Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

"To Change Your Life"	By : AnasumiHideki Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Snape/Hermione Views: 7887 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 4
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I make no money from writing this here story.

Chapter List
- 10
- 11
- 12
Note: Thanks to everyone for all the lovely reviews! It makes my day to read them all. So keep on keeping on, and I will too :D

Severus woke early as per usual, and decided he would go check on the toad without Hermione. He wasn't sure how she would feel if the toad hadn't lived through the night, so this way, if the toad hadn't survived, he would be able to go to work on a different plan. Quietly, he exited the common room and made his way to Slughorn's laboratory, and was surprised to find the Professor inside. Much less, awake so early.

Slughorn startled seeing Severus standing there, being none too smooth to hide a flask of something the younger wizard knew wasn't pumpkin juice behind his back. "Oh, he- hello there, Severus,-" Slughorn bumbled nervously, "bit of an early rise, I reckon?"

Severus nodded. "As always. Have no worry on my part, sir." he assured as he stepped over to Edukas' cage to peer inside. "What you do on your own time isn't any concern of mine." he watched the toad's breathing, feeling a wave of relief wash over him. Edukas had survived the night, and he was almost certain he would make it to the twenty-four hour mark. Retrieving the quill from the ink pot, he jotted down a few notes:

"'Edukas,' as Hermione feels she would like to call him, has survived the night. Breathing patterns stable. Five o'clock a.m.. I kind of like him as well."

He folded his parchment, put it in his pocket and bade Slughorn farewell. Upon exiting the Laboratory, he ran right into Lily, accidentally knocking her onto the floor.

Severus cringed at his mistake and extended his hand to help her up. "I apologize... I didn't see you." he said as she took his hand. Much to his gratitude, she simply smiled, only wincing in pain for a moment as she rubbed her hip. "It's quite alright. Why are you here so early?" she asked, peering around him into the lab to see Slughorn sipping at his flask. She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Lush." she commented.

"Indeed. I am here because Hermione and I were testing an antidote. I believe it was successful." he explained, very hushed as he placed his hand on her shoulder to move away from the door. He didn't fully trust the walrus-like Professor either. "We'll be going tonight. You haven't completely alienated Pettigrew, have you?" he inquired, having been thinking about it. Surely if Pettigrew felt his friends had just stopped talking to him on whim, he'd figure something was going on. To his relief, Lily shook her head. "No. James felt it wise to keep him close, instead of just casting him out, but we're definitely not entrusting anything secret to him. No matter how small. But the boys are remaining on a friendly basis with him. Just for the sake of keeping things as they seemed to be." she explained before her expression turned to one of gratitude. "Severus, I want you to know that it really does touch me so very deeply that you care on such a level that you would have died for me. I know it hasn't happened, and hopefully it will not happen, but I know that you're not a terrible person, and I shouldn't have treated you the way I did. Do you honestly forgive me?" she asked with a hopeful tone in her voice as she looked up at his eyes.

Severus nodded and gave her a slight smile. "Only if you can truly forgive me as well."

"Of course!" Lily gushed without a thought. "I have to be going to talk to Slughorn though. He owled me some letter about the "Slug-Club." I won't be able to attend. James has Quidditch practice scheduled for the same night."

"Okay then. I'll see you later on. Hermione and I have some preparation to attend to." he informed Lily, gave her a friendly embrace and a wave, and set off back to Slytherin House to wake Hermione. He wanted to see her happy expression when he told her the - Edukas... Had survived the night.

As expected, Hermione was overjoyed by the news. She always had a knack for being so enthusiastic. Another reason Severus wondered why she fancied him as much as she did, as he felt he wasn't enthusiastic about anything at all.

To say the least, he was worried for the coming events. The things Hermione had told him about the cavern were in the best sense, so very frightening. Inferi, the Potion, the blood payment.. Everything. But, despite his lack of enthusiasm on most things, much like she said she had in him, he had the utmost faith in her uncanny ability to be right about everything.

"Are you okay, Severus?" Hermione's voice broke into his thoughts. It seemed he had gone blank again, letting his mind run away with him. "You look tired, and more thoughtful than usual." she observed, surveying him with her care for him shining in her honey eyes.

