Author's Note: This chapter's song is La Bamba by Los Lobos.
June -July, 1992
Now that they had finally accepted each other as a friend, Severus (for he could no longer be Snape to Danielle) and Danielle spent a great deal of time together once the school year ended. After the students took the Hogwart's Express back to London, he had a great deal of free time upon his hands. And while normally he would spend that time brewing potions, updating his stocks of ingredients, and reading, he found he rather preferred to spend time with Danielle.
Danielle hated being sick because she hated being stuck in bed, especially during nice weather like they were having. But Severus sort of made up for it. For the three weeks she was staying in the hospital she and Severus found ways to keep themselves entertained. First, there was chess. Severus had actually been Hogwart's Chess Champion for most of his time at school, and he took a vicious sort of glee in walloping Danielle every time they played. Occasionally, Claudia would interrupt their games by attacking the chessmen, probably just to give Danielle a fair shot when Severus was so merciless.
After three days of this, Danielle suggested getting a deck of Muggle playing cards. Severus obliged, although he admitted all the card games he knew were War and Go Fish. So Danielle taught him Gin, Poker, Spades, Hearts, and her favorite game, Asshole. Severus was taken aback by the name, but soon learned it was a game where three or more players try to get rid of all their cards. The first one without cards is called, President, and depending upon how many players there are you can have a Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, and so on until you reach the last player, the Asshole. The Asshole has to deal the cards, and other players can make them do all sorts of embarrassing things.
Since most of these games needed four or more players, Danielle enlisted Poppy and Dumbledore to join them. It turned out the one thing Albus Dumbledore was truly terrible at was card games. He couldn't bluff and mixed up the face cards all the time. Severus and Danielle tag teamed to make sure that every time they played Asshole, Dumbledore was always the Asshole. Luckily for them, Dumbledore was a gracious loser and cheerfully allowed Severus and Danielle to boss him around. Between the two of them, Dumbledore sang embarrassing songs, danced, imitated animals, and gave foot massages. Poppy nearly died laughing at their antics, and occasionally contributed her own, having Dumbledore attempt to burp the alphabet. He only made it to G before he lost it laughing too hard.
Danielle was amazed how fun Severus Snape could be. Beneath his dark exterior he had a snarky sense of humor, as well as a surprisingly kind side. For instance, he also made sure that Danielle was supplied with plenty of interesting books from the library so she would not be bored when she had to be alone. He tried very hard to find books that pleased her, often suggesting things he had read and enjoyed for her to try. Danielle and he would often spend hours discussing what they had read. Both found the other intelligent and insightful, and sometimes they would even both sit together and read, not talking but just content to be in the presence of another human being, petting Claudia as she took turns wandering between them.
Severus also brought Danielle her magically modified VCR so she could watch movies. At first, he scoffed at all the films, finding something to criticize and sneer at in each of them. Danielle lost her temper and told him to "Get the fuck out of my face," and they didn't speak for two days. But after two days, Severus returned and although he was gritting his teeth and could not look her in the eye, he apologized. Knowing how truly rare it was to get an apology from Severus, Danielle graciously accepted it. And they finally found a movie he liked, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. In a twist of utterly delicious irony, he really responded well to Alan Rickman's performance as the Sheriff of Nottingham. Even more ironic, he did not recognize Rickman as the man who portrayed him in Danielle's memories (although Danielle figured he only had a few short glimpses of Rickman as Snape, as well as the differences in Rickman's hair, costume, his far flashier performance as Nottingham, and the ten years between playing the Sheriff and Snape as why he failed to recognize the actor). So Snape liked blockbuster action films, and Danielle scoured her collection for films they would both enjoy. Once she got a better idea of his taste, movie viewing became another activity they enjoyed together.
After three weeks, Danielle was finally released from Poppy's care. Lulu helped Danielle return to her own quarters, and there was a cute hand painted banner welcoming her home that clearly had been made by the elf. Danielle hugged Lulu and thanked her, and she happily unpacked and made herself at home again.
A knock on the door interrupted Danielle's unpacking. She went to the door to find Dumbledore standing there.
"Albus, please come in," she said, always feeling odd to use his first name although he insisted she did.
"I just wanted to stop by and make sure you were settled back in comfortably," he told her.
"Yes, I'm really glad to be back. Poppy was great, but I like my own bed much better than one of the Hospital ones."
"So you have a birthday coming up, and I was wondering if you would like us to do anything for it?" Dumbledore asked with a broad smile.
"Hmm…I really hadn't been thinking about it. I can't believe I'm turning twenty-eight," Danielle said in amazement.
"I say that every year. It gets especially astounding when you hit one hundred and ten," Dumbledore told her.
"I'm sure," Danielle demurred. "So what are my options?"
"We could have a small gathering, invite the staff members to join us. The house elves could prepare a nice meal," Dumbledore began, but Danielle frowned.
"Is there any way we could go out and celebrate?" she asked.
"Where to? Three Broomsticks, perhaps?" Dumbledore asked.
"How about a Muggle restaurant? It would be fun to visit the Muggle world with company, maybe do a Muggle activity while we're at it," Danielle suggested.
