The Night Before

Okay, so this is going to be a 'one-shot' story that happens to be a 'sorta' prequel to one of my Severus Snape fanfic stories, 'Different'.

Also, there will be a lot of summarizing in this but we will get to the good parts. And yes, this is indeed a Severus/Hermione story!

This is kinda part of my Severus Snape series but I'm not giving it a number.

Hope you all enjoy my newest story, 'The Night Before'!

May 1st, 1998

Everyone was gathered around the table in the living room of 12 Grimmauld Place, sitting in their chairs as their leader laid out the plan before them, represented by a map of precise detail and magical moving parts. It was almost like a muggle movie or wizard portrait. But none of it was impressive to anyone. Not to the people in that very room. Maybe once in their lifetime, it would have.

Around the table were members of the 'Order of the Pheonix' and members of another group who called themselves 'The Renegades'.

Those part of the Order were made up of Remus Lupin, N. Tonks, Ted Tonks, A. Tonks, Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody, Bill Weasley, Percy Weasley, Molly Weasley, Arthur Weasley, Minerva McGonagall, Fleur Delacour, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Horace Slughorn and Rubeus Hagrid.

Those part of the Renegades were Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy, Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom, George Weasley, Fred Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Lavender Brown, Viktor Krum, Hermione Granger, and Severus Snape.

Their leader was none other than Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts.

After a year of mistrust and hardships, all sides had agreed to ally and take the fight to the Dark Lord and his army of Death Eaters. A common threat they agreed needed to be dealt with. Too many lives had been lost, loved ones torn away and youths stolen.

"We can't win in a straight fight," Dumbledore declared, standing before them. "Which is why the Ministry of Magic's forces will be a decoy as they lay siege to the Malfoy Manor, while we will sneak in through the hidden entrance."

Everyone was silent as they all stared at him with determination and resolve.

"Once we locate the Dark Lord, Malfoy's elf will apparate back to those outside the Manor, where the Horcruxes will be destroyed. And the strike team will take down the Dark Lord. Once he has fallen, his followers will scatter."

"Assuming the young Malfoy can be trusted," Mad-Eye tapped the ground with his staff, eyeing Draco from the other side of the table.

Draco returned his stare.

Harry leaned forward in his chair, "Draco has proven himself, I will not stand your continuing insults of him."

Ginny touched his shoulder.

"Harry, it's not that we don't believe you," Lupin spoke up. "It's just that... it seems a little too good to be true that Malfoy has turned against his family."

"I agree," N. Tonks nodded. "After all he's done, you're just going to believe him?"

"We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him!" Harry's voice grew heavy with anger. "Dumbledore would be dead if not for him!"

"And yet he was the one who was supposed to kill him."

"Regulus helped him see the error of his ways," Severus spoke up next, turning all heads to him. "This past year alone showed us that he has changed. He has earned his spot with us."

"But not with me!" declared Mad-Eye. "Once a Death Eater, always a-"

"And you're still the 'not-so-seeing-Mad-Eye'!" said Lavender, glaring at him. "Even with that new mechanical eye your sight has poorly improved."

"Watch your tongue, girl!"

"Everyone, please remain calm!" exclaimed Dumbledore.

"This isn't-!" started George.

"-going to-" added Fred.

"-work!" finished George.

"Why are we even here?!" said Viktor. "One month! One month we've been working together and yet we can't even get along."

"None of you should be part of this!" shouted Molly Weasley, looking towards her daughter. "You should be at Hogwarts, preparing for your graduation! Not... not preparing for war."

"None of that matter!" said Ginny. "Not after they killed my brother."

"His death is not your fault," tears started to form in Molly's eyes.

"I know it isn't," Ginny kept her face neutral, though Harry took her hand with his under the table for support. "This isn't about guilt, this is about getting that bitch and making her pay."

"Here-" said George.

"-here!" Fred finished.

"Hell yeah!" Lavender whispered under her breath.

"Ginny, boys," Arthur Wealsey placed his hand over the top of his wife's. "I don't understand your pain as a brother or sister, only that of a father who lost his son. Please... don't add to that."

Ginny's face softened but held firm, "I'm sorry... dad. But I won't back away from this. Not after all we've been through."

