This little one-shot popped into my head today on my lunch break in honour of Hermione's birthday. I hope you like it.
Hermione Granger cast a tempus charm. Noting that it was now half 5 in the afternoon, she tidied up her desk, ready to leave for the day. Grabbing the small black leather handbag that had replaced her beaded bag nearly ten years ago, she ran to nondescript employee washroom to change out of her work robes and into a small black cocktail dress that hugged all of her curves and hid the parts of her she perceived to be flawed. She applied a light coat of pink lip gloss and added a bit more mascara than was usual, before hopping up and down on one foot as she attempted to put on her strappy, silver high heeled shoes without actually having to sit on the loo. Rather than tame her mane of hair after a day working in the lab, she opted for a neat chignon at the nape of her neck.
Satisfied with her appearance, Hermione gazed into the full-sized mirror and smoothed out the non-existent wrinkles in her dress. She gave her reflection a beaming smile. She looked fabulous if she did say so herself, the perfect outfit to celebrate her twenty-ninth birthday. Adding to her excitement, she was sure that tonight would be the night her long-time boyfriend, Ronald Weasley finally proposed to her. They had dated on and off the last ten years, having taken an extended break in the last year of Hermione's Arithmancy Mastery as she tried to decide if she would go abroad to teach at Beauxbatons or take up a position with the Ministry of Magic. The day she accepted a job as an Unspeakable and Arithmancy Mistress for the Department of Mysteries, Ron had shown up at her flat with a bouquet of peonies, and they had been together for the last five years.
Scurrying out of the washroom, Hermione teetered precariously on her ridiculously high heels, heading for the floo atrium. Not paying attention to her surroundings, she slammed into the chest of a colleague. As she felt ready to topple in her too tall shoes, firm, muscular arms wrapped themselves around her waist to stabilise her. In front of her face, she spotted a line of dark black buttons on black fabric, the smell of herbs, spices, sandalwood and a hint of menthol tobacco. She smiled against the man's chest and looked up at her lab partner for the last five years, and one of her best friends, Severus Snape.
"Thank you, Severus," she said breathlessly.
Severus stepped back as far as his arms would extend, while still maintaining contact with her small waist. Looking her up and down as if appraising her he gave her a little smirk, and she felt her stomach flutter as his dark gaze. 'You love Ron Hermione, you're getting engaged tonight … probably. Is Severus looking at you like the way you hope Ron will? Yes. That means it will work; you look smoking today,' she told herself.
"I know I said it earlier today, but Happy Birthday Granger. Just don't decapitate yourself on those ridiculous things pretending to be shoes before you arrive at whatever big party you have planned."
She swotted him playfully before casting her eyes downward, "No big party. Just dinner with Harry, Ginny and Ron. I would have invited you of course, but …"
He held up his hand to stop her. "Mia, I understand completely. You don't have to explain why you didn't invite me. Besides, I believe I got to spend lunch with you, alone."
And understand he did. With such an intimate gathering of just the Golden Trio Ginevra Potter, his appearance at the table would not only make him a fifth wheel but leave Hermione feeling uncomfortable. While he had buried the past with Ginevra and Potter years previously, Ronald Weasley still held Snape in contempt, vocally berating him and lamenting the fact that his significant other was forced to work with 'the Greasy Git'. When Hermione and Severus became friends, Ronald almost ended their relationship, so now Hermione pretended it didn't exist and that she and Snape were nothing more than colleagues. Severus didn't come to Hermione's small gatherings, and at larger ministry or Order events, they didn't socialise very much, talking in different circles to avoid Weasley's ire.
Severus couldn't understand why a woman as intelligent and beautiful as Hermione Granger stayed with an oaf like Ron Weasley. It was telling to Severus that after ten years the dunderhead still hadn't proposed. Any other man with half a brain would have snapped Hermione Granger up and treated her like the Queen she was ages ago. While he knew Hermione hoped tonight would be the night, Severus remained silently sceptical for his friend.
