Chapter 6
Chapter 6 of 16
SubversaAfter the fall of Voldemort, an inexplicable illness plagues the surviving Death Eaters. Albus Dumbledore has a plan to save Severus Snape—but how, exactly, is Hermione Granger involved?
This Time
Chapter 6
Try to understand that I'm
Trying to make a move just to stay in the game
I try to stay awake and remember my name
But everybody's changing
And I don't feel the same.
Everybody's Changing - Keane
Severus was surprised...appalled, really...at the ease with which he fell into the routine of being a seventh-year Gryffindor boy. After a turbulent childhood, in which he had never known what would happen from one day to the next, the steady, day-in, day-out happenings of Hogwarts had been the best thing to ever happen to him. Now, twenty years after having left school the first time, he found himself comforted, as before, by the sameness of the days.
Even more surprising, he found that he liked the Gryffindors. The silly sods accepted Adin at face value...accepted him as he presented himself to them, and they didn't seem to give a second thought to his motives. He neither had to hide his agenda from them...they didn't suspect him of having one...nor worry that they were planning behind his back to sabotage him in some way. What he had thought of them as their teacher...that they were a group of thoughtless, arrogant dunderheads...now, from the vantage point of their peer, seemed much more as if they were a group of spontaneously friendly people. Knowing that they had all taken up their wands and stood to fight for the Light only increased his esteem.
Feeling differently about the lot of them was quite unsettling, but in a pleasant sort of way which he was learning to appreciate.
On the next Saturday morning, he returned from breakfast to encounter all of the seventh-year boys in the common room. 'What's up?' he murmured to Thomas.
'Oh, we all go to Quidditch try-outs,' Thomas explained rather tensely. 'With Harry as captain, all of the positions are open for try-outs every year...even if you're already on the team, you still have to try out...if there's a better player, then you can lose your place.'
Severus went up to his dormitory to retrieve his Nimbus, wondering whose position he would be taking and hoping it was not someone who was particularly good at jinxes. 'Better safe than sorry,' he murmured as he set off down the stairs, and he cast a low-level Shield Charm on himself, just in case.
The weather, in just one week, had gone from summer to autumn, the air sharp, the leaves on the trees of the Forbidden Forest beginning to turn colours. Severus walked along with his broom on his shoulder, wondering why he was doing this. He was supposed to be here to find a counter-curse for the one the Dark Lord had put in his Dark Mark, not to befriend Hermione Granger, be a relationship counsellor to Ronald Weasley, and try out for the Gryffindor Quidditch team!
On the other hand, Granger was bloody beguiling...certainly worth having for a friend...and someone had to listen to Weasley moan and groan, because Potter wasn't doing it. He was far too busy smuggling Ginevra into and out of his room unnoticed ... at least, unnoticed by her brother.
And the Quidditch team?
Severus scowled. He had never owned a broomstick of his own until he was out of school, and in his student days, one could not try out for a House team without owning a broom...least of all for the Slytherin House team, where most of the students were pure-blood and moneyed. He had never before had the opportunity to even try for acceptance, much less for the kind of popularity enjoyed by the students selected to play for their House's Quidditch team.
Why the fuck do you care? the adult Severus demanded. You're here for a reason! Stay the course! Keep your mind on your work!
I care because I bloody wellchoose to care...and I don't give a Niffler's nuts what you think or how you feel about it! Seventeen-year-old Adin answered with youthful insolence, hurrying along to the pitch, ready to try out, at the personal invitation of the team captain, for the position of Beater.
Standing with the other hopefuls on the pitch, Severus pushed the voice of his scornful adult self out of his mind and waited for his turn to fly, his palms sweating.
'Beaters!' Potter called, when the Chasers had completed their trials. 'You'll fly with the three Chasers for your trials. You'll be judged on how well you protect the Chasers from the Bludgers and how well you hit the Bludgers. Kick off when I call your name!'
