Disclaimer: The characters and everything else within the Harry Potter Universe belongs to JK Rowling, her various publishers and other companies. My work is a mere tribute.
I do own nothing except the writings and spellings mistakes.
A/N: This is an answer to mustardgirl1128 "Life challenge". The challenge rules can be found in the forums of .
This is a HG/SS story. There is nothing graphic, but those who don't like the pairing, be warned.
A season for everything
For everything there is a season,
And a time for every matter under heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
A time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to seek, and a time to lose;
A time to keep, and a time to throw away;
A time to tear, and a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate,
A time for war, and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
Birth
Hermione:
Helen Granger screamed. She had been in labour for ten hours and she was exhausted.
„Just one push." her midwife told her. „Just one push my arse." Helen wanted to bite back, but another wave of pain rippled through her.
Suddenly the pain and pressure lessened. „The head is out. It will be much easier now" a blond haired matron assured her and Moments later the baby left her body.
„A girl", she heard the matron say.
Helen Granger was exhausted, but happy. She had given birth to the most beautiful baby girl.
„Her name is Hermione." She smiled.
Her husband Daniel took her hand, bent down and kissed her.
Thus Hermione Granger was born.
Severus:
Eileen Snape screamed. She had been in labour for nearly a day and a night and dawn was already approaching again.
She was afraid she would not survive. She a pure blood witch from one of the oldest lines would die, alone and forgotten giving birth to the bastard of a filthy muggle.
She should be at Saint Mungo's surrounded by healers, but here she was lying in a dirty back yard to weak to move anywhere.
Another wave of pain, another wave of desperation; then a welcome darkness.
When she awoke she felt strangely empty. Looking down she saw a tiny baby in a pool of blood. Her baby. It was a strange thought at best. The child could not live. Without it she could return to her family, be free.
She pressed the babies head into the mud. There was not a single sound. Suddenly a heavy boot connected with er rips. „You bitch" her husband said."You are not going to murder my child."
Thus Severus Snape was born.
World
Hermione:
World was a strange place. Hermione had always known that.
When she had been little, Hermione could not figure out why her mother was upset when she turned her teddy bear green, or when she made her toy building bricks float in mid-air. After all, doing so was perfectly normal.
When she grew older Hermione realised, that she could do things that other children could not do. It was not „normal" to let things float, or to be able to ignite a fire with a mere thought.
Other children feared her, and some called her a freak, but nobody was able to explain why she could do things, that others consider to be magic. Even her beloved books had no answer.
World was indeed a strange place.
Severus:
World was a strange place, Severus had always know that.
When he had been little Severus could not figure out why his father was upset when he summoned his baby bottle across the room or when he made his hair turn blue. After all doing so was incredibly funny.
When he grew older his mother reluctantly told him that he was a wizard. Descendant of a powerful line. He was told that the was able to trace his family back to Merlin himself.
Other children feared him, and some called him a freak. Severus did not understand them. He was a wizard after all, far superior to them, mere muggles.
World was indeed a strange place.
Family
Hermione:
Hermione loved her family. Her mother Helen and her father Daniel were very successful dentists but both of her parents made sure to spend every free minute her.
Every year her parents closed her clinic for three weeks and the Grangers would travel throughout the country. By her tenth birthday Hermione was well acquaintanced with every major tourist attraction on the British islands.
On every September 19th Hermione received a stack of books that was larger than herself. Every year at Christmas her parents took her to St. Moritz. There in the snow covered mountains her parents built snowmen with her and her Daddy thought her how to ski.
Her parents loved her and Hermione did not wanted to disappoint them so she tried to be normal. So while she grew up Hermione learned to suppress her extraordinary talents and in the end she forgot how to make something float in mid-air.
She loved her parents and they only wanted the best for her. They were a perfect family.
Severus:
Severus hated his family. His mother was a weakling and his father was a drunkard. They were not interested in spending even the slights amount of time with him.
His mother had once told him, in a rare act of kindness, that he was a wizard and descendant of the proud Prince line. By his tenth birthday Severus had read every single book on magic his mother owned and stealing her wand had become a common practise.
His father had never played a significant part in his life except as a constant source of pain, violence and humiliation. Thankfully most of the time his father was far too drunk to catch him. Unfortunately his mother did not run. His father beat her half to death every other week. Severus could just stand by and watch.
His parents hated him and abused him but he would fight back. He memorized and practised his magic carefully from an early age on. By the time he was ready to leave for Hogwarts, he knew that the question was when and not if he killed his father.
They hated him, they abused him and they would pay. Weren't they a perfect family?
School
Hermione:
Hermione had always loved school. In school she was save for the harassment of other children and she would receive praise after praise.
