Not surprisingly Hermione finally made it to Potions and was outside the classroom with minutes to spare.
It had been nice, she thought, being able to be herself again. Being able to just enjoy the sunshine and be amongst friends. She hadn't been able to spend a lot of time with Harry and Ron recently. What with the war raging on, Horcruxes needing to be found and all the funerals that had been attended there was not only no time for such pleasantries, but no one seemed to be in the mood anymore.
As she reached the dungeon classroom she had come to know so well she spotted Snape standing alone, leaning against the stone wall.
"So you found your way here then" he said rather bitterly.
"Yes" Hermione said careful not to add 'Sir' on the end of that. He was speaking so harshly he much more resembled the man he would one day become.
"Had fun with Potter and his golden gang?" he spat.
Hermione looked at him carefully. Was he jealous? She knew he hated the marauders, and with good reason, but was he jealous of her friendship with them?
Suddenly it hit her, he had no friends. Not many anyway, not that she knew of. And he had offered his friendship to her and she had just left him, chose the marauders over him, probably like so many others had.
She observed him standing alone against the wall. That's what he was, alone. Thinking into the future, that's what he would always be. Maybe for once in his life he thought he could have a friend, and she had just passed him by.
Hermione suddenly felt a wave of guilt wash over her.
"I'm sorry" she said quietly. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew how surreal this situation was. Here she was feeling guilty for not being a good friend to Snape of all people.
His eyes narrowed, "You think you need to apologise to me for something".
"I'm apologising for before" she told him.
"There is nothing you need to apologise for" he sneered, "Unless you are plotting something behind my back? I wouldn't expect you to apologise though if you were. What sort of Slytherin would you be then?"
She almost told him that's she want a Slytherin at all, but that would just make him angrier she reasoned. "I'm sorry for before, Sirius and James, they can be idiots sometimes. I can be an idiot sometimes."
Severus regarded her for a moment. She wasn't like any other Slytherin girl he had met before, she was brave and kind and she didn't judge people on first appearances. He knew that because she had accepted his friendship without even giving it a second thought. And here she was apologising for Potter and his idiot friends.
It was unfathomable.
"You don't need to apologise" he finally said softly, "its ok, I know they are your friends"
"So are you" she said, it was almost a question.
Thinking it was time for a subject change before she got too upset, "so you looking for ward to Potions then, it's a great subject, one of my favourites" Severus said.
Hermione smiled, "yes as a matter of fact I am".
"Did you have potions at your old school?" he asked.
"We did, we had a great Professor, a bit strict mind, but brilliant" Hermione told him with only a flicker of a smile.
"If he was brilliant, then it wouldn't have mattered if he was strict I would have thought" Snape said wistfully, "as long as he was fare".
Hermione almost laughed, "I suppose you're right. He wasn't very fair though".
Snape gave her a half smile and was pleased that she returned it with a full on smile of her own. She was all-right, this Hermione Granger he thought. He predicted that they could be very good friends indeed.
IIIII
Inside the 'oh so familiar' Potions room Hermione chose to sit next to Severus. The lesson was between Slytherin and Gryffindor again and Sirius had almost begged her on bended knee to sit with him, but she had politely declined.
Severus hadn't thanked her, but he was not so good at hiding his emotions in his young age and Hermione saw the small smile that played upon his lips. That was all the gratitude she needed.
"Before you broke up for the Christmas holidays I believe you were working on Strengthening Solutions in your pairs" Professor Borage addressed the class "you may continue with that. At the end of the lesson bring me your vials for marking. Hermione Granger you may partner up with someone who is not already paired up."
Hermione nodded and began to look round the class for a partner.
Severus tapped her on the shoulder, "you can work with me" he offered. "There are an odd number of students and I usually work alone. I'm the only one not paired up" he told her.
"Good" she smiled, "I was hoping as much".
Severus just raised an eyebrow at her, "have you made this potion before?" he asked taking his caldron from where he had stored it over the Christmas break, "It's quite simple".
"Actually I have, I'm my fifth year" she admitted remembering the lesson well.
She received another raised eyebrow from Severus. "Indeed" was all he said.
They worked well together for the rest of the lesson. Both Hermione and Severus grateful for lack of interruptions they received from the marauders. Lily had spoken to Hermione now and again, but Severus didn't mind Lily. He would never admit it, but he once used to like her, that was until she began courting that idiot Potter. But he didn't let it bother him.
Hermione was quite smart, much more than he had originally thought. She had admitted as much the first time thy met, but Severus didn't realise how true that was.
She was keen and eager to learn, just as he was. He was surprised at how much she actually knew. He believed her when she told him she had mastered seventh year potions in her fifth year. She easily completed the potion they were making in half the time.
He found he enjoyed watching her work, she was precise, just like him, and it gave him great pleasure in showing her some tips he had picked up along his years in Hogwarts. All in all he had enjoyed the lesson, much more than he had in a long time.
Hermione too enjoyed working with Snape; she had always loved watching him in class. And now, to have the chance to watch him at his best, it was entrancing.
