fic: Answers 30/30 Hermione/Snape
Title: Answers
Author: Shannon
Pairing: Snape/Hermione
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Not mine, they all belong to JKR
Distribution: my LJ, and anyone else that has my fics. Anyone else just ask first.
Spoilers: Anything up to and including HBP.
Summary: Hermione must prove that Snape is not a death eater.
Author’s Notes: This fic was started nearly a year before Deathly Hallows was released so it is only canon compliant up to HBP. Although from Chapter 8 on there may be spoilers for Deathly Hallows as some parts of the book will work well with what I already had planned for this story with just a little tweaking.
Previous parts can be found at http://community.livejournal.com/shannons_fic/tag/answers
Part Thirty
Severus grabbed Hermione’s hand and ran back toward the castle. Voldemort had headed in that direction, to the safety of the castle and that meant Potter had followed. They didn’t have time to waste, Potter had to know that he Draco Malfoy had controlled the wand the Dark Lord was using. He wasn’t sure how they’d tell him that he now controlled the wand he just needed to get it back from Draco.
The first thing that struck Severus as they ran into the great hall was the total silence. He couldn’t quite see the far end where Voldemort was standing but he’d be willing to bet that Potter was no longer hidden under the cloak. Then he heard that voice shouting into the silence, the voice that had annoyed him for nearly seven years.
“I don’t want anyone else to try to help.”
“He’s alive, he’s up there with Voldemort,” Hermione whispered, raising up on her toes to try to spot him.
“It’s got to be like this. It’s got to be me,” Harry’s continued into the silence.
Of course it does, Severus thought, scowling, everything is always about a Potter. God forbid he’d just do what he needed to do without causing a bigger scene than necessary. They needed to tell him, quickly, needed to make sure he knew, he needed to disarm Draco, if he could do that he could defeat the Dark Lord. But how were they going to do that? It wasn’t as if he or Hermione could just stroll up there and ask for a minute with the boy.
“Potter doesn’t mean that. That isn’t how he works, is it? Who are you going to use as a shield today, Potter? Voldemort said, addressing first the large crowd forming in the hall, and then Potter.
“He needs help, Severus,” Hermione said looking up at him. “He needs help. He thinks he can’t win this. He doesn’t know that he needs the wand.”
“I realize that, but how do you propose we tell him without alerting the Dark Lord?” Severus snapped. His temper shorter than usual, for once in his life he felt he may have something to live for and it could all be destroyed because on incompetent boy always ran into everything without a plan.
“Nobody,” Potter said, attention focused on the man in front of him. “There are no more Horcruxes. It’s just you and me. Neither can live while the other survives, and one of us is about to leave for good…”
“One of us?” Severus stiffened at the tone in that voice, a tone he’d heard too often; a tone that never ended well for the person being addressed. “You think it will be you, do you, the boy who has survived by accident, and because Dumbledore was pulling the strings?”
“Accident, was it, when my mother died to save me? Accident when I decided to fight in that graveyard? Accident, that I didn’t defend myself tonight, and still survived, and returned to fight again?”
Why was the boy arguing. It was only going to make it worse. Attack or shut up, was all Severus could think as he watched them move in a perfect circle waiting for the moment to attack.
***
Hermione held her breath. This wasn’t good. Harry was provoking a very dangerous man. It took all her will not to shout out to him to tell him to stop, to tell him about the wand. But she couldn’t, Severus was right they needed to tell him without alerting Voldemort or anyone else to what was happening, but there was no way to…
“Accidents!” Voldemort screamed, his control weakening. “Accident and chance and the fact that you crouched and sniveled behind the skirts of greater men and women, and permitted me to kill them for you!”
Maybe she could talk to Harry the same way she spoke to Severus. If she could get into Severus’ mind then surely she could do the same with Harry. It was riskier of course, Voldemort also had access to Harry’s mind. She’d have to put all her hope in the theory that he was too focused on the argument and killing Harry to be worrying about what Harry was thinking.
“Severus,” she whispered. “I have a plan, but I’m afraid it might distract Harry. Might make it easier for Voldemort to attack him again.” She quickly explained what she wanted to do.
“You won’t be killing anyone else tonight,” Harry’s voice rang out again. “You won’t be able to kill any of them ever again. Don’t you get it? I was ready to die to stop you from hurting these people-“
“But you did not!”
“I meant to, and that’s what did it. I’ve done what my mother did. They’re protected from you. Haven’t you noticed how none of the spells you put on them are binding? You can’t torture them. You can’t touch them. You don’t learn from your mistakes, Riddle, do you?”
Harry, stop antagonizing him, it isn’t helping.
