AN: Sorry this is so late! If there isn't one thing going sideways it's another. Still, I hope you all enjoy!

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

The plan was so simple, Severus wondered why he hadn't come up with it sooner.

Severus stared into the mirror at Ricardo's, or was it Steven's? body. Now that he knew where Hermione would dine with her date, he could find them. Then, he could use his spying skills to determine what kind of man her new boyfriend was. With any luck, he'd hear the man's name. Then, he would use every resource he had to investigate this dunderhead and ensure that he was worthy of Hermione.

If luck was on his side, he would be able to get the man alone and interrogate him. Perhaps he could intrude upon their date and note what a fine couple they made. Helen seemed to be the kind of woman who liked meeting new people, so he could claim that all he wanted to do was strike up a conversation with another happy couple. As they conversed, Hermione's boyfriend would slip up. Somehow, he'd prove himself to be unworthy of Hermione. If she saw how unworthy he was of her affections and broke up with him, then Severus would save himself the time of investigating public records. If she did not break up with her boyfriend and became irritated that someone was intruding upon her date, Severus could always walk away, knowing he had a face to put to this person.

Regardless, Severus was in disguise, so nothing could be tied back to him. If Hermione found the intruder rude, then she would be upset with Steven Turpin, not him. No plan could be more perfect.

With a smirk, he apparated to a park near Primal Steakhouse and walked the rest of the way there.

The plan was so simple, Hermione wondered why she hadn't come up with it sooner.

Hermione stared into the mirror at Melonie's, or was it Helen's? body. Now that she knew where Severus would dine with his date, she could find them. Then, she could use the skills she learned sneaking around Hogwarts to spy on them. With any luck, she'd hear the other woman's name. Then, she would use every resource she had to investigate this idiot and ensure that she was worthy of Severus.

If luck was on her side, she would be able to get the woman alone and interrogate her. Perhaps she could intrude upon their date and note what a cute couple they made. Steven seemed to be a friendly man who would enjoy meeting new people, so she could claim all she wanted to do was strike up a conversation with another happy couple. As they conversed, Severus' girlfriend would slip up. Somehow, she'd prove herself to be unworthy of Severus. If he saw how unworthy she was of his affections and broke up with her, then Hermione saved himself time investigating public records. If he did not break up with her, Hermione could always walk away, knowing he had a face to put to this person.

Regardless, Hermione was in disguise, so nothing could be tied back to her. If Severus found the intruder rude, then he would be upset with Helen Belle, not her. No plan could be more perfect.

With a smirk, she apparated to a park near Primal Steakhouse and walked the rest of the way there.

Where the hell was she?

Severus tapped his foot and looked around, not knowing whether he wanted Helen or Hermione to appear first. If Hermione appeared first, he could start a conversation with her just to be friendly. It would make things more natural than if he approached the table out of nowhere.

"Hello, Stranger."

Severus hid the disappointment in his eyes as he turned to Helen. His muscles relaxed at the scent of her perfume, so much like the kind Hermione wore, the kind that drove him wild. Although Helen did not excite him the way Hermione did, he couldn't deny that she was attractive in her red, sleeveless dress.

"Good evening, Madame," he grinned.

"I know I'm a little early," Helen glanced around.

"No, you were not too early at all."

"I hope you weren't waiting for too long."

"I was not," he answered. "I've always believed that if you are on time for an event, you are late."

"Exactly," she glanced to her right. "I like men who are punctual."

"Oh, you do," he couldn't help but notice that Ricardo's voice didn't purr like his did. Under most circumstances, that purr made Hermione putty in his hand and distracted her from the fact that he was bluffing at poker. Instead, Helen stared at him and blinked, as if he was trying too hard and embarrassing himself in the process.

"Yes," she blushed. "I like a man who comes to things early. Fashionably late people annoy me."

"They annoy me too," Severus looked to his left. Where the hell was Hermione? She was always early to poker nights and always came to her store at least ten minutes early. Why was she running late tonight?

"Should we, uh, go in?" Helen looked around.

"We can, unless," he raised an eyebrow. "Do you see anything interesting?"

"No," she paled. "I just like to watch people walk by. There are so many interesting people who walk down the street. I like to observe them all."

"I am glad I am as fascinating as various people on the street," Severus deadpanned.

