'It should be raining.' This was the sole thought running through Hermione's head.

But nature was not conforming to her wishes. Instead of the drenching downpour she ached for, the sun was shining, filling the world with light and saturating it with colour. The cobalt blue sky was filled with birdsong, the grass was thick and luxurious beneath her feet, and morning dew still sparkled along delicate strands of spider's silk strung beneath the trees. An ancient line rose unbidden in her mind, 'In the midst of life, we are in death.'

While a sunny day might be suitable for some occasions - weddings, barbecues, quidditch; the funeral service of Severus Snape was not one of them. In life, the man had been sombre at best, dark and moody the rest of the time. Surely the weather should reflect this? Instead of blue skies, there should be clouds, dark and forbidding. Instead of sunshine, shouldn't there be darkness? Shouldn't there be grief and remorse, rather than guilt?

'It should be raining.' Hermione thought.

She refused to look anywhere but at the casket. Should one of the few 'mourners' catch her eye for even a moment, Hermione feared that her crime would be bared for all to see, and she would be condemned for it. Or worse - thanked. Hermione was reminded of a pair of questions she had once seen in one of those stupid internet quizzes. The first was 'How many people will attend your funeral?' Nearly fifty people lined either side of the grave. It was like a bad parody of the final scene of Romeo & Juliet. Death Eaters on one side, the Order on the other. The other question in the quiz had been funny at the time. Hermione did not find it funny now: 'How many of those people will be there just to make sure you are dead?' Hermione wondered if she was the only one who recognised the irony of it. Opposing sides united in purpose.

Oh, undoubtedly there would be some genuine mourners. Dumbledore, probably. McGonagall and Pomfrey, perhaps. Hagrid's snuffling behind her left no doubt as to his feelings. The Malfoys? Rumour had it they had once been very close to Snape. There had even been hope in the Order that Snape could save Draco from his father's inevitable fate. Of course, that was not very likely to happen now, was it? Hermione felt her guilt weigh even more heavily upon her, drowning her. Like ripples in a pond, her bigotry was spreading to affect, and perhaps destroy, more than just one life. How many more?

'It should be raining.'

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A/N I know it's short, but I'm just trying to clear my head so I can sleep. 4.30 am for crying out loud. Let me sleep! For those who are wanting to know more about D's motivations in chap 1, please be patient. You'll find out soon.