We All Fall Down
***
Severus waited until Hermione's form could no longer be seen and then turned toward Potter with his arm raised. He appeared as if his injures never bothered him at all. It had all been a ploy to convince Hermione that this duel was impossible to avoid.
In truth, Severus didn't wish for the woman that he loved to see him kill the best friend she ever had in the entire magical world. Perhaps even her entire life.
Dispite the circumstances, Severus guessed that Hermione wouldn't be able to understand the need to destroy Harry, should they be not able to enforce Voldermort to leave Harry's body, and hopefully die for his trouble.
In fact, if he killed Potter now, Severus believed that any hope he ever had for a future with Hermione would be completely gone forever. How could she ever trust in him again after what he was about to do now? She would always be seconding guessing what he had done. She might even think he killed Harry out of jealousy alone. Hermione did choose Harry above him first.
As much as that drove him mad, Severus knew that his reasoning wasn't from any ill feelings he had for Potter.
All he could think about now was Hermione, and her well wished for, unborn child. He knew she was going to be an amazing mother to it. Severus just preyed that he would live to share that time with her.
"So, Snape." Harry sneered darkly. "It comes down to this. I bet you're wetting in your boxers right this minute! You can do away with me and have Hermione all alone. But you know that she won't want you if you kill me, don't you? She'll push you away farther than you ever were from her. She'll listen to talk that you murdered me to have her for yourself! 'Mione' could never love you!"
"What did you say?" Snape whispered, thinking that after all that time calling Hermione by her full name, Potter chooses to just suddenly switch to the childish nickname 'Mione'? That meant only one thing. Potter was fighting Voldermort off!
"'Mione'," Potter hissed. "She'll never love you after this! ADVA-!" Potter thundered.
Snape was far too fast and had his wand pulled before Harry could say the words.
"EXPELLIOMUS!" roared Snape.
Potter lost his wand and was flipped far in the air by a blast of magic from Snape's wand.
Potter's body hit the far wall with a sickly smack.
"FREEIOMUS TUMDRUM" Snape then hissed. Potter was then flipped high
in the air and stayed there against the ceiling.
Cold green eyes stared wickedly down at Snape.
"You'll have to kill me!" Potter grinned evilly. "Do it, Snape! You know I'll never leave her alone! When the child comes, I'll be strong again! A whole new body of my own, and a lovely young mother that will raise me as her own son! She will, you know! Mione will never surrender a child based on your guess that it is evil alone, and you know it. And you could never bare to kill it for fear of her hating you. Oh, what a delightful web this is!" Potter laughed horribly.
"Hermione would never surrender a child because the child would be hers, and Potter's." Snape reasoned, making the Dark Lord livid that he wasn't upsetting him. "Hermione will love this child, because it will be apart of you both, Potter. Don't allow the Dark Lord to win, and FIGHT HIM!" Snape urged furiously. "Do you want the child to grow up like you did, Potter? Without a father in it's life to love it? Hermione will be a fine mother, but she'll need your help! Do you have any idea what this child will endure as one of yours? You thought you had a difficult childhood with being the famous boy-who-lived. What do you think this child is going to face as the son, or daughter, of the wizard who let Voldermort TAKE him!" Snape sneered, hoping it would make Potter have the will to fight Voldermort, this one final time.
"No," Harry cried, tears stinging his eyes. "No!"
Then Snape knew that Potter was there inside of Voldermort. The Dark lord hadn't won yet.
"Fight, Harry!" Snape hissed. He then dropped Potter easily, and gently to the floor.
Potter's body stirred furiously on the floor, as Potter used everything that was inside of him; his heart, mind, and soul, and broke free of the Dark Lord's grasp.
A blood chilling scream from Potter, and the young man was taken into dark sleep, as Snape casted a powerful sleeping charm, demanding that Potter rest his body.
Looks as if you have more of your mother in you than I thought, Potter, Severus thought dryly, as he briefly wondered if that same strong Evans will would be passed into the third generation of Potter's that Snape would undoubtedly know too.
As he was in love with the child's mother, and always would be.
How fate had a sense of humor.
***
