Fractured Glass
By, StarGazr
This is my first attempt at a Severus/Hermione piece. I know all who are reading this are thinking 'another time-turner piece?!' but believe me when I tell you that this is different... heard that one before... OK, I would offer money, but I work for a daycare and we don't get paid a lot... please try it :) Let me know what you think
I was very skeptical about posting this... I wanted to write the whole thing then post it... I get so influenced by the wonderful comments I get, that sometimes I get sidetracked. But, thanks to the influence of Colli, you're going to get a look at the prologue today! Yay for you! But since Colli has a general idea... nix that, she knows Snape's gonna be in it and that's why she's beta-ing for me... luv ya hon... so I WILL stay on track!
Thanks so much to Lithorose for previewing this... she's a skeptic in the genre but stuck by me anyways! And to Colli... my Alan swooning partner... stop drooling on the papers or I won't let you edit anymore!
Fractured Glass
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Prologue
"After the fall of Rome, Muggles began to scatter. They were divided and leaderless, and..." a bell rang cutting her off. "All right class, finish reading this section for Thursday. I'll see you then."
A dozen young witches and wizards made their way out of the bright classroom. One student stayed behind and approached his professor. "Professor Granger?"
Hermione Granger turned to face the young boy. "Yes, Mr. Weasley?" She couldn't help but smile at the boy who she was sure looked more like his father Bill than his mother Angela.
"Uncle Harry gave this to me last night and wanted me to give it to you," he said, handing her a rolled up piece of parchment. "Uncle Harry says Hedwig is getting old, and I'm not," he grinned.
"Thank you, Arthur. Ready for your match against Hufflepuff?" she asked, breaking the wax seal on the parchment.
"You bet, Professor! If we beat them by at least ninety points, Gryffindor will take the lead for the Quidditch Cup!" Arthur beamed.
"Well good luck to you, and tell the team I said the same. Go on now, you don't want to miss practice," she said. Arthur yelled his good-bye and dashed out of the classroom. Like his father and uncles before him, Arthur was one of the team's beaters.
Hermione rested her hip on the side of the desk and unrolled the parchment. Harry's distinct scrawl made her smile. 'Hermione, Hedwig has just finished a long trip to see Sirius and I didn't want her making the trip to Hogwarts so soon afterwards. It's hard to believe, but my girl is getting old. I'm coming to Hogwarts Tuesday evening. By the time you read this, you should know why. Ginny sends her love, and she misses you. I love you, and I'll see you soon. Harry.'
"What on Earth?" she wondered aloud. She glanced at the clock and noticed that it was almost evening already.
Harry Potter hadn't returned to Hogwarts since he had graduated more than half a decade before. After Voldemort's demise in their seventh year, Harry had played professional Quidditch for two years before he and Ginny Weasley had gotten engaged and eventually married. Not long after that, he decided that his Quidditch days were over and began a year-long training program to become an Auror. These days, he and Ron Weasley were a pair not to be reckoned with. Hermione had learned from the letters she received from them that they had been assigned to the task of taking down the last of the Death Eaters. They showed littler mercy to the souls that had terrorized their classmates and hundreds of innocent people.
After graduating, Hermione had gone off to America where she studied Transfigurations for two years before realizing that her passions lay in history. Upon returning to England, Hermione held a dual degree in the History of Magic and Muggle Studies, and Albus Dumbledore had offered her an apprenticeship with Hogwarts' Muggle Studies instructor, Professor Kendall. Professor Kendall announced his intentions to retire, and Hermione was asked to step up as Professor of Muggle Studies.
Sighing deeply, Hermione rolled up the parchment and stood. She was headed for the door when there was a knock. Headmaster Albus Dumbledore and Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall stepped into the room. "Good evening, Professors," Hermione said. "I was just coming to see you, Albus." His name still didn't sound right to her as it rolled off her tongue. She had been trying to use it, as he had requested, for the past year.
"I see you received Mr. Potter's letter, Hermione," Albus said.
"That's why I was coming to see you. What is he talking about? Why is he coming to Hogwarts?"
Albus held up his hand to stop her questions. "Relax Hermione, that's why I am here," he said. Hermione nodded and took a deep breath. "Harry is coming here as a personal favor to me."
"Are you all right, Professor?" Hermione asked. She scrunched her nose as she called him 'Professor.' Nothing that came out of her mouth sounded right.
"Yes, yes, I am perfectly fine." The smile he gave assured Hermione that the one-hundred-plus-year old Headmaster was indeed still in good health.
"Harry is going to be escorting you to the Ministry of Magic on Hogwarts business," Minerva informed her.
Hermione turned to her former Transfigurations professor. "Why am I going to the Ministry?" she inquired.
"Hogwarts has come into possession of a rare artifact," Hermione stood up straighter as she listened to what Albus had to say. "During a routine search of the grounds and, we stumbled upon an unregistered time turner."
Hermione braced her arms on the desk, cocking her head in interest. "Why are you getting rid of it? Why not just have it registered?"
"You see, Hermione," Albus explained, "this is a rare time turner that we have found."
