A rather lengthy authors note before you read the story. (feel free to skip this though.)

Title: Away From My Window

Author: Um... ME! (Ygraine)

Rating: PG/ maybe PG 13

Summary: In response to LilyPotters Time Turner challenge. Hermione falls back in time and falls in Love with Snape. Pretty simple but fun!

Diclaimer: I don't own anything to do with this story, that belongs to Jk Rowling and Warner Brothers. The idea belongs to LilyPotter. The story title comes from the Song 'It Ain't Me Babe' written by Bob Dylan."Go away from my window. Leave at your own chosen speed. I'm not the one you want, babe. I'm not the one you need" All I did was write the fic

And some banter from me: Thanks to Janet (Passerby) who was my Beta, and Thanks to LilyPotter for the amazing idea And thanks to you for reading it! And make sure you leave a review (Link at the bottom, along with another little reminder ) This is just the prolouge, the next chapter will hopefully be up within the next day or two.

Any way, here we go!
----------------------------------------------------------


Prolouge


If caught, the consequences would be dire. The Ministry would unlikely trust any of them again. Moreover, Hermione and Professor McGonagall would most likely be put into Azkaban.

It had shocked Hermione when she had found out her teacher had kept that Time Turner Hermione had handed in to her. Telling the Ministry that Miss Granger was still using it, the Ministry hadn't enquired about it, which was surprising after Hermione didn't take the number of exams that would require a Time Turner. She guessed they must have had more important things on their minds.

McGonagall had given it to Hermione because the teacher thought that it would be useful to Hermione in the quest she, Harry, and Ron were doing. Even though McGonagall was not happy that the three of them would not tell her what exactly it was they were doing; she realised that it must be important to the cause and offered to help anyway she could. Why she had given them a Time Turner exactly, Hermione still was not sure.

No matter, she was glad that she had it now.

Hermione had returned to Hogwarts in search of a book that she knew was in Hogwarts and couldn't find another copy for the life of her. It was a risky business, returning to the school now as it had not reopened because parents were too scared to have their children away from them. If Death Eaters got in while Dumbledore was Headmaster and killed him, what was there to say that The Dark Lord himself couldn't get in! Especially since the only man he ever feared was dead. So, the wards surrounding the school fell, and it remained unprotected.

When Hermione had climbed the stairs just below the library, she was not surprised to find a small group of Death Eaters there, looking as though they had been waiting for her there. Their arms folded in that smug way before they brandished their wands at her, in an almost lazy fashion.

So, she was extremely glad that McGonagall had given her that Time Turner, as the three Death Eaters smiled maliciously at her, laughing. "Well, what a pretty thing we have here, eh?" Hermione didn't recognise the voice but didn't care. She slowly pulled the chain that was round her neck and lifted the Time Turner from behind her blouse. "What's that you got there?" the man asked. "Eh? What she got Bella?"

Hermione's eyes flickered briefly to the woman who was standing there and swallowed in fear. "Oh no you don't, Granger." she said. "Leave the Time Turner be." Hermione didn't. She had no choice; otherwise they would kill her, and she had to get away. She needed to fight another day. Needed to help Harry. "I told you to put the Time Turner down Granger!" Lestrange ordered. Was it just Hermione, or was there a faint trickle of fear in the Death Eaters normally confident voice? Or was it apprehension?

Hermione did not put the Time Turner down and commenced to turn the hour glass: a few hours back ought to do it...

When Lestrange raised her wand, mouth opening, Hermione expected the killing curse maybe to be put on her, as she deftly turned the pendant, she didn't expect Lestrange to yell "Acceleri!" in a shaky voice.

The Time Turner in Hermione’s hands suddenly spun wildly out of control. She tried to stop it, but she couldn't. The place was swirling colours that she knew was the world around her going backwards in time. Finally, after what seemed a lifetime, the Time Turner stopped and so did the colours. The pendant then smashed in her hands, cutting them painfully. She looked down and saw the splinters of glass in her fingers and sand trickling down onto the floor.

Frightened, she looked around and saw what appeared to be Hogwarts students looking at her oddly, walking up to her, asking if she was alright. A sudden wave of dizziness and sickness came over her. A dark haired boy in front of her had taken hold of her arm and was telling her to breathe. Hermione tried to wrestle free of the strangers grip, but he didn't let go. He yelled over his shoulder to another boy to go and get help as she collapsed to her knees, trying to get air into her lungs.

Where was she? Or, more importantly, when was she? That spell that Lestrange had used had drastically sped up the momentum of her Time Turner, and now it was smashed. She was stuck...

"Breathe, hun, breathe. In out, in out," the boy was saying, but Hermione couldn't follow his instructions and found her self hyperventilating even more. Her fingers hurt a lot, and there was blood all over them. Not to mention she appeared, at that moment, to be stuck in a time frame she did not know. No... she couldn't have gone that far back, she just coudn't have!

There wasn't enough air in the room. Too many people around her. They were all staring, whispering to each other. All of a sudden a commanding voice that she recognised was shouting, "Get out the way, all of you! I need to see the patient!"

"Ma'am, she just appeared from nowhere!" the boy whose hand was still on Hermione's arm said. She was suddenly grateful for the support that he was giving to her; otherwise she feared that she would fall over. Her vision was going out of focused, and she felt really rather sick.

"Yes, so I hear. Now, out of the way, Mr. Black!"

Black? No, it couldn't be; it just couldn't be! It was a common name in the muggle world... a muggleborn boy with that surname... it had to be, just had to!

But Hermione couldn't think anymore, and as the Black boy let her go, Hermione fell over, and the whole world fell into Darkness.

-------------

Please please leave a review in the feedback thread here they make my day!

Again, Thanks to my Beta Passerby!

I don't know if I've made this a bit long. I've put a break in it so you can take a break! Tell me if you think if it's a bit long

Please review

Away From My Window

-----------------------------------------

Chapter one

Hermione awoke in pain. Her hands hurt as did her head. She sat up as much as she could and looked around. She was in what looked like to be the hospital wing at Hogwarts. But that couldn't be right; Hogwarts was closed. She looked at her hands to see that they were bandaged., If she was at the hospital wing, why hadn't Madam Pomfrey just healed her wounds? None of this made sense! There was a thought in the back of her head that explained all of this; she just couldn't access it! With a frustrated sigh, she fell back on the hospital bed and wondered if there was a potion anywhere nearby that could cure the thumping headache that she currently had as she tried to understand what was going on!

"Hello," a voice sounded, and Hermione jerked her head to the doorway (which hurt quite a lot). Standing there was a dark haired boy who looked about her age. He looked very familiar, and she had a vague memory of him helping her in some way.

Then it all came back: the Time Turner, going to Hogwarts for that book, the Death Eaters. The Time Turner. The Time Turner... She was back in time. And she was stuck there. That boy, he was that Black boy that Madam Pomfrey had yelled at. Hermione saw now that it wasn't some muggleborn boy as she'd previously hoped. There was no mistake about it. This was in fact Sirius Black.

How far back had she gone? Sirius looked to be about seventeen or eighteen. Her age. This couldn't be possible. It wasn't possible for Time Turners to go back that far. What had Bellatrix done?

Hermione didn't say anything; her eyes widened, and she tried to crawl backwards as Sirius came closer to her.

"Shh. Relax. I'm not going to hurt you!" He stopped moving, and Hermione calmed down a bit, although she wasn't too sure why she was scared in the first place. She'd known Sirius. She'd known him rather well, lived in his house with him for a whole summer. But for some reason, seeing him so young was a bit too much shock for her. He smiled at her as she calmed down and spoke again, "I'm Sirius. We met on the stairs?"

She nodded but remained silent, not looking away from him.

"What's your name?" he asked her.

She shouldn't say anything. It could cause some paradox or something: the end to the world... But really. What harm could a name do? "Her...Hermione," she said in a quiet voice.

Sirius smiled. "It's a pretty name. Professor Dumbledore, the Headmaster, is just outside with Madam Pomfrey, the nurse. They're going to come and speak to you. I hope that I see you around, Hermione!" He walked out of the room, and Hermione suspected that he wasn't meant to be in there in the first place. As soon as he left ,a much younger Albus Dumbledore walked in along with a much younger Madam Pomfrey, who marched straight up to Hermione and peeled back her bandages a bit.

"Yes, yes. They're healing quite nicely. Is there any other pain?"

"Oh... um. My head is rather sore,” Hermione said, still awfully confused and scared. Madam Pomfrey went, hopefully, to get her some headache potion. Dumbledore walked up to Hermione and sat by the bed.

"May I inquire as to who you are?" he asked, looking at her over the half rimmed glasses, a smile playing on his features.

"Hermione. Hermione Granger. I... I had a Time Turner, Sir. Something went wrong. I was attacked. Now I'm here and it smashed."

Dumbldore nodded thoughtfully but didn't say anything for a while. Hermione wondered what he was thinking. "What year is it where you are from?" he asked, still wearing that thoughtful expression.

"It's 1997, Sir." She said with bated breath.

"Ah. You see, Miss Granger, that's where we have our problem. The year, at the moment, is in fact 1977."

It was like the breath had been kicked out of her. She tried to open her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Twenty years. She had gone twenty years back in time? What was she going to do? How was she going to get back? If she couldn't get back, what was she going to do in this time until she found a way? She knew that either she or Dumbledore would be able to get her back somehow.

"You are most likely wondering what is to become of you." Hermione nodded slowly, her head still very sore and Dumbledore continued, "Hmm. I think the best idea is for you to continue your schooling. You are still of Hogwarts age, aren't you?" Hermione agreed and said that she was a Gryffindor seventh year.

"Good. Now, I think the best thing for you is to be put back into Gryffindor and for you to continue learning until we can find a way to send you home. This might take a long time, I warn you. Sending people forward in time is a lot more difficult then sending them back." Hermione's face must have looked disappointed, or scared, because he smiled at her before continuing.

"Now, Miss Granger, I must tell you that we can never know anything about the future, the consequences could be too ghastly to discuss." Hermione, who already knew about the laws of Time Travel, merely nodded as Dumbldore continued with a smile. "Now, we'll give you a bit of a name change. Just the surname I think and say that you're an exchange student. Portkey accident will explain how you got here. Let's get you settled."

Hermione smiled slightly but couldn't help but think that things weren't going to go as smoothly as he seemed to think they would.

Then again. He didn't know what she did.


x


The Gryffindor common room hadn't changed much in the twenty years. There was the friendly fire crackling away merrily when she sat down on the window seat as she was bombarded with questions about herself: Why had she come to Hogwarts, why had the Portkey had gone drastically wrong, why had she fainted...?

Professor McGonagall, who was the only one save Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey who knew about Hermione’s predicament, had introduced her as Hermione Gardener; something simple, Dumbledore said, something that would still turn her head if she forgot. The reason why she was at Hogwarts was because her parents had had to move to the Americas, and now she had to board.

Sirius seemed to be acting as her personal chaperone as later in the evening he dragged her round the common room introducing her to everyone. His hand held onto hers tightly, which caused her to receive some nasty glares from a few girls.

"And this, Hermione, is Lily Evans, James' girlfriend."

