Disclaimer: not mine, etc. so on and so forth . . don't take me to court, please.

"Don't you see, Severus? We're connected. We're meant to be together. For once our complex lines of thought aren't important. It's the simplicity of it. You and me, that's it. Forget all the magic, our pasts, science, the world, everything. It's just us."

He stared at her like she had just spoken gibberish or Armenian or something. "Huh?"

Hermione sighed. "We think too much, Severus. That's how we scholars are. We analyze everything to death. But this only works if we don't do that. Everything only works if you break it down into simple terms."

"Hermione, slow down." She was really on a roll, speaking as fast as a freight train at full speed. Snape was having trouble keeping up.

"The world is so complex, Severus. Look at muggle technology. We can't even begin to comprehend a lot of it, much less the basic processes because they're buried under everything else."

She was definitely about to continue, but he put up a hand to stop her. "You're making my brain hurt, and I need to clarify, as well as simplify. What you're saying is that we need to look at the smallest, simplest components of everything in order to understand the rest of what's around us."

"Yes, exactly!"

He was still confused even by what he said, but it as starting to make a modicum of sense by this point. "And why are we doing that? Just to clarify, mind you."

"Um," she hesitated, "I'm still working on that."

Snape sighed. "Prophecy stuff."

"Yeah, I think it might be related," she replied.

Then they did something familiar and followed it with something abnormal: they sat in silence for several moments and then broke out into a fit of giggles, Snape included.

"It really does sound a bit ridiculous doesn't it?" Hermione asked.

"I say we drink and then it won't sound so ridiculous," Snape responded.

"Seriously?"

'Why not? There is little in this world that can't be solved over an excessive number of pints," he responded firmly.

"All right, I'm sold. Where to?" Hermione inquired.

"Rosemerta's of course," he said, standing up and offering his arm.

Their walk to Hogsmeade that evening was marked by several more giggle fits, Snape included, and Hermione realizing Severus Snape had a wicked sense of humor in more ways than one. By the time they arrived at Rosemerta's, the night was waxing on, but they still had time to get in several drinks each. Rosemerta was surprised by their sudden mid-week appearance, but figured it was in good faith considering Hermione had been absent for some time.

"What's your poison tonight, Severus?" she asked.

"A pint of your strongest ale to start, Rosemerta."

"And you might as well give us a bottle of Firewhiskey," Hermione added.

Rosemerta sized them up for a moment, but gave in to their request, handing over two shot glasses with the full bottle. They did not appear to be looking for trouble, perhaps celebrating? She filled Snape's pint while Hermione wandered off to find a table.

"Better make that two pints," he said taking the first.

"Of course, Severus. I'll put all this on your tab."

Hermione had scared off a customer from a back table by the time Snape had his second pint in hand. He sighed. "I don't deserve her, Rosemerta, but I'm certainly not going to complain."

"Nonsense, Severus! For all you've done, you've earned ten Hermiones!" Shegave him a look that said 'don't argue with me' before continuing. "And you're in an uncharacteristic mood tonight, I might add."

Snape genuinely smiled. "I know, and there isn't a damn thing I did to get it."

Hermione was on her second shot when Snape sat down. He quickly disposed of the first pint and started in on the second. He wondered briefly if love was making him act so oddly all of a sudden, but then, he realized he did not particularly care at the moment. All he really cared about was protecting Hermione and making her happy. It was odd not to be thinking of his own safety all the time anymore.

"Whatcha thinkin' about?" Hermione asked. "You look a little distant."

Snape turned to her, put his half-empty pint on the table and replied, "Hermione, I love you."

She smiled. "You do, don't you?"

"Yes, I do. And," he sighed, looked her in the eye and said, "I want to marry you Hermione." He could have stopped there and left her in the state of shock she was already in, but he continued. "You see, there's a part of the prophecy that states we would be married, but I don't want to marry you because of that or because I love you. I've fallen in love with you Hermione, and I want to marry you because I want to spend whatever years I have left being married to you."

She was speechless for many moments in which Snape finished his second pint, took three shots of Firewhiskey, and started a fourth.

"Yes," she finally managed to croak out.

Snape turned toward her again, raised an eyebrow and asked, "What?"

Hermione's reply of "yes" was full of emotion. They both thought she was about to start crying, but she did not. "Severus, I . . I want to be married to you as well. I can't imagine my future without you in it. And I don't want it to be because of some prophecy either."

"Good, well, that's settled then. I'm afraid I don't have a ring at the moment though. I didn't expect to be proposing tonight."

"Neither did I," she replied.

He smiled at the comment. "Come, we'll take the bottle with us. We really should be getting back anyway."

"What? Already? It's only . . ." he cut her off with a kiss, a lingering one at that.

"Nearing three in the morning, and Minerva doesn't appreciate my staying out late during the school year."

"Since when have you worried about what McGonagall does or doesn't approve of?" Hermione inquired, acquiescing to his request to leave in the process.

"Since she became headmistress and I deputy headmaster. You do realize I'm more of a role model now then I ever was?"

She was a bit foggy because of the alcohol. "Because you're deputy headmaster?"

"And because of the war. Us war heroes are role models whether we intend to be or not. Plus, there's all that pressure being Head of Slytherin. It simply doesn't look good for the school." He steered a slightly befuddled Hermione out the door and shouted to Rosemerta, "Drinks for the house on me!" She responded with a knowing smile and added it to his tab.

End Chapter 13