Author's Note: Long, relaxed chapter for your mid-week enjoyment!

April 1999

Severus looked at Hermione, sitting with him on his couch. "Notebooks are done. What's next?"

"I want a charm that allows people to instantly apparate to where they are guided, versus apparition determined by the person doing the apparition."

"Are you apprenticing in Charms or Dark Arts, Hermione?" he deadpanned.

"Ha ha."

He studied her. "You're studying his works, Hermione."

"Of course I am!"

Severus raised an eyebrow, surprised that she admitted it so freely.

"He was brilliant. And evil. And the thought that we have only seen his brilliant concepts used in a war - used against me, by the way - is not okay. I look at the things he did and wonder what he could have done if he weren't," she struggled for words, gesturing with her hands.

"A Dark Wizard hell bent on world domination?" Severus offered.

"Yes! But it had to be all of those things. We have mediocre Dark Wizards, fine. We have mediocre people who value blood purity, fine. But he was not mediocre. And all those things coupled with his brilliance drove him to invent amazing things."

"And next on your list is the Dark Mark?" he asked, wary.

"Yes. I don't think it will be that hard."

Severus goggled at her.

"He's not the only one that did this. Dumbledore did the same thing, just nicer. But his knowledge died with him. To my knowledge, Ron's deluminator was unique. And now, we don't think it does anything but turn on and off lights. We can't recreate what happened to Ron during the war. But I know it can be done. By two different wizards. And that's good enough for me."

"Hermione, the Dark Mark," he began, but couldn't finish, unconsciously rubbing his left arm.

Hermione scooted over to sit by him and put her hand on top of his. "I'm not recreating the Dark Mark. Free will, Severus. No one forced Ron to apparate to us. He had a choice. That's all I want to give people. A choice."

"I trust you, Hermione. What do you think people will use it for?"

"There are a thousand applications. Your friend's never been to your house so they don't feel comfortable apparating from a picture, send them a," she gestured something small with her hands, "something - I don't know what it will look like. Someone can't figure out how to apparate? Let them do it this way once so they can experience the feeling that they're supposed to lean into. Maybe everyone could own one that allows you to side-along-apparate a loved one safely to St. Mungo's in case of an emergency. I just need to get the Charms perfect so that people can apply them however they want."

Severus considered her. "Interesting. If anyone can do it, it's you."

Hermione laughed. "That didn't sound like a compliment."

Severus narrowed his eyes. "You know it was. You are brilliant and you are often like a dog with a bone. You won't let it go until you get it right."

"I do have that reputation," Hermione agreed. "It means a lot to me that you think I can do it."

"Why does it mean so much, my opinion?"

"Because you're you," she said quietly. "Ever since my first day at Hogwarts, I've known who truly wields magic."

"Everyone is magical here, Hermione."

"Everyone here is magical, yes, but not everyone here wields magic like a samurai with his sword. I wish I could have seen you save Draco's life. The way Harry describes you healing him is almost reverential and Harry has the eloquentness of a blunt axe."

Severus nodded in appreciation, because he had been rendered speechless. He had only ever wanted to be seen. He had a Dark Mark on his arm so that he could be seen as worth a damn to someone. "I see you, Hermione. Don't ever think I don't see you and how powerful you are. Whatever knowledge I have is at your disposal."

"Do you mean that?"

"I won't teach you Dark Magic just for the sake of Dark Magic. I won't teach you to fly; it's not technically dark, but it's definitely grey. But everything else I know I will teach you if you want to know."

"Thank you," she looked genuinely touched. "And I don't want to learn to fly! Ever. Even brooms don't like me. I doubt I could make that spell work. My whole body screams, 'put me down!'"

"But I wonder how it would be if I took you flying," he teased.

"Have you ever wrestled an octopus while flying? Because that would probably be similar," she deadpanned.

"Duly noted."

The next week was the start of the Easter holidays. Most students stayed at Hogwarts, but there were no classes. That Monday, Severus and Hermione caught up on grading to free up their week; neither of them were procrastinators. Tuesday, Severus brewed and Hermione sat at his desk working. It was deja vu from when she was working on Potions and he would grade papers.

"Tomorrow," he began, "is the first Wednesday of Easter hols."

"Correct," she said, distractedly.