"We believe that it has the capability of transporting its user further back in time than mere hours," Minerva supplied. "From the markings on it, we believe that if used, it could send a person back several years in time."
"I never knew such a thing existed," Hermione confessed.
"It's not a known artifact in the magical world. I'm sure you can imagine how dangerous an object like this would be," Albus said. Hermione nodded in agreement. "Because you are a registered time turner user, I am requesting that you make sure that it safely arrives at theMinistry."
Absorbing the information, Hermione absently nodded. "Yes, I'll take it. But that still doesn't answer why Harry is coming with me."
"We couldn't afford to let anything happen to Hogwarts' favorite Muggles Studies professor."
Hermione whipped around at the sound of the new voice. "Harry!" she exclaimed, crossing the room into his open arms. Her heart soared as his arms came around her waist. It had been a long time since she'd held him.
"We will leave you two to chat. I will be in my office when you are ready to leave," Albus said, leading Minerva from the room.
Harry pulled back and looked at her. He kissed her gently on the cheek and smiled down at her. "Teaching has treated you well, Mia," he said, using the nickname that he had given her in their seventh year. "Ginny sends her love."
"How are she and my goddaughter?" Hermione inquired.
"Lily has learned how to talk," Harry said, taking up Hermione's place on the edge of her desk. Hermione stood in front of him, her arms crossed casually across her chest. "I think Ginny taught her just so I can have another woman yapping in my ear," he said, with a proud grin on his face all the same. Lily Virginia Potter, born almost two years prior, was Ron and Hermione's godchild. Hermione felt her heart clench as she realized how fast the girl was growing up and how little she'd visited.
Harry leaned forward as if to tell Hermione a secret. "We're hoping for a boy this time around," he smiled.
Hermione's eyes grew and a smile spread across her face. "Oh, Harry, that's wonderful!" she exclaimed, hugging her friend. She closed her eyes and remembered a time when holding Harry was more than a friendly gesture. The simple use of the nickname he had given her was enough to send her senses back in time to their final year at Hogwarts.
A small smile spread on Hermione's as she recalled the five weeks of sneaking around behind their friends' backs and stealing kisses in the halls, followed by almost a year of sheer bliss together. It was around nine months into their relationship that Hermione had begun to get the feeling that she was missing out on something. To this day, she couldn't put her finger on the feeling she had had, but she knew that her future did not lie with the young man she was with. Within a week, the golden couple of Hogwarts was no more. They walked away from the relationship with no hard feelings, but slipped back into the role of being friends.
"How far along is she?" Hermione inquired.
"Five months, she's just starting to not fit into her clothes. Bloody moody as hell," he said, smiling.
"I'm sorry I haven't stopped by," she said quietly.
"The door swings both ways," Harry admitted. "None of us have been very good friends over the years. The only reasons Ron and I see each other are the facts that I'm married to his sister and that we work together."
"But you still see each other, all the time!" Hermione exclaimed. She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair.
"Mia," Harry said, looking her over for the first time. "Where is all your hair?" he said, gaping at her.
"Oh," Hermione said, gingerly touching her shortened hair. After she had accepted the position at Hogwarts, Hermione decided she needed a more professional look for herself. One afternoon, while in Diagon Alley, she consulted Madame Malkin on this very topic. The witch who had helped Hermione with her robes over the years had been more than happy to help her now. Hermione had gone with a shoulder length style and the untamed curls of her youth were transformed into sleek layers that framed her face.
The little make-up she wore was charmed onto her face in the morning. Even after living with Lavender and Parvati for seven years, she never learned the fine art, and patience, of applying make-up. Madame Malkin had taught her several basic charms to avoid the application process.
Laughing as Harry still stared at her, Hermione twirled once. Her deep red satin robes swished around her feet. "I needed a more professional look," she explained.
"You look beautiful," he said. "Teaching really has treated you well."
"I would say the same about you being an Auror, but you look like you could use a week's worth of sleep," Hermione said, as she saw the shadows under her friend's eyes.
"As soon as I see you safely to the Ministry, I'm taking some overdue vacation time. You should come home with me. You've got Easter break coming up, and Ginny would love to see you," he said.
"I would love to, Harry," she said after a moment's thought. "I could use some time away from here. I don't think I'll be needed, seeing as not many students stay over the holiday. I can come back here tomorrow, then I can leave."
"Great," Harry smiled. "So, do you want to get going? I want to stop in to see Lupin before I leave, though."
"I'll head up to see Albus, and I'll meet you in the entrance hall in thirty minutes?" Hermione gathered up her cloak as Harry headed out of her classroom.
Hermione headed for the Headmaster's office. She called out the password and ascended the moving staircase. "Ahh, Hermione. I'm glad you decided to accept this task," Albus said, reaching into his desk and removing a deep purple cloth made of velvet. "Please make sure this makes it to the Ministry of Magic safely. I trust that you can keep its existence a secret as well, Hermione."
"Of course, Albus. Does Harry know what it is?"
