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And They Didn\'t Live Happily Ever After	By : ElizabethStump Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Snape/Hermione Views: 90306 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 74
- 75
- 76
“And They Didn't Live Happily Ever After"

Chapter Seventy-Four
"Love Finds Us When We Least Expect It"

Disclaimer: I could torture you with a parody of a disclaimer with altered lyrics from the Gilligan Island's theme song, in some long and convoluted way, to say that Rowling and various corporate entities own Harry Potter, and I do not, but even I have limits on how cruel I am to my readers... But notice how Severus and Draco are sort of stuck on a tropical isle?

============

The day after The Quibbler came out with their exclusive interview with Hermione, Ron, and Lavender, the news broke in the Daily Prophet of Harry and Ginny's divorce. The paper reported accounts of seeing the Potters together Friday morning in the Ministry, without specifying it was at the Portkey Office, and that neither were available for comment, since it was reported they were on holiday. There was a great deal of speculation if they went together or separately.

The tone of the interview in The Quibbler certainly set the way Ginny's divorce was written up in the Daily Prophet. There were questions by the reporter if the Potters married too young or if there was pressure to marry.

One Daily Prophet story about her ex-mother-in-law certainly caught Hermione's attention.

"MOLLY WEASLEY: Bad Mother Or Bad Luck? Two divorces in one week for Weasley children!"

It was sensational yellow journalism at its finest, courtesy of Rita Skeeter. Hermione felt little pity for Molly. Ron's mother had taken Skeeter's words as truth when Hermione was painted in a poor light during the Tri-wizard Tournament coverage and snubbed the young witch at the time. Now it was Molly's turn to be the center of falsely speculative gossip and wallow in it for a bit. Hermione didn't bother to read it, but could imagine all that was contained within the printed lie.

Lavender sent some flowers over to St. Mungo's since it seemed Molly had to be admitted because of her nerves. It was advised by Arthur that Miss Brown avoid her future mother-in-law until things settled down.

Some of the witches’ fashion and social advice magazines began to run stories with checklists of things witches should think about before accepting a marriage proposal. One of those things listed was pressure from family and friends. There were also exposés on Muggle divorce and even talk about introducing a mandatory two-week marriage and family supplemental course for sixth years at Hogwarts, for the Muggle-borns and half-bloods who were just as unaware as Hermione about the magical bonds of marriage and children.

One proponent of the new Hogwarts coursework put forth a hypothetical question involving two Muggle-borns with children who had no knowledge of the life-long bonds of marriage; what would happen if they were to divorce without knowing such things? The opposition countered that this talk of divorce might make witches and wizards put off children for so long that birth rates would plummet. Or possibly witches and wizards would take up the Muggle practice of living together and having children, but not marrying in order to give themselves an escape clause for marital and parental responsibility. There were plenty of married witches and wizards who were doing that already, leading separate lives and engaging in infidelity in high numbers, so that the argument was groundless.

Hermione, Ron, Harry, and Ginny jointly set off wizardom's questioning of one of the basic societal customs and turned it on its head, making people reexamine things which had been taken for granted for decades, if not centuries.

Some witches came up to Hermione in Diagon Alley in the subsequent weeks and shook her hand, exclaiming that after reading her interview in The Quibbler, it made them reconsider their engagement they had felt pressured to accept, even if they were already aware of the magical bonds children brought. There was a new section in the Daily Prophet of broken engagements, located under the obituary section. The death of love was considered as tragic as death. However, not treated as something just as tragic would be if those witches and wizards had gone through with the wedding, neither party sure of their choice, only to deeply regret it later.

Hermione's parents took the news of her divorce rather well, though both of them were initially shocked when they first read about it in the paper. Wendy Granger asked if her daughter would like to talk with her Aunt Christine about what she was going through. Hermione said she might later, but not now. She even found the bright side to the bad news saying that there wouldn't be any question about her coming over for Christmas and other holidays, as the Weasleys would not be demanding her time anymore. She made a promise to visit her parents more often.

Lavender gave Hermione her own lab space adjoining Albert's, since she needed a place to work on both potions for the company and her apprenticeship.

A trip to Eeylops Owl Emporium resulted in the purchase of a Northern Hawk-Owl. The bird – with brown and off-white spotted markings on her back, and banding on her front – spoke to Hermione’s spirit. Its large and intelligent looking eyes connected with the witch. She felt an instant kinship with the bird, similar to the way she had taken right to Crookshanks upon spying him. The owl did not have a name, so Hermione gave her one: Calleo.

It was a boy’s name, but Calleo didn't mind. She had a new master who seemed to appreciate her and bought a nice large cage for her, larger than the one the shop owner was keeping her in beforehand. The new master also bought her some of her favorite owl treats and a few mice.

Hermione and Calleo didn't live in her flat for very long, as Severus' flat was now available to move in to. The Aurors had done all they could to discover more clues, and had declared the place cleared for habitation once again. Hermione's landlord was more than happy to not have one month's notice she was moving out, eager to have the divorced witch out of her block of flats.

