Second Chance.

Disclaimer:

Mine! Mine!! All Mine! ...Not really, too bad!

A/n.: Commas are the most confusing part of writing, and if you ask me...what is the second most confusing thing? I have to say, "had"...sometimes I have plenty of them, so I spread them here and there; and in other times I hardly do... Well, you get the point.

Thank heaven for my Superb betas, Annie Talbot and Writermerrin, for picking them up and placing them properly for me and also for your sanity. So cheer for them with me.

Thanks for reading, it really is a big chapter, I hope you enjoy reading as much as I did writing it.

ssshhhhsss

The night had become even colder. It had started to snow lightly. The sleeping castle stood silently behind an embracing couple. How long they had stayed that way...they did not know. The man whispered into his companion's ear, "I've missed you."

"I missed you too," she answered.

"Why did you leave me? Was I that awful..."

She cut him off. "I didn't leave you. I took the kids to visit my parents. They are back from Australia; you can't possibly imagine what it's like having four magical kids in a Muggle home..."

Hermione trailed off as Severus maneuvered them to a sitting position without letting her go from his embrace, saying, "I thought you had two."

"I do, the other two were Ginny's. You've met Al; he and Lily wanted to go, too. Don't scowl; they are good kids. They even share their grandpa's passion for all things Muggle."

"I'll agree to everything if you let me kiss you once more," he bargained.

"You are kissing me!" she reminded him.

"So I am." He kept on doing what he had been doing all along...trailing soft kisses on any part of her which was reachable to him in the position they sat: her neck, her face, on top of her head, the lobe of her left ear, palms, knuckles and her wrist.

After a while, he suggested, "Maybe we should go inside."

"Should we?" She sounded dreamy.

"Mmmmhmmm."

"Why?"

"Because the night is getting colder, and I'm a weak, old man."

"Weak, yes. Old...you are not. Old men don't kiss the way you do."

"Been kissed by loads of old men, have you?" The corners of his lips turned upwards.

Swatting his arms, she said, "Just one if you count the present." Hermione renewed the warming charm around them, as he didn't really show any sign of going inside.

"I'm not old! Just a bit old...er than you."

"Severus?"

"Mmmm?"

"What are we doing?"

"Isn't it obvious? We are sitting down under a large tree by the lake, holding each other in the snow...occasionally kissing."

"You know what I meant." But Severus didn't reply; instead he returned his attention to kissing her neck.

"Severus, stop."

Severus stopped kissing, but was still nuzzling her neck. "I don't want to stop; your lips are so sweet. Everything is so perfect. It's so peaceful; I have never felt this peaceful in my life. Are you sure you aren't Lily?" As soon as his last words left his mouth, he understood his mistake.

Hermione had at once straightened up, tearing herself from him, saying, "That's just it! It is not perfect. Hogwarts definitely is not heaven, and I am positive that I certainly am not Lily, just as you can never be Ron. It's too soon; it's not even a year... I feel like I am betraying his memories. But I like your kisses, you see; I feel awful and wonderful, both...at the same time."

He had wanted to apologize, but she went on saying, "You just woke up. You are free for the first time in a long time to do whatever you want. You can't just fall for the first witch you lay your eyes upon. That's how you ended up under Nagini's fang the last time. You need to see the worlds of options out there."

He became angry...how had it been Lily's fault that the Dark Lord had decided to kill him? He forgot to ask for forgiveness in his anger. Of course, if Lily had been a little bit more forgiving towards his unwitting offense towards her or hadn't chosen James Potter in his stead, Severus might not have taken the Dark Mark in the first place. But his love towards that particular person was always blind enough to not see Hermione's logic.

"What are you saying?" he asked her coldly.

"I think you are transferring your feelings from those memories to physicality, to a face... to me. You really don't see me, you see Lily's shadow. And I can't be the shadow of a ghost of your lost love; I can't be Lily for you. I am and always will be Hermione Jane."

"Suddenly you are a psychiatrist, are you?" He had been getting angrier. How dare she drag Lily into this!

Knowing his temper, she remained quiet.

"So that's it then? I thought my company was enjoyable a few minutes ago! You certainly didn't mind kissing me back! What is it? Am I too old for you? Not rich enough? Or is it my face that turns you off...my infamous past? Maybe it is because I am a killer?" His voice was chillier than the night.

"You are right, Healer Weasley; it is getting colder out here." He stood up abruptly to leave.

Hermione grabbed his arm to make him stop.

"Severus, please. Don't be like that! You are no more a killer than Harry or any of us who fought that war. Please, Severus! You must have felt how I've always respected you, admired your brilliance. Besides, I would not have let you kiss me had I not found you attractive.

"This little age difference doesn't matter, we aren't Muggles. We live twice as long as they do. I have never cared for money; I chose Ron, who had practically nothing when we decided to get married. Nothing...except his love, and that's all that mattered. I don't know if I love you, I don't know if you could love me. I don't know if you could ever love anybody who's not Lily. You had almost died without her memories."

"Lily is gone, Hermione. So is your husband...all they are, are memories. We are the ones left behind to live a hundred years," he tried to reason.

