Never Enough Time

By Oniko

Created by J. K. Rowling.

Ch. 1 The Ephemeris

Miss Granger, may I have a word with you?" Minerva McGonagall asked after she released the sixth-year Gryffindor/Slytherin class.

"Of course Professor." Hermione waved on Ron and Harry with a promise to meet at lunch.

"I believe I have solved the problem of your tutoring schedule." Mcgonagall smiled at her and pulled out a small time-turner like the one she had used in her third year. Hermione reflexively took a step back.

"Professor, are you sure that's a good idea." Hermione asked. "My third year…"

"Was entirely a case of too much work and too little sleep, I am sure. I have assured the Headmaster that you are older and wiser and will use the thing responsibly this time." Hermione bit back a retort at the inherent irony in that statement. "And really the younger students need the help, it should only be a few hours a week for those completely conflicting schedules." So that's what this was about. Gryffindor's star chasers were failing potions, and charms, and everything except transfig. The trio of fourth-year hellions whined about their taxing practice schedules when the only slot she could cram a study group in was right after quiddich practice. Poor babies couldn't screw around with the rest of the team afterwards anymore. She frowned but didn't bother pointing out that the boys would be fine if they just applied themselves. They were too lazy, that was the problem. And now if they didn't pull their grades up by the end of term, off the team for them. Which threatened Gryffindor's six-year winning streak since Ravenclaw had a decent team this year with their new seeker pulling the snitch out from under Harry's nose a time or two in practice. There was no arguing with McGonagall and quiddich. So she did the only that she could. "Fine, when is the new study group?"

McGonagall smiled at her "That's a dear, I knew I could count on you. I was thinking…" Hermione rolled her eyes at McGonagall's back as she pulled out a modified schedule. Not too bad a couple extra hours a week, she even scheduled in an extra hour of "free time" Thursday evening. Hermione accepted the time-turner and new schedule with considerably more grace then she was currently feeling. Her new plans for this evening was a two-hour slot with the chasers-from-hell in the potions lab while she was holed up in the library on charms at opposite ends of the school. Of course, keep her two "selves" as far away from each other as possible.

Harry and Ron were decidedly not sympathetic. She should have known better, really. They were just as quiddich mad as McGonagall. She fumed her way through Ancient Runes and her charms project. She decided to stall as long as possible and played a game of chess with Ron in the Gryffindor common room before heading on to her new study group using the time-turner. In the potions classroom she leaned against the speaker's podium and closed her eyes, letting the cool air of the dungeons calm her frazzled nerves.

"Miss Granger?" Snape. Lovely. She just needed his acid wit to make her day compete. She opened her eyes reluctantly and turned to him.

"Yes, Professor?"

He hesitated a moment before speaking. "Professor McGonagall informed me that you would be using this room for a study session." She nodded briefly. And he folded his arms glaring at her "Mind you, this entire fiasco is against my better judgment. I am holding you personally responsible anything that occurs within this room for the evening and if I find a single thing out of place…"

"Professor," She cut him off and inched the bridge of her nose hoping to stave off the headache she could feel coming on. "For the record, this was entirely against my better judgment as well. As this is intended to only be a study sessions we will not be performing practicals in either charms or potions so nothing should befall your classroom. And as for your yet unspoken paranoia about your precious storeroom, please by all means, take what ever steps you deem necessary and leave me out of it."

"Five points from Gryffindor for your cheek, Miss Granger." Snape said as he stalked out without a backwards glance.

"Yes, sir." She snarled at his back. The terrible trio was five minutes late. As annoying as it was she was relieved at the opportunity to calm herself before facing them. At ten minutes, she was calm, centered and feeling better then she had been all day. At 15 minutes any good feelings had evaporated. At thirty none of her books held her interest and she paced the classroom wishing she could go to bed but no, because she had fooled around playing chess with Ron she couldn't go to either the library or Gryffindor without risking running into herself. So she was trapped in the dungeon for two hours. She sat down and buried her head in her arms at her usual seat in the classroom. There must be some way to get those hours back, but she only knew how to turn back a few hours. To make matter worse she only brought what she needed for an evening of studying, maybe she brought a few extra books, but none of them was what she wanted or needed at the moment. She checked the clock again, one hour and twenty minutes to go. "Today sucks." She murmured as she fell asleep.

