Making sure the boy who lives, actually does...

Chapter 18: The Muggle-born Princess...

Snape stood looking after Hermione a long while, his lips thinned into an offensive frown. He was idle a few seconds in this watch, feeling the anger and confusion washing over him as fluidly as the door to the classroom had slammed moments prior.

He wanted to be angry with the girl, God knew she deserved his wrath. She\'d done nothing but bring him irritation and anguish since the day he\'d come across her this year, and he was sure she knew it. But she was also different than he remembered. It wasn\'t in her body, or mind but in her attitude. She was no longer the meeker, shy little sidekick. When she had emerged from the past with a thoroughly broken heart and a bizarre view of romance and love, she had been changed. Why, her actions that night had spoken far louder than words ever could.

And now, talking back to him as if he were one of her school chums. It was unlike her, so much that it was in fact quite a shock when it occurred. Not only that, but hours before he had been madly snogging with the future Hermione as if there was no tomorrow. And not just snogging, but feeling something with her as well. The same surge that went through him when he discovered he was a father and husband. It was a ray of hope in ways, to know that somehow, distantly he had made a real life for himself. So was the problem of wanting to be cross with her. How could you be cross with someone when you were to blame as well? Even if it had been a different him in past and present, it was in essence...him.

This whole mess was probably the worst thing to happen to him in a long while. Because not only were they in much over their heads, he\'d also come across the bothersome notion that he may just be forming a rather strange and unsettling attachment to the girl.

Yes. He was fairly certain that if Hermione was to come rushing back into the classroom to deliver a passionate kiss onto his surprised lips, he would most certainly not object. In fact, he was fairly certain that he\'d be anything but repulsed. He may have enjoyed it more than her...

Oh bugger.

Yes. Oh bugger seemed to be the operative phrase of the hour. Snape collapsed into the chair behind his desk, groaning to himself as he rubbed his tired eyes. He was too old for this romantic bollocks. He was her Professor, she was a student. That alone should have been enough to deter him from any immoral thoughts. Not once had he considered an affair with a student, it seemed far beyond perverse. But, going to the future and seeing their life...he was envious. Was that possible? To be envious of ones self?

He didn\'t dwell on that long. The other problem in reality was the knowledge that they knew far too much about their own destiny. How could it ever happen now? How could he and young Hermione ever become...\'an item\' ?this thought was what troubled him the most...what if he couldn\'t get that image of what was to come, back? What if he had just royally buggered himself over? What if this was it? She was tired of him?

You\'re just lonely. his mind reasoned, mentally massaging him as he stood wearily. His eyes were bleary, and he was aware that he and Miss Granger were going to have to try again tomorrow night to reach Potter in the past. That meant more potion making. Lonely, old, sexually repressed...take your pick.

He scowled to himself, drudging up a nearby cauldron and setting it atop a newly made fire. The flickering embers played about in his eyes a moment before he went to his office, grasping the ingredients from the night before. Heaving another forlorn sigh, he made his way back to the table.

Thoughts of kissing Hermione were subtly coming back to him as he worked on the potion into the night. Small flickers of memory with every crackling f. Bu. Bugger. He frowned deeply, his lips in a dark, downward curve as if he had to prove to himself that he didn\'t like thinking about her.

He remembered suddenly the words she\'d spoken in her office. To confess...I was in love with you. So, if it had been just after the time turner incident...that meant she was still harboring certain loving emotions towards him. Theoretically, she may be in love with him now. Right now. This was a strange feeling.

She just wants someone to love her. his sullen mind retaliated, seemingly wanting to keep him from any hope. She fell in love with a young man who resembled you. Don\'t flatter yourself Severus. She\'s young, hormonal and probably as sexually repressed as you are.

Snape\'s mouth twitched into a deeper frown as he added the various ingredients, deciding that it was best if he spoke to Hermione the next day, obviously things were advancing and he hadn\'t a clue. How much had he missed in his oblivious stupor? She was still an attentive student, she had still been a faithful friend to those around her. When had this escalated into affection for him? Why hadn\'t he really noticed it?

You did. You just never wanted to admit it.

Yes, that sounded about right. Denial was quite useful at times. He remembered quite easily the tight hug she\'d gathered him into when he\'d come to the past to rescue them. As if she were trying to cling to the boy she could never have. Was she just settling for his older self? Most definitely.

