On Turning Thirty…
The Story of Hermione Granger…Spinster
Chapter Three
Percy Weasley is going to get his privates hexed off one day. The pervert.
Dragged myself to work this morning (I really hate my job) determined to have a good day and be productive. The morning passed nice and quick and I didn't think of Severus more than three times…an hour.
But really it's been a week and I haven't heard word one from him! What's that all about anyway? I am sure now that he didn't take what I said as an insult, upon thought on the matter I am now sure that he would have at least insulted me, not bowed and wished me a good night.
Not one word.
Then lunch time rolled round and Percy Weasley strode into my office without so much as a knock on my door asking me to lunch.
So he's my supervisor in an indirect sort of manner and I suppose that he thinks that he can just enter one's work space without so much as a by your leave. I set him to rights about the lack of knocking and told him that I was eating at my desk today.
Now, if I had been the barger-iner, and had been told off by the person I had barged in on and then I had been stupid enough to ask said person to lunch only to be told that they were eating in, would I be stupid enough to not take the underlying hint about eating in as a 'no'?
Well, for one thing I would never barge in, my Mum raised me better than that, so has Molly in fact, but I certainly would have got the "I'm eating at my desk today' part as a 'no'.
Percy Weasley didn't. Or at least he pretended he didn't. No he just sat down in one of my chairs and looked at me expectantly. I met his eyes, arched my brow a la Snape and threw him the smile that I reserve for ferrets like Malfoy. He decided to keep playing dense and then proceeded to rake my form, what could be seen of it as I was now standing behind my desk, with his eyes. Then he smirked.
Now, Percy Weasley is not Severus Snape. Obviously. Weasley's gaze left me feeling giddy with nausea as opposed to giddy with something else entirely. Then the little worm asks me to dinner and has the nerve to get all upset when I tell him no.
He stood up and made his way behind my desk where he proceeded to try to kiss me, muttering something about Snape and what was so special about him.
That bastard!
I didn't hex him, no I shoved him away and ordered him out of my office telling him that if he set so much as one toe across the threshold again with out knocking and with out a chaperone, I would tell Molly about his behavior.
I have never seen anyone move that quickly.
Then to top it all off, just as I was leaving for the day, mentally preparing to go home and slap Ronald for telling Percy of all people about my date, I got a note that my office was being moved. Yep moved. To the next level…below. It seems that I am to take up new office residence in Arthur's old digs. Seems Percy's feelings got hurt.
Fat chance of that once I pay a visit to Susan Bones Monday. She's the executive assistant of sorts to the Minister who happens to be her aunt. I love Hufflepuff loyalty and all the time I spent in my seventh year helping her in Potions will pay off beautifully.
It's a good thing for Ron's sake that he's not home yet as I have had time to calm down and have a couple glasses of wine. I intend on getting pissed tonight as it is a Friday after all and I can afford a lie about tomorrow.
Oh…there's a tapping at the window.
Merlin on a bicycle! Severus wants to know if we could maybe go eat tonight? Owl is waiting for my reply. Hummmm what should I say?
Dur…
Wrote Severus back and sent owl and reply through the Floo. It's faster and hopefully Severus will take the hint that he does not have to send owls.
Now I must decide what to wear and stop skipping about the flat.
Note said nothing about 'dressing' for dinner and I am sure that what with Severus being a teacher he isn't rolling in it so it would be unfair to expect Le Bistro type dinners all the time. No. I think that a pair of slacks and a silky tank will do nicely. In fact I do have that new twin set I can wear!
Waiting patiently for seven to arrive, fire roaring in fireplace as night is chilly, love the way the firelight shines up the silk of my cardigan. Boys aren't back yet so perhaps I should invite Severus in for a drink?
I think that he would like that and I know that I look rather fetching in my brand new jeans and silk twin set. The shoes aren't bad either, I love the whole pointy toe look and kitten heels are so smart looking!
I read somewhere that men liked the mincing steps that heels force a woman to make so that she doesn't fall on her face and embarrass herself. I also read that another reason high heels are liked by men is the fact that they force the pelvis outward and make the legs look longer.
Well, that may be all true, but I refuse to force my pelvis out in public like that, especially on a second date and if the man I'm with doesn't like my legs they way they are well too bad for him. No a nice one and a half inch heel is the most I will do thanks very much and the man will just have to be satisfied with the mincing.
