A/N: Special Note to Kaaera: Thanks again and I think we've all wanted to beat up either or both Malfoys at one point in time.

A/N2: I'm looking for some good fics to read and am open to any suggestions.

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Chapter 14: Snakes in Dress Robes

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Hermione entered the Headmaster's office at the greeting from inside. Dumbledore smiled warmly, eye's twinkling, as she approached the old wizard. He gestured to the chair in front of his desk and said, "Good evening Miss Gordon. Please have a seat. What brings you to my office on this fine Christmas night? Nothing wrong I hope."

She sat tensely on the edge of her seat and looked up in to the familiar kind face. She relaxed slightly under the calm and benevolence radiating from him. Deciding to just get it over with she said, "Professor Dumbledore, I was wondering...if I could get permission to leave the school grounds for an evening."

Though his smile never changed his eyes seemed to twinkle harder in a blandly amused sort of voice he said, "Would that be for the time already spent or some other night?"

Hermione was mortified. He knew. Somehow she wasn't surprised though. He always knows everything that goes on in this school. She flushed in embarrassment and said, "Sorry about leaving earlier, there was a gift I needed to give in person and I didn't think my absence would be noticed. But the permission would be for tomorrow night. Severus has asked me to attend his family Christmas party as his guest." She looked at him in slight defiance, daring him to comment about her relationship as Gryffindor consorting with a Slytherin.

He only continued to smile then say, "Ah yes, our dear Head Boy. A most noteworthy invitation. One of the biggest parties of the year. The portraits have said you two spend a good deal of time together...studying. I am glad to hear of your friendship. Not many Gryffindors dare reveal or even have a friendship with their rival house. Slytherins usually don't either. Ah well, so you want to leave school to go to Mr. Snape's party?"

Hermione blushed again at the implied comment that they did more than study, but smiled back and said, "Yes."

Dumbledore nodded then turned serious for a moment. "I will give you permission on three conditions. You stay no later than midnight. You respect the guest and cause no trouble. And finally you will be careful how far you take your relationship with Severus. I should not have to remind you that you are from the future and will one day return to it and may hurt him unnecessarily. All that I ask is that you are careful with the lives you influence here and do not hurt yourself along the way. Do you understand what I mean?" he replied. He looked at her piercingly, waiting for her answer.

She thought carefully before answering, "I understand. I asked myself questions about what I was doing before I agreed to even see him during school. I am aware of the consequences and while I am here I swear I will be careful in my relationships. It will go no farther than it aught. I am only asking for one night to make him happy. I get the feeling at home he isn't happy often."

They traded a knowing look for a brief moment. Sighing, the twinkle returning to his eyes, Dumbledore said, "Very well. You may go. You leave by carriage to Hogsmeade and will apparate to Snape Manor from there. The carriage will be waiting for you at the gates when you return."

Hermione beamed at him in happiness, saying, "Thank you. You won't regret it. Now I only need to figure out what to wear."

Wearing an unconvincing innocent look, the Headmaster said, "Try walking past the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy three times thinking about what you need. The results may be interesting. Good night Miss Gordon."

She said good night and left. She paused at the bottom of the stairs. She recognized those directions but couldn't place it for a moment. It suddenly came to her...the Room of Requirement! With a solution to her problem she went to her rooms and fell asleep to dream of dancing with Severus.

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Entering the Room of Requirement the next morning she gasped at what she found. She seemed to have stepped into an old fashioned dress maker's shop. Rows of dress robes and medieval gowns lined three walls. There were racks of jewelry. A full length three way mirror sat against the far wall. To her surprise there was even a Jacuzzi tub sitting in the fare corner along with all the accompaniments to get ready for an evening out.

If she were any other girl she would have cried at the array of refinement to choose from, but she was not every other girl. Calmly she perused through the dresses, rejecting this one as too plain, that one as too gaudy. Then there it was. The perfect dress. Sighing happily, she removed it from the rack and hung it on the stand next to the mirror and tub. Knowing she at least had to make one public appearance before she left, she headed to the Great hall for lunch. Wistfully she looked over her shoulder at the exquisite dress one last time.

