Author's note:
Greetings! I've been getting the itch to write lately and thought I'd put to paper an idea Ive had floating in my head for a bit. I've always fancied Time Turner fics and yet have not tried my hand at one yet. So here goes!
This takes place just post 3rd year when (assumingly) Hermione returned the Time Turner before summer began. This gives me more time as students to work with and time to thoroughly develop relationships between characters.
This is a M-rated fic just to be on the safe side as there will
potentially be mentions of heavy or triggering topics such as blood, murder, torture, sexual assault, sexual intimacy, alcohol, smoking, adult language, child abuse, spouse abuse, or other forms of violence. Please be warned going into this that this story is not intended for children or underage readers.
I have not decided if I intend for this to be a Hermione/Severus or a Hermione/Sirius pairing yet, so I thought I would let the story play out and see how the audience reacts through the story first; so reviews and comments are and will be appreciated! I do not currently have a beta, so please forgive my impending grammatical and punctuation errors! Haha
Alrighty, hope you enjoy it and please review/comment!
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and related titles are properties of JK Rowling and Warner Bros Inc. This fic is fan-work only and I do not claim any of Harry Potter's characters, settings, or stories as my own, no matter what liberties I may take with the characters for my own entertainment.
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Prologue: You cannot change the past...but you can live in it
It was a beautiful afternoon. The great joys and fun of Summer were so close that Hermione could nearly taste it on her tongue. It was in the air; in the fresh breeze that marked the post end of year exams part of school. It was the part of the year that both saddened and liberated Hermione's studious spirit.
But first it was her duty and due diligence to return the device responsible for helping her best friend save the life of his godfather only nights before. The horrible circumstances revolving around the framing of Sirius Black had Hermione questioning whether or not the Ministry of Magic was genuinely competent or if they lacked the ability to actually take care of their populace. It was also increasingly concerning that Sirius had not been given or granted a fair trial, or a trial at all when the basics of human rights at least demanded the opportunity for men and women to defend themselves against such powerful accusations.
It was most certainly something that Hermione intended to look into. Later of course... After she had left McGonagall's office and before she headed back to Gryffindor dorm for the final time of the year. Then she could drop by the library and ask Madam Pince for a summer allowance of check-outs. Considering the book nerd's tendency to return books to the library nearly in better condition than she checked them out, her rapport with the Madam librarian was solid enough that she was allowed to check out a select number of approved texts to mull over during summer break. And this year it looked as if 'politics' and 'recent Wizarding history' were going to be her topics of choice.
With a slight skip in her steps, Hermione rounded the corridor to the moving staircase, making sure that the Time Turner was safely around her neck still.
"Where are your bodyguards, Granger? Too poor to pay them?"
The chuckles that followed had Hermione rolling her eyes and her lip curling a little at how grating that voice was to her ears. "Don't you have somewhere to be, Malfoy?" She turned so that her back wasn't facing them and so that she could easily keep an eye on what they were doing while she tucked the Time Turner carefully back beneath her robes. Her movements did not escape those grey eyes as they traced her hand up to her neck and back down again.
"Got something for me?" He strode forward and she took a couple of steps back. The ball of her foot hit the edge of the staircase and she glanced downwards to recheck her balance so she didn't fall. Draco advanced on her quickly, taking advantage of her predicament to grab her with one hand and then reach down the front of her robes with the other.
Her eyes widened and she pushed back at him to try and break his grasp as the Time Turner was once again pulled out. It seemed to be an almost simultaneous realization for the both of them that they were standing so close to the edge of the stair. In an attempt to not fall himself Draco had released Hermione, whose own eyes widened at the realization that upon her release, she was now tumbling backwards.
Oh good. Clearly Draco didn't actually mean to just attempt to kill her. He was a bully, sure, but the Malfoy boy had not yet seemed to cross the threshold of what was considered a 'line' in moral society. Though, perhaps now would be the time that leap happened. Occasionally it took an accident or an unintended major event that could push someone over the edge. By the look of sheer horror on the boy's face, Hermione could at least believe with some sort of satisfaction that Draco Malfoy didn't actually mean any real danger to her person. At least for now.
Fear leaped from the pit of her stomach and into her throat while her feet kicked out from under her. In the seconds it took for the witch to tumble backwards her upper body seemed to roll back over itself, head first and the chaos was disorienting. Even the brief glimpse of Professor Snape's horrified expression from his position on the landing seemed ghostly among the chaos.
Oh...I didn't even realize he was there...
Was the thought she had while down she went...she tumbled in such a manner that Hermione was shocked she had not broken her neck by the time she reached the landing herself. Hands were pulling at her, trying to right her or help her stand or see if she even could stand. Though if she were being completely honest everything hurt and the girl wasn't even sure if standing was a possibility.
