Chapter 10: Out To Lunch

{A/N: Here's another update...}

My Thanks to all my readers and reviewers Enjoy-S.S.

{"I don't care what consequence it brings...I have been a fool for lesser things...I want you so bad...I think you ought to know that...I intend to hold you for...The longest time"} For The Longest Time, Billy Joel

Diagon Alley, Wizarding World...

Hermione had been waiting in the front of the school for nearly thirty minutes before Snape decided to show up. She grew even more annoyed when the git had the audacity to tell her that he thought it best to arrive fashionably late. She appeared in casual dress, a pair of blue jeans, a pink sweat shirt draped over a white tight fitting t-shirt and white trainers. She had her normally bushy hair pulled back into a ponytail. She chose the outfit as a way to deter Snape's advances for what ever good her efforts would do. He emerged from the room wearing a black suit that she had to "magic up", with shiny black dress shoes. His hair had been slicked back and he wore a cocky grin on his formerly pale face. Hermione rolled her eyes trying not to get hung up on the snarky git's apparent good looks. It took every thing she had not to admit how good he looked in black.

"Got a place in mind for lunch or were we just going to pick at random?" he asked with his apparently usual charm.

"I-I've got a place in mind." she replied not sure if she wanted to be seen in public with him.

The increased female attention that had been steered in his direction was unnerving. Not that she would admit that she was unnerved by other women wanting him. Snape seemed content to be out of his quarters for longer than five minutes.

"Lead the way." he said extending his arm in a chivalrous manner.

Hermione rolled her eyes and took his arm. She was now pretty sure that it was going to be a really long day.

The two of them continued down the alley until they came to the very pub she came to with Severus before all this nonsense with the unidentified potion began. She had secretly been hoping to jolt Snape back into his normal behavior by making him visit this place. It seemed a logical step to take any way.

The Pub...

Hermione waited patiently for her and Snape to be seated. They had been given a small table near the wall in the far back of the room. Snape appeared to be enjoying himself as Hermione took in the sights of the pub. She had not liked venturing to the place where Snape had such a terrible time but she had been desperate to wake him from his delusions. The waiter came and each of them ordered a few drinks. Snape ordered a firewhiskey which gave Hermione hope that he must have been getting closer to his original persona.

The waiter came back and gave him the drink and he finished it in one shot. He ordered another. The waiter brought it back and he finished it all the ordered another. There had been an empty piano sitting in the center of the pub. Hermione had been stunned when the Potions Master made his way over to the instrument and sat down.

He started running his fingers across the keys and got the attention of the manager who had come to seer him away from it. Hermione got to her feet and tried her hand at warning him about the manager's displeasure.

"Sev-Alan I don't think he wants you to touch that." she said trying to be respectful of the establishments rules.

Snape continued to ignore both her and the manager as he began to play a random song on the piano. Hermione had been stunned that he had as much skill in playing the piano as he did in making potions. His playing had seemed to quell the managers rage as he noticed the patrons coming in off the street to see whom the talented piano man had been.

Hermione smiled as she recognized the muggle artist Billy Joel's song For the Longest Time playing via Snape's skilled fingers.

"If you said goodbye to me tonight...There would still be music left to write...What else could I do...I'm so inspired by you...That hasn't happened for the longest time..." sang the piano playing Potions Master. "Once I thought my innocence was gone...Now I know that happiness goes on...That's where you found me...When you put your arms around me...I haven't been there for the longest time..."

More patrons flooded the pub making the manager quite a happy fellow. Hermione had been trying hard not to blush as Snape looked at her as he continued singing.

"I'm that voice you're hearing in the hall...And the greatest miracle of all...Is how I need you...And how you needed me too...That hasn't happened for the longest time..." sang Snape as he continued to play on the piano. "Maybe this won't last very long...But you feel so right...And I could be wrong...Maybe I've been hoping too hard...But I've gone this far...And it's more than I hoped for..."

Hermione did little to conceal the redness of her cheeks as Snape's obsidian eyes came back to her while he continued.

"Who knows how much further we'll go on...Maybe I'll be sorry when you're gone...I'll take my chances...I forgot how nice romance is...I haven't been there for the longest time...I had second thoughts at the start...I said to myself...Hold on to your heart..." he continued.

The bushy haired witch had no idea that Snape had such a powerful singing voice in addition to his skillful piano playing. She wondered if this had been due to whatever potion he had ingested or if it was actually him show casing his true talents.

