I don't own anything, J.K Rowling does.

WARNING: Mature themes brought up so if you are less than 18 and / or easily triggered by mature content DO NOT READ THIS STORY. You have been warned.

Chapter 19

Hermione Apparated inside the wooden cabin. Severus had gone limp in her arms and he seemed to weight three times more than when they left the Boat House. She heaved him into an armchair careful not to be to brusque. When she had finished with that, she used a levitation charm to bring him upstairs into their bedrooms.

She disrobed him of his cloak, coats and pants only to leave him in his shirt and boxers. Hermione then casted a Scourgify on him and lifted the beds sheet before pulling them over him so that he would not get too cold. She went to the bathroom and began cleaning the blood which had dried on her hands.

When she went back inside the room, she saw that Severus was now sound asleep. Hermione Accioed an armchair from a corner of the room and pulled it next to the bed. She didn't really know how much time she stayed there looking at him peacefully sleeping. The sound of his breathing calming and relaxing her.

As she was looking at Severus, she saw that there was something else in the room. It was a white stag. A Patronus stag coming from Harry.

"Madam Pomffrey told me for Severus. Voldemort is defeated. Fred is dead and so are Lupin and Tonks. We have to speak. There is nothing more to worry about. Send me your reply as quick as you can" Harry's voice filled the room.

Hermione conjured up a Patronus and sent a reply with it telling the exact place of where the cabin was. She then waved her wand and a small parchment appeared in front of her. On it, Severus' actual vitals. Hermione looked at it. She breathed out in relief. Severus' vitals had gone back to more reasonable values. She knew that he wasn't out of the woods, but it showed some progression.

She placed a tender kiss on Severus' lips before getting out of the master bedroom as silently as possible and closing the door behind her. She then headed downstairs where she conjured up a tray of tea things and placed it onto the dinning table before looking at the clock above the chimney. It was already 3 p.m. When she saw what time it was, she suddenly felt very hungry.

She walked towards the fridge and opened it. She took a little storage box out of it and began heating up the content. It was a Menudo a traditional Mexican soup. She marveled at the fact that the box contained exactly what she was craving for.

When the soup was ready, she poured it inside a plate and began eating it. When she had finished her dish, she went back upstairs to check on Severus. Once again, she waved her wand and a piece of parchment appeared out of thin air showing the man's vitals. As his vitals were now getting more and more acceptable, she sent a Patronus to the Mediwitch to inform her that she could stay at Hogwarts. She surely had even worse cases over there. After all, they had left at the beginning of the battle. She had seen that there already were numerous dead and injured. Mostly school students and Order members.

"Hey 'Mione, you there" A voice coming from downstairs asked.

Hermione placed once again a kiss on Severus' lips before going back downstairs and shutting the door from the bedroom.

"Yes, coming." Hermione said before going down to the living space where Harry was now standing.

"'Mione!" Harry said rushing towards her and hugging her in a tight embrace. "I am so happy that you are well. We have lost so many persons. Fred, Lupin, Tonks, Lavender, Colin. It's horrible. Ron stayed with Ginny and his family. They are devastated." Harry said tears welling up inside his eyes.

"There is something you should know. It's about Severus." Harry then said balancing his weight on one foot after the other.

Harry took out a small flask out of his pocket and gave it to Hermione. There was a small label on it that was smudged with dried up blood. She recognized the flask as being one of her own. Her initials being carved inside it. She Scourgified the blood away and read the label.

Severus Tobias Snape memories

Harry then took a small round and slightly curved object before pointing his wand at it and Engorgioing it to its regular size. He then placed it on the kitchen counter and filled it magically with water.

"You just have to pour what's in the flask inside it and plunge your head." Harry said to Hermione.

Hermione hesitated before finally opening the flask, pouring its content and plunging her head inside of the Pensieve.

-PENSIEVE-

She was now standing outside of a little village in the country side. Two girls were standing a few feet from where she was. One had beautiful long red hairs while the other had blond hairs. The red-haired girl had her hand outstretched in front of her and Hermione saw a flower bloom inside her palm.

