A/N: Hi everyone. Thank you for all the wonderful reviews. I loved them, I really did. I'm quite shocked actually, I've gotten more reviews for this last chapter, than I've gotten for any previous chapter. Wow.

Here is another flash forward. Just a little heads up here. The final battle chapter got split into three different ones because of how long it ended up being. So we will have back to back chapters of the flash forwards, so please don't get mad when the chapter ends and yell at your monitor 'That's it?' while throwing bits of whatever you're munchin on at said monitor, followed by angry reviews. Lol. (Yes, someone in a review said they did that once on Wanting and Waiting-you know who you are. lol)

As always, please Read and Review. Take care all my lovely readers.

Special Thanks to my very awesome beta, Kristine Thorne, who has done an amazing job on this for me.

Special thanks as well to Panda Heart, for taking the time to give this an extra look over. I really appreciate the help and support.

Disclaimer, cause I don't wanna get sued: I don't own any part of the HP franchise. I just kind of borrowed parts from the books to make my tale better, and play with the characters for fun.

Chapter 29

1998 - The year of the final battle.

Minerva did her best to keep an ear out for news of her students during their hunt. She knew what was going on due to Hermione's memories, but still tried to hear any news what so ever.

She knew what the kids were going through. Knew that there would be times that they would be freezing due to the weather. Hungry from a shortage of food. Exhausted from all they faced and lack of decent sleep. Knew that Ron Weasley would get angry and leave their small group. Leaving Harry and Hermione to continue on alone.

She knew that during that time Hermione was hurt due to the harsh words spoken before the redhead left them. Knew Harry would try to get Hermione to leave too, but the young woman would stay with her dear friend until the end.

She knew of them getting Godric Gryffindor's sword and how Harry would almost drown in trying to get it. That Ron would show up at the last minute to save the day and join the small group again.

Then, the moment would come that Minerva hated knowing about. They would be captured and Hermione would be tortured by Bellatrix. They would escape and they would be safe for a bit while Hermione healed, if only a little. Then, they would be moving on again while back in danger.

While Minerva waited for any news about them, she did her best to keep her faith in Severus. He was the new Headmaster after Dumbledore and what that meant for all of them was pure terror.

She knew he was innocent of the crimes against him. Hermione had told her and shown her the truth. But at times it was hard to remember that. She knew he had killed Albus.

But she knew too why he had done so. He hadn't had a choice. Albus had asked him to. It had been a mercy killing since Albus was dying but that wasn't all it was for. It had been 'for the greater good'. A phrase she now hated. She understood why Hermione had hated it too.

Albus had stuck to his word and said it every time something bad happened. Every time one of them were lost or harmed in some way. Those four words seemed to just make her blood boil to hear them.

Now Albus was gone―only able to speak to her via his portrait or through memories. But it wasn't the same and it wasn't enough for her.

She knew now exactly what Hermione would be going through upon her return from nineteen seventy-eight. Exactly what Minerva was going through now.

She was alone. She was heartbroken. She was scared. She was unsure if she even wanted to go on without him.

Only for Hermione it would be worse. Minerva had at least had a few decades to be with the man she loved. Hermione had only a few months with Severus. Plus, Hermione still had her whole life ahead of her to pine for him. Minerva was in the winter of her life. It was much worse for Hermione and it wasn't fair.

Minerva had tried for years to figure out a way to save him. Had done her best to find a way to get her hands on a Bezoar and it had been hard to get since she couldn't ask Severus for one without him asking her why. Her vow kept her from being able to say anything to him. He didn't know about his own death.

Finally, she found one in a shop in Knockturn Alley and bought it herself. But it didn't look like much to her. She didn't know if it was like picking fruit, where you had to find a fresh and good one for it to work, or if any Bezoar would do.

But that had been the easy part it seemed. She didn't have any phoenix tears. She had inherited Fawkes when Albus died, but he wouldn't cry for her. Not a single tear. Nor would he sing a single note. She had always thought the bird's song so beautiful too.

She had tried, but couldn't purchase any phoenix tears either. They were rare. When she couldn't buy them, she had tried coaxing Fawkes to cry for her. Explained what they were needed for. When that didn't work, she begged the bird to cry, then, she had raged at the bird to cry. But nothing worked.

