Otter Bliss

The hole in his chest where she should be grew even larger after she had been with him. To his amazement it seemed as if she felt the same, but somehow they made it through the autumn with Paean flying almost non-stop between them laden with letters. Melia smiled knowingly but refrained from commenting, and he kept busy with brewing and teaching the kids English. Hermione returned for a long weekend in September which they spent almost exclusively in bed, both of them desperate to absorb as much of the other as they could, to reassure themselves that what they had was real. He visited her once in late October, staying in her tiny rented flat just off Diagon Alley, but that trip nearly ended in disaster as he was unprepared for how difficult it was to return to England, and neither of them knew how to transition whatever was happening between them to her flat instead of his Greek cottage. She spent Christmas in Australia with her parents while Severus was invited to Melia's house where some of the townsfolk and one of her sons celebrated.

After two and a half years in Greece he was beginning to feel ready to take on the next challenge. The village life was starting to chafe just a little but it wasn't as if he had any better options. Sure he could go back to Spinner's End and start brewing from there but that wouldn't be different from what he was currently doing apart from a worse climate.

~~oo~oo~oo~oo~~

Minerva Owled him and asked if she could visit for a day or two over the Easter break. Poppy joined her, claiming she wanted to see how he was healing, but Severus suspected she just wanted to snoop. They arrived via Portkey to Athens and then Floo to the tavern where he picked them up.

"Severus, you look well," Minerva said, blinking in the strong sunshine. She looked just the same as always, stern and proud in her traditional robes.

"Thank you, Minerva."

Poppy hugged him despite his protests and soon they were walking up to the cottage with Minerva asking a thousand questions, hardly stopping for breath. Luckily they weren't staying overnight with him, instead Melia had offered to house them. ("Are you starting a bed-and-breakfast?" Severus had asked her when the topic came up. "Good idea!" she'd replied, twinkling as madly as Albus on a bad day.)

The two witches admired the village, the view, his garden, the view again, the cottage, and the view, this time from the roof terrace where he had arranged some fruit, Frost Raki and other refreshments. Poppy seemed happy with his physical status, claiming she'd never seen him look so healthy before. Thinking back he'd actually have to agree, all that fresh air and physical work coupled with the lack of madmen had made quite a difference, especially when combined with the great food the island provided.

"Hogwarts wants you back as Headmaster, Severus," Minerva said over her watermelon salad, finally coming to the real reason for their visit. "The Castle doesn't accept me as Headmistress anymore, it worked reasonably well for a while but now it's definitely resisting me. The ghosts and paintings all say that the Castle thinks you are the proper Headmaster. It misses you."

His eyebrow rose on its own accord. "The Castle misses me? How quaint. I doubt anyone else does, however."

Minerva glared at him with pinched lips. "Yes, the Castle is definitely sulking. Just the other day it didn't let me up above fifth floor, all the staircases kept drooping instead of going up to the office. The lights in the Great Hall are flickering in what Septima claims is Morse code for Headmaster Severus Snape. It's sealed off your old quarters too, by the way, and last I visited Albus' old rooms the bathtub was something more akin to a water slide."

"Well, that isn't my doing at least," Severus offered and helped himself to some more watermelon salad.

"One morning a few weeks ago someone or something had rearranged all the potions in my stores and pulled the ones you'd brewed out from long-term storage. They were arranged on a table in an S," Poppy said. "Meanwhile, the ones Horace had brewed were discarded in a corner. Not that I disagree with that assessment, mind you."

Severus winced. "You let him anywhere near your stores? And what do you mean, you have potions I brewed still in stock? That was three years ago, at minimum!"

"Yes, as I said, we need you! I've had to brew most of the stock myself, you know how Horace is," Poppy answered.

"Horace is retiring for good now," Minerva interjected. "I have some interviews scheduled but obviously I don't have the qualifications to judge their brewing skills."

Their talk moved on to general gossip about Hogwarts, the Ministry and various ex-pupils before Melia arrived. The three witches soon started chatting like old friends and Severus was content to sit back and listen to them. His thoughts started wandering, back to Hogwarts. Could he really do it? Nearly three years had passed since that awful time but that still meant the older students would have less than fond memories of his time there. And what of the teachers?

