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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
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“And They Didn't Live Happily Ever After”

Chapter Eighty-Seven
“Nemo Malus Felix” (Peace Visits Not the Guilty Mind/No Rest for the Wicked)

Disclaimer:
In a dark Scottish castle, cool wind in my hair
Warm smell of pumpkin pasties, rising up through the air
Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering wand
My fic grew lengthy and my plot grew thin
I had to stop, I could tell
There he stood on the blank page;
I grabbed my mouse and I clicked
And I was thinking to myself,
"This could be decent or this could be shit."
Then he spoke in my fanfic and he showed me the way
There were lawyers down the corridor,
I thought I heard them say...
JK Rowling owns all of Harry Potter.

A/N: Disclaimer a parody of “Hotel California.”

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

At the June Potions master social gathering, everyone made their first toast in congratulations to Hermione for passing her Latin test with flying colors, and so quickly.

“Two down, three to go,” Royston said cheerily before downing his drink in one large swallow.

“What language is next on the agenda?” Reginald Chuff asked as he was refilling his glass with more strong spirits that would be gone long before the ice melted.

Nursing her drink to pace herself, Hermione replied, “Well, since I just finished Latin, I was thinking Spanish next and get that out of the way quickly, because I still have Chinese and Japanese to master as well.”

Gesticulating with his arms, as he was prone to do, Chuff said with his booming voice he used when the alcohol was beginning to hit him, “One apprentice of mine already knew Spanish when he started with me. I thought it was a shortcut and he shouldn't be given the privilege of having to learn only four new languages, so I didn't allow him to count that one.”

Hermione recalled Severus telling her that detail. 'Yep, still a right bastard.'

“Besides,” Chuff rambled on, “if you were my apprentice, I wouldn't let you count Spanish since it's so close to Latin. I would have made you learn German or Arabic.”

“Given where my career might lead me once my apprenticeship is complete, Spanish will serve me far better,” Hermione let accidentally slip.

Everyone's ears at the party perked up.

“Really? Already have something lined up? Do tell. Do tell!” Braxton coaxed her.

Hermione wasn't supposed to say anything, given that some of the very same Potions masters in the room with her periodically consulted with Lavender's competition. The blonde witch didn't want to tip off her competition as to her future moves in order to beat her to new markets. Lavender's main competition was already scrambling to launch in India, hoping to have their own product launches there within a few months after The Lovely Lavender Company had their big launch in October, a mere four months away.

“Actually, I've said too much. But things are in the works.” Hermione put her drink up to her lips to avoid accidentally spilling any more news that was still secret. She hated how alcohol would sometimes make her mouth work faster than her brain at these booze-ups.

“Hmmm, learning Spanish,” Niles mused a bit over-dramatically. “Don't tell me that dago lothario Delgado asked you to come join him in Spain, now that you're a 'free witch' and available.”

Where Niles got that notion, Hermione couldn't fathom, but he was close to the mark. Change the names and locations, and that was exactly what it was.

“Ooh, she's blushing,” Royston jibed. “I think you got it, Niles.”

“It's the drink,” Hermione deflected, sounding very petulant. She had to stop herself from crossing her arms, a tell-tale non-verbal cue, but her lower lip was already beginning to jut out.

There was a chorus of more oohs and ahhs from her drinking companions. Chuff was the worst, giving her a leer that was quite uncomfortable.

“If you boys will excuse me, I've got to go take a piss, if you're done taking the piss out of me.” Hermione rose, her drink still in hand, and went to the loo to collect her thought and get a grip on her emotions.

Niles' comment certainly hit a nerve, as Hermione had become more fretful as of late, wondering about the steadfastness of Severus' feelings towards her after her own momentary lapse. It took a few moments, but Hermione was able to calm herself down to the point where she wasn't about to burst into tears once again.

