Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. I'm just playing with her world.

Chapter 1 - Prologue

You know the old saying "Elephants never forget"? Well, whoever made that up obviously had never met Hermione Granger. She was now standing in front of the man close to her father's age thinking about how it had only been 3 months since he had been 18 and the love of her life. It seemed like such a lifetime ago. She was staring into his onyx eyes as he looked down at her making the raven hair frame his face. 'Gods', she thought, 'how did I get myself into this, how did this happen so fast, and how am I going to get him to stay with me?' She silently walked over to him and reached out to touch his hair but he grabbed her hand, shaking his head no. Tears formed in her eyes as she thought how much she loved him and just how relieved she was to see him here.

6th year had ended without president. No You-Know-Who attacks, no lives taken, and no failing grades. The Golden Trio ran from their rooms to the Hogwarts Express, not wanting to be late boarding the train that will finally take them home. They raced into an empty compartment with Harry in the lead, who threw up his arms in victory, next Ron, and then a thrilled Hermione slid on to a seat next to Harry. They soon began talking about their upcoming summer plans.

"Ron what going on with you this summer?" Harry asked still trying to catch his breath but with a pleased look in his eyes for being first in their race.

"Well, my whole family is coming to the Burrow to congratulate Fred and George on their new shop in Hogsmede seeing as how they just had to drop out of school in the most fantastic way possible." Ron took a bit of his chocolate frog and looked for at the card hoping it wasn't "oh bloody... Dumbledore again, I swear that man must have a factory that just makes cards just for him."

"Hey Ron, how did your mum react to the twins dropping out?" Harry asked with a glint in his eyes.

"She flipped. I've never seen her so mad before and that's including the encounters with the rest of the clan. Gods, I just hope I never make her that mad. Fred said that she sent them Howler after Howler for three weeks to their shop. And she wouldn't even let them come home until their job opened and got its profit. But since 'Weasley Wizarding Wheezes' is doing so well she is welcoming them back with open arms at the party this week. What about you Harry what are you doing this summer besides being miserable at the Dursley's?"

"I'm so excited about going back there!" Ron and Hermione looked as if he had sprouted five extra pairs of heads. "Sirius was cleared of all the charges! They caught Pettigrew. It's all over the papers." Harry held up the Daily Prophet which had the picture of Peter Pettigrew being brought into the Ministry's offices in, and read off what it said. "A still green Aurur by the name of Persiam Deppart caught Peter Pettigrew, who is now being held in Azkaban prison. "I just wanted to make a name for myself in the Ministry so I "snuck" into Voldemort's lair and found Pettigrew sitting there looking extremely rat-like." To this Ms. Deppart laughed at the memory of Pettigrew. In her impromptu raid of the lair she caught seven Death Eaters who are facing trial and Azkaban. After being caught and interrogated, it was found out that Pettigrew killed Lily and James Potter, who was thought to have been killed by Sirius Black. Sirius Black, you remember, had escaped from Azkaban almost four years ago but has not been sited since last summer. The trial is taking place on July 14." All three of them had the biggest smiles on their faces by the time Harry finished.

"I can't believe it Harry, Sirius is free, he's finally free." Hermione was so happy she was almost crying. She lunged at Harry and Ron, hugging them both, with them looking scared to death.

"Wait there's more here on the next page. 'Once they had found Black, Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge gave a very public apology to Black and asked for forgiveness from himself, the Ministry, and the entire wizarding community. Fudge gave Black the award of the Order of the First Merlinand asked for peace and no animosity towards Black.' I can't believe it; I wish I would have seen Fudge's face when he was asking for forgiveness from Sirius!" Harry shouted out in laughter.

"Well, Harry what are you going to do?" Hermione still had tears glistening in her eyes.

"I'm going to live with Sirius and Lupin and Number 12 Grimauld Place. This is the best thing that's ever happened to me, you guys."

After a few long minutes of contented silence, Ron spoke up. "So Hermione what are you going to do this summer, besides study, study, study like a good little student?" Ron said the last part in baby talk just trying to get a rise out of her.

"Shut up, Ronald, just because I like to get good grades doesn't mean I don't know how to have fun." To that to boys tried to hide their laughing but when she glared at them, they couldn't hold the laughter in. They started laughing so hard, that by the time they were through they were crying. Someone from the next compartment over even came by to make sure they were OK.

"Hermione, you know he was just kidding. You may be a nerdy, know-it-all, book worm, but you're OUR nerdy, know-it-all, book worm, and we wouldn't have you any other way." Harry leaned over and pinched one of her cheeks just to make sure he got the point across. This just made Ron laugh even harder.

"Thanks guys. I knew I had friends for some reason."

"But really tell us what you're going to do this summer." Ron said after finally gotten his laughing under control.

"Well, I don't know really. Mum and dad are leaving for a dental convention in Paris next week. The convention is about two weeks, but they thought that since I was so mature for my age they were going to stay an extra two weeks for a kind of second honeymoon. So I basically get to spend a month with myself. I'll probably get my summer homework done and look at universities."

"Hermione, why don't you come and stay for the party at the Burrow and then go over to Harry's but don't stay by yourself for a month, you'll turn into a hermit. But I really can't do anything about you doing the homework yet can I? No, I didn't think so. Come on, please."

"No, it's really OK guys. I like to spend time with just me. And I really want to spend some time working on my tan for next year, seeing as how it is the last year."

