I apologize for taking so long to update! It's been a very busy year. I'm hoping to be able to continue working on this and post new chapters in a timely manner. Please review and let me know what you're thinking. I know it's been a little slow, but it gets better. I promise!


Chapter 12

The following months flew by as Hermione continued to brew for the infirmary and work on her time-turner research. She learned a lot about time travel, including three completely different substances that could be used to travel through time. Severus was coming around more and more each day, and even let her help mark the first and second year's essays. The only thing she couldn't accomplish was learning anything about her strange dreams. Nothing more came to her in the nights, and she refused to focus on them during the days.

Before she knew it, the month of May was coming to an end and final exams were upon them. The weather was getting warmer, and the dungeons were sweltering.

"Granger!" she heard a yell in the gruff voice that made her stomach flip. Looking up from the potion ingredients on the table in front of her, she sucked in a deep breath as she tried to focus her thoughts. She was a mess. He had finally let her help him brew the Wolfsbane Potion, but all she was doing was screwing it up. She couldn't focus, and he was the cause. He, standing there in just a black tee shirt with sweat running down his brow, his long black hair pulled back at the nape of his neck. An annoyed scowl plastered on his chiseled face. "The aconite is to be sliced, not diced. If you are not going to pay attention you might as well join the majority of the student body trying not to drown in the lake.

"Sorry, I'm paying attention," she lied.

Huffing, he grabbed the aconite from her and began slicing it perfectly. "Obviously, there are more important things to think about than brewing this potion correctly. Do you remember begging me to let you help?"

"Again, I'm sorry. I got distracted." She said as she watched his hands finish adding the ingredients to the cauldron.

"Whatever did you get distracted by?" he asked while setting the timer to allow the potion to simmer for twenty-four hours.

"The heat," she lied again… well maybe not fully a lie, she thought. It was the heat that caused him to remove his robes and pull his hair back.

"Ever hear of a cooling charm?" He said snidely, as he walked back into their quarters to don his teaching robes. "I'm going to dinner."

"Enjoy," she said as he walked out the door. Casting a cooling charm on herself, she flopped down on the sofa. A moment later, a house-elf popped into the room with a tray of food for her supper and set it on the dining table.

After eating her meal of roast pork and mashed potatoes she returned to the sofa, casting another cooling charm on the room. Severus stormed back into their quarters, went directly into his bedroom and returned moments later without his robes. He looked hot… temperature wise, she thought… and attractive wise.

"It's getting ridiculously hot down here," Hermione told him as she wiped the sweat from her brow for the umpteenth time.

"Would you like me to cast a cooling charm?" he asked as he sat on the other sofa and raised a questioning eyebrow at her lying there in her shorts and sleeveless top.

"I've cast plenty. They don't seem to work, you really need to get some windows in here."

"Ah, yes that would be wonderful… but then the room would be full of lake water," he replied looking at her like she was an idiot.

"I forgot about that. Then we need air conditioning!" she exclaimed, grinning at him.

"I'm annoyed with you." He shook his head as he stood. "I'm going to patrol.

What's this?" he asked, grabbing her arm in his strong hand as she stretched them above her head.

Wrenching her arm from his grasp, she tried to cover the angry scar that spelled the word 'Mudblood.' Her Glamour Charm must have worn off. She mentally berated herself as she grabbed at her throat, hoping the scar there was still invisible. "A little present from Bellatrix Lestrange," she replied, sitting up and grabbing her wand to cast another Glamour Charm.

"Don't," he said as he took her wand from her. "When did this happen?"

"During the war," she replied

"How ever did you end up at the mercy of Bellatrix Lestrange?" He seemed almost awestruck that she would ever have come in contact with that lunatic.

"I was captured and she tortured me… for what seemed like an eternity." Hermione didn't want to relive that night, but he seemed so interested as he sat next to her. "She used the Cruciatus on me. Then, the disgusting bitch lay on top of me as she carved the letters into my arm with a dagger." It was the worst night of her life… the cause of many nightmares she endured for years.

"I'm sorry," he said as he awkwardly set his hand on her thigh.

"It's okay… just one of many scars I've gotten during my time as a witch," she replied feeling the heat from his hand.

