72: In Which A Week Passes
Monday:
Snape's potion had forty-seven minutes to steep, so he decided on doing a bit of further research into the woman he was going to marry.
He went back to her DVD collection and began to seriously look at what was there. Most of them he had at least heard of, if not seen. Most of the ones he had seen were rather snappy little action flicks: high on plot and drama, low on thought provoking content. They were the cinematic equivalent of candy floss.
He then went and spent more time with her 'romantic' movies. He had developed a suspicion, and wanted to confirm it. After several minutes he was fairly sure what he suspected was true, but he didn't want to actually watch all the movies to find out for sure.
He flooed the Potters and got Harry.
"Have you watched most of Hermione's movies?"
"Most of them. Why?"
"Does she have any romances with a happy ending?"
Harry thought about it. "Corelli's Mandolin? Maybe. And once more, why?"
"I've been looking at her movies, and it seems like one of the lovers dies in all of them."
"Oh. Well, yes, I think that's true. I never noticed that before."
"Thanks, Harry." Snape was off. Harry backed away from the Floo feeling like he had just had a rather surreal experience.
Tuesday:
"I need the sappiest, fluffiest, happiest, most romantic movie you've got. And all the lovers have to survive the movie," Snape said standing at the counter of the local video store.
The girl standing behind the counter had looked bored when he walked in but brightened up considerably at his request.
"Well… You might try this one. Lots of fluff here." She handed him a copy of Love Actually.
Snape thought the title looked auspicious. Now came steeling himself to actually watching it. "No tragedy? True love galore?"
The shop girl was beaming now. "Not at all. Oh wait, get this one, too. Best true love story ever!" She handed him the Princess Bride. "It's a classic. Your girlfriend will love it."
"Do you wrap?"
"No. Sorry sir. You're on your own, there."
Snape left and took his purchases home. He transfigured a few sheets of writing paper into wrapping paper,and wrapped up the DVDs. He added a note.
Here's to romance with a future!
Wednesday:
"So, I keep working on my vows, and I just can't come up with anything I like as much as yours. Would you mind if I used yours as well?"
Snape looked up from his reading. "As you wish."
Hermione giggled and tossed a pillow at him.
Thursday:
"I've got menu ideas and a prototype for our invitations." Hermione entered the house with groceries and an envelope under her arm.
"Show me the prototype."
He looked down and saw:
Hermione J. Granger and Severus Snape
Request the honour of your presence
At their wedding
At Alhana's Haven
On October 10, 2004 5:30 PM
Dinner reception to follow.
RSVP by September 25th
Portkeys will be arranged.
The font was elegant and clean. Not too many curlicues cluttering up the text. The paper was a pearl grey, the ink silver, and the border a deep, shiny hunter green. All in all, it was tasteful, refined, and rather pretty in handsome sort of way.
"I'd still love to have a middle initial to stick in your name."
He shook his head. "Looks good to me. Tell me about the food epiphany you had."
"There was a new baker at the market, and I notice she had these lovely little cupcakes. Try one." She fetched a small box and opened it. Four small cupcakes, each with a creamy white top sat inside. He picked one up and bit into it.
"Oh…" He chewed happily. "Oh, that's just lovely. Lemon cake, raspberry filling, and what's the icing?"
"Sweetened, whipped mascarpone."
"We no longer need a cake with a lemon filling. One of these big enough to feed everyone will do just fine."
"Good, I got her number and told her I'd probably be calling about a wedding cake version of this."
"Aren't we going to run into problems getting it to the wedding?"
"I hope not. She delivers, and I was thinking she could bring it here, after all, this is a muggle friendly house, and then we can move it ourselves."
"Once more, how? You don't want to try to apparate with it?"
"Oh no, it'd be a smushed mess. I was thinking of shrinking it down, putting it in a stabilization field, and having Arthur fly it over for us."
"On his broom?"
"In the Anglia."
"I thought he lost that in the Forbidden Forrest."
"He did. He's got a new one now."
"Oh, well, I guess that'll work."
Friday:
"I was thinking beef and pheasant," Hermione said while brushing her teeth.
"They'll be in season then." Snape slipped out of his pants and sat on the bed to pull off his socks.
"Exactly."
"Anything in particular you want to do with them?"
"Not yet. I'll talk to Kreacher. He'll have ideas."
Saturday:
Hermione paused Love Actually and turned to Snape. "You know, you kind of look like Alan Rickman."
"I do not! He's what, twenty years older than I am?"
"I'm not saying you look sixtyish. Just similar eyes and mouth."
"Hmp. I do not look like that paunchy, little milquetoast," Snape muttered.
"How about Alan Rickman in Robin Hood?" Hermione asked.
"Better."
Sunday:
Snape was sitting at the dining table eating the last of his breakfast. Hermione sat next to him working on a crossword puzzle.
"Any thought to where you want to put your parents when they come up for the wedding?" he asked between bites.
"Oh God. No, I hadn't thought about that. Not here."
"I heartily second that." They sat quietly for a bit.
"We could fix up the house part at Alhana's Haven and have more than enough room for everyone to stay," Hermione said, but not with enthusiasm.
"That's quite the project."
"Well, I wasn't thinking of renovating it into a fully functional house. More as a space to put everyone for the night. Percy's been a dear about getting the Portkeys set up, so everyone will be able to come in the day before and leave the day after."
"We could just get a few hotel rooms, and make sure someone is in charge of apparating everyone back at the end of the night."
"Well, if you want to do it the easy way…" She was smiling.
"I think there's something to be said for the easy way."