A/N: The usual disclaimer applies.

Chapter 1

The room was white, too white. Instinctively she knew that Severus Snape wouldn't want to be caught dead in a room this bright. No matter how tight you shut the curtains, the light reflected throughout and slightly burned your eyes, causing you to have to blink way more than was necessary. How anyone could heal there, let along be there for any period of time was beyond her. Maybe it was a small tug of guilt that was the true cause for her being so uncomfortable in her surroundings, but it was hard to tell. It had been six months. Six long months since the fall of Voldemort and even though the mediwizards had done virtually everything in their power, Snape would not wake up. But, he was alive.

"Stubborn, even in death," Minerva chuckled, giving his hand a small squeeze. She wish he would wake up, yell at her for believing him to have betrayed them, tell her she was forgiven. She wanted the guilt to go away. Oh, she knew that he would never say the words "I forgive you". She didn't even know he knew the words. But, he would, possibly, maybe sneer at her and call her a fool. Tell her he has never met someone so blind and then stomp off only to continue on as they were before. Bickering and betting on Quidditch games while playing the occasional game of chess.

They had told her they didn't know what to do next. Had said that it would probably be best to "pull the plug" as it were. He was only continuing to survive from their daily dosage of potions and anti-venoms. He was getting costly, they had told her in their round-about way. It didn't matter that he was a hero, that she knew she had to do something. After she had pleaded, practically got down on the floor and begged, they had told her they would give him another two weeks. Two Weeks. After that, it wouldn't matter what she did because Severus Snape would be dead. Actually dead. They would stop all doses and just let him die.

No matter what, Minerva knew that was not an option.

XX

Minerva sat back in her headmistress chair, anticipating a knock on the door. It was 10 'o clock on a Monday. Normally nothing special happened on Monday evenings. She would go to dinner and eat while watching over the Great Hall. Small talk would be made with all of the other professors. She wouldn't normally have been shaking her leg under the table throughout the entire meal, causing a mild earthquake effect on the dinnerware by the time it got down to Professor Hooch. After dinner she might do some light reading, have a professor or two come to her for advice on a particularly difficult pupil. Usually she would retire by 9:30, knowing that she would need to be up by six.

Not today. Today was the closing of the Death Eater trials. Most were open and shut cases. It hadn't taken long for the jury to be out on the likes of Lucius Malfoy. The problem was the trial for Severus. It seemed as though the Wizengamont was not ready to accept the label of "hero" that Harry Potter was trying to perpetuate. Minerva had tried to make them wait until he was awake, healthy even. They wouldn't hear of it. There was too much chance that he wouldn't wake up in the first place. Maybe it was better this way, anyway. It wouldn't do to have Snape wake up, only to be sentenced to Azkaban. That is why, she told herself, that she wasn't doing all she could to wake him from this coma. But, if he was declared innocent, and he had to be declared innocent, she would do what needed to be done.

Or have Hermione Granger do what had to be done, anyway. No, she could not afford to leave Hogwarts for that time. Miss Granger had been the front runner in the "Free Severus Snape" cause. She had lined up all the points for his case and presented it to the Wizengamont. She had dedicated her entire six months after the war to him. Mr. Potter had helped significantly. Even his name endorsing a not-guilty verdict had its sway, but it was not enough. Minerva chuckled at the thought of what Severus would think if he knew that he had become Miss Granger's new pet project. He would probably make some sarcastic comment of how well SPEW had turned out.

Oh, how she missed him. But maybe that was the guilt talking.

A loud knock on the door startled her from her reverie. "Come in Mr. Potter," she called. The door started to open, but before Harry could step through, Hermione burst past him. She practically beamed as she ran up to the Headmistress' desk.

"We did it!" she crowed, clutching the front of the desk and leaning in.

Minerva looked to Harry for confirmation, and saw the gleam in his eye as he nodded his head slowly.

"I really didn't think they would come back in acquittal. They all looked so bored with the evidence of his innocence. Even when they saw the pensieve memories, they didn't look phased. How much more proof would they need? All I kept hearing was their comments in my head 'the victim asking Snape to murder him is not a defence for murder' and 'As the defendant is not here to confirm that statement...'. I don't - "

"I think in the end it was the fact that the head mediwizard testified that the chances of Snape waking up are practically non-existent," Harry interrupted.

Minerva knew exactly what he meant. It was a lot easier to acquit a dead man, than one walking the streets. She would just have to make sure that he woke up. She would have to make sure Miss Granger agreed.

"Thank-you for notifying me so promptly," she swallowed before continuing. "I just could not get away from Hogwarts..." she smiled. She couldn't help but think that it wasn't the fact that she couldn't leave, but that she couldn't be there. How could she expect him to be proven not guilty when she had so adamantly believed him to be guilty?

