A/N: Yay! It's time for the truly sappy chapter! But be warned, it may be sappy, but it ain't fluff! So, watch out!

You also get to find out just how well Hermione knows Gabriella.

Oh yeah, a note for the better enjoyment of this chapter: It would be a good idea to not read through this quickly.  I had a couple minor incidents with previewers becase they read quickly. PICK UP DETAILS! They are essential to this chapter!

 Enjoy!

Explanations and Regrets

The next day, Severus was busy in his classroom. He was working: straightening up things, throwing out old papers, noting which supplies he was low on in his storerooms, and other such things. Many of the teachers saved this until the end of summer, when they came back and started preparing for the next year. But Severus had always been something of a perfectionist, and Gabriella had frequently teased him about it (but he'd always teased her back because, if he was a perfectionist, she was two times as picky as was).

So, naturally, he hated leaving the room untidy over the summer and now was determinedly putting it in come sort of decent order. He was cleaning the counters where the students' cauldrons stood (He was happy to finally get rid of the marks where Longbottom had worked. He never bothered to before; they would always be back by the end of the first semester. I swear, thought Severus, that boy is as horrible as his father in the subject), when there was a knock on the door. He scowled a bit, hating to interrupt his work, and left the rag on the counter before going to answer it. When he opened the door and saw who it was, his scowl grew.

"Miss Granger, shouldn't you be on the train right now?" He stood in the doorway, glaring down at the witch.

"I have fifteen minutes still. My things are already on the train." She explained.

"And what, pray tell, made you decide to spend your last minutes as a student down here in the dungeons?"

"I have some unfinished business, Professor."

He raised his eyebrow and waited for her to continue.

She hesitated and looked over his shoulder. "Can I come in?"

He moved out of the way for her a gestured for her to go ahead. Shutting the door behind her, he faced her and crossed his arms, his eyebrow raised as he waited for an explanation.

Before starting, she just looked at him. He kept his scowl, but he studied the girl's face. Again, he was met with something that wasn't the typical hatred that he had grown accustomed to. Sorrow and regret lined her face, and, without him realizing it, the scowl was wiped from his face. His forehead furrowed slightly in confusing.

Finally, she sighed and shook her head, looking down. The scowl returned to Severus' face.  She opened her mouth then closed it, as if searching for the right words. She looked up again at him, and then, when she seemed to make up her mind, she held out a brown package to him. There was letter attached. "This is for you, Professor. All you need to know is in there."

            Severus's eyes narrowed a bit as he took the parcel from her. While he was still studying it, she nodded. "Until we meet again, Professor." And with that, she turned and headed towards the door before he could say anything. But on her way out, she paused and turned back. "By the way, not all your students hate you... Sevi."

Severus looked up with a start at her words. But, she'd already left. He stared at the doorway where she had stood just moments before. Finally, his eyes traveled back to the parcel. Quickly, he sat down at his desk and undid the ties that bound it. Inside, he found a time turner and an envelope. He opened the envelope to find a ring- his ring. Gabriella's ring. Setting it on the desk, he hurriedly pulled out the letter that was also concealed in the envelope and read it out loud to himself.

"My dearest Severus,

This ring is yours. It always has been and it always will be.  As with the heart of the one that gave it to you.

Sevi, I know you probably despise me by now, but I need to tell you that I am sorry. I don't care if you won't listen. I'm sorry for everything that went wrong. If I had ever known what I would done-"

The letter stopped abruptly, as if the author didn't know how to finish the sentence. Severus continued to read the rest of it.

"I need you to know that I never meant for anything like this to ever happen. And I need you to know that, whatever happens, I'll always love you, and I always have."

His voice cracked as he read the signature:

"Love always,

Your Gabriella,

Hermione Granger"

"No," he whispered, as he looked at the time turner and put two and two together. "No, no, no, no, no…"

Fifteen minutes. She'd said she had fifteen minutes. How long had he wasted here? He didn't have time to check or to think; he had to catch her before the train left. He had to catch her, and then he could sort everything out. Letter still in hand, he dashed out of his classroom and through the dungeons. He ran, and ran, and ran.  Outside- he had to get outside. If only he could make it there in time-

He pushed through the great doors that lead to the entrance of the school- to see the train starting to pull out of the station. He stumbled to a stop. He did not sob; he did not wallow in self-misery, for Severus Snape did not do such things. He just stood there and watched the train leave and take his heart, his love, his Gabriella, his *Hermione,* away with it. And as he did, a look of anguish crossed his features. 

