A Simple Gesture

Disclaimer: It all belongs to JKR. May she always be able to find paper.

AN: We're running out of ways to thank each other it seems, Ariadne. I can only dedicate moments to you. The end is for you.

"What happened?" Hermione gasped, trying to catch her breath as she reached the castle gates.

When Narcissa only sneered at her and the figure Hermione assumed was Draco remained silent, Hermione raged, "ANSWER ME!"

"This doesn't concern you," Narcissa said, looking at her with disgust. Draco shifted his feet, seemingly detached from the situation.

Hermione drew her wand and thrust it through the gates at Narcissa's throat. "Anything that concerns Severus concerns me," she said dangerously.

"Hermione, NO!" a hurrying voice yelled.

Harry grabbed Hermione's arm and forced it down, thinking, oddly, how only days ago their roles were reversed. An expression of pure hatred passed over his face at the sight of what he assumed was Draco standing serenely next to his mother.

Before he could say anything, however, Minerva arrived, severely out of breath.

With a hand on Hermione's shoulder, Minerva stated,"There will be no hostility here. Narcissa and Draco have entered into an agreement with Severus, and we shall honor that until he returns."

Minerva stepped closer to the gates and asked, "Now, Narcissa? Care to tell us what has happened?"

Looking irritated, Narcissa said, "My sister arrived and..."

"You set him up! I knew it was nothing but a trap!" Hermione interrupted. Harry, meanwhile, was angrily fingering his wand, his eyes fixed on Draco.

Minerva hurriedly motioned for Hermione to calm herself and asked, "Please continue. And?"

With an air of someone who had been rudely interrupted, Narcissa explained with a look of regret, "I did not tell Bella that Severus would be there. I swear it."

Glancing at Draco, Narcissa said sadly, "That must have been Lucius' doing. She arrived just as Dobby obtained the cup. A duel broke out, and at one point Severus stood between us, ordering us to leave and return here. They were still fighting when we left."

Her arrogant expression changed considerably. Minerva thought she looked extremely worn and in shock at what her husband had done.

"How long ago was this?" Minerva asked, remaining remarkably polite.

"No more than ten minutes," Narcissa said, visibly struggling to avoid angering her new hosts. Somehow in those few minutes the realization that she and Draco were both fugitives and branded as traitors had hit her. As the mansion was no longer safe, they had joined the ranks of the homeless, as well.

Nodding, Minerva turned to Harry as Remus and Tonks arrived. "Ah, Remus, Nymphadora, if you would please escort Mrs. Malfoy and Draco to the castle? They will not require their wands."

Minerva turned to Hermione. "You may wait for Severus here, but you cannot leave. Is that clear?"

"But..."

"Hermione..." she said warningly, then softened her gaze.

Minerva weighed her options. Part of her wanted to send help directly to the mansion, and the other resolved to wait and heed Severus' request to let him handle it alone. She knew the mansion's grounds were probably protected from outside intruders. Any help would need to figure out how to Apparate nearby or take either Narcissa or Draco back with them. She would give him twenty minutes. No more.

Hermione helped pull the gates open to allow Draco and his mother entrance. As Draco passed by, she gazed at his hooded robes and wondered what exactly Voldemort had done to him for his failure. She roughly pushed the thought of Severus being captured aside as she closed the gates. Resting her head on the bars, she remembered her thoughts on the night when he tried to return to Voldemort, hoping to spy once more.

She only allowed herself to cry once they were gone.

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"Are you still trying to win?" Severus sneered as Bella struggled to rise. "You have an overdeveloped sense of vengeance. It's going to get you in trouble someday."

"Do you honestly think for a minute that I don't know enough Dark magic to be able to protect myself? After your laughable Binding Spell failed, I simply waited," Bella hissed, her eyes dark with rage.

"Pity. To think, I was already considering which robes I was going to wear to your funeral," he drawled.

Bella screamed, "CRUCIO!" stumbling through the sea of broken wood and carpet, swinging her free arm awkwardly. The spell exploded brick around Severus' head as he ducked. Although it caused him considerable pain, Severus began to laugh, which served to infuriate Bella even more.

"Do not laugh at me!" she screeched, throwing another spell blindly as she staggered through the tangle of wood and plaster. As Severus dodged, it struck and blew apart a dresser that clearly had experienced an unscheduled move to the ground floor.

The flames had moved to a nearby staircase, methodically consuming each stair leading up to nothing. The wind shifted, guiding the smoke through the wreckage, diverting it past thin shards of walls, still stubbornly standing, albeit at angles that defied gravity.

