"Caution," laughed a deep voice behind her whilst the person this voice did belong to still held her fast in his arms.

Under quite a shock, Hermione registered the man putting her on her own feet next to this damned puddle.

I know that voice, I just don't really know where I've heard it before.

She turned around in the stranger's arms with a thankful smile plastered on her small face. She stared directly in a face that was all too familiar to her.

Her pupils were quickly dilating in pure and utter shock.

How is that even possible? I have watched him die all those years ago in that blasted shack! But this inky black hair, those deep, seemingly black depths that are his eyes, that hooked nose in this sallow pale face. He looks just like him, he speaks the way he used to do.

"Is everything okay, did you hurt yourself?"  asked the man, his voice laced with concern which effectively pulled her from those thoughts.

"Ye- Yes, everything's fine. Thank you, Sir." She stammered completely out of control of her wits.

"No problem. I'm Severus by the way, Severus Snape. And what's your name?"

Didn't he recognise me? I would certainly understand if he didn't. Maybe he just did put the past behind him and started anew, just like me?

"I'm Hermione, Hermione Granger." She answered him slightly irritated whilst taking the hand he offered her.

"Now, Hermione, would you care for some tea? It really is cold today and you look as though you need a little warmth around you, you're even shivering!"  exclaimed the man after taking a closer look at her small shivering form in front of him.

"Uhm, why not?"

Following that statement, a bright smile formed on his face. "

"Now, then come. My house is just around that corner," he said whilst pointing his index finger to somewhere behind Hermione's back and holding out his arm for her to take.

He looks just like him. He has the same name. Is it really him? He's behaving different, nothing like the Severus Snape I used to know during my time at school. He is friendly, wants to help, is observing in a chivalrous manner. He is everything he wasn't back then. Even his appearance is totally different but still very much like "Snape". A simple dark blue pair of trousers, black leather shoes and a dark blue coat with a black scarf wrapped around his neck. His hair is looking different, not at all greasy. It isn't that black anymore either with one small grey streak of hair visible near his temples on each side.  His face is looking so much different when he smiles. He seems to be really friendly and not so cold behind his own mental walls. Should I ask him about Hogwarts? 

"We're here, Hermione," he smiled briefly at her whilst sticking out his hand to ask her to step into his flat.

Once inside he took her coat from her and hung it on the hook next to his own coat. Severus lead her into a space-y cosy looking living room.

"Please, take a seat," he said while pointing to the comfy looking red couch in the middle of the room in front of the fireplace.

Severus Snape does possess a red couch. What I wouldn't do to have this seen by Professor McGonagall. What would she say?

The thought of her old Head of House made the young witch go all melancholic again but shortly after this, Severus pulled her from her thoughts when he walked up to his fireplace and lit a nice warm fire there.

He bent down on one knee and began to put a few pieces of wood into the small nook. After having lit the fire, he stood up and made his way over to the door to the room that was adjacent.

Hermione took the strong guess of this being his kitchen.

Her assumption quickly turned to knowledge when she heard him asking: "Milk or lemon?"

His deep voice was heavily reverberating throughout the walls of his living area whilst Hermione continued to look around.

Her eyes began to shine when they finally took notice of the many bookshelves that did line each of the four walls.

"Sorry, what did you just say?" she quickly answered.

"How do you like your tea, with milk or lemon in it?" he asked again, poking his head through the door.

He had to concentrate on not laughing out loud as he saw the look of sheer amazement written all over her face.

"Sorry, with lemon and a little bit of sugar, please. You really do have a vast collection of books here, Severus. It must have taken you really long to acquire all those books," she exclaimed, still heavily amazed by the amounts of books in this living room.

"Not really. I bought the first of those books two years ago. This is my own little library. I enjoy sitting here in front of the fireplace, sipping on some wine and reading a book, in fact, I spend most of my evenings like that. The first few months after I moved here I wasn't able to do much more and it just became a habit," he explained while handing her a cup of steaming hot tea.

"That's my favourite pastime, too. I'm barely even leaving my flat but what do you mean by "I wasn't able to do much more"?" she quickly launched the next question at him.

The old Severus would have stared me down right now or he would have made a crude, snide remark at least.

