Disclaimer: The characters, settings, etc. of the Harry Potter series are not mine. I just play with them.
Sitting at his desk, Severus tried to ignore the sweat beading at his hairline. The dungeons always became terribly stuffy towards the middle of June, and he was yet to cast a cooling charm strong enough to keep the temperature bearable.
It was difficult to concentrate on the essays he was grading, and he positively refused to give his students a break by grading papers while he was distracted. Dropping his quill, he sat back in his seat and unbuttoned the collar of his robes.
In a week, the students would leave for the summer and he would adopt more reasonable attire. He never wore robes during the summer, save when he had to go out into public, but for those occasions he had a lovely set that was very lightweight and perfect for a quick outing. Sadly, they did not swish as well as his school robes, and for the sake of his students, he never donned his summer robes in their presence. It would not do for his swish and stalk to lose its emphasis simply because he could not handle the heat.
However, it was late Friday afternoon and the chances of a student showing up in his offices were slim to none. If any student did decide to come down to see him, it would be, more than likely, a Slytherin. Students of his own house would know better than to spread the word that he sometimes liked to relax and dress accordingly. Therefore, Severus decided to take a risk.
Standing, he unbuttoned the rest of the tiny fastenings that secured the heavy cloak, and discarded it. Tossing it on top of one of the chairs before his desk, Severus sat back down. He noticed the difference immediately. He was so pleased to no longer be sweltering that he barely noticed the faint knocking on his door.
The person on the other side of his door knocked twice and then ceased. Severus stared at the door for a few moments before the person knocked again. "Come in!" he called. He looked back down at his desk; it was best to look busy when someone bothered him.
The door opened very slowly a moment later. "Professor," a feminine voice began, "I'm sorry to disturb you, but…"
Severus looked up and was surprised to see who was standing before him. He kept his expression one of annoyance, though he was astounded to discover he was quite pleased to see her. "Yes, Miss Granger?" he asked. "What can I do for you this afternoon?"
"Well," she said as she fidgeted. Severus had never seen her so nervous in all his life. In fact, he did not think Hermione 'Embodiment of Confidence' Granger was even capable of feeling nervous. These shaking hands were something completely new to him. "It's rather complicated."
"Then I suggest you have a seat," he said, gesturing to the empty chair before his desk. This display of nerves seemed to reduce her to a childlike state. She had left the school almost seven years before, and when she had returned five years later, Severus decided that he had never seen such a dramatic change in a person. She had matured in almost every possible aspect.
She stepped into his office and sat down in the seat. "I, uh…" she paused to gulp. Severus narrowed his eyes. This could not be good if it was causing her to make fish noises. "I was wondering if you would do me a favor, Severus."
"What kind of favor, Professor?" he asked suspiciously.
"Well, you see, my friend is getting married next weekend. And I sort of told her that I have a boyfriend. A very serious boyfriend. One I would take everywhere, to be more precise."
"That is wonderful, Miss Granger, but how does this affect me exactly?"
"Well," she began, looking away from him. "I also sort of told her that bringing him 'everywhere' would include bringing him to the wedding."
"And as he doesn't exist you want my assistance in finding you a date, is that it?" Severus frowned. It was worse than he'd thought. "I am afraid my address book lacks the type of men you would probably want to bring to such a function."
"I wasn't…I mean, that's not…" she stopped to sigh and meet his gaze. "Severus, will you accompany me to my friend's wedding?"
He was quite thankful his jaw did not drop. "Pardon?" It was much worse than he'd thought.
"Severus, I have very few male friends I would parade around as my boyfriend. It's just for one evening, and though I know you have a very demanding social life, I thought that perhaps you could give up one exhilarating night of reading by the fire with a glass of firewhiskey to help a friend."
"When exactly did we become friends, Miss Granger?" he asked, knowing that it would annoy her and at least buy him some time to decide on a course of action.
"Severus, do you have to be so obtuse?" She rolled her eyes, but he most certainly did not miss the little half smile she displayed.
He smirked. "Yes."
She sighed. "So will you help me?"
"Professor Granger, nothing would give me more pleasure than spending an evening with you at some terribly boring social function." He paused to give her one of his more evil grins. "You do know that you'll owe me."
She simply smiled back. "I counted on it, actually."
All of this smiling demanded a change of subject. "So who is the happy bride to be? Miss Weasley? Or another former student I will be simply overjoyed to see?"
"You don't know her, Severus. She's a family friend. We've known each other since we were quite young."
Severus frowned. If she had known her for that long, then it was highly unlikely that he would know anyone at the wedding. This, he imagined, was rather beneficial for him. "Are you trying to say that you are taking me to a muggle wedding, Miss Granger?"
It was her turn to smirk. "Why yes, Professor. I am."
Sneering, Severus stood from his seat to indicate their little meeting had ended. "Fantastic, Miss Granger. I look forward to it."
She stood from her seat and walked to the door. "Oh Severus," she said as she opened it. "I do hope you'll call me Hermione on our date. I imagine people might become suspicious if you address me so formally." She turned slightly to smile at him. "Good evening."
"Good evening," he replied. She stood in the doorway and watched him expectantly. Sighing, he decided to give in. "Hermione," he added with a frown. Grinning brilliantly, she left him alone in his office.
Severus sat back down and directed his attention to the essays before him. "Hermione," he whispered softly, deducting ten points from the paper he was marking for poor grammar.