Chapter 20

Hermione awoke early Saturday morning to the sound of Sylvester's voice.

"The misses should read the letter that dratted Potions Master sent her! Misses! Sylvester knows you hear him! Now wake up or I'll hang you by your nose!"

She rolled over and saw that the clock read 5:03 a.m. Entirely too early for her taste. But with Sylvester's words, she realized that he had winked into her bedroom and was waving a piece of parchment around her head.

"Read! Read now!" He stood by and crossed his arms as Hermione rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She scanned the words written in Professor Snape's tiny handwriting.

He had found it!

He didn't write what "it" was, but he was staying at Hogwarts and brewing a potion that she would need. He instructed her to have patience and that he would apparate to her when he had more information.

Hermione swung her legs over the side of the bed and squealed. Sylvester had a satisfied look on his face as he winked from the room. She knew she had been right to invite her former professor to work with her. He may be a pain, but he is brilliant! He also took the events of yesterday fairly well, she thought. Even though he was a horses behind about it all. She had been out of sorts as well. She should have been more grateful for his efforts and she should have trusted him more. But he had apparently forgiven the transgression, because he had spent some time working on it as he said he would. She was lucky to have such a dedicated and brilliant wizard working with her. Sure, it was Professor Snape, but he had proven her fears wrong time and time again. She didn't even like to think of him anymore as the 'mean Professor'. She liked to think of him as her partner now. He had not chastised her for her dream, he had chastised her for how she handled it.

Looking back at all of it, she realized that he was right. He was the most logical person she had ever known, he really knew how to handle himself in a difficult situation. Hermione hummed to herself as she walked briskly to the bathroom.

"Good morning Elmer! I'm sorry for threatening you last night." Hermione said sweetly. She waited for his reply, but none came.

"Elmer…Elmer…please forgive me. What can I do to make it up to you?" Hermione was leaning into the mirror and smiling at her reflection.

"Well…" came Elmer's voice came in an injured tone. "I would like to be hung somewhere else." Hermione knew his game, but she was so happy, happier than she ad been in a fortnight, so she relented.

"Alright Elmer, How about you move to the…" She turned and surveyed her rooms and thought of the rest of the house.

"The lobby?" Elmer sad hopefully.

"No. You would frighten everyone away. No…let's see…Oh, I've got it! My sitting room. I have a bare wall and you can go there. There, you won't have to be alone so much. Is that alright Elmer dear?" Hermione smiled again as Elmer's voice lazily answered.

"Well, if that's all that you can do. Woe is me…" Hermione laughed and went to take her shower.

A few hours later, Hermione was sitting at her kitchen table when Sylvester called for her. She was reading a great book, so she didn't look up as she spoke.

"Yes Sylvester? What is it?"

"Misses! Misses…Problems! Problems are coming!"

"What is it now? I can't take anymore problems. Just this morning, I was thinking that all my problems were losing their hold on me. Spill the pixies Sylvester."

"Oh Misses…you have problems. She is here. And she is not being happy with you!"

"Who?"

"That one…that red headed devil woman. The misses' friend from school. She is not happy with my misses, or Sylvester. She came into the lobby and slammed her hand on my desk she did, demanding to see you. Wants to have a 'word with you', so she says. Sylvester thinks I ought to hex her."

Hermione's heart gave a squeeze. Ginny. It had to be. Somehow, she had found out about Harry's visit to her. And now, Hermione was about to hear it from her, she just knew it.

"Alright Syl, let her in. I'll meet you in the sitting room."

She had just opened the door to her sitting room from her private rooms, when Sylvester opened the opposite door from the lobby. She heard Ginny's irate voice echo before them.

"Where are you Hermione Granger? Where is she you wrinkled, hairless cat?" Sylvester stepped from the doorway and Ginny pushed past him.

"There you are!" Hermione blanched at the look of shear hatred that was on Ginny's face. She had one second before she realized that Ginny had her wand out. However Sylvester quickly stepped between Ginny and her prey and held out his hand. Ginny stopped and eyed the elf. Slowly, she placed her wand back in her pocket, obviously reconsidering hexing anyone.

"Ginny, how good to see you." Hermione could see that this was going to be a long day, so she asked Sylvester for tea. Sylvester exited the room slowly, using the door. All the while, he and Ginny glared at each other. Sylvester was a free house elf, but he loved his brilliant mistress dearly and would allow no harm to come to her.

"We need to talk Hermione."

"Ohh….goodness me…she is a little spitfire isn't she?" Elmer's voice broke into the heavy silence.

"Shut up Elmer. I can see we need to talk Ginny. Sit down." The elder witch sat on one of the lounge chairs as Ginny stood fuming. Hermione cocked her head towards the chairs, silently telling her to sit. Ginny did so, albeit, slowly.

