A/N : I dedicate this chapter to ilovesnapealways 💕❤️I hope you like it

It happened so fast not even Severus, the ex-death eater - most famous spy during the war - saw it coming. It was hard, harsh, dislocating the potion professor's jaw.

Yelping in shock, Trelawney fell to the ground delicately cupping the man's face, hoping to keep in place part of his skull. She was bad in spells and knew better than to try and cast a bone reconstructing charm.

"You crazy girl! How dare you hurt Sevy? You ruined our moment!" She growled through her spherical magnifying glass. "Get Poppy!"

Hermione stood frozen realising what she had done. After hearing the man she thought loved her endlessly declare his affection to the divination teacher, she was enraged, a black veil blinding her from reason.

"How dare you?" She repeated, tears menacing to escape her distraught orbs, "after everything we've been through, done together. I'm with your child yet you ask her - this lunatic - out of all the woman to marry you?"

Trying to speak, praying he wouldn't displace his bones any further he spoke quietly, yet with the harshest tone he could muster, "It's not because you're pregnant with my child that I'll marry you, Hermione! I love Sybil, always had. Being a fruitcake is what makes me lust for her every night. You were just a distraction to see if my fondness for her was real. You just had to cause mayhem by carrying my child!"

At that moment the young witch had hoped for a hole to appear from under her and let her slip out of this reality she was not ready to face. He had used her like Ronald had a few months ago when they were together - seeking someone to bring his name up while he cheated on her with various women. She was heartbroken, the ache in her chest slowly tearing her bit by bit.

"So that's all it was? A test to see if you cared or not for Ms Trelawney?" She asked, her voice shaking with fear, not ready to hear his definitive answer.

"Actually it was a challenge. While you gave yourself 25 days to make me love Christmas, I gave myself 25 to make you fall in love with me. I succeeded obviously, yet I didn't expect you to get so attached to me. Sybil was and will always be the only upholder of my heart" he said before blacking out, the excruciating pain sending his mind to darkness.

Screams.

Loud sprain scream coming out of the Gryffindor's mouth.

She turned her heel and started walking out of the room she had found them kissing a few minutes earlier, sharing the most intimate moment she has ever seen.

While she was running away, Sybil apparated Severus to the hospital wing, searching desperately for Poppy's assistance. In no time his bones were mended, back to its original place, yet she was still unable to extract the Slytherin out of his torpor.

Explaining as calmly as she could, Poppy realised that Minerva's plan had backfired in the worst possible way. Casting her patrons to the headmistress, she fired a myriad of reviving spells, needing Severus back on his feet as fast as possible. Hermione was still weak, and witnessing something as tormenting as her lover speaking ill of her while revealing a ridiculous 'plan' to get to her heart, will only send her right back to square one. They needed to find her, and fast.

As Minerva walked out of the fireplace she was met with an unconscious Severus, a frenzied divination teacher and a furious friend. "What is going on Pop -"

"- What is going on you ask?" Interrupted the enraged matron, "what is going on is that your plan to have Severus enamoured with Sybil under the Amortensia in order, I quote your plan, to 'make them grasp their affection for each other in the hopes that once back to his wits he will ask Hermione for her hand', has backfired! Sitting so long on Dumbledore's chair has made you equally demented! Severus was planning on asking Hermione to marry him, hence the ring box inside his cloak! Yet under the control of the Amortensia, he asked Sybil instead! You're completely daft Minerva! Hermione is out of the radar and Mr Potter has the Marauders Map, what if she relapses? Severus was the only thing holding her in place!"

Walking towards Severus, she extracted a little vial Dumbledore had given to her in case someone was unable to 'come back from the land of the dreams'. Placing the flask under his nose - the smell of the potion enough to awaken up even the sluggishest dragon - Severus stood up hastily, his body sitting on the bed, looking around the room, his mind replaying endlessly the images he had hoped were only a bad dream.

"Hermione" he gasped standing up, " where is Hermione?" Severus yell, looking darkly at the three witches standing next to him. "Are you deaf? Where is she?"

Explaining everything that happened since the beginning - her hand holding her wand just in case he decided to end her life - Minerva apologized for her action. "I'm deeply sorry Severus" she went on as he paced around the hospital wing, "it wasn't suppose to turn into such an uprisal! I should have known better trust me I just thought you needed a little push!"

