All characters belong to the brilliant JKR...

So the story continues...


Chapter 9

The white pelicans gliding above the distant water seemed to be the only evidence that the world in front of Hermione was not a masterpiece of oceanscape painting. She leaned back into the comfortable lounge chair and let the mild ocean breeze gently whisper through her hair. A couple of majestic palm trees nearby provided generous shades blocking the tropical sun. She took a deep breath and filled her senses with the refreshing island scent. Slowly she closed her eyes and let the memory of the past year washed through her mind.

Severus predicted exactly what others would want from him. Within days after the defeat of Voldemort, he was summoned to various meetings to address questions from all concerned parties. Keeping her words, and ignoring his protest, Hermione was always there by his side.

It turned out the Order was the most open-minded group of them all. Perhaps because of the group's history with Dumbledore, they quickly accepted all the facts presented in front of them. The rest of the Hogwarts teachers also welcomed the truth with open arms. McGonagall even suggested that Severus continue his tenure as the Headmaster, although he declined immediately. By the end of May Severus submitted his resignation. Despite Hermione's constant complaints, Severus refused to move in to her flat in London. Instead, he remained in Spinner's End while he was awaiting for all the meetings. She eventually appreciated the importance of the temporary concealment of their relationship from the public eyes and his thoughtful attempt to protect her reputation.

The auror's office was quite a bit more demanding than the Order. They not only wanted to meet with Severus many more times, but also made requests to meet with others to verify his claims. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, Lupin,and McGonagall were all included in their through investigation. It took considerably more time for the aurors to gain their satisfaction that Severus Snape had indeed been a double agent for Dumbledore for all these years. Finally one day Kingsley visited Severus. He delivered the news that the case was closed as far as the aurors' concerns.

Harry however was not at all pleased with the simple delivery. He insisted that the auror's office join him and request the honor that Severus deserved.

"Order of Merlin First Class is what they should give you for all that you've done for us Severus!" Harry raised his point again one day.

"While I appreciate your enthusiasm Harry, I am sorry to inform you that you will soon realize it is rather foolish to seek such attention." Severus replied coolly.

And Severus was right again. Attention was the last thing they wanted in the following months. The Order's questioning sessions and the auror office's cross examinations pale by comparison with the never-ending deliberations at the Ministry. Hermione was frustrated by the slow progress. She could not understand why it took so much time for the Ministry to accept the simple facts.

"That is a place where no one wants to take any responsibilities." Severus explained to her over dinner one night. "They need a scapegoat for all their incompetence. And unfortunately I seem to fit that description."

It soon became obvious to Hermione that the Ministry was not at all concerned about the facts, but was more interested in attacking Severus' credibility.

"How would you explain your motive in assisting Harry Potter, Mr. Snape?" for what seemed to be the hundredth time a Ministry official asked Severus, "You were in love with his mother, who married your rival who used to bully you at school. How would you argue that you were not waiting for the right time to take revenge on the boy? Or was it simply because the opportunity presented itself to you so you switched sides when you-know-who was weak?"

"If what you told us was true, and you were indeed the one that was treating Dumbledore for a rare curse he was suffering, how would you prove that your potion was saving him and not killing him slowly?" A Ministry staff asked after what appeared to be some thoughtful considerations one day.

"Did you or did you not successfully manipulate the Ministry's decisions during the rise of you-know-who?" came a question from a senior official.

"We have received information that you have attempted to gain high level Order of Merlin recognition on more than one occasion in the past few years. Does your true motivation lie behind having such personal gain by assisting the Order of Phoenix when it was convenient to you?" Someone fired the question one day.

"Please address your relationship with Miss Granger. It has been noted that she has been accompanying you to most of our recent meetings. Have you made any arrangements with her so that she can help strengthen or repair your credibility? Would you please elaborate on the details of your arrangements?" Another official was quite pleased with his observation during a hearing.

While Hermione, and sometimes Harry and Ron when they were present at the meetings, became furious by the veiled attacks and accusations, Severus maintained his cool. Never once did he raised his voice or even attempt to argue. He patiently repeated the facts again and again. He broke down details of past events to address each of their questions from various angles, but was always careful enough to never leave a loophole open for them to twist the facts.

