Disclaimer:- I neither earn nor own anything from this story except my plot. Harry Potter and his world are the intellectual property of JK Rowling and her associates.

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A/N:- Here is the finally chapter of One Red Shoe, the story. I had been planning more of an augmentation than this, but my muse fled before I finished it. So, this is the entire story. Thank you for reading.Thank you also to Golden Asp for her beta work on this chapter, as well as for all for your reviews and alerts.. I hope you enjoy this final chapter, it is slightly abridged for the M rating here, but as always, the full text is available on AO3.

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Chapter Five - Time for the future

The Potions Master heard the tinkling laughter of the witches wafting down from the tower, and he was glad that Misses Weasley and Brown seemed to be accepting the situation with good grace.

The silence behind him was now deafening. They'd halted in the clearing Severus had been marching towards, and he turned to stare at the pair of them.

Ron was glaring at Harry, and he was the colour of a beetroot. Finally, he finished glaring and got words past his lips over Harry calling him out for his rudeness. "What the fuck was that?"

However, it was Severus who answered. "That, Weasley, was the sound of your friend realising a huge truth, and if he hadn't taken you to task over it, I would have hexed you without giving you the consideration of an explanation." Snape said, glaring. "I still may… Now strip!" he hissed in the threatening whisper they remembered from school, adding when Ron still stared at him stupidly. "You, gormless twat, have you no ability to see anything from another's perspective?"

"No, he doesn't," Harry answered.

"You're bloody bonkers both of you," Ron put in.

The professor sighed, but then cleared his throat. "I believe it is time to get this process underway."

Turning, Severus smiled nastily at Ron. "Lumos maxima," he stated with a lazy flick of his wand, and the area was instantly flood lit. "Strip, Weasley!" he commanded once more.

Harry sighed and moved to follow suit, but a pale hand arrived on his arm, and Severus shook his head slightly.

At the same moment as he'd flood lit the area, Severus had sent a message to Hermione. It was like a tiny Patronus, about the size of a firefly, and it greatly resembled the luminous little insect. No one thought anything of it, as all kinds of insects from the surrounding trees were currently descending on the ball of light Severus had conjured. His message only contained two words whispered quietly in her ear, "Trust me."

Hermione had a hard time hiding her reaction to his whispered velvet voice, and both her friends turned at her slight moan. "Mmm, this is lovely wine," she said quickly, holding her glass up, and blushing slightly. She backed into the shadows and leant over the support rail to aim her reply.

The Potions Master was glaring at Ron, when he felt a soft kiss on his cheek and the word, "Always," caressed into his ear. Merlin that woman's perfect, he thought, and he felt his trousers growing a little tighter as his cock twitched and grew in response to her seductive whisper. It caused him to adjust his stance slightly before he continued. "I will not tell you again, Weasley. Strip!" he barked, but was thinking, the things she does to me.

Turning back towards his quarry, he drew an irritated breath as he made a huge tub shimmer into view. "Mister Weasley, this will not get any easier for you if you keep stalling."

The redhead snorted and glared, pointing to Harry. "How 'bout him?"

Severus had had enough, raising his wand Ron stood before them naked. The redhead squealed like a little girl a grabbed for his crotch.

"I have different plans for Mister Potter," Severus stated smoothly, stifling a chuckle at the sight before him.

Ron's assertion of, "You really are bleedin' bonkers," was cut off by an unmistakable wolf-whistle and then a cat-call from the Astronomy Tower, making him cup his tackle tighter with both hands. "That's my bloody sister…" and horror dawned on his face. "Don't tell me she can see?"

"Fine, I won't tell you," Severus said dead-pan, and then twisted his lips in thought. Ignoring Harry's snort of amusement, the Potions Master's voice took on lecture mode. "Now, in order for the potion to work best for you, you need to be hot and sweaty," and he waved his wand making a lit path appear, he then disrobed Harry down to his trousers. "Sprint, both of you."

"Ah, fuckin hell," Ron groaned, "How come he gets to keep his pants?"

