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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
- 98
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"And They Didn't Live Happily Ever After"

Chapter Ninety-Eight
"Facing Fears"

Disclaimer: Two stories diverged in written form,
And sorry I could not claim them both
And be one author, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in fandom AU;
Then read the other, as written by Rowling,
...
Two stories diverged in canon, and I –
I wrote the one less read by,
And that has made me no monies.

A/N: Disclaimer a parody of "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost.

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

Hermione got an urgent Floo call in the late morning on Halloween while over at Albert's doing her weekend apprentice work. Ron said he was taking Lavender to St. Mungo's since she was starting to get contractions. Having had several ex-sister-in-law’s go through the same thing, Hermione figured she would have several hours before the baby arrived. It was quite a shock to both Hermione and Albert that Ron's head appeared in the fireplace while they broke for lunch, with the news Lavender had delivered a baby girl.

Albert promised to visit Lavender tomorrow. Hermione stated she would come over in a few hours as she had to finish helping Albert set the garden for a long winter's rest, trimming up the last of the brush and roses and raking up the last of the fallen leaves.

After swinging by her flat for a quick shower, as dragging garden dirt into St. Mungo's was just not good form, Hermione arrived and headed off to see the newest member of the Weasley clan. She brought some flowers which Marf had picked up while she was freshening up; Lavender was Marf's boss, too.

Hermione could hear them before she could see them. Rounding the corner, she saw many Weasley family members spilling out into the hallway, chatting excitedly. One of the staff was glaring daggers at them, shushing them as he passed by the sea of redheads.

When Hermione arrived, all the chatter in the hallway stopped. Charlie, who looked like he was fully recovered from the ice pox, was there with his wife, Angelina, and their children, along with Fred, his wife, Grace, and their three children. Percy and Penelope and their brood were there as well.

Fred came over and gave Hermione a hug, while Grace smiled and nodded, as she was rather busy wrangling their children. Charlie, Percy, and Penelope glared at Hermione, as if she was an unwanted interloper. Angelina held no grudge against Hermione and shrugged sheepishly, wanting to give her ex-sister-in-law a hug, but not wanting to get into yet another fight with her husband over the topic of Ron's divorce.

Fred put an arm around Hermione and guided her into Lavender's hospital room. Leaning over, he said quietly, "Your timing is perfect. You just missed Mum. Unfortunately, George had to leave, too."

"And was she all right today?" Hermione asking, her tone questioning her ex-mother-in-law's mental stability.

"Over the moon that Ron's 'real' wife has finally given him a child."

Hermione gave him an incredulous look. "Real? As if I was some imaginary or hallucination-induced wife she coerced her son to marry?"

"Right now we're all just a bit relieved she's finally come to accept Lavender is his wife, though she's still a bit twitchy at times," Fred confessed.

Hermione really didn't care what Molly thought any more, and she felt a bit of schadenfreude that Molly was still a bit unhinged.

Inside the room, she saw Bill, Fleur, and their gaggle of children surrounding Lavender's bed. She also saw George's wife, Florence, and their children who had stayed behind.

The new mother was sitting up in bed, her daughter in her arms. Ron, who was sitting in a chair, rose and gave Hermione a big hug.

"Congratulations, Ron. I'm so happy for you both," Hermione said with sincerity from the bottom of her heart. She handed Ron the bouquet of daisies, wood sorrel, and peach roses. The combination symbolized innocence, maternal tenderness, and joy; the roses' color was symbolic for 'congratulations.'

Ron was smiling down at Hermione, his eyes crinkling at the corners when he was just elated with joy. "Thank you. She's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

Bill gave Hermione a brief hug before making room for her to come sit by Lavender's bedside.

Lavender looked over at Hermione, a grin plastered to her face, looking quite exhausted, but thrilled. And still, despite just giving birth, she didn't have a single hair out of place, or her make-up smudged. Hermione wondered if she kept those beauty charms in place even while she slept.