The red headed girl closed the book that she had been reading sharply with a pleasant sounding snap and looked at Sirius with bright green eyes that Hermione recognised immediately as Harry's eyes. This was Harry's mother! Hermione inhaled a sharp breath, which thankfully went unnoticed by the others. She knew she shouldn't be surprised. She had already met James, why was Lily so different?

She quickly told herself it was because Harry rarely mentioned her and the few times he did, he spoke of her as though she was a Goddess.

"So," Lily said sharply. "All I am is James' girlfriend. I'll have you know, I have a lot more to offer."

Sirius gave a bark like laugh and scanned Lily up and down. "I'm sure you do."

Lily's eyes widened and then narrowed again, a look of disgust worn upon her face. Hermione didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so she merely bit her lip and tried her utmost to look invisible. Lily then turned to Hermione. "Welcome to Hogwarts, Hermione. I hope you like it here," she said with a smile, trying to look as though she wasn't annoyed at Sirius. "I'll see you in the dormitory." And then Lily stormed out through the portrait hole of Gryffindor tower.

"To the Library most likely," Sirius said with a satisfied smirk. "James is going to kill me when he finds out what I said . . . but her face!" He laughed again, and Hermione couldn't help but laugh along with him. He pulled her along some more. "Come on. I'll introduce you to everyone else."


The next morning, Hermione had found a trunk and a pile of Hogwarts’ uniforms and supplies, as well as a few spare items of clothing, with a note from Professor McGonagall saying that she would buy some more items over the weekend. Lily took her down to breakfast where Sirius sat next to her with a cheery 'Good Morning!' while leaning over to get some toast. Scaring some poor first year whom Sirius had nearly sat upon. Sirius merely glared at the big brown, terrified eyes staring back up at him. "Well, move then!" At that moment, Professor McGonagall walked over and gave Hermione her time table, also giving Sirius a bit of a telling off for sitting on people.

"Oh!" Hermione said. "I have Potions first thing. Um, where's that?"

"Huh," Sirius laughed. "No luck!"

Lily smiled fondly at her, ignoring Sirius' comment. "I'll take you. I have potions first thing, too. The teacher, Professor Slughorn, is really nice."

"That may be!" Sirius said around a mouthful of what Hermione could only guess was sausage "But you have to deal with Snivillus in your class."

Hermione feigned ignorance; she could only guess that Sirius was talking about Snape. "Who's that?"

Lily sighed and hit Sirius lightly on the arm before turning to Hermione. "His real name is Severus Snape. He's a Slytherin and very good at potions. His social skills just aren't very developed."

Sirius leaned over Lily and pointed his thumb at her. "He fancies her."

"No he does not!" Lily yelled shrilly, which made both Hermione and Sirius jump, even turning a few heads. Lily composed herself and smoothed her hair and skirt out unnecessarily. "Come on, Hermione, let's go." Lily got up quickly, grabbed her bag, and walked out again, stopping only to give James a swift kiss and say hello. Hermione waved goodbye to Sirius, who smiled sadly, and she followed her new found friend.

Slughorn was just as Hermione remembered him. Like all of the other teachers she had met, he was a lot younger. "Ah yes!" He bellowed when Lily introduced Hermione to him. "Dumbledore told me about you! The new girl! Well, well, Miss Gardener. Take a seat, and we'll see what you're made of!"

They were told to make some Draught of theLliving Death, which Hermione had done before back in her sixth year. She was out of practise with potion brewing since with the lack of the Hogwarts’ labs and ingredients. She had found it a bit more difficult to stay on top of it. So she followed the instructions carefully rereading every paragraph. However, she couldn't help but remember the first day of NEWT potions when they were told to make it then (Slughorn’s lesson plan must have changed between now and then.) She though about the extra added clockwise stir Harry had spoken of. Even though Hermione was against Harry using that book as a crutch, there was no doubt that it made Harry brilliant at potions. Really... there couldn't be any harm in the matter.

So taking a deep breath Hermione added an extra clockwise stir. She couldn't remember the exact number that Harry had instructed but kept it regular all the same. Soon the potion was the desired lilac colour; a vast improvement from her last attempt. Lily leaned over and gave a huge smile and a thumbs up. Hermione beamed proudly to herself.

Slughorn was walking around the class giving them praise or constructive criticism. He stopped when he reached Hermione. "Ahoy! What have we here! Brilliant first attempt, Miss Gardener. Well done! Did you help her at all, Lily?"

"No, Sir!" Lily said proudly, still smiling at Hermione. She noticed that Lily's was also the same shade as Hermione's. Did Lily know about the clockwise stir as well?

"Well, Miss Gardener. We have a small potions study group here at Hogwarts. I would love you to join. Make sure she comes, Lily."

"I will, sir." And then he walked away to mark everyone else’s potions.

"A study group?" Hermione asked Lily.

"Yes. It's small. Just the four of us now: you, me, a Ravenclaw boy, Howard Goldstein, and Severus Snape. Oh, he's over there." Lily pointed at the dark haired Slytherin who was leaning over a book. He looked up, however, when he felt eyes fall on him.

For the first time in Hermione's life, he wasn't glaring at her.

-----------------------------------

Please, please, please leave a review
here I'll love ya forever

Thanks for all your kind reviews Emily, I'm so glad that you like it and that is ironic that you too had also thought Sirius should be the one to find her, because as i was writing it the idea just struck me! It was like it was writing itself for those few sentences... And how long is it going to be? Until the plot bunny dies Emily! It should be for a fair few chapters yet, don't worry.

This chapter was a pain to write trying to get all the characterisations right! Yes, Laurette, we'll finally see my beloved Remus!

Oh, and is it obvious that I was a new kid?

Oh, and again, Thanks for Passerby (Janet) for Betaing it, means a lot.

And that's enough banter from me.

------------------------------------------------

Chapter 2

For as long as she could remember, Hermione had always had problems settling in. When she was five years old her parents had to invite half her class round to her house just so Hermione could make some friends. And even then, she had only had one friend throughout primary school. The two of them, however, had drifted apart after Hermione’s second year at Hogwarts.

When she had started there, if it weren’t for that mountain troll Hermione might have never made friends with Harry and Ron. Ron himself had hated Hermione’s company for the first two months at Hogwarts. He had said it frequently enough.

So when the seventh years of 1977 flocked around her and asked her questions and, moreover, genuinely seemed to like her, Hermione began to think there was something wrong.

Hermione had always had this image of the ‘new girl.’ Uniform new and crisp, standing alone in the playground and even though Hermione had never been the new girl; until now, she had seen enough during her primary school years to know that this sense of security would not last long.

She made a pact to herself there and then, as she sat alone in the common room, that she would never come off as weird, and she would do her utmost to stay friends with the people she had met. She needed to. When she got back, Harry would ask her questions about his parents and about Sirius. He would want to know all about them, surely? But what would he say when she got back if she didn’t change the past? What would he say, what would he think? Hermione was under orders from Dumbledore not to tell anyone about their future; not to do anything that could change it. She didn’t put it past the Headmaster to know that she was changing it in someway.

No. Hermione told herself firmly. Harry would understand! He wouldn’t like it, of course he wouldn’t like it, but he would understand. He was just that kind of person.

“He shouldn’t have to though,” Hermione muttered darkly to herself while opening her book on potions again, thinking it was best to study before she had to attend that group.

“Pardon?” A voice asked from the dark, making Hermione jump. The person, however, came out from the shadows and looked at her with concerned eyes. He had light brown hair which fell slightly into his eyes and a slight pink tinge to his skin.

“Oh, hi!” Hermione called, breathing a sigh of relief. “It’s Remus, isn’t it?” She asked, feigning confusion. He nodded once. “What are you doing down here so late?”

“I could ask you the same question,” he said smiling slightly, putting his hands in his pockets. His tie was askew, his shirt was un-tucked, and his charcoal grey trousers were slightly creased. It was not how Hermione imagined a young Remus Lupin.

“I have to catch up, I’m a bit behind.” she said smiling as Remus walked up to her and lifted the book she was reading.

“Potions? I heard from Lily that you brewed a perfect potion yesterday morning.”

“Yes,” she said slowly. “And now I have to go to a study group, and I know I’ll be behind everyone else, especially Snape because he’s one of the best potion brewers in the country!” She said all this very fast, panic in her voice.

Remus sat down opposite her and furrowed his eyebrows as though trying to figure out a complex problem. “One of the best in the country?” Remus repeated. “Why, who told you that? Snape is a student still.”

Hermione cursed mentally. “Lily told me,” she said quickly, Remus nodded but still didn’t seem convinced. “And I might have been exaggerating slightly.” She laughed.

“Ah!” Remus said, understanding, “let me guess. At your old school you were the best at potions and quite a few other subjects. Now you see competition, and you’re panicking.” Hermione said nothing, not knowing if she should complement his analytical skill or be offended at what he just said.

He gave a small laugh and leaned across the table smiling. “I doubt you have anything to worry about. I don’t think even Snape brewed Draught of the Living Death perfectly first time. Plus, you have other things to offer as well.” He leaned back and stood up from his chair, pushing it back in. “You should hear Sirius go on about you in the dormitory.” His smiled seemed genuine, but there was something in his voice that Hermione couldn’t quite put a name too. It was almost jealousy but humour as well…

Hermione didn’t know what to say to that, so she just smiled and went back to her book, tucking her hair behind her ears. She could feel her cheeks redden slightly but did her best to ignore it.

“It was nice to talk to you properly, Hermione.” Remus said as he walked back up to the dorm, leaving Hermione alone once more and somewhat un-nerved by the conversation she had just had.

X

The study group was a lot different than any study group Hermione had ever attended. They all sat around one large work bench, which Hermione swore wasn’t there when she had attended the class the day before. Next to Slughorn’s desk, there was a small table with tea and coffee and, for some reason, custard creams which struck Hermione as odd as it was a muggle biscuit.

Slughorn told them that there would be no brewing in this ‘class’ due to lack of time, but instead they were to work in pairs to try to identify a potion that was sitting in the middle of the bench next to a few of the ingredients used . “Identifying a potion,” he said, “is almost as important as brewing one! A fat lot of good it’ll be when you don’t know the potions you’ll come across in the field!” He laughed to himself as he sat at his desk in front of them all.

Lily had turned to Howard Goldstein rather quickly after giving Hermione a small apologetic smile, which left Hermione with Snape. She gave a little sigh, tucked her hair behind her ears, and peered into the potion. It was a sickly green colour which made Hermione grimace slightly as she leaned back in her stool.

She reached down to get her textbook for reference, but all she had was Advanced Potion Making, which Hermione didn’t think would be very useful in this class. The others seemed to have far more advanced books. She bit her lip and thought briefly of asking Slughorn if there was a book that she could borrow until she could get one of her own. However, to her utter astonishment, Snape opened one of his own books and put it in the middle of the bench so they both could read; he then leaned over slightly and started to read a paragraph.

It took a while for Hermione to take in this simple act; and she kept telling herself over and over again that this was, in fact, Snape because for a moment she thought herself mistaken.

She reached over the desk and took hold of a sprig of a dark green plant with little purple flowers on it. She smiled knowingly to herself as she recognised it immediately as flux weed, which had been one of the ingredients in the Polyjuice potion. Sitting back down she bowed her head to meet Snape’s. “Whatever it is,” she said, “it changes your appearance. It has flux weed in it.”

