2nd May 1998 - Pt. 2

"Her…mione," Severus barely croaked out in a hoarse whisper.

Hermione pulled away from Severus, and found herself undeniably staring back into his black eyes.

For a moment, she thought she was imagining things. Perhaps she had finally snapped? After all she had been through, was Severus' death the thing that had finally broken her mind? Because not ten seconds ago, she was positive that he hadn't survived.

"Her-" He tried again.

She wasn't imagining things, was she?

"Severus?" she said in a whisper.

Hermione felt him try to move.

"How—" he croaked.

She immediately cut him off. "No! Don't move! Don't try to speak Severus!"

"Her-" he tried again, gingerly shifting his weight.

"Stop, please," she begged.

He was alive! Merlin's Beard, he was alive! It worked!

But he still didn't look good. Hermione did as much as she had been able to do, with the antivenin, and patching up his wounds, but he needed more help. He needed a Healer at once.

"I have to get you out of here. I have to get you help," she said, as she reached for her wand.

Severus lifted his hand slowly, and placed it on her cheek. It was ice cold. Hermione turned her head to look at him.

"My… Hermione?" he asked, his voice still gravelly.

A small smile touched her lips.

"Yes, Severus. I had only just returned a little over an hour ago," she said.

He went to say more, but Hermione stopped him again.

"We'll have plenty of time to discuss everything later, Severus. But right now, we need to go," she stressed.

He nodded. "As…you…wish," he'd told her, as he did so many times in the past.

Hermione didn't know how she was going to explain it when she got there, but she knew she had to get him to St. Mungo's immediately. Taking him to the school would have been much too dangerous. Not only was the battle still raging on, but everyone she would have gone to for help still thought Severus was a traitor. She needed time to explain beforehand, and she simply did not have the luxury of time any longer.

"Do you think you can handle a Side-Along Apparation?" She asked.

Severus nodded.

"Alright then. Let's go."

Hermione tried to help him get into a sitting position. He was barely able to sit up straight, and even as she crouched next to him, she was supporting most of his weight. He was certainly much heavier than she remembered, but she was running on pure adrenaline and determination, and was able to somehow manage. She gripped him around the waist as tightly as she could, twisted on the spot, and the next thing she knew, they were both crushed into the inky blackness.

They landed hard on the floor in the lobby of St. Mungos. The witch behind the counter stood at once, at the sight of the two battered and bloody bodies that had just appeared on the floor. Hermione looked up at her, her eyes were wide with panic.

"He needs help!" she shouted.

It seemed the Apparation had taken the little bit of strength Severus seemed to have gained moments before. All she saw were the whites of his eyes, before they closed, and his body went limp.

No! She thought with a sickening clenching feeling in her gut. She turned her attention back to the witch.

"HELP HIM!" She bellowed.

Everything then seemed to happen in a blur. A flurry of Medi Witches and Wizards rushed towards them, and lifted Severus onto a stretcher. She ran behind them as they rushed down the halls, and got him into the nearest room they could find.

Once he was placed on the bed, one of the Healers turned to Hermione.

"What happened?" he asked.

"He-" Hermione huffed, "He was bitten by Voldemort's snake! The same one Arthur Weasley was bitten by."

She watched the Healer's eyes widen.

"Oh no," he said quietly.

"But - but I've given him a potion. An antivenin," she began to explain. "I created it myself. It stopped the bleeding. It should have stopped the poison from spreading."

The Healer nodded at her.

"Let us take it from here, Hermione," he said.

Hermione didn't have the mental capacity at that moment to question how he knew her name.

"You need to leave," he said.

Leave? No. She couldn't leave him. She had to know if he'd be alright!

She didn't move.

The wizard gave her a small smile of understanding.

"Let us do our job, Hermione. I will do everything in my power to save him."

Hermione didn't know why, but for some reason, she trusted him. And as she looked at him, she also felt that his eyes looked somehow familiar, but she couldn't quite place where she had seen him before.

"You can come back tomorrow," he told her, and gently nudged her out the door.

Hermione backed out of the doorway, and took one last look at the Healers as they began working on Severus. There were three of them hovering their wands over Severus, as the two others disrobed him. One of the Healers turned towards the man she was just speaking with, and called for him.

"Healer Bagman, hurry! If we don't work quickly, we'll lose him."

The door closed, and Hermione remained frozen for a moment.

"Otto…?" She whispered to herself.

Hermione didn't know what to do with herself. She still had a few hours to spare, before she needed to get back to Dumbledore's office, when her past self would leave to travel back in time. And it wasn't as if she could have done anything more for Severus now. He was in the Healers' hands.

