A/N: Because this story has gotten a wonderful response thus far, I've decided to continue it! ;3 Also, any places in this story are entirely made up. So don't kill me if you read something and think HEY! THAT'S NOT IN LONDON! I'm a dumb American, you see. XD Never been to England, though I would LOVE to go! Creative license has been put to use. He, he.

Chapter Two: The Pool

"Gods, it's so hot," Hermione moaned as she lay sprawled out on the couch, fanning herself with the latest issue of Sky Magazine.

"I'll say," agreed her mother from the armchair near the sofa. "I almost hate to even move!"

Edmund Granger sat at the small table by the window in the living room paying bills on his laptop. When he spoke, it was in a half-distracted manner. "I'm surprised that bloke can stand it, sitting out there in all black when it's ten degrees cooler in the house." It hadn't escaped the notice of Mr. and Mrs. Granger that their guest was an exceptionally peculiar individual, and it had them both wondering if the entire wizarding world acted the same way. The conundrum was truly a head-scratcher.

"Oh, don't worry about him," Hermione said dismissively. "He's…well, he's not really a people person. He would much rather have fresh air than be crowded by us I think."

"That doesn't explain why he's always got to wear the hottest darned clothes when it's thirty-five degrees Celsius," he replied.

"I don't understand," her mother quipped. "If he's not a people person and would obviously prefer to be elsewhere, then why did Dumbledore send him here? Why didn't your Headmaster choose someone else?"

Now that's a head-scratcher, thought Hermione. She felt her face heat even more under her parents' scrutiny of the situation. "I don't know, really," she confessed. "Tonks and Lupin couldn't do it because they have a baby to take care of. Mad Eye…well, he'd never fit in here. Dumbledore didn't want to send Harry, Ron and Ginny, and I guess I can see why. Fred and George were definitely out. And Arthur and Molly have their own home to tend to. I guess Severus was the only one left."

"S'pose I don't mind 'im," said her father, still not taking his eyes off of the computer screen. "Just a bit of an odd bird, that's all. Not the most cheerful of fellows."

Hermione shook her head. "It's Professor Snape; you'll never see him cheerful."

"Well I don't know about you lot," said Jean, standing up from her chair. "But I don't intend to sweat myself into nothingness!"

Edmund finally turned his head to look at his wife. "What do you propose we do then?"

"I say we head to the pool! Haven't been there in ages. What do you say?"

Hermione blinked, not having expected that suggestion to pop up. But it was her dad who voiced her concern.

"You know that place is going to be packed on a day like this," said Edmund skeptically. "It hasn't been this hot here in London for quite some time, and everyone's going to have the same idea."

"Oh fiddle sticks! I'm not about to let that stand in my way! I'm going, and if you two would like to join me, you're more than welcome!" With that, the bubbly woman swept out of the room and up the stairs to retrieve her swim things, leaving Edmund and his daughter to stare back at each other in surprise.

"Well? How bout it, darling?" asked her father. "We gonna let your mother have all the fun without us?"

Hermione blinked at him, then cast a nervous glance out the window where she could see her former professor sitting on the glider that he'd claimed for his own his first day at the Granger house. Hadn't they just established that Snape was not a people person? If she went, that would mean she'd have to drag him along, too.

Did he like to swim?

Did he even know how to swim?

What the hell would he look like in swim shorts?

… …

Hermione decided not to try and picture that. Whether it was because she was afraid she'd like the image or that she'd be scarred for life, she didn't know.

When a few long minutes had passed and she still hadn't given a response, Edmund closed his laptop and stood with a smile. "I think I'm going to go." He gave a bark of laughter, then said, "Lordy, haven't seen your mother in a swim suit in a long time!"

"Gah! Dad! I don't need to know your thoughts on that particular subject!" Her father simply chuckled, picked up his laptop and left the room.

Sighing, she let her head fall back on the armrest as she debated whether or not to join her parents. The pool did sound mighty refreshing. But did she really want to tell Snape about their new plans? She took a long time to mull that over, but then she decided that the torturous heat wasn't worth it! Snarky Snape or not, she was going to that pool!

But first, she had tell her warden.

X-X-X

How dreadfully boring this place was! Muggle London! Ha! There was nothing, nothing, for a wizard to do in Muggle London. He couldn't brew potions, he couldn't do much magic whatsoever, he couldn't even wear his normal clothes! Not even the Leaky Cauldron was a viable place to go! If he dared venture to the pub, he'd have to drag the annoying chit with him, so why bother entertaining the thought?

