Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Hermione lay on her stomach on the bed and glanced at the paper. A cat had gotten transfigured into a troll; two witches had been caught robbing the Leaky Cauldron. She lazily turned the page. Not much exciting to read about today. Not like the flurry of news that had been peppering the paper for the last two weeks.

The trials of Dolores Umbridge and Rodolphus Lestrange had been swift and widely publicized. The Prophet had a field day with all the press. They must have sold three times the papers that they usually did as the Wizarding population rushed to find out what had happened.

Dumbledore Lives

It's Life in Azkaban for the Dastardly Duo

The craziest headline of them all was the last... obviously penned by Rita Skeeter

Will Cellmates Find Love?

Hermione had chuckled on and off for days at that one. The Wizarding world as a whole had rejoiced to know that the most famous wizard in the world was once again alive and well. The news that all charges had been dropped against Severus Snape had not been celebrated quite so widely, but most people had agreed with the decision.

Hermione flipped the page of the current edition, scanning the articles. Nothing really newsworthy, just a lot of gossip-filled the pages. She turned to the classifieds. She normally didn't read the wizard personals, but Severus had dropped a hint that she might want to peruse them today. Scanning the columns quickly, she came to what was surely a note from Severus.

Know-it-all,

Snarky Bastard

Hermione smiled at the short, loving note. Suddenly, her smile faded. Why did that message seem like a good-bye? She re-read the message.

Why would he write that last part? Is he trying to tell me something? No, he wouldn't just disappear, would he?

Of course he would, that's what Severus Snape did. He disappeared for years on end.

But things are going along so well. We are almost inseparable. He hasn't really said much about his feelings, though. Hermione hesitated for a minute. Oh, Merlin, I've smothered him. He's a loner, and all I've done these last few weeks is throw myself at him. It's too much. He's running.

Hermione drummed her fingers on the bed. Something had to be done about this before Severus disappeared for good. She lifted herself up and bounded from the bed, determined to find Severus and knock some sense into him, even if she had to back off from him and let him be.

Rap, Rap, Rap

Hermione knocked loudly on Severus' door at Spinner's End. Fear gripped her. What if he'd already fled? She knocked again.

Rap, rap, rap

"Oh," she grumbled. "This is ridiculous." Pulling her wand from her robes, she lowered the wards and strode through the door.

"Severus?"

Her heart raced. She was too late, she knew it. The house was too quiet. She ran through every room, but he was nowhere to be found. Collapsing onto the floor in his bedroom, she let her head droop into her hands and began to weep.

"I'm too late... I'm too late."

Her muffled cries were filled with a pain of which she'd never before felt. Her chest hurt with the weight of it. She just wanted to disappear too, but she knew that running would never make her forget Severus Snape. He'd become a part of her being. Her tears fell quickly down her cheeks as she continued to mourn her loss.

That's how Severus found her half an hour later, crouched on the floor, weeping softly. His eyes widened in shock before he rushed to her side. Kneeling beside her, he placed an arm around her and lifted her gently.

"Hermione, what is it?"

Hermione sniffled and grasped Severus' arm, gazing up at him in relief. "Oh, thank Merlin!" she cried as she threw her arms around him, nearly knocking him off balance. "You haven't left yet," she whispered.

Severus put his arms around her and held her tightly. "Left for where?" he asked in befuddlement.

"Don't go, Severus. I swear, I'll back off and not smother you so. I know that you like your privacy and seclusion, I just got carried away. Please, we can work this out, don't leave!"

Severus pushed Hermione away from him and looked into her eyes. He wiped her tears and soothed her.

"Now, stop this crying. I want to know what you're on about?" he said gently, trying not to upset her more.

"You're leaving."

"I'm not."

Hermione looked up at him. She still had tears in her eyes, so it was hard to focus on his face. Wiping the tears out of her eyes, she looked back at him again.

"Then what was that note in the Prophet all about?"

Severus looked puzzled. "I thought it was self-explanatory. I just wanted you to know how much you have done for me. I wanted you to know I'm grateful for that."

Hermione bit her lip. "You didn't write it to say good-bye?"

Realization dawned on Severus. "You thought I was ending our relationship and fleeing because of what I wrote?"

Hermione nodded. The tears came again, unbidden.

Severus opened his mouth to say something, but closed it swiftly. He looked off to the side for a moment before looking back at Hermione.

"You honestly think I would end our relationship in such a cowardly way?"

"I don't know what I thought! I panicked! I started thinking all sorts of things. I know you like your solitude, and we've been spending every minute together. I feared that it was too much for you."

"Hermione Granger," Severus said sternly as his grip tightened around her. "You will never be too much for me. I liked my solitude because I was a spy, and the fewer friends I had, the better my cover could be kept. No, I'm not the most social person in the world, but I assure you, I have cherished every moment we have spent together."

"You have?" Hermione searched his face before flinging herself at Severus. "Oh! I'm sorry. I jumped to conclusions and have made myself into a fool."

Severus held her for a long time. They didn't say anything. Neither was upset with the silence, but finally, Severus cleared his throat. He held her close as he whispered in her ear.

