Eight hours later Severus was still unconscious and Hermione hadn't left his side. Madam Pomfrey hadn't found anything yet and had retired for the evening because she had been very exhausted.

Snape and her son hadn't returned yet but she was not overly anxious because they had expected that Voldemort wanted to find the culprit.

"You need to wake up, my beloved. You are needed here," She whispered into his hand before she kissed it.

I need you so much, Severus. You are my life. Arden needs you. Your Payton needs you. I can't imagine life without you and I won't.

She sighed and rubbed her hands over her face. Sitting next to Severus for so long had drained all of her energy.

Draco observed her silently from the doorway, a sad expression clouding his eyes.

That's not fair. They deserve to be happy.

He walked over to her and laid his hands on her shoulders, gently kneading them.

"You should rest. Albus has set up guest quarters for us."

She shook her head.

"No. I can't leave him. I don't want him to wake up without me by his side."

He squeezed her shoulders before he stepped back and took another chair, sitting it next to the bed.

"Well, I won't let you wait here alone."

She tried to smile at him but she failed.

"That is very kind of you, my friend, but I would prefer to be alone with him." Her voice was unsteady and she hoped that she didn't hurt his feelings by rejecting his offer of support.

He nodded and stood up.

"I understand."

He bent down and kissed her cheek.

"Remember, I'm just a call away if you need me."

As Snape and Arden returned to Hogwarts they parted ways. Snape went to Dumbledore while Arden hurried to the infirmary.

The moment he stormed in his mother looked up. He saw tears in her eyes and went towards her to say that everything was all right when he noticed that the younger Hermione wasn't the only patient.

"Dad?" His voice was a mere whisper.

"He has been hit by a curse. We don't know which one it was yet, we..." Suddenly, her stoic front failed and a sob escaped her throat. Tears started to roll down her pale cheeks. Without a word Arden put his arms around his mother and held her tight while she sobbed on his shoulder.

All her fears and tension from the last weeks and especially this day left her body with the salty liquid.

----

"Ah, Severus. What had happened at the gathering?" Albus asked.

"Lucius Malfoy is dead. The other me was apparently able to rescue Miss Granger. Surely you can imagine that Voldemort isn't satisfied at the moment."

Albus nodded in agreement.

"We have another problem. The older version of you has been hit by a curse."

Snape's dark eyes snapped up sharply.

"What? Is he all right?"

"I´m sorry to say this, but no. He isn't. Poppy still doesn't know what kind of curse it was."

"Maybe..." Snape had to clear his throat. "Maybe I should take a look," He suggested.

"That would be a very good idea, Severus."

Snape nodded and left the room.

His long black robes billowed as he swiftly strolled along Hogwarts corridors.
As he entered the infirmary he saw Miss Granger sleeping in her bed while the future Hermione and his son sat by his older self's side. They hadn't heard him yet and he just stood there, silently watching what would be his.

"He will be all right, Mum." He heard Arden say.

"I hope so, honey. I really hope so. I wouldn't know what to do without your father."

Snape cleared his throat.

Hermione looked up as she heard the noise and her eyes widened as she took his form in.

She shot a quick glance at Arden before her eyes snapped back to Snape.

"Arden, you should go and check on Savannah."

Arden looked at her quizzically before he shrugged his shoulders and stood up. As he passed by Snape he nodded shortly.

Snape nodded back.

The Professor stared uncertainly at her for a moment before he finally went towards her.

"May I?"

She nodded her assent and her eyes moved swiftly over him before they rested again on the sleeping form of her husband.

Snape sat down, unsure of what to say. He didn't know if he should say anything at all.

"Have you seen Albus?" Her soft voice broke the silence.

"Yes, I told him about what had happened before he informed me about my... his situation. I thought it might by helpful if I take a look. Maybe I might be able to find something."

She nodded and a hopeful shimmer appeared in her eyes.

He stood up again and pulled out his wand before he started working.

Hermione observed him silently. His movements were so familiar. The face she loved so much was furrowed in concentration and his gentle slender fingers were wrapped around his old wand.

"I thought you hate foolish wand waving," She mocked him.

He stopped working for a moment to decide how he should interpret her answer.
He saw the mischief in her eyes and rewarded her with a very small smile.

"I can assure you, madam, that I do nothing that would even resemble foolish wand waving. I know what I am doing!"

Her eyes had clouded over again.

"Yes you do know."

He paused for a moment as he noticed the sadness in her voice.

She looks at him as if he is the precious being in the world. I wonder if she will ever look at me the same. Well, not her. Her younger self.

Snape stopped thinking because he found it far too complicated. After finishing his examination he sat down again.

"And?" she asked anxiously.

"I think he will recover soon. In my opinion, the spell wasn't a deadly one. The results are only temporary."

Relief washed over her and she felt as if the weight from her shoulders had been lifted away.

"Thank you. You don't know how much that means to me."

He nodded.

Hermione's eyes were fixed on her husband and he took the opportunity to study her covertly.