Lavender reached out her one free hand that wasn't busy cradling Josephine in her arms and stretched it out towards Hermione. Hermione grabbed her friend's hand and squeezed. They both looked at each other and burst into tears.

"Would you like to hold her?" Lavender asked, once their tears died down and they laughed at the contagiousness of hormones permeating the room.

Even Ron wiped away a stray tear, moaning softly under his breath, "Bloody hell," before conjuring a vase for the flowers.

Hermione nodded and rose, taking Josephine into her arms with great care and settling her into her arms. "She's lovely, just like her mother."

That comment sent Lavender into a fresh wave of tears.

Compared to that time Hermione was at St. Mungo's when Fleur gave birth to her last child, Eric, the feeling was much different. It was not overbearing, nor did Hermione feel claustrophobic. Instead she felt at ease and without expectations. Without the pressure from Molly, she could relax and enjoy this moment instead of wanting to run away from it, dreading she might catch pregnancy as if it were an air-born communicable disease.

Hermione began to rock the babe in her arms. "Hello, Josephine. It's so very nice to finally meet you."

Josephine had the faintest hint of black hair on her head. Like many of the next generation of Weasley children, it would fall out and soon be replaced with red, blonde, or full dark locks.

The thought crossed her mind of herself maybe sitting in a hospital bed someday, cradling a small infant in her arms while Severus beamed with joy. Hermione suddenly didn't find the prospect of having children such a frightening and daunting prospect, if Severus was the father. Of course, they had never discussed children, much less marriage. She hoped maybe in time Severus would be open to the idea of children, if he currently wasn't. There was much they had to discuss regarding their future together, and talking about them in a one-sided Pensieve conversation or a lengthy letter was no way to broach such an important topic.

As much as Hermione said it would be very difficult to leave Severus, should she come to visit Malu Palekaiko before she was done with her apprenticeship, it was harder than not seeing him at all except in photos and Lavender's borrowed Pensieve. Perhaps in the spring, after Ginny had her baby, Hermione could visit. She would have to discuss it with Albert and Lavender at a much later time.

Hermione sat there rocking Josephine, who had fallen asleep in her arms, when Bill asked about her work and an update on her apprenticeship. Michael and Philippe were thrilled to see their auntie, and brought her up to speed on all the things they had learned and done since the last time she saw them, back on New Year's Eve. Michael was a natural garden de-gnomer, and five-year-old Philippe had displayed his first signs of magic.

Eventually, all the rest of the Weasley men and their families bid farewell to their littlest brother and his wife, congratulating them once again on the birth of Josephine. Once they were gone, it was just mother, father, daughter, and Hermione left in the room. Hermione heard one of the Healers walk by the room and sigh with exasperation, "Oh, thank God, they're finally gone."

There was a lengthy silence as Ron and Lavender watched Hermione cradle Josephine in her arms.

With great awkwardness, Ron began trying to put into words a question he never thought he'd ever ask. "So, you and Snape: Are you two planning on having kids one day?"

Ron's question was in no way delivered with the same pressure or harping his mother had done when they were married. It was just a question meant to satisfy his curiosity. There was nothing derogatory in the way he said it, as if Snape was just another common wizard. It was delivered with simple sincerity.

Suddenly, Hermione felt the tears brimming at her eyes. Hearing Ron ask the question changed it from some abstract thought she entertained into a burning need to know herself.

She had wanted to ask Severus that very same question for months now. There was still so much to say to each other. The gaping hole in her heart ripped open anew, feeling as fresh as the day Severus Portkeyed away out of her life.

Shaking her head, she held up Josephine for Ron to take from her, before she crumpled upon herself. Sobbing, she choked out, "I don't know. There were a lot of things we were supposed to talk about, but didn't." She didn't have to explain to them why things were left unsaid.

Lavender held out her hand once more, this time in support, tears falling in silent sympathy for her friend. Hermione took her hand gratefully, thankful there was someone who could understand her heartbreak.

"Maybe after I come back from maternity leave, we can arrange some time for you to go see him. It'll also give you a chance to check up on the construction and report back to me," Lavender offered.

