Under the Influence
folder
Harry Potter › Het - Male/Female › Snape/Hermione
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
14
Views:
15,882
Reviews:
138
Recommended:
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Currently Reading:
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Category:
Harry Potter › Het - Male/Female › Snape/Hermione
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
14
Views:
15,882
Reviews:
138
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Dirty Martini
A/N: Thanks for the wonderful reviews, everybody! I'm a review whore. Seriously. I check about 5 times a day to see if I have more reviews yet.
Disclaimer: It's JKR's garden. I'm just spreading a bit of manure around the rosebushes.
Chapter 5- Saturday night, Victory Day celebration, Ministry of Magic ballroom
Hermione was sitting at the bar alone, nursing a dirty martini, when Snape suddenly sat beside her. She glanced at him.
"Oh, it's you."
"Don't act so surprised, Miss Granger."
"Call me Hermione."
"What?"
"Hermione. It's my name."
"I hardly think it's appropriate, Miss Granger."
"You've seen me drunk on more occasions than anybody, with the exception of the bartender, whose name I still don't know. So why would it be inappropriate?"
"You were my student."
"But I'm not anymore."
Snape sighed. There was no winning with this girl.
"Very well...Hermione."
Hermione grinned slightly.
"Can I buy you a drink, Professor?"
"I am no longer your professor, Hermione. And this is an open bar."
"Very well, then, Severus. Can I order you a drink?"
"Sure. I'll have what you're having."
"Dirty martinis. Something classy to go with the event."
"There's hardly anything classy about the Ministry."
"True, but I'm dressed up. So are you. So martinis."
Hermione nodded at the bartender, pointed at her drink, then held up two fingers. The bartender began assembling the martinis.
Severus took that moment to examine Hermione. She was indeed, dresses up. She was wearing a deep purple dress with a fluffy skirt and a satiny, clinging bodice. Her hair was done so there was a mass of honey colored ringlets piled in a heap at the crown of her head, and she was even wearing some light makeup. A quick glance at her feet revealed strappy silver shoes.
Hermione could feel Severus's gaze burning on her, and she tried not to blush.
The bartender set the martinis on the counter. Hermione dropped a few Sickles into his tip jar.
"So why aren't you on the dance floor, breaking hearts?" Severus asked between sips.
Hermione held up her feet. "These shoes are killing me. And if I go out on the dance floor, I have no choice but to look at them-" Hermione pointed behind her at Draco and Harry, who were locked in a tight clench and kissing each other softly, "-and if I look at them, I might ruin my dress by vomiting all over it. Here at the bar, I can keep my back to them and not look like I'm trying to avoid them."
Her voice dropped to a whisper, "I am trying to avoid them, you know."
Severus nodded. "I can tell," he whispered back.
"Of course you can tell. You know the whole story. But every casual observer in this room..." Hermione glanced around the room quickly.
"They can tell too, Hermione. You are the elephant in the room." Severus told her softly.
"Thanks." Hermione smacked him lightly on the arm. "Never call a woman an elephant."
"I'll keep that in mind," Severus muttered dryly.
"God, this is humiliating. I hate being the center of all the gossip. And Harry just shows up here, with HIM, and they have the nerve to rub their happiness in my face."
"Would you rather them be miserable?"
"YES! Then at least I know I'm not the only one."
"You're not the only one, Hermione," Severus's voice was barely audible. He stared the bartender down, until the bartender made them both more martinis.
"What have you got to be miserable about?"
"I have spent my whole life atoning for a sin I committed when I was younger than you are! I have taken more risks than most, enduring Cruciatus whenever He felt like dishing it out. Then, the battle ends, Harry gets all the credit, and as an afterthought, they give me an Order of Merlin, second class. Well congratulations, give yourself a shiny. I had to kill the only person in the world who gave a rat's ass about me, and here I am, trying to get drunk enough to go numb, with the elephant. To make matters worse, I have no purpose now. I spent 20 years living on the edge of life and death, and now where do I get my thrills? From teaching Potions? I spend everyday the same way. I wake up, eat breakfast, teach dunderheads, eat lunch, teach dunderheads, grade papers, eat dinner, patrol the hallways, and go to bed. On Wednesdays, I go drinking. That's my life." Severus threw his hands in the air.
