Sorry I couldn't weave a scantily dressed Dumbledore and McGonagall into this story but it wouldn't scan.
Let Me Touch You For A While
Hermione walked round behind the bar.
"Hey Herm, your early!" Brett shouted from the other end of the bar.
"Yeah I know well Rob said if I was late again he'd dock my pay." Hermione grinned, "anyway how could I spend another moment not seeing your radiant face?" she joked and walked into he back room to tie her hair back.
"Hey Kiki what's up?" Hermione greeted the girl already in the back room.
Kiki sighed loudly. "Do you think Brett would notice if I walked up and kissed him?" Kiki slumped into a chair and sighed loudly again.
"Yes I'm pretty sure he would notice. Why? You still trying to get into him?" Hermione laughed as she picked up a brush and a hair bobble.
Hermione didn't know why Brett didn't notice Kiki. She was gorgeous; she had silky black hair cut short with a fringe and a vaguely oriental look about her. Not a blemish on her face and the most entrancing eyes she'd ever seen. Brett was beautiful too. Tanned and toned with cropped straw colored hair. He had come over from Australia to see what Britain was like and ended up staying.
"Maybe he doesn't know you like him?" Hermione suggested as she tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "Well tell him," Hermione said as she walked out into the main part of the bar again.
"Yes sir can I help you?" she said to a bleached blonde boy of not more than 19.
The boy squeaked his order and she handed him it.
"Hey Herm, check out the bloke that's just walked in." Kiki said from her right hand side as she poured a pint.
Hermione looked towards the door. A tall man had just walked in. he was dressed in a black shirt and trousers. His hair which was also black was slightly longer than shoulder length and tied back in a piece of black ribbon.
"Wouldn't mind him" Kiki grinned.
"Bit of a change from Brett though." Hermione said cynically handing a glass of wine to a customer.
"I know but there is something about him, something enchanting." She laughed.
Hermione secretly agreed with her. The man walked up to the bar and leaned against it casually.
"What can I get you?" Hermione asked brightly.
"Double scotch." He said as he laid a £20 note on the table.
She nodded and went to get the drink. As she did she thought how out of place he seemed in this bar. It was a bar in the heart of London and yet nobody looked like him, not even in a place with as much diversity as London.
"Here you are." She said as she handed it to him.
"Do you want one?" the man asked looking at Hermione.
"Erm," Hermione paused and glanced to her right to see Kiki nodding madly. "Yeah sure." She said hoping it sounded confident.
The man went and sat at a table in the corner.
"You've scored there hunny!" Kiki winked at her.
Hermione got herself a drink of Malibu and pineapple juice, a total chic drink as Brett would say. She walked over to where the man sat and handed him his change and sat down next to him.
"So what are you doing here?" the man asked.
"Excuse me? What is that supposed to mean? I work here." Hermione said confused.
"Well I don't remember you being this sort of person." He said taking a sip of his drink. "You were to aspire to more than this."
"Who the hell are…? PROFESSOR!" Hermione exclaimed as it dawned on her. "Professor Snape!"
"Indeed, it is I." Severus said as he smirked.
"What are you doing in muggle London? What are you doing in a bar?" Hermione asked.
"Well I may ask you the same questions. I happen to me in muggle London on personal business. You however I know are not." He said looking at her.
"No I'm not. But how could I stay in the wizarding world really? Not after what happened." Hermione said sadly taking a mouthful of her drink.
"What did happen exactly?" Severus asked lounging into the chair.
"Well I as good as killed them didn't I? I let their whereabouts be known." Hermione said thinking about, tears started to fall from her eyes.
"No you didn't. That was someone else. That was a certain Malfoy." Severus said.
"Really?" Hermione asked shocked.
"And anyway that's not what I wanted to talk about. The past can't be changed so why ponder it too long." Severus took a mouthful of his drink and continued. "I wanted to know why a bar Hermione? You could have done so much more."
Hermione shrugged and drank more of her drink. Severus looked into his glass of scotch. Hermione was still crying.
"oh god I should stop crying, my mascara is going to run." She said wiping her eyes and laughing at her own tears.
Severus looked up, "no its fine."
There was a slight commotion as tonight's band got onto the stage.
"Oh I forgot they were playing tonight." Hermione said looking towards the platform.
"Ah yes Alison Kraus." Severus said looking in the same direction.
"You know the music?" Hermione asked shocked.
"Yes I do listen to something other than the weird sisters." Severus laughed.
"Good evening." Alison said from on stage. "I thought I'd start with one of my favorites, Let Me Touch You for a While."
The music started.
It's been a long time coming
As you shed a lonesome tear
And now you're in a wonder
I wonder what you're doing here
The flame no longer flickers
You're feeling just like a fool
You keep staring into your liquor
Wondering what to do
I don't hardly know you
But I'd be willing to show you
I know a way to make you smile
Let me touch you for awhile
I'm gonna ruin my black mascara
You're drinking whiskey when it should be wine
You keep looking into that mirror
But to me you're looking really fine
I don't hardly know you
But I'd be willing to show you
I know a way to make you laugh at that
Cowgirl as she's walking out the door
I know a way to make you smile
Just let me whisper things
You've never heard before
Just let me touch you baby
Just let me touch you for awhile
I don't hardly know you
But I'll be willing to show you
I know a way to make you smile
It's been a long time
Let me touch you for awhile
When she had finished the whole bar started clapping.
