Summary: Hypothetical plans for the future

A/N: Thanks for reading!

Chapter 4

"So guess what?" Hermione said as she burst into his room.

He heard the door slam closed behind her, and her heels clacking quickly across the floor. She then sat down in the chair next to him.

"I took my N.E.W.T.s last weekend. Guess how I did?"

She waited a beat. "No, I didn't get Trolls on all of them! That's rude."

Severus mentally chuckled at her joke. He hoped she would know somehow that he was amused.

"I got 'O's… on all seven!"

Severus felt a jolt of excitement rush through him. He was sincerely elated for her.

Odd.

He didn't get elated about anything, especially student behavior. But he felt an insane feeling of pride course through him as he lay there unable to move.

Seven N.E.W.T.s. That's right. She had taken all five major core subjects plus Ancient Runes and Arithmancy in her sixth year before all hell had broken loose.

"Even Defense! I only got an 'E' on my O.W.L. for Defense. I'm sure your teaching helped, sir. That and fighting a war, of course." She giggled to herself. "Harry said I could do anything I wanted to with those kinds of scores. He got 'O's in Defense and Charms and 'E's on the other three. Pretty good for skipping our last year, wouldn't you say, Professor?"

She paused.

"Yes, I am gloating, and with good reason! People think I'm lesser because of my blood status." She huffed. "Well, this shows them. Even Draco didn't do as well. Granted he only took six N.E.W.T.s but got an 'E' in Ancient Runes."

Now how did she know that?

"You're probably wondering how I know." She was silent for a while. "You see, surprisingly, he's struck up a friendship with Harry and me. He comes over for dinner now and then. He was the first one to contact me when I got my results. He wanted to gloat, too, but he was a little cross that I'd beaten him."

She was quiet for a bit.

"It's strange, you know? He and I hated each other… quite seriously. But he reached out to Harry and me, wanting to foster a relationship. I guess if he can do that, anyone can change, right?" She laughed.

Severus heard her chair scrape. "Anyway, sir, I can't stay today. Harry is having a party for all of us, and I'm going to be late if I stay any longer. I'll see you tomorrow."

And then she was gone, and he was alone again. The hours between her visits were quite dreadful. When he was fully conscious, it was so quiet that he wished he were anywhere but there.

He'd grown accustomed to her company, and he found he missed her when she left. He wished that he was awake and could move on with his life, and maybe see what this soulmate stuff with her would become.

oooOOOooo

Many visits had passed, and he noticed that Granger never touched him again. He respected her for it, but he desperately wanted to see more of those visions. He wanted to examine their relationship and see if it seemed like it would work out, but she never got near enough to him to even brush by. He yearned for some contact, even if it induced another vision.

She was reading to him again today. As the visits had gone on, she'd gotten bolder in her choices. She was now reading Shakespeare's sonnets to him. She'd stop after each one and have a 'conversation' with him about it. From these discussions, he'd gleaned that she was a hopeless romantic.

She believed in true love and a couple being a partnership. He hated to admit it to himself, but that was also something he'd believed. Was he, too, a hopeless romantic? He felt that he was, but he'd never had the opportunity to shower someone with affection. If Granger was really his soulmate, he could be showering her with affection.

The repulsion at that statement never came… Curious.

"Professor?"

Yes?

"You know how we were talking about a bookstore a while ago? I mean me opening a bookstore?"

Yes

"I've been thinking about it a lot, and I really think that's what I want to do. Am I crazy? Everyone says I'm going to make a difference at the Ministry. They expect so much. I was thinking about it last night. That's everybody else's dream, not mine. After fighting in the war, I don't want any more attention. I don't want to be the one who makes a difference! I just want to do something I enjoy."

She paused for a while before Severus heard a huge sigh.

"So, I'm going to open a bookstore. Maybe in Diagon Alley… or… Godric's Hollow. I'm going to specialize in rare editions. That's what I really want to do. What do you think?"

She waited.

"I knew you'd think it was a great idea!" she said with a chuckle.

He felt her hand on his. Suddenly they were in a bookstore together. Her bookstore. Their bookstore. He was shelving books, and she was taking care of a customer, leading him to the stacks on Charms. It was just a blip and the vision was gone.

"Oh no, I'm so sorry, Professor! I didn't mean to touch you. I know you don't want to see those visions if you can see them, too."

He heard some shuffling. "I'm sorry," she said before making a quick exit.

He barely noticed her departure. He was buried in the vision of him working with her in her bookstore. It had felt normal… and comfortable. He mentally chuckled to himself.

He never thought he would survive the war. Well, he couldn't really categorize this as surviving. He was an unmoving shell, but his brain was alive, and maybe someday he would move again. What would he do at that time? Certainly not teach! He'd had enough of teaching to last three lifetimes. Perhaps brewing full-time? He'd enjoy that. But would anyone buy a potion made by him given his past? Working with Granger… in her bookstore? It sounded beautifully mundane. Perhaps something like that would be appealing to him. Funny how his subconscious took that idea and manifested it in a vision of him working with her. Evidently, his psyche was looking for something quiet to do as well.

oooOOOooo

She came in in a snit. He heard her heavy footsteps–almost stomping–to the chair. She slammed into it and huffed. He wondered what was wrong.

She was quiet for a very long time. He could hear her breathing, though. She sounded furious.

