AN: Hi everyone, I just want to thank everyone for being so amazing and reading my whole story and I really hope you enjoy the final chapter of A Truth Best Left Unsaid. Happy reading...
The Entrance Hall at Hogwarts was crowded and buzzing with the noise of excited students, impatient to start their summer. They were supposed to be waiting outside for the carriages that would transport them to Hogsmeade Station, but, in typical British fashion, the heavens had opened and the students had been herded inside to avoid the unseasonal downpour. Many of the students were weaving and pushing their way closer to the ornate front doors, keen to be on the first available carriages, but Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville and Luna were content to hang back, confident that the train wouldn't leave without them and happier chatting amongst themselves.
"My father and I are spending the summer in Sweden. Crumple-Horned Snorkacks are native there." Luna said dreamily.
The boys exchanged a few glances but silently came to the consensus that life was be better when they just didn't question their whimsical friend.
"What about you, Hermione? Got any big plans for the summer?" Neville's inquiry snapped Hermione's attention back to the conversation.
She'd been partly paying attention to her friends' dialogue and had managed to nod and laugh at the appropriate points. But the other half of her had been lost in her own soliloquy about all that had happened to her this year and how much she wanted to move on from it all. Truthfully, Hermione was just tired. Tired of arguing; tired of fighting; tired of keeping secrets.
She focussed back on her friends and answered Neville. "Umm, nothing big planned. I'll probably just –"
"Miss Granger," She was interrupted by a painfully familiar voice behind her. "A word."
She turned and saw the sour looking Potions Professor looming a short distance away from her, his face sombre and his arms crossed defensively across his chest.
"We're waiting for carriages, Professor." Hermione replied, her voice quiet and polite, despite her obvious reluctance.
"I won't keep you long." Snape promised sedately.
Hermione opened her mouth to make another objection but Severus cut her off, murmuring so quietly that only Hermione and those friends standing closest could hear. "Please."
Hermione closed her mouth, his last request too sincere, too desperate, for her to deny him. She gave a small, quick nod and waited for him to lead the way. Severus, seeing her agreement, turned sharply and began walking down the corridor, away from the Entrance Hall, breathing a heavy sigh of relief as he went.
He never looked back, certain that she was still following him, and only stopped once he had found a quiet alcove a good distance from the raucous student body. Hermione followed him silently to the abandoned space but, as soon as they had stopped, she cut him off before he had a chance to speak.
"I don't want to argue anymore." She said firmly, though her voice was soft. She mirrored his stance, subconsciously crossing her own arms and looking seriously into his dark eyes.
Severus nodded. "Nor do I. I just wanted to discuss something with you privately." He reached into his robes and pulled out a small piece of folded parchment which he held out to her. She took it with a frown of confusion until the Professor explained. "It's my address." He said cautiously, trying to gauge her reaction. "I'd like for us to keep correspondence this summer. Perhaps try and get to know one another a bit better." He offered feeling rather awkward.
Hermione's eyebrow rose slightly but she said nothing so Severus continued. "It will be safer to send our letters using Muggle post. It's slower, but much less likely to be tracked or intercepted. I live in a Muggle area so I shouldn't have any trouble receiving your letters."
Hermione nodded slowly, showing her understanding, but remained silent, not taking her eyes off the piece of parchment in her hands. After a few more moments of awkwardness she looked up and spoke serenely, "Was that all?" She said asked, indicating the address in her hands.
"No." Severus bit out, annoyed at her calm and cold exterior. He glared down at her for a few moments before he cracked, dragging his hand down his face as a mark of his surrender. "Please Hermione, don't freeze me out. I really am trying here. This is all so new to me, and I'm honestly doing the best that I can. I just want the opportunity to be a proper father to you. Please give me that chance."
Hermione looked appraisingly into his face. "I don't trust you." Severus blinked in surprise. "I don't mean that I think you're on their side, I know you're loyal to the light." She said in hushed tones. "What I mean is that I don't trust you not to abuse that position of authority. I don't trust that you'll let me do what I believe is right." She paused, her eyes welling as she admitted her deepest fears. "I don't trust that I won't end up getting hurt if I do put my faith in you."
Severus' expression looked pained in response to her admission. "I don't know what I can say to make you trust that I won't hurt you."
Hermione shrugged, saying bluntly, "There's nothing you can say."
His shoulders slumped in defeat. "You should get back to your friends; you don't want to miss the carriages." He said quietly.
Hermione nodded and turned to leave, but she stopped when he spoke again. "Hermione, I know there's nothing I can say, but I will be there for you, always. I won't give up on us."
She didn't have to say anything. Severus knew that she had said everything that she felt and he had too, so he turned away and walked towards the dungeons without looking back.
Hermione walked in the opposite direction, back towards the castle entrance. When she got to the Entrance Hall, there were only a few students left milling around and the grand double doors had been thrown open allowing a hazy sunlight to stream into the shadows of the castle. As her eyes adjusted to the change in light, she saw Harry's form coming back through the open doors.
"Hermione, there you are. The rain stopped so everyone went outside to wait. We've saved a carriage; the others are waiting for us now."
"Great, thanks Harry." Hermione said with a small but genuine smile.
They walked into the sunlight together and Hermione felt the warmth of it on her skin. The wet surfaces, caused by the previous rain, now glistened in the welcome sunshine and Harry and Hermione both came to a natural stop as they surveyed the vast grounds of Hogwarts all around them.
Hermione looked around her and thought how heartbreakingly beautiful it was; the life of Hogwarts. The things that the castle had lived through; the stories it held, the people it had inspired, the pure joy and the true sorrow it must have witnessed. Hogwarts was about so much more than one person; it was greater even than its four founders, it was a castle built with the lives of every person who walked its halls.
Hermione felt Harry place his arm around her shoulders. "You ok, Hermione?" He asked, kindly.
"Yeah," She said with a smile. "I'll be fine."
And for once, she really, truly, meant it.
The End.
AN: And that, my friends, is the little bit sad, little bit happy, bitter sweet conclusion to my first ever FanFiction. But, never fear, for a sequel is in the works that will give the true ending to Hermione and Severus' story. I'm going to talk a bit more about that in a separate update tomorrow, that will also include some other notes and acknowledgements for the story. Feel free to skip it if you don't care what I have to say, but if you are interested in finding out a bit more about my ideas for the sequel and my future writing plans then it while be worth your while.
The only other thing I have to say is a huge thank you to you for reading and reviewing, your comments have been so encouraging and inspiring so thank you. Please do leave a review, either on this chapter or the story as a whole, I would greatly appreciate hearing what you think.
Thanks for reading. x