Bring Me To Life

Wake me up inside ... Wake me up inside

Save me from the nothing I've become.

~ "Bring Me To Life" by Evanescence

I couldn't breathe. I couldn't form a single sentence. I simply stared into his very alert and alive eyes for what felt like days until finally I snapped out of it. I tried to get up because I knew I needed to get Poppy, but his hand tightly clamped down to stop me.

"Don't..." he rasped.

"But..." I began to protest.

"No, just..." He started to cough.

"Would you like some water?" I asked.

He only nodded in response. I gave him a shy smile and said, "I'm not going to get Poppy until you ask me to, and I swear I won't leave this room until you evict me. But I need both hands to conjure you something to drink..."

Gradually he released the death-grip he had on my hand. I made quick work of conjuring a glass and filling it with water. I bit down on my lower lip while trying to decide how to proceed.

I'm sure he's going to need help... does he want me to help him? Would he get upset? Shite... I can't believe this is happening.

He tried to sit up, and I jumped into action. I placed the glass down on the end table and reached down to give him some extra support. After he was sitting up, I handed him the glass and sat back down. I was sure that he wouldn't need my help with drinking.

He took a few deep sips and set the glass down. When his attention returned to me, I found that I had absolutely no idea what to say.

"How long has it been?" he asked, breaking the silence.

I took a deep breath and settled further into my chair.

"Six years, sir," I said eventually.

I can't believe I'm reverting back to calling him sir after all that I just said. This is ridiculous. I'm falling in love with him, and suddenly I'm sixteen again.

He gave me an odd look. Odd only because I didn't believe I'd ever seen Severus Snape genuinely confused before. Finally, he began to speak.

"Am I correct in my assumption that you didn't create any kind of counter-spell or remedy for my condition and that you actually released me in the natural fashion?"

I felt like a deer in headlights. I had no idea he would jump straight to it in such a way, but I also knew I needed to give him the truth.

"You would be correct. I..."

"Then shall we dispense with the formalities, Hermione?" he said conversationally.

I must be dreaming. There is no way he would be this easy-going... and calling me by my first name!

"You aren't angry?" I questioned, shock lacing my tone.

"No, but I am anxious to hear of the events that have lead to my reanimation, though, if you'd please."

Shite, shite... shite! This is all too surreal.

"Oh, sure. Feel free to, um, stop me at any point when you've got a question, okay?"

By this point, I was actually surprised that I didn't have the tell-tale coppery taste in my mouth that accompanies my gnawing on my lower lip too hard. I felt so wrong-footed.

He nodded in response to my statement and reached out towards me with the hand I had previously been holding. I gladly grasped it and found the strength I needed in order to proceed.

"While attempting to recover from my first day teaching, which of course included first-year Slytherins and Gryffindors, I found your journal. Completely by accident, and of course, I couldn't stop myself from reading it..."

After this statement he interjected, "You're teaching Potions?"

I gave him a small smile and said, "Yes, I know it's, um... well... I'll explain all that later."

He accepted that response and allowed me to proceed.

"I read enough to figure out that you did something and that you weren't really dead. My searches led me to the Restricted Section... several times," I said with a chuckle. "You actually helped me find the book I needed in the beginning."

"Ah, yes. We have been visiting the library a lot recently," he said, clearly reminiscing.

"What!? We? How did you...why? I don't understand." I managed to finally complete a sentence, much to his mild amusement.

"You've been dreaming about me for years, correct?" he asked.

I nodded in response.

"One of the side effects of Juliet's Curse is a dream connection between the afflicted and his or her beloved. The purpose of this being that the cursed party would be able to essentially call out to the one who would be able to break the spell."

"I didn't read anything about this in my research," I said.

"I found reference to the dreams in Baron Akerfeldt's journal, which is not available in the Hogwarts library."

"Oh... so why did it take so long for you to actually talk to me? I mean... if I could have released you years ago, why haunt me?"

"It took me a while to figure out exactly what was happening and why I was dreaming about you. I never thought the dream connection aspect of the curse would apply to me. Therefore, at first I believed that dreaming about you and dying in the shack over and over again was just part of my cursed existence. Eventually, I was able to gain some semblance of control regarding how and when I would make my appearances."

"In the beginning, you were scaring the hell out of me. Honestly," I confessed.

"I know, you were fighting me for a long time and obviously afraid. In addition the dreams were further complicated by the fact that I was dreaming about your eighteen-year-old self..."

"So, you're disappointed," I deadpanned.

