Disclaimer — J. K. Rowling is the second richest woman in England (actual fact, go check it out) and I am a lowly American college student. Who do you think owns Harry Potter? All I have are my two-bit ideas and odd writing technique. Cheers!

Chapter 3: D-Day

The day of departure finally arrived. Hermione awoke early, filled with excitement. This was the most important year of her life and she couldn't wait to get it started. She also couldn't wait to get to Hogwarts to see the famous Head Girl suite, which she would be living in.

She made her way down to the kitchen for some breakfast and a little last minute reading. Remus greeted her as she walked through the door. Smiling she glanced around to see if anyone else was awake; anyone tall, dark, and handsome with a less than charming personality. Surprised to find no Snape in his usual spot reading the paper she was about to ask Remus where he was, but stopped herself just in time. He must have seen the confusion writing on her face because when she turned back he glanced at Snape's empty chair, than back at her and shrugged.

Hermione shrugged as well and set about finding breakfast.

After nearly two hours of leisurely eating, reading, and chatting with Remus about the upcoming school yeah, Sirius trundled in, his bathrobe dangerously loose and his eyes still mostly closed. Without so much as a word he opened his eyes enough to find Remus at glared.

Remus merely smiled smugly and hid behind his mug of coffee.

"You." Sirius said, glowering at his friend, "Are going to pay."

Hermione looked with amused suspicion from one to the other. Remus attempted a "Who, me?" innocent face and failed miserably. Rolling his eyes he spoke.

"Oh really, it wasn't that bad." Remus said, taking a sip from his coffee and attempting to go back to the newspaper in front of him.

Sirius shot him a look of pure hatred and began gulping down milk straight from the carton. Hermione was brimming with curiosity and nudged Remus with her foot to try and goad an explanation out of him. Sighing he dropped the paper to the table and spoke.

"All I did was set an alarm for him so we might at least have a chance of leaving on time." Remus explained to Hermione.

"An alarm?!" Sirius cried, milk dripping down his scraggly beard. "An alarm would have been fine, even a good idea. No, you, my devious friend set FIFTY alarms!! How deeply d'you s'pose I sleep anyway?!"

"Fifty?" Hermione asked, trying to keep from laughing at the hilarious image.

"YES! FIFTY!!" Sirius wailed.

"Surely it couldn't have been fifty!" Hermione exclaimed, beginning to giggle.

"It was too," Sirius replied, wiping his chin. "I had to get out of bed and turn them off one at a time." He glared at Remus once again with even more spite.

"Remus!" Hermione said, turning to him.

"What?" He answered, trying his best to hide the evil smirk itching to take over his face. Hermione was about to chide him but changed her mind, after all, they were usually running late to get to platform nine and three quarters anyway and it certainly wouldn't kill them to try and be on time for once.

"I certainly hope you set alarms for Ron, Harry, and Draco too, otherwise your waking Sirius will have been completely in vain."

Remus merely smiled slyly and went back to his coffee. Before Hermione could even question him there was a very loud commotion from upstairs and the three could hear Harry, Ron, and Draco all screaming some very loud and nasty obscenities. Hermione looked at Remus and the two dissolved in laughter, as the cries of anguish from over their heads grew steadily louder. Sirius began to laugh with them, supporting himself on the counter and allowing his annoyance at being woken early to fade.

Hermione managed to swallow her laughter to a containable level. Turning to Remus she had to stifle another bout to try and speak.

"How . . ." She choked out between gasping breaths. "Many?!" Gasping and wiping his eyes Remus struggled to answer her, finally managing to choke out two words.

"Fifty . . . Each!" At this, Remus lost all semblance of trying not to laugh and doubled over in his chair clutching his stomach as tears streamed down his cheeks.

Sirius and Hermione were crying and laughing as well when the three very cranky seventeen-year-old boys burst through the kitchen door looking accusingly at the hysterical three.

"What the BLOODY HELL is wrong with you three?" Ron bellowed, turning about the same color as his hair.

"Don't look at me!" Hermione cried, swallowing her laughter and holding her hands over her head in a show of innocence.

The three simultaneously turned their heads to face the now slightly more sober Sirius.

"Oh come on!" He said, rolling his eyes and smiling. "How cruel and conniving to you really think I am?"

