Hermione scratched Crookshanks under his chin one last time before turning to slip out of the girl’s dormitory and into the dark halls. Walking through the castle in the early hours of the morning was a calm feeling for her. She knew the halls well, even though they were dark and so quiet her breath sounded like it was disturbing its slumbering peace. She wound her way down the halls and through corridors that were hidden behind statues that the boys had found while messing around previous years. She was so lost in thought that she didn’t notice a dark figure looming in the hall ahead of her until she got part of the way down.

She froze. Should she turn around quickly and go another way? Should she find a place to hide? Her mind was soon made up for her as she heard the deep voice reverberating off the stone walls, “Out for stroll – Miss. Granger?” Snape hissed out lowly.

Hermione’s heart dropped. She was going to lose points for this, that was certain. She grimaced and tried to sort out her plan of action. She couldn’t just tell him the truth, Dumbledore made her swear she wouldn’t tell anyone. She could tell him that she was going to meet Dumbledore, but then he would question why. “I couldn’t sleep, sir.”

Snape sneered at her, “Lack of sleep is a reasonable excuse now to break the rules?” He walked over to her and she saw his pallid skin glowing from the tip of his wand. He looked unwell. More-so than usual. His inky eyes had dark circles engulfing them, his lips were white and chapped. His hair hung limply in greasy strands around his face. His robes were wrinkled and she thought she saw a singe on the edge. It looked as if he had been in a fight and he was on the losing side. “Fifty – points from Gryffindor. For your early stroll through the castle. And you will be accompanying me in detention this Thursday night.”

Hermione winced at the house point deduction and opened her mouth to argue, but shut it after seeing the look in his eyes. She sighed and apologized, knowing full well he would accompany her back to Gryffindor tower and she would have to start on her outing once again.

“Well?” Snape huffed impatiently at her. “Are you going to go back to Gryffindor tower, or do I need to assign the bloody baron to hold your hand all the way there?”

Hermione was shocked. “But, sir! You never-“

“I don’t have all night to be traipsing about the castle with you, Miss. Granger. Surely, the biggest know-it-all of her age can find her own way back to her dormitory without mucking it up?” He raised his eyebrow at her as she floundered for words, “Then again –“ He trailed off.

“No, sir. I can find my own way.”

“Then why are you still wasting my time with your presence?” His voice droned in a sarcastic tone.

Hermione turned on her heel and went back down the hall as quickly as possible. Once she rounded the corner she stopped and waited for a moment before poking her head back around the corner. She saw her professor’s dark form slowly moving away from her with – what was that? – a limp? She squinted into the darkness, but he was starting to blend in with the shadows of the long, dark hallway. When she could no longer see him, she turned and crept down the same hall she had just been in and continued her way to Dumbledore’s office.

When she reached the heavy doors, she lifted her hand to knock lightly on the door. It swung open after a moment and she was greeted by her headmaster, seated in his high back chair and Professor Snape seated across from him.

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Hermione’s mouth opened and shut until she let out a huffed out an embarrassed, “if now’s not a good time-“ She motioned to the door and started backing away until she saw Professor Dumbledore’s hand raise to stop her.

“Its quite alright, Miss. Granger. Severus was just about to retire to his rooms.”

Snape stood, favoring his left side and stalked towards her. She swallowed a shuddering breath as he swept past her, his cloak brushing against her legs. “Lost, are we, Miss. Granger?” He murmured under his breath as he stopped to push open the door.

Hermione’s breath hitched and she turned her head to look into his dark eyes. They met for a second before he slipped through the door and she felt the heat of his gaze burning into her. The door quietly thudded shut and she let the breath she had been holding go.

The headmaster gave her a slight smile, “Don’t mind Severus, Miss. Granger. He has been working late nights for me as of late. It makes him irritable, as it would anyone, in that regard.” He paused looking at the time on the dial on his desk, “I do apologize, Miss. Granger. I was going to have Dobby bring some raspberry jam on toast seeing as you will miss breakfast, but I don’t think we will have the time for it.”

“That’s alright, sir.” Hermione said sheepishly.

Dumbledore opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out a long, thin chain with a silver hourglass hanging heavily from it. It glinted in the light cast from the fireplace that was crackling happily in the corner of the room, casting an orange glow on its shiny surface. “I trust you remember how to use this?” His blue eyes bore into hers and she nodded her head. “This was never meant to be used in the way we will be, so I have made some modifications to it. Tap with the tip of your wand once to turn back by the hour, twice by the day, and thrice by the month.” Hermione nodded her understanding and took the time turner from his outstretched hand and pulled it over her thick curls and tucked it into her shirt. The necklace was cold and foreign on her skin. It felt like a mark of the life she had given up. The new-found responsibilities cold and heavy around her neck, weighing her down.

“I will be taking you to the first part of your journey which is where you will be studying for your exams. It is imperative that you stay unknown to anyone except the wizard who will be assisting you, do you understand?” Hermione nodded. “Good.” Dumbledore stood and rounded the large table to stand next to Hermione. “We will need to apparate there. I should warn you, not everyone finds it enjoyable their first time.” He extended his arm to her, draped in ruby robes that came to a point at his weathered wrist.

Hermione trepidatiously took his arm. Immediately when her hand wrapped around his forearm, she was hurdled through space. The vacuum of time and space crushed her body. It felt like her lungs were on fire as she tried desperately to breathe but couldn’t find the air. It was like walking on a windy day where the wind gusts into your face and you can’t catch your breath, but worse. Much, much worse. Her hand clutched onto the headmaster’s arm like a vice, the only thing that kept her from getting sucked into the void that was apparition.

Then, as quickly as it happened, the spinning and sucking and pulling stopped and her body was jarred as it hit the grassy ground hard. Her knees buckled and she fell to the ground, grass staining her clothes and cheek. She lay there for a moment, catching her breath. She opened her eyes to see pointed wizard’s boots beside her face with ruby robes cascading around them. The blinked and sat up, still dazed and nauseous from her rough landing.

Hermione pulled herself and was met with twinkling blue eyes, “I would say you did rather well for your first time, Miss. Granger.” Hermione gave him a look that said she thought otherwise but followed him when he started towards a rickety looking shack ahead of them. It was alone on top of a cliff, below the sea churned and crashed against the rocks of the cliff. The sun was just breaking over the skyline, creating a blazing orange trail across the water. The air smelled of salt and grass and morning dew.

They walked through the wet grass to the front wooden door of the small, dilapidated house and Dumbledore rapped on it cheerily. The door creaked open to reveal a tall man, slightly slouched over to fit in the doorway’s opening.

“Professor Lupin?” Hermione asked, shocked.