Hermione?
Yes, and don’t lose concentration, Harry. He’ll kill you if you do. Just listen.
But…okay.
Hermione watched as they continued to circle each other, wand raised. She gripped Severus’ hand tighter and began to explain.
He thinks he’s unbeatable, Harry. He thinks he has Dumbledore’s wand, the Elder Wand. He doesn’t though, he thought he could get it by killing Severus but he wasn’t the master of that wand. He wasn’t the one that disarmed Dumbledore…
Draco?
Yes. Just get the wand back from him Harry. You already disarmed him once, you control the wand.
Where is he?
In the corner with his parents. Be careful Harry.
With that she closed the connection again and turned toward Severus, hugging him tightly. He wrapped his arms around her and they both turned toward the scene in front of them again as Harry’s voice rang out.
“You dare-“
“Yes, I dare,” Harry said. “ I know things you don’t know, Tom Riddle. I know lots of important things that you don’t. Wand to hear some, before you make another big mistake?”
Prowling around in a circle, glaring at Harry, Voldemort spoke again, “Is it love again?” Dumbledore’s favorite solution , love, which he claimed conquered death, though love did not stop him falling from the tower and breaking like an old waxwork? Love, which did not prevent me stamping out your Mudblood mother like a cockroach, Potter-and nobody seems to love you enough to run forward this time and take my curse. So what will stop you dying now when I strike?”
“Just one thing.”
“If it is not love what will save you this time, you must believe you have magic that I do not, or else a weapon more powerful than mine?”
“I believe both,” Harry said.
***
Snape smirked at the look of shock on Voldemort’s face. He had to admit the boy’s arrogance was amusing in this case. He wasn’t sure the Dark Lord had ever encountered someone as arrogant as himself.
“You think you know more magic than I do? Than I, than Lord Voldemort, who had preformed magic Dumbledore himself never dreamed of?”
Oh, he dreamed of it, but he knew more than you, knew enough not to do what you’ve done.”
“You mean he was weak!” Voldemort screamed. “Too weak to dare, too weak to take what might have been his, what will be mine!”
“No, he was cleverer than you, a better wizard, a better man.”
“I brought about the death of Albus Dumbledore!”
“You thought you did, but you were wrong,” Harry answered.
“Dumbledore is dead!” Voldemort yelled at Harry. “His body decays in the marble tomb in the grounds of this castle, I have seen it, Potter, and he will not return!”
“Yes, Dumbledore is dead,” Harry said, his voice calmer than Severus would’ve expected. “But you didn’t have him killed. He chose his own manner of dying, chose it months before he died, arranged the whole thing with the man you thought was your servant.”
“What childish dream is this?”
“Severus Snape wasn’t yours. Snape was Dumbledore’s. Dumbledore was already dying when he finished him!”
“It matters not. Oh, but it all makes sense, Potter, and in ways you do not understand!” Voldemort shrieked. “Dumbledore was trying to keep the Elder wand from me! He intended that Snape should be the true master of the wand! But I got there ahead of you, little boy-I reached the wand before you could get your hands on it, I understood the truth before you caught up. I killed Severus Snape three hours ago, and the Elder Wand, the Deathstick, the Wand of Destiny is truly mine! Dumbledore’s last plan went wrong, Harry Potter!”
“Yeah, it did,” Potter agreed. “You’re right. But before you try to kill me, I’d advise you to think about what you’ve done….Think, and try for some remorse, Riddle…”
“What is this?”
“It’s your one last chance, it’s all you’ve got left…I’ve seen what you’ll be otherwise…Be a man…try…Try for some remorse…”
“You dare-?”
“Yes I dare, because Dumbledore’s last plan hasn’t backfired on me at all. It’s backfired on you, Riddle.”
Severus watched as both men tightened their grip on the wands they held. The boy needed to stop talking before Voldemort figured out what they had. Figured out that Potter controlled the Elder Wand.
“That wand still isn’t working properly for you because you murdered the wrong person. Severus Snape was never the true master of the Elder Wand. He never defeated Dumbledore.”
“He killed-“
“Aren’t you listening? Snape never beat Dumbledore! Dumbledore’s death was planned between them! Dumbledore intended to die undefeated, the wand’s last true master! If all had gone as planned, the wand’s power would have died with him, because it had never been won from him!”
“But then, Potter, Dumbledore as good as gave me the wand!” Voldemort’s voice shook with pleasure.
Snape turned his attention to Hermione who still had her arms around him. This was one of the few times he’d seen her truly afraid. She was always confident in what she was doing, but this time it was out of her control. She couldn’t help her friends, this wasn’t a homework assignment she could correct for them, she couldn’t whisper instructions to him. He tightened his arms around her and tried to comfort her.
