Wizengamot
"No! She is not going, I forbid it." He paced up and down Harry's living room. The order sitting, waiting and ready to ambush the Malfoy complex. Directing the tirade of objections at Remus.
"Severus, she is not a child and she can do as she pleases and she has already stated that she wishes to come." Hermione sat, watching him pace, she so desperately wanted to go but he had forbid it and honestly she was scared to object.
He pinched the bridge of his nose, turning to Remus, he scowled "Very well, but if she is killed the onus will fall solely upon your shoulders." He watched as the werewolf shrugged, and he snorted. It was fine for him to shrug, if she was to die he was not the one loosing the love of his life, his second chance.
"Very well, the plan." Remus clapped his hands together, the room fell silent, eerie silent.
"Severus you will be with Hermione seeing as you cannot bare to be torn away from her side." He grinned sheepishly and continued. "Severus and Hermione and myself and Ron will head in first and stun the first two lots of guards at the front gates and the front doors."
Severus snorted sarcastically, Remus raised a brow "Problem?"
"Yes, actually," He was blunt. "You are sending an amateur into do a professionals job, surely there are at least 6 other people in this room, no... Wait everyone in this room could do a much better job then the red headed twit."
Ron scowled but did not dare utter a word to the older wizard. Remus just shrugged "He will be fine." And it was left at that, he knew arguing the point was moot.
"We will send a Patronus when the rest of you can follow, you will wait just up the way out of sight." There were nods from all in the room, Severus could only reside to his fate, fancy sending him and Hermione in first, perhaps to get them out-of-the-way, or use them as bait?
SS/HG
Hermione clutched his hand tightly, she was scared and he knew it. He would do his best to protect her from harm, even if it meant his own life was sacrificed. The two stood, listening, just behind the wall of hedges that lined the driveway, Ron and Remus a little further up also out of sight, the plan for Severus and Hermione to tackle the pair that would come down to guard the gate. The sound of gravel crunching underfoot alerted them both to the fact someone was coming, Hermione's heart nearly jumping out of her ribcage. The footsteps got closer, until they were on par with exactly where they stood. And then they stopped, Hermione held her breath.
"I think I heard something." A raspy voice from the other side of the hedge rattled, Severus recognised it straight away as the elder Crabbe. Severus raised a single finger up to his lips. Hermione still holding her breath did not dare draw another. Before she even had a chance to take it in, Severus had cast an invisibility spell over the two of them, just as the death eater peered around the hedge. Shrugging he continued on with his comrade down the drive way.
"Ready?" He whispered, barely audible. She nodded. They both slowly and quietly jumped out from behind the hedge. "Stupefy," They both yelled in unison. Light erupted from their wands hitting the two death eaters in the back, they fell to the ground, hard. Rushing over Severus bound the two, taking their wands. "Here." He handed one to Hermione, two wands were better than one in a time like this. She pocketed it, keeping her own at the ready.
Quickly, like stealth the two moved along the shadowed way, reaching the end to find both Remus and Ron standing, their two victims also bound. The four hid in behind the hedges, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. Severus cast out his Patronus, Hermione watched as the doe leapt along and out of sight. The four waited, patiently for what felt like an eternity, finally the others, a party of 30 strong appeared, Harry taking the lead.
"Ready?" Remus asked Harry. "As I will ever be," Came his blunt reply. Hermione noticed the nervousness in Harry's voice, he was not the confident man she once knew, instead she knew he was nervous about his own impending death.
Silently, Draco led the brigade up the stairs, pushing the door opened her stepped in, not a soul in sight. The group quickly entered not one saying a word to the other. Almost to the throne room, Draco thought it had been too easy, usually there was someone lurking about, he thought a bit too soon. Bellatrix, who was on her way to see her Lord came across the group. Instantly she sent out a Patronus, several more death eaters came to the party.
All hell broke loose, spells cast, people falling to the ground, others flying through the air. Severus managed to grab Hermione by the hand once more, in amidst the chaos. Harry and Draco both followed, slinking out of the firing line.