Beyond jaded and ready to return home, Severus lay-yes, lay-across the glider, having grown tired of reading muggle newsprint and magazines. He scowled up at the clear, blue sky, not even able to watch clouds roll by. No, it was just a hot summer day, and there was not a damn thing he could do with his time besides sleep.

As if sleep was even possible when it was so bloody hot and sunny!

He bristled when he heard the familiar sound of the sliding glass door, and he took a steadying breath, waiting for her to walk around the glider and into his personal space. He continued glaring up at the sky until he could see her in his peripheral vision.

"What is it this time?" he drawled in exasperation, not bothering to sit up or to look at her.

Again, Granger fidgeted in a way that made Snape skeptical about why she felt the need to bother him. Surely if she was nervous, he wasn't going to like whatever she had to say. He attempted to wait patiently as Hermione obviously struggled for the right words. It was amusing to him, at least, that he still had such an effect on her even if she was no longer his student.

"It's really hot today," she said feebly, causing Snape to roll his eyes.

"How very observant, Granger."

She cleared her throat awkwardly, then said, "You know, if I'm to drop the formalities, perhaps you should too?"

He heaved an agitated sigh, ignoring her last comment. "Your point, Miss Granger?"

Hermione worried her lip a moment, then continued. "Mum thought it would be a good idea to go swimming. Dad agrees, and…so do I."

So that was it. The girl wanted to go swimming. Well, he supposed he could handle that. Who was he to deny her relief from the scotching summer day?

"Alright," he said flatly.

Hermione stared at him, unable to believe it had been that easy. "Alright?" she repeated, dumbfounded.

Slowly, Snape pushed himself into a sitting position. "Did I stutter? That is what I said. You'd be an idiot not to take your mother up on that suggestion. It's thirty-five bloody degrees."

Should she tell him where they were going? Or how crowded it was sure to be? Should she tell him they weren't going to some secluded swimming hole? Or to a lake? It would only be fair, right?

But then he'd protest.

No. He had agreed. He said he had grown up a half-blood after all. Surely he knew what a public swimming pool was. And if he didn't, she could feign ignorance and claim she thought he knew where they were going. If he threw a hissy fit, then she would deal with the repercussions later.

Instead, she simply smiled. "Thank you, Sir."

Snape narrowed his eyes at her in annoyance. Hadn't he told her not to call him sir?

Hermione rolled her eyes. "If you can't drop formalities, then why should I?" Turning on her heel, she headed back to the house and called over her shoulder, "We're sure to be leaving soon."

X-X-X

Half an hour later, Hermione walked out of her bedroom dressed in brown kaki shorts, a light blue tank top and flip flops. She wore her bathing suit underneath and carried a bag with a towel, sunscreen and her wallet over one shoulder. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail which she threaded through the hole in the back of her pink and white baseball cap, sunglasses sitting on the bill. Stepping out into the upstairs hallway, she came face to face with Snape. His dark irises swept over her appearance quickly and casually, but he said nothing.

Hermione's brows furrowed as she stared at his form clad in those same jeans and long sleeve black tee. "You do know we're going swimming because it's so hot out, yeah?" she asked.

One of his dark brows rose. "And?"

"I assume you're not a fan of shorts, but couldn't you at least wear a normal tee shirt?"

He stared at her for a long moment before he absently waved his hand, transfiguring his long sleeves into short ones. "Better?" he offered in a bored tone.

Hermione frowned a little. What was wrong with this man, honestly? "I s'pose. We'd better head downstairs. Mum and Dad are waiting." His own dark shades in hand, Severus followed the girl down the clean, white staircase to where her parents stood by the door.

"We all set?" said Jean, her outfit nearly mimicking her daughter's. Her husband wore black sport shorts with white stripes down the sides, a red t-shirt and sandals.

"I think so," replied Hermione.

"Then let's go!" said Edmund. "It's getting hotter the longer we stand around!"

Before he'd come to the Granger's, it had been over twenty years since he'd ridden in a vehicle. Now Snape found he didn't much like them. They were too small, too muggle, too strange-not to mention too slow. But at least he could be grateful that their trips in the family car were not to far-away places.

Even still, it irked him to have to sit in the back seat with the know-it-all like a child. Bitter nostalgia rolled over him, taking him back to his pre-teen years when he still lived with his parents. Any time his mother or father had taken him somewhere in a car, the ride had been full of tense, resentful silence, and he'd preferred to sit in the back in an attempt to be invisible. Currently, he sat as close to his door as possible, knees pressed uncomfortably into the back of the seat in front of him, and arms folded as he scowled out of the window, watching London zip by in a blur. Granger and her parents were chatting, but he paid them no attention.