Hermione lifted her head up. Through hopeful tear-streaked eyes, she said, "I was going to ask for the same thing, but I was going to wait until after you came back from maternity leave and things settled down. Maybe in the spring." Hermione laughed a bit over the fact they had both thought the same thing, and that now her heart didn't feel quite so heavy.

As long as the Fates didn't pull another cruel stunt, Hermione hoped to see Severus in April. If Hermione could survive a whole eleven months without Severus, though at times she thought she could not make it another night being parted form him, she could last five more months.

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

Severus finally had his old frock coat and trousers altered to fit him properly once again, given how he'd gained a little in the shoulder and chest with swimming, and lost a couple inches from his waist. It was a pity his first chance to wear them was for a funeral.

Matt, the surfing Muggle with the two-seater surrey bicycle – who had helped Severus go home after coming down with the ice pox – had passed away of a heart attack at the relatively young age of fifty-two.

Janine, who was once a nurse, was Side-Along Apparated over to the house by Lorraine, Matt's wife. Janine had attempted CPR on him, but he did not respond. An emergency Portkey created by Halulu transported Matt over to a hospital in Honolulu. Unfortunately, the Muggle doctors could not revive him either.

Even in Sanctuary, some magical laws still applied. Using magic to heal Muggles was one law which could not be broken, even though there had been a few who came to Malu Palekaiko seeking sanctuary for breaking such a law.

Severus Apparated over to the cemetery on the west side of the island. It was located about four miles north of his farm. Ginny and Draco took a Portkey, since Ginny could not risk splinching herself in her condition.

A great number of Malu Palekaiko's residents had turned up for the funeral. Lorraine, Matt's widow, decided to hold the memorial service graveside.

While Matt was not a member of the town council, he was known by many, helpful, well-liked and one of the teachers at Muggle Camp. Many of his current and former students had shown up to his funeral to pay their respects to their beloved teacher. He was the only resident Muggle on the island who surfed, and was the very same surfer Severus saw surfing with Shark the first time he flew around the island Christmas Day.

Severus reflected on his own teaching career. He knew no former Hogwarts students, apart from Hermione, Draco, Ginny, and Lavender, would miss or mourn him if he had died.

As for the current students he tutored, he was treated and regarded much differently. His students here greeted him with a warm and respectful hello on the street, sometimes approaching him outside of his shop for a bit of advice to finish their homework on a part they were stuck on, then thanked him when he was done explaining. Even he noticed how much more patient he was with his students in Malu Palekaiko versus back at Hogwarts.

There was much to say about the environment affecting one's mood. Also, not being shackled to a position out of a debt to Dumbledore was a large factor. He tutored here out of choice, not obligation and guilt.

During one point in the service, some of Matt's students stood up and sang a Hawaiian song of farewell, sometimes performed at funerals. It brought a tear to Severus' eye, which he wiped away. The song was filled with the same sense of loss as that Scottish ballad that wizard in the ratty tartan and Tam o'shanter sang at the Hog's Head.

At the wake, there was a large selection of food, though people really didn't eat much. Grief is not conducive to a hearty appetite. Severus had brought a tray of Brie with assorted crackers.

There was a casserole Severus recognized as a donation from Tina and Manny. While Severus had been recovering from the ice pox, one of Tina's Muggle cousins – the same one he met at the wedding, with the chemical orange bouffant hairdo – delivered a casserole to his house, hoping to help provide him some food so he didn't have to cook that much while recuperating. It was the same chicken and green bean mishmash in some gloopy cream sauce he was given. No doubt, a family recipe. While he'd gratefully eaten the one given to him by Tina's cousin, too exhausted to cook while recovering from ice pox, he now avoided the beige and green melange at the wake.

Severus would have normally been happy to delve into the tray of lumpia or try some of the hummus with Afghan bread, but his appetite was lacking like the rest of the attendees.

