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Spark	By : DivineAngel Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Snape/Hermione Views: 20930 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 22
- 23
Chapter 23: As Cold
As Ice

Hermione felt winded and
for a long moment she hung there, clinging to Harry. Suddenly a burst
of yells filled the room as everyone realised what had happened.
Kingsley Shacklebolt and other members of the Order of the Phoenix,
including Dumbledore, rushed out and stunned as many Death Eaters as
they could before a rapid succession of pops echoed around the hall
as a few of them disapparated and got away.

Hermione wrenched free of
Harry and sprinted across the hall, skidding to a halt and throwing
herself to her knees over Severus. She grasped his robes and
collapsed on his chest, screaming so loudly she drew the attention of
almost everyone present. Tears streaked down her face and she sobbed
between terrified screams of pain.

'Severus!' She cried, her
voice bouncing off the walls and high ceiling. 'Severus!' She lifted
her head and shook him, his head rolled to the side, limp. 'You wake
up this second. You open your eyes and say my name!' Her voice was
broken and shaking as she shouted through her tears. A small crowd
gathered around her, Tonks had a loose hold of Draco Malfoy, but he
shrugged her off and walked slowly towards the trembling Hermione and
knelt beside her. She looked at him, her vision blurred by the tears,
but she could tell he looked grief stricken and frightened as he
stared back into her red eyes. What did she see there? A glimmer of
satisfaction, he knew.

A hand was on her
shoulder, there were voices and movement all around and she was
firmly pulled away. Blurringly, she saw Molly kneeling by Severus and
fussing over him with her wand. She became aware of who had hold of
her, Ron and Ginny were dragging her back, away from her love but she
was too weak to struggle.

'He's alive.' The voice
cut into her haze. Molly was checking his breathing and she looked up
at Dumbledore standing over her. 'We have to get him to St. Mungo's
right now.' Hermione broke free of her friends and rushed to Severus'
side once more as Molly stood and she and Dumbledore levitated the
unconscious Severus to hip height.

'I'm coming with you.'
Hermione stated firmly, taking hold of his hand and looking at his
white face. Molly and Dumbledore exchanged nervous glances and the
headmaster gave a single nod, taking a firm hold of Hermione's arm as
Molly clung to Severus and the four of them apparated away.

~#~#~#~

Harry stood over
Voldemort's body, shaking. Arthur stepped up next to him and the two
of them stood in silence.

'Mr. Weasley?' Harry
started, but he had no idea what to say.

'Harry, I think it would
be alright for you to call me Arthur, you know.' His voice was a
little uneven, he was trying to be his usual jovial self. Harry
ignored it, he felt cold inside and was in no mood for inane
conversation.

'Why did you do it?'
Harry finally managed to ask.

'Because it needed
doing.' Arthur stated, simply.

'Did you know about the
prophecy?' Harry asked, still staring at Voldemort's body.

'Remus told me just after
New Year. Harry...' Arthur stalled and turned to face him, Harry
looked sideways at him and saw great relief in his friend's father's
eyes. 'Prophecies are... tricky. They can sometimes make us act
differently than we otherwise would, in an effort to fulfil them.'
Harry frowned. This made complete sense, since he found out about the
prophecy he had been consumed with this idea that he HAD to kill
Voldemort. As if there were no choice in the matter, and Dumbledore
had encouraged that belief right up until today. Hermione was even in
on it. She had spent this whole year working on that damned potion to
make his job easier.

He shook with rage and
felt a hot tear sting his eye. Arthur grasped him and drew him into a
strong embrace, patting him hard on the back. Harry felt relief wash
over him, he had never been so grateful to anyone in his life but at
the same time he felt extreme grief that Arthur had become a murderer
for him.

~#~#~#~

Hermione watched, numb as
medi-witches and wizards rushed around, they fired questions at
Dumbledore, while Molly rested an arm around Hermione's shoulders.
She couldn't speak, couldn't think. All she could do was watch as
they tried to treat Severus. Somewhere in the back of her brain a
small voice prodded her, she listened intently, trying to understand
the distant thought. Finally she comprehended it and managed to form
some words.

'It was the same attack
that took me out in the Department of Mysteries.' Her voice was
quiet, she shook her head, trying to shake loose the memory properly.

'Hermione? What's that
dear?' Molly asked, giving her shoulders a squeeze.