"I will be doing exactly nothing tomorrow. If you want me, you know where to find me. But otherwise, I will be having House Elves keep me supplied with sandwiches and tea and I don't plan to leave my quarters."

Hermione looked up. "Is this tradition? Because you have this very well thought out."

"Tradition. I get Wednesday, Minerva usually chooses Thursday, but this year we gave her the whole weekend; she's going to go visit family. Filius gets Friday. There's a schedule in the Staff Room. If a Slytherin breaks his arm tomorrow, not my problem. We even give Sybil a day. Though no one knows why she needs a day. That pretty much describes her every day."

"Is that what that sign-up is for? It's just a parchment stuck on the door. It doesn't even have a title!"

"Doesn't need a title. And it's not cursed," he added, smirking.

She raised an eyebrow teasingly. "Amateurs. Do apprentices get a day?"

He scoffed. "Of course not."

She narrowed her eyes again.

"You can share mine under one circumstance," he teased.

"Do tell."

"Think carefully before you agree, Hermione," he said with mock seriousness.

She rolled her eyes.

"You have to take the day off. I don't work. I don't brew. I don't research," he said that last part quite deliberately. "I read for enjoyment and do whatever else I want. But I don't work."

Hermione bit her lip. "A whole day lost?"

"A whole day found," he corrected. "You probably haven't read for enjoyment in over a year."

"I read journals," she invented.

"No journals. Nothing educational. I'm not sure you can do it." He knew that he was playing dirty poker and baiting her to join him.

"I know you're baiting me," she said annoyed. It was as though she had read his mind. "I'll think about it."

"The Elves bring me brunch at ten. If I don't see you by 9:45, then I'll see you Thursday at breakfast."

"Brunch at ten? You are obnoxious," she teased.

"I am tomorrow."

"I'll think about it," she repeated.

She opened up the magical doorway between his office and quarters at 9:40 a.m. to see a smirking Severus in a button-down grey shirt and trousers, looking over his shoulder from the couch.

"Quit smirking."

"Fine. Come in, I'm about to order brunch for two."

She walked in, completely empty handed in trousers and a light sweater. He looked her up and down and nodded in approval.

"Do you want anything special?"

"Mimosas? Is that okay?" she asked tentatively.

"Obviously," he intoned. "Anything else?"

She shook her head. Severus summoned a House Elf and put in their order including Mimosas and an additional, "Surprise us."

Minutes later, Quill laid out a spread on Severus' coffee table that was fit for a king. Mimosas, tea, juices, fruit, pastries, toast and jams. They agreed that the Eggs Benedict must have been the "surprise me" element. Severus played host and served them breakfast as they sat on the floor leaning against the couch. They took their time nibbling on the assorted offerings and talking. Severus smiled as Hermione's Mimosa glass refilled itself and made her yelp in surprise.

He had thought about this day for weeks and wondered if he would be able to convince her to join him. His desire to be with her more warred with the fact that they were friends and he had no clue where her friendly affection ended and any romantic feelings began, if at all. Their tangled past and their non-traditional present made him clueless about a potential future. Eventually, he gave up on that line of thinking and just decided to spend as much time as possible with her until he got more clues from Hermione. Something told him that rushing a woman twenty years his junior was not the correct path.

After they talked and ate their fill, they called a House Elf to take away the leftovers. Severus got up and went to his bookshelf. "Fiction section only," he warned, and she joined him. They each chose a book and went to the couch. Severus propped his feet up on his coffee table and began reading The Three Musketeers by Dumas. Hermione chose a novel set during World War Two.

"I don't think I chose well," Hermione added after an hour.

"That's an excellent book," Severus said, surprised.

"Yes, well, I don't fancy anything about war right now," she responded.

Severus nodded. "Pick something else."

"I like The Three Musketeers," she said offhandedly.

Severus looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "Do you want me to read to you?"

Hermione nodded.

"Do you want me to start from the beginning?"

"No, I've read it many times. Wherever you're at is fine."

