January 9th
Title: January 9th
Team Name: Death Eaters
Word Count: 100 (x10)
Rating: um, PG-13?
Challenge: Snapes Birthday Challenge
Characters: Hermione/Severus
Summary: Sometimes it is only too easy to grant a birthday request.
It was a cold winter day. The wind had been blowing strongly all morning, kicking up the snow that had fallen the day before.
She stood upon the snow, staring at the headstone before her. She didn’t like to believe that he was dead. After all, his body had never been found so it wasn’t like there was anything buried in this plot. Yet, every year she would always visit his grave, sometimes in the spring, mostly in the summer. This year, her visit landed on his birthday.
“Oh, Severus, how you hated your birthday,” she whispered into the wind.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She had never forgiven herself for loving him. During those lonely months on the run with Harry, when they were barely speaking as words were too hard to come by in those dark times, she became friends with her former Potions master. She was still amazed she did, but it was so easy to slip away from Harry when he was asleep and even easier to sneak into Hogwarts. Thank Merlin for invisibility cloaks!
On one of her forbidden forays into the Hogwarts library, she was careless and fell asleep in the Restricted Section.
And she was discovered.
By him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“You imbecile, are you trying to get yourself killed! If either of the Carrows had found you, or even Madam Pince, you would be on your knees before the Dark Lord praying for death. I cannot believe your stupidity,” he screamed at her as he paced his office, passing back and forth in front of the chair she cowered on.
“You won’t hurt me,” she whispered.
“What was that? You’ll be lucky if I don’t kill you myself.”
“You won’t hurt me because I don’t believe you are one of them.”
“Why?”
“Because Dumbledore is smiling at us, that’s why.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Headmaster Snape spun around to face the portrait on the wall behind his desk. She was right. The man he killed was smiling at them.
“Right you are, Miss Granger,” the portrait said, smiling at her.
“And what am I supposed to do with her, Headmaster. I found her sneaking into the school. If anyone else has seen her at all, it will be both our heads if the Dark Lord learns of it from anyone but myself.”
“I believe you should help her, of course. Miss Granger, may I assume you are searching for books to help Mr. Potter?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As they were conversing she kept glancing between the portrait and the professor. She didn’t really know what was going on, but if Snape was still taking orders from the former Headmaster, then maybe Harry had been wrong about him. Her mind was whirring with the possibilities.
“Yes, Headmaster Dumbledore. We still do not know how to destroy the, um, thing you had us searching for, and we’re still looking for at least one more.”
“Yes, yes, I believe it so. Hmm. Help her, Severus, in any way you can.”
“Of course, Headmaster.”
And with that, their fates were sealed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They worked out a way to meet clandestinely around the area. He would pass along any books she may need in her search, tell her which areas to avoid in their hiding, and keep them replenished with food and supplies. It was so easy to convince Harry that she was foraging for food, and with the simple fare the professor would provide her with, she never had to lie.
And she wouldn’t. She never told the professor where they were because she promised never to reveal Harry’s whereabouts. He thought himself clever when he convinced her to ‘tell’ Phineas Nigellus.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Slowly over the long torturous months, they became close. Neither realized how close until Hermione’s torture that fateful day at Malfoy Manor.
They had become a beacon of light to each other in the darkness surrounding them; a hope when all hope seemed lost. To see her face in the moonlight, when they first met after that horrendous day, brought a smile to his face.
“I thought you were dead when I learned of your capture,” he cried as he roughly pulled her into his arms.
“Severus?” she whispered as she brought her arms around him, returning his crushing embrace.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She knew she was in love with Ron, but she could not help her feelings concerning this dark, mysterious man. Their relationship took a step forward that cold day in March. They would hold each other in the night, risking discovery just to be in each other’s arms. They never promised dreams of the future. They never promised undying love. They only promised their bodies.
She would never forget their final encounter, that late April night under a cloudless sky. They did not hold themselves any closer or whisper platitudes into each other’s ears. It just felt like the end.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“I haven’t forgiven you for dying on me,” she whispered to the headstone. “I’m tired of visiting your headstone. I’m tired of Ron, I’m tired of everything. Why? Why did you have to die? I loved you.”
Silently, she cried as she fell to her knees. She didn’t know how long she knelt there before she felt someone else’s presence. Slowly, she looked up, and gasped, “Severus? I must be dreaming.”
“No, you’re not dreaming,” said the apparition before her.
“You’re dead.”
“I know. You said you were tired of visiting my headstone. So don’t visit. Stay with me, Hermione?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Former War Hero Found Dead on Grave
By Rita Skeeter
Former war hero Hermione Weasley was discovered curled around the headstone of Severus Snape early yesterday morning outside Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Mrs. Weasley was declared missing two days ago when she failed to return after work. Cause of death is yet to be determined, but the biggest mystery to be explained is why her name and dates are now currently gracing the headstone alongside the former Headmaster’s. She is survived by her husband, Ronald Weasley, her two children, Rose Weasley and Hugo Weasley, and her cat, Crookshanks.