"FREAK" the blonde shouted while snatching the flower away from the other girl's outstretched hand.

Hermione saw the red-haired girl running away from the other girl.

"Lily, come here!" the girl who had taken the flower seconds before shouted after her sister. "I'm gonna tell mummy. You're a freak!" the girl continued shouting. "You're a FREAK Lily"

Lily turned around and looked at her sister. She was now standing next to a giant tree. A skinny boy came out from behind the tree. As soon as Petunia saw the boy, she stepped backwards before turning around and running away without another word. Her eyes round with sacredness.

The boy bent over and reached for a leaf which was laying on the ground. He laid it inside his palm and stretched his arm towards Lily. The leaf flew in a butterfly fashion towards Lily who let it land inside her arm and studied it for a few seconds before looking at the black-eyed boy and giving him a shy smile. The young boy who was dressed in a black sit and white shirt gave her also a smile.

A thick black cloud of smoke surrounded Hermione and suddenly, she found herself standing next to a lake. The same black-haired, black-eyed and black-dressed boy was now laying with Lily under a tree that bordered the lake.

"She jealous cause she's ordinary and you're special" the boy said looking towards Lily.

"That's mean Severus" Lily told him in a soft but firm voice.

Hermione's eyes widened. The little boy who was standing before her was in fact Severus. Why was he with Lily? Why did Harry show those memories to her? Again, the thick black smoke surrounded her.

She was now standing inside a huge room which she recognized as being Hogwarts Great Hall. Lily was sitting on a stool up in the front of the room and had the Sorting Hat placed on her head.

"Gryffindor" the hat exclaimed

Lily let a younger Professor McGonagall take the hat off from her head before joining the Gryffindor's table and sitting next to a messy black-haired boy.

"Hi, I'm James" the boy said sticking his hand out for Lily to shake

"Hi, I'm Lily" she said taking his hand in her own and shaking it.

Hermione saw a younger Severus looking at the scene from where he was standing in the Great Hall. Waiting to be sorted. His eyes were full of sadness while his facial expression was stern. The black cloud filled once again the room and Hermione was now into the corridor leading to transfiguration class.

Severus and Lily were walking side by side, holding their respective piles of books. Severus' one being far more important than Lily's. He was wearing his green Slytherin uniform, while she had the Gryffindor's colored robes. Suddenly, Hermione saw James going between the pair of them followed by another student.

Severus' and Lily's book fell to the ground and Hermione saw Severus pick Lily's one up from the ground and giving them back to her before picking his own books from the floor and looking towards the end of the corridor where James was. The Gryffindor was smiling smugly at the pair of them. Hermione had just the time to see Lily giving a semi-dark look at James before the corridor was replaced by the now familiar thick black smoke.

Hermione was now next to a fountain. A much older James and Lily were hand in hand. He bent over and kissed her on the lips before dancing with her their hands on each other's shoulders. Again, the black smoke filled the air.

She was now standing on a cliff, a few feet away, she recognized Dumbledore and a much older. He must have been in his early 20.

"The prophecy did not refer to a woman" Dumbledore said to Severus "It spoke of a boy born at the end of July…"

"Yes, but He thinks it's her son. He intends to hunt them down now! To kill them" Severus said his eyes already welling up with tears as he spoke. "Hide them, hide them all. I beg you" Severus begged his cheeks streaked with tears.

"What will you give me in exchange Severus?" the headmaster asked walking towards Severus slowly.

"Anything" he replied immediately. Hermione knew that he would have done anything in order to protect her would she need it one day.

Before she could see anything more, the smoke filled the air. This time it seems even darker than ever before.

She was standing inside a narrow hallway, debris were littering the passage. On the walls, she could see pictures from James, Remus, Sirius and Peter. They were all smiling and waving at her. Then came photos of Lily and some girls Hermione didn't recognize.