Dumbledore took the chance to cut in, "We've all lost so much to this war, which is why we must end it. If Malfoy's information is correct, then the Dark Lord's attack on Hogwarts and the Ministry will happen in the next week. We must make sure that this war ends tomorrow."

"On that, we agree," said Harry.

"And what happens after the Dark Lord is defeated?" Ted asked. "What ensures that no one will rise to take his place?"

"If the raid goes according to plan, then all of the major members of the Death Eaters will have been captured or killed, depending on the circumstances. Anyone who escapes or isn't there will be forced into the shadows. They are only mighty under the shadow of the Dark Lord. He is there weak point as well as their strongest."

"As long as things go according to plan," added Percy.

"Correct."

"Then what about them?" Mad-Eye asked, turning to the renegade group. "They disappear for nearly a year and then happen to be found robbing the Malfoy bank vault at Gringotts."

"Those who haven't finished their final year will return to do so for the next school year, as heroes."

"So, they get rewarded for their renegade behavior."

"Says the man who's helping another renegade group," said Lavender.

"Big difference, young lady! I'm still the Head of the Auror Department!"

"Enough!" Dumbledore's voice silenced the room. "This is not the time for mistrust. Any misgivings we may have we need to be put aside for this."

"He's right," agreed Severus. "All this arguing is getting us nowhere and our enemy is gaining in every way possible if we continue. I trust Malfoy as much as I trust everyone else in this group of ours. We've got all the Horcruxes needed for this to work. All that's left is to destroy them and kill the Dark Lord."

"Anyone object to this plan?" Dumbledore announced.

No one dared to speak up.

"Then we are agreed. Our attack begins tomorrow at midnight."

"And be vigilant!" declared Mad-Eye, making most of them roll their eyes.

As they all scattered throughout the house, Severus took his leave and apparated back to the campground his group had set up in the woods somewhere in Scottland, far from London. He was relieved to be out of this house, the home to one of his tormentors. Even after four years since his found himself in this timeline he still hadn't been able to get over it.

"Are you okay?" a voice asked.

He turned and saw Hermione behind him, staring at him with concern.

"I'm fine," he replied. "Just tired."

"Oh, alright," she turned away as he walked off to his tent.

A few more apparition echoes were heard as the rest of his group soon arrived. He knew that they would be up all night, spending what may be their last night alive in each other's company. Maybe he would join them later. But first, some sleep was very much needed.

He climbed into bed and turned off the lights, sitting his wand aside as he pulled the covers over him.

It took a little longer than usual for him to fall asleep. Maybe it was the anxiety of tomorrow's mission, the realization that this was it. The one they had been training and preparing themselves for.

He thought back to when this all started, how he ended up where he was. An attempt to put his mind at ease and get some sleep.

It was funny to him how four long years meant more to him than the last fifteen years of his life before he ended up here. It all began as a stupid attempt to test out a new spell he had created. A spell that could send one through time, while their body was preserved until their soul and spirit caught up. It was a success! Until he realized that he had miscalculated and sent himself farther than he had meant. Instead of going forward three months, he went forward nearly eighteen years and ended up in 1994. His body had been preserved, so he hadn't aged a single second.

But it was what had happened during those eighteen years that made him regret his attempt and become angry with himself for being so careless.

Waking up in the Department of Mysteries wasn't what he had expected. He gave nearly everyone a heart attack and was placed under quarantine until Dumbledore came for him a few days later. He refused to answer their questions throughout, only offering that he had no idea how he ended up there, which was kinda true. Since he was technically still a Hogwarts student, he was still in the care of the Headmaster, though the Ministry would require him to come back for tests and evaluations.

It was at Hogwarts that Dumbledore explained to him how long he had been in a coma-like state for eighteen years, making Severus realize his mistake. He managed to keep his secret and hold out until he was delivered to Slytherin, where he was met with the newer generation. And he was not impressed with them. Especially with the one known as Draco Malfoy. He was similar to his father but at least Lucius had better manners than the boy did.

And a few days later, he found out that he wasn't the only one who had time-traveled.

