Chapter 9: The Boys of Summer

Summer droned on, picking two new members for the task force and coordinating schedules with Molly to watch the kids when she had to work, overall Hermione barely stayed busy enough not to think about her life day in and out. Rose still hadn't accepted their choice, but Hugo seemed to concede that things would change, but not much. Some days were plagued with teenage drama, but some days were more like they had been before the children went to Hogwarts. Ron came home more often and it was nice to see him; he'd remained as cordial as she, though they hadn't really talked about what happened the night before they left Bath. When Harry's birthday rolled around, she decided to let Ron take the kids and she'd join them later, letting them have time together. Harry's parties were always happy, so many family members and seeing old friends from Hogwarts. Rose hung on Teddy's every word and Hugo and the Potter boys tried to play quidditch with their other cousins.

"You're late." Ginny called out as Hermione walked through the gate.

"I thought Ron might some time with the kids, plus I had some work to finish. We picked two new members for the task force yesterday."

"Harry is happy he isn't one, though he would've done whatever you asked." Hermione rolled her eyes, of course Harry would've done what she asked, he always did.

"I don't know Denis McCreavey well aside from being obsessed with Harry in school but Joanna Ware I know, she's worked with my department for five years. I just hope they're really prepared for the work, it sure was easier with Snape, Finnegan, and Vance." Ginny made a surprising smirk, but didn't say anything.

"So surprise, when Lily goes to Hogwarts, I am going full time with my own paper. Harry and I talked logistics, it's something I think we can do once none of them are home."

"That's brilliant! You will be a huge success, sign up the Weasleys and Granger-Weasleys." Ginny beemed.

"Aww, look at Rose. That's the happiest I've seen her all summer." Hermione caught a huge smile on Rose's face and hated herself for a second for making her summer so bitter. Seeing her with Teddy made her happy, though she worried Teddy was just being nice to be besotted daughter.

"Harry talked to him this morning, reminding him that Rose is fourteen and not ready to date someone who is nineteen. He had no idea Rose even fancied him, which is shocking, I mean really. That's Remus Lupin made over, if I ever saw it." They drank a light cocktail of watermelon and rum, Harry's favorite, as they commiserated about Teddy Lupin and Rose Granger-Weasley. Ron caught Hermione's eye a couple times, motioning her over to talk with Harry, who looked slightly toasted.

"Happy birthday, old man." She joked, hugging him tightly.

"Old man, you're older than both of us, Hermione." Pretending to be perturbed, Hermione pinched his arm lightly, but wasn't laughing at all when he picked her up and carried her over to the pond, simulating throwing her in.

"You better not if you value your soul, Harry James Potter!" He dropped her immediately, knowing she meant business.

"You're getting pretty bold for thirty-eight, maybe getting closer to middle age has given you a death wish." Teddy called out from the make-shift quidditch pitch. He was refereeing the cousins as Rose played fearlessly for the Weasley team, which certainly had an advantage.

"Your birthday is always the best party all year." Hermione announced, looking around at all their family and friends, missing Snape for a second. Every morning, she reminded herself that there had been many times they'd not seen each other for months at time, but she'd never received daily letters, which was a pleasant bonus. Not once had he forgotten.

"The only other event of the summer is the reunion, though it might be scarce this year." Harry interjected.

"Why's that?" Ron and Hermione asked at the same time.

"Well, Neville says some of the staff are preparing to depart for the Triwizard tournament at Beauxbatons and they might not make it." Hermione frowned, the reunion only happened every four years, but she loved seeing everyone and catching up.

"He's still planning it, though? I'd like to pay respects to Dumbledore." Ron seemed distraught about it as well, somehow even the thought of it not happening was just one more blow for the summer.

"It's still on, but he said the guest list is a trifle short, comparatively." Still teaching herbology, Neville also planned the events at Hogwarts for reunions or other celebrations; he was surprisingly good at the details required.