"I'm just a bit worried. About tonight. But I won't fret. I think the three of us can certainly do it together." he assured her as he handed her a small vial of the finished antidote.

Hermione took it and opened her bag to deposite it inside. "Dumbledore sent me an owl, and requested that we meet him atop the Astronomy Tower at six p.m. From there... He'll aparate us to our destination. Do you think we're ready to go back to our normal classes? Seeing as how your brilliance allowed us to create the antidote in record time?" she grinned at him as he rolled his eyes. "Yes, I believe so." he agreed.

Severus and Hermione sat for the remainder of the early morning as they waited for breakfast time to come around. In a comfortable silence, just enjoying the company, they read books, each of them sharing interesting facts with one another here and there. Severus couldn't help but note how very nice it was, having someone around who shared most, if not all of his interests. He also found it extremely fascinating, that as he had always been rather interested in the dark arts, and that Hermione actually had very real experience with it. It was... admirable.

"Can you cast a full-body Patronus?" the question had just popped into his head.

Hermione closed her book. "Yes. I can actually."

"That's rather impressive. I've never been able to. I haven't had many er... strong happy experiences to speak of."

Hermione grinned, excitedly bouncing up and down on the leather sofa. "I can teach you. Can I please? I've spent years with you teaching me things. I'd love to be able to help you succeed in something."

A slow smile crept up on his face as he watched her bounce up and down like an excited puppy needing to relieve itself. "Okay. I'll think about it." he relented.

"Yay!" she squealed, abruptly standing from the sofa. She checked her watch, noting that it was now seven a.m. "Breakfast has already started. Shall we?" she oustretched her hand to him. Severus took it, and the two of them exited the common room.

-----

Classes seemed to end rather abruptly. It was almost as though the time knew that Severus and Hermione had something to do, which they were growing both anxious and nervous about.

At five forty-five p.m., they made their way to the Astronomy Tower, just as requested in the aforementioned letter from Dumbledore. Hermione, as always, had her bag clutched in her hand, packed to the brim with supplies. She'd remembered Harry telling her that the cursed cavern wouldn't let the imbiber of Drink of Despair drink any conjured water, so she'd filled a simple container of water from the faucet, hoping it would work in a time of need.

Severus stopped her just short of the spiral stairs that would lead them up to Albus who stood patiently waiting. He stared into her eyes for a moment; his own full of uncertainty before he pulled her into a near crushing embrace. He buried his face in her hair, breathing deeply. "I love you." he whispered.

Hermione closed her eyes, wishing she could hear those words over and over at that moment. "And I love you, Severus." she whispered back. "Always.."

Severus gently cupped her cheeks and kissed her all too briefly. "I suppose it's time to go then..."

"Time to go." she repeated as they turned to ascend the stairs.

"Six, right on." Albus greeted them with outstretched arms. "Severus, you realize you don't have to -"

"No... I want to." Severus interjected. "I need to be there with her." he gestured to Hermione.

Albus smiled; his eyes full of that familiar twinkle. "Alright then. Shall we?"

Severus and Hermione stepped forward allowing themselves to be embraced by the Headmaster, and without warning, the feeling of being sucked through a straw overtook them.

They arrived on a windy ledge; the deafening sound of waves breaking against the rocks they stood upon could be heard as the spray of the water hit them all lightly.

"I went by my lonesome to scout out this location so I could apparate us to it. You're quite the impressive witch, Miss Granger." Albus informed as he lit the tip of his wand. Hermione and Severus looked to one another and turned to follow the older wizard into the crevice entrance.

Hermione took a deep breath and exhaled, finally catching sight of the wall that would need a payment in the form of blood to allow them entrance. "I'm not sure that I can be the one to do this," she began, looking around at Severus and Albus in the pale light emitting from the Elder Wand. "Since I'm muggleborn, I don't know if I -"

"I will." Albus said, pulling a small blade from his pocket. He let a soft hiss of pain escape as he pressed the blade into his palm, making a precise incision. They watched as Albus rubbed his palm over the wall, and startled when the sound of crumbling rock began to resound around the cave. Being that she had never actually been there, she was almost worried the whole of the rock they were standing inside of would collapse around them.

