A.N – Hello, I am still in the middle of my GCSEs but I didn't have to go in today because I didn't have one. So anyway I have some extreme free time today because I don't want to revise for my remaining four exams so I have actually already updated but I am in a Snape mood so shall continue.

-

"No, laughter is definitely the best way to get rid of a boggart." Severus laughed dryly and poked the book sharply with his index finger before replying.

"Yeah? Well 'Defence: A way of life' disagrees." Hermione rolled her eyes and pushed the book away causing it to drop through Snape's hands and hit the table. The resounding thump it made was very satisfying indeed.

"Look, Snape, I know I'm right so just…"

"Oh, I seriously doubt that." Hermione rubbed her eyes in exasperation and picked up the textbook to flip through the boggart information.

Weeks had passed since Snape and she had become something vaguely resembling acquaintances and their constant arguments were grating on her nerves. Ron and Harry's oblivious trust in her knowledge looked so welcoming at that moment. The sun streamed in through the closed library window and Hermione switched to staring wistfully at the sun gathering on the windowsill. Christmas was looming and the future months at Hogwarts looked gloomy. Over the past few weeks trapped in the 1970s Hermione had thrown herself into her studies to ignore the dull ache in her belly. A pain obviously linked to her homesickness. The only consolation was that at least she had someone to talk to every now and again when Snape grew bored of being alone.

"Don't get me wrong, Snape! I mean, I used to be just like you, I believed that books were the words of Merlin himself."

"I doubt you have the mental capacity to be like me, Granger." Hermione rolled her eyes again and poked the quill in Snape's hand. It drifted slowly through his fingers as her touch turned it impervious to his. Snape growled low in his throat and pulled all of his stuff away from her.

"I told you to stop doing that." He said murderously, upon spotting an inkblot forming on his parchment. Hermione flashed him an innocent smile. "You're insufferable."

"Oh, Snape I never knew you cared."

"Freak." Snape hissed between clenched teeth. The malicious snarl he threw at Hermione obviously intending to frighten her barely made her pause to think.

"Wow 'freak' really is the best you can do." She shook her head at him in mock pity and bit her lip. "I'm almost disappointed." His angry snarl grew until she could almost count all of his teeth. His lips peeled back in disgust nearly disappearing as he bore down on her. Hermione sat calmly in her seat and surveyed him. "Quite pathetic really…"

"You disgusting little mongrel." Snape yelled at her, spittle flew from the corners of his mouth and Hermione was suddenly thankful for her lack of tangibility.

"Ew…" she said casually as he kicked back his chair and glared down at her from a new height. A trickle of fear suddenly buzzed along her spine. With wide eyes she realised her disadvantaged position was making him more intimidating. Hermione stood to gain a safer level. Her new height caused her to be standing directly infront of him. Confused by her frazzled nerves Hermione stepped away with an air of forced casualness.

"I think you're dead." His blunt statement suddenly made her feel slightly better and she walked a few steps away to a bookcase and grabbed a book from a shelf. Her nonchalant pose leaning against the shelves flicking casually through the text infuriated him even more. Hermione laughed dryly and raised her eyes to meet Severus'

"Funny how I'm not floating a foot of the ground then. Or yelling 'boo' at random passers by…" Snape suddenly stalked towards her. Flustered Hermione dropped the book and tried to decide between fleeing and fighting. His hand reached out before she could make a decision. His fingertips dusted along the edge of where her jaw would be. A caress… almost. His head bowed and Hermione looked at him numbly as lips aligned with her ear.

"Now, who said anything about you being a ghost?" the whisper was warm on her skin and Hermione tried to push him away. But before she could run he was gone. Severus walked back to the table and scooped his stuff into his bag. Hermione remained frozen to the bookcase as he ignored her presence and moved towards the door.

"What does that mean?" she screamed at him across the deserted library. A sudden horrified fear was building up inside of her. Snape closed the door softly behind himself.

-

Hermione staggered across the lawns oblivious to the freezing snow that was soaking her robes through. The heavy, warm wool cloak waiting in her dormitory was far from her mind. Frantic thoughts of her own mortality were flashing in her thoughts and she scratched at her hand harshly trying to control her mind. The scratching was something she had discovered after the war. Whenever she was feeling particularly scared a pinch or scratch was the perfect way to focus her mind. It shocked her out of her self-depreciating thoughts and made her concentrate. But it seemed Snape had ruined her fail-safe method and she was petrified.