"Oh, you're infinitely more fascinating than almost anyone else." She refocused on him and gave him a small grin. "I'm a little out of sorts, though. I had a long day at work and am trying to collect my bearings."

"I am sorry to hear you had such a hard day," he answered. "Are Draco and Ginny overloading you with work?"

"Yes, they want me to find them some good baby naming books."

"I thought they already had those."

"W-why would you think that?"

"I mean," Severus fidgeted. "They are almost always so prepared. Plus, Ginevra's best friend runs a bookstore. I thought she'd visit her friend's store by now."

Her eyes grew. "How do you know about the store?"

"Ginevra mentioned it to me during a charity event." He was beginning to sweat, and it was not from the triple-digit heat. "I kept it in mind in case I ever needed a book."

"Oh." Helen glanced around again. "Have you ever been to it?"

"No, but I thought that if she was such close friends with a bookstore owner, they would have baby books; hence, where she got her books from."

"Apparently they don't have what she was looking for," she glanced around again.

"Very well then," He watched two people enter the establishment, neither of whom were Hermione. Then, he took a deep breath, hoping to calm himself long enough to keep up his ruse. "Shall we enter?"

"Yes," she extended her hand, "let's go inside."

Severus took her hand, noting that despite how much drier Helen's skin was than Hermione's, her grip was very similar. Then, there was the way she talked. Although her voice was unlike anything he'd ever heard, the things she discussed were similar to the things he talked about with Hermione. She was so similar yet so different. The similarities made him want Helen; the differences made him yearn for Hermione.

Where was Hermione anyway? She should have been here by now. Was her boyfriend the kind of dunderhead who made her late for everything, or was there a more sinister reason for her absence?

Regardless of the reason for her absence, she needed to appear soon. It would be a long evening if he could not set his plan in motion.

Where the hell was he?

While Hermione wasn't disappointed to see Steven, she had been hoping to see Severus first. Although Severus wouldn't appreciate a stranger making small talk with him, with this body she may have been able to charm him into giving more than monosyllabic answers. With a little luck, they would converse until his new girlfriend said something to destroy her chances with him.

Instead, she was sitting on the seat Steven had just pulled out for her, scanning the dimly lit steakhouse for her best friend. Although the aroma of steaks elicited hunger, her stomach was in knots. Now she would need to invent a reason to go over to Severus, assuming he appeared. Perhaps he decided to cancel his date with his girlfriend because he no longer wanted to see her. That would suit Hermione just fine. Then again, they may have gone somewhere else. If that was the case, her plan had blown up in her face before it could be implemented.

"Are you sure you're well?" Steven sat across from her.

"I'm fine," Hermione relaxed. "I'm just a little cold, that's all."

Steven raised his eyebrow in a way that made Hermione's heart flutter. It was another thing he did that reminded her of Severus, even if it was quite the same. "It's over one hundred degrees outside."

"Yes, but the AC in here is on too high."

"I do not feel it is too hot."

"Yes, but you are in a long jacket, whereas this dress is sleeveless."

"True," he conceded. "And your dress is quite lovely on you."

"Thank you." Her lip quirked upwards as she inhaled the aroma of his cologne. It was just like the kind Severus used, the kind that drove her wild, the kind that always distracted her into calling his bluffs when she shouldn't have done so. "I love your jacket. It is quite dashing."

"Dashing," he gave her a half smile, "There's a word I do not often hear in reference to myself."

"Oh," she gave him the most flirtatious smile she could. "That word describes you quite well."

"You would be the only person to believe that."

"That cannot be true. There must be several women lining up for a chance to get to know you better."

"Believe me, very few women want to be in the same vicinity as me," he raised the drink menu and ran his finger along the beer section.

As he kept his face in the drink menu, Hermione scanned the room. Still no sign of Severus. The man was never late for anything. Was he in another section of the restaurant? Was there another section of the restaurant? Was he in some secluded corner with his date? Was it rude to be looking for someone while you were on a date with another person?

"Good evening," a man in a waiter's uniform began. "I'm Walter. I'll be serving you tonight."

"Good evening, Walter," Hermione peeked at the drink menu.

"Can I start you off with some drinks?" He asked.

"I will have a Pacifico," Steven answered.

"I'll have a," Hermione took another glance at the menu, "Red Wedding."

"Excellent choice," Walter wrote down their orders. "Do you two need a couple of minutes to decide what to eat?"

