Four

A/N: I'm having big fun writing this. Yesterday, I wrote chapter 3, 4, and most of 5. That's more words in one day than I've done in a while.

I'm working without a beta, so any mistakes are my own.

Disclaimer: They are not mine, I only take them out to play.

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So distracting were those strange, one-sided kisses, that Hermione was halfway to the Leaky Cauldron before she remembered who had been telling her about a man who had never been kissed. As her mind made the connection, she stumbled and then staggered to a nearby bench to gratefully sink down and give her suddenly weak knees a rest.

The odds of Severus Snape having a Muggle doppelganger were astronomical. The odds of both men having never been kissed were nonsensical.

"Sweet buggering Merlin," she whispered. "I don't know how, but I do think that has to be Severus."

How could it have happened? How could Severus have been left dying in the Shrieking Shack, and then turn up with a Muggle life and no memory of who he had been before? Was he tricking her for some reason? Pretending not to remember her for some wicked plan of his own?

No, that couldn't be it. She remembered the sight of him laughing and the endearingly honest reaction he'd had to her kisses. Besides, Snape had never been any sort of actor. His emotions had always been clear to see on that stark face. Minerva was right. He had only rudimentary manners, let alone the acting ability to pull this kind of scheme. He'd been a good spy due to his ability to occlude, not for his skills as an actor.

What a mess. Because her feelings were already too involved in the matter, Hermione no longer trusted her own instincts. Every fiber of her being shouted that Steven was somehow Severus Snape, but could she trust her own judgment? She needed someone else to observe him and help her figure this mess out. Minerva? No. The kind witch had wept at the thought of Severus' body left lying in the mud somewhere. Minerva might be the best person to figure out if Steven was who she thought he was, but it simply wasn't fair to get the woman's hopes up. Not when Hermione could be very wrong about the situation.

She sat and considered her options. It wasn't long before she came up with a plan. There was, after all, someone she knew who would recognize Severus almost as easily as Minerva.

Jumping up from the bench, Hermione hurried the last few blocks to the Leaky Cauldron. Once inside the safety of the wizarding inn, she sent her Patronus off with a fairly breathless message. The reply came almost at once. A brief shake of her head and she strode with determination to the floo.

When she stumbled out on the other side, strong hands gripped her upper arms to help steady her.

"Hey, Hermione," Harry said. "Why the sudden visit? Anything wrong?"

"No, Harry. At least, nothing urgent. I need to speak to you about something important, though. That is if I'm not interrupting."

"Of course not. You know you're always welcome."

Ginny popped her head out of the kitchen. "Hey, Hermione! I'll be right out. I'm just getting a tea tray together."

"In that case, I'd better borrow your loo. I seem to be drinking way too much tea lately."

"Would you rather have a butterbeer," Harry asked, as she headed for the nearby facilities.

"That would be lovely. Thanks."

"I'll tell Ginny."

When she returned to the living room of Harry and Ginny's cottage, she gratefully accepted the glass of butterbeer after settling onto the sofa between her two friends.

"Where are the kids?"

"Having dinner with mom and dad," Ginny answered. "They take them a couple times a week, as well as for the odd weekend. Mom just dotes on them. Say, Hermione, I heard you tell Harry you needed to speak with him. If you need some privacy, I've got work to do in the back garden."

"No, stay, please. I'd like your input as well."

"It's not about my dunderheaded brother, is it?"

"No, it's nothing to do with Ron. And you don't have to call him names on my account. We really didn't suit each other all that well."

What's this about then?" Harry asked.

As quickly as possible, Hermione filled them in on Steven and how she had come to meet him. While she didn't exactly hide the fact that she was interested in the man, she stopped short of telling them that she had kissed him. By the time she had finished, Harry's eyes were round as saucers behind his glasses.

"Merlin, Hermione. How could a Muggle look so much like Severus? And you made it sound like you thought it was nothing more than a weird coincidence until today. What changed?"

No. She wasn't going to talk about kissing him. That was private. Nor did she want to spread the information that Minerva considered Snape unicorn bait. That was also private, and her surly ex-professor wouldn't have thanked her for spreading the rumor.

"I can't really explain it, Harry. It's just a hunch. The truth is, I can't be certain that my suspicions are anything more than wishful thinking."

"Ah, you need another pair of eyes." Ginny was always quick on the uptake. "But which one of us? And how are you going to work us into the situation?"

"Nothing easier. I've already arranged for me and a classmate to study in his bookshop after class. One of you could pose as my classmate and go with me, that is if you don't mind."

"Muggle university, Muggle class, Muggle bookshop, and Muggle Muggle." Ginny ticked off each point on the fingers of one hand. "Better take Harry with you. He'll know what he's doing."

How would Steven react to a handsome young man of her own age? He had been so pleased to see her again, and so adorably lost when she kissed him.