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Hermione watched carefully around every corner from the Room of Requirement to the Entrance Hall. She wanted to avoid awkward questions if she saw Remus. She just wasn't ready to explain it to him yet. She looked around the last corner and seeing no one in the path to the front doors, sighed in relief.

She was half way across the hall when she heard a soft, "Wow," come from behind her on the stairs. She froze then slowly turned, knowing what she would find. She was right. Remus stood on the third to the last step, mouth open, stunned expression on his face. He seemed to be fighting for air.

He managed to close his mouth and tried to say something, "Elizabeth...um...wow...um..."

"You said that already," she retorted. She sighed, a bit perturbed that she had been caught after all.

All he could do was stare. He had never seen anyone so beautiful. "You look good," was all he could manage to say. 'Great, genius. That really impressed her I'm sure. That was so lame. Can't you come up with any thing else,' he berated himself mentally. Suddenly it struck him; she was going out with someone. She was dressed to kill. "Are you going somewhere special?" he asked trying to sound casual.

She saw the beginnings of anger smoldering in his eyes. This was exactly what she had been hoping to avoid. Also trying to sound relaxed she replied, "I was invited to a family Christmas party and Professor Dumbledore gave me permission to go. Normally I wouldn't dress up like this but the attire was formal. Do I look okay?" She asked this last in the hopes of diverting any questions about who was hosting the party. No such luck.

His face became cautious as he said, "You're beautiful. The other guests won't know what hit them. Who did you say invited you? I don't remember James or Sirius throwing a party. Peter would never be allowed and Lily's parents are muggles. So who else do we know? And while I am a bit of a recluse I normally get invited to everything. The only ones who don't are the Slytherin type families." He paused for a moment as if a thought had just come to him. Slowly a disbelieving expression crossed his features, "No. It can't be. You were invited to the Annual Snape Christmas Ball, weren't you? Muggleborn students are never invited. How ...wait...you're going with him aren't you? That's it then. You're dating him. You left me for him didn't you? Didn't you?"

The normally mild mannered werewolf was practically yelling at that point. The anger and betrayal was clear on his face. It hurt Hermione to look at him knowing that part of it was true. While Severus was one of the reason's she had broken up with him it was not the only reason. She hated having her friend and future professor mad at her. She had to stop this before it got out of hand.

Quietly, in hopes of calming his rage and countering the volume of his arguments, she said, "Partially. He was the final reason, but I had realized it wasn't going to work almost instantly. You are a really nice person. There is no one kinder or more understanding. You are a great wizard and smart in many ways, but there was something missing from the relationship. I think I have found that with Severus. I know you must hate me and him for this. Just know it has nothing to do with you personally or the fact that you're a werewolf. Though you may not want it now, I would like us to stay friends. This may be a bit much to ask, but for Severus' safety I must ask you to keep our relationship a secret for now. Even from James and Sirius. Please if you ever cared for me as a friend or otherwise, keep this secret for now. Please?"

The clock in the great hall struck the hour. She looked at the door then back at Remus. He remained silent, too overloaded emotionally to speak with out saying something he would no doubt regret later. She sighed and said, "I have to go. I would like to talk about this later. I have to go."

He watched in stony silence as she finished crossing the hall and opened the doors. She paused and turned on the threshold, "Happy Christmas, Remus." The door closed ominously behind her.

"Happy Christmas, Elizabeth," Remus whispered into the silence.

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The thestral-pulled carriage stopped just outside the gates. Hermione carefully stepped out, skirts lifted to clear the puddle just outside. She turned and thanked the reptilian like winged horses. She still hadn't gotten used to seeing them. She turned around and faced the night. The sky was clear and full of stars. It was a new moon and dark without it.

She pulled her fleece lined cloak closer. Gathering her courage for what would most likely be a long evening, she focused on her destination and disapparated.

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With a slight pop, she appeared outside the large manor. Everything sparkled with light. The windows glowed warmly yellow. Fairies decorated the trees, gardens, trim and roof. Music could be heard faintly. A few carriages for the large families with underage children attending sat along the drive. The night was disturbed by the popping of others apparating. Joining the queue at the door she did a last minute check. Dress? Check. Shoes? Check. Hair? Check. Jewelry? Check. Wand? Check.

She reached the door and a regal statue of a wizard butler asked, "Name?"

