[HG/SS] Hermione Granger and Severus Snape became friends after the war. Severus ends up giving Hermione relationship advice on how to get the one she loves to realise she loves him. Things do not end the way he expected.

A/N: Just a little short for Halloween! (Help! I'm posting unsupervised!)

The Chimes of the Witching Hour

Fifteen jack-o-lanterns adorned the entryway to Hermione Granger's quarters in Hogwart's, and each of them had stunningly intricate designs on them. Quills and inkpots, scary fanged faces, the Muggle traditional "witch on a broomstick," werewolf heads, and many more cast eerie shadows throughout the room.

Crookshanks went padding from pumpkin to pumpkin, sniffing each one as if to inspect them for quality. The orange half-Kneazle seemed to think everything was in order, and he jumped up onto the sofa chair to drape over the back. He slowly batted at Snape's hair as he did so, causing the Dark Wizard to roll his eyes upward and cast one eyebrow up into his hair.

"Must you be such a hair pest?" Snape sighed the question.

Crookshanks yawned toothily as if to answer, continuing to paw at Snape's hair.

Severus shook his head.

The door to the room opened, and Severus lifted his head, his lanky hair falling over his pale face and aquiline nose. He sniffed in annoyance as his hair blocked his view. Sometimes he wondered how he survived so many years when his hair seemed to want to block his vision of just about everything. He blew the strand out of his way so he could see with a huff.

"I'm sorry, Severus," Hermione apologised as she came in. "Miss Adlebrook decided to take a tumble off the moving staircase and broke her ankle. I had to escort her to the hospital wing and report to Minerva."

"I'm sure Mr Mayworth will be depressed not to be able to have her company this evening," Severus sniffed, putting down what he was reading.

Hermione chuckled. "Of that, I'm sure. Fifteen years of teaching here, and the students don't get any less obvious about why they are out galavanting the hallways and falling off staircases."

"Hn, well, I've had more than you, and I'm pretty sure that no amount of years is going to make that any better," Severus noted.

"Severus, were you reading in the dark again?" Hermione asked, her hands on her hips.

"It's not like I need the light," the Dark wizard replied. "Not since Sanguini tried to do his good deed and save my life."

Hermione shook her head, letting out a huff of air. "I'm glad he did," she replied. "It's not like I was worth anything standing there with my jaw hitting the ground crying over your body as you bled out."

"You were seventeen, Hermione, and fighting the same war as I was," Snape answered. "I hardly think there was a scale of worth that comparisons were being tallied on."

"I left you," Hermione protested. "I should have at least—"

Snape scowled and extended his arm to her. "Come here."

Hermione shuffled closer.

Snape pulled her closer, drawing her down onto the sofa next to him. "Enough of that old conversation. There was nothing you could have done. The only reason it worked for Sanguini is because he was a vampire. That's hardly a prerequisite for being a student at Hogwart's to where anyone could fault you for not doing anything supernatural to save my unlife as it were."

Hermione leaned on his shoulder. "No, but the students seem to think it is the prerequisite for teaching Potions class."

Snape snorted. "They thought me a vampire long before I was one. Now that I am, well, they seem to think I'm just some cranky old man with a sun allergy."

"Psh," Hermione said. "You aren't that old."

"Cranky then," Severus quipped.

"Perhaps," Hermione chuckled, earning her a glower and flash of fang. "I'm the cranky one. Everyone at the Ministry used call me the Cranky Bitch in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. It took Kingsley coming up and running a trace on the puking buttons that said 'You too can spew at S.P.E.W.' before I had a moment's peace."

Severus glowered. "As much as I think your crusade for the house-elves was a little fanatical, I hardly think that was appropriate."

Hermione sighed. "It took me years to realise that in trying to free the House Elves, I'd completely forgotten to ask them what they wanted. They tried to tell me, but I didn't let myself hear it."

"Well at least the Hogwarts' elves don't flee from you on sight anymore," Severus snorted.

Hermione shook her head. "I'm glad Minerva invited me to teach. Despite the drama children carry with them, the drama of politics is far more poisonous and harder to avoid. I admire Kingsley for his stamina."

Severus nodded. "He is a many of strong character. He had many good things to say about you and your help eradicating the old pure-blood laws. Minerva said she had to practically Incarcerate him to keep him from storming down to your chambers and carrying you back over his shoulder to the Ministry to be a member of his cabinet."

