AN:
I'm sorry for the long delay- too long. Lots of legitimate excuses (pregnancy, birth, traumatic labor, etc.) but I'm back now, with hopefully more frequent updates!
Someone mentioned in a comment on the last chapter that the Soviets were atheists, so it would make no sense to welcome the transfer students with a second Christmas in January. My response:
1. Fair point
2. It wouldn't have worked to do a big New Year's celebration based on the winter break timing
3. In my opinion- and the way I've been writing the universe in this fic- the Wizarding world has an inherent religiosity to it that the Muggle world doesn't. So, the Soviet wizards- in my writing- aren't atheists, unlike the Muggle Soviets. Now, not saying everyone is so "organized" in their religion, but at the very least everyone believes in some sort of magical deism. In my mind, if you believe in, practice, and use magic, at the very least you believe in the "higher power"- so to speak- of magic. I guess in a similar way to the "force", the "magic" inherent in the universe would affect everything. So, at the least, there is a baseline of this magicism, and at the most there might be a belief in a god or in a more organized religion, as mentioned in the earlier chapters. In conclusion, religious holidays and religious syncretism and just general openness to faith/belief/religion of some kind is prevalent in the magical world as I am writing it.
Would love to know anyone's thoughts on these things or feedback on the chapter. Thanks!
One otherwise mundane Tuesday at the beginning of February, something in the air had shifted at Hogwarts. Whispers and glances were traded back and forth across the Great Hall tables at lunchtime, with accompanying glares and muttered conversations that appeared more sinister and conspiratory in comparison from the Slytherin table. Hermione cursed her earlier decision not to take out a subscription to The Daily Prophet in order to cover her time-traveling tracks. Clearly, something had happened.
"It's not the Prophet," Arabella informed her when she asked. "It's the latest edition of Witch Weekly."
"Witch Weekly?" Hermione asked, frowning.
"Yes, it's an interview." And Arabella surreptitiously pulled out a copy of the magazine, handing it to Hermione under the table. "Don't read it here. I think some of the others are being a little, well, cocky in how much bravado…" she trailed off. "Just read it and you'll see what I mean."
Hermione thanked her and left quickly. Perhaps this was why Lily and Marina had been absent from breakfast and lunch? Come to think of it, she hadn't noticed the Marauders either.
Hermione quickened her pace until she reached the library to find a quiet reading spot. She couldn't find a seat fast enough. When she looked at the front cover, she let out an audible gasp.
Staring back at her was a picture of Harry above the heading, "The One Who Lived".
Following a few seconds in which her heart pounded loudly, her breathing quickened, and she began to panic because she must have somehow altered the timeline, Hermione calmed down just enough to read the rest of the front-page magazine blurb.
"The One Who Lived" preceded a smaller subheading which read, "James, the last surviving Potter tells his story".
Ah. Of course.
The familial resemblance had been too great to tell James and Harry apart upon first glance, but it was clear on a second look at the photo. James had more of a wide, cocked, and cheeky grin, which Harry occasionally adopted, but it differed from the son's good-natured, excited smile. It was obvious in their eyes as well- not just by the colour. Harry's eyes always appeared impressed and enthusiastic when smiling, while James'… he had the look in his eyes as if slyly knowing that he was about to impress you.
Hermione opened the magazine up, finding the cover story and reading it quickly. The interview was with a Persephone Miopsy, a clear precursor to Rita Skeeter. The interviewing styles of the two reporters were similar, and there were certainly the familiar sympathy plays to the reader for James' tragic situation, much as had been embellished time and time again during articles about Harry. In this case, however, instead of presenting James as the grieving, suffering orphan, the tone shifted dramatically partway through the piece.
James was made out to be an archetypal hero, overcoming tragic circumstances in order to… what?