"A little push' you say? You ninny! Since we found out that Hermione was pregnant she kept having pain on her lower-abdomen! I've been giving her pain relief medication since! She needs her emotions stable to not lose our child, yet here you are taking a nasty pleasure in meddling with my life. I'm a grown man Minerva - in case you haven't noticed - and I can take care of myself!" He snapped, stopping in his track, "because we aren't bonded I can't trace her, the only way would be to ...."

Waving his wand Severus cast his Patronus, yet a dim blue light faded into the air. He had failed. Frowning, he tried again and again, unable to comprehend what was wrong with his magic.

"Severus" articulated Minerva her eyes analysing the startled wizard, "maybe your happiest memory has changed, try again but with a different one."

Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he thought about all the times he had spent with Hermione, every kiss, lovemaking, laughter, that they shared together. He tried with a few but none worked, none were strong enough. Screaming in exasperation he thought of their imperilled baby, making his way to the world. Then he knew. Reminiscing the moment he had discovered that Hermione was pregnant with his child, he cast his Patronus again, and to everyone astonishment, a Royal Eagle burst out of his wand.

Severus had heard about true love and the effect it had on a Patronus yet he had never witnessed it for himself.

Telling his Eagle to find Hermione, he nodded back before spreading his majestic wings and flying away from the room. Severus was shivering, his whole body tormented, fearing the worst. Yet only a minute later the eagle flew back, circling around his owner before he landed on the ground in front of Severus, revealing, under a mighty light, his witch.

"Hermione" he cried realising what had happened, "my love, my all, my life, my soulmate are you hurt anywhere?"

She was baffled yet shrugged him off, "don't touch me Snape" she roared between her clenched teeth, "why don't you go back to your real love and let me be?"

His head snapped to the headmistress, the image of her tortured and hurt body begging for his mercy flashed before his eyes. He wanted to harm her, punish her for having caused such havoc in his relationship, yet Hermine was his priority.

Kneeling before her, the witch's legs brought to her chest, he bit his lips before speaking, "I can assure you, Hermione, that I'm this close" he said bringing two fingers upwards to show her what 'this close' was, "to use the killing curse on Minerva and Sybil. They drugged me, placing me under the effects of the Amortensia. The issue was that I wanted to ask you to marry me, and in the wizarding world, a proposal counteracts such emotion-altering potion. Yet the result was as you saw, me asking Sybil to ... my mind registering it as if it was you. I was in constant torment not knowing which emotion was the proper one. When you hit me, the force of your punch sending me to an almost immediate slumber helped my body dissolve the potion. I would never love anyone else other than you and our child, my love. You're all I have. You're my life, Hermione." He finished, bringing her face closer to his, "I love you, please forgive me."

His lips were warm, yet he tasted saltier, their tears merging into their passion as they kissed. "I love you, Severus, god I thought my world was ending" she sobbed as he pulled her towards his chest.

"Marry me, Hermione, be mine. I wanted to ask you for your hand the muggle way after the Winter Ball but I want to prove to you my fidelity" he helped her up to her feet and smiled gleefully, bending one knee as he took a green box out of his cloak, "Hermione Jane Granger, would you do me the honor of making me yours, to cherish you and love you even after death do us part? Would you give me the greatness of making you Ms Snape? Hermione, would you marry me?

Nodding excitedly Hermione responded instantly with a "yes" before jumping into his open arms, drops of happiness falling down her face before he brushed her hair away and kissed her passionately, sealing their bond.

A/N: Well Severus wasn't as bad as some of you thought ❤️😘

I realise that this story is soon over and I will like to thank ever for reading this book, voting and commenting it. I can't believe we've reached 1k views, I'm speechless and more than 200 votes Thank you for everything!
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Two chapters left, I realised that writing until 25 chapters would only be dragging the story further and I'm not happy with this idea.

I don't know how long it will take to upload the next chapters for 'Igniting his dark heart' as I want to upload 3 chapters for the two following fanfiction I'm planning on writing if you want to hup on to another one of my books 🙊💕🎀

I will do my best to have everything uploaded today, 🍾🎄

In the mean time I wish you all a Merry Christmas and I hope you are/will spending/be spending a lovely eve ⭐️🎁

Don't forget to vote and comment,

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