Chapter Ten: First Falling then Leaving.
Hermione starred out the window in the library, her face fixed on a time yet to come.
The grass was green when her mind fled off into her own time. She had eleven more days, left until she was to return home. It felt so close, and yet so far away, sorrow hit her on both ends.
She missed her friends, and the fact that she was days away from them, turned her resolve to remember that she was only at this time for a short while, and that she would be back soon enough. She had wished for this to come as soon as it could.
And she regretted it.
Things had happened with her here that could never be undone. She had changed. The second she went back, they wouldn't recognize her any more.
But that wasn't all, leaving would hurt people here more than it would her, she would see them again in a matter of moments, they would need to wait years.
This saddened her further. What was the point of why she was here? Severus, in the future had said that this needed to happen, because it already had happened.
But she didn't want to leave any more. Yet she couldn't leave Harry and Ron.
A tear escaped her barrier.
How could this happen to her!?
She who always knew all the answers, how could her heart trap her so?
She could abandon her friends, but she didn't want to leave Severus.
Yes, she would admit it now; yes she loved him, with all of her heart. How could she not, it was natural.
Going back was like returning to her past?
Dumbledore said it best, "It doesn't do to dwell on dreams and forget to live." But which was the dream?
God she loved him, he was her future teacher, but she knew he loved her as well. When she returned on Christmas, he proved that he cared for her, and saw her as his equal.
She wanted to be with him, but how could she leave him for all those years, and then suddenly reappear as an eleven year old?
She couldn't cause him that pain, and yet she had too. Why was her life already planned out before her eyes? After the eleventh, she would have had to choose and then she could make her own life.
Then it dawned on her. If she remained here, then she wouldn't have any choice on the rest of her life. She would already know what was going to happen.
Oh now did she truly appreciate what prophets and deviators had to go through.
She would go back on the eleventh, and see Snape, and start all over.
Then did the first snow flake fall.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"GWEN! GWEN! GWEN!!" Remus shouted, and Hermione looked up with a smile on her face.
It had been at least two hours since she made her resolve.
"Calm down boy! Not think about what you are going to say, then say it."
"The snow is at least three feet deep!" he ran over and grabbed her hand. "We all are going out and playing fort!"
"Aren't we a tad bit old?"
"Not at all, Dumbledore and McGonagall are both out there already!"
"Well, if those two see fit to play, then what do I say against it? Come on!"
And they ran outside.
Everyone who had remained for the winter holidays was already outside tossing snow missiles and making snow walls people and angels.
She spotted Severus, and ran over to him, his back was to her as she lifted and dropped an arm full of snow on his head.
"What the-?"
He turned and saw her, and smirked. While she was laughing her head off, he did the same thing back at her.
She wasn't laughing any more. "THAT'S COLD!" she complained.
"Don't I know it, Gwen." He smirked as he wiped off his snow head.
"Oh yeah?" she returned his smirk and tossed a ball of snow at him.
"Hay!" he threw one back.
So the snow fight started.
Hermione ran laughing, tossing snow at him as he chased her.
She hid behind Remus and he got on in the face.
"Sorry Remus." Hermione apologized.
"Yeah? If you're so sorry then you wouldn't mind this." And he dropped snow down on her head.
"Meanie!" she shouted and threw another ball at Remus. By that time Snape was on the scene.
"What are you doing to Gwen?"
"Giving her fair punishment." He explained.
"You realize that I'm the only one who can attack Gwen with snow?" he asked.
"No," Remus stepped back, scared.
Severus plummeted him with snow.
"Honestly, Snape!" Remus hit him with snow.
The teachers watched on in joy.
They knew that Slytherins and Gryffindors could get along.
Once all of then were soaked to the bone, the teachers ordered everyone inside.
Severus followed Hermione in and, took her coat from her.
He started up the fireplace as Remus went up stairs and changed.
Snape flicked his wand around himself and the already sleeping Hermione. They were both dry in an instant.
Hermione opened her eyes to see Snape kneeling beside her on the couch.
"Thank you."
"Well I couldn't have you catching a cold because of me." He moved a few strands of hair from her face.
Hermione leaned into the touch.
"I'll miss you."
"I know." She whispered, "I'll miss you too."
"You'll see me once you leave." He reminded her.
"But I wont see you grow up," she explained.
"It doesn't matter."
Remus walked down a few steps and saw the two, then smiled and headed back up to his dormitory.
"Hermione?"
"Hm?" she muttered half in sleep.
"I love you." He kissed her on her forehead, then stood to leave, believing her asleep.
She caught his hand.
He turned and looked back at her.
"I love you too Severus."
He smiled.
"I'll see you tomorrow, now rest."