After less than twenty minutes, Edmund Granger slowed the car and turned down a drive off to the left. Severus saw that it was a park, and he let his eyes rove the freshly mown lawns and the scattered trees, noting the placement of various play areas for little children. As they drove further along, the road dipped and turned around a hill. When they got to the next straight, Snape's eyes widened in horrified surprise as he stared out his window and saw the two large, rectangular pools that were occupied by at least a hundred people.

His head whipped around after a moment to shoot Hermione an accusatory glower. He saw that she'd been watching him from the corner of her eyes, apparently waiting for his reaction to their destination, and now her face flushed and she bit her lip nervously. It was then that he realized she'd deliberately kept the "public pool" part of this trip to herself because she knew he wouldn't be happy about it.

Little chit.

Great. This meant that he had to suffer the company of more muggles!

Mr. Granger parked the car, and Mrs. Granger was the first one to throw open her door and step out into the lot. Her husband followed right after, and Snape was not surprised to see Hermione follow them a little more quickly than necessary.

She knew he was angry with her.

Rolling his eyes with a barely audible groan, Snape stepped from the vehicle and placed his glasses over his nose (he'd become quite fond of the shades; they actually looked pretty good on him).

"At last! Our salvation!" laughed Jean as she spun in a circle, obviously very excited to be there.

"Yes, and the salvation of a million others," said Edmund.

"Look on the bright side; perhaps we'll see people we know. Come along, darling," Jean called to her daughter. "The water calls!"

Hermione smiled impishly, her eyes flickering to Snape momentarily. "Coming Mum!" She was just about to sprint after her parents when she found her former professor looming beside her. She couldn't see his eyes, but she could tell by his down-turned mouth that he was probably giving her a death glare.

"The next time you tell me of your family's 'plans,' Miss Granger, I demand that you leave nothing from your description, or so help me Merlin, you will not like what I do to you."

She flinched a little, but kept her backbone in place. "Sorry, Sir. I assumed you knew-"

"Save it, girl. You and I both know you left out our exact destination on purpose. Now are you here for a reason or aren't you?"

Sighing, Hermione turned away from him to trail her parents who were already paying their way in at the gate. Snape followed sullenly behind her like a dreadful black cloud, and suddenly she felt guilty for not telling him the whole truth. Oh well; it wasn't like it mattered. He'd protest either way.

Best to enjoy myself and just ignore the irritable bat.

Although the place was crowded, somehow Jean managed to find a few open lounges that their group of four could occupy. The woman beamed. "Good! Perfect! There's a spot just for us!"

"I'm surprised there are any open actually," her husband commented. "And in the shade, too. What luck, yes dear?"

"Oh, they have plenty of space! But I must agree, it amazes me that no one took the shady area!"

Jean, Edmund and Hermione Granger pulled their towels from their beach bags and spread them over the chairs they wished to claim as their own. The elder Grangers were more quick to slip out of their shoes and shirts (and in the case of Jean, her shorts as well). The woman seemed more than pleased to finally be able to cool off after such a warm day, and she laughed as she challenged her husband to a race to the pool.

"Honey, you know there's no running round the pool!" he chuckled.

"I'm not running, Edmund; I'm walking briskly!" she called back as she practically jogged toward the beckoning water. A few seconds later, she'd jumped in with a splash, Edmund following close behind.

Hermione laughed at the antics of her parents. Sometimes she swore they were sixteen-year-olds with the way they acted, but she didn't mind at all. It made life so much more interesting.

Right: as if finding out she was a witch and spending six years at a magical school where disaster was literally around every corner, then spending a seventh year hunting Horcruxes and searching for a way to defeat a dark, evil wizard wasn't interesting enough for her!

She had only managed to step out of her flip-flops and put them in her bag with her hat and glasses when her parents had jumped into the pool like excited little children. After her amused giggles had subsided, she grabbed the bottom of her shirt, about to strip it off, when she was suddenly struck with a realization that hadn't occurred to her before.

She was about to take off her clothes and stand only in a two-piece bathing suit in front of her former, brooding potions master now turned guardian. Her face flushed bright red in embarrassment. Why hadn't she thought of any of this before? Her gut clenched nervously as she turned her head just enough to look over her shoulder in search of him.

To her relief, he wasn't looking at her. Snape had taken up residence in the lounge the furthest back in the shade of the trees, his dark shades covering his (probably furious) eyes. His arms were crossed over his chest in defiance of the entire situation, and his gaze was trained upward. He seemed to have no interest whatsoever in what his troublesome charge was doing.

