You know it, I don't owe it.
Chapter 10: I Always Wondered If You Would.
“The Polyjuice Potion. How did you know?” Hermione's voice cracked. Severus just laughed. So it was true. Not only did he now know for sure that she had had a schoolgirl crush on him, but noticing her red cheeks and voice, there seemed to be something still there, even after six years. He smiled at her before continuing his story.
“You never made any mistakes. You were the perfect little Miss know-it-all. You never messed up a potion in my class, especially not potions you had made before, but for some reason that day it went wrong. I noticed that you had quite a few near misses but you corrected them all in time before you went, shall we say, over the top?” Letting the words sink in, he took a sip of his brandy. “You were dreaming, and Miss Granger did not dream in her classes, it was unheard of. But you did dream that day, in my class.” He added the last few words in a soft silky whisper.
Hermione couldn’t help it, she wanted the ground to swallow her up whole, but she couldn’t do anything but stare at Severus again, the red in her cheeks becoming deeper by the moment. “How did you know that I had made it before?” She didn’t know what else to say but she knew she should keep her mind in a rational state. Asking questions helped.
“Albus told me.” He looked at her with a bit of triumph on his face.
“What else do you know about...” she hesitated, “…me?” Her voice was barely more than a whisper but she had to know if he knew. Severus heard her and he knew, laughing at the memory.
“Nobody makes mistakes in my classroom without paying for it. You were fascinated by potions, so as a detention,” Hermione cringed, “I made you work in the lab, cleaning cauldrons and other filthy jobs that nobody ever likes.” A smirk now formed around his mouth and Hermione, unable to not look at him, felt like he was seeing right through her, through her mind and heart to that place she had locked away so deep.
“Acting on the thought that there was something behind your cauldron exploding, I pretended to be working in the same lab.” The smirk became more pronounced when he noticed her sharp intake of breath. “I noticed every glance in my direction, every smile that flitted across your face, every smile that should have been a scowl for what I was making you do, Miss Granger.” He had triumphed, he knew it. “I realised then.”
Looking away, Hermione realised something as well. So he knew everything, the secret she had kept and not even told Ginny. However, it was the look of triumph that made her register something else as well. He knew it had never gone away. Feeling a little more confident now that she didn’t have to hide anything anymore, she was ready. Taking a sip from her tea, she stood up and walked to the bookshelves. Severus was wondering what she would do next.
“So you knew and you know now, but it made absolutely no difference, did it?” She turned back to him, her mind still working rationally, she added, “You hated me then and you still don’t want me near you now, you’ve made that perfectly clear.” She didn’t expect it but she had made the smirk and look of triumph disappear from his face. The only thing that was there now was silence.
‘Does she really not realise that I do care for her, that I’m so much in love with her it turns everything upside down? No, of course not, how could she realise that I feel like this? I have never given her any reason to do so.’
‘Why has he never done anything if he has known all along that I love him? He could have let me know, even sneered at me to tell me to go away if he despised me that much. But Albus said that he cared. Why then has he not done anything, I don’t understand, something is missing. Come on, Hermione, think!’
They were both still caught up in silence. Severus was still sitting in his chair, swirling his brandy while wondering how to talk to her. She was obviously angry with him for his lack of response. Hermione, in the meantime, was walking around his private rooms, taking everything in, since this would probably be the only time she would be allowed in. She ended up in front of a full length mirror and dropped the blanket Severus had given her earlier. She touched the necklace and then the bodice, taking in the beautiful dress again. Then it hit her, her memory going back to earlier that evening.
“You are not the only one who has feelings in this matter.”
“Oh, I don’t doubt that he has feelings of loathing or disgust for me,” she muttered. Albus turned around and looked at her questioningly. “Well, he does!”
“No, I don’t think so, Hermione.”
“And what makes you think that?” Albus looked at her with another questioning look, this one a little stern. “I’m sorry.”
“I have known Severus for a long time, Hermione, and well... that dress makes me think that.”
“My dress,” she gasped when she thought back to that afternoon in Eve’s. Had Severus bought it for her? Had he spent that much money on her?
Severus had turned around at her words and looked at the beautiful image she made in his mirror. Her face was difficult to read, he saw questions and realisation, laughter and sadness in it. “You bought this dress for me, didn’t you?” He stood up, an indescribable attraction pulling him towards her. He met her eyes through her reflection as he walked towards her.