Hermione grimaced as she read. James declared that he would "not be intimidated" and that he would "fight for the right side against tyranny". He ended the interview with a bang, calling out Voldemort and his Death Eaters by name- no use of "You-Know-Who" here- and declaring that they were "bigots, murderers, and not true wizards, but only false magicians".
Yes, she could see why Arabella was cautious. And yes, she could see why the Gryffindors clapped James on the back, high-fived him and applauded him when he emerged from hiding- or privately celebrating, perhaps- later that afternoon. She understood the proud, triumphant faces of the Gryffindors she saw. She couldn't help but feel somewhat proud of James herself. Heck, hadn't she herself organized the Quibbler interview Harry had given in fifth year, declaring Voldemort really was back?
But… this was different. She knew what was to come.
Harry had already been marked as a target by Voldemort, and he had been since his birth. If Severus had been correct about the faked deaths of the elder Potters, then James hadn't yet been singled out.
Until now.
Hermione couldn't miss Lily's reaction over the next few days. She smiled and applauded her beau just as everyone else did. It was in the down moments when no one was looking that Lily would rub her temples aggressively and fidget with her hands. Lily knew just what Hermione did. Voldemort was now on notice.
Lily and James Potter had "defied Voldemort three times". Was Voldemort really even keeping track of which one of them did the defying at which time? Probably not. Hermione doubted they would each be allowed three separate strikes. Perhaps he would only care about what James did or said.
So… this must be strike one?
Hermione couldn't help but become discouraged at James' act of bravery, so reminiscent of something Harry would do. The Potters would be dead because of this defiance. They would not survive the war.
Hogwarts only whispered about James Potters' interview for so long. It was now February and the promised Valentine's Day dance was upcoming.
There had been no discussion of who she should go with. Severus and Hermione had gotten little time together during the last few weeks of January- and what time they did manage to steal together was not used for much talking.
There were only the brief meetups during the week to exchange potions ingredients and, often, they only checked in with each other for a few brief moments on their way to the library alcove for much-needed relief of stress.
After the third occasion that Hermione came shaking and moaning on Severus' face as he licked her clean, she was so overcome with arousal that she immediately forced Severus to a standing position so she could return the favour. The benefit of her frenzy allowed her to lose all sense of embarrassment or fear of incorrect performance, so her first time pleasuring him orally happened quite naturally and without fuss.
Given the sounds coming from Severus and the look on his face she could spot as she glanced up at him, it didn't go so poorly. The acrid taste that hit the back of her throat was worth it after hearing Severus' frantic grunts and whispered exclamations. Hermione couldn't stop blushing and smiling just thinking of it later, and it made her relax and not feel so guilty the next time he pleased her. She now knew how incredible it felt to give, not only to receive. She felt utterly powerful and sexy that she could get Severus Snape to break his emotionless façade and stroke her hair gently as he thrust into her mouth.
Unfortunately, they could only meet and feel safe enough to act this way in the library about once a week. So even with the quick exchanges of Slughorn's spare potions ingredients and the brief looks during classes, the Valentine's dance hadn't come up as an important enough topic of conversation. This is why the week leading up to the dance, Hermione still had no plans of a date.
The week preceding Valentine's Day held the usual expected drama and anxiety from the student body that preceded any social function in which an escort was expected or required. Hermione was starting to find Gryffindor tower almost unbearable as the "will he, won't he" gossip was becoming too much to hear. It became a nightly test of her occlumency practice to sill herself and drown out the whispered commentary on who was going with whom, mostly between Arabella and Marina.
Hermione thought she could finally breath once everyone in the Gryffindor girls' circle had been paired up. Lily and James were quite obviously a pair, and the flirting between Arabella and Sirius was currently on the upswing, so they were also a couple for the night. Marina and Peter Pettigrew appeared to finally be an official item (Hermione really needed to practice occlumency to not react to that) and even her sister Marlene was going with a "Ravenclaw Quidditch player".
