Anything recognizable is the property of J.K. Rowling. I do not make any claim to ownership, nor do I make any money from this.
The Reason Why
They quickly fell back into their old routine, Severus snarking when Hermione interrupted him and forced him to look after himself, and she brushed it off every time. The Gryffindor was surprised to find that he was indeed swamped by orders and had absolutely no filing system. She quickly took over keeping orders, sales, and inventory straight while Severus brewed and occasionally she would help prepare ingredients. In the evenings they would sit quietly and read or do paperwork, and their actions were quite comfortable. Severus would push the ink closer to her, or the brunette would hand him a book he had lost in his pile of notes.
It was during one of their quiet evenings a month after Hermione returned that Severus sat at the table watching the young woman read, her legs draped over the arm of the chair. "It's because of Lily." He spoke quietly.
"Excuse me?" She glanced up from her book.
"Why I wanted you to come back." He refused to look at her.
"How so?" Hermione gave him her undivided attention, sitting up and putting the book to the side.
"In your 4th year, Trelawny had another prediction. She told me I would not die in the Shrieking Shack and I would be sent back to be with someone." He took a moment to clear his throat.
"When I was unconscious, I saw Lily. She told me I had to go back for someone." The tall man sighed.
"Then after you left I saw her again. She told me I had to get you back." The silence settled between them like something tangible.
"Well, that's alright then." She smiled at the older man.
"You're not going to tell me seeing her was a figment of my imagination?"
"Does it matter? We do magic. Anything is possible." Hermione shrugged. "Does it really matter if Lily is coming to you as a ghost, or that's just the form your subconscious takes?"
Severus sat there studying the young woman across from him. "You're right. Or she's right. Maybe that makes me right." He became very interested in the buttons on his sleeves.
The brunet reached over to him and tugged playfully on one of the buttons. "Stop worrying about it Severus. I'm here and I'm happy. Don't fret over the past. Look to the future. I think you'll find there is a lot to look forward to."
Hesitantly, the potions master rotated his hand to cover hers. "What do you have in mind for the future?"
"I was thinking of hiring someone to help you and maybe some of the paperwork. Maybe do some charm based potions. And George was interested in a partnership." Hermione giggled at the scrunched up expression on his face. More seriously she answered, "We'll see how it goes with us. I value your friendship and who knows what the future holds."
"I think I can work with that."