But then...if she was just settling...she wouldn\'t be with him in the future, would she? She would have grown weary of coupling with him in a matter of months...her affection must have been deeper than that. He remembered the shining happiness in her eyes when she viewed him. Or the small look of adoration that crossed her features when retelling the story of how they met. She hadn\'t settled at


Again Snape\'s mind was filled with various memories of their future that he\'d seen. Mostly he remembered that feeling he had with her on the couch in her study, with her in his arms. He\'d felt protected, and as if he was protecting her as well. It was a feeling of simple happiness, of sublime ease and something he fiercely wanted back.

He knew that tonight she\'d wanted to talk about things, that she had been ready to confess whae\'de\'d been feeling for him. And what did he do? Berate her over all the things she did wrong. Snape shook his head angrily, why it would seem he was trying to sabotage his own happiness. Out of what? Fear? Rejection? It was a confusing mix, that was for certain.

Snape was fully aware then that he\'d made the wrong decision tonight. He should have listened to her full out. Why, it wasn\'t as if he was as detached to her as the other students. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, a part of him had been quite intimate with her. This thought disturbed as well as aroused him, and he found it extremely difficult to focus on the bubbling mass below him.

I need to see her. Tomorrow.... Snape was plotting, his dark eyes glazing. She\'ll think it\'s just about going to the past...but, that\'s when I\'ll listen to her side. Who knows...perhaps this was meant to be-

At this thought Snape let out a mighty snort, startling even himself. What was he turning into? A bloody Des Destiny...meant to be...love? What was he thinking? He\'d merely listen to the girl, give her whatever advice he could and promptly put her out of his mind. Having an affair with the student under Albus\' nose was not Severus\' idea of romantic, or fun for that matter. No, solitude would be best.

Suddenly Snape froze, his fingertips balanced on the cork of a sample ingredient. His brows lowered slightly as he recalled her furious words, not even an hour previous.

I\'ve got someone who loves me, and I love him.

Weasley.

Snape may not have been a fun, or sweet or even rablrable teacher to many, but he wasn\'t completely out of the loop. He\'d viewed the two of them together lately, and admitted to himself now that it had bothered him a bit. Irked him to see Weasley trying to paw at her between classes. Irritated him the way that little red headed slob was trying to turn her into a Quidditch loving dunderhead. Why, it wouldn\'t surprise him if the little brat had already proposed.

It was about that time, Snape decided that maybe he\'d better talk to Hermione.

* * *

\"Fine.\" Hermione fumed, rushing back to the common room in a horrid mood. Her cheeks were reddened in fury, her hands clenching at her sides, trembling from her anger. She was so enraged, she was almost seeing red. \"Fine Severus Snape, you don\'t want me? Well, I know someone who does.\"

With this exclamation, Hermione barked the password at a horrified Fat Lady, and stepped through the portrait hole, scanning the crowded room in agitation. She looked at the few couples and sighed in desperation, her mouth curved into a purse of thought. When she finally did view the familiar, bright red mane she let a small relieved smile pass her lips.

\"Ron.\" Hermione said breathlessly, coming to the side of the sofa where Ron sat flipping through cards. His face brightened the moment he viewed her, but soon his light eyes dimmed, and a look of pained worry crossed his features.

\"What\'s wrong Hermione?\"

\"Nothing.\" Hermione said passionately, kneeling beside the couch and inspecting Ron with the same scrutiny she used when deeply engrossed in one of her many, many books. Some of the other\'s on the couch looked to Hermione in interest a moment before going back to their conversations.

\"I thought you were supposed to be meeting Snape.\" Ron said curiously, glag atg at his watch and then back to her. \"You just left a second ago.\"

\"Oh.\" Hermione said absently, not really interested in giving an explanation. \"Listen Ron, come with me, won\'t you?\"

Ron looked to her curiously, shrugging a bit and packing his cards away. \"Sure.\"

After a short farewell to their friend\'s in the common room, Hermione grasped Ron\'s clammy hand in hers and proceeded to literally drag him to the door of her Head Girl room. When they reached their destination, Ron looked at the door confused and then to the troubled Hermione.

\"Is it about Harry?\" Ron asked anxiously, \"Is it something that bad?\"

\"No.\" Hermione answered shortly, her dark eyes scanning his own a moment as she took a deep breath, wondering if she should go through with her plans. She stewed about within them a moment, looking everywhere but Ron. After a long pause she licked her lips, gave Ron a once over and motioned for him to follow her into the room.

When inside she grew even tenser, and in turn so did Ron. He was confused as to why he was being asked into her room, and could only assume it was something of such a supreme severity, Hermione was afraid he would faint on site.

