Legal: Original characters belong to one J K Rowling and no money will be made from this work of fiction.
~SS/HG~
"It's done."
"It is." Hermione said with a sigh, " Do you ever think it will be the same."
"Oh aye!" Minerva replied with a nod of her head, " Maybe not exactly the same as we remember it, Hermione. But I think that's the great thing about Hogwarts; the more we change the more it stays the same."
"Home." Hermione whispered, not realizing she had said it out loud.
Minerva nodded, "But I think she's stronger now. Put back together this time with love. Not just duty. A little magick too but don't tell no one."
"Hmmm magick." Hermione chuckled. "Who'dve thunk?"
They looked at each other and broke into laughter over their joke.
"You sure you wont come into Hogsmeade with me?"
"Not today thanks."
"Your certain ? Aside from the house elves and the ghosts you really are the only one here."
"Thank you but , no. I think I am going to enjoy the quiet. Won't be long until the only quiet we'll get is at night."
"All right then. Enjoy. I'll be back by supper." Minerva said heading down the steps, when she got to the bottom she turned around. "If you happen to be feeling energetic, you can put the tables back in place in the great hall."
Hermione gave her a look, " I thought. . ."
"I still haven't gotten around to it yet."
"Well I'll see what I can do then."
"Goodbye, Hermione." She replied and headed towards Hogsmeade.
"Minerva are you. . . "
"Am I what?"
Well might you be visiting. . ."
"I'll send your regards."
Thank you."
Hermione walked back inside and closed the large oak doors. A chill raced up her spine when the sound echoed through the building. For the first time in two years she was truly alone and she was glad for it.
"Hello Hermione."
Almost.
Hello, Sir Nicholas. "
"Are you ready for the throngs of people to return to Hogwarts?"
She nodded, " I think it's time we got back to something closer to normal."
"I agree. Castle feels like a right tomb without children to fill these halls. Makes the afterlife, well, rather unpleasant."
She snickered, "That being said, I am going to enjoy the quiet while it lasts."
"You would be a fool not to." Sir Nicholas said drifting away from her, " Well I must take my leave fair lady. I am on Peeves watch. Wouldn't want him ruining all your hard work now would we."
"No we wouldn't. Goodbye Sir Nicholas and Thank you."
"My lady." He said bowing and drifting off.
Hermione sighed and continued on to the great hall. She pushed the door open just enough to get through. She looked up at the ceiling, it had taken her, Professor Flitwick and Minerva 3 days to get the charms for the ceiling back to functioning. She remembered the first time she saw it for real and thinking, she was going to love being a witch.
Coming back to herself, Hermione looked at the tables stacked against the wall on the slytherin side of the room and sighed. She pulled out her wand and held it up ready.
"You know what?" She said out loud, " It can wait a little longer."
Hermione pulled out the MP3 player her parents bought for her third year at Hogwarts. She tried to explain to them that it wouldn't work because of all the magick.
But her father had pushed it back into her hands and said, "You'll figure it out, you always do."
She swallowed the lump forming in her throat. She hadn't been able to reverse the charms and the only man who could help her, if he felt so inclined, was in a coma in St. Mungos. He finally put a stopper in death. Not that I never doubted he could do it. No one knew if he was going to come out of the self induced coma. All they had known is that he was alive and he had left specific instructions to keep him that way until he woke. She had told Harry one night that she was sure he was making up for all the sleepless nights he went through and was just getting some much needed rest. She had tried to see him countless times but even with her status from the war. They wouldn't let her in, some ancient clap trap about being a blood relative. So she snuck in using Harry's cloak. She never spoke to him just held his hand. I wonder if he knew i was there.
Hermione shook herself, nothing to be done about that now, it would happen in it's own time. And nothing,she knew, would happen until he was ready. She charmed the MP3 player to play. She laughed when it started playing I Need a Hero by Bonnie Tyler.
Suddenly feeling the need she took off at a run across the great hall she did a few cartwheels and laughed when she failed miserably, then she temporarily lost herself and danced to the music. Turning and spinning and laughing. This feels good now if only he. . . She sobered when the music changed. The afternoon sun had begun pouring through the windows as she walked up the steps to where the teachers table would normally have been. She sat on the top step and pulled out her favorite books and began to read.
