AN: I've been avoiding writing this chapter for many reasons. Quite a bit hangs on what the characters allow me to do and I've been scared they wouldn't let me tell it the way I want to. Then there's the messy idea of getting Hermione to Lily's without ever having been there (in either timeline) PLUS Snape. He's surprisingly hard to write because he needs to be in character. I did edit chapter 5 a bit because I remembered Harry never told Ron or Hermione about what he saw in Snape's memory. The books mentioned below were all available in the 70's, so don't complain LOL. What a tough go I had, but here we are. Hope it's alright. P.S. Please review

-.-.-

The next few days were spent in the safety of Potter Palace and its surrounding grounds. Hermione mostly kept to the library, stealthily researching for her next mission with Dumbledore as well as completing her holiday homework and even tinkering on the piano. The tiny leather notebook from her safety deposit box was too stubborn to open, and Hermione wouldn't dare using magic outside of Hogwarts, though she came close a fair few times. She and Sirius seemed to be avoiding each other when possible, though remained cordial at mealtimes.

Wednesday. December 31, 1975.

"Are you three certain you can keep out of trouble long enough for us to enjoy the gala?" the floating head of Dorea asked from the kitchen door. Hermione nodded from the couch, setting her book in her lap.

"Positive, mum. I'll be reading quietly with a cuppa, and the boys can't do magic outside of school."

Dorea's expression was clearly one of disbelief. "They can, they're just not supposed to. There's a big difference there, dear."

James clutched his chest in feign hurt, "Mother, you wound me. I would never disobey the law."

Charlus straightened the collar of his robe with a scoff, "Sure, son. Never," he added with a roll of his eyes.

"Dad! Whose side are you on?"

"My wife's side, as always. You'll learn one day, James, that the most important thing in life is to make your woman happy."

James' nose twitched then look dejectedly at Hermione, "The only woman in my life is my sister."

"An excellent starting point, dear!" Dorea said with a laugh. "We must be off. Where's Sirius?"

"Right here," he called from the stairs. "Heading off already?"

"Yes, come and say good-bye."

The family crowded around and bid their adieus before the elders left for the evening, Apparating from the front door with a synchronized pop.

Sirius rubbed his hands together, "Ready, mate?" James smirked but the rustling of Hermione's book pages pulled his attention away from his best friend.

Having settled back into the wingback chair, Hermione brought the book to her face and continued reading. James stared at her sadly for a moment, seeming to weigh the options in his mind.

"Maybe I should… just stay with Hermione tonight."

"Wh- Are you serious?"

"No, but you are- oof! No need for violence, Padfoot, you know I love that pun." James rubbed his arm and looked at Hermione again. His hazel eyes turned soft, "You go on, mate. I'm gonna stay with my sister." James clapped his hand against Sirius' shoulder and made his way back to his spot on the floor, stretching his gangly body out with his own book.

Sirius watched them for a moment before trudging upstairs with a huff, only to return to the living room with his own tome and claiming a seat on the couch. Mopsy brought the teapot and more cups for the boys as they enjoyed the silent companionship well into the night.

-.-.-

Friday. January 2, 1976.

The morning of her departure to Lily's, Hermione considered knocking on Sirius' door to say good-bye, but couldn't bring her hand up to the wood. She could hear the soft snores through the oak, signalling his deep slumber. Her wrist twitched, wanting to make contact with the door, with him, but the logical side of her refused. She took the few steps towards James' door and heard the same. Turning sadly towards the stairs, she settled on leaving them with their dreams and left with Dorea.

Before their trip to Surrey, the women stopped at Gringotts to exchange gold for some muggle money.

"I want you to make sure you always have some on you, dear - even James has a pouch of it for emergencies. And I never want you to feel like you've been cut off from your roots. You just let me know when you need more and I'll make sure it gets done," Dorea told her. Hermione nodded with a warm smile.

"Yes, Mum. Lily mentioned a shopping centre near her house, so I might spend some of this."

Dorea looked concerned for a moment, "Is it enough, dear? Should we go back and get more?"

Tucking the bills into her jeans, Hermione smiled more. "It's plenty, Mum, I promise. I'm a frugal shopper to begin with."

The older woman shook her head, "Well, that just won't do, Hermione. For the love of magic, spend the money. Merlin knows we won't get through it all for a dozen generations."

Lily was so excited for Hermione's arrival, she was sitting on the front steps with a book in anticipation. Mr. and Mrs. Evans insisted on Dorea joining them for tea before she made the journey back to Devon. As the parents chatted in the dining room, the Fifth year girls ran upstairs to Lily's room.

