Chapter 43

I want to give a special thanks to beaweasley2. Up to this chapter, she has been a huge help in giving me encouragement and help. She helped me learn a lot about writing the chapters and embellishing the scenes so you will know what I am seeing as I visualize the story. She is working very hard on her own fics and hasn't had time to help me further. I just want her to know how much I have appreciated her help.

I also want to thank Becky for her feedback and enthusiasm.

A very special thanks to Lisa, my beta, whom I cannot do without.

Now for some fun! I hope you enjoy this chapter.

The next couple of days were final assignment and grade days for the end of the first half of the year, so they were kept very busy. Students were all abuzz about going home and what they would do for their holidays with their families, and they were all excited about the upcoming dance. Severus and Hermione didn't see a great deal of each other those two days. They worked late into the night in their own classrooms, but at night they held each other close in their bed.

So far, they really hadn't spent much time in public in each other's company. But the third morning after Harry's awakening, they came to breakfast together and sat quite close talking. Although the staff had realized something was up, this new development caught the students by surprise. They gawked when the Potions master and Madam Granger sat with their heads so close and then gasped as he took her hand and kissed her fingers before leaving the breakfast table. Hermione suddenly realized the room was quiet and looked up to see hundreds of pairs of eyes watching her and the retreating back of Severus Snape.

She turned bright red and stood, gathered her dignity, and quickly strode from the room.

The room erupted with voices all talking excitedly, staff included. Now everyone knew why the grumpy old Potions master was no longer so grumpy.

******

Hermione received an owl with a letter from Ginny a few days after Harry had woken up, telling her he was home now, at the Burrow. He was walking with only a cane for assistance and not really using that a lot. She said he tired quickly, but he was doing very well.

Hermione was so pleased that when she sent her reply back, she promised that she and Severus would visit them during the holidays.

Hermione was now finished with her classes, and her grade reports were done. She was now getting very excited about the Yule Ball. She was planning to tie her hair up and leave her shoulders and neck bare of adornment.

The next morning was the day of the Yule Ball. Severus told her he needed to do some last-minute work and disappeared out the door quite early. As the day wore on, she soaked in a long bath and took care of all the things she had been lax on: eyebrow plucking, shaving well, creams for her legs and body. She longed to have Ginny to just talk with about the coming dance. She almost felt like she was back in school, and this was truly her very first date. It was with Severus, but she felt like she was a kid going through all the motions again.

It was early evening, and she had not seen Severus all day. She was beginning to worry about him when there was a knock at the door. "Come," she called, slipping on a red satin robe and tying it at her waist.

Ginny walked in the door carrying a large box and a bag with her.

"Ginny! What are you doing here? I was just wishing you were here!" She ran to give her friend a hug. "Let me take the bag. What have you got in here? It's heavy," she said, swinging it up and down.

"Severus asked me to come and help you dress for the dance. He said he knew you'd want to have some womanly support this evening. He also invited Harry and me to join you. So I brought my stuff," she explained, placing the big box on the bed.

Hermione jumped up and down with Ginny, like a schoolgirl. "Oh, Ginny! He thinks of everything. Come on, you can help me paint my nails." They sat on the side of the huge bed, and Ginny did Hermione's fingernails and toenails. "I was so afraid I'd mess them up." She waved her fingers under Ginny's nose. "I wonder if he's been reading my mind," she said. "But I can usually tell when he does."

Ginny looked at her in horror. "He reads your mind? Hermione, I know you love him, but that's going pretty far." The young woman shuddered.

Hermione laughed. "You make it sound bad, but it's really quite wonderful. We have no secrets, and sometimes it's easier..." She lowered her voice, just because it was personal stuff and whispered, "...when making love, not to have to talk too much."

Ginny's face turned red. "Okay, but that was too much information," Ginny complained, playfully covering her ears. "I see how much he loves you, Hermione, but I still have a hard time seeing him as anything but the nasty Potions teacher."

Hermione hopped off the bed and walked to the other side where her dress was laid out. "I wish you could see him as I do. All he needed was someone to love him, and that's exactly what I needed. We can talk about so many things, Ginny, and he's intelligent enough to know what I'm talking about every time." Tears formed in her eyes. "My whole life, most of my conversations have been so far over most everyone's head that I've bored them silly."

Ginny smiled at her. She came and gave her a hug. "I know." She laughed, a bit embarrassed to admit that to her friend. "I'm so happy you have found your soul mate, but it's kind of odd because he was your teacher."

