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Disclaimer: Still don't own it no matter how hard I wish, JK is still in complete ownership of Harry Potter … for now!

Chapter 2: Letters, Talks and Reluctant Agreements

The next morning Severus woke feeling a pleasant warmth against his side. He looked down at the young women next to him, smiling slightly at her relaxed face. That was until he remembered what had happened the previous night.

"I'm going to be working at Hogwarts as an apprentice to Minerva."

Yes, that little discovery had shocked him greatly, especially seeing as he was already thinking of a way to get Hermione to agree to a job in Hogsmeade. She went one better then what he would've though; asking for a job within the castle itself. Severus would have been quite happy to have her near him as after losing her once, he had no intention of letting that repeat itself, not after he had only just gotten her back.

When she had come back from her 'walk' as happy as she was he knew that he could not have asked her to change her mind. He was still half expecting her to wake up one morning and realise who she had chosen and leave him, but she did not. He was not going to give that situation a chance to rise and to ensure that he had to agree with what she wanted, not all the time but for the most of it he would try.

The only true reason why he had reacted the way he had was because he had not expected her to want to return to Hogwarts, especially as an apprentice. But the more he thought of it, the more the position as an eventual teacher seemed to suit her. After the initial shock had left him he had agreed to her idea of choice, knowing that she had probably already agreed to the position and anything he said against it wouldn't have made a difference anyway.

Severus was drawn from his thoughts when he heard a soft tapping coming from the window. He turned to see a snowy white owl which he recognised immediately.

"Sev, what is…?"

He looked down once more and raised an eyebrow at Hermione, who glared back at him.

"Sorry Hermione, I'm afraid that I didn't understand you. Maybe if you were to speak with your face out of the pillow," Severus answered, smirking as she groaned and slowly drew the covers back.

"Never mind, you're enjoying this aren't you?"

Still smirking he replied, "if only everyone from Hogwarts could see you now. Not such a morning person out of school are you?"

Throwing one more glare at the man next to her, Hermione stood and walked over to the beautiful snowy owl that was watching the pair with what Hermione could've sworn was a look of amusement in her large eyes. Taking not one, but three letters that were clasped in her beak, Hermione thanked Hedwig and gave her an owl treat that she kept near the window. Hedwig hooted her thanks and hopped back out to the windowsill before spreading her wings to fly off to her owner.

After quickly getting ready Hermione sat down at the kitchen table and looked at the letters in her hand. Looking at the writing Hermione could tell straight away who had been writing to her; the familiar untidy scrawl of Ron was the first letter, the second being the neater, larger writing of Harry and the third was the slightly curled hand writing of Ginny. Smiling, Hermione opened the first letter from Ron and began to read.

Dear Hermione,

How's it going over in Spinners End? I've seen pictures of the place and it didn't seem like one of the nicest of places. Though I'm sure that you would have done something about that by now haven't you? I pity Snape's soul if you chose the colours and all that stuff as your favourites. Anyway mum wanted to know if you and Snape (if he wants to anyway, he doesn't have to) wanted to come for dinner sometime before the school year starts again. Congrat's on your job, by the way, though why you'd want to go back to school is beyond me.

Ron

Hermione laughed after she had finished reading the note from her friend. She had also heard the underlying plead to not show Severus the letter, so that he wouldn't have to come too. Hermione snorted slightly at that; like Severus would let her go with out him anyway. Shaking her head at his comment on her choice of job she turned to the next letter from Harry while the first was taken from her as Severus walked by.

Dear Mione,

How is everything at the moment? I'm staying at the Burrow at the moment, just until I get my own place. I don't know if you've already found out but I got together with Luna not so long ago, so we're together now. You know that dinner that Ron told you about, if not you should probably read that first, well Luna's coming too so if you can as well that would be great! Hope to see you there,

From Harry

Smiling at the news that Harry had finally noticed Luna's attentions towards him, Hermione was about to place that letter down but that one too was pulled out of her hands before she had the chance. Shaking her had at Severus' actions she pulled the final letter towards her.

