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And now to your regularly scheduled story...
Hermione opened the door to her mother's house a crack. "Hello?" she cried down the hallway.
"In the laundry room!" her mother called back.
Hermione walked inside and put her bag down. She wandered through the house and found her mother pulling clothes out of the dryer. Without a word she waved her wand. The clothes flew into the air, folded themselves, and stacked themselves neatly in the waiting basket.
Jean Granger turned and smiled at her daughter. "It's always nice to get your help around the house, sweetie."
"Well, two seconds for me, twenty minutes for you," Hermione smiled back, and with another wave the clothes in the washer moved to the dryer and the machine started up. A final load moved itself into the washer.
Jean pretended to pout. "What good am I around the house when all you have to do is wave that wand and it does itself?"
"I can set it back if you want me to."
"No! Come home more often and do my chores!"
Hermione laughed. "What else do you need me to do?"
"Come have a glass of wine with me. Tell me about Hogwarts."
Hermione agreed, and a few minutes later they were sitting on the couch together, talking about their jobs.
"Are you nervous for the start of a new term?" Jean asked her daughter.
Hermione shook her head. "I made sure everything was prepared before I came here. I'll have Monday and Tuesday to relax before term starts."
"And I know you'll do well. You always seemed like you were born to teach. I remember when you were a little girl you would line up your stuffed animals to teach them math, English, and science. I specifically remember one time you gave your stuffed horse detention for not doing his homework."
"Wow, this is rather embarrassing. I'm so glad no one important is here to hear this."
"Like a boyfriend?" her mother perked up.
Hermione sighed. "Do we need to start this again?"
"I'm your mother. Of course I want to know if there's a man in your life."
Hermione sighed. "No one since college, mother. Do you honestly think I wouldn't tell you?"
"I know you, dear," Jean replied, smiling at Hermione. "You don't tell me unless it's getting pretty serious. The last one you had I didn't even know about until your friend Ginny spilled the beans, and by then you had broken up."
"Well, he was a prat."
"What about that Ron? He was pretty nice."
"I said it before, and I'll say it again. Ron and I weren't a good match."
"You've said it, but you've never told me why."
"Well, the answer to that depends on how much of my life you really want to hear."
"I'm your mother. Tell me everything."
"Fine," Hermione rolled her eyes again. "Ron was insecure, bossy, and he had a temper. And sleeping with him was like sleeping with a brother. I think the only person it would be more awkward for me to sleep with would be Harry."
"Harry is a nice man, is he seeing someone?"
"He's engaged to Ginny."
"Well, good for them. See, they're settling down. Don't you think it's about time for you to settle down?"
Hermione sighed. "I wish you'd get off my case about this. When I'm ready to settle down, I'll settle down."
Jean ran a hand through Hermione's hair. "I'm just worried about you, sweetie. I want to see you happy."
"I am happy, mom. I don't need a man to be happy."
"I know. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't look. Are you sure there are no prospects?"
Hermione finished the rest of her wine. "That's actually why I wanted to come home and talk to you. There is a prospect, I think."
"Oh! Who is he?"
"In due time, mother."
"Is it really that bad?"
"First off, we're not really dating. We kissed once, but I broke it off and left."
"What was wrong?"
"He's.... not the typical man I date."
"That might be a good thing, considering you aren't with them anymore."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "I need to talk to you seriously, mother."
Jean's face fell into a classic motherly appearance. "Ask away, dear."
Hermione sighed. "What would you do if you found out two of your employees were dating?"
Jean thought about it for a moment. "Honestly? As long as they kept it out of the workplace, whatever they want to do is fine by me. But if it affects my place of business, then I'd probably say something about it. Why? Is your 'prospect' another Professor at the school?"
Hermione nodded.
"Is it that nice Neville boy who stopped by earlier this summer to tell you he had just gotten hired?"
"Neville Longbottom is a good friend, and he will never be anything more."
