Esto Perpetua

Esto Perpetua

Hermione Granger seemed to be sitting on the edge of her chair as she watched the dancers below her. Her heart raced as the male dancer completed another divine lift, as if the female dancer were a feather. She moved forward another inch as he carried his partner across the stage. A marvellous move by the dancers below her sent Hermione falling to the floor in excitement, and people turning around and making noises of disapproval.

One of these people was Severus Snape, who sat quite few seats away from the 'graceful' girl. She quickly got back into her seat, her face shaded by a dark red tint. He realized it was his former student, Hermione Granger. Snape did not return to watching the elegant movements of the New York City Ballet as they danced across their stage, he was instead watching his former student, now a mature young woman, as she attempted to sink as low as possible into her plush chair.

Apparently, this portion of ballet had ended and people were getting up. Snape cast his eyes away from his fellow Hogwarts alumnus. She got up and left, most likely headed to the lobby. Snape followed her in, surreptitiously. She went down to the first floor, Snape stalking behind her. She was, seemingly, alone. Miss Granger quietly stood in the crowd in front of the bar. He got in the queue behind her, trying to think of a reason to speak to her.

"Miss Granger, do you plan on interrupting the next portion of Jewels?" He scowled down at her face, which was bright red again and her eyes blazing with rage.

"I'm not your student anymore; I will not be treated like a child again," she said, her face set into one an expression of determination.

"I am simply wondering if perhaps you could fall over again, at a less vital moment of the ballet." A look of faux annoyance passed over his face, as the pair reached the head of the queue.

Hermione pondered the menu that was set out for a moment, she decided on a glass of red wine. She stated her order, trying to ignore the presence of the man she had dreamt of the night before. Of course, in her dream he had been wearing significantly less.

The waitress looked her over and than delivered the disheartening news: "Can I see some ID, you don't look over twenty-one?"

Hermione's cheeks once again glowed red, but this time more from rage than embarrassment. She was about to start yelling, when a sallow-skinned hand popped out in front of her with American Muggle money.

"But I'm sure you can sell me two red wines?" Snape's silky tones eased Hermione's building anger.

The waitress giggled and nodded.

Hermione looked dumbstruck, and Professor Severus Snape smirked.

After receiving his drink, he sank away from the crowds, moving towards the walls, which were adorned by Muggle photographs of dancers, past and present. His mother had always had a soft spot for ballet, hence the reason he was here. No matter where he went, on her birthday, he had always vowed to go to the ballet, which he did. Dumbledore had sent him out on school business to this wretched American city; the man hadn't stopped giving him tasks even after the war had ended. He took a sip of the strong Muggle wine and turned from the picture. Hermione Granger stood there studying him. Her brown eyes looked puzzled.

"Why did you buy me a drink?" she questioned, taking a sip of her drink.

"I see the fact that you graduated from Hogwarts nearly three years ago doesn't stop you from posing trivial questions to me, Miss Granger," Snape shot back at her. She had grown a few inches. No, it was just the heels, and perhaps the long line that the body-hugging black dress produced which made her look taller.

"I don't think wanting to know why someone who barely tolerated being in a room with me three years ago, and the only teacher I never earned any sort of esteem from, bought me a drink is unimportant and silly," she said in an honest tone.

Snape was taken aback by honest emotion in her voice. He looked her straight in the eye.

"It was more those two dunderheads that you kept company with, than you, Miss Granger, and by the end of your seventh year, I privately respected you." He didn't break eye contact, his dark intense eyes looking into her rich brown ones. He sighed and gave up the old defenses; he was getting tired of playing this game, especially with himself. "I bought you a drink because you looked like you needed it and might have hexed that waitress across the country, if you didn't get it. Frankly, didn't think that should be seen by Muggle eyes, do you?"

She relaxed and the tension between them eased.

The noise of the crowd milling around came to rest around them like humid air. They both sipped the strong wine. Hermione hadn't expected to see Snape here, the night after her heated dreams about him. Hermione hadn't thought her schoolgirl crush had survived; she had chalked the dream up as a memory of that crush, but now it all came rushing back.

He looked superb in the black Muggle suit and green dress shirt. She hadn't ever seen him in color since the Quidditch games back at Hogwarts. He also looked quite relaxed and as if he had been sleeping well. His hair was slightly shorter and wasn't greasy; rather it looked soft and silky.

The chimes sounded, signaling the end of the intermission. Hermione gulped down the last half-inch of wine in her glass. She stumbled from its strength; but before she could fall, Snape grabbed her arm, pulling her close to his body. They stayed like that for a moment, each other's heat warming the other. The two pulled apart reluctantly.

Snape straightened his suit jacket, Hermione smoothed her dress, and neither looked the other in the eye. They walked silently back up to their seats, soon parting, each ignoring the electricity that flowed between them when they had touched.

Severus Snape settled back into his seat, closing his eyes, trying to not think about his former student. His eyes opened as the music started again and the curtain lifted. He tried his best not to look at her. Snape bit the side of his cheek, hoping the pain would stop him from settling his raven gaze upon her. Hermione Granger wasn't having the same trouble; rather she was looking for him in the dim light. Finally she found the beak of a nose and curve of a cheekbone. He seemed to be concentrating solely on the dancers below them. Maybe not, as his eyes were now staring right back at her. A look of surprise crossed his face when he found her look at him. Both awkwardly looked away.

The last artful bow was taken, the last note was played, and the chaos of getting out of the building started. Snape was pushed along to coat-check with a large group of girls. The girls pulled on bright trendy fall coats and he wrapped his billowing cloak around him. He got strange looks whenever he was at a public Muggle function; he always shrugged it off since this was a population who stared at boxes because pictures moved. Managing to get away from the giggling girls, he breathed a sigh of relief in the chilly air. He sat down on the edge of the famous fountain, taking in deep breaths.

Hermione Granger escaped the mob and now stood about ten feet away from him. She moved closer. Snape could see her flesh had broken out into goose bumps in the chilly fall wind. He stood up and walked till he was less than a foot away from her. Snape opened the large billowing cape and pulled her against him before he knew what he was doing. Hermione was stiff for a moment before sinking into him, resting her cheek against his suit jacket. From the point of view of those outside the embrace, it just looked like a study in true love.

This time they didn't pull apart. Moments passed without either of them noticing. Hermione and Severus couldn't just reject how right this felt, how well they fit together. Hermione looked up at the snarky Potions master. Severus looked down at the student whose thirst for knowledge was unrelenting. In a magical moment, Lincoln Center disappeared, and they kissed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~