Then, Fawkes molted one day, bursting in flame like he always did. Only this time he didn't come back from the ashes. That was the day that Minerva knew there was nothing she could do.

Without the tears, there was nothing she could do. She had made sure to sneak a blood-replenishing potion from Poppy's stores, but she didn't think it would work without the tears.

If only she could speak to Severus about it, warn him. Ask him for help to save him later. But…she couldn't. Her vow held her in check and kept her from speaking of him about it.

Hermione would come back and find that she had lost the man she loved.

Minerva sat down at Severus' desk, which had been Albus' old desk, and sighed in defeat. Severus was away for the moment, and would be for several hours, so she had come to his office, Albus' old office. Tears of frustration and deep sorrow welled in her eyes before running down her cheeks. She needed Albus to help her figure this out and he was gone.

His portrait wasn't much help either. It kept telling her that all would be well and things would be fine as they ended up. But Minerva knew that wasn't true. All would not be well. Things would not be fine with how they ended up. Hermione would probably die loving Severus, and would probably never love any one else again.

Minerva placed her head upon the desk and let the tears flow. But an odd sound drew her gaze several minutes later. Something like a clicking sound.

She looked around but didn't see anything amiss to have made the noise. But suddenly a tiny little door in the wall opened just a small bit.

Minerva frowned. She had never known anything was there before. Had never seen even a line showing a doorway or anything that could be a handle. It had looked like a bare piece of wall before now.

Getting up, she walked over to the small open door that was the size of a book. She cautiously opened it farther. She wondered if Albus knew of the tiny opening.

Then, she realized that Albus seemed to know everything. Of course he knew about this too. He had probably installed it himself. She thought, though she had no idea why he would keep it a secret, especially from her. They shared everything. Or at least she thought they had. It hadn't even been mentioned in his will.

Pulling the small door open, she found a small rack of vials. Most were slightly cloudy and she wasn't sure what they were. But one looked like a memory; the silvery blue liquid inside shining brightly.

He had left her many memories. Things he thought were important that he didn't want dying with him. She had gotten them after the reading of his will. The others simply broke and disappeared. Not even leaving a glass shard behind.

She pulled out the small rack and after closing the tiny door, took them quickly to her office, setting them on her desk. She quickly warded and silenced her door, making sure she had some privacy before doing anything else. She stared at them for several moments before picking up the memory and walking over to her pensieve. She uncorked it and poured it inside the stone bowl. Watching the silvery blue liquid swirling around inside. Taking a deep breath she leaned down and let the memory pull her in.

She landed in Albus' chambers, their chambers since she shared them with him for many years. She looked around and saw Albus standing in front of a long mirror not doing anything. Several moments passed before he started speaking.

"Minerva, my dear, I'm sure you're wondering why this wasn't in with the other memories I left you. I'm sure you're wondering what the other vials are and why I never told you about their hiding place."

"First, I'm sorry for not telling you about the small hidden cubbyhole. I didn't keep it from you intentionally. I only created it to hold this memory and whatever else you may find inside." He shifted slightly.

"It should only be the three other vials, but who knows. I may have added more things after this. If there is more…I'd assume I'd leave another memory to explain it…but I leave no guarantees. Life has been very busy as of late. I'm sure it's even crazier now that you're watching this." Albus shook his head slightly before going on.

"Tom is back. I don't know how much you know, but let me tell you a few things. Things Hermione may have left out of what she showed you." Albus smiled at the mirror. His eyes twinkling, but not as much as they used to in the past. "Yes, my dear, I was aware of her showing you her memories. Hermione always was very clever and I never expected any less than for her to show you eventually. You hid your knowledge well by only discussing things I had shown you myself."

Minerva grimaced. "Damn man always knows everything." She said, even as her grimace turned into a small smile. She couldn't be angry with him. It's who he was and she missed him so much.

Albus' smile disappeared as he went on. "The war will happen very soon. Based on the memories of hers that I have studied over the years, I think it will happen in a matter of days for you. That is when I set the locks to open to the small cubbyhole. I also added a charm so it would only open for you and if you were alone. I knew you would visit my office after I was gone."

Albus sighed. "There will be many losses for us and while I've said for years that it's for the greater good…I can't say that this time. While true it is for a good cause…it's just too much. I wish there was a way to end this without so many of our friends dying."

