WLTM

Valentine Passiflora had moved into her back room. This was her private place and no one could gain entry but her. The wards she had set up were so complicated she had to reset them each day; otherwise she could lock herself out.



She walked over to the small altar she had set up on the back wall of the room and removed the cards detailing her most recent clients. There were six in all, including Severus and Hermione. Valentine knew not to question the reasons people came to her. It was Fate. Fate was powerful and beyond even her own comprehension and Valentine was grateful for the business it brought her.



She shrugged off her black dress to reveal a tight-fitting, pale blue robe with long sleeves. Lifting her pendant from the altar, she placed it over her head, letting the dark sapphire stone nestle between her small, round breasts. She lifted her wand and touched the stone. It came alive and its brilliance shone around the room, casting a sparkling blue glow on the altar. Lighting the candles, she began her incantation and stared into the mirror, watching the faces of her clients swim before her.



She smiled knowingly. It hadn’t told her anything she hadn’t already seen.





*****



Hermione pushed the door of the shop with her foot, her arms laden with books and sheaves of parchment.



Severus was behind the counter and without looking at her he muttered, ‘You’re late.’



‘I know, sorry, ‘ Hermione walked and put down her cargo with a thump in front of him, ‘I’ve had a brilliant idea…’



She was a little breathless and pulled her cloak off roughly, loosing her hair in the process so it tumbled in a curly cloud around her shoulders. She walked quickly to hang it up, focussing her mind to forget their last encounter and concentrate on work related communication. She walked back to the counter and looked at Severus.



She couldn’t contain the sharp intake of breath as she took in his shocking appearance and he stared back at her through the dark curtains of his hair, his eyes black and flashing a little dangerously.



‘You look awful, Sir, ‘ Hermione whispered, her resolve already faltering. ‘Are you ill?’



Severus leaned forward a little, not breaking eye contact. ‘No, Miss Granger, I am not ill, ‘ he hissed at her. ‘Don’t you have work to do?’



Suddenly, Hermione Granger was back at school and her Potions Master was staring disdainfully at her for speaking out of turn. Hermione caught the distinct whiff of Firewhisky on his breath and stepped back, her lips twisted in a grimace. Combined with the stubble and the crumpled appearance of his robes, she realised he must have had a rough night. She had expected him to be a little spiky today but she suddenly felt sympathy for him. Their impromptu meeting last night had obviously affected him more than she had thought. She pulled herself as tall as she could.



‘I think, Sir, it might be better if I man the shop today. Without meaning to be too personal… you might put the customers off.’ She glared at him firmly as if daring him to argue.



Severus knew she was right. As it was, he was finding being in her presence uncomfortable. He couldn’t bear the memory of last night and he needed coffee. He shrugged without looking at her and walked into the lab, slamming to door behind him and leaving an icy silence in his wake.



Hermione sighed and walked behind the counter. Pulling forward her books and taking a sheet of parchment, she opened the first tome to the marked page and began to take notes.



****



Severus was leaning against his workbench, his eyes closed. Gods’ he was tired. He throat was aching a little from the copious amount of Firewhisky he had consumed and he turned to his shelf, unstoppered a pain potion and swallowed it in one. Grabbing his mug, he made himself a strong, black coffee and out of habit, made a peppermint tea for his assistant. He stared at it for a moment. He would have to take it to her now and he felt ashamed at being so harsh with her. He didn’t want her to look at him with those amber eyes full of pity, knowing he was lonely, knowing he was searching for someone. Severus was feeling so sorry for himself; it didn’t occur to him that Hermione was also lonely and looking.



With a huff, he grabbed the mug and took it to her in the front of the shop. His hand was trembling slightly from the alcohol still coursing through his veins and as he turned to place the mug on the counter, Hermione tried to take it from him and proceeded instead to knock it from his hand. As if in slow motion, they both watched as the murky, hot liquid flew from the mug and onto the front of his robes.



‘Fuck!’ Severus cried out, as the mug smashed on the stone-tiled floor.



‘Oh bloody hell! I’m so sorry… I was trying to help!’ Hermione wailed a little as she grabbed her wand. ‘Aguamenti!’



A cold jet of water flew from Hermione’s wand, soaking through Severus’ robes and cooling his scalded skin beneath. He gasped and stared at her in disbelief.



‘What the fuck are you doing?’ he hissed incredulously at her.



‘Cooling your skin down.. We should look at it Sir, make sure there is no permanent scarring…’ Hermione walked towards him and put her hands on the top of his robes, starting to unbutton them.



Severus grabbed Hermione’s hands and she stopped suddenly as she realised what she was about to do. Her face went pale, he mouth fell open in shock and she looked up into his eyes in horror.



‘Are you a witch, Miss Granger?’ Severus asked her smoothly.



Hermione nodded, not trusting herself to speak coherently.



‘And have you not worked in the finest, most highly regarded Potioneer’s shop for the past three years?’ He still held her hands in his tightly and his breathing was coming in short bursts as he tried to control his anger.



‘Yes…’ Hermione closed her eyes. Gods, she was stupid. ‘I’m sorry, Sir…’ her shoulders slumped, ‘I just reacted. I didn’t think.’



Severus watched her as the penny dropped. He let go of her hands as water dripped slowly onto the floor where he stood.



‘If this unfortunate incident should happen again, what course of action will you take, Miss Granger?’ Severus’s voice was a whisper as he calmed down and looked at her.



‘I would cast a cooling spell, then a drying spell and obtain some healing ointment from the stores, Sir.’ Hermione was looking at the remnants of her mug, too broken to fix and felt tears pricking at her eyes.



As Severus turned and walked back into the lab, Hermione knew without a doubt that bumping into him at Lonely Hearts Inc. had changed their relationship forever. She didn’t know how right she was.







*****



Please R & R. Like Dumbledore, Val starts to put the wheels in motion....