"I would get this underway if I were you, Weasley. The longer you dawdle the worse it will get."

As he turned to look at the path, he heard another squeal of laughter from the tower.

"He's got freckles on his bum!" It was Hermione this time.

"Geez, Lavender, do you ever get the urge to join the dots?" Ginny chimed in.

There was another peel of laughter as Ron's hands snapped behind him.

"Come on, Ronald, Harry's beating you," his sister teased further.

Thinking himself lucky to escape with his pants intact, Harry had already left.

Cursing loudly Ron finally ran off after him.

By this time Severus was seriously in need of a good laugh, but he forced himself to settle again when after some minutes he saw Harry returning. "In the tub," he demanded, removing his outer robes and jacket, as he pocketed his wand, and then rolled up his sleeves.

"As is?"

"Yes," Snape snapped, watching as Harry placed his wand, glasses, watch, trainers, and socks on the ground and climbed into the bluish liquid.

"Close your eyes, shut your mouth and hold your nose. I will submerge you until the incantation is complete," but Severus' expression softened a little seeing a look of panic on Harry's face, and he sighed. "That will be approximately forty-five seconds," he finished not unkindly.

xox

Watching the proceedings from above, Hermione wondered what had changed. Of course, it was entirely up to Severus' discretion as to how to treat them, but she was still curious.

Ginny was enjoying herself immensely, but Hermione thought that Lavender was being a little quiet.

Severus had just dunked Harry some minutes ago, but Ron hadn't appeared again yet. She was roused from her thoughts when a still slightly wet, but smiling, Harry appeared on the steps, a towel draped around his shoulders.

Ginny ran to him, greeting him enthusiastically. As she released his lips she said, "You smell wonderful," and she buried her nose in his chest inhaling deeply.

Hermione had to smile as Ginny wrapped herself around him like a lipid. She moved closer to Lavender to let them have their privacy, and she glanced over the parapet again. However, this time she saw Severus vanishing the vat of potion and calling his light to follow him back to the castle as Ron stalked off into the bushes towards the gate. "Where's Ron going?"

She was unaware she'd said it out loud until Lavender answered. "I'm sure he's gone to bed one of his many bimbos."

Hermione was so speechless, she spluttered, "What? I beg your pardon?"

"I guess I should share my news," Lavender said by way of answer. Hermione exclamation had attracted Harry and Ginny's attention as well.

"I'm leaving Ron," and she heard her friends gasp. "Over this past month I've discovered that he just can't keep his dick in his pants, and I'm sick of the way he treats me." She indicated the fact that he'd left without her now with her hand over the balcony. Then she smiled quietly. "Besides, I've had an offer to go to Madame Isabelle's School de Beauty in Paris. I'm leaving in two days."

Lavender looked excited, but Hermione was truly speechless, "But I thought you loved him," but even she realised how naive she sounded.

"I thought so too," Lavender smiled, and patted Hermione's arm. "But things change, and we have to change with them. He's been bedding other witches the whole time I was here at Hogwarts," she told them. Lavender watched as Severus climbed the last steps and placed his hands around Hermione's waist. "Look at you guys," the blonde witch said. "You've found your perfect matches, and I'm going off on an adventure. Maybe my mister right is waiting in Paris." But her smile was wistful. "We'll all catch up again soon. You girls will have to come over for a weekend yeah?" and she watched both Ginny and Hermione grin at one another and nod to her.

A little unsure of what he'd walked into Severus said, "I'm sorry, Miss Brown, Weasley has left."

"That doesn't surprise me, Professor, thank you for everything," and she started down the stairs. "Night all," she sing-songed as she skipped down them. However, she paused after four stairs and turned back around. "And also, I will be available for wedding makeup and hair anytime, just owl me," and she waggled her eyebrows.

Once she'd disappeared from view, Ginny shook herself. "Wow," she sighed. "That was unexpected. I thought Harry and I would have to sort my stupid brother out again."

Hermione nodded vaguely. "You mean this is not the first time?"

Harry chuckled. "It happens about once a week, but I'm pleased that this time she's decided not to be his door-mat."

