Redemption

"Five more minutes!"
The voice echoed through the hall making several people around her jump, but not Hermione Granger. She had been expecting the warning.
She bent her head further down, ignoring those around her, who were also scribbling faster, most of them desperate to finish before time was up.
She wasn't among them. She had finished already, she merely was writing in notes. Points that she had read about in different books, not taught about in class. She doubted that anyone would read it, but she felt the need to record it anyways.
It was fascinating. She craved to talk about the things she read to people, unfortunately her only friend wasn't that interested.
Lily Evans. The thought crossed her mind and stilled her quill. Hermione glanced where her best friend sat, three seats to her left. The red head was just finishing her paper, her expression that of mild worry.
It was funny to see that worry on her friend's face. Lily was smart, one of the smartest people in Hogwarts right now. Well, she was more intelligent than most.
Her eyes drifted to the two other intelligent students in her year. Remus Lupin, who sat away from his friends who usually surrounded him, had finished writing and was looking rather tired. Then there was Severus Snape who was currently hunched over his own parchment, his hair flopped down on the desk, his nose almost pressed against it.
Hermione didn't mind Severus, He was smart, and he was one of Lily's best friends. As such, Hermione had known him since they started Hogwarts, yet they were not friends.
If anything, Severus tolerated her presence.
Barely.
That was the general reception of people. She didn't have many friends. She was known to all as a suck up, miss-know-it-all. No one bothered to get to know the real her.
Even Lily, whom she had been friends with since she was three years old, didn't really understand her thirst for knowledge. Recently they didn't have much in common. Lily had her own friends, spent more time with them than her, and that was alright.
Hermione had her own friends...kind of.
She was tentative friends with Arthur Weasley, but only because he was so interested in her muggle heritage, constantly asking her silly things, like how a telephone works, and the purpose of a rubber duck.
She still wasn't sure the exact answer to that boggling question. Yet, soon, he would graduate, and she would only have Lily.
Her thoughts were disrupted by the sound of Professor Flitwick's Voice.
"'Quills down, please!' squeaked Professor Flitwick. "That means you too, Stebbins! Please remain seated while I collect your parchment! Accio!"
Hermione looked at the Gryfinndor boy in question, who was still writing on his parchment feverishly until it was jerked from his hands by the spell.
The bushy haired girl watched as over 100 scrolls snapped shut and then rushed into Flitwicks arms, burying him. She heard laughter behind her, but she was quickly up, along with a Ravenclaw girl helping him up as the rest of the students were dismissed.
"Thank you, Thank you!" Flitwick panted as he started to pick up the parchments "Everyone is free to go!"
The professor didn't have to say it twice. A hundred students got up at once, grabbing their belongings before mass exiting. Hermione herself stayed behind, using her wand to float the remaining papers into a neat pile in his basket.
"What a suck up," she heard a girl say as she passed her, not bothering to move out of the way and bumping shoulders with Hermione, making her stumble forward.
Professor Flitwick looked up at her when she stumbled forward, unaware of what had just transpired. She wasn't surprised, it was common place for her.
"Are you alright Miss Granger?" he asked her, holding a hand up as if he was going to steady her.
"I'm fine professor, tripped over my own two feet" she smiled, though it was half hearted. She hated lying, but in the end it would only cause her more grief.
"Very well," He squeaked, a cheerful smile on his face "Well then, run along, time to enjoy the sunshine and be with your friends!"
Hermione nodded, though looking back she could see that Lily had already left with a mixed group of gryffindors, ravenclaws, and hufflepuff girls. They headed towards the lake, past James Potter and his gang of hooligans.
At least that was how Hermione thought of them. Sirius Black and Hermione had a bit of a history. They weren't always mortal enemies, during their first year, she had actually spent a little bit of time with him, mostly because of Remus.
He had been one of the few people in her year who didn't judge her. He was smart and kind. The complete opposite of Sirius Black and his best friend James Potter.
Well, personality wise. Even Hermione had to admit, begrudgingly, that the two boys were intelligent. More so than Lily, More than the kid ,Peter ,that always ran around with them.
Unfortunately they had terrible attitudes. To Remus, they were kind, he wasn't a show off, shyer than Hermione was, and in the end, it was the main reason she was not friendly with them any longer.
They thought of her as a snob, just like all the others. Once James started to become interested in Lily and Sirius started picking on Severus... well, that's when her place solidified.
In the background.
She had learned long ago that she was alright with that. Yes, She still knew the answers, but no longer did she raise her hand to answer the questions as she did in the past. The change hadn't helped her popularity any, but it did allow her to blend into the background, to see and hear things others might not notice.
She liked that, the sense of invisibility. It was comforting in a way, albeit lonely.
She walked past the group who tended to bully others, hearing snippets of their conversation about the signs of werewolves. She said nothing, walking past them. If they noticed her, they didn't bother her, which was a relief.
She found a small tree that had not been taken yet by the other students and sat down, pulling out her Transfiguration textbook, looking over her notes. It was warm and peaceful, for all of ten minutes.
"All Right Snivellus?" The voice came from James Potter. It seemed to echo and caused several people to pause.
Not Severus. He reacted instantly, dropping his bag, his hand flying to his wand but wasn't fast enough. The second that his wand was halfway in the air James yelled out "Expelliarmus!".

