Chapter 15
Hermione found it incredibly amusing, sitting at the table with her friends, enjoying the meal with her boyfriend—who also happened to be their Potions professor. The awkward silence was palpable, and Harry and Ron were clearly struggling with it. Ron, unable to take the quiet any longer, decided to break the tension with a question.
“So, Snape, when did you start dating Hermione?” he asked, glancing between the two of them. Hermione immediately blushed, kicking Ron under the table with her long legs.
Professor Snape didn’t even glance at him. “I’d prefer you address me as ‘Professor Snape,’ Weasley. And I don’t believe I owe you a recount of my personal history.” He calmly cut his steak into small pieces, feeding one to Hermione, who had to suppress a giggle despite her growing embarrassment.
Harry rolled his eyes at the overly affectionate couple, clearly unimpressed by their display. “Oh, come on, Snape! She’s our best friend. You have to tell us!”
“No.” Professor Snape replied flatly, without hesitation.
“Severus, don’t be mean to my friends,” Hermione protested, reaching out to grab his arm and tilting her head slightly, looking at him with a small pout.
Snape let out a sigh, clearly amused by the whole situation. “Ugh… We’ve been dating since last term. This one,” he pointed toward Hermione with a smirk, “kept begging for kisses and hugs, so I gave them to her.”
Hermione immediately covered his mouth with her hands, her face now a deep shade of crimson as she closed her eyes in embarrassment.
Snape raised an eyebrow, his smirk widening. He pulled Hermione closer, causing her to end up sitting on his lap. “You told me not to be mean.”
“Sev…” she whispered, her voice betraying her discomfort, but she couldn’t help the flush of warmth spreading across her face. “Stop... they’re still here…”
The sound of Harry and Ron’s laughter echoed through the room, and Hermione buried her face in Snape’s chest, trying to hide her embarrassment. The tension that had filled the room moments ago seemed to dissolve into a strange, comforting laughter.
“You’re impossible,” Hermione muttered under her breath, but she couldn’t help the smile that tugged at the corner of her lips as Snape fed her another piece of steak. Despite everything, she was happy.
Hermione and Professor Snape continued to exchange playful glances, making each other smile in a way that was too sweet for Harry and Ron to bear. It was like they were in their own little world, oblivious to the awkwardness that was hanging in the air for the two boys. The man, in his usual stoic manner, reached over and gently tucked a strand of Hermione’s hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering against her skin just a little longer than necessary. Hermione’s heart fluttered, and she couldn't help but smile shyly at him.
“You have a bit of sauce on your cheek,” He said, his voice low and smooth. He then, without warning, leaned in close and kissed the spot where the sauce was, his lips brushing against her cheek in the process.
Hermione’s breath caught, and she blushed deeply, glancing over at Harry and Ron. They both looked like they might faint from the level of discomfort they were experiencing.
“Ugh, please, no more,” Ron groaned, holding his hands up in mock surrender. “You two are going to make me sick.”
Harry, who had been staring at them with wide eyes, muttered, “I can’t even eat now. This is... too much.”
The man simply smirked at them, clearly enjoying their reactions. He shifted Hermione slightly, bringing her closer to him as she sat on his lap. “Don’t mind them, Hermione. They’re just jealous of our connection.”
Hermione rolled her eyes but smiled at him. “Severus,” she whispered, her voice tinged with affection, “they’re not jealous. They’re horrified.”
“Oh, I think they’re quite envious,” Professor Snape teased, brushing his lips against her ear, making her shiver.
“You two need to get a room,” Harry said, groaning dramatically, and Ron nodded in agreement, looking disgusted.
Hermione laughed, trying to hide her amusement. “We’re just enjoying our dinner, Harry. You two should try it sometime without all the drama.”
“Yeah, but it’s hard to enjoy dinner when you two are acting like... like that!” Ron nearly shouted, his face twisted in mock horror. “Seriously, Snape, is this what you do all the time? Kiss her in front of us while we’re trying to eat?”
He chuckled darkly, his arm wrapping around Hermione’s waist as he leaned back in his chair, a devilish glint in his eyes. “It’s not my fault you’re both so easily disgusted. Perhaps if you showed more interest in your food than in my relationship, you’d have a better time.”
Hermione giggled, resting her head on his shoulder. The more Ron and Harry groaned, the more they leaned into their little bubble of affection, clearly enjoying every moment. The boys continued to pretend they were on the verge of vomiting, but it was obvious to Hermione that, deep down, they were simply unable to handle the closeness between her and Severus.
“Alright, alright, we get it,” Harry finally said, looking away in defeat. “You two are in love. Can we just eat in peace now?”
“Certainly,” Snape replied smoothly, his hand still resting gently on Hermione’s back. He fed her another bite of steak, looking at her with a soft gaze. “But, Hermione, you do know I’ll never get tired of spoiling you, don’t you?”
Hermione smiled, her heart racing at the warmth in his voice. “I know, Severus,” she whispered. “And I’ll never get tired of it, either.”
And so, the rest of the evening passed with plenty more teasing, laughter, and affectionate moments that left Harry and Ron doing their best to ignore the sappy display of love between their best friend and her boyfriend. They could only hope that the next time they ate together, the couple would tone it down just a little bit—though they secretly knew that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.
End