Hey all! Thank you so much for the responses from last chapter! I loved them all, thank you again :) Here's the next one, sorry for the seemingly increasing gaps between chapters! I've been feeling a bit under the weather of late, so I apologise if this chap isn't as thoroughly beta'd as it should be. If you find a mistake though, feel free to point it out and I will most certainly correct it! Thanks again, all! Enjoy!

The next few days were spent in a whirl of hospital visits, paperwork, and more brewing. Severus had been assigned the task of brewing an entire stock for St. Mungo's, and Hermione spent the majority of her time at the hospital, helping the patients to realise what had happened, make sure the potion was given in the right doses.

The hospital had gotten so busy from patients families that they had closed off the floo. Hermione was forced to apparate a few blocks down from the hospital. She didn't mind it, it just meant that she had to leave earlier in order to arrive on time.

The patients had been given the potion in groups of ten, as Severus and Hermione still wanted to make sure no one had an adverse reaction, and it was easier for the hospital to manage with the influx of relatives visiting their loved ones. After the patients were given the cure, they were moved to a different hold and asked to perform their Patronus charm as soon as they were able.

Hermione and Severus had talked about it at length, and used the information Severus had gleaned from his findings in Powell's mind. It was unnecessary for anyone to breach the privacy of someones mind, and they had decided that just proving they could perform the Patronus charm was enough cleansing to be rid of all the Dark Magic.

Severus had returned to the hopsital the next day to inform Powell what had happened within his mind, and had apologised for the drastic measures. Powell had taken the news rather well, and had really just been happy he was out from under the influence of the curse.

Presently, Hermione walked briskly down the sidewalk, and stopped in front of the dilapidated building before speaking to the yellow-clad dummy. Even though she visited the hospital every day, today was more exciting because Luna was given the cure that morning, and would be waking at any moment. Luna was one of the last to receive the potion due to how long she had been cursed compared to others.

Harry met her in the lobby, and led her up to the fourth floor, informing her along the way of the changes in Luna's condition.

"Has she relaxed completely?"

Harry nodded vigorously as he opened the door to the ward; his excitement was palpable and Hermione couldn't hold back a smile. They arrived by the bed to see Ginny there, as well as Neville and Draco. All of the serene blonde's friends were here, and Hermione hoped the girl wouldn't be too disoriented after waking. She had been waiting for what seemed like years to talk with her friend again. Seeing her under the influence of the curse had hurt Hermione deeply, and she was glad it was finally over.

The Ministry was still working on catching whomever was casting the curse, of course, and Lestrange, but Hermione couldn't shake the happy feeling even though she knew they weren't quite out of the woods yet. Severus and her had fallen into a comfortable relationship, and Hermione had made great progress in her quest to become an animagus; in fact she wanted to try when she got home.

"Oh, hello everyone," the faint voice croaked out from the bed. Everyone turned to look at the girl laying on the bed, and the room broke out in smiles.

Hermione heaved a sigh of relief, it seemed as though Luna knew who she was and where she was. It made sense, she had only been under the influence of the curse for a few weeks, unlike the people who had been under for months and needed a few hours to regain their sense of mind.

Everyone stepped back a few minutes after they all said a few words to Luna to let her had a couple minutes with Harry. Hermione turned to look around the room; it was cheery and well suited for her friend. She looked around for a pitcher of water, but couldn't find it. Hermione excused herself from the group for a minute and she stepped out into the hallway, and nearly ran into a very solid being. "Oh!" she gasped as she stepped back and looked up. "I'm so sorry!"

"It is alvight," came the thickly accented reply. "I vos just looking for my vife's room."

"It should be around here, I'd ask a Healer or the Welcome Witch," Hermione replied amicably. "Has she been given the cure yet?"

The burly-looking man paused. "No, but I think she is in the next group to be given the potion."

"Ah, well then she'll probably be a few doors that way," Hermione said as she pointed down the hallway behind him. "The areas closer here are patients that have been healed already."

The man smiled at her, and held out his hand. "Thank you, Miss...?"

"Oh, sorry, uhm, Granger," Hermione said as she took his hand. "Hermione Granger."

"Hermione Granger? Didn't you create the cure that is saving my vife's life?"

Hermione shook her head. "It wasn't all me, sir. It was both Professor Snape's and my work."

