Chapter 17

Friday couldn't come fast enough for Harry, who had taken to driving Ginny up the wall the days leading up to it. He stayed on his best behavior around Severus and Hermione, but that was mostly because he was afraid that Snape would snap and change the date on him.

As soon as Friday afternoon came around, Harry went into Hermione's office and waited for her there.

"Oh! Hi, Harry," Hermione greeted, as she entered her office after her last class. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah. I needed something to keep my mind busy."

"Keep your mind busy?"

Harry grabbed the stack of parchment on her desk. "These first-year essays! I thought I was a master at making stuff up, but this one student," he flipped through the pack, "Paige O'Flaherty, she puts first-year me to shame!"

"Yes, her essays are always a trip. I usually save that one for last."

"Don't worry, I didn't grade any of them. They were purely a source of entertainment."

"I'm glad they provided a distraction. When is Ginny arriving?"

Harry glanced at the clock on Hermione's desk. "In another thirty minutes or so."

"Are you ready?"

Harry nodded. "Yes. I'm excited to do this."

"Do you have any other questions?"

"Nope! I'm just ready. Where are we meeting Severus?"

"He said he'll meet us in the Hospital Wing. I brought down the potion during my plan and gave it to Madam Pomfrey. She said she wanted to screen a sample of it. Would you mind if I changed, before we went down there? I don't fancy staying in these teaching robes any longer than necessary."

"Not at all. Do you need me to do anything?"

"Everything I need is back in my quarters. I would suggest that you wear pajama bottoms or shorts, something that can give us easy access to your leg. We'll need to watch for any discolorations or hair loss."

"Hair loss?" Harry echoed.

"We're just covering all bases."

"Alright. I'll meet you at your quarters?"

"Yes. I'll see you shortly!"


"Ginny!"

Ginny paused at the opening in the curtains. "Is he on anything yet?"

"Just excitement," Hermione replied.

She took a few steps into the room and then stopped again. "What are you wearing?"

Harry grinned. "Hermione told me to dress comfortably and in layers. You don't like it?"

"It's ghastly."

Harry was wearing a Weasley jumper, pajama pants that had one leg rolled up, and one sock on. Nothing matched.

"It could be worse," Harry said. "I first grabbed my Chudley Cannons shirt."

Ginny made a sound that sounded suspiciously like "burning it." "I hope nobody saw you in that."

"Hermione was embarrassed and disillusioned me," Harry replied.

"You should have let him walk down here like that," Severus said, from behind the group.

The three turned around in time to see Poppy smack Severus with the papers she was holding.

"Are you ready, Mr. Potter?"

He nodded.

"Once we have you take the potion, you need to tell us everything," Madam Pomfrey began. "What it tastes like—you cannot spit any of it out. What the viscosity is like, how it is taking it. Anything that you can think of. We need you to talk through everything."

"I can do that."

"We'll also be asking you questions, and I will have diagnostic spells running. The results will appear on my parchment. I will be monitoring your vitals the entire time. Severus will be watching for any symptoms, physical changes, or abnormalities. Hermione will be recording everything down."

"Sounds great," Harry said. "And Ginny is here to keep me sane."

"I can torture you, if you'd like," Ginny responded. "I'm sure there are some great stories about you that no one has heard before."

"If that's everything, we'll have you take the potion," the mediwitch said. "Severus will hand you the potion, but don't take it until Hermione has instructed you."

Hermione nodded. "I have a stopwatch spell charmed to the notes. It records a time stamp any time that something is recorded."

Harry looked over to see a quill floating besides her. "Is that a Quick-Quotes Quill?"

"No. I charmed this one myself. I trust it more."

"Have I told you lately that you're brilliant?" Harry asked.

"After this, you should be reminding her of that every day," Ginny replied.

Severus handed Harry the potion bottle. Harry investigated the small bottle, the dark turquoise potion swirled and shimmered inside.

"Well, at least it looks nice."

"I would suggest that you don't smell it, before taking it," Hermione said.