"Can you close your eyes, Severus? For a moment, please close your eyes. Who do you see, Severus, when you do? Do you see my face, or will it always be Lily's?"

He did not answer that, nor did he close his eyes, for he was certain that it would not be Hermione's face he would see, had he done just that.

With eyes full of expectancy, she stood in front of him; then the hope left her big brown eyes, and she smiled that strange smile again. "Told you! It's too soon for me, too. Let's go inside. Maybe when you're all better and have sorted through all your options by kissing all the Lavender Browns... You will be able to laugh about tonight. After all, I'm only pretty when nobody else is around. If nothing else, we will always have our kisses in the moonlit snow." She sounded so tragic...had she been still his student, he would have screamed at how pathetic she sounded, like he wanted to...

"Do not ever degrade yourself. I would never kiss any Lavender Brown over you," he said in a barely controlled voice.

"Never ever? She's even prettier now...I've heard. Your loss." Attempting to lighten up the heavy air between them, she pulled his hands to go inside.

He did not want to go with her. He did not care to go inside. All the snow in Scotland wouldn't cool his rising temper. What is she, a new Trelawney with a real inner eye? How did she come up with that 'Lily's shadow' thing? And she was leading him as if nothing had changed between them. He was not a little boy to toy with. He would have none of her nonsense. How many had she kissed and sent packing to see the world? Severus had to know.

Once they reached his room, she went looking for his hospital gowns, couldn't find them, and grabbed a new set from somewhere he didn't care to know. Offering them to him, she said, "I don't know what happened to your hospital clothes. Here try this."

"Wearing them," he grumbled.

"What? How? I thought your wand... I see. Practice what you preach, eh? But no foolish wandless magic in your condition either. Don't do any unnecessary strenuous magic," she said sternly.

"How many?" Severus hissed with jealous rage. He wasn't thinking anything clearly, but visualizing Hermione kissing man after man with trunks and traveling cloaks, in the midnight snow, and... and...

"How many what? How many times should you practice wandless magic? I must say none. If you need anything, all you have to do is to ask till Harry gets your wand back from the museum, or have you decided to get a new wand?"

Ignoring her rambling and offering, he progressed towards her. Biting each word, he asked, "How. Many. Were. There. Before. Me?" Severus grabbed her shoulders to make her look at him and roared, "How many did you play this game with? Did Weasley know how his wife was betraying him?"

She looked confused at first, then mortified that he should think so lowly of her. Then she, too, become angry and stepped back from him, saying, "I have never betrayed Ronald before tonight."

He curled his lips and said, "If you say so!" clearly indicating he didn't believe a word she'd said.

"I do."

Hermione wanted to cry, to scream. She couldn't believe he would think her as such a... a... harlot! He was the one who had started kissing her; now he was accusing her? Surely he didn't believe anything he was saying. But why was he acting as if he was... jealous! He wouldn't confirm he didn't feel anything for her, nor would he admit he did, but he was blaming her for breaking up what wasn't there in the first place. That's outrageous! The man's insane!

They didn't have a relationship. All it was, was a few kisses, wasn't it?

Was it? Didn't she feel something in his arms? Didn't she feel content to hear his heart beating under her cheek? Didn't she want him to keep on kissing her? He had made her feel so wanted in the months when she was feeling useless and unneeded, slowly losing everything including her children.

Months! That's it! Ron's gone, and she was kissing him. No wonder he had thought of her as if she was a ... harlot... How she hated that word! He had mourned for his love for thirty-some years, wearing only black at that. She felt ashamed; what would the others think? The rest of the family? Harry? Ginny? How would her kids react?

Severus was watching her emotions playing all over her face. He didn't need Legilimency to read any Gryffindor's thoughts, and she was as Gryffindor as they came; he thanked heaven for that.

His anger had washed away his reason when he had grabbed her; something new washed away that anger...his face softened, and so did his voice. He took her hand in his and said, "Hermione, I am sorry."

She looked down at their joined hands, mistook his apology for goodbye, and sighed, then patted it with her other hand, saying, "I understand." When she started to move away, he didn't let go.

"No, you do not understand, Hermione. I'm sorry that I'd lost my temper, and in my anger, I mistrusted you; I'm sorry that I called you Lily, but I am not sorry that I kissed you. Would I have done it back then? I don't know...I wasn't there. I'm not the same person I was back then; neither are you. All of us have changed with time. I'm sorry I've insulted you. But trust me when I say I have wanted you. I still do...want you, that is. Why don't we take it slowly? Maybe we don't love each other yet, but you can't deny there is something between us."

She didn't say anything, so he continued, "I felt like I was betraying Lily, too, when I realized my affection for you, and she was never mine to betray. So I do understand what you are feeling. But we're here, Hermione, and we have miles to go... I would love to walk those miles with you by my side. I promise we will cross all the bridges together...family, friends, angry colleagues, well-wishing mobs and kids...all when the time comes. Won't you give us that chance?"

