In a Lifetime

In A Lifetime
Chapter 19: First Dates and Night Shifts

Disclaimer: I own nothing of what you’re about to read, with the possible exception of the plot, although I’m sure it’s been done before. The places, characters, etc. belong to JK Rowling. Thanks.

Ginny Weasley and Remus Lupin sat in silence at their table at the Three Broomsticks. Remus had thought to take Ginny somewhere more…romantic…however, he decided that it was best to safe and with the Three Broomsticks, he knew what he was getting. The silence between them was awkward. Awkward and deafening thought Remus.

Ginny nervously shifted in her chair as the waitress brought their dinners. She found it odd that back at Hogwarts, she had no trouble speaking Rem Remus. But here, in this environment, she was tongue-tied. And from the looks of it, so was he. The pretty redhead glanced over at her dinner companion, absently playing with his food. With a grin, she got up and pulled Remus to his feet.

“Enough of this,” she said, “enough of this silence aiscoiscomfort.”

Ginny tossed a few coins on the table for dinner and pulled Remus out of the Three Broomsticks.

“What are you doing?” asked Remus, confusion entering his hazel eyes, “I was going to pay for dinner.”

“Too late,” smiled Ginny, “we’re going to Diagon Alley. I have this undeniable urge for an ice cream sundae that only Florean Forte’s c’s can quench.”

Remus answered her smile as the two apparated to Diagon Alley.

* * * *
Hermione sat at the desk in the Hospital Wing, idly doodling with on a small piece of parchment. She was on night duty and the infirmary was as quiet as a morgue. Nary a patient graced the beds, Poppy was visiting with Minerva, and Severus was babysitting a particularly volatile potion. Hermione tried to do some work on her calculations for her Muggle blood purifying potion, with the Vampiric formula already undergoing testing, but her mind wasn’t on it. She looked down at the parchment and rolled her eyes.

“Hermione, how old ARE you?” she said out loud, “Doodling ‘Hermione Snape’ on a parchment?”

“He really is who you want, isn’t he?” muttered a soft voice behind Hermione.

Hermione whirled around to find herself face to face with the liquid eyes of Ron Weasley. She shook her head as if to erase the image of her once close friend.

“I thought you weren’t allowed here anymore,” she stated flatly.

“I have to make amends,” said the redhead quietly, “Professor Dumbledore knows I’m here.”

“What has that to do with me?”

“I wronged you, Hermione. I wronged you by not listening to you, by not accepting that you are a grown woman with her own mind, by hurting your feelings again and again.”
“Yes,” said Hermione, turning around to face Ron, “you did. als also wronged Severus, belittled your sister and her choices, lied to all of us, and did nothing to help Remus, when you had at least the power of your voice to help us understand that his body wasn’t lost or destroyed on the battlefield. We all gave up on him, except for Severus and with no knowledge of what happened to him, even Severus was forced to accept that his body was simply gone.”

“I know,” replied Ron, casting his eyes to the floor, “there is nothing I can do to truly make up for what happened in the past. I don’t deserve any form of forgiveness and I know this.”

“Why, Ron? Why build your future on a foundation of lies?”

“Because it was easier than facing up to what I was. A coward.”

“No, a human,” stated Hermione, “being seventeen and afraid is a human reaction. Not saying anything about what you saw and taking out your frustration at yourself on everyone around you is the crime.”

“So said Lavender.”

“So you told your wife…”

“Yes. And she wants nothing to do with me until I make amends as well. Shit, Hermione, right now, I want nothing to do with me until I at least attempt to clear my slate.”

“There’s not an eraser big enough,” said Hermione, casting a glare at Ron, “you lied. And you called me a whore because of whom I chose to love and because I didn’t live up to your expectations.”

“Don’t you understand, Hermione? No one could live up to my expectations. I couldn’t live up to my own expectations. I know that Snape isn’t the same man he was all those years ago. I know he’s basically a good man, I’ve always known that. I’ve long since gotten over the fact that he was a bastard as a teacher. I understand why he was. My problem with him is that he KNEW. All these years and he knew that Remus wasn’t dead. He knew there was more to the story. He knew life wasn’t a fairy tale and that we all wouldn’t live happily ever after. And he had you.”

“What do you mean ‘and he had you’?”

“Hermione, I have never gotten over you not choosing me.”

“No, Ron, I chose Harry. Why didn’t you harbor the hate you have for Severus for him?”

Ron looked at Hermione, his eyes boring straight into her, “I did.”

“You were best man at our wedding.”

“And I stood there smiling through my gritted teeth loathing Harry. Not only did he defeat Voldemort, he got you. And when he lost you, part of me was thrilled. But then I could honestly hate Snape for doing what I had only dreamed of doing, taking you away from the great Harry Potter,” spat out Ron.

Hermione sat stunned, truly speechless for perhaps only the second time in her life. She stared at Ron, who was wearing his bitterness like an invisibility cloak, only instead of his body disappearing, the personality of the Ron she had known and loved like a brother was hidden behind the years of guilt and lies. In spite of this, Hermione still cared. Perhaps she cared more. She refused to allow herself any blame in the matter. She loved who she loved and chose who she shared her life with. It simply wasn’t her fault that she never saw Ron in any light other than the one she had chosen to see him in. They all made their choices. The difference was that Hermione could live with hers, even with the choice to leave her husband for the man she loved beyond all love. She looked at him for a moment, then spoke.

“I never loved you like I love Severus. I may have loved you like I love Harry. I don’t know you right now…” she held her hand up as he began to interrupt, “but I forgive you, Ron. I just can’t be around you right now. If you are truly serious about making amends, this is a good start. Just understand that there will be some who will not forgive.”

