"You have no doubts about marrying me, do you?"

Hermione asked him this question in the Great Hall at the head table seemingly randomly at breakfast. He just about choked on his coffee at the question. It was a good thing he hadn't been eating anything or he very well may have choked. It was no secret around Hogwarts that they were betrothed so that wasn't it. It was just so … public a place to broach such a thing.

Was she joking?

Surely she had to be.

Rolanda, Filius, and that hack Trelawney all glanced in their direction. Minerva was listening, too, he knew. She was just better at being discreet. She, like Albus, had an uncanny way of knowing everything.

"I'm sorry?"

He finally posed the question when she'd said nothing indicating she was joking. What in the world had brought this line of thinking on her part on? Had one of her friends said something to make her doubt his intentions were true? He tried to recall something he might have done recently to give her that impression.

He came up with nothing. He wasn't perfect, but he wasn't stupid either. He learned quickly. She scowled because he left the toilet seat up once or twice. He quickly changed his mindset into ensuring he no longer did that.

"I know you heard me, Severus, but just in case you truly didn't. Do you have doubts about marrying me?"

He stared at her for a moment and then looked at the other professors at the head table. And then out at the students who thankfully had no idea what was being discussed by their professors.

So she was serious?

Why? 

And then another thought occurred to him. Was this her way of trying to get out of it? A public row that would let all know he was an arse?

No, she wouldn't do that. If for no other reason she wasn't that adept of a liar to fake the past two plus years. And she didn't like public attention any more than he did.

"Of course not," he said finally, hoping he had not taken too long to answer. He truly hadn't believed she was serious.

"So you're not going to make me go through the effort of planning this whole thing just to stand me up?"

"Hermione, I'm sure there is a better place for us to be having this conversation than in the Great Hall."

"So you are thinking about it? Because if the answer was truly no with no hesitation you would just say no."

"Or," he knew he needed to proceed carefully. "I prefer to talk about my personal life privately. But to answer your question since something's put this idea into your head. Of course not. If you think that I waited until I was over forty years old to propose marriage only to change my mind. Well, you don't know me nearly as well as I assumed."

She sighed, staring at the letter he hadn't noticed her reading until now. It must have been with her regular mail that she'd collected from their house last night. It'd been late and she realized she hadn't checked mail or messages all weekend. So she'd gone to the house quickly and come back within a few minutes. He'd assumed that was a good sign.

Maybe not.

"What's happened, Hermione," he said. 

"Xander decided, like at the time the wedding was supposed to start, that they shouldn't get married."

"Ah," he said.

It suddenly made much more sense as to why she suddenly envisioned him letting her get away from him. He could understand why that might plant some doubt in her mind. He was not Xander, though. She was not a former vengeance demon either.

"Well no offense but Xander has seemed a bit judgmental and quick to react the few times I have met him or that you've mentioned him." He turned fully to face her and signed "I love you", spelling out her name with his hands.

She signed it back and then signed "I'm sorry".

He reached for her hand then, kissing the back of it before he stood. He leaned over to kiss the top of her head.

"If I have been somehow derelict in letting you know that I find myself unable to function to the best of my abilities without you, Hermione Granger, then I apologize and will endeavor to ensure you never doubt again that it is only you that I wish to spend the rest of my days with."

She stared at him. Holding her hand wasn't that huge of a deal, but kissing her (even her head) in the Great Hall or where anyone could see was just not something he did.

"Was that a sufficient response Rolanda? Minerva?"

"That'll do," Rolanda said.

"Thank you. Now I am going to take my leave. If you'll excuse me."

He turned at the door, though, saw Hermione and several others (professors and students alike) were watching him.

"You are mine," he signed, spelling out her name again and then went on signing. "Nothing could stop me from marrying you, Witch."

"I feel the same," she signed in response.

He bowed his head slightly before taking his leave.

"Wow," Rolanda said. "I had no idea he could be so passionate about anything."

