AN: Thank you for all the support! It is very deeply appreciated!

From the moment Rosmerta arrive at the Leaky Cauldron, she knew trouble was coming. Where the trouble would come from wasn't clear. All she knew was that she was ready for whatever her patrons threw her way.

So far, the only trouble-if one could call it that-was setting up Hermione's ramp. This was no problem for Rosmerta, as she had one in reserve. She was more than happy to assist her patrons in any way she could, especially ones she held in high esteem. Hermione was a sweet patron who was respectful to the bartenders and tipped well. Just as importantly, she made Severus happy, even if he never said so aloud. He deserved some happiness after everything he'd endured, as well as friend who had no desire to control him.

There was now a more practical reason to assist Hermione. If the Leaky Cauldron refused Hermione service, Severus would put a Hogwarts-wide boycott on them. All afternoon, Rosmerta had heard grumblings from the students who wanted to purchase the latest comic book yet were too terrified of detention to do so. Still, they knew better than to cross Severus Snape when Hermione had been dishonored. The man was chivalrous, even if he wouldn't admit it. That, and the students knew how friendly Severus and Hermione were with each other, with some taking bets on when they would announce they were a couple.

Speaking of Hermione, it was good to see her smiling. When she'd entered, her face was blotched with dried trails of tears. Now, she was laughing so hard it was amazing her wheelchair didn't tip over. Who knew stories about students dueling each over due to a gobstones game would prove so amusing? Then again, her joy may have less to do with the story than the expression of the storyteller.

If only Minerva could see how relaxed Severus was, how students were glancing at him at if he'd gone round the bend because he was giving his fellow professor a half smile. These silly blind dates would end, and he could finally find the peace he'd yearned for. One could only hope things would work out for the best.

"Excuse me?"

Rosmerta's turned around.

"Do you know why there's a ramp outside?" The woman with immaculate skin and perfectly applied makeup began.

"The ramp?" Rosmerta glanced over before her eyes widened. "Oh, that was for a patron in a wheelchair. I must have forgotten to put it away."

"Yes, you wouldn't want someone to think you're trying to cover your stairs because they're dirty."

"Actually, you'd be surprised how many people prefer the ramp. Those stairs can get slick when wet, so using a ramp sometimes prevents a fall."

"Huh," she glanced back at the ramp. "I'd think more people would fall on that."

"From what I understand they don't," Rosmerta opened the door and picked up the ramp.

"Anyway, I was wondering if you'd seen Severus around anywhere."

"Yes, uh, about him," Rosmerta fidgeted as she continued to take the ramp inside. "He does not want to see you."

"Why?" She frowned.

"Look Judith, can I call you that?" Rosmerta pulled out her wand and tapped the ramp. It became as small enough to fit into her pocket.

"Sure."

"I don't know why Minerva has asked you to go on a blind date with Severus, but he's not interested in dating anyone."

"Oh I know he isn't interested in romance. He's told me as much."

"I doubt he's told you the reason though."

"And that would be?"

"He's in love with another woman."

"What?" Her jaw clenched.

"Yes, he's in love with someone else, although he doesn't know it yet."

Judith cocked her head. "How can one not know these things?"

"Let's just say Severus excels at suppressing his emotions."

"I see."

"Look," Rosmerta pointed to the table where Severus and Hermione sat. The potions master whispered something into his colleague's ear. She put her hand over her mouth until he finished his statement. Then, she erupted into laughter.

"Oh Merlin," Judith muttered.

"I know," Rosmerta kept her eyes on the couple. "I am sorry you were dragged in the middle of this…"

"That leg!"

Rosmerta's head snapped back.

"I mean look at it shake!" Judith pointed to it. "Look at how that thing spasms!"

Rosmerta twisted her lower lip as she examined Judith. Instead of horror or disgust, her eyes were dancing in glee. Her lips curled up in a way reminiscent of a shark who'd scented a bleeding seal.

"She can't walk, can she?" Judith folded her hands.

"No, she can't," Rosmerta drawled. "Not without a cane or a walker anyway. Even then, she sometimes prefers the wheelchair because her leg is giving her too much trouble."