Snape looked up and inspected the little plant for himself. “Hmm, you’re right,” he said darkly, frowning slightly. He twirled the sprig delicately in his hands, still frowning at it as though it held too many secrets.

He has nice hands… Hermione caught herself thinking as she watched him. She cut herself off however and vowed that she would never think of Snape in that way again!

But he does have awfully nice hands, she thought again as he now picked up his quill and scribbled something down. She tried not to feel too disgusted with herself for thinking that any part of Snape was even remotely aesthetically pleasing as she also wrote down what they had learned. Snape meanwhile flicked to the appropriate part of the book and laid it back down again so that Hermione could see it.

“Thanks,” she muttered, smiling slightly. “Do you reckon that the last ingredient changed the colour of the potion?”

Snape turned his head sharply to hers, and Hermione had to stop herself from flinching from the glare that she knew she was going to receive. But he didn’t glare at her. Instead his eyes, like pools of obsidian, looked generally interested. “What makes you think that?” he asked her, albeit sharply. Was it just her, or was a there a small hint of admiration in his voice?

“It’s just the colour…” she paused, “I don’t know, just a hunch.” She expected him not to take her thought seriously, to wave it off as unscientific.

“Let’s see what we have then, flux weed to change the appearance, and you think that the potion would change colour after the last ingredient is added.” He raised himself up and had a look at a couple more of the ingredients. “Caterpillars,” he said thoughtfully. “Often used in shrinking potions.”

He sat back down again and appeared to be pondering; his eyes remained unfocused, the blackness within them swirling… You could drown in those eyes, Hermione thought to herself. No! She wasn’t going to think of Snape in that way at all.

You appear to have forgotten Missy. A stern voice in her had remarked That this boy you are besotted over killed Dumbledore!

Yes, but why? She found her self thinking, shocked that the reminder of Dumbledore’s murder hadn’t abhorred her at all.

Snape’s face lit up suddenly like a small boys as he found the answer to their task, distracting her from her thoughts. “It is Elixir di Gioventù!” he exclaimed. “The youth potion?” He added at Hermione’s apparent confusion “It makes the drinker youthful again for one hour.”

Hermione nodded, smiling and trying to look as though she was glad that they appeared to have won their little task. Slughorn congratulated them both, and they left the classroom, Hermione’s thoughts still in turmoil.

“I will see you next week,” Snape said as they closed Slughorn’s door. His voice was still cold, Hermione noted but for some reason it didn’t fill her with the dread she had always felt before.

“Yes,” she said vaguely.

Snape stood there in silence, looking rather awkward. He looked as though he was about to say something, his black eyes almost drilling into her. “I’ll probably bump into you in the library at some point though,” he muttered darkly as he pushed right past her and stalked off towards the Slytherin dungeons.

It wasn’t until Hermione was almost in the Gryffindor common room that she realised that Snape had offered to see her again voluntarily.

It was at that moment Hermione decided that she was going to use her time with Snape to find out why he had killed Dumbledore.

---------------------------------------------

Remember to leave a review here! thank you!

Hello all! Sorry about the delay, been a bit busy

Thanks everyone for your reviews, they make me so happy! Darcy, yeah I have a few fics going, lol.

Golden Phoenix, yeah, I found that funny myself. It's something you notice though!

Lozza, glad that you're enjoying it. I love Time Travel fics, but this is the first one i've attempted.

Emily, I'm so happy you like it!

As Normal, a big thanks to Passerby (Janet) And to LilyPotter for the plot bunny. And thanks to every one who has taken the time to read, and an extra love to those who reviewed

We meet Peter in this chapter...

EDIT: For some reason, copy and paste didn't get the last hundred words or so, but it's back now

Chapter 3


He was sitting in front of her. Severus Snape had purposefully placed himself in front of her. He hadn’t raised his head or spoken to her at all or, in fact, registered her presence in any way; but there he was, sitting reading a book about potions.

Hermione didn’t really have any idea how to deal with the situation because it was a difficult one to be in. She began to wonder why Snape had so publicly disliked her in his classes. Was it something she had done; or would do? Or did he not know who she was in the future, and his behaviour towards her at the moment was pure coincidence, and her imagination was over acting?

Sighing to herself, she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and leant her head on the heel of her hand, reading the book in front of her. But the words just swam before her eyes. There was no point; she couldn’t concentrate. Instead she thought more about the boy in front of her and her feelings towards him.

There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that the Severus Snape from her own time was a horrid man who had killed Dumbledore and betrayed the Order. However, there seemed so little evidence as to why! Whenever Hermione asked anyone, the only response she got was that Snape was obviously working for Voldemort the entire time.

It didn’t make sense, according to Hermione, especially now when he had been nothing but civil, if not friendly to her. The question why floated around her head until it almost deafened her. She put a hand to her head as a slight headache was forming behind her eyes.

And what now? What did she feel towards him now? He wasn’t a handsome boy, nor particularly nice, so why did she feel so drawn to him? She couldn’t really say that she was attracted to him but there was no doubt that she wanted to know more about him and about why he would do the terrible crime that he did. And if that meant taking advantage of any benefits there were with her being where she was, she was in no position to refuse them.

She had been at Hogwarts-past nearing a month now, and there had been potion study groups twice a week. Every time, Snape would partner himself with her. He would help her with the things that she was struggling with, and they would work together in harmony. He even smiled at her once. A genuine smile; something Hermione had never seen before. The corners of her lips twitched slightly at the memory of it.

"Hello, beautiful,” a voice said. Hermione jumped out of her thoughts and looked up to see Sirius coming to sit next to her. He gave her a long hug, and she could smell his hair and the faint lingering scent of shampoo and cologne. He let her go and looked at Snape, who was glaring viciously, and his hand balled into such a tight fist that Hermione feared the quill he was holding would break. “What are you doing, Hermione?” Sirius asked again, leaning over her to pick up the book she had been attempting to read. “Defence? Impressive,” he said, his hand touching hers as their eyes met. A suggestive smile played on his lips

Sirius’ behaviour was extremely odd, and Hermione wondered why on earth he would be acting so openly… she didn’t even want to think what he was doing, because flirting with her would have been an understatement. “You’re not going to study for much longer are you, ‘Mione? Come spend some time with me?”

He looked like a lost puppy, his ice blue eyes, big and wide, hair falling into them in such a graceful manner… She risked a small glance at Snape who was looking at Sirius in utter disgust, and then Hermione understood. Was Sirius trying to make Snape jealous? Why would Sirius want to do that? What was Sirius so afraid of?

“Please? ‘Mione?” he asked, tucking her hair behind her ears and playing with it gentley in his fingers. Could hair feel? Because it was almost as though she could feel his touch through the fine strands.

“Er… no Sirius. I’m going to lie down. I have a headache. I’ll speak to you later on.” She picked up her books and parchment and rose from her chair, smiling slightly at Sirius, extremely disturbed by his actions.

“That’s what you women always say,” Sirius told her in a let down voice and began to get up from his seat as well. He smiled at her and walked towards the fiction section of the library. Hermione fled as quickly as possible.

That… that was wrong, she told her self firmly. It was Harry’s, her best friend’s, Godfather. The man shouldn’t have been acting like that. But Sirius in this time wasn’t a man, nor a godfather, he was a seventeen year old boy who was trying very hard, and succeeding, to make another boy jealous.

Why though? Did Sirius have interests in her in that way?

No, she told herself firmly. Methinks that you are getting a little too big for your boots, Missy. Sirius was merely joking, making Severus angry. Yes, that was it. Sirius would tell her once she got back to the common room that it was a joke and Hermione was meant to play along with his little game and act accordingly.

Yes, that must be what it was. Sirius hadn't said a word to Snape, doing the very rare thing of almost ignoring the Slytherin completely; taunting him in a different way. It was still wrong, she told her self firmly, but it made her feel a lot better when she realised that that was all it was. Smiling to herself, her heart a lot lighter than it was a mere five minutes ago, she made her way back to Gryffindor tower. She was about to push back the tapestry when she heard hushed voices in a heated discussion.

"... Just your imagination!"

"It's not! I swear to you Remus, there's something wrong with that girl."

Remus scoffed, "really Peter I think you ought to think about what you're saying. She's just an exchange student."

"But... but..." Peter tried. "She never speaks to me, and Sirius is obsessed with her! It's not fair!" He seemed to be a bit put out by this, even jealous maybe?

It was true that Hermione did her best to ignore Peter as best she could. She had trouble speaking to a boy who as a man would betray his best friends. Hermione didn't particularly want to associate herself with someone who could do such a thing.

"Yes..." Remus said slowly, "but you should speak to her. She seems shy. Speak to her, and she'll talk to you. She's a nice girl."

Hermione smiled, and the stress that she was feeling lifted slightly. Remus liked her; it was great relief.

"Okay..." Pete said unconvincingly, "but I doubt I'll like her! I miss the old times, when it was just the four of us." He said, sounding as though he was pouting.

Remus laughed. "Wormtail, she's only been here a month!"

"Yes but... I wish she hadn't come."

"Times change, Peter. Come on, we're meeting Sirius and James in the kitchens."

Hermione held her breath and prepared to be spotted, but to her great relief, they didn't come through that way and must have gone to the kitchens via a passageway. She stayed where she was for a few minutes, replaying the conversation in her head. Peter was not happy about her arrival in 1977, and that worried Hermione. Was it her that made Peter join Voldemort? No, surely not. He would get over whatever little vendetta he appeared to have against anything new, and when he spoke to her she would be nothing but nice.

But...

What if it had been her? She couldn't change the future. If she were to be nice to Wormtail he wouldn't betray the Potters, and they'd live. Voldemort wouldn't have been thwarted, and therefore how many more people would die as a consequence?

It was with a heavy heart did Hermione walk along the corridors up to Gryffindor tower.

What she didn't see was Sirius Black looking at her with complete contentment.
----------------------------------------

Thanks again! And please please leave a review in the feed back thread here

A big Thanks to everyone who reviewed I'm glad that you liked Peter, or disliked him... you know what I mean. I'm normally guilty for just cutting him out of stories as i don't like to write him, but this storyline gave me the excuse as to why he went evil on a platter basically. Mwhaha

Again, Thanks to Emily (LilyPotter) for the idea and Janet (Passerby) for the betaing.

I hope that you all enjoy this chapter, ad sorry for the delay

Chapter 4

Hermione was meeting with too many people. First, there was Sirius in Hogsmeade. Why she had to meet him personally, she didn't know and wasn't all that keen to find out either. Sirius was normally one for large audiences of the female variety, so this one to one meeting unnerved her some what. Then, the evening after the first Hogmeade visit of the year, she was going to meet Severus in the library after curfew. Again, she didn't know why.

So she sat in Hogsmeade on a bench, sighing to herself. She looked up and squinted her eyes at the image before her. About twenty feet in front of her was Sirius, walking her way. But walking wasn't the right word for it. Strutting was much more like it. He was taking long strides, smirking to the girls who he had to know were watching him; maybe giving one the odd sideways glance and a small gesture of recognition. It was almost, for Hermione, like watching it in slow motion; the way his arms swung, making his whole body move perfectly - in such arrogance. Normally that demeanor would put Hermione off completely, part of the reason why she was so friendly with Harry. He had done so much to warrant an arrogant attitude and yet didn't have one.

