What She Discovered
AN: A little plot bunny that popped up. My real stories will be up soon, so bear with me, I am still trying to figure everything out. I don't own Harry Potter.
Every day since she was eleven she had walked into his class room, and he had watched her grow. She was best friends with his daughter, Maria Jean Snape. It was ironic, to the professor, Hermione Jean Granger friends with her daughter, who was older than she was. He remembered it all. From day one.
***
It was the year 1978 and the early spring air was full of love and beauty. Severus Snape was disgusted. He watched his once childhood friend, Lilly Evans, suck face with their one time worst enemy, James Potter. They used to laugh in the summers at what an arrogant toe rag he was, how he wasn't ever going to be used to the space he took up. Now, she must have felt different. Now he had messed everything up. Now he had to live with that.
"Lilly!" Alice Wright yelled. Snape watched the two carry on a conversation, jealous, that he wasn't in her close confidence anymore.
Suddenly, though, his life changed. Crashing out of the forest came a beautiful girl. "Shit," she muttered. "HARRY POTTER SHOW YOURSELF!!! THAT WASN'T FUNNY!" She then caught sight of James and stalked up to him. "Harry James Potter, I swear on your very valuable life I will kill you if you do that again! How did you get away so fast? And how could you…" Her beautiful face became very pale suddenly and she ran off into the school.
James and Lilly were heard saying, "Who was that?" "Whose Harry?" and other such things trying to figure it out. Snape decided to follow the new girl. When he got into the school he broke out into a run.
"MISS!!!" he yelled, "WAIT!" She slowed down and looked at him. She stopped, a broken time turner could be seen in her hand at closer inspection. As a matter of fact, they both inspected each other closer. She was beautiful, he thought. Her dark brown curls had bits of twigs in them, and her honey gold eyes raked over his form. Her skin was tan, her cheeks flushed rose from the exhortation of running. Her lips were parted where you could see her straight white teeth. She was about 5' 3" and extremely skinny. It was almost enough to worry about.
She looked at him and liked what she saw. She had always found Severus Snape attractive, but, well, he was her professor and as such was off limits. She saw him at right at 6 feet, and well built. He was actually wearing something other than all black; he had on a pair of black jeans and an emerald green shirt with his black wizarding robes over them. The green shirt was tight and you could clearly see the muscles underneath. His black hair was pulled back by a simple black leather cord. All together, he was very handsome.
After a few seconds she spoke. "I must go see the headmaster right away. It is of the upmost importance…" she sounded hesitant.
"At least let me escort you. I have never seen you here before and must assume you don't know where everything is." Snape said silkily. She warily nodded warily and they continued walking. "What is your name, Miss?" he questioned as the slowly made their way to the headmaster's.
"Umm… Jean Carmenia Gardner…" she said hesitantly. Severus wasn't sure if she was nervous around him or if she was lying. "And yours? And your age?" she questioned back.
He replied to her, "I am Severus Tobias Prince Snape. I am 17, but I will be 18 come next September." He heard a sharp intake of breath and saw her eyes grow wide. Her pace quickened. "What is your hurry, Miss Gardner?"
"I am in soo much trouble is all, Profe—Mr. Snape." She stumbled out. He couldn't be sure but it seemed like he had almost been called Professor Snape. He liked the way that sounded; maybe he should be a teacher…
They reached the gargoyle that had the headmaster's office behind it. "Thank you, Mr. Snape, you have been kind." She then proceeded to list many sweets, muggle and magical, until she found the answer. It was, "Bogie flavored Berttie Botts Every Flavored Beans." Snape was impressed that she knew the secret of the headmaster's office. She went inside. All Severus could think of is how he hoped to see her again.
***
That night at dinner the whole school was abuzz about the beautiful young girl who had mysteriously showed up that day. Dumbledore swept in late with the beautiful young girl. "Attention students!" Dumbledore announced, "We have a late exchange student here. She is from a prestigious boarding school that was in America and her parents decided that she should go home to England for school. So, without further ado, Miss Jean Carmenia Gardner. She has been sorted privately and is in Gryffindor. I hope you all forgive her outburst earlier, it was merely just her believing she saw another student." Everyone clapped for the new seventh year and then went to go and sit alone at the Gryffindor table. Lilly went to go and sit with her, though the girl seemed a touch frightened.
