Chapter 2: Fear and Loathing

"He's how old?" Hermione shouted in disbelief.

"Twenty Two miss Granger." Dumbledore said calmly.

"Bu.. bu… but how?" She whispered sinking into her chair in shock.

"It's very complicated Miss Granger. But I shall try to relate it to you." Dumbledore sat back in his chair, laced his fingers together and smiled.

"Professor Snape was once a part of a family of purebloods. They were… rather cruel to him, as dark wizards tend to be. They accepted nothing but excellence and gave no praise for it. However, when he failed at anything… he was severely punished. I was still a teacher here when he came to me in confidence. Poured out his heart and soul the poor thing. And I swore it help him. He was only ten at the time, having begun school early due to his father's insistence. It took me a year to plan it all."

"First he was given a Time-Turner, I'm sure you need no explanation with that since you had your own... encounter. In any case no one seemed to notice when he'd gone missing for days at a time, and the teachers were told he was sickly. Not hard to mask, that lie. Three times a week he would go back and go to school with … a much younger me, as I had already gone back and explained it to myself." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Yes it's very complicated.

We reserved a room for it so when he went back and forth he would never see himself and he would never be seen. This went on until his days at Hogwarts Past were finished.

It was of course a year later than when he graduated from here. In the Past he started at eleven and finished at eighteen, while here he was ten to seventeen.

His extra time here during that year was spent keeping up appearances with the Dark Lord… who had seen him in his youth. As such we had to mask Severus' age. What you see is a charm. A projection equal parts what Snape would look like at a grown age and what the perfect pureblood death eater would be."

Hermione just stared blankly as he continued.

"During his years at Hogwarts Past Severus studied potions every waking hour. It was the only way I could mask his presence here. Even then I had no little pull and I got him the Potions Master's position. He wanted the DADA job… but the headmaster then was rather attached to him.. as he was him."

"But how did he do this while he was schooling here as well?" Hermione asked.

"Well as I said it is complicated. You see he was only schooling here for the first year. After that he was … teaching… always Potions for Beginners, never the advanced classes as even though he was disguised he was still young. It gave him a thrill to be in charge when he'd been walked on for so long."

"I… I don't think I CAN understand this, headmaster," Hermione sighed at last.

"Well my dear I'm sure you grasp the concept. He went back in time and then came forward. Did a number on his social life. Not that he made friends easily to begin with. But as you can see a life like this can be taxing on a person. He had no time for women as in one life he was and looked a child and in the next he was a child but looked a man… He has looked at you for quite sometime Miss Granger."

"With disdain and loathing…" Hermione grumbled.

"Can you blame a man for a mask he's worn over half his life time? He looks at you as he should. But I've seen it once or twice. The drop in his guard the loneliness… I just thought he'd be wise enough to contain it."

"So he… he's only 5 years my senior?" Hermione asked tentively.

"Yes, Miss Granger, and as I'm sure you know well within the legal laws regarding underage Wizards. The Minister of Magic is one of the 12 who know this secret. He keeps it all in order… poor man, hard job he's got there." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he laughed. "But now Miss Granger, I must ask you a question. You may become quite embarrassed."

"Go ahead Professor," she replied timidly.

"When Professor Snape kissed you…" and indeed her cheeks did flush red "how did you react?"

Hermione's mouth was suddenly dry and she had to work her tongue until some moisture was in her mouth again. "I was… shocked at first sir… but then it began to feel good… not just in a physical way, you know? And then he just left… And I was angry and… sickened." Dumbledore nodded.

"I see. Well then you have no choice Miss Granger. You must go see him."