Chapter 1 - A Ball

The atrium of the Ministry shone with winter splendour. Had Dolores Umbridge been on the decorating committee, the place would have been a garish nightmare. However, better heads reigned; she was removed from the committee shortly after it was developed, and the place blazed with understated glamour and simplicity.

The walls were tinted white with swags of silver silk dancing among the arches. The tables were dressed with crisp white tablecloths, silver cloth napkins and utensils. The flatware was white with silver trim. Clear stemmed wine glasses and simple clear tumblers would be filled later with the drinkers' choice, adding colour in a stained glass effect. Only Dolores would have found fault, but as she was currently in St. Mungo's, nursing a suspiciously sudden and virulent strain of Wizard flu, no such fault was found.

Severus Snape took in all these decorations with his usual disinterest. He only came to the Ministry's Annual Yule Ball because he had nothing else to do and frankly, was bored. His insatiable curiosity allowed him to rationalise his attendance with thoughts that he could make contacts to further his private potions business; he knew that a few foreign dignitaries were always invited.

The Potions master had formally retired from teaching two years after the war, and for the last three worked as a consultant for St. Mungo's and the Ministry, as well as brewing privately. He was able to make enough money to sell Spinner's End and find a new home outside of Straiton, Scotland. It was nothing ostentatious—certainly not on the grand scale of Malfoy Manor—but Severus was quite happy with being laird of his own manor, however simple in comparison. He made do with a house elf to clean and prepare meals and occasionally he had to threaten the thing with clothes when he wanted to prepare his own meals. It wasn't often, but there were a few dishes from his childhood that he liked to make himself. It helped him recall his mother and those few happy times he remembered with her.

Severus was in a pensive mood at the ball. Now that his spy days were over and his financial security assured, he was looking for something else to occupy his time. What that was, he wasn't sure. Companionship maybe? At first, the nights alone were a godsend. No students pestering him with adolescent grumblings, no Albus or the Dark Lord calling him, manipulating him; it was a relief for a while. Then he began to wish for someone to talk to. The obvious choice was his male friends and for a time that sufficed; Lucius set up game nights with friends to play cards and drink. That same man was also was able to provide Severus with a date or two to scratch any itch he may have had in that direction. However, while short, discreet affairs with the occasional comely witch were all well and good, he wanted what he always desired but never seemed to have…love.

Lily would always be his first love, but enough time had gone by for him to realise that it was just that: first love. The sort that burns with passion and hurts deeply when it's over. Had he been less bullied, considered less ugly and dark, perhaps one of the other girls at school would have helped him move on from Lily, but that never happened.

He took a long drink from the whiskey in his tumbler, looking at the couples that were dancing to the surprisingly good string quartet that had been hired. He had heard that Dean Thomas had formed the small group with like-minded Muggleborns while at University, and they were making inroads within the magical world as an alternative to the usual fare of The Weird Sisters. The Wizarding world had not kept up with trends in music; Muggles still did it better.

He sneered as he noticed Potter and his wife stumble by seriously out of step. It seemed the pair couldn't decide who was leading, except Severus tended to believe it was Ginevra; after all, she was her mother's daughter. Luna Lovegood was by herself, arms waving about in the air, a dreamy look on her face. Ronald Weasley was dancing with the Granger girl…or was it? Severus squinted—he simply refused to admit he needed glasses—no, it was the Brown bint.

So this led Severus to wonder; where was Hermione Granger? A sweeping look at the dance floor revealed that all her classmates were paired off casually or as betrothed and married couples, as far as he knew, and none of them were Hermione. He finally spied her at a table just off the floor near an arch and was discomfited by his reaction.

The woman was stunning. She was elegantly dressed in cream robes with diamond accents at the neckline that plunged rather daringly toward her cleavage. For some reason, he had the urge to rush over and fling his cloak around her to keep eyes from leering at the hint of breast that was peeking out. Her hair, always a bushy mess from what he remembered of her school days, was sleek and smooth in what he knew was called an 'up do', secured with diamond clips. He was surprised to realise he missed the irrepressible corkscrews of the head he remembered. Her large eyes looked around at the crowd, and her smile was merry as she waved to her friends.