However, with the person currently swaggering his way towards her, she wasn't entirely sure what she thought anymore. He saw her and gave her the biggest of smiles she had ever seen from him and held his arms out, obviously about to embrace her, and Hermione went weak.

No! She was not developing feelings for Harry's dead Godfather!

Dead...

Suddenly the thought that she had been trying to repress for a month hit her at full force. Sirius was dead in her time, to be killed in less than twenty years from when she was now. Lily and James to be killed in less than five. It was a horrible thought. These people were going to die, and there was nothing that she was allowed to do! Nothing!

Sirius obviously noticed a sudden change in her facial expression because his brows knitted together, and he stroked her shoulders lightly. "Hey, 'Mione, what's wrong?" She shook her head and wiped away the tears she knew were threatening to fall. "There must be something wrong. You can tell me, eh?"

Hermione sniffed. "I'm just a bit homesick, Sirius," she quickly lied.

He gave her a sympathetic smile. "It must be hard. But you have us lot now." He jabbed her playfully on the arm. "And you're not getting rid of me that easily."

Hermione smiled despite her inner turmoil, thinking about how easily he was going to leave her and Harry in the end... "Thanks. Sorry, I just miss... someone really badly." Well, it wasn't a complete lie. In fact, it was mostly the truth, and that scared her slightly. No, she told herself firmly, she was more likely to be going out with Severus Snape than Sirius Black.

Which made her think. What were her thoughts on Snape? He definitely was a mystery, that much was true, and that appealed to Hermione quite a lot. However the idea of having a relationship with Snape, other than the poor student teacher one she had in her time, made her cringe inwardly. But whether it was a good cringe or a bad one, Hermione didn't know...

"What was it you wanted to ask me, Sirius?" she asked trying to distract herself from her thoughts.

"Oh, it's about Snape..."

Oh... Hermione thought..."What about him?"

"He's... no good. I'm merely saying this out of concern for a friend."

She smiled playfully. "And has nothing to do with that little stunt you pulled in the library the other day?"

"Well..." Sirius said, giving her a lopsided grin, "you have to admit that that was pretty funny."

"No," she said, refusing to return his smile. "It was cruel."

"Only cruel because he has a crush on a girl that he has no chance with!" Sirius laughed, standing up and pulling her up with him, saying that it was time to go and join James and the others.

Hermione was left thinking about how wrong Sirius was.

-x-



Sirius Black was a mystery to Severus Snape. No, Sirius Black actually made perfect sense. He was one of life’s certainties. Yes, to the untrained eye his actions regarding Hermione Gardener were... odd. Sirius Black was a serial womanizer; girls flocked to him, believing that they were the one who was going to tame the 'beast' that was Sirius Black. No matter how hard they tried, no matter how beautiful they were; he always left them crumpled, crying, and broken.

Severus was not going to let that happen to Hermione, especially as Black had no real interest in her. He was merely trying to hurt Severus, and she was the tool. He looked over to them. She was sitting on a bench crying, and Severus wanted to go and comfort her. Instead it was Black, and Severus felt a surge of utter hatred towards the boy, vowing for the hundredth time, his revenge. It was not right for Hermione to be treated this way. She was attracted to Black, all girls were. Black would have her, and she would not refuse. After a while, Hermione would just be another one of Sirius Black's unwanted cast offs.

He watched them as Sirius led Hermione down the path. He looked to where Severus was hiding behind a tree; their eyes locked, and Black smirked and put his arm around Hermione to whisper something in her ear, making it look almost like they were kissing. Hermione's eyes closed briefly, but she opened them again and shook herself out of whatever it was she had been feeling.

Severus' lips twitched upwards. Maybe Hermione wasn't a complete slave to Black’s charms. She was a very smart girl, Hermione, part of the reason why Severus... admired her so. She was free thinking and spirited, beautiful and a complete mystery. She said, as did the teachers, that she was exchange student. This she may be, but Severus believed that there was a lot more about her that she was not saying. The way she looked at him and others as though she already knew the person inside out. How she seemed to know her way around Hogwarts so quickly, and the way that she eyed Pettigrew with the utmost distaste and…fear almost.

Yes, Severus hated the 'marauders' with passion, but Pettigrew seemed the most pitiful, the most harmless. He would never think that Pettigrew was someone Hermione should be fearful of, and as she was bosom friends with the others and Evans, it seemed strange that she should think of Pettigrew in that way.

Black and Hermione were walking into the Three Broomsticks. Severus followed them, making sure that he was hidden within the crowd. He was good at that; a survival trait that he had inherited from his mother. They were sitting at the bar, Sirius' hand resting on the small of Hermione's back as they ordered. Sirius pulled her closer to him, and she put an arm round his waist.

A glass exploded.

It was an empty pint sized glass at an empty table. The noise of the pub meant that no one noticed but Severus and a couple of others. It did not distract Hermione or Black to Severus' relief. It angered him that she would return affection towards Black in any way. He was a pitiful excuse for a man, did she not realize that? No, she must. She was an intelligent young woman; she must know.

Severus' eyes went back to where they were still seated at the bar, taking sips of their drinks. Lupin and Potter come to meet them, as well as Pettigrew, showing Black all their idiotic money wasting tricks that they have purchased from that Zonko’s. To Severus' joy, Hermione seemed to think of these tricks in the same light that he did, her face becoming almost that of a mother telling a child off for having wasted money.

Black laughed. He pulled Hermione closer to him and kissed her hair, smiled, and continued to laugh while talking to his friends.

Severus turned and left. He couldn’t watch anymore. He left the Three Broomsticks, left Hogsmeade, and walked up the path that led to Hogwarts. He walked up to the library and sat down, opened up some books, and waited.

Waited for Hermione to walk through the door.

-x-

She walked into the library; empty save for Severus sitting on one of the desks. He didn’t look like he was working, as he was leaning back, quill in hand. He appeared to be in inner turmoil. He looked up at her and then turned to look back to the desk. He sighed deeply.

“Do you care to explain what that was about?” he asked in a slow cold voice.

“What?” Hermione asked.

“You and… Black!” he spat.

Hermione furrowed her eyebrows and rested her hand on the back on a chair in a would-be calm fashion before resting her weight on it. “We’re just friends,” she said, shrugging slightly.

“Right,” Severus said slowly taking in a deep breath. “Because friends do what the two of you were doing.” He gave out a small bitter laugh. “I should have known.”

Hermione opened her mouth is disgust. “Would you care to explain?” she asked.

Snape stood up quickly. “Black,” he said. “Every one loves him, idolises him. Why should I think you to be any different?”

She folded her arms and sighed angrily, not knowing what she was going to do about the situation. What was he saying? What did he mean? “Well,” she said, turning her head to the side. “You’re wrong. Sirius isn’t my type. It’s not like he’s interested anyway,” she told him lamely.

Snape scoffed. “Really,” he muttered. “You’re so blind to the way he acts around you.” Hermione tilted her head to the side, not wanting to hear what he had to say even though inside she knew it was true. He continued with what he was saying, “Yes, normally he shows off, but with you. . .” Snape took a deep breath. “You, he treats like gold compared to all the other women he’s had on his arm. It’s obvious that he’s completely infatuated with you,” he spat out bitterly, voice full of jealousy and his eyes not meeting hers.

Smiling apologetically, she walked over and stoked his arm lightly. He took her hand tightly in his so she couldn’t withdraw it. “Don’t lie to me,” he muttered darkly.

“I’m not. We’re just friends, Sirius and I,” she said. “But… Severus, why does it matter?” She asked him, voice slightly pleading.

His face turned sharply, his black eyes drilling into hers. “Because it does! It’s Black! He doesn’t deserve you.” Hermione furrowed her eyebrows and tried to struggle from him, but Snape’s grip was too strong as he carried on speaking, “He’ll love you and leave you; it’s his style. Always been his style,” he added darkly.

“Severus, please…” Hermione pleaded quietly.

He pivoted quickly and took her other arm. “If you fraternise with him Hermione, you’ll just be another one of Sirius Black’s cast offs. Yes, maybe he’ll be with you longer than the others, but it’s always the same, Hermione, always. It’s inevitable.”

“Severus, I don’t intend to…” she tried to say, but Severus wasn’t listening and cut her off.

“However if you … On the other hand…. If you….” He seemed angry with himself that he couldn’t get the last words out as he snarled.

“If I what?” she asked, “Severus, if I what?”

He didn’t say anything, however, he’s wide eyes scanned her up and down a few times but then lingered on his lips. “If you…” Then he seemed to give up using words. He ducked his head low, and before Hermione could register what was going on, his lips were on hers.

Mwhahaha.....

Ahem... anyway, as normal, please review here

I think an explanation is in order here... Yeah... Some of you may already know, but my computer broke. It was broken for a good four maybe even five months. In fact it's only recently been fixed. So hence the ridiculously long wait for this chapter.

But I would like to thank every one. All of you for being so paitent with me. And yeah, it's finally done... finally! Although it is a lot shorter than I wanted it to be. I was wanting to give you an amazing chapter to apologise but i couldn't give that... sorry... so this will have to do instead

A big thanks to Janet (Passerby) for correcting my comma relationship up.

Thanks to you all for reviewing over the past few months, each one was a prod in the small of my back reminding me it needed to be done. Without them, I probably would have left it, so thank you!!

Love to you all! xxx

---------------------------------------

Chapter five


She shouldn't be doing this.... she knew that of course, however she just couldn't seem to stop. It was almost as though she was floating away, leaving the calculated Hermione behind. She could almost see her out of the corner of her eye, studying hard - on her own. She quickly decided that she liked this new, impulsive Hermione a lot better. Snape's hands were around her waist, not tightly; but enough that she found that she didn't want to leave his grip, so instead she replied to the kiss that he was so tenderly giving.

After what seemed a lifetime but couldn't have been longer than a minute they parted. He didn't say anything; neither did Hermione. It was a very awkward silence; worse than any she'd been in before, even when she and Ron were having 'private talks.'

Oh Ron...

She gasped, her eyes almost filling up with tears. She turned away refusing to cry in front of Severus. Ron: was he missing her? Had he even realised that she was gone? She had loved him for longer than she remembered, but he never did anything. Friendship had always been in the way, both too scared to jeopardize the precious thing they already had. Yet, here was Snape touching her arm so lightly, so comforting; doing things that Ron had never even dared! Snape of all people the last person she ever thought to fall for her...

"I'm sorry." The apology snapped Hermione from her thoughts, and she whipped her head round to see Snape standing there, eyes full of hurt and remorse and something that Hermione couldn't put her finger on. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that. Please, just forget it happened."

"No," Hermoine found herself saying, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have reacted the way I did. Please don't be sorry." She gave a small smile but let it fall. "I don't want to forget it," she added quietly, half hoping that Snape hadn't heard it. She bit her lip, and Snape looked up at her, his eyes wide with hope and wonder. He said nothing, however Hermione slowly walked up to him, tucking her hair behind her ears, stood on her tip toes, and softly pressed her lips on his. They parted taking her in, and she heard a sigh escape him as his arms found their way around her once more.

A large part of her brain told her to end it again; told herself that he was her future professor; that he killed Dumbledore, but she didn't care. It was a strange emotion; it was almost as though one thought was winning against all the little ones. It was something that Hermione had never felt before. Normally she thought an action through a hundred times. She was far from impulsive. She quickly shoved the old Hermione from her brain and embraced the new one.

