**A/N** This is it! The last chapter! It kinda sucks, but oh well! My next story will be better thought out. Are you sad? Are you thankful? Whatever you happen to think, please click the little review button and let me know... I'll definitely be brainstorming for another fic during my term in Azkaban (aka high school), and I'll be checking up on all of your fics, so you had better update! I love you all! Thanks for paying attention to my story! --LD
~~
Despite the fact that Severus did his best to be as nasty as ever (unless he happened to be alone with Hermione), the staff treated him very differently now that they knew him not only as Severus Snape but as Robert Normans, possibly the most romantic man in history. Of course, only Hermoine benefitted from his sensitive side, but she definitely didn't seem to mind. Their relationship was still kept secret from everyone except for Dumbledore, who approved of their love for each other completely.
Graduation was approaching quickly, but Hermione wasn't too worried about it. She'd chosen to become Professor McGonagall's apprentice at the very beginning of the year, and in a few years would be the new Transfiguration professor. Harry and Ron were going to train as aurors together.
If the Gryffindors noticed that Hermione was spending less and less time in the common room, they didn't say anything. They also didn't mention the peculiar black envelopes that would arrive during breakfast and make Hermione blush when she read them. Ron seemed to be going to a special effort to remain oblivious to the fact that Hermione was positively lovesick, but Harry was starting to catch on before too long. Finally, when Hermione arrived in the common room after curfew, looking very flushed, Harry asked the questions he'd been tossing around in his head for so long.
"Hermione, are you seeing someone?" Hermione stopped short, got an unreadable expression on her face, and motioned for Harry and Ron to follow her to her room. Once they were seated on her bed and looking uncomfortable, Hermione was ready to speak.
"You asked me if I was seeing someone, and the answer is yes. However, I'm afraid to tell you who because I don't want you to be angry with me or with him. Promise me that you'll handle this like adults if I tell you, and be kind enough not to tell anyone else about this. Do you promise?"
Both Harry and Ron nodded vigorously, though Ron was looking a bit unhappy.
"I'm seeing Professor Snape." Ron's face turned red, and Harry's emerald eyes widened. Suddenly, Harry began to laugh.
"What is so funny?" Hermoine asked indignantly. Harry continued to laugh. "It's just too perfect! Why didn't I guess that before? I should have known!" Hermione was soon laughing too, and although Ron still looked upset, and even a little angry, he shot her a small grin as well.
"I don't like it," Ron sighed, "but if he makes you happy I can't argue with you."
Hermione smiled and threw her arms around her friends. "Thank you so much, guys, this means a lot to me."
"Well, he's no Robert Normans but if that's what you want..." Harry grinned. He couldn't quite comprehend the look Hermione gave him, but new better than to pursue the matter further. Ginny was delighted when she found out.
~~
A few days later, Hermione was walking along the shores of the lake with Severus. The squid was splashing lazily in the distance, and a few crickets were chirping, but other than that there were no disturbances to speak of.
Hermione had never been happier in her life. The love letters she got from Severus never ceased to amaze her, and she'd put all of them in a box that never left her bedside table. When she thought of her future, she knew she wanted him to be a part of it.
"Hermione?" he asked, softly, taking her hand. She turned to look up at him, smiling, and his heart stopped all over again. Would she ever stop doing this to him? He hoped not.
"Severus?" she replied. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he reached into his robes and pulled out a small black box. He stopped walking, and Hermione stopped with him, her eyes probing his questioningly. 'Here goes nothing...' Severus thought, dropping gracfully to one knee and diplaying the box's contents.
"Hermione, will you marry me?" Suddenly a single tear slipped down her cheek, and he started to get worried. His doubts disappeared when Hermione threw her arms around him and kissed him senseless. Pulling back, she looked him square in the eye and whispered, "Yes."
~~
The following night was the night of the Graduation Dinner, and once again Hermione and Draco were invited to sit with the teachers. Hermione had explained her ring to Harry, Ginny and Ron, who were shocked, but luckly no one else had noticed. She and Severus had agreed that she would wear the ring, and answer honestly if asked about it. Only Albus knew of the engagement so far, but unfortunately staff members are much more observant than students. Hermione was shocked to have gotten halfway through the meal before someone asked her about the diamond on her left hand.
