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For You I Will II

Hermione nuzzled against Bill's bare chest completely contented beneath the covers. For once, she was truly happy again. It was odd, but she had been so unsure when she asked him to stay. Right now, she couldn't imagine why. He made her feel so alive. She wanted to hold onto the feeling as long as she could. A smile crossed her face. Hermione hadn't been acting like herself at all when she'd begged him to take the day off and stay with her, nor was it normal that she had called off work.

"Good morning," he said as he looked down at her. "You know I haven't figured out the exact difference, but it would be the late in the day already in England."

She laughed. "Well obviously you and time don't mix."

"Are you going to Hogwarts to see Harry?"

"I'm not sure," she replied. "I don't want to force anything. From what Draco tells me, he's been through quite a trauma."

"Mum is never going to let me hear the end of it when she finds out. Harry always was an honorary Weasley."

Hermione nodded. "It feels so strange to think that he's been alive all this time."

He brought a hand to her cheek. "Are you angry with him?"

Biting her lip, Hermione shook her head. "I was at first, but then again I know Harry. He would never want to see any of us hurt. There has to be more to it than he simply didn't feel like returning. Whatever happened that night must have been terrible. Harry may have been strong, but he was never invincible."

"I always felt sorry for him," Bill said. "He had so much riding on him from the time he learned that he was a wizard. It didn't seem right to me to hang the fate of the world on a child."

The morning went by rather slowly. Neither of the pair made any attempt to leave the bed until well after eleven, and by then a little owl was crashing into the balcony. Cow cooed irritably, as if it was the building's fault for being in his way and then looked up at Hermione. She removed the envelope and blushed.

"It's for you," she said embarrassed.

Bill rolled his eyes. "Yes, well it seems she's caught us like a couple of teenagers." He opened it and sighed. "Well, the good news is mum is having a big dinner this weekend."

"What's the bad news?"

"The bad news is she is expecting me to explain my 'intentions' with you."

Hermione's blush deepened. "And they are?"

His eyes were full of hurt. "You don't know?"

"I..I'm just not sure of much right now. I want to hear it from you."

Bill smiled, and pulled her down on to his lap kissing her hard on the mouth. "I intend to love you for as long as you will let."

"Do you really love me?" she asked. Some little corner of her was still afraid that this was all some sort of dream.

"I do. And I'm going to do my best for you to love me," he told her.

"I do already."

"What?"

She sighed. "I already love you. I'm just so a scared."

"I can be a very patient man. We'll wait until you aren't afraid anymore."

"And then what?" she said swallowing hard. "Then what? I can't give you children, Bill." She began to cry.

"Shhh," he comforted her gently whipping away her tears. "Children are a long way off. When the time is right, we can adopt. That doesn't change the fact that I want to be with you. Any children we have will be ours and that won't change because they were adopted either."

She nodded.

A pop sounded from the living room. This time, Hermione didn't rush out, but simply took her time and dressed.

She saw Severus Snape and a man who vaguely resembled Neville standing in her living room. "You should have owled," she scolded.

Snape's lips thinned. "I'm not here for pleasantries, and the only reason I came to your home at all was because Draco isn't connected to the floo."

"Severus, be nice," the other man said gently. That voice proved that it WAS Neville.

Hermione launched herself into his arms, and nearly knocked him off his feet. "Neville! It's so wonderful to see you. You look marvelous!" She examined him head to toe. Time really had changed him, but something wasn't right.

"I'm glad that we've got this chance to catch up," he said with a smile, but it was odd that he seemed to be looking through her rather than at her.

Her heart skipped a beat. "Oh, Neville. You can't see, can you?"

"No, I can't," he confirmed matter-of-factly. "I'm alright with that, though."

"Can we get on with it?" Snape snapped rather annoyed. "I'm going to go get Harry and Draco. The sooner we start the sooner we finish."

By now Bill had joined the group somewhat awkwardly. "Is there anything I can do?" he asked.

The potions professor merely raised a black brow. "Go to Diagon Alley and pick up a few things for me, if you're so eager." He turned to Neville. "Why don't you stay here and I'll be back soon."

Neville nodded. "If that's alright with you, Hermione?"

"That's fine. I've missed you," she said.

Bill accepted the list from Severus and kissed Hermione before disappearing. It was a few precious moments later when Severus stepped from the bathroom in muggle clothing looking miserable…or rather more miserable than usual. "I have the directions to the hospital that Draco gave me. He told me to take a cab and that you would loan me the fare."

Hermione laughed. How like Draco! She handed him a few bills and explained the denominations to him. "There's a man at the door that will hail a taxi for you."

He nodded. "I warned you that this would be dull," Severus told his lover.

Hermione was taken aback by the tenderness in his voice.

"And I told you, that it was fine," Neville countered.

After Snape was gone, Hermione suddenly felt a bit odd. She wasn't sure what help, if any she should offer to Neville. "Would you care to sit and have some tea?" she offered.

He smiled. "That would be nice. Would you mind leading the way?"

Hermione let him take her arm and led him through the spacious apartment. "This has been quite a hectic time recently."

"Right," Neville agreed. "What have you been doing with yourself before this? I know Draco is in fashion now."

Grateful for the change in conversation, she sat beside him and handed him a cup. "I've been working with Draco. Nothing all that exciting."

"And I'm assuming you're with Bill now?"

Was she? They really hadn't talked about it much. "I am," she said finally. It felt amazing to say that. There was no more confusion on the matter. She was with the man she loved. For the second time in her life, Hermione was blessed. "You and Severus?"

The smile on his face was radiant. "We just started seeing each other. It isn't serious yet."

From what she had seen of the two, that was debatable, but she didn't dispute it. And his choice of words did striker her as odd. "How did you two end up together?"

"Well, I'm teaching at Hogwarts and things just seemed to happen once we were together again."

"You're teaching at Hogwarts?" She winced at how rude that sounded, and tried to amend it. "I mean, I didn't know that you had any interest in teaching."

Thankfully, he chuckled as though he didn't mind. "I teach history. Never fear, I won't accidentally hex any students." The humor dimmed a bit as he added, "despite what the ministry might think."

"What do you mean?"

Neville sighed. "It's a long story. Basically, the ministry thinks that I am incompetent due to my blindness. They sent a long list of restrictions for me to the school last evening."

"Oh, that's terrible!"

Brushing off the subject, Neville took a sip of tea. "I'm surprised that you didn't stay to teach."

"I wasn't ready to face the wizarding world without Ron."

"And now?"

Hermione closed her eyes and remembered the scene from a few hours ago. "I'm ready to go wherever he is."