Hermione's Final Year

Title: Hermione’s Final Year
Author: Wickedswanz
Disclaimer: I don’t own anything
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It had all started so small. No, that’s not true it had started with a BANG! An explosion of frustration and rage from one Miss Hermione Granger. That awful Umbridge woman! After a lifetime of being the well behaved straight laced Hermione, seeing an official, someone they were supposed to trust acting in such a manner, but it was the moment that she saw Harry’s hand that really sent her over the edge.

He been acting strange for weeks, shying away from touch, saying nothing was wrong when obviously something was. Then she’d seen it, on the back of his hand: “I will not tell lies” and he’d told her everything.

***

“Something - broke in me and I don’t think I’ve ever gotten it back,” Hermione said – her voice rough and her eyes pricking. They were sitting together in Professor Snape’s office, which when suggested both Harry and Ron had argued loudly. But Hermione had insisted that he needed to hear this as well.

“You have to understand, I’ve always been the good girl, with blind faith in our authority figures, so when one of our teacher’s, let alone one placed in by the ministry used such dark magic against a - a child!”

“Hey!” Harry said indignantly.

“Oh Harry you know what I mean…”

“Mr. Potter, I think what she means is that in said that professor’s eyes you were a child, which makes their offence all the worse,” Professor Snape said impatiently, before signaling for her to continue.

“It started small. I meant well, just trying to pin down exactly what spell or potion she was using so I could find a counter spell, or something else to help you. I had a pass to the restricted section from second year and …”

***

She found a book on blood magic. After reading from cover to cover, she’d found nothing about the pen, but quite a few other spells that she found interesting and useful. But they used dark magic and she vowed never to try them. Then after the hundredth time that Ron and Sirius had compared her to Molly, and called her a stick in the mud, she’d tried one. It was just a simple potion.

The moment that knife touched the sensitive flesh of her hand and she felt and saw her deep red life force dripping into the cauldron, she’d felt the most pleasurable and exciting rush of power.

It surged through her veins giving her a euphoric feeling, she was untouchable, and no one could hurt her. The power was immeasurable and she felt as though she could do anything. The darkness called to her like a long lost lover, her name whispered on the small cool breeze on the dungeons, drawing her in, pulling her closer. A bubble of laughter escaped her throat as her feet left the ground and she felt herself floating above the stone cold floor. She was one with magic, finally feeling a deep seeded sense of belonging after all these years.

***

She looked at her friends who at that moment resembled goldfish then over at Severus whose eyes were now black; his lips parted and seemed to be panting as he watched her closely. She asked him if he wanted her to stop and he shook his head slowly, his eyes flashing at the mere idea of her not continuing.

“It was at least a month before I tried again. I was scared by my reaction and yet it seemed to inhabit my mind, my dreams.” She took a shuddering breath and was unaware that her hand was caressing over her throat and collar bone. “My head filled with thoughts of fighting fire with fire, I was so sure that I could control it, control myself. I mean that’s what I do right?” She laughed, “Yeah, but it was controlling me, drawing me deeper. Then that Christmas we spent at Grimmauld Place,” she laughed, “The ancient house of Black.”

Harry looked confused and she heard Severus growl under his breath, “What does Grimmauld Place have to do with anything.”

“Oh come on Potter!” Snape snapped, “Your dear and oh so honourable, godfather is the last remaining son of a long line of Slytherins. A very, very long line full of several dark wizards, that I dare say could have put our Dark Lord to shame if they’d lived long enough.”

Hermione looked nervously between the two before continuing. “I found a secret passage when we were cleaning before fifth year started, but I closed it up when I saw the book titles, thinking that it would be better if we just left it alone.” She shook her head, “When we went back I was a very different girl, I put on this great front of being the same bossy know-it-all, but the idea of exploring that room made me shiver with anticipation.”

“Weeks passed and my power grew. I was stronger then ever and couldn’t tell or show anybody. I was so frustrated that I couldn’t share what I knew, what I could do. But I knew, all along that it was wrong, but …” she looked down ashamed, “I just couldn’t stop.”

“He sensed it straight away, possibly even before we passed in the hall.”

Severus leaned forward, his eyes wide, “Who?”

***

“Miss Granger,” the kindly voice of Professor Dumbledore brought her out of her musings on the latest potion that could help in their fight against Voldermort, and possibly how enjoyable it would be to brew.

“Yes, professor?” she stood and straightened her uniform, trying desperately not to look guilty.