"I apologize, Professor, for not saying hello right away," she finally said. "You see, right before coming here I had a horrid fight with Ronald. The nerve of him! I don't know who he thinks he is!"

Severus wondered what the young fool had done. She hadn't spoken of him since that first day when they'd broken up.

"Do you know what he did?"

Obviously, I don't…

"He told Kingsley that I would accept the Auror position! Without asking me! Then he said that he just assumed that I wanted to be an Auror and that I'd be happy that he had accepted the position for me. Can you believe that? I can speak for myself, thank you very much!"

She huffed. "So, I told him that it had been rude of him to accept for me, and that I didn't want to work for the Ministry at all. Well, he went ballistic. He said I had no drive anymore. And when I told him I wanted to open a bookstore, he accused me of giving up on life! That I was just settling. That's absolutely not true! Just because I don't want to work at the Ministry doesn't mean I'm giving up. Ugh!"

Severus imagined her throwing her arms up in disgust.

"Then. Then he accused me of wanting to just spend my life next to your bed while you wasted away to nothing."

Her voice broke, and Severus became concerned.

"He said you were a hair's breadth away from being dead, and I was wasting my life by staying by your side. What if… what if he's right? What if you die? Professor… I don't know what I'd do if you did. Please… Please hold on."

Her hand was on his, and suddenly his vision blurred, and he was lying on a sidewalk with Granger bent over him, sobbing. His hand reached out and entwined in her curls.

"I will be fine, Hermione," he told her.

She looked at him in shock. "You were just…"

"What happened?" he asked.

"We were attacked. You were hit in the back with a hex. I thought…"

"I am ok," he said as he slowly sat up.

He was engulfed in soft witch, and his arms went around her, squeezing her with affection.

"I am ok," he repeated.

"Don't scare me like that again," she said into his suit coat.

"I apologize, love. Don't worry, I will be with you for a long time."

Her hand disappeared, and so did the vision.

"That… was… odd. It was like you were answering me. I wonder if strong emotions affect the visions. Do you see them, too, Professor? I don't know if I want you to or not. I'm afraid you'll think of me as just a foolish girl if I put any credence into them. And, well, I know you don't want this. I get that."

She sat silently for a while.

"Would you mind if I tried something, sir?"

She paused, waiting for him to answer.

Woman, it will be a long time before I can respond to you!

"I want to touch you for longer and see what happens, but I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

Well, I really don't have much of a choice, do I?

She chortled. "I guess you don't have a choice, do you, Professor? I'm sorry if I'm offending you, but I just need to know…"

He yearned for her touch, but it seemed like forever until she finally reached out for him. He felt her hand on his arm. The vision swiftly followed. He was kissing her… again. He felt passion shoot through him. He wanted her to know exactly how he felt about her.

"Hermione," he whispered as he pulled back and looked into her eyes. "I love you. I want you to always be with me. Marry me?"

Hermione gasped as a diamond solitaire appeared on her finger. She admired her hand before looking up at Severus.

"Really?" she asked shyly.

"Yes, of course," he said with a tinge of curiosity in his tone. "Why would you ask if I was serious?"

"I just… It's like a dream come true. It's all I've wanted for months now."

Severus grinned before leaning in and kissing her passionately for quite a long while. Pulling back, he arched a brow.

"So, is that a yes?" he asked again.

"Of course!" Hermione cried as she threw her arms around his neck.

The scene changed, and they were bedecked in wedding garb, standing in front of a vicar who was speaking.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife."

Severus turned to Hermione and leaned down, lovingly kissing her lips. The vision dissipated as he felt her hand withdraw from his arm.

"Wow," she said. "That was intense…"

There was a very long pause before she spoke again.

"Do you think we could ever get to that point, Professor?"

Not if you keep calling me Professor…

He pondered her query. They were evidently soulmates. Why couldn't they be a married couple sometime in the future? He didn't think too hard about it. He'd never been one to get excited about or hope for anything. He wasn't about to start now.

"I told you before, I wouldn't be averse to seeing where this soulmate thing goes," Granger… Hermione said finally, "But I know that's the last thing you would want."

She finished her statement softly as if she were sad to admit he may not want to consider being with her. He wished he was awake so he could ease her fears. He wouldn't mind trying them out as a couple at all.

"Of course, you'll have to wake up first. Then you can live your life as you wish."

Her hand was on his again. She ignored the vision of them kissing.

"I wish I knew how to awaken you, Professor."

She removed her hand and the vision of the two of them in a passionate kiss disappeared. She sighed.

"The more I see that, the more I wish it were possible."

A thrill went through Severus at her declaration. He wished it were possible too.

He heard her stand and walk away. There was silence for a bit when she stopped walking.

"I wish you'd just wake up. Then we could both move on with our lives, either together, or most likely apart. I just want you to be healed!"

She returned to her seat. He heard her rifling around in her bag.

"Okay," she said finally. "Time for an article from Transfiguration Today."

She read for a long while before leaving him to his solitude. With the silence came all kinds of questions in his mind. Could he care for Hermione like he did in those visions? Would he want to be married to her? He truly didn't know, but it wasn't something that upset him. If anything it excited him. He actually wanted to try being with her. He wanted to see this through to the end. But as Hermione had said, he'd need to awaken first.