Then Hermione realized what the new quiet lull must mean- they were now working on pairing her up. She rolled her eyes at this and brushed the detail aside. Her bookworm tendencies always counted against her when it came to the social game, so important in this mission to the past, so she was completely taken aback when she was cornered one day by Lily, Arabella, and Marina right after lunch.
They practically pulled her up from the table and shoved her into the Entrance Hall, Lily and Marina exchanging grins between giggles and Arabella failing to hide a cool, confident smirk.
When Hermione exited the Great Hall and entered the high-ceilinged corridor, her heart sank. There were many students milling around the space, and it appeared whatever the girls had in mind for her would have an audience. There were students coming in and out of the castle door, brushing dusts of February snow off their robes, and some who were waiting around in front of the nearby classrooms off the hall for their next class to begin.
"Now I know you aren't committed for the dance, Anna," Marina whispered excitedly. "But you shouldn't hide away in the library that evening too."
"You've only got this one year at Hogwarts," Lily agreed. "You need to enjoy all the experiences!"
"Don't worry," Arabella said, glancing around the crowd of students. "We'll find you someone you can talk to, not just dance with. I'm sure a fellow bookworm would be just the ticket…"
Hermione kept herself from groaning aloud as she saw the Marauders push Remus forward, clapping him on the back. He cleared his throat before striding calmly over to the girls, a bit more confidently than she would have thought. I hope they didn't give a yes already on my behalf.
When Remus stopped in front of her, she thought he looked quite handsome, in a wolfish way. His hair was tousled in an aloof, yet attractive manner, and his eyes held a sharp, bright, narrow look. Hermione had not- quite foolishly, she chided herself- kept track of Remus' absences or the dates of the full moon, but if she had to wager a guess, it had just recently occurred.
"How are you all?" Remus said politely to the group, not forgetting his manners. The other girls giggled a bit and stepped back slightly so that Hermione was clearly the closest to him.
"Anna," Remus turned to her, a bit of shyness seeping through his confident mannerisms, "would you-"
"PERRI!"
Hermione visibly jumped at the barking shout from across the entry hall and she saw Remus' hand instinctively go to his inner robe pocket.
In an instant, Severus had stalked over to them from behind a group of Slytherins. She had never even suspected him of being there.
"Snape?" Hermione let out questioningly. She was surprised, but still thankfully remembered to address him appropriately in public.
"Perri," he said in a more normal voice after he reached the two, Lupin having made space between himself and Hermione when he turned and prepared for the defensive. Severus didn't even glance at Lupin. "Do you have an escort to the Saint Valentine's party?"
Hermione simply stared at him, becoming more confused by the second. Was she supposed to follow his lead here? As far as they'd been acting in public, there was no real relationship between them. Merely a consort and a convenient stooge for gathering intelligence.
"I- I- er. No," she stammered, wide-eyed. "I do not."
"Then allow me to accompany you." Severus bowed slightly, his dark head inclined towards her. His eyes were staring daggers at the stone floor.
After a few long seconds of him holding that stance, the hall broke out into fervent whispers.
Hermione was still confused, but it was clear there was a response required at this point.
"I-" she swallowed, hoping this was the correct decision. "Yes. I accept your… invitation." The last word was half-whispered. She wasn't sure if this was the proper response in any pureblood etiquette rules.
Severus raised his head stoically and met her eyes too briefly. He had the same neutral and bored expression, but his eyes said enough. The black depths pooled with gratitude and something fierce and possessive that made her bite down hard on her tongue to keep from flushing in pleased attraction.
Hermione gave him a polite nod. Severus then finally glanced at Lupin, turning away with a slight smirk before quickly disappearing once more into the crowd. Hermione really hoped this wasn't only done as a power play to slight the Marauders.
As Snape disappeared, so did the attention. Conversations around them quickly dissolved into loud chatter between various friend groups and the throng began to disperse.
