SUMMARY: Hermione looses her two best friends in the war against Voldemort. Because of this, she becomes depressed and flees from the world she loves. To London she goes and chooses to live as a muggle. Six years pass. Hermione slowly begins to forget how to use magic. Will the staff of Hogwarts be able to teach her again before the damage becomes permanent?

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter.

PAIRINGS: Hermione Granger, Severus Snape (eventually); Rated M

A/N: Thank you to cordyangel, bRaTsKi, coldqueen, Kathryn Isabella, bloodwitch88, glassdragon 2, kiwi6498, KellyRoxton, A Lee En, and iloveseverussnape for your reviews.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

"Tonight you will be starting the Poly Juice Potion." said Snape as he gathered up the last of his essays.

This time when Hermione arrived, Snape had not been sleeping. He was in fact wide awake and answered her call before she entered his classroom.

"The Poly Juice Potion?"

"You do at least remember this one, don't you?" asked Snape. Hermione knew exactly what he was referring to. She remembered secretly making this potion in her second year. While Harry and Ron turned into Crabe and Goyle, Hermione mistakenly ended up with fur, four paws, and a tail.

"How could I forget?" she said.

"Well, then, get started." He went back to marking papers.

"May I ask you a question?" She paused when he looked at her. "Why such an advance potion?" Snape rolled his eyes. He was clearly annoyed.

"The Headmaster does not want you just focusing on potions. You need to still refresh your memory on the other subjects, so he asked me to give you an advance potion because they require more time to make. The Poly Juice Potion take a m-"

"A month, I know." said Hermione. Snape scowled at her.

"It takes a month to make. Hence this potion does not require you to be here every night. And in those days you are not here, Professor Dumbledore wishes you to spend time with the other professors and learn those topics as well.

"You will, of course, have to balance your time accordingly. I will expect this potion to be made in exactly one months time. I suspect you will have it ready." He paused. "You didn't seem to have any trouble making it in your second year. It was not...perfect, but you did complete quite nicely. Very impressive for a 12 year old."

Did Snape just compliment me?

"You call transforming into an oversized cat, 'quite nicely'?" Snape sighed.

"I am a Potion's Master. It is my job to make and know my potions. Despite all my years of training, I don't know everything-"

"What's your point?" interrupted Hermione, very boldly. For some unknown reason, Snape admired her sudden burst of courage to cut him off in mind sentence, for the second time. He still spoke in a commanding tone.

"My point is," he paused, "you can't punish yourself for every wrong thing you have done in your life. Everyone is entitled to mistakes, Ms. Granger."

"I know that." she said.

"Apparently you don't." Hermione opened her mouth to speak but decided against it. "The sooner you learn that, the better off you'll be. And," he added, "the faster you will gain your powers back." Hermione gave him a smile. "What?"

"Um, it...its just, you believe in me." Her smile never faded. "Thank you. That means a lot to me." Snape watched her intently and Hermione waited for a Slytherin reply. But she did not receive one.

"Um, your welcome." Your welcome? Why did I say that? "Well," Snape cleared his throat, "you should really begin the, uh, potion."

"Yeah. Sure." said Hermione. She made her way over to the cauldron sitting on one of the desks. As she began to pour in the first ingredient, she heard Snape speak.

"Try not to grow a tail this time."

Cute, Hermione thought, stirring the potion as she smiled.

Tonight when Hermione left Snape's classroom, she was not scheduled to come back for another two days.

"Two days without Snape!" she said as she settled into bed. "Well, not completely without him. I'm sure I'll see him during meal time and possibly in the halls. But other than that, I won't see him." Hermione pulled the covers up to her chin.

I won't see him?

"Am I starting to enjoy Snape's company?" she said unbelieving of her words.

No matter how many time she told herself otherwise, she was beginning to become accustomed to Snape's presence. She had only been at Hogwarts for three days. And oddly enough, Snape had some how managed to occupy apart of each.

The Snape Hermione interacted with now was completely different from the one she knew years ago.

Try not to grow a tail this time.

"How could he say that to me?" she said smiling, while watching the ceiling.

Hermione was beginning to see a whole new side of him. A helpful side; a caring side. And for Snape, those were very unusual qualities for him to possess and it was very usual for him to show them, especially to a Gryfindor.

Hermione sat up in bed.

"No. I can't possibly..." But Hermione was.

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