He kept giving her little tips now and again, such as stir counter-clockwise first, or to slice the lemon root instead of chopping it. She knew he was trying to be helpful, and she was grateful that he was willing to share his secrets with her, but she couldn't help smiling. She had read almost all his handy hints in his sixth year potions book Harry had borrowed during their sixth year at Hogwarts.
So finally the lesson drew to an end, Severus took both his and Hermione's samples to the front of the class for marking and waited patiently for her as she packed away her books.
"What lesson do you have now?" he asked
"I have a free" she told him whilst neatly folding some parchment and placing it into one of the bags many pockets.
Severus raised an eyebrow, "as do I" he said.
Hermione looked up at him wondering if he was going to offer to chaperone her round the castle again.
"If you like…" he began
"Yes" she said cutting him off before he got chance to finish.
"You don't even know what I was going to say" he said looking at her amused.
Hermione blushed, "sorry I thought that, erm-"
"I was wondering if you wanted to do something, maybe go for a walk or-"
"Yes" she cut him off again.
Severus regarded her for a moment, it was possible that she was mocking him; she was friends with Potter and Black after all. But her smile looked so genuine; she was quite literally beaming at him. And what was strange was that it made him feel all warm inside. He had never experienced that before.
Shaking his head he put it down to a reaction from various potions that flooded the air in the damp classroom. She was still smiling up at him, he couldn't help but smile back, "its settled then" he said, "and I know just the place we can go".
"Where?" she asked following him out of the classroom
"There's something I want to show you" was all he said on the subject.
Hermione smiled to herself, she really did enjoy spending time with younger Snape. She could only guess what had happened to him that would turn him into the bitter man he would eventually become, but for now that didn't matter.
She smiled happily to herself as she trotted on to catch up with Severus.
IIIII
"SNAP!" Ron shouted as he slammed his hand on the table over the pile of cards, "Har, I win" he gloated.
"Oh gee, shucks, I'm so upset now" Ginny said sarcastically, "oh Ron you are so good at everything, just being around you makes me tired, I think I may have to go to bed" she said rolling her eyes.
"What are you going on about Gin, it's only-" he looked at the clock, "Merlin its two in the morning, believe that? We much have been playing for-"
"Four hours" she said frowning at him, "now if you don't mind I would really like to sleep".
Ron watched as she groggily made her way up the stairs, "you didn't let me win did you?" he asked after her, "if you did I want a rematch".
Ginny ignored him and made her way to her and Hermione's room, she had just about reached out her hand to open the door when there was a loud crash Ron downstairs.
"Ron?" she shouted panicked, hoping it was just him knocking about.
Suddenly she could hear voices, whipping around she darted back downstairs to where she had just came from.
She saw Ron in the corner of the room with his wand out, he was scowling and pointing it to a dark cloaked figure.
The man in the black robes was growling at Ron whilst being held back by-
"Harry!" Ginny screamed with relief as she ran down the stairs, "oh my god you're alright" she said putting her arms around him.
Harry who was trying to keep a grip on the man that looked like he wanted to kill Ron gave Ginny a weak smile, "yeah" he said struggling with the raging man, "I'm ok" he gave her a strained look.
"Oh sorry" Ginny said and let him go, he was obviously busy.
Remus had a hold of the other mans arm and was too struggling to pull him away from Ron. Whoever it was clearly had some strength in them.
"Traitor" Ron spat with immense disgust at the hooded figure.
Ginny just heard the man growl in response and make another lunge forward to attack her brother.
"Ron shut up" Harry said, obviously growing tired with holding whoever it was back.
"Ginny where's Hermione?" Remus asked
Almost instantly the raging man seemed to calm somewhat. Ginny looked from Remus to their prisoner. "What do you want Hermione for?" she asked, not wanting to put her best friend in the way of any danger, and this man seemed to have danger written all over him.
"Will you just get her, please?" Remus begged.
Ginny took in a deep breath she did trust Remus, and Harry was there, he wouldn't let this man hurt Hermione. "I'll go get her" she said quietly.
Ginny ran into their shared bedroom and over to her friends bed. She wasn't there. Shrugging she knocked on the bathroom door, "Hermione, you in there?" she asked. No answer.
Beginning to panic now she ran up to the top floor. "Hermione?" she shouted looking in all the rooms for her best friend.
"Ginny?" Harry called up to her wondering why it was taking so long; Remus looked a little less concerned and a bit more thoughtful.
"She's not here" Ginny said running back down to the men in the parlour looking a lot paler.
Harry looked at Remus frowning, "can I kill the son of a bitch now?"
"No" Remus ordered and looked frantically about the room, his eyes resting on the clock on the wall.
The man in the dark cloak turned around from Ron to look at Remus surprised.
Ginny almost screamed, their stood Severus Snape. And alive no less. Why the hell was Remus letting him live?
Harry glared at their former professor, his face full of hatred and loathing. The look was returned with ease. "You have ten minutes" Harry growled, "then he dies".
Remus once again looked at the clock, "ok" he said.
A/N; What happens next you decide! Vote A) For Remus to get up and do the funky chicken! Vote B) For the author to just shut up and get on with the story!
Hope you liked that chap THANK YOU to all my wonderful reviewers:D