A/N: I don't own, and I never will! A huge thanks to everyone who has reading and reviewing, I really appreciate it! That being said, we have reached the ending of our little fic. IT wouldn't have gotten anywhere without all your support, so once again, thank you! Enjoy!

Chapter 8

Severus awoke early the next morning. He heard a soft snore filling the room, causing him to smile. Turning on his side, he saw Hermione still asleep.

He never smiled before Hermione.

Well, he smiled years ago, when Lily was still the apple of his eye. But that had changed quickly. And after Lily left, his world had become dark and gray. But the worse part of it all, was he had allowed it.

But Hermione… she was beautiful. And she made him smile… she made him feel again.

He supposed she was his own personal sun.

Inwardly he cursed himself. When had he become such a pile of mush?

Since that beautiful witch gave you a second chance at life… at happiness… and at love, his conscious reminded him.

Hermione was beautiful, her face pressed against the pillow. She continued to snore, completely oblivious to the world around her.

It was then, while Severus was musing of his life with the young witch, that he realized he wouldn't be able to live without her.

He loved her, and didn't want to ever let her go. And there was really only one thing left to do.

Getting up, Severus knew exactly where he needed to go this Saturday. Slipping from the bed, he moved to the bathroom to get ready.

He reappeared moments later wearing his teaching robes. Scribbling a note, he made sure to leave it on his pillow so she would see it. Taking one last look at Hermione, he smiled. Leaning down, he pressed a kiss to her sleeping form.

"I love you," he whispered.

She murmured something in her sleep, sighing happily.

He swiftly exited the room and made his way towards the Headmistress's office. He needed to tell Minerva he would be going to Diagon Alley for something today.

Hermione rolled over, her head sleepily reaching across the bed. She padded around for a bit before she realized that the bed was cold.

Still feeling groggy, she pulled herself up. "Severus?" she called out while rubbing her eyes.

Silence greeted her.

"That's weird," she said to herself. Looking around the room, she noticed there was a note on her pillow. Grinning, she grabbed it and opened it.

Hermione,

I'm sure you're rather confused as to why you're waking up alone. Don't worry; I simply needed to run some errands this morning. I'll be back as soon as I can. Feel free to browse through my books while you wait, but for Merlin's sake, be careful with them.

With all my love,

Severus

Errands? What sort of errands could he possibly be running?

But she shrugged, supposing she'd find out later. In the meantime, she decided she would make use of his bathroom.

After relieving herself, Hermione debated as to whether she should shower or run the bath. The shower would definitely be quicker… but seeing as Severus wasn't here, she might as well take her time. So a bath it was.

She filled up the tub with warm water, adding some rose oil she found in Severus' cupboards. Undressing, she quickly stepped into the tub. A sigh escaped her lips as she got comfortable.

Hermione soaked in the tub until her fingers and toes became wrinkly. Taking that as a sign, she quickly washed her hair and body. Rising off, she stepped out of the tub, quickly summoning a towel. It was cold in the dungeons this time of year.

She felt absolutely wonderful after that bath. Hermione had been feeling rather stressed lately due to the upcoming holidays and her rambunctious students. But now she felt as if some weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She felt refreshed.

Getting dressed, she pulled her hair back. She didn't feel like dealing with the curls in her face today. Moving into the kitchen, she poured herself a bowl of cereal and some milk. She was about to sit down to eat when she heard the door open.

"Hermione?" she heard Severus' voice call out.

"In the kitchen," she called back. She hadn't expected to see him so soon. Well, maybe he left really early.

She made her way into the living room, giving Severus a quick kiss. She turned to walk away but he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her back. "Where do you think you're going?" he whispered, nuzzling her neck.

"To eat breakfast?" Hermione replied, slightly confused by his actions.

He bit down on the sensitive skin, causing Hermione to gasp. She turned in his arms so she was now facing him. She stood on her tip toes, pressing her lips to his.

Severus held her tightly, not wanting to let her go. "Hermione?" he said, pulling back so he could look into her brown eyes.

"Yes?" she asked, smiling at him.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I love you."

Hermione grinned. "I love you too."

"Hermione Jean Granger, I really do love you, more than I could ever really say. And well, I'm not sure if I'm doing this properly or not, but Hermione, will you marry me?" Severus looked into her eyes, pleased to see her smiling.

"Yes, Severus, oh yes!" she cried, fling her arms around him. She pressed kisses to his neck as the tears poured down her face. After a few moments, she pulled back. "You're supposed to get down on your knee."

Severus smirked. "Ah, yes, knew I was forgetting something." He bent down on his knee, pulling out a small black box.

Hermione gasped when she saw what was inside. In the center of the ring was a pearl, surrounded by little diamonds. Together, they formed a flower. "Oh, Severus, it's absolutely beautiful," she whispered.

Taking the ring, he gently slid it onto her finger. "It was my mother's," he whispered, a soft smile on his face. "A Prince heirloom Hermione, and I am giving it to you." He stood, pulling her in for another hug. "I love you."

"I love you, Severus," she replied, hugging him tightly. "I can't believe we're going to get married! We're going to have a future together."

"Yes, we are," he said, grinning. Proposing to Hermione was definitely the right move. She was so happy, and he couldn't have been happier himself.

Hermione started to kiss him passionately, tugging at his clothes. "I want you, now," she mumbled between kisses.

"As you wish," he said, scooping her up into his arms.

Hermione giggled, kissing him all over once more.

The two of them made their way to the bedroom, not reappearing for quite some time.

The End.