Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Note: It's been a long time since I updated this story and I am so happy to finally bring it to an end. I am so sorry it took so long, at the same time I was not ready to write it. Now, with a little holiday time, it's great to move forward and bring it to a close. I will, in the future, make some changes and flesh this story out. Thanks for reading and being patient.

Epilogue – Securing a Future at Great Cost

The fire crackled and flickered in the fireplace bringing both light and warmth to his cold dungeon classroom. Severus Snape pinched the bridge of his nose as he read the horrid summer reports done by his 3rd, now 4th year students. It seemed like every year there were more than a few dunderheads in the bunch and those made his job all the more difficult.

"Papa, do you have a moment?" Her voice always lifted his mood whether she knew it or not. He looked up from his papers to see the budding young woman that was indeed his daughter Scarlett, now in her second year at Hogwarts. She was tall and thin like he had been at 13 with thick black curly hair. He was thankful she had inherited her looks from her mother, which somehow made her wear her large distinguished nose he had gifted her better than he did. Her eyes were a vibrant gold color that made them stand out against her dark hair and light skin. She would be a beautiful woman one day, that much he knew. Scarlett was smart as well, more than that she was wise beyond her years. She was headstrong like her mother had been and yet, knew how to turn situations to her advantage as he did. She'd been sorted into Ravenclaw and all the better, he would not have wanted her a Slytherin or a Gryffindor – either one would have been painful.

Her eyes were expectant. "Of course my dear, but then you must go to bed, it's very late."

She made her way across the room, through the school desks and up to his at the front. She had basically grown up there and had the room so well mapped in her mind, that she did not need much light to navigate it. She held a book in her hands, "The History of Magic." It was something about how she clutched the book to her chest that tipped him off as to what she would ask. All these years, and he was still not ready for it, not even now.

"Can you tell me how mother died?" She was tense as she asked the question, not knowing what to expect from him. Severus could not claim he was the perfect or even the most fair of parents, but he had done well considering the circumstances. He could not escape the question forever that much had been clear. Certainly they had been learning about Hermione in school and every child and teacher in the school knew who she was. Severus sighed deeply, buying himself a moment to consider how he might approach her request.

"Are you too old to come sit on my knee?" In that moment he would need her close if he wanted to tell the story without too much emotion. He needed her more than she knew.

Scarlett smiled and shook her head. She came over, placed the book on his desk and seated herself on his knee, as she had done when she was a child. It was rare that her father coddled her in any way. Strange that he would ask for such closeness and yet, it somehow fit the moment. She had never asked much about her mother, she had never needed to ask. She had had him and Aunt Matilda and she needed no one else – but now, as her teachers spoke about her in all her classes, as she was elevated to almost the status of a God, her curiosity about the woman she had never met had grown.

Severus looked into her eyes, they were so much like her mother's, full of curiosity and life. This is going to be harder than I thought.

"Your mother, was a very powerful witch. Perhaps the most powerful to ever walk among us." He paused to see if she was following, her nod propelled him further. "The peace that we are experiencing now, the order of the world was different many years ago. Your mother and I fought very hard to restore that order and her sacrifice has brought us the freedoms and peace that we have today." Severus looked at his daughter matter of factly knowing that this would never be enough to satisfy her, but deeply hoping it would. He had not said her name out loud since her death, hardly looked at a photo. I would still sacrifice everything to have her back.

Scarlett cocked her head to the side, not sure how to continue. "But how did she die? There is all this talk about great sacrifice and martyrdom and nobody every says how?" She could not cover the plea in her voice. She was not one to be lied to or deceived and she could not have it from her father most of all.

A sigh escaped Severus' lips as he looked at her. He could not disappoint her nor could he lie to her – she was very much like her mother this way. "Before your mother was born there were two factions in the Wizarding world, The Order run by Albus. . . "

"Uncle Albus?" Scarlet asked curiously.

Oh how his story will hurt her, oh how this knowledge will pain her. "Yes. We were fighting to protect muggles and 'for the greater good' some would say. There were also the Death Eaters run by Lord Voldemort. His goal was to exterminate Muggles in anyway possible." Scarlett wrinkled her nose at this thought. These kinds of hatreds had almost been erased since she had come into this world, thanks to her mother thanks to. . .

He continued, "After the unexpected death of Lord Voldemort I took over as leader of the Death Eaters and began to lead them down the path of enlightenment that we both know so well. However not all were so convinced of this, Albus for one made it his mission to have both me and your mother murdered." That's not something you will be taught in school, Severus thought to himself.

"But how could he want to do that?" Scarlett's voice was strained, confused at what he had just said. She loved her uncle dearly and could not understand how he could have a hateful bone in his body.

Severus put his hand on hers and looked at her, waiting for her to calm. "Albus was very sick, a dark curse had entered his body. It was slowly devouring him, changing him, making him think and do things he normally would not." Yet I can still never forgive him for what he did to her.

