Sorry I've not updated this in a bit. I was busy getting Sorrow into shape and posted.
But, here we are, back with Hyacinth and Hubert.
I don't own the characters, only this silly plot!
Remember…I am not concerned with anachronisms or twiddly plot lines here…
Chapter 9
Severus returned from Spinner's End at the weekend. He brought with him a book or two on runes and some volumes he found on time travel. As he wandered up the drive from the main gates, he noticed a distinct lack of students on the grounds. On a typical Sunday afternoon, even though it was a cool October day, some students would make their way out to sit in the sun to write letters home or play a game of Gobstones.
He looked up when the sound of rapidly crunching leaves came to his ear. He was surprised to see Dumbledore, prancing hurriedly toward him, his robes held up so that he could move his legs freely. When he finally reached Severus, he clutched the man's arm and stooped to catch his breath.
"Why (gasp) didn't you (wheeze) warn us!" Dumbledore gasped.
"Warn you about what?" Severus asked, gazing not so innocently wide-eyed at Dumbledore's wheezing figure. He knew what had happened, and he was going to take extreme pleasure in hearing about it.
"Hyacinth, I mean Hermione. Apparently it's her…" Dumbledore's eyes shifted about nervously as if he expected Hermione to suddenly pop up out of nowhere. "…time of the month. I've never seen such behavior. The entire student body is in shock."
Indeed, as the two men walked into the Entrance hall, a familiar silence greeted Severus. The silence that he knew as "Hermione Silence." He noted a few students moved cautiously through the hall.
Dumbledore whispered, "No one, not even the staff, dares to talk or eat in case 'she' appears.
Severus began to laugh, "Oh come now, Headmaster! Surely you can handle such a tiny woman. She's what, 160 cm tall and 45 kg? Most of that is her hair!"
"I'd rather give Hagrid a prostate exam!" Dumbledore spluttered.
The woman herself appeared in the doorway leading from the Entrance hall to the Great Hall. Dumbledore jumped behind Severus, and several nearby second year Hufflepuffs dove for cover in the nearest broom cupboard, niche, or floor. One poor girl fainted. Hermione spied Severus and flew to him, arms outstretched.
Severus chuckled and wrapped his arms around the crying witch, stroking her hair. "It's all right, Hermione."
"You left me all by myself," she cried. "Don't wanna be all by myself anymore."
"I'm sorry. I forgot to tell them about your fix-it. Let's go; we'll find a house elf and fix you your whiskey sour. I am sorry we don't have any Monty Python movies, but maybe we can find something else?"
"That's it?" Dumbledore crept out from behind Severus, incredulously taking in what his History of Magic professor said. "Booze and Muggle moving pictures keep her from becoming Medusa on acid?"
"Not just any booze or movies; whiskey sours and Monty Python!"
====SS====HG====
Hermione and Severus were sitting on the couch in Severus' quarters, he with his feet on the coffee table, and she curled into the corner with her feet in Severus' lap. He had a house elf provide Hermione her whiskey sour and something to eat for both of them.
"You really scared them didn't you?" Severus chuckled as he spoke.
"They never saw it coming," Hermione grinned widely. "Oh, it was so fun. The first years nearly wet themselves! It was boring at our time; once the first years learn about it, it's never any fun, but here I had the entire school and staff at my mercy."
"Well, at least it's over this month. Now, I've found some interesting information while I was at Spinner's End researching."
"You mean hiding," she said, her eyebrow rising in amusement.
"Yes, well," he sniffed in dismissal at his behavior. "The equation we used was not correct, as you surmised." He held up his hand, forestalling her snide rejoinder. "We used the right ingredients, but we used two runes in the wrong spot, and we should have added the mandrake root after we stirred."
"Oh, then we should be able to get back with no trouble."
"Yes and no,' he agreed. "Yes, getting back will be as simple as redoing the potion. No, because I can't translate one of the runes, and we need a month to brew the base."
"So if we can find what the unknown rune means, say in the next week or so, and then begin immediately after that, we should be home shortly before Christmas."
"Yes." Severus looked at her, the unspoken history in his eyes.
"Your younger self took the mark at Christmas," Hermione said, quietly.
"Yes, I did." Severus looked at the fire, thinking about what happened all those years ago.
"What was it like?"
Severus rubbed Hermione's feet absentmindedly. "Painful." He turned to face her again. "More painful than anything I've ever experienced. Lucius told me Narcissa and he talked about it, and she likened it to the pain of giving childbirth. I thought I was doing the right thing at the time. He promised me wealth, woman, and what I wanted most….revenge. I got some of what he promised, but those things without meaning meant nothing."
"Severus, you know you can't-"
"Don't say it Hermione. I know."
She reached over and took his hand. "Should I change the topic?"
"Yes, please," he said gratefully.
"Dumbledore announced the Halloween party will be a costume ball," she said excitedly.
"Oh joy. Do you want some tea?" Severus shoved her feet off his lap and stood to get the kettle and place it on the hob.
"Yes, please. You'll never guess who had the nerve to ask me to go. He was quite brave considering the mood I was in last week."
"Who?"
"You."
"Younger me?" Severus asked, rather stunned.
"I know!" Hermione laughed. "It was very sweet the way you asked, too. You wrote me a note-"
"And slipped it to you during Potions. I remember now," Severus smirked.
"You asked me to meet you in the library right after lunch."
"I remember leading you to the stacks in the very back. I knew it was quiet and safe there; I used to hide there when the Marauders were particularly vicious."
"He couldn't even look at me! I had to strain to hear you. Oh, Severus." Hermione had moved to stand nearer to him and put a hand on his arm. "How could you have been so shy?"
"I was, still am for that, an ugly git. No girl ever wanted me near her unless she wanted an answer for her potions homework. Now that I am remembering it, I do remember I threw up at least four times before I asked you!"
"Well, I did say yes, do you remember?" Hermione smiled.
"It was all a blur. I couldn't believe Hyacinth actually said yes." Severus poured the tea he had prepared into two mugs and handed one to Hermione.
"Once I said yes, we decided to meet after dinner to decide on our costumes. Do you remember what we went as?"
Severus took a sip of tea, giving him a moment to think. He vaguely recalled that the woman he thought was Hyacinth Green looked spectacular, and he wished he was gallant and could sweep her off her feet. "We went as gypsies," he said, and his eyes went out of focus as he looked at the memory in his mind. Without realizing it, he blurted out, "Gods, you were gorgeous." When he realized what he said, his eyes widened, and he blushed.
Hermione normally would have teased him deliciously for his slip of the tongue, but she was stunned at his admission and could only stutter a quiet thank you.
"Well, since we know what young you and I are dressed as, what about you?"
"Oh, I don't know," he sighed. "Most people think I am bat or a vampire, I could go as a vampire."
"Not a sparkly one, I hope!" Severus raised an eyebrow in response. "Okay, that takes care of costumes then. I need to get to dinner." Hermione picked up her cloak and shoes and slipped them on. "Thanks for the drinks and tea."
Severus shut the door behind the young lioness and returned to his sofa. He gathered the remnants of their drinks, taking them to the kitchen and poured himself a glass of whiskey, neat. He tried to recall more about the young girl named Hyacinth from his seventh year and was having trouble. Why? Surely someone as wacky as Hermione/Hyacinth should be easy to remember. However, Severus was good at hiding what he didn't want found. He hid his growing feelings for Hermione, and he hid his fondness for a bushy haired woman named Hyacinth who dared to defy the other Gryffindors and attempt to become his younger self's friend.
