I know this is short, but Hermione and Spencer suddenly popped into my head and demanded I write this! I do hope it is enjoyed. I apologise for not being able to edit anything else but most of my grammar.
o.O.o
Chamomile Tea
o.O.o
"She does make the best lemonade."
He listened to their boss agree with the customer's compliment toward Hermione, the lovely barista who had caught his attention since the moment he clocked into his first shift at Common's Cuppa Joe. The customer, a regular since before he had been hired on by the coffee shop, had been trying to catch Hermione's attention even before he had been hired, or so Janvier Lafontaine, the shop's overprotective owner, had told him so.
Janvier may have been a pushover when hiring his two most favourite employees, namely he and Hermione, but he was most definitely not so when it came to defending them. For Hermione, Janvier was wary of this customer who started waiting for Hermione's shift to end.
"Let me help with that," he said as he entered the kitchen to see Hermione heaving a large vat of her special lemonade through the large area towards the front of the coffee shop to refill the two serving containers at the front. "You should have asked for help," he said as he helped her set it down and took one side of the container.
"I was almost there," Hermione huffed as she took the other side.
"You have approximately 30 square feet to the lemonade tanks and Janvier expressly warned you not to do this yourself after pulling a hamstring last month," he said.
"I only pulled that after lifting a measly gallon of caramel syrup, Spence," she retorted with a roll of her eyes. "I can carry this vat just fine."
"Which explains why you were huffing," he responded as they stopped at the tanks and lifted the vat to start refilling the first serving container.
"I can even carry two of these!" Hermione claimed.
"Pull the other one, Mya," Spence replied. "If you can carry one, I can carry two."
"I would like to see you carry two," Hermione said with some amusement as she clearly imagined him trying… and failing.
"A bet then," he said. "If I can carry two, then I get to walk you home tonight; if you can carry two, then I can walk you home tonight."
Hermione looked at him consideringly and he hoped she wouldn't catch onto his phrasing until they had completed the bet. She could be really clever when he least expected it of her and it interested him when she took pains to hide just how brilliant she was.
"You have the muscle mass of a wet dish sponge," she responded with some smugness as they set down the empty vat.
"Hey, don't snub the power of a sponge!" Spence replied.
Hermione mockingly scoffed, though he could tell she did it to egg him on in his own bet.
"You are on, Reid," Hermione said as she lifted the emptied vat and turned her shoulder to his chest when he tried to help. "Two six-gallon vats across the whole of the shop and back to the sinks."
She smirked at him as she entered the kitchen while he followed and made a show of filling two of the shops only vats to the top with water.
"Winner cleans up," she said as she slowly lifted the two vats and he moved to help but received a scowl in reply as she slowly walked with bended knees toward the kitchen entrance.
"Hermione, let me-" he tried to say before she interrupted.
"If you help then I win," she said through gritted teeth while he struggled to watch her and Janvier scowled at them yet didn't object to Hermione losing or winning… he had obviously caught onto Spence's wordplay which meant… Hermione had…
…and she was still playing along with his bet.
His heart unexpectedly skipped as he helped her anyway while she tried not to smile too much.
"Winner cleans up, right?" He asked.
"Oi!" Hermione called as she tried to elbow him to take up her turn again while he and Janvier laughed as Spence inched his way across the shop and back toward the kitchen while Hermione voiced her complaints.
She was still voicing her amused displeasure through her actions until it was nearly closing time and Hotch walked into the shop for his evening cup of chamomile he always requested from Spence.
"Reid," Hotch said quietly as Spence delivered his cuppa to the corner table where Hotch always watched just outside the shop's windows. "Anything new?" He asked before taking a sip and setting the cup down to cool.
"Lafontaine's girlfriend still sends the occasional encrypted message," Reid whispered before speaking normally. "Can I get you anything else?"
"Garcia's doing her best to break the encryption code," Hotch said as he politely waved Reid away.
"I am quite surprised your regular does not request a cuppa from a real Brit," Hermione commented as she scrubbed down the latte machine.
He helped her a bit by running a dry cloth over the damp surface.
"Me as well," he commented. "We're nearly done," he said as he side-eyed Hotch who gulped down his tea and stood up before placing a tip on the table and leaving.
