10 April 1999
"Welcome back," Severus greeted Hermione as she stepped through his Floo and into his office.
He waved at Draco as he came through the fireplace but didn't say anything to his godson, just took her by the hand and pulled her towards his chambers.
"Don't mind me," Draco said sarcastically. "I'll just go wank in my dorm whilst you two fuck."
"Thank you!" Hermione called over her shoulder. She and Draco had already talked and her friend knew how much she was missing Severus after the Easter break.
She had been shocked when she'd found Hufflepuff's cup in Bellatrix's vault and was grateful that it was destroyed but also that she and Draco had survived the fortnight they spent at Malfoy Manor. She considered it lucky that the Dark Lord had been actively recruiting Death Eaters with the Lestranges in France and they weren't back at the Manor often. And she hadn't been forced to interact with them much — their homework, some real, some made up, kept them away from company.
She had spent a lot of time getting to know Lucius and Narcissa better and she was immensely grateful that she'd had the opportunity. Whilst Lucius had shown her any book she wanted and could discuss them, Narcissa had sat with her for hours going over the old rituals, how to tap into earth magicks, and even showed her how to help Harry remove permanent sticking charms from Grimmauld Place.
And she'd never been without company at night if she wanted it. She missed Severus, but the magic from the ritual still lingered and Lucius and Draco were both more than happy to help her work off her steam any time she needed it. She couldn't wait to show Severus what she'd been up to and hoped he liked what he saw the next time he entered her mind.
And now she was back, a day before the rest of the students, and could spend all night in Severus' arms. Draco had promised to stay in the dungeons so, unless Harry looked at the map, her friends wouldn't know they were back. It wasn't that she didn't want to see them and talk to them, she just wanted a night with her wizard before the last term of the year started back up.
"How was yo–" Severus began but she cut him off.
"It was fine. We can talk about it later. Right now I need you."
They were already in his sitting room and he flicked his wand, warding his chambers completely before pulling her into his bedroom. His eyes ran over her body, clad in her leather and lace ensemble. She grabbed him by the shirt and pushed him until he was sitting on his bed. Taking a step back, she turned in a circle before running her hands over her stomach and breasts.
Snape swallowed hard as she kicked her heels off and slowly began to unzip her trousers. Turning, she tugged them down her legs and bent over to take them off, giving him a view of her in nothing but the steel grey bodysuit she was wearing. She knew the cut made her arse look good. She heard him grunt and she shimmied her hips.
Facing him again, she undid each snap in front with deliberation, making sure to keep her breasts covered until the last second. His hand kept flexing and she knew he wanted to touch her but she was just out of reach. Pulling the straps from her arms, she let the bodysuit fall to the floor so she was bare before him.
Thanks to the increased power from the ritual and a few lessons from Narcissa, she was able to wandlessly stick his hands to the bed. He raised an eyebrow at her but didn't say anything as she moved closer to him. With another flick of her wrist, his clothes were gone from his body and hanging in his wardrobe.
"I see Narcissa has been teaching you," Severus finally spoke.
Hermione grinned as she crawled onto his lap, her knees on either side of his hips. "She's not the only one. Want to see what I did while I was away?"
He nodded and she rubbed her fingers over his arms as he searched her eyes then entered her mind. She pushed memory after memory at him, giving him flashes of the fun she'd had at Malfoy Manor. She showed him how she'd sucked Draco off in the garden; fucked Lucius in front of Abraxas' portrait just to make the man angry — thank Merlin for charms that kept him quiet during and would never let him talk about it after; let Draco finger her whilst they rode his broom around the estate; took Lucius into the Muggle world and he fucked her at the cinema — the Muggles around them not able to see through their charms.
Severus was rock hard beneath her and she could feel his cock straining for her heat. She rubbed her pussy up and down his shaft, not allowing him to enter her, just enjoying teasing him. Taking mercy on him after multiple whimpers escaped his mouth, she slipped down onto his length as she showed him a memory of her and Draco in the shower.
