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“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”
"And who is this single man in possession of a good fortune you speak of?" Hermione shot a sideways look at Ginny over the top of her teacup.
"That is irrelevant and will be determined in due course. I just can't bear to look at you anymore. You're a powerful and accomplished woman and there is no reason why you should spare one more thought to my boneheaded brother", Ginny replied whilst inspecting her sons robes and sorting some of them into a need-to-be-repaired pile.
The women were sitting in a drawing room of the Potters' somewhat opulent home, enjoying a rare moment of peace. They could hear occasional joyful shouts and screams from the outside where Harry occupied the boys with brooms, whilst baby Lily slept in her bassinet.
Hermione suddenly seemed very interested in her toes, gently biting her lower lip and offering no response.
"I think I should set you up on a blind date," the redhead proclaimed suddenly.
"Absolutely not! Categorically out-of-question! Not happening!" Hermione completely forgot to mind her volume and her outburst was followed by a small whine of a half-awake baby. "Oh crap. Sorry," she mouthed at her friend who got up promptly to rock Lily Luna back to sleep.
"Well then, how about this?" Ginny whispered, enunciating heavily so that Hermione could follow. "I will give you a week to go on a date—just one date—with whomever you choose. You don't have to go on a second date; just the one will do. You need to get out there again. But if you don't find anyone to go with, you will let me set you up."
A slight frown appeared on the older woman's face as she considered it. On the one hand, she really didn't want to date anyone right now. On the other hand, if one evening would get Ginny off her back for a while, maybe she could bear it.
"Okay, okay. I will find a date and actually show up this time." she rolled her eyes in mock annoyance, set down her empty teacup and collected her things.
"I didn't mean now!" Ginny pulled a face at her friend as Lily Luna drifted off to sleep again.
"I know, but it's getting late and I do have plenty of work to finish before tomorrow." Hermione smirked back and said her goodbyes with a hug. She fastened her cloak as she stepped outside and made the short walk to their apparition point. With a wave and blown kiss to the boys, she disappeared.
The alarm clock sounded at 6am sharp and stopped within a few seconds as Hermione slammed her fist on top of it. She didn't need to open her eyes as she hadn't actually managed to sleep in the last several hours. After being woken by a nightmare in the middle of the night, she laid on her side of the bed inspecting her ceiling. The pillow on the other side was undisturbed, as it had been for the past year.
She slowly sat up, dropped her feet off the bed straight into a pair of fluffy slippers and rubbed her face vigorously. She picked up a glass of water which had been waiting for her on her nightstand and downed it at once. As she set the glass back down, her eyes landed on a dusty picture frame on her nightstand. It was a lovely photo of her and Ron, laughing in an embrace at the fifth Victory Celebration party. With a sigh, she let it sit where it was and headed for the shower.
Less than an hour later she was finished with breakfast and wearing her work clothes - a white shirt tucked into a dark purple muggle pencil skirt and a heavy outer robe in the same dark purple, but with a decorative brocade on the shoulders. She pinned her ID - Muggle Ministry Liaison and Muggleborn Integration Officer, under her left collarbone and few seconds later she was stepping out of the fireplace in the Ministry atrium.
"It's going to be a long week H, you've got a reparations meeting with the Muggle prime minister at 10, lunch meeting with Robards from Law Enforcement at 12 and the monthly Hogwarts assessment at 3. And that's just today." Emrys Selwin, her assistant, appeared by her side just as she was walking down the corridor to her office.
He was a lively young lad with a spring in his step, barely two years out of school. He was only 9 when the war ended and despite - or maybe owning to - having a Death Eater uncle, he's turned into one of the most prominent Muggleborn supporters in the pure blood ranks.
The first time Hermione heard of him was during his third year in Hogwarts. The Prophet ran a piece on a newly formed student club which encouraged students to exchange their experiences and traditions between muggleborns and purebloods. Lead by none other than Emrys.
The first time she heard from him was two years later. She had just assumed her current post and received an envelope with his O.W.L. results and 24 inch long essay on his thoughts and ideas for muggleborn integration.
Needles to say, she plucked him out on his last day of school, long before his N.E.W.T.S. results appeared.
"Why did I plan everything on a Monday again?" sighed Hermione, exchanging a tired look with Emrys. "Also, apparently Flourish and Blotts didn't receive their invitation to the Sellers and Suppliers Round Table on Friday, can you check what happened there?"
Emrys frowned as he jotted a note down, before he continued: "I've had your blazer picked up and put into the closet for your meeting with the PM. The robes look brilliant, but slightly too out of place." he smirked.
If he wasn't so incredibly young, idealistic and unburdened, maybe he wouldn't be a bad date. But then, maybe his boyfriend would mind. Hermione interrupted her thought process in time to stop herself chuckling, and nodded instead.
"Thank you Selwyn, that's brilliant. Please let me know when it's time to leave, I'll need to go and review my notes now."
Hours later, she found herself sitting across the table from Gawain Robards, the current Head of Magical Law Enforcement, who glanced at her while perusing the menu.
"How did your meeting with the Muggle Prime Minister go?" he enquired.
"We have finally agreed on the material post-war reparations which will be paid out over the next five years. The current trouble they are facing is how to add a mysterious sum of money into their budget without anyone noticing. There will be plenty more paperwork involved, but we're not expecting it to take more than one or two years to solve." she rolled her eyes and Robards let out a hearty chortle.
"Well, I'm pleased that the bureaucracy is as bad on their end as it is on ours. Speaking of paperwork, did you have a chance to look over the latest crime statistics?"
As the conversation turned to work, Hermione tuned out the rest of the world, barring the arrival of her salmon pasta halfway through the meeting. As it turns out, the numbers of hate crimes towards any of the minority groups have dropped this quarter as well. She was unsure of the ex-Auror when she first started working with him, but he turned out to be a smart, tactical man. Together they have managed to decrease tensions between communities and lower incarceration numbers by nearly half.
Alas, she sighed as she watched him depart, he's not-so-secretly seeing Andromeda Tonks these days, no chance of a date here either.
The walk from the front gates had been particularly bleak that afternoon. A menacing bank of thunderheads sat above the castle and the whistling of wind through the Forest had been almost deafening. To no surprise, she hadn't encountered anyone on the grounds and only passed a handful of older students in the halls.
