Hermione felt a sharp jolt shoot out from her heart when her lips pressed against his. Gasping, her lips parted and twitched. Her eyes, that had fallen closed, snapped open to stare into the shocked face of the man in her grasp. Her brow twitched as her soul pulsed in pain. How could have done that to him? After all he had suffered through? Her thoughts felt all backward and upside down. Why was she so angry?

Her eyes sought for anything, anything at all, but he seemed frozen in time. Her heart gave another powerful lurch, a long arching crack splitting away from its already damaged crevice. Her chest fluttered and she pulled her hands back abruptly. Her lips quivered with an unspoken apology as she pulled her body from the chair. She made no pause, even when his hand had come weakly to her wrist. She slipped free effortlessly making a hasty retreat up the stairs.

She slammed the door behind her screaming with a mixture of pain and anger. Her hands fisting tightly in her hair as her mind swirled. She hadn't meant to kiss him, despite the odd warm feeling in her stomach, it felt wrong. Like she had taken advantage of him. Like the night before, she felt as though she had taken control of the man and lured him into a place he should never have been. Something, that wasn't her own, welled from deep inside her chest. The soft burn on her hand drew her attention to the ring and as if having a moment of clarity, she ripped it from her hand. Her chest heaved as she felt the magic resist before snapping back into the ring.

Her world tilted as if she were caught in the center of a tornado. She watched as the band slowly grew and returned to its original state, she raised her arm to throw it through the window when she felt an audible click in her mind. It was his ring. It was filled with his love and desperate need for some sort of affection. All the years he must have carried it had infused it with something more powerful than its original purpose. Hermione slowly lowered her hand, hers eyes looking at the seemingly innocent band.

Snape didn't fully register her departure until her door slammed heavily over head. His back slowly straightened, as he too, felt a sort of fog lifting, how had he not noticed it before? The ring on his finger glowed and started to grow tight. He pulled it from his finger with haste dropping it onto the table. Mesmerized, he watched it return to its original design, confusion filling his brow. His eyes shot upward to the sudden silence above.

Hermione panted, slowly dropping the ring down to the floor. Another click, louder now, filled her ears. She brought her hands up trying to block out the heavy sound of screeching metal and gears.

"No...no!"

Hermione cried out falling to her knees, a large spiraling shield swirled out destroying everything in its path as it pushed out into a large semi-sphere. It pressed and threatened the integrity of the walls of her room. Hermione pressed tighter to her ears as blood poured heavily down her nose. She choked and sputtered spitting the blood from her lips, trying to stay conscious.

Severus had reached the top of the stairs by the time her scream had died out. His eyes flared at the dark light that was pressing against the door to her room threatening to send it to splinters. He rushed through his room and into the bathroom. Hissing sharply, he shielded his eyes against the light that showed through the missing door.

"Granger!" His voice felt hoarse and barely audible against the swirling vortex that surrounded her. He lowered his arm trying to peer inside. Her normally beautiful brown eyes were dim and wide. She had fallen awkwardly on her side, her head turned toward the door, blood pouring down her face, her hips and chest facing opposite directions.

He hissed as he noticed her chest wasn't moving. Stepping back, he shot at the shield. The spell ricocheted splintering the door frame completely apart. Pieces flew back and he barely managed to shield his face from the unexpected debris. The wood cut through his jacket and trousers, a large piece barely missing his eye as it took a nice chunk from his cheek.

He needed more power. He shook his head before turning away, he flicked his wand, but his focus was broken. He gritted his teeth and tried again, a small wisp flowed steadily down until finally, his Patronus stood before him.

"Minerva! Send everyone you can spare! " The Patronus turned and darted away. Severus turned back to the shield, it was steadily burning a hole into the floor and he knew they had limited time.

He watched with a deep sense of helplessness, watching the blood steadily collect beneath her cheek. The haze was keeping him from making contact with her mind. As if shielding it from all outside force. He pressed his wand against the shield as he struggled to over power it by sheer will alone. With extreme force, Severus managed to create a hole large enough to allow his mind to slip through. He held the tip of his wand tightly in place and pushed forward.

He landed heavily on his chest and quickly pushed himself up. It was bright, insanely so, he'd never seen it so bright. He blinked and put his hand against the light.

"Miss Granger!?" He called out listening to his voice echo the void.

