AN: (PLEASE READ):
I'm so terribly sorry that I haven't been updating the way I'm suppose to.
I just have been deadly busy, and this chapter took a lot out of me since I have staff infection in my elbow and knee, making it difficult for me to really function.
It hurts like crap but I felt bad, so I wrote you guys
FIVE AND A HALF pages. Which is a lot for me. :)
I'll get back to replying to all the reviews, but you guys are GREAT.
And guess what the reviews are nearing a HUNDRED.
I'm so happy to have reviewers like you guys.
I'll try to update more regulary but I can't make any promises, I've been busy/sick and gone competing in BPA and etc. I'm just poofed. Poofed you hear?
Poofed. : (

I would trade the wealth of ages
for a warmer hand to hold

--Barbra Streisand "Higher Ground"

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but plot and this bag of popcorn I'm eating.

Hermione walked down into the main dining room area where a grand feast was sprawled out waiting for her arrival as her dark host sat at the opposite end of the table where she was to be seated. She felt her face simmer slightly with a blush as she glanced up to where Severus was bluntly staring at her, his hair slightly mused in the most un-Snape like way. She felt Twinkie lead her over to her seat, sitting her down in the beautiful room where the sunlight poured through enormous windows that were behind her, as Severus sat in the dark directed towards doors that could only lead to the kitchen, plush carpet engulfed the floor, with dark timber tables to offset the coziness.

"Twinkie made a good breakfast," Twinkie said proudly as she poured Hermione some orange juice, "Now eat up now, you wouldn't want to make Twinkie upset now would you?" She winked before disappearing in her elf-like way.

Hermione sat there tentative as she stared in surprise at the food before her; there were bagels, fluffy eggs, delicious looking sausages, wafting bacon, before she could help it Hermione's stomach gurgled.

Severus raised an eyebrow slightly as a bemused smile crept upon his face, "Shall we eat?" He added silkily as Hermione blushed.

"Lets." Hermione said with a smile as she reached for some of the eggs.

"So do you really think that the hybrid sunfloweranian found only in South America can really benefit the sleeping potion?" Severus asked astounded.

"Yes I do, the juice secreted helps the user stay asleep longer and deeper yet still able to rise when needed, it basically gives the user maximum sleep in minimum time!"

"Yet the user is given maximum amountage of depressants, the secretion of the sunfloweranian is highly potent in toxins used in depressants. Some have actually killed themselves over taking the flower. Really Miss Granger you of all people should know that."

"I presume they would kill themselves too if they had no sleep!"

"The side effects alone could kill a person."

"Find something to counter it."

"What?"

"The side effects, find something to counter it?"

"Such as?"

"I don't know…something out there has to work."

"Something out there might work better than the sunfloweranian."

"Ah-" Hermione started before realizing she had lost. "Ah…that is true yet the sunfloweranian is all we have…"

"For now," Severus smiled as he reached for some more toast. He was actually quite pleased with the debate he had just had with Hermione, it thrilled him. She was a brilliant witch that challenged his wits; he was surprised he actually won this battle for awhile he had agreed with her…Brilliant, he bit into his toast watching her. Her eyes were burrowed, and her mouth more in a pout, yet she looked beautiful with the sunlight behind her streaming in, her head tilted revealing her long slender neck…Severus shook himself from his day dreams as he realized how hard she was thinking, it was nearly like he could hear the mechanical workings in her brain working at full speed.

"Abdulla Mentilda…" She whispered.

"What?" Severus asked shocked.

"The Abduall Mentilda, a plant whose secretion causes happiness and has nothing in it to harm any other chemicals, it's one of those nobody can explain creations, it's basically nothingness with happiness."

"That can't possibly…" Yet Severus's mind had gone off working at the speed of light, countering it in his head, coming up with possible potions, and solutions, "That actually might work, congratulations Hermione." He added with an out of character bemused smile.

"Thank you," Hermione said as she looked down blushing prettily.

"Albus, this is wrong as you can see; I don't know why I even let you trick me into these situations. If the Severus found out he would torture us in some dark dungeon." A tabby cat added as she glared at the golden retriever besides her.

"Minerva, love you know that this is actually quite fascinating. You can easily see the mating pattern going on between the boy and Miss Granger." The golden retriever looked at the cat while it panted at her coyly.

"This still isn't right and Miss Granger…well she is engaged, we shouldn't be happy that she is progressing in a relationship with Severus. She'll be married soon…" The cat added with a frustrated meow.

"Is she happily engaged? I highly doubt it, Mr. Weasley does not match Miss Granger's intellect, and you Minerva admire Miss Granger's mind most of all do you not? Isn't that why she was one of your favorites no?" The dog went off to look through the window, "Miss Granger will find herself trapped in marriage with Mr. Weasley not happily married, and do we want that? No. I think Severus will benefit from Miss Granger, and so might the entire Wizarding Community."

"Maybe, but it all depends on if Miss Granger realizes that Mr. Weasley is not the one for her, because I think Severus already knows the disposition he is in."

"Agreed, love. Agreed."

Severus and Hermione were now in the potion's lab that was neatly tucked into Severus's house, Hermione was now positive that Severus was using the same spell the Weasley's used to make the car bigger to fit their family as Severus was using to make his house so small on the outside but enormous on the inside.

They had been working diligently since after breakfast, and thanks to their combined elite skills in potion mastering, they were three quarters done with the potion list that Hermione needed.

"The rest we may order on a potion catalog, they are the simple potions after all, and will save us some work," Severus said as he measured crushed maggots for a stomach ache potion.

"How many left to do?" Hermione asked as she filled up the last bottle to the dreamless sleep potion.