"No, all he knows that you are carrying something of great importance to the Ministry, and that you and it are to be delivered safely," Albus said.
" But surely you realize that I can get it to the Ministry."
"Someone hid that time turner, and if it were discovered by someone who planned to use it for ill purposes... well I'm sure you can just imagine, Hermione. I would feel much better if I knew that you were protected by one of the best Aurors the Ministry had to offer," he explained to her.
Hermione tucked the folded cloth into her robes without even examining it. "I will contact you once I have turned it over to the Ministry officials."
"I will see you tomorrow then, Hermione," he said, smiling. "Do be careful, my dear. That is no ordinary time turner that you are carrying." Hermione nodded and turned, going back out of the office, and down the moving staircase.
Walking quickly down several sets of stairs and greeting the students she passed, Hermione threw her cloak over her shoulders and worked on fastening it. Once she was on the main floor she still was struggling with the cloak. Muttering to herself in frustration, she looked down and finally achieved fastening the silver clasp. She suddenly felt herself crash into something quite solid. Hermione felt herself falling backwards towards the floor, and would have landed, had the object she had crashed into not caught her and hauled her back to her feet.
"Hermione, please pay attention," a deep voice demanded.
"I'm so sorry, Severus," she said breathlessly. "I was trying to fasten the clasp on my cloak and couldn't do it without looking down," she tried to explain.
Severus Snape let out an exasperated sigh, "Hermione, please stop talking," he insisted. Over the past three years, Hermione and Snape had established an understanding of one another. After her return to Hogwarts, their conversations had been few and far between but, none of the other professors spent as much time in the library as they did. Their paths were always crossing. Small talk turned into short conversations which turned into almost daily talks about their jobs and mutual interests in literature, potions, and history. Hermione had been skeptical at first at the change in his character, but gradually came to enjoy his company.
Hermione had always respected the Potions Master as she had respected all of her professors. She had gradually come to valued his opinion as well. During her two years as an assistant to Professor Kendall, Hermione knew that Snape still saw her as a student. Over the past year she had come to consider him a friend and a confidante. There weren't many people in her life who appreciated learning quite like she did, but in her eyes, Severus seemed to thrive on it in the same way she did. His eyes seemed alive when they discussed topics of literature, religion, alchemy, or history. In unspoken agreement, they never discussed their personal lives. Hermione knew that he regretted a lot of things about his past, and felt that if she tried to bring it up, he might turn away from her.
After much badgering from Hermione, he had reluctantly been convinced to drop the formality of calling her Miss Granger and had been swayed into letting her call him Severus. "Next time," he said, "wait until you stop walking before you stop paying attention to where you are going."
She studied him for a moment. "That made little to no sense," she said. "Where are you off to?" she asked, adjusting her robes and cloak, and continuing her walk toward the entrance hall.
"I was looking for you, actually," he told her, walking beside her. "I know where you are going," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
Hermione stopped in her tracks, and turned to him. "Don't worry about me, Severus," she said with a soft smile. "Harry is coming with me, and I'm just making the delivery. I should be back before dawn."
"Granger," he growled, pulling her aside and into the shadows. "I'm giving you a warning." Hermione was used to his acting overbearing sometimes, but rarely did he ever touch her. He gripped her upper arms and forced her to look up at him. "You are transporting a very dangerous artifact," he hissed, his sharp featured darkened by the shadows. "You need to listen to me very
carefully."
"Severus, you're hurting my arms," she whimpered. His long fingers were digging into the soft flesh of her upper arms, even through the fabric of her robes and cloak. "You're scaring me."
"If you change the past, you affect the future," he said cryptically.
"What are you talking about," she demanded, as she felt his grip loosen, then disappear. He stepped away from her.
"Whatever happens to you, remember that every action has a consequence. Don't let your emotions get in the way of what has to transpire. No matter what," he said, quietly and turning away from her.
"In case you've forgotten, I am a registered time-turner user. I know the consequences," she said, but saw the dark look in his eyes. "What's going to happen to me and this artifact?"
He turned back to her with a haunted look in his eyes. He stepped closer and reached out to her to her; his hand gently caressed her cheek. "Mia," he whispered. Her eyes widened at his calling her that name. No one but Harry had ever called her that.
Before either of them knew what was transpiring, Severus had his arms around Hermione's waist and had drawn her to him. He bent his head down to her and kissed her firmly on the lips. Her hands gripped his upper arms, her neck tilted up fusing her lips to his. Hermione moaned softly, she moved her hands up and circled her arms around his neck, drawing him even closer to her body.
Long moments passed before Severus quickly pulled away and stepped back, leaving Hermione gasping for breath. "Just remember what I said," he breathed. "You can't change the past, or everything you know about the future will never happen." With that, he turned and swept down the stairs, headed for the dungeons.
Time passed. Hermione stood with her fingers pressed to her lips, staring after the man that had just left her side. Her lips were on fire and she could feel a ghost-like pressure on her waist where his strong hands had been. 'He kissed me,' she though to herself, 'and did he ever kiss me."