“I was hoping you could do me a little favour.” He smiled and his eyes twinkled as he looked at her shrewdly from behind his half-moon spectacles. “An official is visiting me today and I was hoping that you would escort him to my office.”

“Of course sir!” she said brightly, thrilled that he had wanted her to perform such an important task.

Later, Hermione waited patiently at the gate, her robes neatly pressed and her hair tamed into a loose knot. The pureblood appeared before her with a gust of sudden wind, his long white hair swirling around his face and finally settling, falling down his back and over one shoulder. His immaculate, black robes complimented his tall, lithe body and aristocratic features.

His cold silver eyes fell upon her with distaste and his lip curled, “Miss Granger.”

Hermione bowed her head respectfully, but continued to meet his eyes. “Lord Malfoy, it is a pleasure to see you again,” she said with a friendly smile which widened when his arched his brow at her lack of fear. “Professor Dumbledore has asked me to escort you to his office.”

She led the way and they walked in silence through the grounds. Once at the Gargoyle Hermione murmured the password, “Chocolate Hobnobs.”

Lucius swept past her but stopped at the first step and turned, his eyes falling on her once again, “Been indulging in some extracurricular studies Miss Granger?”

“Only my prefect duties, Lord Malfoy, I catch quite a few rule breakers after hours, including your son,” she gave him a smirk worthy of any Malfoy. His eyes blazed with fury and his hand twitched on his wand but before he could grip it with his large, ringed hand, a cold wind rushed around her then him, blowing his long white hair briefly into the air and making him shiver. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Lord Malfoy.”

He grinned and bowed. “It has been many years now since I have been surprised by anyone,” he purred, his eyes now intrigued as he leaned closer. “You seem to have separated yourself from that unworthy bloodline.”

“They disowned me over a year ago,” she whispered, “A girl needs to be able to protect herself.”

“You will wait for me here, Miss Granger.” It wasn’t a request, and he turned on his heel and mounted the stairs.

***

“MALFOY!” both Harry and Ron yelled together their faces red with rage.

“That cruel, sick bastard?” Harry questioned and jumped to his feet, fists clenched as he glared at her and she cringed in her chair.

“Mr. Potter you will sit down and hear her out,” Snape’s voice was dangerously low. “If you don’t recognize the trust and courage it’s taken, for your oldest friend to reveal this secret that she has held for so long, then I suggest you leave this instant. I will not have her judged prematurely by your hot headedness.”

Harry looked down at Hermione and instantly felt guilty at her ashen expression. He fell to his knees in front of her and smiled in a way that he hoped was comforting and sincere. “I’m sorry,” he rasped and interlinked his fingers with hers, and Ron joined him, taking her other hand. “Tell us, Hermione.”

***

They walked again in silence through the halls, Hermione leading the way and him watching her back with a knowing smirk. They reached the gate and before she had time to think she heard his low, breathy chuckled and felt his long fingers circle her wrist. He pulled her free of the gates, wrapped her in his arms, and apparated them away.

Hermione pushed herself away from him forcefully, her eyes wide and her breaths coming in gasps as she looked around the dank, candlelit room. The walls seemed to be stone and the floor was dirt covered. Like a trapped animal she looked this way and that, hugging herself tightly and shivering.

“W - Where a - are we?” she stuttered as she backed away from the tall wizard, who was deliberately advancing on her, he gaze never wavering; hungry.

“I’ve been waiting for you, Miss Granger. Many, many years I have waited,” he drawled and advanced closer pulling his wand from his robe and grinning wildly. “I think I can help you and I know you can help me.”

“No, take me back,” Hermione hit the wall at her back and felt her eyes prick and fear shiver down her spine. “Please I was just experimenting; I’m not what you think. Please, I’m not …”

“Pick one…” he purred lighting his wand and illuminating several shackled prisoners, smirking at her as she gasped in horror. “Pick one and I’ll release the rest.”

“You bastard,” she hissed and shook her head, but even as she trembled with anger and fear she could feel something else rising within her – something dark, something strong.

“Come now my beautiful Mudblood, this is your destiny, what you’ve been working towards. You are one of us and as such I’m offering you the chance to change the world, save all your pathetic little friends, because let’s face it, they’re not going to save themselves.”

She felt the truth in his words and shook her head all the same. “No, you can’t help us - me. Why would you?”

“We all have our little secrets Miss Granger.”

“No!” she spat and the glass lamp on the wall exploded. She gasped as her heart pumped harder and her veins filled with dark, delicious power. She smiled and felt her self rise slightly off the ground. “I’ll never be one of you,” she hissed then gasped as he lunged at her, gripped her arms and threw her hard against the wall.