She had been battling with the crushing guilt of sleeping with Neville, and her thoughts had been plagued with wondering if Severus had begun sleeping around with other witches in Malu Palekaiko. If she faltered, what was the likelihood that Severus was now welcoming another witch in his bed?

Hermione pulled out a vial of Sobering Solution, downing it quickly and rinsing her mouth out so the other Potions masters wouldn't detect that she had “cheated.” Of course, when she emerged from the loo, she would pretend to be just as drunk as when she had sauntered in, but at least if she was accidentally prodded in that particular sensitive spot where Severus was concerned, she wouldn't burst into tears like a “silly little girl.” It was easier to control her emotions when she was sober. The Potions masters may have been grown men, but they still behaved like inconsiderate boys at times, with the exception of Albert, who was protective of her in a fatherly fashion.

Steeling herself, Hermione emerged, keeping her eyes a little heavy to fool the others. She was alert, trying to keep on her toes should any more random questions be too close for comfort.

“Who is ready to play 'Identify the Ingredient?'” she prompted, knowing she would win that game easily yet again and avoid drinking more for a bit longer.

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

The American spring lamb was superb. Ginny raved on about how this was his best leg of lamb ever. The latest batch of mango chutney was sublime, and the roasted new potatoes – sprinkled with fresh rosemary and parsley from Severus' kitchen garden and coarse sea salt – were fantastic. Draco added to the list of compliments with his own praises of the wine and sautéed vegetables, as they dined inside the Malfoys' home since there was a brief rainstorm passing through.

As much as he should have reveled in their compliments during their ritual Sunday dinner together, Severus' mind was elsewhere.

He hated to admit it, but that brief tryst with Maria was weighing more and more heavily on his mind and heart. It didn't bother him so much that it was one less witch chasing him – actually, it was four less witches chasing him since Maria shared her own opinion of their encounter with the other admirers of Severus – but that he wondered how Hermione would react if she ever found out.

Draco and Ginny had heard of what happened from Rainbow's insinuations, as the matron herself had been briefed afterwards by Maria. Draco had informed his mentor the rumor mill was in full swing, and to be prepared. If Rainbow knew, so did most of the island, as Maria was giving her opinion of their encounter to more than one person, for sure.

If Hermione ever did come to Malu Palekaiko, how would she react to hearing the rumors, even if it was just one encounter? Rainbow was surely to open her mouth at some point.

It was ironic that when he was being paid to service countless witches over the years, there was no question about discretion. Now he fucked one witch for no money and it was blabbed about for salacious fodder to entertain the locals in this quiet town.

Severus had to be physically prodded with a soft touch of Ginny's hand upon his upper arm to have his attention brought back to the present.

“I said, how is that new business with Blanche working out? I understand you have already made two shipments so far and orders are starting to pour in from abroad?” Ginny asked, looking a bit concerned, since Severus was usually very attentive.

“Fine, fine,” Severus replied noncommittally without expanding any further on the details. He pushed a piece of lamb about his plate absentmindedly.

“And did Blanche's husband, Mark, agree to the new arrangements, moving back to the mainland and accepting a monthly stipend?” she asked, seeking further details.

“Yes,” Severus said, not really feeling much like conversation, though he normally enjoyed these weekly dinners with his friends immensely.

Draco and Ginny briefly exchanged worried glances, before Severus excused himself from the table and went outside to get some fresh air.

Ginny nodded her head towards Severus, indicating Draco should follow and speak with him of what they suspected was weighing heavily on their friend's mind as of late.

Draco knew to wait a bit to let Severus collect his thoughts first before approaching him.

Pushing the sliding glass door aside, he joined the older wizard sitting on the engawa that overlooked the Japanese garden.

Both sat there in meditative silence. The babbling of the small stream running through the garden joined the subtle chorus of rain falling on broad-leaf foliage, and birds beyond the house nesting in nearby trees.

“Have you had any contact with her? Did you ever send her that letter?”

Draco wondered if his friend heard the question when he didn't reply. He was met with only silence, until Severus finally spoke.

