What you left behind.

Chapter Three – What you left behind.

They fall into bed, their hands running over each other. His hands hold her close to him and rustle through her hair. Her body feels small against his strong, muscular frame. His dark hair mats across his eyes, disturbing his vision, adding to the sense of confusion he feels. Is he really doing this? With Hermione Granger? Are they really going to make love? She must have sensed something as she whispers to him.

"Severus?"

He realises this is a question rather than a statement. He knows she's seeking reassurance, and he stops thinking about the fact that he taught her at school, that she hated him for years. He stops thinking that he's probably old enough to be her father.

He stops thinking. He lowers himself and they are one.

***

Hermione stared blankly at the wedding invitation that lay on her desk.

It felt like a sick joke. He was getting married. She let her emotions take over and was instantly reduced to the wreck of the woman she once was. Nothing mattered any more. The dream, her beautiful dream, her little piece of heaven had been shattered. Torn apart and ripped into tiny shafts of glass that pierced her heart. She wanted to keep crying, but as the tears rolled down her face the sobs stuck in her chest and hurt just as much as the reason for her tears. She was lost.

***

Severus stood over his potions desk in his fancy office in London, gazing at the wedding invitation design on his desk and the note from his soon to be wife.

Here is my design for the wedding invitations. No need to worry, I have already sent them out.

Cecilia.

He almost laughed as he realised what had just happened and as the gravity of what he had done hit him. Once the affair had been broken, he had fought in some twisted way to regain a hold on his life. He met another woman and had foolishly asked her to marry him within only three months of their first date.

His thoughts then turned to the people who would also be reading this invitation, and with a jolt realized that Hermione would be one of those people. He shot to the door, grabbing his dark coat on the way. He needed to get out of this place, go somewhere where he could think. He wandered dismally around the streets of London, Muggles rushing past him on their way to lunches and shopping. He didn't realise where he was going until he was right outside the building, looking straight at the hidden entrance to the Ministry of Magic. The place where she was.

***

Hermione began to reign in her emotions as the clock stuck four. She was thankful that George had not been in this office today and that Ron somehow had given up upon asking her to lunch. She usually worked until past six, but today she was going home early. Gathering her things, she stood and stumbled to the door, wiping her eyes for the final time.

“Afternoon, Miss Granger,” called a passer by. Not looking up to see who it was, she simple trudged on towards the exit.

As she walked out of the Ministry of Magic doors, an icy wave blew over her that had nothing to do with the cold. As if by some sick joke of God, he was standing not ten paces from her.

***

'NO!' he thought in horror, she wasn't standing there right in front of him. No, he couldn't tell that she'd been crying, and no, she wasn't still the most beautiful thing in this world.

He walked towards her very slowly. Looking deep into her perfect brown eyes, he stopped right in front of her, his voice heavy in his chest.

“Hermione…”

***

“NOOO!” screeched the voices inside her head. Oh, God, she prayed, let the ground open and swallow her up, let hell keep her for eternity, let her die, let anything happen to her except the awful, irrevocable truth that he was standing right in front of her.

“Hermione…”

His perfect, deep voice uttered her name as if it were a prayer. This was worse than any pain she had thus far endured. His beautiful black eyes calling to her soul, finding and crushing any hope she had left that she might one day live again. Why did no one understand? Why had they never believed that what they once had was real? Why was the rest of the world determined to tell her that she had made a mistake? Why hadn't their love been enough?

She couldn't speak. She had no words to tell him how broken she was.

She simply ran.

A/N: I just wanted to give a massive thank you to my new beta ArtemisofEphesus. She has been absolutely awesome and this fic realy wouldn't be what is is without her so thank you.