When they brought up the "arrangements" he had with Hermione however, he stopped momentarily and appeared to have a need to gather his thoughts. Hermione was on the edge of her seat and was wondering if he was going to explain her whole time traveling ordeal. That would indeed opened up another can of worms. She could just imagine them going after the curse, the spell, and whatever she could have possibly revealed in the past... As far as she could tell, there would be no end to the investigation if they started down that path.

Severus examined his audience before speaking in his coolest voice, "I do not see the relevance of your question." he began, "We have the talented Miss Rita Skeeter here with her Quick-Quote Quill. No matter what my answer is, I can guarantee you that it will be far less interesting compared to what you will read in her upcoming new book about me, which I would most definitely appreciate it if you do NOT send me a copy." He nodded at the witch, who was quickly turning scarlet in her face.

"Whatever arrangements I have with Miss Granger have been, and will remain our own business. She might have decided to be here to render her friendly support, or she might have been threatened by me to come along to these exhausting meetings so that she could observe how to conduct business in the Ministry. However our arrangements may be, they happened after the war, and therefore will not explain anything that is under your investigation."

He gave the room a cold glance before continuing, "I believe I have provided all the answers that are relevant to your questions. In order to maintain the Ministry's reputation of its ability to solve problems effectively and efficiently, may I suggest that you stay focus with your inquiries? Or am I mistaken that effectiveness and efficiency is not at all the Ministry's style in conducting its business? If that is the case, please accept my most sincere apology."

Hermione smiled as she remembered the look on the Ministry officials' faces. It was indeed the best closing statement she could have ever imagined.

Her stream of thought was interrupted when she felt his slender fingers gently brush through her hair. She opened her eyes and found Severus looking curiously back at her. He leaned down and kissed her forehead before settling down in the lounge chair next to hers.

"What are you thinking? What made you so happy?" He asked casually.

She watched him relaxed in his island attire. He was wearing a pair of khaki beach pants, with an unbuttoned light sage linen shirt draping over his shoulders. A thought suddenly hit Hermione and she asked, "You really don't know what I'm thinking?"

"What a strange question that is!" He laughed, "Why would I ask you if I already knew?"

"That's exactly my question!" She was becoming quite excited as she sat up straight in her seat. "I have been wondering for a very long time... Have you ever considered penetrating my mind with legilimency?"

The smile on Severus face slowly faded and he became a bit more serious. However, his was still looking at her in the same gentle way, and there was something more in his gaze that warmed her heart. "I admit that I did consider it once." He answered, "It was over fifteen years ago, when you first appeared in my life, badly wounded." He took a deep breath and continued, "I only considered it because you were staring at me as if I was a ghost."

He stopped for a moment and she waited quietly for him to continue. "Other that that one incident, no, I never considered it again."

"But why not?" she pressed on.

It took him a minute to consider his answers. What he told her next was not so much an answer, but rather, a pledge. "Legilimency is a weapon, and should never be used lightly. Believe of not, I have always trusted you, even from the very beginning. I have to admit it was quite risky that I trusted you that soon, given that there are so few people that I have ever trusted in this world. I will never use that magic on you, Hermione, because I believe that you also trust me and you will tell me what you want me to know. What you want me to know is all that I will need to know. I will never do anything to damage the trust you have in me."

He frowned as he observed her reaction. He reached over and brushed away a stray tear on her face and said, "I didn't mean to make you cry! Did I not answer your question?"

"Oh you answered it." She smiled at him, "You answered it perfectly well."

She ran her fingers down his shoulder and stopped at an old scare on his upper right arm. She began tracing it carefully.

"You may remember this one..." He smiled, "A generous present from that werewolf friend of ours."

"Remus?" she looked at him surprisingly.

"It could have been a lot worse I suppose. I guess it was foolish of me to stand in front of him under the full moon." He said, "But I really didn't have many other choices. I had no other places to hide you and those two dunderhead friends of yours the night when he and Black captured, or shall we say almost captured, Pettigrew." He thought for a moment and continued, "I hope you won't blame me for telling on his secrets and making him leave at the end of that school year. I was getting tired of having to watch over him every month, just to make sure that he would remember to drink the damn potion. I could not stand the thought of having a werewolf roaming the castle when you were around."

