Hello there! This is a story that I previously produced, but that - after reading it again myself and cringing at some things I worte - I decided was well overdue for a few revisions. It is rated 'M' for mature audiences as it deals with more mature subjects and - yes - some sexual situations.

So, here is Time and Chance, reduxed. Enjoy!

*Oh yeah! Anything that is in italics is a thought running through

someone's mind, or a past event they are thinking on. Thanks!*

The pressure on her lips hadn't been completely unwelcome, but within seconds Hermione knew it wasn't in her dreams. She had fallen asleep in the compartment; the boys had gone out to see all their other friends who had come back for another year of studying at Hogwarts. Many of the students' parents had decided to withdraw them altogether. The kiss became more insistent, and her eyes flew open to see who the owner of those soft lips would be.

"Malfoy!"

Apparently, he too had been caught up in some kind of dream. The young Slytherin jerked his head upward in surprise as he realized she had awoken. The curiosity she saw in his blue eyes flickered, only to be replaced by disgust at his own actions. He began wiping his mouth on his sleeve as if to remove all signs from his swollen lips that he had even kissed her in the first place. Hermione knew what would be coming, even before the words left his mouth.

"Getting your kicks in early, Mudblood? Trying your hand at seducing me now, is that it?"

She drew herself up to her full height and held her wand at the base of his throat. "As if! In case you haven't noticed, you stupid git, this is my compartment that you came into, while I was asleep, and started kissing me!" Over his shoulder, she saw Ron and Harry appear in the doorway.

"Oi! What in Merlin's beard is going on here? Is he bugging you Mione?"

Narrowing her eyes, she increased the pressure she held on the wand, making her point come across loud and clear. "No, you weren't bothering me, were you Malfoy?"

That classic Draco Malfoy sneer appeared on his face, and he looked over his shoulder showing no fear; only irritation. "No Weasel. I wasn't bothering your girlfriend."

And with that he brushed by the boys, leaving Hermione to wonder what in the hell had just happened.

But that had been so long ago. Not really, of course. But it did seem like a lifetime had passed. Snape had killed Dumbledore, Hogwarts and its students were thrown into confusion and disarray.

And Harry…poor Harry. Her best friend had gone off on a quest to find the remaining horcruxes that stood between himself and Voldemort. Ron had run away, against the wishes of his mother and father, to join Harry in his hunt. She hadn't expected the letter to come, but as faithfully as any other year, one of the school's owls dropped off her equipment and books lists. Her parents wanted her to finish her education, either there, or in a muggle school in London. Hermione had decided that she would be safer in London, but after one month of attending high school there, she found herself longing to be back in the wizarding world.

"Mom, I'm off! I've got to buy my supplies before the train leaves tomorrow!"

She bounded down the stairs, taking them two at a time. But as soon as she reached the Leaky Cauldron, and touched the bricks to enter the Alley, a wave of sadness overtook her. Walking down Diagon Alley had always brought her a rush of joy, knowing that she would soon be joined by her friends on the ancient cobblestone streets. Or that she would walk into Flourish and Blotts, finding them looking for all of the supplies on their lists, too.

There were very few people in the streets that day. No first years at all. She saw Dean and Seamus, both being hurried along by their parents. The sight brought a quick grin to her lips. Most of the people she saw were fifth years and up. Hermione quickly walked into twins' joke shop. Maybe they could lighten her mood.

"Hermione!"

"Heard you were going back!"

"Bunch of rubbish about the old school, eh?"

"Breeding dark wizards and such."

"Not our good old Hermione, eh?"

"Truest witch you ever will meet!"

Smiling broadly, she reached out and was put into a George and Fred Weasley sandwich. "It's good to see you two. How's business holding up?"

"Not bad this season."

"Though it would be even better…"

"If Voldemort were dead."

A few of the patrons gasped at the mention of the Dark Lord's name. The twins just seemed to let it roll off their shoulders, not caring if they lost a few paying customers.

"Oh, pish-posh!"