With that the three turned on Remus and started to advance, murderous looks upon their faces.

"Thanks Padfoot." Remus grumbled as the three teenagers advanced on him. Before they reached him however Hermione raised her wand and conjured three tall stacks of warm, chocolate chip, buttermilk pancakes, one floating temptingly in front of each boy. Ron's stomach growled loudly and the severely cross expression on his face softened slightly.

Harry and Draco's stomachs fallowed suit and each growled their own hungry rumblings as Hermione floated the illusionary pancakes over to the counter. Once Ron, Harry and Draco had fallowed them over Hermione dismissed the mirage food and revealed in its place an array of pancake ingredients on the counter in front of them. The boys blinked confused and turned quizzical looks to their friend.

"Stop whining and start cooking!" She said simply.

Harry sighed and started measuring flour into a mixing bowl. Draco and Ron glowered at Hermione, but set to work helping Harry wordlessly.

"By the way," Said Harry, breaking eggs into a separate bowl. "Where's Professor tall, dark, and cranky?"

Hermione, Sirius, and Remus all shrugged in unison. Apparently Snape was making himself scarce today. Hermione allowed her mind to wander and wonder what he was up too as the boys continued to work on breakfast.

He was reading a personal favorite, 1984, in the dark, dusty library when she walked in, the bane of his existence: Hermione Granger. Possibly the most intelligent and simultaneously the most annoying student — nay, person he had ever known. She plunked herself down in a reading chair opposite him and he had the use all the will power he possessed to keep himself from grimacing aloud.

Glancing up momentarily he was shocked to find the Gryffindor know-it-all reading the same book! Who knew the girl had taste! He wondered to himself, averting his eyes quickly so as not to be seen watching her. He felt a strange feeling well up in his gut. It danced up and across his face. Amusement, he realized. Dismayed he realized he was smiling slightly at the unfamiliar emotion, and quelled it immediately.

Try as he might he found himself completely unable to concentrate and risked another glance up at the girl across from him. She had rested her head on her hand and leaned into the side of the over stuffed chair, curling her legs underneath her. As he watched, her voluminous, brown hair fell across her face and she swept the mass back over her shoulder, revealing her long, slender neck and pale collarbone.

Severus felt his organs twitch and skitter about as though he were some addle minded youth. Scolding himself fiercely he refocused his attention on the book in front of him. He just couldn't get his brain to focus on the pages however and found his thought and eyes being drawn back to the girl across from him. No, he thought, Not a girl, a young woman now.

And indeed she was. Though her idiot friends didn't seem to notice, their female companion had grown into a real woman since last year. Her hips, while still narrow, had rounded out into a more adult form. Her bust, which he avoided looking at directly, had expanded as well. Her legs had gone from being twiggy and awkward to curvaceous and enticing.

Swallowing hard Severus made a final attempt to squash the perverse thoughts swirling around his mind. You idiot, she's just an annoying little girl! He told himself. However the rest of his anatomy didn't seem to be listening. He grimaced at his own inability to control his mind and body. You're just imaging things; she's not really attractive! You've just been sniffing too many insert potions by first years. It's addled your mind. As if to prove this conclusion to himself, he risked looking up from his book again to further examine Ms. Granger. There she was, to his abject misery, attractive young woman, Hermione Granger. Damn, he though, and went back to his book, sulking.

For another hour he was able to keep his infuriating mind at bay until he heard a strange sound from the chair across from him. Not daring to look up again he tried to identify the noise. It wasn't a snore, he decided. He'd dormed with snorers back during his days at Hogwarts and had grown quite accustomed to the sound. It had sounded almost like a sigh, but somehow different, softer and more involuntary. Trying to decipher the noise was driving him crazy and finally he gave up and raised his head to see if looking at the girl held any answers.

What he found upon looking up was the sleeping form of Ms. Granger. It took him a moment to register what was before him. Again there was the sound, now obvious as the soft mewls of a sleeping girl. Her image captivated him and he found he could not look away. He decided it might be safe to allow his eyes to linger, as she was asleep and couldn't notice.

