When All is Lost One is Found

Chapter 140: Fine

When All is Lost, One is Found

Author: Rinoaebastel

Chapter 140: Fine

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and gain no profit from this fanfiction other than writing practice. JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.

AN: This story may contain scenes taken from the Harry Potter movies and books, but it's not exact dialogue, just rewording of dialogue or omission. It is not marked.

March, 1999

As the month passed and the new one started, the letters began to trickle down to about a dozen or two a day. Nothing they couldn't handle. It would be worth going through those since some could be of importance. Their behavior in public never changed since they weren't the type of people to display affections in front of others. People still looked closely at them, waiting for them to do something, anything, to confirm the rumors, but it wasn't anything close to being a malicious curiosity. She'd even said some girls had said they were so jealous of her and she'd begun to laugh at it. They kept to their normal routines despite their relationship. She attended her classes, she studied, and she did her projects with her usual fervor.

He was still called a dark hero, hot, some called him a, "sexy" bat of the dungeons. He'd learned to take some of those titles with some humor as well. Hermione would often tease him about them.

When the day was over, and she crossed his office door and their roles faded. They were themselves. They were lovers and equals.

He muttered under his breath as he tossed a letter into the fireplace. She was leaning against him reading a letter. It'd become a nightly routine, one that would likely change in a few months, but for now he would live in the present. It was far more than he'd ever imagined having. It was perfection.

He threw yet another envelope into the fire. The magical blue flame instantly consumed the parchment. Despite the amount they were burning, they still had a pile to look at. His mail was a mix of curses, congratulatory messages, and death threats. Her mail contained a few death threats as well, but a majority of her messages said she was wasting her life. These messages were from complete strangers that felt they could stick their noses where they had no business sticking them. She even got a few calling her a heartbreaker for not returning the feelings of Ronald Weasley.

"Oh, my," she said and started laughing. He raised an eyebrow.

"What is it?" he asked.

"To one Severus Snape,

We at Throb magazine would like to request your presence for a pictorial shoot and article for our Sexiest 30 Wizards over 30 Issue. Our readership has shown an increased interest in you."

"What the hell is Throb magazine?" he asked.

When her laughing ceased, she said, "It's a woman's magazine that has sexy wizards in it. They cover their . . . wands . . . with random magical items. Other than that it's--"

"And you read such things?" he asked. He knew she did not but also knew it would be a good way to get her to not read the rest of the letter. .

She tossed the letter in the fire and moved on to another.

He grinned and grabbed the next letter from the pile beside him. He was about to throw it away without opening it, but paused when he saw who it was from. He hadn't expected an owl from that family. He picked up his wand and tapped it onto the letter, searching for any trace of magic or hurtful wards. When his spell didn't react, he put down the wand.

"I got a letter from Arthur Weasley."

She stiffened and put down her book. She turned slightly in his arms.

"A...anything bad?"

"Nothing showed with the first magic check."

Her eyes fixed on the envelope and her lips parted. "Open it?"

He broke the wax seal and extended the letter, his arms going on either side of Hermione. She leaned back against his chest. Despite the envelope being addressed to him, the letter was addressed to both of them. He figured Arthur probably thought approaching him was easier than trying to reach Hermione. It was smart.

He cleared his throat and read the letter aloud.

"Greetings, Severus and Hermione,

I assume that you expect no good words from me after what Molly sent. I am writing this letter to apologize on her behalf. She is prideful, but she has mentioned her terrible regret for her actions. This is especially true after finding out what Ron did to Hermione. Our son hadn't told us any truth about what occurred and we had to find out elsewhere. Ron will be punished for what he did.

Harry and Ginny informed us of everything that had transpired, including the state of your relationship. I plead that you forgive us. If you need anything, do not hesitate to contact me.

Best regards, Arthur and Molly Weasley."

He put the letter down and waited for a response from Hermione.

"I wasn't expecting that." He smiled softly as he saw she was trying to control her tears. "I adore the Weasley's, but I didn't think they'd ever try to contact me again."

"The Weasley's are . . . reasonable people. I figured they'd eventually see reason." He liked Arthur a bit, it was hard not to. It was the same for the twins, who in his opinion should've been Slytherin. He made a mental note to visit Fred's grave.

Hermione nodded and wiped away her tears.

"Yes, but the Weasley's are also the kind of people that protect their children and defend them to the death no matter what. I figured Molly would be in denial enough that she wouldn't allow her name to be on the letter. She had the wrong idea about Ron and me." She sighed. "I should've made it clearer that I didn't like him more than a friend, but it never crossed my mind."

"You can't be in their heads, Hermione. Not unless you are constantly using Legilimency." He leaned over her and kissed her. "You're not at fault here so don't blame yourself." His voice was harsh in a concerned way, but not angry.

"I know. Thank you for reminding me of that fact when I need you to."

"It's a pleasure to jolt your Gryffindor brain."

She laughed, relaxing the tension from her body. She turned back around and leaned against his chest. His arms moved around her, pulling her closer to him.

And it was then that he realized that things were going to be fine.

AN: Only 3 chapters left and the Epilogue. Seeing the ending is soon it's breaking my heart. Hope you liked it and let me know what you think. See you on Saturday.

PS: I might have to change the updating hours.