Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling

A/N: Hey there everyone! I haven't written a SSHG fic for so long and I'm just glad I'm back in this fandom. You guys are just amazing. Hope you guys enjoy this fic!

Hermione Granger never believed in "love at first sight". That feeling of getting attracted to a person at first glance could at most be called a crush, an admiration of sorts.

Love takes time.

When Hermione first met Snape, she saw this stern silhouette that released an intimidating aura. But at the same time, she was drawn to his talent in academia. And after the war had ended, when Snape's role had been revealed, that all the defenses that she had voiced out over the years were proven to be correct, her respect to this infamous Potions Master had risen to a whole new level. And as the years passed with her serving as the Charms Professor at Hogwarts, the time that they spent together as colleagues, research partners…and later on, on the platform as friends…her feelings towards Snape had turned into adoration.

After fifteen years of knowing Severus Snape, that feeling had blossomed into love.

0 0 0

"Sherbert Lemon!"

Hermione stepped onto the stairs as the gargoyle jumped aside, all the way thinking that the Headmaster should stop rotating the passwords and start paying regular visits to Honeyduke's.

The door leading to the Headmaster's Office was slightly ajar.

She knocked and upon hearing no responses, she decided to return at a later hour. As she was about to turn away, she heard some urgent whispers inside the room. Alarmed, Hermione got out her wand and quietly opened the door, only to find herself seeing the older wizard hovering around the table with another man of whom she knew too well – a man with the darkest of hair and a pair of eyes as deep as the bottomless Black Lake. A man who was way too dangerous that no one would dare to approach, a man who held far too many secrets and spells to the point where nobody would be willing to cross paths with him.

But Hermione saw through all this façade. And right now, the only thing that she was concerned with was the issue at hand, an issue that seemed to have troubled the two men quite. With these two brilliant minds combined, Hermione could only think of nothing but yet another crisis approaching to put these two men in such a distraught state.

0 0 0

"Is everything quite alright?"

Severus Snape turned around swiftly and pointed his wand straight to the face of one Hermione Granger.

Upon seeing her, he experienced a flood of emotions: relief, concern and shock. With a swish of his wand, all the parchments on the table disappeared. He heard a nervous chuckle beside him and saw Albus casually leaning on the table and exclaimed heartily, "Why hello Hermione, what a pleasant surprise!"

Snape rolled his eyes and turned to a suspicious Hermione. As he saw her shooting him a questioning glance, Snape crossed his arms and masked himself with a look of annoyance. "Well, what businesses have you here?"

"I just want to invite Albus to join me and Minerva for tea, I was just about to fetch you afterwards."

"Good lord, woman. Don't you know how to knock? And sending the Headmaster an invitation would have sufficed, you don't have to walk all the way here," Snape said with a frown.

He saw her cheeks slowly coloring, her temper starting to ripen. "I did knock, you just didn't hear me. And I think coming all the way up here is more personal. Why are you making such a big deal out of this? You don't have to snap."

"Go bother the others with your little tea party, Albus and I are busy. We have far more important things to discuss than to hear you women doing all those tittle-tattle."

"Fine."

And that's the last word that he heard before the ear ringing bang from the door made his heart wrench.

0 0 0

She knew that Snape was a difficult man. For Merlin's sake she had spent most of her life arguing with him, but that was just absolutely absurd and completely uncalled for.

As Hermione entered her room, she locked all the doors to make sure that nobody, with someone she had particularly in mind, would barge in and intervene.

She slowly sunk into her royal red and gold Four Posters Bed and remained motionless. For a long time she just sat there, staring at her hands that were tensely placed on her laps, thinking. Drops of water started falling onto her hands. She tilted her head slightly upwards, trying to figure out the source, only to find that those were her very own tears.

