Dilladee proved to be just as annoying as ever when I sought her out this time. Not only was she being as vague as possible on her answers, but so too was she being scarce in saying anything at all. If I didn't know any better, I'd think she had something heavy weighing on her mind. Even if she did, however, she'd never openly admit to it; I'd already noticed that much.

As it was, when we sat down to tea she didn't even budge as I told her about the past and my recent discoveries. My day in the past had excited me so much to begin with that I had decided to tell her everything about it, but that energy was slowly starting to fade as her unusually silent manner became worrisome. I tried to pretend I wasn't noticing anything, yet.

"It was an amazing conversation, Dilladee, you have no idea. When we talk it's as if we were never on such different planets as we were in the proper time. Yet, despite this and his knowing I hold a secret I think we have already become rather close. He looked quite incredulous at the thought of my terrified desk, and I must admit I would have, too."

"It isn't an everyday occurrence, I'll agree. I'll be more careful next time."

Something didn't seem right... "But my class seemed to love having you as their sub! I've no idea what you did, besides the jumper of all things, but they all enjoyed the day. They've nearly demanded that if I were to miss another class that I have you sub for me again."

A small, wane smile crossed her lips. "I'd be happy to..."

"Dilladee, that would be amazing! Thank you so very much! But no, it wouldn't work... you have your own class, too, I can't ask you to take on mine... what am I thinking? There must be some other way to be able to teach my own class and to go to the past for Severus... but what can I do?"

Her voice was very impassive as she replied. "I have already thought on this, and I may have a slight solution, however small. The sight has informed me that you can talk to Minerva about making it a non-daily class; use the excuse that daily is too much too soon for you to handle. It'll help your students out as well. As for her calling you outside of class, every once in awhile it shall happen, but something will help you to manage, be it myself or someone else."

My excitement was beginning to fade away even more with each word she said. Something was hidden behind her eyes, but I didn't know if it was my place to ask such a personal question or not. In the end, I risked it.

"Dilladee, forgive me for prying, but are you all right? You look as if something heavy is weighing upon your mind."

She nodded. "Something is, but I am afraid I am bound not to tell you. Otherwise, believe me, I would. I'd like nothing better than to warn you of what is soon to happen."

"Then you're worried about me? That's all?"

Again, she nodded. "Yes. Isn't that reason enough?"

"For some things, yes, but for this I haven't a clue what to do to try and relieve some of your tension. Is there anything I can do to help at all?"

It seemed a small but genuine smile played upon her face for the first time as she set her cup down and fully looked me in the eyes. "Hermione, you're saying that is enough of a help to me. I was honestly believing myself to have annoyed you so much that you couldn't see me as a friend."

"Nonsense. You are indeed a good friend to me. If it were not for you, I'd have gone bonkers after my first class nearly set the room on fire. And you've helped me to see Professor Snape again, though I had thought that impossible. I feel the greedy one in our relationship; I've no idea how to pay you back for all that you've done."

"Tell me of him, and we shall call it even. I never met the man, in that time or this."

I sighed. "Well, I'm not sure where to begin..."

"Begin with appearance. That's the easiest."

Says her. Twenty years has made a lot of difference when it comes to him. "He has black hair and eyes, and normally his clothes are the same color." I started.

Dilladee gave me a look as if I were crazy. "That's how you choose to describe him? How unromantic."

"Do you want to know or not?" I asked, slightly annoyed.

She just nodded. "Tell me."

"As I said, he normally wears black, be it his robes or slacks, from his dress shoes to that slightly opened button-up shirt he wears..." damn it, thinking about his clothes is undoing me...

Mental slap, mental slap! Can't be thinking such things, it just isn't proper...

"So he likes the color black. Sounds fairly gloomy to me."

"He's actually not, at least not in the past. When he was my professor he was always strict, and never opened up to anyone. The way he teaches has changed a good deal, too. He's actually easier to talk to, and just a little bit less intimidating. The forth year class seems to be the one he enjoys the most, compared to the rest. The students in there are actually all very intelligent, and unlike their seventh year peers, they do turn in more passing potions than failing ones. As for the essays... he does point out flaws in them, but I've also helped him to grade a few, and on some of the better ones he leaves favorable remarks. I know mine were always perfect; grade wise, at least, but he never once said 'good job,' or 'well done.' It makes me wonder sometimes just what all happened to change his attitude toward teaching. To his fourth year class at least he really does care how the students do... I don't know what to make of it."

