Time lost. ...EPILOGUE UP!

WARNINGS : All of them.. This scene is dark. Dur, Voldy’s here.

Tori Amos – The Dark Side of the Sun.


Is there a way out of this?
If there is, I don't see it
Can heaven and hell coexist?
Not when both battle for dominance

Brush back my tears and he said
"Girl, we have to soldier on, yes girl,
even when we don't feel strong"

So how many young men have to lay down
their life and their love of their woman
For some sick promise of a heaven
Lies go back now to the garden
Even the four horses say all bets are off

We're on the dark side of the sun
We're on the dark side of the sun

This song fits this chapter so perfectly that I had to post it. All rights reserved by TORI AMOS. American Doll Posse

Check out the song, it is haunting.




. . .


The terrible words were an opening for Hermione. A beginning of understanding. She had always been here. Hermione succeeded. Severus would have to save Lily. Hermione was always meant to suffer here. Hermione felt like Harry when saved Sirius’s life in her third year.

Hermione finally understood what Harry meant when he said.. “ I know I could do it, I had already done it.” She soundlessly mouthed the words to herself, gathering her strength.

Lucius’s hold tightened on her as Voldemort revealed Lily Potter unconscious and held by Crabbe, until her threw her to the floor at Voldemort’s feet.

“Severus?” Voldemort’s voice was silky as he turned to look at him. “ Choose.”

Severus turned burning eyes on Hermione. His dark gaze was wet with unshed tears and the anguish in them made her weak in the knees. Hermione nodded slowly to him, encouragingly but her own vision blurred from the pain she was causing him with the oath.

“I chose, Her….” Severus pointed.

Voldemort assumed a bored tone and nodded to Lucius, assuming Severus had chosen Hermione. “Let her go.”

Lucius released Hermione and she fell to her hands and knees by her dress. Severus closed his eyes and swallowed hard as Voldemort misunderstood. He had to struggle to breathe suddenly as the urge to break the Oath created a breath taking pain in him.

Hermione searched for her purse, and withdrew the potion.

“No, not her. I choose Lily. Lily Evans.” Severus gritted out with a gasp of pain.

The Death Eaters all turned to stare at Severus in shock. It was not everyday that someone managed to surprise the Dark Lord.

Hermione took advantage of the distraction and she said a quick prayer to the Gods, and swallowed the potion and tossed the bottle away.

Hermione wet her lips as she felt it coat her throat and she calculated her time of death was roughly in a half hour give or take, from now. Hermione could feel her hands trembling from shock.

Hermione stayed on her hands and knees. She felt a little like the Muggle Jesus right now. She wondered if she could endure this with grace or if she would go out pleading and crying.

Voldemort raised his eyebrows in shock. Severus was trembling with rage and it was visible. “Crabbe, take her back to her room. However, come back. We need you here to celebrate.”

Voldemort hated it when something did not add up. Why did he not feel victorious right now?

“Severus, I must say I am surprised.” Voldemort turns on him.

Severus says nothing.

Voldemort narrows his eyes at him. He walks to the girl trembling on the floor on her hands and knees. Voldemort grabs her by the hair and pulls her to her feet. Hermione winces in pain and cries out as Voldemort throws her at Severus’s feet.

“He abandoned you. I believe you love him don’t you little Mudblood.” Hermione’s silent tears were the only answer that he received. Voldemort’s eyes glowed and he backhanded her.

Hermione’s head snapped back at the force of the blow and she fell to the floor. “Answer me!”

A black bruise formed on the left side of her face and Severus was turning purple from watching Voldemort mishandle her.

Severus was quite simply dying. The pain was suffocating him and every time he tried to rebel the Oath, that he swore to Voldemort prevented him from stopping him.

Severus wanted to cut out his own heart and stab it until the breath left his body.

Still he stayed, he had an obligation to watch the terrible happenings, he owed it to Hermione to see her sacrifice.

HER willing sacrifice. Tears slid openly down his face as he watched Voldemort kick her, and slap her, demanding respect but never earning it.

Severus vowed he would kill Voldemort someday. He would never let this evil thing survive as long as he lived. Not after all Hermione sacrificed to see that Severus survived. He would be her instrument of vengeance. Her weapon.

He vowed even as he watched the other Death Eaters move in on her. The pack of hyenas circling her and casting the Cruciatius, listening to the muffled screams of her pain as she strived to keep her dignity. Her courage overwhelming him, humbling him even here in this abyss.