“I tried. I can't put to paper all that I wish to say. And it's not like I wrote to her much before.” Severus gave a heavy sigh, his heart gone mute.

“Was there any other way you communicated your feelings?” Draco knew there had to be something besides physicality between them to express deeper sentiments.

“Flowers.”

Draco almost gave a short laugh. That was a terribly romantic notion, and Draco didn't think the older wizard sitting next to him as prone to such sentimental gestures.

“Then send her some flowers,” Draco suggested.

It wasn't like Severus hadn't thought of that solution before. However, flowers, even with charms and spells, would not likely survive the 7,300 miles via albatross.

Scratching his fingers through the thick growth of black whiskers now sprouting upon his face, Severus was struck with inspiration. He could kill two birds with one stone, taking care of another matter he had been thinking about for some months while also having some flowers delivered to Hermione in one fell swoop. It might cost a pretty Knut, but it would be well worth it.

Seeing the gears in Severus' mind grind furiously, Draco rose to leave his friend alone. As he stood and opened the sliding glass door, he suddenly remembered something.

Stopping, he turned his head over his shoulder to regard Severus' back. “Remember that movie we saw in the park last night?”

“That musical, My Fair Lady?” Severus swiveled his head and glanced up at Draco, given the amused tone in his voice.

“Yes. Well, I finally remembered where I'd heard one of the songs before.” Draco stopped explaining for a moment and laughed to himself, internally remarking on some of the ironic similarities. “When you began giving Hermione dance lessons, that first night I saw her waltzing down the staircase singing to herself about how she could have danced all night and begged for more.”

Draco gave one more muted chuckle and shook his head before going back inside.

Severus let a smile cross his lips upon remembering that night when they'd first danced. From Draco's description, he could very clearly imagine her singing that song and gliding down the staircase during those heady days when they were first falling in love. It had been a while since he'd smiled and his heart didn't feel quite so heavy.

It was then Severus realized that the day before was the one-year anniversary of when she'd stepped into his flat and his life changed forever. How much his life had changed since then, and mostly for the better.

His appetite returned, Severus rose and went back to join his friends for dinner. It would be such a waste not to enjoy a good leg of lamb, especially since it came out so well and the compliments were flowing so freely.

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

In the kitchen at The Lovely Lavender Company, Hermione was cutting up the ginger root, but her mind was elsewhere. The task wasn't anything difficult, since it was just some ginger and lemon tea she was brewing for Lavender and her Aunt Christine, who were both in need of something to settle their stomachs during their pregnancies. Even Harry's wife, Zhubanysh, had taken to drinking that tea, since she was pregnant as well. Harry was more than happy to brew the simple tea, according to directions Hermione had written down for him. It had been a bad case of morning sickness that went well into the night that prevented the couple from attending Viktor and Anne's wedding.

Her knife rocking up and down, she kept cutting up more root so she could brew some Wit-Sharpening Potion for herself. She could brew that one in her sleep, as – considering how hard she had been pushing herself lately – she had a few times.

Eager to finish mastering Spanish so she could go on to attack learning Japanese and Chinese – which involved whole new sets of characters, and neither language were part of the Indo-European language families – the Potions apprentice had begun taking the mind-honing elixir in hopes that she could absorb the material that much faster. It wasn't anything that Albert encouraged or even knew about, but Hermione was desperate to finish her apprenticeship and join Severus as soon as possible. She was miserable without him, even though she was currently getting everything she'd ever wanted before he came into her life.

She was working on her apprenticeship, she was earning more money in a far more fulfilling job, and she was even free from a marriage she wasn't particularly happy in. Hermione had everything she dreamed of, but without Severus, it seemed that there was something missing that made all the effort worthwhile.

Tipping back the vial of Wit-Sharpening Potion, she ignored the bitter taste of the armadillo bile, glad she had access to the necessary ingredients. She was allowed carte blanche access to use inventory in the Lovely Lavender warehouse for her own personal brewing, as a perk to her job and apprenticeship.