Hermione had never thought about Snape's life that way. She figured he would be relieved to not have to live dangerously anymore.
"If you start to pity me, Hermione, I'll..."
"I don't pity you. You have not lived a life that requires pity. You have been brave-" Snape opened his mouth to interrupt, but Hermione held up her hand, "-brave, and strong and perservering. Those are all Gryffindor traits, Severus. Are you sure you don't have a little lion hidden away somewhere in there?" Hermione thumped his chest.
Severus recognized Hermione's attempt to lighten the mood, so he decided to go with it.
"I don't have a little lion, but I do have a big snake."
"Wow, I walked right into that one, didn't I?" Hermione's face was flaming.
"Yes you did. Bartender! Refills!" Severus barked.
The bartender seemed to have a bit of terror in his eyes, as he mixed the next round.
"He must be an ex-student of yours, Severus. See the fear in his eyes?"
"Either that, or he heard how many people I killed in the final battle. Or maybe he's just smart."
"Did you see who killed Ron?"
"Antonin Dolohov. I got him, though."
"Thank you."
They sat in silence for a few moments, reflecting on the final battle, and the atrocities they had to commit. And the death they had seen. Hermione gulped down the last of her drink.
"Let's get out of here. This place is too depressing."
"Shall we go to our bar?"
"Yes, let's."
Harry noticed Severus and Hermione leave. He noticed Hermione's arm looped through Severus's. He leaned forward to whisper to Draco, "Look who Hermione's leaving with."
Draco screwed up his face.
***********
Dirty Martini:
2 oz gin
1 tbsp dry vermouth
2 tbsp olive juice
2 olives
1. Place an ice cube and a small amount of water in a cocktail glass. Place in freezer for 2 - 3 minutes.
2. Fill a mixer with all ingredients including garnish. Cover and shake hard 3 - 4 times.
3. Remove cocktail glass from freezer, and empty. Strain contents of the mixer into the cocktail glass, add the olives.
Disclaimer: It's JKR's garden. I'm just spreading a bit of manure around the rosebushes.
Chapter 5- Saturday night, Victory Day celebration, Ministry of Magic ballroom
Hermione was sitting at the bar alone, nursing a dirty martini, when Snape suddenly sat beside her. She glanced at him.
"Oh, it's you."
"Don't act so surprised, Miss Granger."
"Call me Hermione."
"What?"
"Hermione. It's my name."
"I hardly think it's appropriate, Miss Granger."
"You've seen me drunk on more occasions than anybody, with the exception of the bartender, whose name I still don't know. So why would it be inappropriate?"
"You were my student."
"But I'm not anymore."
Snape sighed. There was no winning with this girl.
"Very well...Hermione."
Hermione grinned slightly.
"Can I buy you a drink, Professor?"
"I am no longer your professor, Hermione. And this is an open bar."
"Very well, then, Severus. Can I order you a drink?"
"Sure. I'll have what you're having."
"Dirty martinis. Something classy to go with the event."
"There's hardly anything classy about the Ministry."
"True, but I'm dressed up. So are you. So martinis."
Hermione nodded at the bartender, pointed at her drink, then held up two fingers. The bartender began assembling the martinis.
Severus took that moment to examine Hermione. She was indeed, dresses up. She was wearing a deep purple dress with a fluffy skirt and a satiny, clinging bodice. Her hair was done so there was a mass of honey colored ringlets piled in a heap at the crown of her head, and she was even wearing some light makeup. A quick glance at her feet revealed strappy silver shoes.
Hermione could feel Severus's gaze burning on her, and she tried not to blush.
The bartender set the martinis on the counter. Hermione dropped a few Sickles into his tip jar.
