A/N: This is something I had pop into my head and couldn't get rid of it. It was suppose to be a one shot but became a bit more. I never could decide who I like best for Hermione, anyone but Ron. He annoys me. I can't see someone as smart and talented as Hermione settling for him.

I have changed a few things. I hated that so many people died. Snape is one of a few changes to the HP story arch. I hope you like my view of things. This is my first HP fanfic so if I have anything wrong about my characters, time lines, or proper procedures of anything then I'm sorry.

Please Read and Review. I apologize too upfront for to this not being beta'd first.

Disclaimer: I don't own any thing pertaining to the Harry Potter Franchise.

Chapter 1

Hermione was finally back at Hogwarts. Most of the students that were in their 7th year during the war had come back to finish their final year already. But she had spoken with the new Headmistress and asked if she could take a year off to find and see her parents.

With her parents memory erased to protect them during the war and sent to another country, another continent even, she needed time to find them.

She had made sure no one could find them, including herself in case she was ever captured and tortured. She wasn't sure anyone would want to even look for them if she was captured. However, she wouldn't have put it past the Dark Lord or his followers just to kidnap them just to force her to do his will. Or simply to make her watch as he tortured and killed them for his own sadistic pleasure.

It had taken her several months to find them with the few clues she had left herself, when she had figured it out, it had taken weeks of her seeing them constantly before they would even talk to her. They didn't even know she was their daughter when she found them, having wiped all traces of herself from their minds.

When she had finally gained their trust, she had slowly started peeling the layers of her charms and spells away. Not unlike peeling an onion. Letting certain aspects of their memories return to them slowly. Until finally she pulled the final piece of her own existence away so they would remember her.

This in itself had taken a few months too. Afraid that if she rushed it, she might damage their minds or memories. Once they remembered her, to say they were angry was putting it mildly. They had been livid to learn she had used magic on them without their permission. Even more livid once she started explaining the past year they missed to them.

Finding out that their daughter had left the safety of Hogwarts had been bad enough, but to have traveled with only boys for almost a year to search for artifacts that they didn't understand was worse. To have no adult supervision, to be in constant danger, they didn't think it could get any worse.

Then, she dropped the bombshell of the war inside the school grounds. The fact that the students themselves had not just seen the war, but had been fighting along side the adults as well, plus, the amount of people who were hurt or had died astounded them.

She left out her torture from Bellatrix. Not thinking they would understand really, or even forgive her for allowing herself to be captured. Not that she did it on purpose really. But they would see it that had she had the sense to remain in the safety of the school, she wouldn't have been captured or tortured.

They understood how war worked, but never imagined their only daughter would be smack dab in the middle of one. It wasn't something they ever imagined she would have to see let alone take part in.

It had taken a long time for them to forgive her for what she had done to them. Sure, they understood she had done it out of fear of their safety and her love for them, but they were the adults. They should have been the one to make the decision about what was best for them and their child.

Though she felt they never really did forgive her. She saw it in how they treated her. They no longer allowed her to use her magic in their home. They no longer had an easy relationship between them. Now it was more like living with strangers. She often wondered if she would have been better off leaving the memory spells in place.

To leave them thinking she had never really existed in their lives. Not only was she not allowed to use magic, but they didn't want her apart of the magical world. They just wanted her to get a normal muggle job after finishing her normal muggle senior year.

She tried to explain, to make them understand, but they didn't. She tried telling them that as an adult she was now able to choose for herself. They had laughed saying she wasn't an adult yet. That she was still a minor and had to obey them. Then she explained all the times she had used the time turner. That she had aged quicker because of it. They had been livid again.

So she told them that she was going back to school to finish up her last year. They had been very upset by her insistence that she was going back to school. She had tried a compromise, not wanting to lose the last bit of family she had, but it hadn't worked. They didn't want her going back at all.

Not that they didn't want her to have an education, but with all that had happened they feared her being at the school. Feared she would become more like the people in that world. A world they didn't understand. It had taken some convincing, the new headmistress had to get involved, but now all was settled.

She would be returning and only staying long enough to take her N.E.W.T.S. She would spend whatever time she needed preparing at the school, then after her exams were done, then she was done with Hogwarts for good. It was the only way her parents agreed to do it.