Hotch always left the same bill that Reid returned to him every evening after debriefing on their long-term case. Reid had been working at the coffee shop for nearly three months to Hermione's six. Janvier may have taken pity on them because Hermione needed to keep herself afloat after losing the support of her parents who had disowned her, and Reid needed to support his mother's Sanitorium bills to keep getting her the help she constantly needed, but the shop owner was surprisingly tight-lipped about his own personal life.
Reid would never have known Janvier had a girlfriend if it were not for Garcia digging up that bit of information.
"Ready?" Hermione asked as she wrapped a thin scarf loosely around her neck and slipped a pair fingerless gloves onto her small hands.
"Yeah," he hurriedly replied as he hastily slammed his work cabinet closed and threw on a sweater as he followed her out while Janvier bid them a goodnight, warned Spence to see Hermione all the way to her door, and locked up behind them as they walked away. "We, uh, live in the same direction," he commented.
"Do we?" Hermione responded. "Did Janvier also find you a place near the café?" She asked.
"He found you a place?" Spence asked. "My own place is-"
"Is that not your regular?" Hermione interrupted as she pointed her nose to Hotch walking some yards ahead of them.
"I think it is," he said.
"Do you not wonder why Mister Chamomile always requests a cuppa from you instead of me?" Hermione curiously enquired.
"I sense some envy of me, a simple American, chosen over your British expertise, Mya," he teased.
"I am envious," she freely admitted. "Mister Chamomile!" She loudly called as she waved to Hotch's back.
"Hermione!" Spence tried to quiet her as he pulled her arm down to her side as she called out again.
"I'm curious," Hermione said as she waved her other arm. "Mister Chamomile!" She called more loudly.
Hotch turned, to eye them with a polite curiousness before slowly walking toward them while Spence slightly dithered before quietly hissing at Hermione not to pry into the supposed stranger's personal business.
"Hello, Mister Chamomile," Hermione said as they met Hotch halfway.
"I do believe my parents gave me the surname of Hotchner," Hotch politely replied with an amused smile.
"Hey, Hotch! Reid!" Rossi called before catching sight of Hermione as she politely eyed him.
Reid could see her connecting some dots.
"Cheeky bastard!" Hermione exclaimed. "You know Mister Hotchner!" She said to Reid with a huff. "That's why he chooses your tea over mine!"
"Oh, well… you see," Reid tried to explain.
"Actually, I know Hotchner," Rossi said over Reid's stuttering before lifting an eyebrow when Hermione slipped her hand into Reid's breast pocket beneath his sweater and eyed the note while Reid stuttered a little more.
"The very same note Mister Hotchner hands me to give to Spence when he knows I am too busy to notice," Hermione confirmed as she handed Hotch back his money before looking to her friend. "What is going on, Spencer?" She asked. "Why is your…" she eyed Hotch for a moment before deciding on who he was to Spencer Reid, "colleague tipping you with the very same note every evening of your shift?" She said as she realised Hotch only ever came in to the café when Reid was working a shift and suspiciously stepped away from all three men.
"Mya!" Janvier called as he rushed toward her. "You 'ave forgotten your 'andbag!" He said with his slight French accent.
"Janvier," Hermione said with relief as she backed away from Spencer more before he could stop her.
"'ermione?" Janvier asked as she stepped into his side.
"Spencer's friends need to steal him away," Hermione said to Janvier as she took his arm.
"Hermione," Spencer said as he finally collected his thoughts and looked to Hotch and Rossi for help while Janvier started to suspiciously eye him before locking Hermione's arm with his.
"I will be talking with you tomorrow, Mister Reid," Janvier said a bit tersely as he pulled Hermione away.
"Janvier," Spencer said as he tried to follow before Hermione slightly gasped and Janvier hurried her along.
"Let them go," Hotch said as he watched.
"I think we need to find out their connection," Rossi said. "Lafontaine seems too protective of Granger."
"What?" Reid asked. "No, Hermione's-"
"She's what, Reid?" Hotch asked.
"She not like that!" Reid defended her to his two colleagues.