She chose to indulge this time.

It was nice to indulge.

~X~

Two weeks later she found herself sitting in the Headmaster's office, holding her head up high as she tried not to let him see how upset she was. "I'm afraid, Hermione, there may not be a way to send you back, not one that I have found yet. Not one that is safe and reliable at least."

She blinked. "What do you mean by that, Professor?"

Dumbledore gave a sigh and looked over his glasses at her, crossing his hands on the table. "There might be a way, a potion... however it's random."

"Random?"

"It might only send you ten years into our future, or perhaps fifty. There would be virtually no way to pinpoint the date of where you went." He paused, obviously seeing the hope in her face still. There might be a way back! She had to get back; she just had to!

However, did she really want to? She knew that she had to get back to the fight - had to help Harry. But in the past, there was Severus.

Severus is in your time, too . . .

Yes, but not the same one. Not the same one at all... in fact she doubted that if she went home she would seek him out, let Harry do that. Her Severus and Harry's Snape (it's what she started to call them) were two different people. Her Severus was kind and gentle to her at least, however Harry's Snape was cruel, heartless... a murderer. She gave a shiver that luckily went unnoticed by Dumbledore.

"I have to tell you, Miss Granger, that there is little hope of you getting back..."

"But this potion, couldn't it be customised so that it would help? Remedied at all?"

Dumbledore inclined his head a little to the left, "Perhaps..." he murmured, and Hermione felt the smallest bit of hope rise in her chest, eyes going wide. ”But it's unlikely. My suggestion is to get settled here, study hard, find a career. If there are any improvements, I shall of course let you know."

Hermione nodded, still holding her head high and fighting against the tears that were beginning to brim her eyes. She determined that they were not going to fall. "I can't tell my friends..."

"No, Hermione, that is still out the question."

"But..."

"There are no buts, it's final." A lone tear fell down her cheek. She wiped it away, hoping that Dumbledore hadn't noticed, however he obviously had as his expression softened, became more sympathetic. "I am sorry, Hermione, it must be awful to keep all these secrets. It's for the best, as there would be far too many questions and demands to know... People find it hard not to ask about their future when they find somebody who knows it. You'll then be more inclined to change it."

With a deep breath she nodded and stood up, bidding the headmaster farewell. She left the office. She made her way to the Room of Requirement (something Hermione had told Severus about with a heavy heart, after having 'accidentally' discovered it) where she was to meet Severus. She found him sitting behind a piano, reading a book with a dark green leather binding. He looked up at her approach, and the book snapped shut.

"Evening," he greeted as she walked over to sit on the piano stool next to him, placing a kiss on his cheek. "What did Dumbledore want to see you about?" he asked.

Hermione gave a small shrug and leant her head on Severus' shoulder, "Nothing much, wanted to make sure that I was settling."

He paused. "I see," he said simply.

Hermione looked up at him and gave him a swift kiss. "Play for me?" With a small smile he began to play a wizarding piece of music that she didn't know but liked all the same. She ran over the conversation with Dumbledore in her head. She wasn't going to go back home, not any time soon at least, and was going to have to live in this still-strange time and watch events she knew she could have prevented take place: Lily and James' death, Severus' turn, Sirius' death... so many things were going to happen to her new friends; things that played such an important role in the future.

She stopped, frozen in her thoughts. She ran over the end of the headmaster’s conversation again. People find it hard not to ask about their future when they find somebody who knows it. You'll then be more inclined to change it. How did he... ?

What made him think that she'd want to change the futures of any of the people she knew?

-----------------------------------------

Hope that it was worth the wait, I promise I will get the next one up as soon as i humanly can. Reviews are lots of love, so please, give me a prod in the small of my back to keep writing it Here please

Thank you

Well, considering it took me so long to put the last chapter up, I figured it was only fair to put the next one up rather quickly.

Thanks, for your reviews. Staples, I'm afraid that Sirius isn't in this Chapter, however he does make a most welcome return in the next one.

Katriana.. yes... spoilt child I love you really. You will just have to wait I'm afraid, to see of your request is made... lol.

Again, thanks to Passerby for Betaing. I am checking into comma rehab next week

--------------------------------------------

Chapter 6


Hours later, Hermione made her way back to Gryffindor tower still in deep thought. Does Dumbledore know about my life? Knows that something terrible was going to happen to the people I now know? What about Harry? Her brain was in overload, and she barely recognised that she had arrived at the portrait hole, and the Fat Lady was asking her for the password. With a quick apology, Hermione gave it and crawled through the entrance.

With a start she saw that James was sitting by the fire on his own, looking very solemn. He looked up when she approached and gave a small weary smile. “Hello Hermione.”

“Are you alright?” she asked, sitting down opposite him. “Is there anything I can do?”

“What? Oh, I’m fine, just thinking… yeah, thinking.” Hermione raised her eyebrows and smiled slightly but said nothing; just waited for him to explain. “It’s this war!” he exclaimed almost violently. “I’m sick of it; it’s been going on for years. We’ll leave school soon but then what? Into the big wide world.” He slumped down into the armchair and glared angrily at the fire, looking so much like Harry with the topic of conversation so familiar, Hermione thought for a moment that she was back home. She tried to hide her disappointment that she wasn’t and gave a comforting smile.

She wanted to tell him that everything was alright; that Voldemort would be killed next week, and everyone would live happily ever after. He and Lily would have lots of children and live to ripe old age. But she couldn’t, she couldn’t lie…

“It can’t last forever, I’m sure the Ministry will find a way to stop him.” It was all she could think to say…

“Hah!” James laughed, “The Ministry: my father works for them. He’s an Auror and…” He sighed, “Don’t tell anyone this, but they have nothing. No idea how to stop him. His followers are in the Ministry as well, spying and it’s. . . It’s hopeless!”

Hermione tried to give a comforting smile; she leant over and took his hand in hers. “No, it’s not. Really, try and think positive.” He said nothing. “What brought this on anyway?”

James was silent for a moment, his eyes glazed over, obviously in deep thought as he stared at the fire. “I don’t know. I’ve just got this sudden overwhelming… fear inside of me. And it’s not for me! Obviously I don’t want to die, but I don’t fear it. It’s for Lily, Sirius, Remus, Peter, you, Mrs Milligan, the muggle who lives next door to me.” He gave a small laugh, “but especially Lily… I couldn’t live without her.”

“I think I know what you mean,” Hermione told him quietly. She loved Harry and Ron, the very thought of not seeing them again - it nearly brought her to hysterics. But what if she didn’t, what if she never got home what if… No, she told herself firmly. I will see them again, even if I’m older than them, I’ll see them again, and they’ll see me. This is notthe end. But the confidence was dwindling away, falling through her fingers like water. What of something happened to them? They were at war after all. What if something happened and she didn’t even get to say good bye? She couldn’t bare the thought of not being able to say bye to them…

“Oh, Merlin! I’m sorry, I’ve made you cry,” James said suddenly, jumping Hermione out of her thoughts. Only then did she notice her cheeks were damp with tears. James conjured a tissue, and she took it gratefully. “Scary thought war, isn’t it?” he said, and Hermione nodded, dabbing her eyes. “You almost feel you’re in a cocoon here at school. Voldemort will never come here… It’s like you’re cut off from the world, where you don’t have to think about events. The war seems so far from here.”

“I know what you mean,” Hermione lied. Being friends with Harry always meant the war was on her doorstep no matter where they were. She had been fighting Voldemort in some sense since she was twelve. It was dangerous and frightening work, but she had to do it. She had to get back, she had to fight.

She’d just have to find a way home: on her own if need be.

~x~

Dumbledore allowed her to take out books in the restricted section, provided she hid what she was reading. She found herself staying up late a few nights afterwards with Severus in the Room of Requirement, both studying hard. His leg intertwined with hers in silent affection that made Hermione smile and turn crimson with delight.

The information in the books told her what she already knew, the words swimming in front of her. Time Travellers must not be seen… the time gained must be lived out… Time Turners must not be used for financial gain… A hand reached out and pushed the book closed. She looked up and saw Severus look at her, eyebrows raised.

“You were swaying, Hermione,” he said quietly, “Rest, stop studying for a while.”

Sighing, she ran her hand through her hair. “You’re right; I must stop.” He kissed her cheek. “Where would I be without you?” she muttered.

“Probably unconscious on the floor, having passed out. Really Hermione, what are you studying?” He took the book from her and opened it; Hermione felt her whole body stiffen. “Arithmancy, of course.” He flipped through the book with mild interest but then closed it with a small sigh and put it on the coffee table out of her reach. She found herself itching to take it back, carry on the fruitless search for a way back; she turned from the book and concentrated on Severus instead.

“I saw Black earlier today,” he said quietly after a moment, taking her hand and looking at their entwined fingers. “He’s…” He sighed. “I don’t trust him with you, Hermione.”

“Don’t trust…”

“Not you!” he said, suddenly fearful, “I trust you, but not him…he.” He paused, taking in a deep breath and releasing it, then he looked straight into her eyes. “He tried to kill me last year.”

Hermione blinked, taken aback. Sirius had tried to kill him? “Oh, Merlin, how, why… How?”

“It was a… prank, gone wrong,” he spat.

Hermione nodded: the shrieking shack incident, Remus, the full moon. “Of course…” She breathed.

“Excuse me?” Severus asked, looking at her with confusion written all over his face.

Drat… she cursed to herself. “Of course, your vendetta makes more sense now, I was beginning to wonder where all this contempt arouse from.”

He glanced at her, not looking convinced, but he didn’t question it any further. “That wasn’t what started it. I do not know why they…” He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter.” He rose and looked out of the window, hands behind his back. Hermione walked up to him and put her arms around his waist, her head leaning on his back. She felt him stiffen slightly but then relax.

“Yes it does,” she said quietly. “I got bullied at my old school.”

“Really?” he asked. He sounded interested but tried to hide it.

“Hmm, this boy. He teased me because I’m a muggleborn. It was jealousy really I suppose. I was better than him at most subjects. It wasn’t just him though. I’ve met his father a couple of times, and he… It was awful! He should know better. When the boy did it, I could retaliate, but his father… he always had the upper hand.”

“And how do you deal with it now?”

“Well, his father’s in Azkaban, and I helped put him in, so that makes me feel a lot better about myself,” she said smiling, and she heard him laugh.

“Yes, I suppose it does. What was his crime?”

“Being a Death Eater,” she said before thinking, and instantly regretted it; she bit her lip and closed her eyes, hoping that he wouldn’t think much of it.

“How do you know about Death Eaters?” He asked sharply, turning around taking her by the shoulders.

“I was told about them,” she replied truthfully. “Why?”

He shook his head quickly and waved his hand. “Nothing, nothing. I’m sorry; I just… well I thought that you wouldn’t… it shocked me, that’s all. Not many people know about Death Eaters. Most would rather remain ignorant about the situation.”

Hermione shook her head. “Not me. Never me.”

He smiled and kissed her hair. “Of course, I should have known.” But there was something about the tone of his voice that made Hermione weary.

Almost as though Severus was beginning to suspect her.

----------------------------------------------------

As always, reviews are heaven. I love them Push the button! you know you want to... really you do

Thank you for all your lovely reviews!! nevillesgurl, yeah Our Turn in Time has stemmed from the same Challenge, it's amazing how different they've both turned out isn't it?

