I am SORRY! Deeply sorry. My life has been extremely hectic. My aunt passed away (which this chappie is dedicated to her), and then my uncle was diagnosed with cancer. So the whole family is basically ready to go mad. Not a week later, I somehow caught pneumonia, and I was bedridden for two weeks. And after that whole fiasco, I had to catch up on my school work, apply for numerous scholarships (YAY! I got accepted to my first-choice university!), and work like crazy at my job to catch up on lost hours. So after a lot of work, I can finally deliver this chapter to you. So, here is chapter 26. Enjoy!

September flew by quickly, and eventually Severus forgave me for going behind his back. (I have suspicions that Professor Dumbledore may have 'helped' him.)

My time was mostly filled with school work. Fortunately, Potions wasn't as bad as I had imagined. I attended Severus' class with the rest of the students, and I gave my completed work and assignments to the Headmaster.

I spent time with my friends. With Ginny's help, Harry and Ron finally accepted that I was truly getting married.

As the head students, Draco and I decided to plan a Halloween ball. When the idea was presented to the Headmaster, he happily gave full consent, and insisted on making the ball much grander than we had originally planned.

Preparing for the event was long and dull, but we knew that it would be worth the hard work.

At the beginning of October, Professor Dumbledore announced the costume ball. He also announced that we would have two extra days in Hogsmead in order to find suitable costumes.

It wasn't really our idea... the costume part, I mean. Draco and I thought it should have been a semi-formal affair. Well, not really. Draco was insisting for a formal ball, and I wanted a casual-dance kind of event. Therefore, I decided to compromise, and go with semi-formal. Not that it matters anymore.

A costume ball... what am I going to wear? Last time I dressed up for Halloween was the last time I went trick-or-treating. I was ten years old, and my cousin Abby and I had dressed up as traditional muggle witches... with green faces.

Tomorrow is the ball, and I haven't even found a costume yet. (I've searched, I swear.) Today is the last trip to Hogsmead, and as Headgirl, I'm expected to have a costume.

I meet Ron, Harry and Ginny in the Great Hall, and after a quick breakfast, we head to Hogsmead. Unfortunately, we get to the small town twenty minutes before any of the stores actually open. Which is technically my fault, since I was the one to rush everyone this morning. (In my defense, I did want to get this over with.)

With nothing better to do, we walk around looking at window displays and chatting about the latest gossip.

At nine O'clock, the stores slowly start to open. Ron looks at Ginny and I, before saying: "Is it okay if Harry and I go to Honeydukes? We can meet you girls in the costume shop afterwards, okay?"

Ginny rolls her eyes. "You can't stop eating for two minutes, can you Ron?"

He seems indignant at the question. "Of course I can. It's been over twenty minutes since Hermione dragged us out of the castle, hasn't it?"

Before Ginny has the chance to retort, Harry breaks up the budding argument. "Ron and I will meet you girls in ten minutes. Is that alright, Hermione?"

I quickly agree, before pulling Ginny to the costume shop. By the time we arrived, Ginny was still looking a tad disgruntled by being pulled away from her brother. "Why did you have to do that Hermione?"

"Because we have other things to attend to, and we haven't the time for an argument. Especially one when it concerns Ron and food." I take a quick glance at my companion to see that she's trying to fight a grin, but fails miserably.

"Fine. Now... What kind of costume do you have in mind?"

Three hours and forty-seven minutes later, I finally found the perfect costume. Or rather, Ginny did. A beautiful deep emerald green Victorian gown with silver embroidery. The bodice was corset-style, and the skirt was flowy with yards of taffeta. The sleeves were long and fitted.

The boys were trying hard (but failing) to hide their disgust of the Slytherin colors. And Ginny... Well, Ginny was gleefully mocking them. Of course, she couldn't stop gushing about the fact that I would match my fiancé, and 'who would have thought that Slytherin colors would look so good on me?' It was very funny watching Harry and Ron's reactions.

After paying for the dress, Ginny pulled me into another shop for shoes and accessories. It didn't take very long as I basically told Ginny to get what she deemed necessary.

I convinced my friends to join me in the bookstore, where I got a few more books for my ever-growing collection. While I rushed to the Quill shop, Ginny and the boys went to Zonko's. We met in The Three Broomsticks where we had a late lunch.

We got back to Hogwarts in good spirits... After all, I finally found something to wear to the ball. I invite my friends up to my room, and surprisingly, they accept the invitation was just a little hesitation. (Harry and Ron usually stay away from my rooms since Draco is there most of the time. And I will not condone fighting in my rooms.)

I mumble the password quietly, before motioning to my guests to go first. The boys halt to a stop, and Ginny pushes them (not so gently) into the room. As I follow, I realize the reason for their hesitation.

Draco is sitting on the couch, running his hand through Pansy's hair, who is cuddled up against him fast asleep. He raises his eyebrow and smirks, never stopping his hand. Ginny and I smile at the sweet display, while Harry and Ron stare at the scene with their mouths wide open.

Prodding the boys in their backs, we silently head to the kitchen. I start to unpack my purchases of the day. Harry and Ron open their Honeydukes bag, and they both dig into the bag of sweets.

I carefully enlarge my new dress, and I rush to place it into my closet. Ginny follows with the other bags. "It's beautiful Hermione. Don't listen to those two idiots. The colors look lovely on you."

I feel my face grow warm at the compliment. "Thanks Gin."

She waves off my thanks with a grin, before plopping down on my bed. Ginny wiggles around for a few moments trying to find a comfortable position. Once she's settled, she asks: "So, 'Mione… What are your plans for this evening?"