She supposed she could go to the waiting room, and attempt to get a few hours of sleep. A little rest would have been more than welcomed. It had been a long day for her.

Sunlight poured through the windows, forcing Hermione awake. For a moment, she was discombobulated, thinking that everything that happened had been another one of her nightmares. But, when she looked around, and saw the hospital staff bustling by, and smelled that unmistakable sterile odor that only a hospital had, she knew it had not been.

Hermione looked at her watch. It was nine in the morning. That was it then, the Battle was over. Once again, Harry had won. Which meant, she only had an hour and a half to make it back to Dumbledore's office.

But first, was Severus alright?

Hermione stood from her seat, and stretched. She was awfully sore from all the running, and from sleeping in one of those uncomfortable chairs. She walked to the front desk and was greeted by a friendly blonde witch.

"How can I help you?" she asked with a polite smile.

"Erm… Severus Snape," Hermione began. "Is he…? I mean, did he…?" she trailed off.

The receptionist gave her a more genuine smile.

"He's stable. He's in the Dai Llewellyn Ward for Serious Bites," she said, and pointed down the hall. "Just down there, second door on your left."

"Thank you!" Hermione said, as she turned and hurried down the hall.

When Hermione reached the door of Severus' room, she hesitated, as she looked in. He was no longer in his teaching robes, but in one of the white hospital gowns all the patients were forced to wear. He was asleep, and had bandages wrapped around his neck. Besides the bandages, it reminded her so much of that time he was in the hospital wing, recovering from his broken ribs.

After a tentative step through the door, she walked towards him, and stood next to his bed.

He really hadn't changed much, she found herself thinking. Sure, he had filled out a bit more, from the skinny boy she had known, just hours before. There were faint frown lines that he had, which were not present in his youth, but otherwise, he looked much the same. Granted, it wasn't that Severus was old. He was only in his thirties, still by all accounts a young man. She didn't know why she was expecting such a stark difference.

Hermione longed to reach for his hand, but as she watched his chest rise and fall, and noticed his peaceful expression while he slept, she didn't want to risk waking him. She knew, after what he had endured the last few years, the man needed his rest.

"I'll be back," she said, just barely above a whisper.

Anxiety rushed through her, as she thought of their next encounter. She was pretty sure that it was not going to be the sweet reunion she hoped for.

When Hermione Apparated outside the gates of Hogwarts, she wrapped Harry's Invisibility Cloak around her. She had roughly twenty minutes until Dumbledore's office would be empty, and her past self would begin one of the most taxing, yet amazing experiences of her life. Before she went up there, however, there was someone she needed to speak with first.

As she made her way to the castle, she noticed small groups of Witches and Wizards outside. Some were carrying bodies of those who had fallen during the battle, and others seemed to be searching the wreckage for survivors. Although the battle had been won, she knew it would have been quite some time before most people felt true relief. Now was a time for grieving, unfortunately.

Hermione's legs carried her, almost on instinct, to the Transfiguration corridor. When she reached the door to Professor McGonagall's office, she hesitated. Would she believe Hermione? If Hermione hadn't experienced the last several months herself, she may not have believed it possible either.

If only Professor Dumbledore was still alive. He had known the truth. And if Hermione was sure of anything, it was that McGonagall would have believed him without hesitation.

Then, it hit her.

Professor Dumbledore may have passed on, but obviously his portrait had known what happened. She distinctly remembered the wink he had given Hermione, before she landed back in his office twenty-two years in the past.

Hermione knocked.

"Come in," called McGonagall, sounding more tired than Hermione ever heard her before.

When Hermione entered, Professor McGonagall was sitting at her desk, her normally perfect bun was loose and sitting askew on the top of her head. Looking utterly exhausted, she stopped whatever it seemed she was writing before Hermione interrupted.

After months of sitting in her class, seeing a much younger version of her favorite Professor, it was a slight shock seeing her streaks of grey, and lined face once again. For a moment, she was rendered speechless.

"Miss Granger?" McGonagall said. "Is everything alright?"

There was a hint of worry in her voice.

Hermione realized her expression must have been alarming to the woman, who had just spent hours in battle, so Hermione quickly rearranged her face into a less stunned expression.

"Professor, do you trust me?" Hermione blurted out.

She didn't want to waste any time.

Professor McGonagall's eyebrows raised.

"Well of course, Miss Granger," she said at once. "But what is this all about?"