"So why aren't you on the dance floor, breaking hearts?" Severus asked between sips.
Hermione held up her feet. "These shoes are killing me. And if I go out on the dance floor, I have no choice but to look at them-" Hermione pointed behind her at Draco and Harry, who were locked in a tight clench and kissing each other softly, "-and if I look at them, I might ruin my dress by vomiting all over it. Here at the bar, I can keep my back to them and not look like I'm trying to avoid them."
Her voice dropped to a whisper, "I am trying to avoid them, you know."
Severus nodded. "I can tell," he whispered back.
"Of course you can tell. You know the whole story. But every casual observer in this room..." Hermione glanced around the room quickly.
"They can tell too, Hermione. You are the elephant in the room." Severus told her softly.
"Thanks." Hermione smacked him lightly on the arm. "Never call a woman an elephant."
"I'll keep that in mind," Severus muttered dryly.
"God, this is humiliating. I hate being the center of all the gossip. And Harry just shows up here, with HIM, and they have the nerve to rub their happiness in my face."
"Would you rather them be miserable?"
"YES! Then at least I know I'm not the only one."
"You're not the only one, Hermione," Severus's voice was barely audible. He stared the bartender down, until the bartender made them both more martinis.
"What have you got to be miserable about?"
"I have spent my whole life atoning for a sin I committed when I was younger than you are! I have taken more risks than most, enduring Cruciatus whenever He felt like dishing it out. Then, the battle ends, Harry gets all the credit, and as an afterthought, they give me an Order of Merlin, second class. Well congratulations, give yourself a shiny. I had to kill the only person in the world who gave a rat's ass about me, and here I am, trying to get drunk enough to go numb, with the elephant. To make matters worse, I have no purpose now. I spent 20 years living on the edge of life and death, and now where do I get my thrills? From teaching Potions? I spend everyday the same way. I wake up, eat breakfast, teach dunderheads, eat lunch, teach dunderheads, grade papers, eat dinner, patrol the hallways, and go to bed. On Wednesdays, I go drinking. That's my life." Severus threw his hands in the air.
Hermione had never thought about Snape's life that way. She figured he would be relieved to not have to live dangerously anymore.
"If you start to pity me, Hermione, I'll..."
"I don't pity you. You have not lived a life that requires pity. You have been brave-" Snape opened his mouth to interrupt, but Hermione held up her hand, "-brave, and strong and perservering. Those are all Gryffindor traits, Severus. Are you sure you don't have a little lion hidden away somewhere in there?" Hermione thumped his chest.
Severus recognized Hermione's attempt to lighten the mood, so he decided to go with it.
"I don't have a little lion, but I do have a big snake."
"Wow, I walked right into that one, didn't I?" Hermione's face was flaming.
"Yes you did. Bartender! Refills!" Severus barked.
The bartender seemed to have a bit of terror in his eyes, as he mixed the next round.
"He must be an ex-student of yours, Severus. See the fear in his eyes?"
"Either that, or he heard how many people I killed in the final battle. Or maybe he's just smart."
"Did you see who killed Ron?"
"Antonin Dolohov. I got him, though."
"Thank you."
They sat in silence for a few moments, reflecting on the final battle, and the atrocities they had to commit. And the death they had seen. Hermione gulped down the last of her drink.
"Let's get out of here. This place is too depressing."
"Shall we go to our bar?"
"Yes, let's."
Harry noticed Severus and Hermione leave. He noticed Hermione's arm looped through Severus's. He leaned forward to whisper to Draco, "Look who Hermione's leaving with."
Draco screwed up his face.
***********
Dirty Martini:
2 oz gin
1 tbsp dry vermouth
2 tbsp olive juice
2 olives
1. Place an ice cube and a small amount of water in a cocktail glass. Place in freezer for 2 - 3 minutes.
2. Fill a mixer with all ingredients including garnish. Cover and shake hard 3 - 4 times.
3. Remove cocktail glass from freezer, and empty. Strain contents of the mixer into the cocktail glass, add the olives.