The Dark's Mistress
Chapter Eight
By Alicia Jennings
"That was for my dignity." Drawing it out again, she stabbed it back through. "And that was for Severus." Hermione's hands trembled, and she let go of the sword. Harry and Severus hurriedly grabbed her arms, shielding her, even though the villian posed no threat now. Voldemort sank to the floor, the sword still through his chest.
"I surrender..." he murmurred, his speech slurred by the blood slowly collecting in his throat. "I surrender..."
Hermione turned her face into Severus' chest, too horrified by the blood and gore. The compound began to shake on it's foundation, and as Harry and Severus watched, Voldemort's body simply turned to ash and dust.
And suddenly...all was still. The last wisp of dust settled, the fortress stopped shaking. The air that had once been stale and putrid was now pure.
Severus looked at his arm, and gasped. "Hermione...look..."
Hermione opened her eyes to glance at his forearm. The ugly tatoo of death and destruction, of years of pain and suffering, was fading right before their very eyes.
A deep rumble, from beneath their feet, snapped them out of their reverie. "The fortress! It knows its' master is dead...we must retreat!" Harry grabbed the sword, and Severus encircled an arm around Hermione.
They ran for their lives, the rest of the Order running with them...They ran past empty cells, their prisoners having been released with Voldemort's death. They ran past instruments of torture, bloodstains, and bodies of dead Deatheaters - one of those Deatheaters being a classmate they had trusted, only to have been betrayed. They ran past a period of history that the three of them had closed...
Together.
-----
Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, Arthur and Molly Weasley, Mr. and Mrs. Granger and Juliet Granger all sat in terse silence, only occasionally broken by a sniff from Juliet. The young girl was taking the situation very hard, being so close to her big sister. When Mrs. Granger attempted to calm her, Juliet became even more upset.
"Albus, the've been gone so long...You don't think..." Arthur was desperate. "You don't think anything has happened to throw the rest of the Order off course, do you?"
"No, Arthur..." Dumbledore's eyes were staring far off, at something indefinite. "I would feel it."
Mr. Granger stood suddenly. "Quite frankly, I'm tired of relying on feelings...I'm tired of relying on superstitions and divinations and such. I'm just about very tired of my daughter's world."
"Frederick..." Mrs. Granger started, touching his arm.
He pulled it away quickly, and began pacing the room. "Even if Juliet is a witch, I'm not so sure about entrusting her to this world. What I've seen so far is not the best environment for my daughters."
Dumbledore smiled, not of mirth. "Ahh, Mr. Granger, what of the Muggle world? Bombs and kidnappings, murders, thefts...It seems as if though no world is ideal, hmm?"
Feeling chastised, Mr. Granger sat down. "I just wish we knew something."
"We all do," said Mrs. Weasley softly.
-----
"We're almost to the main door!" Harry shouted above the din. Rubble crashed down around them. A huge chunk of rock had very narrowly missed Severus' head moments earlier. "Prepare yourselves to blast it open if it is not open already!"
Everyone drew their wands, still running at breakneck speed. Hermione's lungs burned, her legs ached, but she kept going...for she had no choice. It was either run, or meet death.
Hours earlier, death seemed a good option. But not now. Not while she had Severus with her.
The doors were open, it turned out, and the Order made it out just in time. No sooner were they out the door when the entire structure collapsed, sending a cloud of dust to rain down upon them. The rubble settled after a few moments, and an almost eerie silence descended.
It was Hermione who spoke first, surprisingly. "That was for Hogwarts," she said quietly.
Then Harry spoke. "That was for my family."
"A childhood lost," then said Severus softly.
One by one, the Order murmurred their own tributes.
"For Cedric."
"For my sister."
"For myself."
It went on for a few more minutes, before everyone quieted. Harry turned to the group, a small smile beginning to form on his face.
"I say we should head back to Hogwarts, eh?"
A cheer went up as people began to Disapparate. Hermione clung tightly to Severus as he apparated them both. When they landed on the lawn in front of the castle, Hermione felt a strange weight around her hips. "What...?"
