---- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Chapter Two: Meeting the Second (and a half)
----- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - --
Lunch was a grand affair in a quaint café located in a narrow bystreet close to the spot where Hermione had performed her feat of 'magic' earlier that morning. Her father and mother were overjoyed that their childhood friend was back in their lives, and so was a certain bushy-haired eleven year-old. Hermione found herself ignoring her spaghetti in favor of staring at the vibrant gypsy woman sitting across the table from her. Wendy and Rosmerta sat beside each other while Hermione and her father were together on opposite ends of the booth, but they didn't really notice, as they were so deep in conversation and laughing at past escapades during their school days.
If this had been any other meal, Hermione's nose would have been buried in a book while her parents discussed the architecture of Rome and read parts of Dentistry Today.
But this was not just any other meal.
Rosmerta turned away while Rupert was prattling on about his decision of going into dentistry and looked at Hermione and grinned. Hermione blushed when she realized that she was caught and guiltily grinned back. Rosmerta turned back her to her long-time friends and steered the conversation away from pulling teeth to the subject of a one young bushy haired eleven year-old.
"Rupert, dear, you have such a lovely daughter! Hermione is such a pretty name; however did you think of it?" she asked, winking at the said daughter with the 'pretty name.'
Rupert Granger looked a little lost at the abrupt change of conversation but quickly recovered. "Oh, Hermione? Well, Wendy thought of it, didn't you, dear?"
Wendy smiled. "Yes, I did. It was from Shakespeare, I believe. I've always liked names like hers since I was a child, so I thought if I couldn't have a beautiful name, my daughter would!" The adults laughed and Hermione giggled in embarrassment, her face turning as red as the tomato sauce smeared all over her pasta. Unfortunately, Rosmerta didn't want to let the subject go, much to Hermione's surprise and embarrassment. The gypsy-like woman laughed again.
"Well, I wouldn't really know much about that Shakespeare, anyway, eh? So, Hermione, your parents say you are an avid reader. Do you honestly like to read books all the time?" Rosmerta sounded a great deal disconcerted about Hermione's love of books. The woman's vibrant nature came out in everything she did, her facial expressions open and was always very at-ease with everything…except when the word books was mentioned.
Hermione gaped at her parents' friend in shock. "Why of course I love to read!" she exclaimed, thoroughly appalled at the woman's apparent dislike of literature.
Rosmerta laughed again at the peeved expression on the young girl's face. "I just wanted to know if you did, Hermione! Just because I don't like to read much doesn't mean that you can't! Wendy, it's uncanny that she takes after you, with your hair and your love of books!" The dark haired woman made a face as she uttered the word and everybody genuinely laughed, even Hermione.
The rest of the day passed very quickly for Hermione, and all too soon the sun started to set. It was to be the Grangers last night in Rome, and Wendy and Rupert pleaded with their childhood friend to watch their daughter while they went out to dinner together. Rosmerta had heartily agreed, and so she and Hermione watched the dentists walk down the cobbled streets hand in hand until they were out of sight.
Rosmerta turned to Hermione and sighed. "Finally! I thought they'd never leave! Now, shall we get upstairs and get to the ping-pong table before some Muggle gets it?" The older woman had a silly grin on her face, but when she saw Hermione's frown it faltered a little bit. "'Mione, what's wrong? Do you not like ping-pong? It's such a delightful little ga—"
But she was cut off by the eleven year-old. "What's a Muggle?" Hermione asked, her frown becoming ever more apparent. "That's what that rude man with the strange clothes said today! He called everyone around us 'Muggles', I think! And now you've said it, too! What does it mean? And please tell me the truth! I need to know. Preferably now, if you please?" the bushy-haired eleven year-old implored, her large brown eyes flecked with gold in the lamplight outside of the hotel. The young girl was wearing a lavender colored corduroy dress with a white turtleneck and plain white tights with brown Mary Jane's---the very epitome of innocence.
Rosmerta's face had fallen when she heard the younger girl speak, but then regained her bright disposition. "Muggle? Oh, just an insult, you know, like stupid, or git. Guess whatever man you spoke to liked using it, eh? Now let's go play some ping-pong!" And with that, the older woman grabbed Hermione's hand and they both ran up numerous flights of stairs to the game room on the 8th floor where the Grangers' rooms were.