"Why?"

"Just trust me."

"Fine."

"You can remove the cork," Severus instructed. "Slowly."

Harry carefully pulled the cork out and handed it to Madam Pomfrey.

"On the count of three, Mr. Potter," Poppy said. "Ready, Hermione?"

"Yes."

"One…two…three!"

Harry tossed the potion back and immediately clamped his mouth shut.

"I think he's going to be sick," Ginny commented.

"What does it taste like?" Severus asked.

"Eugh," Harry blurted. "Not as bad as Skele-Gro, but still not entirely pleasant. It tastes a bit bitter, fishy, and a little like the grass Bertie Botts bean." He smacked his lips. "It's slimy. Can something taste slimy? Drinking it felt like touching seaweed."

"That's oddly specific," Ginny muttered.

"It's cold," he continued. "I think it was the texture that was so off-putting. I could feel it slide down my throat. What's in it? Fish?"

"Merpeople scales," Hermione replied simply.

Harry's mouth was agape.

"Don't even tell him how you figured that one out," Ginny said.

"How did you get them?" Harry asked.

"Severus had them."

"Of course he did."

"Are you feeling any different?" Severus asked.

"Not yet," Harry replied.

"His vitals are still good," Poppy added.

Nothing changed for another half hour when Harry's leg suddenly jerked.

"Oh! It's cold. Really cold."

"What is cold?" Severus asked. "Point to it."

Harry traced an area on his knee. "It feels like I put ice on it."

"Can you move it?" Hermione asked.

Harry shook his head.

Madam Pomfrey bustled over to try and move his leg up and down. "It's like it's frozen."

"Don't move it," Hermione said and waved her wand. A splint appeared on his leg.

"Breathe," Ginny chimed in, from Harry's side.

"His vitals are still fine," Poppy announced. "Stop holding your breath, Potter."

Harry took a few deep breaths. "It's so cold."

"Do you feel any pain?" Severus asked.

"No."

"The cold has probably dulled the pain," Hermione replied. "That's a positive. I suspect it's working on the damage right now."

Harry nodded. "It's getting a little more tolerable now."

"Maybe this is their way of payback for all of the times you didn't listen to them growing up," Ginny voiced. "It did happen quite often."

"I am older and wiser, and can confidently say that my younger self was an idiot."

"This is the best case scenario," Hermione said.

"Oh, I'm just making him squirm," Ginny replied.

Harry crossed his arms.

"The first mouse we tested it on lost all of its hair," Severus stated, without looking up from the parchment he was writing on.

"He's joking," Harry deadpanned. He looked between Hermione and Severus, who remained stoic. "You've got to be—Wait. That's why you said you needed to monitor for hair loss."

Hermione nodded.

Ginny laughed.

"I'm sure if Hermione and Severus came up with a potion to fix your spell damage, they can easily come up with something to fix your hair," Remus said from the doorway.

"Remus!" Harry greeted.

Hermione heard Severus curse under his breath.


Two hours later, the group was alone again. Severus felt like the two hours dragged on forever with the revolving door they seemed to have. McGonagall was finally called away by Filch, who reported that Peeves was wreaking havoc in the kitchens and terrorizing the house elves.

"It feels different again," Harry said. "The cold is going away."

"Is there any pain?" Severus asked.

"No. It feels a little weird, maybe it's a little stiff."

"Don't move it yet," Poppy said.

"It feels like a warming spell," Harry clarified, as Poppy vanished the brace that was on his leg.

The group watched in silence as the mediwitch ran a fast series of spells. Severus grabbed her parchment off the table and started reading the results.

"Try moving the leg, Poppy," Severus announced.

"Any pain?" Poppy asked.

Harry shook his head.

"All the scans came up clear."

Severus nodded. "You can stand up now."

Harry slowly slipped off the bed.

"Do a lap around the Hospital Wing," Severus said.

They watched as Harry made his way throughout the room, a smile on his face.

"It feels fine, but I usually feel fine walking." He started jumping up and down in place.

