91

CHAPTER NINETY ONE:

"Severus."

"Hermione," Severus replied, eyebrows raised, but his student just smiled and held out a box to him.

"Thank you for keeping an eye on us in Hogsmeade today," the girl thanked him. "It made Neville feel awkward, but I felt a lot safer for it."

Severus just continued to look at her levelly. "There were certain items I needed to purchase in the village today. However, I will bear in mind that my presence reassures you."

"Right," Hermione grinned, still holding out the box. "In that case, I saw this and thought you might like it. Won't you invite me in?"

With a slight nod and smirk Severus accepted the box and stepped aside to let Hermione enter his quarters, following her to the seating area before the fire.

"Do you make a habit of buying gifts for your teachers, Miss Granger?" he asked mildly as he took a seat, but she just snorted at him.

"Go on, open it!" she encouraged, and Severus merely raised an eyebrow at her before complying. Inside the box was a small kit for growing your own plants for use in potions – seeds, bulbs and clippings for the most frequently used plants and flowers along with a book of instructions. Severus's eyebrows rose.

"What a Slytherin present, Hermione," he said with the tiniest of smirks. "One of the few things Longbottom would have consented to buy for me, something that may lead to a greater understanding between us, and a present that I may indeed end up using. An excellent choice."

The student didn't seem pleased by his praise, though, if her frown was anything to go buy. "I didn't make Neville buy it!" she exclaimed indignantly.

"He did not offer?" Severus responded, his eyes narrowing. Hermione just waved it aside, her frown deepening.

"He did, but I told him that I do have my own money and have no intention of being financially dependent on anyone. Frankly, it's a present from me and there's no reason why he should have even offered," she pursed her lips.

Severus sighed and passed a hand over his eyes. "Hermione, I suggest you read up on Pureblood customs before venturing into a romantic relationship with a Pureblood." She opened her mouth with an affronted look but Severus's look silenced her. "On the first date the man – or boy, in this case – is obligated to cover all his date's expenses. No exceptions. If the woman pays for anything herself, she is telling him – without needing to say so – that she is not interested in a second date. To refuse your date's money on the first date is to refuse him as a romantic partner."

Hermione was staring now, and Severus shook his head slightly. "I suggest you go apologize to Longbottom, ask him to recommend a good book or two on Pureblood customs, and suggest another 'first date' for the next Hogsmeade weekend. He may have already realized that you did not know the significance of your refusal, but a sincere apology will no doubt set his mind at ease." Hermione just nodded and stood, her thoughts clearly already miles away. Severus rather thought she had the look of someone who was trying to recall something she had read, and the student was distracted enough that she left without a parting phrase. The Potions Master just watched her go with equal parts exasperation and amusement before rising to start a small indoor garden. It was fortunate that all the plants in the kit were ones that needed no natural sunlight.

OoOoO

"Members of the Wizengamot," Augusta Longbottom raised her voice at the end of the day's second trial, "I propose that we adjourn and spend time with our families tomorrow." A ragged chorus of agreement went up among the members, and the woman nodded slightly. "We have been working tirelessly to ensure law and order, but we too are mortals and need our rest. Let us meet again on Monday at 2 PM." Agreement was quickly given, and the members of the Wizengamot left appearing thankful for the reprieve.

"You, too, should take the day off, Minister," Harry heard Madam Longbottom say to Amelia as he approached. "And I do not care to hear your reasons; you do both yourself and your duty an injustice by wearing yourself down to this state. Leave the work to your subordinates for a day." The woman swept out before Amelia could formulate a reply, and Harry smiled slightly.

"Come on, let's get some lunch and follow her advice; you know she's right," he said, picking up and handing Amelia the files she had left on her table. "What would you like to have for lunch?"

Amelia looked at him blankly for a moment before sighing and accepting her files from him. "Let's go to Muggle London," she suggested, handing the files on to her assistant. "If I'm to make an attempt at relaxing I'd rather be in a place where no one will recognize me."

Harry smiled wryly. "I can understand that. Is there a particular restaurant you're thinking of?"

"I know a rather good Chinese restaurant," Amelia volunteered as they made their way out of the courtroom, her protective detail and assistant trailing behind. "Clearbanks, once you've put my papers in order and dealt with my correspondence you're free to go home," she addressed her assistant before turning to the two Aurors. "I won't need protection in Muggle London, so once you've escorted us out of the Ministry report to Kingsley."

The lift arrived, then, and Amelia's assistant stayed on the lift when they got out at the Atrium. "Thank you, gentlemen," Amelia dismissed the Aurors before she cast a Notice-me-not charm on herself and side-along apparated Harry out of the Ministry.

They reappeared in a side alley of what Harry realized must be Chinatown – at least, it looked like it – and when Amelia started glamoring her robes to look like Muggle clothing Harry called for Dobby.

