Well here is Chapter XII. THANK YOU, ALL OF YOU FOR THE WONDERFUL REVIEWS! I never imagined this story would be as big as it is. It is by far my most popular fic. I hope all of you will continue to read and enjoy this. Do not worry it is far from being over. I am not going to give it a lousy ending.
I do not own Harry Potter!
Chapter XII -
I sat up. I was tucked under a deep red comforter in the center of a huge waterbed. I reached up and touched my tender tumid eyes. My lips began to tremble and I felt a new surge of tears well up. I blinked furiously to quell the storm.
"I wondered when you'd wake up Hermione," a soft mellow voice spoke as it ventured into the room.
"Re... Professor," I said leaning back into soft resplendent feather pillows. Thank goodness that it was he who found me first.
"Hermione, you were and are my best friend. Forget the professor crap except when we are talking in front of your peers lest they think that they too have that privilege which they don't," Remus said setting the tray down on my lap and plopping down next to me on his stomach. "Eat. It'll help you feel better."
I picked up a piece of jam covered toast and nibbled.
"So about getting you and Severus together. Talk about that now or later?" Remus asked pushing my hand back towards my mouth as I attempted to set the toast down.
I nibbled some more of the toast.
"Remus, the way you talk it seems as if you've spent the last twenty years planning this," I said picking up a steamy mug and sipping softly at it. The smooth steamy chocolate warmed me from the inside out as it slid down my throat.
I shut my eyes and took a deep breath. "I don't know what I'd do without you Remus," I said taking his hand to help regain some composure.
"I know," Remus grinned.
"Let's talk about how to get Severus and I back together now," I said setting my toast back down and wrapping both hands around the warm mug.
"Hold on a minute," Remus said and he looked truly delighted as he opened the drawer of his bedside table. He removed a tightly rolled up scroll.
I giggled, "Remus."
"The first plan was supposing you came back before Christmas and involved shall we say a malicious singing mistletoe that we'd bewitch to trap you and dear old Severus," Remus said giggling.
"Remus, bewitched mistletoe is something that would certainly not gain me any favor with my love. It would annoy him horribly," I said but laughed.
"Well then I will do that for you next year," Remus said as he scanned down the roll of parchment to find his next idea. "Another of my ideas was you going in for an 'extra credit' or 'Detention' with him and snog him senseless before having hot fervid steamy passionate sex on his very large oak desk before moving to his private quarters for a long night of love making. It would be naughty but so Romantic!"
"Naughty? Yes. Romantic? Maybe. Would Severus go for it? No," I said matter-of-factly. "Did you think of one that might actually work and not make him think I was utterly nuts?"
"That's it out of ideas. I have only one left and it is stupid!" Remus said pretending to look affronted. "You shot down my favorite ones. The only other one I had was not very much fun. You would send him a valentine and then explain everything after graduation."
"Remus that's perfect! That is much less frightening," I said. "You," here I pointed at him, "will talk to Severus about me when I need you to and ask him guy stuff."
"Thank you Hermione. Now I can feel used but important," Remus whined. "Why can't we do one of the fun ideas?"
"They won't work. Severus would be traumatized," I said. "Pretend you are a matchmaker."
"Matchmaker is fun!" Remus said visibly brightening at the prospect.
"Do you have any ideas of what I could get him for a present? I have one but your ideas are very entertaining," I said grinning at him. I fingered my bracelet and each of the charms individually.
"He's worn that bracelet that you gave him for the last twenty years with that charm and he's never taken it off or added any other charms to it. Last year at Grimmauld Place I saw him finger the charm that you gave him the same way you just were right before he disapparated to a Dark Revel. He also whispered your name, well Jane's, before he left. I assume you are not well learned in the events of the last twenty years of his life. Care to learn some of the things I have noticed?" Remus asked pleasantly.
"Yes," I said. I wanted so badly to believe that my Severus loved me enough to spend twenty years waiting for me.
"I assume mainly what you are interested in are facts pointing to you still owning his heart. You knew that during the war Severus was a spy for our side. I'm sure you knew Severus usually, as in except during school days of the school year, returned to Grimmauld Place. Sometimes, nine times out of ten, when he was subjected to watching horrific things we cannot begin to imagine or to the Cruciatus Curse when he'd come back he'd often hold his head and say how sorry he was for what he had to do. Hermione, he only apologized to Jane. You birthday is September 19th correct?" I nodded here and Remus continued in a soft voice. "Well Severus returned to Dumbledore and our side on September 19th! He knew of plans to attack the Grangers, your parents and yourself, a year after you were born. You live because Severus saved you. That is no coincidence," Remus said all smiles.
