying to shrug off her embarrassment.
He stood up quickly and let out a loud 'whoop!' that she knew could be heard throughout the whole cemetery. He was laughing and cheering all at the same time while doing some kind of victory dance.
It took quite a few minutes before his excitement died down. After a few more moments, he looked down at Lily, "You don't know how happy I am to finally hear that."
Lily grinned, and extended her hand which James promptly took with a grin of his own. He hoisted her off the ground and their fingers entwined as they stood side by side.
"What do you think your friends will say about this?" Lily asked with mock concern, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
"They wont believe it at first," he said, "but I think my shouting may have given the truth away."
Lily laughed outright at that statement. She wouldn't be surprised if the whole of Hogwarts knew they were a couple by the time they got back, he had been so loud.
The wind picked up and James tugged on her hand, pulling her forward and onto the path that would lead them to the others. She followed, looking up into the sky once more as the wind picked up slightly, her red and yellow scarf brushing lightly against her cheek. She could see James out of the corner of her eye, and smiled.
Things were defiantly going to change, she though. The whole year had been full of surprises, and she knew that there were more to come.
The seasons were changing; in more than one way and life was headed in a new direction.
TIME WARPED TEASERS UP
(Sequel to Seasons Change)
A/N: Epilogue up! Yay! Now, for those of you who want to read some TEASERS for the sequel, please look under 'Time Warped' on my profile. That WILL be what the next story is called. And I've posted a chapter (rather short, mind you) of three teasers from the upcoming story that I have planned. Keep in mind that I wont be writing that story for a while yet, but if you want, you can keep an eye on it in case I update. I tend to get bored and update anyways.