He later found Regulus Black hiding out in the Room of Requirement, or rather Regulus kidnapped him to the RR room, where he had tested out the same spell as him. Apparently, the two traveled from and to the same time together, though Severus had been unaware that Reg had been copying key details from his book while he had slept. He made a mental note to keep his private materials under lock and key no matter what. The two kept his existence a secret for a while, thinking of a plan to reintroduce him to the world.

During that time, the Triwizard Tournament was happening and Severus got his first look at Harry James Potter, the matching image of the man who bullied him. But it wasn't the painful resemblance to his tormentor that hurt him the most, it was the color of his eyes. Her eyes.

He quickly found out that Lily and James had dated in their final year, as well as became Head Boy and Girl, later married not long after graduation, and had a child together. The revelation shocked and angered him, forcing him to avoid the boy at all costs, which proved difficult. But what broke him was the fact that Lily had been killed and that the Death Eater movement was no more, sending him into a deeper depression. Thankfully, Regulus was there to help him through it.

Halfway through his redo of the fourth year, he was approached by Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody. Or rather, the man imposing as the legendary Auror, Bartemius Crouch Jr.

Remembering Barty as the third year Slytherin from his time, he was met with shock that the Dark Lord was alive and that Barty wished to introduce him. He revealed Regulus to him as well, allowing for the two to be brought to the Dark Lord on the evening of the Final Tournament Contest as a disguise. Though they were surprised and shocked by the state of the Dark Lord, they were happy to hear that a plan was in motion to heal him.

The Dark Lord was happy to see new blood added to his ranks and promised to mark them once he was fully restored.

Severus remembered both Regulus and him being so happy and excited. Their dreams were coming true and that they were going to be one of the first in the Dark Lord's new order. Everything was finally coming together after nearly a year of misery. That was... until Severus saw Peter Pettigrew, one of the Marauders who tormented him. And the one single truth that truly broke Severus was revealed as he asked why he was there.

The Dark Lord revealed the backstory of Pettigrew's betrayal of the Potters and how he killed them that night in 1982, before finding himself being destroyed by magic unknown to him when he turned his wand onto the baby he had come to kill.

And just like that, Severus' world came crashing down around him. The mirrors that blinded him were shattered by the very man he wished to serve. At that moment, the youth that had been contaminated by so many wrongs and manipulations was gone, replaced only by the rubble of the old and a new foundation created by the truth.

Regulus himself was shocked to find Kreacher under the Dark Lord's service, having been given to him by the Blacks as a gift and proof of their willingness to serve him. And the state of the elf made him realize his mistake. He too was realizing the reality he was so blind to. And his anger turned into hatred. Hatred for his parents, and for the monsters who treated the elf so harshly for so many years.

But before they could do anything about their predicament, the arrival of Harry Potter and Cedric Diggory further complicated things.

They watched in horror as Cedric was murdered by Barty and Harry was pinned against a tombstone, forced to be used in a ritual. The two barely remembered what happened as they watched the Dark Lord be reborn once again, left speechless by the horrors. And soon enough, they were surrounded by Death Eaters who came to their master's call. And they continued to watch as Harry was forced to fight the Dark Lord in a sick match that reminded Severus too much of his own past, finally making him come up with a plan to help them escape.

He begged the Dark Lord to allow him to be the one to kill Harry, as revenge against his father for bullying him. The Dark Lord agreed, sensing the anger radiating off of him. But at the last moment, he summoned the Portkey cup to him, grabbing Regulus as they jumped on top of Cedric's body, transporting them back to Hogwarts, while the Dark Lord screamed in anger.

It surprisingly didn't take much to convince Dumbledore the truth, but it proved impossible to do so with the Minister of Magic, who refused to believe them. Even after reviewing their memories. The only difference it did make was that a bond was formed between the three teenagers that day. One that stuck with them this day.

After that, they told Dumbledore everything and he ended up helping them getting Regulus getting reinstated as the Lord of the Black Family, which was his way of hoping to gain a new ally against the Dark Lord, one with wealth. It was easy to see through him, but they decided to play along. On the bright side, at least now they had a home to come to during the summer and use as safety from the Death Eaters, who had placed them high on their kill list.

