Chapter 10

Final disclaimer: I don't own them. Honest. I do claim Can-Touch Talc, though, so if for some reason you want to use it (in a story, not as a product!), please ask.

Severus arrived at the Ministry early in the week after returning to the Muggle joke shop. He wanted to tell Hermione what he had found out, and was hoping that in the meantime she had heard rumours of the results of the . . . detention assignment . . . as their engagement had thoroughly distracted them from their intended weekend tasks. Not only had they felt the need to privately celebrate, but Hermione had insisted on taking him to meet her parents.

He thought the visit had been successful given that he was still alive.

He still couldn't believe she hadn't warned them first. Or at least warned him that she hadn't warned them. Oh, no, they just showed up unexpectedly on the Grangers' porch with Hermione announcing that she and her fiancé were there to visit, and oh by the way, it's Severus Snape, who used to be her Potions teacher and was deeply involved in the war. Yes, he was the one who killed Professor Dumbledore, but he had been exonerated, she had told them all about it, remember?

After the shock – on both sides – wore off, things did get better. They questioned the age difference, wanted reassurance that it was a recent development and not something from their time at Hogwarts, and generally noticed that Hermione was practically glowing. Even he, the emotionally cut-off bat of the dungeons, could see how happy she was. He still was amazed that he was the one causing her happiness, but he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

As he exited the lift on her floor, he shook his head at the vagaries of life. He had to consciously prevent himself from smiling, as he was that happy as well. While he was content to let Hermione see that side of him, it wasn't something he wanted to share with all and sundry.

Hermione was sitting at her desk, her hair tucked neatly into one of those bun-things, like Minerva wore, only Hermione's wasn't quite as neat and tidy. She was scribbling furiously on a piece of parchment while referring back to a thick book every few seconds. By mutual agreement her ring was Disillusioned for the time being.

Severus cleared his throat.

Hermione's head shot up and she jumped in shock, her quill flying across the room (thankfully not at him), before she managed to extricate herself from her chair and cross over to him. "Severus! Goodness, you startled me. What are you doing here?"

"I came to take you to lunch, if you're available."

"What? Huh? I thought you didn't want..." She trailed off, peeking past him up and down the hall, before lowering her voice. "Is this as colleagues or as a couple?"

He suspected that if he answered this question incorrectly, he was in trouble. Truthfully, he hadn't really thought about it; he had just wanted to see her, and sharing news and asking about the twins were excuses, not reasons.

"Now that your parents and friends know, and Minerva knows and has talked to some of the Order members, I have no objection to showing the public that we're together. But the decision is yours."

Apparently, as stilted as he knew that had been, it was an acceptable answer, as she smiled back at him. "I think . . . I think I'd like to be us in public now, if it's truly acceptable to you."

"Hermione, I will never be one for significant public displays of affection, but subtle actions are certainly acceptable." He offered her his arm in what he realised was an old-fashioned gesture, but taking her hand in the middle of the Ministry offices was a little too informal for his taste. She didn't seem to mind, as she placed her hand in the crook of his elbow and nodded for them to start off.

They didn't even make it to the lift before they were spotted and commented upon. Thankfully, it was just a random person from Hermione's department, someone older than Severus by a good margin of years. It was no one that knew either of them from Hogwarts (in his case, either as a student or as a teacher), and no one that Hermione needed to have a drawn-out conversation with. A simple "yes" to the man's impertinent question about their dating status and they could easily continue on.

When they reached the Atrium, however, it was a completely different story. Several people that Severus recognised as Hermione's former classmates swarmed her as they exited the lift onto the main floor.

"Hermione? Professor Snape?" echoed various confused voices.

His fiancée tightened her hand on his arm and replied politely to everyone.

"Yes, Padma, Severus and I are going to lunch together."

In response to a stuttering male voice: "Excuse me, Neville? I didn't catch that?"

"Of course we'll tell you if there's anything you need to know, Dean." Severus personally didn't think Mr. Thomas needed to know much of anything, but he trusted Hermione would be reasonable in that regard, if not as reticent as he might prefer.

Finally they managed to escape from the small gathered crowd and make it to the fireplaces.

Severus stopped them in front of one about two-thirds of the way across the room. "Do you think we might be best served by retreating to one of our homes at this point?" he asked.

