Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Madrigal	By : Rotisserie_Cassowary Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Snape/Hermione Views: 7982 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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When I finally dragged myself into the castle, the sun was already peeking over the horizon. When I awoke late the next morning, it was to a feline Patronus informing me that Draco and Bellatrix had been arrested, and were currently being interrogated at the Ministry. My presence was requested in the hospital wing.
I jogged up to Madame Pomfrey’s domain, still dressed in the same robes I was wearing the night before. When I entered the ward, I saw that nearly the entire Order of the Phoenix was there. No one could know about Dumbledore’s true state yet (so as to not disrupt the credibility of the funeral), so the atmosphere was mournful in the sun-splashed room.
Bill Weasley and Remus Lupin were asleep on two of the hospital cots. Fleur Delacour clutched Weasley’s hand, and was gingerly adjusting the bandages that criss-crossed his face. Mrs. Weasley held Fleur’s other hand in a surprisingly affectionate manner. I was shocked to see Nymphadora Tonks grasping the werewolf’s hand tightly in both of hers, and she laid her head, weeping in apparent relief, on his chest.
I was wondering what the hell I had missed when Minerva noticed me and strolled over. She informed me in a whispered tone that the Death Eaters had tried to break in through the front gate when only Bellatrix had succeeded in entering the castle. The Order had fought them fiercely, just managing to keep them from flying high enough on their brooms to scale the defensive wards. She had personally examined Dumbledore's body, and knew that he was still alive. She assured me that no one aside from her would handle the body until he was safely tucked away in his grave.
Hermione stared at me intently from across the room, and it was all I could do not to run to her, sweeping her into my arms and kissing her fervently. Her eyes and face were red and swollen, giving the impression that she’d been up all night sobbing uncontrollably. Harry sulked in a corner, staring angrily at his shoes. The rest of the Weasleys were in a giant affectionate clump, holding on to each other for support. I felt a sharp stab of jealousy at the heartbreaking display of familial love. Hermione caught me staring at them and gave me a sad little smile.
Minerva began an impromptu Order meeting then, choosing not to disclose the information that Harry had even been out of the castle with Dumbledore. She gave him a sharp look though, obviously warning him that they’d be having words later. I zoned out as the teachers discussed funeral plans and the future of the school. It was decided that Minerva, as befitting her position of Deputy Headmistress, would take over management of the school for the time being. The school governors would, of course, decide on a permanent replacement for next year.
The meeting wrapped up after about an hour, and I made eye contact with Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Minerva in quick succession. I crooked my head backwards in a subtle indication that they should come with me. People gradually flowed forth out of the ward, and the four Gryffindors followed me at a distance as I strode down the hall. We arrived at Dumbledore’s office, and I spoke the password. When we emerged into the airy tower room, I saw his limp form spread reverentially across his enormous desk. His beard and hair had been carefully combed and arranged. He gave every indication of being dead as a doornail. When I felt his pulse, a solid thirty seconds passed between each sluggish beat.
I turned to Potter, asking hurriedly, “So did you get the Horcrux or not?”
He shook his head crossly, tossing a small necklace across the room to me. “Not exactly,” he sighed. I opened the locket and unfolded the note inside. I read its contents aloud, finishing with the initials, “R.A.B… Hmm… I wonder who that could be…” I mused.
“What does it matter?” he cried, stomping his foot petulantly. “All that work was for nothing. Now we don’t even know where the real horcrux ended up!” He went on to regale us with the entire story of their trip into the cave, and by the end, Minerva looked like she was going to have a heart attack.
“He took you, a child not even of legal wizarding age, into a dangerous cave full of inferi and dark magic?! And made you force-feed him a torturous potion while he writhed in agony and begged you to stop?!” she screeched, looking quite deranged. Potter nodded, looking at Dumbledore’s prone body with a flurry of conflicting emotions playing over his face. “Bloody hell, he really has lost his mind,” she sighed, sinking into an armchair and fanning herself dazedly.