"Vell, thank you! Thank you very much for you vork," the man said enthusiastically as he held out his hand. "I am somevat of a potioneer myself, I vould love to sit down sometime and get a few pointers from you, maybe. I have to see to my vife, but perhaps another day?"

"I'm actually quite busy with the hospital, but if we see each other again then I wouldn't say no. I hope your wife gets better, and with no complications!"

"Thank you, I appreciate that," said the man. He stuck out his hand. "Professor Granger."

Hermione started at the use of her professional name, but shrugged it off. She hadn't mentioned that she was also a professor, but it wasn't totally odd that the name was known. It wasn't a secret, and it had probably gotten around that she had taken the Defense post at Hogwarts. No, she decided, it wasn't strange that the man had known.

Hermione nodded as the man turned around and headed back towards the Healer's desks. She wished him well, silently, before continuing on her hunt for water.

"You went in the hospital? Merlin's beard, Vegar!"

"Coward," Vegar snapped as he took a drink from the dirty glass in front of him. The two men were sitting in a grungy pub, somewhere in the depths of London. "Nobody knows who I am. I am perfectly safe, idiot. It's you they are looking for."

"You're right, but just be careful. The Aurors have ways of knowing things."

"As do I," Vegar replied. "I found out more than ve need about Granger and Snape."

"And?"

"They are at his mansion, Spinner's End, and I vas hoping that you, as a former Death Eater, vould know vere vas."

"Spinner's End?"

Vegar nodded impatiently.

"I think the Dark Lord mentioned something of Snape having his own mansion...but I can't remember where he said it was...somewhere near the street? Spinner's End up north maybe? It's worth a shot," Lestrange mused as he took a swig from his mug. "The plan is to just surprise them, kill them, and destroy all evidence of the cure before it gets published, right?"

"Yes."

"Well I think that'll be easy enough. I can remember Snape's magical signature, so if we can find the place I may be able to help take any wards down. Knowing how Snape was, you can bet your wand he'll have a couple hefty wards up."

"That vill be no issue," Vegar said dismissively. "I know a spell that vill help us undo any vards ve come across."

Lestrange nodded, but kept silent. Snape had been powerful when he had known him, powerful enough to completely evade the Dark Lord's mental searches and hide the fact that he was Dumbledore's secret agent for so long. It was was a bit shaking to realise they were planning an attack on him, along with Granger, one of the most talented witches of the age. The one good, nay, brilliant, thing they had on their side was surprise, no one knew of Vegar, and everyone assumed the Azkaban escapee was up north.

It was, so far, a solid plan. "How do you know Snape and Granger are living together?"

"Everyone who sees Snape come into the hospital says that he never comes vithout Granger. And the Mistress of Hogwarts let something slip this afternoon ven I passed by her. She said she vas hoping vonce all the hype has died down, Snape and Granger vould come back to Hogwarts, said that she's visited them a few times too. Even if all the evidence is false, ve can still take Snape out of our vorries."

"And you're sure it's still only him that has the recipe? If he were gone and all the notes burned, nothing would be left and we could continue on?"

"It has been mentions several times that he has brewing more, no vone has even bothered to ask for the recipe. They all trust him implicitly. He is the only vone to have a copy of the potions recipe. If ve kill him and Granger, it vill all be lost."

Lestrange's eyes took on a wicked glint at Vegar's words. Ever since Snape had testified against him at his trial, he had harbored a festering grudge against the man. Now was his chance for some real revenge, and not just random killing. He sat there for a few minutes, both men drinking their drinks in silence, before a thought struck Lestrange. "It couldn't be..." he mused aloud, staring wonderingly into his mug.

"Vot is it?"

"All the evidence points towards it as well, and that would explain them living together..." Lestrange trailed off, running through the information they had in his head, wondering if his inkling was correct.

Vegar watched the man interestedly. His opinion of Lestrange before coming to Wizarding Britain had been low, he had been no more than a tool. But since being in the man's common territory, he had begun to find out that Lestrange was far more strategic that he had originally thought. The man worked things through with a stoic accuracy, and Vegar was grudgingly impressed with how well Lestrange knew the world he lived in. A lot of his time between cursing victims had been spent reading up on the latest wizarding news, and as a result, he was well informed. It was a huge benefit to Vegar, and the degrading spite he had felt towards the brutish man had faded. Now, they were equals.

"Do you think they could be lovers?"

Vegar paused, it certainly fit the information they had about the two. "It vould be a definite possibility."

