Summary: I had an idea that Snape was given the same choice as Harry when he died, but it took him longer to decide what to do, (because although his mission was completed by Harry- so in a way he had no reason to live but he had never lived happily or for himself.) He was shown an alternative which included Hermione in his future and decided to take a last shot at happiness.

Prologue:

Hermione lay on her bed, a book propped against her pillow, she lay on her stomach with her legs swinging in the air, and woolly bed socks completed the scene of general lethargy and peace.

This made to knock that came upon her door all the more surprising, she glanced up lazily a slight frown of conffussion marring her brow, deciding against movement she called

"come in" and slowly the door handle twisted, the door opened then closed she could see no one, but years of living in the magical world told her not to trust this. She pulled her wand from under her pillow and span so that she was kneeling on her bed, wand raised and eyes wary.

She heard a heavy sigh before a tall cloaked figure appeared apparently from thin air, her brows came together at the unfamiliarity of him and she shifted, removing herself from the bed so that she stood before him.

He reached up and lowered his hood, and when he did she gasped and dropped back on to the bed so that she sat staring at him in a distinctly undignified manner.

"Professor?" she gasped

"Miss Granger" he answered nonchalantly

"What…how…I mean how are…well everyone thinks you're….you're…well aren't you supposed to be?" she questioned, slowly the silence hung for a second before he replied

"Supposed to be what? Dead? Yes Miss Granger many times over"

At this Hermione dragged her gaze away and worried on her bottom lip not knowing what to say or indeed what to think.

"But how?"

"I decided I wasn't quite ready to give up on life"

"Oh" she said as if that settled it.

"Would you mind?" he asked as he motioned towards her book case

"Erm…well no…help yourself"

At that he turned his back on her and spent several minutes glancing over her book case, in that time Hermione rubbed her head which was starting to ache and rearranged her night clothes pulling her nightshirt tightly around herself.

Snape selected a book and neatly teased it out of the tightly packed bookshelf, before turning to sit in the worn armchair which occupied the space before a small fire.

He sat there his full attention on the volume and as Hermione looked on she realise he didn't plan to move for some time, hesitantly she reached for her abandoned hardback and tried to focus thereon, she failed miserably for quite some time however as thoughts and possibilities stampeded through her mind, each offering less explanation than the last.

Until finally around half an hour later she had resumed her former position laid on her tummy, legs swaying happily, with the one exception that she now faced the foot of the bed to better allow her cautious glances at her old potions professor, it was coincidental indeed that their glances never clashed for each sent as many fleeting looks as the other, in similar regularity.

so there you have it, hope it was ok for you : ) -more to come!