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Instantly, he was consumed with blackness and pain. Severus felt so incredibly weak, barely able to cling to the edge of consciousness. Smaller sensations began to reoccur to him. First, it was the small feather-like stroking on his cheek. Then, it was coldness of the air around him along with the wet stone beneath his body. His joints were stiff, and his neck was burning. Something was tickling his face, and he felt himself scowl at the sensation.

"Oh, bloody hell," he groaned, wishing he had just followed Albus into the blinding light.

"Severus?" he heard a stuffy voice say.

He took a sudden deep breath and released it. There was a more insistent stroking on his face now, and Severus enjoyed the way it relaxed him.

"Hermione, we have to go," he heard Potter say.

"No! He's breathing!"

There was a flurry of movement around him, and a voice urging him to open his eyes.

"Severus, look at me, I know you can hear me," she said softly.

Hermione. His muscles instantly loosened. Severus was suddenly jostled, and he clenched his jaw.

"Your knee is digging into my back," he choked out hoarsely.

He took this moment to open his eyes. Hermione's hair was tickling his face, and she was delicately stroking his face. Her eyes were puffy, bloodshot, and red; there wasn't a single doubt in Severus' mind that she had been crying, hysterically too. She had smears of blood on her face, mixed with dirt, and tears. All in all, she looked like she had been to hell and back.

With a flood of fresh tears, she wrapped her arms around him and cried into his neck. Though Severus was weak, he mustered enough energy to embrace her as tight as he possibly could.

"I thought you were gone," she whispered through her tears.

Severus closed his eyes and savored the feeling of her in his arms. After a moment, he pulled away, watching Hermione quickly wipe her face. Severus made a move to sit up, and Hermione instantly helped him to a sitting position. Before they could do much else, a cold voice cut through the air.

"You have fought valiantly, but in vain. I do not wish this. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a terrible waste. I therefore command my forces to retreat. In their absence, dispose of your dead with dignity. Harry Potter, I now speak directly to you. On this night, you have allowed your friends to die for you, rather than face me yourself. There is no greater dishonor. Join me in the Forbidden Forest, and confront your fate. If you do not do this, I shall kill every last man, woman and child who tries to conceal you from me,"

Hermione was staring at Severus, with wide eyes. He could see the panic boiling just beneath the surface, but she was hiding it from the rest of the group.

"What are we going to do?" she asked him quietly.

Severus began to stand, but could only complete the task with Hermione's help. He leaned against the window, touching his burning neck. His head was spinning, and it took him a few moments to compose himself.

"Potter," he rasped out. "You need to get to the Pensive. Immediately,"

Severus could see Potter's fingers wrapped around the most prized possession Severus ever had. Only one person had even seen half of what was in that vial, and they were standing in front of him, sporting a worried expression.

"We need to get you to Madame Pomfrey," Hermione said.

"No, I'm fine,"

"Severus, you lost too much blood to do anything else,"

"No," he said more adamantly.

Hermione glared at him evenly before sighing.

"Fine, but you cannot go out and fight, you're not strong enough. I don't think I could deal with a repeat of this," she muttered running her blood stained hands through her hair.

An explosion in the distance caused them to jump, putting everyone back on guard.

"Hurry, you're running out of time," Severus said quietly.

The panic was bursting forth; he could see it in her eyes. She didn't know what to do.

"I'm fine, go," he assured her.

"Please just stay here until this is over," Hermione nearly begged him while subconsciously grabbing his robes.

Severus watched as her eyes flickered to his lips for a moment, and he felt a brief flash of panic.

"Hermione," he said in a warning tone to her.

They couldn't blow it now, they had come so far, with only two people knowing of their agreement, and they didn't come all this way to give up now.

"I know," she muttered, drawing her hands away from him and taking a step back.

Hermione stood there for a moment, her brown eyes full of fire, chewing on her lip in a way he had seen when she was pouring over a book. She seemed extremely agitated.

"To hell with it,"

Severus had barely a moment to register her words before her arms were around his neck and her lips pressed to his. After the moment of shock wore off, he immediately wrapped his arms around her body and pulled her tightly against him, pouring everything he could into that kiss.

The two were well aware that this may be the last time they see each other, and that they almost didn't have this moment. Severus noted a struggle occurring in the background, and Potter hissing words quietly. Weasley was no doubt throwing a fit.