She had also begun brewing some Invigoration Draughts for the days when she lacked energy – such as when she could barely drag her arse out of bed the day after working all morning in Albert's garden, followed by an awkward afternoon at Neville's nursery. Even though Hermione and Neville had both agreed to put the incident behind them, both silently admitting it was a mistake, it had strained the easy camaraderie they had once shared.

She hoped that now she had something to help clear her mind of the constant fatigue that plagued her from pushing herself, and from silently punishing herself for sleeping with Neville, she could come up with an idea for her apprenticeship. One of the things Hermione had to do to become fully accredited as a Potions mistress was to come up with a new potion of her own design.

Given the work she did on the Sequoia and Irresistible potions might have counted, but Severus had already developed the Sequoia potion on his own before she came along. Even the Irresistible potion was developed more in partnership than on her own, thus Albert could not count it. Besides, he was supposed to supervise the development in order to judge if the new potion was original or plagiarized, and he could not verify the work, even though he trusted Hermione.

She considered creating a menstrual relief potion to supplant A Little Witch's Best Friend, but after some research, it seemed that many menstrual cramp-relief potions had to be tailored to each witch, since symptoms varied in intensity and number of them as well. A Little Witch's Best Friend worked so well because it was an all-purpose muscle-relaxant and analgesic, though Hermione thought she could improve upon it based on that one discussion she had with Severus in which he aroused her while trying to discuss Potions theory.

Hermione had already created a custom potion for herself, which upon first attempt resulted in Albert having to brew a quick antidote. Hermione had vastly underestimated the potency of a few ingredients when used in combination and had nearly caused her heart to stop. A few more adjustments under Albert's tutelage, and she finally had a new formula for herself.

She still needed to come up with a new potion of her own design and her own research for general use by the population. She found that it was getting harder to come up with something that had not been created already over the 3,000+ years of recorded Potions work.

As the Wit-Sharpening Potion began to awaken her mind, she hoped inspiration would soon strike, as she was desperate for an idea.

Trying to look more alive than she felt, Hermione picked up the tray and brought the pitcher of ginger and lemon tea into the weekly Friday meeting. Lavender and Aunt Christine would surely be glad to have a tall cool glass of that before addressing that week's business, including the latest on the India launch.

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

At first a bit reluctant, Severus eventually relented and agreed to grant an interview to the reporter from the Canadian publication, All About Apothecaries.

Word of Miniature Man-Eating Masdevallia orchid pods being shipped from the Hawaiian Islands spread like wildfire throughout the Americas, East Asia, and Australia. While the South American exporters viewed this as competition that impinged on their sole monopoly, everyone else was thrilled there would be another source for the rare ingredient. Prices were still holding steady at fifty Galleons for a fresh seed pod, but given that there would be more stock on hand for purchase, prices remained high and demand rose.

The Canadian wizard was wearing a pointed fur-trimmed toque in the tropical heat, charmed with the equivalent of Muggle air conditioning on the inside of the crown to keep the wearer cool. He asked, “And just how did you discover this previously unknown stand of orchids?”

Severus gave a brief synopsis on how one of his tutoring students had brought it in initially by mistake, and the ensuing events afterwards that had led to the forming of a partnership with the property owner.

Just then, Blanche Condre entered Severus' store and apologized for being late, but said that there were some personal and legal matters she had to settle first.

The reporter asked some questions regarding the property, to which Severus signaled to Blanche to remain as vague as possible. The location was a secret under the Fidelius Charm with Blanche as the Secret-Keeper, but that wouldn't stop people reading the article from coming to Malu Palekaiko trying to find the locations themselves, or tearing up the island in hopes of finding another undiscovered stand of the rare orchid and its highly valuable seed pods. Blanche's answer, as coached by Severus, would give others the impression that the stand of orchids was found on one of the more populated Hawaiian Islands, without outright explicitly saying so.