A loud screeching of metal ricocheted off unseen walls and Severus forced himself towards the sound. With the darkness gone he was able to quickly scan through the space to look for its source. He noticed that the light came from the wall of blackness, where he remembered the vault to be. He pushed off, moving hastily. As he got closer he could see her pushing hard against the vault while the light spilled out from the outer rim.

"Miss Granger!"

"Professor!" She finally called out, "It's trying to get out!" She let out a loud grunt as she pushed harder, but her feet were slowly starting to slide back.

Severus' step faltered for a split-second as she called him by title, her tone sounded different, more reserved and respectful. He watched a wisp of a page slip around the frame disappearing into the whiteness. Her memories were returning. His eyes widened and he caught his wits.

He pressed his hands into the door beside her, turning his head to look down into her strained face. Her soul was almost in three pieces now. The deep red light shining against the black metal.

Hermione gritted her teeth glancing up at him briefly, her mind was in total chaos, as if she were seeing him from two different perspectives. The man she had known and the man she had come to know were fighting for precedence inside her.

"I'm sorry...About the kiss..." She turned her gaze back to the door as it gave a mighty shudder. "And the other night...I shouldn't have done that to you..."

"I could have stopped you." He said through his clenched jaw as he continued to push, "I didn't, you've nothing to take responsibility for."

"The rings, I think...I think they did something to us..." Hermione grunted as she scrambled to keep her footing, "But Severus..." She caught his eyes again, "I don't think they would have come to us unless something wasn't already there."

His eyes narrowed as he tried to comprehend what she was getting at. His own feet slipped just a bit and he tried to keep his focus. "What do you mean?"

"Severus I...I think...I lo-"

Neither witch nor wizard were prepared for the force of the blast that came from the other side, accompanied by a loud roar, it sent them flying backward head over heels.

Severus landed sharply on his shoulder skidding to a stop by the skin of his face along the stone. Hermione had flown much farther, her lighter frame doing a full turn through the air before her head cracked loudly, landing first, against the floor leaving her awkwardly splayed chest down.

Severus lifted his head, blinking into the golden light that spilled from the circular hole. A dark looming shadow slowly cominge forth, its large claws dipping into the whiteness that had begun press against the threshold. When its claws dipped in, a slow slithering blackness wound its way forward. Spreading out contaminating the purity within. Its eyeless head turned, its tongue slipping down as if it was sensing their location.

Severus gritted his teeth keeping his chest to the floor, his head turned carefully toward where he had heard Hermione land. She was weakly pushing herself up onto her hands and knees. Her arms and legs trembling as she tried to make it to her feet.

Severus hissed and tried to join her but his attention was drawn in the opposite direction when the creature let out a deep penetrating roar. Its tongue shot out and Severus barely had time to register it flying past his face. Hermione let out a sharp cry as it wrapped it's self tightly around her neck. Her feet scuffled backward as she brought her hands up to it.

"Severus..." Her eyes grew wider as the creature tightened its hold. "I...I..." She held his gaze for as long as she could, her mouth silently finishing her words before turning her piercing golden eyes back to the creature who held her in its grip. She had decided. With a snarl and a sharp cry, her hand sparked, erupting with a white flame.

"Hermione!" His war-torn cry echoed, left behind, as he was suddenly ripped from the space.

The shield pulsed and pushed him back into someone who had come to stand behind him. Disoriented, he barely registered the familiar Scottish drawl calling his name. It wasn't until he felt cool aged fingers take his face did he find the ground beneath him.

"Severus what's happened!?" McGonagall yelled over the growing vortex.

"How many?!" Snape shouted back holding her for support, the floor beneath him felt as though it was starting to give way.

"Five, we have five!" Her eyes were wide as she saw her former student laying prone inside the vortex.

"Make it! Wide, at least ten meters from the house!" He gave her a push holding onto the partially destroyed door frame. He had to get back!

Minerva turned without argument rushing back through the house that was starting to tremble against its very foundation. She panted as she reached the bottom of the stairs, the kitchen ceiling trembled and her eyes went wide, "Everyone out! Outside!" She pushed them towards the front door as the entire second floor gave a loud groan. Minerva had just passed the threshold when a loud explosion blew open the second floor.

Her eyes turned, wide with shock and fear. Severus had been well within the blast and though the front face of the house still managed some semblance of structure she was quite certain the back of the house was gone. With an adrenaline she hadn't felt since the final battle; she ran into the front lawn.

