AN: Did you know that it is my dear Dragoon811's birthday this month? It is. And she loves SS/HG pairings with fluff and smut. So there will be both in this fic. She also loves it when people read and review her stories (she's one of my favs in all of fanfiction: we met because I was gushing about one of her fics). So my gift to any of you who haven't found her is LOOK her up. Wish her a happy birthday in your review.

This fic is rated M (obviously). Anything you recognize belongs to JKR; the story was written with the objective of making my friend smile since she lives a thousand miles away from me and I can't do it in person. I expect a few chapters and it will be done this month (because that's the deadline for birthday-type things.) Enjoy! (Especially you my darling friend!)

Draco watched the scene before him.

Couples danced. A number of people were speaking on the edges of the dancers. His godfather nursed the latest firewhiskey in a series from a dark corner while he watched the brains of the golden trio pretend to drink her wine.

Granger had finally booted the Weasel King out of her life after exhibiting the patience and loyalty that would make most Hufflepuffs green with envy. She had avoided social events for nearly two years, holed up in her labs in the Department of Mysteries…the department which coincidentally employed Draco's godfather.

He couldn't say for certain of course, but from the lack of animosity between them and Severus' sudden lack of grumbling about dunderheads in his lab, Draco thought that they might just share lab space deep within the twisting halls of the department.

For whatever reason, Granger had reappeared tonight, with her wild locks tamed a bit (but not too much) and a dress that sent any red-blooded male in the room to quietly adjusting his robes.

Meanwhile, Severus had graced them all with his presence (someone must have used blackmail because Draco had offered ever bribe he could think of). He was looking sickly pale again from too much time in the lab with potions fumes and not enough sun or food. Draco's mother insisted that Severus come to their home for brunch once a week, but Severus had a nasty habit of simply agreeing to the engagement and then not showing up.

Blaise and Theo were making their way back to him after doing the 'proper' thing and asking a couple of the pure-blooded debutants to dance.

Theo took a long drink. "I swear they get less intelligent as time goes on."

Blaise chuckled quietly. "Never thought you'd be saddened to realize that you missed out on the brilliant Greengrass sisters…"

Draco shook his head. "There was nothing but fluff in their heads, even if it was well-bred charming fluff. Mother would have eaten either of those girls alive."

Blaise inclined his head. "What woman could stand up to Narcissa Malfoy? In fact, if she weren't so happy with her current Italian boy-toy, I would I apply for the job."

Draco pinched the bridge of his nose as Theo attempted to hide his laugh behind his drink.

"Leave it. Mother has always been fond of my Godfather. And you wouldn't want to cross him."

Blaise toasted his glass at Draco. "True enough."

Theo was scanning the crowd. "You lot owe me another galleon. Granger just sent Goldstein on his way, and whatever she said to him turned him beet red."

Draco flipped another piece of gold Theo's way. "You called it. How Gryffindor to show up in that dress and deny every man in the room."

Blaise adjusted his robes slightly. "Making Weasley jealous no doubt. What did the wanker finally do? I missed the specifics."

Theo grinned like a shark. "Got caught with a very inebriated set of twins that were barely legal. Tosser was sober. I hear he's still in the spell damage ward."

Draco fought back a wince. Granger's spell-work had always had a vicious edge that he found simultaneously disturbing and sexy.

Blaise didn't bother to hide his satisfaction. "Idiot."

Draco sighed, "Well this has been riveting gentlemen, but I think I have a better bottle of firewhiskey calling my name from my library."

Theo was checking a little running notebook he used for bets. "Hold on Draco. She hasn't rejected every man in the room. None of the Slytherins have asked her to dance."

Blaise widened his eyes. "That's because I value my dangly bits."

Theo raised a hand. "If you treat her with the care and respect you give those empty-headed human pugs you keep asking, she might acquiesce."

Draco raised a brow. "Are you proposing a bet Theo?"

The thin, dark headed man nodded. "Dancing with Granger is ten galleons, taking her on a date is a hundred."

The dark wizard licked his lips. "Anything more than that?"

Theo shrugged. "I would never bet on a lady's virtue…and I have a feeling that betting on Granger's would end you with a bed next to Ron Weasley's."

All three winced.

Draco looked at Granger with a glint in his eye. "Let's up the ante. What if one of us marries her?"

The other two blanched.

Theo hit his arm…thankfully the one that didn't have a whiskey in it. "Are you insane?"

"No. Think about it. By everything but blood she's an excellent catch; well-placed in the government, brilliant, and with a decent amount of gold…better than a lot of the remaining pure-bloods. Not to mention she's better-looking and magically powerful."

