Frivolity
xoXOXox
Severus’ feet were silent as he made his way through the stacks of the Hogwarts library. Sliding the last book into place on the shelf, he paused at the high-pitched giggle to observe the group of 8th year witches that were huddled together around one of the round tables in the back portion of the library. Before the end of the war, before his death and surprising rebirth, he would have said that sound grated on his every nerve. Now. Well, now it made the sides of his lips quirk slightly. It was nice to see them so carefree, allowed to laugh and smile and giggle like the bunch of loons that they were.
“Let’s play a game. I’m bored.”
Miss Brown shoved her books and parchment away, leaning back with a pleased smile at her idea.
“What kind of game?”
Miss Patil, not surprisingly, followed her lead and did the same, flicking her hair away from her face as she turned her attention to the other witch.
“How about we play ‘Do, Dump, and Date’. It’s silly but it will give us a break.”
He felt his eyebrow raise in incredulity. It seemed the young women were going to revisit old, childish games to pass the time instead of studying for their end of week exams. Typical. Well, all except for one. His eyes slowly roamed over the out of place figure who had yet to raise her head or stop writing on her parchment.
Hermione Granger had changed in the last year. Gone was the bright smile and over-achieving energy that she had for the first five years of her schooling. After her year on the run with the dunderhead duo, she was someone altogether new. Her hair, though still shiny and full, was tamed to spiraling ringlets down her back. Her posture, though still straighter than any other at the table, was slightly slouched, as if she was protecting her middle from possible damage. Her eyes were serious, cold and always observing, in detail, everything she was looking at. And she was utterly still. No unnecessary movements. No vibrating energy. She sat and listened, learned, practiced with her wand or brewed with a confidence and stillness that he himself had perfected many years ago.
He didn’t know why, but it bothered him.
“Hermione, you have to play. You promised to take breaks when we did if we promised to study like you do. It’s been three hours. You owe us a bit of frivolity.”
At that, Miss Granger looked up finally, seeming to come back to herself and out of the world of words. Miss Patil smiled at her, beckoning her to sit away from her work and focus on the game at hand.
“Must it be that game?”
The droll tone had Severus smirking. She sounded so put out by the very idea. He could relate. It did seem like the most unimaginative choice for fun. Then again, he wasn’t a young woman on the cusp of adulthood about to face the archaic Wizarding world.
“Yes, Hermione. It must be that game. It’s stupid and amusing and embarrassing and everything we need to let our brains relax. If I have to read one more word on the properties of Anise and how it can be used in a number of potions and healing tonics, I may just give up my NEWTS all together and go work as a barista in Muggle London. You promised!”
With a heaving sigh, Severus watched as Miss Granger carefully dried her notes and set them and her tomes to the side. Interesting. He didn’t truly think she would acquiesce to the peer pressure.
“You’re right. Okay. Silly frivolity for exactly one hour and then back to it.”
The other witches at the table nodded, grins spreading out on their faces. Severus couldn’t decide if he wanted to walk away now before the annoying game got started or stay to see how impractical their choices would be. If he were honest with himself, and he tried to be these days, he was more curious what the Golden Girl’s answers would be. She was so unreadable these days that he found himself studying her often when they were in the same area, trying to see why she went from a beacon of light to such a cold and emotionless shell of her former self.
“I’ll go first. Current Gryffindors is the topic. I would do Dean Thomas, dump Seamus Finnigan, and date Ron Weasley.”
The other girls emitted a mix of laughs and groans at the last one as Miss Brown’s grin grew larger.
“Cheater. You are already dating him. Okay, my turn. I would absolutely do Harry Potter if Gin wouldn’t kill me.”
Miss Weasley gave Miss Patil a fake glare that had the entire table erupting into laughter. Even Miss Granger's lips tip up in a slight smile.
"Only if I get to participate."
Severus felt his eyes widen as the witches cackled even louder.
"Deal. Okay, um, I would dump Ron because that boy has terrible table manners!"
The laughter continued even as Miss Patel dodged a quill from an amused but disgruntled Miss Brown.
"And I would date Collin."
The surprised noises had the young witch shrugging.
"What? I think the shy, quiet ones are cute. Your turn Gin."
Miss Weasley, who had also grown into herself over the past year, sat back with a soft smile.
"Neville. Dean. Harry."
All the girls boo'd her as she gave them a smug grin.
"Not fair. Again. Miss I'm engaged to the Wizarding world’s hero wonder boy. You suck."
Miss Weasley pretended to buff her nails on her shirt before looking at them in boredom.
"Luna?"
The ethereal Ravenclaw smiled a dreamy smile.
"Harry. Seamus. Neville."
Miss Patil sighed.
"Next round can't include anyone's current boyfriend. Merlin."
All the girls giggled as they turned their heads as one to Miss Granger. Wrinkling her nose, she sat up a little straighter in her chair.
"For the sake of this game, I'll answer but under protest. Neville. Ron. Dean.”
Again, she wrinkled her nose as the others laughed, Miss Brown and Miss Weasley slapping their hands together in a jovial high-five.
“Okay, next category.”
Severus leaned on the bookshelf and listened as the girls went through every house and then on to actors and musicians. He was shocked that his godson was not said more when Slytherin house was picked and that Mister Nott seemed to be high enough in their esteem to warrant being dated by almost all of them. He wondered what young Nott had done or shown for almost every Gryffindor 8th year witch to choose him as a prime choice for dating material. Realizing he had been standing here for almost an hour and wasting time with their frivolity, he started to turn, shaking his head at himself for indulging in a bit of innocent fun with them by mentally answering with people from his own school days, the next topic stopped him in his tracks.
