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October 31, 1974

"I would be more excited if there was something more substantial than apples for dinner," Hermione told Lily, who was bouncing with glee as they sat out under a tree by the Black Lake with Severus. They had decided to head out there after Charms, seeking some quiet before the Halloween feast inevitably brought all of the students from hyper to intolerable.

"And I guess Ilvermorny had a Halloween feast without candy?" Lily asked. "And it's enchanted candy, anyway. It's not like you'd feel ill after eating it."

"Digestion-wise, no," Severus said from where he sat on the ground beside Hermione. He picked up a stone, flicking it so it skipped across the lake surface at least a dozen times before it sunk. "But what about the headache, the fatigue that will set in tomorrow? You may only have to worry about listening to the proper way to muck a Thestral stall, but some of us have real subjects to study," he teased, the corner of his lips twitching as Lily became indignant.

Hermione giggled quietly, still not sure what to think of this Severus Snape, even over a month since he decided she was worth getting to know. He still didn't talk much when Lily wasn't with them, but that suited Hermione just fine. She didn't know him like she had known Harry or Ron a month into their tentative friendship, but she had found something in Severus that she never had with them: a study companion. Lily had found a balance between them and the girls, and when she wasn't with them, Severus and Hermione retreated to the library. They would spend their time together pouring over books or finishing essays, and while it didn't sound like much, it was perfect for Hermione. He never spoke a word of Quidditch, he never complained that she spent hours in the library, and he never spent the whole time sighing heavily in boredom.

"So don't overindulge!" Lily shrieked, crossing her arms and standing with her hip jutted out.

"But what if you don't have a taste for sweets?" Hermione asked. "That's the problem I have with it. I was never given sweets growing up. Maybe a piece of cake on special occasions."

"Why weren't you given sweets?" Lily asked. "Just too expensive or ...?"

"They're terrible for your teeth," she replied

Severus narrowed his eyes at her, but Lily spoke before he could say anything.

"I suppose there's that. But this is the wizarding world. Surely they have a potion to fix your teeth?" Lily asked, looking pointedly at Hermione's mouth.

Severus drew his legs up slowly, resting his arms on his knees and hid the lower half of his mouth behind them.

"You don't need it, Evans," James' voice cut in.

She groaned, and Severus immediately sat up straighter. It was reflex, really. Hermione had noticed that unless they could be incredibly discreet and had the benefit of the doubt if caught, the Marauders never did anything to Severus in front of Lily. Or her, now that she thought about it. She knew they still got in some shots now and then: there had been times when Severus limped into class when Hermione or Lily hadn't been with him, and there was one night he'd spent in the hospital wing, though he wouldn't say why. Sirius and James had been a bit too peppy that evening for it to be coincidence.

"I was having a lovely afternoon, weren't you?" Hermione asked Severus pointedly.

"How could you be enjoying the afternoon if you're with Snivellus, Kitten?" Sirius asked, coming around from the other side of the tree.

"It's quite simple, really. His company is infinitely more enjoyable than yours."

Severus snorted quietly, rolling his eyes before watching James and Lily.

"No, I will not go to Hogsmeade with you!" Lily huffed, tossing her hair over her shoulder before crossing her arms. "Why would I want to be seen with a toerag like you?"

"Oh, come on," James replied, putting on a charming smile. "You're willing to be seen with Snivellus but not me?"

Severus sneered but said nothing as Lily glared and repeated her previous answer.

"Poor Prongs," Sirius said with an exaggerated sigh and a shake of his head. "Looks like he'll be going solo. But then again, maybe Lily could be persuaded if we were to, say, double?"

"I didn't think Severus was your type," Hermione replied.

Severus whirled around and shot her a nasty glare that rivaled his older self. Sirius seemed to be choking on air, gasping and coughing with the shock while an out-of-sight Pettigrew laughed. Hermione met Severus' gaze and mouthed, 'sorry.' It softened his glare, but only somewhat.

"I think you're mistaken, Kitten," Sirius finally managed to say.

