Chapter 7
That's What Friends are for.
Authors note: Aren't I terrible! Not only have I misspelt Weasley but I called them Wesley by mistake as well. Oops, sorry.
I don't hate Ron, but I seriously don't like him either. I did warn you all that he was going to get it, didn't I?
I sent my apologies to the girls, no Karaoke tonight.
"Come upstairs Hermione and lets make you human again"
"Yes Harry" I responded submissively following my old friend up the stairs.
"Strip, shower, frock, dinner" Harry counted off his fingers trying to sound officious.
I plopped down on the bed and stared at my boots. The unlacing seemed to evade me at present. I felt suddenly overwhelmed by the simplest of tasks and emotionally drained.
Harry stood just inside the door and looked at me sadly. It was quite obvious to him that I wasn't capable of attempting the tasks he had set.
He sighed deeply then came over and knelt in front of me. Unlacing the boots he lifted my legs one at a time and dragged the boots off. Socks next. I continued to sit like a Zombie.
Helping me to my feet he undid my buttons taking off my shirt then lifting my arms off came the T-shirt. Next he undid my belt, then dropped my trousers and knickers, and finally off came the bra. I was naked before my friend and he acted like a nurse in a hospital, I was merely a patient that needed care. He looked at my face and shook his head.
Taking my hand he led me to the bathroom. He took off his own shirt, shoes and socks I sat on the closed toilet seat mutely observing him. He turned on the shower and adjusted the water temperature.
A quick wave of his wand transformed his trousers into swimming trunks and he took my hands leading me into the cubicle with him. I stood under the stream of water as he shampooed my hair then scrubbed my back. 10 minutes later I felt cleaner than I had in many years.
We stood under the warm water as he held me in his arms, just held me and kissed my wet hair.
"It's going to be Ok Love, Ron's going to need a bit of therapy and hopefully it'll knock some sense into him" Harry reassured me.
I held onto him "Is it my fault, leaving him, did it drive him to this Harry?"
"I just don't know Love, he spoke about you heaps in the first couple of years, sometimes he was angry, but then he became detached and full of bravado. The drinking didn't help, but he always claimed it was just social. Maybe this would have happened any way." Harry sighed as he finished.
He turned off the water and cast a drying spell to finish. I felt much better. Wrapping me in a towel he led me to the bedroom and sat me down on the bed. Flicking his wand to replace his clothes he sat down next to me and took my hand in his.
I turned to him then and said "We were lovers, I was in love with Ron for so many years. That last year at school we dated and it was nice for a while. He was never violent with me. We fighted of course, shouted and stomped, but he never hit me. Not once. I remember him saying that it wasn't the Weasley way, hitting women was wrong. What changed Harry, is it a curse, drugs what?"
"I know that he uses the Wizard version of cocaine. I've seen him do it. Pretty powerful stuff to" Harry stopped to rub his chin and looked back at me with despair written all over his face.
"It was the power and the fame, Ron's pretty fucked up at the moment I just hope we can help to dry him out and get him back to normal"
"And what about Luna and the kids" I asked.
"She loved him once, but I just don't know if she'll ever forgive him."
"Harry" I said.
"Mm, yup"
"The whole vigilante thing is getting to me. The Wizard world just isn't like the Muggle world. I mean, Luna could have gone to the police, or family services might have intervened. I had to drag Arthur and George over there and take Ron down because there was no other option. It was terrible" my head drooped and although I wasn't crying I felt terrible as if I'd let Ron down and betrayed our love. "Poor Arthur" I shook my head at the thought and the blood on his hands.
"Yeah, like the family services rescued me from The Dursley's you mean" he chuckled dryly "All the world has problems, that's why we fight Voldemort, you fight the bad guys, life is a struggle. One day when Ron is dried out he'll forgive you Love and maybe thank you. "
Harry stood up abruptly and bowed to me "I suggest we get you prettied up and then we eat".
"What's hiding in your closets then" he whipped a door open with a flourish.
"White dress uniform, no. Patent shoes, no. Boat shoes, no. Hmm" he continued to dig and express his disapproval.
Closing the first side he looked at me with a scowl before turning to open the next "Ah ha, that's more like it, pretty frocks!" He'd finally found my new dresses.
He also found my new lingerie. Holding up the small frillies he nodded "Pretty, pretty, just what you need" and tossed them onto the bed.