The look left his face quickly, though, and he turned and walked back into the castle as if nothing had just happened. His face was blank and expressionless.

 It wasn't until he'd entered his classroom that he seemed to have realized what happened. She was gone. She'd left...and she was never coming back. The next time he saw her she'd probably be Mrs. Weasley and have her own set of redheaded children.

            The pain of losing her hit him again. It had been horrible the first time, and hurt no less, if not more, this time He felt his knees buckle beneath him. He fell to his knees on the cold stone floor, his shoulders shaking. He hadn't cried since... since last time. Last time, when she'd left him, and last time, when they'd found her missing the next morning. He'd always blamed himself. Now he finally knew where she'd gone, and he'd lost her again. Wretched, shaking sobs cut through the icy dungeon air. "Gabriella!" He cried. "Gabriella!" His voice was a whisper. "Hermione..." He gave a shaky sigh. "Oh, why? Why didn't you tell me?" 

~

Hermione stood on the train as it started to leave. She watched Hogwarts from her window. She was leaving the school, and with it her heart. If only she'd known that all this would happen... she would have never used the time turner, she would have never lied to Severus...

She'd once again decided that year to take more than enough classes, and she once again needed the time turner to fit everything in. She didn't quite know what had caused her to be so rash and use the time turner to go back so far.

Perhaps she'd thought she could go back in time and, if she was careful, she could just change a few things. Maybe even rid the world of Voldemort before he ever became the Dark Lord. It had been a foolish idea. She'd just been so tired. Tired of the war. Tired of fighting. Tired of always being scared. Of never knowing who to trust. Tired of being tired. She'd wished it would all just end. And she'd thought that she could make it end.  Then they'd killed her parents. That had been more than she could bear. It had been the last straw for her. That was when she'd made up her mind to go. The decision had taken less than two minutes to decide; it would change her entire life.

For things hadn't gone as planned. She'd made friends.  Each time she thought of going back, she thought of them. They would be dead in her time. And each time she'd thought she'd wait just a little longer. And a little bit longer. And then a little bit longer than that.

Then, she'd met him. He had been amazing. So wonderfully different from the dark man she'd known him to be in her time. He'd taught her so much. He was a genius. He really was. His talent with potions was incredible. And he'd almost been top of his class in Defense Against the Dark Arts. The only person better than him was James.

And then she'd made the worst mistake ever. Even worse than her decision to travel back in time.

She fell in love.

And she'd ripped out both of their hearts by doing so.  She supposed that the incident with the ring had been for the better; it was easier then to leave. To let them all go, and return back to her time. Oh, but it had hurt! It had been so horrible. She'd come back, and she'd wept, in a sorry attempt to feel better. And then he'd found her again. Not the old him, but the present version of him. She'd gotten prepared for some sarcastic comment, but he hadn't told her off. Hadn't taken points away from her house. He'd been so…nice. Almost like the old version of him. But she had to lie to him of course. She could never tell him the truth at the time. But when he put his arms around her! To hold him again; to breathe in his scent one last time. It had been more than she'd thought she'd ever be allowed to feel again. And yet now, she knew she would never have him again.

She was thinking these thoughts when she saw a figure burst out of the school. She saw the look on his face and almost sobbed. He looked so sad... so sad. And it was all her fault-

"Hermione! Look at this!" Ron called her over.

She stood at the window a bit longer, watching as he went inside. She'd have to go see what it was Ron was shouting about eventually, though. She sighed; she was in no mood to answer her friends' questions. She closed her eyes to tears that threatened to spill.

"Forgive me, love," she whispered before she finally turned from the window. "I had not known."

~*~*~

            A/N: Yes, my friends. Sadly, 'tis the end. But do not fear! I might do an epilogue. Depends on the feedback I get.

I hope you all enjoyed it, though. It was fun to write!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and Co. and now you all know why I kinda, sorta, not really own Gabriella.

The plot is mine therefore it is not yours! So don't take it!

::end of disclaimer::

Hugs to all! Thank you for reading! And a special thanks to Lataradk! Who helped me out throughout the whole story, on paper and off paper! Thanks Lataradk!

-Miracle