"His vitals are still good," Poppy murmured.

"Anything?" Hermione asked.

Harry stopped. "It feels great."

"Sprint to the other end and then back," Severus said.

The group watched as Harry effortlessly made it to the other end and back.

"Do it again." It was Ginny this time.

When Harry came back, Madam Pomfrey had him sit back on the bed.

"I'm going to run a few more scans."

"Everything came back clean," she finally said.

"So it worked?" Harry asked.

Poppy smiled. "Yes, it seems so."

"I need to run a few more tests for-" Severus was cut off as Harry leapt off the bed and enveloped Hermione in a bone-crushing hug.

"Hermione, you're absolutely brilliant! I don't know how I could ever repay you!"

"I'll count it even if you let me go," Hermione replied.

"Oh! Right. Sorry!" Without thinking, he let her go and kissed her right on the mouth.

Harry turned towards Ginny and hugged her. "Thank you!"

"For what?"

"For letting me do this!"

"You didn't need my opinion-" Ginny was cut off as he kissed her too.

Harry turned towards Severus.

"Don't even think about it," he said evenly and then pointed towards the bed. "I need to run a few more diagnostic spells of my own for the potion."

Harry nodded and sat back down.

Hermione turned towards Ginny. "I swear, I did not appreciate that."

Ginny looked amused. "It's good to know now that he goes around kissing people."

"Harry's like my brother, I don't love him like Se—that."

A huge smile crept up on Ginny's face. "Love him like who, Hermione?"

Hermione stared at Ginny. When what she said finally registered in her brain, she glanced back towards Severus, who was engrossed in examining Harry's knee.

"Not here," Hermione whispered.

If it was possible, Ginny's smile grew. "Does he know?"

"Drop it," Hermione hissed.

"He doesn't!" Ginny whispered back. "I-"

"I need a moment to collect my thoughts," Hermione said.

"You didn't either!"

"Ginny."

Ginny looked like the cat that ate the canary.

"I think you two need to go out more," Harry's voice said.

Hermione spun around to see Harry staring at them with an amused look on his face, while Severus and Poppy went over something on a roll of parchment.

"You two alright?" He asked.

"Yes," Ginny said. "You know how we get when we haven't seen each other."

"How were the scans?" Hermione questioned.

"Great!"

"Yes, Mr. Potter's scans have all come back as normal," Severus added.

"I would still like to scan twice a week for two weeks, and then every week after that for the next month," Madam Pomfrey said. "Then I think we just need to scan once a month, until the summer. Is that agreeable, Potter?"

"Yes," Harry replied.

"Great. I'll send an owl to schedule your first scan when it's time."

Harry grinned. "So we're all set?"

"Yes," Severus answered.

"Thank Merlin," Ginny started. "Now you can go put normal clothes back on."

"Hey!"

"You can use the floo," Poppy said. "All rooms are connected to the Hospital Wing."

Harry turned towards Hermione. "We could have done that earlier?"

Hermione shrugged. "I thought a walk would be nice."

"You cast a disillusion me."

"Well, I think I did everyone a favor."

"You're spending too much time with Ginny," Harry replied.

"Funny, I don't think we spend enough," Ginny retorted.

Harry looked towards Severus.

"Don't look at me. I will be of no help."

"Rib all you want," Harry finally said. "I'm in too good of a mood to pay attention to any of it."

Ginny shook her head. "Are you ready then?"

Harry hopped off the bed. "Yes! Do you think we can fly around outside too?"

Ginny sighed and shook her head again. "We'll see you later!"


Hermione had a very lovely Saturday museum hopping with Severus for Valentine's Day. She enjoyed the new exhibit that Severus got tickets for and spent most of the morning there. It was at the first museum that Hermione noticed a similarity to another exhibit at a different museum, which led Severus to suggest visiting multiple locations in one day. Between museums, they grabbed a quick lunch at a local café and planned out their day.