"Hermione," McGonagall asked nervously, "let me see your hand--what is that ring on your finger?" Hermione glanced at Severus, who was sitting on her right side, but glanced away before anyone noticed. Surrendering her hand to McGonagall, she prepared to answer all of the inevitable questions.
"Are you engaged?" McGonagall was starting to look more and more worried and motherly, and Albus was staring to grin more and more widely. Trelawney made a remark about knowing Hermione would end up engaged to the Ron Weasley, which made Snape choke on his tea. Hermione tried not to laugh and simply told Minerva that, yes, she was engaged.
"To who?" she asked excitedly. Hermione burst into a wide grin and looked at Severus, who met her eyes and returned her smile with a small one of his own, his eyes laughing.
"I'm engaged to Severus." The whole table fell silent. Remus sprayed his tea everywhere, and Flitwick dropped his fork loudly, turing abruptly to look at the unusual couple. McGongall's mouth was hanging open, and Trelawney looked extremely embarrassed. She started to mumble something about her inner eye being out of focus, while Professor Sprout started to grin. Draco paled visibly and pushed his plate away, looking ill. Hagrid began to give Snape one of those, "If you hurt her, I'll have your head before you can say Care of Magical Creatures" speeches.
Finally Dumbledore's laugh caused everyone to fall silent, and he declared, "Well, Severus, now that your secret is out, kiss her already!" For once, the Potions Master grinned mischievously and followed the Headmaster's orders without complaint. The entire graduating class was shocked to hear their professors clapping wildly, and then to see Professor Snape passionately kissing the Head Girl. Harry and Ron gave each other knowing looks, and Ron actually started to grin. Lavender and Parvati were tittering wildly, amazed that they hadn't figured it out despite the countless Potions classes they had all been through. Some students laughed, some sighed and thought it was romantic, and others cringed in horror. All were completely and utterly amazed.
~~
Hermione and Severus did indeed get married, and Snape never again wrote a soppy romance novel. For years the wizarding world puzzled over where Robert Normans had disappeared to, and witches everywhere were disappointed when their bribe failed and the fifty thousand pounds were promptly returned to the rightful owners.
Whenever Hermione asked her husband why he had stopped writing soppy romance novels, he would simply reply, "Because I'm already living the perfect one. Why bother creating any more when I can enjoy the one I've got?" He never did lose his flair for sappiness, but Hermione didn't mind. He still wrote her some of the best love letters in history.
THE END!!!
~~
Despite the fact that Severus did his best to be as nasty as ever (unless he happened to be alone with Hermione), the staff treated him very differently now that they knew him not only as Severus Snape but as Robert Normans, possibly the most romantic man in history. Of course, only Hermoine benefitted from his sensitive side, but she definitely didn't seem to mind. Their relationship was still kept secret from everyone except for Dumbledore, who approved of their love for each other completely.
Graduation was approaching quickly, but Hermione wasn't too worried about it. She'd chosen to become Professor McGonagall's apprentice at the very beginning of the year, and in a few years would be the new Transfiguration professor. Harry and Ron were going to train as aurors together.
If the Gryffindors noticed that Hermione was spending less and less time in the common room, they didn't say anything. They also didn't mention the peculiar black envelopes that would arrive during breakfast and make Hermione blush when she read them. Ron seemed to be going to a special effort to remain oblivious to the fact that Hermione was positively lovesick, but Harry was starting to catch on before too long. Finally, when Hermione arrived in the common room after curfew, looking very flushed, Harry asked the questions he'd been tossing around in his head for so long.
"Hermione, are you seeing someone?" Hermione stopped short, got an unreadable expression on her face, and motioned for Harry and Ron to follow her to her room. Once they were seated on her bed and looking uncomfortable, Hermione was ready to speak.
"You asked me if I was seeing someone, and the answer is yes. However, I'm afraid to tell you who because I don't want you to be angry with me or with him. Promise me that you'll handle this like adults if I tell you, and be kind enough not to tell anyone else about this. Do you promise?"
Both Harry and Ron nodded vigorously, though Ron was looking a bit unhappy.
"I'm seeing Professor Snape." Ron's face turned red, and Harry's emerald eyes widened. Suddenly, Harry began to laugh.
"What is so funny?" Hermoine asked indignantly. Harry continued to laugh. "It's just too perfect! Why didn't I guess that before? I should have known!" Hermione was soon laughing too, and although Ron still looked upset, and even a little angry, he shot her a small grin as well.
