Chapter 15

Love in her eyes


***

Hermione Potter was reading in her bed chamber when the door slowly opened, and revealed to her a small House elf standing in the center of the darken room. It was an elf from the Hospital wing. Pomfrey had called her Dippy.

"May I help you?" Hermione asked softly, pulling up the bed covers slightly around her.

Dippy stepped slowly toward her with sad black eyes staring widely. "Pomfrey sends Dippy to tell Professor Potter something she will not like."

"What is it?" Hermione questioned, an uneasy feeling swallowing her stomach, as she recalled one of the final things that Severus had said to her before he left her in the Great Hall earlier that day.

I likely won't return.

Please, be wrong, love. Hermione thought desperately. I won't go on without you. I know that Harry is a good man, and a man that I should give my love to, but I can't. I just cannot love him! Please, forgive me, my Severus. Forgive me and come back home. Then I'll love you like I should have never stopped doing in the first place.

"Professor Snape, my dear lady." Dippy began softly. "Madam Pomfrey knows that Professor Potter cares for him, she does. Come quick, you must." Dippy replied.

"Why?" Hermione gasped, jumping out of bed, and grabbed for her robe that was hanging on a chair beside her bed. "What's happened to him?"

"Hurt, Professor Snape is." Dippy said. "Must come at once, you must!"

"Let's go!" Hermione said.

Dippy grabbed hold of her heavy robe. Hermione blinked once and they had arrived.

***

"Hermione, I warn you, dear." Pomfrey began gently, as she stalked with Hermione into the ward room. "It's not the best thing to see. I've healed most of the broken limbs, but.."

Hermione, tears shinning bright in her eyes, held up a sharp hand for her not to continue her sentence.

"I refuse to believe that he will not get better." Hermione declared, her voice strained. "I absolutely refuse it!"

Pomfrey knodded, and opened up the door of the Private ward that Severus was resting inside of.

Hermione swallowed hard and then entered the ancient Hospital wing.

***

He was laying there on a neatly made white colored bed.

His dark long hair was dirty looking from sweating and was matted down in places. Hermione sat down beside him on the bed. His plain handsome face was layered, deadly so, with thick scaring and brusies.

Severus looked as if it hurt to continue on living.

"My darling, I'm here." Hermione whispered, kissing his face in gentle light kisses all over. "Please, come back to me. I promise we'll be together, only if you wake up, my love. If only you wake up."

Hermione, overwhelmed by her intensity of her emotions, kissed Severus firmly on his soft lips.

***

"Hermione, please don't leave," Severus pleaded with himself, as he watched her near the exit of the School's large oak doors. "Never leave me, as without you, I'm forever alone."

But she did not hear him in the dream, as she hadn't that day either. As he stood in the shadows of the School, and watched her walk out those doors, on the arm of Harry Potter, those fateful five years ago.

He then could hear her soft voice pleading with him from somewhere far away.

My darling, I'm here. Please, come back to me. I promise we'll be together, only if you wake up, my love. If only you wake up.

Not aware that he was sleeping, Severus Snape opened his dark black eyes.

His dream was about to come true. Finally.

Hermione would finally be his.

***

Hermione gasped as those lovely black eyes opened and focused upon her face. Severus tried to smile but the pain that shot up his face was just too much. He looked so dirty, worn out, and so desperately tired as he laid on the bed.

"Your injuries are stable." Hermione told him happily. "Pomfrey feels that you'll be just fine, Severus. You only need to rest and allow me to care for you. As soon as I get you back home, I'll never leave your side again."

Hermione pressed her lips to his in a warm kiss and Severus fought to use his voice. If what Voldermort had done to him at the meeting worked, he would have little time left that would be still considered his own. Potter was dying and the Dark Lord would have no more time to waste with him.

Severus had to tell Hermione what was going on so she could be with Potter when the Dark Lord abandoned him to die. She had to know the truth in why Potter had been so distant with her in their marriage. It wasn't because of anything Potter had done, it was because the Dark Lord didn't believe in love of a man and woman. So Potter could not believe in it as well.

It would soon be something Severus himself would lose too. That was why he had to get Hermione as far away as possible from him. Because when the Dark Lord decided it was time, he would have no choice but to answer his wicked call, and allow Voldermort to take him.

"Hermione, please..."

"I'm here, love."

Severus smiled up at her leaning lovely face as she again kissed him. It would be so easy to pretend that nothing was wrong. That he was going to heal and could go home with her soon. They could finally start the life they had both walked away from five years ago. Hermione would soon be widowed so it would all be so easy for him to remain silent and have his love again.

But it would only be days, or even hours, that Voldermort finished what Lucius had started for him in that clearing last night. Then any future they planned would come crashing down around them.

Voldermort wanted Hermione to bare an heir of Potter's for him before Potter was going to die, so she would have to be warned to protect herself from that too. The only way that could be ensured was that Severus allow Voldermort to quickly take his body instead, as his very own.

"Potter has been taken by the Dark Lord." Severus began quickly, taking in the look of utter horror on her now grief-stricken face. "I seen him tonight. I also know something else, love. Potter, he is dying."

"No." Hermione whispered, shaking her head quickly. "That's impossible, Severus. Harry is fine and strong. He'll be all right when I say good bye to him. I know he will be." Hermione replied, tears stinging her soft eyes.

"Hermione, you know that I'd never lie to you." Severus started again. "You must listen to me now. Potter is going to need your help after tonight. You have to leave for London with him. Stay there with him."

"No." Hermione cried softly. "You're hurt too. You need me here with you. I won't leave you, Severus. Do you hear me?"

"I need you to be with Potter, Hermione." Severus began desperately now. "He'll need you with him after tonight. He'll be dying, love. You'll need to be with him too. In case- something goes wrong."

"No, Severus." Hermione replied firmly. "I'm no fool. I know what you're planning to do. You'll not take Harry's place. He wouldn't want you to do that."

"Listen to me, woman, dammit." Severus choked. "I have no choice but to take his place. I'm far too weak not to allow it to happen. I was too weak in fighting him off when Lucius marked me for him."

"That was the reason why Lucius attacked you?" Hermione whispered. "To make you weak should you decide to fight them off!"

"Yes." Severus said softly. "That is why you must leave, now."

"I won't leave you now." Hermione declared passionately. "I won't."

"You must." Severus reasoned. "Because the Dark Lord is on his way."

"Then let him come." Hermione said.

***