Disclaimer: This dramatization is an extension of some of what happens during Harry, Ron, and Hermione's 6th year at Hogwarts. It also covers flashbacks to Snape's first year of teaching. Since J.K. Rowling is yet to publish the 6th book, I'm very vague about what is happening in the wizarding world since only J.K. Rowling can truly write anything about Harry Potter. This is highly likely to disagree with a few facts, but since it's me writing, and not the author, please forgive me any goofs that I might make in relevance to the actual series. Thank you for choosing to read my story.

Sorry it took so long (once again.) I was in serious contemplation of abandoning my story, when suddenly, low and behold! I had been given five more reviews! Anyway, here it is!

Gabriella looked about. Snape was still staring at her, curious about her last statement. She ignored him, instead studying the covers on his bed. She fingered the material, which was old and frayed.

"You haven't changed either you know."

"I am seventeen years older than when you last saw me. I have changed a great deal."

"Not really. You still keep your hair the same length, and you haven't changed you hygiene at all. You still have the same mannerisms; you like to stalk instead of just walking, you get fidgety when you're upset with me, and you still have a tendency to stare at people."

Snape looked away from Gabriella with a pained look on his face. Gabriella leaned forward, reaching for his hand. Snape recoiled quickly at her touch.

"I didn't mean it like that. I love you, and the way you do things. You know that."

"Gabriella, a lot changes in seventeen years. We shouldn't have these feelings for one another. It was wrong at the time, and it is worse now."

"What is so wrong with falling in love? I don't care that it's not exactly accepted for a student and a teacher to be together, but who cares if it's real?"

"You are still young. Eighteen is a good age, so why would you want to spend it with an old man like me?"

Gabriella leaned forward, taking Snape's face in her hands. She studied him intently, peering into his eyes and picking at his hair. She released his face and felt his arm, then poked him in the stomach. He pushed away her hand. Gabriella inched her way to the foot of the bed where Snape was sitting. She grabbed his hands with her own, holding them tenderly.

"I see no gray in your hair, your eyes are clear, and age has not made you at all fat. The only wrinkles you have is from all the scowling you do. Look at me! I don't think you're an old man at all. And I don't care what people think. Neither should you, if you love me as you say you do."

Snape looked intently at Gabriella. "You know how much I feel for you. Don't even think for a moment that I don't love you. I just want what is best for you. And yes, I have changed. More than you would guess."

"Do you still like your pumpkin juice spiked with butterbeer?"

"Yes, but-"

"Do you still scare your students?"

"Well, I suppose-"

"And you still love me?"

"Of course!"

"Then how have you changed?"

"There is more to me than pumpkin juice and students! Look at my arm!" Snape bared his left arm to the elbow, revealing an ugly tattoo.

"So you got a tattoo. I don't like it, but what does that matter in the big picture?"

"It matters a great deal. This tattoo represents my behavior as a death eater!"

Gabriella paused for a moment. "So?"

"Gabriella, this means that I worked for he-who-must-not-be-named!"

"Who is that?"

Snape looked about somewhat nervously. In a hoarse whisper he said a name. "Voldemort."

"And who is that? Remember, I haven't been around for fifteen years."

"He is the one who has been killing so many. He threw our entire world into chaos. And I worked for him."

"Why? That doesn't sound like you."

"At first it was because I was angry. I suppose I blamed you for it. Now I'm a spy for Dumbledore."

"Well than why does it matter? You're still you, and that's all that matters to me."

Snape sighed, bringing Gabriella's hands to his lips. "You don't understand. I helped kill people and spread the chaos."

"And now you're helping Dumbledore. I still don't see how you've changed. You still love to collect dead things and all in all you are the same person. You're still the person I love."

Snape laid backwards onto the bed. "What are the students going to say? They must know that you're here. They were swarming at the door to the hospital when you were in there."

"How do they know that I even exist? None of them were here when I went to school."

"Someone saw the day you left in my pensive. Rumors had been circulating ever since, and McGonagall finally told everyone about you."

"Ah. How were you fooled into letting someone see your memories? You were always to cautious."

"I left the room on what I thought was urgent business. I didn't think to worry about the student prying into my past."

Gabriella creased her brow, worried. "How much did he see? If I recall, that wasn't exactly the easiest of partings. In fact, I think you tried to knock me unconscious." She smiled wanly.

Snape began to fidget. "You can hardly blame me for trying to stop you. By all appearances you had gone mad. And to you previous question, he only saw enough to believe that I was attacking you. That is what most of the school thinks, that I was trying to kill you."

"Well that's ridiculous! Why didn't you just tell everyone?"

"Because my colleagues would be disgusted with me. It would undermine the staff and authority of this school. And apart from all of that I have never been one to speak of my relationships."

"So it's better to think that you killed the one you love?"

Snape did not answer.

"Well, as soon as I'm well we'll go and talk to Dumbledore about all of this. Then we can tell all of the school together."

Snape turned to Gabriella with an unexpected mistiness in his eyes. "I will do so under one condition. I hope that we will be able to tell them together, as a couple."

Gabriella's frame became suddenly stiff and her heart began to beat faster. "Severus, do you mean-"

"Yes I do." Snape stood and strode to an old wooden desk on the other side of his room. He dug through a drawer that creaked from lack of use, pulling from it a small black casing. He returned to the foot of the bed and kneeled before the silent Gabriella.

"I meant to ask you this a long time ago, after your graduation. I had bought this in preparation for that day. I don't want to lose you again, so I feel that it is crucial to ask you now." He opened the case, revealing a ring made of two bands, one of silver and one of gold, that delicately intertwined and were set with tiny, star-like diamonds. Gabriella gasped and looked once again to her lover.

"Gabriella Gisaf, would you honor me and become Mrs. Severus Snape?" He took her hand in his own.

"Will you marry me?"

Thank you to everyone who took the time to review my story. I apologize for how long it took to get another chapter up, but thank you for your patience. I seem to have hit an inspirational role with my story telling, so you might see even more soon! YAY!  Thanks again, especially to KiwiWannabe and Iverin/Canibal Chicken/Daisy's Dream (who are all the same person) and Hermy; my three reviewers! YAY!