Chapter 7 : Public Shaming
Ronald Weasley was going to die of embarrassment right in front of about thirty random Hogwarts students, his family, his coworkers, his long-time friends, his girlfriend, his friends' children, and the affluent Malfoy family. After having sat through Ambre's introduction of herself to every new person at the table and then having to survive the multitude of social glares from each person for not having known about Ron's girlfriend of over a year, he was about ready to throw himself in front of a stampede of thestrals.
Having enduring being dressed down by his mother for not having told anyone about his newest relationship and not even thinking to bring her to the last social event at the Burrow, Ron was convinced his judgment was just as horrible as it was as a teenager. Perhaps, it was worse because he was no longer a teenager to make it excusable.
To make matters even more embarrassing, George and his wife Angelina had stopped in to drop off a package for Rosmerta. Albus and James had pounced on them from behind with enthusiasm, drawing their attention to the impromptu flash mob that had formed in The Three Broomsticks. George wasted no time at all in setting upon his younger brother, making him the brunt of a month's worth of various jokes.
Charlie Weasley and Hagrid walked into The Three Broomsticks shortly after, chattering on about dragons and egg temperatures, Molly screeched a greeting as she pounced on her long-away son with enthusiasm, dragging him towards the tables with them. Hagrid looked a little baffled as he was dragged towards the table as well.
It was around this time that Molly wished quite loudly at the table that she wanted Bill and Fleur to make an appearance and impulsively set loose a patronus bounding out the tavern door. Arthur, inspired by his wife, sent his zinging out the door to find Percy and his wife Audrey, stating "we might as well make this a family affair." Ronald Weasley laid his head against the tavern table with resignation, realizing that avoiding the Burrow was not going to save him from his family. Ambre, however, seemed ecstatic to meet so many of Ron's family and friends in such a short amount of time, exciting exchanging greetings, stories, and laughter.
By the time Bill and Percy Weasley and their respective wives walked through the door of The Three Broomsticks, Ron swore to himself that he would never, ever, try something as stupid as keep a secret of such magnitude from his family and friends.
The Malfoy, Potter, and Snape children eagerly greeted the children of Bill and Percy Weasley, pulling yet another table into the fray and descending upon it with exciting chatter and gossip. Percy attempted to introduce his daughters Molly and Lucy from afar, as all the children seemed content to ignore their parents in favor of peer gossip and catching up on the news. Bill and Fleur managed to single out Victiore, Dominique, and Louis Weasley from the social pile-up around the "kids" table, but it didn't last long. All of the children mashed in together with excitement, happy to see each other after being separated by different schools and locations over the years.
Aiden "arrived" soon after the children had settled, handing Harry an official looking piece of parchment sealed with an Auror's mark. He schooled his face into the very representation of official business, looking surprised at finding Harry surrounded by such a large gathering of familiar faces. He, of course, accepted Harry's gracious invitation to join them for refreshments and food. It was only polite, after all.
Rosmerta, as if sensing that refreshments were in order, delivered pitchers of butterbeer, juice, and wine to the tables. She ignored Ronald's plea for fire-whiskey with an almost sanguine expression, pretending not to hear him.
Had Ron picked his head up from the table to notice, he would have seen Rosmerta wink in the direction of a dark table where three professors were exchanging furtive glances over a bowl of popcorn. Had he really been paying attention, he would have noticed Lucius stretching with a yawn and surreptitiously placing a coin to pay for the food and drinks on the serving tray as Rosmerta left the table with a very Slytherin grin plastered across his face. Perhaps, if his remaining Auror senses had not been beaten into submission by his thorough shaming and embarrassment, he would have noticed Narcissa sneakily passing a box of assorted candies down to the children's table in reward for their dutiful service to the "cause."
"We seem to be out of popcorn," Hermione said with a sniff, using her fingers to flick an unpopped kernel around the bottom of the bowl.
Severus tilted his head. "I suppose that is our cue."
The trio stood together and made their way out the side exit door and then weaved around to the front entrance. They paused in front of the door with a shared calculating grin. Hermione reached over and rustled Severus' hair with her hands to make it look particularly messy. Severus rolled his eyes and ruffled Hermione's hair to make it look spectacularly wild. They peered at each other with arched eyebrows and then turned their gazes to Wayne with a mutually sly expression. The two of them reached over and ruffled Wayne's hair to look overwhelmingly haphazard.
"This isn't going to help your reputation for having horrible grooming habits," Wayne said with a sigh.
"Now you get to share in it," Severus said with a tilt of his head. "Perhaps you would like more grease for your hair?"
"Ah, no," Wayne waved his hands in front of his face. "I'm good." He opened the door for his Master and Mistress, bowing slightly at the waist.
Hermione plastered her face with an appropriate scowl as Severus led the way into the tavern.
