{23-Risking it for the Biscuit} 

Hermione had no idea what to do with herself now. There was an idea in her head that she... might make a living as Florizel, or she might possibly... honestly, everything that she could come up with was vague and uncertain because now it was a waiting game. She'd saved more people than originally garnered for, and the work with Voldemort was over. 

People were rather surprised that he was in custody. Most didn't have faith that the ministry could take him down, and it was well enough seeing as she was the one who brought him down. Explaining that fiasco to all who were there wasn't entirely an efficient process either. 

They were all concerned with where she came from and how she possessed the knowledge that she did. It was even worse when Dumbledore decided he wanted to speak to her causing her a lot of grief. He never discovered she was from the future, but it was a close call for certain. He was always giving her that suspicious eye as she spoke. 

Regardless, the only people who knew she was from the future were the original five that she told. Of course, this also meant DeLancey. 

It was a big relief to her that most of her secrets were being kept safe. 

Peter had been arrested, despite his good deeds, in association with Voldemort, but on the bright side, he wasn't going to be put away very long. He had protected Hermione, and with that grace, she felt that he was okay in her book now. There was no reason to hold a grudge, and this way his friends would stay as such. 

She and Remus had taken the time to have a very long talk about everything, and it was exactly what she needed. Even more than he, Hermione was thankful to get everything out in the open, the hurt and mistakes that they'd gone through... It was terrible to see him beat himself up about it. 

Hermione was invited to almost every home of her friend's, and seeing them all having such nice and wonderful lives was... a rather melancholy experience. They weren't really her friends to have, they were one-another's and she felt often that her presence was merely an intrusion. Harry was slowly growing into being a fine little boy, and that meant that she as well was becoming a frizzy-haired young girl. The idea that she existed in the same place as herself was sometimes boggling, but considering she was never on the side of Britain where she grew up, it wasn't too hard to keep back. 

About a month after the war had officially ended, Hermione was invited to Severus' flat... well, what used to be their flat, and she was reminded of that harshly when she showed up and saw that her room's door was open and empty. 

"What have you been doing?" He wondered, offering her a late night cup of tea.

She thanked him quickly for the cup, sitting down awkwardly on his sofa as he sat across from her, much more comfortable than she was. But why wouldn't he be comfortable? It wasn't like Hermione wanted to unsettle him. 

"I've been here and there, honestly." Hermione wasn't sure what to tell him because she wasn't entirely sure either. She'd been drifting, attempting to figure out what was next. She had half of her life before her and then she'd do it all again. 

"I wish you would have let us all help more. I gave you one phial of blood and a protego charm, surely you-"

"Severus," she said gently, "It's finally over, and I did it so that you all could be safe... involving you would have only put you into the danger I was trying to save you from."

"Well, do you have any plans?" He wondered, seeming intensely curious. 

"No."

He seemed mildly amused by that. 

"I reckon while we were getting our lives together over here, you were saving them, so can I offer you any help now?" 

Hermione blushed, she wasn't entirely sure what he could do to help her figure out the next several years out. 

"You seem so desperate to help me, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have some direction. I simply don't see what you can do for me...."

Severus seemed to excite slightly as he put his tea down and got up from his chair, all one fluid motion. He had picked up a lot of adult charm since their graduation days at Hogwarts, and Hermione had under-estimated those years between then and her going to Hogwarts when she was eleven for how wonderful he looked as a young adult.

All of her was glad he wasn't teaching, he had never been meant for it. Now, Harry and Remus made wonderful teachers, but Severus? He was a nightmare, and as she thought back on it, Hermione remembered how terrible he had been in truth. It was better this way, him working at the Ministry doing potion's work. 

Hermione had been so lost in her thoughts that she didn't realize he had sprinted off and come back again, sitting next to her to startle her back into awareness. 

"You must have some grand plan, then?" 

"Nothing... grand, just a family heirloom, actually." Severus looked rather nervous as he said this, fumbling with something in his hands, then pushing it between them. 

She looked down at his hands wondering what he had it and why it was encased in such a small and ancient little box. 

Now, Hermione was not daft. She'd seen a few boxes like this before. Many had been described in the fictional romances she'd indulged in, and she'd even been offered one just like this by Ron. That had been a suffocating occurrence as she hadn't even wanted to be in that relationship when it came down to it. There was no way, however, that this was the type of thing that came in this box. She just... wouldn't know what to do with herself if it was. 

"Severus," she rasped, taking the box and looking at him with scrunched eyes. 

Hermione found the reassuring smile terrifying. 

"Open it."

She wanted so terribly to stop this right here and now, but another part of her wanted to make sure she wasn't over-reacting. 