"It must be so horrible to be her."

"She lives a very fulfilling life."

"Yes, but it must be so hard to go on."

"She gets by just fine," Rosmerta lowered her voice.

"Maybe by her standards she does," Judith cleared her throat and shook her head. Then, it was as if the joy had never occurred. "I'd imagine it isn't easy for her though. All the trouble she must have to go through to get from one place to another."

"Again, her life isn't easy, but she has friends who help her," Rosmerta emphasized the last line, "one of them being Severus."

"I'm sure he helps however he can," Judith began to walk towards them. "Anyway, I planned to surprise him with lunch. I'm sure he and Hermione wouldn't mind the company."

"Now wait just a minute," Rosmerta grabbed her shoulder.

Judith turned and scowled.

"You are not to go in there and cause problems in my bar," Rosmerta warned. "When you approach Hermione, you'd better be respectful about her disability. If you insult Hermione, Severus will defend her by any means possible. I don't want that kind of trouble here."

"I won't insult her," Judith stood up straighter. "I simply want to talk to her. It isn't every day you meet an invalid with a leg like hers."

"If you go in with the attitude that she's inferior to you, then Severus will pick up on it, and you will be expelled from his life."

"Oh don't worry," Judith furrowed her eyebrows. "I know better than to insult Hermione. Rumor has it that she doesn't take kindly to being told she is not the most perfect being in existence. The person who crosses her loses everything if they so much as inconvenience her."

"Who told you that?" Rosmerta raised an eyebrow.

"Nobody anyone would care to remember."

Judith broke away from Rosmerta, leaving the bartender with only the adage, "never meet your skin care providers."

"You can't complain about students' poor performances when you scare them with detentions for so much as looking at a flubworm the wrong way," Hermione took another sip of her dragon barrel brandy.

"And you cannot be so lax as to not give detentions for a student levitating a chainsaw," he argued.

"Admittedly that lesson proved more dangerous than I'd anticipated."

"Yes, but seeing Mr. Smyth's haircut afterwards was quite amusing."

"He deserved that for fooling around."

"Indeed he did."

"Severus?"

"Ms. Turner," Severus drawled. "How surprising to see you here."

"Oh please, call me Judith." The woman gave him the sweetest expression Hermione had ever seen. "We're past that Miss and Mister stuff."

"Fine, Judith," he spoke the words as if coerced under the penalty of a stinging hex.

Hermione's stomach sank as she examined the other woman. Her reddish blond hair was perfectly parted, and her green eyes were glistening in interest. Even her skin lacked any blemish.

She was perfect.

"Yes, well, I won't insult your intelligence by pretending I came here with no prompting," even Judith's voice was smooth, with a slight American accent. "Minerva told me you were having a Hogsmeade weekend. I thought I might be able to see you and converse. Our conversation was so enlightening and so rejuvinating. I'd love to have another one."

"Indeed you would," he lowered his voice.

"If you need me to go, I will," she glanced at Hermione with an unreadable expression. "I wouldn't want to intrude on anything important."

"You aren't intruding," Hermione's muscles tightened as her leg spasms worsened. "We were just having a friendly drink before we resumed our shopping."

"You were going shopping?" Judith turned one of those perfect eyes towards Hermione's leg. "Where do you plan to go?"

"We don't know yet," Hermione hoped she wasn't squeaking. Of all the women to have captured Severus' attention, Ms. Turner was the most lovely in appearance. She was the smoothest as well. It wasn't clear to Hermione why she cared, but she did. Damnit she cared about how polished this woman was and how perfect her non-spasming legs were!

"I'm sure you don't want to go anywhere with too may stairs," she spoke as if she was talking about the weather.

"Indeed she doesn't," Severus growled.

"Anyway, I don't want to be intrusive," she turned to Severus. "I don't want to interrupt your time with your friend. I have things to look over in the London office if you are too busy for me now."

"It's amazing you had time to come being so busy," he noted.

"Yes, well I thought our date went nicely, and I wanted to see if you were interested in dining with me against sometimes."