She was damn lucky that the moving staircase had not decided to split during her little tumble. Because then Hogwarts most likely would have had yet another ghost to add to its list of dead inhabitants.
"Bloody hell, what a fall! Are you alright!? Can you stand?!"
She was being pulled to her feet, though the corridor still seemed to spin.
"Whoa. Let's get you to Pomfrey!"
"Sure she didn't actually break something? Her head looks like it's going to lull off with all that swaying. May need to borrow one of the headless ghost's heads if hers keeps up like that." There was a chuckle and what sounded like someone hitting someone's shoulder lightly.
"Pomfrey! Stat!" There was a pause as the three of them stood around while Hermione finally started to make sense of her surroundings.
There were two voices; male and female, that both sounded like two other students and neither sounded like Professor Snape. Had he perhaps left to get Pomfrey? But that wouldn't make sense, would it?
The girl seemed a bit more frantic but ready to calmly take command during a crisis while the boy sounded as if he were a tad bit amused (with a dash of worry in that tone somewhere) by the unfolding situation. For some reason his drawl seemed awfully familiar but Hermione could not place it.
"You could carry her." Said the girl while she took one of Hermione's arms and placed it over her shoulder. There was a responding scoff.
"She looks heavy. I could levitate her instead."
"And confuse her more? I don't think so."
"Come on...just a Wingardium Leviosa and we can get her to the hospital wing without more injuries-"
"That last time you just Wingardium Leviosa-ed someone their head kept hitting walls and corners so no, I don't think so." There was a boyish chuckle in response and Hermione was aware enough to be grateful for the girl's support there. Her head definitely would not be able to handle any improper Wingardium Leviosas that's for certain.
They were walking now and Hermione's blurred vision started to clear a bit. A bunch of red hair in her peripheral on the left. Dark and tall on her right.
"It was joke…" There was a pause and then from the boy, "The head banging…"
"What is your name? Are you coming back to us now?"
Hermione tilted her head to glance over at the red headed girl. "A bit...I didn't land on you, did I?"
"Oh no, don't worry about that. Better land on me or Sev and the lot of us gain a few bruises than you end up with unfixable injuries."
"Thanks…"
"No thanks necessary!"
Wait… Had she heard that right? Or was she having a concussion? Hermione turned her head to the left to finally take in her two new companions. The girl, who was sporting a set of Gryffindor robes over a blouse and pair of jeans, was very carefully watching their path while she led the three of them towards the hospital wing. Her bright red hair fell neatly over her shoulders and down her front mid-length. To the right, the boy was tall and lanky, his dark hair framed his face and fell to his shoulders to lightly brush against the bright green of his own House robes. He was staring down at her intently with dark, black eyes. And sure, while his eyes were a telling feature, it was the large, hooked nose that almost instantaneously gave away his identity.
Oh no... And it wasn't her that those black eyes, which seemed to lack the coldness Hermione was so accustomed to, were staring at. It was her Time Turner dangling around her neck still.
With a swiftness that she did not even realize she possessed, Hermione reached up and tucked the device into the front of her clothing. She missed the inside of her blouse a couple of times in her fumbling, but it was too late. Even as the younger version of Professor Snape turned his studious gaze away with a familiar quirk of his brow that indicated suspicion, he had obviously already seen the evidence that damned her. To his credit though, he did not say anything to their third companion who remained (or appeared to) blissfully ignorant. For that, to him, Hermione was grateful. But it did not do anything to quell the fast pittering of her anxious heart.
The three of them carried about the rest of their trek to Madam Pomfrey in near silence, with the occasional friendly banter between Snape and…
"Forgive me...I didn't catch your name?"
Ah...and what should she say? "Hermione. Yours?"
"I'm Lily," The redhead said with a warm smile, "and that's Severus. I haven't seen you around here before. Are you transferring for next year?"
Hermione's head snapped over to Snape and his expression appeared to be fighting what looked like amusement as the corner of his mouth quirked up in a smirk and he glanced down at her as well with a raise of his brow as if he was already amused at whatever it was that he assumed she was going to say for her cover story.
"Yes...will you be transferring?"
She would have been angrier if it had not been that Snape's eyes were not as warm as they were. For three years those black voids had always been cold and calculating and enough to make just about anyone stutter but now, in this much younger version of the man, Hermione found herself hesitating because of the lack of malice. It threw her off guard in uncomfortable ways. All she could read on his face was amusement, curiosity and perhaps a little bit of annoyance.
Evil is not born...it's made. "Y-yes...Transferring." And how the hell did Lily not also see the piece of jewelry that had been so brazenly displayed? "From Beauxbatons." Why did she have to go and say that?
That smirk grew. "But you do not sound French."
