The usual disclaimer applies. I own nothing and make nothing, and if you recognise it, it belongs to the talented J K Rowling.

So close now...one more chapter and then the epilogue. This hasn't been betaed, and all mistakes are my own (or my two year old's, who occassionally 'helps' me type.)

Chapter 13

Hermione slowly lifted her head and groaned as she slowly pushed herself back into a standing position. She wiped her mouth on the corner of her robes, wishing she still had a wand to perform a Tergeo after revisiting her lunch over the toilet. Although she wasn't ill, she had not managed to keep down a meal in several days due to her frazzled nerves.

It had been two weeks since Severus had kissed her in the courtyard, and he did not show up the last time she was outside, which had been almost a week ago. Her first thought had been that perhaps he was ill, but as the days passed, she had convinced herself that he had regretted kissing her. The thought of ruining the friendship over a kiss, or rather, confessing feelings that may not really be returned was not only playing havoc with her emotions, but making her physically ill as well.

Although she knew that today was her courtyard visitation day, for the first time ever, she was toying with the idea of feigning illness to avoid going out. She knew it was the coward's way out, but she just couldn't face him if she had ruined their friendship.

She was still in the midst of an internal conversation with her conscious when she heard the guard outside of her cell. Even though she had rehearsed her reply several times within the past hour, she cringed when she heard her voice betray her thoughts and reply a quick 'yes' when the guard asked if she was ready to go out.

Hermione had no interest in reading outside, but she still grabbed the latest paperback that Severus had given her and tucked it into her robes. She would rather have it to hide behind than possibly face an uncomfortable or awkward encounter with him in the courtyard. She walked slowly behind the guard, with her head held high, as she walked through the gates.

She gasped slightly when she walked out; shocked that he was already seated in their usual patch of grass. His eyes bore into her own, although he did not smile or show any visible emotion on his face. She breathed deeply to calm herself before walking towards him and sitting beside him.

"Hello, Severus," she said calmly, trying to keep any emotion out of her voice.

He stared at her for several moments, narrowing his eyes, before finally speaking in a formal voice. "Have I done something to offend you, Hermione? You seem upset."

"I-I," she stuttered, then took a deep breath as her resolve crumbled. "I'm not sure. You weren't here last week, and I was wondering if it was my fault. I'm sorry if confessing my feelings put you on the spot." She paused as her voice cracked, and tried to regain composure before speaking once again. "If you regret kissing me-,"

Hermione's eyebrows rose sharply as he interrupted her with a kiss. Unlike two weeks ago, this one wasn't chaste, and she suddenly felt warm all over as his tongue slid into her mouth. As she started to respond equally to the kiss, pulling him closer to her body, they both stopped suddenly when they heard the not-so-subtle clearing of a throat coming from one of the guards.

"Does that seem like regret, Hermione?" His voice was silk as he pulled away from her.

"No," she replied breathlessly, "But where were you? Were you ill?"

"I had a meeting with the representative from the Ministry. My sentence review is now over, and the representative let me know my options."

"Options?" Hermione chewed on her lower lip nervously. Severus's tone of voice did not give her any reason to be optimistic.

"My sentence will be reduced if I agree to all of the Ministry's terms. I believe that most of the conditions were similar to yours, except I would have a tracing spell on my wand that reported all of my casting to the Ministry."

Hermione was silent for several seconds, letting her mind process everything that Severus had just told her. She knew how prideful he could be, and wondered if the conditions were too much for him. "Are you willing to accept the terms, Severus?"

His brows rose sharply, an incredulous expression on his face. "Of course I am! Even with some of the Ministry's ridiculous restrictions, I would rather be free than here." After seeing the startled expression on Hermione's face, he gently rubbed his hand down her cheek and spoke softly to her. "I would do anything the Ministry requires to be free of this place." And he added so quietly, that she barely heard him, "And to be with you."

"When do you get to leave?" she asked excitedly.

"In a year."

Hermione's smile left her face, quickly replaced by a look of horror. "A year? That's-that's awful! I'll be leaving in two months, and you will still be here. I-I," and she stopped speaking when her voice started to choke up. She turned her head quickly to wipe the tears that were now streaming down her face.

Severus pulled her closer, and gently placed a kiss on her forehead. "A year is nothing, Hermione. I've been here almost two; I can survive one more year. It is still better than three more years, and better than I deserve, anyway."

"Better than you deserve?" She raised her voice almost to a shouting level. "You were a spy for the Order, and you saved countless lives with the inside information you gave. You are a hero, Severus." She stood up and started pacing, having to take deep breaths as she continued her tirade. "And what Dumbledore asked of you...it was despicable. To ask you to take his life, and then give you no way to redeem yours. He had no right!"

"Hermione, I am a Death Eater." He pulled his robe up slightly, touching the edge of the faded Dark Mark. "I might have been a spy, but I did some truly horrible things. Three years is barely penitence for my sins."

Hermione started to speak, but he gently placed his finger against her lips to silence her as he continued speaking.

"But," his serious expression slowly turned into a smile, "but I will not continue to dwell on the past. A year is not that long, not if you look at the big picture. As long as I have a lovely witch to visit me weekly and bring me books, I'm sure it will pass quickly."

Hermione smiled and leaned in to wrap her arms around him. "Of course I will visit you Severus, and bring you books. Unless you were speaking of a different witch?"

Severus leaned in to kiss her, but turned his head as he heard the guards approach. He quickly gave her a chaste kiss before heading toward the gate with his guard.

As Hermione followed her own guard towards her cell, she couldn't help but have mixed feelings about her visit with Severus. Although knowing they felt the same towards each other made her heart flutter and her body flush, the thought of spending a year without him terrified her. It will work out- it has to work out, she mentally chanted on the walk back to her cell.

-ooOOoo-

Hermione looked down at the paper that Harry had brought with him, reading through the circled section for a second time. The smile on her face increased as she looked up at him.

"It's perfect, Harry. But I don't know if I still even have an account at Gringotts, let alone enough to cover this."

Harry smiled in return as he took the paper and put it into the pocket in his robes. "Consider it a gift, Hermione. I owe you so much, and it is the least that I can do after everything you did for me when we were on the run. I wouldn't even be here if you weren't with me after the- well, Godric's Hollow." He choked up as he spoke to her.

"It's too much. I just can't let you buy this, Harry. You're getting married and you and Ginny could use the money." Hermione tried to argue, but he just shook his head at her.

"Ginny and I will be fine, Hermione." He ruffled his hair out of nervous frustration. "Then consider it a loan. A long term loan, that you can pay back when you are able. You need a place to live when you leave here, and you already said this would be perfect."

"It is. It really is." She wiped her eyes of the tears that had started to flow, but for once they were tears of happiness. "Thank you, Harry. For everything."

She gave Harry a brief hug as the guard performed the unshackling spell. As she watched him walk out the room, she let out a deep breath that she hadn't even realised she'd been holding. Despite all of the horrible things that had happened to her in the past year, she couldn't help but smile as things finally were starting to go her way.

A/N...Still not totally happy with this chapter, but...I have re-written parts of it several times. Hopefully you still liked it.

As always, reviews are appreciated!