"I had a fatal accident three and a half years ago in which I was severely injured at my neck. They told me that was dead for a not so short amount of time when they finally got me to the hospital but they were able to reanimate me just in time. The following one and a half years I was lying in a coma. When I woke up, my muscles were nearly completely gone and that's why I was not able to do anything. I had to learn everything anew. The only thing left for me to do was reading and that is what I did. It quickly became a hobby and now I just cannot live without reading. But tell me, why don't you go out very often?" he explained to her.

"That's a really long and complicated story."

She tried to avoid having to answer his question.

"We do have time, you know?" he said while flaring a warm smile to her.

"Okay, but please be warned. It won't be logical to your mind and you may not understand a thing I'm talking about. Please try to listen until I'm finished. If you wish I can answer some questions you might have."

She looked pleadingly at him.

"Of course. But please, go on."

He tried to lighten up the mood a bit by flashing her a rather goofy grin. One of those you would have expected from Harry or some years ago from Ronald Weasley but seeing Severus Snape smiling at her like that made her heart beat a little faster. After heaving a small sigh she started with her story.

"Right. Everything started when I was eleven. I was sent off to a boarding school for people with certain abilities in Scotland. At first, I didn't have any friends there because I was very interested in my education and did learn the whole time. I was and still am a complete bookworm. The thing with having no friends changed after two months, on Halloween to be precise. A little adventure that involved me getting rescued by two boys my age resulted in our friendship. Harry, Ron and I did everything together from that day on. We were called the golden trio. We used to have a talent, namely getting ourselves into trouble."

At this, she had to laugh because it dawned on her how true her statement was.

"Every year something exciting and highly dangerous happened and every time we were in the midst of it. Our headmaster, who passed away at the end of our sixth school year, left Harry a difficult task and we didn't return to school to finish our seventh and last year of schooling. Instead, we went about the country to complete that task. Before I can go into detail about that I have to tell you some things about Harry, my best friend. Harry's parents were murdered when he was barely older than one year old. He grew up with his aunt and uncle who didn't treat him that good and other than them, Ron and I were the only family he had. The man who murdered his parents because of a prophecy originally wanted to kill him but failed, because Harry's mother sacrificed herself for him. This madman tried killing him again every year we were attending school. On  May 2nd, 1998 it came to the final battle against our enemy and on that day we lost many people who were dear to us. Whilst attempting to rescue one of his brothers, Ron died. He was my boyfriend at that time and Harry and I sort of lost the ground we stood upon. After that, I started to build up walls all around me and I wouldn't let anyone near me. I redid my seventh schoolyear and after finishing that I went away to live here. I left everything and everyone behind and never really looked back out of fear that those events might catch up more than they did. I don't have any contact with the people I called my friends. I just can't look at anyone. All those who survived remind me of all those we lost. I somehow have the feeling that the deaths of all those lost are my fault. So many innocent people died, quite a few of them were younger than me."

She broke down and started to sob uncontrollably.

Severus quickly stood up and bolted over to where she was seated. He took a seat right next to her and wrapped his arms around her, trying to soothe her.

"Hush please, calm down. I'm sure it was not your fault. People die when a war is raging on."

After some minutes she seemed to have calmed again and after taking a deep breath she started talking again whilst still being wrapped safely in his arms.

"That is not all. As I said, every year something bad happened. We had a teacher who always hated us three, above all Harry. Whenever something happened, he was our suspect and each time we learned afterwards that it was not him at all. After we won the last battle we found out, that all these years he was protecting Harry and by doing that protecting the three of us uncountable times. He was a spy in the midst of our enemy's ranks and he did put his life in terrible danger every single day to save Harry's life and the society of our world. He lived the life of a person everybody hated with a passion, he had no real friends and I guess not even a social life outside of school but he died the death of a true hero. After his death he got awarded with the greatest honours anyone could ever receive and Harry, the one who probably hated him the most was the one to defend him the most, wanting to have his name cleared. Seeing as this teacher was headmaster for nearly one year, Harry got his portrait hung in the headmaster's office despite the resistance he got from everyone. But for me, the worst was, that the three of us witnessed him taking his last breath. I couldn't believe it and tried to save him but he was dead. Despite knowing that I brought him to the infirmary of our school which was already filled to the brim with injured participants. He got reanimated there and our nurse treated him with the most caution she could and we made sure he was staying in private and so we disillusioned his cubicle. After a few days, he started breathing on his own but he was in a coma. After a few weeks, I went back to school to redo my last year there and I visited him every single day. When I graduated I left that world behind and never heard of what happened to him afterwards. It's two and a half years now that I haven't heard of anything that was going on in the lives of my friends. I want to know what exactly happened to him."

