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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
- 94
- 95
- 96
"And They Didn't Live Happily Ever After"

Chapter Ninety-Four
"Air, Stone, Fire and Water"

Disclaimer:
But, lame! what intention through yonder disclaimer bleats?
It is fanficcer Betz, and JK is the original author.
Acknowledge, fanfic author, and kill the litigious lawyers,
Who is already chopping at the bit with greed,
That thou art borrowing her characters:
Be not infringing, since she is entitled;
Her vital living is but Harry Potter
And none but fools do deny it; cast it off.
It is Rowling, O, it is the author!
O, that we acknowledge she is!

A/N: The disclaimer yet another parody, this time of the balcony scene from William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet.

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

Severus slept uneasily. Halulu and Greg had come over and mentioned the fact that Draco and Ginny were overdue to return, a fact that had not escaped Severus' attentions when the Malfoys failed to come back home by Friday night as they originally arranged.

Rising with the dawn, he went to the back door to let the nameless black cat in before mincing some leftover roast chicken and placing it on a small plate along with a small bowl of milk for the useful beast. Severus was no longer finding half-gnawed produce in his kitchen garden. Unfortunately, rats were far more clever than some wizard's spell to deter them from a garden, but cats were even more clever. There was a moment where Severus thought he might even miss the furball, once Ginny came back.

'If she comes back,' he pondered.

Looking on the back porch, he noted that there was yet another rat dead, proof that there were far more raiding his garden than he had guessed.

"Keep it up, I might actually have something to can this year," Severus told the cat lapping away contently at the milk that filled its belly after a full night of hunting.

Deciding that a day tending his gardens would be plenty of exercise for the day, Severus forewent his morning swim and had breakfast. He knew something more substantive than tea, toast, and fruit would be prudent, given the amount of physical work ahead, but he could not eat anything more filling.

As he fought against the passion vine that cuddled quite amorously up his leg, he hacked away at the vine's tendrils and shoots before they could get any more fresh with him, and further invade his bed of rare Indian elephant flowers that trumpeted softly in the early morning sun. That was when he heard a familiar voice call out, "Aloha."

Severus pulled out his wand and cast a Blasting Curse before turning around and spying Draco and Ginny opening his front garden gate.

"Aloha. Halulu was about to send out a search party since you didn't come back Friday." Severus picked off the last of the passion vine still affectionately curling about his ankles.

"We unpacked our things and came right over. I think you'll find the reason why we delayed our return was for a worthy cause," Draco said with a satisfied grin as he pulled out a copy of the Sunday edition of the Daily Prophet.

Severus looked at the front page and grinned as he read the headline.

"Minister's Wife & Dolores Umbridge Confess To Election Rigging"

"My, you have been busy," Severus said nonchalantly. "Care to come in for a cup?"

Over a pot of tea, Draco and Ginny recounted Hermione's plan, and how now the Ministry was in an uproar, because Fudge had to resign as Minister, since he didn't lawfully win the last election. The wizard who should have won – Mergatroyd Morgan – had recently left the country to travel abroad, unwilling to stomach watching another electoral cycle. An owl was being sent to the remote tropical island where he went on holiday to inform him of recent developments. Deputy Minister McPeebles was running the Ministry until the election later that week, which was now between McPeebles and Bones. The election should have been between Morgan and Bones, but Morgan had been quoted a few times by the Daily Prophet saying that he had formally resigned from politics, and if he ever had to step foot in the Ministry ever again, it would be too soon.

Severus laughed and periodically shook his head, silently amazed by Hermione's inventiveness and her ability to right yet another injustice. He was not surprised by Morgan's refusal to remain in politics and feeling a bit empathetic with rightfully elected Minister where the Ministry was concerned. Most of all, he was glad Hermione was able to finally exact revenge against Calpurnia for interfering with her life, and was thankful Draco was there to help, as having a Slytherin available was useful whenever one was hatching cunning plans.

As Draco began to unpack the satchel that contained items they had brought back for Severus, he announced, "I have all the things you requested. Monies from the Ministry in compensation for your seized house – good thing you thought to have Mounga draw up that 'power of attorney' document, granting me the right to bring back the money on your behalf." There was a thump and jingle as a small pouch of Galleons was placed on the counter, given that Severus' former home was rather modest and wasn't worth much to begin with.

"Bangers from Abattoir and Haunches, plus enough so that our local butcher can finally find out what a real banger should taste like. Oh, and proper British back bacon." The blond wizard pulled out more packages of wrapped meat from the satchel, which had an Extension Charm. "Teas, from the apothecary you sent me to. Jammy thumb biscuits. Clotted cream, since our local cows don't have the right butterfat content. And some good French and Spanish cheeses, plus Stilton."

Severus was thankful that his friends brought back most of the things he requested, but what he was looking forward to most was not among the items Draco placed on his kitchen counter.

"And lastly, I have this." Draco pulled out a large tube of parchment consisting of several sheets rolled together and tied with a ribbon. "And this," he added, pulling out the same wooden box Severus had left Hermione as a Christmas present. "Hermione said two of these in the box belong to you, and the third is from her."

Severus wanted to appear cool and collected enough to appear almost disinterested, but he rose quickly and nearly snatched the box out of Draco's hand hastily.

"She still loves you, Severus," Ginny said, answering the question he had yet to ask aloud.

"So how did she get the wrong bouquet?" he asked, offering his guests some more tea and nibbles.

Draco decided he was better at spinning the tale with more flare than his wife, as he knew how to use words that pandered to Severus' temperament and conveyed the right sentiments that only another Slytherin could truly appreciate. Ginny was the one who told Severus about Hermione receiving her leis, and the toast that Draco proposed and all who joined in.

Throughout the morning, they continued to recount the party to Severus. He even heard about the dirty limerick contest, which Ginny tried to convince her husband to not retell. The redhead apologized for Hermione's crudeness in her absence, since she was quite drunk from that "Wipe-Out" drink that Draco fixed the former Golden Trio. Then there was the story of Hermione challenging Draco, Harry, and her ex-husband, Ron, to a beer-drinking contest at the Korean barbecue joint, followed by dancing at a club afterwards.

