Severus didn't know what had happened to him back there. He'd told her he'd be in touch! It reminded him of the first time he had had lunch with Kathleen.

"Well," Severus began, "it was nice eating lunch with you."

"Same to you," Kathleen responded. "Perhaps, I'll see you around the bookshop."

"Indeed. I'll keep in touch."

But he hadn't kept in touch. His fear prevented him from stepping into the library for another three weeks. When he finally did, he greeted a very cold and distant Kathleen. She helped him find the book he was looking for and took his money without even so much as a glance or a smile. She handed him his change, thanked him, and wished him a good day. An obvious dismissal.

He didn't leave right away, but rather stood at the desk for a minute thinking it over. She continued to ignore him, until he finally spoke up.

"I'm sorry, but have I done something to offend you? Why are you acting so cold to me?"

She glared at him. "As if you don't know."

That took him aback a little. Obviously he didn't know if he was asking her. He was going to ask her again, but without a second glance in his direction, she marched towards the back room.

Puzzled, he left the store. That evening, he decided the only way to figure out what he had done wrong was to recount the entire luncheon he had spent with her. Nothing seemed amiss, until he got to the very end. The last words he had spoken to her were, "I'll keep in touch." Had Kathleen thought that three weeks was too long? Yes, he decided. She was upset at him for not being around.

He frowned. That wasn't very fair. She had no idea how busy he might have been. "But you weren't." said that damn little voice in his head. She was right.

The next day, he went back to the bookstore and apologized for not contacting her in any other way. Instantly, she warmed up to him and they set a date for dinner the following week.

Severus pondered his mistake the last time. Would Hermione get as angry as Kathleen had if he didn't contact her at all after saying he would? Maybe not as angry, but there was no point in finding out exactly how angry. He would wait until Thursday so as not to look too anxious and then send her an owl.

XOX

Hermione was a tad giddy for the rest of the day. He had said he'd be in touch. He wouldn't have said that if he didn't have an interest in seeing her again, right?

Unless he just threw it around flippantly and didn't really mean it at all. There was only one thing to do when trying to decipher men's coded language. Call Ginny.

The afternoon went by terribly slowly. When she finally got off at six, she apparated to Grimmauld Place at once.

Harry and Ginny continued dating after he left Hogwarts, and soon after she graduated a year later, he proposed. They had a lovely winter wedding the following December. James came along a year and a half later, and Lily just last March.

Being back around her friends made Hermione very happy; especially in times like this when she had no idea what to do and needed Ginny's advice.

She arrived just outside the place, knocked quickly, and waited. She could hear yelling children from inside, and soon a frazzled Harry answered the door.

"Hey! It's so good to see you," he scooped her up in a hug. "It seems like it's been awhile since we've gotten to see each other. Can you stay for dinner? I don't think Ginny will mind . . ."

"Of course not," Ginny called from somewhere inside the kitchen, though, Hermione could hear the exasperation in her voice. Harry led her to the kitchen. "I've made enough for one extra person, so you're quite welcome -" At that moment Ginny turned around and actually realized who was staying for dinner. "Hermione! I didn't realize it was you. I guess I won't be quite so angry at Harry anymore," she grinned at Hermione and embraced the older girl.

Harry had disappeared to attend to the yelling Lily and James, so Hermione guessed this was her chance. However, before she could start, Ginny had opened her mouth.

"Hermione, it seems like it's been forever! How have you been? How's the hospital? Any new men in you life? Come on, dish the dirt, girl!"

"One question at a time, Ginny!" Hermione laughed and gave Ginny a brief rundown of her new job.

Ginny turned to Hermione with a smirk on her face. "Well, that's all good and well, but we both know that's not the real information that I'm looking for here." Ginny nodded as a slight blush crept up Hermione's cheeks. "Let's hear it."

"Well," Hermione began cautiously. She wasn't about to let Ginny know who this actually was. "I ran into this guy whom I haven't seen in forever and we ended up having lunch. As we left, he said he'd be in touch. But, what the heck does that mean? Do you think it's just something he says all the time, or he really means it?"

Ginny paused as she thought and stirred the soup in the pot. "It's hard to say without knowing him better. Tell me about lunch. Was he interested in what you had to say?"

Hermione mused for a second, "Yes, I think so. He asked questions and responded accordingly."

"Then I think there's a shot that he meant he'd really be in touch. If he doesn't call you in a week or so, then, depending on how far you want to take this, either call him or don't worry about it anymore," Ginny replied as she started setting the table.

That was about all the conversation the two girls got in, because at that moment, James came bounding in with Harry and Lily close behind. Hermione shared a lovely meal with the Potters, catching up on recent events in their lives. She was sorry to leave a few hours later, but the kids needed to go to bed. She almost thought that the parents looked so tired that they needed sleep more than the kids.

Arriving back at her flat, Hermione showered and climbed into bed with a book to read for awhile, but when she found herself rereading the same paragraph over and over again, she turned off her light and went to sleep, hoping for a phone call soon.