When Professor McGonagall had told her about magic and Hogwarts Hermione was thrilled. She would meet people, children her age even, who were like her. She would no longer be a freak.
Reality at Hogwarts hit her hard. Her fellow classmates ignored her or bullied her. The Slytherins called her names and nobody seemed to like her but she was not a Gryffindor for nothing.
At the end of her first term Hermione had successfully fought a mountain troll and made two real friends in the process. The two happened to be the most popular boys amongst the Gryffindor first years.
Harry Potter and Ron Weasley never left her site.
Severus:
Severus had always hated school. In school he was bullied by the other children and the teachers would hand out punishment after punishment.
All his live he had dreamed about going to Hogwarts. He would be in Slytherin, the most noble of the four Houses and he would reistablish the glory and power of the Prince line.
Reality at Hogwarts hit him hard. His fellow Slytherins called him halfblood at best, filthiest disgrace of wizard kind at worst. But Severus was not a Slytherin for nothing.
At the end of his first year he knew more about the Dark Arts than the most accomplished seventh years and he made sure that everybody in Slytherin knew that.
Thus Lucius Malfoy entered his live.
Friend:
Hermione:
Hermione had two friends. Harry and Ron helped her and she helped them. Together they survived a numerous adventures and defeated Voldemort. The world called them the golden trio, but for Hermione fame was not important. Their friendship was all that mattered.
Sometimes Hermione thought that it was funny that they were friends. Harry and Ron loved Quidditch, but she hated it. Hermione loved books, but the boys hated reading.
One of her fellow dorm mates had predicted that their friendship would end some day, the other had predicted that they would become lovers. Neither had happened.
They were just friends. Through six years in Hogwarts, one years on the run from Voldemort and all of their adult lives their friendship had grown and flourished.
Hermione had two friends. They would die for her, and she for them.
Severus:
Severus had only had one friend, but his name was not Lucius. Lucius used him and he used Lucius. They used each other to gain influence, power, money and satisfaction but they were not friends.
His fellow Death Eaters were his companions, lovers and later enemies. But never his friends.
The members of the Order of the Phoenix were his enemies, his saviours and later companions. But never his friends.
Albus Dumbledore was his curse and his salvation but most important of all a real friend. He would look at Severus with twinkling blue eyes behind half moon spectacles and offer real words of comfort and compassion.
Severus had only had one friend, and he had killed him.
Hatred
Hermione:
Hermione did not understand hatred.
Of course she hated broken quills or every flavour beans tasting like vomit, but she had never truly hated an other person.
Harry once told her that Snape had been full of hatred, when he had killed Dumbledore. She understood mentally that Snape could only cast the killing curse, because he meant it. But her heart could not imagine to hate someone enough to kill him.
Harry understood this kind of hatred. Still now after seven weeks on the run, hidden in a nameless English wood Harry's whole demeanour changed when he spoke about the man. "Just killing him is to much of a mercy." he would say on such occasions.
Try as she might, Hermione could not bring herself to hate the man. The acts he had committed where unspeakable, his crimes without count and yet she did not hate him.
Hermione did not understand hatred.
Severus:
Severus world knew only hate.
He hated his father, because he was an abusive drunkard. He hated his mother because she was to weak to leave him. He hated his fellow Slytherins because the did not care for him, but only his talents with the dark arts. He hated the Gryffindors, because they bullied him.
But most of all, he hated himself and the choices he had made. His decision to join the Dark Lord lead to the death of the woman he loved. Because of his own choices he had lost his last remaining innocence, his soul and any hope for redemption he ever had.
Albus had tried to show him a world without hatred but he had not succeeded. The demons of his past returned in the form of Potters son. And in the end Albus had cast his principles aside and had used Severus hate for his own agenda.
Severus world knew only hate.
Romance
Hermione:
She had not seen it coming.
He had caught her alone in the forest of Dean. Harry and Ron had been away and she had been alone in their tent. Her wand was with Harry and she was unarmed. She tried to scream but he silenced her with a spell.
What followed where the strangest minutes in Hermiones life. Severus Snape, Headmaster of Hogwarts and Voldemort second in command sat down, brewed tea and talked to her.
He told her about his and Dumbledores plans, the Horcurxes, Voldemorts plans, everything. He did not offer her any explanation, but she did not need any. She was alive and unharmed, it was proof enough.
During the following weeks they would meet again, desperate stolen moments. Sometimes they would cling to each other and desperation turned into passion, but this moments were rear and not spoken about.
The muggleborn Gryffindor and the Slytherin Headmaster had become partners, spies and lovers.
Sometimes life was strange indeed.
Severus:
He had not seen it coming.
Dumbledore had talked him into contacting the golden trio. "Talk to Hermione Granger." Dumbledore had ordered, and thus he had searched for the golden trio.
