Lost

Lost

Chapter Two

"Mya! Watch this!" Sirius called to Hermione from up in the air. It was five weeks since she had been introduced to the Gryffindors, and already she was an inseparable part of their group. It was a warm Saturday afternoon, and the boys were up in the air playing Quidditch while Lily and Hermione had a nice picnic near the lake.

Hermione looked up to see Sirius perform a complex series of stunts that left her with a hand across her mouth. The boys were horrible showoffs. "Oh, be careful!" she called up to him, before he sped off to join the Quidditch game again.

"Boys," she muttered under her breath. Lily laughed.

"I know! I'm always afraid they are going to break their necks!" she handed Hermione a tea sandwich. "If Sirius spent one quarter of the time he spends on a broom on his homework, he might actually get some good marks!"

Hermione took a bite of her sandwich, shaking her head. "I'd take reading over flying any day."

"You don't like brooms?" Lily asked, watching the boys flying overhead.

"I'm terrified of them," Hermione laughed. "I hate heights. I like my feet planted firmly on the ground, thank you very much."

"I love flying," Lily said, thoughtfully. "Just rushing around up in the air, you feel free," she turned to her friend. "We'll have to get you over your fear."

"I don't think so," Hermione said, with a grin. If Harry and Ron couldn't get her up in the air, she doubted anyone could. Just then, James came swooping low to the ground near the girls.

"Hey there!" he called, with sweat forming on his brow and a huge grin on his face.

"Hey James!" the girls called back, getting up to say hello.

"Lily, do you want to go for a ride?" he asked, swinging close to the red haired girl. "The air is amazing today."

"Oh, Mya, do you mind?" Lily turned to ask, with a grin.

"Not at all! Go have fun..." Hermione smiled as the other girl got on the broomstick behind James, and the two sped off into the sky.

She wandered back to the large blanket they had laid out over the grass. Lying down on her stomach she took a small book from her pocket, and enlarged it to its regular size. She had been reading it often, as it was the only thing she had with her from her own time.

Suddenly, she felt as if a cold breeze swept across her, which startled her, as she was lying in the warm sun. It was as if someone was staring at her. She looked around to see if she could find the source, but there was no one around. She shrugged her shoulders, and continued to read.

A few minutes later, she felt it again, and this time lifted her head quickly, to find herself staring directly into Severus Snape's eyes. She gasped a little bit. He was the only thing she hadn't quite gotten used to, here. She felt guilty every time she looked at him. She knew what he was going to be like in the future, someone far different from the schoolboy who stood before her.

"Most Potente Potions?" he asked, giving her one of his searching looks.

"Yes, it's my favorite book, besides..." He cut her off.

"Hogwarts, a History. I know," he grinned at her stunned expression. "I see you reading it all the time," he motioned at the blanket, "May I?"

She nodded silently, sitting up to make space for him. She hadn't really spoken to him since her 'first' time in the Three Broomsticks, and had never been with him alone. She vaguely wondered why her stomach seemed to be tugging at her.

He picked up the book and leafed through it. "This is restricted, you know," he said matter-of-factly.

"It's my own private copy. I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone that I have it," he nodded in approval.

"A good book to own," he looked at one of the pages, and looked at her with an odd expression on his face. "It's yours?"

She nodded, and he looked at her thoughtfully, before handing the book back. "Do you just read the theory, or do you actually make the potions?"

She relaxed a little. It was always easy to talk about magic, even if it was with him. "I've tired a few of them... but most are too hard to do on your own, and Harry and Ron..." she waived her hand in the air, "they didn't like potions."

He sneered. "Few do," he looked pointedly at the Marauders, flying overhead. "Few have the intellect to see that there is potent magic beyond wand waiving. They fail to see the power of potions," his eyes flashed, "They don't realize that you can learn to bottle fame, brew glory..."

She bit back a laugh, and cut him off, "Or even put a stopper in death."