'Dolohov. He hit me with
that curse last year. Ha!' She laughed, her face contorting with the
irony. 'You have to speak to Madam Pomfrey right away, she treated
me.' She called out loud enough for someone else to hear. A
kind-faced medi-witch stopped in her tracks, acknowledged Hermione's
suggestion and darted from the room. Dumbledore was watching Hermione
intently, but she didn't care, she only cared about Severus.

Hours passed. Hermione
sat with Molly outside the room they were treating Severus in. Nobody
asked any questions, nobody wanted to know why she was there or why
she was so upset. Part of her wondered if Dumbledore and Molly simply
assumed that she had become a little closer to Severus through
working together all year and didn't think it worthy of mention.
Other people had appeared there to check in with the headmaster,
McGonagall was having her broken arm treated somewhere in the
hospital, Mundungus and other injured parties, including prisoners
were also being treated and a few people had come to check on Remus
who was still in recovery.

Fudge had been in and had
a heated discussion with Dumbledore down the corridor, Hermione
didn't hear much but got the impression that the Minister was deeply
unimpressed with Dumbledore's choice to act unilaterally. It sounded
like the Dementors had been rounded up and “taken care of”,
whatever that meant and Hagrid had taken Grawp to deal with a “slight
giant situation”. Hermione tried not to think about any of
that, or the Death Eaters that had escaped, she bit her fingernails
and stared through the little round window in the door at the
organised chaos surrounding Severus.

The door opened and a
tired wizard came out, wiping his brow. He looked at the three of
them, searching for who to speak to. Hermione stood up and rushed
towards him.

'Are you his next of
kin?' The medi-wizard asked, looking perplexed.

'No.' Hermione admitted.
'He doesn't have one.' Dumbledore approached and pressed his bony
hand into her shoulder. She looked up at him and shrugged his hand
off, feeling sick at the sight of him.

'How is he?' Dumbledore
asked calmly. The medi-wizard tilted his head to one side and sighed.

'Well, he took some
serious internal injuries from that curse. We've stabilised him, but
we'll have to wait and see if he pulls through.' Hermione found
herself nodding and wiping her face, her cheeks ached from crying.

'Can I see him?' She
asked, cutting in.

'Yes. But I can't
guarantee how he'll receive you. He's been demanding we let him out
to see to himself. Stubborn fool.' Dumbledore chuckled and Hermione
pushed them both aside, rushing into the room and grasping Severus'
hand, fresh tears pouring down her face.

'Severus. I'm here. They
wouldn't let me in until now.' Her tears dropped onto his bare chest
as she leaned over him. He was covered with a thin sheet, a hint of a
freshly opened and closed chest visible through the hair on his
chest. There were potions and odd items in jars stacked around, he
opened his eyes groggily and squeezed her hand. He was so pale, even
more so than usual and Hermione choked back a sob.

'Hermione?' His voice
strained with a croak. Hermione's head snapped to the door as she
heard it open and Dumbledore came in, an odd little smile playing on
his lips. Hermione was past caring, she kept tight hold of Severus'
hand and gently kissed his cheek.

'You'll be just fine, I
know it. Dolohov hit me with the same curse last year. I had to take
like ten potions every day, but... you'll be fine.' She stroked his
hand and whispered to him, laying soft kisses on his forehead.
Severus peered over his wounded body at the figure at the foot of his
bed and gave a small jerk. Hermione hushed in his ear and tried to
calm him down. She didn't care what Dumbledore saw or knew, all that
mattered was being here with Severus.

'Severus?' Dumbledore's
voice came out smoothly, Hermione ignored it. 'You did well.'

Hermione's eyes moved
slowly to the headmaster, he was looking intently at Severus, lying
there prone and in pain. His face was severe, despite his gentle
voice and his eyes never wavered, never blinked as Hermione sat there
helpless to stop it. Severus smiled weakly, his own black eyes
glistening with wetness as he let the old man in.

Finally Dumbledore gave a
small nod and left the room. Hermione took hold of Severus' chin and
turned his face to look at her. He smiled, a single tear rolled from
his left eye.

'No more secrets.' He
managed to croak and he squeezed her hand with what little strength
he had. His eyes closed and he grew very still. Hermione stroked his
hair and kissed his lips, softly. He didn't return the kiss, she
stopped and hovered over him, waiting to feel his breath hot on her
lips but no breath came.