"Out, out brief candle" she spoke the password as she arrived at the gargoyle statue, which promptly let her through. The door opened on her first knock.
"Have a cup of tea please, I shall be with you in but a moment.", the headmaster didn't look up from whatever he was angrily scribbling but gestured towards the seats by the fire.
Hermione poured herself a cup from the pot which suddenly appeared but didn't sit down. Cupping her tea in both hands for warmth, she slowly walked over to the window and stared at the school grounds.
As her ice-cold fingers slowly thawed, she watched waves breaking on the surface of the lake and trees sway angrily with the wind. It wasn't raining yet, but she didn't expect it to take long.
She must have completely disappeared from the present and into the eerie calmness of the impending storm, because she didn't notice that the scratching of the quill had ceased. Neither did she hear tea being poured into a second cup. Nor the footsteps approaching her. They stood in silence, shoulder to shoulder, for only a moment until the gentle smell of cedarwood and cardamom reached her nose. She blinked hastily and raised her eyes to meet the dark ones of her counterpart.
"Shall we start then?" she said as she returned to the present moment and walked back to their seats. "I'm aching to hear how our seating experiment is progressing Snape, don't leave out any details."
"I wouldn't dare, do I look like I have a death wish?" Severus Snape smirked back at her and pulled a stack of parchments into his lap. "It is not progressing as fast as we would have hoped, but it's moving in the right direction."
"Did you get any pushback on the mandatory mixed-house seating?"
"Not particularly, no. Some of the faculty members have expressed their concerns about more disruptions if members of the same houses aren't allowed to sit next to each other, but -"
"And was there an increase in disruptions?"
"If you'd let me get a word in, woman, I would tell you" he shot her an annoyed look.
She raised her hands in surrender and pointedly turned to pour them each another cup of tea.
"As I was saying, there has been a small increase in students complaining about their partners, we've seen more bickering and general squabbling. However, that was as we expected, and these now look to be subsiding in favour of collaboration."
"I'm glad to hear that." Hermione smiled softly.
"You will also be pleased to hear that there is a prank currently in the works targetting Professor Longbottom" Severus shared with a curl to his lip.
"And why would I be glad to hear that?" her eyebrow raised sharply.
"Because the would-be perpetrators are a Slytherin pureblood and Gryffindor muggleborn, assisted by a Ravenclaw know-it-all, not dissimilar to you." his eyes sparkled as he delivered the news.
"Oh Snape that is brilliant! That is exactly what we're looking for isn't it!" she excitedly tapped his arm and took another sip of her tea, positively beaming and completely oblivious to his jerking reaction to her touch. "I cannot tell you how good news that is, especially after the day I had"
"Why don't I call for some dinner and you can tell me about it" Severus proposed.
"And I'll be here until midnight like last time, babbling your ears off, ha. That is not happening again. I have more letters to write and forms to fill in anyways. Thank you for the offer though." she stood up and straightened her robes. "I will send you the proposals for next steps by the end of the week for review."
For a split of a second, he seemed mildly perplexed, edging on annoyed. He schooled his face quickly and nodded in agreement. "Of course. I'll return them with my comments and then we can meet to discuss the implementation timeline."
He pensively watched her smile, nod and turn to leave, when unexpectedly she stopped with her hand on the door.
"Are you dating someone, Snape?" she asked abruptly, turning over her shoulder.
Seconds passed in silence, interrupted only by the crackling fire.
"Excuse me?" he retorted, very slowly, his voice quieter than usual, but sharper still.
Hermione hung her head down before sighing, taking a deep breath and returning to her seat.
"I find myself in between a rock and a hard place. I need to find a man to eat dinner with within the week otherwise Ginny Potter will forcibly set me up on a blind date." she explained, visibly annoyed.
"A.. man.. to.. eat.. dinner.. with...?" he almost hissed back at her.
"A date, one night, nothing more required, just a few hours to make Ginny happy", she clarified, suddenly regretting ever bringing it up. But then, as far as she knew, he was single. And straight.
"And what, you decided to start from the bottom of your list? Is this some collaborative prank you're pulling with the students?" he seemed positively outraged now.
"What? No! I.. there's not really a list. I.. I didn't think... Well, you were here and not taken, to my knowledge... and..." she started blurting out and her face cringed further with every word.
"Get out Granger." he spat at her, the blackness of his eyes and white knuckles informed her he wasn't amenable to further discussion. She nodded and let herself out, cursing her large mouth in her head.
What the hell have you been thinking, why would you ask Snape to date you? Anyone, literally anyone else would have had a better reaction. Why would you make it sound like he's just another face in the crowd? her self-berating monologue continued as she dragged her feet through the halls and pondered their relationship.
She's been visiting his office regularly at least once a month for well over a year now. After she assumed her post, she spent a year repairing their relationship with the muggle PM and fighting fires that have been left burning since the war ended. After all, her position didn't really exist before, not in its current form, so there was no predecessor to help her. After that, she moved onto the most pending issues of systemic discrimination and unconscious bias at the Ministry. It had been years of hard work, liaising with every department, rubbing elbows with people she despised just to get some progress.
In the end, the changes she made and the allies she found on the way started making a lasting impact. And once Emrys came on board, she was able to start reaching out further from the Ministry, to the Guilds, merchants, international relations, and Hogwarts. Emrys had provided her with a fresh overview of issues that were still plaguing the school.
Favouritism and house rivalry, lack of interaction between kids from different backgrounds, missing knowledge of the magical culture and etiquette on the side of Muggleborn students, and plenty more.
She was wary when she first came to Snape with her proposal, but to her surprise he came onboard quickly. Since then, they have met at least once a month to discuss policy changes at the school and review their results. And somehow, over time, they became friends.
With each visit, little by little, they shared more of themselves in addition to the business. As it turns out, Snape likes to play Quidditch, but doesn't get a lot of opportunities to do so without loosing his image in front of the students. He despises chess, claiming it to be pretentious even though he excels at it (at least from what she gathered). And he's really, really funny, when you're in on the joke.
Last month he surprised her with a birthday present. She had no idea he even knew when her birthday was. The silver pendant was now hanging around her neck, she could feel the gentle calming charms which were woven into it interacting with her own anxious magic.
Has she ruined it in a single evening?
She pondered that question as she pushed the side exit open. It was raining now. Great.
His blood was close to boiling as the door shut behind her.