Lestrange leant back into his chair and smiled gleefully. If that were true, if Snape and Granger were lovers, that would make what he and Vegar were planning to do all the more interesting. It was an exciting possibility. Snape had never been interested in the women the other Death Eaters used to have a good time. Lestrange had always thought the less of him for it, Snape seemed to think he was above it and that angered him. But now...if Snape had finally succumbed to having a woman in his life...tearing it away would make it that much more satisfying. He would kill Granger first, and make Snape watch. That seemed an appropriate payback for betraying his comrades, Lestrange thought.

Now, it seemed, he couldn't wait for their plans to get set in motion.

Hermione flopped down onto the bed with a sigh. Severus stood in the bathroom doorway, drying his hair with a towel.

"Well?"

"She's awake. And she's lucid. And she will be entirely all right," Hermione said.

"I am quite gratified to hear it," Severus replied evenly. He held no real disregard for Lovegood, and as she was one of Hermione's friends, he meant the words sincerely. "Minerva wrote to me."

"Oh? What did she have to say?"

"She said she wants to meet with us to discuss returning to Hogwarts. Next Wednesday was the date she proposed."

"Well, alright then. I do miss teaching," Hermione added thoughtfully. "It would be nice to return."

Severus shrugged nonchalantly. "I am not terribly thrilled about it, actually."

"I thought you wanted to go back?"

"Things change," he said simply as he slid under the duvet. "Before, I stayed at Hogwarts because I didn't really know how to change my life. Or have any desire to, actually. But since brewing the potion, it's made me realise my time could be better spent elsewhere."

Hermione nodded thoughtfully as she twisted around to face him, waiting patiently until he was done propping himself up against the pillows. "But you're good at teaching."

"I am also good at Potions. Brewing is where my real talent lies, and teaching gave me a comfortable salary as well as being able to brew. But now, with the money that will come from the dittany discovery, the potions patents, the bloodroot, it will be enough to for us to live comfortably for the rest of our days. I'd rather spend that time developing potions for all the other ailments in the world."

Hermione smiled to herself at the mention of "us". Of course, Severus would credit her with the discovery of the dittany and bloodroot, as well as with the potions patents. But it made her happy to know that he already envisioned her living with him for quite some time. "Well, I still wish to teach," Hermione said. "I went through all that schooling, and it's been my goal for some time."

Severus nodded and held out his arm, the gesture clear. Hermione pulled the duvet back and slid in next to him, snuggling up close to him before her fingers started to trail through the sparse coating of black hair on his chest. It had become her subconscious habit since sleeping in the same bed with him, and it was relaxing to the both of them.

"I don't want you to do anything you don't want to, Hermione. If you wish to continue teaching, then return when it is feasible. I just am done with that chapter of my life," Severus replied. "I'll be here."

"Thank you," Hermione said sincerely. "Severus, I was actually thinking. I live here now, and that's really quite obvious," Hermione began. "Do you think it's a good idea for me to stop renting my apartment? For the past few months that's just been useless money out of my pocket, and the thing serves no real use. I've held off on it because I didn't know how long-term this was going to be, but after everything that's happened and how far we've come..."

Severus considered the idea for a minute. "It's really up to you, Hermione. I don't see anything happening that will force you to leave Spinner's End, so it might be something to consider doing."

Hermione nodded. "That's what I was thinking. I mean, it's nice in the way that it is a back-up plan of sorts. But I really just can't see myself wanting to leave you anytime soon, or ever, but it's still a possibility."

"No matter which direction our relationship went in, there's still a possibility of something happening," Severus pointed out reasonably.

"Very true. You know what, I think I'll do it and just get rid of it. The blasted thing is expensive for it's size, there's just no real need for it," Hermione decided. She pushed herself up into a sitting position, and moved to straddle Severus before she smiled brilliantly at him. "Well, Professor Snape, it appears that you're stuck with me."

Severus arched an eyebrow at the bushy haired temptress before trailing his hand lightly up her thigh and to her hips. "Somehow, I don't mind it."

He shifted himself so their chests were touching, and he kissed and nibbled lightly at the junction between her shoulder and neck, before he pulled back rapidly, and fixed her with a stern glare. "No redecorating, is that clear? I don't fancy having those ridiculous red and gold colours floating about. Spinner's End is fine just how it is."

"Not even just a curtain change?"

"Absolutely not."

"Well, it appears I'll have ample time to change your mind," Hermione replied archly. "We'll just see about that."