Chapter 11- Forever

For the next three months, Hermione and Severus grew closer and closer in the privacy of the night. But, to her friends, Hermione's strange happiness was beginning to be suspicious and all but Ginny wondered what Hermione had found in life that was so great. Sitting in the common room with her, Ron, and Ginny, Harry started to question her. "Hey Hermione?" He said, almost too casually.

"Yeah." Hermione said half paying attention to the boys. She was working hard on studying for her NEWTS.

"What's going on with you?" Harry asked.

Hermione shot her head up and looked at Harry. Then she looked at Ginny who shrugged. "Nothing, why do you ask?"

"You've been so happy lately. Everyone is kind of blue, with the war and the NEWTS, but you've been all happy. It's like you found the secret to life, you aren't even frantic about the NEWTS." Harry said, putting his quill down.

Hermione placed her own quill down and shut her book. She saw Ron and Ginny do that same. "I guess I should tell them now." Hermione said to Ginny. Ginny nodded and placed a silencing spell over the room around them.

"Tell us what?" Ron asked.

"Well, I've been seeing someone for about four months." Hermione started. Ron looked down, obviously hurt that he hadn't been told.

Harry looked right at her, knowing all along that she had been sneaking around with this person. "Who is he?"

"I'll get there. First, you got to promise me two things." She said, and then she looked at Ron. "Both of you." She said with a harsh tone.

"All right, what?" Ron asked, his eyes returning to look at Hermione.

"Promise me that you will remember that I love you guys, that your friendship means more to me than anything, and that I love you guys very much." The both nodded. "And promise me that you will remember that I am smart and I do know what I am doing, even when it comes to love."

"Love? You love this person?" Ron said shocked.

"Yes Ron, I love him deeply and he loves me just as much. You've obviously noticed how happy he makes me, I just can't explain it." Hermione said.

Harry smiled. "I understand." He said, looking at Ginny. She blushed. "Now, come on tell us who it is. We promise that no matter what we will always love you and are your friend."

"Okay." Hermione said, taking a deep breath. "It's Snape."

It was silent for a moment before Harry said something. "Professor Snape?" He said. Hermione nodded. "You love Professor Snape?"

"Yes Harry, I do. I am so sorry that I couldn't tell you earlier when I told Ginny, but I didn't think that you or Ron would understand." She said with a weak voice.

"No bloody wonder." Ron said. "I don't really fancy knowing that you've been shagging Snape under my bloody nose." Ron said his English accent thick when he was upset.

"Don't be that way Ron." Ginny said, looking at Hermione with caring eyes. "She honestly loves him, and I've caught some of Snape's looks at her. He loves her too."

"But Ginny, it's our professor." Ron said.

"Be quiet Ron." Harry said, looking at Hermione. Hermione's eyes, along with Ginny and Ron's, turned to him. "Look, Hermione, you graduate in a month. I guess by now we are old enough to make our own decisions. Just promise me that you love him and he loved you. Promise me that he treats you right."

"He treats me better then I ever dreamed Harry. I promise, he loves me and I love him." Hermione said.

Harry looked into her eyes and could tell that she was sincere. "I'm happy for you Hermione." Harry said before giving her a hug.

Ron stood up slowly and gave her a hug too. "Yeah, well I guess I'm happy for ya, although I'm not to bloody happy about it."

Ginny removed the silencing spell. "Now that that is settled, we have to go back to studying." They all went back to their work and once Ginny and Hermione caught eyes. Ginny smiled at Hermione, and the girls both wiped their tears away.

-x-

"Severus!" Hermione yelled, bouncing into his private quarters.

"Gods woman." Snape yelled hitting his head on the top of the cabinet he was looking in.

Hermione smiled and went over to him. Wrapping her arms around him, she kissed him passionately. She let go of him so that he could return to searching the cabinet and she fell back on her bed. "Today was so amazing." She said enchanting the ceiling above her so that it produced the same sparks of light that bounced around above her.

"Is that so?" Snape asked, grabbing the item out of the cabinet and placing it on the desk. He fell down on the bed next to her, lying on his stomach so that he could see her better.

"Yes." She said. "I know that I have been talking for weeks about telling Harry and Ron about us, but I never really had the courage to do it. But today, I did. I told them about us and that I loved you, and they weren't mad." She said with a bright smile. "Well, Ron was a little upset, but Harry wasn't mad at all."

"Course not, love." Snape said. "The boy's in as much love with Weasley as I am with you." He smirked. "Well almost."

Hermione sat up and looked at Snape. "You're amazing." She said and kissed him lightly.

"You are too, love." Snape said. Then his eyes got serious and he looked right into Hermione's eyes. "Hermione, how long have we been seeing each other?"

"Three months maybe?" Hermione said, looking up at him with a strange expression as he had quickly changed the subject. "Why?"

"Do you are about me?" Snape asked her, letting her sit up and look him dead in the eye.

"Yes, do you care about me?" She asked, countering his question.

"I thought that was rather obvious." He said in his normal, snarky tone. "Do you love me?"

"Of course I do Severus." She said with a smile. "And do you love me?"

"Yes, very much so." Snape said, watching the beautiful smile that came across her face and her cheeks flush. "Hermione, you graduate in a month. In a month you will be old enough to make decisions for yourself, be with whoever you chose, go and do whatever you want. I could, and probably should, wait until you are graduated to do this, but I can't."

Hermione looked at Snape with suspicion in her eyes. "Wait to do what?" She asked.

Snape kissed Hermione deeply, letting his fingers get tangled in her hair. The kiss was long and passionate. He broke away to give them a chance to breath before he attacked her lips again. He kissed her with just as much passion as before, causing her to moan in his mouth. He broke away and looked deep in her eyes. "I love you." He said breathlessly.

"I love you to Severus." She said.

"Will you marry me?" He asked her, holding her close to his body.

She stared at him for several minutes, processing what he has said. Then she smiled as her tears began to form. "Yes." She said quietly, letting her tears fall down her cheek.

"Why are you crying?" Snape asked. Did I make her sad?

"I'm just happy Severus." She said before kissing him again.

-x-