Chapter Thirteen
In which the unexpected happens
Her knees were tucked beneath his as she listened to his soft, rhythmic breathing and savored the warmth. Severus had fallen asleep only moments before. She nestled closer to his back and kissed his neck softly. Perhaps his last night of freedom ... if worse came to worst. It was probably the first happy memory the dementors would strip from him. And he had so few. Almost none that he would share. This one she would keep for him and treasure above all memories as long as she lived.
A loud voice from the parlor called her name and she slipped from bed, throwing on her clothes and robes at lightning speed. It was Ron with news. She recognized the voice instantly.
Severus sat up as she dressed and collected his discarded robe from the floor.
"It is time?" he asked in a low voice.
"Ron wouldn't be trying to get in touch otherwise."
They walked into the parlor together, but Severus paused at the table in the corner while Hermione went to speak with Ron, whose head was visible in the fireplace. He had had the good sense not to apparate.
The young Weasley looked at her quizzically for a moment, blinked, shook his head, and said, "I don't even want to know, 'Mione."
"News? Do you have any word concerning the verdict?" she asked impatiently.
"Guilty, I'm sorry to say." said Ron, hanging his head. It was hardly a surprise. "But they aren't coming for him until sunrise. He could still run ..." he suggested wildly, looking up with a defiant spark in his eyes.
"It's no use. He doesn't even have his wand."
"But, Hermione! Even muggles run! Surely you could get him to a ... to a cab in muggle London ... and then ... to a train station or an airport. He could run, 'Mione."
"No." said Severus from the corner, placidly stirring a drink. "I won't run. I won't make them chase me down like a rapid dog."
"I can respect that, sir, but what about Hermione?" asked Ron with an apologetic look. "I know it's none of my business and you'd only be too right to tell me to butt out, but she's my friend ... and when they take you away ..."
"I won't go to pieces or hex them, Ron. Someone has to prepare an appeal, after all." she told one of her oldest living friends.
"Mister Weasley ... Ron, I am grateful for you assistance, your suggestions, and even your foolish sentiments," Severus began to say, some of his less than pleasant personality emerging as he spoke, "but, please, leave us. The time is short." said Severus, downing his drink in one quick swallow.
"Of course." he agreed, his image leaving the hearth.
"Come and sit with me, my love." said Severus, walking over to the couch.
Hermione had never imagined that he would call her that, that anyone would ever call her their love. Her heart ached as she joined him, pulling him tenderly into her arms one last time.
"I like this." he said, staring up at her with his dark eyes.
"So do I." she said, running her fingers through his hair. He trembled. "Severus?"
"It is nothing." he said, shuddering again and closing his eyes for a moment.
"It's all right ... to be afraid. I would a mess, you know."
"You wouldn't be, and ... and I'm not afraid ... anymore." he replied, breathing in sharply. His eyes clouded with pain.
Something wasn't right.
"Severus, tell me that you didn't ... you haven't." said Hermione, feeling alarm creep into the very center of her chest as she looked over at the stand in the corner whereupon a few small bottles sat, hardly noticeable next to the wine bottle and the glasses.
He lifted her hand and kissed it, clutching it to his chest. She could feel his heart beating wildly beneath his cool skin.
"You've poisoned yourself?" Hermione asked shrilly. He made as though to hush her, but she shrieked again, "I can't believe it! I can't! You can't have!"
"I was brewing two potions, you know ..." he said sleepily, his voice becoming even more silky and deep. "Your sleeping draught ... and mine."
"Severus ..." she sobbed brokenly, realizing that he had planned this, that he had prepared for this terrible moment, that he was willing to face death in agony rather than suffer inside Azkaban. That this was his poor solution and his answer to the injustice of the world.
His face twisted in pain and anguish. His body convulsed involuntarily even as Hermione sought to hold him still.
"But why like this? Why?" she screamed.
"Someday soon ... you will understand." he said before a cry of intense torment escape his lips.
Severus lay still after a moment longer of unbearable pain. His hand lost its grip upon hers, and she felt his heartbeat falter and fade until it beat no more. She stroked his hair and face and sobbed loudly, unable to restrain herself. He was gone. When she had promised never to forsake him, she had never thought that he might leave her, that he would die in her arms that very night in the hours just before dawn.
"Why didn't I realize?" she asked herself, smoothing his robe compulsively, touching his face with reverence. The anger had come and gone, leaving only a profound sense of grief and emptiness in its wake.
When the Ministry officials came only a few hours later, they were shocked to find that Severus Snape was no more. A young Ministry mediwizard pronounced him dead not longer after six in the morning. The cause of death was listed as suicide by poisoning, wormwood poisoning to be exact, which in and of itself was no surprise to anyone. How else should a potions' master die? Though it was admitting, a painful and terrifying death.