As he watched he found the feeling rising in his stomach again, this time it was different though. He no longer felt amusement, but something else: Peace. Sitting there, watching her still form breathing slowly and steadily, was bringing him peace, a feeling he had never truly known. So what makes you think that's what you're feeling now? His years of dark cynicism asked sourly. He ignored the inward question and continued to watch her, transfixed. She looked so tranquil; the sight filled his heart with warmth.

Confusion overtook him. He blinked and studied her sleeping form more intently. Surely there was nothing particularly special about her that should allure him so. She was brilliant certainly, but aside from that what was it that captivated him so?

He scowled at himself and decided it best to leave, lest he stare at he all afternoon until she awoke. He rose to leave and was almost out the door when he heard her shift and let out another soft mewl. Turning he found her curled in to a tight ball. She's cold, a more human portion of his brain told him. Without thinking he glided over to a cabinet and retrieved a blanket. Carrying the blanket over to where she lay, asleep and now shivering, he bent and spread the blanket over her, holding his breath so as not to wake her. He tucked the blanket around her so it wouldn't fall off and was about to get up when one of her hands escaped the confines of the blanket and found his, holding it and keeping him from moving. Startled and still not daring to breath or move Severus waited, to see if the girl was awake or still asleep. She didn't move again, save to sigh happily and turn over in the chair, still keeping hold of his hand.

Severus' heart and lungs felt like they were going to explode and he risked one, ragged breath just to keep himself from passing out. The Granger girl remained asleep so Severus decided to free his hand and retreat before his luck changed. He managed to release his hand from hers and made a hasty retreat back to the safety of his room.

There, last one, Severus thought to himself as he drew the last memory of his time spent at Grimmauld Place out of his mind and into his pensive.

Severus had not indulged in a vacation in almost twenty years and had decided to treat himself this summer. When he was first invited to spend the summer months at Grimmauld Place with Sirius, Remus, Potter, Malfoy, Granger, and Weasley, he'd thought it would just be an excuse to do some reading. What he hadn't figured on was that he would develop feelings towards Ms. Granger.

At first he had been repulsed and horrified. He was a teacher and twice her age (even taking into account her semesters using the time turner)! He should know better! But after he'd thought it through he'd decided that it probably wouldn't kill him to loosen up and have a little fun that summer. Besides, it wasn't as though she had the same feelings for him anyway. So he had decided to indulge and allowed himself these strange new feelings and had wound up flirting with Hermione on more than one occasion. He had even danced with her at a club the night before last!

Now, however, summer was over. The train to Hogwarts left in a few hours whisking all of them back to the real world and their real lives. He couldn't live with the memories of his indiscretions this summer, swimming around is head, it would be a distraction and altogether inappropriate to leave them inside his head, so he had chosen to remove them and keep them stored in his pensive.

Straightening up, Severus picked up his pensive and turned to tuck it into his suitcase. As he turned however, he found an unexpected, and altogether unwanted guest standing in his doorway.

"Remus." Severus acknowledged curtly.

"Sev," Remus said with a maddening smile. "We were just wondering when you would be joining us. The train leaves in not too long and I dare say Miss. 'Mione down there would have a fit if any of us kept her away from Hogwarts one second too long." He explained, walking slowing into Severus' room. "Even you." He added, giving Severus a look that made his blood run cold.

Flustered, Severus didn't know how to respond at first. Before he could maintain his composure, his lips betrayed him, "What do you mean even me?"

Remus said nothing, only smiled and turned to leave. Severus thought that perhaps his entire body had disintegrated, he felt so numb and lightheaded.

Turning just as he reached the door Remus added, "I don't need to tell you what will happen if you hurt that girls feelings," given Severus a meaningful stare. "And yes. The answer to the question you're too terrified to ask, is yes." He added before striding off down the hall.

Thoroughly flustered and confused Severus sat down on his bed and cupped his now aching head in his hands.

"This," he spoke aloud to the empty room, "is why I do not take vacations!"

Notes to YOU!

Trissa – Thank you so much! This means a lot to be because that's exactly what I was going for since that's one of the biggest things that bugs me in other fics.

Killer Angel – Oh, thank you so much! That is what I meant. It's fixed now.

iceball19 – You would be correct! It's one of my favorites.

Dragons Quill – NEVER! I would cry too! D':

DanniV and Catysmom – As you wish!

snapehermionelover, notwritten, madamepince89, Elisandra1, and volleygal905 - Thanks!!