"Definitely not," Hermione was quick to reply. "If we disappear and our lunchtime whereabouts can't be vouched for by anyone, then the gossip will run rampant. If we have a casual lunch, with a bit of affection at most, they'll goggle over it but the potential for nastiness is reduced dramatically."

He knew she was correct but was exceedingly displeased about it. Not displeased that she knew it; despite his one-time loathing for her know-it-all tendencies in the classroom, her intelligence didn't bother him. No, he just didn't like the answer itself, correct and accurate though it was. His solitary existence was being forcibly – though voluntarily – taken away from him, and sometimes it was a bit difficult to reconcile himself to the changes.

"Very well," he grumbled. "Shall we make it as public as possible, then? The Leaky Cauldron?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes, I think so. I can't say it would be my first choice; I'd actually rather go somewhere quiet, either wizard or Muggle, but it looks like that option isn't to be." She grabbed a handful of Floo powder from the bowl on the mantle and quickly left the Ministry. Severus followed immediately behind her.

He carefully brushed off his robes as Hermione did the same, then offered his arm once again. She allowed him to escort her to a table that was on the perimeter of the room but not too far into a corner. He didn't want to appear to be hiding, but neither did he want to sit in a spot that begged the other patrons to stare at them.

They both knew what they wanted, and after Severus helped Hermione into her chair, he crossed to the bar to place their order. He was just sitting down again when they were descended upon by yet another about-to-be confused former Hogwarts student.

"Hey, Hermione, how are you?" came an officious voice. "I was wondering if you were interested in . . . uh, hi, Professor Snape," it ended in a more bewildered tone as its owner stopped next to them. A former Gryffindor – What was his name? McGordon? No. McLaggen, yes, that was it.

Severus raised an eyebrow. "Mr. McLaggen," he acknowledged, deciding he would prefer not to have this pompous idiot address him less formally.

"Cormac, what an unexpected surprise." Hermione's voice was surprisingly cool considering that she was addressing one of her former housemates. Severus' senses immediately went on alert.

McLaggen looked back and forth between them before continuing. "Yes, well, I wanted to speak with you, Hermione, about inviting you to watch one of my games? First-string Keeper for the Wimbledon Wasps, you know." His boastful words were accompanied by a distinct puffing out of his chest.

She shook her head in reply. "I appreciate the thought, Cormac, but I'm not much of a Quidditch fan, I must admit."

"But I thought . . . never mind. How about drinks some night?"

"I'm afraid I don't think that's a good idea. Severus and I are seeing each other. I'm sorry, I should have said that straight off." The frown that accompanied her comment assured Severus that she was not unhappy to have him as an excuse.

"Huh?" McLaggen looked back and forth between them again. "You and..." He trailed off when Severus crossed his arms, despite his deliberately keeping a neutral expression on his face.

"Yes, Severus and I. So you see, it wouldn't at all be appropriate for me to meet you. Thanks for thinking of me, though, Cormac, and good luck in your next match!" Hermione's fake cheerfulness did the ticket and McLaggen wandered off without any good-byes, all the while shaking his head.

Their food was delivered to their table, and they managed to make it halfway through their lunches before the next explosion occurred. This time it came in the annoying, bouncy form of Miss Weasley.

"Hermione! Professor Snape! Nice to see you both. My friends–" she indicated a group of witches across the dining room by the door, "–and I had just finished up, and I wanted to say hello before leaving." Her companions exchanged odd looks with each other as they waved briefly before exiting.

Severus revised his opinion of her; she was clearly trying to put a stamp of approval on their lunch date. "Please, Miss Weasley, I'm no longer a teacher. Severus, if you would, or Mr. Snape, if that's more comfortable for you."

She looked at him thoughtfully. "Severus," she continued. "If you'll call me Ginny. Yes, I'm glad to see you both out – have you heard the latest?"

Severus and Hermione looked at each other. "Apparently not, as I can't think of any recent noteworthy news," Hermione responded, a tad cautiously. Her tone struck Severus as sounding rather guilty, but Miss Weasley – Ginny – didn't seem to notice.

"The shop has been overrun with a flood of Pygmy Puffs! Fred and George were having such trouble breeding them, but all of a sudden there was – what's that Muggle term? – a population explosion? Something like that, anyway."

Severus kept his face impassive and watched Hermione struggle to put on a look of curiosity before she answered. "Gracious, they were indeed having problems with it, I remember one of them – I'm not sure which, however – complaining. What happened?"

