Witch's Night Out

A/N: I hope you all enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think! As always, much love to MadBrilliant.

***

The next day was the day before the students' arrival. All the staff was excited and anxious. Professor Holden walked into Hermione's classroom and greeted her.

"Hey! Here you are! I've been lookin' for you!" she said excitedly.

"Why?" Hermione asked suspiciously.

"Well, I finally talked some sense into the blonde triplets and Pomfrey, and we are goin' out to have ourselves some fun before the kiddos arrive!"

She's in a right good humor! Hermione noted.

"Just the girls?" she asked.

"Just the gals!" Samantha replied with a big smile. "Shake it, sister! Let's get our drink on!"

Hermione giggled. Maybe she wasn't so bad. They walked instead of Apparating. Samantha said she wanted to get to know her better. She was from the Midwest; a state called "Ohio." She talked really fast, something about Buckeyes, Ohio State, and a rival team called "Michigan." Hermione was a bit lost.

She studied the witch while she spoke. Samantha was built the same, just more "developed." Her hair was light brown, more towards the blonde side, not like Hermione's, which was more on the red. Samantha's hair was wavy, not wavy, AND curly, like hers, plus her face was shaped differently. It was rounder and wider, where hers was longer and thinner. Hermione noticed she had tattoos on her right ankle and left wrist. She was strident, forceful, and determined. She was definitely a strong-minded witch. She had pale, creamy skin, but close up you could tell she was older. She must be in her thirties! Hermione thought. At first, it made her feel better, but then, no, Severus was in his late thirties.

Samantha was also Muggle-born. She was so excited to have another "gal" on staff that was a Muggle-born as well. Hermione told her about her growing up, her parents who were dentists, traveling to France, and how she found out she was a witch.

"Gosh, Hermione, you were so lucky! My folks were traumatized. I had to go all the way to Massachusetts to go to my school! There are three separate schools in and around Salem. I went to the Salem Academy for Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was an awesome school. I loved it! You see, in the States, you're tested before you even start school. I showed aptitude for Transfiguration at an early age, and the Salem Academy specializes in Transfiguration, Charms, and Defense...you know, stuff that has to do with using your wand. You know, I didn't realize until I left school and started my apprenticeship, but there are a lot of wizards and witches out there that think wands are very overrated and silly!"

Hermione laughed at that. Oh, if she only knew about Severus' beliefs on "foolish wand-waving"!

Samantha just laughed with her. "I know...that's out-of-control! I mean, I realize that if a witch or wizard has a talent for wandless magic, that's great. That's their thing. Or your husband...he probably isn't into wands either, being a Potions master."

Hermione was getting riled again. She didn't like her even mentioning Severus. She started to tune the woman out. In a strange way, she reminded Hermione of Tonks. Tonks had a carefree, fun, open way about her. However, Hermione kept reminding herself that Samantha was a Slytherin. As they went into the Three Broomsticks, Hermione decided she was going to start listening closer and learn what she could about this witch and remember what old Mad-Eye Moody used to say about "Constant Vigilance"!

Poppy and the "Blonde Triplets," as Samantha called them, were already there. They had already started drinking. Poppy told them not to worry; she declared she had plenty of hangover potion back at the school so no one had to worry about being sick tomorrow. So they drank and they drank.

Rosmerta joined in the fun a bit between customers. Her cousin, Sally, was working with her now that the village coming back to life and the students returning. Sally was put to work, and Rosmerta decided to join in the fun. She went and got Rosie to come and have a pint. They all were starting to get right pissed when the conversation turned south.

Satine said, "You know, I don't know 'ow I am going to get through 'eez semester. There air no men 'ere!"

Rosemerta interjected, "Wait, wait a minute! Now don't you have those two blokes from Durmstrang and also that nice British boy, Alun?"

"Zat es zee problem!" said Christine. "Boyz! Not men!"

Samantha started giggling in her lager. "Hermione doesn't have to worry nuthin' about that," she said in a teasing manner.

All the women began to whoop and laugh when Samantha said that. Hermione snickered and smiled in her drunken haze.

Emilie spoke up. "It has been so long since I've had good sex!"

Samantha piped up in agreement, "Preach it, sister!"

"You know the good kind?" Emilie said.

"Where he's hittin' all the right places?" said Samantha laughing.

Rosemerta was cracking up laughing. "I remember this bloke, oh, it must have been five years ago. I swear he would have me going in a minute. He really knew how to pound!"

Samantha snorted in her drink. "There's nothing like it when a guy can get that sweet spot. I don't even care if he touches my clit. I just want it in me!"

Hermione started to choke on her drink. What is she talking about?

Rosmerta was very well into her cups now. She staggered to Hermione, pounded on her back to stop her choking, and said, "Come on, love. We all want to know, and we swear, we'll dish if we bag one of the other lads, but come on, what's it like shaggin' ole Snape?"

Christine and Satine were crying, they were laughing so hard. Poppy was red as a beet. The only one that seemed to still have her wits about her was Rosie, and she was looking at Hermione very carefully.

"I-I don't know what you mean," Hermione said groggily.

Christine said, "Everyone knows that the size of a man's nose..."

"...Is in direct proportion to his penis size!" finished Samantha.

Hermione was way in over her head. But they all wanted to know. She gathered all the wits she had left about her and said, "Severus would kill me if I told tales. I'll just say everything is the way it should be!" she said with a stupid grin on her face. There, let them think I'm normal like they all are!