Just a man to dine with... Stuck between a rock and a hard place... I wonder which one I am supposed to be, the rock, or the hard place?.. his thoughts were racing and he had to put his tea down before his shaking hand spilled any.
His knee started bouncing up and down restlessly as he stared into the fire. An image appeared in his head. Her smile as he shared the news about results of various campaigns she was running. A little wrinkle forming near her eye as she shared genuine joy. The warm, almost electric touch of his hand on his arm. The inexplicable smell of almonds and parchment as she leaned to pour their tea.
Severus bit his lip and jumped to his feet, unable to sit any longer. He started to pace back and forth.
Another image came to his head. Lily's face. His heart skipped a beat and he stumbled in his step. Lily's face telling Potter Senior to let him down. Lily's face when he called her a mudblood. Lily's gravestone.
His pride deflated as quickly as it appeared. The recollection of what happened the last time he gave it too much notice seemed to clear his thoughts.
From where he stood, he caught a glance of a hooded figure slowly drudging itself to the front gates. He unlatched the large window, pulled it open and stepped off the ledge.
Hermione completely forgot that Snape could fly without a broom. Her heart almost stopped when he landed in front of her and he only just managed to avoid her stunner. Expecting to hear complaints and insults, she stood there quietly.
Severus realised he hadn't actually planned this far. His throat suddenly dry, robes suddenly soaked with the rain, his hair sticking to his face. He must be looking even worse than normal.
"Uhm.." she started.
He lifted his finger to silence her again.
"I don't just dine, Granger."
She blinked rapidly, but he was unsure whether it was a reaction to his words or whether she just needed to clear rain from her eyes.
"I shall pick you up on Friday at 6pm. Dress formal but muggle-passing. Is that suitable?" his voice was much gentler now, almost pleading.
"Y-yes, that.. is.. suitable.." she nodded, visibly taken aback.
"Goodnight Granger. Get yourself somewhere dry and warm."
She watched him hurry back to the school, on foot this time. After she managed to shake the paralysis, his words had brought on, she rushed out of the gate and disapparated home.
Dear Ginny,
Hold your horses, recall your owls. I am going on a date with an eligible man on Friday, therefore you have no further need to look for anyone. I'm not ready to tell you who I'm going with, not until it's happened. But I will tell you all about it if you invite me for afternoon tea on Sunday. Until then, I will leave you with this - it was unexpected, but when he agreed, my stomach almost fluttered.
Give my love to the kids and for Merlins love, do not tell Harry anything about this.
xx,
Hermione
Tuesday came and went in a blur of meetings and paperwork, Hermione didn't have time to drink a cup of tea while it was still hot, never mind contemplate the mystery of Severus Snape and his date plans. But even so, his face appeared in her mind a few times during the day, and then again as her head hit the pillow.
After another hectic day, Wednesday evening found Hermione and Emrys in her office, each holding a box of Chinese takeout. They finally finished drafting a inter-departmental memo correcting recent issues in handling of blood status information and neither one of them had enough energy to go home without extra sustenance.
"I heard down the grapevine that you're going on a date?" Emrys blinked at her while slurping a long noodle.
Stabbing her own dinner with her chopsticks and taking her face in her hands, Hermione didn't seem keen to reply.
"I mean, it's not common knowledge, you don't have to be so worried. It's just that my boyfriend was chatting to Luna Lovegood yesterday and she seems to have been informed by Mrs. Potter that such an event might be taking place later this week. They don't even know that I know, and they definitely didn't ask me to get any details out of you." Emrys continued in between bites of chicken, never speaking with his mouth full. "That being said, spill the beans please because I'm at the edge of my seat"
Hermione looked up with a laugh. "Fine, but this better not go further than your boyfriend." she shook her head slightly and took a sip of her soda. "First, I'll have you know that this was not my idea at all. Ginny pretty much blackmailed me into finding a date under the threat of forcing me to go out with someone of her choosing. And I panicked a little."
"Well, that's off to a good start. So, who is it? And where are you going?" Emrys threw his empty food box into the rubbish and turned to give her all his attention, noticing a blush appearing on Hermione's face. "Is it someone I know? Someone at the ministry? Or is it someone who's not single? Oh, please tell me it's spicy, I need some drama!"
"He is single!" Hermione retorted loudly, "I .. well, in for a knut.. I asked Snape out after our last meeting..."
"SNAPE? SEVERUS bloody SNAPE is who you're going out on a date with?" Emrys burst out laughing, his head tipping backwards and arms hugging his stomach. "You can't be serious H, he dates? I get that he's a war hero and wicked smart, but I always thought of him as a sort of... sole unit? How did he take it when you asked him?"
"He got angry and kicked me out, at first. Which would be my fault, I guess, I didn't make it sound very appealing. I might have also made it sound like I despised him but needed to get out of my bad Ginny situation." Hermione winced recalling the memory, "But in the end, he caught up with me before I left and told me to be ready at 6pm on Friday, wearing something formal but muggle-passing. I have no idea about what we're doing beyond that."
"Hmm, muggle passing. My first assessment is that he at least knows his audience," he gave her a small smile. "But on the heels of that, I am taking you shopping. This is your first real date since... you know what. There is a two-hour window over lunch tomorrow and I am refusing to book anything for it that doesn't involve trying on gorgeous gowns."
There was a look on Hermione's face that started with disbelief and ended with resignation. "I cannot believe I'm agreeing to this." she rolled her eyes.
A meal was finished, a conversation turned into yawns and just before the clock chimed midnight, two green fires flared up in the atrium as two tired muggleborn advocates headed to their respective homes.
The muggle shopping attendant giggled as she watched Emrys goad Hermione into trying yet another dress. The rack of tried and didn't like it was growing rapidly as not a single dress in the past hour was deemed good enough by the keen-eyed wizard.
"Do you even know what we're looking for?" Hermione sighed. She was getting hot and itchy all over, all she wished for at this point was a comfy pair of joggers and a hoodie. Which was weird, because she never wished for that.
Emrys clasped his hands in front of his chest, as if in a mock prayer. "I've just had a thought actually," his eyebrows danced up and down cheerily, "since the dark and steamy potions master is pandering to your proclivities to muggle culture," adding the last two words in a quiet whisper, tapping the tips of his fingers together excitedly, "maybe you should wear something that might impress his own appetites?"
Hermione gave it a thought. "You mean, black, billowing and with a lot of buttons?"