Ohh knock knock! He's here!
Am currently in bedroom fixing mascara. Hair is drying nicely and without poofiness thanks to miracle of a hairdresser I have and the nice cut he gives me. Severus is currently out in living room sipping a glass of brandy under the watchful eyes of Harry and Ron.
It poured buckets on the concert ruining a perfectly lovely dinner! Kebabs and a lovely wine all under the stars and with background music by Josh Groban. Glad I wore the jeans, but the kitten heel shoes are a loss as one of the pair is sunk deep in a mud puddle somewhere in town.
Giggled madly as I ran, pulled along by Severus, through the park in the poring rain until we could get to an apparition point and from there the alley and up the stairs to my flat.
I must have looked a sight, I know that Severus did. Delicious but wet in his dark jeans and black poorboy.
He was laughing too! A rich baritone laugh that rumbles like thunder. My knees are still weak! So of course I invited him in and was surprised at his acceptance. Hence the brandy, the fire and the boys.
Who looked very strangely at me when I told Severus to make himself comfortable while I tidied up and ordered them to behave themselves. I have to get back out there now, I'm sure that Severus can take care of himself I just don't want the boys to do anything to ruin a lovely evening!
I kissed Severus Snape!
OhmyGod OhmyGod! I actually kissed Severus Snape and am now completely giddy and can't sleep!
It was so… indescribable!
Ron and Harry weren't in the living room when I got back, Severus said something that sounded vaguely like "works everytime," and smirked at me.
No, his smirk is not even remotely close to Pervert Percy's smirk. Severus' is much sexier, unless it's his 'I've caught you out after curfew' smirk which is scary.
No the 'I'm a sexy Potions master' smirk is so very opposite the smirk I remember from Hogwarts!
Thankful that the firelight concealed my blush and noting that the fire light was the only light in the room, I sat down next to Severus on the sofa and asked him what had happened to the boys.
"Nothing bad, I assure you Hermione," he answered. "I merely reminded them they had better things to do other than sit chaperone to you. I think that you will find them down the street at the pub for a little while. Have a brandy."
Fingers brushed fingers as I took the glass from him, shivers ran rampant up and down my spine! Poor Severus thought I was cold and suggested that we move to the floor in front of the fire.
Heh heh.
The man looks good in firelight I must say. His pale skin looks warmer, his eyes darker and he looks way less imposing. I found myself at a complete loss for words for once and the silence was broken only by the sound of the crackling of burning wood.
After a time, he looked at me and said how sorry he was that the evening had been ruined by the rain. I protested that the evening had not been ruined at all, just the concert, and that I was quite content to sit by the fire listening to the rain fall outside. He asked about my week at work, I avoided telling him about Percy but settled on the standard answer of "typically boring, thanks." Then responded with same question to him.
It seems that Neville Longbottom is now considered near genius by Severus when he compares him with his present students. Poor Severus.
Next hour or so spent talking about Muggle literature as it compares to Wizard literature, Muggles winning that argument of course. I expressed some surprise regarding his choice of concert and he told me that he found some Muggle music quite pleasing, especially these days.
Well the Weird Sisters have gotten even weirder anyway.
Then there was this silence, as if we had run out of things to say. Then Severus quite suddenly complimented me on the shoes I had worn (see?) and then leaned in to kiss me.
It was so tentative at first, on both our parts. One of those light brushing kisses that you get and give on the first go. His lips are surprisingly soft for all of the hard look of them and I found myself kissing him again after a small, awkward pause.
Delicious! Oh the way his tongue felt in my mouth, swirling with mine and his arms around me so strong and hard. Hands stroking my back softly but firmly. He kisses like a man should kiss, strong and demanding but just so!
I soon found myself on his lap, arms wrapped about his neck, breathless as a schoolgirl and as horny as all Hell!
Then he stopped. Damn!
Stopped and took a deep breath and said tat he needed to leave before we went somewhere we weren't quite ready to go.
What's with this 'we' stuff. I was quite ready to go thank you very much, but he was determined in spite of the inviting smile that I flashed him. I reluctantly got off of his lap and walked him to the door, where he kissed me goodnight and left.
Am feeling quite lightheaded and I don't think that it's all because of the brandy.