In a Lifetime

In A Lifetime
Chapter 2: Parties and Plans

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.

Hermione stared at Severus in disbelief. She shook her head as if attempting to shake some clarity back into it. She couldn’t believe what she had just heard.

“Remus Lupin?” she asked, “Remus died in battle 10 years ago.”

“Hermione, he fell, but I could never find the body. I searched for him for three years, certain that he had been taken by Death Eaters. I was never successful in finding him.”

“Severus, he had Avada Kedavra cast on him. He was DEAD.”

“Did you see the body?”

“I saw him fall.”

“But the body disappeared and now this sample shows up.”

“He’s at St Mungo’s?” Hermione stated more than asked.

“Or being treated there as an outpatient.”

“We have to find out. Now.”

“Hermione, we can’t rush into this,” said Severus, “there are several scenarios to consider. Remus might not want to be found.”

“How could he not?” questioned Hermione, gazing at Severus with her deep brown eyes.

“He’s an Order member, my love. Had he wanted to be found, he would have contacted the Order. He has not.”

“I refuse to believe that he doesn’t want to be back with his friends and colleagues,” stated Hermione, pushing the microscope away from her.

“There’s also the possibility that he does not know who he is,” said Severus, “Obliviate, an injury, some other factor…”

“I would believe that more than anything else.”

“As would I.”

Hermione toyed with an empty microscope slide. She attempted to take all of this in, the fact that Remus Lupin was alive, and the fact that he might not know who he is. He belonged with the only family he had left. He belonged at Hogwarts. He belonged in their care. But Severus was right. This had to be treated carefully. Remus was a member of the Order of the Phoenix, and there were still those who didn’t consider the Order to be the heroes that they were. There were still underground pockets of evil just awaiting the rise of a new Dark Lord or Lady. The Order had secrets still. But Remus had been out of the loop for ten years. Most of the secrets he knew were obsolete. Hermione felt Severus wrap his arms around her from behind. She leaned back against him, his familiar body its usual comfort.

“So we tell Albus.” he stated.

“We tell Albus,” agreed Hermione, “but to be honest, I think we should wait until after Ginny’s party. That will give us more time to maybe fish around…I can speak to my contact at St Mungo’s first, we can go to Ginny’s party, then tell Albus. It’s Order business and as head of the Order, he needs to call the shots.”

“Which of course doesn’t mean you have to like it,” said Severus, nuzzling her neck.

“Of course I don’t like it,” stated Hermione, tilting her head to give him better access to her sensitive neck, “I don’t always have absolute trust in Albus Dumbledore.”

“Unfortunately, that’s what makes him a good head for the Order, that little spark of deviousness.”

Hermione turned around on her swivel stool and caught Severus’ lips with hers. She pulled him into a deep kiss, her tongue demanding, and of course gaining, access to his mouth. She still found it amazing, 6 months after they began their relationship, that she still craved and still wanted more of this man.

“Gods I want you,” she whispered into his lips.

“Hone Her Hermione, is everything an aphrodisiac to you?” he murmured in reply.

“With you, absolutely.”

Severus smiled as he pulled her closer, running his hands down her back and cupping her buttocks, “As lovely as this is,” he said, “we do have things to attend to right now.”

“I know, I know,” admitted Hermione, “but rest assured that tonight, when I have you alone, I intend to ravish you. Not one inch of you will remain unkissed by my lips.”

“Hermione Granger, you are a wanton woman,” said Severus, moving his hand up her body to gently rub a nipple through her robes, “but first, we deal with the Remus Lupin situation.”

Hermione bit her lower lip as Severus’ nimble fingers teased her nipple to attention, then pinched it gently before moving his hand up to stroke her cheek.

“I love you, Severus Snape,” she said, lightly brushing her lips over the palm of his hand.

“I can assure you that the feeling is more than mutual,” said Severus, smiling. He had managed to successfully check the desire to take her right then and there, the knowledge that Remus Lupin was alive and out there helped quell his libido for theent,ent, “Why don’t you floo St Mungo’s and see what you can find out about Dennis M, I’ll run all these tests one more time.”

“Yes, Professor,” Hermione replied with a smile, “I’ll use the floo in your office.”

Severus watched as she left the lab, smiling at the thought that she was actually his woman. When he saw Hermione, he no longer saw the bushy haired know it all that plagued him a lifetime ago. He saw the beautiful, brilliant, sensual woman she had become. He saw the woman he loved, the only woman he wanted to be with. The only woman he ever thought of marrying. But it was still too soon to seriously contemplate marriage. Still, he found himself hoping that marriage would someday be in the cards. He turned back to his vials and microscope and once again ran the tests on the blood samples, knowing that the conclusions would remain the same.

Hermione tossed a small handful of floo powder on the hearth in Severus’ office and spoke the name of her contact at St Mungo’s. Soon she was conversing with Devin McGee, a mediwizard she knew from University.

“Hello Devin,” she said with a smile, “got a favor to ask of you.”

“Considering how much I owe you for the tutoring sessions all through uni, I’ll do what I can,” he replied, “what can I help you with?”

“My partner and I have been working on the lycanthropy cure and we’ve been receiving regular blood samples from your werewolf patients. I need a little information on one of them, the sample is from someone called Dennis M.”

“Why do you need this information? You know our confidentiality policy, Hermione.”