“You already are, Hermione. I feel the darkness filling that perfect body, so strong, so potent I can taste it,” he took her hands and pulled them roughly over her head, pinning them there with one of his own. “The choice is easy, just let go … choose one, his sacrifice will save everyone you hold dear,” his lips were so close to her ear the she could feel his hot breath on her cheek. “No one will ever look down on you again,” he said as he pressed his wand into her hand and lowered his mouth to hers.

His kiss was demanding yet restrained. His lips moved expertly over her own as though he knew exactly how to make her tremble. Her fingers tightened on his holly wand and grazed up its length, slowly, tentatively. “Fifteen inches,” he whispered and she blushed at his obvious innuendo. “When I make you my whore you will learn to love it.”

She wrenched her hand free and slapped him smartly across the face, his expression remained cold, calm. He quirked his brow and pulled her against him, spinning her so her back was flush against his chest, his arm around her middle and his other hand slipping over hers on his wand, forcing her to grip it tighter.

“I was going to let you choose who would die,” he murmured and chuckled at the way she tensed in his arms, “but now I think I will kill all three.”

“No don’t, please!” she cried out as he raised his wand, her own hand still trapped beneath his, her arm raising with his.
“You had your chance Mudblood and you gave it away,” he hissed into her ear and kissed her cheek, letting his lips linger on her soft flesh. “Avada Kedavra!”

Hermione let out a strangled gasp as the room was filled with the glowing green light of the killing curse, the sheer magnitude of power needed to kill someone was not lost on her as the dark sensual energy washed her skin and filled her mind. Her name whispered in her ear from nowhere and everywhere as the darkness pulled at her, its hands silky and all too seductive. She arched in his arms and her fingers stroked over his wand.

“Quite the naughty witch, aren’t you?” he murmured while he roughly parted her robes and lifted her skirt. He chuckled as he deftly pushed aside her panties and stroked a finger between her soaking folds. “A very naughty witch indeed.”

He dipped a long finger inside her and she gasped and bit her lip, no one had ever touched her this way before and though she wasn’t sure that she liked it, she didn’t want him to stop. “Gods what’s wrong with me?” she screamed silently.

His other hand trembled as it gripped her closer, “You’re a virgin.” It wasn’t a question. Hermione nodded even as she panted and he stroked his thumb over her swollen clit, making her cry out. “I can help you. The Potter boy isn’t the only one with a prophesy. There is another about a pure soul enraptured by the darkness. You must stay pure; you must hold your virginity until after the war. Can you do that? I swear you will be duly compensated.” He ran the tip of his tongue over the shell of her ear and sped up the strokes of his thumb on her hot, pulsing centre.

“I - I can’t … Please stop … This is wrong …” she gasped and trembled in his arms as her body tightened and something new bubbled within her.

“Just let go, Hermione. Let go, let go, let go,” he whispered into her ear over and over, his hot breath on her cheek and his thumb working faster. Her eyes filled with stars and her body shook and arched as her first real orgasm racked through her. She felt him shudder behind her and groan deep in his throat then all went black.

***

She took a shuddering breath and felt her eyes prick, “I found out that the three men were Death Eaters who had snuck into the Dark Lord’s harem.” She finished and laughed under her breath, “I’m not sure if that makes me feel better or not, or even if I should feel better at all.

Hermione had airbrushed over the more sexual aspects of the meeting, but by the look in Severus’ eyes she had the feeling that he was quite happy to add the missing pieces himself. “I woke up the next morning with a note next to my bed and a stack of parchment about the “Sword of Helayna.””

“That’s the sword you used on Voldermort after I killed him,” Harry said quietly and Hermione nodded.

“It was said to be one of the darkest weapons known and unknown to wizard-kind, created to kill the soul,” Hermione said, her voice equally hushed. “It was run through the extricated heart of a still living virgin over 400 years ago, and could only be wielded by a virginal female who was filled with the power of darkness.”

“It’s not surprising, Lucius was excited.” Severus said, “He always hated being in the service of the Dark Lord. He was all about power, money, and sex.” His eyebrow cocked as he looked at her seriously.

