I do not own one single solitary character or setting portrayed in this
fic. I have no claim upon any part of the wonderful works of fiction
created and owned solely by J.K. Rowling.
**************************************************************************
The doorman's tone was polite, yet something in his manner lead Hermione to believe that he'd already decided that there was nothing he could do for them. Severus sighed impatiently and quickly assumed his intimidating professorial manner. He stepped directly in front of the man.
"May I present Ms. Johnson," he said haughtily. "I am Mr. Young."
"Oh!" replied the young man in a suddenly service oriented manner, "I recall the Concierge mentioning that..."
He was unable to finish because Severus cut him off abruptly mid-sentence. "We are tired and cold. Be a good chap and step aside... ..Now!"
"He's baaack," sang Hermione under her breath as she watched the doorman move so quickly out of their way that he bumped into a woman approaching the entrance from behind them. With her was a tiny, white dog on a leash.
The Doorman apologized profusely to both the woman and the dog. His formal manner toward the dog was absurd, but the woman seemed to think nothing of it. Severus rolled his eyes and sighed in disgust prompting the doorman to shift his attention back to the two of them. He quickly darted around them and entered the building followed by the others, including the dog, who now indulging in a fit of annoying barking.
Hermione's attention was diverted from the chaos as she took her first look at her temporary home. She found herself in a small, but elegantly decorated lobby with furniture so delicate she wondered who could possibly sit on it. The color schemes were pinks and florals done up in a myriad of dainty patterns. She suddenly felt a little more relaxed. "Perhaps," she thought, "It is due to the muggle décor." She didn't know why, but she felt suddenly more sure of herself even though she was in a foreign country. "At least here I'm the norm and not Him."
A sudden burst of laughter erupted involuntarily from her as she watched Severus assess the lobby with distaste. Their eyes met briefly before he wearily turned back to the hapless doorman.
"Mr. Young, Sir....I....I.....Sir....I was just about to say that we have been expecting you. My name is Garth, Sir, and I will find Mr. Corman, our night concierge, so that he may assist you immediately.....Sir." As he started to turn away from them, the woman with the dog suddenly leaped forward and caught him by the arm.
"Not so fast Garth," she said pulling him around to face her, "I'm late, and you know how She gets when I'm late with the dog."
Before he could reply, the elevator doors opened spilling into their midst a petite blond woman followed by a very tired-looking man.
"Oh, there's my Poupee!" she announced dramatically as she scooped the white dog into her arms and promptly broke into a torrent of tears.
"You see, Ms. Haynes," said the man with her tiredly, "Here is your Poupee, all safe and sound." He had skidded to an abrupt halt and began to soothe her while quickly taking in Severus's thunderous countenance.
Garth looked meaningfully first at Mr. Corman and then at Severus. He didn't need to communicate verbally. Mr. Corman understood imperceptibly that his more than capable services needed to be offered immediately. Before he could even open his mouth to address them, Poupee's owner literally threw herself toward the woman who had previously held the dog and who was in the process of making her escape.
"Not so fast honey!" she said angrily confronting the other woman. "You were late! I demand an explanation."
"Ms. Haynes," said the woman tiredly, "I apologize for being late, but your dog wouldn't do his business." You didn't want me to bring him back beforehand did you?"
"Well, you could at least have called to let me know you were running late. Didn't you know I would be sick with worry?
"Look, Mam" answered the woman impatiently, "I'm a dog walker. I get paid to walk your dog. That's what I did. Do you want me to come back tomorrow?"
"Well, yes of course I do," replied the now affronted Ms Haynes. Her tone implied that she thought the woman had lost her mind to ask such a question. "He needs to go out everyday!" She tenderly held the dog up to her face and kissed it lovingly on the lips. "Oh, my precious, darling, sweetums, boy!" she cooed. "Did you go potty? Did you go poopee, my Poupee? Hmmm? Hmmm???" She had just begun to nuzzle the underside of the dog's belly when Severus bellowed,
"What the devil is going on here? I demand assistance! Immediately!"
Startled out of her fascination with the woman, Hermione turned to see Severus looming over the unfortunate concierge. Mr. Corman looked as if he were about to loose his bladder on the black and white tiled ceramic floor. Garth just looked plain scared. Ms. Haynes looked.....Enraptured.
She was staring at Severus as if he was the most fascinating man she had ever seen. "Hello Gorgeous," she said mimicking Barbara Streisand as Fanny Brice to a tee.
