The One

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the HP universe. I just borrowed the characters.

AN: This story is preHBP and DH.

Severus Snape walked into the Great Hall for breakfast, and sat next to Hermione Granger, Charms teacher. He gave her a nod, and started piling up bacon and toast onto his plate.

Hermione had been teaching at Hogwarts for almost five years now, and it had taken four years for her to be able to actually consider Severus Snape a friend, and him to consider her one as well.

First, Severus had given her many of his snide comments, and looks that sent the first years crying, but that didn't seem to faze her. Hermione would just smile in response, and tell him to have a good day of classes. Honestly, this intrigued him. Then, it was the occasional debate of something academic. Before Severus knew it, they were reading books by his fire in his rooms. The bloody Gryffindor know-it-all had wormed her way into his life, and that itself made Severus very uncomfortable.

He could never admit this to anyone of course. He was still a Deatheater, spying for the light.

Yes, Voldemort was still at large. Harry The-Boy-Who-Lived-To-Be-A-Pain-In-His-Arse had still not taken the Dark Lord down. The killings had mounted to over thousands, as there had been many battles. Severus had to try his best to stop himself from joining the side of the Light in these battles. In due time, he would be able to help his fellow comrades on the battlefield.

He couldn't wait for the end of the War for many reasons, but the biggest one was because of the bushy-haired witch sitting beside him. He couldn't help but to feel more than friendship for her. She was intelligent, funny, nice, and everything that Severus could possibly want in a woman.

She was seeing Ronald Weasley, the youngest of the Weasley children. What could he possibly want with the greasy bat of the dungeons? Ronald Weasley was the complete opposite of Severus; Quidditch built, out-going, young, and had a clean past. Why would Hermione ever want a man who was old enough to be her father, and had a dark past like Severus had?

Severus had constantly told himself that when the Final Battle came, he would tell Hermione of his feelings for her. He knew her well enough to know that she wouldn't throw them in his face. No, she was too Gryffindor for that. At least if he told her of his feelings, he wouldn't be faced with the "what ifs". Soon, the Final Battle would be here, and he could get the feelings off of his chest.

"Severus?" He heard Hermione say.

Snapping out of his trance he looked at the woman who had just preoccupied his thoughts.

"Yes?" He said with no emotion in his voice. He was so used to hiding his emotions that he didn't even have to try. It did, however, take all of his strength to not grab the witch and kiss her senseless, especially when she gave him the smile that she seemed to reserve strictly for him.

"I was just talking about the new lesson I was going to have today, but it seemed as though you were somewhere else," Hermione said with concern written on her face. She lightly touched his arm, unknowingly causing Severus' heart to pound harder. "Is everything alright?"

"Everything is fine," Severus said while focusing his attention back to his toast. She has no idea how she affects me. "What were you saying?"

Hermione then launched into her lesson plans for the day.

Hermione walked into the flat that belonged to her and Ron. She had been so frustrated with her fourth years that she had let them go early with a long essay due next class. Fridays, she was able to go home and spend her weekends with Ron. During the week, she stayed in her rooms at Hogwarts. This made it easier for her to teach during the week days.

"Ron?" She called, knowing that he was home, seeing as his coat was hanging up by the door. He was working in the Auror office but was off on Fridays.

Getting no answer, she began to walk towards the bedroom. She was stopped when she heard labored breathing and loud moans.

He can't be cheating on me, it just isn't possible.

Hermione slowly opened the door to the bedroom, and couldn't believe what she saw: Ron was clearly cheating on her with a very naked Lavender Brown.

"'Mione, wait!" Ron shouted, covering his naked self. "It's not what you think, honestly!"

"No, Ron, I will have none of your explanations!" Hermione yelled back.

She then left the flat, returning to Hogwarts, the only place she could now call home.

Angrily slamming the doors to her rooms, Hermione tried to find the strength to cry. The sad part was that she couldn't even gather the tears. She felt more betrayed than upset. She was angrier by the fact that Ron was also one of her best friends and he had betrayed her. She really didn't seem to be hurt that he had cheated on her.

Maybe she didn't really love him? Love. There was that word. She had said it many times when she was with Ron, but did she really love him like that? Or was it just the brotherly type of love? Infatuation? Hermione understood it now: she had just wanted to be loved!

Now that she thought about it, a pair of dark brown eyes came to mind. Brown eyes that were so brown, they were almost black. These eyes were followed by long, slender hands, and a curtain of black hair. Then, his face came to mind. Severus Snape's face.

Suddenly, it hit her like a ton of bricks: all those times that she had sat by the fire in his rooms, the debates that left her heart pounding, when he almost smiled at her, and her knees seemed to go weak. Love. She was in love with Severus Snape.

There was no way that he would return her feelings. He would most likely laugh at her in her face. She could almost hear him calling her a "silly little girl". He was twice her age, and more intelligent that any man she had ever known. She knew that he would never consider her more than just a friend. It was hopeless. With that last thought, Hermione cried herself to sleep.

Severus practically ran back to the castle. He was bringing grave news indeed. He needed to go straight to Dumbledore and tell him of the events from the Deatheater meeting.

Voldemort was planning on striking the castle the next morning. This wasn't like the rest of the battles the occurred previously. This was it: the Final Battle. Tomorrow, many lives would be lost, probably his included.

What did it matter? What did he have here waiting for him to return? Sure, he had people that said they cared about him, but what did they really care if he were to die tomorrow? An image of Hermione's smiling face came to his mind.

Surely, she did not return his feelings, but he couldn't die tomorrow without telling her how he felt. After his talk with Dumbledore, Severus would summon all of his courage and go tell Hermione how he felt.

Hermione was awoken by a sharp knocking at the door.

Wondering who it could be, she cleaned up her appearance the best she could and went to the door.

"Ronald, if that is you, I am hexing your bits off," she screamed as she opened the door.

It most definitely wasn't Ron. It was none other than the man she had just cried herself to sleep over, and he looked more nervous than she could ever believe Severus Snape to be.

He must have taken in her swollen eyes because his face fell. If he had seemed nervous before, it was nothing to how he looked now.

"Hermione," he said, looking uncomfortable at her distress, "what is the matter?"

Hermione then went into the story of how she caught Ron cheating on her. Severus listened, and held in the ire he felt for the stupid boy. Who in their right mind would want anyone but the witch standing in front of him?

After Hermione finished her story, Severus had made his mind up that he wasn't going to say anything to her about his feelings for her. She had been through enough tonight, and he most certainly did not want to add to her distress. If he died tomorrow, then so be it. He wasn't going to risk the friendship he had with Hermione because of his stupid feelings, especially seeing as there was no way she returned them. Looking at her distress from the breakup with Weasley was evidence enough.

"I will leave you now," Severus said as he turned to the door. "The Final Battle will be tomorrow morning; you might wish to get as much sleep as possible."

He heard Hermione's intake of breath, and wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms.

"S-Severus," she stammered with more tears in her eyes, "would you mind staying with me? I don't want to be alone, and I can't think of anyone else I would rather spend what might possibly be my last day one earth with."

Severus felt hope fill his chest. She wanted to spend her last day on earth with him? Slowly, he turned around to look her in the eye.

Without thinking, he reached up and wiped a stray tear from her cheek. Realizing what he was doing, he withdrew his hand as though there had been a shock.

Hermione caught it, and placed it around her waist. She then closed the distance between them, capturing his mouth in a kiss. It was sweet and soft at first, but when Severus responded, Hermione deepened the kiss.

They didn't sleep that night, but spend the night wrapped up in one another, scared that this would be the last night they had.