The Fortress Within

Voldemort


Voldemort, Hermione, and Severus appeared in the center of
the Great Hall with wands readied.  The
only light in the room shown directly in the middle.  The perimeter of the room was filled with dark shadows. Here
and there the shadows took on a bit of human form.
 


Albus Dumbledore stood near where they had appeared, head
bowed, and waiting in mock defeat.  In
two long strides, Hermione made the ground up between the Headmaster and
herself.  “The time has come, Headmaster.” 
With a silly, little grin, she faced Voldemort, keeping her body between
the two old enemies.
 


“My Lord, I beg of you, there is something I have wanted
to do in this room since I was a first year Gryffindor.” 
The loathing she applied to her house’s name brought an indulgent smile
to Voldemort’s face.  “Have I ever denied you anything, Hermione?”
 


Hermione threw her shoulders back and took a deep breath
while looking around the room with a satisfied smirk.  With a breath choked with emotion she ground out, “I have
been waiting a long time.”  She
raised her wand over her head behind her in an attack position that was usually
reserved for the Slytherins.  Her
head still moved, though, seemingly surveying the room. 
Suddenly the cry, “Expelliarmus,” and a wand flew into Hermione’s
hand.
 


The shadows moved, the room was flooded with light, and
Voldemort found himself surrounded.  Realization
dawned on his face, then pure, unadulterated fury. 
All around them, dozens of Aurors stepped forward, to form a circular
chain.  Each held their wand in
their right hand, each wand extended to the person next to them. 
Each held the neighboring wand in their left. 
The low hum of power was just barely audible.
 


Hermione and Albus moved together, unrehearsed. 
Albus took two steps to his left, Hermione took two to her right and
Voldemort found himself face to face with Harry Potter. 
Hermione’s face took on, if possible, a more radiant beauty as she
fairly glowed with an inner strength never before seen. 
Her eyes locked with that of Voldemort. 
Very slowly, very deliberately, she brought up his wand and broke it in
two.  Severus moved then, and
extended a hand to her.  Together,
they moved to take their place in the circle.
 


Albus stood to Harry’s right, extending his wand to Ginny
Weasley and placing his hand on Harry’s shoulder.  Severus grasped the wand of Ronald Weasley and placed his
wand into Hermione’s hand.  Hermione
was standing to Harry’s left and when she placed her hand on his shoulder the
low, magical hum rose to a roar.
 


Voldemort’s eyes were now those of a cornered animal,
panicked and darting around looking for a means of escape. 
Finding none, they settled on Hermione in silent resignation. 
No pleading, no promises of return, and no disparaging remarks.  Just a silent acceptance of his fate, and a last longing look
at the instrument of his destruction.
 


Harry’s voice was strong, running with power. 
He didn’t speak loudly, or with rushed overeagerness. 
Low and level he spoke, “Avada Kedavra.” 
From Harry’s wand issued forth a bolt of green. 
Before he had a moment to react Voldemort found him self in the midst of
a whirling, glowing, tornado of power.  It
swirled and spread until he seemed to be encased in a block of lime green ice.
 


“Hermione” was the last, pleading cry of the demon as
the light overtook him.  The power
in that Unforgivable left but a heap of ashes in the center of the floor. 
Albus was the first to break the ring, moving forward. 
The roar died and the room was deathly quiet as Albus performed a final
act of completion.  A silver box
appeared in his hands and at his command the ashes whirled and lifted themselves
from the floor, coming to rest inside the box. 
Albus shut the lid with a loud thunk and smiled.
 


The room erupted in applause, and loud, happy voices. 
Only Hermione and Severus stood quietly still joined by Severus’ wand. 
Years he had waited for this moment, and now that it was here he knew not
how to react.  Within that silver
box lay not only the remains of Voldemort, but the remains of Severus’ life as
well.  It was over and she was
leaving.
 


His lingering connection with Hermione was broken as she
was swept up suddenly into the arms of Harry Potter.  Severus could see her wild eyes as she struggled to free
herself, obviously panicked by the physical contact. 
Still, Potter held on until she finally relented and allowed him to
embrace her.  Severus saw her roll
her eyes heavenward and no sooner was she free of Harry than Ron had hold of her
as well.
 


Severus made no moves toward her, not wanting to add to her
discomfort.  Instead he faded back
until he felt cool stone behind him.  He
watched the revelry from a distance, not really wanting to even try to feign any
sort of happiness over the victory. 
 


After a while Harry and Albus made there way over to him. 
“As a member of the Ministry and head of this operation, I must ask a
question about what transpired at Malfoy Manor.” 
At Severus’ nod, Harry continued, “Where is Sirius?”
 


Severus considered his answer carefully for a moment, then
looked Harry in the eye and answered, “He died for the good of the cause.”
 


Harry was satisfied with this.  “Killed in the line of duty. 
I suspected as much, but I still had to ask.  It will be listed as such on the reports.”
 


Albus was the next to speak, “What of Hermione? as sas she relented?”
 


Severus struggled to speak over the lump in his throat,
“Albus, I can not and will not discuss this now.  Now, how did things go in the classroom? 
Was anyone watching?”
 


Albus chuckled, “Oh, we watched.  The first group was overtaken almost instantly. 
The second group, well they took a bit longer. 
I believe Lucius Malfoy held out the longest. 
But, they are all dead and lying in a heap down there. 
It was brilliant, Severus, just brilliant.”
 


