In Losing He Wins

The characters and canon situations in the following story belong solely to J.K. Rowling, Scholastic and WB. I am not making any money from the publishing or writing of this story.

~oOOOo~

Severus glared down at the petite woman as the feeling of absolute irritation coursed through him. He couldn't exactly pinpoint what it was about her that drove him to such immediate vexation, but he thought that perhaps it was the fact that she was looking up at him with nervous, doe-like eyes, or it could have been the blanching of her cheeks and the quickening of her breath that was causing his temperament to deteriorate. Nevertheless, whatever it was, he stood looking down at his former student with one thought clear in his mind: she was just too skittish to be borne. However, it wasn't until she sucked her bottom lip into her mouth and began to nibble, as if she were an insipid school girl waiting to be scolded, that he let out the low growl that had been building in his chest. It rumbled from his throat as he loomed over her.

"Am I to take it that you are my... date?" He bit out the words harshly, the final of which coming out as if it left a bad taste in his mouth.

For a moment, Hermione sat in stunned silent before she found herself answering in a quiet, brittle voice. "As you see."

"Far be it from me to disagree with our dear friends, Ms Granger," he said as his eyes flashed viciously at her, "but they seem to have deluded themselves into believing that we would make good companions, though I am at a lost as to how they ever could have come to such a ridiculous conclusion. It is well known that I refuse to deal with fidgety fools who lack spines."

Hermione felt her breath leave her in a sudden whoosh, the shock of his statement and the sheer callousness of his tone acting as a vacuum in her chest. Tears began to prick at her eyes, but she quickly pushed them down. She was stronger than this and certainly didn't have to take such treatment from Severus Snape.

Actually, she thought as she quickly composed her face, I know just how to deal with bastards like this. Goodness knows she had come across more than a few in her day. The only reason she had reacted with such initial surprise and hurt was that she had been anticipating a friendly encounter. Which, after all, was a reasonable expectation from one's date; however, she knew better now.

With eyes tightening, Hermione straightened herself in her chair and with slow controlled movements she picked up her wine glass. Intently, she gazed at the man, her eyes raking over him in icy sweeps that had, in the past, silenced even the worst of her verbal attackers.

Severus watched as she pulled herself up, clothing herself in a calm and stoic façade that was betrayed only by the fiery glint was growing in her eyes. He knew exactly what she was trying to do. After all, he had perfected that look decades ago. There was no way he was about to be quelled by Hermione Granger. He had half a mind to turn around and march out right then and there, but he knew he could not. Remaining silent, he chose to watch as she took a sip of wine in a deliberately casual manner. It was her move, as far as he was concerned.

"Well, Mr Snape," she said with a click of her tongue, the distaste clear in her haughty tone. "I am sorry that you have such an affliction, though it would seem that you have chosen your line of work rather poorly, given that you deal with fidgety fools on a daily basis as a result of it. Furthermore, that particular fact can only lead me to assume that you either secretly enjoy the behaviour, though you profess otherwise, or that you have quite the masochistic streak. For what it is worth, I am inclined to believe the latter."

Severus rolled his eyes. She was doing nothing to endear herself to him; in fact, the swotty, holier-than-thou tone was only serving to irritate him further.

"As for myself," she continued, choosing to ignore the growing ire that was apparent on his face, "I am neither a fidgety fool nor do I lack a spine. I do concur, however, that our friends were most mistaken. If Narcissa thinks that I would ever be interested in a man who cannot even get through the first minute of dinner without insulting his date, then she must be delusional. Not to mention the fact that I find the very thought of entertaining you as a romantic interest utterly ridiculous."

Hermione, pragmatic as she was, knew that her last statement wasn't strictly true. She had been willing enough to ogle the man during those first few seconds when she hadn't known his identity, but those were only physical traits. A personality, or the lack thereof, she told herself, could sour even the most appealing of physiques.

Severus winced inwardly; the identity of his date had completely leached from his mind the fact that he had been ordered into good behaviour. The know-it-all was a completely inappropriate as a choice for a date, but if he did not behave as he had been specifically ordered to do, then the binding magic of the forfeit would not release him. Bristling inwardly, he cursed Lucius for this perverse torment. Then, gritting his teeth, he took in a deep breath and allowed his anger to flow to the back of his mind. He would deal with Lucius later; for now he needed to get through an evening with the most irritating witch known to man.

"Be that as it may, we find ourselves here," he said, throwing himself into his chair. The swift and slightly petulant movement reminded Hermione of the way Harry and Ron would, in a fit of frustration, throw themselves into their chairs during their Hogwarts study sessions, ill-tempered and with little style. His eyes glinted harshly at the shocked gasp that escaped her as he summoned a waiter.