There were only a few months left before graduation, and no one thought this new seventh year would be ready, but somehow, she quickly beat Lilly Evans in everything. She was not really a loner, but kept her distance. Severus had to get to know this beautiful girl. He asked her out to the next Hogsmede weekend.
***
On that May Day Severus met the beautiful young Gryffindor at the front doors. The day went perfectly, and the shy girl began showing her true colors, a know it all. This intrigued Severus, she seemed to know everything! It made him begin to feel things that he hadn't felt since he had been rejected by Lilly. He thought he was calling in love. Hermione Granger, a girl from the future, was falling in love with her future potions teacher. It scared her a touch. Even so, they still began going steady, and Jean broke out of her shell. One night in the dormitories she confessed her true feelings for Severus.
***
"I know what we could do tonight…" Lilly sing-songed.
"What?" Alice Wright asked not sure.
"Truth or Dare…" she said in an ominous voice. Jean was glad that was it, it would be fun. They were graduating the next day anyway… And she would be going home, though, in roughly two years. It was to be on March 22, 1980. Exactly two years later.
"Sounds like fun, lets play," Jean said happily.
"Okay, Okay, me first." Lilly squealed. "Jean, Truth or Dare."
"Truth," Jean answered.
"Are you in love with Severus Snape, notorious Slytherin…" Alice asked.
"Yes, completely, though I don't know if that is good or bad considering my situation." The girls nodded understandingly, they knew the fake situation, stating that she was actually on the run from a dark American wizard. "My question next… Alice, have you snogged Frank Longbottom?"
Alice blushed, "You didn't ask truth or dare, so now I choose dare." She smiled happily, glad to be out of that.
"For your dare," Jean said ominously, "You have to answer three truths…" Alice's face visibly reddened while Lilly laughed like a maniac.
"Fine, what are they?" Alice said bravely. She was, after all a Gryffindor.
"One, have you ever snogged Frank Longbottom? Two, are you two dating? And three, do you want to marry him." Lilly ticked off fast. She looked to Jean for approval and she nodded.
"Yes, Yes, and Yes…" Alice replied truthfully. This caused Lilly to squeal in delight and for Jean to smile. Neville's parents were now an item. As were Harry's. She knew that everything was all right with Ron's, since Bill Weasley was a little first year who seemed to be drooling to join the Quittich team. She only hoped with her selfishness that she hadn't ruined it for Maria Jean Snape.
***
The next day at graduation was quite eventful. Three marriage proposals happened. Dumbledore was worried at the third. Did Severus know that she had no control over when she would have to leave him?
***
Three months later Hermione Jean Granger found herself in Dumbledore's office. With Severus Snape. They were to be married tomorrow, same place, in his office, with Minerva McGonagall and Professor Flitwick as their witnesses.
"Severus, there is something I need to tell you before we get married. I wanted Dumbledore here to help… explain I suppose." Jean said nervously. Severus nodded for her to continue, curious as to what was making her so nervous and why she was trembling slightly. He wanted to hold her, tell her everything was all right. "Severus, as far as the state is concerned, I am, in age, well in general, I shouldn't exist," she had stumbled trying to find the right words to break to him that she was an infant, younger than that. "I am from the future," she continued. "I am from 1998 to be exact. I am best friends with the son of the deceased Lilly and James Potter, the youngest son of Molly and Arthur Weasley, and the only daughter of our sometimes cruel and sarcastic potions professor, Severus Snape."
"What are your names? All four of you?"
"Harry James Potter, you heard me scream his name, Ronald Billius Weasley, who we call Ron, me, Hermione Jean Granger, know it all extraordinaire, and your daughter, Maria Jean Snape," she whispered quietly, chuckling slightly as she described herself. Severus sank down into a chair. She was, is, going to be, in Gryffindor. I asked her once about her mother. Would you like to see it?