“Why isn’t he doing something, take the wand from Malfoy, and kill the bastard,” she asked nervously.
Snape sighed, he hated to admit it but he understood the boy’s need to make sure Voldemort knew exactly how he had gone wrong, exactly why he was going to die. What she didn’t know was how to make Hermione understand that. So he just hugged her and hoped it all ended soon.
“The true master of the Elder Wand was Draco Malfoy.”
“But what does it matter? Even if you are right, Potter, it makes the no difference you and me. You no longer have the phoenix wand.: We duel on skill alone…and after I have killed you, I can attend to Draco Malfoy.”
“But you’re too late,” Harry said, “You’ve missed your chance. I got there first. I overpowered Draco hours ago. I took this wand from him.”
Snape and Hermione both smirked as Harry twitched the Hawthorne wand. Then Harry’s voice dropped to a whisper, “So it all comes down to this, doesn’t it? Does the wand in your hand know its last master was disarmed? Because if it does….I am the true master of the Elder Wand.”
Hermione closed her eyes and Severus flinched as two curses were shouted out at the same time, as the sun burst over the sky, lighting the hall with dazzling light.
“Avada Kedavara!”
“Expelliarmus!”
The spells collided between the two wizards and golden flames erupted as the Elder wand flew from Voldemort’s hand and spun through the air toward Harry Potter. At the same time the green light that had flown from the wand backfired at its caster and hit the Dark Lord in the chest.
Chaos broke out around them as Lord Voldemort fell backwards to the ground. The suddenly reinvigorated Order and others that had fought against Voldemort began throwing curses at the Death Eaters doing their best to retreat now that their Dark Lord was dead. Snape saw the Malfoy’s trying to quietly slip unnoticed outside to get out before Aurors arrived to begin arresting people.
“It’s over!” Hermione shouted to him, “It’s over, he’s dead!”
He looked down at the woman still in his arms. It was over and he was alive, she was alive and for the first time for as long he could remember he was happy about that. He lowered his head and kissed her.
“Really, I’m still trying to accept that you like the git, and that you call him Severus,” Ron said coming up next to them, “This may be more than you can rightly expect me to accept.”
“Leave them alone, Ron,” Percy said coming up next to them. “Let them be happy.”
The end.
Author: Shannon
Pairing: Snape/Hermione
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Not mine, they all belong to JKR
Distribution: my LJ, and anyone else that has my fics. Anyone else just ask first.
Spoilers: Anything up to and including HBP.
Summary: Hermione must prove that Snape is not a death eater.
Author’s Notes: This fic was started nearly a year before Deathly Hallows was released so it is only canon compliant up to HBP. Although from Chapter 8 on there may be spoilers for Deathly Hallows as some parts of the book will work well with what I already had planned for this story with just a little tweaking.
Previous parts can be found at http://community.livejournal.com/shannons_fic/tag/answers
Part Thirty
Severus grabbed Hermione’s hand and ran back toward the castle. Voldemort had headed in that direction, to the safety of the castle and that meant Potter had followed. They didn’t have time to waste, Potter had to know that he Draco Malfoy had controlled the wand the Dark Lord was using. He wasn’t sure how they’d tell him that he now controlled the wand he just needed to get it back from Draco.
The first thing that struck Severus as they ran into the great hall was the total silence. He couldn’t quite see the far end where Voldemort was standing but he’d be willing to bet that Potter was no longer hidden under the cloak. Then he heard that voice shouting into the silence, the voice that had annoyed him for nearly seven years.
“I don’t want anyone else to try to help.”
“He’s alive, he’s up there with Voldemort,” Hermione whispered, raising up on her toes to try to spot him.
“It’s got to be like this. It’s got to be me,” Harry’s continued into the silence.
Of course it does, Severus thought, scowling, everything is always about a Potter. God forbid he’d just do what he needed to do without causing a bigger scene than necessary. They needed to tell him, quickly, needed to make sure he knew, he needed to disarm Draco, if he could do that he could defeat the Dark Lord. But how were they going to do that? It wasn’t as if he or Hermione could just stroll up there and ask for a minute with the boy.
“Potter doesn’t mean that. That isn’t how he works, is it? Who are you going to use as a shield today, Potter? Voldemort said, addressing first the large crowd forming in the hall, and then Potter.
“He needs help, Severus,” Hermione said looking up at him. “He needs help. He thinks he can’t win this. He doesn’t know that he needs the wand.”
