Chapter 7

A ray of sunshine fell upon Severus' face; he tried to turn away from it, but something was holding his arm. He peeked through half-closed eyes and saw that Hermione had grabbed his arm sometime during the night. He closed his eyes and buried his face in the crook of her neck, breathing in deeply her scent. Sighing to himself, he knew he had to be up shortly. Minerva had called for a teachers' meeting today right after breakfast, and he had to make an appearance. Severus slowly eased his arm out of her death grip. He didn't want to wake her just yet; he would wait until after his shower.

After performing his morning ritual, Severus walked back into the bedroom to find Hermione still sleeping peacefully. He would have given anything at that moment to just crawl back into bed with her and never leave. However, he still had other obligations, to the school, his students, and Minerva. He already had his letter of resignation completed, and today he would hand it to Minerva and deal with her disappointment at his decision to leave. He sat on the edge of the bed and stroked Hermione's cheek. "Time to wake up, love."

Hermione stirred as she felt his warm hand on her face and heard his silken voice imploring her to awaken. Slowly opening her eyes, she saw he was already dressed. "Morning, love, why are you dressed already?" she asked him, yawning.

"There's a teachers' meeting after breakfast this morning that I'm expected to attend."

He saw the disappointment in her eyes as she averted her gaze. "Perhaps you could come to Hogwarts and have lunch with me in my chambers, or did you plan on meeting Potter for lunch?"

"I never had the chance yesterday to owl him. I really should go to the Owl Post and send him a note today."

"I really must leave, my dear," he said, noticing the sun steadily rising. "Should I expect you for lunch, then?"

"Unless you hear differently, yes. I love you, Severus."

"I love you too, Hermione," he said, kissing her good-bye. He stood and with a turn Disapparated to the gates of Hogwarts.

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The meeting was in the staff lounge where once again the upcoming N.E.W.T.s were discussed...as if the subject hadn't been talked to death over the years. As the meeting concluded he approached Minerva. "Headmistress, do you have a few moments? I need to speak with you privately."

"Of course, Severus, you know I always have time for you. Meet me in my office in say, twenty minutes?"

"That will be fine, Minerva."

Twenty minutes later, Severus was standing on the moving stairs, heading up to the door of the headmistresses' office.

"Come in," she said in response to his knock. Severus entered and walked up to her desk. "Thank you for taking the time to see me, Headmistress."

"Don't be silly, Severus, and I've told you to call me Minerva."

"Minerva. This isn't a social visit. I've made some decisions, and one has a direct impact on the school. There is no easy way to do this." He reached into his robes, taking out the rolled parchment and handing it to Minerva. "This is my letter of resignation, Headmistress. This will be my last term as a professor at Hogwarts.

"I didn't come to this decision easily, Minerva. I've been teaching here for over thirty years... and if you add my years as a student here, it's over forty years. Hogwarts has been my home, my refuge, but it's time to move on. Albus left me a small estate in Spain. We'll be moving there a few days after the students leave for the summer."

"We? Who is we, Severus?" Minerva asked, perplexed by this revelation.

Severus sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose, angry with himself for slipping like that. He had hoped to wait before telling Minerva and the others that he was in a relationship with the former Hermione Granger.

"I was hoping to put off this part, and I ask that you keep this between us for now, Minerva."

"I know you cherish your privacy, Severus; you always have. You know I won't reveal anything you do not wish to become common knowledge."

"Thank you, Minerva. Although, I'm sure that shortly, it will become 'common knowledge' anyway. With that said, for the last two years I've been having a clandestine relationship with someone well-known in the Wizarding world. You know her well, too, and I hope you'll listen to the whole story before jumping to conclusions and making accusations."

"A relationship? With someone I know? Please, Severus, stop beating around the bush and get on with it already."

Severus rose and walked to the window overlooking the Quidditch pitch before turning around and speaking, "I've been seeing--Hermione Weasley. She has told her husband that she wishes to dissolve their bond, which to my knowledge he has agreed to; she will be moving with me to Spain when I leave."

Minerva sat stunned, her mouth agape when Severus told her who was leaving Britain with him. It took her a few moments to recover from the shock before she could speak.

"Hermione Weasley? You and Hermione? The former Hermione Granger?

"Yes, Minerva, one and the same."

"But she's married, Severus! You've been carrying on a clandestine affair with a married woman? A former student, no less, not to mention she was in MY HOUSE!"

"Yes, Minerva, we have already established who the witch is and what we have been doing. Perhaps you would like to flay me for my transgression?" he said, sneering at Minerva.

"This has been going on for... What did you say... Oh, yes, TWO YEARS! You put yourself in the middle of someone's marriage, Severus. I expected better of you, really! How did this happen? When did this happen?"

"The how's and when's are no one's business but mine and Hermione's. Suffice it to say, I did not step into their marriage and break them up. Hermione had not been happy with Weasley for a long while before I came along. We've fallen in love, and if she'll consent to it, I plan to make her my wife as soon as possible. Does that satisfy your Gryffindor sensibilities?"

