Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Author's Note: Thank you for the positive reviews! I was worried that I would be needing to hide under my desk because of what I did to Lily. If you want something similar, please check out my other story called "After Life". It's a crossover fic.

This fanfiction was inspired by the following stories:

1) The Boy From the Eastside by turnintoPaige394

2) In the World Where Things Went Right by TheTitaniumSerpent

3) A Riddle of All Problems by foxe165

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Chapter 2

September 19, 1976

Hermione disentangled her hand from Severus's once they were outside the Great Hall and stopped walking. Severus did the same and gave her a concerned look.

She took a good look at the wizard in front of her. He was so tall and lean, with black hair just reaching above his shoulders. His eyes were obsidian and he had a hooked nose. His teeth were white but crooked. He was almost the same Severus Snape she knew, the professor. The only difference was the attire. Professor Snape preferred everything black: button-down top, dress trousers, teaching robes, and shoes. The boy in front of her was wearing a crisp new Slytherin uniform. His hair was rather oily and Hermione gathered it was because of brewing most of the time. He wasn't as handsome as James Potter or Sirius Black, but he was brilliant, calm, and reserved.

"What was that about?" she asked rather harshly.

She expected him to wear an unreadable expression, much like the Severus Snape in her timeline, but instead, his expression softened. "I gathered as much that you don't like Potter. Honestly, I am pleased, but at the same time, curious."

She cocked an eyebrow. "Are you saying that you're doing this - befriending me - because you want to know why I don't like Potter?"

He shrugged. "Sort of. And I find you interesting."

She rolled her eyes and took her bag from him. "I know your history with Potter and his gang," she said nonchalantly and continued walking to the Transfiguration classroom. "And I refuse to be used as a conquest."

"That's not my intention!" he insisted and when she turned to face him, her heart almost clenched. He looked hurt.

"I'm sorry, but that's what it looks like," she said quite frankly.

He sighed. "Then I'll just have to prove you wrong, right?" He stepped closer and took her bag again, then held her hand.

Hermione's heart fluttered and she couldn't help but squeeze his hand lightly. Severus looked surprised but turned to her with a pleased smile.

Her uncle's words echoed in her mind: "Severus was often misunderstood. Perhaps, that's why he was lonely most of his life. Perhaps, my dear, all he needs this time is a true friend."

Maybe, just maybe, she thought, the future Professor Snape would be friendly, approachable, and kinder because of a new friend.

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As she was sitting between Alice Fawley and Remus Lupin in Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration class, she saw the teacher Transfigured herself to a wooden desk. Two wizards in front of her turned to each other and exchanged knowing looks. Seeing one of the two wizards - the one with messy, jet-black hair, Hermione felt a pang of sadness, being reminded of one of her best friends. When she looked to her left, she remembered Neville. When she turned to her right, she remembered her third year, the year the boy sitting beside her became the best D.A.D.A. professor they ever had. And so, her thoughts drifted to the year 1993.

She grabbed her charmed diary and started to write using the Muggle pen tied to it.

September 1993

We were third years, On one of our Divination classes with Professor Trelawney, she predicted that someone from our year was going to die by the end of the school year, and she was looking at Harry when she said that - simply because he had 'the grim' in his cup. Ronald made the professor happy and Harry gloomy by mentioning that his Uncle Bilius saw a grim and died the day after.

Harry was worried for he knew that an escaped Azkaban prisoner was after him. He was bothered by the thought of dying. We actually all were. After Divination, we went to Transfiguration. Professor McGonagall transfigured the teacher's desk to a pig, but no one applauded when she - "

"Miss Dumbledore," came a stern voice.

Hermione dropped her pen and looked up, only to see the whole class looking at her. Professor McGonagall gave her a stern look, the one she used to give Harry and Ron in her time. It seemed to her that nothing changed - or would change in many years. She was still strict, rarely smiled and give compliments, but respected (not feared). All the same, except that she was younger now; much younger, to be honest.

"Yes, Professor?" she asked gently.

"Are you with us, Miss Dumbledore? I've called you thrice and clearly, your thoughts are somewhere." She walked towards the row she was sitting in and spotted the diary on her desk. "Can you please enlighten me, Miss Dumbledore, why you are busy with your diary while in my class?"