"Everyone ten meters out! Wands at the ready, on my count!" She turned away rushing up the front yard taking her place right in front of the willow that Hermione had been reading under just hours before.

Minerva raised her wand with trembling lips, her eyes turning up to the sky as the vortex seemed to grow with strength, they were running out of time. She heard the shouts of her companions as they fell into place and with a well-placed Sonorus charm to her throat began the count.

"One, two, three! Protego Maxima, Fianto Duri, Repello Inimicum!"

As the spell started to rise, a great power shuddered from inside the house. The dome that had surrounded Hermione had started to grow, it's force explosive as it expanded. As the last of the barrier settled into place, Minerva turned her eyes downward to the growing power. Her breath shuddered from her throat as she felt the pressure of its magical power. Still, she stayed her wand, keeping her power strong.

Severus growled as he felt himself being pushed back even further. The first blast had actually sent him through the floor of the bathroom, landing most uncomfortably in the catch-all room. When the second wave hit, he was partially shielded by the closet door that had fallen over him.

He could see the grayish light growing and starting to turn everything in its path to dust. He didn't want to hazard a guess what would happen if it should reach him. He scrambled to get to his feet and into the hallway. He saw that Hermione's body had fallen heavily onto the kitchen table, actually breaking one of the legs, leaving her partially tilted over the top. Her arm hung down over the ledge, her face hidden behind a curtain of blood matted hair. There was no way to reach her as the debris between them was too high. He retreated for the time being pushing himself on his forearms and knees through the remnants of the hallway that had started to crack and fall away.

Panting through his bruised ribs, he stumbled over the threshold hissing as he held his side. He could feel something warm growing beneath his palm but didn't take the time to assess. He turned, looking back as the creature's protective dome grew taller, he staggered backward just enough before raising his own wand high.

"Igne Forti!" A hot, intense, blue fire shot out from Severus' wand; it roared growing in size and form, as large as the house that once stood whole. A mighty Chimera opened its jowls shaking the entire area with its powerful roar.

Severus thrust his wand, sending the creature forward. The fire beast surged, wrapping its entire frame around the house leaving nothing but ash in its wake as it circled around the gray shield. Snape held his gaze even as the fire whipped his hair around his face, it's heat singeing the front of his coat as he kept his focus.

The Chimera growled and opened its maw wide rearing up, it lunged forward completely engulfing the gray dome inside its form. There was a gusting whirl of air before an odd stillness, the fire melted and flowed as if joining the creature's protection. Severus barely had time to take in a breath before his entire world went white and hot. MeHe barely registered his body flying through the air until he landed heavily on his back seeing stars while what little air that had been left in his lungs was suddenly stolen.

Minerva gasped and braced as the wave of power stretched out pressing against the shield, she felt it ripple but ultimately yield to their protection, the remains of the Fiendfrye burned the grass along the edges right at the cast line. Her eyes snapped to the man laying on his back just 8 feet in front of her. She could tell he was gravely injured but knew what needed to be done.

Her eyes shot up to the remains of the house. The dome had shuddered and given way to the almighty blast, leaving nothing behind but the protected ring that had been inside before its collapse. Her sharp eyes saw a small body lying partially over the broken table, still and pale against the full moon that shone down from the other side of the shield. Minerva's eyes snapped to Harry who—she could tell—was doing his very best to stay exactly as he was. This wasn't over, not yet.

Everyone on the outer circle held their breath as a bright red light shot up straight from the epicenter. Harry watched as Hermione's limp body slid down the rest of the way, landing heavily on her stomach over a broken chair, her back arching unnaturally over the remains. The light pulsed and grew darker as it flowed out from her back, and he remembered what had happened not 24 hours before. His eyes shot to Snape who was still lying prone on his back.

"Snape!" Harry could feel his voice muffled by the protection and called out even louder, "SNAPE!"

Harry's eyes shot back towards his best friend's crumbled body as a large claw wrapped itself—from inside—around the curve of her waist. Slowly, it dragged its way through the light, its long gray arm reaching out to take hold of the broken china cabinet.

"SNAPE! Get up!" Harry tried again bouncing his eyes between the two, his heart was pounding so loud in his ears even he couldn't hear his own panicked voice.

The Tamashiheki roared loudly when its head broke free, its mouth dripping black blood as its severed tongue dangled from its mouth. It let out another deeper roar, calling out to its own kind.