The revelation of Regulus being alive reunited him with Sirius Black, sparking an attempt between the two to try and rekindle.

When fifth-year came, the two were reunited with Harry and were introduced to Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, almost immediately becoming the two new members to their little group. It definitely helped them through the tough year with Dolores Umbridge causing so many problems and hardships for them. Together, they created the 'Renegades', a group dedicated to training young wizards and witches for the coming war against Voldemort. They even managed to get Slytherin in on it, though it proved difficult with Draco and his goons.

By the end of their fifth year, they battled at the Department of Mysteries against Lucius Malfoy and the Death Eaters after falling for a trap, managing to hold them off until help arrived. But sadly, Ron Weasley and Sirius Black were killed by Bellatrix, before the battle between Voldemort and Dumbledore. The battle left them beaten but also hardened, proving that they were slowly building themselves up for the coming war. Though the losses they suffered caused them great pain.

The loss of Ron hurt Hermione the most, as she had been forming a romantic connection with him. She found comfort in Severus, as he was easy to be around. The two grew closer and something began to form between them. And the loss of Sirius surprisingly pushed Regulus into the direction of Lavender Brown, a girl he had been building a connection with during their Renegade training from the year before. Like him, she was recovering from Ron's death, though not as bad as Hermione was. Severus once caught them shagging in the back of the Three Broomsticks, scarring him for life.

They continued their training with the Renegades in secret, though Dumbledore was aware. They knew what was coming and they needed to be prepared. The Dark Lord wasn't going to accept any surrenders or truces. This was going to be a 'win-or-die'. No in-betweens.

Regulus surprisingly pushed to help Draco, feeling a connection with him through how his parents pushed him towards the Dark Lord and wished to save him from the same fate, though it proved difficult.

Dumbledore trained with Harry and Severus, asking for their help in discovering Voldemort's secret to immortality. With Severus' brains, they managed to find out from Horace Slughorn and discovered the existence of the Horcruxes and that six were made. The three began their mission to find them, discovering that one had been destroyed by Harry already with a Basilisk's tooth, learning of how to destroy them as well. The first one to be found was in a shack in the middle of nowhere, a ring. The second, in Hogwarts itself, a diadem in the Room of Requirement. And the third, a locket in a cave near the sea.

But the third was hard to get to and more time was needed.

By the time they mounted a mission to get it, it resulted in Dumbledore's weakened state due to the cave's protection traps. And it was in that cave that they learned Dumbledore's deepest secrets, some of which made the two question the old wizard. When they arrived back, they found Malfoy waiting for them, with a wand. He needed to kill Dumbledore in order to win favor back with Voldemort for his family. But before he could kill them, Regulus showed up and talked him out of it, convincing him to turn against the Dark Lord to protect his family.

Learning of the pending attack, they manage to ambush the Death Eaters. However, in the ensuing battle, Regulus was killed when Bellatrix shoved him off the edge of the castle in her attempt to escape. His death caused Severus and Lavender great pain.

Draco kept his place among the Death Eaters to be spy despite his failure, managing to keep his betrayal hidden. He reasoned that the Dark Lord should be the one to kill Dumbledore, to show everyone how truly powerful he was. It did very little to help him but it kept him alive as it fed the Dark Lord's ego. He instead was given the task of killing Severus.

To help him, Severus elected to fake his death and go on the hunt, creating a dummy to match him. The 'death' of Severus won favor with the Dark Lord for Draco, making him a great spy.

As Severus set out to find the Horcruxes, he found himself joined by Harry, Ginny, George, Fred, Lavender, Neville, Luna, Hermione and Viktor Krum, the last coming due to Hermione's request. They elected not to trust Dumbledore, their faith in him waning due to what they've learned about him and the grand plan he had in mind. Before leaving, Harry went to the Chamber of Secrets and secured a Basilisk tooth in order to destroy the Horcruxes.

Over the next few months leading up to May 1st, they traveled the countryside in search of the final two Horcruxes. One was hidden in a forest, a sword made by Salazar Slytherin. And the forest itself was infected with dark magic. They entered in search of it and found it within a few days, fighting all sorts of hideous creatures. When they attempted to destroy it with a Basilisk tooth, it came to life and tried to tempt them with their greatest fears and desires.