“I’m not asking for his real name or any specifics. All I want to know is when he came to you and how he’s doing health wise. Also a basic physical description, just height, eye color, and hair color. I wish I could tell you more, but Devin, trust me, right now I can’t.”

“I’ll be breaking some rules here, but I do owe you. Give me some time. I don’t work in that unit and I will have to call in a few favors myself. You’re going to end up owing me, I would say to the tune of dinner some night?”

“Make it lunch and you’re on. My dinners are spoken for.”

Devin smiled wistfully, “Lucky man,” he said, “I’ll floo you in a little bit and if you’re not available, I’ll owl you.”

“Thank you so much, Devin. I truly appreciate this,” stated Hermione in closing, as Devin’s head faded from view. They were another step closer to finding out the truth. But until she heard back from Devin, there wasn’t much to do but get ready for the party for Ginny. Hermione headed for her quarters to get changed.


* * * * * * *

Later that evening Hermione met up with Minerva to put the finishing touches on the staff room. She wanted to say something to the older witch about Remus Lupin, but refrained. Severus was right, they needed to get a little more proof and then inform Albus before anyone else should be told. There were reasons why Remus hadn’t contacted anyone from the Order and they needed to ascertain those reasons.

“I am so pleased for Ginevra,” stated Minerva in her clipped tones, “it’s not every day that someone passes the medical potions course with such high marks. Indeed, not every mediwitch even bothers to take the course.”

“I know. And Ginny struggled with potions when she was a student here.”

“Severus was very patient with her,” said Minerva, glancing at Hermione, “I’ve never seen him work so hard with someone. He did it for you, you know, because Ginevra is your friend.”

“Severus is a good man,” nodded Hermione, “and so much more than I ever thought he was.”

“I know.”

“Well well, ladies, is this a private conversation or can a rogue wizard join?” said a cheerful voice from the doorway.

“Hello Mr. Potter,” said Minerva, smiling, “you’re just in time to tack this garland up, it fell down and neither of us is tall enough to put it back up.”

Harry smiled, “Like you’re not both witches and perfectly capable of charming it back up.”

“But then we couldn’t watch you work,” remarked Hermione, with a small grin.

“Hermione, it is good to see you,” said Harry, after he put back up the garland, “how’s your research coming along?”

“Very well,” answered Hermione, a bit startled by his question, “we’ve come very close to the cure for the werewolf and vampire conditions. The potion is in its final testing stage at St Mungo’s. We’ve also been working on some human blood issues as well.”

“And how is Severus?”

“He’s fine,” said Hermione, even more startled by that question, “how have you been?”

“Good. We’ve been touring again. It’s tiring but I enjoy it. So,” he said, “who else is coming to this little gathering?”

“The staff, Molly and Arthur, Tonks, and I believe Bill.”

“Not Ron?”

“He wasn’t invited,” admitted Hermione, “he has been giving Ginny a hard time about taking this internship. He said she should be interning somewhere more prestigious.”

“More prestigious than Hogwarts? Is he for real?”

“He thinks he is,” scoffed Hermione, “have you spoken with him lately?”

“Not since he complained about you taking up with Severus Snape and hexing him…”

“I enjoyed that.”

“I would imagine,” Harry smiled, “Hermione, I’m very glad that you’re happy.”

“Are you happy, Harry?”

“I’m learning to be,” he said.

“Well then,” interrupted Minerva, “let’s gather everyone together and congratulate Ginevra.”

Within minutes, the staff was gathered in the staff room, with Ginny’s parent’s arriving by floo. Bill Weasley was unfortunately unable to attend due to a last minute work crisis. Severus and Hermione sat in a corner with their heads together discussing the days’ discoveries.

“I’m still waiting to hear from St Mungo’s,” said Hermione.

“I ran the tests again, and added a few more. The samples are definitely one and the same.”

“So, after I hear from Devin, we tell Albus?”

“Yes, we will.”

The next few moments heralded the arrival of two, a surprised and pleased Ginny ley,ley, who unsuspectingly followed a directive from Poppy Pomfrey to attend a meeting in the staff room, and a large St Mungo’s owl for Hermione. Hermione took the parchment from the owl and sent it on its way, carefully pocketing the parchment. She cast a glance at Severus and nodded as she went to greet Ginny and offer her congratulations.

“I am so proud of you, Ginny,” she said as she hugged her longtime friend, “I know how hard you worked.”

“Thank you, Hermione. I owe so much to Severus.”

“You owe more to yourself,” said Severus, joining them, “you persevered even when most would have given up.”

“That means a lot to me, Severus, especially coming from you.”

“Well, I would not become accustomed to it,” admonished Severus.

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” smiled Ginny, as she was whisked away in the maternal embrace of Molly Weasley.

Hermione smiled as she saw the younger witch congratulated by family and colleagues. Without a word, she pulled Severus into the corridor and opened the parchment.

“Subject Dennis M, real name unknown. Currently being treated on a sporadic outpatient basis. Subject claims no knowledge of age or date of birth but appears between 45 and 50 year of age. Physical condition fair, mental condition fair, possible amnesia or memory has been obliterated, either through injury or Obliviate. Subject is 6 feet tall (182.88 cm), hair is light brown, liberally streaked with grey. Eyes are hazel.” read Hermione.

“We need to tell Albus. Now,” stated Severus.