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Chapter Four: The Start

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(Five Months Ago)

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Hermione sat beside Snape in the Hospital Wing, waiting for him to wake up. If only she could have stayed on for a while longer, she could have saved him. Laying there in front of her, Snape was pale and bony. There were scars and wounds on his face and a few more on his chest. His hair was matted on the pillow and on his face. There were beads of sweats on his forehead too. Clearly he had a nightmare before she came to see him. She picked up a nearby cloth, wetted it and dabbed on his forehead lightly. She wondered whether he remembered what had happened during the war. She found out that nearly half the war victims regained their memories after a day or two and she wanted to know whether Snape remembered the kiss. It was the wrong time to think so, yes she agree, but hey Its not always you fall in love with a Mystery man and kiss him during war with hundreds falling down to the ground dead because of spells and curses flying about only to find that he doesn't remember it. She flinched back a little when she saw Snape fluttered his eyes open slowly. He turned to look at her face and smiled faintly. Hermione knew that he was in pain as he shifted in his bed lightly, but she didn't feel like helping him. She knew he was a strong man, and he wouldn't want her to destroy him further by helping him shift in bed.

"Ms Granger.." he croaked, ".. you're alive...".

Hermione managed to give him a small laugh before nodding.

"Yes, yes I am.. And so are you Professor." Snape smile again and closed his eyes.

"Where am I?" Hermione patted his hand and lean in closer.

"You're in the hospital wing. Professor Dumbledore didn't want to send you to St. Mungos as he recalled that you hated that place. You've been out for three days now." Snape nodded.

"I thought so... I didn't think this was heaven. And I wouldn't be surprised if it was hell either."

Hermione went wide eyed at him, smilling.

"You mean you wanted to see me in Hell? Why! What did I do to deserve it!" Snape gave a hearty yet faint laugh.

"You deserve both Hell and Heaven." Hermione raise an eyebrow.

"And why is that? Hell for?..." He turned to Hermione and gave a smirk.

"For being such an insufferable know-it-all who I've spent seven years trying to ignore..." Hermione nodded, as if she understood.

"And Heaven for?..."

Snape stayed still for a while, the faint smile still on his face. Hermione saw him glazed over and she knew he was thinking about something. Hermione gave him an impatient look, which made him chuckled again.

"For making me fall in love with you.. and giving you a kiss.."

Hermione was surprised that Snape had been so open about his feelings for her that she was taken aback for a while. He remembered! He did remember! She paused before giving him a mischiveous look.

"So I go to Heaven because of your love? Because you loved me and kissed me?" Snape shrugged lightly.

"Either that or Hell. Pick and Choose." Hermione laugh out loud, Snape followed after that, and gave him a punch on the arm, which was a bad idea because Snape then groaned in pain and grabbed his arm. Hermione gasped and grabbed his arm and patted it slowly.

"Oh I'm sorry, I'm soo sorry! I didn't know..I forgot, am sorry!" Snape sneered for a while as he hissed through his gritted teeth.

"Insufferable know-it-all doesn't know I'm in pain?? Sixty points from Gryffindor for that!"

Hermione frowned, but then she smiled at him. Snape was confused but he was still sneering.

"What are you smilling at?" Hermione shook her head. Snape rolled his eyes and that was when Hermione decided to tell.

"Sorry to burst your bubble, Professor, but points aren't being deducted. Its post-war and Professor Dumbledore has deactivated the castles' magic. There are still wards around but nothing you say will affect the points." She smiled. It was the look on her face that Snape rolled his eyes again.

"And-?"

"And - ... I love it when you do that. One moment you're a caring and romantic person, and the next you are the Bat-Man from Hell Dungeons." She said, smilling. Snape raised his eyebrow in questions. Hermione thought it was probably her comment about the Bat-Man from Hell Dungeons and she remembered that Snape has never watched Muggle cartoons and such.

"You think of me as caring and romantic?"

Hermione felt her cheeks blushed a little as she nodded slightly. Snape merely shurgged and lay back on his bed.

"Thats the first time I've heard someone think of me as such." he said. Hermione smirked.

"If you had been a little less mean to your students or the people around you, you'll probably have heard them sooner." Snape gave a snort.

"And then my world comes to an end with a thud - dead - Yeah you're right. Should have done it sooner." Hermione shook her head.

"I'm glad you didn't, otherwise you wouldn't be here with me.." Snape kept quiet for a while.

"Why would you say that?" There was a pause. A long one. You could hear the curtains move, the winds blowing in swiftly through the open window. Then, just as Snape had wanted to change the subject, Hermione spoke out.

"Because I love You..."