Hermione was questioned at length by an Auror and one of Arturo Blood's people, but for the most part they were satisfied with her account of what had happened. There was nothing they could do or say to her. They could only look at her with cold, unpleasant expressions and leave her to weep bitter tears in peace.
When the officials packed up and left her with the corpse of the man who had been so much to her, teacher, client, friend, and lover, each in proper turn, she wasted no time getting in touch with Harry, who looked somewhat bedraggled when he answered the fire.
"Hermione?" he questioned, putting on his glasses and squinting at her.
"He's dead." she said, still sniffling slightly. The worst of it, the unbearable anguish, had already begun to pass, though her hands were still shaking terribly.
"Snape?"
"Yes."
Harry started to ask a question, but stopped and simply said, "I'll get Ron ... and Remus too. We'll be right there."
"Thanks." she managed.
It wasn't much longer than ten minutes later when three people apparated into the parlor to find Hermione standing over Severus's body where it remained on the couch. She was staring at him, almost lovingly still, though there was anger behind the bright tears in her eyes, tears that she was trying desperately to hold back. Remus pulled her away while Harry and Ron just looked at the dead former professor.
"I can't believe it ended like this." said Ron in amazement. Harry elbowed him hard in the ribs, glancing over his shoulder at Hermione before looking at Severus again.
"The Ministry has already been here?" Remus questioned, holding Hermione close as she began to cry again.
"Yes." she answered. "They suggested that I contact his family, but he hasn't got any. I think all of us may have been the nearest thing."
"Then we will take care of what has to be done." said Remus staunchly.
"I want him to have his wand back."
Remus looked at Ron who nodded. The man was dead. The instrument would find no safer keeping than with him.
"And his robes ... from the school." she added.
"I'll see to it myself." Lupin promised.
"Hermione ... I've never been sorrier in my life." said Harry, wrenching his eyes away from the corpse on the couch.
"Me too." added Ron.
"Thanks."
"Now let's get you out of here. I think you've been through enough." said Remus, lifting Hermione into his arms. "We can sort through the rest of this later."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N: Thank you for reviewing, Christine, Quillusion, Dinky (twice!), cloudshape, mym2000, Michelle, and Jenni! And a special thanks to Quillusion for the advice and so forth.
In which the unexpected happens
Her knees were tucked beneath his as she listened to his soft, rhythmic breathing and savored the warmth. Severus had fallen asleep only moments before. She nestled closer to his back and kissed his neck softly. Perhaps his last night of freedom ... if worse came to worst. It was probably the first happy memory the dementors would strip from him. And he had so few. Almost none that he would share. This one she would keep for him and treasure above all memories as long as she lived.
A loud voice from the parlor called her name and she slipped from bed, throwing on her clothes and robes at lightning speed. It was Ron with news. She recognized the voice instantly.
Severus sat up as she dressed and collected his discarded robe from the floor.
"It is time?" he asked in a low voice.
"Ron wouldn't be trying to get in touch otherwise."
They walked into the parlor together, but Severus paused at the table in the corner while Hermione went to speak with Ron, whose head was visible in the fireplace. He had had the good sense not to apparate.
The young Weasley looked at her quizzically for a moment, blinked, shook his head, and said, "I don't even want to know, 'Mione."
"News? Do you have any word concerning the verdict?" she asked impatiently.
"Guilty, I'm sorry to say." said Ron, hanging his head. It was hardly a surprise. "But they aren't coming for him until sunrise. He could still run ..." he suggested wildly, looking up with a defiant spark in his eyes.
"It's no use. He doesn't even have his wand."
"But, Hermione! Even muggles run! Surely you could get him to a ... to a cab in muggle London ... and then ... to a train station or an airport. He could run, 'Mione."
"No." said Severus from the corner, placidly stirring a drink. "I won't run. I won't make them chase me down like a rapid dog."
"I can respect that, sir, but what about Hermione?" asked Ron with an apologetic look. "I know it's none of my business and you'd only be too right to tell me to butt out, but she's my friend ... and when they take you away ..."
"I won't go to pieces or hex them, Ron. Someone has to prepare an appeal, after all." she told one of her oldest living friends.
"Mister Weasley ... Ron, I am grateful for you assistance, your suggestions, and even your foolish sentiments," Severus began to say, some of his less than pleasant personality emerging as he spoke, "but, please, leave us. The time is short." said Severus, downing his drink in one quick swallow.
"Of course." he agreed, his image leaving the hearth.
"Come and sit with me, my love." said Severus, walking over to the couch.