Jimmy Peake, one of the Beaters from the previous year, was the first to fly, and Severus let his gaze wander back to the stands. Granger was there, her face rosy from the nip of the air, her ridiculous hair even more impossible whilst being tossed about by the breeze. She was flanked by Józsa and Longbottom, with the bench before them occupied by Brown and Patil. One disadvantage of being seventeen was his unfortunate but undeniable interest in the appearance of the female students. Brown was conventionally pretty, if empty headed, and Patil was exotically beautiful, but Granger was the one who drew his eye. There was something about her...the intelligence that gleamed in her pretty brown eyes or the way she spoke about important things with such focussed intensity...which he found fascinating. How many females had he encountered in his life who possessed the ability to keep up with him...to overtake you and make you feel stupid! the disregarded voice in his head taunted...whilst still managing to be feminine?
And what would it be like to have that intense focus concentrated on him?
'Prince!'
'Adin!' Granger called. 'It's your turn!'
Severus jerked his attention away from Granger, who smiled broadly as he turned from her, and encountered the knowing grin on Potter's face. 'You're up, mate,' Potter said.
'Right,' Severus muttered, kicking off.
'Good luck, Adin!' several voices called, but he did not look to see who was rooting for him.
Severus hurtled into the air, beginning to weave amongst the Chasers, his focus on the black Bludgers zooming about the pitch. He swung the bat in his hand, feeling the complete satisfaction as he contacted the Bludger squarely and sent it flying away from Ginevra Weasley, swooping immediately to intercept the Bludger pelting for Demelza Robins, and then looping back to whack the whizzing Bludger away from Thomas, who promptly scored a goal.
'Brilliant, Adin!' Thomas whooped, but Severus didn't have time to rest on his laurels, because one of the Bludgers was now menacing the Robins girl again ...
His try-out lasted for no longer than ten minutes, but by his count, he hit sixteen Bludgers during that time and 'his' Chasers were never inconvenienced.
'Good job, Adin,' Potter called to him, wearing now a completely different grin...this time, he looked ... impressed.
That was bloody impossible.
Severus flew down, giddy with accomplishment and so light of heart that he didn't even feel like himself. As he approached the people on the ground, he glanced at the stands and saw all five of the seventh-year Gryffindors on their feet, clapping and smiling at him...and calling out his name.
It felt better than blasting rose bushes at the bloody Yule Ball.
Severus could only be impressed by the food and drink the Gryffindors had managed to pinch from the kitchens for the celebration that afternoon. There were cakes and sweets and loads of Butterbeer, and Dean Thomas had drawn an impromptu banner for the team, obviously revelling in his new position as Chaser.
Colin Creevey came bustling up to them. 'I need a picture of the team!' he said, and they all helpfully crowded together in their Quidditch robes: Potter, Weasley, Ginevra, Thomas, Demelza Robins, Jimmy Peake, and Severus, who was yanked into the photo by Thomas at the very last minute.
It was amusing, in a remote way, and gratifying, in an entirely present way, to see how differently people reacted to him, now that he was on the Quidditch team. Girls were crowding up to him, talking to him, asking him questions about himself, and he could not deny enjoying the attention. He saw that Potter and Ginevra were cuddled up together in an armchair, as were Weasley and Lavender Brown, and Thomas was standing close to Parvati Patil, giving her his undivided attention.
Longbottom and Józsa were sitting together on a sofa, drinking Butterbeer and chatting up the fifth-year girls. Their ring-leader was none other than Romilda Vane, who had not spoken to Severus since he had abandoned her on the grounds the week before.
Thank Merlin for small favours.
Yet the one girl he was interested in talking to had come nowhere near him...Granger was proving elusive. She hovered on the edge of the celebrating throng, sipping at her Butterbeer and surreptitiously reading from a book in her lap. How could he draw her in ... and why did he want to? Torn, he stayed where he was, allowing the girls to flatter and flirt with him, telling himself that it meant nothing...not as if Granger were the one chatting him up ...
