Snape slowly opened his eyes to find a searing pain in his torso and his body bound up. He was propped up against the floor-to-ceiling window at the passage right next to the Great Hall. He was out of everyone's eyesight but he could hear voices flowing in from the hall. As his senses gradually returned to him, he realised it was Hermione speaking at the podium.
"Come my friends,
'Tis not too late to seek a newer world.
For my purpose alone holds to sail beyond the sunset.
And though we are not now that strength, which in old days moved earth and heaven;
That which we are, we are.
One equal temper of heroic hearts, made weak by time and fate but strong in will-
To strive, to seek, to find.
And not to yield." This utterance was followed by cheers and claps and a flurry of activity as everyone clamered around do to what they needed to before the final battle ensued. Snape tried to sit up properly as someone came to the door leading to the passage where he was lying. He stared entraced as he saw that it was Hermione; she stared back at him with a mixed look of care and concern and then she sprawled across the floor by his side, launching into a furious apology. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."she said, biting back tears, "I had to do it, I had to make it look authentic." She didn't try to hug or kiss him; so many months of staying apart had made it all rather awkward and both were unsure of the other's state of mind. But her concern was genuine and so was his anxiousness for her. McGonagall followed her in and saw that Snape was awake, "You allright there Severus?" Snape adjusted his position and winced again. Hermione held his hand and looked into his face to check whether he was really okay. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have used that spell. But it was important to let atleast one of the death eaters see that you were taken down. Otherwise they may have suspected you were working for us. I didn't think- I'm so stupid-" Snape comforted her saying, "It's all right. I understand." She looked down at his body and said,"I tried the countercurse that I heard you use on Malfoy but obviously I didn't do a good enough job." Snape thought that on the contrary she had done a commendable job for someone who had just heard the countercurse and was glad that she was able to do it, otherwise he would've died of bloodloss. "Amycus died. But Alecto gave Neville the slip and bolted through the window."Hermione informed, "We didn't really try and stop him. He would surely run to his master and give him the news that you have been captured by us. That will make it look all the more real." Snape looked beside him and saw that already there was a big broken bit of the wondow glass, through which Alecto had jumped and disapparated. He tried to stand and Hermione helped him up. "Let me free you of your restraints-" "No,"Snape objected, "This would be proof that you had kept me imprisoned but somehow I managed to run with my life." As Hermione started to protest, Snape cut her off saying, "I have to go. The dark lord would expect no less from me but to be able to escape and join him. I'm not some amateur. I have to leave." Hermione tried to say something, anything that would justify him staying there with her but she couldn't think of any logical reason, so she just stared helplessly at him. He understood what she felt and wanted to say that he felt the same. But words failed to form, darkness was approaching and there was not a moment to lose. McGonagall looked at the prostrate body of Amycus and tsked, "You shouldn't have done that... you drew first blood..." "He spat at you Professor."Hermione stated and that was reason enough for her. Snape looked at her and sighed. This is typically something Hermione would do. She would always stand against what's wrong. But then he remembered the matter at hand. "What is the situation right now? What is being done?"he asked to know urgently. Hermione bit her lip before saying,"We were too late...the other Carrow twin called Voldemort. I saw in my mind that he is approaching. All his supporters are with him- an army of them." "The underage students have been ordered to go home, although many of them were willing to stay behind. They are being taken safely out of the castle through the same way Potter,Weasley and Granger came in." McGonagall informed," When You-kn- Voldemort's voice echoed through the halls saying that if we hand Hermione over to him by midnight, he will let us go- then a few of the Slytherins suggested that we listen to him. So I asked them to leave as well." "The Order members are here too. Everyone has been given