"I've missed you so much!" the redhead said, closing the door behind them.

"It hasn't been that long, Lily," Hermione laughed.

"I know, but when you're stuck in a house with Petunia, it feels so much longer. How was your Christmas? Any good presents?"

Hermione saw a flash of Sirius' sleeping form in her bed and felt the tingle of her lips against his knuckles. With her best poker face, she shrugged. "I got some really lovely gloves...books… the usual. Oh, and the adoption papers came."

Lily's fingers began to fidget but her green eyes sparked with worry. "Ohh, that's nice."

Reaching for her friend, Hermione offered her a smile. "It's okay. I'm okay to talk about it. It doesn't hurt so much now." Lily returned the smile and hugged her comfortingly.

"What would you like to do while you're here? There's a park two blocks down - I know we're a bit old for swing sets, but I usually meet Severus there after lunch. There's a corner shop not far from here with sweets and ice cream. A small shopping centre not much farther than that, though Mum might prefer to drive us. When was the last time you had proper chocolate?" Lily grinned.

"I'll do anything, I assure you. I love James and... Sirius. I just need a break from the constant noise. We can do anything you want."

"Did you finish your essay for Professor Binns? That's what I was trying to tell you to bring when you called. I wasn't sure how much he expected us to detail the Battle of Heurog after the treaty was proposed."

The Gryffindors discussed the homework for an hour before Dorea was due back at Potter Palace. "Mopsy is a dear, but she can barely handle James. Now he has a twin living down the hall. I have to go before they destroy the house."

The girls giggled, returning the parchment back to Lily's trunk before bidding the matriarch good-bye.

"I'll be back tomorrow to pick you up?" Hermione nodded. "You haven't forgotten anything?" She shook her head. "Alright dear, be good- what am I saying? You're not the one I'm worried about right now." Dorea checked her gold watch and tsked at the face, "I certainly hope I have a home to return to." She hugged Hermione tightly and kissed the top of her head. "Expect me tomorrow, dear, around three."

"Yes, Mum."

Dorea's eyes shone with happiness and she glided towards the exit.

-.-.-

"Before we go meet Severus, I wanted to give you this," Lily said, pulling a small package from beneath her double bed. "I wasn't sure if you had it, but-" she pushed the bright gold gift into Hermione's hands with a nervous grin.

Hermione set the present back on the bed, turning to her duffel bag and pulling out a purple one. "I got you something, too." The girls giggled and opened their gifts: The Princess Bride by William Goldman for Hermione, and Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt for Lily. Hermione, overcome with the memories of her Then mother reading chapters to her before bed, hugged the book to her chest. "Oh, Lily… thank you."

"And thank you, Hermione. I can't wait to read it." Her fingers traced the delicate lettering of the cover before placing it carefully on her nightstand.

"Do me a favor before you read it?"

"Yeah?"

"Stock up on tissues," Hermione warned with a small smile.

-.-.-

The girls rocked slowly on the swings, discussing everything from the Queen's Christmas speech to the latest muggle fashion trends and the upcoming O.W.L.s. The breaking of a twig behind them alerted them of Severus' approach.

"Sev! I'm so glad you came!" Lily said, running to hug him.

His eyes softened at her embrace but darkened again when he saw Hermione. "LaBaugh."

"Hi, Severus. Happy Christmas."

He didn't respond but walked Lily back to her swing and stood in front of the pair. The silence between the three students would have been comfortable had it not been for Snape's unreadable stoic expression.

"Enjoying your holidays, Severus?" Hermione asked, leaning back in the swing for momentum.

Severus crossed his arms over his chest. "Hardly."

When he didn't elaborate, Hermione allowed her eyes to meet his. "Only a few days. Then we go back."

His mind seemed to calculate her words, "Are you not enjoying your holidays, LaBaugh? Shouldn't you revel in living with Potter?" He spat the surname like poison from his lips.

"As a bibliophile, I enjoy the quiet. As a previously only-child, I enjoy having a sibling. As a human being with eyes, I'm quite aware of your...association with him-"

His arms dropped at her words, "Association?!" Both Gryffindors flinched at his volume. "Is that what you want to call his incessant abuse and-"

"Okay okay I'm sorry! I really don't want to talk about James. Can we please change the subject?"

"Yes, continue to be complacent in his antics. Allow the imbeciles to carry on."

"Severus, please," Lily begged, "Don't make her uncomfortable, she's in a difficult position."

