Summary: Spending time together, Hermione bears her soul about her feelings.
A/N: Thanks for your reviews. Enjoy the next chapter!
Chapter 12
"What are the three of you doing now?" Severus asked as he held her in his arms.
A couple of weeks had passed, and they had spent every night together. Each morning Severus had awakened and taken solace in his imaginary partner. He knew that without her, he'd have probably slowly gone insane with all he had to overlook and endure. Just being able to talk about what was going on in the school had given him a relief he didn't think he'd be able to have during this awful year.
Hermione reached up and rubbed his chest. He felt a jolt go through him at her touch. He found that he always did whenever she caressed him or showed him affection of any kind.
"We're working on a way to get Hufflepuff's cup," she told him.
"Do you know where it is?" Severus asked.
She nodded against his chest. "Yes, it's… "
Severus put his hand up. "Never mind. It's best if I don't know."
Hermione pulled her head up and looked at him. "You're probably right. Suffice it to say that we're working on something."
He smirked at her. "Good luck."
"You seem to be on edge, Severus. What happened now?"
"The Carrows, of course. I'm lucky they're not that bright, or they'd be asking a lot more questions about my leading the school and what they are allowed to do with the students."
He looked down at his lap and his eyebrows knit together.
"Tell me."
Hermione caressed his cheek as she asked him to go on.
"I found Alecto Carrow casting a Crucio on a second-year student."
Hermione gasped and covered her mouth with her hand.
"She's one of the more delicate second-years. A Ravenclaw who misses home and is smart enough to know what's going on at the school to be a heinous act of domination. I was patrolling the halls and came around the corner to find that psycho-bitch casting the curse. I about sent an Avada at her right then and there."
He sighed, and Hermione pulled him to her and hugged him.
"I disarmed her and said something caustic. She left in a huff muttering under her breath that she never was able to have any fun."
Severus suddenly rose and began to pace.
"I have never seen a pair of sadistic bastards like them, Hermione. They thrive on seeing the suffering of the students. My hands are tied. I can only do so much. The children… they're being tortured, and I only can save so many from it."
He stopped pacing and put his head into his hands. Hermione stood and wrapped her arms around him from behind.
"I can't… I try not to think about it during the day. If I do, I'd not be able to go on with this charade."
Hermione squeezed him. "You are doing what you have to do, Severus."
He turned in her arms and pulled her closer, almost crushing her with his embrace. He buried his face in her curls.
"I wish this were all over. I can't take seeing the children suffer. And the older ones, they're being so contrary that they're asking to be cursed."
Hermione ran her hand through his hair, and he felt her kiss his cheek.
"You are an amazing man, Severus Snape."
He shook his head into her hair. "No, I'm not," he said morosely. "I'm not."
"Of course, you are. You take your life into your hands every day. You fight for people you don't even like."
"I have to. I have to make sure the Dark Lord doesn't win."
"And that is why you are amazing. No one else would put themselves in danger like you do, Severus."
"I just wish it were over. I'll be at peace then."
Hermione stiffened.
"What do you mean by that?"
Severus pulled back and looked into her eyes. "Surely, you don't expect me to make it out of this insanity alive, do you?"
"Of course, I do!"
He laughed abruptly. "Either I will be found out, or the Order will kill me. There is no other outcome for me, Hermione."
"No… no, that's not possible." Hermione was looking at him frantically. "You can't die."
"Everyone dies, Hermione. I have been accepting of my fate for quite a while now."
"No! Severus, I won't let you die! I can't."
"There's nothing you can do about it. It will come whether you want it to or not."
She pulled him to her again. "You can't die, Severus. I don't know how I could go on if you died."
"Hermione… "
"No, you don't understand. I… I love you! I won't let you die on me, Severus!"
Severus' breath hitched, and he looked at Hermione in shock.
"What did you say?" he asked her in a whisper.
"I said I love you."
He arched an eyebrow at her. "Do you, really?"
Hermione looked at him as if he were a dolt. "Of course, I do; I just said so twice!"
His hand reached out to hers, and he clasped it. "You love me," he said simply.
She rolled her eyes and nodded.