The rest of the evening continued with lots of laughter and fun, but turned solemn for a moment when Harry told the kids about his seventeenth birthday, every year either James or Albus brought it up, the loved hearing about their hero father. Hermione thought about that night, how they thought it was the worst that could happen at the time, but that they'd had no idea how much worse things were going to get.

Later that night, the kids and Ron in bed, Hermione had such a vivid nightmare she almost hexed Harlow in her sleep, sans wand. The energy mustered by the lucid dream was so frenetic that she could barely form thoughts, so she could barely, albeit poorly, code her letter to Snape. She relayed the entire dream, from end to end, of seeing him in the Shrieking Shack, of hearing Nagini tear at his carotid artery, then watching him die over and over. It transitioned then to being alone in the Room of Requirements, the whole thing ablaze and dying herself, being engulfed in excruciating pain, and wishing for death with every breath she was trying to scream. Shaken and ill, almost close to vomiting, she sat in her bathroom, arms around her legs and head on her knees. This hadn't happened in so long, she'd forgotten techniques. Before trying to meditate, she went to her kitchenette and made a strong espresso and drank it quickly, she didn't want to sleep again.

In meditation position, Harlow dropped a letter from Snape but Hermione didn't notice. She was so deep in thought, she didn't hear her or feel her brush against her softly. Instead, Hermione eventually fell asleep on her bathroom floor and didn't awaken until the sun peeked through the shutters and she heard scurrying feet in the den. Seeing Snape's reply as soon as she opened her eyes completely, Hermione tore it open with a tenacious drive.

"Remember India- remember that we survived. If I could be there and comfort you, I would, but I cannot. Please, do not despair, we are meant for happier things, I promise you. Yours S". She didn't cry this time, instead she folded his letter and put it with the others, feeling marginally better but still so shocked by the dream seemingly out of nowhere. She'd heard Harry's story every year, it had never triggered a dream before.

After showering and changing for breakfast, Hermione kissed the kids and even Ron before leaving for work, new trainees to oversee, but all day she couldn't get the dream out of her mind. When she reached her desk, she remembered that weeks ago Snape had left something for her, but everything looked the same. She rummaged through all the drawers, but there was nothing. Opening her mailbag, she saw only old letters from the field and things she still needed to sign. She closed her eyes again and pictured her office how she'd left it before vacation, but also remembering she'd been in a few times and perhaps had tossed things. When she opened her eyes, she saw a small bag near her window, hanging delicately from a hook. Opening it, she knew immediately what it was: an amber necklace from their operation in Russia. If she had been able to tell a single soul, no doubt they would've thought her tossers because Snape, the bat king and red ink aficionado, would never be so thoughtful and romantic, but he was, so much of him changed after the final battle. When she thought there was no possible way he could feel such feelings for another person, she remembered his devotion to Lily Evans Potter and how that had scarred him. But how had he even remembered her remarking how much she loved the amber? That had to have been six years and several missions ago. Immediately she started a letter to him, but she didn't quite know how to tell him how much she appreciated him. It was becoming increasingly more difficult not be verbose, to admit exactly how she felt about him, but the fear of her feelings overshadowing his or eventually it not working out after she'd built it up stayed her pen. She wrote something simple and hoped it conveyed how appreciative and delighted she was that he'd thought of her.

Hours later, Hermione received a sweet reply from him, reminding her that they'd found the raw amber in Karkaroff's brothers home and they'd he'd fashioned it over time, during missions, into something appropriate for a necklace. It was little things that Snape remembered or did, so unexpected. She didn't want to compare Ron and Snape, but in this instance, Snape far outmatched Ron for the person who was her equal and who she could potentially be her best mate.

The next week, after kids were tucked away with her parents, Ron and Hermione attended the reunion at Hogwarts. The Great Hall was filled with former students, those who'd fought in the war and those who had graduated in the last five years. It was nice connecting with old friends again and catching up on their families and work. She saw Luna Lovegood Scamander and walked over to her immediately, giving Ron a gentle squeeze of his arm. They caught up for a ten minutes or so before Neville came over, and showed pictures of his and Hannah's sweet little girl, Abigail, who looked so much like Hannah.

