As I woke, my eyes did their best to blink away the blinding brightness of the room before the white ceiling with dozens of black dots decorating it slowly came into focus. My body felt sore and stiff like I hadn't moved in a million years, so I slowly began stretching and realized my hand was encased by something warm.

     Severus!?

     My heart jumped excitedly, thinking it was the handsome wizard, followed immediately by guilty disappointment when I glanced over to find Ronald dozing in a chair he'd pulled alongside my bed to hold onto me.

     I watched Ron snore quietly for a few minutes thinking about how I'd been in love with him and had pined after him for years. Then the day I finally get what I thought I wanted, it was momentary happiness that lasted less than a few hours. Looking at him now made me feel like I was holding hands with a distant relative rather than a lover, and the lame excuse about snow boot's filtered into my head - setting my blood on fire.

     What a jerk! Lying to himself by pretending to care about me and my parents well being - as if! Time to end this.

     As I went to squeeze Ron's hand, a vision of my father getting hit by the green light from Greyback's wand flooded into my mind.

     Dad! 

     I sucked in a sharp breath, and the overwhelming feeling of loss ripped through me. It physically felt like someone had ripped my heart out and performed the El Jarabe Tapatio on it. Every rapidly paced footfall beat me down until there was nothing left but a bloody pulp.

     I curled into a weepy ball, wishing Severus was there to comfort me as I attempted to quietly cry over my loss. When I swallowed, I wheezed and grabbed at what felt like shattered glass that had filled my throat. I did my best not to scream in pain, figuring that it would probably make it feel worse and focused on breathing instead.

     "Mione, you're awake!" Ron pulled me into a hug. He had a huge smile with a look of relief on his freckled face until he saw my tear streaked one and that I was holding my neck instead of him.

     He scrunched his face in concern, "You're still inflamed, and the healers said that you might have some damage to your vocal cords."

     Unable to orally reply without fear of ripping my throat apart, I nodded so he'd know the healers were right.

     "Once the swelling goes down, you should feel much better."

     Obviously, Ronald.

     Sighing, I made a hand signal to let him know that I needed a drink. 

     "Right! Sorry." He retrieved a glass of water and helped me sit up so I could drink it.

     "Thank's," I sighed out after taking a few soothing gulps of the cold liquid.

     "Other than your throat, how are you feeling?" His eyes were running over me in concern.

     I wiggled my sore body and was relieved that I didn't have any broken bones or any other significant injuries, "I think I'm fine." My throat was feeling a little better from the water that talking didn't hurt, but I sounded out of tune.

     My stomach growled in disagreement with my physical well being. "But I could go for something to eat."

     Ron nodded as he stared at me with an odd look on his face.

     "How long have I been asleep?" My hoarse voice ground out.

     "You were brought in this morning."

     "Where's my mom and Severus?"

     Ron's face grew dark, "Harry was here a while ago and filled me in. He said that Snape, took your mom to the Ministry and she's being treated there so that no one panics when seeing a known muggle perform magic."

     "Greyback called them new-majs."

     He jerked his head, "So I've heard."

     "Is mom, okay?"

     He cleared his throat, "They have her in an apartment for visiting dignitaries at the Ministry. Abdelaziz cleaned her up, gave her some food, and is keeping an eye on her. She ate, and they are giving her twenty-four hours to get her bearings before they question her."

     I sighed in relief, "And Severus?"

     He suddenly pulled me into a hug that felt desperate and left me feeling like he had been looking for an answer to something I wasn't aware of. After a few long moments, he pulled back, and his blue eyes held mine. I began worrying that something terrible had happened to one of the Weasley's.

     "What's wrong, Ronald?" He let go of me and looked away. "Your family? Tell me everything's ok!" I demanded nervously.

     "Everyone's fine."

     "Then what's..." the door opened, and Severus's attending healer from last year entered the room with a warm, inviting smile on her grandmotherly face.

     "Hermione, I was making my rounds and low and behold, I saw those pretty eyes of yours looking around." 

     "Hi, Gladis," I ground out, and she made a face that let me know I sounded way worse than I thought.

     She grabbed a bottle from one of the cabinets, poured glowing pink liquid into a glass, and handed it to me, "Drink this." 

     I did as she said and the overpowering flavor of sarsaparilla coated my mouth, tingling and penetrating into the cells of my throat.

     That feels and tastes so GOOD!

     I sighed heavily, "That's much better! Thank you."

     "Ah, that's more like the voice I remember. It's wonderful to see you again Hermione, but I wish you weren't in that bed," The kind blue eyes of the healer twinkled warmly at me.

     "Sorry to be in here, but I'm glad that I have the top of the line help."