The former spy had dealt with enough death during the war to fill too many lifetimes. Even after the war, so many of his former classmates and students, many of them Death Eaters, had wasted away in Azkaban, been given a Dementor's kiss, committed suicide, or starved to death; or were killed by Alan Parker's hand. Even those he knew who died and weren't Death Eaters, many of them died by the wand of a Death Eater, including his and Hermione's former co-worker, Marge Mallowton. All except Dumbledore, who passed away from old age, leaving this life to follow another grand adventure beyond the veil.

Sitting in the corner with a glass of cheap vinegary white wine in his hand, Severus was feeling quite pensive. There had been a great many things weighing on his mind as of late.

Since Jerry was hired, Draco had moved on and was now supervising the planning of the new Asia Pacific Headquarters of The Lovely Lavender Company. The blond wizard was exactly where he wanted to be in life. His name was cleared, he was living in a beautiful place, married to Ginny with a child on his way, and working at a job he was much happier at than tutoring. Everything was as it should be for him.

But Severus, though much happier and more fulfilled, was still not where he wanted to be. He was still torn between two places: his home in Malu Palekaiko and by Hermione's side, as she was still back in England.

The words of Jerry's former partner and girlfriend spoken in the alley still rung in his head.

'What are you? A coward?'

Severus was scared of going back to England. He had suffered and fought too long to escape. He thought he'd never have a reason to return, but when he made his vow, he didn't count on Hermione coming into his life and turning his head, heart, and life upside down, and for the better.

He was no coward. Not anymore.

With Hermione's near-death back in July, and with Matt's sudden death, Severus realized life was too short and precious to let some irrational fear keep him away from his love. Draco had gone back to England and had not been thrown into Azkaban. Draco had returned. Severus could go to England and no longer be in fear of his former prison.

He was not like Jerry, where the authorities would eviscerate him and chop him into little bits for vengeful experimentation if they got their hands on him. Jerry couldn't go back home to New York for fear of his life. Severus was in no such danger, especially since Alan Parker had been caught and convicted, thanks to Potter.

Hermione had said in her latest scroll she'd penned in India her therapist, James Hoover, was helping her confront her fears, to identify them, to overcome them. Severus decided it was time he did the same.

At Matt's wake, Severus made a vow to return to England to see Hermione before she finished her apprenticeship. Severus could not wait another year or more for Hermione to finish learning her last two languages, Japanese and Chinese, to see her in person.

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

Of course, mastering Latin first had made learning Spanish a whole lot easier. Hermione had aced all parts of her language test, written and spoken. The brewing portion and text interpretation with hidden hints went off without a hitch. Severus had told her, during their months together, about some aspects of the Spanish language in Potions, given it was a second language he grew up speaking.

She remembered these little slivers of information he would impart as they sat on the settee reading sections of books to each other, or while he sautéed and she chopped in the kitchen, or as they lay in bed after making love when the conversation moved from tender sweet nothings into something more academic. They were gems of information which applied not only to Spanish, but to other languages he knew, since many tips and tricks were shared across many languages.

Albert would have taken her out to dinner Sunday to celebrate, once she finished all her Spanish tests, but she had to take a raincheck. There was another meal with friends she promised that she had been putting off for a while. Since she had lunch with the twins, she figured it was time to make good on her other promise.

A quick trip home allowed Hermione to clean up and change into something more fashionable, but not too formal.

Apparating to the front garden gate, Hermione saw the formal ironwork matched the formal garden in the front yard. It was very classically English in the neatly clipped arrangement of boxwoods, yews, shrubs, and roses in geometric topiaries, borders, and hedges.

Knocking on the door, Hermione smiled when she saw her old friend. "Viktor, it is so good to see you."

"Come in, come in!" Viktor welcomed her, giving her a brief hug.

"Anne is in the kitchen, insisting she show off some of her cooking skills she has been trying to master," Viktor said in a way that was equal parts pride in his wife's efforts and part warning that Hermione should not expect anything to be very edible.

"No house-elves?" Hermione asked, half-jokingly.

