Fear.
That's the first thing that registered as Severus looked upon the faces around him.
Fear in the eyes of the men he once had known as 'brothers.'
Fear in the eyes of the boys he that had long since grown into men, the children he had desperately tried to spare the brunt of the war, all in vain.
Fear in the eyes of the dead.
The dead.
Dead.
Godric, he couldn't help but feel the fear in himself, in his veins, in his very being.
And he felt her everything.
The grief, the pain, the shame she felt, radiating through her pores, into a palpable, physical entity.
Dark, ancient magic coursed through her very being, her chaotic ringlets frigid in the air and her pale olive skin glowed with unmistakable, pure magic. Not one person in the vicinity had seen anything like it. She was power. She was pure, power.
Violent tears left her eyes, her bloody lip trembling as she screamed what could only be described as a piercing battle cry.
Wand snapped in half at her feet, her entire body trembled with rage and grief.
Dried blood stuck to her thighs, small hands wrapped around her stomach, no thought of the hunger she had, no thought of the water her body craved, of the bruises
that littered her body. No thought of the holes in her flesh, the gash in her lip.
No thought of the loved ones around her.
No thought of anything, but the life she had lost.
Severus dared to glance away to see Lucius and Antonin, stilled with unadulterated fear.
Fenrir Greyback shaking at the words spoken by a dead man.
His eyes quickly drifted to Harry and Draco, the two men standing on either side of her, as if to be the angel and devil on her shoulders.
But he knew better.
He KNEW her.
He had seen what her magic could do. He had seen just how powerful she truly was. It was what he masters had both feared, what they had both only dreamed of possessing.
And here it was, in her.
The Dark Lord would be filled with spite, rage knowing no bounds.
Dumbledore would surely roll in his grave if he saw such a sight, from a muggleborn witch no less. One he had believed to reign into the best of his control, if he only saw her now.
No, Hermione was a woman scorned. A dark, exquisite creature. So lost, so hungry.
So good.
So pure.
So, completely consuming.
No one dared speak a word as the red glow leaving her pores began to shift in color. A lilac hue burned brighter than before as she fell to her knees, tears still flowing freely, clawing at her bare knees. He had to think quickly, and just as he was trying to muster up a way to snap her out of it, it happened.
A circle of pure energy slowly started to engulf her, extending farther and farther away as she remained unaware in her grief.
Lucius’ eyes widened in horror. As quickly as he could, he pulled Draco away from the burning mass of energy, just as Severus made for Harry. Both boys struggled, trying desperately to get back to their positions before.
“Father! What is happening to her!”
“You can’t help her now, Draco.”
“Snape, what is-“Harry began as the mass of energy started to extend faster. A piercing shriek rang through the hair as Fenrir was slowly engulfed into the lilac flames, Antonin following suit. As Severus made eye contact with Lucius, the pair nodded to each other before apperating a seemingly safe distance away from the slow growing, chaos magic.
"We can't leave her!" Harry cried.
"I have no intention of leaving her, Potter. Stay put and do NOT try to enter the flames."
"What IS this?" Draco asked once more.
Lucius responded with a troubled breath, "Protego Diabolica."
Severus apperated within the flames, without fear of repercussion.
The phantom of Regulus Black Kneeled beside Hermione, saying intangible words.
He rushed to her side, praying she wasn't too far gone.
"Hermione.. Please."
Cupping her face with both of his hands, he ignored the spirit of the man he had always thought would end up being his soulmate, pleading with her.
He met her eye's with tears threatening him.
"I have given everything.. everything.." She whimpered, clutching stomach tightly in the place of her now empty womb. The fire raised higher, and he steeled himself to keep his attention focused on the witch before him.
Her eyes grew cold as she continued, venom spilling from her lips, looking him dead in the eye.
"They've taken everything from me."
Regulus spoke, "Not everything, little one."
Her hair crackled with angry magic, her head whipped in his direction for a fraction of a second, preparing to speak, just as Severus dropped to his knees, his hands falling to her hips, burying his face into the hands she held her stomach with. A choked sob left him as he shook his head slightly. His entire body trembled, and he silently prayed to the old gods and the new that she wasn't too far gone before he continued.
"Hermione.. You've got to stop.. Please." He begged, feeling the heat of the flames slowly encroaching him, as if her heart could no longer decide where he stood.
Lifting his head, he met her whiskey-cinnamon eyes, her tears no longer falling. His grip on her tightened as he continued,
"I am so sorry I failed you. I am so sorry I could not stop this, that I did not stop this. I am so, so sorry... that you've gone through his alone. That our..." Another sob wracked his body as he went on, his voice breaking, "our child was taken from you in the most horrific way... that you have had to be far too strong for far too long... My goddess divine, I will do everything I can, to avenge you, our daughter, everyone we have lost. But you cannot lose yourself, my love. Or everything you have endured, will have been for nothing."
She stilled underneath him.
"Stop," He said, his breathing ragged, "Please."
Silence.
That is all he noticed, as the flames got closer and closer to the two.
A primal wail of anguish left her as her hands dropped from her stomach to his shoulders, falling to her knees in front of his crouched form. He quickly wrapped his arm around her as she continued to scream and sob and tremble. The ancient magic burst into millions of twinkling flames before forming together in the air, instantly traveling back into her abused body.
He knew Regulus was slowly fading away, he knew they were now surrounded by aurors, he knew Sirius, Remus, Harry, and Draco were screaming at the ministry officials that "They have it all wrong," "they don't understand," "Stay away from them." Yet, he could not find it in himself to fight any longer. Without standing, he pulled his lover impossibly closer to him, and apperated them to his Coke Worth home.
The law could wait.
The mourning would not.