Harry put an arm about her shoulders. "I figured you deserve to carry the sword of Godric Gryffindor more than anyone right now." He smiled, kissing her on the cheek.
Her eyes welled up. "Thank you."
Severus threw his arm around her waist then, and the three of them walked together up to the castle.
-----
Upon seeing figures start to appear on the front lawn, Juliet ran to the window. "Mother! Daddy! It's Hermione and Harry! And some strange man..." She ran across the office to the door. "Come on, then! I want to see them!"
Laughing with relief, the group hurried after her, partly out of excitement and partly because she needed to be shown the way.
Dumbledore smiled. He knew, all along, that things would turn out all right. And maybe even a little matchmaking had occurred...?
McGonagall read his mind and playfully swatted his shoulder. "Albus. Come now. No playing Cupid."
"Me?" He pretended to be dumbfounded. "Why I haven't the slightest clue of what you speak of, my dear Minerva."
-----
Hermione saw the castle doors open, and the Weasleys, Juliet, and her parents came running out onto the lawn.
"Juliet!" Hermione ran ahead, throwing her arms open wide to receive the young girl. They fell on their knees in an embrace, both crying tears of joy.
"I love you so much," Hermione whispered into her sister's hair. "I'm so glad that this is all over and I can see you again."
The Weasleys had enveloped Harry in a bone-crushing hug. The rest of the Order stood together, embracing one another, laughing and crying.
The only one who stood alone was Severus Snape. He had no family to come and recieve him, no friends. He stood quietly, watching as Hermione hugged her sister, then her father and mother. The moment for him was terribly bittersweet.
Hermione drew away from the big embrace of her father, mother, and sister. "Mother...Daddy...Juliet...There is someone I want you to meet." Smiling at him, Hermione walked over and grabbed Severus' hand, leading him over to meet them. "This man is Severus Snape. He is the one reason I'm standing here this very moment, and you all as well. He very nearly lost his life trying to save me at Voldemort's fortress."
Severus had his hands jammed in his pockets, and his eyes firmly fixated on his shoes. "For all the good it did," he mumbled.
He was snapped out of his trance when Mrs. Granger took his arm gently. "Severus?" He looked up.
"Thank you," she said softly, before embracing him. At first Severus looked shocked, but then relaxed and returned the embrace. Juliet also hugged him, and Mr. Granger shook his hand vigorously and clapped him on the back.
They were interrupted by Dumbledore appearing on the front steps and clapping his hands for attention. "If you will all please come inside, we can address the students."
Hermione smiled. One of her hands grasped Severus', the other Juliet's. They all began to enter the castle. As Hermione and Severus walked by Dumbledore, he held them back, along with Harry.
"You three stay with me. Mr. and Mrs. Granger, Juliet, please have a seat with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley." Nodding, they went on.
"I believe," began Dumbledore, smiling at the three of them, "You three could explain some things to us?"
"Yes, sir," said Harry, grinning.
They entered the Great Hall, full of students who were clapping and cheering (save a few Slytherins). Hermione was suddenly very conscious of her attire, but her energy levels were so bled dry, she knew she had no strength to change them. She supposed she looked rather curious in a green neglige, black lace jacket, ballet slippers and a sword belt.
Then she realized that she no longer wore that at all, but long white robes with silver trim. Harry and Severus' bloodstained robes had also been replaced with similar garments. The silver trim held ancient runes - "I give not for myself, but for my people." The garments rather reminded her of wizard's clothing long ago. Her hair had also been pulled back into a braid.
Hermione tossed her head back, pretending to be haughty. "I don't have a clue what was wrong with my lingerie," she whispered to Severus and Harry.
Dumbledore spoke. "I am sure you are all very curious as to what has been taking place over this school year. I am about to inform you of everything."
Whispers scattered about.