"-nger. Miss Granger! Fifteen points from Gryffindor if you do not wake up this instant and tell me what you are still doing here." Snape, again. She knuckled her eyes, as they were gummy from sleep.

"What time is it?" She attempted to ask it came out rather slurred.

"Well past curfew, even for you Miss Granger." She stared at him as her half asleep brain processed the information. The little buggers never showed. Or if they did they found her asleep and left her in the dungeons, and she wasn't sure which prospect was worse. She was going to kill them.

"In that case I would advise you to dispose of the bodies discreetly, but being a Gryffindor such advise would probably be lost on you." Snape observed with a superior smirk. Hermione's hand flew to her mouth.

"I did not just say that out loud."

"Yes, Miss Granger. I'm afraid you did. Now come along. Lets get you back to Gryffindor."

"I can find my way." She objected, rising unsteadily to her feet.

"Of course you can." He said condescendingly. "And Filch can find you in an hour curled up in the Main Hall."

He walked with her, letting her set the pace but keeping her moving and helping her when she stumbled. At the Fat Lady's portrait they paused and she blinked at it trying to remember the password. Snape just snarled something about needing to speak to McGonagall and portrait swung open. Hermione frowned at this, he was a Slytherin and Slytherins weren't allowed in Gryffindor. "I am a professor, Miss Granger, and it is a simple matter of courtesy that I do not enter Gryffindor, not that I cannot." She blinked at him. "Oh for heaven's…to your room with you."

In the end she wasn't entirely sure how she got there but she woke up the next morning under the covers but still in the previous day's uniform with the time-turner's chain strangling her. At least she had the presence of mind to kick off her shoes before getting into bed, as they were not on her feet. With further inspection she discovered them placed neatly side-by-side next to the bed. She yawned and wriggled out of her uniform without leaving the warmth of the sheets and she settled in for a wonderfully late morning. She didn't have class until after lunch, then astronomy after dinner and an extra free hour during astronomy with the time turner.

The time-turner. Of course she couldn't laze about she had to make sure last night wouldn't repeat itself. She fumbled for her book bag briefly before diving back for the warmth and modesty of the thick Gryffindor-red covers. And here it is, a very battered little scroll with miniscule black letter writing and the usual tendency of instructions everywhere of using lots of words to say very little. It didn't really answer her problem directly but one question in the trouble shooting section stuck out at her. I'm in the wrong century, how did I get here? How do I get back? Check the ephemeris for the correct date and compare planetary positions with the Temporal Locator, adjust manually as necessary. (see Temporal Locator 3.5.12, manual settings 12.6.21, ephemeris 37.15.5.)

"Huh? Ephemeris?" she muttered to herself pawing through the pile of books taking up most of the space on her bed. "Dictionary, here dictionary. Here you are."

Dilandra's Magical Dictionary one of her standard references, almost as useful as Hogwarts- A History. She opened the thick book and pointed to a blank page. "Ephemeris."

She watched as golden glowing letters in Dilandra's elegant scrip danced along the page before settling themselves into a small entry and darkening to a soft sepia. Ephem-er-is, noun, Greek, a tabular statement of the assigned places of a celestial body for regular intervals.

"So what does that have to do with the time-turner?" She asked to no one. A habit that usually drove her roommates batty but that she couldn't seem to break. She unfurled the time-turner scroll a little more, a lot more, and checked out the 'ephemeris' entry. The entry itself consisted of massive columns cross-referencing planets and dates and further lumped together by location. She found the listings themselves, however, to be completely incomprehensible symbols followed by apparently random numbers interspersed with degrees or minute marks. Interestingly only the outer planets were listed and it took her a few moments to find an explanation. This information will keep you within an era that has access to a more complete ephemeris, if needed please check a local library, either Magical or Muggle.