She watched him closely as he arranged with great ease for the first course to be served. Normally, Hermione would have baulked at a date who arranged her meal without consultation, but it was common knowledge that no one ordered at Epine Noire; the chef magically selected each table's dinner according to the guests themselves. It was the top echelon of fine cuisine, and one would have to be mad to argue with the chef of such an establishment.

Hermione couldn't help but wonder what the man was playing at as he did his duty as the male half of the date and arranged for the meal to begin. The sudden shift in his behaviour left her feeling wrong-footed and wary. Wondering the best way to handle the dinner, she simply couldn't fathom what reason he could possibly have for deciding to stay or why he was almost cordially arranging their dinner, as if it were perfectly acceptable for him to dine with her, when it obviously was not. Hermione had fully expected that after she had spoken to him with such disrespect he would turn on heel and march right out, but something had made him stay. If there was one thing Hermione had learned about Severus Snape over the years, it was that he never did anything without a reason, and this immediately put her on alert.

Hermione watched until he had completed the final meal arrangements, and when the two of them were once again alone, she said in a voice that was sharp but not entirely unkind, "Sir, I cannot help but notice that you have decided, for whatever reason, to continue this farce of a date. Now, as it is clear to me that you do not desire a relationship, of any form, between the pair of us, I must ask myself why you are still here. It was my understanding that Severus Snape never does frivolous things, and from what I can tell, this certainly falls into that category."

"Insufferable twit," he sputtered with a roll of his eyes, but Hermione cut him short with a return roll of her own eyes.

"Honestly," Hermione huffed with exasperation. "We have already established that you do not like me; I am an insufferable know-it-all, just as I was many years ago. You needn't continue to harp on it; the fact will remain the same whether we talk about it or not. Additionally, it does nothing to explain why you are still here." A smirk started to grow on her face, and her eyes shone with true amusement as he stared at her, his face void of expression. "Furthermore," she said, crossing her arms in front of her as she continued to push at his limits, "I have no qualms continuing behaving like the know-it-all that I am until you explain yourself, especially since it frustrates you. I do so enjoy causing you frustration. Now, there is obviously something more going on here than you are letting on. Spill."

"Damn, Lucius," he growled under his breath.

Hermione smiled, knowing that she was making progress. "So, Lucius set you up?"

Severus winced slightly. "Fine... Yes, Lucius set me up," he snapped, a malicious sneer stretching across his face.

Hermione ignored the nasty tone and searing look of hate, continuing to tease him in a completely unaffected manner. "Well, that is at least something. Though, it doesn't explain why you are still here."

"Bah, it does not matter why I am here," he bellowed suddenly, and Hermione was instantly thankful for the privacy charms around the tables. "We will eat the food," he continued to bark, "drink the wine and have minimal conversation. Then, when we have completed the meal, we will go our separate ways, never to speak of this night again. That is all that is required, and I suggest that you do so or you shall suffer the consequences." He looked at her viciously, as if daring her to contradict him.

Hermione tried to hold back the burst of laughter that suddenly filled her, but she could not. It had been some time since Severus Snape had been her professor, and from this angle, his caustic nature seemed rather humorous. Plus, it was clear to her that he was extremely set on not explaining his motives in staying, which only further drove her curiosity. As she laughed openly, thoroughly amused by his explosive barking of orders, he looked at her with incredulous alarm.

"The consequences, eh?" she taunted with a raised eyebrow and a saucy smirk. "You do realise that I am not one of your students to torment, right? I've long since left the halls of Hogwarts, Professor Snape. What consequences would you have for me? Will you billow and glare me in submission?" She grinned at him impishly.

Hermione knew very well that the man could find perfectly horrid consequences, if he really wanted to, but she also was very much aware of exactly who he was and how he had behaved in the past. The man was all bark and little bite. Besides, no matter how rough of a façade he maintained for the rest of the world, he had risked his life in order to save hers far too many times for her to truly fear him, and she suspected that was exactly why it was so easy for her to get under his skin.

He stared at her incredulously as she continued to press him for information. "Now, for the final time, why are you still here?" Hermione demanded, slamming her hand on to the table, her eyes sparkling with shrewd calculation. "There is a reason, and don't even try to deny it. You said all that is required is for us to complete the meal, and then we can go our separate ways. However, I know for a fact that I am very much free to walk out that door at any moment I choose. Nothing about this is a requirement for me; I am here by my own choice. This is not the same for you, obviously. So, spill the details. Why are you here?"

