AN Not Mine Is JK And makes no bucks and for enjoyment

A late New Years one shot but hey! Hope you enjoy it.

Severus sat in his house at Spinner's End eying the clock above his fireplace. Another New Year approaching and things did not look up for him despite his sacrifice to save the world from a Dark Lord.

He moved across the thread bare room and refilled his glass and sat back down in his chair reflecting on the events that found him here at this point in time.

He was supposed to die damn the Gods! He knew it and drove toward that goal after his beloved Lilly was killed and Dumbledore approached him the night before he died he knew the goal, being his lackey for a number of years before that irritating chick went noble and saved him.

This was the eve of five years that he was saved by her and recluse to this house of painful misery from his childhood as there was nowhere that he wished to live after turning down the offer from Minerva to accept the Potions Master position after the school was rebuilt. She should have listened To Albus's words that he could be trusted, turning down at her offer telling her that he knew Albus told her that she could trust him and yet she did not and turned his back to go on his own way free for the first time in years.

He was not skint by no means saving his pay as a professor for years and stealing from Voldemort padded his emergency fund and that would last for a while. Oh how he wished one could love him as he was. The thought was not unreasonable he argued to himself, glancing at the clock again. Ten minutes left.

A knock on his door sounded out five minutes before the New Year and grumbled as he went to answer the door. Chances were high that it was Minerva as she always did this, telling him he was needed at the school.

He opened the door in anger to snarl at Minerva and halted his words when he found that irritating chick holding a bottle of Firewhiskey in her hand asking in a timid voice. "May I come in?"

Severus grabbed the bottle out of her hand and motioned her in. "Why not Miss Granger." He purred back as he motioned her in and led her to a beat up chair across from him, pouring two drinks from the bottle she provided and handed a glass to her.

He tossed his drink down and poured another. "Why are you here? Surely you are not here to convince me to accept Minerva's offer?" He snarled out.

He grew angry when the witch did not reply instead pulling out a timepiece and watched it intently. His clock above the mantle struck midnight and he heard the joyous screeching from the muggles outside his door and watched Hermione snap her timepiece shut and approached him.

Leaning down, she pulled him up and looked to him with her warm brown eyes for a moment and kissed him fully on the lips, hesitant at first and then with passion as he involuntarily responded back, kissing deeply as he wrapped his arms around the witch. It had been so long since he knew the touch of a witch kissing him by choice.

"Happy New Year Severus Snape." She murmured.

"Stay with me?" He asked.

"Certainly Professor Snape and I promise not to ask silly questions."

He pulled her to him. "Ask them all tomorrow."

Hermione sat in his lap pleased that he did not reject her. "Till the morning then." Sitting comfortably in his lap as he held her tightly in his arms. Maybe there was something more to renewed life after all.