AN: I guess this is a slightly fluffy chapter, but it still moves the story forward.

Thank you for all the reviews, favorites and follows.

I promise Ron will be brought to the mat soon.

Hermione woke up and stared at the man who had his arms wrapped around her, and again wondered why he made her feel so safe. She knew she had always trusted him, even when it was hard she had trusted him. She tried to explain that to the boys when they were on the run, but neither had understood her trust, so she had stopped mentioning it. 'Don't suppose I can ask him to stay and hold me every night?' She thought with a loud sigh.

Severus had been awake for awhile, but was hesitant to open his eyes, but when he heard her sigh he couldn't hold back a small chuckle.

"I'm sorry Si...Severus. I didn't mean to wake you."

"Don't worry I was awake. Just afraid to open my eyes."

"Afraid? Did I do something. I mean...well I'm getting better at controlling my new magic, but did I ..."

Severus looked down at her seeing the slight fear in her eyes and cursed himself for his poorly chosen words. "No, Hermione. I don't think you are capable of hurting me. I on the other hand."

"I have hurt you or have you forgotten what I did to you in the infirmary?"

"That didn't really hurt. Stunned me yes, but hurt no."

"You've never hurt ..."

Severus felt himself tense when she cut herself off. Of course he had hurt her maybe not physically, but he knew the words he had said to her when she was his student had to have hurt."

"I'm sorry, Hermione."

"It's okay. I think I always understood why you had to say those things to me, but I won't lie and tell you it didn't hurt."

Severus unwrapped himself from her and sat up, "Hermione, last night I." Realizing he didn't know how to continue he just stared out her charmed window.

Hermione stood up and walked over so she stood in front of him. She could see the shame in his eyes and it confused her. "Please don't feel guilty about last night. I doubt there was anything you could have done differently. Until we figure this curse out I just have to live with it. Please don't blame yourself."

He looked up into her eyes he wondered if she had any idea of how beautiful she really was, "I did something last night that I'm not proud of, and maybe if I hadn't been so selfish I would have seen what was happening faster."

She sat down in her chair and watched him for awhile wondering if he would explain, but when he said nothing she started to go over what she remembered of last night in her head. Coming up with nothing she started to get up and head towards her bathroom, but stopped at the door feeling slightly confused. It was a door alright, but not the door to her bathroom shaking her head a little she turned around and noticed her room had two new doors. Turning back around she smiled at the man sitting on her bed.

"Severus"

He continued to stare out her charmed window afraid to look at her. When she saw he wouldn't look at her she walked over to him and kneeled in front of him. Looking up into his eyes she could still see his shame.

"I don't know what you think you did, but I can tell you right now the castle doesn't believe you've done anything wrong."

Furrowing his brow at her, "what?"

"Look"

He looked where she pointed and saw the door, but still didn't understand.

"Those door are new, and although I'm not much of a gambler I'd bet you all the books in your library that one of them is a door to your chambers."

"The doors weren't there before?"

"Hope you were more observant than this when you were a spy. Yes, those doors are new."

Severus walked to the doors and opened them. The one indeed lead to his chambers, but he couldn't contain his surprise when he realized where the other door lead to. The castle was doing its best to take care of her. Turning back around he smiled at her slightly shocked face.

"Well my love it seems as though the castle believes you deserve your own private entrance to the Room of Requirement."

"Wow"

"Wow indeed"

Shutting both doors he turned around and motioned for her to sit. He had to tell her or the guilt would eat at him. He only hoped she wouldn't run away from him in disgust.

When he didn't say anything for several minutes Hermione became worried and started playing with the cuff of her nightgown, "we can probably figure out away to remove the door to your chambers if you'd like."

"No, I'd like the door to stay, but after I explain what I did last night it may be you who wants it removed."

Staring into her confused eyes he swallowed and sent up a silent prayer that once again the fates would be with him as he explained himself.

"Hermione I did something bad last night." Noticing her starting to object he begged her to let him finish giving her a small smile when she nodded.

"I need to explain something before I tell you though. I ... I love you. I mean I'm in love with you. I have been for a long time, but there was nothing I could do really."

"Me? You love me?"

"Yes, but what I did last night is inexcusable."

"I don't understand."

Taking hold of both of her hands and closing his eyes, "please know I would never push you or do anything you weren't ready for, but last night my imagination got the better of me. I couldn't stop myself and I lost control." Opening his eyes again he took in her shocked face, "I didn't touch you, but I lost control with myself. I'm so sorry."

Pulling her hands away she walked over to her window. Her feelings were jumbled up and she felt a bit lost. "How can you love me?"

"Hermione please look at me. Please."

Smiling at her when she turned around, "how could I not love you? You're beautiful, intelligent, funny, brave. I could go on forever really."

"I'm not beautiful I'm ugly and I'm a ... You deserve better."

Realizing she was going to call herself whore his heart broke for her. He berated himself for making yet another mistake with her. It was to soon to tell her his feelings, but once again his own selfishness took over. Pushing that thought out of his head and just focusing on her he pulled her into a hug.

"You are beautiful, and your not what they called you or what Bellatrix carved into your skin." Leaning down he kissed the top of her head, "and believe me it's you who deserves more then me."

"You? You're a hero and brilliant. I'm nothing."