A low growl emitted from his throat, but Severus didn't retort. His eyes narrowed as Hermione stepped closer to him, one arm outstretched with a green package. "Happy Christmas."

Ever the skeptic, Severus slowly took the gift, waiting for it to explode or embarrass him in some way. When nothing happened, he made a mental note to be wary when opening it.

"It won't bite you. I'm not James," Hermione said. "I hope you enjoy it, Severus."

He tried not to huff his annoyance, ripping the paper off as if it were a chore to be completed before the true fun began.

He turned the book over in his hand. "Night by... Elie Wiesel?"

Hermione nodded, "It's one of the most powerful books I've ever read."

Severus' eyes grazed the blurb, "It's Muggle."

"Yes, it is," she said simply.

He tucked it under his elbow, "I didn't get you anything."

"I don't get people gifts so they'll give me gifts. It's Christmas, Severus. I saw it. I thought of you, I bought it."

Snape seemed to struggle for a response and Lily wrapped her arms around him in a warm hug. "See? Friends," she whispered.

Hermione kicked off the ground and swung high, keeping her eyes off the close pair embracing, giving them time alone.

"What else shall we do today?" Lily asked, turning to Hermione. "We could all walk down to the shopping centre; I promised you muggle chocolate!"

"Perfect," Hermione said, slowing her pace and standing up. The girls huddled for warmth as they headed towards the gate of the park. They stopped in unison and looked at the boy with impatience. "Severus, aren't you coming?"

Only the tiniest curve of his lip indicated any emotion. But Hermione's smile shined bright.

-.-.-.-.

"Oh, dark chocolate! My favorite!" Lily said, grasping the foil to her chest while the other hand reached for more. "I need to restock before we go back to Hog- er, school," she corrected quickly, wary of the muggles shopping around them.

"White chocolate is far superior," Severus quipped.

Lily scoffed, "It's not even real chocolate!"

"Come on you two," Hermione interjected, "No fighting. How can we be friends if we fight amongst ourselves? Besides, everyone knows milk chocolate is the best chocolate in the world. It's a classic." she added with a smirk, basking in the faux shock the others held.

"Mum gave me strict instructions to buy as much muggle things as I wanted while I'm here. She doesn't exactly shop in a lot of muggle stores, so my personal collection is lacking. Come on, let's buy their whole stock," Hermione said with a giggle, dumping all three chocolate boxes into her carriage.

"Where to next?" Severus asked, walking in between the girls, his thin jacket lacking in the warmth he desperately needed but the girls provided in abundance.

"Just around the corner," Lily answered, "Plaid N Stripes."

Severus rolled his dark eyes but complied, leading them to the next store. Hermione, ever observant and caring, swore to find the perfect coat for him. She couldn't put her finger on it, but she knew befriending Severus Snape was important. Not only to Lily but to her overall mission.

"What do you think?" Lily asked, holding up a rather loud yellow dress against her body.

Severus' eyes bulged but he kept the rest of his face neutral. Hermione's jaw dropped and she tried desperately to do the same before bursting into laughter. "Oh, no!"

Lily giggled and out it back on the rack. "Isn't it just atrocious? Who on earth would buy such an ugly thi-"

"Ah-hem"

The redhead turned, her pink face falling as the shop owner tapped her foot loudly against the tile, arms crossed over her chest and the loud yellow dress she wore.

"Oh." Lily's eyes grew to the size of saucers as she placed the dress back on the rack.

Hermione bit her lip to keep from squeaking, grasping Severus' hand in hers and grabbing Lily before the trio bolted out the door. They all burst into laughter in the safety of the busy sidewalk.

"You should have seen your face," Severus said, clutching his stomach as the laughs overtook him.

Lily's face was red from both embarrassment and joyous giggles. "What… terrible… timing!" Leaning against the brick building, Hermione wiped the tears off her face as the laughter subsided.

"I wish I had a Penseive, I want to watch that every day for the rest of my life!"

Having collected themselves appropriately, the three students locked their arms into the others and continued their shopping spree, picking things out for each other and enjoying the company they offered.

Severus refused a new sweater, but Hermione was adamant. "Whatever I don't spend, James inherits." A slow grin spread across his face.

After Hermione made a purchase of muggle clothes for herself, as well as a denim jacket for James and a set of leather gloves for Sirius, Severus slipped the new sweater on and immediately felt warmer.

"Er… th-" he cleared his throat, "Uh, I mean, LaBaugh... th-thank-"

"You're welcome, Severus. Are we still on last names though?" Her furrowed eyebrows made him think, and he chose not to respond.