Hermione watched, with several others, as Snape's wand flew up in the air, twelve feet in the air. She reacted without thinking, her wand out and giving a silent flick. She cast the spell silently, something they didn't even teach her year yet. She watched as the wand flew only a few feet from Severus, much closer than it would have been if she hadn't cast the spell. If anyone noticed, they didn't call her out on it.
It seemed that there was a beat where everyone froze, only Black's barking laugh could be heard. Snape dove towards his wand but Black was too fast.
"Impedimenta" Sirius called out, his wand pointed at Severus, knocking him off the path of his wand. Other students had started to watch now, some of them edging nearer. Hermione didn't pay attention to them, her eyes on Severus who was panting on the ground.
Potter and black advanced down the hill, wands out, sneers on their faces. James turned his head, looking towards the lake, where the group of girls were, no doubt looking for the attention of one girl in particular.
'How'd the exam go, Snivelly?' James asked, but it was clear he didn't care.

'I was watching him, his nose was touching the parchment,' said Sirius viciously. 'There'll be great grease marks all over it, they won't be able to read a word.'
Sirius's comment made others around them laugh.
Hermione felt her heart clench. No one was helping him. She hadn't expected them to, not really. Snape was unpopular, James and Sirius were the most handsome, popular guys in their year.
It was terrible.
Hermione wanted to intervene, her wand twitched and before she knew it she had silently cast the counter charm on Snape.
Thankfully, James and his friends were too busy reveling in the attention to realize that Snape was suddenly free from his magical bonds. At least not until the talented young wizard managed to grab his wand, casting a slicing curse at James.
Several onlookers shrieked in surprise, not expecting Snape to get free so quickly.
"What in the bloody hell?!" Sirius barked even as James whipped back around from glancing at the shore where Lily Evans was starting to realize something was going on.
Severus was about to cast another jinx at his attackers, but James was too quick, and the next thing they knew Severus was upside down, his robes falling over his head and exposing his fading underpants.
"That's Enough!"
The words exploded from her, even as she scrambled to her feet, her wand on Potter "Put him down!"
"What's it to you Know it All?" Sirius growled, his wand pointed right back at her.
"Perhaps she has a soft spot for bookworms?" James suggested.
"That makes sense then doesn't it. A walking encyclopedia and a bookworm, a match made in heaven" Sirius barked out his laughter, though the humour didn't reach his eye. He gave her a feral grin "Tell me Granger-- How does it feel to have a worm slither--" He didn't get a chance to finish his question, for without hesitation Hermione cast scourgify on him.
Sirius gasped and doubled over, bubbles spewing out his mouth. He gagged at the taste.
"You should really wash out your mouth with soap ,Black. You constantly have nasty things coming out of it."
James turned to his friend, concern on his face "Stop it Granger!"
Hermione shrugged and wordlessly cast the counter curse, though if he noticed, if anyone noticed, they said nothing.
Sirius coughed up a few more mouthfuls of bubbles before recovering "Why you!" He started to go for his want but a voice distracted both boys.
"LEAVE HIM ALONE!"
Hermione rolled her eyes, unable to help it. It seemed that her friend was finally coming to the rescue. She wasn't surprised that it was only when everyone was watching did she 'notice' that her self-proclaimed best friend was hanging in their air, showing his underwear for all to see.
"All right Evans?" It was amazing how quickly someone could go from cruel bastard to charmer in zero seconds flat.
"What has he done to you! Let him down." Lily spat at Potter.
"I mean, It's more the fact he exists...If you know what I mean" Potter said, making those around him laugh. With the exception of Hermione and Remus. Though Lily didn't laugh, her furious expression did shift for a slight second, as if she was holding back a smile.
Hermione felt disgusted, her wand was lowered but still in her grasp, she would let Lily have her moment though, as long as Severus was good that was all that mattered.
'You think you're funny,' Lily said coldly. 'But you're just an arrogant, bullying toerag, Potter. Leave him alone.'
'I will if you go out with me, Evans,' said James quickly. 'Go on ... go out with me and I'll never lay a wand on old Snivelly again.'
Lily rolled her eyes, 'I wouldn't go out with you if it was a choice between you and the giant squid,'
'Bad luck, Prongs,' said Sirius briskly, turning his attention back on Hermione. He started to raise his wand at her but Lily was now in charge of this show. James' attention was only on her, not his best mate.
"LET HIM DOWN"
James smiled "Certainly my lady" he said with a handsome smile, one meant only for Lily. He jerked his wand upwards and Severus came to the ground with a crash. He started to disentangle himself from his robes but Sirius said, 'Petrificus Totalus!' and Snape keeled over again, rigid as a board.
She was tired of this, Her wand acted quickly, "Petrificus Totalus!" she shouted, watching it hit Sirius with such force that he fell back a few feet.
James wand was now on her, his eyes on only Hermione ,”You’ve picked the wrong fight Granger”

Hermione squared her shoulders, ready to duel him, to prove him wrong but to her surprise Lily was beside her wand out.

