"What are you doing?"

Hermione was lying face-down on her mother's cream bedroom carpet. The lights were off, and until her mother had interrupted her, Hermione had been staring at the line of light that marked the bottom edge of the door.

"Hiding," Hermione said, her voice muffled by the carpet.

"Might I ask why?"

"Dad. He wants to have another talk."

"Hmm."

Hermione sat up and yawned.

"Well, your father is very concerned about you, Hermione, as I am."

Her mother sat carefully on the bed and looked down at her.

"You aren't as upset as Dad," Hermione remarked, "Why haven't you yelled at me yet?"

"I'm not going to yell at you, Hermione." She rolled her eyes, a habit her husband found ridiculously juvenile.

"But... why not? Don't you think I'm making a terrible mistake? That I need to get away from Hogwarts and see the world and date lots of handsome young men before I – uh – make this commitment?"

Mrs. Granger just smiled faintly.

"Perhaps I do. But I don't think it will do any good to tell you so. Your father has said enough for both of us."

Hermione watched her mother suspiciously, waiting for her to snap and tell Hermione how foolish it would be to marry Severus Snape – Professor Snape, as her parents still called him.

"Mum... what do you think of Severus?"

"Hmm. He's on the tall side of average. He's too thin. Atrocious teeth. He is antisocial and often rude, and he wears too much black, even for a wizard. I've only met the man twice, so that's all I can say about him at the moment."

There was a pause.

"How can you love this man, Hermione?"

Hermione stood up.

"Because. Because he's brilliant and creative and talented. Because he trusts me. Because he saved my life and the lives of countless others. Because I can make him smile. Because I can have an intelligent conversation with him! Because he sees who I really am. Because he's not impressed by my fame and my friends. Because... well, everything. You'll see. Because, Mum, he loves me."

Her mother stood and hugged her.

"And he's not too old," said Hermione, remembering her father's reaction when he realized that his future son-in-law was closer to his own age than to his daughter's. "Large ages differences are much more common in wizarding society."

"If it helps, dear, I thought he was at least five years younger. Not a gray hair on his head. But I suppose magic keeps one looking youthful."

Hermione sighed and smiled.

"It's true. Good thing for me, since you and Dad both went gray so early!"

Her mother rolled her eyes again and patted her hair.

"Nothing a little non-magical potion can't fix," she said.

"So... you're really okay with this? How shall we tell Dad that he's on his own?

"Oh, he knows, Hermione. He's known all along."

Hermione frowned.

"What?"

Mrs. Granger smiled.

"I never told you, but the year after I finished University, I dated one of my former professors. It was a short affair – I met your father a few months later. I sometimes wonder, if things had happened differently..."

"Mum!" Hermione gasped.