Time Will Tell
By: Nissa Rainsong
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SUMMARY: Hermione granger is in debt to Severus Snape for many things that he did for her, and he has come to collect a debt, will she just come through to give him the debt, or will she stick around for the long run? Only time will tell.
A/N: I own the unfamiliar characters, J.k. Rowling owns the ones you know, and I own the plot. Well, I might own the plot, this just came into my brain, it might be a challenge, I don't know. I just know that I had an idea so I decided to write it out.
Prologue: A Debt to be collected
Hermione Granger was a bright witch. Yet there were certain things in her past that she couldn't quite process, that she didn't want to fathom. For example, why she met the boy-who-lived on the train in first year, why she became part of the group known as the Golden Trio. Why she fell for one of her Best Friends. Why she lost her little brother because of Death Eaters before her 7th year. Why she was nominated Head Girl. Why she lost her parents a few months before the Final Battle. Why she left the United Kingdom a month before the biggest battle in History. Why she returned a day before the Final Battle just to tell Ron Weasley that he was going to be a father, and that if he made it through the Battle, she would marry him. She questioned her actions every single day. How could the most brilliant Witch fall in love and lose everything? Why was she so scared to stay in Great Britain?
Yet, she had no time to wonder these things anymore. She had been a mother for six years and it had been six years since Ron Weasley was killed in the Final Battle. Six years since Harry Potter vanquished the Dark Lord and then lost his own life when a stray spell sent by a Death Eater killed him afterwards. Hermione had been told to stay in the Castle when this occurred, but she ventured out at the very last in time to kill that Death Eater that had shot the spell toward another Order Member and instead hit the Boy-Who-Won. Thus, leaving her standing in the midst of agony, defeat for the dark, and a somber win for the light. Hermione Granger grabbed her stomach protectively and marched back up to the Castle, just turning around when the Ministry showed up. Once it was all over. Hermione walked into the School and into the arms of Minerva McGonagall. Sobbing. Minerva took Hermione up to a room and let her rest. Severus Snape was proved innocent on the murder of Albus Dumbledore, and was back to teaching Potions.
Hermione sat on a bench outside of her home she shared with her triplets in Godric's Hollow. It was actually the old home of her best friend, Harry Potter, before his parents were killed. Before he had died, Dumbledore had the house rebuilt and suited for Hermione. For, he knew that she would need it in years to come. She had also been given Grimmauld Place by Harry, but she gave the large manor tucked in secret to the Weasley family. Her children's grandparents. She had named her children beautiful names, names she was sure Ron would love. Two girls and a boy. Lillian Grace aka Lily, Ginevra Hope aka Ginny (Ginny had died in the final battle also), and Ronald Bilius Junior. They were the most beautiful children that Hermione had ever seen, and they were nearing their 7th birthday. Minerva was the children's other Grandmother, seeing as how Hermione's parents died. Minerva had taken Hermione in after the battle, and been with her when she gave birth to the triplets.
The triplets were in the front yard playing. Lily was chasing a beautiful butterfly with a net, Ginny was laying in the grass doodling on a pad of paper, and Ron was climbing a tree. Hermione watched them carefully. The world they were growing up in was much safer because of their father's, aunt's, and Uncle's sacrifices. She made sure that they knew this every day of their lives. She made sure that they knew who their father was also. In return, she got the love of her children, and she loved them also. Just then, a crack was heard and two cloaked figures walked up to the sidewalk. Hermione stood from where she was sitting. The figures walked up to her and the first one took their hood off. It was Minerva. Hermione smiled, and gave the woman a hug. The second one took his hood off and Hermione stood face-to-face with Severus Snape. The war had taken a toll on him, and he had scars in places that he didn't show, and then again, he had a scar below his Right Eye from where Rudolphus Lestrange had taken out his knife and swiped at him in the Final Battle. Severus looked much less stressed, and every once in a while he would smile.
"Hermione. Could we talk?" Minerva asked the younger witch politely.
"Of course, Minerva, you know that we can always talk." Hermione looked at her children, "Children, why don't you gather your stuff and come inside to play for a while. After all, not a lot of Sun is Healthy." The children groaned, but complied in the end. Hermione grabbed Ron by the back of the neck and steered him inside. "Ron, you can climb the trees later."
Severus watched this with apure look of amusementon his face.
Minerva turned toward Severus and smiled kindly. "Severus. Come on, nothing will bite you. I promise." He nodded and followed the two women. Curious of the three children and if they would accept him.
"Hermione, we have a proposition. Well, Severus is in a bit of a spot, and he would like to discuss something with you. I will be upstairs contending with the children, why don't you two go out for a drink, I will take the children to Hogwarts, and once you discuss this, you could come by and pick them up." Minerva smiled kindly, then yelled, "Lillian, Ginevra, Ronald!" The three children appeared and smiled when they saw their 'grandmother'. "How would you three like to go out for Ice Cream?" They all smiled and looked at each other. "Grab your traveling cloaks." Hermione smiled kindly as her children ran to the closet and took out their cloaks with their names embroidered on the left side.
"Have fun with Mamaw Minnie." Hermione kissed each child on the cheek and shooed them out the door. "Don't spoil them too much, Minerva."
"I will." Minerva walked out the door and smiled.
Hermione turned to Severus Snape. She had a schoolgirl crush on him back when she was a student at Hogwarts, but it was mainly on his intelligence. She would do anything for him. She was one of the few people who believed him when he said he was innocent, but was the first to see the pensive of Dumbledore asking him to kill him before he left with Harry the last time. Dumbledore had known that he was going to die anyway, and as long as Severus had the Unbreakable vow, if he didn't fulfill it, he would die. And Dumbledore had told Severus that Harry was a smart kid, and he would figure it all out on his own, that Severus was too valuable to lose. So, Severus complied. Hermione took a breath.
"Would you like to stay here, or go out somewhere else?" She asked him this curiously. "Because I haven't been out of the house in ages."
"How does Greece sound? I know a nice restaurant." He replied curtly. "However," he flicked his wrist, "This attire is much more appropriate." She looked down and was now wearing a summer dress, which was white with red flowers on it. Her hair was down and curly on her shoulders, she even was wearing a spot of make-up. He then flicked his wrist again, and was wearing a black pair of jeans, and a black shirt with the first few buttons undone. He actually had a tan, and looked pretty decent on the upper muscles. "Are you done gawking yet? Or can we go?" He asked impatiently.
"We can go." She smiled. He grabbed her by the arm and they apparated to this nice little house on the hill. "where are we?"
"My get-away home, in Greece. Let's go down to the restaurant." He walked out of the front door, and Hermione stood looking around until she realized he had walked out.
"Professor!" She quietly asked. "Why are you being so nice?"
"Call me Severus. As Minerva said, I am in a bit of a spot, and you are the only witch intelligent enough and capable of doing the task I require being done. Plus, you told me that you owed me when I held your hand while you were giving birth to the triplets. And you broke my hand. Hermione, I am here to gather a debt, that is, if you will agree to help me in this little spot. I don't have much time-I will explain more after our first course. If we can get to the restaurant."
"I am quite aware I am in your debt. And I am kind of hungry." She replied, so he held out his arm and she took it, and he escorted her to the nice little Greek restaurant down by the bay.
A/N: I am looking for a beta, so if you would e-mail me at nissa. i would be happy to work with you on msn or if you have yahoo, add me at thanks!