"We understand, Professor McGonagall," Hermione smiled, giving her a pat on the arm. "I am just so... relieved. I know the chance of his survival is slim, but at least now that everyone knows of his innocence...I just hope that now he can have some peace," she said softly.

"Actually, Miss Granger," Minerva begun, clearing her throat, "I think I have a solution to wake him from his coma."

"What?" she was close to shrieking. "All this time, and you didn't tell us?" She whipped around to look at Harry, to see the indignation on his face as well, but there was none. She knew then that the only person who did not know was her.

"What was the point of waking him up, just for him to be sentenced to the Dementor's Kiss?" Harry asked.

"Do you know how many times I had wished I could have just asked him to clarify a point, or had hoped to ask him how he would have wanted me to proceed?" She was close to tears. All this time she had worked so hard on his case, making sure to do everything she could to hear those words "Not Guilty". She had tucked the fact that he likely would never hear those words himself away in a very dark corner. She had never liked the man, had always thought him spiteful and hurtful above all. She had never questioned his betrayal, believed him to be on Voldemort's side, as much as anyone else. That pang of guilt tugged at her heart, as it was so apt to do.

"I will need your help, Miss Granger," Minerva sighed. "I know you have already sacrificed so much of yourself on this trial. But if I can just ask for one last –"

"I'll do it," Hermione interrupted. It wouldn't matter what it was; this was her chance. She had thought that once she had proved Professor Snape's innocence to the Wizengamont she would feel free of guilt. But it was still there. Maybe, just maybe, if she gave him his life back she would be complete. Then he could go on to terrorize students, and she could figure out just what it was she actually wanted to do with her life.

"Hear me out first," Minerva said, "take a seat." Both Harry and Hermione sat down. It was obvious that Harry already knew what had to be done. Inwardly, Hermione was relieved that he hadn't told her. If she knew that something could have been done her focus on the trial would have been all wrong. All wrong.

"There is a potion," Minerva began.

"The Somnum Inagitatus," Hermione couldn't help interjecting. "But that takes 5 years to brew."

"I am well aware of that, Miss Granger," Minerva tried her hardest not to be annoyed by the interruption. She wasn't aware that the girl would know of the potion, it was well beyond what her potions classes had taught her, and had taken Minerva many sleepless nights of research to find.

"It also would take a potions master to brew..."Hermione mumbled, well aware that it was the potions master himself in the coma. She had taken both of those thoughts into account when she had found the potion in her research months ago. Even if she was successful at brewing the potion, St. Mungo's would not allow the coma to go for that long. Even if they would, the chance of him retaining his brain function after being in a coma for that amount of time was highly unlikely.

"Well, we don't have a potions master," Minerva huffed, "But we can still try. Severus always hated to admit that you were the most promising student in potions since himself."

"He said that?" Hermione's eyes were wide. She had always looked for praise in his classes, but never even got a hint of it, to her chagrin.

"Not in so many words..." Minerva said slowly, tilting her head at the girl. Her focus was all wrong. Maybe she was asking the wrong person. Maybe Mr. Potter was the better choice. But no, Mr. Potter himself said he was abysmal at potion brewing, and there was no one more tenacious than Miss Granger.

Hermione bowed her head in embarrassment and waited for Professor McGonagall to continue.

"If you were to brew the potion, and put it in the stasis required, and then use the time turner..."

Hermione's head shot up. She wouldn't be suggesting... She couldn't be suggesting...

"But all the time turners were destroyed. And even if they weren't, I thought they could only go back in time. Besides that, I am sure that going into the future, just as going back to change the past, would be highly illegal..."

"Hermione," Harry groaned.

"Yes, most of them were destroyed. However, this time turner belonged specifically to Albus Dumbledore and was kept safe on his person at all times. He never said whether or not he used the thing, but when he left it to me in his will, he specifically stated that it was only to be used 'if all was lost'. You have no idea how many times I wanted to use it to go back to the time of his death..." Minerva needed to clear her throat to continue. Dumbledore's death was always a hard point for her, and she didn't think it would ever not be.

"He left me one too," Harry piped in, clearing his throat, and Minerva nodded to him. She had known that Albus had left one to each of them, hoping to cover all bases. He had known that failure was not an option. The fact that Mr. Potter had refrained from using it all this time had only shown how much he had matured. Wars did that to people.

Hermione's head whipped to face Harry. "You never told me he gave you a time turner!" she almost gasped.

"He told me not to tell anyone," he replied sheepishly. He hoped she understood, and she did. Sometimes there were things you couldn't tell even the best of friends. After a friendly smile, both Harry and Hermione turned back to McGonagall.

