Disclaimer: I own nothing but a love for Snape and Hermione. Not the most romantic of chapters, but we gotta get those two paired first!
Hermione grinned at the last group as they exited on Friday afternoon. Finally the first round of trials were through. More groups would come to have their aromatic profiles processed throughout the month, but everyone was now thoroughly trained to run the program without her supervision or Snape's expertise.
She would love to join the Arithmancers as a consultant for the pairings, but her Special Projects supervisor, Lowell Lowry, had encouraged her to take time off the next week. He insisted she only work part-time while the data was being collected and compared. There wasn't much she could do other than offer pointers and check in each day. Hermione had to admit, she was looking forward to a relaxing weekend in her flat and a break from the constant questions and needs from her team. She was truly exhausted. Noticing Snape in the corner, packing up his materials, she approached him warily.
"Thank you for your help this week. We couldn't have done it without you, Severus." Hermione meant it too. She hoped it showed in her face.
"Hard to dodge a direct order from the Minister of Magic. Nevertheless, the potion seems to have fulfilled the need in the intended manner." He had been thoroughly engaged with the potioneers each morning, and she hadn't had much chance to speak with him.
"Will you be returning for any of the other trials?"
He raised a conspicuous eyebrow trying to discern her meaning. "Do you mean as a consultant or a candidate?"
She could feel the heat running to her face.
"No, I meant to supervise the potions. Uh, but you are in the age for the program. Unless you are otherwise involved." She could not believe she was having this conversation with Severus Snape of all people.
"I see that the years of Ministry work have not lessened your impertinence." She made an annoyed face at that. He almost looked pleased at garnering that reaction from her.
"But no, I am not otherwise involved but neither do I intend to submit myself for this 'highly encouraged' experiment. I must be off to close down the shop. Good day." He swept out of the room just as suddenly as he had arrived each morning.
As Hermione was gathering the last group's paperwork, she noticed one of the female Legilimencers and her potions partner looking at her expectantly. Pausing, she looked back questioningly.
"Excuse me, Hermione." She cleared her throat hesitantly.
"Did you need something else? I can finish cleaning up. Thanks for all your hard work this week!"
"Well…uh" The woman looked about uncomfortably and whispered, "we still need to do your trial."
"Oh." Right, somehow she had forgotten about her own situation in the craziness of everything.
She thought back to the final conference meeting before the trials. The Minister himself had attended team meetings in all Ministry departments throughout the week.
Kinsley stood at the front of the room and looked across at them with authority and solemnity. "Though the Marriage Law is technically not required for legal purposes, we are making participation mandatory for any Ministry employee of age and availability."
No one was particularly surprised at this declaration. Almost every single person in the Ministry was already signed up. With a few particular exceptions. Hermione being one of them. With all of her time spent researching, planning, and delegating, her own eligibility for the program had slipped her mind.
"We understand that this is a lot to ask, but we must be an example for those we govern. Please see my assistant if you have any questions. Feel free to owl me with any concerns. We are giving this project top priority for next year."He headed towards the exit with one final look around the room and rested his hand on Hermione's shoulder with a pointed and apologetic look. He had a point. It was her plan they were enacting. Above anyone else, she needed to set an example to show that her idea was worthwhile.
Hermione approached the cauldron closest to the Legilimancer as he waved his wand over her head to lift the impervious spell protection. She leaned in and took a cautious breath in through her nose and mouth. She heard a soft female voice speak Legilimens and instantly her mind transported from one thought to another in rapid succession. Hazy afternoons in the Hogwarts library and the scent of century old tomes, running in her childhood backyard and the scent of freshly cut grass, picking honeysuckle and scent of the nectar as she sipped the bead from the stem, and…something unexpected. A vague recollection almost like a dream came to mind. Like the scent of scratchy wool and perspiration. She couldn't place the memory…
"Alright then." The woman's words broke her out of her reverie.
"Thank you, Ms. Granger. You've done us all proud. A letter should be sent to you within a week or two with your results. Although I'm sure you'll have access to your records should you wish to know earlier." She said with a wink.
