Chapter 14 - Albus Dumbledore
Hermione and Severus sat intertwined on the front porch of the cottage at the Meadows, staring out over the darkened ocean before them. Hermione was already wearing Severus' jacket. He had given it to her under protest when he first felt a small tremor of cold run through her body, yet she asked him if they could stay a little longer. A small while later, she shivered again in the cold night air.
"That, dearest, is our cue," Severus didn't let go of her with his arms, yet he stood up so that the feet of the woman who had previously been in his lap were deposited on the step in front of him. "Home?" He asked, staring into her moonlit eyes, still half in denial of the major threshold they had crossed in their relationship.
"I am home," Hermione smiled sweetly up at him, squeezing him softly as she spoke to indicate that her current position in his arms was the home to which she was referring. I can't believe he's mine. She couldn't comprehend how this immensely intelligent man in her arms had actually said he loved her, but the constant reminder of his warmth pressed against her was staving off her disbelief.
"And I assure you that I have no intentions of leaving your presence any time soon, yet unless you want to experiment with spells that heal pneumonia we should you get you back to the house." Hermione nodded her assent and Severus pulled her lips to his as he disapparated.
Hermione tentatively came down the stairs after she had warmed herself with a scalding hot shower. She was dressed in her pajamas, but did not like the idea of being away from Severus all night. Our relationship has already had enough firsts tonight, but I just… "I think I will read for a bit before I go to bed," Hermione said, trying to sound nonchalant as she strode into the room, picked up her book, and sat down on the couch next to a pleasantly perplexed Severus. While neither was fooled about her true intent, Severus was only too happy to open his arms and allow her back to rest against his side as they took up their now usual positions on the sofa. She pulled a heavy book into her lap and he shifted his book into his left hand so his right could wrap around her and pull her tight to him.
Minutes later he heard her breathing change and felt the turning of pages cease. Afraid that if she awoke it would mean her return to the bedroom his solitude on the couch, he quietly put his book down on the end table and grabbed his wand. First he removed the book from her lap, levitating her bookmark into place as the book floated onto the coffee table. Then, he summoned a blanket from the nearby shelf and spread it over her sleeping form. Finally, he gently moved the coffee table a few feet towards her side of the couch and added another three feet of cushion in front of his legs, making the sofa into the shape of an L. Perfect, he thought, not wishing to wake up with quite as many numb appendages as he had the first night they slept on the couch together.
He reveled in the feeling of the witch in his arms. I can't believe she's mine. He recalled every event of the evening, reveling in the fact that, for once in his life, everything had not only gone according to plan, but also had vastly exceeded his wildest expectations. She loves me. He buried his nose in the curls on his shoulder, savoring the now familiar scent of lavender and Hermione. "I'll never let you down, my Hermione," he whispered as quietly as he could into the folds of her hair, settling in to her form and falling into a record breaking second consecutive night of nightmare free sleep.
This time it was Hermione's turn to awaken first. She had shifted in the night to stretch out her legs and nestle her face into Severus' chest. Her first thought in waking was to recall his voice from the night before. I am, for all intents and purposes, yours…I love you. Her more than capable brain did not feel equipped to handle the amount of happiness that the events of the past 24 hours had created. He loves me. She couldn't help but smile as she looked up at the face of her sleeping Severus.
His features which had once seemed harsh and angular had softened slightly, their angular nature now creating a strong and masculine profile that, while not typically seen, held an undeniable allure. Her eyes flicked upwards to his hair and her senses assaulted her with the memory of running her fingers through it as he kissed her on the porch. The house!
She could not fathom how much this entirely private man had to trust her in order to show her his escape plan, the place he had told neither dark nor light about. It was just his and he had shared it with her. And now yours as well. This is not a mere fling for him. He is serious. Her mind inquired if this should worry her, that things were moving too fast or getting too serious too quickly, but every fiber of her being was completely sure of the fact that Severus was the only man she would ever want. This girl who had for so long struggled to find friends, acceptance, love…she had found her rightful place at the side of the most intelligent man she had ever met.
It took her a second to realize that the dark eyes she loved so much were now open and regarding her with a look of utmost contentment. "Do you make a habit of watching people sleep, my dear?" The sarcasm in his silky voice that had once terrified her now reassured her that this was, in fact, her Severus. "Only you," she replied, kissing his nose as she rose. "Breakfast?"
"But surely he would not approve of our project…aren't you worried that—"
"He would not dare. Especially after what he asked of me," Severus replied, his tone reminding her of just how much darkness Severus had suffered in the struggle between Hallows and Horcruxes. Her eyes caught his, trying to communicate the infinite sorrow she could not voice but felt for what he had endured. The far corners of his mouth raised slightly, showing his appreciation for her support.
"As you said, we can use a shield spell and the same sleeping spell we used on Fred, but we have to ensure it is a great deal more powerful. It will have to last over a year, and we know Voldemort went to visit the grave at least once." Severus grimaced. He knew only too well how dire the consequences of tinkering with such a pivotal moment in the war could be.
"I know of one spell we could use to amplify the sleeping spell we used with Mister Weasley, but it is fraught with problems. It actually places the subject into a state of limbo between life and death. While it is impossible for the living to distinguish the difference between limbo and actual death, the souls of those subjected to it have been known to visit other souls in a similar state. Many people came close to death the night of the battle. If just one of the survivors came close enough to visit limbo… Albus would only have to make a connection with one of them to make a potentially hazardous change in our reality."
Severus had been speaking into the pages of the book in his hands, but being met with silence made him glance up at Hermione, who was sitting wide-eyed as if she had just seen a large and fanged creature creep through the door. "What is it, Hermione?" he asked in alarm.
