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

Severus' yellow glow was a good sign. If something tragic had occurred he would be blue, white, or in an extreme case, bright orange. He wouldn't be looking as if he'd just deducted a hundred points from Gryffindor either. Whatever had occurred had worked in his favor, and hopefully hers too.

"Do I want to know what you've been doing?" She adjusted the purple pillow until it was between her back and the left armrest of the sofa.

"Perhaps," Severus took his place beside her, his glow brightening.

"At the risk of regretting this, what were you doing?" She drawled.

"Helping Metatron repay his debt to you."

"He repaid his debt already?"

Severus nodded.

"And I'll like whatever he did, right?"

"You will love what he did for you."

"Did he pave the way for you to spend the rest of your life here?" Hermione folded her hands.

"I do not know," He admitted.

"But I wanted him to help with that."

"He might still do something, but the program is in the Trinity's hands, not his, so there was little he could do for us in that regard." His glow lessened.

"If he didn't help us be together then what did he do?"

His glow was as bright as a campfire on a starless night. "Let's just say Cormac will no longer be causing problems for you."

"He won't?" Her eyes grew.

"No, he is incapacitated for the near future."

"How so?"

"It is difficult to explain, but you need to trust me that he will no longer be causing problems for you."

"Do I want to know what you did to him?"

"Technically I did nothing to him." Severus' glow flickered. "And to be honest I'm not entirely sure what Metatron did to him. All I know is that for the foreseeable future, he is incapacitated."

"I see." Perhaps some things were better learned through The Daily Prophet rather than a lover.

"Regardless he will not trouble you anymore. That much I can promise you." His glow was a warm yellow.

She raised her eyes to heaven and exhaled, "Thank God."

"Indeed," he purred.

She closed her eyes as the tension in her shoulders relaxed. At times she had despaired of Cormac ever leaving her alone. Many a night passed where she stayed awake, wondering how far he was wiling to go. Now that he was incapacitated she could live her life free from that madness.

Another of her problems was correcting itself as well, namely Metatron's approval of the program. For the last few weeks she had been terrified that the archangel would persuade the Trinity to cease the program, ending any hope of happiness she may have had. Now he seemed to understand how much Severus meant to her, and had already proven he was willing to help her. Who would've known that things would work out as well as they did. Life was strange indeed.

"Did anything eventful happen while I was absent?" Severus asked.

"Yes," She tensed again as she turned her attention to her lover.

"Do I want to know what it was?" He drawled.

"Harry called."

His glow became light red

"He wants to speak with you."

"No," his voice was low.

"I told him you might not want to speak with him…"

"That is an understatement."

"But it could bring you both peace."

"If he wanted to bring me peace he wouldn't have tried to put you in a mental ward," his glow intensified. "As it stands right now, he did try to harm you in my name, and I will not forget it."

"I know, and it was wrong of him to do what he did, and I don't know if I've forgiven him yet," she began, her words coming out almost as fast as she could think of them. "I feel like I can't be mad at him forever though. Perhaps I should forgive him, even if our relationship will never be the same."

"I am in favor of you forgiving him, especially since your friendship with him has increased your happiness, at least at times," he answered. "But forgiving him does not entail that I speak to him."

"I know it doesn't," she replied. "And I won't force you to speak with him. Perhaps it is inadvisable."

"Inadvisable is putting it mildly."

"Yet it may be good for you two to speak with each other."

"I refuse to speak to Harry." He crossed his arms over his chest.

"Why?"

"Because I am still infuriated over what he did to you."

"I know, and I appreciate you standing up for me." Hermione said. "There may be some benefit to speaking with him though. This could be a time of healing for all of us."

"I feel fine at the moment."

"Do you?"

His frown deepened.

"You've encouraged me to forgive Harry for the sake of my happiness, and I appreciate that. Yet at some point you and Harry will need to accept the other's role in my life."