"I would like a few more minutes," Steven turned to Hermione. "Unless you would like to order now."

"No," she didn't dare admit she hadn't spent one second looking at the food menu, given that all her attention was on her missing best friend. "I would like a few more minutes."

"Okay," Walter strolled away.

Hermione scanned the room once more before sticking her head in a menu. Everything about Steven was so familiar, yet tonight it only reminded her of the man who was not by her side, the man she most wanted to see, the man who would slip through her fingers if she did not act quickly.

Regardless of how much Steven reminded her of Severus, he needed to appear soon. It would be a long evening if she could not set her plan in motion.

Was it too early to use the restroom?

When Helen wasn't looking, Severus scoured the room for Hermione. The longer they remained seated, though, the more his stomach constricted. It wasn't like Hermione to miss an important event such as a date, nor was it like her to change plans at the last second. Terror settled into where annoyance once reigned.

Was she injured, sick, unable to leave her house, or something else? Was she at home with her boyfriend because they decided not to go out after all? Was she in his arms, blissfully unaware that her best friend wanted nothing more than to see her?

He gritted his teeth together at the thought of a man kissing Hermione in her doorway. He'd only been to her house a handful of times. According to her, he was the only man she'd ever brought over. If that other man was there, Severus may reconsider his opposition towards engaging in the dark arts.

"Is something bothering you?" Helen gulped.

He exhaled and shook his head. "I am fine."

"You don't look like you're fine."

"Yes, well, I'm remembering something that happened at a staff meeting yesterday," he frowned. "The headmaster wanted us all to reduce our detentions by twenty percent. Old coot hasn't taught in fifteen years, yet he still thinks he understands classroom management."

From the way Helen was looking at him, Severus knew he'd messed up. Now, she must think he was a horrendous taskmaster. A decade ago wasn't too far from the truth. Today, he spent most of the day buried in his profession. Only Hermione had endured the snarly workaholic side of him and decided to remain by his side. Why didn't he do a better job letting her know that he was the luckiest man in Nevada when he held her in his arms?

"Let me guess, your headmaster asked you to give the students more lemon drops as well," Helen's lips curled up.

Severus chuckled. "Of course the old man did. Some days that's all he eats. How he doesn't have a mouthful of cavities I'll never know."

"I don't know how he keeps his teeth either," for the first time all night, Helen laughed.

"He always enjoyed lemon drops too much for his own good. Some days I'm surprised he didn't turn into one," Severus chuckled.

"I know. It took me years before I could stand the sight of them. He gave me so many, and he was such a manipulator. I couldn't stand the way he treated people like they were pawns in a chess game."

"Wait, what?" Severus asked.

Helen grew quiet.

"How do you know my headmaster?" Severus quirked an eyebrow.

"I," she bit her lip in the way that made his heart race, a way that was all too familiar. "I don't know him. I just, uh, knew someone like him."

"Do you even know this headmaster's name?" Steven asked.

"The one I have in mind is Michael Harris."

"Oh," he swallowed. "I was thinking about Jude Regbo."

"I've never heard of him," Helen's eyes fell on her lap.

"I've never heard of your headmaster either," he glanced around the room, coming up empty in his search for Hermione, someone who would actually know who this headmaster was.

"It's a little odd though," Helen frowned. "Aren't most American school leaders called principals?"

Severus' throat constricted. Before he could utter another word, Walter appeared with the drinks. "Are you ready to order now?"

"I am ready if he is," Helen answered.

"Indeed, I am ready," Severus cleared his throat, thankful for the reprieve.

Was it too early to use the restroom?

Hermione had always heard it was rude to leave a date right after ordering food, and it was unwise to leave a drink unattended. Still, she couldn't find Severus, and she was growing concerned. It wasn't like him to miss an important event such as a date, nor was it like him to change plans at the last second. Was he injured, sick, or unable to leave his house? Was he at home with the woman because they decided not to go out after all? Was he in her arms, laughing with her the way he had with Hermione the night before?

She gritted his teeth at the thought of a woman kissing him in his doorway. Severus' house was their private place away from the world. The kitchen where they played cards and created their drinks was sacred. No woman should be allowed to intrude upon such hallowed ground, at least not without Hermione getting a say in it.

"Did they turn up the AC again?" Steven asked.

"Yes, they did." Hermione took a sip of her drink as she pretended to shudder. It wasn't a piña colada, but it would do.