Severus had gotten Hermione tipsy before, but never quite that drunk. By Draco and Ginny's descriptions, Albert was doing a fine job of bringing her tolerance for alcohol up to an acceptable level, as that was part of the apprenticeship training.

For centuries, unscrupulous witches and wizards have attempted to get Potions masters and mistresses drunk enough to spill their most guarded secrets, only to have the intellectual property thieves drunk under the table and secret potions formulas remaining secret in the end. It was yet another way to protect their knowledge from those who would try to steal it. Pity Ranjit didn't drink alcohol, and Arnold had the alcohol tolerance of a first year. Severus hadn't been to a proper booze-up in years, though he and Draco had one every year on Victory Day during their oppression under the Death Eater Decree, but it wasn't quite the same when you were drinking to mope, instead of socialize.

The Malfoys also told Severus about their visit to Molly and Arthur's and what a strained affair that was. While Ginny was thrilled to see her father, things were still rather tense between mother and daughter.

"And when Ginny was feeling a little nauseous, I offered to make some ginger tea for her," Draco recalled. "Molly nearly had a heart attack on the spot, hardly believing I was willing to venture into a kitchen and not demand she or a house-elf do it."

"Would it have been so terrible if she did have a heart attack?" Ginny bit out.

"Not at all. As for her comment that maybe you weren't pregnant and it wasn't too late to have a divorce, it did not endear her to my bosom any further," Draco said rather icily, still frosted about his mother-in-law's words.

"But at least my father apologized. He was thrilled to see how happy I am with you and how attentive you are to me," Ginny reminded him.

"Yes, Arthur was civil and gracious. Your mother is another matter." Draco ground his teeth at the memory of the visit.

The topic was quickly dropped. They moved on to other more pleasant subjects, including the restoration of Malfoy Manor and the refilling of the Malfoy vault at the Gringotts London branch.

"Unfortunately, my mother's silverware was missing." Draco sighed heavily. "I was hoping to find that returned, but they said it had been sold in the meantime to some buyer from abroad."

"Well, you never know. With time, it might turn up again," Severus noted as casually as possible. "Did you find out what you were compensated for the set?"

"About six-thousand Galleons."

"What?" Ginny reacted with shock.

"The set is a full service for twenty-four, with both a lighter luncheon setting and a heavier dinner setting, so it's actually forty-eight settings in total. All Goblin-made, of course." Draco seemed rather nonplussed by the value of the set, and more concerned over its sentimental value. "Each setting includes, besides the basic salad and entree forks, a teaspoon, place spoon, and knife, a bouillon soup spoon, cream soup spoon, iced beverage spoon, demitasse spoons, butter knife, fish knife, fish fork, ramekin fork, fruit fork, lobster pick, and other pieces. Then there are the various serving pieces, such as meat fork, ladles, serving spoons, and so on."

Severus nodded, quietly thrilled Naomi had been able to purchase the set for under three-thousand. It had taken a bit of effort for him to scrimp together that much, but he had wanted to find the set before anyone else purchased it. Though, had he known Hermione would win their property back for them, he would have held off and let the Ministry buy it back from the dealer in Knockturn Alley. But six-thousand Galleons was double what he'd paid, so the discrepancy in price made Severus wonder if the set's spell to avoid being split and sold off had been broken. He would have to retrieve the set from Naomi and do a count, as there were a few pieces to the set he was unaware of until Draco listed them. Still, it would make a fine first wedding anniversary and Christmas surprise later that year.

"Oh!" Ginny said suddenly. "I just remembered one more thing from Hermione." Getting up from her seat, she reached far down into the satchel, practically having to stick her head into the bag to find the last item.

"This bouquet is from Hermione," Ginny said.

In the center were two red roses for love. Surrounding the two roses were ox-eye daisies mixed equally with corchorus. Severus laughed to himself at the heartfelt yet contrary nature of the mixing of those two, as the ox-eye daisies symbolized patience, and the corchorus impatience of absence. It was her way of telling Severus she would wait, but that she couldn't wait to see him. Surrounding the daisies and corchorus were a mix of alstroemeria, heliotrope, and white periwinkle, symbolizing devotion, faithfulness, and pleasures of memory. It was quite a change from her previous bouquet that he had recently discarded, as the rudbeckias (for justice) had withered and the palm fronds (symbolizing victory) were beginning to turn brown, a few weeks after he and Draco had been exonerated by the Wizengamot. Today, this new bouquet's message was love.

Running a finger along the petals of the white periwinkle, Severus did recall Lavender mentioning, in a round-about way, that Hermione would spend many a late Friday night – based on what the house-elves told her – locked in her office with Lavender's Pensieve. Lavender made some innuendo-laced remark about not needing so much time to review just two memories.

As Severus gazed at the bouquet, drinking in Hermione's message to him, Ginny fetched a vase from the cupboard and filled it with water from her wand.

"Why have you never bought me flowers?" Draco asked Ginny.

"Because you would have said something like it's the wizard's job to woo the witch, not the other way around," she replied.

"Too true. Too true," he conceded. "But I don't think Severus minds something a little unconventional now and then. Am I right, Severus?"

Severus didn't hear Draco. Instead, his gaze was set upon the roll of parchment on the table, curious as to what Hermione had to say to him in the many, many, many words she had written him.

"Come Draco. I'm sure we can catch up with Severus later." Ginny rose, watching the way Severus was lost in thought. "Besides, my body clock is still on London time, and right after I just adjusted to the new time zone. I'm ready for bed."

Severus walked his guests down to the garden gate and thanked them for all that they had done for him, taking care of important matters. It was after the Malfoys had left he realized he forgot tell Ginny to take the cat with her.

'Figures the wee beastie would make itself scarce at an inopportune time.'

Once back in his kitchen, he debated which to open first, Hermione's letter or her memory. Thinking how much easier it would be to imagine her voice as he read, he decided to view the memory first.

Entering his private Potions lab, he approached his new Pensieve. It had arrived a few days earlier than expected while the Malfoys were away.

The base was made of white marble, cut from the same Pentelic quarry that had supplied the marble for the Parthenon in Athens. On the base was a bas relief depiction of Mnemosyne, Titaness and Greek goddess of memory. It was a round base, instead of edged with flat faces, to evoke the fact that memories can be circular, coming back to a beginning with no end.