"Professor, please, I need you to come with me to Professor Dumbledore's office. I can explain there," she told the older woman.

McGonagall's lips went into the thin line Hermione had seen dozens of times.

"Miss Granger, what is going on?" she demanded, sounding much less tired than she did a moment before.

Hermione exhaled audibly.

"Professor, I promise I will explain everything, but I need Professor Dumbledore's help. There are still some things that I don't even understand," she explained, with a hint of desperation in her tone.

"But, Professor Dumbledore is…"

"Dead, yes I know," Hermione finished for her. "But his portrait will do for what I need."

Professor McGonagall locked eyes with Hermione for several seconds, then sighed.

"Very well, Miss Granger," she said, then stood from her chair.

When the two women entered the Headmaster's office, thankfully, it was empty. Her past self was gone.

Professor Dumbledore was awake in his portrait, and he wore a wide smile on his face. Even in a painting, his blue eyes twinkled.

"Ah, Minerva. Yes, clever of Hermione to bring you along," he said in a light conversational tone. "And Hermione," his eyes met Hermione's. "Welcome back, my dear."

As Hermione went to answer, Professor McGonagall spoke first.

"Welcome back?" she asked, stealing a glance at Hermione. "Albus, what is going on?"

Dumbledore looked at Hermione, then back to McGonagall, still smiling.

"Before I answer your question, Minerva, I have one of my own."

McGonagall raised an eyebrow.

"What is it, Albus?" she snapped.

Hermione could tell that Professor McGonagall was rapidly losing her patience. Professor Dumbledore chuckled at her tone.

"Do you remember, my niece? Miss Hermione Devereux?"

Professor McGonagall's eyebrows pulled together. It seemed she was trying to recall something.

"Oh, of course," she said after a few moments. "Brilliant girl, but was only with us for… several…" she stopped and gasped, then her wide eyes landed on Hermione. "Welcome back," she repeated quietly. "Hermione Devereux." She turned back to Dumbledore's portrait. "Albus, you don't mean to say that was Miss Granger?" she asked in disbelief.

Dumbledore laughed lightly.

"Why yes, Minerva, that is precisely what I mean to say," he said.

McGonagall fixed a sharp gaze on Hermione.

"Miss Granger, is this true?" she asked.

Hermione nodded, and pulled the broken Time-Turner from inside her sweatshirt.

"It's true, Professor."

Professor McGonagall raised her hand to her lips. Hermione heard her quiet gasp.

"But why?" she asked, turning back to Dumbledore's portrait.

"Severus, Minerva. Surely you remember how," his eyes flickered toward Hermione, "close the pair of them were in that short amount of time."

McGonagall's eyes narrowed.

"Why on earth would she have gone back in time for Severus?" McGonagall hissed. "After everything that traitorous snake had done!"

Hermione flinched at the words, traitorous snake. This was why she felt the need to explain. She needed everyone to understand what Severus had really done.

"Professor," Hermione said. "He wasn't a traitor."

McGonagall looked as if she could have spat fire.

"Not a traitor?" She raised her voice. "He murdered Albus!"

As Hermione opened her mouth to defend Severus, Professor Dumbledore spoke up.

"Minerva, that is not… entirely true."

Professor McGonagall spun back around to face Dumbledore.

"What are you talking about, Albus? Potter was there. Potter witnessed the entire thing, and told us all what he had done!"

"Minerva, Harry told you all what he was meant to have seen, but was not entirely the truth."

"But-" McGonagall tried to continue.

Professor Dumbledore held up his hand to stop her.

"Please, Minerva. I think you should both sit down. Miss Granger and I will explain everything, if you would be so kind as to allow us," he said, sounding more stern than normal.

For the next half an hour, Professor Dumbledore and Hermione explained Hermione's time in the past. Obviously some of the more personal and intimate moments she had left out, but neither of them shied away from speaking of her relationship with Severus.

They also explained Severus' role in the war, and how he had not betrayed The Order afterall. Hermione described the scene at the Shrieking Shack, and explained how Severus was currently recovering at St. Mungo's. Professor McGonagall was quite overwhelmed by the end of it all.

After they were finished explaining, Hermione looked at Dumbledore.

"Professor?" She asked.

He inclined his head in response.

"What I don't understand is…" she hesitated. "Why? Why did you send me so far back? Why did you make me…" she stopped again. She swallowed. "fall in love with him?"

Professor Dumbledore smiled at her kindly.

"My dear Miss Granger, I certainly did not cause you to fall in love with the boy. I dare say he did that on his own."