That night, he lay in his bed in a glow of satisfaction from his day, determinedly pushing the voice of Severus, scornful and disapproving, further down into his unconscious mind. Every one of the Gryffindor seventh-year boys had shaken his hand to congratulate him, and each of them had been genuinely admiring. Best of all, Granger had come to speak with Potter and Weasley before going up to bed, and as she had passed him, she had smiled into his eyes and said, 'Congratulations, Adin,' in a soft, sweet voice he had never heard from her before.
No, his adult consciousness could sod off...he was entirely unwilling to give up the good feelings that caused him to fall asleep with a smile upon his lips.
In the Special Studies class, they worked now on Hermione's theory, even the Headmaster rolling up his sleeves and getting in the middle of their experimental spell-casting, his own excitement at being in the thick of true research infecting them all. By the end of the month, the four of them were at complete ease with one another, the three Gryffindors teasingly offering to make Allison an honorary Gryffindor, to which she replied, 'It becomes more obvious all the time that you are in sore need of some Ravenclaw leavening.'
The disturbing thing to Severus was that Józsa had begun to make up to Hermione, gently teasing her, flattering her, walking to and from classes with her, sitting with her at meals...and every time Severus saw Józsa show Hermione any special consideration, he felt as if his blood were boiling in his veins.
Not that he cared who she went out with...but Józsa's disgraceful carrying-on distracted not only Hermione from her work, but obviously upset Allison, as well.
One Friday afternoon, near the end of their first month of term, Severus leaned close to Allison and said, 'Why don't you just ask him out?'
Allison turned sad blue eyes to his face. 'He doesn't think of me that way,' she admitted sadly. 'We've known each other all our lives, and he never has ...'
Severus frowned. 'Did he tell you so?'
Allison shrugged. 'Not in so many words,' she admitted. 'But he has never shown the least interest in me that way.'
'Ask him to Club Night,' he urged her. 'Isn't there another one tonight, after dinner?'
Allison bit her lip, looking down at her notes and beginning to draw a series of broken hearts. 'He's already asked Hermione,' she said.
Severus felt the familiar, hated burning in his blood. 'Oh, has he?' he snarled.
Allison looked alarmed. 'You're not angry with him, are you?'
Severus gave her a rather strained smile. 'Then why don't you come with me?' he said.
Allison's face cleared, as if by magic. 'Really?'
'Absolutely,' he replied, staring daggers at Józsa whilst the other boy stood behind Hermione, placing his hand over hers to show her the wand movements for a spell.
'Adin?'
Severus dragged his eyes back to Allison.
'You broke your quill,' she said.
Severus looked down at the mutilated eagle feather quill and sneered, sending it to the waste bin with the flick of his wrist. 'It must have been faulty,' he said.
Allison looked doubtful, but Severus simply pulled out another quill and busied himself again.
'Where shall I meet you tonight?' Allison asked as the bell rang.
'I'll meet you in the Great Hall at eight,' Severus responded promptly.
Allison smiled at him, shy with him as she had not been before. 'Thank you for asking me,' she said, and surprising him greatly, she stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek before all but running from the classroom.
Severus slung his book bag over one shoulder, intending to walk out without looking at the offenders, but Józsa's comment stopped him cold.
'Hermione...you've broken your quill.'
Severus turned to look at her, and she was sending the broken quill to the same bin where his resided. She was flustered, fussing with her things, refusing to look at him. He took a step towards her, the impulse to make her meet his eyes pushing him forward; he wanted her to know that he knew why she had broken her quill, whether he actually did, or not. Suddenly, it was of paramount importance to back her up against the nearest wall and force her to admit that she didn't want Allison to kiss his cheek...that she didn't want to go to Club Night with Józsa, but with him....
Granger looked up briefly into Severus' face, a fleeting glance so full of confusion that his uncertainty vanished, and he took a step towards her. He could make it all clear to her...she would see and understand ...
