Summary: It all started as a task, a responsibility, and a secret wartime communication channel. Throughout the years however, the mysterious contact slowly became so much more to Hermione than neither of them could have imagined. When the war was finally over, nothing could stop her from looking for the true identity of the man she loved. Was she looking too far, and missing what was right in front of her? Set two years after the war, disregard epilogue.

The following story is a challenge I set out for myself. Recently I was reminded that I've used the time turner for most of my stories and therefore, have been avoiding the age difference between SS and HG. I think it's about time to change that... and try something new! I hope you'll stay with me on this new journey...

Special thanks goes to TMNinjaGinga, Luna de Papel, and bluefirefly5 for being my beta throughout this journey!

All characters belong to the brilliant J. K. Rowling.

The Contact

Chapter One - Once Upon an Assignment

November 1999

"I had a good time tonight Ron. Thanks for dinner." Hermione gave the red-haired wizard a small hug before turning towards the door leading to her London flat.

"Er... Do you want me to come in?" Ron asked tentatively.

"Well..." Hermione turned around to face the young wizard, "I had a long day at the Ministry. I'm kind of tired. And tomorrow is going to be a busy one..."

"Tomorrow is Sunday Hermione." Ron said quietly.

Hermione let out a quiet sigh before opening the door and leading Ron into her flat. "Would you like something to drink? I can make some tea..."

"No thanks." Ron closed the door behind him, "I just want to talk to you for a minute. And I didn't want to say it in the hall way." The wizard dropped his head and ran a hand behind his neck, as if having a hard time searching the right words. Finally, he took a deep breath and said, "You don't really feel it, do you? I mean the sparks... The sparks that they say you should feel if you are... in love."

Hermione looked at Ron and bit on her bottom lip. After a long pause she answered, "No Ron... I'm sorry."

"Oh no no, don't apologize!" Ron gave her a weak smile. "That's what I've been trying to tell my mum and Ginny for the longest time. But they wouldn't believe me. Do you still..." He choked on his words, "think of me as your friend?"

"Of course I do!" Hermione answered without missing a beat, "You're my best friend! Both you and Harry! You're like my brothers. It's a different kind of love. But I do love you!"

"That's good." Ron let out a sigh of relief and he smiled back at Hermione, "So you wouldn't be upset if... Er... This girl I know from work... er... she wants to go to a Quidditch game with me next weekend. And er..."

"Oh don't worry about me Ronald, if that's what you're saying!" Hermione smiled at her best friend, "I definitely will not mind. I'm so sorry... I've been wasting your time, haven't I. I was just so worried that if I said anything earlier it would hurt your feelings. I want you to be happy, just like Harry and Ginny. Ask her out on a date! And if she does turn out to be right for you, would you let me know?"

"You'll be the first one to know Hermione." Ron smiled broadly at Hermione now that he got the answer he was looking for. He took a step closer to Hermione and hugged her gently. "I'm so glad to have you as my best friend too. Good night."

Hermione smiled at the young wizard as he made his way to the door. As he reached for the door knob, Ron stopped and turned to face Hermione again. "Hermione..." He frowned, "Er... since you think of me as a brother and your best friend, can I be frank with you?"

Hermione smiled with a frown, "Of course Ron."

"You can't go on like this." Ron said quietly, "Harry and I have been worried about you. All you are doing is work these days. You turn down all social activities. When was the last time you took a vacation? Or had a regular weekend? I get that you're not interested in me. But will you please at least give someone else a try? Don't you want to find the right one for you? Maybe you can make that your new year's resolution for the new millennium?"

Hermione continued to smile at her best friend as she shook her head, "Don't worry about me Ron. I'm just... not interested at the moment. Maybe it will change one of these days. And I'll definitely let you and Harry know if I need help finding a date."

