Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Hermione entered her office tentatively. Her throat felt as if she had a stone lodged in it. She was frightened...frightened that he would say no, and yet frightened that he would say yes. What if after everything they'd worked out, he disappeared into non-existence when they performed the spell? She didn't think her heart could take that.

They had experimented, and everything had seemed to go fine when they cast the spells on the pet they'd returned to the living... but a grown human was a different thing. It was definitely a long shot.

She held her breath as she looked to Severus' portrait. He was sitting and reading. He looked up when she appeared in the doorway. Giving him a tight smile, she moved to her desk and his picture. Franco DiGregorio was close behind.

"Did you make a decision?" she asked him softly.

He nodded. "It seems the only real choice is to let you cast this spell. If it doesn't work, I will never know."

Hermione frowned at him. "It will work, Severus."

Placing his book on the table beside his chair, he gazed at her levelly.

"What do I need to do?"

Hermione turned to Franco. "Just stand," he offered. "We will do the rest."

Severus stood and swatted at some imaginary dust on his shoulders. He looked up to Hermione.

"I am ready."

She stepped closer.

"Severus, if this..."

The dark wizard held up a hand to still her voice. "You will have tried your best, Hermione. Do not regret anything if this doesn't work."

Hermione reached out and drew her fingers along Severus' jaw line.

He leaned into her slightly. "At least you won't have to worry about me haunting you if I don't exist."

"So, very incorrigible..." she murmured softly, trying not to let her voice break. "Never forget what I said to you when we were together in the picture."

"I will remember that until I cease to exist."

Hermione felt tears well up in her eyes. She fought them back. She needed to have a clear head to do this spell correctly. Clearing her throat, she backed away and gave Severus a nod. Turning to Franco, she positioned herself next to him and raised her wand.

"Are you ready?" She asked.

Franco gave a swift nod of his head.

The two wizards lifted their wands in unison and began chanting the spell.

Libera te de morte aeterna

Requem aeternum dona ea, et lux perpetua luceat ea

Red light shot from both of their wands and enveloped Severus' portrait.

"Good-bye, Hermione," she heard him say to her as he was enveloped in the red light. Holding her breath, she watched the spell do its work. In less than ten seconds, the red light absorbed into the picture, and Severus Snape was gone. She eyed the floor in front of the frame, but there was no trace of him.

"Oh, Merlin, where did he go?" Hermione muttered mostly to herself. "He was supposed to appear right in front of the painting!"

She felt her heart begin to race. "It didn't work! We've killed him!" she cried.

Franco looked from the painting to her in despair. "We did what we had to do."

"No! No, this can't be right!" Fear gripped her. He was gone. They had sentenced him to nonexistence.

Her breath caught in her chest as Franco motioned behind her. Spinning around, she saw a large, black lump lying on the floor in front of her door.

She rushed over to it, hoping that it was him and not some malformed lump of paint. Reaching out, she felt the softness of Severus' cloak. She turned him onto his back and studied his features. He was unconscious but looked whole.

"Oh, thank Merlin!" she cried.

Severus let out a low groan and slowly opened his eyes. Hermione stroked his cheek like she had before they'd cast the spell. His eyes met hers, and his hand came up to clasp hers within it.

"I can feel you..."

She smiled at him through the tears that had formed in her eyes. "And I can feel you."

Pushing himself up, Severus' eyes never left hers. He reached out and touched her cheek. "I can't believe it worked. I'm here, alive... with you."

Franco cleared his throat but the two didn't turn to him. "I'll just...ahem...leave you two alone," he stammered. In an instant he'd left the room, shutting the door behind him.

Hermione sighed in relief. "I thought... when you disappeared..."

"Shh, it worked." Severus put his other hand up to her face, cupping it and pulling her close. "I'm real. You saved me."

Hermione sobbed and closed her eyes. His lips touched hers tenderly. "You have given us a chance to be together, my love. Thank you."

Her arms flew around him, and she buried her head into his shoulder. "I was being selfish. I wanted you with me so badly that I was willing to sacrifice your existence just to make you mine."

Severus wrapped his arms around her and hugged her to him. "I was being selfish, too. I would have rather ceased to exist than to spend eternity without you."

She pulled back then and searched his face. "Do you think this can work between us? I mean, now that we're both real and alive, can we make what we found in the paintings real between the two of us?"

Severus' hand was on her cheek again as his eyes swept over her face. "I certainly want it to. We won't know unless we try."

She nodded. "I want it to work, too."

"My feelings for you, Hermione, they are real."

She smiled at him before stroking his cheek. "Mine are too."