“The note said that I was to speak with no one and meet him again in exactly two months time on top of the Astronomy Tower. That he had the ritual to find the sword so I could use it. But …”

***

She was dreaming, she knew it and she didn’t care because it was just too good. Hermione was on her knees between Severus Snape and Sirius Black, who were both fucking her hard and fast. Snape growling in her ear and ordering her to control herself, and that she wasn’t to let go will he allowed it. Sirius behind her, whispering to her, telling her that he loved her and that she was everything he’d ever wanted.

“Well, well, well. This is exciting, Miss Granger,” Lucius’ voice broke through her dream and she flickered open her eyes to see that Snape had become Lucius. She gasped in shock and way too much excitement, and turned to Sirius only to see a shock of white hair that used to be black falling over her shoulder. She was now sandwiched between two men and they were both Lucius.

“Oh god …” she gasped and her head fell back as they began to thrust again, more slowly now, drawing out every drop of pleasure. “Wake up …wake up …” she moaned, then, “Don’t stop.”

The Lucius in front smirked at the one behind, “You know, old man, I think she likes this.”

The Lucius behind chuckled, “We really must remember that fact when we make her our very first Mudblood whore.”

Their hands slipped over her body and each others as they fucked her in long strong strokes and she arched and writhed between them, somehow enchanted by the vision of them gaining pleasure from touching each other as well as her.

The one behind licked hotly up her throat till he reached her ear and began to speak again. “The Dark Lord is setting a trap for your Mr. Potter. He will think someone he loves is in trouble and will go after them to save the day, as he is always in want to do. If you want to save him, keep him away.”

Both men leaned over her shoulder and shared a deep and passionate kiss as she watched, her breath catching at this unbelievable and undeniably forbidden act. Her body trembled and shuddered as she filled with blazing waves of pleasure while the two Lucius thrust harder, faster and she screamed her rapture as she sat bolt upright in bed, covered in sweat and her sheets soaking.

***

Hermione coughed. No, she most definitely could not tell them that bit. “A couple of nights before we barged into the Department of Mysteries, Lucius appeared to me in a dream, warning me that it was a trap. I tried to warn you, but you were so worried about Sirius, and I was too. I thought that even if it was a trap, if he’s there, then we should do what we could.”

***

The DA faced the line of Death Eaters bravely. Lucius glared at Hermione, even behind the mask she could see his cold silver eyes, and all at once there was a voice in her head, his voice, “Why did you not heed my warning Mudblood?”

“I tried!” she yelled silently in her head. “But there was no talking him out of it and I will not stand by and let him face this group of murdering monsters alone.”

She heard him groan and saw him roll his eyes in frustration. “I’ll do what I can, but I will not promise anything.”

Hermione snorted, “As if I’d believe you if you did.”

“Bella LeStrange is here for one purpose, to kill her cousin. Hmm … I believe he was one of the ‘loverboys’ from the other night,” he chuckled, “Only a virgin could be so naïve as to think a man like Black could ever love anyone.”

“Shut up,” she hissed silently.

It was like the world slowed down around her. She saw Bella striding towards Sirius and Sirius dueling another Death Eater, totally oblivious to the approaching danger. She heard the killing curse leave the woman’s lips and screamed his name. Sirius turned towards Hermione, his eyes wide as Lucius stepped behind her and smirked dangerously at him – his long, gloved fingers caressing down her arms and his silver eyes flicking to the young witch.

“Sirius, long time, no see.” Lucius drawled.

“Get your hands off her. Lucius I will only warn once, get. Away. From. Her!” Sirius growled between gritted teeth, advancing on them unaware that he had just managed to dodge a green killing curse by less then a centimetre.

His eyes still on Sirius, Lucius lowered his mouth to her ear. “I could take you right now Mudblood.” He whispered, making her gasp. “Right here, amongst all the blood and death. Thrusting my rock hard cock into that sweet, virginal cunt.”

Hermione moaned and arched against him as her dark power flowed through her in waves. She heard him laugh and gasped when he lifted her wrist to his mouth and kissed her pulse. He pulled a wickedly sharp knife from his robe and made a clean diagonal cut along her arm. Her blood flowed down her hand and dripped from her fingertips and she watched suddenly calm yet more aware, that strange whispering and dark sensuous excitement, as Sirius growled and pointed his wand at the tall wizard behind her.

Hermione screamed when she saw Bella aim again and her head filled with Lucius’ voice, “You can save him, but remember who you belong to.”

Sirius swung towards Bella and raised his wand, but her curse was already out and the green light lit both their faces.