As Hermione closed the door behind Ron she felt a burden lifted from her shoulders. It was truly a relief that she'd finally cleared everything up with him. Then she recalled his words right before he left: give someone else a try... She shook her head and smiled sadly. That would be impossible now, as her heart had long ago chosen the one she wanted. There was only one problem: she didn't know who he was.

After putting the tea kettle on the stove, Hermione wandered into her study. Her fingers brushed against the books on her bookshelf and stopped at a black leather-bound notebook. The binding of the edges was slightly torn. She had fixed it with the Reparo charm many times in the early years when it first came to her possession, worrying that it would break apart on her run during the war. But she had stopped fixing it after the war, knowing the notebook would always have a safe place in her study. She liked the look of the slightly worn edges. It gave the notebook a personality of imperfection, which to her was very attractive in a strange way.

With the notebook in hand she sat down by the desk. Tracing the cover of the book she remembered the day when she first received it from Dumbledore, and wondered if that day had also changed a certain wizard's life the same way it had changed hers...

May 1995

It was two days before the summer holiday. Everyone at Hogwarts was still shocked by the death of Cedric Diggory. If not because she was so preoccupied by what Harry told her about what had happened in the graveyard, Hermione would have been utterly surprised when she was summoned by the Headmaster early in the afternoon.

"Good afternoon Miss Granger!" The old wizard greeted her cheerfully. "I have a present and a task for you." From the drawer in his desk Dumbledore pulled out a black leather-bound notebook. "Miss Granger, allow me to present you with one of my most recent inventions."

Hermione took the notebook from the old wizard and frowned, "Do you want me to take notes for something, Professor?"

"Something like that." Dumbledore smiled from behind his half-moon spectacles, but his expression turned serious quickly, "A war is upon us, Hermione. I cannot guarantee that I will always be there to assist Harry. But I have a feeling that you will. As a preparation for a situation in which you may be isolated from outside help, I am giving this magical notebook to you as a backup plan. Whatever you write in this notebook will be transmitted to its mate, which will be maintained by an undercover wizard, who is a member of the Order of the Phoenix. Oh yes, I might have forgotten to mention, but there is a group of very talented and loyal wizards and witches, who have been working with me throughout the First Wizarding War. They call themselves the Order of the Phoenix. Using this tool, you can either provide information that you would like to communicate to the outside world, or send requests for assistance. The Order member on the receiving end will do whatever he can to provide you with instructions or assistance."

"Why me?" was the first question came to Hermione's mind.

"I only have two of these notebooks Hermione. So naturally, I must choose carefully with my assignments. I trust your loyalty to Harry, and therefore believe you are best suited for this task. As far as the other individual, I assure you that you can trust him with your life. I know I do." The Headmaster paused for a brief moment, as if considering something he just said. "There are magical measures in place as part of the protection of this secret communication channel. One is that these two notebooks can only be used by the two of you. No one else can even open it because of a charm I have embedded into the covers. Also," Dumbledore smiled at Hermione, with mischief twinkling in his eyes, "In the event when someone else gains access to an open notebook, it would be impossible for them to try and find the individual who sent the original message, as a charm has been put in place to convert your handwriting into a standard font, and the source of the message is untraceable."

The Headmaster went on and gave her some other details about the magical device. Hermione listened carefully and took mental notes. The more she considered the instructions however, the more concerned she became. The definition of war still sounded like an abstract concept. Yet the necessity of the notebook seemed to have emphasized the unpredictable future they were facing.

When Dumbledore finally finished his instructions, he gave Hermione one last reminder, "In the interest of the safety for both you and the wizard on the other end, try to avoid unnecessary attention."

Nodding solemnly Hermione left the Headmaster's office. As she walked down the stairs absentmindedly, she almost ran into a tall figure dressed in complete black. As she looked up at the Potions Master, his deep dark eyes sent a chill down her spine. Hermione knew from watching him and Dumbledore meeting with Harry in the Hospital Wing that Snape was on their side, yet for more reasons than she could explain, he still managed to make her nervous more than anyone else could in the entire school. Hastily Hermione ran down the corridor towards the Gryffindor Tower. Never once did she look back, or think twice about the Potions Master's visit to the Headmaster's office.