“I realize that, but how do you propose we tell him without alerting the Dark Lord?” Severus snapped. His temper shorter than usual, for once in his life he felt he may have something to live for and it could all be destroyed because on incompetent boy always ran into everything without a plan.
“Nobody,” Potter said, attention focused on the man in front of him. “There are no more Horcruxes. It’s just you and me. Neither can live while the other survives, and one of us is about to leave for good…”
“One of us?” Severus stiffened at the tone in that voice, a tone he’d heard too often; a tone that never ended well for the person being addressed. “You think it will be you, do you, the boy who has survived by accident, and because Dumbledore was pulling the strings?”
“Accident, was it, when my mother died to save me? Accident when I decided to fight in that graveyard? Accident, that I didn’t defend myself tonight, and still survived, and returned to fight again?”
Why was the boy arguing. It was only going to make it worse. Attack or shut up, was all Severus could think as he watched them move in a perfect circle waiting for the moment to attack.
***
Hermione held her breath. This wasn’t good. Harry was provoking a very dangerous man. It took all her will not to shout out to him to tell him to stop, to tell him about the wand. But she couldn’t, Severus was right they needed to tell him without alerting Voldemort or anyone else to what was happening, but there was no way to…
“Accidents!” Voldemort screamed, his control weakening. “Accident and chance and the fact that you crouched and sniveled behind the skirts of greater men and women, and permitted me to kill them for you!”
Maybe she could talk to Harry the same way she spoke to Severus. If she could get into Severus’ mind then surely she could do the same with Harry. It was riskier of course, Voldemort also had access to Harry’s mind. She’d have to put all her hope in the theory that he was too focused on the argument and killing Harry to be worrying about what Harry was thinking.
“Severus,” she whispered. “I have a plan, but I’m afraid it might distract Harry. Might make it easier for Voldemort to attack him again.” She quickly explained what she wanted to do.
“You won’t be killing anyone else tonight,” Harry’s voice rang out again. “You won’t be able to kill any of them ever again. Don’t you get it? I was ready to die to stop you from hurting these people-“
“But you did not!”
“I meant to, and that’s what did it. I’ve done what my mother did. They’re protected from you. Haven’t you noticed how none of the spells you put on them are binding? You can’t torture them. You can’t touch them. You don’t learn from your mistakes, Riddle, do you?”
Harry, stop antagonizing him, it isn’t helping.
Hermione?
Yes, and don’t lose concentration, Harry. He’ll kill you if you do. Just listen.
But…okay.
Hermione watched as they continued to circle each other, wand raised. She gripped Severus’ hand tighter and began to explain.
He thinks he’s unbeatable, Harry. He thinks he has Dumbledore’s wand, the Elder Wand. He doesn’t though, he thought he could get it by killing Severus but he wasn’t the master of that wand. He wasn’t the one that disarmed Dumbledore…
Draco?
Yes. Just get the wand back from him Harry. You already disarmed him once, you control the wand.
Where is he?
In the corner with his parents. Be careful Harry.
With that she closed the connection again and turned toward Severus, hugging him tightly. He wrapped his arms around her and they both turned toward the scene in front of them again as Harry’s voice rang out.
“You dare-“
“Yes, I dare,” Harry said. “ I know things you don’t know, Tom Riddle. I know lots of important things that you don’t. Wand to hear some, before you make another big mistake?”
Prowling around in a circle, glaring at Harry, Voldemort spoke again, “Is it love again?” Dumbledore’s favorite solution , love, which he claimed conquered death, though love did not stop him falling from the tower and breaking like an old waxwork? Love, which did not prevent me stamping out your Mudblood mother like a cockroach, Potter-and nobody seems to love you enough to run forward this time and take my curse. So what will stop you dying now when I strike?”
“Just one thing.”
“If it is not love what will save you this time, you must believe you have magic that I do not, or else a weapon more powerful than mine?”
“I believe both,” Harry said.
***
Snape smirked at the look of shock on Voldemort’s face. He had to admit the boy’s arrogance was amusing in this case. He wasn’t sure the Dark Lord had ever encountered someone as arrogant as himself.
“You think you know more magic than I do? Than I, than Lord Voldemort, who had preformed magic Dumbledore himself never dreamed of?”
Oh, he dreamed of it, but he knew more than you, knew enough not to do what you’ve done.”
“You mean he was weak!” Voldemort screamed. “Too weak to dare, too weak to take what might have been his, what will be mine!”
“No, he was cleverer than you, a better wizard, a better man.”
“I brought about the death of Albus Dumbledore!”
“You thought you did, but you were wrong,” Harry answered.
“Dumbledore is dead!” Voldemort yelled at Harry. “His body decays in the marble tomb in the grounds of this castle, I have seen it, Potter, and he will not return!”
