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Chapter Text

Chapter 01: Malfoy Manor

Friday, 10 April 1998

"STOP!" Bellatrix shrieked. "Do not touch it, or we shall all perish if the Dark Lord comes now!"

Lucius froze, his index finger hovering over his Dark Mark.

"What is that?" Bellatrix demanded darkly.

"It's a sword," one of the Snatchers grunted.

"Give it to me," Bellatrix hissed sharply.

"No, it’s mine, I reckon. I found it," the Snatcher replied.

Suddenly, there was a flash of red light; Bellatrix had stunned the man with a flick of her wrist. There was a roar of anger from the other Snatchers.

"Stupefy!" Bellatrix screamed and waved her wand, "Stupefy!"

They were no match for her, even though there were four of them against one of her. She was a witch, with immense skills and no conscience, after all. The Snatchers fell where they stood, all except Greyback, who had been immobilised and forced into a kneeling position. Out of the corner of her eye Hermione saw Bellatrix bearing down upon the werewolf, the sword of Gryffindor gripped tightly in her hand. There was an anxious look in Bellatrix's eyes.

"Where did you get this sword?" Bellatrix whispered to Greyback as she pried his wand from his fingers.

"How dare you?" Greyback snarled, his mouth the only thing that could move as he was forced to gaze up at her. He bared his pointed teeth. "Release me, woman!"

"Where did you find this sword?" She repeated, raising it up in front of him. "Snape sent it to my vault in Gringotts!"

"It was with them," Greyback growled, his eyes flickering to Harry, Hermione and Ron.

Hermione felt Harry flinch against her back.

"Release me, now!" Greyback yelled.

Bellatrix flicked her wand and the werewolf sprang to his feet, but appeared too wary to approach her. He moved behind an armchair, his filthy curved nails clutching its back.

"Draco, move this scum outside," Bellatrix said, indicating the unconscious men. "If you haven't got the guts to finish them, then leave them in the courtyard for me."

"Don't you dare speak to Draco like –" Narcissa hissed furiously, but Bellatrix interrupted her with a shriek.

"Be quiet! The situation is graver than you can possibly imagine, Cissy! We have a very serious problem!" Bellatrix screamed, panting slightly and looking down at the sword, examining its hilt. Then she turned to look at the silent prisoners.

"If it is indeed Potter, he must not be harmed," she muttered, more to herself than to the others. "The Dark Lord wishes to dispose of Potter himself… But if he finds out… I must… I must know."

She turned back to her sister again. "The prisoners must be placed in the cellar, while I think what to do!"

Narcissa hesitated for a moment and then addressed the werewolf. "Take these prisoners down to the cellar, Greyback."

"Wait," Bellatrix said sharply. "All except… Except for the Mudblood," she said gleefully.

As Greyback let out a pleased growl, Hermione felt something cold trickle down her spine.

"No!" Ron shouted abruptly. "You can have me, keep me!"

Ron’s yell ended with a groan of pain as Bellatrix hit him across the face, the blow echoing around the room.

Bellatrix let out a shriek of laughter. "If she dies under questioning, I'll take you next," she said venomously. "Blood traitor is next to Mudblood in my book. Take them downstairs, Greyback, and make sure they are secure, but do nothing more to them – yet."

She threw Greyback's wand back to him and then took a short silver knife from under her robes. She cut Hermione free from the other prisoners and then dragged her into the middle of the room, while Greyback forced the rest of them to shuffle across the room towards a dark passageway, his wand held out in front of him, projecting an invisible and irresistible force.

Hermione gritted her teeth against the sharp pain running through her scalp when Bellatrix grabbed Hermione by her hair and drew her face up close to hers.

"Now, little Mudblood. Tell me, where did you get that sword?" She asked viciously.

Bellatrix pulled her hair so hard, that Hermione was sure a handful of it had gone off when the mad woman suddenly stopped as though to give her time to answer. Bellatrix grabbed Hermione's chin roughly and forced her to look up at her. Hermione suppressed a whimper of fear and attempted to struggle free. It only made Bellatrix squeeze her jaw with more force, causing Hermione to let out a choked sob.

Hermione shook her head hastily and stuttered, "I-I don't know." She didn't even notice the blow across her face before her cheek started to sting with pain. Hermione cried out and staggered to the side, surprised and scared. Then, Bellatrix aimed a kick at her and with a moan of pain, Hermione collapsed to the ground on her knees.

"Crucio," Bellatrix said silkily. A split second after, Hermione felt like someone poured a barrel of petrol on her and then set her on fire. It burned, it hurt, it ripped her insides apart and turned her skin inside out and back again. It was like someone was stabbing her with thousand needles and like every cell of her body turned into burning coal.

And then it was over. She was lying on her stomach and her fingers were bleeding after unintentionally scratching the marble floor with them. Hermione shivered and blinked away tears as she heard the clicking noise of high heels getting closer.

"I'm going to ask you again! Where did you get this sword? Where?"

"We found it – we found it – PLEASE!" Hermione screamed when Bellatrix kicked her to her ribs.

Hermione shrieked in pain.

"You're lying, filthy Mudblood, and I know it! You have been inside my vault at Gringotts! Tell the truth, tell the truth!" Bellatrix shrieked and kicked Hermione again to her ribs so hard that she was turned on her back from the force. She moaned in agony, her vision swimming.

"What else did you take? What else have you got? Tell me the truth or, I swear, I shall run you through with this knife!"

Hermione could only feel pain and fear. She sobbed silently.

"What else did you take, what else? ANSWER ME! CRUCIO!"

Hermione's screams echoed off the walls as the searing pain filled her again. She thrashed on the floor, clawing at herself, trying to rip the skin from her body with her bleeding nails. Her back arched and her eyes were lolling in her aching head that felt like at any moment it was going to burst open.

Then the pain subsided again, and her back landed on the floor with a loud thud.

"How did you get into my vault?" she heard Bellatrix scream. "Did that dirty little goblin in the cellar help you?"

"W-We only m-met him t-tonight!" Hermione sobbed, her voice hoarse from screaming, her body convulsing. "We've n-never been inside y-your vault…It isn't the real s-sword! It's a copy, just a c-copy!"

"A copy?" Bellatrix screeched. "Oh, a likely story!"

"But we can find that out easily!" came Lucius's voice from the distance. "Greyback, fetch the goblin, he can tell us whether the sword is real or not!"

There was a short silence and all Hermione could hear were footsteps on the marble floor. She kept her eyes closed and forced herself to stay conscious.

Not long after the goblin was dragged upstairs from the cellar and brought in front of the sword.

"Well?" Bellatrix hissed at Griphook. "Is it the true sword?"

Hermione waited and held her breath while fighting against unconsciousness that was threatening to take over.

"No," Griphook said quietly. "It is a fake."

"Are you sure?" Bellatrix pressed. "Quite sure?"

"Yes," the goblin said. Hermione focused on Bellatrix and saw relief flickering into her eyes, saw how the Death Eater’s posture relaxed somewhat.

"Good," Bellatrix said and with a casual flick of her wand she slashed another deep cut into the goblin's face, who dropped to her feet with a yell. Bellatrix kicked the goblin aside. "And now," she said with a voice that was brimming with triumph, "we call the Dark Lord!" She pushed back her sleeve and touched her forefinger to the Dark Mark.

"And I think," Bellatrix continued, "we can dispose of the Mudblood. Greyback, take her if you want her." Bellatrix said as she walked to sit down in an armchair, ready to watch the scene play out in front of her, her mouth turned into a vicious smirk.

**

Hermione was still sprawled on the floor, nearly unconscious. Her hazy mind did register Greyback approaching her slowly and leering at her. She shuddered from nausea and fear.

"Delicious girl...what a treat…" Greyback said with a rasping voice when he lowered down to kneel next to her and loomed over her frame.

"I love them young…and squirming," he growled, revealing his pointed brown teeth.

Hermione was hit with another wave of nausea by his smell – dirt, sweat and blood.

"So innocent…" He grunted and leaned closer, his hands flat on the floor, framing her head. His dirty face was mere inches away from Hermione's neck. Greyback sniffed loudly and growled against the skin on her neck. Hermione sobbed silently, too tired to fight back, too scared to move a muscle.

Greyback stood back on his knees and pressed his filthy hands against her knees. When his long fingernails started to move slowly down her thighs, ripping the fabric of her jeans, Hermione's mind sharpened momentarily and she gained enough strength to scream and kick him in the head. The werewolf shouted in surprise and pain when he was knocked to the side, while Hermione scrambled up into a kneeling position.

"You bitch!" Greyback growled angrily and lunged at Hermione but was stopped by a spell Bellatrix had cast.

**

Bellatrix cackled from the other side of the room. "A feisty little Mudblood slut, aren't you…" She said silkily. "So defiant, so…Gryffindor,” she said darkly and grinned as she stood up from her armchair, her eyes flashing with mirth. “All that for nothing." She smiled at her venomously, holding the knife again in her hand. "Should I entertain myself by letting Greyback here on the loose, or do we just end your life here, right now? Would you like to beg for mercy, little Mudblood?"

Hermione stood up from the floor, slowly, shakily, and spat a mouthful of blood to the marble floor, towards Bellatrix.

Bellatrix cackled again and raised her wand. "How rude of you, little Mudblood. I think Greyback here should teach you a lesson, what do you think?" She smiled maniacally.

Greyback growled from his place and glared at Bellatrix for keeping him still and not allowing him to move.

"Even so, I myself have more important things to focus on right now, I'm sure you understand, Mudblood. It might be the best for you to be on your way before the Dark Lord arrives."

Hermione knew there was no escape, not when she was wandless, facing a maniac woman with quick reflexes and a bloodthirsty werewolf who was growling behind her. The only help she could have had was locked somewhere in the basement. She was all alone, without anything to help her escape. There was no more time for anything.

Then, she remembered something. Before they had left Hogwarts last year, after Dumbledore’s funeral, Hermione had sneaked into the former Headmaster's office to collect some rare and forbidden books regarding Horcruxes, along with few other items she thought they would need on their journey. She had stumbled upon a Time-Turner when going through Dumbledore’s desk drawers. It was similar to the one Hermione had used in her third year – the one Professor McGonagall had lent her. It had been too tempting not to take it with her. She had kept the Time-Turner hidden and disillusioned from everyone else, even Ron and Harry, intending to use it only in extreme danger. Which was now.

Hermione quickly grabbed the Time-Turner, praying to Merlin she had enough time to turn back time. As her fingers rotated the hourglass over, she saw Bellatrix’s lips moving: she was casting a curse. Time seemed to be crawling and Hermione saw a jet of green light erupt from Bellatrix’s wand, inching slowly towards her. She could almost hear the Time-Turner clicking between her fingers, the rings starting to rotate around the hourglass.

She swallowed and then the curse hit the small Time-Turner, smashing it to pieces. Hermione didn’t have time to look up, or even take a breath before the room started to glow with light and then spin uncontrollably. The spinning became faster and faster until she couldn’t see anything but streaks of light anymore, as the Malfoy Manor disappeared around her.

Chapter Text

Chapter 02: Hospital wing

Hermione stirred from her sleep, her head throbbing. She wondered what had happened... Where she was... and... and if she still was alive.

Her nostrils filled with a familiar scent of potions and something else. She knew the smell from her memory, for she had smelled it quite a few times before. It was the smell of a hospital. More specifically the hospital wing in the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Slowly opening her eyes, Hermione blinked in the dimly lit room. There was only a faint light of the rising sun coming through the windows. The dawn was just about to break the sky outside. It was quiet. There was no yelling or fighting, and no maniac werewolves or psychopath witches threatening her. It was the same safe and comfortable room she had visited so many times during her years in the school.

But the school wasn't safe anymore. It had been taken over by Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Panic started to rise inside her, and she hissed in pain as she tried to sit up quickly. There was movement next to her and only then she noticed that she wasn't alone in the room. Hermione turned towards the figure, a man, and she let out a loud gasp when she realised who he was.

Albus Dumbledore.

Her previous Headmaster, who was…dead. But now he wasn't. He in fact was sitting next to her bed, studying her closely over his half-moon spectacles, the familiar twinkle in his eyes. She briefly wondered, what in the name of Merlin was happening.

"Professor Dumbledore," Hermione croaked, still gaping at him. She tried to gather her thoughts to answer the questions thrumming in her head. Clearly, she had managed to travel to the past, since Dumbledore was alive and sitting right in front of her, but how far back in time had she gone? What should she say to him? What could she say to him?

Dumbledore studied her with his bright blue eyes that sparkled with delight, mischief and curiosity.

"You know who I am, Miss…?" he asked kindly, giving her a searching look.

Hermione stared at him in shock. "Y-You don't know who I am?" She whispered, trying to figure out what was happening and why he didn't recognise her.

A small frown appeared between the Headmaster's brows. "I'm afraid I haven't met you," he said steadily.

Hermione blinked, utterly confused by his answer. He didn't know who she was? How far in the past had she travelled if Dumbledore hadn't even met her?

Knowing she had to say something, Hermione cleared her throat before she spoke, her voice wavering. "Um…I'm Hermione Granger, sir." 

"Pleased to meet you, Miss Granger," Dumbledore said and smiled at her. "I have to say, I am rather curious to hear your story and how you came to be in the castle. Firstly, I should tell you, that there are wards to prevent apparition, and secondly, if the wards are somehow breached, I will be notified immediately. For some reason, I was not notified of your arrival earlier this week." He said thoughtfully. "And imagine my surprise when opening my office door in the morning, and instead of finding everything like I left them, I stumbled on you." He added with a chuckle.

Hermione swallowed deeply. Apparently she had landed into Dumbledore's office.

"I…I didn't exactly apparate, sir…" She muttered and tried not to think about her appearance during her arrival. Her dirty, ripped clothes. A shiver of nausea went through her spine as she remembered who had torn them.

"Oh?" Dumbledore asked with an intrigued expression in his eyes.

Hermione worried her lip. She wondered what exactly she could tell him about her arrival. She had obviously travelled a long way back, if Dumbledore didn't know who she was. She remembered when she'd used a Time-Turner in her third year, and the rules regarding its use. The most important of them was not to be seen by anyone. With irony, she thought that that was certainly out of the question now.

"I'm not sure if I can tell you how was it that I came here, sir." Hermione said pointedly, studying the Headmaster's reaction to her words, wondering if he would understand the true meaning behind them. 

Dumbledore eyed her for a moment before he spoke. "I presume you are not from this time?"

Hermione's eyes widened with relief and surprise, but she said nothing. If there was one person who wouldn't be fazed by a sudden arrival of a time-traveller, it was Dumbledore.

Dumbledore hummed. "That would certainly explain why I do not know you, but you obviously have met me, correct?" He asked kindly, and Hermione gave him a hesitant nod.

She knew she could trust Dumbledore, and she needed someone's – his – help to get her back to where she had come from. In order to make progress with that, she had to tell him something.

"It…It was April, 1998 for me the last time I was awake. I was in a situation where I had to use a Time-Turner, only to get a couple of hours back in time. But apparently that didn't happen…"

Dumbledore's brows lifted in surprise and then he frowned. "I'm afraid not, my dear. You have come a long way back. Far longer than you intended." He muttered.

"Sir? What...what year is it?" She asked, bracing herself.

Dumbledore let out a weary sigh and gave her a sympathetic look. "It is 1977, dear."

Her eyebrows shot up into her hairline. "W-What? How? Oh Godric!" She cried anxiously, her insides twisting with nausea. "How? How is that even possible?" She continued, her voice and body trembling with shock.

Dumbledore eyed her carefully before he spoke. "Why don't you start from the beginning? …The situation you were in? Perhaps we can solve this matter together." He said reassuringly.

Hermione fought against the numbness that had started to spread in her stomach. How was she ever going to get back? She rubbed her face, trying to think where to start. She wasn't actually eager to explain the events at the Malfoy Manor.

"I - we were captured by the Death Eaters and…some of them, they...they tortured me to find out how we had acquired a certain item. They thought it had been in their possession and so they must've assumed we had stolen it, but we hadn't really, we had found it…" She explained vaguely, her mind whirling a bit as she remembered Bellatrix's frightened expression when she had thought that they had been inside her vault. She briefly wondered what Bellatrix's reaction actually meant. Had she been frightened because there was something else in her vault?

Dumbledore's eyes widened slightly. "You were tortured… By Voldemort's followers?" He asked gravely.

Hermione nodded and looked down, not able to face the hint of pity that was flickering into the Headmaster's eyes.

"And the item was?" Dumbledore asked after a short moment.

Hermione winced inwardly. "The sword of Gryffindor," she said, looking back at him as the Headmaster stiffened. She wondered how she was going to explain the sword and everything else to him.

"You had the sword of Gryffindor in your possession?" He asked quietly, his blue eyes moving quickly across her face.

Hermione nodded.

"And you escaped your captors with the help of a Time-Turner?" He asked, continuing their conversation.

She nodded again. "Yes, I did. Someone sent a curse towards me and it must've had collided with the Time-Turner, that I had just set to turn back. But I'm not sure why it brought me here though..." She said uncertainly, eyeing the Headmaster.

He nodded slowly and stared at the floor thoughtfully. "You and I are acquainted where you came from?" He asked and Hermione nodded.

"Yes. I've studied at Hogwarts. I started my first year on September, 1991," Hermione said quickly.

Dumbledore looked contemplative before he spoke. "And has the future me ever come across of this Time-Turner you had in your use?" He asked slowly.

Hermione felt her cheeks colour with embarrassment. "I...might've borrowed it from your office..." She said quietly, expecting the Headmaster to be shocked by her actions. But instead Dumbledore's mouth twisted into a small smile and he seemed to be rather amused by the thought of her sneaking into his office. But then, this past Dumbledore didn't know how dire the situation had been, and he didn't know her - that she would only do that when there was no other choice. 

"Perhaps it is possible I myself have placed a spell into your Time-Turner, which allowed you to breach the wards to the school." He said logically.

"That makes sense." Hermione muttered. She thought that that actually would've been a very Dumbledorish thing to do…To charm the Time-Turner to come back to him.

"So…what now?" Hermione asked hesitantly. "How do I go back?" She asked and worried her lip.

Dumbledore eyed her for a moment. "I'm afraid I do not know a way to send you back." He said solemnly.

Hermione's breath caught in her throat. She had been certain that Dumbledore would've had a way to help her, seeing as he was the most powerful wizard she knew. She had thought that there could've been something.

"...And even if there was a way, it would be highly risky to take action. Have you studied Time magic, Miss Granger? Are you aware of Eloise Mintumble and her experiments with time travel?" Dumbledore continued, giving her a questioning look.

Hermione had read about the attempts to travel back in time further than a few hours. They had all resulted in catastrophic harm to the time-traveller. All experiments of time travelling over great distances were abandoned after Eloise Mintumble, an Unspeakable in the Department of Mysteries' Time Room, had travelled five centuries back in time, and had been trapped for five days in the year 1402. When she was finally retrieved to the present, her body had aged five centuries and she had died. She had also altered the life paths of the people she had met, changing the course of their lives in a way that caused many of their descendants to vanish in the present.

Hermione swallowed hard and stared at the Headmaster in shock. "So…If I'd go back to my own time, I would age twenty years?"

Dumbledore hummed. "There is a good chance of that happening. Or, the future you know might not even be the same anymore if you would return, since your mere presence might have had changed the history already, creating an alternate timeline." He concluded.

"An alternate timeline..." She whispered, frowning in confusion. She wondered how would she even know if another timeline had been created? She wondered how one could return from something like that. Hermione swallowed deeply. "If another timeline is created by changing history, wouldn't that mean..." She muttered, her voice trailing off as she thought about the events during her third year, when she and Harry had travelled back in time and had been able to change Sirius's and Buckbeak's fates. Had they created another timeline then? Was there a timeline in which Sirius had received the Dementor's Kiss in her third year and in which Buckbeak had been executed?

Hermione shook her head slightly, trying to focus on the present...or, well...past. "If I wanted to go back to my original timeline - if that even is a possibility - I wouldn't be able to change anything...?" She whispered, her voice giving away how uneasy she felt by the thought. How would she know if she accidentally caused something to change just by discussing now with Dumbledore? How would she know if her actions affected her future and destroyed her chances of returning to where she came from?

And then there was the other side of the coin, the possibility to actually change something, make something better, to save people. The most horrible thoughts seemed to surge into the forefront of her mind just then. Harry losing his parents, losing his godfather, fighting against Voldemort year after year. Cedric Diggory, unmoving on the soft grass after the third triwizard task. Mad-Eye, killed during their diversion to get Harry into safety, and Dumbledore... Dumbledore lying motionless in the courtyard, while Death Eaters were slowly taking over Hogwarts.

But even if she had the ability to make things better, wouldn't it still mean that everyone in that original timeline was going to continue their lives as they were?

"Would you be able to not change anything?" Dumbledore asked quietly, staring straight into her eyes, a questioning look in his. "May I?"

She knew what he was asking, what he was about to do. She gave him a small nod of acceptance and immediately felt an uncomfortable sensation when her memories started swirling inside her head. He was looking into her mind, looking through the memories most forefront in there. Hermione had studied a bit of Occlumency during their time on the run, but she knew she had no chance of closing her mind from him. Not that she necessarily wanted to close her mind from him.

A moment later, Dumbledore looked away, tired and overwhelmed. "I'm afraid I do not know the answer to your question, Miss Granger," he said quietly and moved his gaze back to her. "I can only guess, and I would assume that time were to behave so that if you are indeed in an alternate timeline, it might seem like you are changing the events from your original timeline - from your past - but in fact you are not, since the new timeline would act as your future. And on the other hand, if your actions haven't yet caused the creation of another timeline, you wouldn't be able to change anything since it has already happened," Dumbledore explained steadily.

Hermione felt stunned by the explanation and closed her eyes, leaning back to the bed. Her head had started to ache, as her mind was trying to solve this complex question of timelines for her. Did Dumbledore mean that she couldn't stop another timeline from creating by choosing not to change anything, because it had already been created to this time by her arrival?

Dumbledore studied her features for a while before he cleared his throat and stood up. "I can see we could use a small break in this discussion, to let everything sink in before we continue. You should rest now, Miss Granger. I will come see you later on," he said and turned to leave.

Hermione gave him a tired nod, grateful to be able to close her eyes for a moment. Still, there was a small detail she wanted to know. "Sir?"

"Yes, Miss Granger?"

"What day is today?" She asked, stifling a yawn.

"It is the 31st of July, my dear." The Headmaster smiled and with a final nod to her, he left the hospital wing.

"Harry's birthday," Hermione whispered to the empty hospital wing. Although he wasn't even born yet, the day still brought her best friend into her mind. There had to be a way for her to go back, she was sure of it. Dumbledore would figure it out. As she was drifting off to sleep, the last thought she had was, that perhaps this was all a horrible nightmare and soon she was going to wake up beside her best friends.

Hermione woke up to a shuffling noise next to her bed. She opened her eyes slowly and saw Madam Pomfrey adjusting a collection of potions on the nightstand next to her bed.

"Oh, good afternoon, Miss Granger," Madam Pomfrey said with a kind smile. "Feeling better?" She asked, already waving her wand over Hermione's body, performing diagnostic charms on her.

Hermione blinked rapidly, taking in her surroundings. She was instantly disappointed as she realised she was still in the wrong era, by merely looking around the room.

"I'm…Okay, I guess." She muttered, taking a Vitamix potion Madam Pomfrey handed to her and gulping it down.

Madam Pomfrey smiled. "Good. Your internal injuries have healed up nicely, as well as the after-effects of the…um…curses you endured." She said carefully.

Hermione swallowed hard.

"What happened to you?" Madam Pomfrey asked sombrely, her previous smile vanished.

Hermione cringed a bit. "I… Don't really want to talk about it. At least not yet." She said hesitantly.

Madam Pomfrey gave her an understanding nod. "Hungry?" She asked, eyeing her searchingly.

Hermione's stomach rumbled from the mere suggestion. "Yes, I suppose I am," she said with a small smile.

"I'll bring you something right away," Pomfrey said briskly and left to her office.

A moment later Hermione had a bowl of chicken soup and a piece of bread on a tray that was placed next to her on the table. She started eating as Pomfrey made another set of spells to check her health.

"How long was I out?" Hermione asked after she took a sip of water. She grimaced inwardly as she realised she had ingested all of her soup in a couple of minutes. She hoped her stomach wouldn't hurt afterwards, as it wasn't used to large amounts of food due to them being on the run for the past months.

"Two days," Pomfrey replied grimly, flicking her wand to fill her bowl again with steaming chicken soup. "The Headmaster found you in his study on Friday morning, covered in bruises and shaking from the after-effects of dark curses," Madam Pomfrey said with concern in her eyes.

Hermione said nothing and resumed to her meal. Madam Pomfrey didn't press any more information. She did tell Hermione where she could freshen up and brought Hermione's things in a small box, leaving it to the foot of her bed before heading back to her office.

The box contained her ripped and dirty clothes and her beaded bag she had disillusioned to her hip, under her shirt just before they had been attacked by the snatchers. The only thing she truly missed that wasn't there, was her wand. She sighed heavily, and even though she knew she was able to obtain a new wand in this time, she still felt disappointed for losing her first one.

After she had finished her meal, Hermione went to the bathroom and grabbed a fresh set of clothes from her beaded bag, grateful that the bag had survived the encounter with the Snatchers, as well as her trip to the past. After a long and relaxing shower she dressed up and felt considerably better.

When she returned to her hospital bed, Dumbledore was waiting for her at the ward.

"Good to see you again, Miss Granger. I hope you are feeling well?" Dumbledore asked from Hermione, glancing at Madam Pomfrey who came to make another set of diagnostic spells on Hermione.

"I'm feeling fine," Hermione said and smiled reassuringly.

"Poppy? Is she ready to be discharged?" Dumbledore asked from Madam Pomfrey, who nodded.

"Yes, I have surveyed her health and it seems she is recovering rather nicely," she replied to the Headmaster before turning to Hermione. "You may leave, Miss Granger." She said kindly. "And please come see me if you experience any pain, or if you need anything else, is that clear?"

Hermione nodded. "I will."

"Now, would you kindly join me in my office, Miss Granger, so we can continue our discussion from earlier?" Dumbledore asked and smiled at her.

Hermione nodded and gave him a strained smile back. "Yes, of course, sir."

She followed him out of the hospital wing and they walked through the familiar corridors, passing several familiar paintings before they reached the gargoyle that guarded the entrance to the Headmaster's study.

As they walked into his office, Dumbledore gestured for her to sit opposite to him, in front of his desk as he took his place behind it. Hermione glanced at the wall that was covered with portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses, all of whom were eyeing her curiously from their frames.

"So," Dumbledore started, crossing his fingers on the table. "Where did we leave off?" He asked kindly.

Hermione sighed and fiddled with the hem of her shirt. "To the point where we do not know how to send me back to the future and to the correct timeline," she said dejectedly. It was problematic enough to send her back to the future without a Time-Turner, but then there was the question of timelines. How could she be sure? Or was it even something she should have to worry, if there wasn't anything she could do to change that?

Dumbledore hummed in acknowledgement. "Yes, unfortunately I do not have the information you seek. I have no experience of travelling in time, and I do not know if it is indeed possible to travel back to the future or even change the events in one's past without severe consequences. But that doesn't mean there's nothing we can do about it." He said simply.

Hermione lifted her brows. "Oh?"

Dumbledore stared at her silently for a moment. "I suggest we research your situation and then we try to find a suitable solution for all of us," he said obscurely.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked with a hint of suspicion.

Dumbledore smiled. "I trust you are aware of what I saw when I looked into your mind earlier today?" He asked, and Hermione nodded.

"I may not hold the exact information about the future you have, but what I saw, was a place and time without light. The things I saw made me do a great bit of reflective thinking," Dumbledore said carefully.

Hermione frowned. If only he knew about the horrors… And perhaps he did. "So…what are you suggesting? That I try to change things?" Hermione asked finally, her voice trembling slightly.

Dumbledore nodded seriously.

Hermione wanted to scoff at the careless way this past Dumbledore was thinking.

"You would intentionally want to take a risk of creating an alternate timeline? And with that, take away the possibility for me to return to my own time?" She asked sharply, her mind in turmoil, drawn by the idea of destroying Voldemort before he could rise again, and horrified by the thought of not seeing her friends and family again. 

Dumbledore gave her a thoughtful look. "Miss Granger...have you travelled in time before?" He asked lightly.

Hermione frowned at his question. "Yes, I have," she said slowly.

"I assumed you had. Well then, could you tell me, Miss Granger, has there been a time, during your trips in the past, when you might have changed something?" He asked, a scrutinising look in his blue eyes.

Hermione chewed her bottom lip. Of course there had been the possibility that she had unintentionally changed something. But there certainly was the one time when she and Harry had intentionally changed the events in the past. But what confused her the most, was Harry’s explanation to her then, that at least some of the events had already happened, suggesting that they in fact hadn't changed everything they originally had thought. 

She let out a long sigh. "Yes...there was an occurrence..." She muttered, not sure if she could give him any details about it.

Dumbledore lifted his brows at her. "Oh? And were you actually able to change something, with everything else staying as it had been?"

Hermione shook her head in frustration. "No. Yes. I don't know! I mean, it was only a couple of hours, not...not twenty years!" She said desperately. "And...and what we changed...I'm not sure if everything changed after all, or was some of it just...happening like it should have..." She muttered, her ramblings not really making sense even to her.

Dumbledore nodded and tapped his fingertips together as he studied her.

"So you might say that regardless of your attempts, at least some of the events came to pass because...they had already happened? And by your actions, you still stayed in that same timeline?" He asked curiously.

Hermione sighed. "I...I don't know. I think so," She said, feeling helpless.

"If that would be the case, regardless what your actions are now, everything would stay the same, if you were to return back to your time, yes?" He questioned calmly.

But...but what if it wasn't like that? What if another timeline would be created because of her actions? That would depend on the theory of time travel. Was it impossible to actually reshape the future by travelling into the past? Was it impossible to change anything for the better for her friends and family? Even though she had changed something with Harry.

If she was able to return, would there be any of her friends and family left? Their situation had been hopeless the moment before she had left from the Malfoy Manor. Voldemort had been summoned, the place had been crawling with Death Eaters and the Order hadn't been there to save them this time.

If this was in fact an alternate timeline, the people in this timeline would face the same horrors as had happened in her time. And if there wasn't an alternate timeline and she had the possibility to change the events of her past, was she truly not going to do that?

Did Dumbledore even realise how much he was asking from her?

"I have a life out there, somewhere. Waiting for me. I have friends and family waiting for me!" She exclaimed quietly. "…What if I lose them if I change something? What if I don't exist anymore if I change something?" She asked, her eyes stinging with unshed tears. What was also at the forefront of her mind, was the question that even if she were to return to the same time she had originally been, what would happen then? Would there be anything but death and suffering left for her?

Dumbledore gave her a sympathetic smile. "What if you could change something to make someone's life better? To make someone suffer less?" He asked softly. "Would you take the risk?"

Hermione took a deep breath. Would she? This time Harry could have his parents and his godfather. He and Ron would never have to bear the burden what all three of them did when they were on the run, trying to find Voldemort's Horcruxes. Ginny would never be compelled by Voldemort.

This was her chance to make the world she knew better. But was she really ready to sacrifice her own life for it? For everyone else? For the greater good.

And what if she didn't do anything? She'd have to stay unseen by everyone, she couldn't talk to anyone, and it could take weeks, months, even years before she'd find a way to return to her time. The Time-Turner was destroyed, and Dumbledore had outright told her that he didn't know a way for her to return. If it was even a possibility anymore. All she knew, this could now be the alternate timeline, as Dumbledore had suggested, that it had already been created. Was she able to just stand back and let everything bad happen while she waited to get home? Was she able to let her loved ones in this time suffer once again?

Would she take the risk of losing her chances to get back home if there were so many lives she could save? If there was so much good she could do? If there was a war, or, perhaps two wars, she could prevent?

She sighed. "Yes. I would." She whispered quietly, staring numbly at the table.

Dumbledore nodded and they stayed silent for a long time before he spoke again. "Miss Granger?" He asked hesitantly.

Hermione swallowed, knowing where she ought to start. "He, um…Voldemort...split his soul into seven pieces," she said steadily, looking at the Headmaster. "He's made Horcruxes."

Dumbledore's eyes widened a bit. After a long moment, he spoke. "That…is definitely worrisome news."

"I agree." She said quietly and frowned. "…I know what most of them are and where a few of them are situated. We destroyed three of them, before we got captured. At this point, I think he has created only five."

They were both silent for a while, until Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Will you help me to destroy them?"

Hermione chewed the corner of her lips. "I…" She hesitated. This was her chance to make things better. "Yes, I will." She said unsteadily, feeling hollow and hopeful at the same time.

Dumbledore gave her a warm smile. "And I'm grateful for that, Miss Granger."

Hermione didn't know how to reply to him, so she merely glanced outside from the large windows in the Headmaster's office. It was a beautiful summer day. Almost evening already. She saw a flock of birds to cross her line of vision as the sun was descending slowly, still giving a bright golden light to the grounds.

"I suggest we continue to make our plans in a couple of days, after you have settled down, and from there we could meet regularly, perhaps twice a month? We need to go through every bit of information you have and as you said, the Horcruxes are hidden, so we can assume that they will be in the same places even after we have formed a plan."

Hermione was astonished how easily the past Dumbledore was making plans to change the future. This certainly was not what she had expected.

"Sure. But, um…settled down? I don't actually have anywhere I could go…" She said with bewilderment.

Dumbledore smiled and eyed her thoughtfully. "Have you finished your schooling at Hogwarts?"

Hermione shook her head. "No. I didn't return for my seventh year since we were on the run, hunting for the Horcruxes."

Dumbledore looked intrigued but he merely nodded. "Then I suggest that you attend Hogwarts for your seventh year, starting the 1st of September," he said casually.

Hermione was startled by his proposition. Of course, it was tempting, and the more she thought of it, the more necessary it came to be. If she was trying to change the future, she had to befriend or at least influence on certain people, and the best place was to be amongst them. Not to mention that she actually enjoyed the studying part.

"Yes, I would like that, sir." She answered with a small smile. Now that it was decided, that she would try to change the events in the past, it was easier to feel happy for smaller things. Things she wasn't expecting to receive anymore.

"Splendid!" Dumbledore said and beamed at her. "Now we should decide how we are going to explain your presence in this time."

"Sir?" She asked, frowning at him.

"We need to make up something to explain the reason why you are here and attending Hogwarts only for the seventh year. I think it would be beneficial to say that you are a relative of a wizarding family in Britain and have recently moved from abroad. That could diminish some curiosity from the others and the likelihood of anyone examining your origins," Dumbledore explained, steepling his hands and eyeing to the distance in thought.

"But who would agree to that? Who can I trust in here?" Hermione asked hesitantly.

Dumbledore smiled. "There is an obvious solution to this. Have you met my brother Aberforth?"

Hermione shook her head cautiously. "No, I haven't," She responded slowly.

"He lives in the Hogsmeade village and owns the Hog's Head pub there," Dumbledore explained. "Aberforth can offer you a place to live, as well as adopt you as his daughter." He said steadily.

Hermione spluttered. "I'm sorry?" She asked, gaping at the Headmaster. "Adopting me…?"

Dumbledore frowned. "I understand it might be a bit too much, but I assure you, it is best if done officially. Fewer questions and fewer possibilities for anyone to investigate you." He explained.

Hermione stared at him with her brows lifted. She didn't know what to say.

"We could say that until recently, you lived with your mother in Australia and studied there at The Australian Wizarding School. But, because your mother recently passed away, you decided to return to Britain, to be with your remaining family. With your arrival, you took your father's surname again." He said, eyeing her reaction carefully, before asking, "how does that sound?"

Hermione still stared at him in shock, trying to swallow the lump from her throat. She could only think of her real parents, of whom she had sent to Australia. She shook the depressing thoughts away and concentrated on the now. "Does Aberforth agree to this? I mean…we haven't even met each other and he's willing to adopt a stranger?" She asked in disbelief.

Dumbledore smiled tightly. "He will do it. Even if he didn't jump for joy at the opportunity, he still wants the same thing as we all do. To stop Voldemort. But…I think you'll find that out once you get to know him."

"Oh. Okay." Hermione said, still unsure how to continue. "So… What now? Where do I go?" She asked, her thoughts becoming splintered.