He then held up each dress in front of me before choosing the deep blue crushed velvet and a pair of matching low-heeled sequined shoes. He found the stay up fish nets as well and looked them over before putting them in front of his own trouser legs "Not today" He shook his head, bringing a smile and small chuckle from me.
"Signs of life, Beam Me Up Scotty" he started to do a strange animated jig like he was eager to be beamed up to the Starship Enterprise. "I canno' hold her Captain, she's breaking up" by now I was laughing at his antics and Harry was having trouble staying in character.
I pointed at his clothes and transfigured them into an exact replica of Captain Kirks uniform.
"Stop it Pinky or I shall have to hurt you" I tried my Brain accent on for size (Pinky and the Brain – one of them's a genius, the other one's insane).
"Alright you, get dressed" Harry demanded with a very Kirk like stance, hands on hips feet wide apart "Make is so Number One." He'd lost his line of Trekking and flipped to Jean-Luc speak.
I stood, saluted then turned to the bed dropping my towel and dressing. Harry's didn't watch me, he gave me my privacy by walking to the window and looking out towards the sky. I looked at his back and thought that friends like him are indeed hard to find.
"Ok done" I twirled in a flourish to show off my new dress.
Harry turned to me and smiled as his clothes changed back from the Star Trek uniform to his black robes "That's my girl, you're beautiful Hermione" he nodded his head "really very lovely."
He came over to me and kissed me on the cheek before taking me in a warm hug "I'll always love you too, you know."
"Thank you Harry."
It was 6:30 PM and we decided to go to Harry's house in Grimauld Place. I'd promised to make my favourite pasta recipe for him. We flooed in to the kitchen with a bag of groceries. The kitchen felt quiet and strange without Molly bustling around in it. I told Harry so, he smiled and nodded.
"It's been a while actually, usually just me, Remus and Tonks. Sometimes Hagrid or Severus and the other Order people, but it's not the same without Dumbledore" he rubbed his hand over the scrubbed oak of the table surface in a caress and his face looked wistful.
"You'll be surprised to know that we finally got rid of the portraits. Donated them all to the Wizard Art Gallery. Silly bastards, fancy taking on Old Mrs. Black" he laughed setting me off too.
"No way, that's a riot. Bet the old bag screamed blue murder"
"Yep, sure did. It was Dobby, he came up with an Elfish spell that worked wonders"
"How is Dobby by the way, still enjoying his freedom?"
We chatted about Dobby, Harry's job and his love life.
"Well I wanted to marry Ginny, you know. But she's a bit too kinky for my liking. She doesn't want to be exclusive and I just can't do the whole sex orgy scene that she fancies"
"No way" I laughed.
"Yes way" he saw my look of surprise and laughed back. "She showed up here with a group of people and wanted me to perform for them all. The Famous Harry Potter sex romp! Can you imagine what Rita Skeeter would write" he screwed his face up in horror.
"It just wasn't worth my job to be caught inflagrante like that. I mean, come on, I'm an Auror, I work part-time at Hogwarts helping out Remus and Minerva when they need it. You can't work with children if people think you're a sex fiend. Well, it just wasn't my thing either" finally he sat down at the table and leaned his chin onto his hands watching me chop ingredients.
"Know what I mean Herms"
I nodded, yes I knew. We chatted about general stuff until an Owl tapped at the window.
'Can you come to the Burrow for a few hours, need your support please. Love Molly.'
Harry handed the note to me. "Wanna come to the Burrow" he asked.
I shook my head "No, I don't think so. I'll stay here, cook and wander around if that's ok with you."
He ran from the room before I could say anything else, why the hurry I thought. A few minutes later he came back with an old guitar "This belonged to Sirius, give it a tune and it'll help you relax".
I looked a the well-worn instrument, smiled and kissed him on the cheek. He saluted me before flooing away leaving me alone in the quiet tomb that was Grimauld Place.
A few hours later I'd cooked a pot of Puttanesca sauce and was drying some home made fettuccine pasta. I love making my own pasta, it always tastes better than the dried packet stuff and the kneading was therapeutic. I hummed to myself disjointed snippets from The Barber of Seville.
Moving into the lounge room I transfigured tuning pipes from a plectrum and started on the guitar. For it's age it didn't sound too bad and I started to play some chords. I didn't know what to play, thinking what would Sirius play – Stairway to Heaven! I smiled to the memory of Sirius Black, he was truly a mad bastard of the highest order.