Severus gave her a withering stare as he descended upon Mr. Corman like a hawk. She seemed undaunted by his formidable bearing.
"Mr. Corman," interrupted Garth in a squeaky voice, " Here are Mr. and Mrs. Young."
"Oh," sighed Ms. Haynes sulking prettily in her disappointment upon hearing they were married.
"We are not married!" inserted Hermione quickly finding her voice for the first time since their arrival. "Mr. Corman, I am Sue Johnson. Mr. Young and I are colleagues."
"Ms. Johnson, Mr. Young, I am glad to meet you both at last," he replied. "We have been expecting you. I do apologize that I was not here to welcome you immediately upon your arrival. If you will be patient just one more moment, I will get the keys for you. By the way, welcome to The Strand. We are glad to have you."
As he disappeared around a corner, Garth held out his hand to Severus saying, "Welcome. As I mentioned before, I am Garth, the evening doorman. If there is anything I can do?" His hand was extended palm up to Severus who glanced at it and then looked witheringly into Garth's expectant face.
"Alrighty then," said Garth retrieving his hand. "I'd best return to my post. By the way, allow me to introduce you to your neighbor, Ms. Haynes. Not that you need an introduction to the most beautiful actress in America."
"Why thank you Garth, she said like a queen accepting her due adoration before immediately turning to Severus with her back to Hermione. "So," she said, "We're to be neighbors. Ours are the only units on the entire floor, but of course you know that. Isn't that lovely? By the way, please call me Roxana."
Hermione stepped from behind "Roxana" to stand beside Severus and get a proper look at the woman. She didn't like what she saw. Roxana Haynes, while no Julia Roberts, was more than attractive. Her features were exquisite, consisting of large green eyes and a full, seductive mouth. Her honey blond hair was pulled back into a pretty chignon which rested gently on the back of her long graceful neck. Hermione's eyes traveled involuntarily downward and her eyes grew as large as saucers as she took in a tiny waist topped by large, perfectly formed breasts.
"Great!" she thought. "This is our neighbor. The nightmare continues!" She suddenly realized that she had been staring. However, that thought was barely completed when she realized that the other two had not noticed her staring at all. In fact, they were chatting amiably.
Hermione watched as Severus took in Roxana's attractions with a cool intensity. She sensed intuitively that he was attracted to this woman. She watched in sick fascination as he mesmerized Roxana without even trying. She was obviously some American personality who was undoubtedly used to having any man she wanted. It was the second time in less than an hour that Hermione had witnessed a beautiful woman's attraction to Severus Snape. After all, here was a man who, for her, had only become more than a one- dimensional villain within the last hour or so.
"It must be a muggle woman thing," she thought before remembering, "Oh! I'm a muggle woman! But I don't find him at all attractive."
However, Hermione, ever honest, suddenly remembered the cab ride. "Why, I do find him to be handsome!" she admitted to herself in awe. As if to confirm this wonder of wonders, she looked over at Severus who was busy conversing a deux with Ms. Haynes. "It must be the way he looks in muggle clothing," she thought. "There is something sexy about him, but he'll turn back into his old Snapey self as soon as we get back to Hogwarts."
"Hermione! Earth to Hermione!"
"Oh Lord!" She said. "I do apologize. I was so lost in my thoughts." She instantly realized that she was alone with Severus in the lobby.
"Obviously," Severus replied impatiently. "Can we go? Please!"
"Yes, of course. Where did everyone go?"
"My, my," he replied as he stepped aside to allow her to enter the elevator first, "The ever alert and vigilant Ms. Granger lost in a world of her own making. It seems so out of character, but I must admit I rather enjoyed the brief respite your sudden lapse in conversation provided."
Hermione was stung by his sudden sarcasm. "I don't get this man," she thought before replying with a sting in her tone that matched his. "I'm surprised you noticed me at all. You seemed quite busy assessing the ample charms of our, erm, neighbor."
"You sound jealous Hermione, but it's really not necessary."
"Excuse me!" she responded in astonishment.
"After all," he continued as if she had not said a word, "Her "charms," as you referred to them, were not hers at birth. If you know what I mean?" He paused for a moment before glancing briefly down where her unzipped coat revealed her own ample bosom clearly outlined beneath her shirt. "Yours on the other hand," he continued, "I'm thinking they appear to be the real thing."
