Chapter 8: Severus Snape
11th of September 1999
Now that Hermione had a plan she already felt better. Meeting people was a good idea because if she had really managed to change history, she wanted to know, whom she had managed to save. Fred was alive, as were his uncles, so she guessed she had fulfilled her vow towards George. But had she been able to save more? What about Sirius, or Remus and Tonks? And what about Professor Snape? Especially the professor and his death had been on her mind for months, after the end of the battle. She guessed it was because she had seen him die in this horrible shack that haunted her nightmares for weeks. But it might have also been the man's story and his dedication to his childhood friend and only love Lily which made such a big impression on Hermione, that she simply could not forget the man. And so her former professor was the first one she asked Fabian about and she was delighted to learn, that he was indeed alive.
Fabian willingly agreed to arrange a meeting for her and even offered to accompany her to her professor's house in Cokeworth. To her own surprise, Hermione gladly accepted his offer, as she started to feel more and more comfortable in the twin's presence. It wasn't like having one of her old friends back, more like having some sort of grown-up version of George that was supporting and helping her. But even that wasn't nearly describing it. His brother Gideon mostly confused her. There was something in his eyes that Hermione couldn't place and that made the skin on her back prickle uncomfortably, whenever she was alone in a room with him. It was like there was something that he was not telling her, was hiding from her, but Hermione had no idea what it was. And it was making her uncomfortable. With Fabian that was different. Fabian felt safe and he was fun to have around. And Hermione trusted him to have her back when she visited her grumpy potions professor who would most likely not even remember her.
"Merlin, this place hasn't changed a bit," Fabian grumbled after he had apparated them into a small alley in the middle of Cokeworth. Hermione looked around. The street that lay ahead of them was dirty and littered with broken glass, smoked cigarettes and other stuff, that nobody had cared to clean away. The place looked a mess and for a moment she had problems to imagine, that this was the area where they would find her former potions professor. But Fabian seemed sure that they were in the correct place and even though he didn't look comfortable in the neighbourhood, he straightened his robe and walked ahead. Hermione followed him close behind. Luckily they hadn't to walk very far, as professor Snape's house was just located around the corner. The street was lined with old dirty brick houses that looked poor but mostly populated. Somewhere in the distance, Hermione could make out a large mill with a tall chimney, but as the place didn't seem to be used any longer, the air was at least clean and breathable.
Finally Fabian stopped in front of one of the houses. At first gaze, it looked like all of the houses, but when Hermione looked closer, it was in much better condition than the others. The red bricks were clean as well as the windows and behind the house, Hermione could even see a little well-kept garden that housed several magical flowers. It looked like they were in the right place.
"Alright, let's do this," she said and took a deep breath before ringing the doorbell. For a moment nothing happened but suddenly the door was opened by a blonde woman. At first, Hermione didn't recognize her, but as she looked closer she realized, that she was standing in front of her former muggle-studies professor.
"Professor Burbage?" she asked confusedly and looked at her with wide eyes.
The woman blinked at her. "Yeah, that's me. But who are you?"
Hermione plastered a polite smile on her face. "My name is Hermione Granger, mam. But I was actually looking for professor Snape. Isn't that his house?"
Professor Burbage smiled at her politely. "Ah, I see. Do come in then." With that, she stepped aside and led them into a clean and comfortable looking kitchen. "He's downstairs in his lab, but I'll go and get him for you. Make yourself comfortable on the sofa. He'll be with you in a minute."
Hermione cast Fabian an uncertain look, but her new friend just shrugged and sat himself down on the sofa. After a moment she followed his example and positioned herself at the other end, where she started to nervously bite her lower lip. It didn't take long until professor Burbage returned and as she had promised, she had professor Snape in tow. He studied the two of them with an unreadable expression before he nodded towards her companion.
"Fabian Prewett, it's been a while," he said and grinned at him crookedly. "You've become old."
Instead of being annoyed the man next to her snorted in amusement. "I could say the same about you, Snape. But I see you are doing well. You even got yourself a witch," he waggled his eyebrows.
Snape shook his head in exasperation. "I see you haven't changed a bit, Prewett. But the same can be said about your friend here, quite literally I guess." With that, he turned his head towards her. "Hermione Granger, I can't say that I expected to see you ever again." He looked at her with glowing eyes.
Hermione smiled happily. "Hello, Professor. I'm really glad you remember me." But at that, his expression suddenly turned unreadable. "Professor, hu? Well, Hermione, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I am not teaching at Hogwarts, never have actually."
She blinked at him in confusion. "Oh, I'm sorry, sir. I wasn't aware. Unfortunately, I do have some problems to remember certain things at the moment."