The last part was a mere whisper as she indirectly knew that he was actually alive and walking around the muggle world and even sitting next to her having wrapped his arms around her to give her some sort of comfort.

"You know, you strongly remind me of him."

"When exactly was this last battle?" he asked her in a low voice as not to startle her.

"It was May 2nd, 1998."

At that, the man next to her started thinking very carefully.

"Interesting. My accident was exactly on the same day. Tell me, what was your teacher's name?"

"Snape, his name was Snape."

Now Severus was looking at her bewildered.

"Whilst I don't remember anything that happened in my life before I had my accident, I got told that I didn't have any siblings or living relatives at all. I don't understand that," he said.

"His full name was Severus Tobias Snape and he was born on January 9th 1960."

Now Severus was totally shocked and his face was contorted in disbelief.

"That's not possible. That is my name and birth date. How could that be? Are you really sure about those bits of information?" he asked, wanting her to tell him she was not sure and that maybe it was someone else.

"Positive."

"I can't remember ever having taught anyone anything. What was it that I was teaching if it really is me you are talking about?" he asked in a deadly low voice still not trusting the words the woman next to him just said.

"The people at our school are all special. We have certain abilities normal people don't have. How shall I explain that? Maybe I should just show you. Please, just sit here and watch," she pleaded with him.

Seeing him nod in confirmation she stood up and took out her wand. Hermione pointed it at a book on the faraway shelf and said loudly "Accio book."

Suddenly the book started to move towards her and she caught it but still the sudden movement of the book startled the unsuspecting Severus.

"That's the ability I was talking about. People like us can do magic. The students at Hogwarts are being educated in how to use their abilities as to not put the muggles in danger. You and I are wizards, Severus. You taught me for six years, five of them being in your field of profession you were the most skilled in, namely potions and the other one being the subject you always wanted to teach, Defence against the Dark Arts."

Completely out of his mind Severus looked at her wide-eyed.

After several minutes of complete silence, Severus said: "You mean, I can do this, too? You think I am a wizard?"

"Yes, and probably one of the best ones I've ever seen. I strongly suspect you are even more powerful than Professor Dumbledore himself."

She reclaimed her seat next to him and watched him closely.

"I hope you don't mind my asking, but who is Professor Dumbledore?"

"He was the headmaster that died at the end of my sixth year at school. He was one of the most powerful wizards to ever have existed. He was so powerful that even our enemy, Voldemort, feared him and didn't dare to attack us whilst Dumbledore was alive."

The mere thought of the old headmasters made Hermione go all sad and melancholic.

"Did I have one of those, too?" he asked, pointing his index finger at her wand.

"Yes, every wizard or witch possesses a wand but yours was snapped into two following the course of the battle. If you want to start casting spells again, you have to go to Diagon Ally first and buy a new one," was all she was able to tell him at that moment.

" If you want I can come with you and show you the way. But I believe it to be fundamental to get at least some of your memories back at first before buying you a new wand. Do you have anything that may have been in your life before you lost your memory?"

After thinking for a short while he answered her thoughtfully: "I still got the key to my parent's old house. I even attempted going in once but I couldn't get myself to do it. Something deep inside me told me, that I wasn't happy there and so I went back here without stepping a foot in that house."

I was too scared of what might be in there or of what might have happened there. He added inwardly.

"Do you think you could if someone was there by your side?"

Her brown eyes were looking questioningly at him and he nodded rather slowly.

"I could try but only if the person at my side was you."

Now it was her who looked at him with a questioning look on her face.

"Why me, Severus?"

"Why shouldn't it be you? You are an intelligent and beautiful young lady and you knew me in my old life. I somehow trust you plus you are one of the only social contacts I have. Tell me, why shouldn't it be you?"

She suddenly averted her gaze to the carpeted floor beneath her feet.

"Well, let's just say you and I didn't really get along. While I still was your student you didn't like me and found me to be very annoying. That's why I'm only going to help you if it is your explicit wish."

She answered him in a really small voice without looking at him out of fear that he might see the unshed tears sparkling in her already slightly puffy eyes.

"Please, despite anything I ever did to you or said, I'm sure I didn't mean any of it. I am truly sorry if what I said or did was offensive to you in any way and I hope you can forgive me. I would be very happy and honoured if you would help me."