"That's just it! They don't know. They're up to their ears in Pygmy Puffs – figuratively, not literally, at least not yet – and are spending all hours of the day replenishing their dry food and cleaning up after them. I've never heard them string so many swearwords together, and that's saying something!"

"What are they going to do?"

Ginny frowned. "I'm not sure. They muttered something about some Muggle show on the telly and a Portkey, but I don't think they were serious." Hermione was clearly working very hard not to glance in his direction. "I think they might just wait and see if it's a one-time deal or if it keeps going."

"I suppose they could run a sale on them, couldn't they?" Hermione suggested. "That might help get a chunk of them out of the shop quickly."

"Good thought, thanks. I'll pass it onto them. Are you still not speaking to them?"

"I was never 'not speaking' to them," Hermione huffed. "I was just avoiding them while my temper cooled down, and then it became a habit. I don't want to work there again, however, as I don't think I could handle that. We'll stop by after lunch, perhaps, and say hello."

Ginny raised her brows at that but didn't comment on it. "Be careful when you do; it is, as you can imagine, a little crowded right now. Cute though the critters are, the back room of the shop is currently this disgusting tangle of pink tongues – and usually at least several of them are trying to get up your nose. This bunch seems particularly active and despite Puffskeins' normal preference for sleeping wizards, these don't care if you're wide awake. I swear, Fred and George are covered in Pygmy Puff spit, and visitors to the back aren't exempt from the furry critters' attempts to scavenge."

Severus thought it would be perfectly in character for him to frown at that point, so he did so. "That is a disgusting image, Miss Weasley . . . Ginny," he corrected at a reciprocal frown from said witch. "I do so thank you for sharing it with us while we're eating our lunch."

"Oh, you know us Weasleys, always ready to spread gross tales everywhere," she said with a grin. "But I apologise for doing so during your meal."

Hermione jumped back into the conversation with a change of topic. "Thanks for the gossip – er, news, Ginny. How is your wedding planning coming along?"

At this, Ginny pulled up a chair from a nearby table and the two women engaged in a long conversation about wedding preparations. Which put Severus in a rather cranky mood – though he tried to keep his face from frowning any more, the conversation was reminding him of several things.

First, he was probably going to have to attend Potter's wedding. Bugger all. Potter undoubtedly desired his presence about as much as Severus wanted to attend, but he suspected there was no real way around it. He had conveniently ignored that fact when Hermione had mentioned the second thing that was currently bothering him.

The second thing being that it reminded him that Hermione wanted to wait until after the Weasley-Potter wedding – which was at least only a couple of months away – to announce their engagement. He agreed in principle that the publicity would be more favourable towards them if they waited. But he didn't like the idea of it.

And finally, it reminded him that he was going to have to suffer through all of this planning rubbish for their own wedding, as Hermione clearly was enjoying the process vicariously through Ginny at the moment. He couldn't imagine asking her to nip off for a Registry wedding without the hundreds – or at least dozens – of people they would undoubtedly be forced to invite. And they'd probably have to have two weddings. One for Hermione's Muggle relatives, who could thankfully be told the simple truth: that he had no close family and just a few friends, who he would hand-select for their ability to blend in with Muggles. And a second, Wizarding ceremony as well.

How decidedly unpleasant, all around.

"Severus?" The annoyed look on Hermione's face indicated that it wasn't the first time she had called his name.

Best to just ignore that part. "Yes?" He rather thought that wedding plans had to be whole-scale revenge for something that the male population once did, but he couldn't quite pinpoint what that something might have been.

She made another face at him and said, "Ginny was just saying that they were using a deep violet and gold as their wedding colours. Doesn't that sound lovely?"

Severus repressed the inclination to roll his eyes, instead opting to keep the peace and play along. "Personally, I've always preferred silver to gold, but I'm sure it will be very nice." There, that was just a bit Snape-like without being overly rude.

Obviously, he was supposed to be paying attention to the conversation, however, so he forced himself to listen to Hermione and Ginny as they went on about flowers and food and venues – "the house in Godric's Hollow should be ready by then!"

Severus froze at that.

Hermione immediately noticed and glanced at him.

"Ah, that sounds terrific, Ginny," she said, turning back to the other witch. "And I can't wait to talk to you more about it. But we're boring my lunch date, I believe – could we talk another time?"

