Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling and am not profiting by writing this story. No trademark infringement is implied nor intended. It is written for purely entertainment purposes.

A/N: Please send all comments to WiNyGo@hotmail.com or leave a review. I'd love to get some helpful suggestions. Thanks!

"Day by Day"

Part Four:

Into the Wild

December 2003

The familiar brown owl flew into Severus' office one afternoon in December.

"Hello Poe." He patted the owl affectionately while reaching for the attached letter. Perusing it's contents, he chuckled and said, "Well, this should be interesting."

Writing a short reply to Hermione, saying he would meet her in two hours, he rolled up the parchment and began attaching it to Poe's leg.

"Have you ever heard of "Lord of the Rings"? Apparently it's a movie…"

Before Severus could finish his conversation with the small owl, Poe flew out of reach and out the window. He shook his head and said to the empty office, "I guess not."

Standing up and walking towards his private chambers, all he could think of was, 'what does one wear to the movies?'

********

The cabbie turned his head to look at his two passengers.

"Buckle up folks."

With that, he turned around and slammed on the gas. As the car swerved into traffic, Severus was thrown backwards into the seat. Hermione didn't fare much better... she swore she saw stars when the back of her head forcefully connected with the headrest. Both passengers quickly reached for their seatbelts and buckled themselves in.

The cabbie somehow drove faster and swerved some more. Severus reached out his hand to hold on to the dividing window for some support. Hermione was gripping her window for dear life.

Weaving in and out of traffic, the cabbie was totally ignorant of the distress of his passengers. "You folks like Ozzy?" Without waiting for an answer, he turned up the volume on the radio to an almost deafening level. At the same time, he cut off yet another car. Severus barely heard the angry horn of the vehicle over the music.

'And Hermione wonders why I dislike Muggles?' Severus thought.

"Excuse me!" Hermione shouted over Ozzy's "See You on the Other Side". When there was no response, she repeated herself while banging her hand on the dividing window. The cabbie chose that time to quickly change lanes. The force drove Hermione right into Severus' chest.

"Ow…" Hermione muttered. Her shoulder felt like hell from the impact.

Before she could do anything else, the taxi swerved back into their original lane. Hermione, trying to prevent more movement, grabbed the closest thing: Severus' seatbelt.

"Hermione! Circulation… to… legs!"

The cab moving into the far right lane only increased the pull on Severus' seatbelt.

"Hermione! This is a seatbelt, not a chastity belt!" She only glared in reply.

"All right folks! There's your exit!" The cabbie turned the steering wheel almost completely around, forcing the cab to cross three lanes of traffic. Hermione closed her eyes waiting for the impact that was sure to come.

Surprisingly, the cab ride didn't kill them. A few more side roads, and the taxi stopped in front of the movie theatre. Stopped being a nice way of saying: slammed on the brakes so hard that Severus barely managed going through the dividing window.

"Thanks and enjoy your show." The cabbie turned down the music and smiled towards the couple. Hermione almost tripped over herself in her haste to exit the cab. Severus, walking at a much slower pace, placed some bills into the cabbie's waiting hand and jumped away from the car when it pealed back into traffic.

Seemingly amused, Severus turned to Hermione. "If that is any indication of how the rest of our day shall go, might I suggest we leave now?"

She chuckled a bit and replied, "It took me forever to get you into Muggle London. I don't think you're getting away that easily. Come on then, let's go."

Hermione walked towards the entrance to the theatre but stopped when she noticed Severus a great deal behind her.

"What's the matter old man? Can't keep up with the young anymore?"

He gave the patented Potions Master glare and said, "Your actions in the cab ride from Hell makes it… difficult to walk."

She looked at him in confusion until she saw his hands cradling his hips as if pain. Hermione laughed when she realized what her force on the seatbelt had inadvertently done.

"I hate Muggle London," were Severus' only words as he entered the theatre, leaving a laughing Hermione outside.

********

After acquiring tickets to the next show, Hermione led Severus to the concession line.

"What do you want to eat?" Hermione asked.

"I was under the impression that we were to eat later," came the reply.

She rolled her eyes at his ignorance and gestured towards the display windows.

"Candy. Popcorn. Nachos… take your pick."

While waiting for the line to recede, Severus looked over the selection. At one point, he tugged on Hermione's sleeve. When he had her attention, he pointed to a silver machine with (what looked like) rolled meat revolving up and down.

"What are those?" he asked.

She looked in the direction and wrinkled her nose in distaste.

"Hot dogs… good food when you forget what's in them."

Before he could open his mouth to ask, she held up a hand and said, "Trust me. You don't want to know what they're made of."

********

"It was too loud, too long, not realistic enough and a complete and total waste of my time."

Hermione seemed affronted when Severus told her his reaction to the movie. "Well I liked it very much! It was by far the best of the three movies."

He turned to her and said, "There are three? Muggles actually pay money to watch that?"

For the first time, she noticed the glint in his eyes and the smirk on his face. She smacked his shoulder with her hand, ignoring his mock look of pain, and led him outside.

"I liked Éowyn. She was strong, stubborn, stood up for what she believed in and didn't take no for an answer."

"Don't forget the fact that she was beautiful," Severus added.

She rolled her eyes and replied, "Ah yes. Beautiful, stubborn, and strong. Three qualities every man should fear in his woman."

He laughed quietly. "You should know Hermione. Those qualities are the ones I see when I look at you."

Hermione didn't receive compliments that often so this one made her blush. Quite fiercely in fact. When he laughed at her displeasure, she took his arm with one hand and raised her other for a taxi.

"Oh no you don't." Severus reached for her outstretched hand and quickly folded it into her body. Walking around the corner and into a secluded doorway, he said, "I would like to return to the wizarding world in the normal fashion if you don't mind."

With that, Severus wrapped his arms around her and apparated out of Muggle London.