"Ve pay them. Some of you did rub off on me after all." Viktor clearly remembered Hermione's work starting S.P.E.W. and his own reluctance to join. "But Anne gave them the night off so she would not be tempted to cheat and use them in a panic," Viktor confided in her.

"Well, I'm sure whatever she fixes will be wonderful," Hermione diplomatically replied, trying to be a good guest and assuage his fears they'd be eating over-salted burnt mystery meat.

"Hermione!" Anne trilled from across the parlor. She had just removed her apron and glided across the room to give her husband's dear friend a warm welcome. "I'm so glad you could make time in your busy schedule and finally have dinner with us."

There were a good many reasons why Hermione had taken so long to come over for dinner. Many of them good, and some not so good. They didn't bother to list any of those reasons, for it would have been too obvious.

"Thank you. I got your flowers after I got home from St. Mungo's," Hermione said, acknowledging one of the reasons she had not come to dinner before that night.

Viktor said quite somberly, "Vee are both glad you are okay now. But tell us, vhat have you been up to recently?"

Hermione accepted the aperitif Anne offered her and sat down on the plush overstuffed couch in the grand parlor where Anne led her. Viktor also accepted a drink from his wife before she poured one for herself.

"I just took my Spanish test today and now officially have completed three of the five languages required to be a Potions mistress," she announced with some pride in her accomplishment.

"A toast! May the last two be easier than the first three," Viktor said.

"Hear, hear! Cheers," Anne chimed in, raising her own aperitif before they all took a sip. "So what two languages do you have left?"

"Chinese and Japanese." Hermione gave a great sigh, knowing these were going to be the most difficult to master. Greek, Latin, and Spanish all had Indo-European roots. Chinese and Japanese were language systems she was completely unfamiliar with; they would involve new grammatical rules and characters, and learning to read up and down instead of left to right.

"If you master Chinese, then it will be far easier for you to master Hungarian, should you learn that language eventually," Viktor volunteered.

"That's right," Hermione said. "The Mongol hordes did get that far, to the gates of Europe if I remember correctly."

"Yes, they did." Viktor leaned back in his seat, and began to reminisce. "A few of my classmates at Durmstrang were from Hungary. They taught me a few spells in Hungarian and some of their country's history."

They talked a little bit more about languages until Hermione said, "Oh, I almost forgot. Lavender just had her baby two weeks ago."

Hermione noticed that Anne's eyes darted away nervously for a moment before she composed herself. Hermione figured that the topic of children was possibly a contentious subject in the Krum household at the moment, and she dropped the subject to avoid any further possibility of discord.

There was a small chime off in the kitchen, and Anne excused herself, stating that dinner would be served up shortly.

Once she was gone from the room, Viktor slowly shook his head. "It is still so strange to me, this arrangement you have vith Lavender. Is this something that is common vith Muggles? An ex-wife and the new vife such good friends? One vorking for the other?"

"No Viktor, it is very uncommon, wizarding or Muggle world. It's just one of those things that worked out this way. But I am happy for Ron and Lavender," Hermione insisted. "Ron and I just were not meant to be. Also, Ron and Lavender seem quite suited for one another in a way Ron and I never were."

Glancing over her shoulder to the door where Anne had just disappeared, she asked, "And how are you and Anne doing with married life? Well suited?"

Viktor smiled dreamily. "Very vell."

Anne returned and announced that dinner was served.

Hermione would not say that Anne was a terrible cook, but she was no three-star Michelin chef either. Nothing was burnt or too salty, though the rabbit had far too much sage. Luckily the sauce helped cover that sin, but the sage still came through rather strong. The choice of wine did help wash down the flavor of sage which now permeated Hermione's sense of smell and taste. Having a trained nose made one especially sensitive to overused ingredients. But she was a gracious guest and smiled, complementing the cook on her efforts.

Conversation was pleasant, and Hermione wondered why she hadn't set aside a Sunday night earlier to have dinner with the Krums.

"So, Her-my-knee. Vhen you owled me back I vas surprised to learn you have moved," Viktor said.