“So what are we gonna do now?” Weasley asked, looking around at all of us for guidance.
“I’m going to find them. The locket, the cup, the snake, and whatever the hell he has for Ravenclaw. And then I’m going to destroy them,” Harry ground out fiercely.
“If you think you’re doing that on your own, you’re completely mad, mate,” Ron interjected. “Yeah,” Hermione added, “you’re not doing anything without our help.”
“I’m going to have to go on the run,” Harry argued, “When I turn 17 this summer, I’ll be open to Voldemort’s attack.”
“You won’t last ten minutes without your friends, Potter,” Minerva scoffed. “You will need to be hidden for the end of the summer, but I have high hopes that you will be able to return to Hogwarts next year. At least for a while. This castle is the most secure location in wizarding Britain. Unless You-Know-Who brings an entire army to our doorstep, we can keep them out.”
Hermione picked up where the older woman left off, “And when they come for you, we’ll escape. We’ll go on the run. As long as we keep moving, we can stay one step ahead of him. You don’t need to do this alone.” She looked up at me when she said that, obviously trying to send the message to me as well.
I stepped forward then, speaking with a calm confidence that I hardly felt, “Individually, we are weak. Together, we are powerful. The five of us in this room are allies now, a united front. And when we work together as one, we can achieve anything. Look at what we did tonight. This infiltration should have been a complete bloodbath, but we didn’t lose even a single life. The Dark Lord will rue the day he murdered your parents, Harry. He has no fucking idea what he’s getting himself into.”
“Here, Here!” Weasley’s voice rang out, bringing a round of chuckles from those assembled.
Everyone gradually took their leave of the office, until only Hermione and I remained. Minerva gave us a fleeting look as she exited, forehead wrinkled in suspicion. We proceeded down to my laboratory in companionable silence, each of us lost in our own private thoughts.
The instant the laboratory wall had reformed, Hermione leapt straight into my arms. I picked her up and spun her around as she let out peals of laughter. When I set her back down, I realized that a huge grin had spread across my own face. Surprised at myself, I tried to moderate my expression, but it was futile.
I took Hermione’s face between my hands, cupping her cheeks as I stared intently into her eyes. “The fact that I am in this room right now is a goddamn miracle,” I whispered ardently. “And I have only you to thank for that, Hermione. There’s no way I can even begin to thank you for all you’ve done for me… I’ve changed so much in the past 9 months… And it’s all because of you. I’ve never actually felt positive about the future before. I never believed I’d be anything besides another casualty of this war. But you and I can achieve anything together. I truly believe that.”
She nodded vigorously in agreement. “I feel the same way. There’s nothing we can’t do. I never saw myself as powerful, or important, or even useful really… But you’ve made me into those things, Severus. You make me feel like I could fix any problem, achieve anything I set my mind to, defeat any challenge that I face…”
I quirked my eyebrow at her fondly, “Likewise. You make me want to be a good man, Hermione. You make me want to improve myself, to make myself worthy of you. You’re my inspiration, my reason for getting out of bed in the morning. You’re a shining beacon in all the darkness, guiding me, warming me, leading me home… I love you, Hermione Jean Granger. So much more than I can adequately express. So much more than I ever thought my old, shriveled heart capable of…”
“I love you, Severus Tobias Snape,” she murmured, stretching up on tip-toes. She pulled my head down to her, placing her lips tenderly upon my own. Electricity radiated from our point of contact, but my elation was far too powerful. My eyeballs felt like they were being stabbed with steak knives, but I couldn’t have cared less. It was the gentlest kiss we’d ever shared by a huge margin. I tried to articulate my profound gratitude, my abiding desire, my security, my tender affection, all with such a dreadfully limited expression. But I believe my message got through; both of our cheeks were stained with tears when we finally pulled away, ears ringing and temples throbbing.
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Madrigal