He looked at her in surprise. "I was going to say that. How did you..."

She shrugged. "Let's just say that I know where you're coming from. Potions would be my favorite subject, except Sn... um, my old teacher hated me."

She blushed at the look of genuine confusion he gave her, "I don't understand how anyone could hate you."

She decided that they were getting onto dangerous ground, talking about her 'past' like that. "You know," she said, opening the pages of the book once more, "there are a ton of potions in here that I would love to try... if only I had another pair of hands."

He grinned, causing her heart to stop up for some strange reason. "Is that your way of asking if I want to work with you?" She nodded, and he grinned ever wider, "I'd love to."

He looked at her closely. "You're different than most people," his face fell a bit, as he seemed to slip into his thoughts. "No one here understands... or cares... about anything except Quidditch." He waived his hands carelessly at the grounds, "It makes me want to scream sometimes. I've always felt lost."

She pushed a strand of her hair behind her ears. It was too strange, sitting here with a man who would someday hate her, feeling as if he was the only one who understood. It unnerved her, and he seemed to pick up on it.

"What's wrong?" he asked, feeling suddenly as if he had made a huge mistake by opening up to this new girl.

She shrugged slightly. "That's how I've always felt too. It's just strange to hear... someone else say exactly what I have been thinking."

He looked at her, with an intensity she had never seen. "You really are different, a puzzle. I intend to figure you out."

They sat in silence for a few minutes; both deeply lost in their own thoughts.

Hermione was trying to figure out why she kept blushing when he looked at her, or why the sound of his voice sent shivers up her spine. In the future his low, silky voice would terrify her, but here it made her feel more aware of her self than she had ever felt. It was too confusing, seeing him in this new light. It felt wrong, as if she was abusing the situation, but at the same time, she had never felt that free when talking to anybody.

Severus couldn't understand how this one girl so easily got past all the defenses he had put around himself. He found it hard to sneer at her, to be sarcastic. She was a mystery to him, something to be unraveled. He knew there was something she wasn't telling him, something important. He knew that she was different than anyone he had ever met.

He looked up at her, and broke the silence. "If you really want to work on some of those potions, I know the perfect place to do it."

His voice drew her out of her thoughts, and she looked at him with interest. "Where?"

"There is a small lab, it used to be a classroom, but no one uses it anymore," he looked at her seriously. "No one knows about it except for me. You can't tell anyone, not even Lily."

She nodded her head. "Of course not. You think we could really work undisturbed there?"

"Without a doubt. I've been going there for years... it's my own personal haven. No one will be able to find us."

"Why don't we go through the book, and decide on which one we want to try first, that way we can start planning on how to steal the ingredients," he looked at her with a pleased surprise.

"A Gryffindor doing something like stealing, I never thought I would see the day," he moved closer to her, and they started leafing through the book.

In the air above, Sirius had been watching the exchange. He didn't mind so much when they were just talking, but now they were sitting so close to one another... He frowned. He hated Severus with something of a passion, and it made him sick to see him so near something he considered his. It was bad enough that Lily insisted on being friends with the greasy git, but did Mya have to as well? He did a quick turn on his broom.

In the few weeks he had known her, Sirius had begun to consider Hermione his own. She was beautiful and smart, something to be desired. Someone Sirius had decided should be his own. He flew down to where the two sat deep in conversation.

"What are you doing here, Snape? Shouldn't you be sulking around a dungeon somewhere?" Sirius landed, and stood over Severus menacingly.

Hermione quickly shrank the book they had been looking at, stood up and tried to diffuse the situation. "We were just talking about potions, Sirius."

Severus stood up, and looked Sirius in the eye, dangerously. "That's right, Black. We were having an intellectual conversation, something you would know nothing about." He emphasized the we part, causing Sirius' face to go red.

"Why don't you leave her alone, you greasy git?" Sirius' eyes narrowed.