Severus threw several spells at Bella as she stalked him, climbing over the remnants of what once had been a sitting room. Almost falling forward over an upended table, Bella weakly deflected them. Bolts shot wildly into the air to arc in different directions, eventually falling to add to the destruction. While she tried to recover, Severus threw several Disarming Spells as he passed the staircase, grasping the banister as he made his way around.

He glanced back at her, and a spell barely missed his head as Bella laughed in her trademark, high-pitched voice.

His memories of that laughter drove Severus near mad with rage, and he threw himself out before her. Staring into her surprised face, Severus began casting an unavoidable number of spells. He advanced methodically, his head lowered, eyes fixed on her.

Bella's laughter ended in a strangled scream as she stumbled backwards over broken floor boards and the torn upholstery of what must have been an armchair. Without stopping, Severus continued the barrage with complete hatred in his eyes, his frustration increasing as she frantically blocked him.

Streaks of light rebounded in all directions, coloring the thickening smoke like lightning, blasting any remaining walls into sheets of flaming wallpaper and crashing into the upper treads of the staircase, twisting it at an impossible angle.

With a tremendous crack, the staircase surrendered and swung over onto its side, throwing burning pieces of wood into the air. As it fell between them, Severus heard Bella scream as she scrambled to avoid being crushed or burned as it dragged the flames down with it.

Quickly, Severus threw a Stunner, blindly arcing it over the fallen staircase. At the same moment, Bella also cast, staring in horror as the two spells bounced off each other.

The rebounding spell flashed bright red as it passed, singeing some of Severus' hair. Snarling, he swung his wand and threw a Disarming Spell, hoping to keep her away while his eyes readjusted. A distant portion of his mind noted that it was increasingly harder to breathe through the heavy smoke.

Looking up, he was astonished to see her wand flying upwards, end over end. He called it to his waiting hand before she could react.

In a heartbeat he was upon her, shoving his wand at her throat, daring her to make a move.

Silence. The only sounds the fall of disintegrating wood, the rhythmic crackle of hungry fire, and the panting of two souls consumed by as much hatred as the world had ever known love.

Attempting some semblance of pride, Bella sneered, "Severus... we can avoid this... What do you want? I can give you power, money... Return to us... I can speak to the Dark Lord..."

Severus narrowed his eyes and ground his teeth. When she shifted slightly, he drove his wand deeper, anchoring it down where her collarbones met. He bared his teeth in satisfaction when she raised her head and grimaced.

"No. Something I should have demanded the first time I killed you. You will tell me the location of another Horcrux."

"I don't have that type of information. The Dark Lord does not..." Bella started, holding her hands up.

"CRUCIO!" Severus roared without hesitation. Enjoying the sound of her screams, Severus took the time to admire how the sun shone through the smoky clouds before releasing the curse.

"Care to elaborate?" he asked politely, watching her shake from the curse's effects with far too much satisfaction.

"You – you will need to kill me first you bastard! I remained faithful in Azkaban; I can resist you!" Bella stuttered.

"Fine. If you insist," Severus said in a bored voice, knowing it was her last chance at a show of defiance.

As he raised his wand again, Bella quickly held a hand up in surrender. He stood patiently as she caught her breath, leaning awkwardly against what once was a serving table.

"There is one hidden – at the Riddle house," she admitted, hating him.

"Not good enough, Bella," he sneered and, staring into her eyes, whispered, "Legilimens."

The rage at his entrance was crushing. Severus fought to move further and then saw what he was looking for. The image of a bronze eagle hidden in a trunk swam to the surface. It appeared to be in basement from the looks of the nearby earthen walls.

Withdrawing from her mind, he said without emotion, "Perfect."

The wind rose sharply, sliding the curtain of smoke aside, clearing their view of each other. Staring directly into her eyes, Severus raised his wand.

A weak voice. "No..."

"Ah, Bella," Severus said tauntingly, "requesting the same mercy that the Longbottoms received? Then I shall happily oblige."

Bella's eyes widened as she grasped what he had just said.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

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Within minutes, Hermione had exhausted herself from crying and had resigned herself to a frantic combination of worry and anger. The logical part of her brain took over. Something terrible has happened... What if Bella tipped off the Death Eaters – or worse yet, Voldemort? I should be there to help!

While resting her head on the bars, she said aloud, "I love him so. Even when he's being a completely arrogant bastard."

"Well, that certainly is refreshing," a silky voice drawled.

"Severus!" Hermione cried, pulling the gates open and rushing at him. Before he could warn her, she grasped him around the middle, forcing him to stifle a groan. Not caring about the pain, he returned her embrace.

Hermione took hold of his robes and pulled him down to kiss him with a fire usually reserved for those returning from a long war rather than from a short afternoon mission.

"I couldn't bear to think..." Hermione said, looking up at him. He somehow looked much older and worn.