Dumbledore beamed at her. "You should stay in the castle tonight and perhaps tomorrow, you could visit Diagon Alley, to purchase a new wand and some of your other school supplies?" He asked kindly.

Hermione frowned. "I, um… I don't think I have enough money left…" She muttered, feeling embarrassed. Before they had gone on the run with Harry and Ron, Hermione had gathered her savings for them, but the money had slowly got spent. In the end, they had been starving, living off with mushrooms and berries.

Dumbledore chuckled. "Well, as you are going to be a part of the Dumbledore family, I think it is only appropriate we take care of you," he said lightly and pulled a bag of galleons from his desk drawer, handing it to her.

Hermione took it hesitantly, thanking him. She was stunned by everything they had agreed. She tried to understand how Dumbledore had managed to sort out all of that during the few hours after meeting her in the first place. 

They agreed that she would go to Diagon Alley the next day, using the Headmaster's floo and she would go straight to Hog's Head after purchasing the necessary items. Dumbledore then escorted her to the guest quarters of the castle, and after bidding her good night, he left her alone, his purple and yellow robes swishing quietly as he walked along the corridor.

Chapter Text

Chapter 03: Adopting a new life

Monday, 1 August 1977

The next morning Hermione stepped into the fireplace in Dumbledore's office, arriving to the Leaky Cauldron moments after. She had breakfast there, while thinking over all the details she had to inform the Headmaster about in order to stop Voldemort. She also thought about her return to her own time.

She knew she had made a decision the previous day, that she had decided to change things even if it possibly meant that she wasn't able to return to her old life. She had stayed awake and thought about it for several hours. Hermione presumed it was the matter of how time worked. Either she was stuck in another timeline because of her arrival into this time, or...maybe, just maybe, it was possible to change the events in her past - like she and Harry had changed Sirius's and Buckbeak's fates - and return home, where her friends and family were. But what if what she was about to do, was just the factor that would cause her future to be entirely different? A future where she wasn't friends with Harry or Ron, because there wouldn't have been a troll and the constant fight against Voldemort. And whatever was going to happen, there was still the possibility of her ageing twenty years the moment she'd return. How could she then continue her life as it had been?

After breakfast Hermione left towards Flourish and Blotts in search of her new schoolbooks with a couple of other tomes she reckoned would be useful for her later on. She spent a good couple of hours in the bookshop, skimming through some of the books regarding Time Magic before she left to pick up the rest of the necessary items she needed for her seventh school year. She stopped by Madam Malkins, where she bought herself new school robes, and then visited the Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment for a new set of crystal phials and new silver scales.

Finally, it was way past lunch time as she arrived at the Ollivander's wand shop. Gold letters over the door read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. Hermione took in a nervous breath before she entered the shop, feeling excitement course through her.

"Um...Hello?" She called to the empty shop and walked forward towards the counter.

"Good day," said a voice behind her, which made her jump. It was Mr Ollivander, smiling and eyeing her with curiosity. "What can I do for you, Miss?"

"Well, I'm in need of a new wand. I recently moved back to Britain from Australia and unfortunately lost my wand on the way here." She improvised, and hoped he didn't see right through her.

Ollivander nodded and said, "Very well then. Would you hold out your arm so that I can measure you?" He asked, and Hermione complied. It took some time as Mr Ollivander measured her from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round her head. Just like he had done when she had been eleven and she had gone to Diagon Alley with Minerva McGonagall to get her school supplies.

As he measured, he spoke to her. "As you have previously owned a wand, you must know all the basic information about them. But I am curious to know, what was the wand you used to have? It isn't every day you run into a foreign wandcraft," Ollivander said curiously.

Hermione was quite relieved at that moment that she was a bookworm. She had actually researched foreign wandcraft, interested of what components were used around the world. For fun and knowledge, of course.

"Oh…It was a Red Gum Wood with a Thunderbird tail feather." She said quickly.

Ollivander blinked and seemed to be surprised. "A powerful wand in Potions and Transfiguration, I presume?"

She gave him a tight smile. "Yes, it was."

Ollivander went to the shelves for a moment and returned with a stack of boxes he set on the counter. She nervously wondered if her old wand would be amongst the many other wands he'd brought to her.

He pulled out the first wand for her to try. It was an eleven-inch cherry wand with a dragon heartstring core and when Hermione gave it a swish, a massive fire torch emitted from its tip. Hermione blanched, not expecting that at all.

Ollivander chuckled and took the wand from her. "Definitely not this one. Let's try another, shall we?" And he handed her the next. Soon it was the fifth wand she was trying out, and Hermione started to feel a bit anxious. She wondered what would happen if none of these wands would choose her. She took the next wand Ollivander offered to her and instantly felt a surge of power course through her. It was nearly intoxicating feeling, and she knew this was it. This was the wand that had chosen her. But it wasn't her old wand…

Even so, she smiled at the feeling the wand had given her and swished the wand, which immediately sparked red and gold. Ollivander studied her and frowned as she let out a deep sigh of relief. The wand had indeed chosen her.

"Interesting," he muttered.

"What is?" Hermione asked hesitantly while giving the wand back to him to be wrapped in a box.

He eyed her with an unreadable expression. "This is a ten and one-quarter inch, Blackthorn wand with a Phoenix feather core. A very unusual wand wood with a very rare core type. Phoenix feathers are capable of the greatest range of magic, though the wands are always the hardest to tame and to personalise. Blackthorn wood is being best suited for a warrior." He said while studying her closely.

"Oh…" Was all Hermione managed to say. She handed him the money for the wand and left the shop quickly, feeling a bit confused.

Somehow she had ended up with a completely different wand she had used to have. Hermione wondered if the wand truly did reflect her intentions and needs. The thought made her feel like she was already letting her previous life go. She shook the melancholy thoughts from her head as she approached the Leaky Cauldron again and ordered a couple of sandwiches for an early dinner.

Once she was finished, Hermione apparated to Hogsmeade and made her way towards the Hog's Head. She was nervous to meet Aberforth. Her new father. Even the mere thought sounded ridiculous in her head. She didn't quite know what to expect as she entered the empty pub, finding an old, grumpy looking man behind the bar, staring at her suspiciously.

"Um…Hello." Hermione greeted awkwardly. "I'm Hermione."

Aberforth stared at her for a moment before he spoke. "Hello." He grunted. "Let's go upstairs." He said and after flicking his wand to the front door of the pub, he turned to walk through another door that led upstairs, expecting her to follow him.

Hermione did, and as she stepped into what seemed to be the sitting room, Aberforth gestured for her to sit in one of the armchairs near the fireplace, while he sat in the one opposite to her. She took in a deep breath and sat down.

"So…um…" She mumbled, when Aberforth interrupted her.

"Tea?" He asked, and Hermione nodded. He summoned a tray with two cups and a teapot, and as he filled both cups, Hermione glanced around the room. It wasn't very large; a seating area in front of the fire, a couple of bookshelves against one wall and a writing desk against the other. There were also two doors in the corner, one of them opposite to the one they had entered from downstairs and another one on the wall next to it. Aberforth cleared his throat and offered her a cup. Hermione took it and thanked him, chewing the inside of her cheek as she wondered what she should say to him.

"So. My brother informs me you are in need of a new home?" He asked, staring at her with a blank look in his blue eyes. As she looked at him, she could see the resemblance between the brothers. But something still bothered her. She had thought that Albus and Aberforth didn't get along very well, as Dumbledore had never mentioned his brother, and well, based on what she had read from Skeeter's book, the Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore she had sneaked from Bathilda's home in Godric's Hollow. 

She wondered why would Aberforth take in a stranger, just because his brother had suggested so.

Hermione cleared her throat. "I don't really want to be a burden to anyone, Mr Dumbledore."

Aberforth grimaced at the name. "You're not. Although, I'm not going to lie to you…What my brother told me about you and asked me to do was a bit…mental, even for him." He grunted, taking a sip from his cup.

Hermione's brows lifted in surprise. "Sir? He told you about me? About my…"

"Circumstances? Yeah, he did." Aberforth said, eyeing her suspiciously.

"…But?" Hermione asked hesitantly.

Aberforth sighed. "It's a pretty damn much to ask for someone to believe…" He muttered.

Hermione nodded slowly. "I know. And, well, I don't really know you, since this is the first time I've met you, but… There are some things I know about you…" She said carefully, eyeing his expression.

He merely arched a brow at her.

Hermione felt like he was purposely making it difficult for her. She sighed. "I… I know about Ariana. About the attack and what happened to her after. About Grindelwald," she said quietly. She had read about the duel between the brothers and Grindelwald from the Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore. Although, with Rita Skeeter writing it, you could never trust what was printed, but Hermione and Harry had assumed that at least some of it had to be correct, since Skeeter had obviously manipulated the information from Bathilda, who had been quite close to the Dumbledore family.

Aberforth stared at her with a blank look. After a short silence he spoke. "I suppose my brother was telling the truth." He said slowly. Hermione could see the pain and loss flashing in his eyes. "So you're going to save us all then?" He asked with a hint of bitterness in his voice.

Hermione frowned, not really sure how to reply to him.

"I trust my brother has planned a great many things for you to accomplish. He has always enjoyed scheming things, using people as his pawns to reach his goals," Aberforth said simply.

Hermione's brows lifted in surprise. She was taken aback by how harshly he talked about his own brother. The Headmaster.

"Perhaps you need someone you can trust when all that becomes too much," he continued, more to himself than her.

"Um…" She was at a loss for words again. "Thank you Mr Dumbledore." She muttered.

He suddenly smirked. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," he said, a hint of amusement in his voice. "And seeing as you are going to be my…daughter – " He cringed a bit at the word, "I reckon we ought to be honest with each other, right?" He asked.

Hermione nodded. "Yes, of course, sir. And I just wanted to say that I'm okay with the option that we merely tell everyone we are related, and not make it official." She said with certainty.

Aberforth shook his head. "Don't bother to argue, I've already discussed this with Albus, and it's one of the rare occasions I agree with him. It would come to daylight sooner or later if someone wanted to check on it," he said simply.

"Oh. Well, thank you again. And it would be an honour to be part of your family, and to be your daughter, sir." She said politely.

He gave her a wry smile. "As long as you'll start calling me Ab or...even...dad, so I can stop glancing over my shoulder and looking for my brother every time you say 'sir' or 'Mr Dumbledore'."

Hermione felt her cheeks colour slightly. "Yes, of course...Ab."

Aberforth nodded at her. "I'll show you to your room, then. It is getting late. Have you eaten?" He asked as he stood up and vanished the tea tray and cups away.

"Oh, yes, I have actually. I had a bite in London after I was done with purchasing what I need for school."

"Then let's head up."

They went another set of stairs up from the door in the corner, ascending to the third floor of the pub, where there were three doors in a narrow hallway. "The room in the right is mine, middle one is the bathroom, room in the left is yours." He muttered, pointing the rooms. "I'll leave you to it then. Gotta finish with the pub downstairs."

"Thanks. Good night," Hermione said a bit awkwardly.

"Night." Aberforth replied, making his way down the stairs.

When Hermione entered her room, she was pleasantly surprised. It wasn't a shabby space, like she had expected for some reason. Although the pub in the downstairs was in a bit of decaying condition, neither the sitting room downstairs nor her room or the bathroom were even close to that. Her room had dark blue walls with white curtains, there were white bed textiles in a rather large four poster bed in the other end of the room, and a massive white cosy rug in the middle of the room against the dark wooden floors. On the other side there was a closet for her clothes and next to it a writing desk with a comfortable looking chair. The room was completed with a decent sized window in front of the bureau, with a view to the garden. The overall look in the room was calm and collected, instantly soothing her swirling mind.

She had been thinking about her time in this era and the people she already knew, people who didn't know her, all day long. It was overwhelming to think that she was supposed to act like she hadn't already studied at Hogwarts. It had been her home the last six years.

Hermione let out a frustrated sigh and lay down on her bed, closing her eyes. She wondered what Hogwarts would be like without Harry and Ron and everyone else she knew who hadn't even born yet. She remembered how it had felt when she had started Hogwarts, before she had befriended Harry and Ron. It had been the loneliest time in her life. After the Troll, the trio had been inseparable. It had always been the three of them from then on. Of course they had had their fair share of disagreements and silent treatment during the years of their friendship, but they had still worked them out. Thinking of her fiends made her heart ache painfully. She felt so alone.

What if she wouldn't make any friends this time? Would she even be here that long that it mattered?

She felt quite saddened by the thoughts in her head and tried to think of something else.

Hermione knew Sirius and Remus would be at Hogwarts, as well as Harry's parents. What was she going to do with them? She knew too much about them. Would she simply pretend she didn't know about Remus's affliction? Would she outright tell him she had figured it out, perhaps a bit more considerately than she had done the last time, when she had yelled it to his face in the Shrieking Shack?

She heaved a sigh and went to do her nightly routine. She had more than enough time to think about the rest of it before she actually had to meet everyone. Now she would focus on planning to destroy Voldemort and his Horcruxes with Dumbledore, as well as trying to find her way back home. 

Home… The thought made her eyes well with tears and she didn't even try to suppress them. Hermione let herself cry for a good while and let herself feel utterly miserable, before she eventually fell asleep in her bed.

Tuesday, 2 August 1977

Hermione woke up early, tired after a night of tossing and turning in her new bed. She had been unable to stop herself of thinking about everyone she missed and everything she had to accomplish.

She went downstairs for breakfast and found Aberforth sitting at the table, a cup of tea in one hand and the morning paper in the other.

"Um…Good morning," Hermione said awkwardly.

Aberforth grunted a reply and gestured to the counter. "Didn't know what you are used to so I made up a bit of everything," he muttered, and Hermione followed his gaze.

"Oh. Wow." She said quietly and took in the full breakfast on the counter including tea, orange juice, cereals, fresh fruits, bacon and eggs, sausages, grilled tomato, mushrooms, potato scones, toast and marmalade.

Hermione could see Aberforth's mouth curve a bit when Hermione's stomach rumbled loudly. She made herself busy by filling her plate and pouring herself a cup of tea, before she sat down opposite to him.

"So...Ready to be a part of the infamous Dumbledore clan?" Aberforth asked as he took a sip from his tea and eyed her curiously as she shovelled in her breakfast with haste. "We have time in our hands," he added with a hint of amusement in his voice.

Hermione blushed and swallowed in embarrassment. "I apologise," she muttered and wiped her mouth with a napkin. "I'm afraid my manners might have disappeared after a half a year spent in the woods and a couple of months of starvation," she said quietly, feeling ashamed.

Aberforth frowned but then waved his hand in dismissal. "Not to worry," he said kindly. "You've been in the Ministry before?"

Hermione nearly inhaled her orange juice in the wrong pipe. Coughing, she smiled. "You could say so..." The last time she had been in the Ministry, was when Harry, Hermione and Ron had polyjuiced themselves into Ministry workers and stolen the locket from Umbridge.

They chatted a bit about the day ahead during their breakfast, and after finishing and freshening up, they apparated to the Ministry to sort out her situation.

It took a large part of the day to establish her as a citizen of the Wizarding community in Britain and a scion to the House Dumbledore. They filled many forms and explained her story to a handful of clerks before the Ministry Officials finally let them go. Hermione had kept her first and middle name and changed only her last name. She was Hermione Jean Dumbledore now. It sounded so unreal. Hermione wondered what would Harry and Ron say about her new last name... She could almost hear their comments in her head. Almost.

Aberforth had been eager to go back to take care of the pub, which really didn't have a busy time, but Hermione reckoned he did like it there better than anywhere else. After they'd eaten lunch, he showed her the rest of the pub and their quarters, along with the little garden in the backyard.

"I would love to help you around the pub, if you are in need of extra hands?" Hermione asked when they were coming back from the gardens. She had thought about it a bit after Dumbledore had informed her that she was to be adopted by his brother; that she wanted to contribute somehow and not merely take an advantage of someone's money and hospitality.

Aberforth hummed. "Yeah, sure. You can help me out during lunch, but I want you to focus on your studies when you start at Hogwarts, okay?"

Hermione nodded and gave him a smile. "Okay."

When she retired to her bedroom later that evening, Hermione noticed a barn owl standing on the edge of her table with a parchment tied to its leg. The window was open so Hermione reckoned it must've flown through it. She took the parchment and summoned some owl treats from her beaded bag to the owl before it flew away. She sat down at her desk and opened the letter.

It was from Dumbledore.

Dear Hermione,

I would like to start our private lessons this Wednesday, as we discussed earlier.

Kindly come along to my office after lunch, at 1 p.m. I hope you have settled in nicely in your new home.

Yours sincerely, Albus Dumbledore

P.S. I enjoy Chocolate Frogs

Hermione let out a weary sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to gather her thoughts and form some plan for the next day. She contemplated the information for a while, forming lists in her mind before she took a brand new quill, ink pot and a parchment she had acquired from Diagon Alley the day before, and began writing a list of Horcruxes and their known and possible locations.

She wrote down the information about the five Horcruxes that she knew had been already created. There was the diary that had been created when Voldemort had still been at school, by the murder of Myrtle Warren. Then there was the ring, that had been created during Voldemort's last years at school, by the murder of his own father. The locket and Helga Hufflepuff's cup had both been created after Voldemort's schoolyears by the murder of Hepzibah Smith and an unknown muggle. And finally, there was the last Horcrux, which was an unknown object.

Hermione knew the ring was situated in the Gaunt Shack, and that the locket was situated in the cave by the sea. She assumed the diary was in the possession of Lucius Malfoy and suspected that Bellatrix Lestrange had also one Horcrux in safekeeping. But what was it? She wrote every single detail she knew and guessed into her list regarding the Horcruxes, as well as the ways to destroy them.

She took another parchment where she listed the Death Eaters in her time and those she knew of from this time. To the third parchment she listed all the casualties she knew of, and when they had occurred. In the final piece of parchment Hermione wrote down everything that needed to be accomplished – aside from finding and destroying the Horcruxes of course.

Hermione made a note about the importance of joining the Order, and researching time magic and possibly an alternate timeline. Those were mainly a reminder for her. The list continued with researching potions causing hallucinations and mental pain before acquiring the locket, a reminder about the Prophecy, the Chamber of Secrets, as well as the importance of certain Death Eaters who played a bigger role in the war. Regulus Black, who was possibly a key to some of the Horcruxes, and Peter Pettigrew and Severus Snape whom both were to be kept from joining the Death Eaters if possible.

Pleased with her written accomplishments, she put her things to the desk drawer and the parchments to an envelope which she stowed into her beaded bag. She carried the bag with her everywhere, not wanting to part with it after having it attached to her hip for almost a year. It held every essential book and item she could think of needing, including Harry's Marauder's map, which would probably be handy when she was going to be at Hogwarts again as well as his Invisibility cloak, which she reckoned she could use when heading to the nearly impossible task she was determined to take. Needless to say, the bag also held all the memories from her previous life she wanted to cherish and keep safe.

Her night went with the same pattern as the night before. Missing her friends and her loved ones.

Chapter Text

Chapter 04: Recollection

Wednesday, 3 August 1977

It was a warm summer day again and Hermione spent her morning helping Aberforth at the pub and taking a long lunch break in the back garden of the Hog's Head. It was a decent sized, wildflower garden with a small patch of trees in the end and a metal antique garden bench perched beneath the trees.

After lunch, as she walked the familiar path towards the school, flashes of memories of her past Hogsmeade trips flooded her mind. She recalled many memories of her best friends and herself throughout their years at Hogwarts and felt utterly alone when everywhere she set her eyes on reminded her of Harry and Ron.

She tried to push the thoughts away from her mind, to think of something else. Perhaps Dumbledore had figured out a solution, in which she could help him here and return to her old life. Even if there was the possibility of ageing twenty years upon her arrival back to the future, she still considered it as an option. 

Perhaps Dumbledore would have some answers. As she walked, she mentally went through the lists she had made the previous night and decided to start with the most important one – the Horcruxes. When she reached the gates, she smiled up as Hagrid approached her.

"Hi there! Yeh mus' be ol' Ab's daugh'er?" Hagrid asked as he opened the gates for her.

Hermione gave him a warm smile and walked through the gates. She hadn't yet seen him in this time and the sight of him really made her cheerful. "Yes, and you must be Hagrid?" She replied cordially.

Hagrid nodded. "Yep. Goin' ter see Dumbledore, aren' yeh?" He asked with a grin.

Hermione nodded again and smiled back to him. "Yes, I am meeting the Headmaster at one o'clock. It's nice to meet you, Hagrid. I'm Hermione, by the way," she said and held her hand for him to shake.

He took her hand and gave it a surprisingly gentle shake. "Yeh, too, Hermione. Come ter see me after yeh are done, if yeh have the time? I've go' somethin' fer Ab if yeh could take it back ter 'im?" He asked while they started to walk towards the castle. "Been thinkin' of bakin' today..."

Hermione smiled, remembering the first time she had had tea with Hagrid and when she had tasted his cooking. She chuckled inwardly to the memory when she had nearly cracked her teeth into his rock cakes – not to mention the time when she had actually found a large talon in the midst of his beef casserole. She reminded herself to stick to tea only when she replied to him, "I would love to."

"Great! See yeh then," he said and turned towards his hut.

As Hermione watched Hagrid's retreating figure, her stomach clenched with longing. She remembered all the times she and her friends had visited Hagrid. She saw the Quidditch Pitch and wondered if she would ever see her friends fly again. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. Even though all the memories were making her sad, she could not help to feel like she was coming home as she approached the castle.

Hermione felt calm settle inside her when she walked through the front doors and made her way to the Headmaster's office. As she came to stand in front of the familiar gargoyle, she was about to utter the password when she was interrupted.

"Excuse me, Miss?" A woman with a firm voice said behind her. "Are you on your way to meet the Headmaster?"

Hermione turned quickly around when she recognised the voice and was slightly taken aback by the familiar, albeit much younger, face. Minerva McGonagall. She watched her former Head of House nervously, feeling out of breath.

"Oh… Yes ma'am," Hermione said hesitantly. It was slightly unnerving, meeting McGonagall like this, when the older witch didn't have a clue of who she was. Hermione respected the woman highly, perhaps because she had treated everyone with the same no-nonsense manner, and because she had been the one who had originally introduced Hermione to the Wizarding world. She was the one who had brought Hermione to Diagon Alley to get her school things and she had been there for her all the years since. No, McGonagall didn't quite favour her but Hermione liked to think that the witch respected her desire to learn and acquire information.

"You are Hermione?" McGonagall asked, eyeing her closely.

Hermione nodded. She knew the other witch hadn't recognised her, so she assumed Dumbledore had said something to her. "Yes. You know about me?"

McGonagall surveyed her for a moment before she answered. "Yes, I do. Albus filled me in about your circumstances and where you came from and asked me to join the meeting. Shall we?"

Hermione nodded again and McGonagall turned to the gargoyle, "Chocolate Frogs." She stated and the gargoyle moved.

As the stairs moved up, McGonagall eyed her carefully. "I presume there is no need for introduction on my part?"

Hermione smiled politely before she replied, "No, I know who you are, ma'am. You were actually my Head of House when I attended Hogwarts." She looked at the older woman with a sad smile and McGonagall gave her a mixed look of surprise and delight.

As they entered the office, Dumbledore stood from his desk to greet them, beaming at them.

"Good afternoon, ladies." He said with a bright smile. "I believe an introduction is in order?" He asked as he surveyed the women.

"No need for that Albus, we already talked briefly." McGonagall said, waving her hand while Hermione nodded.

Dumbledore seemed satisfied and gestured for them to sit in the two plush armchairs in front of his desk, while he rounded his desk and took his own seat again. Dumbledore smiled at Hermione before he spoke, "I trust everything is in good order with your father?"

It took a moment for her to realise that he was speaking of Aberforth. "Oh… Yes, everything is great, thank you sir." She gave an awkward smile. Dumbledore chuckled and nodded at her. McGonagall rolled her eyes with mild exasperation and waited for the small talk to subside. Dumbledore crossed his fingers on the desk and his expression became more solemn.

"I believe we have certain matters to discuss. Isn't that right, Hermione?"

Hermione tensed a bit and she pulled out the envelope that contained her lists from her beaded bag and took the first parchment from the envelope.

"I have made a couple of lists and I think we could begin with the Horcruxes?"

McGonagall gasped and brought her hand to her mouth, her fingers trembling. "Merlin's beard…Horcruxes? That horrid man has made Horcruxes? …More than one?" She asked anxiously, her voice rising.

Hermione gave her a sympathetic smile and nodded. "I'm afraid so. In my time we believed he had made six of them, dividing his soul into seven pieces for ensuring he would never die. We learned that he thought that seven, being a powerful magical number, would enhance the effectiveness. At the moment, I believe he has made five."

Hermione turned to Dumbledore and spoke, "The information I have, is based on your own research mainly, which you shared with my friend Harry and later on he shared it with me and another friend. The past year, when the three of us were on the run and hunting the Horcruxes, we as well acquired some information ourselves."

Dumbledore and McGonagall both frowned at her but didn't interrupt. She wondered if they were going to ask her why Dumbledore would let three teenagers to undertake that kind of a task alone. Sometimes when she felt bitter, she too tried to find a reason for it. She shook the thought from her mind and continued.

"So as I was saying, he has probably created five Horcruxes and will attempt to create the sixth in a few years," Hermione said and handed all four lists to Dumbledore. He made two copies of the stack by flicking his wand and handed McGonagall half of the copies and the originals back to Hermione.

"I'm not certain of the order in which the Horcruxes were created and when, except the first ones. So…the first was his personal diary, which he wrote in when he was still a student here."

McGonagall gaped at her. Dumbledore lifted his gaze from the parchment to look at Hermione with his eyes widened in surprise. "This means that Hagrid was indeed innocent. Based on this, I'm able to start the process of clearing his name."

Hermione smiled. "Yes, he is. Voldemort – or Tom Riddle then – framed Hagrid so the school would be kept from closing, so that he wouldn't end up back to the orphanage. Although Hagrid did have a pet Acromantula in his dorm when he was at school, it didn't harm anyone." She said, smiling at Hagrid's fondness towards the dangerous beasts.

Dumbledore hummed and scribbled a note to his parchment.

"So he killed Myrtle Warren? With a Basilisk? Do they even exist? Surely someone would have noticed a giant snake slithering through the corridors…" McGonagall said and eyed her incredulously after reading the list.

Hermione gave a grim smile to her as she reminisced her second year, when she had indeed figured it out and had been petrified soon after it. She had been in the hospital wing the whole time while Harry had slayed the beast after facing Voldemort's fragment of soul.

"Well…" She took a deep breath. "The Basilisk indeed exists. It travelled through the pipes inside the school walls. And… the legend about Salazar Slytherin building a hidden chamber in the castle is quite true. The Chamber of Secrets, as I came to know it, is under the dungeons. Its entrance is in the girls' bathroom where Moaning Myrtle resides, and the Basilisk lives in the chamber. The entrance can be opened by speaking Parseltongue." She explained quickly, while Dumbledore and McGonagall stared at her, terrified.

"The first time it was Voldemort who opened it, being a descendant and the heir of Slytherin, and a Parselmouth. The second time he used a first year girl, possessing her with the help of his Horcrux diary, that was placed within her belongings without her knowledge." She frowned as she remembered how Ginny had been possessed.

"The girl was nearly killed. Voldemort's soul drew energy from her and if Harry hadn't killed the Basilisk and destroyed the diary, the girl would have died for sure." Hermione said gravely.

"Good Godrick…He killed a Basilisk…" McGonagall whispered. Dumbledore too seemed to be shaken up by the news regarding the legend of the Chamber of Secrets to be true.

"Who is Harry?" He asked after a moment of silence. "You have mentioned him a couple of times and I have a feeling he plays a crucial part in all of this?" Dumbledore said and eyed her over his half-moon spectacles.

Hermione had anticipated that he would ask about Harry on some point. But now wasn't the time to explain about him, not yet. "I'll get to that later," she said weakly and Dumbledore nodded.

"The diary is likely in the possession of Lucius Malfoy, possibly in Malfoy Manor. Lucius was the one who originally put the diary in the midst of my friend's belongings. Although it was in 1992, I trust he is one of Voldemort's followers already." Again both Professors frowned at the information.

"Lucius Malfoy…the school governor?" McGonagall asked in shock. Hermione nodded.

"We'll get to the Death Eaters later too." She said grimly and her former Head of House nodded, her lips pressed tightly together. Dumbledore stared at Hermione expectantly, waiting for her to continue.

"The second Horcrux Voldemort made was a family heirloom, which he stole from his uncle, Morfin Gaunt. In a nutshell, Voldemort researched about his parents when he was at school and he found out that his mother, Merope Gaunt, was a descendant of Salazar Slytherin. Merope had developed an obsessive love for a local muggle, named Tom Riddle. She poisoned him with love potion and had him marry her, getting her pregnant. She lifted the potion sometime after that and Tom abandoned his pregnant wife. She later died after giving birth to her son, Tom Marvolo Riddle. He was raised in an orphanage, as I believe you both know." Hermione explained and both Professors nodded uneasily.

"When he found out that his father was a mere muggle who abandoned his mother, he went to kill his paternal family. At that time both Merope's father Marvolo and Merope had already died, and the only living Gaunt was Voldemort's uncle, Morfin, who lived nearby the Riddle house. After having murdered his paternal family, he then altered Morfin's memory so that Morfin believed he was the murderer and that he was proud of it. Morfin was sentenced to Azkaban and he died there later. Voldemort stole the Gaunt Ring from Morfin and created his second Horcrux possibly during his seventh year or right after graduating. He did it after he had inquired about the possibility of making multiple Horcruxes from Professor Slughorn." She concluded.

"Horace?" Dumbledore and McGonagall both uttered quietly and stared at her in confusion.

"Yes. He didn't know it at the time, of course. Professor Slughorn was simply smitten by Voldemort's charm and his cleverness. Voldemort asked him about Horcruxes and assured Professor Slughorn that it was only for his academic knowledge, nothing else. Later on, when Professor Slughorn realised what he had done, he left the school and went into hiding, hoping that neither you," she nodded to Dumbledore, "nor Voldemort would find him."

McGonagall shook her head and muttered, "Sounds like Horace to me." Dumbledore's mouth quirked up a bit and both Professors turned to listen to Hermione again.

"Voldemort hid the ring in Little Hangleton, to the Gaunt shack. I believe the place is protected with some charms or curses, and the ring itself is cursed. The wearer will die from it." She eyed Dumbledore for a moment before she continued.

"The next ones are Salazar Slytherin's locket and Helga Hufflepuff's cup. They were created by the murder of a witch named Hepzibah Smith and an unknown muggle," Hermione explained.

Both Professors were staring at her in bewilderment, perhaps because Voldemort had managed to gather such unique items.

"The locket is hidden in a cave where Voldemort visited when on a trip with his orphanage. He placed Inferi to protect the Horcrux, along with a poison that must be drank to obtain the locket from a basin. I believe the locket is already situated there, but Voldemort will test the defences somewhere between 1978 and 1979, so it should be left untouched for now, until we know for sure."

"And how do we know the right time? Through…Regulus Black?" Dumbledore asked, lifting his eyes from the parchments that he had laid on his desk.

Hermione nodded. "I don't really know that much about him since he died sometime before or after my birth. He was a Death Eater, but he defected and wanted to destroy Voldemort and the locket. Voldemort used the Black house-elf Kreacher to test the defences and left the elf to die in the cave. Voldemort made a mistake by underestimating the house-elf magic, because Kreacher was able to apparate back to his master Regulus and tell Regulus where to find the Horcrux."

"Inferi…Circe! McGonagall exclaimed. "How are you so calm after taking part in all of this?" She asked and studied Hermione in what to Hermione seemed like astonishment. Hermione shrugged awkwardly.

"Indeed you must be an exceptionally intelligent and powerful witch to endure all of that, and be willing to consider doing it again." Dumbledore smiled at her sincerely.

Hermione could feel her neck reddening at the praise. She cleared her throat and continued going through the list. "So then there's Helga Hufflepuff's cup. It was created at the same time as the locket. I don't know for certain where the cup is hidden, but before I came here, I was…" She frowned and let out a shaky breath. She really didn't want to go back to reminisce the Malfoy Manor and Bellatrix's torture and definitely not the attempted assault by Greyback. She shuddered at the memory, when she remembered how he had touched her with his filthy tongue and mouth, and breathed his nasty breath to her face.

"Hermione…You don't have to tell all the details if that is too much for you, dear," Dumbledore said to her softly, concern edged in his blue eyes.

"No, I...I was tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange. She um…suspected we had stolen something from her vault in Gringotts. She was quite adamant to find out whether we had been there. And she seemed quite scared too. So I figured that she might have had a Horcrux in there. In my time she was a loyal servant of Voldemort and if Voldemort did leave his diary to the care of Malfoys, who's to say that he didn't trust his other followers to guard his secrets." Hermione said and glanced at McGonagall who regarded her with a troubled look. She reached to pat Hermione's hand. Hermione forced a small smile on her lips.

Dumbledore eyed her concernedly. "Do you think his followers know that the objects are indeed Horcruxes?" He asked thoughtfully.

Hermione shook her head. "I don't think so. Otherwise Mr Malfoy probably wouldn't have parted with the diary." She said and Dumbledore nodded in agreement.

"The fifth one is an unknown object. This too could be one that might be in possession of Bellatrix Lestrange. In my time, you suspected that Voldemort was trying to make his sixth Horcrux by murdering Harry, which I'll tell you more about in a moment, but he didn't succeed and was defeated instead." She explained with a frown and looked at Dumbledore.

"Voldemort was not dead of course, because he still had his five Horcruxes he had made earlier. It took him thirteen years to make his sixth Horcrux, a snake he called Nagini, by murdering a witch named Bertha Jorkins. A year or so after that, he obtained a human form again and the Wizarding War Two was in a full swing." Hermione said and sighed when she thought back to the last couple of years of her live. And now she had travelled to a time where the first war was just starting. She wondered, when was it going to end for her? And if she would even survive it. She hoped this time it would be different and that she wouldn't be in the middle of the war like she had been earlier.

Dumbledore hummed while reading the parchment. "I see you have already researched some options how to destroy them. I don't think we need to find any other methods, since we already have the necessary means to destroy the Horcruxes." He said while glancing at Hermione.

"But sir… There is no guarantee we can enter to the Chamber of Secrets, and I believe it is our only option, since it would be highly risky to even try to use Fiendfyre." Hermione argued. McGonagall gave her a small smile.

"Hermione, I believe Albus here can perform the curse. Isn't that right?" McGonagall said furtively and watched Dumbledore's reaction.

"As always, you know me better than anyone, Minerva. Indeed I do know of the incantation and how to put it off, but even I have to admit that I am not perfect. Maintaining the curse is the hardest part, for it could easily go out of control and be fatal to anyone near it." He smiled to the women.

"Oh." Hermione muttered.

"However, I would like to teach you. Both of you. That way, when one of us actually casts the curse, we can assist one another if needed." He said plainly.

Both women stared at the Headmaster in disbelief.

"Well, I believe it is settled then. We'll come back to that later." He clapped his hands together and beamed at Hermione and McGonagall while both of them stayed silent.

"So…the next list is some other mentionable things I thought you should know of." Hermione said, talking about the list of which she had originally written to herself, but decided to share with them. When Dumbledore and McGonagall read the first line of the list, they both seemed amused.

"I think you can join the Order, but with some conditions." Dumbledore eyed her carefully. "I would like for you to finish your education and not attend the meetings. At least, not yet. The less you are involved, the safer you are. After all, if the wrong ears hear about the information you have, it could be dangerous for you." He explained and Hermione nodded. She briefly thought that learning Occlumency would be beneficial, as she had merely grazed the subject before. She made a mental note to ask Dumbledore about it later, if he would be willing to teach her.

"I suppose it is reasonable." Hermione replied, though, feeling a bit disappointed.

Dumbledore gave her a small smile and said, "I will keep you informed about what is discussed in the meetings though."

"To your next note, I haven't got any new information to your situation. However, I recommend you to live your life until we know more about your circumstances. I will notify you immediately if I receive any new information," he said simply. Hermione frowned and was about to argue, but stayed silent and nodded at him. It wasn't that she was just going to let it be and not research her situation on her own as well. She reckoned the Hogwarts library ought to have at least some information about Time Magic.

"Are you going to take NEWT Potions in your seventh year, Hermione?" Dumbledore inquired as he went on with the list.