"Well, I will definitely do that." She said while rolling the scroll up to read an earlier entry. The Temporal Locator can be found on the bottom surface of the time-turner… She fished the object in question out of her clothes and flipped it over. On the bottom surface there was a number of small beads with the symbols of the planets set into concentric circular tracks. The outer edge didn't have any little beads but was divided up into twelve even segments marked with arcane symbols and was further scored with dozens lines of uneven but regular lengths like a ruler. In the very center was a… well, it looked like a screw for a Phillips screwdriver but that couldn't possibly be right. She turned back to the scroll and continued reading. Apparently, the locator used the position of the planets to determine when you are supposed to be and they could be manually adjusted by turning the hourglass, which moved the markers back one hour per revolution or by moving the beads around. She poked at the little beads, they didn't move.

"Weird." She said, but her stomach decided to interrupt her and growled loudly. Time to get up and get the day started. On the bright side it couldn't get any worse then yesterday. She mused as she got dressed and made her way to the Great Hall. Of course, she may have spoken too soon. Her appearance caused a bit of a stir among the Gryffindors. As she sat down Ron kicked her hard under the table.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"Did you see the points we lost last night?" Ron demanded. "One hundred and twenty-five all told between Snape and McGonagall."

"Hey, at most I lost twenty." She said, "I don't know were the rest came from."

"Twenty?" Harry asked through a mouthful of food.

"Yeah, why?"

"Snape just has you down for five."

"Oh, the other fifteen must've just been a threat." She said and snatched some food from a plate passing by, catching some of the glances being sent her way she finally asked "What?"

One of the chaser-brats decided to put her out of her misery. "If you hadn't ratted on us to Snape we wouldn't have lost any."

"Look, I didn't say anything to Snape." I don't think. "He found me in the potions room, where you were supposed to be, last night and escorted me back to Gryffindor, end of story. Whatever happened it's not my fault."

"If we loose the House Cup this year it will be." Someone yelled.

"Screw the House Cup we won't even see the Quiddich Cup." Someone else added. What little food she had managed to eat turned into a heavy lump in her stomach during her impromptu persecution. She threw her fork down with a resounding clang on her plate and stalked out of the Great Hall, fighting tears. Stupid jocks, why couldn't I have been sorted into Ravenclaw.

When her blurred vision cleared she found herself wandering the stacks of the library and she had already missed the first ten minutes of Magical Cultures with Professor Binns, strangely she couldn't find the energy to care. She frowned, that almost worried her, she could always lose herself in studies. Her wandering steps brought her past the card catalogue, she was looking for something wasn't she? Oh, yes.

"Ephemeris." She spoke clearly and within moments the small rolodex spit out a little card with tiny detailed print. Aelrick's Ephemeris for the Ages; Hogwarts ed.; Divination, Astrology, Astronomy, Reference; seven copies two checked out one missing; Main Circulation, Reference. She took the card and made a little face at it.

"I hate Divination." She said before heading off to the one area of the library that she had never before willingly set foot in. And, yes, it was as bad as she feared. Soothing blue was crammed next to power red with titles like Opening the Inner Eye in 13 Magical Steps or Past Life Regression through Meditation. Brainless topics in blinding colors. No wonder Lavender and Parvati loved this section. They could check out books to match their dress robes. Luckily for her sanity the ephemeredes were located at the very beginning of the section. They were massive tomes bound in sensible age-worn brown leather and covered with a promising layer of dust. She grabbed one and retreated to her favorite study nook. It was located in the back of the library between History and Languages. A window with a lovely southern exposure looked out onto the grounds and the Forbidden Forest. It let in sunlight that warmed the two overstuffed chairs and dark-stained table. There was even a candelabra for late night studying.

Within moments she had her time-turner research spread out across the table and was engrossed in the introduction of the ephemeris. She worked through class and by the time dinner rolled around she had plowed through several books on astrology and could probably read a birth-chart better then Trelawney. Of course, Crookshanks could read a birth-chart better then Trelawney so that wasn't saying much. Hermione couldn't figure out why the woman had to make it seem so… idiotic. Astrology actually made sense as these authors explained it. It was simply that planets and stars exerted a certain influence on individuals there was nothing mystical or dramatic about it. But that was all a side issue, the important thing was that she learned how to interpret the Temporal Locator.

