Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Six months later:

Severus placed his newest product onto the shelf carefully. Hermione had taught him how to display an item to its best advantage, so he now arranged the product attractively as he mulled over the past several months.

It had taken two months to get everything started, but business had been steady from the opening of the shop. The store now brought in a modest profit, and both he and Hermione hoped business would increase exponentially as word of his products got out.

He stared at the tall thin bottles he was shelving, all with a slight curve to the right. The delicate decanter had been chosen by Hermione. Gazing down at the label, he smirked to himself. It had taken them quite a long time to settle upon this logo. Severus had insisted they use his original name of Dead Man's Secret, despite Hermione's protests. She had balked at it and at the picture he'd drawn up of a skeleton in a top hat, bent over a cauldron, brewing.

"Severus, this logo is hideous."

"Then trust me on this."

They'd eventually compromised and created the logo before him now. A handsome, wispy ghost now stirred the cauldron. His black hair...not unlike Severus'...was sleeked back, and his dark eyes studied the cauldron as he stirred it. The logo was enchanted so that the ghost looked up every now and then and winked at the customer. Severus had to admit that Hermione had done brilliantly. It never ceased to amaze him when a woman would squeal in delight as the handsome ghost winked at her. The products flew off the shelves. His male customers didn't seem to mind it either. Evidently, they felt they would become as handsome as the ghost in the logo if they used Severus' products.

He hoped that this new item would be just as popular. It was a 'do-it-all' for hair. Given Hermione's difficult mane and his lackluster locks, they'd both agreed that such a product was timely and definitely necessary. He placed the last bottle on the shelf when he heard another squeal of delight coming from a customer.

Straightening, he went over to find Madam Sondra Barton squealing again. She was a regular customer and could never get enough of the ghost winking at her. Severus had learned in the last few months that certain customers required certain handling. He sighed as he approached her because unfortunately, for this woman to remain his customer, he had to be extra nice and... somewhat flirty. The task always made him cringe, but she only came in once a month. He found it well worth his while to play nice because she always left with one of everything in the store.

"Ah, Madam Barton, a pleasure to see you again," he rumbled in his dark bass voice.

The woman turned to him, and her face lit up with a smile.

"Master Severus! Oh! I can't tell you how much I adore this picture on your products!" she cried.

"My lady, have you seen our latest item?" He eyed her hair. "Of course, with such beautiful hair as yours, you may find you are not in need of it." He cringed inwardly at his sugary tone. Thank heavens this only happened once a month.

He led her to the shelf with his new hair product on it. The woman took a bottle into her hand.

"Oh, it's lovely! What does it do?"

"It's a hair tonic, but not just any hair tonic. It's intelligent. It can sense any need your hair may have, and it fixes it. I'm wearing some myself." He motioned to his head.

"My, Master Snape, your hair does look most luxurious today." The woman reached out and ran her fingers through his hair. He closed his eyes in disgust, but she continued with her onslaught.

"It feels lovely. It makes me want to run my hands through your hair all day." She ran her hand through it again, closing her own eyes in satisfaction. Severus controlled the urge to pull away and hex the daylights out of her. Never hex the customers. Never hex the customers! He repeated the mantra over and over in his head until the desire to grab his wand subsided.

"Well," she sighed finally. "If it works so well on your hair, I'll have to try it for my own. And I'll take the usual assortment, too."

He gave her a slight bow as he gathered her purchases into his arms and took them to the register.

"You know, Severus... You don't mind if I call you Severus, do you? We really should get together sometime. Maybe have some dinner?"

Severus froze. This was the first time she'd gone so far as to ask him out. He cleared his throat nervously.

"Madam... I am currently involved with someone."

Sondra Barton straightened up and pulled on the edge of her suit coat. "Well, I wasn't proposing marriage! It was just dinner."

He cleared his throat again. "I understand that, Madam, but I must decline."

The woman gave him a crusty look. Severus decided he'd had enough of playing nice with her.

"Indeed, Madam Barton, even if I wasn't involved, I would decline. I am not the rogue you believe me to be. Are you not married yourself? I would imagine that your husband might find it untoward if we were to engage in such activities."

