Chapter 4: The Change Begins

Flashback

Draco Malfoy sat in a compartment, near the back of the Hogwarts Express, completely oblivious

to the world around him. He sat just staring out the window, while his cronies Crabbe and Goyle sat

arguing over who should walk on which side of Draco this year. "No I should be on his right, not

you, I'm bigger." Said Goyle. "No, I want to stand to his right, you always get to." "No me" "No I

want to." Finally Draco had enough, "that's it, no more, I can't take you bumbling idiots anymore.

Combined you have the intelligence of a slug. I don't even know what I hang out with you." "Draco,

you know your father said..." Draco cut off Crabbe quickly. "Do not bring up my father Crabbe, I

know what he has said, I don't need you of all people to remind me." He stood to leave, and both

boys started to get up to follow him. "No sit down, I don't need you to follow me everywhere." "But

Draco, your father said..." Crabbe was cut off once again only this time it was by Malfoy's wand at

his throat not by his words. "I said do not bring up my father." Malfoy said through gritted teeth, his

eyes flashing dangerously. He stormed out of the compartment, slamming the door behind him so

hard the glass shattered and crashed to the floor. As he turned to walk away he smacked into

something sending whatever it was falling to the floor quite hard. "Oww! Gods don't you watch

where you're going Malfoy, bloody hell!" Draco automatically recognized the voice, it was Hermione

Granger, one of the 'Golden Trio', the Gryffindor know-it-all. "You got in my way Granger, therefore

you were at fault not me." "Yeah ok, all my fault, of course. How dare I get in the way of the

Slytherin King. Stupid little mudblood know-it-all that I am! Draco flinched at her words and she

took notice of that. He looked at her and said, "Well I'm sorry Hermione." He extended his hand to

her, she took it and he helped her up, looked into her eyes for one brief moment, then turned and

left quickly. As he walked away he heard her say in a voice barley above a whisper. "Draco just

called me Hermione." "And you called me Draco." He said quietly to himself continuing on his way

through the corridor.

End Flashback

Severus and Minerva sat in silence for a while, finally Snape spoke. "I know now that I shouldn't

have kept their secret, I know now that I should have told you and Albus. Out of all the mistakes

I've made in my life this is by far the worst. My silence cost Draco his wife, his one chance to

escape the fate of following in his father's footsteps, and I take complete responsibility for

Hermione's death. This has all happened by my hand and I am beyond sorry." Minerva took his

hand in hers, "Severus, my dear boy, this is by no means your fault. You did what you thought was

best. You were a confidant to them, when they felt alone and scared. You gave them someone to

trust, when they felt there was no one. Severus Snape, you did a good and honorable thing."

"Minerva, please do not try to tell me different from what I know is the truth. I am no fool." "Oh yes

you are Snape, if you can only see a mistake and not the good you truly did for them, than you are

a fool." She picked up the photo album opened it and showed him a picture in which Hermione sat

in between Severus and Draco. The three were smiling and laughing. "Look, Severus look, look at

this, look at how happy they were, you were too. You helped to make the time they did have a

happy time for them." Snape smiled at the picture. "That was Christmas last year, that was the

night Draco told me he was going to ask her to marry him. He was so nervous." He chuckled.

Minerva looked at him still teary-eyed "Tell me about it... tell me about the couple they were

Severus." He looked up with a sad smile, but oddly enough there was a twinkle in his eye that

reminded Minerva of Albus.