"Ugh, woman, I didn't mean that obvious. But you're on the right track... I think I saw something that..." Emrys' voice trailed off as he himself suddenly trailed off through the racks of dresses. When he emerged, he was carrying a gorgeous black A-line dress with a sequin embroidering all over the bodice. It was strapless with a sweetheart neckline and was accompanied by a black cape.
Hermione pursed her lips in contemplation and slipped the dress on. As soon as she saw herself in the mirror and heard an oh my escape Emrys' lips, she was convinced it was the right one. The bodice hugged her torso gently with her breasts teasing just enough for her comfort. The silk chiffon flowed over her hips and all the way to the floor. But most importantly, the black full-length cape sat at the very edges of her shoulders, exposing the soft lines of her collarbone, clasped together with a metal clip in the middle of her chest.
"I think this is a winner, you should definitely get this one." Emrys breathed out as Hermione did a little twirl. "And you should let me come over and work some magic on the cape before you go."
Hermione looked in the mirror again. It's been a while since she felt this desirable. She has attended many Ministry functions and war celebrations, most of which called for formal attire. But rarely she got to put on a dress instead of robes.
She smiled at Emrys and gave him a hearty nod. "This one it is."
"I am sorry Master Sodwick, I know the guild is keen to meet with us, but unfortunately Miss Granger is unavailable this afternoon. Next week perhaps?" Emrys was fighting off everyone who tried to make demands on Hermione's time that afternoon. He had a detailed plan, a colour coded timeline in his notebook, for how he would get her away from work and ready for tonight's activities.
He has been watching her for the past year. After the red-headed moron left the country to chase a dream with a minor league Quidditch team, it felt like her light dimmed just tiny bit. He didn't think it was particularly due to this one specific red-headed moron though. After considering her friendship circles, her opportunities to meet like-minded people and the hours of work she put in, Emrys found himself thinking she might have just given up a little bit.
Given up on trying to find someone who she could lead an enjoyable conversation with. Given up on trying to find someone who didn't just want to raise their own status by dating a war hero. Given up on trying to find someone who wouldn't be intimidated by her fierce determination (and success) to change the wizarding world at it's core.
So as he stood there, guarding her door and floo from unexpected visitors demanding last minute meetings, he recalled last night's unexpected visitor at his home.
Emrys was finishing his tea as well as the chapter of his book, when he heard his boyfriends voice from the kitchen calling to him.
"Emmy, love, are we expecting any visitors tonight?" Thaddeus poked his head through the door.
Looking up at the clock which just chimed 11pm, Emrys set his teacup and book on the side table and headed over to the front of the house. He could clearly see what Thaddeus was talking about. Though nobody knocked on the door yet, a tall, wide-shouldered billowing figure could be seen pacing up and down their drive through the kitchen window.
"Oh dear, well this might be interesting." Emrys' eyes widened and he tutted. "Why don't you go to bed love, I'll take care of it." He pecked his boyfriend on the lips, threw a warm cloak over his shoulders and headed out to meet his unexpected visitor.
"Headmaster Snape. I trust you're having a pleasant evening?" he approached carefully as not to startle the notoriously twitchy and dangerous war hero.
Snape stopped pacing and spun on his heel to face him, suddenly looking a little embarrassed, like a child caught out of bed.
"Mister Selwyn. I apologise. I didn't mean to interrupt your evening... I..." his voice trailed off into silence.
"Would you perhaps care for a cup of tea?" Emrys offered him an out.
"That... Yes. Yes I would." Snape nodded and followed the younger man into his home.
Severus Snape stood in silence in his former student's kitchen as Emrys busied himself with making a brew. The only sounds came from the clinking of spoons and cups on saucers. He placed the two teas on an ornate wooden tray and added a small plate of biscuits too.
"If I hadn't known it not to be true, I would have sworn you'd been petrified. Sit down with me in the library?" Emrys tried to ease the atmosphere a little as he turned around, tea tray in his hands, and saw his former headmaster barely moving enough to breathe.
Once they finally sat in opposing armchairs near the fireplace, each holding a cup of tea, Severus took a deep breath.
"You've always been one of the brighter students when you were in school, so I won't insult you by asking you whether you figured out why I'm here." The quiet, deep voice finally pierced the silence.
"If you think of cancelling on her, I will find a way to make you regret it." Emrys surprised even himself with the sharpness his sudden words carried.
Unexpectedly, the older man didn't stiffen, didn't flinch and didn't seem to get angry. "Cancel? That did not cross my mind for even a second."
"Then you might as well call me a dunderhead because I'm not sure what use I can be to you?"
Severus' lips curled in a small smile before his face darkened once again.
"It's almost the opposite. I came here to ask whether she truly means to come with me tomorrow, or whether I've accidentally forced her into something she doesn't want. Our conversation turned a little... dramatic."
"Ah. Well then, let me assure you, that is not the case. It might not have been her idea to go out with someone in the first place, but I believe she's warmed up to the idea of seeing you, specifically you, over the past few days. One might even say she's looking forward to it." Emrys tried to give him a reassuring smile as he sipped his tea. "And you cannot force Hermione Granger into doing something she truly doesn't want to do." he added with a smack of the lips.
"And, if you're so inclined to share, can you tell me whether there's any... competition?" Severus's eyebrow slid upwards as he was clearly uncomfortable revealing his own desires, even in a roundabout way.
Emrys narrowed his eyes at the older man. "What are you really asking? What is it that you really want to know?"
Severus sighed loudly, contemplating his options.
Finally, he said: "When she asked me on a date the other night, it might have been a spur of the moment for her, but not for me. I had been thinking about such an event for quite a while now. I had avoided proposing it myself because I am a realistic man. I would have imagined her laughing at me, not accepting. And now that it's come to be... I simply want to set realistic expectations for myself. I do not... enjoy... getting... hurt."
The last two words came out in almost a whisper and Emrys saw him hastily bring his tea to his face to protect his vulnerability.
"She's been hurt. She's walking around with a scar declaring her blood status and reminding her every single day of the torture she endured at the hands of a madwoman. She lost her parents to her own spell when she was unable to restore their memories. She has been abandoned by what I gather to be her only serious love interest so far. She is brilliant, self-assured and accomplished. I've not ever seen anyone walk the path they chose for themselves so steadfastly, so unwaveringly. But I do wish she didn't have to walk it alone." Emrys paused briefly.