Marf was thrilled to see Hermione, helping her move from her old flat with packing and setting up house. The house-elf had restored the flat to the way it looked before the Aurors took the place apart – tearing up floor boards, ripping out wall paneling, and tearing away wallpaper. Now everything was the same again, right down to the rickety kitchen table the couple had destroyed while shagging like rabid Pygmy Puffs, and the settee she had grown very attached to.

The bed curtains were a different color, she asked Marf, who then found out about the aura-projecting properties of the curtains, which had been imbued with powdered moonstone and certain charms. Hermione had always wondered if she ever imaged them a different color at some point, and her suspicions were finally confirmed. She could have changed them to stay black as she remembered them, but decided she could live with the color-changing properties for a while.

Marf was thrilled to cook for Mistress Hermione, as the witch sometimes came home very late from work, tired and appreciative of the wonderful meal he had cooked her. There were nights she stayed up late studying her Potions books or some new language she was learning, and he was always happy to provide a cup of tea to invigorate or relax her as she needed. Marf took care of her as he’d promised Master Severus he would.

He didn't even throw out those nasty old lemons Mistress Hermione demanded to be left alone to be tested and analyzed when she had a bit of spare time, which was not much. Besides, Marf knew they weren't really lemons anyway.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tina was getting a bit exasperated. She worked part-time at the local apothecary in town and supplemented her income with a little real estate work and crafts on the side. She had practically jumped through Quidditch hoops to get the blond British wizard to agree to let her be his real estate agent. There were two others in town, who were also part-time real estate agents, since properties in Malu Palekaiko didn't sell very often.

The houses that did come onto the market were usually owned by second-, third-, or fourth-generation sanctuary seekers. The original owners had sought sanctuary, and then the children, grandchildren, or great-grandchildren inherited the house. Because the inheritors usually had a house of their own or they were not being sought after by foreign governments, some of them moved outside of the sanctuary of Malu Palekaiko to live elsewhere, usually the mainland United States. That was when the homes were then put up for sale.

There were houses that had been on the market for months, in some cases years. Tina received a small fee to help maintain them as part of her contract with the seller to keep them in a presentable state, sometimes renting them out. Of course there were properties she didn't maintain that she showed to Draco, because regardless of which house he bought, there would be a commission in it for her.

Besides, right now her biggest concern wasn't a sale so much as that deliciously tall, dark wizard who was Draco's friend – a wizard she wanted to snag for herself.

Tina figured that if she got to meet with Draco every day, she would have her chance to flirt and flaunt her feminine wiles at that brooding wizard with the piercing black eyes and pale skin, that yummy accent that practically made her swoon, and that nose that promised a man who was built for her appetite below.

Severus was the freshest piece of meat on the market, and the youngest and best looking thing that had come around in years, as that Draco boy was already taken. Tina was already battling with half the single witches in town for Severus' attentions. She was set on catching his eye, hell or high water.

In her sweetest American southern accent, she tried to make conversation with him when she would see him in the mornings, when she was picking Draco up to go about town and to more remote properties on the island. However, Severus was certainly playing hard to get.

It was the thrill of the chase that made her not want to drop Draco and tell him to go with another agent in town. When they'd look at one house after another, Draco kept sticking his nose in the air like a wizard whose farts didn't stink. He couldn't name what he wanted, but complained of the plumbing system on one house, the architectural layout of another, the rotted siding of yet a third house, which was decomposing and she would haven't let it get that far if she was in charge of taking care of that house, but the list of complaints went on. This one “cozy vintage cottage” (read: tiny dilapidated shack) smelled of rancid curry and onions; that one he claimed he wouldn't even let a house-elf live in.

She was getting close to giving up and was ready to tell Draco that if he didn't help her finagle a date with Severus, then the deal was off and he could find his own damn little hoity-toity castle himself.

Draco couldn't believe the hovels this witch was trying to pass off as domiciles. Some of them were mere shanties that should have been condemned long before he was even born. Many were large enough for his needs, but some of them seemed so flimsy, built with nothing more than some dried-up palm fronds along the side of a rickety frame and some posts. And there was one that was made with wood so punky, his foot fell right through the floor. The witch had the audacity to say he should watch his step and that this is what happens when anti-termite charms get stale.

It seemed all the habitable homes he would have gladly picked out were already occupied. He knew there was at least one decent house out there for him and Ginny to call home. Draco was getting quite antsy to marry her, and a delay in finding a house was a delay in finally being able to call Ginny his wife.

One late humid afternoon, after a quick rain shower had just passed through, Draco and Tina trudged back towards the center of town. It was yet another day with no luck or even hope of finding anything.

"As I heard through the grapevine, Severus is unattached," Tina began, hoping to use this as an opening salvo to get Draco into setting her up with that hunk of a wizard she wanted for herself.

Draco knew what Tina was up to. You couldn't out-Slytherin a Slytherin. Of course he had known from the start that one of the main reasons she’d begged to be his real estate agent was for a chance to jump Severus' bones. Draco knew she was getting fed up and was ready to lay down the ultimatum of a date or no more house-hunting.

"Well," Draco hemmed and hawed, spinning his tale to suit his purpose while trying to avoid promising her a date and keeping her as his real estate agent. "One could say that he is available."

"Did she break his heart? Did he leave her behind? Is he a widower? Divorced? Omigawd!" Tina began chattering on like a monkey.