"No!" he called out quickly as he held my hand a little tighter.

"But... I'm not Lily, and I don't want to be just... some kind of Lily substitute," I stumbled.

His brow creased as I said this in my despair. It was silent in the room for a few moments while he gathered his thoughts.

"You will never be her, and I would never want you to be," he said.

"I read your journal, Severus. I know how you felt about her... and you've been in a coma for six years! How could you possibly be okay with me being your true love or soulmate or whatever it is I am to you."

This is going to be a bloody disaster. I'm falling in love with him, he's in love with her... this sounds like a soap opera.

I heard what sounded like a low growl coming from the man on the bed. I could tell he was unimpressed by my emotional outburst, but I didn't care. I needed to know the truth and knew in my heart that he wouldn't lie to me. Especially not about Lily Evans, considering that I knew the whole story to begin with.

I was staring at the floor when he finally began to speak again. As I heard his voice, my head shot up to look at him once more.

"As you already know, I had hoped to find Lily Evans waiting for me in my cursed slumber. What I found was simply my home at Spinner's End, with only my books, a few past acquaintances and random memories to keep me company."

He reached for the glass of water and took a few more drinks, then set it down once more.

I gasped, "How did you not go completely crazy?"

"It was difficult at first. I was extremely disappointed and angry, but couldn't necessarily remember why. As time passed, I began to remember things. The most painful memories of Lily were gone, so I had an opportunity to examine everything in a more logical way. The hurt and regret had left me with the purging of those memories. I was able to see her and the situation in a clearer light. She will always be my first love, but my world no longer revolves around her."

"I'm sorry if I appear to be skeptical. I read that journal and know how you felt about her. Plus, you've only been alive again for what, twenty minutes? How can you know?"

"Hermione, believe it or not. I may have looked dead, but my mind has certainly been alive for six years. In that time, I had the cliché thoughts that accompany such an existence. I would find myself thinking things like 'If I ever get out of this' or 'When I wake up again.' In those moments I would swear that should a second chance come, I would embrace it completely. And here you are..."

I couldn't stop myself from blushing or the few tears that had begun to leak from my eyes.

I want to believe that... I want to trust him... This is all just so much to process...

Suddenly, his voice broke through my thoughts.

"May I... may I hold you?" he asked quietly.

I think my heart is trying to relocate itself to my throat. He sounds so... lonely. I don't want to rush, but I've got this opportunity... and if I spurn him now, who knows when I'll get another chance. It won't hurt... to just be held by him and see how it feels...

I nodded in agreement and stood, examining the bed he was lying on and trying to figure out the logistics of what I was about to do. He scooted over a little to his right, which gave me just enough room to lie next to him. He outstretched his left arm in invitation, and I eased myself down onto the bed.

I nestled myself into his left side, resting my cheek against his chest and felt his arm wrap around me.

"Thank you, Hermione," came his voice, barely louder than a whisper and full of sincerity. Then I felt his lips brush the crown of my head.

I didn't know what to say in response that wouldn't sound trite.

I felt so content, like a cat curled up in front of the fire. After a few moments of silence, I had to voice the thoughts running through my mind.

"This has got to be the most wonderful feeling in the world. I could stay like this for hours..."

I felt his chest rumble under me; then, as he began to stroke my loose curls, he said, "I'm not in a hurry to face what's waiting for me out there at the moment either."

I let out an unbecoming snort and said, "You were awarded an Order of Merlin, First Class..."

His body gave a slight jerk following my pronouncement.

"What?"

"Um, yeah... and there's a memorial..."

"Potter."

"Right in one."

"Joy."

"It shouldn't be too bad... we'll have to, um... come up with a story though..."

He stopped playing with my hair, only to wrap his arm around me once more, and squeeze me tightly.

"In this matter, I think I would prefer the truth."

"Really?" I asked, surprised.

He wants to tell the entire wizarding world that he had cast Juliet's Curse on himself and that I was the one to break the spell?

"It'll be less work in the long run, and the truth will cause such a sensation that it will more than likely die out as quickly as it comes out."

"Good point... So, how would you like to proceed?"

"I think at this point, we might want to alert Poppy. I'd hate for her to walk in here to find us like this and wind up having an aneurysm," he said sardonically.

I let out a small laugh and said, "Another good idea. Your mind definitely didn't slip any..."

"So good of you to notice, dear."

I gently shoved him and spun to look at him. Our faces were so close, and I couldn't resist the opportunity that I had just been presented with. I scooted up a little further on the bed and leaned closer towards him, then he met me halfway.

