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CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO – …IN HEALTH

Remus and Hermione paused outside the Leaky Cauldron to make sure they really wanted to participate in this evening's festivities. It was hard to justify not going through the doors; Maeve was taking care of Teddy and neither of them had anywhere to be in the morning. Giving each other the go-ahead, they turned towards the door but didn't go in yet. "Why did George choose the Leaky?" Remus asked, adjusting his sweater.

"He probably thought it would be funny."

Remus gave her a sideways look and opened the door for them, they were immediately greeted by an over enthusiastic George and taken back to the large table near the stairs. This time everyone was here, and greetings were exchanged before Hermione and Remus ordered drinks. "Sorry we're a bit late." Hermione mentioned, settling into the hard, wooden booth between Remus and Ginny.

"I lost Teddy's favorite blanket, unfortunately he can't sleep without it." Remus mentioned. Once everyone had drinks, the debates on what to eat started. Ginny always thought everyone should order something different so that everyone could try a new dish. Ron was strongly of the opinion that people should just get what they want, and a lot of it. Hermione glanced at Remus and smiled, they had made fun of these debates a lot, mostly because no one ever won, and the group just alternated what choice they made.

…

Severus put his full body glamour back on when he left his room in the Leaky to go down for dinner. He enjoyed the anonymity of it, walking through crowds with no one to cower from him or glare at him, it was near invisibility and he wondered if this was what the average man felt like on any given day. Did they know it was the closest thing to freedom a man could get? Severus perched himself at his usual seat, the bar stool a third of the way down the length of the bar from the stairs going up to the rooms, it made for a fast exit if he saw anyone familiar. There were lots of familiar faces of course, but none yet that had required him to slip up the stairs for any reason. He ordered a firewhiskey to start off and his eyes trailed over the menu even though he was certain he had it memorized by now.

"What is it today?" The bartender asked. Snape had already forgotten her name even though she had been here the day he arrived, asking about the date and himself. Angelique?

"The stew and bread."

She nodded and bustled away, returning with his firewhiskey not a moment later. Severus took a sip and glanced around, noticing what he hadn't before. People he knew. And not just any people but Weasleys and Potter. His chest tightened painfully, his eyes darting from face to face desperately searching even though he already knew she wasn't at the table. Severus kept his eyes locked on the table, downed his firewhiskey and signaled for another. Perhaps Angelique was somewhat perceptive, she placed the fresh glass right in his hand and he took a swallow without thinking. The front door shuddered open in it's typical manner, clanking against the bell a fraction of a second later. Severus barely noticed the noises until the expressions of the people at the table he was staring at altered and he dragged his eyes to the door.

If Severus Snape were any other man he might've gasped, but since he was himself, despite the glamour, he froze. Not a motion could be seen from him, hardly even the movements of his chest as he breathed. She was here. Hermione was right in front of him very much alive and with this realization, his hand flew to his pocket, pressing on the watch, but it remained cold. That meant only one thing, that she had removed the necklace. Slowly he processed her entrance, the door had opened for her and he realized it wasn't magic, attached to the handle was a familiar man, Remus, looking healthier than Severus could ever remember and smiling at Hermione like they were both in on some secret. The sight sobered him, was Remus the reason Hermione no longer wore the stone on her neck? Severus gathered himself and turned towards the bar where his stew and bread sat waiting, covertly watching the large table clearly made of couples.

…

Despite their reluctance to go, Hermione and Remus had a rather fun night, and when they finally checked the time, it was late and their bellies were full and slightly tipsy. "Oh Merlin, poor Maeve, we were supposed to be back hours ago." Hermione commented, quickly gathering her things as well as Remus', trying to usher him out of the booth. Their friends booed and asked them if they really had to leave.

"We're at least semi-responsible adults, so yes." Remus answered with a chuckle.

"Awe look at them, such good parents." Ginny teased. Most of the group laughed, some mirrored Hermione and Remus' awkwardness.