\"Hermione.\" Ron said lightly, coming to where she stood by the bed. Slipping a comforting hand on her shoulder he tried to be gentle in tone and touch. \"Whatever it is...I can handle it.\"

Hermione whipped around, her heart racing as she spoke.

\"I want you to take me Ron.\"

Ron looked to her in wonder a moment before giving a solemn:

\"Where?\"

Hermione couldn\'t hide her disappointment. She lowered her gaze to the floor, her eyes filling with blurry tears. She was so confused. It shouldn\'t be like this. Never so forced. Her preconceived notions and motivations for having Ron bed her, now seemed so incredulous she actually blushed.

Hermione knew that there was now no way she was going to ever have Severus Snape. She hadn\'t really known that he was what she wanted from him in the first place. In fact it would seem she had been trying to do everything to forget him. Sadly, in the tricky ways of lust and love, this had not really been so.

She had secretly pined for him, not just him as a young boy, but now as a man. Through the days of school after coming back, to traveling alongside him into the future. Seeing him in the future, with their family had struck an even deeper chord with her, as she thought would have for him as well. She had been moved. She decided that perhaps Snape hadn\'t seen their future, but this did little to move her from her anger.

So was the case of dragging Ron to her room. After a while of careful thought, Hermione had come to the conclusion that she didn\'t care for what Snape was, but for what he did to her. She decided that the only reason she held such deep affection for Snape of all ages, was her experiences with him in pas past and present. In reality, he had been the only man Hermione had ever been intimate with. She decided that this must have been the root of her heart\'s fascination. Foolish girl.

She also believed that if she was to be intimate even more so with Ron, that all previous feeling towards Snape would be gone. They would diminish with every kiss and feel of Ron on her. She would be free of Snape\'s pulling lure, and seduction and she would be happy with Ron for the rest of her life. It only made sense.

Hermione, not very experienced in the ways of seduction decided that it would only be best if she were direct. And so in her usual bossy yet ladylike manner, Hermione leaned over ever so slightly and whispered the words into Ron\'s ear. Well, that along with the rest of his body turned a violet shade of pink and Hermione could almost feel the burning of his cheeks as she pulled away, surveying his face.

\"Well?\" Hermione said softly, her teeth worrying her bottom lip. She too was blushing, although not to the same degree as Ron. The poor boy\'s body practically matched his hair, and that was a feat in itself.

\"Are you sure?\" he asked meekly, gulping thickly.

\"Yes.\" Hermione said with a resolute nod, \"I\'m certain. I\'ve given this a lot of thought.\"

There was a thick pause in which Ron could only nod, thinking the whole thing over himself. Hermione stood watching him, surveying the flurry of emotions that passed through his eyes. She could tell he was eager, but beyond nervous. They\'d barely done anything serious besides kissing, and that had seemed to satiate him...more than Severus-

NO MORE SEVERUS!

\"Uh...well, well alright.\" Ron finally muttered hastily, looking around the room in wonder. \"Uh...well...right here?\"

\"Yes.\" Hermione said lightly, giving an uncomfortable cough before looking to her watch. \"Dinner is fairly soon...we should really get started.\"

As soon as the words left her mouth Ron tensed. Dear Lord, he was under a time limit now. His eyes blinked rapidly a while, before settling on her chest, now heaving nervously. Moving from her chest to her neck, and then to her face, Ron let out a small and shaky nod.

\"Alright.\" Hermione said authoritatively pulling off her robe and starting with her blouse. Ron clumsily mimicked her, dropping the robe on the ground by the bed when he finished. Seeing Hermione\'s disapproving look he grimaced, and picking the robe up, dropped it on the back of a nearby chair.

\"This really is a really...great room.\" He said lamely, trying to stall the inevitable. He watched her working at the buttons of her blouse and gulped thickly, feeling quite overheated. He was unsure of where Hermione was getting this sudden urging, but he was damned if he was going to question it. He cared for her deeply, and he\'d been certain that she regretted getting tentatively engaged...but he decided that if she wanted to actually consummate their relationship, she must be serious about the whole engagement.

\"Did you pick the color yourself?\" Ron went rambling on nervously. He may have been eager to be intimate with Hermione, but the lighting and speed and her tonight...everything just seemed off. He was starting to question her sudden motivations, and wondered if something had happened with Snape a while back that she just didn\'t want to talk about. He didn\'t know why, but Snape kept creeping into things Ron never would have conceived before.

