The Course of True Love Never Did Run Smooth;
A Severus Snape and Hermione Granger fanfic;
By emsslovesronalways;
Disclaimer – I own nothing but the plot;
Transfiguration. Her second favourite lesson, with her second favourite teacher. She would never admit it aloud, mind you; that her favourite professor was, none the less, Professor Severus Snape. It always had been. It also helped that Potions was her favourite subject.
Transfiguration was when it all happened...
The lesson was coming to an end. Professor McGonagall had asked them all to pack away. The Gryffindor seventh years were chatting among themselves.
When the bell rang to indicate end of lesson for the day, Professor McGonagall called, "Miss Granger, could you stay back for a moment?"
Hermione looked over and nodded.
"We'll see you in the common room later, Hermione." Ron told her.
"You just want help on our Charms essay," she laughed when he looked guilty. "I'll think about it."
She waved the boys off and walked slowly up to her professor's desk.
"Take a seat Hermione." Professor McGonagall said.
Oh, crap! Hermione thought.
"Don't worry, you haven't done anything wrong," McGonagall told her. Hermione let out a breath of relief. "You are to go to the Head Master's office. The password is 'Phoenix feathers.'"
"Oh, okay then. Are you sure I haven't done anything wrong Professor?" Hermione asked. Worry was so obvious on her face; it was as if the word was tattooed on her forehead.
"I'm positive," Professor McGonagall promised and smiled reassuringly.
Hermione made her way up to the Head Masters office using all the shortcuts she knew. How bad would it look if the Head Girl was seen coming from Professor McGonagall's office straight to the Head Master's office? Everyone would start talk.
It didn't take her long to arrive in front of the lonesome gargoyle on the seventh floor.
"Password," it croaked.
To which Hermione whispered, "Phoenix feathers."
The gargoyle nodded slightly and shifted to the side so Hermione could make her way up the spiral staircase.
She knocked on the door lightly and waited.
"Enter," called the voice from within.
She opened the door as quietly as possible and stepped further into the office.
"Ah, Miss Granger, I was waiting for you," he told her and motioned for her to sit at the other side of his desk.
Hermione had a moment of distraction. She'd never been in Dumbledore's office, she'd never needed to. Seeing all the portraits of the old Head Masters made her feel watched. There were so many pairs of eyes, all watching her and Dumbledore intensely. As she sat down in the chair a certain past headmaster caught her eye.
Phineas Nigellus, Sirius great-great-grandfather, Hermione cringed mentally at the thought of Sirius.
Dumbledore coughed lightly to get her attention. Hermione turned her head from the portrait to look at Dumbledore. His shining blue eyes, twinkling as they usually did.
"I have something important to tell you Hermione." He began. "You see, 17 years ago on the 31st of July two babies were born to a couple. The couple were James and Lily Potter."
He saw her look of confusion but carried on.
"Yes. Lily gave birth to twins. She and James named their son Harry, and they named their daughter Hermione."
Hermione gasped as she figured out what Professor Dumbledore was telling her.
"When they were told they were in danger they did what they could, there were a couple who lived near them who Lily was friends with. They were Joanna and Mark Granger. Joanna wasn't able to have children. When Lily told her they were moving away she asked Joanna if she would like to have you, they said they couldn't afford to have both children. Joanna was so happy that she didn't ask any more questions. All the paper work was filled out and so you went from Hermione Lily Potter and became Hermione Jean Granger."
"Oh my! But my birthday is on a different day to Harry's." Hermione commented after a pause.
"That is so you wouldn't be found out. Lily and Joanna chose your birthday to be the day you were handed over to the Grangers.
"Your hair is similar to Harry's in a way. Yours never goes straight, his never goes straight. You look a lot like your paternal grandmother, Contessa Potter; curly hair and hazel eyes. The same eyes as your father, James. Would you like to know who your god father is?" He asked her.
"I don't mind really," she whispered. After all these years of being called mudblood, Hermione now knew the truth. She was half blood.
"Your godfather is Severus Snape," He told her.
"What? James hated Severus!" She cried. She knew all the stories, everything that Sirius had told her. Wait, Sirius told her a lot about James and Lily. She now knew why.
"Lily and James agreed that they'd choose a godfather each. Lily knew she was going to die, it was the last thing she could do to Severus to let him know, that after everything that had happened, she'd forgiven him."
Hermione remained quiet.
"You've been given a lot of information, you need rest. Go straight to bed. I'll have Dobby bring you some sandwiches." He smiled reassuringly at her.
"Thank you Head Master. Can I tell Harry?" She asked.
"Would you like me to tell him for you?"
"I'd rather do it myself. If he doesn't believe me, I'll tell him to come see you." She told him.
"That is perfectly fine. You can, if you want, tell Severus that you know that he's your godfather. You never know, he may go easy on you then." He winked at her.
"Goodnight Professor." She stood up to leave.
"Night, Hermione." The Head Master replied.
Hermione did exactly what he'd told her. She went straight back to the Gryffindor Common Room, she shook her head at Harry's silent question of joining him and Ron. She pointed to her dormitory and walked off when Harry nodded.
Hermione went straight to her bed and put her pyjamas on. A second later Dobby appeared with a jug of pumpkin juice and a tray of ham sandwiches.
"Here you goes Miss Hermione," Dobby said with a bow.
"Thank you, Dobby," she replied and smiled. Dobby smiled too then Disapparated back to the kitchens with a loud crack.
Hermione only had a few sandwiches and a glass of pumpkin juice and closed the curtains around her bed. She drifted to sleep instantly, while a small part of her brain worked out how to let Harry know that she was his sister.
Her dreams contained her true parents and the couple she thought were her parents. She supposed that because of Joanna Granger's brown curly hair was the only way that she'd been mistaken as their daughter all her life. It was going to be different now; but how different, she didn't know.