When his lips touched mine, it was one hundred times better than the dreams. This was real. I was kissing Severus Snape, and it was perfect and amazing. I never knew a simple kiss could wake every single nerve in my body until that moment.

The chaste kiss that I had started became something deeper in a matter of moments. As our tongues danced, I could feel both of his hands slide in my hair.

I slowly pulled away and just looked at him.

"Severus..." I said with what must have been a goofy smile. I reached out my left hand and gently stroked his cheek.

"Mmmm, yes?"

"That was wonderful."

"I'm glad you think so because I plan to do it again." And with that he closed the distance between us once more.

After a few moments of bliss, he pulled away.

"We should really get Poppy..." I trailed off.

"Yes, I agree."

With that I extracted myself from his embrace and stood next to the bed once more.

"I'll be right back, okay?"

He gave me a small smile and said, "I'll be waiting."

I practically ran to Madam Pomfrey's office after I closed Severus' door. I found her door open and the nurse sitting behind her desk. She appeared to be reading one of the tomes I had checked out of the library.

When I can canceled the Disillusionment Charm, she looked up in surprise.

"Hermione! How can I help you?"

"Poppy, you aren't going to believe this..." I said as I shifted my weight from one foot to another impatiently.

"What is it?"

"He's awake."

"What?!" she shouted as she shot out of her chair.

"I... I was talking to him, you know, as he was just lying there. And I said... well, some things, and then he started moving..."

"Let's go."

In an instant she pulled her wand and Disillusioned both of us, and we were moving rapidly towards the rear of the infirmary.

I followed her into the room and almost ran into her since she had come to a stop a few feet from the door frame.

I walked around her shimmery form and closed the door. Since Poppy wasn't making any moves, I canceled the Disillusionment Charms we were wearing and looked at Severus.

Now he was standing in front of the small window on the right wall, pensively staring outside. The sunlight streaming through the glass made him look somewhat ethereal.

"Severus?" Poppy asked, still in shock.

He turned away from the window to look at both of us.

"Good day, Poppy," he said easily as if he had only just seen the nurse recently.

"You... Oh, thank Merlin!"

She rushed towards him, and he held his arms out to her, knowing what she would need.

I hung back and watched the very happy and emotional reunion.

"Thank you for taking care of me, Poppy."

"You know you were like a son to me; of course I was going to," she snuffled into his chest.

When they separated, Poppy immediately began pushing him towards his bed.

"Poppy, I've spent six years in that bed!"

"I just want to run a few diagnostic charms on you, then you may stand all you'd like," she said, sounding bossy.

Severus didn't argue further and placed himself back in the center of his bed.

I looked on as she cast a myriad of spells over his body. When she had finished, she happily said, "You're completely healthy."

"I could have told you as much, but I know you wouldn't have believed me. Now, Hermione and I have a few more things to discuss if you don't mind."

Poppy spun to face me. Apparently, she had forgotten I was even in the room.

"Oh, yes. Absolutely, I... I'll go tell Albus."

"If you must, and please inform Minerva while you're at it. I don't want to tell this story more times than I have to," he said curtly.

"I'll take care of it, Severus."

As she turned to head for the exit, he called out to her.

"Poppy? By any chance did you happen to recover my wand?"

"It's in the drawer."

"Thank you."

With that exchange, Poppy disappeared from sight and exited the room.

Severus spun and placed his feet on the right side of the bed and opened the tiny drawer of the end table. He extracted his wand and held it in his right hand.

"It's time for a little experiment," he said with a smirk as he stood.

How I never thought that tiny facial expression was sexy before now is absolutely beyond me...

In an instant he slashed his wand through the air and called out, "Expecto Patronum!"

To say I was surprised with the result would truly be an understatement.

A/N: Well, we're in the home stretch now! I hope the wait was worth it. :-)

Thanks to the alpha team of awesomeness for dealing with my waffling.

Exceptional praise to karelia for beta reading this for me!

For anyone who might be curious as to who Baron Akerfeldt actually is, since this is the second time his name has been referenced... Mikael Åkerfeldt is the lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter for the Swedish progressive death metal band Opeth. My husband is a huge fan. So, using Akerfeldt's name in such an obscure way was a inside joke/nod to my honey.

Lastly, I'd like to give sincere thanks to you, the readers, who have been hanging in this long. I can't express enough how much I appreciate every single one of you. I hope you've enjoyed this chapter and continue with this tale to the end.

Much Love,

~ Brena