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Disclaimer: I don' own anything at all.
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Forever
By Belle Mortis
Chapter Two
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"You can seduce my mind and have my body,
But you can find my soul and have me Forever."
-Anonymous
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As Hermione awoke, she felt a dull warmth pressed up against her and strong arms pulled tight around her small frame. It seemed so distant though, but she didn't know why. Her head was pounding with a sharp pain in the back of her head and she felt as if she couldn't move at all. Frightened, she tried to open her eyes, but she couldn't. Her eyelids weighed down and she couldn't even move her eyes behind them. She could hear voices, but only faintly. A deep masculine voice seemed to reverberate down her spine and fan out into her toes.
"I found her under the tree down by the lake, Poppy. Will you listen next time?" the voice said, frustrated. She tried to snuggle up to the warmth, but found she couldn't move.
"You shouldn't have brought the young woman to, me as you have told me, she is dead! There is nothing I can do for the dead as I am not a necromancer or some silly thing, Severus. Take her to Albus, but don't give me dead people. Who is she anyway? And don't come barging in here again young man," A motherly, but stern voice answered. The second voice was exasperated and tired while the first one was cold, but seemed to care about this young dead woman… wait… were they talking about her? She wasn't dead… she couldn't be. To Hermione's fright, just then she noticed that she wasn't even breathing… she must be dead, she thought gloomily.
"I don't think she's dead… I'm telling you she doesn't seem dead," the first voice said as Hermione felt a hand creep up upon her neck, as if to strangle her. She tried to squirm away, but still she couldn't move. The fingers pushed gently against her neck.
"How could she be alive, Severus? She doesn't even have a pulse. Take her to Albus, now," said the second voice as she heard feet scurrying away. She was placed upon something hard, but soft and the arms that had encircled her were no longer protecting her. She sighed on the inside at the loss of warmth even if the warmth came from one of her professors. That was nice… How am I thinking if I'm dead? This is all too confusing…
"I'll just go and get Albus to look at her," were the last words Hermione heard for she fell asleep from sheer exhaustion and frustration. Her mind slipped away slowly as she fell into a deep slumber…
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"Albus! Albus? Are you there?" Severus yelled as he pounded on the door urgently, his knuckles getting scratched by the rough grain of the old door. His silky jet-black hair hanging around his face. He stopped and leaned against the stone wall next to the door. He closed his eyes quietly and sighed, exasperated. Why did he care so much though? All she was, was some woman he found dead, but he seemed to have a connection with her. He shouldn't care about anyone at all… it just wasn't right. But there seemed to be something about her…
"Come in, Severus. You don't have to yell next time, young man," Albus' voice came through the thick door. He opened it slowly and invited Severus inside, closing it behind him. It creaked loudly on its rusty hinges. Severus cringed when the noise met his sensitive ears. Albus sat behind his large desk in his wooden chair. Fawkes was perched behind him, singing soft notes now and then. There were portraits of former Headmasters and Headmistresses snoring softly in their antique frames. Many cabinets filled with odds and ends lined the walls. Severus pulled himself out a chair in front of Albus' desk even though he didn't want to sit at the moment.
"Now, what is it, son?" Albus asked him in his fatherly tone. Albus had always saw Severus as a son and now was used to calling him it. Severus took a deep breath and began to tell the story of Voldemort's dark beast and his mystery girl, all the way to when he found the beautiful young woman by the tree.
"She's in the Hospital Wing now… to Poppy's dislike. Not that I really even care-" Severus finished running a hand through his black hair, but was interrupted by Albus.
"Severus. You say… she's dead? Do you know who she is, son?" Albus asked Severus. Severus looked at him, confused, and shook his head softly. Albus' blue eyes twinkled out from under his half moon glasses and smile shot across his face as he got up to go. Severus followed in suit, leaving a single glance at Fawkes who sung a high note as if to warn him. He shadowed him through the dark and winding corridors to the Hospital Wing. Albus' midnight blue robe, with stars and moons, billowed behind him giving him a powerful aura in a way that made Severus proud. When they arrived at the Hospital Wing, the doors to it were wide open and Poppy could be seen through them bustling around in her office. Severus led Albus to the bed that he had placed the woman on. She was lying there, her eyes closed and her mouth barely open forming a cupid's bow, which, in Severus' case, was beautiful. Who was she though?
"She looks alive though… hmmm. I wonder… maybe," a smile formed on the old man's wrinkled face as he looked at the woman. She had wonderful wavy brown hair that flowed down upon the white hospital sheets of the bed. Her skin was pale and looked as soft as velvet. Her frame was long, but thin and nimble. Her breasts weren't oversized or too small. Severus thought they were perfect… She wore a long black robe that concealed any of the clothes that she wore under it, if any. Severus noticed that her hand was clenched into a fist around something. While Albus was busy studying her face, Severus unfolded her fist to find… the Head Girl badge? This was… no… Miss Granger?
"I think I know who it is, Severus," Albus said still contemplating the identity of the Hermione, "I think it is-"
"Miss Granger," Severus stated strongly as Albus raised his eyes and furrowed his brows in thought. He stroked his silver beard that reached down over his chest. He took a deep breath and started to talk as the doors were swung back farther on its old hinges making a banging noise…
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A/n: So… how do you like it? Tell me by REVIEWING! ~_0 I'm happy because it is 44 more days until I am 13!