He'd chosen the model with the hand-hammered silver bowl that rested atop the base, with a locking lid for security, instead of the model where the bowl and base were one. His bowl was made to slip easily into the depression on the top of the base so it would never fall off or tip over. The lip of the bowl was decorated with a series of ancient Greek characters engraved into the metal.

Reading the ancient words, he translated them. "Memories can be air, stone, fire, and water. They can lift up, weigh down, deflagrate, or drown us."

Those words weighed heavily upon Severus. He had drowned in his own memories, as if unable to breathe at times. Or he let the weight of the memory of his wife weigh like an anchor around his neck, dragging it around for years as penance. But there were some memories that also lifted him up and made him soar like a bird on wing. Hermione had lifted his spirits with those memories that he recalled of their months together.

He gazed at the green-capped vial for a moment in anticipation of finally seeing Hermione, even if only in a memory. In Lavender's memory, Hermione was quite stern and forceful as she faced the Wizengamot, with little warmth. As much as he admired her in those memories, he longed for some of the tenderness that emanated from her, directed towards him.

As the memory swirled in the argentine water, Severus leaned forward, eager to see her once again.

Severus found himself once again back in his old flat. Hermione was there waiting for him, a vision in royal purple.

"Hello, Severus." She smiled sweetly, though he could tell that she was a little nervous by the way the corner of her mouth twitched and her eyes would dart away. He still knew her and her habits.

"I tried creating a memory as wonderful as the one you gave to me, but just as you had trouble putting your thoughts down on parchment, I had trouble speaking my heart to an empty room. Rather strange considering the circumstances under which we met?" She smiled at the irony.

Turning about, she asked, "Do you like it?" Hermione smoothed down the front of her dress when she stopped spinning. "I bought it for a wedding I attended in June, but you can read about the details of that in my letter to you."

Severus liked it very much. His hands wanted to slip over the silk to enfold this glorious creature in his arms once again. For now, the sight of her would have to satisfy his thirst for her. Not only had she donned a beautiful gown, but she’d had her hair done and was wearing make-up, just for him.

"Your home looks lovely, Severus, and I can't wait to see it in person one day." Hermione's gaze cast about the room. "And for now this is my home. Though even before I officially moved in, I think I already felt this was my home." Gesturing with her hand, she indicated Severus to come sit on the settee with her as they had done so many times before.

"Come, let us have some tea, and I will talk of pleasant things this time."

It did not escape Severus' attention her choice of words to indicate that the topic of her attack would not come up in this memory.

There was already a tea service with two cups on the low table in front of the settee. Hermione poured some tea into the cup that was set for Severus before pouring her own. Granted, Severus could not drink the tea, but it stirred more memories – of a time when they would sit and talk, watching the fire together. Not only had Hermione created this memory for him, but was evoking old ones of their time together.

"Albert has been a fine master and mentor to me. He's watched out for me when we go to those monthly gatherings at Niles Goggin's home. He warned me about how some of the Potions masters like to play pranks on each other, so he's made sure that none of the more inappropriate ones happen to me, though having my nose turned into the trunk of an elephant was pretty tame by comparison. Reginald Chuff, your old master, slipped Jack Braxton a potion that..." Hermione paused, before squinting her eyes shut momentarily as if pained by the memory. "As I said before, let us talk of pleasant things."

"I've mastered Latin and Greek, and I'm currently working on my Spanish." Smiling even more sweetly, she gazed across the settee where Severus had placed himself in this memory. "If you were here, or if I were in Hawaii with you, I'm sure you could tutor me and I'd learn it that much faster. I'm doing everything I can to finish my apprenticeship as fast as possible. When Lavender told me of her plan to set up operations in Hawaii and have me run the region, I was thrilled. I've thanked Draco for his idea, but tell him thanks once more for me. It is wonderful to have another purpose to strive for after my apprenticeship. Wanting to be with you is my greatest drive, but this opportunity is just the icing on the cake."

Hermione paused to fetch her tea from the table and sip, holding the saucer her hand.

"Lavender has been teaching me how to run the company, and there is so much I've learned. She intends on having me run the company while she's on maternity leave, so by the time I'm done with my apprenticeship, I'll know all the ins and outs of the operations and be fully up to speed. I just hope I can finish learning Spanish, Japanese, and Chinese in time for the opening of the facility in Hawaii, as Draco will be helping with preparations before I arrive."

Draco had told Severus of his plan to go back to work for Lavender, but now it really sunk in that Severus would be losing his co-worker and fellow tutor. If Draco was going to prepare the facility before her arrival, that meant that Draco would be supervising construction and would no longer have time to work at his shop. This would be something he would have to talk with Draco about regarding timelines, once he and Ginny had rested from their trip

Hermione smiled to herself, as she put her tea down. "And while it may be at least a year or possibly two before I am fully accredited, and hopefully not longer, we have a chance to see each other before then." There was a small frown that pulled the corners of her lips down, and she furrowed her brow as she played with a callous on her thumb. "As much as I know you could never return back to England, I understand why. And as much as I would love to come to Malu Palekaiko, I know that having to leave you to come back to England at the end of a trip would be very, very difficult for me." The smile returned to Hermione's lips and her eyes grew hopeful. "But now that you're truly free to travel all over the world without any persecution, what is to stop us from seeing each other somewhere else?"

Severus smiled at that idea, realizing it wasn't going to be as long as he feared until he saw her once again.

"Lavender will be doing her launch for India the first weekend in October. She can't go because she'll be too close to her delivery date to Portkey. So, Lavender has asked Draco to come so he can be there for the launch as well, and I can introduce him as the new Vice President of Advertising and Marketing for the Asia Pacific region. And so, while I may be busy on the Saturday doing the whole boring press thing," Hermione said with a roll of her eyes, looking as thrilled as Severus would be if he was forced to do that kind of thing, "I'll have Sunday off, and Lavender agreed to extend my trip out to Monday or Tuesday so we can have time to catch up."

There was a twinkle in her eyes that Severus knew well, and all that it implied.

