I don't own Harry Potter.
Guys it's Harry Potter weekend on ABC Family. They love the boy who lived. Please read and review
Chapter 21
She had horrible nightmares after he left their bed. Hermione had not realized how much she cared for Severus until he did not sleep by her side. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep once more. It had been almost half a year since he moved to the guest room. Tom would come home for the summer break in a few weeks and things would be better between them, or so she expected. Her boy smoothed the growing tenseness between her and Severus. She missed her friend; her partner and she missed him so much. Their relationship was colder now. Severus did not hug her or slip by her side at night. He did not kiss her cheeks or came near her for long. It was as if she had a contagious disease.
Hermione walked past his office. She wanted to see him and ask if they could have lunch together. Mr. Graham decided to leave maths and enroll in an architecture doctorate. The office was now only Severus. She knew this, not through her husband but through Mr. Graham himself. He and his wife sent them a lovely invitation to a dinner party for the end of the semester in three weeks. They would not go of course. Severus hated social gatherings and truth be told she was awkward around adults from this time period. She heard some giggling as she opened the door.
Severus was smirking at a pretty blonde. She looked about her age; only the blonde was taller, statuesque people would call her. She had a nice smile and touched Severus arm as she laughed delicately.
"Oh, professor, you will be late for your lunch hour. It is a pity that I do not know the city well enough yet. I will have to eat the food from the canteen." The woman batted her eyelashes for effect.
Hermione had enough; "Good afternoon." She smiled at Severus and kissed his cheek.
"I have wonderful news dearest." She said with a sweet voice.
The woman looked at Severus with confused eyes. Severus looked stunned but recovered quickly. "She is Elaine, my new secretary."
Hermione smiled politely at the woman who smiled back and remained quiet, "Hermione Snape." She said with a sunny voice.
"Oh, you are the professor's younger sister." The blonde said with a pleasant smile. Hermione liked her less and less by the minute.
The witch let a small laugh. "Of course not. I am his wife. It is very nice to meet you Elena." Hermione held onto Severus's hand. "Dearest, we have to leave now." She dragged him out of the office.
"The news. You were going to tell me something." Severus said as they walked out of the university.
She was distracted, "Why didn't you tell Elena you're married?"
Severus replied immediately, "Why would she care? She does not have to know anything about my personal life."
Hermione frowned, "Since when are you working with her?"
"Three weeks give or take. She comes highly recommended by the dean." He said.
"How old is she?" Hermione asked.
"I don't know." Severus took out a cigarette. She moved her fingers and had the packet on her hand.
"These will kill you." She vanished the packet.
"Where are we going?" He asked with a frown.
"To have lunch." She said and was glad he did not ask more questions.
They had a quiet lunch; as they were likely to do now that he tried to avoid her. "I must go back to the office." He wiped his mouth with a napkin.
"Don't. Let's make a day of it. It has been months since we spent time together." She wheedled but he refused, "I have students waiting for me to lecture. Another day, perhaps when Tom comes back." He left the restaurant without even kissing her goodbye.
They used to kiss good morning, goodbye, they used to kiss and hug but now they acted like strangers. Hermione was saddened; she wanted to cry as she saw him as he walked away from the restaurant's entrance.
She went back home and wrote to Tom. He was fine or so Severus told him, lately Tom was their only common ground. Her boy had always been the center that held them together but they used to be so much more. Severus and her were friends but ever since after the incident he closed off. Hermione was tired of trying to engage him. She sighed and read the book he gave her; no more tears for him.
She was asleep on their sofa when he came in. "Hermione, wake up. Go to bed." He whispered close to her. She opened his eyes; he looked tired and smelled of perfume. He smelled of women's perfume. It was Elaine's; Hermione frowned. "Are you hungry? I can fix you something quickly." She tried to remain calm but the urge to cry was almost overwhelming.
"It's almost 1:00 AM. Go to bed." He said carefully and helped her up. She looked at him and realized how handsome he was. Not conventionally perhaps but handsome nonetheless. His eyes were kind and he was manly, smart and had a wonderful sense of humor.
Hermione went to her bed, her cold lonely bed. She did not sleep that night or the following week. He came home late and every time she tried to have lunch with him or visit him. That woman would be there. Elaine became and obsession of sorts. Hermione checked his shirts for make up. She tried to learn who the woman was. Her investigations yielded pedestrian results. Elaine Mills, thirty-three, single and in need of employment; she was smart and pretty and also in need of a husband. There was nothing extraordinary in the woman. Severus did not speak of her or mention her but she was there. The young woman saw Elaine as a threat. She did not know what was happening in Severus's brain.
Hermione realized in those long, cold nights that Severus could very well have sex with Elaine. He could have all the sex he wanted with her. Severus and his secretary would have sex and then he would leave her and Tom. Not now, but surely once Tom was older and could understand he would leave and have his family. There was nothing that could impede him to do so. Their marriage was a sham to provide Tom with a family. The boy had a family and was doing well. Severus and her could build a life apart from each other now that Tom spent most of his time in Scotland.
The woman anguished over the idea. Severus could leave. She was repulsed by the thought of him leaving, of him having another family. Tom and her, they were the ones supposed to be Sev's family.
She watched as he slipped away from her. It was evident that this Elaine woman wanted to have an affair with Severus. Hermione would ask him about her every time they were together which was not often. The potion's master remarked the woman was smart and seemed to do her job well. High praise coming from him; Severus was prickly to a fault; he went through more secretaries than any of the other professors in his department.