"But are you the right man Snape? Will you sulk when her accomplishments overshadow your own? Will you make her feel small instead of propping her up? Will she have to hide her mind from you? Will you mock her for enjoying a good book instead of a party? Can you be the one person she can let go with and break down for a while, before she picks herself up again? Or are you looking for a quick shag, maybe a few weeks of fun?"
The atmosphere turned sombre as they both contemplated his words. After a long while, their gazes met once again.
"Does that answer your question?
Yes, I believe it does." Severus replied slowly. "I also believe I should be on my way now; I wouldn't want to be too exhausted to be on my best behaviour tomorrow night," he added with an almost imperceptible nod.
The clock chimed again, this time back in the Ministry office, and brought Emrys out of his reminiscing. He looked at the time and then ran a finger down the page of his planner. With a short knock he opened the door to Hermione's office. "It's time to go"
"What? Already?"
"Yes, already, the schedule is colour coded and therefore you cannot argue with it" he smirked at her as she hastily collected her things.
Hermione pushed her front door open and held it for Emrys, only to stop in her tracks once she walked into her own living room. "What is this? Have you all teamed up on me?" She darted her eyes between the two unexpected guests sitting on her armchairs, Ginny Potter and Thaddeus Price, and Emrys who was sporting an excited smile.
"No such thing, wouldn't dare!" Emrys retorted. "However, Mrs. Potter here does have a great deal of experience with managing your hair and Thaddeus is incredible with makeup charms. I simply thought we could help you out." he walked past her nonchalantly and started to set the room up for preparations.
Once they moved furniture out of the way and had a comfortable chair in the middle for Hermione to sit on, Ginny had started the wandwork on her hair, strand by strand, straightening the curls into more manageable waves.
"Are you finally going to tell me who is this mysterious man that's taking you out on such a grandiose date?" Ginny sighed as she parted her hair again and shifted it to the side.
Before Hermione had a chance to reply, Emrys and Thaddeus walked in from the kitchen carrying a tray of tea. "I think you can wait a couple of hours to find out when he comes to pick her up, don't you think?" he gave a conspiratorial wink to Hermione and Thaddeus - the latter gave up a pointed "Oh, oooh!" as he put the pieces together.
Ginny snorted and even though she looked a little miffed, she didn't comment any further. They all spent the next hour discussing various acquaintances and drinking tea, while she slowly worked through Hermione's hair. Once she was finished, it was held in a low updo with a braid circling from one side to the other and few strands of hair left out to frame her face.
"What do you think?" Ginny brought a mirror around and proudly displayed her work to Hermione and the two men.
"Gorgeous." Emrys gave an appreciative nod, and Hermione thanked her friend with a smile.
Thaddeus got up and pulled another chair to sit in front of Hermione. "Now dear, this will go much easier if you close your eyes and don't move too much, alright?" he gently brushed the loose hair from her face as he inspected every part of it. "It will just take a few minutes."
He pulled out his wand from his sleeve and gently waved it up and down in front of Hermione's face, her eyes now closed. Slowly, like a whisper, a gentle shade appeared on her eyelids, her lashes grew darker and longer, her cheeks blushed, and her lips turned a rich red colour.
"Wow, you really are good at that." Ginny noted, watching over his shoulder. This prompted Hermione to blink her eyes slowly and pick up the mirror from the table.
She inspected her face and hair from all directions, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. What if this was all too much? What if she misunderstood the instructions? Is he going to laugh at her and leave? Her eyebrows furrowed and she glanced at each one of her friends.
"It's perfect. Not too much. Not too little. Perfect." Emrys reassured her, as if he could hear her thoughts - or more likely, see them plastered on her face.
"Now come, I'll help you into your dress, we only have half an hour left." Ginny motioned for her to join her in the bedroom. Once Hermione was undressed all the way to her underwear (matching, lacy, black), Ginny held the dress up for her to pull over her head carefully and then fastened the zipper on her back. She held up the black cloak on Hermione's shoulders and waited for her to latch the clasp. The witches exchanged an excited smile and Hermione walked back to her living room to twirl in front of the two men.
Ginny paused for a moment before following her and glanced around the bedroom. It was mostly tidy; the bed was made up since the morning. Her gaze paused on the dusty picture frame of Hermione with Ronald. Checking over her shoulder and making sure Hermione was truly out of the room, she quickly picked the frame up and shoved it in a drawer. No more of that. She smiled to herself and joined the rest of the group.
As she walked in, she saw Hermione standing in the middle with both Emrys and Thaddeus circling her and making gentle waves with their wands. She watched as the dark cape subtly came alive. It was moving, as if a secret breeze had blown on it, but almost imperceptibly so. Like when you see something out of the corner of your eye but when you turn your head around, it's not there anymore. It was mesmerising. It was magical. It was perfectly muggle-passing.
Ginny transfigured the handheld mirror into a full length one. "I think you will have a great evening tonight." she smiled, obviously satisfied with the results of her string-pulling.
Hermione stood in front of the mirror, stunned by her own image. She really had not felt this way about herself for a ridiculous amount of time. She smoothed the dress on her hips and down her thighs. She watched it gently accentuate her curves. She spun around and watched the cape slowly glide down again.
A sharp rap on of knuckles on the door shook them all out of awed contemplation. Ginny transfigured the mirror back, laid it down on the side table and walked over to open the door, leaving Hermione, Emrys and Thaddeus behind.
A click of the door, a gasp and a short giggle could be heard from the hallway as Ginny discovered who ended up on the other end of her string-pulling.
"Mrs. Potter, I cannot say I expected to see you at the door." Severus Snape drawled slowly but without a hint of malice or dislike.
"I was just helping out, please, do come in." Ginny held the door open for him and accompanied him back to the living room where Hermione stood still, just as she left her. Emrys and Thaddeus stood a few feet behind her, rubbing shoulders and smiling.
As Severus walked in, he scanned the room with his gaze, stopping briefly to exchange a meaningful look and small nod with Emrys, before finally landing on Hermione. He swept his eyes over her and then met her gaze. His mouth opened and closed and for a moment it looked like he was about to stutter. He seemed to get hold of his faculties once again, clasped his hands behind his back and offered a short bow.