Hermione's eyes widened. "Surely not," she laughed.

Severus quirked his lips. "Minerva threatened to turn him into goldfish and cast him into the Black Lake."

Hermione shoved his shoulder. "Now you're just being asinine."

"No, that would be your paramour who keeps sending you love-owls every week asking you to marry him," Snape interjected, his eyes reflecting the candle flickers.

Hermione slumped. "Ever since Ron and I went our separate ways, the letters and offers for marriage don't stop. I'm hardly some object to be auctioned off for posterity."

"Look at the bright side," Severus replied. "You have a lifetime supply of chocolate, roses, rose water, rose hips, vases, woven baskets, and personal owls."

Hermione gave him a long-suffering look in the dark of the room. "I single-handedly repopulated the Hogwarts owlrey. At least the gift owls have tapered down. Minerva was starting to run out of names to call them all."

"I think I stopped paying attention when she started calling that one 'Buckethead'," Severus said. "I knew that her creativity had gone south at that point."

"Yes, well, Buckethead, Oatbreath, Popcorn, and Candlewax are some of the school's farthest fliers," Hermione laughed.

"Good thing owls don't get offended with horribly uncreative names," Severus replied.

"They can't all be called Socrates, Archimedes, and Hermes," Hermione said, tilting her head.

"Better that than calling them all 'owl' like Hagrid does," Severus replied. "He can name all his failed breeding experiments and a thousand some baby spiders, but when it comes to recognising an owl, he calls them all 'that owl' or 'the white one' or 'the brown one with yellow eyes'."

"That narrows it down a bit," Hermione chuckled.

Severus rolled his eyes again.

Hermione leaned into his shoulder and snuffled, her nostrils flaring as she took in his scent. "Mrr," she muttered. "I know you hate anniversaries of dates and all that, but I'm glad to be spending tonight with you."

"You enjoy spending time with me the anniversary of a night a rampaging mob of idiots tried to take you out in unfair duel in the middle of London?" Severus arched a brow.

"It was dark, Severus," Hermione chuckled. "They couldn't see my hair wasn't red."

"Oh, and murder is so forgivable when they can see they have the right target," Snape grunted.

Hermione head bumped his arm. "If it hadn't been for them mistaking you for a Muggle dressed as Dracula, it would have been far worse."

"Glad to know my condition has benefits in quelling idiots."

"Psh, Severus," Hermione grunted. "At least it wasn't a crowd of people following you asking if you could take their confession."

"You are never going to let me live that down, are you?" Severus sighed.

"Never," Hermione said with a grin.

"For some reason, you never seem to come to your senses and kick me out of your chambers," Severus noted.

"I'll pick being happily insane, thank you," Hermione smirked.

"Why do you value this day of all days?" he asked.

Hermione looked down, tilting her head. "Isn't it obvious?"

Severus arched a brow at her.

"It's the night we had our first real conversation after I started teaching," Hermione explained.

"I'll be sure to tell your suitors that they've been going at it wrong," Severus commented.

Hermione shook her head. "None of them have a chance, anyway. Not anymore."

"Oh? Finally decided to accept one of their offers?"

Hermione groaned. "Merlin, no. I just finally came to terms with that the one I want is too blind to realise I don't want anyone else."

"Sounds like a dunderhead," Severus commented. "Have you tried just grabbing him by the face and letting your lips explain the issue?"

"I've considered it," Hermione laughed.

"What's stopping you?" Snape grunted.

"I think he's afraid I won't commit for the long haul," Hermione answered.

"And you are willing to commit to some imbecile that apparently doesn't believe you?" he asked.

"To the bitter end," Hermione replied, staring into the fireplace.

"Hermione, if your love interest is such an idiot that he can't realise what a wonderful witch you are and that he should grab ahold of you with both hands and never let go, then they don't deserve you," Snape explained.

"So, we're to the point of giving relationship advice, hrm?" Hermione chuckled, pressing her nose into his robes.

"Someone has to, since your neglectful friends are off raising their spawn and coming around only to grovel for you to watch their kids," Severus snorted.

"It was their anniversary, Severus," Hermione countered. "That was hardly an everyday request."

"Only because first they asked Hagrid and he had them petting the 'armless kelpie in the bog," Severus snorted.

"It was a baby, to be fair," Hermione tried.