There was only one photo that didn't move. It pictured a fat blond boy. Next to him where two adults who Hermione assumed to be his parents. The man had hardly any neck, black hair and looked quite imbued of his person. The woman was blond and…

'Oh my, Lily's sister' Hermione barely whispered.

In between the two adults, a little boy was sitting. He was looking into the camera with a large smile.

She finally arrived at the end of the corridor. The sight before her eyes made her heart twitch in pain. Severus was there holding Lily in his arms rocking her slightly crying loudly as he held onto her. A small boy who Hermione assumed to be Harry was inside a cradle. He too was crying.

Then after a few minutes, Severus went towards the cradle and took Harry in his arms. He rocked him slightly trying to calm the boy. He was talking very calmly to him.

"Your mother was the best person I ever knew Harry. She loved you and I loved her. I will make sure she is avenged. Goodbye Harry" Severus said once the boy was much calmer. He placed a kiss on Harry's head and looked once more at Lily's body.

He couldn't leave her here, like that. He took her body into his arms and walked back up the corridor. He opened the first door and landed on her bedroom. He placed her gently there on the bed and closed her eyes. He then went back inside the room only to see Harry looking at him.

The black smoke filled the room and Hermione was now standing in the Headmaster office in Hogwarts.

"You said you would keep her safe" Severus said crying

"Lily and James put their faith in the wrong person Severus. rather like you." The headmaster told him. He had his back turned to the black dressed one who was supporting himself with the help of a wall his arms wrapped around himself.

"The boy survives" Dumbledore said looking at Severus now

"He doesn't need protection. The Dark Lord has gone" Severus said his voice showing the anger he had towards the older man.

"The Dark Lord will return. And the boy will be in terrible danger when he does." The Headmaster said looking into Severus' eyes.

"No one can know that I loved her. No one can know that I still love her. YOUR WORD" Severus said looking at Dumbledore with his scarier look.

"My word that I shall never reveal the best of you, Severus? If you insist." Dumbledore said shrugging his shoulders.

The smoke and once again the same office. Hermione figured out it was last year as she saw that Dumbledore's hand was now turning black.

"How long have I left Severus?" the grave voice of Dumbledore asked Severus.

"Maybe a year. Less? I can't really tell. But not long." Severus said gravely before standing up from the chair opposite the Headmaster's.

"Well this makes matters much more straightforward then." Dumbledore began smiling "Was it not you who told me of Lord Voldemort's plan to have Malfoy murder me?" Dumbledore asked rhetorically to the Potion Master.

"It is not expected that he will succeed." Severus said as if it was obvious

"But should he fail, one would presume the Dark Lord will turn to… you Severus." Dumbledore said. As Severus didn't respond. "You must agree, you must be the one to kill me, Severus. It is the only way. Only then will the Dark Lord trust you completely."

"You ask too much" Severus said looking at him with blank eyes

"Too much! Nothing I could ask is too much. You know what is at stake! You more than anyone, Severus!" Dumbledore thundered "There will come a time when Harry Potter must be told something. But you must wait until Voldemort is at his most vulnerable." Dumbledore continued

"Tell him what?" Severus asked worried of what Dumbledore could ask him to do.

"On the night Lord Voldemort went to Godric's Hollow to kill Harry, and Lily Potter cast herself between them, the curse rebounded. When that happened, a part of Lord Voldemort's soul latched itself onto the only living thing it could find: Harry himself." Dumbledore said. "a part of Lord Voldemort lives inside him." Dumbledore finished sitting at his desk.

"So when the time comes, the boy must die." Severus said. Hermione felt her heart squeeze in pain. If she could have, she would have hugged him and told him everything was going to be alright. But she couldn't. She was getting angrier and angrier at Dumbledore for having forced Severus in such a complex place.

"Yes. And Voldemort himself must do it. That is essential" Dumbledore said his fingers crossed while his elbow rested on the desk.

"You've kept him alive so that he can die at the proper moment. You've been raising him like a pig for slaughter!" Severus said on the brink of tears.