Dumbledore held up a hand to quiet the students. "Professor Snape has been acting as a double agent between Voldemort and myself. He has been the reason that our resistance, the Order of the Phoneix, has been able to fight back. The information he has given us in the past about the Deatheaters has been..invaluable. It is because of him we have been able to live in safety.
"Hermione Granger and Harry Potter joined the resistance this year, because they were of age. Not long after their initiation, Voldemort expressed interest in Hermione, for her vast intelligence. She was the only woman he thought capable to produce an heir."
Angry hisses filled the room.
Dumbledore quieted them again. "He told Severus, whom he suspected of betrayl, to take her on as his mistress and to gain information about her, or he would die a traitor to his circle. Therefore, a ruse was set up. Hermione and Severus began to act as if they were involved, dropping very big..."hints"...to keep the rumors circulating throughout the castle. They let no one outside of the Order know of the truth." Dumbledore paused. "Not even their closest friends, to protect those whom they loved."
Ron, Hermione noticed, was hanging his head, shamefaced. So were several other Gryffindors.
"They have sacrificed much. Their reputations, for one. Hermione has had to abandon all extracurricular activities, partly because of the fact everyone was making fun of her, partly also because she never knew when there might be Death Eater functions she would have to attend.
"Harry has also given much. He has spied on Voldemort for us, using Occulmency and divining powers he has been gifted with. He has trained for today ruthlessly. He led the force which attacked Sceleris, Voldemort's lair, today.
"And today, Professor Snape nearly lost his life trying to rescue Miss Granger from Voldemort's clutches. He was tortured and cursed within inches of his life.
"We owe these three people much gratitude. We have all given of ourselves to defend the Light during this war. But these three have gone beyond the call. For this, we thank you, most humbly."
With this, Dumbledore bowed. The rest of the faculty stood, following suit. Soon the student body was too.
Hermione grasped Harry and Severus' hands. She was moved to tears. And from the looks in their eyes, they were too.
Dumbledore rose up, and taking the signal, the faculty and students sat again. "Harry, please inform us of what happened."
So, Harry did as he was told. He gave a synopsis of how he and the Order had snuck in the fortress through the plumbing, and how they had killed all the Deatheaters before Harry had entered Voldemort's rooms. Then he spoke of how Severus had been near death, and he stalled Voldemort long enough for Hermione to heal him. Then the three of them using Avada Kedavra, and Hermione taking up the sword and finishing him off.
When Harry finished, silence fell. Neither Dumbledore nor anyone else spoke.
Then, suddenly, Neville Longbottom stood. Giving them a small, shy smile, he began to clap. Ron then joined him next, along with Ginny. Soon everyone stood.
Hermione was positive that no one could feel as happy as she was at that very moment in time.
-----
Epilogue
-----
The next day, Cornelius Fudge was removed from office for crimes dealing with his allegiance to Voldemort. Dumbledore was unanimously voted as the new Minister. McGonagall resigned from her Deputy Headmistress post to join him. The two finally got married. He formally invested Hermione, Harry, and Severus as knights as his first act of office.
Severus Snape was appointed Headmaster. With Voldemort gone, he was no longer a cold-hearted teacher, but was very kind, in fact. He still taught Potions in additon to his headmasterly duties. Lupin, who was teaching DADA, took on the deputy head position.
Severus and Hermione decided to keep it as friends after the final battle with Voldemort. She went on to university to pursue a degree in Transfiguration. She took McGonagall's old position after a string of bad teachers.
Harry and Lizzy Daniels didn't last - big surprise. He ended up marrying a Muggle girl, an American he met on vacation in New York City.
Ron and Hermione became friends again. They even dated for a little while before deciding that it would definitely never work out. Ron married Lavender, surprisingly enough.
Severus and Hermione finally realized how stupid they were being a few years after Hermione took the Transfiguration job, and began to date again. They are now married with two children, Amadeus and Amelia.
And that's that.
Oh, one last thing: Juliet did get that Hogwarts letter in the fall.
-----
Author's Note: Well, a year and a half after it started, it's over. :) Sorry for the wait.
