a/n: Thank you so much for reviewing and reading along, be prepared for some surprises!

Saturday 3pm

~o~

"Where is he, Ginny?" The brunette spoke to her best friend through the Floo-network. Ginny was looking worriedly at her friend through the fireplace and trying to calm her down.

The brunette was ready to rip her bushy, long hair out. She hadn't even finished combing her hair yet or putting Sleek-Eazy so she looked decent when they went to her family's. She still had to pick out a dress too, if Snape even decided to show up on time and get ready too.

"Do you really think he ran off? Now?"

"I don't know," Hermione looked at the clock and grasped at her forehead. "If he doesn't show up in two hours, I'd say it's pretty clear he bailed!" She was twisting her hands in knots.

"I can't believe he would do something so immature, especially at his age. You'd think he'd know better," Ginny said. Ginny was about the only person who knew about Hermione's intimate relationship with Snape and the redhead had been told under the strictest confidence. "Besides, it's not as if you asked for much, just to meet your parents."

Hermione restrained unhappy laughter. "You'd be surprised how immature older men can be. It wouldn't be the first time he came up with some excuse. I thought your brother was immature with the emotional range of a teaspoon. Snape might just be a sieve!" Though better in bed, she told herself, with a bigger spoon.

"Yeah and I thought you dodged a bullet there when he ran off with Lavender again, saying he'd made a mistake. But are older men really better?"

Hermione tried to figure her own thoughts out. She knew she loved Snape, that was a given. Snape absolutely loved her in return, that was also a given, even if Snape was begrudging to admit it to her face, he adored her. They also had lots of passionate sex, almost too much of it to give her time to rest! Not that she was complaining. Probably years of suppressing it had made the potions professor explode with new found passion. Last night had been no exception. Yet again Severus Snape had done everything to push her buttons and make her cry his name in satisfaction. Yet what about this morning? What about the rest of their relationship? It couldn't just be them in bed all the time, as enjoyable as that was. Snape was showing her such a lack of respect and commitment by not taking the meeting with her parents seriously. And it seemed so unlike him. Because while he had been staunchly against and afraid of the idea of meeting her family at first, he had seemed to warm up to it in the last two days. There had been a glint, a fiery determination in his coal-black eyes, as if he was going to rise to the challenge. Didn't he love her enough, to do that, after all?

Hermione bit her lip. "I don't know. I think what you and Harry have is special, the way you support each other and know every detail about each other. I thought that's what Sev and I had. But sometimes, when he pulls stunts like this, it makes me doubt everything. He can be so tender sometimes...and then this. Complete withdrawal. Like he's trying to avoid any sign of commitment or that this is not just a fling."

"It's his insecurity speaking," Ginny said confidently. "Not you."

"I know." Knowing Snape's psychology, however, didn't make her feel any better at this moment. Snape's insecurity had a way of creeping up on her and making her doubt herself too. When he pulled away, though it came from his own pain, she couldn't help feeling abandoned too like she'd done something wrong. Though she knew Snape was really pulling away out of fear, like an abused puppy. "He came from a broken home. Of course, he's afraid to get hurt again. He lost the only love of his life, he's so messed up—"

Ginny corrected her. The red-head coughed loudly. "Sorry to inform you Hermione, but I actually think YOU are the love of his life. Lily, bless her heart, Harry's mom, missed out on her chance. Snape and her never even got together. Do you honestly think Snape even slept with Lily?"

Hermione thought that over. Snape, while tall and imposing as an older man, was a very skinny, nerdy-looking teen with lanky hair. Young James Potter and Sirius Black, his athletic bullies, had unfairly outshone the young potions master in every way. Snape hadn't stood a chance. "Probably not."

"Exactly, this whole time, he's been worshipping this ideal image of Lily, while he never really got to know what she was like as a girlfriend. He only knew her as a friend. He actually knows who you are Hermione, you are real, you're his girlfriend. You mean the world to him and he doesn't even know it—"

"I'll have to keep telling myself this. I doubt he would've stood up Lily like this, even if meeting the Dursleys."

"I'm sure he has some excuse, we'll find out soon."

She took a swig of ice-cold tea. "...Not if I ring his neck soon!"

Ginny looked behind her in the fireplace. "I better get going. Harry's going to be home soon and I know you don't want him to walking in on us gossiping. He would freak if he overheard your boyfriend was Snape!"

Hermione laughed to herself. "Yes, please. Thanks for talking. I hope Harry keeps thinking the guy I'm seeing is Cormac."

Ginny grinned. "Yeah, he can't quite understand why you'd date Cormac but he understands why you would be embarrassed by it. You look absolutely mortified every time Cormac tries to flirt with you."

"I don't have to try. It comes naturally after 6 years of putting up with it. I'm almost disappointed Harry would think I'd have to pretend to dislike Cormac."

"You have to give him that, for persistence. Too bad it never worked."

Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "I hated Snape too for awhile but then he managed to completely win me over in 6 days, if not less. Once Snape actually made the effort to be anything but a hateable git and Hogwart's most unpopular professor, he's actually a likeable human being. And when we met as adults? Well, you should see how fast he can get you to like him when he's on seduction mode, no holds barred. He went right for me."

Ginny laughed. "You'll have to tell me the full story of your courtship sometime."

"I will."

"Hey?" Ginny said before leaving the Floo-network

"What is it?"