Severus nodded and began reading. He well knew that his voice was special. It was the only thing that he inherited from the Prince Patriarchs. His grandfather's voice had been rich and low and quite memorable. He began reading and looked over at Hermione. She smiled at him. He continued reading to her. An hour later, Hermione adjusted her position. He faltered on a word or two when she laid her head on his lap and put her feet up on the opposite end of the couch. But he quickly regained his composure and continued reading. He read the words aloud but didn't take in one of them. His mind kept informing him that this seemed like a stretch beyond "normal friend" behavior. Maybe it was normal for Hermione, he thought, but that didn't matter to him. He liked it.

After a while, he stopped talking. Hermione looked up at him. "Tired?"

Severus shook his head. "Your hair," he said, smiling softly.

"It's a mess, isn't it?"

He reached out to touch it, something he had wanted to do since she laid her head in his lap. He wound an unruly curl around his finger. "Not a mess. It's like," he paused. "It's like the first year that won't stop talking."

"You did not just call my hair Jacob Wellington."

Severus chortled. "Not quite that bad. Mr. Wellington blurts out nonsense. Your hair communicates. Is that better? I always know what mood you're in, how late you've stayed up working, if you're stressed or relaxed. I like your hair."

"So what you're saying is that my hair and your eyebrows do the talking for us?" She reached up and traced his eyebrows, smiling up at him.

"Something like that," he acquiesced.

After a couple of hours of reading and talking interspersed with Severus occasionally winding Hermione's hair around a finger, they came to a stopping point. Hermione sat up and stretched and Severus put his legs down from the coffee table.

"I know where we're going for dinner," she said imperiously.

Severus raised an eyebrow in question.

"I know this great little chippy close to where I grew up. Hogwarts is forever swinging between healthy and feast, but it never quite offers up greasy goodness."

Severus considered her. "Greasy goodness. And are you qualified to measure up true greasy goodness? I grew up in a considerably poor neighborhood. Our neighborhood wrote the book on greasy goodness."

"No," she answered definitively, "this place takes the prize. And it's a little over a mile walk from the nearest apparition point, so we'll be good and hungry by the time we get there. Hopefully the weather is nice there."

"I will allow you to do a charm if it's raining. I won't call it cheating. You just can't start developing any new charms," he deadpanned.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Are you dressed Muggle enough?" she asked, appraising his dress.

"This is as Muggle as I get, Hermione," he warned.

She laughed. "You're fine. Let's go."

"Send a patronus to Filius letting him know that you and I are leaving the castle for a few hours."

"What about Minerva?"

"She knows she won't see me at all today. I'm more worried about them looking for you," he answered. He didn't mention that thus far, Minerva seemed absolutely unaware of how much time Hermione spent with him. And he had no desire to open Hermione up to Minerva's overprotective nature.

He felt like he was sneaking out of the castle like a fifth year and by Hermione's nervous laugh as he shut the front doors of the castle behind him, she was thinking the same thing.

"Look, Hermione is sneaking out of the castle. Again," he teased.

Hermione laughed. "I deserve that."

Severus undid the chains and they walked outside of the Hogwarts grounds. Hermione watched as he rechained the gates with a tap.

"Are you doing the honors?"

She faced Severus and held out her hand. "Ready?"

Severus tucked a lock of hair behind her ear with his left hand as his right hand grabbed hers. "I trust you."

They arrived in a wooded area, but Severus could hear a road nearby.

"All good?" Hermione asked.

"All good. Which way?"

They started walking and after about thirty minutes ended up in front of what could only be described as a hole in the wall.

Right before they entered, Hermione exclaimed, "Severus! Money! I forgot!"

Severus smiled at her. "I have it."

Hermione blushed. "I'm so embarrassed. I can apparate us here but not pay for fish and chips."

"It's on me," and he opened the door and ushered her in.

They ordered their fish and chips and went to a booth in the corner. Hermione slid into the side of the booth facing the door, taking Severus aback.

Hermione realized that Severus, too, wouldn't sit with his back to the door, so she slid over to make room for him and he slid in next to her.

"Thanks," he said in a low voice.

"Never quite goes away, does it?"

"No." He smiled softly at her. "Now, let's see if your chippy holds a candle to mine."

She smiled back at him. "You're going to cry it's so good."

They took their first bites of the fish and they both melted. It at once brought him back to his childhood but he was happier by a factor of ten because he was next to Hermione.

"I knew mine was better," she said smugly, hitting his shoulder with her own.

He looked at her and laughed. "Maybe a tie," he joked.