HG/SS
"My lord," The death eater bowed low, Lucius Malfoy. "I come bearing bad news, Harry Potter entered the complex." The death eater cringed, awaiting his punishment for the bad news, lucky nothing come of it.
"Impossible! There has not even been a whisper of his where abouts," The dark lord rasped, his red eyes piercing through Lucius.
"My lord, I am only telling you what I have witnessed, we have men out there fighting. There is a 30 strong group out there."
"Well, we will just have to wait for Potter to find me."
HG/SS
Severus led Hermione, Harry and Draco down the long twisted marbled halls of the mansion. The four of them managed to escape the mayhem of the fight and were now heading closer towards the dark lord. The four of them walked in silence, Harry almost felt like he was walking the green mile heading to his death. It would have been appropriate if someone had called out 'dead man walking'.
They reached the large black doors, intricate carvings of Muggles being slain by wizards embellished in gold. Hermione gasped, it was truly terrifying. Not something she had wanted to see. Headless Muggles, Muggles cut in half, a pile of dead Muggles with Voldemort standing on top of the pile.
Harry swallowed hard, he was going to die, this was it, he was going to die right here and right now. Draco gave his hand a quick squeeze trying to help easy the others nerves. Hermione shaking like a leaf, Severus held her hand firmly in his, he was not one to walk around holding hands and showing displays of affection but he felt right now warranted it, after all these could be his few lasts breaths.
All seemed to stand, waiting for the other to open the door, before Severus took charge, stepping forward he pushed the double doors opened and walked in.
The dark lord sat in his throne, silver, with green velvet, more carvings of dead Muggles upon it.
"Severus?" The Dark Lord taken aback by the appearance of his once most faithful.
"I killed you!" Lucius screamed out across the room, he could not believe it, Severus once again had made a mockery of him.
The other three followed him, close by, almost as if using him as a shield.
"Ah, Harry, nice of you to join us," The dark lord rasped, looking to the small group.
"Draco?" Lucius soon forgot his little tirade upon Severus, running to his Son's side.
"Oh, Draco, another traitor amongst our ranks, we will deal with you in good time. At the moment me and Potter have a score to settle."
Hermione pushed Harry forward so he was now exposed to the dark lord, the other three now hid behind him. Lucius was trying to pull his son away from the situation but he remained firmly planted where he stood.
"Come, Draco," He hissed in his Son's ear. Draco let it fall on deaf ears.
"Harry, it was so nice of you to visit me, walking in here took a lot of courage, to walk in to your death is something a hero is made of... However it is a shame you will not be around to gloat in the limelight."
"You can kill me, you can silence me but I will always live on."
"You Harry Potter are braver then I gave you credit for, however I am bored with this and it is time for you to die," the Dark Lord's voice bored, he sighed as he lifted his wand, almost an effort for him. A green light shot out of the end of his wand hitting Harry. He fell to the floor. Both Draco and Hermione ran to his side, kneeling beside him.
"Wake up, Harry, wake up." Draco shook him.
"And now for you three, Severus and Draco, the two traitors will be first. A slow painful death so the Mudblood slut can watch you both writhe in pain as you slowly bleed to death," his voice almost full of glee at the thought of the impending tortures.
Lucius' face flushed with worry, he did not want his only son to succumb to his demise so early in his life. He was flesh and blood, after all.
"Lucius, please bring forth Severus first, I will do the job myself this time, then I will know it is done properly." Lucius ceased Severus by the wrist pulling his wand from his hand. Severus only grinned. With his free hand he reached into his robes, pulling the spare wand he had. He pointed it to Lucius' head, between his eyes. Lucius began to shake, he always was a coward. Without another word uttered a green light flashed from Severus' wand and the blonde man fell to the floor, lifeless.
Draco, who had just witnessed his own fathers death just shrugged it off, his father was a swine and he got what he deserved.
"Oh well, dear Lucius got what was coming to him," the Dark Lord mused.
"Never send anyone to do a job you want done properly." The Dark Lord got to his feet, walking towards the three left in the room. Here it come, they were going to die, like Harry and Lucius had. Hermione huddled into Severus, expecting protection from him. The remaining order burst into the room, some bloodied, some staggering but they made it.