"Ready to go?" Harry asked, bounding into the entrance hall. Hermione spun around and took in her surroundings. She didn't remember coming into the main hall, but she was standing in the shadows, so she hadn't moved since she'd been held by him. "You OK?" he asked, laying a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"Yeah, just thinking about all the wonderful time I'm going to have off," she said, forcing a smile.
"Ginny is going to be so happy to see you. Not to mention Lily," he said, offering her his arm as they walked out of the castle. The sun was shining, nd Hermione turned her face upward to feel the warm rays on her cheeks. The light wind swirled around the hem on her robes and her cloak flapped behind her. Harry's always unruly hair whipped silently as he turned to her. "I have an idea," he grinned.
"Oh, no Harry," she moaned, walking arm and arm with him down the path to the main gates, "every time you get an idea, we end up in trouble!"
"This is a good idea!" he laughed. "Instead of Apparating or Flooing, let's fly." Hermione's eyes widened in horror and fear. She pulled her arm away from his, but he laughed and grabbed her before she could run. "Oh, come on! We'll go high enough so no one can see us, and I'll even put an invisibility charm on us."
"We'll go high enough so no one can see us," she mimicked in fear, "I don't like flying, and you know it, Harry Potter," she moaned, twisting her wrist, struggling to get free.
"Hermione, you're an adult now. You're a Hogwarts professor, and a damned bloody good one at that. This is just another hurdle to jump!" he insisted.
Hermione felt every muscle tense. She looked around the grounds. There were several students lying out on the grass or chasing one another across the grounds. The leaves were blowing in the soft breeze; the snow had finally melted revealing the vibrant greens that had laid dormant during the winter months. The trees were budding and flowers were starting to push their way up from the soils of Hogwarts' many gardens. In the distance, Hermione could see Hagrid's cabin with the curl of smoke coming from the chimney.
The panic began to subside as Hermione took all of this in. The rational side of her brain told her that the trip to the Ministry of Magic was a short trip, even by broomstick. It was a hurdle even she could overcome. Turning back to Harry, she saw that he had summoned a broomstick that Hermione did not recognize, but judging from its sleekness, it must have been a new model. He had a wide grin on his face as he mounted the broomstick. He held his hand out to her. "You're going to pay for this, Potter," she grinned as she stepped up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist. The ground gave out from under her as he kicked up off the ground. Her grip tightened, causing him to laugh.
"You're in for the ride of your life, Mia," he said as they began to climb. Hermione felt a jolt run through her body when he used the nickname, but she wasn't thinking about him. She was thinking about another man who had used the name in a dark hallway not so long ago. She couldn't understand why he called her that, or why he had held her, or why he had kissed her. He had kissed her with confidence and passion, like he had done it before, and had known just how to kiss her.
"See! It's not so bad," Harry yelled over his shoulder. Hermione looked around and realized that she had been lost in her thoughts. The clouds were now below her feet instead of above her head. "Are you OK?" he asked.
"I'm fine," she mumbled. She thought about the artifact she was carrying, and idly reached in her robes to make sure it was still there. "How long before we get there?" she asked, carefully leaning forward to talk to him.
"Probably thirty minutes," he told her. Hermione rested her head against his back and tried to relax. The sun was shining on her back and the wind was whipping through her hair.
'I should calm down,' she thought. 'But how can I calm down when all I'm really thinking about is that brooding man?' The tingle in her lips was still present. 'What had he been trying to tell me?' she wondered.
A gray cloud loomed ahead of them. "Mia, I'm going to have to drop below this storm," Harry warned. Hermione's arms tightened around his waist again, as he started into a steep dive. Her breath caught in her chest as the air moved around her. The broom cut through the clouds and Hermione felt the rain whipping her in the face. Her breathing quickened and she closed her eyes.
The next thing she knew, it was over. She looked down and saw the earth speeding by beneath her. They had passed through the storm, and it was now behind them. "Next time, we're Apparating," she said. Harry nodded in agreement as he flew on toward the Ministry.
Remembering the time turner once again, Hermione loosened her grip on Harry and reached into her robes. Wrapping her fingers around it, she sighed. Harry jerked the broom suddenly, but before she could compensate for the movement, Hermione lost her grip on Harry. "Hermione!" he screamed.
Her fingers remained curled around the artifact as she felt the air rushing around her. A scream escaped her throat as she turned over and over, spinning out of control, falling toward the Earth. It was the same feeling she'd had only an hour ago when she had crashed into Severus and fell towards the floor. Over and over she spun and flipped through the air. She could almost hear Harry screaming for her. While she thought about the incident in the hall, Hermione realized that this time, there wouldn't be anyone to catch her.
Hermione didn't realize that the spinning and flipping had stopped. She didn't realize that the speed of her fall had slowed. She never saw the person whose wand guided her slowly to safety. Before all of this had happened, fear had consumed her and Hermione had passed out midair.
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Chapter one previews: So, what happened to Hermione? Who's the mystery wand-handed person? Why was Severus acting like the dark brooding man we all know him to be? Plus: fanfic outtakes!