She knew that her being a decorated war hero was the only reason she had been granted the special privilege. Plus, it helped that her old Head of House was the new Headmistress of Hogwarts.

She did understand that she was of age now. Between the time turner she had used several times since her third year and the extra year off, she was now almost twenty-one years old. But she had just gotten her parents speaking to her again. She didn't want to risk losing them again. Even with as distant as they were with her.

Harry and Ron had both already gone back last year, so, they had graduated already and now were in the workforce. Both worked in the Ministry of magic, both aurors in training. She didn't know how Ron had done well enough to get this position, though she'd never asked either.

She hadn't seen them since before she went to find her parents. She had stayed away, partially since her parents now wouldn't let her go anywhere, partially out of fear. Fear of them seeing that she wasn't the same Hermione from before the war. She had changed, but she wasn't sure if it was a good change or not yet.

With her change, she wasn't sure yet what she wanted to do. Since the war, she didn't feel the need to plan out her life anymore. It wasn't that she didn't care, it just didn't seem as dire to know everything just yet. What was the point if it could all change in an instant.

So now she was standing at the gates of Hogwarts once again in her muggle clothes. Looking up at the massive structure while wondering what all life had in store for her. For now she was just taking things one day at time.

The only good thing it seemed was that since everyone had to repeat their year during the war, she at least still had Ginny to talk to. Ginny was finally in her 7th year now, so at least she wouldn't be all alone this year. Though she had gotten an owl saying Ginny was now the captain of her Quidditch team this year. So maybe she wouldn't be around for Hermione to talk to all that much.

Hermione started the slow walk up past the gates. The students wouldn't be arriving until tomorrow. The headmistress insisting she apparate outside the gates today so that she would have a chance to get settled before the students bombarded her with questions.

True, it had been so long since the defeat of the Dark Lord, but they hadn't heard her side of the tale yet since she had not been there last year. It was a small chance that anyone would even bother her, but there was still a chance.

Besides, she wanted Hermione to get a chance to speak with her professors to discuss what they wanted or needed from her with the sped up testing she would be doing. Each Professor would test her when she said she was ready, if she needed to hold off on some classes, to better prepare then that wasn't a problem. If she needed extra lessons, then the headmistress had assured her it wouldn't be a problem and she would have the full support of the staff.

Hermione wasn't sure how well that would work out. She doubted all of the professors would take kindly to her interrupting their free time with extra lessons. She knew one potion's professor who probably wouldn't be happy about it at all.

She had been shocked when Harry had sent her an owl telling her that Snape had survived after they had thought him dead. It turned out he managed survive the attack from Nagini until he was found. He then had been secretly treated at St. Mungo's.

It had been kept a secret for fear of any of the few remaining Death Eater's that hadn't been captured yet might try to kill him while he was weak. It had taken a long time for him to recover. Since his role in the war had been exposed he had been exonerated of all crimes. Now he was back as the potions professor at the school. As much of a bastard as he always was. Well, at least according to Harry.

Hermione walked up to the main doors. Minerva McGonagall, new headmistress of Hogwarts, had told her that she would try to meet her at the gates. Obviously she had been tied up with something.

So now she was on her own as she slowly made her way inside. About to turn a corner, she heard something behind her so she spun around, but not seeing anything she turned back to walk around the corner and ran right into a hard body. A pair of strong arms caught her before she fell. Hands curled around her slim waist, fingers digging into her soft flesh as they steadied her.

Pulling back, she looked up and froze. Swallowing hard as she saw who it was that she ran into and who was now currently holding her, even after she was steady again on her feet. Dark black eyes pierced into her own amber ones for a moment before he let her go and took a step back.

"A little early aren't we Miss Granger?" The silken voice of their potion's master asked her, raising an eyebrow at her. "The student are not due here for another day."

She swallowed again. "Yes sir. Headmistress McGonagall told me to be here today."

His eyes raked over her, taking in her attire. Her muggle jeans that were tightly fitted against her skin, riding low on her hips, and worn in her certain places, along with her t-shirt that was just as tight across her chest. She had sent all of her new things ahead of her to the school, and not thought about the fact that her mother had been angry at her so she had to do her own laundry without magic, shrinking most of her clothes down a size or two.

