Unexpected Places

The week went by extremely slowly for Hermione and Snape. Because of a project for the Head Mistress, they were unable to have lunch together during the week. McGonagall had the Potions professor working on some sensitive potions and of course Hermione was busy with Alex and studying. Sometimes, they both thought they had imagined the kiss in his rooms.

Harry and Ron were overjoyed that she had stopped having lunch with the Professor. Ron hadn’t believed her when she told him they were just too busy and soon they would start lunching together again. He also didn’t want to believe something Harry had told him one night earlier in the week.

“I think Snape is sweet on our Hermione.” Harry had said out of no where when Ron had been gulping his pumpkin juice. That had resulted in juice being sprayed all over the table and the parchments they had been working on. Several students nearby had laughed but Harry hadn’t. He told Ron what he had seen with Draco and Snape that Saturday. Ron had said even so, Hermione would never ever in a million years get with Snape. Malfoy had been a fluke but she had realized her mistake quickly and ended it.

Harry had looked at Ron, then and wondered if anyone would ever be good enough for Hermione. He for the most part thought that Ron had taken the whole ‘I love you like a brother’ personally and had attached his brotherly concerns to Hermione when Ginny had died during the war. The thought of Ginny made him sad and he made himself turn back to the problem of Hermione and Snape.

He didn’t like Snape. Maybe the hate had gone but he still didn’t like him. But he also couldn’t deny the fact that Hermione had changed. He didn’t know if it was Alex, or Snape who had been the catalyst but she had changed for the better. Since the beginning of summer and her, Ron and Ginny’s capture by Death Eaters, she had been quiet and withdrawn.

He knew some of it was guilt over Ginny’s death. She felt she should have stopped it sooner but Harry knew it wasn’t her fault. Deep in his heart, the part that he pretended didn’t exist, he almost thanked Ginny for dying. If she hadn’t died, Hermione would not have lost control and he would have lost the three people that meant most to him in the world, and not just one. He didn’t know if he could have lived without the Ron and Hermione, if he would have even wanted to. They were his anchors.

Hermione had become depressed and at times suicidal, which is why he had welcomed Draco into her life. Draco had teased her until she had blown up and it had released some of those pent up emotions. It had been a violent stressful week, but had been good for Hermione. She was better when it was over, but still not the same. She still locked herself in her rooms at times, refusing to answer the door. She was still depressed and Harry worried about her more than ever.

When she found Alex, it was like she had found meaning in life. Finding the boy’s father had now given her life purpose. She was happier than she had been for months. She smiled and even whistled when she was walking down the hall. He didn’t know if it was Alex that had caused these changes, or it was her newfound friendship with Snape but he didn’t care. Anything that made her happy, he could deal with. She had given so much to him, some understanding was the least he could do for her. But just because he wanted her to be happy, didn’t mean he had to like Snape.

Hermione plodded through the week, only seeing Snape in the halls or in the classroom. She missed his company. The only good thing was spending lunch with Harry and Ron, who did their best to keep her happy. Ron had even hexed Draco once when he approached her in the halls. She had scolded him, but had been laughing to see the blond with tentacles growing from his head.

The week passed slowly but it did pass and finally Friday arrived. Hermione had received an owl early in the week informing her that she should dress casually. She had picked out her clothes that very day after digging through her closet for almost an hour. At the last minute she informed Harry and Ron of her date and asked Harry to babysit.

“He is spending too much time with Dolly and not enough time with any humans other than myself. Will you do it Harry?” she asked, ignoring Ron’s questions about her date. She had purposely not told them who she was dating, deciding to wait until after it was said and done. Harry knew who it was already. He had recognized the handwriting on the letter Hermione had received early in the week about what to wear. He didn’t tell Ron though and didn’t tell Hermione he knew.

Ron kept pestering her, telling her if she didn’t tell him he would follow her and talk to the bloke himself. She had turned on him in fury, laughing inside at what he might do when he came face to face with Professor Snape.

“You will not! If I see you at all tonight before I get back from my date, then I will hex you so bad you won’t be able to play Quidditch for a year.” She growled. Ron paled, knowing she could do it and nodded.

“And you will not let him use the cloak, Harry because I will find out.” She said threateningly and Harry swallowed a laugh and nodded. Oh Merlin, she was even beginning to sound like Snape now.

She left Alex with Harry and returned to her room to dress. She had chosen her clothing with care. She wore a pure white summer dress and sensible flat sandals that matched. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she wore a short white cape to keep her warm. She knew he wore black all the time. She didn’t even know if he had any clothes with color and she had decided that to dress as his opposite would be striking. She thought he would like the idea.

