I hope you all enjoy the fic. I am not an English speaker, so please be patient with me. If you wish to help me, please send me a message. I will be grateful for your help.
Smithback: At least they are by her side. Thank you so much for always letting me know what you think. It means a lot!
HarryPGinnyW4eva: I do hope that you like this chapter too! Thanks for reading my fic!
Decadenceofmy soul: Thank you! I sincerely hope that you enjoy this chapter too!
Chapter 6: Yes, definitely
Hermione Granger sat alone in her London flat, her heart heavy with the burden of her decision. It had been weeks since she had revealed to Harry, Ginny, and Ron her intention to marry Severus Snape and save him from Azkaban. Silence stretched on, the absence of their voices echoing loudly in her mind.
Only one letter from Ginny had broken the silence - an emotionally charged message expressing Ginny's concern for her brother. Ron was suffering from Hermione's rejection, refusing to leave his room or speak to anyone in his family. Molly Weasley couldn't understand Hermione's decision either and was angry about it. As Hermione gazed out the window into the night, her thoughts wandered back to the day she had announced her plan to her closest friends.
"She had declared that she was going to marry Snape and save him from Azkaban, trying to muster a conviction that even she didn't fully believe at the time. Shock rippled through their circle like a dark spell. Harry's eyes widened; Ginny gasped. But it was Ron's anguished expression that had haunted Hermione in every waking moment since then.
"Why?" Ron choked out. "How could you do this? After everything we've been through together—everything I thought we meant to each other?"
A tear slid down Hermione's cheek as she remembered their last conversation - the hurt in Ron's voice, his pleading gaze that begged for an explanation she couldn't give. She held onto the hope that one day they would understand why she had made this choice, unwillingly trading their happiness for a greater purpose.
Hermione paced restlessly across the room, her thoughts racing with possible scenarios. Would Snape really accept her? Would doing so absolve him of his past crimes and spare him from a terrible fate? Most importantly, would Harry, Ginny, and Ron ever forgive her?
The weight of it all was overwhelming, so Hermione retreated to her bedroom in search of solace under the warmth of her blanket. As she buried her face into her pillow, her tears soaked into its fabric, like unsent love letters to the people who mattered most.
In the stillness, Hermione's courage grew. Despite feeling like she was stuck in a storm of uncertainty and heartache, a small flame flickered within her. It reminded her that at the heart of it all lay the power of love—its ability to save, to heal, and, eventually, she hoped, to bring her back to the ones she loved.
As sleep claimed Hermione's weary body, she held onto that glimmering hope and vowed to weather the storm for the sake of those she could not bear to leave behind. With her resolve renewed, Hermione Granger prepared herself to face whatever challenges awaited her and prayed that forgiveness would one day find its way back into their hearts.
XXX
The full moon cast a soft, eerie glow on the grounds of Hogwarts, as the Forbidden Forest seemed to whisper secrets in the darkness. Severus Snape, once thought to be lost to the world after his close encounter with Nagini, had managed to escape death's clutches and found solace in the shadows of the forest.
He stepped out from his hiding place, resolved to face his past and make amends. He ventured towards the familiar castle that now seemed like a distant memory. The glimmering lights of Hogwarts led him to an office where an old friend resided. He entered Minerva McGonagall's office with trepidation. Her warmth and wisdom were apparent even in her silence as she sat behind her cluttered desk. Her spectacled eyes looked up from her papers and met his dark gaze, tender yet guarded.
"Severus," she whispered, astonishment filling her voice.
"Minerva," he replied solemnly. The air was heavy with past conflicts and unspoken words.
"I need a favor from you," he said at last. His heart pounded as vulnerability washed over him. Minerva looked at him expectantly, and Snape continued, "I am getting married."
Surprise flickered across her face before she smiled genuinely. "Well... congratulations, Severus. What is so important for you to come out of your hiding place and risk yourself to see me?"
"I would be honored if you could be one of the witnesses at our magical bonding ceremony with Hermione Granger."
The mention of Hermione's name brought new life to Minerva's face.
"Severus, I never imagined this day would come," she said softly. "It seems you have learnt a great deal about redemption since your near-death experience."
