Veinte Cuarto

Forbidden Obsession

Veinte Cuarto

Standing in the kitchen of the Order, waiting. Suddenly, Hermione grasped her left arm. Nodding to those around her, she was instantly Apparated somewhere. Before she could register her location, she was being pushed to the ground, her body pinned down and her mouth covered.

"Don't say one word," hissed the person. "Do you know where Snape is?" Hermione didn't respond, obeying his first directive. "The Dark Lord knows his position with the Order. Do you know where Snape is?" Hermione still didn't respond. "Stupid Mudblood," he muttered, and it was then she realized it was Draco. "Stay here. Your and Snape's deaths have been ordered." Hermione's eyes grew wide with fear. "Good, then I take it you understand." She nodded yes. Draco got off of her. He put on his mask and joined the rest of the Death Eaters who were assembling together.

Hermione rolled onto her stomach and cautiously took in her surroundings. There was a three-quarter moon out, enough to give some light, and cast an array of shadows throughout the area. About fifty meters in from of her she could see the Death Eaters, each taking their places in what she assumed was a circle, but there were too many trees to give her a clear view.

Hearing several more "pops," she stayed low. Death Eaters were still Apparating and she didn't dare reveal her presence. She closed her eyes and tried to feel Severus; she needed to know if he was near and if he was safe. Trepidation threatened to take over when she didn't feel him, but she forced herself to remain composed. 'Patience,' she told herself.

When it appeared that no more Death Eaters were going to Apparate, Hermione quietly got to her feet. Voldemort's voice was too muffled; she needed to get closer to hear what he was saying. With her wand in hand, she transfigured the color of her clothing into black to camouflage with the night, and she set off. The dry grass under her shoes crunched loudly, so she placed a silencing spell on her shoes. Approaching the circle of Death Eaters, she was only able to hear her heart pounding in her ears. She was so nervous it felt like it was going to explode out of her chest. Taking several deep breaths she forced herself to calm down. Walking closer, she listened.

"Be prepared...realization...victorious..." She still could only hear bits and parts of his conversation. If she dared get any closer, she would reveal her position. She looked closer at the circle and realized the gathering tonight was much larger than in what she previously witnessed. Standing in a large opening, the circle had three, perhaps four layers of Death Eaters. Closing her eyes again, she tried to feel for Severus. It was the next set of words that made her lose concentration.

"Albus Dumbledore..." said Voldemort. Hermione quickly looked around for Dumbledore, but realized he was only a part of the Dark Lord's conversation. Her heart rate increased again, and this time she couldn't control it. Her chest was about to explode as she stepped backwards to take cover in the trees. She felt a wave of warmth and comfort come over her as her heart rate slowed, matching the one behind her. She felt his arm slip around her waist and guide her backwards, past a small grove of trees.

'One body, one mind, one heart...' she thought.

In the moonlit night, he was able to see her eyes and into her mind, and Hermione allowed Severus in. She hid nothing from him. She even led him through her mind as he gained knowledge from the meeting and how the Order prepared for the battle. Before he left, she took him to one last memory. She showed him a vision of her in the upstairs hallway of the Number 12 Grimmauld, waiting for him to return from being summoned by Voldemort. With fear and concern displayed on her face, she waited hours for his return. And when he finally entered through the front door, a sigh of relief was spread across her face and then was replaced with a smile. The memory was from a time before he fed from her, before he possessed her. She needed him to understand that even before he possessed her, he had already consumed her thoughts.

Severus left her mind and looked back down at her. Gently he kissed her lips, knowing it would be the last time. "I love you," he whispered. He then looked in Voldemort's direction. His eyes narrowed as he focused on his objective. He looked back to Hermione and she nodded, acknowledging that she was ready, and he left.

"Tom Riddle," echoed a voice, interrupting Lord Voldemort. The Death Eaters turned in the direction it came from. It was Albus Dumbledore. He stood a several meters away from the circle, his light blue robes obvious against the darkness of the night. Several "pops" were heard as the Order Apparated on site. Albus raised his wand and placed an anti-apparation charm around them.

"Positions!" hissed Voldemort. The Death Eaters immediately formed a circle around him, facing outward.

Harry, Ron, and Tonks were on one side with Remus, Bill, and the twins on the other, and the rest of the Order spread out. Members of the Ministry were present along with the rest of the D.A., Dumbledore's Army, yet Death Eaters still outnumbered them.

"This doesn't look good, mate," Ron told Harry.

"Stand your position," said Harry. Ron nodded, holding his wand a bit higher.

Several of the Death Eaters on the outer perimeter of the circle panicked at facing Dumbledore's wand and tried to Disapparate. Their bodies were immediately bound and stunned.

"POSITIONS!" cried Voldemort. It was clear that his survival depended on his Death Eaters. Death Eaters from the inner part of the circle filled in the empty places.

"See? They fear us because we believe in our cause," said Harry. Ron exhaled and a bit of the fear left him.

"Surrender, Tom. It is over," said Albus, in a calm voice.

