A.N: I'd just apologise for any mistakes that I've made/will make with any chapter. I write and post a new chapter almost every day after work and so everything you see is a first draft and I tend to miss words out completely like a noob. Anyway...on we go...

Chapter Ten: Sentimental Value

It was the day before Christmas Eve and thus a day before Hermione had to return back to her time and leave her new life quite literally behind. The prospect of leaving those she had come to love raised the question in Hermione's mind as to whether she was right to allow herself to get so close to these people in the first place; surely the heartache would be less therefore when the time came to say goodbye.

But no she reminded herself, she had formed these relationships with not only Severus Snape but also the Marauders and most importantly Harry's parents; and so hence had no reason to regret such consequent entailments of the adventure that she found herself in.

James and Lily had been a breath of fresh air for Hermione since her arrival in their time, and although the compatibility of them as friends was probably due to the fact that she was so affable with their future son also, Hermione still saw them as nothing to do with to her friend Harry and loved them as the individuals they were at that point in time.

When all was said and done, Hermione Granger knew that she could look back with a newfound perspective of her life and those around her. Even if her mission for Dumbledore had become a complete failure, she could still return with her head held high and the knowledge of why and how the Marauder's lives turned out the way that they did. And although it pained her to acknowledge it, Hermione understood that there were certain people that she would ever see again; the only people who remained in her time were Severus and Remus.

The thought of leaving Severus behind pained her to the degree that she had spent many sleepless nights of shear upset as she lay beside him knowing that her time with him was running out.

Their relationship had truly blossomed since its consummation and they had found themselves spending almost every minute of their days together, sneaking kisses in dark corners whenever they could, and spending each and every night encased in each others arms.

Although she understood that he would not be physically dead like Lily, James and Sirius would be when she arrived home, Hermione did realise that the Severus she had grown to love would be effectively so to her. It was now apparent to her that Severus and Professor Snape were two completely different beings.

"Why so solemn?" Severus asked, running his fingers through her hair as they lay in bed together on the morning of December 23rd.

"I'm just thinking I suppose," she replied with a hearty sigh of sadness.

"About what?"

"You."

"And the thought of me brings you to near tears?" he asked as he looked down at her with an expression of feigned hurt.

"The thought of leaving you does?"

"And do you plan on leaving me Hermione?" he asked accusatorily, a frown forming at the meeting point of his brows.

"I don't ever want to leave you Severus, but one day I might have to." She had carefully tip-toed around his question and he had seemingly not noticed.

"I have no intention of letting you go easily my love," he said assuredly. "I promise you that."

"Nether have I, but like I said," she repeated sadly, "one day I might have to leave you."

"Hermione, my love, my angel, my big ball of misery and dismay," he teased as he kissed her forehead lovingly and she sighed into his touch. "It is the day before Christmas Eve and also of the Christmas ball, so please, stop with the gloom and enjoy the day as I intend to."

"Christmas ball?" Hermione started as she sat bolt upright, not bothering in her alarm to gather the bedclothes around her and cover her nakedness.

"Well yes," he said with a bewildered shake of the head. "As it is every year."

"No it can't be. The Christmas Ball is held the day after Christmas day itself, not the day before!" Her voice was frantic and this confused Severus.

"And where did you hear that garbage my dear?"

"Hogwarts a History," she lied very unconvincingly.

"Hermione May! Have you been buying text books from Shaun Shunpike? I told that ruddy man not to sell his counterfeit and unbelievably inaccurate books to anybody in this school ever again!"

"Severus my dear," Hermione alleged as she snuggled back into his bare chest and ran her fingers methodically over his pale chest; his reaction calming her qualms about not having bought a dress as yet. "You're ranting."

"That's because I don't like you being exploited by that disgrace for a wizard! He's ripped you off Hermione!"

"Severus I did not buy anything from Shaun and I can assure you that the only person I will allow to exploit me in future, Mr Snape, is you."

"And as much as I'd like to act upon that declaration right now my dear, I have Christmas shopping to do today. You're a hard woman to buy for you know."

"Oh Severus you don't have to get me anything," Hermione protested forcefully, with the knowledge that she would not be there on Christmas day to receive such a gift, at the front of her mind.

"My love," he responded softly, "this is our first Christmas together and I want it to be memorable. I want to spoil you rotten and prove how much I care for you."