Spotting Potter heading towards them, Severus withdrew his touch from Hermione's person. She immediately felt the loss and stepped closer, cupping his left cheek with her hand and stepping on her tiptoes to kiss his right cheek lightly. "I'll see you tomorrow. Thank you for always understanding and being my friend anyway."
He gave her a small, shy smile in response, "I will always be your friend Mia."
She stepped back, and Harry announced himself. "Happy Birthday 'Mione! We better get to the restaurant, Ginny made the reservation and is likely waiting for us. Is Ron meeting us there?" he asked as he wrapped her into a big hug, "You look amazing by the way!"
"Thank you, Harry," she beamed at him, "Ron is meeting us there after work. I left him a note in the bathroom to remind him this morning before I came to work early this morning."
The Boy-Who-Lived then looked up at his former Potions Professor, turned colleague and good acquaintance. "Good afternoon sir. I trust you're well," he said politely.
"Very well Mr Potter, thank you. Hermione just completed a new batch of calculations on the 24-hour polyjuice we're testing. I hope to start brewing next week after we've reviewed everything. I think it will be invaluable to your department."
"If you two can get a 24-hour polyjuice developed and patented, my Gods, I'll stockpile. That would be bloody useful for the Auror Corps."
"Eloquent as always Potter. I heard that Ginevra is with child again?"
Harry blushed at the snide remark, then beamed at his impending child, "Yes! It's a boy. Jamie hasn't quite figured out what's happening yet, but that little trouble-maker is in for an eye-opening."
"Well, given who is named for, I don't know what else you expected," Hermione inserted cheekily.
"Indeed," sneered Snape. He had interacted with James Sirius Potter in the past, and for whatever reason, the little brat loved to climb all over him, almost as if he knew his mere existence was taunting Severus.
"Well you know sir, we were brainstorming baby names and realised we wanted our next child to be less of a troublemaker and more snarky, meddling and brilliant. Ginny suggested the name, Albus Severus."
Severus blanched, knowing Ginevra Potter, she'd probably do it to fuck with him. "Potter, if you name your spawn after me, I will hex you into next year."
"Just kidding Professor, but Gods, you should have seen the look on your face. I'll have to show Gin the memory when we get home tonight. She'll love it."
Watching her two best friends interact like this with each other, she smiled at how far they had come and just wished Ron could spend time with Severus the way Harry could. She could see Severus' wand hand twitching though after the joke and decided it was best to get out of dodge.
"Ok Harry, you had your fun, now let's leave Severus to his business and go meet Ginny. We must not keep a pregnant witch waiting.
Ginny had made a reservation at the hottest new restaurant in Diagon Alley, The Copper Cauldron. It was almost impossible to get a reservation, but there were some perks to being the Golden Trio. Ten years post-war, the media had calmed down, and the threesome had grown up and gotten on with their lives as the Wizarding World rebuilt itself. Harry was a senior auror with the Ministry of Magic; Hermione, an unspeakable and Arithmancy Mistress, specialising in potions theory; and Ron working with George at Weasley Wizard Wheezes after dropping out of the auror corp before completing his training. Harry and Ginny bought a large, unplottable home in Godric's Hollow and Hermione had a tiny two bedroom cottage in the Cotswolds that was also unplottable to keep the press away. Ron was the only one who loved the attention, still occasionally speaking to the media at significant events, and living in Fred and George's old flat above the shop so he could enjoy the nightlife of Diagon Alley without having to try to apparate home. He spent many nights with Hermione, but when she pressed him to move in with her or to buy a larger family home, he just rebuffed her. He told her that he didn't want to stay at home all of the time with her books and he wanted to live right in the middle of London, where all of the action was.
When Harry and Hermione arrived at the restaurant, Ginny was waiting for them. "Oh thank Merlin you're both here", the six-months pregnant witch exclaimed, "They wouldn't seat me at our table until at least half our party arrived, and I am dead on my feet!"