Before I can answer, someone timidly knocks on the door. "Hermione? Ginny? Are you in there?" Ron's voice is all high and squeaky. Ginny is smothering her giggles with a pillow, and I have to try to fight my own. I open the door to find two very embarrassed boys with scarlet faces.

"Come in Harry. Ron." At their identical looks of uncertainty, I grab their hands and tug them both into the room. "Ginny and I are just talking. You needn't be afraid."

Harry slowly sits beside his girlfriend, who practically climbs in his lap, while Ron takes the chair at my desk. I take a pencil off of it, and transfigure it into another chair.

As soon as we're all sitting comfortably, Ginny repeats her question. "I'm having dinner with Severus." We've had dinner together a few times, but usually my fiancé came to my rooms, and Draco has always been there. But tonight is the first time that we're having dinner alone in his quarters.

I shake myself from my thoughts, and I realize that Ginny is looking at me curiously. "Do you have any plans, Ginny?"

Ginny looks up at Harry, and bats her eyelashes playfully. "Yes, Harry. Do we have any plans?"

Harry's 'deer-caught-in-the-headlights' expression is priceless. His reply is slightly stuttered. "Umm… maybe?"

Even Ron couldn't help but tease our flustered friend. "Do tell, Harry. What kind of plan do you and my baby sister have for this evening?"

Harry is looking anywhere but us. Finally Ginny takes pity on him. Cuddling up to him, she says: "Maybe we could have dinner in the Room of Requirement. I'm sure Dobby wouldn't mind helping us. What do you think, Harry?"

With an audible gulp, Harry agrees quietly. Ginny then asks Ron the same question.

He seems thoughtful for a minute, before he says: "I might go flying. I'm not really sure what I am going to do now that my two best friends are paired off."

Before I even have the time to feel guilty, I notice the mischievous glint in Ginny's eyes. "That can easily be remedied." She smirks my way, and adds: "Now, who could we set Ron up with?"

Harry grins. "Well whoever she is, she would have to be slightly crazy to go out with Ron."

Teasing Ron lasts almost fifteen minutes and by this time, I know I should get ready for dinner. Reluctantly, I heave myself up off the comfy armchair that I conjured.

I gather a pair of jeans and a light blue T-shirt with blueish-grey flowers stenciled on the front. I tell my friends that I'll be back and I head to the bathroom to change.

I check my reflection in the mirror, and I cautiously go back to my room. Who knows what those three trouble-makers have been up to…?

As I open the door, I hear Ginny's uncontrollable giggles. I walk into the room, braced for a prank, but fortunately, in my case, I arrive to a strange scene, that apparently doesn't involve me. All three faces are tomato-red; although, I suspect that Ginny isn't blushing. The flush to her face is probably a result of her fit of laughter.

I decide that I really don't want to know. "Not to be rude or anything, but this is where I 'nicely' kick you out."

Ron adopts a hurt expression. "Kicking us out? But this chair, and this room… How can I ever leave such bliss?" During his theatrics, Ron is moving his hands about, like the women who are about to faint in the old movies that Mum likes to watch.

"It's simple really." I take my want out, and suddenly, Ron is floating through the air. I quickly open the door, and Ron lands in an undignified heap.

Ron is openly scowling, and I hear Harry and Ginny's uncontainable laughter. I turn back to them, cross my arms, wand clearly visible and I ask: "Shall the same thing happen to the both of you?"

As they scramble to get up, I hear Ron chuckling beside me and I give in to the urge to giggle.

"What on earth are you two laughing about?" Harry seems genuinely confused, and our laughter grows from his expression.

Ginny hooks her arm with his, and answers with an arrogant sniff: "Why Dear, I do believe that they are mocking us. How incredibly rude!" She can't keep up the façade for more than a few seconds before she bursts into another bought of giggles. And Harry still looks clueless.

Walking through the dungeons is definitely a different experience compared to the last six years. After all, I am a 'mudblood', by adoption, and even worse, I am a Gryffindor. Instead of getting sneered a, most of the Slytherin students nod respectfully when I pass. A few greet me in a friendly manner: Pansy smiles when we cross paths, and Blaise Zabini, Draco's best friend has too. Draco doesn't actually smile greetings, but that's okay because a grinning Draco might scare me.

That doesn't mean that the entire Slytherin population has welcomed me with open arms. Of course, that does include my fiancé. A few of these students scowl at me or glare. (I wonder if there is some secret class for the first year Slytherins': How to glare effectively.) No one dares to hurt me though. I must be one of the most protected students here. Not only am I Headgirl, which grants me a fair amount of safety; I am ' Professor Snape's ' future wife (who no one would dare anger unnecessarily); I have Ginny, Harry and Ron as friends (and no one would voluntarily risk their wrath); and finally, I have the people who are on the top of the Slytherin hierarchy by my side. Not to mention all of my other friends and the other professors.

I arrive at Severus's door and I knock lightly. A few minutes go by, and I raise my hand to knock again, but the door opens before I'm able to. I'm invited inside with a quiet "Come in.", and my fiancé closes the door behind me. Hopefully, things will go better than the last time I was here in his quarters.

I would again like to apologize on my extreme lateness. So sorry! But the good news is, that I've already started writing chapter 27, so hopefully it won't take as long. I have a question for you. Should I pair Ron off with someone? I was thinking maybe with Luna, but I not sure. So, does anybody have an opinion, because I'd love to hear it. Thanks to those who reviewed the last chappie, and thanks to all those who will review this one.