As they began to fall backwards through time again Hermione immediately noticed a sharp difference, this time, just as the horrible pain from the last time began to start, it was over, and they re-appeared in the Forrest.
Snape grunted. "That was unpleasant, now get this thing off of me."
Hermione sighed in annoyance and took the chain from around his neck, quickly tucking the time turner back under her robe before he could see it or start asking questions that she didn't want to answer.
"Are you always so unpleasant, Severus?" She snapped.
Snape frowned. "I never asked you to save me Granger, and my name is Professor Snape to you, only friends call me Severus, and you aren't one."
Hermione rolled her eyes, "I'll call you whatever the hell I want SEVY old boy, and what's more, I'll do it whenever I want! I'm not a young student you can bully around anymore, you try that crap with me and I'll put you back on your arse so quick you'll think Voldemort's got you by the short and curlies. Now, if you can't show a little gratitude, or common curtesy to me, then perhaps you can at least make yourself useful and put up some muggle repelling spells whilst I erect the tent again and fix us some breakfast . . . if, you feel up to it that is?" She added snarkily.
Snape glared at her for a moment, he'd never admit just how pathetically weak he felt, especially now, he'd rather fall flat on his face unconscious before ever revelling his lingering weakness, instead he simply grunted and started to move slowly around the clearing with his wand that she'd left in his lap, while she quickly set up their tent and entered without another word.
By the time he'd finished he was sweating profusely, and felt as if he were ready to pass out again, he staggered inside and sunk down at the small kitchen table in barely concealed relief.
Hermione eyed him beadily, she knew full well what even those small spells had cost him, but she was determined to never allow him to get away with his bullying crap on her again. It was a new day, and with it came a new, and far more dangerous, Hermione Granger.
She plonked some bacon and eggs down in front of him before seating herself and starting to eat.
"I know you're tired, after breakfast I'll have a quick shower and go to the hospital, I think I can sneak in and steal some more blood replenishing potion for you, and get you a new robe. I'll also find out exactly when we are. Will you be alright on your own while I'm gone?"
Snape forked some eggs into his mouth and nodded.
"I'll sleep for a bit unless there's something else you want done?" he said drily.
Hermione shook her head and sighed.
"Look Severus, I know this is all a little unexpected, but I'm doing the best I can so can you please try to be at least a little less . . . mean."
Snape inclined his head and regarded her curiously, "I'm not used to expressing my thanks Granger – to anyone." He held up his hand wearily as Hermione went to open her mouth to say something.
"But, this time I will make an exception. Strangely, I find myself grateful to be alive, it's somewhat, unexpected, but I don't suffer fools gladly, and despite saving my life, the more I think about this little quest of yours, the more questions I find myself wondering about, for instance."
"Tonight, Hermione said quickly before he could continue. "Well talk more tonight alright? Right now I need to get going, you need some more blood, and I need to get that robe and check when we are. We'll talk when I get back, in the meantime you need your rest."
She stood and gathered their dishes and took them to the sink where she deftly washed them and left them to drain as he continued to watch her back.
He knew she was hiding something, he could feel it, but what she was hiding was a matter for conjecture, he'd let her rebuff his questions for now, mainly because she was right, he was exhausted and needed to sleep again, but later today he would get some answers, whether she wanted to give them or not.
He'd dedicated the better part of his adult life to protect Lily's son and to helping Dumbledore and the Order of The Pheonix bring down Voldemort, and he'd be damned if he'd allow anyone, or anything, jeopardise that mission, especially not saving someone as useless as Sirius Black!
"Do you want me to help you back to your room?" asked Hermione as she turned around.
"Believe it or not, I am quite capable of walking a dozen yards," Snape snapped, unable to stop himself from a curt retort.
"Fine, then I'm off," said Hermione crisply, before she swept past him and gathered a small bag from a sideboard and simply left him sitting at the table barely able to lift his hand.
He'd fully expected her to insist on helping him, the Hermione Granger he'd once known had been an insufferable know it all, and always seemed to be butting in to people's life – to help! Now that she'd taken him at his word and gone, he wasn't sure he'd actually be able to make it back to the bedroom by himself.
Taking a deep breath, he leveraged himself up and slowly began the seemingly endless trek back to the room. He found that by leaning against the wall and any stick of furniture he could find, he was in less danger of falling. When he finally reached the bed he could barely lift his legs, he simply allowed himself to flop down weakly before slowly dragging one leg at a time onto the bed, unable to even pull back the covers he simply passed out, the sheet that he'd used as a covering now coming loose and sliding half off him.
Stubborn, arrogant, git, thought Hermione as she left the tent. Why did Snape have to be such a mean-spirited wanker? Well, now he can get back to bed by himself if he's going to carry on like a spoilt child!
She disapparated as soon as she was outside of the protective wall and headed straight for the hospital, this time she had a different plan. Once inside she acted as though she were visiting a friend and headed straight for the Llewellyn Ward, once in the corridor leading to the ward, she stepped into a broom closet and waited, when she finally heard someone pass her hiding place she peaked out, a lone nurse, exactly what she wanted. She hurried out of her hiding place gripping her wand in her pocket.
"Excuse me miss?"
As the nurse turned around Hermione struck.
"Obliviate."
