Disclaimer: It's not mine, so you can't have it for Mardi Gras, sorry.
A/N: Hey everyone: Quick question: I once read a Hermione/Snape story where Hermione is Snape's assistant, the first he's ever had. I know there is one time when potions class is supposed to be starting, and no one knows where Snape is, so Hermione goes to his rooms and sees that he's sick. Also, Severus I think suffers from problems with the Cruciatus, and she helps him with that, and she helps him with hall patrolling, teaches his class once or twice, and some other stuff, and I can't remember what it's called. If you know what I'm talking about (and it's not a lot to go on, sorry) then could you leave a review letting me know the name of the story? It'd be much appreciated.
A/N 2: Hello everyone once again! Thanks to the people who reviewed, your support means a lot! The beginning is for those of you who say Hermione needs to be more in character. This chapter dedicated to Dodorules. Now as always, onto what you're really wanting, the story!
Take Time to Smell the Roses
Chapter Nine
"OH MY GODS!" Severus woke up the next morning to Hermione's scream and ran into her room.
"What's wrong?!" He asked frantically wondering what had happened.
"I just remembered that Harry's birthday party is tomorrow, we have to go buy his gift, and there are only a few weeks left till school starts!"
"And you screamed because of that?" Severus said calming down immensely when he realised that she wasn't in mortal peril.
"YES! I haven't done nearly enough studying!" Hermione replied. "I'm going to do horribly this year!"
"You know very well that's not possible," Severus said exasperated. "Next time Hermione, put a silencing charm on your room before you scream so you won't wake anyone up."
"I'm sorry," she said blushing. Partly due to embarrassment, but partly due to the fact that Severus had no shirt on, and he was very good looking, even with it being first thing in the morning.
"Just don't do it again," Severus replied. "Why don't we go eat out for breakfast and then we can also go buy Potter's present?"
"Okay, I'll meet you downstairs in ten minutes."
"Fine."
Severus left Hermione's room and went back to his room and pulled on some black shorts and a green t-shirt that slightly hugged his lean frame. He tied back his hair with a black hair tie, slipped on some black sandals, and went downstairs to find Hermione already waiting for him.
"Ready to go?" She asked. She was wearing some khaki coloured capri's, a white tank-top, and white flip flops and had her hair in a loose bun.
"Yes, are you?"
"Yep, so where are we going?" She asked as she took his outstretched are.
"A little café I know of," he replied before they tandem apparated, reappearing in a part of Diagon Alley Hermione hadn't been to before.
They were standing in front of a little sidewalk café called 'The French Confection.' Walking inside, Hermione took a deep breath of the wonderful aromas that were caressing her senses. Looking around the bakery section, she and Severus both decided on strawberry with cream cheese croissants and cappuccinos. Walking back outside, they sat in the warm morning air eating, drinking, and talking about how the ball had gone. When a paper vendor came by, Severus flagged him down and bought a copy to read over.
"Hermione," he said sounding surprised. "Look."
"What…Oh my goodness!" she said looking at the front of the paper. "That's us!"
"I know," Severus replied as Hermione continued to stare in shock at the very large moving picture of them on the front page. The picture had been taken by one of the reporters when they were walking down the grand staircase, and showed both of them looking very…majestic and powerful. Every now and then the picture Severus would lean down and say something to the picture Hermione, and then they'd go back to being powerful looking. The headline read: Lord and Lady Snape Make Grand Debut at High Society Ball.
"Well I guess our marriage won't be such a surprise after all," Hermione said, almost relieved that she wouldn't have to break the news to all her friends.
Throwing away their plates and cups, they began walking along the cobblestone street towards the heart of the shopping area. With it being early on Saturday morning, not many people were around, so they were two of the very few people out that morning. Stopping in front of 'Quality Quidditch Supplies' Severus held the door open for her as they walked inside. It was Hermione's first time in the store, and even though brooms were something that she had never been particularly interested in, she couldn't help but stare in awe at everything around her. Looking at all the racing brooms, team robes, flying brooms, stunt brooms and quidditch paraphernalia, she had a better understanding of why Ron and Harry were so taken with the sport.
"Hello Professor, Mrs. Snape, may I help you?" a young man named Stephen whom Hermione recognized from the ball last night said coming out of the storeroom. He had also been at Hogwarts, six years ahead of her.
"Yes, we'd like to purchase the SilverWing 5000," Snape said as he continued to look around the store.
"Please," Hermione added shooting Severus an annoyed glance.
"Please," he repeated patronizingly. "And we'll look around while you get that wrapped."
"Thank you," Hermione said as she walked over to where Severus was looking at stunt brooms, used for those witches and wizards 'who like to do gymnastics in the air'. "I used to take gymnastics, dance and voice lessons, I even won some competitions in dance and voice. I stank at gymnastics and stopped after the first year. I would've kept on singing and dancing, but I stopped when I got my Hogwarts letter."