"Severus, don't tell me you've grown to actually care for the boy" Dumbledore asked his voice tainted with laughter

Severus took out his wand and looked at the Headmaster with disgust.

"Expecto Patronum!" Severus said. A silver doe bursts from his wand and turned around the room before soaring out of one of the opened windows from the Headmaster's office

"Lily. After all this time?" Dumbledore asked surprised

"Always…" Severus replied

This time, the smoke filling the room was white. A pure bright white. When the smoke had disappeared, she saw that she was inside the cabin now. She looked at the living space and saw herself a few weeks earlier wrapped in Severus embrace. They were both dancing to James Brown's It is a man's, man's, man's world. As soon as the song was finished, she saw him dip her.

"I would be nothing without you my darling. You and me always" he said before kissing her passionately.

-END OF THE PENSIEVE-

Hermione gasped for air as she pulled her head back up from the Pensieve. Harry had his wand in his hand and had retrieved the memory from the Pensieve. Hermione felt emotionally drained. She knew that Severus now loved her and her only.

"So, after you left I went to the Pensieve and looked at the memory. I saw what you saw and then I went to the forest. There, I saw Voldemort. I let him killed me and I revived. After that I defeated Voldemort and then sent the Patronus." Harry explained. He felt that Hermione was tired and guided her to an armchair.

"I need to go check on Severus." Hermione said not wanting to sit down, as she knew that she would immediately fall asleep.

"I'll go up with you. Is there anywhere I could take a shower?" Harry asked politely not wanting to disturb Hermione as she already had to take care of her lover.

"Yes, there is the guest bath. You can go rest after." She told him as they went upstairs.

They parted ways, Harry going into the bathroom and Hermione inside their bedroom. She checked his vitals and saw that they were now back to normal. She wasn't exactly sure when he would wake up but at least, he was alive. She went to the bathroom and when she came back, she saw his eyes opened. He tried to prop himself up, but to no avail. Hermione rushed towards him and helped him.

"Here you go darling" she said puffing a pillow and placing it behind him "I want you to stay very calm for the moment. I am going to begin and prepare the dinner in a few and you can come and join us…" Hermione began placing a hand on his own.

"Wait 'us'? What 'us'?" Severus asked scared.

"Harry is here, he defeated Voldemort and then came here. He wanted to give the memory back." Hermione said looking at him softly. "I just wanted to let you know that I am not mad at you in any way. I know that you love me now and if you want to be with me and raise this child together. I would happily accept to stay."

"I am so sorry. I have been such a jerk, of course I want to stay with you and raise our child together." He said before placing his hand on her ever so slightly rounded stomach and pulling her lips towards him before kissing her sweetly.

"Hey 'Mione, can I come in?" Harry asked opening the door a few inches

"Yeah come in" Hermione replied setting herself back into the armchair next to Severus' side of the bed.

"I just wanted to thank you for everything. The both of you. Thank you, Professor for what you did and you, Hermione, thanks for having been there. Also, I think congratulations are in order. Don't you think?" Harry said smiling at the couple.

"Thank you, Potter the wizarding world owes you a great dept." Severus said simply

"Thank you, Harry. I guess I'll accompany you outside…" Hermione said.

"No stay with Severus, he needs you by his side. As does Ginny." Harry said smiling at Hermione

"Goodbye Harry" Hermione told him hugging him "tell the Weasleys that our thoughts are with them" she finished hugging him and he disappeared through the door of the bedroom.

She went back towards where Severus was and took her clothes off before slipping inside the covers with him.

"Are you hungry my love?" he asked

"Not for the moment. You?" she asked at her turn.

"A little. I am going to ask Wilky to prepare a meal for in one hour. That way, we can rest a little. You look very tired darling" Severus said placing a hand on Hermione stomach.

They laid there in the bed looking into each other's eyes until Hermione fell asleep onto his shirt clad chest. Her hand on top of his. Both of them on her stomach.