"You're so fucking sexy, little witch. Did you have fun with Lucius and Draco?" he asked her in her mind.
"It would have been better with you there," she told him. "I liked being between you."
His answering groan echoed in her mind and in her ears. He began to move beneath her in earnest.
"Let me use my hands. I want to touch you."
She cast the charm to free him and he didn't break the connection between their minds or bodies as he moved her fully onto the bed and laid her down under him. They were watching her and Lucius fucking on his bed and Severus began to move at the same pace as her memory. When Lucius reached down to rub her clit, Severus did the same. It was so erotic to remember and experience the same sensation and she pressed her hips against his, trying to pull him as deep inside her as possible as her orgasm washed over her.
Their mental connection broke as she cried out his name. She felt him spill inside her moments later and he hugged her tight to his body as he rolled them to the side and covered them with the blankets. His lips were everywhere; kissing her lips, her cheeks, her nose.
"I love you, little witch."
"I love you too, Severus."
They drifted into a comfortable silence as she wrapped her leg over his thighs, bringing her as close to him as possible. She'd missed him terribly when she was gone and was happy to be back in his arms again. As much as she had enjoyed her time with Lucius and Draco, there was nothing better than being with Severus.
She ran her finger down his nose and tapped his lips, silently letting him know that she loved him. She had already told him, but she knew he needed to be told and shown often and she was happy to do it.
19 April 1999
Hermione listened as Harry told Professor McGonagall, Severus, Draco, and Ginny about his conversation with Professor Slughorn the night before. She'd been beyond happy that the Felix Felicis Harry had been given by Severus had worked and he was able to get the memories. Harry had told Hermione and Ron all about his trip to Hagrid's during Charms but they needed to fill Minerva and Severus in.
There was nothing in the memory that changed what they were looking for, but it helped to concrete their assumption that the Dark Lord had created seven Horcruxes. With all but the Snake and Harry destroyed, they were at a standstill.
Dumbledore was still convinced that there was another Horcrux hidden and had been travelling looking for it. If the old man wasn't going mad, Hermione would be irritated that he was leaving the school so often but as it was, it didn't make much difference to anyone but Professor McGonagall who had to deal with everything when he was away.
But his absences were being noticed.
Neville and Luna had approached her, Ron, and Harry asking them what was going on, why the Headmaster was gone so much. The three of them hadn't said anything but had brought up inducting Neville and Luna into Phoenix Reborn with Severus and Minerva. Hermione didn't see the harm in it — both of them had proven to be loyal and trustworthy — but the older members of their group were hesitant about allowing any more school-aged people to join. They didn't have as much of a problem with Neville since he was a uni student, but Luna was still in her final N.E.W.T. year like Ginny.
Harry had argued, and Hermione agreed, that age didn't make a difference when there was a war going on. Both of them had already fought in the battle at the Ministry. Not to mention the fact that Neville basically was an orphan because of Death Eaters. And she had no doubt that both of her friends would accept her after finding out about the Dark Mark on her arm. They were the two most understanding and compassionate people she knew.
"... so just the two left, no matter what Albus says," Minerva said, bringing Hermione back to the conversation.
"I believe so," Severus answered.
"Have you had any luck with separating Harry's magic from Voldemort's?"
Severus grimaced. "No. I am starting to think it has to do with the magic of the Horcrux itself. Everything I read says that they grow stronger if they're physically or emotionally close to someone. That fragment has been there for over seventeen years."
"So what does that mean?" Ginny asked, cutting in.
Harry answered before anyone else could. "I have to die, don't I?"
"Yes, Potter," Severus told him, and Hermione appreciated that he didn't sugar coat it at all. Harry had been lied to enough over the years. "There is one more thing I am going to try, but if it doesn't work, killing you and bringing you back to life is the only option that I see."
