A/N: Hi everyone. Thank you all for the lovely reviews. I loved reading them all. I finish responding to them when I get a free moment. Thank you too everyone still adding me to their alerts/faves. The support has been fanominal. Okay, moving on. You might need a tissue for this chapter, I don't really think you do, but a few told me before that I needed a warning for when you saw Sirius/Fred lived. So I'm adding it just in case. Take care everyone, and have a wonder Labor Day. As always please Read and Review.

Special Thanks to Kristine Throne, my very rockin beta. You've done great and I love you for it.

Special Thanks as well to PandaHeart, my other very awesome beta. You too have done tremendous work and I thank you for it.

Chapter 35

They shifted and lay together on the bed as he held her. Her back pressed into his chest as she faced the door. "Severus?" She said, her breathing slowly returning to normal.

"Yes, love?" He asked, resting his chin against her shoulder.

"I hope you realize that you are stuck with me whether you want to be or not." She told him as she placed one of her hands over his that was still pressed against her belly.

He smiled against her hair. "I was thinking the same thing myself about you. I don't plan on letting you go now. I might have let you escape before, but after today, holding you again and loving you again…there is no way I can let you go."

She frowned slightly. "Why would you have let me go?"

He sighed as he held her. "I didn't know if you would really be okay with everything I had to do during my spy days. If you weren't…I would have let you go. I'd still have loved you immensely, but I would have understood."

Hermione squeezed his hand. "You have such a brilliant mind, Severus. It's always amazed me, even when I was only a child. But there are times when you are simply…an idiot." She said it gently but she still felt him stiffen behind her.

She smiled a little and rolled over to face him, her arms coming around his neck. "Let me explain before you hex me." Making him relax marginally, as his lips twitched in mild amusement. "I argued with Dumbledore. I actually told him that I wasn't leaving, no matter what he said, and told him he couldn't make me leave. I was ready to do whatever it took to stay. I was willing to give up my friends here, who are my only family to be with you. I was willing to lose you in the end just to have those twenty years with you."

Hermione sighed. "I was an utter wreck the day I left. I sat in tears upon my arrival for hours before I could even move from my spot on the floor that I fell to when I came back. I wrote you letters trying to express how much I loved you, so you would know I didn't want to leave. The thought of losing you just about killed me. Does that sound like someone who would willingly leave you a second time? Especially since it's a miracle that you're here at all."

Severus gave her a small smile as he stroked his hand down her side and hip. "Maybe I am an idiot. But I still had to give you that option. I didn't want you to have any regrets later."

She wrapped her arms around him even tighter. "My only regret is that I didn't get more time with you before I had to leave. Out of the two of us…you got the short end of the stick in all of this. You had to wait so long and I…I'm so sorry you had to deal with so much on your own."

He looked into her eyes, and saw the shimmer of tears in them. "Hermione, I would gladly have waited another twenty years, on top of what I've waited up until now, just to have you. Don't you understand that? You saved me so many years ago. I don't mean just from the Trio of Morons either."

She couldn't help it. A snort of laughter escaped her. "Trio of Morons?" She had heard once that she, Harry, and Ron had been labeled the Trio of Heroes. This just made his comment about her other friends even funnier to her.

He raised his eyebrow at her and she just laughed harder. "Sorry." She said, still smiling. "That's just a funny title for them is all."

His lips curved a bit. "Be that as it may, my point is, that you have nothing to be sorry for when it comes to your time with me in the past. You saved me from becoming that bitter man who hated the world and almost everyone in it. Taking a great tragedy to wake him up from the horrible life he had been leading prior to it. I didn't become him, the man from your memories."

He cupped her cheek. "You saved me then, and you saved me during the war. I owe you the biggest debt there is. I owe you a life debt. Two of them in fact since you saved me twice. Well, three times if you count you saving me from Remus chasing us. Saved me from taking my first life that night. So yes, I was willing to let you go if you wanted to be free of me."

