Foolproof Ideas

"I'm going down. Follow if you want I won't just hang around. Like you'll show me where to go.
I'm already out of foolproof ideas, so don't ask me how to get started, it's all uncharted." Sara Bareilles – "Uncharted" [ Kaleidoscope Heart]

Chapter 1: Invited Me In.

"He's not a magic man or a perfect fit, but had a steady hand and I got used to it. And a glass cage heart and invited me in."

Sara Bareilles – "Basket Case" [Kaleidoscope Heart]

"So, you and Weasley broke up?"

I suppressed a sigh and took another sip of my wine, before answering:

"Yes."

"Because he cheated?"

"It's none of your business."

Cormac McLaggen was seriously getting on my nerves.

"Oh come on!" He grinned, "We're both war-heroes. I'm your friend, you can tell me!"

I drained my glass, "You are not a war-hero and we're not friends. Excuse me." I pushed myself past him and tried to hide in the large crowd of the people.

It was the first Christmas-Party for the war-heroes. Because of my break-up with Ron I hadn't wanted to come at first, but Harry had begged me to.

It won't be weird, he had said, Ginny and I will make sure you're not alone.

And yet there I stood with Cormac McLaggen.

"Hermione!" Harry hurried over to me. "I'm so sorry! Professor McGonagall wanted to talk to me an-"

"It's fine." I looked past him, expecting to see his beautiful red-headed girlfriend, "Where's Ginny?"

"Eh…she's talking to Ron."

I turned away. "I'm leaving."

"Hermione, don't please." Harry grabbed my arm. "Look, most people here tonight think they are heroes because they were part of the Battle of Hogwarts. You were the one that said we should come to these parties and make sure no one changes history, remember?"

I did remember. At our graduation party a few months ago, when things had been great. When Ron and I had still been together, when we had been celebrated as heroes, when I had plans for my life and thought I knew exactly what was going to happen.

Before things had begun to fall apart.

"Miss Granger!" Minerva McGonagall shook my hand. "My dear. How have you been?"

Before people had looked at me with wide eyes and asked quietly, as if it was a secret how I had been.

"Fine."

Ron had cheated on me. With Padma Patil. And then some other girl. I didn't like having sex with him. It had hurt the first time and had been awkward. Then he'd slept with a girl named Harriet. He'd said he was sorry. I didn't cry after the third time - I was too angry.

Shame on you if you fool me once. Shame on me if you fool me twice. Who was to be ashamed the third time?

"You are living in the muggle-world at the moment, is that correct?"

"Yes."

People didn't approve of that. And they never asked questions. There was usually something wrong with witches and wizards who returned to the muggle-world. At least that was what Ron had said.

"I must talk to Potter, please excuse me Miss Granger!" She hurried away and I sighed, putting my empty glass away.

Harry was talking to McGonagall and Ginny was discussing something with Ron. She seemed upset. I hadn't spoken to her in a while.

This was ridiculous. I wanted to go home and watch TV. Or read a book. Or just be anywhere but here.
I looked around at the other people at the party. Draco Malfoy was talking to Padma Patil and I felt rage boil up in me. What was it with that girl? And what were they doing here anyway?! This was a party for war-heroes.

I waved at Harry, who looked unhappy with my departure but couldn't seem to get away from Professor McGonagall. He put his hand to his ear, indicating that he would call me. I smiled and nodded.

Outside in the hallway I slipped into my jacket and sighed relieved. The air in the party room was hot and stuffy. Out here I could finally breathe.

"Hermione!"

Oh for crying out loud. I just wanted to go home, how was that too much to ask?

"Wait up! Are you already going?!"

"Yes." I zipped my jacket up. "I'll see you around Cormac."

"Wait please." He ran his hand through his thick hair. "Why don't I go with you?"

"I don't think so."

"It will be nice." His voice was smooth, as he stepped closer and opened my jacket again. "We'll have a few drinks and catch up. You know...have some fun."

"I really don't think so." I slapped his hand away, closed my jacket and turned to leave.

"Maybe Ron wouldn't have left, if you weren't such a prude!" He snapped aggressively causing me to spin around. "There must be something wrong with you, if he has to sleep with three different girls!"

I wanted to answer, but only concentrated on not crying at first. Whatever scrap of dignity I had left, I was seizung it.