The girls played ping-pong and air hockey until late, but Hermione wasn't tired, even at 9:30, which was already past her normal bedtime. Rosmerta decided to go back to the hotel room, and Hermione told her that she would be back before 11:00. The girl wandered around the landing until she came to the reading room door. She almost forgot all about the man in the billowing black robes and the awkward moment on the street with Rosmerta until she stepped quietly into the library. All that week Hermione would spend as much time as she could in the reading room—that was enough time to finish almost all the books the hotel had to offer. Most were tourist guides, but others were books on Italian architecture and sculpture and philosophy, which interested the eleven year-old greatly. Hermione had already read the tourist guide books and the standard classics, and most of the history books, but she wanted to read so many more before she left the next afternoon!
The room was very dark when she entered the reading room, except for the fireplace, which was lit. The girl stepped closer to it, but found that no warmth was emanating from it when she put her hands out to warm them in the cold room. She frowned and touched it and found that it was electric, just a decoration that gave off no heat. She sighed in relief and walked back to the door and fumbled blindly around for the light switch. She flipped it and the whole room was illuminated, revealing two armchairs by the electric fire and numerous waist high shelves and a couple couches and tables. She went to one of the shelves and picked up a book that she had never seen before in the reading room. Hermione gasped and dropped the book.
This one had moving pictures on the cover!
Hermione got over her shock and picked up the book cautiously, unaware that the former occupant of one of the armchairs was standing right behind her. The eleven year-old peered at the cover, taking in the title and the strangely clad men and women on the cover who were… Hermione promptly dropped the book again.
She could have sworn that the people in the pictures were actually waving at her! She picked up the book once more and turned around to sit in one of the vacant armchairs, but ran into something soft and black, and stumbled backwards.
Hermione looked up and saw a familiar sneer and she jumped back up again, her face even redder than at lunch earlier that day. She tucked the strands of hair that were escaping from their long, thick braid behind her ears and her eyes widened. "It's you!" she breathed. The very thin and grumpy man was not clothed in the strange outfit from that morning---he was wearing normal clothes, but they were still all black, except for a white dress shirt underneath the black wool sweater vest. Hermione gaped at him. "Where did you come from? Why are you here?" she asked, gaining control of her voice again.
The man rolled his eyes. "I assumed that this was a public facility, silly little Gryffindor. I have every right to be in this room, like it or not." He put as much venom as he could into the word 'Gryffindor.'
The eleven year old put her hands on her hips and huffed. "That wasn't what I was asking you! Are you staying here at this hotel? Sheesh!" then she added in an undertone, "What a Muggle…"
Hermione could have sworn she heard a snort come from the rude man whose name she still hadn't learned yet. She knew he could hear her, so she didn't raise her voice. "You still haven't told me what a Gryffindor is, sir. Nor have you told me about the letter, or what 'Muggle' means, or your name! It's quite frustrating, you know! You said it, and then Rosmerta said it too! And what about this 'magic' that you said I did this morning? Do you know anything about this book?" she asked all in succession, her curiosity getting the best of her once more, holding the book up.
The man's upper lip curled into another sneer. "Why, that is mine, you little dunderhead. Give it back to me, or suffer the consequences." His voice was full of the promising threat, just daring her to challenge him.
Of course, Hermione rose to the occasion bravely. "Dunderhead? What consequences? It's not like you could turn me into a toad or something!" She laughed at the man's obvious lack of sanity and tried to step around him so she could get out of the room. The man stood still in front of her and pulled from his sleeve the thin ebony stick Hermione had seen earlier that day
He laughed, a fairly pleasant sound, deep and rich, when he saw the brown amphibian on the carpet before him. A fly flew around the toad's head, and toad-Hermione watched it hungrily before a long, pink tongue flicked out from its mouth and gobbled up the fly. He swished the wand again and a human Hermione stood in front of him, glaring menacingly at the still laughing Potions professor.
