Hermione leaned out the window of the sleek black Ferrari, breathing in the scent of a riotously blooming flower garden as she and Snape tooled down the country road.
Three months ago, she had introduced a Ministry of Magic resolution that asked the wizarding world to be more accepting of Muggles. It had come after a rash of anti-Muggle violence and harassment that had, to her opinion, gone quite far enough, thank you.
The day the resolution passed the Advisory Council, Hermione had flown home in high triumph, declaring to her husband that, as Minister of Magic, she intended to set a good example.
As a symbol of "embracing the muggle world", Hermione had gone out and bought a rather sedate, practical little car, which she announced she was going to start driving to work several days a week.
She had come home one evening to find her husband- her very laconic and scholarly husband- looking at her car with a gleam in his eye. Two weeks later, he had bought his own automobile- a Jaguar. He eventually added an Alfa-Romeo to his collection, followed closely by the Ferrari she was currently riding in. He informed her that he was merely participating in her campaign for muggle acceptance, and that was all. Hermione had simply snorted. She knew Severus too well.
He's the certainly the last man I'd have expected to develop a love of fast cars, she thought to herself, smothering a laugh.
Snape glanced over at her, quirking one eyebrow. "And what are you laughing at?" he inquired. Hermione just shook her head and grinned.
Broadly. "Harry and Katia make such a wonderful couple, don't you think? And they're so happy together, especially now that Lily is born. You can just see it on their faces," said Hermione with a sentimental sigh.
Snape glanced over at her. "I don't believe that was what you were smirking about just now," he said. "But since you mention it, yes, I suppose they are rather a good match."
"Though I do hope that having the baby to take care of doesn't tire Katia out too much. She's the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher Hogwarts has had since Professor Lupin. And she's been so busy lately, and will be kept busy in the next couple of months. She's been such a great help to me in reworking our Dark Arts control department so that we'll be able to squash problems before they happen, and never have another war with someone like Voldemort on our hands. And the three defense charms she created- they're really the most brilliant inventions of the decade. Huge breakthroughs in magical theory!" Hermione's eyes glowed with excitement at the thought of the advancements and changes that were happening. "I'm still a bit worried as to how the Personal Defense Council is going to react to the charms, though- they're concerned about putting such powerful pieces of defensive magic in the hands of the wizarding public. I'm going to have to be really well prepared and have all my data together when I present before the Council next month. They need to understand just how important this is. Which reminds me- I've simply got to get over to the library next week- I need to find precedents, work out my arguments.......why are you looking at me like that?" she asked, perplexed.
Snape just shook his head, then leaned over and kissed her cheek.
Hermione looked at him, startled.
"Sorry," Snape said. "But I felt a distraction was in order. It's Sunday- no need to worry about your presentation until tomorrow."
Succesfully diverted- for the moment- Hermione relaxed, leaning back in her seat and closing her eyes as the wind blew her hair back from her face. "Everything's so perfect. Our life is going beautifully, Harry and Katia's baby is healthy and adorable, Oliver's become one of the best quidditch players in the world, my term as Minister hasn't had any major catastrophes, Draco and Ginny's research trip is successful……it's almost…...well, almost too perfect, really. "
"You make it all sound so ominous," Snape remarked as he turned the Ferrari into the well-concealed entrance road to Maffley Quidditch Pitch. "There are very few cases of death from excessive happiness, you know. Unless it's been induced by a particularly strong Cheering Charm or a Felicitas potion created by an overeager amateur."
"You are such a comfort, Severus." Hermione muttered. "But my point was this: When have you ever known our lives to be this…..uncomplicated? In the past, we were always fighting off SOMETHING. I feel rather useless without some kind of major disaster to avert or fix."
"Well, perhaps you're getting a much deserved rest from your former occupation of saving the world and such," Snape said with a shrug. "Don't worry about problems that aren't there. Real ones always turn up sooner or later."
He offered this bit of wisdom as he smoothly parked the Ferrari near the entrance to the quidditch pitch. Several wizards and witches stopped to gawk at the car. Snape didn't spare them a glance.
"I suppose you're right," Hermione decided after a moment. "At least, I certainly hope so." She glanced up at the sky, which remained devoid of clouds. Unusual weather for England, she thought to herself absently.
"But of course." Snape said haughtily, extending a hand to her. "Shall we go?"
They entered the pitch, which was already more than half full of people who had come to see the Irish and the English- both World champion teams-play an exhibition match. The match was a benefit for St. Mungo's Hospital, so it had drawn out even those witches and wizards who weren't usually big quidditch fans.
The day had a boisterous, cheerful tone. Everyone was happy- England had won a Cup just weeks before, the day was beautiful, and a plump, bespectacled old witch was selling candy of all sorts to anyone with a few knuts. In short, life was good.
Snape and Hermione walked together toward the opposite end of the pitch, where there stood a lightly muscled, brown-haired man, skimming just under six feet in height. The man was waving at them happily from his perch atop a large platform. "Hoy the Snapes!" he yelled in a Scottish burr. He clambered down the platform's ladder with a clumsy sort of grace, then began to stride across the field towards them.
Hermione waved back at him, and hissed at Snape, "Oh really, Severus, do stop being so aloof and wave, will you. Honestly, it won't harm your reputation to be seen being nice once in a while."
"One never knows," Snape said darkly.
Hermione just laughed, and dragged him along with her.
Upon reaching the opposite side of the field, she gave the man who was now standing on the ground a friendly hug. "Oliver! It's wonderful to see you!"
"Allo, Mione." Oliver said, smiling down at her. "You look lovely."
"Thank you."
"Is the professor going to be jealous if I compliment you like that?" he inquired, with an evil grin at Snape.
"Not if you compliment him as well."
"Ah." Oliver turned towards Snape. "You look lovely, too."
Snape looked down his long nose at Oliver. Oliver laughed, then came over to shake Snape's hand.
"How goes it at Hogwarts?" he asked. "Everything running smoothly since…...since?"
"Everything's fine. It's.…fine. Professor McGonagall has risen to the challenge of running the school as well as can be expected." There was a brief flash of emotion across Snape's face, quickly suppressed.
"Never thought I'd see the day when Dumbledore wasn't Headmaster." Oliver said quietly. With strained cheerfulness, he changed the subject. "How's this weather, eh? Since when do we have blue skies at all, let alone for days on end?" He shook his head. "And all the while, Scotland gets pounded by heavy rains and wakes up every morning to a pitch-black sky. Back home in Aberdeen, my mum says she's seen odd colors and lights in the sky. You know there's been talk of Dark magic being involved?"
"Yes," said Snape curtly.
Hermione looked at him in surprise. "Why wasn't I informed of this?" she asked. "This is the first I've heard of it! I was informed that some kind of experimental charm had just gotten out of hand!"
"There is no proof yet, Hermione. There's still a chance that it was just a charm." Snape told her, but Hermione still looked upset.
"I should have been told right away. Well, I'll certainly fix that when I get to the Ministry tomorrow," she stated angrily. "I'm supposed to be informed of things like this as soon as soon as they happen."
Just then a loud gong sounded, breaking the tension. "Well, there's the signal for the teams to gather," Oliver said. "I'm off."
"Good luck," Hermione said.
She and Snape turned away and began walking towards the towering structure that held their seats. As they began to climb up the steps to the top, Hermione looked anxiously up at the sky for the second time that day.
It remained surreally, brightly blue.