Did this inscrutable woman never stop? Gritting his teeth roughly, he swallowed the desire to savage her with words. "Merlin, woman. Must you be such a harpy?" he grumbled, not daring to allow himself to voice anything more.

"Yes, I must." Hermione smiled at him again.

"All right, fine," he spat, deciding that it would be better to just get the conversation over with as quickly as possible. Otherwise, he held little chance of getting through this date with the forfeit being fulfilled. "If you must know, yes, Lucius requires me to complete this date in a respectable manner."

"Because..." Hermione goaded. She had no doubt in her mind that he had yet to give her the whole truth.

He looked at her silently for a moment with cold, calculating eyes. Then, as he realised that she was neither relenting nor reacting to his fury, he broke the stare in defeat. Looking down at the table, he let out a long sigh. This really was not how he had wanted this date to go, confessions to self-righteous Gryffindors included. It also occurred to him that Narcissa, in her warning about not disclosing the existence of the forfeit, had failed to consider the mind of the woman they were setting him up with. There was no denying that Ms Granger was quick, if nothing else. "Because," Severus he said in a low tone, "it is a magically bound forfeit, thus allowing him to set me up on one blind date whether I desire it or not."

Hermione snorted, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Wait, you lost a bet with Lucius Malfoy, and he is using the magical forfeit to force you to go on a date?"

He nodded somewhat sullenly.

"With me?" Incredulity flooded her voice.

He nodded again.

Though she was very amused by the situation, she did have to wonder why, of all women in the Wizarding world, Lucius Malfoy would pick her?

"Why me?" she asked sincerely.

"Your guess is as good as mine, Ms Granger," he told her. "I think he knew that, although you technically meet all my usual requirements for what I look for in a date, your ability to grate on my every last nerve far surpasses any others. Now, as we have completed my humiliation, can we move onto some other topic?" He huffed out a breath and then took a large gulp of wine. It was both uncouth and very out of character for him.

Hermione sat stunned for a moment as she considered exactly what he meant by saying that she met his date criteria. She really didn't care about the irritating him part; she'd always irritated him and guessed she always would, but meeting his criteria was certainly intriguing.

"Oh, no. That is not going to happen," she said as a small thrill ran through her. This is too good to pass up. "You have to tell me; what was the bet?"

"I am not continuing this conversation," he snarled, his expression instantly turning nasty.

"No, no, no, what was the bet?" she pressed him, paying no mind to that fact that he had once again found a firm hold on his anger. She was far too amused that she had got the better of Severus Snape, even if for only a second, to have any mercy on the poor sod now.

"The bet, Mr Snape," she demanded with a brilliant smile, "or I will walk out of here and make it abundantly clear that you behaved abominably toward me in my report to Narcissa." It was her final card, she knew, but she had to try.

This drew him up short. For a second, he allowed himself to be surprised at her audacity. He had no idea that the Princess of the Golden Trio would try blackmailing him. She had apparently grown up and learned a thing or two about the world. However, he was the King of Slytherin tactics, and there was no way he could ever be out-Slytherined by a Gryffindor, even if she was the most brilliant witch of her age. As he felt his irritation fall down a notch...he always had enjoyed a good back and forth with someone who wasn't an imbecile...he decided that perhaps he could play along for awhile; after all this was a date. With that idea in mind, a smirk began to grow on his face.

"As amusing as that would be," he drawled, an eyebrow rising, "I shall simply inform them of the truth: That, once I recovered from my fit of temper, I graciously begged your apologies and then proceeded to behave as an ideal dinner companion. I do believe I even went so far as to inquire as to your profession, and the conversation that followed could be called nothing but polite."

"The magic will know if you are lying," Hermione said with obvious suspicion.

"Who says that I will be lying?" His voice turned suddenly smooth, and he flashed a rakish grin at her. Severus knew that he'd succeeding in cornering the unruly woman as he watched her eyes go wide with confusion. "Ms Granger," he purred as he quickly reached across the table and swiped up her hand. "Please accept my humblest apologies for my behaviour this evening. I am well known for my temper, true, but it was poorly done of me to take it out on you."

A speechless Hermione gaped at him, her eyes darting from the odd smile on his face, to their joined hands upon the tabletop. Her eyes, wild with astonishment, looked rather owlish as an involuntary smile began to grow on her face. There was something about the combination of his apology, which, though sounding sincere, she knew was meant sarcastically, and the boyish grin on his face. It was so unlike Snape, yet in that moment, it fit so perfectly on him that she felt laughter begin to build in her for a second time that evening. Then, a small giggle escaped, and once the dam had broken, she descended into a full fit of hysterical laughter. Tears pricked at her eyes, and her cheeks flushed with the hilarity of the situation. With a quick squeeze to his hand, she gave him a quick nod of assent.