"Elizabeth Gordon," she answered a bit shakily. For a second she was afraid she wouldn't be allowed in. that somehow her name had been left off the guest list. She had never felt so nervous, not even before her O.W.L.s.

"Welcome to Snape Manor, Miss Gordon. Have a good evening," was the reply. She let out a relieved breath and entered the large foyer.

She handed her cloak to a waiting house elf trying not to visibly cringe. While she had given up on S.P.E.W. she still hated the idea. She looked in a mirror one final time and nervously headed towards the door from which the music was streaming.

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Severus Snape nervously glanced at the clock then at the door for what must have been the hundredth time in the last twenty minutes. Alexandria Snape watched her son surreptitiously, slightly amused. She found it a bit funny that her normally reserved and unflappable son was getting flustered because a girl was a few minutes late. It also worried her. She couldn't have her son getting too attached to an unsuitable witch. If this Gordon girl didn't reach very high standards of character and background she would have to be ...discouraged.

When he performed this little routine again for the second time in thirty seconds she said, "Do not worry Severus. If she is honorable she will come. Remember there are many guests and a line to get through the door. It is early yet. Have patience."

He visibly relaxed and settled himself against the wall behind him. Finally he said, "Maybe she is here already and I just missed..." He trailed off and stared into the crowd. His mother turned to find what had caught his attention and was surprised at what she saw.

Severus could only stare in wonder and joy at the sight of Elizabeth entering the hall. She was radiant in a gown that seemed to light up the room. It was an old fashioned style that conformed to her every curve. The silk fabric was a shimmering yellow copper at the top that faded in to a darker flame red at the hem, waist, and wrists. The bodice was fitted, with a neckline that dipped slightly into a curved V, which was repeated at the waist. The front of the skirt was split at the knee to reveal soft folds of yellow chiffon. The neck, hems, and cuffs of the bell sleeves were trimmed in perfectly matched black pearls and black silk ribbon. Several fold of silk gathered at the small of her back to form a slight train that flowed gracefully behind her. (A/N: to see a real picture of this dress email me.)

To his shock her hair was straight. Years of growth flowed down her back to fall just below her waist. The front was pulled to the back and braided to keep it out of her face and contain the rest. Two locks were left to frame her face in elegant curls that reached her chin. The braids were accented with yellow crystal gems. The color was continued with a pair of yellow diamond teardrop earrings and matching necklace. The overall affect was breath taking.

She caught sight of Severus standing near the far wall and wove her way through the thickening crowd of guests. She did not notice the heads of the wizards and a few jealous witches that turned to look at her. In a room full of people wearing black, blue and green with the occasionally pink from the more daring witch, she true stood out.

Alexandria Snape had to admit that she was impressed. Not many girls would think to wear such a daring color. Nor could many pull it off. This one did both. She was a pretty little thing. But looks could be deceiving. There was still too much unknown about Elizabeth Gordon.

As she approached Hermione noticed the stunned look on Severus' face. Smiling, pleased that she had chosen the right dress after all, she said, "Hi. Happy Christmas." She took in his elegant form. She only wished he had chosen a different color. Though she had to admit he did look handsome in the black silk robes with silver embroidered snakes at the hems, neck and cuffs. To her surprise he had actually done something with his hair. It was pulled back into a graceful ponytail at the nape of his neck. It revealed his strong cheek bones and chin. It helped to make him less forbidding.

He finally seemed to find his voice, "Hello. Happy Christmas." Blushing ever so faintly, he bowed and kissed the back of her hand. She was surprised then remembered that the pureblood wizarding families often followed the old traditions when it came to formal occasions like this. She curtsied back, trying not to fall over in her heels.

Suddenly remembering, he turned Hermione and looked at his mother. He saw the measuring look and hoped that Elizabeth passed inspection. Dating would be ...difficult... if his mother disapproved. "Mother may I introduce you to Elizabeth Gordon. Elizabeth, I present Lady Alexandria Marianna Snape, my mother."

Politely she curtsied and hoped the slight wobble in her knees was not noticeable to anyone else. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Snape. Thank you for the invitation," she said.