It was basically a geo-centric map of the solar system. The screw-like thing was actually the symbol for the planet Earth and was the central activation key for manually inputting a destination time. Simply unlock with a little twist, re-order the stars, twist the lock back on and the time-turner would whisk it's carrier away to the time when the planets where in that precise position. All in all it was probably a good thing that she hadn't figured this out in her third year. But when did she want to go? She was stuck at Hogwarts and Hogsmeade as the time-turner only moved through time any spatial movement would have to be done the old fashioned way, walking. Hmm, the Founding would be interesting, although this ephemeris only listed dates between 1500-2000 so she's have to go get another volume if she wanted to go any further back in time. It was then that her conscience finally kicked in.

This time-turner was for school purposes only. Going back decades or centuries for sightseeing was wrong. Never mind the potential disaster of cross-time contamination or possible paradoxes. She worried her lip between her teeth as she worried the problem in her mind. On the other hand, those so called "school purposes" weren't all that pristine. It was just so those ungrateful brats could get a tutor. Why couldn't she have some fun, do something wild and crazy for a change instead of getting dragged into it kicking and screaming by Ron or Harry as usual.

Decisively she shut the thick ephemeris and balanced it on its spine before letting it fall open. Her dramatic gesture was completely lost on the book, which instead of complying started to roll over onto its front cover. Its only saving grace was that her fingers caught on some of the pages. A couple were fanned over before settling somewhere towards the end of the book. October 1978. Twenty years ago. Well, it was a start.

She already had today's information worked out from when she trying to decipher the Temporal Locator so she was set for coming back. She snagged a clean piece of parchment and began jotting down notes for her destination. The excitement of the impending adventure was starting to get to her and she hummed happily as she planned out her little trip, completely forgetting the trouble that had chased her into the library in the first place.

By the time her astronomy class had started she was ready to go, but not to class. She decided to bring along the ephemeris and Basic Astrology along with the scattered reams of notes she made just in case something went wrong. And she discovered, or rather re-discovered since she had forgotten since her third year, problem number one of time-travel. You can only take what you can carry, and you need both hands to work the time-turner. She could run back to get her bag, but she was too excited, she wanted to do this right now. So she crouched down in the corner as far out of the traffic-flow pattern as possible. That was another lesson from her third year experiences, traveling in on top of somebody made for a new and awkward variant of being splinched. She balanced herself precariously on her heels with the books and papers in her lap. She pulled the time-turner out from under her shirt and a mangled quill from her hair. With the quill tip she carefully unlocked the time-turner and pushed the beads around to their correct degrees and minutes, and with one last little prayer she twisted the lock back on and was instantly engulfed in darkness.

Blindly, she tucked the time turner back into her shirt and waited for her eyes to adjust. It shouldn't be dark so something must've gone wrong and she didn't want to try casting magic until she figured out what exactly. She was just beginning to make out the forms of the bookshelves around her when a smooth, low voice came out of the darkness. "Well, what have we here? A little Gryffindor out of bed?"

"Professor?" She yelped, and lost her balance. She fell back onto her tailbone and rapped her head against the wall. Her books and notes scattered from her lap.

"No, but I could get you one if you like. Lumos," The small candelabra on the table lit up illuminating the harsh features of Severus Snape. She held the back of her head and blinked up at him through the flashing spots in her eyes. He was dressed in the school uniform with the Slytherin House crest and a Prefects badge pinned to his chest. She stared at him dumbfounded as he knelt down as started picking up her scattered notes. "What's this?"

"A- er- a project." She muttered vaguely, and winced. Okay, next time come up with good cover story first. He gave a look of disgust at the astrology book. "Divination?"

She fidgeted a bit, she was a terrible liar and she knew it. But the truth would get her into so much trouble. So, stall, maybe he would move on to another, less treacherous topic. So she mustered all the contempt for the subject that she felt and said. "I hate divination."

"Right. So why are you sneaking into the library, in the middle of the night mind you, doing homework for a class you hate?" Of course, she really should have seen that one coming. What is it that Ron said to do next? Ah, yes. Diversion.

