Hour Glass
Disclaimer: All these fabulous characters belong to J.K Rowling. I do not own them in any way nor am I making any money from them.
Summary: "I will never forget the day I laid eyes on her. She appeared out of nowhere... and forever impacted my life." Rated T. A/U.
A/N: Hi and welcome to my next SS/HG W.I.P! I hope you enjoy this one as much as you have been with A Sense of Obsession.
This one, if you cannot tell, will be my version of the popular Time Travel theme. I hope I write it well enough and not have it classified as one of those "not another time travel fic" stories.
A quick note: "Present day" will be in italics...the majority of the story is told when Hermione is in the past.
No Beta, so all mistakes are mine.
Some of you may have recieved emails via the author alert feature for a story called Forward to Time Past. This is the same story but I decided to change the title. Sorry for the mix up =(
Prologue
He found her in master bedroom; she was sitting cross-legged beside the large...opened... closet door, head in a cardboard box full of old photographs, both muggle style and magical, looking at them in awe.
He shook his head. She must have stared at those pictures thousands of times. Yet, every chance she got, every time he turned his back on her for a moment, she disappeared... straight to the wardrobe to pull out the box and bury her head in the memories.
At that moment, she had one of her favourites in her small hand. It was a picture of him; him and her mother.
He was a seventh year when that photograph was taken. He remembered it clearly. She had asked then Professor, now Headmistress, Minerva McGonagall to take the picture on Christmas day, with a muggle camera, in the Great Hall... standing in front of the Slytherin House point hour glass. The green sand was piled high, only an inch away from the top.
That had been a good year.
"Ava... how many times do I have to tell you?" His voice snapped the small girl out of her reverie. "If you wish to keep that picture in your room, you can."
Her bright obsidian eyes gazed upon him. "I know, Daddy... but it is yours and Mummy's," she replied softly.
He stepped further into the room. "Avalon, there are many more photographs. You are permitted to keep this one if you should want it." He lifted her from the floor and placed her onto his knee. "I always catch you looking at it anyway, though Merlin knows why you want that one when there are much better ones in that container."
"I like this one, Daddy." She smiled widely.
He smirked at his young daughter. "I see that."
She bounced in excitement. "Can you tell me the story of you and Mummy again, Daddy? I want to hear it again."
He sighed, but not disapprovingly. "Avalon, you must have heard this story as many times as you have looked at that picture."
She scowled. "Please, Daddy." Her sweet voice pleaded with him, and he felt himself complying with her demand.
But, suddenly, he heard his wife of ten years shout, "Avalon Serenity Snape! You have been playing Potions in the kitchen again!"
The little girl on his lap buried her face into his chest before lifting her head and locking her eyes with his. She gave him a wicked grin.
"Ava..." he began, but his tone was playful and she giggled mischievously. He stood, carrying her struggling body with ease into the kitchen.
He was met by the irate glare of his beautiful, pregnant wife. He dropped his daughter onto her feet and she ran to her mother, cuddling her legs in an apologetic gesture.
"Do not think that is going to help you, Ava." He chuckled at her tone and stared at his family.
His wife; her long, curly hair had tamed somewhat since her days at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, her eyes were more vivid, glittering with a happiness he had never seen in the years she was his student. Her body had matured wonderfully, growing from an innocent girl into the intensely attractive woman who stood before him. Hermione Granger. The insufferable know-it-all chit who once tormented him with her incessant questions was now the woman he would give his life to protect. She was the love of his life. He couldn't imagine a life without her.
His daughter; the perfect creature who was wrapped around Hermione's legs was his daughter, his flesh and blood. He still couldn't believe it. She was seven years old now. Her jet black hair colour, obsidian eyes, angry sneer and temper were all from him. But, her nose (he thanked Merlin every day), her mouth and curls were all from her mother.
She would grow into a fabulous looking woman. He knew that. He knew it and dreaded it. He was a father after all. He promptly decided as soon as she was born that no male would near her until she was at least thirty years old.
He was brought back from his thoughts when he heard his daughter speak. "Daddy was going to tell me a story," Ava said innocently, as if trying to avoid her punishment.
It was such a Slytherin trait. He had to admire that. Maybe she would be sorted into Slytherin when she begun Hogwarts?
"Oh? And what story would that be?" asked Hermione. Her hands lay on her hips and her stance was wide, impatient in waiting for her child's answer.
The girl giggled. "The one where you met Daddy." She stood up and skipped over to him.
Then again, bravery was very much a Gryffindor trait. Maybe she was going to be Gryffindor instead.
He clasped her hand and led her over to the sofa. She sat down, shifting to a position where she was more comfortable and gazed at her mother with wide eyes.
"Ah." Hermione followed her husband and sat down beside Ava. Severus mimicked her action and glanced at her with a smirk. "That story."
"Please?" the little girl begged.
Severus rolled his eyes. "Alright."
Ava beamed and sat patiently between her parents. She wondered who would begin the story first this time, but her question was soon answered.
Her mother had decided to start the tale.
"Well... it began..."
A/N 2: Just a short prologue for now.
I hope you liked it.
Please review and tell me what you think. Like it? Hate it? Intrigued and desperate to read more? I hope to hear your thoughts =)
