A/N: I own nothing! Kinda short but it is what it is! Longer next time I promise.
In the morning, Hermione was dressed and ready to begin Snape's physical therapy for the day. She looked at him brightly and he replied to it in his usual snarky tone.
"Well, aren't you just a happy witch this morning."
She didn't let it bother her. She helped him up and they began to walk around the castle. He noticed how well the castle looked and asked her if it was ready. She said that they would be able to re-open their doors as soon as the winter term starts. He looked at her and asked her what she would be doing. And she began to tell him of her plan.
Severus looked at her shocked. She was going to take her NEWTS and become the new Charms professor? He thought to himself. She was no longer his student. He raised his eyebrows. She was silent.
Contemplating what to say next, she finally gave up and asked him what was weighing on her mind. "Are you going to be staying on?" She looked up at his face, hopefully.
Severus shrugged his shoulders. He wasn't completely sure yet. He was just now feeling steady on his feet, not to mention his mind, was he really up to dealing with imbeciles and the dunderheads again? Part of him knew what his answer was to be, but he would wait.
They continued to walk in silence as they reached the front doors of the castle. She looked at him, again, and he nodded and she opened the doors. He stepped out into the sunlight; it warmed him to the bones and was speechless at what he saw. The last time he stepped outside those doors, it was dark and he felt that it would forever be dark in his world. He was given another chance. He looked down to Hermione. She perked her lips upwards slightly and they began their trek towards the lake.
Once they reached the lake, Hermione walked over to the trees and Severus followed. She dug into her bag. She pulled out a tiny blanket and a tiny basket as she set the blanket down she turned to Severus and asked him to enlarge it for her, while she enlarged the basket. He raised an eyebrow but obliged and they both sat down. They began eating the sandwiches that Hermione had gotten them from the kitchen and Severus began to watch her. He was doing this a lot lately. He let his mind wander back to last night and wondered if she said was the truth.
He inhaled deeply before he began to speak. "Did you mean what you said last night," Severus asked.
She looked at him sheepishly. Then with courage she spoke, "Snape, you should look, you will not completely take my word for it unless you see for yourself."
He thought for a moment and then he nodded.
"Legilimens" Severus whispered. Piece by piece Hermione brought to the forefront of her mind just what she thought of the man sitting in front of her. It started in her 6th year as a crush and slowly progressed from there. It showed her feeling like her heart was ripped from her when they had found out that he had killed the headmaster, she, also, felt like she couldn't bring herself to believe it. Then it showed, while in the shrieking shack, just how she truly felt for the wizard. She did care deeply for him; she even had felt that she was falling in love with him as she cared for the man over the last few months in the infirmary. Severus jaw gaped slightly. He had absolutely no idea she felt this way, that she could feel this way about him. He pulled himself from her mind and took a bite from his sandwich. They remained quiet for several minutes.
She waited patiently for him to gather his thoughts.
"I am not a good man, Hermione. I have done things that you cannot even begin to understand. I am a hard man. You have seen the way I am. I do not know if I will ever change."
Hermione bit her lip. She was not sure where to start but she sighed and started to speak.
"Severus, if I may call you Severus…" He motioned for her to go on. "I cannot begin to fathom what kind of man you were exactly when you were a death eater. I, also, cannot imagine the things that you had to witness and do for that foul monster. However, I do know that you made a choice a long time ago to work for the side of light. That is the man that has a future and that is the man that I want to know more about. I know that it will not be easy, I know how cruel you can be, but surely you can see where we need to try this, don't you? Yes, I may not have fought in this world as long as you but I have fought. I have suffered through things I never thought imaginable. I am a broken woman, as you are a broken man, but I do think that this is worth a shot. We could be there for each other. I am not proposing marriage, but I am proposing a chance."
He sucked in a breath. She refused to break eye contact with him. He felt vulnerable, an emotion he had not had to deal with in a very long time. He wanted to be with her, even if it was just friends at first. He liked her company, her wit, and her intelligence was intoxicating. He would try, for her. He looked over toward her hand and gently took it and brought it up to his lips and for a moment they both could feel a spark of something magical flow through them.
Caught slightly off guard with the pulse radiating through him, Severus whispered, "I will try, for you."