He stared at her expressionlessly. "Is that so? Well, I guess time travel can do this to a person." With that, he sat himself down in the wingchair to her right, while Professor Burbage offered each of them a cup of tea. Hermione accepted with a shy smile.
"The healer said my memory will come back eventually, but as you saw I also have problems distinguishing between my old reality and the things I changed through my interventions, whatever they may have been."
At that, he smiled at her and Hermione almost choked on her tea. Never before had she seen her professor smile.
"First of all, don't call me sir. You call me Severus and this is my lovely wife Charity."
Hermione nodded owlishly at him. Merlin, this was strange. Professor Snape, no Severus, seemed different than the person she had known during her school days and he was even married. He looked much happier and a bit younger, too, which was a good thing she guessed. "Alright Severus," she said and looked at him. "Does that mean the two of us do have some sort of history together?"
The black-haired man gave an amused snort. "Oh definitely. And I'm quite frankly glad to have you back. I can't stand the presence of dim-witted morons, as you very well know and it's been ages since I could discuss brewing techniques with an intellectual equal." She almost choked on her tea again. Could this day get any stranger?
28th of April 1981
Even though the conversation the day before left her emotionally drained, it had done the world for her relationship with her hosts. Where Fabian and Gideon had been careful around her before, they now looked at her with almost something like admiration. It wasn't only that they guessed, that Hermione had saved their lives, but she also provided a way for them to finally end this war. Having Hermione with them meant hope and she knew all too well, how she would have felt if someone like that had stumbled into her life in the middle of the last war.
Hermione was relieved to have them on her side and to finally be permitted to move freely within the house. The place itself didn't feel too much like a wizarding home though, as there were no magical portraits, moving staircases or other architectural wonders similar to the burrow around. But there was a huge library that quickly became her favourite place and a large training room in the basement. And then there was the twin's study, a room full of mysterious little trinkets that she was just waiting to explore if she ever got the permission to do so. Gideon showed her around proudly and almost shyly asked her if she would be interested in training with them later and she happily agreed. Polishing up her duelling skills would definitely be necessary if she planned to go against Voldemort and his death eaters. Merlin, she couldn't believe she was doing that again. Could it even work? What about the prophecy? She wasn't the one destined to vanquish the dark lord after all, nor was it Dumbledore. What if she would simply mess everything up? No, she shouldn't even think about that. Prophecies had only power over people if they really believed in them. And Hermione had never been fond of divination. She would not stray from her course, only because Sybil Trelawney had a spark of epiphany once in her life.
And so she continued to make plans because time was running through her hands like sand. She didn't have time to hesitate or wait. She knew where the Horcruxes were, now she only had to make plans on how to get them. The diadem, the ring and the locket were comparatively easy, the cup and the diary were not. If she wanted to get those two, she would need help. And Hermione knew exactly whom she wanted to ask for help.
"I need to go and see Severus Snape," she said to the twins on the next day during breakfast. "He is a death eater at the moment, but he will regret his decision very soon. In my time he has unrestingly fought for our side and without him, everything would have been lost."
Fabian looked at her with wide eyes. "Then why don't we wait for him to join our side on his own?"
"Because we need him now. And I am not willing to twiddle my thumbs and let people around me die." With that Hermione straightened her back and gulped back the cup of coffee Fabian had provided for her and shuddered. The beverage was much too bitter for her liking. Maybe she should add more sugar tomorrow. "I need your help finding him and accompanying me to him. Even though he is a good man in the future, I don't fancy confronting him alone at the moment. He would mop the floor with me before I could even say hello."
Gideon smiled crookedly at her. "Strength in numbers then, huh?"
Hermione grinned. "Something like that, yeah. And I heard the two of you are quite capable duellists."
At that, the twins puffed their chests proudly. "We have a bit of a reputation, that's true," Fabian said with a grin.
"Would be a pleasure to guard such a lovely young Miss as you," Gideon winked and Hermione couldn't help but blush. But she quickly composed herself again and looked at them with a pleased smile.
"Excellent. Do you have a way to find out where he lives? I'd like to go as soon as possible."
Gideon nodded with a grin. "I know somebody that knows," he said and rose from his chair. "Just let me make a quick floo call. Don't worry, he's trustworthy."
Hermione sighed. "Are you absolutely sure of that? Who is it? I'm sorry, but we absolutely can't make mistakes here."
He nodded understandingly. "His name is Frank Longbottom. He's an excellent Auror and a friend from school. He's in the order, too."
She nodded with a fond smile, as she remembered what Neville told her about his parents. "Alright, call him. And thanks for helping me, for trusting me. It means a lot to me, to not be alone in this."
The two of them grinned back at her and for the first time, Hermione could see the similarity to Fred and George. "We'll be at your side, Hermione, no matter what." And for some unfathomable reason, she knew, that they were telling the truth. They would stay at her side and Hermione realized that she wanted them there to have her back.