"Well," Hermione said sharply after a moment, "I'm going to get Maeve dinner since we so rudely ruined her evening." She patted Remus' upper arm before wandering over to the bar and ordering something easy to apparate home. While she waited, her eyes wandered and caught on a man a few barstools down from her. A middle aged man with a slightly pooched stomach, short wavy blonde hair, and elegant lips. Their eyes caught a moment before his flicked away, back to the remnants of the dinner before him, but Hermione couldn't look away, a niggling in her brain suggesting familiarity. Her curiosity took over quickly and she wove her way down to the man who looked up at her with an unreadable expression.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but do we know each other? You seem familiar."

The man stared at her a full thirty seconds before clearing his throat and quietly responding, "Afraid not." His grey eyes flicked away and back at her. Hermione could've sworn they had looked at her before.

Before she could ask anything else, the bartender handed her the food and Hermione tossed a distracted apologetic smile at the man before walking back towards Remus. He took the food bag from her and passed Hermione her robe. Once bundled, they linked arms in their casual manner, walking to the exit together. *Who was that?" He asked, pulling open the heavy door.

"Just someone I thought I knew." Hermione offered, turning her head to glance back at the strangely familiar wizard once more before the door slammed shut behind her.

…

The absolute and complete last thing Severus expected was for Hermione to walk straight up to him and ask if she knew him. It took him too long to organize his thoughts and discourage himself from grabbing her to him. His two word answer was the best he could come up with. In his time skulking at the bar tonight and keeping a subtle eye on Hermione, he was unable to determine her relationship with the werewolf who hovered in the background, chatting quietly with Potter. All Severus knew was that every ounce of him hurt watching them as the hours dragged by. Their familiarity was reminiscent of that he had once shared with her, yet discomfort flooded the booth when passing jests were made about their closeness.

He watched her walk up to the bar, wondering if Maeve was Remus' spawn's babysitter (that had to be what the parent jab was about) and why on Earth Hermione seemed so involved in the care of the mini Lupin. But his racing questions halted as she approached him and his mind was achingly blank as she walked away, full of pain and something else as she linked arms with the other man. Severus tortured himself with the idea that Hermione would leave and never look back so he almost dropped his firewhiskey when their eyes met again as the large wooden door creaked shut.

…

Teddy had fallen asleep a while ago and by now Hermione was certain that his father was asleep too. Slowly, she slipped from between the sheets of her bed and placed her feet inside her soft, ragged slippers. They didn't do a whole lot for warmth but they padded the sounds of her feet as she moved about the flat. Hermione paused in the hallway, listening for any sound from the other bedroom. When she was satisfied with the scattering of snores she heard, Hermione crept down the hall and tiptoed down the stairs to the living room where she stood and stared at the box on her mantle for what felt like a lifetime. Eventually she stepped close enough to reach up and take the box in her hand, lowering it to her chest as if it were the most precious thing in the world. Again, she waited, fear and hope tangling together in violent waves of anxiety that simply left her frozen, making it through her movements in slow motion. She opened the box gingerly and placed a hand inside. Hermione gasped, her mother's box tumbling to the rug. There was no denying that the milky green marble clutched between her fingers was warm and suddenly she understood why that man had been so familiar. She had been with him when she got her new wand. Hermione's thoughts tumbled about in her mind like loose pebbles in a raging river. Why would he say he didn't know her? Was it really Severus? Or was this the man that glamour had been based on? If it was Severus, how did he survive? Where had he been all this time? Why hadn't he acknowledged her? Was it Severus at all or did someone else now own the pocket watch?

A sudden wave of nausea pulled her under and Hermione collapsed to the floor, clutching the warm stone to her heart, tears forming in her eyes. She could live without knowing, but she would never survive this moment right here, where the warm stone in her hands promised hope, offered the impossible. That she didn't know how to live with.

…

Severus gasped awake, his dream of honeyed eyes and wild hair haunting him. He caught his breath and noticed there was something distinctly different about his person at the moment. It took him only a fraction of a second to feel the warmth against his hip that only magic could create and he scrambled to pull the watch out of the pocket of his flannel pants. He cradled it in his palms, staring at the faint glow and hoped surged through him, untamed and delirious. She hadn't completely abandoned him.