"She's gorgeous, I couldn't have left her at home." But Hannah turned around with Abigail tucked neatly in her arms. Hermione cooed over Abigail and did not see, in the shadows, someone she didn't expect to see that night. He watched her, her eagerness to talk to her friends and colleagues, how easily she interacted with them, and wondered how he hadn't noticed this about her before. Harry and Ginny arrived, taking more of her attention, but he didn't mind waiting to catch her when she was free, they'd been apart for much longer, and technically she certainly didn't answer to him.

Watching Ron bring her some punch, Snape made note of Ron's almost shaking hand, yes things between them had certainly changed, he seemed unmanned somehow. As though able to read his thoughts, her eyes searched the crowd and landed squarely on his, and in an instant, he saw her visibly ease, as though she'd been carrying a tremendous weight that was miraculously lifted. His eyes followed her as she excused herself and walked over to him, Ginny, Harry, and Ron already lost in conversation again, she made it to him slowly, her face was blank, though, like the true professional she was.

"Fancy meeting you here, stranger." She remarked, folding her arms across her evergreen robes, robes that brought out the subtle fawn of her eyes, a color he rarely saw her in.

"Somehow, I felt compelled this year, but I am already regretting it. Can you believe Longbottom asked me to hold his child? Me?" They both laughed, Hermione almost spilling her punch, which wasn't spiked yet surprisingly.

"Have you seen Seamus? I called them back this morning." Standing next to him, they scanned the room, and found him near the entrance talking to Justin Finch-Fletchley and his wife. Snape motioned him over and in what can only be described as oddest handshake she'd ever seen, Seamus and Snape greeted each other.

"God I've missed you, you smarmy bastard, if Denis McCreavey gets me killed, I am haunting you both." He pulled a flask from his robe pocket and three shot glasses. Without asking, he poured the three of them shots of what smelled like pure whiskey and instructed them to drink.

"Here's to making it through ten years of missions and," he paused and poured them another, " this is for Todd, God rest his soul." Hermione prayed silently and drank, it stung her wildly, but she was thankful to Seamus for keeping the tradition alive.

"So, how's your apprenticeship coming? Have you hexed anyone yet?" Snape's vicious sneer almost made Seamus quake, but working with him so long reminded them both that Snape's bark was worse than his bite nowadays.

"If you must know, my Master Healer is a complete dunderhead and I've a mind to hex him before this over...thinks I can't brew a simple restorative potion. Does he even know who I am? He seriously asked me to...oh never mind." At this point he gave up as Hermione and Seamus were laughing so hard they wouldn't have heard him any way.

"You're the Longbottom of healing, never in me dreams did I think ol' Snape would be such a troublemaking student. You're getting a taste of your own medicine,God bless you." Seamus slapped Hermione as she tried to stop laughing, but she couldn't.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Severus, I had no idea it was so bad."

"On to you, me lady, what's new in the world of Granger?" Hermione blushed slightly, thinking of her secret letters to Snape, who happened to gingerly clear his throat at the same time.

"Ron and I separated, actually. Other than that, everything is exactly the same, minus or plus a few things." Seamus dropped his shot glass, catching with this wand before it smashed into pieces on the ground. "No shite! Well, isn't that something. You owe me 20 galleons, Professor."

"What?" Hermione asked, indignantly.

"You see, and I guess I should be a bit ashamed of it really, but we made a bet years ago, that you and Ron would split. And this fool owes me 20 galleons because it happened before October. If Todd was still around, he'd owe me about 100 galleons, as it were." Her indignance grew, surprised even Snape had been willing to bet on the status of her marriage.

"Well, it didn't start at such a price, it grew over time because every year it didn't happen, we doubled our bet. Lucky bastard, Todd, he believed it would never happen." Now she couldn't help but get over herself, it was kind of funny, really.