Still, it was good to see the pair of them and over the next few days he showed Poppy his potions experiments and talked to Minerva about the current state of affairs at Hogwarts. She had plenty of ideas for reforming the school but it had apparently been difficult to navigate the Board of Governors.

~~oo~oo~oo~oo~~

Once he had made up his mind, the rest happened quickly. He paid the rent until the end of summer anyway and Melia promised to look after his potions garden.

She met him at the Portkey arrivals hall at the Ministry and only the fact that they didn't want anything plastered all over the Daily Prophet the next morning stopped him from scooping her up in his arms straight away. Instead, she led him to an abandoned office in her department, Warded it to within an inch of the poor door's life, and proceeded to snog him senseless before she reluctantly claimed she had to go back to work.

"Congratulations on your post, Headmaster," she told him while she straightened out her clothing and hair.

"Would you care to accompany me to a restaurant, say, on Friday evening?" he blurted out, suddenly inexplicably nervous.

"I would, indeed, care to," she replied, smiling, before kissing him again.

Buoyed by the feeling of elation her kisses brought he squared his shoulders and returned to Hogwarts by Floo where Minerva and Poppy met up with him. The students were still in attendance so most of the other Professors were in class or in their offices, which suited him just fine. Minerva had brought some Scottish colours and tartan plaids into the Headmistress' office but otherwise it was mainly unchanged. Still, he had to close his eyes and breathe deeply to steady himself and not spiral into panic at the onslaught of memories. As he stood there in front of the Floo hearth he slowly started to sense the Castle reaching out to him, a certain awareness and slow thrum of the wards and magic that ran through it all. Minerva seemed to be right. It was welcoming him back. Once the Castle's first greeting had ebbed out it was replaced by the distinct impression that it was searching for something, or someone perhaps. He nodded and placed his hand on the mantel of the fireplace. I will try, he told the Castle, feeling only slightly silly.

The next few days were filled with meetings and planning. To his astonishment the staff appeared happy to see him return. Filius had set off some sort of enchanted glitter in the staff room that flew up as soon as someone said his name. Pomona had hugged him and introduced Longbottom — Longbottom! — as her new Apprentice, and the boy actually shook his hand and welcomed him back. There were a few new names as well. Andromeda Black-Tonks was coming in to teach Cultural Studies, a new class that Minerva had managed to push through as mandatory for all first- and second-years, replacing Muggle Studies and with a focus on both Muggle and Wizarding culture. Sturgis Podmore had taken over History of Magic, simply letting Binns keep the classroom he'd always taught in but moving the students and actual classes elsewhere. The new DADA teacher had actually managed to stay on for two years and seemed to be a reasonably competent, an ex-Auror that Kingsley had recommended. Minerva had brought in an American witch to teach Transfiguration but would resume the position herself next term. The Board of Governors were quick to sign off on his appointment, which made him wonder what threats Minerva had used to make them comply, but oddly enough they too seemed happy to have him return. Even the students cheered when Minerva announced the upcoming changes during dinner.

~~oo~oo~oo~oo~~

He had booked a table at one of the fancier restaurants in Edinburgh, not caring too much for the London scene and preferring a Muggle place to a wizarding restaurant. They met up at the Apparition point in the magical quarters of Edinburgh, just off the Royal Mile, and his breath caught upon seeing her in a very lovely sparkly midnight blue cocktail dress, her hair up in a messy knot and dark brown pumps giving her a few extra inches. She smiled as soon as she spotted him wearing his usual black-and-white outfit only slightly altered to fit the Muggle destination, having swapped the frockcoat for a tuxedo and vest.

"My lady, you look lovely tonight," he told her and kissed her hand.

She giggled and kissed his cheek, claiming that she didn't want to dislodge her makeup. He immediately scoffed and stated she didn't need such things to be beautiful, but nonetheless he tucked her hand in the crook of his arm and led her into the Muggle quarters to the restaurant a short walk away. The evening was lovely and warm but he barely noticed anything but her.

They were seated at a table with good privacy for intimate conversations, just as he had asked for. She asked him about Hogwarts and Crete, and talked about her work which still seemed to be a dead end. The food was probably excellent but his increasing nervosity made it all taste of cardboard. She was just… just everything, and who was he? A grumpy old sod with a beak of a nose, no social skills and a miserable past?

