Chapter Ten: A rose that won't bloom

A/n: This is a big chapter. There is a lot of important information here. I even made a graphic for this chapter. You can find it by searching Deviantart for the user TtHM and the graphic is titled "History repeats itself" Should be the last image uploaded. Enjoy!

I walked in silence with Snape, wondering what he had to tell me. We entered the classroom and walked through it to his office. We sat down at his desk. Snape took a deep breath and looked me in the eyes. "What I am about to tell you is very important information Miss. Granger. It is not to be taken lightly. I would like you to just listen to what I have to say. This is very delicate information and something that is very difficult for me to talk about. Do you understand?"

I nodded slowly, feeling my heart beat in my chest.

Snape leaned it and started speaking, his deep voice painting a picture in my mind, "There is a sort of evilness with Potter men. I watched Lily fall victim to James the same way you have fallen to Harry. The difference is that Lily fell for James in another way. He roped her in and made her his. Harry himself was conceived the same way the child inside you was; through the evilness of the Potters. Don't ask me why this happens, because I do not know but what I do know, what is very apparent, is that history repeats itself and if you are not careful you could very easily fall into the same trap Harry's mother did. Harry could steal you from Draco the way James stole Lily from me"

I felt my heart speeding up in my chest. The same thing happened to Lily that had happened to me?

"Let me start at the beginning of the story. Lily and I had been friends are whole lives. I lived down the street from her and Petunia. Her sister never liked me very much but Lily and I were best friends. Who we were, blood. Nothing mattered. We were best friends and nothing could separate us. I had told her about magic when we were children and she laughed about it, thinking it was just a joke but she never judged me." Snape reached into his desk and pulled out a stack of pictures. The first one he showed me a small black haired boy and a red haired girl. It was a normal Muggle photograph and the pair looked like that they were about 8. They had huge smiles on their heads.

"As our 11th birthdays approached I found myself sad, knowing that Lily and I would be separated when I went to Hogwarts. That was until the day Lily came running up my driveway with her Hogwarts letter in her hand." He pulled out another photograph. This one was a magical one. Snape and Lily both held their Hogwarts letters. Lily stayed still for a moment before she jumped on Snape wrapping her arms around him in a hug and kissing him on the cheek. "I couldn't tell you how happy that day made me. Not only was I going to Hogwarts to become a great wizard but my best friend in the whole world was coming with me."

"When we got to Hogwarts we were sorted into separate houses but that didn't matter. We were still best friends. Spending lunch together, studying after classes, trips to Hogsmead at 13. We could not be separated." The next photo was Snape in Slytherin robes and Lily in Gryffindor robes. They were down by the lake, arms around each other's shoulders and they were laughing. I marveled at how her hair was just as bushy as mine only bright red instead of brown. "James followed her like a lost puppy but she denied him. I guess you can only deny a Potter so many times before they snap."

Snape took another photograph and looked at it longingly before showing it to me. He was dressed in a nice set of black dress robes, Lily wore green robes that matched her eyes, her fiery hair was pulled back except for a few pieces that framed her face. There was no doubt that she was lovely. Her smile was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. "Our 7th year we had a Christmas ball was the first time James attacked her. She had gone to the bathroom and was gone for over an hour. I found her, dress ripped and crying. I held her in my arms for hours as she cried. I tried my hardest to help her. James followed her, harassed her. I tried to get him to stop but he was much bigger than me and was muscular for playing Quidditch. So he was able to push me around like it was nothing. I tried going to Dumbledore but like with you he did not believe me. I tried my hardest but as time went on she started to drift away from me." Snape looked down at the picture his voice had started shaking

"She started spending time with James more and more. One day we started arguing and James found us. He and his stupid friends hung me upside down and tormented me. The last thing he told me before they dropped me to the ground was 'I knocked your girlfriend up. What are you going to do about it?' He and his friends left me there. Lily tried to help me; I asked her if this was true. She told me it was and that she was going to marry him because it was 'what is best for the baby' I was angry, hurt; I lashed out calling her a mudblood"

He reached up to quickly wipe away a tear that had formed. He took a deep breath and continued on, "That was the day of finals. I tried to talk to her but she refused. We graduated; she married James and had Harry. After she had been….killed I tried to get Dumbledore to let me raise Harry, maybe teach him how to not be like his father, maybe see if love could change it. Dumbledore refused, so I hoped that just maybe being raised away from the Potter's that his mother's love would shine through whatever horrible evilness that was in his soul. For many years I thought I was right but now it is obvious what his true form is. Hermione, please promise me that you will hold on to Draco and that you will not let him go. Please do not fall into the same trap that my Lily did."

I had tears pouring down my cheeks. I could hardly believe the pain that he had to go through. I nodded my head. "I promise, I love Draco more than anything. I could never let that happen to me. But Professor, what if I have a boy? What if the same thing happens?"

Snape looked into my eyes, "My dear girl I do believe that if you instruct your boy the right way, and with a loving father like Draco I believe the curse will be broken. Please also whatever you do, you do not have to give him the last name Malfoy but please do not give the child the last name of Potter"

I nodded and walked around the desk and gave him a long hug. Snape took a deep breath and thanked me.

"Now there is one more thing I must warn you about. Word has reached Lucius that Draco and you are together and we are sure that Lucius will relay this word to the Dark Lord. We are not sure how he will treat this information. He may come after you or he may not care. I need you to be prepared to run form here at any moment. Draco has a place for you to go where you can lay low where he cannot find you. I have performed a spell on your necklace. If you are in trouble it will get warm, then the dragon well let a small roar. If this happens you need to meet Draco by the far side of the lake and we will get the two of you out of her safely."

I was in shock when I was given this news. I knew it was a possibility but I didn't expect it to happen so fast. "Now please understand that you will probably be okay. The Dark Lord has bigger things to worry about then this at the moment."

Somewhere off in the distance of the castle a bell rang signaling the beginning of lunch. "Now run along Miss. Granger. I do believe that Mr. Malfoy is waiting down by the lake with lunch for you." Snape smiled giving me one more hug. "And please always remember what I said."

I smiled and nodded. "I will I promise"