Disclaimer: The characters, settings, etc. of the Harry Potter series are not mine. I just play with them.

A Summer at 12 Grimmauld Place
Part Nine

Hermione had hoped that the next three days would pass as slowly as possible. She wanted them to go on for years and years so that the third day might never come. Instead, of course, they were the swiftest three days of her life. Meetings, Order members, and hours came and went quickly. Before she knew it, it was the evening before the third day, and she was standing in the living room hugging Harry and Ron for what she feared might be the very last time.

Dumbledore was there, standing apart from where she stood clinging to Harry, and was discussing things with Severus. "Oh Harry," she sniffled, wrapping her arms tighter around his waist.

"'S'all right, Hermione," Harry said softly. "It will all work out in the end."

"Yeah!" Ron exclaimed, though less cheerfully than he usually did. "Everything will be fine. We promise."

Hermione extracted herself from Harry, and wiped her cheeks with the back of her hands before turning and enveloping herself in Ron's arms. "You two take care of yourselves," she mumbled against Ron's chest. "Please. I'm begging you."

"Of course, we will, Hermione," Ron said, kissing the top of her head lightly. "And you take care of yourself. Don't let Snape get you down."

Hermione stepped out of his embrace and nodded. "Severus and I will be fine."

Ron reached out to brush a tear away from her cheek with his thumb. "I love you, Hermione."

"I love you too, Ron," she said, giving him a small smile. "And you, too, Harry," she said, turning so that she could look at them both. "I love you both."

They grinned back at her, their eyes glittering with tears. "I believe," said Dumbledore from where he stood with Snape, "that it is time for us to be leaving."

Hermione gave Harry and Ron once last hug and watched as they disapparated with the Headmaster. As soon as they had disappeared, her bravery failed her, and Hermione began sobbing, burying her face in her hands. She did not care that she was crying in front of Snape; she did not care that she was not being brave when the situation called upon her to be so. She felt miserable and useless, and no one was going to stop her from displaying her emotions.

She felt a large, warm hand come to rest on her shoulder a few seconds later. "Miss Granger," Severus whispered softly on her right. She turned towards the sound and moved until she came in contact with his warm, solid chest. She slid her arms around his waist and sobbed against the front of his robes.

She was surprised that he did not push her away immediately, and even more surprised at how comforting his touch was to her. Simply being near him seemed to make her feel so much better about the situation. She heard him murmuring above her, and though she had no idea what he was saying, the soft sounds of his deep voice soothed her. She felt his fingers thread their way through her hair, stroking lightly. His attentions assisted her, and she finally calmed down. Taking deep ragged breaths, she was able to completely end her sobbing.

"Better?" he asked softly.

"Much," she said against his chest, and pulled away from him a few seconds later. "I'm sorry," she said, pushing some of the hair that had fallen forward into her face away from her eyes. Snape was staring down at her with a look that she couldn't quite identify; his eyes seemed to be studying her lips intently. She imagined she must look awful, her eyes, nose, and mouth all red and puffy.

Hermione watched as he gulped and then opened his mouth to speak. "Miss Granger," he said gruffly.

She silenced him with a wave of her hand. "I'm sorry," she said, looking down at the floor. "You don't need to berate me for behavior less than suitable to a Gryffindor. I know. I behaved like a child. But you said it yourself, Severus. I practically am a child." She sniffled. "And I suppose that gives me the right to cry like one every now and then."

"Of course," he said softly.

Hermione glanced back up at him; he was still watching her. "I'm going to bed," she said. "I'll see you in the morning."

He said nothing as she turned and left the living room. She hurried up the staircase, and scurried down the hall to her bedroom. Once there, she collapsed on her bed and lay there, staring at the ceiling where she remained until the next morning.

The third day arrived sunny and warm. Hermione and Severus ate their breakfast, sitting before the fire, waiting for someone to floo with news. They sat there for hours, barely saying a word. Eventually, Hermione supposed she'd drifted off to sleep in her chair, for one moment she was watching the flames dance merrily in the grate before her and the next she opened her eyes to see Snape pacing before the fire.

"It's odd, isn't it," said Hermione, as she watched him; she realized now that the sun had long since set and that there was nothing beyond the windows but darkness, "waiting for what could be the end of the world."

Severus froze. He turned to stare at her, his eyes bright and glowing with an emotion she couldn't recognize. "Aren't you afraid?" he asked softly.