The rumors were already flying about Severus' past. It was known he was officially unattached, but that was the only information out there, which gave the witches in town hopes of snagging him. Draco did not allude to any woman in Severus’ past. For all anyone knew, Severus could have never dated and was still a virgin. No one wanted to even entertain the notion he preferred wizards.

"That's not for me to say. He is a private man, that I can say." Draco valiantly tried not to smirk, and barely succeeded.

Tina was hooked now, and would never stop showing Draco properties until he found the right one.

The rain clouds drifted across the sky just long enough to let the sun peak through. It caused a rainbow to suddenly appear in a grand arch in front of them, hovering above the town with one end of the rainbow cascading onto a white cottage, set back from the road a bit, just up ahead.

It was a moderate-sized home with a broad front porch. It had proper windows they could close to keep out the elements, but that could open wide to allow the cool ocean breezes to enter, and had shutters. The witch was out on the front porch using her wand to move things out of the house, past the front lawn and garden and down to the curb.

Draco raised his hand up and called out, "Aloha, Sumiko!"

"Aloha, Draco. Tina." Sumiko came down to the road to chat, eager to take a break.

"Cleaning house?" Draco ask.

"More like clearing out house of curbside freebies," Sumiko confessed. "My husband's case has been reviewed and he's been fully exonerated. They found the wizard who killed those Muggles in that faked industrial accident years ago, and we can go back home now."

Feeling empathy over being unjustly persecuted himself, he exclaimed, "That's wonderful!" He gave her a brief hug in congratulations.

"So I was wondering, Draco, you still looking for a house?" the Japanese witch asked, a look in her eye.

"Yes!" Tina and Draco eagerly answered in unison.

"Come on in. I'm in the middle of packing, so forgive the mess. Take a look around and see if this is what you are hunting for." She beckoned them to follow her up to the house.

"It's four bedrooms. Our children were all grown when we had to flee for sanctuary, but we hoped they would come visit so we bought it a little larger than what we needed for just ourselves. Unfortunately, they never did visit," Sumiko said, a little sadness in her voice.

"Here's the kitchen," she pointed out as they walked through the room, Draco noting the mix of American cottage style with Japanese influence. "The dining room. The living room," she said. Sumiko suddenly noticed Draco had stopped at the sliding glass door that went from the living room out to the garden she and her husband built.

Draco stood there at the sliding door staring out onto the little semi-enclosed Japanese garden in the back. It was almost as if they had plucked the garden he’d created for Ginny in his flat for their romantic picnic and placed it there. A few of the plants and trees were different because of the tropical climate, but it was essentially the same. The engawa, the steeping stones, the small stream that burbled and babbled, meandering slowly through the middle of the garden. There was a beautifully pruned Royal Poinciana tree instead of the cherry tree he had created, but the tropical tree that was substituted would be covered in glorious red blossoms in the summer, given that the Hawaiian climate wasn't cold enough for cherry trees.

Sumiko saw the way he looked lovingly at their garden. "It's almost like the one we had at home. But we had to get something different than a cherry tree."

Draco could almost feel the tears brimming in his eyes. "It's perfect. Name your price."

He would spend any amount he could to bring his bride home to this ideal patch of land in paradise.

"Well, the Japanese Ministry of Magic has agreed to compensate my husband handsomely for convicting him based on false testimony, sloppy Auror work, and an over-zealous prosecution, so it's not like we'll need the money. And you and Ginny are such lovely people, so much in love. A young couple should have a nice home to raise a family. How about I sell it to you for a discounted price as a wedding present," Sumiko offered.

Draco was touched by her offer, but he wanted to pay her a fair market price, as she and her husband had created the perfect future home for him and Ginny.

"I have plenty of money," he assured her.

Tina let out a sigh of relief, as a discount meant less of a commission for her.

"No, I insist on it. Consider the discount price as a wedding present for you and Ginny. How about fifty-thousand Galleons," she offered.

"Done." Draco turned and shook Sumiko's hand. The place was worth at least sixty-thousand. He was prepared to pay ten times that amount, just to have this place.

"We'll be moving out on December 22nd, so you can have the place on the 23rd. Will that work for you, Draco?" she asked, as he was still shaking her hand, not so much that they had closed the deal, but in thanks for her selling her quintessentially perfect home to him and his bride.

Tina was fuming. Not only was her commission going to be less than she had hoped, thanks to Sumiko's "generosity," but she hadn't even blackmailed Draco into getting her a date with Mr. Mysterious.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hermione read the article over again. It amazed her how much Fudge still had influence over the paper to publish what they did. Fudge did a lot of the same manipulation of the Daily Prophet and other papers during the early days of the war, until public opinion swayed in favor of believing Harry, so it didn't surprise her.

Near the back of the paper was a small article with equally small print. She knew the real story behind it, and this one time she was a little happy that it was not known to everyone yet.

“Two Wizards Sought For Questioning

Two wizards are sought by the Ministry for questioning regarding an ongoing investigation. No photos of the wizards could be provided by the Ministry, but they are described as follows:

- 6', approximately just over 13 stone, shoulder-length straight black hair, black eyes, prominent nose.
- 6'2”, approximately 14 stone, long straight light blond hair to below the shoulder, gray eyes.