"Why is Elena in your office?" She asked him over dinner. She insisted they dined together that night. Hermione had plans of vacationing that summer. They could go to the French village. She wanted to recreate their first vacation; they were happier then.
Severus wiped his mouth, "Her name is Elaine. Mark left and she was content with his desk."
She frowned, "Are you content with sharing your office with her?"
He continued eating and then replied, "I have shared with Mark for years and I have to say Elaine if far more of an easy companion. She brings me tea when I ask her to and she is rather smart."
"Smart is she really?" Hermione felt rage. Was this his way of introducing this woman in their lives? She did not want to explore the fact that she was afraid. She was bothered by his attitude it was all. He thought he could discard her and replace her with that blonde.
"I suppose." Severus said distractedly. He did not pick up on her hostile tone. For a seasoned spy Severus did not seem to live to the expectations. Hermione then felt cold rage consume her. He was playing with her; he had to be.
Hermione did not confront him. "I saw Mark and his wife yesterday. They invited us for a dinner party tomorrow night."
She drank some of her wine, "I said we would go." Severus lit up a cigarette after he replied.
"I thought you would decline the invitation." The young woman looked at him pointedly.
"I should have but Mark's wife and Elaine convinced me to accept. Elaine said she would hide my schedules unless I accepted. You are under no obligation to go Hermione. I understand your anatomy exam is coming up." Severus said with a perfect calm voice that irritated her to no end. That woman would be there. Hermione wanted to see them together once more. She had a rather bad impression of the woman but most of all she wanted to assess how far Severus's little affair had progressed.
He retired to his study. Hermione went to her bedroom and tried to sleep. She realized Severus and her never spoke about partners. In these past years they had spoken of their lives, of Tom but they shied away from speaking of their romantic interests. The young woman laughed, she had no love life to boast about. She loved Ron and he loved her but they never even properly kissed. She had no experience. Did Severus have any experience? Of course he did, he had loved Lily Potter but that did not mean he waited for her. How many women did he sleep with? Had he slept with other women since they arrived to this time period? She tried to remember if he behaved differently. How did one know when their husband cheated on them? Would it really be cheating? It would not be. They were nothing; their marriage was phony. Severus was sleeping with another woman. The man did not violate any bonds of matrimony. She felt enraged, but he did. He failed her. Severus lied and cheated. He should have told her. Hermione liked to think she would have understood.
So Hermione slept and stewed until the next night. The woman dressed carefully. She chose a dark red dress. She wore make up and fixed her long hair in one of the styles she saw some of the women sport in the newspapers. She looked older, grown up.
"Hermione, we are late as it is." Severus grumbled and turned the door. He wore one of his usual suits. His tie was crooked. He looked surprised. Hermione tried to hide her small smile. "Let me fix this for you." She walked up to him and righted his tie. The woman rested her small hands on his chest.
"We must get going." He said and held her hand. She was never truly prepared for the tug and pull of apparation.
They entered the small house. There were a few people there, Elaine was there, helping Mark's wife.
"Severus you're here." She laughed and kissed his cheeks. Hermione smiled at the woman. "Elena, so wonderful to see you once again."
The blonde's smile frosted. "Elaine." The woman said and walked away. Hermione smiled however and greeted Emma and Mark. They sat down for dinner. The young witch observed her husband and his secretary. Elaine flirted with Severus shamelessly. She touched his bicep, smiled at him whenever she could. She even tried to engage him in some dancing. Severus refused but he enjoyed her advances. Hermione could tell he was delighted with the attention.
Dean Mulligan and his wife conversed with her for a bit. "Your husband is an extraordinary professor. His students want to only work with him. I am touched by his refusal to teach at Cambridge."
Hermione did not know he was offered a position in Cambridge. "He is rather loyal." she replied affably as he saw Elaine try to convince her husband to dance with her. He expected Severus to scowl and refuse; instead he entertained the woman with polite rebuttals. She flirted with him and he flirted with her as well.
Irma Mulligan noticed her stares, "How is your son?"
Hermione smiled, "He is wonderful. He should be home next week. Severus and I are planning to go to France for a few weeks." She discovered that Dean Mulligan had three daughters all married as should be. Irma chided her for her foolishness of going to medical school. She was distracted when she heard Elaine's tinkling laugh. Severus smirked her way. She could hear the blonde. "Dance with me Severus."
Enough was enough, "pardon me Irma. I simply love this piece." She stood up and approached her husband. "Dance with me dearest."
"Hermione. I don't think…" He started. She did not let him finish and grabbed his arm. "I will sit on your lap and kiss you until you agree." She said with a small whisper. He entered her mind and she gave him a mental image of what she would do and what she would say. Severus frowned and stood up.
He danced with her a few pieces. He was an excellent dancer and she was not as bad as she remembered. Hermione smirked when she saw Elaine's crestfallen little face. Her ruse was working wonderfully. She smiled and laughed when Severus twirled her some; small victories and all.
They went back to the sofa. "That was beautiful Sev." Elaine said with a hand to his hand. Hermione saw red once more and this time it was obvious. She tightened her hold on his arm when the man thanked the secretary. The gall of the woman, she called him Sev and he did not say or do anything. This was not the first time then. Elaine was too familiar with Severus. She was rightly upset with them.
"Severus, I'm not feeling well." Hermione stood up. Severus frowned but said his goodbyes.
They walked out of the house. "Are you feeling well?" Severus walked by her side. She was mute; the rage did not let her speak. She apparated to their home.
He was hot on her heels. "Hermione."
She turned to him and slowly asked. "How long have you been fucking her?"