Severus and Hermione blew into The Three Broomsticks as if they owned the stage, their teaching robes waving behind them like flags in the wind. Wayne Mitchell brought up the rear with an expression he hoped would look neutral.
"Students of Hogwarts," Severus growled. "Your attention please."
"Carriages will be leaving Hogsmeade within the hour," Hermione said, projecting her voice.
"Please be sure make the last of your purchases in town before you make your way to the carriages," Severus said with a bored tone.
"Do remember to pay your tab with our wonderful Madam Rosmerta," Hermione warned cheerfully, giving a wink to Rosmerta behind the bar. "We do not want reports of any of you doing a Lord Lucan without paying for your food and drinks."
"Now back your normally scheduled wool gathering," Severus sneered, waving his hand dismissively.
The miscellaneous students in The Three Broomsticks ducked their heads as conversations restarted.
Severus rolled his eyes as Hermione gave him a smiling side-long glance.
"Hermione!" Ginny rose up from the table and tackled the Mistress of Potions with a ostentatious fling of her arms.
"Oof!" Hermione said with emphasis, enfolding Ginevra with her arms, her outer robe falling over Ginny with a cascading drape.
Ginny pulled Hermione towards the table where Ron was attempting to burrow under it. "Come sit with us," Ginny gushed. She gave Severus a timid smile as she tugged her friend to the table.
Severus approached the table with his typical impassive expression. His dark eyes locked onto Ronald Weasley with the same look a predator might give its prey. "Mr. Weasley. I have not seen you in quite… some… time," Severus droned, putting a roll in his voice that spoke of disgust and disappointment.
Ronald Weasley's eyes matched Neville Longbottom's as they both swallowed hard in instinctive conditioned response to the Potion Master's velvet and venomous voice.
"Wow," Hermione said with an amazed tone. "The gang is all here. What ever is the occasion?"
Draco Malfoy ran his thumb across the his bottom lip, stealthily covering up the grin that was threatening to spread across his face.
Molly Weasley fanned her hand in a come hither gestures. "Hermione, have you met Ambre Mathis? She's Draco's second cousin on Lucius' side. She's with Ronald."
Severus' and Hermione's eyes fell upon Ambre Mathis simultaneously, seemingly appraising her. Ambre's eyes widened under the weight of their combined scrutiny, feeling like a specimen caught in a jar. At that very moment, she felt as though they knew every secret she had ever kept, including the ones she couldn't even remember having.
"Oh?" Hermione said sweetly. "He never told me he was dating anyone."
"Come now," Severus interjected venomously. "He's one of your best friends, Hermione. Surely he would tell you if he was seeing someone."
Hermione changed her expression into one her younger teenage students would use after being dumped by their boyfriend. She stuck out her lip slightly. "I don't believe you. Ron wouldn't keep something like that secret from me."
The Slytherins at the table averted their eyes as Hermione worked her magic upon Ronald Weasley.
Ronald Weasley clenched his fists and slammed down his palm on the table. "I'm SORRY!" he blurted! "I'm so horribly, horribly sorry! I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Ambre. I was a selfish bloody git, and I wanted to keep her to myself because I didn't want to defend myself against everyone about having yet another girlfriend. I love her. I do. I really do. I just… didn't know how to tell any of you. She's the most wonderful, beautiful, interesting woman, and I want to grow old and gray with her. By the time I realized she's the best thing to happen to my life, I had no idea what to say to anyone! I'm sorry. SORRY. Please… I'm sorry. I yield. I confess."
Ambre's eyes grew wide. "You meant that?" Her face was alight with emotion.
"Yes!" Ron spouted.
Ambre tackled Ron in his chair, wrapping her arms around his neck and planting a kiss straight on the mouth in front of countless spectators.
Hermione sniffed, her expression inscrutable, Aiden averted his eyes politely, Molly grinned like a Cheshire cat, Arthur laughed into his fist, Charlie and Bill snickered, Percy rolled his eyes, Audrey, Fleur, and Ginny giggled, the Malfoys managed to look utterly disgusted at the loss of decorum, George and Harry fist pumped, Severus curled his lip with disdain, and the combined gathering of children made faces saying "ewwwwwww."
As a stream of Hogwart's students began to trickle out of The Three Broomsticks, Hermione and Severus stood to leave.
"Hermione and Severus, dears," Molly said. "Would it be okay if Rose and Julius stayed with the others at the Burrow tonight? Bill and Percy are allowing the kids to stay with us until Sunday night. Draco, Scorpius too? It would be nice to have them all together tonight."
Hermione and Severus looked at their children who were staring back at them with hopeful eyes. "Very well," they said together. "Be sure to have them back before curfew tomorrow."
Rose and Julius chattered happily with the group as Scorpius gave Draco his own version of pleading with a dignified air.
Draco rolled his eyes. "Same."