“How did you know?” He now stood next to her, tracing the outline of her face with his fingers without really touching her. Hermione could feel the tension between them.
“Albus told me, I just didn’t realise that he had.” Hermione felt confused, she was happy now she knew that Severus did care for her. She felt giddy like a schoolgirl again, felt the thrill and the happiness that this guy, no, man, loved her back. But the feeling was tempered when she realised he had never let her know, that he had hidden his own feelings when he knew they would be returned.
Hermione looked at Severus with tears in her eyes. He had seen the grin and blush of realisation on her face only to see it change into a frown of frustration and now the sadness that lingered.
“Hermione….”
She stared into his eyes, startled at hearing her name, and a single tear fell down her cheek. Severus wanted to brush it away. They were extremely close to each other now.
“Why didn’t you ever….” He knew her story, now Hermione had to know his. Uncharacteristically, he averted his eyes.
“I didn’t realise what I felt was love, not until I saw you looking at that dress a month ago.” Slowly he lifted his eyes towards hers again.
“And are you really?” ‘Please, please, please, say yes!’ she thought, as another blush crept up her face.
“In love?” He softly closed the distance between her skin and his fingers, tracing the outline of her face again. “Yes, I am. I love you, Hermione.”
“I love you, too.” Severus closed the last bit of distance between them. Hermione didn’t move; she just looked up at him expectantly. He placed his other hand to her neck, feeling the soft curls. He was going to kiss her. Hermione closed her eyes as his lips softly touched hers. She became all warm and weak, finally placing her hands around him to keep herself from falling, deepening it further. The kiss was more than she could ever have imagined.
“Severus?” she gasped. He moved away slightly. “Can we please be uncivil to each other for one more night?” He smiled at her with a little glint in his eyes, and swept her up into his arms. Slowly walking to the bedroom, he placed Hermione on his bed. He lay down next to her, kissing and undressing her. Neither knew what would happen but they had both felt the passion and promise in that one kiss.
It had been a year since Hermione had first felt like something was changing. Looking back, she had to smile.
Coming back from her honeymoon, Ginny had confessed her little plan to get Hermione and Severus together. She had absolutely loved the two weeks with her new husband, but she had also had the feeling that she had to confess and apologise for everything. It wasn’t until Hermione had used a Silencing Charm on her that she was able to tell the new Mrs. Potter that her plan had worked. Ginny had squealed in delight when Hermione had removed the charm.
A couple of months ago, Hermione had noticed just how much her life had changed. Albus had offered her a teaching position at Hogwarts as the new Potions professor, since Severus had accepted the offer for the Defence Against the Dark Arts position. Hermione loved potions and it allowed her to be close to Severus, so she had accepted. A few days later she had moved out of her flat and into Severus’ private rooms, which he had expanded to accommodate them both. Hermione just loved her new roommate.
At the moment, she was working on one of her experimental potions in the lab she shared with Severus. The Healing Potion had been finished ages ago, and now she was working on a few more difficult potions for different uses. Severus had pointed her in this direction and she was now working to become just as good a Potions Mistress as her predecessor had been.
Walking over to put the first ingredients into the waiting cauldron, she saw something silver shimmer near the door towards their private rooms. Curiously walking in that direction, she found it was a little arrow pointing her towards their living room. She entered and gasped, the room was dark except for several silver shimmers similar to the little arrow. Severus was standing in the middle of the room looking at her. She couldn’t see the emotion in his eyes, but she felt attraction and love pulling her towards him.
When she was near enough to finally see his black eyes, he slowly opened the velvet box he had been holding. Hermione didn’t notice it until Severus went down on one knee and held out the ring inside it out to her.
“Ever since I fell in love with you, I always wondered if you would….”
AN: Well everybody, this is it. I hope you liked it, I loved writing it and reading all of your reviews.
I left the ending a bit open, I don't have any plans for a sequel at the moment, but you never know when another plot bunny might show up. When you have any suggestions, let me know.
As to other works, my new story is coming along and I will start posting it soon.
Thanks again to everybody for their reviews, and to Hells for being an excellent beta reader.
Groetjes Miss
(I'm dutch, so this means bye.)