Hermione was too stunned to reply. Also, the elevator door opened thus eliminating the opportunity.
**************************************************************************
The doorman's tone was polite, yet something in his manner lead Hermione to believe that he'd already decided that there was nothing he could do for them. Severus sighed impatiently and quickly assumed his intimidating professorial manner. He stepped directly in front of the man.
"May I present Ms. Johnson," he said haughtily. "I am Mr. Young."
"Oh!" replied the young man in a suddenly service oriented manner, "I recall the Concierge mentioning that..."
He was unable to finish because Severus cut him off abruptly mid-sentence. "We are tired and cold. Be a good chap and step aside... ..Now!"
"He's baaack," sang Hermione under her breath as she watched the doorman move so quickly out of their way that he bumped into a woman approaching the entrance from behind them. With her was a tiny, white dog on a leash.
The Doorman apologized profusely to both the woman and the dog. His formal manner toward the dog was absurd, but the woman seemed to think nothing of it. Severus rolled his eyes and sighed in disgust prompting the doorman to shift his attention back to the two of them. He quickly darted around them and entered the building followed by the others, including the dog, who now indulging in a fit of annoying barking.
Hermione's attention was diverted from the chaos as she took her first look at her temporary home. She found herself in a small, but elegantly decorated lobby with furniture so delicate she wondered who could possibly sit on it. The color schemes were pinks and florals done up in a myriad of dainty patterns. She suddenly felt a little more relaxed. "Perhaps," she thought, "It is due to the muggle décor." She didn't know why, but she felt suddenly more sure of herself even though she was in a foreign country. "At least here I'm the norm and not Him."
A sudden burst of laughter erupted involuntarily from her as she watched Severus assess the lobby with distaste. Their eyes met briefly before he wearily turned back to the hapless doorman.
"Mr. Young, Sir....I....I.....Sir....I was just about to say that we have been expecting you. My name is Garth, Sir, and I will find Mr. Corman, our night concierge, so that he may assist you immediately.....Sir." As he started to turn away from them, the woman with the dog suddenly leaped forward and caught him by the arm.
"Not so fast Garth," she said pulling him around to face her, "I'm late, and you know how She gets when I'm late with the dog."
Before he could reply, the elevator doors opened spilling into their midst a petite blond woman followed by a very tired-looking man.
"Oh, there's my Poupee!" she announced dramatically as she scooped the white dog into her arms and promptly broke into a torrent of tears.
"You see, Ms. Haynes," said the man with her tiredly, "Here is your Poupee, all safe and sound." He had skidded to an abrupt halt and began to soothe her while quickly taking in Severus's thunderous countenance.
Garth looked meaningfully first at Mr. Corman and then at Severus. He didn't need to communicate verbally. Mr. Corman understood imperceptibly that his more than capable services needed to be offered immediately. Before he could even open his mouth to address them, Poupee's owner literally threw herself toward the woman who had previously held the dog and who was in the process of making her escape.
"Not so fast honey!" she said angrily confronting the other woman. "You were late! I demand an explanation."
"Ms. Haynes," said the woman tiredly, "I apologize for being late, but your dog wouldn't do his business." You didn't want me to bring him back beforehand did you?"
"Well, you could at least have called to let me know you were running late. Didn't you know I would be sick with worry?
"Look, Mam" answered the woman impatiently, "I'm a dog walker. I get paid to walk your dog. That's what I did. Do you want me to come back tomorrow?"
"Well, yes of course I do," replied the now affronted Ms Haynes. Her tone implied that she thought the woman had lost her mind to ask such a question. "He needs to go out everyday!" She tenderly held the dog up to her face and kissed it lovingly on the lips. "Oh, my precious, darling, sweetums, boy!" she cooed. "Did you go potty? Did you go poopee, my Poupee? Hmmm? Hmmm???" She had just begun to nuzzle the underside of the dog's belly when Severus bellowed,
"What the devil is going on here? I demand assistance! Immediately!"
Startled out of her fascination with the woman, Hermione turned to see Severus looming over the unfortunate concierge. Mr. Corman looked as if he were about to loose his bladder on the black and white tiled ceramic floor. Garth just looked plain scared. Ms. Haynes looked.....Enraptured.
She was staring at Severus as if he was the most fascinating man she had ever seen. "Hello Gorgeous," she said mimicking Barbara Streisand as Fanny Brice to a tee.