She looked just slightly older than Miss Granger did. Of course, she had a few wrinkles around her eyes and she had gained some weight but it suited her.

"How did it happen?" The question was out before he could stop himself.

Her eyes met his and she smiled.

"I always found him ... you very tempting."

He raised an eyebrow but let her continue.

"In my seventh year I had a little crush on you. You were always in a bad mood, always grumpy but at the same time I admired you for what you were."

She looked back at her husband and her fingers gently caressed his skin before continuing.

"You lived in constant danger. Being a Death Eater, a member of the Order, a spy, teacher and Harry's guardian. He gave you such a hard time, though you watched over him. Watched over us. How could you have not impressed me? How could I have not adored you? For the man you were? For the man you are?"

He swallowed not sure what to say.

My God. She thinks that about me?

He started to say something when she interrupted him.

"I know that this must be strange for you, but I love you as much as I love him. I have always loved you. You are the only one who can make my knees tremble by just looking at you."

"I don't know what to say," he answered quietly.

She shook her head.

"You don't need to say anything."

They sat together in a friendly silence.

"You know, that never happened to me," She whispered, nodding to the sleeping Hermione.

"You mean the past has changed?"

"Yes. I fear what I will see when we return." Her voice trembled with fear.

Snape thought for a while. There must be a way to set everything back in place.
Who knows what will wait for them? A world where Voldemort has won? A peaceful one? But it doesn't really matter. It's essential to undo all this. Maybe a potion. No, a potion won't work. A spell? No, maybe .... By Merlin, I know it! A time turner.

"Time turner!" he exclaimed suddenly.

"What?" Hermione asked, perplexed.

"You could use a time turner. You would need to collect Arden and Miss
Malfoy when they appear in my potion's room. If you prevent them from staying here, all this will never happen."

Her eyes went wide as realization washed over her.

"When you erase action A then result B will never happen," she mumbled.
"Of course. Severus you're right!"

He nodded, proud of himself but he also felt hurt by the thought that he was going to forget everything that had happened between Miss Granger and himself.

I won't remember her at all, like this. There will be no kisses, no
temptations. I will forget about Arden and my future life. Forget about being a husband and father.

Maybe not. Maybe everything would happen as it was supposed to. Miss Granger and I will eventually be together, after all.

Hermione had stood up.

"I must immediately speak to Albus and Draco. Would you stay with him till I return?" He nodded and she hurriedly left the room.

Snape stood up and walked over to Miss Granger's bed.

He hated to see her like this.

At least she won't remember anything. She will be as pure and innocent as ever.

A poem crossed his mind and he started to softly recite it aloud.

"A lily girl, not made for this world's pain,
With brown, soft hair close braided by her ears,
And longing eyes half veiled by slumberous tears,
Like bluest water seen through mists of rain.
Pale cheeks whereon no love hath left its stain,
Red underlip drawn in for fear of love,
And white throat, whiter than the silvered dove,
Through whose wan marble creeps one purple vein.
Yet, though my lips shall praise her without cease,
Even to kiss her feet I am not bold,
Being o'ershadowed by the wings of awe.
Like Dante, when he stood with Beatrice
Beneath the flaming Lion's breast and saw
The seventh Crystal, and the Stair of Gold."

As he finished, he bent over her and gently kissed her. Snape didn't know how long he had stood there. He was pulled out of his thoughts as Hermione, Albus and Draco entered the room.

-----

Two hours later, everything was settled. The four had spoken about everything and were in unison about what would happen. Draco and Hermione would use the time turner to go back and collect Arden and Savannah before Snape could spot them.

Hermione had written a note for her husband, which said that he immediately needed to go to the potion's room once he was awake.

"I wish you luck. If everything happens correctly none of this will ever happen," Albus said.

Draco nodded. "Right. Let's go Hermione." He put the time turner around them and turned the device 25 times before they vanished.

Although Arden knew that his mother had told him to go to Savannah, it had just been an excuse for getting rid of him. He decided that he could just as well do it now that he knew that none of this would be happening. They wouldn't even remember being in the past.

He entered the teacher's room without knocking because he knew it would be empty except for Savannah. For a moment, he just studied her slender form as she was leaning against the window frame. She was so beautiful and his heart jumped nearly every time he saw her. The sunlight glistened in her deep red hair and let her face glow.

"Are you going to stand there all day?" Her silky voice asked. H

He shook his head and walked over to her, standing mere feet behind her. Arden closed his eyes as her familiar scent reached him.

"I wanted to talk to you."

She let out a small but harsh laugh.

"You want to talk? Now? Tell me Arden, is it because you know that we won't remember anything of this, or is it your bad conscience?"

He turned her around so that he was able to look into the depths of her eyes. He had always been able to read her like a book and this time was no exception. Although her voice and her words were cold, he could see how hurt she was and how much she felt his betrayal. His hand brushed some silky strands of hair aside and outlined the form of her face before it rested against her cheek.