"Bloody hell, Mr. McLaggen!" A familiar cold voice came out of the darkness. "Can't you just take no for an answer?"

Cormac stiffened and I closed my eyes for a moment, before opening them again and seeing my former professor with a sour look on his face. The sour look was nothing new of course, but he looked different, better somehow. There was a certain rugged handsomeness he'd never shown before, or maybe I hadn't seen it.

"Professor Snape." Cormarc's voice shook, but whether it was anger or perhaps fear I couldn't tell. "It's good to see–"

"Shut up." The Hogwarts potions master interrupted, stepping closer. "I'm sorry to see you can't handle rejection, but you should go back to the party or leave."

"With all due respect, Sir this is a private matter and none of your business. We are two adults in–"

"Save it." Professor Snape interrupted, "I know three-year-olds that would pass as an adult before you would."

"You can't intimidate me, Sir." The fact that his voice was sounding pitched contradicted his words, but Cormac stuck to his belief: "You're no longer my teacher. I am working for the minister himself and there's nothing you can do to scare me."

"Oh really?" He sounded amused, as he stepped closer and Cormac backed away, he lowered his voice into a cold whisper: "I worked for the Dark Lord himself for years, I have seen and done things you could not possibly imagine…" Professor Snape glared at him. "I do not give a damn what the minister does or thinks, but you should make sure you do not cross my path again in a situation like this." He stepped away from him again and Cormac cleared his throat.

"Is that a threat, Sir? I have connections in the ministry, you know."

"Oh yes please do call the authorities, then Miss Granger can tell them all about how you sexually harassed her, now what would the minister think of that?"

Cormac glared at me one more time and then turned around to leave. As his footsteps faded away Professor Snape sighed relieved, before he asked:

"Are you alright, Miss Granger?"

I burst into tears.

He looked sincerely uncomfortable, stepping back and forth, wanting to go, but not being able to. He didn't seem surprised.

"Come on." He finally said and I followed him into his office we walked in silence and I tried to control my emotions, because I knew I was being ridicolous.

"Please stop crying." He handed me some tissues once we were inside. "None of the imbeciles in your life are worth it."

His words made me smile and I blew my nose, trying to calm down. "I'm sorry."

There was a silence between us before I quietly said:

"I didn't see you at the party."

"I only stayed as long as I had to, McGonagall's orders."

"Yeah." I closed my eyes. "I don't know why I came."

"Your name is in the papers a lot these days." His words made me massage my temples and he quickly added: "Or so I've heard. I don't read what Rita Skeeter writes."

"I read it." I sniffed, "And it was all true. Ron told her the entire story. She paid him for it."

"How is the muggle-world treating you?"

"It's quiet…and loud at the same time. I like it. Whenever I'm with wizards it's like they are watching me all the time."

A small, rare smile appeared on his face. "Yes. I think I know what you mean."

It was then that I remembered that he, too, had grown up in the muggle-world.

"What are you doing now?"

His question caused me to smile and cry at the same time.

"What?" He sounded confused, "Did I say something wrong?"

I shook my head and wiped the tears away. "You're the first one to ask me. I'm studying literature."

"Of course you are." Now he was grinning. He looked like a completely different person, attractive. "You're studying books."

"Yeah." There was a silence before I carefully asked: "Do you have anything to drink?"

He raised his eyebrows. "I do not feel comfortable giving you alcohol, Miss Granger."

"I'm 19." I replied swiftly and leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms in front of my chest. "Or do you also know three-year-olds who would pass as an adult, before I would?"

He looked at me and there was something in his eyes that I had not seen in a man's eyes before while looking at me.

"No." He finally said, before standing up and opening the cabinet next to his desk, when he returned he had with him a wine bottle.

It wasn't the effect of the alcohol so much as the effect of him. We had both changed and somehow connected now more than ever before. When we leaned forward in the same moment and our lips met for a kiss it was natural. I didn't think of him as my former teacher and I knew he didn't see me as his former student. I melted in his arms in a way I'd always read about, but had never experienced in real life. Everything around me vanished and the only thing that was left was the two of us. When he led me into his private quarters I knew he wasn't just inviting me into his bedroom, he was inviting me into his world and there was no place in either world, magical or muggle where I would have rather been in that moment.

I am so excited to finally share this story with you, please let me know what you think!