Near Miss

{one-shot}

A/N- Y'all ever had to right a wrong? Well, me too.

Hermione was angry with the world that day. The ministry had been particularly frustrating, and no one seemed to know how to do their job correctly.

Harry was busy with a case, Ron was actually taking responsibility working with George, and that left her all alone to deal with the problem, not a soul to talk to. Ginny would have been helpful if her Quidditch coach didn't forbid muggle cell-phones, and Luna was thousands of miles away doing something with a Scamander.

It wasn't the first time Hermione had been alone, and it wasn't the first time it had bothered her on a day like this.

Hermione decided Hogsmeade was an amenable place to get plastered considering the students were gone for the summer. Maybe she'd apparate back or maybe she'd just rent a room in one of the inns. She was just so bloody frustrated with the work that if she didn't have a stiff drink in her hand in the next few minutes, it would start twitching.

Walking right up to the bartender at Hogshead, she ordered a double gin and tonic then promptly sat down, having nothing on her but her wand and a few galleons in her dress pocket. No, she had not changed from her ministry formal robes.

The drink burned her throat, and somehow soothed her soul of even just a tiny bit. More would help. A few healthy sips later, and she observed her surroundings.

Considering it was roughly half five and broad daylight, there weren't many people at the place. A few were chatting animatedly over dinner, a couple separate folks joined her at the main bar, and someone sat deep at the back, looking as though he was talking notes.

Work at a bar? She should just try that next time.

Upon another inspection, she recognized the stranger. Severus Bloody Snape, an actual moniker he'd earned when he lived through the attack by Nagini with a few stark-white scars on his neck as proof. He still taught at Hogwarts, she remembered NEWT potions for her repeat year that McGonagall had kindly let her have, the class otherwise unmemorable.

He'd been... plain and boring, nothing like what she expected, or maybe everything she expected which was why it was so disappointing. Hell, she would've taken his berating if only to make the class a little bit exciting. Turns out potions were a lot less interesting when your integrity wasn't at stake. Though she was sure Neville would disagree. They never talked, Neville and Snape, and Hermione remembered suddenly that Hannah, Neville's girlfriend, had inherited the Leaky Cauldron.

But that wasn't where she was, and unbeknownst to Severus Snape, he now had company.

Maybe now he would surprise her at least. Be anything other than dull and simply getting through the day.

She swallowed the rest of her drink and felt the audacity fill her in a potent way. Who needed potions when alcohol did the trick just fine?

"Hello." A fantastic opening line, she was ten for ten.

Hermione waited for a response, and with barely the turn of his head, he looked at her.

A great first start, the acknowledgement filled her.

"You seemed lonely," she added, sitting on the stool next to him and motioning for another drink, she instructed the bartender to give Snape another of his own empty mug as well.

"What are you doing, Miss Granger?" Drawn out as ever, Hermione sized up his words. He looked completely passive in every aspect of his face which had not aged a single day since the war, and he rarely blinked.

She might have replied after the short pause, but the bartender gave them their drinks, and she snorted at the butterbeer that was placed in front of him. Merlin, and she thought he'd had a pint.