He nodded, acknowledging how much he had changed since surviving the attack from Nagini.
"Yes, it has been a journey of self-discovery and growth for me," Snape replied earnestly. "And I'm ready to share that change with the world, I guess."
Minerva looked at him with pride, realizing how far her former colleague had come. "Severus, from the depths of my heart, I would be delighted to witness your new beginning."
"Me too, Severus. Congratulations, my boy," Albus Dumbledore's portrait smiled fully.
"I don't think they approve of a portrait being a witness of a magical bonding marriage," Snape replied with a smirk. "Thank you anyway, though."
"We will need a second witness for your binding ceremony, Severus. Perhaps Hagrid will agree to be the other witness, as he has been close to Hermione, Harry, and Ron since their first year of school."
"Whatever is necessary," Snape replied curtly. He wasn't a fan of the semi-giant; clumsy, chatty, imprudent, and too loud for his personal taste. But there was no other option. None of his "friends" would ever offer themselves as a witness of a Muggle-born wedding.
XXX
Hermione Granger sat at the small wooden table in her flat, the dim light of a flickering candle casting shadows on the walls. The room was filled with the quiet rustle of parchment and the scratching of her quill as she penned a letter to none other than Severus Snape.
With trembling hands, she put pen to parchment and began writing the words that would mark a new chapter in her life.
"Dear Severus," Hermione began, trying to steady her breathing. "I have spent countless nights contemplating our future together..."
As she continued to write, Hermione could feel her heart pounding in her chest, but she knew it was the right decision. She had faced countless dangers with Harry and Ron during their time at Hogwarts, but now she was embarking on a different journey - one that would test her just as much.
"It is for these reasons and many more that I have come to accept what my heart already knows: This is the right decision and soon everyone will understand it as such."
Hermione paused for a moment before writing the final sentences of her letter: "I trust you with all of me and wish for you to decide the day and place where our hearts will become one. Just as you have shown me unwavering faith in the darkest of times, I offer myself to you without hesitation or fear."
With the completion of her letter, Hermione felt tears prickling at the corners of her eyes. She hoped with all her heart that Snape would understand and accept her feelings. Folding the parchment carefully, she sealed it with wax and passed it gently into the night breeze outside her window, watching her trusty owl disappear into the horizon.
As the letter flew off into the sky over London, Hermione took a deep breath and felt a rising sense of hope. She eagerly awaited his reply, knowing that this letter would change the course of their future.
XXX
Severus Snape sat in solitude, the warmth of his hidden cottage deep within the Forbidden Forest shielding him from the chill night air outside. His life had been a series of cold, calculated decisions and betrayals, leaving him with very few people he could trust. Tonight, however, seemed different. There was a sense of hope lingering in the air. An urgent tapping on the window broke his reverie. The familiar sound signaled the arrival of Hermione's trusty owl. Severus couldn't help but notice how well cared for the creature was, and it seemed to have taken quite a liking to him as well.
He hesitantly untied the letter from the owl's leg and began to read Hermione's flowing script. As he got further into the letter, he blinked several times, perplexed. Hermione indeed was ready to marry him, willingly joining her life with his own. Gone were their days of animosity and bickering.
Looking up from the letter, Severus found himself absently stroking the feathered head of Hermione's owl, which was perched upon his hand. Her timing could not have been more surprising; she was marrying into a life full of danger and peril, aligning herself with someone who had once stood against Harry Potter himself.
Severus Snape took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, pondering the implications before him. Their union would have its fair share of challenges; they would have to navigate through judgmental whispers and disapproving glares from those who couldn't look past their differences or see beyond their respective pasts.
Despite these hurdles, Severus felt a stirring in his heart that he hadn't experienced in what felt like an eternity - an inkling that this path could lead him to redemption.
He stared deep into Hermione's owl's eyes before finally deciding upon his next move. Standing up, Severus walked over to his writing desk. The fire crackled in the hearth, casting a warm glow across the room as he dipped his quill into ink and began to pen his response.
Tonight, a new chapter had begun for Severus Snape—one that was filled with uncertainty and challenges. But for the first time in his life, it was a path he willingly embraced, knowing that Hermione Granger would be there with him every step of the way.
