She looked up at the sky, through the enchanted ceiling and sighed. Her final night at Hogwarts, a ball, people talking and laughing and dancing around her. Yet she sat and though.
Thought of sixth year, and her romance with Ron. How she had loved him, still loved him, and yet he did not love her. They had remained friends though. No point not to, not Ron's fault he didn't love her. She looked at him across the table and smiled. He smiled back, then said: "A dance, Ms. Granger?" She replied: "Why of course, Mr. Weasly." She grinned and stood up. The song was a fast dancey song, and they began a rather funny twist of sorts. People stood back to watch, and also out of fear of being hit.
Hermione felt she was having fun for the first time all night, just dancing with a boy she loved, her best friend. When the song ended, her other best friend, Harry Potter came up and asked for a dance. Her love for Harry was purely brotherly. Besides, Harry and Ginny were so in love.
"You still love him, don't you?" Harry asked her.
"Yes, but i have moved on too," she smiled at him. She knew there was no future for Ron and herself as anything other than friends, and although she loved him, she valued his friendship more than anything.
"So, who else takes the interest of Ms. Granger?" Harry asked playfully.
She just smiled and looked down. They would never understand who she now longed for, more than Ron, more than anyone. It was too complicated, too much to comprehend. She didn't know why she felt this way, but she could not help it. She loved how orderly and strict he was, much like himself. She loved what that he was like her in a way, misunderstood sometimes. She knew, however, that her love was not returned. And so, as she had done with Ron, she moved on.
But it was different. She could not move on from him. She felt that if her and Ron were together today she would still feel this, no matter how much she loved Ron. This was strong, fiery, passionate love, but it was sweet, soft, gentle love. Bitter, burning desire, yet cold, hard truth. There was nothing she could do. She was hopelessly, completely lost in him.
When she finished dancing with Harry, he smiled then returned to Ginny. Across the hall, Ron was, eh, "busy" with Luna Lovegood. She smiled at his happiness, and it felt as though she was finally at peace with her feelings for Ron. Then she turned and saw him. And he was looking at her. And coming toward her. And taking her hands. And pulling her close. And dancing with her.
For Hermione, it felt like the world had stopped. It didn't matter that people would see and not understand. There was here and now, him and her, dancing. They would worry about the world when the world came back.
This was the most special part of Hermione's life, in the great hall of Hogwarts, on her last night at school, dancing with Severus Snape.
A/N: I've had people saying I should continue this, what do you think? I'm not sure, it was originally a one-shot, but if you want I can continue... Let me know!