"Well…" Harry cleared his throat. "If that's what needs to be done, that's what needs to be done."
"What is the other option?" Ron asked
"I want to give Potter the same ageing potion that Hermione and Draco took," Severus told them. "There is a chance that because Harry's core isn't stable due to his age, the Horcrux inside him is stronger than he is, or preventing him from being stronger."
Hermione, Minerva, and Severus went through everything they knew about magical cores and how they matured with age. She wasn't surprised Harry had never heard of your core maturing, but she did think it was odd that Ron and Ginny didn't know since they came from two pureblood families. Draco explained that it was something that most people knew, but it wasn't really talked about. And it wasn't taught at school.
Harry didn't really care much that he would have to be aged but Ginny asked a few questions about how it would impact his ability to be hired by the Ministry and if there were any adverse side effects of being aged up. Minerva and Severus assured her that whilst not something that was normally done, he would be fine. Even if the Ministry did a body scan on him, the only thing it would show was that his core was stable, not anything else.
"But Severus, even if you age him and it doesn't work, are you sure you can revive Potter?" Minerva asked.
"Muggles have a way of restarting the heart if you work fast enough. Both Miss Granger and I are trained on how to do it. If not, there are spells."
"No spells can bring the dead back to life."
"None that you use. There is Dark Magic that can do it. Someone thought reviving their victims after choking them to death would be amusing." Severus shrugged.
The conversation drifted into the specifics of CPR and the spells Severus thought they might have to use. Ginny looked nervous, Ron looked apprehensive, and Draco looked like he didn't have a care in the world. If there was one thing Draco trusted, it was Severus and his abilities. She knew her friend wasn't worried that Harry wouldn't make it. As for Harry, he was listening and asking questions and from what she could see, he looked calm.
Hermione looked at Severus as he addressed Harry, his face tight. "Potter, you do realise there is a chance that even with Muggle means and magic that we might not be able to bring you back? You might not survive this."
"I know, sir," Harry said, his voice steady. "I have been willing to die for this cause since I was eleven years old. If killing me is the only way to kill him, it's worth it. My parents knew that, my godfather knew that, you know that. I am not afraid to die, sir."
Ginny huffed. "I would appreciate it if you didn't kill him, sir. My mother would cut off your balls and make a pudding with them if you did."
The entire room was silent for a half-second before Severus' booming laugh filled the space and everyone joined in. Minerva was covering her mouth to hide her amusement and Ron was crying with mirth. Leave it to Ginny to lighten the mood when talking about the possible death of the boy she loved.
01 May 1999
Hermione paced around the Room of Requirement as she waited for Harry and Ginny to join them. She could feel Severus' eyes on her as she turned and his hand reached out, pulling her into his embrace. She searched his eyes before burying her face in his chest.
The final experiment to separate Harry from the Horcrux had failed. Even using Petunia's blood didn't help. Severus had tried mixing the blood as if Harry had been given a transfusion. His hope had been that having more of his family magic in his blood would help, but it hadn't. Nothing had changed. In the end, they hadn't given Harry the aging potion because Severus didn't think it would make a difference. He had tried a few tests with blood samples and after seeing no change, had rejected the idea.
Severus had tried everything he could think of to kill the Horcrux but he had hit a dead end. As much as she hated what was about to happen, Hermione knew it was the only option they had left. Severus had told her they should have known. If the Basilisk venom hadn't killed it, nothing short of killing the vessel would.
After reading all the books she could on old magicks whilst at Malfoy Manor, Hermione had suggested they try to kill the Horcrux on the first of May. Almost all the books had talked about the fact that magic was stronger on special days. May Day was something that had been celebrated for as far back as the Romans if not further, and was still celebrated. It might not be a feast day in the magical world, but she knew it was a powerful day and she would take all the help they could get.
"It will be alright, little witch," Severus whispered, his hand rubbing circles on her back. "Potter will bounce back like he always does."