"Well, I've never met any of your other Professors, save for Dumbledore and McGonagall."
"He's dead and I'm not into girls that way, so they're out."
"Anyways, you're wondering if it would be acceptable for you to see another Professor?"
"That's part of it."
"I think that the same rules apply. Don't let it affect your students or the school, and it would be okay for you to see another Professor."
"Okay, going past the colleague dating thing, what do you think of older men?"
Jean gave Hermione a look. "How much older?"
"Twenty years."
Jean sighed. "If that's who you want to be with. You're a smart girl, I trust your judgment."
"Nice evasive answer."
Another sigh. "OK, I'm not totally thrilled about it. There are a lot of things to worry about when it comes to that big of an age difference. You're two different generations. He's probably more set in his ways. Does he have children?"
"No," Hermione said, trying not to laugh at the idea of her Professor holding a crying baby.
"You never know these days. Does he want children?"
"Don't you think you're taking this a little far? I'm asking about dating him, not marrying him."
"Where do you think dating eventually leads to? I know you, Hermione. You don't take who you date lightly. Even when you took someone out as revenge you thought your way through it."
"Who told you about that?"
"Ginny."
"I must have a talk with that girl. And, to answer your original question, I don't think he wants children. He doesn't seem like the fatherly type."
A quick smirk crossed Jane's mouth. "That could be an obstacle if your motherly instincts ever kick in."
Hermione nodded. She certainly hadn't thought that far in advance.
"But, as I said. I trust your judgment, and I know you. You wouldn't be talking about this if it wasn't something you wanted. If you want to try it, I say live a little."
"I'm just worried about getting hurt. He does have a bit of a reputation for hurting people."
The smirk flashed again.
"What is that?" Hermione asked, looking nervously at her mother.
"What is what?"
"You keep smirking like you know something I don't."
"Just thinking. So, how are the other faculty treating you?"
"Good," Hermione said slowly, not totally convinced her mother was 'just thinking'.
"Is that Potions Professor you weren't too fond of still working there?"
"Yes," Hermione said, her mouth going slightly dry.
"What was his name. Snare? Snake?"
"Snape. Severus Snape."
"Is he treating you any better?"
Hermione looked at her mother suspiciously. "How did you know?"
"Know what?" Jean asked, trying to look innocent.
"Come off it mother. You knew exactly who I was talking about, or you wouldn't be asking about Severus."
"He's Severus now? Well, I guess he should be if you're snogging him."
"Mother!"
"I'd ask you how you met, but considering he almost made you cry that first year..."
"Stop."
"I'm your mother. You can't tell me to stop. It's my right by your birth to give you a hard time. It's one of those things all mothers live for."
"So much for an adult conversation about this."
"Hermione, you're here asking my advice. But, as I've said a few dozen times, I know you. I could sit here and beg you not to date him, but if you want to you're going to do it. You just need to talk to someone about your feelings to someone, and since I, unlike Harry, Ron, and Ginny, have never had the pleasure or displeasure of meeting Professor Snape you're asking me. You know that should any of your friends catch wind of you having romantic feelings towards him they'll be checking you into that Wizarding Hospital before you could put up a protest. So you came home to talk to me about it, but you just want to get your feelings off your chest, not get a blessing for the relationship. No matter what I say you'll go back, and if you have feelings for him you'll be brave enough to try seeing him for a while. And if you don't have feelings for him, you won't talk of the subject anymore, or you'll rationalize it. But it'll be what it'll be no matter what I say, so let's not pretend like you're going to take my motherly advice to heart. All I can do is hope that whatever you decide to do will make you happy. I know it sounds cliché, but it's true that all a mother wants for their child is for them to be healthy and happy."
Hermione stared at her mother for a second. "Since when did you get a second job as a psychologist?"
Jean smiled. "You'd be amazed at how many people unload their problems on their dentists. I just try to help while deciphering what they're trying to say with their mouths wide open."