"Yes, of course." She answered without reserve, as there could even be another option.

"I suggest that you research the potions causing hallucinations and mental pain in our potions lab, before the school starts? It is fairly quiet now down in the dungeons, and you have all the space you need. I understand that you have agreed to help your father at the pub, so maybe you could settle it with him?" He asked kindly and Hermione smiled and nodded eagerly. She couldn't wait to get to actually do something useful, as well as the possibility to brew potions in the lab, all by herself.

She cleared her throat again and spoke, "I think we could focus first on the prophecy, and then go through the rest of the list, if that's okay?" She asked nervously.

Both Professors nodded and Hermione thought for a moment of how she was to start with explaining the prophecy. She exhaled a long breath.

"Well… late in 1979 or early in 1980 a witch named Sybill Trelawney came to a job interview at the Hog's Head for the Divination Professor's position. In the middle of the interview, she went into a trance and made a prophecy, about the coming of a boy who would have the power to vanquish Lord Voldemort. The prophecy specified that the boy would be born in the closing days of July 1980 and that the boy's parents had defied Voldemort three times and lived to tell about it. According to the prophecy, the boy would have a power that Voldemort would be unable or unwilling to comprehend, and if more than one person was born that met the requirements, Voldemort himself would choose to whom it would ultimately refer. The boy he chose was Harry Potter." She said, looking down with a deep frown between her brows.

McGonagall gasped and Dumbledore lifted his brows.

"Is he by chance related to James Potter?" McGonagall asked carefully.

"Yes. James Potter was Harry's father. And Harry... Well, he is…was… my best friend." Hermione smiled sadly, blinking her eyes rapidly to stop the tears that threatened to come.

McGonagall and Dumbledore both watched her in anticipation and waited for her to continue.

"Severus Snape, who was a Death Eater at the time, eavesdropped the interview and returned to his master to tell him what he had heard. That way Voldemort found out about the prophecy. Voldemort tried to kill Harry when he was a baby, on the 31st of October 1981. He killed Harry's parents and shot a killing curse at Harry, but for Harry's mother's sacrifice, the curse backfired upon Voldemort, destroying his physical form."

She looked at the Professors for a moment, who both were staring at her with shocked expressions again, before she continued. "But before Voldemort went to the Potters, they were placed under a Fidelius Charm after Snape had realised his mistake and defected. He told everything to you." She said, looking at the Headmaster searchingly.

"You once said that you had an ironclad reason for trusting Snape, allowing him to join the Order after he had leaked the prophecy to Voldemort and caused the death of Potters. And in the end, when Voldemort came back to power, Snape was the one who…" Hermione's voice faltered. "H-he killed you, sir." She said stammering, tears burning in her eyes as she recalled the night it had happened. She clenched her jaw and tried to swallow the lump from her throat.

McGonagall gaped at Hermione, all colour drained from her face. Hermione heard her muttering something like "Merlin," while Dumbledore merely looked interested.

"How did Voldemort succeed if the Potters were placed under a Fidelius Charm? I presume the charm was broken?" He asked, adjusting his half-moon spectacles.

"But Professor…" Hermione said, baffled that he had just received the information about his death and wasn't more interested of the circumstances.

"No, Hermione. Let's move on from it. We now know a great deal more thanks to you, but it does no one good to dwell on the bad things. Let us focus on the things we know we can change."

Hermione felt annoyed but continued nevertheless. "The Potters had agreed to make Sirius Black their secret keeper, but they changed it to Peter Pettigrew in the last minute, not telling anyone about it. Peter ultimately betrayed them to Voldemort and then he escaped, killing a bunch of muggles on his way. Sirius was framed for killing the muggles and sent to Azkaban without a trial. Even Remus Lupin hadn't known about the switch."

Dumbledore scrutinised her. "You were familiar with Black and Lupin?"

"Oh…Yes, I was. Remus was actually a Defence Professor in my third year and Sirius, after he'd escaped from Azkaban and his reputation was cleared within the Order, became closer to his godson, Harry, and eventually got to know his friends as well. They were both loyal members of the Order." Hermione explained.

Both professors seemed to be busy with their own thoughts. Hermione moved to the next topic on her list and spoke, "Then there is Regulus Black. He was a Death Eater who defected quickly after his initiation and died trying to destroy a Horcrux. I think we should try to persuade him to our side, as soon as possible. He might be a key to several Horcruxes, as he is probably closer to the Lestranges and Malfoys than his brother Sirius is at the moment," Hermione said and McGonagall's mouth twisted up a bit and she nodded.

"You are probably right, at least at school he seems to be surrounded only by his fellow Slytherins, not even bothering to talk to the students from other houses. But how do you know he is willing to defect?" McGonagall asked Hermione, looking a bit suspicious.

"Well, I don't, but at least we have to try. And he has to have some doubts, if he is going to make the decision anyway in a couple of years." Hermione replied thoughtfully.

Dumbledore crossed his fingers again on top of his desk. "Hermione, if it isn't too much for you, would you be willing to try to persuade him?" He asked, eyeing her thoughtfully.

"Yes, of course. I'll try," She nodded resolutely, feeling slightly anxious.

"Do you want to discuss about the deaths you listed?" He asked kindly.

"No, not really. I mean, I don't have any other information about them than what I already wrote on that parchment." She said, her brows creased slightly.

"Then I will keep this information in mind when organising our missions."

Hermione nodded and they moved on to the final list, about the Death Eaters in this time and in the future. They went over the list, and a couple of names came up that surprised the Professors. They focused mainly on them – Augustus Rookwood, an Unspeakable at the Ministry who was working as a spy for Voldemort, and Barty Crouch Jr., whose father was the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement – and decided that Dumbledore would inform the Order regarding them.

"What should be done about the Horcruxes? Or the Death Eaters?" McGonagall asked tiredly, their meeting taking longer than any of them expected.

Dumbledore frowned thoughtfully and after a moment he spoke, "I suggest that we will meet again on the last days of this month, to continue our plans regarding the Horcruxes and what we will decide regarding the Death Eaters. You have shared us much, Hermione, and I think we all need to digest this information a bit. Minerva here is leaving shortly for her summer holidays, and I myself have some other issues to take care of before the school starts. Would you agree to this?" He said, surveying Hermione over his half-moon spectacles.

"Yes, of course. I think there is no immediate need to rush into this, at least not yet, since we have the information of all but one Horcrux." Hermione said in agreement.

When she finally arrived to Hagrid's Hut, it was close to dinner time. Hagrid told her about his summer and about a couple of unicorns he had met in the Forbidden forest. It reminded her of her fourth year when Hagrid had brought two unicorn foals to their Care of Magical Creatures lesson, surprising most of his students with his knowledge of the more adorable creatures than what they were usually seeing in the class. Hermione sighed deeply to the memory.

He also told her about a herd of Mooncalves he met one full moon when he had been wandering in the forest, in order to harvest their dung for Professor Sprout to use for her magical plants. The creatures had been basking in the moonlight on a hill and performing what he reckoned was a mating ritual. Hermione smiled warmly as he mentioned bumping into a couple of Hippogriffs the other day and wondered if their herd was somewhere deeper in the forest.

Hermione stayed at Hagrid's until it was nearly dark. She was in a much more cheerful mood after chatting with him and reckoned it had been just what she needed.

Chapter Text

Chapter 05: Reconnecting

Tuesday, 30 August 1977

Hermione was heading towards the infirmary from the dungeons. She had been practicing her brewing skills in the potions lab the whole morning and throughout lunchtime, eating only a couple of sandwiches while she worked, provided by the helpful house-elves of Hogwarts. She had made some blood replenishing and healing potions for Madam Pomfrey and was supposed to hand them to her, and then continue her way to the Headmaster's office where they would continue their discussion from earlier that month.

August had gone quickly and Hermione had kept herself busy, not really having much time to stress over her situation. She had gone through nearly every book the Hogwarts library had on Time magic and had tried to form a plan for herself, to get back to where she belonged. She had been rather unsuccessful. Her days had been spent between Hogwarts library, the Potions lab where she practiced simple potions as well as researched the poisons Voldemort had possibly used with the locket, and Hog's Head.

During the first days after her arrival she had been organising items in the pub, but when that had been done, Aberforth had asked her to help him with the lunch rush – which was when the pub opened – so that he could take some time off in the mornings and daytime, and work only at nights. He had insisted her not being allowed to work at evenings, when the slightly shadier patrons often came by.

Hermione usually spent her evenings at Hogwarts. She quickly noticed that it was quite soothing to work in the all quiet library or with the peacefully bubbling brews and she had made a habit of providing Madam Pomfrey some basic potions that were essential in her work at the infirmary. Pomfrey was of course delighted at the help, and even though her stock was quickly filled since she didn't really have any patients during the summer, she still took everything Hermione brought to her.

While she wasn't really making progress on her Time magic research, Hermione had actually found a couple of possible ingredients that could have been used in the poison that protected the locket in the cave. She had made a lot of research regarding them, and had started to compile a list of possible poisons.

"Madam Pomfrey, I have the usual, where do you want them?" She called as she stepped into the empty ward. Or so she thought. Hermione stopped in her tracks when she noticed that someone occupied the last bed in the room. That someone was a boy and he was awake, sitting on the bed, leaning against the headboard and watching her curiously.

"Oh, sorry I didn't..." She started apologising but then her voice died in her throat when she recognised exactly who it was, and dropped her potions on the floor.

The large glass bottles landed with a crash, the liquids inside them flooding the floor and the noise alerting Madam Pomfrey to check on what the cause of disturbance was.

"What in the name of Merl...Oh, Hermione." Pomfrey called and as her eyes settled at Hermione, she gave her a tight smile and flicked her wand to clean the mess, the glass and potions vanishing in the air.

"No matter, dear. I had more than enough already." She said to Hermione consolingly, clearly thinking that her shocked expression was because of making a mess and wasting essential potions. The boy eyed the scene curiously.

"Yes, I'm sorry." Hermione said to Madam Pomfrey absentmindedly and turned to the boy. "I apologise if I caused a disturbance." She said and stared at the boy with amazement. He looked just like she imagined he would. Remus.

Perhaps she could have a piece of her old life back after all. A smile lifted her mouth and Remus gave her a tentative smile back, looking slightly uncomfortable under her stare.

"Er…No problem. Are you new here?" He answered while watching her warily.

As Madam Pomfrey returned to her office with a small smile tugging at her lips, Hermione approached the boy's bed.

"Well...Sort of, yes. I came back to Britain about a month ago." She explained while she tried to subtly scrutinise his looks. He was very handsome, with his dark brown eyes and soft shaggy brown hair. 

The handsome features aside, he looked utterly dreadful with his white skin and dark circles under his eyes. She could see a glimpse of scars on his neck and shoulders. Had Remus come early to Hogwarts for his transformation?  

He shifted awkwardly in the bed under her curious eyes.

"So, um...you've lived here before? Are you one of the teaching staff?" Remus inquired, and Hermione had the feeling that he was trying to stop her examination on him and give her something else to think.

Hermione's eyes travelled back to meet his and she blinked a couple of times and thought about what she could say to him about her arrival.

"Um...My mum lived in Australia but my dad lives here, in Hogsmeade. I had to move back here when the circumstances changed..." She responded awkwardly. "And no... I'm not one of the staff." She gave him another small smile.

Remus was clearly bothered by her searching eyes and friendly behaviour, but he politely responded to her smile. "Okay. I'm Remus, by the way. Remus Lupin."

"Hermione Gr...Dumbledore. I'm pleased to meet you," she said quickly, cringing inwardly at her near slip and hoping he hadn't noticed it. She closed the distance to his bed and extended her arm to shake his hand.

He probably didn't notice her slip of tongue, as he was gaping at her, his eyes widening with shock. Remus stared at her outstretched hand for a moment until he closed his mouth, cleared his throat and shook her hand briefly.

"Wow...um...yeah. Nice to meet you, too." He stammered. "A Dumbledore?" He said with a surprise in his voice and threaded a hand through his messy hair.

Hermione cleared her throat. "Yes, I am. My dad is Aberforth though, not the Headmaster...just in case you were wondering."

Remus let out a nervous laugh and watched her hesitantly. "So, are you going to come to study at Hogwarts or are you just visiting here?" He asked while giving her a once over. Hermione tried not to flinch under his inspection.

"Yes, I am. I'm going to the seventh year in September," she replied, leaning against the edge of his bed. Hermione didn’t miss the small flicker of panic crossing his eyes, as if she was far too close to him in his opinion. She wanted to give him the impression that she was quite at ease at his presence and proximity, and that seemed to unnerve him a bit.

"You are a student here too?" She asked innocently, trying to keep her cover. "But why are you here already? Doesn't the term start in a couple of days?" She continued, trying to look confused.

Remus frowned, a contemplative look in his eyes before he replied to her. "Er...yeah I'm a student. Just starting my seventh year...my parents brought me here on their way to a trip last week, but then I got the flu so I came to the infirmary. It seems it's passed already though..." he explained lamely.

Hermione lifted a brow and Remus blushed slightly. Knowing the true reason for his visit to the hospital wing, she didn't question him further and nodded instead. Remus’s eyes flashed with relief.

"So...D'you know what house you’ll be in?" He asked, a hint of wariness still in his voice.

Hermione was only slightly surprised he was so cautious towards new people, and reckoned it was more to do with the timing than anything else. The Remus she remembered had always been observant and clever, and even though she didn’t know every detail about the current situation in the upcoming Wizarding war, she knew enough from what Aberforth had told her.

"Well, I don't know, actually. The Headmaster – my uncle - insisted that I should be sorted with the first years. That way I'll certainly blend in, right?" she said and gave him a wry smile.

Remus laughed and inclined his head in agreement.

"But I should go now; I'm actually meeting him in a moment." Hermione continued and then hesitated as she eyed him carefully. "Maybe...we could meet before the school starts? I mean, if you aren't too busy?" She asked while taking a step back and giving him what she hoped was an encouraging smile.

"We could spend some time outside or wherever you want to. And you could tell me the latest gossip going around here or something..." she continued, now with a hint of uncertainty.

He studied her for a moment and then gave her a small grin, this one more genuine and reminding her of the older Remus. "Yeah, sure. I have to stay here until tomorrow though, so...meet me here in the morning?" He asked, lifting his brows slightly.

Hermione’s thoughts still lingered in the future - or her past, specifically in one evening they’d spent at Grimmauld with Remus, Sirius, Harry and the Weasleys. Everyone had been happy and relaxed, even though the war had been approaching. Everything had been better then. She felt a small pang of sadness course through her, which didn't go unnoticed. Remus frowned at her but didn't say anything. Hermione shook the thought from her head and cleared her throat.

"Okay...I'll see you tomorrow then." She gave him a one last smile which was a bit forced by the emotional surge she had felt, before she exited the ward and walked towards the Headmaster’s office.

As she opened the door to the Headmaster's office, after knocking and receiving a quiet "enter", she saw that McGonagall was already sitting in one of the plush armchairs in front of the Headmaster’s desk.

"Good afternoon, Hermione. How are you feeling today?" Dumbledore greeted Hermione, beaming at her from his chair. His expression quickly turned into a concerned one when he noticed the slight distress she had tried to suppress on her way there.

"Good afternoon, sir. Professor McGonagall." She greeted the Headmaster and Professor McGonagall who smiled and nodded back to her. "I'm okay, thank you. I just...met someone at the infirmary...someone I knew from before." She said, still feeling quite excited and sad at the same time.

The Headmaster nodded sympathetically.

“Remus Lupin, I presume? You are aware of his condition?" McGonagall inquired while watching Hermione with sharp eyes.

"Yes. Of course, I am." Hermione replied, feeling a bit affronted. "We agreed to spend some time together tomorrow, after he is discharged,” she continued, trying to not sound as confused as she felt.

Dumbledore and McGonagall both nodded approvingly. "I think it would do well for you to spend some time with someone your own age. I understand you have been by yourself for most of the month?" He said while he eyed her with concern.

"Well, I have talked with some people at the pub so I haven't been completely isolated, if that's what you are afraid of..." She muttered defensively.

Dumbledore hummed in response, his blue eyes twinkling. "And have you found out anything of interest while working at the pub?"

"Well, not really…I only work in the early shift, so I assume there might be more interesting patrons and rumours during the evenings." She said and Dumbledore nodded at her.

"Shall we then continue where we left off?" Dumbledore said as he crossed his fingers on his table, not waiting for an answer as he continued, "Since we discussed the Horcruxes the last time, it would now be suitable to think of what is to be done with them."

Hermione and McGonagall both nodded in agreement.

"I suggest we leave the locket, the cup and the diary for now, until we make progress on gaining the young Black on our side. If we do not succeed with him, we can think alternative ways then. I think we should focus on the ring, since we know of its location, as well as research the unknown Horcrux. I propose that I myself will be the one to research the Horcruxes and acquire the ring, as I have already looked into the matter during the past month." He said and both McGonagall and Hermione eyed him curiously.

"But before I will acquire the ring, I would like for you both to learn the way to destroy it. With the Fiendfyre curse. We could start the training next week earliest, since I believe the Professors are quite busy during the first days after the school year starts." He said while glancing at McGonagall who nodded in agreement. "That also gives you a chance to settle down in your new dorm and get accustomed with the daily routine, as well as your classmates." He said to Hermione.

Hermione smiled nervously before she spoke, "Yes, sir, that would be okay."

"What about the Death Eaters, besides Regulus Black, who are students in this school? Bartemius Crouch Jr, Rabastan Lestrange, Severus Snape and Peter Pettigrew?" McGonagall asked grimly.

Dumbledore pondered his answer for a while before he spoke, "I think, if Hermione is up for it, she could try to keep a closer eye on Pettigrew. I myself do not believe Pettigrew to be a Death Eater, at least not yet. But as I said previously, even I have to admit to be wrong sometimes." Dumbledore continued with a small smile.

"Yes, I am up for it. I'll keep an eye out for him." She said and cringed mentally, for she had no desire to even look at the betraying rat. But she also knew that it was inevitable, as she was going to be in the same year as the Marauders. She didn't even wonder why the Headmaster hadn't asked her to keep an eye on Snape, she was merely glad by the fact.

"Good. And as for the others," he said and turned to McGonagall. "We do nothing yet." McGonagall looked a bit irked but said nothing more to the matter.

They continued for a while about Dumbledore's research on Voldemort's early years and Hermione's findings about the possible poisons that might've been used with the locket. They agreed she could continue studying the poisons and testing the antidotes after the school started, but she had to do it outside classes. McGonagall promised to ask from her trusted acquaintance about the poisons, so Hermione would have the time to actually focus on her studies as well.

Before Hermione left towards Hogsmeade, she inquired Dumbledore about her situation, if the Headmaster was any closer to finding out what had happened to her than he was a month ago. There really wasn't anything new, and thus she left the school feeling empty, longing and sadness accompanying her as she walked along the familiar path to the village.

Wednesday, 31 August 1977

The next morning Hermione met Remus at the infirmary, as promised.

"Good morning," Hermione greeted him happily, even though she felt anything but.

She had had a rough night last night. After receiving the disappointing news from Dumbledore the previous evening, Hermione had spent the rest of her night wondering if she was able to return back to where she came from, and what if she wasn't. She'd reminisced the last August, when the journey with Harry and Ron had begun, how they'd been on the run for several months, fought many obstacles and eventually had been caught by the Snatchers. She'd worried for her friends, praying to Merlin that they were still alive somewhere. She missed them so much, she missed her old life so much that it hurt, and she had in fact wept herself to sleep the previous night. It was something she hadn't been doing anymore in a daily basis, thanks to her busy schedule, which made sure she was too exhausted to think anything at nights. In the morning, she had decided that she would try to focus on the now, at least for today, and tried to feel cheerful for meeting Remus.

"Good morning, Hermione." Remus replied and watched her with interest.

They both stood awkwardly in place, neither of them knowing exactly what to say to one another.

"May I suggest that you to go to the village and have lunch there?" Madam Pomfrey said as she walked past them towards her office, a small smirk playing on her lips.

"Oh…sure…Y-you want to go?" Hermione asked and watched Remus hesitantly.

Remus beamed at her before he spoke, "Yeah, I'd love to."

They walked in silence along the empty halls, through the main doors and towards the path which led to the village. A path Hermione had walked several times during the last month, since she had been at the castle almost every day. The sky was a bit cloudy, but it was still warm enough to dress lightly. They both wore their muggle clothes and while Remus had a pair of worn out jeans and a blue t-shirt on, Hermione had transfigured her clothing a bit, shortening her jeans to knee-length shorts, and used a shrinking charm to some old t-shirt of Harry's to fit her better. 

"So…your father is Aberforth? …Who is the brother of the Headmaster? How come I haven't heard of him before?" Remus inquired, glancing at her from the corner of his eye while they walked towards the village, side by side.

Hermione took in a steadying breath, ready to test her cover story with the first person. "Yes. My dad owns the Hog's Head in the village. He and Albus are not the best friends I suppose, but they get along. And I think they both want to keep their personal lives to themselves, so…That's why you might've not heard of him before."

Remus nodded and said, "Yeah, that's understandable." He was quiet for a while before he continued. "And, er…you're from Australia? How come you don't have an accent? Did you go to a Wizarding school there?" He suddenly sounded intrigued, which made Hermione smile a bit.

"Well, my mother was an Australian muggle of English descent, and she, along with some of her relatives upheld their heritage. She met my father when he was on a holiday in Sydney. He said to me once that it was the last holiday he ever took," she said, forcing out a small laugh. "He swears it's not because of the outcome though."

Remus smiled, but there was a hint of uneasiness and worry in his eyes, and Hermione assumed it was because of the past tense she had used when speaking of her mother.

"When I was born, my mum and I lived in London for some years, before we moved back to her homeland. She didn't really know anyone in here, besides my dad, and they weren't actually together so…" She said and shrugged, hoping her explanations were believable.

"My mum of course knew my dad was a wizard. So when I showed signs of magic, they decided I would attend the Australian Wizarding School. That way I could stay close to my mum and my relatives. The school there starts much earlier than it does at Hogwarts, at the age of seven, and finishes a year later, the last year starting when you've turned eighteen. I was in the middle of my last year there, when I…had to come back to Britain." Her voice faded and she tensed.

Remus observed her closely, and they were silent for a short while as they kept walking slowly forward. Hermione could only hope that he wasn't suspicious, but merely trying to figure out things. Things she had left unsaid on purpose.

Soon a small grin spread his lips. "So you're a year older than us then?" He asked lightly, glancing at her.

"Oh…yes, I suppose I am." Hermione mused, not having given it a thought earlier.

As they reached Hogsmeade, they decided to go to the bookshop first, since it was way too early for lunch. It seemed that Remus was quite the bookworm too, and Hermione found out that they had a lot in common, at least regarding their fondness for literature. When it was lunchtime, they headed to the Hog's Head to meet Hermione's 'father', who was now working from lunch time to closing again. They had agreed that Hermione was to focus on her education for now, and if she had the time, she could help him around the pub on some weekends.

The pub was empty when they stepped inside and Hermione walked to the counter with Remus following her. They sat down on the barstools and Aberforth emerged from the backroom at the same time.

"Hi there Mione," He grunted his greeting but a small smile still appeared on his lips. "Weren't you supposed to be in the castle today?" He inquired, while he took a couple of Butterbeers from under the counter and handed them to Hermione and Remus.

"Well, we decided to come to the village, since I have been wandering in the school for the last month, and we are starting the term tomorrow, so no Hogsmeade visits until next week I think." Hermione said while smiling at Aberforth. Then she remembered her manners.

"Oh, Dad, I'd like you to meet Remus Lupin. He is a seventh year too." She beamed at Remus. "This is my father, Aberforth." She glanced at Aberforth.

They shook hands.

"Nice to meet you, boy. Which house are you in?" He asked suspiciously, which made Hermione stifle a snigger as she saw how Remus's eyes widened slightly.

Remus looked very uncomfortable before he cleared his throat and replied to Aberforth. "I'm a Gryffindor, sir. And nice to meet you too."

Hermione tried to suppress her smile but couldn't keep it away. Aberforth burst in laughter and Hermione joined him. Remus started to look confused.

"Sorry about that," Aberforth said while chuckling. "I haven't been called a sir since Merlin knows when." He said wiping his eyes. Hermione looked at him with an arched brow, clearly reminiscing the day she had called him sir. They day they had met. Aberforth winked at her and flicked his wand – a tray appeared from thin air, which he levitated to them. It held two plates of fish and chips.

"Enjoy." He said and turned to the backroom again.

"Is he..." Remus stammered, evidently trying to find the right words to describe Aberforth. "Always like this?" He asked carefully.

Hermione laughed. "Yeah, he is." She said and tucked into the food.

When they had eaten, they thanked Aberforth and left the pub. It was still early afternoon and they decided to browse through the rest of the shops on the main road. After that, they went to spend time in the back garden of Hog's Head. They lounged on the grass and chatted about Hermione's last month and Remus's summer. Then Remus brought up the upcoming year and it piqued Hermione's interest.

"So, um…you wanted to know the…latest gossip, was it?" He asked with a small grimace.

Hermione grinned. "Well usually I'm not one to gossip, really. But…I am a nut for knowledge, and I want to be prepared I guess…" she said, cringing a little.

Remus chuckled. "Fair enough. Although I have to say, I am not one to gossip either. But maybe I can give you some details of the student population, yeah?" He asked while studying her.

Hermione beamed at him and nodded. "Let's start with your house. I know there are four houses, and the history of said houses, as I have read the Hogwarts, A History more than a couple of times. I have to say though - it is one of my favourite books." She said and smiled when Remus gaped at her.

"Oh. It's one of my favourites too," he said, shaking his head and smiling at her. "Well, as I said, I'm in Gryffindor. And um… I share a dorm with my best mates; James, Sirius and Peter. There are also four seventh year girls in Gryffindor; Lily, Alice, Marlene and Mary." He said the last name with a frown. Hermione took notice but didn't interrupt him. "James and Lily are actually both going to be Head students, a position which you've probably read about from the Hogwarts, A History?" Remus continued, lifting his brows in inquiry. Hermione nodded, feeling a bit surprised. She wondered why Harry had never mentioned his parents being Head students.

"And I'm a Prefect." Remus continued and Hermione smiled at him, knowing it already since the older Remus had once told her that he presumed that Dumbledore had in fact named him as Prefect to reign in James and Sirius.

Remus continued naming the seventh year students from other houses and from other years, and Hermione was astonished that he remembered all their names. But it made sense since he was a Prefect, and had NEWT classes with some of them. He went through the Professors, which mostly were the same as had been in her time, except the Defence Professor, of course, along with a couple of others. Remus revealed some of the best pranks he and his mates had done throughout their years. They laughed good-heartedly and Hermione could not but admire how brilliant some of their pranks were. They talked until it was close to dinnertime and Remus had to leave to the castle. Before he left, he playfully promised to talk to her even if she wouldn't be a Gryffindor, to which she replied with an amused roll of her eyes. Sniggering, he went on his way and Hermione retreated to the sitting room of their quarters to have some dinner. She usually didn't eat downstairs in the evenings, since there really were some questionable people lurking around the pub every now and then.

Hermione went early to bed that night, trying to soothe her nerves with a cup of tea and some Calming Draught. She was quite nervous of what the next day would bring. But one thing brought her comfort – at least she had one person to talk to. Smiling, she drifted to sleep.

Chapter Text

Chapter 06: Sorting

Thursday, 1 September 1977

When the first of September arrived, Hermione woke up at five in the morning, feeling tense; having only had just two glorious hours of sleep despite the calm state she had been in the previous night. She had been tossing and turning the whole night, thinking about how she was going to keep up her cover story so that no one would be suspicious of her. She was anxious but at the same time excited to meet Harry's parents. She kept wondering if they were anything like Harry. She hadn't exactly given them a thought during the last month and only meeting Remus had made her think about meeting Lily and James.

As Hermione lay in her bed, her thoughts drifted to her friends and to the feeling she had had all those years ago when she had entered Hogwarts for the first time, not knowing anyone. She thought of the people she would lose for good if she didn't find a solution that would send her back. She thought of Ginny, her fiery nature, and Harry – his bright, emerald green eyes, his courageousness and selflessness. She thought of Ron. How they never had the chance to talk about what had been starting to grow between them. She thought of her parents and how she missed them. She knew that if she had the chance to go back, she would take it.

She wondered what would happen if she couldn't find a way to go back. If she was doomed to live here for the rest of her life. She swallowed the lump that had started to form in the back of her throat and took a couple of deep breaths. Even though she had read possibly every book the library had on Time magic, she was quite certain there would be an answer somewhere. If she had somehow managed to come here, she would eventually find her way back.

Deciding to put those thoughts in the back of her mind and instead focus on the day, Hermione sighed and slowly got out of her bed before she made her way to the bathroom for her morning routine. After washing up and coming back to her room, she put on the new school robes she had purchased a month before and went downstairs for breakfast.

Later that day, Hermione walked to the school well before the rest of the students were going to arrive there. She wanted to be prepared and really, she didn't want everyone to stare at her, no more than necessary, as she was quite recognisable with her plain black school robes. The robes were going to change to match the house colours only after she was sorted.

Sometime after she had arrived to the school, McGonagall spotted her lurking around in the Entrance Hall, and her stern expression softened a bit when she saw Hermione worrying her lip and pacing a bit along the hall.

"Good to see you again, Hermione." McGonagall said as she approached her, her emerald-green robes swishing silently as she moved.

Hermione smiled politely. "You too, Professor." She replied, her voice wavering a bit from nervousness.

"Follow me, then." McGonagall merely said, walking to the Great Hall, and then across it. Hermione followed, wondering where she was leading them.

As they reached the teacher's table, she turned right, and led her to a chamber. "You may wait here. As discussed, you will be sorted with the first years, who will be arriving shortly." McGonagall said and exited the chamber after Hermione nodded to her. She was too nervous to speak. Slowly, the voices and sounds from the Great Hall grew and after some time, she assumed the rest of the school had arrived.

Hermione sat in a chair by the wall when the doors on the other side of the chamber opened. Thirty or so small children drifted slowly to the chamber. At first everyone admired their surroundings, but then, one by one they noticed her. Hermione was glad that no one asked about her or talked to her. She wearily thought that they would soon find out anyway.

The door on the side of the Great Hall opened and McGonagall walked in. She eyed the first years for a moment, as if to check if everyone was there before she spoke.

"Welcome to Hogwarts. The start-of-term feast will begin soon, but before you can join the rest of the students, you will be sorted into your houses," she explained. "The Sorting is an important tradition because after you are sorted into your house, you will live amongst the students in your house, take classes with them and sleep in your house dormitory. The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards…" McGonagall spoke and Hermione's focus faltered a bit since her old Head of House was giving the first years the exact same speech she had once heard.

Instead she let her mind wander a bit and eyed the batch of new students and how they listened to the older witch carefully and a bit anxiously.

"…I will return in a moment. Please wait quietly." McGonagall finished briskly and left the room.

As Hermione and the soon-to-be first years waited for McGonagall to return, Hermione thought back to her previous sorting. She had been frightened, although she had read about the sorting from the Hogwarts, A History, as she had wanted to prepare herself as much as possible. She remembered how Harry and Ron had wondered what exactly was required at the sorting. She of course had simply rolled her eyes at them, for not orientating themselves beforehand.

After a moment, McGonagall returned and spoke with a stern voice again. "Now, form a line. And follow me."

Hermione took in a deep breath as she followed McGonagall and the first years out of the chamber, to the Great Hall. She glanced around her and took in the thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in mid-air over the four long house tables, where the students were sitting. The tables were filled with golden plates and goblets and every student eyed the arrivals with unwavering interest. And then, with curiosity, as their eyes flickered to her direction. Hermione knew the school hadn't had any exchange students in decades, so of course people were curious. She faced the rest of the school as McGonagall placed a stool and the Sorting Hat in front of them, trying not to listen to the whispers which were undoubtedly about her. The Sorting Hat began its song and after a short time the song was already over – Hermione was startled when the hall burst into applause. She had been too nervous to even listen to the Hat's song.

As the sorting started, she glanced at the Gryffindor table and spotted Remus sitting near the front. He was talking with someone, a boy, with their heads drawn together until Remus looked up and saw her looking at them. Remus gave Hermione a small smile and Hermione hoped that her smile back to him didn't look like a grimace as her nerves were starting to get the best of her. The boy next to Remus was also eyeing her, but with curious and somewhat haughty expression. It was Sirius Black. He gave her a once-over, taking in her looks, and Hermione felt her face heating up from the close inspection. Sirius smirked smugly and turned back to the table to talk with his friends. Hermione exhaled hard, annoyed at herself for her reaction. She turned her eyes to look at the line of first years instead.

As "Armstrong, Martha" was sorted into Hufflepuff, Hermione began to think possible houses for her. What if she was sorted into some other house this time? Would it be that bad if she was a Hufflepuff or a Ravenclaw? Yes it would. She reminded herself. She could not afford to be anywhere else. She had to be where Harry's parents were. Where Sirius and Remus were. And Peter…Merlin…She wasn't going to go there, not now...

Hermione glanced over the Great Hall again, and heard that "Baldwin, Matthew"  was sorted into Slytherin. She knew it would soon be her turn. She tried to calm her nerves and brace herself.

"Dumbledore, Hermione!" Professor McGonagall called and Hermione swallowed hard. Whispers suddenly echoed throughout the hall.

"…Dumbledore, did she say?"

"…As in Albus Dumbledore?"

As Hermione walked towards the stool, trying not to misstep, she could see McGonagall give her a tight smile. The whispers and quiet laughter were making her more nervous and she was briefly reminded how Harry must have felt when he was sorted.

She sat on the stool, put the sorting hat on her head, closed her eyes and waited. The sounds from around her became muffled and the only thing she could now see was the insides of the hat.

"Well, well, well, Miss Dumbledore…Or, is it Miss Granger?," the Sorting Hat spoke in her ear with a mischievous voice. Hermione flinched.

"I can see your mind and this isn't the first time we've met. At least it isn't for you. Difficult. Very difficult…"

She pressed her lips together and thought. Gryffindor. I belong there. I need to be there.

"Do you? I know that that was your house previously, but where should you be put now…" the Sorting Hat murmured. Hermione felt a pang of annoyance as the Sorting Hat started to ramble. "You've got wit beyond measure and Ravenclaw would suit you well, you know. You value loyalty and you could do well in Hufflepuff too. And then there's Slytherin…"

No. Not Slytherin, She thought, gritting her teeth.

"Not Slytherin? You could do well in there as well…" the Hat said thoughtfully. "Very well, then. Better be—"GRYFFINDOR!" the Sorting Hat shouted the last word to the whole hall.

The Gryffindors started to cheer loudly in their table.

Relieved that it was over, she put the hat back to the stool and quickly made her way to her new, albeit familiar, house table. She eyed the long table, her eyes stopping at Remus, who was smiling and beckoning her over. As Hermione neared him, she noticed that Sirius, who was sitting next to Remus made room for her between them.

"You know, I’ve never seen anyone look so confident in sorting. Must come with age. Nice outfit by the way. You'll fit in brilliantly." Sirius said with a wink as she sat down next to him.

Hermione blinked and unthinkingly looked down on her robes, until she realised that the part of her outfit had in fact been a joke - seeing as they were all wearing same outfits; their school robes. She kept quiet and forced herself not to blush as both Sirius and Remus chuckled at the bit of humour.

The sorting went on for a bit and when it finally ended, Professor McGonagall retrieved the hat and walked briskly away.

Dumbledore stood up and eyed the students over his half-moon spectacles, smiling at them warmly. "Now...to our new students, welcome, to our old students, welcome back! Another year full of magical education awaits you; it will be very much the same and somewhat different than it has always been. But I will not keep you from this delightful feast any longer."

With a clap of his hands, the food appeared on the empty dishes on every table. "Tuck in!" He said with his blue eyes twinkling as he sat down to eat.

Hermione's stomach rumbled as her eyes wandered along the table. There were roast beef, roast chicken, fried sausages, stew, casserole, roast potatoes, jacket potatoes, boiled potatoes, mashed potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, peas, sprouts, carrots and gravy. She loaded her plate with a bit of everything, ending up with a pile that would make even Ron Weasley proud.

She had missed it - Hogwarts feasts and dining in the Great Hall. During the past month, Hermione had mostly had her meals at the Hog's Head before and after she had been at the school. She had visited the Hogwarts kitchen a handful of times, but it had been mainly to have a snack and to chat with the house-elves.