"What's in a name?"

She giggled for the first time in a year. Not one of those fake giggles that one gives just to be polite, but an honest to goodness laugh that came from the bottom of her heart. "Oh, I missed you guys so much. How's the family holding up?" Their faces changed from smiling to serious. "What, what's wrong?"

Fred was the one to speak, while George wandered off to take care of some of their patrons. His voice came out in a low whisper. "Well, mum hasn't heard from Ron in about a month. Have you?"

She shook her head. Hermione hadn't heard from Ron since the day he left with Harry. They'd decided not to continue as a couple until the war was over. It just made things easier that way.

"Ginny's insisting on going to Hogwarts, and mum wasn't too happy about that, either. But we helped dad talk her into it. She can't keep an eye on her every single minute of the day." An image of the Weasley family clock in the kitchen of that old rickety house popped into her mind. She knew that even at Hogwarts, Mrs. Weasley would still have tabs on her youngest child. "How are your parents, Fred?"

"About as good as can be expected. We dropped out, Ron left on an adventure. You already know that Fleur and Bill are married, but the latest news is they're expecting already! And Percy…well, Percy is an even bigger prat now that Fudge is no longer the Minister of Magic. Looks like he might be gunning for the job himself."

Nodding, she took a peek at her watch, realizing she'd already been in there too long. "I'm sorry Fred, but I must be going. Say hello to your parents for me, will you? Tell them I'm sorry, but after everything that's happened, I didn't have the heart to stay in the Burrow this summer. Goodbye!" With a wave, she walked out of the warm shop and into the cold and desolate street.

He had been watching her from an alleyway, adjacent to Ollivander's; what used to be Ollivander's. No one had seen the old man for months. He saw her beautiful hair, longer than it had been before, coming to the middle of her back. She had changed a great deal. She was taller; at least four inches from the last time he'd seen her. And there were curves where she'd been flat and straight before.

But the thing that struck him that had changed the most was her eyes. Once bright and full of fire, he could see that even from a distance, there was a sadness. Before she had held her head up high, whether in pride or defiance, he did not know. But there was a slump to her shoulders as if the world had become too much for her to bear alone.

He knew where Potter and the Weasel had gone off to. By Merlin he wished them luck. He'd never wanted to be a Deatheater. He had always gotten off with intimidating people so that he could get what he wanted. It was a lovely trait that he had learned early on from an unforgiving father.

It struck him, that night, as he stood there with his wand pointed in the old wizard's face, looking into Dumbledore's gentle but defeated eyes, exactly how wrong the path was that he had been following. He just couldn't do it. He couldn't kill a defenseless man who had never done anything other than to teach him the right way. But his epiphany was squashed the moment Snape uttered two words that would bring his future to a stifling halt.

His fingers longed to reach out and wipe the sadness from her face. He shivered, retreating further into the shadows around him in hopes that no one had seen him there.

Leaving the twins' shop had only made her more depressed. Hermione felt like all of the happiness she had was sucked right out of her. She paused as the hairs on the back of her neck began to prickle. She knew she was being watched and began looking toward each of the shop's windows. There was not a single pair of eyes looking in her direction that would have been responsible for boring holes into her skin.

Turning to her left, she thought she saw movement in the alleyway next to the old wand shop. Reaching into her robes she found what she was looking for and gripped it tightly between her sweaty fingers. These were dangerous times. With all the things that she had seen and done since Voldemort's return, one would think she'd have the sense to turn around and walk right back into the Weasley's shop. But Hermione was tired of hiding; tired of being afraid. If this was danger, well by Merlin she was going to meet it head on.

He saw her coming, and he tried to shrink even further into the dark. She had already seen him. She was moving toward the alley with a hard and determined look on her face.

"All right, out with you then!"

The nervousness he felt at being this close to her again was eating away at his stomach. All he wanted to do was lean over and empty the contents of his stomach, then and there. However, he knew that he should maintain some level of decorum. I guess it's now or never.

Without a word he cautiously stepped into the light.