Relief flooded over Hermione, but she still couldn't shake away the uncomfortable feeling of anxiety, just knowing that he would inevitably have to look at her scantily-clad body at some point. It was to be expected given their current situation.

Swallowing her fear (and what felt like her pride) she stripped off her shirt and shimmied out of her shorts, tossing them onto her lounge before quickly walking to the edge of the pool and diving in. Instantly, she was glad to be under the water, hidden from the possibility of Snape's roving eyes. At least he hadn't seen her yet…

Or that's what Hermione believed anyway.

Truth was, much to his great annoyance, Snape's eyes had flickered forward beneath his glasses in reflex to hearing a scream; a child merely playing in the water. Unfortunately, his gaze had been drawn to the Granger girl just as she began to remove her top. For some inexplicable reason, his mouth ran dry at the sight of her creamy, flawless skin, the sun reflecting off of her back and making it glow. He couldn't tear his attention away from her as she wriggled out of her shorts, revealing a blue-clad bottom and long, beautiful legs.

He felt the beginnings of a very rare blush creep up his neck out of shame when his body began to react to the vision before him. He'd seen quite a few nearly naked women upon their arrival, but none had affected him the way Granger did. And he felt dirty for it. She was (or used to be) his student! He should not think her attractive! The thought was sickening!

But even as she hurried to the water and broke through it's undulating surface, he felt his eyes trained on the spot where she'd disappeared with a splash. It was only after about ten seconds that he was able to drag his focus away from the pool entirely, and by that point, he'd already grown too uneasy to be remotely comfortable.

That's it…I swear, I'll Avada her if any remaining Death Eaters don't…

Sweet relief. The cool water against her skin was, surrounding her entire body, was exquisite. Her hair was light as it swayed above her shoulders and she felt weightless as she swam deep beneath the surface of the pool. Any thoughts of Snape were immediately forgotten as she reveled in the sensation of being suspended in the vast expanse of blue.

She opened her eyes, knowing that she couldn't swim too far or else she'd run right into someone. Sure enough, she saw three pairs of legs not too far in front of her, so she turned around to swim in another direction. When she needed air, she rose to the surface and was met by the sight of her parents kissing in the pool.

"Mum! Dad! Please, not in front of so many people!"

Jean laughed. "Darling, one kiss won't kill anyone. Do you know how many people have much less decency here?"

"I've already seen two pairs of teenagers who need to find a room somewhere private…" said Edmund before giving an embarrassed cough into his hand.

Jean wrapped her arms around Edmund's neck with another laugh. "Don't mind them! We're here for our own enjoyment! Look, there's a beach ball over there!"

"I've got it," called Hermione as she swam for the abandoned object floating near the edge. Once she had it, she served it to her mother who caught it effortlessly. She swam back to her parents and Jean turned toward their chairs where Snape still lay. Apparently Mrs. Granger wasn't aware of his irritation.

"Mr. Snape, would you care to join us in a game of volleyball?"

Hermione stopped just short of her mother, her eyes wide. Had she really just asked Snape to play a game? She saw his mouth turn down further.

"No…" he drawled. "Thank you."

"C'mon old chap, it's a ball!" said Edmund.

"Dad, that was really corny," said Hermione as her father laughed at his own silly joke.

"I know, but it was a good one."

"Well either way, I don't think Professor Snape-"

"Severus," Snape corrected with a mild growl. It was getting increasingly more difficult to act civil around her parents. They were all so damned cheery! It was making him want to hurl something hard at their heads. He looked around in his peripheral vision and saw a few rocks not too far to his left. He smirked slightly.

"Fine," Hermione said. "I don't think Severus wants to play with us. He's not much of a…game…player."

"Oh, very clever, Granger," he said sarcastically just barely loud enough for her to hear. "You've such a vast vocabulary." She shot him a glare and saw his lips twitch upward just a tad.

"Berk," she muttered.

"Well okay then. More fun for us," said Jean. "Edmund, head that way. Hermione, over there."

Snape let out a breath as he retrained his eyes on the leaves of the tree above him, the cloudless sky peeking through the branches and making him wish for the familiar darkness of his dungeons. It hadn't been more than ten minutes since they'd arrived and he was already wishing he could hex everyone in the area. Every child that screamed, every mother that called to their screaming children to be careful and don't run round the pool, every father yelling from the picnic area asking his family what they wanted to eat, every teenager snogging in view of all the people present. There was even a dog that barked intermittently from the far corner of the pool area, barely audible over all the other sounds, but Snape could hear it all the same.

