A/N: I don't own Harry Potter or any related characters
This is for the 30 days of Music challenge Prompt:5. Brave - Sara Bareilles
word count: 345
He knew what she'd been through, knew about the torture. Her arm still bore that mark, that scar.
"It's not about the fact my skin says that. It's how she said it, how one little word, one slur could mean so much," Hermione whispered, looking down at it, tracing it with her fingertip.
"Words cut the deepest, they can be weapons in their own right," Severus agreed, reaching over and taking her hand in his. "But that word does not define you, there is more to you than that. You are so much more."
"I'm not. I mean, I know what everyone says-"
"They're right, Hermione, my brilliant Hermione. You know they are, you know you can't stay silent forever, can't keep hiding your brilliance, we need you now more than ever before."
"I don't know how, Severus. Not anymore, not after everything. I'm not a leader. No, that was Harry. I was just..."
"You were the brains, the one who never gave up, the one who figured things out even when things seemed too dark. You were brave, Hermione. So brave to keep fighting when it all seemed lost. You can be that girl again. You've been a shadow of yourself since then, since we almost lost."
"I thought I'd lost you, that does something to a person, Severus. I thought, I thought Harry was dead. I didn't want to believe it, I couldn't. Then, he wasn't and now, now I don't know my place. I know I want to stay here by your side. I know I want to make a difference, but what if-"
"They'll listen to you, I know they will. Kingsley will at the very least, and he's the minister. You can do this, speak up, speak out about the injustices you've always wanted to fight for. You can do this, Hermione, you just need to be brave," Severus promised, giving Hermione a gentle kiss on the forehead. She smiled at him. He was right, she could do this, could speak up and finally maybe start to change the world.