"You know what becomes of spoilt children Severus," she waned, trying to add a little humour to her own solemn thoughts.

"We'll worry about that when it comes to our own children," he joked. "But for now, let us enjoy what we have."

"So," Lily said as they entered the fourth bookshop that day, "how many bookshops are we going to have to traipse around before you agree that buying a book for your boyfriend is not very...electrifying."

"Severus and I love books Lily," Hermione replied informingly as if her friend hadn't already noticed that more than obvious fact. "I assume that he'll be as happy with a book as I shall be with mine come Christmas Morning."

"A book though Hermione?" Lily repeated. "It's just so dreary!"

"So what do you propose I buy him, hey?" she asked sarcastically. "A Quidditch broom, some aftershave, or just any other old rubbish that he won't use?"

"It isn't about the gift being usable Hermione. It's about its sentiment and meaning."

"Here," she added as she pulled Hermione into a jewellers. "See if you like anything in here for him."

"Jewellery? Severus never wears jewellery Lily…This is an absurd idea."

"I'm buying James a watch this year actually Hermione and he is going to love it. You see," she said firmly. "I'm going to get it inscribed with the date we got together to prove my love for him. Can a book really show such a thing or hold the same meaning?"

Hermione pondered this idea for a moment. It was true that she wanted Severus to feel loved and to be able to have something that he could keep forever, but the thought of her departure the next day made a book seem so much more appropriate and, well, less sentimental. She didn't want him to have a constant reminder of her and how she had abandoned him.

"Good morning Miss," the jeweller said politely as he bound over towards Hermione and interrupted her thoughts. "Can I help you with anything?"

"I don't really know," she muttered as she looked around the room for some sort of inspiration. None came.

"Well, for whom is the item, Miss?"

"My boyfriend," she said thoughtfully. "But I wouldn't really say he's a jewellery person."

"Ah how unfortunate," the jeweller mused as he stroked his ginger moustache methodically. "However, people whom do not wear the delights of silver and gold should not be so easily classed as somebody who does not enjoy such treasures. For you see, maybe this boyfriend of yours has never been gifted with an item of jewellery before and thus has had no reason to wear any."

"That's actually very likely sir," Hermione replied.

"Well in that case, I suggest that we begin our search for something suitable to his tastes. Something maybe that reflects how you feel for him?"

"That seems like a good idea."

"Well firstly," the jeweller began, "I will need to know how you feel for this boy."

Hermione blushed a little as she struggled to decide exactly how she felt for Severus.

"Well do you love him?" the man asked as silence descended upon the room.

"Yes, I think I do. Yes."

"And do you cherish every moment you spend with him as though it could be the last?"

"Most definitely."

"And what sort of character is he?"

"He's your typical Slytherin sir," Hermione retorted with a smile. "He's dark, intelligent and cunning, yet unimaginably loving and compassionate when we're alone. He cares very much for those close to him."

"Well in that case, I think I have just the thing for you madam…"

… … …

"Oh Hermione he's going to love it!" Lily exclaimed as Hermione strolled around the Gryffindor common room, an unsure expression about her face.

"The dress or the gift," she asked humorously.

"Both!"

"Are you sure about the colour of the dress though?" Hermione asked, examining herself in the mirror. "I mean, emerald green isn't very 'Gryffindor' is it? And I don't want to feel like a traitor."

"Oh don't be silly," Lily dismissed with a brief wave of the hand. "I wore green to the last ball and nobody batted an eyelid. Well," she added with a sultry grin, "James did."

Hermione giggled.

"That was the night we got together you know," Lily informed, her eyes glazed over in remembrance. "He whisked me quite literally of my feet. He's a marvellous dancer."

"So it's your one year anniversary tomorrow?"

"Well yeah, I suppose so. Oh Hermione, I do love him you know," she said amorously as she spun around on the spot, her hands clutched to her chest. "I hope that I can spend every Christmas with him until I'm old and grey. Infact," she added, "I just know that one day when we're eighty we'll be spending our Christmas together with little Grandchildren running around our feet."

Hermione felt her eyes warm and her throat close over as Lily expressed her hopes for a future that was so different to what was actually going to occur.

"Ah Hermione there's no need to get upset," she teased. "James and I will invite you and Severus around for Christmas dinner too. We might even let you bring your Einstein-esk children along with you."

Once more, Hermione broke down…