"So, I hope you can come to India." Dropping her chin down to look up though her lashes, her eyes almost focused to where Severus placed himself in the memory, she said with mock gravitas, "And as much as you may mock my Gryffindor sense of fairness, it would only be fair that you meet me half-way." Hermione became a bit more serious and genuinely sincere when she added, "Though in all honesty, I'd gladly go to the ends of the earth to be with you once again."

If Severus was a more physically demonstrative person, he would have placed his hand over his bosom and sighed dramatically, throwing his head back. Instead, he merely reveled in the heady sensation of emotions coursing through him at her words and sincerity.

"Before this memory ends, do you think we could have one dance?" Hermione rose from the settee and walked over to a space cleared away. "I know you cannot touch me in the memory, and you're not here with me, but we can still have one dance. I can imagine you here, and you can dance with the image of me."

Hermione drew her wand from the discreet pocket in her dress and turned the music box to play. Severus recognized it as Lavender's music box.

Standing straight, in heels, Hermione put her right hand out about where Severus' would have been, and held the other hand up as if placed upon his shoulder.

The familiar strains of a song began to play.

"I left my heart in San Francisco
High on a hill it calls to me..."

Severus remembered dancing with her to this song so many times and the way they moved about the room. As he danced with her in the Pensieve, he anticipated most of the time where she would move, dancing with near-perfect synchronicity to the memory of Hermione. His hand once in a while would pass through hers and there would be a slight shimmer of where their hands would have met.

As the song came near the end, Hermione held her hand up and twirled about once, as if Severus was guiding her.

The song ended, and there was silence once again.

"I've missed you, Severus," she sighed with plaintive longing, closing her eyes momentarily. "God, how I've missed you. I ache to the very center of my being for you."

He sensed a change in her tone, and guessed she was choosing to not dwell on how much they missed each other. Instead, Hermione began walking over towards the bed where she paused by one of the bed posts. "Lavender and Ginny thought I should leave you with something to occupy your thoughts for a while. And that doesn't seem too amiss."

Keeping her back turned towards the room where she had correctly guessed Severus would be standing, she began to slowly unzip the back of her dress. She let it slowly slip from her shoulders and past her waist.

Beneath her dress, Hermione was wearing a floor-length silk slip that hugged her form rather snugly. The slip was in the same royal purple as her dress, edged with black lace along the slit up the thigh and across the tops of her breasts. Severus felt his breath seize in his chest. God, he wanted her more than ever.

Slipping her feet out of her heels, Hermione crawled up onto the bed, still in her stockings and slip. Before she reclined back, she pulled the pins from her hair, and let the carefully-styled smooth curls that were piled atop her head spill down about her shoulders and back. As she laid back, she gazed at the empty space on the bed next to her, the place where Severus would normally lay.

"I lie here and remember you in this bed with me many nights. And as much as I wish I could join you, I will stay and finish my apprenticeship here." She sighed with longing, stroking the pillow next to her.

Severus had come to lay on the bed next to her. His vision was momentarily clouded when her hand passed through his head to touch the pillow.

Hermione smiled one last time as she said in nearly a whisper, "I love you too, Severus."

Severus found himself once again in his laboratory. The words inscribed in Greek never rang more true. He was at once soaring at the chance to see Hermione once more and hear her words of love for him; weighed down with the knowledge that they would have to remain apart for a while longer; and consumed with a burning desire for her. And as for the last element, he could understand how people could easily drown in memories, dragged down to depths that they no longer wanted to escape, but embrace like a watery grave, lost in a euphoric peacefulness. Severus could easily spend hours reliving this memory time and time again, to the exclusion of everyday life, much like those who had wasted away in front of the Mirror of Erised.

But Severus would not live in the past. He had a future ahead, one where Hermione would return to his side. As for the trip to India, it would mean having to push practice test schedules up by a few days for the Autumn SATs in late October, though it was still early enough to make such arrangements. He would have to make sure that he didn't have any potions simmering away while he was gone, which meant brewing extra Wolfsbane Potion and a few other long-term, regular commissions ahead of schedule, but it was nothing he couldn't work around.

Looking at his calendar, he noted that the India trip was just under six weeks away. Severus also noticed that Hermione's birthday was in exactly four weeks. He would have to ask Draco if the Weasley twins had taken his special commission to make a birthday present for Hermione. There was still much to catch up on with Draco and Ginny, but until that time, he would finish work in his garden, with breaks to read Hermione's lengthy letter in between chores.

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

Hermione had taken the anatomy portion of her apprenticeship exam with Albert earlier in the week and passed with flying colors. It was a nice little birthday present to herself, considering she was turning twenty-five and Severus would not be around for her birthday that year. Now she could focus on her code of ethics, Potions theory, and her remaining three languages.

It was Friday, two days before her birthday, and Fastrada Johnson had taken Hermione out to lunch to celebrate. The two witches had lunch about once a month to keep up on talk of the Potions trade, research, and idle chatter, including finding out that Trevor was not the father of Madam Dushka's baby. Once she learned of Hermione's attack, Fastrada had sent Hermione some flowers, which were waiting for her on her desk when returned to work back in July. Hermione wished she could have told Fastrada about her participation in the downfall of Calpurnia Fudge and Dolores Umbridge, but it was best to keep that on a need-to-know basis.

After returning to work from her birthday lunch, the house-elf at The Lovely Lavender Company's reception desk directed Hermione to go to Lavender's office.

Knocking on the door, Hermione entered and noticed that no tea or nibbles had been put out, which was a good sign. That, or Lavender didn't bother because Hermione was returning from lunch and figured it would have been refused.

Waiting with Lavender were Fred and George Weasley.

"There she is! The birthday witch!" George crowed and picked up Hermione in a grand hug, spinning her about shortly before putting her back down.

"And it's good to see you too!" Hermione said cheerily, a little surprised by their presence.

Fred also gave Hermione a warm hug, asking if she had time in her busy schedule of "Vice President of The Lovely Lavender Company, Potions apprentice, and righter of world wrongs," if they had time to squeeze in and have that brainstorming luncheon they talked about.

"Well, surely you didn't come over here just to ask me that. You could have owled, you know," she reminded them, though Hermione figured that Lavender and the twins had other business to discuss.

