***Chapter Eighteen***

July 1984

This might be the stupidest thing she'd done. She'd decide at the end of the day.

She, Harry, and Everett made their way to a park near the Granger's that she knew her mum and dad took Hermione on nice weekend days. Today was one of those.

The boys weren't surprised or suspicious to be taken somewhere new. Or somewhere muggle. That was nothing new for them. Harry Potter, with his lightning bolt shaped scar (which had faded since the horcrux had been taken care of but was still visible enough), wasn't recognizable here. They didn't shelter him or keep him hidden, but both were careful as to how much exposure others in the wizarding world got to Harry.

It took a while, but eventually her not quite five year old self showed up with her mum. Not long enough the boys were already wanting to go home. Tempting as it was to approach her mum, she remained on a bench. One eye on a book she'd brought with her, the other watching the boys. They were the only three children in the park today, so it didn't take long for the three of them to play together.

Her mum was obviously curious. She couldn't blame her. She would never have seen Harry or Everett before. Harry would stand out with his scar. This wasn't exactly the type of neighborhood where they … fit in. The houses were nice, more for people in the middle of their life than people like Leandra appeared to be, just starting out.

Everett toddled up to her a little while later, obviously tired.

He tugged on his bag. He knew there were snacks in there.

"Are you hungry, Sweetie?" she asked.

He nodded.

"Harry, do you want some grapes?" she called out. Her younger self came with Harry and Leandra sighed. She knew her mum wouldn't find grapes bad, but she also knew it was bad form to just give a child one didn't know food.

She took a deep breath, picking Everett up before she stood. She forced the tears away as she walked across the play area to where her mum was seated. Harry followed suit, which she expected.

"Hello. I was going to give my sons some grapes," she said, gesturing to her bag over her shoulder. "Your daughter seems to want some. Is it okay if she has some? I brought more than enough grapes and raisins for her, too." Deliberately, of course, but she couldn't admit that. Maybe one day, to Harry, she would.

"Are you hungry, Hermione?"

She wished she could answer her. It had been so long since she'd heard her real name. At least said in a regular tone. Severus had whispered it a couple of times when he was asking questions about the past. Her past. The past of the other Severus she knew first.

Her younger self nodded.

"What are your boys' names?"

"Harry," she said, ruffling the top of Harry's head. "He's actually our ward. His parents died in an accident, so my husband and I took him in. And this is Everett," she said, bouncing her son a bit against her hip.

She smiled at her younger self. "It's nice to meet you, Hermione. Come have some snacks with us. I'm sure Harry's not done playing yet. Everett may be, though."

Hermione scrunched her nose a bit as she regarded the toddler her older self was holding. Leandra tilted her head a bit, wondering if she'd ever seen a child her size (or smaller) when she was little. She couldn't remember. Her parents being older, their friends had older children.

The four of them made their way back to the spot Hermione had picked out. She doled out some grapes and raisins for each of them. She still had to keep a bit of an eye on Everett with the raisins. He chewed real well, but sometimes with things as small as a raisin, he forgot he needed to chew.

"How old are you, Hermione?"

"Four, almost five," she said.

She smiled a bit at the distinction. She still had two months to go.

"Harry is going to be four this month."

She saw her younger self regard the boy then. She didn't say anything, though. Even at this age, she was rather awkward. That was the reason she decided to do this. She hoped that giving her a playmate or two on occasion would lead to her being a little less socially inept.

Doubtful, but it was worth a shot.

She wasn't trying to change anything drastically. She wasn't going to immerse herself in her younger self's life. It was just an attempt to make her think she could fit in. That she could play, and not everyone would think she was a freak.

The fact that Harry had a noticeable scar to counter her teeth. Well, she thought it might make them both more secure in who they were. She knew, too, Hermione - she - was raised better than to point at someone who looked different.

Lord knew, Harry wasn't swimming with friends before he got to Hogwarts either. Of course, she and Severus were giving him opportunities he hadn't had living with Lily's sister.

As she thought, the two older children went off to play again while Everett stuck by her side like glue. He was ready for a nap, but she liked seeing Harry play with the younger version of herself.

She walked over to her mother, handing her a piece of paper.

"I don't always answer my phone. My husband and I travel sometimes during the summer for his job, so I'm not always home. If you ever want to meet at the park on a Saturday or Sunday, please let me know."

They had a muggle telephone at their house. Severus thought it was rather crazy, but it had come in handy a few times now.

"Thank you, Mrs…"

"Leandra," she said softly. "Leandra Snape." She offered her mother her hand.

"I'm Jean Granger. She doesn't play too often, but I appreciate your offer."

"I will be sure to bring extra grapes for the next time."

"That's one of the reasons I'm hesitant to let her play with other children. Most parents seem to fill their children with sugar."

Leandra chuckled inwardly. She remembered this vividly. It had frustrated her, made her feel so … different as a child. No one else she went to school with worried about things like sugar. She had to admit, it did influence the snacks she let the boys eat to some degree. She still let them enjoy the occasional cookie or brownie.

She kept her mouth shut on the subject, though. She knew there was no changing her mum's mind on this.

"Well, have a good rest of your day. And good luck in school, Hermione, though I suspect you don't need any luck."

"Thank you."

She watched as her mum walked out of the area with Hermione by her side. The park was a little far to walk, but her mum never minded. Unless it was chilly out.

She walked out of the way with Harry and Everett, finding a spot she could apparate from. She could walk, too, but Everett was beyond ready for a nap and was basically like dead weight right now. So she took advantage of being a witch, hoping that Harry had made a new friend a little sooner than he did originally.

NOTE: Happy Sunday! Hope you had a great weekend. Thank you for reading, and see you Wednesday!