"What are the other ones?" he asked.

"Finite Incantatum," Hermione whispered while pointing her wand at her neck. She heard him inhale as the thin white scar appeared across her windpipe. "This is another gift from Bellatrix. Not so bad, she only held the dagger to my throat until a chandelier fell on her head," she finished with a wry laugh.

"This one is like a surgical scar… from Madam Pomfrey," she said as she lifted her shirt to show him a thick, disfiguring, scar running the length of her stomach. "Dolohov sliced up my insides with a curse. The skin was unmarked. Madam Pomfrey had to cut away the skin to heal me. I was in the hospital wing for weeks." A look of utter shock was on his face. She had never seen him look like that. She couldn't tell if he was angry or sad. "I was sixteen," she added. "I also have several small ones on my back and a large one on my right thigh… from the final battle." She looked at his face, still unable to read his expression. He just stared at her.


A few days later marked the final day of exams and Hermione could tell that Severus was exhausted and grouchy as ever. Deciding to leave him alone in their rooms, she headed out to the lake with a book. Sitting, with her back against a large tree, she watched the students swimming with the giant squid. Catching sight of some of her former friends, she began daydreaming and reminiscing.

All of a sudden she realized just what day it was. She couldn't believe she had forgotten. Jumping to her feet, she headed back towards the castle. She needed to speak to Professor Dumbledore. She was out of breath by the time she reached the gargoyle, only to realize that she had no idea what the password was. Huffing and throwing her arms up, she spun around hoping she might find him in the hallways.

"Miss Dagworth," she heard her name being called. Spinning around, she came face to face with Professor McGonagall.

"Oh Minerva, thank goodness," she exclaimed. "I need to see Professor Dumbledore but I don't know the password."

"I'm on my way up there now, come with me," she said.

"Thank you so much," Hermione sighed in relief.

"Professor Dumbledore," Hermione began as soon as she walked into his office. "Sirius Black is innocent."

"Miss Granger, that's quite a declaration," he replied, looking up from his desk.

"Something is going to happen tonight," she continued. "You need to know that Sirius is innocent. I can't tell you how I know that, but I know it. Please don't let him be kissed."

Both, Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall stared at her in shock. "Are you sure?" asked the Headmaster.

"Yes, he will be discovered tonight, and the dementors will want to kiss him right away. You must do whatever you can to stop them."

"Alright," he said and Hermione could see his mind working behind his eyes. "Thank you, Miss Granger."

"But Hermione, he murdered a dozen people and told You-Know-Who about the Potters," exclaimed Minerva from behind her.

"No Professor, it was someone else. Again, I can't tell you anymore. You just need to know that Sirius Black is innocent. Please save him."

She walked out of the office, leaving the two professors in silence. When she returned to her quarters, she found Severus asleep on the sofa.

"Severus, wake up." She shook his shoulder as a dreadful feeling overwhelmed her.

"What?" he asked opening one eye.

"Did you take Remus his potion today?" She had the feeling that he was so tired he forgot, and she knew she was right as he jumped to his feet and ran into the lab.

Hermione sat down where he had been sleeping and put her head in her hands. She felt him dart past her to collect his robes before running out of the room and slamming the door behind him.

"Lupin isn't in his office. I left the goblet on his desk," Severus said when he returned some time later. She was still in the same position, her mind racing. "That was a terrible way to wake someone up, you know," he added as he collapsed on the sofa next to her.

Hermione looked up from the floor, her eyes as wide as can be, and turned to look at him. "What's wrong with you?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You aren't supposed to be here," she replied softly.

"What do you mean?"

"Didn't you see the map?" she asked, panic rising in her chest.

"What map?" he asked raising that damn eyebrow again.

"The map on Lupin's desk!" she yelled at him, throwing her arms in the air. He looked at her like she was crazy.

"You have to go. Now!" she yelled as she jumped up pulling him with her. "Go to the Shrieking Shack through the passage under the Whomping Willow." She said as she pulled him towards the door. "Harry's invisibility cloak is somewhere around the base of the tree."

"What the hell are you on about, Granger?" he asked loudly, stopping her from pushing him out of the room. "How do you know about the secret passage?"