Harry and Ron both looked at her in confusion and had their mouths hanging wide open. Harry was the first to speak up. "Wait, Hermione are you actually caring about what you look like above studying? OH NO! The world is coming to an end. Hell is freezing over!" Harry was dramatically fainted while Ron caught him.

The rest of the trip went along smoothly, with Hermione threatening to hex both of them if they didn't shut up and stop making fun of her about her summer plans. The three talked about what they were going to do and what they hoped was going to happen. But when the food cart came around all talking seemed to stop as Harry and Hermione watched in fascination as Ron stuffed his face with all kinds of treats and goodies. Once Hermione fell asleep Ron and Harry started talking about something a bit more serious.

"Ron, I have to tell you something." Harry looked really self-conscious and looked to make sure nobody was coming and that Hermione was really asleep.

"Yeah, what is it mate? You look weird, are you alright?"

"Well, you see I have started to like Hermione more then a friend. I really want to ask her out but I don't know what she's going to say. I mean we've all been friends for six years and I don't want to ruin it but, man, Ron I just think I love her."

Ron looked really shocked as Harry was talking. "Really, she's like our sister."

To this Harry cut him off. "Thanks, Ron that really doesn't add to my confusion at all!"

Ron just picked up where he left off just glaring at Harry. "But you can't help it if you love her. Why don't you ask her out before she goes home and invite her to stay with you and Sirius until her parents get back?"

"Yeah I think I will, thanks Ron." Harry rode through the rest of the train ride trying to think about how he was going to talk to Hermione about it.

"Hey, Hermione wake up, we're almost there you might wanna go change out of your robes." Rom said shaking her awake.

Hermione woke up with a start feeling strong arms shaking her. "Oh, thanks Ron."

"Alright, well, I'm gonna go change so I'll just see you guys in a little bit." Ron was kind of stammering as he said this and quickly walked out of the compartment to go change.

"What's up with Ron?" Hermione asked Harry who was looking just as odd as Ron.

"Um...Hermione can I ask you something?" Harry asked nervousness quavering in his voice.

"Yeah, sure Harry what's up?"

"I was wondering if you wanna come and live with me since your going to be home alone for a month. No, wait it won't be just me. It'll be Sirius and Lupin too, but what I mean is um..."

"Harry just say it." Hermione was getting a little worried because Harry is never at a loss for words.

"Um...Hermionedoyouwannagooutwithme?" Harry said in a very, very rushed voice.

Hermione smiled knowing what he had said even though some other girls might not. "Yeah, Harry I would really like that."

Harry let out the breath he had been holding. "Really?" She nodded her head with a very big smile on her face. "OK yeah, well, that's it Herm, but I'm gonna go change now."

Hermione chuckled a little as she watched his retreating form go out the door.

The trio was taken by parents and relatives saying good-bye to each other for the summer, or for Harry and Hermione case until their first date. When Hermione got home she ran upstairs and wrote in her journal what had happened in the train and how excited she was for this.

The week passed quickly and soon Hermione was saying good-bye to her parents for one month as they left for Paris. When she shut the front door, she squealed a little so happy to be by herself for the next month. She went to the kitchen and pulled out ice-cream and made the biggest sundae she had ever made and sat down in the living room and put in the Pirates of the Caribbean DVD getting ready to watch Orlando Bloom and Mr. Hottie himself Johnny Depp. She laughed to herself when she thought about how she had asked her parents to smuggle him home when they wondered what kind of souvenir she wanted from Paris.

The next morning Hermione woke up pleasantly at noon, waking up much later then she had intended to. She took a leisurely bath, enjoying the fact she didn't have to share the bathroom with three other girls fighting and screaming and scurrying for a chance to get to the mirror and the wonderful lavender smell that omitted from her shampoo and conditioner. She dressed in her most comfortable jeans and a great shirt she had gotten last Boxing Day.

Making her way down the stairs she heard a knock on the door. Opening up, a very distressed but not to mention very cute young man stumbled in, wearily looking at her.

"Can I help you?" Hermione asked trying not to stare and to keep her mouth from gaping like a fish.

"I've been looking for so long. But please, PLEASE tell me that you've heard of Hogwarts!" He frantically told her.

"Yeah!" she said in amazement, "that's where I go to school. But...but who are you?"

He smiled the biggest and most relieved smile she had ever seen, that literally stretched from ear to ear. "My name is Snape...Severus Snape." to that he soundly passed out on her front steps with her standing amazed at this man that could not have been anymore then 18, but that this man was no other then her snarky potions professor.

Hermione would have laughed at the very Bond like introduction but when she looked at him she saw his ragged clothes and his sweat cover face. No. This right here was no laughing matter and he needed to be taken inside as fast as she could. Whipping out her wand she was about to levitate him inside and over to the couch when she saw one of her elderly neighbors passed and realized this is not Hogwarts and that she would get kicked out of Hogwarts for underage magic before he even wakes up. So as shocked and to say the least mortified for thinking Snape was cute, Hermione Granger was always levelheaded. She quickly dragged the boy in and put him on the couch.

Author's Note: Ok so this is my first story so I hope you guys like it.

Thanks to my beta reader and make sure to look for typos, her codename thingy is bloomgirl247. I think and her story is Harry Potter and the Book of Deception, and its harry/hermione not my fav pairing but I'm her beta reader so its my duty to let others know about it.

Oh, and also I bet some of you noticed how I brought Sirius back with no explanation as to how. Well, I'll let you make that part up because it would take a couple chapters to explain that, so just find your own way and enjoy my story!

Thanks for reading BYE!