AN: Thank you for all the support! It is very deeply appreciated!

What should he tell Hermione?

From the time Dismas left, Severus meditated on how much his beloved mortal needed to know. It seemed unkind to withhold the fact that the program could be coming to an end, but then again had anyone ended it? Metatron wasn't sent by the Trinity, and by all accounts, had no insider knowledge on the Trinity's thoughts outside of his role as prosecutor. For all Severus knew, the archangel wanted to rile up Sirius because he was bored. Perhaps at one point, Dismas had grabbed Metatron's spear and pierced his chest with it, which was the reason the archangel felt the need to interfere. Severus savored the image of a speared Metatron as he teleported from heaven to earth.

When he arrived in Hermione's sitting room, she was laying dow on her sofa, dressed entirely in black. She gazed upon him as if he was the man she had just married after a long courtship. His glow brightened.

"Did you have fun in Purgatory?" She purred.

"As much fun as I could have sitting in a room, wondering how long it will be until I see you again."

She hummed as she moved her legs closer to her body.

"Did you have fun eating lunch?" He asked.

"As much fun as you can have eating a bologna sandwich."

He chuckled as he sat beside her.

"Honestly, I ate too much at breakfast," she adjust the pillows under her. "I'm still not hungry."

"I told you not to have that fourth pancake."

"I know." She tapped his hand. "Yet I couldn't resist them. I never would've imagined that I could make blueberry pancakes from scratch, especially not with a man I loved by my side."

"You can do anything you wish, and in some form I will always be with you."

"I know you will be." She relaxed. "It is the one thing that gives me comfort on my more difficult days."

He gazed into her eyes.

"We can do anything together except make cloud figures." Her expression became wistful. "Sadly, I am helpless in making anything from a puffy cloud."

"Indeed." Severus' glow lessened.

"Can you make anything you want out of a cloud?"

"I mean you cannot make a sentient angel, but other than that anything you can imagine you can create."

"I'd love to create anything with just a thought."

"It is an interesting experience." His glow became softer. "And you would be amazing at creating cloud entities."

Her lips curled up.

"What would you create first?"

"I don't know," she shrugged. "A half-kneazle I suppose, to honor Crookshanks."

Across the room, the cat let out a small meow.

"Speaking of which." Her eyes grew. "Are there animals in heaven?"

"I do not know." His glow flickered. "I have not asked."

She sat up straighter.

"I know they are not in Purgatory, but given that they can't sin that is not surprising."

"True." She shifted in place. "I would be deathly miserable without Crookshanks though. It would devastate me if he wasn't in heaven."

The half kneazle strutted over to Hermione, tail high in the air.

"I am certain the Trinity would make accommodations for such an," he twisted his lips. "Interesting beast."

She giggled. He raised an eyebrow.

"You know, you can say when you like something," She caught her breath.

"Excuse me?"

"You can drop the act. I know deep down inside you like Crookshanks."

"I tolerate Crookshanks. If he were not with you I would not care about him one way or the other," he gave her a playful scowl.

The feline swatted at him.

"I don't think that's fair. You more than tolerate him." She stroked Crookshanks' back.

"Yes, because I love you. I assure you I have no other motive."

"I beg to differ. Deep inside, you've always wanted a pet."

"When I was a child I was not opposed to the idea. I had always fancied myself a gerbil person though."

"Gerbil?"

"Indeed." His glow was a soft yellow. "I wanted something small which wouldn't keep me up at night."

"They are quiet I suppose."

"Also, a gerbil was unique. Everyone else could like cats and dogs, but I did not want to conform to their standards."

"It is difficult to envision you conforming to anyone's standards," she took his hand. "Which is why I love you."

A sense of peace walked over him. Her love flowed through him as his anxiety melted away. If the Trinity was love, how could they deny them an eternity together in these forms? Could they not allow him to be happy with her, regardless of any plan they'd concocted?

"Are you okay?" She released him.

"I am perfect." His voice was soft.

"You seemed to go somewhere else right now."

"I was only thinking about our circumstances."

"What about them?"'

"I was wondering how an all-loving being could ever deny me love," he replied.

"I don't imagine they deny anyone love."

"True, but things are perfect." His glow was light blue. "Almost too perfect."

"What do you mean?" Anxiety snuffed out the sparkle in her eyes.

"I am not used to anything being stable," he admitted. "I am used to promises being broken, relationships being shattered, and being alone."

"That won't happen," Hermione leaned closer to her. "I promise you, that won't happen."

"Can you make that promise?"

"I can."

Severus raised an eyebrow.

"I promise here and now that I will only be loyal to you." She clasped his hands into hers. "I promise that I will love only you for the rest of eternity."

Her love was overpowering the nagging voice in his head which warned that most love was not eternal.

"You will never be alone," she continued. "I promise you that."

"Hermione," he whispered as he removed his hand from hers. "Eternity is a long time. There are may men more worthy of your affection than me."

"There is nobody more worthy of my affection than you."

He twisted his lower lip. "It may not be wise to tie yourself to me, at least not in our present forms."

"Why would I not?"

"There are plenty of reasons."

"What about last night?" She shook. "Do you regret it."

"No, never," his glow was white. "But I never want you to regret it."

"How could I? What we had last night was beyond my wildest dreams," the spark returned to her eyes. "It was as if I'd finally found my other half. For the first time, I felt as if I wasn't facing the world alone. I felt like myself."

"This could all end," he warned. "The Trinity could stop this program anytime they please. Perhaps they believe you are not thriving, or decide that we have grown too close." His glow was a darker blue. "What will become of you then?"

"I'll wait until I die to be with the man I love."

"You should not eagerly anticipate death. You should live your life."

"I am living my life," She replied. "For the first time I am living my life."

He closed his mouth.

"Even if you are in heaven, I'll know you are near me. I'll survive based on that fact alone."

"You say that now, but if I leave tomorrow it will pain you." He bowed his head. "I would hate for you to become so engulfed in pain that you become the person you were."

"Before you came, I didn't know what a healthy relationship between lovers was. I'd seen it with Draco and Ginny and again from Harry and Luna, but it was so different to experience it. What we have is better than anything I could have imagined. I never want it to end."

"It very well could end." He raised his head.

"Then let's cherish every moment."

"Are you certain that's your attitude?"

She kissed him. "My entire being is certain of this."

"Well then." He held her close to him. "I say we head towards the future together."

With that, they drew together once more, forgetting for one moment that everything could end based on the whim of one Almighty being.