"That was not funny!" she said through clenched teeth. Then her face changed abruptly from anger to wonder, then to horror and disgust. "You…you turned me into a toad! I just ate a fly! Bleh!" Hermione started wiping her hand on her tongue to get the insect taste out of her mouth. It was actually quite tasty, though…
The man finally stopped laughing, but she could still see the mirth in his eyes…now that she looked at them, she could see that they were the blackest of black, like tunnels she could get lost in forever…Then Hermione broke eye contact with him, and her head suddenly started to ache…
"I'm sure that fly was delicious, hmm?" he smirked, one finely arched eyebrow raised at the girl. Hermione blushed furiously and stomped out of the room with the strange book under one arm. She could still hear laughter coming from the room when she was halfway down the hall and opening her family's hotel room door.
She gasped when she saw Rosmerta waving a long stick and the clothes flying around the room and folding and packing themselves up into the suitcases on the beds, and held tighter onto the book so she wouldn't drop it again
"Rosmerta!" she cried. "What on earth are you doing?"
The gypsy witch gasped in fright and whirled around, dropping the wooden stick, which caused the air-borne clothes to drop to the floor. "Hermione! I didn't think you'd be back yet!"
Hermione stared at the stick on the floor, and then looked back up at her parents' childhood friend with a suspicious eye. "How did you do that?" Then the girl looked at the cover of the strange book with the moving pictures. "And what's this? Can you explain this to me?"
Rosmerta blinked, owl-eyed when she saw the book in the eleven year-old's hands. "Why, it looks like a hologram to me, 'Mione. Oh, and this?" she gestured to the clothes that were haphazardly strewn about the room and folded neatly in the suitcases. "Just a bit of slight of hand, nothing big! Hehe…I'll just take this, and you hurry along to bed! You're parents will be coming back soon, and they won't like it if you're awake when they get back, hmm?"
The gypsy part-time street-artist sighed inwardly as the curious girl gave her another wary long stare before turning and walking into her room. When Hermione's door was closed, Rosmerta started to pick up the clothes hanging off of the bedposts and chairs. Rosmerta looked at the book Hermione had found and laughed.
"Blasted Gryffindor! Watch out Hogwarts, you've got your hands full with this one!"
The cover read:
Everyday Advanced and Dangerous Potions for the Everyday Advanced and Dangerous Potions Master
XXXXXXX
Hermione and her parents found themselves loaded with their baggage in line at the airport, with Rosmerta standing nearby. The flight attendant at the ticket counter was having some trouble with the man she was dealing with at the head of the line. She would keep bursting into tears every time the man spoke, which didn't seem to bother the man in the least.
It looked like he was actually having fun doing it…but Hermione couldn't see the man, as he was so far ahead in line.
The flight attendant wiped her tears and kept sniffling noisily the whole time her parents were at the counter showing her their tickets. Jamey, as her name tag said, smiled watery-eyed at Hermione when it was the eleven year-old's turn to show her the plane ticket.
"Sorry about that, it's only my first day here. Guess I got a little emotional, huh?" Jamey said, and Hermione could hear her American accent clearly. The young flight attendant didn't look any older than 19 at the most, and Hermione just smiled reassuringly at the woman before joining her parents and Rosmerta, who were all hugging each other in turn.
"It was so good to see you again, Rosie," Wendy said, wiping tears from her eyes. Rupert didn't say anything, but his eyes were over bright.
Rosmerta laughed. "I'm so glad that I saw you, all of you, too! It was wonderful meeting you, Hermione! Keep reading your books!" When she said the two words pertaining to literature she made a face, and Rupert and Wendy laughed as their daughter turned red from indignation.
A voice came from the speakers announcing the boarding of the plane, and Wendy and Rupert shouldered their bags again and started walking towards the flight gate. Rosmerta called after Hermione, who then turned around to meet the adult gypsy witch.
"'Mione! Wait!" The eleven year-old walked back to Rosmerta quickly.
"Whatever is it, Rosmerta?" she asked, glancing back over her shoulder to see that her parents had already disappeared down the walkway.