"All right, then, Mr Potions Master, have it your way," Hermione said as she took several long calming breaths. "Oh, Merlin! I haven't had such a great laugh in ages."

Severus quirked his head to the side and watched as she composed herself. He realised now that he really didn't know what to make of the odd witch. She was unlike any other woman he'd met.

"Though, remember, the magic will know," she said, drawing him from his contemplation of her.

"Indeed, it will," he agreed.

~oOOOo~

Severus watched as Hermione refilled her glass of wine and again began to take small sips, and then he asked in a tone that was frightening in its niceness, "Now tell me, Ms Granger, what do you do by profession?"

Hermione took in a startled breath just as she swallowed and had to quickly set down her wine glass as she coughed and sputtered in disbelief. "Y-You're serious?" she asked as she made dabs at her mouth with her napkin.

He let out a small breath of exasperation. "Woman, I said as much, and I never ask frivolous questions. So, if I asked you, it stands to reason that I desire an answer. Have you broken that brain of yours with your foolish nattering?"

For a brief moment, Hermione considered exactly how she wanted to answer this question. She could answer generally, with little to no detail, as she would her usual dates, and it would serve the man right after how he had behaved. However, there was something inside her that stopped. She knew that behaving in such a manner wouldn't get her where she wanted to go, not that she really had any idea of where that was. When she considered the fact that Severus Snape was a man who had intrigued her for years and that she would really like to know what made him tick despite his generally appalling behaviour, she knew that generalities were not the best course.

"Okay, okay," she relented. "If you really want to know... By profession I do two things. I am the Head Coordinator of Operations at Nym's House Orphanage. I won't be so daft as explain the operation, because I know you are aware of exactly what Nym's House does, except to say that it is where I met and became friends with Narcissa, who is under the impression that I work too much and in need of a night of fun." The look on her face told him that she was certainly questioning Narcissa's idea of fun.

"My duties there range from tending to the children, to taking care of personnel issues, to arranging the daily operation of the orphanage itself. It is my passion and my heart, and I would gladly devote the rest of my life to those children. However, charity work does not pay the bills, and in order to do that, my second profession takes the form of Lead Arithmancy Consultant for Malfoy Industries. I manage all of the Master-level financial and magical Arithmancy equations for them. The subjects run the gamut from Muggle stock-market fluctuations, to experimental potions ingredient reactions, and even magical evaluations on the experimental charms used in the growth of magical and Muggle plants. I work with them on a per diem basis. But if it involves Arithmancy, then I am the one organizing it for them."

Severus was impressed. He knew that she was involved with the orphanage; he'd heard Narcissa speak of her on several occasions, but to be skilled enough to run Arithmancy calculations for Malfoy Industries... Well, he knew that Lucius must trust Ms Granger a great deal, and though he was using her to poke fun at Severus' easily irritated manner, he probably respected her a lot as well. "And do you enjoy your work?" he continued. His eyes looked shockingly interested as he asked the blatantly bland question.

Hermione looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Never took you as one for small talk, Mr Snape. As inane as the question is... I suppose I enjoy it as much as anyone can enjoy Arithmancy. It pays well, and I am good at it."

"Indeed. Arithmancy is a tool, a map to other magics. Though I suppose there is some excitement and joy to be found in the solving of a particularly challenging equation, in the end all you have is a piece of paper."

"Exactly, so I use Arithmancy to pay the bills and pour my energy into bettering the lives of those who need it the most."

"It is an admirable sentiment. It is also a reflection of your capability that you've been entrusted with such important calculations by one as galleon conscious as Lucius Malfoy. It says a lot to those who know him," he said in a markedly sincere tone that startled both of them.

"Thank you," she replied with quiet surprise, a light blush tingeing her cheeks. Even after all these years, she was surprised to find the need for his approval to be as poignant and as strong as it had been when she was fifteen. What she finally looked up at him, pushing her slight embarrassment away, she asked, "What about you? You teach, I know that. Why? What makes Mr Snape tick now that he is no longer saving the arse of a naive oaf and his friends?"

"Naive oaf, eh?" Severus queried.

"Oh, don't you even think you can turn the conversation back to me or my friends," she quipped playfully, her eyes catching his, which sent a spark of attraction through her that left her stomach flipping lightly. "I know those tactics, and they won't work. Tit for tat, sir. This is a date, and as such, you are required to share."