Soon the opening was revealed, and the rumble ceased with an echo, growing more and more faint around the cavern.

"Remember... Don't touch the water." Hermione warned them as they edged closer to the pool of water that had a black appearance; slightly green from the bright glow radiating from the center basin.

Albus stood at the edge of the water, healing his self-injured palm before he successfully summoned the chain from below the surface. They all stood and watched as a ghostly boat came to the surface. With a shaky sigh of nervousness, Hermione was the first to climb in, followed by Severus and then Albus who remained standing as the boat set sail across the dark water. A chill of fear shot through Hermione, knowing that there were hundreds, or thousands of undead just below them. She absentmindedly grabbed hold of Severus' hand, squeezing it hard.

"This is it..." he thought to himself as the boat slowed to a stop. Carefully and calculated with their steps, the three of them climbed out of the boat, and onto the platform. They stood for a moment, staring into the basin; the green glow emitting brightly. The crystal, reflecting the light off of their faces.

Hermione reached over to retrieve the very half-shell Harry had spoken of. Severus closed his eyes briefly as she dipped it into the glowing liquid, wanting to stop her from doing it. He reached out, gently wrapping his hand around her wrist before she brought it to her lips.

"Severus, please... I have to do it." she told him softly. Nearly apologetically.

Severus sighed and grudgingly released his grip, and he and Albus both watched as she drank the fluid down. It didn't seem to be affecting her just yet. She dipped it again and drank. By the third drain of the liquid from the half-shell, she began to sputter and cough. Severus startled as she dropped the shell into the liquid. He watched in horror as she stumbled backward. He reached out just in time to keep her from falling into the Inferi-infested water. He pressed his chest to her back and fell to his knees, holding tight to her as she writhed in pain. She let out a piercing wail, and Severus fumbled around in his pocket for the antidote.

Hermione had instructed him to give it to her after the symptoms began. With little difficult, he pulled the cork and held it to her lips. "Drink... drink..." he coaxed her. Hermione opened her mouth and he tipped it up, allowing her half the contents.

Suddenly, her body went still, but she was still whimpering.

"Ron... don't... please... Don't die..." she sobbed; brow furrowed tight as she clutched at Severus' hands that held her tight to him.

Albus peered into the basin, and his expression morphed into one of pure outrage and worry. "We have a problem, Severus..."

"Please, don't die..."

Severus looked up to see the look on Dumbledore's face, and worry instantly rent his mind. "What's happened?"

"It refilled after you administered the antidote. It's useless... She'll have to suffer through it, I'm afraid."

Severus was instantly angered with himself for not thinking about that possibility, but now wasn't the time. Albus reached for the shell and filled it, bending down to coax her to drink. Hermione opened her mouth, obviously eager for water. She swallowed and began to thrash harder than ever but Severus maintained a firm hold on her.

He whispered in her ear trying to soothe her. "Shh.. It'll be over soon..." he felt his eyes well with tears, seeing the mortified expression on her face.

Another shell-full of the Potion was brought to her lips, and she eagerly drank it down. "Oh! Oh, God, no, Harry! Oh, please... Don't go alone, Harry... Don't go alone.." she cried, sobbing hard; tears rolling down her flushed face in fat, heavy drops.

Albus grudgingly brought another dose of the Potion to her lips. "Approximately three more to go, Miss Granger." Hermione swallowed it down just as eagerly as she had, the last. Severus prepared himself for her trembling body to put a resistance against him. She arched her back up from his legs that were bent to support her and let out another ear-shattering scream.

"Kill me instead! No! Severus! No, Severus! Don't leave me..."

"I'm right here. I'm right here. Always..." he knew his attempt to comfort her would do no good, but he was trying harder than he'd ever tried at anything. And that was saying a lot. He wasn't a slacker by any means. "I've got you now, Hermione, I won't let you go..."

Another eager drink later, and she was screaming again. Her body began to heat with fever and she broke out in cold sweats. "One more after this one, I promise." Albus told her as he tipped the shell into her lips.