Hermione watched him circumspectly and then bowed her head in return. He was wearing what could only be described as a muggle white tie, she even saw a silver pocket watch chain over his waistcoat. She was glad he forgone the top hat though, unsure she could have survived the shock of seeing her former professor and now work acquaintance in such a spectacular way. She noticed his tailcoat was cut slightly different than normal. It was a little longer and had a little more flair, reminding her of wizard’s robes or a certain wizard's billowing cloak.
"I believe you all can show yourself out?" she turned to her friends and as they nodded enthusiastically, she found herself taking the proffered arm of her date and walking out with him in step.
"How are you? Did you have a pleasant week?" Severus asked as he walked down her drive with Hermione still on his harm.
She met his eyes, seeing how nervous they both were.
"It was good, busy but good. There is a lot of discontent coming from some professional organisations and I've been mediating between them. Apparently, the Merchants Guild is not impressed with..." she stopped herself mid-sentence. "Never mind, it's really not that interesting," she offered a small smile but noticed his brow furrowed.
As they reached the main road, she realised she still had no idea where they were going, but before she could open her mouth, Severus unexpectedly hailed a black cab.
He offered no explanation as he quietly chatted with the cabbie and then held the door open for her, holding a hand out to help her in. As the car started moving again, he turned to see her face and she felt the quiet hum of Muffliato. "Now tell me, what was the issue with the Merchants?" he prompted softly.
She met his gaze, looking for any signs of mockery, but as she didn't find any, she launched into a detailed explanation of her work woes, with all the plot twists and conflicts carefully described and each character introduced with their respective backgrounds and personal views. And Severus Snape listened attentively, nodding as appropriate and asking prodding questions whenever he thought he could offer a solution - only to be quickly humbled by her saying "Don't you think we've tried that? Here's what happened..."
The car navigated through the darkened streets of London, the windows revealed streetlamps, other cars, double decker buses, people, cyclists, and more people, but none of them were noticed by the couple deeply engrossed in conversation. If the cabbie could hear them over the spell, he could have heard Severus Snape heartily laugh. Which of course, would not be of any surprise to him, but it would be to anyone who knew him anytime in the past 40 years.
Eventually, the car slowed down and pulled over to the curb. Severus handed the driver a bunch of muggle bank notes and rushed around the car to help Hermione out. As she straightened her dress and looked around, she took in her surroundings and rewarded him with a wide smile. "Royal Opera House? Are you serious?"
"Have you ever known me not to be?" he raised one of his eyebrows in jest.
"No. But I have also never known you to be... well... like this," she gestured to him vaguely, for which he rewarded her with another laugh.
"You have much to learn," he blinked and offered his arm again. "Shall we?"
They walked in together and approached a man who seemed to have been directing people to their seats, Severus took out two tickets out of his breast pocket and handed them over.
"Aah, good evening, Master Snape, this way please, the second box to the right," he gestured down the hallway and gave them both a warm smile.
As if it was a regular occurrence, Severus led her down to their seats without having to look up the correct position on their tickets. Hermione realised that there were only two chairs in their box, instead of four as in the other boxes. They took their seats and fell into an uncomfortable silence, eyes darting between each other and the stalls below them which were slowly filling with guests.
Hermione picked up the programme booklet and flicked through the pages before raising her eyes again. "The Nutcracker? Oh Snape, I cannot believe you got such amazing seats at such a short notice. I've seen Swan Lake and some others before but never found the time to see The Nutcracker. Thank you for bringing me." she said quietly with a warm smile and placed her hand over the top of his, which was resting on his knee.
He returned her gaze, "I do wish you'd call me by my given name." He swallowed and took a brief pause before he continued. "And I didn't get tickets last minute, I've had this whole box reserved for myself for a while, as I do for some other shows I'm planning to see. I don't like to sit with people I don't know."
She contemplated her answer and tried his name out in her head a few times, but before she could actually respond, the lights had dimmed, the curtains had opened, and the ballet had started. Instead of words, she wrapped her fingers into his palm, moving to hold his hand rather than simply resting hers on it. He rewarded her with a squeeze, both of their sights locked on the stage.
Almost an hour later, as the snowflakes finished their waltz and disappeared from the stage, the lights had brightened up for the break. Hermione blinked a few times but couldn't stop staring at the now drawn curtain. She took a few deep breaths, willing the experience to her memory. The view from the box was exquisite and the dancers' performance was simply breathtaking.
After a few minutes she realised there was a pair of eyes on her. She turned her head to look at the man who had been paying her so much attention.
"It is a particularly mesmerising experience, especially this close to Christmas," he noted, still holding her hand in his. "I took the liberty to pre-arrange some refreshments for us," motioning to a tray with two champagne flutes and bowl of little pastries. It must have been delivered just a few minutes ago, while she was lost in contemplation.
They stood up and walked over to the small side table and picked up their drinks.
"A toast?" he lifted his glass up.
"A toast to what?"
"Hmm... A toast to a good start of a great night," his lips curled into a smile, and she could swear she saw a twinkle in his eye.
"I would say a great start," she returned his smile and clanked her drink with his before taking a sip.
"Severus," she started. His eyes snapped to hers and held her gaze with the intensity of fiendfyre. Her breath quivered before she continued.
"Severus, by no means take this the wrong way but... is there something going on that I don't know about?"
"What do you mean?"
"Tonight, you have been acting very differently from any other time I have seen you. Why is that? Why are you nice and kind and accommodating? Where is the cunning wit and sharp tongue?"
It was his turn to take a shaky breath now.
"I believe cunning wit and sharp tongue would be counterproductive tonight," he said quietly.
"Counterproductive to what end?"
"Counterproductive to the ultimate goal of you getting to know me better," his voice was barely above whisper now.
Hermione gave out a small chuckle.
"Severus, I have known you for seven years whilst you were my professor. I have known you for a few years after that when we moved in the same post war circles. And I have known you for the past year, meeting you for hours every few weeks. But I have never known you to act like you are tonight."
"Don't you ever adjust your behaviour based on your audience, Hermione? Or are you to tell me that you behave the same way with your ministry colleagues, the muggle PM and the Potters?" He drank the rest of his drink in one swoop.
Trying to quickly forget the shiver that ran up her spine as he called her by her first name, Hermione considered his words as she watched him carefully. Was it possible that there was a whole other Snape hidden underneath the Headmaster Snape which itself was hidden under the War Hero Snape, which in turn had been for a long time hidden under Death Eater Snape?