Instead of the baggy fit she normally got, they fit her almost perfectly now, if not a bit tight in a few places. She hadn't thought about it until just now. With his eyes sliding down her figure, she was very much aware of how much her body had changed since she was a child. Sure she had been at school for some of the changes, but she had never wore anything fitted that showed off her curves before.

She cleared her throat while she blushed at his obvious inspection of her. He seemed to bring himself back to the present. "Yes well, twenty points from Gryffindor for your lack of robes, and another ten for being klutzy and not paying attention to where you are going."

She gasped. "But professor the year hasn't even begun yet, how can you dock points from my house already? Besides, we're not required to wear our robes unless its a school day, which it isn't. Plus, you weren't paying attention either, otherwise we wouldn't have collided." She nodded her head at him. She was fully aware of the rules of the school. She was right.

He hid a smirk, he hated that she was right, but her confidence had always amused him. Instead of the smirk he gave her his normal sneer. "Well, then you better watch yourself once the school year starts now haven't you." He started to turn away then stopped. "I always pay attention Miss Granger, next time you run into me like that, I'll take double the points. Just for your insolence." Then he was gone, his robes billowing in the hallway as he walked away.

Hermione swallowed again. What was I thinking to argue like that? It was one thing to do it at the end of the year when he couldn't do anything, but at the beginning? Especially since she would need his cooperation this year to get her testing done.

She sighed and finished making her way to the Headmistress's staircase, before pausing at the statue sitting there. What is the new password? If it had been the old Headmaster she would have just started to name off different candies, but with McGonagall she just didn't know.

She didn't know how long she stood there when she suddenly heard that same silken voice again. "Problem Miss Granger?"

She turned to look at him standing behind her staring silently at her. "I am suppose to meet with the Headmistress, and I don't know the password. She was suppose to meet me at the gate, but I guess she got held up.

His black eyes piercing hers again. "Sounds like you have a problem indeed. I'll leave you to it then."

She frowned. "You're just going to leave me here?" She asked incredibly.

He smirked at her once again while eying her up and down. "As you pointed out, the school year has yet to begin so I guess I'm not required to act like a teacher as of yet."

She glared at him. "So you're not my professor yet, is that right?"

He shrugged. "I suppose not."

She smiled sweetly at him. "Thats good because I would never tell a teacher what a rude, heartless bastard he was."

With that said she stalked off leaving him gaping at her. Well, I did walk into that one. He mused to himself, finding that he couldn't hide his smirk any longer. Her language surprised him, he didn't think he had ever heard her curse before. Not as surprising as seeing her had been.

He hadn't been aware she was around the corner when he was marching down his own corridor not paying attention, no matter what he said, and when he ran into her it had been automatic to reach out. He been shocked to see her to say the least. Especially with how she was dressed.

Not that it was anything special, mind you. It was just how they looked on her. He never knew she had such a nice frame under all those loose heavy robes before. He didn't think a simple pair of jeans had ever looked that sexy on anyone before.

Watching her storm off towards a door leading outside, he couldn't help but follow her. He found her a bit intriguing and was curious how the rest of the day would play out since they had established he wasn't her professor yet.

She had just stepped outside when a hand grabbed her arm spinning her back towards the now closed door. She looked up and found the same pair of eyes staring down at her. Now what? She wondered.

He didn't touch her except for his hand on her upper arm holding her in place, her back to the door. "Miss Granger, since you felt the need to express your feeling so...eloquently. Let me just let you know that your impression of me is quite incorrect."

She felt her lips twitching at that. "You're not a rude, heartless bastard? Please, explain to me how I'm wrong?"

His sneer didn't match the teasing light in his eye, a light she was shocked to see at all. "I'm not heartless."

She raised an eyebrow at him, as her lips curved into a full smirk. "So just rude and a bastard then? I guess I do stand corrected, I'll be sure to keep that in mind for the future." She looked at his hand still on her arm. "Is that all?"

