6-May

I've decided to combine the last three parts into two parts, so this story will now be complete in 6 chapters rather than 7. Thank you so much to astopperindeath for helping me through this whole process, and thank you for being a great beta. As usual, these characters do not belong to me in any way.

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He had finally cried himself out, sitting there in the threshold of what was to be their bedroom. He was softly brushing her curls out of her relaxed face when he heard people running up the stairs and calling his name. Moments later, Harry, Ginny, Draco, and Minerva reached him. Harry was the first to reach him and cried out while falling to the floor beside him.

“What happened?!” He demanded while Draco moved around to support his godfather physically.

Ginny turned towards Minerva, crying. Minerva held her as she sobbed, “Severus?”

At the sound of his longtime colleague and friend’s voice, Severus spoke hoarsely. “I’d just come up from checking on the Wolfsbane, and she was sitting there on the bed drinking her wine.” Severus stared forlornly into nothing.

At the mention of the wine, Draco stood and walked over to the bottle. Bringing it to his nose, he sniffed experimentally. Smelling nothing strange, he dipped his finger in it and took care not to take more than a drop or two onto his tongue. His eyes widened; he couldn’t identify it, but there was something wrong with the wine.

“Severus,” Draco called softly to his godfather, and everyone in the room looked at him. He lifted the bottle of wine in reference. “I think it might have been the wine; I don’t know what it is. But there is something definitely added to this wine that shouldn’t be there. I’ve had enough of it to know the taste by heart.”

“But… that’s the wine that Ron gave Hermione,” Ginny said, confused.

Harry stood. “I’ll Floo him!” He rushed downstairs to Snape’s fireplace.

~*~**~*~*~

Harry paced impatiently waiting for Ron. When he heard the pop of an Apparition, he threw the front door open. “Quickly!” Harry shouted. “Upstairs!”

Both of the boys ran up the stairs. Harry continued into the room where McGonagall was just leaving to use the Floo. Draco sat again with his godfather, and Ginny stayed on the bed, staring at Hermione, quietly crying. Ron stopped in the doorway. He had turned so pale that even his freckles appeared lighter.

“No,” he said softly, entranced by Hermione’s still body being held by her husband. “It wasn’t supposed – no!”

Everyone except Severus whipped their faces around to look at Ron. Severus slowly lifted his eyes to look at Ron and with deadly cold asked, “It wasn’t supposed to do what, Mr. Weasley?”

Ron startled and finally broke his gaze away from Hermione. Looking at Severus and Draco, then Ginny, then ending on Harry, he answered, “She wasn’t supposed to have died! Only make her sick.” His tone was pleading. “It was supposed to be his fault. So she would leave him. Harry, please! You know he would have hurt her in the end! I was only trying to help!”

Harry went white with rage, and Ginny sobbed and refused to look at her brother. But before anyone could do anything, Severus had laid Hermione to the floor and rose with purpose. He held the youngest Weasley son up against the wall with one hand and pressed his wand to Ron’s temple. “You did this,” Severus said coldly. “I’m going to make you hurt so badly that Molly will be sorry she ever had you!”

“Severus, no,” Draco said softly with a hand on Severus’ shoulder. “She wouldn’t want you to go to Azkaban for this pathetic excuse of a wizard.”

Severus’ shoulders sagged with despair, knowing that Draco was right.

“Harry,” Severus said, looking at the floor. Harry nodded and walked towards Ron. Grabbing his arm, Harry forced him out of the room and towards the Floo. Ginny and Draco looked at the heartbroken man, unsure as to what to do next.