"You said those under this spell can make contact with others in limbo?"
"Yes. What is it?"
"It was him. It was actually him. This is it, Severus!" She slammed her book shut and turned towards him in excitement, crossing her legs so she could face him on the couch. "When Harry went into the forest to meet Voldemort, he knew from your memories that he had a portion of Voldemort's soul in him. He knew he needed to let Voldemort kill it…him, in order for Voldemort to be mortal." Severus' eyes widened as he realized where she was going.
"After Voldemort cast the killing curse, Harry said he dreamed of Kings' Cross Station. He said that Dumbledore was there to explain what was happening…that Harry could choose between going back to the fight and…moving on. This must be how he did it! I'd always wondered just how that happened, Severus, it was us!"
Severus smiled briefly, as Hermione had slipped back into her habit of speaking in very quick run on sentences when she got too excited, but was focused primarily on the information she had just presented. One eyebrow raised in his piqued interest, he confirmed, "Harry told you that he saw Dumbledore?"
"Yes. He spoke with him. He said it was Dumbledore who told him what was happening, gave him advice," Hermione said, carefully studying Severus' face for a response.
"We already did it." He sounded shocked. "That is very complex magic, Hermione." She could see in his eyes that is Slytherin brain was calculating all the ways in which their spell, still yet to be cast in their timeline, had altered the war that just finished. When his eyes finally rose to met hers, she was shocked at the meekness, almost childlike look on his face.
"I actually did something good," he said with humility and just a touch of happy surprise. Hearing his words, Hermione could have cried. Placing her hands on either side of his face, she forced his eyes to look directly into hers, bringing their faces within a foot of each other.
"You have done so much good, Severus. There is no way either of us would be alive were it not for what you did, not to mention the fate of the rest of the wizarding world. We are all here because of the good you did. You saved all of us. You. Severus Snape." What did I do to deserve you? He examined the beautiful witch before him. How could you believe in me so thoroughly with what I've done?
"You are a good man, Severus. And don't let anyone tell you differently, even you." Hermione answered Severus' unasked question. In response, he could do nothing but close his eyes and lean his forehead into hers. "I don't deserve you, my love," Severus murmured.
"Yes, you do. You deserve so much more than me, Severus. That's my point," she said replacing her forehead with her lips, gently kissing his forehead.
"There is no such thing as more than you, love. You are everything." Severus looked deep into her eyes as he spoke.
"I love you, Severus," she paused and drew in a great breath, as if drawing her wits about her. "Now let's get back to work."
Hermione could tell that lurking quietly in the corner of the astronomy tower was difficult for Severus. His body pressed tight to hers, as it always had to be under the invisibility cloak, she could feel his muscles rigid with anticipation. I would be a nervous wreck if I were about to see myself commit a murder, she thought in explanation. Together they watched the scene as if it was a dream, both stiffening silently when past Severus appeared in view.
Hermione studied the man's features carefully. He was still her Severus. Albeit a pale, stressed, almost stricken looking version of him, but the strong jaw she so loved to trace with her kisses, the dark eyes that had become her favorite sight in the world, the hair through which she took so much joy in running her fingers…they were all still there. I wish I could have found him sooner. I wish I could have protected him from all of this. She could do nothing but squeeze her Severus' hand in silence and wait for their cue.
Standing back in their own time, over the cool white marble of Dumbledore's grave, Hermione still had Severus' fingers intertwined in her own. Severus raised his wand to lift the stone away, but froze halfway through the incantation. She looked at him, trying to ascertain his thoughts, and was met with the same look she had seen on his face in St. Mungo's when they were healing the Longbottoms. She had not understood what this look meant at the time, but she could now clearly see the fear in his expression.
"He's going to be grateful, Severus. You're saving his life." He did not respond to her words, but he soon resumed the incantation and the marble lifted away to reveal the inert form of the Headmaster. Working together, Severus and Hermione began muttering the awakening spell. Gold light from both of their wands shot out and swirled around the body like fog. As soon as the fog had surrounded the body completely, the murmuring stopped and the pair anxiously held their breath. The gold mist slowly began to glow brighter and brighter, until it simultaneously exploded outward and dispersed. Below where the mist had been, now opened the light blue eyes of Albus Dumbledore.
His eyes settled on Hermione, then Severus. At long last he spoke, "I think a spot of tea might be in order, Severus. I assume you can help me up to my old office?"
Albus had listened quietly to the story from the event in the Astronomy Tower, through the hunt for horcruxes, and the battle,. As Hermione told the portion where she detailed how she had saved Severus, he slowly pulled her hand into his lap and interlaced his fingers with hers. After a while, Hermione got quieter while Severus filled Albus in on the list and the things they had done so far. When they finished speaking, Albus did not speak for a long while, slowly sipping his tea and piercing the couple before him with his twinkling blue eyes. When he finally did speak, it was accompanied by an amused and almost childlike smile.
"You two have accomplished a great deal. It would seem that you bring out the best in each other." Hermione chanced a quick look at Severus, who was displaying one of his rare, half smiles, like he wanted desperately to remain impassive, yet he couldn't quite pull it off.
"You know that there are certain limitations, Severus. If you go too far back or save someone whose death served too great a purpose you could undo a great deal of good work. It was risky even saving me," Albus' stare did not grow any less intense. "That said, I am immensely grateful for what you have done. And," he added with a measurable sense of amusement, "I am most pleased to note that two of the brightest minds in our generation have finally found each other." And with this, Severus and Hermione broke into full out smiles of shock.