The clock chimed 10 and I started to feel tired. I put the guitar aside and curled up on the couch for a quick nap.
More chimes, I open my eyes and hear voices. Casting a dillusionment charm on myself I stayed very still and listened.
"Why don't' you just tell her" voice 1 asked.
"I'm a chicken Ok, she'll just laugh at me" voice 2
"Huh, no she won't. I bet she'll be in your arms in a minute" voice 1
"Are you stupid Wolf, she'll run a bloody mile I'm telling you" voice 2
Wolf, Ok I thought, must be Remus.
"Don't be stupid Sev, if you love her you've got to tell her before someone else steals her away from you" voice 1
Sev, Severus Snape. He and Remus are old friends.
Both men sounded tipsy. I wondered who the She was that Severus couldn't tell.
"Just say, listen here woman – you and me, Ok" Remus laughed out loud.
"Aint you just the last of the romantics, I bet she'd love that suave approach" Severus laughed as well.
They stepped into the kitchen. In the light I saw that it was definitely Remus and Severus, both lurching slightly with mild intoxication.
Severus went to the stove and lifted the lid on the pot "Hmm, Puttanesca" he said sniffing the sauce "Harry cook this for you?"
Remus thought for a minute through his alcohol induced fog "Harry's a shit cook, does it look and smell like shit?"
Digging in the drawer for a spoon Severus lifted the lid again and tasted the sauce "Mmm, no it's lovely. Maybe Molly dropped it over?"
"Look, fresh pasta too. I'm hungry" Severus whined in a little boy voice.
"Harry. HARRY" Remus shouted "You here?".
No reply. "No Harry" Remus said shrugging his shoulders.
Under the charm I sneaked into the kitchen to watch them, intending to scare a years growth out of them both.
"You know she wrote me, she'll be coming to the ball tomorrow night" Severus' eyes were downcast and he sighed before looking up at his friend and smiling tightly. He took a photo out of his jacket pocket and handed it to Remus.
I sneaked around to look, it was the recent one of me in my desert gear. I couldn't stop my smile, he fancied me, he carried my photo around!
Remus sighed as well "She's beautiful. Maybe you're right Sev, an ugly old bastard like you - she'll run away alright."
Severus snatched back the photo and snarled at his friend "Not helping Wolf." He kissed the photo lightly before putting it away again.
"Don't you love a woman in uniform though" Remus smiled and giggled slightly. "I bet she knows lots of weird bedroom shit."
Severus punched him in the arm "Oi, that's the love of my life you're talking about. Be respectful."
I sneaked back into the lounge room and wondered what to do next. Surprise attack might work. I moved noiselessly up the stairs and started to make a racket as I stomped back down again to the kitchen whistling.
Both men ducked "What the fuck…" Remus scuttled around to the back of the table beside his hiding friend.
I walked into the kitchen and went to the stove to heat the sauce.
I hear the sound of the men shuffling around to the other side of the table.
"Who's there, show yourself" I say aloud extending my wand at the source of the sound.
A voice from under the table "It's me – Remus" he stood up.
"And Severus" he stood up as well. Both men looked pretty sheepish and held up their hands in mock surrender.
"Remus, Severus" I said with no hint of surprise to my voice "fancy some pasta."
Both men nod enthusiastically.
10 minutes later we are all seated at the table with Severus grating fresh Parmesan cheese. We ate with relish, it's really very good pasta.
"Would I sound pompous if I said I love my own cooking" I say through a mouthful of pasta.
"If all your cooking is this good then maybe you can adopt us both. Can I call you Mum" Remus laughed between bites of his meal "this fresh pasta is superb Hermione"
"House Elf cooking does get pretty predictable after a few years doesn't it" Severus stated "It's so nice to have a friend that knows how to cook."
I sigh and reach out my hands to touch them both "My boys, of course I'll adopt you both. You can become Army brats and follow me around and annoy all the other children on base." Remus laughs, but Severus looks dreamily at me as he sucks up a length of fettuccine.
There's some sauce on his chin and I lean over to lift it off with my index finger. I put the finger into my mouth and suck on it. Remus averts his eyes somewhat embarrassed but Severus just stares at my mouth, he swallows and clicks out of the moment returning to his meal.
Remus finally clears his throat "So how's work Herms?"