"Hey Dobby," he greeted his elf, not noticing Amelia's stare. "Could you take these back to Hogwarts for me?" Stripping out of his purple Wizengamot robes, he revealed himself to be dressed in slacks and a shirt underneath. Handing the robes to Dobby, he added, "I'll be having lunch with Amelia, then returning to Hogwarts. Could you let Severus know that I'm free all of tomorrow? And let Zipky know that I'll want to have a chat with her tomorrow about how the Black Home is coming along."

"Yes, Master Harry!" Dobby beamed, then popped away with a snap.

"Alright, I'm ready," Harry turned to Amelia, pausing at her expression. "What is it?" He looked down at himself briefly, wondering whether there was a stain on his shirt or anything.

"That was quite the uniform your house elf wore," Amelia said instead, and Harry grinned.

"Isn't it? I found a wonderful tailor, and my house elves love their uniforms – they look a lot better in them than in the rags most wizards have them wear, don't they?"

Amelia cleared her throat somewhat awkwardly, and Harry realized that she must have elves as well. "Which tailor created the outfit?" she asked, starting to walk out of the alley, and Harry fell into step next to her.

"Madam Tinkleweather," he answered happily. "She's a children's tailor, actually, but when I asked Dobby about a tailor that might be willing to create clothing for house elves he mentioned that she used to tell him he needed something nicer to wear. She's been absolutely wonderful, and even hired two of my elves; they'll have been working for her for a week on… Monday, and then we'll see if they want to continue working for her. I hope that other wizards will start dressing their elves better as well; they're really dead useful… Oh!" he exclaimed suddenly, attracting the passing attention of another pedestrian. "I forgot – I have to arrange for lessons for them! I told them that they would all learn to read, write, and do basic math at the least, so I need to follow up on that. Maybe the goblins can help me find someone – or maybe some of the Hogwarts students will be interested in earning a little bit of pocket money…" He trailed off in thought and they walked on in silence, both of them considering house elves.

"But anyway," Harry interrupted their thoughts with a smile. "How are things with you? What are you working on?"

"Mostly on reorganizing and cleaning up the Ministry," Amelia sighed and stepped into a restaurant. "It's chaotic; I didn't realize how disorganized Fudge was until I got his position. Clearbanks, my assistant, is a great help, but I need to go through all his files personally and have yet to finish; he was extraordinarily corrupt, accepting bribes from nearly anyone, and I am truly relieved that I already had a reputation of being impossible to bribe. Only two people have tried to approach me so far, and they were easily discouraged." Her dark smile suggested that she had reminded them of her former position and the fact that bribes were illegal.

"A table for two," Amelia told an approaching waiter, and before long they sat down at a polished wood table in the back corner. The restaurant wasn't overly large, and there was only one other customer who looked to be nearly done his meal, so their conversation would remain private.

"There's just so much to be done," Harry's companion sighed as she dropped her head into her hands. "I can only thank the stars that I'm in a position to get it done; I shudder to think what would have happened to us had Fudge remained in office with You- Voldemort afoot." She raised her head and peered at him. "Is that what happened in your future?"

"Yes," Harry answered promptly, but his tight expression showed that he hadn't made his peace with it yet.

"Then I am more thankful to you than I could say, Harry," Amelia said wearily, leaning back in her chair with her eyes closed. "I doubt anyone else could have ended this war so decisively."

"Dumbledore could have," Harry commented, his tone cold. Their conversation was temporarily put on hold as the waiter brought them each a menu, then Harry picked it up again. "How is he?"

"Alive," Amelia opened her eyes again. "He is clearly furious, though he tries to hide it, and magic-suppressant cuffs and spells keep him powerless and confined. Skeeter has been making great progress on her book; she believes it will be ready for print on Monday, with sales beginning on Tuesday. Typically a book needs a lot more time than that, but I gave her… a great incentive to sell the book before Dumbledore's Kiss on Friday. He is appearing frailer each day, and the mediwizards believe Snape's assessment that he will die next weekend to be correct."

Harry just nodded grimly, visibly satisfied that Skeeter's book would appear in stores before Dumbledore's death. The man had already fallen far in public opinion due to his trial and the subsequent newspaper articles concerning him, but if Skeeter brought out a book even half as good as the one she had written in the former timeline, then it would put Dumbledore at rock bottom in the public's opinion.

"Do you think he'll be able to cause any trouble before his Kiss?" he asked Amelia, and she shook her head decisively.

"He is powerless and kept a close watch on at all times. No one is allowed close to him without thorough tests of their identity, nor are they allowed any items but a provided quill and parchment; currently the only people allowed close contact with the wizard are Skeeter and the Auror who doses him with Veritaserum, and both swore magical oaths when accepting their respective jobs. I don't anticipate anything going wrong with the Kiss, either – it will happen in the same way as his trial, but with extra spells separating the public and Wizengamot seats from the court floor, and the magic-suppressant cuffs will remain on as the Kiss is administered. Dumbledore's body will then be incinerated, before his ashes are vanished so that nobody may get their hands on it." Her lips twitched slightly. "Any further security concerns?"

Harry's lips twitched in response. "I suppose not," he said, turning his attention to the menu. "So, what do you recommend I try?"