SUMMARY:

Hermione is about to receive a mysterious gift: a gorgeous fashion ring that is about to change Hermione's future—or her past—forever. What does this have to do with a certain potions professor, and what is it he wants from her? Hermione is about to embark on a brand-new adventure, just after the last had finally ended. This time, she'll face questions about her own purpose, questions she never thought she'd have to ask herself. Hopefully Albus's parting words to her reached Fate's ears: "Best of luck to you, Miss Granger."

DISCLAIMER: While I can claim ownership to many things, these characters are not among them. JK Rowling is nice enough to let us play with them. Her Kindergarten teacher must have been really good—she's great at sharing! :D

And JK, I promise to put them back where they belong when I'm done! ;)

NOTES:

In this fic:

- Assume that Hermione's friends do not have a nickname for her (because she doesn't have one in the books)

- The use of Time-Turners and other means of traveling through time have no affect on the aging of the person using them (i.e. Hermione has not aged an extra year because of her use of the Time-Turner in her 3rd year; JK gave us no indication that this happened, and assuming that time travelers don't age whilst doing so works better for the plot line of this fic)

- Hermione and Ron never kissed during the battle of Hogwarts—they hugged instead (I know, a little cheesy, but again, that will work better for the story)

- Music is serving as inspiration for this story, so there will be a lot of lyrics included. If you're interested in listening to the songs while reading the chapters that contain them, you can scroll to the bottom of the chapter to see which songs are included. I'm putting the acknowledgements at the end of those chapters in case there are some readers who don't want the spoilers before they read the chapter.

Also, in this story, when script is underlined, it denotes a direct quote from the books. (As in, I don't own those words; JK does.)

Hermione Granger always considered herself a horrible judge of character—as far as first impressions were concerned, that is.

When she started grammar school, she became close friends with three girls who, two years later, ditched her because she cared more about books than boys. She had obviously chosen the wrong girls to hang out with.

When she came across Pansy Parkinson in Diagon Alley the first time she went there to buy school supplies, she thought the girl kind and intelligent. At Hogwarts, she discovered that the girl was in fact a bigoted jerk who couldn't give a flying flip about academics.

The first time she met Neville, her immediate impression was that he was a little slow, but over the first few weeks of classes, she came to realize that he was just often nervous and somewhat clumsy.

She had thought Harry and Ron insensitive idiots with no redeeming qualities—this was the misconception for which she was most grateful in her life.

Similar things could be said about her first impressions of Quirrell, Lockhart, Remus (or second impression, in his case, when she thought he was aiding a murderer), Sirius, Draco in sixth year (surprisingly he was as much a victim as his target), and even Albus Dumbledore.

But the one man that most stumped her personality-appraising skills was Severus Snape.

At the Welcoming Feast of her first year, seeing him sulking at the head table, Hermione had thought him a depressing figure. After his introductory speech in their first potions' class, she knew he was intelligent and passionate, and she assumed her first impression was incorrect. Soon she found that he was biased and somewhat cruel. However, she hadn't seen the incident in Harry's first Quidditch match coming; that was for sure. She had acted impulsively and accused him of attempting to murder his own student. After Quirrell had died and Voldemort had been delayed, and Hermione learned that Snape had in fact been attempting to save Harry, she decided never to doubt his intentions again.

To this end, she spent the next few years of school defending the brooding, mysterious potions master to her friends and classmates. He might be a right git, but they didn't know why, and he had certainly shown that he was on their side, even if he wasn't nice or happy about it. Besides, there was always something in his eyes—when he looked at and talked to Hermione specifically, anyway; she didn't know if anyone else could see it—that suggested some other emotions besides anger and hatred. He just couldn't be as bad as he made himself to appear.

Her vehemence in defending him through the years, she thought, might have contributed to her difficulty accepting his guilt in Dumbledore's death/murder. However, she was more inclined to think him innocent simply because her instinct told her he was guilty. After all, her instinct had led her astray many times previously. She was certain he was…well, maybe not innocent, but certainly less guilty than others thought him to be.

That was why she was so pained and flustered when they discovered him in the Shrieking Shack with Voldemort. Hermione felt her heart wrench and twist within her, knowing that her respected potions' master (and, to be honest, her former school-girl crush) was lying on the floor, bleeding enough to kill an elephant let alone a 165-pound man.

And then, when Harry was ending it all, Hermione discovered that her faith in the man had truly been justified. When they finally got a moment to rest, the deaths of so many brave and innocent people flooded Hermione's heart. She listed them in her mind over and over: Sirius, Remus, Nymphadora, Fred, Ted Tonks, Severus, Dobby, Hedwig, Mad-Eye, Colin, and dozens of others.

So much death, she thought, as she sat in the Great Hall, listening to those around her celebrating the downfall of Voldemort and mourning their many losses. She didn't hesitate for a moment when Harry left, grabbing Ron and escaping with her best friends.

"That wand's more trouble than it's worth," said Harry. "And quite honestly, I've had enough trouble for a lifetime."

The trio was about to head back out of the Headmaster's office when Dumbledore's portrait called out once more. "Actually, I wonder if, Miss Granger, you'd be willing to do one more, small thing before you depart?"

Hermione was exhausted, but she couldn't deny this man anything. He had worked so hard for so many years to keep her and her friends alive. The least she could do was a small favor. "Certainly, Professor. What can I do for you?"

"If you would grab both Harry's Invisibility Cloak and your marvelous beaded bag, I'd like you to follow me into Severus's private office." At the quizzical look on Harry and Ron's faces, Dumbledore continued. "You'll have the cloak back in a few minutes, Harry. I just have a small job for Hermione to do, and then she will join you in Gryffindor Tower. Have a good night, boys." It was a clear dismissal, so the two boys trudged up to their old dormitory without the third of their group, leaving the Invisibility Cloak with Hermione. Hesitantly, she followed Dumbledore's portrait-self through a door behind the massive desk.

"Professor Dumbledore, what exactly is it that you need me to do?"

Indicating the desk at the right-hand side of the room, he requested, "Please take the seat behind Severus's desk, Miss Granger." Puzzled, she did as asked before turning to face the landscape that Dumbledore was currently occupying.

He sighed before continuing. "Miss Granger, there is a small package in the top right drawer for you, from Severus. Only you and he are able to open that drawer, and no one is permitted in the room with you when you do so. Please take out the package and open it. All will be revealed afterwards."

When she had opened the drawer, utterly perplexed at what Professor Snape could possibly have to give to her, she pulled off of the little box the nondescript, brown wrapping paper (which had Hermione Granger written across it in elegantly-scrawling script that she recognized as belonging to her professor). Pulling off the lid to the box, she saw the most beautiful piece of jewelry she had ever encountered. A silver ring with a ruby surrounded by a golden snake with two tiny emeralds for eyes sat within the black velvet interior of the box. Gasping softly, Hermione took it out to examine the ring more closely.

As she looked the ring over, Dumbledore continued speaking. "Miss Granger, my next instructions may seem odd, but I must insist that you follow them. As I said previously, everything will be revealed to you eventually. I suggest that you don the Invisibility Cloak before putting on the ring. And once the ring is on, it must not come off until I have expressly given permission! Do I make myself clear?"

Hermione nodded, saying seriously, "Absolutely, Professor. It won't come off."

"Good." His painted eyes twinkled at her as a mischievous smile graced his lips. "Go ahead and don the Cloak and then the ring." As she did so, she heard his whisper of, "Best of luck to you, Miss Granger."

As soon as Hermione had the ring on the middle finger of her left hand, the room around her vanished into suffocating blackness.

The book quote is, of course, from the very end of the last chapter of Deathly Hallows.