"You my dear are far from nothing. The war would not have been won if were not for you. If anyone is the hero in this room it's you, and some day everyone will know what you did."

The two of them just stood there in each others arms. Hermione was still confused how anyone could love her, but the man she had admired for years just told her he did. She wasn't sure she believed it yet, and she knew he deserved so much more then her, but she wanted so much to be loved.

"Hermione I don't expect you to tell me you love me. I know that will take time, but please tell me there's a chance?"

"Did you really...I mean ummm last night uh."

Chuckling at her as he watched her turn red, "yes, I really did."

"I can try, but I don't think I'm ready for that. I'm not sure I'll ever."

"You will someday, but for now we just take it one step a time."

"One step?"

"Will you have dinner with me this Saturday night?"

"Dinner? We have dinner together almost every night."

"I meant I would like to take you out to dinner."

"Oh."

"Is that a yes?"

"Yes, I think that would be nice."

"Good I'll pick you up at 7:00, but now my love it's time for us to face today. I'll see you down at breakfast."

Hermione watched as he disappeared behind the door to his chambers. 'He loves me.'

Hermione took her seat at the head table and looked over to the Gryffindor table. Knowing she would need Ginny's help she hoped to catch her friends eye. Ginny looked up and smiled at her, sometimes the two of them felt like they read each others minds. Hermione nodded and knew Ginny would seek her out later.

Everyone in the hall looked up and stopped eating when they noticed four ministry owls headed towards the head table. One each dropping off an envelop in front of the four apprentices. The four young men and women just stared at the envelops each one knowing what they were, but none of them rushing to open them. Even Draco who had been the most confident of them during the exams stared at his envelope like it might bite him.

Professor McGonagall looked at the four apprentices, "all of you already know you earned high enough scores to earn your apprenticeships anything else is just extra. No reason to be nervous so just open them already. Or I'll be forced to ask your mentors to open them."

All four of them looked at their mentors and watched them nod in agreement. So,with trembling hands they all picked up their envelopes. Neville smiled as he looked at his scores and showed them to Professor Sprout who gave him a hug. This was followed quickly by Draco and Padma both showing their mentors everyone looked pleased.

Draco looked over at Hermione, "come on already Hermione, Neville and I have a small wager going, and I'm ready to collect my reward."

"You two bet on my score?"

"Well umm not money. I mean we wouldn't do that, but ummm." Neville tried to explain, but Draco just laughed, "what our friend here is trying to say is its a friendly wager. Now come on girl open them already so everyone can get back eating."

Hermione looked out over the Great Hall and noticed everyone's eyes were on her. Even the Slytherin table had stopped eating and stared up at her. Her hands shaking she opened up her envelope and looked at her scores. Neville and Draco whistled and Padma hugged her.

Looking over at Severus, "are they good?"

Everyone at the head table laughed until they looked at her face, and realized she didn't realize how good they were. Draco bent down and whispered in her ear. "Really?" "Really Hermione."

Severus stood up and stared over at the quiet hall, "it seems as though none of you will eat until your curiosity is put to rest, and since all of you have classes in twenty minutes let me be the first to tell you that all of the apprentices did very well." He smiled at each one them before continuing, "however, one of them has done exceedingly well. I'm sure this will come as no surprise to some of you, but Miss Granger has earned the highest scores in the history of Hogwarts."

The cheers that went up were deafening and Hermione looked across the Hall a bit surprised to see even some students at the Slytherin table were cheering for her.

Severus sat down and whispered into Hermione's ear, "I told you, you were brilliant, and since I'm right on that it's only natural for me to be right about everything else I said this Morning too." Hermione blushed and looked at him, "so you're never wrong?"

"No"

Hermione smiled slightly as she cleaned up after the final class of the day. The day had gone pretty well even Pansy managed to control her behavior, well at least she did after Hermione took away fifty points from her.

"Hi there Miss Smarter then everyone in the universe!"

"Very funny Ginny."

"Well it's true, but anyway, it looked like you wanted to talk when I saw you at breakfast."

"I did... I mean I do. I uhh I have a date." The last part of her statement was barely above a whisper.

Ginny's eyebrows shot up, "can you repeat that last bit there. Not sure I heard you right."

"A date Ginny. I have a date."

Ginny laughed as she watched her friends face turn red, "who's the lucky guy? Wait no let me guess. Neville, no he's sweet, but he's in love with Luna. Draco? I mean you two do seem to have become friends, and well he's not such a prat anymore."

"It's not Draco, but you're right we are friends. Or at least as much of a friend as he'll let someone be to him."

"Okay, so not Draco. Okay well the only other person you are around is Professor Snape and that's" Ginny noticed Hermione turn another shade of red, "Oh Merlin! You have a date with Sexy Severus!"

"Uhhh Sexy Severus?"

"Oh, uh right. Just something some of us came up with one night. I mean really that voice and his hands I mean imagine what..."

"Ginny!"

"Sorry, just a little harmless fantasizing."

"What about Harry?"

"Oh I've told Harry he just laughs. Harry knows I'm in love with him."

Ginny studied her friend for a few moment and realized it was time to become serious, "you're nervous, aren't you?"

Hermione whispered yes and sat down. Ginny walked over sat next to her and pulled her into a hug. "Ginny what if I screw up?"

"You won't"

"I'm scared"

"I'll help"