His Past, Her Future {Book One}

Chapter 31. It's You're Fault

He had been looking ahead but now his eyes snapped to her.

"I will not allow his sacrifice to go to waste. Make sure they get this and make sure they use it."

His eyes swept up and down her shivering form.

"How did you know that I would be here?"

"I didn't," was his short reply.

"But you might have died. They would have killed you on sight. Severus -"

"I had no choice...I had to try."

He pulled out a thick roll of parchment from his long black robes and tapped his wand to the scroll. She could see the words appearing as the concealment charm was lifted.

So absorbed was she in the magical scroll that she almost missed the movement that was Severus as he turned to leave.

"Wait. Please..."

He stopped before he reached the door but he did not turn to face her.

"Severus please," she talked quickly as if trying to beat him before he would change his mind and leave. "I didn't plan for this to happen, I didn't mean for it -"

"STOP!" he turned, his face was furious and it was more that than his words that stopped her flow of speech.

"I do not want to hear one. More. Word.

"Lily is dead, and it is your fault!

"I may have murdered Albus but I had NO choice! You, however, knew. You could have stopped it. And you didn't... You made your choice and I'm not sure if I can ever forgive you."

There was nothing she could say. Every word he had spoken was true.

It was her fault that Lily was dead. She had known, and he was right she had the opportunity to warn someone, anyone, yet she had done nothing... said nothing.

Severus was the more the victim than she could ever be, forced to physically commit the murder of his friend and watch as all those he knew turned their backs on him, ready to kill him on sight if he dared approach them.

Tears fell down her cheeks again and seemingly satisfied Severus took this as his sign to leave.

She didn't watch him go but she still heard his soft spoken words as he pushed the door open and stepped into the dark night.

"You said you would be there for me..."

oOo

"Mr Shacklebolt! - Ouch!" Hermione stumbled as her foot caught on the edge of a large box stationed outside of the library door.

She rubbed her foot as she stared accusingly at the heavy cardboard box.

"Sorry Hermione," Kingsley's rich warm voice soothed as he bent down to pick the box up and place it with the rest. A small pile was assembled outside of one of the spare rooms.

"Did you want something?" he enquired as she realized she had been staring at the boxes a little too long.

"Um - yeah..."

Kingsley nodded for her to go on as he leant to pick up another box and take it into the room, it looked heavy.

"Why don't you just use magic?" she couldn't help but ask as the Auror set the box down inside and appeared again for another.

"Whatever for?" he asked genuinely as he picked up the next one.

Hermione shook her head to stop her gaze from straying to his rounded biceps for any longer than was necessary, for she suspected they had already been doing that.