Hermione had been looking at his face the entire time; Severus was so different from the Professor Snape she thought she knew. Maybe she didn't know him at all. Standing before her was just a man: neither a dashing spy nor a cruel teacher...not even a vicious Death Eater. He was just a real, compassionate, giving, caring man in spite of all of those. Yes, he was worth knowing. Yes, against all the odds, he was worth fighting for. Yes, she would very much like to know that man...Severus.

But she could not form any words on her lips to make her feelings known. She just nodded with her eyes full of tears and lips full of smile.

And his eyes seemed to drink on her face before he decided to drink on her lips.

ssshhhhsss

The previous night had taken a toll on Severus; he had felt quite drained in spite of the Dreamless Sleep Hermione had fed him before she left. He had slept all morning. That afternoon, he had visitors. Harry Potter came, bringing his wand; Minerva came with signed papers from the school board and the Ministry, and Minister Shacklebolt came with Severus' Order of Merlin.

He was cleared of all charges, including euthanasia, by his memory and Harry Potter's testimony. Hermione was right; he was given hero status. There were quite a few different editions of Chocolate Frog cards in which he was either scowling fiercely, glaring menacingly, quirking eyebrows and pointing wands in a dueling stance, or taking points from anyone and everyone for not being a Slytherin. The Potter with his namesake had collected them, and that boy's father had thought it would be great fun to show them to Severus. Severus truly didn't know what to make of this new breed of the Potters!

When Minerva had once again apologized for disbelieving him and asked him to take his old job back, he had thought she was talking about Potions; but apparently they had a very efficient one Professor Rickman there now. Not only was he the best, but apparently he was very popular among the students and the staff, both. How it was that popularity and Potions would go hand in hand, Severus would never fathom, nor would he have cared, anyway. Minerva was asking for the rightful Headmaster to take his place back once he had recuperated completely. "Albus would have wanted it," she said.

With certain other members, Harry Potter wanted him to take the leading chair of the newly reorganized Order of the Phoenix, saying, "Dumbledore would have wanted it."

Severus laughed out loud at the Gryffindorian attempts at manipulation. "Do you think I would jump off any bridge if you say Dumbledore would have wanted me to?"

Lily's son had apparently developed a bit of brain while Severus had been busy sleeping, as he said, "Didn't you do just that years ago! And also a few minutes ago!"

Hermione was not here. She had left, saying something about Molly's condition not getting any better and all that. She should be back by evening with her son, Hugo. What kind of boy is called Hugo? he thought to himself, and then answered with, What kind of boy is called Severus! Maybe she just liked the author; she had also had a friend named "Viktor."

Then his thoughts came back to what Potter had said about needing his expertise. Apparently, Lucius had plenty of time and not much to do these days. So he had busied himself with building a secret army in the Dark Lord's style.

How pitiful! Lucius had never been a leader, always a follower; no original thought had ever crossed the path of the vast, empty land of that pretty blond head. He was devious, shrewd, and cruel, but never in the same caliber with Lord Voldemort. Maybe he had developed more darkness over the years; he was evading any surveillance the Aurors had him under. Potter sounded desperate.

Last night he was an unemployed, unsettled, and unhealthy man who wanted to belong somewhere after waking up from his 'Rip Van Winkle' sleep. Tonight he felt young again...afresh with lots of work and plenty of life ahead. If he was a man who had faith in Divination, he would have said that Hermione was good for his luck. Severus Snape was not a man who believed in Divination, but still he said, "Hermione is my good luck charm."

mmmmMMmmmm

"We have a problem, Father." Draco Malfoy entered his father's library with clear anxiety. "Dear Uncle Severus didn't die after all. My source at the school board said he soon would join the school once again as the Headmaster. Apparently, he was hidden because of his sickness all these years."

His father didn't look up from the book in his hand as he said, "I see no problem, Draco. Severus may have led the Order to believe that he was with them, but he could not possibly have had the Dark Lord fooled. He somehow knew he would survive my merciful Lord, and he took precautions to clear his name as any good Slytherin would do.

"He's a master at his art of manipulation; look how well he did it. The fools even gave him a medal for it... The Order of Merlin... First Class! And he's right back where the Dark Lord had placed him."

"But Potter said he was Dumbledore's man all along. He ..."

His father cut him off, "Potter was a foolish boy, an easy target to hoodwink back then. I know Severus from when he was a mere poor child of eleven. Do you think I would have made friends with a child of poverty if he wasn't worth it? He's Slytherin to the core.

"Prophecy or not...he could have taken out our Lord, had he wanted to. Taking out Dumbledore wasn't an easy job, even for the Dark Lord. Trust me, he tried it himself before. I've always doubted a wizard as powerful as Severus would die in that manner."

Draco wanted to protest that Dumbledore had been weak and frail, and Draco himself could have done it had Snape not barged in. He almost said it once again to his father, but knew Lucius would ignore it. Besides, he didn't want to remind his father of his own incompetence...once again.

Lucius was still speaking. "We don't have a problem, Draco." His smile would have made even Lucifer want to buy a cloak. "It's Potter who will have problems. We have our best ally in the best place; we just have to make ourselves known."