The night of graduation. I knew it wasn't necessary at all, but I was incredibly nervous. I stood in front of the mirror, pulling my clothes. Was it a nice dress? Was my hair under control? How was my make-up? I needed someone to tell me, and I looked around for someone.
"Lavender!" I said in an urgent tone. "How do I look?"
Lavender turned around, her lipstick in her one hand and in the other a hairbrush. Her eyes widened when she saw me, and I started to walk back to my wardrobe. "You're right, I'll get something else."
"No!!" Lavender suddenly shrieked, and she ran to me. "I-I don't… You! You look fabulous!"
I narrowed my eyes. "Really?"
"Woa- yeah! I don't know who your date is this time, but he'll be guaranteed to receive many jealous looks!" she exclaimed.
I turned away so she couldn't see me flushing. However, I couldn't suppress a giggle. "Don't say that!"
"Oh, our Hermione gets shy!" joked Parvati, who had just appeared from the bathroom. "Come to think of it, you still haven't told us who your date actually is. So, who are you taking to the feast?"
I stared at them, trying to remain serious. "I told you; I'm not taking anyone."
Now it was their turn to stare. "We don't believe you." Lavender said simply. She turned to Parvati. "I bet she's taking Ron!"
"Nah," Parvati shook her head. "She probably would have told us if it was him."
"Or it's someone who rejected one of us, and she's afraid we'll be angry at her if she tells…" Lavender said, her eyes wide open.
Parvati glanced at Lavender. "Even if you're right, then there are too much to choose from and we'll still have to guess." She narrowed her eyes like she was thinking hard. "I think the reason she won't tell us is that the one she's taking to the ball, is someone we don't like at all, maybe hate… Someone dark and evil; The Slytherin of all Slytherins…-"
I became nervous. Would they really guess?!
"No!" Lavender exclaimed, covering her mouth with her hand. "Not Draco!"
"Oh, come on, girls!" I sighed, although it was more out of relief than out of annoyance. "I'm really not taking anyone! And especially not Draco."
"Then why did you dress up like this?" Lavender asked.
"Perhaps because this will be the last evening I'll spend at Hogwarts, the Hogwarts we've stayed at for 7 years? Or perhaps because I've studied and studied and studied again, hoping it would be enough to graduate someday, like I'm doing now?"
That worked. The two girls gave up, but were not satisfied. I smiled as they walked away. They would get what they wanted. Soon.
*~*~*
The night of graduation. Severus scowled at a couple of Gryffindors who entered the Great Hall. He knew they were too glad they would never have to follow his lessons again, and he really didn't care. He felt the same about getting rid of them, too.
"Ah, time has flown, hasn't it, Severus?" Albus Dumbledore sat down next to him, putting aside a huge flowery plant. The staff table had been turned into something 'cheerful', just like the rest of the Great Hall. The House tables had been removed and all of the chairs were turned to the space in front of the staff table. Soft music was playing. Severus loathed it, and felt even more surly than before.
"Save your speeches for the children, Albus," he spat, not noticing himself how rude he was sounding.
"Oh, but you can't really call them children anymore," He gave a nod into the direction of Potter. "Harry Potter has fought more dark wizards than most of the fully grown-ups have fought. And Mister Malfoy has learned one of the biggest lessons one can learn. Not to mention Mister Longbottom, who was not only proven to others, but especially to himself, that he is a true Gryffindor."
Like that says anything, Severus thought, deciding to keep it to himself. Dumbledore stood up after making sure everybody had arrived, and began his speech for the children. Once again it was a different one than the one he had held the previous years, but it contained the same messages; thank you for being here, you were fun, good luck in the future, and I'll always be there for you. Bla, bla, bla.
Severus' eyes drifted off to the students. All of them were carefully listening to the old man, not one of them, except for a few Slytherins, showing a sign of boredom. Yes, the Slytherins. Now that Voldemort was no longer there, what would the Slytherins do? Possibly there would be a new powerful wizard, gathering followers and perhaps being even worse than Voldemort.
Then he noticed Hermione, and immediately his mouth fell open. She was looking astonishingly beautiful. Closing his mouth, but not taking his eyes off her, he shifted uncomfortably in his chair.
She suddenly turned his head into his direction, and smiled at him weakly. Feeling like someone had just poured hot water into his stomach, Severus jumped up, his chair falling on the ground with loud clattering.
Dumbledore paused, and Severus felt everyone's curious eyes resting upon him. He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Excuse me," Without another word he walked out of the Great Hall, to the men's bathroom. Letting some cold water flow over his wrists, he stared into the mirror. Cold sweat was standing on his forehead, and he looked bewildered. What had she done to him? He took a few good breaths to calm himself down.
He could still hear the noises coming from the Great Hall. Dumbledore had finished his speech, and it was McGonagall's turn to thank everyone before calling them forward one by one. Severus walked back in, and took his seat. Questioning looks he answered with glares.
"Hermione Granger!" McGonagall called, and Severus watched how she walked forward, receiving her certificate. There was a lot of applause, and Severus tried to look utterly bored. When she asked for a few words, his face showed nothing but irritation, even though he was curious to what she was going to say. Probably some thanks…
"Beside everyone else, I want to thank Harry and Ron in special, for being my best friends ever. You know I care for you, and I probably ever will."
Severus scowled at Harry, who had a stupid grin on his face. Hermione continued. "There's one more person I want to thank. For teaching me things I couldn't have learned from books, but also for daring to love me, despite everything, and for simply understanding."
In one swift movement she turned her head to Severus, and he felt how for the second time that night the attention was drawn to him. Obviously they didn't understand a thing about this all, but Hermione clarified that. "Thank you, Severus. I'm so glad to love you."
