Entry for the "Halloween Collection Competition" - prompt: 54. (location) The Shrieking Shack
She did not know why she had agreed to be the one who collected his body from the Shrieking Shack, but once she had said "Yes", she did not felt like it was appropriate to back out again. The Battle of Hogwarts had only ended a few hours ago and with all the wounded and traumatised people to take care of, she could not afford being picky about what task to fulfill.
Someone had explained her how she could get into the old, abandoned house and it did not took her long to be climbing up into the former living room of the building.
Her stomach was clenched tightly with a uncomfortable feeling as she saw his body lying on the dusty floor, cold, unmoving... dead.
With slightly shivering legs, she walked closer, and even though she did not wanted to, she examined him a bit closer.
His eyes were closed, and he looked almost peacefully. Only the huge wound on his neck and the big amounts of dried blood that were encrusted on his skin and in his hair showed her that he had had a violent death.
By now, Minerva had told the staff about how he had been on their side all the time, something she knew from the Potter boy, and as she looked down on him, she found that he deserved better.
Conjuring a small bowl of water and a piece of linen fabric, she sat down next to him, not caring about the thick layer of dust that immediately sticked to her jeans.
Carefully, as if she could hurt him even in death, she started to clean his skin from the blood and tears swelled up in her eyes.
"I... I just wanted to say thank you, you know..."
She felt a bit ridiculous, actually, talking to him like this, but somehow, she could not bear the silence that was filling the room and she felt like this was the last chance to tell him what was going on in her mind.
"And I am sorry for all these rude comments I made about you during the last year... I hope that you found your freedom, Severus. I will definitely miss our little banters..."
oOo
"Snivellus, I can't believe it, but that hot woman actually seems to have fallen for a git like you!," the spirit of Sirius Black exclaimed, slamming his elbow into the ribcage of a annoyed Severus Snape with a mocking grin.