"Actually, we're here to deliver your birthday present to you. You see, we had this very strange request from Malfoy." Fred and George looked at her with a mix of suspicion and amusement, as the latter continued. "Malfoy came to us with the request of a secret commission of a birthday present from an unnamed party."

Hermione knew exactly who the unnamed party was and couldn't help but break into an elated smile.

"See!" Fred shouted with glee, "I told you she was seeing someone."

Shaking her hands, palms outwards, Hermione said innocently, "Wait, what makes you think I'm seeing anyone?"

"Because you're blushing worse than a virgin who wandered into The Sirens' Secrets by accident," George said smugly.

Hermione didn't want to have this conversation. It had been bad enough when Harry and Ron found out about her and Severus, she didn't need the twins to throw in their off-color remarks, making comparisons of him to vampires and Filch.

"So, you have my present? May I have it?" the still furiously-blushing witch asked, hoping to distract the pair of wizards from their line of questioning.

"Considering how much was shelled out for this little beauty, I am tempted to not hand it over without at least first getting a hint," Fred said, casually examining his fingernails.

"Yes, it is a new prototype," George elaborated. "But Malfoy, surprisingly inventive git in his own right, also had some new ideas to expand upon your present. We even promised him five percent royalties, since he gave us so many other ideas for variations on your present."

Hermione didn't exactly feel like dealing with any mocking of her lover from these two, and she crossed her arms over her chest. "And if I don't give you any hints? Not that I have either confirmed or denied seeing anyone, so there may be no hints to give," she asked with a bored look on her face to show her patience was starting to run a bit thin, despite her inward excitement.

"That sounds like something a Slytherin would say," George remarked, to which Hermione began to blush a little more despite her efforts not to.

"Well, the look on your face certainly takes a few contenders off the list," Fred noted, as if reading her mind. "Hmmm, who trusts Malfoy well enough to have him do this task for them, yet could not come to us himself? Does Malfoy know that Spanish twit, Delgado?"

"My present?" Hermione asked, with her hand outstretched, glaring with unamused impatience, endeavoring to not let the twins on to her relationship with Severus, not yet.

She knew Ginny and Draco had not told the twins or anyone else about his work for Lavender, her association with Severus, or how Hermione had helped them escape. Things were still rather hot concerning the topic of Death Eaters and the exoneration of Malfoy and Snape, especially since Draco and Ginny came back last month for a quick visit.

"Alrighty. Just make sure you open this in your flat once you have made as much space as possible. Something about folding away the bed and removing all furniture was included in the directions. And your office is far, far too small to open it in," Fred warned her. "As a matter of fact, whoever commissioned your present knew the exact dimensions of your flat. And that is my clue that you're seeing someone."

Hermione took the present, which was about the size of a large shoe box and weighed no more than if it was shoes in the package. Tied on top with the bow was a set of simple directions, Fred explained.

"This is not an entirely new idea, but let's say, one of our old products was supposedly the inspiration for this," George admitted. "But that's as much as we can say for now."

If Severus did commission the twins to make her a present, what old joke of theirs did he re-imagine into something for her? Severus was not one to give joke gifts. Now her curiosity was even more piqued.

The twins wished Hermione a happy birthday before parting. Once gone, Lavender reached into her desk.

"Now that they are gone, I can give you this. Severus handed it to me back in Hawaii and said to give it to you when the twins delivered your present."

A simple letter was handed to Hermione with her name written on the front. She recognized his handwriting.

Hermione stood in Lavender's office looking at both the box and the letter, lost in thought, when Lavender interrupted her silent contemplation. "Since it's your birthday this weekend, why don't you go home and open it up. If it's nothing too personal, you can tell me what it is Monday, as I'm dying of curiosity."

Harry and Zhubanysh were taking Hermione out for a birthday dinner that night, since her Saturday days were busy with her Herbology apprenticeship work and that Saturday night was the monthly Potions masters' booze-up, which would certainly involve copious amounts of drinking for her birthday. Even Sunday was another all-day workshop with Albert at his home. So Lavender's permission to leave would at least give her enough time to appreciate her gift before yet another busy weekend ahead.

Arriving home, Marf was surprised to see his mistress home before the end of the workday. The house-elf was more than happy to help Hermione clear the main room of her flat to accommodate the surprise inside the box.

Before opening the box, Hermione read Severus' letter to her.

-------

My beloved Hermione,

While this may not be as functional as the book I gave to you last year, even I can admit that something a bit frivolous now and again is not entirely a bad thing.

I do hope the Weasley twins have fulfilled my commission according to my specifications. Given their 'talents' even back at Hogwarts, I have faith that they have created something worthy of my level of expectation. I hope it will meet yours and will delight you as well.

Until we are reunited once again, I count the days until you are in my arms once more.

May your birthday be filled with good cheer and the good company of friends.

Eternally yours,

Severus

394 Lani Mauna Trail
Malu Palekaiko, Hawaii, U.S.A.

-------

Hermione did have Severus' address, as Draco and Ginny had given it to her. Given she was going to see him in early October, she felt little need to write when they would see each other soon. Besides, she was leaving for India in thirteen days, while an albatross took between fifteen and twenty days to get from London to Hawaii. By the time it arrived, it would be after they had left to go to India, coming from opposite sides of the world.

Tucking the letter into a pocket, Hermione now stood in the middle of her empty flat and read the directions. All one had to do to activate the gift was open the box, and to put it back in the box required a simple incantation with directions on how to wave one's wand. She read over the direction twice to make sure she knew how to put it away, since Hermione had no idea what to expect.

Lifting the lid off the box, out leapt a flash of green and other bright vivid colors that filled every space of the parlor-cum-bedroom. When everything settled, Hermione looked around in amazement at what the twins had produced. They had taken their Portable Swamp idea and – she guessed it was upon Severus' suggestion – turned it into a tropical paradise instead. No doubt the charms were similar, but this was filled with perfumed flower-laden trees and shrubbery, and a waterfall, instead of stagnant water, muck, and dank smells. Birdsong filled the air along with the sounds of water splashing. Lush foliage, branches, and fronds obscured much of her flat's walls and ceiling, giving it an almost private, enclosed feeling.