"It doesn't matter," she stopped his tirade of questions before he wasted too much time. "Just trust me, go!"

Nodding his head, he walked away from her and out the door. "Thank you," she said to the empty room as she sat back down. Her heart was racing in her chest, and it took a few minutes for her to catch her breath. She was nervous… nervous that she hadn't told Professor Dumbledore enough, and nervous that Severus was too confused to follow her directions and wouldn't make it to the shack in time. She was worried that something would happen that wasn't supposed to happen.

She was also worried about him. Severus was going to get injured. She injured him. Several disarming spells were shot at him causing him to get thrown back and end up with a concussion. She barely remembered that. She hadn't cared much about him before. There were too many other things to worry about. Now, she worried about him.

She sat. For hours, she sat without moving a muscle. She couldn't stop the assault of memories from that night so many years ago. Remembering the fake execution of Buckbeak, and Ron being dragged under the Whomping Willlow by Sirius, brought her another wave of anxiety. She remembered Remus transforming into the werewolf and losing his mind because he hadn't taken his potion. That was one of the scariest nights of her life, and she had a pretty scary life.

She wanted to be out there. She wanted to watch what was happening, making sure everything was going according to her memories. But she sat. She sat until Severus returned.

"You knew!" she was shaken out of her thoughts when he barged in. Finally moving, she turned her head to look at him. His face was twisted in fury. "You knew that was going to happen. Black escaped, and it's all your fault!" he screamed.

"I'm so glad you're okay," she sighed in relief as she stood and threw her arms around his shoulders. Pulling him close, forgetting about everything except the fact that he was safe..

He stood stiffly for a moment before grabbing her arms and pushing her away from him. "What is wrong with you?" he asked with a disgusted look in his eyes.

"What happened?" she asked, ignoring his question. "Please, come sit down and talk to me. Then, I'll tell you what I know."

Huffing, he sat down. "I found Potter's cloak where you said it would be. I entered the shack to find you, Potter, and Weasley fighting with Black and Lupin. Then, you hit me with a spell that caused me to fly across the room. That's all I remember as I was knocked out.

"I'm sorry. Are you alright?" she asked, reaching for his head.

"I'm fine," he replied as he ducked away from her hand. "I don't know how much time passed before I regained consciousness. When I ran out of the passage I found you, idiot girl, trying to talk to the werewolf." She remembered. She was pretty sure Remus hadn't taken his potion, but she tried to calm him anyway. She was an idiot who was almost bit before Severus ran in front of her.

"You saved me," she said in awe. "You saved all of us. Thank you." She knew she couldn't thank him enough for the numerous times he saved them throughout the years.

He shook his head before continuing his story. "I then found you, Potter, and Black by the lake surrounded by dementors. There were dozens of them. Someone conjured a Patronus and they retreated. I brought the three of you back to the castle, where I was promised an Order of Merlin by the Minister. Only a few minutes later, we found that Black had disappeared." He began seething by that point. "Now, you will tell me what you did to rescue that lunatic."

"I will tell you, but you know you have to keep it to yourself." She really didn't want to tell him, but felt he needed to know. "You cannot do anything or say anything to anyone. Do I have your word?"

His nostrils flared as he looked at her, still full of fury. "Fine," he agreed.

"Harry and I used a time turner to travel back to before Buckbeak had been executed. We saved the hippogriff and flew it to the tower where Sirius was being held. The two fugitives flew off together. Hopefully, they're out of the country by now."

"Are you also going to regale me with the nonsense about Peter Pettigrew?" He asked, crossing his arms and tapping his finger on his elbow.

"Believe it or not, Peter was disguised as Ron's pet rat for twelve years. Sirius found out, and that's the reason he broke out of Azkaban. Sirius and Remus forced him back into his human form. We were all shocked. Apparently, Remus saw Pettigrew's name on the map a few months ago. That's how he found out Sirius was innocent. It was Pettigrew who killed those Muggles and betrayed the Potters."

Severus stared at her in shock, working through the information she had just given him. "Let's say that I believe you," he began after a few minutes of silence. "Where is Pettigrew now?"

"On his way to find Voldemort," she told him with a nod of her head.

He visibly cringed when she said that name, then stood and walked away with his thoughts.