"I respect his role, but do not wish to play a part in your friendship."

"How can you not now that he knows about you?"

"It's simple. Harry is not my friend, ergo I have no reason to be acquainted with him."

"I know, but," she glanced at a book on the coffee table. "He knows you're here, and that we're together. It wouldn't feel to keep you two so separate."

"I suppose I cannot go to Purgatory every time he comes over," his glow was white.

"I mean you can," she returned her focus to him. "Yet I would like you to be as involved in as many aspects of my life as you can be, not flee like you're some type of dirty little secret when my friends visit."

"Sadly there are many parts of your life I cannot be involved in regardless of whether or not Harry is in the picture."

"I know, and I'm fine with that."

"Are you?"

"Yes."

"Wouldn't you like someone to drop in on your store every once in awhile?" His glow dimmed. "Wouldn't you like someone to take you to Ministry balls?"

"I haven't been to one of those in years," she huffed. "I hated them."

"I thought they would force you to go given your social status."

"Yes, the disgraced member of the Golden Trio is so wanted at the balls." She rolled her eyes. "Honestly I think many of the lower levels of hell are more pleasant than those."

"Fine, you don't want to go to Ministry balls, but would you not like to go on vacations at some point? Perhaps you could enjoy a tropical island, or an African safari," He turned blue.

"Those sound enticing," she admitted before shaking her head. "But what good is any of it without you?"

"It's worth quite a bit, much more than you realize."

"So what, are you breaking up with me so I can take a vacation?"

"No, I'm just pointing out Harry isn't the only aspect of your life I cannot partake in," he replied.

"I know, but the other people on vacation don't need to see you, and won't take comfort in your presence." She sighed. "But Harry will, which is why I want you involved with that aspect of my life."

"Indeed." His glow lessened.

"I know Harry has hurt us, and I'm not sure I've forgiven him for what he's done," she put a hand on his. "But I think we'll all find peace if we can have a discussion about all of this."

"We probably will," he rubbed her hand with his thumb, sending a jolt of love through them both. "At some point I need to face him."

"It doesn't have to be tomorrow. In fact, I don't think I'm ready for it to be any time in the near future."

"But we cannot spend your entire life procrastinating on this."

"I would prefer we not."

The silence which fell between them was much more tense than the last.

"Whatever happens between Harry and me," Severus' voice was soft. "I love you."

"I know," She touched his forearm. "And I love you too. If he's becoming too inappropriate, if it's too much, I'll ask him to leave."

"I can handle Harry."

"If you're upset, then I cannot handle Harry, which is why I need you to tell me if you're becoming irritated."

"I will remain calm for you then."

"This isn't about you remaining calm for me. If you're upset please tell me so we can work through it, although," she gave him a half grin. "Your glow usually gives you away."

"It is unsettling to be so transparent." He scowled, but his glow was yellow.

"I don't know, you can be cute when you glow certain colors," she slid closer to him. "Like pink."

"It is quite embarrassing to be pink." Despite his wishes, his glow was a shade of the offending color.

"Oh I don't know," her eyes were agleam. "If anyone knew you were capable of becoming pink they would be quite scandalized."

"Which is why I will avoid all my former students at all costs in heaven, save you."

"But some of them are my friends."

"Then I will be on a cloud staring at the stars when you meet with them," he furrowed his eyebrows. "And I will not turn pink around them."

"No, you'll never let anyone other than me know the big bad potions master could turn pink."

"Exactly," he replied. "You are the only one privileged enough to know I can be pink."

"I feel quite honored then." She put a hand over his hair.

"You should." He brushed his lips against hers before lowering his voice. "You're also the only one I will ever want to fuse with."

"I cannot think of anyone I would rather fuse with either," She tugged at his robe, but her hands went through him.

"Bedroom?" He drawled.

"Yes," she purred.

With that, she strolled to the bedroom, the spirit floating right behind her, the troubles of the day behind them.