With a frustrated grown, she wiped them all off and stood in front of the mirror to tidy herself up. As she saw her red puffy eyes looking right back at her, Hermione tried to avoid that lost, yet intense gaze and turned her head to the small wooden cabinet across the room instead. She gave out a sigh and walked towards it. Inside one of the drawers hid a letter that had been nagging Hermione at the back of her head for quite some time. It was a job invitation from the Department of Mystery from the Ministry of Magic. While she was no expert in Potions, the Ministry had offered her the position as one of the advanced brewers for some rare and delicate potions. She hadn't really given it much thought. She was quite opposed to it, actually. After all, she was happy here at Hogwarts.

She loved the kids, she loved her colleagues, and she loved Severus.

She was about to turn the offer down, really. The letter was still there merely because she had disregarded, forgotten even, about it due to her busy schedule lately.

Well, considering what Snape just did, she just might have to give it a second thought.

Not once had he proclaimed his love to her. She didn't need presents, but reassurance. No matter how rational she was, Hermione was still just a girl deep down. She needed to know that this relationship was going somewhere, that she wasn't wasting her time right here, right now. It was quite childish for someone like her to make such an impulsive decision, yes. But for the sake of getting back at Snape because of her spitefulness and for the sake of getting back some dignity after being accused of acting like a needy baby, she would do it.

Yes it's been decided, she would.

0 0 0

"I know what you're thinking," Snape said without turning his head to meet Dumbledore's disapproved expression.

"You're a clever man, Severus. But when it comes to relationship, you can be quite thick sometimes. "

"Yes, I'm well aware of that, thank you for pointing it out. Now would you please be so kind to return to our business at hand? It's been bothering me for quite some time now and it's giving me a headache."

"Why, of course. I imagine your heart must have been thudding especially hard lately and there are no potions or magic that could cure that," Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eyes as he patted the younger man. "This is a good sign, Severus. It means you truly care for her, you really do love her. Don't be nervous. She's just a girl, not Tom Riddle. She doesn't kill."

"I'd rather deal with The Dark Lord again," Snape sighed as he flipped over the ring brochures. Upon seeing Dumbledore looking at him again with an expression which he could only interpret as a look of a proud father, he grumpily said, "Stop messing around, Dumbledore. If it wasn't because you've accidentally walked into me looking at these brochures, we wouldn't be having this discussion right now. If you are so determined in planning my wedding, you might as well focus on this task at hand. I haven't even proposed yet and you're already preparing for the wedding party extravaganza behind my back… No don't you deny it, I saw a list of bands and pastry shops you have over there at your table."

"Well may I remind you that if it's not because of my meddling, you wouldn't even stand a chance reading these ring brochures. You two were always just testing the waters, never brave enough to take that next step. If I wasn't there pushing you guys a little, you would've still be single. I am your match maker and I have every right to be involved. And just so that we're on the matter, I've already ordered some purple balloons and orange party hats."

"It's my wedding that we're talking about, Dumbledore, not one of your birthday parties," Snape exclaimed exasperatedly, "I'm definitely going with a black and white masquerade ball."

"Ah ha! So you have thought about it after all." Dumbledore said merrily and went to his side cupboard to get some sherry.

"…You can only do this once in your life time so I want everything to be perfect," Snape mumbled, feeling slightly embarrassed.

Dumbledore put a small smile on his face. "Well then, my man, let's look at the rings, shall we? Do make sure you can find some way to get Hermione back though, you went way out of line back there. I really want to wear my new dress robe that's especially made for this wedding… now may I suggest that the very special guests like me can wear some bright colours? Black and white are way too dull. People want to party, not to attend another funeral."

0 0 0

Hermione was already half way through packing when she heard Snape's footsteps.

She knew him too well, she would have recognized it anywhere.

But really, that did not matter anymore.

She heard him trying to open the locked doorknob, and with a flick of her wand, the door suddenly opened with a slightly flustered Snape stumbling in, who apparently had been taken a bit off guard.

"You're packing," Snape said with a frown after collecting himself.

Hermione replied without turning her head, "Yes, I'm leaving."

"Why?" Snape asked, still confused with what's going on.

"I see no reason to stay, honestly. The Ministry has offered me a job as a potions brewer, and I'm going to take it." Upon hearing no reply, Hermione looked at Snape's reflection in the mirror.

Their eyes met.

