Hey guys! Like I said, banging out chapters! Read, review, and enjoy!

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

That very evening, Severus quickly went to Dumbledore's office, while Hermione went downstairs to their home.

Severus knocked. "Enter," came Dumbledore's voice from inside. Severus entered to find Dumbledore feeding Fawkes.

"Severus – how may I help you?"

"I would like permission to take Miss Granger to Australia so she can find her parents," Snape replied, surprising even himself.

Dumbledore paused, evidently also surprised. "Severus, you have classes to teach… and Miss Granger has classes to attend."

"Well, I'm not asking for very long – only a week or two. I thought I could persuade Professor Slughorn to take over teaching my classes for that time, if it was all right with you. And Hermione is a good student – I'm sure she can manage."

"Only two weeks?" Dumbledore inquired. "Australia is very large… Are you sure that you can find them?"

"As I told Miss Granger, I found her and her friends when even Lord Voldemort could not. It will not take me long to find them."

Dumbledore pondered his words for a time before finally nodding. "Very well. I will give you two weeks to find them. If at the end of those two weeks you have not found them, you must come back and try again on a school break. You are the Head of Slytherin House and the Head of the Potions department, and I cannot have you gone for such a large amount of time."

"Thank you, Albus," Severus said. "We will leave in the morning."

Dumbledore nodded. "Good luck."

Severus hurried down to their living quarters. Hermione was getting into bed when he arrived.

"Did you ask him?" she inquired anxiously.

Severus smiled. "I did. We have two weeks to find them."

Hermione scrambled out of bed and into his arms. "Oh, Severus, thank you!" she whispered. "Thank you so much!"

He smiled, holding her close. "You're welcome, my dear."

"Are you going to come to bed?" she asked softly.

"Yes, in a moment," he replied with a smile. He went to the bathroom and put on his pajamas before coming over to their bed.

Severus lay down beside his fiancée, looking at her. She mirrored his position, lying there watching him as well. Finally, Severus spoke. "Hermione… may I say something?"

She nodded, her brown eyes holding his gaze.

"You're beautiful," he said softly, reaching out to lay a hand on her cheek.

"I don't think I am," she said quietly, looking away.

With a gentle hand, he turned her back so she was looking at him again. "You are." After a moment of hesitation, he leaned in and kissed her.

Hermione's eyes widened in surprise, but then slid closed as her hand slid up to rest upon his cheek. She'd kissed Ron and Viktor before, but they'd been different… Ron had only ever snogged Lavender, and it was mostly sloppy, and she hadn't really had any sort of connection with Viktor… she'd only been elated by the fact that a professional Quidditch player had found her so appealing.

Severus pulled back after a few moments. "You're beautiful, Hermione… trust me."

"You really think I'm beautiful?" Hermione asked in a soft voice.

"I do," Severus smiled. "So much so that you've done something that no woman has ever been able to do since I was eleven."

"What?"

He brushed a finger gently down her cheek. "You've given me hope for a future. And you've caused me to have feelings for someone other than Lily Evans."

"Really?" she whispered.

"Yes. Possibly greater feelings than I did for her. She was very important to me. And all my life I never believed that there could be anyone special enough to turn my head from her, even a bit. And you've turned my head."

"What are you saying?" Hermione asked in a soft voice.

"I'm saying that I'm falling for you, Hermione," Severus murmured.

Her face turned pink. "I don't know what to say," she whispered.

He smiled and kissed her forehead. "You don't need to say anything. I just needed you to know."

"Thank you for telling me," Hermione said in a soft voice, lying down. Her head rested on his shoulder, and her eyes closed.

Severus smiled, watching her sleep. Maybe we can do it, he thought to himself. Maybe we can build a life… a happy life together. He mulled over his newly hopeful thoughts, holding her as she slept, before closing his eyes and relaxing into sleep as well.