Hermione bit her lip. "I apologize, Professor. I was just remembering a happy memory," she started and the professor gave her a disappointed look, so she came up with a lie. " A happy memory, strong enough to produce a Patronus, Professor."

Professor McGonagall gave her a questioning look while her classmates gasped. "Someone asked me earlier to teach her the charm, Professor," she elaborated. "I'm sorry."

"Do you mean to say, Miss Dumbledore, that you can cast a Patronus? A corporeal Patronus?" she challenged.

Hermione met the professor's eyes and nodded. "Yes, Professor," she replied rather quietly.

Professor McGonagall's eyebrows rose. Prove it, Miss Dumbledore, and I won't take points from you for being absentminded in my class," she commanded.

Hermione inhaled deeply and fished her wand from the holster in her forearm. She closed her eyes and thought of the happiest memory; the one that included him.

She opened her eyes with a smile and raised her wand. "Expecto Patronum!"

A silver smoke appeared from the tip of her wand and it grew, taking the form of an otter. Her classmates gasped and laughed with amusement at the sight of the otter on the ground, chasing its tail. Hermione subconsciously touched the pendant of her necklace.

"I can see that you're wearing your Patronus, Miss Dumbledore," said Professor McGonagall, a smile ghosting on her lips. Hermione knew that her professor was amused as well.

"Brilliant, Hermione!" whispered Remus.

"My best friend who taught me had a very good teacher," she told him with a friendly smile.

Professor McGonagall instructed them to transfigure themselves into chairs and to work in pairs.

She turned to Alice, but Severus was quick to his feet. "Partners?" he asked hopefully, his obsidian eyes never leaving hers.

Alice looked surprised but went to sit with Remus. Hermione gave Severus a nod and then they started working.

"That was something," he said after they've practiced Human Transfiguration. They were now waiting for Professor McGonagall to check on them.

She smiled. "Thanks. Your Human Transfiguration is amazing, too."

Severus shook his head. "I mean, your Patronus. Fantastic. Potter couldn't stop looking at you with amazement," he added.

She scrunched her nose again. "Is that why you're here? Because of him?"

"No. I told you, I find you interesting."

She snorted. "Since when?"

"Since the first day of our Potions class. No one could beat me at Potions, you know. Until you arrived."

She shook her head. "You're still the best at Potions in our year," she replied dismissively.

"See, that's why I'm intrigued. You're brilliant... good at everything without even trying, but still so modest."

She cocked an eyebrow when she met his eyes again. "Well, thank you. I never thought someone like you, a Slytherin, would compliment someone like me: a half-blood Gryffindor."

"You're not like the other Gryffindors," replied Severus. "The hat should've put you in Ravenclaw. But I bet, it placed you in Gryffindor because of your blood."

"What do you mean when you said I'm not like the other Gryffindors?" she asked curiously. Professor Snape in her time would never say that. He would never, ever, compliment her.

"You're not a dunderhead," he smirked.

She raised an eyebrow. "Well, I've heard that Miss Evans is also brilliant at Potions."

"You don't pay much attention to others, do you?" was all he said when they spotted Professor McGonagall approaching them.

They Transfigured each other and let the professor inspect their work. For the second time that day, she gave her an impressed look. "Full marks, Miss Dumbledore and Mr. Snape."

She and Severus exchanged smiles. When the bell rang, Alice quickly went to her side. "Lily had been sending angry looks at you. She's jealous because James and Snape clearly like you. She doesn't like being ignored. Plus, she used to be the best Gryffindor student."

She stared at Alice in disbelief. "But she's beautiful and a well-rounded student."

"Yes. But she's an attention-seeker, too," whispered Alice sadly. "Honestly, Hermione, pay attention around you."

She frowned. "Severus told me the same."

"Well, start observing people, yeah?" Alice squeezed her hand.

After Transfiguration, she had a vacant period while most of her classmates had Divination. So after she and Alice parted ways, she decided to go by the lake to spend some time alone after getting Crookshanks and her photo album from her dormitory. There, she reminisced the past she and Ginny were forced to leave behind.