"Hermione … I wanted to talk to you about us," he began after dessert had been served and barely noticed her smile dropping. She sat up straighter in the chair and put her hands in her lap, her chocolate mousse yet untouched.

He took a deep breath. "You have been part of my life for ten years now, as a squeaky and overly inquisitive otter at night or as a wonderful companion during the day. I've come to realise that I don't want to be your boyfriend, Hermione. I'm over forty, I'm soon to be Headmaster of Hogwarts again, I don't do boyfriend. I shouldn't ask this of you, yet I find myself too selfish to let you loose to find someone better suited. I want more, Hermione. I want you in my life forever. In my home, in my bed or in my bathtub if you prefer, by my side. Would you … would you consent to becoming my fiancée instead? To, one day when you are ready, bond with me, let me be your husband?"

She looked at him, lower lip between her teeth, tears welling up in her eyes, he couldn't read her. Finally she broke out in a radiant smile. "I thought you were breaking up with me, Severus! Yes, I want that! Yes!"

One or the other moved, he didn't know, but he found his lap full of witch and their lips met for a frantic kiss.

"Hermione, Mi, I love you," he found himself saying.

"Oh!"

She kissed him again, very thoroughly.

"I love you too, Severus."

"You do? Poor deluded little witch."

"Only you, silly. And don't sell yourself short, I like you just the way you are. Besides, where would I find anyone else with such a marvellous bathtub?"

"Indeed," he purred and kissed her again.

After hurriedly sorting out the bill and escorting Hermione to the deserted alley behind the restaurant, she Side-Along Apparated him to her tiny flat where he proceeded to very thoroughly reacquainting himself with her most delectable body, intent on discovering new ways to make her cry out in ecstasy. They managed a shower where she thoroughly returned the favour before falling asleep in a tangle of limbs, as close as possible.

The next morning after a breakfast that was hindered by them accidentally ending up back in bed a few times, he asked her to follow him to Spinner's End so that he could clean it up for a realtor. Not that he particularly wanted to go there himself but he had already told her about his shitty childhood in bits and pieces over the years, and she claimed to want to see where he grew up. She looked around the small, dusty and neglected house with wide eyes but didn't comment, other than lighting up in a smile when he asked her to carefully pack his books while he went down to the lab. There wasn't much of value to save apart from some equipment and a few ingredients with long shelf-life, and one small box carefully tucked away in a hidden cabinet. When he made it back up the stairs he saw Hermione half buried behind a stack of dusty books, lost in an old text on warding. The sight made him smile, it was so quintessentially her. When she finally noticed him she squeaked and immediately fell back into otter form, burrowing into the stack. As she sheepily looked up from underneath a small tome on Technical Transfiguration he couldn't help but to laugh at her which caused her to squeak at him indignantly. He carefully dismantled the stack and picked her up, still chuckling while she sounded like an abused rubber duck toy, and walked over to his dingy couch where he put her down beside him in order to show her the small box he had rescued from the lab.

"Hermione, Mi, this used to belong to my mother," he said as he opened the lid. Inside was a letter, a locket and a few faded photographs of a young woman, smiling, and the same woman holding a small black-haired child who stared into the camera with wide eyes. There was also a smaller box inside, covered in a faded yellow silk, which he gently lifted to show her. She transformed back to her human form and looked at him with those brown eyes, lower lip between her teeth. She gasped when he opened the lid to show a gold ring with a solitary diamond. The band split in two at the upper half, the two strands coiling around each other in lazy loops with the diamond in the centre.

"It's my one remaining item from the Prince legacy," Severus continued. "Would you consider wearing it as a symbol of my desire to bond with you?"

Once again she started tearing up and smiling at the same time, but she did hold out her hand for him to gently put the ring on her finger.

"I take that as a yes?" he said and quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Severus, it's lovely," she said, inspecting her newly-adorned hand.

She pounced him again for a kiss, causing them both to topple over on the couch in a slightly dishevelled heap before he gently disengaged himself.

"Hermione, I would much rather return to your flat to continue this train of thought, and we'd much sooner get there if I can finish packing everything up here."