Severus stared into her eyes for a moment, and then as she shook her head to add emphasis to her words, he took in her flushed cheeks and listened to how she was happily nagging him, as if it were completely normal and acceptable. He didn't want to admit it, but suddenly, in that instant, she didn't seem so irritating to him anymore. Perhaps it wasn't so odious to give her a sincere answer because, really, if there was anyone in this world who could appreciate where he had come from and what he had gone through, it was Hermione Granger. She was smart and, at the very least, knew his history better than any other date he had encountered.

Hermione was altogether surprised and unnerved at the turn the evening seemed to be taking. After she had asked her question, he had looked into her eyes with an intensity that she could feel in her bones, and then he actually gave her a real answer. It wasn't anything earth-shattering, simply that he enjoyed brewing and reading in his free time, which was very little during the school year, and that, in the summers since the end of the war, he had tried to do as little as possible as he'd had precious little time to relax in the past twenty years. But it was the truth. It wasn't posturing or vague, it was an honest-to-goodness straight answer. It was an answer that she could greatly appreciate, understand and even admire. And it left her altogether speechless.

His breath felt weak and hollow in his chest as he completed his reply to her. Severus was stunned and trying very much to hide it. He had not expected it to be so easy to share that answer, and true, it wasn't a deep revelation, but still, it had been completely sincere, which was far more than most of his dates got.

When he had initially realised who his date was, he had been completely appalled. She was the female member of the Golden Trio; there was no way he could ever be interested in her. But, once they had both got over their initial surprise, and then she had proved that she could keep up with him conversationally, his irritation had faded. And when that had happened, all that there was left for him to do was to acknowledge and admire how expressive her eyes were. He couldn't help but be pleased that her hair, though curly, was still very successfully playing the tantalizing game of hide-and-seek with the pale skin of her neck. No, he had not been interested in the woman romantically, but now, perhaps he could allow himself the leeway that maybe he was wrong in his initial reaction. After all, it wasn't Hermione's fault that Lucius had chosen her to torment him. If there was anyone who deserved his censure, it was not Hermione, but Lucius. And Lucius would pay; he would make sure of that.

~oOOOo~

As they stood in the foyer of the restaurant readying themselves to leave, Hermione once again broached the topic that had been left behind much earlier in the evening. "So, last chance to tell me what the bet was," she teased with ease, the tension of earlier long since forgotten. "I could always ask Narcissa, you know."

"And I do believe that you will find Narcissa is completely in the dark as to the nature of the bet as well. Suffice it to say, Ms Granger," he said as amusement danced in his eyes, "that you will never find out what the bet was. However, I must say that it was not so odious that I lost, in the end. Tonight has been more entertaining than I thought possible."

"I had a lovely time as well, sir. Though, I do wish you would call me Hermione," she told him, gathering up her cloak.

"Hermione, then," he purred as he helped her into the fur-lined cloak. When it was settled into place and fastened, he ran his hand softly down her covered arms.

Hermione shivered under his touch, and when she turned to face him, she saw the familiar knowing smirk that rested on his lips. Choosing to ignore it, she asked, "Do you think we can leave from here? I'd rather not have to try and make it to the Apparition point in this weather."

He turned to look out the window. The snow was still coming down in large flakes. The drift on the ground lay at least two feet thick.

"I do believe that would be acceptable, unless, of course, the Gryffindor know-it-all has not the ability to Apparate silently."

Hermione rolled her eyes and let out a delicate snort. "Thanks for that, I can see your confidence in my abilities shining through." Then, with a shake of her head, she smiled once again and extended her hand toward him. "Well...?"

Severus' heart suddenly ached as he looked at the striking woman extending her hand to him with such a trusting and open expression. As he took up the proffered hand with his fingertip and gently turned it so that he could place a soft, lingering kiss on the back, he told himself he was not behaving in such a manner because she was rather beautiful and had been an enchanting dinner companion who had completely disarmed him. No, he internally scoffed, this was simply his last chance to mess with the witch's head, and that was all. He wasn't attracted to her at all, and it would not do to allow their date to end without keeping her on her toes the entire time.

As his eyes purposefully met hers, he smiled wickedly. Hermione was blushing a beautiful rose. Idly, he noted that it stretched from her cheeks all the way down to the front of her dress, where it disappeared from view. "Now, I will bid you good evening, Hermione," he purred, low and tantalizing, before releasing her hand and spinning away in silent Apparation.

"Show off," Hermione said breathlessly into the empty space where he had been standing only moments before, her stomach still fluttering with excitement and heart still pounding. Then, pulling her cloak about her, she too spun silently into the night.

~oOOOo~