CHAPTER 25

She's gone. She's dead.

The voice in his head whispered with glee. He looked down at the witch. She was gasping, struggling for every lungful of air, every breathe probably her last.

Come back to your Master.

No. Snape shouted and saw the snake come toward him to attack. His insides were boiling, in that moment he wanted nothing more than to somehow help the witch. He didn't have time. Every passing second could cost her life and so he did the one thing that he had vowed he would never. He raised his wand at the creature crawling toward him and with a green light , the snake fell to the floor. And he rushed to the side of the witch. Not bothering to given even a second's thought to the fact that he had made a promise to himself to never use the Killing curse . It didn't matter at the moment.

"Hermione." He said. "Arresto Momentum." He pointed his wand at her wand and the bleeding slowly stopped.

She croaked trying to say something.

"Don't try to speak." He said trying to pick her in his arms, "I am taking you to St. Mungos." However he couldn't as she grabbed his collar, her eyelids half closed.

"Tear." She said.

"What?" he asked. He couldn't understand what the bloody hell was so important that couldn't wait.

"My bag." Her voice was shaky and weak. "phoenix tears." Her hand was at her waist as she thrust a bag in his hand and understanding hit him. Of course, the one thing that could save her right at this moment was phoenix tears. He had seen her use her bag many times to know that it was magically expanded. With a quick summoning charm , he had a vial in his hand filled with a clear liquid. He poured the liquid on her neck at the wound made by the snake bite.

She closed her eyes and her head was supported on his chest. For a moment he felt she was dead but her heart fell and rose in slow but steady beat. It was a hope for him. the wound healed until there was no opening just blood on her clothes and hair. Once the healing had stopped, he performed a scourgify on her neck to check.

"Hermione?" he checked.

"Its funny." Her eyes still closed. Her breathing labored.

"What's funny?" he asked confused.

"You died like this in my time. I didn't have the phoenix tears back then so it was one of the first thing I got when I came here." She said very slowly taking her time in speaking each word.

"That's why you wouldn't go." He said.

She nodded and after a very long while , Severus Snape hugged someone. He threw his arms around her and hugged her close to his chest.

"Careful Sev," she said, "If I didn't know better I would say you have grown to be fond of me."

He scoffed but kept holding to her.

No one spoke of the attack when they got home. It was an unspoken arrangement. As soon as she was home, He gave her all the potions she had given her the first day. However , she refused to take the Sleeping Draught.

"The moon has set and I want to see when he comes back." She told him.

Lily too woke up from her slumber after a while, she too excited to know about the potion Hermione had brew for Remus.

Remus Lupin was scared to be hopeful. Though he trusted Hermione with all his heart, he still couldn't let himself be hopeful. He knew that Hermione meant well when she tried the potion and he was glad that she cared enough to try. But for someone who had spent their entire life suffering from the curse, he wasn't ready to hope and then suffer when it didn't work.

It was the reason why he had embraced himself for the pain as they waited for the moon to rise, Sirius and James were already turned and waited for Moony as Padfoot and Prongs. He waited and waited and waited but the pain never came. Instead he felt a tingling sensation all over his body. His eyes widened as he saw the moon already in view and his expression was mirrored on both of his friends' faces. He looked down at his hand but it was now covered with fur and had claw , he had turned and haven't felt a thing. That wasn't even the best thing. The best thing was that he looked at Padfoot and Prongs and he recognized them. He knew they were his best mates. They weren't his prey.

Padfoot jumped excitedly around Moony. He realized a moment later what Sirius was doing. As he saw that Remus had suffered no pain in transforming and hadn't attacked himself or them yet, he knew he wanted to test another water. Trust, Sirius to be a reckless fool because he transformed back giving Remus a mini heart attack. Moony retreated a step back. Inside his head was a strong urge to bite. It was a very strong urge however he was able to control this urge just like he could ignore his hunger pangs or stop breathing for a few second.

"OH MY GOD! PRONGS! JAMIE!" Sirius exclaimed.

"Oof!" he said as Prongs attacked him on his ribs with his antler, however, they knew if stag could smile, James was smiling. Sirius turned back. That night, they played together, running through the woods and Remus for the first time felt that the curse had been lifted from his life. He was now as normal as everyone. He was now not a blood thirsty monster. Though he would never say it in front of Hermione but it was how he thought of himself. But not now. He was normal now. Just like everyone. Right now, the one thing he wanted was to go and gather his witch in his arms. He looked at the full moon overhead and thanked the heavens and any god who was hearing for giving her to him. She had changed so much in so short time. She had ensured safety for him and his friends, she exposed the traitor, she saved Regulus and Severus, who both were great men if their differences were to be ignored, she had given them the way to defeat Voldemort who would have otherwise haunted all their lives for the next twenty years and more, and most of all she gave him a life he could never dream. He had never hoped that he could ever love anyone. He knew no woman would want to be with a man who turned into a beast every month. But she came and showed him how being loved felt. She loved him and made him respect himself. if that was not enough, she made the most painful experiences of his life into fun.

"That was insane." James said as Remus transformed back. Both staring at him.

"It didn't pain?" Sirius asked grinning.

"Not even a bit." Remus answered shocked. He was suddenly engulfed in a pair of arms.

"Oh Moony, I am so happy for you." James exclaimed.

"Mate, you have go to home and kiss that witch senseless on my behalf." Sirius laughed. "She is an insane witch."

Remus silently agreed.

When he saw her standing outside the door with Lily and Snape who was leaning on the door looking not a tiniest bit interested, he jogged up to her, gathered her in her arms and swirled. She giggled in her arms as his friends around him laughed when he pressed his lips to hers , never smile never faltering.

"Guess, it worked then." She said when he pulled back.

"It worked?" he exclaimed, "It...It was anything I could ever asked for. Hermione, I love you. I love you so much." He blurted out, realizing a second later what he had said, he could feel five pair of eyes on him. Even Snape was looking at them.

"You don't have to say it back, it's just how I feel." He said trying to cover up the fact that he had just declared his love for her but before he uttered a word more, he was silenced with a kiss.

"I love you too Remus." She said grinning at him. his chest swelled as he heard her declaration. Today could be the best day of his life. It was too good to be true.

"What ?" Hermione asked when he looked deep in his thoughts.

"It feels like a dream." He said. She chuckled.

When she was dying, she realized that Remus Lupin was more to her than she realized, it was his voice and face that stopped her from slipping into peaceful abyss that awaited her. She didn't want to leave him alone not without telling him what he meant for her. She realized she wanted him to know how she felt even if he didn't love her back. So, when Remus had said the thing that was on her mind, she couldn't keep the words back.

"It is as real as you are. I love you too." She said as she stood on her toes to kiss him once again. Behind her she could hear Sirius and James making hooting noises. Lily and Severus were smiling at the pair.

But both of them were too distracted to notice the tiny golden string that circled around them. The rest of them noticed , surprised at the rare magic they were noticing. It seemed like both Remus and Hermione had found their happiness together. In a time were war and death was spreading like an uncontrollable fire , how long will happiness last?

daichisjuicythings

As always kind and sweet. Thanks a lott.