A Turn for the Better

Chapter 13 ~ The Enigma of Luna Lovegood (Among Other Things)

Luna Lovegood had just turned sixteen, although she was in her seventh year . . . which rankled Hermione a little, though she didn't talk about it. Hermione was extremely competitive academically, and Luna had been skipped forward a year. She went directly from her first year to her third. As hard as Hermione worked, she had never managed to skip a year.

Neville had teased her when Hermione saw the blonde witch going into a third year class and was told by him that Luna was a third year now.

"What? They skipped her ahead? But why?" Hermione demanded, frowning blackly as they headed down the corridor.

"Because . . . she's absolutely brilliant, Hermione," he sighed. He was already smitten by the strange little witch.

Hermione snorted.

"Luna is the looniest witch I've ever met. She doesn't seem like she can keep one thought in her head for more than five seconds, and she believes in the weirdest things," Hermione fumed.

"Well she must be able to keep something in her head. They skipped her forward a year, didn't they?" Neville said to her with a grin, knowing the witch was furious.

"It had to be a mistake," Hermione said. "They'll catch it."

But . . . they didn't.

It wasn't that Luna was brilliant per se. The secret of her success was she had a photographic memory and remembered everything she saw, heard and read . . . verbatim. But, no one knew this because she never bothered telling anyone. She read quite a bit as a child, all kinds of books and topics just because she thought they might be interesting to read about even if she didn't really understand what she read. So when she arrived at Hogwarts, she knew as much as the professors, technically. Not as applied learning, but a kind of subjective learning. But it was enough to get her out of the second year.

People just assumed she was brilliant, when in fact she was only accessing information stored in her brain. When a topic came up she'd read about, she could answer questions about it. Her fellow Ravenclaws didn't understand how Luna kept her grades up. They never saw her studying. She was always wandering around the school, looking for what they thought were non-existent creatures, reading newspapers upside down, wearing strange ornaments and such.

Usually the newspapers Luna read had puzzles in them that were indeed upside down, the odd necklaces, bracelets and hair ornaments were experimental charms she was working on, and the creatures she was seeking out . . . there was enough proof of their existence to be on the lookout for them in the proper environment, like rare birds. But she never bothered to explain anything to anyone. She really didn't find it necessary.

As far as her apparent lack of study went, Luna simply read all her textbooks ahead of time. No one was the wiser. Luna did take notes in class, but it was more to have something to do than out of necessity, since she remembered every lesson. She had the technical knowledge but she still needed teachers to lay everything out for her in understandable terms.

Another reason no one caught on to Luna's secret, was because she didn't act like a know-it-all. In fact, she acted like she didn't know anything most of the time, appearing to be in a world all her own. If she knew the answer to something no one else did, she generally kept it to herself unless it was important. Then she might share it, starting with, "I read someplace that . . ."

But she didn't do that often. She was a bit of a loner really, although she could sit down with anyone at anytime at any table. Even the Slytherins didn't give her much grief, although she was laughed at behind her back for being so dizzy. Still, Luna didn't give much credence to the House system and mingled with anyone and everyone she liked, and no one really seemed to mind, she was so unobtrusive and quiet most of the time.

Possibly, that's why Dumbledore picked her for Head Girl, because she was so mellow, fair-minded and easy-going. Hermione's name had come up, but Albus nixed it because after review he came to conclusion that the Gryffindor would probably work herself into exhaustion, she was such an overachiever. It was better she continued to focus on her studies.

Actually the Headmaster had no idea how bad it would have been. Hermione would have gotten on everyone's last nerve. A Hermione with power would have been a well-meaning tyrant. As sneaky as she could be, she would have demanded utter compliance with the school rules and ruled with an iron wand. There was also the matter of Harry Potter, her arch-nemesis, who was chosen Head Boy. Sparks would have flown between the two, and no doubt, hexes.

Hermione still had higher marks than Luna, however, because Luna wasn't an overachiever. She did just the right amount of work to keep her marks up. Hermione did loads of extra credit work and extra assignments and so kept her lead.

Since lunch was just about over, Luna said goodbye to Myrtle and headed for her next class, which was Potions. The Ravenclaw had always suspected that the monster in the Chamber of Secrets was a basilisk.

It was the only thing that made sense, after all.

As she meandered down the corridor, her book bag slung over one shoulder and looking as if she had no place special to go; Luna idly wondered how long it would take Hermione to figure out how to get the chamber open.

After all, Luna already knew, and a Parselmouth wouldn't have to be present.

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Professor Snape looked at Hermione Granger with hooded eyes as she furiously wrote out a review summary, completely focused. She was already two-thirds down the foot of parchment. Knowing her, she'd turn it over and write on the back although only a foot was required. That was standard Granger, and Severus always patiently read and graded her work, not penalizing her for her overzealousness.

In the other timeline, she would have gotten a failing mark for not following his instructions to the letter if she'd gone even a quarter inch past his specifications. Yes, this was a kinder, more patient Potions master . . . at least as far as Hermione was concerned. Everyone else caught hell. There wasn't much different between the original Snape and this one, except this incarnation of Snape was unscarred, healthier looking and more social. He demanded his pupils' best efforts, was aware when they were slacking and took them to task for it. He still used his position to garner the House Cup each year. So far they'd kept it for the past seven years, thanks to Harry's skills as a seeker, and Snape's targeted point-taking.

