Summary: Lily and Severus grow even closer.

A/N: Thanks for reading!

Chapter 8

Several weeks had gone by, and everything was moving along normally. Classes were going well. The apprenticeships were going well with both students, and Severus and Lily were getting closer and closer.

Hermione watched them laugh together, make eyes at one another, and tonight had been the final straw.

The two had been working on their Skele-gro potion. They'd had a couple of unsuccessful trials and had tweaked the recipe. They'd tested this new brew on three rats. All of them had regrown their bones within half an hour with no pain. They knew healing people would take some longer time, but this was an amazing breakthrough.

Lily turned to Severus and jumped up and down.

"We did it!"

He smirked happily at her. "We did it!" he cried as well.

She threw her arms around him and hugged him furiously. His arms wrapped around her, and he spun her around. Placing her back down on the ground, he looked startled when she leaned up and kissed his cheek. He backed up and gave her a quizzical look. The look she gave him made Hermione want to throw up. Severus' eyes flit to Hermione before moving back to Lily.

"We should talk," he said.

She nodded profusely.

Turning to Hermione, he asked if they could go.

"Put a stasis charm over the potion," she said flatly. "It will be fine to bottle up tomorrow and figure out what you are going to test it on next."

Her heart was in her throat and it was torture even saying that. They had disappeared before she had composed herself. Well, she tried to compose herself. Tears flooded her eyes, and she wiped at them furiously. He was lost to her, and all she wanted to do was escape from this reality that she'd found herself in.

Rising from her seat, she made her way out of the lab. She needed to talk to Dumbledore and needed to do it now. The last she'd heard from him about the Time-Turner had been several weeks before. She hoped this update would be sending her back home immediately, if not sooner.

Rushing up the stairs, she finally found herself at the Gargoyle. Stopping for a second she cast a charm over her face to make any puffiness from her tears disappear.

"Lemon Drop," she said and watched the statue move aside. She bound up the stairs, despite it already moving, and pounded on Dumbledore's door.

"Come in!" Albus cried out.

"Ah, Hermione," he said as he watched her rush in and come up to his desk. "I thought you were going to knock the door down."

"Sorry," she said. "I wanted to know how the Time-Turner development is going?"

"Well, actually. I've made another breakthrough. I think I'll have it ready in a few months."

"A few months? But I've been here three already. By the time I get back, the entire school year will be over."

"Now, Hermione, you know that's not how time travel works. You will probably return to the same instant you disappeared."

Her shoulders sagged. "You're right. I just… This isn't my time, and I'm growing tired of living in the past."

"Why, I thought you were enjoying yourself. You seem to have built a very good relationship with Mr. Snape."

She nodded. "Yes, but that doesn't mean that I don't want to return to my own time."

"I understand. I'm working as quickly as I can. The Arithmancy spells have to be exactly precise to make this work, and there are about 100 of them to test."

Her eyes widened.

"I didn't realize it was so complicated," she told him.

"Neither did I. The Department of Mysteries has been invaluable in this. They had to postulate a jump that far into the future, and that took a good while. Now we are working on these equations. I will do my best to get this done as soon as possible."

"Thank you, Headmaster. I apologize for being so mental. Tonight has been rough."

"Hermione, I want you to know that I am very pleased with the work you are doing here. You are an incredible asset to Hogwarts in any time."

Her mood lifted a bit, and she beamed at him.

"Thank you so much, Headmaster."

He gave her a fatherly look. "I believe I asked you to call me Albus when we are not within earshot of the students."

"Sorry, it's an old habit from when you were my Headmaster, sir… um… Albus."

He grinned widely at her. "See, that wasn't so hard."

Hermione stood. "Thank you again. I'll give you the rest of your evening back."

"Have a lovely rest of yours, Hermione."

"Good night, Albus."

She left and walked slowly back to the dungeons, not in a hurry anymore. There was no running away, she realized. She'd just have to smile and accept that Severus had finally gotten what he'd wanted for all of his life. Why was she so upset? She should be happy for him. All she ever wanted for him was his happiness. Lily would give him that.

In reality, deep down she was happy for him. She was just miserable about herself. In the last few months, she'd fallen in love with him. She had planned to accept his betrothal request when she returned to her time. Now… there would be no betrothal, and he'd probably demand the necklace back the minute she appeared…. If he survived.

Her hands clenched at her side. This whole trip had gone pear-shaped. Nothing was going the way she'd hoped.

She sighed. Hopefully, Severus would survive at least. All she ever wanted was for him to be happy, and if being with Lily Evans brought him that happiness, she would accept that and congratulate him. She didn't have to rejoice about it, but she could feel good for him. As for her… she'd let herself mourn all she needed to in the coming months and return and face him in her time with dignity.

oooOOOooo

She'd avoided him for the next few days, asking Slughorn to cover the lab sessions. She had no desire to see Severus and Lily showing affection for one another, and she needed some time to get her headspace clear so she could go back into that room and not vomit at the sight of them.

When there was a knock at her private quarters, she should have been expecting it, but she was surprised. Few people could access her quarters as they had a glamour on the doorway. She assumed it must be Horace, come to ask her something. Heading over and opening the door, she was surprised to see Severus there.

"Oh, how did you figure out where my door was?"

"Slytherin…" he mumbled.