"I'm leaving in only ten more days."
"We'll make the most of it." He promised her, and then left.
Hermione went to sleep far easier that night.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Ten days past in a daze, after five all the students were back and classes had started. Hermione hardly got to see Severus at all, and it made her even sadder.
On the ninth day Remus kept telling her he'd miss her and he'd tell her how wonderful it would be to go home.
The others didn't quite understand.
On the tenth morning, Hermione woke to sunlight burring her eyes and she stretched, got out of bed, and woke Lilly.
"Lils?"
"Gwen?" Lilly sat up and rubbed the sleepers from her eyes "What's wrong?"
"I'm leaving today."
"You are?"
Hermione/Gwen nodded.
"When?"
"Tonight."
"Will we be able to see you off?" Lilly asked hopefully.
"No." Gwen Smiled sadly at Harry's Mom. "But you know how I seem to know a lot of things?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm a divinator, a rather good one. I'll tell you something if you wish to know it, just ask."
"Will I get Married to James?" she asked quickly.
"Yes." Hermione answered honestly.
"Will I have a Son?"
"Yes. But only one son. You wont have any more." Hermione explained.
"Why is that?"
Hermione shut her eyes not wanting to see her friends face. "Because, you will protect your son from a great evil, and he will live, but you will not, you cannot, or he wont." She explained.
Lilly did look sad when Hermione opened her eyes.
"Don't worry Lilly, your life will be happy, you'll have no regrets by that time." Hermione explained, putting her hand on her friends. "Just don't tell James I told you this, he mustn't know, do you understand?"
"Yes." A tear fell from her cheek. "Thank you; I have a feeling you were supposed to tell me that."
Hermione smiled, that was a good thing. "I'm off to tell everyone else adios, bye Lilly, oh and remember!" Hermione faced the sad girl with a joyous grin "It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live."
"Are you related to Dumbledore?" she asked honestly.
"Not in the least, but he is an old friend."
And Hermione left.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
She ran into James and Sirius next.
"Oi Boys!" she called and grabbed their hands then proceeded to hug them both.
"Trust each other now and forever." She ordered.
"Gwen what's the matter?"
"Did that git Malfoy do anything?"
"Like he would dare!" she laughed. "No, he didn't. James, Sirius, No .. .." she smirked "Prongs and Padfoot, I'm leaving today, and I wont see you James ever again, I'll see you Sirius, but you wouldn't have remembered me." She gave them an all knowing smile.
"There you go with the prediction again." James commented.
"Yes, yes there I go again, just remember what I said." She shook a finger at them and ran off to find Remus.
"I'll never get that girl." Sirius said honestly.
"Well I hope she is wrong, I have a feeling she'll change the world."
"You know pal, you the best divinator, next to her I have ever seen, and neither of you take the class."
"We know how useless it is." James shrugged.
And they walked on.
When Hermione found Remus, he was in the library.
"GWEN!" he shouted and pulled her in for a hug.
"Remus, Air." She coked.
"Oh sorry."
"No problem." And she hugged him "Be there when I get back! I want to see you as well." She cried.
"Mione?" he whispered her real name's nickname. "I believe that your potion won't be of any use to me until someone else can brew it, I'm hopeless at potions."
"Order Severus to do it, for me." She explained. "Remember January 11th 1997."
"I'll be there."
"Good, I need to find Lucius."
"Luck Gwen!"
"Bye Remus!"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Lucius." Hermione shouted at the blonde headed boy. He looked up and saw her. Shaking his head he walked over to her, and smiled.
"Yeah?" he asked as she returned his smile.
"I'm leaving tonight." She informed him.
"Really?" he smirked, "Will you write?"
"No." she shook her head to add emphasis.
"will I or Snape be able to reach you if the need arises?" he asked.
"No." she answered again, "I'm leaving, more like vanishing, I wont exist to the world for many years." She smiled to him. "But you'll know when I'm back, your son will inform you he has heard of me, and I'll be back less than a month from that." She explained.
"My son?" He looked at her oddly.
She nodded. "Your son, who will be by far more evil and definitely more of a pain then you, will let you know." She repeated.
"You can tell the future can't you?" he smirked at her.
"Yeah." She smiled.
He then did a very un-Malfoy thing, he hugged her.
"When will you be back?"
"I'll owl you." She informed him, "The day I return."
"Good. I'll miss you Gwen Granger, you're the only one who I believe has ever outsmarted me, and for that I respect you." He bowed in a knight like way; Hermione curtsied and left to find Snape.
They would spend the day together.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
AN: ok so everything is getting together on Hermione side.
The going back part may take a bit, it's rather complicated to write, but I have to make it good! ^_^
Review!