"Well last month I strangled a man with my bare hands" I say matter of factly "A group of men tried to stone me to death last week and my Lieutenant stepped on a land mine."
"Pretty normal then" Severus counters.
"Yep" I say.
We both turn to Remus and see his shocked expression and I laugh. "It's war Remus, how much fun can I have in a battle zone. Get serious!"
Poor Remus, he looks like he could curl up and die. I reach over and pat his shoulder and smile, he relaxes under my touch.
The fireplace blazes Green, Harry's home at last.
"Remus, Severus" he smiles "How are you guys doing?" he shakes hands then heads for the stove "Any left?"
Remus then "It was too good to keep some for you, have some dessert instead."
Harry sits with us and spoons out some trifle "Did Herms tell you about Ron?"
I stand and kiss Harry on his unruly hair before leaving the room, I don't want to hear any more about Ron. I'm starting to feel very guilty for acting like a vigilante and wish I could feel a little justified. In the lounge I slip down on the sofa tucking my legs under my chin.
Only a few minutes pass before Severus sits down on the other end of the sofa. He takes my feet into his lap and starts to rub them.
"You have lovely feet"
"Thank Lavender Brown she gave me a pedicure yesterday"
"Hmm" he murmurs putting just the right amount of pressure onto my toes.
We sit quietly for a few moments enjoying the silence together.
"We were in love but only ever made love once" I began "all those years we were friends at school, it was so love hate. In the last year we tried to go one step further but it just didn't work for me. When I decided to leave for the Academy and I though Ron would just move on as well. He had his Quiddich and the fame he always wanted, I thought he'd forget me."
Severus raised his head from my feet to look me in the face "I'm listening"
"He sent me letters begging me to come back that first year, then they turned a little bit nasty. It was really strange, the letters were snippy and cruel. Did you know I even went out with Charlie a couple of times hoping that Ron would notice that I wasn't interested in him. I guess Charlie wasn't the one either."
The massage moved to my ankles and I wiggled my feet with pleasure.
"Then there was the last letter telling me that he and Luna were going to be married. That was all it said, nothing else. I was happy for them and Molly invited me to the wedding. I'd hoped that they'd have a good life together. Luna is strange but rather sweet."
"You weren't to know this would happen." He held my feet and looked straight into my face "Lots of relationships fail, Luna and the children will be safe now and Weasley will dry out and face his tormentors."
"I hope so Severus, I just wish it could have been resolved some other way. Poor Arthur, he was shattered. His face was broken with grief. I feel so responsible."
"Too many Schwarzenegger movies eh?" he mused.
"Yes I 'spose so" I smiled as he released my feet.
He rose from the sofa and stretched. "I need some sleep, you?"
"Yeah, I should be going, let you boys do whatever you three do here without women about" I laugh and take his offer of the hand up. "I'll see you tomorrow night then?"
"Stay" he hadn't released my hands "Come up and sleep with me Hermione." He smiled a small smile, kind and loving. I felt my heart skip a beat.
"Are you going to have kinky Slytherin sex with me Severus Snape?" I asked in my most coy voice.
"Um" he looked down at his feet then up at the ceiling, his tongue inching out to lick his lips. He finally returned to look at my mouth avoiding my eyes "I hadn't planned on it, I thought I'd wait until you were asleep first and then you'd think it was an Incubus." He was blushing, I couldn't believe Snape, the most feared man in Hogwarts, was actually blushing.
"Take me to bed Severus" I nodded my head then bent down to pick up my shoes "I'm really tired and I'd love your company tonight."
We didn't say anything else until we were safely inside his room. I used the bathroom and then came out and found Severus sitting on the bed slipping off his boots and socks. Sitting next to him I helped him undo the buttons on his coat and vest.
Soon he was stripped down to his trousers and I turned to hang up his shirt, vest and coat in the cupboard giving him some space to remove his trousers. When I turned he was standing closely behind me and handed me his trousers and I hung them up as well.
I didn't know what to expect from Severus Snape. The couple of times we'd kissed it had been me who initiated the intimacy, he'd never actually taken hold of me and kissed me first. I wondered if the time had come. He simply stood close to me and watched my face.
I stepped back and raised my hands up into the air to encourage him to slip my dress up and over my head. It took him a moment to catch onto my silent request and then he obliged me. I didn't give him the time to look at my new frilly knicker set and turned straight away to hang up my dress instead. When I turned back he was gone.