Severus Snape watched quietly as the girl with bushy brown hair disappeared in the corridor before making his way up to the Headmaster's office. He was not surprised by the late afternoon summon. A war had begun, and there would be much to discuss with the old wizard. He almost felt sorry for the students. The dunderheads had no idea what the Dark Lord was about to bring upon their world.

When Snape entered the Headmaster's office, Dumbledore was looking out of his window towards the castle grounds. A few students were leaving the school for their summer holidays early, due to their parents' concerns over the recent events at the Triwizard Tournament.

"You wished to see me Albus?" Snape asked in his smooth cool voice.

"Alas Severus. Yes." The old wizard greeted the Potions Master cheerfully. "I want to share with you some of my plans to protect Harry."

"I thought we had already discussed this in great detail. Isn't he going back to his blood relatives for the summer? Sirius Black and the other ones from the Order will be watching him like hawks. What else is there for us to discuss?" Snape asked coolly.

"Patience my boy, patience." Dumbledore chuckled and handed Snape a black leather-bound notebook. "May I present you with my latest invention?"

Causiously Snape took the notebook from the Headmaster. He opened the cover and took a quick glance. "How fascinating Albus. I'm certain that you did not call upon me to discuss your discovery of the basic knowledge of binding a book."

"You know me well." Dumbledore let out a chuckle. "This is my latest invention of a communication tool. I am planning ahead Severus. Although I wish this would be an unnecessary assignment, I do want to make sure Harry has a backup plan when he is isolated from the outside world someday in the future."

"Don't flatter me." Snape sneered at the Headmaster, "Please don't tell me that you want me to answer Potter's distress call using this notebook."

"Not quite Severus, but you sure know the games that spies play." Dumbledore continued to smile at the Potions Master from behind his half-moon obstacles. "Harry does not have any knowledge about this notebook. The mate of this one," The old wizard pointed at the notebook in Snape's hands, "was given to a close friend of his. Your responsibility is to help them when I do not have the capacity to offer them with any assistance."

"You can't be seriously considering having me exchanging notes with Granger!" Snape narrowed his eyes.

"Your intelligence never ceases to impress me Severus!" The Headmaster was slightly taken aback. "How do you know I gave it to her?"

"Oh please Albus, how difficult to guess could this be? You just told me Potter is not aware of this arrangement. I trust that even you would not have given the task to Weasley, who can barely write a decent paragraph when he's not in a life or death situation. It can only be Granger, which brings it back to my original point: there is no way I would be willing to exchange notes with a school girl."

"She is not always going to be a school girl, Severus." Dumbledore answered patiently, "And besides, this is not only for Harry." A small frown crawled between the old wizard's brows as he turned away from Snape, "I am also considering your own situation my boy. I am risking having you stuck behind enemy line someday in the future. I don't know what you will need in a situation like that. This will at least give you a channel to communicate with the Order outside of your surroundings."

"What a comforting thought, Headmaster." Snape drawled, "How should I express my gratitude for your arrangement of having the Gryffindor know-it-all save my pathetic life someday?"

"Don't draw your conclusion so soon my boy." Dumbledore was clearly not offended by Snape's sarcasm. "Give it some time. You don't need to let her know who you are if you don't feel comfortable doing so. The only thing I told her about you was that you are a member of the Order, and that she can trust you with her life. Consider it only a backup plan. Think of her like a pen pal. How does that sound?"

"Just splendid." Snape grunted as he turned to the door. "A war is upon us and I am given the task of being a pen pal with a teenage girl. I don't know Albus... Just don't count on me to provide any supportive counseling if she starts writing about her problems with boys. I can't believe this rubbish..." Murmuring to himself Snape walked out of the Headmaster's office, with the notebook in his hands, and his black cloak billowing behind him.