Severus turned his attention back to the matter at hand. As her fingers dug into his shoulder and hair, he dug his fingers into her hip and back. They struggled to be closer to one another, Hermione allowing Severus full control of the kiss. He could feel every curve of her body through his now filthy and slightly tattered robes, yet he still pulled her closer. He needed her closer, to relish her before she slipped into the darkness, perhaps, for the last time.

Severus knew that this was the most passionate kiss they had shared to date, and he wanted to live in this moment, never letting it end. There was a sense of panic between them, as if the two were grasping at the time that was quickly slipping through their fingers. His mind briefly flitted to the hallway at Grimmauld Place, his most treasured memory, before coming back to the moment at hand.

Eventually, the two pulled apart, gasping for breath. Severus pressed a soft kiss to her lips before resting his forehead on hers. He could feel her harsh breath on his face but he refused to open his eyes. To open his eyes would mean the end of this blissful moment.

"Hermione," Potter's voice suddenly floated through the air.

Hermione pulled back, and Severus forced his eyes to open. Her eyes spoke volumes to him, but she didn't say a word to him, and for that, he was grateful.

"Go," Severus eventually whispered to her.

Hermione went to protest, but Severus stopped her. Pulling farther away from her, he completely ended contact with her warmth. She looked as if he were abandoning her. Severus leaned against the wall, and allowed his eyes to drift in Potter's direction.

Standing in the doorway, Potter was restraining Weasley's, whose face had gone red. He was breathing heavily and looked murderous as his eyes met Severus'. For a moment, Severus recalled the conversation that he overheard when in Diagon Alley. Weasley was attempting to ask her out. Apparently she was right in her decision to not tell him of their arrangement.

He turned his eyes from Potter and his sidekick to the woman who was standing, tensely, in front of him.

"You're wasting time, Potter needs to get to the Pensive. It is imperative that he sees what's in that bottle. If not, we will lose,"

Severus tried to convey the seriousness of that small vial to her, and she instantly understood. Her eyes were blazing with panic as she grabbed her wand from the ground. In a split second, her mouth covered his before disappearing just as fast.

"Be careful," he muttered, wrapping his robes tighter around his body, allowing the wall to support almost all of his weight.

"I'll be back, after this is over, I'll come back for you," she said gently her eyes fierce with promise.

Severus gave her a small smile. A second later she was bolting for the door and disappeared into the cool night. Potter released Weasley who was still huffing like a bull. Weasley made a movement towards Severus, but Potter was already grabbing him and forcing him out of the Boathouse.

It was only Potter and him now, and Severus met the savior's gaze evenly. Even though he was restraining his friend, Potter himself was still a little stunned at what he had just seen.

"Potter, your gawking is going to kill us all," Severus remarked casually, not with his usual cruel tone.

"Professor, I don't understand what just-"

"If you ever leave this Boathouse, the Pensive will answer your never-ending curiosity,"

After another small pause, Potter swallowed deeply.

"Thank you, for helping," Potter said sincerely.

Severus nodded, and then looked away from his eyes. He heard Potter leave the Boathouse, and heard the three running up the stairs. He could hear Weasley yelling at the top of his lungs.

"YOU JUST KISSED SNAPE, HERMIONE! WHAT THE BLODDY HELL! YOU WERE ALL OVER HIM AND HE-HE WAS TOUCHING YOU!"

Severus sighed as he heard a small silence, no doubt Hermione responding the imbecile's rants. The shouting began again, but another voice overpowered it.

"RON! WHO CARES WHO HERMIONE IS SNOGGING! WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A WAR!"

Potter's yell was met with silence.

As their footsteps died away on the stone, Severus pushed off of the wall and pulled his wand out from his robes before following them.

Did she honestly think that he was going to stay in that moldy Boathouse? He has spent the last twenty years letting other people fight for him, and now they had reached the end and he was not sitting back again. This time around, Severus would show his true colors, boldly and proudly, just as he wanted to since Lily was killed.

As he climbed the stairs, he felt a new fire spring inside of him, a fierce determination to fight for what he believed in and the people he cared for. Severus was going to protect his school, his staff, co-workers, and students, aid the Golden Trio, and most importantly, make sure Hermione made it out alive and well.

This time, nothing would stop Severus Snape.