a chance to live their lives or stay behind. Whoever wants to leave may leave. The rest of us will fight. To the death." Hermione said chivalrously. Snape looked at her long, his eyes reflecting pride, admiration but also anguish, then he nodded. "I think I saw Mr.Longbottom and a bunch of others go towards the bridge to barricade it. And all the elders are going to put protective enchantments all over the castle. I'll go and unleash the official stone sentries of Hogwarts. I don't know how long all this can hold them off but it's better than staying idke like sitting ducks. We'll try and give you as much time as you need." McGonagall gave a pat on Hermione's shoulder and sauntered off to do her duties. Hermione was going to bustle off after her as well but Snape stopped her. "Tell me why you came here in the first place. What is it that you need?" Hermione deliberated, but then decided to tell him, "The lost diadem of Ravenclaw. That's the next horcrux. And it's here- somewhere in the castle." Snape took in this information while Hermione continued, "I had a talk with Rowena Ravenclaw's daughter, the ghost of the Gray lady. She narrated her story to me but the diadem is named that because it is in fact, lost." "I'm not a 100% positive, but I remember seeing an ornament- sort of a tiara- in the Room of Requirement, when I went there to hide the potions book of the Half-Blood Prince. Remember, I had confiscated it last year? At that time the room had changed to the form of 'the room where everything is hidden'."Snape told her. Hermione's eyes lit up with hope. But Snape was still unsettled, "If you find that, then you'll have two horcruxes. How do you plan on destroying them? The sword of Griffindor is-" "I know it's gone. We know not where,"Hermione looked down, "But remember we read that a horcrux can be destroyed by an equally destructive and deadly weapon?" Snape's eyes now grew wider as realisation dawned on him, "Basilisk venom!" Hermione grew excited too and grabbed his shoulders,"Yes! Harry and Ginny have the Marauders map. They volunteered to go down to the chamber of secrets and retrieve a fang." They both smiled at each other widely, but then Snape grew somber. "After all this is over, you'll find something in Dumbledore's study. I've kept it hidden inside that book you sent me."he was unsure how to get on, "Take a look at it. You- you will understand everything. You will know." Hermione was uncertain of what to make of this ambiguous statement and she just furrowed her brow. I thought we didn't have any secrets anymore. But then again, he has always been so enigmatic. And he always hinted that I didn't know everything. Her grip on his shoulder slackened and he realised there was nothing more to say. "Good luck then, Hermione."he muttered, trying to keep his voice from breaking. Hermione also stopped her tears from crossing that last step over her eyelids, and looked up at his eyes, trying to look as brave and confident as she sounded. He watched her with compassion as she tried to stay strong and it touched him deeply. They were at the end of their road, one more step would send them over a cliff, plunging to their deaths. They walked on dangerous grounds but out of desperation within the both of them; at that moment, the thought of dying would serve as a release rather than a sentencing. She leaned in close to his body and he struggled against his restrains, frustrated that he was unable to touch her. With their hearts going at full-speed and their nerves wracking with tention, they longed for the comforting touch of each-other's embrace, but both were in a quandary. Their foreheads almost touched, their noses almost brushed, their hot breaths mingled into one another, but just as Snape thought that Hermione was surrendering to her desires, she clutched at his shoulders more tightly and shoved him through the broken window, so that he fell off the tower. He was taken aback for just a second, then got acquainted with his bearings and disapparated before he could plummet to the ground. Hermione watched him disappear, certain that she did the right thing even if it was hard to do; kissing him then would bring back so many memories and it would be quadruple as hard to let go of him then, when she was sure they were going to their imminent dooms. She didn't just love him; Severus Snape held a different kind of resonance to her, that she doubted whether anyone could ever understand. He was her everything and the prospect of saying farewell to him all over again was something she dreaded and she didn't wanna go through all the emotions again. It was just too much to handle..............