She leaned into his hand. "Severus, I don't want to be free, but I don't want you to feel indebted to me either. You have saved me many times too, so we're even really. You protected us all for years and without us even knowing it at the time. You protected me in my third year from Remus when he tried to attack us again or…the first time, depending on how you look at it. I don't know if you protecting us happened again, but it did once."

Severus frowned. "Are your memories changing?"

She paused. "No, at least I don't think so. You protected the boys and me during our third year. Well…you were protecting Harry the most, but you still protected us all."

He smiled at her. "Then, something else did change too. I didn't care if Harry was safe that night. Well, I did, but mostly I feared for you. I was simply trying to keep you safe and protect you, like you did for me so many years before."

She frowned. "You knew who I was in my third year? Minerva wasn't supposed to tell you until after my fifth." Suddenly her eyes grew wide as it clicked in her brain. "That's how you saved Sirius. I told you how he died. I told you when he would die too, in my letter to you. Well sort of. But since you knew, Minerva could talk to you and give you more details about it."

He smirked. "I know about your vow. Clever. Except you tied her hands in trying to help you. She couldn't come to me about the phoenix tears since I didn't know about my upcoming death."

Hermione closed her eyes, biting her lip as guilt swamped her. "I know. But if I didn't make her take it…she could have changed much more by warning the others of what was coming. The Dark Lord might have won if too much changed. I…I couldn't risk it."

Severus sighed. "Would you stop blaming yourself? You've apologized so many times for things you didn't do. You've placed everyone's deaths on your head. You didn't kill them. You didn't even help put the monster in power that did cause their deaths. It's not your fault. Had I died, like I was meant to, had Sirius or Fred died too, it wouldn't have been your fault. But you saved them. No one else but you saved everyone. By caring so much and trying to get help in saving them."

Hermione opened her eyes and met his piercing black orbs. "I know that it's not my fault that they died. Or would have died in Fred and Sirius' case. But you can't blame me for wanting to save them all. I do wish I could have done more. But I know their dying is not my fault."

He moved closer and kissed her softly. "So with all of that. No, I won't be letting you go. You are, as you said, stuck with me too."

She smirked, even as he went on. "Since we are both stuck, and sound to be quite pleased to be stuck, then there is only one thing left to do." He told her.

She frowned slightly. "What?"

He sat up and pulled her up with him. "I'm going to let you finish your seventh year at Hogwarts. Though I doubt you need the actual education. You're clever enough as it is. Then you, my beautiful and smart witch, will have to marry me."

She stared in shock for a moment. "I'm sorry?" Did I just hear him wrong?

He smiled at her thoughts that he was still scanning. "No, you didn't. You heard me right. Will you marry me, Hermione?"

She smiled at him, putting up her walls, as she thought of their time together in his past. "I'll make you a deal."

He raised an eyebrow at her, wondering why she had kicked him out of her mind. Her words weren't what he had expected to hear, but she always was full of surprises in the past. "What deal?"

Her smile grew. "I'll marry you, but only if you finish teaching me to project my thoughts like you do."

He smirked. He had planned on teaching her that anyway, but again, being a Slytherin… "You want me to teach you to project your thoughts, an even rarer thing than Legilimency?"

She nodded, her eyes dancing. "Yes. And, I want you to show me how to scan thoughts without anyone feeling it as well."

He chuckled softly. "That last part comes with years of practice, love, but I'll see what I can do to help you with that. But I demand one other thing as well."

She wasn't surprised to hear this in the least. "What could you possibly want on top of me marrying you and loving you fiercely?" She asked, a small laugh escaping as she smiled still.

He reached up and cupped her cheek. "I want a child with you."

Her smile faded. "What?"

He forced himself to stay calm at her reaction since she still had her wall up, so he couldn't see her thoughts. He could have breached it, but if she had it up, there was a reason for it, and he'd respect it. "I want to have a child with you. I've wanted one with you for years now. Not today, but one day. I want something that is part of you and part of me mixed together."