And Granger. Every word that she spoke, every syllable-they all registered vividly in his mind. He could tune her parents out just fine, but not her… Her voice would catch his attention, and his eyes-his traitorous eyes-would drop back down to the pool to seek her out. Her curly brown hair had turned wavy, the golden rays of sunlight reflecting off of the wet mass like a halo. Her slightly tanned skin glistened and he swore he could count every droplet of water on her neck, shoulders and arms. Her laugh drew his attention to her glossy, pink lips and her chocolate brown eyes. And he hated it.

Stifling a growl, Severus sat up slowly then stood. Perhaps a bit of sustenance could take his mind off of this dreadful place, at least for a little while. Straightening his shades, he walked round his preferred lounge and headed to the concession stand, attempting to at least drown out the sounds of little children. If he had even once in his life considered being a father, this experience was solidifying his resolve not to.

As he got nearer to the vendor, his dark eyes scanned the menu behind his shades. He sighed when he saw that all the food was exactly the same as what had been served at the fair. All junk. Well, at least he could rule out the chilly cheese dog. Making a huge effort to control his rising temper, he stepped up to the counter to order, taking his wallet from his pocket.

"Can I help you, Sir?" the young woman asked jovially.

There was that word that made him feel old again. Sir. At least in the wizarding world, people could call him by name. "Pulled pork sandwich and a water, if you don't mind."

"Would you like barbeque sauce with that?"

"No."

"Just plain?"

"Yes…"

"Will that be all for you, Sir?"

He frowned sharply. "That's all I asked for, isn't it?" He had to restrain the irritated growl as he spoke.

"That will be five-ninety-five."

Severus handed her the money, snatching the change from her hand when she held it out to him.

"Your sandwich will be ready in a few minutes."

As she walked away to fill his order, Snape crossed his arms and looked out over the pool to find his charge. She was still playing with the beach ball with her parents. She jumped up to hit the ball and he had to turn away after catching the scene from a very indecent angle. This was ridiculous. He needed to get the hell out of here. Fast.

"Here you go, Sir. One pulled pork sandwich and a water."

He took the items from the smiling girl with a nod, then walked off to sit down at one of the tables furthest away from the crowd. Unwrapping his sandwich and taking a bite, he decided that he could live with pulled pork. It wasn't a vile concoction like the chilly cheese dog anyhow.

"Hey," came a feminine voice while Severus was taking a drink from the water bottle. He lowered it slowly and leveled his gaze at the woman standing across from him. She was probably in her late twenties and had long black hair, green eyes and glossy lips that were parted in what he guessed was supposed to be an appealing smile (not that it was unattractive). She was clad only in a red bikini top and a pair of mini shorts, and she must have been wearing waterproof makeup, because it was flawless.

Snape, who had set his sunglasses aside while eating, lifted one eyebrow, the water bottle barely touching his lips.

"Aren't you hot in all that black?"

He kept his gaze level and unreadable. "I'm fine…"

"You should join the party and come for a dip with me. The water's great." Her smile widened into a flirty one and she winked at him. "And from what I can see, I bet you look pretty good in a Speedo." She laughed with a perfectly manicured hand slightly covering her mouth.

Snape was going to be sick. Was this synthetic, horrifyingly beautiful woman actually hitting on him? As flattering as such compliments may be when a man has gone his whole life without so much as one good thing said about his looks, her transparent attempt at a hook-up was pathetic, and at best, nauseating.

"You have no idea who I am…" he drawled, his black eyes staring right into hers in the hopes of conveying that he wasn't interested.

"No, but that's the fun of meeting new people. And you are definitely my type, love. Dark, brooding, devilishly handsome. And your voice…so deep and sensuous."

Good Lord, this had to end quickly or he was going to Avada her. "Do I…look…like the kind of person to fall for such an idiotic attempt at seduction?"

The woman blinked. "Oh…You're right. I can tell that you're much too smart for that kind of thing. How about we just talk-"

"No…"

"But I didn't-"

"I'm not…interested." His dark eyes flashed dangerously. "So if you don't mind, kindly take your pathetic, fake flirting elsewhere. You will receive nothing from me."

She looked absolutely mortified and offended. Good. As she huffed and left, tossing her hair over her shoulder, Snape smirked behind his water bottle.

"Arsehole," she called as she walked away. It only made him smirk that much more.

Once he was finished with his food, he got up to throw away his trash, then headed, with much reluctance, back to the chair he'd occupied earlier.

She laughed. He looked. Her father had picked her up by the waist and was spinning a laughing Hermione round and round in the water. He could see the top halves of her legs, most of her stomach, her chest, her arms. He clenched his fists and yanked his head away so that he was facing forward again-so that he couldn't see her-but it was too late.

