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Chapter 38: You!

"Konbanwa" called Madam Sakura.

Turning around Severus answered with a polite "Konbanwa, Madam Sakura" to regard the young woman. There was a whispered "You!" from the brown eyed girl.

Before he could speak anymore the matchmaker had grabbed onto his arm before formally intoning, "Mr Severus Snape-san, I would like you to meet Miss Hermione Granger-san."

Placing Hermione's hand on the Potion Masters arm she proceeded to guide the extremely quiet couple to one of the two teahouses. In a private room looking out on the garden Madam Sakura got down to business.

"No, both of you did not know I had selected the other for this meeting. Both of you are compatible with the other if you just take your time to be the normal logical people that you are. She is no longer your student and he is no longer your professor there is no reason why you cannot see each other in a different light. Here is the Omiai - do you or do you not meet again? Could the pair of you have a chance of a long term relationship? If so how do we proceed? I will contact both of you in the morning for your answers. Now enjoy the firework display." The matchmaker left the couple.

The pair moved out onto the veranda so they could see the fireworks. Sitting in the dark, a small hand reached for the dark man's larger one. It felt nice and comforting to hold her hand in his as they sat in the dark and watched the night sky lighting up with the brightly coloured fireworks.

"Hermione, you don't have to do this you know? They can find you someone more your age," advised Severus. His pride had taken something of a beating that night when he had turned and heard her response. He had taken it as a dismissal. There was no way this young vibrant witch could even think about being with him as he did not even have a future.

"Severus, you are a friend but I never imagined that you would even consider someone like me. I am just a foolish girl fresh out of the school room that can't even decide on a career or degree programme," advised the young witch before biting her lip.

They discussed her current dilemma and how he did not want to go back to Hogwarts. It was with easy and comfortable companionship. It was almost 10:30pm when they were being ushered out of the gardens when they fell into silence. Stopping at the outer gates, the young witch stood on the tips of her toes to kiss the surprised man on the cheek before quietly advising that she would go out on a date with him if he asked. He stood there shocked and it seemed that his failure to respond quickly had embarrassed her as there was a little hitch in her breath before she said, "Sorry. I'm Sorry. I hope that won't make life difficult when we meet in the future," as she quickly looked around before whipping out her wand, looking to quickly apparate away.

"No, don't go, Hermione." called Severus, quickly grabbing her and then reaching down to lightly kiss her lips before pulling back to regard those chocolate orbs of hers with his own obsidian eyes. It was a moment later he whispered in her ear "Κοίταξα βαθιά στα μάτια σας και είδα το μέλλον μας" before kissing her forehead. "Let me take you to your home," he advised her before apparating them to Melina and Hiroto's street. Sitting outside the corner eatery machiya were Daichi, Hiroto, and Madam Sakura.

Damn! There was no avoiding the bossy witch. "So," drawled the curious woman who had made her own conclusions on seeing the pair walk down the small street to the corner.

Being the Gryffindor she was, Hermione answered "Yes," in her own challenging manner while Severus, ever the quiet man, just nodded. The grin on Hiroto's face was spectacular. "No gossiping with them," snapped Severus, advising that it would not be a good idea to spread the news with Hiroto's wife and his grandmother.

Madam Sakura led the pair away towards the Granger machiya. The matchmaker organised the pair of them in a meeting the next morning before sending Severus off with a flea in his ear when they reached the machiya not to be late. Upon entering the household the questions started. Kameko put the kettle on to brew the tea before advising she would assist Hermione to get out of the kimono and remove all the hair pins.

"It was a success," reported Uchi to Hermione's parents. "They have agreed to meet up again. I think you will have a son-in-law within the next year," advised the woman.

Hélène who had been kept fairly in the dark about the situation and only had the bare minimum of details supplied to her turned and demanded "Well, who is he? What does he do for a living?"

Phillip Granger may be a strong and brave man but being married to a lively Frenchwoman all these years had taught him when to pick his battles. Deciding that discretion was greater than valour, he turned and said, "I believe Madam Sakura knows all the details," while ducking out to get the whistling kettle to make tea.

Around a tea tray in the lounge dining room Hermione and Madam Sakura were quizzed on the Omiai meeting. Kameko asked how many meetings had been agreed.

"We have not set a number," Hermione nervously responded, as she was not sure if her parents knew the pertinent details.

"So you are not rushing into this good. Good," advised Kameko.

"I would hope not, Hermione Granger. What are you doing thinking that you can date your former professor?" snapped Hélène. There was a rattle of French phrases and from the tone alone the rest of the room could assume that they were less than complimentary. Madam Sakura stepped in and waved her wand, freezing the woman in place.

"Now you will listen to your daughter, husband and myself and only then will I release you," she advised before proceeding to provide a briefing on the man selected and why her daughter had been selected. It was after this briefing that Hélène was released from the spell binding her.

"He is a friend, Mother, and you cannot rabbit on about the age difference. Look at your own parents, there is 12 years between them," snapped the hurt young woman.

"What is so wrong with going on a date or two with someone who you already know as a friend? For some it is love at first sight even though I don't believe in spontaneous love. For others it is a friendship that later deepens," there was a look from her father back to her mother hoping that some common sense was seeping back into her mother's brain.

"What I took from tonight's Omiai meeting was that both of us are looking for a long-term relationship and we are going on a few dates to see if the spark that seems to between us is more than just friendship. All Madam Sakura is asking from both of us is to give it a chance, as we have some points of compatibility. Thank you, Madam Sakura. I will retire now. Good night all," advised the witch, returning up the machiya stairs to find her bed and get some sleep before her date the next day.

It was after the clearing away of the tea tray items following the departure of Madams Sakura and Kameko when Phillip Granger decided to have a heart to heart with his dearly beloved.

oOoOo

Severus returned to the Ryokan where he had been staying for the last couple of days. A curious owner regarded him with an impatient question in her eyes for him. He nodded yes to her unspoken question with a small-pleased grin slipping out and changing the look of his face. Her "Hai!" and her smile as she left him, let him know she was pleased. Turning into his futon that night, Severus Snape struggled to overcome his excitement before finally falling asleep thinking of a pair of chocolate coloured eyes who had reached out to him.

oOoOo

Konbanwa = Good evening

Κοίταξα βαθιά στα μάτια σας και είδα το μέλλον μας = I looked deep into your eyes and saw our future.