Love Alicia/Jaimes
Chapter Eight
By Alicia Jennings
"That was for my dignity." Drawing it out again, she stabbed it back through. "And that was for Severus." Hermione's hands trembled, and she let go of the sword. Harry and Severus hurriedly grabbed her arms, shielding her, even though the villian posed no threat now. Voldemort sank to the floor, the sword still through his chest.
"I surrender..." he murmurred, his speech slurred by the blood slowly collecting in his throat. "I surrender..."
Hermione turned her face into Severus' chest, too horrified by the blood and gore. The compound began to shake on it's foundation, and as Harry and Severus watched, Voldemort's body simply turned to ash and dust.
And suddenly...all was still. The last wisp of dust settled, the fortress stopped shaking. The air that had once been stale and putrid was now pure.
Severus looked at his arm, and gasped. "Hermione...look..."
Hermione opened her eyes to glance at his forearm. The ugly tatoo of death and destruction, of years of pain and suffering, was fading right before their very eyes.
A deep rumble, from beneath their feet, snapped them out of their reverie. "The fortress! It knows its' master is dead...we must retreat!" Harry grabbed the sword, and Severus encircled an arm around Hermione.
They ran for their lives, the rest of the Order running with them...They ran past empty cells, their prisoners having been released with Voldemort's death. They ran past instruments of torture, bloodstains, and bodies of dead Deatheaters - one of those Deatheaters being a classmate they had trusted, only to have been betrayed. They ran past a period of history that the three of them had closed...
Together.
-----
Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, Arthur and Molly Weasley, Mr. and Mrs. Granger and Juliet Granger all sat in terse silence, only occasionally broken by a sniff from Juliet. The young girl was taking the situation very hard, being so close to her big sister. When Mrs. Granger attempted to calm her, Juliet became even more upset.
"Albus, the've been gone so long...You don't think..." Arthur was desperate. "You don't think anything has happened to throw the rest of the Order off course, do you?"
"No, Arthur..." Dumbledore's eyes were staring far off, at something indefinite. "I would feel it."
Mr. Granger stood suddenly. "Quite frankly, I'm tired of relying on feelings...I'm tired of relying on superstitions and divinations and such. I'm just about very tired of my daughter's world."
"Frederick..." Mrs. Granger started, touching his arm.
He pulled it away quickly, and began pacing the room. "Even if Juliet is a witch, I'm not so sure about entrusting her to this world. What I've seen so far is not the best environment for my daughters."
Dumbledore smiled, not of mirth. "Ahh, Mr. Granger, what of the Muggle world? Bombs and kidnappings, murders, thefts...It seems as if though no world is ideal, hmm?"
Feeling chastised, Mr. Granger sat down. "I just wish we knew something."
"We all do," said Mrs. Weasley softly.
-----
"We're almost to the main door!" Harry shouted above the din. Rubble crashed down around them. A huge chunk of rock had very narrowly missed Severus' head moments earlier. "Prepare yourselves to blast it open if it is not open already!"
Everyone drew their wands, still running at breakneck speed. Hermione's lungs burned, her legs ached, but she kept going...for she had no choice. It was either run, or meet death.
Hours earlier, death seemed a good option. But not now. Not while she had Severus with her.
The doors were open, it turned out, and the Order made it out just in time. No sooner were they out the door when the entire structure collapsed, sending a cloud of dust to rain down upon them. The rubble settled after a few moments, and an almost eerie silence descended.
It was Hermione who spoke first, surprisingly. "That was for Hogwarts," she said quietly.
Then Harry spoke. "That was for my family."
"A childhood lost," then said Severus softly.
One by one, the Order murmurred their own tributes.
"For Cedric."
"For my sister."
"For myself."
It went on for a few more minutes, before everyone quieted. Harry turned to the group, a small smile beginning to form on his face.
"I say we should head back to Hogwarts, eh?"
A cheer went up as people began to Disapparate. Hermione clung tightly to Severus as he apparated them both. When they landed on the lawn in front of the castle, Hermione felt a strange weight around her hips. "What...?"