Severus himself was frightened, not just by disturbing images of Lily making out with James, including a very unnecessary sex scene of them, but also of something else. Someone else who made a bigger scar on his heart than Lily did. And he couldn't bare it to see that play out either. Using that anger, he destroyed the sword, despite his fears and desires being revealed to everyone there. Including her.

Over time, it became clear that he was forming deep feelings for Hermione and he hated himself for it. He was supposed to be in love with Lily, his childhood friend, his first crush. But here he was, forming something stronger with a girl he was supposed to be older than. And yet, he couldn't help himself.

When they exited the forest, they quickly discovered that months had passed and that it was now March. The dark aura that surrounded the forest was gone, looking more beautiful than ever before.

Their next mission was to infiltrate the Gringotts bank and they planned for it for an entire month. They used Narcissa Malfoy herself by faking an urgent message for her assistance, with the existence of Draco. Taking her captive after pretending to be her security detail, they robbed the vault and took the Hufflepuff cup, managing to Obliviate her of the incident.

Afterward, they were discovered by Dumbledore, who had been on the hunt for them, though they manage to escape. Once safe, Draco told them of the Dark Lord using his family home as a home base and that they were going to be planning an attack by May to take over the Ministry and Hogwarts, forcing them to make a decision to align themselves with Dumbledore's Order of the Pheonix. By mid-April, they had everything they needed and went directly to Dumbledore, telling him everything they knew and keeping the Horcruxes hidden. And a plan was designed by them, along with the Ministry to destroy the Death Eaters forever.

And that was the entire four years of craziness that Severus endured.

Sure, enough, just thinking about that entire summary of his backstory put him to sleep within minutes. He slept for nearly six hours before awakening from his sleep, having gotten his fill. It was dark out now, probably almost midnight. He made himself a cup of tea and a sandwich, eating at the edge of his bed as he looked at a picture of himself and Regulus during one of their training sections with the Renegades. He honestly didn't know why he kept such a picture around, all it did was remind him of what had lost.

He heard footsteps approaching his tent as he sat the plate on the small table not far from his bed and stood up.

Hermione entered, wearing a tight shirt and a pair of jeans that fit her a little too well. He also couldn't help but notice a new pair of shoes.

"Hey, Sev," she said, shyly. "Enjoy your nap?" she laughed, awkwardly.

Severus hummed, "I see Lavender took you shopping."

She smiled, sheepishly, "Yeah, couldn't be helped. That girl has an addiction to it."

"Could be our last night alive, might do some good to unleash. Did Ginny and Luna go with you two?"

"Ginny couldn't resist and Luna was curious to see what we would get."

"That girl is too good for this world."

"Yes, she is."

She stepped closer to him, "The others went out for drinks."

"Why didn't you go with them?" he refilled his tea.

Hermione bit her lip, "I figured we could use the peace and quiet."

Severus raised an eyebrow as he offered up a cup to her, "Want some?"

She nodded and sat down with him at the small table in the middle of the room, accepting the cup.

Despite how small the tent looked outside, the inside was almost the size of a large living room, with enough space for a small kitchen but little privacy for when it came to the bedroom.

They sat in silence, listening to the radio as music played.

"It seems so surreal," said Hermione. "After all these years, we're finally taking the fight to him."

Severus nodded, "Regulus would be having the time of his life."

Hermione looked at him, sadly.

"How are you holding up?"

He shrugged, "About as good as Lavender is, I guess. No matter what I do the feeling will always be there."

She nodded, it was an understanding she could relate to.

"I'm still trying to..." she paused, tears forming.

Severus' face softened as he saw the pain in her eyes and placed his hand over hers.

"I mean, I've come to terms with how I felt about him but... knowing he is gone... it still hurts."

Severus nodded, "I know."

Suddenly, she began to laugh, "Remember that one time Ron promised to go easy on me during one of our training sessions and I ended up catching him off guard?"

Severus chuckled, "The look on his face was well worth it."

"You're so mean!" she gasped, though she was unable to contain her laughter.