Ginny looked at him and apparently recognised the strain in his face, as she didn't say anything other than "of course" and "good to see you" before she retreated and left the dining room.

Hermione turned to him and reached across the table for his hand. "What is it, Severus?"

He just shook his head.

"Godric's Hollow?" she prodded gently.

"Later, Hermione," he said roughly.

She nodded and they continued their lunch in a silence punctuated by inane comments and the occasional small smile. He offered his arm again as they stood to leave and was relieved when she took it without hesitation; he knew he had been rather shut-off and unpleasant for the last half of their meal.

Instead of heading straight back to the Ministry, they opted to meander through Diagon Alley for an additional spot of publicity, so to speak. And perhaps they both intended to check the results of their handiwork at number ninety-three. Hermione kept her hand tucked tightly in his elbow and walked very close to his side as they made their way past the shops.

When they were nearing Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, Severus stepped off to the edge of the stones and planted himself up against the wall between numbers ninety-two and ninety-three. He pulled Hermione near him but kept a slight distance. The hustle and bustle around them would keep the chances of eavesdroppers low.

"Godric's Hollow was the site of several of my worst memories, Hermione. Arriving too late to do anything, and seeing Lily dead, for a start, and realising what it meant when Potter – Harry – lived. Several skirmishes were held in and around there, too, as Voldemort tried to pinpoint their location. And of course, the final battle." He sighed. "Fitting, I suppose, that it was there, but very off-putting as well. I can't believe Potter wants to hold a wedding there."

Hermione looked up at him with a sad smile. "I think that's the point, Severus. The place is filled with bad memories, yet it's fundamentally a good place, where Lily and James wanted to raise Harry, where many generations of Potters had lived in the past. They want to reinstate the good memories," she said softly.

"I know. I'll work it out," he responded.

"Will it help if I promise to take the Can-Touch Talc with us?" she asked mischievously.

Severus looked down at her in exasperation. "Do you mean to tell me we'll be staying there?" he growled. "You didn't mention that part before!"

She shrugged. "You would have heard if you'd been paying better attention to the conversation with Ginny back at the Leaky Cauldron."

He grimaced. "When the time comes, can I just ask for veto power on our wedding plan items and leave it at that?"

"Of course," she said. "That's what Harry's done, and it seems to be working well for them."

"How nice to know that Potter and I have something in common."

"Veto power?"

"No, my dear," he responded silkily. "The stereotypical male dislike of wedding planning."

Hermione blushed. "Umm – right, of course." She paused. "Okay about Godric's Hollow?"

Severus sighed. If there was any accuracy to Muggle psychology, it was probably a good thing for him to attend a happy event at the place, even if the event was Potter's wedding. That word about finishing up – closing – closure. Positive closure to the events that had happened there.

"I'll manage. I won't pretend it will be incredibly easy, but I will make it work," he said. He felt the corners of his lips turn up. "Being with you – with or without Can-Touch Talc – will undoubtedly make it all the more manageable."

Hermione looked intently at him and then surprised him – not entirely unpleasantly, despite their public location – with a quick kiss. "I love you, Severus," she said quietly.

"I love you, too, Hermione," he responded, equally softly, as he took her hand and tucked it back securely in his elbow before beginning to set off towards the front door of the twins' shop.

He immediately paused again, though, as he thought of something. "I went to the joke shop today," he said quickly. "The proprietor told me that the company had gone out of business."

Hermione frowned. "That's odd – I wonder what made them stop. I can't imagine them doing it just because they should."

"I agree," he replied. They continued on.

The lurid window displays attracted a certain type of clientele, and despite the fact that Hogwarts was in session, there were plenty of under-elevens frequenting the main floor when they stepped inside.

"Mum, look!" was the most common phrase he heard around them.

They wound their way back to the counter, where neither twin was anywhere to be seen. This was certainly promising.

Hermione pulled him back past the shop clerks with a brief wave, then through a door that was nearly concealed by all the shelves. To both their amusement and their satisfaction, the back room was exactly as Miss Weasley – Ginny – had described. Fred and George sat in the middle of the pile of fur balls, looking just like Captain Kirk with the Tribbles. Hermione and Severus kept their distance in the hopes of avoiding pink tongues. Nonetheless, they both discreetly took their wands out.

"Fred, George, you seem to be – ah, floating in fluff?" Hermione asked.