He hadn't been watching where he was walking, and a twelve-year-old boy ran right into him, sending the both of them tumbling into the deep end of the pool with a mighty splash.

Hermione gasped as her father placed her back on her feet just in time to catch what had happened. She covered her mouth with her hands, not sure whether to laugh out loud or run for the hills, because Snape was sure to be furious when he resurfaced.

Everyone in the immediate vicinity whipped their heads about when they heard the splash, and they watched as the water undulated wildly as both Snape and the boy flailed, trying to right themselves. Snape was the first one to surface, his now soaked black hair sticking to his head, a few strands strewn across his face. His glasses had come off, and his eyes glinted with fury.

The boy's head popped up next to Snape's and he held something out in his hand. "Sorry, Sir! Are these yours?"

Snape's head spun round to glare at the child before he quickly snatched the glasses from his hand. "Watch where you're going, you inobservant little twit!" he growled, not caring if the boy's mother threw a rolling pin at him. But really, the delinquent shouldn't have been running around the pool! Hadn't he heard all the women say that? Severus certainly had-multiple times!

"Joey! What did I tell you about running near the pool!" Snape could have been amused at the irony, but he couldn't possibly be any less amused. "Look what you did to this poor gentleman! Get up here straight away, young man!"

The boy named Joey frowned guiltily and swam to the ladder. Meanwhile his mother was hurling apologies as Snape made his own way onto dry land.

"I'm so very sorry about that, Sir. Are you alright? Is there any way I can help?"

Snape pulled himself up out of the water scowled in her direction. "Yes. Keep your little hooligan under closer observation, and maybe he won't go launching people into pools!"

"I'm so sorry-"

"Save it! Go about your business. Just leave me be." He turned from the mother and her son and stalked dripping wet back to their spot under the shade tree. Hermione got out of the pool and walked over to him just as he pulled out a towel and began to dry himself off vigorously.

"Are you alright?" Hermione said quietly only to have him turn his angry eyes on her.

"Do I look alright, Granger?" he spat.

She frowned. "Sorry…I assume you have your wand with you? You could take one of the bags to the changing rooms to make it look like you changed so you could use a drying spell."

He snorted. "I already came up with that plan, so save your breath." Unable to stand the wet, constricting material of his shirt, he stripped it off in one fluid movement and Hermione couldn't help be taken aback by his very fit, lightly scarred body. Who would have thought he was hiding such a toned figure under all those black, foreboding clothes?

Snape tossed the shirt over his shoulder and picked up one of the beach bags before whipping his head around to look at her again. "What?"

Hermione mentally shook herself. Get a grip! It's Snape you're staring at here, not a datable person! "N-nothing. I-I was just making sure you weren't hurt."

He rolled his eyes. "No. I'm not. Now get out of the way, Granger," he ordered as he pushed past her to head for the changing rooms.

She turned to watch him walk away and marveled at the way the muscles in his back moved like perfection. Holy Phoenix! Why the hell wasn't he married with a body like that?

"Oh no…" she breathed as a mob of four girls began heading his way. They managed to intercept him before he could sidestep them.

"Excuse me," he said lowly.

"Oh, we just wanted to make sure you were ok," said one of the girls, a blonde.

"You took quite a fall," said another.

Merlin have mercy on him. Not more bloody females!

"I said…excuse me," he said again, his tone more forceful. He swore, if people didn't stop getting on his nerves, he was going to crack, and it would not be pretty.

"He's not hurt, I mean look at him," said a third girl as she stepped to his side and touched his shoulder, running her hand down his arm. "He's flawless. Not a scratch on him."

Snape yanked his arm away. "Get your hands off me, you filthy wench!"

"Haha, he told you, Amy."

"Yeah, let the man breathe."

"I'm surprised he can breathe a'tall, he's so deliciously sexy!"

The four of them giggled and Snape was about to blow a gasket. Women in the muggle world were even more disturbing than those in the wizarding world.

"I'm not interested in any of you miserable tramps, so get the hell out of my way."

"You heard him, go on! Shoo! Get out of here!" Snape's eyes snapped to Hermione who had shoved past the Amy girl and was currently standing in front of him. "He's taken, thanks."

"Really? By who?" asked the blonde.

"By me."

Snape had to stop himself from revealing her lie. It wasn't like they hadn't pretended to be…together…before. He wanted to grimace at the mental image.

"Aren't you a little young for him?"

"Our ages are none of your concern. So shove off, all of you. We would appreciate it, thank you very much."

The four girls stared at Hermione for a moment, but then they turned and walked away, chatting amongst themselves. Hermione turned slowly to face her former potions master who looked about ready to commit murder.