Hermione sashayed back to the Hall with slow deliberate steps. Only when she was at the middle of the dais, did she look up to find faces staring up at her. They were both expectant and disquieted. But everyone was ready to move at her single command. Hermione was a bit overwhelmed in the face of assuming the power of pilotage. All of the people who had to go and after those who chose to go had gone, these were the people left. "We are here."said Lupin, giving her an assuring blink of the eye. "And every single one of us is going to fight." McGonagall said undauntedly. Hagrid nodded at her from around the gates, so did all the teachers and the Order members. The students gave indications, by rolling up their sleeves and loosening their ties to show that they were ready too. Hermione looked around all of them, wondering what contingencies the past hours would bring and how many of these faces would retain their smiles, if at all they still posessed their lives, that is. She had already enthused them with her inspired speech. Now what should I say? Thank you for your support, now go ahead and die for me? But it's not just about me ,is it? Hermione sucked in a chestful of air and began," This is it. You see the red glow off the sky? Voldemort is almost at our gates. He comes along with his entourage and they have set fire to the forest and everything within a ten-mile radius. Those of you who are here, you have my thanks. I've said this before and I'm going to say it again: Friends, -and I consider myself lucky to be able to call so many of you by that name- but I want you to know that, it was an honour to have lived by your side and it would be an honour to even die at yours. Remember, don't fight for me, and don't fight for my approbation. Don't fight for honor, don't fight for glory. Don't fight for riches, because you won't get any. This is your haven they mean to sack. That's your gate they are ramming — and if they get in, it will be all of us whom they'll kill, our houses they burn, our resources they steal, our families they despoil. If they succeed, there will be a world-wide massacre. That horde knocking at our door, is driven my a lust for blood . Let's go give them that!" This exclamation was followed by a tumultuous uproar and before the castle was overcome by a furor of the multitude going about their businesses of protecting the castle, setting up strategies and whatnot, Professor Flitwick sqeaked loudly to make himself heard over the cacophony. "Our genealogical magnum opus contained the story of middle earth and the dwarves of Erebor. The legacy of the King under the mountain. They sang a song before they made their final battlecry." He charmed the cellos to take up a sullen note. One by one, evryone joined in and it looked like the whole castle was chanting some rookie shaman or warlock's mantra:
Oh, misty eye of the mountain below
Keep careful watch of
my brothers' souls
And should the sky be filled with fire and smoke
Keep watching over
Durin's sons
If this is to end in fire
Then we should all burn together
Watch the flames climb high into the night
Calling out father oh
Stand by and we will
Watch the flames burn
auburn on
The mountain side
And if we should die tonight
Then we should all die together
Raise a glass of wine for the last time
Calling out father oh
Prepare as we will
Watch the flames burn
auburn on
The mountain side
Desolation comes upon the sky
Now I see fire
Inside the mountain
I see fire
Burning the trees
And I see fire
Hollowing souls
I see fire
Blood in the breeze
And I hope that you
remember me
Oh, should my people fall
Then surely I'll do the same
Confined in mountain halls
We got too close to the flame
Calling out father oh
Hold fast and we will
Watch the flames burn
auburn on
The mountain side
Desolation comes upon the sky
Now I see fire
Inside the mountain
I see fire
Burning the trees
I see fire
Hollowing souls
I see fire
Blood in the breeze
And I hope that you
remember me
And if the night is burning
I will cover my eyes
For if the dark returns
Then my brothers will die
And as the sky is falling down
It crashed into this lonely town
And with that shadow upon the ground
I hear my people screaming out
Now I see fire
Inside the mountains
I see fire
Burning the trees
I see fire
Hollowing souls
I see fire
Blood in the breeze
I see fire (oh you know I saw a city burning out) (fire)
And I see fire (feel the heat upon my skin, yeah) (fire)
And I see fire (uh-uh-uh-uh) (fire)
And I see fire burn auburn on the mountain side...
Ron muttered sarcastically, "Background music to perish by...now I know I'm in a movie."
YOU ARE READING
Amour
FanfictionDon't let the number of chapters back you down, this will be worth your time, I promise. This story is so long because I've started right from the beginning of the Harry Potter series. ******************************** This is a passionate Snape-Herm...