"None actually." Severus said as he added the last ingredients and his potion turned the desired pale green.

"But there are at least twenty more on the list!" Hermione said as she snatched the piece of partchment that Severus had presented to her when they first walked in. "Make that thirty!"

"Twenty we can order through a potion's catalog, they are easy to make and fast to arrive, and we can trust them before you give me that face Hermione. The last ten are highly advanced and I took it upon myself to do it this morning while you were sleeping." Severus added coolly as he settled to putting the rest of stomach ache potion into bottles.

"I wanted to help…" Hermione replied grumpily as she sat down on a stool, the potion's lab was actually quite nice. It was vast with sunlight pouring through large windows, yet in designated areas there was darkness for the potions that were sensitive towards light. The counters were of the highest costing marble, and while it had a slight dungeon air, it was nearly pleasant, homely, and a place that Hermione found herself falling in love with. She glanced towards Severus as he worked attentively, holding up the bottles to make sure he put the precise measurement in, his hair lightly falling into his face. Hermione had to resist the temptation to walk over and tuck it behind his ear, and to…She shook her head. 'You're engaged silly ninny. You're happily engaged. You are…right?' She sighed subconsciously causing Severus to look up at her.

Severus studied her as she frowned staring off deep into space, she tentatively bit her lip. She sighed once again, as she ran her hands through her hair, musing it up just a bit. Severus nearly groaned as he felt the desire coursing through him, his need to pull her close and ease all the worry away from her face, to run his hands through her hair. It was this constant yearning deep inside of him, and he felt as if he was coming apart at the seams.

They both were knocked from their deep thoughts when a sudden tapping was heard from one of the windows, cursing silently from being startled so Severus looked up to see an owl tapping on the window.

"That's Ron's owl," Hermione said absent-mindly, her voice flat causing Severus to wonder in curiosity if this was the usual behavior of a fiancée?

Hermione walked over to open the window as the owl flew onto her arm holding out it's leg as customary, she untied the note and walked out of the potion's lab with the owl. "I'll be back," he heard her say as she turned back smiling at him slightly.

Hermione ran up to her room with the owl hooting in protest on her arm, she didn't care though, as she set the owl on the desk and on the way to her room she had grabbed some bacon for it to snack on since she was near the kitchen anyways. She sat down on her bed, and hesitantly opened up the envelope.

Dear Hermione,

Just wondering how you are doing with the ol' grease bat? I know, I know, he saved your life yet it isn't very fair that you must stay with him instead of me. I mean we are getting married after all.

Well just dropping by a letter to say that I miss you and maybe the dungeon bat will let you out for awhile to visit me, maybe have some lunch? That sounds nice doesn't it?

Just owl me whenever you are coming out.

Love, Ron

Hermione sat on the bed, her hand gripping the letter, how dare he insult Severus like that? Dungeon bat? Hermione clenched her fist before releasing letting the paper fall to the floor misshapen.

Ron's letter had been entirely pathetic, expressing nothing but…well it sounded more like something you would write to an old friend, just for the sake of it, not to your fiancée

She was nearly offended.

Hermione set down at the desk, as she shooed the owl to a corner as it eyed her reproachfully, she found some paper and a pen.

Dear Ron,

Thank you for your concern, I can assure you that I am doing absolutely wonderful here with Severus. I actually enjoy this arrangement very well, being safe has its pros.

Either way, I will speak with Severus to see if maybe we can meet at the Leaky Cauldron or such.

Love, Hermione

She sighed as she put it into an envelope and addressed it to him, then she tied it onto the owl's outstretched leg before she let it go outside.

Hermione was just about to go back downstairs when she heard another tapping, groaning she turned around to find another owl. Letting it inside, she opened the letter it had been carrying.

Dear Hermione,

I would just like to say that I'm in England, I know I'm as shocked as you are. It seems that my father has decided on staying in London than going back to America. I would terribly love to see you again, maybe at the Leaky Cauldron? We had such a lovely time before. If not, well we have plenty of other times to catch up, but I was hoping sooner since I do have to go back to America to finish moving and saying good bye.

Love, Natalie

Hermione smiled, she loved Natalie like a little sister, the woman was pretty with light blonde hair and green eyes that matched her, she was really shy but would always stick up for her friends. She was the sweetest thing on Earth, Hermione had met her at a social gathering her book club had thrown, and Natalie had been there with her cousin, they met and became instant friends.
Dear Natalie,

Right now I'm in a predicament and I'll tell you exactly as soon as I see you again. Actually next time you'll meet my fiancé. Yes I know. Fiancé. I'll explain later, but I'll see about Leaky Cauldron, it sounds brilliant. I'll write you soon to tell you if I can and when. I'M SO HAPPY YOU ARE STAYING. :)

I'll see you soon!!!
Love, Hermione

Hermione saw the owl off, before she returned downstairs to see Severus coming out of the kitchen a sandwich in his mouth and another one on a plate in his hand. It was such a peculiar sight that Hermione couldn't help to laugh, and laugh she did. Severus set the plate down once he had walked into the potion's lab as Hermione trailed after him. He took the sandwich from his mouth, "That is yours, it's one' o clock, and I suppose you're hungry."

"Just a tad," Hermione said smiling at him.

"Care to tell me about the letters?" Severus said, surprising her that he knew about both of them.

"Yes actually…I do."

AN: Yes a cliff hanger. :) Mwhahahaha. Okay enough with the cheesy laughter.
I hope you guys like this, I'm sorry if I don't have a train of thought really, I'm just so...poofed. :P

And my arm is aching or I would add more, but I must go off to bed.

Review :)
-Zelucius