Hey everyone, this is finally the last chapter. Thank you for your support and for sticking with me till the end, and I am very sorry that it took me so long to finish this story… (From now on I will only publish stories that are already written completely). There will be one bonus chapter eventually, but the main story is hereby done. So, thanks for everything! Catherine.

Chapter 27

The graduation had been wonderful, and the party afterwards was even more exciting. Hermione held her diploma firmly in hand, in the other was a glass of champagne, while she laughed with Harry and Ron about nothing in particular. She was just so happy that she had graduated from Hogwarts and with the best possible grades, of course.

"What did you think of my speech?" Harry suddenly wanted to know. He had been chosen as valedictorian, and although she had been a bit disappointed at first, she was glad now she didn't have to make a speech.

"Amazing," she told him seriously. "Very well written and it made me cry and laugh at the same time." She looked around at the beautifully decorated Great Hall. "I'll miss Hogwarts," she sighed and feared new tears in her eyes.

"Oh, Mione," Harry smiled and took her in his arms. "We'll still see each other, I promise."

She nodded and hugged her best friend firmly.

At that moment Parvati asked Ron to dance with her and the two went towards the dancing area.

"Would you like to dance, as well?" Harry asked her and Hermione nodded eagerly.

They shrank their diplomas – now they were allowed to use magic whenever they wanted –, pocketed them and Harry led her gracefully to the dancing floor.

It was no secret that her best friend wasn't a great dancer, but Hermione had fun anyway. While she talked to Harry, though, she scanned the room for Severus. The last time she had seen him, he had stood along with the other teachers and congratulated the students on their graduation. Hermione had smiled broadly at him, while he gave her hand a short squeeze to let her know how proud he was.

She was happy that soon they didn't have to hide their relationship anymore.

Finally, she saw him standing near the buffet, his arms crossed over his chest, his trademark scowl firmly in place. Apparently, he hated the festivities, but she couldn't help chuckling at this gloomy appearance, now that she also knew his other sides.

When the dance finished, she excused herself from Harry and went towards the buffet. She thought it would look strange if she went to Severus straight away, and though she absolutely didn't care anymore, she had the inclination that it would annoy him. So, she made her way towards the buffet, casually taking a glass of orange juice and then went closer to Severus, as if it hadn't been on purpose.

"Hi," she smiled up at him when she stood next to him.

"Congratulations are in order, I guess," he replied in good humour and whispered into her ear: "I am very proud of you, my dear."

She blushed and grinned joyfully. "Thank you." Then she said with a wicked smirk: "Well, since I'm not your student anymore, I'd like to stay with you tonight."

He looked at her stunned for a moment, before he relaxed and replied sincerely: "I'd like that very much."

She smiled openly at him and all her love was visible in her eyes. "What about now?" she suggested and ignored another blush on her cheeks. She wanted this and she had waited for this moment for a long time.

He gulped but nodded and whispered: "Follow me in five minutes inconspicuously." With a short twitch of the corner of his mouth, he left the Great Hall.

Hermione breathed deeply in and out, butterflies swarming through her body in anticipation of what would probably happen when she and Severus were alone in his quarters… Though she was nervous, she was looking forward to it. She felt mature enough, now that she had graduated from Hogwarts, and she felt that Severus was the right man, the only one she would ever want.

When the five minutes were over, she downed her drink in one swift motion, put the empty glass back on the table, and hurried quickly but without anyone noticing out of the Great Hall, through the Entrance Hall and down the stairs into the dungeons, until she reached his door.

To her great surprise Severus opened it at once after her timid knock; apparently, he had been waiting for her. He offered her his hand, which she took at once, and guided her into his living room, closing the door behind her. For a while, they just stared at each other, both unsure of how to proceed, but then he moved closer and gave her a gentle kiss, and she sighed and put her arms around his neck.

Heaven…

The next morning Hermione was at first irritated where she was. This was not her bed and the way the sun fell through the window was strange. Then she noticed she was naked and that another person lay behind her, one arm put around her. She carefully turned around and looked into the peacefully sleeping face of Severus Snape. Smiling, she remembered their wonderful night together, while tentatively stroking through his soft hair.

It didn't take long before he stirred and finally woke up. He looked at her for a moment, before he returned her smile happily.

"Good morning," she greeted and gave him a kiss.

"Good morning, my love," he replied and stroked her cheek. "How did you sleep?"

"Wonderfully," she beamed.

"Does it hurt?" he asked in concern and Hermione knew what he was referring to.

She shook her head. Having sex for the first time was always painful, she had known that before. But after a while, the pain had subsided, and glee had taken its place. Now she was a bit sore, but it was okay. "It was amazing," she whispered and couldn't help a blush.

"It truly was," he agreed. "What now?" he wanted to know after a while. A part of him feared that she would leave him if not today than soon. She was young, at the start of her life as an adult and graduate. Why would she want to bind herself to him?

"Well," she started uncharacteristically shyly for her, "I've been thinking."

He didn't comment on that sentence (although she made it so easy) – this conversation was too important for teasing.

"I want to apply for the Magical University of Edinburgh. It's near to Hogwarts and the university has a wonderful programme for Transfiguration, I asked Professor McGonagall. So maybe, if you want, I could move to Edinburgh and we can see each other on the weekends. I come to you or you visit me. Or maybe later when we progressed in our relationship we move somewhere in the middle and apparate to work." She smiled at him tentatively and it was plain on her face that she feared his rejection.

He thought about a shared future and especially her second idea, where they would see each other every day and he would come home to a house with garden and find her greeting him happily, filled him with unexpected warmth. "I would enjoy that," he finally told her and fastened his arm around her protectively and lovingly.

"Great," she exclaimed both relieved and happy, and hugged him, laying her cheek on his chest. "And first, we have the whole summer to ourselves."

He smiled into her hair and both indulged in this special moment for a while, until Hermione looked at him mischievously.

"Let's play a game," she suddenly suggested.

"Alright," he agreed, awed and curious at her youthful spirit.

She grinned. "Let's play 'Never have I ever'."

He instantly groaned; since his years at Hogwarts, he had detested that game – mostly because he had never been allowed to play with his peers. "Didn't you have enough alcohol last night?" he asked mockingly.

With a scandalised gaze she told him: "Firstly, I had one glass of champagne last night, and secondly," her face lightened into an impish smile, "instead of alcohol, we'll play with kisses."

He looked at her for a moment in silent surprise, before he started to laugh joyfully.

Hermione smiled at this sight. It was wonderful to see him this open and apparently happy with her.

"You're insane," he declared after a while, still chuckling at her idea, but stroking over her hand to show her that he didn't mean it in a bad way.

She understood and gave him a peck on the lips. "No, not insane, just madly in love." After another kiss, she asked with her best impression of puppy eyes: "So, we play?"

He rolled his eyes but agreed. "You may begin, my dear."

She grinned joyfully and announced proudly: "Never have I ever kissed a former professor," and kissed him at once.

Severus then understood her idea of the game and started to like it at last. "Never have I ever kissed a former student." He kissed her smiling lips.

"Never have I ever fallen in love with the dungeon bat."

He laughed but replied: "Never have I ever fallen in love with a know-it-all."

They grinned at each other for a moment until Severus stroked her cheek gently.

"I love you, Hermione."

"I love you, too, Severus."

And they continued to love each other for a long time, every now and then playing the game that had brought them together: Never have I ever.

THE END.