Three days, three torturous days Severus had to spend with Trelawney to organise the Winter Ball. More times than he could count, he was glad that his nonverbal spells weren't as strong as he had thought they would be when it came to unforgivable curses. Indeed, more than once, Severus thought about torturing the divination teacher - knowing insanity won't be a problem for the already deranged witch - or simply killing her. In the darkest part of his mind, Severus even imagined the way he would end her life, and needless to say, they were gruesome. He laughed thinking about how Voldemort would have named a statue after him if he was still alive and if he had accomplished his imagination.

Yet to his own surprise, he was a pure gentleman, aside from the hand slapping and cursing whenever he deemed necessary - her wondering hands flying too close to his flaccid manhood. He had tried, in vain, to talk to Hermione, yet the only times they shared the same living space was either in potions, which they spend teaching instead of chatting and in their chambers. However, even there, she appeared to bare an expression similar to annoyance whenever he came close enough to touch her. He had given up, believing the witch now didn't want anything to do with him. He tried to play recall his last memories with her, what he had said, if he had offended her, yet he couldn't find an answer.

He was desperate, lost. He missed her terribly and realised that after all this time, he deserved to be happy with someone by his side. Although he had noticed the change in atmosphere between them, becoming heavy with lust whenever he was at arm's reach of her delectable body, he was too afraid to tell her, too afraid of being rejected. After all, most of his life, those he loved only left him, alone.

This morning was different for Severus though. As he woke up, he decided he was going to fight for the witch, and refused to let his insecurities get the best of him.

But she was nowhere to be seen. Minerva had told him later that day that Hermione had left for the Ministry right before sunrise. Knowing her growing distaste for what some would call 'authority', which was for him and for many other reasons only a camouflage to dictatorship - manipulating the wiz-media in order to control its population's opinion - he knew something was eerie. Hermione and Severus had talked about it during one evening, realizing that both shared the same loathing for the so-called 'Ministry of Magic' and wished to never have anything to do with them. Therefore when hearing of her sudden visit to this 'hell hole', he couldn't help but think that something was wrong, yet quickly suppressed his foreboding.

Strolling through the corridors after lunch, searching unceremoniously for troublesome students, other than Slytherin - to deduce points - he fell to the ground, clutching onto his heart - an unbearable pain paralysing his whole body. He tried to stand up yet his limbs weren't responding, lifeless on the ground. His breathing became shaky while his chest was heaving abnormally. Before he could reach for his wand, a blue light appeared before him. An oater, Hermione's Patronus. It seemed agitated, panicked, tears appearing on the projection of her soul.

"Severus save me" repeated the Patronus, causing the wizard to growl in exasperation, unable to stand on his feet. "You need to hurry, there is no time left."

Swiftly, Severus felt his body being teleported away from the castle. Similar to apparating yet stronger and faster, with a ferocity he had never experienced before, he arrived on a cliff, Hermione's body standing a few feets away from him, her arms up, ready for the fall.

Fear. There was no other word to express what he felt at that moment. Yelling after the woman who had jumped in the water, he hit his fist on the ground, realising his body was still unresponsive to him. Within seconds he felt the blood rush down his legs, enabling him to stand up. Regaining his strength he ran as fast as he could off the cliff and dived head first into the water. Seeing her floating body, he swam towards her, his head aching as he swam further. As he held her body closer to his, he apparated them away, back to Hogwarts.

Carrying her around the hallways, screaming for everyone to 'move your fat asses', leaving trails of water, - drenched - he reached the hospital wing and placed Hermione on one of the beds, tears menacing to leave his tormented onyx eyes.

"What happened?" Shrieked Ms Pomfrey, leaning against her inner body, raising her wand and casting some regenerating charms.

"She-she-killed-she-I-no," he tried to answer yet his body was shaking worst than under the crusciatus curse.

Calling after her elf, she asked the creature to get Minerva, who arrived only two seconds later, her heart menacing to escape her torso, unaware of what ruckus had caused such panic. Seeing Severus's soaked clothes at the feet of Hermione's hospital bed, she stood before him, flicking her wand to dry his dishevelled clothes while whispering reassuring words.

No one would have ever expected Hermione, a third of the golden trio, brightest witch of her age to try and commit suicide. It was simply unimaginable, and unbearable to witness.

"Poppy, what's wrong?" Asked the Headmistress, noticing her friend standing on top of the inert witch, straddling her while hitting her chest in a peculiar way, "what on Merlin's balls are you doing?"

"No!" Escaped the lips of the potion master as he fell to his knees next to Hermione, caressing her face frantically, his hands nearly pleading for her to come back, "common you can do it, love, come back" he wailed resting his head on the crock of her neck, not giving a care in the world if his facade was torn apart. He didn't care who was around to see his whole world crumble in pieces, he needed her to live, and his pride had disappeared the moment her heart failed to beat.

During long excruciating minutes, Hermione wasn't responsive, her heart forever frozen in an interminable void of loss and sadness. "I'm so sorry Severus, Minerva, I-I-" cried Poppy, leaning against the Headmistresses body, exhausted emotionally and physically, drained by the sorrow of losing one of her favourite students under her careful hands.

"We should leave them" murmured Minerva, pulling the witch out of the hospital wing, leaving Severus to mourn his loss.

"I love you, Hermione, Merlin please bring her back to me" he begged, bringing her face closer to his, her now cold body contrasting with his warmth, "don't leave me, witch! Who is going to help me recover from the birdbrains in potion class? I need you love, come back to me."

Time. He had lost her due to time. He howled like a wolf on a full moon, crying the loss of the woman he had grown to love. She had his heart, and she left Severus with it. Hitting his legs, cursing them for giving up on him when he needed them the most. "Stupid stupid legs!" He repeated, his body shuddering. "Hermione" he pleaded, running his demanding fingers on her hair and fisting a few strands as he brought his face closer to her, "I love you witch, I love you so much it hurts, don't leave me." He leaned against her front, resting his forehead on hers while a tear fell onto her pale cheek, dropping down her face and reaching her lips. "My witch" he went on, "my love, my soulmate, my all, come back."

Suddenly he felt warmth reach his face. His eyes grew wider as he noticed her skin colour lighting up as life regained her essence.

"Hermione" he cried in happiness, realising she was alive. "Yes love you're doing amazing" he cooed, laying a chaste kiss on her lips before intertwining his fingers with hers, bringing her knuckled to his lips and placing encouraging pecks on them, "keep fighting love, keep fighting."

And then it happened, the response to his prayers.

She opened her eyes.

A/N: Sorry I know I promised the next chapters will be in a more cheerful mood, but I needed to place Snape's point of view of the situation. ⭐️

More chapters coming up today. 🌙♥️

I just have a question to you believe everything is happening relatively fast?🤔🎀

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XOXO