"Yeah, you're up here in Scotland, all loved up, you don't see us often enough," Ginny said, waggling her eyebrows.

"Yes, we should catch up more," Harry added. Then he looked sheepish as he glanced at Ginny, before turning to Hermione. "Listen, I was a real prick to you at the graduation. I'm sorry

Ginny glanced at Harry and put her arm around him before she took a deep breath. "Perhaps we could meet both of you at The Three Broomsticks for dinner tomorrow night?"

"Yeah, we owe you both heaps," Harry added, still smiling, his arms around his witch.

Hermione glanced up at Severus who nodded.

"Sure, that would be nice," she replied.

"Great, we'll see you tomorrow. Would seven be convenient?" Harry asked disentangled himself from Ginny.

"That would be fine," Severus answered.

Harry smiled and walked over to Severus, offering his hand. "Thanks again, sir. I appreciate your help. In fact, I appreciate everything you've done for me, known and unknown."

Severus looked at the hand a moment; he wasn't a great one for shows of this kind, but it was good to hear the young man be thankful, and releasing Hermione he reached out and grasped it firmly. "You're welcome, Mister Potter."

Hermione and Ginny glanced at one another, and the former sighed. "Would the world end if you two tried, Severus and Harry?"

The men looked at their witches, and both of them had their hands on their hips watching them.

Severus smirked at Hermione and turned to Harry. "What do you think, Harry, is the ground shaking yet?"

"No, Severus, it feels quite stable to me," and he laughed. "We'll see you both tomorrow."

Hermione was inordinately proud of both of them; it must have been very difficult with their combined history, but they'd learnt some important things about each other tonight and overcome much of the awkwardness between them.

xox

When they were finally alone, Severus couldn't hold in his mirth any longer, and he broke up completely. Hermione conjured a love seat, and they collapsed into it cackling. This soon turned into full blown howling laughter, and by the time they'd stopped there were tears streaming down their faces.

Gasping for breath Hermione asked thoughtfully, "I wonder if Harry and Ginny made it down the drive way?" Severus looked at her while wiping his eyes. "I mean almost four weeks without sex. That must have been difficult."

"I suppose it's not important whether they did or didn't, as long as Hagrid doesn't mistake Potter's bare bum thrusting up and down in the bushes as a target with his cross bow," Severus stated seriously.

He wore a wry little smirk as he said it, which suddenly started to twitch, and then they gave in again and laughed uncontrollably once more.

However, this image caused another question to occur to Hermione as she grinned, remembering Ron's freckly backside. "Why did you strip Ron completely and not Harry?"

Still erupting with the occasional uncontrolled bark of laughter, Severus answered, "Well it became very clear to me on the way to the clearing that Ron was very quickly losing favour in all directions, and I wouldn't be doing a disservice if I sped that along a little."

He picked up Hermione's wine glass and took a mouthful to try and settle himself a bit. "Potter, however, showed great integrity on the way to his fate, and if we are going to socialise as friends, there is no way I wish the image of his dangly bits to invade my mind every time I see him."

Hermione laughed joyously but watched him as he drew his wand. "What are you up to, sneaky Slytherin?"

His eyebrow ascended smoothly, and he increased the light marginally. "You owe me for the cessation of your attentions earlier, my dear," and he watched her as she pretended to ponder what it could be that she owed him.

"Oh yes, I remember," she said finally, and looked on while he warded the entrance to the tower and erected a silencing spell. He then shot a cushioning charm in front of the love seat and looked at her expectantly.

"That was a lot of foolish wand waving, my darling," she scolded playfully and straddling his lap capturing his smirking lips in a passionate kiss. Saying against them after a moment, "I love you. Thank you for making such an effort with Harry, Severus."

The Potions Master smiled. "I love you also, and you're entirely welcome," and in one fluid wand movement he striped her. "Now on your knees, my princess," and he grinned as he gave her a playful slap on the rump while his eyes panned down her body.

Laughing, Hermione sank gracefully to her knees and into the comfort of his cushioning charm.

