On Turning Thirty

The Story of Hermione Granger…Spinster

Chapter Two

No, I wasn't hallucinating last night or rather earlier this morning.

Severus Snape did write me a letter asking me out for dinner tonight and I did respond with a yes, for here on the kitchen table is another note from him saying that he will be here tonight at seven-thirty.

Harry and Ron happened to be in the kitchen when I read the note and groaned. I was stupid enough to tell them the contents. Ronald turned a rather interesting shade of green and sputtered at me that it isn't polite to joke with a hung-over Weasley.

He made a fast dash to the loo when I calmly told him that I wasn't joking. I don't think that he was running for the Hang Over Cure, considering he returned a few minutes later looking pale and wan.

Was forced to listen to lecture from Harry about the impracticality of having dinner with our former evil Potions professor, with Ron chiming in with sage words of wisdom at times.

"He hates us Hermione!" Ron wined. "He will probably try to poison your dinner or something!"

"Oh Ron," I chided. "After all this time you are still ranting on about this?"

"Well, maybe not poison you," Harry added. "But Hermione, why did you accept?"

I was drunk. That's what I told them anyway.

As the pair raved on and on, I got angrier and angrier. I mean yes, Severus Snape is a, or I should say, was a bastard in school. He was cruel, prejudicial toward his house and just plain mean. But he did save our collective hides on more than one occasion, especially in our third year when he jumped in front of Remus when he was in werewolf form. I was scared as it was I can only imagine how Severus must have felt. I remember feeling him tremble, just slightly mind you, but tremble none the less as he pressed his body against ours, hands spread wide. He was like a dark wall between us and the beast.

All of this after being hexed by us, too!

Soooo, I let the boys have an earful about the above and stomped from the room. The flat has been silent ever since, which is a good thing. Hang Over Relief is a good thing, but the quiet is nicer, the both of them together make for a great afternoon.

It's almost time to start getting ready. The note from Severus said to 'dress' for dinner. So the question is, where is he taking me and how 'dressed' should I get?

I have the little black number, and it is little. Maybe too little actually and I don't want Severus getting any ideas. Then there's my other black dress, the one with the longer skirt and a bit more neckline. Not too prim but not too sexy. Clingy in all the right places yet not so tight that he would guess that I don't wear knickers. Three quarter length sleeves (which are so flattering on me-to quote Aunt Mini) and made of satin. And it's his favorite color too!

Wait! Why do I care that it's his favorite color anyway?

Puzzling really, I have to admit that I am sort of looking forward to tonight. I mean, I was going to owl him and cancel but in the aftermath of Ron and Harry's stupidity this afternoon I decided that I wasn't going to cancel. I would go, just to show them, I thought. But now I'm sort of excited.

I don't think that he has changed all that much, but then I don't think that anyone really knows Professor Snape, except for maybe Albus. Maybe he is different when he's alone.

I suppose that I will find out tonight. I have to get ready now.

It's nearly seven-thirty. I am nearly breathless with nerves. Harry and Ron aren't being at all helpful by sitting on the sofa across from me and glaring over my shoulder at the front door.

At least Harry complimented me on my looks tonight, although Ron ruined it by saying that he thought I was barmy for getting dressed up for a "date with the git". Molly really should have spanked him more as a child.

And there's the knock. I suppose it would be too much to ask that Ron keep his yap closed, but at least Harry is going to answer the door!

Boy oh boy oh boy.

Severus Snape in Muggle clothes. Severus Snape out in public. Severus Snape in a Muggle restaurant, one he's been to before. Severus Snape a conversationalist. I think he almost smiled at one point this evening. That being when Harry opened the door and I stood up to welcome him, I was smiling and he nearly did after he raked his eyes over my form. Gave me the shivers it did, those beetle black eyes raking me over.

We apparated right to the restaurant, Le Bistro by the way. (Swanky! I am so glad I picked the not so little black dress!) Where he had reservations for us for dinner, reservations for the kitchen table no less! It seems that the head chef (Marcus) is a Squib, who knows Severus from when he lived in Hoggsmeade.

Dinner was customized for us, for as Marcus said, "It is the first time that Severus has ever requested the kitchen table for him and a lady friend."

Perhaps it was the heat of the kitchen, but maybe not, that caused a flush to creep up on his cheeks. Severus cleared his throat at Marcus' words and the chef flashed me a cheeky grin. It was all I could do to not laugh. I didn't want Severus to think I was laughing at him.

So, dinner. I am still quite full. It was wonderful! A lovely salad of Radicchio and Endive with this lovely dressing of lime vinaigrette. Followed by a lovely squab stuffed with almonds and rice pilaf with steamed veggies. The wine was perfect. A nice merlot with this lovely figgy aftertaste. Crème Brule for dessert, which was topped with sliced strawberries. Heavenly meal and I left quite full.

The best part of the meal was the conversation. The kitchen wasn't too loud for all the hustle and bustle, and the time between courses was enough for us to talk seeing as the meal was too good to linger over.

I actually broke the ice, because I think that he was still embarrassed by Marcus' remarks about his lady friend, by asking him how things were at Hogwarts.

He gave the standard answer about dunderheads and the pity he holds for the wizarding world's future if one were to judge by the present crop of first years. This time I did laugh and I thought I saw his eyes twinkle a bit when he met mine.

After that we talked about Potions, articles in Ars Alchema that had caught our interest, my work at the MOM, which he empathized me with. He told me that he thought that my mind was being wasted there and I blushed like a third year.

He's actually thinking about leaving Hogwarts and starting a pharmaceutical company of sorts, producing standard medicinal potions and doing research into untried areas. Sounded fascinating and I told him so. He was about to respond when we were interrupted by the main course and the subject dropped. I couldn't ask him what he was about to say although I wanted too, but I thought it would be rude.

After dinner we walked a bit and ended up at a coffee house where, Severus said, it was open mic night.

Yes, really.

Smokey atmosphere, smell of coffee all around, people young and old scattered about at tables or lounging on sofas, all sipping from large mugs and a young woman on the stage reciting The Phoenix and The Turtle, by Shakespeare.

The rest of the evening was spent debating Shakespeare's meaning behind the sonnet over steaming cups of coffee.

I feel like letting out a satisfied sigh and I think that I shall. There.

We ended up leaving at around one a.m. apparating right back to the alley next to my building. He was quiet as he walked me up the stairs, and paused on the landing below my door, saying that he had no doubt that my roomies were probably waiting on the other side of my door with their ears pressed against it. I laughed and he nearly smiled again. His lips did quirk upward on one side and his eyes twinkled-sort of.

Then he did something that surprised me. He kissed my hand, like men used to do way back when, and told me that he had a nice time and could we do it again soon?

Of course I said yes.

Well to be honest, I blushed and smiled and said that I'd love to.

Then I stuck my foot in it. I told him that I had thought that the evening would be tense and awful and that I hadn't really known what to expect but that things had been wonderful and surprising.

His face went blank for a moment then he told me that he had always thought that I was the fairest out of all of my friends. Then he bowed, kissed my hand again and was gone.

I hope I didn't piss him off. I didn't mean too. I really want to go out with him again.

Harry and Ron were waiting up, but their ears weren't pressed against the door. They were however lounging in a rather funny way on the sofa. Really, they can be such children!

I ignored them and went straight to my room. Let them stew!

I am going to bed.

I really do hope that I didn't ruin it by what I said. I'd like to go out with him again.