Chapter 27 The Couples

"If you perceive that there are four possible ways in which a procedure can go wrong, and circumvent these, a fifth way, unprepared for, will promptly develop." –A Murphy's Law

"I'm glad you invited me to dinner." If Severus had been capable, he would have blushed at Elizabeth's statement. They were seated together in a room in the Three Broomsticks in Hogmeade and Severus had just a plate in front of each of them.

"I'm glad you decided to come." Elizabeth did blush but Severus was too busy cursing himself for saying something so stupid to notice the red tinge to her cheeks and her lowered head.

"Well, our last date was so…interesting I couldn't stop myself from wanting to see you again." She smiled shyly amusement clearly written across her features.

"Yes," Severus cleared his throat in discomfort, "I must apologize once again. I would have thought that Hermione might have told you about houseelves and I had no idea that particular one was so terrified of screaming."

"Oh, when it ran around the room pulling on its ears I wasn't disturbed at all. I was shocked to see it attempt to burn itself in the fireplace then, successfully, throw itself through a stonewall."

"Again, I just assumed Hermione had told you about their habit of punishing themselves." Severus awkwardly looked away. He had not behaved that way towards anyone since Minia. He looked at Elizabeth delicately eating a piece of chicken then sipping her wine before meeting his eyes and smiling softly at him. Severus was almost sure no one had ever smiled at him like that. No one had ever given him that look that Elizabeth was giving him right then. It was like she wanted to devour him and just stare at him all at once; like he was the only thing she needed right then. It made him feel empowered and certain someone had turned the heat up in his room to and indefinitely illegal temperature.

"You know," Elizabeth was lazily dragging her finger across the top of her wineglass and fiddling with her necklace with her other hand and Severus found he couldn't take his eyes away from her, "my mother always told me that ladies kissed on the second date and had sex after the third date."

Severus felt his eyes snap open and jump to her face. By the look she was giving him, he had translated her words correctly and she was actually thinking about sleeping with him. He cleared his throat again and shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "Really?"

"Oh yes, she was always so worried about other people would say. I suppose that's why we never got along. I never cared about what other people said or thought of me."

"That's a hard trait to come by in a person." Severus felt himself getting even hotter at her words and was absolutely sure he had never felt anything like that more than once before.

"Do you think? I always thought it was funny that my mother was such a vapid prude and I lost my virginity on my first date. Of course, I was eighteen at the time and in college but still." She laughed quietly and smiled at him. Through the candlelight, her face with the epitome of perfection to Severus. His breath caught and he forced himself to look away lest he not be able to control himself. "Severus, is something wrong?"

"No, nothing." His voice was nearly ragged and he couldn't even fool himself into thinking he didn't feel anything for the woman in front of him. His eyes snapped up to hers when her fingers caressed his hand then encased it.

"I believe I already told you that I don't care about my mother's rules or what people may say." She stood slowly pulling him up with her then to her. Only when his body was pulled flush against hers and she could feel every plane of his body did she meet his face.

She touched cheek so gently he could barely feel it but felt only that at the same time. She grinned and pushed even harder into him, "I think I've been waiting on you for a long time. Would you care to show me what I've been missing?"

Her innocent expression combined with the mischievous gleam in her eye made Severus find he couldn't possibly deny her generous offer.

&&&

"You're engaged, hmm? That's very…nice." Draco drawl held too much amusement and smugness for Harry's liking. Harry winced and Draco's grin grew visibly wider.

"Yes!" Ginny replied completely oblivious to the exchange between the two men, "Isn't it wonderful? I wasn't even going to bring up anything like that until after I graduated but since Harry brought it up I just couldn't say no." She squealed excitedly and grabbed onto Hermione for support.

Hermione smiled indulgently at the younger girl but, catching the previous exchange between Harry and Draco, she eyed them both curiously. They looked away and Harry blushed making him seem even guiltier than he was.

"So, Harry, what exactly made you decide to ask for Ginny's hand impromptu?" Hermione asked trying to prove a theory correct.