They sat quite for a moment and Hermione studied her long time friend. She didn't look well. She looked tired and worn. Her hair was a mess, she didn't wear makeup and her eyes were rimmed in red. As if she had been crying for hours.

"Ginny, I think I know-"

"You know nothing! I thought you were my friend. You…you went behind my back and now you…you and…I can't even say it!" Ginny's face contorted into a painful expression and the tears began to flow again.

"What do you think is going on Gin?"

"She needs to relax a little I say…" Hermione shot Elmer a scathing look and he fell silent. Ginny's broken voice spoke next.

"Harry! I heard Ron talking to Fred and George about you and him. He was really mad. He said that Harry came over here and he wanted…he wanted you and him…and that Ron thinks you want him too. Then I remembered your birthday party. How you were so quiet and didn't talk much. I thought something was wrong with you, but then I noticed you were just kind of …different. You looked like you were a million miles away. Like someone in love!" She began to cry even louder now and all Hermione could hear was that and exclamations from Elmer like, "So sad" and "Eyes are too puffy."

"No…Ginny, please, let me tell you the whole of the story. I think I can explain most of it to your satisfaction. Just listen for a moment." Hermione held her hands out as a sign of peace as Ginny sat silently and glared a her. "Ginny, Harry did come here. Harry did ask me if...you know…if I wanted to change the nature of our relationship. I told him no. I said no because first-"

"She doesn't love him. It's true, she told me. But she might love-'

"Quiet Elmer…remember what I said about bugs!" Hermione pointed to him and he fell silent again. "He is right, I don't love him, not that way. Secondly because I think he still has feelings for you. I would never want to come between you and Harry. I love you both. As friends. I love Ron Ginny, but he never gets the facts straight before he runs his mouth, you ought to know that. He was just venting to his brothers. Have you not seen Harry lately?" Ginny shook her head. "Well maybe if you were to-"

"No! He obviously doesn't care about me." She wept harder still. "I don't want anyone but Harry Hermione! I did what he wanted, I moved on with my life, because I had to. The war was going on and he needed to remain focused. I understand that. But even after the war, he was different, colder. So distant, I didn't know how to reach him an longer. So I just went on, thinking that he would come to me one day when he was ready. But instead, he came to you!" A whole new episode of tears poured forth from her eyes. Hermione took pity on her and crossed the distance between them. She reached out and put her arms around her friend.

"Ginny, you have to talk to Harry. You must go to him. He is hurting and alone. All he wants is a normal life. He just doesn't know how yet. You have to show him. You are going to have to lay it all out there for him." Here, Ginny nodded slowly and her tears began to dry up.

"Sylvester winked into the, eyeing Ginny as he lay the tea on the table before them. Hermione spoke to him.

"Syl. We are going out for a bit after tea. Leave word with anyone who wants to see me that I will be back very soon." Sylvester nodded his understanding and he winked from the room.

Ginny and Hermione went to a nearby pub and ate lunch. They ate a lot, talked even more and drank a little too much.

A couple of hours later, they were walking together back to Hermione's "prison' as Ginny called it, when Ginny asked her about men.

"So…are you seeing anyone?" Her eyes danced as she spoke. Hermione shook her head with a look of regret on her face.

"Nope."

"Why Hermione? Gosh…it's been forever since you dated anyone. That I know about anyway."

"Oh, you know about them all Ginny. It's just that I don't have time right now. I work too much."

"Well there you go! You work too much. I bet you haven't been alone with a man for a long time, huh?" Ginny teased her. Hermione gave a half hearted laugh as she thought to herself, she was alone with the Professor all the time.

"Well, not in the way you mean anyway. I have an assistant who works on weekends and some evenings. Just to help me out a little. I'm alone with him all the time." Hermione smiled at the mischievous look on her friends face.

"Oh…a male assistant, huh? Is he cute?"

"No.'

Is he fun to be around at least?"

"Not so much. But…he's incredibly brilliant and I really admire him for that."

"Oh, yeah, right. Brilliant is he? Well, I couldn't think of a better match for you. Ugly or no. I know you Hermione, you have to have a brilliant man. Otherwise, you're not satisfied. What's his name?"

"Oh…his name is Mr.-do-this-and-do-that.' Both women laughed and continued walking and chatting for awhile. Ginny let go of the topic at hand and they walked in blissful friendship.

They entered Hermione's building and took the elevator up. They entered the front lobby and Sylvester was not in his chair. Hermione shrugged her shoulders and the two women entered her hallway, laughing and joking the entire way. Hermione hadn't been this happy and satisfied for a long time. Her face was glowing and her smile was broad.

But the smile faded as they entered her sitting room.

Professor Snape was there, staring into the mirror.

He was talking to Elmer.