Should you see these two wizards, please contact the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Auror Division. Do not approach."

It did not miss Hermione's attention about the omission of any "tattoos."

Hermione didn't want Severus or Draco named as the suspects until she found evidence to exonerate them, or at least make them no longer subject to the Death Eater Decree.

Hermione folded up the paper and placed it in a stack she had put aside for when she saw anything of interest that might apply to Severus or Draco, or anything regarding the last days of the war. Just then, there was a knock at her lab door.

"Come in."

Lavender poked her head in the door, looking almost sheepish. "I was wondering if you would come over to talk with me regarding something personal." Then she added quickly, "When you have a moment."

"Is now all right?" Hermione asked.

"Oh, by all means."

Lavender had the tea service ready.

Severus had warned Hermione that anytime Lavender had tea ready for you when you already came into her office, then it was a clue that she was going to ask you for something you might not like and this was her way of softening you up before delivering her request. The nicer the nibbles, the worse the news.

'There is no alcohol around, so that's a good sign,' Hermione dryly thought to herself, remembering the presence of it when she was given the upsetting news about her then husband.

Once Hermione had been served tea by her boss, she waited for Lavender to start the conversation.

"Ron and I have set the wedding date," her boss began.

'Okay, here it comes,' she thought, bracing herself.

"We're getting married Christmas morning. And I'd like to ask you if you would be my bridesmaid."

Hermione blinked back in shock at the request, stunned that the witch who had been having an affair with her husband for so many years was now asking her to be her witness at her wedding. It was unorthodox to say the least.

"Well, what about Padma?" Hermione asked, knowing that Lavender's best friend, Parvati, was in a perpetual vegetative state, when she wasn't screaming.

"Padma blames me for Parvati's condition. She said I should have offered myself first instead to save Parvati. On several occasions, Padma has said it should have been me who wound up in St. Mungo's, not Parvati. As if Padma knew what happened. Parvati and I both were doomed to the same fate, if it wasn't for Blaise helping me to escape." Lavender's hand shook a little, and she put her tea cup down in order to regain her composure; she was on the verge of tears, remembering the horror.

Hermione knew Lavender felt some sort of obligation towards Blaise, but didn't know the reason until now. Blaise had been barely civil to Hermione, still holding a dislike for Muggle-borns. He behaved, but was curt on the few occasions where they crossed paths during work.

"Well, aren't there any other friends? I mean, it seems a bit strange that you would ask me when..." Hermione trailed off. She didn't want to bring up details.

"All the other witches I would call friends are dead. And for other witches I've met after the war, none of them are what I would call anything more than business associates or acquaintances," Lavender said, her voice steely and firm. "I may look like I talked to some of these witches at the ball as if we were old friends, but it is nothing of the sort. It is a game of chess, playing social standing against others, parlays of alliances towards goals, business arrangements for Galleons, and networking opportunities. They are not friends. I wouldn't trust them as far as I could throw a troll without my wand."

Hermione hadn’t thought about it that way. She had lost a great many friends in the war too. Ginny was her only close female friend, but now she was gone as well. There was Fastrada, the witch who had replaced her at her old work. They had been meeting for lunch every few weeks and felt a sort of kinship bond, but Fastrada was certainly not what she could consider a close friend as of yet.

"You and Ron are the only true friends I have. And Harry and Neville, but I don't know Harry well, like you do," the blonde witch admitted.

Hermione felt a little sadder now. She and Harry were close, but it seems that this business with Ginny – and his initial request for Hermione to spy on his wife to see if she was cheating on him – was the beginning of a wedge that was driven between them. The situation made their friendship more strained and less unconditional. Harry had now been gone for two weeks, and she wasn't even sure how long it would be before Harry could trust Hermione, if ever again. And if there was no trust, how could one truly be friends?

"Yes, Lavender, I'll be your bridesmaid. I'd be honored," Hermione agreed.

Considering all that had transpired between the two witches, Hermione was humbled that Lavender would request this of her when Hermione had every right to refuse.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Severus really needed to find a place of his own. And fast. Justina was now offering to bring his coffee up to his room in the mornings. She also knocked on his door at night to see if there was anything else he needed, sometimes offering him a nightcap, which he politely declined.

He was doing a lot of polite declining lately.

Now that Tina was done with her one client, Draco, she offered to help Severus find his own little cozy cabin, an offer he politely refused as well. Severus had already made arrangements with a wizard to start looking for a home of his own. Severus had something very specific in mind in regards to what he needed. He didn't want to waste time with a witch who would drag him to the other side of the island to some rat-infested lean-to just so she could pounce on him. She might even be taking fertility potions in hopes of entrapping him, for all he knew.

So far, there were no leads. Severus needed one bedroom for himself, but at least two other rooms as well. One room needed to be a library, and one a Potions lab; he was willing to convert bedrooms into those rooms to meet his needs. If Hermione came to join him some day, he could add on as needed. The house construction needed to be solid, not some bits of woven bamboo mat nailed to some unfinished posts. The site also had some very specific needs, since Severus would be having his very own Potions master's garden. He’d never had one of his own, as the gardens at Hogwarts were Pomona's domain and she helped grow whatever Severus needed; and since the Death Eater Decree, his own garden was certainly not a possibility.