Triad, even with the six month wait? Glad that you like it though! *squees*

Ahem any way, thanks for Passerby for betaing yet again, your 'backspace' and 'comma' keys are taking quite a hammering aren't they?

This chapter was hard to write, i stared at the screen for hours. It hurt my organs. It hurt them lots. I'm really nervous about posting it as well You'll see why.


-------------------

Chapter 7

“You know, I hate exams.”

Hermione looked up from her disguised book. “What’s that, Remus?”

“I hate exams. I do not see the point in them. They’re stupid, and they’re boring. And I hate them!” He yelled.

Madam Pince looked over from her desk. “Mr. Lupin, is that you? Calm down. You’re in a library for Merlin’s sake!” He said nothing but curled his lip at her, and Hermione couldn’t help but laughing.

“Maybe you should become a teacher, and then you could make them fun,” she told him. He looked up at her, eyes wide.

”Now that’s an idea! Yeah.” He closed the book he was reading. “Forget this writing malarkey!” he said with a smile. “Now, an exam that was an obstacle course, that’s my idea of an exam!”

Hermione burst out laughing, remembering her third year exam she had when Remus was a teacher. Time Travel was a funny thing… it seems that it was her who had given him the idea for that exam yet… She closed her eyes, too tired to think about it now.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Oh, nothing, just… stressed.”

“I know the exams are ages away, but… then again, they’re not really.” Remus gave her a smile, but his eyes turned to his right. She followed his gaze and saw Sirius bound into the library, Peter in tow.

“What on earth are you studying for?” Sirius demanded to know. “Look outside.” Hermione turned; it was a cloudy day, average for late autumn, early winter. She turned back to Sirius.

“It looks cold,” she told him.

“Exactly!” he cried sitting on the desk on top of Remus’ book. Remus tugged it out from beneath his friend’s backside and tried to flatten the now crumpled pages.

“And what,” asked Remus glaring at Sirius’ back. “Do you mean by that?”

Sirius smiled and leaned in so only Remus and Hermione could hear. Peter snuck in the conversation under Sirius’ arm pit. The little rat…

“Hogsmeade,” he said, smiling. “No one will be there it being a miserable day, so we won’t get caught.”

Hermione thought this through. "Your logic fails me, Sirius," she told him, furrowing her eyebrows.

He rolled his eyes. "Ok!" he said, letting his arms rise then fall, slapping his thighs. "I just want to go. But we won't get caught I promise."

Remus rolled his eyes. “You always have to go to the Three Broomsticks when we’re there though Si! ‘Look at me! I’m Sirius Black, I’m above all rules. Oh, let’s have a drink down the pub, it’ll be fun, and Madam Rosmerta is really fit for her age!’” Remus mimicked in such a mannerism that Hermione thought for a moment it was Sirius who had spoken. “She knows we sneak out; one of these days she’ll tell Dumbledore.”

“Oh, ha ha,” Sirius said, glaring at his friend. His expression then lightened. “You coming then?”

“Yeah alright,” he replied with a shrug, gathering up his books and looking at Hermione. “Come on then.”

She bit her lip, worryingly. “I don’t know… how are you planning on getting out there?” she asked even though she already knew the answer.

“Secret passages, there are loads of them. Some I don’t reckon even Dumbledore knows about!” Sirius answered.

“But we do,” Peter added looking at Hermione suspiciously.

She sighed, eyeing Peter uncertainly. “I don’t know. I have studying to do." Actually she was planning on meeting Severus in an hour. She wouldn't be able to come back from Hogsmeade without appearing suspicious in that amount of time. No doubt she would study in that hour, though.

"Ok," Peter said, shrugging as he walked away and looking as though he was expecting the others to follow. He turned around a few meters away and glared at his friends when he realized they weren't.

"You sure you don't want to come, Hermione?" Remus asked. She nodded, and Remus turned to Sirius. "Just let me put these away first. I'll meet you at the Entrance Hall." Sirius nodded as the werewolf walked away with Peter.

"Why aren't you coming, Hermione?" Sirius asked as he jumped from the table and touched her arms lightly.

"I told you; I have to study."

He rolled his eyes, smiling cockily. "The exams are ages away! Come on, have a bit of fun with us. You barely got to see the village last time. It'll be the last peaceful day before the Christmas rush. Please come." He was giving her a slanted grin that probably made most girls’ hearts melt; however, Hermione was determined to stand firm.

"No. Really, I have to get this done. Next time though, I promise."

"A rain check?" She nodded and Sirius pouted. "How will I know? What are you prepared to give me that will ensure our agreement?" He grinned again, and Hermione swallowed as he leaned in closer to her, his eyebrows raised. "Hmm?"

Oh Merlin what's he doing? Help, someone? she thought intelligently. Move, Hermione. Move you great idiot! Cough, sneeze, belch even, for Merlin’s sake. Anything! She didn't move though, not a muscle. Sirius was close now, she could feel her eyes close on their on accord. Why wasn't she moving? She had to move or do anything to stop this! Why wasn't her body co-operating with her mind? This is Sirius! Harry's Godfather! Harry will kill you if he finds out She felt Sirius' breath lightly cover her lips, and she prepared herself for the inevitable...

"Black? Stop that this instant!" Madam Pince screeched, and Sirius jumped away. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief but also felt some disappointment. "Never in all my... This is a library not a brothel! Out! Out, both of you and don't come back until you can learn to keep your tongues inside your own mouths." Hermione turned a deep shade of crimson as all the other students looked at them. She hid herself from the intruding eyes behind Sirius.

"Yeah, yeah... whatever," he muttered. However, like all librarians in Hermione's experience, Madam Pince had ears like a bat.

"Enough of that cheek, Black. Now out, both of you." To Hermione's relief, most of the other students turned around, obviously thinking that she was just another of Sirius Black's conquests and not of any interest, so luckily she was able to sneak out almost unnoticed except for Madam Pince's ever glowering glare. When they finally made it outside the library, Hermione hit Sirius lightly on the arm.

"Hey!" he cried in false indignation, rubbing his arm gently. "Sorry, that must have been embarrassing."

"Yes." Hermione said shortly, trying to glare at him. She never was very good at it, and glaring at Sirius was a bit like glaring at a puppy. No matter what he did, one could never stay angry at him for long. "Just... you know."

He laughed, "Yeah, I know. I've got to go meet Remus and Peter. I think James is coming, too. Are you sure you don't want to come?"

"I'm sure. Go have fun."

"I will. Oh, and I never did get my kiss." He puckered up his lips jokingly and looked at her expectantly.

"Go," she told him, smiling. He shrugged and walked away, looking at ease with himself as per usual. Hermione just sighed.

~x~

Just under an hour later, Hermione walked into the Room of Requirement to find Severus under a mountain of documentation at a desk. Furrowing her eyebrows, she walked up to him and sat down.

"What are you doing?" He didn't answer her; he carried on reading. A few minutes later, he finally spoke.

"Observe," he said pointing to a piece of parchment in front of her. It was a list of the student body of the school Hermione had told everyone she had transferred from, Dame Metheny's Day School For Young Witches. "Where are you?" he asked. "I have searched this list, each year that you would have been present there, and yet your name is no where to be found." He looked at Hermione, awaiting his answer.

"Isn't it?" she asked, a second too late. "Let me see that." Before she had received an answer, she took the parchment from Severus' grip, her eyes searching for the name she knew wasn't there. She tried to make her brain work faster, tried to think up an excuse. Why hadn't she thought of a cover story? But... this was her cover story. Why would she think that someone would doubt her? Doubt Dumbledore, as it was, he who had introduced her, told the students where she had transferred from. Then again, Dumbledore didn't know that she was getting involved with nosy little Slytherins.

He took the parchment from her and threw it aside; Hermione forced herself to look in his black eyes that once again held some of the coldness that she knew of Severus Snape. For the first time since her arrival, the two Snapes were the same person. "It's not there, Hermione. You never went to that school."

"I did!" Hermione yelled, but Snape waved a hand as if to shut her up.

"I think not. Now why would the Headmaster lie to all the students over such a silly little thing as an exchange student? And why would said exchange student know this castle so well when most new students get incredibly lost. Unless... the student in question was not an exchange student. What if she went to Hogwarts all along?"

Hermione forced herself to laugh, her heart thundering against her chest, her brain working overload trying to think of anything, just anything to convince him. "What? And I've been hiding under an invisibility cloak for six years?" she said lamely, cursing her ineptness.

Snape gave a sly smile and a dry chuckle that sent an unpleasant shiver down Hermione's spine. "Where is it?" he asked.

"Where's what?" she replied. For the first time in the conversation, she was generally confused.

"Your Time Turner, Hermione." He paused. "Because I know you're from the future. It wasn't hard to figure it out. That 'accident' with the portkey?" He shook his head and sighed. "So where is it?"

She stared into his eyes. Nothing she said would convince him even if she could think of something. Taking a deep breath, she bowed her head. "It's broken."

There was another long pause where Hermione raised her eyes and saw Severus' mouth slightly ajar as though he was still shocked despite having convinced himself it was the truth. "Broken?" he asked. "How?"

"I... I was attacked. I had the Turner, and I was trying to use it to get away...but the D... attacker, " she corrected herself quickly, although judging by the little quiver of his lips he saw it. "The attacker used the acceleration spell and... and now I'm here." She looked up into his eyes and took another steadying breath. "And I'm stuck here."

The silence that engulfed them both was deafening, niether knowing what to say. Hermione looked at Severus, who showed so little emotion, and Hermione realised that she didn't know this boy at all, no matter how long she had spent with him. There were so many layers to him. Half of her wanted to peel them off one by one and embrace each of them; while the other wanted to run. Run away and never come back to him.

"How far?"

"Pardon?" she asked, his voice suddenly jumping her out of her thoughts.

"How far have you travelled? When are you from?"

"I'm from the year 1997; I've travelled twenty years into the past."

He nodded thoughtfully. "The future?" he asked. "That means you must know what happens to a lot of students here at Hogwarts?"

Hermione shot up, eyes widening in panic. "I can't!" she yelled. "I can't tell you anything about your future, Severus. Dumbledore swore me to secrecy."

He furrowed his eyebrows and gave a low chuckle. "Who said anything about mine?"

Uh oh... She tried to cover her slip. "Well... I presumed... it's not like I know what happens to you anyway I just...."

"You see, now you're lying, Hermione. If there's one thing I don't like; it's liars."

She sighed and closed her eyes. "I can't tell you anything. I'm sorry. No matter how much I might want to," she added gloomily.

"A ha! So there is some interesting about my future, and something you want to share. I must say I am intrigued." He had a cold smile that was scaring Hermione. Was there a potion that prevented one from slipping from a cover story? If not some one should invent one, she thought to herself.

"I... I can't, Severus. You have to believe me...." she yelled, tears falling from her eyes. "If I was allowed to I would, but I can't!" She sniffed and reached for his hand to offer and receive comfort. "Why don't you believe me that I can't tell you anything? Dumbledore..."

"Yes, yes. Dumbledore has prohibited from you saying anything about the matter. Although you want to, yet you won't, rules seem to be in the way. What about Black? If Black found out about where you were from and asked to know his fate, would you tell him? Hmm?"