Hey Hermione,

How are you? Just letting you know what both the boys have managed to leave out of their letters; you can't come without times can you? Dinner will probably be tomorrow and if you could com before four that would be great. Draco's here at the moment too and Lucius will probably be coming to the dinner as well. Oh Draco wants to write something.

Hermione, Severus (if you're reading this) how are you? Congratulations on your job Hermione, things will definitely get interesting at Hogwarts now won't they? Have you heard who the Defence teacher is? I doubt you have; no one seems to know except for Dumbledore. Anyway see you two tomorrow.

P.S Severus you had better show up otherwise father might just go crazy

Ok well bye Hermione

Love Ginny

Hermione barely finished the letter before it too was taken from her hands. She didn't really care though, no she was far to busy wondering who the new Defence teacher would be. She wondered for a moment if Remus Lupin had once again been offered the job but shook the idea away; Remus was with Nymphadora Tonks and Hermione doubted that he would return to Hogwarts any time soon.

'But then who else is there? I can't think of anyone else who would take the job…'

"So I suppose you'll want to go then?"

Severus' voice snapped Hermione out of her thoughts and she looked up to face him.

"Go to what, Severus?" Hermione asked confused, until her eyes reached the letters in his hands.

"Oh… ooh."

"Yes, 'oh' indeed. So gather that we will be going then?"

"You're ok with going?"

"I will have Lucius and Draco to talk to, I will be fine," Severus answered. Seeing the slight frown on Hermione's face Severus quickly added, "I'll talk to other people, just mainly them."

Sighing softly Hermione agreed and began to get ready for the rest of the day, as Severus wrote a quick reply to Molly Weasley. He left the letters on the table in case Hermione wished to answer to her friends and called for his pet raven, Deimos, to send their answer off.

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Later that night while the two enjoyed a quiet dinner, Hermione began to glance up at Severus, and then look back down at her plate only to repeat her actions only a few minutes later. After five more minutes of Hermione nervously looking up at him, Severus had had enough. Clearing his throat slightly he looked at the fidgeting women in front of him, his eyebrow raised once more.

Looking up at Severus but avoiding his eyes, Hermione stopped moving around.

"I need to ask you something."

"Well that much is obvious. What ever it is just ask it and I assure you that I will not be angry or upset," Severus said, trying to keep his sarcastic remarks at bay.

"Well it's just that in about a week or so I was planning to visit my parents again. The last time I was there it was just a quick 'hello' and my moving out and they asked where I was going. I told them that I was going to be living with my fiancé and now they both want to meet you and they invited us over for a night," Hermione said quickly, looking up at Severus watching for a reaction.

Severus sat quietly thinking about what she had just said. No matter what he told himself, he was not looking forward to telling her parents that he was her professor at Hogwarts and that they had been 'together' since her fifth year. Nor did he want to inform that when she was sent into the past that they had dated then too. No, a talk with Hermione's parents was not something that he wanted to do anytime soon.

"Please Sev, they really do want to meet you. I'm sure that if we explain everything to them that they will understand. My parents are nice people and they will accept our choice and, well please?"

Looking down at Hermione, Severus stood and walked over to where she now stood, watching him. He carefully wrapped his arms around her and sighed softly into her hair, which still fell in soft curls from the spell that Lucius had used on it. When he felt Hermione's arms around him he began to talk.

"To be honest with you Hermione, I'm not too comfortable with having to meet your parents so soon. While age differences like this are common in the wizarding world they are defiantly not so in the Muggle one. However it is best if I do meet them soon, I will have to later anyway and it is better for it to happen now rather then later."

He felt Hermione's body relax at his answer and he placed a soft kiss upon her head. He did not know what he was worrying about really; meeting Hermione's parents. He had lied countless times in Voldemort's face hadn't he? Meeting Hermione's parents couldn't be any harder then what that was could it?

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Ok well I hope that you enjoyed that chapter. I've only got a vague idea of what will be happening in future chapters so if you have any suggestions, especially with the dinner at the Weasley's, please feel free to tell me. It would be greatly appreciated!

Lady of Elysion