Albus took a moment before going on. "I know of all the losses but I don't know when exactly they die. If I did…I might try to find a way to save them. But I can't. There is just too much intertwined to have stopped them with Hermione's memories. I wish I could save them all, but to do so would have damaged the time line beyond repair. I'm sure you've seen as much yourself with her memories."

"I'm sure you saw me die in Hermione's memories. If not…you may have seen it happen yourself. I don't know how much Hermione told you, but Severus didn't do it because he's evil. He didn't do it to betray us. He did it because I told him to."

Minerva closed her eyes. She knew most of it, but not all of it. Hermione had shown her that Albus would die and that Severus had done it. Knew Albus was dying anyway and it was done to help end his suffering and pain. She knew that Albus had asked him to do it, even going so far as to make Hermione write Severus a letter. She knew too that it came out that Severus was innocent of any crimes accused of him. Is there more to it than just that? She wondered.

"I told him to do it because of several reasons. Draco had been ordered by Tom to kill me. Narcissa made Severus take a vow to protect Draco at all costs. Even by fulfilling the order and killing me himself. He had no choice. Had he not done it, he himself would have died due to his vow. A vow he only agreed to take because Bellatrix was present and would have tortured and killed him otherwise." Albus sighed in resignation.

"By then I was already dying. I had destroyed a ring holding a piece of Tom's soul and it backfired on me. It cursed me, and Severus saved me from dying quickly. I only had a year or two after destroying it to live and it was a painful life too. Severus did me a favor by doing as I asked him to." Albus shifted once again before going on.

"Hermione showed me the memory of me destroying the ring. Showed me asking Severus to kill me. Showed it happening too. She wanted me to change it. Before she left us so many years ago, she begged me not to do it. To find a way to survive, but I knew it had to happen. I couldn't let someone else destroy it and risk them dying in my stead."

Albus looked down at his hand. The black fingers showing that he said all of this for Minerva after destroying the ring. "I wasn't sure Severus would do it after his time with Hermione…so I made her write him a letter explaining that she would love him anyway. That she had already known him to have done what I asked of him before and fell in love with him anyway. Forgave him for what he would do. I'm ashamed to have made her do it. She didn't want to. But I had to make sure the time line stayed in place."

He looked back at the mirror. "I know many people hate Severus and think he is a traitor. A double agent that was simply using us for Tom's benefit. But he wasn't. He was always on our side. Fighting for Hermione this whole time."

He took a deep breath. "I'm telling you this for several reasons Minerva. Severus is still our ally and should be used as one. You can trust him should you need to go to him for something. Just be careful that you two are alone so he can show his true colors. Explain to him what I've told you so he knows that you already know and are not just testing him. Show him this memory if need be. But make sure he knows that he can trust you not to betray him in revenge for killing me."

Albus focused on the mirror, looking to where Minerva was standing, almost as if he had known where she would be when he made this memory for her. "I'm telling you this too so you wont hate him. I know he said the curse that killed me. But he didn't want to. I know this troubled him, me asking this of him. I know he didn't want to do it. I know he respected me and tried to find away around it. But he had no choice. Please forgive him and don't hate him. Enough people hate him. He needs someone on his side that cares. Can you do that Minerva? Can you forgive him and move on? I know you can. You have too generous of a heart to hate a man for what he had no choice over."

Minerva shook her head. She couldn't hate Severus. She had Hermione tell her that Severus was innocent of what he had been accused of. Now Albus. It wasn't Severus' fault. He didn't have a choice, just as Albus said. She would be on his side whether he wanted her to be or not.

"Now, I have one last thing to tell you, my dear, then I must go. These wounds are painful and drain me of my energy. Just standing here for this long has been tiring." Albus said, shifting again.

"We can't let him die, Minerva. I know you know what happens. Hermione was bound to have shown you or at least told you what happens. If not, let me tell you now and I'll tell you how we will save him. We can't let Hermione come back to nothing. That dear sweet girl doesn't deserve to live her life in pain from losing him. Not after everything she has done and lived through to help save us all."

Minerva watched and listened to the rest of the memory. Her eyes going wide as Albus told her of his plan. A plan he had been devising for the last twenty years. He had gone over the memories Hermione left him over and over for years. Trying to find some way to save Severus without breaking the time line.

His plan that he told her was the best he could come up with and it still had to be precise otherwise it would fail. If she were to be a moment too late in any of the steps that Albus had carefully mapped out, then Severus would die.