As everyone helped themselves food on their plates and started to eat, she glanced around the table, finally eyeing the people who looked to be the seventh year Gryffindors. Her eyes stopped at the boy sitting opposite to her.

He looked so much like Harry there was no doubt who he was. She unintentionally stared at him, remembering the last time she had been at the very same table with Harry. But something was amiss. She examined his looks more carefully. His eyes. They were hazel and not emerald green. James was also well-built, while Harry was lean. The messy mop of black hair was exactly the same though, and James also wore glasses. But there were differences in their expressions, as James had a certain hint of arrogance floating around him, while Harry was always hunched, as if trying not to draw attention to him.

James seemed amused and a bit…pleased by her ogling at him. "Hey there, new girl," James said, chuckling when Hermione looked away, slightly embarrassed.

She could see a couple of girls near them roll their eyes with exasperation. Hermione cleared her throat and plastered a polite smile on her face. "Um…Hello."

"So, a Dumbledore, huh? James Potter," James introduced himself, holding out his hand.

Hermione shook his hand. "Hermione Dumbledore," she replied, eyeing him and the others around them curiously.

While James merely grinned at her, there was a sharp clearing of one's throat on the other side of Remus.

"You'll have to excuse Potter for his lack of manners. Hi. I'm Lily Evans." The redhead next to Remus said, leaning a bit forward so that Hermione could see her over Remus. She had long, wavy auburn hair that cascaded down her shoulders and back. She was beautiful and her long lashes only highlighted her bright emerald green eyes. Harry's eyes.

"Hermione Dumbledore." She said, shaking Lily's hand.

"So…Are you a seventh year as well?" Lily asked kindly.

Hermione nodded. "Yes, I am."

"Brilliant! We are all seventh years," Lily said with a warm smile, waving her hand to the people around them. "This is Alice Brown," Lily gestured to the girl sitting next to her, who leaned forward to wave at Hermione. She was a familiar looking petite girl with a black hair and a pixie cut that suited her perfectly. Her face was heart-shaped, and she had a pair of kind blue eyes. Hermione waved back and smiled widely at her, after realising that the girl was in fact Neville's mother.

"Marlene McKinnon," Lily nodded to the girl sitting opposite to Alice. The girl in question studied Hermione for a moment before flashing a bright smile and running a delicate hand through her golden hair. Her blue eyes looked over Hermione and her voice was sugary when she greeted her. "Hi there. Just call me Marley, okay?"

Hermione smiled and nodded at her.

"And Mary Macdonald," Lily said, waving her hand to the girl opposite to her. Mary had a long dark brown hair that tumbled over her shoulders, her figure was shapely and her teeth flashed white when she smiled and greeted Hermione cheerfully, who greeted her back.

Lily glanced at the boys before she spoke to Hermione again. "The arrogant prat on your other side is Sirius Black and I's advise you to stay away from him." She said, smiling sweetly at Sirius, who had narrowed his eyes back to Lily, when Hermione turned to look at him.

"Why thank you, Evans, for the introduction." Sirius said to Lily with a wry look in his eyes, before they flickered to Hermione. "But I really must say it doesn't do much justice because, honestly, I'm awesome." He said and winked at her. James sniggered on the other side of the table.

"Sirius Black." Sirius drawled, holding his hand to her and flashing a charming smile.

Hermione eyed him closely. He was very handsome, beautiful even, with the stylishly shaggy, but surprisingly silky looking hair, with his high cheekbones and soft, full lips. He had a dazzling smile, which he undoubtedly used in his favour. But her gaze was stuck into his grey eyes, which were staring at her with a piercing look. The same grey eyes she remembered seeing in her time.

"Nice to meet you," Hermione said simply, shaking his hand briefly.

"So Remus tells me you two met already?" Sirius asked, and Hermione nodded, glancing at Remus.

"Alright. So…last but not least, that's Peter." Sirius gestured to the boy next to James.

Hermione turned to look at the boy in question and was a bit surprised. Peter didn't look at all like the plump, unpleasant man she had met in the Shrieking Shack many years ago. Young Peter Pettigrew was actually rather handsome in his own way. He was slightly shorter than his friends and he had a round face and a kind look in his green eyes.

The night before, Hermione had thought about meeting Peter and how would she react. She'd wondered if she could treat him like everyone else, as he most likely wasn't a Death Eater yet. She'd wondered if she could treat him like every other schoolboy. Now that she looked at him and saw how he was smiling at her innocently, she felt kind of bad. He probably hadn't done anything yet. There was still a chance for him to change how he would turn out.

Hermione smiled back at him and held her hand out to him. "Good to meet you, Peter."

Peter gave her a small smile and shook her hand. "Likewise, Hermione."

As they continued their meals, Lily mentioned to James something about a Heads meeting the next day after classes. Hermione glanced at the Head student badge on James's chest, and couldn't help but wonder why Dumbledore had given the Head Boy position to James. She had the understanding that James and Sirius were the most reckless and rule bending students in the whole school.

There must've been some sort of confusion in her eyes since Sirius gave her a wide grin. "Yeah, believe me, we were all equally surprised," he muttered.

"Oh, that's not what I…" She tried to explain quickly, looking between James and Sirius.

Sirius merely laughed at her as James narrowed his eyes at his mate.

"So Dumbledore… You are related to our Headmaster, right?" James asked. "Why are you coming to Hogwarts just now? We don't actually get that many transfer students in here," he said and took a sip of his pumpkin juice.

"Um, yes, the Headmaster is actually my uncle. Aberforth, the Headmaster's brother is my father. And the reason I'm only now attending Hogwarts, is because I lived in Australia until this July," Hermione explained, trying not to sound too monotonic.

James eyed her with interest. All the seventh year Gryffindors were staring at her, surprised by her story.

Mary was the first to react. "Fuck me…Dumbledore's niece…" she said, shaking her head in astonishment.

Lily shot her friend a withering look.

Sirius barked a laugh. "What Macdonald said." He stated, eyeing Hermione with mild amusement. "Although, I can't help but think Dumbledore's got an ulterior motive behind this…" He continued with a sly smirk.

Hermione let out a small laugh, "Well, somebody has to keep you lot on your toes, if anything Remus here told me about you is true."

"Dude?!" James, Sirius and Peter said in unison, as they all narrowed their eyes at Remus.

Before Remus could say anything for his defence, Dumbledore stood up and lifted his hands, smiling again at the students in front of him. Everyone became quiet as the Headmaster started to give the start-of-term notices.

When the feast was over, Lily and James lingered behind, being Head students. Hermione followed the rest of the seventh year Gryffindors to the Gryffindor Tower.

Alice walked next to Hermione and they spoke about the castle and the changing staircases on their way up. "Have you been at Hogwarts before?" Alice asked.

"Well, yes actually I have. I lived with my mother in Australia until this summer and then I moved to stay with my father in Hogsmeade. I practically lived in the library for the past month," Hermione said with a small laugh. "So I know a little bit about Hogwarts because of that."

Alice nodded, studying Hermione's features. "So you studied magic in Australia?" She inquired with enthusiasm. "I'd love to hear about your school sometime, if you are willing to share," she continued brightly.

Hermione smiled and nodded at her. "Sure, of course." 

On their way up Hermione glanced back and saw Sirius and Remus walking a small distance behind them. Just before Hermione moved her eyes away, Sirius looked up and gave a wide smile at her, before turning back to Remus, who was in the middle of telling a story, based on the way the was gesturing with his hands while talking rapidly. Hermione felt a mix of bewilderment and excitement course through her. She wondered, what was it about.

Before they reached the portrait hole, Lily and James caught up with them and while James stayed behind with his friends, Lily joined Alice and Hermione.

Lily turned towards Hermione. "So I don't know if you already knew where the Gryffindor tower is, but nevertheless, that is the portrait to our common room." She said, pointing at the portrait of the Fat Lady ahead of them.

"You have to give it a password to get in." Lily said and spoke to the portrait, "Sparkling wine."

As they walked in, Hermione raised her eyebrows while Alice and Lily sniggered.

"Apparently the Fat Lady and her friend, Violet, have been boozing around in different portraits throughout the summer, hence the password," Lily explained while Hermione and Alice laughed and followed Lily towards the girls' staircase, where Marlene and Mary had already disappeared.

Alice went upstairs just as James spoke from near the portrait hole, "Ladies, just one moment if you may."

Hermione and Lily stayed behind, eyeing him curiously. James walked to them with a huge grin plastered on his face, took Hermione's hand and brought it to his lips briefly. "Good night, Hermione, and welcome to our house. If the girls give you any trouble, feel free to come to me," he said with a wink.

Hermione felt her cheeks warm up. Lily watched the display through narrowed eyes and let out a loud scoff. James smirked at the girls and made his way to the boys' dormitory with an irked looking Sirius following him.

When the girls reached the seventh floor, Lily spoke to Hermione before entering through the door that led to the dormitory. "He has a girlfriend, you know." When Hermione gave her a puzzled look, not understanding who she was talking about, Lily continued. "James, that is. He has been with her since last year." She said with a forced smile.

"Oh. Well...good for him I guess..." Hermione said awkwardly. She immediately began to analyse the bit of information. What did it mean if James was with someone else? Had this happened in her past or had something actually changed?

Lily was about to say something else but instead closed her mouth and went to open the door. They stepped into the dormitory and Hermione saw a familiar looking room. The dormitory was similar to the one she'd lived in during her sixth year, only one floor higher and instead of her previous roommates, there were now new ones occupying the room. Mary was already organising her books, parchments and quills on a small shelf next to her bed, while Marlene was flipping through a magazine on her bed, which was closest to the bathroom. Alice was rummaging her trunk on the opposite side where Marlene was lounging.

Hermione looked over the dormitory and saw her trunk at the foot of the first bed, next to Mary's. She went to her bed and took off her robes, leaving on her muggle clothes underneath. She folded her robes neatly on top of her bed before snatching a pair of pyjamas and her toothbrush from her trunk. Lily sat on her own bed, opposite to Hermione's and started to arrange her schoolbooks ready for the term before she too started to get ready for bed.

The girls started to talk about the upcoming term, the classes they were going to take and the news and scandals they had learned during the train ride. On some point, Hermione tuned out, as she wasn't that interested of the relationship drama of miscellaneous students Marlene and Mary were going through. She quickly changed into her pyjamas behind the closed curtains of her bed and when she flicked her wand to open the hangings, she saw Marlene flip the bird at Mary and both of them laughing about something afterwards.

"…So what are you all wearing for the party?" Mary asked as Hermione started to collect her things from her trunk for the next day.

Hermione looked up to Mary. "What party?"

Mary grinned at her. "Well, every year there has been a start of term party in Gryffindor common room and since, like fourth or fifth year, the boys in our year have been the ones throwing it. It's tomorrow night and it is going to be epic!" Mary said excitedly.

"Oh? So you're finally going with Remus?" Lily said and gave Mary a knowing look.

Mary heaved a sigh. "I wish...I don't know what he wants, if he wants to be my friend or maybe something more. Maybe I'll find out tomorrow…But what I actually meant was that this is our last year and our last start of year party." She said, a wistful expression taking over her face.

"I know! I'm so gonna miss this. The parties, Mary's and Lily's little escapades," Marlene said with a pensive look before flashing a teasing grin to the girls.

Lily and Mary both narrowed their eyes at their friend. "Speak for yourself, Marley…" Lily grumbled.

Hermione arched a brow. "Oh? What have I missed?"

Mary shrugged. "Lils and I went a bit rebellious in our end-of-term party last year…" Mary said simply, while Lily tried to suppress a grin. Marlene and Alice giggled at them.

"It's not even that funny…" Lily muttered, but grinned anyway. "At the end of the party…we sort of…snuck out of school and went to the Three Broomsticks, transfiguring our looks a bit so that Rosmerta wouldn't have noticed…" Lily explained, shaking her head with amusement.

Hermione smiled. "May I assume it didn't work?"

Everyone shook their heads, sniggering.

"But hey, we didn't get detention." Mary said with a sly grin.

Marlene snorted. "Probably because you had transfigured your looks to resemble Potter and Black, and it was them who suffered the detention in the end," she said, bursting into laughter. Mary, Alice, Lily and Hermione joined her.

Hermione wiped tears of laughter from the corners of her eyes when Marlene spoke again. "Speaking of Potter…Lily, are you finally going to make his day and be his date?" Marlene asked teasingly.

Lily huffed with irritation. "Even if I would agree to…you know, do that, I wouldn't. Because he has a girlfriend," she said promptly.

Marlene chewed the inside of her cheek. "I didn't want to say anything, since I reckon even Potter doesn't know yet, but… I think he's not going to be taken for long…"

Everyone turned to look at Marlene in bewilderment. "What do you mean, Marley?" Lily asked as she frowned at her friend.

"I mean that the Hufflepuff slag Madison, whom he's been dating, you know, since last year, has cheated on him with some guy… I heard her talking about it with her friend on the train on our way here…" Marlene said dryly.

Lily and the others gasped at the news. "That bitch! ...I mean, should we tell him? Poor James!" Lily flared and looked at the others expectantly.

"Ooh, so you do actually fancy him, don't you?" Alice grinned at Lily. Everyone but Lily laughed quietly.

"You're all delusional," Lily sniffed.

Mary, Alice and Marlene exchanged knowing looks but said nothing at the matter.

The girls were soon ready for bed, wishing good night for each other after putting the lights off. Hermione agreed to go to breakfast with Lily after she learned that the rest of the girls were late sleepers. She wanted to wake up and get out of bed early, to prepare herself for her first classes.

With so many thoughts rushing in and out of her mind, Hermione lay on her back, staring at the canopy of her four-poster bed for quite some time before she eventually fell asleep.

In the boys' dormitory, the lights were still up and Sirius was scribbling on a parchment the boys had hanging on the wall, next to their bathroom door. Peter was the only one who had already changed into his pyjamas and was in the process of going to sleep. James was rummaging his trunk in search of the Marauder's Map, at least that was what he had told Sirius some time before. A moment later, Remus came from the showers clad in a t-shirt and boxers and stopped next to Sirius.

"What are you doing, Pads?" Remus asked and frowned as he read what Sirius was writing into one of the parchments.

They had several parchments attached on the wall and Sirius was always the one to put them back up each year when they moved to a different dormitory. The parchments were enchanted now, in a way that only the four of them could read them. That was just a precaution, since one time Sirius had brought a girl to their dormitory and when she had gone to their bathroom, she had seen some of the writings in them. Enraged was an understatement when describing her wrath. She had slapped Sirius across the face, hexed him good and stormed out before he'd had time to say anything. She had also told her friends about what she had seen, and Sirius had suffered somewhat of a depression regarding his affairs during that particular spring.

One of the parchments was a charmed list of all the single girls at Hogwarts, always changing when a girl got attached to someone. One parchment was a list of the fittest girls in their school, regardless of them being single or not. The list was divided into four columns, where each Marauder had their own favourites in ranking order. Needless to say that Lily was on top of James's list even though he had been dating another girl for a year now.

The third parchment was a list where each Marauder could place "dibs" or claims for one girl for each year and the others were then not allowed to pursue said girl at the same time. If the name was not erased from it by the setter, he continued having interest on the girl, regardless if he succeeded to get her attention or not. Of course the last addition to the rule was added when James had pursued Lily several years without any result. Sirius had actually kept his space empty for most of the years, since he had had no need to pursue any specific girl. He had more than enough of girls who threw themselves at him and he wasn't that particular of whom he wanted to seek comfort from. But now he was indeed scribbling a name on the parchment, which seemed to surprise his friend into silence.

James too seemed curious of Sirius's machinations, so he walked closer to him and peeked over Sirius's shoulder at the list. "So the new girl, eh?" James said and smirked at Sirius, who gave an innocent smile back.

Remus shook his head in amusement and said, "Pads, I don't think she's like the girls you usually go after…She won't fall into your charms that easily."

Sirius turned to Remus and gave him a smug smile. "Just wait for it, Moony. I'll have her in my bed by the end of this month, mate," he said and winked at him.

Remus eyed him with a doubtful look.

"Care to make a wager of that, brothers?" James asked, grinning slyly at the others.

"Sure." Remus said, smiling confidently.

"Let's." Sirius replied daringly.

"Just to make sure - you are saying that Hermione is going to have sex with you before the end of this month?" Remus asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, that's exactly what I'm saying, Moony." Sirius replied boldly. "Like I ever would take a bird to my bed just for sleeping," He said and gave his friend an incredulous look.

Chapter Text

Chapter 07: Lessons begin

Friday, 2 September 1977

The next day Hermione and Lily woke up early in the morning and after showering, they put on their school robes, took their schoolbags and walked down the stairs to the common room. The rest of their roommates were slowly waking up as they left. Remus was already in the common room, smirking triumphantly at Lily.

Lily rolled her eyes. "You know you always beat me," she said to Remus, who grinned as a reply.

"Well, I think you ought to wake up earlier then?" Remus asked as they walked through the portrait hole.

Lily grumbled. "It's not like you're doing your makeup and hair in the mornings…"

Remus merely shrugged at the redhead. Hermione eyed their banter with interest.

"Lily thinks she can be the first one up on our schooldays, but unfortunately, she hasn't yet succeeded," Remus explained to Hermione, smiling when Lily made a face at him.

"So how was your summer?" Lily asked from Remus as they walked down the staircase towards the Great Hall. "I'm sorry I didn't have the time to write that often…I was stuck with my mum's relatives for the most of the summer…" she muttered sullenly.

Remus waved his hand. "No worries. It was…okay I guess. Met with the guys a couple of times and pretty much stayed at home for the rest of the holidays. Although I had to come here a few days earlier, since my folks had some vacation planned and they didn't want me to stay behind…" he said awkwardly, glancing at Hermione.

When Lily didn't even acknowledge his early arrival, Hermione wondered if the redhead knew about Remus. She reckoned it was a bit unusual, coming to the school before the term started. And why wouldn't his parents leave him behind? He was of-age…Perhaps Lily did know about him…they seemed to be close friends so it would have made sense.

Lily was in the middle of explaining how boring it had been at her aunt's place when Hermione tuned back in to the conversation. "...I mean, I didn't even have Tuney there to piss me off, it was so exhausting!"

Hermione turned to look at Lily. "Tuney?" She asked subtly.

Lily blinked. "Oh. Yes. Petunia. My sister. She's a couple of years older than me," she said with a strained voice. "She's a…handful," she continued discreetly, while Remus suppressed a grin next to her.

Hermione nodded. She had an inkling of what Lily was talking about.

As they reached the house tables in the Great Hall, Hermione sat down with Lily on the bench on one side of their house table, while Remus took a seat opposite to them. The hall was a bit quiet, as it was only a few minutes past seven and the breakfast had just started. They were the only seventh year Gryffindors at breakfast and there were only a handful of younger housemates scattered along the long house table.

Hermione glanced at the table, which was filled with mouth-watering food; bacon, eggs, fried sausages, fried tomatoes, kippers, corn flakes, rolls, toast with marmalade and butter on the side, and a cauldron of porridge. As she started to pile a fry-up on her plate, Remus poured the girls some tea.

"What NEWTs are you taking, Hermione?" Lily asked after a moment, taking a sip from her cup.

Hermione swallowed her food and drank some water before she answered. "Um. I was thinking of taking Transfiguration, Herbology, Charms, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Potions, Arithmancy, Astronomy and Ancient Runes," she listed, while Lily nodded along with a bright smile.

"Same here," she replied, seeming slightly impressed as Hermione was taking as many subjects as she did.

They continued their discussion as Remus recounted the NEWTs he was going to take and then wondered together what was going to be their first class of the day.

"Good morning, girls," James announced as he slid down to sit next to Remus some time after. Sirius and Peter sat next to Hermione, and the rest of the seventh year girls took seats at the table as well.

Remus rolled his eyes at James while everyone began loading their plates. Hermione too reached for a toast and saw Sirius eyeing at her.

"Sleep well, darlin'?" He asked conversationally, giving her a charming smile.

Hermione coughed loudly at his words. "Um. What's with the endearment?"

Sirius grinned. "Just thought you needed one," he said and winked at her.

Hermione arched a brow at him. It was too early for Sirius Black's charm. "Well, I slept well, thank you for asking. And you?" She continued, not having the energy to argue with him about anything.

He smirked knowingly, "I always sleep well, but even better when someone accompanies me."

Her brows lifted with annoyance. "I beg your pardon?"

Sirius barked a laugh and said, "I'm just taking the piss out of you, Dumbledore. No need to get your knickers in a twist."

Hermione flushed and narrowed her eyes at him. "As if I would let you anywhere near my knickers," she hissed.

Remus stifled a snort while James lifted his brows in surprise. Peter merely gaped at her and Sirius's expression was stuck between an amazed grin and a frown. Before he could answer her, the mail arrived. About a hundred owls streamed into the Great Hall, flying over the tables and dropping letters and packages to their owners and recipients.

As some of the seventh year Gryffindors received letters and small parcels, Sirius took the morning's Daily Prophet from a brown delivery owl and slipped five knuts into a small pouch on the owl's leg. Hermione made a mental note to make her own subscription as soon as possible.

Sirius smiled as he saw her eyeing the paper subtly next to him and eventually he pushed it between them on the table, so that they could both read it.

After the breakfast Professor McGonagall approached them from the staff table and begun handing course schedules to the students, starting from the first years and moving up until the seventh years.

"Miss Dumbledore," Professor McGonagall said as she reached Hermione. "I have received your grades from your previous school and I can say without hesitation, that you do not have any hindrances when choosing the subjects you wish to take at Hogwarts," she said briskly, her mouth curving slightly. "So. Which NEWTs do you wish to take?"

Hermione smiled at her Head of House. "If it is possible, I would like to take Transfiguration, Herbology, Charms, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Potions, Arithmancy, Astronomy and Ancient Runes." she said, eyeing McGonagall hesitantly.

"Certainly," McGonagall replied and handed Hermione the timetable with her courses on it. "I will meet you in Transfiguration this afternoon."

The professor then turned and addressed Lily and James. "Miss Evans and Mister Potter, as Head Students you are trusted to handle the patrol schedules for prefects. I will expect a copy brought to my office no later than tomorrow morning. Also, it has reached to my knowledge that there is going to be a party in the Gryffindor common room tonight. Is that information correct?" McGonagall asked with a stern look. "As Head Boy and Girl, I hope you both know to keep it under control."

"Of course, Professor," James declared before Lily could say anything. "I take my duties very seriously and will make sure the common room is cleared by midnight," he said promptly.

McGonagall fixed a scrutinising look at the Head Boy. "See that you do."

A smile tugged at James's lips, but he merely nodded at McGonagall.

Sirius snorted quietly at their conversation and smirked at Hermione when he saw the astounded look on her face. As McGonagall moved along the table to hand out the rest of the seventh years their schedules, Sirius leaned in closer to Hermione and whispered to her ear, "I personally think that McGonagall has a thing for James, that's why she lets him off the hook sometimes."

Hermione lifted her brows in disbelief, but was still slightly stunned by her favourite teacher's behaviour. She also tried not to be affected when Sirius was so close to her that their bodies were touching, and tried not to think about the fact that his lips were hovering right next to her earlobe and how his hot breath was bringing shivers down her body. Delightful shivers.

Circe...She wanted to slap herself for even thinking about that.

"So…Our first class today is Ancient Runes," Lily said a bit tightly, eyeing Hermione and Sirius suspiciously.

Hermione was shaken from her reverie and as Sirius backed away, Hermione cleared her throat and gathered her things. "Shall we?" She asked from Lily, trying to will away the small flush that seemed to stay persistently on her cheeks.

Sirius looked at her brightly before he spoke, "Have a great day, Dumbledore. I'll see you later," he winked and with that he and James stood up and left the table, exiting the Great Hall. She didn't have the time to reply anything, so she just took her schoolbag and left the Great Hall with Lily, her mind whirling with mixed-up feelings.

As they entered the class, Remus was sitting there with Peter. Hermione was quite startled seeing Peter in that particular class, since she had thought that he wasn't the brightest of students and Runes were thought to be a slightly difficult subject. Lily smiled and went to sit next to them, proceeding to take her books from her bag. Hermione too smiled at Peter and Remus, before sitting down next to Lily. Professor Babbling gave them their assignments, which were to be solved in small groups, so Lily, Hermione, Peter and Remus formed a group and started to translate the runes together.

As the girls, Remus and Peter were taking Runes, Sirius and James had a free period. They had decided to stay at the empty Gryffindor common room and engage into a wizard's chess game. They sat at the two squashy armchairs facing each other, with the small chess table between them.

"So Pads…laying the charm quite thickly, aren't you?" James said and gave Sirius a knowing grin.

Sirius shrugged. "I dunno…it's like I'm drawn to her or something…" Sirius replied thoughtfully as he ordered his pawn forward.

James let out a small laugh. "Yeah…So you don't want her just because she's new and exciting?" He asked as he moved one of his pieces.

"Well, probably that too. I mean, maybe I'll get over it after I shag her," Sirius replied, smirking at his best mate, even though he already had a feeling that he wouldn't.

James looked thoughtful. "I dunno…She seems like one who is hard to get…I mean, she's the first girl who calls you out on your shite. Along with Lily…" James said pointedly.

"Sod off, Prongs. I haven't even tried yet..." Sirius said indifferently before he moved one of his rooks, crushing James's pawn.

James shook his head, looking exasperated. "Honestly, don't mess with her. Lily will have your bollocks on a platter if you screw up her new friend…"

Sirius chewed the corner of his mouth before he replied, "Yeah, well, I'll think about it. What's it to you, anyway? Why do you care what Evans thinks about my actions?" He asked with a teasing smirk as he moved another piece on the chessboard. Sirius of course knew his mate was still pining after the redhead, even though he was with another girl. He also knew that Lily wouldn't just be angry with Sirius – she would give them both the silent treatment if she was pissed off enough, regardless which one of them had annoyed her.

James let out a small sigh. "You know why…" he muttered. "Even though she hasn't really shown any interest in me, I still haven't given up hope on her…" he continued quietly and rubbed his face.

Sirius gave him an agreeing grunt.

"I mean, I like Madison. She's so easy to be around and we've had fun." James said easily. "But…to be honest, I don't really see a future for us, at least not after Hogwarts."

Sirius nodded grimly. "Yeah, I know what you mean…"

James sighed and moved his piece. Sirius's king had no move and his queen was now forced to step away in a vain effort to safe its monarch.

"I dunno...maybe relationships are overrated," Sirius muttered finally. He cringed as he thought of the unlikelihood of James getting Lily.

James huffed at his friend while bringing his bishop forward. "Mate," he said, holding two fingers in the air.

"Shit," Sirius muttered when he saw James could finish him off in two moves.

As Lily, Hermione, Remus and Peter walked towards their next class, Hermione went over the Ancient Runes class in her head, thinking how unexpectedly nice it had been working with Peter. She knew Remus was intelligent, kind and probably a good study partner, but she hadn't expected the same from Peter. He had surprised her with his intellect and his wit, and Hermione reckoned that perhaps keeping an eye out for him wasn't as bad as she'd thought.

They reached the dungeons, chatting about the Runes essay Professor Babbling had asked them to write for the next week, until Professor Slughorn appeared and opened the door to their classroom. She took a seat at an empty table, when all her classmates paired with each other. Then someone stood in front of her. Hermione lifted her gaze to meet a pair of cold, black eyes that stared at her with a blank look. She took in his unkempt appearance, his black, a bit greasy, shoulder-length hair. It was Severus Snape. The man who had killed Dumbledore.

"You're in my seat." he said with a low voice, dropping his potions book in front of her on the table.

Hermione was taken aback and trying to find words. "Um…I didn't realise we had assigned seats," she said tightly before moving to the empty seat next to her. She didn't know how to feel about his sudden appearance. In her time, he had been a double agent and ultimately betrayed the Order. Although, every time she and Harry had gone through Dumbledore's death, they both had reached into the conclusion that there had to be more to it than that. But was there, really? She tried to pull herself together, to see him as a young man who was still in school. Who wasn't necessarily a Death Eater yet.

Snape didn't say anything, but merely sat on the seat where Hermione originally was situated and began to write on his parchment the instructions Slughorn had put on display, his hair falling like a curtain to hide his face from her.

Professor Slughorn began to introduce the potion project they were supposed to start, instructing them to pair up with the person next to them.

Brilliant. Hermione thought bitterly.

"So, I guess we're partners," Hermione said awkwardly, trying to at least act polite.

Snape glanced up as she spoke and he studied her with his cold eyes.

"So it seems. Dumbledore." he said finally. "I hope you will actually show effort in this class and not assume your name has some merit when it comes to the grading," he continued with a slight sneer on his face, giving her a once over.

Hermione sighed inwardly. Although, what she knew of Slughorn, he was known to favour students with ability and name and for a food grade even one of those attributes was enough. 

She chose not to reply to his quip. "Do you want to go to the storage room to get the ingredients or shall I?" She asked him instead and aimed for a polite smile.

Snape gave her a sceptical look and said, "I think it's best that I'll go get the ingredients, so you cannot mess that up. You can start the cauldron."

Hermione heaved a sigh and muttered, "Okay then…" as Snape left for the supplies cupboard.

What an arse, she thought as she lit the fire.

When the class was nearly over, their potion was the perfect colour and texture, bottled up in small vials to be brought to Professor Slughorn.

Snape was evidently surprised by her work. "I find your skills rather…acceptable, Dumbledore. I might have underestimated you," he said quietly as they cleaned up their desk and packed their bags to leave.

Hermione smiled in mock sweetness to him and said. "Thank you, Snape. I trust you won't underestimate me again and assume I am only my name."

A ghost of a smile tugged his lips. "One should never just assume…"

When everyone was drifting out of the class, Slughorn came to stand in front of Hermione and Snape.

"Well, well, well. I was hoping to see you in my class, Miss Dumbledore. You have some talent in you," Slughorn chuckled.

Hermione smiled politely. "Thank you, Professor."

"You know," Slughorn spoke, his voice lowering a bit, "I'm having a small get-together next week, and I was hoping you would attend," he said, watching Hermione closely.

"Oh…well, sure," she stammered, not really knowing how to say no to him. She wasn't really that interested joining in the Slug Club, now that she knew what it was all about.

"Marvellous! And young Mr Snape is attending as well, aren't you?" He turned to Snape, who nodded curtly in reply.

Satisfied by their answers, Slughorn walked sluggishly back to his desk, slouching in a comfortable armchair and opening a bag of Crystallised Pineapple.

When Hermione turned to look at Snape, she saw him already pulling his tattered bag on his shoulder and leaving.

"What did old Sluggie want?" Sirius asked from Hermione as she exited the class.

He was leaning against the wall in the empty hallway, while everyone else had probably gone to lunch already.

She lifted her brows in surprise as she hadn't expected him to wait for her. "Oh…he just wanted me to join in one of his 'get-togethers'." Hermione said with a shrug.

Sirius huffed a laughter. "Of course he did," he muttered, following her as she walked towards the Great Hall.

"What does that mean?" She asked, even though she knew fairly well that Slughorn wanted her there because of her last name.

"He invites this elite group of students to join in his dinner parties, calls it the 'Slug Club', he explained while looking displeased at the thought.

Hermione smirked. "Oh? So you're in his club?" She asked teasingly.

He gave her an amused look and shook his head. "Nope. He asked me to join though, when I was younger. But something tells me I'm not a suitable candidate anymore," he said with a lopsided grin, threading a hand through his shaggy locks.

Hermione gave him a small smile in reply.

"But you know, you should go. See what it's like. Evans sure is boasting about it every chance she gets," he said, grinning slyly. "I've told Prongs loads of times that she must have a thing for the old fart…" he continued, lifting his brows at her knowingly.

"Sirius!" She hissed at him. "That's not a proper way to speak about a teacher," she said with a stern voice.

Sirius merely laughed as they entered the Great Hall and took their seats at their house table.

After lunch, the seventh year Gryffindors had Transfiguration. The classroom was a large, brightly lit space and everyone sat in silence as McGonagall spoke.

"Conjuration is an advanced form and branch of Transfiguration and it is considered to be some of the most complex magic taught in our school. Conjurations differ from the other branches of Transfiguration as it is the art to transfigure the desired object from 'thin air'." McGonagall explained, waving her wand and conjuring an Eagle in the corner of her desk.

She vanished it before she continued, "As you all know, there are limits as to what can be conjured. Today we will go through conjuring living beings. You will start with simple; birds and snakes which you have already conjured in your earlier years in magical education and then move on to cast more advanced spells, conjuring butterflies, rabbits and horses." She said, looking over the class.

After McGonagall had introduced their subject for the day, she gave the students a moment to write down notes before she vanished all the furniture from the classroom, except her own table and chair.

Hermione watched in awe as James and Sirius were effortlessly conjuring living beings of different sizes and species. She was fairly good in conjuration spells, but certainly not in their level.

"Don't worry," Lily muttered next to her as she flicked her wand, conjuring a flock of birds in the air and vanishing them after McGonagall had seen the spell. "This is their best subject." She said and gave James and Sirius a harsh look as she noticed that they'd conjured a small horse and were sniggering as they made Peter ride it in the back of the large classroom.

Hermione suppressed a grin as she eyed their performance. A moment after Peter fell from the horse, giving a small cry as he landed on his bum, causing Sirius and James burst in laughter while Remus shook his head in amusement.

Of course it was… James, Sirius and Peter were Animagi, after all… Hermione shook away her wandering thoughts and conjured her own flock of birds in the air. McGonagall eyed her work with a satisfied look before walking briskly to scold the boys.

Chapter Text

Chapter 08: Start of school party

Friday, 2 September 1977

After dinner, Hermione and the rest of the seventh year Gryffindors went to the Gryffindor tower to prepare for the upcoming party.

Not wanting to dress up, as she really didn't have anything to wear to a party, Hermione volunteered to get the common room ready with the boys. She and Peter put up the decorations and moved the furniture with their wands, while Remus went to the kitchen to get some snacks. Sirius and James were suspiciously absent, but Peter and Remus refused to tell Hermione, or anyone else for that matter, where they had gone.

“What usually happens in a start of school party?" Hermione inquired from Peter while they were conjuring red and golden balloons and hanging them to the ceiling with the help of their wands.

Peter frowned a bit before answering. "Just the usual, you know, drinking, music, dancing and whatnot."

Hermione nodded. "Well, I haven't actually been in that many parties and I just wanted to know if there would be something I should be prepared for." She said with a smile.

"Actually, now that you mentioned it… With Sirius and James, you never know. There might be something extravagant that no one can prepare for." Peter said thoughtfully.

"So you're not the one who plans the surprise numbers at the parties?" Hermione asked with a smirk.

Peter chuckled. "No, not today at least. I usually mend the bar," he said with a shrug.

Hermione nodded again and hung a couple of decorated Gryffindor banners on the walls.

A while later Sirius and James came in through the portrait hole, both carrying a box in their hands. The boys placed the boxes on a table and flicked their wands to cast an enlarging spell on each. Apparently, there were drinks in them. While Sirius and James unloaded Firewhiskey and Butterbeer bottles from the now large boxes, Remus came to the common room with the snacks. After all the food and drinks were placed on the table and in what Hermione assumed was the bar, Remus came to talk with Hermione and Peter, who were in the middle of hanging a giant disco ball to the ceiling.

"So Hermione, how was your first day at Hogwarts?" Remus asked as they watched Peter to levitate the ball up.

"Well, the day isn't over just yet, but I think it has been quite nice," Hermione smiled.

Sirius came to stand next to Hermione and put his arm over her shoulders. "Well, Dumbledore, I think we can do better than quite nice, don't you think?" He said cheerfully.

Her eyes flickered to his hand on her shoulder before she turned to look at him. "Well, I don't know, Black, I guess I have to wait and see," she said sharply and excused herself to the girls' dormitories. When she glanced back right before stepping through the door that led to the dormitories, she saw Sirius staring at her with a small smile on his lips and a daring look in his eyes.

Some time later, when Hermione came down again with her dormmates, she saw that the party had already started. The seventh year girls were all dressed up and had insisted that Hermione should at least wear some make up and do her hair. They had helped her to get ready and Hermione actually felt quite pleased when seeing her appearance in a mirror, even though she was wearing her ordinary muggle jeans and a simple long-sleeved shirt. After mingling for a while with the girls, she went to the bar where she saw Remus and Peter making drinks to younger Gryffindor girls.