The lake looked as inviting as ever. With a jolt she realised that she hadn't been filling their promise to jump in Ginny's memory. On autopilot her feet pulled her towards the shore. The ice-scattered across the surface of the lake hadn't fully formed. With hollow happiness she could see a large open patch of frosty water at the end of their pier. The pebbles were not a complete idea in her mind. Later on she concluded to Snape that she thought the cold must have been numbing her head. It must have been twisting her ideas around and confusing her because only seconds later she was standing at the end of the long wooden pier. Hermione tipped herself forward on her tiptoes. Silently testing the weight of her heavy pebble-laden pockets. The water looked inviting. Further out she could see the Giant Squid swerving around, a blurry jumble of curves under the surface of the ice.

'What am I doing?' the realisation of her position, poised ready to jump flooded into Hermione's mind. She stood a hurried step backwards with a quiet sigh of relief. Hermione began to twist on the long wooden planks, ready to rush back indoors and settle her fear rationally.

But she never made the turn back to the school.

"Boo." The shout sent her toppling forward, and Hermione produced an ear-splitting scream as she crashed into the water. The cold was everywhere and Hermione kicked out blindly as her body tried to shut down. She didn't hear the splash but she did see three more bodies fall into the water. Bubbles streamed everywhere and she watched with morbid curiosity as Severus, Sirius Black and James Potter struggled in the water. All of a sudden her vision was obscured by folds of black material and shocked she watched Severus desperately try to drag her to the surface. His pleading, persuasive face kicked her limbs into action and her head broke the surface with a deep gasp. But the stones in her pockets were too much for her numb arms and legs and she dropped below again. Severus desperately tried to clutch her face and pull her to the surface. Frustrated he tried to rip the pebbles from her pockets. Terrified her hands joined him until the material tore and Snape could pull away the pebbles no longer trapped inside. They both kicked their legs in long strides and broke the surface together.

"Do you really think I'm dead." Snape looked at her with exasperation, silently asking if she had lost her mind. Hermione stopped treading water and started to sink beneath the frigid water again. Snape hollered in frustration before ducking under the water again. Hermione watched bubbles stream from him through the dirty water as he mouthed the word 'no' at her and frantically shook his head. The lack of oxygen was beginning to get to her and her eyes lazily rolled about in her head.

"No, I don't!" he screamed but all she could see were the bubbles spilling from him. But his message suddenly broke through the lack of oxygen and she pushed herself up to the surface.

When their heads were safely above the waves, they could hear Potter and Black's frozen shouts from the bank. They screamed insults at Snape in outrage at being pushed in; they were only helping his little girlfriend after all. Severus suddenly started yelling at Hermione, his breath finally back.

"This is what I get for going all bloody Gryffindor on you?" his face was stretched in fury. His eyes were narrowed and he glared at her with anger as he struggled to tread water. "You wanted to fucking kill yourself!"

-

"Severus?" the two sat shivering in thick white towels as they waited outside Professor Dumbledore's office. Black and Potter were inside trying to justify why they pushed a student in to a frozen lake and it was their turn soon. Snape looked at her through the icy wet hair that had fallen infront of his eyes.

"Yes?" his angry tone hadn't died yet. But she guessed it would once he was in some clean, dry robes and had a pepper-up potion inside of him.

"Do you really want to know why I can't be touched?" he looked at her suspiciously and wrapped his towel tighter around himself.

"Of course."

"Magic." He scowled at her and shuffled his spindly chair away from hers.

"You insufferable little…"

"Magic sent me back." The previous suspicious one replaced his angry look and he peered at her through narrowed eyes.

"Back where?"

"Here." He rolled his eyes at her in annoyance.

"From where?"

"Here." He growled low in his throat and looked away from her to the gargoyles guarding Dumbledore's office.

"Stop being purposely annoying…"

"Magic sent me back here in time." The comment was made in such a low whisper that Snape had to strain his ears to hear her. As it registered in his brain his eyes widened.

-

A.N - What a lovely little cliffhanger. I know what happens which is a rather nice feeling. I will probably update again this weekend when I am trying to avoid revision.

By the way do people prefer the shorter sentences I use now then the long ones I used to? I realised they were the reason my stories always sounded so rushed.

Thanks for reading and I would love reviews to make my joints feel better from all this typing :P.