"Sorry…"

He didn't bother to thank her for saving him. He merely stormed off, this time uninterrupted, to get dry.

"Well that was certainly…eventful," said Jean as Hermione rejoined her parents.

"Poor lad. Tough luck today, eh?" added Edmund Granger.

"Yeah…" said Hermione. "Um…perhaps we should go home when he comes back…?"

Her mother and father exchanged glances. Then Jean smiled sympathetically. "I suppose it's only fair to him. I believe we're cooled off now, and he's having a pretty rough day."

Hermione could have told them that Snape had had a very rough life, but she decided it wasn't necessary. That, and she knew he wouldn't take kindly to being talked about in such a manner. So she simply nodded her agreement.

X-X-X

Later that evening, Snape sat at the small desk in the guest bedroom scribing a letter to Dumbledore. He would not regale the Headmaster with the details of either the fair or the pool venture, but he did have a duty to report back to his boss on the safety of the Granger home. When a soft knock rapt against the closed door behind him, pinched the bridge of his nose and bade them to enter.

Hermione stepped through the doorway cautiously as Snape continued writing without so much as a glance in her direction.

"What is it that you want, Miss Granger?"

She stared down at her shoes for a moment, gathering her courage before she spoke. "I just wanted to…apologize. For everything that happened earlier. I know I should have warned you of where we were going. Maybe you would have been better prepared. It won't happen again, I promise."

"See to it that it doesn't, Granger," Snape replied, still scrawling across the parchment in front of him. "For if it does, I will personally see to it that Death Eaters find you."

Hermione stared at the back of his head, mouth agape. "You would not!"

Silence passed between them. Then, "Perhaps not." He placed his quill back in its inkwell and turned in the chair to face her. "But you will pay dearly if there is another deliberate attempt at a communication error."

His face was blank, his voice just as hollow and empty, but she knew very well to take his threats seriously. She nodded and said "Yes Sir" out of habit only to have him frown.

She huffed. "You still refuse to call me Hermione! And when you talk to me like a child, I just go back to when you were my teacher, and that's the automatic response! So if you don't like it, maybe you should change your attitude!" With that, she stormed from the room, resisting the urge to slam the door. She didn't really want her parents asking questions regarding any arguments between she and her temporary guardian.

Snape, not at all fazed by her outburst, turned back to his letter, picked up his quill and returned to writing.

X-X-X

"Everything is going well so far at the Granger home then?" Dumbledore asked as the Order sat around the table in Number 12 Grimmuald Place a week later.

"Albus, I doubt Miss Granger and her family will be attacked. There has been no evidence, no magical traces to suggest that there are any other wizards in the vicinity," commented Snape dryly from his usual seat toward the back of the room. He was restored in his usual attire, arms crossed about his chest looking bored as usual.

"He's right. There's been nothing," agreed Hermione as she sat between Harry and Ron not far from the head of the table.

"The Ministry has caught a few more Death Eaters," said Arthur Weasley. "But a few of the more dangerous ones are still on the loose."

"There's reason to believe at least one or two would go into London," said Tonks. "But we're just not sure."

"Better to keep an eye on them a bit longer, Severus," quipped Dumbledore.

Harry, Ron and Ginny looked at Hermione sympathetically. She smiled faintly, then turned her attention back to the Hogwarts Headmaster. Snape said nothing more.

"As for now, there is no more business to be conducted. All other matters have been cleared away. Unless there are any other concerns…?" He waited, looking round the table to meet the eyes of each member of the Order. When he received no feedback for his prompt, he nodded once. "Then this meeting is adjourned.

Snape stood and quickly left the room, robes flowing behind him. Mrs. Weasley bustled to make some more tea and set out a few more snacks, but while the older adults chatted away, Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hermione left the kitchen to head upstairs to the library to talk.

"So, how's it been living with old bat face?" asked Ron as they sat on the leather couch and chairs in front of the dark brick fireplace.

"Ronald! Be nice!" Hermione chided. "And it hasn't been that bad, honestly.

"Right, sure."

"Hey, you never did tell us about the fair," said Ginny. "Did you do it? The dare?"

"Yeah, Hermione. Did you get him in a teacup?" Harry and Ron laughed.

Hermione grinned and Accio'd her beaded bag which floated up from downstairs. After rummaging in it for a moment or two, she pulled out a small book that she had begun stuffing with new family pictures. Flipping the pages, she turned the book around when she got to the one that held the photo Mary Sue had given to her.