Hermione felt her cheeks gain a small amount of heat.

"But I still don't understand why," she said. "Surely I could have gone back several hours, and possibly talked to Severus. Explained what would happen, and perhaps convinced him to go into hiding or… or something."

Dumbledore gave Hermione the kind of smile normally reserved for placating a small child. The patronizing expression angered her deeply.

"My dear Miss Granger, you and I both know Severus wouldn't have listened," he told her.

He was right. She knew he was right. She also hated that he was.

"The moment my death was planned with Severus, and we intended for him to be the true owner of the Elder Wand, I knew," Dumbledore continued. "I knew that Lord Voldemort would eventually discover that I had been the owner of the wand, and with Severus, in his eyes, murdering me, that he would eventually go for Severus.

Once I had realized this, I had also understood the reasoning behind your visit. That the person whom you were sent back to save, must have been Severus. Why else would you have developed such a close relationship whilst you were there?"

Hermione still didn't understand why she was involved.

"But why me, sir? Out of everyone in The Order, everyone in Dumbledore's Army, why me?"

Dumbledore smiled at her.

"Ah, time is a funny thing, is it not?" he mused. "It was you, Hermione, because it already had been you," he said.

Hermione was losing patience. Even after all she experienced, the complexities of time-travel still made her head hurt.

"The only question was, when? When would I send you back?"

That was something Hermione had wondered as well. When did Dumbledore know it would have been the right moment?

"I had worked out a spell," he explained. "A spell that would cause the items you needed to appear, the moment you realized Severus was worth saving. Not before then," Dumbledore explained.

"But what I also don't understand is, why was I sent back so far? Why was I put in the position to develop these feelings for him?" she asked with a hint of desperation in her tone.

"Think about it, Miss Granger. Would you have worked so hard to save him, if you hadn't cared so deeply for him?" he asked her.

Would she have? It was true, she was thinking about the possibility of saving his life, before the Time-Turner appeared to her. She had believed that he did not deserve to die. But would she have fought so hard to save him if she hadn't fallen in love with him? She wasn't entirely sure.

"It wasn't only Severus you saved, Miss Granger. Think about what else you influenced while you were with us in the past. It was you who had shown Severus how to make a perfect Draught of Living Death, which led to Harry obtaining the Felix Felicis. It was you who had inadvertently convinced James Potter not to make he and his friends register their Animagi status with the Ministry. It was you who had a direct influence in Severus switching sides. If it were not for you, we may not have won the war. It was necessary, Miss Granger. Truly I am sorry for any pain caused to you, but I do believe that Severus will come around eventually," he told her.

Hermione wanted to believe him, but she wasn't confident he was correct. Not after the way she and Severus left one another. Not after how much time had passed for him. And how had she influenced Severus' switching sides? From what Harry had told her, he'd done so because of Lily.

"Sir?" she asked.

"Yes, Miss Granger."

"How did I possibly influence Severus' decision? I - I thought it was because of Lily Potter."

Dumbledore smiled down at her.

"That I will leave up to Severus to explain," he said.

Hopefully she would have the chance to get that explanation from him, she thought with a frown.

"Hermione," McGonagall said, taking her by surprise when she used her given name. It wasn't often she did.

"Professor?"

"He shouldn't be alone when he wakes. Someone should be there with him," she said pointedly.

Hermione blinked. She was taken aback. Professor McGonagall was encouraging her to go to Severus?

But she was right. It didn't feel right to have him in that hospital alone. Even if he woke and kicked her out, she still wanted him to know that she was there, if he needed her.

Hermione stood from her seat.

"Professors?" she asked, looking at McGonagall and Dumbledore in turn. "Would you not say anything about all of this yet? I want the chance to tell Harry and Ron, before they hear it from anyone else."

"Of course, Miss Granger," McGonagall promised her.

"You have my word," said Dumbledore.

Hermione then said goodbye to them both, then left the office. She was thankful that Harry and Ron had left not long ago to sleep, because she didn't know how to tell them yet. Especially Ron.

As far as Ron was aware, she and Ron had just shared their first kiss. As far as he was aware, Hermione reciprocated his feelings. And at the time, she did. Or at least she thought she did. Even now she wasn't sure if she truly once had feelings for Ron, or thought she was meant to have feelings for Ron. What she did know was that telling him the entire story was not going to be easy.

Hermione traveled freely through the castle now, no longer needing to hide, since her past self was gone. She nodded hello to the few people that she passed, but did not stop to speak to anyone. She wanted to get to the hospital as soon as she possibly could.