"Now I know the woman that you are...You're wonderful so far...And it's more than I hoped for..." sang Snape looking up at Hermione as he played. "I don't care what consequence it brings...I have been a fool for lesser things...I want you so bad...I think you ought to know that...I intend to hold you for...The longest time..."

He ended the song and got to his feet when he was startled by the crowded room and the pleasant round of applause. The manager had been thrilled by his skillful playing and how he had attracted a great deal of customers. Snape took Hermione by the hand and lead her toward their table. They passed a lot of people asking him where he learned to sing and play the muggle piano. Snape simply shrugged and said he had no idea it was just something he decided to try.

A group of witches came over to them obviously falling all over themselves to get him to talk to them. Hermione found herself getting a bit upset about having their lunch date spoiled by fumbling witches intent on stealing him away from her. Snape smirked and politely told the witches that he had been in the middle of lunch with his very annoyed girlfriend. Hermione had been so annoyed by the fumbling witches that she didn't even bother to correct him, noting it would scare them away for the rest of lunch.

Snape smirked noting that she had not corrected him.

"So does this mean that you have reconsidered giving me the cold shoulder Sweetness?" he asked hopeful.

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Not even in your dreams." she replied. "I simply want to get through lunch without your merry band of whores tagging along."

"Wow." said Snape noting her apparent hostility. "Well if you change your mind you know where to find me."

He got to his feet and made his way toward the dance floor. The "merry band of whores all crowded him at once. He started dancing with them and looked over at Hermione who had been sitting with her arms folded across her chest and a sour expression on her face.

"Accio Snape!" she said waving her wand.

Snape found himself being pulled back to the table and forced into his chair.

He looked at Hermione who grinned rather wickedly.

"If you wanted to spend some time alone all you had to do was ask Sweetness." he said. "Then again I must admit I kind of like your wands on approach."

Hermione rolled her eyes.

It seemed that no matter what she did or how many times she screamed it at him, he had been determined to take every move she made and make it into a sexual joke.

"I hate you." she said further expressing her annoyance.

"I bet I can make you change your mind once we get between a few satin sheets." he said raising his eyebrows in a suggestive manner.

"You cannot be serious." said Hermione rubbing her temples.

"According to you I was supposed to be Severus." replied Snape with a cheeky grin.

"Can you just pretend to be normal while we eat?" asked the flustered bushy haired witch.

"Sure thing Sweetness." replied Snape with the same cheeky grin.

Hermione rolled her eyes.

The waiter brought them their meal and a free pitcher of Ogren's Finest Firewhiskey. Snape smiled and accepted the free booze. Hermione had been half way through her roast duck and onions when Snape made his way through half the pitcher. He polished off his food in record time and made his way back to the dance floor. He had been making a total fool of himself with all the attention hungry floozies. He went back to the piano cranked out one more song before Hermione pulled the drunken classic rock human jukebox from the pub and out into the street.

"Hey Sweetness the party was just getting started." he protested.

"Sev-Alan I suggest you hold onto me before you get splinched." she said dragging him to the apparation point.

"Whatever you say Sweetness." he replied and pressed his body against hers.

Hermione's eyes widened when she noted his prominent erection.

The Grounds, Hogwarts, Scotland...

They landed rather hard onto the grass covered ground. Hermione did her best to scramble to her feet but it had been to no avail with Snape grasping her about the waist. She struggled to get free of his drunken grasp. He looked up at her laughing rather drunkenly as he fumbled about getting to his feet. He swayed unsteady in his steps as he made his way toward the castle wall.

"Oh come on Sweetness it was a joke." said Snape trying to keep from burping up the umpteenth glass of firewhiskey.

"Sod off Snape I have had it up to here with your antics." said Hermione annoyed making the necessary hand motions.

"Sweetness I didn't mean anything by it." said Snape as he followed her though the corridor. "I don't know why I act the way I do..I just do."

"Well I liked you better when you were a miserable bitter sod that never left the dungeons." said Hermione.

Snape looked at her confused for a moment. His vision had been doubled and blurring despite his best efforts to regain his composure.

"Sweetness..." he said suddenly serious. "I-I don't feel so good."

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"It probably all the firewhiskey you drank." she said annoyed.

She had been of the mind to leave him in is sickness when he suddenly collapsed in the middle of the corridor. The bushy haired witch waited a bit before examining him believing it to be one of his many tricks to get her to kiss him. Only this time Snape didn't move. He looked like he had when she found him in the bathroom a few nights prior.

"Severus?" she said looking him over.

He didn't respond.

"Alan?" she said hoping that would get his attention.

Still nothing.

The Potions Master appeared to be out cold.