Minerva watched the memory again and again everyday until she had it down. Even going so far as to give it a trial run with no one in the shack to make sure she had her timing down right.

If she was off in any way she might be discovered and then be killed. If she were to be off in anyway Severus would not make it. It had to go perfectly and she only had one shot at it. She didn't dare use the time turner for what it might cause to mess up the war and make them lose.

She had to be perfect. She would be perfect. She couldn't let Hermione come back to a life without Severus.

The day of the battle everything was in chaos. Minerva had gone over the memories that Hermione had left her of the actual battle so she could be sure about what moves to make. But Hermione hadn't seen everything. Or hadn't shared everything.

Perimeters were set up. Students were asked to fight as well as the staff members. Minerva had her own place to be in the war too. Not counting what she needed to do for her plan.

It was a mess.

There were werewolves, vampires, giants, dementors, and Death Eaters. She was sure there was more but she couldn't keep track of it all. There were already several losses and even more injuries and the fight hadn't been going on that long.

Already there had been a hiccup in her plan. Two students she had come across. One she recognized and one that she didn't. But the one she did, made her pause.

Wait a minute…but…that's not right. He can't be here, and who is that with him? I don't recognize that student at all. She thought.

She quickly went over the sequence of events in her mind and knew already there had been a change. But he never… She cut the thought short. She didn't have time to dwell on it. But, due to the difference she had to stop and deal with it.

Not having time to do that really, but it had to be done. A quick spell. A locked door in a section of the school that didn't get destroyed in Hermione's memory. A door that was out of range of the battle. Another spell just in case anyone was around to hear. A silencing spell. Then, it was done with. Time to move on.

She ran down the hallway back to where she was interrupted, hoping she wasn't off too bad on her time. Hoping that if she ran, she'd make it up.

She disillusioned herself just in case, and carefully made her way onto the grounds. She had to stop several times so either side wouldn't spot her. She did a quick time spell while waiting and found she was behind by thirty seconds. She had to make it up otherwise she might be too late.

When it was clear, she ran again. Wishing to be a few years younger so she wasn't so winded. But pushing through it since she wasn't.

She had to stop again when she saw a few vampires heading her way. Waited until they had passed, while praying they didn't notice her. Luck was on her side as she hid behind a tree, they didn't spot her.

She quickly sprinted, as fast as she could, still praying while she ran. Praying she wasn't late. She was almost to the shack when she had to hide and pray again. She saw Voldemort coming her way.

If he was here then that meant he had already had Nagini attack Severus. She had only a few precious moments to spare. But then Voldemort stopped. His eyes scanning the area, his nostril flaring like he smelled something.

Minerva held her breath even as her lungs screamed for more air. Her run had winded her, reminding her that she wasn't a spring chicken anymore. But she was afraid the sound of her breathing would give her position away.

She mentally counted as she waited. Hoping that the Dark Lord moved on soon.

Ten seconds. Twenty seconds. Thirty seconds. Each second ticking away only made her chances of succeeding slimmer and slimmer. Almost a minute passed and Minerva wasn't sure she could hold her breath any longer.

Then, Voldemort started walking again. Moving away from the cabin so Minerva could get to it.

She let out the breath she had been holding when he was out of hearing range. Gasping in more air even as she tried to stumble to the shack. She was almost there.

The last few steps seemed to take forever. But she was at the door. She took a moment to listen and heard Hermione crying inside.

Using her wand, she used a large stone to bang on the door. Hoping it made them rush if they thought Death Eaters were after them. Again she counted the seconds that passed.

Severus lay on the floor of the cabin bleeding. The damn snake attacked me. He thought even as he lay there. I should have been prepared. I should have known somehow that the Dark Lord would kill me. But it was too late. There was nothing he could do. He didn't have the energy to even try apparating to his office. If he could get to his office he could try to save himself.

Hermione. Her name flashed into his mind.

I will never see her again. Even as he thought it, he heard a scraping and a soft bang. Heard rustling around, like people were coming up the hatch.

Let them come. He thought. My fellow Death Eaters can't do anything worse to me now. It's too late. I'm dying and I will never see her again. All my waiting for her to come back to me has been for nothing.

Had she known? He wondered. Had she known I was going to die? Is that why she kept telling me that us being together was such a bad idea? Is that why she held me so tight and kissed me so fiercely before she left all those years ago?