"Remember when we discussed my having a reason to not die? I've finally found it."

He couldn't continue for he found himself being assaulted by the woman in his arms. Her lips crashed against his, and he felt elated at her touch. He was really there, on the floor of her office, enveloped in her embrace with her kissing him senseless. His head spun with the wonder of it and the feel of her. He would do anything to keep her with him... anything.

Hermione and Severus stood just outside of the Great Hall. Hermione looked to Severus, who looked back and arched an eyebrow at her.

"Are you certain this is the best way to announce my return from the dead?" he asked her.

Hermione smiled. "I don't think there's really any good way of doing it that would avoid mass confusion. Besides, I know how you love to spoil the students' appetites."

Severus smirked and squeezed her hand in his.

"Are you ready?"

"I'm always ready to make an entrance," Severus acknowledged.

Hermione shook her head and muttered, "Incorrigible."

Severus came in close to her ear and nuzzled it with his nose. "And you love me for it, don't you?"

A shiver shot down Hermione's back. She pulled back and looked at Severus. "I'd have to admit that I do; however, let's allow everyone to get over one surprise at a time. I don't want the older professors to drop dead at the dinner table when they discover not only are you alive, but that I'm madly in love with you."

Severus smirked. "Have it your way," he said with a shrug.

Hermione turned and took a deep breath. She was about to proceed into the Hall when Severus pulled her to him and kissed her soundly. She was lost in him for what seemed a long while. Finally, Severus pulled away as Hermione sighed.

"What were we going to do?" she asked him as she gave him a dazed look.

"You were about to announce the miracle of my existence."

"Ah, yes..." Hermione straightened out her Headmistress robes and moved through the door and into the Great Hall. Severus followed her. She'd chosen to enter from the student's entrance so Severus and she could walk up to the teacher's table before she had to say anything, allowing everyone to take in the sight before them.

Forks clattered onto plates, students gasped aloud, and looking to the teacher's table, every faculty member stopped what they were doing and simply gaped in amazement. Hermione and Severus made their way up one of the rows toward the front of the Hall. Hermione knew that Severus would be strutting and acting as imposing as ever, so she did her best to look the part by stalking ahead of him with her head held high. Never let it be said she could not be dramatic. Every eye was drawn between Severus and her as they made their way, walking quickly and purposefully. Hermione stepped up to the platform where the teachers sat and made her way to her seat. Waving her wand, she made a chair appear on her left and faced the students as Severus took his place next to her.

Placing her wand at her throat, she gave her voice the volume it would need to be heard in the hall, even though there was dead silence all around her.

"Attention, students and faculty. I am pleased to announce that Severus Snape has returned to the living through a magical mishap during the animation of his portrait. Not simply his essence, but his very soul had been conjured into the portrait by its artist, Franco DiGregorio. With Mr. DiGregorio's help, I was able to free his soul from the painting. He is the same person that he was before his death, so please treat him with the respect afforded any faculty member here. And try to refrain from staring."

Hermione sat down. Silence reigned for several moments until a very gray Sybill Trelawney pointed from her spot at the end of the table. "My eye saw this outcome! Did I not say the Dark One would return?"

Suddenly the entire Great Hall burst into commotion. All the students were talking and pointing, and the professors were doing much the same. Hermione laughed inwardly at Trelawney's comment before noticing Filius Flitwick jump down from his chair and bustle toward Severus with his hand outstretched.

"Pleasure to have you back among the living, Severus!"

Severus stared at Flitwick's hand before cautiously grasping it. Filius pumped his hand up and down vigorously. That was the catalyst for the rest of the teachers to rise and shake Severus' hand or give him a hug. Hermione was surprised to see a teary-eyed Hooch grab Severus and give him a bear hug. The woman was usually not the demonstrative type. After everyone on staff had given their welcome, the noise in the hall finally settled to a dull roar, which was actually quite normal for the dinner hour.

Severus settled back into his seat.

"That wasn't so bad," Hermione mused.

Severus arched an eyebrow at her. "You were not the one accosted by a gaggle of people trying to assuage their guilty consciences."

Hermione shook her head. "Oh, Severus, they are all genuinely glad to see you."

Severus harrumphed. "They're nothing but a bunch of kiss-ups," he muttered under his breath.

Hermione shook her head and muttered in an equally quiet tone, "Incorrigible."

Latin taken from Requiem mass (slightly modified):

Eternal rest give unto him and let perpetual light shine upon him.

There are a few more chapters left before we end this tale. Thanks for your wonderful reviews, and thanks to slytherinlaurel for her beta work.