Two

Chapter 2

Severus' footsteps got heavier and heavier the farther from the infirmary he went. Before he'd gotten to the end of the hall, it was as if he couldn't lift his legs anymore. He cringed to himself. The voice of Harry Potter reverberated in his mind.

Coward!

He stopped and inhaled deeply. He'd run... in fear.

I am being selfish.... Afraid that she will not awaken, and I will have to deal with the truth finally: that she couldn't possibly care for me.

He turned with a determined look on his face. He needed to try and break the spell. What if he was the only person who could break it? What disservice was he doing to Hermione by keeping her bound indefinitely while he vacillated about whether to kiss her or not?

Moving became easier once he'd made his decision. He soon found himself by her bedside once again. Sitting at the edge of her bed, he bent low. His eyes studied her face.

"Please let it be me," he whispered.

His lips touched hers in a tender kiss. He pulled back and held his breath as he waited. She didn't move. For what seemed an eternity, he watched her. Nothing.... It hadn't worked. In anguish, he buried his head in her chest.

"You were wrong, you old bat. So wrong," he muttered to an absent Minerva.

A weak voice came to him as fingers entwined in his hair. "Severus, did you just call me an old bat?"

Severus' head snapped up. Hermione was looking at him... speaking to him.... She was awake, and he had awakened her.

"Hermione," he whispered.

Hermione's eyebrows knit together. "Why am I in the infirmary? Was it all a dream?" Reality must have hit her because she froze, realizing where her hand was. Pulling it from Severus' hair, she blushed and looked away.

He grasped her hand and pulled it closer to him, making her look at him oddly.

"What do you remember?" he asked her.

She looked away again, her eyebrows knit in concentration as she thought. "We were talking in the hall, and Ron came up with a gift for me." Her eyes returned to Severus. "When I opened it, a puff of smoke shot into my face. I was so mad I wanted to hex Ron." She shook her head and blushed. "I think that's all I remember. The rest of it must have been a dream."

"You were knocked unconscious. You've been here in the infirmary since."

"How long?" Hermione asked with a look of dread on her face.

"A little more than a week."

"A week? My classes!" She bolted upright, making Severus pull away from her sharply. "I was supposed to give a test to the seventh-years on Friday. I was..."

"Shhh, Hermione. We've covered your classes. Their tests have been administered and graded. The students are right where they should be."

Hermione visibly relaxed. "Thank heavens. Thank you, too, for taking care of that."

"Minerva took care of it. I was busy looking for the cure to the spell."

"What sort of spell was it?" Hermione asked.

Severus looked into her eyes. "It was the Wesley twins' experimental 'True Love' spell. Your dunderheaded friend, Weasley, thought he would prove a point by casting it on you and becoming your knight in shining armor, awakening you with a kiss. He failed to take into account the possibility that you might not love him."

Hermione paled considerably. "He tried to kiss me to pull me out of the spell?"

Severus nodded.

"And it didn't work."

"No," Severus whispered. "George later explained that only your 'true love' would be able to awaken you. I'm sorry to say that your friends marched several dozen men in here trying to revive you."

Hermione blanched. Severus' thumb made small circles on her hand, making her glance down at their grasped hands.

"I'm sorry," Severus continued. "I made them stop after a bit. They were being ridiculous. Even Potter kissed you."

Hermione touched her lips absentmindedly. "So, you released me from the spell?" she asked hesitantly after a few moments of silence between the two of them.

"Yes, I did."

A tear fell down her cheek. "I'm sorry," she said as she looked to her lap. "I never intended for you to know. I won't breathe a word of it to anyone. If you don't want to talk with me from now on, I can understand that."

Severus gazed at her in puzzlement. "Why would you say that?"

"It would be too awkward, knowing how I feel. I don't want you to be uncomfortable, Severus."

Severus reached out and took her chin in his fingers, tilting her head up so she could look into his eyes. His heart constricted within itself at her sorrow.

"Hermione, you don't understand. My feelings are just as strong as yours."

Her eyes searched his. "You... you love me?"

"I love you. I love you so much I was afraid to kiss you for fear that you wouldn't awaken for me."

"You didn't know that I loved you back?"

Severus shook his head. "I thought you just saw me as a friend. I didn't want to lose you either. I didn't want to kiss you and have you not awaken."

Hermione smiled then. "I was having the most wonderful dreams about the two of us. I was so sad to wake up and find out they weren't real."

Severus' hand moved from her chin to the back of her neck, pulling her close. "I hope I can make those dreams come true," he whispered before his lips searched out hers.

His second kiss was returned with fervor. Hermione's arms encircled him as her hand entwined in his hair. Before long, they were pulling apart, both a bit out of breath.

"I can't believe this is real! I can't believe you're actually holding me like this."

"Hermione, I will never let you go now that I know that you care about me. I love you, and you love me. The spell proves that." His eyes closed as he bent forward and touched his forehead to hers. "Without a doubt."

At that moment the doors to the infirmary burst open. Severus pulled away from Hermione, but kept her hand securely in his. He wasn't surprised to see the dunderhead duo entering with haste.