"It's almost time," Lily said, flicking her wrist to adjust the dainty watch on it. "We should get back."

"Can we grab a hot chocolate for the walk? My treat," Hermione offered, wanting to make the most of her short weekend. At Lily's silent nod, Hermione sensed an unspoken secret lingering in the air.

-.-.-.-

In the safety of Lily's warm home, the girls listened to the muggle radio and binged on their newly acquired sweets. They chatted some more about classes, professors, and upcoming muggle concerts, but still, something hung quietly in the corner, a question Hermione was waiting to ask but unsure if Lily would answer.

After dinner and tea, they retreated to the bedroom and Hermione gathered her Gryffindor courage.

"No. I know exactly what you're going to ask and the answer is no."

"No I can't ask or no is the answer to my question?"

Lily's lips twitched in thought, her green eyes meeting Hermione's that could be read as easily as a brick wall. "Both."

"Are you sure you know what my question was?"

"Fine. I'll guess and then we can end this discussion, right?" Hermione nodded. "You were going to ask if Severus had a good home life." Biting her lip, Hermione nodded again. "Excellent. Conversation over."

They both took a deep breath, waiting for the tense air to clear. "That bad?" Hermione whispered.

Lily only nodded, turning away to hide her face. "He won't talk about it much. He won't tell me, not enough to make a difference at least." She stopped to steady her voice from breaking. "I'm sorry, Hermione, but you can't tell anyone."

"But we could get him help. Get him out. Make him safe."

"I've tried everything, Hermione, he won't leave. I've begged and pleaded with him to let me try but he refuses. Please...You can't tell anyone."

There was a long silence. Lily waited with baited breath for Hermione to make the promise, but all Hermione saw was Harry's face: not in front of her, but in Severus. The boy who lived in a loveless home, a harsh one, an abusive one. Hermione turned away too, hiding the tears that threatened to escape at the thought of her best friend living the life his mother was protecting her own best friend in.

"I promise," she finally said, a tear escaping but quickly wiped away.

"Thank you."

"But I also promise something else. I promise to be his friend. I promise to buy his favorite chocolate and new sweaters and potion ingredients. I promise to watch him at school and help him wherever I can. I won't hide his secret but I won't tell, either. He's entirely too logical to stay in an abusive home without a good reason."

When Lily didn't offer an answer, Hermione understood the conversation was over. They silently changed into pajamas and Hermione folded her new items into her bag. Sleep was difficult to come.

-.-.-.-

Saturday. January 3, 1976.

Having slept in until nearly eleven, Mrs. Evans made the children a late breakfast of pancakes and cut up fruit before they were out the door again, this time with the books they'd given each other. The quiet between the girls was wavering between tense and questioning: Lily couldn't be sure if Hermione would keep the secret between them and Hermione was concerned their friendship had taken an irreparable blow. They sat on the frigid swings and read silently with only the chilly air and the random dog barking in the distance to distract them, and yet their minds wandered from the fiction in their hands, wiggling in their minds and worrying them. After almost two hours, Lily closed Tuck Everlasting and sighed.

"I can't stand this, Hermione." The bushy-haired girl marked the page with her finger and pulled the book from her face. With the other girl's attention, Lily continued. "We had such fun yesterday and now I feel like we've got a wedge between us. I can't stand to think I've lost a friend for the secret of another."

Hermione's brown eyes warmed and she offered a small smile, "I still want to be your friend, Lily. Severus' too for that matter. I just know too much about bad home lives – not me," she corrected quickly at Lily's horrified expression, "I've known others that were… less than loved. And it kills me to think Severus is going through that right now." Hermione thought of Harry as well as Sirius, both boys who just wanted to be loved by their caretakers but were refused so viciously.

"Like I said, I don't know much. I just know it's not a good place for him, but he has said it won't be forever. He has a plan."

"What kind of plan?" Hermione asked, her feet giving the smallest push in the swing.

Shrugging, Lily looked around, as if Severus was hiding behind a tree listening. "He won't say. Just that he has a plan for when it's all over," she emphasized his own words.

The silence returned but with two brilliant minds swirling with hypotheses rather than fear of their relationship dying.

Hermione grasped Lily's hand, "I couldn't bear to lose my only muggleborn friend. I'm here for you. And for Severus, if he'll have me."

Green eyes shined, though Hermione didn't know if it was from emotion or the frigid wind ripping at their cheeks. "Seems like he already has."

(Published 6/26/2019)