He would tell her one day, that seeing Hermione as a child and thinking she was his Hermione's daughter had started him thinking about it. Wondering what a little girl that was part of them both would look like. What she might be like. If she'd be as clever as her mother and as cunning as he was.

Hermione smiled again, making him have to bite back a sigh in relief. "I'm glad you want kids Severus, because I do too one day. We'll need to find a place to raise them and we both have a lot to figure out on how we're even going to support them."

Severus smiled. "Is that a yes, then?"

She leaned in and kissed him softly. "Was there ever really any doubt? Yes, of course I'll marry you."

He flicked his hand and a small box zoomed from one of his drawers. He caught it and handed it to her. She opened the tiny box and found a small black velvet box inside. She pulled it out and opened it as well.

Nestled inside was a diamond solitaire with several tiny amethysts surrounding it, the band made of heavy goblin silver. She met his dark eyes again and he smiled softly at her.

"Dumbledore told me once that your favorite stone was an amethyst. So one day, during the summer after your fourth year, I was in Diagon Alley and found this. I hoped one day you would want to wear it for me." He told her as he pulled the band from inside.

She smiled as she held up her left hand for him to put it on her. "I'd be honored to. I've never taken the other ring you gave me off, and I know I'll never take this one off either."

He turned it over so she could see the engraving inside the band. You're my past, my present, and my future.She read it, knowing that magic was the only reason that whole engraving fit on the tiny band.

He took the ring in his hands again, and slipped it on her left ring finger. She stared down at it resting perfectly in place. "It's beautiful Severus. Thank you." She leaned in and kissed him.

He met her lips again keeping it sweet and easy. Pulling back to look in her eyes again he asked, "Do you like the house?"

Hermione frowned at the odd and out of place question. "I haven't a clue. I've only seen the library, this room and…that's it. Why?"

"Dumbledore bought this house years ago. He stocked it with the rarest books he could find. He even stocked a few that he knew you'd love. Several great Muggle books too. Your book that he gave you is here as well. I finally finished reading it while I was here. I can see why you love it. You should see the master bedroom too. It's humungous. I think you would have decorated it like it is yourself." He told her, still watching her.

Hermione frowned a bit more. "I don't get it. Why would Dumbledore fill the house with books I'd love? Why would he decorate the bedroom like I might like it?"

Severus shrugged. "I'm not quite sure. Maybe he wanted you to love the two rooms he knew you'd spend the most time in."

Hermione still was confused. "Why would I spend any time in the master bedroom?"

Severus smirked at her. "Well, the owner of a house usually sleeps in the master bedroom."

Hermione stared at him in shock again. "You own this house?"

Severus chuckled. "No, my lovely witch, I do not. I've been sleeping in this room."

Hermione frowned, confused again. "Then, I don't get it. Why would I be in the master bedroom, then?"

He shook his head. "I may have to take back my opinion of you being clever." He saw her eyes narrow in annoyance and chuckled again. "We'll just say that your brilliant mind is simply too fogged over from all your earlier euphoric screams and has yet to fully recover. You, my lovely wife-to-be, are the owner."

Hermione raised a skeptic eyebrow at him. "I am not. He left all his things to Minerva."

He smirked even more. "True, but only until you graduate from Hogwarts. Then, it goes to you. Minerva's known about it for years and helped Dumbledore decorate and find books you would love. She wants you to have it as well."

Hermione still couldn't believe it. "He left me a house? This house?"

He nodded at her. "That he did. It has eight bedrooms, five baths, a library with a separate office connected to it, though both rooms have desks in them. A huge living room and kitchen, plus a fully stocked potion's lab in the basement with fresh supplies delivered to it when needed. Not to mention a few other rooms tossed in that I've stayed away from due to the others using them daily."

She couldn't do anything but stare at him in shocked silence. Dumbledore had planned it all with her being with Severus in mind. He knew Severus would want a potion's lab. He knew she would want a library that was fully stocked with tons of rare and old books.