Hermione had never imagined that he would call her that, that anyone would ever call her their love. Her heart ached as she joined him, pulling him tenderly into her arms one last time.
"I like this." he said, staring up at her with his dark eyes.
"So do I." she said, running her fingers through his hair. He trembled. "Severus?"
"It is nothing." he said, shuddering again and closing his eyes for a moment.
"It's all right ... to be afraid. I would a mess, you know."
"You wouldn't be, and ... and I'm not afraid ... anymore." he replied, breathing in sharply. His eyes clouded with pain.
Something wasn't right.
"Severus, tell me that you didn't ... you haven't." said Hermione, feeling alarm creep into the very center of her chest as she looked over at the stand in the corner whereupon a few small bottles sat, hardly noticeable next to the wine bottle and the glasses.
He lifted her hand and kissed it, clutching it to his chest. She could feel his heart beating wildly beneath his cool skin.
"You've poisoned yourself?" Hermione asked shrilly. He made as though to hush her, but she shrieked again, "I can't believe it! I can't! You can't have!"
"I was brewing two potions, you know ..." he said sleepily, his voice becoming even more silky and deep. "Your sleeping draught ... and mine."
"Severus ..." she sobbed brokenly, realizing that he had planned this, that he had prepared for this terrible moment, that he was willing to face death in agony rather than suffer inside Azkaban. That this was his poor solution and his answer to the injustice of the world.
His face twisted in pain and anguish. His body convulsed involuntarily even as Hermione sought to hold him still.
"But why like this? Why?" she screamed.
"Someday soon ... you will understand." he said before a cry of intense torment escape his lips.
Severus lay still after a moment longer of unbearable pain. His hand lost its grip upon hers, and she felt his heartbeat falter and fade until it beat no more. She stroked his hair and face and sobbed loudly, unable to restrain herself. He was gone. When she had promised never to forsake him, she had never thought that he might leave her, that he would die in her arms that very night in the hours just before dawn.
"Why didn't I realize?" she asked herself, smoothing his robe compulsively, touching his face with reverence. The anger had come and gone, leaving only a profound sense of grief and emptiness in its wake.
When the Ministry officials came only a few hours later, they were shocked to find that Severus Snape was no more. A young Ministry mediwizard pronounced him dead not longer after six in the morning. The cause of death was listed as suicide by poisoning, wormwood poisoning to be exact, which in and of itself was no surprise to anyone. How else should a potions' master die? Though it was admitting, a painful and terrifying death.
Hermione was questioned at length by an Auror and one of Arturo Blood's people, but for the most part they were satisfied with her account of what had happened. There was nothing they could do or say to her. They could only look at her with cold, unpleasant expressions and leave her to weep bitter tears in peace.
When the officials packed up and left her with the corpse of the man who had been so much to her, teacher, client, friend, and lover, each in proper turn, she wasted no time getting in touch with Harry, who looked somewhat bedraggled when he answered the fire.
"Hermione?" he questioned, putting on his glasses and squinting at her.
"He's dead." she said, still sniffling slightly. The worst of it, the unbearable anguish, had already begun to pass, though her hands were still shaking terribly.
"Snape?"
"Yes."
Harry started to ask a question, but stopped and simply said, "I'll get Ron ... and Remus too. We'll be right there."
"Thanks." she managed.
It wasn't much longer than ten minutes later when three people apparated into the parlor to find Hermione standing over Severus's body where it remained on the couch. She was staring at him, almost lovingly still, though there was anger behind the bright tears in her eyes, tears that she was trying desperately to hold back. Remus pulled her away while Harry and Ron just looked at the dead former professor.
"I can't believe it ended like this." said Ron in amazement. Harry elbowed him hard in the ribs, glancing over his shoulder at Hermione before looking at Severus again.
"The Ministry has already been here?" Remus questioned, holding Hermione close as she began to cry again.
"Yes." she answered. "They suggested that I contact his family, but he hasn't got any. I think all of us may have been the nearest thing."
"Then we will take care of what has to be done." said Remus staunchly.
"I want him to have his wand back."
Remus looked at Ron who nodded. The man was dead. The instrument would find no safer keeping than with him.
"And his robes ... from the school." she added.
"I'll see to it myself." Lupin promised.
"Hermione ... I've never been sorrier in my life." said Harry, wrenching his eyes away from the corpse on the couch.
"Me too." added Ron.
"Thanks."
"Now let's get you out of here. I think you've been through enough." said Remus, lifting Hermione into his arms. "We can sort through the rest of this later."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N: Thank you for reviewing, Christine, Quillusion, Dinky (twice!), cloudshape, mym2000, Michelle, and Jenni! And a special thanks to Quillusion for the advice and so forth.