'It's been a bad day for quills in our classroom,' Dumbledore observed cheerfully, and the sound of the Headmaster's voice intruded upon the loaded silence, instantly dispelling the thunder in the air between them as if it had never been.
Seemingly thankful for the reprieve, Granger turned her back on Severus, reaching out a hand to Józsa. 'I'm ready to go now,' she said.
Severus did not wait around to watch them holding hands; he turned and strode out of the Room of Requirement, fleeing to his dormitory. What was wrong with him? Never in his life had he been so obsessed with the actions of a female with less justification than now. What was it about the girl that made him act like such a fool?
His lips curled nastily as he thought about taking Allison to Club Night. Let Granger see how she felt about that.
The music was not bad...it was horrible. The Great Hall was dark, candles burning only on the small round tables scattered about, while several revolving balls of multi-coloured light floated about ten feet above their heads. The musical group, Deiter's Dementors, were fully illuminated and amplified, as well, which was a bloody shame.
Severus was sorry he had not thought to provide himself with earplugs.
Allison was in a festive mood, and she was a pleasure to dance with, moving lightly on her feet. After dancing twice, he spotted his friends, and he led her over to introduce her to them. He had no desire to ditch her, precisely, but he did want her to have someone nice to go out with, and if she left with some other bloke tonight, then all the better.
He greeted the group of seventh-year Gryffindors, who had commandeered two of the small tables and shoved them together. 'This is Allison,' he said, leaning in to be heard over the so-called music. He began pointing at the people from his House. 'This is Dean, Parvati, Ron, Lavender, Neville, and ...' He stopped abruptly. Adin had never received an introduction to this person, although he knew full well who she was.
'That's Luna,' Allison said, smiling at the sixth-year girl. 'She's in my House; we already know each other.'
The slightly bug-eyed Miss Lovegood looked up earnestly into Severus' face and held out her hand. 'It's very nice to meet you, Adin,' she said solemnly. 'Would you care to dance with me?'
Severus blinked at her; he really didn't want to dance with anyone. He would be very happy to be able to escape the horrible noise...but Hermione was here somewhere, with Józsa, and he wanted her to see him ... besides, there was no way to turn Luna down without seeming rather ruder than Adin was known to be.
'Yeah, thanks,' he said, catching Longbottom's eye and nodding to Allison.
Longbottom twigged more quickly than his lack of skill in the Potions classroom might have hinted that he would. 'Care to dance, Allison?' he inquired diffidently.
Severus followed Luna onto the crowded dance floor and bit his lip to keep from laughing when she placed a hand upon his shoulder and held out her other hand to clasp his. The other dancers were gyrating wildly about the floor, the music was pounding, and the dotty Ravenclaw girl wanted to waltz with him. Well, being Lucius Malfoy's friend had carried benefits in the area of education in the social graces. Resigned to the inevitable, he placed a hand at her waist and began to waltz.
When they had circled half the room, with Severus making a game of weaving in and out of the other students, Luna looked up into his face and said sincerely, 'I'm so glad to see you, sir...I was very worried for you when I heard the imprisoned Death Eaters had died.'
Severus stopped breathing, his mind going into overdrive. Somehow, he had given himself away, which meant that the Ministry would soon know his whereabouts...he would have to leave. Tonight. As soon as possible. Years of practicing impassivity, regardless of the situation, allowed him to continue dancing, even as he was making a list in his mind of those possessions he would leave behind...he wouldn't permit himself to think of the people ...
'Sorry?' he said, smiling at Luna. 'I didn't hear you properly.'
'I know it's you, sir,' Luna said. 'You don't have to worry...no one else knows, except for the teachers, of course.' She patted him on the arm reassuringly.
He stared at her. 'Then how do you know?' he hissed.
'I see things,' she said simply. 'It was clever of you to be Sorted into Gryffindor,' she added ingenuously. 'Even if someone had suspected your identity, they would have dismissed it when they realised what House you're in.' She smiled beatifically, as if she had not just said something extraordinary.