"Ron's not here yet?" Asked Hermione.
"No, but they don't close the shop until six, so I'm sure he'll be here soon. Here, come hug me!" Hermione and Ginny laughed as Hermione wrapped her arms around Ginny, but was impeded by her growing bump.
"You are glowing Gin! Honestly, I think I'm finally ready for one of my own."
"Are you and Ron thinking about settling down finally then?"
"Well, I'm done thinking. I'm definitely ready. I hope he is too."
Soon the little group was lead to their table, and Harry ordered Hermione's favourite wine at Ginny's insistence. The three were catching up, Harry and Hermione drinking wine, while Ginny sipped her soda water. They talked about work, Jamie, Ginny's hormones, anything, and everything. Hermione had been so focused on her calculations for the new polyjuice potion; she'd hardly seen the Potters or Ron in the last month. Ron would come over a couple of nights a week; they'd have sex and pretty much go straight to bed. In fact, before last night, she realised, Ron hadn't stayed over at the cottage in over a week. She just shrugged at the thought; he knew she was busy with her research, working all hours of the day and night and was giving her space to work. He would stay over again tonight, and now that Severus would be moving on to the brewing stage she'd have a lot more time to devote to her relationship, and hopefully plan a wedding.
She was roused from these thoughts when the waiter arrived wanting to take their orders. As Ron had still not come, Harry asked the waiter to give them five more minutes. When the waiter returned, and there was still no Ron, the three gave their orders. Hermione was starting to twitch with anxiety in her seat. 'Where is Ron?' She thought, 'Something urgent must have come up. He wouldn't forget my birthday, and George wouldn't keep him if it weren't important.'
Finally, Harry stood up and threw his napkin on the table, "I'm going to get him! The shop is just down the street."
"No Harry! It's ok; I'm sure Ron is just running late, why don't we send him a patronus…"
As she spoke, a flash of red hair and magenta was in Hermione's periphery. Just as her face began to morph into a smile and call out to her boyfriend, it crumpled. Walking into the restaurant was Ron, in his magenta work robes with his arm thrown around the shoulder of a shop witch from Madam Malkins. Harry turned around at the sound of his best friend's voice; his eyes glittered with barely concealed rage. The entire restaurant could hear Ronald Weasley arguing with the host, who was trying to explain to Ron that there were no free tables for the evening. "What do you mean there are no free tables? I'm bringing my girl here, and I want a table," Ron yelled, his face turning red with rage. "Don't you know who I am? I'm Ron Weasley, and you'd be bowing down to Lord Voldemort if it wasn't for me!" He said, puffing his chest out.
Harry was appalled at the scene Ron was making. This wasn't what they had fought for, fame, greed, and arrogance. They had fought for love, peace, a future. Clenching his fists, the Boy-Who-Lived-Twice approached his best friend and brother-in-law. "Ron," he seethed, "What are you doing?!"
"Harry!" Ron called. Then realising he had an arm wrapped around a witch who was not Hermione, removed her from his person and stepped up to his best friend. "Erm, what are you doing here? Dump Jamie with Mum so you and Gin could have a night out?"
"No," said Harry, stepping out of the way so Ron could see there table, "We are here celebrating Hermione's birthday. You know her right? Your girlfriend?"
Ron blanched as he looked over at his sister and girlfriend. Hermione's trembling bottom lip was trapped under her teeth, and her eyes were swimming with unshed tears while Ginny had her wand drawn and looked ready to Avada him.
Harry glared at Ron's companion and spat with venom in his voice, "Why don't you go find something else to do tonight. He's coming with me."
The girl's eyes widened with horror as she ran out of the restaurant. "Oy! Don't talk to her like that," Ron cried out as Harry grabbed him by the upper arm and pulled him out of the restaurant and onto the street.
"What were you thinking?" Hissed Harry, "No, you weren't thinking at all. Not only are you cheating on Hermione, but you forgot about her birthday dinner, AND you brought the woman you're cheating on her with to the restaurant. I thought you were going to propose!"