She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "But what if he doesn't? What if his luck has run out?" Her voice was small but she wasn't ashamed. Severus knew she loved Harry like a sibling and wouldn't judge her.
"We all know the risks. If he doesn't make it, we keep fighting, my love."
Looking up, she studied his expression, trying to figure out what he was really thinking. He looked like the rock-steady man he always was, but she could see the worry in his eyes. He'd spent the last nineteen years — nineteen and a half if you counted Lily's pregnancy — trying to keep Harry alive. She knew he was worried about what would happen if they weren't successful. They all were.
Ron had wanted to be with them, but Harry had refused. He hadn't wanted Ginny there either, but they would need her to check his scar and see if she could feel the Dark Lord's magic. He only agreed to Hermione being there because she had been trained in CPR for years. Her parents had insisted on her learning as it was a requirement for them to become certified every year at their surgery.
Severus pressed his lips to her forehead and she breathed in his scent. She wanted to stay like this forever. Before she could voice her desire, the door handle rattled and she stepped back from him before Harry caught them. Ginny winked at her when she entered but didn't say anything, Harry right behind her.
"Well, sir, all your dreams have come true. You finally get to kill me." Harry gave Severus a wicked smile.
Severus chuckled. "I have wanted to strangle you more than once, Potter, but I was always planning on stopping before you actually died."
"Looks like I've ruined your plans again. Ready?"
Hermione shook her head at her best friend. She didn't understand how he was so calm. She trusted Severus completely and yet she was still nervous. But maybe it was different for Harry. If he died, he wasn't the one left behind to mourn. He would be gone and they would be the ones left to live with what happened.
"If you're done being an idiot," Ginny said, glaring at Harry. "How will this work?"
"I will use a Dark Suffocation Hex on Mr Potter," Severus began. "It is faster than the standard one, only taking a few seconds instead of minutes. Once we verify that his heart has stopped and you can't feel the Dark Lord's magic in his scar, Miss Granger and I will start CPR. His heart should start fairly quickly and there will be no lasting damage. I have potions just in case."
"No lasting damage? What would cause any damage?"
"CPR often results in broken ribs or a cracked sternum. A rib might puncture a lung, but that isn't likely."
The room went quiet as he stopped talking and Hermione could feel the tension building. Harry might be making light of what was about to happen, but she noticed he was picking at his nails, a sign that he was worried. She looked at her best friend, her brother, and her throat grew thick with emotion.
Not caring that Severus and Ginny would be watching, she pulled Harry into a hug and squeezed him as hard as she could. If he didn't make it, she wanted him to leave this world knowing without a doubt that he was loved. Tears were streaming down her face and she let them fall.
"I love you, Harry. You better fucking come back to me," she commanded, her voice breaking no matter how stern she tried to sound.
He took a deep, shaky breath. "I promise, Hermione. I'll come back. Wild Hippogriffs couldn't keep me from coming back. Plus, Ginny would kill me if I didn't."
She pulled back and looked at him. His face was red but he smiled sheepishly.
"Stupid git told me last night that he's mad for me," Ginny told her. "Thought that the night before Snape tried to kill him was the appropriate time."
Harry moved from Hermione to Ginny and kissed her. Hermione looked over them to see Severus shaking his head but he didn't move to stop him. She knew what he was thinking because she was thinking the same thing. If this was their last moment together, she wasn't going to stop them. When they finally broke apart, Severus cleared his throat.
"Are you ready, Potter?" he asked.
Harry nodded. "Yes, sir."
Severus gestured towards the mattress they had conjured on a low table. They had set everything up to make it as easy as possible for them to start CPR as soon as his diagnostics showed his heart had stopped and Ginny verified she couldn't feel any magic in the scar.
Giving Ginny one last kiss and squeezing Hermione's hand, Harry laid down. He closed his eyes but then quickly opened them back up and looked at Severus. "Try not to enjoy killing me too much, sir."
