Thank you to Whitehound for Britpick, Beta and Canon duties.

Severus collapsed to the floor with a sickening thud. From behind me I heard several voices shout curses and streaks of light flew over my head. One streak was the distinct color green and I knew the voice that shouted that curse belonged to Peaches but I couldn't bring myself to care. It felt like ice had glazed up along my body until I was numb and now I was only waiting for it to stop my heart.

Like a child that doesn't understand why a toy is broken, I crawled to Severus and pulled him over onto his back. I didn't say anything, I didn't make a noise. I just looked at him, waiting for him to do something. He looked wrong. His hair had been caught in a hex and so most of it was bobbed back to his shoulders. There was only one long section left on the right side. His robes were so tattered that I could see Harry's cloak spilling out of the inside pocket through the split side seam. His face should have been relaxed if he was sleeping, but instead he looked…annoyed. Ron would have found it funny. Ron! Come see Severus! Ron? His legs were splayed awkwardly, and it seemed so undignified. I tried to straighten them out but they felt like dead weight. I pushed and shoved. Harry, come help me with this! I lifted up his shoulders and slid forward on my knees until he was resting back against them. I was sure he would be much more comfortable that way. Severus, wake up my love. I need you now. Severus? Harry, where's Severus?

I smoothed his hair back from his face. He felt like he was getting cold, so I rubbed at his chest and shoulders to keep him warm. I was vaguely aware of people trying to speak to me, but I knew I had to stay silent. If I made any noise, it would make it real and I knew it wasn't real. He made me a vow. He promised to free me. This didn't feel like freedom, so he must not have been finished. I waited and kept my silence, rubbing, rubbing, rubbing to keep him warm.

I heard noises around me but I blocked my ears: I couldn't listen to their words, they would make a real world I did not want.

I felt hands pull at me and I lashed out at them with my wand. Keep your real away! I don't want it! I cast a shield around us to keep them out.

Harry? Did you find Severus yet? Ron, help him, please. Harry could never find anything on his own. I couldn't seem to keep him warm, I rubbed and rubbed but he was still getting colder. I leaned forward and pulled Harry's cloak from his pocket. As I did so I saw he had dropped the Elder Wand. Severus, you can't leave that just lying around. Tsk. I tucked his wand back into his hand and laid his hand on his chest. Then I spread out Harry's cloak and covered him with it and rubbed and rubbed and rubbed. Hurry Harry, I need him!

I liked how he was invisible now, because I could feel the weight of people's stares. I leaned down and hid his face with my hair. Severus wouldn't like this many people watching him while he slept so I knew it was my job to give him what privacy I could. Still, I felt the weight of their stares, pushing their reality at me, trying to force me to accept it. I could taste their thoughts in the air. I closed my eyes and rocked gently to sooth Severus in case the smell of their thoughts disturbed his sleep. All the while I rubbed and rubbed and rubbed.

Hermione? We found him. He's coming back to watch over you both: Ron made him take a vow, but I think you need to watch over him as well.

Oh God, they found him. I heard a collective gasp from all around me and opened my eyes. A great shuddering sob of relief tore through me as I saw Severus' body come back into view. His hand was empty. The cloak and the wand were gone, and I was sure that wherever he had hidden it on him, the Resurrection Stone was gone as well.

Thank you, Harry, I needed him ever so much…

I couldn't help the heaving sobs that wracked my body as I felt him draw that first labored breath. I clung to him and cried. I was spent, broken. I only wanted to crawl into his pocket and hide from the world forever. Protected. Finally.

I became aware of voices again and realized my shield had dissipated.

"Hermione? Let us help him."

I looked up and saw Percy.

"He's alright now. He took another vow, Ron made him," I answered. His face recoiled as if I had slapped him. I thought I saw fear in his eyes.

"Don't be afraid, Percy, he's going to take care of me now. A man is defined by his vows," I told him.

"Oh Mother of Mercy, she's losing it again," said Peaches. She elbowed Percy aside. "Hermione, honey, can you hear me?

"Of course I can Caroline."

"Are your friends with you?"

"No, they left already."

"Okay, I have an idea, Hermione. We're gonna take you and your man somewhere he'd be more comfortable, is that okay?"

"Alright, Caroline, that would be nice."

"I'm going with you just for the ride, alright?"

"That's okay, you can come too."

