Hermione Jean Granger-Snape

"Though lovers be lost, love shall not,"

19, September, 1979

22, August, 2075

Severus placed the single Crimson rose at the base of the tombstone and watched as a little girl with springy, blonde hair nestled a crayon drawing behind it. The drawing had been of two stick figures, one with brown hair that curled wildly without regret and a triangle that formed a dress, with uneven wings folding out from her head. The second figure, drawn in black, floated lower than the other, with wings that appeared more broken than anything. Below them, covering an uneven quarter of the page, one solid block of green that was dotted with many unplanned colors the girl called flowers. It did not move, she had protested when Severus had brought up the option to make the drawings fly around the page stating a firm 'no Papa,' and he could only shrug, unable to change her mind.

He squatted down behind the little girl who backed into him, her head hitting his mouth and he planted a quick kiss into her hair before replacing his chin on her shoulder and together they stared at the grave. She wouldn't have a single memory of Hermione, too much time had passed, too many generations had gone by between her time on earth to Hermione's passing. He had quit counting after the first six, neither caring anymore to be reminded of the time apart from her growing larger. The memories, those had stayed fresh as if they had only happened the day before not only from the help of a pensive, but also because not a day had gone by he never replayed those moments in his head.

"What does that say?" The girl asked, pointing to the epitaph that was chiseled into the tombstone. Severus sighed, not because he didn't want to read the words aloud, but because they had a purpose. Back when they had picked their plots, back when their decision of adding that one quote to be remembered by, they had expected that Severus would be joining Hermione. She'd be buried beside him, 'though lovers be lost, love shall not,' was to be placed on hers, 'and death shall have no dominion,' was supposed to be on his. When read together, the full quote could then be seen and understood by anyone who visited. No, Severus sighed because reading this line had only reminded him that he was still alive.

"You know what it says." He said, poking the girl in the ribs who let out a tiny giggle.

"I know, but I want you to read it to me." She said, grabbing his fingers with her hands and held onto them rather tightly for her age. He spoke the first few words as he always did, and the girl, having memorized the saying by then, joined him to complete it.

"Was she beautiful?" She asked and Severus immediately beamed.

"The most prettiest." He said. The girl twisted in his arms and looked at him over her shoulder.

"Even prettier than me?" She asked, astounded. Severus laughed.

"No one can be more beautiful than my little Sophia." Severus grabbed her and stood, spinning around to elicit more laughter before placing her on his hip. It was true, though Hermione had remained stunning and graceful throughout her ninety-six years of life, he found that every generation that came around thereafter was two-fold.

"Do you miss her?" Sophia asked.

"I do." Severus answered. The years right after Hermione's death had been a struggle, especially the years when they had realized he had not aged at all, remaining as he had looked the day he came back to life, from the day they realized he was destined to remain on the earth forever. Hermione had tried getting Severus to give her the same potion she had invented to bring him back, but he had relented knowing that an eternity of living would have dampened her spirit. She would have lost interest in learning everything there was to know in her numbered years, would have grown lazy in getting her dreams accomplished.

It would have taken too much to search for the instructions to make the potion, even if he wanted to. After it had been revealed to the Ministry, it was locked into safe keeping, too dangerous to release to the public, too many opportunities to bring back the wrong people if anyone could get their hands upon it, especially those who were fighting for the next revolution. Though the potion was observed and spoken of; Hermione and Severus' names scribed in every textbook, the only version of the potion available to consumers had been the first version, Color Mortis. It had been a long time since Severus even wondered what had become of the recipe for 'Revixit,' the name they had decided on for the finished product. It remained a strong decision even after all that time that having the chance to say 'I lived' instead of 'I live' was more worthy to her memory than to sentence her to what he was now experiencing.

"Have you ever had another girlfriend?" Sophia asked.

"One." Severus answered. Josephine had even become his second wife until her untimely passing just a couple of years after their marriage. It was enough. Heartbreak did not suit him and choosing to remain single had been, what he considered, the best choice since Hermione had come along.

"Papa?" Sophie asked, sounding scared of her answer.

"Yes?" Severus asked sounding hesitant. She had reached the age of curiosity and sometimes made him cringe with the earnest and innocent questions she could ask. The little girl laid her head on Severus' shoulder and paused before asking, her voice breaking.

"W-will you die?"

Severus rested his chin against her head and swayed back and fourth lightly.

"I will never leave you." He said.

"Do you promise?" She asked.

"I promise." Severus answered. It was a promise he intended to keep. Sophie's parents had caught a new strain of Dragon Pox and succumbed to the effects shortly thereafter and Severus had taken care of her being the only relative that still resided in London. The little child had learned the pain of death long before she should have even known what death was. "I will never die." Severus added. He had said those words so many times that they no longer held meaning. Sophie hugged him tighter.

"You've been alive a long time, havent you?" She asked.

"I have." Severus said.

"What's your favorite thing about being living this long?"

Severus smiled. There were many things he had come to enjoy and so many things he had seen throughout his time, but his favorite thing would always lead back to the same thing no matter how many flavors of ice cream Fortesque's put out, or how many different models of new and improved broomsticks were invented.

"My family." He answered. Sophia lifted her head and looked at him quizzically. He gave a nod to give his answer emphasis.

"What started out between Hermione and I has grown and lasted for decades and centuries. It's proof that a love did exist and will continue to grow no matter what."

Sophia's confused and wrinkled nose slowly became smooth again and her eyes lit up as her young brain put together the meaning behind his words. She pressed her lips tightly against his cheek, a move that always pulled joy out of Severus.

"I love you." She said. Severus' eyes gleamed.

"I love you too." He replied. "Come, let's get some dinner. It's almost your bedtime."

It was always hard to leave Hermione's grave, but with his arms full he found it easier. Sophia had twisted her head around to silently watch the tombstone disappear into the distance as she was carried away.

Through the years Sophia would come to cherish the visits to Hermione's grave. She'd ask the same questions and Severus would answer the same answers in always the same tone of voice. He'd never tell her to stop, or get angry and the more she learned of feelings and the more she understood the true meaning of love, knew that what Severus had felt was beyond what she could ever imagine.

It would take years before she found it in herself to come up with a plan, a list of ingredients and instructions on how to mash all of it together to provide a potion that would allow Severus to finally leave the living and return to the other side, where she was sure Hermione would great him longingly, lovingly, and her Papa would truly be happy once again, and his tombstone right next to Hermione's would finally be erected which she would make sure read,

Severus Snape

'And death shall have no dominion.'

9, January, 1960

19, September, 2394