Denouement (Snamione) **On Going**

Chapter 23

"Hermione, we need to talk.. about yesterday." Severus told Hermione softly as she entered the room, after spending the night before awake with an inner conflict.

"Why do I think I'm not going to like the sound of this?" Hermione replied sadly, shaking her head.
After all, whenever somebody says the words 'we need to talk' it always meant one thing...

"I don't want to tell you that our kiss shouldn't have happened.... but I have no choice." Severus pleaded, partly hating himself for what he was about to do. "Please, Severus do me one thing and spare me the speech.. you regret it and do not want this to continue." She whispered in a broken tone, using her hands to emphasise the word 'this'.

"I regret nothing, how could I regret kissing the most beautiful witch I've ever met? Hmm? No, I do not regret it. However i do believe it's selfish of me to receive your love when I myself cannot give you enough in return.. not in the way in which you deserve it anyway."

"I wasn't expecting you to love me straight away Severus, Merlin, someti..."
"Hermione. I already love you that isn't the issue, the issue is that it's killing me to be in love with a witch who sees me at my worst everyday. It's humiliating.. you must understand that?!" Snape cried, "I do not see you at your worst everyday though do I? Your worst was when you'd bully and ridicule my friends and myself back at Hogwarts!! Are you really shallow enough to assume that being in recovery, and unable to do certain things is you at 'your worst' ? Because I will tell you this now.. if it is... you're the shallow one!"
Hermione spat, leaving the room to calm down. She could no longer be around someone who infuriated her for the wrong reasons.

〰〰〰〰〰〰

'What is it with witches? Why do they always seem to get me wrong!' Snape scowled, asking himself for a moment if he 'really wants the stress of a witch' in his life.

Yes.
Yes he did want a witch in his life, but his stupid pride stood in the way.
'It's not that hard to understand is it? Surely if she was in my situation she would feel awkward too? Right?' He asked himself.

〰〰〰〰〰
"Hermione!!!??" He called out after half an hour of sitting alone with his thoughts. "Can we talk? Please?"

"I'm sorry..." a gentle voice soothed into his ear as Hermione came into the room and climbed up onto the bed beside him. "It's me who should be apologising, You had every right to be annoyed with me." Snape chuckled as she wrapped her arms around his torso.

"I thought about what you said, if I was in your shoes I'd be just as uncomfortable.. you've had a major knock to your confidence and I should never have pushed..." She explained. "I'm hardly in any shoes right now..." He snorted playfully, earning himself a very clear 'that is NOT funny' glare from his favourite insufferable know it all.

"What I meant to say my love, is if you're willing to not expect too much.. and you can be patient..." Snape smiled, "then you will be mine?" Hermione smiled, with wide eyes.
"Yes, and you shall be mine."

What Snape didn't tell Hermione was that as she nestled into him and wrapped her arms around him...

He felt it...