Lucky break, Severus thought to himself.
"Ah, I see you have all come to your death. But seeing as I am a nice person I will give you the option, join my ranks or die like your comrade Potter did.." It was a simple request.
Everyone shifted uncomfortably on the spot, Harry was dead, should they join? No, of course not. Remus was the first one to step forward and fire a spell at the Dark Lord, the rest of them followed him. They were truly no match for him but it would buy some time for Severus and Hermione who needed to slay the serpent.
They spotted her, hiding behind her masters throne. How would they do it? Hermione pulled a small dagger from her pocket, holding it high in the air she slowly and carefully snuck up behind Nagini. Lowering the dagger hard into her tail, she roused, swinging around fangs bared at the pain. Severus pulled Hermione out of the way.
"What do you think you are going to do? Wait for it to bleed to death." The dagger was really no match for it, but it was all she had.
She made a lunge again, breaking from Severus' grip, piercing another hole, this time mid way down the snake who made yet another lunge.
"Oh good one, are you creating an air hole for when you are stewing in it's stomach juices." He rolled his eyes as he pulled the woman out of the line of the snake, once again.
He snatched the dagger from her hand, holding it, he ran past the snake, it followed him, he stopped and turned around, it lunged, piercing the snakes throat with the dagger it fell to the ground, injured. He took this as his chance and stabbed the knife five more times through the snakes head. With every knife thrust she became more and more lifeless, until finally she lay still, not moving.
He stepped over the scaled animal, wiping the blade of blood he handed it back to Hermione. "And that, is how you kill a snake."
HG/SS
Sitting in Harry's kitchen the day after the battle, sore and bruised but still alive, he was reading the daily prophet. All had survived bar Ron, whom Severus may or may not of been responsible for his death...After the second lot of death eaters came in to fight he may or may not have deliberately sent a killing curse in his direction, it was all a bit hazy, you know so many people in the one place and all.
Harry had won, of course and was alive and well to tell the tale. In fact Hermione, Draco and Harry were sitting at the table with him sipping tea and recalling every moment in the battle when they were pulled from their conversation by a small brown owl flying in through the window, it flittered around the room for a moment before dropping the letter it had in it's beak on top of the article he was reading.
It looked official, it must be something congratulating him on his part in the war, perhaps a parade was in order. Tearing the envelope open Hermione watched as his eyes darted backward and forwards, his face dropped. He shakily handed her the parchment.
Dear Professor Severus Snape,
Now the war is over, we must bring everyone we can to justice. You are to stand before the Wizengamot tomorrow morning at 9 am for the death of one AlbusPercival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. If you are found guilty of his death you will be taken straight to Azkaban for a life sentence.
Ministry of magic misconduct department.
Hermione just shook her head as he handed the paper to Harry, Draco reading over his shoulder.
"Don't worry, Snape, I will testify at your trial, in fact I will go and get the portrait of Dumbledore to testify as well." Getting to his feet, Draco followed leaving the couple to themselves.
Grabbing Hermione's hand he intertwined his fingers with her. "I love you Hermione, and I always will. If I am found guilty I want you to be happy, go and find love."
"No, I could only ever love you, besides you will be fine." She smiled meekly, she was not so sure.
"And if I get out of this mess, I will marry you, Hermione Granger."
She laughed, surely he was joking. "Nice joke, at least you still have your sense of humour about you."
He leant over brushing a stray hair from her face "I am not lying, I am being dead serious." A lump formed in her throat, she had no words, she could only hope that he was found innocent.
"I love you, Hermione Granger and always will. Even if you are a know it all at times and can be infurating I will always love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He sighed, he really hoped he was found innocent.
A/N: Finally it is over with, no more Voldemort and creeping around. I could not bother writing the whole scene on his demise...I hope what I have given you all is enough to keep you happy :) We will also just say that Harry has in fact seen Snape's memories, Obviously not when he was dying or anything like that, we will just say he freely showed him between the time of Dumbledore's death and when he went to Grimmauld place for the holidays.
Thank you for all the reviews. I love you all for it!
Aliasmel1