Hermione blinked and shook her head as the potion vanished. She was the last trial of the week. Despite her authority as head of the Amortentia trial program, she would not bother the head of the Arithmancy trial team about her personal records. Hermione was content to wait as long as possible for the results. She had not quite accepted that her life was about to change drastically. The witch did not particularly like sleeping or living alone, but inviting a stranger into her life and bed was a completely different matter.
A month later the trials were long completed and the Arithmantic data compared and scoured, pairings made two by two. Half of her own team had been paired already. Actually, one of the pairs was from within the team which was statistically shocking. Many of her colleagues and friends were paired up throughout the consecutive weeks. Most who entered were fairly pleased with the results, and many weddings took place within a month. Harry and Ginny were married long before the law, but enjoyed being the "old married couple" to advise their group of friends. Ron was paired with Lavender Brown, no surprise there. She had matured in the last ten years, and they had an on again off again relationship over the last five years. Hermione was thankful the "highly encouraged" law was the push they needed to finally commit.
Luna was already dating Neville, but they decided to get married along with their peers in solidarity. The Ministry provided some financial support to recently graduated Hogwarts students who participated in the pairings. Every new couple was offered some money from the Ministry, but the Hogwarts students had extra need. Middle aged wizards who had been bachelors for years were seen taking witches on dates at the Leaky Cauldron. Madam Puddifoots became so overwhelmed with tentative first dates of new pairs, that the seating spilled over into Fortescue's Ice Cream Shop. The two establishments made quite a team in the months of coupling frenzy.
Hermione waited to hear from the Ministry on her pairing while she worked tirelessly to keep the program running smoothly. One week went by without a word. The next week, she winced every time her owl flew by the window. Still nothing. After the third week, she began to get curious and strangely impatient. At the beginning of the fourth week, she finally sought out her Supervisor of Special Projects to see what was amiss. Not that she was complaining about the delay but the waiting seemed somehow worse than the inevitable letter.
"Lowell, sorry to bother you, do you have a moment?" She said, knocking lightly on his open office door.
"Of course, dear. Not a problem. Come in please!" He said with friendly enthusiasm. He was past the age of entering the pairings, but he proved to be a helpful, listening ear to his employees who were dealing with the law.
"Well, it's just that I haven't received my pairing letter yet. I completed my trial the first week, and most of the first week pairs are engaged if not already married. I'm more than happy to wait, but I was concerned there might be an issue. Did my paperwork go through?" She looked anxiously at her boss, and he smiled with gentle understanding.
"Ah, yes I thought you might come by soon. Althea from Arithmancy sent me a brief note about your situation. It appears that no one in the pairing pool has yet to reach a high enough ACR to be an adequate pair with you. We are picky to have only the highest matching rates be coupled."
"ACR?" She asked, tilting her head.
"Amortentia Compatibility Rating. We shortened it for the amount of times it has been written in memos this month." Hermione nodded. She knew the term but not the short-hand.
"Your idea truly was a stroke of genius, Hermione. Fear not. There are many wizards still entering the program each day. I'm sure you will have your pair in no time." At this he grinned in a reassuring manner. She smiled a fake smile in return.
"Although…you don't seem to be in much of a hurry" Lowell said with a glint in his aged eyes.
"No, I must admit I am quite hesitant to join my life to a stranger's even though I know the program has proved to work. It is the most logical way to find a partner. I'm just not sure I'm ready for one." She admitted with a half-hearted chuckle.
"Scientific and sentimental, right?" Lowell said with a pointed look. Hermione grinned sincerely at his use of her mantra. He had heard her say it several times in presentations to the board. "You are better prepared than anyone. You'll be great."
Giggling and flirtatious chatter drifted from the front of the shop and into his office. Severus Snape rose to inspect the sounds. These were not the usual dim mutterings of the customers that frequented his establishment. Severus appeared through the door that led into the shop from the back offices. He peered into the center of the store to find it quite empty. The usual mid-afternoon lull. Another feminine giggle caused him to peer around the corner. Blaise stood at the checkout counter leaning in toward a stunning young witch with olive skin and sleek dark hair in a high ponytail. Her robes were obviously expensive and her leather strapped shoes extended her height by several inches. Could this be a relative of Zabini's? With her dark complexion and obvious wealth it was a thought, but they were not looking at each other like cousins would.