“Last one. Professors, current or past.”
The table grew hushed for a moment as a few nervous giggles slipped out. He rolled his eyes. Considering who the current professors were this year, he knew he should leave before he lost his appetite. He really didn’t want to hear five young women swoon once again over Sirius Black and his ‘roguish’ charm.
“Oh. That’s easy. Black, Lockhart, Lupin.”
Severus raised an eyebrow at that last one as Miss Patil giggled.
“Really Parvati? Lupin?”
She sighed, leaning on the palm of her hand as she answered.
“He is so sweet. The way he is with Dora and Teddy. How could you not want to date him?”
The other girls laughed or pretended to gag as Miss Patil returned the tossed quill at Miss Brown.
“Fine, Lav, who would you pick?”
Miss Brown’s grin grew as she ran a hand through her hair.
“Black, obviously. He gives bad boy vibes that I bet would be delicious in the sack. Snape, for obvious reasons, and Weasley. Charlie to be exact because all that smoldering dragon tamer-ness is just too much to pass up.”
Severus watched as Miss Granger snorted, rolling her eyes.
“Don’t let Ron hear you say that, Lavender.”
The other girls laughed, nodding in agreement.
“My turn. Lupin, Lockhart, Black.”
The gasps of pretend shock at Miss Weasley’s answers had Severus rolling his eyes again. He needed to be careful. They were going to get stuck doing that.
“Black. To date? Whatever for?”
Miss Weasley grinned, giving Miss Brown a knowing look.
“He would be a wild ride to the inevitable heartbreak and what a way to go.”
Severus snorted as Miss Granger thumped her head on the table with a groan as the other girls applauded Miss Weasley in different ways for her decision.
“Okay, okay, keep it down before Pince comes this way. Luna?”
Again, that dreamy smile, as if the girl wasn’t really in the same world with the rest of them. Severus wondered what her mind was like and imagined it was somewhere he would never wish to be.
“Lupin for all that animal magnetism.”
More laughter.
“Black because he is such a womanizer even if he is a lovable one.”
Everyone nodded in understanding and Severus smirked in satisfaction.
“And I have to agree that Professor Weasley would be an interesting one to date. I do so love magical creatures.”
Yet another round of laughter before once again, as with every round, all eyes turned almost gleefully at Miss Granger, whose head was still on the table.
“Must I?”
Miss Weasley was the one to speak up this time.
“Come on, ‘Mione. We made a deal that these games stay between us. No one is going to find out you did something so childish. And you did promise.”
With the long suffering sigh of the damned, Miss Granger picked her head up and closed her eyes with a frown.
“Professor Lupin. He seems like he would make it sweet and gentle.”
The girls nodded, all seeming to be more invested in her answers than any of the others.
“Professor Black. I love Sirius to death but he is just too overly charming. It’s annoying and you would never know who he was sleazing on behind your back.”
The table exploded with riotous laughter and arguments for all of Black’s charms but the Golden Girl just rolled her eyes and stood firm in her choice and reasons.
“Okay. Fine. Then who would you date? I’m betting it’s Charlie.”
Severus watched as a light dusting of pink stole over her cheeks. He could see it. She did date the youngest Weasley boy before the start of this term. At least she wouldn’t be entirely wasted on the dragon tamer. If Severus remembered correctly, he had at least a modicum of intelligence.
Her answer was so low that even the girls at her table didn’t seem to hear it.
“Whispering doesn’t count, ‘Mione. Out loud and with some feeling my friend.”
That long suffering sigh again before she opened her eyes and with that same determination he had seen all year, she answered again.
“Professor Snape.”
He knew it wasn’t true but for a moment he swore the whole world came to a stand still. At least until the other witches exploded with questions of ‘why’ and ‘ew’ and ‘have you lost your mind’? He would have frowned, would have turned and stormed off berating himself for staying there the entire time. Except. The look on her face. It wasn’t one of embarrassment or shame. He wasn’t even sure what to name it. The only person who didn’t seem shocked or appalled was Miss Weasley, who wore a knowing smile on her face.
“No, seriously, why Snape, Hermione?”
Those whiskey colored eyes rounded on Miss Brown as Miss Granger leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms in a protective gesture over her stomach.
“I’m trying to figure out after everything we’ve been through, why you didn’t pick him. He is powerful and beyond intelligent. He is loyal and though stern, I think he would be honest and trustworthy. He is not handsome in the modern sense but he is handsome in a more Classical way, like the Grecians. He is tall and lean so I can only imagine what being held by him would feel like.”
She took a breath and looked away towards the stack he was hiding behind. He knew she wouldn’t see him but for a moment, he felt like he had been caught.
“And… he makes me feel safe. And I rarely feel safe anymore.”
With that startling confession hanging in the air, Miss Granger turned back to the other witches and pulled her books and notes back in front of her.
“Break time over. Back to it, ladies.”
All of them watched her for a moment, eyes ranging from understanding to sad before they all dragged their work back to them and fell into a companionable silence once more. Severus’ eyes lingered on Miss Granger several long moments before he turned and made his way back to the dungeons and his laboratory, her words running on a confusing loop inside his mind. He had never been someone’s first pick to date or otherwise. He couldn’t quite comprehend being hers.
xoXOXox