So the story continues...

All characters belong to the brilliant J. K. Rowling.


Chapter 8

"It's in the middle of the night. Where are you going! No!" He called after her. If she was not so angry she might have picked up the panic and desperation in his voice. But she didn't. She ran straight through the door and with a soft pop, she was gone. And no one was there to hear his next few words...

"Please, Hermione, Don't go..."

Severus sank into a leather chair by the window and buried his face in his hands. Whatever rage possessed him slowly left his body as he regained control over his mind. What had he done?

He had almost guessed what she was going to tell him as he sat in the study re-reading his old journal. He knew Hermione's time traveling trip to the past had to have something to do with Dumbledore. He always felt ambivalent about Dumbledore's tendency to manipulate others. It burned him up while thinking that Hermione was instructed to risk her life for the old wizard. His anger towards the old man was nothing new. He had harbored the resentment for years. But this resentment was nothing compared to his other concern. It was his biggest fear that he himself, would have something to do with enabling Hermione to go back in time. And her answers confirmed all of his worries.

She would never understand how difficult it was for him to even imagine the consequences. His mistake had already cost the life of Lily. If anything had happened to Hermione because of him, he wasn't sure how he could cope. Hermione was not Lily. She was his best friend (perhaps even, his only friend), his partner, his wife, his love. He lived for the very existence of her! Yet none of those romantic words came to him when he was talking to her. The emotion was too strong. And everything came out wrong.

He let out a shaky sigh and felt his heart clinch with pain. This couldn't be happening. He had to go after her. He had to talk to her. He had to apologize.

It would be most challenging to admit that he was wrong. Sorry was not a word in Severus Snape's daily vocabulary. Being honest to himself, he did not even have a clue about how he would start the apology. But he was determined to do it. He would do anything for her.

The question was, where would she go in the middle of the night?

Suddenly the corner of Severus' lips curled up and he smiled. It wouldn't be in the middle of the night at the other end of the world. It might even be sunny in England.


It was a beautiful morning in the fields next to the road leading to the Burrow. But Severus was in no mood to admire the scenery. He was preparing his words as he anticipated finding her there with the Weasleys. He knew she had always considered the Weasleys her extended family. Since her parents were out and about touring the world again, he was sure he would find her here.

As he came up to the gate of the house, he saw Ron moving a couple of trunks out to the yard. Suspicion rose and Severus began to wonder: where was the young Weasley going? And, with who?

"Going somewhere Weasley?" He asked in his cool smooth voice.

Ron was surprised by the question and was shocked to see Severus Snape standing by the front gate, in his signature black coat and billowing black cloak. "Uh... P...P...Professor Snape?" He stuttered.

Severus rolled his eyes and entered the yard. "Just Snape, or Severus if you please. I'm not your professor anymore Weasley."

"Sorry... S... Severus," Ron answered, and smiled uneasily. He took a quick glance behind Severus. When he didn't see anyone following, he became quite concerned, "Is everything alright? Where is Hermione?"

Severus raised an eyebrow and realized his suspicion was ungrounded. "I was hoping you would know." He answered.

"Know what? Where Hermione is?" Ron looked confused. "No. I don't. I haven't seen you two since we had dinner together two weeks ago." He considered carefully before finally asking in a timid voice, "What happened?"

Severus frowned and wasn't sure how much he wanted to share with the red-headed young man. "Well," he started coolly, but soon stumbled for words, "We, uh... She, uh... She had a Gryffindor moment."

Ron stared at Severus in disbelief and said, "Blimey! She does that to you too?"

Severus was slightly taken aback. "What do you mean?"

"Oh you know, how scary she can be when she gets angry." Ron shrugged, "She used to scare me when we were at school."

A smile escaped the corner of Severus' lips as he remembered observing the brown-hair prefect expressing her strong opinions to her fellow red-headed Gryffindor.

"You just need to talk to her though." Ron went on, "She always has a good reason to be upset. It worked for us when we talked it through."

They stood in silence for a long minute and Ron suddenly said, "I never found the opportunity, but I want to thank you Severus."

Severus looked up at the young man, confused, "What do you want to thank me for?"

"I want to thank you for talking to Hermione a few years ago and telling her to talk to me."

"I did?"

"Yes, it was at Slughorn's Christmas party, remember? She came to talk to me afterwards and told me that she didn't feel the same way about me like the way I felt about her, but she still wanted to be my friend. I'm really glad that we had that honest discussion. Eventually I realized I didn't really want to be in a relationship like that with her anyway. But I know I would be devastated if I lost her as my friend."

"She told you that I talked to her?" Severus was curious.

"Well, not at the beginning. She just said that she learned from a wise and sensible man that it would be a shame to lose a friend because of miscommunication and misunderstanding."

"Wise and sensible?" Severus couldn't believe his ears. Considering his behavior the night before, he was far from being wise and sensible.

"Yeah, tell me about it." Ron chuckled, "How would I guess that was you? Sorry, no offense. So I asked her if it was McLaggen."

"McLaggen? Are you daft?"

"That was exactly what she said too." Ron smiled. "But what do you expect? She just got back from a party with that git and came up to me with that conversation. I was slightly upset alright? So that's when she told me it was you that talked to her."

Severus nodded absentmindedly and lost in his own thought.

"And... uh.. may I ask you something?" Ron's careful question interrupted Severus. He looked up at the young man and nodded.

