Note: Yes, after long awaited months I have resurfaced with two more chapters and have decided to continue this fic. Please bear with me.

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Chaper 9: How To Save A Life

Nothing seemed to change except the remaining Marauders seemed to ignore Peter and he semed to accept the fact that he was no longer welcomed in their group. He never spoke to Hermione or the others and while that should have relieved her, it just caused her to worry more. His silence scared her and she knew it was only too probable that he was planning something. She kept her thoughts to herself, however, and tried to silence them within the back of her mind. There really was no sense fretting when it was only a matter of time until Pete's plans would surface. Peter still played as Keeper for the Quidditch team and James didn't seem like he was going to ban Pete from the team. In his words, Quidditch and personal problems were two completely different matters. She'd shrugged and decided not to argue with him.

Hermione continued talking with Snape, growing respect and fondness for the boy everytime they spoke. He had told her the day after he'd gone to get Sirius's help, that he'd gone to talk to Dumbledore. He had only told her that he would tell her what was said when the time was right.

Two months had passed and November arrived amid heavy showers that lasted for days on end. One particularly rainy day saw Hermione and Snape outside, walking the length of the lake. Though the rain fell heavily around them, they were completely dry. Hermione was delighted to find that Snape was the cause, and when she thanked him, he waved away the complement, telling her to never tell a soul what he'd done. Grinning, she agreed and decided to change the topic.

"Are you going to the Quidditch game next week? It's our houses against one another."

He scowled. "I try my hardest not to attend the games. I truely see no point in the game. It just causes more bitterness between the houses, not that it matters to me." She nodded in agreement. He looked at her and grimmaced. "You'll be going to support Black, I suppose?"

It was her turn to scowl at him, but she nodded nevertheless. Ever since she'd started dating Sirius the month before and Snape had gotten word of it, he took every change she gave him to voice his dissaproval. At first she had found it sweet that he would dissaprove of someone she dated, a bit like a father, but after awhile it got a bit annoying.

She sighed. "Yes, I promised him, James, and Remus that I would go to the games. They're my friends, Severus, and they hardly ask anything of me."

Snape turned his head and muttered something that Hermione couldn't catch.

"What?" she asked.

"I said, I'm a friend too, and I don't ask anything of you."

She blinked. Snape had just acknowledged her as a friend. She slowly smiled.

"And I'm your friend, so if you need anything, all you have to do is ask, Severus."

He stopped walking and turned so suddenly that she had to stop before she walked into him. He looked into her eyes so sharply Hermione felt as if he were trying to dig something out, something hidden deep.

"Where do you really come from, Granger? I know your story is Beauxbatons, but even a monkey can tell that's not true. I want the truth."

Hermione looked away and bit her lip. Only Sirius knew--other than for the staff-- and it was supposed to stay that way, but she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she could trust the boy before her and she owed it to their friendship to tell him.

"Alright," she said with a sigh. "But let's sit down. It's a bit of a story and my legs start to hurt fast."

He actually grinned as they sat, the ground surprisingly dry beneath them. Hermione plucked a few leaves of grass from the ground and took a deep breath.

"I'm from about thirty years into the future, and a seventh year-- at least, I was supposed to be a seventh year-- at this school. I was sent back to get rid of the rising Dark wizard before he becomes too powerful to defeat like he was in my time." She looked up at him and was surprised when he merely nodded and shrugged at her surprise.

"Remus and I talked awhile back," he admitted. "I voiced my idea that you might be from the future and he said he'd guessed the same. It's interesting to find that we're right. I'm assuming then that Black knows but Potter doesn't?"

She nodded and sighed. "I have no idea of what I'm supposed to do, Severus." She was surprised as the words came out of her mouth. She hadn't even voiced that to Sirius, and yet she'd as much as told Snape that she was afraid.

"No, you do. You have it in your head, Hermione, you just haven't found it yet. But now that you've told me, I can tell you what Dumbledore and I discussed that night. He told me that you would let me know your secret when it was time and I was to tell you the moment you have an idea of what to do, go to him. Also, I want you to know, whatever it is you plan to do, I'll help both you and Dumbledore. Just don't ask me to like James and Sirius. I doubt that will ever happen. Remus, though. He's fine. We get along well and he said he'd like to be friends. He also told me of his condition. I take it you know of it?"

Hermione smiled at his hesitation and nodded. She and Remus had grown to be good friends, working on homework and just talking in general, and he had finally told her that he was a werewolf. She'd known all along, but he wasn't to know that, and she had let him know that whether he was human, wolf, or dancing bear, she'd always be his friend.

"Yes, he told me. I really don't see him as 'werewolf' but more as just a boy who grows a bunch of hair every month."

Snape rolled his eyes. He was used to her cheerful way of looking at things by now.

"He's really a strong person, to live with that, isn't he?" she asked him. He nodded and looked away, his focus on the distant trees. He then suddenly looked at her once more.

"Hermione, I have an idea of how to help him. Its a potion that I've been working on. It will make him keep his mind when he transforms and then he won't have to bite at himself as I've read that werewolves do when they are kept from prey. Can you look at it and the list of ingredients I've used, and tell me if you think it will work? I'm almost certain it will, but I'd rather not get his hopes up and have it fail."

Hermione nodded, both awed and surprised. It seemed that Snape may have invented Wolvesbane Potion. Had he done it the first time, or had she changed the past by making him friends with Lupin and therefore caused him to invent it rather than the supposed inventor. Another thing, she noticed as she watched the boy looking off into the distance, she'd realized that Snape and Remus were becoming very close. In her time, they weren't exactly enemies, but they were deffinately not friends either. She wondered what would become of this change in the future. She hoped it would be for the better, and not for the worst.

"Of course I'll look at it," she said. She was glad that she'd learned the ingredients when she'd had to make it for Lupin after Snape had disapeared. She would be able to tell whether or not it was Wolvesbane Potion. Standing, she looked down at him. "Coming?"

He looked up at her and smiled slightly before standing. "I hadn't meant right now, but now's as good as anytime. Together, they started for the castle. As they reached the castle doors, Snape turned to look at her.

"I can tell you want to know why I want to help you. In a way, Granger... you saved my life. I'm not one to leave debts unpaid."

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Disclaimer: Characters and places recognized belong to J.K. Rowling.