It was as if that gaze could pierce through her soul. Every time Snape looked at her in that way, she felt like she's baring everything to him, standing there naked. Desperately trying to avert that intense stare and ignore the feeling of guilt and vulnerability, she simply let out, "Go away."

And that penetrating feeling was no more.

0 0 0

She was staying near the Leaky Cauldron, hoping to catch some familiar faces now and then. The new position was very exciting, yes, and it's intellectually challenging. She was happy, yet there was always this little part of her which felt hollow. And seeing those familiar faces only made that feeling even worse. She thought meeting them would be able to fill her heart with some warmth but they only reminded her too much of Hogwarts, too much of… no, she never allowed herself to go there. She thought she could drown herself in work and put her sorrows away but it just didn't help at all.

It was a month after she had resigned when she heard a knock from the lodging. It was a beautiful day, but instead of going outside, she found herself sitting by the window, staring at the same parchment for the last hour and thinking of everything that happened in the past few weeks. "Hello Hermione," as she turned her head slightly, she saw Dumbledore standing by the door, in his ridiculously bright sky-blue robe.

Hermione gave him half a smile, and returned back to her work, flatly asking, "He doesn't know you're here, does he?"

Dumbledore gave her a slight chuckle, "You know he wouldn't allow that. I would prefer if you don't tell him that I'm here, you know how upset he'll get. Merlin forbid, I don't want to appear on tomorrow's front page of the Daily Prophet… but I guess you wouldn't talk to him anytime soon, would you?"

She pretended not to hear him and asked, "How is he?" Not knowing why, she rather dreaded the answer.

"Not doing very well, I'm afraid. He wouldn't let himself out of the dungeon. I never really see him dining in the Great Hall anymore. And when he does appear, he's just crankier than ever, deducting house points from even his own House… I'm pretty sure he has gone mad. And if it's even possible, his skin has gotten waxier and his hair greasier!" Dumbledore let out a sigh and shook his head. "Hermione dear, I… I really miss the old Severus. I miss arguing with him and I'm sure you do too. Please come back and bring him out of this misery."

"I'm not going back. He wouldn't want me to be there, he finds me too stupid to be in his presence," Hermione commented half-heartedly, knowing full well that her heart felt exactly the opposite way. "Besides, I have a job here, and I love it. I have learnt so much, there're so many things that I have yet to see."

Dumbledore squinted his eyes, showing a hint of sadness. There was a long and uncomfortable pause. She saw him putting his hand on the nearest armchair, as if for support and asked, "Have you ever wondered why the Ministry offered you the job even though you're not a Potions Mistress, Hermione?"

She shook her head and saw him continued. "It's because… I hate to break this to you but you have a right to know this. The Department of Mystery was in desperate need of a brewer. No one would have doubted your ability but... they only offered you the job because the greatest Potions Master has turned them down."

"Severus turned them down?" Hermione whispered.

"Yes. You left so abruptly, I never got to tell you this… Severus approached me about this matter a few months ago. While saddened that one of my colleagues and friends will leave Hogwarts, I still encouraged him to take the job for, as you said, it's a great opportunity. Also, he'll make a fortune, and it's something that I am unable to offer him." He paused, and looked Hermione directly in the eyes. "All he did was snort at me, then tear the letter apart and threw it in the fireplace. He told me he wouldn't consider this in a million years because he loves you. He doesn't want to leave you. He wants to be there for you, to protect you, to make you happy, and to give you a shoulder to cry on."

Hermione remained very still, staring into nothingness. Her brain was completely blank, yet she felt her heart racing faster than ever. She didn't know what to think, she didn't know what to feel. And the worst of all, she didn't know what to do.

Should she swallow her pride and return to Severus?

When she turned around to ask for Dumbledore's advice, the figure near the armchair was gone. Instead, a parchment was put into place. She walked over there and picked it up.

It was her resignation letter.

0 0 0

"I don't need any of your pity, Dumbledore."

Rather than hearing that annoying chuckle from the old man, in response to Snape's snide remark, to his surprise, was a shy "Hey."