"Have you ever considered that after years of doing the same thing over and over again, reading the same prompts and correcting the same mistakes may get a little boring? I have already seen myself getting bored as well. That is why I have already opted to always do things just a little bit differently each year."

I sighed. "Honestly, Dilladee, must you use the sight for everything?"

"No, but it certainly makes things a little bit easier."

Says her. "If the sight helps you so much, has it shown what the future is to be with him? Will he come back if I change something in the past?"

"Hermione, you are a brilliant witch. You know the answer to that without my even telling you that I can't foresee such a thing."

I sighed, "I know. But I still hoped."

A warm smile crossed her face at that, but it didn't escape my notice when it failed to reach her eyes. "Don't we all. It would make things much easier for everyone if we knew what to expect. But we're straying from our conversation. Tell me more about Severus. It sounds like he's changed a lot over the years that you've known him."

I nodded. "He has. Back in the time that I'm knowing him now, Lily... she's still alive..." as that knowledge dawned on me, a sudden fear decided to come through me. If Lily is still alive, then for how much longer? It's October now... and in the past, it's the year before I was born. Harry would be born in about 9 months. {(A.N. I haven't got a clue when their birthdays are; I'm guessing at July for Harry, so correct me if I'm otherwise wrong. If nothing else, just go with it for the sake of the fic, please.)}

"Lily's death affected many people." Dilladee murmured, more to herself than to me.

I nodded again. "It did. Snape fully joined our side after that. Something made him join the other before now, though..." I would have to start questioning things, hopefully without Snape becoming any the wiser.

Dilladee was looking at me quizzically. "Is something the matter?"

Coming out of my thoughts I shook my head. "No, just thinking about other things."

Playfully she smacked at my hand. "Now, don't do that! We have to talk boys! Now start again on his looks, black hair and eyes doesn't tell me enough. Give me more details! Come on!"

I smiled at her attempt at distracting me; it was a good excuse. My own thoughts were going to get me into trouble if I didn't be wary of them. Yet, despite her appeared enthusiasm, she never once truly smiled, no matter how long we talked. Something was bothering Dilladee, and she couldn't tell me. Or wouldn't.

My thoughts were confirmed when she suddenly sent me back to the past, still holding my tea cup. The now empty divination tower seemed all the more gloomy, and as I stared there dumbfounded, I didn't know what to do.

I'm not supposed to come back yet; I still have class tonight! Bloody witch... if she's worried about me, the least she could do is not confuse me by playing me into her game blind as a bat!

Irritated, I left the tower. Now I'd have to rely on her to teach my class. It was a good thing the towers were cold, and the dungeons too, because they cooled my burning cheeks as I made my way towards Snape's classroom.

As I opened the dungeon door a startled class looked up at me, but none more so than Severus himself. It seems I'd interrupted his lecture to boot. As the second years tried to hide their surprise Severus regained his composure and came towards me, sending a wordless spell to the board, all of the instructions the students would need appearing upon it.

"Miss Granger, come to my office. Students, the rest of the instructions are on the board. Follow them to the dot; I shall be back momentarily."

I followed him, a little surprised by his actions. Yes, I'd just shown up out of the blue in the middle of his lecture, but did he really need to attend to me so soon? Even the way he shut the door was alarming; he normally had much better composure than this.

"Did something happen? You aren't supposed to be here until tomorrow."

I just shrugged. "I know. But that dimwit Dilladee sent me back already. No warning. She just sent me."

His eyes were on my hands, an eye brow raised. "Apparently during tea time."

Oops. I forgot I was holding that. "Yeah... she's the only one who knows I come here. We were having a small chat when she sent me back."

He raised an eyebrow at me. "You realize you're not getting out of explaining some of this later, do you not?"

I nodded.

With a smirk he turned towards the door. "Unfortunately, it will indeed have to wait until tonight, for we have an audience outside waiting for us. Come."

As we reentered the classroom a wave of heads immediately turned away, trying to pretend they'd never been caught not working. Two girls who had been brave enough to try and eavesdrop at the door were still scuffling to their seats as we began to walk down the aisle toward the students.

Severs smirked, in what I recognized as his evil look of satisfaction from my own childhood days. It's funny the difference time makes in a person. Now the same curl of his lips held a different look to them, to my more accustomed eyes. It wasn't evil at all; it was more the fact that he held a twinge of amusement at their antics. Although, thinking about it, I don't think ours ever held any amusement for him...