Gradually, it pulled the rest of its hunched form from the still body beneath. It was struggling to move, its body was deeply cut and heavily bleeding, its black blood falling down like rain upon the debris from which it climbed. It let out a shuddering growl as it pulled itself further away, its large claws fumbling as it fell forward into the grass letting out a deep rumble of near defeat.

Severus' eyes painfully opened, he could hear someone shouting his name. Breathing was difficult and as he lifted his wand, he realized that it had cracked down the center. Useless. He tossed the piece of wood aside rolling carefully onto his hip. He spat blood onto the soft grass before his head turned towards the remains of the house.

His eyes widened as he realized the creature was free and watched—in awe—as the wounded abomination fall heavily to its side, its ragged breathing echoing in the unnatural stillness within the protection of the circle. From his angle he couldn't see Hermione and his heart lurched at the very real possibility that he had already failed.

It was large, larger than he had ever seen inside her mind. It stood nearly as tall as a Cerberus, its large claws easily able to take a man in a single swipe—but it couldn't see, more so, it appeared to have severely lost a most epic battle.

Severus panted heavily as he pushed himself up to his feet, stumbling just a bit, he held his ribs. He could barely make out those who stood around the circle, though it still held strong. However, without a wand, he wasn't sure how effective his attacks would be. He murmured a soft healing charm against himself relieved to find his wandless magic was still very much in his control.

He watched as the creature dragged itself further from what was left of the house, its severed tongue sweeping the ground like a serpent trying to sniff out its prey.

Moving cautiously, Severus kept one eye on the creature at all times, his boots rising soft puffs of smoke in his wake. He stepped onto the foundation of the front steps. There wasn't a single thing left to find, nothing to salvage. He picked his way carefully over part of the collapsed steps that had managed to make it into the protection of the circle before his eyes fell onto the broken form of Hermione Granger.

His heart resonated with deep torment, his lips releasing a soft cry of anguish. He fell to his knees, lowering his head down beside hers. His fingers wrapped into the back of her blood soaked hair as he pressed his forehead against her bruised temple.

She was cold, the light on her back shined and pulsed dimly. The tear down her spine still bleeding as her heart gave its valiant last stand. He could feel her pulse against the vein on his forehead but without a wand—he knew, there was nothing that could be done. He had barely managed the closure spell as it was, to do so wandless, would just be impossible. He closed his eyes as he tried to reach out into her mind, just one last time.

Severus came to form painfully slow, the space in which he stood was dim, like the first time he had entered her mind. The light was coming up from a soft slate floor. His eyes turned into a bright golden light and in its glow he found her standing before its riches.

Hermione could feel herself struggling to stay with her body. Her knees trembled threatening to give way. Her hair and clothes were stained and torn, ravaged by the battle she had lost. Her soul was almost black as she continued to hang on. Her eyes staring into the rows of shelves just beyond the vault door, so brightly lit, everything that she was lying inside and she knew, she need only to step forward to become whole again. Yet, even now she found herself unable to move. She was waiting, waiting for him.

Her head lifted when she felt his presence join her, a trembling hand raised as she tried once again to close the tear in her soul. It was fruitless, she couldn't do it alone. Her body and magic were too weak to answer her call. Her head turned slowly at his continued approach, her eyes filled with such sadness and regret. She hadn't been strong enough. She had failed.

Severus closed the gap between them and without a single hesitation, wrapped his arms tightly around her smaller frame. His lips pressing into the crown of her head as he kept her close. He could feel her arms coming around to hold him just as tight. Unabashed, he let the tears fall into her soft curls, their light shining brightly as they slipped from his cheek.

Hermione mirrored his lament, her own tears falling freely as she pressed herself into his chest, the light of their souls touching in that moment, melding and forming together. She could feel his wavering strength fill her and pressed her self tighter to return the favor. Alone, neither of them stood a semblance of a chance, but perhaps, together...one of them would survive.

"I can't close it..." His voice was rough, "My wand, it's...gone..." He spoke into her hair as his tears waned, his eyes stared into the vault that stood at her back. Why hadn't she entered? Why hadn't she released all she was and become whole again?

"My wand..." Her voice was muffled as she spoke into the fabric of his coat, "It's in my back pocket..." She took a shaking breath as her body started to fade from his arms, "Use it." Her head fell back as she searched for his golden flecked obsidian eyes, "It's yours..."

Her grip faulted as her eyes started to fall closed. Her ragged and battle-worn body, as well as the world around them, started to fade out as her soul started its journey somewhere well outside his reach.