"I make no promises," Severus quipped but Hermione could tell he didn't find this humorous at all.
Harry closed his eyes again and Severus gave her a searching glance before pulling out his wand. He cast a diagnostic charm to float above his body then pointed his wand at Harry's chest. Ginny kissed her fingers then placed them on Harry's scar. The room was silent as Severus cast the spell until Harry made a small choking sound.
Hermione bit her lip to fight off the feeling of the Dark Magic that radiated out from Severus' wand. She had known it would interact with her Dark Mark, but she refused to be distracted from the task at hand. She could deal with the way her body was reacting when Harry was alive and well again. She glanced from Severus to a crying Ginny to the diagnostic charm.
Harry was dead.
Severus looked at the diagnostic charm. Harry's heart was stopped. He cancelled the charm that cut off Potter's breath, fighting the Dark Magic that was tempting him by pushing it behind his Occlumency shields, he cast a charm that gave him a count down so he knew how long they had.
"Can you feel the Dark Lord's magic?" he asked Ginny.
She was crying openly and her voice was thick. "No… There is no magic. None at all. Not from him anyway."
He nodded but didn't answer her. He knew she could feel the Dark Magic from his curse but wouldn't have enough experience with it to know what it was. And he could bet she was more focused on the fact that her boyfriend was lying dead in front of her. There wasn't time to comfort her. They had less than four minutes until oxygen deprivation began to cause brain damage and they needed to work quickly. He reached up and tilted Harry's head back, opening the airways.
"Hermione," he said, getting her attention, "get ready to breathe for him."
He interlaced his fingers and placed the heel of his hand on the centre of Harry's chest. Bending his arms he began chest compressions, singing the stupid BeeGee's song in his head to make sure he kept the correct rhythm. He counted in his head and when he got to thirty he spoke.
"Breathe."
Hermione pinched Harry's nose closed and gave him two breaths.
The diagnosis charm was still showing no signs of life. Checking the clock to see that they had a little over three minutes left, he began the compressions again.
Staying alive, staying alive. Ah, ha, ha, ha. Staying alive, staying alive.
"Breathe."
Two breaths in. Check diagnostic. Check clock. Two and a half minutes.
Staying alive, staying alive. Ah, ha, ha, ha. Staying alive, staying alive.
"Breathe."
Two breaths in. Check diagnostic. Check clock. Two minutes.
They kept up the cycle. Thirty chest compressions in under twenty seconds, two rescue breaths, keep an eye on the time, block out Ginny sobbing, don't react to Hermione's tears.
Staying alive, staying alive. Ah, ha, ha, ha. Staying alive, staying alive.
"Breathe."
Two breaths in. Check diagnostic. Check clock. Thirty seconds until brain damage.
He couldn't help but wonder what Lily would say if she were still alive. How she would react to him killing then desperately trying to revive her son. He could almost hear her voice in his head telling him he could do it, that she believed in him. She told him to do whatever he had to do to save her son.
"Fuck!" Severus muttered and pulled out his wand.
He didn't want to use Dark Magic. He was already having a hard enough time fighting off the effects of the spell he had used to cut off Potter's breathing. He didn't know how long he would be able to resist once he began to cast the next charms. And Hermione would have a harder time. Her mental shields were nowhere near as strong as his.
Not to mention the fact that the spell he had on the tip of his tongue was one of the Darkest he knew and he didn't know how it would affect Ginny. He was sure she'd felt the first spell and that one was mild. Fucking Draco was one thing, but he didn't want to have a threesome with the youngest Weasley. Especially if he wasn't able to bring Potter back. But they only had twenty-five seconds left and he had no choice.
A bright yellow light left his wand and struck Harry in the chest. His back arched off the mattress and Severus gritted his teeth against the wave of Dark Magic. Ginny gave a throaty whimper, a sound he never needed to hear, and he internally cursed that she was affected by the magic. He knew there was nothing he could do to shield her from the way Darkness toyed with your brain. He checked the diagnostics.