Severus turned out of the dance, keeping a tight hold on Luna's hand, and pulled her into a relatively quiet corner. 'Whom else have you told?' he demanded urgently. 'With whom have you discussed this?'
'No one,' Luna answered patiently. 'Your secret is perfectly safe with me. I would never betray an Order member, sir.'
Severus looked nervously around them, verifying that no one was in hearing distance. What was the girl up to? What did she want from him?
'Keep your voice down!' he hissed. ' And call me Adin.'
'Yes, Adin,' she said serenely. 'I didn't mean to alarm you...I just wanted you to know how happy I am to see you well.' She tilted her head, her expression one of near-professional curiosity. 'I suppose the Headmaster youthened you to the time before you had your Dark Mark?'
Severus could only stare at her, his lips pressed into a tight line.
'And now you're trying to find a way to reverse the curse in your Dark Mark,' she added knowledgably. 'My mother experimented some with spells of that type,' she said. 'It's in her notebooks.'
'What type of charms?' Severus asked, finding himself drawn into a serious conversation with the girl, in spite of his best intentions.
'Time-release components,' Luna said. 'It's a dangerous field of study,' she added sadly.
'Do you have them?' Severus asked eagerly. 'Your mother's notes?'
Luna nodded. 'Yes, I read them sometimes, when I'm lonely for her.'
Severus felt a stab of pity for the girl; she was so very odd, and at the same time, oddly perceptive. 'Luna, would you trust me to borrow your mother's notes and read them? For a project I'm working on?'
Luna watched him with her unblinking silvery grey eyes. 'All right, Adin,' she said at last. 'I trust you to be careful with them.'
He smiled at her, and she smiled back.
'I like your smile very much,' she said, 'I'd never seen it before you came back.'
Severus clenched his jaw to prevent his mouth from gaping. She liked his smile? Why the hell would anyone ever even think about Severus Snape's smile, of all the bloody things? But Luna looked up at him trustingly, guilelessness shining in her eyes, and he felt a moment of liking for her. Could it be that she was actually sincere in her pronouncements?
Resigned, Severus took her other hand and looked intently into her face. 'Luna, do you promise that you won't tell anyone who I am?'
'I already did promise, Adin, remember?' she chided him. 'Although I think you ought to tell Hermione who you are, sometime,' she added, as an afterthought.
'What?' he demanded, taken completely off balance by the non-sequitur.
'Oh, I can see that you're friends with her,' Luna said, the sudden directness of her gaze implying that she suspected perhaps there was more than friendship involved. 'And she's the cleverest witch of her age, you know,' she added ambiguously. 'It might be uncomfortable for her to find out ... later.'
Severus dropped her hands abruptly, the good-natured Adin fading decisively into the icy Professor Snape. 'I don't know what you're talking about,' he said coldly.
Luna nodded her acceptance, unperturbed by his hasty change of persona. 'There's no hurry,' she said placidly. 'You can think it over.'
Severus' lips thinned mutinously, but the dotty Miss Lovegood was oblivious to his displeasure.
'I'll bring the notes to breakfast in the morning,' she said, turning to walk away from him. 'Thanks for the dance!' she called over her shoulder.
Severus sagged against the wall, dumbfounded. So, the loopy Lovegood girl had known him on sight when no one else did, she had a clear idea of the sort of research he was doing, and she had information that might advance that research. How much more bizarre could the situation become?
As if she knew he had been denying any interest in her, Granger danced by him then, a slow dance, with her arms about Józsa's neck and his about her waist. With clenched fists, Severus whirled from the sight and went back to the table where his friends were gathered, but the only person there was an unhappy Allison; all the others were dancing.
Bugger it! He had invited the girl to be his date for this affair; it was his duty to dance with her.
'I'm sorry!' he said, coming forward penitently. 'Will you dance with me, please?'