She sat and listened as the talking continued. They all were so knowledgeable, and clearly they knew something she didn't. Sex was incredible, penis size was very important, positions, sex toys, fetishes, they knew so much about men and what they liked and how they knew men liked it. Hermione started to feel very, very low and proceeded to get very, very drunk!

Hermione was watching Samantha as she talked about her sex life; she was very open and visual in her descriptions of the encounters she'd had. All of a sudden, in her drunken haze, Hermione got a mental picture of Severus taking Samantha against a wall and him doing all the things she was talking about. Hermione felt like her heart was being ripped out of her. She burst out crying, and before the others could say a word, Rosie was there and intercepted the questions that were thrown.

She wrapped an arm around her and stood her up quickly from the table. "Oh, this poor thing, bless her! She's just too young to know how to hold her drink! She's probably never had anything more than a glass of elf-made wine!" she said sympathetically.

The other girls were sad for her. Choruses of "Are you gonna be alright?" and "We should get her back home!" rang through Hermione's head.

"No," said Rosie as she smiled. "You girls have fun! I'll take care of her," she said sweetly as she ushered the upset girl out of the Three Broomsticks.

Hermione had worked hard to calm herself as they had walked out the front door, but once they were outside, she burst into tears again.

"I want my mum!" she cried as she slid to the ground.

Poppy came out. She was tipsy, but could still talk somewhat normally. "Oh, Rosie, I feel s-so bad. I s-should get her back to the Headmaster!"

Rosie stood in her shawl and regarded the crying girl on the ground. Finally, she said, "No, Poppy, you watch out for those girls in there. I'll see to Madam Snape."

Poppy went back inside while Rosie picked Hermione up from the ground. They walked a bit out of way and Rosie led them to a bench where they could talk privately. Hermione curled up into a ball, put her head on Rosie's lap, and sobbed. Rosie stroked her hair and rubbed her back. A few minutes passed, and Hermione grew quiet.

"You've had a good cry," Rosie said firmly. "Now sit up! You tell me what is wrong," she said as she crossed her arms.

Hermione had sobered up a little after her crying jag ended, so she started to tell Rosie about everything. How much she missed Harry and Ron, how much she wanted her mum and dad, how confusing everything was now she was married, and how scared she was that she wasn't going to be a good teacher.

"So much for a young girl," said Rosie sadly as she shook her head.

Hermione sniffed and sat up straighter. "I'm no girl, I'm almost nineteen!"

"Oh, well, then," said Rosie with a shrug of her shoulders. "I suppose you have it all figured out! I mean, you are nineteen, you're an old married lady now with husband twice your age, life experience, and you're taking on the same responsibilities he has, not to mention you've lost all your dearest friends and have no parents...but you're nineteen. You're fine!" she finished with a mocking look on her face.

Hermione smiled faintly, understanding her mistake. "Sometimes, I just don't know what I'm doing," she said with a sigh. She looked back towards the Three Broomsticks and said, "They all know so much, and I didn't know half of what they were saying!" She turned to face Rosie, and the older witch took her hand and gestured for them to get up and start walking towards the castle.

"Well, they probably don't either," she said off-handedly. "Look, when people get into the drink, they say a lot of silly things. Experiences get blown way out of proportion,"

Hermione lowered her head and the tears came back. She stopped walking, lifted her head and sobbed, "Rosie, I'm a failure!" as she shook her head sadly.

"Come on," Rosie said as she put her arm around the young woman, "Let's walk. Why are you a failure?"

"It's humiliating," Hermione whispered.

"Let me guess," the older witch whispered in return as she gave her arm a squeeze, "you aren't having those 'experiences' like the other girls were talking about, right?"

Hermione went pale as she turned to look into Rosie's eyes. "Please, don't tell Severus, he'll be so angry! He is a very private..."

Rosie raised a hand to stop her. "Shush! I won't say anything to anybody. I don't talk about what people buy in my stores, I don't talk about the bodies of the women who come into my store looking for that perfect piece of lingerie, and I don't talk about my clients' sex lives. And you would be amazed at just how much I've heard," she confided.

Hermione shook her head sadly. "I don't know what is wrong with me. I'm not normal. He knows what he's doing, but I don't. I know it's me. The things they were saying, I've read about it in books! There's supposed to be a huge thing with sex, and I'm not getting it. I mean, I get you know...the regular orgasms," she whispered. "It's just when it's happening, there's just, I'm sorry...I can't talk about it!" She silently cried as she walked on towards the castle. Rosie walked beside her.

Rosie patted the young witch on her back. "It's okay, Hermione. You'll talk when you are ready," she said.

***

When they reached the castle, Rosie helped Hermione up to her quarters. Severus was working at his desk and jumped up at the sight of his wife with Rosie.

"Rosie? Hermione? What the hell is going on?" he demanded angrily.

Rosie brushed off his anger expertly while she settled Hermione on the couch. "Shut your gob, Severus! Oh, the girls gave her too much drink, and she was overwhelmed by it. She had a good cry, said she misses her family and her friends." She gave him a stern look, and he softened.

"Thank you, Rosie, for helping her," he said sourly.

"Anytime, Severus. May I use your Floo? Is it still connected?"

"Of course, go right ahead. I won't be closing it until the morning," he said absent-mindedly as he walked over to his sleeping wife. He looked down at her. She was passed out cold.

"Do you need help?" Rosie whispered as she watched Severus watch his wife with deep concern.

"No, I can manage," he said as he picked her up in his arms.

"Severus, my Floo is open. Remember that when you are finished putting her to bed."