"I have been the fool, Hermione, for letting you think that this relationship meant nothing to me. I'm not a demonstrative man, and that has led you to question just how serious I may be about you."

He caressed her hair and pressed his face into it. His eyes closed as he enjoyed her closeness.

"I treasure every moment with you," he continued. "Thinking of my life without you in it is the worst possible thing I think that could ever happen to me. I have no intention of breaking this relationship off, or of disappearing any time soon. If I had my way, we would never be apart." He pulled back and stared into her eyes.

"Hermione, I love you."

Hermione took his face in her hand. She looked deep within his eyes. His eyes radiated love and passion, trying to help her see just how he felt for her.

She smiled thankfully. "I love you too!"

Hermione entered Kingsley's office with a stack of paperwork. She didn't bother to look up as she placed them on his desk. Finally looking to Kingsley, she sighed.

"These are the current contracts that need approval from you." Her gaze wandered to the side of the room, where a stiff, Rodolphus Lestrange stood staring blankly ahead. She gave Kingsley a quizzical look.

He grinned slyly at her. "Something the newspapers didn't report was that the Wizengamot thought that turnabout was fair play. Lestrange and Umbridge were Hollowed-out."

Hermione gasped. At that moment, Umbridge walked jerkily into the room toting a cup of tea. It sloshed slightly as she made her way to the desk and plopped it in front of the Minister.

"The only bad thing is my teacup is never full," Kingsley mused as he picked the cup up and took a sip.

"Kingsley, what on earth was the Wizengamot thinking?"

Kingsley waved his hand in dismissal. "It's only for three weeks. Then they'll be returned to their normal selves and spend the rest of their lives behind bars."

Hermione stared at the blank face of Dolores Umbridge. Instead of the normal look of superiority, her face was slack and lifeless.

"You just have them hang around here with you? Isn't that a bit creepy?" she asked.

"They rotate around the different offices. They clean and fetch things. I'm hoping they're both duly embarrassed by the level to which they've fallen."

Hermione nodded absently. "Still... It's a horrible punishment, even for them."

"I thought you would be happy. After all, you had to watch Snape like that for weeks."

"That's why I'm a bit sickened. I hope you don't plan on using that spell on any other prisoners."

"The Wizengamot deliberated it, but I convinced them it was too invasive a punishment. We just felt that these two deserved a taste of their own medicine."

Hermione nodded her head. Suddenly, she remembered something. "By the way, I have some things of Madam Umbridge's. Would it be possible to return them to her? Maybe liven up her cell a bit. I'm sure Lestrange will love the addition."

"What do you have of hers?"

Hermione bent over and whispered in Kingsley's ears. His eyebrows arched. "Hmm, that would be most... appropriate, I think."

Rodolphus Lestrange and Dolores Umbridge were led back to their cell in Azkaban. The last three weeks had been the worst of their lives. Lestrange hung his head dejectedly, and Umbridge frowned as she walked along.

The loss of their abilities had taken its toll. She had railed against her own body, trying to take control. She had listened as the people around her had belittled her when she could do nothing about it. But the worst was having to do the bidding of others without any agency of her own. Her body had jerked along without her say-so. She had been humiliated over and over again.

They approached the cell, and the guard gave the two prisoners an extra push to get them to the door. Umbridge gasped as she looked into the cell, noticing the walls. She was forcefully pushed into the cell, but she would have entered gratefully.

"My lovelies!" she cried as she spun around the tiny cell, eyeing the plates of her kitties one by one. She touched each and every one of them, and the plates all gave her a meow for a greeting. She clasped her hands together. "I'm so glad you are all here."

Lestrange glanced around the cell and grimaced. "They've sentenced me to hell," he murmured under his breath. Stalking to the narrow bed on his side of the cell, he threw himself onto it and buried his head in his hands.

The meows grew in volume. One prisoner rejoiced, while the other wondered how long before he went insane.

Albus sat comfortably in the Headmaster's office, smiling at Hermione and Severus. Minerva had insisted that he resume his post, and not having much else he was interested in, he'd agreed wholeheartedly.

"Are you recovered, Headmaster?" Hermione asked.

Albus shrugged. "I'm a bit stiffer than I was before I died, but I've learned to adjust."

Severus glared at Albus while Hermione snickered. "Well, it's wonderful to have you alive and moving again," she commented.

"Yes, movement is something we all take too much for granted." Albus proffered a small bowl. "Lemon drop?"

Severus rolled his eyes. "Why, Albus, of all the candies you could possibly choose, do you pick the most foul one ever created? Have you not heard of caramels? Toffees? Chocolates? Why anyone would want their face to invert when eating one of those is beyond me." Severus shook his head.

"A simple no would suffice, Severus."

Hermione stifled a giggle.

"Now, when are the two of you tying the knot?" Albus asked sagely.

"I beg your pardon?" Severus snapped while sitting straighter in his chair. Indignation came off him in waves.

"You know..." Dumbledore made some criss-cross motions with his hands. "When are you two marrying?"

"Old man, you meddle too much!"

Hermione blushed. "We haven't actually talked about that, Headmaster."

Albus fixed Hermione with a penetrating stare. "You will address me as Albus, my dear. You're practically family."