“Yes, Dumbledore is dead,” Harry said, his voice calmer than Severus would’ve expected. “But you didn’t have him killed. He chose his own manner of dying, chose it months before he died, arranged the whole thing with the man you thought was your servant.”
“What childish dream is this?”
“Severus Snape wasn’t yours. Snape was Dumbledore’s. Dumbledore was already dying when he finished him!”
“It matters not. Oh, but it all makes sense, Potter, and in ways you do not understand!” Voldemort shrieked. “Dumbledore was trying to keep the Elder wand from me! He intended that Snape should be the true master of the wand! But I got there ahead of you, little boy-I reached the wand before you could get your hands on it, I understood the truth before you caught up. I killed Severus Snape three hours ago, and the Elder Wand, the Deathstick, the Wand of Destiny is truly mine! Dumbledore’s last plan went wrong, Harry Potter!”
“Yeah, it did,” Potter agreed. “You’re right. But before you try to kill me, I’d advise you to think about what you’ve done….Think, and try for some remorse, Riddle…”
“What is this?”
“It’s your one last chance, it’s all you’ve got left…I’ve seen what you’ll be otherwise…Be a man…try…Try for some remorse…”
“You dare-?”
“Yes I dare, because Dumbledore’s last plan hasn’t backfired on me at all. It’s backfired on you, Riddle.”
Severus watched as both men tightened their grip on the wands they held. The boy needed to stop talking before Voldemort figured out what they had. Figured out that Potter controlled the Elder Wand.
“That wand still isn’t working properly for you because you murdered the wrong person. Severus Snape was never the true master of the Elder Wand. He never defeated Dumbledore.”
“He killed-“
“Aren’t you listening? Snape never beat Dumbledore! Dumbledore’s death was planned between them! Dumbledore intended to die undefeated, the wand’s last true master! If all had gone as planned, the wand’s power would have died with him, because it had never been won from him!”
“But then, Potter, Dumbledore as good as gave me the wand!” Voldemort’s voice shook with pleasure.
Snape turned his attention to Hermione who still had her arms around him. This was one of the few times he’d seen her truly afraid. She was always confident in what she was doing, but this time it was out of her control. She couldn’t help her friends, this wasn’t a homework assignment she could correct for them, she couldn’t whisper instructions to him. He tightened his arms around her and tried to comfort her.
“Why isn’t he doing something, take the wand from Malfoy, and kill the bastard,” she asked nervously.
Snape sighed, he hated to admit it but he understood the boy’s need to make sure Voldemort knew exactly how he had gone wrong, exactly why he was going to die. What she didn’t know was how to make Hermione understand that. So he just hugged her and hoped it all ended soon.
“The true master of the Elder Wand was Draco Malfoy.”
“But what does it matter? Even if you are right, Potter, it makes the no difference you and me. You no longer have the phoenix wand.: We duel on skill alone…and after I have killed you, I can attend to Draco Malfoy.”
“But you’re too late,” Harry said, “You’ve missed your chance. I got there first. I overpowered Draco hours ago. I took this wand from him.”
Snape and Hermione both smirked as Harry twitched the Hawthorne wand. Then Harry’s voice dropped to a whisper, “So it all comes down to this, doesn’t it? Does the wand in your hand know its last master was disarmed? Because if it does….I am the true master of the Elder Wand.”
Hermione closed her eyes and Severus flinched as two curses were shouted out at the same time, as the sun burst over the sky, lighting the hall with dazzling light.
“Avada Kedavara!”
“Expelliarmus!”
The spells collided between the two wizards and golden flames erupted as the Elder wand flew from Voldemort’s hand and spun through the air toward Harry Potter. At the same time the green light that had flown from the wand backfired at its caster and hit the Dark Lord in the chest.
Chaos broke out around them as Lord Voldemort fell backwards to the ground. The suddenly reinvigorated Order and others that had fought against Voldemort began throwing curses at the Death Eaters doing their best to retreat now that their Dark Lord was dead. Snape saw the Malfoy’s trying to quietly slip unnoticed outside to get out before Aurors arrived to begin arresting people.
“It’s over!” Hermione shouted to him, “It’s over, he’s dead!”
He looked down at the woman still in his arms. It was over and he was alive, she was alive and for the first time for as long he could remember he was happy about that. He lowered his head and kissed her.
“Really, I’m still trying to accept that you like the git, and that you call him Severus,” Ron said coming up next to them, “This may be more than you can rightly expect me to accept.”
“Leave them alone, Ron,” Percy said coming up next to them. “Let them be happy.”
The end.