"You're too close to her, Reid," Rossi said delicately and sighed. "You weren't made for field work," he said regretfully.
"Don't profile her!" Reid responded as he turned away from them.
"Reid," Hotch called to him.
"No, Hotch!" Reid replied before rushing to catch up Hermione and Janvier to talk to her, to help her see he wasn't what she thought he might be, or maybe she did suspect who he was. He almost paused at that last thought as Hermione and Janvier turned to him at his yell before Hotch and Rossi tackled him to the pavement to stop him from blowing his cover.
"Spence!" Hermione worriedly called before Janvier rushed toward them as he shoved Hermione back toward the café.
Janvier easily pulled Rossi and Hotch off Spence with some inhuman strength that Spencer idly thought was the rush of adrenaline before his boss hoisted him onto his feet while Hotch and Rossi recovered from the surprise as Janvier ushered him toward Hermione.
"You need to tell me 'ow you are involved with zhose men, now, Reid," Janvier demanded as he ushered his two employees into his car and hastily drove off just as Rossi and Hotch were lifting themselves off the pavement.
"Janvier," Hermione said worriedly. "You should not have done that," she said worriedly. "You know the Ministry is looking for any reason to put you away because of who your father is."
"Damn zhe Ministère!" Janvier cursed and uttered a few other choice words in his native language that Reid easily translated.
"Message Malfoy on the mobile," Hermione instructed as she searched for her own. "We need to gather all the evidence before Nott Senior attempts to corrupt it again. I have Theo," she said as she dialled on her own mobile and spoke so quietly Reid struggled to listen and could only catch a few words about safehouses when her voice rose before she tempered herself and idly tapped the dashboard while Janvier concentrated on her fingers and Reid attempted to figure out if it was code or not before Janvier pulled off the road and Hermione exited.
"Hermione?" Reid asked as he followed her and watched as she warily eyed him.
"Who are you, Spencer?" She asked.
He tried not to look too nervous while she closely watched his reaction.
"I'm Spencer Reid," he said truthfully.
"And what is your occupation, Spencer?" She pressed as she crossed her arms while Janvier slowly exited the car.
"I work at the coffee shop with you," he said while she rolled her eyes.
"Where did you work before the café, Reid?" She tersely asked, clearly tired of him answering with the truth and yet leaving out more.
His hand tightened around his mobile in his pocket while Hotch and the team listened and attempted to track his location.
"'ermione who iz Spencer?" Janvier asked.
"Nevermind that now," Hermione said dismissively as she turned. "As your handler, I need to get you to a safehouse, Theo should have it ready about now."
"His handler?" Reid asked, yet Hermione ignored him.
"I will not be able to contact you for a few days so Harry will be your handler in my place while I deal with Nott Senior and his minions," Hermione said. "Theo was closing in on his father so Nott will not be a problem for long and you will be able to leave protective custody soon, Greyback. This incident may have been the push Nott needed for Theo to finish tracking his father's corruption."
Janvier cried out with relief as another car pulled up to them and a scrawny young man with dark hair exited.
"Harry," Hermione said with relief.
"'Mione, Greyback," Harry said with some mistrust before Hermione chastised him and he seemed repentant until she turned back to Janvier. "Let's get going," he said to Greyback while Hermione cleared out the boot of Janvier's car and handed the man a packed bag.
"You will be free to leave custody soon, Janvier," Hermione said softly as Janvier took the bag. "You take care of him, Harry," she warned. "Janvier is nothing like his father, just like you."
Harry rolled his eyes and reluctantly agreed.
"Zhe café," Janvier said.
"I will see to it while you are away," Hermione promised him.
"It will be in good 'ands," Janvier said with confidence as he entered Harry's car.
It was only Reid and Hermione left as Harry disappeared with Janvier.
"Alright, Doctor Reid," Hermione said as she looked up at him with crossed arms. "Why are your people looking into Janvier Greyback?"
"Greyback?" Reid asked. "Don't you mean Lafontaine?"
"Lafontaine?" Hermione responded. "That was Miss Lafontaine, Janvier's mother, Miss Genevieve Lafontaine. The woman was just as corrupted as Greyback Senior had been. Janvier has spent the last five years distancing himself from his paternal and maternal family reputations," she explained as he listened.