"You, Hermione Granger, love me, Severus Snape, your hated Potions professor."
"Well, you're not technically my professor anymore, but yes."
"Impossible."
"Hardly," Hermione said with a huff.
"You shouldn't, you know. Love me. I'm a murderer, and I'm evil, and I'm hated by everyone. You should forget about me and find someone else."
"We were talking about you dying. I love you, therefore, I don't want you to die, and will do everything I can so that doesn't happen. I don't see what the issue is!"
"The issue, my Gryffindor overachiever, is that there's nothing you can do about me dying, and you should fall in love with someone more suited to you."
She pulled her hands from his and huffed. Turning, she crossed her arms in front of her and stalked over to the fireplace. She stared into it for a bit.
Severus watched her carefully. He wasn't sure what she was going to say next. He'd been floored at her declaration of love. How could she ever love him? Why would she?
At long last, she spoke.
"You didn't know me very well before I started coming to you in dreams. What have you learned about me?" she asked quietly.
"What does this have to do with anything?"
She turned her head toward him. "Humor me," she said before turning back to the flames.
"Well, you are brilliant, knowledgeable, caring, and as you just proved, you fight for your friends."
"And who of my friends can keep up with me?"
"From what I've seen, you are the brains of the bunch."
She turned back to him, her arms still crossed in front of her.
"And you expect me to find someone who is stimulating among them?"
He looked away. "I… I don't know."
"Well, let me enlighten you," Hermione said, not unkindly. "When I try to have deep conversations with my friends, their eyes glaze over. I love them all, but they are not great conversationalists. I bore them, and because of their interests, they somewhat bore me. I would do anything for them, don't get me wrong, but Harry is like a brother to me. Ron has proven himself to not be trustable, and he always asks me to repeat myself when I'm speaking about something important. The rest of my schoolmates are great guys, but they're not capable of understanding me. Nor do they want to."
"Hermione…"
"Severus, I love you, not just because we've spent so much time together. We are on the same wavelength. That excites me! I want someone with whom I can feel an affinity on all levels, not just the attraction part. I want you!"
"Why would you ever want me? I am nasty and ugly, and a murderer."
Hermione pursed her lips. "I have found you are not nasty to me. When you're not buried in spy work, you are more tolerant. As for being a murderer, we both know that's not true. And why on earth would you think you are ugly?"
"Because I am!"
"I don't think so. I find you striking! Handsome! Evocative! Dammit, Severus, you are not ugly!"
"You are blind, woman," he sneered.
"Look, I don't care how many times people have told you that you're ugly, or whatever. They're all idiots. They're blind! I am looking at you right now, and you are anything but ugly! Do you believe me?"
"I fear for my life if I don't!" he quipped.
She pointed her finger into his face. "And don't you ever forget it."
Looking at her hesitantly, he spoke his mind. "You're sure, Hermione. I am not the idea of a catch to any woman."
"But you are to me. I find you quite alluring. You're so sexy, and the fact that we can have wonderful discussions, or can just cuddle on this couch makes me want to be with you forever."
He stared and stared at her, looking for some duplicity in her argument. Merlin, she loved him. How could that possibly be? He'd not let his mind go there because he knew that he couldn't deal with one more disappointment in his life. He couldn't help himself; he asked her once again.
"You're sure?"
Hermione huffed. "Why do you keep asking me that?"
He reached out and took hold of her arms. "I am not used to getting what I want, Hermione. You see, I realized I loved you a while ago. I knew it would be impossible for you to feel the same way."
She stepped closer to him, unfolded her arms from in front of her, and reached up to take his face in her hands.
"But I do, Severus. I truly love you."
He gasped. "I love you, too."
His lips found hers, and he kissed her reverently. Even though they'd kissed often before, this kiss was different. Their declarations of love for each other filled this kiss with reverence for one another. That reverence quickly turned to passion.
oooOOOooo
Later that night, Hermione lay on her bed planning. She knew there were certain things she couldn't fix… an Avada Kedavra being one… but she would prepare herself as best she could to save Severus' life. She had the ability to help him, and she would be ready when the time came.
