At her deathbed, Minerva McGonagall asked for the most impossible thing from Headmaster Severus Snape. "My last wish is to see you married to Miss Hermione Granger". Ironic, the witch in question has disappeared from the Magical world right after the Battle of Hogwarts.

Disclaimer: The regular disclaimer still stays in place, I owe nothing but the AU and OC. The rest belongs to JKR. My mind lives in the Harry Potter fanfiction world though my body is still thankfully anchored in the monotonous reality of existence. My themes, plotline, and storyline may, therefore, get indirectly influenced by many of the brilliant fanfiction writers on this site. And I humbly bow to such creative genius who give me much needed literary pleasures to see through the toils of mundane life. Lastly, I don't have a beta, so please be merciful. Reviews would encourage this introvert writer to peep out of her literary closet.

Mrs. Snape

Chapter 1

Minerva McGonagall felt restless. Three days ago they had finally managed to kill Tom Riddle. The castle was in shambles. There were many wounded. And several killed. She had learned of things- several secrets and lies that both the recent Headmasters had told her. She felt betrayed, angry, and helpless. Never in her life could she imagine, the great Albus Dumbledore resorting to such tactics! Using live people in his personal games of chess! There could have been another way! Only if Albus looked harder…! She felt aggrieved and guilty for doubting the very man who not only imparted knowledge but bled time, and again to secure the future of Entire Magical Britain. Sitting on her four-poster bed, fiddling with her blanket, she wept all by herself. She missed Albus. But more than that she kept chastising herself. "Fool, what a fool I was, I never looked beyond his darkness, I never questioned his silence, I never looked back and checked whether he..Oh! Merlin! Give me a second chance, just one to be there for him. He will give up...he has nothing to hold onto...I, what shall I do, Severus?!"

Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom had both got him up to the Hospital Wing. There were eyebrows raised, wands pointed, but Poppy had torn through the rebellious crowd and got him on a cot behind a section of the wall that many were seeing for the first time. Staring back at Minerva, Poppy had just said," After those meetings with..., this is where Albus would bring him, this where he would heal over the weekend and from here itself he would walk back to the Great Hall for Monday breakfast." Though the crowd around took time to understand the inner meaning, the deputy headmistress had choked and had joined the weeping mediwitch.

"Potter, Longbottom who else was there with you?", Minerva shouted back at the dumbstruck boys.

Poppy turned barking orders at the grumbling crowd behind her, "Quiet!", addressing the two Gryffindor boys she insisted," which one of you worked on him?"

The boys had just nodded," We..found him like that, his throat wrapped up and he was breathing…"

"Very well, both of you, now why don't you both leave us, alone."

Poppy's diagnostic spells immediately started to give results. "He is breathing, someone has taken time to feed him potions, and shove a bezoar down his throat." She had pointed at the finger marks over his face, on his white linen. His coat was open and over his chest, there were fingerprints.

"Minerva, someone really tried hard…"

Shacklebolt had walked up to the two witches. Peering over them, he looked at the unconscious man. His deep decisive voice was unmistakable," Small prints, belong to a female…"

"That could only be of a student's then…"

The potion master's eyes had flicked open once, and with that the long struggle to save Severus Snape was on.

"But that was the only time he had shown signs of wakefulness. The potions are working slowly, and everyone is taking turns watching over him. It is just that, he is neither showing signs of improvement nor is he slipping back into a comatose state!" she spoke into the empty room in hushed whispers. The last thing anyone in Magical Britain wanted at this moment was Severus Snape to die in vain.

"I know Minnie."

"Please Albus, I really can't fight with you right now, I am tired, my back still hurts, please go away. You have lied to me enough, you are the reason why Severus is…" she stopped herself from saying the rest. The ghost had instead settled himself beside her.

"Minnie, I am sorry".

"Don't use that word, it doesn't suit you."

"Minnie, please, I know you want to help him and I know exactly how to…"

"Don't please! Stop it go away".

"Minnie, if you truly love him, look behind the tapestry next to his personal chambers."

Minerva squinted her eyes at the ghost, warning it, "Albus, what is this new riddle you are trying to tempt me with?".Huffing to herself, wiping off her tears she had looked up at the canopy irritated, "OH! You old couth! Like now I can't even ignore it," flinging her pillow at the ghost, whose eyes shown with mischief even in death, she dashed out of her bedroom.

She had risen Poppy and together the two women made their way through the dark sleeping corridors of Hogwarts Castle. The trip down the dungeons was eerie. The war had ravaged every nook and corner of the castle, the portraits where empty and deserted and the busts of Great Witches and Wizards smashed into million pieces, there were burnt marks of misfired spells everywhere.

Standing in front of the familiar private quarters of the potion master, both had tried hard not to break down into tears. Poppy had held onto her shoulders, squeezing them slightly, she murmured, "He is still breathing, ...have some courage, he is a stubborn boy, he will get through this." Albus's ghost had appeared once again and reminded her, "Behind the Tapestry of Alchemist Discovering Phosphorus, brilliant I must say, that is a muggle painting that Severus had replicated on a worn-out tapestry… Filius never saw this, if he had…"

"Albus, what is behind it…!"

"Take a look, by all means Ladies!"