Snape nodded his consent and, with Dumbledore's consent, used his Pensive. The two jumped in.
***
Hermione whispered as they began watching the memory, "This is your class."
Snape was suddenly attentive. Was he a good teacher? From what Jean… no, Hermione, had said he wasn't very nice. Her words had been "slightly cruel and sarcastic." He remembered her telling stories about him. He had seemed mean to most of her friends and her. Never really her or his daughter, but to her other housemates. He watched.
A tall, bat like man swept into the dungeons. Severus didn't like the look of him and hoped this was a sub. The hair on the man's head was greasy, something he had worked hard at controlling since the fifth year after his and Lilly's friendship began declining. He also had an air of sadness that may cause him to be cruel. When the teacher spun around, his robes billowing, Severus saw that it was himself, around twenty years older.
"Granger!" he barked. "What is the Puto Tergum Amor Potion?"
"It is a potion that makes a person remember their past lives," Hermione ticked off. "It is said to work on people who time travel as well, helping them to remember what they will do, hypothetically in the future… It is very confusing. Many people don't understand it."
"Correct. Here are the instructions. We will not be testing it on each other. That could prove detrimental to our time line." He seemed to give Hermione a long look. They worked and Severus watched as his future self walked around intimidating many of the Gryffindors, and a few Slytherins. He stayed away from a table that he now say a young Hermione at. She was sitting next to a girl. They appeared to be in their forth year. Looking at the two, one could think they might be sisters. They other girl had black uncontrollable curls, like Hermione's brown next to her. Something that must get better with age, Snape thought, amused. She had Severus's black eyes, and thankfully, not his nose.
"Oh my Merlin…" Hermione whispered. "I just realized how much she looks like a mixture between you and me. She is…" Hermione trailed off.
Eventually the class was over. The two could go back to the common room finally.
Hermione looked nervous but asked, "Jean, what ever happened to your mother? Is that why Snape is always so angry?"
"I don't know, you see, my mother had to leave right after I was born. I am not sure why, but it had something to do with the war… I am not sure who she was. I have her name, or alias, as my middle name. Jean. I know she loved me though. She left me a locket, wanna see it? She got it when she turned sixteen. It has a note written inside." Maria pulled out a beautiful silver heart locket with red rubies imbedded in it. She pulled out a note.
My darling daughter,
Hello, how are you? I wonder how old you are now, able to read. How I wish I was there. How I wish I could watch your early years. I should be there by the time you turn twenty, hopefully.
I always pictured my first born, how excited me and my husband would be, how hard we would find it. How rewarding it would be. I don't get that though. Life must go on, even through hardship.
I am leaving you this locket, so that you know can remember me. We will be best friends. Unfortunately, I cannot leave you a picture, for it would be dangerous. Your father has pictures; please don't go looking at them. It would crush you one day.
I love you, my darling daughter,
Your adoring mother
Hermione looked at the now tearful Jean. "Oh Jean! I am so sorry! It makes so much more since now."
They left the dream. Snape looked over at her, and leaned over, capturing their lips in a kiss. "I love you! It doesn't matter that you will be gone from me for twenty years. I can wait."
Hermione smiled tearfully up at the man. Her life was so amazing right now she thought she could cry.
***
Hermione Jean Granger married Severus Tobias Prince Snape on August 24, 1978. It was funny to Hermione to think that she was married before she was even born. She found out she was not long after her first anniversery pregnant and due to have her baby on March 15, 1979. Ironically, that was two days before she was to be born, and only one week until the magic wore off and she had to leave her infant and husband. She cried a lot, distraught. Severus said he would be fine, they would survive. But it didn't help.
Hermione had a few complications, and her daughter ended up being two days late. The decided that Hermione should be with her mother, even if it was just for recovery support and confounded the nurse to put Jean Snape in the same room as Erin Granger. They became fast friends, even though Erin thought Jean was too young. "Jean," she said as she left the hospital. "You are a wonderful young girl. I hope my daughter is like you." She then left a hysterical Hermione.
Snape then took her home, and they spent the next three days as a family, taking as many pictures as possible.