"I am coming now because this is the only time I can tell you all this, Savannah. So please let me finish," he said as she opened her mouth to answer him.

"The first time I recognized that my feelings for you had changed was in the end of 6th year. Before that, you were like a sister to me. A close friend. But once I noticed how much you had changed -from the girl I knew into a charming woman- and how much my feelings had changed, I was lost." Her eyes widened and again she started to say something when he placed his hand over her soft lips, gently caressing them. "While I debated on what I should do, I realized that I had been too slow. You were already taken. I thought that you really loved him so I stayed away. In the end, I was glad because just a few months later your father told me about Voldemort and the reforming of the Death Eaters. Voldemort wanted you as he had once wanted your father. But Draco and I developed a plan to avoid this."

He stopped for a moment and inhaled deeply before he continued.

"I offered to work for the Order and for Voldemort as my father had once done. I did it to save you and to save Payton from Voldemort." His voice almost sounded desperate. "Although I knew that by doing so I jeopardized every opportunity to ever hold you in my arms or to live a normal life." The tears that had welled up in her eyes during his confessions finally found their way over her pale cheeks.

"Do you now understand why I had to keep you at bay? I don't trust myself in your presence, Savannah. Every time I see you, every time I smell your sweet scent, every time I hear the sound of your voice, my body starts trembling. The greatest battles I have to fight are the ones with myself. The urge to make you mine and to make you realize that you belong to me is nearly overwhelming!"

He gently brushed her tears away and kissed her forehead. "So you see that there is nothing else I want more, and also nothing else that is more out of my reach." The wave of relief that washed over him was making him light headed. He felt much better now that everything was out in the open.

Finally Savannah spoke and her voice sounded stressed from all the emotions coming from them. Throwing her prejudices out of the window, she decided to seize the opportunity to answer him with all the truth he had granted her.

"I have never been out of you reach, Arden. The whole last two years I waited. I waited just for you," she said quietly.

No other words needed to be spoken. He just gathered her in his strong arms and their lips met in an almost desperate kiss. She wound her arms around his neck and pressed herself against his muscular body as if she would never let him go. Both were trying to savor their time together as much as possible, painfully aware that soon they would again be parted.

-----

Draco and Hermione saw the last two weeks fly by very fast. It all was a blur of colors and unshaped forms. Hermione started to feel ill, so she closed her eyes. Draco noticed it and put his arm around her waist to steady her. Suddenly, it stopped.

"There. We are here right outside the potion's room. What time is it?" He asked her.

She looked at her watch.

"They should be here in two minutes."

Draco nodded and opened the door slightly. He took a quick look and saw Snape sitting at his desk grading papers. Before he could react or notice them Draco snatched up his wand and murmured: "Petrificus Totalus!"

Professor Snape froze on the spot. Hermione and Draco entered the room and had to wait just a few seconds before they heard a pop and Arden and Savannah appeared. They gathered the two and put the time turner around them all.

Minutes later, they reappeared right before a waiting Severus. Hermione smiled at him and he embraced her quickly before he scooped his son swiftly in his arms. Draco took care of Savannah, and together they vanished back to their own time.

----

The future Hermione and Severus watched over the sleeping form of their son. His wife had informed him about what had happened in the past. Draco had taken Savannah home to Malfoy Manor. They had agreed that the children would need a rest. Severus had gone to Payton's room to tell her that her brother was back safe and sound, only to discover his little daughter lying in the arms of James Potter. Naked!

He had been so shocked that he had left the room without a word. Hermione nearly had to hex him before he was able to tell her what had happened. His wife had just laughed and kissed him. She told him that she had waited a long time for this to happen.

"But she is so young," Severus protested.

"Nearly as old as I was when we made love the first time," She reminded him peacefully.

"That was something different," he answered stubbornly.

"It's not, Severus. Just leave them alone. They are adults now. They have their own life."

"You are aware that this image will be forever in my head, aren't you?" She caressed his cheek before she gently kissed him. "I'm sure you will get over this, my love."

He groaned and Hermione returned her attention to their son. Severus frowned as he noticed the worry that went over her face. His arms slipped around her waist and he held her tight.

"He will be all right soon," He whispered into her hair. She nodded and snuggled herself closer to his warm body.

"I know. It's just I was so close to losing him. To losing you. I don't know what I would have done without you, my beloved." He held her tighter and she rested her head under his chin.

"You will never lose me."

She turned around and he kissed her lovingly while he gazed into her deep brown eyes.

"What are we going to do, Severus? Arden is a Death Eater. Voldemort is still alive. How are we going to handle this?" Her voice trembled.

Putting on a seductive grin, he bent down to kiss her playfully.

"We will worry about that tomorrow, my love. Tonight, all we are going to think about is who will be on top." Despite her mood, she laughed. As he scooped her up into his arms and carried her to their bedroom.

The End

(Madonna Mia from Oscar Wilde)

I already wrote the sequel and am now waiting for my beta reader to finish it...