"Propose?!" Said Ron, wrenching his arm away from Harry, "What in Merlin's name made you think that?"
"Don't you think its time? You and Hermione have been together for years and years. She's ready to settle down and have some kids. Don't you want to be like Ginny and me?"
Ron snorted, "Yeah, settle down. What the fuck do I want with a couple of kids, a cottage in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by Hermione's research and books? Most nights I close up the shop, grab a few pints with the boys from my Quidditch rec league. I see Hermione when she decides to bother to spend time with me and meet my needs, and when she can't, I'll pick up a bird at the pub."
"Wait, this isn't the only girl you've cheated on Hermione with?"
"Right, like she's not banging Snape down in the Department of Mysteries," Ron scoffed, "I know she'd rather spend time with that greasy git than me. I should have left her when she became friends with him.
"Hermione is not sleeping with Severus."
"Could have fooled me. Either that or she's just a frigid b –"
"Finish that sentence, and you'll never fuck another witch again Ronald Weasley." Ron and Harry turned to see a snarling Ginny Potter, wand drawn at her brother while a shocked Hermione stepped from behind her.
"So, that's what you think of me, Ron? I begged you to move in with me. I explained to you after a few months living in the City that the noise made me jumpy and set off my panic attacks from the war. You … you think I'm sleeping with Severus? I would never…" she choked out a strangled sob. "You know what, you're not worth it. I won't beg or plead anymore Ron, and I won't let you humiliate me in public again."
With that Hermione ran down the street to the apparition point. Just as she spun on her heel to return home, she changed her mind at the last minute.
Severus came home from work and sat down with a tumbler of firewhiskey and a new copy of Potion's Quarterly. He had re-read the first paragraph on an article on extending the useful life of fluxweed four times when he gave it up as a bad job.
He could not get Hermione Granger out of his mind. He kept thinking about how incredible she looked in that little black dress and silver 'fuck-me' heels. When she had fallen into his arms in the floo atrium, he had gotten a whiff of her intoxicating perfume, lavender and amber. He had loved her from a distance for four long years, having discovered his true feelings when he'd been experimenting with amortentia.
He thought back to their first year working together. For the first few months, he was professional but cool. She was his former student, the Gryffindor Princess after all. However, she soon wormed her way into his life. First by impressing him with her excellent calculations and work, then by her exuberance and passion for their research. He pinpointed the day she broke the ice around his heart. They had successfully patented their first experimental potion, a nerve restoration balm, to help those who had been tortured during the war. When the patent documents arrived at their shared office, Hermione jumped up and down squealing, the papers in her hand. She looked up at him as he gave her a small smile and she threw the papers onto her desk and ran into her partner's arms, hugging him around the neck. When she realised that she had thrown herself on his person, she blushed and made to move away. Severus had frozen at first but then relaxed, inhaling that intoxicating lavender and amber scent and put his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. He leaned down, and his lips ghosted the shell of her ear as he whispered, "Congratulations Granger. Here's to the first of many developments."
She let out a throaty laugh, and he swung her around before planting her feet firmly on the ground and letting her go. She looked up at him thoughtfully, still smiling and said, "Call me Mia, sir."
"Mmm?" He asked.
"Mia, it's what all of my friends and family outside of the wizarding world call me. Don't tell the boys, but I hate 'Mione. I only let them get away with it."
"Well then, M-Mia," he said, testing out the new name, "call me Severus."
He didn't think it was possible for her smile to get any bigger, but it did. "Ok, Severus! Now, what will our next project be?"
Severus was suddenly pulled out of his dream at a loud, persistent knocking on his front door.
Severus got up to yell at whichever Muggle neighbour dared disturb him. As he opened the door, he came upon a sad sight. Hermione Granger, her hair falling out of its elegant knot, frizzing into her wild mane, her bloodshot eyes rimmed with mascara as tears tracked and her nose ran. 'Gods, she always is an ugly crier,' he thought. Followed by the next, 'I'll kill Weasley for whatever he's done to her.'