Severus gave Sirius a cruel smirk. "I don't think she wants to be left alone. I think she likes me right where I am."

Hermione looked at both of them in disgust. "Oh, stop acting like five year olds, and talking about me like I'm not here."

Neither Sirius nor Severus seemed to notice that she had spoken. She threw up her hands in exasperation, and shook her head. The boys had now begun to slowly circle each other. Sirius gave a small growl. "I think you had better leave."

Severus smirked. "Think you can make me? Because I am not going anywhere."

Hermione had had it. She pushed her way in between the two boys. They looked at her, stunned. "You are both just embarrassing yourselves." She placed a hand on Sirius' chest, but turned to Severus. "I'll talk to you later, okay?" She looked at him pleadingly, "You have to show me that..." she glanced quickly at Sirius, "that shortcut to Arithmancy you were telling me about."

He nodded his head, throwing Sirius a very dirty look before walking away. Hermione sighed and turned back to Sirius, who was shooting daggers at Severus' back.

"Sirius, I appreciate that you are trying to look out for me... but really. Do you have to act like that?" She gave him a tired look.

He tore his eyes away from Severus to look at Hermione. An embarrassed red blush crossed his face. "I'm sorry Mya. It's just..." He scowled. "There is something wrong with that guy. He's no good, and I don't want you to get mixed up with him."

Hermione's stomach twisted at this, and she decided to get off the subject of Severus as soon as possible. "Hey..." she said, forcing a smile onto her face. "Why don't you take me for a ride on your broom?"

It was as if nothing had even happened. He gave her a huge grin. "Sure! I'll make you like flying before you know it!"

The two mounted the broom and flew off to join their friends, unaware that below them Severus Snape was watching with murder in his eyes.

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Hermione sat in the common room, watching the fire. No matter how she tried, she couldn't get the thought of Severus out of her head. It was so strange, to know him here as a completely different person. She wanted to get to know him better, to be able to pick that brain of his for once.

Every time she saw him, she got lost in a mix of emotions. At fist she wasn't able to get past the fact that he was her vindictive potions master, but that thought seemed to fade more and more every time she saw him.

She loved Lily and the boys, but there was just something about Severus that grabbed at her. His intelligence ran deep; he challenged her, made her look farther into herself than she ever had before. There was something about him, something she couldn't ignore. Something that stirred her soul and left her weak.

She shook her head. She had to do something to get him out of her mind. She looked around the common room. She smiled when she saw Lily and James snuggling in a corner. They always seemed to be so happy together. Remus and Peter were playing an intense game of chess, so she decided not to bother them. That left only Sirius, who was sitting in one of the squishy armchairs, staring off into space.

She got up and sat on the arm of his chair. "What are you thinking about?"

He pulled her down into his lap. "Nothing important. Just being bored out of my skull. How about you? I noticed that you were no where near earth."

She shrugged. "Nothing important... school stuff." He made a face. "Hey! Some of us actually like school. Not like there is much else to think about, it's kind of a dull night."

He grunted. "Tell me something I don't know. There is nothing to do tonight!"

She thought for a minute, then turned to Sirius. "I know a way the night wouldn't be a waste."

He looked at her with a grin, "I'm all ears."

"How do you fancy a raid on the potions classroom? I need some supplies," she laughed as she saw the look of pure ecstasy on his face.

"Are you serious? You really want to do that?" The Marauders hadn't gone out in a few weeks, and he was beginning to feel restless.

"Yeah, there are a few ingredients that I really need," he jumped up, dumping her unceremoniously on the floor. "Hey!"

He grinned, "Sorry. Wait right here... I'll be back in a second." He ran over to James, and whispered something into his ear. James nodded, and Sirius took off to the boys' dorm. Hermione smiled and brushed the dirt off of her robes.

A few seconds later Sirius came down the stairs holding a piece of parchment that she knew must be the Marauders' Map. He put a hand on her back and steered her out of the common room and into the hall.