Rosmerta hugged her two best friends' daughter fiercely. "I'll miss you, ya little Gryffindor," she whispered into the girl's honey brown frizz of hair. Hermione pulled away and scowled.
The gypsy witch laughed and hugged her again. "You'll find out soon enough, my dear 'Herms. Hey, you might even see me sooner than you think! Now run along! Don't want to miss your plane, eh?" Rosmerta nudged Hermione towards her parents, but the girl ran back into the older woman's arms.
"I'll miss you too, Rosmerta," she said, fighting back tears. She had come to like this woman so much in the past day, and now she was leaving her for who knows how long!
The dark-haired woman chuckled. "Oh, and one more thing—don't look into your carry-on bag until you get all situated on the plane, will you? There's something that you might enjoy in there."
The eleven year-old hugged her new friend again before adjusting her bag and running back to her parents. Rosmerta called after her, "AND 'MIONE! CALL ME ROSIE, OKAY!"
Hermione looked back at Rosmerta and nodded and raced back through the flight gate and onto the plane. She plopped down into her seat and saw her parents sitting across the aisle from her on the left.
She looked to her right and gasped. There sat the man who had turned her into a toad the night before in the reading room! She still couldn't get the fly taste out of her mouth, no matter how many times she brushed her teeth…
The man heard her gasp and looked shocked, then disgruntled. "You're that idiot girl from before!" he hissed.
Hermione glared at him and hissed back. "I am not an idiot! You're the idiot! You turned me into a frog!" The man looked a bit surprised at the return insult, but didn't show any other outward reactions, but inside he was seething.
The girl felt someone tap on her shoulder so she turned her head and saw her mother looking at the man beside Hermione with interest, and some suspicion. "Who's this, Hermione? Do you know him?"
The rude man and Hermione looked at each other and said in unison, "We've met…unfortunately."
Wendy Granger's eyebrows rose into her hairline. "Oh? Now when did this happen?"
Hermione glared at the man next to her. "Yesterday," she muttered, not at all happy that she would have to sit by the man who had turned her into a toad the night before the whole way back to England.
"I see," her mother replied. "By the way, I'm Wendy Granger. This is my husband Rupert, and of course, my daughter, Hermione." Wendy Granger stuck out her hand, and the man shook it gracefully.
"Severus Snape, madam. It is a pleasure to meet you and your…charming daughter," the man inclined his head regally at Wendy and his eyes narrowed at Hermione. Rupert was busy getting the headsets all ready so he and his wife could watch the in-flight movie. Wendy turned away to help her husband with the ear phones, leaving Snape and Hermione alone.
"Ah ha!" Hermione cried triumphantly. "So that's your name!" The two glared at each other, and Severus kept glaring at the top of the girl's head while she was bending over and unzipping her backpack. She took out something quite large and shrieked happily.
The Potions Master peered over the eleven year-old's shoulder and saw the title of the book and bit back a groan:
The book that Hermione Jane Granger was happily flipping through was Everyday Advanced and Dangerous Potions for the Everyday Advanced and Dangerous Potions Master.
This was going to be a looong flight…
XXXXXXXXX
:snicker:
I lurved that book title! It took me AGES to think of it, but then it popped into my head! So, yay! It sounds so wizard-y!
:sigh:
Oh, and I bet you're all wondering WHY Severus Snape, the evil bat of the dungeons was on a MUGGLE airplane, eh?