Severus let out a choked sob as he felt her slip from his grasp, his eyes opened haltingly. He felt strange, his body stronger, but there was something else too, something that rested near his heart. His eyes turned down the curved ridge of her twisted back, the white wood beckoning him with its soft glow. With one fleeting soft kiss against her temple, he pulled himself away, slipping the wand from her back pocket. His jaw twitched as he whispered the spell, running the tip down the black opening over her back. If nothing else, she would be whole.

It took everything inside him to bring himself to his feet, his eyes turning to the creature that had started to push itself up onto his legs. Its head turned heavily towards him, its broken tongue moving warningly over its lower jowls.

Severus' eyes roared with the fires of hell, a revenge unseen by even God himself. His arm lashed out harshly with her wand. A sharp crescent of blue flame wiping out, catching the creature directly across its missing face. It roared with pain and a deep black smoke shot out from its mouth obscuring everything around them. Severus turned on his heel but didn't leave Hermione's side. His eyes scanned the inky blackness listening to the scattered footsteps of the limping animal.

oOo

Hermione suddenly found herself standing inside a large library. A large, almost endless expanse. The rows high, the white shelves reaching at least four stories into the sky. The floor was a most beautiful white marble mixed with swirling whirls of deep burgundy. A beautiful golden light seeped through the high Gothic windows calling out to the gold trim along the sweeping banisters and large Roman columns.

The feeling of complete peace filled her and she couldn't help but look down at herself. She was wearing a beautiful white tunic, a large golden sash wrapped around her waist. She gingerly ran her fingers over the elaborate design before a movement caught her attention.

"Professor Dumbledore?" Her eyes were a bit wide as the aged wizard appeared seemingly out of nowhere.

The elderly man gave her a warm smile, his periwinkle robes swaying around him as he walked towards her. "Hermione, " He greeted warmly stopping a few paces in front of her. His smile slipping to a mournful look as he looked around them, "Such a beautiful place, I dare say I wouldn't have expected anything less from the brightest witch of her age. "

Hermione glanced around them again, a soft curve coming to her lips before her brows furrowed in confusion.

"Sir?" He turned back towards her, "Where are we...?" The back of her mind knew that she shouldn't have been able to see the wizard in front of her. That he, unlike Severus, was undoubtedly dead. She swallowed thickly as she awaited his response.

"That depends on you, my dear." His voice gentle as he moved to stand beside her.

"I don't understand Professor..." She turned to look at him as he shifted.

"I believe you do Miss Granger, though, I think," He paused as he turned to look at her, "It's really a question of whether you wish to stay here." He leveled his eyes at her those twinkling blues swimming with aged wisdom as he watched her take in his words.

Hermione turned slowly taking in the vast stacks of books that held insurmountable knowledge. She felt an urge to read every one of them but something still held her back.

"Why did you send him?" She had to know first, "Why did you send him to me?"

Albus' brows rose with a small smile, "Actually, you'll find that I had very little to do with your meeting." He crossed his hands behind his back looking someplace ahead of him.

"Then who...?" She turned following his gaze, a brilliant light had appeared off in the distance a figure, shadowed in the light stood un-moving in the glow. Hermione couldn't see the figure but she felt the peace that she brought with her, a deep kindness that enveloped everything around her.

Hermione furrowed her brows a bit, "Lily Potter?" She turned in shock towards Albus stepping in front of his gaze, "Why would Harry's mother bring him to me?" She felt an ache in her chest, a thought she didn't want to think about coming to the surface.

Albus said nothing as he watched the woman in question disappear back into the light.

Hermione's face fell as she put her hand to her heart, "So..." She whispered in the air between them, "He only came because of her..." She turned her head away unable to meet her one-time mentor in the eyes.

"I think, that with time, " Dumbledore said gently, "You'll find that the reason he had stayed, " He watched her heartbroken eyes lift to his own, "Changed." He gave her a kind hopeful smile over the rim of his glasses.

Hermione's brows furrowed just a bit as she tried to understand the meaning in his words. He couldn't be right, could he? No, it wasn't possible. There was no way that the man had really come to care for her, care for her more than just a responsibility to be saddled with. She felt confused on how to accept the man but now, with the very real possibility that he would even be capable of loving someone such as her flowed through her she felt a fluttering in her stomach.