Once she reached the Apparation point outside the school's grounds, she turned on the spot, and with a crack, she was gone.

When Hermione got to Severus' room, he was still asleep. She pulled a chair next to his bed and sat, taking a book out of her beaded bag to read while she waited. She half expected Madam Pomfrey to hurry in and rush her out of there, it felt so familiar.

Every so often she would stop reading, and look over at him. She noticed he gained some color back, from the last time she saw him. His breathing was even while he slept, and he didn't appear to be restless, or wincing in pain. She was hopeful that he would make a full recovery.

Hermione went back to her reading, but her eyes began feeling extraordinarily heavy. She was struggling to keep them open for quite some time, but eventually she lost the battle.

She wasn't sure how long ago she had fallen asleep, but it felt like no time at all before she was woken by the sound of someone clearing their throat.

Her eyes popped open, and she immediately sat up in her chair. Severus was propped up into a sitting position staring down at her. His expression wasn't unfriendly, which was a good sign, but it wasn't the same warm expression she'd become accustomed to for many months now.

Baby steps, she told herself.

"I'm sorry," he said.

His voice, although still deep, lost some of the smoothness it once held. It was hoarse, like a man who had smoked cigarettes for many years.

"The snoring was becoming a bit tiresome," he went on. A small smirk touched his lips.

Hermione gasped.

"I do not snore!" she shouted.

"How could you know? You were asleep," he said.

Was he teasing her? That was a good sign if he was.

Hermione huffed.

"Enough about my non-existent snoring," she snapped. "How are you?"

Severus' eyes ran over Hermione's face, and her hair. She knew she must have looked a mess. She still hadn't changed, washed up, or even ran a comb through her hair in hours. But she didn't care about that right now. There were more important matters.

"Alive," he responded.

"Severus, I-" Hermione went to launch into a giant speech.

She meant to tell him what he meant to her, and how sorry she was for leaving him the way she did. She wanted to tell him that it was okay if he didn't want her in that way any longer, that the only thing that mattered was that he was alive. She wanted to explain everything to him, but she couldn't. He stopped her.

"It is not the right time," he said.

Hermione felt herself deflate.

"But…"

"I promise you, we can discuss everything, but not now. Truthfully, I am not sure I have the strength at the moment, and to be quite frank, you look dead on your feet."

Hermione frowned. He was right. She was knackered. But she wanted to have this conversation more than she needed sleep.

"I remember that look," he told her. The small smirk was back. "You are not going to argue your way into this. Go back to the castle. Get some proper rest. And then we can speak."

Hermione huffed and crossed her arms petulantly. She looked away from him, but she could have sworn she heard him chuckle.

"Fine," she agreed, reluctantly.

When she stood, she stopped for a moment. She wasn't sure what had come over her, but before he could have stopped her, Hermione leaned down and wrapped her arms around him. Severus froze, but after a moment, put one arm around her.

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice growing thick with emotion. "But I'm just so glad you're okay."

Severus patted her back awkwardly, then shifted himself out of her embrace. Hermione tried not to let that sting.

"Erm, right," he said. A touch of red tinted his pale cheeks.

Hermione wiped the tears that slid down her cheeks, and gave him a smile.

"I'll be back tomorrow," she promised. "Then we can talk."

Severus nodded. "As you wish," he said.

Hermione felt a small flip in her stomach when he said that, and began walking towards the door.

"Sleep well, Severus," she told him, before she walked out into the hallway.

"You as well," she heard him say as she left.

Hermione used the cloak again, as she made her way to Gryffindor tower. It felt strange to be back in the common room, she thought as she climbed in through the portrait hole. She'd forgotten how cozy the Gryffindor common room was compared with Ravenclaw's. Unexpectedly, she felt a pang of homesickness for Ravenclaw. A pang that only intensified when she got into her bed when she reached her dormitory, and didn't have Amelia in the bed across from her.

Amelia… she thought. Otto remembered her. He called her by name. Did that mean her Ravenclaw friends eventually figured out who she was? She supposed there was one more person she would be needing to speak with the following day.

ooo

A/N - Hi! I hope that you all enjoyed the chapter, and that you all had a great week! I wanted to thank everyone for the love and kind words on the last chapter, and throughout the story as a whole. I really appreciate all the support that you have shown throughout the years, despite my lengthy waits between chapters. We only have 4 more chapters after this. The next few chapter should answer any questions that had been asked for quite some time now. Especially chapters 39 and 40. :) Next chapter will be up next Saturday! I hope you all have a great weekend, and a great week!