"Afraid of what?" she replied. "Afraid that my friends are out there dying while I'm unable to do anything about it? Afraid that after today nothing in my life will ever be the same? Afraid that the world might be coming to a complete end?" she paused to take a deep breath. "Yes, rather."

Snape took two steps towards her, closing the gap between them. "Hermione," he sighed as he sank to his knees and sat back on his ankles before her chair. "I'm so frightened."

She smiled down at him. "Well, of course you are. We're venturing off into the unknown, Severus. That's always scary."

Hermione was stunned by the intensity of his gaze as he peered up at her. "Hermione," he said softly. "You really don't hate me, do you?"

She felt her eyes widen. "No. No, Severus, I don't hate you." She blushed, feeling like she had confessed her undying love for him.

"No," he whispered as he rose to his knees. "It's something entirely different, isn't it?"

"Yes," Hermione sighed as she watched him lean forward. She was aware of her eyes sliding shut on their own accord and of the warm and soft presence of his lips on hers. He kissed her slowly and gently for what seemed like hours, but what she knew was just a few short minutes. She felt a surge of feeling overtake her. All at once there was joy, comfort, and an overwhelming sense of completion.

"Hermione," he breathed as he pulled away from her, "I want you to know, no matter what happens, that I don't hate you either."

She smiled, though she could feel tears gathering in her eyes again. He smiled back before pulling her into another kiss. It was sweeter this time, but just as gentle. She couldn't help but feel that he was unsure about this as she was, but it felt too right for there to be any reason why they shouldn't be doing this. This was just too right; he was so right.

"I'm not a child," she whispered against his mouth after a few moments.

"I know," he said softly, tangling his hand in her hair. "Though, you are very young."

She sighed and busied herself by kissing him again. She kissed him slowly, taking her time to relish in the feeling of his mouth on hers. Who knew what the future held for them? Who knew if they would ever be able to do this again? If things went wrong, if the war was lost…

She moved her lips to kiss the corner of his mouth, before kissing a trail across his cheek, the bridge of his noise, and finally ending with a light kiss on his forehead.

She leaned back and looked at him. He was grinning up at her, a small, crooked smile that looked both gleeful and uncertain. "You're lovely," she said softly.

"Me?" he said, as a light flush colored his cheeks. "You must be joking. Or delirious? Have you gone mad from the stress?"

Hermione smiled and shrugged. "Maybe, but I wouldn't complain, if I were you. My madness seems to be very beneficial to you."

"Oh really?" he said, raising his eyebrow.

"Really," said Hermione, lifting her arms and wrapping them around her neck. She let her fingers weave themselves through the small ponytail that he'd gathered his hair into at the base of his neck. "You've received all sorts of displays of affection as a result of my insanity."

"True," he said. "Your madness has certainly motivated you to make it quite clear that you don't hate me. And I suppose I've enjoyed the results."

Hermione smiled. "How long have you been here?"

"On my knees like this? About twenty minutes, I suppose," he said, grinning at her.

"Oh, shut up. How long have you been in this house?"

She watched as he thought about it before responding. "Almost a month and a half, now."

"And how long," she began, feeling the blush rise on her cheeks, "do you suppose it takes for two people to fall in love?"

He shrugged, as he leaned forward to kiss her again. "It took me less than five minutes," he said softly as he kissed her. "Do you remember?" he said as he paused his actions to speak, "In the library. You were worried about me."

Hermione smiled and began kissing him with renewed vigor. He loved her. He actually loved her. It was less amazing that this man was capable of an emotion other than anger and hatred than it was that his love could be directed towards her. What had she ever done that she could deserve such a wonderful gift? What had she done that was so good that this attractive, interesting, mysterious, and challenging man could care for her?

Hermione sighed against his mouth as his arms slid around her waist and pulled her flush against him. It was karma, she supposed. All of those times she'd defended him to Harry and Ron. All of those times as both a prefect and head girl that she'd stopped her peers from playing tricks on him. All of the times she had held her tongue in his class and had been respectful despite the way he'd acted towards her and her friends.

She'd shown the man kindness, and now she was being rewarded for it.

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Author's Note: Thanks very much for reading and reviewing. I hope you're enjoying the story. One more chapter! And the epilogue. I doubt they will be posted together as I fear the epilogue needs a massive overhaul. So, next chapter should be up sometime this week with the epilogue to follow sometime after that. Thanks again for reading!