“NO!” Hermione fell to her knees her blood soaked hands outstretched. She felt her body fill with energy, hot painful heat and for a moment she, herself, glowed green. The curse hit Sirius, but he merely looked down at where it had hit, confused and managed to fire the same curse back. Bella fell lifeless to the floor but Sirius stumbled back with the force of the curse he had fired and fell through the black curtain behind him, into the veil.

She heard Harry scream and saw Remus grab him before he could jump into the veil after his godfather. That laughter filled her head, smug, mocking laughter. Hermione shook her head and slowly rose to her feet. “No … It doesn’t end this way … It’s wrong,” she muttered over and over, “Wrong - wrong - wrong.” It became a mantra as she felt her power grow stronger and her feet lift slightly of the ground. Her arms spread wide and her blood continued to drip onto the earth and sink in.

Suddenly everything stopped. She watched a curse in mid flight slowly retract back to the wand it came from, a drop of blood running back up Harry’s face as Remus let him go and they both stepped back together, their movements wrong somehow. She heard Lucius’ voice in her head again and tipped her head to listen.

“Do you see the power you wield?” he murmured, “Imagine using this against the Dark Lord. This war would be over in moments.”

“How can you see this when the other’s can’t?” Hermione asked as she watched Sirius’ feet emerge from the veil.

“We have a bond you and I, Hermione.”

She watched as the rest of Sirius flew slowly from the black curtain and landed safely on the floor and seemed to stumble forwards. With a wave of her hands everything went back to normal and she lunged at Sirius as stumbled back again, but this time he fell to the side and she on top of him.

Sirius rolled them so that Hermione was beneath him and protected. He looked down at her for a long time, stroking her hair, running his fingers down her cheek. He laughed breathlessly and Hermione felt her heart beat faster at the way he was looking at her. So much concern, affection, and something else, something she couldn’t fathom. “I thought I’d lost you there, Angel.”

She laughed because he had no idea that she actually had lost him for a moment, but before she could speak she felt her body give and her power wilt. The darkness that had allowed her to save him was pouring out of her fast. Her head fell to the side and her eyes flickered closed. In the distance she could hear Sirius’ voice, loud, shrill, and filled with fear, “Mione? Mione! Angel, look at me … MIONE!”

***

“I woke up in the hospital 3 days later,” Hermione said, “And it took me a week before I could do anything but the most basic magic.”

“Bloody hell,” Ron whispered, his eyes wide with shock and awe. “You actually reversed time.”

Hermione shook her head, “Only by a couple of seconds, and it nearly killed me.”

“You saved Sirius,” Harry said, his voice hushed and his eyes wide like Ron’s.

She smiled wanly and shrugged. “I guess.” Hermione felt her eyes prick again and blinked to force back the wetness. “Anyway, that was the last I saw of Lucius until our planned meeting.” She shuddered.

***

Hermione ran quickly up the winding steps to the Astronomy Tower. Her was heart racing. “What am I doing?” she gasped as she ran, “I can’t do this … But we need that sword … Yeah, that‘s why you‘re meeting him … Shut up!” She waged the battle with herself but it ended abruptly when she reached the top.

The cold night wind slapped her face and chilled her bones. The shivering muggleborn stepped out under the stars and breathed deeply. The air was fragrant with Jasmine and something that made her think of lemon. It made no sense, but then what had over the last few months.

He stepped from the shadows and the scent grew stronger. His long white hair shifted gently in the wind and his thin lips stretched in a wicked knowing smirk, “Did you miss me, Pet?”

She was suddenly breathless as he glided towards her, her wide brown eyes never leaving his silver orbs as he drew closer. “I … I …” He placed a single gloved finger over her lips and shushed her then lowered his own mouth and took her lips.

His mouth was hot, a direct contrast to the surroundings and him himself. His hands cupped her face and held her almost tenderly as his tongue parted her lips and thrust inward to explore her equally hot depths. She sighed and trembled, gripping his expensive robes till her knuckles were white, and he groaned deeply as she tentatively stroked her tongue against his.

She felt his dark power flowing through her veins and moaned at the sweet rapture it brought. At length the dark wizard pulled back and searched her face. “Feel it … Love it, as it loves you, my sweet witch,” he murmured as his hands combing through her long curly brown hair then slowly caressed down her arms and linked his fingers with hers.

It was then that she noticed the scar on his jaw, mostly heeled but obviously rather recent. Hermione freed her hand and ran her fingers over it. “You’ve been hurt.” was all she could say before leaning closer and placing a gentle lingering kiss there as his breaths rasped from him.