Hermione wasn't as focused on her writing as she appeared to be. Her stomach knotted up the moment she walked into the Potions classroom and she busied herself up immediately so she didn't have to look at professor Snape too much.

Gods, she had actually . . . it was too much to believe. And what was worse, she was sure he remembered it, had known it all along from when she was a little girl fresh from the Muggle world. She'd always thought that he treated her so special because of her mind and abilities, but now she wondered if he favored her because of what they'd done. Because he had shagged her.

Hermione had no idea what she had saved the wizard from. The kind of pain and suffering that had been prevented because she came to him when she did. Oh, Snape did remember being with her, but his treatment was based on more than a one-time tumble with an available young woman at a time in his life when he needed comfort and connection.

When Hermione came to him, his parents had just died. Then he found out the only person in the world that he thought cared about his welfare was going to betray him and make his life a living hell far worse than his father ever did.

Severus had needed Hermione that night. Someone to be close to, to take him away from the harsh reality of his life for just a few passionate moments. Someone who saw him in a way no one else did. Someone who believed he could make a difference, make life better.

Hermione had done that for him, as well as given him the strength and determination to do what he needed to do to save himself, and so many, many others. She sacrificed herself as well, giving him her virginity. Hermione Granger was as much an unsung hero as he was.

Besides, the witch had most likely saved his life. Voldemort's treatment of him might have led to his death. Through what he'd seen in the Pensieve, it was clear that the despot had no respect for him at all, just found him useful. When his usefulness was over, Snape had no doubt Voldemort would have murdered him and thrown his broken, lifeless body away like a piece of trash.

So although he had bedded Hermione, there was much more to Severus Snape's treatment of the young witch. He patiently waited for her to reach adulthood, always showing her the best side of himself, going out of his way to make sure she received a good education, providing challenge after challenge and taking great pride in her advancement. He wanted her to have a good life, a secure one. He wanted Hermione Granger to reach for the stars and grasp one by the tail, knowing the world and everything in it was hers for the taking.

And he wanted to be there when she caught hold.

Severus Tobias Snape loved young Hermione Granger, loved her as much as he could love anyone or anything. He knew it. He was almost eighteen years her senior and not a very handsome man, but he was intelligent, experienced and would do his best by her . . . if only she would give him the opportunity.

In this timeline, Severus had money. He had wisely invested his pay, been frugal, nearly miserly. He saved his Galleons from habit, because he had grown up so poor. And he had developed a few original Potions, for which he collected residuals monthly. He was just this side of wealthy. He could provide for Hermione while she chased her dreams.

If only . . . if only she would accept him. The signs she might were there, but her attraction could be nothing more than a schoolgirl crush, a crush that would crumble if he tried to make it something more.

Hell, he might even repulse her.

The Potions master wiped at his face with his hand in reaction to that unpleasant thought, then looked up to see Hermione standing before his desk, holding out her summary. He took it from her gently and looked at it, flipping it over. Sure enough, she had written on the back. He looked up at her with a smirk.

"It seems for all your brilliance, Miss Granger, you still haven't mastered measurements. This is far more than a foot of parchment," he said to her as Neville walked up behind her with his own offering.

"I couldn't fit it all on one side, professor, well . . . not adequately . . . there were a lot of nuances I wanted to address . . ." Hermione explained.

Snape waved his hand at her.

"Just go, Miss Granger," he said, "I'm used to this by now. I will see you tonight in detention."

"Thank you, sir," Hermione said as she walked past Neville, who looked after her.

She had said nothing about having detention with professor Snape.

"Mr. Longbottom, are you going to stand there gawking after your friend, or are you going to hand in your parchment?" Snape snapped at him, making the Gryffindor jump. "I don't have all day."

"Oh, oh . . . here you go sir," Neville said sheepishly as Snape snatched the parchment out of his hand, scowling at him. He narrowed his eyes as he looked at the parchment.

"You seem to be an eighth of an inch short, Mr. Longbottom. Five points from Gryffindor," the wizard said, his eyes glinting.

Gryffindor was getting a little too close in house points.

"But . . . it won't affect your mark," Snape added, cutting him some slack . . . as usual.

"Thank you, sir," Neville said, hurrying away, rolling his eyes at Hermione as he passed on his way to his seat. Hermione shook her head slightly.

An eighth of an inch? Who was professor Snape kidding? He just wanted to take points from Gryffindor.

Ah well. He'd done it for this long, there was no reason to think he'd change now.

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The hands on the clock seemed to be moving three times faster than normal. Before she knew it, it was time to go to the dungeons. Time to find out the truth. Hermione grabbed the book Snape loaned her, pulled on her robes over her jeans and t-shirt, then made her way out of Gryffindor tower.

The moment of truth had arrived.

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A/N: Luna is going to play an important role in this story. Got to get Neville's love interest in there somehow. Lol. This was another history chapter. A reader pointed out to me that Luna was a year below Hermione, and I had to devise a way to put them in the same year. It was fun to work out. I love Luna, she reminds me of a Flower Child. Lolol. Then there was a little Snape love going on, that's always nice. Now, the moment of clarity arrives. Thanks for reading.