“LEAVE HIM ALONE” this time she said it angrier.

“Don’t make me Jinx you” Jame said, looking hesitant now.
“Then take the curse off him!” Lily spat.

James eyed her, as if trying to decide if he had it in him to jinx the girl he fancied. In the end he sighed deeply and muttered the counter curse.

“Lucky Evans and Granger were here, Snivellus or things would have been different” Jame said.

Snape was getting to his feet, his wand in his hand “I don’t need help from filthy Mudbloods like them!” He spat the word so violently that spittle flew a foot from his face.

Hermione didn’t say a word, not surprised at the reaction, though her eyes did dart to Lily who blinked, her face hardening.

“Fine.” She said coldly “I won't bother in the future. And I'd wash your pants if I were you, Snivellus.”

Hermione winced at her friend's words, even as James pointed his wand again at Severus, demanding that he apologize to Evans.

Strange, how the words were meant for both of them, yet he only wanted an apology for one. She didn’t get a chance to voice her thoughts, Lily speaking for her, as she often did.

'I don't want you to make him apologize,' Lily shouted, rounding on James. 'You're as bad as he is.'

'What?' yelped James. 'I'd NEVER call you a--you-know-what!'

'Messing up your hair because you think it looks cool to look like you've just got off your broomstick, showing off with that stupid Snitch, walking down corridors and hexing anyone who annoys you just because you can--I'm surprised your broomstick can get off the ground with that fat head on it. You make me SICK.'

Lily turned on her heel and hurried away, leaving Hermione and Severus behind, perhaps expecting her to follow.

'Evans!' James shouted after her. 'Hey, EVANS!'

Lily did not turn around.

At this point, the spell on Sirius was wearing off. She could see him starting to get movement back.

Severus glared at her, his wand in his hand, ready to fight her as well.

'What is it with her?' said James, trying and failing to look as though this was a throwaway question of no real importance to him.

Hermione knew better than to answer, and yet her traitious mouth had other ideas “Perhaps you should learn to read between the lines” Her wand was at the ready, in case he tried anything “You are nothing but a bully, you and your whole gang. You pick on those you deem are beneath you. You might not spew slang at people, but you obviously believe you are more important. News flash, you aren’t. And until you realize that, you will never have a shot with Lily or anyone like her.”

Severus sneered at Potter as if her words were a victory for him but she turned on him “And you!” she narrowed her eyes on him “I hope you realize what you cost yourself today.” she never took her wand off James, not wanting him to get any brave ideas. ““You might not have meant what you said, but if I were you I would think more carefully about things you spew in anger. Like it or not you were helped. Perhaps if you stopped being such an arse, someone other than mudbloods ” She spat the vile word at him “would help you.”

She turned her full attention back to James, who looked just slightly smug at her scolding severus. His wand was still pointed at Snape, anger in his eyes ,”and you ” she glared at him” You aren’t going to impress everyone by showing off the way you do, by bullying people. You think it makes you popular, but in truth it makes you a giant bully. These people watching you, you think they are your friends, but they are not. They are just too afraid to stand up to you.”

“You weren’t.” She was expecting the words from Sirius, whom she had forgotten for a second too long, he was getting back to his feet, wand clutched tightly in his hand. He looked like he wanted to make her regret that. “Sorry mate, seems Evans thinks you’re a bit conceited.” He went to point his wand at Severus but Hermione cast a quick Expelliarmus, disarming both boys at once.

They both stared at her wide eyed, “How d-” He stopped spotting Severus going to pick his wand up.

Hermione pointed her wand at Severus “Walk away Snape, Just leave it alone”

He glared at her, looking as if he wanted to curse her himself, but he chose not to. Instead he turned, sweeping his robes behind him, running off.

“You better run!” Sirius barked after him, turning black eyes to her “and you better watch your back Granger”

Hermione said nothing in response, waiting till Severus was gone before she backed up, picking up her bag and book from where she left it. Only when she was ready did she drop their wands at her feet before turning and leaving.

She could feel eyes on her back, and she half expected to hear them come after her, but for whatever reason they didn’t.

It was lucky. She had stuck her neck out into the open for Snape, knowing he would never do the same.

She just hoped that she wouldn't be ostracized further.

She pushed that thought to the side and went in the direction Lily had gone, going to comfort her friend.

Only time would tell what the after effect of today would be.