"I..." Sirius' death suddenly came to mind, the joy he brought to her and Harry. How devastated Harry was when he died. How devastated she was when he died. How now she knew him so well the mere idea of not having him there if she ever returned to her own time was enough to send her into hysterics. "I..." Lie Hermione, lie! Tell him 'of course not, it's against the rules. That the comparison itself was absurd. She couldn't though, she couldn’t lie. She could not tell anyone something, but she couldn’t lie. Not convincingly enough to fool Severus Snape, at least.

"Argh!" He growled quickly turning around from her, dropping her hand. "So you would let Black know about his fate, yet not me mine. You see, now I want to know. I need to know for the mere fact that he may know. That would hardly be fair wouldn't it? For him to know his, yet for me not to know mine?"

"Severus?" Hermione tried to say, fear bubbling around her. He was angry with her,and there wasn't his station stopping him from doing anything to her. His morality perhaps? What morality? This man, in the future at least, was a murderer... "Severus, what do you..." She never got to finish because Severus had turned back to her, eyes glowing with rage and jealousy, wand raised.

"Legilimens!"

------------------
Please don't hate me!!! I thought and I thought for hours on how to do this, and this just seemed the best way in the end. I hope you like it...

*hides* But let me know what you think by clicking here please? The story's not over though... just to make that clear.

Yeeeeah Really sorry about the wait. I started a new job recently and been trying my upmost not to get fired from it which i haven't, so far at least *touch wood* So that and this being the hardest chapter ever to write meant it took ages to update. But thanks for the paitence

As always thank you all for your reviews. Yes Tahra I did make him do that because I'm evil

Oh a big thanks to Janet who beta-ed (is that how you say it? i don't know) for me while on holiday, (or soon after her return) Thank-ye! -barbossa style, just for you !

Chapter 8

Hermione fell to her knees and gasped loudly, eyes squeezing shut. Memories she thought long forgotten flashed in front of her eyes. Her first case of accidental magic when she was five; getting her Hogwarts letter; meeting Harry and Ron; the troll. Almost every important event after that; the Triwizard Tournament, her first kiss with Viktor. The events went by faster, and she knew that Severus was searching for something in particular.

There.

The flashes stopped, and she looked at a memory as though it was a photograph. It was Snape as Hermione remembered him from her time, teaching them in their first Defense Against the Dark Arts class of her sixth year. Without the memory she could hear Snape give a dry chuckle, almost as though it was a higher being that laughed at her. He stopped and the searching continued, slower this time searching through the later events of that year. Fighting with Ron, the heightened security on the school, Harry leaving with Dumbledore at the end of the year and then Harry telling them all that Snape had killed Dumbledore. The pain in her head was increasing, and she could vaguely feel tears rolling down her cheeks, but Snape didn't stop. He carried on until she was attacked by the Death Eaters and more importantly (to Severus at least) her interaction with Sirius. With a fierce stabbing pain in her head he withdrew, and Hermione fell to the ground like a broken marionette.

It took her a while to adjust to her surroundings. When she realized that she was in the Room of Requirement, she relaxed ever so slightly and then remembered who was there with her. And for the first time ever, even when Snape was in the Shrieking Shack and he was terrifyingly angry, she feared for her life against Severus Snape. Slowly, ever so slowly, she raised her head looking through her hair, at his boots, trousers, torso and finally his face. His face which was so twisted with anger, disgust, and murderous expression. What had he seen that would make him so angry?

Oh... in the library with Sirius, only an hour ago where Sirius had almost kissed her and she hadn't done anything to stop him. I wanted to though. Do I not get points for intent? Probably not. She tried to take deep breaths. What in Merlin’s name could she do to make it up to him, to appease him, to make him forgive her? Then she stopped and thought. Do I want him to, though? He just invaded my mind. My personal thoughts and memories. Finally, without saying a word, she stood up and stood proud and strong, taking a deep breath. Sharply she turned around and stalked out the room, turning her back on Severus Snape.

Maybe for good.

~x~

She managed to crawl through the portrait hole although she didn't know how. Her whole body was still stiff with shock. He invaded my mind. He looked at my most private thoughts and violated them, knows everything about me, more than myself perhaps... She wasn't quite sure how the Legilimens spell worked on the caster’s end, to each it was different. She knew that Harry always complained of a very sore head, and if Hermione was not still reeling with shock and horror, she suspected that she would take notice of the hammering pain in her skull.

Sliding out the hole, she fell against the wall, unmoving and not wanting to get up ever again. And for the first time since she met Snape in this new strange time, she felt her heart burning to just be allowed to go home. Go home to her nice warm bed and never have to think again. Never have to think about Snape, Death Eaters, the war with Voldemort, even Sirius' advances towards her. Just curl up and... sleep. Sleep for ever more. But, no. She couldn't. She gave a small sniff and wiped her nose with the back of her hand.

Her eyes itched and burned, begging for tears to engulf them, but they wouldn't come. She was beyond tears in her grief. He raped my mind! her thoughts screamed at her, unconsciously plotting for revenge against the man who she thought she trusted. I shouldn't have. It was stupid of me to do so. In my time he killed Dumbeldore. And don't tell yourself there might have been a reason to justify that act. Not after what you saw tonight. She was right. In the past few weeks with Severus she had begun to think that maybe there was a reason that he had killed the beloved Headmaster. Snape had been a spy, after all, and sometimes one has to lose a battle in order to win the war. There might have been a reason why Snape had done what he did; an accord between Dumbeldore and himself.

No. Hermione was sure now that there wasn't. After all Snape claimed to like her, care for her? Love her? Perhaps, although unlikely. But he had now done an unforgivable thing. In her eyes, at least.

"Hermione?" A voice called. She looked up focusing on Sirius. "Oh, Merlin, what's the matter?" He walked over and knelt down beside her lightly stroking her arm, comforting her. Hermione couldn't stop herself, and before she knew it, before she could physically control herself; her arms were around his neck and, she was sobbing into his shoulder, his hair so soft against her cheek. "Oh, Hermione. Please, tell me what's wrong." She shook her head in the crook of his neck. "Shh. It's alright. Please don't cry." But now she had found the tears she found it difficult to lose them again. After a few seconds of trying, she gave up and Sirius seemed to give up trying to make her stop, so he just held her. Held her as no one else had ever done. Asking no more questions, not telling her to stop, or grow up, or get a hold of herself. Nor did he try to distract her, cheer her up, try to change the subject and talk about Quidditch.

It was the only time Hermione could remember where someone had just let her cry and held her all the way through it.

He's a good man.

The world can't loose him.

I can't, Harry can't...

Oh, Merlin, Sirius. Oh, Merlin, please don't die. I'd give my life to let you live! We need you. Please....

He slowly pushed her back, leaning so that he could see her and gave her a small cheeky smile. "You feeling a little better?"

She didn't answer, just stared at him, wide eyed, thinking in perfect clarity. I can save him... tell him. A clue perhaps? His death was so needless. Can I? Change time? For Harry, for me. For the world...

"Hermione you're not looking well. Come on let's get you to bed, eh?" His thumb brushed the tears form under her eyes.

"Sirius..." she mumbled

"Hmm?" His thumb was on her cheek, and his hand behind her neck drawing her nearer. She was barely conscious of it, her brain in overdrive, her conscience fighting against itself.

"I need..."

"What do you need?" Was it just her or was he getting nearer? She could feel his hot breath on her face cooling it where the tears had fallen.

"To tell you something. Something I can't keep secret for any longer."

"So do I," he whispered and he was so near her now; a mere inch away.

When had that happened? Before Hermione could protest, all she felt was his warm mouth touch her own.



Hehehe.... hopefully it shouldn't take as long for the next one Feedback here is alway appreciated. Love to you all! Mwah!

Sorry about the length it took! Just, well, I got carried away with the DH hysteria. Anyway, chapter 9 is now up and then there's only one more to go. Then the epilouge. Oh, how sad!

As usual, thanks for Passerby for betaing and helping me with my love hate relationship I have with Grammar. Thanks for reviewing. Tahra, I thought long and hard about what Hermione's reaction would be. In the end it was a what would I feel like if that happened to me. And well, I don't think I'd be very happy about it at all. But yeah, maybe her reaction was a bit rash Misswhiting, a new reader, hey! Taylor thanks for you lengthy review, i enjoyed reading it

Anyway one with the fic!

-------------------------------------------

Chapter nine

I'm falling... falling and there's no one to catch me apart from, Sirius and I don't know if that's what I want.

It wasn't right, she shouldn't be doing this. She should be... it was so unfair in so many ways. Unfair that she got to know Sirius on a peer to peer level, unfair that she couldn't tell him the truth, and unfair that he was going to die so young and there was nothing that she could do about it. Unless...

No, Dumbledore told her, she couldn't tell Sirius anything, nothing. Then how was she going to explain that kissing him was a truly terrible thing to do? She thought about it for a minute and came to the conclusion that there wasn't an explanation, so she just let her self fall. Sirius took the back of her head in his hand, twisting in her hair, and pulled her towards him, yet he was so giving it seemed almost impossible that he was kissing her, but it was forceful enough that Hermione couldn't pull away...

No!

She didn't know if it was because she knew she shouldn't be forming relationships (of the romantic kind at least) with Sirius because she knew that he wouldn't be there if she ever got back, or there was still a part of her that remained loyal to Severus even after what he did to her. I hurt him the worst way, and I'm hurting him even more... It was insane; she knew she shouldn't be feeling guilty about kissing Sirius, not after what Severus did to her. But Hermione knew, it wasn't just that.

This doesn't feel right...

She pulled away. "No," she told him sternly into his lips. "No, I can't." She pulled away, their faces an inch apart, and Sirius looked heartbroken.

"Please..." he begged leaning in again.

"No, I'm sorry." Using all her willpower she stood up. She could feel her eyes brimming with tears, and out the corner of them she could see Sirius kneeling on the floor, looking lost.

"Hermione, please," he begged again. She said nothing, refusing to look at him knowing that if she did she'd pity him.

This isn't about pity, this is about using someone...I don't love Sirius, I love... As the thought came to her she gasped and she knew it was true. She closed her eyes, knowing it was against her better judgment, and her brain was telling her that he killed Dumbledore and that loving Severus Snape was insane. However all that reasoning wasn't making it any less true. Love - the only thing where logic doesn't stand a chance.

"Hermione?" Sirius asked, standing up and moving in front of her. She could see that there were tears streaming down his cheeks. "I need you."

Merlin, don't do this to me...

"I'm sorry Sirius, I don't... feel that way about you." It was true. She knew now every feeling that she felt towards him was completely platonic. Kissing him was nice, and it wasn't like she thought kissing Harry (who she loved as a brother) would be. But it didn't feel like it was with Severus either. Maybe she was confused about seeing him in a different setting that confused her emotions. "And this... it isn't right."

"How isn't it?" he yelled. "It feels right to me Hermione, why not you?"

"Because...because..." You're my best friends dead Godfather, and kissing you is like kissing Mr Weasley... She couldn't say that. "You'll know. One day you'll know."

He looked as though she had slapped him. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked and Hermione shrugged. "It makes no sense! Don't you understand?"

"Understand what?

"Don't you?" He yelled again, "don't you know that I..." his shoulders suddenly fell. and he looked like he'd given up. "Doesn't matter." He turned to go.

