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Chapter 43

"Hermione, it's time to go!" shouted Severus through the closed bedroom door.

"Give me a second!" yelled the young witch back, obviously trying to move even faster than she already was.

Severus was impatiently waiting for her to finally come out of their shared bedroom in the dungeons. They had merely 5 minutes left until the little party was going to start and he didn't fancy being the last person to arrive or even being late.

Just as he was about to knock again, more insistent this time, the door opened and Hermione walked out wearing a nice dark grey cocktail dress.

"Can you help me to put on my necklace?"

She turned around so that he could fasten the ends of the fine silver necklace with the silver charm on it which he had gifted her for Christmas.

Finished with that they made their way up to the great hall, arriving just on time.

"Severus, just as punctual as always!" exclaimed Minerva when they entered the hall.

The two of them looked around the hall before walking towards the big round table in the middle of the hall where other teachers were already seated.

"Are we expecting other students, Minerva?" asked Filius when everyone had taken their seats.

"No, there are only a handful of students left, and they all said that they'd prefer being on their own. It will be just us tonight," answered Minerva before opening the little feast they would have.

Hermione felt that Severus started to become tense right after they arrived.

"Severus, what's up?" asked Hermione's quite concerned when he wouldn't loosen up even when the dessert was served.

"I just don't feel comfortable with certain people here," whispered Severus back.

Hermione looked around and tried to identify the people he was talking about.

The first and probably most obvious was Madam Pince - or  Eileen Prince. Looking a bit further around the table she noticed another woman looking peculiarly at her male companion, and she wasn't convinced she liked it.

Hogwarts' divination professor Sybil Trelawney had never been a woman Hermione was fond of. Partly because of the subject she was teaching, but most of the fact that Hermione couldn't stand her was her overall persona and her love for cheap Sherry in which she indulged way too often for the brown-haired witch's tastes.

"Trelawney and Prince, am I right?"

Severus nodded curtly, albeit being a bit surprised.

"Eileen Prince is quite obvious, but how did you know it was Trelawney?"

"I see the way she looks at you and let it be sufficed to say that I don't like that look even one tiny bit. Adding to that, I don't like her in general, and I figured you didn't either. Her indulging in cheap Sherry isn't a flattering quality either," said Hermione before finishing off her slice of pumpkin pie.

"Well deducted, detective Granger. I guess I should tell you that she has been trying to do certain things to and with me for nearly a decade now, and I don't think I need to tell you that you are definitely not her favourite person in general," smirked Severus right before the food and the plates vanished.

Hermione could only smirk back at him because Minerva was eager to open up the dance floor.

"May I?" asked Severus, extending his hand for Hermione to take it.

They danced for quite a while and Severus found himself actually enjoying it.

As a teen, he practically hated balls and things like that. Maybe it was due to the fact that no one wanted to dance with him or the so-called instruction he got as a student by none other than Professor Horace Slughorn himself. He didn't know, but something had changed from back then and Severus was almost certain he knew just what it was.

"Can we leave out the next ones? My feet are starting to hurt," asked Hermione as the current song was slowly coming to an end.

"I actually expected you to ask earlier, it's no wonder that your feet are beginning to hurt in those shoes," laughed Severus before guiding her to the table, so she could sit down while he would get them something to drink.

Hermione sat at the table and had to stifle a laugh as she watched Minerva dancing enthusiastically with Poppy, both of whom obviously have had more than one drink.

"Miss Granger, may I?" asked a female voice next to Hermione, pointing its hand to the empty seat next to her.

Hermione looked up to face Madam Pince.

"Of course, Madam Pince or would you rather I'd call you Mrs Prince?" said Hermione, her tone sounding a bit icy.

The older woman smiled sadly at her, leaving her question open for now.

"Severus has told you, I guess. Well, I could only tell you what I told him before, but that would not make any difference, would it? No, of course, it wouldn't. Miss Granger, what I wanted to talk about is-"

"If this is about Severus then I suggest you go seek him out and settle that with him. I may be his partner, but I'm not one to tell him how to feel or act. All I can tell you is that your actions then and now have influenced him very much and not really for the better and I personally can totally understand why he acts as he does. If that is all -"

Hermione stood up and walked over to Severus who was walking towards her with two glasses full of punch for them. As he caught sight of who was sitting at the table, he stopped mid-track and already wanted to turn when Hermione caught up with him.

"Don't go, let's just stay and do our best trying not to be influenced by her too much, okay? I told her that whatever it is she wants from you, she has to settle it with you and only you. All I can hope is that she will not be trying her luck today."

"That's what I hope for her, too. I wouldn't want to spoil everyone's evening," growled Snape as he tried his best at ignoring the older witch.