PROLOGUE
It had arrived on her vanity table one morning. It was not sitting on the plain white surface the night before; she would have noticed when she removed her earrings before climbing into bed. But it was there the next morning. Small, gold glinting in the early light through the window. It was unmistakable, and her fingers had a slight tremble as she tentatively reached for it; the list of questions forming behind her wide brown eyes. It was smaller than she remembered, and as her fingers clasped its smooth metal, it settled in her palm with a lightness that betrayed the heavy weight of its power. She looked back to the vanity surface where it had sat. A small slip of parchment, writing she recognized: Severus Snape resides in Thistlebook House, Edinburgh.
Suddenly, Hermione Granger understood the Time Turner in her hand.
CHAPTER 1-Two Years Earlier
Hermione Granger stood in the Shrieking Shack. The floorboards were still wet from the coating of sticky, brownish red blood that was oddly pooled and streaked throughout the space. The room smelled metallic, musty, and the air carried violence and sadness with it. It had taken a tremendous amount of mental fortitude for her to return for his body. It had taken the same amount of strength to leave his body to begin with, but at the time is was all any of them could do. Now, she had come to bring the Potions Master back to the castle, to join the other bravely fallen members of the Order. Only, as she emerged into the room, she was met with just the blood on the floor. Severus Snape's body was unaccounted for.
"Hermione?" She could hear Harry call softly for her as he entered the room. "I think it's best if we…"
His voice trailed off. He stared at the same spot Hermione's eyes were fixed. She slowly turned to him, "Harry, where could he-? How did he-? He was here. He was dead."
Her voice cracked slightly on the last word. Despite being witness to the human destruction of the battle they had just won; she was still unaccustomed to the application of the word. But he had been dead, she thought. Hermione was looking at Harry, for once hoping that he had the answers. Harry returned her questioning look, a slight shake of his head. "I don't know. But if he is gone, I think we both know that it will not do to search. Snape lived a life of secrets; it befits that his death should remain that way too."
Hermione nodded her head. Severus Snape had lived the majority of his life hiding from the world, if he had managed to continue to do so after his death, Hermione agreed with Harry that they should allow him the courtesy. She wasn't sure how she felt leaving the room empty. Hermione knew that Snape's enigmatic involvement in the events of the war would plague her. A puzzle worthy of her research, intellect and time. But not today, and the two friends turned to leave the Shack, returning to Hogwarts Castle without the body of the man that saved them.
Three months later, the Wizarding World was slowly rebuilding. For members of the Golden Trio, life continued to operate around them almost uninterrupted. The press still ran its stories, the Order still kept tabs, and the three friends still remained inseparable. Harry, Ron, and Hermione currently occupied Grimmauld Place.
They originally began their post-war life at the Burrow with the remaining Weasley family. But Hermione was the first to ask to leave. She approached Arthur one evening after two weeks and asked if he would understand if she decided to find space for herself, she needed to process without the influence of the family's considerable grief, but didn't want to appear unsupportive of the family that had become her own over the years. Arthur simply hugged her and asked where she would go, allowing all of his unspoken affection and acceptance wash over her. It was at that moment that Harry offered her access to Grimmauld. He told her he didn't know what condition it was in, only that Kingsley had mentioned that it physically survived the war. She gratefully accepted Harry's offer.
It was only hours later she stood, beaded bag in hand, in front of the beleaguered dwelling. It may have still been standing, but Hermione was convinced it was only due to magic, and perhaps, Kreacher's influence. She walked up the stairs and opened the door. Upon her entry she heard no screaming from Walburga's portrait. Instead of occupying its position on the wall, the frame lay broken against the baseboard. No great loss there, she mused as she moved inside and closed the door behind her. As her eyes adjusted to the dim, she could make out various scorch marks across the walls, more broken objects and askew furniture. All evidence of the war's anger and desperation. Hermione knew that Grimmauld must have been thoroughly searched following her, Ron, and Harry's disappearance. She was truly surprised to see how much of the house remained intact and felt a swell of purpose rise within her. This is what she needed: a project.
"Kreacher?" Hermione called gently. She was rewarded with the appearance of the grumpy house elf. He grumbled a greeting, never truly vocalizing words. Hermione didn't mind, it kept him from hurling insults. "If you don't mind, would you please make up a place for me to sleep in the sitting room? I'm going to be staying here for a while. Also, please give me an inventory of the kitchen and pantry so I might be able to know what to purchase at the store."
Kreacher nodded, still unspeaking, and popped out of the hall. Hermione nodded to herself. Her mind was beginning to hum in a manner it had not since before the events at Gringott's and Hogwarts. She felt determined and excited to tackle the cleaning and rebuilding of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Black. She hoped it would help to rebuild herself in the process. Hermione knew she would have to adjust to the effects of the Horcrux hunt, battles, and war had left on her. There would be no way to avoid the psychological scars, but she felt that she could choose to suffer under them or face them determinedly. As befitting her house allegiance, Hermione chose to face the coming fallout, and channel it as positively as possible. Grimmauld Place would become a home that Sirius, and Harry, could be proud of, and Hermione was going to make sure of it.