Prologue

In the years to come, neither would remember the exact turning pint for their feelings toward one another but they would each undoubtedly never forget the roads they traveled to reach the life they had together now. It is a story worthy of retelling.

Hermione Granger was sitting comfortably in the old wingback chair in the library at Grimmauld Place researching her newest project saving Harry during the final battle. She was looking for ways to hide Harry to get him to the final fight intact and hopefully unscathed. She could only hope that what she was coming up with would be exactly what they needed for him to survive. She had found an invisibility potion, in a rare worn text in the library and had copied all of the information that was with it in the book. There were some other useful sounding potions but she did not know whether or not they would be needed.

The summer between her fifth and sixth year was reaching its mid point when she finally decided to give up on Ron and his feelings for her. Sure she felt something for him but not what she would describe as boyfriend material feelings. She felt now that she had more of a brotherly connection with the boy that was sitting beside her. She knew that he would never grow up and that he would never reach the maturity level she desperately needed in her life. It did not help anything when she knew that she was beginning to feel something more for her potions professor sitting across the room than she did for the boy she thought she would be marrying.

There was a generalized meeting set for the order that afternoon and Hermione was waiting for supper to come around she had all of her summer homework completed and had even read all of the texts for the next year. So with nothing else to do, she watched the object of her recent new found feelings. He sat there in the other wingback chair by the fireplace sipping at some tea and reading a tome from the extensive library. She could not read the title but it held his attention. He sat there almost relaxed as he turned the pages in silent contemplation.

She had been thoroughly convinced that there was more to the man than met the eye. She knew that he had to have some feelings other than that of complete hatred and contempt for everything that existed. Yet she had not physically seen him display anything other than that hatred. She silently wondered what had caused all of that hatred but she was afraid of what the answer might be.

As she pondered the many facts that she knew about the man sitting there, she silently categorized all of the information into pros and cons to what a potential relationship might be like with the man in black. The results, while he had many flaws, proved to be something that she was willing to accept should the opportunity present itself. As he departed the room bound for the meeting, she did not know that the opportunity that she was looking for would present itself very soon.

Hermione had gathered her books and taken them back to her room that she shared with Ginny just before supper was announced and quickly made her way to the kitchen to join the rest of the order staying for the meal. Professor Snape had declined the invitation and had left as soon as the meeting had concluded. Hermione could only guess what had caused the extreme aggravation that radiated off of him as he exited the room and slammed the main door as he left 

Grimmauld Place. She sat down next to the twins and tucked into the stew that had been set before her when professor Dumbledore entered the room. "Miss Granger, While you are here this summer the Order would like to ask you to help with the brewing of the order potions required. Professor Snape needs the assistance." He said. There was no kind suggestion. He just simply ordered it to be done. Hermione sat there in shock as to what that might entail but she was completely off as to what it would actually entail.