"Don't tell anyone, but we have two things that we use to sneak around the school." Hermione knew what was coming, but she decided to indulge him. "The first one is this map. It lets us know where all of the teachers are, so we don't get caught. The second one is this..." He threw the cloak around his shoulder, and she gasped obligingly. "It's James'. Come on, get in."

He held the cloak open, and she stepped beneath it. She smiled up at him. "Let's go."

They walked slowly, as it seemed that every teacher in the school was wandering the halls. After turning a corner to get away from Filch, they nearly ran straight into McGonagall. Sirius looked at Hermione happily. Clearly, he was in his element.

Finally they made their way down to the dungeons. Hermione went to unlock the door to the potions classroom, but found that it was already open. 'Odd,' she thought to herself, before ushering Sirius inside.

A quick check of the Map told them that there were no teachers close by. Hermione turned to Sirius. "Stay here and guard the door. I am going to slip into the store room," he nodded, and turned his attention back to the map.

She walked to the door, and frowned as she saw that this room was also unlocked. She pushed open the door silently and walked inside.

She smiled as she found the reason that the doors were open. Severus was in there, going through the various bottles and jars. She crept up behind him, being extra careful to not make a sound.

She leaned in close, and whispered into his ear, "Fancy meeting you here."

He turned around with a start, almost dropping the jar he was holding. He went to say something, but she put a hand over his mouth. "Quiet. Sirius is out there, and I don't think you guys really want to run into each other."

He glanced at the door then nodded. "What are you doing down here?" he whispered, putting down the jar.

"Same as you, I guess. I wanted to stock up on some ingredients." She started to go through, collecting what she needed.

"You know, we never decided what to make," he said, gathering the last of the supplies that he needed.

"I know," she turned around to look at him. "How about we meet this Saturday to figure it out, while everyone else is in Hogsmeade?"

He tired very hard not to beam at this suggestion, keeping his face disinterested. "Sure. Meet me in the Library around noon."

He leaned back and watched as she opened a jar of Boomslang skin. "What are you doing down here with Black anyway?" He couldn't hide his loathing of the other boy.

She shrugged. "He's my friend, Severus."

"What about me?" She turned around, and from the look on his face guessed that she wasn't supposed to have heard the question.

She contemplated him for a minute. "I haven't quite figured that out yet."

They looked into each other's eyes for a moment, and Hermione thought that she saw him start to lean forward slightly. Just then, Sirius' voice broke the connection.

"Mya? Are you almost done in there?" Hermione tore her eyes away from Severus to whisper back, "Just two seconds, Sirius."

She turned back to Severus, "I'll see you on Saturday, alright?" He nodded and she turned to the door. Just before she walked out, he grabbed her hand. She turned around to look at him, but as she looked into his eyes he seemed to lose whatever it was he was going to tell her. He dropped her hand, and she went out of the door.

Sirius was looking at her impatiently. "What took you so long?" he asked, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her lightly under the cloak.

"Sorry," she whispered, as they quickly made their way out into the hall. "It's like being a kid in a candy store... there is just so much, it's hard to decide what to take!"

He laughed a little bit, shaking his head. "If you say so."

They made their way back up to Gryffindor tower, carefully avoiding everyone on the staff. The murmured the password to the sleeping Fat Lady and climbed in through the portrait hole.

Once they were sure the common room was empty, Sirius threw off the invisibility cloak, and wiped the Map. Hermione pulled out her satchel of stolen ingredients, and grinned. "Thank you so much, Sirius. I am going to have so much fun with this stuff."

He snorted. "You are an odd girl, you know that?" She hit him playfully on the arm, turning to walk up to bed. She was halfway up the stairs when he called up to her. "Hey, if you ever need another pair of hands..." he shrugged, and smiled at her.

"Thanks Sirius. Goodnight." She walked into her room, and fell onto the bed.

Things were becoming complicated.