Chapter 8

All canon characters belong to JKR.

Thank you to June for doing the beta work for this.

Chapter 8

Hermione was beside herself. She was going to spend the afternoon and most of the evening with Severus. She had to look her best, but she also had to look like she wasn't trying to look her best. After all, this was just an afternoon of buying potions supplies, followed by dinner with a colleague. Well, a colleague for now, that is.

She went to the bathroom and took a quick shower, then came back to the bedroom to begin her planning. As she looked through her wardrobe, she realized she really had nothing appropriate to wear. Everything she owned that wasn't Muggle clothing made her look frumpy. Hermione quickly took some floo powder and tossed it into the fireplace. There was only one person who could help her, and it happened to be the only person who would ever understand her situation. She called out for Ginny, hoping it wasn't too early for her.

After a few moments, Ginny's head popped in through the flames. "Hermione, how are you?"

"Ginny, I'm fabulous! I need your help, though."

Ginny was surprised. She had never before seen Hermione this giddy or frantic, and wondered if working with Professor Severus Snape had finally gotten to her. "Well, come on over, then." She took a step back and waited for her friend to come through the fireplace.

When Hermione stepped through, she and Ginny gave each other a tight hug, and then sat down on the couch in front of the fireplace.

"So spill. I'm dying to know what has you so excited," said Ginny, smiling and waving her hands about in a flurry of movement.

Hermione looked around the room to make sure they were alone. "Is Draco here?"

"No, he went to go visit his mother. Hermione, what on earth is going on? Look at you, you look like that cat that ate the canary!"

"Okay." Hermione took a deep breath. "Do you remember my telling you once, that I had a crush on a Slytherin during my seventh year?"

"Yes," Ginny said as she crossed her arms and scowled at her. "And don't think I've forgiven you for not telling me who it was."

"Well, you can forgive me now, because it happens that the Slytherin was none other than Professor Snape." Now Hermione crossed her arms and gave Ginny a satisfied grin.

"No! Hermione, are you serious? I can't believe it!" They both started giggling. "Does he know?"

"Good heavens, I hope not!" yelled Hermione.

"I suppose you still have a crush on him, then?" Ginny got closer to her now.

"Yes, a wicked crush, Gin. I can't tell you how difficult it is sometimes, being in the same room with the man. Just trying to keep my hands to myself is becoming quite a bothersome chore."

"Wow, you have got it bad. How has he been then? I mean...has he been nice to you? Draco and I went to see Professor Snape just before you went back to Hogwarts. I have to admit, he's quite a different person when you get to know him, especially outside of the teacher/student relationship."

"You're right. Don't get me wrong, he's still the same Snape we knew in school, but, I don't know, he seems much more.... approachable. Well, approachable for him, that is. For the most part, he has been quite friendly, too."

"Well, I have to say, there is just something about those nasty Slytherin men that makes them irresistible to us poor innocent Gryffindor women."

"Ginny, you have never been innocent, which is why I need your help. I'm going to Hogsmeade with Severus this afternoon for some potions supplies. After that, we will be having dinner out. Now, it's not a date, but I want to at least show him I'm not just a colleague ... I'm someone he should see as a woman."

"Severus now, is it?" Ginny smiled.

"Well, not quite. We still address each other formally, but I can call him anything I want when he's not around, can't I?" Hermione leaned back against the couch and tucked her leg underneath her, to get more comfortable.

"True. So, let's see, we need to find you something casual enough to go shopping for supplies, yet sexy enough to have dinner with a man you are trying to get to notice you, while looking like you aren't trying to get him to notice you." Ginny stood and paced in front of Hermione several times until she smiled. "I have just the outfit, come and see." She took Hermione by the hand and ran up the stairs to her room.

Ginny and Draco had been married for less than three months, but they had been living together at the Malfoy estate for almost a year. Lucius had run off with Rosmerta after the war, and they were living in his estate in France. He gave Draco half the family fortune, and completely cut Narcissa out. She, after all, had been having an affair with an equally wealthy wizard from Spain, so he felt she had plenty of money to keep her happy.

Ginny and Hermione stood inside a large closet filled with dozens upon dozens of dresses, robes, skirts, and everything else you could imagine that was worn. After pushing aside several garments Ginny finally found what she had been looking for.

"Here it is," she pulled out a sage-colored silk robe along with a matching skirt and off-the-shoulder top. "Now the skirt and the top will fit you perfectly. And the robe is made to look like flowing liquid when it moves, see." Ginny waved the robe in front of Hermione. The fabric truly looked like liquid; it was gorgeous.

