Wandering

Red light struck the tree above her, sending bits of bark and leaves raining down as she ran. Her breath was rushed and short as she stumbled over something on the forest floor, hitting the ground hard on her knees, ripping her robes and bruising the flesh. She scrambled to her feet, pushing up on her fingertips as she propelled forward. We should have left in the night, she thought to herself as she sprinted.

Someone screamed off to her left but she did not turn to see, she kept pumping her legs over the ground, ignoring the branches that lashed at her. She screamed as a dark hooded figure immerged in front of her from behind a large oak. “IMPEDIMENTA!” she yelled wildly without stopping. The Death Eater froze and as the tears poured from her eyes and flew off her cheeks with her speed, she screamed the killing curse, sobbing as the green light erupted from her wand. She tucked to the left of the falling body, refusing to let her mind curse her for her crimes.

Loud pops of people Apparating awoke them from slumber in the night. Harry’s voice calling her name drew them out of their shelter. They knew of a gathering, knew the Death Eaters were in the very forest beside them, which explained Lucius’s presence.
Before the story was finished, curses flew from the wood line and sent them scattering, she had not seen Severus since she took off into the wood.

She reeled as a hand shot out from the side and caught her arm, pulling her down and into the chest of someone. She kicked and screamed out as another curse ricocheted off a nearby tree, sending dust and bark splintering into the air. Another arm curled around her waist and pulled her deeper into the brush. “SEVERUS HELP ME!” she uselessly pled into the air, praying that her cry would somehow reach him.

“Hermione please.”

The voice stilled her and she turned to see Lupin’s face, bleeding and pale. He released her and slumped back against a tree. Trails of blood ran over his fingers and his robes were torn and scorched, revealing hints of deep wounds when he inhaled. She immediately began healing spells, waving her wand as quickly as possible over him. He smiled and caught her wand hand in his own; tears escaped her as his warm blood dripped off her fingers.
“Too late…for me kid.” She watched him fumble in his robes before clumsily pulling out a parcel, wrapped in brown paper and twine. He pressed it into her hand and let his arm fall limply to the ground.

She secured the parcel and then rejected his claim; it would not be too late! Again, she began her charms and spells; he shook his head and raised his hand to her weakly. She leaned forward and grasped the sides of his robes, ripping the fabric to expose his wounds. Of the many, the worst made her sob. Another curse exploded nearby and she instinctively ducked, leaning her body over his to shield the wound from debris.

The glistening skin of his insides told her of his plight, nothing could be done now. When she righted herself, she carefully closed the material back over the wound and moved closer to him, pulling Remus from the tree and against her chest. He slid down across her lap, lying on his side, and began to shake. Hermione wrapped her arms around him and ran her fingers through his hair, whispering comforting words and ignoring the commotion outside the brush. He pulled in a rattling breath and clutched her hand as his body stiffened. “Shhhh, it will be over soon Remus, shhhh.”

His body arched into hers and a tear slid from his eye. He gave another rattling breath and his body trembled before slumping lifelessly against hers. Hermione’s face contorted to a cry of anguish, but no sound escaped her. She leaned and kissed his head, then slid a hand over his eyes to shut them. She laid him flat on the forest floor and pocketed his wand, flicking a stasis charm over his body before wiping her tears and peering out of the brush. The way seemed clear and she steeled her courage, breaking into a run with her wand raised. She jumped and fell to her side as the largest pine beside her erupted into flame.

A deathly voice called into the woods, “POTTER!” and Hermione scrambled to her feet, pounding over the leaves and debris as fast as she could make them. Before her conscious mind registered the presence of another Death Eater, green light erupted from her wand and snuffed the man out. She jumped over the body without looking back, not letting its dead, burning eyes stain her mind right now.

Finally, she reached the clearing and froze. Hogwarts towered in the distance, the Quidditch pitch off to the right, its hoops ablaze. Voldemort and Nagini stood in the semi circle of Death Eaters a few meters in the distance. Her eyes skimmed the tree line for Harry, where was he? Her eyes grew wide as a cool hand covered her mouth and pulled her back, she was about to scream when Harry’s voice reached her ear. “It’s me, shhh, it’s me Hermione.” She nodded and his hand slid off her mouth.

She reached in her robes and pulled out the brown parcel from Remus, smeared with his blood. Harry took it and ripped the packaging off, revealing a cup bearing a badger. He set it on the ground and stepped back, pointing his wand he began a series of spells not even Hermione had heard before. The cup melted to a glistening puddle, which solidified into a mirror. Tom Riddle’s face appeared and Harry brought his foot down hard, shattering the glass until it turned to dust, blowing away in a silvery cloud.

Harry met her eyes, there was nothing more to do before he faced Voldemort now. “POTTER SHOW YOURSELF!” The Dark Lord’s voice called out again. Hermione sprang forward, wrapping her arms around him. “I love you Harry, I love you.”

He returned her embrace fiercely, whispering, “You too Hermione,” before pulling away from her.

He squared his shoulders and clutched his wand, steeling himself for the final battle. He took in a deep breath and strode past the confines of the forest.

“I AM HERE!” He answered.

