Hilltop Cottage

Severus felt ridiculous. He was Disillusioned and standing in a dark corner of the drawing room of Claridge’s hotel, watching Hermione from a distance. She wasn’t aware of his presence and probably thought he was still at home in front of the TV.



She had left three hours earlier wearing a floor length, midnight blue satin evening gown, and her hair coiled beautifully around her head and studded with small flowers. A simple diamond pendant necklace hung between her breasts, and she looked more stunning than Severus had ever seen her. But he had said nothing, just wished her a good night as she stepped through the Floo, a sad smile on her face as she disappeared. He couldn’t bear the thought of her looking so beautiful and not being on his arm, but rather than arrive in style to whisk her off her feet as he would have liked to have done, he had followed her and skulked in furtively, then hid.



It would have been better for both of them if he had just accompanied her in the first place, because he could see that although Hermione gave the impression of having a good time, her smile was a little false, and she glanced often at her wrist watch in the manner of someone wishing the night would end. His own situation was even more depressing, having to stand and watch as she danced with other men, seeing the delight on their faces as they held her in their arms and caressed her curves through her dress. He just wanted the whole evening to get to the damn point.



***



Hermione was giddy from being swung back and forth by a line of non-descript wizards, most of whom she only recognised from having lunch in the Ministry canteen. The whole evening seemed to be dragging on, and it had been an ordeal from start to finish, not helped by the fact that most people had arrived with their significant others, or at least amongst a group of friends. The only other people that Hermione knew were Harry and Ginny, but the last thing she needed was to be a gooseberry. Although she put her glass of champagne on their table, she had no intention of pretending all was rosy in that garden.



With a sigh, Hermione smiled politely at her last dance partner as the music finally ended, and with relief she made her way back to her table, lifting her champagne and sipping slowly as all eyes were drawn to the spotlighted stage. With a small smile, Hermione watched as Kingsley walked gracefully to the centre of the stage, and then listened intently as he pontificated about advances in the field of Spells and Charms, the need for further research. He expressed his appreciation that everyone had turned out to support the people who were part of such an important area for the future defence of the wider wizarding community. Hermione ruminated on this, feeling slightly unsettled that even now all of her work seemed to be focussed on the past. They would never be allowed to forget Voldemort, no matter how hard they tried.



Hermione felt her stomach lurch as she realised it was time for the award to be announced. Despite being convinced that the other candidates were far more worthy, it didn’t stop her hoping that her name would be announced. Her mouth went dry as Kingsley introduced Alwyn Proctor Prewitt, an aging Lecturer whose father had first introduced the award many moons ago. He walked excruciatingly slowly, and people started to shuffle their feet in anticipation as they watched the old man walk to where Kingsley stood. The envelope in his hand shook, and Kingsley took it from him and shook his hand firmly, making the older wizard wobble. Hermione fought the urge to laugh out loud, and suddenly she wished that she had Severus with her to share the moment, whether she won or not. She was sure the absurdity of the situation would have amused him to no end.



There was silence in the room, and Hermione scanned the faces of the other candidates briefly. The American candidate seemed the most confident, flashing a huge, toothy grin when she caught her eye. Hermione bit her lip nervously, and Alwyn Proctor Prewitt started to talk in a deep, rumbling voice that carried around the whole room and belied his frail appearance.



‘The recipient of the award has been chosen because of their work ethic and exceptional commitment to the field. Rarely has such an individual had such an outstanding impact at such an early stage in their career. The Proctor Prewitt Foundation believes that the bursary will not only progress the work of this deserving winner, but it will also benefit the whole wizarding community.’



Proctor Prewitt paused for a moment, and a light ripple of applause went through the crowd. Hermione relaxed, certain that the person he was referring to couldn’t possibly be her, and she caught Harry’s eye and shrugged slightly. Harry arched his eyebrows at her and smirked knowingly, but Hermione had no time to consider what he meant by it, because Alwyn Proctor Prewitt was talking again.