Severus gave her a withering stare as he descended upon Mr. Corman like a hawk. She seemed undaunted by his formidable bearing.
"Mr. Corman," interrupted Garth in a squeaky voice, " Here are Mr. and Mrs. Young."
"Oh," sighed Ms. Haynes sulking prettily in her disappointment upon hearing they were married.
"We are not married!" inserted Hermione quickly finding her voice for the first time since their arrival. "Mr. Corman, I am Sue Johnson. Mr. Young and I are colleagues."
"Ms. Johnson, Mr. Young, I am glad to meet you both at last," he replied. "We have been expecting you. I do apologize that I was not here to welcome you immediately upon your arrival. If you will be patient just one more moment, I will get the keys for you. By the way, welcome to The Strand. We are glad to have you."
As he disappeared around a corner, Garth held out his hand to Severus saying, "Welcome. As I mentioned before, I am Garth, the evening doorman. If there is anything I can do?" His hand was extended palm up to Severus who glanced at it and then looked witheringly into Garth's expectant face.
"Alrighty then," said Garth retrieving his hand. "I'd best return to my post. By the way, allow me to introduce you to your neighbor, Ms. Haynes. Not that you need an introduction to the most beautiful actress in America."
"Why thank you Garth, she said like a queen accepting her due adoration before immediately turning to Severus with her back to Hermione. "So," she said, "We're to be neighbors. Ours are the only units on the entire floor, but of course you know that. Isn't that lovely? By the way, please call me Roxana."
Hermione stepped from behind "Roxana" to stand beside Severus and get a proper look at the woman. She didn't like what she saw. Roxana Haynes, while no Julia Roberts, was more than attractive. Her features were exquisite, consisting of large green eyes and a full, seductive mouth. Her honey blond hair was pulled back into a pretty chignon which rested gently on the back of her long graceful neck. Hermione's eyes traveled involuntarily downward and her eyes grew as large as saucers as she took in a tiny waist topped by large, perfectly formed breasts.
"Great!" she thought. "This is our neighbor. The nightmare continues!" She suddenly realized that she had been staring. However, that thought was barely completed when she realized that the other two had not noticed her staring at all. In fact, they were chatting amiably.
Hermione watched as Severus took in Roxana's attractions with a cool intensity. She sensed intuitively that he was attracted to this woman. She watched in sick fascination as he mesmerized Roxana without even trying. She was obviously some American personality who was undoubtedly used to having any man she wanted. It was the second time in less than an hour that Hermione had witnessed a beautiful woman's attraction to Severus Snape. After all, here was a man who, for her, had only become more than a one- dimensional villain within the last hour or so.
"It must be a muggle woman thing," she thought before remembering, "Oh! I'm a muggle woman! But I don't find him at all attractive."
However, Hermione, ever honest, suddenly remembered the cab ride. "Why, I do find him to be handsome!" she admitted to herself in awe. As if to confirm this wonder of wonders, she looked over at Severus who was busy conversing a deux with Ms. Haynes. "It must be the way he looks in muggle clothing," she thought. "There is something sexy about him, but he'll turn back into his old Snapey self as soon as we get back to Hogwarts."
"Hermione! Earth to Hermione!"
"Oh Lord!" She said. "I do apologize. I was so lost in my thoughts." She instantly realized that she was alone with Severus in the lobby.
"Obviously," Severus replied impatiently. "Can we go? Please!"
"Yes, of course. Where did everyone go?"
"My, my," he replied as he stepped aside to allow her to enter the elevator first, "The ever alert and vigilant Ms. Granger lost in a world of her own making. It seems so out of character, but I must admit I rather enjoyed the brief respite your sudden lapse in conversation provided."
Hermione was stung by his sudden sarcasm. "I don't get this man," she thought before replying with a sting in her tone that matched his. "I'm surprised you noticed me at all. You seemed quite busy assessing the ample charms of our, erm, neighbor."
"You sound jealous Hermione, but it's really not necessary."
"Excuse me!" she responded in astonishment.
"After all," he continued as if she had not said a word, "Her "charms," as you referred to them, were not hers at birth. If you know what I mean?" He paused for a moment before glancing briefly down where her unzipped coat revealed her own ample bosom clearly outlined beneath her shirt. "Yours on the other hand," he continued, "I'm thinking they appear to be the real thing."
Hermione was too stunned to reply. Also, the elevator door opened thus eliminating the opportunity.