"Er… you… you were saying, Remus?" Hermione blushed, almost ashamed to meet his eyes. She hated to put him in this situation, but hoped he would take the out she was giving him and would pretend he was about to ask something else. Anything else. It was better than him walking away awkwardly and embarrassed.
"Would you- would you-" he sighed. "Would you happen to have the notes from the Transfiguration lesson I missed last week? I trust your note taking better than… others."
She nodded and smiled sympathetically at him. "Of course. I'll make a copy and leave them in the common room for you tonight."
"Thanks," he mumbled, looking away. "I'll see you around, Anna."
He retreated back to Peter, James, and Sirius, who looked collectively furious. Hermione turned around so he could collect himself without her watching.
Lily was stonily trying to hold a neutral look, while Arabella hid her exasperation behind a thin smile. Marina, however, had a look of shock and despair on her face. "What was that?" she groaned, her well-laid matchmaking plans come to naught.
"I… I don't know," Hermione replied honestly. "I didn't see it coming. I thought…" She really didn't know how to continue. Could she openly date Severus? Would that even work?
"No, you did the right thing," Lily said finally, still holding her stony expression but narrowing her eyes in thought. "You need to keep that connection open. At least for now."
After further discussion that afternoon, Lily convinced the other girls that Snape should be allowed to take Anna to the dance. Anna, she reasoned, could then gather intel on the Slytherin and Death Eater reaction to James' interview with Witch Weekly. After consultation with the boys, this must have been enough of a reason to convince James and Sirius to give their reluctant approval as well, at least agreeing not to retaliate against Snape for stealing Remus' date. Hermione was told later that Remus would be going with a dark-haired Hufflepuff girl from their year.
Calliope and Elpida met up with Lily, Marina, and Hermione afterwards in the library. Calliope informed the group matter-of-factly that she also did not have a date for the dance, which gave the matchmakers enough of an interesting problem to solve and any studying was quickly forgotten.
Elpida was then able to squeeze to one side of the table next to Hermione to talk to her and get the run down on what had transpired.
"I thought you would have already had a chance to ask him about the interview?" Elpida said, looking both suspicious and puzzled.
"We haven't seen too much of each other lately," Hermione admitted, trying not to blush. "Just a few minutes here and there."
"Why? What's he busy with?" Now Ellie only looked suspicious.
Hermione shrugged, deciding the truth was okay in this instance. "Potions applications. He's trying for an apprenticeship next year."
"You're going to help him get one, aren't you?"
"Why wouldn't I?" Hermione glared at the girl next to her. "It's better than him doing… something more unsavoury."
Elpida huffed in begrudging agreement and tucked her dirty-blonde hair behind her ears. She seemed to be thinking about what to say.
It was odd, Hermione thought.
On the one hand, it felt like the two had become closer. Hermione felt she could trust Ellie with certain tasks, such as monitoring Callie and keeping a watchful eye on Lily when she could. Ellie in turn trusted her enough to keep quiet about just how close Hermione actually was to Severus- she had helped cover for her over the holidays, after all. Yet, there was still something unspoken between them right now, besides Snape.
"That's a fair point," Ellie said finally. "And what about you?"
"What about me?" Hermione said absentmindedly, trying to open her Arithmancy book back up and get some actual studying done.
"No apprenticeship?"
Hermione sighed. "I'm just… having trouble deciding." More like she was waiting for Lily to decide so she could weigh her responsibilities for where she needed to be.
"Arabella Cook and I are getting a flat together," Ellie replied in answer. "You'll need to let us know by May if you want to join in so we can find one big enough."
"Arabella?" Hermione frowned and looked up. "I didn't think you two were that close."
Ellie shrugged. "We aren't really, but she needed a place close to St. Mungo's and I needed one close to the Ministry, so we thought we'd go in together to get something in London. She actually overheard me talking to Marlene first, but Marlene doesn't want to promise anything yet when she's looking at Quidditch teams. She might end up somewhere in Europe, who knows."
"So, Arabella is already set for St. Mungo's?"