‘Ladies and gentlemen, it gives me profound pleasure to present the Proctor Prewitt Award for Innovative Spell Research to… Doctor Hermione Granger.’



The old man stood a little straighter, and his deep blue eyes met Hermione’s warmly as he beckoned her towards him. A cheer went up around her, and she walked towards the stage in a state of shock and disbelief.



‘Congratulations, Dr. Granger, very well done indeed,’ Proctor Prewitt said quietly as Hermione bent down to shake his hand. She had to pause for a moment to process that he was actually referring to her as ‘Doctor,’ but she smiled at him as she lifted a small, onyx statue of a wand casting a spell and turned to face the crowd that was still applauding her. After a few moments, they went silent again, their upturned faces smiling at her beatifically.



She knew she was expected to say something, but for the life of her she had no idea what, and she looked around the room desperately until a movement in the corner of the room caught her eye. Severus removed his Disillusionment charm and raised his hand to her slightly to let her know he was there, and Hermione beamed at him and nodded discreetly as he replaced the charm and slid back into the shadows. With a surge of confidence, Hermione spoke a few words of thanks, complimented her fellow candidates and assured the Ministry dignitaries that her bursary would be put to very good use.



After another round of applause, Hermione left the stage and was immediately surrounded by well wishers and sycophants alike. She craned her neck to catch a glimpse of the corner where Severus was standing, but she was whisked off for photographs and more champagne before she had a chance to say, ‘Thanks, but I’m going home now.’



***



Severus felt full of pride as he watched Hermione being hustled away. He hadn’t intended to reveal himself, but he had seen the panic in her face. It had intrigued him to observe her interactions with her colleagues, not least of which Potter, who was obviously still not in her good books. Professional to the ‘nth degree, Hermione seemed to have no friends in her workplace, and he wondered if this made her lonely at all. Their private time was always so full of each other, and Severus had never had much time or need for other people, but Hermione had always had friends at school, and he wondered why she seemed to have none now. He waited for a few more moments, but when it became clear that Hermione wouldn’t be coming back to the room any time soon, Severus decided to return home and wait for her there.



***



Hermione was exhausted by the time she returned to Hilltop Cottage. The Cushioning Charm on her shoes has worked its magic, thank goodness, but she was very glad to slip them off as she wandered into the kitchen and flicked the switch of the kettle.



After the photographs, people wanting to discuss future projects or just be within her aura had besieged her, and it had taken her quite a time to extract herself. It hadn’t all been a complete waste of time, though. The American candidate, Alicia Maines, had approached her, and much to Hermione’s excitement, they shared the same interest in Spell work. In addition, Alicia had access to the Proctor Prewitt library and research facility within her home area and had made her a lucrative and very tempting offer for her to study there for a six-month period.



Hermione waited for the kettle to boil, and noticed Severus walking towards her out of the corner of her eye. Smiling widely, she walked into his open arms and inhaled his scent deeply, burying her nose into his shirt.



‘Congratulations, Doctor Granger,’ he murmured into her hair.



Hermione pulled away slowly and smiled softly at him. ‘I can’t quite believe it, you know. Thank you for coming in the end.’



Severus shrugged and started to make tea. ‘I wanted to see you win,’ he said quietly.



‘Forget the tea, Severus,’ Hermione said meaningfully, holding her hand out to him. ‘Just come to bed.’



Severus raised his eyes to hers and saw a familiar glint in her gaze. He took her hand softly and allowed her to lead him upstairs.



***



Afterward, when Severus had drifted off to sleep, Hermione curled her body around him and slipped her arms tightly around his waist, feeling his body rise and fall with each breath. She closed her eyes and forced herself to remember the feel of him beneath her cheek as wet tears started to drip down her face.



She had no idea why she felt emotional, but something in her world had shifted this night, and it didn’t feel one bit comfortable.