She looked a little hurt. 'I thought you had left with Luna,' she said.
Severus offered her his hand. 'We were actually talking about time-release components in curses,' he admitted, hoping it would divert her attention from his absence.
Allison accepted his hand, and apparently, his apology, as well. She led him onto the edge of the dance floor and stepped up, placing her hands about his neck and swaying against him. Abruptly, Severus felt all thought fall away from his mind, replaced by the simple reality of a female body brushing against his own. Reflexively, he placed his hands upon her waist, and they joined the other slow-dancers. Allison seemed like a different person with her eyes closed, her head moving with the rhythm of the music. When her eyes opened again, she smiled at him, an unguarded, intimate sort of smile.
'I like that you're so tall,' she said, the fingertips of one hand tracing over the back of his neck, leaving a trail of flame in their wake.
Severus swallowed, wondering why he could feel her touch all the way to his toes. He frequently found her to be an annoying person, he reminded himself, trying to recover the power of speech. He had only asked her out because he pitied her ... to get back at Józsa ... to make Granger jealous ...
No...wait...that was just mental. He didn't care about that. He looked desperately around the room, giving his head a little shake; where were Józsa and Granger, anyway?
'Adin?' Allison said, sounding annoyed. 'Are you going to talk to me?'
The song ended, and Severus stepped back from her. 'Sorry,' he said. 'I was ... thinking about modifying the curse.'
Allison now looked annoyed. 'I'm so pleased to know I'm such interesting company for you!' she said angrily. She turned and walked away from him, heading back to the Gryffindor table, and he followed her, not knowing what to do. Why was she mad at him?
Girls really were more trouble than they were worth.
He sat next to Allison at the table, but she pointedly ignored him. She chatted amiably with his friends, seeming to redouble her efforts when Józsa and Granger joined them. Severus sneered at their greeting and consulted his pocket watch; when would this farce be over?
There was one more slow dance before it was over, and Allison turned from Severus to go with Longbottom. Somewhat relieved, Severus slouched in his seat, glaring as Józsa held Granger ever closer, seeming now to be whispering in her ear as they danced. His irritation grew with each passing moment, until he felt as if he would annihilate the next person to speak to him. Why should he watch this? Why should he stay? He was under no obligation to do so, was he?
Standing, he strode to the door, little caring that his path took him through the throng of slow-dancers. All he could think of was getting away from the noise, away from the press of humanity...away from the sight of Józsa and Granger getting cosier and cosier the voice in his head taunted...and being alone in his room: He'd had quite enough socialising for one night.
He stormed through the entrance hall and up the staircases, mentally upbraiding himself as his adult consciousness battered him with ridicule. What is it to you if Granger likes being pawed by that Bulgarian berk? the voice that would not be silenced taunted. What does her enjoyment of the evening's so-called entertainment have to do with you?
'I don't care!' he muttered angrily, his young, fit body effortlessly taking the stairs two at a time.
Cowards run away, the snide voice whispered.
'Shut the fuck up!' he snarled aloud just before climbing through the portrait hole.
'Well I never!' the Fat Lady said as he allowed the portrait to slam closed behind him.
When he reached his dormitory, he slumped thankfully into the chair before his desk. At random, he picked up a book, only to set it aside and take up his quill, too agitated to settle on an activity. Bother leapt up onto his desktop and butted him with her big-eared head.
'No, it was horrible beyond words,' he said bitterly, as if the Kneazle had spoken to him. 'Take my advice and stay away from boy Kneazles,' he added.
Bother placed her paws on his chest and touched her nose to his, which made him chuckle.
'You understand what I say to you, I think,' he said, running his hand over her black-spotted fur, and she simply looked at him with her big eyes, as if to say, 'Of course I do.'
Severus passed a peaceful period of time with his familiar, stroking her and receiving in return her purring presence in his lap; he remained there, feeling himself calming, until he had the need of the toilet.
