Chapter 135: A Painful Lesson
{A/N: After reading over Salve SSHG since it's completion, I have decided to include three more bonus chapters to the story as a well placed Thank You due to all the obvious imperfections with the story as far as spelling goes...I am making my way through it once more in a bid to correct those mistakes and rather than upload a separate "story" in the form of a few bonus chapters, I simply placed them at the end...this particular one takes place at the time of Snape's death...no ranting you all know he's still alive...but, it occurred to me that I never really showed the significance of his loss concerning Hermione aside from finding out the night after that she was pregnant...for those of you wondering about this timeline in the actual story, this excerpt takes place between In War, Victory...In Death, Sacrifice and The Aftermath Of The Prince's Fall...So without further a due...}
My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S
{"You told me not to cry when you were gone...But the feeling's overwhelming, it's much too strong...Can I lay by your side, next to you...you...And make sure you're alright...I'll take care of you...And I don't want to be here if I can't be with you tonight..."} Lay Me Down, Sam Smith
Severus Snape's Bedroom, Malfoy Manor, Wizarding World...
Amber eyes filled with sorrow looked over the seemingly sleeping ebony clad form of Severus Sebastian Snape. His sallow pale face had been cleaned of all the blood and soot that covered it from the battle at the Fortress of Solitude. The newly widowed witch had been staring at the magically sustained body of her fallen husband for quite some time. His lengthy raven hair, had grown out quite a bit during their time apart and his face had the makings of a beard given how long he had been tortured by those bastard death eaters. Lucius had done his best to keep Severus alive during that time, he Narcissa , and Draco. Draco...the witch could still hear the heartbroken wails of the younger Malfoy like the harsh winds during a violent storm they ate away at her and she began to feel a coldness start to form inside of her.
Lying there in the center of that elegantly draped black four poster bed had been her husband, he had given his life to ensure the end of the wizarding wars brought on by the despot Voldemort and sadly that isn't even what caused his life to be cut short so prematurely. Hermione balled her fists as she thought back to that dreadful day, and how she and Severus were mere moments away from the life they had always dreamed of living together.
This should have been the happiest day of her life.
Voldemort was gone, The Ministry's ruling on the Marriage Law was over turned, and she was pregnant. Against all odds she had been once more carrying Severus Snape's child and there was no a thing Voldemort, or Rudolphus Lestrange could do about it. Not even Dolohov could pose a threat to them. It should have been a time for celebration and hope for the future, instead it was marred by pain and heartache. The wizard she loved was gone. Killed so callously by the very child he spent much of his adult life trying to teach and protect for want of keeping a promise to an old friend and lover.
Harry Potter had killed Severus...her Severus and there was no amount of wishing and hoping that could bring him back.
Bitter tears streamed down the agonized witch's supple cheeks causing her notoriously bushy brown hair to stick to them in wet and salty strands. Unable to help herself, Hermione climbed into the bed beside him, not at all caring that he had been dead as she curled up against him. The streaming tears become more frequent as she imagined what he would say to her at this moment given all of her foolish Gryffindor emotions.
"Severus." she said softly leaning her head against his shoulder as she had so many times before. "The war is finally over...and the despot is truly gone now...all of your hard work and careful planning has not been in vain."
There was only the sound of the young witch's sniffling and low breaths to break the eerie silence in the deceased wizard's former bedroom.
"I...I don't suppose there is any other way to tell you this..." she said still fearful of how to express what needed to be expressed even with no life left in her notoriously intimidating husband's body. "But...your suspicions about me needing to see Madam Pomfrey...they were very well founded...as it turns out...I am once more pregnant with our child."
More tears streamed down her cheeks as she said this wishing desperately that she could speak these words to him and that he could hear them given all they had endured in the past.
"I want you to know...I am determined to bring this child into the world..." she said rather honestly. "A world you help see come into the light...I made a promise to him or her that...I will do everything in my power to give them the best life possible...even if it means...leaving the wizarding world for a while."
There was more relative silence and it seemed to cut through the witch all the more.
"But he or she will know you...you sodding git...they will know what a brave and selfless man their father was." she said unable to hold back more tears. "And your child will know how much you would have loved them...and how much I love you."
Overcome with emotion, Hermione Granger-Snape pressed her soft pink lips into her husband's pale ones for the last time before she burst into a crying fit resting her head against his chest. Despite being there and witnessing most of what happened to him, she still couldn't bring herself to believe that Severus, her Severus was gone and that he would never know the unborn boy or girl she carried within her womb and that they in turn would never know him. The poor witch continued to cry well into the night for a man that couldn't hear nor comfort her.