Harry put an arm about her shoulders. "I figured you deserve to carry the sword of Godric Gryffindor more than anyone right now." He smiled, kissing her on the cheek.
Her eyes welled up. "Thank you."
Severus threw his arm around her waist then, and the three of them walked together up to the castle.
-----
Upon seeing figures start to appear on the front lawn, Juliet ran to the window. "Mother! Daddy! It's Hermione and Harry! And some strange man..." She ran across the office to the door. "Come on, then! I want to see them!"
Laughing with relief, the group hurried after her, partly out of excitement and partly because she needed to be shown the way.
Dumbledore smiled. He knew, all along, that things would turn out all right. And maybe even a little matchmaking had occurred...?
McGonagall read his mind and playfully swatted his shoulder. "Albus. Come now. No playing Cupid."
"Me?" He pretended to be dumbfounded. "Why I haven't the slightest clue of what you speak of, my dear Minerva."
-----
Hermione saw the castle doors open, and the Weasleys, Juliet, and her parents came running out onto the lawn.
"Juliet!" Hermione ran ahead, throwing her arms open wide to receive the young girl. They fell on their knees in an embrace, both crying tears of joy.
"I love you so much," Hermione whispered into her sister's hair. "I'm so glad that this is all over and I can see you again."
The Weasleys had enveloped Harry in a bone-crushing hug. The rest of the Order stood together, embracing one another, laughing and crying.
The only one who stood alone was Severus Snape. He had no family to come and recieve him, no friends. He stood quietly, watching as Hermione hugged her sister, then her father and mother. The moment for him was terribly bittersweet.
Hermione drew away from the big embrace of her father, mother, and sister. "Mother...Daddy...Juliet...There is someone I want you to meet." Smiling at him, Hermione walked over and grabbed Severus' hand, leading him over to meet them. "This man is Severus Snape. He is the one reason I'm standing here this very moment, and you all as well. He very nearly lost his life trying to save me at Voldemort's fortress."
Severus had his hands jammed in his pockets, and his eyes firmly fixated on his shoes. "For all the good it did," he mumbled.
He was snapped out of his trance when Mrs. Granger took his arm gently. "Severus?" He looked up.
"Thank you," she said softly, before embracing him. At first Severus looked shocked, but then relaxed and returned the embrace. Juliet also hugged him, and Mr. Granger shook his hand vigorously and clapped him on the back.
They were interrupted by Dumbledore appearing on the front steps and clapping his hands for attention. "If you will all please come inside, we can address the students."
Hermione smiled. One of her hands grasped Severus', the other Juliet's. They all began to enter the castle. As Hermione and Severus walked by Dumbledore, he held them back, along with Harry.
"You three stay with me. Mr. and Mrs. Granger, Juliet, please have a seat with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley." Nodding, they went on.
"I believe," began Dumbledore, smiling at the three of them, "You three could explain some things to us?"
"Yes, sir," said Harry, grinning.
They entered the Great Hall, full of students who were clapping and cheering (save a few Slytherins). Hermione was suddenly very conscious of her attire, but her energy levels were so bled dry, she knew she had no strength to change them. She supposed she looked rather curious in a green neglige, black lace jacket, ballet slippers and a sword belt.
Then she realized that she no longer wore that at all, but long white robes with silver trim. Harry and Severus' bloodstained robes had also been replaced with similar garments. The silver trim held ancient runes - "I give not for myself, but for my people." The garments rather reminded her of wizard's clothing long ago. Her hair had also been pulled back into a braid.
Hermione tossed her head back, pretending to be haughty. "I don't have a clue what was wrong with my lingerie," she whispered to Severus and Harry.
Dumbledore spoke. "I am sure you are all very curious as to what has been taking place over this school year. I am about to inform you of everything."
Whispers scattered about.