Ushering her into the house, he led her to the couch and sat her down. He kneeled down to face her, wincing as he old knees cracked on the way down. "Mia, darling girl, what happened?"
"Ron … showed up to the restaurant with another girl on his arm," she hiccupped, "He … He forgot about my birthday and tried to get a table with the shopgirl from Madam Malkin's his shagging. He made a scene and … and he never wants to marry me. He thinks I'm either sleeping with you or am nothing but a… but a frigid bitch," she sobbed.
Severus dug his nails into his thighs to keep him from grabbing his wand and apparating away to hex the cretin.
Hermione looked at him, rubbing her eyes with the palms of her hands and wiping away the tears. "Why doesn't he want me," she whispered, "I stayed in England to give our relationship another chance… I bought a house, got a good job, supported him when he quit the auror program, all to make a better life for us, and it wasn't enough. I wasn't enough for him."
Severus was up in an instant. He sat down next to her on the couch and scooped her up into his arms. He began tracing circles on her back while she recommenced her sobs. He started whispering in her ear, crooning, "You, Hermione Granger, are more than enough. Any wizard or muggle man would consider it a privilege to be with you, to have a family with you."
Hermione scoffed, "Sure, like who? Most of the men I went to school with are married or attached. Neville is with Hannah, Dean and Seamus are together. Even Zacharias Smith is with Tracey Daviss now.
Severus conjured a flannel so she could wash the running mascara off her face. When she banished it, he put his hand under her chin and tilted it upwards to look him in the eye. "I know one wizard who has wanted you for a very long time and would be honoured if you'd even consider him. He would love you and honour you every day for the rest of his life if you'd have him.
Hermione's breath hitched as she gazed into his onyx eyes blazing with fire and passion. "Who?" She asked.
"Me." Then her lips were crashing onto his as if they were sustaining her. Severus kissed her back pouring all of the devotion he had carried in his torch for her for the last four years. He licked the seam of her mouth with his tongue, and her lips parted, granting him admittance. He plunged her mouth, exploring her mouth tenderly.
In an instant, the room was flooded with ethereal silver light, and they pulled away breathlessly. A stag was in front of them and began to speak in Harry's voice. "Hermione. Please respond and tell me you're safe. I went to the cottage, and you're not there. Ginny hexed Ron with a bat-bogey hex, and George heard the commotion in the street and used your jinx to cover his forehead in boils that say CHEATER in bright green. The prat deserves it. Anyway, we are here for you, just let us know you're ok."
Hermione started to giggle at Harry's patronus while Severus let out a loud bark at the image of Ronald Weasley covered in boils, with bats flying out of his nose. He pulled out his ebony wand and conjured his patronus, which had changed, about four years previously, from a doe to a lioness, "Potter, she is at Spinner's End with me, she is safe and well taken care of."
As the lioness sped off to deliver its message, Hermione sat in Severus lap contentedly. Sitting like this, his arms around her, protecting her, snogging her, Hermione saw their entire friendship flash before her eyes. At that moment she realised she didn't love Ron anymore, just the idea she had of their future, a future that had been dead for a long time, probably years.
The person who had always acted like her true partner, shared her passions for her work, the same hobbies, the same jokes. The man she could share anything with openly and freely was the one who was sitting right in front of her. Severus Snape was always the overlooked friend, lurking in the shadows. The strong, silent type who let few in, but loved those he did with an unheard of devotion, and she was fortunate enough to be on the receiving end of that devotion. She cupped his face in her hands and said: "If you'll have me, Severus, I'm yours."
"Well," said Severus, taking her palm and kissing her knuckles, "thankfully, I am no fool, and I promise to never take this gift you have given me for granted."
"Oh Severus, it is you who have given me the gift of love and friendship these last four years. You are the best gift I could ask for on my birthday."