She shook her head, "He's my teacher...was, my teacher..." She corrected as Dumbledore started to move away, "I-we...couldn't possibly be..." She let the words die in her throat watching the man's brow raise with his all knowing smile.

"I believe times have changed for the both of you, Miss Granger." He said her name so gently, " I would hazard a guess, that the roles you were put in have taken a shift, wouldn't you?"

She gave him a most confounded look coming to walk beside him down the rows and rows of tall beautiful bookcases.

"I should think you have been a wonderful teacher." He continued, idly looking at this and that, "You have managed to teach someone so closed off from the world a most valuable and treasured lesson." He glanced at her bewildered face, "I believe there is nothing wrong with two teachers, coming together to fight along side each other in this world. Wouldn't you agree?" He finally stilled in front of a luminescent archway of light.

She opened her mouth to ask another question when she felt something inside her pulling against her. She turned slowly as a long thin line stretched out towards the door all the way at the other end of the large library.

"The choice is yours, Miss Granger." Dumbledore's words lingered as he slowly stepped back through the portal.

Hermione ran her hands down over her heart to where the line originated. She let her fingers ghost around it almost too afraid to touch it. She turned to find the aged wizard but realized he had gone back through the portal that she had seen Lily Potter standing in just moments before. She took a deep breath; she wanted answers, she needed to know.

She took a slow step towards the brilliant white light, though as soon as she did she felt the cord grow taut. She paused as she looked down its length again. She'd have to tear it, if she wanted to go. Dissolve it, destroy its power over her.

Her hand took hold of it firmly, overwhelmed by the power held within. The sheer force of it brought her to her knees, tears welling in her eyes. It wasn't pain she felt but sorrow, deep anguish, so powerful, so overwhelming. It was him, she was feeling. All his lament over his life, his loss, his emptiness. She closed her eyes tight as she let out a sob for the man who she had come to care deeply for. She hadn't meant to but there it was, right there between her and the door. She cared for him, and she knew, she could feel it pulsing underneath everything else, he cared for her too.

"Severus..." She whispered his name so lovingly, her hand tightening around the thread. No, she couldn't leave him, not this way, he didn't deserve this. He deserved so much more, so much more than the world had offered him.

"Save him...he needs you..." The voice that wafted from the light behind her was so soft, so gentle she knew who it belonged to.

Hermione trembled and without a sparing glance behind her—she ran. She ran, with all she had inside her following the threaded light, the door that barred her way dissolved as she neared it and she didn't even pause as she passed into its blinding light.

oOo

Severus hissed loudly as he was thrown heavily to the ground. He looked up into the monster's blackened teeth as its mouth opened wider. He bared his teeth similarly, his eyes narrowed. He had done quite a bit of damage but there was only one way to kill a creature as evil as this.

When it lowered its head to make its kill Severus thrust his arm and wand directly into its open jowls. Blood dripped into his eyes and his vision blurred, the creature had gotten in a few hits of its own as well.

"Igne...Forti!" Severus' arm jerked back as the spell shot straight down the monster's throat. A bright light engulfed the world around him before everything suddenly went black.

oOo

Severus felt a warmth envelop him and letting out a soft groan rolled his eyes open. He could see beautiful blue skies, gently punctuated by white puffy clouds. He pushed himself up onto his elbows, blinking as he took in the beautiful rolling green hills.

He had been here before—he knew, all those years ago. He turned his head hearing the soft crunch of grass underfoot. His head tilted back, the beautiful woman he had only seen in his dreams, emerging before him.

"Sweetheart, you're ready," Lily smiled so softly as she leaned slightly over him. Her hand gently cupping his cheek, "You needn't mourn my death any longer." Her forgiveness washed over him with such power, his chest filled with light.

"For I will be with you," Her hand moved to rest over his heart her sea green eyes staring into the deepest part of him.

"Always."

She smiled so beautifully at him then. He felt the swell of her love and admiration for him and all he had done in her name. A tear of pure happiness rolled from his eye as he was finally able to watch her go. She pulled back from him gracefully, standing as she backed into the light fading away but never truly gone.

Severus managed to get to his feet, his breathing slow and deep. His heart pulsed and he turned his head down, his brow furrowed lightly as a small thread made a gentle arch behind him. He lifted his head when a small hand twined with his own, he looked down and without question, took it firmly. His heart swelled as he felt something inside him mend. His head lifted, his eyes trailing up to the beautifully deep eyes of its owner.