"Yes, after my divorce with Ron, I moved into a fourth-floor flat in the Red Ginseng, on Le Soleil Levant Mews."

Hermione's and Viktor's heads snapped to look at Anne when she dropped her silverware. The silver clattered and clanged when it made contact with the fine china on which the Lapin a la moutarde was served.

After a faltering meek smile and an apology for her clumsiness, Anne picked up her silverware with as much aplomb as she could muster and asked, "Really. How is your new flat? Do you like it there?"

Hermione heard the slight quiver in Anne's voice. She guessed Anne was trying to mask the quiver by pretending to cough and clear her throat with a large swig of wine. Hermione not only recognized that habit of drinking wine to mask the truth, or to blunt it, but in her mind the rest of the pieces in the jigsaw puzzle now neatly fit together into a picture.

At the Krums' wedding Anne avoided the table where Lavender was seated. In fact, Lavender and Ron were seated in the corner as far away from the head table as possible. The way Anne looked away nervously when she mentioned Lavender having her baby. And just now when Hermione mentioned where her new apartment was.

It all made sense.

There was a flash of understanding that crossed Hermione's face for a fleeting moment. Anne's eyes went wide with panic, pleading with Hermione.

"If you'll excuse me for a moment," Hermione said as calmly as possible. "Where is the toilet?"

Viktor pointed the way, oblivious to the fact his wife had turned as pale as the ghost that haunted their garden shed behind the house.

Rising from her seat, Hermione forced her legs to move and not shake. Her knees felt weak and would buckle out from under her at any moment.

Once Hermione reached the door to the bathroom, she just leaned against the doorjamb, happy to find something to hold her up.

Anne smiled sweetly to her husband. "I think I'll make sure she can find it," she said to excuse herself from the table. Then she disappeared around the corner from sight and down the hall.

Hermione stood there, her mind a flurry of roiling emotions and jealousy. She felt sick to her stomach.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when Anne came up behind her and whispered, "Please don't tell Viktor."

Spinning around, Anne's face was fraught with worry her marriage to Viktor would be in jeopardy if he found out.

"When did you last see him?" Hermione asked, both knowing who she meant. Ginny had told Hermione that Draco had gotten rid of his shagging clients long ago, and Anne's reaction told her exactly who at the Red Ginseng she used to visit. It wasn't Blaise either.

"About a month before Viktor proposed, end of September. It was when I realized things were serious between Viktor and me that I stopped going."

Hermione wanted to run to the toilet and vomit back up the rabbit that –she now knew – was cooked by one of the witches Severus was fucking for money, at the same time he and Hermione were carrying on their affair.

Stumbling into the bathroom, Hermione sat down on the Louis XV chair upholstered to match the exquisite custom décor of the room. She tried to calm her stomach by will alone.

"You don't have to worry. I won't say a thing," Hermione assured her as she tried valiantly to make sure she didn't regurgitate her dinner all over Anne's designer shoes.

What could Hermione say without damning herself in the process. Anne already figured out they had some sort of shared experience through a mutual third party. The look on Hermione's face and her reaction told her as much.

"Thank you," Mrs. Krum breathed with relief as she came in and shut the door behind her. "Is that how you found him? Working for Lavender? When you arranged your apprenticeship with her and Albert? Are you and he living together?" Anne had selected his gigolo name of Bob and never knew Severus' real name.

Hermione shook her head. "He moved out before I moved in."

There was a taut thread of silence that stretched between them, neither sure what to say without giving away or assuming too much.

Anne confessed, "I went to him before I knew Viktor, because I was tired of dating guys who would then just go to the gossip rags and tell them everything, while getting paid to spill our most private bedroom secrets. I just wanted to have sex without worrying about some guy using me or blackmailing me again. This was why I saw him. I was the one in control and wouldn't have to worry about him saying anything to anyone. He couldn't hurt me."