Dining. There was a fancy word Hermione hadn't heard in quite some time. Very few people dined with a cripple, not when there were other people who they didn't need to rearrange their kitchen for. Judith would be a perfect woman to dine with. It was doubtful she was as bossy and needy as Hermione was too, more points in her favor.

"Yes, but it would be a shame if you came all this way simply to go back," Severus noted. "Especially since you'll no doubt be telling Minerva your little lunch surprise did not work out."

"I'm not going to tattle on you, if that's what you are accusing me of," she replied. "I don't rat people out. That's too juvenile. If she asks, I'll say I was held up at the office and missed you. It was an unfortunate conflict of schedules."

"How magnanimous of you."

"I look out for those I care for."

"And you believe we've grown close enough for you to care for me?"

"As a friendly acquaintance," she gave him a small grin. "Yes."

"You are overly caring for a businesswoman," he noted.

"I know who I want in my life, and who I do not."

"I need to leave!"

Both Severus and Judith turned to Hermione.

"My leg," she rubbed it. "It's been acting up, and I'm tired. I'm in a lot of pain. I need to go back to the castle."

"I can take you home," Severus stood.

"No, I can floo home myself." Hermione pulled six galleons out of her pocket to pay for her meal. "You enjoy lunch with Judith. I'll be fine."

"You are anything but fine."

"No, I am. More importantly, you are fine. That's all that matters."

"I won't be fine if you aren't fine," he argued. "Let me go with you to ensure you are comfortable."

"Oh dear I'm so sorry," Judith's voice came off as a taunt. "I thought my presence would be welcome, but it's clear I ruined a lovely afternoon between you and Hermione. I didn't mean to interrupt such an intimate lunch."

"It isn't your fault." Hermione unlocked her wheelchair. "My leg just acts up sometimes. I'm used to it."

"How does it act up?" Judith's eyes fell on Hermione's left leg. "Is it hurting you?"

"Yes, after a rainstorm it gives me pain."

"Oh dear," there was a spark in Judith's eyes. "How much does it hurt?"

"Right not, it feels like I'm being cursed by Bellatrix again." Hermione didn't dare to her that right now she was experiencing a pain even Bellatrix couldn't have hoped to inflict upon her. Merlin why did this woman have to be so perfect?

"Bellatrix?"

"Yes," Hermione slumped. "Bellatrix tortured me for a long period of time, and the residual dark magic affects my leg. That's why it shakes as it does."

"Oh no," Judith shook her head, though her spark remained. "I wish I could give you a cream for it."

"Trust me, there's little you can do."

"I know."

"I am fine with taking you home," Severus stood.

"No, you're supervising this weekend. I was your guest, so stay here," Hermione replied.

"Are you certain?"

"I am," she forced her lips upwards. "Have fun at lunch."

Before Severus could respond, Hermione wheeled away. All she wanted to do was leave the Leaky Cauldron and forget this day had ever happened. If only she could make this day go away and forget the way Judith looked at her, how perfect she was, and how she could have any man with the bat of her eyes, including Severus!

"Hermione?"

She stopped. "Rosmerta, I'm sorry I'm leaving. Something came up I must attend to."

"Okay," her voice was gentle. "Are you going to be okay?"

"I'll be fine," she choked.

"You sure?" Rosmerta snuck a glance at Judith, who had taken her seat across from Severus.

"Yes," Hermione sighed.

"Do yourself a favor," Rosmerta lowered her voice. "Keep your guard up around Judith. This whole dating Severus thing is more personal for her than she wants you to believe."

"What do you mean?" Hermione swallowed.

"I don't know." Rosmerta crossed her arms over her chest. "But you and Severus need each other now more than ever."

"I doubt anyone needs me," she hung her head.

"We all do," Rosmerta answered in a gentle voice.

Hermione sniffed, willing herself not to shed another tear.

"Watch your back around Judith. She's up to something, and she doesn't care if Severus is collateral damage," Rosmerta continued.

"I will," Hermione replied before wheeling herself to the floo, ready to spend the rest of the day in bed, wishing she could be even half as perfect as Judith Turner.