A/N: Happy Wednesday, everyone:) Sorry this is so much later than normal, but a few relatives came down today because this time tomorrow, I'll be a high school graduate! Anyway, I hope you like this one; it's a bit slow like the last one, but I have a surprise for you in my second note (don't skip ahead just to see what it is- that's cheating!).

Don't be ridiculous, Severus. I'm sure Neville will be just fine; you know as well as I do that, while he is absolutely dismal in Potions, he excels in Herbology.

That's beside the point, and I'd really rather have Pomona do it.

I still don't see what the big deal is, but I'm willing to compromise.

Oh?

Why don't we just ask both of them? If you think about it, it will probably be better that way.

How so?

Think about it. They are both very skilled and they work well together, so you know whatever they come up with will be lovely. And, this way, we don't hurt feelings by asking one over the other.

You and your Gryffindor sentimentality. Fine, we'll ask them both. Surely Longbottom can't screw this up if Pomona is with him.

Thank you, Severus.

Don't thank me just yet; there are still four-and-a-half months left, and I could still hex him at any time.

I know, I know. Can you believe there's so little time left? And my apprenticeship is over in… nine hours and thirteen minutes. This year's gone by so quickly!

It is passing us by rather swiftly, isn't it?

Yes, it is, and I'm glad. I'm ready to be your wife, Severus.

And I'm ready to have you, but I'm sure we'll manage to wait until it's time.

We don't have much choice, do we? To be fair, I really shouldn't be complaining; I'm the one who picked the date. Oh, well. If time keeps going this fast, it will be- damn it, McBride! Another cauldron ruined. I have to go clean this up. See you at dinner?

Of course. Have fun with your very own Longbottom.

Pulling her hand from her neck, Hermione rolled her eyes. Severus had been sure to tease her about McBride endlessly once she'd realized that he was as bad in Potions as her friend, if not worse. Unlike Neville, however, McBride's issue had absolutely nothing to do with being afraid of his professor- not that this had been Neville's only problem, but it was certainly the biggest. Samuel just didn't have an affinity for the subject; he almost seemed to repel it. Neville, at least, could read the book and have some understanding of what should happen, even if he so rarely achieved the desired results.

Somehow, though, she'd just convinced Severus to let Neville help Pomona carry out his creative vision. He had been sitting next to her with a book on his lap when he looked up and closed the book before it fell to the floor. Startled, Hermione had turned to face him in time to see the gentle smile that was gracing his face. Before she could ask what was going on, he'd summoned a parchment and quill and begun to draw- a skill she had only recently discovered he'd possessed; when she'd asked, he had explained that it helped to be able to draw potions ingredients so he had a reference when he searched, especially because so many were so similar and it could be difficult to keep them all straight. As he sketched, she hadn't been able to tear her gaze away; his hands were incredibly graceful, and she could watch them do just about anything without getting bored. When he finished, he just stared down at his work before handing it to her wordlessly. It was stunning.

It was their place on the grounds and, wrapped around the two trees at the front of the semi-circle, were flowers that they'd planned to use in the wedding. They wound up the trunks a considerable distance before forming an arch over the opening to the niche- it was their altar.

"Severus, this is absolutely lovely!"

He'd looked pleased with himself as he nodded, and it had taken them three days to reach this compromise. It was quite obvious, really, but they were both unbelievably stubborn.

Now, she was vanishing a cauldron and trying to help poor Samuel understand what had gone wrong this time. It took a few minutes, but she eventually got through to him before class ended. Thankfully, it was her last lesson of the day, so she could sit in her office and mark papers in peace.

There weren't many, and she finished sooner than she'd anticipated. Sitting in the quiet office with nothing else to do seemed pointless, so she left a note on her door saying that she was unavailable for the rest of the evening and went to their rooms. She threw herself unceremoniously down on the couch and felt herself drifting off before she was even comfortable.

After his last lesson, Severus went to Hermione's classroom, desperately needing to see her after that terrible class with the fourth year Gryffindors and Slytherins. While things were improving between all the Houses, tensions were still high between these two, and it was draining.

Reaching her door, he saw the note and smirked. His witch really didn't need to be in the office anyway- Horace was still technically in charge, even if he passed all of his responsibilities onto Hermione. It wasn't yet her job to stay cooped up in the small room for countless hours, ready for students that never came.