     "You bet you do," Gladis giggled warmly. "Now let's check you out and then we'll see about getting some food into you." Her eye's turned to Ron, "I need you to step outside, Sonny."

     He opened his mouth to protest, and I gave him a look that said - get out!

     The next few minutes were filled with questions such as, does this hurt, how does that feel when I do this and - most importantly - have I had a bowel movement since I woke up?

     "Mr. Snape was at your bedside for hours looking like a knight-bus ran over him. Poor thing was so distraught that I would have hugged him, but he didn't let go of your hand until he left," She shook her gray-haired head making a sad face. "He wanted me to contact him the moment that you woke up," Her eyes darted over to Ron and back to me.

     I couldn't help but smile at her words and knowing that he'd been here set my heart racing. 

     "He brought me in?" I started wondering what had happened after I blacked out, but I'd think over that later.

     She nodded slowly, and the look on her face was grave, "He told me about what happened and how he got you out of that whole situation." She wiggled her eyebrows and smiled playfully all of a sudden, "Hubba-hubba. If I were younger, I'd put myself into some dumb situation just to be rescued by that sexy man."

     "I think I'll pass on needing to be rescued," I giggled at her facial expressions. "Anyway's, it's a bit late in the evening to be bothering him. I'm sure he'll come by sometime tomorrow and see me," I said not meaning my words since I wanted to see Severus when I'd woke up - not Ron.

     When she was satisfied with her assessment, she opened the door for Ron to come back into the room.

     "Your friend looks good, Mr. Weasley. No need to look so glum," She firmly patted his cheek with her wrinkled and frail looking hand.

     Ron opened his mouth to speak, and Gladis cut him off before he had a chance.

     "Excellent, Hermione. I'll see about getting you something to eat."

     "Thank you, Gladis."

     After she stepped out, Ron moved back into the chair at my bedside with a look on his face that was making me uncomfortable and worried I'd be hearing more bad news soon. Just as he opened his mouth to speak Harry and Draco walked in, and before I realized it, I was pulled into hugs by the two of them.

     Not that I minded all the attention, but Ron was still looking at me oddly, and I wanted to have our talk - finally.

     "We've been waiting forever for you to wake up, Mione," Harry said, looking worriedly at me.

     "Don't be such a ninny, Potter," Draco chided before pulling Harry close and kissing his lightning scar playfully. "How are you feeling, Granger?"

     "My throat hurts a little, but it's better after Gladis's treatment. Otherwise, I seem to be okay, just a bit hungry." I hopefully eyed the bag Draco was carrying when recognizing the logo of my favorite Japanese restaurant on the front.

     "Don't worry I've got that covered," Draco's face looked horrified while he waved his wand, unpacking the meal onto the table for all of us to enjoy. "I've tried eating the slop they serve here, and there should be laws against that kind of torture. It's toxic!"

     Everyone laughed at Draco's extreme but accurate description of the food served here as chairs were pulled up, and we all began eating.

     "Tell us everything that happened," Harry insisted.

     "You guys probably know more than me at this point. Harry, how's my mother?" I took a bite of the yakisoba, and my stomach was so thrilled that I was eating that it began gurgling uncontrollably. Then I remembered the last meal I had was with Severus in Australia and the noodles in front of me didn't seem so amazing anymore - nor did the company.

     My green-eyed friend sighed heavily, "Monica's very confused about what she's supposed to be doing and where she is. She's eating and hasn't been violent but keeps asking for your father."

     "Did they get dad?" I swallowed hard when the memory of him falling and laying limp on the ground flashed before my eyes again.

     "Um," he looked nervously at the other two, and I felt my chest tighten in fear.

     "What is it, Harry?"

     "Granger." Draco looked me in the eye, "They couldn't find his body."

     I nodded slowly and wasn't sure if I was hearing him correctly, "His body was missing?"

     Harry's green eyes captured mine, "I think he's alive. After all, they need Wendell to keep Severus from throwing all of them into prison since you rescued your mother."

     "You really think he's alive?" I asked again to be sure I hadn't misunderstood, and Harry nodded.

     I stuffed another bite of food into my mouth when realizing everything was ok because mom was safe, and I knew Severus wouldn't rest until my father was back with me.

     "Did they manage to capture anyone down there?"

     "Four people and they are all being questioned at the Ministry as we speak."

     "Well..." I spent the next hour filling them in on what happened when we were there, and they let me know about all the things going on at the Ministry.

     Shortly after we finished eating Draco insisted on getting Harry in bed because he had to work early. I still couldn't believe how cute of a couple they were; it was almost disgusting.

     I watched Ronald clean up the dinner mess and avoid looking at me.

     When he finally sat down, I asked, "What is it, Ronald? You're acting very strange."