"He saved my life?" I asked. My sweet, sweet Severus truly loved me. I had to write to my parents and find out more about what happened, whether magical people had told my parents the truth of what was to happen or they told them some fabricated tale that would sound more like a common muggle problem.
"Oh yeah," Remus said smile broadening. "Plus I notice him look at you often as if he knew you. But I suppose we should get back to your question. PRESENTS! What is your idea?"
"Well my idea is to give him the book Sense and Sensibility which we read together as well as give him another charm from my bracelet which he gave to me," I said staring at the bracelet and fingering the charms lovingly. I knew the book would mean something to him. I knew that it would strike a chord in his heart.
"I had been going to suggest a book or something like that because the idea of Severus receiving flowers or chocolates or any of the other common gifts that are given at Valentines Day is hilarious but not something that would really work," Remus said and laughed. "Are you doing anything else for him on Valentines Day?"
"I do not know yet. I do not think that there is much else I can do. I will also give him something on Easter," I said thoughtfully. Another Jane Austen book along with a charm would do just fine.
"You will have to confess to him," Remus said to me severely. "You have to tell him that you are Jane."
"I will. I just do not know when," I admitted softly in hope that Remus wouldn't dwell too much on my tone or the words I had mumbled at the end. Thankfully he didn't catch the last part.
"Do you want to see Harry or Ron?" he asked. "They've been terribly worried since you disappeared and that is to say nothing of how upset Severus has been. If it weren't for Dumbledore saying you were in the Hospital Wing and unable to see any visitors because of the condition you were in I think a lot of us would be in a lot worse shape than we are. He blames himself for what happened to you. Neville got kicked out of N.E.W.T. Level Potions. I've already informed Dumbledore of your return of course. He has shone up at breakfast in the Great Hall smelling strongly of Hangover Potion."
"Harry can come see me but I would rather not have Ron present. I have to decide how best to break up with him and if he comes and starts slobbering on me I know I will have to hurt his feelings," I said as I finished the breakfast Remus made for me. "Also I am going to tell you a shortened version of the story of how I came to like Severus. You and Harry have both asked me and I would rather tell the story once."
I tugged the blankets up more tightly around myself as Remus turned and left to get Harry. Remus returned about ten minutes later with Harry in tow.
"Hermione!" Harry cried and he dashed over and wrapped his arms around me in a bear hug. "Why are you with Remus?"
"I see Remus has done nothing to fill in what's really been going on over since you saw me disappear in Potions Class," I said shooting a somewhat reproachful look towards Remus.
"I was not sure what all you would want me to say," Remus shrugged.
"Well what really happened and where I've really been must not be said to anyone." And I told Harry the whole incredible story not leaving out any of the bits except for when Severus and I kissed but Remus told him when I skipped that part at the Halloween Ball. Remus added bits as I went along.
"How did you first come to like Snape?" Harry asked as he lay on one side of me and Remus lay on the other side.
Remus nodded, "Yeah tell us. We're your friends!"
"Well I am only going to tell you the abridged version because I do not know if Severus would approve of me telling you the whole version. But anyway do you know what else? The night I started like Severus was the night I started keeping a diary," I said. It was true. I had my diary of what had occurred in the past hidden under my robes in a secret pocket. Someday I would show it to Severus.
"Get on with the story!" Harry said.
"Well one night shortly after our O.W.L.s, before you showed up at Grimmauld Place for the Summer Harry, I was waiting up for Severus to come back from a meeting with Voldemort," Remus flinched as I said the name but I did not stop. "Professor Dumbledore had asked me to wait for Severus to be sure someone was there in case he was hurt. He looked like Hell when he got back. His shoulder was bleeding and he had a bad limp. He collapsed...to make the rest short I went and got Mrs. Weasley to help me care for him. Some things I left out because they are private and I do not think Severus would appreciate my sharing them with you at this moment but someday I promise to tell you the full story with all the juicy details as well as the story of his proposal to me." I spoke soft and kind to my two listeners. "He thought I was Jane and he said he was sorry to me. He was quite ireful and sore with me the next day. I know why now."
"Awwwwwww," they both said at the end.
Please review if you have something nice to say.