He turned on his heel and made the short trip to their quarters, and chuckled under his breath when he saw Hermione asleep on the floor- no doubt she'd started on the couch and had fallen off at some point. Not wanting to wake her, he levitated her to their bedroom, tucking her in before going back to the sitting room to read.

The quiet was welcome, and he summoned Tinky for tea as he settled in. Severus usually would have made his own, but needed some time to sit and do nothing; he was tired. He was happy, though. Tomorrow marked a year of their engagement, and their wedding seemed to be hurtling towards them. It was strange to think about- he'd given up hope of no longer being alone during the war, and now he was going to be married in a few months, and to the insufferable know-it-all he'd come to know and love.

Severus smiled and quieted his mind so he could focus on the thick tome in his lap, and soon lost himself in the words on the pages. He didn't know how long he sat there, but he didn't look up until the pages turned orange. Confused, he focused back on the book, only to see that it wasn't a book he was looking at, but Crookshanks. He had curled up on the book spread open on Severus' lap, and was purring contentedly. Not having the heart to move him, Severus leaned back into the couch and closed his eyes- he must have been reading longer than he thought; very rarely were his eyes this tired.

Petting the half-kneazle absentmindedly, Severus felt himself beginning to drift off. Not wanting to end up like his witch, he sighed and opened his eyes before scooping the cat into his arms and carrying him to the bedroom. He would never tell Hermione, but he had developed a soft spot for his witch's familiar, and it felt wrong to leave him by himself. Climbing into bed, careful not to disturb Hermione, Severus smiled when he felt Crookshanks curl up between them. It was only after he heard the cat start purring that Severus allowed his heavy lids to droop and he succumbed to sleep.

The sun was out, warming the back of Severus' neck as he stood under the trees. He was facing the lake, watching the sun reflect off the surface, which reminded him of their trip to Florida last year. Then he couldn't believe it had been so long already.

Severus was pulled from his musings as the crowd rose, turning to face the aisle. She came out from behind the trees, and he couldn't believe how beautiful his witch was. Her hair hung in waves, and she wore a crown of baby's breath. Her dress was simple, but beautiful, tight at the bust and waist before flaring out in a cascade of ruffles. She was beaming as she made her way towards him, and he gave her a soft smile before everything changed.

The sun vanished, only to be replaced by a cold, dark room Severus knew well. In the center of the room, still dressed for her wedding, was Hermione. Surrounding her were robed figures in silver masks, and Severus knew what this was. It was a revel.

As this thought struck him, his witch cried out in agony as she was hit with a Cruciatus from Bella. Severus tried to run to Hermione, but he couldn't move. All he could do was raise his wand to the psychotic bitch that was Bellatrix Lestrange and murmur a stunner, but nothing happened. He tried as many spells as he could think of, but his magic wouldn't work.

Unable to do anything, Severus had to watch in horror as Hermione fell to the floor, only for three of his 'brothers' to approach her. With a flick of somebody's wrist, his witch lay naked on the stone floor, and he knew what was coming. He couldn't watch this, he couldn't listen to it, but if he tried to hide, his cover would be blown. Resigned, Severus watched as she was violated again and again, and he was very close to losing the battle with his stomach.

Just when he thought it couldn't get any worse, the Dark Lord himself entered the room and looked appraisingly at the witch on the floor. A malicious smile crossed his features, and Severus mentally gasped. Very rarely did Voldemort behave in such depraved activities, but when he did, it was… there weren't even words to describe it, but it left even the most loyal of the Death Eaters feeling uneasy.

Severus could see that Hermione was still alive, but he worried that it wouldn't be for long. Voldemort knelt down and began rubbing his hands over her soft skin, and Severus couldn't help but cringe. Thankful that the Dark Lord's attention had been elsewhere, he swallowed audibly as his witch was forced up and led over to the wall. Severus couldn't ignore her limp, and anger was rising in him faster than it ever had before. He finally had something good in his life, and now he had to watch as it was taken from him.

Under his mask, Severus felt silent tears begin to fall. Now that Voldemort had his back turned, Severus closed his eyes as he listened to what was being done to Hermione, and each whimper and scream cut at him like a knife. When he heard the 'thump' of her still body hitting the floor, he brought his head back up and tried not to show any emotion. The Dark Lord and the Death Eaters filed out of the room, leaving Severus alone with Hermione.

