Chapter Eight—Dinner for Two

Hermione didn't think that the lecturer was that bad, although he did remind her of someone, but she couldn't quite place who it was. She had been truly interested in his speech except that Snape kept leaning over and distracting her. The first time she had kept her head and merely smiled but didn't respond, hoping he would see that she was trying to listen.

But he had persisted. She had almost forgotten her resolve to be nice to him when she grabbed his hand and hissed for him to be quiet, but that had been quickly amended by not letting go, by pretending that that had been her aim all along.

It had worked, at any rate. He had stopped bothering her, although almost instantly she was presented with the problem that she was now distracted by the feel of his hand in hers.

It was a larger hand, with calluses she assumed he had from working with Potions ingredients all the time and he had a nice grip, returning hers not too tight but not limp like a fish either. Feeling his eyes on her, she turned and smiled once more before looking back to the speaker.

Ugh! Couldn't he see that he was making this lecture very hard to enjoy? She couldn't concentrate on what was being said at all! She was just going to have to buy the man's book. Maybe she could even get it signed. She dreamed of one day owning a library full of wonderful books, some of them personally signed by their famous authors.

But at the end Snape insisted that they leave immediately. She didn't see what the big rush was, but eight years of having boys for best friends had taught her that separating them from their food for too long was never a good idea. She tried hard to hide her disappointment. She could always get the book later at Flourish and Blotts, although regrettably without the autograph. At least he was taking her to a nice restaurant. Minerva had told her that Houdini's was quite nice.

They talked about school and his students on the walk from the lecture hall to the restaurant and Hermione was glad when they finally arrived and sat down. Her feet ached from the heels she had decided to wear. She resolved never to wear anything that wasn't completely sensible from now on. With her left foot, she reached over and kicked off her other shoe. She had a bit more trouble getting off the other shoe with her right foot, and she kept brushing up against the leg of the table. But it proved worth the effort.

'Ah,' she thought, 'much better.' But in her concentration to loosen her shoes, she had lost the thread of the conversation. So she was rather surprised when Snape reached across the table and took her hand in his, his thumb lightly caressing the back of her hand.

If she thought holding his hand at the lecture was distracting, it was even more so now. She hoped he didn't expect her to make intelligent conversation with him stroking her fingers like that.

"What were you saying?" she asked a bit abashed.

"Nothing important, just complaining about another near death experience in the lab with my first years. We should talk of nicer things."

Had they added something to the wine? He was acting very strange all of the sudden, almost normal. This felt like a real date—one where you chatted comfortably about the things you had in common, there was some flirting, a little physical contact, and then at the end there was…well, more physical contact. And that was exactly why she had resolved not to start a personal relationship with the Professor. Physical contact could be very distracting. She could hardly concentrate on putting together a proper sentence at the mere touch of his hand on hers, how could she continue as his apprentice if things progressed further?

"Like what?" she asked, too distracted to think of a topic on her own.

He looked at her bewildered for a moment. She realized that maybe he didn't often talk about 'nicer things'—his own fault really in her opinion.

"Books?" he tried. She smiled; that just happened to be her favorite subject.

&&&

Severus had hurried Hermione out of the lecture hall. He not only wanted to get her away from the speaker but he had seen several people that despite the years of being scowled at and directly and indirectly insulted still insisted on speaking to him at these functions. He never ceased to be amazed at these types. Either they had great courage and stamina for his snarls and stares or they were complete imbeciles. Most, he figured were both.

The only person who weathered his temper that he had any respect for was Albus, although when he thought about it Hermione had put up with him for seven years of Potions classes, and yet she had signed on to become his apprentice. Moreover, she was here on a date with him—of her own free will.

At least he thought she was. He quickly checked for signs of the Imperius. No, her eyes shone brightly and though you would never call her graceful, there was none of the jerky movements that characterized the curse. As they walked to the restaurant, he marveled at the fact that she would decide to spend the evening with him.

He had decided earlier in the evening to take her to a new restaurant in London called Houdini's that he had overheard Minerva raving about to Flitwick. It wasn't as pricey as Merlin's, which was good since he was actually paying this time, but it was nicer and he hoped Hermione would be impressed.

Sitting down at their table, he ordered them a bottle of wine and then began telling her an amusing story about an explosion in the Potions lab earlier that day. She seemed to be listening intently at first but then he noticed that her eyes had glazed over in the same fashion that most of his students did. He had learned to recognize that look of feigned attention early on as a teacher, it was reason he believed he was still alive to this day.

"I was so frustrated, I took out my wand right there and cast the Cruciatus. Mr. Garner won't make that mistake twice," he said testing her.

"Mmmhmmm," she murmured and smiled at him. So she could listen to a Lockhart wannabe for over an hour but she couldn't manage to pay attention to what he was saying for five minutes? He was preparing to treat her to some of his scathing wit when he felt something on his leg.

'That's her foot,' he realized in a panic. She was rubbing her foot up and down his leg. First, she had held his hand at the lecture and now at dinner she was playing footsie with him under the table. He thought she had just been trying to throw him off balance by being nice, but perhaps she was trying to seduce him.

He almost kicked her off and snapped at her, but he stopped himself. Hadn't he made himself perfectly clear earlier in the week when he had ordered her to inventory the supply closet? Certainly she didn't think she was going to get anything from him in this seduction. But as long as she didn't mind scrubbing cauldrons tomorrow, he wouldn't mind allowing himself to be seduced.

With this in mind he reached over and took her hand in his. The rest of dinner passed in an agreeable fashion and Severus was even a little disappointed to relinquish Hermione's hand, but he found himself unable to eat his food with only one hand.

With the previous night and the lecture forgotten, he decided that this whole dating thing wasn't so bad after all, or perhaps it was Hermione that wasn't all that bad.

TBC

A/N: The internet at schoolhas been on the fritz so I'm afraid timely updates may be a thing of the past. I'll try my best though! Don't forget to review.