"Hi there," she greeted the boys and eyed the various drinks with equal curiosity and suspicion. How the boys had managed to smuggle in a vast collection of different kinds of alcohol beverages, was beyond her depth.

"Hi Hermione! Here you go," Peter grinned and handed her a purple drink with a pink umbrella and some fruits in it. Hermione eyed it warily but took a sip eventually. It tasted rather good, and she was pleasantly surprised.

"Wow, it's actually quite good! I don't usually drink, but I like it." Hermione beamed at him.

Peter blushed slightly and nodded his thanks before returning to his bar tendering. Sirius had appeared at the bar and was talking with Remus. When Hermione turned to leave, Sirius gave her an intense stare that made her step falter slightly. She averted her eyes and made her way towards the balcony attached to the common room, deciding that a quick breath of fresh air was what she needed. Once outside, she leaned on the railing, facing the landscape. She took a deep breath and sipped her drink, feeling rather flustered. Merlin…She needed to get a grip. She just couldn't fall into his charm…

Not only was her time in this era uncertain, making it unwise to engage herself into anything, but then there was the fact that Sirius was known for being a womaniser. Not to mention he seemed like a prat. She tried to calm herself and thought that maybe she was reading too much into it. Perhaps he was just messing with her.

The noise from inside grew momentarily louder and she knew she wasn't alone anymore - someone had just entered the balcony. Sirius came to stand beside her, leaning his back against the railing and watching her closely.

She turned to look at him back and he gave her a charming smile. When she averted her gaze, Sirius let out an amused sound.

"Am I making you nervous?" He asked with a smug smirk that made her roll her eyes in annoyance.

Hermione huffed and took a sip of her drink. "No. Yes…I don't know, maybe." she said with a sigh. "It doesn't really matter. I'm just not used to… You know, that." She said and waved her hand at him.

He laughed. "And what is that exactly?" He asked, his eyes dancing with mirth.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. "You know what I mean…the flirting, teasing and the eye thing." She said pointedly. For which she was actively stopping herself from falling.

Sirius barked a laugh. "You're just something else, aren't you?" He asked with a playful smile.

Hermione gave an awkward shrug. "Okay, I'll see you later." She said and turned to leave.

He took her hand. "Hey, don't go…just…stay and talk to me okay? I would like to get to know you," he said and looked into her eyes sincerely, the humour now gone and an innocent smile curving his lips.

Hermione eyed him suspiciously before she nodded and decided to stay and talk with him as he seemed genuine enough.

She knew Sirius from her future and at least the older him was "okay" to be around with, a bit carefree and snarky but still a good company. Perhaps she ought to give him the benefit of the doubt. They sat down on a bench and looked at each other.

"Tell me about Australia," he said, studying her features.

She frowned but nodded at him. She didn't exactly enjoy lying to everyone, but she knew she had no choice in the matter, at least not now, not yet. She tried to remember everything she had already told to Remus about her fake-past, in order to not diverge from her story.

"Well…I grew up with my mum in Sydney. I attended the Australian Wizarding School until this summer. The school there starts a bit earlier than it does at Hogwarts, at the age of seven. The final year starts when you have turned eighteen. So basically it starts earlier and lasts a bit longer than at Hogwarts." Hermione explained plainly. Sirius nodded attentively, keeping his eyes fixed on hers as she spoke.

"What about your parents?" Sirius asked after a short contemplation.

She tensed a bit at his question and even though he seemed to notice, he didn't say anything. "My...my dad lives in Hogsmeade, as you know already and I haven't seen him that much until now, since the summer holidays are actually in December and January in Australia…But the reason I moved here is because…I...um…we were attacked. My mum and her relatives were killed." She said without blinking, her face expressionless.

Merlin…Why was she blabbering everything to him now? They'd just met.

She had planned to tell about the attack on some point, if someone asked. It wasn't exactly a secret, as it was a part of her cover story, but she didn't really want to draw attention to herself. And now she'd succeeded doing just that. She reckoned that the alcohol in Peter's drink had to be making her talk run more smoothly than she had anticipated.

Sirius set his bottle down on the end table near the bench with a harsh thud and gaped at her in shock.

"And I really don't want to delve into that right now, not when you're looking at me like that, you know, with pity and sorry for me. So let's talk about something else," she continued, looking down when she saw his expression turning into a horrified one.

Sirius took her hand and snapped, "What? You cannot just expect me to hear that and feel nothing about it?! I'm not made of stone, Hermione."

"I don't want your pity. I don't want anyone's pity," she said angrily, giving him a dark look. She felt angry for making him care for her, to pity her, because of her lies. She was angry and sad for losing her real parents and not be able to talk about it to anyone. Hermione thought about her mother and father whom she had sent to Australia, who would never know they'd had a daughter. And she would never see them again if she wasn't going to be able to find a way back.

Sirius shoved both hands through his hair and was quiet for a moment.

"I understand you, I really do. You have no idea how much…" he said with a distant voice. There was a deep frown between his brows as his eyes searched hers. "I promise, Hermione, I won't pity you, but…if you do want to talk about it, you can come to me, yeah?" He said and stared at her with sincere, piercing grey eyes before he reached out, tucking a loose ringlet of hair back behind her ear, and stroking her cheek with his thumb.

His touch sent a warm tingling through her and she shivered at the sensation. Then his eyes roamed her face and finally dropped to her lips.

"Would that be okay?" He murmured and Hermione could vaguely remember his question had something to do with his previous sentence.

Her eyes fluttered and she froze in place when his face came closer to hers. His other hand was still stroking her cheek and his other holding hers, their fingers laced. She briefly wondered when had that happened? Her heart raced and she could feel his hot breath against her mouth.

She swallowed deeply. "Sirius, I—" she responded weakly, when his lips feathered against hers.

The door slammed open just then and they jumped away from each other.

James was at the door, evidently sloshed. "Oi! Pads! You snogging some poor young lady in here?" He called from the door, sniggering and his speech slightly slurring.

Sirius growled indignantly. "Go away, Prongs."

Hermione could hear a grin in James's voice. "Nope. So I suggest you drag your arse back to the party so we can celebrate the beginning of our last year, mate!" He said cheerfully and walked to the bench. Then he noticed it was Hermione whom he was with. "Oh. Hey, Hermione!" He said and grinned at her, "Er - Sorry about that. What I said about…Never mind. Although, you shouldn't waste your time with this annoying little mutt. He doesn't know which way is up, you know?" he continued jokingly.

Hermione smirked at James and stood up. "I gather you have a first-hand experience?" She asked with a sweet smile. Sirius snorted while James was rendered speechless.

"I should go inside. Thank you Sirius," she said and gave the boy in question a small smile, before turning on her heels and going inside.

Sirius watched her leave with his brows furrowed and let out a weary sigh when the door closed behind her. He thought about what Hermione had told him about her parents and the attack and even though he had promised he wouldn't pity her, on some level, he did. And while some of what she had told him was serious and horrible, it all made her more intriguing in his eyes. It made him want to get to know her better and to be in her presence.

"Did I ruin a moment, huh?" James asked, watching Sirius with amusement.

Sirius glared at him and grumbled, "Someday soon, I'm gonna bite you, Prongs."

James laughed good-naturedly and smirked at him before he spoke, "Is that what gets all the girls hot and bothered?" When Sirius merely scowled at James, he continued, "Oh come on mate, it’s our last year! I mean, we’ve had lesser reasons to get utterly pissed, eh?” James said, nudging his friend.

“I suppose…” Sirius grumbled under his breath.

“Okay, so let's go!" James commanded and yanked Sirius to stand up while Sirius was still looking irked.

“I need my best mate in there," James said earnestly, giving Sirius a grave look.

Sirius’s features softened after a moment and he nodded at his friend. "Let's get inside." he said, determined to start their last term with a bang.

Later that night, close to midnight, the party had quieted down a bit. Everyone else had already retreated to their dormitories, except the seventh years.

Mary and Alice were dancing on the small dancefloor in the middle of the common room with Remus and Peter, the girls giggling every now and then as they stumbled on the floor. The rest of the seventh years were hanging near the fireplace. Sirius was lounging on the floor, leaning his back against an armchair Hermione was sitting in, while James, Marlene and Lily were sitting on the sofa. Sirius and Marlene were arguing about an article of the Hobgoblins' lead singer getting into trouble with the muggle police. Their argument was interrupted when James stood up unsteadily and informed the group that they should now have some real fun and play a version of truth or dare, where instead of answering question truthfully, one had to take a shot of Firewhiskey. So…basically accomplishing tasks or getting utterly pissed.

"So the game's Firewhiskey or Dare." James explained, mostly to Hermione who hadn't played with them before, while pouring himself a shot of said liquid and then turning over to pour the others some shots. "You spin the bottle and you can issue a dare to the person whom the bottle points. That person can choose to perform the dare or drink the shot…" He explained, nodding at the shot glasses on the table.

"Oi, dancing queens, come along!" James exclaimed to Mary, Alice, Peter and Remus who were still on the dancefloor. He received some withering looks as the rest of their group joined them, but eventually they had all gathered in front of the fire.

Then Hermione spoke with a hesitant voice. "I don't think I want to play. It's getting late."

James arched an amused brow at her. "No, it's not. I think you're afraid Sirius will ask you to snog him on a dare," he said with a gleeful look.

Sirius rolled his eyes at his mate and glanced at Hermione, who had her eyes narrowed at Sirius's best friend.

"No. I'm not." She said with a cold voice, which only made James huff out a laughter. She then sighed, apparently accepting the challenge. "Fine, I'll play."

Sirius cleared his throat, feeling both awkward and amused, before he snatched an empty bottle from the floor and placed it on the table. "Okay, I can go first." He spun the bottle and it stopped in front of Marlene.

He smirked at the girl in question and said, "I dare you to take off your top, Marley."

He didn't miss the exasperated looks on most of the girls' faces. Still, it wasn't like that sort of a dare hadn't happened before.

The boys grinned and whistled when Marlene shrugged and pulled her top off, leaving her bra on. She gave Sirius a nonchalant look. "Nothing you haven't seen before," She said sweetly before spinning the bottle.

Sirius grimaced inwardly after realising what she had said and that Hermione was still there, sitting behind him, and was probably unaware of what had been going on between Sirius and Marlene. He decided to explain it to her later.

When the bottle stopped in front of Remus, Marlene gave him a sly smile and said, "I dare you to kiss Mary."

Both Sirius and James snorted as they watched their friend's unimpressed expression, both of them knowing for a fact that he was dying to snog the witch.

"You don't waste any time, do you?" Remus said dryly at Marlene, but his features softened as he went to perform his dare, leaning towards Mary and kissing her chastely on the lips. Mary blinked and looked away when Remus pulled back.

"Well, there was always a choice, you know," Marlene said knowingly and winked at him.

Remus ignored her and said, "Okay, my turn." He spun the bottle and stared at Sirius as the bottle stopped in front of him.

"I dare you to kiss Hermione," Remus said, grinning as he saw Sirius's eyes narrow at him.

Sirius stood up from the floor, turned to Hermione and smiled at her steadily. He had no problem with this dare, but the conversation he'd had with her at the balcony as well as James's earlier warnings about messing her up rang in his mind and made him hesitate. He decided to do an act of chivalry and proceeded by leaning over and kissing her gently on the cheek to accomplish his dare. He felt quite pleased with himself when he saw the small tinge of redness on tops of her cheeks and the mixed look of disappointment and gratitude in her eyes.

There were no more kissing dares as the game went on. Alice ended up shirtless as well and sometime later, Alice and Marlene were both passed out on the sofa, along with Peter.

On some point, Sirius spun the bottle and gave his friend a sly grin when the bottle stopped in front of James. "I dare you to run around the greenrooms, starkers."

James was contemplative for a moment and then shrugged. "I'm up for it, mate. Although, if you wanted to see me without a stick, all you had to do was ask," James said and waggled his brows at Sirius, while the rest of their group sniggered at them.

Sirius rolled his eyes and stood up. "Shall we?" He asked mischievously. "Girls, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to see Prongs here make a fool of himself," he said to Hermione, Lily and Mary, and when Lily gave him an incredulous look, he continued. "Well, it probably isn't, but I still reckon it's something to take the piss out of him afterwards," he said and winked at the girls.

James stood up and punched him on the shoulder while Remus, Mary and Lily laughed as they too got on their feet and made their way towards the portrait hole.

Hermione yawned. "I think I'll pass, as intriguing as it sounds...you guys go ahead, I'm heading up to the dormitory," she said before walking towards the door that lead to the girls' dormitory. Before she had the chance to go to the staircase, Sirius had caught up with her and stopped her by taking her hand and spinning her around gently.

"Good night, Hermione," he murmured, staring at her with an intense gaze as he brought her hand to his lips, turned it and placed a soft kiss on her wrist. It was a somewhat intimate gesture and he could clearly see that she wasn't unaffected by it. Sirius smiled at her and turned to leave with the others to watch his mate make an arse of himself.

Sirius, Remus, James, Mary and Lily all disillusioned themselves and somehow even after all the Firewhiskey, managed to get outside without anyone noticing them. 

As the group was nearing their destination, the greenrooms, they heard voices coming from ahead. Lily, who was leading the group with James on her side, saw it first. There was a couple locked in a tight embrace, leaning on the greenroom three entrance. Their hands were all over each other, the boy had his shirt half off, belt undone and trousers open, and the girl had her robes pulled up around her thighs. They were snogging furiously, as though their lives depended on it. Suddenly the girl shifted and Sirius saw her face – it was Madison.

Lily turned to James hastily and grabbed him. "James, let's go back."

Sirius quickly agreed with the redhead. "Yeah, uh. Let's go find another place to fulfil the dare, mate."

James looked at both of them, puzzled, until his gaze shifted towards the couple, nearly shagging each other in the open and the next moment, James evidently realised who they were. Some guy from Hufflepuff and…his girlfriend. James froze in place and watched in horror as they continued their activities, not yet aware that they had an audience.

"What the FUCK?!" James bellowed, his eyes widening in anger.

The couple broke apart, their surprised faces turning towards the Gryffindors, who were all gaping at them. They didn't have time to do or say anything before James had already charged at a dead run, ramming into the Hufflepuff boy, and taking him down. Madison stumbled back from the impact, nearly falling while she screamed in terror. The two boys hit the ground with a loud thud, where James pinned the other boy by the throat and pummelled his ribs with a series of blows. The Hufflepuff grunted with each brutal impact and struggled to break free.

"SHIT!" Sirius cursed and leaped forward with Remus, both of them grabbing James and dragging him away from the other boy.

"What the hell are you doing?" The Hufflepuff shouted when he broke free and held his side with a hand.

Sirius briefly wondered if the bloke had broken more than one rib.

"You were fucking my girlfriend over there, you fucking wanker, what did you think it was about?!" James yelled back, breathing heavily, rage and confusion mixed on his red face. He remained in place only because Sirius and Remus were holding him back, keeping him still with a tight grip.

The other boy had the decency to look away shamefully.

"What's the matter with you James?!" Madison cried, finally finding her voice whilst still looking shocked.

"W-What…What's the matter with me? Are you fucking kidding me Maddie?! What the fuck…You fucking deserve each other. Fucking Hufflepuffs." James shouted at her, hurt and anger flashing in his eyes.

Sirius gritted his teeth together. He had a half a mind to letting go of James so that his friend could go and beat the shit out of the Hufflepuff bloke and so that Sirius himself would be free to punch the witch square on her face for being such a slag.

"James! It's not what it looks like! I can explain!" She said with a panicked voice, fumbling as she smoothed her robes and buttoned down her oxford shirt.

"I think it's pretty obvious what it is," James said with cold fury emanating from him. "I've seen enough," he continued. "How about you just keep on doing whatever you think it is. Do whoever you like. I don't care. We're done here." He grit out and yanked himself free from Sirius's and Remus's grip, turned on his heels and walked away.

Sirius turned to speak to Lily, "Go with him. Make sure he goes straight to the dorm, will you?" Lily frowned, nodded at Sirius and went after James.

Sirius glared at the Hufflepuff boy and glanced at Madison with an equally nasty look. "Madison, I suggest you go back to your dorm. We have some unfinished business with your new lover boy here."

Madison's eyes widened in fear and she gave a quick glance at her housemate. He looked at her in resign and said quietly, "Go on, Mads, I'll be right behind you."

She was uncertain for a moment but eventually left to the castle. Sirius turned to Mary and spoke softly. "You can go too, Macdonald, we'll take care of it from here."

Mary pursed her lips and sighed, evidently miffed that she would miss the punishment of the Hufflepuff. Sirius stifled a grin.

"Fine I'll go. Just please don't kill him. I don't want you two to end up in Azkaban." Mary said with a huff and she too turned on her heels, walking towards the castle.

Sirius turned his eyes at the Hufflepuff and cracked his knuckles. "So…what should we do about you…" he said coldly, as he approached the Hufflepuff with Remus right behind him, "You had to know that there would be consequences, right?"

The boy looked at them with alert, ready to take a punch when Sirius suddenly spoke with a mischievous glint in his eyes, "Seeing as James already took care of the beating, we have a slightly different kind of punishment for you…"

James was on his way to the Gryffindor tower when Lily caught up with him. "James, I'm sorry—"

James stopped and scowled at her so hard that it made her flinch. "Don't bother, Evans. It's not like you and I are close or anything," he said and turned his gaze away from her, continuing towards upstairs.

They were reaching the portrait hole when Lily took his hand and they both stopped again.

"James, I…I'd like to think that we are at least friends, so yes, I am sorry for what happened to you. You didn't deserve it. You are a good guy, James Potter. And I want you to know that - " she started softly, looking into his eyes sincerely, but the words were for some reason stuck in her throat.

He watched her for a moment, searchingly. His bright, hazel eyes were gazing at her from behind his glasses, his hair was a mess, and he had a puzzled look on his face. Just then Lily wondered why it had taken her so long to see him, to really see him?

James cleared his throat, a flicker of sadness in his eyes. "What is it, Lily?"

She felt a jolt of joy when he called her by her first name, instead of calling her "Evans". Hearing him utter her name sent shivers down her spine, and she gave him a nervous smile as she took a step closer to him.

James suddenly looked nervous as well and seemed to understand her intentions. Lily was torn between speaking and taking action. Eventually she made her decision. She didn't know exactly what she wanted with James, but she knew for certain that she wanted to kiss him right then and there. She wanted him to hold her in his arms, and she wanted to hold him as well.

He was still glued to the spot, staring at her closely. Lily swallowed deeply and took another step closer to him. Their bodies were almost touching. She placed her palms flat against his chest and James let out a small puff of breath.

Her fingers trailed upwards, sliding around his neck while their eyes were locked in an intense gaze. James's lips twitched slightly before he leaned closer to her, closing the distance between their lips.

It was like meant to be. It was like his lips belonged with hers. His hands found her waist and then her back and he was pulling her closer, deepening their kiss. Lily sighed against his lips, and then she felt his tongue tracing the seam of her lips. She gave him access, tasting him as he tasted her, their lips gliding against each other slowly, wantonly.

James staggered forward and pressed Lily against the wall next to the portrait hole. She gasped as she felt his fingers skimming the skin of her stomach under her jumper, exploring her curves while he nibbled at her bottom lip. It made her feel and think all kinds of things. It made her want to feel him, to be closer to him, even though there wasn't much space left between them. Lily felt so good, so warm and light, that she didn't want the moment to end.

Unfortunately, it did.

Suddenly, James stiffened and pulled away from her, panting slightly. There was anger and hurt in his eyes as he glared at the floor between them.

"James?" Lily whispered, out of breath. She wondered what was going on in his mind at that moment. Did he regret their kiss? Did he wish to solve things with Madison?

James swallowed, his Adam's apple sliding up the length of his neck. He gave her a regretful look. "Lily I…I'm sorry, I can't."

He shook his head a couple of times and fled inside the Gryffindor Tower through the portrait hole, leaving her breathing heavily in the hallway.

Saturday, 3 September 1977

The next morning Hermione woke up with a small headache, but otherwise she felt fine. Based on the groans that she heard from some of the beds in her dorm as the sun began to shine brightly through their curtains, she reckoned the others weren't feeling that great. She stood up, showered, brushed her teeth and decided to go to the library while her roommates were nursing their hangovers in their beds.

The common room was empty, so those who had passed out had been moved to their respective beds. At least she presumed that was the case. For some reason, all the Firewhiskey bottles were gone, and instead, there were several more empty Butterbeer bottles lying around, than she remembered they had had at the party. Her fellow Gryffindors certainly knew how to cover their tracks.

When Hermione reached the library, she wasn't surprised that she saw no one else there. She walked to the restricted section, into which Dumbledore had given her permission to go. She circled the shelves for a while, found a few promising volumes that were at least scraping the subject of time magic and decided to browse through them in the secluded corner of the library. She made sure that if someone came near or walked by, they wouldn't be able to see what she was really reading about, but instead the books would look like her Arithmancy and Rune textbooks. She briefly thought that maybe she had gone a little overboard with the covering, but changed her mind when she heard a muffled noise and whispering behind a bookshelf on her left.

Two male voices were talking to each other in hushed tones. Hermione laid her book down and focused on the conversation, the voices reaching her easily in the quiet library.

"They're going to approach us soon," the first one spoke quietly, warning his companion. His voice was smooth, with a familiarity that Hermione was drawn into.

The other one snapped with an oily voice. "Yes, I am aware. We are expected to make a choice."

Curiosity got the best of her and she rose from her chair and tiptoed closer to the voices. She could see two Slytherins from a small gap between the books on a shelf. The boy who had spoken first was tall and slender with a slightly arrogant air to him. He had dark grey eyes and full lips. His nose was aristocratic and his raven black shoulder length hair was neatly trimmed. Although Hermione had never met the boy before, she knew instantly who he was. He bore such a resemblance to his brother, Sirius, that it would have been impossible not to recognise him. Sirius's hair was much shaggier and a tad longer than his, but they looked alike. It was Regulus Black. The other boy, the one who had his back to her, she had recognised in a second by his voice. Severus Snape.

Hermione cursed inwardly as she accidentally nudged a book, causing it to make a non-existent sound.

"And what might be your decision?" Regulus asked, glancing around him and turning his focus to his companion again.

"I think it would be beneficial to choose him for now," Snape said with a meaningful voice.

"For now?" Regulus questioned. "You mean in pretense," he concluded coolly. Regulus glanced around him again and Hermione quickly took a couple of steps away, so that neither of them saw her stalking them. A moment after she heard the two boys part, going different ways.

Suddenly footsteps were coming towards her corner. Hermione cursed inwardly and snatched a book from the shelf, browsing it nonchalantly as she stood facing the shelf. She held her breath and then she saw someone from the corner of her eye. Regulus Black stood very close to her, leaning against the bookshelf and facing her.

He slowly took the book from her hands and turned it the right way, placing it back to her hands. Hermione scolded herself inwardly for not being more subtle. Her cheeks were burning with embarrassment, as she turned to look at him.

Stormy grey eyes, exactly like his brother's, were examining her closely, making her more nervous as every second passed.

"You must be Miss Dumbledore." Regulus stated with an expressionless face.

Hermione swallowed deeply and shut the book in her hands. "Yes. And you must be Regulus Black, Sirius's brother," she said without expecting an answer and looked at him, trying to school her expression into an indifferent one.

His mouth curved a bit. "In a first name basis with my brother already. Not that it surprises me."

Hermione lifted her brows in puzzlement. She briefly wondered what he was on about.

He gave her a scrutinising look and a small blush tinged her cheeks. Hermione wasn't feeling exactly confident under his examination.

There was a short silence before he spoke. "What are your intentions with my brother?"

Hermione frowned. "Why do you care?"

It wasn't exactly a secret that the brothers didn't get along.

Regulus eyed her silently. "He's still my brother, even though we don't braid each other's hair at the moment," he said simply.

Hermione shrugged. "Well, we have just met each other. I'd like to think us as friends or housemates. Is that the answer you were looking for?"

Regulus scoffed. "My brother doesn't have women as friends. He screws them," he said dryly.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. "Why are you telling me this? Anyway, you needn't worry. I know how he is."

He gave her a doubtful look but said nothing.

She thought it was certainly interesting that Regulus was watching his brother and his activities so closely, as if he cared for his wellbeing. She knew that in the future, he had a reason to defect, and she had suspected it had something to do with Kreacher. Or at least what Voldemort did to his house-elf had been the final straw what made Regulus turn against him. But perhaps it had something to do with Sirius as well.

The look in his eyes turned darker. "What did you hear?" He asked suspiciously.

Hermione blinked.

"You know I am referring to the conversation you just so gracefully eavesdropped," he said blankly.

Hermione bit the inside of her cheek. "Everything," she said quietly, giving him a defiant look.

His brows lifted a bit, as if he was surprised she'd confess she was listening. "It's none of your business. You would be wise not to repeat it to anyone," he said with a cold voice.

"Or what?" She asked boldly.

"You really are clueless, aren't you," he said slowly, eyeing her features.

Hermione frowned. "What does that mean? I know what you were talking about with Snape. You may think that there is no other way, but you always have a choice," she said quietly and gave him a knowing look.

Alarm flashed in his eyes before he looked away.

"If I were you, I would really think about it. What it will do to you if you follow this through. And what it will do to you brother," she said grimly. She saw him flinch when she mentioned Sirius.

She stared at him for a moment with a sad smile, thinking that there was no use to continue the conversation since he wasn't ready to have it, at least not yet. She put the book back to the shelf and walked to the table where her things were scattered. She put her books, parchments and quills to her schoolbag and left the library.

Chapter Text

Chapter 09: Duelling

Monday, 5 September 1977

The weekend after the party was over rather quickly and Hermione had studied in her dorm and in the library for the most of it. She had gone over the conversation between Regulus and Snape in her head multiple times after Saturday. It seemed that Regulus had been unaffected by her words, which made her wonder how she was going to proceed with him. Could there be a way to him through Sirius? She let out a frustrated huff as she thought about the raven-haired Marauder and the mixed feelings she had about him.

Then there was Snape...what was she going to do with him? Both Regulus and Snape seemed not to follow Voldemort and his dogma eagerly, but only in appearance, or so they had said. So maybe they would be willing to hear her out.

Monday came with new classes and a new teacher. Hermione found herself in the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom with her dormmates, the Marauders, some Slytherins and most of the seventh year Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. It was a popular class, probably because there had been many rumours of the Dark Lord. Also, it was the place where they learned how to duel.

"Good morning, class," their professor called from the front of the classroom. "I'm Professor Prewett and I am here to teach you the Defence Against the Dark Arts," he said as he leaned against his desk, eyeing his NEWT students with an excited look.

Hermione of course knew exactly who he was, as he had been a name on one of her lists she had gone through with Dumbledore. She studied the professor carefully, noticing quite a few similarities between him and Molly Weasley, his sister. She smiled sadly as she thought about Molly and how much she missed the Burrow and its residents, but eventually shrugged away her thoughts as Professor Prewett continued.

"As you are all seventh year NEWT students, you have already practiced duelling during your sixth year. I want to see at what level you are, since in your NEWT's, you are going to demonstrate your duelling skills during the practical part of the exam," he explained. "So, find a partner and some space on the floor and wait for my sign to begin," he said simply, and as the students all stood up, he flicked his wand to clear the room of tables and chairs.

Hermione watched as her classmates paired with each other, as did the students from other houses. In the end, Hermione and Snape were left unpaired. Hermione groaned inwardly and almost rolled her eyes to the likelihood of it happening but restrained herself and went to stand opposite to Snape near the bookshelves on the back wall of the classroom.

Hermione didn't miss her fellow Gryffindors staring at the pair with alarmed looks.

Snape watched Hermione carefully, an unreadable expression on his face. "I hope you are as adequate as you were in Potions."

Hermione pressed her lips together and gave the boy a blank look.

"Brilliant!" Professor Prewett said as everyone had taken their places in the room. "Now, try to keep your duels nonverbal and use only the basic hexes and jinxes. No banned or dark curses," Professor Prewett continued with a strict voice as he eyed the students.

"You may begin when you are ready. And remember the proper duelling etiquette," he said and the students started to bow to their opponents and take their duelling stances.

Hermione and Snape locked their eyes as they both bowed to one another. He watched her with a calculating look that made her slightly anxious. Hermione took in a calming breath and gripped her wand.

Snape cast the first spell, a nonverbal tickling charm, which Hermione blocked swiftly. She replied quickly with a Knockback Jinx, which he cut off smoothly with a wave of his wand.

They continued in silence, both using nonverbal spells.

Snape sent a stunner at her direction, which she blocked and replied with a Stinging Hex. He cut off her hex and threw a nonverbal Stickfast Hex, which was blocked by her. Curses, hexes and jinxes were flying rapidly from both directions and all around them by the other duellers.

Hermione began to think that they were quite at the same skill level, but then, after she had sent a curse towards him, Snape managed to hit her with one of his own jinxes; a nonverbal Levicorpus. When Hermione felt the tell-tale tug in her ankle, she quickly cast a nonverbal Liberacorpus.

Snape blanched and gave her a suspicious look. Hermione grimaced inwardly, realising that Snape was probably trying to figure out how she had already learned to deflect his spell, when she had been at the school only for a handful of days. She quickly sent a stunning curse at him to distract him, yelling the curse verbally.

He blocked it deftly before casting a Jelly-Legs curse, also verbally, causing her legs to collapse beneath her.

Finally, he managed to disarm her. "Expelliarmus!" Her wand flew to his hand.

"Finite," Snape murmured, cancelling the Jelly-Legs curse on her legs and allowing her to stand up again. He placed her wand back to her hand while giving her a scrutinising look. Hermione noticed that almost everyone in the room had already finished with their duelling and most of them had been watching her duel against Snape with mixed looks of surprise and interest.

"Nicely done, everyone!" Professor Prewett called, beaming at the students.

When the class was over, everyone began gathering their belongings and heading towards lunch. As Hermione collected her bag from the back of the class and glanced up, she saw Professor Prewett eyeing her with a strange look in his eyes.

"Miss Dumbledore, I'd like a word with you," he said to her as Hermione was passing him and walking towards the door.

She tensed a bit but turned around and stood in place, wondering what he wanted to talk about.

After the last student had left the class, Professor Prewett spoke to her. "Let's go to my office, Miss Dumbledore," Professor Prewett said and walked to the door in the corner, which Hermione presumed lead to his office. Hermione nodded and followed him.

As they entered the small and unpretentious office, he gestured at the chair in front of his desk, while he took a seat on the other side of it. Hermione sat down and took in her surroundings. The first thing she noticed were several photographs of red-haired witches and wizards. She quickly averted her eyes from the pictures, as they brought back memories she didn't want to delve in right then. Instead she moved her gaze to the corner, where a comfortable looking armchair stood next to a large bookshelf that was filled with interesting looking volumes, which she itched to browse.

As Hermione studied his office, she could practically feel Professor Prewett's gaze on the side of her neck. When Hermione shifted her eyes back to him, she took a better look at him than she had done before and after their class. Professor Prewett was young. Perhaps even a bit too young to be a professor - which made her wonder if Prewett was there because he was an Auror and not because his aspiration was to teach at Hogwarts. However, she had to admit that the man had held an adequate duelling lesson and hoped his future classes would be like that. Prewett was also rather handsome. He was tall and broad-shouldered, had wavy red hair coming down to his shoulders and cerulean blue eyes which reminded her a lot about Ron.

"The reason I asked you here, is that I want to thank you." Professor Prewett started.

Hermione furrowed her brows. "Oh? I'm afraid I don't understand, sir."

Professor Prewett smirked. "You can call me Gideon outside class."

"Um...okay. Er, why do you want to thank me, si…Gideon?" She frowned at him.

"Well, for saving my life, actually. And my brother's as well. So...Thank you. I'm in your debt." Gideon said, staring at her sincerely.

"You're…welcome?" She said hesitantly, still slightly puzzled by his words. Saving his life? She knew Gideon and Fabian had been on her list of casualties. She wondered if something had happened. She also wondered, with dread, if something had changed.

Hermione started to feel very alarmed and didn’t even notice at first that the man in front of her became more serious, the look in his eyes turning slightly suspicious.

"What I would like to know, Miss Dumbledore, is how a seventeen-year-old student would have that kind of information. How would you know about a Death Eater trap placed for me and my brother?" He asked mutedly.

Hermione blinked. Was that how it had originally happened? Had she changed their fates? Hermione’s mind was whirling. She bit her lip, trying to focus on the now and gave Gideon a nervous glance. "I...I'm actually eighteen. And…I don't know if I can talk about it…" she said with a small grimace.

Gideon studied her features. "Miss Dumbledore. Your uncle said that we are going to have a conversation soon together, so does it matter if you tell me now, or later when we meet with the Headmaster?" he asked, not taking no for an answer.

Hermione looked up, giving him a wary look. "It's Hermione. And...I really think we should wait until we meet with the Headmaster—"

"Look, Hermione. I'm going to find out about it sooner or later anyway." He interrupted, giving her a pointed look.

She chewed the corner of her lips and pondered what exactly she could tell him. She tried to figure out what Dumbledore had told Gideon, and why the old man hadn't discussed it with her first. Hermione and Dumbledore had agreed that they would not speak about the circumstances regarding her arrival with anyone, so it didn't make any sense that he had told Gideon that she had saved him and his brother.

Even so, she knew she could trust Gideon, since Gideon was Molly Weasley's brother and a trusted member of the first Order. She also knew she couldn't talk about the future before she had had a talk with Dumbledore, and before the man in front of her had taken an Unbreakable Vow or something, since in the end, very few people could be trusted. What if someone used Legilimency on him and that way extracted information about a time-traveller? She wasn't sure if the Vow protected from Legilimency. It was essential that Voldemort didn't find out about her.

She decided that part of the truth would have to suffice. Hermione took in a deep breath and spoke with an expressionless face. "I had a vision about you and your brother being tortured and killed by Death Eaters who had lured you into a trap."

In truth, they hadn't spoken that much about the deaths on the list she had given Dumbledore, but he had said that he would be sharing the information with the Order if necessary. So perhaps they had managed to save two lives already, if Gideon and his brother now were in her debt. The thought both terrified and excited her.

They were both silent for a moment. Gideon rubbed his temple and stared at her with a contemplative look. "Are you a seer, Hermione?" he asked slowly, eyeing her carefully.

Hermione felt bad for lying to him, but she had to say something. "I’m...I'm not sure. I just know things. And I know that I don't want him to know the things I know, if you know what I mean?" She said pointedly, giving Gideon a hard look.

Gideon quickly nodded in understanding. "Don't worry, Hermione. I will tell my brother about this, but no one else, I assure you. Your secret is safe with us. The Aurors are taught Occlumency and my brother and I are quite proficient with it, so I hope this eases your mind a bit," he said reassuringly.

"Thank you for telling me, Hermione," he continued, smiling at her while shaking his head in astonishment.

Hermione nodded and gave him a small smile in return.

"I'm afraid I have someplace to be right now, but…perhaps you could stay after the next class as well, so that we can continue this discussion? There are some things you should know," he said, stood up and walked to the door, holding it open for her.

"Oh. Okay," Hermione said and stood up. She picked up her schoolbag while Gideon returned to his desk and then Hermione left his office, feeling very much confused and very much in the need to figure out what had happened.

Tuesday, 6 September 1977

The next afternoon Hermione walked with Remus to the Ancient Runes class, after having double Transfiguration and double Charms. Tuesdays seemed to be rather exhausting days, since every class they had required their utmost concentration, which made Hermione and Remus stay in a comfortable silence as they walked through the halls in a slow pace. Both Lily and Peter were running late; the former had some Heads' errand to run and the latter had stayed behind Charms class to talk about the assignment Professor Flitwick had given them. The rest of the seventh year Gryffindors had a free period.

As they neared the hallway where their Ancient Runes class was being held, Hermione’s thoughts wandered to the previous night. After dinner on Monday night, Hermione had gone to see Dumbledore. What she had discussed with Gideon – the information she had received, had bothered her throughout the day. She had kept thinking if something had indeed changed since the Prewetts had been attacked but survived from it. Dumbledore had calmly explained to her what had happened in their assignment and how the Order had been able to prepare for a trap because of Hermione’s help.

But when Hermione had told the Headmaster that she believed that the attack against the Prewetts had actually happened a couple of years later in her time, Dumbledore had merely said that the occurrence might have been just that, which meant that Hermione was in an alternate timeline, or, that the incident hadn’t actually happened yet and would happen eventually.