"You doubted my promise?" he said softly, pushing her hair behind one ear.

"No, but when they returned without you, I thought..." Hermione said with grief at the thoughts that had run through her mind.

"Hermione, I will always return to you. I no longer have a choice in the matter," he said with a faint smile, trailing a finger around the curve of her neckline.

At her questioning look, he leaned in close and, pausing before kissing her, said, "This is true love. A bond stronger than any vow or life debt. There is no spell or potion that can recreate this, and no one outside of the two of us can break its bond."

Hermione looked dumbstruck at his words, staring into his eyes. After her silence stretched on, he grinned. "Am I not allowed to be poetic?"

She shook her head slowly, saying, "No, it's not that. You don't normally..."

"Express myself?" he said, breathing softly on her neck. He brushed her hair out of the way and leaned to leave kisses behind her ear. A nagging voice told him he should seek Poppy to tend to his wounds, but he pushed that aside for now. Nothing could keep him from this.

"Yes, well... oh," she mumbled distractedly as all of the tension she was bound in dissolved in his arms. She released a breath she didn't realize she had been holding.

Placing a hand on his chest, she felt the tear in his robes and noticed the blood.

"You're..." she managed to gasp before he stopped her with a deep passionate kiss. They moved in sync, kissing with a strong burning need before receding back to soft gentle expressions of affection.

Reluctantly breaking the kiss for air, he said dismissively, "I am fine."

Hermione frowned slightly, fingering the tear in his robes. As she moved her hand further in, he flinched and pulled back.

"'Fine', you say?" she said doubtfully.

Growling, he pulled her close and held her almost painfully tight. His hand moved up into her hair, splaying it out to hold her head, insisting she relinquish control. His breath on her throat, murmuring soft words, strung together for their pure tone, almost a song, their only purpose to drive her nearly mad with the vibration of his voice, long distant thunder, the promise of rain.

In a ragged breath, he rasped, "Fine enough."

Hermione rested her forehead on his shoulder, astonished that she was still standing. "Even now, you're incorrigible."

"Would you have me any other way?" he asked, grinning devilishly against her hair.

Hermione said laughingly, "Of course not; now let's go."

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At the sight of Severus entering the headmistress' office, everyone rose to their feet. He strode past them all, directly towards Minerva's desk.

Severus only looked to Minerva and asked, "The cup?"

Minerva said quickly, hoping to allay his fears, "Alastor has stored it safely in the Room of Requirement until it can be destroyed."

"And our guests?"

"Are being looked after quite confidently by Tonks and Remus," Minerva said.

Uncomfortable with all eyes upon him, Severus scanned the room. One eyebrow rose slightly when he spotted Neville looking at him with fearful eyes.

"Ah, Mr. Longbottom..." Severus said, walking over to him.

"Y–Yes, sir?" Neville stuttered, looking panicked as if he had forgotten his assignment.

Harry's face had a protective look, as if he were expecting Severus to pick on Neville.

Hermione sat next to Harry, placing her hand on his and offering a slow shake of her head.

"Mr. Longbottom, I think you deserve to have this," Severus said and handed something to him.

The room fell silent.

Several heads turned to exchange significant glances.

Neville hesitantly took a wand from Severus' hand and held it, a confused expression spreading over his face. Daring to move his eyes up to his former Potions master's face, he said, "Sir?"

"Mr. Longbottom, the reason I am giving you that is because it represents a long overdue act of justice that occurred today. That wand belonged to one Bellatrix Black Lestrange."

Neville's eyes widened as he absorbed Snape's words.

With a touch of pride, Severus stated, "Yes, she is dead, as is only fitting. Trust me when I say she did not die well."

Minerva gasped softly, placing a hand to her face. Molly and Arthur shared a sad look, remembering how Neville's parents had been driven insane by the Cruciatus Curse in an attack led by Bella.

Neville swallowed hard before finding his voice. "Thank you, sir."

"You're welcome, Mr. Longbottom. It is – a simple gesture," Severus said in what almost was an apologetic tone. It was all he could offer.

Neville looked up at Severus, still in awe in what he had done.

"It is, you see, an honor, a symbol of retribution," Severus said with sincerity.

Neville stared at the wand in disbelief, holding it across his palms. He glanced up at Severus before passing his gaze around the room. What he found was complete silence and all eyes on him.

Molly sniffed softly and held a hand to her chest as Arthur placed an arm around her shoulder.

Severus stepped back and nodded to Neville, who stood slowly, grasped both ends of the wand, held it up and snapped it in two.

AN: "You have an overdeveloped sense of vengeance. It's going to get you in trouble someday," ~The Princess Bride.