With a loud "crack!", a figure, clad in a green cloak, appeared out of thin air. Holding up her wand to the level of her hooded face, she ignited it with a muttered "lumos" and took in her surroundings.
Deciding it was safe to lower her hood, Hermione Granger recalled what she had read just minutes before her hasty Apparition. Minister Weasley had rushed into her Head Aurors office, clutching a memo. "Hermione," he panted, "I've just got the news that there is a Death Eater rally in Devonshire! You must go!"
Rising immediately, she paused only long enough to give him a peck on the cheek. "If you don't hear from me in 10 minutes, send back-up Ron." He nodded gravely, adding a whispered, "Be careful, Hermione," as she swept past him towards the lobby of the Ministry, pulling her hair back in a bun at the nape of her neck.
Hermione surveyed the scene before her. She was in an old deserted cemetery. The ground was muddy, and she clearly saw footprints that disappeared into thin air. The Death Eaters must have Apparated away, for there were no apparent signs of life.
Hermione cursed under her breath. She had wanted to catch Dolohov, the man who had killed Mandy Brocklehurst, a Muggle-born Ravenclaw in her year. And now, her chance at finding several of Voldemort's followers had passed. Her preparation, hard work, and diligence that she had been honing for the five years after Hogwarts had been for naught. She hadn't even seen so much as the hem of a cloak of a Death Eater for weeks.
Shaking her head in frustration, she turned to leave, when she heard a moan. She froze, not knowing where the sound had come from. Cautiously, she turned her head, and saw a piece of black cloth peeking out from behind a headstone. Extinguishing her wand, she prepared herself to fight. Drawing near to the headstone, she steeled herself for the confrontation. She leaped out from behind the headstone and found herself face-to-face with…
"Professor Snape, sir!" Hermione said, shocked. But the man lying on the ground at her feet was not the scowling Potions Master that she had known since she was 11. His pale face looked ghostly, and he appeared thinner than she had ever seen him. There was a large gash across his forehead, which was leaking blood into his eyes. His left leg was at an awkward angle to the rest of his body, and when she tried to move him to a sitting position, he winced.
Despite her knowing that this was the traitor who had killed Dumbledore, she couldn't help but feel sorry for this broken man. Remembering her 10 minute time allowance, she set to cleaning his wounds.
At her gentle touch, Snape began to regain consciousness. He opened his eyes, and pleaded, "Hermione…" in a raspy voice. "Please…look." He stared into her eyes, and she knew he meant for her to use Legilimancy on him.Not really knowing why she was agreeing, she entered his mind.
The images that flooded in front of her eyes were memories of her from her school days at Hogwarts. There she was as a first year, eagerly waiting to be Sorted; her first Potions class, where he had recognized her immense knowledge and ignored her; his growing admiration for her abilities in her 2nd year, with brewing the NEWT level Polyjuice Potion; his hurt and betrayal when she, Harry, and Ron had attacked him in the Shrieking Shack in their third year; his amazement when she had shown the world what a beautiful young lady she was at the Yule Ball; how he had specially brewed the potions to turn her back from a cat, un-Petrify her and cure her from the curse at the Ministry. And there were more, filled with anger at himself for criticizing and insulting her, as in her fourth year when her teeth had enlarged and he had cruelly remarked, "I see no difference."
Hermione tore her eyes away, breaking the connection. Tears were streaming down her face. "Sir, you know I've got to take you in…" she broke off, her voice cracking.
"Please, Hermione," he rasped. "Let me see your hair. I want to see your hair one last time, before…"
Choking back a sob, she reached up and released her hair form the clip. Shaking her head, her curly hair fell to just above her shoulders. "Severus…" she whispered.
He hung his head, and tears were dropping onto his lap, when loud pops interrupted their silence. She got to her feet and covered her face with shaking hands. As she turned her back on him, she ordered, "Take him away."
After the Aurors had Apparated away, she sank to her knees, and sobbed to soothe her broken heart.
AN: To be continued? Read and review, and tell me what you think!
P.S. If I was the Almighty JKR, do you really think I would be wasting my time writing fanfiction when I could be writing the 7th book? Uhh, no.