\"Just hurry.\" Hermione suddenly said urgently, unbuttoning her blouse at a rapid rate, her heart beating madly. She viewed as Ron slowly began unbuttoning his own shirt, glancing over to Hermione once in a while whilst he licked his dry lips time and time again.

Hermione, growing anxious and frustrated crossed the room, and grasping the shoulders of Ron\'s shirt, gave a mighty yank downward, popping buttons everywhere and leaving Ron shirtless, gaping at the floating fabric by his feet. It may have been a mixture of the worry and fear that consumed him, but he suddenly grew more than agitated.

\"Those aren\'t exactly cheap, Hermione!\" he said angrily, bending over to pick the shirt up. Inspecting the tears he soon turned to Hermione, holding the shirt up. \"My Mum is going to kill me!\"

Hermione stood looking at Ron with scrutiny, her lips pursed in concentration. Suddenly she wrapped her arms around Ron\'s shoulders, dragging him into an enveloping kiss, her mouth covering his with such passion his neck almost snapped back.

She pushed them onto her bed, straddling him as she continued their fervent kissing. Ron was fairly rigid under her, and as the usual demonstrator, Hermione whipped her own blouse from her shoulders, throwing it on the side of the bed. Clumsily she took Ron\'s hands, shakily guiding them to the clasp of her bra on her back. She continued kissing Ron deeply, rubbing against him and trying to start the same spark she\'d felt with Severus.

Soon, Ron had managed to unclasp her bra, and in a shaking moment of personal victory, he flung it onto the floor. But, when Ron was confronted with the very breasts he\'d envisioned seeing so many times, he was awestruck. Hermione had stopped kissing him and was just watching his reaction, gauging his interest. There was a small, awkward pause in which Ron had no idea of what to do next.

\"You can touch them you know.\" She said brusquely, \"They won\'t break.\"

Ron gave a shaky laugh and Hermione -seeing that he wasn\'t going to take the initiative- took one of Ron\'s surprised hands and pressed it to her breast roughly. Her tender nipple rose instantly at the friction of another\'s hand on her, and this seemed to egg Ron on. He kissed her onc once more before turning his attention back to her breast, fondling it and smiling softly.

After a few moments of this though, Hermione began to wince in pain. She just wanted all of this to be over with. Suddenly through the fabric of his pants, she felt his excitement brushing against her leg, slowly rising. Quickly she moved to cover Ron\'s face in small kisses, mainly exploring his mouth, waiting for her stomach to bottom out as it had with Severus.

What\'s wrong me? she thought exasperated, trying to ignore Ron\'s clumsy hands.Why isn\'t it the same?

Suddenly she was inundated with flashes of Snape, younger, older, same as now...flashes of his kisses, his hands, his eyes...most pointedly his eyes. She couldn\'t stop herself.

Finally disgusted with herself, she pulled away from Ron and away from the bed, muttering angrily to herself. Ron sat up slowly, watching her in blurry interest. Why was she leaving? Hermione pulled on her blouse rapidly, ignoring Ron\'s feeble protests. He muttered to her that was inaudible and taking a deep breath Hermione made herself face him.

\"What\'s wrong with you?\" Ron asked confused, looking to her wildly, his hair mussed and standing up all over. \"This isn\'t like you at all.\"

\"Oh just forget it.\" Hermione exclaimed frustrated, pushing Ron from her suddenly. He moved back rapidly, almost tripping onto the bed as Hermione continued angrily. \"This whole thing was a mistake.\"

\"I didn\'t force you.\" Ron said angrily, pulling on his shirt -best he could- and robe. \"This whole thing was your idea.\"

\"I don\'t just mean now.\" Hermione said listlessly, moving to sit on a nearby chair. Burying her face in her hands a moment she was silent, ignoring the pointed stare from Ron a few feet away. She could tell without even looking at him that he was angry and as confused as she.

\"What\'s that supposed to mean?\"

\"I don\'t think I want to marry you Ron.\" she answered truthfully, looking to him solemnly,ing ing the hurt in his light eyes. \"This entire thing...it was a sham. I never loved you like that Ron...I thought I could make myself, but I can\'t.\"

Ron was silent a long while, just watching as Hermione buried her head in her hands. He was fully dressed now, completely un-aroused and suddenly more than tired. He knew this had been an unwise venture, yet he\one one along with it anyhow. He felt bad for Hermione all of a sudden, which surprised him more than he thought possible since he had been quite angry at her words.

