CHAPTER EIGHT

"Hello, yeah, it's been a while
Not much, how 'bout you?
I'm not sure why I called
I guess, I really just wanted to talk to you."
-I'd Really Love to See You Tonight, England Dan and John Ford Coley

January 1977

He had been waiting for this: his coming-of-age day. Severus made sure he looked good before he left his dormitory that morning. Lestrange and Marchbanks sent him teasing smirks when they saw him leaving the bathroom, but he scowled at them. He went to the Great Hall and ate his breakfast. Professor Puckle wasn't at the staff table.

"Sev!"

He looked up at the sound of the cheerful voice and saw Lily walking toward him with a bright smile on her face.

"Happy birthday!"

He stood up and Lily gave him a loose hug and a small box with a silver bow.

"Thank you, Lily," he replied sincerely and patted her head, earning a scowl from Potter and Black. With his height, towering over Lily, it wasn't hard to see the two dunderheads at the Gryffindor table.

He finished his breakfast and still, there was no Professor Puckle. He and Lily went to their classes, and by lunchtime, he still had not seen her. He remembered what she told him on her birthday. He remembered clearly.

Do not seek me until you are of age.

Today was the day. Maybe she decided to wait for him to come to her. Maybe she was letting him decide if he still wanted to be around her.

Of course, I do, he thought. I still want her. My feelings for her only got stronger, and I think I am in love with her.

He had a free period after lunch. Lily urged him to go to Professor Puckle's office, and he did. His heart was hammering when he knocked on her door, which thankfully, was not opened by a house-elf.

It was opened by the headmaster.

.

Hermione scowled at the headmaster. She still didn't agree with his idea of telling Severus everything and making him a spy for the Order. She didn't want him to bear the Dark Mark.

Albus visited her in her quarters at lunchtime on Severus's 17th birthday. The old wizard knew Severus would be seeking her now that he was of age to, maybe, test the waters. He acquired that information from Lily, Hermione knew.

"Hermione, dear, please. I do not want him to suffer and repeat his mistakes. By telling him everything, we are giving him the freedom to choose his future path, just like Lily. We are preventing them from making further mistakes. We know something that can happen in their future, and while we are doing our best to save them and the entire magical Britain, we also need help. All the help we can get," Albus explained kindly.

She stared at the tea table, where two things seemed to be glaring at her: Albus's Pensieve and a small present wrapped in a dark blue special paper. She chose the dark blue colour because it reminded her of his teaching robes in her past life.

She was planning on giving him the present, of course. Lily had always told her that Severus missed her so much, and he was really waiting for the day he turned 17. Therefore, Hermione planned to give him a special coming of age present, and allow him to be her assistant once more, should he still desire it. But she wasn't planning on encouraging his feelings for her. Maybe if she treated her in a friendly way and let him know she wasn't planning on dating before she was 21, he would finally settle on just being friends with her.

But Lily was sure it would break his heart.

Before she could reply, there was a knock on the door, and Albus was quick to his feet to answer the door.

"Ah, Mr Snape!" Albus said jovially. "I heard it's your coming-of-age day. Happy birthday, dear boy!"

"Thank you, Headmaster," came Severus's gentle voice.

"I reckon you are here to see Professor Puckle. I'll be taking my leave. I am quite sure she's been waiting for you. Bear with her, will you? She is rather exhausted."

Hermione wanted to throw a trinket at the headmaster's head, but the old wizard turned around and gave her his grandfatherly smile. She continued glaring at him like a rebel granddaughter.

"Of course, Professor," she heard Severus reply.

Albus left and Severus walked in. She didn't look up. She wasn't ready for this. Not anymore.

"Professor?" came Severus's uncertain voice.

She couldn't meet his eyes. She covered her face with her hands and heaved a sigh.

"Professor Dumbledore said you had been waiting for me, but I can come back later, Professor."

She finally looked up at him with a small smile. The way he was looking at her... It was different, but not in a bad way. He looked concerned, and his face was contoured with emotions.

"Mr Snape. Happy birthday. Have a seat," she said softly.

He took a seat across from her - the seat Albus vacated. "Thank you, Professor."

"Is there anything you need, Severus?" she asked kindly.

He smiled at her use of his first name. "It's about our conversation on your birthday, Professor."

She nodded with a smile. "Of course. Have you decided what you want?"

Severus eyed her intently. "I wish to be everything you need me to be, Professor."

"That's quite a statement, Mr Snape," she said softly.

"I am sure of what I said, Professor. I want to be your friend... your assistant once more, even your house-elf, or owl," he beamed, giving her a hopeful look.

"I don't want to hurt you, Sev." She used Lily's nickname for him. She had just gotten used to hearing that wonderful nickname from Lily. Hermione and Lily had spent a lot of time the past couple of months.

Severus's facial expression fell, but he nodded politely and forced a smile. "I understand, Professor. I sincerely apologize for bothering you." He stood up to take his leave.

He thought she was rejecting him. He thought she knew about his feelings and couldn't reciprocate them.

He thinks I am rejecting him, oh, Merlin! She was panicking.

"Sev, no, please!" She was quick to her feet and rounded on him, blocking the door.

He looked hurt. She saw it in his eyes.

"I'm sorry! I told you on that day, that my life is complicated. You are a good person... A brilliant young man. You could have a bright future ahead of you and I don't want you to waste your time on someone like me. I've been betrayed and lost my best friend... I don't think I can be a good friend."

"Well, that's good because I don't want to be just your friend, Mia-Rose Puckle," he replied firmly and confidently. "I am utterly and completely in love with you, and if you don't feel the same, it's fine. For now. I will respect your choice. But I don't think I will ever stop loving you from afar. Before you, I thought Lily was the only light in my dark life. But when you came, you... saw me. You understood me. You were the light and hope I had been waiting for."

"I'm not who you think I am," she whispered, looking up at him. "I've been keeping something from you. Hell, Mia-Rose Puckle is not even my name," she said exasperatedly.

He frowned. "I knew Lily's been keeping something from me. Are you the reason why she's been learning Occlumency? She said it was for extra credit, and I didn't buy it. I just didn't say anything. She even encouraged me to do the same."

Hope swelled in her heart. "Did you? Are you? Learning Occlumency, I mean."

Severus shook his head slowly, but his facial expression softened upon meeting her eyes. "No. Not yet. But I will if you want me to," he declared wholeheartedly. "I'll do anything for you... To protect your secrets... And to help you even if you think you don't need it. I will and I want to do anything for you, Mia-Rose Puckle."

Hermione couldn't contain her emotions anymore. Tears fell from her eyes, but she felt relieved. She smiled and reached for his arms, but Severus pulled her close to him and hugged her tightly. She hugged him back, burying her face into his chest. She felt at home.

After a few moments, she pulled back just enough to meet his eyes. "Hermione, Sev. My real name is Hermione Jean Granger. Puckle was my mum's maiden name," she informed him.

Sev smiled and cupped her face. "Hermione Jean Granger. A unique name for a peculiar witch like you."

Before she could say something back, Severus Snape had already pressed his lips to hers, kissing her gently. She breathed into his kiss unintentionally. She wound her arms around his neck and kissed him back.