"You fool," spat Voldemort, "You honestly believe that I will surrender? You will need to kill me, Dumbledore... if you can. Such brutality is beneath you, correct?" With his wand raised, the Dark Lord fired the first curse. Before the spark could hit its target, the Order fired back. An array of colors lit up the night sky along with screams of curses being both thrown and received.

Hermione joined the battle, taking her place between Ron and Harry. The three stood with their backs to each other, casting curse after curse. Hermione was good at deflecting curses, which came in handy for a few of the D.A. members near her who had two or three Death Eaters attacking them at once. Just as she threw a curse at one Death Eater, a curse struck her right arm, causing her to let go of her wand.

Dropping to the ground in pain, she tried locating her wand. "Guard yourselves," she cried to Harry and Ron. They nodded and each moved so she was between them, protecting her.

"Hermione, are you okay?" cried Ron, still fighting the Death Eaters.

"My arm is cut," she said. Reaching for her wand, she placed several charms to stop the bleeding, but it didn't help. "The bleeding won't stop!"

"What kind of curse was it?" cried Harry, not taking his eyes off the battle.

"I don't know, but..." she said, cringing from the pain. "I can't get the bleeding to stop..."

"George!" cried Ron, "Fred!" The twins made their way over while battling the Death Eaters. "Hermione's hurt. She can't stop the bleeding."

"No problem, love," said George. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a special toffee. "Suck on this, love." Hermione didn't have time to argue. Taking it, she popped it into her mouth. Immediately her wound sealed itself. George smiled at her.

Jumping to her feet, she quickly cast a shield around George just as purple sparks hit it. The impact sent him back five feet, but he was unhurt. Giving her a quick wink, he and Fred were off.

The green and red sparks dominated the night sky as bodies were thrown or slain. Screams echoed in the night.

"Where is Snape?" yelled Harry.

"He will be here!" yelled Hermione. Harry nodded, hoping it would be soon.

"Keep moving this way!" he said. Ron and Hermione followed Harry who was slowly making his way toward Voldemort.

The Dark Lord was being well shielded behind his Death Eaters, which bothered Harry. He had never known Voldemort to hide during a battle. Nonetheless, Harry continued fighting. One by one, they brought down the Death Eaters, slowly making their way to the Dark Lord.

Kingsley was dueling Malfoy. Bellatrix came up behind Kingsley, nodding to Lucius and then a jet of red sparks flew from her wand and straight toward Kingsley's back. Unexpectedly Kingsley's body jerked and flew a few feet into the air before the curse could hit him.

"NO!" shrieked Bellatrix. Lucius Malfoy was on the receiving end of the curse. His mask fell off, showing his expression of shock and confusion. His knees buckled first, causing him to fall to the ground. He stared at Bellatrix, blankly, and then with no emotion he fell facedown onto the ground.

Bellatrix looked around enraged and distraught for the enemy responsible for moving Kingsley out of the way. A lone Death Eater stood with his mask removed and wand drawn.

"You little bastard!" she spat. "You just killed your father!" Draco's eyes narrowed, glaring at her. The corner of his mouth was bleeding, indicating he had been hit by a curse or two. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and then spit out a mouthful of blood at her feet.

"No, Aunt Bellatrix, I just avenged my mother's death," he sneered. Bellatrix's eyes widened and her nostrils flared. Raising her wand, she shrieked, "AVADA KEDA..."

"CRUCIO!!!" cried another voice and Bellatrix was on the ground, shaking and screaming. Draco saw who was placing the curse and smirked.

"You have to mean it when you cast it, correct, Lestrange?" sneered Longbottom. Draco gave Neville a respectful nod and returned to the battle, continuing to fight for the Order.

"This isn't working," cried Ron. "We are losing too many!"

"Harry Potter," hissed Voldemort. "It ends tonight!" The Dark Lord swept past his Death Eaters, straight for Harry. Harry grasped his wand tight, positioning himself to duel. Neither waiting for the other, both fired a curse at the same time, green against red. Since Voldemort's wand was no longer a brother to Harry's, the curses met in the middle, causing an explosion.

Voldemort quickly fired another curse, but Harry deflected it. Those who were left to fight for the Order were trying to make their way over to assist Harry. Voldemort fired several curses, killing six combatants instantly, including two of his own Death Eaters who were caught in the crossfire. The blast knocked Harry off his feet and his wand out of his hand. Voldemort quickly moved toward him to finish him off.

Suddenly, Severus appeared and entered the battle. He held no wand as he moved toward the Dark Lord.

Voldemort saw him and turned to hold his wand on Severus, and for a moment the two stared at each other, intently. Without warning, Severus rushed in with immense speed and force but, instead of defending himself, the Dark Lord lowered his wand. An arrogant grin spread across Voldemort's face as Severus grabbed him by the shoulders and head. Wasting no time, Severus sank his fangs into Voldemort's jugular.

A scream of pain was heard over the battle, causing many to stop and take notice. Voldemort was lying on this back, his limbs shaking, grasping at Severus, trying to push him off, but Severus' teeth were locked into his throat, draining him of his blood.