The nurses' eyes took on a blank look and a peaceful expression came over her face. Hermione quickly issued her instructions, then she hurried back to her hiding place as the nurse walked away. Ten minutes later the door opened and the same nurse stood in front of her holding a vial of blood replenishing potion.
Hermione swiftly bagged it before saying, "you will continue with your duties completely forgetting you ever saw me or that you ever took the potion, in fact, you will be happy for the rest of the day. Enervate."
The nurses' eyes cleared as she turned away from Hermione, and she totally ignored her presence as she walked back up the corridor smiling to herself - just as instructed.
Hermione kept her head down and left the hospital quickly, one chore down, two to go.
The second was easy, she simply grabbed a paper from a newsagents and stuck it in her bag, the third she thought might be a bit of a problem, because despite her age and her now straight hair, she still looked a lot like the younger version of herself.
She had brought along a bottle of Polyjuice potion, but she knew she would need every last drop of that for her "Sirius" plan, so instead she took another simpler route, she bought a burka and walked straight through The Leaky Cauldron and into Diagon Alley. Although she knew she got a few curious looks from the patrons, no-one really took that much notice, especially considering some of the customers that frequented the bar. Once in Diagon Alley she picked up another robe for Snape, a few books for some light reading, and before she could stop herself, a rather large bag of chocolate frogs.
Once she had everything she needed, she quickly left, nearly running into Hagrid of all people, in The Leaky Cauldron. Keeping her already covered head down she beat a hasty retreat, all the while listening to Hagrid's hasty cries of sorry as she went.
Once clear of the pub she slipped into the nearest alley and disapparated straight back to the relative safety of the forest.
When she walked back into the tent she realized that Snape must have made it back to bed by himself, she grinned thinking, I bet that wasn't easy. She put her bag down and quickly took out her purchases, first off, the paper. Staring at it she was shocked to learn it was only two days before Sirius's death, she didn't know if she'd have enough time to do what was needed. She shoved the paper aside and grabbed Snapes new robe, at least she wouldn't have him whining at her tonight if he had a clean robe to wear. She wandered into his room and stopped dead when she saw him, he was on top of the bed stark naked, his sheet having slipped to the floor, and what was worse, he must have been having a very, VERY, nice dream. Hermione flushed guiltily at seeing this private moment, she immediately started to turn to go outside when his eyes snapped open.
She froze, "I was just bringing in your new robe," she said as she hastily threw it in his direction before heading out the door as fast as she could go.
Still blushing she headed for her bag and started to unpack her books, and chocolate frogs, once that was done she put the blood replenishing potion on the table, because there was no way on gods green earth she was heading back into that room.
She heard Snape walk out into the common area and she beat a hasty retreat into the kitchen to make some lunch.
"Your potion is on the table, I didn't want to risk getting more than one, I figured one missing potion could be just put down to an accident, or a miscounting, and I figured you're not to bad at the moment so one might be enough. If you want a proper wash there's a shower in the other bedroom, along with soap, shampoo, conditioner and toothpaste, there's spare toothbrushes in the cupboard."
She could feel herself prattling on inanely and couldn't seem to help it, that last view of Snape had shaken her, she knew he'd be embarrassed by it, so she was doing her level best to just gloss over the whole thing.
"Thank you," he grit out from somewhere near the table.
She turned around to see him just sitting at the table and grabbing the potion, he was already dressed in his new robe.
"I was just about to make lunch, I'm afraid sandwiches will have to do, I have a fair bit of work to do this afternoon."
She nodded to the paper, "I've cut it far finer than I wanted, I have only tomorrow, and then the next morning until it happens, everything will have to be in place by then."
"From now on Granger, would you mind knocking on my door instead of simply barging in? I would like a little privacy if you don't mind." Said Snape in a soft, angry, voice.
Hermione nodded, still refusing to look at him as she walked briskly to the fridge and took out some ham and tomatoes.
"No problems, sorry for just barging in, I didn't mean to cause any offence." She said in as offbeat voice as she could manage.
"And yet you do, by just being you," sneered Snape in reply.
When his hateful words seeped through her embarrassment, she not only looked red, she saw red, swinging around she glared at him.
"I'm doing the best I can Severus, so leave it and stop being such an enormous bloody wanker! I saved your miserable hide and I've gone out of my way to get you well again, along with feeding and clothing you. So, I walked in at an inopportune time, so the hell what! I've been out all morning getting you medicine and a new god-damned robe, and I was simply bringing it to you so you might be able to get dressed again and feel comfortable, because you've been whining non-stop about me having to cut up your other one . . . WHEN I USED IT AS BANDAGES TO SAVE YOUR MISERABLE LIFE! So, you can cut all your crap right now! You had a hard-on when you were asleep, so the hell what? Get over yourself, because believe it or not, I'm not going to become overcome with lust and jump you, you're safe. I've got a job to do, and I'm going to do it, whether you're here or not."
Snapes face went a blotchy red at Hermione's tirade.
"Very well Granger, you've made your point, but putting personal issues aside, I think it's time I knew your plan, and exactly why you've decided it's time to save Blacks life, and how you intend to do it with-out tarnishing the timeline, at what is a critical juncture in Potters life."
Hermione took a deep breath, "after we've eaten okay."
Shape stared at her angrily, his black eyes staring hard into hers before he grudgingly nodded.
"After we've eaten then."