Then there were the requests that began pouring in for Potions. Many of the requests seemed to be from people who didn't want to deal with Arnold, who didn't exactly hold to the Potions master credo of discretion. Also, Severus did not have the puritanical streak that Ranjit had. The Indian Potions master was Muggle-born and had grown up with many of the uptight Victorian mores from British empire colonialism that had seeped into the culture, which was ironic because this was the same culture that had produced the Kama Sutra. As a Muggle-born, Ranjit had grown up with the more socially conservative mindset of Indian Muggles versus some of the Indian wizarding populations, which was much less influenced by British Muggle “morality.”

Severus was tired of working in Justina's kitchen. It was undignified for a Potions master to brew in a kitchen, though that's exactly what he and Hermione did in his own flat.

So in addition to looking for a home, he also was looking for a small shop in which to set out his own shingle. It would be better if he had some place in which to conduct business, as he didn't feel like having to conduct business in the sanctuary of his home. He’d spent years having his own flat as his place of business when selling his own company and flesh, and he wanted to separate those two aspects of his life so he could get away from work while home and vice versa. Besides, he could even do tutoring at his shop and not in a home with other children running about as distractions. His one-on-one sessions with Hermione proved that being undisturbed by others led to much more progress.

Draco had found his little dream home and was preparing to move into it like a male bird putting a whole lot of effort into preparing an attractive nest to captivate a mate. The wedding was in a little less than a week and he still had much to do, while Ginny was busy getting her dress and picking out flowers.

While joining Draco on one of the many shopping excursions to the local homewares store – Hearth, Hale & Ho'okipa – in order for the groom to set up his house, Severus expressed his concern.

"Shouldn't you let Ginny pick out her own furniture, china, flatware patterns, bed linens, and such? Witches tend to be very territorial and want to impose their own style on their home instead of adopting someone else's," the older wizard warned his friend.

"First of all, I want this house ready for Ginny the day we move in, right after the wedding and dinner. Speaking of which, I made reservations for the seven of us at Mario's, and he promised us a room in the back for our reception," Draco said. The group of seven included everyone in the wedding party: Ginny, Severus, who was going to be his best man, Halulu, as Ginny's matron-of-honor, Greg, Halulu's husband, Mounga, who was going to be the officiant, his wife, Rainbow, and himself. It was going to be a very small reception.

"Second, right after Hermione introduced Ginny to that Muggle bookstore in July, Ginny went back multiple times and bought a lot of those Muggle magazines that feature houses in tropical locations. They had titles like Aloha Style and Island Dream Home. So while you two were busy with dance lessons and Potions experiments, Ginny and I poured over these magazines, talking about our dream home and all the little touches it would have. I know Ginny's style and what she likes as well as I do her body. I know she'll be thrilled with what I'm picking out for her," Draco assured his mentor.

Severus had no idea that they had been doing that and was a little surprised. It was very domestic of Draco to involve himself in such things that normally were considered the domain of witches in their society. But given how much Ginny and Draco had dreamed to be together, it was a way to fill the time and keep hope alive while they waited until the Polyjuice Potion ingredients were gathered and their escape was possible.

He had spent enough nights lying awake over the years imagining how his own home would look, from the view he would have from his Potions lab, to the location of his kitchen garden just off the kitchen and his Potions garden on the other side, adjacent to his lab. The Potions master had even pictured exactly where the sink for his lab would go, and how many feet of shelving he would need for his various ingredients.

As Draco and Severus headed back from the homewares store, they walked along a small side street as a shortcut back to the hotel. In a nearby alley, a small sun-faded sign caught Severus' eye as he passed by.

It said "For Lease or Rent."

Using his wand, Severus cleaned away what looked like years of accumulated dirt and grime on the glass window. He put one hand up to the window to shield his eyes from the glare of the sun, as the awning over the obscure storefront was torn and threadbare.

The front part of the store seemed narrow and cramped, but Severus had good night vision. He could see that beyond the first ten feet of the vacant store, it opened up into a much larger area. The front of the store seemed to give a false impression that the whole store was just as narrow and cramped as the front.

There was contact information on the sign and Severus noted it was the wizard he had hired to find him a home and store. He wondered why his real estate agent, Manny, hadn’t shown this place to him yet; he would have to ask him about it.

If he was lucky, the Potions master could get a lease agreement signed, get the awning fixed, and have his shop cleaned up and set up in time for the New Year.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

As Calleo dropped off her Friday morning copy of the Daily Prophet, Hermione remembered that Harry was due to come back the next day. It was two weeks since Ginny had left Harry. She stood there waiting for the kettle to boil and pondered if she should go visit her friend, or if she should wait until Harry came to see her, if he was still upset with her regarding everything that had passed between them.

With a hot mug of tea in hand, Hermione opened the copy of the Daily Prophet and saw the front page.

The mug fell from her hand and crashed on the floor. Small shards of crockery cut her ankle as they flew across the room, and hot tea splashed her feet.