'No!' She cried out
suddenly. She took hold of his shoulders and shook him hard.
'Severus!' She screamed, shaking violently as fear gripped her.
Behind her the door flung open and the kind-faced medi-witch came
running in, followed by the wizard. They dashed over and performed
several complex spells that Hermione, for once in her life, didn't
try to follow. She was pushed back out of the way and stood watching
as the medics stopped and shook their heads. 'You have to do
something!' Hermione yelled at them, furious with them for not trying
to help him.

'Hermione?' She collapsed
to the floor, shaking and sobbing loudly. She didn't see who had
called her name, drifting into a blurred state of semi-consciousness,
disbelief filling her as she drifted away.

~#~#~#~

Time became abstract.
Hermione had moments of lucidity where she was aware of being in a
hospital bed and there being people around her. Then she slept again
and the next thing she knew she felt as though she were moving very
rapidly but couldn't muster the strength to open her eyes to confirm
if the sensation were accurate. She heard Poppy's voice and she had
the sensation that someone was holding her hand. No thoughts came to
her, no feelings, she was simply numb and she just wanted to keep her
eyes closed and keep the world shut out forever.

Finally she could sleep
no longer and she opened her eyes to find herself in the hospital
wing at Hogwarts. Her mouth felt dry and her body ached, her head
pounded and the light pouring in through the windows seemed to mock
her black mood.

She remembered the last
moments by Severus' side and felt utterly alone. He was gone and she
would have to face everyone who knew about their relationship alone
without him to turn to. She cried out, tears pouring afresh from her
tired eyes.

~#~#~#~

Hermione fiddled with a
loose thread on the cushion she held in her lap. The common room was
quiet, people had been giving her a wide berth since Poppy had
released her from the hospital wing. Harry, Ron and Ginny sat around
her, silent. She had given them her side of events, putting an end to
the gossip that had found its way to them while she was out of it.

'Well...' Ginny finally
spoke. 'I can sort of understand it. I mean, he was a genius. And you
are too and you were working so closely all year. I can kind of see
how it happened.'

'Ginny!' Ron exclaimed.

'I don't understand it.
How could you do that?' Harry's voice was low and angry, his teeth
clenched and he refused to look directly at her.

'I don't expect anyone to
understand it. I don't fully understand it myself. I just need your
support.' Harry stood up and walked away, Hermione watched him go,
saddened but not surprised.

'He'll come around.' Ron
said, giving her an awkward pat on the knee and Ginny nodded in
agreement, trying her best to smile.

~#~#~#~

Professor McGonagall
rolled her tongue around her mouth and prepared herself. It had been
literally decades since she'd last done this and was taking her time,
nervous of the consequences of losing. Remus shifted in his bed and
cleared his throat.

'Alright, Remus.' She
slowly slid the top card away from her large, face down hand, held it
for a long moment over the discard pile while carefully watching her
young friend's face. A smile crept over her face and she braced
herself, she turned the card and dropped it onto the pile. Four of
hearts. She let out a shaky breath and giggled like a young girl.
Remus smiled back and drew his card much more quickly, dropping it on
top of hers. Six of diamonds.

'How is Hermione doing?'
Remus asked, broaching the subject for the first time in three days.
She cocked her head and wondered how to answer.

'She sleeps most of the
time when she's not in lessons. Poppy's got her on some sort of
calming draught, to keep her from breaking down again.' She sighed,
deeply disturbed by it all. It seemed a gross injustice that a man
could give twenty years of his life to subterfuge and secrets and be
denied the freedom and love he deserved at the end of it all. 'It's
not looking good, Remus.' She put her card on the table with a sad
resignation. Queen of clubs.

'They still won't let me
out. She's become a good friend, Minerva, I wish I could be there for
her. I'm fine now, apart from the odd twinge and the bed sores!'
Remus shifted in his bed again, clearly restless. Minerva noticed how
pale Remus was looking and wondered what would happen come the next
full moon. Who would brew his wolfsbane potion? They'd kept him
heavily sedated in a private room through the rest of the previous
one, when he was first admitted.

'Maybe we could stage a
break out?' She smiled, giving his knee a playful nudge. She felt so
much younger than she had in years, as though a terrible weight had
been lifted from her shoulders, despite the deaths and terrible
injuries her friends had suffered. Remus tossed his card onto the
pile. Queen of hearts. 'Snap!' McGonagall cried as the deck exploded
on the little bed table.