"Master Snape!" Blaise said as he spotted Severus in the doorway, "Would you like to meet my Ministry-appointed sweetheart?" She smiled all the way to her eyes at Blaise's devoted favor. He took her hand, kissed it, and led her around the counter to his mentor. They were a stunning pair of late twenties beauty and style.
"May I present Malverna Malkin?" He presented with a gesture as she reached forward to shake Snape's hand.
"Malverna, this is my boss Severus Snape." He gave her one firm shake of the hand and (for him) what might be called a polite expression.
"As if the Potions Master needed any introduction." Malverna said with a hint of an accent he couldn't quite place. "Though I attended Beauxbatons instead of Hogwarts, the reputation of Professor Severus Snape is known far and wide. I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Master Snape." She simpered. Beauxbatons, that explained the slight French influence on her English.
"The pleasure is reciprocated. Is that Malkin as in –"
"Yes, I am Madam Malkin's niece. My mother and aunt were determined I should attend school in France to be raised near the fashion capital of the world. I am to take over the family business, eventually." She looked the part well enough. Style and class were apparent qualities she could not disguise if she wished to do so.
"A power couple we will be, my dear. What do you think, Master Snape? Shall we take the city by storm?" The young man watched as she spoke. Blaise was obviously besotted with her. Their ideals and backgrounds were very aligned. Granger and the teams had done a good job with this particular pairing.
"Indubitably." He answered simply.
"And you, sir, have you entered into the pairing program yet?" She asked, obviously expecting his affirmative answer.
"I have done my part for the community I believe."
"But it is not merely for society. What about you? Surely a wealthy bachelor like yourself longs for a partner to share your life with? What else gives life meaning?" A romantic sort this young woman is, he thought.
"Blaise, darling, am I wrong to encourage him to enter?"
"Of course not my dear. I think you are fully in the right. If I may say so, sir, the ACR's have proven effective. Not to mention, I couldn't be happier." The two young people looked at each other with such affection, Snape was nearly ill.
"I believe in the effective qualities of my adjustments to the Amortentia recipe, but it would take a miracle for any witch to live and procreate with a person such as myself."
With a nod, he excused himself to finish working on the accounts. However, when he got back to his office, he found himself no longer focused on work.
The more he thought about it, he could imagine the use of such a program. Severus valued his privacy and solitude, but he did desire companionship on some level. What use did he have for wealth and notoriety if he were to enjoy it alone? Part of what kept him from pursuing more than a friendship with Lily Evans, early on, was his feeling of insufficiency in monetary and societal standards. He harbored a clandestine wish to shower a woman with everything possible. Unfortunately, he had never found himself in the position to do so. Even if he had, it was highly unlikely he would find a woman to fit the bill of wanting him in return. Conventional dating methods were beyond his scope of expertise. He had tried one or two dates a year since he opened his business, but they had all ended in polite acquaintance or disaster.
He might be surreptitious with others, but Severus was always honest with himself if he could help it. In keeping with this, he had to admit as he pondered over it that this was the most logical way to find a partner. Probably his only chance. Did he dare to put himself up for such scrutiny and risk humiliation? But for the small chance at someone who would desire him…
Severus decided that he would do something he had never done before. He would look out for a sign. He was on his way to the Ministry for an appointment with Minister Shacklebolt, and if there were no signs by the end of the day then he would let the opportunity pass. Almost dying at the feet of the darkest wizard of all time made a man more free and open to life's chances. Fate kept him alive, and fate would have to shove its annoying nose into his business if he was to make such a perilous change.
Author's Notes: Trying hard to keep Snape in character. I feel like I know him so well after all the HGSS fanfics I've read over the years. He's tricky to write. Hope I'm keeping him in balance. Please leave a review! I want to know what y'all think.