     He looked at me, "Is there something going on between you and Snape?"

     I felt the blood drain from my face, "What?"

     "You know when you saved him last year, I thought you were crazy for even trying, but you did, and it was brilliant. Then you represented him at his trial, and he was cleared, and then getting him into a world-renowned Healer and helping him brew potions for his pain." His eyes searched mine, and I didn't know how this came up, but I knew I'd done nothing wrong so he shouldn't be acting like this.

     "After everything, he did for Harry and the world over the years, don't you think he deserves a shot at a life of his own?"

     "You didn't answer me. Is there something going on between the two of you?"

     "No, we're just friends," I hated that it was true.

     "Why are you lying to me?"

     I grew angry, "I've done nothing to deserve this!"

     "Really?" He stood up so fast he knocked the chair he was sitting in over. "Why aren't you wearing your engagement ring?"

     I looked at the naked finger, "Ron, we've never talked about getting married before, and to be honest, we don't want the same things."

     "Yes, we do!"

     "No. I don't want lots of children, just two. I want to travel with them to educate them, and you don't want to travel."

     "If it's that big of a deal, I'll make myself go with you and the kids."

     I shook my head, "Don't you get it? I need someone who wants to be there. I also want someone who supports me, and my parent's when I really need them to."

     "I do support you."

     I tilted my head at him to give him a second to think over what he'd just said, "No, you didn't and haven't. Your excuse to not come and help me in Australia earlier was lame and insulting to my intelligence. For the last eight-plus months, I've been so angry and heartbroken because my needs matter so little to you that I wanted to end our relationship."

     He was white as a sheet, "You can't mean it."

     "I do. I was going to break things off last night before you proposed."

     He shook his head in disbelief.

     "I need a man that will be there no matter how bad the situation gets and I thought you were that guy because of everything we'd been through together. But in reality, you aren't, and you keep letting me down."

     He pulled out a piece of paper, "So, you're dumping me?"

     I can't believe he didn't hear a thing I just said! Why am I surprised?

     "For Severus Snape!?" He tossed a photo on the bed in front of me. 

     I sucked in a shocked breath when instantly recognizing the picture that Severus had recently shown me. "It's not what you think, Ronald! And he has nothing to do with this!"

      The picture was completely innocent but shaded by lies. I could see how he'd come to this conclusion and wondered how he got the image in the first place?

     "Right! Stupid Ron Weasley, can't tell when his fiancé is in love with another man!"

     "I'm not your fiancé and never was!"

     He jerked back like I'd slapped him, "I can't believe she was telling me the truth!"

     I grew confused, "Who's she?"

     He shook his head, "Doesn't matter. You cheated on me!"

     My heart stumbled at his words, "I never cheated on you!"

     Even though I wanted to!

     "Mione, obviously something's going on between you two. If you want to keep me in your life, you'll explain this before I walk away and don't look back."

     I wanted to yell for him to leave, get the hell out and never come back; but Ron's been a big part of my life for close to a decade now, and I refused to allow it to end this way.

     "Okay, but please sit and give me a few minutes to explain." I took a deep breath as he picked up his chair, moved away from the bed, and sat in it with a heavy plop.

     "When I was collecting Severus to go get treatment at St. Mungo's after the war, he'd been delusional and thought I was Lily Potter." I swallowed and felt myself holding back tears, "He kissed me."

     "So, you did kiss him!?" He made a grossed-out face at me.

     "He surprised me!"

     "Did you kiss him back?"

     "He thought I was Lily!" I shook my head in frustration.

     He tipped his head back and crossed his arms defensively over his chest. "Did you kiss him back?"

     "I guess, I don't know... it wasn't something I'd ever thought would happen. I mean, this is Severus Snape we're talking about."

     "So you did kiss him back! Did you like it?"

     My mouth popped open in shock that he'd ask such a thing, "That's not a real question."

     "It was and you avoiding answering me, tells me everything I need to know."

     "It wasn't a normal kiss."

     "Oh, great! That makes me feel loads better."

     "That's not what I... I saw flashes of his past and even felt his emotions from those memories. It wasn't a normal kiss. It was," I shrugged not sure how to explain how it really affected me.

     His sad blue eyes looked devastated, "Did he see anything from you?"

     "I don't know. We've never talked about it, and he was dying from Nagini's bite at the time, so he probably doesn't remember anything." 

     "Right! Now I bet you'll tell me that picture..." he jerked his head in its direction, "...is an elaborate fabrication of some kind."

     The familiar music of El Jarabe Tapatio fills my head once more and RIP - out comes my battered heart to be pulverized under his careless tread once more.