She knelt down on the floor behind me and wrapped her arms around me and pressed a broken plate into my hand. She reached down and grabbed Severus' hand as well and with the three of us holding it, she tapped it with her wand and the world went away.

"Someone! Anyone!" I lifted my head, still dizzy, as Peaches screamed in my ear. I was very disoriented and more than a little nauseous, so I held still as Dahlia came running over to us.

Peaches scrambled backwards off the table we had landed on but I clung to Severus, refusing to move as they waved wands at us. I remember what they said but none of it meant anything to me.

"What happened?"

"He was hit by the Killing Curse."

"That's not possible, he'd be dead. Even a glancing blow is enough."

"That's just it, he was dead. Now he's not. He just started breathing again not three minutes ago."

"How long was he dead?"

"Long enough; several minutes."

"Not possible."

"You already said that: look, I just left a room full of people that can confirm it. Just check him out, he's breathing now but Princess here wouldn't let us near him when he wasn't. I want to make sure there's a whole lot of brain activity if you know what I mean."

"What's wrong with her? She looks catatonic."

"She'll be fine, don't you mess with her. Just fix him. You fix him and she'll be fine. Very simple, get it?"

"Well, we need to move her."

"I don't think you want to do that just yet. She took out five of us when we tried."

"Very well, but I'm going to check her out too, since she's here."

"Fine, you just do that."

They stopped speaking, or I stopped listening at all, and so I just stayed there, on my knees, holding my lover's head in my lap. I listened to him breathe and felt his strong pulse as I caressed his neck. I watched his eyes dance under his long lashes. At one point Peaches asked me if it was okay if she checked out my belly. I told her that was fine, but to be quick as he needed me to keep touching him. I kept my hand on his forehead as I leaned back so he would know I was still there. She was very quick. She's a good friend.

Peaches came back again and asked me if Severus and I would like to sleep.

"Yes, I think that would be lovely."

"Alright, sweetie, just keep a hold of him and back off the table slow, your legs are going to be really wobbly, you've been sitting like that for an hour now. Yes, that's it, no you don't have to let go, just hold onto him like that. Okay slowly, just lean on the table. I know, pins and needles. There you go, better? Can you walk?"

"Yes, I think so."

"Good girl. Come over here and hold his hand: Theo and I are going to move him to your room, I got it all fixed up for you."

I held his hand all the way to our room over the kitchen. Theo and Peaches were very sweet, being extra careful around the turns, unlike Sirius Black that time in the tunnel. I told them how much Severus would appreciate that when he woke up.

"What's wrong with her, Caroline?"

"Nothing is wrong with her, Theo, she's fine."

"But why is she acting like this then?"

"What the fuck would you act like if you'd been through what she's had to live through these last five years? She always gets like this when she's overwhelmed. But her ghosts always find her and bring her back."

"Her ghosts?"

"Her friends. Whenever life gets too much she talks to them and they give her the strength to keep going."

"Um, you mean the actual ghost of Potter --"

"No, you can't see them, and I used to think they were bullshit too, but after five years of watching over her I don't anymore. She always said the person she was before died that day, that she never left them. But the truth is, I think they never left her. I believe they have been watching over her all this time. They put her back together and then she just wakes up and is fine. Well, actually she wakes up and is a soulless bitch for weeks afterwards, but that's because they made her strong again. She never really remembers them though, when she's better; she forgets my name every time too."

"Caroline--"

"You can think I'm as nutty as you want, I don't give a damn. You saw it yourself, Theo. He was dead. Dead as a doornail. Now he's not. Now apparently all he needs is a good night's sleep. So you go ahead and tell me my theory is whacked after what we all saw tonight."

"No, I'm not going to say anything, not after what I saw tonight."

"Here we are, Hermione, would you like help getting him ready for bed?"

"Yes, please."

I clutched his limp hand and watched as Peaches used her wand to remove Severus' garments and when he was down to just his pants, I pulled the blankets up over both of us.

"Don't you want to change, sweetie?"

"No, it would take too much time and I have to keep him warm."

"At least kick your shoes off, there you go. All set?"

"Thank you, Caroline, you're a very good friend."

"Sure, you tell me that every time. Sleep well, Hermione."

I wrapped myself around my love, resting my head on his chest, and fell asleep listening to his heartbeat.

TA DA!!!! Am I forgiven?

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