Relenas
Hermione starred out the window in the library, her face fixed on a time yet to come.
The grass was green when her mind fled off into her own time. She had eleven more days, left until she was to return home. It felt so close, and yet so far away, sorrow hit her on both ends.
She missed her friends, and the fact that she was days away from them, turned her resolve to remember that she was only at this time for a short while, and that she would be back soon enough. She had wished for this to come as soon as it could.
And she regretted it.
Things had happened with her here that could never be undone. She had changed. The second she went back, they wouldn't recognize her any more.
But that wasn't all, leaving would hurt people here more than it would her, she would see them again in a matter of moments, they would need to wait years.
This saddened her further. What was the point of why she was here? Severus, in the future had said that this needed to happen, because it already had happened.
But she didn't want to leave any more. Yet she couldn't leave Harry and Ron.
A tear escaped her barrier.
How could this happen to her!?
She who always knew all the answers, how could her heart trap her so?
She could abandon her friends, but she didn't want to leave Severus.
Yes, she would admit it now; yes she loved him, with all of her heart. How could she not, it was natural.
Going back was like returning to her past?
Dumbledore said it best, "It doesn't do to dwell on dreams and forget to live." But which was the dream?
God she loved him, he was her future teacher, but she knew he loved her as well. When she returned on Christmas, he proved that he cared for her, and saw her as his equal.
She wanted to be with him, but how could she leave him for all those years, and then suddenly reappear as an eleven year old?
She couldn't cause him that pain, and yet she had too. Why was her life already planned out before her eyes? After the eleventh, she would have had to choose and then she could make her own life.
Then it dawned on her. If she remained here, then she wouldn't have any choice on the rest of her life. She would already know what was going to happen.
Oh now did she truly appreciate what prophets and deviators had to go through.
She would go back on the eleventh, and see Snape, and start all over.
Then did the first snow flake fall.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"GWEN! GWEN! GWEN!!" Remus shouted, and Hermione looked up with a smile on her face.
It had been at least two hours since she made her resolve.
"Calm down boy! Not think about what you are going to say, then say it."
"The snow is at least three feet deep!" he ran over and grabbed her hand. "We all are going out and playing fort!"
"Aren't we a tad bit old?"
"Not at all, Dumbledore and McGonagall are both out there already!"
"Well, if those two see fit to play, then what do I say against it? Come on!"
And they ran outside.
Everyone who had remained for the winter holidays was already outside tossing snow missiles and making snow walls people and angels.
She spotted Severus, and ran over to him, his back was to her as she lifted and dropped an arm full of snow on his head.
"What the-?"
He turned and saw her, and smirked. While she was laughing her head off, he did the same thing back at her.
She wasn't laughing any more. "THAT'S COLD!" she complained.
"Don't I know it, Gwen." He smirked as he wiped off his snow head.
"Oh yeah?" she returned his smirk and tossed a ball of snow at him.
"Hay!" he threw one back.
So the snow fight started.
Hermione ran laughing, tossing snow at him as he chased her.
She hid behind Remus and he got on in the face.
"Sorry Remus." Hermione apologized.
"Yeah? If you're so sorry then you wouldn't mind this." And he dropped snow down on her head.
"Meanie!" she shouted and threw another ball at Remus. By that time Snape was on the scene.
"What are you doing to Gwen?"
"Giving her fair punishment." He explained.
"You realize that I'm the only one who can attack Gwen with snow?" he asked.
"No," Remus stepped back, scared.
Severus plummeted him with snow.
"Honestly, Snape!" Remus hit him with snow.
The teachers watched on in joy.
They knew that Slytherins and Gryffindors could get along.
Once all of then were soaked to the bone, the teachers ordered everyone inside.
Severus followed Hermione in and, took her coat from her.
He started up the fireplace as Remus went up stairs and changed.
Snape flicked his wand around himself and the already sleeping Hermione. They were both dry in an instant.
Hermione opened her eyes to see Snape kneeling beside her on the couch.
"Thank you."
"Well I couldn't have you catching a cold because of me." He moved a few strands of hair from her face.
Hermione leaned into the touch.
"I'll miss you."
"I know." She whispered, "I'll miss you too."
"You'll see me once you leave." He reminded her.
"But I wont see you grow up," she explained.
"It doesn't matter."
Remus walked down a few steps and saw the two, then smiled and headed back up to his dormitory.
"Hermione?"
"Hm?" she muttered half in sleep.
"I love you." He kissed her on her forehead, then stood to leave, believing her asleep.
She caught his hand.
He turned and looked back at her.
"I love you too Severus."
He smiled.
"I'll see you tomorrow, now rest."