"I don't like it," Ron sighed, "but if he makes you happy I can't argue with you."
Hermione smiled and threw her arms around her friends. "Thank you so much, guys, this means a lot to me."
"Well, he's no Robert Normans but if that's what you want..." Harry grinned. He couldn't quite comprehend the look Hermione gave him, but new better than to pursue the matter further. Ginny was delighted when she found out.
~~
A few days later, Hermione was walking along the shores of the lake with Severus. The squid was splashing lazily in the distance, and a few crickets were chirping, but other than that there were no disturbances to speak of.
Hermione had never been happier in her life. The love letters she got from Severus never ceased to amaze her, and she'd put all of them in a box that never left her bedside table. When she thought of her future, she knew she wanted him to be a part of it.
"Hermione?" he asked, softly, taking her hand. She turned to look up at him, smiling, and his heart stopped all over again. Would she ever stop doing this to him? He hoped not.
"Severus?" she replied. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he reached into his robes and pulled out a small black box. He stopped walking, and Hermione stopped with him, her eyes probing his questioningly. 'Here goes nothing...' Severus thought, dropping gracfully to one knee and diplaying the box's contents.
"Hermione, will you marry me?" Suddenly a single tear slipped down her cheek, and he started to get worried. His doubts disappeared when Hermione threw her arms around him and kissed him senseless. Pulling back, she looked him square in the eye and whispered, "Yes."
~~
The following night was the night of the Graduation Dinner, and once again Hermione and Draco were invited to sit with the teachers. Hermione had explained her ring to Harry, Ginny and Ron, who were shocked, but luckly no one else had noticed. She and Severus had agreed that she would wear the ring, and answer honestly if asked about it. Only Albus knew of the engagement so far, but unfortunately staff members are much more observant than students. Hermione was shocked to have gotten halfway through the meal before someone asked her about the diamond on her left hand.
"Hermione," McGonagall asked nervously, "let me see your hand--what is that ring on your finger?" Hermione glanced at Severus, who was sitting on her right side, but glanced away before anyone noticed. Surrendering her hand to McGonagall, she prepared to answer all of the inevitable questions.
"Are you engaged?" McGonagall was starting to look more and more worried and motherly, and Albus was staring to grin more and more widely. Trelawney made a remark about knowing Hermione would end up engaged to the Ron Weasley, which made Snape choke on his tea. Hermione tried not to laugh and simply told Minerva that, yes, she was engaged.
"To who?" she asked excitedly. Hermione burst into a wide grin and looked at Severus, who met her eyes and returned her smile with a small one of his own, his eyes laughing.
"I'm engaged to Severus." The whole table fell silent. Remus sprayed his tea everywhere, and Flitwick dropped his fork loudly, turing abruptly to look at the unusual couple. McGongall's mouth was hanging open, and Trelawney looked extremely embarrassed. She started to mumble something about her inner eye being out of focus, while Professor Sprout started to grin. Draco paled visibly and pushed his plate away, looking ill. Hagrid began to give Snape one of those, "If you hurt her, I'll have your head before you can say Care of Magical Creatures" speeches.
Finally Dumbledore's laugh caused everyone to fall silent, and he declared, "Well, Severus, now that your secret is out, kiss her already!" For once, the Potions Master grinned mischievously and followed the Headmaster's orders without complaint. The entire graduating class was shocked to hear their professors clapping wildly, and then to see Professor Snape passionately kissing the Head Girl. Harry and Ron gave each other knowing looks, and Ron actually started to grin. Lavender and Parvati were tittering wildly, amazed that they hadn't figured it out despite the countless Potions classes they had all been through. Some students laughed, some sighed and thought it was romantic, and others cringed in horror. All were completely and utterly amazed.
~~
Hermione and Severus did indeed get married, and Snape never again wrote a soppy romance novel. For years the wizarding world puzzled over where Robert Normans had disappeared to, and witches everywhere were disappointed when their bribe failed and the fifty thousand pounds were promptly returned to the rightful owners.
Whenever Hermione asked her husband why he had stopped writing soppy romance novels, he would simply reply, "Because I'm already living the perfect one. Why bother creating any more when I can enjoy the one I've got?" He never did lose his flair for sappiness, but Hermione didn't mind. He still wrote her some of the best love letters in history.
THE END!!!