So, Hermione pried the little box open, hearing it creak as it gave way to its secrets. The silver ring inside was, admittedly, gorgeous and sparkling, something so unlike Severus that she wondered if it really had been in his family. Peering into the gem set into the middle, she saw the gentle swirling of green inside the clear gem, an attribute only a magic diamond could have. 

"My mother gave it to me sixth year to watch over. My father was getting rather drunk, spending money more quickly than he made it... so she gave it to me to protect. The Prince line was very slim to begin with, and she couldn't bear having him force her to sell it. When he found out she pretended to have lost it, he was none too kind." 

Hermione hadn't known he'd suffered a drunkard as a father. For Severus to have had childhood hardships hadn't really been a thought to her mind, not of late anyways. She'd been dealing with so many other things, her compassion and empathy were sorely lacking. 

"What about Mary? I thought you two were..." She couldn't finish the question, her two friends being together a rather strange thought. Especially when she knew that Mary hadn't always been fond of Severus like that. Then again, seeing him as a twenty-one year-old man was different. 

"We were... affectionate, but she knew that I had possessed feelings for you, Hermione. And, from what she informed me of, you fancied me far before you and Remus were together." 

Hermione could have cried. Of course Mary would tell him that, what a wretched friend she was! And she thought these things with much love for the witch, but Mary was one for good gossip. 

"I... want to tell you that there would be a day where I would accept this, but... I have so many years to go before I even start aging again, and once I merge with my other self... I won't be the same, ever," she stressed, but he shook his head. 

"I don't care who you are, Hermione. Would I have waited around for almost three years if I did? You can be whoever you want to be, I don't care. I know you're twenty years younger than me... if you're willing to love me... even care for me, I would treat you to the entire world if that's what you asked." 

Hermione couldn't look at his pleading eyes for very long, instead choosing to look at the ring in her hands. She ran her fingers over the cold metal, feeling the intricate designs on the thick ring and plucking it from the soft velvet it rested in. 

"I have no clue as to what will happen when time merges once again. I'll have graduated Hogwarts again for the second time, unbeknownst to the other me, and then a few months later I will catch up. September first of 1998 I could be... just me, or I could be just the girl growing up... or I could be both. I don't know what's going to happen."

Severus reached over and encircled the hand which held the ring in it, "It'll be you any way it goes. If I lose this you, then... at least I got a few years with the version that I fell in love with." 

Hermione breathed in heavily, her heart heavy with his words. It had been years since they'd kissed last, and even then she had told him that this most likely wouldn't work out. It was true that she had no idea how her ending was going to be once the curse that was placed on her was over. Her future was so unsure, she didn't want to drag Severus into that. Hadn't he suffered enough? 

"I can't do that to you, and this is so... sudden." It was tacky of her to say say, but Hermione wasn't dealing with Ron who was plaited with an easy no. 

"Hermione," he encouraged her, putting one of his spindly hands on her cheek, guiding her to look at him. Although he had been rather confident before, he looked slightly less so now. It was for the better because even though she might possibly want to say yes, her better judgement was telling her to say no. And she always listened to her better judgement, it had kept herself and many others alive for a long time. 

He kissed her. Again, right out of nowhere. Hermione needed to put a muzzle on this man's mouth. She did not complain about the kiss however as she felt him completely in it. It started off slow and delicate, but the situation had called for it. Then, as she stopped caring about the future and felt the present, Hermione relaxed against him, her lips forming with his, all warmth and softness. 

As they continued, Hermione made a rather loaded decision and slipped the ring on her finger, feeling its magic tighten around her finger, fitting her perfectly. 

She gently pulled away, feeling slightly sorry for the dejected look on his face, hers unmatched to his. He looked down, the box in his lap most likely a disconcerting feeling until he saw that she'd accepted the sudden change in their relationship. 

"Is this a yes?" 

"As long as I'm not confined to be a housewife."

"You?" He chuckled, grasping her hands with joyously humorous strength, "That mind of yours cannot stew in a home, ticking away time. I would almost insist that you were employed."

She giggled, "Then I suppose I have accepted your self-imposed torture... I don't know how you're going to do it. When it comes time for us to be together publicly, I have no clue what type of backlash you will receive." 

"I hardly care. I can only imagine how ruined my reputation was when you knew me. This shouldn't be any worse." He smiled at her, and Hermione found that it was one of the most comforting things she'd seen in years. 

"This is going to be a long engagement."

"Brilliant," he said as though he was lifting the entire world with little more than an ounce of effort. 

So, in part, Hermione knew what she was going to do with herself, but as to what she was going to do with her career... that was a black hole in her suddenly light-filled future. 

A/N

A day late... whoops. But I published a little indulgent short-story called First Comes Baby, so if you guys want a quick read, go check it out!