Disclaimer: The characters, settings, etc. of the Harry Potter series are not mine. I just play with them.

Regarding Time Travel
Five

Hermione Granger had been a good girl for all of her life. And while she did enjoy an occasional alcoholic drink, her experiences with mind altering substances had never taken her beyond the slightly spinning room in which it was usually fairly difficult to accurately perceive depth.

Therefore, when the room started spinning violently and colors began rushing past her at what she imagined was the speed of light, she could only guess that this might be what a psychedelic trip was like. She was greatly reminded, though, of a movie she had watched as a child in which a witch charmed a bed to travel from place to place. She distinctly remembered the scene in the film when the witch and the children she cared for used the bed to travel from their country home to London. Colors and images had whirred past them quickly until, quite suddenly, they came to a stop atop their bed at their destination.

And just as they had in the film, the colors and images suddenly stopped whirring by, and Hermione toppled over quite ungracefully, landing on her bum on the cushioned floor of the Room of Requirement.

"Ooh," she whimpered, closing her eyes for a moment in an attempt to still the room.

A few seconds later, her eyes still closed, she heard a strangled cry and a grunt as the cushioned floor shifted slightly when someone else landed on it beside her. Taking a chance, Hermione opened her eyes. She was pleased to find that the room had stilled and that Severus Snape had arrived.

"Well," Hermione said to Snape, who was clutching his head with his hands and staring at the floor. "That was different."

"I haven't seen anything like that since I was twenty," Snape grumbled. "Good gods above, I never want to again."

Hermione sighed. "Well, there is always the return trip, Professor."

Snape moaned, and Hermione watched as he suddenly lay back on the floor and closed his eyes. "Can't we wait a few moments, Miss Granger?"

"Of course we can!" Hermione replied, grinning at him even though he could not see it. "Certainly. You wait until you're settled and then we'll head back." She paused to look around the room as she chewed on her bottom lip thoughtfully. "Anyway, we need to figure out what year it is."

And with a gentle pop, a calendar appeared on the floor beside her. "Ah," she said, picking it up and flipping it to January. "This room is so useful."

Snape made a grunting noise. "What year is it?"

"1978," Hermione said as she read the top of the calendar. "How lovely! The year my parents married!"

He sat up suddenly and fixed his gaze upon her. "1978?" he repeated.

"Yes," Hermione said, showing him the calendar.

"What month?" he asked, and of their own volition, the pages of the calendar flipped until it displayed April.

"April!" Hermione read aloud, beaming at him.

"Why on earth are you so damn chipper?" Snape groused, grabbing the calendar from her hands.

"Because Severus," Hermione began in a sing-song tone, "we've successfully conducted the first half of our experiment!"

"Don't call me that," he grumbled.

"Call you what?" Hermione asked, frowning.

"You called me by my first name" he said, still staring at the calendar. "Don't do that."

"Oh," Hermione said, blushing when she realized that he was right. "I'm sorry."

Snape waved a hand at her apologies. "April 1978," he muttered. "Goodness."

"Yes," Hermione nodded. "That is a long time ago."

Snape looked at her, narrowing his eyes. "It's my seventh year," he said. "In about a month, I'll take the Dark Mark."

"Oh!" Hermione exclaimed, not exactly knowing what to say next. "I'm sorry?"

Snape snorted. "Why? It's in the past, Miss Granger," he sighed and dropped the calendar to the floor. "I think it's time we went back."

"Right," Hermione said, taking her book bag off of her back and setting in on the ground before her. "Let me just get the potions out." Hermione rifled through her bag until she found the two vials of the return potion. She grabbed them out of the bag and handed one to Snape.

"Well," she said as she closed her bag, put her arm through one of the straps, and uncorked her vial. "Bottom's up!" she exclaimed. And in one swallow, Hermione downed the entire potion.