Several hours later found them having dinner at a nice muggle restaurant. Hermione couldn't believe how fast the day went by. Before she knew it, she was enjoying her treacle tart and talking about the school year with Severus.

"Are you doing to stay at Hogwarts next year?" Severus asked.

"I think so," Hermione replied slowly. "I thought about it a little bit. I'd like to see how a year, without all of the chaos will go. There's a few things that I thought about doing, and teaching is on that list."

He smirked. "Of course you have a list. What else is on there?"

"Let's see…I wanted to create a few more spells, there was a book or two that I wanted to update, and then look into werewolf legislation."

"Is that all?"

"Shut it. Well, what about you? Are you planning on teaching?"

He inclined his head. "Yes, for the time being. As Deputy Headmaster, I would also need to give Minerva a year-long notice."

"Are you interested in becoming Headmaster?" Hermione asked.

"Definitely not. It would take up too much of my time. Hogwarts enables me to continue my research and I can use the school's name to secure ingredients."

"For your research?"

"Yes and for brewing contracts and obligations. I brew the potions for the Hospital Wing and have several contracts through St. Mungo's and the Weasleys."

Hermione blinked. "You have a contract with Fred and George?"

"It's more of a retainer. They write to me about potential potions and I either give them feedback or brew a trial for them."

"How many people know about this?"

"Outside of the twins?"

Hermione nodded.

"Just you."

Hermione smiled. "I'm touched. Your secret is safe with me."

He was quiet a moment. "What are your plans for the summer?"

"I hadn't really thought about it," Hermione replied. "For so long, I wasn't able to plan for anything that I wanted to do…or really get free time. It's almost a foreign feeling now."

"What did you think about doing after it was all over?"

"At first, I wanted to travel a bit and see other wizarding cities and locations. But then after a while, I just stopped thinking about it. I always had a plan, but I felt like I couldn't plan for that anymore."

"You didn't think you would survive."

"I went back and forth," Hermione said. "We know that Voldemort was the only one that could touch Harry, but Ron and I were fair game."

"Weasley wasn't considered a threat, like you were," Severus replied softly.

Hermione nodded. "I know they had a bounty on me. I'm not going to ask about it, I don't really want to know."

Severus took a sip of his drink. "Now that you are free, what do you want to do?"

"I think I'd like to take a well-deserved vacation. I want to go somewhere and do what I want to do on my own time."

"Have you been to the wizarding museums?"

"The what?"

He smirked. "The wizarding museums. There's one in Paris, Rome, Cairo. Of course if you really wanted to travel, Salem has the most extensive one in the Americas."

"Are they around wizarding communities?"

He nodded.

Hermione looked like she was about to burst. "Can we go?"

"What?"

"I'm serious, Severus. Can we go?"

"You want me to go?"

"Well, of course. Have you traveled to any?"

"Not for pleasure."

"Oh, now we need to. Unless you don't want to…"

"I'll go," Severus replied. "I don't remember the last time I was able to travel anywhere that I particularly wanted to go."

Hermione smiled brightly. "This is exciting. Are there planning guides?"

"Are you talking about a brochure?"

Hermione nodded.

"No, but there are books."

"Even better! I'll take any excuse I can get to go back to Flourish and Blotts."

"Would you be interested in going tomorrow after breakfast?"

"You know you don't even have to ask," Hermione replied. "We just need to be back before dinner."

"Ah, yes. You have dinner plans at the Weasleys."

"You know, there's still an invitation to you."

"I'll pass," he said smoothly. "There are some projects that I need to finish in my lab, potions to brew for the Hospital Wing."

"Mmhm," Hermione replied.

"You'll just have to fill me in on all the dramatic details later."

"Dramatic details?"

"The last time you were over there, I heard you accosted Weasley."

"Yes, that may have happened."

Severus gave her a pointed look.

"Well, what would you have me do? He trapped me under the mistletoe and kissed me."

"Pardon?"

Hermione's eyebrows raised. "You didn't know? I thought Harry or Angelina would have told you."