Hermione’s heart froze as Ron ran from the tree line to join Harry, who put a hand on his chest and shook his head, pushing Ron back towards the woods.

“Well, well, well Harry Potter, you finally join us. Though, before I deal with you, I have another that needs my attention.” He waved his hand and Severus, bound but seemingly unharmed, dragged from the circle and fell to his feet. Hermione clutched her wand and watched anxiously, waiting to intervene, to die with him rather then watch from the side.

“Yes, Severus Snape,” He raised his voice so all could hear; “I know we all wish to see who he really belongs to. It may interest all of you, foolish, worthless, excuses for wizards, that the very man you put into exile is the same man who equipped Potter to face me today. However, it is a matter of no importance, he will be done away with and no one shall have the grievance of knowing him any longer.”

Hermione stepped forward as his bonds were released, ready to run into battle, but no sooner then he hit the ground did he roll, whipping a wand out of his sleeve, and yell “NOW POTTER!” as he fired off a curse.

Voldemort roared and covered his eyes as Harry sprinted forward, and she lost sight of the battle. Dust and spells and light erupted in the circle. She joined Ron as they ran towards the battle, determined to get Harry to Voldemort. Just as they reached the circle she caught sight of Severus, fighting with all his strength, his dusty black robes swirling around him as he dodged and fired, his back pressed against Harry’s, who was locked in battle with Voldemort. Severus met Hermione’s eyes as he whirled, dodging a curse and returning it. She almost reached out to him when something hit her squarely in the chest, she blinked and flew backwards, noting how beautiful the sky was as darkness enveloped her.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

Hermione’s brow twitched as the rhythmic tick of a clock met her ears. She jerked her hand and immediately it was covered with something warm and heavy. She grimaced, not understanding what happened, until…

“SEVERUS! SEVERUS!” She bolted up and screamed, frustrated that her sight would not return. Someone’s hand was on her shoulder now and she fought against it, bringing her hand to her sleeve for her wand. It was not there. The hand on her shoulder pushed her back and icy fear flooded into her stomach; she screamed and struggled against it.

“What do you think you are doing?”

The healer continued pushing Hermione into her bed despite her screams. He spoke over his shoulder. “She needs to be sedated!”

Severus growled at the man and strode forward, grabbing the scruff of his healer robes and yanking him away. Hermione put her hands up, searching and defending herself against harm. Carefully Severus lowered himself on the bed beside her, his chest clenched at the sight of the bandages wrapped around her eyes and ears. She drew away from him and flailed her arms in an attempt to rid him from her presence. He caught her wrists and held them still a moment while she tried to pull away. Finally she tired, calling out once more, “Severus…please,” in nothing more then a whisper.

Her simple plead for him pulled a tear past his dark lids. He leaned closer and brought her hand over his heart. She stiffened as her hand touched his chest, he watched her as realization flooded over her. She sobbed and fell into him, trembling and clutching to his robes. He folded her in his arms and buried his face in her neck, they had told him not to hope, she would not wake up and if she did, she would be worse off for it. Silent tears slid down his cheeks and fell in her hair, the gauze bandage rubbed against his forehead and he prayed to whichever deity would have his prayer, that her senses be restored.

Hermione pulled away from him and clumsily ran her hands up his chest and over his neck in search of his face. He allowed her fingers to wander, to find his new marks and judge them as she would. She smiled as she reached his jaw line, the feeling was like home, but her breath caught as she reached his cheeks. The right side was smooth as she remembered, but something jagged and deep tarnished the left. She ran her finger lightly over it, least she hurt him, and followed the deep line over the length of his cheek, over the bridge of his wonderful nose, across his brow, over his forehead where it disappeared into his hairline. Her heart raced in her chest as she placed her hands over any part of him she could find, searching for the warm, sticky sensation of blood.

He watched her face break into a deep frown and she frantically began patting him down. What in Merlin’s name?

“Hurt? Are you hurt? Show me Severus.” Her voice was panicked and he understood.

He took her hands in his and brushed back a strand of hair that broke free of her bandages, again placing her hand over his heart and speaking so that she could feel the length of his answer.

“No.”

He slid around her on the bed so that his back could rest against the wall, propping his bad leg on the bed he pulled her against his chest. It had been weeks since the battle, weeks since the Weasley boy showed more gut then Severus thought he had, propping Potter up so he could deliver the deathblow to Voldemort after Potter had been terribly injured. They were only in the next room, though they had been awake for days now.

He had gone himself to collect Lupin’s body. They laid him to rest in the yard with Dumbledore, his coffin below the earth with a small sapling over it. Hermione lay heavily against his chest and he folded his arms over her. She turned her face into him as best she could and sighed. “Can’t see, can’t hear.”

He stroked her hand and held her close. It was not a question; she did not want an answer. A healer came in the room with the draught of peace. Severus took it and stroked her cheek with his smallest finger before bringing the vial to her lips. She parted them and took a long pull of it, finally sinking boneless against him. The tick of the wall clock reversed its effect, sending them both into relieved sleep.


A/N

Thank you everyone who keeps faithfully reviewing my work, you love updates, I love reviews. This chapter was supposed to be out of left field, as the battle was. I hope you enjoyed it, there is more to come later. Thanks again!