At the sound of the gong announcing the start of the second part of the ballet, they returned to their seats with no further words. As she was sitting down, Hermione pulled her chair a little closer to his and took hold of his hand again. She could swear the air had suddenly turned a few degrees warmer.
"You simply cannot be serious; are you really going to try and convince me that the mouse battle is your favourite scene?" Hermione sputtered as she cut her dinner into smaller pieces.
"Oh, I am serious. I can appreciate the Sugar Plum Fairy of course, and the Russian Dance is always a display of peak ability of the human body, but there is something quite amusing about a mischief of mice battling it out," he insisted in between mouthfuls of his own meal.
After the ballet had finished, they walked to a nearby restaurant where Severus had made reservations. It was a beautiful night, it was getting a little cold, but it was dry and in between her excitement over the ballet and holding onto Severus' arm, Hermione didn't notice anything else.
They were sitting on the upper floor of a cosy restaurant at a small table by the window. It was a cloudless night, and they could see the stars and moon shining down on the streets of London.
"You are a ridiculous man, I cannot listen to this no more," she laughed and took a sip of her wine. "Tell me about the school instead, how is Hogwarts treating you?"
"I've been informed by Professor Abbott that she wishes to move on after this year and do something preposterous like travel. Unless she changes her mind, which seems unlikely, I will once more be on a hunt for a Defense professor. I must admit it was nice to have that position filled for a few years in a row. But even though the curse is no longer in place, it seems we have no better luck in keeping it consistently occupied."
"Hmm, I wonder why she decided to leave now. Is it possible that she finally gave up on her advances on Neville?" Hermione thought out loud.
"What do you mean, her advances on Longbottom? She had made advances on Longbottom?"
"Ha, and here I thought nothing gets past you," she almost stuck her tongue out at him, biting it at the last moment. "She's had a crush on him for the longest time, but she isn't really his type, if you know what I mean."
His eyebrows shot up once more. "I do not know what you mean, care to enlighten me some more?"
"Well, let’s just say you're more Neville's type than she is," Hermione burst out laughing at seeing the expression on his face as he processed the news.
She caressed his hand gently where it lay on the table, and he smiled as well.
"I cannot believe I missed that. Please do be so kind and don't tell anyone that there is something the great bat of the dungeons didn't know."
"But you're no longer the great bat of the dungeons, are you."
"The great bat of the headmaster’s chambers then?"
"I personally would not call you a great bat anymore either"
"No? What would you call me then?"
She bit her lower lip as her breath got caught in her throat.
"Enticing," she swallowed. "Alluring," she held his fiery gaze for the longest time, her stomach twisted in a knot, her mouth dry and her cheeks flushed. Was it a mirage or were his cheeks flushed too? She was suddenly very aware of their hands touching on the table, their fingers linked together.
"Would you like anything else?" A singsong voice of the waitress disrupted the moment as she appeared out of nowhere to collect their empty dinner plates.
"I think I cannot eat anything more, however delicious." Hermione returned her smile and took a sip of her wine.
"Would you please move our tab to the bar downstairs please?" Severus requested, passing his empty glass to the waitress.
"Of course, Master Snape, that's no problem." she smiled back and left with their dishes.
"I am not finished with you yet," he said quietly as he offered her his arm and led her down the stairs. They walked past the bar to an area she didn't notice when they arrived. As they rounded the corner, she saw a group of casual tables next to a dance floor. Looking at the far end of the room, she noticed a sole singer with an acoustic guitar gently singing to the handful of dancing couples.
"Would you care to join me for a dance?" he offered another bow and his hand.
Astonished, Hermione smiled, nodded and let him lead her to the dance floor. He straightened his shoulders and placed one hand between her shoulder blades, his arm providing a strong frame for her to hold onto. He held her other hand up and spun her out in a slow waltz.
"I had no idea you could dance," she said softly between spins.
"I told you; you have much to learn about the great bat of the dungeons," he smirked.
"And I told you, you're no longer the great bat of the dungeons," she breathed out into his ear as their cheeks touched for a moment.
"And you're no longer an infuriating know-it-all. You are still a know-it-all, but I no longer have to pretend to take an offence with it."
His words stunned her, and it must have shown on her face, because the next moment she saw him gently chuckle.
The waltz had finished, and the singer started the next piece which she vaguely recognised as a very slow acoustic cover of a recent pop song. Severus pulled her closer into his arms and into another slow dance. She could feel his breath on her neck and shoulder as they danced, cheek to cheek, not daring to look into each other’s eyes.
Step. Step. Turn. His breath. His smell.
Hermione realised that Severus must have known the song as well, because she suddenly noticed that he started singing quietly into her ear.
Step. Step. Allons ensemble, découvrir ma liberté. Step. Turn.
She also realised that Severus Snape speaks French. And sings French.
Turn. Step. Turn. Oubliez donc tous vos clichés. Step. Step.
And his deep husky voice was making her heart beat its way out of her chest.
Turn. Step. Step. Bienvenue dans ma réalité. Turn. Double turn. Step.
She held onto him tight, eyes closed, their bodies flush against one another simply following the music and each other. His voice was filling her ear, and she bit her lip to stop it from quivering.
Finally, when she thought she could stand the tension no more, the song drew to a close, and the singer announced a short break. They pulled apart only half a step and their eyes finally met. He brought his hand up to cup her cheek as he held her gaze.
She could feel his breathing, uneven and shaky just as her own. She willed for her eyes to reveal the infernal blaze that was going on inside her body. Her mind was surprisingly silent, not asking questions about good ideas, work complications or student teacher clichés. Her eyes briefly flickered to his lips and then back.
"You look quite exhausted; would you allow me to chaperone you home?" he said finally.
Slightly disappointed with her lack of resolve, she nodded. "Yes please. As lovely as tonight was, I am indeed falling asleep on my feet."
He led her to one of the nearby tables and covered the few steps to the bar, presumably to cover their tab.
When he returned, he held a champagne flute in each hand and a cheeky smile on his face. "The staff is presently arranging a cab for us, so I thought we could finish the night as we started it." He passed her one of the glasses.
She returned his smile gladly. "To a great ending of a great night?"
"To a great ending of a great night." he joined his glass with hers and they drank in companionable silence until one of the bartenders came to retrieve them.