On the day she was to leave, they all traveled to Hogwarts. She was with the headmaster in his office. She was curious as to the future. "Do you think they have defeated Voldemort yet?" she wondered aloud. As the time got closer, she leaned over to Severus and Maria. "Severus, please give Maria this. It is a letter, and my locket. I dearly love her. And you. It seems so unfair, I will see you in twenty minutes, but you must wait twenty years to have me back."
"It is alright love, I have Maria to take care of, it will be fine, you aren't leaving me alone." Severus looked deep into her eyes. "I love you, and always will."
Hermione was crying at the fact of leaving her love to age without her. She kissed her daughter and whispered, "I love you," and then said, "I love you, Severus Snape. Please kiss me." He did as she asked, tears streaming down each of their faces, and she eventually disappeared, leaving Severus and Maria alone for the next twenty years.
***
Hermione arrived in the headmaster's office on March 22, 2000. Facing away from the desk she heard a voice say, "I have been expecting you, Love. Don't turn around yet…" she heard a voice say, one that she would never forget.
She did as she was told and heard a voice say, "Is that your mother, Maria?" It sounded like Harry. "She seems oddly familiar… Like… It can't be…"
"My Harry is right, she does seem familiar and really young…" came the voice of Ginny Weasley.
"Babe," she heard Ronald say to her daughter, "her hair is just like yours and the only other person I know with that kind of hair is –"
"Hermione?" Maria answered.
Hermione spun around at that and said, "Yes, it is me." She looked at Severus, and ran up to him, hugging him tightly around the waist, since it was the only part she could reach. Everyone's draw dropped to the floor as Severus recaptured her lips, after twenty long years.
Harry was the first to be able to speak with, "Wha- How? Hermione and Maria have the same exact birthdays…"
"You broke my time turner two years ago exactly when we were mock practicing in the forest. I happened to be sent back in time to go to your parent's and Severus' last year there. I graduated and got married and had baby before I was even born. Did you know that Maria is three hours older than me?" Hermione giggled, happy to be home.
"So, you're my mother?" Maria asked.
"If it makes you uncomfortable, don't call me mother or mum, or any variation, I would understand, I mean, I am younger than you." Hermione paused for a second to think. "Merlin, I am twenty years old, and have been married twenty two years, as well I had a baby physically five days ago, but she is twenty years old…" Hermione thought that was crazy, but maybe that was just her.
It wasn't though. Ron's eyes got wide, as well as Maria's. Suddenly she ran up to her mother and gave her a huge hug. "I love you, Mum."
Tears sprang to everyone who was there's eyes. "Of course Severus, you haven't really met your in-laws, and Maria hasn't met her aunts and uncles. If memory serves me correctly, they actually should be starting Hogwarts soon."
"I have aunts and uncles, and I am older than them…" Maria mused, making Hermione laugh.
"Of course, you are even older than your mother!" They broke the hug and everyone went back to their significant other. Life was going to be perfect.
***
That next September Hermione Snape decided to go to Kings Cross Station so that she could meet up with her parents. She was the new Potions Mistress, and the next year she was going to be the Head of Gryffindor and Deputy Head because McGonagall was finally retiring. She saw her mum and dad enter onto the platform. "MUM! DAD!" she yelled and ran over to them with no decorum. She was about five months pregnant and just beginning to show. A very amused Severus and Maria followed the eccentric woman.
"Hermione? Is that you?" her mother questioned.
"Yes Mum, it is." She laughed at the puzzled looks on the faces of her siblings. "Harold, Harriett, it is me! Remember? Would you like to meet your neice?" Maria rolled her eyes.
"Mione, you are still pregnant!"
"With my second child. Maria, come meet your grandparents and your aunt and uncle."
"How do you do?" Maria asked stepping forward.
"What?" Her father asked.
"Why don't we go out and I can help explain. So long as we get back in time for the feast, of course." He smiled at his in-laws. "She is the potions teacher and I am the headmaster. We can explain to Harold and Harriett later."
The Snapes all smiled, everything in the world was right. Their big happy family was finally complete.