\"It\'s someone else, isn\'t it?\" Ron finally blurted, eyeing her suspiciously. Slowly but surely, his paranoid thoughts were surfacing. \"Some guy you met? Well come on then...who is he?\"

\"No one.\" Hermione said, finally raising her head. \"There is no one.\"

\"You\'re lying.\" Ron snarled, coming over to her until their faces were inches apart. Hermione could count every wayward freckle on his pale and glistening face. She felt terrible for hurting him like this, but the truth needed to come out. It was unfair to do this to him of all people.

\"I\'m not lying Ron.\" she said testily, trying to keep her cool.

\"Then why all of this?\" Ron held out his arms, as if emphasizing the world she\'d created. \"Why agree in the first place? Why try to shag me now? Don\'t tell me its no one Hermione, I know damn well it is. You just want to shag me to get over some other guy don\'t you?\"

\"Ron, it\'s complicated.\"

\"Sure it is.\" Ron said patronizingly, looking to Hermione\'s troubled face. Viewing her trembling lips and glossy eyes, and remembering that she wasn\'t an enemy...she was his Hermione. There was a reason she was getting like this. His tone softened then, his features grew less harsh.

\"Hermione, if you don\'t want to marry me now I understand. You don\'t have to be like this...I\'ll give you as much time as you need. I don\'t want to rush you, and I don\'t want to lose you.\"

Hermione looked up into Ron\'s sweet face, and knew that he meant every word that passed his lips. He was sweet and kind and honest and true, and she simply couldn\'t desire him. He was almost a perfect man and she couldn\'t have been less interested.

There was something about Severus Snape, in all his forms that she had fallen for. Seeing their life together in the future had only solidified the feeling that he was her match. That although he wouldn\'t admit it, he felt something for her too. That was why she hadn\'t been able to go through with Ron, that\'s why she had felt the guilt of merely kissing him...She wanted Severus. Only him.

She knew she didn\'t want to marry Ron now, and that odds were she wouldn\'t want to in the future, but seeing his determination and pain she found she couldn\'t hurt him any further this evening. He wasn\'t just a boyfriend, he was a true friend and she loved him as such.

And so was the cause of her nodding softly, and taking his proffered arm as he offered to escort her down to dinner. He said they could talk about some things and Hermione agreed, asking him with a blush if he wouldn\'t say anything of what happened moment’s prior, to which he too agreed with a blush. And so, hand in hand, Hermione and Ron-the-man-she\'d-never-marry made their way down to dinner.

* * *

\"Severus, you seem quite odd this evening.\" McGonagall said lightly, looking over from her plate to the sullen mane at her left. He\'d been silent since the start of the meal moment’s prior, seemingly engrossed in his own thoughts.

\"How so?\" he bit off irritably, his eyes scanning the tables surreptitiously. He\'d been waiting for one, singular person in particular since the start of dinner, and was beyond disturbed that she hadn\'t made an appearance yet.

He hadn\'t run into her in the halls during his search for her, and rumors through the halls that he had been patrolling absently, were that she and Weasley had disappeared into her Head Girl Room a while before. That pain had stung deeply. How had this happened? How had he given his entire emotional well being to this girl?

\"I don\'t know.\" Minerva replied with an airy shrug, \"Just distracted.\"

If you only knew.

Snape didn\'t bother answering, his eyes now glued to his dinner plate. The lump in his throat was getting bigger, making it harder and harder to swallow. He needed to talk with Hermione immediately, he could always cover his urgency with claiming they had their business to take care of; helping Potter escape his current malady.

But most importantly, he was going to talk with her about something much bigger. Something that had his stomach in knots. Something that was so involving and hard to admit that it was making it quite difficult for him to breathe. She hadn\'t been happy when she left.

I wish I\'d never met you...

He\'d buggered it up. Lord, he\'d made a mess of things. Ignoring her, ignoring the feeling she stirred within him. Being cruel when he realized he was drawn to her. And now, now that it was beyond too late he had admitted his growing feelings for her. Now, at the exact moment that he couldn\'t have her did he realize hdmirdmiration and adoration for her.

My life has been nothing but shit. he suddenly thought despondently, Why should this be any different?

He would have gone more in depth into his self pity, but had stopped for the current interest of his thoughts had just appeared through the doors of the Great Hall like some royalty...with Weasley hand in hand. Snape\'s stomach flipped, and not in the delightful way he\'d experienced earlier with thoughts of her.