Hermione blushed then, and Sybil left the table in a huff at that moment. She shook her head slightly. She was aware of the Divination professor's attempts to get Severus to pay attention to her.

"He can be," Hermione said simply.

"Where did you learn to do that?" the flight instructor asked, moving her hands so Hermione knew she was asking about the sign language.

"I bought Severus some books as well as copies for myself so he could learn and use it with someone a couple years ago. He doesn't need it as much anymore. He was afraid the damage would be more permanent. So I figured if he learned and it was permanent then he could gradually teach all of you."

He still talked much softer than he used to. There would be no yelling or voice raising in Professor Snape's classes probably ever again the healers had said. Sometimes on days he had multiple lectures on the same day (something he tried to avoid) they signed all evening to give his throat a rest.

"I guess that shouldn't surprise me. A couple of years ago, huh? You've been seeing him for that long?"

"Well, I gave him the books to say thank you for a favor he'd done for me. It has been a while, though."

"I remember when he started getting letters. No one could figure out who he was corresponding with. He never left the castle other than to do potions business."

"Well, I'm glad my previous job made me feel the need to contact him. I consider myself very lucky."

Rolanda regarded Hermione closely. The witch hadn't done that since first year when Hermione was so abysmal at flight. Hermione had always felt as if she failed in the flight instructor's eyes.

"You really do love him."

"Of course. Why else would I be here? Be marrying him?"

"I guess I just wondered. Just be good to him."

"I am, but you can imagine my getting a letter about someone being stood up at the altar while I'm in the process of planning my own wedding that it made me a little paranoid. There are days, Rolanda, I think it's a dream."

"Some dream, eh," she said, elbowing Hermione's side gently. "What was your job, Hermione? You never have said," she asked.

"I was a researcher for a muggle corporation."

"Oh. Did you like it? I guess you must not have if you're here now."

"It was okay for a while, but I was ready to come back when I did."

"And Messrs Potter and Weasley?"

"I see Harry, Ginny, and little James pretty regularly whether at Grimmauld Place or here. Ron still isn't really talking to me," she shrugged. Harry and Ginny were trying. It seemed Ronald was having the biggest issue with her pending nuptials more than the three-year absence and her sudden return. He'd been at Grimmauld Place a couple of times at the same time as Hermione, but he hadn't really spoken to her. He wasn't a jerk or mean, he just basically ignored her.

"He'll come around. You three were thicker than molasses and I think he may have expected to be in Severus' shoes."

"Maybe he did, but he's not and I never said we would be. It's just so frustrating because I can tell that Ginny and Harry are somewhat uncomfortable. That makes me feel terrible, like they have to choose between family and me."

"Well you are Harry's family, Hermione. I know he told Minerva that they were going to name you James' godmother whether you came back or not." Of course godmothers didn't mean much in the wizarding world, but the fact Harry had been raised muggle it was very flattering to Hermione they'd wanted her to serve in that role.

"I know, and that makes me feel loved," she shrugged. "I just wish he'd talk to me. Find out why I left. I don't think he totally understands."

"Right. I understand. Give him time, Dear."

"I am."

How much time was she supposed to give him? She wasn't crowding him, she wasn't sending him endless letters begging for forgiveness or anything. It had been almost a year!

They left the Great Hall together then, going their respective ways to start their days.

Hermione realized as she made her way to her classroom that she should have handled that much better. She was lucky Severus reacted the way he did. He could have very easily gone the other route and told her to get lost for so publicly doubting him.

She sighed softly as she made it to her classroom for the day. She and Anya weren't very close. She didn't dislike the woman, but she could admit to being a little … wary of someone who spent hundreds of years hurting people in the name of revenge. No one deserved to get stood up, though.

She set the letter aside, determined to drop Buffy a letter and ask how her friend was doing. Both of them. Poor Buffy was probably caught in the middle between Xander and Anya.

Story ©Susan Matthews/APCKRFAN/PhantomRoses.com