"Oh, baby flesh eating monster horses make it okay," Severus scoffed. "Remind me never to have you watch my children."

"That's not very nice, Severus," Hermione sighed. "You know he means well. Harry has always had a soft spot for him. He took care of us when no one else would." She stared into the fire, quiet. "At least he can have children. He doesn't have the entire Weasley clan staring at him with pity like he's some sort of freak."

Snape had had his arm around her shoulder, pulling her tight against his chest. "Forgive me. I did not—"

Hermione let out a ragged breath but shook her head. "It's not your fault Bellatrix focused her Cruciatus on my ovaries, Severus. You had your own things to worry about trying to save the students from the Carrow's worst tortures."

Severus stared into the fire in the hearth, silent.

Hermione put her hand over his. "I'm not Lily, Severus. I'm not going to spurn you for a slip of the tongue or some thought that comes before reason sets in. You were teenagers then. Merlin knows I've said and did some vindictive things to people in the throes of my youth… far worse than a slip of the tongue in anger and humiliation."

Severus met her gaze, his dark eyes unfathomable.

"You saved her son, Severus," Hermione said quietly. "You saved all of us countless times. You may not have liked us. You may not have been the most pleasant of men or the ideal role model, but you did it anyway. And as a good friend of mine once said, 'if she is such an idiot that she can't realised what a wonderful wizard you are and that she should have grabbed ahold of you with both hands and never let go, then they didn't deserve you'."

Severus' eyes were pained.

Hermione sighed touching his jaw with her fingers. "She would have forgiven you, Severus," Hermione emphasised. "It wouldn't have been immediate. It might have taken years, if she had had them, but she would have forgiven you."

Severus closed his eyes, nodding silently.

Hermione pulled his head down, pressing her forehead to his. "Believe it, please. You are no less worthy of forgiveness than anyone else. I disfigured a woman for life. I lured Umbridge into the Dark Forest knowing exactly what would happen if the centaurs got a hold of her. I'm surprised Marietta hasn't come after me with a killing curse after all the shame and mockery she's suffered because of jinx. No one has been able to figure out how to lift the jinx."

"Didn't you word in a counter, just in case?" Severus asked, his dark eyes curious.

"I thought I did, but it didn't work."

"What was it?"

"Truth," Hermione said. "I thought I worded it so if she told the truth to those she snitched on it would lift, but it never did."

"What did she say to you, exactly?" Snape asked.

Hermione frowned. "She said she was sorry she told Umbridge about us. She was scared. She was terrified of Umbridge. She was worried about her mum working at the Ministry."

Severus harrumphed. "Well, isn't it obvious?"

Hermione tilted her head.

"She wasn't sorry she told Umbridge, Hermione," Severus said. "She was sorry she got caught."

Hermione shook her head. "But she was crying—she was groveling at my feet!"

Snape shook his head. "I was there the evening she walked up to Umbridge's office and proclaimed she knew something that toad of a woman would want. She had a smile on her face the entire time until the last words left her lips and your jinx took effect."

Hermione looked horrified. "She… all this time I thought she was just…"

"You gave her a way out, Hermione," Severus said. "She just didn't satisfy the conditions."

"That means she hasn't told the truth to anyone. Not one person!" Hermione gasped.

Snape shook his head.

"I suddenly don't feel as sorry for her anymore," Hermione confessed.

"Some people do not deserve forgiveness," Severus said, turning his head to stare out Hermione's chamber window into the dark night beyond.

"But you do," Hermione said, touching his neck with her fingers. "That is also the truth."

"How is it that you, the person I made her childhood just that much more horrible, can forgive me my sins?" he asked quietly. There was no venom in his voice. His question hung in the air.

"You're a brilliant man, Severus Snape," Hermione said with a tired smile, "but sometimes you can be so thick."

Severus startled as Hermione's lips pressed to his in a gentle but needful kiss. He groaned into her mouth, feeling his fangs extending in the rush of suppressed desire he hadn't dared to think she would return.

"Hermione," he panted, his hands clenching the sides of the sofa so hard that the wood began to crack. "I beg you not to open a door I will not be able to close."

Hermione pulled his head down. "Idiot," she hissed. "I'm throwing away the key. Make love to me."

Severus gave a strangled cry as the surge of their mutual need met in passion. When they came up for air, he clenched his teeth together, grimacing as every instinct he had struggled to make this witch his in every way that mattered. "Hermione, please, I can't—my control."