Once the interview was done, the reporter asked if he could take a picture of Severus and Blanche together, posed in front of a bench with cauldrons lined up for a brewing class Severus was going to begin once the interview was over. The reporter kept waving his hands for them to stand closer and closer until they finally gently bumped into each other, just as the flash went off.

The reporter thanked Severus and Blanche for their time. He promised to owl a copy of the magazine to each of them when the story published in the July issue, coming out in about a week.

Blanche shook Severus' hand and left the store, needing to go out and purchase more boxes for shipping later that week, as Severus suggested. She was learning to do many of the simpler tasks first to run the business, including processing the orders. Now that she no longer had to work at the taro farm, as the Galleons had started rolling in, she could take over more duties. Severus was glad to help her learn, since his own business was still taking up most of his time.

Just as Blanche left, Naomi entered, sauntering in after having received an owl from Severus about a special run he needed her to do on his behalf.

“Let me guess, you need me to go to the mainland for something. I have to warn you that it'll cost more, since time and Portkey costs are both more,” she began, not even letting Severus explain his request before she tried to guess what the errand would entail.

“Oh, I have the Galleons,” he assured her, flushed with more money from his fifteen-percent cut of the profits from the sale of the orchid pods, and from his thriving business. “But this is farther than the mainland. I need you to Portkey to London for a couple errands that cannot be done via albatross, but must be done in person.”

“London, England?” Naomi asked, her jaw dropping in an ungainly fashion. Her eyes popped open wide with surprise, having only ever gone as far as Tokyo, Seattle, and Mexico City for the rare odd run for something that wasn't available within the Hawaiian Islands.

“No, London, Kiribati, located 2,000 miles due south in the middle of the South Pacific,” he dryly said with a straight face. When Naomi didn't pick up on his sarcastic tone, he clarified, “Of course, I mean London, England.”

Naomi blinked and beamed brightly. “Cool! I've always wanted an excuse to visit Limeyland, and now I'll have my Portkey paid for. Sweet.”

Severus didn't miss her not-so-subtle dig in response to his snark.

Silently, Severus decided that if he ever began using words such as “sweet,” “cool,” and “wicked” as interjections instead of using them appropriately as adjectives, he would ask Draco to immediately put him out of his misery.

“First is to hunt down a set of silverware. I need your discretion, as this is a surprise present to the Malfoys for their first wedding anniversary. Hopefully, it won't take you until Christmas to locate Draco's mother's silver that was seized by the British Ministry of Magic and most probably sold off to a shop in Knockturn Alley.”

Severus pulled out two pieces of parchment, his finger indicating the design on one of the sheaves. “This here shows what the silver pattern looked like. There should be a full set of 24 place settings. It's charmed – or should I say hexed – not to be broken apart, so it should have all the pieces listed on this sheet, from salad forks all the way through to dessert forks.” He had eaten enough dinners at Malfoy Manor over the years to know all the pieces that were in the set, including the grapefruit fork and knife, fish fork and knife, snail tong and fork, and lobster pick settings.

“And the other errand?”

“Just as, if not more important. I need you to order a bouquet with very specific flowers to be delivered. No substitutions allowed.” His voice dropped in order to impart the importance of that last direction. If Severus was going to send a message of his love for Hermione, he didn't want it to get botched up with miscommunication, given how they had misunderstood each other in the past.

Naomi gave Severus a sidelong glance with a sly smirk.

For good measure, he added, “And no telling Rainbow, or anyone else, as this is none of her business, nor anyone else's on the island. I'll even tip you handsomely for your discretion, since that seems to be a commodity in short supply here at times.”

It was bad enough Naomi had probably heard through the grapevine about his interlude with Maria and how it was not exactly mutually enjoyable.

Looking over the second piece of parchment , Naomi's eyes trailed down the specific list of flowers, noting their symbolism. She let out a low whistle.