Team Name: Death Eaters
Word Count: 100 (x10)
Rating: um, PG-13?
Challenge: Snapes Birthday Challenge
Characters: Hermione/Severus
Summary: Sometimes it is only too easy to grant a birthday request.
It was a cold winter day. The wind had been blowing strongly all morning, kicking up the snow that had fallen the day before.
She stood upon the snow, staring at the headstone before her. She didn’t like to believe that he was dead. After all, his body had never been found so it wasn’t like there was anything buried in this plot. Yet, every year she would always visit his grave, sometimes in the spring, mostly in the summer. This year, her visit landed on his birthday.
“Oh, Severus, how you hated your birthday,” she whispered into the wind.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She had never forgiven herself for loving him. During those lonely months on the run with Harry, when they were barely speaking as words were too hard to come by in those dark times, she became friends with her former Potions master. She was still amazed she did, but it was so easy to slip away from Harry when he was asleep and even easier to sneak into Hogwarts. Thank Merlin for invisibility cloaks!
On one of her forbidden forays into the Hogwarts library, she was careless and fell asleep in the Restricted Section.
And she was discovered.
By him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“You imbecile, are you trying to get yourself killed! If either of the Carrows had found you, or even Madam Pince, you would be on your knees before the Dark Lord praying for death. I cannot believe your stupidity,” he screamed at her as he paced his office, passing back and forth in front of the chair she cowered on.
“You won’t hurt me,” she whispered.
“What was that? You’ll be lucky if I don’t kill you myself.”
“You won’t hurt me because I don’t believe you are one of them.”
“Why?”
“Because Dumbledore is smiling at us, that’s why.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Headmaster Snape spun around to face the portrait on the wall behind his desk. She was right. The man he killed was smiling at them.
“Right you are, Miss Granger,” the portrait said, smiling at her.
“And what am I supposed to do with her, Headmaster. I found her sneaking into the school. If anyone else has seen her at all, it will be both our heads if the Dark Lord learns of it from anyone but myself.”
“I believe you should help her, of course. Miss Granger, may I assume you are searching for books to help Mr. Potter?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As they were conversing she kept glancing between the portrait and the professor. She didn’t really know what was going on, but if Snape was still taking orders from the former Headmaster, then maybe Harry had been wrong about him. Her mind was whirring with the possibilities.
“Yes, Headmaster Dumbledore. We still do not know how to destroy the, um, thing you had us searching for, and we’re still looking for at least one more.”
“Yes, yes, I believe it so. Hmm. Help her, Severus, in any way you can.”
“Of course, Headmaster.”
And with that, their fates were sealed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They worked out a way to meet clandestinely around the area. He would pass along any books she may need in her search, tell her which areas to avoid in their hiding, and keep them replenished with food and supplies. It was so easy to convince Harry that she was foraging for food, and with the simple fare the professor would provide her with, she never had to lie.
And she wouldn’t. She never told the professor where they were because she promised never to reveal Harry’s whereabouts. He thought himself clever when he convinced her to ‘tell’ Phineas Nigellus.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Slowly over the long torturous months, they became close. Neither realized how close until Hermione’s torture that fateful day at Malfoy Manor.
They had become a beacon of light to each other in the darkness surrounding them; a hope when all hope seemed lost. To see her face in the moonlight, when they first met after that horrendous day, brought a smile to his face.
“I thought you were dead when I learned of your capture,” he cried as he roughly pulled her into his arms.
“Severus?” she whispered as she brought her arms around him, returning his crushing embrace.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She knew she was in love with Ron, but she could not help her feelings concerning this dark, mysterious man. Their relationship took a step forward that cold day in March. They would hold each other in the night, risking discovery just to be in each other’s arms. They never promised dreams of the future. They never promised undying love. They only promised their bodies.
She would never forget their final encounter, that late April night under a cloudless sky. They did not hold themselves any closer or whisper platitudes into each other’s ears. It just felt like the end.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“I haven’t forgiven you for dying on me,” she whispered to the headstone. “I’m tired of visiting your headstone. I’m tired of Ron, I’m tired of everything. Why? Why did you have to die? I loved you.”
Silently, she cried as she fell to her knees. She didn’t know how long she knelt there before she felt someone else’s presence. Slowly, she looked up, and gasped, “Severus? I must be dreaming.”
“No, you’re not dreaming,” said the apparition before her.
“You’re dead.”
“I know. You said you were tired of visiting my headstone. So don’t visit. Stay with me, Hermione?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Former War Hero Found Dead on Grave
By Rita Skeeter
Former war hero Hermione Weasley was discovered curled around the headstone of Severus Snape early yesterday morning outside Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Mrs. Weasley was declared missing two days ago when she failed to return after work. Cause of death is yet to be determined, but the biggest mystery to be explained is why her name and dates are now currently gracing the headstone alongside the former Headmaster’s. She is survived by her husband, Ronald Weasley, her two children, Rose Weasley and Hugo Weasley, and her cat, Crookshanks.