Hermione wiped the tears from her eyes as she trudged back from Hogsmead station. She had just said goodbye to her friends for the holiday's and now she was on her way back to Hogwarts, the last 7th year Gryffindor in the tower.

She knew she shouldn't be getting so emotional about them leaving, they would be back in two and a half weeks after all, but she knew that she had precious little time left with three of the four. She would be starting work on her Time Turner during the break and hoped that she would be able to fix it within the next two or three months.

Her heart broke as she thought of having to leave everyone and go back to a time where her best friend was dead, her two favorite pranksters were dead, and her boyfriend was worn out and most likely wouldn't want to continue a relationship with one of his students, twenty or so years his junior.

She finally reached the doors to the entrance hall and walked inside, tears now streaming down her cheeks. Hogwarts was silent, as it usually was when most were gone for the holidays. Only about 70 or so students were left in the castle, 16 or so were Gryffindor's, though 10 or 12 were first and second years.

'Yep,' Hermione thought to herself, 'I'm all alone in the bloody castle.'

Not wanting to see Dumbledore just yet, she went to the one place that had always brought her comfort, the one place she knew that she belonged, the Library.

She was still crying as she walked up the stairs, earning a few looks and whispers from the other students that she passed by. Her feet moved of their own accord as she desperately tried to clear her head of the depressing thoughts. She kept trying to reason with herself. She had to get back to her own time, there was no telling what would happen if she continued to live in a generation that wasn't hers. She had to get back to Harry and Ron, there was something happening between the two of them, something odd. The dream had come back four times in the past two weeks, she simply couldn't write it off as nothing anymore. She had to get back to her family. She HAD to get back to her studies!

She shook her head and cleared her thoughts. She was at the library now, in the potions section. She looked around a moment and grabbed one of the books that she hadn't read before, something that was very uncommon now that she was in her seventh year, and made her way to the back of the Library, to the table that she and Severus had occupied during their long project, her favorite spot in all the library.

She opened the book as she walked to the back, at one immersing herself in the text, oblivious to all that was going on around her. Her legs once again walked to the familiar spot by memory, having traveled their so many times before.

She absentmindedly reached out her hand and pulled out her usual seat, and slumped down into the chair, not noticing the person that was sitting directly across from her.

She was startled when she heard someone clearing her throat. She put her book down and spun around to look behind her, a slightly puzzled expression on her face when she saw that no one was there. She heard someone clear their voice again and realization dawned on her. She turned around and looked at the person sitting opposite her and her slight smile wavered ever so slightly. It was Severus.

She had been very wary of him ever since the incident a couple weeks ago, expecting some sort of retaliation, but none had come, yet. She knew that he hadn't just let the incident slide, he was never one to let go of grudge's. After all, he was the one that held a twenty or so year old grudge against Remus, and he hadn't done anything entirely wrong, and he had practically danced on Sirius' grave, or memorial actually, when he had fallen through the veil.

She mentally shook her head, realizing that she had just been staring at him for the past few minutes. She quickly gathered up her wits and began to leave. "Sorry Severus, I didn't mean to stare like that, or bother you for that matter actually. I guess you will want me to leave right about now so I'll let myself out."

"What are you reading?"

Hermione gave him a lopsided look as she slowly rose from her chair, "What?"

He simply stared back at her, as if this were the most normal question in the world, "What book are you reading?"

It took a moment for Hermione to register that he had actually asked the question he had. "Um, this one."

She closed the book and showed him the front. He scooted up a bit to read the title, then sat back in his chair, the malice apparently gone from his eyes as he nodded appreciatively, "Good choice, though I must say I would never have thought that you of all people would have chosen that particular one."

Hermione gave him an odd glance and looked down at the title. She hadn't exactly read it when she had picked it from the shelves, her mind had been somewhere else and she had just registered the fact that she hadn't read it before. Now, however, her eyes widened as she took it in, Dark Potions.

Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she was slightly surprised that a book like this wasn't in the restricted section. However, her train of thought was interrupted by Severus once again, "If you don't mind, I would appreciate it if you sat down. Your constant foot switching is giving me a headache."

Hermione quickly sat down, and kept staring down at the book, deciding whether or not to finish reading it. She had to admit, that while she was only on the fifth page, it would be quite an interesting read. 'I is just a book after all, it isn't as if I am going to actually make the potions. Besides, it is always good to know what you are up against when it comes to your enemies right?'

"The book is not going to hurt you."

Hermione let out a long sigh, "I know, only books in the restricted section do things like that. I was just wondering why this isn't back their with them."

"Lucius Malfoy recently had a few books taken out of the restricted section and put out for everyone's use, including that one."

Realization washed over her face, so that's why Malfoy had been up at the school. "But why would he want them added to the library?"

"Well, his main point for his petition was that it would add to the Defense Against the Dark Arts curriculum."

Hermione let out a short laugh, "I'm sure that was why he really wanted them added. No matter, I guess I will just put it back."

Severus raised one elegant eyebrow, "Why?"

Hermione opened her mouth for a moment but them promptly closed it, repeating this action two or three times, causing her to look like a goldfish, floating about in the tank. "Well, because it's part of the Dark Arts isn't it? That stuff is supposed to be horrible, most is illegal, and besides, it's, well, bad."

Severus just shook his head, "Granger, you need to learn to look outside of the box that has been put around you your entire life. Keep in mind that not everything is as it seems. I suggest you read that, you never know, you might actually learn something."

She watched as Severus promptly stood up and walked out of the library, his robes somewhat billowing behind him. Hermione looked at the book a moment more and picked it up once more. After all, she was not about to pass up a book that was recommended to her by a teacher, or at least the boy that would soon be her teacher.

Her nose was still buried in the book when she walked into her room late that night. She had been reading all day, barley stopping for dinner, so she wasn't able to give much thought to Severus' strange behavior that afternoon. In fact, she didn't think of it at all, for the next morning her thoughts were once again consumed with her reoccurring dream.