One: Tragedy: Hermione
The Ministry owl arrived late at night, on a rainy Sunday half an hour before Harry and Ron arrived to give me the worst news of my life: Severus Snape, my first real love, my best friend, and the father of my children Brandon and Richard, was dead.
I invited my two childhood friends into the parlor, and they sat down as I had the house elves bring us tea. I was wearing a modest black satin robe over a simple white satin nightgown, and my hair was a complete mess.
"Hermione," Harry said carefully, "I'm sorry to have to come here to tell you that the mission against rooting out Yaxley's gang failed, but--"
"Snape was like super brave, Mione,' really. He got us out, and told you not to worry," Ron put in. Harry elbowed his auror partner hard in the ribs.
"Thank you, Ron! Can you go back to headquarters? I will handle this," Harry said sharply.
"But Harry--"
"Now."
"I...Yeah, I'll go. I'm so sorry, Hermione," Ron said sadly as he used my fireplace to go back to the auror office.
When Ron was gone, Harry finished his tea, and set his cup aside. He took my hand in his, and said softly, "Hermione, Snape fought bravely, very bravely. Ron was right, he got us out of the old Riddle mansion before Yaxley's goons could overwhelm us, but I..." Harry began to cry. "Gods, Hermione, they didn't just kill him, but they beat him to a bloody pulp."
My hands trembled as I tried to drink my tea. It fell through my fingers and crashed to the ground. "Oh, gods!" I sobbed. "Oh, Harry, my gods, I know my sons are grown but Bran just had a little girl, and he was looking forward to Severus visiting the new baby."
"You knew didn't you?"
"The owl arrived before you did."
Harry nodded, his face sad and remorseful. "Of course. I know you loved him, but he's gone, and I know that nothing can bring him back, but you have to try to live for your sons, Mione.' They need you."
I nodded, but I just couldn't process the loss quite yet. Severus Snape, the man I first met as my teacher, and who I never thought that I had a chance in hell with, the man I slowly fell in love with over the years, was dead. Dead by his former comrade's hands.
"Thank you, Harry," I mumbled. "For being the one to tell me. I know that Ron would have mucked it up. I suppose that you can't tell me the particulars of how it happened."
"Do you want me to?"
"Yes." I had to know. For some reason, I wanted that level of closure by knowing exactly how my husband died. "Please, Harry. I deserve to know how my husband was murdered."
Harry cleared his throat. "Well, you know that we brought him on as backup for taking down Yaxley's gang initially, right?"
"Yes, go on."
"Well, we hit them discreetly as Snape suggested, but Ron, being Ron just charged in there and got himself captured. Why, I don't know. But I think he did it as a way to distract the deatheaters from me and Snape getting the drop on them. Hermione, he was fierce in protecting us, truly. I had never seen such bravery in my life, and I thought he was brave when he spied for Voldemort on the Order's behalf.
"Anyways, they took us all captive, and Snape agreed to stay behind, if only they would let us escape, since he was the target of these last attacks. I insisted on staying behind, and watched as they hit him all at once with crucios, and his own invented curse sectemsempra. If Kingsley and the other aurors didn't show up just in time, I would be dead as well."
"Can I see him?"
"It...Hermione it's gruesome."
"I don't care!" I snapped. "What if you lost Ginny?! Wouldn't you want to see her body? I don't expect you to understand, but I need to see Severus. I need the reality that he is dead and gone. Please, Harry."
Harry sighed in resignation. "I'm not supposed to show you the body. Nor was I supposed to tell you what actually happened. The official story is going to be that it was an accidental death, and minimize just how heroically Snape died."
I got up and began to pace restlessly. "Of course, they will minimize it. My husband will always be maligned by many in the eyes of the public. Not even the Order of Merlin medal is enough for them. Even my sons have gone through their share of bullying when they were at Hogwarts, even though they were in Slytherin."
Harry nodded. "I understand. Well, get dressed and I will take you to the morgue. Do you need to call your sons?"
"Yeah, just let me get my phone."
I rushed upstairs, glad that I had something to occupy my mind instead of wallowing in my sadness the way I felt like doing.
I called up first Richard, and he answered in a sleepy voice. "M-Mom? Wha..." He yawned loudly. "What's going on? It's like 5:30 AM."
I took a deep breath and said, "Honey, I need you to come to England. Your father...he...um, well, he's dead."
Richard breathed heavily. "Fuck. Was it that fucker Dolohov? Or Yaxley? I'll kill them both and--"
"Shut up, Rich!" I snapped. "You will do no such thing. Under no circumstances do I want you seeking revenge for this. I need you back here in England right now. I don't care what whorehouse you're laying your head down right now."
"Mom, for the billionth time," Richard explained. "I'm a Dominant at Trixies in LA. The girls come to me to...you know what? Nevermind, I am not going to go into full details about my job. I am part owner of the club, and I make a damned good living. So, judge me all you want, but dad didn't have a problem with my job."
"Girls still pay you for sex."
"Ugh, they pay the club. Big difference. I'm leaving now, alright? I'll be there in say, five minutes. You want to call Bran, or do I do it?" Richard asked. I could hear him in the background putting on clothes.
"I will do it."
"Okay, I'll see you soon, mom."
Richard hanged up on his end, and I scrolled through my contact list. My thumb hovered over Lucius Malfoy's name before continuing on to Brandon Snape, my second born, and much more gifted at his father's ability to compartmentalize his emotions, due to his legilimency and occlumency skills.
Brandon answered on the second ring and he said wearily, "I had a feeling about this. Is dad available to be viewed?"
"Yes."
"Okay, I will call Uncle Lucius."
"Bran, really that's not--"
"Mom, it is necessary. Look, I get it. You've never seen eye to eye with the Malfoys because of your own past, but mom, Lucius and dad were like brothers, he deserves to be informed of his oldest friend's passing."
I wiped at my tears. I had no wish to see the Malfoys, but my son spoke the truth: Severus and Lucius were like brothers, and my son's godfather.
"Very well, call them," I said with resignation. "I am going to the Ministry now."
"I will tell Rose now."
"Thanks, Bran."
"No problem. Love you, mom."
"I love you too, son."
I hanged up, and then turned off my phone. I got dressed and tamed my hair. I didn't bother with makeup, I was a grieving widow now, after all. Why should I look perfect? I had lost a big piece of my life, so my appearance should reflect that.
When I was ready to go, Harry was waiting for me, and he was talking to my son Brandon. Brandon dressed in black wizard robes that looked almost exactly like Severus. The sight hurt my heart, but I never said so, because I was now working on autopilot by this point. We all used the floo network one by one, and as soon as Harry led us to the morgue, I met with Richard.
Both sons hugged me tight, and we did not speak, there was no need to, after all. Draco and Lucius Malfoy soon met up with us, and the tension was tense until Lucius approached me and embraced me tightly.
"I came as soon as I could," Lucius said sadly. "I would have been there, but Severus insisted that he could take care of it. Do you want me to come with you to identify him?"
I didn't want to be anywhere near Malfoy senior, but I knew that Severus would have wanted him there, so I let him around me for my husband's sake alone.
"Yes, he would want you there," I replied. "Just...just don't touch me. I don't trust you, and I'm not ready to forgive you for the war."
"Understood. Are you ready?"
"No, but I have to be."
Harry led us into the sterile morgue, and that was what made me break into tears upon seeing Severus's body at long last...