He put Bother on the floor. 'Stay out of trouble,' he advised her, then he went down to the bathroom. When he stepped again into the corridor, he passed Longbottom, who was heading for the stairs.
'All right, Neville?' he said in passing.
'Dean's got Parvati in there,' Longbottom said, stopping.
'Oh,' Severus said, not sure how to respond.
'And Harry has Ginny, and Ron has Lavender, and Jared has Hermione...'
Severus grabbed Longbottom's arm. 'In his room?'
'Yeah,' Longbottom said glumly. 'In all their rooms.' He brightened. 'Want to go down to the common room for a game of Exploding Snap?' he asked hopefully.
Severus released Longbottom's arm, feeling all the turmoil from earlier crashing back in on him. 'Sorry,' he said, turning away. 'I'm going to make an early night of it.'
'Good night, then,' Longbottom called after him, but Severus didn't answer.
Blindly, he entered his room, not noticing when Bother darted out the not-quite-closed door. He paced the floor, scowling. It was none of his business with whom she chose to sleep...hell, it was none of his business with whom any of them chose to sleep.
'Bugger fucking hell,' he muttered, sitting down at his desk and picking up Bleak House. 'I'm going to read,' he said out loud, as if saying it would make it true. He read a page, turned it, then realised he had not taken in a single word. Cursing under his breath, he turned the page back and tried again.
He had been labouring over the same page for nearly thirty minutes when his door opened, and Hermione Granger darted into his room, closing the door behind her and leaning against it with her ear pressed to the wood, as if to listen for a pursuer.
Severus glared at her all-too-alluring backside resentfully, waiting for her to turn and acknowledge him, but she didn't so much as look over her shoulder; her attention was concentrated on monitoring noise in the corridor.
At last, all of his irritation and indignation spilling over, he rose to his feet, straightened to his full height and said in his iciest voice, 'Do you mind, Miss Granger?'
He regretted the action the moment the words left his lips, for he heard himself, Severus Snape, Potions master, in the tone and delivery of the rebuke...and when Granger turned her shocked, wondering face to his, he knew she had heard him, too.
A/N: Canon supports the notion of Hermione choosing to evade an over-zealous date rather than hex him, as demonstrated by her hiding from McLaggen at Slughorn's Christmas party in Book Six.
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Latest 25 Reviews for This Time
560 Reviews | 6.76/10 Average
This story is so bloody perfect, Adin Prince may just be the man of my dreams!
I was looking for a story to read from among my favorites and this is the one I chose, AND I'M VERY HAPPY I DID!!! I had forgotten how much I enjoyed this before and how much I fell in love with Adin. The is how I imagine SSHG to always be. Thank you for sharing your wonderful gift with all of us.Sending hugs and warm, heartfelt wishes for happiness and good health to you and SubHub. Beth
Response from Subversa (Author of This Time)
Thank you, Beth! I still really love this one, too. I'm so glad you enjoyed reading it again. I give thanks for your friendship.
I'm re-reading stories from my favorites list, and I'm happy to have rediscovered a favorite. I'm always a sucker for happily-ending stories for this man, so I'm always ecstatic to find them. Thank you again for sharing your story with us!
This was lovely
I've enjoyed this story very much. I was a bit sad that you killed Lucius, but was very glad to see that Severus got a second chance. Best of all, he realised that he deserves to be happy with Hermione.Wonderful tale!
Response from Subversa (Author of This Time)
Thank you so much for reading my story! This one has a special place in my heart, because I grew to love Adin SO MUCH. Severus was terribly sad that Lucius was dead, too. And he almost lost it when he found out about Draco. I am so pleased to know you enjoyed it!~sub
WHY D'YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO KILL LUCIUS???
Sorry. That was aggressive. Sorry.
Love your work, otherwise. Been working my way through chronologically since I stumbled upon the Master of Enchantment series. At quite some speed, actually; your writing is awfully compelling, I've barely come up for air.