"Severus, it's okay," Hermione whispered. "I know what could happen. I'm okay with it. I'll be with you."

Severus eyes bled into a pale gold. "It's… a bit of a lifetime commitment," he said raggedly, "with a few dietary quirks." He panted, forcing himself to look away, lest he be lost in her eyes.

Hermione turned his head to face her. She stared into his now golden eyes with a gentle smile. "Think of all the galleons I will save on candles being able to read in the dark."

Severus choked, his mouth hovering over her neck as his breath tickled her skin. "I love you," he whispered. "I have since that night fifteen years ago when we sat under the stars talking of potions, magic, and the effect of global warming—how you nestled against my arm without loathing and how you bury your face into my robes when you think no one is looking. "

"I love the way your voice makes me feel when you read to me," Hermione confessed. "I love how your teeth are slightly cooked when you smile and how your hair falls across your face so you have to blow it out to see. I love that scowl you give when someone says something utterly stupid and no one else has the gall to say it during faculty meetings. The scent of you drives me mad. I love the look you give me when you think I'm not looking and the flash of your fangs when you are trying to hide a smile when I do something irrational."

"You're being irrational now," Severus protested.

"See, your fangs are showing," Hermione purred, her finger gently tapping his pearlescent fangs that managed to shine brightly in contrast to the somewhat yellow cast to his normal teeth. "I love you," she said. "I have since I finally figured out what I wanted in my life, and what I want is you."

"You're mental," Severus said.

"I'm yours, if you will have me," she replied.

"Are you so tired of life that you would put it in my hands?" Severus asked, his expression sad.

"No, Severus," Hermione corrected. "I am tired of living my life falling asleep without your scent in nose and waking up without you beside me. We are both lonely without each other, love. We don't have to be."

Severus pressed his fangs to her neck. "You would give yourself to me? Of your own free will?"

"To you and only you," Hermione replied, tilting her head to the side. Her hand gently pulled his head towards her neck.

Hermione's eyes fluttered as Snape's fangs flashed and buried into the soft curve of her inviting neck. His arms wrapped around her in an embrace as his mouth worked over the wound he had made.

He growled possessively, his face feral. His body hands twisted into talons as he drew one across the side of his throat. "Hermione," he crooned. "Drink."

The moment her lips touched his neck, he buckled, falling down upon the sofa like a sack of forgotten grain. A soft moan rose in his throat as his eyes rolled back in his head. He felt her—all that she was in that moment of pristine clarity as he shared his lifeforce with hers as Sanguini had one done with him. It was so much more that saving a life. He knew at that moment, two lives were being saved. She was saving him from an eternity alone, and he was saving her right back.

Her heartbeat was slowly stilling, synchronising with his almost still heart. She was dying to be with him. It hadn't taken much for Sanguini to Turn him. Severus had already been dying. The leap hadn't been so far, but Hermione was literally dying to be with him. She had made her choice in order to be with him. No other could say the same. No other he would have at his side for the long and dark eternity ahead. Long after they left Hogwarts, however many decades after, they would still have each other.

He held her against himself, pressing his aquiline nose into her bushy curls, his nostrils flaring as he imprinted her scent into his memory as the bond of blood solidified between them.

He closed his eyes as Hermione's breathing slowly deepened and slowed.

As the small clock Hermione had as a memento from her parent's home chimed the Witching Hour, Hermione stirred against him. Deep gold eyes met his from a pale, almost alabaster face—frozen in time like a china doll, if such things also had the glint of fangs.

He brushed a strand of her hair away from her face, tenderly stroking her cheek. "Happy Halloween, my love," he crooned.

Hermione's face smiled serenely at him. "Happy Anniversary, Severus."

Severus pressed his lips to hers, his tongue flicking out to capture the droplets of blood that remained on her skin. "I may have to change my opinions on the meaninglessness of anniversary dates."

Hermione drew one claw across her neck in small cut with a knowing smile, effectively ending his train of thoughts with his feral growl of possessive pleasure. He descended upon her, no longer holding back to his desire for her.

The last of the clock chimes ended with twelve, the sound of the bell hanging in the air like mist over a mountain—suspended in time as the two united lovers explored their own piece of eternity.

Fin.

A/N: Halloween! vampires! I couldn't help myself! *laughs uncontrollably*

Ok, back to care plans. :( (sob)