Why on earth was she without a partner this evening? He tried to remember what news he had read of her in the paper; the last he was aware, she had gone to a Wizarding university in Italy to study Transfiguration. Surely she'd be graduated by now and in an apprenticeship? Well, he decided rather rashly, the simplest way to answer his questions would be to ask the woman directly. A dance would be a perfectly acceptable social way to find his answers. He strode across the room just as the band began a new dance; a simple waltz with a pace that would allow them to talk.

"Miss Granger, would you care to dance?" Severus asked.

Hermione smiled widely at him. "I'd be delighted, Professor!" She stood and took his hand as he led her onto the dance floor.

After a few awkward moments of silence and resolutely keeping his eyes away from her décolletage, he asked, "You have no date this evening?"

"No. I came alone," she replied. "And as I see no disgruntled woman staring daggers at us, I assume you have no date this evening either?"

Severus chuckled. "I admit to coming alone and with nefarious plans to 'chat up contacts', as they say, for my business."

"Oh?" she asked. "Do you not teach anymore?"

"I retired several years ago."

"I hadn't heard, but then I've been in Italy for the last four years."

"How are your studies?"

"I see we're going to talk politely," she laughed, and Severus laughed with her.

"So it seems," he said.

"My studies are done. I'm back at home now, attempting to make a decision about my apprenticeship. I also need to find a job to earn some pocket money."

"You studied Transfiguration, if I am not mistaken. Surely Minerva has snapped you up?"

The beat of music changed and with it so did Severus' subtle manoeuvres as he led Hermione into the next dance. As they adjusted, Hermione responded, "And Charms. Minerva asked me to apply even before my final year with the intention that I would take over the position at Hogwarts."

"An honour, I assure you," Severus confirmed.

"Indeed. However, I'm not sure I want to teach. I'd like to research, to be honest. There are some amazing advances being made at the University level with regard to the combinations of Transfiguration and Charms. My thesis—"

Severus was interested to hear what she had to say, but the music, while perfect for polite social conversation, did not lend itself for more stimulating topics. "Would you like to sit out now and get a drink? I'd like to hear about your thesis."

Hermione smiled, "Yes, very much." Then in a lower tone she confessed, "I admit the shoes I am wearing are uncomfortable, even with a cushioning charm; to sit down would be wonderful!"

The pair made their way to a table far from the dance floor and once he had seated Hermione, Severus went to the bar to get their drinks. When he returned, they began to chat and before they knew it, Kingsley Shacklebolt was calling for the last dance and wishing everyone a good night and a good holiday.

"Would your shoes be up to one more dance, Miss Granger?" Severus asked.

"Actually, I slipped them off when we sat down," she replied. "However, I would be willing to dance with you regardless, Mr. Snape."

The pair stood and stepped back onto the dance floor. Severus unconsciously held her closer this time. "Severus."

"Severus…what?" she asked perplexed.

He rolled his eyes. "Please call me Severus."

Hermione smiled shyly at him and Severus' stomach knotted. No woman ever smiled that way at him. "I will, thank you. Please call me Hermione."

They gazed at each other with small smiles on their faces as though they were sharing a secret no one else could know. Much too soon, the dance was over.

"Hermione, would you like to get some coffee somewhere? I know of a café not too far from the Ministry."

"I'd like to very much, but aren't we overdressed for late night coffee at a café?"

Severus laughed and with a twitch of his wrist, revealed his wand. "Are you not a witch, woman? Did you not just spend four years studying Transfiguration?"

Hermione burst out laughing. "Harry is always rabbiting on at me for forgetting I'm a witch!" She reached into a slim pocket sewn into the hem of her dress and pulled out her own wand. With a flick, she was wearing a cream coloured blouse and tan trousers. She turned her uncomfortable shoes into low-heeled pumps.

Severus had modified his cloak and now appeared in a more Muggle-like trench coat. "Won't you be cold?" he asked as he looked around her for something to transfigure into a coat. He snatched up a napkin and with a wave of his wand, produced a silver Pashmina and draped it over her shoulders.

"Ohh, it's lovely," she stroked the material, "and warm, too. Thank you!"