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The Next Morning..., Malfoy Manor, Wizarding World...
Lucius Abraxas Malfoy had not the heart to interrupt the sorrowful young witch as she pour her broken young heart out to her deceased husband. The rage in him had not subsided in the wake of the war's end and it only seemed to increase as she spoke. Her tears brought more sorrow to Malfoy Manor than had been in all the months The Dark Lord and his forces occupied it during the second wizarding war. The handsome and surprisingly rugged faced wizard couldn't imagine what it must have been like for the poor girl. To be alone and pregnant in a new world that her husband fought so hard to ensure would be free of The Dark Lord and then to have to face the daunting realm of parenthood for the first time since losing a child. He honestly marveled at how long it took the girl to grieve in this fashion.
As the senior Malfoy thought about Hermione Granger-Snape's fortitude, his wife entered the sitting room with her own beautiful brown eyes stained with tears and red from fatigue. She had been crying for many nights since Severus was brought home after the war. Only a week to be certain but it had seemed so much longer. His body cleaned carefully by her trembling hands as she would allow no one else to do the task.
Lucius had been quite concerned for her, given how close she and Severus were. The young cocky Slytherin had been her first lover after all and she cared a special affection for him like no other.
"I have your coffee Lucius." she said in a bid to sound casual.
"You have my thanks Cissy." replied the handsome wizard.
His gray eyes still the perfect reflection of her heart felt sorrow. It seemed they were both still feeling the harsh sting of Severus' loss.
"Have you eaten?" he asked attempting to make conversation.
"I didn't feel very much like it." replied Narcissa in an emotionless tone.
"Nor have I." replied Lucius looking out a window into the vibrant world that only served to turn his stomach. "I suppose there is a lot of that going about in this house."
"Indeed." replied Narcissa. "Draco wasn't up for the task either."
"Still upset?" asked the senior Malfoy.
"Of course he is...Severus was his godfather after all." replied The lady of The Manor. "I have no doubt in my mind, that from the way he described what occurred...Potter would have jumped at the chance to do that to him."
The lord of the manor did not doubt that either given what he knew of the arrogant little murderer using that same spell against Draco at Hogwarts. It was fortunate that Severus was there to save him. In fact, Severus had saved his son's life numerous times now. The last being with his own life being taken due to Potter's bitter arrogance.
"She's finally wept." said Lucius changing the subject briefly.
Narcissa nodded after hearing this.
"Soon she'll be ready to lay him to rest." she said sadly. "There is a lot to do with the baby coming."
The gray eyed wizard arched an eyebrow at this.
"Who would have guessed that our Severus would find himself being father to yet another child?" he asked smiling as he thought of what his little brother might say at this moment.
"It had to happen some time." said his wife with a sigh. "As much as I love him, I will never understand his motives for marrying the girl."
"What's to understand?" asked Lucius. "They loved each other."
"Indeed." agreed Narcissa. "I've never heard him speak of a woman or girl mind you, the way he had this Hermione."
"And for that I am grateful to her." replied Lucius with a sigh. "He would have been happy...for the first time in his life...he would have been truly happy."
Narcissa agreed but said nothing as she and her husband fell into a more comfortable silence. Both Malfoys had welcomed Hermione Granger-Snape into their home as one of the family and they looked forward to assisting her with the child of the wizard that saved their only child's life in more ways than one. He had lived up to his honorary title of godfather to their only son and then some. It only seemed right to return the favor.
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The Order Of Phoenix Headquarters, Wizarding World...
Hermione sat with her arms folded across her chest as she sat about the large meeting table. Harry James Potter had not taken his sorrowful green eyes off her since she arrived and his rubbish attempts at an apology for the murder of her husband were grating on her nerves. She had barely been able to suppress the urge to vomit at the hypocrisy in the room as Order members whom were present when Harry killed Severus Snape in the Fortress Of Solitude clamored after him with new found respect and admiration. They hailed him as a hero and a good person despite seeing him commit outright murder for the sake of it.
The witch tried not to get herself worked up as a sideways glance from Lucius Malfoy saw to her reigning in her warring temper. The bloody man had taken to accompanying her personally where ever she needed to be if she wasn't at Hogwarts under Draco's close watch or Malfoy Manor in general. The Malfoy family were not taking any chances with this baby still being so young inside her belly. This last and only link to Severus more important than anything to all of them.
Albus Dumbledore's twinkling blue eyes fell upon the expecting young witch as he ushered in two officials from the Ministry of Magic. Hermione recognized them, one had been apart of Umbridge's campaign against Harry, trying to ensure that every thought the boy a liar and an attention seeker when he revealed to the world that the dreaded dark wizard known collectively as You Know Who had returned and declared for all the wizarding world that it was Voldemort in the flesh that murdered Cedric Digory during The Tri-Wizard Tournement during their fourth year at Hogwarts.