Then, he began to wonder if he was hallucinating. He swore he heard her voice. Swore she was standing before him along side her friends with such horror and misery in her beautiful eyes as she looked down at him.

Severus knew he only had moments to live. Knew he had to pass on the information he had so Harry could defeat the Dark Lord. He tore his eyes away from the woman he loved and looked at Harry. He snatched Harry's robes while the boy was trying to stop the flow of blood.

"Take…it...take….it." Snape told the boy while clinging to him. A silvery blue leaked from Severus along with the blood. A flask was conjured and thrust at Harry by Hermione and filled with the silvery blue that was neither gas nor liquid.

Then, Hermione took Harry's place at trying to stop the bleeding while the boy tried to capture the memories leaking out with the blood. She tried to find spells to save her professor.

"Professor...I don't know what to do. Tell me what to do. I can't…what do I do?" She cried frantically when the few spells she knew didn't seem to help him.

Severus knew there was nothing she could do. What he needed to try and save himself wasn't there at the shack. He didn't even know if he had what he needed in his stores either. Nor was there time for her to try to get it.

Instead, he took Hermione's hand in his own and met her tear filled eyes. He loved her so much and would never get a chance to be with her again. This wasn't his Hermione. She looked like her and would eventually be her. But she wasn't her right now. His Hermione wouldn't be back for at least another year.

Hermione seemed startled by him taking her hand but instead of shrinking away she held it firmly in hers. Giving it a squeeze. "Sir, please. Tell me what to do. Don't die on me. On us." Her cheeks had tears running down them as she pleaded not only with her voice, but with her eyes as well.

Severus closed his eyes. Don't die on me. Her words echoed in his head. Her voice, so sweet and melodious normally was frenzied, but it was still her voice. It was still her. It might not be his Hermione. But it was still Hermione. It was still the woman he loved. And he wanted to tell her that he loved her. He had to say the words one last time before he died.

He opened his dark eyes, meeting her chocolate and caramel ones. "I…I…lo…" But that was all. The words weren't able to form fully.

The damage to his throat was so great that he couldn't speak any longer. Instead he stared hard into her beautiful brown eyes, as tears coursed down her cheeks at seeing him like that.

She's crying over losing me. Even though she doesn't know me as anything but her mean and rude professor yet. He thought before he slumped down into unconsciousness.

He vaguely heard a banging on the door while she had tried to use spells to save him still. Heard her friends telling her it was time to go. He came to, and his eyes opened enough to let him see them all but drag her back down the tunnel as she struggled. She didn't want to leave him. Her voice was loud and shrill as she said that he wasn't dead yet. That they couldn't just leave him to die alone.

The bangs sounding like someone trying to get into the shack through the front door, making them have to leave via the way they got in.

More Death Eaters probably. At least she got away. At least she's safe. If there is a God, he'll keep her safe through the end of this war. He thought as his eyes closed and everything went black.

He didn't see Minerva burst through the door. He didn't feel her shove a Bezoar down his throat. Nor did he feel her pour a vial of phoenix tears over the wounds on his neck. Tears that were in the vials that Dumbledore gave her.

The blood-replenishing potion ran down his throat but he didn't even twitch. She poured the second vial of Fawkes' tears down his throat too. Not knowing what else to do. Dumbledore said simply to pour the vial on the wounds. But when that didn't work she decided to try making him drink them. He hadn't even mentioned a Bezoar but since she had it, she used it too.

Better to do too much to cure him, than not enough. She thought.

Then she waited.

And waited. Praying the whole time that she got to him before it was too late.

She sighed and hung her head when a full minute passed and he didn't seem to even be breathing.

"I failed them." Minerva whispered to the silent room. "He's gone." She said as tears spilled down her cheeks. She had failed in her task. Failed Dumbledore. Failed Severus. Worst of all, she had failed Hermione.

Suddenly, he gagged and started to cough. The sound made Minerva's tears spill even faster down her cheek. He's alive.

A/N: Yay! Okay, I couldn't let it go down with him dying. I hate sad endings after all. Kind of makes you say, "well hell, what was the point then?" Okay, more updates coming soon. Take care and leave me your thoughts. Oh, one last question, how many of you guys skipped to the last sentence before you had finished reading to see if he lived or not?