~#~#~#~

Hermione shifted
uncomfortably in the seat, feeling more like a schoolgirl than she
had all year. Dumbledore sat at the other side of the desk, in his
typical pose, fingers steepled and looking intently at her over his
spectacles. His eyes were twinkling with that old familiar light that
had enchanted her as a youngster but now left her cold as ice.

'I know you don't wish to
talk to me about it. I won't force the issue, Miss Granger.' He
smiled kindly and Hermione's eyes rolled reflexively. 'I just wanted
to know how you were doing now? Being back at school and back to
normal?'

'Normal?' She scoffed,
trying not to look into his cool eyes. 'I'm fine, sir. Just peachy.'

'It wasn't your fault, I
understand that. That's why I promise you that your education won't
suffer in the least.' He dropped his hands into his lap and
effortlessly maintained that calm kindness and fatherly manner that
Hermione knew so well and despised so deeply. She felt herself
growing angry and fixed her eyes on the corner of his desk. The
calming draught she was taking wasn't strong enough to prevent the
rage building in her as the headmaster spoke in that patronising
voice. 'Sometimes people fall onto destructive paths, they can be
misguided and influenced by selfish people.' Hermione's hands
clenched the arms of her chair and her eyes snapped up to meet his.

'You don't know what
you're talking about.' She spat. She shoved the chair back and stood
abruptly. She flashed the headmaster a dangerous glare and stormed
from the office. She felt that cold, empty loneliness that one only
feels when everyone around you disappoints you or fails to understand
you. She wandered the castle halls for over an hour, aimless and
lost, profound sadness filling her and tears slowly falling down her
face.

She found herself heading
towards the potions laboratory, her skin growing cold. It had grown
late and she encountered no one in the dark corridors. She opened the
door to the lab and stepped inside, torches flickered to life on the
walls in the usual manner, a hunched figure was sat on the desk and
she jumped in shock.

Malfoy looked up slowly,
his face white and eyes tired. Hermione released her breath and
closed the door, moving quietly into the room and easing herself up
onto the desk next to him.

'Granger.' He said
quietly in greeting.

'Malfoy.' She murmured
back, remembering the last time she had been on this desk. She smiled
a little. 'They let you come back to school then?'

'Yep. You too?' She
nodded. 'You really loved him, didn't you?' He asked, tilting his
head to look at her.

'Yes. Very much. You
figured that out before he fell at the battle though, didn't you?'
She returned the look. Somehow, he seemed the easiest person to talk
to, though she couldn't think why.

'Of course.' She waited
for an insult, an attempt at wit. But none came.

'What? No judgemental
comment?' She asked in disbelief. He snorted and shook his head.

'Not right now. I might
think of one later.' He chided gently.

A cold draft passed
through the room from the store cupboard, the door standing ajar and
they both looked towards the little room. Hermione drew her wand and
flicked the door shut, locking it without a word, she knew that
without Severus here to guard his precious stores students would be
in there hunting for illicit ingredients for inappropriate potions.
She and Malfoy shared a few minutes silence together, she thought
about moments that weren't too upsetting and guessed that he was
doing likewise. Something inside her told her she would be alright, a
quiet and familiar voice. It was his, etched into her memory forever.

~#~#~#~

Severus watched the backs
of Hermione and Draco sitting side by side in silence in the cold
dungeon lab and scoffed at the odd sight. Never in his wildest dreams
would he have thought those two could be in a room together alone and
not hex one another. The moment of humour passed and he felt relief
that maybe, just maybe, they might understand one another. With that
thought he felt at ease for a few seconds, then he looked down at his
silver form and watched as it evaporated slowly. With one last look
at that curly head of hair, he ceased to be.

AN: Never has a single
chapter taken such a pounding as this one! I tweaked, hacked and bent
this one repeatedly to make it work, it took a lot out of me to
write, so I hope you liked it. I know some of you didn't get the
happy ending you wanted, but I have known for a very long time that
this story needed this ending and when I saw reviews pleading for a
happy one I felt so awful, so I really hope that you still enjoyed
it, even if it brought a tear to your eyes! It certainly brought a
few to mine especially as I wrote that last paragraph.

A huge, huge thank you
to all of my readers and the wonderful reviewers! Big hugs to
takemeaway, Bella Snape, angel, Barbara and all the others, you have
been such wonderful support for me.

I'm getting back to my
newest WIP now, it's a different ship (HG/RL) but I hope some of you
will follow me over to that one, it's called Dizzy In The Heat and
the beginning is already posted here – follow the link to my
profile, you'll see it.
- 22
- 23
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