"Harry Potter Injured in Transcontinental Broom Race"

Quickly scanning the article, she saw the accident had happened three days ago and the news had only just reached England. Evidently, while flying at night during the Istanbul to Vladivostok Bi-Annual Broom Race over the Pamir Pass, where the borders of Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Pakistan and China join together, Harry had fallen off his broom. The high terrain, freezing temperatures and heavy snowfall, low oxygen levels, lack of light during a waning crescent moon, and exhaustion were possible factors behind the accident. The Pamir Pass was known as the 'Roof of the World' since it was part of the Himalayas.

There was no news of Harry's condition, how badly he was injured, if he had been treated yet or when he might recover, as he had lain exposed to the elements in sub-zero temperatures for hours before another flyer spotted him lying unconscious on the snow once the sun rose in the morning. There was no news if Ginny Potter was on the scene or reports of her presence during the race.

Her broken mug of tea forgotten and unaware of the small bleeding cuts on her ankle, Hermione dressed as quickly as possible and Floo’ed directly over to the Ministry.

Running into the section where the Aurors had their offices, she knocked urgently on Kingsley's office door.

The senior Auror was already there and was packing quickly, having read the news shortly before.

"Harry!" Hermione said frantically, seeing a copy of the Daily Prophet on his desk as well.

"I know," Kingsley replied as he was packing a traveling Healer's kit to take with him. "I've already sent a memo to the Portkey Office for an emergency Portkey to be ready and waiting."

Glancing over at the distraught witch, he said, "I'll take care of him and bring him back, Hermione. I promise."

Hermione remembered Harry's promise to bring Ginny back only then to return empty-handed and defeated. It made her heart sink to think Kingsley might bring Harry back, possibly not alive.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Manny twisted the key in the lock. The lock had been spelled so kids wouldn't be able to use their wands to unlock the place and get up to trouble away from parental eyes. It was only the key that could open the lock.

Severus liked it since he would be storing a great many potentially dangerous potions and ingredients, should idle hands try to break in and do a little unsupervised brewing. He had enough experience with his stores being pilfered by various students and magical creatures back at Hogwarts.

There were a few candles in the hanging chandeliers that were mostly burnt down, but there was enough wax to light the place for a little while. There were also some skylights to let some natural light in during the day; they were shuttered closed to keep it dark for now.

Just as Severus expected, there was a narrow area towards the front that would serve nicely for a waiting area. Once past the narrow section, it opened into a large area that was plenty large enough for his needs. There was space he could partition off for private tutoring, another section he could partition off for his office and private consultations, two areas for brewing, and then an area for his stores. There was even a back section that was large enough to hold all the ingredients he would need for a fully stocked Potions master’s shop.

"Why didn't you show this place to me before?" Severus asked Manny.

"Well, I thought you wanted something along the main street, so you'd be more visible to customers. More foot traffic. And this place is a bit run down, and I didn't think you'd want to put that much effort into cleaning it up," he confessed.

"This is exactly what I need. It's actually preferable that I don't have a lot of people peering into the window to see who is waiting. My profession requires a certain amount of discretion–" he explained, but was cut off by Manny.

"Something Arnold seems to have forgotten over the years."

Severus was not about to disparage another Potions master to someone who was not a master or mistress of the art. Arnold ruined his own reputation by shooting off his mouth, which is why he had a brisk business making potions for the local clinic and standard potions at the apothecary, instead of doing commissions. Severus had, during his conversation with the two Chinese witches at the buffet during the Christmas luau, discovered his niche. And Ranjit seemed to think himself above taking certain commissions – his rejections based on their being too simple, too small, too time-consuming to complete, morally questionable, and a long list of other conditions – which left a lot of people in need of someone who was not above such things and could keep their big, fat mouth shut.

When Severus told the two Potions masters about the last few potions he’d developed for Miss Brown, Ranjit was appalled that Severus had lowered himself to do "those types of potions." Arnold wanted to know who he tested his potions on and with.

Severus would tell Manny nothing. It was none of the real estate agent’s business

Severus agreed to take the place starting with a two-year lease with an option to renew afterwards a year or more at a time. Now he had to talk to Draco about drawing more money from his vault, since Draco had promised to cover him until money matters abroad with Miss Brown were settled. Draco even refused the interest that Severus offered to pay, as Draco had told Severus that if it wasn't for him, he'd probably be dead or a soulless husk in Azkaban, and Ginny would still be stuck in a miserable marriage with Potter.

Once money was drawn, Severus could begin cleaning up the place, building and setting the interior to his needs, and buying equipment he was still missing and ingredients he couldn't collect himself. Then, he’d finally feel like a proper Potions master once again.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It was three days until Christmas, and three days since Hermione had read about Harry's accident in the Daily Prophet. It took until Sunday to report in the paper that Kingsley had found Harry and was working to heal him, but updates on Harry's condition were unconfirmed and the severity of his injuries unknown.

Hermione busied herself with shopping for a Christmas present for her parents over the weekend, hoping the cheerful Christmas carols that played over the loudspeakers in Muggle shops and the bright and colorful decorations might lift her spirits. It was all she could do to not burst into tears in the middle of the store, surrounded by Muggles who were jostling about in their own rush to finish last-minute shopping.

There was little Christmas shopping to do this year at all. Ron and she were no longer married, Ginny was gone, having found sanctuary and happiness with Malfoy, Harry was likely to be gone still, if Kingsley didn't come back with him soon, and Severus was gone as well.

