A/N: I decided to write a different ending to the story as well because I was undecided about which path I wanted to take. I'm fairly happy with both, though! The first part is the same as the last chapter.

After what have been hours of screaming and crying, I had the courage to choke out, "H-Hermione."

My voice was hoarse and I could barely talk. But I had something to do.

"Yes?" She replied politely, approaching me. Her and Ron, who had kept (rather insensitively) telling me that Severus and I had done a good job hiding our relationship, had stayed with me for a while but Ron left not to long ago to assist Harry.

"T-Time Turner."

Hermione gulped. She dug a small hand into her enchanted bag and brought out the golden, spinning necklace.

"It's dangerous, Verita," she told me quietly, "You could end up-"

"It doesn't matter," I whispered, "It doesn't."

Hermione smiled sadly at me, her friendly brown eyes filling with emotion. I felt my own eyes brim with tears again but I blinked them away. I held out a shaking hand and Hermione placed the Time Turner in it.

"You keep it," she mumbled as I put it around my neck, "I haven't used it for a few years anyway."

I managed to laugh even if it was a bit forced. I tried to smile but it was too fake, so instead I just muttered, "Thanks."

Hermione helped me work out the number of turns I'd need before she stepped away from me and wished me luck. I thanked her again, ending our time together with a small hug. She responded by putting her arms around me.

"Goodbye, Verita. I hope everything works out."

"He's not going to die," I whispered back, but it mostly for myself, "I told him not to say things like that. I should've told him to stay with me."

Hermione just smiled gingerly and left the room in search of her friends. I felt a pang of jealousy that Draco, my only friend, wasn't here to support me, but I knew he'd be preparing for the oncoming war.

The turning of the necklace was extremely tiring and boring, so eventually I got my wand to assist me. I breathed in as I reached the correct number of spins and then I was next to Severus.

Voldemort wasn't here yet.

I rushed to him, yelling, "You have to go!"

Severus blinked at me. It felt wrong. He was dead.

"Verita? What are you doing here?" He asked innocently.

I shook my head vigorously, "Never mind that! Let's go."

I grabbed his hand as tight as my body would allow me to but he didn't budge.

"I've accepted it, Verita. I am unsure of how you got here or why you came, but you need to live," Severus said, planting a soft kiss on my lips, "You need to live for me."

"No! I refuse. I've seen it, I-"

His fingers lifted the Time Turner around my neck, "I see. I must have spoken to you in death."

I began to cry again, frustratedly hitting him in the chest, "You won't even leave so you can spend your life with me? I thought you loved me!"

Tears began to fall down Severus' cheeks, "I do, Verita. I love you more than I have ever loved anything."

"Even Lily?" I choked out, my body beginning to break down as water fell rapidly down my cheeks. I could taste my tears, a mixture of salt and pure sadness.

"Even Lily," Severus said. He suddenly reached forward and grabbed my hand, pushing me behind him harshly. I was about to question his actions when I saw the figure of the Dark Lord.

Nagini was by his side, slithering towards us as she hissed with malice. I felt a rush of hatred for the snake after seeing Severus' memory. I wanted to jump in front of him. I wanted to beg Voldemort for mercy; for forgiveness. But I couldn't, because he was the Dark Lord and I was just a girl whose name meant truth.

Severus began to say the same words he did as when he died, "You have performed extraordinary magic with this wand, my Lord, in the last few hours alone."

At that point, I don't think Voldemort had seen me. A wry, mocking smile came across his thin, cracking lips as he said, "No, no, I am extraordinary, but the wand resists me."

I needed to breathe, but I held it. I didn't want him to see me yet, let alone hear me.

"There is no wand more powerful. Olivander himself has said. Tonight, when the boy comes, it will not fail you. I am sure of it," Severus told the Dark Lord. His voice was as calm and monotonous as it usually was but his body shook like a leaf. He added, "It answers to you, and you only."

Voldemort stepped closer and I knew he'd see me soon, without a doubt. When he began to talk, I stepped out from behind Severus, "Does it?"

He spotted me, and added, "I see you've brought an... accomplice. Did I not tell you to come alone?"

Severus feigned innocence, "My Lord, I apologise. She came here."

