AFTERWARDS

Prologue

Hermione stood transfixed, a silent scream rising in her throat. An icy feeling was wrapping itself around her heart and tears were falling unseen down her pale cheeks. She felt removed from the scene before her, but she saw his blood pouring from the puncture wound at his neck, his breath coming in short bursts as he tried to stem the flow with his fingers.

Hermione saw Harry crawl towards him and heard him murmuring something as a stream of silvery vapour flowed from him. Harry glanced at her in panic and she realised what is was. Flicking her wand she manifested a flask and Harry scooped up the memories that Severus Snape had freely given. His eyes went dark, his head lolled to one side.

‘NO!’ An unheard voice screamed out in pain in Hermione’s head and she was distantly aware of her heart breaking.

She wanted to go to him. Her instinct was telling her to lift his head, cradle him to her, stroke his brow and run her fingers through his hair. But she couldn’t let the others see. She allowed herself to be numbly lead back to the castle and tried to focus on the real reason they had made their way back to Hogwarts.

Later, Harry found her in the Great Hall and hurriedly told her all her had seen in the Pensieve. He urged her to return to him and see if there was any hope at all.

Hermione didn’t need asking twice. It was all she had thought about, him lying in the Shrieking Shack. She jumped at the chance to go to him.

She approached with caution but quickly realised he had been abandoned to his fate and the Shack was empty. She knelt beside him and felt desperately for a pulse. Nothing. With panic gnawing at her stomach, she lent her face as close as she could to his lips. She sobbed as she felt a soft, almost un-noticeable breath. Resisting the urge to kiss him in gratitude for still being alive, she covered him with the invisibility cloak.

She whispered ‘Levicorpus’ and slowly guided his limp body out of the Shack.