Outside two figures made their way slowly up the path to Hogwarts.
"Thank you Arthur. For everything." The dark haired wizard said uncomfortably.
"Don't think on it. No less than you've done for me." He replied looking equally uncomfortable.
"Still I thank you."
"You'll be all right from here then?"
"Should be."
"I can't believe they wouldn't let you take your own potions." Arthur said in disgust. " Not like you were going to poison yourself after all the work you put into staying alive."
"Face it Arthur. We may have just won a war, but the world is still being run by dunderheads." He said looking up the main doors
"Too right." Arthur chuckled. "Any thoughts on whether your going to teach again or not?"
" I don't know. It's all I know really. I don't think there is much call in the world for double agents anymore." He said with a smirk.
"No, I guess we don't need them anymore thanks to you."
"Blimey!" He scowled in disbelief, "I put myself out of business."
"All the better for it I would say." Arthur said nodding his head, "Well , at least you can stay at Hogwarts until you figure it all out."
The professor nodded.
"You'll be all right from here then."
He nodded again. "Thanks again Arthur."
"Don't forget supper sunday. Or I'll send Molly."
"Goodbye Arthur."
"Till Sunday."
Severus Snape trudged up the main stairs of Hogwarts and heaved the doors open and went inside. Merlin's great harry balls I feel old. He knew he should have stayed at St. mungos for at least another day or two. But the idiots wouldn't let him take his own potions. And if he insisted he would have to leave.
Wasn't he the one who had supplied them with potions for how long? Wasn't he Severus Snape a Potions Master? He signed long and heavily better here with Poppy Pomfrey and his own potions than at St. Mungos with incompetent dunderheads.
He was about to turn towards the dungeons when he heard music coming from the great hall. Might as well have a little fun. he thought at the prospect of scaring some hapless idiot. He went to the door of the great hall it was open just enough to see inside, but he was not prepared for the sight that met his eyes. Hermione Granger sat atop the teachers diasis engrossed in a book. Thank sweet Nimue some things never change. He silently laughed at himself for thinking that Hermione Granger reading was a sign of normalcy. What would she think of me now. Am I still the same to her? he scowled. He wasn't going to let this happen that was gone dead now for the last two and a half years. Whatever it was was dead and gone with the war. Of this he was certain.
He watched the sun play off her hair and admired the way she looked like the Hermione of her youth. The Hermione I. . . But she's not that Hermione anymore! He mentally slapped himself. Get a hold of yourself man! she was a war hardened veteran now or so he believed no one could come out of that without being hardened and changed inside. Not even my little piece of sunshine. He watched her still unable to move away. She set her book down and reached her arms up and stretched. His heart slammed to a stop. The late afternoon sun made her look like the goddess he knew she was. It framed and caressed her body making her all shadow and light. 'one can never be without the other' she had said. It was the whole reason they worked. She ended her stretch and picked up her book again. Maybe she still. . .
Before he knew what he was doing he had stepped in the great hall and was moving silently towards her. The music had changed to something slow that niggled in the back of his mind that he knew the song. He continued across the floor of the great hall his heart hammering in his chest while she read on oblivious to him. He reached the stairs and held his hand out to her. His mouth suddenly went dry and he pulled his hand back. His mind suddenly went blank and emotions began piling themselves on top of each other. And with his defenses down, all of his fears attacked him at once.
She looked up and gasped, "Sev-Severus? Your awake. Your here."
"Please?" He whispered as his mind battled back for control over his fears.
She could read his eyes just like he could read her. All of his insecurities were laid bare before her.
"Oh you stupid man." she whispered tears falling from her eyes wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "Of course I still do. How could you possibly think I stopped."
"Hermione. . . " He licked his lips. "It's been more than two years. . . You deserve. . . "
"You. Look at me Severus Snape." She commanded as he slowly raised his eyes to her. She brushed the hair out of his eyes.
"I love you. I loved you then and I love you now. That. Will. Never. Change." She said holding his face gently in her hands. "Unless you have changed your mind? Have you Severus ? Have you changed your mind and decided you don't want me?"
