** I don't own these characters or the stories they belong to **
As soon as Severus had kissed her a sweet goodnight and returned home, Hermione rushed to the journal.
"Ginny,
Are you there? Harry told me he managed to leave the journal with you before he came to visit us. I hope you still have it. Need to talk to you ASAP.
Hermione"
Between her heart doing the happy dance ("Sev said he loved me!"), her nervous excitement about tomorrow night ("Oh my goodness, he's taking me on an honest-to-goodness date, aah, nerves, nerves, nerves"), her pent up physical frustration ("I'm going to explode. Really, any day now. Is the order in the prophecy really that important, or is something else holding Sev back?"), and her impatience ("Come on Ginny, where are you? Write, write, write!), Hermione knew sleep was an impossibility at the moment. She took a long, hot bath. This relaxed her, but not sufficiently. She tried crawling in bed anyway, but Crookshanks, much as she loved her cat, made a poor substitute for the person Hermione wished she was curled up in bed with. Especially as her cat was such an inconstant feline; he abandoned her the fourth time she shifted to check the journal, even though she made herself wait an entire fifteen minutes! between checking for a response. Finally! just after midnight Hermione spotted a response from Ginny.
"Hermione,
What's up?
Ginny"
"Ginny,
I'm so glad you still have the journal, you have no idea. I don't even know where to start. Um, firstly...SQUEEEL! I finally have a legitimate reason to do that - so not satisfying not in person though...wish you were here.
1) We exchanged "I love you's" the first time tonight. I said it first after he read to me (that's a whole story all its own) AND HE SAID IT BACK! and also said 'Always.' (That too, is its own story - it's what he told Dumbledore of his love for Lily - Always.) And, okay, that's a bit confusing to think about, but I know it's something he means when he says it. And it was a staring in my eyes with my face in his hands "Always." I. am. a. puddle. I mean, I was beginning to hope that he might, someday, come to feel that way, but hadn't really let myself hope that I'd ever hear those words from him - because, you know, he's Severus Snape.
2) He asked me out on a honest-to-goodness get-dressed-up, go-somewhere-nice date tomorrow. He wants me to wear the dress you gave me for my birthday and he's going to risk taking me to the city. I AM GOING ON A ROMANTIC DATE WITH SEVERUS! I. am. a. nervous. wreck. I mean, we've been together lots and snogged plenty too, but nothing like this - not with this much intent. Help! What do I do? What if I make a nervous-idiot out of myself?
3) And as to the snogging...I. am. going. to. explode. Any day now. Really. Have you gotten a description of what Harry and his pals walked in on when they got here? Finally, it was going somewhere, you know, and that was like a crazy-fast out of control, almost-but-not-quite with clothes on, grinding up against the wall, completely unaware of an audience...you get the idea. (I need your help getting Draco back for inappropriate and embarrassing comments, by the way - but that's beside the point and can wait. Oh, and you should have seen Harry's face - haha, woops! Anyway, moving on...) Spontaneous combustion: I am beginning to believe it's an actual thing and I have a working theory as to its cause. Because after that, Sev has returned to Mr. easy and careful. "Everything in the right order," he says. AARG. Is it really that necessary given our circumstances? Ok, I know full well it's supposed to be that way, but the about-to-immolate part of me is asking Why? Because of the prophecy or something else? Is something wrong? Have you and Harry ever...you know? Is it this bad all around? (And on a side note, does that mean Sev is thinking about or planning for the first part of the deal?!)
Hermione"
"Geez, Hermione. SQUEEL right back at ya - you're right, entirely unsatisfying, that. But also..get a grip!
1) Honestly, Hermione. I'm surprised it took you guys this long. He was saying it with his eyes already when I saw him in August, and, lest you forget, he already offered you anything and everything on bended knee then too. How can you be so surprised? Except, you're right - He's Severus Snape. I'm just glad he has the bullocks to actually say it.
2) Chill Out! You are going to call Mel and ask her to help you get ready and keep your nerves under control. Your job is to stay cool and make him drool. Memorize that and repeat as necessary. No awkward, nervous, idiocy allowed. Also, I want details when you get back.
3) Thanks for that. Now I'm going to have to head off to class all worked up. (We'll discuss plans for Draco later). Bad all around? you ask. Yeah, pretty much. I am here at Hogwarts, and Harry is NOT. Seriously deprived here. But I think it's especially bad for you super intense rescue couples, from what I've seen. Mom caught Fred and Katie nearly at it. They have now joined Ron and Lavender in the land of never-without-a-chaperone. You remember Mum with you lot before Bill and Fleur's wedding - she's going to have to let them get married soon or she'll exhaust herself trying to keep them in bounds. Everyone else is all for it - them getting married and on with magic and life, but she's got some hang up about her baby boys not being old enough. Pft! I don't know what magic she's waiting for to morph Ron and Fred into "grown up enough." Ha!
So Severus is being the responsible one, huh? Mum and Dad are taking the order of the prophecy pretty seriously too, but it's ingrained anyway. It really isn't something you do backwards in the Wizarding World. Harry and I have talked about how different this is Muggle vs. Wizard. Think about it though - in the Wizarding World, magic is involved in the union, it bonds lives, seals vows that cannot be unmade. So, no, not done lightly, and no we haven't - close-ish but no. It's a couple years off at least. Hogwarts to finish and I'd like to travel and play quidditch for a while. Much as I love Mum, I'm not her. I don't fancy settling down right out of school and producing a brood. It's a good thing Harry will be so busy with Auror training. Plenty to keep him occupied in the mean-time.
Still, fun is to be had. Sounds like you were having quite the fun. With Snape too. That's still a little weird - even having seen you two somewhat together. Patience, my dear! Even that kind of fun isn't worth the risk of "Ooh, wasn't that good but oops there's no chance of getting our magic back now."
Damn, I'm going to be late for class. Gotta run. Remember: stay cool and let him drool, patience and cold showers, and send me details!
Ginny"
Hermione mused at Ginny's extraordinary ability to calm her down and make her feel better. She was still keyed up but it was reduced to a manageable level, and she managed to get a little sleep. It was a good thing that Mel had a little one who required her to start her days early, because Hermione barely waited for early morning before calling her in a state of nervous elation. It was more gratifying to share her excitement over the phone, and Mel proved herself wise as Ginny when, having spotted the potential for Hermione to devolve into a nervous mess, she reigned Hermione in to practicalities, assigned her tasks to do during the day and worked out the get-ready plan with which she would help this afternoon.
Hermione went for an early morning run before her morning shift at the coffee shop, and then after her shift picked up some groceries for their assigned Thanksgiving desserts and sides before heading home. This activity spent enough nervous energy that she was able to "chill out" as Ginny had instructed her, except that when she saw Severus at the coffee shop and he whispered, "I'll pick you up at six" in her ear as he bid her goodbye, she was the opposite of chilled out.
If Mel hadn't shown up almost immediately after Hermione stepped out of the shower, the potential for nervous wreck would have become actual. As much as she and Severus had already become to each other, Hermione didn't really understand why such a nervous excitement had overcome her. Except that this felt different, like more. Hermione kept trying to repeat Ginny's mantra as Mel kept her company and helped her get ready, and by the time she stood ready, looking at herself in the mirror she felt almost collected and self-assured.
"Wow, Hermione," Mel said, "You look amazing." The doorbell rang. Mel spotted the nervous look on Hermione's face. "Don't be nervous tonight. You're going to knock him over, I doubt he'll be able to form coherent sentences when he sees you," Mel laughed.
Hermione smiled, her eyes mischievous. "Here's hoping."