"We have proof that Janvier has been smuggling in drugs through his girlfriend," Reid said.
Hermione snorted.
"Oh, Reid," she breathed as she started laughing. "Hold onto that thought!" She laughed more as she dialled on her mobile while laughing.
"'Mione?" A man asked.
"Theo!" Hermione said between a few giggles. "You never said your father had a sense of humour!"
"Well, to be fair, father does not wield any humour that often," Theo replied. "What's the old man done this time?" He asked.
"He is attempting to lay evidence with the FBI through Janvier's girlfriend!" She laughed a bit more after that before Theo barked out with laughter.
"Weasley is going to tease his husband for the rest of their lives!" Theo responded. "I have to break this to Charlie, Hermione, please let me be the one!"
"Be my guest, Theo," Hermione said. "Oh, and do be sure to have your sister follow this trail. Your father is shit at laying these sorts of trails."
"We finally have him, Lissa!" Theo excitedly shouted before disconnecting.
"And one corrupted politician is finally going to be put behind bars," Hermione said with contentment. "Let's get you home, Doctor, or do you need to debrief with your team?" She asked.
"I, um, better debrief," Reid said as Hermione waved him to the front passenger seat before stopping him while she bit her lip.
"On second thought," she said hesitantly. "Did you never wonder why I haven't driven?" She asked.
Spencer laughed as he headed to the driver's seat instead while hearing the distinctive laughter of his colleagues on his mobile. Hermione lifted her eyebrow at him as she buckled herself in and merely smiled as she shook her head and lightly laughed a little more as she murmured to herself about Janvier's supposed girlfriend.
"I don't suppose I can convince you to stay on at the café for a few more days while I look for someone to buy?" Hermione asked. "Janvier will be wanting to move closer to his husband in Romania when the Nott siblings bring down their father."
"Oh, um, well I do have about three weeks vacation after the team is debriefed," he said.
"I know someone who will buy at any price I list," Hermione said. "I only need you for five more days, if that is alright."
"That's fine," Spencer agreed.
"Spence." Hermione eyed his pocket. "Do you still have your colleagues on the line?" She asked.
"I do," he said as he slightly fumbled in his haste to grab his mobile and disconnect before Hermione stopped him.
"Wait until you stop, at least," she said.
"Right," he agreed as a few statistics slipped through his mind about mobiles, distractions, and driving.
"Spencer?" Hermione asked.
"Mya," he replied.
"What are you doing for the rest of your vacation?" She quietly enquired.
"Maybe I'll spend most of that time reading and researching," he said.
"Would you like to read and research in Texas?" Hermione softly asked.
"I… I would like that," Spencer quietly replied with a smile that slowly stretched. "Any city in particular?"
"How about San Antonio," she suggested. "The city is ripe with history I have been itching to study up on."
"San Antonio it is," he agreed.
"And the best thing is…" Hermione said with a wicked grin, "I don't have to sell Janvier's car until next month." She quietly laughed along with his colleagues. "To be more honest, just so you don't get the wrong impression, my agency wants me to learn to drive on this side of the pond. They are going to give me more assignments here."
"Are you allowed to tell us this?" Spencer asked.
"My godfather will happily strangle me when I tell you he is the Head of my agency," Hermione said cheerily just as her mobile rang. "There he is now, the little spy," she said. "Hi, Lucy!" She happily answered and proceeded to have a one-sided conversation as she kept talking until the man grew exasperated and disconnected when he couldn't get a word of admonishment in and instead snapped,
"I will meet you at Greyback's café."
Hermione nervously bit her lip as Spencer adjusted their route.
It was a six days later that the car was packed with odds and ends Hermione insisted they needed for their vacation of reading and researching. Lucius Malfoy, Hermione's godfather, stoically saw them off before turning to chat with Hotch a little more while Hermione's godmother, Narcissa Malfoy, waved her handkerchief at them while Hermione did the same until Spencer turned a corner and the Malfoys disappeared from sight.
Hermione sighed as she righted herself in her seat and Spencer reminded her to buckle up.
