A/N:
Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I love it when you guys give me your feedback! It's such a good muse!
Just so everyone knows the story title is changing! With the help of xLunaAngelWarriorx the story title will now be He Will Be Loved. The story will no longer be Severus' Second Chance.
Thank you xLunaAngelWarriorx for your help in picking out the new title for the story!
Do enjoy and reviews are most certainly welcome again!
Special thanks to N.O.C. for being my beta!
Disclaimer: I own nothing blardy blar blar!
Chapter 16: The Beginning of The End.
They all stood in shock as the men vanished into ashes before their eyes. Hermione ran across the corridor to Severus forcefully wrapping her arms around him. She looked up into his eyes thankful that he was still alive. She buried her face into his chest and held onto him as tightly as she could and relished in the feel of his arms wrapping around her just as tightly. It was over, finally over. After a few moments she looked around, pulled away from Severus and gave him a smile. She stood up on her tip toes and gave him a small kiss on the cheek.
Hermione withdrew herself from Severus and began to take in the others in the room. Harry was her first destination. Walking over to him she placed her hand on his shoulder and with only a look into his eyes he knew she was thankful he was alive. Ron approached them as well as the others.
"Alright mate now that this bloody ordeal is over I'm ready to go home." Ron said with a noticeable shakiness to his voice and a swift intake of breath to follow.
"Agreed!" Cried George. "I think we should all go to the Burrow together. With you two back I'm sure Hermione and Severus will have a proper greeting this time. And I know we could all use some good food!" George knew his mother and with the arrival of Arthur and Ron would mean a buffet of food would follow.
"I have to stay here mate. There is evidence and statements to gather as well as a mess to clean up. I will come when Jeffery and I have finished, shouldn't take us very long." Harry chimed in disappointed he would miss out. He also assumed his presence wouldn't be welcome this soon after breaking things off with Ginny. So he would allow some time with their arrival to buffer his own.
"Snape, Hermione, you coming right?" Ron stated firmly. "You did save Dad and me and I'm sure mom will be just as grateful as us."
Severus and Hermione gave each other thoughtful looks trying not to remember their last visit to the Burrow. Severus gave her a nod and she turned back to Ron.
"Yes of course we will come. Should we go first, to explain the situation with George?" She wondered if the shock of Ron and Arthur walking through the door first would kill Molly with a heart attack.
"Hermione dear I do believe that would be a wise decision." Arthur said to her appreciatively.
Hermione gave Severus a smile and he turned to grab up a piece of trash off the floor to make two portkey's. He turned back to Arthur and handed him a piece of a Styrofoam cup.
"Arthur this portkey will activate in approximately twenty five minutes. That should be sufficient enough time to inform Molly and Ginerva of your arrival." Severus said surprisingly without his usual sneer.
He grabbed Hermione's hand and she motioned for George to grab hold of the portkey. She reached out and grabbed the portkey and they were gone in a flash of blue light.
Hermione fell when arriving at the back door of the Burrow. She looked up at both men that were scrambling to get to her and shook her head to brush off the dizziness that followed their instant pull and swirl of traveling by portkey. Both men grabbed a hand and pulled Hermione up about the time the back door flung open and all three of them snapped back to look at the door only to see a furious Ginny Weasley staring at them.
"What in the bloody hell are you two doing here!? George where have you been!? Do you realize the bloody fright you have put our mother through!? The clock said you were in mortal peril for three days George!" Ginny shouted until her face was a deeper shade of red than that of her hair.
George went to speak but was beat to the punch by Severus who raised his wand and pointed it at Ginny and shouted, "Silencio!" He gave Hermione and George an evil sneer and turned back to the mime at the back door of the Borrow. "Miss Weasley! I have you know that your blatant acts of disrespect will no longer be tolerated! Go inside, sit down and shut the hell up! If you could keep your mouth from gaping about spilling forth unnecessary drabble and listen for a change perhaps you will damn well know where the hell George has been and why Hermione and I have graced you with our presence! Go inside! Now!" He yelled at her with his deep baritone voice all the while inching closer and closer to her with wand drawn and pointed at her face.
They all watched as Ginny's face paled and she turned and walked slowly into the house. Severus was close to her heels while Hermione and George came up the rear laughing the whole way. It wasn't often Ginny was put in her place but it was so much fun to watch, and the best part was, Severus was the one to put her there. They watched as Ginny grabbed Molly's arm and sat her down on the couch with her and Ginny wrapped her arm around Molly.
"Are you prepared Miss Weasley to keep your trap shut?"