Blood was pooling around her, and he wanted, needed, to go to her, but he still couldn't move. Calling out to her, Severus cried out in despair as his witch lied dying right in front of him.

When he was finally able to reach her, she was cold and pale, and she wasn't breathing. Running every diagnostic and healing spell he knew, Severus pulled her limp body to his chest and allowed the silent sobs to wrack his body as he mourned the loss of his Hermione.

"Severus! It's okay, it's okay, wake up, love. It was just a dream; you're alright now. I'm here. Everything's okay."

Warm fingers were brushing his hair from his face, and Severus was slowly pulled back into consciousness. Images from his nightmare flashed before him, and the pain and anger rose in him again until he realized that he wasn't at a revel. He was in bed, at Hogwarts, with Hermione, who was very much alive. She was safe.

The hands that had been running through his hair moved to his cheeks, gently wiping away tears he hadn't known he'd shed.

Hermione pulled him to her, hugging him tightly against her chest. Severus wrapped his arms around his witch and held on for dear life, needing reassurance that this wouldn't change as suddenly as his nightmare had. As he regained control of his breathing, he became aware of the deft fingers that had returned to his hair, brushing it back. She was kissing the top of his head in between consoling murmurs, and Severus focused on what she was saying. He was eventually able to pull himself away from her, and he threw himself back onto his side of the bed.

"Severus, sit up."

He merely turned his head towards her and raised an eyebrow, and was surprised to see her holding two mugs; he hadn't even heard her call for them.

"Well? You can't exactly drink it lying down, can you?"

Smirking at her insistence, Severus did as she asked. The warmth of the cup being pressed into his palm helped to anchor him, and he gave her a small, grateful smile. She reached across the bed and took his unoccupied hand.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Severus shook his head. "Not now; in the morning."

She laughed lightly. "I hate to break it to you, but it is morning. We made an early night of it, didn't we?"

"That we did. What time is it, then?"

"Just after two. You know what else? My apprenticeship is over. I'm a Potions Mistress now!"

Setting his mug on the bedside table, Severus pulled Hermione to him carefully- he didn't want tea to spill all over him- and kissed her chastely, only for her to kiss him again. Somewhere along the line, she vanished her drink and moved to straddle him. Pulling back just enough to look into his eyes, Hermione smiled.

"We've got an early morning tomorrow; we should probably go back to sleep. Are you alright?"

With a sigh, Severus nodded. "I'm fine, but I don't think I'll get any more sleep. I'll read for a while, but you should try to rest. I'm afraid you were rather restless earlier."

"Was I? All I remember is sitting… Oh, thank you for bringing me to bed, by the way. I didn't kick you or anything, did I?"

Severus chuckled. "No, but when I came home, you had fallen onto the floor."

"Hmm... that would explain this sore spot on my arm, wouldn't it?"

"It certainly would. Do you need bruise paste?"

"I'm not sure. I'll let you know later if I need it; if there'll be a bruise, it hasn't shown up yet."

"All right. Now, go to sleep, Mistress Granger."

"Goodnight, Severus. I love you," she said as she laid down with her head pressed against his side.

"And I, you, Hermione."

But, as he looked down, he realized that his reply had fallen on deaf ears- Hermione was already asleep again. Brushing an errant curl off of her forehead, Severus grabbed the book he'd been reading earlier and read the rest of the morning away.

"May I have your attention, please?"

Dumbledore paused, letting silence fall over the Great Hall. He smiled kindly at all of the young witches and wizards looking up at him, wondering what was going on.

"Thank you. I have good news to share with you all this morning. As of today, our own Hermione Granger's Potions apprenticeship comes to an end, and she is now a Potions Mistress!"

He looked behind him, gesturing for the young witch to rise. Blushing, she did so, and Albus was pleased to note that not once did she let go of Severus' hand.

"Now, as you all are aware, Mistress Granger has achieved much in the past three years of her apprenticeship. Not only did she finish studying her curriculum nearly three months prior to today, but she- with the help of Professor Snape- created a potion that makes the Unforgivables completely ineffective for a full twenty-four hours. I'm sure that this is only the first of many accomplishments yet to come.