"Was that also why you assigned the essay on werewolves?" She smiled at him.

"Of course! And I knew for a fact that you would be the only one that would actually do the research and find out his secrets." He sighed, "I just couldn't believe that you were still so trusting around him after you figured it all out."

"You know he meant no harm..."

"Yes I do... but still." he reached over and kissed her on her lips, "when it comes to you I can be rather protective."

"Oh really?" She smiled and a mischievous thought occurred to her. "Did you ever get jealous of Harry or Ron? We did spend an awful lot of time together."

"Those two?" Severus chuckled, "Never."

He smiled at Hermione's surprised expression and said, "Don't you remember what you told me a long time ago? You said they were like brothers to you. Why on earth would you think I would be jealous of them if that's how you think of them? Now that Viktor Krum however..."

He raised his eyebrow and looked at her teasingly, "was a different story. I had to admit that I was very tempted to... how should I put it... do certain things that would ensure his stay at Hogwarts unpleasantly memorable."

"I can't believe it!" She laughed at his unexpected confession. "So tell me Severus," she went on, "When did you first notice me when I came to Hogwarts as a student."

"That was easy. I noticed you as soon as you stepped into the Great Hall. That hair of yours was hard to miss." A smirk was visible in his face.

"Was it that bad?" she frowned.

"That was not it, although I have to admit it was quite interesting to see a little girl with such bushy hair." He ignored the offended expression in her face and went on, "It was just that I had been expecting to see you that year. So I was looking for you among the new students."

Hermione looked at Severus suspiciously, not completely convinced. "Did you really think my front teeth were too big?" she narrowed her eyes upon him and asked.

"I think you rather overreacted." He couldn't help it but the corners of his lips curled up again. He was really beginning to enjoy this conversation. "I was expecting you to have a better sense of humor."

Hermione jumped off of her chair and began to slap Severus on his shoulders. "A sense of humor?" She tried to hide her laugh and screamed at him, "Severus Snape! Don't you ever dare telling me what a sense of humor is!"

She soon found herself wrapped tightly in his strong arms. She giggled as he planted little kisses all over her face, down her neck, and along her shoulders above her strapless sundress. "Yet again," he began in his cool smooth voice, "the brave Gryffindor has fallen into the cunning Slytherin's clever trap. If I didn't say what I said, how am I going to make you willingly jump into my arms with such enthusiasm?"

As she finally caught her breaths between her giggles she sighed and smiled at Severus, "Can we just stay in for the rest of the day? I don't think I want to go anywhere."

"That should not be difficult to accomplish, given that it is already past midday." He smiled back at her.

"Good. I just want to stay here and get to know you better. I feel like I missed many years when I could have been with you all along." She sat comfortably in his lap and rested her head on his chest.

"You are indeed a bookworm." She suddenly heard him say.

She frowned and stared back at him, "Why do you say that?"

"You have to do everything by the book don't you?" He tried to keep a straight face, "Isn't getting to know each other the old fashion definition for honeymoon?"

Before she could think of a retort, he got up on his feet and began to carry her towards the seaside cottage behind them.

"What are you doing Severus?" She squealed, completely surprised by his sudden movement.

"I don't know if you looked into my old potions book that Potter borrowed without permission." he said as he held her tight in his arms and made his way towards the cottage, "But I do have a habit of making things better by not playing by the book. And I would like to try and see if the same theory applies to honeymoon activities..."

The laughter from the seaside cottage was soon submerged by the sighing wind. In the distance, elegant white waves caressed the beach with their magical kisses. When the ocean tides finally retrieved, no trace was left on the sandy shore. All was clean, all was calm, and all, was forgiven.

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The End


Please don't hate me for ending it here... not yet anyway... I am working on an epilogue (by Rita Skeeter) and I hope you will like it.

Thank you all for following and reading the story. I had considered making it longer but eventually decided against it. However, I agree that I have omitted many missing scenes (or rather, missing years) that could potentially expand the story.

I am not sure what I would do about that. My two options seem to be either 1) rework this story and somehow incorporate those missing scenes; or 2) have some sort of sequel and expand on those ideas. And of course, I can also just stop the story here and leave it with your own imagination, which I have to admit is quite tempting at this moment. I am very interested in knowing what you think about these options.