Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't claim to own Harry Potter.

Chapter 1

The Great Hall of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was full to the brim with students, alumni, Ministry officials and the faculty. It was March fifteenth, the second anniversary of Lord Voldemort's final defeat. This was the celebratory ball, although it was also a time to remember those who had perished. Comparatively few of those on the side of the Light had died, and a memorial statue in honour of them was to be unveiled at sunset, when Voldemort had expired.

"In memory of all who died so that we may live in peace, I, the Minister of Magic, reveal this sculpture. If any name should be missing, feel free to inscribe it; but it was tempered with Veritaserum, so you will find that it will only accept the names of those who truly served the Light." Rufus Scrimgeour Banished the gold sheet covering the block of metal in the centre of the room.

Surprisingly for a Ministry-funded project, the statue was quite tasteful. Cast in the shape of Yggdrasil, the tree of life in Norse mythology, the names of the deceased were inscribed on the trunk, within easy view.

Severus Snape let his eyes drift over the names, his gaze pausing on those of particular note to himself:

Filius Flitwick. The diminutive part-goblin Charms teacher had felled Lucius Malfoy in the 'Final' Battle; a simple Knock Back Jinx as effective as the Killing Curse that had killed him in turn.

Cedric Diggory. As the first victim of Voldemort's second rise, his life had been cut tragically short. For a Hufflepuff, he'd been acceptable at Potions.

James and Lily Potter. Severus counted their deaths as his own fault. If he hadn't told Voldemort the part of the prophecy that he'd heard, then... someone else would have told him. Stupid as it was to blame himself, Severus had hated James. Somehow that made it harder to handle.

Emmeline Vance. Another death that was Severus's fault. Yet Albus was at equal fault as he should have taken on the role of Secret Keeper for her when Severus had informed him that Voldemort wanted her dead.

Sirius Black. That bastard had made Severus's school years a misery, yet his death hadn't made the memories any easier to bear.

Severus's roaming eyes froze as they encountered the name that he'd known would be there, yet to see it still made his heart skip a beat. Hermione Granger. If she hadn't atomised herself in the act of doing the same to Voldemort, she would perhaps have been Mrs. Snape by now (or perhaps Granger Snape, with or without a hyphen; they'd never discussed the matter). The inclusion of her name on this monument was no surprise considering the Ministry had lauded her as a heroine, something that would not have happened had she lived. As a Necromancer, the Ministry had wanted her dead.

'Well, they got their wish. It's been two years...regardless of what my ring indicates, I don't think she can return, however much I hope she will.'

After extracting the object in question from one of his pockets, Severus inspected it for what seemed the millionth time. The gemstone set into the platinum band still glowed faintly white. Were Hermione alive, it would glow brightly. Yet if she were truly gone, it wouldn't glow at all. Crafted from his feelings for her, he'd given it to her as an engagement ring. It was the only remnant of her that he cared to keep with him at all times.

"Oh, Severus, you're not still mooning over that Granger girl are you?" The delicate tones of Narcissa Malfoy came from just behind him.

Ignoring the demands of polite society, Severus kept his back to Lucius's widow. She'd been after him ever since her late husband was barely cold in his grave and her release from Azkaban following her conviction after Voldemort's defeat. At first she pursued him out of fear that she'd be rearrested, and then out of the desire to have a hero of the Light as a husband. The use of Legilimency had revealed that she had no true affection for him, just for his Order of the Merlin (only Second Class for his considerable pains over the years, possibly due to the fact that he'd been out cold when Voldemort vanished. Had he not suffered a far greater loss, that slight might hurt more).

"What business is that of yours, Widow Malfoy?" he sneered, his voice cold enough to freeze anyone else in their tracks. Anyone living, that is.

"Now, Severus my love, you always used to call me Narcissa. What changed that?" the infernal social butterfly asked, laying her hand on his arm, which he shook off instantly.

"Don't lie to me, Widow Malfoy, you care nothing for me. It's my status as a war hero that you desire. As for Hermione, I told you before; I fully intend to wait for her. Even if it means waiting for my own death."

"She's not coming back. She'd want you to move on!"

"You don't know that. Even if she did, I highly doubt you're who she'd have in mind."

Narcissa breathed deeply for a few moments, her face doubtless flushed red with annoyance. "It's not healthy to mourn for the rest of your life. If you really don't want me, fine. According to Lucius's will, I am to remarry within a thousand and one nights of his death. He didn't want me to be alone. This is your last chance for my hand, Severus. It's not as if I don't have other options. Well?"

"By all means, find yourself your trophy, Narcissa. As long as it's not me, I'll give you my best wishes." 'I witnessed Lucius's will. He actually forbid her remarrying, but I'm not about to draw notice to her forgery.'

With a strangled unladylike grunt of rage, Narcissa flounced off. Severus turned to see her approach Percy Weasley (Order of Merlin, Third Class; how the ambitious prig had wrangled that was a mystery), who couldn't seem to meet her eyes as she spoke to him, unable to get past her cleavage.

"Hah! They deserve each other," he scoffed.

"Now, Severus, no one should wish a, er, lady of Narcissa Malfoy's qualities on anyone." Albus had snuck up on him. There'd be no running the Headmaster off in quite the same way. "I happened to overhear her comments to you, and I must say that she is right. Not even a Necromancer can come back from..."

"I know! Albus, we've had this conversation many times before. But I won't stop hoping. I can't."