"Yeah, apprenticeship as a junior healer starts immediately after graduation. She has to take the patient-privacy wand oath right away so she can get her provisional treatment license."
"I see." Hermione bit her lip and twiddled with her quill, heavy in thought. St. Mungo's and the Ministry would be easily accessible in case Lily began working there- and she knew James planned on becoming an auror. Also, Arabella would be another avenue to keep in touch with Lily and James and she could somewhat trust Elpida with things, so it might not be too bad to have her as a roommate.
"I'll let you know soon," she answered finally. "I might take you up on it."
Elpida grinned, clearly pleased. It was the least grumpy Hermione had seen her in a while.
Thankfully, Hermione did not have to track Severus down and send some sort of message- or veiled threat- that he needed to meet her immediately. He was smart enough to figure it out himself.
He met her in the library soon before curfew, so as the usual they were the only two around. They quickly absconded to their hidden alcove.
"Severus, what were you thinking? You know we-"
Severus cut her off by gently grabbing her face and kissing her deeply. She held back at first in surprise before slowly melting into his arms and his kiss.
He pulled away softly, stroking her cheeks with his thumbs and keeping his face close to hers.
"I…" He exhaled slowly, dark eyes drawing her in. "I have claimed you."
"What do you mean?" She whispered, drawn into the intimacy.
"I have claimed you publicly. You are no longer a secret, and you cannot be seen as merely a consort."
You are mine, he might as well have said. He was certainly staking his claim on her with his eyes.
"Severus…" she said hedgingly.
"You are not pleased?"
Hermione huffed slightly, blushing brightly and trying to fight back a smile. "How could I not be?" She admitted, as Severus smirked at her reaction.
She made a face at him, a half-hearted glare to indicate his methods were questionable, even if he was forgiven. It only made him smirk wider.
"Where do we go from here, then?" She asked him, looping her arms around his neck.
"I imagine we continue as normal. Only with less… sneaking around." He answered.
Despite how casually he said it, she knew he was desperately hoping she was convinced of the change. He really wanted to go public. Well, as public as Snape would want to. She doubted they would even hold hands in front of others. It was the implication, the association between them that he no longer wanted to hide.
"Well… how do I behave then?" She frowned, trying to puzzle this out.
Wouldn't she still have to pretend this relationship was for the sake of gathering information? She'd have to be coming up with much more information now to pass to the Gryffindors- true or false, benign or important. It was imperative she didn't piss Lily and James off so much that they would break contact. That would make this whole mission go to shit.
"Behave however you need to," he said confidently. "I can account for it."
This did little to reassure her worries.
Hermione decided to hold off on telling the girls that she and Severus were a couple. She had to figure out how to do it, after all, and weigh how this would impact… everything about her future plans. For now, he was simply her escort to the dance, and she would continue to cozy up to him in order to get information. Anything else could be dealt with as it came up.
Valentine's Day came quickly enough and, just like with the Christmas party, it was another festive afternoon and early evening of getting ready for the event. Hermione didn't really want to take so long to get ready, but she filed it in the "social obligations" box that she had to participate in to keep the mission going.
As expected, the colour schemes for Valentine's Day were somewhat limited and most of the girls in Gryffindor ended up wearing pinks and reds. Marina wore a bubblegum pink dress with plenty of ruffles, while Marlene, Hermione, and Arabella wore deep reds, Hermione merely transfiguring the same dress she'd worn before and adding gold accents. Hermione got some hair tips from Arabella, and they ended up with similar curly updos. Lily was the outlier of the group, wearing a gold dress that wouldn't clash with her auburn hair.
The girls went down together and met some of their partners in the great Hall, as well as Calliope and Elpida. Marlene was attending with Mateo Reinero, and the couple made a handsome match as fellow athletic Quidditch enthusiasts. Elpida was waiting for a 6th year Ravenclaw transfer student who arrived shortly after the group did. The ones with dates quickly were escorted into the Great Hall to grab seats and hors d'oeuvres.