"Really? I don't think you've ever sung at any of the talent competitions at school, have you?" Severus asked.
"No, the reason being that once a few summers ago I was at a karaoke bar, and a bunch of people got into a fight and kicked the sound system which totally distorted the sound of my voice, and even since then I guess I've just been paranoid that that will happen again, or something like it anyways."
"Well don't be. Do I need to call you a Hufflepuff again?"
"No, you've made your point," Hermione said. "But what about you, do you sing or anything? I've been curious to ask you since…first year I think, because you have such a smooth speaking voice."
"Yes I sing, but not in public."
"Well that's going to change. You want to hear me sing, right?" Hermione asked, grinning evilly.
"Yes…" Severus said slowly wondering what Hermione was getting at.
"And I want to hear you sing, right?"
"If you say so."
"Well then, you and I can sing a duet at the first talent competition that Hogwarts has once school starts!" Hermione said excitedly. "And don't argue, because you know I'll get my way and get you to do it, even if I have to go talk to Professor Dumbledore and make him force you to do it."
"Now you're acting like a Slytherin," Severus looked resigned. "What are your friends going to say?"
"Does that mean you'll do it?!"
"Yes, but only because if you go to Albus, he'll make me sing more than just once with you, and I am not singing solo."
"Woo hoo!" Hermione leaned over and gave him a quick hug. "Oh sorry, I got excited."
"It's fine Hermione. You don't have to worry about apologising for hugging me."
"Here's the broom Professor," Stephen said coming out of the store-room with a long wooden box that contained the broom.
"Good, charge it to our account," Severus said stepping over to the counter and taking it.
"Thanks again!" Hermione called as they left the store. "Okay, what now?"
"I don't have anywhere else to go, so home I suppose?"
"That's probably be a good idea, because we need to wrap Harry's presents, and I need to study. I'm still not completely familiar with the 1438 vampire attacks in Prague."
"They're not that important, Professor Binns might ask you a grand total of two questions on them, if any," Severus smirked. Only Hermione would be worried about some trivial event.
"Oh but they are! Vrusilva the Vicious-" Hermione started.
"I know about Vrusilva, but I stand by what I said earlier, now let's apparate home." And holding tightly to the broom, he apparated home, with Hermione coming a few moments later.
"Okay, so we have the broom for Harry's gift. Did we have anything else we wanted to give him?" Hermione asked as they went into the kitchen and prepared themselves some tea.
"I think the broom's enough--wait…" Severus paused, thinking.
"What?"
"I do have something that we can also give him," Severus said standing up. "Follow me."
Severus left the kitchen and followed Severus upstairs and into his room. He stopped in front of a portrait of the lake and tapped it with his wand twice. The portrait began changing, growing wider and taller, and turned into a door. Severus opened it and after turning on the light-switch, motioned for Hermione to go up first.
"What is this?" Hermione asked looking around her at everything.
"Hidden attic. I keep all sorts of older things that I don't really use up here," Severus walked assuredly over to a trunk and opened it. "Ah, here it is. I knew I had another one somewhere."
"Another one what--Oh Severus, its perfect." Hermione knelt down next to him.
Severus had pulled out a large, 8x10, moving photograph framed in a beautifully carved wooden frame. The picture however was what made Hermione smile. It was a wedding picture of Lily and James Potter. Both of them were currently holding hands and staring into each others eyes, blissfully unaware of the two people looking at them.
"I have one downstairs in the study, on one of the shelves. I took this myself, and gave them a copy as a belated wedding gift. I hadn't even thought of giving this to Potter, your friend, until you mentioned having any other gifts." Severus stared down at the picture. 'I wish we could be like that someday.'
"He'll love it Severus," Hermione said, lightly running her fingertips over the frame. 'They look so happy.'
"Yes, I think he will." Severus stood up and holding out a hand, helped Hermione up.
Going back downstairs, they took the picture and carefully cleaned it so it was free of dust before packing it carefully in a box and wrapped it, setting it next to the broom, ready to take to the party the next day.
"What time is Potter's party?" Severus asked as they were eating dinner later that day.
"Everyone is supposed to be at the Weasley's by a quarter till five, and Harry is supposed to come over at a quarter after five for what he thinks is just the usual Sunday dinner. So I guess we should leave at about twenty till," Hermione replied.
"Sounds fine," Severus said, and they finished up dinner talking about a new variant of the Polyjuice potion and it's properties.
A/N: Okay, that's it for this chapter, sorry if it took a while. I've been sick, as a matter of fact, I'm sick right now, but nothing too bad. So as always, review if you want, but it's okay if you don't!