She laughed at that, her mood lifting slightly. Maybe she could do this.

"Come on in. What can I do for you?"

She settled on the sofa, and he sat on the one across from her.

"Where have you been?" he demanded.

"What do you mean?"

"You haven't been in the lab all week. What's going on?"

She bit her lip. "I just thought you might benefit from Professor Slughorn's expertise."

"Bollocks, you can't stand him."

"I… what? Why would you say that?"

"I see the way you look at him during class. You think he's a windbag, just like the students do. That's why everyone likes you so much. We can see you know the truth about him. So what's going on?"

She opened her mouth, about to protest that she respected Horace Slughorn, but that would be a lie, and she didn't lie unless it was absolutely necessary. Like when a knife was pointed at her neck and she was screamed at about accessing a vault.

"It's nothing, Severus. I just needed some time off."

"I thought you enjoyed working with Lily and me."

"I do! I just… It's nothing."

Severus moved over to her sofa and sat next to her.

"Did I do something to upset you?"

"Oh, Merlin, why would you think that?"

He shrugged and looked away.

"Severus, you haven't done anything wrong. I've just been going through some things. You know. Missing home and such."

He nodded. "When will you return?"

She opened her mouth, then closed it. Looking at Severus right then, she wanted to return immediately or run as far away from him as possible.

"Not for several months. The Time-Turner is much more involved than I imagined."

He smiled at that.

"How are things going with Lily?"

"Fine. It's nice to have her as a friend again."

"Well, she's more than a friend now, right?" she said with a nervous laugh.

His eyebrows knit together.

"What do you mean?"

"I see the way she looks at you, Severus. And that kiss in the lab the other day. You guys got together when you went to talk it out, right?"

"Merlin, no! Why would I do that?"

She looked at him curiously. "You love her."

"No, I don't!"

"Yes, you do, Severus Snape," she said haughtily. "You've always loved her. Why wouldn't you jump at the chance to date her? Your dream came true!"

"That was my dream, you're right. But it isn't anymore. I told her that I just wanted her friendship. I reminded her that she is happy with James."

"I beg your pardon?"

He shrugged. "I just reminded her that they were serious, and whatever it was she was feeling for me must be because things have been a bit rocky with him lately. She'd told me they had been fighting off and on for a while."

"But you love her," she said in a small voice.

"No, Hermione, I don't. I haven't for a long time. Since you came here, really."

"I…"

"I thought you knew."

"Knew what?"

"That I am in love with you. I thought I was being obvious."

"Obvious? How on earth have you been obvious?"

"We spend almost all our time together. If that doesn't say something about my feelings, I don't know what does!"

She looked away and mumbled. "You do spend a lot of time with me…" Her eyebrows knit together and she looked back at him. "You love me? How can that be?"

"I told you I was intrigued by my older self's proposal. Have you forgotten that conversation?"

"No, of course not. I just thought that you had decided against it."

"But we have been getting closer every day. I enjoy being with you. I… I love you."

She caught her breath. "I thought… She's so beautiful, and you've loved her all your life. I just thought…"

She put her face in her hands, trying to hold back the tears.

"Is this why you disappeared this week?"

She nodded, her head still buried.

"I thought you were with her, and my heart was broken," she cried. "I knew that I'd fallen in love with you but had lost you to your eternal love."

Severus tentatively reached out and clasped her wrist, drawing her hand down from her face. He reached over and did the same with her other hand. He reached out and wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"Hermione… you are my eternal love. Lily was my first love, but my love for you is so much more intense. I can't imagine being without you."

She gave him a little half-laugh and then smiled at him. "I can't believe this."

"I understand now," Severus murmured.

"Understand what?"

"What my older self saw in you."

"Please share. I'd love to know myself."

He smirked at her. Reaching out, he stroked her cheek.

"Well, there's the obvious. You're beautiful and brainy. Determined. Hard-working. All lovely qualities really. But the thing I love most about you is your empathy and caring. You stick by your friends no matter what. Friendship and connection mean something to you. You're loyal, and I love that about you."

"And that's what you think your older self saw in me, too?"

"Absolutely. You are amazing, and I'm sure I saw that as I got to know you."

Leaning in toward her, he captured her lips. Hermione gasped as he descended upon her. She returned his affections enthusiastically. Her hand reached up and wove into his hair. They were totally enraptured with one another as they passionately kissed.

Hermione couldn't believe this was happening. She drowned herself in his affection, loving every second of it. They separated, out of breath. Her eyes met his. She couldn't help herself, she went in for another kiss and pulled him to her, wrapping her arms around him. He groaned as she kissed him enthusiastically.

Once again they separated.

"Severus, this is more than I could have hoped for."

"I feel the same. When everything happened with Lily, I felt like it would be impossible to find someone who understood me. Someone who would care for me. But now you're here, and we are together, and I'm floored that you are so wonderful."

She hugged him, bringing him close to her.

"What do we do now?" she asked. "At some point, I will need to return to my present."

He pulled back. "I know. Let's just enjoy this now while we are both in the same time."

She reached up and cupped his cheek. "You'd better make sure you live through all those years, Severus Snape. I will be severely hacked off if I go back to the future and you are not a part of it as a living being."

"I promise I'll do all I can to be there when you get back."

"That sounds lovely."