Severus figured he might as well tell her the rest while she was silent. "As for the rest of your concerns, between the two vaults at Gringotts' that he left both of us, one for you and one for me…I'd say we're covered. We can do what we please employment wise…or nothing at all if we wanted to."

Hermione's eyes grew wider. "Two vaults?"

"Well, that was just what he left. Black, from what I understand, willed you part of his estate as well, as did Minerva. But I have no clue what those might entail. I didn't ask."

"But…I…I didn't want that to happen. I didn't mean for him to leave me…anything. Or the others." She said, looking almost panicked.

He took her hands. "Love, Albus loved you like a daughter. He always did. He wanted to make sure you were all taken care of. He didn't have anyone to leave his things to. So he gave them to you. He willed the others different things as well. He lived a long time and collected a lot of stuff over the years. All he ever needed was at the school. Minerva was all he needed . Along with you and the others. He wanted you to have his most prized possessions though. His books. He knew that out of everyone, you'd love them and cherish them the most."

Hermione felt tears sting her eyes again. "I…I don't even know what to say to all of this. I left here a week from now, lost in my life and feeling like it would never have any direction or meaning. I didn't have anything that I really cared for. I had nothing. I come back and…it's fuller than I ever wished for it to be."

He kissed her again. "Hermione, you already had a life that meant something. You had friends who loved you. You helped defeat one of the most powerful wizards known to our world. You are the smartest, kindest, and most loving person I've ever met. How could you ever think that you had nothing or that your life meant nothing?"

When she didn't respond, he went on. "I have something else to tell you."

She frowned. "How can there possibly be more?"

He smiled softly at her. "I've been looking over your clues. Minerva made sure you told her what they were after the war. I'm not positive, but I may have figured them out. I may have found your parents, love. Assuming they haven't moved on since then."

Hermione's eyes filled with tears again and they spilled over onto her cheeks. "Really?"

He nodded again, reaching over and wiping them away. "Maybe. I was going to wait until I was sure…but I couldn't keep it from you. But…if we don't find them now, we'll keep searching. We'll find them eventually, love."

Hermione closed her eyes again. Her brain and heart so full of everything that she felt like both might burst. She opened her eyes again staring at the man who she knew in some ways was responsible for most of it.

She wasn't sure how, but she felt it deep down, that without him…she wouldn't have fought so hard to stay and ended up changing so much. She wouldn't have her friends that survived when they shouldn't have, she wouldn't have a man that loved her more than she could ever imagine. She wouldn't feel whole for the first time in so long, since before the war.

"I love you Severus. I don't know how I'll ever thank you for finding them, or even for trying to." She told him while staring into his intense black orbs.

He caressed her cheek. "I love you too, Hermione. But you don't have to thank me, love."

She leaned in to kiss him again. He slipped his arms around her waist and rolled on to his back, pulling her with him.

Their passion was not raging instantly into an inferno that almost burned out of control, but built slowly and filled them with soft deep warmth that simply radiated to encompass their souls.

He made love to her again, slowly and gently at last like he had been wanting to. Both having sated their passion long enough to let only their love for each other show in their soft strokes and kisses.

When their bodies joined again, he wasn't rushed in his movements and she didn't want him to be. Both were happy with nothing more but slow and deep strokes of his hips against hers.

He brought her to an easy and gentle release and found his own shortly afterward. Both falling asleep afterward, still curled together in each others arms.

A/N: Okay, so they're engaged and he found her parents. Yay, go Severus! lol. Everyone's been asking where they were at. If it was part of Hogwarts or even Grimmauld Place, so here you go. Its neither. Just a large house that Dumbledore bought for two people whom he cared about greatly. One last thing in answer to what everyone has been asking me...no, Hermione isn't pregnant, nor does Severus get her that way before her return back to school. More coming soon. Take care all, and please leave me your thoughts.