Immediately the whole Hall burst out in whispers, and all kinds of questions were launched at Severus. Ron Weasley was the only one to laugh out loud, and he didn't stop until everyone looked at him.
"That's a good one, Hermione!" he laughed, holding on to Harry so he wouldn't lose his balance. "You and Snape, that's a good one!"
Severus watched how Hermione gave him a pitiful look. She suddenly looked so mature, he realized. "I'm sorry I haven't told you, Ron, but it's true. It really is…"
The seriousness finally seemed to dawn on the red-haired boy. His laughter faded, and his face showed a vague expression. Then he fainted.
Amazed by her guts Severus turned back to Hermione, but slowly anger started to well up inside him. How dare she embarrass him like that? How dare she ruining his pride, his name, his worth?! He stared at her, for a few seconds too angry to do anything. Finally he stood up, and the Hall fell silent, holding their breath, curiously awaiting what would happen next. Would he yell at her? Would he take away points, stop her from graduating, or would he hex her?
With huge steps Severus walked to Hermione, grabbing her arm, and pulling her away from the crowd, out of the Great Hall, and out of the castle. She didn't resist, like she had expected this to happen. When they were outside, he finally let go.
"What do you think you're doing?" he hissed, trying to read her face.
She grabbed his head between her hands. "Don't you see? It doesn't matter anymore! I'm free, so there's no longer need to worry!"
"You might be free, but I'm not," he snapped, pulling her hands away, and turning around. He stared into the dark, thinking of all the consequences this would have. The dark—it resembled nothing. "Don't you realise what you have done?"
"No," she said, softly grabbing his shoulder and turning him back. "No, I don't, really. Tell me, tell me what's wrong with me sharing the fact that I love you with others? It's not illegal, is it? And if you're afraid you're students will laugh in your face – they're too scared to do that, I'm sure of that. By the way, you won't have to face them until the start of the next school year."
He stared into her chocolate brown eyes. And then it hit him. She didn't care. She simply didn't care. And honest, why would she? He didn't owe anyone an explanation, and he knew how to handle his students. He looked at the moon. She resembled the moon, that beautiful and wise moon. Didn't those two, the darkness and the moon, fit each other perfectly? Perhaps she was right.
He pulled her in his embrace, his chin on her head. "Promise me…" he murmured, stroking her back. Promise you'll never leave me… He thought about what a promise like that was worth, and then decided it was not necessary. I love you, he wished to say, but even for that was no need. He closed his eyes, thankful for her.
*~*~*
"Like to dance?"
I watched Severus turning around, his surprised expression turning into his old, menacing one as he saw me. "I do not…" he paused, as if reconsidering things. I decided to push it even more, and looked at him with begging eyes.
"Please?"
I had respected his wishes, but would that be enough to fight his stubbornness? It turned out to be.
"Just once," he muttered, and I let out a relieved sigh.
"Thank you!" I said, pulling him to where we had some more space, and putting on some music I had brought with me. I slipped my arms around his neck, and he put his around my waist.
He squeezed his eyes. "What kind of music is this?" he asked.
"'If loving you is wrong, I don't want to be right', sung by a Muggle artist." I answered shyly. Of course I had chosen this song purposefully, even though it wasn't exactly relating to how I felt about Severus. And so I couldn't help but flush when in the song it became apparent it was about loving a married man.
"I'm sorry…" I murmured, but he didn't respond. I looked into his eyes, his dark black eyes, and they spoke for him. It's okay, they said. It's okay.
I leaned in closer, letting my cheek rest on his shoulder, and moving slowly at the rhythm of the music. I could never change him, but I would never want to change him either, even if that meant that others might understand why I loved this dark man. I knew his soul, I knew who he was, I knew that he loved me. And to me, that was enough. He would never hurt me again, physically or mentally. I knew his eyes…
"By the way," he said, "Poppy says I'm cured of my head aches."
I looked up. "You are? How?"
He shrugged carelessly. "She doesn't know. But the symptoms have disappeared. Suddenly."
Putting my cheek back on his shoulder, I looked at the potion that he had been working on, and felt the coldness trying to take me over in vain. I stared at the dark, chilly Potions lab, thanking for all the goodness I had been given.
Dancing in this Potions lab – perhaps it wasn't as glamorous as dancing in the Great Hall, but it certainly felt twice as safe, with Severus holding me.
Forever.
THE END
A/N: Phew, that's the end, folks! I see it didn't turn out to be a real epilogue, but I couldn't help adding some more things… I hope they weren't TOO out of character. There are a few more things I want to say =)
As you might have understood from the author notes from the first chapter, this was supposed to be a one-shot cookie. So when I decided to continue, the only thing I knew was that I had to get the two characters back together again. How, I didn't know. The story just wrote itself, and the cruciatus curse and the girl that he killed, seemed nice add-ons. What I'm trying to say is; not one chapter of the story is beta read, and I rarely thought the things I wrote out. I don't think this fic will be for any use for you in the future or whatsoever, but I simply hope it amused you ^_^
I want to thank you, thank you very, very much, for reading and reviewing. You've got no idea how much of a support it was to me, to see how gracefully you reviewed every chapter over and over again, especially the ones who stuck with the story (Jessica, of course, and Escritora, Tegan, but also JoeBob1397; Thank you so much!), but of course also everybody else. I suppose I could list your names here, but isn't that just spoiling of time? I appreciate each of your reviews just as much. So, at the risk of repeating myself, I thank you.
Before you guys all think I'm weird (which you probably already do… ^_~), I'll end this here. Have a nice day!