Theo's eyes took on a faraway expression for a moment. "Loyal."

Blaise shrugged. "Able to hold a decent conversation and go toe-to-toe with my mother, which isn't true of just any witch."

Draco smirked. "Exactly. Now imagine the looks on the Gryffindores' faces when they realize we've stolen their princess because they were wankers about the Weasley incident."

Theo narrowed his eyes. "There has been a dearth red heads dancing attendance around her tonight, and even Potter didn't seem to say much before he and she-Weasel left."

SSSSSSSSSSSSS

This year's annual victory ball was just as riveting and interesting as every other he'd been to; which of course meant that it was not.

At least, it was not for most people. If you were Severus Snape, it was quite entertaining if you enjoyed watching Granger verbally eviscerate half the male population of the wizarding world as they vied to replace Ronal Weasley. The witch had been in a tizzy last week…quite unusual for her. Eventually, she'd growled that Kingsley was forcing her to attend the ball despite a lack of cohesion between the Golden Trio since she'd taken righteous revenge on her paramour. Potter (for all his supposed Gryffindor heritage) had taken a very Slytherin path through the feud and maintained silence on the matter. Which Severus took to mean that he agreed with Hermione in private but he refused to side against his wife and formidable mother-in-law in public.

Hermione had retaliated against this lack of support from her friends by burying herself in her work with Severus, which suited Severus quite well, thank you. He found that he was quite content with his lot now that he spent seventy hours a week with Granger without the aggravation of Potter and without hearing about Weasley.

Severus spent a moment pondering how he could get (or manufacture) some decent blackmail on Kingsley so he could counter when the man decided to meddle in affairs that did not concern him. Forcing Hermione out was obviously a ham-handed attempt to make the witch 'live her life' or something equally as asinine.

Severus hid a smirk as the witch sent another one packing. She'd denied nearly every wizard in attendance who would accost her. The only ones left…

His focus turned to his godson and his cohorts and his eyes narrowed.

Severus knew that look. He was head of Slytherin house for two decades.

At first, as he watched unnoticed, he assumed some ridiculous juvenile bet. Draco was much less childish after a war and ten years of being head of the house of Malfoy, but he still had moments that made Severus cringe.

It was obvious that Granger was the object of their little discussion from the way they oriented their bodies and the small, sidelong glances.

Granger was well able to defend her own honor (he mentally gloated over the pustule-covered image of Ronald Bilious Weasley) so Severus decided to watch and avoid interfering. However, when Draco said something outrageous enough that the other two flinched, Severus became concerned. He silently cast a minor spell so he could listen to the conversation.

Draco's voice echoed in Severus' ear. "On second thought, no bet. I don't particularly want the two of you in my way."

Zabini answered, the cocky little shite. "Afraid we'll wreck your game Draco?"

Severus and his godson had the same thought, but Draco voiced it. "Please, as if any witch would take you seriously. Granger might be the only witch left in the country who hasn't seen you without your robes on."

Severus paused for a moment. Hermione was still and avid reader of anything that dropped into her greedy little hands. That issue of Playwitch had been popular…rather more so than anyone anticipated. Severus snorted. Witches could be as vapid as wizards when it came to seeing those traits that indicated excellent reproductive health and general fertility. Even the brightest witch might fall prey to a glistening set of abs or smooth, unscarred skin…

Severus shook himself out of that mental picture. Granger, like himself, was above all that. She was a seeker of knowledge. He'd lured her to his own home several times with the promise of access to his library. His thoughts shifted from memories of those enjoyable evenings to another unsettling thought. Malfoy and Nott had inherited considerable libraries from their forefathers. If the target was seducing Granger, having access to those libraries was a very real advantage. Enough to overcome the stigma of having deatheaters in the family? Severus wasn't certain.

Severus caught Theo's next remark. "Be that as it may Blaise, women might sleep with you for a lark, but they marry a wizard with different characteristics…thoughtfulness, faithfulness, and respect."

Severus narrowed his eyes. In a battle for Granger, Theo might be a dark horse, but his intelligence would make him at least as dangerous as the other two. He was also less vocal in his harassment of the Gryffindor witch throughout school. That was an advantage the other two might have overlooked, but Theo never made a move without considering each and every angle. Once his mind was made up, he struck quickly; it was the trait that had allowed the boy to rebuild his family fortune in both the magical world and the muggle stock market.

Zabini, the cocky little bastard retorted. "I can do all of that during the day and make her forget her own name at night."

And with that Blaise Zabini sat his glass on a tray and started making his way toward Hermione Granger.