It's What's Inside That Counts
Chapter 31
August 1st, 1999
Alone at her table, Hermione ate her salad and worked the latest Arithmancy puzzle in the paper. Earlier, Ginny had briefly joined her for lunch in the Ministry Eatery. Her friend had recently started her new position in the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes. She was startled by gentle hands rubbing her shoulders and a voice that smoothly drawled, "Enjoying lunch sweet?" in her ear.
She turned to see Severus, an affectionate look softening his eyes.
"This is a nice surprise! What brings you to the Ministry?" she asked and patted a chair next to her.
"I was down the corridor finalizing the patent on the Polyjuice potion when I walked by and spotted you here," he said.
"Wow! How exciting!" she said when he gave her the paperwork. She read with interest about publishing rights and the residuals that would come from use of the potion.
"I told you I had options," he said proudly. "Additionally, Potions Monthly has expressed their interest in my being a contributing writer and consultant."
She squeezed his hand. "I'm happy for you."
"So what is occupying your time today?" he asked.
She blew a stray tendril of bangs from her face. "I'm looking over 112 pages of an interrogation from an Azkaban prisoner."
"112 pages? Whatever for?"
"He's claiming an inconsistency in his conviction, it has to be double checked for his sake- and the Auror's sake," she said and held up the puzzle she was working on. "I need a break from the reading."
"Now that's something I never thought I'd hear you say."
"Ha, ha, Tolkien, bodice rippers and Charms are one thing, the endless ramblings of a prisoner are an entirely different kettle of fish."
"I also ran into Potter and he wanted to ensure that we were attending tonight's party," Severus said.
"All I really wanted to do tonight was ooze into a nice long hot bubble bath, but Ginny wouldn't take no for an answer," she said. "And what's the occasion anyway?"
Severus shrugged. "They rented out half of The Galloping Gryffin for it," he said.
"Do gryffins even gallop?" she mused and scribbled along the side of the paper. "Anyway, I have to get back to work. See you tonight," she said and gave him a quick kiss on the mouth.
They weren't back to the long, smoldering kisses of the past just yet, but he was grateful just to be back in her life and would gladly take whatever she bestowed upon him.
Just before six p.m. Severus arrived at the Farm to the fright of his life. Two large fire engines were in the yard, one of them spraying water on the now burned down manor. He frantically looked around the crowd of firefighters milling about and spotted Hermione sitting on the ground, wrapped in a blanket, crying while someone was talking to her. Hannah was lying next to her, carefully observing the surroundings, looking out for Hermione. He ran to her.
"Severus!" she cried and jumped to her feet. Hannah hopped up and barked. "I got home from work and it was engulfed!"
A firefighter approached the two and removed his helmet. "We're about through here, miss. It's going to smolder for a day or two, and you have my apologies for the total loss of such a nice home. Have you somewhere to go?" he asked kindly.
Hermione remained silent but Severus spoke. "Yes, she does, with me."
"Do you have a telephone number so she can be reached?"
"Um...yes," Severus said, grateful that he decided to have a telephone installed. He dug through his pockets to locate the number.
"Again miss, I'm sorry. We'll be in touch," he said, nodded his head and went to the trucks.
They watched the vehicles drive away. Hermione sniffed. "At least Hannah and the animals are okay."
"What do you want to do now?" Severus asked.
"I don't know, I can't think straight right now," she choked. "This was all that was left of my family, it was my home. Now it's gone."
"Let's get to Spinner's End for tonight. A warm bath and sleep is what you need, you can decide what to do in the morning. I'll get to the Potter's party and let them know what's going on."
Harry looked at his watch. "It's six thirty, where is Hermione?"
"Maybe she had to work late?" Ginny asked.
"I saw her calendar, she marked the party on it," Harry said.
Just then, Severus came through the doors and walked to Harry.
"Where is she?" Harry asked.
Severus drew Harry close and quietly told him what had happened.
"Oh God, is she all right?" Harry exclaimed.
"What is it Harry?" Ginny asked, alarmed by the look on Harry's face. He quietly told her.
"Oh, poor Hermione," Ginny said and gestured Molly over.
They told Molly who shook her head sadly. "What else must the poor girl endure? Where is she?"
"At my home, which is part of the reason I came. She's spending the night there, but I certainly don't want her staying at my ramshackle, dilapidated home, she deserves better," Severus said.
"Of course she does, which is why she can stay with us, as long as she needs to. You'll bring her by tomorrow?" Molly asked.
Severus stopped at a market to get some food then went home. He quietly went inside to find Hermione softly snoring on the sofa, curled up with a blanket and resting on a sofa cushion. Having none of that, he carefully picked her up and walked down the short corridor to his room. In his arms, she stirred, mumbled something and snuggled into his embrace. He toed the bedroom door open, gently laid her on the bed and covered her with the satin goose-down blanket. He took a seat in a chair next to the bed and watched her sleep, all night.
Hermione woke to the smell of bacon cooking and the familiar thump of Hannah's tail on the floor. The precious dog was next to the bed, tail wagging and looking expectantly at her.
"How's my favorite pup in the whole wide world?" she asked and cuddled with the dog. Severus appeared in the doorway.
"Are you hungry?" he asked.
"Famished actually," she answered.
"Then an omelet and porridge await," he said with a bow and led her to the small dining room. She sat down and eagerly ate her breakfast, hungry from missing dinner the night before.
"Shall I draw you a bath?" he asked.
"That would be nice, thanks," she answered with a small smile.
An hour later, she emerged from the lav. She was dressed in her work clothes, magically cleaned but still smelling slightly of smoke. They sat on the sofa.
