He seemed to change so dramatically that night. She wasn't sure what had happened, but he suddenly became very controlling and very irritable. Hermione took one look into his eyes that night, and she could even feel a cold shiver run through her body. His warm embrace had suddenly turned cold and demanding, and his gentle hands held onto her like vices.

He seemed to be taking his anger out on her. He took one look at her gentle eyes and he saw white rage. She was dripping wet from the shower, her hair was dripping onto the ground. She shivered and looked at him, sadly.

''Severus, I must go speak with Dumbledore.'' She whispered, after thinking it through.

''You are not going anywhere.'' He said coldly, his back turned away from her.

''You don't understand, I must speak with him.'' She said frantically, fear in her eyes thinking about what might happen if she never got home, back to her time.

''I said, and will not repeat again, you are not going anywhere tonight.'' His bitter voice broke near the end. He was trying to be too much like his father was towards his mother. His mother …

''But Professor-''

''I am NOT a Professor! I don't know where you got this damn idea in your head, but it's really pissing me off, okay? I wouldn't work here, ever. I want to get away from this place, as soon and as far as humanly possible! I hate it here!'' He yelled at her, turning to stare at her. Hermione didn't understand what had angered him so much, so she decided it was best to keep quiet. He moved towards her and grabbed onto his upper arms, staring her coldly in the eyes, she ducked away. He forced her to look at him with his hands and she stared at him tearfully. He was a bastard, he always has been. Hermione always thought Snape wasn't that bad, perhaps something horrible had happened to him, but she was wrong. He had always been a downright bastard.

''Leave me alone!'' She cried and struggled to get away from him, but he was older, and although he was extremely slim he was surprisingly strong.

''You are not going anywhere tonight.'' He said once more and held onto her. She sobbed bitterly and ducked her head. Her shoulders shook violently with her large sobbing. Severus caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror, and it was not him he was seeing. He saw his father, beating his crying mother in front of him and his siblings. The cries of his mother came ringing back into his ears. He let go of Hermione suddenly, who fled to the safety of the bathroom.

Severus sunk to the floor and whispered ''Mother…'' before breaking into rapid sobs.

Hermione flung herself through the door and locked it. Why was he acting like this all of a sudden? He seemed so caring at first … not at all like the Snape she knew. Now he was acting more dangerous than the Snape from her time. She whimpered, knowing that she was not completely safe in that bathroom, and that she would need to come out sooner or later. Her breath soon calmed and she washed her face in cold water and stared at her reflection. No change at all in her face. She was the same as she was 32 in the future. She didn't really expect any change but it was reassurance. She cupped her face in her hands and sighed. What next? She splashed her face once more before rubbing her face in a towel.

''What am I going to do?'' She murmured to herself. Snape wasn't about to let her go to Dumbledore, and she was quite frightened of him and she had only been around him about an hour. She wasn't the seducing type, so she couldn't try that. She might have to just play it cool. She nodded at herself in the mirror and gave herself a little reassurance smile before stepping out of the bathroom.

''Severus, are you still here?'' She called quietly, just in case he was asleep or something, she didn't want to wake him and risk her chance of getting out and finding Dumbledore. She knew that if he was sleeping and she woke him there would be no chance of her getting to him.

''I'm here.'' He said hoarsely, his voice cracking a little at the end of the sentence. She jumped back slightly, seeing him sitting on the sofa. He seemed a little flushed and his eyes were a little red. He couldn't have been crying, could he? Sometimes though, when you get so angry you just start crying and throwing things because you get so frustrated. Hermione had done it once or twice, when she couldn't find something or failed an important test. This brought he back a few years when she was younger … all the way back to the muggle years.

1993

Young, 10 year old Hermione Granger looked around the Lunch Hall of her Primary School. She was leaving tomorrow, because she had been accepted into a special school. She was a witch. She had hints throughout her whole life, but this showed all those strange things that happened when she was angry or upset really were magic!

Hermione Granger wasn't the most popular girl in school, but she had 3 close friends, Emily, Natasha and Kirsten. Hermione spotted them eating at a table and there was an extra seat for her. She hurried over.

''Hey guys!'' Hermione smiled and sat down.

''You can't sit there.'' Emily said spitefully.

''Huh? But I always sit here with you guys.'' Hermione said, confused.

''You're leaving, so maybe you should just go sit by yourself, okay?'' Natasha piped up.

''Yeah.'' Kirsten added.

''But, we can still be friends…'' Hermione stuttered,

''No, we can't. Hermione, none of us like you. Nobody likes you.'' Natasha nodded.

''But you guys are my friends!''

''No, we aren't. Hermione we never liked you. Our parents made us be nice to you.'' Kirsten said, picking at her food.

''But we did all sorts of neat things together, like go to the lake and –''

''Just go away buck teeth.'' Emily snarled,

''Why are you acting like this!'' Hermione started to cry,

''We DON'T like YOU. NOBODY LIKES A SWOT LIKE YOU, OKAY! EVERYBODY TALKS ABOUT YOU BEHINDYOUR BACK AND HAVE SLEEPOVERS WHICH WE DON'T TELL YOU ABOUT. NOBODY WANTS TO BE FRIENDS WITH YOU, JUST GO AWAY!'' Emily yelled, causing other people to look around and stare. Hermione sobbed, wondering why nobody was coming to her defence saying ''we like you Hermione'' or ''Come sit with us Hermione, we're your friends'' but every stayed quiet.

''Fine, but I'll prove you all wrong one day.'' She cried, stood up and tried to run but tripped over her own bag. People laughed, and that laughter followed her.