"Family?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Well, Severus is as close to a son as I'll ever get, so that makes you my future daughter-in-law."

Severus shot out of his chair and stood ram-rod straight. "Albus, I would ask you to..."

"Yes, yes, mind my own business; keep my nose out of it... something along those lines, Severus?"

Severus glowered at Albus but nodded his head swiftly.

"If I don't say anything, you'll never do anything. You'll be with this woman until the end of time, but not get up the nerve to ask her to be yours fully."

Hermione looked from the grey wizard to the black. She fidgeted uncomfortably, but had no idea how to address the things that Albus was intimating.

"Perhaps I want to ask her in my own due time!" Severus snapped back.

"Ah, so when hell freezes over then?" Albus murmured.

Severus leaned over and slammed the desk. "Old man, you are... insufferable." The sneer on his face was set as he turned and stalked out of the office. Hermione looked a bit sheepish.

"I suppose I should go after him." She stood and made her way to the door.

"Oh, Hermione?"

Hermione turned and looked back at Albus. "Always treasure him. He deserves that."

Hermione smiled knowingly at Dumbledore. "I will because you're right, he does."

Hermione rushed down the stairs in search of Severus. Merlin, the man was fast! She caught sight of a black, billowing blur a couple of floors down. She called out, but the blur did not slow its pace. Hermione began to take the stairs at a furious pace. Still, she could not catch up with Severus. It wasn't until he was stalking along to the entry doors that she finally caught up with him. Grabbing at his arm, she pulled at him.

"Severus, wait!"

Severus stopped but would not look at Hermione.

"Severus, just ignore him. He gets his kicks out of meddling, you know that."

Severus pulled his arm free of her and silently stalked to the doors and exited the school. Hermione blew a stray hair out of her eyes and followed after him. Severus had stopped in the courtyard and was staring off into space. Hermione came up to his side.

"Why are you running away from me?"

Severus looked at her. His eyes blazed with fury. He reached for her hand and placed something in her palm.

"Just take it," he snapped and moved off down the path.

Hermione looked down in her hand and gasped at what was there. A black-velvet ring box rested in her palm. She caressed the top before sprinting after Severus. Catching up to him, she grabbed him and stopped him.

"Is this what I think it is?" she cried.

Severus did not look at her. He stared at the ground and shrugged.

"You were going to propose?"

He shrugged again.

"When?"

"Tonight... at dinner," he snarled.

"And you're upset because?"

Severus head snapped up, and he glared at her. "Because you would have thought that I went out and got that ring after Mr. 'I-Have-the-Answer-to-Everything' made his little speech. You would not have believed that I have been planning this for weeks now! It's like he read my mind! I don't doubt that he did. So, instead of letting me have my moment, he... he... ruined it!"

Severus turned from her. His chest heaved up and down rapidly. Hermione stared at him, not quite sure what to do. She bit her lower lip and thought.

"How were you going to do it?" she asked finally.

Severus turned rapidly. "Do what?"

"How were you going to ask me, Severus?"

"It doesn't matter now."

"Of course it does. Show me, please."

Severus begrudgingly took the ring box back and hid it from Hermione's view. When he turned back, the box had disappeared.

"Forget it. It's foolish anyway. It's all ruined"

She stepped up to him and placed her hands on his chest. "No, it's not. Show me."

"I need music. I wanted us to dance together."

Hermione smiled and waved her wand. Dance music surrounded them. "How's that?"

Severus arched an eyebrow. "Perhaps something a bit slower?"

With another wave, the music changed to a beautiful orchestral melody.

The irritation left his face as Severus pulled her to him and whispered into her ear. "That's better."

Hermione felt a chill course through her body at his voice. They began to dance slowly, bodies close, swaying to the music. Severus' arms surrounded her as he placed small kisses on her neck. Her arms entwined behind him. Severus pulled back and took her hand in his.

"I love you, Hermione Granger."

A shimmer of light surrounded them, and Hermione looked to her hand. A pear-shaped, Slytherin-green emerald adorned her finger. She let out a gasp.

"Hermione, please marry me."

"Severus, why would you think that this moment would be ruined?"

"Hermione?"

"I mean, really, this is the most romantic thing that anyone has ever done for me. I don't care if Albus shouted that he knew what you were doing. It doesn't matter!"

"Hermione?"

"I can't believe that you weren't going to do this after he said that. Oh, I would have been so mad!"

"Merlin's beard, are you going to marry me, or not?!"

Hermione gaped. Her cheeks turned crimson as realization hit her. "Bloody hell, of course I'll marry you!" She threw her arms around Severus.

"Good," Severus mused. "Can we forget that Albus Dumbledore and his meddling even exist, then?"

Hermione grinned devilishly at Severus. "Who's Albus Dumbledore?"

"That's my girl." His lips crashed into hers. His tongue begged entrance, and she willingly let him in. Marveling at the incidents during this past half hour, Hermione could not believe what had happened. But Severus' furtive lips and the beautiful ring that weighed down her finger were more than enough proof that her hopes and dreams had finally come true. She belonged to Severus Snape. And soon, she would belong to him forever.

The End