"You know he had it coming."

She almost protested until she thought about what led up to it and began to laugh again, "Okay, you got me there."

Severus smiled as he watched her calm down, enjoying the sound of her voice.

"So, what do you think you'll do once this is all over?" she asked.

His train of thought stopped, unable to come up with anything.

"I don't know," he replied. "And to be honest, I don't expect there to be an after."

"Please," she looked away, her voice breaking. "Don't talk like that."

"I won't sugar coat it, Herm. There's always a chance it could backfire tomorrow."

"Please!" she begged.

He opened his mouth to respond, to make her see reason, but he hesitated at seeing her face and decided to remain silent.

They sat there for a while longer.

"You know, it's funny," he laughed.

"What is?"

"Four years ago, I hated being here. I felt cheated. But now... using that spell was the best thing to ever happen to me. Even if I were to die tomorrow, I would do it all over again."

"Do... do you mean that?"

He looked into her eyes, "Yes!"

She looked away, her face red like a berry.

"Sev..."

He flinched.

"...why... why do you like me?"

Severus froze, his heart racing as he turned to look at her, "Mind repeating that again?"

She appeared to be uncomfortable, "Why do you like me?"

He remained silent, trying to think up something to get him out of this. Why did he have to be so bad at this?

"What makes you think I like you?" he instantly realized how bad of a mistake that was.

Hermione turned away, hiding the blush, "Sev... we all saw what that sword did it. There's no denying that."

"It was playing tricks on us. Lies and manipulation. That's what it does."

"True, but it also uses the truth to confuse us. And we all saw it."

Severus sighed, he knew she wouldn't back down from this. She had finally worked up the courage to confront him about it after these last two months. He might as well give her an answer.

"I like how... intelligent you are. You're a worthy rival and friend. No one else comes close."

Her face lit up, "What else?"

"What else is there?"

"That... can't be it... tell me."

"Alright, I'll tell you... if you tell me why you like me next."

Hermione sighed, "Alright, fine! I like your intelligence, how you want more but yet so simple in what you want. You know hardships like I do, probably more than I do. You're a capable fighter, now than when you used to be. I appreciate your willingness to fight against the Dark Lord and your own personal demons."

"I only fought against them because of what I learned. If I hadn't known what the Dark Lord did I probably would still be with them right now."

"Don't say that!"

"What makes you so sure?"

"Because..." she was at a loss of words. "...because..."

"Face it, Herm. We both know what really would have happened if I wasn't so lucky."

"You know I hate that nickname."

"Then stop calling me Sev. Only Reg got to do that."

"Stop calling me Herm and I will."

"Okay... Herm."

"Sev!"

They began to laugh, all tensions disappearing as they enjoyed the moment.

"Your turn!" she bumped his knee with hers.

Sighing, he thought carefully about what to say, "What I like about you is that you never give up, that you will follow through. And... that you see the best in others. The potential that others easily overlook."

She quickly turned away, blushing heavily.

As they quieted down, the radio came to life signaling that midnight had arrived and a song began to play. As if on instinct, Hermione got up and began to dance, slowly at first until the music got faster. Like the music, she kept in synch with it and moved closure to Severus and offered her hand, smiling at him. Though he felt embarrassed to do so, he gave in the moment he saw her smile and sat his cup down. She grabbed his hand and pulled him towards her, their bodies colliding. Like two pieces fitting perfectly well.

He sucked terribly at dancing, and he could tell that Hermione was enjoying his mistakes trying to match her. She laughed at him as she moved like the wind around, within reach but unknowable. So soft but so cruel. But he loved her movements and he loved the way her hair moved freely. And he loved that smile.

She matched the music and moved with it, almost like she was bringing it to life in her own way.

His heart was racing and somehow leaping at the sight of her. She was beautiful and he knew that he liked he- No, this was more than that. He knows it is!

There was no denying it! He couldn't! He wouldn't!

And so, he tried his best to match her, no matter how many mistakes he made. He pushed aside all embarrassment to keep that smile from disappearing.

She laughed at him, accepting his mistakes with stride and passion.