He pulled her into his chest and wrapped his arms securely around her small petite form once again.

Hermione hadn't felt that loved and secure for years now. She didn't even remember to have ever received a hug like that.

Sure, Molly Weasley did hug her quite often but there was a difference between a mother's hug and the hug of a friend for lack of a better term.

She totally forgot who it was she was sitting on a couch in front of a lit fireplace with and who had her wrapped up in his surprisingly strong arms.

"I was never really mad at you, you did just wound me a few times. It was nothing I wasn't able to forgive you after just a few minutes. As time went by I got used to your remarks and around fifth grade I saw that something was deeply troubling you. In sixth grade, it was even more and I somehow did feel sorry for you and I understood that you just couldn't help yourself. After that night at the end of the sixth year, I noticed that you were broken inside, even more than you ever seemed to be. Everything got explained after the war. It all happened as Dumbledore had planned it and I couldn't forgive myself for not trusting you as I somehow always did deep inside. That was one of the reasons I left the wizarding community. Everything reminded me of all the things you sacrificed to rid our world of that despot. But somehow everything seems to turn out fine in the end," she said whilst snuggling deeper into his chest and unconsciously breathing in his scent.

"How is that?" he wanted to know quietly.

"I know now that I can trust my ability to judge characters and I got to know another side of you. A side probably no one else knows and I found a wonderful friend today. A friend I feel safe with. I haven't felt like that in years."

"I'm glad you feel like that. Say, was I really that bad as a teacher?" he asked with a playful smile on his lips.

"Let's just say that you weren't really the most popular amongst the school's staff. Maybe I can show you some memories someday."

"Do you have time tomorrow?" Severus asked seemingly completely out of the blue after a few seconds of silence.

"Sure, why?"

"If you want we can go to my parents' house?" He asked, hope clearly written all over his face.

"I think that's a great idea. I guess I should go home now. It is rather late," She replied whilst slowly pulling her way out of his arms and going to throw over her coat.

"Wait, I'll go with you. I can't have you running around the city, all alone, with the snow falling like that. I don't want to visit you in hospital tomorrow."

He laughed light-heartedly at her and threw on his own coat. He stuck out his arm for her to take it.

She took a hold of it and he locked the door behind them.

Arm in arm, both of them walked to her apartment. It took them about five minutes as they were merely strolling, not walking.

On their way, they talked about the last years and before long they were standing in front of Hermione's door.

"Meet me tomorrow at ten in the same spot as today, okay?"

He took her into his arms again.

"Sure. I'll see you then," she hugged him back.

"Please, do me a favour and try not to slip again, will you?"

Hermione laughed at that. "I'll try my best. Thank you, Severus. See you tomorrow," she answered and waved at his retreating form.

Right before he went around the next corner, he turned to look back at her and waved her goodbye again.

At that, she turned to her door and went into her flat. She quickly changed her coat and apparated away to go find help for her little quest with Severus.

Moments later she reappeared in front of a small nice looking house in Godric's Hollow.

With quick steps, she walked up to the porch and rang the doorbell.

A few moments later the door opened and a young man with a short stubbly beard and dark messy hair was looking questioningly look at her.

He quickly blinked with his green eyes as if to make sure he was not dreaming.

"How can I help you?" he asked her cautiously.

"Harry, it's me, Hermione. May I speak to you for a moment?"

The green-eyed man in front of her stiffened momentarily and then took a step aside to let her into his homey looking house.

"Is it really you? You were declared to be dead. You were missing for more than two years. What are you doing here? Come on in. it's way too cold outside. Ginny, come down, there's someone here! And please make three teas for us!" he shouted up the stairs.

"Coming!" a woman shouted back from upstairs.

"Please, sit down," he said pointing to the midnight blue couch there.

Only shortly thereafter she found herself seated opposite her friends with a steaming hot cup of tea in hands.

After she explained to them what she did the last two and a half years she said: "The reason I came here is the following. I had a little run-in with someone. Today in the park I slipped on an icy puddle and got caught by someone. He took me home and we drank tea together," she explained.

"Who is he?" Harry hurriedly asked.

"Harry, shut up and let her speak, won't you?"

Ginny smacked him playfully on his arm.

"Right, please go on," answered Harry while rubbing his arm where Ginny had just hit him.

Hermione took a deep breath before answering both of them.

"The one who caught me was Severus."