"No, of all the things those two share, that particular piece of information was not included."

"I already handled it."

"How?"

Hermione took a sip of her drink. "Let's just say that he wasn't able to stand up straight to walk into the kitchen. I heard Ginny got him with a good bat bogey before she left too. He's apologized for being a troll, so I don't expect anything to happen, besides the normal chaos from Fred and George."

"Nevertheless, something always happens with you lot. I'll stay safely tucked away in the dungeons," Severus replied.

"I'll have you over there one day."

"You can try."

Hermione smiled. "I'll accept that challenge."


Hermione tried to arrive for dinner at the Weasleys as fashionably late as she could. She did not fancy getting cornered in a room with Angelina and Ginny again.

Hermione was surprised when Ron opened the door. "Hey Hermione!"

"Hi Ron. Thanks," she replied, as he held the door open for her.

"How's things?"

Hermione smiled. "Everything is going well. You?"

"Same. George has me helping with product development at the shop now."

"That's great, Ron."

"Yeah. I just think of the stuff that we could have used at Hogwarts, while we were sneaking around. Like a little wind-up figure that opens doors for you. It's the novelty of it."

"You're impossible," Hermione replied.

He smiled. "I know."

"I-"

"Oh good! You're finally here!" Ginny interrupted. "Don't go in there, or mum will make you set the table. She's just captured Harry and is on the hunt. Good luck, Ron!"

Hermione was pulled down the hall by Ginny.

"How's Harry's knee? Is everything still good?" Hermione asked, once they stopped in a small sitting room.

"I'm very happy that it's worked, but if he doesn't stop jumping from foot to foot all of the time, I'm going to jinx him." She sighed and plopped down in an armchair. "I feel horrid saying this, but I need a moment. He hasn't stopped talking about it since Friday."

"Spending a lot of time together, are we?"

"Like you haven't spent the last two days with Severus."

"I spent Friday with you," Hermione replied.

"Oh, you know what I mean."

"We had a very nice time in London."

"So what did he plan?"

"We went museum hopping."

Ginny blinked. "You two were made for each other. How many museums?"

"Well, of course there wasn't time to see everything. We went to three."

"So what else did you?"

"We spent the most time in the first museum, they just opened a new exhibit. Then we grabbed a quick lunch and went to the other two museums. After, he made reservations for dinner. What did you two do?"

"We also went out for dinner. What did you do after dinner?"

"Dinner!" Came Molly Weasley's voice.

"Went back to Hogwarts, of course," Hermione replied, as she walked to the doorway of the room.

"Do you enjoy always being vague?" Ginny asked, as she pushed herself off the chair.

"It's a change for me," Hermione answered. "I think I can get used to it."

Ginny frowned. "Please don't. You're not going to share any details?"

Hermione paused at the doorway. "Now Ginny, you know I don't kiss and tell."

Ginny's mouth fell open, before she threw one of the decorative pillows down the hall at Hermione. "Oi!"


"You say you invited everyone, Harry?" Arthur asked.

Harry nodded. "Yes. Even Professor Snape."

"Severus didn't want to come?"

"I don't blame him," Fred replied. "Sometimes I ask myself if I want to come."

"I'd have thought he would have come this time," Ginny said, from next to Harry. "What did he say?"

"He just gave me one of his looks and walked away," Harry answered.

"What makes this time any different?" Fred asked.

"Oi, Hermione," Angelina said, smacking Hermione in the side.

Hermione, who was chatting with Ron on her other side, turned to face them. "What's going on?"

"We were just talking about Snape."

"Alright…"

"What Angelina is trying to say," Fred started. "Is that Harry said he invited Snape, but of course he didn't come. No surprise there. But Ginny thinks otherwise, and Angelina seems to agree. They think that—Oh. Oh!"

"Oh what?" Hermione feigned ignorance.

"Hermione," Fred said, a wide grin appearing on his face.

"Finally link it together, did you?" Angelina asked him.

"Oh hoho!"

Arthur looked amused. "What's going on?"