In the end, Hermione had returned to her dormitory, feeling frustrated and anxious for not being any wiser about her situation.

"So, how are you adjusting to Hogwarts?" Remus asked after a long silence, as they sat down next to each other on a bench in the hall, opposite to their classroom.

Hermione thought about her answer for a moment. She had had so much going on already and it was only the third day of classes. "As well as I can, I think…" she replied, giving him a small smile. "There's just so much to get used to. It's a bit overwhelming. I mean, people are different here and very close and familiar with one another. And the classes are different…" she continued, her voice trailing off.

It was totally a lie, although the content of the lessons was new to her and everything going on between her classes - getting to know everyone, her own missions and the Order business, trying to figure out a way to go back to her own life -  made her feel she was quite overwhelmed indeed.

Remus gave her a sympathetic nod. "I know what you mean. When I first came here, I thought I wasn't going to last the first year. I was very lonely, kept to myself a lot at first, as it was hard for me to get to know anyone… I thought I didn't deserve anyone's friendship. And because my mum’s getting ill quite often, I have to study harder to keep up with everyone so that I can visit her when necessary. I still don't quite know how I managed to make friends and survive this far," he chuckled.

Hermione knew he was talking about how his Lycanthropy had affected his life. She wished she could've just told him that she knew, but it would have been too suspicious. She had to wait at least a couple of full moons. Her heart broke a little to hear he had been a lonely first year, just like she had been before she, Harry and Ron had become best friends. She gave him a sad smile and sighed, feeling a rush of emotions course through her.

"I miss my old life…I miss my friends," she whispered, blinking away tears. She scolded herself for being so emotional, in the middle of the hallway, right before their class.

Remus took her hand and squeezed it before he spoke, "I'm sorry, Hermione. I can't even imagine how it would feel like to leave your friends behind. I mean, I don't even want to imagine a life without my mates…" he said compassionately. "But you shouldn't be afraid to make new friends, you know? They won't erase the ones you already have. And there are still ways to stay in touch with them, even though you're not seeing them on a daily basis, right?" He continued sensibly, smiling at her. 

Hermione sighed inwardly. Remus thought her friends were still in Australia…If he only knew.

Remus talking about not even being able to imagine a life without his friends made Hermione grievously think that in a few years he would be experiencing exactly how it felt, if something wasn't done about it.

If she wasn’t going to do something about it.

Thursday, 8 September 1977

On Thursday evening the seventh year Gryffindors were having dinner at their table in the Great Hall. They had had a double Defence lesson in the morning and as promised, Hermione had stayed behind to talk with Gideon. She had come to lunch so late that the others had already gone to the next class, which had been Charms.

"So, Hermione, what did Prewett want with you today? I mean, he asked you to stay after class again," Sirius asked from opposite to Hermione, eyeing her closely. He had pushed his food around sullenly the whole dinner, his eyes never leaving her.

"Professor Prewett," Hermione corrected and gave him a cautious look before smiling at him. She had already agreed with Gideon that if someone asked about why she was spending extra time with their Defence professor, they would say that they were simply filling in the blanks in her education, since the curriculum of the Defence Against Dark Magic - the subject that was taught in the Australian Wizarding School - wasn't as broad as Defence Against the Dark Arts's contents in Hogwarts were.

"Oh, we're just going through the curriculum of Defence. It isn't exactly the same as what is taught in my previous school, so Gideo...I mean, Professor Prewett just wants me to be prepared for my NEWT's," she answered simply, flushing slightly from her slip, knowing fully well she had been chastising him a mere moment ago.

She didn't miss the sharp look Sirius and James exchanged. Hermione knew that Sirius had been watching her more carefully for the past few days, ever since she had stayed after the Defence class on Monday to have a chat with Gideon. She hadn’t been oblivious to the seething looks he had given to the Professor either, whenever Hermione had exchanged words with him in the hallways outside classes.  

Hermione suspected that perhaps someone – well, Sirius – might think that their Defence Professor had some ulterior motives behind his friendliness, but she couldn’t exactly prove him how wrong those thoughts were since she wasn’t supposed to talk about the Order or anything regarding it to the others. And thus, she had to hope that her explanation of catching up with schoolwork would be enough to answer the questions her friends might have.

Sirius gave her a fleeting quizzical look and merely nodded, seemingly accepting her explanation. They spent the rest of the dinner time talking with their other housemates. After finishing their meal, Hermione, Lily, James and Sirius headed towards the Astronomy Tower while the rest of the seventh year Gryffindors who didn't take NEWT Astronomy, went back to the Gryffindor tower.

Once or twice a month if the sky was clear enough, the Astronomy lesson was for stargazing. Otherwise the lesson would be held in a classroom attached to the tower. That night their lesson was held in the classroom.

"Hey Pads, did you hear about the man who stayed up all night looking for the sun to come up?" James said under his breath, laughter in his voice as the boys sat down behind Hermione and Lily.

Sirius sniggered. "Yes, but I'll humour you, Prongs. What happened?"

"It finally DAWNED on him." James replied.

Both boys chuckled, while Lily and Hermione exchanged a look of exasperation before throwing the boys a couple of scowls.

"Good evening class. We will start the term by revising some earlier topics which are part of the NEWT's curriculum." Professor Moonshine started when all the students were seated in the classroom.

"So, we are talking about the solstices and equinoxes today. Can someone tell me what the words Solstice and Equinox mean?" He viewed the class expectantly. Lily's hand shot up. "Yes, Miss Evans?"

"The words are from Latin, sir. Solstice means 'sun stands still;' equinox means 'equal night'," Lily answered, quoting their Astronomy book word for word.

"Couldn't phrase it better myself," Professor Moonshine smiled. "And what about when the solstices and equinoxes happen? Anyone? How about our transfer student? Miss Dumbledore?" The professor looked at Hermione and smiled in encouragement.

"Er...The vernal equinox occurs on, or around March 21st; summer solstice on, or around June 21st; autumnal equinox on, or around September 23rd; winter solstice on, or around December 22nd." She replied anxiously. While in her past she had been eager to answer questions and prove herself, now she wanted to keep a low profile and not to draw attention to herself. At least, no more than her new last name already did.

Professor Moonshine beamed at her. "Right you are, too! Ten points for Gryffindor from exemplary answers."

When the class was finished, Hermione felt someone tap her shoulder. When she turned, Sirius was there, smiling at her a bit nervously.

"Hey…can we chat for a minute?"

Hermione knew they would have to talk eventually. About what she had heard in the library and what had happened before that, at the party. When they had nearly kissed. She nodded tensely to him, turned to Lily and said to her, "Go ahead to the dorm. I'll catch you up."

Lily eyed Hermione and Sirius closely before answering, "Sure. James?" she turned towards James who was at his table, gathering his things and throwing them into his school bag. He looked up at Lily with reserve in his eyes.

"Walk with me to the tower, will you? These two are staying behind for a chat," Lily said a bit awkwardly, nodding at Hermione's and Sirius's direction. As Hermione looked at the Head students, she couldn't help but wonder if there was something going on between them. They seemed somewhat cautious around one another and didn't really make any eye contact. Hermione made a mental note to ask Lily about it later on.

"Yeah, uh, sure. Lily. Let's go," James answered, equally uncomfortably.

There definitely was something unresolved between the Head students, Hermione concluded as she watched them prepare to leave. They all left the class and Hermione and Sirius trailed slowly behind James and Lily as they walked down the corridor in silence. While James and Lily went ahead along the corridor, Sirius suddenly took Hermione's hand and pulled her through a tapestry, into a hidden passageway that lead near the Gryffindor tower. As they started walking along the passageway, Hermione could feel her stomach twisting with nervousness. She knew she had to say something.

"Sirius—"

"Hermione—"

They both started talking at the same time, stopping in their tracks and smiling at each other. Sirius motioned for her to go first.

"Sirius...I…I need to tell you something," Hermione said with a sombre voice.

Sirius’s brows furrowed slightly as he took in her serious expression and his eyes moved over her face searchingly before he spoke. "Alright."

"I met your brother...and I think he is going to do something..." Hermione said, staring at him with worry as she saw his posture stiffening. "I saw him at the library a few days back, talking with someone about choosing him," she continued, giving Sirius a pointed look.

Sirius's eyes turned cold, his expression shifting quickly to an unreadable one. "That fucking arsehole..."

"Maybe…maybe he thinks it's the safest option? Maybe he thinks that he doesn't have a choice?" She said slowly, aiming for a cautious voice as she placed her hand against his arm in a calming gesture.

Sirius spoke through gritted teeth. "Oh, he has a choice. He knows he has a choice. Because I tried to give him one. I tried to take him with me…" he hissed bitterly and ran a hand through his hair. "Who was he talking to?" Sirius asked darkly.

"It...it was Snape," she said quietly, hoping he wouldn't lose his temper.

"Fucking Snivellus," Sirius growled venomously. "That greasy son of a bitch!"

"...Bloody gits the both of them." He continued wearily as he rubbed his temple.

"It seemed that they both were a bit hesitant of joining. And I think there might be a chance to get your brother on our side nevertheless." She said sincerely. Sirius’s eyes snapped back to hers, suspicion flickering in them.

"Why do you say that?" He asked slowly, his eyes narrowing and scrutinising her.

"I, um…may have had chat with him." Hermione said with a small cringe.

"What?" Sirius asked blankly.

Hermione winced. "He must've figured out that I heard their conversation, because he came to me afterwards and asked a bunch of questions, some of them about you…" she said, giving him a helpless look.

Sirius arched a brow but said nothing. Hermione stopped herself from squirming under his hard stare. She knew she had to explain him everything there was to the incident.

"I told him that we had just met, nothing more than that. And I asked him to think it over, what he was about to do. I asked him to think about the consequences and, um, what it would do to you as well…" Hermione explained and Sirius merely watched her with a calculating look in his eyes.

After a short silence Sirius let out a frustrated huff and threaded both hands through his hair. "You know, you didn't have to talk to him. But...thank you," he murmured, staring at her with that hard look again.

This time Hermione held his stare. Sirius took a step towards her, standing so close that Hermione could feel the warmth of his body. Then his fingertips traced the angle of her jaw and Hermione shivered slightly. The pad of his thumb brushed her lips and Hermione could only stare at his glowing grey eyes, mesmerised by their beauty. She knew it wasn't wise to engage in anything with him, but she was leaning into him nevertheless. She felt intrigued by him and being there so close to him made her want to reach towards the feeling of excitement she had in the bottom of her stomach.

Slowly, Sirius leaned towards her, closing the distance between their lips. He kissed her softly, waiting for her to pull away, his hand feathering against her cheek. When she didn't move, he met her lips again, more determinedly, until Hermione kissed him back. At first, their kiss was slow, curious and earnest. As their lips pressed together, again and again, the kiss became more intense, more enticing. Hermione felt feverish and bold, a mix of feelings she had never experienced before. Wanting the feeling to continue and grow, she sighed against Sirius's lips and touched his tongue tentatively with hers.

Sirius faltered, his breath uneven before he moved his hand from her cheek and slid it into her hair, angling her head for better access for his mouth. He slowly pushed her against the stone wall, taking a hold of her waist with one hand while the other stayed tangled in her curls. Hermione let out a sharp breath and gripped his wide shoulders for support as Sirius leaned down close, his mouth brushing against hers, his warm breath mingling with hers before diving into another searing kiss. Her hands followed the lines of his neck, threading through the hair on the back of his neck, tugging it gently. Hermione smiled against his lips as she heard him let out a small groan.

The hand on her waist moved downwards to her hips and then to the small of her back, while their lips kept gliding against each other in fiery passion. His fingers flexed over her back, caressing her, making delicious shivers run through her spine, making her breathe heavily against his mouth. The next moment, Sirius pressed her against his hips and she could feel exactly how aroused he was. Feeling him like that made her breath catch in her throat and her heart beating furiously. Hermione shifted against him, feeling light-headed, drawing out a moan from him that was muffled against her lips before he broke the kiss and pulled slightly back. Both of them were out of breath as they watched each other with a mix of surprise, longing and bewilderment.

"Sorry about that," Sirius breathed, his brow slightly furrowed and eyes roaming over her face, as if trying to assess her reaction to what they’d just done. "There's something about you…something that’s making it very hard for me to stay away from you... But I think you've already figured that out," Sirius continued quietly.

Hermione took in a shaky breath, feeling equally alarmed and thrilled as she realised what had just happened. She really didn’t need to make things harder than they already were. Her situation was still unsolved and that alone meant that she was not supposed to get involved with anyone.

"Sirius..." She whispered resignedly.

He must've had seen it from her eyes because he broke away from her and took a step back.

Sirius stared at her for a moment, looking upset. "But you don't feel the same I presume?" He asked mutedly.

"I...I don't know!" She exclaimed, crossing her arms across her chest. "It's just that...I think it's too soon. This is all happening too fast. I barely know you," she said sincerely.

He stared at her with an unreadable expression in his stormy grey eyes before he finally nodded.

"We should go," she said softly, knowing it had to be close to the curfew.

"Yeah, let's go," he sighed. After a second's hesitation, Sirius took her hand and led them to the Gryffindor common room.

When they were about to enter through the portrait hole, he pulled her close to him again, into a soft, lingering kiss. The kiss wasn't as passionate as before, but more meaningful one. Hermione was startled but kissed him back all the same.

"Something for you to think about," Sirius murmured with an intense gaze. He then took her hand again and led them to the empty common room. He gave her hand a one final soft squeeze before sauntering to the boys' dormitories, a wide grin plastered on his face.

As Sirius stepped into the dormitory, he noticed James lounging on his bed, still wearing his school robes. Remus was in the shower based on the sounds of water running in their bathroom, while Peter was in his bed, already asleep. 

"I take it you asked her out, finally?" James said airily, smirking at Sirius. James had a Quidditch magazine open on his lap and he looked like the depiction of a slacker.

Not even bothering to hide his grin, Sirius closed the door and walked towards his bed, which was opposite to James's. "Nope. That bird is a tough cookie, I'll give you that. But you know how I love the chase, right?" Sirius winked at James who shook his head with amusement.

"All bark and no bite, mate." James muttered, giving his attention again to the magazine.

Sirius started to disrobe himself but suddenly turned to face his friend. "Prongs..." he said hesitantly, debating with himself if he could say what was occupying his mind.

James lifted his brows at him, looking curious. "Well? Spit it out."

"I just...I don't think I want to fuck this up…" Sirius said slowly, frowning at the floor between them.

James snorted. "Then don't."

Sirius gave his friend an unimpressed look.

James lifted his hands up in surrender. "Yeah, okay. Uh - " he said and scratched the back of his head. "I mean. I thought you were gonna - well - you know, shag her and have it out of your system..." He finished with a mild grimace.

Sirius looked away, knowing his friend had a point. He had been boasting about seducing Hermione, hadn't he? And now...now, something had changed. He had never really been this invested with any girl he had dated or had a one-nighter with.

"Just...Be careful with her, Pads. She may look and act like a tough one, but she might not be all that." James said with a sharp look.

Sirius hummed in comprehension as he went back to his nightly routine, his mind whirling.

When Hermione opened the door to her dormitory, Lily jumped up from her bed, brimming with excitement. "So? What did you guys talk - oh Godric, you kissed him, didn't you?!" She squeaked and stared at Hermione's face.

Hermione knew her hair had to be bushier than it usually was after Sirius had ran his fingers through it and briefly wondered if her lips were as swollen and red as Sirius's had been when they had headed to their respective dormitories. She felt her cheeks warm up at the thought and looked down, walking briskly to her own bed.

"Well, fess up, Dumbledore," Marlene demanded from her bed, where she was finishing her Charms essay.

Hermione noticed that Alice and Mary too were staring at her from their beds. They were all clearly waiting for her to return so that they could have a lovely gossip before going to sleep.

"There's nothing much to tell. Yes, we kissed, but that's all," Hermione said as she looked at the other girls, trying to appear nonchalant. "There's nothing more than that. I mean, isn't that the kind of guy he is?"

She hoped he wasn't, even though she knew how unwise it was to let the thing between her and Sirius continue. There was no guarantee that she would even be there the next week or month.

The girls exchanged knowing looks before Lily spoke, sounding slightly unsure. "Well, yes, he is. But I think he is acting a bit differently with you. I mean, did he try to do more than just kiss you? Like, did he try to undress you or anything?"

Mary snorted while Alice and Marlene grinned at Lily. Lily glanced at the others. "Well, that's how he usually is, isn't he?" Lily said disapprovingly.

Hermione arched a brow at the redhead and shook her head, but then she remembered how he had pulled her tightly against him, how intense everything had been. It definitely seemed like he had wanted to do more than just kiss her. And as she felt her neck warm up, she thought what could have happened if he hadn't stopped himself.

Alice lifted her brows at Hermione. “Earth to Hermione…” She said, a sly grin tugging her lips. “…so…something else did happen?" Alice continued promptly, watching her carefully.

Hermione pressed her lips together while everyone else stared at her with anticipation in their eyes. "Well…he, um...it was intense?” She tried and after she saw the still expectant looks the others gave her, she continued. “Okay, this is so embarrassing to talk about, but during the kiss, I felt...you know, he...was very into it..." Hermione stammered, her face heating up as she looked at the others pointedly until Marlene and Alice burst into laughter, while Mary and Lily looked Hermione back with shocked expressions.

"Yes, we know, Hermione. At least, some of us do." Marlene said and smirked at Lily and Mary, who were both still taken aback and apparently not used to this kind of revelations about boys, since neither of them had had anything more than a casual snog before, even when dating.

"So…What happened then?" Alice asked excitedly, ignoring Lily and Mary.

"He apologised and backed off. Things were a bit heated before that and neither of us was really thinking where everything was heading." Hermione said with helpless shrug.

The girls stared at her with surprised looks.

"Well look at that. Maybe he could be in it for the long run, if he's trying to take things slow?" Alice said thoughtfully, while Lily and Mary nodded. Marlene eyed the others in disbelief before turning back to her essay.

"I don't know…maybe. I just don't know if I should be doing anything with him. I just came here and starting something with someone is just a bit overwhelming." Hermione said, feeling unsure.

Truthfully, she felt wrong doing anything with Sirius, because he didn't know the truth about her. And then there was the fact that she had known the older Sirius. What if she would go back to her old life at some point and she would have to leave him behind? Or what if she returned to her old life and he would recognise her and things turned awkward? Was that even possible anymore? Hermione started to gather her books and organise her school bag for the next day before getting ready for bed.

When she finally climbed between her comfortable sheets, she felt exhausted. All the lying and scheming was taking its toll on her.

Chapter Text

Chapter 10: Infatuation

Saturday, 10 September 1977

Hermione had agreed to visit Aberforth in Hogsmeade on Saturday, to have lunch with him and then work in the pub through the lunch hour. Even though it wasn't a Hogsmeade weekend, she had the permission to go to the village every weekend, as she had agreed with Aberforth and Dumbledore that she could work in the pub every now and then if she so wished.

Hermione waved her goodbyes to the rest of the seventh year Gryffindors, who were lounging in the common room after breakfast. The weather was quite cold and windy, which meant that the tower was packed, as most of the students had decided to stay inside the castle on their day off.

Just as she was about to walk through the front doors of the castle, someone grabbed her from behind and spun her in the air. Hermione squeaked and kicked until a laughing Sirius put her down.

"Merlin, don't scare me like that, Black!" Hermione shrieked and punched him in the arm when she managed to catch her breath.

"Ouch!" Sirius winced between his laughter. "Has Evans taught you some muggle duelling? You're almost as hostile as she is…" he said breathlessly.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. "Very funny."

"Yes, dearest, it is. Should've seen the surprise on your face," Sirius playfully answered, but schooled his features when Hermione gave him a mild scowl. "Okay, back to being serious," he continued and lifted his brows knowingly, as if pointing out his pun.

Hermione huffed. "See you around, Sirius…" she muttered and turned away from him.

Sirius walked quickly in front of her and offered his arm. "May I accompany the young Miss to the village?" He asked courteously.

Hermione gave him a quizzical look. "Are you tagging along with me just to get to the village? …Because I have a permission to go there and you don't? What are you planning at?" She asked suspiciously.

Sirius grinned at her. "What is this, the Spanish Inquisition? Ask me no questions and I tell you no lies, darling," he said, winking at her.

Hermione rolled her eyes inwardly. "Fine. Only if you stop calling me that," she grumbled and accepted his hand.

Sirius smirked at her. "I'll make no such promise," he said mischievously and pulled her towards the grounds.

"Gonna meet your old man, huh? Couldn't wait for next weekend?" Sirius asked and threw her a teasing smile as they walked the path to the village.

Hermione cleared her throat and gave him a pointed look. "I'm going to work there as well. You'd know that, if you actually listened what I say," she said dryly.

Sirius smiled sheepishly. "What can say…I get distracted very easily…" he murmured, his eyes flickering over her face.

Hermione tried to suppress a grin but failed.

"And she smiles. My day is made," Sirius said cheerfully, squeezing her hand which, Hermione noticed, he was still holding.

They walked in silence for a while.

"When do you get off?" Sirius asked suddenly, eyeing her closely.

Hermione blinked. "What?"

Sirius smirked. "From work."

"Oh! Yes. Um…Around three, I guess…I mean, the pub won't open until lunch time, so I'm really working only for a couple of hours." Hermione said and shrugged. "Ab – I mean, my dad wants to spend some time with me before that…" she continued, not really worried by her slip, as she assumed her friends probably guessed she wasn't that close with her 'father'.

Sirius nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, I understand that. I mean, I'd like more of that with my dad…" he said absently.

"Oh?" Hermione asked in surprise. She had had the impression that Sirius didn't get along with his parents.

Sirius let out a short laugh after seeing her expression. "I mean, James's dad."

"Ooh." She said with recognition. But then she remembered that she wasn't supposed to know anything about Sirius, so she continued, "Um. Why?"

He gave her a strange look before he replied. "I…don't exactly get along with my family," he muttered, frowning at the path they were walking along. "I ran away from home a couple of years ago, and James's parents took me in. They're like, I dunno…they feel like parents to me. Something my mother and father never did…" he said with a pensive look.

Hermione eyed him carefully. "They sound amazing. James's parents. For helping you out like that," she said quietly and gave him a soft nudge.

"Yeah, they are," Sirius muttered, a flicker of a smile playing on his lips. He then studied her silently. "Hermione…you know you can talk to me, right?" He said, stopping in place and moving to stand in front of her, eyeing her solemnly. He pushed a tendril of hair behind her ear and brushed his thumb against her cheekbone.

Hermione opened her mouth but didn't really know what to say, so she closed it and nodded to him instead. They continued their walk and as they reached the quiet main street, Sirius escorted her in front of the Hog's Head, gave her a kiss on her cheek and promised to meet her there around three in the afternoon. Then he went on his way, and Hermione briefly wondered what exactly he was going to do in the village. She shook her head and opened the door to the pub.

Later that day, as Hermione stepped into the quiet street of Hogsmeade, she saw Sirius waiting for her, sitting on a bench next to the pub, his back facing her. Seeing him so relaxed; eyeing the street in front of him and enjoying the sun that was now peeking through the clouds, she decided that a retribution was in order. So, she sneaked up behind him, with every intention to startle him. What she forgot to take into account were his canine senses. As she was right behind him, Sirius suddenly swirled around, snatched her hand and pulled her towards him. Hermione didn't have time to utter a single sound as she fell down to sit on his lap.

He gave her a triumphant look while Hermione scowled at him.

"Something you wanted to do, Dumbledore?" He asked with a sly grin.

Hermione grumbled under her breath and stood up. Sirius sniggered and he too stood up, and together they started to head back to the school.

"Did you grab lunch as well?" Hermione asked subtly, somewhat interested to learn what he had been up to.

He apparently knew what she was thinking, as he smirked at her before he spoke. "Well, aren't you a curious witch?"

When Hermione pursed her lips, he barked a laugh. "Okay. I had lunch, but that's all I'm telling you."

"But why? What is so secretive you cannot talk about, huh?" Hermione asked and eyed him in bewilderment.

Sirius merely winked at her and took her hand. They were on the school grounds already. "Come here," he said and led them towards the lake.

"Where are you - " Hermione started, but when Sirius gave her a sharp look, she sighed and followed him, "Okay, fine, I'll come."

He led them to the large beech tree near the edge of the lake, conjuring a rug under the tree where they sat down. Sirius took a small box from the insides of his leather jacket - a jacket that was evidently charmed with an undetectable extension charm, since there was no way the box would've fit in there without it.

"Go on. Open it." He said with a small smile playing on his lips.

Hermione arched a brow, intrigued, and went to open the box.

"Oh! Is this…?"

"Yeah, it is. Old Florean makes the best kind, don't you think? Or, well, I suppose you just have to take my word for it, if you don't know Florean's ice creams…" he said while taking a pack of ice cream from the box. "Chocolate or Strawberry?" He asked casually while taking another pack and placing them on the rug.

Hermione was stunned. Who in the name of Merlin decided to get some ice cream in the middle of a cold September day and eat it outside nevertheless? Even though the sun was occasionally poking out from the clouds, it was still cloudy and chilly. It definitely wasn't warm enough for a picnic. And it wasn't just ice cream. It was the kind that could be bought only from Diagon Alley. Which was in London. Which meant that Sirius had apparated to London and back.

Hermione stared at him in astonishment. "You're just full of surprises, aren't you…" she said incredulously. "And yes, I've had Florean's ice cream before, when I've visited Britain. But – " She said but was interrupted by him.

"Give a bloke some credit. For the record, I really thought the weather would improve for the afternoon." He shrugged and took a spoon from his jacket pocket.

"So, which one is it?" He asked while opening the packs.

Hermione laughed. "Are you mental? Why aren't we inside? And don't the house elves have ice cream in the kitchens?" she asked while shaking her head.

"They don't have Fortescue's ice cream. And I don't want to share with James. He's a guzzler when it comes to sweets and anything with sugar in it." He said with a wry smile and Hermione grinned. "Besides, I can warm you up, Dumbledore," he continued, lifting his brows knowingly.

Hermione rolled her eyes and ignored his last remark. "Okay then. Chocolate."

They were silent for a while as they dug into the ice cream. It was still as good as she remembered, although Hermione reckoned, it would’ve been even better if it had been a bit warmer outside.

"How was Slug Club? You made some famous new friends?" Sirius asked as he fished a large lump of strawberry ice cream from the box.

Hermione pursed her lips in exasperation as she recalled the Slug Club meeting the night before. It had been the first get-together Professor Slughorn had held at his office that year. Hermione had walked to the dungeons with Lily, who had babbled away about the previous dinner parties he'd held the previous years. Once they had reached Slughorn's office and sat down at the round table, it had been just as Hermione had suspected. Most of Slughorn’s guests were there only because of their influential parents, or because Slughorn believed they would be important someday.

Hermione had recognised a few of them as she had taken a look around the table; Barnabas Cuffe, the future editor-in-chief of the Daily Prophet; a girl who resembled a lot like Pansy Parkinson and was later introduced as Priscilla Parkinson; Nathan Fawley, whose father Hector Fawley was Minister for Magic a couple of decades ago. She was least excited to meet Rabastan Lestrange and Barty Crouch Junior, who were both fifth year Slytherins and of course, the future loyal servants of Voldemort.

Snape and Regulus had been there as well. They had been sitting opposite to Hermione and Lily and it had been rather…uncomfortable. Regulus had been staring at her the whole night in a way that made her skin crawl unpleasantly. She had tried to avoid his eyes and instead focus on Slughorn, who had droned on about his famous contacts he had 'collected' over the years.

"Not exactly. It was quite dull, actually," she said with a shrug, deciding not to mention Regulus's staring. Hermione assumed Sirius would only get upset and since nothing had really happened, there was no use to mention his brother.

He nodded. "Okay. You've visited here often? Britain?" He asked easily as they devoured the ice cream.

"Yeah, every year or so. When I was little, before school, we went camping in Scotland with my mum every summer. I really miss the tradition…” she said, her voice trailing off as she reminisced the camping trips with her actual parents during the summers.

Hermione shook the thoughts away and cleared the sudden tightness away from her throat. “But after school started, it was winter in here when we had our summer holidays," she muttered, feeling weary for lying to him.

Sirius gave her a fond smile. "What was the school like?" He took another scoop of strawberry ice cream and watched her intently.

Hermione hummed thoughtfully. "It was quite nice. We were taught everything from basic Literacy to Defence, I mean, the curriculum is much wider than in Hogwarts. But I guess that's because there are students from New Zealand and Asia as well," she explained and Sirius nodded at her, listening attentively.

They stayed out late, despite the coldness, talked about school and their childhood years. Hermione cast a couple of warming charms on them and suddenly it wasn't that bad. When the ice cream was gone, they merely leaned on each other and watched the sunset in a comfortable silence.

"Time to go, Dumbledore," Sirius murmured into her ear some time later.

She had almost drifted into sleep against his firm side. Hermione yawned and gave him a small smile before she stood up. They walked to the Gryffindor tower and before they parted their ways to their respective dorms, Sirius kissed her softly on her cheek and murmured his good nights.

As she was preparing for bed that night, she was determined to try to solve the puzzle of Sirius Black. She wondered what did he want with her and what had that day meant to him. She wondered, if he was only trying to get into her knickers.

She scoffed aloud. Hermione wasn't going to be one of the notches on his bedpost, that was for sure. But somehow, she felt like that wasn't his goal and instead it seemed like he was actually interested in getting to know her.

Sunday, 11 September 1977

On Sunday morning, Hermione had an early breakfast, being the only seventh year Gryffindor at the table as the others were still sleeping in their beds. Even Lily slept late on Sunday mornings.

After breakfast, Hermione made her way to the library again. It too seemed to be quite empty at that time. She briefly wondered if the people in this era studied at all, as most of Hermione's classmates seemed to be more excited about a party than studying. After making her way through the empty aisles between the bookshelves, she took a seat in the same secluded corner she had previously vacated, spreading her books and notes on the table. She opened her transfiguration notes from Friday’s lesson and started to go through them.

Hermione became quite absorbed in her text, not really paying attention what was going on around her. When she reached for her transfiguration book from the pile at the table, she faltered as she saw someone sitting opposite to her. When she realised who the other person was, the book from her fingers slipped and tumbled to the floor.

Regulus Black was sitting there and watching her steadily. He then calmly leaned down and picked up her book from the floor, handing it back to her while his eyes moved over her face, assessing her. Hermione's mouth was still slightly open from the surprise of the unexpected company. She snapped her mouth shut and took the book from him, murmuring her thanks, trying not to let her cheeks colour under his stare. She especially tried not to look at the small, smirk that was tugging at his lips.

Hermione cleared her throat and continued her homework, deciding to pretend that he wasn't there. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of being a flustered, quivering little witch when facing a Black confidence and charm. Eventually he too turned his eyes back at the table where he had placed some of his own books and notes, and began doing his own homework.

A half an hour or so later Hermione glanced at him, but it seemed like he was so engaged in his own studies that he wasn’t even aware of her sitting at the same table. Still, when she didn't look at him, she could feel his eyes on her. Eventually, she decided to leave it be and instead focused on her homework until it was lunch time. She then took her belongings and left the table, murmuring her goodbyes to him.

She was just about to leave towards the library entrance when she heard him speak softly, "See you around."

Sirius was staring at Hermione with a strange expression when she came down to the Great Hall, greeted her housemates, sat down at the table next to him and started to load stew on her plate. He poured her some water and watched her for a moment, until she looked back at him with question in her eyes.

"What is it?" She asked quietly and gave him a hesitant smile, taking note of the unease in his eyes.

Sirius frowned at her. "What were you doing with my brother?" He asked quietly, watching her reaction carefully.

Hermione was startled by his words and very much confused until she realised that Sirius had probably seen it from the Map – and if he had, well, that was still a bit questionable if he was following her movements. He must have had seen her and Regulus in it, their dots next to each other in the library for quite some time.

Hermione arched a brow at him. "Stalking me much?" She asked wryly, knowing that she couldn't actually say she knew about the Map.

Sirius's eyes darkened.

Hermione sighed. "Well, I was at the library, doing some homework and he just, you know, came to sit at my table. He didn't say anything to me the whole time. He just studied there, next to me," she said, giving him a bewildered shrug.

Sirius eyed her with a concerned look. "I don't like it, Hermione. Who knows what his intentions are, given what you heard him say before," he muttered, looking contemplative.

Hermione reached up to stroke his hair away from his face to distract him from his deep thoughts and he surprised her by turning his head slightly and pressing his lips against the inside of her wrist. Her stomach fluttered from the intimate gesture. It was getting difficult for Hermione not to swoon when he beguiled her with his charm.

"Oi, you two! You are ruining the perfect meal here, do you mind?" James complained from the other side of the table, looking at them with mock annoyance. Lily, Mary and Alice on the other hand were all looking at them with astonished expressions, as if they hadn’t expected neither of them to make such public gestures.

Sirius smirked at his friend. "No, Prongs, actually I don't mind," he said lightly and leaned forward to kiss Hermione on her cheek, leaving a warm, tingling spot behind.

James rolled his eyes but resumed his meal. Lunch went on and soon the boys were talking about Quidditch, while the girls made plans for a girls' night in for the evening. Earlier that week Lily had mentioned to her friends that there was something she wanted to talk to them about, and they had agreed to devote their Sunday evening to girl talk, eating sweets and doing face masks. Even though Hermione was happily occupied planning the night with her roommates, her thoughts still drifted to the boy sitting next to her. She knew they had to have a chat soon, to figure out what was going on between them. But first, she had to sort it out in her own head.

After lunch Alice and Mary left towards the kitchens to grab the necessary foods and drinks while Lily, Hermione and Marlene went to the Gryffindor Tower to set everything else ready in their dormitory. They transfigured three of their beds into one huge one with several pillows, so that they could all fit in comfortably. They also lit several candles around the room to reach the proper mood and put everything else ready for their night. When Alice and Mary arrived, they put on their masks and soon enough, each of them was sitting on the bed with their faces full of blue paste while they devoured chocolate cauldrons, pumpkin pasties, sugar quills and liquorice wands.

"So, Dumbledore. What's the deal with you and Black?" Marlene asked airily as her eyes moved over the selection of sweets, as if trying to figure out which one to eat next.

Hermione didn’t miss her roommate’s the calculative voice. She knew the girls would ask her about Sirius, but instead of answering, all she could think was to wonder what was Marlene's deal with him. The way the blonde-haired girl had asked her about it, made her question if Marlene wasn't overly delighted about whatever the hell it was that was going on between Hermione and Sirius. Was there some shared history between Marlene and Sirius? Was she not over him?

Alice sniggered. "I swear Marley, when you call her Dumbledore, it sounds like you are talking about the Headmaster. Why won't you call her by her first name?" Alice asked as she twirled a liquorice wand between her fingers.

Marlene smirked at Alice. "Dunno, maybe I just don't want to follow everyone else's example." She turned back to Hermione, "Well?"

Hermione frowned at the others. "I haven't the foggiest, truth to be told. We spent some time together yesterday after I got off from work. We just walked through the grounds a bit and chatted of nothing important. There wasn't anything more than that I'm afraid," she said and shrugged. She didn't mention the girls that Sirius had in fact been in the village as well. It wasn't a Hogsmeade-weekend, so he didn't actually have a permission to be there. Hermione cringed inwardly when she realised that she had been there for less than two weeks and she was already breaking the rules. Or at least, ignoring it when someone else did.

She didn't really want to talk about Sirius with the girls since she didn't know what was going on between them and what she actually wanted from him. Marlene raised her eyebrows in disbelief. Hermione eyed the blonde-haired girl for a moment before she spoke. "You have a history with him, don't you?"

Lily, Mary and Alice exchanged uncomfortable looks while Marlene stared at Hermione with slightly narrowed eyes. "Aren't you perceptive?" She merely said and sucked on her sugar quill.

Hermione didn't know how to respond to Marlene, so she just stared at her expectantly. Lily's, Mary's and Alice's expressions had turned into somewhat alarmed.

Eventually Marlene spoke. "I like it. You're okay, Dumbledore," she said and smirked at Hermione. "And yes, we have a history. A history of an on-off relationship he ended last year," she continued with a hint of bitterness in her voice. "But you didn't know that and really, I hope things go better for you than they did for me," she concluded with a mild shrug.

Hermione smiled and murmured her thanks to Marlene.

