Dear Readers,

This chapter may seem kind of hurried but I didn't know how else to do this part where he gets out of Azkaban. I wanted something that was emotional for Hermione and Snape but something that would clear the way for me to start writing on how Ron and Harry are going to react to finding out about their relationship so please bare with me on this and keep the reviews coming. I love to hear from you. I also wanted to know if anyone else who writes these specific kind of fanfic's felt like at first that you were writing something so incredibly wrong but it was the best thing you've ever written because that's how I feel. I know that the two of them are never going to get together but I really enjoy writing this and it's possibly the best piece I've ever written. It's kind of weird I know but keep the reviews coming and let me know what you think.

-KC

P.S. I don't own the Harry Potter characters but wouldn't that be so cool? I didn't mention that in the first chapter so I thought I'd mention it now. Not that it matters of anything. I'm just doing like everyone else and borrowing them for a while for my own amusement.

Chapter 3: OUT!!

Hermione walked through the front doors of Azkaban prison and up to the guard who stood at the station.

"Hello, I'm here to see a prisoner, Severus Snape." The guard unrolled a roll of parchment and scanned the list of imprisoned persons. She waited patient. She'd learned as an Auror that being impatient got you in trouble.

"Are you here to pick him up?" Hermione blinked and shook her head. What the hell was he talked about.

"What? Why would I be picking him up?" The guard looked at her as if she had just spoken in parcel tongue.

"He'd being released." Hermione felt her breathing shallow and her heart nearly stopped beating. They were letting him out. But she thought they had given him a life sentence. Was this some kind of cruel joke?

"Are you sure?" The guard gave her an annoyed look and nodded as a door to her left opened and out stepped the man of her dreams.

They started at each other for a moment, neither spoke or moved. Hermione's mind raced as she looked at him, he had changed so little. His face still looked the same, eye still dark and skin still pale. Slowly she walked toward him watching him as she did. He followed her every movement never taking his eyes off her for a moment. She felt his gaze like a touch, he made no secret of the fact he appreciated every single curve she had gained over the past few years. He left his gaze roam freely over her body, simply watching how her body had changed.

When she stood in front of him, only inches separating them, he smiled at her and reached for her hand. A shock of electric shot up her arm and down to pool hot between her legs. Even after three years he could still turn her to mush with a single touch.

"Hello love." He said his voice sounding the same as it had last night in her dream. She felt hot tears well in her eyes and forced a breath out of her and quickly drew one back in. She smiled up at him and blinked, tears falling in small streams down her cheeks.

"Hello Severus." She said and before she had time to think or react he swept her up into his arms and swirled her around kissing her passionately. The guard who had been watching them turned away quickly and hurried off down the hall to give the two of them some privacy. He obviously didn't want to be a witness to anything intimate between the two of them.

"Are they really letting you out?" She asked when he sat her back on her feet and laid his forehead against hers. He nodded and captured her lips again.

"Yes, the Minister came yesterday and told me I could have my freedom in exchange for information. I couldn't stop myself from giving them what they wanted. They were going to give me back my life and all I had to do was tell them what I knew. It's quite a deal actually." Hermione buried her head against his chest and wrapped her arms around him. She was getting the man she loved back. It was the most amazing felling in the world.

"I can hardly believe you're real." She pulled back and looked at him. He had changed so little, there was not a line on his face that she didn't recognize or a sparkle in his eye that she hadn't seen before. "I dreamed about you so often. I always relived that night with you at Hogwarts. After what happened…you know, with Dumbledore, I tried to put you and that night out of my mind but it just wouldn't go away. I didn't want it to. I loved you so much and I still love you. Oh God, I can't believe I'm saying this to you." She buried her head against his chest again and snuggled against him. God, it felt so good to hold him after all these years.

"I know love; it feels so good to hear you say it though. I've been waiting for you to say that for so long. And to hear it now, when everything is going to be okay, it makes my heart beat again." He placed her hand over his heart and pulled back to look down at her. She was so beautiful he wanted to cry. "Feel, that. It's my heart beating for you." Tears came pouring down her cheeks again and she pressed a kiss to his lips.

"I didn't think I'd ever get the chance to be held by you again." She whispered laying her forehead against his and breathing him in.

"I didn't think I'd ever get the chance to hold you again. It scared the hell out of me." She laughed and pulled back taking a hold of his hand she began to pull him toward the door.

"Come on lets get out of here." She suggested as they reached the threshold and he pulled her back around. His face suddenly very serious.

"Hermione, I know things are never going to be okay, between us but I want to try for at least half way normal. I know that I've done some terrible things in the past and that…" Hermione laid a finger over his mouth and shook her head.

"It doesn't matter Severus. What's in the past is in the past. I don't want to go back to the way we were, I want to have an open relationship with you, one that I can tell my family and friends about. Granted that Harry and Ron probably aren't going to be that thrilled about it but at this moment I really don't care. I have you back and that's all I need, all I'll ever need in the whole world." This time tears did cloud his eyes and she felt her heart squeeze at the sight.

"I don't deserve the happiness you can give me." He said bringing her hand up to his lips and kissing her knuckles one at a time. Hermione shivered but remained standing upright.

"You deserve all the happiness the world can give you." Standing on tiptoe she pressed a kiss to his cheek and pulled back jerking her head toward the door. He nodded and they started off out the door again, hand in hand.

TBC

Short I know but I promise chapter 4 will be up before long.

-KC