Today 8/8 its my birthday… so as a gift I'm uploading chapter 40 for you to enjoy. Thanks for your awesome reviews but as I said, the story already has an end. I haven't written it yet, but its all in my head. I am sure you will not be disappointed.

So… here it is, chapter 40… enjoy!

Chapter 40: A Day at Hogwarts

Florence was utterly excited, despite her recent dreams.

Her first lecture- her first class- was due to start in less than 10 minutes now, and the delicious dishes in front of her somehow made her sick.

'Would you like a croissant, Miss Pugliare?' Snape asked from the very end of the staff table. George frowned.

'Thanks, professor. But I'll pass,' She said with a smile, while holding George's hand. Only then did he noticed Florence's new outfit.

'New robes?' George asked with an evil grin on his face, 'They look a lot like Snape's, you know that, right?' He once again inquired.

Florence was wearing a black robe, but not Hogwarts style. She was wearing a black robe with at least 30 buttons that started 2 inches under her belly-button and ended where her neck started. It was also long enough for her to step on it, but the movement her skirt provided made it less probable.

'Yes, they do look like Severus's, don't they?' She said giggling, 'I didn't do it on purpose, of course. They suit me nicely, don't you agree?'

'Oh, yes, you look incredible on them, but its an odd coincidence, to say the least,' He said smirking, then getting nearer, he whispered into her ear, 'I would love get rid of those robes of yours as soon as possible,' He suggested in a manly voice. Florence nodded, but said nothing.

She loved this new side of George a lot to spoil it with words.

---*---*---

'Which is the difference between fiction and reality?' Florence asked to a bunch of students listening her lecture. 'Well… the difference is that fiction has to make sense,' She said with a wide smile on her face. Most of the wizards and witches in her classroom laughed loudly at her joke, mostly because they wanted to leave as soon as possible, 'Ok, class dismissed, have a pleasant day,' She said at last, while collapsing on the leather chair behind her desk. She was exhausted after 3 hours of talking, almost non stop.

She closed her eyes to relax; she hadn't had too much sleep the past night so she desperately needed the rest.

'George,' She thought to herself, while rubbing her back against the leather, 'how am I going to tell you?'

'Tell Mr. Weasley what?' A deep voice coming from her own skull said.

'Tell him I don't want to get married, Severus,' She said simply, as if listening voices in her head was something common.

'Trouble in paradise?' He asked.

'Nothing of the sort, Severus… I just want to keep it simple,' She answered shortly.

'Meaning…?' He inquired in his profound voice.

'Meaning I'd rather marry somewhere away from Hogwarts… I would enjoy a private little ceremony in the Easter Island's better than a fancy one here,' She confessed.

'Because of me?' He sincerely asked. Florence laughed out loud, scaring a few 3rd. years passing by.

'Could you be more egocentric?' She asked. 'You have nothing to do with this, Severus. The faster you stop harassing me, the faster you will understand it,' She explained with an evil grin on her face. She had just stabbed Snape in the chest, and he was bleeding badly.

'What you described as harassment, I describe as love,' He plainly said, 'You hurt me deeply with your words, Miss Pugliare, considering you were the one that taught me everything about harassing…'

She smiled at his last statement. How could she have forgotten about the days when seducing Snape was her only life-goal?

'I'm as well as married,' She explained, trying her best to dissuaded him from trying to gain her love.

'I was twenty years your senior,' He shot back, reminding her of her past.

'I'm in love with George,' She said firmly, bringing him back to the present.

'When I first shag you, I wasn't in love,' He confessed, 'I learnt to love you.'

'I will never change him for you,' She said loyally, trying to hurt him as much as possible. Maybe that was the only way for him to leave her alone.

'You already did,' He said plainly. Snape's last words came as a shock to Florence, who had never cheated on George with Snape, apart from that incident in her 7th year with the polyjuice potion. But that had only been a scheme to get her to bed; a scheme for Snape to satisfy his need of flesh without her knowledge.

'What do you mean?' She asked curiously.

'Isn't it odd that being available for at least 3 years, you decided to contact me when you were back with Mr. Weasley?' He inquired.

'No, I just wrote you as a friend…' She tried to explain, but he did not let her.

'No, you didn't contact me as your friend, Miss Pugliare, that I can assure. You were in seeking of approval, you were in seeking of someone who could tell you: "Relax, you are doing just fine" and you did not chose me because I was more of a friend to you than that Ms. Know-it-all Granger. You came to me because I am the only man you can trust, because I was, and I am, your first choice in love. You keep running to my arms, my little princess… can't you see? We are meant to be.'

'Stop lying to yourself, Snape,' She said roughly. She hadn't called him Snape in a long time. 'You have trouble accepting the possibility of me loving someone else, that's all, but make no mistake, I need no authorization. I am going to spend the rest of my days with George Weasley,' She said strongly

'And that is what scares you the most,' He said shortly, 'You are frightened of a life-sentence to Mr. Weasley and his annoying habits… a life-sentence to a mediocre life without deep conversations after sex, without books, without culture, without coffee… ADMIT IT, FLORENCE,' He almost shouted, 'You would have never tasted tea if Mr. Weasley hadn't persuaded you to do so, Florence… you love your coffee…and you like it black, just like me.'

'SHUT UP!' She said at the top of her lungs, completely forgetting about the fact that she was at Hogwarts, the magical school were gossips are as frequent as owl post.

But Snape did not answer. He was obviously gone, and he had left Florence deeply disturbed, as usual.

---*---*---

Hermione understood now why pregnant women were so moody. They had plenty of time to get annoyed about thing. They had plenty of time to reflect about life… especially if the Godfather of your baby boy, whose name was still undecided, was 2 hours late.

Some time earlier that afternoon, Hermione's head had appeared at Florence's chambers, seeking for George, who was suppose to walk her to Hogwarts.

'Hello, is anybody there?' She had asked.

'Yes, 'Mione…it's me George…I'm …a little bit naked at the moment, do you mind if I don't get too near the fire?' He had seriously asked. Hermione had rolled her eyes.

'George, you make me sick,' She had confessed, completely disgusted, 'I just wanted to tell you that I'm all set. You can pick me up as soon as you like,' She had explained.

'Ok…I'll be there in half an hour,' He had answered.

But, by now, the ginger tea on her kitchen table was freezing cold and Hermione was growing more impatient by the minute.

After a couple of minutes or so, a very handsome, very well-shaven George Weasley knocked on Hermione's door.

'Ready, milady?' He asked with a mainly voice, a voice he usually uses when speaking to Florence.

'George Weasley… do you realize you took almost three hours to dress up?' She asked, with her arms across her chest, a reproving look on her face.

'It only took me 10 minutes to get ready, Hermione… but you do realize that I'm planning to propose tonight, right?' He asked; Hermione nodded, '…But I don't want it to be like the last time. This time I want to make it fun for the both of us, to make it almost orgasmic… so… I went shopping,' He explained, not giving Hermione too many clues.

'Shopping for what?' She asked with her left eyebrow raised.

'For some goods I thought would come in handy,' He answered shortly. Hermione, this time raised both her eyebrows, 'Come on, Hermione! You didn't exactly get pregnant playing poker,' He joked, though Hermione took it as an offence.

'How dare you, George Weasley!' She shouted, then reflecting about her brother-in-law's final statement, she added, 'What kind of goods?'

'Ask me no questions and I will tell you no lies,' He said with the biggest grin Hermione had seen in her life. What could she possibly do but to smile back?

George was really happy and she was praying for Florence not to screw it up with insecurities this time.

So leaving a note on the table beside her cool tea, they left.