Dumbledore held up a hand to quiet the students. "Professor Snape has been acting as a double agent between Voldemort and myself. He has been the reason that our resistance, the Order of the Phoneix, has been able to fight back. The information he has given us in the past about the Deatheaters has been..invaluable. It is because of him we have been able to live in safety.
"Hermione Granger and Harry Potter joined the resistance this year, because they were of age. Not long after their initiation, Voldemort expressed interest in Hermione, for her vast intelligence. She was the only woman he thought capable to produce an heir."
Angry hisses filled the room.
Dumbledore quieted them again. "He told Severus, whom he suspected of betrayl, to take her on as his mistress and to gain information about her, or he would die a traitor to his circle. Therefore, a ruse was set up. Hermione and Severus began to act as if they were involved, dropping very big..."hints"...to keep the rumors circulating throughout the castle. They let no one outside of the Order know of the truth." Dumbledore paused. "Not even their closest friends, to protect those whom they loved."
Ron, Hermione noticed, was hanging his head, shamefaced. So were several other Gryffindors.
"They have sacrificed much. Their reputations, for one. Hermione has had to abandon all extracurricular activities, partly because of the fact everyone was making fun of her, partly also because she never knew when there might be Death Eater functions she would have to attend.
"Harry has also given much. He has spied on Voldemort for us, using Occulmency and divining powers he has been gifted with. He has trained for today ruthlessly. He led the force which attacked Sceleris, Voldemort's lair, today.
"And today, Professor Snape nearly lost his life trying to rescue Miss Granger from Voldemort's clutches. He was tortured and cursed within inches of his life.
"We owe these three people much gratitude. We have all given of ourselves to defend the Light during this war. But these three have gone beyond the call. For this, we thank you, most humbly."
With this, Dumbledore bowed. The rest of the faculty stood, following suit. Soon the student body was too.
Hermione grasped Harry and Severus' hands. She was moved to tears. And from the looks in their eyes, they were too.
Dumbledore rose up, and taking the signal, the faculty and students sat again. "Harry, please inform us of what happened."
So, Harry did as he was told. He gave a synopsis of how he and the Order had snuck in the fortress through the plumbing, and how they had killed all the Deatheaters before Harry had entered Voldemort's rooms. Then he spoke of how Severus had been near death, and he stalled Voldemort long enough for Hermione to heal him. Then the three of them using Avada Kedavra, and Hermione taking up the sword and finishing him off.
When Harry finished, silence fell. Neither Dumbledore nor anyone else spoke.
Then, suddenly, Neville Longbottom stood. Giving them a small, shy smile, he began to clap. Ron then joined him next, along with Ginny. Soon everyone stood.
Hermione was positive that no one could feel as happy as she was at that very moment in time.
-----
Epilogue
-----
The next day, Cornelius Fudge was removed from office for crimes dealing with his allegiance to Voldemort. Dumbledore was unanimously voted as the new Minister. McGonagall resigned from her Deputy Headmistress post to join him. The two finally got married. He formally invested Hermione, Harry, and Severus as knights as his first act of office.
Severus Snape was appointed Headmaster. With Voldemort gone, he was no longer a cold-hearted teacher, but was very kind, in fact. He still taught Potions in additon to his headmasterly duties. Lupin, who was teaching DADA, took on the deputy head position.
Severus and Hermione decided to keep it as friends after the final battle with Voldemort. She went on to university to pursue a degree in Transfiguration. She took McGonagall's old position after a string of bad teachers.
Harry and Lizzy Daniels didn't last - big surprise. He ended up marrying a Muggle girl, an American he met on vacation in New York City.
Ron and Hermione became friends again. They even dated for a little while before deciding that it would definitely never work out. Ron married Lavender, surprisingly enough.
Severus and Hermione finally realized how stupid they were being a few years after Hermione took the Transfiguration job, and began to date again. They are now married with two children, Amadeus and Amelia.
And that's that.
Oh, one last thing: Juliet did get that Hogwarts letter in the fall.
-----
Author's Note: Well, a year and a half after it started, it's over. :) Sorry for the wait.
Love Alicia/Jaimes