"I can't see how I would be," she replied, standing and grabbing her bag. "I can't possibly imagine why you would think I would ever agree." She shouldered her bag as Severus stood as well, grabbing his bag and Lily's. The last member of their trio stepped away from James with a growl of frustration, stomped past Severus, snatching her bag from his grip along the way. He and Hermione set off after her without a word to the three Gryffindors.

Which made Hermione pause.

"What is it?" Severus asked, glancing over his shoulder but continued following the aggravated redhead.

"Where's Remus?" she asked. "He wasn't—" Hermione stopped as she realized why he was missing. "Never mind."

Severus frowned, looking around to spot the fourth member of the Marauders before calling for Lily and jogging to catch up.

As Hermione slowly moved to meet up with her companions, she wondered if maybe the other boys already knew of Remus' condition. She supposed she would find out during the feast or if they weren't in the common room afterwards.

"Of course I'd like to go with you," Lily was saying, and Hermione stopped a few feet away from them. Her eyebrows shot to her hairline, though she turned her head to hide her surprise. They were still talking, probably discussing the particulars of what Hermione guessed was a Hogsmeade date. Her thoughts drowned out any details that they were discussing.

It had, oddly enough, never occurred to her that Lily may have dated someone else before James Potter. And it had never occurred to her that that person could have been Snape. Severus. Harry was always going on about how Snape looked at him oddly, creepily. Wistfully. Which, well, that was weird, because there was Aurora. So it wasn't as if Snape had hoped for children and had none. And it wasn't as if Harry's paternity could possibly be questioned, not with the way he was the spitting image of ....

"Hermione!" Lily shouted, and Hermione jolted from her thoughts and turned to her companions, who wore matching grins of amusement. "Gee, where did you head off to?"

"Sorry, just got a bit sidetracked thinking...."

"Something from your old school?" Lily offered when Hermione took too long to answer.

"Yeah," Hermione agreed. Without another word, she followed them back to the castle. And if she noticed Severus standing a little taller, well, who was she to say anything?

November 2, 1974

Snow fluttered down around her as she walked the streets of Hogsmeade and window-shopped. Hermione had gone to the village with Lily and Severus, but promptly excused herself so she wouldn't be the third wheel. She'd felt that way sometimes with Harry and Ron, and she certainly wasn't eager to find out what it felt like with an actual couple.

Though that thought did make her wonder if there would have been a day when Harry felt like the third wheel.

She hadn't really had a chance to have a proper crush on Ron. It may not be the way crushes and love work, but after being as distracted by Lockhart as she had been, Hermione had decided that she wouldn't let herself feel that infatuated unless it was convenient. And Ron had been an utter prat last year (nineteen years in the future?), going on about Crookshanks attacking Scabbers. He was a prat the year before as well, with his unwavering resolve that Aurora Snape was the Heir of Slytherin and his subsequent hostility whenever she approached Ginny. Still, on their first Hogsmeade visit, before Malfoy came and ruined it, she had pretended for a moment that it was a date. The idea had been nice at the time. Now, she knew that by the time she returned to 1994, she would have no romantic interest in him.

"Hermione?" She stopped at Remus' questioning voice. "I'm sorry, but I lost the others, and I was wondering if you'd seen them?"

"I avoided Sirius twice already, once by Zonko's and near Spintwitches about five minutes ago. James was with him, sulking."

"Thanks," Remus said. He was about to leave when he stopped, turning back toward her. "Are you ... are you here alone?"

"Yeah," she said, stuffing her hands in her coat pocket.

"And that's ... I mean, I see you around with Lily and Severus, I just thought ...."

"Oh, well, they had a thing, so." She looked at the road, watching the gathering flakes.

"Well, er, we could always spend our day together," he offered.

"And once Sirius and James see you're with me? Thank you Remus, but I'll pass."

"Yes, probably for the best," he agreed sheepishly.

"Remus." She stopped him as he was about to run away. "I know you don't like what they do to Severus or the other students they pick on. Why do you stay with them?"

Remus shifted uncomfortably. "I have reasons."

"I imagine you do. I know what it's like to get friends where you can get them, even if it means lowering your standards."

"You mean with Severus?" he asked, not unkindly.