“Like Snape and Remus?”

“Perhaps.”

“I’m not ready to face either of them at the moment. Is Gin here?”

“No, Ron, she’s out for the evening.”

“Will you tell her I was here?”

“Yes, Ron, I will.”

With a downcast look, he quietly left the Hospital Wing, leaving a melancholy Hermione in his wake. The intern sighed and busied herself taking inventory of the medicinal potions. At least she would be able to give the list to Severus when Kyla came to relieve her in a few hours time for the overnight shift.

* * * * *
Ginny and Remus found selvselves back in Hogsmeade following a sundae and an enjoyable evening of music in Diagon Ally. Once they stopped thinking of their outing as a date, it became less tense and much more relaxing. Ginny found herself truly enjoying the company of Remus, and Remus found himself captivated by the pretty redhead. They ended up back at the Three Broomsticks for a nightcap before heading back to Hogwarts. After ordering two butterbeers, Remus smiled at Ginny.

“What are you ing ing at?” asked Ginny.

“Just how odd it is to be here with you,” answered Remus, sipping his butterbeer.

“What do you mean?”

“The last time I saw you, or even remembered you, you were a sixteen year old child. Now…”

“I’m not a child anymore, Remus,” stated Ginny, “haven’t been for a long time.”

“I know,” said Remus, “but it’s diffi for for me to reconcile the innocent child with the beautiful woman in front of me.”

“If it helps, I haven’t been innocent since I was seventeen,” commented Ginny, blushing suddenly at her boldness.

“I’m just afraid that to me, you will always be little Ginevra Weasley.”

“I have very little in common with ‘little Ginevra Weasley’,” said Ginny, setting down her empty butterbeer mug, “I was hoping that you might be able to see that. I guess I was wrong. Why did you ask me to dinner then, if you still see me as a child?”

“I don’t know,” admitted Remus, “I suppose we should get back to the school.”

“I suppose so,” answered Ginny, a trace of bitterness entering her voice.

They apparated back to the gates of Hogwarts, neither saying a word until the approached the entry. Ginny bit her lip, turned to Remus and silently wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a kiss. Remus stiffened with surprise as he felt Ginny’s tongue trace around the outline of his lower lip before insinuating itself between his lips. He was unsure what to do with his hands, but Ginny made the decision for him. Without breaking the kiss, she placed one of his hands on her breast, silently encouraging him to feel its fullness and the stiffness of her nipple. He ran his thumb around her hard peak, causing Ginny to groan slightly. She broke the kiss, placing her hand over his, and smiled at him.

“See, Remus, I’m not a little girl anymore. When you can reconcile the sixteen year old you knew with the 27 year old I am now, perhaps this can go furth she she grasped his hand and drew it down her body, resting for a moment over her mound, “sixteen year old Ginny settled for what she could get. This Ginny doesn’t settle.”

With that, Ginny entered the castle and headed straight for the hospital wing, leaving a tense and confused Remus behind. She smiled slightly as she entered the infirmary, spying Hermione finishing up inventory.

“Gin!” greeted Hermione, “how was the date?”

“Awkward,” admitted Ginny, “he still sees me as a child. Or rather, saw me as a child. I think I want him, Hermione. But I want him on equal terms. When he’s as ready as I am.”

“Sounds fair,” said Hermione, “it’s so much better when you both want the same thing.”

“Like you and Severus.”

“Yes,” smiled Hermione, as Kyla Bennett arrived for the overnight shift, “Evening Kyla. I completed the potions inventory, but I left the rest of the inventory for you. It’s a quiet night. Nary a patient. Goodnight Kyla, sleep well, Ginny.”

“Night Hermione,” said Kyla, “and thanks for starting the inventory.”

“My pleasure,” answered Hermione.

“Night Hermione,” said Ginny, “see you at breakfast.”

Hermione smiled as she made her way to her quarters. She wanted to see Severus, but was certain he was asleep by now. The inventory list could wait until morning. She spoke her password and entered her quarters. Much to her surprise, her rooms were alight with fairy lights and there was a trail of cinnamon rose petals leading to her bathroom. Curious, Hermione followed the lightly scented trail to find her bathtub filled with fragrant water and soft fluffy bubbles. She stared for a moment at the tub as she felt her clothing magically whisked from her body. Looking around the room, she saw no one, but had more than a passing idea who was behind this. Smiling, she stepped into her tub and settled into the cinnamon rose scented luxury. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feel of the soft and heated water over her body. Soon, she felt a different caress on her face. Opening her eyes, she found herself looking directly into the bottomless ebony eyes of Severus.

“I thought you might like a little pampering before bed,” murmured Severus, drawing her into a deep kiss.

“Only if you join me,” she said, smiling as she wandlessly removed his clothing.

Severus sat behind her in the tub, wrapping his strong arms around her, “You’re getting quite good at that,” he said with a chuckle.

“Taking off your clothes is the only thing I can do without a wand,” admitted Hermione.

“It’s a brilliant skill to have,” remarked Severus, as he gently soaped his lover’s body.

Hermione leaned back into Severus, reveling in the feel of his hands slickly moving across her body and his lips softly kissing her neck. His hands skillfully manipulated her nipples, then slowly moved down between her legs. Wordlessly, he stroked her until she quietly cried out her release, declaring her love for her dark fiancé. Within moments, she was asleep, never feeling Severus lifting her from the tub, drying her body, or putting her in her bed, where he joined her in a deep comfortable slumber.