She did get Fastrada a little something for when they would meet for lunch on the 23rd, and Hermione got some guidance from the bookseller at Flourish and Blotts on appropriate gifts from an apprentice to the Master they were studying under. She bought Albert a very nice blank journal in which to record his notes and experiments. Journals were always needed and welcomed; a Potions master could never have enough of them.

Hermione could have bought something for Lavender, but it still felt too awkward. What does one buy for their very rich employer who is marrying your ex-husband?

With her nose in a book on advanced Greek grammar and sentence structure, the young Potions apprentice did not hear the knock on her door.

Hearing no response from her, Albert popped his head through their adjoining door to their offices. Then the elder wizard called out, "No, she's here. She probably just didn't hear you knock."

Albert’s apprentice recognized his voice.

There was another knock on her door and Hermione bid whoever it was to enter.

Kingsley entered her office with a smile on his face.

Hermione got up from her desk and ran around it to rush into his arms. Hugging him fiercely, she asked, "I take it from the look on your face Harry is okay?"

Pulling herself away after realizing she was jubilantly affectionate with the imposing Auror, she looked behind him and asked, "Where's Harry?"

Kingsley began chuckling to himself before asking if he could sit down.

Hermione offered him a seat and asked if he wanted a cup of tea, which he declined. He still had to check back in with the Ministry, but came to see Hermione first since she was the closest one to Harry, and Ron and Harry had a momentary falling out over Ron's long-term affair with Lavender. In addition, Hermione was the first and only one who came to his office once the news broke before Kingsley had left to take an emergency Portkey to Dushanbe in Tajikistan. That was where he’d expected to find Harry, as that was the closest major city with a significant wizarding population to where his accident happened.

"So where is Harry? Is he all right? What happened?" she asked, her curiosity turning into speculative fears, expecting the worst.

"I found Harry. He's all right. There was little left for me to heal once I arrived there. Fortunately, Harry seemed to wind up being taken care of a very competent Healer. Although I doubt she's old enough to have had any formal training, she is skilled enough," he said with a smile upon his lips.

"So where is he? Is he all better or does he need time to heal some more before he can come home?" Hermione asked, still worried about the fate of her oldest friend.

"His body is perfectly healed," Kingsley assured her, waving his hands in a way to assure Hermione that she could sit back down and calm herself. "But you could say there are other things that are being mended right now as he remains in the care of the people who took him in when Yuri Novgorodich, the wizard who found him, brought him there."

Hermione gave the Auror a very puzzled look, unclear what else was wrong with Harry if his body was healed.

"Let's just say his heart is being mended by a certain nomadic Kyrgyz witch who was initially taking care of him until I showed up, and she seems to be equally taken with him. Even her father seems to like him. Their yurt is quite lovely." Kingsley smiled to himself once again and shook his head.

"Harry, this very instant, is in a yurt in the Himalayas, being tended to by a nomadic Kyrgyz witch, and he's all healed, and he didn't come home?" she asked, seeking for clarification, in case she missed any of the finer points already covered.

"Yes." His grin got even broader, and he nodded his head up and down. "Oh, and Harry has a message for you. He said you were right. 'Love finds us when we least expect it.' I guess that's referring to a conversation you two had."

Hermione smiled to herself, happy that Harry had found a little bit of love. She hoped this would last, and be as deep and glorious as the love she had for Severus, but it also disturbed her Harry could fall in love so quickly while still getting over the shock of Ginny leaving him recently. She wondered if this was just a temporary rebound romance.

Kingsley, noting the slightly faraway look in Hermione's eye, cleared his throat. "If I may ask, how close were you and Severus?"

Hermione felt a sudden lump in her throat, and the tears began welling in her eyes before she could stop herself. Her lips were set in a grim line, refusing to let them wibble or frown.

Kingsley's suspicions were confirmed. And he had a sense that Severus' feelings ran just as strong as hers, having noticed the changing attitude of his parolee over the months before he fled. One couldn't be an Auror without noticing these types of small changes in the disposition of someone you knew for years.

He rose and patted her hand, telling her Harry promised to be back the day after New Year's Day. Now Kingsley had to go to work and fill out a disability form for Harry, given he needed an extra two weeks from his accident.

Once Kingsley let himself out and shut the door, Hermione threw her head down on her desk and began to sob. In part from relief that Harry was okay, and in part because she suddenly missed Severus so much it felt like her heart was breaking in two once again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BONUS SECTION:

The Daily Prophet
Rite Skeeter Exclusive

MOLLY WEASLEY: Bad Mother Or Bad Luck?
Two divorces of in one week for Weasley children!

December 10th, 2003 – Anyone with a pulse above an Inferi and intelligence above a troll will have no doubt heard the scandalous news that Harry Potter, the boy who eventually defeated You-Know-Who and was raised by Muggles under tragic circumstances, and Ginny Potter (née Weasley), the youngest in an overly long line of children, have filed for divorce!

The Potters were spotted together last Friday morning walking towards the Portkey Office, where they left to go on holiday, but Ministry records show by the time they were reported to have departed they had already severed their marital bonds that morning. One wonders if they went their separate ways upon arriving at their destination, a destination kept under wraps for some secret reason.