      "It was before the trial, and my hair had gotten away from me again. Severus was just tucking it behind my ear, and that's all." I lifted the picture, "Look!"

     He scrunched his face in disgust, "I've seen it plenty."

     "I've done nothing wrong and whoever this 'she' is that gave you this..." I shook the picture in irritation, only guessing that's where the photo was from, "...obviously has ulterior motivations. Who was it, Ronald?"

     Ron breathed deeply and kept scowling at me, "Ok, fine, it was your hair. What load of hippogryph shit will you feed me over this?"

     He tossed another picture of Severus, holding me close while caressing my necklace at me. I was shocked, not because of the content of the image but because someone in the ministry must be working for Greyback or the Sacred Twenty-Eight to have gotten this picture. 

     I was done defending my innocence and didn't say anything nor did I care to indulge in this aspect any further since it was obvious enough for a blind person to see that Severus and I are attracted to each other.

     Yay, me!

     "Do you want to marry me?

     "No." I looked deeply in his eyes so he'd not be confused, "Our romantic relationship is over and has been for a long time, we just never said it out loud."

     He stood in a jerking fashion, "You're really choosing a decrepit old man over me?"

     I shook in anger, frustration, and above all, hurt. I couldn't believe that I'd wasted a whole year trying to do the right thing and he wasn't going to believe me no matter what I said.

     "Yes!" I yelled in his shocked face and felt a ton of weight being lifted from my shoulders, "I want to be with the brilliant, passionate, caring, and incredibly sexy Severus Snape!"

     His blue eyes grew wide as my voice grew louder, "I know what you're thinking, why in the world would Hermione do something crazy like that? Are you sure you really want to know Ronald!? Do you!?"

     My banshee style screaming felt like chains of repression, guilt, and fear were unbinding themselves from around me - diminishing to ash and blowing away as Voldemort did. 

     "Let me tell you, there are dozens of reasons I want to be his. One is the fact that that amazing man would have gone to Australia, the Sahara Desert or even Antartica barefoot to help me and I love him for it!"

     He looked ill, "Disgusting!" 

     "What's disgusting is how I wasted all this time with you, hoping you get your shit together and we could really work when I could have been happily warming Severus's bed."

     "You'd be his whore?"

     Where's my wand!? He needs acid coated slugs coming out all his orifice's!

     "Better his whore than your wife!" 

     He tossed a copy of the Prophet at me, "For once, Skeeter was right about you."

     "Get out!"

      "I'll move back to the Burrow before you're released." With that, he walked out of the room without a backward glance.

     I picked up the prophet with shaking hands.

         Granger Love Triangle: Who Will She Choose?

      When dining at the posh Glitzmore, your's truly was privileged enough to watch the proposal between Ronald Billius Weasley, best friend to Harry Potter and Hermione Jean Granger, known famous Wizard groupie.

     When offering my hand in congratulations the ever venomous Granger made it known that Severus Snape was blipping on her radar as well and wasn't ready to give poor Weasly an answer in case she has a shot with the older, more powerful Wizard. All signs say that Weasley, he should cut his losses and walk away before he gets further drug along by the manipulative little Witch...

     Unable to keep reading such trash, I threw the paper aside. I hate Rita, the Blonde-bimbo Skeeter with a burning passion!

     Breathe in, one - two - three. Breathe out, one - two - three.

     My father died. I'd thought I was dying and was hospitalized. I was accused of cheating, and I ended my long-time crappy relationship with Ron - crazy-bad day didn't even cover it.

     I let the built up anger, hurt and longing I'd been holding in spill down my face. The salty tears seemed to wash away everything until my mind was cleared.

     After a time, I'd began breathing deeply and massaging my temples to get rid of the throbbing headache I'd developed in the last thirty minutes. In the process, I realized I was no longer crying from being sad - I was happy and laughing from the weightlessness I was feeling from dumping my heavy burden.

     I'm free to be with Severus!

     Feeling giddy at the idea of seeing the man staring in my erotic fantasies and more specifically - touching him. I danced my way into the shower where I washed away all the dirt, tension, aches, and pains that I could. 

     I wrapped myself in a black dress that wasn't too flashy but accentuated my curves just right. And I hoped that the matching undergarments would be as pleasing to Severus as they were to me since I had every intention of modeling them for him.

     When I'd finished grooming, I smiled in the mirror giving myself a last pep talk.

     You can do this, Hermione. You've seen the way Severus looks at you and you know he wants you too. It won't be hard to get him to take you to bed. You got this girl!

     I swiftly left St. Mungos and made my way to Spinner's End. I realized it was later in the evening than most people would show up unannounced at someones home, but it was way past time I let Severus Snape know how much he means to me and how grateful I was to him for everything.