She immediately held on tightly to her bag waiting to feel the rush of the air as she flew through time and scrunched her eyes closed against the colors and images that would inevitably whir past her at a sickening speed. But instead of the reaction she expected, Hermione felt nothing.

She gripped her bag tighter supposing that it might take a few seconds to activate.

A few seconds passed. And then a few more. And then more yet. Eventually, Hermione decided to open one eye to peer at Snape and see if he had gone anywhere.

He hadn't. He sat in the same spot he had landed when they'd arrived giving her what Ron had once referred to as the Evil Glare of Death.

"Oh," said Hermione quietly. "Oh, fuck."

-

'Bugger,' thought Hermione as she paced the Room of Requirement, wringing her hands. 'Fuck, bugger, shit.'

"Your thoughts are so loud, I can hear them from here," Snape snapped as he looked from the parchment to the third vial of return potion. He sighed, throwing the parchment down onto the table that had suddenly materialized in the middle of the room. "It appears that you followed Michelson's directions exactly." He paused, placing a forefinger on his chin as he thought. "Michelson's directions have to be correct. None of his recipes ever failed. That means that there must have been some minute flaw in your brewing that is invisible to the naked eye." He sighed. "I won't be able to figure this out without a full lab work up."

"What?" Hermione squeaked as she ceased pacing, but continued to wring her hands frantically. "What does that mean, exactly?"

"It means that you are going to calm yourself, Miss Granger, and that we are going to find Albus Dumbledore, explain our situation and do our very best to find a way to get back to our time as soon as possible."

Hermione felt as though she was going to faint. "How could I have mucked up a potion? I've never improperly brewed a potion. Never!"

"Well," Snape sneered, "I do believe there is a first time for everything."

Hermione frowned. "This is awful. I can't believe we're stuck here." She sighed and looked over at Snape. "How long do you think it will take to sort this mess out?"

Snape shrugged. "I can't say precisely," he said. "Listen," he continued. His tone was very gentle, and Hermione wondered if this was the way he spoke to his Slytherins. "Why don't we just take our things and go to the headmaster's offices. He'll be able to help us and at least get us safely situated."

Hermione nodded and gave another sigh, walking over to where her bag rested on the table. "Here," she said, reaching inside to take out one of the vials of Beautification Potion, "you'll need some of this. Wouldn't do to pass yourself in the hall."

Snape nodded, taking the vial from her. Hermione watched him as he unstopped the vial and took a sip. The transformation was immediate; his hair went from lank, greasy, and shoulder length to soft, wavy, and short, his nose turned from a hawkish looking beak to something a bit more refined and dignified, if still a little big. His body did not change much, but Hermione supposed his shoulders might have broadened slightly. The worry lines that had creased his forehead vanished and the slight wrinkles near his eyes disappeared completely. And Hermione soon found a very attractive version of her former Potions professor standing before her.

"My," she said, "you do look nice."

He sneered down at her, but it was rendered rather ineffective by his suddenly straightened and whitened teeth. "I do believe that's the point."

Hermione frowned when she noticed his perfect teeth and full bottom lip. "I think I like you better as you were," she said softly, without thinking.

Snape's eyes doubled in size at this, and Hermione realized that, thankfully, his piercing, glittering, black eyes hadn't changed one bit. "What?"

Hermione blushed. "You're a little too perfect. It just doesn't suit you at all."

Snape smirked. "A right bastard like me should look the part, you mean?"

"No," Hermione said, shaking her head as the flush on her cheeks grew deeper. "I just don't think I've ever been attracted to pretty boys."

Snape stared at her, and Hermione continued to blush. After a few moments, he cleared his throat and looked away. "Come along, Miss Granger. Let's find Dumbledore."

-

The pair walked through the hallways of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry doing their very best to look as though they belonged there. Hermione thought it was extremely lucky that they had left the Room of Requirement while students were still in class. She glanced at her watch as they walked along and saw that they still had a full half hour before any students would appear in the hallway.