Looking back he should have seen it coming, he should have anticipated what she had had planned. Oh Hermione, he fought back tears just thinking her name, I was so happy and in love that I could not see what you had planned. I could not conceive that it would come to an end. I deceived myself for so long and so much. . . . and I lost you.

They had been three years married, fighting the Order, teaching the old ways to a population ready to reconcile and move on. Hermione had reached the height of her power then, she had taught restraint and shown fairness. She had tapped into the raw power that all wizards and witches were fed from. She could bend magic to her will, teach you how to use it better, tolerance and breadth had been taught. It had been the most trying and yet the happiest time of his life. That had kept him off his guard, kept him complacent.

She'd woken up one night, sat straight up in bed and said, "I know how to save him."

Severus had shot up in bed, wand in hand.

"I know how to save him," she repeated.

"What on earth are you talking about?" he asked, putting his wand down and relaxing his body.

"Albus." She said with a grin. "I know how to break the curse, how to set things right again."

At that time it had not registered as odd in his mind. He had wrapped her in his arms and pulled her back into bed. Oh if I had known, I would have done everything to convince you otherwise. And yet, you were driven by a higher power. . . . .

In all honesty he had forgotten this little exchange, life had moved on. Scarlett came into their lives and she had been a joy. Hermione had been so happy to bring her into the world. The fighting had been dying down, they were winning and with that came sense of security. Six months after the birth of their daughter they had decided to do something they would not normally do, go to Florish and Blotts to find some books.

It had been a light and crisp afternoon in autumn. The kind of day that made one look hopefully toward the change of seasons. In the last years it had been rare for them to leave the security of their home, it has served as both a command center for their activities and as a makeshift prison. He could remember the excitement on her face as they walked through the small streets of Diagon Alley. It was as if the last six years of hardship had not happened, that they had not had to fight, kill and be killed. It was as if they were getting ready to start another year at Hogwarts, before all the pandemonium of war had broken out, before the world had gone crazy.

By this time their little 'cult' had gained many more supporters than the Order had. They had talked about moderation, understanding, the need to complement the magic of light with the dark arts. The acceptance that one could not exist without the other, the need to understand both had been so well received that, for the most part, harmony had been brought back to wizarding kind. Yes there were skirmishes between their closest protectors and those who still served the Order. Albus' perverted view that any acceptance of the Dark Arts would only bring imbalance to the world had moved some to keep their allegiances to him and with that, there was still some danger. Particularly to Hermione, who had championed their supposedly opposing cause through the sort of power that scared wizards who did not understand it.

Despite the many dangers that still persisted, Severus had woken up that morning and felt good about the day. He had been more than happy to give into his wife's request to get out of the house, to stretch their legs and to be together. Every time he looked back on how Hermione had kissed their daughter goodbye, how she had held the girl in her arms he felt stupid for thinking only, Motherhood suits her and it's not like we won't return before the evening falls. He and Hermione had left their home, meandered the back alleys of Diagon Alley and walked right into a trap.

There were five of them, six if you included Albus.

"Uncle Albus was there? He was one of them?" Scarlett was shocked, her body tensed her mouth opened.

"Yes." Was the only answer Severus gave before continuing.

They had fought them as they had fought others so many times before this time. He had pulled his wand and began to attack and counterattack with the skill of a well seasoned wizard. Hermione had used her mind, she didn't need anything else. She bent curses around her body to deflect them, she spoke inside the heads of her opponents trying to reason with them, not overpower them. Of course with her power she could have rendered the whole zone devoid of magic, silenced the powers of all those around her, but that had never been the point.

"Your mother was always very firm in her belief that she should not use her extraordinary powers to overpower others, but rather to help them use their own to enlighten themselves. To connect with their life force and to understand their strengths and their limitations." Severus explained taking a well timed rest from his story. He would have given many things to skip the next part and just continue on with life as if he had never started telling it, but Scarlett's eyes were persistant, her stare unwavering.

There was a point in the battle where Severus had become distracted, focusing on the three opponents in front of him and losing Hermione from his line of slight. These things had never mattered to him in the past, she was more than capable of taking care of herself and yet, something bothered him. Successfully stunning his opponents he turned, ran to another side street and found her there, locked in combat the likes of which he had never witnessed before.

Severus grabbed his daughter's hand, knowing the things he was about to say would be difficult for her, not the least him. "Uncle Albus was at that time, as he is today, an exceptional wizard. Dark curse coursing through his veins or not, he has a connection to magic that very few of us possess. It was this connection that had fueled the curse, given it power over him, the symbiotic will to live and to further hate even if it seemed justified even to a few. It was the last existing piece of Lord Voldemort left on this earth."

Scarlett's eyes grew wide with fear as if she knew what would happen. Despite this she nodded, knowing she would have to hear things she did not want to, face realities she did not need to...leave the ignorance of her childhood and turn toward the knowledge that would take her one step close to being grown.

