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Chapter 23

"Hermione, are you finished? We need to be there in 10 minutes!" Severus shouted just after he repeatedly knocked on her door.

She was adding the last touch to her outfit for the evening as she answered him through the closed door.

"Are the boys ready, too?"

With a last flourish of her wand, her mask was finished and ready to be worn.

After looking herself over in the mirror one more time she walked out into her and Severus' shared living room.

Harry, Draco and Severus were all already waiting by the door. To her surprise, she saw that even they wore masks opposing to what they planned and seemingly the boys wanted to wear masks looking just like the one their 'Uncle Sev' was wearing and Hermione had to say that they all looked dashing.

Looking them over she thought to herself that with that mask Harry with his dark hair looked much like a small version of her potions master who stood behind the two children.

Even though Severus wore a mask that covered nearly his whole face, she could see that he smiled at her and down at the two troublemakers.

"You three look very dashing," said Hermione while finally walking up to them and out of the door once Severus had opened it up for her.

"Thank you very much. You look very beautiful yourself if I may say so." Severus' smile could be described as charming as he gently closed the door after the children who immediately ran off while he warded his door.

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"Now, let's get this over with, shall we?" Severus smiled at her before taking the two boys by their hands to keep them from immediately running away once they entered the great hall.

"Ah, you have finally found your way up here, Severus! It's good to see you, Hermione, that look is beautiful. And you two look really dashing. Come on in, the other guests have mainly already arrived," greeted the headmistress, who was wearing some Bordeaux-coloured robes for this occasion.

The hall was indeed already buzzing with people, some were students, some not. The walls were all lined with pumpkin lanterns floating in the air just like the usual candles.

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After the headmistress had welcomed everyone, Severus and Hermione started making their way around the hall greeting friends and acquaintances they once made.

After quite some greeting they and the children came across one of Severus' closest friends since their shared attendance of Hogwarts.

"Severus, it's good to see you! How have you been?" The dark-haired woman smiled when greeting him.

"I have been rather fine when one does not consider the stress of living with two troublemakers. How are you doing?"

The woman with dark brown hair smiled sadly at him before looking at the small children waiting patiently holding Severus' and Hermione's hands.

"It's been hard since - since you know, but we manage, don't we?" She looked at the black-haired man standing opposite her.

"I understand. Ah yes, I forgot. Hermione, this is Andromeda Tonks. Andromeda, this is my apprentice, Hermione Granger."

The women shook hands as Hermione said: "We've met a while ago."

"Yes, we did. I have to say that I'm quite shocked that someone would willingly enlarge their time of studying under him given how he is once he's in his natural habitat he calls a potions lab."

"Well, I am very happy and honoured he took me on. I don't know why you would say things like that but let it be sufficient to say that I quite like the way he focuses in his lab. If he weren't that strict Hogwarts would have had far fewer students due to many blowing up their cauldrons and the potions lab, effectively killing each other." Hermione's eyes were glaring at the older woman before Andromeda Tonks started first to chuckle and then laugh.

"I have to say she is quite fierce, but you always had a thing for fierce women, didn't you, Severus?"

Hermione looked shocked at her while Severus tried to maintain a neutral look on his face. Luckily his mask covered much of his face because he wasn't really successful in hiding the way he felt about her remark.

Still puzzled by the older witch's words she got down to look at the two small children who were getting impatient.

"Just a little longer, okay?" They both nodded and she got back up.

"Have you seen Lucius and Narcissa lately?"

"I went to see how Cissy is doing just a week ago. She's far too ill to attend today and Lucius opted to stay at home with her rather than go and party here. I really do think that she won't be able to fight it much longer." Her expression was really sad as she was talking about her younger sister.

"I think we will leave you to it. Do greet your sister should you see her soon." Severus bowed his head before turning to leave.

Hermione had to laugh when she saw that Harry and Draco tried to do just the same.

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Later that evening Minerva and Severus were sitting at a table near the dance floor talking as Hermione was talking to the Weasley's. Harry and Draco seemed to have quite a fun time, too, playing with Ron who was still a child just like them.

"Severus, just ask her out. I see the way you look at her when you think no one's watching." The older witch sighed noting the man's gaze going in her direction.

"Who are you talking about, woman?" asked a clearly irate Severus Snape as his head snapped back to his boss who just chuckled yet still shooting him a scolding look.

"Hermione of course. Who else would I be talking about? She likes you, you know. Just go and ask her to have at least a dance." 

Without responding he waited another few seconds thinking before he sighed and got up, placing his mask back on his face.

With his usual long strides, he walked over to the small group of redheads with his brunette apprentice standing in their middle talking idly with them.