Quietly waiting until you no longer shake in your sleep, I slowly prod you with a single thought, over and over I scream it from my soul now, 'The Light comes soon, Severus! Soon, soon, soon...'
"When, how do you know this, child?" Your thoughts scramble for order in the chaos of our minds, the snatch of conversation I remember. Harry assuring me that in two weeks, he will bring the war to Riddle in the last assault. The ultimate surprise, even you wouldn't expect it. "Because Dumbledore would never do this, attack openly, offensively," you answer my fevered thoughts.
'But he isn't, he isn't calling strategy anymore. This is Ron's doing, the brilliant strategist has the perfect plan. And the Order will succeed in ending this for good, in that they can't possibly fail.' I know fully what this means and I need you to understand my acceptance, we will perish or we will win, but we will be free either way. 'They come today, before the nightfall and this is the last of our time here.'
"And you wait to tell me this deliberately? So that I couldn't tell them, ah, clever girl. It isn't just the madness, you hid this from me. I also have a surprise for you," the glint in your eye is amazing and brilliant. "Will They come back for you, before the darkness?" you question me aloud and in my drifting thoughts. When you find that They won't, you slowly undo my restraints. I am unaware of the freedom for a moment. I blink hard to try to understand.
"Come return the favour," you demand, the gleam of conspirator in your eye and the tip of the wand peaking from the blanket now. AHA!
'My hero!' I proclaim with every ounce of my essence. Slowly and so very tentatively I try my tired and battered limbs. You wince with the pain I refuse to show in my face as I creep across to you, unable to stand. Taking the wand and repeating the spells you give my confused mind, I release you as well. You slowly bring me to my feet, supporting my weight. The pain of the blanket is great, I have seen this in your thoughts, yet you pull it around you as you lead us to my filthy corner.
"Can you not guess why? It is all I have, dear," the sarcastic reply comes. The overwhelming humiliation of it dawns on me, mixed in with the feelings I am getting from you, your meticulous dressing habits, your modesty, and something else... something you hid from me here in our link. I carefully remove the tattered and thin cloak They have covered me in and hand it to you, turning my back to you. It isn't my lack of shame at being completely naked that causes your gasp, but the selflessness of my gesture and the wounds upon my back. The burns, the bruises, partially healed cuts and gouges, and the darkness of something more sinister healed magically. I feel your hot tears on my back as you gently replace the cloak. Your hands are rough and gentle and insistent as you turn me around. Slowly you remove the blanket, not daring to look into my eyes. It is not the body from our garden. This is the secret you hide so carefully. You force yourself to stand your full height for me, clad only in an odd looking loincloth (no, its a dirty and bloodied bandage!). The marks you bear are everywhere, some new, some beginning to heal, and some are shining scars of long ago. Your time here now, the last war, your childhood, the past is written all over your body in horrifying detail. In respect and profound caring I dare not look away. I reach out tentatively and trace the knotted marks of the whip that are older than I am across your strong shoulders. My touch doesn't create a response at all, you are a statue of flesh and pain. And I see, you haven't had these old wounds erased with magic for a powerful reason. As if seeing you for the first time I begin to slowly work my way around you, touching this scar or that, holding my fingers above fresh wounds. As I come back around to your face, I'm amazed to see your eyes watching me intently. Your look is unreadable, but you are thinking, 'why aren't you repulsed by me?'
'Every trace of damage to your flesh, you wear them to remind you, to steel your resolve. I'm honoured that you'd show me. Severus, you are beautiful. You are beautiful to me.' My brilliant light of hope when the madness was taking me away, knowing I would not die alone here on the wet stone. All the pain and humiliation wiped away in one look at your battered spirit hanging across from me. Finding a way to end my silence. The renewal of my hope by the mating of our souls, I let this flood over you. My private garden shining for you to see, inviting you to join me here in the most guarded corner of my mind, the place where I hid my soul from the hooded demons. Willingly you come to this place we share, I pause here for a moment that hangs infinitely between us.
"Come back now, come into reality once more please. You must, just once more I promise. Stay with me today, one last day and then you will be free," you begin gently, imploring me out of the haven of my subconscious mind. Your tone turns cold and clipped, the Professor Snape I remember from so long ago surfacing in your desperation to keep me sane a few hours longer, "Miss Granger look at me now! I demand it!"
My eyes refocus on you just in time to watch the spark of panic on your face for a heartbeat. Thankfully you replace it with the unreadable mask of stone I'm accustomed to seeing. 'Promise again, this is the last time. It will end soon, over finally. Show me...'
We live the next few moments as a lifetime, it must have been only a few heartbeats, but seemed forever. Slowly, almost imperceptibly you draw me closer, and begin to lay me down all at once. You sense that I cannot bear the stone on my flesh again and so lay me on top of you carefully, unwilling to acknowledge the pain this must cause you. By the time you have settled us prone against the floor I can't tell where your breath ends and mine begins. My mouth drops open as the silent protest of pain bursts out of me and the spell is broken, time rushes back to normal. The feel of my mouth barely brushing yours for an instant drives the thoughts of pain from me, and you begin to wrap me in your arms. I realize I still hold the stolen wand, mentally noting to find out how you did that! The feeling of warm human touch, real this time, begins to wash through me, already healing the scars upon my mind. I faintly feel you take the wand from me and begin to mutter something I can't quite understand. My whole flesh is pressed to you, my hands on your chest and my body feels like it is floating with the relief of comfort, finally comfort. I am nearly warm again; your body heat begins to work its charms on me. I gaze into your eyes and am losing myself in them. Did you know how deep your soul is? I can fall forever.
"Yes, touch is magical isn't it? Concentrate on that, the feeling of protection. Nothing will harm you while my arms encircle you. Cling to that with all your mind. Do you hear that? They are here; I can hear the battle, Hermione. The Light has found you. You are safe," your voice is hypnotic, and I believe you are using our link on me as well. Safe, nothing can harm me; our hearts beat as one, the rush of your blood in my ears as I lay my face down against your neck. I don't know where I end and you begin. One soul locked in two bodies, one heartbeat, one spirit, even our magic is joining. I feel you drawing my power, willing me to sleep now. Sleep, can I sleep? I could sleep forever.
"Shh, sleep then. I'll stand guard." Your silky voice uttering these words of comfort echo through my being...