Hearing why Anne went to Severus didn't make it any less painful. In fact, knowing Anne's sole purpose for seeing Severus was for sex made it hurt more. Severus had proclaimed with his most fervent sincerity that Hermione was the most beautiful person in the world to him, but how could she compare to Anne? Just visualizing Severus making love – no, fucking her perfect body – made the bile in her throat rise up.

"Towards the end, I think he was just getting bored with me, just like all the other guys who used me got bored with me before they hurt me. Maybe it was good I stopped seeing him before he could hurt me, though Lavender assured me discretion was guaranteed." Anne sighed and sat on the other chair that matched the one Hermione was sitting on across from her. "Something changed over that summer last year. He lost all interest. He pretended otherwise, but I could tell something changed."

Now Anne knew for certain that her Bob did not call her "my peony" that one time he shagged her rotten, but actually called out Hermione's name instead. She could have mentioned it, but correctly surmised hearing about the incident would not make her dinner guest feel any better.

Hermione's heart should have soared with the news Severus had lost interest in a witch like Lady Anne and her stunning beauty, preferring the company of a plain Gryffindor, but it was of little consolation knowing what Anne and Severus did now. Severus had tried to protect Hermione from the truth when she asked about the other witches he slept with, and now she fully understood why. The heartbreak and surge of jealousy was close to unbearable. Whatever jealousy Hermione felt towards Anne had ebbed somewhat with her confession Severus was growing bored with her before she stopped seeing him, but not entirely.

Something had changed over the summer for Severus, and that something was him falling in love with Hermione. She knew this.

"Did he hurt you?" Anne asked.

Hermione merely shook her head as she reached for a tissue that Anne offered her.

She wanted to tell Anne about how Severus was no longer a gigolo, that he was happy and free with his name cleared, that he owned a little Potions shop in Hawaii, and that they were madly in love with each other, but she couldn't share any of it with Anne.

Hermione could not let Anne know who her gigolo was. Severus always wore his mask for all his clients to hide his identity, but never for Hermione after that fateful night of her anniversary dinner with Ron. Hermione would keep his anonymity for him, even though it was likely Severus would never set foot in England again. She would not betray Severus and his secret.

"No, he was kind," Hermione said, wiping away her tears. "Uncommonly so, when I needed some kindness in my darkest hour." And that was all Hermione said on the matter.

Anne helped Hermione put herself back together, providing her with some Lovely Lavender's Puffy Poof Eye Creme to make the swelling and redness around her eyes go away.

Walking back, chatting cheerily between each other more for show, Anne said to her husband, "She got a bit lost along the way. Took a wrong turn," to explain their prolonged absence.

Viktor knew how witches were regarding bathrooms. He shook his head and figured they were engaging in talk that witches can only do when they go to the toilet together in packs.

At the end of the evening in the drawing room, as they sipped Rakia, the Bulgarian equivalent to America's Bourbon, Anne said, "It's been very lovely having you over for dinner, Hermione. I hope you can come over to dinner more often. I can see why Viktor has cherished you as a dear friend all these years now, given I've had a chance to get to know you more." Anne smiled sweetly at Hermione.

Viktor patted his wife's hand, pleased these two witches had gotten on so wonderfully, looking like they were going to become fast friends. Anne didn't have a lot of real friends in the wizarding world. Most of those who tried to ingratiate themselves into Lady Anne Battenberg's world and sought to gain her friendship were attracted to her only for her fame, money, and ties to the Muggle royal family or to her husband. Viktor knew Hermione didn't care about any of that, and knew if she offered her friendship, it would be an honest and earnest gift.

"Yes, that would be lovely," Hermione accepted, though given her schedule, it may be only once every few months she could come visit.

Who knew how many more dinners she would have before she would leave England, once she finished her apprenticeship. And in Hawaii, she would never invite the Krums to visit. She would not inflict that upon Severus or Anne.

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

A/N: At the time of this posting, I've received word that my mom, who has been in and out of the ICU since mid-August, might only have hours left. So if I don't post the next chapter next week, be patient, shit/life is happening and I may be busy.
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And They Didn\'t Live Happily Ever After