"Try to be easy on him." Ginny smiled and tapped her own nose. "Call it my sixth sense but I just have a feeling you got Snape all wrong. He'll show up. That man is in love with you."

Hermione sighed and stretched her arms. She smiled with her lips pressed together, holding back a barrage of emotions. "I know that. It's just Snape in love is a bit unreliable, isn't he? He did after all call his first love a 'mudblood' and then completely turn against her."

"Forget about her, Mione, that's all in the past. He's going to learn and do better now. He has you, after all," Ginny said with her fist raised. "If the poor sod doesn't know how lucky he is to be dating Hermione Granger, I will personally use my famous Bat-Bogey hex on him."

"Thanks Gin." She truly was blessed with her friend. While not having the privilege of being Ginny's sister-in-law like she expected when Ron and her were dating, Ginny had stayed loyally by her side even when Molly had been less than kind about the break-up. Almost a year had passed and Molly was still not close like she had been. "I won't forget to ever thank you for doing that to Ron when you found about him hooking up with Lavender again."

"The pig deserved it, even if he's my brother. I hexed him several times and every family function since, despite mum's hollers. But hang in there, I know you're worrying for nothing with Snape. Snape is a little immature but he'd do anything for you!"

"I hope you're right," Hermione waved goodbye as Ginny disappeared from the fireplace and she was left alone again. Well, not quite alone. She still had time to give Lucius his bath, if the sly cat showed up. The cat seemed to have a sixth sense about when she had intentions of grooming him and likewise disappeared.

"Lucius? Here kitty, kitty, come out of your hiding, darling, I want to give you a bath!" The Himalayan was shedding buckets everywhere and needed to be combed as well. If she could coax the furball into a bath first, everything would be easier and she could comb him while wet.

"Lucius?"

Not a squeak or show of his furry little head.

Hermione placed her hands on her hips. "That's two gone, now. Where, oh, where are they?"

~O~

Diagon Alley

"Are you sure this will work?" Severus Snape asked for what must have been the 1000th time.

Draco placed his hand on his godfather's shoulder. "Positive, it's nearly infallible. As soon as she says yes and you place the ring on her, the bonding spells will ensure a long, faithful marriage. All the purebloods do it, it's why there's so little disintegration of our families. The ring you chose is perfect."

"It should be!" Snape coughed. "It nearly cost me a limb."

Snape had only meant to get a little advice from Draco but he ended up getting the whole 9 yards and everything from engagement rings to spells and what to say to her father that night.

"With the spell its even more perfect," Draco beamed. "You're a lucky wizard, whoever she is, if she says yes. She'll be yours permanently."

"Permanently?"

"Well, give and take the chance of divorce, yet the spell works quite well to prevent that by keeping all parties involved emotionally instead of straying. The spell is irreversible as long as the parties are in love."

Snape frowned. He'd come from a broken home and while he wanted marriage, the last thing he wanted was for his marriage to break down or become loveless. What Hermione and he shared now was perfect. They just needed to capture their love at its height now in the spell and the ring would ensure their marriage would be just as stable...If she said yes.

Snape pocketed the green ring and stared at its brilliant, sparkling encrusted corona set on gold. He imagined the precious ring on Hermione's left hand. Snape felt himself start to sweat. He hadn't been this nervous since Voldemort interrogated him about his relationship with Lily in the first war.

"Do you think she'll say yes?" Snape stammered.

"You have to do well with her parents, make an impression, then tonight on your knees and propose. Or maybe the next night," Draco said it with such ease. Snape wish he hadn't felt he swallowed a whole lump of dungbeetles in his stomach. Inside, he was squirming with unease, though his face only showed the slightest bit of paleness. He wasn't the notoriously taciturn Potions Master for nothing.

"Draco, er, your help has not been unappreciated, I would like to say—"

"No thanks required, Severus. It's been good to see you. It's nice to have a godfather around. I miss my father terribly."

"Yes, well, I'm sure he'll turn up. Try not to mourn him too long. I had better go." He had taken far too long in the stores and Hermione was likely worried by now. He pocketed the priceless ring in his pocket along with a few other purchases he'd made.

"Good luck," Draco called over his shoulder.

"I can brew luck!" Snape thought with a sneer as he headed in the opposite direction. The Potions Master could expertly brew Felix Felicis in a few short hours, using his own recipe, but he wouldn't believe it would be fair. He wanted Hermione to consent on her own terms, not because he got lucky, but because she actually, genuinely loved him and wanted to be with him for life. Same with her parents. It would be unfair if he used his magic or mind-reading to charm them into liking him. Call him what you wish, yet Snape preferred to be himself and genuine. No holds barred. No sugarcoating or words minced about.

He was Severus Snape, not Britain's Sweetheart or 'Unlikely Hero', for Merlin's sake! He was going to be himself and only himself.

The Grangers could take it or leave it. Yet his palms were sweating around the little box that seemed to weigh so heavily in his pocket.

Either Hermione said yes or she didn't.

What could possibly go wrong? Snape shook his head and lifted his chin. No, he was worried for nothing. He'd get through this like he got through everything. Merlin knows, he'd been through much worse. He knew Hermione and him were right for each other. Not her family or anyone else could get in the way!

~o~

a/n: the proposal and parents next in one big night...plus something goes awfully wrong. but what could it be? Hermione saying no? Hermione saying yes but on a condition? her parents telling her to think twice about her relationship? or maybe just the spell going wrong? hmmm any ideas

til next time! please review if you want to read more