Hermione shrugged as she slid her hand over the fine fabric of her dress. "I'm not a child anymore. I am of age, and we fell in love far from the world of this school. The man I fell in love with wasn't even a teacher then."

"Do you really love Severus Snape, or do you love the man he was as Raven?" Ginny asked her friend pointedly and then sighed. "I just wish he wasn't as old as he is."

"Ginny, he's only 41. That's not that old, and I really love Severus Snape. I find him so engaging. Raven is there, too, changing him little by little. He's no longer angry all the time. He can be incredibly tender and loving. He's also very sexy," she said with a giggle, "and besides, wizards live longer lives. I'm Muggle-born, so hopefully our lifespans will even out."

Ginny nodded, opening her dress box on the bed next to Hermione's dress. "You've got a point there, girlfriend."

"He's really a wonderful man, Ginny," she said, trying to convince her friend, "and I'm blessed to have him in my life."

Ginny admitted to her, "I can tell you, he was pretty magnificent singing Harry back to life. My heart nearly stopped."

Hermione smiled and said, "You can see a bit of why I love him."

Ginny asked, "Hey, the trip up from the gate left me dusty and sweaty. Can I take a quick shower?" she asked, looking for the bathroom door. "I barely got wet this morning before there was pounding on the bathroom door. It was a mad house this morning. Everyone is still here trying to help Harry." She laughed as she rolled her eyes. "Mum loves it, so I haven't had the heart to tell them to go home."

Hermione smiled, but thought to herself, Enjoy it, my friend. Things can change so quickly, but she only said out loud, "Sure, there are towels in the bathroom."

There was another knock at the door, and Hermione gave Ginny a questioning look, but Ginny just shrugged at her and went to take her shower.

Hermione opened the door and found a walking bouquet of red roses. "Oh, my, those are beautiful," she gushed, reaching out to take the flowers.

"Master Snape is asking me to bring these to you, Madam." Dobby's voice came from behind the flowers. "There being a small one in the middle for your wrist. Also Master Snape bid me say, 'I will come for you at eight o'clock.'"

Hermione took the huge bouquet of roses from him and inhaled their fragrance deeply. "Oh, they are so beautiful. Dobby, how is he going to get ready?" she asked the wide-eyed elf. "I haven't seen him all day."

"Master Snape is bringing his clothes to the prefect's bathroom. He gives Miss Weasley and you privacy for getting ready, he says." The little elf blinked his huge eyes as he smiled up at her.

"Dobby, please tell Severus thank you and that I will be ready." She smiled down at the little elf.

"Yes, Madam, and I'm supposing to tell Miss Weasley to meet Mr. Potter upstairs in the ballroom."

"I'll let her know, Dobby, and thank you, again." She nodded her head at him, and he gave her a huge smile. His huge eyes sparkled with pleasure, and then he was gone with a crack.

Hermione carried the flowers to the kitchen table and got a vase of water for them. She removed the little wrist corsage and was arranging the flowers in the vase when Ginny came from the bathroom wrapped in a towel.

"Oh, Hermione, those are beautiful!" She came close, cupped one of the roses, and held it in her hands to breathe in the fragrance. "Wizards don't often give flowers. It's a wonderful Muggle custom."

Hermione nodded. "Yes it is. Come on, I'll do your hair, and then we can get dressed. It's getting late, and Harry wants you to meet him in the ballroom."

Ginny nodded. "He's still not too strong, but he's doing amazingly well. I'll be happy if I can get one slow dance out of him."

The women quickly finished Ginny's hair. After she put on her slip, Hermione slipped Ginny's dress over her head. It was an emerald green, tight, sleeveless bodice with a flared skirt. It looked smashing with her red hair.

Hermione surveyed her. "You look fantastic," she assured her friend.

Ginny smiled and took Hermione's dress from the bed and helped her into it. "This is a beautiful dress. Where did you find it?"

Hermione told her about their shopping day.

"Well, it's really beautiful; Severus should be very pleased with it." It was a shimmering, raven black silk. It had one shoulder strap on the right side and a sash that came from the same shoulder and flowed down the back; this left her left shoulder bare. The bodice was tight on Hermione's body, and then the dress flared mid thigh into a semi full shirt. It complemented her well and fit her like a glove.

With her hair up, leaving her neck and shoulders bare, she looked sophisticated and even more mature.

"Wow, Hermione. You look perfect. Severus is going to flip."