"I think he's just had an epiphany," Ginny commented.

Fred looked around. "Does everyone know?"

"Almost everyone on this side of the table," Ginny replied.

Fred looked towards Hermione, his eyes sparkling.

Hermione's cheeks had turned as red as his hair.

"Am I the only one out of the loop?" Arthur asked. "What's this about?"

Hermione remained silent.

"Hermione and Snape," Fred said simply.

Arthur looked confused. "What about them?"

Fred turned towards his dad. "Hermione and Snape."

"Yes, I know, Fred. They work together at Hogwarts. Harry said they came up with the potion together. It's about time Severus has friends."

"No, dad. Hermione's with Snape," Fred clarified.

"What—Oh." Arthur was quiet for a moment, a thoughtful look on his face. He turned towards Hermione. "Are you getting along well?"

"Yes," Hermione squeaked out. What she really wanted was to hide underneath the table, away from all of the attention.

Arthur was quiet for a few more moments. "Splendid!"

Hermione's eyes widened.

"Hermione, you need to bring him around more often!"

"Splendid?" Ginny asked. "You're not going to question her? Weren't you just saying the other day that Hermione was like a daughter to you?"

"I trust Hermione."

"Well, what about me?"

"George has told me all about your poor dating choices, before Harry."

"Oi!"

"Yeah," Harry began. "You did date Michael Corner. He couldn't even handle a school Quidditch game."

There was a small explosion at the table, as Ginny shouted across to George and the bickering started between the two and Harry.

"What's all this?" Molly asked, walking up to their end of the table.

"We're talking about Ginny's poor choices before Harry," Fred said. "Ginny's just upset because dad's not grilling Hermione about her boyfriend, like he did her."

"Hermione! You didn't tell me you were seeing somebody!"

"Don't worry, Mum," Fred responded. "Dad just found out today too."

"Why didn't you bring him?" Molly asked.

"He was busy," Hermione said simply.

"Pish posh. It will do Severus some good to get out of the castle."

Fred dropped his fork.

"I'll let him know," Hermione replied slowly.

"How do you know?" Fred blurted.

"A mother just knows these things."

There were a few shouts.

"I've known since St. Mungo's. It would pay you to be a little more observant, Fred. Just keep that in mind, Angelina. Sometimes, you have to be painfully obvious to him."

The group watched as Molly walked back to the other end of the table and sat back down next to Fleur.

"Painfully obvious?" Hermione repeated.

"I don't think she meant you," Ginny said. "Fred is just a dolt."

"Hey!"

"Nah, she's right," Angelina said.


Hermione sat down next to Severus at breakfast the next morning.

"I see you survived another trip to the Weasleys. How was dinner?"

"Molly outdid herself, like always. No fights or surprises this time. You've been invited again for the next dinner."

"There's another one already?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, for Easter."

"Oh. I'm afraid I'm rather busy."

"Doing what exactly?" Hermione asked.

"Avoiding the Burrow."

"Of course. I forgot you pencil out all of the holidays."

"Birthdays too."

"Ah. Well, it's your lucky day. There's a special invitation for my boyfriend, as you're now referred to, waiting for you."

He was quiet for a moment. "Pardon?"

Hermione smiled. "Oh yes. My boyfriend is requested at the next dinner. You can thank Ginny for that one."

"Boyfriend?" He echoed.

"That is one way to say it, yes."

He frowned.

"What?"

"Boyfriend makes me sound like a student."

"Well, do you have a better word?"

He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Not particularly," he said slowly.

"How would you refer to me?"

He narrowed his eyes. "As Hermione."

"Did you get-"

"Yes."

She looked amused. "If I'm following this correctly, then you're my Severus."

"Theoretically, yes."

Hermione smiled. "Works for me."

"Am I missing something?" He asked.

"Nope. You're just my Severus."


A/N: Thanks again for your continued support! I really appreciate it!

Next up: Some characters make appearances again, The Daily Prophet returns, and Ron's birthday rolls around.