Severus' surroundings flickered.
Suddenly, the darkness was absolute. He was surrounded by tall trees, and he realized he was in the middle of Hermione's haunting nightmare.
This is it, he told himself.
He heard rustling from his left and turned to see what was the source. Hermione pushed through some tall scrubs and came into a very minuscule clearing that Severus himself was standing in. She looked angry. It was clear she was still fresh off the argument with Ron and Harry.
As she came closer, Severus saw her eyes were red rimmed and her face was tear stained.
His heart twisted. She'd been crying.