The cab ride home was over in a blur. They sat together, holding hands tightly, Hermione gently leaning into his side and shoulder. They watched the streets of London pass by the window, slowly getting quieter and quieter as even the big city had to sleep sometime. Words seemed superfluous.
"Would you like to use my floo? I'm not sure you should apparate in this state." she offered uncertainly as they reached her front door. It was a thinly veiled excuse to hide her unwillingness to part just yet.
He seemed to understand exactly what she really meant and followed her inside. True to their word, her friends were gone and even returned the living room furniture to its original configuration.
"Perhaps a nightcap, if it's not too much to ask?" his eyes followed her around the room as she nodded in agreement and retrieved a bottle of firewhiskey and two glasses from a cupboard.
She poured the drinks out slowly, trying to cover up the nervous tremble of her hands. Precisely measuring out every step, she brings the drinks over to where he's still standing by her sofa. He takes one glass from her and their hands linger as they touch. Both quite aware of the almost electric energy between them, they sip on their drinks slowly, standing only a few inches apart but avoiding each other’s eyes for as long as possible.
It seems an eternity until both empty glasses end up resting on the side table. There's nothing else to do, nothing else to delay his departure any further.
"Thank you, for tonight. I know you it was Mrs. Potter who made you go, but thank you, nevertheless. Your company is... unlike any other, and I had enjoyed myself immensely." he bowed his head again.
"As did I. Thank you for taking me. Thank you for planning such an incredible night. It will be a cherished memory for me as well." she replied softly, still avoiding his eyes.
After a few more seconds of silence, he turned to walk over to her fireplace but found himself stopped by her hand grabbing his and pulling him back. He turned to meet her again and as their eyes finally met, her other hand curled around his lapel and pulled him down into a kiss. His hands wrapped around her waist in response and pulled her closer to him as the kiss deepened. She ran her hand into his hair and their bodies collided in a tight embrace.
And then it was over. She pulled back and he felt her hands on his chest, gently pushing him away.
"I'm sorry Severus. I apologise. That was... that was terribly inappropriate of me. Please forgive me." she burst out, staring at her feet and avoiding his face completely.
"You're apologising for ending a date with a kiss?" his voice was light as he tried to assuage her.
"You have been drinking. I don't want to make you do something you will later regret. I really enjoy the friendly relationship we have established over the past year, and I don't want to make you hate me."
This somehow garnered a throaty laugh from the older man. But he turned sombre once again before he started pacing back and forth the length of the room.
"Hermione," he started in earnest, but his words got caught up somewhere between his heart and throat.
"Firstly, Hermione, do you feel too inebriated to consent to a kiss?"
"No, I don't feel particularly drunk at all." She met his gaze briefly before her eyes darted away again.
"That is a relief. Because I don't feel too inebriated either. But there are many other things that I do feel." his pace increased as he obviously struggled to get his words out. Hermione decided just to stand on the same spot and listen to whatever he was gearing up to saying.
"I have noticed, you know, I have noticed you. After the war, every now and then your name would pop up in the paper in connection with one thing or the other. Every now and then the professors would mention you in the staff room. Every few months I would catch sight of you at a Ministry function or Order meeting or a Victory celebration. I wasn't even particularly paying attention, you just appeared on the periphery of my consciousness every now and then." he barely took a breath before he continued his rapid expulsion of words.
"I was vaguely aware of how accomplished and brilliant you had become, but I never thought we would ever have an opportunity to even hold a conversation, so I didn't give it much care. And then one day you were in my office, asking to see the detention records for the past fifty years. And then you were in my office again, with diagrams and endless rolls of parchment and an ink stain under your left ear that you had no clue about. And I was so overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work we were putting in I didn't even notice that I saw your face just before I fell asleep. I didn't even notice that I started measuring time in countdowns to your next visit. My drawer was suddenly a collection of news articles about your work. My disposition was positively sunny on the days I knew you were due to come, and it turned particularly sour whenever you had to cancel."
Hermione's eyes widened as she listened to Severus pour his thoughts and feelings straight out.
"And then one day I did notice. I did realise that I wanted you to come and stay longer and longer, I wanted to sit and listen to you talking about your latest work project or your charms research or the book you most recently read. I realised I wanted to tell you about my day and my potions research and the book I most recently read. I felt a physical need to tell you embarrassing stories about myself just to see you laugh, just to see your eyes twinkle. And for the past few months I have been thinking about this night. I had thought of many options for the entertainment on our potential maybe someday date."
His breathing was turning ragged, and his voice grew louder and more insistent with every sentence. He was still pacing back and forth, faster and faster, avoiding her eyes stubbornly.
"And then one day Longbottom was chatting with Sinistra in the staff room. They were discussing your year's alumni and where everyone ended up. And I overheard them saying that the Weasley moron had apparently left you and in a bad way as well. They did not specify when that supposedly happened, so I postponed my plans further and further. I started to doubt whether you enjoyed my company or if I was making it all up in my head."
Hermione bit her lower lip again and her eyes furrowed in concern, she wrapped her arms around herself as her breathing grew shaky once again.
"And so, I fear I have been a fool. I have let my heart get the better of me. Now you know. If you must reject me, please feel free to do so. If you wish for more time, please tell me so and I shall wait without a word otherwise, because I love... I love you. I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest. There is simply no other word for it. If you don't want me, I shall stand on the sidelines forever if I must. I will do what you ask of me because there is no woman in this world more fascinating than you, Hermione."
Suddenly he realised he is no longer pacing. There's a beautiful witch standing in his way, her hand placed firmly on his chest. Their eyes meet once more, both flaming with raw emotion as she uncertainly pulls him down into another kiss. This one much more tentative, as if testing the waters, much gentler and softer. She can feel her heart racing in her chest and her stomach in knots, once again. Under her hand, she can feel his heart racing her own.
"Yes," she whispers as she pulls back.
"Yes, to what?" he asks.
"Yes, you can take me out on another date."
They both smile, knowing that each of their smiles is carrying a mountain of emotions which they cannot express in words.
"It will be my pleasure." he leans down to another kiss. And as they pull apart, holding hands and taking deep breaths to calm their respective hearts, he bows again.
"Goodnight, Miss Granger."
"Goodnight, Headmaster Snape."
The fire flares green as a large figure disappears in it.
A dark cape and a dress hit the floor and bedsheets rustle, as Hermione unapologetically climbs into her bed, completely oblivious to the absence of a picture frame from her nightstand.