By, StarGazr
This is my first attempt at a Severus/Hermione piece. I know all who are reading this are thinking 'another time-turner piece?!' but believe me when I tell you that this is different... heard that one before... OK, I would offer money, but I work for a daycare and we don't get paid a lot... please try it :) Let me know what you think
I was very skeptical about posting this... I wanted to write the whole thing then post it... I get so influenced by the wonderful comments I get, that sometimes I get sidetracked. But, thanks to the influence of Colli, you're going to get a look at the prologue today! Yay for you! But since Colli has a general idea... nix that, she knows Snape's gonna be in it and that's why she's beta-ing for me... luv ya hon... so I WILL stay on track!
Thanks so much to Lithorose for previewing this... she's a skeptic in the genre but stuck by me anyways! And to Colli... my Alan swooning partner... stop drooling on the papers or I won't let you edit anymore!
Fractured Glass
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Prologue
"After the fall of Rome, Muggles began to scatter. They were divided and leaderless, and..." a bell rang cutting her off. "All right class, finish reading this section for Thursday. I'll see you then."
A dozen young witches and wizards made their way out of the bright classroom. One student stayed behind and approached his professor. "Professor Granger?"
Hermione Granger turned to face the young boy. "Yes, Mr. Weasley?" She couldn't help but smile at the boy who she was sure looked more like his father Bill than his mother Angela.
"Uncle Harry gave this to me last night and wanted me to give it to you," he said, handing her a rolled up piece of parchment. "Uncle Harry says Hedwig is getting old, and I'm not," he grinned.
"Thank you, Arthur. Ready for your match against Hufflepuff?" she asked, breaking the wax seal on the parchment.
"You bet, Professor! If we beat them by at least ninety points, Gryffindor will take the lead for the Quidditch Cup!" Arthur beamed.
"Well good luck to you, and tell the team I said the same. Go on now, you don't want to miss practice," she said. Arthur yelled his good-bye and dashed out of the classroom. Like his father and uncles before him, Arthur was one of the team's beaters.
Hermione rested her hip on the side of the desk and unrolled the parchment. Harry's distinct scrawl made her smile. 'Hermione, Hedwig has just finished a long trip to see Sirius and I didn't want her making the trip to Hogwarts so soon afterwards. It's hard to believe, but my girl is getting old. I'm coming to Hogwarts Tuesday evening. By the time you read this, you should know why. Ginny sends her love, and she misses you. I love you, and I'll see you soon. Harry.'
"What on Earth?" she wondered aloud. She glanced at the clock and noticed that it was almost evening already.
Harry Potter hadn't returned to Hogwarts since he had graduated more than half a decade before. After Voldemort's demise in their seventh year, Harry had played professional Quidditch for two years before he and Ginny Weasley had gotten engaged and eventually married. Not long after that, he decided that his Quidditch days were over and began a year-long training program to become an Auror. These days, he and Ron Weasley were a pair not to be reckoned with. Hermione had learned from the letters she received from them that they had been assigned to the task of taking down the last of the Death Eaters. They showed littler mercy to the souls that had terrorized their classmates and hundreds of innocent people.
After graduating, Hermione had gone off to America where she studied Transfigurations for two years before realizing that her passions lay in history. Upon returning to England, Hermione held a dual degree in the History of Magic and Muggle Studies, and Albus Dumbledore had offered her an apprenticeship with Hogwarts' Muggle Studies instructor, Professor Kendall. Professor Kendall announced his intentions to retire, and Hermione was asked to step up as Professor of Muggle Studies.
Sighing deeply, Hermione rolled up the parchment and stood. She was headed for the door when there was a knock. Headmaster Albus Dumbledore and Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall stepped into the room. "Good evening, Professors," Hermione said. "I was just coming to see you, Albus." His name still didn't sound right to her as it rolled off her tongue. She had been trying to use it, as he had requested, for the past year.
"I see you received Mr. Potter's letter, Hermione," Albus said.
"That's why I was coming to see you. What is he talking about? Why is he coming to Hogwarts?"
Albus held up his hand to stop her questions. "Relax Hermione, that's why I am here," he said. Hermione nodded and took a deep breath. "Harry is coming here as a personal favor to me."
"Are you all right, Professor?" Hermione asked. She scrunched her nose as she called him 'Professor.' Nothing that came out of her mouth sounded right.
"Yes, yes, I am perfectly fine." The smile he gave assured Hermione that the one-hundred-plus-year old Headmaster was indeed still in good health.
"Harry is going to be escorting you to the Ministry of Magic on Hogwarts business," Minerva informed her.
Hermione turned to her former Transfigurations professor. "Why am I going to the Ministry?" she inquired.
"Hogwarts has come into possession of a rare artifact," Hermione stood up straighter as she listened to what Albus had to say. "During a routine search of the grounds and, we stumbled upon an unregistered time turner."
Hermione braced her arms on the desk, cocking her head in interest. "Why are you getting rid of it? Why not just have it registered?"
"You see, Hermione," Albus explained, "this is a rare time turner that we have found."