"Okay. Enough with Hermione's boy drama. Lily, didn't you have something you wanted to tell us?" Mary changed the topic quickly, making Hermione wonder if the break-up between Sirius and her roommate hadn’t been particularly easy. The others probably knew more details since they had shared a living space with Marlene for the past six years, but Hermione wasn’t going to pry more information.

Lily seemed to tense a bit. "Yes. Well, James and I - " The others lifted their brows as soon as she very untypically called him by his first name. Lily sighed. "We kissed." Mary and Alice started whooping and cheering, while Marlene and Hermione sniggered. "No, no. It didn't end well, actually," Lily said quickly, looking rather insecure.

Hermione gave her friend a worried look. "Lily, what happened?"

"It was after the party last weekend, you know, when Mary and I went to see James run around the greenhouses starkers."

Marlene and Alice burst in laughter. “What?!” They both yelled incredulously, grinning at Lily.

"Well, if you let me finish, you won't be laughing anymore, I assure you," Lily said dryly.

The girls went quiet.

"As I was saying, we were on our way to the greenhouses, after you two," Lily said pointing at Marlene and Alice, "were passed out on the sofa and Hermione had gone to sleep. Outside we heard some voices and what do you know, there she was, James's girlfriend with another guy, having a battle with their tongues like their lives depended on it," she explained while Hermione, Marlene and Alice let out shocked sounds.

Marlene turned to Mary. "The fuck, Mary? You just said they broke off after the party?" She said and Mary grimaced.

"Well…I saw James the next day and he asked me to keep it down. He didn't want people to know that he'd been cheated on and asked me to ask Lily to keep her mouth shut too," Mary explained, turning to assess Lily. "And now I know why he didn't come to you himself and why he's been making excuses not to be in your company," she continued with a knowing look.

Lily ducked her head. "You noticed? Yes, um...After the incident, I walked with him back to the Gryffindor Tower and I…kissed him…unexpectedly..." she cringed, looking embarrassed. "I mean, I didn't plan it or anything. He responded but then suddenly he broke the kiss off and said that he couldn't and he just left me there," Lily explained, glancing at the others with a dejected look.

Alice and Marlene gave Lily troubled looks while Mary was frowning as if trying to remember the night's events.

Hermione shuffled closer to Lily and patted her on her back. "Just give him time…he'll come around eventually." Hermione said quietly.

Lily nodded glumly and gave her friends a forced smile.

The rest of the evening was spent with more cheerful topics. They had a vote on the best arse of Hogwarts and pondered, who had the most kissable lips and who always seemed like not knowing which end was up. The girls ended up giggling happily through the rest of the night.

Peter emerged into the boys' dormitory, out of breath and a deep frown between his brows. Sirius, James and Remus watched him expectantly.

"Well?" Sirius finally asked, frustrated as Peter was merely panting after his run and had to even his breath before speaking.

"The girls…were talking about last weekend. When Lily kissed you, Prongs..." Peter stared at James with lifted brows, as did the rest of the boys.

James groaned and pressed the heels of his palms against his eyes.

"Well I'll be a monkey's uncle! What do we have here? Forgot to mention something, Prongsie?" Sirius asked gleefully, a mischievous grin plastered on his face as he approached James's bed, where his friend was sitting.

James sighed in resignation. "I didn't tell you guys because it didn't mean anything. She was just trying to comfort me and even if she wasn't, I'm not ready to start anything with her. Not now," he grumbled and gave his friends an impatient look.

"Yeah, sure Prongs," Remus said easily and returned back to his bed where his journal lay open.

Sirius frowned. He felt bad for James; while he almost had the girl he was chasing after, his friend got cheated on and was alone. He gave an understanding nod and changed the subject, turning back to Peter.

"So, Pete, did they talk about me?" He asked, a playful smirk lifting his mouth. "They must have talked about how gorgeous I am, right?" He continued smugly.

James and Remus snorted loudly. Peter on the other hand eyed Sirius carefully. "Actually, now that you mentioned it, they did have a vote on which guy has the best arse at Hogwarts—"

"What?!" Sirius and James bellowed in unison. "Those skanky little minxes!" Sirius stated with a wide grin. "Well?" He demanded.

"Well what?" Peter asked, looking confused.

"Who has the best arse, of course," Sirius said with his brows lifted, as if the answer was obvious.

Remus and James rolled their eyes at him.

Peter's eyes widened. "Oh, well...none of you. It was actually Mark from Ravenclaw," he mumbled with a small cringe.

"What the hell?!" Sirius exclaimed in disbelief, throwing an annoyed glance at his sniggering friends. He scowled at Peter before letting out a huff and stomping into the bathroom.

Monday, 12 September 1977

The next morning Hermione and Lily woke up early and were the first ones at breakfast, as usual. They had decided to make a quick visit to the library before their DADA class, so they left the table before the rest of the seventh year Gryffindors arrived.

As Hermione and Lily arrived in front of their Defence class about a half an hour later, a few minutes before the class started, Sirius threw his bag to James and marched right up to Hermione. He pulled her close to him and when Hermione let out a surprised squeak, he grabbed her hands and pressed them against his own behind.

"I have the best arse you can find at Hogwarts, just so you know!" He growled and stared at her with a burning gaze.

Hermione was so taken aback and speechless by the situation that she merely blinked at Sirius. When she realised their classmates were laughing and whooping near them, Hermione felt embarrassed and pulled back.

"Okay. Black, Dumbledore. Enough with the endearments. There are minors walking in these halls, if you don't mind. Let's begin the class." Professor Prewett announced, suppressing a smile as he walked down the hall and opened the door to the classroom. The red colour in Hermione's face deepened and Sirius smiled at her triumphantly.

"Prat." She beat him on the shoulder, narrowing her eyes at him.

"You loved it." He replied easily and turned to walk towards the class room.

Hermione seethed as she followed him. She decided not to talk to him for the rest of their class and didn't regret her decision as the boy kept smirking at her during it.

After lunch, Hermione and her friends were having a double Herbology class in the greenhouse three. Hermione was paired with Remus, like she had been during the previous lesson. They continued to work on their assignment from last week, which had them working with the more dangerous plants. This time they studied the Venomous Tentacula. Each pair of students was supposed to harvest a handful of leaves from the plant assigned to them. It was a difficult task, since the plant had many large vines which acted like arms that tried to grab a living prey. While one student harvested the leaves, the other made sure the plant didn't try to strangle anyone.

"How are you?" Hermione asked while she stunned the plant momentarily so that Remus could work on the leaves.

"I'm fine," he murmured while cutting a couple of leaves, then glanced at her. "Was going to ask you that though. So um…what's…going on with you and a certain black-haired friend of mine? Or was? I can't keep up anymore," he inquired and gave her a lopsided grin.

Hermione pursed her lips. "Well, Sirius is being a prat, that's all," she huffed.

Remus laughed before he spoke to her. "He sure knows how to be that, trust me."

Hermione smiled at him. She glanced around them, taking a look at their classmates. Lily was paired with Alice and Mary with Peter, while Marlene, Sirius and James were absent. The three of them were having a free period as they didn't take Herbology. "I… don't exactly know what is going on between us. I mean, we sort of…kissed…" Hermione said slowly, eyeing Remus with an unsure look.

"I know. He told me. And you went to Hogsmeade together?" Remus asked carefully, while Hermione stunned the plant again so that he could cut another set of leaves.

"Yes, well, he tagged along, if that's what you meant," she said and they both chuckled. "But it was quite nice, just to spend some time with him," she mused and thought back to the events on last Saturday.

Remus hummed in agreement. "Yeah, I know what you mean. When he wants, he can be an awesome friend and hold a good conversation," he said sensibly. "So…what did you guys talk about?"

Hermione thought back to their conversation. "Well, the usual, I guess. Our pasts. He told me about the Potters and him running away from home. And I told him about my previous school…" she said with a shrug.

"I'd like to hear of it too sometime…" Remus said, eyeing her hesitantly.

Hermione smiled at him. "Well, how about you come to Hogsmeade with me next weekend and I'll tell you all about it, huh?" She asked and noticed that he looked a bit surprised by her question.

"Really? I thought you'd go with Sirius?" Remus asked uncertainly.

Hermione scoffed. "Well, since I'm not dating him and he's being a big prat at the moment, I think there's a slim to none chance for that happening. Besides…I can go with him on another time. And weren't you the one who said that I shouldn't be afraid to form new friendships?" She asked and gave him a pointed look.

Remus nodded in agreement and relaxed somewhat. "Yeah, I guess. Well, I'd be happy to go with you, Hermione," he finally said with a delighted grin.

Thursday, 15 September 1977

Hermione walked to their Defence class with Sirius after having breakfast together with the rest of the Gryffindors. He had sat beside her like he did almost every day and asked if she would walk with him to their first lesson of the day.

"So, are you going to tell me how you knew about the voting I had with the girls? We didn't exactly tell about it to anyone…" Hermione asked and watched him suspiciously.

She had given him the silent treatment the whole day on Monday and Tuesday, until he had loudly begged for her forgiveness in their common room with a good audience, much to her annoyance.

Sirius looked abashed and winced. "Oh…well...I can't exactly tell you how, but, um...Pete spied on you," he murmured and gave her a sheepish smile. Hermione's eyes hardened and she stopped walking. Sirius quickly continued, "But don't go screaming at him because, Prongs and I kind of, you know, made him do it..." he continued quickly, his face scrunching up in apology.

Hermione huffed, folding her hands over her chest. "That better be the last time, otherwise we'll start making counteractions towards sneaky little rats," she ranted.

Sirius's eyes widened for a moment. And then Hermione realised what she had said. With mild panic, she wondered if he thought she knew about them. How could she explain that to him? But then, the next moment, Sirius schooled his face and took her hand in his, brushing his thumb softly over her knuckles. She gave him a small smile, her concerns quickly vanishing from the forefront of her mind.

"Come to Hogsmeade with me this Saturday," he said quietly and moved to stand in front of her, his eyes moving over her face.

Hermione chewed the inside of her cheek, feeling slightly bad to disappoint him. "I um… I said I'd go with Remus. He wanted to know about my previous school and I promised to tell him all about it…" She said, giving him an apologetic look.

Sirius seemed taken aback. He looked away, his jaw tightening, evidently digesting her words. Hermione wondered if it was going to be a problem for him. She hoped it wouldn't be. She didn't feel anything but friendship for Remus, if that was something that bothered Sirius. She also wondered if he simply didn't want her close to Remus, because he was protective of his friend due to his lycanthropy.

He turned back to her after a moment, a mild frown on his face. "Oh. Okay then," he said tightly, took her hand again and led them towards the classroom.

When Professor Prewett walked along the hall, Hermione didn’t miss the amused twitch on the man’s lips as his eyes moved over Sirius and Hermione, stopping for a moment at their joined hands.

After their Defence class, Gideon asked Hermione to stay behind. They had met a couple of times already and he had been mainly briefing her about the Order – at least the matters he was allowed to talk with her. Hermione knew the Headmaster had informed Gideon that she was not attending the actual Order meetings, since her main task was to take care of her education, but he had requested that she was to be kept on the loop about what was going on.

It seemed like at first Gideon had been a bit confused why a student was included in Order business, but after Hermione had shared her vision with him, he had told her that he understood that she might have some valuable information for the Order. Gideon hadn’t questioned Hermione further and she assumed he was expecting that everything was going to be explained to him and his brother next week when they were going to meet with the Headmaster.

"Lovers' quarrel already forgotten?" Gideon asked lightly, his mouth curving slightly up as they sat down at his office. Hermione gave him a deep scowl, and Gideon lifted his hands in surrender. "Okay. Not my business. However...you do realise who or what his family is?" He continued, now with more hesitance in his voice.

Hermione's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?" She asked aloofly.

"I mean, that I know he is a good guy, we were housemates after all. I just...I want you to be careful with him. His family is a vicious one and they won't hesitate to deal with you by any means necessary if you get on their wrong side," he explained and studied her with a slight worry in his eyes.

Hermione set her jaw before she spoke to him. "I'll be fine, trust me. Can we talk about something else?"

"Sure. Um…My brother is excited to meet you next week. He's been on a mission for a few weeks now,” Gideon said with a grin.

"Oh. Well, I'm looking forward to meeting him too." Hermione smiled at him.

They continued to talk about Order matters, going through the recent missions, including Fabian's, and some of the upcoming ones.

Meanwhile in the Great Hall, the Marauders were having lunch.

"What the hell, Moony?" Sirius grumbled as he sat next to Remus, scowling at his friend.

Remus merely arched a brow at him and took a sip of water from his goblet. "Yes?" He asked calmly.

Sirius didn't miss the look of amusement on James's face on Remus's other side. Naturally, during their Defence class, Sirius had complained to James at great length about the bit of news Hermione had told him - about going into Hogsmeade with Remus and not him. James had been very... James about it, assuring him that every bloody one in the school knew that Sirius was courting Hermione and that Remus would never betray his trust. James's reasoning had managed to calm him down quite a lot. Still, he wanted to hear it from Remus himself. 

But Remus, the twit, sat there with an innocent expression, evidently aware what Sirius was on about and waiting for him to say it aloud.

"You know what I mean. Did you do it on purpose? So that I couldn't win the bet, huh?" Sirius demanded with a mix of smugness and annoyance in his voice.

Remus scoffed. "Are you even going on with that bet anymore, Pads? Or is it something more you’re seeking?" He whispered harshly, giving him a knowing look.

Sirius was speechless for a moment. "I…I dunno," he muttered and frowned as he turned his gaze towards the table.

Truthfully, he didn't know. Even though he didn't really care about the bet anymore, he wasn't sure what he hoped to achieve with Hermione.

"Well, figure it out. And tell her what you want." Remus said reasonably.

Sirius watched his friend for a while, eventually nodding at him. He knew that Remus was right. He had to figure it out and talk to Hermione about what he wanted. And hope that she would see eye to eye on the matter.

As Hermione left Gideon's office to grab lunch, she bumped straight into someone when turning a corner in the hallway. She nearly fell and grabbed the other person from their shoulders for support.

"Oh, Sorry I..." she started but her voice faded as she noticed who it was, "Regulus," she said and gave him a small smile when she figured that he was just as surprised to bump into her.

His grey eyes stared at her brown ones with such intensity, that she forgot that her hands were still on his shoulders. His eyes were exactly like his brother's. Sirius's. She jumped away from him, her eyes widening with embarrassment. Hermione muttered a quick apology and retreated towards the Great Hall.

Her mind was whirling as she took a seat at her house table. Most of the seventh year Gryffindors were finishing their meals. She began to eat quickly, knowing that the lunch would be soon over. Her thoughts lingered at the encounter in the hallway, until she glanced over the table where the boys sat and saw that Sirius was watching her with a small smile tugging at his lips, before continuing his discussion with Remus.

After their double Charms lesson, before dinner and the Astronomy class, Hermione found Sirius lounging on their common room sofa. Trying to spot her other classmates, her gaze wandered over the comfortable room that was decorated in several shades of red, stopping at the seating area in front of the fire, where several squashy armchairs and a sofa where the raven-haired boy lounged on was situated. She saw a small group of fourth years in a study nook in one corner and two sixth years playing wizards chess near the portrait hole. Otherwise the room was rather empty.

"Where are all the others?" Hermione asked while sitting on one end of the sofa after Sirius moved his feet to give her some space.

"James and Lily are on Heads duty, Moony and Pete are hanging outside by the lake with Alice and Mary and, uh, Marley’s probably off snogging some poor Ravenclaw in a broom closet," he said with an amused huff.

Hermione lifted her brows at him. "How would you know if Marley is snogging a Ravenclaw?" She asked blankly.

"Because I know what she's up to when she's vacating a broom closet," he said nonchalantly.

Hermione's gaze turned into a scowl.

Sirius sniggered and looked at her with a cheeky grin. "Jealous, darling?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "No. I was just wondering how can you have that specific information about our classmates' whereabouts," she said dryly, looking away from him. She of course knew that their friends' locations would be easily found on the Map, excepting what they were actually doing. His comment about Marley stung Hermione a bit and she tried not to imagine Sirius and her dormmate in action inside a broom closet.

Sirius evidently caught the change in her mood and seemed to guess what she was thinking about.

"You know, it was a long time ago. The thing between Marley and me. I'm not sure if you already knew but…" he licked his lips, "...well, there it is. We dated a while, few times actually and it just didn't work out," he concluded quietly, staring at her intently when she turned to face him again.

"Yeah, I know. She told me," Hermione said uncertainly.

"Hermione, I don't have any sort of feelings for her anymore. In fact, there's only one witch I think about…" he murmured and eyed her with a sincere look in his grey eyes.

Hermione felt her cheeks heating up. "Oh," she merely said, not really knowing how to respond to him.

Sirius's lips curved into a smile and suddenly he hooked his feet around her and tugged her until she was sprawled on her stomach on top of him, between his legs and her face inches away from his.

"That's more like it…" Sirius murmured as his eyes swept over her face with a searching look.

Hermione felt her heart pound in her chest when he slowly closed the distance between their lips and kissed her lightly. She answered to his kiss hesitantly and let out an uneven breath as his hands found the small of her back and pulled her slightly closer to him.

"Sirius…There are others in this room," Hermione warned after breaking their kiss.

"I don't care," he whispered roughly before pressing his lips to hers again, more heatedly this time. She let out a muffled gasp against his lips as she felt his fingers inching down towards her bum. Then his tongue reached out to touch hers tentatively. Very conscious about their possible audience, Hermione eventually broke the kiss and pulled back. Sirius groaned in disappointment and let his head fall back to the cushion.

"Don't go." He said with a soft whine as she backed away more. His eyes were closed and he was breathing a bit heavier than normally. "Just come here, okay? Let me hold you," he continued after opening his eyes and staring at her with an imploring look.

She wanted to. Somehow, he made her feel at ease and excited at the same time. So, she swallowed down the hesitance she had about getting involved with people in this time and simply let herself have that moment. Hermione looked briefly over the room. When no one seemed to so much as glance at their direction, she gave him a small smile and lowered her head against his chest.

Sirius let out a deep breath and wrapped his arms around her, planting a kiss on the top of her head.

"Don't run away from me, Hermione," he murmured, making her feel a bit overwhelmed.

She felt so good in his arms and she wanted nothing more than to be near him, but her head told her not to jump into whatever it was too quickly. Hermione chewed the inside of her cheek. "I won't. But. Can we take it slow?" She asked, lifting her head to watch him with an unsure look.

"Of course we can." He said with a pleased smile. He brought his hand up to brush his fingertips against her jaw.

Hermione gave him a sweet smile and lay her head against his chest again, while one of his hands stroked her back lightly. They stayed like that until it was dinnertime, when they reluctantly got up and headed towards the Great Hall.

Chapter Text

Chapter 11: New Allies

Saturday, 17 September 1977

It was their first Hogsmeade trip and Hermione and Remus had agreed they would leave towards the village as soon as they had had breakfast. The plan was to browse the shops and then have lunch at the Three Broomsticks, where they would meet the rest of the seventh year Gryffindors.

Hermione woke up early and after showering and getting dressed, she met Remus in the common room. They were the first Gryffindors at breakfast – the others arrived to the Great Hall as they were already leaving. After breakfast, Hermione, Remus and a handful of other students emerged to the brisk morning air. The sun shined brightly, casting shadows on the line of trees next to the path they walked along.

"So…you wanted to know about the Australian Wizarding School?" Hermione asked after a small silence, remembering he had said something of the sort.

"Yeah, I'd love to." Remus said and gave her a small smile.

Hermione stared absently at a group of Ravenclaws who were walking further along the path as she thought what to say to him.

"Hmm. Where to start. Well. The school was founded in 1816 and it is located in New South Wales Blue Mountain range. The students are split into five houses and they are sorted similarly as at Hogwarts, in the beginning of their first year. The schoolyear begins in early February and continues to late November. It's made up of four terms which are ten weeks in length, with a one week holiday in between each. The school closes for the summer in late November. Its curriculum – "

Hermione's textbook description was interrupted by Remus lifting his hand and giving her an apologising smile.

"No, no, Hermione. You understood me incorrectly. I know all of that and you have recited An Appraisal of Magical Education throughout the World almost word for word," he said and frowned at her. "What I meant was that I'd like to know about you in your previous school. What it was like to study there, about your friends and what not," he said carefully, studying her expression as they walked forward.

"Oh…" She muttered and rolled her eyes inwardly. Of course Remus had read the same book she had extracted her knowledge about her made-up previous school from. Perhaps…perhaps she could just tell him parts of the truth. She didn't have to say where or when all of it had happened…

"It…It was pretty great actually. At first, I didn't have any friends, much like you, although not for the same reasons I guess. I was a bit of a know-it-all back then and pretty much drove away anyone who was even slightly willing to get to know me." She chuckled. Remus smiled at her but she noticed a bit of sadness in his expression.

"You probably won't believe me but…when I was twelve, I faced a mountain troll with two boys in my year, Harry and Ron, and since then, we were inseparable." She said and shrugged when Remus gaped at her, seemingly trying to form words but not quite succeeding.

Hermione grinned at his expression. "Oh, that is not even close to the top of the blood-curdling occurrences I have somehow gotten into."

"W-What…a Troll…Merlin. What else?" Remus stammered as he stared at her in bewilderment.

"Um…When I was thirteen, I got petrified by a Basilisk." She said with a slight grimace. Even the mere thought brought her shivers…what if she hadn't known to look through the mirror?

"Merlin's balls…you are not taking the mickey?" He gaped at her again, stopping in the middle of the road.

Hermione gave him a wry smile. "I wish I was…" She said grimly and Remus let out a baffled laughter.

"So...Do you keep in touch with your friends and mum?" Remus asked after they continued to walk ahead.

Hermione swallowed, knowing that she had to give him a similar explanation that she had given Sirius. "No. I don't," she said quietly. Remus looked at her closely. Hermione chewed the inside of her cheek, before she continued. "They, um…we were attacked and…I was the only one who got away..." She said, her voice wavering slightly. She hated it. She hated lying to everyone.

Remus stopped again in his tracks, staring at her in horror. “W-What?” He asked, his voice rising a bit. “You were attacked? By whom?” He asked urgently, his eyes moving over her face.

She took a steadying breath. “An enemy…I…could we not talk about it?” She asked pleadingly, not wanting to lie anymore, nor tell him the truth.

Remus nodded slowly, a mix of pity and worry crossing his features. “Of course,” he said quietly.

Hermione looked quickly away, feeling unworthy of his sympathy.

He surprised her by pulling her closer and enveloping her into a soft hug. "I'm sorry Hermione. That's…I don't know what to say. I can't even begin to understand what you are going through," he murmured into her hair. "You now I'm here for you, right?" Remus spoke with a muffled voice as he held her close to him.

Hermione cleared away the sudden tightness in her throat. "I know, Remus," she replied quietly as they broke off.

Even though she couldn’t actually tell him about the horrors that had happened in her past and even though nearly everything she had said to him had been mixed with lies, she still felt slightly better being able to talk with someone.

Remus seemed to understand that she didn't want to discuss the topic any further, so he changed the subject to their Hogsmeade trip.

"Just to warn you; I might want to stay a while at Tomes and Scrolls, so if you find yourself in a state of boredom, just remind me, yeah?" he asked sheepishly.

Hermione laughed. “Likewise,” she said pointedly and Remus grinned.

She hadn't had the chance to visit the bookshop in several days and she knew the owner would always put new volumes for display in the beginning of every month.

Once they arrived at the bookshop, Hermione surveyed the shelves for a while until she found a large tome that piqued her interest. She took the book and seated herself in a comfortable chair in a small reading nook between the shelves. Remus joined her after a moment with his own book. A half an hour later they were both engrossed by the texts. Time went by and it wasn't until after Hermione's stomach grumbled loudly in the quiet shop, when Remus snapped his book shut and smirked at her as he took her book away as well.

"Let's head to lunch before you starve, okay?" He said teasingly.

Hermione stood up and elbowed him softly before following him out of the shop. They had agreed to meet their housemates for lunch in the Three Broomsticks. As they entered the crowded pub they saw their friends already waiting for them at a table in the far corner.

They gave their orders to Madam Rosmerta and walked to the table where everyone but Sirius sat. Hermione glanced around the pub and saw him at the counter, supposedly getting a new round of drinks. She pressed her lips together in disapproval as she saw him winking at group of not so young witches who were sitting on the stools of the bar, looking very pleased by his attention.

Hermione arched a brow at him when he came back, looking ever the picture of a womanizing ladies' man. He seemed pleasantly surprised by Hermione's arrival and smiled at her expression.

"Come on, Dumbledore, it's nothing to be jealous about," Sirius said cheerfully as he sat next to Hermione, dragging his chair close to her. "I just can't help that women find me irresistible," he continued with an innocent smile.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him.

Sirius on the other hand was laughing now. "Now, don't get your knickers in a twist."

"You're an arse." Hermione said to him, half-jokingly.

James sniggered on the other side of the table. "You only just noticed?"

Mary, Alice and Lily laughed.

"Bugger off, Prongs," Sirius quipped and turned to Hermione.

"I apologise, my love," he said sincerely and took her hand, leaning down to kiss the back of it before gazing into her eyes.

The others eyed his moves with mild amusement, while Hermione gave him a wary look.

"I apologise for all the women who gawk at me in the most indecent way," Sirius continued, a grin slowly creeping up on his face.

Hermione huffed, wrenched her hand away from his grasp and punched him on the shoulder while their friends laughed.

Their lunch arrived and everyone was quiet for a moment as they started eating.

"So, Hermione, how long do you reckon you'll take those extra classes with Prewett?" James asked while munching his chips.

Hermione frowned, contemplating for a moment what to say. "I don't know yet actually, it depends on how fast we can go through all the necessary material for the NEWTs," she eventually replied, taking a sip from her Butterbeer.

James nodded slowly, glancing between her and Sirius, a scrutinising look in his eyes.

"You reckon he's not asking you to stay after classes to come on to you?" Sirius said with an nonchalant expression, even though his voice had a hint of suspicion in it.

Hermione saw Lily rolling her eyes at Sirius before she turned to the boy and gave him a look of disbelief. "What? Why would you think that?"

Sirius’s jaw twitched and he cleared his throat. "Well, er…I just know how he was when he was still at school…" he said vaguely.

Hermione scoffed and gave him a pointed look. "Oh, so it takes one to know one?"

Sirius arched a brow at her but said nothing. James snorted into his Butterbeer and the girls exchanged amused expressions on the other end of the table. Remus and Peter were trying to suppress their grins.

Hermione sighed and gave Sirius an adamant look. "Nevertheless, I find it very hard to believe that he'd do anything like that," she said firmly. "He is a teacher, after all..."

Sirius inclined his head and gave her a slightly apologetic look, but said nothing more to the matter. After a moment of silence their group started talking about their other classes.

Monday, 19 September 1977

Hermione was heading towards the Headmaster's office on Monday evening. Excluding the mealtimes at the Great Hall, she hadn’t seen Dumbledore in two weeks, not after barging into his office to demand what exactly he had told Gideon about her. She could only assume the Headmaster had been busy with other, more important things.

As Hermione walked through the corridors, she recalled the previous day's events in her head. She had met Regulus in the library again and he still hadn't uttered a word to her. He had just sat next to her and studied and had occasionally given a furtive glance at her direction. She hadn't known what to think about it and had felt a bit uncomfortable around him, so she had left the library early and headed towards the Gryffindor common room.

Sirius was lounging on the sofa with James sitting on the other end of it, while Remus and Peter were in the middle of a chess game near the fireplace. Even though the spacious room was packed and filled with noise, Sirius turned his head to see the portrait hole when she came through it and immediately seemed to notice that something was bothering her. He stood up and approached her, frowning at her.

"What is it, Hermione?" he asked quietly as she met him halfway the room.

Hermione bit her cheek and decided to tell him, but not in the middle of the common room, where everyone seemed to be idly spending their day off. "Can we talk? ...privately?" She asked, feeling disturbed.

"Yeah, of course. The guys are all down here so let's go to my dorm, okay?" He said and gave her a worried look before taking her hand and leading her towards the boys’ dormitory.

"Guys, we'll take a quick stop to our dorm," he called to his roommates by the fire.

Hermione gritted her teeth in annoyance. Now everyone was ogling at them and thinking Merlin knows what…

James grinned at his best mate slyly and turned his eyes to Hermione. "Remember, Hermione. If you lie down with dogs, you'll get up with fleas," he said, sniggering on the sofa. Peter joined his laughter, while Remus glanced at his friends with a mildly amused expression.

Sirius gave James the two finger salute, muttering "bloody wanker," while walking towards the staircase with Hermione.

She arched a brow at him before they started to walk up the stairs, but he merely shrugged at her. "You do realise that you and James yelling things like that makes this look like we're here for…you know…?" Hermione asked pointedly, as they reached the top floor.

Sirius chuckled and stepped inside the dorm, with Hermione trailing behind him. He walked straight to his bed and sat down, waiting for her to start talking. She merely stared at him a bit hesitantly, wondering if she should sit next to him…on his bed.

He arched his brows at her. "We can do that too if you'd like, darling, but first, tell me what's on your mind?" He said with an amused grin and gestured for her to sit down next to him.

Hermione huffed and sat on his bed. "Your brother was in the library again," she said and Sirius tensed beside her, his expression turning dark.

"What did he want?" He demanded quietly.

"Well…he didn't do or say anything. I don't know for certain why he was there, but I just thought you should know," she said tentatively. "I mean, he's probably there because of what I said to him the other day, but what's with the silent treatment…?" She asked thoughtfully and sighed.

Sirius observed her aloofly. He cursed under his breath and tried to stand up but Hermione's hand stopped him.

"Let go, Hermione," he said tightly, looking at her with dark grey eyes that were lacking emotion.

Hermione held his stare defiantly and lifted her chin. "No. I know you'll just run to the dungeons to do something foolish you might regret later," she said sternly. She then tugged his hand. "Come here," she said, her voice now gentle. She held his gaze while moving further on his bed.

Sirius looked undecided. After a short moment, the cold look in his eyes flickered away and was replaced by something between questioning and eagerness. Hermione was pleasantly surprised that he relented and moved towards her.

She lay down on the mattress and Sirius came to hover on top of her, a small frown between his brows as his eyes moved over her face. "I know you're distracting me on purpose," he muttered while her hands slid behind his neck and her fingers tangled in his hair.

"Is that so?" She whispered, her mouth curving a bit as she brought him closer, staring into his eyes nervously and leaning forward, pressing her lips to his.

The kiss was slow and soft, as their lips explored each other.

"Mm-hmm," He hummed and brought his hand to rest below her ear, his thumb caressing her cheek as their breaths mingled. She ran her fingers through his hair and tugged lightly, pulling him closer until there was no space left between them and she could feel the beating of his heart against her chest.

After a while, they walked back to the common room where the others were waiting for them to go to lunch together. James eyed at them with a knowing smirk and was about to say something before Sirius cut him off, "Sod off, Prongs." He took Hermione's hand and they left to the Great Hall.

As she neared the Headmaster's office, her thoughts revolved around Sirius. What was she doing with him? What happened when – if – she would leave this time to go back to her own time?

It had turned out quite difficult to be there and be around all these people and not get involved with them. The last time she had talked with Dumbledore about her situation, he had said that he would try to gather information. She hoped that he would have some answers now, as her own research hadn't progressed much.

"Chocolate Frogs," she said to the gargoyle and it moved to the side, revealing a staircase which led to the Headmaster's office. As she reached the top, she knocked softly on the door and opened it after hearing a quiet "Enter". She entered the large and beautiful circular room and saw that McGonagall and Gideon were already sitting in front of Dumbledore's enormous, claw-footed desk. There was also a third person sitting next to Gideon. The man was identical to her Defence professor, although his hair was much shorter and messier. He stood up and walked to Hermione.

"I'm honoured to finally meet the lady to whom I’m in debt," he said and winked at her, while offering his hand for her to shake. “Fabian Prewett.”

Hermione smiled. "Hermione Dumbledore. Nice to meet you too Mr Prewett," she said while shaking his hand.

He chuckled, sounding exactly like his brother. "Call me Fabian," he said easily.

She was reminded of a certain pair of twins and the familiar sad feeling twisted her chest momentarily. She swallowed deeply. "Well then, call me Hermione," she said and Fabian nodded at her.

Dumbledore beamed from where he stood and gestured for her to sit down next to Fabian in an armchair he had conjured. Hermione sat down and Dumbledore followed suit.

The Headmaster lay his hands on the desk, steepling his hands as he eyed the group in front of him. "I believe Gideon and Fabian have some questions."

The twins nodded at him.

Dumbledore continued speaking to the two men. "But first, in order for you to receive the answers to your questions, I have to ask you both to make a binding magical contract with me. You wouldn't be able to reveal any information you receive from Hermione today or later on to anyone but those who are in this room today," he explained while Hermione tensed slightly and sat up straight.

Dumbledore took a parchment from his drawer, waved his wand on it and turned it so that the brothers could read it. Both Prewetts looked over the contract and signed it without hesitation, as if there wasn’t anything unusual in Dumbledore’s request. Dumbledore seemed satisfied, clapped his hands and nodded to Hermione reassuringly. Hermione braced herself for whatever it was she was about to face.

"Well, I think I want to know how exactly you got the information about our mission." Fabian said, eyeing Hermione carefully.

"I'd like to know the truth about that as well," Gideon said slowly.

Hermione opened her mouth to say something, but she didn't really know how to start. She then realised that Gideon hadn't bought her story about the vision after all.

Dumbledore watched them for a moment before he turned to Hermione. "I think it is best to start from the beginning, dear."

Hermione contemplated it before she spoke to the twins. "Um, I’m…not from here," she said.

The brothers gave her mildly perplexed looks. “I think that’s established already, Hermione.” Gideon muttered, frowning at her.

“No, what I meant was that…I’m not from this…time.” She said with a slight grimace. Gideon and Fabian gave her confused looks.

Hermione took a deep breath.

"I came from the year 1998," she said simply.

Confusion in their expressions was replaced with shock and disbelief.

"What?" Gideon asked incredulously.

Hermione swallowed. “I’m from the future,” she said and Gideon waved a hand in dismissal at his brother, who let out a strangled laugh.

“Trust me I heard that...” Gideon said and stared at her suspiciously. “And you’re saying that’s not a load of codswallop?” He said, his eyes flickering to the Headmaster, who merely smiled at him.

Hermione sighed. "I know how it sounds, but it's the truth. I've been here less than two months..." She said, chewing the inside of her cheek.

Gideon and Fabian turned to Dumbledore and McGonagall with dumbfounded looks, who both nodded back in acknowledgement.

"How is that even possible?" Fabian asked from Hermione, shaking his head slightly.

"Well…It was a Time-Turner. I didn't do it on purpose. I was only going to go back for a few hours, but I got hit by a spell, or, well, I suppose the Time-Turner was. I woke up in the Hospital wing at Hogwarts, in 1977." She explained.

"Merlin…" Gideon whispered. "And you just happened to have a Time-Turner in your possession?” He said, giving her a slightly wary look.

"I…Might have stolen it, from, um…Dumbledore," she muttered quickly, glancing at the Headmaster with a sheepish look.

Fabian snorted and Hermione could see Dumbledore's mouth curving up a bit.

"Why were you trying to turn back time?" Fabian asked curiously.

Hermione cleared her throat, the familiar tightness making its way there as she neared the subject of their capture. "Well…I was captured. And someone – a Death Eater - was torturing me," Hermione said and tried to push the horrible memory away.

Gideon's brows lifted. "A Death Eater? Voldemort and his Death Eaters are still active in 1998?" He asked, dread clear in his eyes.

Hermione nodded. "Voldemort was defeated in 1981, but resurrected in 1995," she said grimly.

Gideon and Fabian shared an inscrutable look.

"Who defeated him?" Gideon asked, eyeing Hermione closely. “Why didn’t he die?”

"Well," she sighed wearily. "That's a long story," she said while glancing at Dumbledore and his sympathetic eyes.

She recounted the important bits of Voldemort's defeat and rebirth, including the information about the Prophecy and the Horcruxes. Dumbledore then asked both Prewetts to take some time to decide if they were willing to take part in their mission to destroy the Dark Lord once and for all. The twins left the Headmaster's office, both trapped in their thoughts while Hermione left towards the Gryffindor Tower after asking if Dumbledore had any news about her situation. He didn't.

