Alive

Chapter 1

She had to get away. She couldn't stay any longer. At least to outside, where there was fresh air...Where she could breathe. Busting through the doors to her escape, Hermione reels for a moment as the sudden rush of cold air hits her hard.

It's been almost a month since the war had ended, since the Light had defeated the Dark. But as Hermione accepted the cold air into her lungs, she began to realize that despite their victory; it appeared that the Dark was still ever present in her life.

All of them were still in the processes of mourning the ones they lost. But now a month later, Hermione cringed at the thought that now everyone wanted to celebrate. Celebrate the victorious triumph of making it through the hellish war. Celebrate that they had lived. And as Hermione closed her eyes and leaned against the door frame, she realized that no one would dare finish that sentence... Celebrate that they had lived, while the others had died. They were done mourning, and in the rush of it all, the shivering witch at the time thought that so was she...

Trying to block the loud noise that the Burrow was emitting, Hermione pulled herself away from the structure and began walking. Call her stubborn or selfish, but it just felt wrong to be celebrating. It'd be different if they were celebrating while in remembrance of those who didn't make it. But no. It seemed as if everyone who came tonight was just looking to forget. They were done being sad...

As she walked through the tall dry grass, the idea was bizarre to Hermione that even though they had all lost someone close to them, they could all just push the death aside. A dangerous chill passed through the freezing witch as her mind showed her the person she had most cared for...now dead.

Looking back on the Burrow, Hermione knew that if he was still alive, he wouldn't dare come to something like this. She almost smiled at the thought of what he'd say at her suggestion of it all. The deep baritone sound voicing its protest, Hermione smiling up at him as he does; happy that at least he survived. But then brisk air hit her bare shoulders, and reality hit her like a cruel hex.... Severus Snape was dead.

Walking further into the dead grass, Hermione couldn't help but think that this wasn't the most ideal place to get away. She was bound to catch a vicious cold, if she didn't go back inside. Looking to the night sky though, the freezing witch had no such desire to go anywhere. The stars were so bright, so alive, she couldn't help but want to just lay down and be in their company.

"Hermione?" a voice called out for her from behind-Ron. The witch couldn't stop the cringe that passed through her at the sound of his voice. Hermione knew that she had clung to him at the end of the war. And even led him on, that maybe they could be something more one day. But she knew that that was just her way of seeking comfort. A warm body to hold her while her heart was ripped into pieces at the continuous reminder that he was actually dead. The voice called out to her again, but so did something else.

'Hermione', it whispered into the nights wind, demanding her attention with a single word. She knew that voice. Hell! How could she ever forget it? She's listened to it everyday for the past seven years. Oblivate the sound from her mind, and she'd still look up in recognition to the voice she knew she adored.

"Severus?" She questioned the air that blew around her, turning where she stood to see where the call had come from. She must be loosing her mind, but Hermione hadn't heard that voice in what felt like such a long time, that she didn't care what was happening to her sanity; so long as that voice was there to call out to her.

Once pinned up hair, now blew around her face violently as the wind picked up in speed. Ron's calls out to her, no longer heard as Hermione moved with the wind; ever searching for the voice that she knew.

'Hermione!', it now said louder; desperate for it to find her. The witch now dropping to her knees from the force that the wind had pushed against her. She still called though, desperate to find the man she loved. "Severus!" She screamed into the wild wind, desperate in return for him to find her.

Eyes stinging, Hermione forced them to remain open, not daring to miss her chance at seeing him; if only for a little while. She saw Ron trying to push through the ferocious winds that seemed to circle around her, but his struggles were proving pointless as he was being shoved and whipped back, away from her. And then suddenly time itself froze around her...and a hand was presented before her face. Not sure what kind of reality this was, Hermione tentatively lifted her head up and locked eyes with the man she loved.

"Severus?" Hermione mouthed, not quite being able say it now in fear that if she did then he'd vanish before her watering eyes. The man she thought to be dead, smirked softly before extending his hand even farther to her; beckoning for her to grasp hold of it. Heart in her throat, Hermione reaches out her hand to his. As soon as his hand was properly folded around hers, he quickly pulled the witch to her feet; bringing his other hand around to the small of her back, pressing her to him with a force she desperately missed.

And within that quick movement, time seemed to start up again, the wind pushing and pressing them even closer as a result. And the last she heard was a desperate cry out to her, before the joined couple Apparated where they stood.