-This picks up exactly where the previous part left off. *** indicates Hermione's own feelings and thoughts as Snape is unconscious.-
The warm glow stayed with Severus as snippets of events that were in the future appeared. He saw himself and Hermione in a muggle courtroom. "With the power vested in me, I pronounce you husband and wife." The judge said and smiled at the newlyweds.
"You may kiss the bride" she winked at Severus.
The scene was replaced by one of future Severus trailing three people with red hair, black hair and brown hair. Tension lay in the air and there was no sound. A flurry of black robes surrounded them, and fear flooded him as it dawned on him that they had walked into a trap. The four began throwing curses, hexes and stunners as fast as they possibly could.
Ron Weasley absorbed a golden-red light and burst into flames. He fell to the ground and was still before a dousing charm could be cast. He was dead, his eyes caught in utter terror. "And then there were three." A high, cruel voice spoke.
The flashes of a life he hadn't yet lived continue t o play out in front of him. Some were good, some were bad. He didn't know how he felt about the presence of Harry Potter and Ron Weasley in quite a few of them. The little girl appeared at age three, age ten, and age sixteen and at her own wedding. He felt himself longing for what he had seen; he yearned for it so hard that he felt as if he could touch it if he reached out far enough.
His mind cleared and the older Hermione appeared smiling at him "Its time to wake up Severus…."
****
A wave of emotion washed over Hermione as she looked at her unconscious professor. The lines on his face were slackened and she saw her own dear Salazar buried beneath Snape's usual countenance. His nose must have been broken at some point to gain the hook present in the face of Severus. Age and stress had carved wariness and a calculated look into what had been an open and honest face, but she saw that it really was the same person.
It startled her to see that the boy she had passionately kissed could turn into this hard man. She felt a stab of anger towards the forces that had hurt him and killed the openness that her Salazar still possessed. With her free hand, Hermione touched his face. It felt familiar, but the coolness worried her. She tucked the blanket in tighter around his uninjured shoulder and intensified the warming charm.
She leaned forward and kissed his mouth lightly. She was startled to feel the safety and warmth that she felt when kissing Salazar. It was that action that cemented her belief that this was in fact the same person that she had fallen in love with. All she wanted in the world was for him to open his eyes…… *****
A searing pain throbbed in his left shoulder, Severus grimaced and slowly opened his eyes to see present day Hermione Granger leaning over him, tears in her eyes. "I love you," she whispered.
"Child, you love a man who doesn't yet exist." He said as he reached for her hand.
Albus Dumbledore looked fondly at the pair and closed the door quietly, giving them a few moments before he would transport Severus to St. Mungos.