Molly grinned and the children cheered.
As Hermione and Severus left to escort the students back to Hogwarts, Lucius stood with Narcissa and Draco. "Hermione, if I may have a word before you go?"
Hermione nodded, her eyebrow lifting in askance. "Of course, Lucius," she replied, extending her hand to the door, giving a small nod to Wayne Mitchell to let him know they were leaving.
The Slytherins followed after the two professors outside The Three Broomsticks.
As Wayne Mitchell passed by the table, Ambre was recovering from her most recent revelation amongst many. "Those three are a bit intimidating," she confessed to those still at the table.
"You have no idea," Neville bemoaned, casting his head down.
"That," Ron said with a forced half-smile, "Was Hermione. Hermione is formidable all on her own. Add in her husband and…"
"They do have an undeniable presense," Ambre said with a shake of her head.
"Students know better than to cross either of the Professors Snape," Neville admitted. "It's one of the first things an incoming student learns at Hogwarts along with where the Great Hall is and what time curfew happens." Neville gave a sheepish grin.
Ron moaned, "Hermione is going to hex me within inches of my life the moment she isn't taking care of the students. She'll probably let Snape loose upon me, and he'll bloody enjoy every minute of it."
Ambre looked at Ron.
"They'll both give me the scowl that would make a Death Eater's toes curl, and I'll see my entire life flash before my eyes," Ron said, taking a swig of his drink.
"They're only like that when they have to deal with dunderheads," Rose said matter-of-factly.
James and Albus snickered as they realized Rose had just, intentionally or no, called their Uncle a dunderhead.
"That's when you know they are being really serious," Julius said with a sniff. "Or that what they are talking about is very dangerous."
James and Albus nodded in agreement.
"Or your cauldron is about to explode," Albus said.
"Or your cauldron did explode," James said with a shake of his head, taking a drink of his juice.
Neville gave an involuntary shudder.
Ambre chuckled a little. "You sound like the voice of experience."
The children grinned back at her.
"Oh you'll get to know them both eventually," Molly said reassuringly. "They are both worth the effort."
Arthur smiled at his wife. "Indeed they are, Molly."
"You won't find a pair of better Potions Masters anywhere," Hagrid said, stroking his beard.
Nods of agreement went down the table.
"One thing is for certain though, Ambre," Harry started to say.
"What's that?" Ambre asked.
"You'll never have to fight them for Quidditch tickets," Harry replied.
Ambre snickered as Quidditch talk consumed the table.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
"Hermione," Lucius purred, his fingers tracing the carving of his cane.
"Yes, Lucius," Hermione answered.
"Your little escapade tonight has proved to us that you have missed your calling," Lucius said, rolling his hand with a formal twirl.
"Your cunning is decidedly Slytherin, worth of every meaning of the name," Narcissa agreed.
"Your subtlety of magic would make Salazar Slytherin proud," Draco said in agreement. "And willingness to help a Slytherin with spying attests."
"Your skill with manipulation has become the thing to be proud of," Severus purred into her ear, gently running his finger across the back of her neck.
Hermione's eyes fluttered at her husband's touch.
"Seeing as you have the unfortunate fate of being sorted in the wrong House when you were of the proper age," Lucius said with disgust.
"We will have to take matters into our own hands," Draco sniffed.
Lucius pulled a box out of his immaculately tailored vest pocket, flipping it open with his finger.
Hermione's eyes went wide as she saw the Slytherin snake made in glittering silver curled around an sparkling cut emerald round. The snake's eyes were sparkling rubies.
Lucius reached out and clipped the pin to Hermione's collar with her other mastery sigils. "Despite your appalling and blatant Gryffindor bravery, you are Slytherin to us and to Slytherin you belong. You may continue your ruse of being a lioness amongst snakes, but we…"
"Shall always know better," Severus purred at Hermione, finishing Lucius' train of words.
Hermione's face was torn with conflicting emotion until finally she tilted her head up and dropped down into formal curtsy.
Narcissa curtsied in response, as Lucius, Draco, and Severus bowed with very meaningly Slytherin grins on their faces.
"Perfectly Slytherin," Lucius rumbled with a velvet voice.
"So, Hermione," Draco purred.
"Yes, Draco?"
"How do you feel about giving private lessons?"
Hermione arched a brow at Draco. "What sort of lessons?"
Draco leaned in. "Animagus lessons."
Hermione's corner of the mouth quirked upward. "What's in it for me?"
Draco smiled and extended his wand. "I swear upon my honor and my wand that I shall never spy upon you or your family unless bidden to by you or Severus." His fine white teeth were bared in a shadow of a certain spying ferret with a propensity to lay low in flowerpots.
Hermione touched her wand to his. "Done."
Lucius, Narcissa, and Severus exchanged looks. Slytherin indeed.