"No!" The word was ripped from his throat as if some other part of him spoke before he could think. "No. I love you. You kept me alive. Knowing that there was life after this war, kept me alive."
"Then how could you think that I wouldn't love you anymore?"
He looked away as his eyes filled with tears that threatened to fall. He suddenly felt very foolish.
"You had worked yourself up a million reasons why you thought I wouldn't love you. Or that I didn't all together." She said softly. He nodded his head still not looking at her. "Oh my poor love."
He finally found the courage and looked at her as a solitary tear slipped down the hardened lines of his face. Hermione smiled and wiped it away with her fingertips and replaced it with a kiss. In times like this she wondered who was the older one; he may be 20 years her senior but inside his heart he could be that seventeen year old boy afraid of getting his heart broken like it had been before.
"My poor love." She whispered again." There's only one way to deal with this. Start at the top of your list and I'll prove you wrong."
You didn't die from spell damage?"
"I'm still here. So, no."
"Confunded to forget me?"
"No."
"Obliviated?"
"Not in recent memory."
"Ha Ha. Under Imperius."
"Definitely not."
"You didn't run off and marry a Weasley?" He said.
"Good lord. No." she said laughing.
"You obviously didn't forget that I existed."
" I don't think I could if I tried." she said linking her hands with his.
"Didn't marry the boy wonder as he swept you off your feet on the battle field?"
She gave him a look and shook her head,"No, you didn't loose me to a Potter. I did exactly as you asked I stayed at your side. For as long as I could until they made me leave St. Mungos. Then I used Harry's cloak and snuck back in so I could be with you."
"I woke three days ago why weren't you there?" He asked and it was her turn to bow her head in shame.
"I got caught the night before and they warded me from the room. They said because I wasn't a blood relative or your wife I couldn't be in the room. "She said anger flooding back into her voice, "Harry was allowed, Minerva was allowed but I wasn't. And I couldn't say anything. Even though it's the truth I don't think anyone would have believed me if I did."
He wiped a tear from her face. "You've held on to so much because of me."
"I just wanted to tell the world that I was happy and the man who had made me happy was you." she looked up at him.
"My dearest. I love you." He said his voice heavy with emotion.
"You don't doubt me any more?" She said searching his eyes.
"Forgive me for even considering it?" He asked.
"I think I can." she said smiling. "I love you Severus."
"I love you Hermione." He said and then handed his hand to her, "May I have this dance?"
"Of course." She said putting her hand in his. "You're certain your all right? I don't want you hurting yourself."
"I'm fine." He said pulling her down the stairs into his arms. He pulled her close and swayed with her to the music. He reveled breathing in her scent, the warmth of her body, the strength in her arms and the softness of her hair. He loved her. Her tenacity. Her brilliant little know it all mind. Her stunning eyes like a fine glass of Ogden's best. The way she could read him as easy as if she were reading a textbook. He prided himself on his ability to hide his emotions but when it came to his Hermione he could hide nothing. And he loved that. No secrets.
They swayed making their way across the great hall. He thought of what it must have been like for her, for the last two years. Fighting to see him and unable to tell everyone what she meant to him. 'I wanted to tell the world i was happy and the one that made me happy was you.' His decision was made.
He stopped dancing.
"Severus? What's wrong?"
He pulled out his wand.
"What are you doing?" she asked her eyes widening in fear at the possibilities and none of them were good.
He tapped his jacket with his wand and a small pocket appeared. He reached into the pocket and pulled out a small black pouch.
"This is all there is left of the Prince family. It was my heirloom on my mothers death, and I want you to have it.
He bent down on one knee.
"Hermione Jean Granger, I love you. And I never want you to have to hide that fact ever again in your life. Will you agree to handfast with me and become my wife?"
"Yes."
"Yes?"
"Yes." She said. "Are you going to kiss me now?"
"Yes."
A/N: well there you have it my longest story in a while. And one of the quickest i have ever pumped out. I am a little afraid it's not my best I was trying something different. But now that you've read it please leave me a review and tell me what you think. And remember the more you review the more I write. ( that's usually a good thing) TTYS!