"Well, you see, I have this test in potions tomorrow…" Completely true, aside from the inherent complexities of when exactly 'tomorrow' was, and completely unrelated. According to Harry and Ron he should make the intervening connections for her and she won't be technically lying. Although, why she was taking their advise she will never know they get caught half the time anyways. He nodded and set her stuff on the table before helping her to stand. "I know Figg can be an anal retentive bitch in class… what? She's my Head of House… but you really shouldn't let her get to you like that. Not to the point where you're sneaking into the library at-" he checked the clock "quarter to midnight to do homework for your other classes."

She was still staring at him in shock, Snape accusing someone else of being anal retentive? When the rest of what he said sunk in. Quarter to midnight? She was aiming for seven o'clock. Did she even get the right day? She grabbed her quill and started scribbling notes down on her diagram and asked absently "What is the date?"

"Considering that you are the one with the cracked skull shouldn't I be asking you that?" She stared at him wide-eyed. She really needed to stop thinking aloud, especially around Snape. He smirked at her and said slowly as if speaking to an idiot. "October sixteenth, nineteen seventy-eight."

She bristled a bit at his attitude, but thought better of actually saying anything. It wouldn't do to look a gift horse in the mouth after all. She wrote that down and compared it with her target date, October twentieth at seven o'clock. She chewed her lip and tried to work out where exactly she made the mistake. She was so absorbed by her puzzle that she had completely forgotten about Severus Snape until he leaned forward to look over her shoulder. She jumped again and turned to look at him, he was regarding her with a curious glint in his eyes. "It's just- um- been one of those days, you know? I can't remember if it's Thursday or Friday."

"It's Monday."

"See, my point exactly." She winced, she sounded like such a flake. But she wrote that information down too. Snape suddenly snatched the parchment from her and tucked it into the ephemeris ignoring her protests. He picked up the books she brought with her and turned away. "C'mon, let's get you back to Gryffindor."

Dejavu, anyone? "I can get there on my own."

"Sure you can." He said condescendingly. "Look, you probably have a concussion and I should be walking you to the Hospital Wing. You're lucky I'm pressed for time and Gryffindor's closer."

"I do not have a concussion." She objected. "I know what a concussion feels like, I've had them before. And believe me this is not it."

He rolled his eyes. "You're a Gryffindor it goes without saying that you've been soundly knocked on your head before. Have your roommates wake you up every hour on the hour, just in case."

"I'm fine. Now if you'll give me my books back…"

"Promise me."

She blinked. "That I'm fine? Sure."

"No," he said, patiently. "That you'll get your roommates to keep an eye on you."

Where is he going with this? She wondered "Why?"

He sighed. "If you die in your sleep from your own Gryffindor-ish stupidity. I will find myself with saddled with muscle-bound Gryffindor idiots blustering and threatening me as the Slytherin involved." Every time he said "Gryffindor" he stressed the word heavily making it sound like something vile.

"I am not going to die in my sleep. I'm fine."

"Promise."

"Why should you believe any promise that I make?" She tried another tactic.

"Because you're a Gryffindor."

Okay, he has a point there, and he likely wasn't going to give up. "Fine."

"What?"

"I promise to have someone wake me every hour." She said growling slightly.

"See that wasn't so hard." He smiled. He had a nice boyish smile that completely transformed his features into something… she hesitated to say handsome, but nice, very nice. They continue walking through the empty school in silence. She kept on trying to sneak glances at him to compare to the older version that stalked the dungeons but it was growing increasingly difficult to do so unnoticed as he kept giving her sidelong looks as well. "If you're having trouble in Potions…"

"Oh, no. It's not a problem. It's just that I like to be absolutely sure of myself. Especially before a test."

"I know what you mean. I get downright paranoid myself, even when I know the subject, like potions." He laughed at something he saw in her expression. "Yes, I know potions. The rumors regarding my allegedly blowing up the Slytherin dorm in my fifth year is mostly unfounded."

She couldn't help but smile. "Mostly?"

"Yes, mostly." He proceeded to regale her with tales of potions explosions, both accidental and orchestrated, that left her laughing and out of breath despite her throbbing head. She accused him of torturing her and told him a few stories of Neville's creative potion making skills that she had saved her class from time and again. That conversation segued into one comparing what potions they had brewed that was not on the syllabus. When he mentioned brewing poly-juice last year she made a derisive sound. "Oh, please, I brewed that in my second year."