Madam Barton lifted her nose in the air and walked out, leaving her unpaid purchases on the counter. Severus scowled to himself as he picked up the large number of bottles and began to put them back onto their appointed shelves.

Hermione bustled in at that moment, carrying a box. She went directly into the back room. Severus put down the items he was shelving and followed her in. By the time he'd gotten to the doorway, she was already on her way out. She gave him a peck on the cheek as she whizzed by.

"I'm sorry I can't stay," she called over her shoulder. "I've got an important meeting with the Board of Governors in ten minutes."

With that declaration, she spun around and Disapparated. Severus frowned after her. Their time together had been waning in the last weeks. Her position as Headmistress had taken up the majority of her time, and Severus was feeling a bit neglected. He tried to shrug it off...after all, she had a job to do...but he couldn't help feeling slighted as she went about her business, only taking time out to peck him on the cheek or give him a compulsory hug now and again. It was beginning to bother him, and he wondered if perhaps she'd grown tired of him.

Later that day, Severus looked out the window and found Hermione standing in front of the shop talking animatedly with Ronald Weasley. She had a huge smile on her face...the one she usually saved for him. Severus felt anger and jealousy well up within him. Suddenly, Hermione threw her arms around Weasley and hugged him furiously. Pulling away, she said something else, then kissed him on the cheek, much like she'd done to Severus earlier.

So, that's how it is, then... he thought as his jealousy took over his senses. Her heart has returned to that buffoon.

Hermione burst into the shop only a few seconds later. Severus scowled at her.

"I have no need of your services today, Professor Granger," he said sharply.

Hermione frowned immediately. "Severus? What's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong; I just do not need your help today."

"But I..."

"Go!" he demanded, glowering at her.

She seemed upset. The treacherous wench also seemed to care for me, too.

"I just..." she tried again.

"Get... Out."

Hermione looked hurt, but spun around and quickly departed. He watched her go, hoping that his harshness would make him feel better about the situation. It only made him feel worse. His heart sank at what he'd done.

What is wrong with me? I know she's friends with Weasley; it was probably only a friendly sign of affection. Why am I so upset?

Stalking up to the door, he locked it and flipped the sign to closed. His customers would have to wait until tomorrow to get their coveted potions. He was in no mood to deal with them.

Turning, he stalked into the back of the shop and up to his room where he slammed the door behind him, stalked to his bedroom, and flopped onto the bed. Staring at the ceiling with his arms behind his head, he grumbled to himself for some time, finally getting around to thinking about what Hermione Granger truly meant to him.

I am in love with her.... I have known that for months now. Love... Who would have thought I'd have found it again? Who would have thought I'd have once again let it slip through my fingers?

I should have known it was too good to be true... She is too good to be true. Nothing good ever stays with me for long.

A new chance at life... bah... This is the same life, only more miserable because now I have lost what I treasure the most.

He sat up then, with a look of determination on his face.

"You are a Slytherin, surely you will not let her go without a fight?" he said aloud.

He got out of the bed and went over to his closet to grab his cloak. As he put it around his shoulders, he heard an owl tapping on his window. Looking out, he saw it was Hermione's owl. He rushed to the window, took the missive from the bird, and threw it an owl treat. Looking down at the envelope his Slytherin cunning left him and a deep-seated fear replaced it. There was something oddly shaped in the envelope. It wasn't a note, but something small and bulky.

He opened the envelope tentatively and peered within. Her locket was nestled there...the locket he'd given her as a sign of his affection. His heart sank as he gazed upon it. The locket was broken, the front part with her picture was missing, leaving only the part with him secretly smiling at her lying within the envelope. It was a bit battered because she'd evidently ripped the front from it. His heart sank. This message was one he couldn't ignore. He'd upset her, and she wanted nothing more to do with him. Once again he'd driven the woman he loved far from him, and, once again, he knew he would remain unforgiven.

Grief stricken, he reached into the envelope, gathering the necklace in his hand...and felt the strong pull of a Portkey transporting him out of his room.

A/N: Thanks again to beta slytherinlaurel for her beta work. Thank you, reader, for your reviews and love for this story.