Last chapter, everyone! Read on...

26, epilogue

Severus watched as Hermione used her wand to shrink an entire stack of books and drop them into a box that was charmed to hold almost ten times its normal capacity. They'd made three trips to from the flat to the house and they still hadn't gotten even half of their things moved.

"How on earth did I manage to accumulate so much rubbish?" He shook his head in disgust.

"Its not rubbish, Severus. Its...stuff. Our stuff."

"Rubbish," Severus insisted, packing his potions supplies neatly into their case and snapping it shut. "And we probably won't need half of it. I'm sure you have most of the kitchen supplies back at your house. And I know that you have furniture."

"Yes, but you know Crooks and Brew would be devastated if we didn't bring along their chair. And I've grown quite fond of my tea cup. And your pans are better quality than mine."

"We ought to just leave all this and buy new ones of everything."

"Don't be silly. That wouldn't be practical at all! It won't take too much longer now." She placed the last of the shrunk books into the box and grinned wickedly at Severus. "Of course, it would have gone much faster if you'd let me ask Harry and Ron to help. And I'm sure Draco would have come as well."

"Absolutely not!" He looked horrified. "I'd rather spend all day and night moving than have those three dunderheads rummaging through my personal effects!" Hermione laughed.

"See, it could be worse." She patted his shoulder and then apparated to the house with her box in tow. Severus sighed and added his potions case to the pile of things to take on his next run to the house. He grabbed another box and went into the guest room.

As he looked around, he realized that the room still had a few of Hermione's things in it. There were a few jumpers folded neatly on the bed, a hair tie on the floor, a pile of parchments on the desk. He walked over and grabbed the papers, prepared to stuff them into the bottom of the box when the words jumped out at him. He paused and studied the parchment for a moment.

Learning how to live with Snape

Day One

-Leaving my things in my bag until I need them. Why unpack everything if there's a chance of getting the law repealed tomorrow? Wishful thinking? Probably.

-Took the jackfruit/vegetarian revelation well. Unexpected. Handled it better than Ronald would have.

-Has a cat!

-Apparently dislikes people sleeping on his couch. Must remember always to come back to bedroom when I get tired.

-Objects strongly to being accused of intentions of molestation. Thats a good sign, right?

-Called me 'little one' right before we were married. Hasn't since. Meaning?

Notes: Reassured me in a rather...sweet way that this situation does not change me or how he will treat me. Feeling grateful and -? What? Will explore this further as the situation allows. And who would have thought Severus Snape would own a cat? Even if she is a kneazle. There appears to be even more depth to him than I thought before. Will ask tomorrow if there is anything I can be doing from inside the ministry to help with his research into the birth problems.

Severus laughed at the fact that he'd handled her vegetarianism better than that twit Weasley would have. He scowled at the bit about her accusing him of intentions of molestation. He recalled the hesitant, halting way she'd tried to ask if he had plans of taking her to his bed. They had come so far in such a short amount of time. And she'd thought him sweet that first day?

He shuffled through the papers, glancing at the days as they passed. She'd chronicled her stay with him right up to the day they'd started sleeping together. Some of the things she wrote made him scowl, such as her saying he sounded 'adorable' when his nose was stuffy from an allergic reaction. Some of them made his chest feel tight, like when she'd said she didn't want to think about not being with him any more. Had she begun to fall in love with him already even then? His eyes widened when he saw her notes about her plan to seduce him. So she really had meant it when she'd told him she had wanted him long before they were forced together.

The pages were filled with her neat, smooth scrawl, and they smelled faintly of her hand cream. He was about to put them in the box when Hermione came up behind him.

"Severus, I was think-" She stopped abruptly when she saw what was in his hand. He turned to her with raised brows, a small smile playing at the corner of his lips. Neither of them spoke for a moment. Hermione blushed to the roots of her hair and tried to snatch the papers. Severus held them back, unwilling to release them. "You looked through those, huh?" she finally asked. Severus nodded.

"They were quite interesting," he murmured. "Especially the bit about you wanting to," he glanced down at one of the papers a few from the end, "dip me in chocolate and nibble on my bum." He kept his lips tight so that his smile wouldn't slip out. If it was possible, Hermione blushed a deeper shade of red. "Then again, you also think," he shuffled the papers again and found the line he was looking for, "that I look 'dashing' with my hair pulled back so its not 'hanging in my face like a wet curtain.'" He raised a brow at her. "Wet curtain?" Hermione made another grab for the papers and this time Severus let her snatch them. She hugged them to her chest and bit her lip.

"I meant wet curtain in the best possible way," she said with a small smile.

"Of course."

"And I'm still up for the chocolate idea, you know."

"Well then, little one, I'm sure that can be arranged." He stepped closer to her and tipped her face up for a kiss. "Have you finished 'Learning to Live with Snape' then?"

"I'm not sure I'll ever stop learning to live with you," she whispered against his lips. "But I'll never stop enjoying it."

I can't believe its over! I hope you all enjoyed this as much as I did, and thank you thank you thank you for joining me on this journey. I've loved each and every review. You are all so wonderful, and I can't tell you how much I appreciate all the support you've given me through this! I don't know about you, but I'm so glad they finally got their happily ever after.

And now...I have an Author Q&A to give to you all. Which will answer such questions as What happens to the kittens? Did the ministry send someone searching for Flitch? What happened to Alice? Want to know the answers? Click the Next button and read on!