"We believe that it has the capability of transporting its user further back in time than mere hours," Minerva supplied. "From the markings on it, we believe that if used, it could send a person back several years in time."
"I never knew such a thing existed," Hermione confessed.
"It's not a known artifact in the magical world. I'm sure you can imagine how dangerous an object like this would be," Albus said. Hermione nodded in agreement. "Because you are a registered time turner user, I am requesting that you make sure that it safely arrives at theMinistry."
Absorbing the information, Hermione absently nodded. "Yes, I'll take it. But that still doesn't answer why Harry is coming with me."
"We couldn't afford to let anything happen to Hogwarts' favorite Muggles Studies professor."
Hermione whipped around at the sound of the new voice. "Harry!" she exclaimed, crossing the room into his open arms. Her heart soared as his arms came around her waist. It had been a long time since she'd held him.
"We will leave you two to chat. I will be in my office when you are ready to leave," Albus said, leading Minerva from the room.
Harry pulled back and looked at her. He kissed her gently on the cheek and smiled down at her. "Teaching has treated you well, Mia," he said, using the nickname that he had given her in their seventh year. "Ginny sends her love."
"How are she and my goddaughter?" Hermione inquired.
"Lily has learned how to talk," Harry said, taking up Hermione's place on the edge of her desk. Hermione stood in front of him, her arms crossed casually across her chest. "I think Ginny taught her just so I can have another woman yapping in my ear," he said, with a proud grin on his face all the same. Lily Virginia Potter, born almost two years prior, was Ron and Hermione's godchild. Hermione felt her heart clench as she realized how fast the girl was growing up and how little she'd visited.
Harry leaned forward as if to tell Hermione a secret. "We're hoping for a boy this time around," he smiled.
Hermione's eyes grew and a smile spread across her face. "Oh, Harry, that's wonderful!" she exclaimed, hugging her friend. She closed her eyes and remembered a time when holding Harry was more than a friendly gesture. The simple use of the nickname he had given her was enough to send her senses back in time to their final year at Hogwarts.
A small smile spread on Hermione's as she recalled the five weeks of sneaking around behind their friends' backs and stealing kisses in the halls, followed by almost a year of sheer bliss together. It was around nine months into their relationship that Hermione had begun to get the feeling that she was missing out on something. To this day, she couldn't put her finger on the feeling she had had, but she knew that her future did not lie with the young man she was with. Within a week, the golden couple of Hogwarts was no more. They walked away from the relationship with no hard feelings, but slipped back into the role of being friends.
"How far along is she?" Hermione inquired.
"Five months, she's just starting to not fit into her clothes. Bloody moody as hell," he said, smiling.
"I'm sorry I haven't stopped by," she said quietly.
"The door swings both ways," Harry admitted. "None of us have been very good friends over the years. The only reasons Ron and I see each other are the facts that I'm married to his sister and that we work together."
"But you still see each other, all the time!" Hermione exclaimed. She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair.
"Mia," Harry said, looking her over for the first time. "Where is all your hair?" he said, gaping at her.
"Oh," Hermione said, gingerly touching her shortened hair. After she had accepted the position at Hogwarts, Hermione decided she needed a more professional look for herself. One afternoon, while in Diagon Alley, she consulted Madame Malkin on this very topic. The witch who had helped Hermione with her robes over the years had been more than happy to help her now. Hermione had gone with a shoulder length style and the untamed curls of her youth were transformed into sleek layers that framed her face.
The little make-up she wore was charmed onto her face in the morning. Even after living with Lavender and Parvati for seven years, she never learned the fine art, and patience, of applying make-up. Madame Malkin had taught her several basic charms to avoid the application process.
Laughing as Harry still stared at her, Hermione twirled once. Her deep red satin robes swished around her feet. "I needed a more professional look," she explained.
"You look beautiful," he said. "Teaching really has treated you well."
"I would say the same about you being an Auror, but you look like you could use a week's worth of sleep," Hermione said, as she saw the shadows under her friend's eyes.
"As soon as I see you safely to the Ministry, I'm taking some overdue vacation time. You should come home with me. You've got Easter break coming up, and Ginny would love to see you," he said.
"I would love to, Harry," she said after a moment's thought. "I could use some time away from here. I don't think I'll be needed, seeing as not many students stay over the holiday. I can come back here tomorrow, then I can leave."
"Great," Harry smiled. "So, do you want to get going? I want to stop in to see Lupin before I leave, though."
"I'll head up to see Albus, and I'll meet you in the entrance hall in thirty minutes?" Hermione gathered up her cloak as Harry headed out of her classroom.
Hermione headed for the Headmaster's office. She called out the password and ascended the moving staircase. "Ahh, Hermione. I'm glad you decided to accept this task," Albus said, reaching into his desk and removing a deep purple cloth made of velvet. "Please make sure this makes it to the Ministry of Magic safely. I trust that you can keep its existence a secret as well, Hermione."
"Of course, Albus. Does Harry know what it is?"