"I'm leaving in only ten more days."
"We'll make the most of it." He promised her, and then left.
Hermione went to sleep far easier that night.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Ten days past in a daze, after five all the students were back and classes had started. Hermione hardly got to see Severus at all, and it made her even sadder.
On the ninth day Remus kept telling her he'd miss her and he'd tell her how wonderful it would be to go home.
The others didn't quite understand.
On the tenth morning, Hermione woke to sunlight burring her eyes and she stretched, got out of bed, and woke Lilly.
"Lils?"
"Gwen?" Lilly sat up and rubbed the sleepers from her eyes "What's wrong?"
"I'm leaving today."
"You are?"
Hermione/Gwen nodded.
"When?"
"Tonight."
"Will we be able to see you off?" Lilly asked hopefully.
"No." Gwen Smiled sadly at Harry's Mom. "But you know how I seem to know a lot of things?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm a divinator, a rather good one. I'll tell you something if you wish to know it, just ask."
"Will I get Married to James?" she asked quickly.
"Yes." Hermione answered honestly.
"Will I have a Son?"
"Yes. But only one son. You wont have any more." Hermione explained.
"Why is that?"
Hermione shut her eyes not wanting to see her friends face. "Because, you will protect your son from a great evil, and he will live, but you will not, you cannot, or he wont." She explained.
Lilly did look sad when Hermione opened her eyes.
"Don't worry Lilly, your life will be happy, you'll have no regrets by that time." Hermione explained, putting her hand on her friends. "Just don't tell James I told you this, he mustn't know, do you understand?"
"Yes." A tear fell from her cheek. "Thank you; I have a feeling you were supposed to tell me that."
Hermione smiled, that was a good thing. "I'm off to tell everyone else adios, bye Lilly, oh and remember!" Hermione faced the sad girl with a joyous grin "It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live."
"Are you related to Dumbledore?" she asked honestly.
"Not in the least, but he is an old friend."
And Hermione left.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
She ran into James and Sirius next.
"Oi Boys!" she called and grabbed their hands then proceeded to hug them both.
"Trust each other now and forever." She ordered.
"Gwen what's the matter?"
"Did that git Malfoy do anything?"
"Like he would dare!" she laughed. "No, he didn't. James, Sirius, No .. .." she smirked "Prongs and Padfoot, I'm leaving today, and I wont see you James ever again, I'll see you Sirius, but you wouldn't have remembered me." She gave them an all knowing smile.
"There you go with the prediction again." James commented.
"Yes, yes there I go again, just remember what I said." She shook a finger at them and ran off to find Remus.
"I'll never get that girl." Sirius said honestly.
"Well I hope she is wrong, I have a feeling she'll change the world."
"You know pal, you the best divinator, next to her I have ever seen, and neither of you take the class."
"We know how useless it is." James shrugged.
And they walked on.
When Hermione found Remus, he was in the library.
"GWEN!" he shouted and pulled her in for a hug.
"Remus, Air." She coked.
"Oh sorry."
"No problem." And she hugged him "Be there when I get back! I want to see you as well." She cried.
"Mione?" he whispered her real name's nickname. "I believe that your potion won't be of any use to me until someone else can brew it, I'm hopeless at potions."
"Order Severus to do it, for me." She explained. "Remember January 11th 1997."
"I'll be there."
"Good, I need to find Lucius."
"Luck Gwen!"
"Bye Remus!"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Lucius." Hermione shouted at the blonde headed boy. He looked up and saw her. Shaking his head he walked over to her, and smiled.
"Yeah?" he asked as she returned his smile.
"I'm leaving tonight." She informed him.
"Really?" he smirked, "Will you write?"
"No." she shook her head to add emphasis.
"will I or Snape be able to reach you if the need arises?" he asked.
"No." she answered again, "I'm leaving, more like vanishing, I wont exist to the world for many years." She smiled to him. "But you'll know when I'm back, your son will inform you he has heard of me, and I'll be back less than a month from that." She explained.
"My son?" He looked at her oddly.
She nodded. "Your son, who will be by far more evil and definitely more of a pain then you, will let you know." She repeated.
"You can tell the future can't you?" he smirked at her.
"Yeah." She smiled.
He then did a very un-Malfoy thing, he hugged her.
"When will you be back?"
"I'll owl you." She informed him, "The day I return."
"Good. I'll miss you Gwen Granger, you're the only one who I believe has ever outsmarted me, and for that I respect you." He bowed in a knight like way; Hermione curtsied and left to find Snape.
They would spend the day together.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
AN: ok so everything is getting together on Hermione side.
The going back part may take a bit, it's rather complicated to write, but I have to make it good! ^_^
Review!
Relenas