"Sev" I asked questioningly "Where are you?"
The shower sounded, the coward had run away to the shower. I slipped off my smalls and transfigured the bra into a knee length purple silk nightgown tossing it onto the bed. Slipping into the bathroom silently I found the loofa. Soaping it up I stepped into the shower.
He squealed at my cold hands, I laughed. "Don't be so shy, I won't bite you!" I held up the loofa and motioned for him to turn around so I could wash his back.
It didn't take long for him to relax under my ministrations as he leant against the wall and sighed. "Mmm, that's nice don't stop."
"I'll have to stop before I flail you" I whispered as I washed the soap off his back and then turned him around gently to scrub his chest. He surrendered to me and handed over the soap before leaning back and closing his eyes. I soon had him squeaky clean and kissed him softly on the chest before stepping out and drying myself leaving him to finish.
Going back into the bedroom I slipped on my nightgown and hopped into the bed plumping up my pillow and waited for Severus to come to bed. "Nox" I pointed at the overhead light and softly "Lumos" at the candle on the bedside table. I was so tired I closed my eyes and was soon fast asleep.
Saturday Morning, 6 am.
I woke to the first rays of the sun drifting in the window and stretched feeling totally relaxed. A low murmur reminded me that I wasn't alone. An arm was draped over my middle and I turned slowly so as not to disturb my bedfellow.
Severus Snape looked cute whilst asleep. He was lying on his stomach with his face turned towards me. I reached out and lifted the hair lying over his face and smoothed it back so I could watch him. Too cute indeed. Unfortunately nature called so I slipped out of bed and went to the bathroom trying not to wake my sleeping beauty.
By the time I'd gotten back to the bed he'd moved onto the other side and was cuddling my discarded pillow mumbling something that sounded somewhat like a potions checklist. I slipped back into the bed and wrapped my arms around him drawing myself into his back and enjoying the warmth of another human. His gentle sigh and backward lean told me that he was comfortable in my arms.
"Sev"
"Mmm"
"You awake" I raked my fingers up and down his chest.
"Mmm"
I took that as a yes and became entranced by the freckles on his back, kissing them as I wound my fingers in his chest hair. Soon he entwined his fingers with mine and was slowly kissing my hands making small sucking noises.
After a few minutes he rolled onto his back and drew me up so I was half covering him. He ran his hands into my hair and pulled my face down and started to slowly kiss my lips. At that moment I felt revered, his gentleness was entrancing and as his hands started their trek down my back I knew what it felt like to be truly loved.
We shifted onto our sides and he deepened the kiss degree by degree moving his tongue in a gentle rhythm against my own as he pushed my nightgown up running his hands slowly over my body . He stopped the kiss as he moved to lift the gown up over my head and looked into my eyes almost begging me to accept him. I smiled and kissed him lifting my hand to rub at his nipple rolling it between my thumb and forefinger, eliciting a deep moan that seemed to come from his very centre.
We continued to kiss and stroke each other, his hands finally starting their movement down my body. His mouth left mine and started on my neck before going to my breasts leaving a small trail of love bites in its wake. My breasts, his lips and mouth, biting, sucking and kissing. I arched my back and moaned winding my hands into his hair and holding him close.
"Sev, yes, love" I moaned incoherently "more yes."
I think I heard him chuckle slightly enjoying my passion and taking some small amusement in his ability to muddle my mind. I decided to take back some control.
I wrapped my legs tightly around his waist and rolled him onto his back coming up to straddle him.
Severus laughed at me, a deep manly chuckle.
"What?" I said.
He continued to laugh and started to tickle me, I broke into a fit of laughter too. I'm afraid the mood was broken and we both started to giggle like a pair of teenagers. The blankets and sheets were on the floor and there I was naked straddling Severus Snape and we were both in hysterics tickling each other.
The door burst open and there stood Remus with his wand out and Harry grappling to put his glasses on straight. Everyone was shocked into silence until I started to laugh again and grabbed the sheet and covered us up. Severus wrestled me down onto the bed and blew a raspberry on my stomach.
"Stop, stop!" I squealed and tickled him in the armpits. He jumped and rolled off the bed onto the floor.
I think Remus and Harry were in shock, they were both frozen in place with their mouths hanging open. I jumped up and tucked the sheet around my body and launched myself at Remus tackling him to the floor and tickling him too.