"You wound me, Finnegan." She feigned anger again, but smiled at the end, even giving Snape a brow raise of his own style. Seamus gave her a big hug and walked over to Neville and Dean, who looked like they weren't having enough fun.

"Shall we?" Snape led her to the doors and then down a hall towards the balcony. Fresh air and even a moment alone was so welcome.

"You really bet on my marriage, huh?" Snape nodded, feeling slightly guilty thinking she might've never known.

"We had to pass the time and you were the boss." He leaned into her a bit, there pinkies touching as they looked towards the Black lake, it was the only hint of affection they could get away with.

"I could talk about you with them and they didn't question it; I should apologize, but I won't."

"You wouldn't be you if you did." She rubbed her pinky next to his, then crossed it over his. Suddenly, she wanted nothing more than to leave with him, to talk and catch up, to be in his presence for more than an hour or two, but she knew she couldn't.

"Are you really fine with the arrangements with Ron?" She asked, knowing she would get a better answer in person. He paused before speaking, thinking of the right way to word his response.

"If I had children, mercy on those poor souls, I would want my wife to make the effort you are making. Does that mean that things won't be complicated, no, but if you want me in your life, I want to be in yours, even if Ronald Weasley is part of that package." Meeting his eyes for the first time since they'd left the Great Hall, Hermione could've kissed him then, but she didn't.

"Did you ever want children?"

"No, not while I was Voldemort, and after that I never thought about it. I went on dates in Voldemort's service, mostly against my wishes, Bellatrix Black, before Rodolphus of course, but even thinking about procreating with her or any other devotee made my vomit. As a decrepit old man, I think that time has passed."

"You've never talked about anyone else since the battle, have you dated anyone?" Immediately, she wanted to retract her question, realizing that she should've just stood quietly and watched the water dance in his company.

"Yes, but they were of no consequence. I never mentioned them because, well, I don't know why." They stood in silence for about five minutes, Hermione just happy to be near him, to smell that deep bergamot and parchment, lavender and something she couldn't place. Just knowing he was there comforted her tremendously.

"We better return before we're missed." He interjected, breaking her quiet reprieve.

"If we must...I hate that this is the last time I'll see you before Christmas."

"Four months isn't so long, Hermione." She nodded in agreement and they walked back down the hallway into the Great Hall, the music had started and Ron was indeed looking for her. She stepped away from Snape and met him, feeling his eyes on her every movement. Ron took her to the dance floor, his arm at her waist and they danced to the same waltz music from 4th year, except of course he hadn't dance much that night and she'd been enamored with another dark-eyed boy.

"Seamus is a riot, how do you work with him?" Ron asked, twirling her around.

"Honestly, I don't know. I guess at work he's not quite as inappropriate." Just as she said this, she saw Snape dip back into the shadows and Seamus come up over Ron's shoulder.

"May I cut in, my kind sir?" Seamus asked, bowing slightly to Ron.

"Be my guest, watch her left foot, though."

"Funny, gentlemen." Hermione took Seamus' hand and they continued the dance.

"You might laugh, but I feel like I should say something before the moment passes and I don't want to say it at work." Hermione closed her eyes in thought and wondered what he could possibly have to say.

"Yes?"

"It's about you and, uh, Snape." Shock clearly displayed on her face, Hermione searched the room for him, but she'd lost him. Had Seamus follows them onto the balcony?

"All I'm saying is, you two are something else. If anyone had told me ten years ago that I'd watch you two fight every damn day you were together over bullshite, yet share a pint and protect each other at all costs, I'd tell them they were taking the mickey. But, see, spending all that time with you, Todd and I started that bet because we thought you and Snape might get something going…" He paused as Hermione practically punched him. "Now, don't get me wrong, I know you're a faithful wife, trust me, but all I'm saying is, if when this is all settled, you don't marry Snape and invite me to your feckin' wedding in some moor in Scotland, I will personally hang you from your toes." This time she really did punch him, watched him fall back, and then picked him up again.