"I'm so excited about tonight, Ginny. We have tried very hard to keep our relationship a secret, because of the students, but also because Severus and Raven weren't integrated. You have no idea how difficult the transition was for him because he has lived such a tortured life. I plan to make him happy for the rest of his life because he deserves it so much."

Ginny hugged her. "I know he does, and you're lucky to have each other." She tuned to gather up a small, beaded emerald purse that she had brought with her. She used her wand to shrink the rest of her things. She stored the little box and bag into her clutch bag. "Now, I'd better get up to Harry, and you'll want to be alone with Severus for a few minutes, I'm sure, before you come up." She turned to go and then saw the wrist corsage. "Hermione, let me help you with this. It's so dainty and beautiful." She fastened it onto Hermione's wrist. "See you upstairs." She gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Hermione watched as the door closed and then looked down at the beautiful roses on her wrist, turning them this way and that way to appreciate all their beauty. Moments later, there was a knock on the door, and Severus called out, "Are you ready, my love?"

Hermione called, "Yes, come in."

Severus opened the door and stepped inside the room. He closed the door behind him and then turned and stared at her appreciatively. "You're more beautiful than I could imagine, and I imagined a lot." He smiled a seductive smile that made her blush.

"Severus, you looked so handsome!" she gushed. He had black dress robes on. His hair, still long, was brushed to shine and fell in soft cascades about his shoulders. She moved toward him with her hands outstretched. He met her halfway and took her hands and placed a careful kiss on her lips. It was a long, gentle kiss.

"I wish we were at a different location. I would have hired a horse-drawn carriage to take us to our destination," he told her.

Hermione smiled up into his face. "I'm happy with the arm of a handsome wizard. You look really amazing, Severus. Thank you so much for the beautiful flowers." She was delighted when he blushed in turn.

He offered his arm, and she slipped hers into his, and they walked out of their rooms and through the classroom without really seeing it. The dungeons weren't really there either, because there was no darkness for them anymore.

As they entered the ballroom, the entire crowd of students stopped talking and watched them. Severus winked at Hermione and swung her around in his arms; bending her back, he planted a steamy kiss on her lips. They were both surprised when the room erupted in hand clapping and cheering.

Severus and Hermione bowed deeply to the crowd, and Minerva clapped her hands, calling everyone's attention. "Happy Yule Ball to you all! Enjoy the evening. You know the rules. No wandering out into the halls. First and second years need to be in bed by ten o'clock, third through fifth by eleven o'clock, and the rest by midnight. Now enjoy and have a wonderful time." She waved her wand, and many candles lit around the room. A soft snow fell from the ceiling, and it vanished as it touched them or the floor. The music began, and everyone turned to the dance floor or to the food tables.

Hermione spotted Harry and Ginny across the room, and she dragged Severus with her so she could greet Harry.

"Harry!" She gave him a big hug, rubbing his back with her hands. "It's so good to see you. You're looking great."

Harry held her a bit longer than Severus found he was uncomfortable with, but he chided himself that it must be Raven's residue feelings. For all of Raven's good qualities, he did have a flaw; he was a bit insecure about Harry, but somehow that made him more human for Severus. I find the sight of Hermione hugging Harry comforting, he told himself, wondering with a grim smile if that was really true.

When they stepped apart, Severus reached for Harry's hand. "Harry, it's good to see you up and around." Severus was surprised when Harry pulled him into a quick hug.

"Thank you, sir," he said, as he released him.

Hermione saw tears swim in Severus' eyes.

He nodded, swallowed, and then said, "Later tonight I'd like you to see something. A memory my mother left for me. I think you should see it."

Harry cocked his head to the side. "What is it?" His curiosity was piqued.

"It's something good, something I hope you will find a comfort now, considering our circumstances," Severus informed him.

Harry sighed, a bit exasperated, but he could see from Hermione's smile she thought it was a good thing, so it probably was. "Alright, Severus, now you two go dance. Ginny and I are going to watch a bit. I'd rather do one of the slower dances later on. I still can't stand too long."

Severus squeezed the young man's shoulder, took Hermione's hand, and said, "I'll see you two later." As he walked into the middle of the dance floor with Hermione, he glanced up onto the platform and saw Minerva watching him. It was then he noticed that Albus' portrait was on an easel near her.

He smirked. "The old goat couldn't be left out, could he?"

Hermione laughed and said, "Forget about them all. Let's just pretend we are here alone."

"Yes, my love." He drew her close, and they kissed deeply and danced, unaware that the entire room of students and adults slowly moved to the side to watch the two of them.