She knew, however, that even though they were unlikely to be seen by any students, this did not prevent them by being seen by a member or the staff. Nor, she realized as they passed through the corridors, would they go unseen by the gossiping portraits that began to whisper and chatter as she and Snape walked by.

Eventually they came to the gargoyle that guarded the stairway to the headmaster's office, and Hermione suddenly realized that they had a very serious problem.

"We don't have the password!" she exclaimed, her despair quite obvious in her whine.

Snape frowned and looked down at her. "It is April, is it not?"

"Yes," Hermione replied.

"In an even numbered year?"

"Right," she said, nodding.

"Then the password," Snape began, "is Cockroach Cluster."

And immediately following this pronouncement, the gargoyle statue shifted, moving aside to reveal the passageway. Hermione turned her head and gaped at her former professor.

Snape sighed and rolled his eyes. "No time for gawking, Granger. We have business to attend. Up the stairs."

Hermione stared at him. "How on earth did you do that?"

Snape frowned, but stepped past her to climb up the stairs. "You think there's no system to the old man's passwords?"

Hermione followed him quickly up the first steps, and the gargoyle slid back into place behind her. "Well, I'd never really considered it, no. I mean, isn't safer to pick the passwords at random?"

"Yes," Snape said, "but it would be a serious pain in the arse for any member of the staff who needs to see the headmaster to remember a randomly chosen password each month."

"Ah," said Hermione, "true."

They quickly came to the entryway of the headmaster's office. Without discussing what they would say or do next, Snape lifted his hand and knocked on the door quickly and perfunctorily.

"Enter!" a voice sounded from inside.

Hermione took a deep breath as Snape placed his hand on the handle and pulled the door open. She watched as he took a step inside, and she followed him in, closing the door behind her with a resounding snap.

Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk and reading a book when they entered. The office was quiet save for the whirring and humming noises of the different gizmos and gadgets that adorned his shelves. The portraits of the previous headmasters watched Snape and Hermione silently as they walked into the room; Fawkes was sleeping quietly.

The headmaster finally looked up at them when they stood before his desk. Hermione noted that he did look quite different from the Dumbledore they had left behind. His hair and beard were still their youthful shade of auburn, shot through with a few strands of gray. His eyes were as sharp as they were in the future, blue and twinkling still. "Hello," he said, grinning at them cheerily, "may I help you?"

Hermione frowned. She had no idea where to begin and was quite grateful when Snape spoke.

"Headmaster," he said, reaching forward to offer his hand. Hermione watched as the pair shook hands. When they'd finished, Snape continued. "My name, though you may not believe it, is Severus Snape. This woman here is Hermione Granger. We are visitors from the future."

Dumbledore eyed them silently for a few moments. Hermione felt his gaze was quite appraising, and noted that it lingered for a great deal of time on Snape's face. Eventually, he cleared his throat and gave them a small smile. "You are right," he said, "I do not believe you. However, I imagine that if you have truly come from the future, you have brought along some sort of proof to show me?"

"Oh yes!" Hermione said, suddenly remembering the items in her bag. "We have, sir!"

She quickly took off her bag, setting in on the floor before her, and began rummaging through it. She withdrew the paperweight and the two letters of recommendation. She placed them on his desk and offered him a tiny smile. "You said, well, your future self said that you'd recognize this paperweight as something that exclusively belongs to the headmasters and mistresses of the school. Those are letters of recommendation and introduction that you composed for us in case the worst should happen."

"The worst?" Dumbledore asked as he inspected the paperweight.

"Yes, sir," Hermione said. "You see, we came here using a potion. There is a return potion that we could use to go back, but apparently I must have mucked it up when I was brewing it because when we drank it, nothing happened. So, you see, sir, we need your help."

The headmaster glanced up at her quickly. "I see," he said and then began to open the letters of recommendation.

