I'm sorry I haven't updated in awhile. I just got done reading the 6th book and can't wait until the 7th comes out. Now onward with the story.
Back in the present, Severus puts a hand where her lips touched his cheek so many years before.
"I've been such a fool," he says out loud.
"Yes, you have Severus," a soft voice says from behind him. He knows that voice and spins around to face her.
"Miss Granger…" he trails off. Hermione stands there waiting for him to finish his sentence. When he doesn't, she begins to doubt what Professor McGonagall told her and turns to leave.
"Don't give up on me…" he whispers. She stops, but doesn't turn back around.
"Tell me why I shouldn't," she responds softly. He stumbles over in his mind what he wants to tell her, but can't come up with anything. "Goodbye, Severus."
"Hermione," he says pleading. She turns to him with tears in her eyes. "This is all new to me. I need for you to be patient." He walks towards her and gently wipes away her tears. "Hermione…," again, he can't finish his sentence.
"Come back to my flat with me. We can talk there," she whispers softly as she puts a hand on his cheek. He nods his head and she apparates them to the middle of her living room. "Would you like something to drink?" she asks him.
"Yes." She gives him a smile before heading off to the kitchen. While Severus waits for her to return, he looks around the room. He spots her Hogwarts diploma hanging proudly on one of the walls, along with a picture of her, Harry, and Ron in their dress robes after graduation. Upon further examination of the picture, he discovers that he is standing in the background.
"Here you go," Hermione says coming into the room with their drinks. He takes it with a polite nod of thanks and gulps more than half of it down. She looks at him surprised. He nervously clears his throat.
"I couldn't help but notice that I'm standing in the background of that picture," he says gesturing towards it with his glass.
"I had Ginny take two that day. When I noticed that you were in one, I decided that that was the one I wanted to put up." He doesn't say anything and continues to look at the picture. She gently touches his shoulder to get his attention. "I'm sorry for what Ginny did to you today at the Hogshead."
"Miss…Hermione, what she did was well deserved on my part. My actions towards you last night were ones of stupidity. I sunk down to the maturity level of a dunderheaded first year. For that, I apologize. I am truly sorry that my stupid, foolish pride has blinded me into believing that your feelings for me are untrue. I know now that I have been wrong for years."
"Wow, I never thought I'd hear you say you were sorry," she says smiling.
"Smart ass," he retorts back as he snakes his arms around her waist. She drapes her arms over his shoulders as she laughs. "I don't want to waste anymore time," he says as brushes a stray hair away from her eyes.
"Then let's not." For the first time in decades, Severus smiles a true genuine smile. She smiles back as he leans in for their first kiss. His lips touch hers softly at first, then with more confidence he deepens the kiss.
"I love you," he whispers before kissing her again.
"I love you, too," she says pulling back slightly to look him in the eyes. He smiles once again as she takes his hand and leads him towards her bedroom.
Hermione wakes up the next morning to Severus gently running his fingertips across her stomach.
"Mmmm, that feels good," she with a smile on her face. He smiles before his lips take the same path as his fingers.
Outside, Ginny knocks on Hermione's door, hoping to apologize for her behavior the day before. She becomes worried when her friend doesn't answer. "I know she's home. She loves to sleep in on Saturdays," she says to herself. She shrugs her shoulders and decides to apparate into Hermione's living room. She starts heading for her friend's bedroom when she hears her scream.
"Hermione, are you ok?" Ginny asks as she barrels through the door. Her jaw drops to the floor as she stops dead in her tracks when she sees her best friend and her former professor in a compromising position.
"Miss Weasley, if you breathe a word of this to anyone you'll find out that there are no accidents! Now stop staring and get out!" Severus shouts at her as he covers himself up with a sheet.
"Well, that was embarrassing," Hermione comments as Ginny quickly exits the room. Severus grunts and buries his face into a pillow. She kisses his shoulder gently before getting out of bed to get dressed and go talk to Ginny.
"Oh, gods, Hermione, I'm so sorry I walked in on you guys," Ginny apologizes.
"It's all right. Sev's a little embarrassed, but he'll get over it."
"Sev?" Ginny questions, raising an eyebrow.
"I'll fill you in later," Hermione smiles.
"You better," Ginny says hugging her friend goodbye. Hermione sighs and heads back to her lover.