At the Shore of The Heart

Warning: This chapter depicts a death scene. If you might find this distressing, I suggest you skip it.





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Hermione and Edward were standing at Lucy’s bedside. Edward was reading through her medical notes, while Hermione distracted Lucy by pretending to take her pulse. In her other hand, and out of Lucy’s eye line, Hermione flicked her wand to carry out her diagnostic checks. Her heart sank and she caught Edward’s gaze, shook her head and frowned sadly.



‘I’ll stay here while you get him,’ Edward murmured.



Hermione laid her hand against Lucy’s forehead. She felt cool to the touch and her breathing was becoming shallow. Over the past two hours, she had been drifting in and out of consciousness, and Hermione knew it was almost Lucy’s time.



With a deep breath, she walked to the staff room, where Severus had gone for a break a few minutes beforehand. He had rarely left Lucy’s side. Watching her as she started to slip away from him was draining him emotionally, and exhausting him to such a point that he could hardly function without Hermione telling him when to take a break, when to eat, and when to sleep. As she pushed open the door, she saw him leaning against the sink, his face drawn, dark circles below his eyes as he stared vacantly into space.



‘Severus,’ Hermione spoke calmly and cut through his reverie. His eyes met hers, and she knew by the firm set of his jaw that he knew why she was there. In two strides, he was at the door, and she held it open for him, following him as he walked the now familiar path to Lucy’s room.



Edward moved away from the bed and allowed Severus to sit next to Lucy. He took her hands in his and leant forward, pressing his lips softly to hers. Lucy smiled, not opening her eyes, and whispered something to him. Severus turned to Hermione, his eyes swimming with desperate longing for a few days more with his wife.



‘She wants you,’ he said in a hoarse whisper.



Hermione walked close to the bed and leant her head close to Lucy.



‘I’m here,’ she said quietly.



Lucy smiled again and whispered, ‘Promise me.’



Hermione gazed at her for a moment, and soft tears began to fall down her face. ‘I promise. As much as he will let me,’ she replied softly. She stepped over to Edward, who looked at her and frowned. ‘Later,’ Hermione murmured under her breath.



Edward nodded, but Hermione could see by his face that he wasn’t happy.



‘Call me, when you need me,’ he nodded over to the bed and Hermione smiled sadly.



‘I will.’ She watched as he left the room and quietly closed the door. Turning, Hermione pulled the chair away from the bed and sat quietly. Waiting was all they could do. They stayed silent for a few moments, and then Severus lifted Lucy’s book. He opened it at the marked page and began to read.



“The cruelty, the impolitic cruelty,’ he replied, with great feeling, ‘of dividing, or attempting to divide, two young people long attached to each other, is terrible; Mrs Ferrars does not know what she may be doing – what she may drive her son to”… ’



Lucy sighed deeply, and the hand that Severus had been holding gently slipped from his fingers and onto the bedclothes. He stopped reading and looked at his wife, he face set in a pale mask, and he slowly closed the book.





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The sun was shining as they walked away from the graveside, but Hermione shivered slightly. Edward wrapped his arm around her shoulders and she smiled up at him gratefully.



A woman with fair hair and eyes the same as Lucy’s walked up to them and smiled sadly.



‘Madame Granger?’ she asked her.



‘Yes?’ Hermione replied.



‘I’m Anna, Lucy’s Aunt. I wanted to thank you for the kindness you showed her. Her husband said you were a great comfort to them both,’ she said softly.



‘I did what I could. I know Lucy lost her parents, but she didn’t mention you,’ Hermione smiled sadly.



‘I live in Italy. I tried to get back to see her. I was a day too late.’ Anna let her tears fall down hr face.



‘She was a lovely person,’ Hermione murmured.



‘Yes, she was,’ Anna smiled. ‘He made her happy, you know. I never understood it myself; he is an odd chap. But he was what she wanted. Poor man, he seems so lost, doesn’t he?’



Hermione followed Anna’s gaze. Severus hadn’t moved from the grave and was standing like a tall, black statue, his hands clasped in front of him, his head bowed.



‘I’ll go. Edward, could you escort Anna?’ Hermione looked at him meaningfully. They had argued over Hermione’s promise to Lucy, but she was determined to see it through. He had no one else. Edward said nothing, but nodded.



Hermione walked up the thin, paved walkway between the neatly tended graves. She wasn’t nervous about approaching him, because he wasn’t her teacher any more. The past week she had spent with him had broken through those barriers. When she reached his side, she said nothing, but linked her arm through his, letting him know she was there. Her eyes scanned the various floral tributes and the pictures that had been drawn by some of the pupils from Lucy’s class. On top of the still exposed coffin, there was a single white rose from Severus, and Hermione felt a tear run down her face. She could almost feel the waves of grief pulsing from him.



‘I cannot leave her,’ he whispered.



‘You can, but you don’t want to. There’s a difference,’ Hermione said softly.



‘I don’t know what to do,’ he said.



‘I know. I think that you just have to remember to keep breathing, then take it from there.’ Hermione looked up at him, and he turned to face her. Their eyes met, and Hermione could see unshed tears in his eyes.



‘Maybe you could start by saying goodbye?’ Hermione whispered softly.



A low moan escaped him, and he started to sob. Gently, Hermione wrapped her arms around him and pulled him closer to her. He didn’t respond at first, but slowly, he raised his arms and hugged her tightly, allowing his head to fall to her shoulder as he wept uncontrollably into her chestnut curls.



Hermione didn’t know how long they had been standing there, but when clouds started to obscure the sun and she felt telltale drops of rain, signifying the start of a summer shower, she gently pulled away from Severus and handed him the crumpled wad of tissues from her jacket pocket. He took them and wiped his eyes, then took a long shuddering breath.



‘Forgive me,’ he murmured.



Hermione stared at him for a brief moment, wondering why he wanted forgiveness for his grief. She would have been more concerned had he shown no emotion at all.



‘Let’s get you home,’ she said quietly, linking her arm in his and pulling him with her.



Severus glanced back briefly, and then reluctantly started to put one foot in front of the other.







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a/n: Severus read an extract from Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen.