Chapter One

Severus wondered if the year could have passed any slower. Of course, he usually looked forward to the end of each term and more to the end of the school year, but this time, in particular, it seemed to go slower than in any other year. The exams took longer even if the timing stayed the same, Dumbledore had a longer speech at the feast and the breakfast was served too late. Even the final staff meeting dragged on and on.

He knew it wasn't normal to be this eager to go back to Cokeworth, but he felt that it was innocent enough to wish for a friend. And he didn't know why, but Hermione at all of her nine years of age, felt like a friend. Surely, he wasn't going to spill his life secrets onto her shoulders, not that he could, considering the Statute of Secrecy, but somehow, Severus could feel that she was trustworthy and a very possible friend. One could say it was perhaps silly and very fast, exceptionally rushed, but it was how he felt about the strange situation he found himself in. Something not new for him, but it'd been long forgotten. Of course, there was the chance that she forgot him and that he'd go back to either an empty park or he'd see the pretence of surprise in her eyes. However, he hoped that she would remember, she seemed such a determined kid. He didn't know how long he would stay, but he packed for a few days. It was good to be prepared.

Picking up his suitcase, Severus Snape Apparated back to his childhood home at Spinner's End.

It was pitch dark when he arrived, the street barely lit. The lamppost in front of his house wasn't working, and the last time Severus had seen it working was more than twenty years ago. He'd wanted to run several more potions in his lab in the dungeons before he left for the summer and he'd stayed longer than he'd anticipated. It always somehow happened when he went inside the lab. Potions were truly fascinating. Then again, considering he Apparated outside, perhaps coming back late which meant it was dark was a good thing.

He stood with his suitcase in front of the house, looking over at it. Same look, but aged a little more. Nothing had changed around really, Spinner's End was quiet as usual. He looked around, there was no one. His neighbours were far apart enough not to see him, especially since the light was so dim. Slowly, he reached towards the gate, his hand twisting on the cold metal. As a child, he'd disliked the house and coming back here every summer wasn't something he'd enjoyed, even more so after his fifth year. However, times had changed and now he looked fondly at his old house. It was consolidated with magic, and had a large basement where he had another lab.

In fact, there were two potion laboratories in the house. One in the basement, the main one, and one in the attic, a mini-lab, near his office. His mother had loved books, a passion that she'd passed over to him, and they had collected over the years a beautiful library inside the house. No, the place wasn't bad at all. Not anymore. It was his home away from home.

His thoughts wandered again towards the strange girl he'd met at the playground. Was he really warranted to go back and check on her? He felt like he should, and yet, she was a strange little girl. Perhaps he'd have to meet and talk with Robert and Marie about letting her be on her own for so long.

Severus sighed. Tonight there was no moon, just stars. He could hear the crickets in the grass, he was the only person outside. It was beautiful, but he was tired. He opened the door and stepped inside, locking it behind him. Putting his suitcase on the floor, Severus took out his wand.

"Lumos," he whispered and the darkness was chased away by light.

And as with the outside, the inside was exactly as he remembered from last year. No tint of dust in sight, since Albus had loaned him a Hogwarts elf to clean before his arrival. Severus smiled bitterly. In the past, he'd been the one to clean everything. He went to flick on the light switch, even if the curtains were drawn, maintaining a Lumos was not sustainable.

"Nox."

The light was a bit brighter than the spell and it took his eyes a bit to adjust. However, he basked in the familiarity of the room.

The house wasn't big, but it wasn't exactly small either. It has the basement with the lab, a bedroom, a kitchenette, and a little bathroom—a small apartment on its own. No one had access there but him. Then there was the ground floor where there was a huge living room, a kitchen, and the guest bedroom and bathroom. His mother had loved the living room area and had added a bookcase and a decorative chandelier. At the back, there were the stairs leading up to the first floor which was almost entirely occupied by a library. It also had a bathroom and another office room. The second floor had the master bedroom and his own bedroom with a bathroom, while the attic, his office, and the second potion lab.

However, to everyone looking at it, you'd say the inside was just as old and forgotten as the outside, but that wasn't the case. It was a big house, just for him. And he'd contemplated selling it many times over, but his heart wouldn't let him. It was…. his legacy. If nothing else, the house, the library and labs inside, were what he had, beyond his salary deposited each year in a Gringotts account.

Severus took off his cloak and went towards the kitchen. He'd foregone dinner in his haste to leave faster, considering that he'd already lost so much time inside the dungeons lab. He decided for a quick sandwich, and a cup of tea. He usually didn't eat much at dinner anyways.

The next day towards the evening, Severus went to the playground, feeling nervous for the first time in years. He hadn't been this nervous ever since his first week teaching at Hogwarts, when he'd come to the realisation that with the exception of the first years, he'd be teaching his former fellow students. No, this time, however, it was different. He was going to meet a kid he'd first seen a year ago, based on a silly little promise. And yet, was it really that silly?

He was getting close to the playground, when he heard sounds of kids playing. 'That's peculiar.' He'd never heard this many kids before. However, he soon realised, they weren't playing.

"Look who it is! Weird Bossy Granger!"

Severus quickened his pace. There were five of them, bringing back oh so painful memories, and they were shouting things at a little girl that Severus knew. Hermione was trying to walk past them and he could see she was trying not to let their words affect her.

"Done any more freakish things?"

"Oooh! Everyone run! Windy will break us all! Maybe she'll ruin our ball. She always ruins our fun. Maybe she ought to pay! And this time you cannot hide. No more granny nanny with you!"

"What do you think you're doing? Leave her alone, you insolent brats!"

His inner professor voice had come to surface. If they were to be at Hogwarts he'd have added a detention or two.

They all turned as one upon hearing him, seemingly frozen in fear. 'Good, they should be afraid,' he thought. However, unlike them, Hermione smiled at him. He supposed that she indeed had reasons to smile.

"Get out of here before I take you all to your parents!"

They all ran away as fast as they could and Severus was grateful for once for his bad reputation. Scared the brats away.

"Are you alright?" he asked her, and bent down to pick up the green ball from near his feet. She'd probably dropped it when they'd cornered her.

She nodded at him, and Severus breathed a sigh of relief.

"I am now. Thank you! They seemed to know you. Do you live here? I have never seen you before last year."

Severus frowned.

"You wouldn't; I spend most of the year away."

"Where do you live? Why did they look so scared?"

He sighed and shook his head.

"Merlin, you ask so many questions. I live on Spinner's End. My name is Severus Snape. I am certain your grandparents had warned you about me."

She knew of him, he was sure. He could read it on her face, he could see it in his eyes. She'd heard of him, she'd been warned. Severus' heart skipped a bit at the thought that she might leave as fast as the other kids did. Or that she might make an excuse to not play with him any longer. It was barely a minute, but to him it seemed much longer.

"They did," she eventually said. That was it. She'd leave any moment. And then, she surprised him again with her next words.

"But now you're my friend. You saved me. Those kids are always nasty to me. Thank you for stepping in."

He looked at her intensely, trying to see if she meant her words and she did. For the first time in a long while, he smiled and threw the ball towards her.

"I think you owe me a game," he said.

Hermione grinned at him, before catching the ball and throwing it back. They soon moved towards the playground, or rather inside of it and continued their back and forth game. It was weird, he'd never played like this when he was a kid. He'd never felt comfortable asking other kids to play with him either. And yet, with Hermione everything seemed so natural. He didn't have to fake pretend or force things. He had something to smile about, finally. He had a friend.

"Will you be back tomorrow too?"

Severus blinked at her, smiling again. "Of course. I spend the majority of my summer here. I'll come everyday if you want me to." Where had that come from? Every day? He sounded so clingy.

But it seemed the right thing to say for Hermione beamed at him.

"Amazing!" She clapped her hands, making Severus chuckle.

"Do you think you can push me on the swing again?" she asked, marching towards her, no, their favourite swing.

"Very well." He took the ball from her hands and watched as she gripped the chains. Then he started gently pushing the swing, watching the sunset.

"You know," he said, maintaining the lightness in his voice, "tomorrow we should meet much earlier. This is the second time, you're out alone so close to dark."

"But I am not alone!" She tilted her head on the side, looking straight into his eyes. Severus found that he couldn't look away. "I am with you Severus!"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Do your parents know that? For some reason, I don't think they'd agree for you to hang out with me."

"Why wouldn't they?" she retorted, but Severus could see understanding in her eyes.

"You know why. You're smart enough, I believe. Hope too. I don't like associating myself to dunderheads."

She looked away. "I do know. That's why I haven't told them yet. If they see I am safe with you, and that you'd already been with me several times, they will understand."

He stopped pushing the swing and moved to sit in front of her. Crouching down, he took her hands in his.

"And you may be right, and it is a good plan, using logic against them, but to them, right now, you're out here, playing alone again. It's natural for them to worry that you're staying so late. I know I am not a danger to you, but I could very well have been. That's what your parents worry about. I think you should tell them sooner rather than later. Otherwise, I'll have to tell them myself, understood?"

Severus inwardly winced at his change of voice. He'd been doing so well. Earlier, while playing ball, she'd also started a twenty question discussion and he'd been snarky at best. He'd been downright rude when she'd asked if he had other friends and why did he wear black.

He could see that she was remembering his rudeness too.

"Alright, Sev."

"Don't call me Sev!" He barked, standing up, removing his hands from hers. She was getting too close.

"Alright, Severus. But don't be so snarky!"

He gave her an apologetic smile.

"That's how I am. I'm afraid you'll be disappointed if you expect otherwise."

Severus watched as she jumped off the swing and took the ball from the ground where he'd dropped it earlier.

"I am not expecting anything. Now, come, you've convinced me. Time to go home."

He allowed himself a sigh of relief at her tone. She wasn't upset or hurt by his words.

Later that night, Severus allowed himself to dream. He only hoped that when she finally told her parents they won't ban her from seeing him or keep her away. Robert and Marie had always been rational people, they will see to the logic that he hadn't hurt their daughter and had no intention to, surely?

He could only hope, really. That was all.

It never occurred to him he'd forgotten to register the bully's comments about her freakishness.