Harry backed out the door "I'll make the coffee then eh?" he ran down the stairs possibly fearing a group sexual encounter.
Remus managed to wriggle out of my grip and crawled out the door too closing it after himself. I lay face down on the floor gasping for breath as Severus moved up on top of me and collapsed in a heap kissing whatever bare flesh he could find.
"Why are you so easy to love" I asked him.
"Slytherin charm my dear" he replied between kisses.
I laughed and managed to wriggle enough to turn over so we were facing each other. He was now lying on top of me between my legs. I placed my hands on either side of his face and made eye contact giving him a serious face for a moment.
"The Major called me in for a chat after the debriefing session" I began.
He knitted his brow "Why, what's up"
"My Commander recommended that I go back to University and study Law so I can work in a diplomatic mission."
"How do you feel about that" he rolled onto his side and wrapped a leg around me to hold me in place.
"It means that I'll be at Cambridge for 3 years with breaks either at training camp or on leave. It also means a promotion I could make Major if I'm good enough."
"No more combat then, will you miss it"
I sighed and leant my forehead onto his chest "I've seen so much shit Sev, I think it's sending me off. I don't want to spend my life strangling and shooting people."
He kissed the top of my head "I completely understand. Though you've done a lot of good too you know, the people you've saved"
"Mm" I sighed "If I take the offer I can have a home, maybe a family, husband and kids."
"Oh" he murmured suddenly serious "I didn't know you wanted kids" at this he leant back and looked into my face "with a Wizard or a Muggle"
"Wizard"
"Anyone in particular"
"Yes"
"Anyone I know"
"Yes"
"Who" by this time he was starting to look a bit pissed off and had raised himself up to a sitting position giving me the most menacing jealous Snape glare he could manage whilst still sitting naked on the floor.
I grabbed him and kissed him on the mouth forcing him to respond with my persistent tongue.
He broke off the kiss "That's not an answer Hermione"
"That's because you haven't asked the right question yet Severus" I glared back at him.
At that he turned his back on me "Damn it woman, why the hell are you here with me if there's someone else." His head bowed and I thought that he might be crying.
'How stupid are Slytherin men', I thought. Surely he knew that it was him. I sat up and crawled over kneeling behind him and putting my arms around his shoulders.
"You Sir, are a goose!"
He continued to shun me with his back so I snuggled my body against his and put my chin on the top of his head.
"How could I possibly have had the time to form a relationship with anyone Severus. You, Hagrid and Harry are the only men I write to, can't you put two and two together and come up with an answer that doesn't have me shagging the whole Cannons team?"
At this missive he seemed to relax a bit and melted back into my embrace.
"There's a very good reason why I spent the night in your bed and not with Hagrid or Harry. It's you, you silly goose. Only you that I want."
"Me?" he turned his head "I'm your Wizard?"
"Try not to act so surprised Professor Snape, I bet you have offers like this every week. You're such a chick magnet." I laughed at the shocked expression on his face.
He turned bodily to face me, and then raised himself up to kneel on the floor. Picking up the sheet he draped it around both of us and rose up offering me his hands before leading me to the bed where we sat on the edge. It was a strange moment, he just looked at me then raised his hand to touch my face like it was for the first time. He appeared to savour my skin and the feel of my hair, turning his head on the side to see me in a different light.
Raising my hands up he looked at them carefully seeming to inspect each finger. It took me by total surprise when he slipped off his pinky ring and slid it onto my left ring finger.
"Be mine forever" he whispered. A single tear formed at the corner of his eye with the emotion of those three words.
I looked at the ring, I'd never noticed that he wore a ring before. Perhaps he took it off when he worked in his lab. It was rose gold with a flat crest engraved with a snake encircling a wand. Quite beautiful, subtle and also very Snape. How could I resist.
"Always" I replied and leant in to kiss him firmly on the lips.
I slipped off my military crest ring from my right hand and offered it to him, slipping it onto his left pinkie.
"Yes" he said as he brought my hand up to kiss the palm.
A knock at the door broke our moment. It was Harry "Sev, Mione come down for some breakfast"
"Ok Harry" I replied "10 minutes" I heard him scoff at my 10 minute promise.
"Yeah right" his footsteps echoed away down the stairs.
"Did you mean it, will you be my Wizard" I asked Severus touching his cheek with my left hand now sporting his crest.
"Yes" he smiled "if you'll have me."