"Hermione!" Potter called enthusiastically. "You're awake!"

Weasley grinned. "I guess the spell just had to wear off, huh?"

"No..." Hermione started but was interrupted.

"I'm glad that you're up. George was saying something about you loving someone else and that he'd need to awaken you. I'll just have to tell him you woke up on your own," Weasley continued.

"Ron..."

"He seemed to think that you didn't love me."

Severus glowered at the ginger buffoon.

"I don't love you, Ron."

"Oh, come on, love. It's me! You don't have to hide your feelings from me!"

Potter, who'd evidently noticed something that Weasley hadn't, put his hand on Weasley's shoulder. "Perhaps we should let her rest. You can talk to her about this later."

Weasley foolishly shrugged Potter's hand away. "No, she's fine. Can't you see she's as perky as ever? We might as well get this over with. You all think she doesn't love me. That's not right, is it, Hermione?"

Hermione looked from Weasley to Severus to Potter, and then back to Weasley. "I don't love you, Ron. You're a wonderful friend, but we'd never work."

Weasley sputtered. "But George said your 'True Love' had to wake you up. He's obviously wrong, as you've awakened yourself. There's not been anyone in here with you but Snape since we lef..." His eyes narrowed. "Why, you right bastard."

"I assure you, Weasley, I was born of goodly parents who raised me well."

"You've been in love with her this whole time! You stole her from me!"

Weasley moved toward Severus, but Hermione jumped from the bed and moved to intercept him.

"Ron! Stop this now. I haven't loved you in years! You have insisted on hanging on to something that we had a long, long time ago. I just got tired of trying to tell you we were through. You would always ignore me when I did. Severus didn't steal anyone from anybody. He earned my love with his respect for me and his kindness towards me."

Weasley blanched. "You're talking about Snape, Hermione. He's Imperiused you or something. Snape isn't kind to anyone!"

Hermione stood straighter. "He's kind to me."

Potter took this opportunity to open his large mouth. "Hermione, are you sure about this? I mean... look at him!"

Hermione's eyes narrowed. "Do you think I haven't looked at him? Just what are you getting at?"

"He's... he's Snape!"

"He's the man I love, Harry. He awakened me, and he loves me too."

Weasley looked at her, his face angry and his body stiff. "You would give me up for him? Are you daft?"

Severus stood then. He moved between Hermione and Weasley and glared at the young man in front of him.

"Hermione has made her choice. You don't need to wibble or fight with her. Now go. I've had enough of the both of you to last an eternity."

His hand snaked around Hermione's waist as he glared at the two men in front of him. He pulled Hermione close possessively. "Go," he demanded.

"Please," Hermione said. "I'll speak with both of you when you've had time to process this. Severus and I love each other. If either of you can't accept that, then I'm sorry. I will not change simply because you feel this isn't right for me. I have never stomped on your feelings when I've thought you were with the wrong women. Please afford me the same courtesy."

Potter nodded, a mutual understanding forming between Hermione and him. Weasley, however, just sulked. "You were supposed to be mine," he muttered.

"I don't belong to anyone. I'm my own person, Ron. We were just not meant to be."

Weasley looked to the ground, turned, and moved away dejectedly. Potter nodded to Hermione. "Owl me when you're feeling up to lunch."

Soon, both men had disappeared from the room. Severus turned to Hermione and pushed a curl behind her ear. Studying her face for a moment, he pulled her to him and embraced her. They stayed that way for a few minutes.

"Are you all right?" he asked at long last. "It's not every day one tells their best friends to sod off."

Hermione pulled back and looked up at him. Nodding, she replied, "I think Harry will be all right. As for Ron..."

Severus kissed her forehead, but didn't say anything.

"He loves to sulk for months on end," Hermione explained. "When he gets tired of it, he'll come by."

"What if he never tires of it?" Severus asked.

Hermione frowned. "I will be sad if that happens, but I can't force him to be more of an adult than he'll let himself be."

"So, you're not holding out hope?"

Hermione chuckled. "No, unfortunately, I'm not." She sobered suddenly.

"What is it?" Severus asked with concern.

"I know we put up a bold front with Harry and Ron, declaring our love for each other, but honestly, we've just begun. I want this to work, and for that to happen, we'll have to work at it as well."

Severus looked into her eyes as his hand came up to caress her cheek. "We will. I don't think either one of us wants to lose this feeling."

Hermione smiled then. "No, we don't."

His third kiss was one of sheer reverence. The words 'true love' reverberated in his mind as he held Hermione close. For the first time in years, he let himself fully feel, and the feelings he felt were all-consuming. He loved her, and she loved him, and it was so much better than he'd even imagined.

Holding her close after their kiss, he whispered in her ear, "I will love you always."

She purred into him. "Me, too."

The End

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A/N: Hi everyone! Thanks for coming along for my little ride! You've all been fabulous with your comments, and I'm glad you have enjoyed this shorty. Once again, this would not be what it is without the help of slytherinlaurel as beta. Thanks and hugs, honey. I love everything you do.