30th April 1981
Finding Severus Snape had been more difficult then Hermione had anticipated, but probably the man didn't want to be found and had protected his whereabouts accordingly. And so it took Gideon almost two days until he could present her with the address of her former potions professor. Hermione thanked him enthusiastically and he grinned at her and Hermione thought that he looked a bit like a cat that had brought its owner a big mouse.
They decided to visit Snape on the same evening. Hermione was anxious to put this unpleasant confrontation behind her and time was running. And so Gideon apparated them into a dingy alley in a city called Cokeworth and led them purposefully to a dirty brick building around the corner. Hermione looked at him doubtfully.
"Are you sure it's here?" she asked and wrinkled her nose. She had never imagined that her former professor lived in such a dirty and poor neighbourhood. But then she reminded herself, that he wasn't her professor yet.
"That's the address Frank gave me," he said and shrugged. "What's your plan?"
Hermione smiled crookedly. "We ring the doorbell and see if he's home. I trust you to have my back, should he try to attack me. But don't attack him, if he doesn't raise his wand first. His tongue is sharp, but don't worry, I'm used to being insulted by him."
With that, she turned around and rang the bell. For a long moment, nothing happened, but finally, the door was pulled open and a gruff looking young version of Severus Snape looked at her with narrowed eyes. "I don't buy anything," he sneered, but then his eyes fell on Fabian and Gideon and his eyes became wide. "You're the Prewett twins," he said before his eyes snapped back to her. "What do you want?"
Hermione forced herself to smile at him politely. "My name is Hermione Granger. You don't know me, but I assure you, that we don't want you any harm. In fact, we're here because we wanted to talk to you."
He looked at her with raised brows, but his eyes remained full of distrust. "Talk about what?"
She sighed, but then she raised her chin and searched his eyes with hers. "Lily Evans."
Fabian and Gideon shuffled their feet behind her nervously but Hermione didn't pay them any attention. It must have been the right thing to say, because Snape's eyes widened just a fraction before he stepped aside. "Come in then," he said. "But I warn you if this is some sort of trick…" He didn't finish the sentence, but Hermione knew a threat when she heard one.
"It's not," she assured him and followed him confidently. Snape led them into a big but dirty kitchen and sat them down at a table with four uncomfortable looking wooden chairs. Hermione didn't mind and smiled at him gratefully.
"Thank you for inviting us in," she said and locked her eyes with him. "What I will tell you now is strictly confidential but I know that you are a friend of Lily's, even though you are not on speaking terms at the moment." He opened his mouth and it looked like he wanted to interrupt her, but she silenced him with her finger. "I understand that you have many questions and I assure you that I will answer every single one of them. But first I need to establish, what is going to happen. The information I possess is of the greatest importance for this war and I will not risk it falling into the wrong hands. That's why I brought Fabian and Gideon with me. They have sworn to protect me and I would strongly advise you not to try attacking me or something equally stupid." She looked at him with raised brows and he nodded uncomfortably. "I know you are a Death Eater Severus Snape, but I also know that you are a good man that has made a great mistake. That is why I decided to have this little chat with you. Now, this is what's going to happen: I am going to invite you to use Legilimency on me because some information I want to give to you needs to stay between the two of us. You have already learned how to do it, or am I mistaken?"
He looked at her with a gasp. "How do you…?"
But she interrupted him again. "Have you or have you not learned to do it?" she asked sternly. "Because I don't fancy my mind being shredded by an amateur."
He looked at her and Hermione saw the corner of his mouth twitching. "I can do it, don't worry," he promised and Hermione relaxed.
"Excellent. Then I'll let you into my mind and I want you to view all the memories I have concerning you and Lily Evans. After you are finished I will ask you for an unbreakable vow to keep our secrets and to join us. If you are not willing to do this, I'll obliviate you and leave you in peace."
He looked at her with an analysing gaze. "Now I see why you brought yourself backup, Miss Granger. And I have to admit, you have sparked my curiosity."
She smiled at him. "That's what I was hoping for. Does that mean you'll do it?"
Severus Snape nodded. "I'll do it. I am clueless about why you would invite a complete stranger into your mind, but it's your decision. I can't promise you not having a headache afterwards though."
But Hermione just grinned at him cheekily. "Are you or are you not a potions prodigy? I'm sure you'll be able to supply me with something afterwards."
He smiled at her crookedly. "Fair point. Well, let's get this over with then, shall we?"
A.N.: Well, what do you think? I hope you are not bothered by my English too much, I am still no native speaker, even though I am reading and writing a lot in this language. The plot is slowly picking up speed now and it will be a bit of a bumpy ride for Hermione. I am currently working on chapter 13 and there is no end in sight. I hope you are in for a long story. ^^