"What now?" she asked.
"Last night when I informed your friends of what happened, Mrs. Weasley insisted that you stay with them as long as you need," he said.
"But what about here?" she asked.
"Sweet, as much as I would love for you to stay here, I simply cannot abide the thought of you residing in this hovel," he said.
"It's not a hovel, Severus," she said.
"Compared to the Weasley home, it is," he said. "Humor me sweet, I'll feel much better knowing that you're somewhere comfortable."
"Okay," she said quietly.
They arrived at the Burrow and Hermione was engulfed in hugs and well wishes.
"We're so glad to see you! Have you had breakfast yet dear? Ron, take her things to Charlie's old room, see that she's comfortable," Molly said in one breath. Harry put a cup of tea in her hands and Ginny led to her to a seat at the kitchen table.
"How was the party?" Hermione asked.
"Wasn't the same without you," Harry said.
"Oh no," Ginny mumbled and ran toward the loo.
"Is she all right?" Hermione asked.
"Well...that was the reason for the party. Ginny's pregnant," Harry said proudly.
Hermione gasped. "That's wonderful! Congratulations you two!" she said and tackled Harry with a hug. "That didn't take long, did it?"
Everyone laughed at the comment. It was just the news she needed to brighten her day.
"What are you plans?" Molly asked.
"I need to go shopping. All I have left, literally, are the clothes on my back," Hermione said. "Then I'll assess the damage to to the Farm in the light of day."
She spent half the day buying clothes, toiletries and a few books. Back at the Burrow, she put her new belongings away and sat at the table with a cup of cranberry tea and cinnamon biscuits. She gave Severus a grateful smile. The interaction between the two didn't go unnoticed.
"I shouldn't put it off, I need to go to the Farm," she said.
"We'll go with you," Harry said.
They arrived at a smoldering hulk of wreckage of what used to be the manor. There was nothing left to salvage.
"It's going to take years to rebuild my library," she said with a sigh. "I need to tend to the animals, excuse me."
Library? Tend to the animals? What about you? Severus wondered. "Hermione, wait," Severus said.
"Yes?" she asked.
"You're not alone," he blurted.
Everyone looked at him questioningly. What a random, peculair comment to blurt out!
"I know that, thanks," Hermione said with a raised eyebrow and continued to walk to the chicken coops.
Now or never old boy! Severus thought. "Marry me Hermione!" he shouted.
Everyone gasped and Hermione stopped in her tracks. What a thing to ask, here and now!
"My goodness," Molly said.
Severus rushed to her and took her hands in his. "I realize how odd it is to ask this of you here and now, but when you realize that you want to spend the rest of your life with someone, you want it to start as soon as possible."
Hermione was speechless.
"Marry me sweet, we can rebuild this together," he gestured to the burned down house. "We can rebuild what we had before, the love we had, better and stronger than ever."
"But Sev-" she started.
He stepped closer and took her face in his hands. The look in his eyes took her breath away. Molly, Harry, Ginny and Ron were shocked at the emotional scene before them. It was something they would have expected from Hermione, but Severus Snape?
"Do you remember what I said, that day you fell when my soul faced yours?" he asked gently.
"I remember thinking that God must have a sense of humor," she said.
Severus chuckled then grew serious. "I said that I loved you more than my own life; that my heart, my soul, my very life starts and ends with you. It was true that day, even more so today."
"What are they saying?" Ron asked. They couldn't hear what was being said.
"I know I don't have much, but all that I have and all that I am reside in your small, perfect hands," he said and made sure to linger a kiss on her prosthesis. "I know that a dozen blokes would kill to be at your side, but no one adores you and loves you like I do. Marry me Hermione, and I'll show you the man I can be."
She quickly wiped the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes and wrapped her arms around him.
"Yes love, I'll marry you," she whispered and drew his face to hers for a kiss. "About time," she said with a smirk.
"I guess she said yes," Ginny remarked.
The government offices in Bristol had records from when the manor was built, complete with blueprints. Hermione wanted the house rebuilt exactly as it was, with a few exceptions to modernize the manor and a larger Potions lab in the basement. She took Neville's advice and had three large green houses constructed for her large garden. The vegetables and herbs flourished. So did the love between Severus and Hermione. They planned their wedding to take place when the manor was completely rebuilt, a perfect symbol of starting their new life together. Unknown to everyone, Harry paid a visit to the contractor and offered them thousands of pounds more to put the manor at the top of their building list and get it done in half the time.
The manor was finished just in time for the Christmas holidays.
After the fire and everything that had happened to her, Hermione was pleasantly surprised to find that she was content with her job, planning the rebuilding of her home and planning her wedding. She was also pleasantly surprised that Severus wanted a lavish wedding with everyone they both knew in attendance, so that everyone could bear witness to "the miracle that the most beautiful bride in Britain agreed to jump a broom with the most undeserving man in history."
When the two went to Hogwarts to let the faculty in on the news, Minerva almost fell out of her chair. Albus would be in attendance as well, with his portrait sitting in the front row. Although she would have given anything to have her parents at her wedding, Molly, Ginny and Minerva spent every free moment they had happily helping Hermione with the arrangements. Remus agreed to stand with Severus, and in a moment that almost made two grown men cry, Hermione asked Harry and Ron to give her away.
"Since I was eleven, for the most part, you two have been the men in my life, even after everything that we've been through all these years. You know me better than anyone; you're my best friends that I love so much. I can think of no one better for the task of giving me away."
One more chapter, and this story will be concluded. I promised there would be a gooey, fluffy happy ending at its very best...