The other had been apart of Prime Minister Fudge's campaign against Severus the night of Dumbledore's supposed murder and they elevated his status as known affiliate of The Death Eaters to Undesirable Number One, succeeding Harry Potter from the previous year. The witch had not liked either man but sat quietly in a bid to better gauge what was happening.
Professor McGonagall had been there as well as Molly Weasley and her family, which unfortunately included Ron whom had been trying to appear mature and compassionate around Hermione in the wake of her great loss. It didn't take her long to figure out his so called compassion was more or less an attempt to win her over now that her husband was gone. The witch fought the overwhelming urge to hex him for his audacity.
"Let me start off by saying, I am very proud of those that fought in the final battle at the Fortress of Solitude." he said in a pleasant tone. "A great many of our friends did not live to see the end of The Dark Lord's reign of terror."
Hermione bristled at this knowing full well he was mostly speaking of Severus. She would not be so quick to ignore Dumbledore's hand in the events that lead to Harry Potter killing her husband.
If not for the old bastard's manipulations, Severus would have still been alive.
"With that awful chapter of the war finally closed, we can move on to the future." continued Dumbledore as if he were merely giving a pep talk. "But we can not obtain that future when there is still so much hanging above our own heads in the form of overbearing clouds."
His blue eyes drifted toward Harry Potter, who's saddened gaze only intensified as he fiddled with his trembling fingers beneath the table. The once arrogant young wizard, now newly proclaimed hero of the wizarding world felt nothing but shame as he felt the searing rage behind his former best friend's amber eyes.
For the most part Hermione had simply been cold. She had not spoken to him since that night nor had she looked upon him until this meeting. Snape's death had been hard to deal with all around and Harry Potter worked tirelessly to clear the fallen Headmaster's name in the wake of the war.
"As you are all aware of by now, Severus Snape has been working against the death eaters at my behest by spying for the Order." said Dumbledore. "As apart of my plans to infiltrate the death eater ranks, Severus was required to take the dark mark, it served as a means of connection to the despot and a way for me to track his return."
A collection of stunned gasps broke the sudden silence as more and more witches and wizard's whom had survived the war and declared themselves apart of the Order of Phoenix took all of this in. Hermione simply sat silently her rage building as The Headmaster continued to speak. Lucius for his part had remained silent as well, his own quiet rage hidden just below the surface as he too listened to the old sod's words.
"What most of you do not know, is during the battle at the Fortress of Solitude, Severus Snape was killed in the most tragic of accidents." said Dumbledore pausing as if to dare anyone to challenge his version of things.
Lucius and Hermione both kept quiet wondering just what the old fool had planned to tell everyone.
"It seems that when Harry Potter finally defeated The Dark Lord, he unleashed a chain of events no one saw coming." said The Headmaster getting everyone's attention. "The dark mark, in all of it's potency was connected in greater depth to the despot's own magic which dispersed at the end of his life, as a result our dear Severus was much too near the despot when the shock wave of his magical output caused the poor wizard to die in excruciating agony before any help could be administered."
There were more collective gasps that filled the room and an out pouring of sympathy.
"So...you are saying that Severus was killed due to Potter defeating the despot Voldemort?" said Lucius choosing that moment to speak knowing he had been present and those that were present and fighting on the side of the order felt they owed it to Potter to allow this farce to appease his guilt of murdering one of their own.
"That is exactly what I am saying." replied Dumbledore, his now icy blue eyes meeting the challenge in the gray eyed wizard's gaze.
"So Potter, is indirectly responsible for Severus' murder." challenged Lucius further.
"Indeed." replied Dumbledore not at all phased. "What happened to Severus was simply a tragic accident."
Lucius Malfoy's gray eyes flickered with a bit of contempt before evening out into an eerie pleasantness that mirrored Dumbledore's own pleasant expression.
"I suppose Potter is quite lucky indeed to have such friends in high places." he said leaning back in his chair and fiddling with his trademark silver serpent cane.
Harry Potter had not felt so lucky as he found himself once more under the scrutiny of Hermione Granger-Snape's furious amber eyes. She had known all too well that Harry had purposely murdered her husband and that there was no accident to be claimed. Still, she chose to remain silent knowing full well that Dumbledore would go out of his way to protect Harry, even from himself.
It was quite an ironic twist, if she might have said so herself, now Dumbledore had been interested in Harry's protection. Before hand the boy was merely a pawn in his sick little game with Voldemort and Severus was doing all of the leg work for both sides in the war.