So after some research, Danielle came up with the idea of Mexican food, which she loved but had not eaten in over a year now. It turned out, other than Flitwick who had done some field research in Mexico in the 1960s, none of the staff at Hogwarts had ever had Mexican food before. So the plan was meet up at the Mexican place Danielle had found in London in the Hyde Park neighborhood dressed as a Muggle. Danielle had a feeling the results would be amusing.
At first, Severus had balked. He claimed he never enjoyed social events, but Danielle reminded him that friends were supposed to attend each other's special events, and that he had promised to try to be her friend. Severus tried bribery, threats, everything but flat out begging, but in the end he agreed to go. Minerva, Poppy, Dumbledore, and Hagrid, who were all either at the castle or Hogsmeade that summer, though some of the rest of the staff would be joining them as well.
The day of her birthday, Danielle awoke to find Lulu setting up breakfast in bed for her.
"Lulu, you shouldn't have," Danielle said as she smiled at her tiny elfin friend. Her only problem about the trip to London was Lulu couldn't join them, but there really was no way to disguise the elf.
"It's nothing, Miss Danielle. Lulu just wants to make sures you have a Happy Birthday," she said as she set the tray over Danielle's legs. Lulu had surprised Danielle with her favorite breakfast item, Southern style biscuits. Danielle hadn't had them since she arrived at Hogwarts, and she must have said something to Lulu. She was touched by the elf's kindness yet again.
"Now eats up, so you can open your present" Lulu encouraged. So Danielle tucked in to her bacon, eggs, biscuits, and coffee. Then Lulu offered her a small, carefully wrapped package. It turned out to be a lovely new cardigan, black and lacy looking. It was stunning.
"Oh Lulu, did you knit this?" Danielle asked in awe.
"Yes, I dids," Lulu squeaked happily. "Do you likes it?"
"I loves it!" Danielle cried as she wrapped the tiny elf into a hug. Lulu was so sweet, and despite the differences of their species, she considered Lulu one of her closest friends at Hogwarts.
Danielle spent the day lazing beside the lake, reading a book on wizarding art she had borrowed from the Library and getting a little color since she felt ridiculously pale after her stay in the Hospital Wing. Finally, she went upstairs to her rooms and took a long, relaxing bath and dressed up. She had a new blue dress, knee length with long sleeves, a scoop neck, and ties in the back to show off her small waist. She added dangly silver and blue earrings, sexy black heels, and her new cardigan. She felt very pretty indeed tonight, then went to the Teacher's Lounge to meet the other staff members.
When she got there, she had to fight to keep from laughing. Hagrid had just worn his usual clothes, as he could not find Muggle clothes to fit him. Minerva wore an ankle length plaid tartan skirt and matching hat, purse, and jacket and was a bit much. Pomona wore worn overalls and a faded yellow gingham shirt with work boots. Poppy had somehow found herself an old fashioned Muggle nurse's uniform, complete with white orthopedic shoes and a white hat. And Dumbledore looked like a Deadhead, complete with Birkenstocks, leather fringed vest, and a tie dyed tee shirt. It all actually worked with the long beard and hair, and the Hippie Grandpa look sort of suited him.
"Where's Severus?" she asked. "I made a reservation for six-thirty."
"I'm here," he said entering the room. And everyone gawked as he did.
Danielle had known Severus would not want to go clothes shopping, considering what a fiasco their trip to do so last year had been, so she had simply asked for his measurements and some money and picked out clothes for him. And she had to admit she had outdone herself. The dark washed jeans fit him perfectly, hugging her surprisingly nice butt perfectly. Since he was most comfortable in black, she had picked out a simple black sweater, but in the most amazingly soft cashmere which revealed a nicely toned chest. She'd layered a white button down shirt underneath, and the crisp white cuffs and collar stood in nice contrast to the sweater. The overall effect made her think of a male model, especially with his long black hair, which he had unwittingly washed with a shampoo meant for his hair type (Danielle had switched his shampoo the previous week while visiting his quarters to return a book). Danielle could hardly believe the difference, and was totally speechless.
Severus, meanwhile, was staring back at Danielle. Blue really was her color, it set off her eyes perfectly. Her normally pale skin glowed from the time she had spent in the sun that day, and her legs, which he had often admired when she wore skirts, looked even better than they usually did, which was saying something since Severus thought Danielle had amazing legs. He could see a small amount of cleavage and was forcibly reminded of walking in on her with her bra last year, and was forced to look away for fear she would think him a pervert. Yes, the birthday was truly lovely tonight.
"Well, shall we?" asked Dumbledore politely. He passed the Floo powder to Danielle, who led them to The Leaky Cauldron. They then took the tube to Hyde Park. While on the train, Pomona approached Danielle quietly.
"How did you get Severus to dress like that?" she asked in amazement.
"It took some convincing, and the promise that I would do the shopping for him," Danielle said with a smile.
"Good show," said Pomona with a wink. Danielle had to admit, Pomona, Poppy, and Minerva were all eyeing Severus with new found interest. Not that any of them were trying to get into his newly bought pants, but it was clear they very much admired the view. When they reached the restaurant and met up with Filius, Bathsheba, and Septima Vector, the ladies were also amazed by Severus' transformation.