"You are awfully bold, Finnegan."

"Just calling it like I see it, Granger. And also, this was the first year Snape bet, almost like he had some inside knowledge." She hit him again for good measure, then pulled him back into their dance, wondering why Snape hadn't told her the truth about the bet.

"If I find that you've said anything about this subject to anyone else, I will bury you in a cave in Pakistan and no one will ever find you, clear?"

"But what you're saying is I am right, right?"

"Yes, you're right, but we aren't anything, and we won't be as long as you're concerned. Tell no one, Finnegan." He kissed her cheek and promised, a pep in his step as he walked away, handing her back to Ron.

"What was that?" Ron asked, capturing her in a tight embrace.

"Seamus was getting fresh." Her reply made Ron visibly jealous and suddenly she was desperate to find Snape. Finally she saw him at the punch bowl chatting with McGonagall and Hagrid. They finished the dance but she didn't feel much like conversing with the others in the moment, so she sat down with Ginny and Harry, lost in thought deeply. She didn't notice when Ron came to the table and took the seat next to her or even Snape congratulate Ginny and Harry on their rumored venture of a journal. Her thoughts drifted back to her nightmare and suddenly, she couldn't breathe, her lungs felt constricted by some force she couldn't control and she excused herself, walking as quickly as she could back outside. Snape trailed her, motioning to Seamus. They didn't speak, but waited for her to gain some composure.

"Nightmare…" Was all she could say. Snape helped her focus, telling her to mimic his breathing, he of course had the most experience with these type of dreams. Perhaps it was simply being at Hogwarts itself, but Hermione felt trapped, a feeling she hadn't felt in so long. Seamus wasted no time coming to her aid.

"Count with me, come on, one, two, three…" Hermione heard Snape whisper panic attack and they both tried to cool her off. When she was sufficiently calmed, she felt like a fool, but they'd seen her like this before.

"I'm sorry, you all go enjoy the party. It's just a remnant of a dream…it's the first one in months; Neptune, how am I still employed?" Hermione added, standing. Her eyes pleaded with Severus to whisk her away, she even sent him the message, and images of his help before. He sent back his own, comforting her and making the situation calm. Blocking her mind to him, she thought of what Seamus had said about she and Snape ending up together and wondered if anyone else they knew had ever pictured the same. It was this pleasant thought that made it possible for her stand up and go back into the Great Hall.

"You're employed because you're damn good at your job. I wouldn't cross you, that's for sure."

"Guess I need a renewal trip to India." She remarked flippantly as Seamus helped her walk through the hallway back to the Great Hall, where no one seemed to have noticed her exit.

"Seamus, don't bet on Scotland, I think it'll be Iceland." She joked, winking at him. Snape looked at her in question, but Seamus simply high-fived her.

"Is that a bet?"

"Yeah, 20 galleons." He seriously laughed then. They parted ways, Hermione only saying goodbye to Snape in furtive glances...maybe in four years they'd come together, she pondered happily. With no surprise,she found Ron once again with Ginny and Harry, whose company she adored, but she was ready to leave.

When they got home, kids collected from Jack and Helen, Ron asked her about Seamus, apparently he'd heard him say something about a bet, but she was disinclined to admit what they were talking about, so she told her first lie.

"His next assignment." They hugged after tucking Hugo into bed and helping Rose step down into her room, but parted ways once they met in their common sofa between the wings of the house.

It was sad to see the summer disappearing so quickly knowing her children would be back at Hogwarts in no time, she noted looking at the box of letters from Snape, but still something made her wish for those days to pass quickly. She would be free soon. As she was about to tuck the box away, Harlow arrived with another letter, simple this time and to the point: "Meet me in India. Yours, S" and so she planned to do so, replying in her own simple way, "September 1, Yours, H."