Hermione didn't immediately spot Severus waiting for her, and she glanced at Lily, Marina, and Arabella, who did not seem concerned at all about their missing dates.
Lily sighed and rolled her eyes. "Let's just go in without them. They know they can't spike the punch so they're…"
Arabella laughed. "They're getting themselves spiked. Boys."
So, they went in as a girl group and chatted for a few minutes as they admired the decorations in the hall. Dumbledore was in prime form as ever with the frilly hearts and floating cupids and the explosion of pinks bombarding the Great Hall. Hermione grinned, thinking about how much Severus would hate it. She still hadn't spotted him yet, but she wasn't worried. There's no way he would stand her up, especially after asking her so publicly.
Hermione left the other girls to gossip about the latest witch fashion trends as she went to get herself a small plate. In the line at the food and drinks table, she felt herself jostled roughly out of the way.
"OH! I'm so sorry my dear!" Professor Slughorn had just missed slopping punch down Hermione's dress, instead soaking the tray of heart-shaped cookies just beside her.
"That's quite alright, Professor," Hermione replied, clearing the mess quickly with her wand. Slughorn appeared to have imbibed before the party, clearly having the same idea as the Gryffindor males. "How are you doing tonight?"
"Fine, just fine, Miss Cook. I suppose your quick reflexes will make you an excellent healer! Say hello to the Pye side of the family at St. Mungo's for me, why don't you? You will be going there after graduation, I presume?"
"Oh, er… actually, it's Perri, Professor." Hermione correctly him sheepishly. "Miss Cook is over there." She nodded over in Arabella Cook's direction. The Marauders seem to have finally arrived, as Sirius had his arm draped lazily over Arabella's shoulder and was whispering in her ear.
"Why…" Slughorn did a double take, looking back and forth between the two girls. "Why with the red dress and your hair- you two look so alike! Like the McKinnon girls- You could be sisters! I apologize Miss Perkins. I won't make the same mistake again!" And Slughorn, looking slightly flustered and embarrassed, bumbled his way quickly toward a group of mingling staff members, forgetting his glass of punch in the process.
Hermione shook her head, smiling as she headed back toward "her" group.
"You have to be kidding me," Sirius was saying, glaring at something behind her.
"Don't worry about it," Lily shushed him. "It's fine."
"Yeah sure, with all the turncoat women around, I suppose you're used to it."
"Actually," Arabella said in a chiding tone, "she volunteered to help us get more intel. So, this was planned."
"You mean unlike the Snape debacle?" James interjected.
Hermione flushed, feeling everyone look at her.
"Oh, don't be mean!" Marina huffed as she hung on Peter's arm. "She had no idea it was coming, none of us did! Snape just had to come and make a big show of asking Anna!"
Hermione looked around. Thankfully, Remus was sitting with his date and a group of Hufflepuffs, smiling and chatting politely. He didn't seem like he was broken up about who he ended up taking.
"You women are bloody scary," James stated, eyes wide in disbelief and shaking his head. "You have Anna here playing Snape for months and now you send another friend into the snake pit, all for the possibility of information."
Hermione frowned. "Who-"
"No one was going to ask Callie anyway," Lily shrugged. "She didn't object."
Marina motioned behind her, and Hermione turned. Calliope Cohen was dancing with Regulus Black.
Well, Hermione thought wryly. That explains that.
"My brother, everyone. Just another snake." Sirius scowled. "Come on, Ari, come dance with me." He pulled Arabella onto the dance floor as she acquiesced with rolled eyes.
Hermione spotted Severus arriving just then and quickly placed her plate and glass on an empty table and walked over to him.
He looked pretty surly already, but Hermione grinned happily, trying not to run and leap into his arms.
"Hello," she said to him, smiling brightly. She stopped directly in front of him, deciding it was best to let him dictate how they should interact physically.