Severus, meanwhile, was amazingly unaware of why all the women seemed to be looking at him. He figured he just looked as silly as they did in their Muggle clothes, though perhaps not as silly as Filius in his serape and sombrero. If anyone looked ridiculous, it was him. But it never once crossed Severus' mind that he was garnering attention because he looked incredibly handsome. Too many years of being told he was unattractive had taken its toll, and he really could not see himself as clearly as everyone else did. Even the female Muggles at the bar were eyeing him with interest, a fact Danielle noticed and felt rather annoyed by, though she couldn't say why, considering she was proud of her handiwork.
Once they were seated, Danielle helped everyone navigate the unfamiliar menu. Soon, they were all sipping a round of margaritas and noshing on chips with salsa. Conversation flowed easily, and soon everyone was laughing and telling stories and just plain enjoying themselves. A mariachi band wandered through and played music, some of which Danielle recognized from hearing in Los Angeles. The food arrived, and Danielle was practically salivating at her Burrito Especial, which she had ordered extra hot since she adored spicy food. Severus was curious since it looked and smelled very good, even better than his Chimichanga.
"May I try a bite?" he asked. Danielle frowned.
"I got it extra spicy, Severus. It might be too hot for you," she warned him.
"I'll decide what's too hot for me," he snapped, some of his old demeanor returning. Danielle sighed and cut off a piece of the burrito and placed it on his plate.
"Don't say I didn't warn you," she sing songed. Snape glared at her and popped the bit into his mouth. He had just swallowed when suddenly his eyes widened and started to water. He grabbed his water and started frantically chugging it down, much to the laughter of the rest of the table.
"Are you trying to kill me?" he wheezed and continued drinking.
"Eat some of the sour cream from your chimichanga," Danielle advised. "Milk soothes a mouth burned by spicy food."
Severus did so, glaring at his plate. He looked seriously pissed off. Danielle would have none of that.
"I did warn you, you know," she told him. "So don't pout and ruin my party."
"Sorry," he murmured, knowing he was acting like a bit of a prat. The other teachers watched the exchange in both amusement and wonder. How had Danielle managed to get Severus Snape to act like a human being? This was even more amazing than the minor makeover she gave him.
After the food was cleared, the mariachis came over to sing Happy Birthday in Spanish while a waitress deposited a Tres Leches cake with a sparkler candle in front of Danielle. All the teachers sang along in English, and Danielle noticed Severus sang very softly, perhaps because that beautiful baritone speaking voice of his couldn't reach some of the notes in the song, she guessed. She smiled and blew out the sparker to enormous applause from the rest of the table. Soon, presents began appearing out of nowhere, and Danielle was amazed by the kindness of her friends. Filius gave her a beautiful brown leather purse which he had cast an Undetectable Extension Charm on, Hagrid had given her a cat tree for Claudia to use, Poppy gave her a collection of relaxing bath products, Minerva gave her a fine set of claret colored robes to wear at school, a pair of earrings from Septima, a stationary kit from Bathsheba, Pomona gave her a magically enhanced orchid that would care for itself, and Dumbledore had signed her up for Honeydukes' Candy of the Month Club (July's candy was Fizzing Whizzbees).
Severus' gift had been thoughtful if slightly odd. He'd gotten her a teapot. At first, Danielle looked at it with a perplexed expression.
"I've arranged for a hob to be added to the fireplace in your room. That way you can make tea in your quarters and not have to go to the kitchen," he explained.
Snape apparently noticed Danielle drank a ton of tea. Actually, Danielle really a coffee drinker, and since it was only served at breakfast at Hogwarts, she was going through serious caffeine withdrawal. She used to drink a couple of cups of coffee a day, and she found that she needed twice that amount of tea to get by. But she smiled and thanked him for his gift, realizing it was nice he noticed her caffeine addiction.
Once Dumbledore had, at his insistence, taken care of the bill, they all spilled out onto the street. Filius, Septima, and Bathsheba Apparated back to their homes and the rest of them returned by the Tube to The Leaky Cauldron. At Hagrid's insistence, he bought everyone another round of drinks, and by the time they Flooed home, Danielle was slightly tipsy. Once in the Staff Lounge, everyone wishing her a Happy Birthday one last time. She thanked them with big hugs. Snape was amazed that such a petite woman could give such a strong bear hug, and she clung to him a little longer than was totally necessary. He could smell her fresh, clean smelling perfume, and he was relieved when she let go because he'd had to fight to not stand there and inhale her all night.
Danielle tottered a little bit as she walked to her room, but she made it there safe and sound. She changed and was soon happily drifting off to sleep, her last thoughts being margaritas were the best drinks ever and that Severus Snape gave nice hugs.
AN: Lesson to you dear readers; never write a chapter when hungry and craving Mexican food, or you will end up writing it into your chapter. Even though La Bamba is not really a mariachi song, I hear the mariachi band at my parents' favorite Mexican place play it a lot there, so I used it. Friendship between our protagonists seems to be chugging along nicely, although I worry I might have made it too easy. What do you think? Reviews please!