Snape turned around and indeed, by the doorway stood Hermione, still in her traveling cloak, panting rather slightly.

Hermione just remained on her spot, not quite knowing whether she should be approaching him or not.

The two of them stood their ground for a while but Snape finally caved in and inched closer to the bushy haired girl and said, "There are things that I've never meant to say, things that I've never meant to do, Hermione."

"And yet you did."

"And yet I did. I've never meant to hurt you, I've never meant to shun you away. I've never meant to fall in love with you and yet I did…There comes a time in life when you start reflecting on all the things that you've done… I'll have to do redemptions for a lot of the choices that I've made but never, never will I regret on one single moment that I've decided to spend with you and never will I apologize for loving you and caring for you."

"I know," Hermione replied, giving the Potions Master a watery smile.

"So... so you came back, you're… you're going to stay? Permanently?" Snape asked with a hint of quiver in his voice, not quite daring to hope for the answer that he wanted.

"Yes, yes I will," The answer was simple but Snape felt his heart fluttered. He wanted to cry, he wanted to laugh, he wanted to kiss that girl senseless, yet what came after was an unsure, "Why?"

It was like déjà vu, a similar scene that happened all those weeks before kept replaying in his mind. But instead of being confused and frustrated, he seemed to have a warm feeling of hope slowly rising to his chest.

"I was about to head to the Ministry and start working again when I realized… that isn't the life I want to live, that isn't the person that I want to be and that isn't the place where I want to stay," Hermione paused and took a few cautious steps with her hands slowly reaching out.

"Where?" Snape whispered as he saw her hesitating in midway. Upon hearing his question, her face started filling with determination and he felt her hand firmly pressing on his strong thudding heart. Hermione glanced at him and smiled, "Right here."

0 0 0

Severus Snape never believed in "love at first sight" or love in general, for that matter.

Lily Evans was…perhaps he did love her at one point. But that was merely because she was the first girl that he knew who was able to perform magic and in no way was she an imbecile, a dunderhead. Being brought up in a female-deprived area, a loveless environment, he couldn't help but sought her out for some companionship. She was the only thing he had for the first part of his life.

For the longest period of time, Snape thought that he was willing to become a spy because of his love to Lily. But as time went on, he realized… it's not because of that. Rather, he felt indebted to her. After all, he was the one who had indirectly caused her death. And now that the Dark Lord had finally been defeated, that her son had survived, Snape just felt this huge burden which had been suffocating him for so long had finally been lifted. He had finally paid off his debt to her.

If he really had to put a time, to put a place when he actually felt this sentiment of…love, then he probably would say, it was when he met Hermione once again after the war had ended. He didn't know what it was at first, he thought that he just had a weak stomach; that his heart started jumping in an increasing rate, in a rather irregular pattern was simply because the stress of being a spy for so many years had finally surfaced. But as he started realizing that these symptoms only appeared when he saw Hermione, he tried to avoid her, hoping that it would stop. The funny thing was, in the days that he didn't get to see her, he actually missed her, and he felt every fibre of his body yearning to get closer to her. That feeling was so strong, he just couldn't control himself anymore.

The night Hermione came back, Snape didn't propose then. He didn't feel like it was the moment.

He knew that one day in the near future, he would pop the question and Hermione would say yes.

No matter how reluctant he was to admit this, Dumbledore's meddling really did have his effects. He knew the old man must have done something to change Hermione's mind. And for that, he would be forever grateful. After all, Dumbledore pretty much saved his life, by letting him become a double-agent, by taking him to Hermione, and by bringing Hermione back to him.

For too long, he had been living in a black hole. It's not because he didn't want to get out of it, it's just that he's being sucked into it far too deep, he's being enveloped into this darkness for far too long. He couldn't pull himself out.

He's been waiting all his life for someone to get him out of there.

And Hermione did.

So for her, he would never harm again.

With her, he would never be lonely.

To her, he would always dedicate his love.

And because of her, he would forever be happy.

He could finally live once more.

A/N: So what did you guys think? Please leave a comment, it'll be much appreciated!