28th of June

The day after the horrendous Potions class, Hermione said her usual speech, but could not concentrate due to two black eyes constantly watching her.

She had tried to ignore Severus Snape, but her eyes were drawn to him. He seemed really to want to enter into her soul, and she did not mind one bit.

She felt the fuzzy warm feeling in her stomach and she knew that, even though yesterday he had been a prat with her, she still felt exactly the same.

She loved him and she was not going to let him go just for silly gossips. She was going to talk to Draco, and tell him where her heart lay.

Severus watched the witch that had won his heart giving a wonderful speech. He looked around and felt something strong in his heart when he thought that everyone had come here every month for him.

He would have never thought that the students would sacrifice two days a month of their lives only to help him. It almost made him cry, but after many years as a spy, he was good at hiding his innermost feelings.

People cared for him. They were not getting anything back; they were willingly trying to help him. It was the first time in his life that he felt hope for the future, maybe it was not that bad to look for tomorrow.

He felt a small sound similar to a crack in his head, but thought nothing of it. Tonight he was going to invite Hermione Granger to dance, and if she forgave him, he was never going to let her leave his side.

Hermione entered the Great Hall with Draco, who had been unnaturally silent. They started to dance and she asked, "Draco is anything wrong?"

He smiled sadly. "No Hermione. I have just decided to give up on you. I know you tried hard to like me, but I can see so clearly that you heart belong to someone else."

Hermione replied, "I am so sorry Draco. I have really tried, but you are right. I love someone else."

Draco held her tighter and whispered, "Promise me that if you ever change your mind you will come back to me."

She was touched by the slight despair in his voice. "If I ever change my mind, I am sure you won't be around anymore. You are a terrific man Draco; you just have to give a chance to someone else."

He did not say anything, and when Severus came to claim the girl, he watched her slowly going away from him. He would get over the loss of Hermione Granger; however, he doubted that someone as special as her existed.

Hermione and Severus were dancing in silence. She was waiting for him to say something.

Severus knew that the day before he had hurt her. "I… I would like to apologise for yesterday. I believe that I may have exaggerated."

Hermione still did not reply and was not watching him at all.

He cleared his voice. "Would that help if I give back the twenty points to Gryffindor?"

She finally looked at him and smiled. "Would you really do that?"

"Twenty points to Gryffindor for having done nothing wrong, and five more points for the luck that they have to possess a beautiful witch in their midst."

Hermione beamed. "You think I am beautiful?"

He nodded, words were escaping him. He had never been the talkative type and he really did not know how to talk about feelings.

Hermione shyly said, "I think the same." She blushed. "I mean about you. I mean that you are beautiful."

He smirked at the girl in his arms. "Perhaps we could take this discussion somewhere else?"

She blushed a bit but happily agreed with him. They left the Ball and finally Albus Dumbledore told everyone that this was the last time they had to go through all of it.

A kind of cure had been found.

The majority was relieved, yet sadness overcame everyone, somehow they had gotten used to the two-days show. Albus smiled and added, "We can always repeat it once a year."

Everyone cheered enthusiastically; a new festivity was created at Hogwarts.

Severus and Hermione, oblivious to everything that was going on, were sitting on a sofa in Severus' private quarters.

He told her about the kisses that they exchanged last month and her plea not to forget her. She was surprised about the idea of using the Pensieve and she grinned when she thought that he wanted to remember.

Severus cleared his throat. "Hermione, I know that I am not a knight in shiny armour and that surely you could find someone much better than me, but I really love you. I can't offer you much… only my heart."

Hermione was touched by his words. "I don't need anything else. I love you too."

That night Hermione did not leave his side, and when the next day he woke, she watched him carefully.

He blinked once and then twice.

It hadn't been a dream; Hermione Granger was in his bed and watching him expectantly.

He remembered! He could remember everything that happened and when he kissed her she could not ask for anything more.

After a while she asked him how it was possible. Did he remember anything strange about these two days at all?

And then it clicked. He recalled the moment he realised that he loved her and the soft crack in his head.

It was really true that love conquered all.

…epilogue…

Fifteen years had passed since the day Severus was freed from the curse. It was the first day of a new year and he was scowling and scaring the students as usual.

But tonight everything was different, his daughter and his son were going to start Hogwarts. He saw them entering the Great Hall with all the others first years, and when he watched his children; he could feel his heart full of love for them.

Sonja, their daughter was a smart, but very introspective child. She had taken her mousy bushy hair from her mother, but she could muster the Snape's sneer by the age of six.

Tristan, their sons, had taken the hair and looks from him, but the warm brown eyes were of Hermione. They had both grown up with the children of the Weasleys, Potter and Longbottom, and Tristan was always pulling pranks with Lily Potter and Sally Weasley.

Hermione, now the Charm Professor, eyed her children with love, and a bit of apprehension. Where were they going to be sorted?

Sonja put the hat on her head and it quickly said, "Ravenclaw!"

Hermione relaxed a bit. Severus was happy that she wasn't sorted into Gryffindor.

Tristan put the hat on his head and it shouted, "Gryffindor!" He went to take his place near Lily.

When Sally Weasley was sorted into Gryffindor too, Severus groaned and Hermione whispered to him, "It seems you have another Golden Trio to look out for."

Severus glared at the witch and then smirked. "Well, you will have to thank your own son if Slytherins are going to win the House cup."

At the end of the year Ravenclaw won the House and the Quidditch Cups. A new know-it-all and youngest female seeker for five centuries by the name of Sonja Snape was known to have graced Hogwarts.

And for the remaining six years neither Hermione nor Severus' Houses won any Cups.

THE END.