"I apologize for your discomfort," Steven began. "I pray that the next place we find will have better ventilation."

"Oh no, I like this place and the drink," she took another gulp, "It's very delicious."

"My beer is adequate as well." He took a gulp of his drink.

"I'm glad to hear it." She stood, trying to ignore how familiar the word 'adequate' was. "I uh, need to freshen up. Could you excuse me a moment?"

"Certainly," Steven replied.

With that, Hermione darted away.

Years ago, he'd told Hermione that he could spot her in a room full of people. If her wild hair didn't give her away, then he would find her by searching for the kindness in her beautiful, caramel eyes. At the time, he was confident in his statement. Now, he wasn't so sure.

Nobody here looked like her. Other patrons either didn't have her skin tone, have her height, have her eye color, or have her beautiful hair.

Severus raised two fingers as Walter strolled by. The waiter stopped and turned around.

"I apologize if this is beyond your pay grade, but have you seen a woman named Hermione Granger?" He asked.

"Hermione Granger?" Walter frowned.

"Yes, Hermione Granger. She's about five foot five, fairly thin, has the two brightest caramel eyes you've ever seen, and has a smile that could light up a room."

"You're on a date with a woman, and you want me to find another woman for you?" Walter furrowed his eyebrows.

"No, well, technically yes, but not for the reasons you'd think," Severus shook his head. "Hermione is my sister. She was supposed to meet us here about ten minutes ago."

"I thought your table was only for two."

"It was, but then she wanted to join us at the last minute. I had intended to tell the hostess, but everyone was in such a rush it slipped my mind."

"I see," his eyes softened.

"Hermione is horrible with directions and never on time, so we went in without her. We thought she may be here by now, but now she's running late. I have tried calling her on my cellphone, but to no avail. We're both a bit concerned for her."

"Oh dear," Severus now had Walter's sympathy. "I haven't served anyone matching that description."

"That is unfortunate, because anyone who has ever met Hermione would remember her."

"I will ask around, and we'll see if we can find your sister," Walter answered. "I'm so sorry she's late."

"Me too," Severus exhaled.

"Traffic is really bad this time of day. Perhaps she's just stuck on the interstate."

"Perhaps she is."

Walter gave him one last glance of sympathy before strolling away. Once more, Severus scanned the room, praying that Hermione was well, even if she was with another man.

Years ago, Hermione had told Severus that she could spot him in a room full of people. If his long, black hair didn't give him away, then it would be the fire in his black eyes. At the time, she'd been confident in her statement. Now, she wasn't so sure.

Nobody here looked like him. Other patrons either didn't have his skin tone, have his height, have his eye color, or have his hair.

Hermione had scoured as much of the restaurant as she could en route to the restroom. After sneaking around for a solid five minutes, she decided to freshen up. Once she was confident that her makeup was applied correctly, she stepped outside. Then, she caught sight of a waitress.

"Excuse me?" She called.

The waitress turned around.

"Hello, I apologize if this is above your pay grade, but have you seen a man named Severus Snape?" Hermione wrung her hands together.

"Severus Snape?"

"Yes, he's about six foot one, fairly thin, has the most beautiful black eyes you've ever seen, and has a smirk that could drive any woman to distraction."

The waitress twisted her lips. "Aren't you on a date with someone else?"

"Yes, I am, but…" Hermione fidgeted. "Severus is my brother."

"He's your brother, and his eyes drag you to distraction?" The waitress took a step back.

"That didn't come out the way I intended it to sound," Hermione argued. "I'm only repeating what his last girlfriend said about him."

The waitress blinked.

"Severus is my brother. I was going to surprise my boyfriend with a visit from Severus because they are such great friends, but he hasn't shown up yet. He's almost always on time, though, and has a great sense of direction. I've tried getting a hold of him on my cellphone, but to no avail."

"Oh," the waitress' eyes softened. "I'm sorry, but I haven't served anyone like that. Nobody here matches that description either."

Hermione swallowed.

"I will ask around, and we'll see if we can find your brother," the waitress answered. "I'm so sorry he's late."

"Me too," Hermione exhaled.

"Traffic is really bad this time of day. Perhaps he's just stuck on the interstate."

"Perhaps he is."

The waitress gave her one last glance of sympathy before strolling away. Once more, Hermione scanned the room, praying that Severus was well, even if he was with another woman.