Hermione ran out of the school grounds towards the woods where she played by herself a lot of the time. She played witches and mythical creatures in there. Her dreams were about to come true! She was a real witch! But nothing really ever worked out. She kept running further and further in, twigs and leaves cracking under her feet, branches grabbing at her hair and trying to hold her back but she kept running. She ran until she crashed into a tall figure, cloaked in black. She sobbed bitterly, and the figure just stood stunned for a moment, before asking her,

''What's wrong?'' in a husky tone.

''Nobody likes me.'' She sobbed, finding it hard to breathe.

''….There's bound to be somebody out there for you.'' He had whispered to her, giving her little comfort.

''No… Nobody likes a buck tooth swot like me.'' She had cried.

''… I did … a long time ago.'' Was their reply. Hermione looked up at the figure, who stared down at her. It was quite dark so it was hard to make out his facial features, but his hair was shoulder length, and straight and his nose was … hooked.

''You did?''

''Yes, I did. But … they disappeared.'' He whispered, before walking away from her, she called after him, but he didn't turn around or answer her.

''WAIT!'' She called but his reply was,

''You'll find him soon enough, Hermione.''

1965

Hermione gasped. The comforting figure that day was Snape. He knew all along that she would end up in the past, but how? Well, of course he knew because he had lived through it already, but how did he recognize her? He hadn't seen her that young before, had he? Perhaps she didn't change much. But … what did he mean by he liked her? She stared at the boy in front of her. Surely … He didn't like her. The cruelty he just put her through… Perhaps the relationship just had to build up on trust. But she didn't trust him.

''You're back.'' He stated.

''Yes, the bathroom isn't very comfortable.'' She tried to make a joke, but it wasn't a very good one.

Severus nodded slowly, staring quietly into the fireplace. Hermione watched him with great interest. This boy would be her Potions Master, but he insists he wants to get far away from Hogwarts. Why? She knew Severus Snape wasn't the most popular boy; it was quite obvious due to his short temper and sarcastic tone. He looked pretty much the same as he will do in the future, only so much different. His skin is wrinkle and stress line free, his eyes seem much fuller of life and his hair is much better kept. It's a wonder how the older Severus Snape isn't greying already thanks to Harry and Ron. She smiled and decided perhaps she should try to get along with him, until morning. Then she will have to find Dumbledore, she couldn't hold it off for too long.

''What day is it?'' She asked him causing his head to look up at her. Such sadness in his eyes…

''It's Wednesday.'' He said, in a toneless manner.

''So, you have lessons tomorrow?'' She asked, trying not to sound hopeful.

''Yes, though first period is a free period.'' He nodded slowly.

''Oh, you will be studying then?''

''I don't study. I invent.''

''You invent what exactly?''

''Never mind, I think it's time we both went to bed. It's past the 11th hour.''

''11th hour…?'' She then realised he meant 11 o'clock. They do talk differently…

''Yes, you shall be sleeping in my bed.'' He said, keeping his eyes on the fire.

''Oh…'' She said quietly, before following him to his dorm. His room was large, and the sheets were green and silver silk, due to the fact he was Slytherin. The walls were decorated in green and silver, and there was a large desk with parchment and ink wells. A large window with a seat bench was on the end of the room. She looked to see it was raining gently. It fitted her mood perfectly. Severus studied his room, and it showed how proud he was to be a Slytherin. If he hadn't, who knows what his father would have done. He nodded slightly at Hermione.

''Good night.'' He undressed in front of her, she had to look away to keep from blushing. He put on strange nightclothes, just a night shirt to be honest. She crawled into his large bed, staying near the edge so she didn't get too close. But her plan failed, he moved right next to her and put his arm around her protectively.

''Night…'' She whispered uncomfortably before closing her eyes.

Severus lay awake for an hour after Hermione dozed off. He slept very little due to the fact he was always working on spells he invented. He loved to sleep though.

In his dreams his mother would hold him and keep him safe, sing to him and make him feel like a child again. His mother was truly beautiful. She called him her little prince, as he was the youngest boy of the family. He didn't mingle with his siblings, only to be bullied by them. He clung to his mother like a second shadow but she loved Severus more than the world. She told him stories at night and sung him to sleep. How he missed her, it was almost unbearable. He was only 10 when it happened. He remembers it all too clearly. He couldn't bear to think of her like that. In his mind she was waiting for him in her room, where he could run to her, her arms open to hold him and whisper all sort of magical things to him. He was so small then … He believed she would live forever. But that wish never came true. When his mother died, his spirit went with her.

He believed that she was waiting for him to come to her, and he was all too willing to go to her. He dreamt of being with his mother, as a small child again. She danced with him and sang him songs about dragons and all the things Severus loved. She knew him all so well, and he thought he knew her too. She had promised Severus she would never leave him, but she lied. She took her own life, but was driven by his father.

Thinking of his mother always made him weep and hate himself. He should have tried to help her instead of being the stupid child he was. He held onto his mother's memory as if frightened to let go, as if he would forget her completely.

Whenever it rained, he remembered that awful day when she left him. He remembered holding onto his older siblings hands, crying for his mother. Demanding she come to him right now. Telling everybody she wasn't gone, she would never leave him. He remembered that was the first time him and his siblings felt heavy hearts and relied on each other. They soon drifted apart again. Severus became a shadow of the boy he once was. The smiling happy boy sitting on his mothers lap.

''I'll never leave you, my little Prince.''

-

Awww, I feel so bad about this chapter. I want to hug the chibi Severus! I hope you cried as much as I did!