Snape regarded her for a while. Why? What had he done to deserve this? The beautiful witch in front of him? Her worries and fears were apparent on her face and that hurt Snape. It hurts more than the wounds on his body. All he had ever done was to hurt other people, snap at them, dunk points just for his pleasure. He even admitted his dislike towards Hermione when she was his student. He called her an insufferable know-it-all, made her life difficult just because she was Potters' confidante. He knew what they called him. A greasy git bat who was a Death Eater. No matter what its because of Potter that they considered him a traitor. But now, here she is, standing in front of him, expressing her love to him. He knew it was wrong but he couldn't see any reasons why. She is no longer his student... She is an adult.. Okay she is only eighteen but thats a legal age.. Though there is a big age gap but does age really count in the wizarding world? All that matters is that she loves him. She loves him. She really did.

He reached up to her with one arm open and she crawled into his cot and hugged him. He shifted from the pain but then held her closer as she tried to push away. He just didn't care about the rest of the people at the moment and closed his eyes.. All he could focus on was that Hermione Granger, a beautiful witch, was in his arms, without force. She was in his arms because she loved him. And he loved her. Hermione pulled herself away from his arms to look up at him. Severus gave her a faint smile before leaning in and kissing her on the lips. At first they were soft, merely touching and smooching each others lips, but then it went deeper.. and deeper.. Severus pulled Hermione closer to him...straddling him...and they kissed more passionately...

"SEVERUS!! MS GRANGER!!"

Both of them were still in each others arms, kissing, when Dumbledore, Pomfrey and McGonagall came by. All three were shocked to see Ms Granger in the arms of the famous ex-Potions Master, kissing. KISSING!! It was McGonagall who shrieked out at the sight of the two of them on the bed, while Pomfrey merely click her tongue and Dumbledore ... Well let's just say he was chuckling and his eyes were twinkling like Lemon Drops. Hermione heard her Head House shrieked and she quickly got up from the cot and stood beside it.

Both greetings of "Professor McGonagall! Professor Dumbledore! Madam Pomfrey!" and "Minerva! Albus? Poppy!" were tangled in each other at once. Snape merely tried to sit up on his bed but ended up with pain streaking all over him at once, making him hissed and swore. This made Dumbledore chuckled again while the other two woman merely gasped. Hermione heard this and quickly tried to help him up, dismissing the thoughts about destroying him further if she helps him. If he falls over and knocks his head, Hermione will be the one destroyed for letting the love of her life go bonkers, saying "Merlins Beard! The Castle is flying!" everyday...

"Sev - Severus! Ms Grang-! I - ... Ex- Explain yourselves!" Professor McGonagall stuttered in rage, waving her finger towards them dangerously. Severus had never seen his colleague looking so angry in his entire teaching life. She was red in the face and was waving and shaking and fiddling her hands, squeezing them together while looking at them both. It was because of her lopsided hat that made Severus doubt whether she was angry at them or drunk at the moment and needs some Hangover potion.

"Professor! I... - We... - I can explain! We...-" Hermione stammered while Severus, noticing her panic, cut in.

"Minerva, there is no need to panic. We did nothing wrong..-"

"Nothing wrong?? Nothing wrong!! You have a student in your arms, latching yourself to her face, in the hospital ward, in a school, Severus .. and you say its nothing wrong?? She is merely a child, Severus!" McGonagall freaked out again. Severus rolled his eyes and Hermione was biting her lower lips. Albus then stepped in, still chuckling, and place a hand on Hermiones' shoulder.

"Now.. now, Minerva, Ms Granger is no longer a student in Hogwarts, nor a child. In fact, she is adult enough to make her own choices! Am I right, Ms Granger?" Dumbledore said, smilling down on Hermione. She managed to gather enough courage to smile back at him and nodded.

"And I believe that the kiss..." Dumbledore drawled and turn to Severus, who looked as if he was a four year old boy being caught for putting his hand in the cookie jar. Hermione saw his expression and couldn't help herself but giggle. Dumbledore chuckled also and shook his head.

"Severus, my boy, I am not angry at you. In fact, I am surprised by it! I have never seen you so..." Dumbledore turned to Hermione and winked, "Open..." then turn back to Severus. "..about your feelings before. I believe you have an explanation to do? Is there something that we have missed?"

Severus knew that Dumbledore knew that the two of them were, from the kiss onwards, officially a couple but Severus had ideas that Dumbledore knew they were more than friends even before the war started. The man lies but he shows it by his expressions. Stupid git. Severus understood what he meant by the explanation. McGonagall and Pomfrey were still there, shell shocked by what had just happened, and they clearly did not know anything. Severus sighed and turned to both the woman and gave a sarcastic smile.

"Hermione and I are soooo in love with each other.. Yes, I said it.. LOVE.. I LOVE HER..." Severus started in wide eyed. He clasped both his hands together with a pleading look at both the woman.

"Please..Please...PLEASE DON'T SEPERATE US FROM EACH OTHER...I beg of you pleaaaseeee!!!!" he whined and faked crying into his hands. Hermione stiffled back her laughter while Dumbledore smile wide and shook his head. Severus went on crying and sobbing in his hands. He sniffled and snorted, rubbed his nose on his sleeve and then cried again. Suddenly he stopped and look at both woman in his usual scowl.

