It had been six months to the day that Hermione Granger had brought him back to life. He spent the time living with Hermione in her small flat just outside Diagon Alley as he read and read and tried to catch up on the last ten years.

He learned the Minerva was now Headmistress at Hogwarts, and that so many had died in the war. Harry Potter had married Ginny Weasley and they had a couple children. Ron Weasley was a Quittitch coach after injuring himself last year and was engaged to a young witch that he had met while traveling. Severus even was able to read about himself.

He was mentioned in several history books and was even part of a series of novels that someone had written about Harry Potter. It was hard to see that someone like him was considered so important that they were included in the fall of the Dark Lord.

He stayed with Hermione because she had insisted that if something went wrong she needed to be by to help. It had been six months and nothing had changed. Hermione had given him a clean bill of health a week ago, but he had yet to leave. He didn't want to leave.

She lived alone and didn't seem to have any boyfriends, at least that he knew of. The only people who visited during his time here were Harry and Minerva.

Harry was shocked to find his potions professor alive and sitting in Hermione's living room. The boy-who-lived stared at him and then started to scream like a little girl that Hermione had a ghost in her living room.

After Hermione calmly explained what had happened Harry still looked at Snape suspiciously and even poked him once to make sure he wasn't intangible. To say Snape wasn't happy about it would be an understatement, but for Hermione's sake he kept quiet.

The woman had saved him, for no other reason than she needed to do so. She didn't do it because someone told her to, she didn't do it because threatened her, she did it for her, she did it for him.

Snape slept on the couch, actually he was just laying there looking up at the ceiling. She hadn't questioned why he hadn't left yet. She didn't even seem to think about it. She just left things the way they were. They worked together, brewing potions, reading, even cooking dinner together from time to time. Snape found he enjoyed the time he was spending with her.

Snape had waited for her to go to bed before changing and turning in himself. As tired as he was, sleep wouldn't come.

Then he thought he heard someone crying. He sat up and listened carefully. Someone was definably crying, he was sure of it. He stood up in just his pajama bottoms and softly walked down the small hallway to Hermione's room and pressed his ear to the door. Hermione was crying.

Slowly he opened the door, he didn't want to scare her and have her hex him before realizing what she had done. He didn't want her to feel guilty for hurting him, and he knew she would.

The door opened slowly and Snape entered and shut it behind him just as quietly. The girl on the bed didn't seem to notice his entrance. She continued to weep softly, so softly that he was surprised he heard it at all.

He walked over to her and touched her on the shoulder. "Hermione?" he whispered. She didn't answer. He gently shook her and said her name again. She groaned before rolling over towards him.

Her cheeks were stained from her tears, but her eyes were closed. She was crying in her sleep. He carefully slid into bed next to her and brought her close to him. He held her against him as she continued to sleep. The sobs stopped, but still he held her. She took a deep breath and sighed into his chest. He smiled, a true smile that no one would ever see in this darkness.

"Severus?" she said. She sounded confused. He pulled back and looked down into her dark brown eyes that were barely visible in the darkness. "What are you doing in my room?"

"I heard you crying in your sleep and came to check on you," he said to her. "What were you dreaming about?"

Hermione cuddled closer to him. "The war," she said. "I dream about it often. Usually it's about you and your death."

Snape's chest tightened. She had dreamed about what had happened to him, it caused tears to fall from her eyes. He held her to him. Merlin, what had happened to him?

He used to be feared, children ran from him in terror, he wasn't good at being nice, or sweet, or comforting. He wasn't good at this.

And yet here he was, lying in bed with Hermione, holding her and comforting her, washing away the memories of a nightmare that had long since passed. For Hermione he could do anything, wanted to do anything. He really cared about her, and not just because she had saved his life, but because she was doing everything she could to make sure he was taken care of, that he didn't have to worry about anything.

Merlin, he loved her.

Hermione just stayed as close as she could to him. His scent made the memory of the dream disappear, his heartbeat against her ear reminded her that he was alive and well, not dead like he had been in her nightmare.

He had been so good to her, helping her out even though he didn't need to. Sure she had saved him, but day by day he was saving her too. She was going insane thinking that he was dead, that she wouldn't ever see him again, and now he was right here and alive. Just seeing him made her feel like life was worth living.

