DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter.
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A/N: Thank you for the support. Please don't forget to leave reviews! Also, check on my short fic, pretty please? It's my first time writing tragedy (sort of). Please check out "My Guardian Dear'.
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Chapter 41:
August 4, 1995
(the present)
"What do I tell Harry and Ron?"
Hermione and Sev were in the Pensieve, watching Leo's parents - a younger-looking Hermione and older (but stress-free) Severus cozy on a couch in the living room of their Blackpool home. The memory was from 15 October 2000. It was a month after the other Hermione Granger came to the Hogwarts' Headmistress office and learned about her past as Hermione Puckle.
"I've been keeping this for almost a month now, and they noticed that I wasn't myself," she said.
Sev had an arm wrapped around her, and the other was holding her hand. She rested her head on his shoulder. They were both wearing Muggle clothes - casual shirts and denim trousers. On the table were half-empty cups of coffee.
"We did have real coffee this time," she giggled uncharacteristically on Sev's side. Sev smirked and didn't say anything.
"It's surprising they noticed something. Aren't you good at hiding secrets?" asked Sev gently.
Hermione sighed heavily. "Sev, it's been two years since the war ended. I've been more relaxed and I'm not an Auror like Harry and Ron, so I don't take a leaf out of Mad-Eye's book from time to time."
Sev caressed Hermione's hand. "Tell them what Mona and Chad told you and show them some memories?" he suggested. "I believe they are matured now, given the fact that they passed the Auror training. They should be more objective and clever this time."
Hermione pulled away just enough to stare at Sev. She smiled affectionately. "They are, and I am proud of them. Harry's managed his temper, and Ron no longer has an emotional range of a teaspoon."
Sev nodded and smiled a bit. "That's good." But he didn't sound happy.
Hermione frowned. "What?"
He frowned as well. "What?" he echoed.
"You look... well, uncomfortable."
Sev ran his hand on her arms up and down. "I'm not exactly their favourite person, even though Potter respects me now, ever since my name had been cleared and it was revealed that I was Dumbledore's 'man'." He said the last word bitterly. "But it doesn't change the fact that I treated you all poorly and harshly in school."
"Why didn't you show him in the Pensieve the real reason why you were protecting him? Why only the memories of you and Albus? Of you being a spy?"
"I only wanted him to understand Dumbledore's plan and that I wasn't an enemy. Moreover, I wasn't friends with his father since our seventh year, so there's not much to show him. I didn't intend to die as well, so there's no point. I'd rather tell you first about it."
Hermione beamed. "That's it! Let's show Harry first the real reason why you protected him and why Albus trusted you deeply! And then we can show him about us, my friendship with James, and our missions during the First Wizarding War. Then I can break to him who Hermione Puckle is."
Sev smiled at her affectionately. "That's a good idea, dear."
Hermione grinned and leaned forward to kiss him.
Visiting-Hermione and Severus exchanged knowing smiles and tightened their holds to each other's hands.
The scene faded. It was a memory from 15 November 2000. The other Hermione and Severus were in their home again, in the basement - their Potions lab. Memory-Severus was wearing a wizard's robes, and Hermione was in her usual shirt and denim trousers. Hermione's hair was more silky and soft, and she tied it in a ponytail. Severus, on the other hand, no longer had shoulder-length hair. It was still considered long for a man, but only reached behind his neck and was neater and silkier.
"You look good," she whispered to him.
Sev looked down at her and smiled fondly. "You need to wear glasses, dear."
"No, I don't," she chuckled.
"Cat's out of the bag now," said Hermione, holding a copy of The Daily Prophet while Severus.
Sev looked up from his work table where he was cutting daisy roots expertly. "Are you regretting it?"
Hermione sat on a stool across him at the table. "No," she replied genuinely. "Aside from the fact that I have to explain at the Ministry why I'm resigning and decided to pursue Healer training, I don't want a scandal," she laughed. "Dating your former professor-turned-spy is already a total shock. People everywhere gossip, even though I wasn't your favourite student. But they can always make assumptions. I want us to walk together freely anywhere, any time of the day. I don't want people to think badly of you."
Sev snorted. "Too late for that now. I'm still the mean and harsh bat of the dungeons, the one who shouldn't have been a teacher in the first place because of how I treated my students." He looked up at her. "You shouldn't just let the public know about the truth because of me. It should be because that's what you wanted in the first place."
"It's what I want from the first place," she replied promptly. "I want to live as Hermione Puckle - the one you went to school with, the one who became a Healer-in-training at St. Mungo's, Neville Longbottom's godmother, best friend to Frank and Alice Longbottom, and friend to the three Marauders. And I don't want people talking behind my back that I'm dating a man too old for me. Not that it matters, but because you - "
"Hermione, dear," he cut her off gently. "I get your point, all right?"
She stopped and sighed. "Yeah, all right. Sorry."
Sev abandoned his work and walked around the table to stand beside her. He held her by the shoulders to make her face his direction. "Don't ever apologize," he said, lifting her chin with his hand. Then, he kissed her forehead.
"Thanks," she replied, looking and sounding relieved now. "There's just one problem."
Sev frowned. "What is it?"
Hermione looked up. "My surname. I want to be known as Hermione Puckle because that's who I really am, but I don't feel like omitting Granger."
Sev grinned. "There's a solution for that."
She frowned. "What?"
Sev reached for something inside his robe pocket. Hermione gaped upon seeing a small green velvet box. Severus didn't kneel on one knee. He just opened the box, revealing an engagement ring.
Visiting-Hermione fingered the ring she was wearing with a smile.
"Marry me. Be Hermione Snape, and people won't be confused anymore," he told her lovingly.
Visiting-Hermione watched Memory-Hermione's face filled with emotions, and her eyes were glassy.
A tear dropped on her cheek as she answered. "Yes."
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Hermione and Severus decided to retreat for lunch. As usual, Eileen was there, playing nanny and cook. Hermione was a bit shy because Eileen was doing most of the housework, but Sev assured her that it was what his mother wanted, instead of just staying at Prince's family home, doing nothing aside from talking to her house-elves. Hermione did not protest anymore when she saw how happy Eileen was with Leo around.
"Too bad, I can't take him out for shopping," Eileen told them once. "It's not safe."
After lunch, they went back to the study room to check the labeled vials of memories. There were vials labeled like: 'Leo's birth', 'wedding day', 'Leo's firsts'. And there were also vials with detailed labels like 'first attack', 'D. Riddle', and 'second attack'.
Hermione and Sev studied the labels carefully. They were having a silent debate on whether to skip memories about Leo and watch the memories about the attacks, or still watch the memories in order.
They were in that state when Albus Dumbledore knocked on their study door.
"Hermione, Severus. Apologies for disturbing you, but I need to hear your viewpoint about this one..." he told them as he sat on a wingback chair across them.
Hermione frowned a bit, shocked that Albus Dumbledore would seek their advice instead of deciding on his own.
He must've read her facial expression. "I don't want to make the mistakes the other me did in another timeline," he explained.
"Of course," Sev replied promptly, clearing his throat. "Where would you like to start?"
"Harry. I'm teaching him Occlumency myself."