"Misses Lenae and Rolna, please stay a moment after class is dismissed. Treyfo, you're boiling over. Pay more attention to the color of that potion, Adams, you're getting to the danger point to where it can not be salvaged." As Snape called out the names of the eaves droppers both girls ducked their heads in shame. The other two names he called, a couple of boys, nodded at his instructions and tried to tend to their pots. Adams ended up being able to save his potion, but Treyfo over boiled it, ruining the wart remover.

It was hard to hide my own amusement in the situation, but at the same time I was the one who got them into trouble, kind of. If I hadn't suddenly burst into the classroom they never would have gotten up, but at the same time they didn't have to try and eaves drop on their potions professor.

Of course, with the way he keeps eyeing me, I don't know what he has in mind for me later on, either...

When the class was dismissed, it was with wary eyes that I awaited the judgment that was sure to come.

I was certainly not expecting to face such judgment in the middle of a broom cupboard!

For the love of all that is magical, how did I end up in this situation?

Oh, yeah. Actually, this was kinda nice, and also very invigorating... It's not every day that you're pressed up against an attractive man in very close quarters. Though with him, it seemed to have become a habit of his lately, coming up close to me at whatever chance he got. The last three weeks had passed by as if we had known each other for months, and it was evident that attraction had been growing on both sides.

Like now I was cornered against the wall, an arm of his on either side of me, my own arms wrapped securely around his waist and holding on for dear life. Outside the door were a couple of other teachers, ones that were still around in my time! If they saw me now, and recognized me in the future, there could be trouble...

The whole situation started out innocently enough... we were walking to the library to get a couple of books when I had to hurriedly turn around and quickly pull Severus in with me. We'd landed with me against the far wall, holding him to me like a shield, while he braced himself against it wondering what the hey was going on.

Not as romantic as my mind made it a minute ago, but still... he was pressed against me.

"Hermione..." he started, but I hushed him with a quick hand over his mouth, my eyes pleading with him to stay quiet.

It didn't take.

"Herrione," he said through my hand, the sound slightly muffled, "whar te ruddy rell err we doing in her?"

Curiosity got the best of me. "What?" I whispered, slightly uncovering his mouth a bit.

"What are we doing in here, it's a bloody br-!" outside the door the teachers footsteps were too close, and before he could finish the sentence, I did the only thing I could think of to silence him.

I kissed him.

And not just innocently, either. It took a moment for the surprise to wear off, but soon he was kissing me back with just as much passion as I had unknowingly started to kiss him with. Even after the teachers' foot steps had long since faded from our ear shots we kept at it, lips glued and tongues battling for dominance inside the other's mouth.

If Dilladee had seen this, I would need to slap her later. Or thank her. I'd never been kissed so fully, so possessively, in all my life. Not even by Ron or Victor, the only two guys I had ever really kissed before now.

I never would have believed my potions master would be added to the list.

It was with a twinge of regret that we started to separate, still slipping in a few chaste kisses while we tried to regain out breaths. At some point in time his hands had found my hips, and my arms had gone from his waist to around his shoulders. One of his legs had even found its way between mine, forcing me almost to my tip toes so that we were closer to the same height. A hard feat, seeing as he was nearly a foot taller than me.

As our breathing slowed, I found myself looking up into his eyes, mouth still open. Severus was nearly the same, save that he had to look down into mine. Our lips were only separated by a couple of inches as it was.

He recovered first. "You... you lose the bet, you do realize. There's no way you're getting out of explaining this before tomorrow."

"I know. You win. Congratulations. Shall we head back to our rooms then, so we can talk?"

That smirk was back, and his eyes seemed to be leaning closer to mine.

"Have you lost your mind, already? There might be more teachers waiting around outside... we should wait... a while..."

Once again, his sentence went un-ended, but to no complaints. The moment our lips touched again I knew we would be in that broom cupboard for a very long while.

What do you know. I was right.

Can I start bouncing off the walls now? I got to have them kiss! A little early compared to my original time line, but oh well. This seemed like a good situation to throw it in. Course now I can start writing more of the good scenes, too...

*contains a small shriek *

Anyway..., hope y'all are enjoying this as much as I am. More than likely you'd enjoy it more if I could actually update in a decent amount of time!