Her friends gaped at the image of Snape sitting between Hermione and Christy, the little girl beaming beside him. His head was bent and his arms were over his chest as he fought off the nausea. Suddenly, they all laughed. Hysterically. Ron even fell out of his chair, nearly hitting his head on the coffee table. Ginny clung to Harry as he tried to keep the two of them from falling on the floor as well. Hermione tried to stop her own bouts of giggling, but she just couldn't help it.

"Oh my gosh, Hermione! That's just too funny!" said Ginny. "How in the world did you get him on the thing?"

"Well…we kind of just…drug him."

"You did what?" asked Harry.

"Like…literally grabbed him and drug him onto it?" asked Ron.

"Um…yes…"

"And he didn't hex you for it?" Ginny gaped.

"Oh, he wanted to. I'm sure he simply realized that that would be counter productive to his purpose for being with us in the first place."

"C'mon, Mione, tell us what happened," said Ron. "Everything!"

"Yeah, what else did you get him to do?"

She told her friends all about the fair from start to finish-leaving out the bit about how he'd tried to keep her warm on the Ferris Wheel of course. Then she proceeded to fill them in on their little venture to the public swimming pool.

"Bloody hell!" said Ron. "Women were flirting with the git?"

"That's kind of…um…weird," agreed Ginny.

"I would have liked to have seen him get pushed into the pool though," Harry laughed. "Serves him right for being such a jerk all these years."

"Harry, he's a good guy, even if his attitude needs some work," Hermione protested.

"But he's still a jerk. You can't deny that," said Ron.

"Hey, don't you all owe me some galleons?" Hermione asked innocently. "Ginny, Ron, didn't you bet me fifty each if I got him on a ride? And Harry…I do believe you bet a hundred on this little wager."

The other three exchanged glances.

"Can you take a rain check?" said Ron with a slight crack in his voice.

"Fine, you win," said Harry. "I don't have the money on me, but a bet is a bet."

"Yeah, that was too funny to keep your reward from you," said Ginny.

"And don't worry, I plan to get some more pictures over the summer," said Hermione mischievously. "I won't torture him more than necessary, but he can't expect us to stay in the house for the next two months. And guess what Mum and Dad got an invitation to at the end of the summer?"

"What?" asked Ginny.

Hermione grinned. "A wedding."

Ginny's jaw dropped. "Oh God. Snape at a wedding…Be careful he doesn't kill the bride…"

"You're missing the bigger picture here, Gin. A wedding means special outfits. Special outfits means shopping. At the mall."

Harry's eyes bulged this time. "Does he know about this?"

"Not yet…"

"Merlin, Hermione, that will be torture to him! You must get pictures. We want to see that."

"Hey, you know what I just thought of?" said Ginny.

"What's that?"

"Well…you will all need new clothes, won't you? Muggle clothes?"

"Yeah…"

"So Snape will have to try on suits and stuff, right?"

"Oh…I see where you're going with this…"

"Wow. Can't imagine what that will look like," said Harry. "Can't even see him in dress robes let alone a suit.

"How about we make another bet?" suggested Ginny. "A smaller one this time."

Hermione looked at her friend warily. "What kind of bet this time…?"

"You're going to a wedding. There will be dancing…"

"Oh bloody hell…" said Ron.

"Five galleons says you can't get him to dance." Ginny sat back against the couch with her arms crossed, a smug expression on her face.

"Why would she want to?" asked Harry, sporting a kind of disgusted look.

Hermione momentarily thought of Snape shirtless. She didn't say a word though.

"Hey, it's just another bet. She doesn't even have to be the one to dance with him."

"Right, like he'd ever willingly dance with anyone. He's never danced at any of the school balls," said Ron. "Not once. He always stands in the corner with the other teaches looking bored and/or annoyed."

"When doesn't he look that way?" said Harry.

"Fine. I'll take the bet," said Hermione smoothly with a shrug. The boys turned to her and Ginny grinned. "Good. Can't wait to see how all this turns out."

"Hm, let's see…with Hermione buried six feet under and her headstone saying 'I'm the idiot who provoked the greasy git of the dungeons,'" said Ron.

"He isn't going to kill her, Ron," said Ginny. "And if he does, we'll kill him, no questions asked."

"Well," said Harry, placing a hand on Hermione's shoulder. "I wish you luck. And I wish I could be there to see all this."

"Perhaps I'll get Mum to video tape it for you," she teased.

"Now that would win an Oscar for sure."

A/N: I know this one is shorter than the first one, but there's a lot more to do at a fair than at a pool. Lol And FYI, Speedos on men…they are disturbing. And gay. And…um…just ew. Haha. So that was my way of making that one girl creepy. Speedos should not exist.