Chapter 11

One year later…

"Severus!" Hermione screamed.

He ran from his bathroom, in a towel, into his bedroom to find Hermione sitting up in bed. "What's wrong Hermione, bad dream?" Severus exclaimed.

"I'm so sorry I screamed, I had a dream that you were being tortured by death eaters in the Shrieking Shack and I couldn't save you," Hermione said.

He came over and sat down on the bed next to her saying, "Let me get dressed and then we'll go to breakfast okay? Everything is okay now, I'm okay and there are no death eaters left."

She nodded her head and got up to get dressed. Severus and Hermione had been dating now for over a year. They had yet to say they loved each other and they had yet to have sex, much to the chagrin of Hermione. Severus was a very proper man and he didn't want to take things too quickly. He wanted to wait until they were married and Hermione had agreed. They got dressed and walked to the great hall together. They past year had flown by and Hermione had gotten used to being a teacher and basically a mother to an entire house of students. She had also come to terms with Ron's death. They walked into the great hall and sat with the other teachers. It was about two months until the start of term and they had all arrived to start preparing for classes. They were greeted by everyone and sat down to eat.

"Minerva," Hermione said, "What are you doing this weekend?"

She replied, "I am going to dinner with an old friend."

Hermione knew she was lying. All the teachers had been tip toeing around her for the last week pretending nothing was going on. She knew they were planning something but they wouldn't tell her. She assumed it was an early birthday party since her birthday fell into the first term. She kept trying to pull information out of the staff and they kept coming up with excuses as to where they would be. Flitwick provided several different excuses on several different occasions.

Hermione turned to Minerva and said, "Well alright then, I hope you have a marvelous time!"

Minerva and the rest of the staff laughed as Hermione left the great hall to go work on lesson plans. By that Friday she had finished all of her unpacking and had gotten half the years lesson plans done. She need only finish the rest of the year's plans and gather supplies. She could then help Severus finish his plans for potions and spend time with him.

Hermione and Severus were going to dinner to dinner in the great hall when he said, "Hermione, you know I love you right?"

Hermione felt her heart stop and said, "Well, I mean you've never said that you have."

Severus stopped walking and turned to her and said, "Hermione Granger, I love you as much as I know how. You are the only person in the world I couldn't bear to lose. I should have said it before, but you know I'm so bad with emotions. I guess I just assumed you knew. I know you love me, or at least I hope you do."

"Severus," Hermione said, "I don't know what to say."

Severus looked hurt and started to back away. She stilled him with a hand on his arm and said, "I love you more than anyone. You have been my friend and my rock for years now and I couldn't picture a better person for me to be with. I truly love you inside and out."

Severus kissed her deeply until they were interrupted by the laughter of passing staff members. He cleared his throat and broke the kiss. They ate diner in the great hall and went back to his quarters to talk and eventually fall asleep