No change.
He cast again and the two women in the room with him began to breathe heavier, a moan escaping from Hermione. Ginny kept one hand on Harry and was tugging at her shirt with the other. He willed his cock to deflate, for his mental shields to hold a little longer, as he looked at the diagnostics and saw the same empty spaces where Potter's heartbeat and oxygen levels should be. Fuck! Lily, don't let me have killed your son.
Fifteen seconds left.
Closing his eyes, he centred himself as much as he could and tried to imagine his magic as a living thing, urging it to grow stronger. He opened his eyes. Hermione reached across Harry's dead body and took his hand. Desire poured out of him but he pushed it back. He felt her magic course through him and wanted to know how she had done it but there was no time.
Ten seconds left.
Yellow light filled the room as he cried out the spell and Harry was lifted fully off the mattress before being dropped back with a heavy thud. The diagnostics began to flash with numbers.
Harry's heart had restarted and he was breathing.
Severus looked to Ginny. Her chest was heaving, her shirt was in tatters, and she looked like she was struggling to stay composed but her fingers were still on Potter's scar. She gave him a bright smile and began to move towards him. Him — not Harry, the man she loved — him. This was bad. He knew she was under the influence of Dark Magic and couldn't control herself but he had just enough mental fortitude left to cast a strong shield charm between them.
He knew they needed to check if the Horcrux was gone, needed to know if only Harry's magic resided in him, but there was no time. He had been resisting for too long and he wasn't going to last. And from the look Hermione was giving him, either would she. Ginny was struggling against the shield charm, trying to get to him.
Harry opened his eyes but Severus barely gave him, or the tent in Potter's trousers, a second glance as he tugged Hermione towards him and their mouths crashed together. The fact that Harry was impacted by the Dark Magic was actually a good sign, it meant his body and mind were functioning like normal, but he couldn't spare any more thoughts on the matter.
Severus couldn't hold back another second and neither could Hermione. It didn't matter who else was in the room. It didn't matter that Potter was about to find out the one secret Hermione had been keeping from him. He wrapped his arms around her and they fell to the floor, Hermione landing on top of him.
He tried to block out the sounds of Potter and Weasley reacting to the magic in the room as he cast a seam-splitting charm on Hermione's trousers and pulled her onto his hard cock. He didn't even know when he'd opened his flies, but it didn't matter. All that mattered was finding a release for the pleasure that was coursing through his body.
Kissing her deeply, his fingers found her clit and he never let up as he brought her to completion over and over again. He'd lost track of how many times he'd come inside her when he finally went soft. Time didn't matter when they were like this. He rolled her to the side and conjured a blanket over them.
"Did we just fuck in the same room as Harry and Ginny?" Hermione whispered.
"Yes," Ginny said, her voice carrying across the room. She giggled and Severus and Hermione groaned.
"Maybe the room can give us a little privacy and then we can talk about what the hell just happened," Harry added. "Because I have questions."
Fuck. Severus highly doubted he was going to enjoy the next part of their evening. He closed his eyes and willed the room to give them the privacy he desired. A few small pops sounded and he opened his eyes, looking around.
They were in a small room with two doors, one of them open to a bathroom. Hermione leaned over and kissed him gently before standing. She held out her hand to help him up and Severus took it. She pulled him with her into the bathroom and started the shower before turning to undress them.
"We'll take a quick shower then talk to Harry. Hopefully, he won't be too angry with me," Hermione said as she stepped into the shower cubicle.
Severus snorted. "I don't think you're the one that has to worry, little witch. Remind me to cast a Protego on my crotch before we talk to Potter because I'm pretty sure he's going to hex me."
"Maybe. Or maybe he'll be in such a good mood from shagging Ginny that he doesn't mind?"
"I wouldn't count on it. I killed him then fucked his best friend."
"Well it sounds bad when you say it like that," she said with a laugh.