The Tale of the Fairy Queen and the Ordinary Man

"Who might you be tonight?"

"I am Titania, Queen of the fairies. And who might you be, good sir."

"Just an ordinary man, your grace. May I have the honor of this dance?"

Dancing across the crowded ballroom, Hermione wondered who he actually was. That was the nice thing about masquerade balls; who would ever guess that the vibrant, beautiful, sexy, scantily clad fairy queen was actually plain-jane Hermione Granger. For one night she could live the fantasy.

The unfortunate part was that if she met someone really interesting she might never figure out who he was.

He was actually having a damn good time, for once in his life. He'd danced with several ladies, he'd conversed with colleagues, he'd even laughed a few times. He was completely incognito with his short brown hair, brown eyes, smaller nose and olive complexion. He was loving it.

No one knew him tonight. so he could easily blend in with the crowd, just a simple man as he'd told Titania. No one suspected him of being the snarky, unsociable, git of a Headmaster, Severus Snape. For if they did they surely wouldn't have treated him as well as they had.

Hermione had a wonderful evening; she'd danced all night, something she never did when she was herself. She always ended up a wall flower, dancing only a few obligatory dances with Harry, Ron, or one of the other Weasley brothers.

She couldn't help but wonder who the handsome, witty gentleman was she had danced many times with tonight. He'd not patterned his costume after any particular character instead claiming to represent just an ordinary man.

She wanted to know his true identity; he appealed to her. She didn't want to lose him, she just had to know who he was.

Severus knew the unmasking was at midnight, but he didn't want his identity to be revealed. Sitting in a corner, he'd removed his boots to rub his aching feet.

Suddenly hearing a stir, he realized he had to make his escape. Grabbing his boots, no time to put them back on, he made a dash for the doorway to escape to his hidden lair. As he rounded the corner he crashed into Titania, the fairy Queen.

"Oh pardon me." Setting her right. "I really must run."

He quickly disappeared down the corridor, leaving nothing behind but a dragonhide boot.

She'd known her "ordinary man" had been wearing a glamour, but apparently the boots were his own as they hadn't transformed at the stroke of midnight.

Now, how how would she find her mystery man. "Hmm… dragonhide, dark brown, new by the looks of them, and an impressive size 13.5. I wonder if it's true what they say about the size of a man's feet and his…? Hmmm…"

Listing the men she knew who'd likely attended the ball, she spent the next several days approaching friends and acquaintances alike with an unusual request. "Humor me. Please try on this boot."

Severus was truly, deeply pissed off. His brand new, hardly worn, 180 galleons (more than a weeks wage) dragonhide boots which he now only had one of. Somehow he must have dropped one in his rush to leave the Great Hall, probably when he'd run into Titania. Now what the hell was he to do with just one boot?

"Fuck!"

"Is something wrong Severus?" asked Hermione, standing in the doorway. "You seem upset."

Tossing the boot under his desk before she could see it he replied, "Yes. I've lost something, but there's nothing you can do about it."

She looked at him, uncertain if she should pursue the issue.

"Is there something you needed, Hermione?" He asked his Charms teacher.

Deciding to forge ahead, she replied, "Well, actually... yes. I have a request that may seem a little odd, and I really don't want to explain why I'm asking…"

"Just get to the point," he demanded.

"This is probably silly, I'll just go."

"No, wait. I didn't mean to sound so rude. Just ask whatever you came here to ask me."

"Would you try this on?" She asked holding up the dragonhide boot.

"My boot!" he cried happily grabbing it out of her grasp and pulling it on. "Thanks be to the Goddess of lost shoes if there is such a deity!" He pulled the mate from under his desk and donned that one also, smiling admiringly at his feet.

Hermione was gobsmacked. Severus was her last resort but she hadn't really expected the boot to fit.

"Where did you find it?" he asked. "I was sure I'd never get it back."

"You were at the ball, as the ordinary man?"

A light dawned in Severus' brain, "And you… Titania?

She nodded, unbelieving. "Well, I'm glad you got your boot back." She turned to go, rather sad. Her mystery man was Severus Snape; it wasn't that he didn't appeal to her, in fact he did. But she just knew that he'd never want to be with her.

"Wait. Why the fairy queen, someone so different from yourself?"

"That's the whole purpose of a masque isn't it? To pretend to be someone they're not, live out their fantasies? Maybe I'd like to be like her, a vibrant, sexy, self assured, social butterfly. Why were you just an ordinary man?"

"Because that's who I'd like to be. Not the famed double agent, not the snarky potions master nor the unapproachable headmaster. Just an ordinary man, someone women want to dance with, who people are willing to talk to."

Pulling her close, he shut his door with a wave of his wand. "I was attracted to you at the ball, but I like you even better, just as you are now. What say, you and I get to know each other better, my Queen Charming"

"That sounds like a plan, Cinderfella," replied Hermione.

And they lived happily ever after.

~fin~