Hermione laughed and spun about, enthralled with the splendor surrounding her. Beneath her feet was soft grass, and the waterfall that splashed over a rocky cliff edge – about where the crown molding was – cascaded over rocks into a small pool, just large enough for two to slip into. Walking over to it, after a detour past a clump of bamboo, bright flowering gingers and vivid shrimp plants, she placed her hand in the pool and noted how it was warm enough to soak in – a mini-hot spring.

She recognized several plants from her memory Severus gave her. Some of them he'd pointed out himself, some were from a book on tropical plants of Southeast Asia, South America and the Pacific Islands she'd purchased via Owl Order from Flourish and Blotts.

As she walked through, she named each plant she recognized aloud. "Cochlospermum vitifolium 'Florepleno'." She cupped one of the huge, richly yellow ruffled blossoms in her hand, amazed at the size and beauty of it. "Gardenia taitensis, Delonix regia, Schizostachym glaucofolium," the last being a Polynesian bamboo Severus had pointed out in his memory for her, also giving her the Hawaiian name of "‘Ohe Kahiko." There were even several bushes of Jasmine sambac, the flowers included in Draco and Ginny's lei to her, which gave off a rich and heady perfume that nearly made her head spin.

This was as romantic and glorious as any photo spread she had seen in many of her books of Hawaii.

After a tour around her own flat to look at all the different plants and flowers, Hermione was tempted to pick one of the flowers, but did not know if the flower could be kept out of the box, after packing away. If picked, would the flower be forever gone from that plant's stem with no new growth to replace it and never to re-bloom the next time she opened the box, or would it alter the spells used to create this lush and hedonistic scene. She would definitely have to owl the twins about the stellar work they had done and some follow up questions.

Hermione decided a dip in the warm pool was in order. After shedding her clothes, she toed into the small pool nude, feeling her muscles relax in the warm waters. It was certainly cooler than the hot springs at the spa, as she could see herself sitting for a long while in this temperature without getting overheated.

More than anything, she wished Severus was there to sit with her in this mini-tropical paradise he had given her for her birthday. It was small enough, she could easily pack it and take it with her to India in thirteen days and her wish still come true.

She wondered if the hot springs Severus talked of visiting once weekly was similar to this, as it was also similar to the photos she had in one of her books that she frequently fantasized her and Severus making love in. The boughs of flower-laden branches cascading near the edges of the pool certainly were close to her fantasy scenario.

After a long soak, Hermione got out of the water and wandered about some more, envisioning herself and Severus naked in the tropical forest. It almost brought back memories of the Dionysus Fever Potion she took and the game of chase that she and Satyr-Severus had before he captured her, taking her roughly within the hallucination, under the mind-altering influence of her final Greek project.

Hermione laid back on the soft grass and began to masturbate, remembering the image of Severus – with his beard and even longer hair with a white streak – taking her in the midst of their own private paradise. She came with a fierce cry, calling out his name.

As she laid there, feeling more satisfied from a round of masturbation than she had in a long, long while, Hermione stroked the grass, imagining Severus beside her. She whispered, "Soon we'll be together again, Severus. Soon."

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

Severus didn't normally attend children's birthday parties. Actually, he never did, but he was willing to make an exception for Kaimi. Draco and Ginny were invited a well, but they were busy getting ready for the belly dancing recital later that afternoon.

The youngest of the Finau clan was turning nine, and her party was held at the Oktoberfest celebration, at a reserved table in the community center. Mounga's other children had reached an age beyond birthday parties, except for a few friends coming over for cake. Kaimi wanted one last big party as a child, which was normally held during the event since it was easier to get all her friends together there as the rest of the town tended to be there as well.

Rainbow was there in full German native dress, in a dirndl befitting a married woman, picked up during their family trip to Germany that summer. Rainbow felt a strong affinity towards her German roots, in addition to her Hawaiian roots, as she had a great-grandmother, Margaretha, with whom she was close. The German witch got pregnant around the turn of the century by a local Bavarian Muggle of some noble title now forgotten, whom she could not marry. She was perceived as a peasant, and had they known she was a witch, as her Muggle lover was unaware of her magical abilities as well, it would have been an even worse scandal. As it was, his family gave her some money and the promise to marry her off to some farmer in another village thirty miles away. She took the money and instead fled to Malu Palekaiko where she had the child, a witch and Rainbow's grandmother, and in time became a member of the local town council.

Rainbow was not the only local who had German blood, as there was also a small wave of Germans who had left their home country in the mid- to late-1800's. The immigrants made it to the Sandwich Islands as it was known at the time, so it seemed there was a smattering of Teutonic blood in many of the locals, in addition to Portuguese, Spanish, American, Mexican, Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, some various South American countries, and the other Polynesian Islands.

There were a lot of celebrations from other countries in Malu Palekaiko throughout the year. The Mexican community had their Cinco de Mayo celebration, plus El Dios de la Muerte for the sanctuary-seekers from Central America, the Japanese with the Bon Festival, the Irish with St. Patrick's Day, which was surprising since back in Ireland it was rather a non-event for the wizarding community in the country, and the Chinese and other eastern Asians with their Lunar New Year.

Shortly after opening his business, to harbor good will in the community, Severus had even paid for one of the local Chinese lion dance clubs to perform the "Cai Qing" or "Picking the Green" in front of his business. Since many of the local businesses were doing it, he figured for his first year in business it was good policy to follow local customs. There was a small parade featuring the small troops of lion dancing clubs and even a dragon dance, but the dragon dance only occurred when a dragon was not currently nesting on top of the volcano. No one wanted to tempt a dragon down from the volcano thinking there was a possible mate in the middle of town chasing an illuminated pearl.

And now it was time for Oktoberfest, which meant lots of German foods, music, dancing, lots of drinking and Kaimi's birthday party in the midst of the celebrations. Severus did note the coincidence that Kaimi's birthday was the day before Hermione's, though he made no mention of it.

Severus was told that he didn't have to buy her anything, just that his mere presence for blowing out the candles and cake was all that was required of him, since Kaimi was rather fond of her "uncle." He did splurge and get her a small gold necklace with a pendant of a snake that had a tiny emerald for the eye. Kaimi had been quite thrilled upon learning that the Slytherin House mascot was a snake, and she was rather fascinated by them. She even asked him about Salazar Slytherin himself, not having been brought up with certain prejudices against Slytherins that some wizarding folk back in England had towards Slytherin House and Parselmouths.

