Chapter Text
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Hermione
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2000.
Hermione gasped when her wards pulsated, her magic prickling along her skin as unseen intruders set off the alarms.
It didn’t matter how fucking hard she wove, how intricate and detailed, theyalways got through. Usually, it was simple to apparate out of their grasp. Escaping from capture by running again was what they knew, but this time was different.
They were out of time.
“Hermione!”
Her head whipped around as Severus rushed down the stairs, her beaded bag in his hand as well as his own, trying to not miss a step as he threw the strap over his shoulder before pulling the small witch to him.
He quickly shoved her jacket over her arms, rushing to zip it up.
“It’s time,” Severus whispered, tightening his wand holster around her arm. It was the only small form of remembrance he could afford to give her, something that connected them both.
Hers remained hidden under his own sleeve.
“No no, no- please!” Hermione knew she couldn’t convince the world to stop tearing them apart, she knew her cries fell on deaf ears.
She knew Severus couldn’t save them anymore.
She gripped his shoulders as he knelt down and tightened her boot laces, knotting them to where she could run if needed and not stumble.
He was preparing her to fight for her life. He was always preparing her to fight.
Another pulsation against her wards had her shutting her eyes. They were getting closer.
Tears started streaming down her cheeks as Severus rose to his feet, grabbing her face gently in his calloused hands. He pressed shaky kisses everywhere he could, a choked sound escaping when the wards began to crack.
“No, little love. Don’t let the last time I see you be in tears,” he whispered, brushing her hair out of her eyes as she looked up at him, seeing his own welling.
Hermione was sure her heart stopped when she felt the first layer of wards splinter.
“You have the memories, you have the journal, you’ve got everything you need, my brilliant girl. You’re going to do so good, I just know it. You’re going to fix this.” His voice cracked and he cleared it, sorting her to rights and slipping her hand into his, giving one last encouraging squeeze. “Don’t give up on me, Hermione. Not when I can love you twice.”
“Sev, I don’t want to go-”
“Please little love, promise me.”
The shouts from outside, orders being given to those they knew as, grew louder as they began to circle their home.
“Remember what I taught you, don’t you ever fucking hesitate.”
Hermione swiped the tears that fell furiously from her eyes, nodding as his fingers quickly spun the turner to the year she needed to go back to, double checking himself thrice before pulling her into a bone crushing embrace.
At the violent shattering of her final layer of protective wards, he kissed her furiously, shoving her behind him when a Bombarda was cast at the door.
“Go!” he shouted, throwing up a wide Protego as debris and fire exploded all around them. The order and act of protection gave her enough time to click the pin in, her world spinning violently and the last thing she saw was him apparating away as the Aurors stormed through with her promise dying on her lips.
She never got to say goodbye.
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