"Did you... and Hermione... uh... did you two go out when we were at school?"

"No." Severus frowned, "Her visit to the past happened at the end of the war. And I never told her about it when she was a student."

"I see." Ron nodded thoughtfully and let out a relieved sigh, "Thanks. That made me feel better."

Seeing the confused expression in Severus eyes, Ron explained, "I know I don't feel that way about her, but there was something always nagging me. I just want to make sure that she really was not interested in me when she made her decision, and not because she was with someone that was... that was... better than me."

Severus considered the young man in front of him carefully. The young Weasley certainly had some self-esteem issues.

"Let me put it this way, Weasley. I wouldn't have come over here to look for her if you weren't her best friend."

The red-headed young wizard smiled and nodded.

Severus looked around, and his attention was drawn by the two trunks at the front door. "Where are you going?"

"Oh, yes," Ron scratched his head absentmindedly. "I'm heading up north to meet up with Charlie for the summer. He is going to show me around the dragon territory. And I have always wanted to visit that part of the world."

"I see. Have a pleasant journey then." Severus turned and began to leave. He was eager to go to his next destination.

"Talk to her Severus. And good luck!" Ron called after him. And all Severus did was nodding curtly before disapparating as soon as he stepped out of the gate.


Severus pressed on the doorbell impatiently for the third time. What would take Potter so long to answer the door?

The front door of Number 12 Grimmauld Place slowly creep open and Kreature's big grey ears came into sight.

"Master Snape? What can Kreature do for you?"

"Where is Hermione?" Severus asked irritably.

"Is Kreature Mrs. Snape's keeper?" The old house elf stroke his chin with his bony index finger and replied slowly, "No, Kreature does not think so."

Just as Severus could feel his temper rising again, he heard Harry Potter hurried out from the hallway asking, "Who is it Kreature?"

When Harry appeared in the doorway, Severus noticed he was in his bath robe. To Severus' amusement, Harry seemed slightly embarrassed by his own attire.

"Oh hi Severus." Harry gently pushed the house elf away from the doorway, "What brought you here? Is everything alright? Where is Hermione?"

The question gave Severus a splitting headache. How could this be? He was wrong again? Hermione didn't come to Potter either?

"Harry," a soft voice calling from upstairs, "Who is it?"

Severus looked up and saw a glimpse of a red-hair girl in her bath robe. When he look down he noticed a shade of dark pink growing in Harry's face.

"It's Severus, Ginny. We will talk a little bit in the kitchen."

Severus smirked at the young wizard, "was I interrupting anything?"

"No no no..." Harry tried to hide his blush. "Come on in... Can I get you anything to drink?"

Harry didn't wait for an answer from his unexpected guest before leading him into the kitchen. He handed Severs a butterbeer and asked with great concern, "What happened?"

"Well," Severus sighed and sat down by the table. He took a drink of the butterbeer, considering his answer, "I think I might have said something that was rather, regrettable."

Harry frowned and sat down across the table from Severus. "Was it bad?"

Severus looked up at Harry and nodded, "I think so. She was not happy."

Harry thought for a moment and asked again, "So you two had a row?"

"I said she was not happy. And yes, we had a row!" Severus growled. He suddenly felt like a complete idiot talking to the Potter boy about his personal life.

"Well when you see her again, just let her know that you love her." Harry said quietly.

"Since when have you become a marriage counselor?" Severus grunted, "I did not come here for advice."

"Oh sorry... I didn't mean that." Harry got up and grabbed a butterbeer for himself. "I just thought she might had one of those moments."

"What moments?" Harry's words got Severus' attention.

"Well remember right after the war when she asked you to move with her to her new flat and you said no? She was really upset."

"I explained it to her back then. It was for her own good. I didn't want to get her into that political mess." Severus wasn't sure why Harry had to bring that up.

"She came to me then," Harry explained, "and she cried for hours. She thought the reason that you didn't want to be with her was because..."

"What?" Severus looked up at Harry intensely as Harry stopped in mid-sentence.

"She was worried that you wouldn't let her love you."

"That is absurd." Severus felt cold, as if a dementor just entered the room. He was quite used to being misunderstood by now. But by her? He did not expect this.

"Did you ever tell her that you love her?" Harry asked.

"She knows." Severus answered coolly.

"But you never said it, did you?" Harry shook his head, "It has always been her worry Severus. She has always been afraid that you have trouble trusting her. She told me that she would do anything for you. But she didn't think you would let her. She felt that it was your way of rejecting her. Did your fight have anything to do with that?"

Severus froze in his seat. His breath was caught in his throat. Yes indeed, he made a very big mistake. What he said hit a nerve that he didn't even realize was there.

Quickly Severus put down the butterbeer, and got up to make his leave. "I have to find her." He said quietly.

"Don't worry Severus," Harry followed him on the way out, "having a fight once in a while will only make you two stronger."

"Is that from personal experience?" Severus snarled.

Harry chuckled as he opened the door for Severus, "Good luck."


Standing in the street outside Number 12 Grimmauld Place, Severus was lost. He learned from Hermione that McGonagall was on a cruise trip with Poppy, and Hagrid was invited to visit Madam Maxine for the summer. So he quickly ruled out Hogwarts as Hermione's destination. As he recounted their argument, he remembered her saying that she needed to be with "reasonable people". Just where on earth would he find those reasonable people?


What do you think my friends? Where is his next stop? Any guesses? Look forward to your reviews.