What Severus witnessed that day was a scene so impressed on his mind that death may not have been sufficient to wipe it from his mind. Hermione was floating several feet above the ground, her red robes and her hair flying around her. She looked like an orchid wrapped in a blue light, so pure was the power she possessed, it could have no other color. Then there was Albus, also several feet from the ground, enveloped in an aura that was so dirty and disgusting that it stank of rotten eggs. There was a heat coming from their attacks and their defenses that was so strong no matter what Severus did he could not get closer to them, lest he be burned up in the sheer power surrounding them.

Not something they mention in the school, Severus thought to himself, nor will they ever.

Then, in the midst of an attack, Hermione's light became so bright and blinding that Severus turned his head to shield his eyes from the light. When he looked again Albus had been thrown to the floor, Hermione straddled his body her hands on either side of his face.

Had I fully understood what she was doing i would have stopped her. I would have grabbed her off the old codger and ran, lived to fight another day. Severus thought to himself, but no, she knew that, she'd planned it from the beginning. She knew that day would be her last.

As Severus inched closer to the pair he could see the darkness of Albus' soul moving through his eyes and mouth to Hermione's. The power was so strong that it made the ground shake, the buildings trembled because of it. Then it was over, she fell back laying on the dirty street. Not knowing what to do Severus ran to her, falling to his knees on the hard stone and pulling her to him. She was still alive, still able to speak.

"Look into my eyes," she had whispered taking the face of her lover with one hand making sure he did not disobey. He was pulled into her mind watching some of their most intimate and fond memories fall around him. Severus was enveloped by a sense of warmth and love. Feelings that had been so foreign to him almost all of his life, but then so prominent these last years. He smiled, reached out to the woman he loved, then he was alone. He was alone in a white abyss and there she was, so they were alone there. She was so beautiful, wearing the white dress he had given her all those years ago. The first thing she had ever worn in their home. Her smile was serene and peaceful.

"Then she said…" Severus started but was stopped by Scarlett.

"She said, Forgive me my love. Forgive me that the only proper exchange for the obliteration of evil is one of blood. Live long and when the time is right, I will free you from your prison." Scarlett said, almost devoid of emotion, as if she had heard it many times before but with no context.

Eyebrow raised and too shocked to release the tears that were building up inside of him he asked, "How did you know that? I've never told anyone."

Realization swept over Scarlett like a fire on a dry open plain, "She told me too. It's the first thing I can remember, I just never knew why or what it meant."

They embraced each other and Severus fought back the tears that his daughter could not. He would spare her the further details of what had happened that day. How, when he had pulled back from Hermione's mind that her corpse was blackened and rotting, the dark curse had ravaged it in moments. Now he had nothing left of her but a babe and memories. He would spare her the details of how Matilda watched over her as a mother might have because his grief was so strong that he could not even look at the child. It had only been after Scarlett's first birthday that she had taken her sullen, depressed and sorry excuse for a nephew and batted him around the head with her cane until he had even looked at his daughter again. Grief is a terrible mistress and he was indeed ashamed of his actions, Scarlett had been the only thing he had physically left of Hermione. Of the woman he had fought so hard for, trained and then loved so strongly that the very thought of living without her made him want to take his life. He would spare her all this, knowing that some things were best left between him and Hermione.

"Go to bed now." He whispered gently once her tears had subsided. They kissed each other on the cheeks and she left the room. After the proper amount of time had passed for her to make it to her room, Severus through the papers across the room, kicked his arm chair over and slid down the wall. The tears that covered his face were those of anger, not of sorrow or loss.

"Why?" He screamed. He put his head in his hands and try to calm his nerves. It was then that he was reminded of a letter that Matilda had written him shortly before her death just two years past. He didn't need to fish it out from the drawer it occupied in his desk to remember what it said, it had been so striking that he had never forgotten it.

Dear Severus,

My time is near and I can say that I have never felt better about what the future holds. To have seen the Asherah in our life time, to have been so honored to be her guardians and her caregivers will earn us a place at her side when we are both dust. Remember one thing dear boy, no one witch or wizard should possess that much power nor should they wield it in any other way than to protect the very foundations that keep magic strong and diverse. Had you not loved her, nurtured her...understood what she was, she would never had made the choice to sacrifice herself for us. Dear boy, she did it for us. She did it for you. The only thing that separated her from that joke of a wizard Voldemortus, or whatever his name was, and that loon Dumbledore was that she had something worth saving.

Once we are relieved from the prisons of our bodies we will be reunited in the most pure way. Be patient, death comes to all.

Matilda.

Severus let his head tip back on the cold stone wall. Despite the life he had with his daughter and the peace they lived under, he still could not wait for the moment to arrive. The moment when he would be pulled from his petty existence, the moment when she would find fit to return his favor, pull him out of his prison and bring him home to her.