Alex inclined her head in response to the curtsy. 'Well at least she remembered the proper way to greet a host. Most girls her age don't even know how to curtsy let alone that they should,' she thought. Out loud she said, "Likewise Miss Gordon. I have heard about you. My son says you are a fair hand at potions and transfiguration. Planning on anything special after graduation?"

Hermione was relieved to find a common ground and not to have to struggle to talk wizarding fashion or other social niceties. She warmed to the topic and replied, "I had hoped to find an apprenticeship and work towards joining spell or potions research or maybe even one day become a professor myself. But until then I plan on learning all I can. I do admit to being a bookworm on my own time."

Madame Snape smiled genuinely at the enthusiasm that reflected her son's so much for acquiring knowledge. "Noble goals. I hope you will do well. Forgive me if I seem a bit rude, but Severus has been a bit closed mouthed about you and I would like to get to know you better. What house are you in? Do you like Hogwarts?"

This is where it got sticky. She and Severus had talked about what to say when asked this. They had decided for her safety and the sake of their relationship that she would lie and say she was from Ravenclaw and her parents were healers though not which type. She only hoped it would work.

"The hat fancied me for Ravenclaw. I find myself equal to that house's ranks of intelligent students. I love Hogwarts very much. It has become home away from home, if you know what I mean," was her response. While she would refrain from talking about Gryffindor house she could not bring herself to lie outright. It was true though the hat had wanted to put her in Ravenclaw but she had chosen Gryffindor instead. People often wondered if the hat had gotten it wrong. She did find herself challenging that house to intellectual heights.

'Ravenclaw. Not too bad. At least that means she's intelligent,' the older witch mused. She asked, "And what do your parents do?"

"They are healers. We moved here so they could do some research," Hermione replied. She hoped that there wouldn't be a question of blood. She didn't want to lie, if she didn't have to.

To her luck and relief a man approached and asked Alexandria to greet his wife. The older witch excused herself to her son and his guest without a further glance. She resigned herself to find out more, later.

Severus and Hermione turned to each other and shared a moment of relief that the interrogation was over. "Sorry about her. She always wants to know everything about everyone who step foot in her house. She's afraid I will be corrupted by some goody-two-shoes Gryffindor," Snape said.

Hermione smiled coyly, one eyebrow raised in query, and said, "But haven't you been corrupted? After all I caught you and 'I' am a Gryffindor."

He smirked back, "Ah, but I thought it was I who corrupted you. Me being the evil, slimy Slytherin."

"I think we have corrupted each other. So my dear corrupted Slytherin, shall we dance? Or are your legs too corrupted to move?" she responded loftily.

"By all means let's dance. It will shock the hell out of my father. He accused me once of purposely hating women just so I wouldn't have to dance at these parties every year," he responded. He gestured grandly, the hunched over schoolboy gone completely, extending a hand for her to take.

As the string quartet struck up a waltz, he led her onto the dance floor. His grace in the way he handled her and the way he moved smoothly through the steps, belied the teenage gawkiness and height. He was a wonderful dancer. He never stepped on her feet and never forgot the steps. They moved as one across the floor, oblivious to the scrutiny of his parents and a few others.

They danced to several more songs including a fast paced tango that left Hermione gasping for breath at the end. She had been shocked to find that he even knew how. Finally she had to ask to stop. He smiled and led her to chairs along one wall then left to get them drinks.

He returned shortly with two glasses that sparkled with carbonated butterbeer. They sat in comfortable silence for a few moments, just happy to be near each other. Hermione let her eyes wander over the other guests, trying to see if she recognized anyone. Not to her surprise, all those she did recognize were the parents of or current death eaters in her real time. Suddenly she stiffened at the sight of the last person she wanted to see.

Snape noticed this and followed her gaze. He swore eloquently when he caught sight of Lucius Malfoy in the crowd of dancers, Narcissa Black attached to his arm. Sharing a look with Hermione, they both rose slowly and, careful not to draw attention, left the main hall.

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A/N: Hey hope you like this one. Sorry it took so long. Had a bit of writer's block for a couple of days. Then I got a bootleg copy of PoA and well it inspired me a bit. For a better idea of how the dress looked just tell me and I will email you a pic of it. I drew it myself and its pretty good if I do say so myself.

Anyways please review as always! Thanks for reading!