Minerva stared at him; she had watched him grow from the scruffy, shy little boy who had come to Hogwarts so many years ago, to the confident, though still reserved man who stood before her today. She had watched him suffer silently and alone for almost twenty years as he had fulfilled his duty to Albus. I'm being silly. Severus deserves to have someone to love him. I can think of no one better suited for him than Hermione. Though I never thought I'd live to see the day he would marry.

"That's... wonderful, Severus. I'm very happy for the both of you!" she said pulling him into a hug.

Severus was quite shocked at Minerva's sudden change in attitude. "What are you playing at, Minerva?"

"Anyone not wearing blinders could see those two were unhappy and shouldn't have been pushed to marry in the first place. Albus, did you hear what Severus said?"

"Yes, my dear, I did," the portrait of the deceased, long-time headmaster spoke, his trademark twinkle well in place. "It's about time, my boy. You've hidden it quite well, Severus. I don't believe anyone ever had a clue!"

Merlin, no... Please, he couldn't deal with Albus, too. Meddling old pouf. He shuddered as he thought what the old man would say if he were alive. He would probably insist on making sure they were properly bound before they left Britain.

"How am I going to find someone to fill your position, Severus? I wouldn't know where to begin."

"Minerva, I have several names of possible replacements. I wouldn't leave you in such a lurch. By the time the term ends, someone else will be ready to step in and take over."

"I'm going to miss you," Minerva said as she took a handkerchief to her eyes.

Oh, dear Gods, now she's going to cry. I can't deal with this right now, Severus thought, searching his mind for a reason to leave. "The term ends in fewer than four months, Minerva. It's not as if you'll never see me again. It just won't be on a daily basis," he said as he made his way towards the door. "I need to owl the people I have in mind to see if any of them are interested in the position. I'll let you know when I have an interview set up," he said as he closed the door and breathed a sigh of relief.

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Hermione stood at the gates of Hogwarts. It had been a long time since she had visited her old school. She placed her hand on the gate, and the wards shifted, allowing her to enter. She walked slowly up to the side of the castle and hoped that the secret doorway was still there--it wouldn't do for her to be seen at the castle just yet. Walking past Hagrid's hut, she made a mental note to stop in to see him before she left for her appointment with Harry... It would be a good reason not to be able to stay for tea and rock cakes!

Making her way over the hill, she walked to the side of castle. Behind the evergreen tree, she found the stone with the P carved into the corner and tapped it with her wand three times. The old stones dissolved and a door revealed itself to her; pulling down on the ancient door latch, she opened it and descended the stairs. The door to Severus' office was a short walk down the hall. She knocked on the door. "Enter," she heard him say and she opened the door. His office was exactly as she remembered it, the slimy, lifeless 'things' floating in neon-green-coloured fluid in the jars on the shelves, and the gloomy feel of the room was designed to make the most stalwart student shake in fear.

She stood there looking at him. He was hunched over his desk, quill in hand, marking some poor student's essay. After several minutes of being ignored, she spoke, "Hope I'm not interrupting anything important."

He looked up at the sound of the voice he wasn't expecting to hear. "Hermione, love, sorry I didn't realise it was you. I thought..."

"I was a student?" she laughed.

"Yes, however, I'd rather see you than any of my students. It's lunchtime already?"

"Just about. I came in through the secret entrance you told me about. After all, we don't want to give the students anything to gossip about, do we?" She smiled as she walked up to him and kissed his cheek.

"Come, we'll have lunch in my private rooms," Severus said as he took Hermione's hand, leading her to the bookcase. "Now pay attention, my dear: fourth shelf down, third book from the left." He pulled the book activating the mechanism that opened the entrance into his rooms.

Severus Floo-called the kitchen, requesting lunch for two to be served in his rooms. They sat at a small table, eating, and talking, when Severus heard a loud knock on his office door. "Excuse me, love, that might be a student. I'll return shortly," he said as he made his way back to his office, leaving the door open a crack.

Not five minutes later, Hermione heard loud voices coming from Severus' office, one sounding quite like Harry's. She went over to the door and placed her ear close to the opening, "I want to know what you did to her, Snape!" She was sure that it was Harry in the other room, apparently confronting Severus.

"I did nothing to her, Potter. Your friend Weasley should have treated her better. If he would have, she would not have come to me." She could hear the snarky reply, imagining the sneer on his face.

"Bullshite! You slipped her something... A potion probably, knowing you. Couldn't find a witch of your own, so you had to go after Hermione, and destroy her marriage!"

"I guess when you told her yesterday you only wanted her to be happy you were lying to her then, Potter. Of course, I forgot, everyone has to clear what they do with the great Harry Bloody Potter first."

"I didn't know it was YOU. If I had, I would never have allowed her to leave and end things with Ron."

"Allow her? So, you run her life then, or think you do?"

"I would have talked her out of it and sent her to break it off with you... You slimy, murdering bastard."

Enough is enough; it's time to end this now, she thought. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open and stepped into the room.

"What is the meaning of this, Harry? How dare you..." said Hermione, a growl escaping her throat as she fought to control herself.

