A Perfect Situation

Neville was shocked. He didn’t expect this, but he took her kiss anyway. When she broke away, she continued holding his face as the tears began to well in her eyes.



He reached out and pulled her into a hug, looking down as she spoke. “Thank you.” Her emotions were getting the better of her. “Thank you for bringing me here, thank you for going with me, and thank you for paying attention.”



He let his arms wrap around her as she began crying in earnest. “You did this on your own. I did nothing.”



“You brought me here, you made me face the past and you stood behind me while I did it. You made an effort for me, for whatever reason you did it, thank you.” She buried her face in his neck and let the sobs out. She knew she looked like nothing of what she was. No elegant clothes, fancy coiffure, not make up, and on the ground crying with a younger man, but she didn’t really care. She faced an animal and came out the victor.



After a few moments he spoke. “Come one, let’s go.”



“Where are we going?” She let him help her to her feet and wiped her face.



“I’m going to buy you a meal. You’ve earned it.” He took her hand and once they passed the apparition boundary, they cracked away







Cathy knew she had a lot more steps to take, but she also knew that confronting Kevin as a major one and she had succeeded. As she sat with Neville at a table in a fine restaurant, she spoke to him openly about her childhood in a house with a domineering father and a subservient mother.



“Everything had to be his way and always his way. He had no problems with intimidation and name calling, and he raged like nobody’s business.”



“How often did he attack this way?” Neville was getting a profile on the environment she was brought up in. She would still need treatment and as long as she was talking to him, he would continue to listen.



“Daily. Even something as small as his breakfast being made wrong. It was almost a mental asylum in that house. Mother didn’t help, she apologized for anything, and she never voiced an opinion, not that my father asked her for one.” She gave a pathetic laugh. “I remember when I was young and asked questions, the answers usually started with ’your father feels…’ but nothing about her own views.



“Did she say anything when you left home?”



“No. As usual she let father do the talking, and if he was against something, then so was she. If she felt otherwise she didn’t say.” Their food arrived and she tucked in, having skipped breakfast because of nerves.



“Have you spoken to her since?”



“No. She hasn’t owled and neither have I.” She seemed resolved to that fact, but seeing as how she had overcome so much, he wasn’t going to push it.



“What about your grandmother? Maternal or Paternal?” He wanted to keep her talking.



“Neville?” He looked up to see Hermione and Severus arm in arm. “Fancy seeing you here.” She gave a pointed glance at Cathy, who had her gaze locked on her plate.



“Yes, it is. Here for dinner?” He asked. He had never seen Cathy this way. She was always poised and put together, dressed to impress and intimidate if need be. Now she looked as if he had interrupted her errands or laundry day.



Severus spoke this time. “We actually came for take away. It should be ready in a moment.”



Hermione was still looking at Cathy, who still hadn’t looked back at her. “Well then, enjoy your dinner.” Severus said and pointedly eased Hermione away.



“Are you alright?” Neville asked her.



“Was she angry?” She hadn’t seen Hermione’s look.



“No, she was looking at you but she wasn’t angry.” He reached out and took her hand. “Nobody says you have to face her right away, or Severus for that matter.”



“Do you think I should?”



“I think that is up to you.” He told her, taking the bill and standing. “Everything from here on out is up to you.” She smiled as she took his hand and they left.









“She must have gone to Azkaban with Neville. Did you see how she was dressed?” Hermione held tight to Severus’s hand.



“I did.” He steered her toward the appartition alcove. “Neville must have made some progress.”



“Why do you say that?” They emerged into their front room.



“Cathy never averts her eyes to those she considers a threat. She would have met you eye to eye and stared you down as long as you would have let her. She must have had too much on her mind to avoid looking at you.”



“Severus,” taking his arm, she halted his walking toward the kitchen, “what do you know about this?”



“what makes you think I know anything?” He again tried to head away but she stopped him.



“You mentioned progress, so that tells me you know what she is healing from and you are avoiding my eyes as well.” He let out a sigh and looked at her. There was no hiding things from Hermione.



“If I tell you, then you have to swear to keep it to yourself.” She rolled her eyes. “I mean it, this is something serious.”



“Alright, I promise.”



“Good, let’s set the table, we can talk and eat.” After a few moments they were sitting and eating, and Severus began to talk. “Neville came to me just after we returned from our trip and asked about my relationship with her.”



“Why?” He almost smiled at her questions. Leave it to Hermione to begin questioning after the first statement.



“He wanted an understanding of her attitude with men, as I used to date her, I was a likely source of information. She apparently had been the victim of some form of attack during her younger years, although he didn’t give me too many details. I do know that trust became an issue because of it.”



“That’s why she was always assuming the worst with you.”



“Yes. From what Neville told me, it was two very close friends and it affected her in the future years.”



“So what did he want to know from you that wasn’t common knowledge?” She was so bright and he loved that about her. This was no ignorant young miss, his wife.



“He wanted to know about our sex life actually.” He grinned as he saw the path she would take a mile away.



“What has that got to do with it?” She took a sip of her wine. “You can stop grinning, it’s a reasonable question.”



“Apparently, she equates romantic and slow sex with loving and trust, something she has problems with.”



“Are you saying that the woman wants nothing but hard, fast shagging?” She leaned forward in her seat.



“Yes. It was always that way with her, but she separated the physical and the emotional. She didn’t see that they could be combined and that was her problem.” He reached out and took her hand, giving it a squeeze.



“Do you think Neville has helped?” She pushed her now empty plate away and leaned closer to him.



“You saw her didn’t you.” He leaned in to kiss her cheek, then stood to clear the dishes. “Didn’t she seem different?”



“I suppose,” she followed him into the kitchen with their wine glasses, “I still don’t know if I want to encounter her again.”



“What if she apologizes?” He knew it was a long shot but he had to ask.



“Aren’t you assuming too much?”



“Maybe.” He rested a hip against the counter.



“Is that what you want, an apology?” She came forward, wrapping her arms around his waist.



“No.” He returned the gesture.



“Then what do you want?”



“I want her to get over this. She had so many demons that made kept her on edge, it will be nice to see her life without nightmares. Maybe she can find someone she can connect with after all.”



Hermione smiled up at him. “You, Mr. Snape, are such a romantic.”



“And you, Mrs. Snape, have far too many clothes on.” She giggled loudly as he lifted her in his arms and made his way to their bedroom.