“Wow, a bouquet like that and the rumors of you pining for someone back in England must be true. No wonder Maria didn't exactly inspire you if you're sending these flowers to this... Hermione,” she surmised, reading the name and address at the bottom.

“Discretion,” he reminded her, his tone warning her to keep her mouth shut and her opinions to herself.

Severus reached into his pocket and pulled out a small note sealed with wax. “And make sure to have this small note included with the delivery of the flowers as well.”

Naomi took the folded and sealed note with his initials on it and put it away for safekeeping, nodding her head to signal that she understood this was indeed a very personal matter. It wouldn't do to get a reputation for violating people's privacy by informing others of what she fetched on some of her runs. Discretion was always required, just like in Severus' business.

“I'll leave on the Monday before the Pele Festival begins. She'll probably have her 'package' by Friday, the day the Festival begins. Does that work for you?” Naomi asked, noting that some of Severus' students were trickling in for their lesson, so she said "package" in order to remain discreet.

Severus nodded that would be adequate, before Naomi told him she would get back to him on her Portkey and travel costs for this particular errand.

Now that he had taken some action toward contacting Hermione since they parted all those months ago, the pining Potions master was feeling a bit more relaxed and was much more patient with his students, as he began class.

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

A/N: Thank you to my wonderful betas for this chapter, JuneW and Hope.

The "engawa" is in front of the garden. It is like a balcony or wooden floor, and you can step out from a room. This is the place from where we can see the garden in a relaxed mood and take the air.
http://www.travel-around-japan.com/j04-living-place.html

“Hotel California”: Written by Don Henley, Glenn Frey, and Don Felder.

There was a request for it, so here is the recipe for Hermione's ginger and lemon tea, which helps settle upset stomachs. When my sister was pregnant (years before Harry Potter came out) and could keep nothing down for months, I made her a special tea to brew and drink half an hour before eating. It consisted of ginger, blessed thistle, lemon, and raspberry, and it did help, but I think it was mostly the ginger and lemon that did it since lemon and ginger are the two recommended ingredients for pregnant women to consume to help with morning sickness. My brother-in-law, in snarky tones, referred to me as a “witch,” but was thankful I came up with that tea brew for his wife Also, ginger is a good analgesic, I've heard (I'm not a doctor or pharmacist), so when I have bad headaches, I drink this as well.

Hermione's Ginger-Lemon Iced Tea
Prep time: 10 minutes
Brew time: 4 hours minimum, 12 hours preferred

Ingredients:

1 large (3- to 4-inch) piece of ginger
1 quart water for boiling
1/4 to 1/2+ cup honey (orange honey is the best, flavor-wise)
1/2 of a lemon

Directions:

1) Peel the piece of ginger, and slice thinly.

2) In a plastic or glass 1-quart container, place the sliced ginger and up to half a cup of honey (orange honey preferred), depending on how sweet you like it.

3) In a teapot or pan, boil a quart of water.

4) Pour most of the boiling water into the ginger-and-honey container, leaving room for a half-cup at the top of the container.

5) Stir until honey is dissolved. Cover the container loosely, or put a lid on loosely, to allow steam to escape. Place in the refrigerator overnight to brew, or at least four hours.

6) After brewing it and letting it cool down, ream half of a lemon into the quart container and add the reamed lemon rind half. Stir.

7) Fill a glass with ice, and place a strainer/sieve over the glass to catch ginger slices and lemon seeds. Pour the cold ginger-lemon-honey tea over ice, filling the glass halfway.

8) Take a sip. If too strong, then add water the rest of the way, or just add some water to water down the spicy bite of the ginger. If not too strong and just right for your personal taste, continue filling glass and don't add water.

NOTE: Remember, the longer it brews in the fridge, the stronger the ginger flavor and the spicy bite become. To help counter the spicy bite, you can add more honey and/or add a greater proportion of water.
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And They Didn\'t Live Happily Ever After