After summarily packing all the books and the few personal items he had left in his bedroom, Vanishing basically all the furniture and most of the household items apart from his favourite teacup and a pitcher that Eileen had always liked, he declared the house finished. Hermione helped out with some heavy-duty cleaning spells and soon the place was gutted and scoured clean down to the baseboards, and he shut the door on that part of his life with relish. The rest of the weekend was spent in her flat, with Hermione ordering takeout so that they didn't have to get dressed more often than necessary.

~~oo~oo~oo~oo~~

Summer went by quickly. Together with Minerva he interviewed several candidates for Potions and finally settled on a German wizard with good credentials from Beauxbatons. The first time Hermione visited him at Hogwarts he could actually feel the Castle's elation at having its otter back, and she was equally happy to return to the marvellous bathtub of his old quarters, and the new one up in the Headmaster's bathroom. Spinner's End sold quickly, much to his surprise.

They even managed to go back to Crete for a week. Hermione was quickly adopted by everyone there too, especially the children that he'd taught some English, and Melia was overjoyed at seeing them together and quickly arranged way too much food and visits by all the villagers who started asking about sending their children to Hogwarts now that he was there.

A week before the start of term the Headmaster always held a mandatory staff meeting in the staff office room. One by one the Professors filed in, new and old faces together. Many of them smiled at him, including Pomona and Hooch, and the new ones nodded at him in greeting. It felt odd to be at the head of the table once again but this time without the open hostility. Odd, but right, somehow. He could feel the Castle humming with contentment in the back of his mind, apparently it agreed. This time around he would be able to make the changes he wanted to see at Hogwarts, with Minerva and many of the others supporting him. Hogwarts would be a better place than it had been during his own school days here. A safer place for kids to grow up in, without the open hostility between Houses that had been so rampant during Albus' reign.

"Before we leave for the day, I should like to introduce my fiancée," he said and rose from the table as the meeting ended. A wave of his hand opened the door to the staff's sitting room, and Hermione entered, a small smile on her lips. He walked up to her, placing a kiss on her cheek. The room had gone completely silent, the new teachers looking slightly confused while the ones who had taught her ranged from Minerva's otter astonishment to Hooch's amused smirk, and Filius of course falling off his chair. Poppy and Pomona looked smugly pleased while Longbottom appeared to be slightly nauseous.

"Please welcome Miss Hermione Granger," he continued, standing behind her. "I hope you all make her feel welcome and accepted here. If anyone else of you has family that wants to stay with you please talk to me to arrange suitable living arrangements, it is time we did away with the clause that Professors aren't allowed to have a life."

The room erupted with noise when everyone started asking a million questions all at once and half the staff rose to hug Hermione.

"Congratulations, both of you," Minerva said and hugged him.

"Thank you," he managed, relieved to have her support.

~~oo~oo~oo~oo~~

The evening before the students were to return found the two of them up in the Astronomy tower after a private dinner in the Headmaster's quarters, now redecorated in a more subdued style and with all his books and personal items unpacked. The night was still warm and unusually clear for Scotland.

"Look, a comet," she said and pointed at the sky. "Make a wish."

"I have all I ever wished for right here," he said against her earlobe and pulled her close.

"Mmhh, you say the sweetest things," she said and twisted in his arms so that she could kiss him again.

"Don't let anyone hear you say that," he muttered against her mouth.

"You're a closet romantic, Severus Snape. Don't worry, I'll keep your secrets."

"You're too good to me, witch. Might I entice you to a bath to round off the evening?"

In response he got a series of squeaks and his arms full of excited otter. He Apparated both of them directly to the Headmaster's bathroom where Hogwarts had already outdone itself by filling up the now even larger tub. A house elf brought champagne, chocolate, fruit, berries and fish fillets sashimi style.

Odd how life turned itself inside out, he reflected. From abused and neglected to this. Professional recognition both as Headmaster and Potions Master, any material goods he could wish for, and a lovely witch who wanted to stay at his side, even if she occasionally happened to be small and squeaky.

"Stop thinking and kiss me," Hermione admonished him, now back in her deliciously naked human form, and all thoughts fled as he did just that.

-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-

A/N: So this was where I had planned to end things but it seems this little tale warrants an epilogue according to your votes! I hear and obey, working on it!