She narrowed her eyes. "I meant the friends I had before coming here. They weren't exactly rule-abiding, nor were they particularly dedicated to their studies." Remus had the decency to blush as he averted his eyes. A tiny niggling of guilt gnawed at Hermione and she mentally rolled her eyes at her own conscience. "Look, what I was getting at is, well, with an apology, Severus may ... well, I don't know about forgive you, but he might tolerate you. And I'm fairly certain Lily doesn't mind you, and, well, I think you may not be too bad. So if you want to ... not hang around those idiots, we're here. At least two of us are," she added with a bit of a smile, and Remus grinned.

"I'll consider it. Thank you, Hermione. But for now, I think it best I find the id—er, James and Sirius before they cause trouble."

She waved goodbye and watched him disappear in the direction of Spintwitches before turning on her heel. She was just contemplating a more thorough browse of Tomes and Scrolls when she heard familiar laughter behind her. She caught sight of Lily, Marlene, and Alice giggling as they came out of Curl Up and Dye, all clutching bags and turning down the street, probably heading to Madam Puddifoot's .

Hermione frowned, eyes darting about to see if she could find the familiar head of greasy hair.

She didn't.

Maybe the girls were walking Lily to meet Severus for lunch? It wasn't as if she had heard their plans, maybe that had been their arrangement.

In either case, Hermione decided that it might be a good idea to grab a butterbeer and warm up from her stroll before heading to the bookshop.

She tried not to peek into the window as she approached the Three Broomsticks , but her eyes kept flickering to the panes. It was hard to see inside, and what she could see told her absolutely nothing. Once she entered, it felt like nearly half the Hogwarts student body was crammed inside, it was so loud and boisterous.

Hermione maneuvered her way through the crowd, and when she spotted him hunched over the table, her heart dropped. Severus' hair was hiding his face and both hands gripped a mug of butterbeer as if it were a life preserver.

There was a group of older Gryffindors a few tables over snickering and looking at him, a group of Hufflepuffs shooting him pitying looks. She hoped the Slytherins nearby really weren't paying attention to their lonely housemate. She honestly couldn't imagine what Severus would be like angered and embarrassed, but she was certain he wouldn't be a pleasure to live with if someone brought it up.

Taking a breath, she pushed her way through the crowd with more determination.

"I'm so sorry I'm late," she declared loudly as she removed her scarf and plopped down in the chair across from him.

His head snapped up, and he let his confusion show for only a moment before he gave her a nasty glare. "And what bloody kept you?" he demanded.

"I was held up by Sirius and James. And then Remus. Not to mention I got lost on my way back from J. Pippin's . Honestly, you should have just come with me, maybe then I wouldn't have wandered into the wrong tavern. But I suppose you had the right idea, this place did fill up quite fast, didn't it?" She took a breath, having rambled without properly inhaling once.

Severus still glared at her, but behind his dark eyes was the slightest hint of gratitude. As Rosmerta set down a butterbeer in front of her, one obviously meant for Lily, Hermione's stomach twisted further into knots. She gave a shy grin in thanks to the beautiful barkeeper and wrapped her hands around the mug but couldn't bring herself to drink it just yet.

"I suppose it didn't occur to you to ask one of them for directions. Or Lily, for that matter. I imagine you've seen her?" he asked casually with a sneer, turning his head away as he took a hearty drink.

"Trust those fools to get me here? Hardly. I'd have ended up in the Shrieking Shack." Severus raised a brow but said nothing. "As for Lily, I only saw her at a distance, with Alice and Marlene." His eyes shot to hers at this. "They were heading back toward J. Pippin's after coming out of the salon."

His shoulders dropped infinitesimally, the curl of his sneer faltering, his eyes looking down at his drink.

"Since I was so late, how about I buy us lunch?" she offered, already mentally counting the few Galleons she had earned over the summer. Galleons that would have to last.

"A butterbeer doesn't cost that much." He waved it off, but Hermione shook her head.

"At least let me get some pasties to share."

He turned back toward her, eyes harsh. "I don't need your p—"

"Oh hush up," she snapped, cutting him off. "It's hardly like it'll do you harm to eat something, and you already bought me a butterbeer when you really didn't have to. So shut up and let me get us something to eat."