This was a flip of resented jealousy, a churn or anxiety that flashed across him when he viewed their contact. All that went through his mind was memories of their future, kissing, loving, children, dreams, hopes, a real life...all being shattered with that small seemingly insignificant view of them holding hands.

How dare he?

Hermione looked around the crowded Hall, refusing to look at Snape. She could sense him though, could feel his mere presence. She wanted tok aok at him though, to rush up to the Head Table and force him to admit he felt something. He had to. His past did....his future did...why the hell wouldn\'t his present?

Severus...just remember she silently cried, her mouth trembling absently as she eluded his gaze. Stop trying to fight it. Remember what he had...what we could have. Stop ruining everything...

She followed Ron to their usuaat aat at Gryffindor, ignoring all the idle chat, wanting nothing more tfor for Snape to come over to her, to talk to her, to listen to what she had to say. She couldn\'t bear to be in this room, to be where Snape was, knowing that he didn\'t want her...knowing that their future was really never to be. Knowing that she could never confess to him what she felt with him and him alone.

Snape watched solesolemn girl, his heart pounding loudly in his eardrums. He had seen her avoidance of him, seen her confused emotions. He felt a small pang go through him, a feeling he\'d never really experienced but knew enough to detest.

Hermione...give me another chance. He silently pleaded with his eyes. Don\'t run to that fool Weasley...you know you\'re too good for him. Forget him. Come back to me...We can talk about it..

But maybe all was not lost. Hermione appeared completely disenchanted with Ron at the moment. She was eating her meal, looking rather broken in spir The The new awakened part of him wanted to pull her away from the noisy students, wanted to take her down to his office. To comfort her, to apologize for what he\'d done to her. She\'d nearly spilled out her heart and he hadn\'t given her the chance. He had known that her divulging her feelings for him was the stepping-stone to what he had seen. He could have very well sealed his fate of isolation for life.

But he refused it. Somehow he knew -and their future viewing only further proved it- that he and Hermione were connected through the ages, he was attracted to her as a young man, as a middle aged man and so forth...he was interested in her mind and spirit, in her heart and love that she gave so freely. Mostly he was intrigued that she could ever love him.

Falling in love with a girl like Hermione would be easy...falling for a man like himself seemed damn near impossible...but she had.

Suddenly it seemed all his staring was starting to make an impression. Ever so slightly Hermione titled her head, almost non noticeable. Dark eyes darted around large tufts of dark hair as looked to Severus in surprise, wondering why he would be looking at her of all people. He\'d made his feelings for the whole situation quite known this afternoon. She gave him a small eyebrow raise that he returned with a small nod before he looked back to his dinner plate.

Strange.

Moments later he looked up slowly, trying to make it seem indifferent to any other party watching...which at this point happened to be no one. Slowly his eyes met hers, eyes that held more compassion and warmth than he\'d ever encountered. And slowly, so very slowly a small smile appeared on her lips, a smile Snape almost felt within himself. She understood...A small smile made its way onto his face, not that anyone saw.

Hermione herself had turned a bit pink, looking back to her meal and smiling softly to herself, although she didn\'t know why. She couldn\'t be certain, but there had been something in Snape\'s eyes just then, something that had given her a small jolt of hope. Something that meant he\'d realized...No. That couldn\'t be it.

A small, glimmer of hope was igniting in Severus at that moment, a singular hope that perhaps they were just good friends. A gentle, coddling desire to have Hermione all to himself, with no rules of jealous lovers to worry about. There, he admitted it to himself. He wanted to see her desperately, alone in his office. He wanted to talk things out, he wanted to finally kiss her with his own, present lips. He wanted what felt ultimately like coming home.

All of these feelings were hopelessly quashed though, the moment the red headed boy stood with a large grin on his face, clinking his fork against his glass and commanding everyone\'s attention. The Great Hall fell silent, the only sound Snape\'s rapidly beating heart as he stared at the bold young man.

\"Everyone, I have a special announcement to make.\" Ron said eagerly, ignoring the glare Snape was subconsciously bestowing on him, not knowing that the words he was about to say were about to emotionally devastate the tall, pale man a few feet away.

\"Hermione Granger and I are to be married.\"

__________________________________________

author\'s notes: Hello hello...I know, a bit of a transition chapter, in which much emotion is hidden and displayed, things get confused and ultimately its not until the next chapter that things get really moving. Thanks for the splendid reviews, I love them all. The bunnies however demand they be included in the next update, so be prepared. Thank you all for your splendid reviews, the next chapter will...well, it\'ll be up when I start writing it! Thanks again. cheers. holden.