Ginny merely nodded and looked at her mother indicating that she do the same. Severus raised his wand and removed the spell.
"Now, as we would have said upon our arrival however, we were greeted with complete and utter disrespect. We have some very good news to share with you Molly." Severus turned and looked at George and Hermione. They both shook their heads indicating they didn't want to speak. Severus's head and shoulders dropped as he looked back at Molly.
"As I was saying, Molly, in the events that transpired in Egypt it is a great privilege to inform you that Hermione single handedly saved the lives of Arthur and Ron. They will be joining you shortly." He gave a quick nod, turned and walked out of the Burrow grabbing Hermione on the way.
George was in shock! The man didn't explain anything to them! He watched as his mother and Ginny passed out on the couch slumping onto each other and leaning forward. He jumped over to them to lay them separately and then turned to run after Severus and Hermione only to hear a loud pop as they apparated away. He stood and stared at where they had just been, wondering why they left so quickly. This was a joyous occasion and a celebration was in order. After a few minutes of waiting for them to come back George seen the flash of blue from the port key, his father and Ron were home.
"How did she take it?" Arthur said looking hopeful at George.
"She's still passed out on the couch with Ginny. Harry your brave I didn't think you would show up this early." George said with a laugh.
"Arthur said this would be the best time to get back into their good graces." He gave a devilish smile.
"Where are Hermione and Snape?" Ron said curiously.
"Dunno, Snape didn't exactly tell mom with any delicate nature that's for sure. Just came up and blurted it out he did!" George said a bit taken back at Severus' brash behavior.
"Well Snape's never been the one to sugar coat things now has he?" Asked Ron as he stormed into the house past George.
They all followed Ron's lead into the house. Arthur sat on the couch beside Molly cradling her into his arms and Ron sat at her feet. George cast a quick innervate and Molly and Ginny awoke to see Arthur and Ron. Molly reached out and felt Arthurs face with a look of complete shock. Ginny began to sob and George quickly wrapped his arms around her pulling her into a tight hug.
After an hour or so the shock wore off, Harry and George began to explain what had happen. Molly quickly jumped up off the couch and ran to the kitchen mumbling some incoherent thoughts about food and starvation. George, Arthur and Ron followed shortly behind her leaving Harry and Ginny alone.
Harry nervously stared at Ginny. Ginny glared at Harry and he would have sworn right then and there that her eyes were turning red. He swallowed deep and was able to speak with a shaky tongue.
"How have you been?"
"Like you care." She spat with a rather nasty viciousness.
"Ginny, I do care. You have just been…I don't know….evil the last few months!" He didn't mean to shout but it came out that way.
"Evil!? Who left me just weeks before our wedding!?" She shouted with just as much force as Harry.
"Did you ever consider Why…and I mean really think about Why I left you Ginny?" Making sure to emphasize the why with venom.
"Because you're a selfish prat who only thinks about himself, that's why!" She began to cry. Her selfishness was blinding her to anyone else's feelings.
"Ginny you are unbelievable! Think about how horrible you have been! I left because of how YOU acted! Not because I just up and decided I no longer wanted you anymore. You pushed me to the point that I just don't want you anymore. You are awful to be around Ginny! I try to hold you when you cry and you scream at me and call me names! What do you want from me? What do you expect me to do? I come home from work and as soon as I walk through the door you start on me for things that I didn't even know about! You call me names, you tell me I'm worthless, you tell me I will never amount to anything but what Dumbledore made me to be, and I just don't know how you think that I could love you when this is the way you have treated me over the last few months! Not to mention how you treat everyone else around you. If you expect me to apologize for breaking things off with you I assure you it will never happen. I'm happy now."
Harry didn't take the time to register how Ginny took what he said. He felt free, he felt exonerated, and he felt wonderful to finally be rid of all that he bottled up. It was time to move on with his life. He realized then that the love he felt for Hermione wasn't actually love in a romantic nature, it was the love of a sister who he wished could show Ginny how to treat him. He admired Hermione for her relentless love and affection she always showed Snape even when he was horrible. He wished he could be there for Ginny but he knew she had pushed him too far. He was ready for a new untainted love.
He made his way to the kitchen and gave Molly a hug that startled her deeply. She pulled him back and pushed his hair off of his brow. "Harry dear, I will always love you as one of my own. Ginny will be fine." She gave him another hug and motioned for him to take a seat at the table.
"Should we send a patronus to Hermione and Snape?" George asked the group.
Arthur gave a quirky smile reminiscent of that of a teenage boy before he replied.
"No son, I think that's best left alone for now."
A/N
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