Hermione entered the great hall in a pink dress. It was soft and showed off her immaculate figure. She looked for him.

Tonight was the leaver's ball. Hermione hadn't wanted it to come so fast. In least than twenty four hours most of the seventh years that had come through the war, were going out in to the big wide world.

She wasn't ready for that, and she knew it.

True enough just as he said he would be there stood the man she loved in a midnight blue robe (for a change).

At the site of her in her pink dress, Severus felt his heart melt. God he loved her. The dresses neck line was a little lower than she liked and he knew it, but he couldn't help enjoying the site of her young skin. She had the delicate crystal tear necklace ha had given her for her seventieth hanging gracefully around her neck.

In her hair sat a simple silver tiara that seemed to make her even more of the princess he thought she was. She hadn't got a lot of make up ion but enough, but not too little. She was perfect.

They had agreed in there last meeting that tonight was the night they would come out. Tonight in front of the world, they would profess there love for each other.

Moving through the crowd, she saw her too best friends there.

Harry was as ever dancing with his beloved Ginny, and Ron was with his lavender.

For some reason this made it so much easier for Hermione. She knew that if her boys still had a girl to call there own in life, they'd survive. But they would still be in hers, whomever they dated or kissed, they would always be her boys.

You didn't go through what they had been together and not love each other; they were her brothers and always would be.

Turning back to the task in hand she saw her beloved strolling towards her. He was there and them coming out meant that they were for real.

As they came face to face she wondered what to do…she didn't know anymore.

There was no text book on how to handle love but Severus as he always did seemed to steer her in the right direction.

He bought his strong hands around her waist and they began to dance.

The students thought nothing of it, Severus had been tutoring Hermione in potions which were well above the level of what she was expected to know.

That was where the romance and the love had begun.

For Severus falling in love with Hermione hadn't been very hard. Once he had broken through her know it all exterior she was actual someone whom he felt at ease with and when you are Severus Snape well people who you can talk to are hard to come by.

"I'm glad I'm with you at the end, Severus," she said referring to the seven years at school. He had been there to start with, all the way through and now, he was with her at the end.

She watched as he just shook his head.

"You're wrong Hermione, my love." He said pulling her closer to him. "We're just at the beginning!" she laughed at the way he said this. With a smile just playing ever so slightly on his lips but as ever with her Severus he was not showing to much emotion. But enough.

"I guess so," she sighed laying her head on his shoulder.

After all she wasn't really going anywhere. Flitwick had retired and she had got the charms job. She would be with Severus all year still. Nothing would come between them again.

"So I assume you like your new quarters," he asked. They were in fact his own. They were moving in together. And then if she got her way (which when it concerned him, she generally did) they were going to start a family to call there own.

"I love them!" she whispered flirting in his ear.

No longer able to resist what his heart was telling him he placed a kiss on her lips which linger for several holy seconds before he pulled away. The whole school knew now. The head girl and the potions master were together.

Ginny Weasley who had known all along about the love affair pulled Harry's attention back to her.

"Give them some peace." She said to him making him turn his back on the pair.

Hermione put her head on his chest and listened to his strong rhythmic heart beat. It was the best sound in the world.

"We really should start thinking of a date, my love." He smiled.

"A date for what," she said even though she already knew what he was talking about.

"Our wedding," he said to her softly running his hands through one of her ringlets which had escaped her tiara.

"Oh Sev," she said softly. "Do you really think we can?"

She had never felt so whole.

The clock had just struck midnight.

"Well I am no longer your potions master, so yes Hermione. I believe we can do this, I believe in us."

Severus Snape finally believed in the power of love.

R&R