"Why do you cling to a fruitless hope? What reason is there for your desperation?"

"This!" Severus shoved the hand clutching the ring under Albus's nose. He'd never shown anyone the source of his hopes before, in case the act would destroy the glow.

"That's the engagement ring you made for her, isn't it? Severus, you know better than anyone that when the glow is gone, so is your beloved."

"What? Can't you see? The glow, it... NO!" The glow had faded, leaving the gemstone dull. "It had a faint glow. She wasn't gone completely. There was still a chance..." Severus's face fell. He could feel his heart deadening with every beat.

"Dear boy, she's been gone for two years now. It's high time that you accept this. Your imagination must have been playing a cruel trick on you."

"No. Leave me alone, Albus," Severus snarled, stalking off as he closed his hand around the treacherous ring. His robes billowed around him as he made his way to the Whomping Willow, where Voldemort had been scattered into his component atoms. He'd avoided this part of the castle grounds, as his rooms were bad enough when coping with the void of Hermione's absence.

The Whomping Willow's usually flailing branches suddenly stilled as a bright flash lit up the surrounding area. For a moment Severus thought that there had been a lightning strike, but the sunset was unblocked by clouds. Hardly daring to hope, he unclenched his fist from the ring. The bright glow of the gemstone lit up his face.

"At last..." he breathed, looking up to cast his searching gaze around. Yet he couldn't see Hermione anywhere. "Hermione? Where are you?"

"Severus, you must let go... oh, my. Merlin's patched socks... it seems, my boy, that you were right." Albus had followed him outside, unwilling to let the matter rest.

"Where is she? The ring shows that she's back, but... she's not here."

"The wards would have set off every alarm in the castle if she'd come back within the grounds. Do you have any idea where she was born?" Albus asked, stroking his beard as he thought upon the matter.

"A Muggle hospital in Oxford, I think. Why? Do you think she's been resurrected in her birth place?"

"It's possible. I'd also guess that she may reappear wherever her parents' remains lie. That does seem to be the tradition..."

"Either place is where someone needs to be. Muggles frequent both... I hope you're ready for multiple Memory Charms. I'll take the cemetery, I know where it is." Severus immediately marched off in the direction of the gates to be able to Apparate.

"As it happens, I know where the probable hospital is. Fawkes!" Albus called after the Potions master, vanishing in a flash of flame as his phoenix familiar arrived.

From within a blade of grass... torn away from the yearly rush of rising sap in a semi-sentient tree... bacteria twitching in the moist soil, shivering in a burst of pain as something vital is taken from them... tumbling specks of pollen swirling in the wind, dispersed further by the passage of something unseen... plant roots splitting with the escaping nutrients... atom by scattered atom, they come when they are called by the inexorable force exerted...

Atoms become cells, cells become organs, bones snap together, muscles interweave, skin slips over, hair grows... all within the light of the reverse of a supernova... Mind, body and soul are brought together again in one confusing, jarring moment...

'I... what? Where? Who? How? I don't understand...' Bewilderment predominant in my mind, I gasped for breath. 'How long has it been since I last drew breath?' My newly regenerated body fell to its knees, trembling. 'So cold...' Awareness of my lack of clothes was the next thing to occur, together with the realisation that there was no means for me to remedy the matter. I wrapped my arms around myself, although that didn't make much difference.

I opened my eyes, closing them almost instantly, unaccustomed to light, even the dying light of the sun. Before I could blink them open gradually, they snapped open in surprise as someone threw a covering over me, hands resting on my shoulders.

A man crouched before me, clad in a black coat and trousers. His face distinctive with strong features and a large hooked nose, shoulder length black hair falling forward into equally dark eyes.

"Hermione..." he murmured my name with a voice like melting dark chocolate, his hands drifting from my shoulders to cup my face, thumbs stroking my cheeks, the callused pads near the edges of my lower lip.

"Hermione!" his voice cracked on my name as he repeated it, a look of fear moving across his rugged features as he struggled to find some light of recognition in my eyes. I know him, he's important to me... as more of my memories surface, I know I love him, but I can't seem to speak. Severus. Severus Snape, that's his name. Now, if only I could get the words out of my mouth.

Severus's face crumpled, a lone, bitter tear streaking down his face from the corner of one eye. "Hermione, please. Remember me." His pained eyes stared beseechingly at me, but no sound escaped my lips as I tried to speak.

If my voice wouldn't cooperate, maybe my body would. I leant forward, untangling my arms from under the heavy woollen cloak covering me and threw them around Severus's neck, bringing our lips together in a kiss that quickly deepened.

Someone groaned, possibly me but I can't be certain; I was not terribly sure of anything at that moment, least of all anything to do with my physical state of being. I was aware of Severus's warm hands pulling me towards him, clutching me to his chest as he nipped my lower lip, his tongue gaining access to my mouth.

I had just enough warning to jerk away from him as a wave of pure pain descended on me. My teeth nicked my own tongue instead of his as my insides felt as though they were being rearranged by a wannabe doctor without anaesthetic. I bit back a scream as the torment increased beyond Cruciatus standards; far easier than it sounds as pain that great robs the ability to cry out. I was vaguely aware of my eyes rolling back, my vision blanking out as darkness claimed me once again. There's only so much the human body can take, after all. My shaky sense of awareness faded, Severus's voice ringing in my ears.

AN: Betaed by LadySunflower. Thank you!