She had told him he was free to go, but he hadn't left yet. For that Hermione was grateful and she wasn't about to bring up why he was still here and risk losing him. When had she become so dependent on his presence? Hermione Granger was an independent witch, who had to know that one specific wizard was alive to make it through her night.

"I'm sorry for waking you," she whispered to him.

He rubbed his hands up and down her back as he held her. "I wasn't sleeping," he said. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

She placed her hands on his bare chest and felt his warmth beneath her fingers. To think that one day she would be lying in bed with Severus Snape, she would have thought she was crazy. The problem was she was crazy when she thought he was dead, and she had to make sure he never left her again.

Merlin, she loved him.

He was her equal in every way, the only person who could challenge her and push her. She liked making dinner for him, taking care of him, she didn't want him to leave her.

He moved as if to get up and she grabbed him and held him to her. "Don't go," she said, whether she meant the room or her life she didn't know, but she wasn't going to risk it. Snape relaxed again and took her into his arms. She allowed him to slide under the blanket with her and the two fell asleep listening to the other breathe in the darkness.

The next morning Hermione awoke to find that Snape was staring at her. Her eyes widened slightly in surprise before she smiled and whispered to him. "Good morning."

He smiled back and Hermione thought her heart would leap out of her chest. He looked so much younger and handsome when he smiled. "Good morning to you," he said before pulling her closer to him.

She snuggled closer to him, enjoying the feel of the heat rolling off his body. He really was a sexy man with a body that any woman would want. It was the most beautiful thing Hermione had ever seen, and being this close to it made her remember that he was a grown man lying in bed with her. Her cheeks reddened as thoughts of an unpure nature crossed her mind.

Severus was facing his own problems. This very pretty witch was pressed up against him, and his body was enjoying the feel of her body against his very much, causing a very noticeable reaction. He was doing his best to keep Hermione from finding out, but when she shifted even closer he gasped out loud as she brushed him.

"Severus?" She looked up at him innocently. He believed she hadn't realized what she had done, but Merlin help him if she did it again. She moved and he groaned again. Merlin she was going to kill him...again.

"Severus, are you okay?"

He swallowed. "Yeah," he whispered. He grabbed Hermione before she moved again. "Stop moving for a second." She stopped and looked up at him in alarm.

"Are you sure you're okay? You look like you're in pain."

He almost laughed. He pressed his forehead against hers. "Only the sweetest agony there is my dear Hermione."

Hermione's heart leap at his words. She knew he couldn't mean it, but damn if she could tell her body that. Her heart was pounding.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" she said concerned. This time he did chuckle softly. Hermione's heart was pounding harder. "Did I say something funny?"

"Do you trust me Hermione?"

She blinked. "What?"

"Do you trust me?"

Hermione looked up at her old professor. He had died for the wizarding world, in a way died for her. He risked death and pain to spy on the other side for them, and she asks him now if she trusts him?

"How can you ask that?" she said. "There's no one I trust more."

Severus looked into her eyes and for minute she was sure she would drown in them. He still was smiling down at her. He was very happy this morning for some reason. He leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to hers.

Hermione gasped giving Severus the access he needed to possess her completely, and he took it. He deepened the kiss pulling her closer to him. Her body pressed right against his and Hermione found he was more than just happy this particular morning.

He pulled back from her. "You did this to me," he whispered looking deep into her eyes. Hermione blushed, but didn't move away. "You did this with your innocent looks, sweet caring, and your beautiful smiles. You are the reason I'm glad I'm alive."

Hermione looked down at his chest, at her hands gently caressing him. "I didn't want you to leave," she whispered. "I thought you would leave as soon as you could and when you didn't I was so relieved."

"I can't leave you," he said. "I care about you too much. Hermione," he lifted her eyes to his, "I love you."

Tears filled her eyes. Hermione couldn't believe that the words she had wanted to hear for the past ten years had finally passed his lips. She kissed him softly, touching his warm skin with her fingers.

"I've waited over ten years to hear those words," she said to him with a wide smile. Merlin she was beautiful when she smiled. "I never thought I would hear them from you. Oh, Severus, I love you."

He kissed her again and held her to him. She listened to the heartbeat in his chest and smiled. This was the Severus Snape she had saved, the one she had rescued from the dead. One day they would have to tell the world what had happened, but right now he was hers and she was his and that was all that really mattered.