Her eyes narrowed in response. "I never said I was."
Both of his brows rose as he looked down at her. "And yet...you are from France?"
Oh she hated him already. Her lips pursed while she pressed them together and glared up at the taller boy. "I can have lived in France and still sound English."
"Or perhaps you just sound ridiculous."
"You're ridiculous."
"Perhaps…" He was positively gloating now, nearly full blown grinning while she struggled to form a good lie on the spot. Was he going to straight up reveal that she was an unwitting time traveler? "Or perhaps…" Snape seemed to not have quite yet settled into that soft, so very controlled trademark tone that he was infamous for as a professor. His voice cracked ever so slightly when he spoke and the barest pitch of pre-puberty snuck its way through the cracks. "you are not French. Vous ne parlez pas vraiment français, n'est-ce pas?"
Of course he did. The two of them stared each other down for what felt like ages, engaging in a battle of wits, but their expressions broke apart simultaneously with their arrival to the medical wing. Finally, Hermione thought to herself with a small amount of relief, I can get away from this irritating, repugnant person and find Professor Dumbledore...Oh boy...this is going to be a nightmare. That's it. Maybe this was all just a really really bad dream. Maybe Hermione had fallen and knocked her head and was currently already laying in one of Poppy's beds in some sort of coma. Or maybe not a coma. Just knocked out. Maybe. Hopefully. If not...Hermione was certainly fucked.
"'Ere we are!" Lily had the brightest voice. Though the situation clearly concerned her the girl was doing her best to remain positive. Whether that was for Hermione's sake or her own did not matter. It was the fact that Lily's confidence and positivity was contagious. Even Hermione with her current state of affairs had a difficult time not smiling at her. "Poppy's haven! Let's get you settled and taken care of so I can go grab the headmaster."
"Brilliant idea," Severus smirked again, "I'll stay with our newfound transfer student just in case she is in need of a translator."
"I'd really rather you not…" Hermione mumbled and fought (and failed) to hold back the sigh of defeat. Of course he was going to torment her. And he didn't even know her! At least not now…not in this time... "I think I can handle it from here," She pulled away out of Lily's grasp but almost immediately swayed on her feet. One hand flew out to steady herself on the frame of the large doors. To her surprise, both kids reached out on instinct as if worried she was going to fall. Severus tutted beside her and Lily hummed worriedly.
"Perhaps you should let us help you in," Lily's voice was soft and concerned, "you fell down quite the flight, you did. You hit your head on the landing. There's a bit of blood." She pointed to her own forehead when Hermione looked at her fully for the first time.
And gasped. Sure Lily's red hair, lightly freckled face and cute nose were a sight to behold, but those brilliantly green eyes were not her own. They were Harry's. They were unmistakably the eyes that belonged to her best friend. Familiar eyes on a face unfamiliar to her was both unsettling and cathartic.
Apparently Hermione had stood there for far too long staring in what must have been a state of shock at the girl because Lily leaned forward and gently wiped a spot on Hermione's forehead. Lily's own reddish brows were furrowed gently.
"It'll be alright. It's just a bit of blood." She smiled gently when she pulled back and wrapped Hermione's arm around her shoulders again for support. "Come on. Off we go."
"T-thanks…" But Hermione could tell by Snape's expression that he had not missed that little exchange. Clearly the boy was obscenely observant when it came to just about everything involving his surroundings or interactions with people. Unless of course it was merely because he was overtly curious about the girl from out of nowhere who nearly flattened them while wearing a Time Turner around her neck. Which was not entirely out of the realm of possibility.
They entered the hospital wing and closed the large doors behind them quietly. Lily called to the healer who popped her head out from behind another curtain a bit further away from the entryway and right next to where her office was in the far back right corner. "Just a moment, dears," Hearing that elderly, sharp voice was oddly relieving, "Let me just finish up here…"
The two of them led Hermione to one of the beds near the center of the wing next to a window. "The view here is much nicer than over there. At least if you are stuck here overnight you'll have a lovely view of the lake. I believe tonight is a full moon, so even better for you."
All she could do was nod in response. She was pretty shaken and just ready to have a moment or two alone before confronting the headmaster. Or was it that she should confront the headmaster before having her moment alone? Whichever it was, Hermione was doing her best not to panic in front of all these people. It would also help if Severus Snape would stop casting glances in her direction the way he was. It was almost as if he was just looking for trouble to stir.
"Oh my, you must have hit your head quite hard…"
The girl jumped in her skin. Poppy had a hand on her forehead and seemed to already have gotten the gist of the story from Lily while Hermione had been off in her headspace. Curtains were being drawn around her bed for privacy and the healer looked at her in confusion. Hermione, respond!" She blushed a little and looked down at the floor from her seated position on the side of the bed. "Ah...yes...quite…"
"Alright. Out with the two of you." She began to shoo Lily and Severus so that she could work. To Hermione's horror, Severus merely folded his arms across his chest and smirked.