"I believe I speak for all of us here in attendance when I say, I am sorry for your loss Miss Granger." said Dumbledore turning his attention to Hermione.
The bushy haired witch stood up and met the Headmaster's gaze full on.
"That's Mrs. Snape in case you have forgotten." she said causing more gasps of shock to sound off in the meeting room. "Severus was my husband and it doesn't take a terribly brilliant mind to see where you intend to take this little discussion, but I'll have no more part in it."
She glared at Harry Potter rather murderously before she took her leave with Lucius following behind her.
Ronald Weasley had left his chair and ran after her as she reached the door.
"Mione wait!" he called in a bid to catch up to her. "Why are you doing this?...I get that your upset about Snape but Harry's your friend."
"Not anymore." replied Hermione in a cold tone.
Ron couldn't believe what she was saying.
"Mione...come on...you heard what Dumbledore said...it was just an..." he began.
Within seconds Hermione whirled around on the now trembling Weasley boy with her wand at his throat. The rage behind her amber eyes almost blazing as she focused her gaze upon him. Lucius for his part had been caught off guard as well and looked on in stunned silence.
"My husband's murder was no accident and you will not cheapen his memory by saying so in my presence ever again." she hissed. "If Dumbledore wants to make Harry the hero for his crimes against my family then so be it...I will not be apart of it...and neither will my child."
"M-Mione please..." said Ron fearful of what she might do to him. "We're still your friends."
"You are not nor have you ever been my friend Ronald Weasley." said the angry witch coldly. "Let me make this perfectly clear, I am not your or Potter's friend any longer, both of you merely used me to get through school and your half arsed missions to piss off witches and wizards infinitely more powerful than any of us and that time has passed...what little affection I had for either of you waned when Harry Potter took it upon himself to murder my husband at the close of a war he helped bring to an end."
Ron had been shocked by her words but remained silent lest he set her off.
"Severus is and will always be the only wizard that I will ever love and your petty attempts at winning my affections just so you can have a trophy wife are not only insulting but infuriating, I do not and will never love you." she continued harshly. "The sooner you get that through your thick skull the better off you'll be."
Ron's shock quickly melted into rage.
"If you hadn't married that greasy git, then things would have been different." he said bitterly.
Before Lucius could stop her, Hermione sent Ronald Weasley hurling through a nearby wall via a levitation spell.
"Don't you ever disrespect my husband in my presence again." she warned in a deathly serious tone as she looked at the now injured Ron Weasley.
"Let us go." said the handsome blond wizard putting a hand on her shoulder. "We are done here."
Both Hermione and Lucius left the headquarters never to return to that place again. Ronald Weasley's heart was profoundly broken and he took to making petty attacks at Snape and his character to mend it. Harry Potter feared Hermione's wrath in the near future but she mostly avoided him and anyone having anything to do with him.
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The Sitting Room,Malfoy Manor, Wizarding World...
The faint glow of the pensive's silver swirling magical essence had been the only true light in the darkened room as Hermione sat with tears streaming down her cheeks as she watched the memory of her husband's brutal murder at the hands of Harry Potter replay in the elegant bowl. She made up her mind after coming from the meeting with Dumbledore that she would never forget nor would she forgive what they had done to her husband. Their lies and false praise had no place in her life of in the life of her unborn child. Severus' child and once the baby came of age they too would know the lies being told about what happen to their father.
As she continued to watch the final moments she shared with her husband, Hermione came to one forgone conclusion that he had known all too well:
Life wasn't fair.
Her husband was murdered just when they were about to start their new lives together, already deciding that no matter what happened with the marriage law that they would remain as husband and wife. Harry Potter was hailed as a hero and honored at every turn for his deeds concerning the second wizarding war, when all the while the entire reason he had been able to defeat Voldemort was because Severus risked his life without so much as a word of thanks for the very witches and wizards that despised him.
A coldness crept into the witch once more and she found all those things she held true in her heart as any other consonant Gryffindor no doubt would have, were shattered and the harsh realities of a very Slytherin world had been presented to her in it's entirety. She began to understand why Severus had been so amused by her naive outlook on life or why Lucius and Draco found time to mock her in the old days. The very people she would have laid down her life for were never truly her friends and those that were considered as such, only betrayed her in the end.
The words of her husband on that chilly afternoon following the murder of their first unborn child rang in her head.
"Life isn't fair." he had said.
Only now in the midst of her own sorrow and loneliness did she truly understand them. By all accounts this was the harshest lesson she ever had to learn, the final lesson bestowed upon her by her former Potions Professor and subsequently deceased husband.