Severus nodded, “In two days, I will release the wards
and the room can be cleared.  The
bodies will need to be identified, so that the families can be notified.”
 


“I’ll take care of that, don’t worry about it,”
Harry offered.  “You have done
more than your share of the dirtier work.”
 


Severus’ eyes scanned the crowd, searching for Hermione. 
She had disappeared and with a feeling of dread, Severus bolted from the
room.  Down the stairs and through the dungeons he ran, ignoring the
people who were milling around here and there. 
He stopped at the door to his quarters, composing himself for what was to
come.  Severus couldn’t be sure
she was even there, but if she was he was prepared to fall to his knees and beg
like a child for her to stay with him.  He
was prepared to do anything.  He was
not prepared for the sight he beheld when he walked into his bedroom.
 


Hermione sat on the edge of the bed, her body still encased
in leather.  When Severus came
through the door, she stood and walked up to him seductively.  Before a word could fall from his lips, she pressed one
fingertip to his mouth.  “Sssshhhh,
don’t,” she purred.  “Not
tonight.  The battle has been
fought, the war has been won, and there is nothing left but here and now.”
 


Her finger left his mouth as her hand brushed along his
cheek to bury long fingers in his hair.  Hermione
pulled his head to hers, and at the touch of her lips, Severus was lost. 
She kissed him until he thought his knees would give out and he would
tumble to a heap on the floor.  When
he moved his mouth lower, to suck at the base of her neck, he heard her breathy
command and the leather laces on her pants and top were gone. 
The pants fell to the floor and without any restraint her breast pushed
their way from their confinement.  Another
breath and the dozens of buttons on his own garments sprang free as well.
 


Hermione was like a woman possessed. 
Quickly he found himself stripped of his garments. 
With a wave of her hand, he lay in the center of the bed. 
She walked to him slowly, back lit by the fire roaring in the hearth, as
she slipped her arms free of the final piece of leather and dropped it to the
floor.
 


She covered him with her body, flesh to flesh and began to
taste and explore.  Time and time
again creacreamed her name in a mix of pleasure and pain.  Severus knew he would bear her marks in the morning, but it
made no difference to him.  All that
mattered was now. 
 


Hermione explored his stomach, his hip, and both thighs,
carefully avoiding that which was the most desperate for her touch. 
His hips bucked with a mind of their own trying to grab her attention. 
All this succeeded in doing was having her raise her head and give him a
playful grin before lowering her mouth to run her tongue around his navel.
 


Finally, after what seemed like hours of such torture, he
felt one finger slide slowly down his shaft. 
The tip of her tongue followed.  Still,
she denied him the warmth of her mouth. 
 


Hermione busied herself, licking him like he was a damned
Popsicle. Severus was struggling to control himself, but was losing the battle
quickly.  Without an indication it
was coming, Hermione took his whole length in her mouth.  Up and down she moved, slowly, pausing every once in a while
at the top to run her tongue over the sensitive head.
 


Her mouth worked in tandem with her hand, sucking and
stroking him until Severus couldn’t breathe, couldn’t speak, couldn’t do
anything but throw his head back in ecstasy.
 


Then she was off him. 
Severus could hear her breaths coming in ragged gasps as well. 
Hermione moved over him and without any further delay, came down on him
hard.  There was no more teasing, no
more prolonging.  She rode him relentlessly and Severus brought his hips up
with power, meeting her with every stroke. 
Hermione covered his hands with her own, urging his hands to a more
complete grasp of her breasts.  Finally,
they came together, in a spinning haze of sensation and passion. 
It was at this moment the first coherent word escaped her mouth since she
had begun.  “Snape”
 


Severus’ eyes flew open and came to rest on the woman,
still riding out the end of her orgasm on him. 
Abruptly, he pulled his hands from hers and struggled to get free of her
body.  With a wicked smile, she rose
from the bed and walked from the room. 
 


Hermione returned a few minutes later, still naked, with
two glasses of amber liquid.  “Drink
this, then we talk.”  rus rus
couldn’t meet her eyes, couldn’t even think, just took the glass from her
and downed it in one gulp.
 


He realized, with horror, what she had given him was not
alcohol.  Severus was on his feet,
trying to get to the bathroom.  He
made it to just inside of the door, trying desperately with his finger to make
himself rid himself of the contents of his stomach.  He was unsuccessful and with his last conscious thought
before darkness overtook him he understood what was in the glass.
 


Dreamless sleep.
 


Somewhere in the dead of night he was roused ever so
slightly.  Not enough to move, not
enough to speak, just enough to hear her final words.  Hermione’s vobrokbroke through the haze of his mind
“I’m sorry, Severus.”
 


The bright sun shining through the window told hie hoe hour
was late.  Severus sat up, the
memories of the night before sweeping through his mind.
 


He didn’t have to look, he knew the closets were empty. 
He knew she was gone.  All
that remained of her was a purring, orange ball of fur, sleeping curled up on
his discarded clothing.
 
 
*************************************************************************************************************
A NOTE TO MY READERS:  The Fortress Within is NOT
OVER.  But, real life calls me to Boston and this will be the last chapter
for about one week.  I apologize profusely, but it can't be avoided. 
Thank you all for coming this far, but it's still bumpy roads ahead for these
two (well three)
 
Thank you all for the wonderful reviews, too.  They
make my day.