STOP KILLING LUCIUS!!!
Response from Subversa (Author of This Time)
LOL! Yes, I have killed Lucius a time or two, I will confess. At leat in HDODP he got to have a hero's death. I think one reason why I kill him so often it because it pisses off Shiv5468.Just wait until you read For Hogwarts: A Regency Gamble. In that one, I write him a lovely life!
Response from Subversa (Author of This Time)
LOL! Yes, I have killed Lucius a time or two, I will confess. At leat in HDODP he got to have a hero's death. I think one reason why I kill him so often it because it pisses off Shiv5468.Just wait until you read For Hogwarts: A Regency Gamble. In that one, I write him a lovely life!
Draco?! That hadn't even occurred to me! Madam, you are too cruel. Can we please have some nice, happy things happen to the Malfoys at some point in some story? I do love them so- they might be terribly self-centred and snobby but they'd do anything for each other! They remind me of my own family!
This story is bloody brill, though.
An amazing story! I liked the choice that Severus made. With the life he had led, who wouldn't want to rewrite their own history. Thank you.
I love how even though he says, "no," he still can't keep his hands off her and vows to take care of her. Damn romantic.
Hi Subvrsa. I just wanted you to know that I enjoyed this story just as much the second time around as I did the first. I fell in love with Aiden too. An unblemished Severus Snape would be hard to resist.
This story has everything; romance (sigh), angst galore, a mystery to solve, and of course lemons.
My favorite Severus. Not easy to deal with but perfect.
Very emotionally satisfying.
Sorry I didn't review the first gazillion times I read it but in reccing it on LJ right now, I realized my lack. Thank you for creating this, Subversa!
Excellent story! I enjoyed every bit of it. Keep up the good work!
Waiting for Hermione to put two and two together. Waiting for Dumbledore to stop insisting that Severus not "interfere." Waiting for Severus to grow a pair and shag Hermione senseless in spite of self-restraint. Goodness, I am so glad this story is complete... I'm racing through, very much enjoying your exploration of Severus/Adin.
Poor Severus, having to endure a Sorting twice! But this result was most amenable. And man, Harry was hostile right quick. Glad he's mostly sorted out. And I'm still excited to see why Hermione got that tattoo, and what her role in the prophecy is (shag him to salvation, perhaps?).
Besides, the gold was his to do with as he wished, and there was a savage sort of satisfaction in the knowledge that he was using it to rewrite his own personal history. - this says it all, doesn't it? I realized after our song-swap that I'd never read this piece, and I am enjoying it thoroughly. Absolutely ~fascinated~ by the not-Time Turner way of putting them in school together. And dare I guess that Hermione has the gryphon tattoo? ;)
Love this whole story - one of my all time favourite ss/hg fanfictions. I am esspecially enthralled with how you wrote the masked ball sence and your wonderful character development throught the story. Look forward to reading more of your work.
you put jk rowling to shame
This is a great story!! I liked it very much =] Congratulaions and kisses!!!!
That was so AWESOME! I absolutely loved it from beginning to end, though I am sad that it's over*sniff* You write really well, and I just wanna say THANK YOU, for uploading such a wonderful story^^,
BEAUTIFUL! I teared up at the end it was so wonderful.
I loved it, I couldn't stop reading it to find out what happened next. I'm so happy for Adin "Severus" for getting a second chance at happiness. I giggled at the last bit about Severus being sighted with Elivs lol Well done, I'm adding it to my favorites.
In a word, amazing. You have created a timeless story of hope and love that transcends the Harry Potter universe.
I knew Hermione would want to help cure Severus, she is so sweet.
I found it interesting that the sorting hat thought he should be in Gryffindor the first time he was at Hogwarts. I think he had many reasons to listen to the sorting hat this time.
He and Hermione are hitting it off well so far, I can't wait to see how she saves him.
I hope this time at Hogworts will be a better experience for Severus , he deserves it.