Kaimi was dressed in her own dirndl of light blue with Tyrolean ribbon trim and a lace-edged white apron. Even her pigtails were braided and looped. Iakona was in lederhosen, and a red gingham shirt, with requisite knee-socks. Mounga refused to wear the traditional male German outfit, citing he had no German blood in him that he knew of, and that even though he was a good sport, even he had limits to what he would do.

Akela was wearing her own bright red dirndl, the skirt portion hemmed to just above the knees, which was quite flirtatious for a young witch who was coming into womanhood. She was dancing with a wizard who had been courting her recently. After the viewing of "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," the young wizard, named Tristan, had asked Severus for permission to escort Akela home after the movie – with Severus chaperoning, of course. Tristan was an adequate Potions student of his, of no remarkable talent, but he was quite good at Transfiguration, based on Draco's praise. He was an acceptable suitor for Akela in not only Mounga's eyes, but Severus' as well. Even Akela admitted to Severus, when he asked about their courtship, that she wanted to take things slowly with him and not rush things, unlike before. Rainbow and Ginny had the good graces to not mention that Tristan resembled a much younger version of Severus with a different nose.

Severus sat nearby as everyone, but him, joined in a chorus of "Happy Birthday" – sung wizarding-style, of course – before Kaimi made a wish and blew out the candles. He still was not comfortable with singing in public. The cake was a moist and delectable passion fruit flavored yellow cake with whipped cream frosting. After Kaimi polished off her piece of cake in no time flat, she ran over to Severus. She gave him a hug and brief kiss upon his cheek in thanks for her gift, which she was wearing proudly instead of the usual edelweiss flower necklace she would have worn to Oktoberfest with her outfit. He didn't even flinch when she kissed him, and Severus said he was glad she enjoyed her present so much. Even Severus was willing to accept that it was her second favorite gift, right after her new broom. It was hard for a bauble to compare to a new and proper riding broom.

As she trotted off to play with her friends and dance the polka with another witch of the same age, Mounga saddled up to Severus.

"Have you and Hermione ever talked about kids," Mounga said out of the blue, after watching the exchange between his daughter and his friend.

"Only that she was never going to have them with her ex-husband," he admitted freely, quiet enough so that no one else could hear their exchange, despite the fact it would have been hard with the oom-pah band playing up on the stage.

"What about kids with her second husband?" Mounga countered.

Severus swiveled and gave his large friend a look of mild shock, given the implications of his statement.

"Don't tell me, in all the time you spent together, even when you asked her to come with you here, you never talked about kids?" Mounga asked with a slight nudging of Severus' arm.

"No. It never came up. I never asked her to marry me either, though it may have been implied when I offered to be her master, but given how she had recently escaped an unpleasant first marriage, I didn't want to press the issue. When I did ask her to come, she promised to stay behind and clear my name. And when she did decide to come, it was but seconds before the vial of hair broke and she had to stay behind despite everything." Severus heaved a troubled sigh. "There was no point, since there was no plan of us being together again in the future. When I left, I gave her permission to move on with her life without me. But now that she will return..."

Severus shook his head wearily. He had no idea how Hermione would feel about children with him. Even he wasn't sure if he was ready for children yet, if ever. He had killed his pregnant wife, and while Hermione had forgiven him, some part of him feared that if he became a father, he would be just like his own.

"I don't know. My own father was a monster in his own right, ruling through fear and alcohol-fueled fists, and I dread that I would be just like him," Severus admitted. "I don't want to raise children in a home of fear."

"Just because your father was like that does not mean you will be," Mounga assured him.

"But–"

Mounga shook his head and placed a large hand on Severus shoulder and leaned in. "If we all wound up just like our fathers, then I would be an unforgiving tyrannical bastard who plays favorites with his children, pitting them against each other, and this town would be a very different place. Trust me, as long as you make the effort, you can avoid becoming just like your father."

Severus had rarely heard Mounga speak of his father, though when Akela heard her mother mention earlier that day that her grandfather and Mounga's brother were coming for Thanksgiving, she looked rather grim and mildly shaken. The Potions master had never even known his friend had a brother until Rainbow's casual comment.

"Besides," the large wizard added, "I've seen you with Kaimi. You'd be a great father."

Severus didn't know whether to believe his friend or not, as Kaimi was not his own, and he was not the most forgiving or patient of wizards either.

Rainbow tried to ask Severus to get up and polka with her, but Severus was unaccustomed to the steps and preferred not to learn in front of others. The only reason why Severus stuck around the Oktoberfest festivities, besides Kaimi's personal invitation to attend for cake, was the good food and the fact that Ginny would have her first belly dancing school recital when the oom-pah bands were done playing. The recital was to be used as a transition before the evening bands began. He was there for moral support for Ginny.

The evening bands were part of the reason the community center was packed, as it was a music festival of sorts. Mounga encouraged him to stick around and listen to at least a few songs, since this music festival was a bit different than most.

As Severus sipped on good Bavarian pilsner, Portkeyed in directly from Munich for the event, he strolled around. It was the island's 148^th annual Oktoberfest, though the sign hung above the stage said "Malu Palekaiko's 11^th annual Sausage, Suds and Sounds Festival" with the addendum added on, "Now with more Shimmy!" It was rather trite and Severus felt that it cheapened the whole decorum of Ginny's efforts to incorporate a belly dance recital into the festival. However, Ginny wasn't picky, just thrilled to have a chance to show off her students that she was so proud of.

As the afternoon waned, witches of all ages took off backstage and began to get ready, switching from dirndls, sundresses and muumuus to fringed and beaded belts, swirling skirts, and fitted bra tops, or baladi dresses that usually covered the arms and midsections.

Around five o'clock, the last oom-pah band finished their last song and cleared the stage of all their instruments. Halulu introduced Ginny to those who had only come to the island for the festival, as everyone else on the island knew her or of her. Ginny, with aplomb, addressed the crowd, thanking everyone for coming before introducing the various sets of dancers. Since Ginny's Middle Eastern dance school was still a new venture, there weren't as many students as there were during the Christmas hula recital. Still, there were enough students to break down into three underage age groups and a couple adult groups.

