A Sacrifice for Love

Author's Note:
Never in my life has a story had a hold on me like this one. I have left work early, taken long lunches and sat in front of the computer for hours. Please review. It feels like Christmas when I see that I have a new one. It's almost as good as if I had Snape under my tree wrapped in only a bow...Au Revoir

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Hermione stared at her in astonishment before exploding. “You could have done this the whole time and you didn’t? You took me to see Harry and Ron and-and Snape! You should have told-“

“Miss Granger!” Amy interrupted her tirade before it could rally get started.

“Do you really think I would just offer to help Miss Gryffindor Know-it-all, the best friend of the son of the man who killed me?” she said in the coldest voice Hermione had ever heard. “It weakened me just linking your soul to your body so you could live. It will likely destroy me to wake you. I would not even bother if it wasn’t for Severus. He deserves to be happy, you said so yourself and I cannot do it. He will not be happy with a ghost and I do not have the abilities to find someone for him, not like you.”

She stopped for a moment and her voice softened. “You can help him, Miss Granger, in ways that I cannot. I stayed because I loved him and now I go because of the same love. He was all I loved in this world...”

Hermione felt pity for the young woman in front of her. “I have agreed to do it and I will do my best.” she told Amy. “I will find Snape’s happiness for you Amy.”

Amy seemed to relax. “Then perhaps we should get started. There are some things I want to do before I wake you. Would you like to come?”

Hermione thought about staying in the Great Hall alone and shuddered. It was spooky enough when you were with someone. “I would like to go with you.”

Amy held out her hand and they were off. Surprisingly enough they were in the Slytherin common room. Draco was there with a very undressed Pansy Parkinson. She seemed to be trying to seduce him.

“Not right now, Parkinson. I have things to do.” Draco said slipping out of her grasp.

Pansy pouted, a very disconcerting thing to see on her pug face. “Why do you want to save her anyway? She is a Gryffindor and a mudblood.” She whined.

Hermione was shocked when Draco’s hand snaked out and slapped Pansy. She fell backwards. “You will not call her that! She saved me and you on that battlefield when your own mother was trying to curse you. How dare you!” he hissed malevolently.

Pansy began to cry. “I know, Draco. But you spend more time worrying about her than...”

Hermione stared at them. Draco Malfoy had actually slapped his girlfriend in defense of Hermione. She looked at Amy, who had a surprised look on her face. “I wanted to come to say goodbye. I never expected to see this.” she murmured with amusement.

They watched as Draco helped Pansy up, murmuring to her and petting her hair. He hugged her gently and Hermione was almost disappointed to see him send her on to bed. He then picked up his own book and went to his rooms.

Amy waited for him to leave before turning to Hermione. “Very interesting. I’m sure you can use that when you wake up.” She said. She floated down to a corner of the room, pulling Hermione behind her.

“When you wake, come here. There is a book behind the wall that was once my journal. The spell to open the compartment is occultus animus. It contains potion recipes that I know Severus would like to get his hands on.” she said. Hermione nodded eagerly. She loved to learn.

Amy sighed. “As unhappy as I was, this has been my home. I think I shall miss it.”

Hermione thought of the Gryffindor common room and all of the memories it contained. She understood what the ghost was talking about. She would be sad to leave too.

Amy gave her a thoughtful look. “Do you suppose you are ready now?” Hermione nodded. She had been ready the moment she had realized she was separate from her body.

To Hermione’s bemusement, Amy led her back to Professor Snape’s dungeon study. He was poring over some books, looking extremely frustrated.

“Mr. Snape!” Amy said sharply. His head lifted and he glared his familiar glare at her. He did not ask what she wanted. He knew Amy well enough to know she would not tell him anything until she was ready.

“Unicorn tears, dragon’s blood, essence of happiness. Stir it clockwise 3 times and counter clockwise four times, then clockwise twice. Make her drink some.”

Snape, who knew Amy was just as good at Potions, if not better than himself, jumped up and went into his workroom. It was not a potion he had heard of before and if someone other than Amy had suggested it, he would have scoffed, saying it was just a waste of expensive ingredients. But he had worked with her closely and knew she was a genius at making new potions.

It did not take long and it was ready. It was a pale blue color that reminded him of the lake on a sunny day. He put a stopper in the vial and raced out the door. Amy and an invisible Hermione followed him. She did not see the point of all this. Why did Amy have to trick him into believing he was saving her?

Professor Snape raced past Madame Pomfrey, who had dozed off and into the little room that Hermione was sleeping in. He warded the door and approached the bed. “This will work Amy?” he asked.

Hermione heard the doubt in his voice. “Most certainly, my dearest Severus.” He did not catch the note of anguish in Amy’s voice, but Hermione did. She wanted to cry for Amy’s sad life, her death and her sacrifice to make the man she loved happy.

Suddenly everything started to darken. “Remember you promise, Hermione Granger” she heard Amy say. Then she heard Professor Snape cry out “It isn’t working, Amy!”

Hermione was not sure if she heard right but before everything turned black she thought she heard Amy say “It is the Snow White Potion. You must kis-“

Hermione felt like she had floated in darkness for a while and then Amy was there with her.

“Did it work?” she asked doubtfully. She did not feel like she was in her body.

Amy smiled a beautifully sweet and sad smile. “It did. And by the way, the potion was harmless. Just something to put you in a good mood when you woke up.” She said as she faded away.

Slowly Hermione became aware that she could feel again. The blankets were tangled about her legs, making her warm. She could feel the softness of the pillow under her head. She could feel warm lips pressed to hers.

Her eyes flew open and she stared in surprise. Professor Snape was kissing her.