"This one happens to have the ability to go forward in time," Minerva continued "Although I am not sure how or why, I can understand why they would normally not be created that way. I do feel safe in its use however, since we are not using it to alter the past or the future, but to save a life in the present. All you would be required to do, Miss Granger, is to brew the potion, go five years into the future, finish the last stages of the potion and then bring it back into our time. If you are successful... Well, I would be very pleased if you would agree to..."

"I already said I would do it." Hermione's mouth was in a firm line. She knew what she needed to do. The initial brewing process would take 4 days, and then once in the future she would need another five to finish the brewing. Add in the time to gather the ingredients and she would be back just in time to deliver the potion before St. Mungo's gave him the boot. Then she would just have to see if it actually worked. She wasn't joking when she said it required a potions master.

Minerva broke into a smile. "Good," she said. "Here is the potions book for reference. You can put all of the ingredients on the Hogwarts tab. If there is anything else you require, you should come to me immediately. We are on a short time line, Miss Granger. It is imperative that we do this quickly, and efficiently."

"Where shall I do the brewing, Professor?" Hermione asked, thinking of all the things that could go wrong. She could brew it in the potions lab, but then they would have to explain the whole situation to Professor Slughorn, which wasn't a very good idea. She would need to make sure it was in a place easily accessible, where she wouldn't be caught by anyone in the future.

"You will need to do the brewing here," McGonagall informed, giving a look of apology. "We cannot risk anyone knowing of your trip to the future, other than the three of us. If, once you go to the future, you can make it up to my office and finish the potion, that would be best."

Yes, that would be best, Hermione thought to herself. She could stay in the Headmistress' office for the entirety of her stay and no one would have to know. Although, what if...

"What if you are no longer the Headmistress?" Hermione blushed, "Not that you wouldn't be...but things can happen in five years...What if you retire?"

Minerva gave a small, understanding smile. "I understand what you are getting at, Miss Granger, but I do not plan on going anywhere in these next five years. And, if for any reason it is not me that you meet in the future, I would hope that it would be someone else equally understanding. I would like to think that whoever the Headmaster of this school is, they would be helpful. And if not," Minerva gave a grim smile, "you will need to come back as soon as possible."

Hermione nodded her head, and then looked over at Harry who she had nearly forgotten about. This reminded her about someone else she had nearly forgotten about.

"What about Ron?" she asked, more to the headmistress than to Harry.

"Pardon?" Minerva responded, more than a little confused about what Ronald Weasley had to do about this.

"Can Ron know?" Hermione rephrased, looking hopeful. She knew that this was not something that the majority of the wizarding world could know about, but surely she could tell Ron. He was after all, her boyfriend. And he was already quite angry with her for spending all of her time focused on the trial. She didn't know how he would handle her keeping a secret from him.

"I am afraid not, Miss Granger," McGonagall sighed. She knew it would be hard for Hermione to keep this from him, but it was imperative to keep this between as few people as possible. Besides that, she knew Ron wasn't all for the 'Save Severus' initiative. She had heard them quarrel about it a few times on the occasion she went over to Miss Granger's flat to hear what progress she had made towards Snape's defence. Now that the trial was over, he would probably expect her to be able to go on his Quidditch tour with him and the Chudley Cannons. Even if all of this wasn't necessary, and Miss Granger was free to pursue whatever she so desired, Minerva hoped that she wouldn't waste it on following a Quidditch team around. That was just too much waste on such a brilliant mind.

"I will have to tell him I am going out of town then," Hermione grimaced. "Perhaps I will tell him that I am going to Australia in hopes of finding my parents."

Minerva frowned. This girl deserved closure. She deserved to actually be in Australia, looking for her parents, reversing the memory charm on their minds. She deserved to be happy, after spending six tiring months of fighting on the behalf of Severus Snape.

"If you would rather be in Australia, Miss - "

"No, no," Hermione assured "there will be time for that after the potion. They will still be... wherever they are... in two weeks. Professor Snape will not."

Minerva nodded her head. They would do what needed to be done.

XX

The door was partly open, letting a waft of the potion's scent wind through her office. It had already been seven days and the potion was near the second stage. Minerva peaked into the small room doubling as a potions laboratory. Hermione looked so tired, slouching over the cauldron, stirring slowly. It had taken nearly four days to gather up all of the ingredients alone. Miss Granger had to go to an apothecary in South America even for some of the more rare ingredients.

Inwardly, Minerva knew she was asking too much of the girl. But somehow she knew that Hermione needed this just as much as she did. How could they live, knowing there was something they could do be done while they did nothing? She could only hope that this would work, because if the potion failed, she didn't know what that would do to Miss Granger.

A/N:Well there you have it. Chapter One. I have this story over half way done already and will be posting a chapter once a week. Reviews are appreciated!