"I don't know, Ginny. Maybe it would be better if my study partner was a woman."

"Nonsense. Take Harry. The last thing you need is some witch acting all weird in Muggleland." Ginny paused for a moment, looking at Hermione's face. "You like him!"

The exclamation came complete with a pointing finger and a gigantic smile.

"Oh, Merlin's knickers," Hermione muttered before hiding her blushing face behind both hands.

"You do. You fancy this Steven fellow. No wonder you want to take me instead of Harry. But it's no use. You have to take Harry. I simply can't pass for a Muggle, no matter how you dress me up."

"Do you really fancy him?" Harry continued when she nodded slowly without removing her hands from her face. "Even if he is nothing more than a Muggle man who resembles Snape?"

Again she nodded, and then managed to put her hands back in her lap and look at her friend.

"What if he ends up being Severus? What is he has amnesia or something, and he gets his memory back? You know I cared about him Hermione, there were a ton of reasons to admire him, but he wasn't exactly a nice man. What if it's him and we get him back? Would you still fancy him?"

Thinking of a pair of warm lips on the skin of her hand and hot breath ghosting over her knuckles, Hermione dropped her eyes to look at the table and slowly nodded again. "I rather think I would."

"All right," Ginny began, "what if we find out he is Snape, but we can't do anything about his condition. Still fancy him?"

"Then he's Steven again, and I already know I...er...fancy him."

"But he's a Muggle!" Ginny blurted.

"That doesn't bother me, except for being worried he won't be able to accept my being a witch. I won't keep that from him. Not if we end up having a relationship."

"You couldn't," Harry agreed. "Not when it caused so much trouble between his parents. If it is Snape, he might get his memories back at some point, and then he'd be furious. Not the sort of reaction you want in a boyfriend."

"Can you imagine?" Hermione shook her head slightly. "It would be ghastly. He'd never forgive that. No, whether he's a Muggle or a Wizard, I will have to tell him the truth."

"You needn't do it right away," Ginny said. "Yes, by all means, tell him before the wedding, but there's nothing wrong with letting him get to know you a little first."

"Wedding? Honestly, Gin, we haven't even had our first date yet. Carriage before the thestral ring any bells?"

"Oh, I know. I was just speculating. But you really do have to take Harry. I'm useless with Muggle things."

"But what if Steven gets the wrong idea? I don't want him seeing Harry and making any crazy assumptions."

"So," Harry said, "you must think he fancies you as well, if you're worried about it."

"I do think he fancies me, at least I hope so. He asked me out to dinner after our fake study session. I don't know why I'm so worried. He asked if my study partner was a boyfriend and I already told him they were just a friend."

"He fancies you," Harry said with a quick nod of his head. "A man doesn't ask about boyfriends if he isn't interested. Not to worry, Hermione. We'll study, we'll act like we are strictly friends, and it'll be fine. But about this study group, what exactly is it that I'm supposed to be taking a class in?"

"English folklore."

"Great, whether he's Steven or Snape, he'll think I'm a complete dunderhead. I don't know anything about folklore."

"It's all right, Harry." Grabbing her handbag, Hermione found her shrunken textbook and enlarged it with a flick of her wand. "You don't have to know all of it to fake a study session or two. I'm ahead on my reading. Take this and read chapter four, and that will give us enough to talk about."

"Hermione Granger, ahead on her reading, what a shock!" Harry teased as he took the volume from her hand.

"Cut it out, you. Read the chapter and meet me on Wednesday at four thirty. If that's all right? Is that too early?"

"No, it's fine. I can get off work a little early. Things have been quiet these days, and the Aurors don't have as much to do as they used to. Where shall I meet you?"

"It would be best if you met me at the University. Then we could walk to the shop together, as if we've just come from class."

After giving Harry precise directions to where they should meet, Hermione flooed to her flat. It was dinnertime, and she didn't want to impose on her friends any longer, not when they had a night free from the children.

Making a sandwich for her own supper, Hermione wondered where Steven would take her on Wednesday night. What should she wear? She had no idea where he would choose to take her. She didn't want to dress too fancy, but she couldn't go in jeans and a t-shirt either. A simple cotton sundress, maybe. With a cardigan over it, in case the evening was chilly. Not too dressy, not too casual.

What is Steven truly was Severus? Would he still fancy her if he regained his memory? Minerva had said Snape had the interest in romance, just not the skills. Even so, would he want a woman so much younger than him, who he used to teach in school?

There was no use in wondering. She'd have to jump those hurdles when she got to them. Steven seemed to like her, and that was enough to be going on with for the present. She slipped into bed a little early, but it was a long time before sleep claimed her. The memory of a couple of rather one-sided kisses made her restless.

Well, if the man was Severus Snape, no one could say he'd never been kissed now. For some reason, that thought was comforting, and Hermione finally dozed off.