Severus rolled his eyes, 'Don't you have anything better to do than spy on me? The war is over, old man.'

The last thing Severus needed was the meddling old fool involved in any relationship he was going to establish- especially one with a student at Hogwarts. The student at Hogwarts.

Dumbledore chuckled as if he had read Severus' mind, 'My dear boy, I couldn't be happier for you- truly. You deserve every amount of happiness that you can find, and I believe Miss Granger holds that key. Don't underestimate her. She cares deeply for you as well, I can see it. But remember, she's still a student and you're vastly older than her. Don't push her away. You need her as much as she needs you.'

Severus frowned, the old coot is right, but was he really truly ready for this- for anyone?

All his life Severus was pushed into the shadows by people who were better than him, stronger than him, more popular than him- everything that you could ever imagine. He never really knew what love was growing up because if his mom had loved him, then she never would have let her husband do the things he did to their family.

And Lily. Well, he knew that she never loved him. She loved James Potter, herself, and Harry. Years of torturing himself over her death led him to wonder if he ever would know love, or at least what it was like to have someone really care for you.

Severus was a hardly a sentimental man, but there are still certain things in life that every human needs to really survive. That was part of the problem for him- he dedicated his life to the survival of others, only doing the bare minimum to keep himself safe, but not once did he ever have someone fight for his survival. That was, until Miss Granger came along.

She was the first person who ever showed genuine concern for him. And by genuine, he meant thinking of him and not ulterior goals she could achieve by helping him. If people wanted to bring up the age issue, he'd gladly remind them that a girl half the age of an adult man was the one to see to his safety when no one else would. He would take being labeled a lecher and being with someone who cared about him, than waste the rest of his life with some ninny who cared only about the roast duck on the table and the jewels in her ears.

Okay, maybe that was taking it a bit far. He really didn't want to be thought of as a pedophile, but it seemed that it was going to be inevitable.

They still had so much to learn about one another, and yet he felt that by her choice of actions he already knew her.

Anyone who would choose to protect the life of a former Death Eater over that of her own was hardly a person who could be misconstrued as having bad character. Just by that display of strength and bravery, he knew who she was and that was hardly someone he was just going to give up.

He didn't care that Severus Snape 'wasn't supposed to have feelings or crave human interactions', but alas he was human and that would never change. All the years spent alone, spying, and holding in all the pain he had to suffer really took its toll on him. While he never would have admitted this, there were countless number of times that he wished he could have had someone to confide in or to just hold on the nights the Dark Lord was particularly fond of the Cruciatus Curse. Even though he put up the front that he wanted to be alone, that couldn't have been further from the truth.

He had decided long ago that alone was the only thing he would ever know because it left little room for disappointment or hurt, but now he found himself hoping for this to work out more than anything.

He always knew he wasn't the most attractive man in the world, but he would do anything to protect those whom he loved and had enough funds to hold him over until the end of time. He recognized the mistakes he made as a young man and paid dearly for them, but now it was time to finally put that in the past.

He muttered to himself out loud, 'Ugh, what would people think if they knew that the 'bat of the dungeons' hated being alone?'

Completely forgetting that he wasn't the only 'one' in the room, Dumbledore's voice startled him when he replied,

'My boy, they would remember that you are human too and deserve company more than anyone else. Do not be afraid to admit that you are lonely. You have beaten yourself up far too much over your past, it's time to be happy. What others think is none of your business. You have been helping others for far too long that you've forgotten to help yourself.'

Severus rolled his eyes, but found himself replying to the old wizard.

'So you don't believe this is wrong? Or a mistake? I'd hate to ruin a life that has barely begun…'

'Severus. I think you know as well as I do that Miss Granger's life began the moment she met Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley. She has developed and grown far past what she should have at the age that she did. Most fully grown witches and wizards have not endured what she has, or have suffered the pain and torment she was subjected to. You two are kindred spirits birthed in different times. Age is merely a number in this instance, and I would think you to be a dunderhead if you let such trivial matters define your choices.'

As much as Severus hated to admit it, Dumbledore was right. After everything they've been through and seen who would have the nerve to deny either one of them the happiness that they craved? It would be a long road ahead, but he was positive that it would be well worth it in the end.

'Albus,' Severus started, 'you have once again outdone yourself with words of advice. I only hope that listening to a talking portrait isn't as foolish as it seems.'

Dumbledore chuckled again, 'Severus, I am not the foolish one in this equation.'

With one last twinkle, he got up from his statuesque chair and walked to another portrait.