Chapter 14:

It was a week before Halloween when his decision, about talking to Hermione, came back to him, So at the end of his 6th year potions class with Gryffindor and Slytherin, he called for her to stay behind.

When all of the students had scurried their way out of the classroom, she approached him cautiously, her weary gaze settled on the wall just past his shoulder. "What exactly is it that you wanted Professor?"

"So its back to Professor now? That's a little harsh don't you think? I wouldn't get to comfortable with it, we'll be married soon, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't continually call me Professor in private."

"Alright then, Snape, what is it that you wanted, I haven't got all day."

He cursed, "Damn it! Hermione that's not what I meant. Anyways about that, women you saw me with, she was an old friend, but she has never meant anything at all to me. She made me smile and laugh, and I needed that. My brother told her where I was and she came…thinking that, well you can imagine what she was thinking. You see ever sense we were here as students ourselves she been pursuing…"

Hermione sighed in exaggerated impatience, "Why are you telling me this?"

"I wouldn't want you to think that I would go behind your back." He cautiously stepped towards her.

"No that's okay you can do it right it front of me…you know since I'm only marring you out of obligation. I really don't give a care about what you do, just try and leave me out of it."

He growled in anger, "You can be so bloody damn insufferable! I wouldn't cheat on you! Get that through your thick know-it-all skull! This is pointless." He sighed in defeat before tossing a ring box in her direction. It landed at her feet. "Take that and get the hell out of my sight."

Hermione bent and picked up the velvet green box. She quickly shoved it into her pocket. "At my pleasure I assure you!" She turned to leave, but was soon facing him again. "Look I'm sorry, I just…well I don't now exactly what my problem if but, I'm sorry." She looked down at the dirty concrete floor in shame.

Severus went cautiously to her, slipping an index finger under her chin and lifting her head to look into her eye. "I should have apologized…I'm sorry." He grinned slowly, "Now if you tell anyone that I have apologized I'll deny it with a vengeance."

She hide a smile and saluted him, "Yes Sir!" before laughing. She turned serious before hugging him slightly, "Thank you. Now I've got to go and get ready for Charms."

He nodded and turned and headed for his desk as she headed down the hall.

As Hermione walked to Charms, she riffled out the ring box, and snapped it open. She gasped in awe, at its simplicity, fore inside the velvet box lay and silver band with Celtic knots and a simply emerald chip lay nestled in between two of the larger knots. She turned her head towards the direction that she had just came from, a soft smile caressing her mouth. She slipped the ring from the box and placed it on her finger, before casting an invisibility spell upon it.

A/N: My apologies on the length and long absence of my updating.