Oh, shit. Her brain very belatedly caught up with her mouth and reminded her that this was Severus Snape, her potions professor, that she was blithely telling about illegal potion brewing.

"You did not." He sounded impressed.

Oh, well, in for a penny in for a pound. "Yep and it worked too, mostly."

"Mostly? How do you get poly-juice to mostly work?"

"Well, you see, I had to brew three doses. The first two worked fine. But the third one, mine incidently, had some cat fur mixed up in the hair sample." He groaned appropriately. "And I spent a month in the hospital wing with fur and a tail." They both laughed at the mental image. It was the first time Hermione had been able to even think of the incident without a sharp sense of acute embarrassment and failure. As their laughter died away they reached the Fat Lady's portrait and she found herself wishing for some more tome to talk with this younger Severus Snape. It was so nice to not have to talk down to someone or have them blow her off as a snotty know-it-all. They stared at each other in an increasingly awkward silence.

"Well?" He finally asked.

"'Well' what?" She conceded nothing.

"Aren't you going to open the door?" Considering that I have no clue what the password now is; no, not anytime soon. She merely raised an eyebrow and looked at him. He made a strange face and handed her her books. "Right. Well, here you are. Good luck with your test."

"Thanks." She turned to look at the expectantly waiting portrait.

"Um, hey." Snape called, she looked back to see that he was almost around the corner before turning back. "Are you going to the game Saturday?"

"What game?" She asked.

"The Gryffindor/Slytherin match, of course." He said sounding exasperated. "Are you sure you didn't hit your head harder then you think?"

"Oh, for the last time, I'm fine." She was considering how to answer his first question when she realized that he was flirting with her. That he, in fact, had been flirting with her the entire walk to Gryffindor. And she was flirting back. She was flirting with Severus Snape. Ron and Harry were never going to believe this. "I don't know why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering." He said with artful dismissive ness. "It's not common knowledge yet but I dueled for Slytherin Seeker, and won. Saturday's my first game."

"Oh, well, probably not then." She said…did he look, hurt? "'Cause, then I would have to cheer for Gryffindor." I did not just say that! "But I practically live in the library, so maybe I'll see you around."

He smiled at her, that bright boyish smile. "Right, see you around then."

She waited until he was gone for good before pulling out the time-turner and her notes. Definitely going to be visiting here later, but for now, to home and to bed. Hopefully she could get Harry to sit with her. Ron was probably still mad, and there was no point in asking Lavender or Parvati, they would just moan and gripe about missing their beauty sleep.

... ... ...

Severus Snape walked back to the library after escorting the Gryffindor girl back to Gryffindor Tower and fought the silly-stupid grin that he could feel threatening to break out on his face. It was amazing. A girl, a Gryffindor at that, with something that passes for a brain underneath all that hair. Unless she knocks herself completely silly one of these days. And that hair, soft waves of mahogany pinned in a messy yet strangely elegant French twist with quills of all things. He wondered if she was even aware that the ink-soaked quills had left streaks of black staining her curls. She-

"Oh, Sev. You are an idiot." He groaned and slapped himself on the forehead. He didn't get the girl's name, it completely slipped his mind. Briefly he debated going back to Gryffindor to ask but he couldn't honestly come up with a scenario that didn't wind up making Crabbe look like Witch Weekly's Bachelor of the Year. Oh, well. I'm late enough as it is.

"Where the hell have you been?" Lucius Malfoy Hissed after Severus closed the library door behind him.

"Sorry, Prefect duties. Unless you want to be discovered by goody-goody Gryffindors."

Goyle patted his wand. "Let them come."

"Don't be any more of an idiot then you already are." Lucius snapped. "Do you want Figg, or worse McGonagall, breathing down out necks? Good work Snape. Now lets get going. Lord Voldemort doesn't like to be kept waiting."

... ... ...

AN: Well I hope I didn't bore anyone. Please tell me what you think criticism welcome, especially the constructive kind.

.