Then the music quieted down and they came to stop in the middle of the tent. Their arms were interlocked and their bodies so close. Their faces, just inches apart. The heat is felt by both of them. They know they should let go... yet they didn't.

They stared into each other's eyes and everyone became none-existent to them. Nothing else mattered. Only what was in front of them did.

They leaned closer until their lips connected and slowly began to kiss. But what started off as slow and innocent soon began to speed up, becoming more hot and passionate. Their tongues wrestled for control, too stubborn to allow the other dominance.

Full of lust, he reached down and grabbed her thighs, lifting her up. She reacted by wrapping her legs around the waist and her arms around his neck. He walked backward and sat down on the bed, lost in their passionate kiss.

Pausing, she lifted her shirt up and threw it to the floor. Then she went for his shirt and pulled it off of him, cupping his face as she leaned in for another kiss. She wanted more of him. Needed more of him.

Standing up, he turned and sat her down on the bed, quickly undressing until he was just in his undergarments.

Hermione quickly began to undress her jeans, struggling with how tight they were. Severus helped, though he accidentally took off her knickers as well. Embarrassed, he failed to realize that she was making up for it by pulling down his underwear, exposing all of him to her.

Now they were fully naked in front of each other. The two taking in the other, fully aware of their beauty and flaws in the flesh. But he didn't care. And neither did he.

He threw himself on top of her, supporting himself on his hands as he kissed her body, right down to breasts and down to her lower parts. She moaned and said his name in many different ways, turning him on as he did her. He learned what she liked and didn't, all by listening to her breathing and moaning. And soon enough, she pulled him on top of her and he entered her. It took a while before she got comfortable and he slowly took his time, hoping to last as long as she did. What started off as painful became pure pleasure to her as she clawed at his back, leaving marks as she begged for more from him.

As they neared their orgasm, they looked into each others' eyes and felt something so much more than just sex or hidden feelings. Something that Lily couldn't do for him or Ron for her. It was... beautiful and sexy at the same time. Something truly beyond explaining. And as they matched their orgasms, they cried out each others' names and fell asleep in their embrace, forgetting about the war and the world outside.

They barely heard someone rushing into their tent at 3 am in the morning, startling them.

"Severus! Get up! We need to- HOLY SHIT!"

Severus' wand was in hand as he hopped up from the bed, not caring if he was naked in front of the intruder. Hermione was also up, wand in hand, though using the blankets to cover herself up.

Draco raised an eyebrow and winked at Severus, "About damn time you two finally got right to it! And perfect timing I might add!"

"Why are you here, Malfoy?!" Severus hissed.

Draco's eyes widened, quickly remembering why he came, "Voldemort knows about my betrayal! He's sped up his attack!"

"What?!" the two exclaimed.

"Yeah, the Ministry has fallen and he marches on Hogwarts right now!"

Severus and Hermione were already dressing into their clothes as they listened.

"How long until they get there?"

"Soon! Dumbledore has already ordered everyone to get to the school. And he's taken Horcruxes with him."

"Of course he did!"

"The others are waiting for us! Let's get going!"

The three of them ran out of the tent, leaving everything else behind as they met with the others, who were giving them knowing looks before Apparating away to Hogwarts, quickly getting inside before the Shield was lowered. Before parting ways, Hermione surprised him by kissing him.

"I'm looking forward to the victory party after this."

His heart fell, fearing the worst. But also hoping for the best.

"Me too."

Their hands broke apart as they ran in different directions, just in time as the army of Death Eaters appeared on the hillside in the distance.

So yeah, that's it. There will be no updates or continuations, aside from the story that this is a prequel to 'Different'. I apologize if you were hoping for more details about what happened during the Final Battle and what let to Severus' current position in the next story, but I ultimately decided to leave all of that up for you to imagine and think about for yourself.

Please leave a review and tell what you thought about it. All constructive criticism is appreciated, just please be respectful.

I know a lot of this was just summary and I apologize for that. I just felt the need to write this one and I didn't want it to go beyond one chapter.

The Severus/Hermione love moment was inspired by the Sarah/Kyle sex scene in the original Terminator movie. I wrote that scene with the music in mind.

I also apologize for any grammar errors.

Hope you all enjoyed this story.