It shall be explained…all in due time! OMG, I'm astounded at the response I got to my first chapter! I was secretly hoping for that many, because with Phantom of the Opera stories, you don't get all that many reviews unless you are Kat097! She's the most awesome PotO phic author EVER! I'm still in awe when I read each chapter that she writes! But I'm not here for advertising. :cough: Hehe, remember last chapter, anyone:grin: ANYway, oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh! ELEVEN! Nary a flame in sight, mateys! LOL! So, it's been about a week since I posted this, more or less. Sorry! I was AWAY at BAND CAMP for a whole WEEK! Well, they had regular Orchestra and Band camp, and then along with that PIANO CAMP as well! It was so much fun! I've come back with a different attitude about piano, and it was a really good experience for me, and I learned a lot about myself, too. Plus…cute guy pianists. That's all I'm going to say about them. Guys who play the piano are either really geeky or super handsome. There's not 'in-between'! It's not funny:sigh: Well, my AIM buddy list is a whole lot bigger now, LOL! We had to pick out a duet on Sunday night, then perform it on Friday afternoon---me and my duet partner were PERFECT on the second day. Like, PERFORMANCE READY PERFECTION! So that would be Tuesday, right? Yes, anywho…So, we didn't really need to work on it, just during the hour that we were given for duet practice. And then I did the Praeludiam of the Holberg Suite (which is mostly an orchestral piece, or for string instruments) for the Saturday recital. It was hardly under my fingers at all on Monday! So, yeah…then practiced a WHOLE lot, had lots of fun, and VOILA! Perfection! LOL! Sorry, I'm not bragging, I'm just really excited about that.
I hardly EVER play perfectly, until this week, so yeah…big deal for me. And it wasn't just the notes that were perfect---the feel of the piece was really emotional, and it's a very dramatic part of the Suite, and everyone would come up to me and be like…"I honestly thought you were going to be as terrible as those girls before you! You sure proved us wrong!" Yeeeeeeeeah…my friends before me didn't do all that well…and they're all in high school like me…and I'm gonna be a sophomore…ANYWAY! ENOUGH OF MY EXCITED RAMBLING!
Natsuyori: MY VERY FIRST REVIEWER FOR THIS STORY! Lahve you so much! My work is 'lovely'! Yay! I was hoping that this would get good feedback! Of course, this chapter is ALSO dedicated to you, as you were the very first!
Pricey-Blonde: Thank you so much for reviewing! Hope ya like this one, too! Pretty long chappy this time, eh?
Caeria: You know, I am rather tired of stories that only have four paragraphs for the first chapter, too! Plus, I like to write long chapters. That's just me, though. I also hate it when people write in CHAT SPEAK in some stories! It's not even writing! But that's a different story.
And errr…hmm…
,00,: 'Cute au?' Wow. I like that. But my story's not 'cute', is it! Well if you say it is, then I must desist and say that it is as well. And you know what? I like the way our Snapey pegged Hermy for a Gryffie, too! LOL! I love these little nickname thingies!
Resurrected Angel: YAY! Thanks so much for reviewing!
VenomQueen-83: Loved the way you thought that Hermione was such a curious child! That's what I was going for! THANK YOU FOR MENTIONING THAT! Oh yes, and the twist…hehehe…lots more of them to come:rubs hands together conspiratorially while cackling evilly: So many ideas! And thanks for taking the time to review!
Zoltaire: Your review was probably the most…hmm…what's the word…well, I got very giddy when I read it! I like some of the M-rated stories, but not some of the…:ahem: too err…descriptive ones. LOL! I usually stick with T-rated ones, just to be on the safe side. Plus, I'm only almost 15! Well, anyway. I'm glad that my story thus far has provided you with some new insight towards lower rated fics! Not that you have to stop reading the M-ones of course, haha! And I don't know about the chapters-per-year thing. It all depends on where the characters and stupid plot take me! I can't wait to hear what you think of this chappy!
Transylvanian: Thanks!
Countess Vladislaus Dragula: I SOOO LOVE YOUR FFnet NAME! It is so awesome! I like vampires a lot, but if you saw me, you would NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS ever even THINK that I do! I'm not snobby prep—I'm just a preppy red-headed pianist/flautist/cross country runner/JCREW shopper/swimmer/fanfic author! Hehe…THANK YOU SO MUCH, TOO!
Christine Erik: Oh yes…"WWTLF"…Well, I haven't gotten all that much inspiration on that lately…But I did write like six pages for Ch. 13 a couple weeks ago…anyway, THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING!
OH, AND THANK MY BETA EriannaAbyss! Even though I didn't send her this chappy…;)
Sooo…that's it! Once again, thank you to everyone who has read this fic, whether you've reviewed it or not!
Erik: Review! NOW!
P.T.O:
No one likes a debtor so it's better if my orders are obeyed!
Adieu, mon bonne amies!
-Alianne