"I have heard many speculations that Mistress Granger will now be replacing Professor Slughorn in Potions. Professor Slughorn has spent much of his life at Hogwarts, and he feels it is time for him to move on. He will be going back into retirement at the end of this school year, and Mistress Granger will take over in September as our new Potions professor.

"With all of that said, please join me in congratulating Mistress Granger on all she has achieved!"

Hermione, who had long since sat back down, was floored. The entire room broke out in applause, and she felt tears welling up. She hated being the center of attention like this, but knowing that they were all supporting her and that they would welcome her as a professor next year felt incredible. As she held the tears back, though, she felt her cheeks burning. Oh well- it was better than crying in front of everybody.

When she turned to look at Severus, he was already facing her with her favorite little smile that usually snuck onto his face when he was trying to remain indifferent or stoic while hiding how happy he really was.

"Congratulations, Mistress Granger," he said. Hermione couldn't help but grin when she saw his love and pride for her in his eyes.

"Thank you, Master Snape," she replied, giving the hand she held a gentle squeeze.

Neither knew how long they sat smiling at each other, but by the time they looked back to their plates, the students had gone back to whatever conversations they'd been having before the headmaster's announcement. Hermione glanced back at Severus and caught his eye before excusing herself. He was right behind her and caught up quickly, taking her hand in his. Severus let her lead the way, and they didn't walk that far before she stopped suddenly, causing him to nearly run into her. Before he could say anything, she pulled him to her and kissed him softly, wrapping her arms around his neck and weaving her fingers through his hair.

His lips were just as gentle on hers as he held her around the waist. In that moment, they weren't in a school full of students and teachers. They weren't in a country, on a planet, with countless others. No, Severus and Hermione were in a world all their own, and they were completely lost in each other. Nothing else, nobody else mattered. It was only the two of them.

When they pulled away for air, it was only enough for their foreheads to rest against each other.

"What was that for?"

She smiled. "I just felt like it."

His only response was to smirk and raise an eyebrow, earning a laugh and a playful slap on the arm.

"We have to go; classes start soon."

"I don't want to," she murmured.

"I know," he said, bringing his hand up to cup her face. "But we still have to."

Hermione heaved a melodramatic sigh, kissed Severus on the cheek, and pulled away. "I love you, Severus."

He reached out and took her hand again, pulling her in for another kiss. "I love you, Hermione."

The rest of term passed quickly, the holidays came and went, winter faded into spring, and Severus and Hermione were curled up on the couch when a silvery stag bound into their sitting room.

"Ginny's gone into labor, and she's asking for you, 'Mione. She said to bring Severus, too. Hurry, she's really cursing up a storm, and I'm afraid she's going to hex somebody soon."

They could only stare at the spot where the stag had just been for a moment before Hermione jumped off the couch, tugging Severus along behind her.

"Oh, Severus, I'm so happy for them! Come on, we have to go!"

As reluctant as he was, he couldn't deny her when she was this excited. He sighed and allowed her to pull him to the fireplace so they could floo to St. Mungo's.

Harry was waiting for them in the waiting room, and his relief was evident. He pulled Hermione in for a quick hug before releasing her and leading them to Ginny's room.

"Thank Merlin you got here so quickly; she's kind of scaring me. She'll be glad you came, though… I think."

"Well, we're about to find out, aren't we?"

Harry laughed. "Yeah, we are. She's in here," he said, gesturing for them to follow him in.

"Hey, Gin. I brought 'Mione and Severus like you asked. How are you feeling?"

Nobody could tell if she heard his question- it was drowned out by an impressive string of curses.

"Creative, isn't she?" Severus whispered to Hermione.

"You have no idea," she grinned.

Once Ginny had gotten it all out of her system, she turned to look at her visitors.

"'Mione, come here," she panted.

Hermione looked to Severus before moving to Ginny's side, leaving him with Harry by the door. The younger wizard so he was between Severus and the door before turning to the dark wizard on his left.

"This is a safe place to be when she gets really scary," he whispered conspiratorially.

"You mean it gets worse?"

"Oh, yeah."

Severus could only look at Hermione and pray to whatever deities were listening that she wouldn't be as terrifying when the time came.