He looked like he was about to argue but sighed heavily instead. He rolled his eyes and gestured for her to head to the counter.

Hermione went up and ordered some Cornish pasties for the two of them. Rosmerta smiled kindly, eyes dancing between her and Severus, but never said a word.

"I'll bring them over when they're ready, love," she said, and Hermione thanked her before returning to her seat.

Severus didn't say anything while they waited, and Hermione hadn't the slightest idea as to what she could say to him at this point. A dozen questions danced on her tongue: was this the first time Lily stood him up or was this a reoccurring thing? If the latter, why did he keep doing it to himself? It was obvious he had a crush on her and really, Hermione couldn't blame him. She was absolutely stunning. But knowing what she did of the future, she wondered how long he would pine after someone who didn't see him the same way. And if, perhaps, all those years later, he still pined for Lily Evans despite being married (or attached) himself.

Rosmerta came by again to set down the pasties and promptly returned to the bar.

Just as both of them went to reach for one of the savory pastries, the doors to the bar opened and drew their attention. Lily and the other girls, accompanied by a couple others Hermione didn't recognize, came inside and went right to the bar.

"Do you want me to leave?" she asked Severus really quietly, but he either didn't hear her or chose to ignore her to see what Lily would do.

The girls ordered drinks and once they had them, they headed to the opposite side of the bar to find a seat.

Severus looked back at the table, his eyes darting around as if he was calculating something. "Sorry," he said, standing and grabbing his cloak off the back of his chair with a flourish he would perfect in adulthood. "I don't really have much of an appetite right now. You'll excuse me?"

"Of course," Hermione said, though she doubted he heard.

She refused to see if he went to Lily for an explanation or if he left the Three Broomsticks. Instead, she ate her lunch on her own, wondering if maybe she should say something. She doubted Severus would appreciate it, but he was obviously quite upset about it.

"Hermione!" she heard Lily call from the bar, and she looked over. "Come join us! No sense in sitting alone."

She stared at the ginger, probably for only a moment, though it felt like an eternity. Confusion shadowed Lily's expression, but nothing else clouded those clear green eyes.

Hermione inhaled deeply through her nostrils as her lips clamped shut in an effort to not lash out. Smashing the last half of her second pasty with her fingers, she tossed the remains down on her plate before she stood up and grabbed her jacket. She stormed out, only glancing at the side of the room Lily was at. As expected, Severus wasn't there.

As she tramped through the streets back to the castle, Hermione realized that one of the traits Harry had obviously gotten from his mother was his obliviousness.

December 10, 1974

She could see him out of the corner of her eye while she feigned complete and utter concentration on her Defense essay. Hermione had to admit Severus was incredibly stealthy. If it wasn't for the fact that the homemade candy Delia had sent her was disappearing faster than Hermione was eating them, she wouldn't have known her friend was stealing the chocolate morsels. He would rest his hand near the bag, just out of view and without looking, then reach in with his long fingers and pluck one out. And the way he read, with his hair hiding his face, he only needed to feign tapping his lip thoughtfully in order to sneak the candy past his lips.

By the fifth instance of this, Hermione couldn't stop the giggle that had been threatening to overwhelm her since she first noticed.

Severus' eye darted in her direction, just visible through the curtain of hair, and his jaw was set in just such a way that it was quite obvious he was chewing something. It only made Hermione laugh harder.

An older student shushed her with a glare, and she blushed as she choked back the laughter.

"What's so funny?" Severus ground out, and the venom in his voice gave her pause.

She cleared her throat before replying, "I just find it amusing that you're sneaking candy I offered to share with you." And while his glare would later instill fear and obedience, it only made her lip curl in humor now.

Severus continued to glare, but there was no heat behind it. "Perhaps I didn't want to draw attention to it? There are others in the room, others who were not invited to partake."

"Is that why so much of it is gone? You'd rather there not be any to share by eating it all? And since I get so easily distracted with work, you're helping me, is that it?" She arched a brow, and while Severus continued to glare, his lip twitched.