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Description
Severus stared at the mirror. How many times had he stood in this very spot yearning for the thing he saw, not knowing how to get it. He looked into the faces of the two lovers he saw in the frame of the Mirror of Erised. The inscription about the glass taunted him for years, first when he was a student and now as a teacher and a war hero. "Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi."

"Why!" He yelled at himself. "She would never want me."

For so long Severus stared at this mirror to see himself standing by a beautiful woman with long dark hair. He was never able to see her face and it haunted him, this faceless beauty. Now, here he stood, looking on the clear face of a former know-it-all and fellow war hero.

For all his years Severus had always thought the mirror pictured his young love, Lily Evens. However, now he saw the true identity of the one he wanted. He lifted his hand to touch the face of Hermione Granger. He felt only cold glass beneath his fingers. Tears fell from his eyes. how could she want a cold heart such as his own.

Severus Had fought beside the girl, no the woman, during the final battle against Voldemort and in the end their help is what had saved Harry enough time to bring don the Dark Lord. He had stood beside her, seen the fire in her eyes, they had been so enthralling. Then, in a flash, he had fallen to the ground.

****

"Severus, no!" Hermione cried seeing her Professor fall by her side. He had been hit with a slicing curse that was thrown by Voldemort. It was incredibly strong and the man now had a slash from his left shoulder down to his right hip. "Ron, get your arse over here and cover us!" she screamed to her friend. She had loved this man for so long. She was not going to let him die before she could tell him. "I'm not gonna let you die, Professor. Not now, not now."

Severus felt himself slowly blacking out he was losing too much blood from the wound. Then he saw an angel above him. I'm not gonna let you die, professor it said, not now, not now. Why had the angel called him professor? She had beautiful eyes, like those of his good friend, Hermione. How beautiful.

"Professor, don't give up, please. You can't leave us." Hermione leaned over Severus' dieing body and began muttering healing spells. "Please, Severus, I loved you. I love you." Tears were streaming down her face now.

The wonded man felt his pulse weakening. Had the angel just said she loved him? How he wished Hermione would have said that to him. She was so smart and beautiful. Everything went black.

****

Now, the Professor stood alone in the giant room where the mirror stood. Hermione was, no doubt, still at the ball downstairs in the Great Hall. She would not miss him, she had been dancing with that Bulgarian Quidditch player.

He heard footsteps behind him now. The door was being pushed open slowly. Severus put his hand on his wand. The war had made him paranoid perhaps. But he was always cautious.

"Professor? Severus?" The voice was quiet. A woman's voice. The mans hand loosened around his wand and he turned.

As he turned the image that had been in the mirror disappeared. And the face of an angel met his eyes.

"Her-Hermione," he stuttered.

"Hello, Professor. I saw you leave." She noticed the tears in his eyes and walked towards the man she had loved since her sixth year at Hogwarts. "Are you alright?" She put a hand tentatively on his arm. He did not flinch away as he usually did at the touch of another. She took a step closer and looked up into his cold, sad eyes.

"Hermione," he whispered. He hesitantly pulled her into a hug. At this Hermione threw her arms around his neck and embraced him tightly. So long she had just wished to hold this man.

"Severus. That day during the battle. When you went down I was so afraid that you were going to die before..." she trailed off.

"Before what, Hermione?" Severus said, pulling away slightly.

"Before I told you how much I loved you!" Hermione sped through the words, not trusting herself to be able to speak for long. She broke into quiet sobs.

Severus took her face in his hands and wiped a stray tear away with the pad of his thumb. Then he lowered his face until their lips met and he kissed her gently but passionately.

She felt his lips on her, so soft and warm. She loved him so much.

"I love you Hermione," he said holding her tight.

The two sat in the room for the rest of the night. Neither of them wanting to leave to moment behind. This dream, the vision, the longing was fulfilled.

He loved her.

She loved him.

Description
Severus stared at the mirror. How many times had he stood in this very spot yearning for the thing he saw, not knowing how to get it. He looked into the faces of the two lovers he saw in the frame of the Mirror of Erised. The inscription about the glass taunted him for years, first when he was a student and now as a teacher and a war hero. "Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi."

"Why!" He yelled at himself. "She would never want me."

For so long Severus stared at this mirror to see himself standing by a beautiful woman with long dark hair. He was never able to see her face and it haunted him, this faceless beauty. Now, here he stood, looking on the clear face of a former know-it-all and fellow war hero.

For all his years Severus had always thought the mirror pictured his young love, Lily Evens. However, now he saw the true identity of the one he wanted. He lifted his hand to touch the face of Hermione Granger. He felt only cold glass beneath his fingers. Tears fell from his eyes. how could she want a cold heart such as his own.

Severus Had fought beside the girl, no the woman, during the final battle against Voldemort and in the end their help is what had saved Harry enough time to bring don the Dark Lord. He had stood beside her, seen the fire in her eyes, they had been so enthralling. Then, in a flash, he had fallen to the ground.

****

"Severus, no!" Hermione cried seeing her Professor fall by her side. He had been hit with a slicing curse that was thrown by Voldemort. It was incredibly strong and the man now had a slash from his left shoulder down to his right hip. "Ron, get your arse over here and cover us!" she screamed to her friend. She had loved this man for so long. She was not going to let him die before she could tell him. "I'm not gonna let you die, Professor. Not now, not now."

Severus felt himself slowly blacking out he was losing too much blood from the wound. Then he saw an angel above him. I'm not gonna let you die, professor it said, not now, not now. Why had the angel called him professor? She had beautiful eyes, like those of his good friend, Hermione. How beautiful.

"Professor, don't give up, please. You can't leave us." Hermione leaned over Severus' dieing body and began muttering healing spells. "Please, Severus, I loved you. I love you." Tears were streaming down her face now.

The wonded man felt his pulse weakening. Had the angel just said she loved him? How he wished Hermione would have said that to him. She was so smart and beautiful. Everything went black.

****

Now, the Professor stood alone in the giant room where the mirror stood. Hermione was, no doubt, still at the ball downstairs in the Great Hall. She would not miss him, she had been dancing with that Bulgarian Quidditch player.

He heard footsteps behind him now. The door was being pushed open slowly. Severus put his hand on his wand. The war had made him paranoid perhaps. But he was always cautious.

"Professor? Severus?" The voice was quiet. A woman's voice. The mans hand loosened around his wand and he turned.

As he turned the image that had been in the mirror disappeared. And the face of an angel met his eyes.

"Her-Hermione," he stuttered.

"Hello, Professor. I saw you leave." She noticed the tears in his eyes and walked towards the man she had loved since her sixth year at Hogwarts. "Are you alright?" She put a hand tentatively on his arm. He did not flinch away as he usually did at the touch of another. She took a step closer and looked up into his cold, sad eyes.

"Hermione," he whispered. He hesitantly pulled her into a hug. At this Hermione threw her arms around his neck and embraced him tightly. So long she had just wished to hold this man.

"Severus. That day during the battle. When you went down I was so afraid that you were going to die before..." she trailed off.

"Before what, Hermione?" Severus said, pulling away slightly.

"Before I told you how much I loved you!" Hermione sped through the words, not trusting herself to be able to speak for long. She broke into quiet sobs.

Severus took her face in his hands and wiped a stray tear away with the pad of his thumb. Then he lowered his face until their lips met and he kissed her gently but passionately.

She felt his lips on her, so soft and warm. She loved him so much.

"I love you Hermione," he said holding her tight.

The two sat in the room for the rest of the night. Neither of them wanting to leave to moment behind. This dream, the vision, the longing was fulfilled.

He loved her.

She loved him.