Hermione and Snape watched him silently as he read through the letters, and Hermione felt quite relieved when he chuckled at various intervals. After a few moments, he looked back up at the pair and smiled. "Beautification Potion, I suppose, Severus?"

"Yes, sir," Snape replied, nodding.

Dumbledore chuckled again. "Well, I certainly do become more eloquent with age." He sighed and settled back into his chair, clasping his hands before him. "There are currently no vacancies on the staff, but I do imagine some professors could do with an assistant."

Hermione could not help but to sigh with relief. "Oh, thank you, sir," she said. "Thank you so much."

He chuckled gently once more and lifted a hand to silence her. "Think nothing of it, Miss Granger. You two must be cared for, and it is best that you make yourselves useful during your stay here," he said. "Now, I suppose you'll want the Potions position, Severus?"

"Er," Hermione interjected before Snape could reply as an idea struck her, "Could I maybe have it, Headmaster?"

She did not miss the glower Snape immediately sent in her direction, but she focused, instead, on Dumbledore's look of curiosity. "It's just that," she continued, "well, one of us certainly needs to be in Potions in order to have access the laboratories and ingredients and such, but I was under the impression that Professor Snape had always had a strong desire to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts. So, maybe this would be a good opportunity for him to do it." She paused, a blush coloring her cheeks as she felt Snape continue to gaze at her. "Recognize a dream, maybe."

Dumbledore expression was positively joyous. "What a magnificent suggestion, Miss Granger! Surely you have no objections, Severus?"

Hermione turned her head so that she could look at Snape. He was still watching her intently, but she noted that he no longer looked angry. In fact, he looked a bit curious and maybe even slightly confused.

"No," he said as he cleared his throat and directed his attention to the headmaster, "None at all."

"Well!" Dumbledore said. "That is fantastic! I will speak with the professors today. And, I will have the elves make up the spare rooms in the dungeons for you. The ones near Slytherin house."

Snape smirked at this. "In the future," he said, "those are my quarters."

"Really?" Dumbledore said, grinning. "Well, isn't that something! I imagine you and your wife will be very comfortable there."

Hermione's eyes widened as her cheeks flushed. She tried to quickly explain to Dumbledore that she was certainly not Snape's wife, but all she could do was open and close her mouth soundlessly.

Snape cleared his throat. "We aren't, erm, we aren't married, sir. Just professionals working together on a project."

"Ah," Dumbledore said, "I stand corrected." Hermione thought the twinkle in his eyes that accompanied his words disconcerting though.

"Well," he continued, "in that case, I will have the House Elves make up an extra bed in the rooms. However," he said, looking up at both of them, "perhaps it would be wise for the two you to introduce yourselves as husband and wife. It would make a good pretense, a couple interested in teaching at Hogwarts someday who decided upon coming here to give it a try."

Hermione frowned. She wasn't at all interested in pretending to be Snape's wife, but the story was at least somewhat plausible. "We'll need new names," she said.

"Yes, you will," Dumbledore agreed. "And you will need to work out the particulars of your history together. But I will leave those decisions and work to you. I suggest, however, that you try to fabricate something bland and forgettable." He stood up from his desk and glanced at his clock. "The students will have just gone to lunch. Would you like me to show you to your rooms while the halls are empty?"

"Yes, please," Hermione said as Snape nodded in agreement.

Dumbledore smiled at them both as he came around his desk. He took one of Hermione's hands in his own before doing the same with Snape's. "Remember, children," he said, "that while this may be a fairly stressful experience, one can always find a way to make it positive if he or she makes an effort to do so."

Hermione certainly did not miss the suggestive glance the headmaster cast her way before winking at Snape.

-
Note: Thanks for reading and many thanks to those of you who have reviewed! The movie Hermione's time travel experience reminds her of is Bedknobs and Broomsticks Which, if you haven't seen it, is a fabulous movie (and one of my all time favorites). Anyway, thanks again for reading! Next chapter or so should be posted this weekend!