Quiet as the two wizards were trying to be, Hermione still heard every word. She smirked as she sat on the edge of Ginny's bed.

"Hey, Ginny. I'd ask how you're doing, but I'm afraid you'd hex me."

"Ha, ha. I'm fine, these contractions just hurt like hell and my husband keeps finding excuses to leave the room. I think I'm scaring him to death."

"I think you're probably right. Is that why you asked for us?"

"Partly. That reminds me, though," she said as she turned to face the men.

"Severus, get over here."

Normally, nobody ever got away with speaking to him that way- except Hermione, but even that was rare- but he didn't really want to argue with the witch. So, he moved so he was standing next to Hermione, not missing the moment Harry glanced between his wife and the door before following.

"Okay, good. I didn't think that would actually work. Harry and I decided that we want you two to be the godparents. Will you do it?"

Severus was shocked. They- the Potters- wanted him as their child's godfather? Hell must have finally frozen over.

Then he noticed that Hermione was looking at him, silently asking him what he wanted. He was in such a state of disbelief that he wasn't sure what his response was, but he must have agreed.

"Of course, we'd be honored!"

Ginny nodded and some of the color seemed to return to Harry's face now that his wife was slightly more like herself for the time being.

A Healer entered the room then, checked Ginny, and ushered Severus and Hermione out of the room. They decided to stay and wait for any news, and they hadn't been there for long when Harry came back out to find them with a smile that was bigger than either of them had ever seen it. Hermione and Severus rose when he approached, and were amused to find that he was almost bouncing in his excitement.

"It's a boy! Come on, you've got to meet him!"

With that, he grabbed Hermione's arm and pulled her behind him, seemingly unaware of the fact that she and Severus were holding hands. Hermione squeezed his fingers, and was glad when he squeezed back. When they reached their destination, Ginny was holding the newborn and smiling down at him, only looking up when her husband tripped over his own two feet on his way in, nearly bringing the others down with him before he caught himself. She only laughed at him before turning her gaze to Severus and Hermione.

"Come hold him," she said, motioning for them to come over. They moved to her side, Hermione sitting on the edge of the bed with Severus standing next to her like he'd done earlier. He watched as Ginny handed her son over to Hermione, and watched her face transform as she held him in her arms. Her eyes were warm and tender as she gazed down at her godson, and Severus found himself curious to see how different it would be when she held their child rather than the Potters'.

"What's his name?" she asked.

"James," Harry replied. "James Sirius Potter."

Not allowing himself to sneer at the name, Severus could feel that he was being watched. Tearing his gaze from Hermione, he glanced up to see Harry looking at him as if he was worried that Severus would be upset about the name, but was surprised to find that it really didn't bother him. Nodding at the younger wizard, he tore his gaze away.

During his silent exchange with Harry, he'd missed whatever conversation the witches were having, but Hermione had handed James back to his mother and was rising to leave.

"Come on, Severus. I think we should let them have some time together," she murmured. Severus eagerly agreed and, with a quiet goodbye, led his witch back to the fireplace so they could return home.

The rest of March and most of April passed by quickly, and before anyone knew it, it was the twenty-fifth of April. Hermione was sprawled across Minerva's guest bed with Ginny and Luna, who had taken some time out of her trip to the Galapagos (she was on the search for the Crumple-Horned Snorkack). Part of Hermione couldn't help but wish she were with Severus, but Molly and Minerva wouldn't hear of it. So, Hermione found herself having a sleepover in the Transfiguration Mistress' quarters with her friends, who would help Molly and Fleur get Hermione ready the next day.

The young witches hadn't all been together in years, and they caught up on everything from Luna's time in South America, to how Ginny was taking to motherhood, and to Hermione's impending nuptials. It was a peaceful evening overall, and Hermione was forced to bed early so she'd be ready for her big day. She was able to drift off sooner than she thought she would as she let thoughts of her wizard lull her to sleep.

A/N II: Alright, well, since you guys have been with me for so long already, I figured I could give you a little taste of our last chapter before the epilogue:

"Thank you all for coming tonight, April twenty-sixth, two-thousand- two, to witness the joining of our very own Severus Snape and Hermione Granger."

It's almost here! I'll see y'all next week:)