Author's Note: First let me thank everyone who had reviewed, alerted, or put this story on their favorites it means a lot to me and keeps me writing.
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Do I really need to say that I don't own them? I'm just playing with someone else's toys and do return them in the same shape I have found them (well that may not always be the case).
In the early evening of New Year's Eve Minerva informed them that there was an impromptu party taking place in the great hall and they were expected to be there.
Hermione sighed, so much for her plans like they were huge. She just wanted a quiet night on the sofa reading, in a few days she was going to start her apprenticeship and she was already nervous as it was about it.
"Hermione." She realized that Severus called her name several times she looked over at him.
"I was going to say that we could find an excuse but I think you need a distraction."
"No, I was just thinking."
"My point, in the last week you've been in the library more than here. Everyone needs a distraction, go get ready."
"I don't have anything for a party here." She said hoping the excuse would work.
"It doesn't matter, it's just the few students that are here and the staff now go."
When she came out twenty minutes later Severus looked up to see her and stopped breathing. She had on a pair of jeans that were form fitting, and a sweater that showed the figure she had. He stood going to her before saying.
"You want me to let you out dressed like that."
"Do you have a choice?"
He knew she was right, he wouldn't stop her if he could he was not going to control her again.
"No, but I will be keeping an eye on the boys."
"Yeah, I don't think you have anything to worry about."
"I do." He leaned down kissing her, his hands slipped down to her bum pulling her to him. When he broke the kiss he said, "Are you ready?"
She nodded as words wouldn't string themselves together in her mind.
Hermione had to admit she had fun for something she hadn't wanted to do in the first place. At a quarter to twelve Severus took her hand leading her outside to the courtyard then down a small path. They could still hear the music coming from the great hall, but she was sure no one would see them. Leave it to Severus to know about this place, she wondered how many students he had chased out of here during dances in the past.
When he stopped he turned to her saying,
"Hermione, I know I didn't tell you about not taking care of the un-bonding between us. A new year starts tomorrow would you like for me to take care of that now? I can go ….."
"Severus stop talking a moment." She said as she thought about this, did she want it done? Her automatic answer would be no, but she needed to think this though. How much would it tell him if she said no?
"Hermione stop thinking about it so much, don't analyze it."
"What do you want?" she asked him.
"No, we got to where we are today because each of us was trying to make the other happy with what we thought they wanted."
"That's why we are talking about this." She said, "What do you want at this moment?"
"Honestly, I want to leave it as it…. No that's not true, I would prefer to retract it."
"I want to leave it as is right now." She said, she couldn't bring herself to retract it just yet.
He nodded at her saying,
"Very well, I'll leave it as it stands right now."
"Severus, I've been thinking I want us to go into this new year without some of the things that we've carried around for far too long."
"So what do you want to let go of?"
"Not just me, us. I can honestly say that the only things I'll be taking into the new year is…. Well, very few things."
"Redding?"
"Yes, I've still not quite got all of that settled yet."
"What I…. sexual relations with me, the things….." Severus didn't know quite how to word what he wanted to say, of course he never seemed to be able to when it came to sex.
"Yes, but I'm not so sure if it's what you said or what I did about it that makes me angrier. And that is something that I'll have to work out on my own."
"Very well."
"Your turn."
"I just agreed to yours."
"Severus there are many things in the past, some you need to rid yourself of."
"I….. you know if there was something I want to let go of more than anything it's the doubt I have that I'm forgiven."
"If I have told you so you are. Is it so hard for you to accept that your forgiven?"
"Hermione I don't think you understand, no one in my life has ever forgiven me for what I have done wrong from the smallest infraction to the most horrendous things you can think of."
"Well I'm not everyone, I can find it in myself to forgive and mean it."
"I know, it's the reason I want to let go of the doubt."
"What do you want out of next year? Where do you see things three hundred sixty five days from now?"
"I want us to be standing of this very spot sharing the first kiss of the new year, what about you?"
"I want to have peace, I want to be free of everything else that I still am unable to let go of. I want to be happy with you."
Severus reached up brushing her cheek with his fingers before saying,
"I want to make you happy more than anything."
She ginned at him before stepping to him leaning up just as the clock stuck twelve they kissed, he wrapped his hand around her neck pulling her in closer to him deepening the kiss as she allowed him entrance to her mouth, their tongues sliding around one another. She laid her hands on his waist as he dropped his hands behind her pulling her closer to him. She could feel the effect this was having on him, she broke the kiss smiling up at him.
He laid his forehead on her regaining his breath before saying,
"I'll never tire of this."
"I hope not, Happy New Year Severus."
"Happy New Year Hermione."
Author's Note: Comments really do make me smile and brighten my day.
Also I wanted to let you know that I have a couple of Severus/Hermione videos on youtube, the link is in my profile.