"Sirius, I am sorry. About everything. Everything that's ever happened or might happen to you..."

He scoffed. "Is that something else I'm meant to understand one day?" She said nothing, and Sirius snarled, turning away to go upstairs. "One day indeed."

He left Hermione feeling worse than she ever had in the Room of Requirement.

~x~

The next day Sirius wasn't speaking to her. Remus gave her a small smile and a shrug and followed the dark haired boy with an apologetic look on his face. At breakfast Hermione sat with Lily who was wondering what was wrong with Sirius. James just shrugged, and Hermione tried to make herself as small as possible, feeling like she did in first year when she lost all the house points. Except ten times worse.

She looked up at the Slytherin table and saw that Severus wasn't there, so she hurried down her scrambled eggs, bade her goodbyes and went to seek him out. Whether she actually wanted to find him or merely wanted to get away from the tension she knew she was causing at Gryffindor table she didn't know. After looking in the Library, Owlery, Astronomy tower and the N.E.W.T study dungeons, she checked the Room of Requirement hoping, yet not counting on it, that he was there. The only other place he would be was the Slytherin dungeons and there would be little to no chance that Hermione would be able to infiltrate that.

To her astonishment he was there, studying charms by the looks of things. He looked up as she entered and didn't look away. Hermione shut the door.

"I think," she said slowly, "that we both owe each other explanations and apologies. And if you will, please put you wand on the desk and step away from it." Hermione was amazed when Severus did this without question. "Now, I think you should go first." Again, he didn't question it, but he did pause as though thinking what to say and how to put it into words.

"My actions were rash," he finally said. "I should not have done it. I apologize. I shouldn't have done any thing to hurt you or betray your trust."

"Thank you." He gave a small smile. So it wasn't on his knees begging for her to forgive him, and Hermione didn't know if she would for a long time, but it was the best apology she was going to get out of Severus Snape. "I am sorry too. Sirius is my friend, a good friend. But I don't love him. I don't feel that way about it. And... if you must know. He's not speaking to me at the moment."

He furrowed his eyebrows. "Why not?" he asked.

Hermione sighed and thought that if they were apologizing it would be stupid to lie to him. "Sirius, kissed me last night. I said I didn't want to afterwards, that it didn't feel right." She looked up, and Hermione wasn't surprised to see him white with rage. "That I didn't love him. It made me realize that... I...." But she couldn't get the words out, she bit her lip and looked at her feet, feeling foolish that her not being able to say I love you was getting them no where, that Severus would merely hate her and that she would loose both of them. "That I..."

She heard Severus walk up to her, and she looked up quickly suddenly fearing him, but his face wasn't cold and angry. The opposite, he said nothing but smiled and bent down and kissed her passionately, and Hermione knew that even though she didn't yet forgive him, he would work hard to atone for his slip in anger, maybe to the end of the world.

He pulled away and wrapped his arms around her to pull her close. He whispered into her ear, "As do I."

And then she knew that everything would be fine.

~x~

"You wanted to see me Professor Dumbledore?" Hermione asked a few days later. Sirius still wasn't speaking to her, but he had waved at her from the other side of the table at breakfast, so she was beginning to think that he had got over being angry at her. Hermione doubted that she was called into the Headmaster's office for that. Not that students were usually called into Dumbledore's office for friendship spats.

"Yes, Miss Granger. I have some good news." He gestured for her to sit down, which she did, her gaze following him around his office as he sat at the desk opposite her.

"Good news, sir?" she asked, eyebrows furrowing, half hoping and half dreading what she was going to hear.

"Yes. We've found a way to send you home."

-------------------------

As usual please review here

Hope to update as soon as possible

Omg... is this even possible? Me updating!? Really sorry for the delay! I wrote it quickly enough it just needed a lot of work to it because it's got a lot of technical detail in it that needed a lot of work. Well, finding the time and the effor to sieve through it all... well, i've just got round to it.

So, a bit thanks to Janet/Passerby for betaing and a big shout out to Sirren and LittleRed for helping me with the finer details Cheers me loves (You both won )

It just leaves me to say, thanks so much for you patience, and all your wonderful reviews! Mwah!

----------------

Chapter 10


Hermione furrowed her eyebrows and leant forward in her chair, eyeing the Headmaster wearily. "A shell?" she asked.

"Crudely put, but basically yes," Dumbledore said popping a sherbet lemon into his mouth calmly as his eyes twinkled.

"So, I'm going to be a statue for twenty years?" Hermione asked. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Not only was she being sent home after she'd accepted that she was going to be stuck in the time she was in; she was going to be a statue where students would hide behind in order to have a quick snog! She shivered at the idea and looked at the teacher, hoping that he would laugh and say that she was being silly.

Dumbledore chuckled slightly and steepled his fingers. "What happens is that the charm creates a bubble of time existing within normal time. So while the rest of us exist normally, time for you will pass at a much faster rate. What is twenty years for us will only be a matter of seconds for you. So, not a statue per se; merely frozen in time. You'll be protected until the 'shell' dissolves, and you'll awake as you are now but back in your own present time."

Hermione nodded, understanding the concept finally. It didn't normally take this long for her to understand even the most complex spells, so it must have had something to do with the shock as well. "But, Professor, where will I go? I mean won't I still exist in normal time for you?" He nodded. "So where will you put me? I think I'll scare people if I was just left in a classroom or an office or a mere hallway posing as a statue, especially when said statue were to come back to life."

Dumbledore laughed and said, "Yes, Hermione, I can quite understand your concern. Do not worry for you will not be left in a hallway or classroom for twenty years." He laughed some more to himself as he popped yet another sweetie into his mouth. "I'll put you in my cupboard."

"A cupboard?"

"Yes. I think it will suffice. I will leave a note for the Head that might have replaced me by then letting them know the situation. It shouldn't be too much of a bother. Of course the portraits will know." His blue eye twinkled as he smiled; trying to calm her, but something he said about a new Head jerked her memory. Hogwarts was closed, and there was no protection! What if someone found out what happened and was waiting for her? What if Snape found out?

No... don't think about that! He loves you; he said he did! He wouldn't have done that, but there was still a risk... "Professor, um... what if something goes wrong? What if..." She didn't know how to put it all into words without telling him his fate and the fate of his beloved school. "What I'm trying to say is what if something goes wrong and life isn't the same in my time as you think it will be."

He smiled calmly, his eyes twinkling yet again. "Do not worry, Hermione, I have it all under control." He offered her one of his sweeties, but she refused, not feeling up to eating sugary snacks. "Two days, Hermione. I trust you want to say goodbye to your friends? We'll tell them that you're parents are wanting you home."

She gave a small smile, trying to reassure him, but all she felt was dread.

~x~

Severus didn't take the news well. He wasn't angry, but he looked as though he was heartbroken. After about half an hour explaining to him that she really didn't belong there, he nodded and said he understood, although his voice was very quiet, as though he was trying not to cry. Hermione's heart shattered for him into a thousand pieces, and she burst into tears herself.

"I don't want to go Severus! I want to stay here with you!" She sniffed as he took her into his arms and stroked her hair. "I hope that you know that, and I hope that you don't do any thing... stupid." She felt Severus nod his head, and Hermione hoped that he had understood what she meant, although she wasn't sure if he would take it on board... she hoped that it would at least have some impact on his life.

Of course she could have just changed something very important in her time. Well, if Dumbledore greeted her after she walked out the cupboard in twenty years she'd have to kick herself. Although not that hard, of course, because saving Dumbledore's life really wouldn't be such a bad thing after all. That was if she hadn't made some paradox where ants ruled the world.

"I understand," he said. "And hopefully in twenty years I'll see you again." Hermione could only nod against his chest, tears falling down her cheeks as she raised her head to kiss him. She would miss Severus, her Severus, because she feared that no matter what he told her now, she would never see the man she loved again.

All she could do was pray that things would resolve themselves.

~x~

Unfortunately, things were not as easy to explain to Sirius and the others who didn't understand the complexness of the situation.

"Why are you going?" Remus asked?

"I told you, my mother's ill, and they want me home for the rest of the term. I'm sorry."

"Oh, " Remus said. "I'm really sorry, Hermione, I hope that she gets better soon. Give her my regards?"

"Mine, too!" James and Lily said at the same time.

"And mine," Sirius said, but he didn't look at her. His head hung low, and Hermione could see that his eyes were wide and bright, shining with tears. She tried to understand what was going on in his head: anger, pity, grief, guilt? She couldn't pin point just one... maybe it was all of them...

"When are you going?" Peter asked. He didn't sound as though he was sad that she was leaving. Then again, they hadn't exactly got on, so she could hardly blame him.

"Tomorrow evening, I'm flooing home." She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. It's been a long day. I'm going to bed." They bade her goodnight, Lily giving her a hug, and she began to walk up the girls dorm when;

"Hermione! Can I speak to you for a moment?" She turned around and saw Sirius standing at the foot of the stairs, his blue eyes shining bright not with their usual spark but with tears. She nodded and padded down the stairs and followed Sirius out of the common room and into the hall so they could talk privately. "You're not going because... because of what I did, are you?"

She had been so submerged in new developments over the day it took her a moment to remember what he was referring to. "Oh Sirius!" she cried, holding her hand over her mouth when she remembered. "Of course not. I would never leave because of that. It's my mum. She's... I don't know if she's going to get better. I don't want to leave Hogwarts. I don't want to leave any one, but I have to." And then she was crying and Sirius was holding her and whispering words of comfort, saying that her mother would be fine, which made Hermione cry harder because Sirius thought she was crying for her mother when she was crying for herself. She had never felt so selfish...

"I'll miss you, Hermione."

"I'll miss you, too. It's awful that I might never see you again."

Sirius laughed. "What are you talking about? I'll write, and you can come and visit me! I've got a flat in London. It's so cool, you'll love it there, and you can stay for as long as you like. Obviously it'll have to be after your mum gets better..."

Hermione started crying again. Sirius must have thought it was because of the mention of her mother being ill, but it wasn't. It was because she would never visit Sirius, even when she was unfrozen from Carbonite or whatever the shell was, because he would be dead... She wanted nothing more at that moment to tell him everything, to warn him against the Department of Mysteries, but she knew she couldn't.

She had never felt so lost.

~x~

"Just stand in the cupboard, Hermione." Dumbledore told her. Slowly she stepped in. It was small and looked as though it would have held towels if she wasn't going to occupy it for two decades. "Now, try and stand very still please, Professor Flitwick will perform the spell." He smiled brightly. "Well. We'll see you in twenty years, if we're still around that is."

"Goodbye, Professor Dumbledore, Professors Flitwick and McGonagall. Thank you for everything."

McGonagall appeared to be getting a bit teary eyed. "You were a pleasure to teach. I only hope that I will do it again someday." Hermione smiled and nodded at them to start the spell. Flitwick waved his wand above his head and started doing a figure-eight motion while chanting in some form of Latin, reading from the big bound book in front of him. She could only catch a couple of words. Lock, freeze, hold, speed... It felt like he was doing it forever, and Hermione tried to keep as still as possible, which was hard as her nose was beginning to itch. Just her luck. She would have to live with an itchy nose for twenty years... Then there was a very loud crack!

And everything stopped.

---------

Only one left to go! And as per usual plase leave your thoughts and comments here Cheers!