It didn't take very long before Snape was reminded of his annoying responsibility. Later in that same evening, he noticed a soft glow coming from the notebook. He narrowed his eyes and slowly opened the notebook. A few short paragraphs were neatly typed up on the page in front of him. He grimaced as he began to read,

"Dear Sir,

Please forgive me for writing you so soon. I was just given this assignment today and I am eager to understand the magic associated with the device. I am sure you would not mind us trying this out? Just in case, you know, if something bad happens and we will need to communicate using this method soon.

Well, I am sure Dumbledore has already shared Harry's experience with all of the Order members. Sirius told us that just last night. So obviously there isn't anything new that's bad happening right this moment, and I really don't have any secret information to pass on to you. How about a little bit of self-introduction? And I would be more than happy to go first.

My name is Hermione Granger and I just finished my fourth year at Hogwarts. I am a muggle-born witch. My parents are dentists and they have a dental practice in London. What else is there... well, I have a cat and his name is Crookshanks.

Professor Dumbledore told me that I can trust you with my life. I want to thank you in advance for your help. And I thought at least it would be nice to know who I am talking to. I look forward to getting to know you and begin this secret communication task in the future.

Sincerely,

Hermione Granger"

Snape pinched the bridge of his nose as he finished reading the note in front of him. This was absolutely hopeless. The girl had no understanding of the meaning of secret communication. Even if everything Dumbledore told her was true, how could she just offer everything about herself to a stranger on a silver platter?

He sneered at the notebook in front of him as if he was face to face with the brainless know-it-all. He was ready to teach the girl a good lesson. Quickly he turned the page and watched her notes slowly dissolve into the paper. He then picked up his quill and began his response.

"Miss Granger,

Who in their right mind would have offered every single piece of detail about their life to a complete stranger? We will soon be in the middle of a war! I do not intend to be your imaginary friend who would answer every girly question of yours. Think carefully about how you will be using this magical device. I expect you to"

He suddenly stopped his quill as he realized what he was doing. Unknowingly, he had been following the girl's irrational behavior. Writing in the way that he usually spoke would certainly give away his personality, and would likely encourage the Griffyndor know-it-all to dig into the arrangement deeper. Snape was not ready to reveal his identity to the girl, if that would ever become a consideration.

He let out a grunt and tore out the page from the notebook, the only way to prevent a message from being transferred out. He then drew in a deep breath, hoping to calm his anger.

"Dear Miss Granger,

It was very nice of you to introduce yourself. Please be advised however, that it is extremely important to protect the secrecy of this device. As such, it is pertinent that we both keep this in mind and try to be discreet with all of our communications, and only use it when it is absolutely necessary."

Snape paused for a brief moment thinking about how to end the note, and finally signed the note with:

"Sincerely,

T"

He had decided that using anything associated with his name, such as his initials, would have been given away his identity too easily. There was a reason why the girl was so close to Potter after all. They were both equally curious in other people's business, in an insufferably bad way. Snape let out another grunt as he read through his notes, before turning the page and letting the message disappear into the pages.

Snape closed the notebook happily, thinking he had successfully shut the girl up for a while. However, his optimism was short-lived. Soon after he closed the notebook, another warm glow announced Granger's second note.

"Thank you so much Sir. I appreciate your advice. What does the T stand for? I understand it's a code name. So may I call you Tom? Or Todd? Or Tim? Or how about Ted?"

Clenching his jaw Snape picked up his quill, and this time he didn't have the self-control to rethink his words to hide his displeasure:

"No. You may not call me by any of those ridiculous names! It is T. And that is final."

He slammed the notebook shut and watched the message being transmitted through a soft glow. With a deep sigh he reached for his firewhiskey. He couldn't help but wondering how the tedious task would slowly drive him to insanity.

What do you think so far? Hope to hear from you! =)