Lucius’ face became a mask of confusion, but it shifted fast and that cold sneer was in place again. “Come.” he said coldly, his hand gripping her wrist. “It’s time to go.”

***
“It was then that the twins came barreling up the stairs. They told me later that they were going to try out a new broom that shot fireworks.” She laughed, “I made them scrap it.”

Professor Snape stood and sat himself beside Hermione, and Harry and Ron shared a look that seemed to be heated, but Harry’s hand on Ron’s arm seemed to calm the hothead. “Tell me what happened up there, Hermione,” Snape whispered, and Harry and Ron looked even more confused. Trapped between anger and concern they sat back and listened.

***

“Granger?” both Fred and George said together, “What are you …” But both their faces paled when Lucius Malfoy stepped closer beside her from the shadow.

“Well hello there, you must be the Weasley twins,” Lucius drawled as he drew his wand.

Both boys drew their wands as well but Lucius easily accio-ed them and grinned evilly as he pointed his wand, “Silly boys.”

But the twins weren’t looking at him, they were looking at her. “Ganger, run!” George yelled.

“Go!” Yelled Fred. “Run, now!”

Lucius laughed, “Can you believe it? They think you were forced up here.”

“Lucius, no, you don’t have to do this. Please!” she pleaded as she gripped his robe.

“Granger!” both Fred and George yelled again.

Hermione looked at them expecting anger, betrayal, anything but what she saw. They were looking at her with wide eyed fear for her.

“It doesn’t matter, Love,” Fred started, smiling at her.

“We don’t care what you’ve done or what you were going to do,” George continued.

“Nothing matters as long as you’re safe --”

“-- we love you Granger and that’s never going to change!”

“Run! Run to Dumbledore, he’ll understand.”

Lucius rolled his eyes, “Well now you have that out of your system.” He pointed his wand and as he did Hermione reached for hers, but it was gone.

“No!” she gasped and watched in horror as his lips formed the first word of the killing curse. She flicked her fingers and screamed the disarming spell, but it merely made him sway slightly.

“You’re power is seeping out again, Mudblood,” he sneered. “Without your wand you’re useless. Forget them,” he growled and pointed his wand again.

This time she didn’t think. Hermione ran at him and threw herself on his back, he roared his outrage but it was short lived as the muggleborn reached into his robe, gripped the knife he kept there and sliced it deftly, strongly across his throat. His hot blood flowed over her hands as he fell forward and dropped to the ground.

Hermione fell to her knees at his side and rolled him over. Tears streaming down her face, blood on her hands. He looked at her through glazed eyes and raised a hand to her cheek, using his thumb to wipe her tears. She took his other hand in her own and held it tightly. “I’m sorry …” she sobbed and her shoulders shook as grief at what she had done took her over.

Lucius closed his eyes and smiled slightly. “Of all the visions …” he gasped out, barely audible“… that I had … of my last … m-moments,” he clenched in pain, and gripped her hand tighter. “This was not one … I had expected,” he smiled and brought her hand to his lips. “My Witch.” The life left his eyes as his last breath hissed from his lips, and the twins pulled her away and into their strong protective arms.

***

Hermione was sobbing violently into Snape’s shoulder and he maneuvered her so that she was sitting in his lap and held tightly in his warm embrace. “I told them everything and they flooed Moody and Kingsley.” She gasped against his robes, “Fred and George wanted to make something up, about Lucius kidnapping me and then me defending them, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t lie any more, couldn’t hide anymore.” She took a deep shuddering breath and continued, “Kingsley and Moody took care of everything. Nobody knows that Lucius is dead; everyone thinks that he’s still in Azkaban. I don’t know why?”

Snape tightened his arms around her and nuzzled his face in her hair. “You’re not the first person to be seduced by the Dark Arts, and you won’t be the last,” he whispered.

Harry grasped her hand tighter, drawing her attention and Ron did the same. “I hate to say it, but he’s right,” Ron said with a smirk.

“But at that crucial moment,” Harry smiled at her warmly as he spoke, “You chose to defend your friends. Dumbledore once said that it was our choices that define who we are, and he was right. You chose love and I know you always will.”

Ron snickered, “That is so gay.”

Snape went to scold the obnoxious redhead, but then felt Hermione shuddering again and turned his attention back to her. She was laughing. Tears streaming down her face and the brightest smile any of them had ever seen. “I love you both so much, I should have told you, I wanted to, but …” she said standing up to embraced her two best friends as though she would never let go.

Sadness passed over Severus Snape’s face as he watched the three friends together. Silently, he stood and left the room.