"Good evening," he replied, giving her a quick nod. "Would you care for a dance?"
"Of course, Mr. Snape." Hermione smiled cheekily, holding out a hand to be escorted to the dance floor. Ever the gentleman, he took her hand in the proper manner before leading her out.
The music was currently in the classical style, a trio of musicians playing a variety of slower dances. As Hermione understood it, the evening would begin with waltzing and move up through the musical time periods to faster dances such as Witch-Swing and the foxtrot, and end with music and dancing that actually fit the era, though probably not played by the same trio. She suspected the professors to have a hand in this selection, so as the students petered off throughout the night, so too would the professors who didn't want to listen to the more modern 'noise'.
They began with a slow waltz, during which Severus held her gingerly and avoided any large movements. Hermione could tell he was a more graceful dancer than he was currently demonstrating, though for what reason he was holding back, she couldn't tell.
"You were… a bit delayed," she said quietly, not sure how openly they could speak for now.
His eyes darted quickly around them to scan their surroundings. There weren't many couples dancing now and those who were simply swayed back and forth for the most part. Waltzing was difficult for most, it seemed.
"I am here now," he said finally. "I apologize for my tardiness. It could not be avoided, unfortunately."
"So not just caught up with working?" Hermione teased, smiling at him. She felt giddy being danced with and shown off in this way. It had been so long since she'd been on a public date, and never had with Severus.
He didn't take her teasing as she meant it, merely meeting her eyes with his dark ones and remaining silent. Hermione flushed. "I- I just mean that I've gotten absorbed in a book before and thought forgetting the time was completely unavoidable."
She felt his shoulder relax slightly under her rested hand. He smirked at her. "Nothing quite as benign, I assure you. I prioritize our meetings. As far as forgetting myself goes-" Severus turned her fluidly as the song ended, leading her into a simple dip.
"You are my most dangerous distraction by far," he whispered.
Hermione believed her face was as red as her dress when Severus lifted her slowly from the dip.
After a few more dances the music changed to a faster pace and the couple went to get punch. More students were on the dance floor now, as a simple Witch-Swing step was easier to master. Hermione could tell Severus was growing more uncomfortable the more students were crowded together on the open floor, and she was sure he didn't want to be here the whole time. A public announcement of the two stepping out together was different than having the patience for a full evening gathering.
As they approached the drinks table, Severus stepped aside to allow Arabella to go before him. Sirius was not with her, thankfully.
Arabella and Hermione exchanged small talk about the décor and dancing while they filled their cups and Arabella laughed and pointed out the group of professors across the hall. Slughorn was clearly tipsier than he had been already somehow and had been gesturing around, presumably talking about various students to the professors standing around him. McGonagall held a thin-lipped smile, Flitwick looked a bit disturbed, Sprout was wide-eyed and curious, and Karkaroff looked absolutely livid.
"Who knows what they're talking about?" Arabella tittered. "Didn't you see he was pointing over here at us at one point?"
"Oh, no, I didn't see."
"It was just now when we both got in line."
"Oh, I know the reason for that I think." Hermione relayed Slughorn's earlier confusion between the two girls, which Arabella laughed at.
"I'll make sure he never hears the end of it from my uncle!" Arabella swept off at that to find someone else to tell.
Hermione turned to Severus, waiting for him to get a drink first before speaking.
"We can go now," she said.
He looked askance at her, his eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"
She smiled at him and took his hand. "We've made our appearance. You've," she blushed, "claimed me. Now we can go find a quiet place to talk."
Severus downed the punch. As he lowered the glass, he smirked at her. "Talk."
Hermione blushed deeper. "Yes! That's all I meant."
"Hmmm." He didn't drop the smirk, but he put his glass down and took her hand.
They walked hand-in-hand out of the Great Hall just as the music picked up yet again and the rest of the students swelled around the dance floor. They didn't even make it as far as the library before they found an alcove to steal kisses in.