"Happy? Need more explanations?" Snape sneered and rolled his eyes to the other side of the room and folded his arms. Hermione broke out in peals of laughter, seeing Severus's childish behaviour. It was a rare sight. Severus Snape in hospital clothings, on his bed, sat with his legs and arms folded together and a very prominent scowl on his face. Dumbledore wiped his tears off and turned to Severus.

"Well, I'm very happy for you both. You can find no other candidates for both of you, That I admit."

"But Albus! Hermione is only eighteen and Severus is two times her age!" Minerva shrilled.

"Actually, Professor, I'm eighteen but since I have been messing around with the time turner, I'm actually twenty years old." Hermione stated sweetly.

Severus raised his eyebrow in surprised. Twenty? All right, Severus! Way to go, My boy! Whoop Whoop!

"But still... you and.. Severus? Its - Its - .."

"Outrageous? Unbelieveable? Stupid? Never in your life seen such fatuous love in your life? Do I have a sign on my back saying, 'I live a Celibate Life, Please do not fall in love with me'? Severus snapped at Minerva. He was clearly irritated by her.

"You don't have to snap at me, Severus!" Minerva snapped back. "Its just.. shocking for me..." She saw that Severus was still scowling, so she shook her head, "I am really happy for you Severus. I really am. Its just that - what would people say? What will they think?"

"Since when do I care about what people say or think about me?" Severus asked.

"Well, truthfully, whatever people had said to you in this school, you either just duck their points or snap at them." Minerva said as-a-matter-of-fact way. Hermione remembered Ron and Harry used to call him "The Grease Bat of Dungeon Cove-warts" and he heard them say it, so he ducked thirty points for improper use of names. It was then when they change it to "Bat-man of Hell Dungeons" though she did say that there was no difference between the new one and the old one. She giggled but snapped out of it when they look at her curiously.

"Anyways, its not you who I am worried about, Severus. I know you are strong and capable at doing things for yourself. You can handle your life anyways you want it to..." Minerva went on.

"Damn right you are." Severus mumbled under his breath. Minerva heard but she continued.

".. And you are skilled at anything else, but its Ms Granger that I am worried about. I mean, what will people say about her being with you? What will they think?" Minerva said.

"What will they say? That I charmed her to stay with me? That I controlled her to be with me? That I forced her to fall in love with me? Let me tell you this Minerva.." Severus said, and leaned forward in his bed, pointing his finger at her.

"I am not the only one who is strong and capable of doing things for myself. Hermione here is the most cleverest and powerful witch I have ever seen and I know she is capable to do whatever it is that I can do. And as long as I am with her, Nobody else can ever touch hurt or hurt her. I'll protect her like my own life. That I promise." He folded his arms and lean back into his bed.

Hermione went wide mouth. Did He just complimented her? Did he just promise to protect her? Did Dumbledore just snorted? Minerva merely nodded and gave a defeated sigh.

"Yes well, I knew you were going to say that. Anyways, congratulations Severus. And you too Ms Granger. I'm really happy for both of you." Minerva smiled and nodded at the both of them.

"Well, if that is all, may we leave this two couple for a few minutes. We will come back to check up on you next Severus. Excuse us, Severus, Ms Granger." Dumbledore greeted to them both and strutted off.

"Even though I am happy for the two of you, that does not mean you are allowed to snog in the hospital wing." Madam Pomfrey told them sternly before going off with Minerva, following Dumbledore.

Hermione approached Severus, just as he was leaning back to relax, and kissed him on the lips. Severus was taken by surprise with the sudden intrusion but finally relaxed, feeling the warmth of her lips on his. Hermione pulled back a little and saw that Severus was dazed by their little moment and she laugh.

"Thank you.."

"For?"

"For the speech just now.." she giggled.

"Ah - That. Well don't get let it linger around in your head, that was just a show to get them off my back."

"What? You mean that was for show?"

"Yes."

"You mean you will never protect me at all? That was for show?!?" Hermione glared at him.

"Erm..."

Hermione pinched Severus lightly on a wound on his arm that was healing slowly and he gasped in pain.

"Argh!! Stop it! That hurts!!"

"Apologise now!"

"Stop it now!"

"Apologise first!"

"Ms Granger!! I'm warning you!!"

"I said apologise!"

"It really hurts!!"

"APOLOGISE!!"

"OKAY I'M SORRY!!!" he bellowed, loud enough for the whole ward to listen. Hermione smirked and let him go.

"Merlins nose, woman! Don't you have any mercy on me?"

"I do, just that I don't think its for you at the moment. I'm giving it to Merlin for his nose." Hermione smile too sweetly for Severus and he shuddered.

"Whatever it is you are giving him, I just hope nobody knows how he died."

"WHAT???"

And with that Hermione started pinching him again and he started to yell and tried to push her away.

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