They made their way to the Floos and in moments were on the snowy streets outside the Ministry building. Severus indicated with a hand gesture that the café he knew was just to the north and the pair set off, chatting. Thankfully the walk was not far because regardless of the Warming charms they cast, the wind was bitterly cold. To their disappointment, the café was closed.

"Would you like to find another one?" asked Severus.

"To be honest, no. It's too cold to walk," Hermione replied and then asked, "Would you like to come to my house for some coffee? We could listen to some music and talk, and we won't have to censor our conversation like we would at a Muggle place."

Severus wanted to say yes right away, but was unsure to what end Hermione intended this evening to travel. "Are you sure that's what you'd like?"

"I wouldn't have offered if I didn't." Sensing the question in his eyes, she boldly answered it. "I'm not seducing you, Severus. I'm no good at that, and we've just met again after four years. I'd just like to talk to you and get to know you as Severus and not Professor Snape. That's all. Perhaps we'll end the evening as friends, yes?"

Severus was relieved. She was a beautiful woman, but until he knew her better, she was still a former student. He needed time to put that vision of her aside before he could decide if she would move into the realm of adult friend in his world. "Then yes, I'd be happy to."

Hermione smiled and wrapped her hands around his waist. "Hold on," she said, and they spun away.

They settled comfortably in Hermione's sitting room. She explained that although it was her parents' house, they offered it to her when they decided to stay in Australia. With Hermione's help of a Portkey, they would pop home once or twice a year for a vacation and to spend time with Hermione. She would occasionally visit them in Australia as well. This was just one of the many things the pair discussed during the evening. The topics ranged from what happened after the war to their current and future plans.

It was nearing two o'clock in the morning when Severus noted Hermione yawning a third time in fifteen minutes. The fire in the hearth of the sitting room had burned down, and the coffee table in front of them was littered with the detritus of coffee mugs and nibbles. The room was cosily decorated, and the furnishings so comfortable he felt himself beginning to nod off. "My dear," he said, "I believe it's time for me to go. You've yawned three times now even though I know you were trying to be polite and not."

"I can hardly believe the time has flown!"

The pair stood and Hermione led Severus to the hall to get his cloak.

"I've had a pleasant evening, Hermione."

"Me too," said Hermione.

"Would you like to go to lunch next week?" Severus asked.

"Yes, that would be lovely," Hermione answered. "I am free any day, as you know."

"I will owl you soon with a date. I'll need to look at my schedule to see when I have an afternoon free." He stood awkwardly now, unsure how to leave. Do I kiss her? Shake her hand? Damn, I am not good at this.

Hermione, however, took the decision out of his hands by standing on tiptoe and kissing his cheek. "Good night, Severus. I hope you're leaving as my friend now."

Severus leaned in to offer a return kiss on the cheek. "I do believe I am." He closed the door behind him and popped away, landing in the hall of his home.

SSHGSSHG

He woke up mid morning, and the first thought in his head was of Hermione and the evening he spent with her. He rolled over and faced the window of his bedroom. It was a large room and the bedroom window was large as well, filling the room with sunlight. A magical charm allowed Severus to regulate the amount of light with a wave of his hand so that the room was never brightly lit until he was ready for it to be. The walls were white, but bits of art dotted the space and added much needed colour; Severus was not interested in accent walls or other such frippery; he liked things simple. Simple colours, simple art, simple furniture.

The bed he was currently occupying was an example of that simplicity; an old fashioned, queen sized four poster with no curtains, but a large, warm duvet and fine linen sheets in the green colour that he preferred; it wasn't just house loyalty that determined colour choice. A cat lay on the bed beside him, flopped on its back, paws curled toward its furry belly.

Asphodel wandered into Severus' life one afternoon in the autumn of the first year he lived in his home. He had left the door open to take advantage of a warm breeze, and it wasn't until Severus went to sit in his favourite chair by the fire later than evening that he discovered the cat's presence; it had taken exception to being nearly sat upon, and Severus' bottom was the victim of that exception. He attempted to shoo the cat out of the house, but cats tend not to listen and three years later, Asphodel—whose colouring was of that of the plant he was named after—kept Severus company and didn't offer unwanted opinions about anything. Hermione would like the cat, he mused.

