A/N: This has been sitting on my computer for awhile, but I have finally decided to post it. It's short, but I hope you enjoy it. It brings the story full circle in regards to the comments Dumbldore makes in chapter one. Thanks for reading and reviewing!

Epilogue

"Don't go," Severus entreated, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her back to the bed.

"I have to," Hermione argued, struggling to sit back up.

"It's dreadfully cold out there. Let me warm you up," he said, trying to cover her body with his.

"I'm sure I'll survive," she said, half laughing, half gasping for breath. "It's just now September."

"McGonagall won't notice if you're a little late or you could floo and tell her you're sick. I'm sure she could spare you for the day," he said, trying unsuccessfully to pin her to the mattress. She stilled and looked at him with feigned disdain. He used the moment to trap her arms slightly above her head, his thumbs tracing small circles on the inside of her wrists.

"Are you implying, Severus Snape, that I'm not important?"

"No," he said, leaning down to kiss her. "I'm explicitly emphasizing that you are more important to me." He released her arms and kissed her again. She moved them to around his neck, her fingers scratching lightly at the base of his skull.

"Is that so?" she murmured as his mouth moved from her lips along her jaw line and up to the shell of her ear.

"Yes, and I'm more than a little hurt that you would rather spend the morning with snotty first years who can't transfigure a thimble to save their lives," he said. The deep tone and feel of his breath on her ear sent shivers down Hermione's spine.

"It's the first day of the term," she protested as he turned his attention to her collarbone. "Just because you've retired from teaching doesn't mean the rest of us can skive off. Don't you have a book to write? Something like My Life as a Spy or 00Sevie?"

"What have I said about calling me that?" he growled, lifting his head and attempting to stare her down.

"Why do you think I keep doing it?" she said flippantly, pulling him down for another kiss. After a few moments, she summoned her strength and pushed him away.

"Really, I'm going to be late if I don't hurry up."

He huffed and lay back on the bed, letting her up. She smiled at his combination scowl and pout and started dressing.

"Dumbledore was right," she said disdainfully twenty minutes later.

"About what?" he murmured into her neck. He had pouted for mere minutes before trying once more to persuade her back into bed. She was finding it difficult to button her robes with his arms wrapped around her waist and his head buried in her hair. She surrendered for a moment, rubbing her hands down his arms before clasping her hands in his. She turned in his embrace, looking at him.

"He told me that with love came passion, but it wouldn't last forever."

"A pity," he said, moving his hands to the buttons she had just fastened. She swatted him away.

"He said it would be tiring. We would never get anything done and he's right. For every button I get done this morning you unfasten two more. It took me ten minutes just to get my stockings on." She grabbed at the hands that had moved back to the front of her robes and reached up to kiss him.

"He's an old coot, most of what he says you should disregard."

"I'll tell him you said that," she threatened playfully.

"Please do. I remind him on a weekly basis, but it won't hurt to hear it coming from you as well," he said with a smirk. She smiled up at him.

"I love you," she said more seriously than before.

"I know," he answered, smirking.

"I have to go," she said.

"If you must." She turned to leave, but paused at the door.

"But, Severus," she said looking back at him.

"Yes?"

"I do have a break this morning at 10."

"I love you," he said with a smirk.

"I know," she said, smiling as she headed to class.