Her cheekiness surprising him once again. "No, that is not all. Now since you felt the need to enlighten me about myself, let me give you the same courtesy. You are a nosy, pain-in-the-arse, know it all who doesn't understand the meaning of respect."

Her cheeks turned pink. "Well since were nice enough to correct me, let me do the same. I know the meaning of respect, but it has to be earned not just given blindly. Plus, I'm not nosy."

He opened his mouth to argue when suddenly the door opened sending them both crashing to the ground. Snape hit the ground on his back, and Hermione landed sprawled on top of him. Both looked up to see Minerva looking down at them.

"Severus, Hermione what are you two doing down there?" She asked standing inside the door, knowing full well she had knocked them over. She had felt the thump when the door hit them. "When you are okay to get up Hermione, come see me in my office, the password is lemon drops." She said, then quickly went back inside before she started to chuckle at the sight they made.

Hermione took a breath, trying to catch the one that was knocked out of her. Then, glanced down at the man she was on top of and froze. He was glaring at her, his hands resting against her lower back from their fall.

She quickly cleared her throat. "Sorry Professor." She said, his face a few inches from her own. Noticing for the first time that the chest she was now pressing against was not soft or flabby like she always thought it would be. It was surprisingly hard and muscular.

Which made her wonder if he worked out. Realizing she was thinking about her professor's chest, let alone Snape's chest, she quickly pushed the thoughts away. She didn't need to be thinking him in any way other than as a teacher and a bastard. She needed to make sure they weren't hurt, she didn't think she was, but maybe he was.

He lay there feeling every curve of her body pressed against his, waiting for her to move off of him. Only she didn't move, she was just staring down at him her hands on his chest. When he didn't speak, she tried to sit up, brushing her upper body against his unintentionally. He tried not to move or make a sound.

She sat up, her legs straddling him, her mind focused on making sure they were both alright not thinking about the position they were in. "Are you okay?" She asked, her hands resting on her thighs.

He couldn't help but think about their position, since she was sitting on a tender part of his anatomy which to his horror was starting to respond. He gritted his teeth, trying to fight it. "Move." The word coming out low and harsh.

She frowned down at him not quite hearing him. Shifting to peer down at him a bit closer to see if he was hurt, not realizing she was making matters worse. "Professor are you alright?"

Fearing she would feel a certain part of his anatomy swelling underneath her any second he quickly pushed her off of him. Making her land hard on her bottom with a grunt.

He quickly sat up so his robes would cover what was beginning to become a large problem. "If you are going to use someone else as a cushion for your fall, at least have the decency to get yourself off of them before you crush them." He all but snarled at her. Angry that his body was reacting to her the way it was.

She blushed. "I'm sorry Professor Snape. I keep forgetting how heavy I am. Are you alright?" She asked softly, their earlier words forgotten.

He continued to glare at her. Even more annoyed that he noticed that she had turned into a very beautiful woman, particularly when she blushed. Her body, from what he had felt, had been all curves and rounded softness. Heavy? She hadn't been heavy at all. She asks if I'm he alright? How can I be alright when I know if I stand-up, my robes will be tented outward for all to see my shame at reacting to a student?

"I'm fine." He said sneering again. "Just stay off of me. In fact, stay away from me." He quickly got up turning away from her to storm off so she didn't see the problem he had.

She sighed, getting up and dusting herself off. So far things were not going well. Hopefully this wasn't a sign of things to come.

She started making her way back to the statue that would take her to the headmistress. She thought again of how firm Snape's chest had been. To say she was surprised was putting it mildly. Looking at how he kept himself totally covered she and thought it was due to not having that great of a body.

She wondered what the rest of him was like. Then realizing once again that she was thinking thoughts about someone she shouldn't she quickly squashed them. She didn't want to know what the rest of him looked like.

At the statue she said the password, wondering if it just had never been changed from Dumbledore's old password, or if Minerva just had left it the same on purpose. She climbed the steps that she remembered from her previous years. Knocking on the door she heard the headmistress call to enter.

A/N: In case anyone's wondering, I'm doing a bit of a revamp on this story to correct some of the obvious errors. So that is why it is showing that its been updated, yet still complete. Take Care everyone.