Harry stuttered inarticulately for a moment before just avoiding eye contact altogether. Ginny was still bouncing happily and couldn't seem to stand still for a moment. "Oh, we have to go owl Mum; she'll be so pleased."

Hermione closed the door after the lively redhead dragged her new fiancée out after her then turned on her own husband. "What was that about?"

"What was what about, Darling?" His innocent questioning face didn't fool her for a moment and she crossed her arms impatiently. "First, Harry comes over to talk to you and apparently I'm not allowed to hear, then Harry and Ginny are suddenly engaged. Would you care to explain that leap?"

"Harry wasn't ready to sleep with her, yet."

"So you told him to propose! Are you insane? Go, right now, and withdraw your brilliant advice." She reopened the door and pushed him out.

"But-" Draco found himself unable to respond to her through the door that was slammed in his face.

&&&

"Sorry, professor." Harry yelled after him when Ginny nearly collided with Albus. Albus laughed merrily and waved to the boy.

"You really do love chaos, don't you?" Minerva appeared out of the shadows beside her husband.

"My, dear, I do believe you're getting better than even myself or Severus at, what was it you called it, 'accidentally overhearing'."

"I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about." She looked perfectly serious but there was a mysterious twinkle in her eyes that showed she knew exactly what he was referring to.

Albus 'mmm'd' ominously and took his wife's arm. "We really are quite a part, Minerva."

"Yes, yes we are, Albus."

&&&

Harry finally pulled away from Ginny when they reached the owlery. She was too busy scribbling a letter to her mother to notice anything amiss.

"Ginny, I really think we should talk about this before you tell anyone else." Harry finally spoke up finding the courage in him somewhere to face his girlfriend.

Ginny froze and looked up at him questioningly, "But Harry, what is there to talk about?"

Harry gaped at her opening and closing his mouth a few times before turning away and leaving with her calling after him.

A/N: Wow, I feel so accomplished. I finished three separate writing pieces this weekend and had fun doing it. So, I was actually happy with how this chapter turned out. I'm not sure when the next one will be out but, I have a feeling it may be soon. Oh, and sorry if the timing seems a bit off with Severus and Elizabeth on their date already and everyone else still in the castle but pretend it was Friday anyway.

Next chapter: Severus and Elizabeth get a bit closer, Harry act like a girl, and Draco sleeps on the couch.

Reviews: Thank you all for sticking in there.

Web of Silence: Wow that must have been a mouthful. First, thank you and I know I need to work more on plot development I just have no idea what I'm going to write from one chapter to the next. Second, with the resorting, Hermione's grandfather found she had to be in an acceptable house, Slytherin or Ravenclaw, so, she asked the hat to put her in either of those. If Harry can decide he wants Gryffindor over Slytherin I think Hermione should be able to choose if she doesn't want to be in certain houses. Okay, with Minerva and Albus I have to admit I've always been a sucker for older men and I'm assuming Minerva was too. I'm not sure if I wrote when they got married but it could have happened in old age so the age gap didn't seem so large anymore. Ah, the fight. I didn't even feel like putting that in I just felt like the story was going downhill and I needed something. I really screwed up when I wrote the date scene; I didn't include half the things I needed to. I was actually thinking of rewriting that chapter. Thanks for that lovely, constructive review.

Alenor: Well, as you can see, Draco was smug…what's new?

marauderbabe289: Thank you, I love being on Favorites lists.

dmhg: Thanks, I noticed you have a couple more stories up. Wow, how do you write that much?

BloodJewel: Thanks for the advice, I used it when writing this and it worked wonders.

Anarane Anwamane: I'm getting to that.

Sunflower18: This is a little bit longer!

iamdracosgirl: I do hope this was soon enough.

Aurora L Black: It's going to turn out a bit differently than it is right now.

Angel5blue5: He's not as stuck as he seems to be.

Sorry to be evasive but that's one of the plotlines that I know where it's going.