He found her in the forest of Dean, thankfully alone and unarmed. He brewed her tea and tried to convince her of his true loyalties. To his surprise she believed him.
During the following weeks they met in various places all over the country. The exchanged informations and news. The nature of their meetings changed after she had escaped from Bellatrix torture. Afterwards he was not sure who started it, but within the minute he had her backed up against the nearest wall.
The muggleborn Gryffindor and the Slytherin Headmaster had become partners, spies and lovers.
Sometimes live was strange indeed.
Death
Hermione:
They had won, and yet they had paid a terrible price. So much death, so much destruction. They had lost brothers, friends, allies.
Remus and Tonks, united in death. Their son Teddy had been orphaned before he could talk. He would never know his parents.
Fred prankster extraordinary. George had lost his twin. The others Weasley's their son, their brother. Their family would never be the same.
Collin muggleborn Gryffindor only one the many students who lost their life during the war. They had been children.
Severus greasy git, death eater, spy, lover. Her clothes were still soaked with his blood.
Hermione gulped down a large dose of Dreamless Sleep, she would need it.
Closing her eyes, she welcomed sleeps embrace.
Severus:
The Dark Lord was looming over him, ranting about his wand not functioning properly. Severus tried to listen, but he could not concentrate.
The final battle was coming to a close and still he had not found Potter. "Let me find Potter." He pleaded, but the Dark Lord would not let him go. But Potter needed to know, needed to understand, it was the only thing that mattered.
He looked up trying to read his masters mind, and what he saw frighted him. He was dead.
The pain of Naginis bite was worse than anything he had ever experienced. Worst than every round of torture the Dark Lord had ever punished him with. There was no hope.
Green eyes swam into focus, Potter had appeared. He had to tell him. Potter had to understand. He felt his memories pour from his mind, as Naginis venom spread trough his body. It would not be long now.
He wished he would see her again, meet her in a life without the Dark Lord, without the war, but his hope was futile now. She was lost to him.
Suddenly, miraculous she was there; Hermione had come. Severus tried to smile, but could not.
"Look at me!" he said, as he welcomed Deaths embrace.
Grief
Hermione:
She did not no if it was proper for her to visit his grave so often. They had not been close. To the world he had been nothing more than one of her many teachers. And she had been one of his most annoying students.
Only one other person knew about their more intimidate relationship during the last desperate months of the war. A week after the final battle she had confessed everything to Harry. He had tried to understand, but failed spectacular. Not that it mattered now. He was dead and she was alone.
"I never loved you Severus, but I think I could have." she muttered and closed her hands tightly around the rose she was holding. The thorns priced her skin and she started to bleed.
"Until next time." she said, Letting go of the rose she had been carrying.
A single red rose lay bleeding in the rain.
Severus:
Severus had never dared to visit her grave. It would be too painful, too many feelings, too many memories he had buried but never forgotten. They had been best friends, enemies, secret lovers and so much more. In the end he had murdered her.
Only one person knew about his more intimidate relationship with Lily, and this person had died by his own hands. He still remembered how he had confessed everything to the late Headmaster. Albus had understood him, having been in love with his mortal enemy himself.
Tears streamed down his face. "I love you Lily, I always will." he muttered. Out of impulse he reached for his wand and slashed it over is left palm. Blood splattered everywhere.
"Soon we will meet once more." he said letting go of the lily he had been carrying.
A single white lily lay bleeding in the rain.
Life
Hermione:
Elysium was a wonderful place. No pain, no hardship no darkness. Endless sunny days spent in silent contempt reading at the shores of Hogwarts lake surrounded by her friends and family.
He was also there. His face not lined from a life full of sorrow, his soul not trapped in a world of his own making. He was just Severus in this wonderful place, not a professor, not a headmaster, not a spy and never a Death Eater.
When she had dreamed to spend their lives together, she had envisioned them in the wizarding world. She would be studying to become a Potions Mistress and he would be the Headmaster of Hogwarts, but their faith had been different.
However that was not important now. He loved her, and she had loved him. They were united for eternity.
Life had been kind to her indeed.
Severus:
Elysium was a wonderful place. No pain, no hardship no darkness. He would spend endless hours playing chess with Albus and read "Potions Monthly" without being disturbed by the Dark Lord. Even the Dark Mark was gone.
She was also there, more beautiful than she had ever been. Her hair was longer and she had gained weight, giving her curves in all the right places. She was still surrounded by her friends but even Potter and Weasley seemed to be more tolerable than before.
He had once dreamed about a live with her, after the war. He had planed to retire and open his own apothecary or potions store. He would offer her a job or an apprenticeship. Over the years they would grow close, and maybe one day they would become a family.
But faith had other plans for them, and no they where here, in this timeless garden united for eternity.
Life had been kind to him indeed.