"No, all he knows that you are carrying something of great importance to the Ministry, and that you and it are to be delivered safely," Albus said.
" But surely you realize that I can get it to the Ministry."
"Someone hid that time turner, and if it were discovered by someone who planned to use it for ill purposes... well I'm sure you can just imagine, Hermione. I would feel much better if I knew that you were protected by one of the best Aurors the Ministry had to offer," he explained to her.
Hermione tucked the folded cloth into her robes without even examining it. "I will contact you once I have turned it over to the Ministry officials."
"I will see you tomorrow then, Hermione," he said, smiling. "Do be careful, my dear. That is no ordinary time turner that you are carrying." Hermione nodded and turned, going back out of the office, and down the moving staircase.
Walking quickly down several sets of stairs and greeting the students she passed, Hermione threw her cloak over her shoulders and worked on fastening it. Once she was on the main floor she still was struggling with the cloak. Muttering to herself in frustration, she looked down and finally achieved fastening the silver clasp. She suddenly felt herself crash into something quite solid. Hermione felt herself falling backwards towards the floor, and would have landed, had the object she had crashed into not caught her and hauled her back to her feet.
"Hermione, please pay attention," a deep voice demanded.
"I'm so sorry, Severus," she said breathlessly. "I was trying to fasten the clasp on my cloak and couldn't do it without looking down," she tried to explain.
Severus Snape let out an exasperated sigh, "Hermione, please stop talking," he insisted. Over the past three years, Hermione and Snape had established an understanding of one another. After her return to Hogwarts, their conversations had been few and far between but, none of the other professors spent as much time in the library as they did. Their paths were always crossing. Small talk turned into short conversations which turned into almost daily talks about their jobs and mutual interests in literature, potions, and history. Hermione had been skeptical at first at the change in his character, but gradually came to enjoy his company.
Hermione had always respected the Potions Master as she had respected all of her professors. She had gradually come to valued his opinion as well. During her two years as an assistant to Professor Kendall, Hermione knew that Snape still saw her as a student. Over the past year she had come to consider him a friend and a confidante. There weren't many people in her life who appreciated learning quite like she did, but in her eyes, Severus seemed to thrive on it in the same way she did. His eyes seemed alive when they discussed topics of literature, religion, alchemy, or history. In unspoken agreement, they never discussed their personal lives. Hermione knew that he regretted a lot of things about his past, and felt that if she tried to bring it up, he might turn away from her.
After much badgering from Hermione, he had reluctantly been convinced to drop the formality of calling her Miss Granger and had been swayed into letting her call him Severus. "Next time," he said, "wait until you stop walking before you stop paying attention to where you are going."
She studied him for a moment. "That made little to no sense," she said. "Where are you off to?" she asked, adjusting her robes and cloak, and continuing her walk toward the entrance hall.
"I was looking for you, actually," he told her, walking beside her. "I know where you are going," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
Hermione stopped in her tracks, and turned to him. "Don't worry about me, Severus," she said with a soft smile. "Harry is coming with me, and I'm just making the delivery. I should be back before dawn."
"Granger," he growled, pulling her aside and into the shadows. "I'm giving you a warning." Hermione was used to his acting overbearing sometimes, but rarely did he ever touch her. He gripped her upper arms and forced her to look up at him. "You are transporting a very dangerous artifact," he hissed, his sharp featured darkened by the shadows. "You need to listen to me very
carefully."
"Severus, you're hurting my arms," she whimpered. His long fingers were digging into the soft flesh of her upper arms, even through the fabric of her robes and cloak. "You're scaring me."
"If you change the past, you affect the future," he said cryptically.
"What are you talking about," she demanded, as she felt his grip loosen, then disappear. He stepped away from her.
"Whatever happens to you, remember that every action has a consequence. Don't let your emotions get in the way of what has to transpire. No matter what," he said, quietly and turning away from her.
"In case you've forgotten, I am a registered time-turner user. I know the consequences," she said, but saw the dark look in his eyes. "What's going to happen to me and this artifact?"
He turned back to her with a haunted look in his eyes. He stepped closer and reached out to her to her; his hand gently caressed her cheek. "Mia," he whispered. Her eyes widened at his calling her that name. No one but Harry had ever called her that.
Before either of them knew what was transpiring, Severus had his arms around Hermione's waist and had drawn her to him. He bent his head down to her and kissed her firmly on the lips. Her hands gripped his upper arms, her neck tilted up fusing her lips to his. Hermione moaned softly, she moved her hands up and circled her arms around his neck, drawing him even closer to her body.
Long moments passed before Severus quickly pulled away and stepped back, leaving Hermione gasping for breath. "Just remember what I said," he breathed. "You can't change the past, or everything you know about the future will never happen." With that, he turned and swept down the stairs, headed for the dungeons.
Time passed. Hermione stood with her fingers pressed to her lips, staring after the man that had just left her side. Her lips were on fire and she could feel a ghost-like pressure on her waist where his strong hands had been. 'He kissed me,' she though to herself, 'and did he ever kiss me."
