A/N: I don't own Harry Potter

This is for the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Sci fi September They had never wanted to go into space. But at the same time, they had always known they would die there, somewhere among the cold and unfamiliar stars.

Word Count: 800

The charts were useless. Hermione had tried time and time again to get them to work. Every time she was certain she'd had a breakthrough, things changed. The stars were constantly moving, constantly shifting.

She had never wanted to go into space, never wanted this kind of life. Her life had never been in her hands. From the moment she'd been born, her name had been in the books for exploration. Every family had to sacrifice someone to the heavens. Hermione's family had put her name down. For what reason, she'd never known.

Now, she was on this ship, the last one of her crew remaining. Everyone died in space. Everyone who was selected worked themselves until their death day. It always came sooner than later, here among the stars. She threw the charts against the wall, watching them float away. She was going to die up here. The ship was almost out of fuel, soon she'd just be sitting in a floating death trap, waiting for the end.

"Stupid heritage, stupid sacrifice laws, stupid space, stupid stars!" she screamed, banging a hand against the dash console. She wondered if her family even missed her. She'd been on this ship since the day she's turned eleven. The Gryffindor was the best ship they'd had, the best flying death trap built to date. She bit back tears. She was almost thirty now. She wondered if anyone actually lived to their thirtieth birthday? The dash made a squealing sound. Hermione's hands flew to her ears.

"Hello? Hello, unidentified vessel, do you require assistance?" a calm voice asked. Hermione slowly uncovered her ears and stared at the dash. Another ship? The voice hadn't sounded like a recording. Slowly, almost afraid she pushed the comm button.

"Hello? This is the Gryffindor. Yes, I require assistance," she stated, her voice trembling. She was lost, she was alone, she knew she was slowly dying. Anyone of those things would be considered needing assistance, wouldn't it?

"This is the Slytherin, how many are aboard."

"Just one," Hermione answered, unable to believe there was someone out here, that she wasn't completely alone. Tears streamed down her face as she saw a ship coming into view. It was a silvery color with green emblems.

"Prepare to be boarded," the voice stated. Hermione nodded, she knew the voice couldn't see her, but she quickly ran the controls, opening the ship for her visitor. There was a whoosh as the ships connected, the hull opening to permit admittance. She stood, watching as the door opened to reveal a single man. A man wearing a black body suit with silver and green accents. His hair was also black. It was long, there was a long beard covering his lower face. Hermione could tell he'd been in space a long time just by the way he moved.

"Hello, I'm Captain Severus Snape of the Slytherin."

"Hermione Granger, field leader for the Gryffindor. And sole survivor," she added. Severus looked at her.

"Earth?"

"Yes, that obvious?"

"How long have you been in space, Miss Granger?"

"Nineteen years sir," she answered. He looked older than she, but how was that possible?

"You started your mission at eleven, correct?"

"Yes, I did. My crew... none of them..."

"That's usually how it goes, Miss Granger. They send six at a time, no one ever survives. Then they use the data we collect to send the next batch to their deaths."

"You were part of the program?" she asked, her voice filled with awe. "I'd never heard of a ship called the Slytherin though. I studied everything I could the moment I found out I'd been... chosen."

"Erased from the record books," Severus laughed. "No one wants to talk about the ship that lived, the crew that survived and went AWOL. They don't want others to get ideas."

"Your whole crew survived?"

"Mostly. You required assistance?"

"My ship is almost out of fuel. I'm alone. Everyone is dead, I'm sure I'm going to die. I just... I don't want to die alone, sir."

"Then don't, Miss Granger. I've got room in my crew for another person, come with me."

"Really? Just join you?" she asked, her heart pounding in her chest. The idea of seeing people again, of not being condemned to death among these stars, it was almost more than she could bear.

"Yes, I've always got room for intelligent people."

"Let me grab my things," Hermione said after a moment. Severus nodded, as Hermione grabbed her bag. She hadn't brought much, but still, she didn't want to lose the few things she did own. Once she had everything, she followed Severus to the airlock, off of the Gryffindor and onto the Slytherin, wondering if maybe there was a chance of a life out here after all.