"How dare I? How dare you walk away from a ten year marriage for... for... HIM!"

"After all I said to you yesterday, this how you react now? What does it matter WHO I am with, as long as I'm happy?"

"Ron's right! HE must have done something to you; you're not in your right mind!"

Severus fingered the handle of his wand, hidden in his sleeve. The temptation to hex the boy wonder was growing with every foul word that came from his mouth.

Harry watched as Hermione gave him 'that look,' the one he knew meant he had better have a quick escape route because she was getting ready to hex him into next week.

"Not in my right mind?" Hermione said, her voice low and calm. "You're right; I wasn't in my right mind when I allowed everyone to push me into marrying Ronald. I should have listened to my mother and waited."

"What do you mean, Hermione? I didn't push you to marry Ron so fast."

"No? Think about it, Harry. Do you remember saying, 'Oh, this is wonderful. Now we'll all be together, just like I always pictured us. Ron and I have vacation time coming in three months. You two should have the wedding then so you can have a week's honeymoon.' Do you remember now?"

"It was just a suggestion. I didn't say you HAD to do it then."

"Then you shouldn't have said it in front of Molly. She, of course, thought it was a WONDERFUL IDEA. Next thing I know I'm at the altar, getting married! Also, this idea you have that Severus pursued me, try that one the other way around... I pursued him."

Harry stood there in shock. "You... You pursued him? Why?"

"Didn't you listen to me at all yesterday? I was miserable with Ron, and he was miserable with me. I'm happy when I'm with Severus, I love him, and he loves me. If you can't be happy for me, Harry, then perhaps we need to end this friendship."

"I don't want to do that. I love you like a sister, and you know that. It's just that all... this is sort of a shock."

"I realise that, but I'm a grown woman, and I'll decide who I want to be with, and I don't need yours or anyone else's permission."

Severus watched as they went back and forth with their argument, both seeming to forget he was there. He was proud of Hermione though, standing up for herself as she was... standing up for 'them.' There was a lull in the bickering, and he chose then to step in.

"Potter, I don't particularly care for you, or your friend, Weasley. However, for Hermione's sake, I've stayed quiet whilst the two of you went at it. I love Hermione, and it doesn't matter who pursued whom. We are together now, and I hope we'll be together the rest of our lives. I've let her handle all this as she saw fit, but from this moment on, I will not stand by and watch her so-called 'friends' try to bully her into doing what they desire. If you can't be happy for her, then the best you can do is move on and out of her life." Severus stood next to Hermione, looking as if he smelled something nasty in the air.

Harry looked at Snape and then Hermione. He couldn't understand how she could be happy with the bat, but he loved her and didn't want to lose her. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. "I do love you, Hermione, and you're one of my best and oldest friends. I do want you to be happy, and I'm sorry Ron wasn't able to do that. If Snape makes you happy, then I'll try to accept all this. Just don't expect me to be best mates with him, okay?"

"Merlin forbid," said Severus.

"Thank you, Harry," Hermione said as she hugged her friend. "I love you, too."

"I'll be in my room, trying to eat," said Severus as he left the room.

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Monday afternoon, a Ministry owl delivered a parchment--it was a request for the dissolution of her marriage to Ron. She had the option to be there Friday morning to add her signature to the final papers, if she so wished; otherwise, they would owl the papers later that day for her signature.

She thought of going, but then decided she really didn't want to see Ron and have to deal with his anger. Her parents took the news well and were happy for her, though they weren't thrilled she'd had an affair. They did want to meet Severus before they left for Spain, and she promised them they would.

Friday afternoon, another Ministry owl appeared at her window. She untied the parchment, read it, and taking a quill, she signed her named to the bottom. It glowed blue for a brief moment, and then beneath both her and Ron's signatures appeared writing stating that the marriage was dissolved.

It was finally over, and now she could look forward to her future with Severus.

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The months passed quickly, and before they knew it, it was the last day of the term. In three days' time, they would be leaving for Spain and their future.

They had packed all they wanted to take with them to Spain and left the rest at the flat. They had decided to keep it so they would have a place to stay when they visited London.

Severus stood inside the entry hall of Hogwarts one last time. The staff had thrown him and Hermione a small going-away party the night before, and he had said his farewells to them then. Now he was faced with a teary-eyed Minerva.

"Well, Severus, I guess this is good-bye," said Minerva as she dabbed her eyes with her handkerchief. "You two take good care of each other, and do write occasionally to let me know how you are doing."

"I will, Minerva," said Severus. He realised at that moment just how much he would miss the old biddy. He did something totally out of character; he hugged Minerva. A few moments later, he released her and stepped back.

"Hermione, remember to invite me to the wedding, I so look forward to seeing the both you tie the knot."

"You can count on it, Minerva," she said as they, too, hugged each other.

They walked to the gates of Hogwarts and turned to take one last look at the castle that had been a large part of both their lives. Severus then took Hermione in his arms, and with a loud pop, he Apparated them both to Spain.

"Severus. I thought you said this was a small estate?"

"I guess to Albus, this was small."

The End