Kaimi performed with her age five-to-ten group, and Severus promised her he would stick around to watch her dance even though he was there for Ginny as well. Having seen Ginny perform before, he could now tell the difference between a novice and experienced belly dancer. But just as Ginny was able to quickly pick up the hula, based on years of training as a dancer, the hula students made an easy transition to Middle Eastern-style dancing as well.

The highlight of Ginny's recital was her performing two dances, one with finger cymbals and one with a long silk scarf. Ginny was at the end of her first trimester, and she was just on the verge of beginning to show. Already, Severus could tell she'd had to alter the bust line of her dance outfit, since she wasn't quite so filled out on top before her pregnancy. Draco waited by the side of the stage to make sure that if Ginny collapsed yet again on stage, he would be there for her, though she promised not to perform a routine quite so taxing.

At the end of the recital, there was a great cheer and a few extra rounds of applause. The crowd roared when Ginny took her bow, thrilled and mesmerized by her dancing prowess and grace.

Afterwards, the first band of the evening began to set up.

Ginny joined Severus and Draco, once she had put her caftan on to cover her costume. While Severus was tucking into a plate of a Bockwurst sausage, mashed potatoes, and sautéed red cabbage with apples, Ginny came over with a heaping pile featuring two Hannover sausages, a pork chop, a mound of sauerkraut, two large potato dumplings with mushroom gravy, sautéed red cabbage with apples, boiled carrots, spaetzle, and a large tankard of non-alcoholic sparkling apple juice.

"I don't know about you, but I'm famished," Ginny exclaimed as she dove into her plate like someone who had been deprived of food for a week.

Severus was too distracted to eat, stunned that this witch who was half his size ate a meal that could choke a hippogriff, and in no time flat.

Draco nudged Severus, to distract him from the stunning fact that Ginny had eaten everything on her plate and was talking about getting some apple strudel with vanilla ice cream, evidently having found a way to open the sluice to her other hollow leg. "So Severus, do you think Hermione will wait until her birthday to open her present, or do you think when the twins dropped it off Friday she opened it?" he prompted him, trying to ignore the fact his wife's appetite at the end of her first trimester had returned with a vengeance.

Ginny wasn't the only witch with an appetite. Halulu, who was also pregnant, was herself diving into a large plate of food, but hers was still nowhere near in size as what Ginny had polished off. Mrs. Malfoy came back to the table with three servings of apple strudel a la mode. One of them was for Draco, the other two for herself, after Severus declined as he was plenty full from his dinner.

"I don't know," he said distractedly, as Ginny practically inhaled both portions of dessert. Severus remembered his own wife had a small spike in her appetite, but this was getting beyond belief even for him.

Ginny then excused herself from the table to suddenly run off to the loo once she was done.

"Where does she put it?" Severus asked.

"Don't ask. This morning I found her chugging sauerkraut juice straight from the jar. Followed by eating whole cloves of garlic, saying they tasted sweet, like almonds to her." Draco gave a brief shudder. "I'm not sure if I'm going to be father to a human child or a tapeworm. Is this normal, Severus?"

Severus was not the authority on pregnancy. He almost joked that Draco should ask his mother-in-law about such matters since Molly had been through it six times already and was practically an expert, but he knew how Draco was still quite vexed over her comments during their visit. He merely shook his head and suggested talking to Rainbow or one of the other Healers on the island about his concerns.

Noting the time, he figured it was around six in the morning London time and officially Hermione's birthday. Silently, he raised his tankard in a silent toast to her for her birthday, looking forward to seeing her in less than two weeks.

Severus was eager to not only having some intimate time with Hermione, but some nice long conversations, like the ones they used to have. He was hoping they'd finally have a chance to talk about their future together. There was also news of a new dragon species found in Antarctica that had just made the papers that day, as there hadn't been a new breed of dragon discovered in nearly 400 years. He was anticipating discussing the particular ingredient properties of this new breed of dragon with Hermione. Perhaps as her final apprentice project she could even create a new potion using parts of this new breed of dragon. He was happy to help her come up with ideas if she needed to bounce ideas off of him, remembering fondly their collaboration and brainstorming sessions.

As the first band started playing, Severus decided that songs that change from one style of music to another were not his cup of tea. Hearing the melancholy pop love song, "Which Coast Witch," performed in a Dixieland jazz style, then changing to an angry punk style half-way through was just a bit too eccentric even for him. And from what Mounga had told him, every band would be changing from one style of music to another part way through their songs. It was the signature of the event that drew people to waltz for the first half of a song, then line dance to some country-western interpretation of a "classic" song.

As Severus reached his home, with a bit of leftover sausage wrapped up for the cat that refused to be adopted by Ginny and steadfastly stuck with him instead, he could hear off in the distance the faint strains of the band playing an Irish ballad that morphed into a Calypso beat.

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

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

Lani is Hawaiian for "heavenly", and mauna is Hawaiian for "mountain." Severus lives on Heavenly Mountain Trail, as it is the street that turns into a path up to the volcano and goes past the front of his house.

Cochlospermum vitifolium 'Florepleno' is the Double Buttercup tree. Quite lovely when in bloom.

Gardenia taitensis is also known as Tahitian Gardenia, a white, six- to eight-petaled fragrant flower on an evergreen shrub. There are Hawaiian songs that sing about this flower and how its loveliness is equated to the beauty of women.

Delonix regia is also known as Royal Poinciana, a tree with vibrant red (sometimes orange or yellow) flowers, seen frequently used as street landscaping trees in Hawaii. And yes, there is a Royal Poinciana tree in Draco and Ginny's Japanese garden back home, in case you recognize the tree name.

Jasmine sambac are also known as pikake flowers. The single pikake form is most often used in leis.

You can read more about the lion dance and "Picking of the Green" here online: http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/Chinese_Customs/lion_dance.htm

Baladi dresses are long fitted folk-style belly dancing dresses that cover more skin than the more traditional midsection-baring outfit. You can read about them and see some nice examples here: http://www.shira.net/costuming/cg/baladi-dress.htm
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And They Didn\'t Live Happily Ever After