"Oh, Ginny, it's beautiful, but way too dressy. Remember, I'm not supposed to look like I'm trying to look good for him."

"Oh right, you're right. Okay, that's no problem, as we have plenty of choices here. Something simple, let's see." Ginny and Hermione spent the next hour looking for something simple and casual, yet sexy enough to get the Potions Master's attention. They finally found several outfits that would be perfect for Hermione's expedition with Severus, and were walking out of the closet when they came face to face with Draco.

"I smell trouble. You two have been in there forever, giggling and whispering. What are you up to, and whom should I warn?" he raised a suspicious eyebrow as he crossed his arms and tapped his foot impatiently on the floor.

"Draco, how long have you been here?" Ginny came and gave him a peck on the cheek.

He grabbed his wife by the waist and nipped at her neck playfully, then turned to look at Hermione.

"Well now, Hermione, who are you going out with tonight?" Draco knew enough about women to know that two women holed up in a closet full of clothes laughing and whispering meant one of them had a date. Since Ginny was his wife, of course the guilty party was Hermione.

"Honestly, Draco, must you always be so suspicious? I just haven't had time to buy any new clothes, so I thought I'd borrow some from Ginny until I could go shopping; that's all." Hermione smiled and placed the clothes she held on her arm across the bed.

Draco narrowed his eyes and walked to her. "I'm a Slytherin; we are always suspicious, and nine times out of ten with good reason. Now spill: who is he?" He now threw himself on the bed and smiled.

Ginny slapped him on the arm. "Draco, stop it. If Hermione doesn't want to tell you, then she doesn't have to."

"What's the big deal?" He shrugged his shoulders. "I mean, what's so secret about her going out on a date with someone?"

"Well, you see, it isn't really a date." said Hermione as she sat down on the bed.

"Not a date. Right, that's why you've got enough clothes here to open up your own boutique. If it's not a date, then what is it, exactly?"

"I'm just going to get some supplies for the new school year with a colleague. Since we'll be finished too late to get back to the Great Hall for dinner, we'll be having dinner in London," she mumbled the last few words. Hermione then stood and began to shrink the clothes on the bed, placing them in a small case Ginny had given her. "It's nothing, really, Draco."

"Wait a minute." Draco sat up. "Colleague, school supplies. Aren't you covering some of Severus' classes this year?" Draco now noticed a blush creeping up Hermione's neck and settling onto her cheeks. "It's Severus! You're going on a date with Severus! I knew it, I knew it! You've had a crush on him since we were in school, haven't you?" Draco fell back onto the bed and began laughing.

Ginny immediately began punching him on his arm. "Draco Malfoy, don't you make fun of her!"

"I'm sorry, Hermione, I swear, I'm not laughing at you," Draco shook his head and began to wipe the tears that had fallen from his eyes from laughing so hard. "I think it's fabulous!"

Ginny and Hermione both looked at him as though he had an extra eye growing in the middle of his forehead.

"You aren't going to tell me I'm crazy or disgusting, or try to talk me out of wanting to pursue something with him?" Hermione warily sat down on the bed again.

"Look, I love Severus," explained Draco. "He was more a father to me while I was at Hogwarts than Lucius ever was, and I can't think of anything better than for him to find someone who might make him happy. He made a mistake when he was young, and it cost him the happiness we sometimes take for granted. He has spent over twenty years making amends for that mistake. No, Hermione, I'm not going to reproach you. If you like him, then go for it. Just don't play games with him, that's the one thing that will drive him away."

It touched Hermione that Draco would speak of Severus in such a way. He was very much the Slytherin and rarely spoke with such emotion, but there was such conviction in every word he had spoken, that she could not help but grab him and hug him so hard he could barely breathe.

"Thank you, Draco. Thank you for being so supportive."

"Hey now, Hermione, that's my husband you're rubbing your body against," protested Ginny.

"Ladies, please, there's plenty of Draco to go around." Draco grabbed Ginny and then all three fell onto the bed. After several more playful punches from Ginny, this time because he asked Hermione to join them in a ménage a trois, he excused himself and left the room.

"Ginny, you really are lucky. He turned out to be quite the catch, didn't he?" said Hermione.

"Yes, he did. Remember when he was such an ass to us in school? He says now that it was his way of flirting." Ginny helped Hermione finish putting the clothes in the case and walked her back to the fireplace. "Now you have to floo me tomorrow to tell me everything that happened, you hear?"

"Loud and clear, Mrs. Malfoy." Hermione hugged and thanked Ginny, then stepped into the fireplace. "Hogwarts – Hermione Granger's rooms."

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I hope you liked this chapter. Tomorrow I'll be posting part one of the date.