And he did. When he opened his door and saw her standing there, an angel in white, she took his breath away. She was so perfect. He invited her into his office and transfigured his chair into something comfortable. She laughed and sat to wait.

“You look beautiful, Hermione, my dear. An angel…” he said playfully and she shook her head.

“You get what you see. It’s just appearances can be deceiving, Professor. I may look like an angel…”

He smiled. “Just a moment and I will be ready. Ah, here it is.” He said pulling a book partially off the shelf. Behind her another hidden door slid open. She jumped up and peered into the darkness. She didn’t see anything.

“Well, we can be on our way.” He said offering his arm. She took it and they proceeded into the hallway beyond. Hermione jumped when the door closed behind them, leaving them in total darkness. Snape chuckled and pulled out his wand.

“Lumos”

They walked arm in arm down the hallway with only his wand to light the way. They were both nervous but finally Snape broke the silence.

“Why didn’t you use your wand the other night when you snuck into my rooms?” he asked curiously. She winced and turned her head away.

“Habit, I guess. You may be able to see in the dark but whatever is in the dark can see you too. I learned that the hard way. I also learned to walk quietly. And to react quickly.” She said softly and he regretted the question. Great, Severus, remind her of an awful time, he chided himself.

She giggled suddenly and shook her head. “I don’t know how many times I have hexed Fred and George for sneaking up on me. They finally learned their lesson. Harry and Ron knew from the first what not to do. Ron of course was with me.”

He nodded, trying to think of a subject that wouldn’t bring her any pain. “Is Alex with Dolly tonight?” he asked finally.

She smiled up at him as they walked along. “No, I left him with Harry. Harry loves kids so I thought I would leave him in good hands. Not that I don’t trust Dolly, but I think that raising a child should be done by humans.”

They talked for a bit about raising children and the use of House Elves before Hermione finally asked. “Where are we going?”

Snape laughed, a deep hearty sound that echoed through the hallway. “It is right up here, about twenty feet. It is a door, Miss Granger.” He showed her the door at the end of the tunnel.

“We cannot apparate out of Hogwart’s so I had my own entrance installed so that I could get out when I was spying. I didn’t know if you wanted everyone to see us leave together.” He said the last uncertainly as if he expected her to agree as they went through the door and into the Forbidden forest on the other side.

“I don’t really care, Professor. I didn’t want Harry and Ron to know so they couldn’t interfere, but I plan to tell them when we get back. After all, they can’t stop what has already happened, can they?” she replied seriously.

Snape stopped and faced her, gazing into her eyes for a moment. He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her lips before saying, “I don’t think they could have stopped us anyway, Hermione. We are both formidable in our own ways.”

She smiled and looked around. They had come out in a field that Hermione had never seen before but it was beautiful. The moon shown down on a field of white flowers, making them glitter and glow. She realized what the field was and gasped. Moonflowers, a very potent ingredient in potions but also the symbol of romance in the Wizarding world. Moonflowers represented a love that shown even in the darkness and a field of them was tantamount to a marriage proposal. She didn’t know if the Professor knew this.

He did. He wasn’t sure she did though and so he wouldn’t say anything. It was too soon for such a gesture of course. This was only their first date but he thought she would like the flowers. She stood staring out at the field in astonishment. Something so beautiful was so close. Feeling giddy she grabbed his hand and pulled him along into the field. She ran dragging him along, laughing until she reached the middle of the field and let go of his hand. He stared at her as if she had gone mad.

“It’s a beautiful night, Professor. A night to dance.” She proclaimed, grabbing his hands again and pulling him into a dance. It took a moment for him to match her rhythm but he did. They danced for a few minutes to the soundless music of the night. He laughed along with her until they both collapsed on the ground, breathless. He shook his head, trying to catch his breath and wondering what the young witch had done to him. If anyone had ever told him he would be dancing in a field of flowers he would have had them admitted to St. Mungo’s immediately.

Hermione seemed to catch his thought. “What would your students think about their fearsome Potions Professor now, hmm?” she teased. He laughed but didn’t respond. They lay there for a few minutes looking at the sky. Finally he stood and pulled her up with him.

“This is not what I had planned, Miss Granger. Scourgify!” he scolded and he cleaned their clothes.

“Ah, yes but it was fun, wasn’t it, Professor?” she asked playfully. He smiled, took her hand and apparated them away.

High in Gryffindor tower, Harry had watched the scene in a mirror with bemusement. If he hadn’t known better he would have thought Snape was bewitched or on some kind of drug. He put away his mirror for the time being, glad that Hermione was having fun. He would check up on her later.

“Your mama will be home soon.” He assured the fussy baby on the bed before picking him up. “Everything will be just fine. Uncle Harry will make sure of it.”