What a wonderful surprise she turned out to be last night. She was witty and happy, and had matured in ways that Severus appreciated. This helped him think of her as an adult rather than a former student more quickly than he thought he would. When Severus spoke about whatever topic they were discussing at the time, she listened with interest and asked thoughtful questions. If she offered up any knowledge she had on the subject, she did so with openness to considering a new opinion, rather than the 'if the book said so, it must be so' attitude of her youth.

He got out of bed and made his way to the bathroom, Asphodel wending his way through his legs. "Yes, yes," Severus muttered, "I will get your breakfast in a moment." He shut the door in the cat's face and completed his morning ablutions. It wasn't until he was seated at the kitchen table with a hot mug of tea and some toast, reading the paper that he remembered one particular point of discussion from the night before. Hermione had mentioned that she was not certain she wanted to take the apprenticeship with Minerva, and that she was looking for a job to help pay her bills.

He understood her hesitancy. While she would be an amazing teacher, she would stagnate at Hogwarts. It seemed as though once Hogwarts ensnared its professors she kept them, recent history notwithstanding. Some of the professors took sabbaticals in order to do some research, but they always returned to their posts afterward. No, that sort of job was definitely not for Hermione. She needed to be challenged and be on the forefront of new developments.

She had expressed an interest in her studied field of Transfiguration as well as Charms and how the two combined could reinvent the wheel, so to speak. She had speculated that by breaking down charms at the molecular level, one could enhance the longevity and prevent failure of a charm in use. The same concept could be used in stabilising the longevity of transfigured objects to prevent failure of the transfiguration. She had even conjectured that the charms work could enhance his potion work. Severus was very intrigued, and he knew of a leading Transfiguration and Charms researcher in Scotland who often took apprentices. He would write to her this evening and see if he was in need of one.

Severus only hoped Hermione wouldn't think him too presumptuous. Perhaps it would be better if he let her know about this? Yes, and it would be perfect reason to invite her for lunch. It would also be the perfect way to get to know the young woman, who, he admitted, he was attracted to even after one night together. As for her need for some pocket money, well, he'd be willing to offer her a few hours each week, helping him brew the orders for his private venture. He could not pay her lavishly, but she had said her home was paid for, and her parents sent her a stipend each month to help cover expenses.

Severus went to his study and sat at his desk to pen a quick letter to Hermione. As soon as the letter was done, he called his owl and sent it on its way.

SSHGSSHG

Hermione was pottering about, still in her pyjamas, doing a little light housework and listening to a morning programme on the telly. She could have used magic to clean, but as she had nothing to do, what with no job or school to occupy her, she did it the Muggle way. A tap at the window interrupted her, and she scurried over to see a small black owl on the sill. Opening the window, she let the little owl hop in and extend his leg. Hermione took the letter, and asked the creature to remain while she fetched a treat.

She came back with a bit of bacon and the owl gobbled is quickly down and began to comb its feathers. "Oh," she said, "I am to send a reply?" The owl hooted. "Very well." She opened the letter and read quickly,

Dear Hermione,

I know I mentioned getting together for lunch next week, but I've had a chance to think about some of our conversation last night, and I may have an option for you to consider about an apprenticeship.

Would you please join me tomorrow for lunch at my home, Prince Cottage? Send a reply with my owl, Alice (don't ask; the owner of Magical Menagerie apparently has a granddaughter who named all the animals one afternoon and several of the owls were reluctant to answer to alternative names upon purchase). I will send directions once I receive your reply.

Severus

Hermione giggled as she stroked the little owl's head. "Alice, eh? Well, you're a sweet thing, and you suit your name." The little owl preened at the attention and affectionately nipped her finger. "Just a moment and I'll write a reply."

Severus,

I am intrigued! I'd be happy to join you tomorrow. Shall I bring anything?

Hermione

Hermione,

I look forward to your visit. Please Apparate to McCandish Hall in Straiton at 1230 p.m., and I will meet you there and take you on to Prince Cottage.

No need to bring anything; my house elf (who is treated well!) will provide for us.

Severus

Severus,

See you then!

Hermione