"Take me instead! Oh, God, no! Please, Severus, hold on... I love you so much, please wake up! WAKE UP!" she screamed, causing a pain so deep in Severus, hearing her exclaim those words. "I love you so much... And I never told you!!!" another wave of tears fell from her eyes, drenching the fabric of his coat sleeves.

"You have told me, Hermione... You have... I'm right here with you..." his own tears were drenching the pained witch's hair. "I'm right here with you..."

One more drink later, and a scream louder than even the ones before echoed throughout the cavern. It was a wonder the Inferi below the water weren't stirred by the noise. Severus was thankful they would only be stirred by the water being touched by anything other than the boat.

He looked up to see Albus holding Salazar Slytherin's Locket. He could feel it pulsing with energy as he held it in his hand. Severus reached into his robes and withdrew a large container that had the Drink inside of it. "She said to duplicate the locket, and put it in the basin, and refill it." he instructed the elderly wizard who nodded taking the container from his hand.

Albus did as he was told while Severus remained on his knees with Hermione in his lap. He gently ran his hands through her sweat and tear dampened hair. "We've got to get her out of here."

"Water..." Hermione murmured. "Please, Severus... I love you..."

Severus gently removed himself from below Hermione. He levitated her to the boat, and he carefully stepped inside, ready to cradle her now limp form back to the other side. Albus stepped into the boat after they were settled, and again, remained standing as the boat glided back over the water.

"I don't understand why she's so lifeless looking now..." Severus whispered, surveying Hermione's calm face.

"She had more than what was in the basin to begin with. I've researched Drink of Despair. I believe she will be just fine if we get her to the hospital wing quickly." Albus told him, also observing Hermione as she was levitated out. Severus never thought he would be so glad to hear the waves breaking against the rocks. He held tight to Hermione's body as Albus placed his arms around the both of them.

Once more with the feeling of being sucked through a straw that came with partner apparition, and they were back on top of the Astronomy Tower. They were safe.

"Water,.. please..." Hermione murmured, barely audible. Severus grabbed for her bag, surprised with himself how quickly he found it in her large, yet tiny mess. He withdrew the container of water she'd filled before they left the school, and held it to her lips. Hermione took a long drink, draining almost all of the contents inside.

"Come now... We've got to get her to the hospital wing." Albus told Severus, who nodded and scooped her up with ease, and carried her all the way there.

-----

That night, Severus didn't leave her side despite the medi-witch's attempt to make him go. He sat perched in a chair, watching her intently; her slow, rested breathing. Rise... fall... rise... fall.

He sighed, sitting back in the chair as he rubbed his eyes for a good minute. The things Hermione had shouted still played back, loud and clear in his head. Knowing that Drink of Despair makes a person re-live tragedies in their minds, it saddened him to know that he had obviously been her largest regret of all.

"I love you so much... And I never told you!"

It must have tormented her so bad that it was all she could think about after nearly losing Harry and Ron also. But they had lived. Himself, in the future, had not. He felt slightly moronic for a moment, as he found he was angry with his older self for leaving her behind. Yet, he knew he couldn't have helped it. Now, he was bound and determined not to make the same mistakes.

Severus removed himself from the chair and walked around to the bed, and climbed in beside her. He stared at the side of her angelic, sleeping face and sighed with content, knowing she was alive, and that she would be well soon enough. He was nearly asleep when the echo of her voice once again broke into his thoughts.

"Take me instead! Oh, God, no! Please, Severus, hold on... I love you so much, please wake up! WAKE UP!"

He propped himself up on his elbow and he watched her face for a moment before gently running his fingers through her hair. He knew she wouldn't be able to respond just yet, but he spoke to her anyway.

"Do you remember when you told me that I could have you, and keep you forever? The same goes for me, for you. I am not going anywhere. I apologize that I have been so afraid to touch you. I just have no wish to hurt you. In any way. Please, don't keep on regretting my death in your time. I am going to do whatever it takes to stay right here. Right by your side..."
- 10
- 11
- 12
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

"To Change Your Life"