Lifting the tapestry aside, both the women were shocked. Minerva's spell induced lantern hovering above their head had wavered dangerously. It was a portrait of young Phineas Nigellus Black. The young man had given them a disapproving look and sniffed," Finally, you arrived, now hurry! tell me the password and unburden me from my responsibilities." Dumbfounded, the Deputy headmistress had stared up at the hovering ghost beside her. Albus had offered, "What do you want the most when it comes to Severus, Minnie?"

Clearing her throat, she spoke out, "I want Severus Snape to live."

The portrait froze in place, and swung open. Behind it, in a small gap between the castle bricks, a candle came alive and illuminated the small hollow space. Both Poppy and Minerva peeped inside. There were two vials, an envelope, and a broken small velvet box. "Collect those and hurry back to the hospital wing, I will meet you there." The ghost of the former Headmaster disappeared into the nearest wall.

While the two women rushed up the many stairs of Hogwarts castle. Two people were meeting for the last time in the Shrieking Shack. Their shadows danced on the wall at the mercy of a small candle lit in the room. They were arguing. The male voice was deep and concerned," But why are you doing this?"

A determined female voice replied, "Trust me, I must, can't be around...it, it has got complicated, horribly, please, you are the only one I can trust, please, I will contact you whenever I can. I promise to help you all, but I must stay away, it is for everyone's best interests."

"So, you have made up your mind, for how long have you been planning this?"

"Months."

"I see. Very Slytherin of you...tricking me into a blood oath, but can I share a bit with Minerva at least, this whole thing will break her heart…"

"Only if either of you is on your deathbed.'

"How will I contact you if…"

"Not until, I write to you...and don't try to look for me."

"I am a man of my promises."

"Good luck to you Sir."

With that the other shadow vanished with a pop.

Back in the castle, both Minerva and Poppy had gathered in the latter's office. The door was locked and sealed with strong locking and silencing spells. With shaking hands, the Deputy Headmistress had opened the envelope and the two had read it together. The ghost of the former Headmaster had been waiting right next to the medi witch's desk.

Poppy was the first one to react, "How? Why? When did you do this?"

Pointing at the vials lying innocently beside the torn envelope Dumbledore began speaking, "There have been several occasions when I wanted to stop this madness but my hands were tied. I realized my fault after Severus joined Riddle's ranks, I understood my lapse of judgment when he came back to me begging to hide away the Potters. Deep down, I wished, trust me Minnie, I wished him to…"

"Albus, when did you collect these blood samples?" The transfiguration professor's stern voice made the ghost raise his hand in surrender.

"When Miss Hermione Granger was battling for her life after the Battle at the Ministry...and Poppy, I collected Severus's samples the night after."

Poppy gasped and stumbled back into her chair, "Right after healing Hermione, he had gone back and later into the night he was dropped at the gates barely alive."

"Yes, I...I confess I had been watching both of them for a while, I was planning to make Severus see a kindled heart in our brightest student. But to watch both of them lying there on the hospital beds broke my resolve for a while. I enacted Merlin's very own spell "et invenietis animabus fuse" on them. They happened to be a perfect match." His eyes twinkled again and the deputy headmistress tried not to start another row with her ex-colleague. Instead, she asked, "And why to keep this, Albus, I thought you had destroyed Miss Granger's Time turner?"

"I did, It does not work anymore. But it is of great value. I want you to give it to Severus but make it discreet, that man never understood the simple act of love. Transfigure it into a medallion or something similar but don't fiddle with the hourglass."

"Why?"

"It contents the greatest gift we could ever give him."

Minerva had already started working on the broken Time turner, and after an hour, a prism-shaped crystal replaced the broken artifact, with the hourglass safely hidden within its core.

"Now?"

"Now tie this around his neck...I assure you his magic will respond."

"How certain are you?"

"As certain as I am of your skills Minnie."

Walking up to the secluded room, the women had looked around once checking on the other occupants of the large hall. Several of the wounded were still occupying the hospital wing, but none of them was awake at this hour. Walking up to his bed, Poppy had cautiously lifted up his head and Minerva placed the chain with the dangling prism around his bandaged neck, a moment later she clasped the two ends together. In the dim-lit room, they saw the chain glow, and the prism shine and then disappear.

Albus spoke up from behind, "That is for his own good, he will never appreciate what we did today."

Poppy turned and scowled at him, "You should have told me at least."

"And I did, I told you that night itself when you came up to me to give me the news that Severus was healing faster and that you were quite surprised by it."

"But you just said, when one finds his anchor within the other we can accept such miracles to happen."

Minerva urged, "What now?"

"Isn't it obvious, get them together." Despite herself, the deputy headmistress felt better in months. Irritated, confused, stupid, girlie but cheerful. Nodding back to Poppy she had made her way up to the Gryffindor Tower. Walking inside the common room, she nearly collided with Harry Potter, Neville Longbottom, Padma Patil, and Seamus Finnigan.

Potter had rushed up to her. "Professor, she...!"

Longbottom cut in, " We looked everywhere, but she is nowhere, she has vanished!"

There could be some death eaters still lurking around and it was not surprising they wanted to get revenge, but so soon. Schooling her features, the old woman inquired, "Who is missing, who is it, have you alerted the Aurors?"

Finnigan had supplied, "We were about to…", and Patil, still sobbing in her handkerchief, made her blood run cold, "It's Hermione...she... she is gone."

A/N: et invenietis animabus fuse means to find and fuse souls in Latin.