Fully aware that Severus had the ability to kill him by draining his blood, the Dark Lord had purposely contaminated his own blood. The two things both he and Severus shared were their desire to live and their fear of death. Voldemort was betting that once Severus tasted his tainted blood, he would have no choice but to stop drinking. But Severus was not falling back. Voldemort's expression turned from smug and arrogance to fear.

"Oh gods!" cried Hermione, collapsing to her knees. "NO! NO!" she screamed.

"What is it?" cried Harry, running over to her.

"His blood is tainted! Voldemort's blood is tainted! If Severus doesn't stop drinking, he will die too!" she cried, falling further to the ground. Harry knelt next to her, trying to help her.

Hermione rolled onto her back and her body began shaking. "Help him, please," she said in a strained voice. "Make Severus stop." Harry looked at Hermione and then back at Severus and realized her connection with him.

"If Snape dies, Hermione dies!" Harry yelled at Ron. "We have to stop him!" Together they ran toward Snape, but were stopped by two sets of hands. Kingsley grabbed onto Harry and Draco held onto Ron, preventing them from getting any closer.

"If we don't stop him, Hermione will die!" yelled Harry.

"No, she won't die," said Kingsley, struggling to hold him back. Harry did his best to escape, but Kingsley was too strong. Draco had put Ron in a chokehold, incapacitating him.

Severus had anticipated his Master taking such action and it was confirmed when the first drops of blood burned the back of his throat, yet he did not let go. Severus vowed that if anything would come out of his death, it would be for Hermione to be free. She would not be a servant of the Dark Lord, nor would she be a slave to the Order. She was going to be free.

His hand and body pinned down Voldemort's shoulders as his other hand pushed back the Dark Lord's head. Severus had to drink as much of his blood as he could to guarantee death. If he drank too little, Voldemort would become a Moroii or living vampire, like him. The blood blistered his throat and esophagus as it flowed into his body, but Severus forced himself to continue drinking. His organs began to shut down as the tainted blood passed through them, yet he continued.

"Please," Hermione whispered, "Please... I love ... you ..." she said. Her heartbeat began slowing with his... with each beat, each swallow of tainted blood, she felt him leaving her. She became very tired, and then very calm, just as everything went black.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Hermione."

"Hermione."

"Please, love, wake up."

Hermione opened her eyes to find Harry and Ron looking down at her. Quickly she sat up and looked around. Bodies were spread across the ground and those injured were being attended to by mediwitches being led by Madame Pomfrey. Her eyes scanned the grounds quickly, looking for him.

"Severus," she whispered, "Where's Severus?"

"Sorry, love," said Harry, "He didn't survive." Her eyes filled with tears and she shook her head no.

"No," she whispered. The tears spilled over and flowed down her face. "No," she said louder, "No!"

"Love, he's a hero. He died a hero," said Ron gently. Hermione looked at Ron and then Harry. Closing her eyes, she began to sob. Her two friends held her tight as she grieved.

Wiping her tears, she whispered, "Where is he?"

"Over there," said Harry, pointing to a small grove of trees. Ron helped her to her feet and together they both led her to Severus' body. Tonks and Molly were standing over him, holding each other while silently crying.

Hermione looked down to see her Severus lying on the ground. His eyes were closed, his expression solemn. She dropped to her knees, threw her arms around him and began sobbing. His body was still warm but there was no heartbeat. She cried out his name over and over, pleading for him to return to her. Letting her cry for a bit, Harry and Ron tried to pull her away, but she just yelled, telling them to leave her alone. Molly told the boys that Hermione needed time alone, so they left.

She held him with her head against his chest and wept. Her entire body was numb, except for her heart, which ached with more intensity than she had ever known possible. Her sobs were uncontrolled and her breathing erratic. She wanted to die too. She didn't want to be without him. She openly wept for the man she loved.

The next thing Hermione knew was that someone grabbed her by her hair, forcing her to sit up. Hermione came face to face with a woman who was kneeling on the other side of Severus. Her eyes were as black as the night and stared intensely at Hermione. The woman's thin, black hair hung around her cloak-covered shoulders. Still grasping Hermione by the hair the woman looked down at Severus and the back at her.

"You were his life mate." It was not a question, rather a statement. Her voice was gentle, but Hermione noted the serious tone.

"I am his life mate," corrected Hermione. There was no doubt in Hermione's tone that she would remain Severus' forever.

"No," replied the woman. "He is dead. Your bond has been broken." Even though her voice was gentle, she easily stated the facts.

"Our bond can never be broken," snapped Hermione. She was becoming angry with this woman.

"Your bond only lasts while you are both alive. My son is dead, therefore you are no longer his life mate." Hermione was shocked by her disclosure, but the woman continued, "You still cry for him. Why?"

"I love him." It was simple. The love Hermione felt for Severus was still present and was still as strong as it was with the bond.

"My son has never known love." The woman let go of Hermione's hair and moved her hand to her son's face, brushing it along his cheek. Hermione carefully watched his mother touch him. "I do love you, son," she whispered. His mother leaned further into him and gently kissed him on the cheek. "I will not deny you what is rightfully yours." She then moved her mouth to his throat and bit into his flesh.

~TBC