A/N: This is the final chapter of this story. The final book in the trilogy should be up by tonight. I hope you enjoy both of them. Please Review and tell me what you thought of the book.

Chapter 7: Fighting a Losing Battle

Hermione and Severus mended their relationship and grew closer as Hermione's pregnancy progressed. They began to be honest with each other and Severus went back to Hogwarts for Potions. Their lives were going perfectly, but Severus never expected Hermione's "test."

Hermione went into labor on October twenty-fifth. Severus received the owl in a class and dismissed them before leaving for St. Mungo's in a rush. By the time he got there, Hermione was prepped for the birth and sending furtive glances at the nurse who they had met at Hermione's first appointment, eight and a half months before.

Hours passed as Hermione became more and more agitated trying to push the baby out. The Mediwitch told her to stop pushing suddenly. "The baby is too large for your hips. You're beginning to hemorrhage and there is no way to stop it with the baby still inside you. As bad as it is, we may not be able to stop it after the baby is born. You need to make a choice. Either we kill this child, or you push. If you push, you may likely die."

Severus looked down at his wife and felt suddenly helpless. He wanted this baby, but he didn't think he could live without his wife. However, it seemed that Hermione had made her decision. She was pushing. Severus heard a crying baby before he was pushed out of the room and more nurses and Mediwitches came rushing into the room. Harry and Ginny Potter were in the waiting room with their own new born and asked him what was happening. The Weasley's were there as well, pounding him with questions. He never answered. He stood there, staring at the door to the room where his wife was dieing. He could still hear his daughter in the room, crying.

There was a long silence in the room except for the crying baby. The Mediwitch that had brought his daughter into the world came out and looked very sympathetic. "I'm sorry, Mr. Snape. There was only so much we could do for her."

The Weasley's, and the Potter's all became suddenly silent. They now knew what had happened. His wife was dead. Their friend was dead. "Can I see her," Severus asked.

"I'm afraid not, sir. She made the request right before she died. My guess is that she didn't want you to see her that way."

Severus left the hospital for an hour before returning to see his daughter. She had a small patch of straight brown hair and his thin mouth. She looked so much like him he almost wanted to cry. But he didn't He hadn't cried since he was a teenager and he would never make that mistake again. Not even at his wife's death.

***HGSS***

One week later, Severus stood with his daughter in his arms at his wife's funeral. There were only a few friends and close family there; Hermione's parents and the Golden Trio along with the Weasley's.

The closed casket made it harder for Severus to comprehend that his wife was dead. Never seeing her body would put a doubt in his mind for the rest of his life. Turning to Hermione's mother when the funeral was over, he handed his daughter over to her. "I can't have her around. I want you to take care of her. I'll send money for her care and birthday gifts and Holidays, of course. But, I will never see her. I ask that no one tell her who I am. He kissed his daughters forehead and left without looking back. He would be haunted by the memory of Areyah Eileen Snape for the next eleven years.

A/N: I hope you realize what Hermione was doing when she was "testing" him. And I hope you're not too mad at me for leaving the story there. Please Review