He watched her deftly extracting him from his trousers, and he hissed a breath of pleasure through his teeth as her small hands encircled his velvet covered steel, caressing him. Looking up to make certain he was watching, she moved her lips to her task.

Over the past month they had both become accustomed to the sounds and movements of each other's desire, and Hermione loved hearing her normally dour man become the passionate lover he was when he felt secure enough to drop his guard.

She'd lost none of her enthusiasm for the act of fellatio, and her groans of enjoyment as she pleasured him reverberated down his length. Combining all this with the feel of her mouth, and the fact that he'd been yearning for this release ever since that thrice damned note had arrived in his office hours before, Severus found himself easily tipping over the edge into bliss.

He grit his teeth as he attempted to draw out her ministrations to his person, but he knew it was a losing battle, especially when—on top of her lovely mouth caressing and sucking him—she added her soft hands again as well.

It was too much, and with a deep grunt of pleasure, he spilt himself into her mouth, very glad the seat was holding him up. "Beautiful," he sighed between heaving pants as he watched her make a display of swallowing his seed.

Hermione clambered back up onto his lap and wound her arms around him, holding him until he recovered. Slowly his hands and lips started to enflame her skin, gently at first and then as he recovered from his pleasure more intensely. Gently pushing her down on the seat he started devouring her body with his mouth and hands.

His attention made her moan loudly and open wider for him, and he took full advantage. His nose was full of her scent as his tongue worked. He heard her crying out in frustration as he kept avoiding the places he knew she wanted him, but finally he chuckled decadently and allowed his tongue to go where she wanted it.

"I can't get enough of you," he asserted, and reaching back he grasped her ankles and bent her knees up onto her body to open her up more to his attentions.

This caused an abandoned laugh to leave her lips, and then a deep moan when his attentions increased, and it made her grip wildly at the edge of the velvet seat to centre herself.

Severus seemed entirely intent on her pleasure, and suddenly she arched up and howled, shuddering as she exploded in sensation.

"Beautiful," he sighed, "I could watch that all day," and rising up over her, his eyes flickered shut in ecstasy as he guided his cock home.

This woman was perfect; everything from the way she cleaned her teeth to the way she felt around him right at this moment, and Severus could not have fathomed that he would know such perfection as this. He was home, and he revelled in it, as they moved in complete harmony with one another, and after a time dove into the abyss of delight together.

xox

Hermione stood in the doorway of the bedroom that she and Severus shared in a black silk corset and stocking, sans knickers. However, she was balancing on one leg.

"It's a pity that I ended up with only one red shoe. I liked them with this outfit," she commented to Severus

Severus' eyes were panning hungrily down her body as he sat in his favourite chair reading. He calmly marked his place and put his book down. He rose with his usual grace.

However, Hermione noted the prominent bulge in his low slung black pyjama pants that were visible through his open robe, and she smiled impishly, her eyes watching it as he walked towards her.

"Well it just so happens that I liked them too," and he picked up a box on his way. "Therefore, I bought you these."

"Oh, Severus," Hermione clapped. "Thank you," she said, lifting her bare foot as he squatted before her so he could place the shoe on her foot.

She watched him then kiss her ankle, her leg, the inside of her knee, and finally her thigh. He then inhaled deeply.

"Mmm," he intoned in his deep voice, and allowed his tongue to delve momentarily into her centre, but then glanced up at her and pulled away again. He placed her foot on the floor, and lifted the other one. He removed the shoe and placed the new one on it so she had a pair, but then he stood.

He pulled her into his arms, and kissed her deeply. "Dinner tonight seemed to be a success, and Potter appeared happy with the new memories we provide him with," he murmured between kisses.

"Yes, he did. It's a pity they confirmed rather than deny what you've already told him."

"Well, we couldn't change history for him."

"I don't know the Castle managed it for us," Hermione sighed, then laughed when Severus swept her up and carried her to the bed.

"Yes, and all because of one red shoe," and his lips silenced any more talk.

~FINIS~