"Shall I pretend she didn't?" Voldemort asked. His tone was harsh and negative, "You've been seeing her all this time, Severus. It is just another reason for you to die tonight."

Severus frowned, his eyes filling with fear and guilt as he whispered, "Verita, go."

"No!" Voldemort hissed as if he were Nagini, "She stays here."

He continued as if I were non-existent anyway. His words were familiar; they were the exact same ones I'd heard in the Pensieve.

"The wand, does it truly answer to me? You're a clever man, Severus. Surely you must know. Where does its true loyalty lie?"

I knew. Voldemort knew. Severus knew. Yet Voldemort couldn't go without torturing someone mentally before killing them. Severus pulled me behind him again.

"With you, of course, my Lord."

Voldemort stepped a little bit closer. It was soon. "The Elder wand cannot serve me properly because I am not its true master. The Elder wand belongs to the wizard who killed its last owner. You killed Dumbledore, Severus. While you live the Elder wand cannot truly be mine. You've been a good and faithful servant, Severus, but only I can live forever."

That was when I decided that if Severus really was going to die here, so was I. The pain I felt as I watched him die in his memory was unreal. It was unbearable.

The only way I could have described it was having half of my heart ripped out, only leaving half of the connections I needed to live working. It was like half of me had just died, there and then, and I wasn't prepared to go through that again, or for the rest of my life.

Voldemort inched closer. At the last moment, I shoved Severus back against the glass and threw myself in front of him like anyone in love would have.

The pain that hit me as Voldemort struck my chest was about the same as how I'd felt when I watched Severus die. Nevertheless, it was better than having to live with the pain forever. I'd be dead soon.

"V-..."

Severus was silent as my grey eyes met his coal ones. I stared up at him, tears spilling down my cheeks. I watched as Voldemort took another go at Severus.

This time, I couldn't protect him. This time, Severus fell down beside me. As he hit the ground and the glass, he slipped his hand into mine.

I felt like someone had been using the Cruciatus curse on me for days when Nagini began to attack me. Soon I was relieved of her vigorous snapping mouth and they were gone after she'd finished with Severus.

We were alone for a few moments before Harry, Hermione and Ron came in. I turned my head even though it felt like it was going to snap off at any second and looked at Severus once more.

He was covered in blood and glistening beads of sweat fell down his slightly wrinkled forehead, his eyes half shut and his gaze burning back at me.

"I love you," he said, his voice barely a whisper. I repeated his words as I managed to twitch my fingers a little so that I could squeeze his hand.

We both moved our bodies as much as we could and our lips met in our last ever kiss. It was beautiful, his lips were just softly pressing against mine and I knew it was the most meaningful kiss we'd ever shared.

We pulled away from each other at the same moment that Harry, Hermione and Ron entered, both of our faces tear-stained and our bodies limp and bloody.

Severus said the same thing as the first time he'd died, "Take them. Take them. Please."

Harry shouted at Hermione again and she got out two vials. Passing one to Harry, she knelt down beside me and collected my tears. Her gaze drifted down to my chest, and for a moment I thought she was looking at the gash Voldemort had given me when I realised I was still wearing her Time Turner.

She smiled at me, nodding slightly when the boys weren't looking. I could tell she knew, even though it hadn't happened and wouldn't happen in her future because I'd be dead.

"Take them to the Pensieve," Severus told Harry, his voice hoarse and well, what you'd expect a dying person's voice to sound like.

Severus told Harry to look at him. I knew that Harry was Lily's child, and even if Severus did claim to love me more than Lily, she was his first love. I felt a slight pang of jealousy but that was no way to spend my lasting moments.

Harry knelt before him, his lively green eyes meeting Severus' lifeless black ones. Severus told him, "You have your mother's eyes."

The words he'd once said about the Pensieve and showing me didn't come from his mouth because I'd changed my own fate but he still turned the other way as if he knew I was there in a different scenario.

The trio left and Severus and I were left alone. We looked at each other again, spilling out breathless sweet nothings until our heads fell next to each other, sucked of all life.

A/N: Okay, so that was the alternate ending! Like I said at the start, I quite like both endings! This is officially the actual end of Mendacity, and I want to thank anyone who stuck through this story with me!