The twins turned to them and their eyes immediately narrowed. "It's true, then?" George asked. "We told Ron and Harry we–"

"–wouldn't believe it unless–"

"–we saw it ourselves."

Hermione shrugged. "Yes, it's true, Severus and I are together. Do you have a problem with that?"

Fred and George looked at each other and then back at Hermione and Severus. "To each his – or her – own, I suppose," Fred muttered.

"But we do have one question for you," George said too casually, putting Severus on red alert, fairly certain that this visit had ended the game. Which was actually fine – he did want them to know who had caused it, after all. But he couldn't let them confirm it too easily, either.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Can we have the potion that did this?" Fred followed up.

He put on a surprised expression, and said, "Did what? This, meaning your Pygmy Puff explosion? I wish I could take the credit."

"Oh, I'm certain you can take the credit," Fred replied. "We may not have shown it well at the time, but we did–"

"–learn something in your classes," George finished. "Such as how to examine a sample – of food, in this case – for contamination."

Hermione cut in at that point, obviously also happy to have the game over, as enjoyable as it had been to implement. "Maybe we'll consider it when you explain why you were selling wands in the Muggle market and what made you stop."

"Got nailed–"

"–on that one–"

"–by an old colleague of Dad's."

Hermione zapped a couple of Pygmy Puffs whose tongues were creeping towards her and Severus before glaring at them.

Both their shoulders slumped. "It was just a bit of fun," George grumbled. "Not like Dad didn't do far worse."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Your father didn't try selling things back to Muggles, gentlemen."

"Yeah, that's what the old man from the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office said," George replied.

"Ruined a perfectly good money-making venture, where no one would get hurt," Fred agreed. "None of them had magical cores or anything, just a magical signature from our method of transfiguring the lengths of wood to the right shape and colours."

Hermione shook her head. "So it was just to make money?" she asked, clearly disgusted with them.

Fred sighed. "No, of course not, Hermione."

"It just cheered us up – and Mum, too, I think – to tinker with things in his shed," George explained.

"Do not try to tell me your mum knew you were selling these to Muggles!" Hermione said.

"She didn't," George agreed.

"It was just that she liked having us there," Fred concluded.

Hermione looked at them both intently, then nodded.

Severus and Fred both took a turn zapping tongues back to their proper orifices on the bodies of the fuzzy creatures that owned them.

Severus rejoined the conversation. "Nevertheless, we're not giving you the potion. If you can find it yourselves, I will leave you to your own devices, but if I give it to you for permanent use – yes, this batch will wear off when this round of food is gone, and the rates will slow down again – then I run the risk of being stripped of my Potions mastery if anything goes wrong."

"Really?" The twins exchanged glances.

"Shut it, you two," Hermione snapped.

"Oh, all right. I don't think we could deal with using it all the time, anyway. This was – in a word – gross."

"Yes, thanks a bundle for all the trouble."

Hermione and Severus looked at each other and quoted in unison, "'It was no Tribble at all!'" With that for an exit line, they turned and left.

Fred and George just groaned behind them.

Hermione and Severus smiled as he took her arm and led her back through the shop before they Apparated back to her flat.

The Weasley-Potter wedding went off flawlessly at Godric's Hollow, and to no one's surprise, Hermione and Severus announced that they would be married next. Ron Weasley was heard to swear at this as Susan Bones gave him decidedly cranky looks. Which prompted another proposal and engagement announcement, much to Hermione's amusement and Severus' consternation. But Severus smiled anyway and gamely shook hands with the newly engaged man, his fiancée's former lover, knowing that as annoying as Potter and Weasley might be, they would undoubtedly be inescapable for the remainder of his life. And the look on Hermione's face every time he successfully managed cordiality would make it worth it.

Author's notes:

One last set of thanks to my chapter-by-chapter beta, Scabbyfish, and also to Elfarren for her plot read-through. I am so thankful to both of you for taking the time to help me!

Thank you, too, to all the readers who have read my story, and especially to those who have reviewed. I appreciate your time and your feedback. I do realize this story was light on plot and heavy on fluff, but it wasn't meant to be an adventure or anything, just a light romance. And in my own defense, it was done as part of NaNoWriMo, and my primary goal was just to see if I could write something that was both this long as well as reasonably coherent. I will work on more tension and plot next time, I promise. In the meantime, if you have any constructive feedback for me, please feel free to send it along. (Though I admit that hearing it may frustrate me, I truly do want to improve.)