Severus fell to his knees, eyes black and mindless as he watched, recording the events that he knew, for a fact, would haunt him for all eternity.

Voldemort cast the Imperius on Hermione and smirked at Lucius. “Pleasure him.” Hermione struggled to break free from the curse, her mind focusing on Severus who was on his knees in front of her. She could not look at her face.

Lucius laughed and pulled back his robes with a leer. “Told you Mudblood. Severus said I could have you. A Malfoy never needs to lie.” Lucius pulled out his bulging hard cock.

Even though Hermione knew the truth, she felt the words and they made her feel hollow inside. Such pain, she never knew such pain in her life as at this moment.

Voldemort cast again and Hermione dragged herself over to Lucius as the last fight started to leave her. The words left her in such despair it made it impossible to fight.

Severus saw the exact moment when the light left Hermione’s beautiful brown eyes. The moment when she gazed up and shame filled her eyes. Severus felt his heart crack in two and he tucked his hands into fists so tightly they began to bleed from his nails. He forced himself inside her head, --- Hermione! Don’t. This is not you. It’s not your fault. Please don’t do this to yourself. Gods, I love you.. Please stop hating yourself. Hate Me.. Hate me… ----


Hermione closed her eyes as she took the length of Lucius inside her. Severus’s words pounding into her head. Healing her almost. She could feel the pulse of life in her mouth, and she thought back to Severus. When Severus had filled her and how that felt. She broke free of the Imperius curse.

She bit down hard.

Lucius screamed suddenly from agony and shoved Hermione off of him. “ You said Imperius!!! She bloody bit me.” Lucius rolled around on the floor holding himself, crying openly now from the intense pain.

Voldemort, Crabbe and Goyle simultaneously threw a hex at Hermione on the ground. “ Crucio!!!!!” The three voices chimed together and Hermione screamed an ear splitting scream as foam began to fall from her mouth. Her body wracked in unbelievable pain as she shuddered, rolling on the floor.

Hermione stopped shuddered and rolled face down.

Voldemort lifted his hand for them to stop.

“Blimey, I think we killed her.” Crabbe muttered and Voldemort swept over to the body and kicked her.

The girl’s body rolled over and Hermione’s eyes stared glassy in death, frozen in terror from the Curse.

Voldemort looked at her in distaste. “What a waste. Lucius, stop your disgusting crying. You cost us our entertainment.”

Voldemort left them in a blaze of disgust.

Lucius curled up tighter in a ball, holding his hands between his legs.

Severus was completely still as he watched the proceedings. He felt numb, staring at Hermione’s eyes glassy with death and terror.

He hated himself at that moment. He remembered his vow to her. If nothing else, he could do what Hermione asked.

Tears still slipped past his cheeks but the Death Eaters who knew him said nothing. They knew on an instinctual survival level that to say anything would result in an Avada Kedavra.

Severus leaned over Hermione’s body and kissed her pale, dead cheeks. The color long chased away by the specters. A tear slid off his long nose and dropped on her face, mingling with her own now drying tears. “My love. I’m so sorry.” Severus murmured into her hair as he gathered her up in his arms.

Severus left the Room of Requirement and moved out to the forest beyond. No one could find the body. They could not link it to the Death Eaters; otherwise, Voldemort would likely kill him. Not that Severus minded but he needed to stay alive to watch over Lily. Hermione’s oath.

Severus headed to the lake near the water. He left the body there. He could bury her in the lake. She had always loved this lake. Severus sobbed into her hair, great gasping breaths that threatening to strangle him. His hands ran over her face and her body holding her tighter to him. “ Mione… Forgive me.. Please…” His grief was consuming him and he could feel himself aging as he sat there. He felt like an old man, crippled by his life. Hermione’s sightless eyes watching as he wept on her.

He needed to find heavy stones. Something to tie her down. Severus gently laid her on the mossy bank by the water. Her hair floated into the water as it tugged, almost inviting her into its murky black depths.

Severus turned away from the sight and searched for rocks to weigh her down. He needed her dress. The dress could be used. Severus wasn’t thinking clearly. He stumbled back to the Castle.

…

Anise watched the scene hidden in the distance and helpless tears spilled down her face. It was done. Fate had played its final hand.

DO NOT EVEN think about not reviewing and/or checking back.

This is so far from over that it makes me giddy to think about it.


Rei.