This divorce is yet a second one that has recently rocked the wizarding world. The first noteworthy divorce was when Ron Weasley, star Keeper for the Chudley Cannons and pin-up eye candy for the Mercury Broom Company's 2004 calendar, left his shrewish wife Hermione Weasley (née Granger) for Miss Lavender Brown, founder and owner of the cosmetic beauty empire. The Weasleys' divorce is the first one recorded in decades, the last one being when Tom Riddle Sr., Muggle and father to You-Know-Who, divorced Merope Gaunt, descendant of Salazar Slytherin. Let us all hope that the former Mrs. Weasley is not pregnant and history does not repeat itself with yet another forsaken magical child, damaged by divorce, eventually wreaking terror upon the wizarding world in the decades to come. It would not surprise this reporter that Hermione Weasley would be capable of spawning such an insidious monster.

As for the Potters' divorce, was the Weasleys' divorce the impetus? Or is there someone with whom the blame of these shocking events should be placed? Since Harry Potter and Hermione Weasley were both raised by Muggles, it is through no fault of their own pitiable upbringing and blind ignorance that they were not more careful when entering upon marriage, given their backgrounds. However, that does not excuse Ron Weasley and Ginny Potter, the two youngest children of Arthur and Molly Weasley, both children pure-blood.

In wizarding society, witches are often given the responsibility to raise, educate, and ingrain the next generation with the values, customs, and mores of wizarding society. So how is it that two pure-blood children from the same family wind up filing for divorce within a week of each other? Let us look to Molly Weasley, matron of the Weasley family and mother of seven children.

Mrs. Molly Weasley is a pure-blood witch of the Prewett family, whose brothers, Fabian and Gideon Prewett, died during the first war. Unfortunately, they passed before marrying and producing any offspring of their own. Could the loss of two brothers in the flower of their youth have driven Molly Weasley to produce enough children to ensure the continuation of the Weasley line? Given all of the Weasley children survived the second war, it is safe to assume her plan succeeded and the Weasley name will not die out, unlike so many other old and prestigious pure-blood families that are now forever gone. One could say she went a bit overboard and should have stopped after producing the financially successful twins, Fred and George.

One must wonder, though, having so many children, did she have too many, and in doing so fail to instruct her two youngest children about the importance of marriage in our society? From Ron Weasley's interview in another unnamed publication, he stated he felt pressure from family to marry. Did Molly Weasley harangue her youngest son into proposing to Hermione Granger? Or was there a love triangle during the war between Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Harry Potter that caused Ron to propose first, given the history of Hermione Weasley toying with Harry Potter's heart years before, during the Tri-wizard Tournament at Hogwarts. Could Ginny Potter, knowing her husband pined away for Hermione Weasley, been driven to seek a divorce from a wizard who didn't love her?

This reporter thinks there is more behind the story that what the public has been allowed to glimpse from the interview that Lavender Brown, and the formerly married couple Ron and Hermione Weasley, so carefully meted out, like a carefully rehearsed lie. How could it be that Hermione Weasley did not know her husband and her now current employer were carrying on for so long. For a witch who had been crowned the brightest in a century by her instructors at Hogwarts, it seems the former Mrs. Weasley wasn't too bright – to have not known her husband was having an affair for so long. And then to go on and take a job working for her ex-husband's mistress? Either Muggle morals are even stranger than we have suspected, or there is something more going on.

As a reporter seeking the truth for her loyal readers, I promise to get to the bottom of this story and won't rest until it is laid out clearly and truthfully, as if dictated under Veritaserum.

============

A/N: Big round of applause to JuneW and Cygnuz for their always helpful and excellent beta work!

Before you take me to task for remarking about Indian culture being more reserved regarding sexuality, I am taking a nearly verbatim quote from an Indian friend of mine regarding Indian culture's attitude towards sex and sexual ideas/items. She referred to her own culture as puritanical and unreasonably prudish. This was her very own assessment about her own culture. She even told me the story about how she was nearly an adult until she finally learned where babies came from, being the youngest in her family and having been told the “story” that she’d been bought for a quart of rice and that how babies came to be, being purchased by a family. Had she been a middle or older sibling, she would have learned about where babies came from since she would have been around when younger siblings were born, but given she was the youngest, she was not informed of this biological fact.

An engawa is a Japanese veranda, a wooden platform border that runs around the outside of the house, usually under the roof line. Often a place in which to relax, sit, and enjoy the garden.

Hale is Hawaiian for home.

Ho'okipa is Hawaiian for hospitality.

I have no idea if there are magazines with the exact titles of 'Aloha Style' and 'Island Dream Home,' but it seemed like the sort of magazine titles one would come across.

There are two ways to spell Kyrgyz. The other way is Kirghiz. A Google fight determined which one I should use.

Here is some background information of the nomadic Kyrgyz:
http://www.pakistan-explorer.com/2/post/2013/02/the-afghan-kyrgyz-nomads-of-the-wakhan-corridor-retracing-the-legendary-silk-route-of-modern-day-pakistan.html

There is a movie about them called "Roof of the World" that I highly recommend:
http://www.theroofoftheworld.com/themovie.html
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And They Didn\'t Live Happily Ever After