"Ready to go?" Harry asked, bounding into the entrance hall. Hermione spun around and took in her surroundings. She didn't remember coming into the main hall, but she was standing in the shadows, so she hadn't moved since she'd been held by him. "You OK?" he asked, laying a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"Yeah, just thinking about all the wonderful time I'm going to have off," she said, forcing a smile.
"Ginny is going to be so happy to see you. Not to mention Lily," he said, offering her his arm as they walked out of the castle. The sun was shining, nd Hermione turned her face upward to feel the warm rays on her cheeks. The light wind swirled around the hem on her robes and her cloak flapped behind her. Harry's always unruly hair whipped silently as he turned to her. "I have an idea," he grinned.
"Oh, no Harry," she moaned, walking arm and arm with him down the path to the main gates, "every time you get an idea, we end up in trouble!"
"This is a good idea!" he laughed. "Instead of Apparating or Flooing, let's fly." Hermione's eyes widened in horror and fear. She pulled her arm away from his, but he laughed and grabbed her before she could run. "Oh, come on! We'll go high enough so no one can see us, and I'll even put an invisibility charm on us."
"We'll go high enough so no one can see us," she mimicked in fear, "I don't like flying, and you know it, Harry Potter," she moaned, twisting her wrist, struggling to get free.
"Hermione, you're an adult now. You're a Hogwarts professor, and a damned bloody good one at that. This is just another hurdle to jump!" he insisted.
Hermione felt every muscle tense. She looked around the grounds. There were several students lying out on the grass or chasing one another across the grounds. The leaves were blowing in the soft breeze; the snow had finally melted revealing the vibrant greens that had laid dormant during the winter months. The trees were budding and flowers were starting to push their way up from the soils of Hogwarts' many gardens. In the distance, Hermione could see Hagrid's cabin with the curl of smoke coming from the chimney.
The panic began to subside as Hermione took all of this in. The rational side of her brain told her that the trip to the Ministry of Magic was a short trip, even by broomstick. It was a hurdle even she could overcome. Turning back to Harry, she saw that he had summoned a broomstick that Hermione did not recognize, but judging from its sleekness, it must have been a new model. He had a wide grin on his face as he mounted the broomstick. He held his hand out to her. "You're going to pay for this, Potter," she grinned as she stepped up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist. The ground gave out from under her as he kicked up off the ground. Her grip tightened, causing him to laugh.
"You're in for the ride of your life, Mia," he said as they began to climb. Hermione felt a jolt run through her body when he used the nickname, but she wasn't thinking about him. She was thinking about another man who had used the name in a dark hallway not so long ago. She couldn't understand why he called her that, or why he had held her, or why he had kissed her. He had kissed her with confidence and passion, like he had done it before, and had known just how to kiss her.
"See! It's not so bad," Harry yelled over his shoulder. Hermione looked around and realized that she had been lost in her thoughts. The clouds were now below her feet instead of above her head. "Are you OK?" he asked.
"I'm fine," she mumbled. She thought about the artifact she was carrying, and idly reached in her robes to make sure it was still there. "How long before we get there?" she asked, carefully leaning forward to talk to him.
"Probably thirty minutes," he told her. Hermione rested her head against his back and tried to relax. The sun was shining on her back and the wind was whipping through her hair.
'I should calm down,' she thought. 'But how can I calm down when all I'm really thinking about is that brooding man?' The tingle in her lips was still present. 'What had he been trying to tell me?' she wondered.
A gray cloud loomed ahead of them. "Mia, I'm going to have to drop below this storm," Harry warned. Hermione's arms tightened around his waist again, as he started into a steep dive. Her breath caught in her chest as the air moved around her. The broom cut through the clouds and Hermione felt the rain whipping her in the face. Her breathing quickened and she closed her eyes.
The next thing she knew, it was over. She looked down and saw the earth speeding by beneath her. They had passed through the storm, and it was now behind them. "Next time, we're Apparating," she said. Harry nodded in agreement as he flew on toward the Ministry.
Remembering the time turner once again, Hermione loosened her grip on Harry and reached into her robes. Wrapping her fingers around it, she sighed. Harry jerked the broom suddenly, but before she could compensate for the movement, Hermione lost her grip on Harry. "Hermione!" he screamed.
Her fingers remained curled around the artifact as she felt the air rushing around her. A scream escaped her throat as she turned over and over, spinning out of control, falling toward the Earth. It was the same feeling she'd had only an hour ago when she had crashed into Severus and fell towards the floor. Over and over she spun and flipped through the air. She could almost hear Harry screaming for her. While she thought about the incident in the hall, Hermione realized that this time, there wouldn't be anyone to catch her.
Hermione didn't realize that the spinning and flipping had stopped. She didn't realize that the speed of her fall had slowed. She never saw the person whose wand guided her slowly to safety. Before all of this had happened, fear had consumed her and Hermione had passed out midair.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Chapter one previews: So, what happened to Hermione? Who's the mystery wand-handed person? Why was Severus acting like the dark brooding man we all know him to be? Plus: fanfic outtakes!