"I love that song." Hermione said turning back to Severus. "Hey maybe it's right maybe you should be drinking wine." She smiled.
Severus got up walked over to the bar. He was back a moment later with a bottle of Shiraz.
"This wine good enough for you?" Severus asked and poured her a glass.
Hermione finished her first drink and nodded at Severus.
"This is going to sound weird but what do I call you?" Hermione asked embarrassed.
"Severus I suppose, I mean that is my name after all." He laughed.
"Hermione what are you doing?" came the thick American drawl of Rob. "You should be behind the bar not flirting with customers.
Rob sounded drunk and was swaying slightly.
"I asked the young lady to join me." Severus said calmly.
"I don't care." Rob started to shout.
"Listen, here, take this," Severus said and put a wad of money into robs hand. "just let the girl have the night off."
"No I won't," swung back drunkenly to punch Severus.
Severus was too quick. He punched Rob hard in the face, rob reeled back. He regained he drunken composure and lunged at Severus. Severus punched him again. And he staggered back again.
"Alright, no need to get violent." Rob said spitting out blood. "Hermione your fired!" he spat at her and stalked off.
"You shouldn't have done that." Hermione said suppressing a smile.
"He would have punched me first. I was defending myself." Severus shrugged and took a sip of wine.
"He took your money though!" Hermione said as she realized.
"I can get more." Severus said calmly.
"I'll be right back." Hermione said and got up walked over to the bathroom.
When she came out she went over to Brett.
"Hey Herm! You got fired? Bummer man! And how do you know Severus?" Brett asked.
"You know him?" Hermione asked.
"Nah! Just know his name. I know everyone in here!" Brett grinned and winked.
Hermione got the feeling that he wasn't telling her something. She shrugged and waked back to Severus.
"It's too hot in here. You free to leave for a bit?" Severus asked as he quickly drank the rest of his drink.
"Yes sure." Hermione said
"I'm staying in a hotel not far from here." Severus said. "want to go back there? Or somewhere else?"
"Your hotel sounds fine." Hermione grinned
The hotel he happened to be staying in was the Ritz.
"The Ritz? Why pray tell are you staying here?" Hermione asked smiling.
"I like my luxury sometimes." Severus smirked.
They went up to Severus's room. It was a large room, spacious and well decorated. Satin and silk sheets on the bed and velvet drapes.
"nice." Hermione said as she sat down on the chaise lounge in the lounge area.
"Yes it isn't bad is it?" Severus said and handed her a glass of champagne.
"You know this is so clichéd Severus." She said and stopped suddenly. "Sorry I …"
"Its ok Hermione it is my name I'm no longer your teacher. I already told you this. " Severus smiled.
Hermione grinned nervously and drank the champagne.
"This is surreal. I'm sat here in the Ritz with my old potions teacher drinking champagne in his room." She smiled.
Severus sat down next to her.
"I'm not that old," he smirked.
Hermione felt a shiver run through her body. This man had made her school days the worst and best of her life. He had given her grief for the slightest mistake and yet she had the biggest crush on him, and evidently this crush hadn't left her. She still wanted to feel his lips on hers.
"Severus…" Hermione began.
He looked up. She moved towards him. Her lips parted slightly. She was aware of how fast and load her heart was beating. Before she knew it their lips were millimeters apart. Then they were pressed together. Both of them felt the urgent ness of the kiss. Like they were making up fro lost time and unsaid words. Nothing else mattered except the other person. Hermione could taste him, the wine, the scotch and something else. Something that she couldn't place.
Severus pulled away from the kiss.
"What? Is there something wrong?" Hermione asked breathlessly.
"No, but you know when I told you I was here on personal business? Well the personal business is you. For years I have been looking for you. All those years ago after the battle was over, I came looking for you to make sure you were safe and was told you had fled our world. I needed to find you, I needed to …. to tell you …that … tell you that I loved you, I mean I love you." Severus finished.
Hermione didn't say anything. She just pulled back in another searing kiss.
***quite some time later***
"Hey remember this place?" Hermione said as she pointed at a bar on the other side of the street.
"Yes I do. Its were I found you." Severus smiled.
"Can I go and see if Kiki and Brett still work there?" Hermione asked handing the 5 nags she was carrying to him.
"You really think they will still work there? After 5 years?" Severus smiled.
Hermione ran into the bar. Sure enough behind the bar were the familiar faces of Brett and Kiki.
"Hermione!" Kiki shrieked and ran round to hug Hermione. "What happened? You didn't come back to see us."
"I know I'm sorry. But I erm was busy." Hermione grinned.
"For 5 years?" Kiki said skeptically.
"Yes I've been very busy." She showed her ring finger on her left hand to Kiki, it wielded a gold ring with 2 tiny emeralds in it.
"I got engaged." She said.
"Well I finally did it!" Kiki said, "Finally told Brett I liked him."
"And what happened?" Hermione asked.
"Well we're married, and we own the bar and we have a baby!" Kiki squealed.
"Well looks like everyone is happy then! Listen I have to go now, Severus is waiting for me. Same place in 5 years?" Hermione joked and waved goodbye as she walked out of the door.
"Well were they there." Severus asked.
"Yes they were. Now come on you, I have something to show." Hermione said and winked at Severus.