She went over their itinerary the first few hours of the drive, made a few alternate plans just in case their original plan did not pan out, and then proceeded to sing with the radio while encouraging Spencer to do the same as she played an old cassette tape of folk rock music. She laughed as he attempted to do so and finally caught onto the lyrics the third time it played on their journey, and as it ended the third time, Hermione gradually quieted as she looked out at the scenery they passed.
"What are you thinking?" Spencer asked.
"Of my parents," Hermione said. "This was my papa's cassette. It really annoyed me when he sang it all across Britain when we took our family vacations. Now… I wish I could have those moments back and appreciate them more."
He did more than his best to sing along with Hermione and the cassette when he suggested they play it again two hours later.
Hermione smiled as she obliged him.
Their first kiss was on the rooftop of the largest public library in San Antonio, and their second kiss was at the Mission Espada before the chapel doors of the historical Spanish chapel.
Nearly a year later, their first kiss as husband and wife was before those same doors while their friends and adopted family surrounded them and tossed up rice while George Weasley discreetly created bubbles with his wand and Janvier and Charlie Weasley ushered their guests to the reception.
Spencer grew to love the Malfoys and Weasleys, and even Hermione's surrogate father, Severus Snape, or at least he grew to appreciate Severus.
Severus softened toward his son-in-law when his first grandchild was born two years later, and Eileen Diana Reid stole her grandfather's heart as soon as her golden-hazel eyes lazily opened and she looked up at him the first time he held her not ten minutes after her birth.
"You will be the brightest witch of your age, just as your mother is," he said to his granddaughter as Hermione beamed at him before he kissed the top of Hermione's head and refused to give up his grandchild to her father or mother until the small babe cried out for food.
Eileen Diana's feet barely brushed the floor for a full year until Hermione insisted that Severus allow her daughter learn how to walk.
Spencer merely laughed as he scooped up his little princess and proceeded to read to her from her grandfather's potions journal while Severus scowled before stealing back his granddaughter before Spencer read a full page.
"Give the boy some bonding time with his daughter," Lucius often laughed at Severus who would merely scowl and recite some poetry from memory while Eileen sat, enthralled by his voice, before she was reluctantly handed over to her father.
If Spencer ever once thought his and Hermione's second child, Nathaniel Severus Reid, would not be as spoiled as their daughter, he was sorely mistaken the minute Severus held his godson and took in the boy child's newborn blue eyes that slowly turned hazel like his father's.
Nathaniel grew to be a small replica of his father with his grandfather and uncle Lucius's cunning and ambition. Nathaniel was just as spoiled as his sister while Spencer and Hermione fought Nathaniel's surrogate grandparents to give their two children some discipline that did not show itself until the two parents realised they had somehow managed to raise three productive members of Wizarding and muggle society.
Their third and last child, Amelia Narcissa Reid, was born without magic, yet that did not stop her grandfather from spoiling her just as much as her elder siblings. Severus, Hermione, and Spencer spent more time with Amelia who was awkward like her father. Spencer commiserated with her when socialising sometimes became too much for them.
"Look at them," Spencer said to Hermione as they watched their grandchildren years later as the children climbed over their laughing great-grandfather while Lucius and Narcissa quietly took in the holiday festivities with amused and fond smiles. "We did that," he said with some awe.
"We did," Hermione agreed. "How did we get here again?" She asked.
"I believe it was something like, 'Dammit, I love you, Spence!' Before all but marching me to the church to be married," he teased.
"Well, I do love you," she said and hummed into his chest as she snuggled into him while he wrapped his arm around her, "and I couldn't allow you to slip away now, could I?"
"I love you too, Mya," he softly replied. "Thank you for loving me enough to keep me this long."
"Oh, darling." Hermione sighed as he leaned forward to help her reach his lips for a long kiss. "I would keep you forever if you would let me."
"Promise?" He asked.
"Always."
o.O.o
I do hope you all enjoyed this short story!
I do want to ask and plead that you all please remember to be mindful of others as covid continues and people push for their governments to open up despite the spread. Please, if you do wish for things to normalise again, consider being vaccinated if you can and do not expect any reaction from the injection. I apologise if that offends anyone, but I really do love you all and hope for the best for everyone! Please, do continue to be safe.