"She's a transfer from Beauxbatons," he began in a much younger impression of his silky drawl, "due to her being from France and my ability to speak...French…" His black eyes shot over to her. They were positively glinting. "I have concluded that it may be in her best interests to allow me to remain and...translate." The two of them once again entered into a stare down until Hermione was coward enough to look away first. Though actually, she had looked away first due to the rising anger and frustration at the sheer audacity of this man….boy.
"I don't need anyone to conclude what my best interests are, thank you very much. Sir." She added snippily enough with implication that he raised a brow to which she let out a growl. That particular sound elicited a frustrated huff from Poppy who started to shoo at the two students again.
"Go on! Out with you! I do not care if she's French, Norwegian or if she speaks Cornish Pixie neither of you will remain behind as I can speak with her myself."
Lily chuckled, clearly nonplussed with Poppy's snippy order though she did shake her head at Severus before turning and disappearing behind the curtain. "We'll go get the Headmaster."
Severus lingered behind a moment to regard Hermione with his arms folded over his chest. The posturing made him appear larger, his shoulders squaring back as he seemed to come to some sort of conclusion in his head just before a stray hand reappeared from the other side of the curtain. It grabbed his robes and tugged him with enough force to make Snape too disappear to the other side.
"Now," After the pair of footsteps faded away to nothing Poppy tilted her head and regarded Hermione from over her specs, "I haven't seen you before. And considering your usage of dialect, you certainly are not French."
Hermione pressed her lips together and rubbed them, trying to not let out a groan. Why on Earth did she have to use that as an excuse? Why couldn't she have just said she was visiting or something? Oh, because THAT would have gone over even better. 'Oh not to worry, I'm merely a non-affiliated muggleborn taking a quick tour of Hogwarts without the Headmaster Albus Dumbledore's knowledge while wearing Gryffindor robes that look nothing like your own. Don't mind me. I'll just be on my way, now.'
No. No definitely not.
"Girl? I haven't got all day."
Hermione's attention snapped back to Poppy. "I...Could I speak with professor Dumbledore? Please?" It was going to be the best idea. Until she could get herself and her situation figured out and sorted out, the only person she really should be speaking to would be the Headmaster himself. Maybe he would have a solution. He had to. Dumbledore always had solutions.
There was a long moment as Pomfrey continued to stare at her while she decided what to do. Eventually she nodded slowly.
"I assume the Headmaster will be here shortly with how quickly your friends scuffled off. You remain here and rest for the moment. If you need water that glass on the table will refill itself...but…" A glimmer of mischief that seemed to belong more on Professor Dumbledore's face twinkled in her eyes, "I'm sure you already know that." And with those parting words, the woman disappeared behind the curtain as well, leaving Hermione alone at last to suffer over the present nightmare.
"Oh Merlin's beard…" She mumbled to herself, putting her head in her hands with a groan, "what have I gotten myself into?"
"I dunno, mate... but it certainly isn't the Quidditch World Cup."
There was a chuckle and the girl looked up suddenly with a gasp at the boy who had slipped into her partition and plopped down on the bed just behind her, one leg folded over the other casually while he took an obviously feigned interest in his fingernails. There were no telling features on him that seemed to maybe give away his identity, if Hermione had even met him in her life in her time. But he was quite carelessly handsome despite how slightly spoiled and hautish he looked; with his long, black hair neatly brushed and feathered at the ends and his perfectly placed high cheekbones. Hermione had to double check to make sure her jaw was still where it should be on her face and not on the floor when he looked up from his fingers to watch her with increasing interest. His eyes were a beautiful shade of grey and the smile he flashed showed two rows of flawless white teeth and charming dimples.
"Haven't seen you around before," He said in a voice that indicated that he had already went through a growth spurt and it was successful, "I'm Black," he seemed to chuckle a moment as if he had told some sort of joke that she didn't get and he seemed too busy with his theatrical introduction to care to elaborate for her, "Sirius. Sirius Black." He smiled charmingly again and Hermione was unable to stop her eyes from widening and her jaw from dropping.
Oh….no. You have got to be kidding me.
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To be continued...-ᕕ(ᐛ)ᕗ
Excerpt:
"I very much look forward to getting to know your mysteries." The two of them were actually facing each other now, both sitting on either side of the bed and twisted so that their gazes were mostly level. He was smirking and she was matching it with all the miffed emotions she could manage with a set of pressed lips and eye rolls. Despite her haughtiness though, Hermione could not help but to feel drawn to this boy's charming constitution.