Sunday, 25 September 1977

Hermione was making her way to the library, as she usually did on weekends. She had had breakfast with Lily, James and Remus, while the other seventh years were still in their dorms, sleeping on their day off. Lily and James were having a meeting with the prefects and Remus, being a prefect, was of course attending the same meeting. Apparently, amongst other things, they were going to discuss the Halloween ball that was going to take place next month.

After entering the library, Hermione headed to her usual spot in the corner. She stopped as soon as the table came into her view. Regulus was sitting there, at her table, again. He had sat there last Sunday as well but hadn't spoken to her yet. Hermione huffed in annoyance and decided that if he wanted to sit and study with her, he had better tell her about his intentions. The library did have several vacant study spots available, after all.

She lifted her chin and marched to the corner. "Okay. What is going on in here?" Hermione said with a stern voice as she stood at the end of the table, opposite to where Regulus sat his head bent over a school book.

Regulus lifted his gaze slowly from the book, until his eyes locked with hers. He gave her a scrutinising look and she had to suppress the urge to look away.

"Studying?" He said plainly, giving her a blank expression.

"Oh...I – You – I mean," she stammered, feeling her neck warming up. She sighed and collected her thoughts. "What I meant to ask, is why do you sit at my table? Or why do you sit next to me?" She asked and frowned at him in bewilderment.

He was still watching her, his gaze moving from her eyes down her body and back up, as if he was sizing her up. She shifted uncomfortably.

"I thought about what you said to me a few weeks back." He said quietly.

Hermione lifted her brows in surprise. "…And?" She said hesitantly.

"I'm considering it." He said simply.

Hermione tried to stop herself from showing her excitement, but some of it had to be visible in her expression, because when Regulus turned his gaze back to his books, there was a small frown between his brows.

When he didn't say anything more to the subject, Hermione sat down opposite to him and they studied in silence the rest of the morning.

When it was nearly lunch time, Hermione stood up from her chair, said her goodbyes to Regulus and started to head towards the library exit. Before she got out, Sirius barged in and grabbed her by her arms.

"Where is he?" He demanded quietly, looking over her shoulder.

Hermione placed her hands against his chest in order to calm him down. "Sirius, don't. I don't think his intentions are bad-natured. Just –"

She didn't have time to finish her sentence before he stormed off, taking quick strides towards her study corner where Regulus was still supposedly sitting. Hermione practically had to run to keep up with him.

"Stay the hell away from Hermione," Sirius snarled quietly at his brother as he reached the table, his eyes blazing.

Regulus merely arched a brow at him and looked him in the eye. "Nice to see you too, brother. How are things with the blood-traitors? I hope they do treat you well," he said icily, even though his expression was still indifferent.

Sirius gritted his teeth. "Oh you are one to talk, little arsehole. Hiding behind mummy's skirt and being her little puppet, aren't you?" Sirius jibed.

Regulus stood up slowly, his eyes now cold. Both of them were glaring at each other, their jaws clenched.

Hermione watched them in alarm and tried to calm the situation before they all got kicked out from the library, or either of them drew their wands out.

"Sirius. Let's just go, leave him be. Please, just…come with me," she said to him imploringly, taking a hold of his hand.

Sirius seemed to relax slightly from her touch.

Regulus collected his things from the table. "Did you ever stop to think, dear brother, that one of us had to live up to Mother and Father's expectations, so that you could have your merry little life, with your merry little friends in the Gryffindor Tower?" He hissed.

Then, he stormed off the library.

Sirius was breathing heavily and looking at the empty spot where his brother had been sitting only moments ago, a deep frown between his brows.

Hermione took his hand and laced their fingers. "Come here." She whispered to him and led him to the Great Hall.

After lunch the girls, Remus and Peter went to watch the Gryffindor team Quidditch practice. It was actually quite a nice day, not warm enough to wear summer clothes anymore, but not cold either. The sky was clear, the sun was shining and it was a great day for spending some time outside. Even with the great weather and the fact that he was flying, Sirius still seemed to be in a sullen mood. The practice wasn't going smoothly either.

He had been in a foul mood since the library, after talking to his brother. The seventh year Gryffindors had naturally given her some questioning looks after Hermione and Sirius had joined them at the table and after Sirius had stared at his plate and poked his food sullenly the whole lunch hour. She had managed to give the others some warning looks but it wasn't like she could've said anything to them, not with Sirius there listening to her every word.

"Come on, Pads, you are flying like shite today! Focus!" James yelled as he flew past Sirius.

Hermione cringed when Sirius shot a glare at his mate and growled, "Sod off!"

Remus sat next to Hermione, with Mary on his other side. Lily was seated on Hermione's other side, next to Alice and Peter. Marlene had informed at lunch that she had much more pressing matters to do than to watch a mere practice.

Hermione observed the Quidditch stands around them and saw that there were also a handful of younger Gryffindors watching the practice, mainly girls who squealed moronically every time James threw the Quaffle through a goal hoop. Lily bristled when James actually winked at the girls, who of course swooned at him.

Remus eyed the display in amusement before he turned to talk to Hermione. "So what's got Pads so peeved up today? I mean, when we woke up, he was his normal grumpy self, but when you two came to lunch, he was practically seething with anger," he said quietly.

Hermione opened her mouth but faltered when she glanced at Sirius who was glaring daggers at them, flying not far from where they sat. She thought that he had probably heard Remus with his heightened hearing. 

"I was in the library and we ran into his brother...it didn't go so well," she said with a slight grimace the moment Sirius was on the other end of the pitch.

Remus nodded in understanding and said no more.

After practice, Hermione and Sirius stayed behind as the others walked back to the castle and the rest of the Quidditch team went to their locker rooms to shower. Sirius still wore his training tracksuit, opting to clean himself up later. They sat in silence in one of the empty stands. Sirius was still somewhat brooding, evidently because of the encounter with his brother. Hermione waited for him to talk first.

Eventually Sirius let out a long sigh and took off the hair tie that was holding his hair in a bun so that it didn't flap against his face while flying. He threaded his hands through his raven locks, letting them fall freely, the tips of his hair brushing his shoulders.

"You know...I haven't told you about what happened with my parents a few years back," he said while looking at her warily. "Do you know about my family? The kind of people they are?" He asked mutedly.

Hermione gave him a sad smile and took his hand. Of course she knew all about his family, but she couldn't say simply anything to him. Still, she reckoned that perhaps she could have known some details through her 'father' and 'uncle'.

"Yes, I know that some of them are dark wizards and witches, but I also know that you are nothing like them," she said reassuringly and gave his hand a squeeze.

He sighed again and nodded. "Long story short, I got sorted into Gryffindor and they didn't like it. I met some awesome people who weren't like them and they hated that. They tried to force me to be one of his followers, but I had rather died than done that, so...that's what they supposedly tried to do after. First they tried to mark me without my consent and then threaten me through Reggie... It didn't really go as they planned and in the end, I was left alone, in a pretty bad shape," he said quietly, looking at the empty pitch.

Hermione's eyes widened in horror. She hadn't noticed she had tightened her grip on his hand, before he let out a small wince.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that…" She said sincerely, hugging him close to her and kissing his temple affectionately.

She was quite shocked. She had thought she had had a fair idea about the events and the reasons why Sirius had run away from his home. But she hadn't expected this kind of revelation. The future-Sirius hadn't really spoken about his family or his life at Grimmauld Place and certainly not in such detail.

"How did you get out of there?" Hermione whispered with concern in her voice, while brushing her thumb over his knuckles.

Sirius frowned for a moment before answering. "Reggie. He sent me to Potters. That little shit knows how to surprise me from time to time," he said with a hint of amusement and ran his hand through his hair again. "We didn't talk about it afterwards. We've been avoiding each other ever since..." he continued and stared ahead, seemingly lost in his own thoughts.

Hermione felt bad for him, because Sirius clearly cared about his brother but it seemed that there were too many undealt issues between them, including the most obvious one, which was being on different sides of the upcoming war.

And for what she had gathered, Regulus too did care for his brother. She just wished he would choose to do the right thing and maybe the brothers would be able to reconcile after all this time. She wanted to comfort Sirius, to distract him from the exhausting thoughts that were mulling in his head concerning his brother.

She slowly brought her mouth close to his neck, breathing in his intoxicating scent, her lips grazing the soft skin below his jaw. Sirius’s breathing quickened and after a few moments, he let out a frustrated growl and dragged her to sit on his lap. He pulled her closer to him, crushing his lips against hers, making them both breathless. Their kisses quickly became passionate, their tongues dancing and flexing around each other, urging one another.

Sirius let out a soft groan and grabbed her behind with a tight grip, dragging his mouth against her neck, his lips, teeth and tongue hot against her skin. Warm shivers coursed through her and as Hermione whimpered and arched towards him, Sirius swallowed the sounds from her mouth, kissing her fiercely. It was rushed, exciting and intense; both of them were lost into each other, not caring one bit about anything other than the pleasure their actions caused. Her hand worked its way down his chest and then with a bit more hesitance against the bulge in his pants, while her other hand was busy tangling into his silky black locks.

"Fuck," Sirius breathed and thrust his hips towards her, as she slowly traced him through his pants. "Can you feel what you are doing to me, Hermione?" He groaned when she kissed him again, his hands moving all over her body.

Soon his hands slid under her sweater on her back, moving to her sides and going upward, drawing patterns on her skin as they went. She tensed slightly when he touched the underside of her breasts. It felt so good. When Sirius's thumbs moved upwards and brushed over her hardened nipples through her bra, Hermione gasped against his lips, her body arching for more.

"I like the sound of that," Sirius said hoarsely, dipping his index finger into the cup of her bra and gently yanking it down, freeing her breast. He repeated the process to her other breast. Though she still had her sweater on and covering her mostly, Hermione felt the peaks of her breasts harden under the exposure to the outside air. Or, perhaps she reacted from his touch. He continued caressing her while licking into her mouth slowly and passionately. Their movements became hurried and needy and soon she could only focus on the pleasurable thrill he made her feel.

Hermione breathed heavily against Sirius’s lips, her hand touching him lightly though his slacks, wanting nothing more than to rip their clothes off and let him have her right there in the Quidditch stand. Sirius trembled and broke their kiss with a breathless groan, dropping his forehead against her neck, out of breath.

"Hermione, I…we need to stop," he gasped, his hot breath puffing against her skin. He then carefully tugged her bra back in place, smoothed his hands down her sides under the sweater and pulled it down properly.

Hermione was still short of breath and flustered of the pent-up arousal, as was he. More than that, she was grateful that they had stopped before someone had seen them. Apparently she herself hadn't been able to regain her senses fast enough.

Sirius lifted his head and looked at her with an adoring smile. He leaned close to her and pressed a gentle kiss against her lips. "Did I go too far?" He asked sincerely, worry in his eyes.

It made her heart swell with feeling. "No, it was okay. More than okay actually," she said honestly and gave him a warm smile.

He kissed her again, sweetly and chastely, before standing up and pulling her up with him.

Wednesday, 28 September 1977

It was the day after the full moon and the seventh year Gryffindor boys were absent from classes. Remus was in the infirmary and Hermione assumed the rest of them were sleeping in their dorm, after frolicking in the forest in animal forms the previous night. She pondered whether she should visit Remus in the hospital wing after classes and still act like she didn't have a clue about why he was in there. She also made a mental note to look into Wolfsbane potion, if it had already been invented and was on the market.

They were having a double Potions class and Hermione was still Snape's partner. She had asked Lily about the dark haired Slytherin a couple days ago, and Lily had told her that they had been friends for a long time, until one day they no longer hadn't. According to Lily, Snape had decided to side with his Slytherin friends and had proceeded to cut her out of his life.

"I still don't understand it, Hermione. We were best friends, after all. How could he do that to me? How can he despise everything I am?" Lily asked sadly, tears glimmering in her eyes.

They were sitting on Hermione's bed, alone in their dorm, while the other girls were downstairs in the common room.

Hermione tried to console her friend and make her see some sense in the situation, even though she wasn't exactly eager to defend him. "Have you thought that maybe he didn't have any choice? What he did was wrong, but what if he isn't as strong as you are? Maybe he regrets his decisions? Have you given him a chance to explain himself?" She asked hesitantly.

Lily shook her head. "No…I haven't. We haven't talked since the day he and his friends called me a Mudblood. And those friends by the way are all probably you-know-who's followers by now," she said darkly.

"Lily...I have to tell you something," Hermione said and watched her friend seriously.

She recounted the discussion between Regulus and Snape in the library some weeks ago, as well as her short conversation with Regulus last Sunday. Lily gaped at her.

"You really think they are going along with it only for appearance? That they do not wish it?" Lily asked and sighed, looking overwhelmed.

Hermione stared at the bedspread between them, a deep frown between her brows. “I don’t know…”

They did not speak another word on the matter, as Hermione was letting Lily make up her mind about it and also because she still wasn't sure what the deal with Regulus was. If he would be switching sides, so to speak, then maybe Snape might be willing to do that too? She had noticed that the younger Black spent much of his time with Snape… So maybe it was possible to reach out to Snape through Regulus?

"Your head is in the clouds again, Dumbledore." Snape hissed at her from her side. "Try to focus and not to screw this up, will you?" He snapped and snatched her hand away so she couldn't put the wrong ingredient into their brew.

Hermione jumped slightly. "Oh, sorry, I just...I'll focus." She gave him an apologetic smile.

His features softened a bit as he studied her. Then he cleared his throat. "So where is the idiotic boyfriend of yours and his merry band of misfits?" He grumbled quietly and turned a page from their textbook to follow the potion recipe.

Hermione pursed her lips at him and gave him a bored look. "You are not winning any points here, Snape, when insulting the people I care about," she muttered.

"And just what makes you think I want to win any points? That I would care about what you want or think?" He grunted without looking at her.

"I think you do. You want to reconcile with Lily and it might be possible through me. I've seen the way you look at her. But of course, it depends on the circumstances. On your motives," she said pointedly, her gaze flickering to his left arm.

He flinched and stared at her, his eyes turning dark. "What do you know?" He asked coldly.

Hermione rolled her eyes and muttered quietly, "I know enough. I know you are not marked yet."

Snape's jaw twitched.

"And I know you have spoken with Regulus. So the same thing I said to him, applies to you too. You always have a choice, Snape. Remember that," she whispered and watched him gravely for a moment, before moving her focus on their brew.

He didn't say anything for the rest of the class. When Hermione left the dungeons, Snape suddenly grabbed her arm and led her into an empty classroom unnoticed by anyone else.

"What are you – "

"What are your intentions with Regulus?" Snape demanded, his gaze cold and calculating.

Hermione was gobsmacked by what had happened and what Snape had said. He wasn't the first Slytherin to ask about her intentions.

"It isn't your concern, Snape," she snapped and began to move to the door, but he stepped in her way.

"Move. Aside," she gritted through her teeth. A small panic rose inside her. She didn't think he would actually do anything to her, but then again, she didn't really know him.

"Sev. Let her go," Regulus said quietly from the door. He closed it behind him and went to stand in front of Snape, facing him. "Don't interfere." Regulus continued quietly.

Hermione was mildly frightened - she was in the dungeons with two Slytherins, both of whom were thinking about joining Voldemort and they were in a middle of a staring contest. She inched her wand out of her pocket.

"Now you made her draw a wand on us," Regulus said with amusement as he turned to look at Hermione.

Hermione gripped her wand tighter in her palm and lifted her chin. "Well, you never know what to expect from a couple of snakes."

Regulus huffed a laugh while Snape merely rolled his eyes.

Regulus's expression became blank again. He cleared his throat and studied her closely. "Hermione, can I talk to you for a moment?" He asked, before giving Snape a small nod.

Snape scowled at them both and left the room without a word.

Hermione still held her wand pointed at Regulus and studied him closely. "What do you want to talk about?" She asked suspiciously.

He sighed, took his own wand, and as Hermione's eyes widened with dread, he handed it to her. "Take it. I'm not going to hurt you," he said with a sincere expression.

She hesitantly took the wand from him and stared at him in puzzlement. He licked his lips and gave her an intense stare.

"I want to defect."

Chapter Text

Chapter 12: The Comet

Friday, 30 September 1977

"Listen up class. Tonight we will all examine a comet passing the earth. As we have an abnormally large group of sixth and seventh years, I will divide you into two groups and in those groups, you will pair up. Others will be in the courtyard examining the comet with bare eyes, while others will be situated here, in the Astronomy Tower examining it through telescopes," Professor Moonshine explained to the seventh- and sixth-year NEWT students in the beginning of their Astronomy lesson.

"From the 29th of September to the 30th of September - as in yesterday and today - the comet will make a once-in-a-lifetime pass by Earth at a distance of around 70 million kilometres. It has a fourth magnitude brightness, so it means that it will be easily visible in the dark sky without the need of a telescope. But even though the comet is visible to the naked eye -"

Sirius, James and a few others were of course sniggering.

" - it looks even better through a telescope, so the reason of dividing the class is to have different aspects of the comet," the professor explained, not giving any attention to the noise the boys were making. "So bear with me, I understand some of you are bummed out because your lesson is usually on Thursday evening, but now on Friday night instead, and therefore you miss your possible weekend pursuit. But I assure you, that it is worth it. Luckily, the comet will be passing near the Canis Major, the Great Dog constellation, which makes it relatively easy to find," he continued.

"Hey Prongs, want to hear a good one?" Sirius whispered, smirking behind James.

James turned his head slightly to him so he could see Sirius from the corner of his eye, still sitting towards the professor so Lily, who was next to him, wouldn't scold him for not listening to the Professor.

"Why didn't the Dog Star laugh at the joke?" Sirius asked quietly, still smirking. "…It was too Sirius." He grinned when James snorted.

Hermione rolled her eyes next to him. It was their usual behaviour at the Astronomy lessons - or so Hermione had concluded after the handful of Astronomy lessons they had had together. Sirius enjoyed making puns with his name and Astronomy was an optimal subject for that. Hermione often wondered if the only reason he had even chosen the subject in his sixth year was the opportunity to make bad jokes. Hermione reckoned that James had probably taken the class because Lily was there, since he didn't seem that interested in the course either. Though he had taken NEWT Astronomy even though he was with another girl last year so maybe he was into it, but still, Hermione doubted it.

Sirius nudged Hermione and smiled at her. "Want to go watch the comet with naked eye?" He asked playfully, grinning at her.

Hermione gave him a faintly amused look and shook her head at him, nudging her head towards the professor.

"... it takes around 14,000 years for this comet to orbit the Sun, which means that none of us are going to live long enough to see it pass by again. Now, divide into pairs and come to me after that to take your assignments..."

Hermione was paired with Sirius, while Lily paired with James. The Head students had been in friendly terms for a while now, clearly getting over the events in the start of term –party. Also, they had shared their Heads duties from the start of term and had been forced to spend time together, so Hermione assumed that that had helped matters as well. She silently hoped that their relationship was at last developing to beyond a friendly state and smiled at the thought that Harry's parents would soon be together. Thinking of Harry made her feel a small pang of longing and sadness in her chest, but the feeling was quickly dismissed as Sirius took her hand and brushed her knuckles with his thumb.

Sirius eyed her closely. "You okay?" He asked quietly, a small crease in his brow.

"Oh...yes, I am. Let's go and get our assignments, okay?" Hermione replied with a tight smile and left towards the front of their class.

Sirius followed her, still holding her hand.

Eventually it was Lily and James who headed to the courtyard to watch the comet without their telescopes along with handful of other pairs, while Hermione stayed in the Astronomy Tower with Sirius and the other half of the class. She suspected that Professor Moonshine had separated James and Sirius on purpose to create at least some sort of peace in his class.

They chose a nice spot to examine the comet with their telescopes and made some notes for their assignment before adjusting their devices.

"Um...I was hoping that we could have a moment alone after class?" Hermione asked, turning towards him.

She had wanted to talk to Sirius about the incident with Regulus and Snape for a few days now, but on Wednesday Sirius had barely been out of his dorm, recovering from staying up all night on full moon and when he did come out, he had gone to the infirmary to check on Remus.

Yesterday it had been Hermione who had spent time in the infirmary, giving Remus copies of her notes from Defence and Charms, as well as a large bar of Honeyduke's chocolate. Remus had tried to explain his visit at the hospital wing again as some lame illness which Hermione had pretended to believe. She had chosen not to say anything to him, yet. Later, when she had returned to the common room, Sirius and James had been in a re-scheduled Quidditch practice, since James had postponed the practice that would have been on Wednesday.

It was the first occasion in three days Hermione and Sirius actually had the opportunity to talk by themselves - and even that was in the middle of a class.

"I knew you'd want to, eventually," he said, giving her a cheeky grin.

"What - uh - no! I mean, to talk! Nothing, er, more than that," she stammered, feeling her neck warm up in embarrassment.

Sirius laughed quietly when he saw her discomfort. "Sure, whatever you say," he smiled at her knowingly.

She let out an affronted huff. "You're awfully sure of yourself."

"Should I not be?" He asked with a teasing look. Then his eyes went dark and swept over her.

"Don't look at me like that," Hermione said quietly, glancing around them.

Sirius lifted his brows. "Like what?" He murmured innocently, while looking her up and down.

Hermione felt her cheeks heating up and she averted her eyes from him. "Like you're going to have a feast," she muttered.

He sniggered and moved to stand behind her, as if to adjust her telescope to the right angle while setting his other hand on her hip. Hermione tensed slightly, his touch heating the skin under her clothes.

"Why, Hermione," he purred to her ear, "would you assume I'd look at you in any other way?" He murmured, making her shiver as his dark and smooth voice rumbled in her ear.

"...When the only thing I can think of, is your scent. And the way you taste and feel against my lips," he spoke softly, his fingertips trailing up and down her sides and his mouth hovering close to her neck, not kissing despite how badly she wanted him to.

To her astonishment, she wanted him to, even though there were other students not so far away from them examining the comet and even though their teacher kept an eye on both groups and could come back to the Astronomy tower at any moment.

She took a deep breath, not bothering to deny how good Sirius was at seduction.

Then his lips brushed the skin on her neck and a small, barely audible whimper escaped from her.

"Would you like to go somewhere private now, dearest? Maybe we could continue from where we left things when we were at the stands?" Sirius whispered to her ear sweetly.

Hermione cursed inwardly. He felt so good and strong behind her, so tempting that she had to fight against the urge to turn around and snog him senseless.

After few calming breaths she spoke to him, her voice still wavering. "That might make the other girls here at school swoon at your feet, but I'm not going to fall for your charm just yet, Black. The comet's actually that way," she turned her head slightly to look at him unaffectedly and pointed to their telescopes.

Sirius laughed. "Darling, you wound me," he said with a mock hurt voice, pouting at her.

Hermione bit her lip to suppress a smile and returned to her telescope.

They observed the comet, making random notes and had a casual conversation regarding both their assignment and how extraordinary it was to have witnessed something so rare. Hermione was somewhat impressed that he truly was a smart student when he put some effort in his studies. The conversation had flowed easily between them.

When the class was over, the students were trusted to leave the Astronomy tower by themselves, even if it was after curfew. Usually their Astronomy classes ended well before the curfew, but because of the comet, their professor had changed the schedule in order to fit most of his classes to Thursday and Friday evenings.

After James and Lily joined Hermione and Sirius to collect their belongings and walk towards the Gryffindor tower together, Sirius informed the Head students that they could go without them, since he and Hermione had something to talk about. James merely shrugged, while Lily gave Hermione a knowing smile before they left the pair in the corridor below the Astronomy tower.

Hermione and Sirius walked in silence for a moment in the empty and dark hallway. When Hermione was sure they were alone, she turned to look at him. "Sirius," she said cautiously. "I have to tell you something."

He looked at her with a somewhat alarmed expression, his brows furrowed.

"Okay... is this going to be a habit of yours, you know, giving me bad news?” He asked slowly, referring to the previous time they had had a serious conversation about his brother. He then gave her a smirk, “Although, I might be able to bear it if I can kiss you afterwards," he said quietly.

"Be serio...Ugh!" She huffed exasperatedly as Sirius’s eyes lit up with mischief.

A second later he became sombre and took her hand. "Okay, you have my full attention," he said with a gentle smile.

Hermione gave him a wary look before she spoke. "Well. I met your brother...again...and he wants to meet you," she said gingerly, taking note how Sirius expression turned angry and confused.

"You know I said to him that he had a choice. Well…I think he is going to make that choice now..." Hermione gave him a careful smile.

She could see a hint of hope cross his eyes.

"Fuck," Sirius breathed. He was silent for a long while, letting the information settle in. "I don't know what to say, Hermione… That's good, I guess? I mean, he’s still a little prick for taking this long to make the decision, but…I think – I think I'm willing to look past that. If his intentions are true and he really is on the right path," he said sensibly.

Hermione nodded as they walked up the stairs towards the portrait in Gryffindor tower. "He did seem to be sincere," she said as she eyed his expression.

"When did you speak with Reggie?" Sirius asked with a frown.

"Wednesday, after Potions class. You know how he's been coming to the library to sit next to me, never talking about anything and then suddenly last Sunday he said he's considering what I said to him? That he's considering making the right choice. You know, when you barged in there and told him to bugger off?" She said and smiled at him when he gave her a sheepish look.

"Maybe he was just gathering his courage, or something," she shrugged and chewed the corner of her lips in thought.

Sirius raised his eyebrows. "The git better not have a thing for you," he said jokingly.

Hermione scowled at him and entered through the portrait hole after giving the fat lady the password.

Sirius followed her in and then he took her hand and pulled her against him. "You know, I love it how I can make you angry," he murmured.

Hermione huffed. "I'm not angry. I'm annoyed," she said simply, glancing around the empty common room.

He wrapped his arms around her waist, embracing her tightly. Her whole body felt hot as he rested his forehead against hers. Their bodies were pressed so closely together that it felt almost unbearable. He slowly backed her towards one of the sofas near the fireplace, where only glowing embers remained.

"You got this burning look in your eyes when you're provoked…your hair becomes a wild mess and almost crackles with electricity..." he said quietly, leaning her against the back of the sofa. His lips ghosted down her temple to her cheek and further down, his hot breath trailing slowly along the angle of her jaw. Hermione bit her lip to suppress a whimper.

"And have I mentioned your lips…?" He murmured and then kissed her softly. It was similar to their first kiss some weeks ago. One of his hands left her waist to cup her cheek and he lightly kissed the corner of her mouth. This time she let out a breathy sigh.

"…They taste like heaven," he whispered, before his lips pressed against hers again, this time harder, more demanding.

Her hands found their way around his neck and she pulled him closer to her, drawing a low rumbling sound from his throat. He pushed her firmly against the back of the sofa, his leg sneaking between hers, nudging them, helping him to stand between her legs. Her breath was coming in gasps as he devoured her mouth, his fingers moving under her shirt, skimming her lower abdomen, and making her shudder against him. His touch was burning her, making her want to melt into him. He caressed her skin with his thumbs, making the warmth spread throughout her body, making something delicious to flutter deep in her belly.

His mouth found the soft skin of her jaw and neck, gently nipping the tender skin under her earlobe and swiping his tongue against the spot. Hermione moaned inaudibly, her grip against his neck tightening.

"Say you're mine, Hermione," he whispered against her neck. "I want everyone to know that you belong to me," he said and backed away a bit, locking his gaze with hers.

She could see a hint of vulnerability in his dark grey eyes.

Hermione shivered to his words and worried her lip before she spoke. "I…I'm yours, Sirius," she whispered, holding his gaze, feeling nervous, feeling eager, and feeling the same hunger that lingered in his eyes.

Sirius’s mouth curved into a grin, before he leaned back to kiss her lips lightly. Hermione ran her hands up his neck, tangling her fingers into his wild black locks. Sirius shuddered at her touch, crushing his mouth over hers again in a hard, hot kiss.

When the last embers of the fire had gone out, they reluctantly pulled away from each other, resting their foreheads together while trying to even their breaths.

"What now?" Sirius spoke after a short silence, his hands resting on her hips.

Hermione bit her lip and stared into his eyes. "We go to sleep," Hermione whispered.

Sirius looked thoughtful for a moment. "Yeah…Come with me?" He asked, eyeing her carefully.

Hermione contemplated her answer. She really wanted to, but what was he expecting from her?

He seemed to understand her line of thought. "Hey…I just want to hold you when I fall asleep. We don't have to do anything more than that," he murmured, his thumb caressing her cheek.

She gave him a small smile. "Okay."

As they reached the seventh-year boys’ dormitory, Sirius opened the door to peek inside. A moment later, Hermione heard quiet laughter.

Then James spoke to Sirius. "By all means, mate, but just make sure you close the curtains and use a silencing charm so we don't have to suffer from your nightly activities."

Naturally, James's comment made Hermione scowl at Sirius, who at that moment glanced over his shoulder to look at her. Sirius shook his head in amusement and opened the door wider for her to step in. He headed towards his bed which was opposite to James's and said to a smirking James, "Sure, mate."

Hermione walked inside and glanced around the room. It seemed like Remus and Peter were asleep behind their closed curtains. James was still awake, sitting on his bed, wearing his pyjamas and reading a Quidditch magazine with his wand tucked behind his ear, shedding a small reading light over him. There was also a knowing smirk playing on his lips.

Hermione glared at James. "James Potter, if you think for one second that I am one of those conquests of the amazing womaniser Sirius Black, you are certainly wrong!" She hissed quietly to him. "I'm just here for sleeping. Good night!" She huffed, went to sit on Sirius's bed and flicked her wand to get the curtains closed, leaving a shocked looking Sirius standing outside of his bed.

James sniggered quietly. "Don't they all say that," he muttered under his breath.

"Shut up, Prongs," Sirius grunted and then walked away from his bed, towards the bathroom.

Even though Sirius was away for some time, James didn't say anything to Hermione, or even acknowledge that she was still in the room. James eventually put out his reading light and tossed about in his bed until faint snoring sounds filled the silence.

Hermione too was somewhere between sleep and awake when Sirius finally came back from his evening grooming routine. He slipped into bed between the curtains and lay down facing Hermione, who was curled on her side and cracking an eye open to look at him. Sirius smiled and brushed his lips gently against hers, pulling her closer before draping the comforter over them.

"Good night." Hermione mumbled sleepily and snuggled against him, her hands flat against his chest and her legs tangling with his.

"G'night, Hermione."

Saturday, 1 October 1977

As the morning sun started to glimmer between the curtains around the bed, Hermione woke up feeling well rested. At first, she was a little confused as she took in her surroundings, but then remembered that she was actually in Sirius's bed and the boy himself was behind her, hugging her close to him as he slept, his head buried into her hair.

Her stomach jolted pleasantly as she thought about their intimate positioning. Feeling content, she yawned and stretched herself and then heard Sirius groan silently behind her.

"Hermione, please don't..." he breathed to her neck.

Hermione frowned and turned her body slightly towards him while looking at him, feeling puzzled. "Don't what, exactly?"

The movement she made when turning halfway to him made him take in another sharp breath. "I mean, love, that if you don't want to sort out my morning glory, I'll suggest you stop the not so innocent brushing," he murmured with sleepy eyes and a beguiling smile.

Hermione felt her face warm up and she rose quickly into a sitting position, pulling the comforter along with her. Her lips parted and the flush crept down to her neck as her eyes flickered over his body, stopping at the bulging tent in his pyjama bottoms that hung low on his hips, displaying a dusting of black hair that trailed a path beneath the waistband.

Sirius smirked at her. "Want to have a shower with me?" He asked and gave her an intense gaze.

Hermione cleared her dry throat and tried to will her skin back to its normal colour. "N-No, thanks, I'll manage," she stammered and licked her lips nervously, looking anywhere but him.

"I'm just taking the piss out of you, Dumbledore," Sirius chuckled and took her hand. "No need to run for the hills." He smiled at her hesitation and tugged her closer again. She lay down next to him, eyeing him warily.

"I just want to hold you," Sirius continued and brought her closer, his other hand sneaking up to her neck, his fingers tangling in her curly mane. "And you can tell me when you are ready for more, okay?" He asked softly.

At her nod, he pulled her closer to him and kissed her lightly on her lips. Hermione brought her hands up to rest against his chest as they kissed gently, leisurely tasting each other.

"I should go, you know, before the others wake up," she whispered against his lips and stood up slowly, this time taking a long look over his body. Her eyes swept over his bare, sculpted chest and well-defined abs and she admired the magically inked tattoos he had on both his shoulders and at the right side of his ribs.

"Enjoying the view?" Sirius asked with a teasing smile.

Hermione thought briefly that only a mad person wouldn't, since the boy was simply beautiful. She rolled her eyes inwardly at herself before she smiled back at him and leaned down to press a final kiss against his lips. She left hastily from the dorm and dashed into the stairway.

Sirius let out a quiet laugh and stood up to go to the bathroom to get ready for the day.

What Hermione and Sirius both had apparently missed, was that the others weren't exactly asleep. At least not all of them.

"Good morning, Pads." Remus greeted as the door to their dormitory had closed.

Sirius turned to look at Remus, who was reading a book in his bed, his bed hangings now open.

"Morning." Sirius said, grinning brightly. "So Moony…I hate to say I told you so, but...no, actually I love it, who am I kidding," he chuckled. "I told you so, mate." His smugness had no limit as he pranced towards the bathroom. "I guess every dog has its day," Sirius quipped with a playful grin.

"Pads. Hold on for a moment."

Sirius turned to Remus and lifted his brows in question.

"You had sex with her?"

Sirius frowned. "Er, no. But I had her in my bed," he said matter-of-factly.

"As I remember, the bet was about having sex in your bed, as you said, and I quote, 'Like I ever would take a bird to my bed just for sleeping', so…I think I'll be collecting this time, mate." Remus smirked at him.

Sirius was peeved but accepted his defeat while James and Remus sniggered in their respective beds, waking up Peter who watched the scene in confusion. When Sirius went to shower and get ready for the day, he reckoned that in the end the bet didn't matter. She was his witch now.

Sunday, 2 October 1977

"Sirius. Hermione," Regulus stated, snapping his book shut as Sirius and Hermione stepped into the room and closed the door behind them.

It was one of those empty classrooms on the fourth floor that no one used, which made it a perfect meeting place to discuss Regulus's possible defection. Sirius assumed his brother had suggested the place so that he could be as far away from the dungeons but not too close to the Gryffindor tower either, meeting them at middle ground.

Hermione gave Regulus a nod in greeting, while Sirius eyed his brother silently before he grunted, "Reggie."

Sirius was still unsure of his brother and his motives, and possessed a healthy amount of suspicion regarding their meeting. That was why he had asked that all three of them would be present.

Regulus licked his lips and cleared his throat. "How are you?" He asked politely, his expression blank.

Sirius was mildly surprised by his civility, but schooled his expression a moment later. He reckoned if Regulus could be courteous, he could be as well. He gave his brother a shrug. "I'm...well, thanks. The Potter residence is spacious and I'm treated like an actual human there. And…I'm getting my own flat during Christmas hols."

Regulus merely inclined his head and then there was an awkward silence.

After Hermione cleared her throat and glanced at him with a pointed look, Sirius realised it was his turn to ask the questions. "How, uh, are you?" He asked from Regulus.

His brother gave him a thin smile, apparently understanding how the conversation would go; carefully and avoiding the main topic as long as possible. "I'm alright, thanks. Summer was boring. Mother had several dinner parties. She's trying to marry me off, I think. Your name was never spoken. Father's still drinking."

"Hmm." Sirius tried to sound as nonchalant as possible. He really did not give a spare thought for his parents, but his brother had been important to him, even though they hadn't been in speaking terms for a while.

Regulus continued after a moment. "I like school this year. The classes are interesting. And so are some of the new additions..." he trailed and glanced at Hermione, his eyes flashing with mischief.

Hermione frowned and looked away.

"Watch it, wanker. It's my girlfriend you are drooling over," Sirius warned, but then cracked a smile at his brother.

Regulus’s lips curved upwards.

"So what NEWTs are you taking?" Regulus asked after a short silence.

Sirius frowned and looked at the ceiling for a moment. "Potions, Transfiguration, Charms, DADA, Care of Magical Creatures and Astronomy," he replied, starting to enjoy the conversation, even though it was unessential small talk.

"Astronomy? Really, Sirius?" Regulus snorted while Sirius grinned.

Sirius knew what his brother was thinking. They already knew everything there was to know about the stars, constellations, galaxies and other celestial objects that were the main topics in their Astronomy class, since they were taught the subject before attending school.

"So…you’re going to be an Auror?" Regulus continued with an amused smile. "How predictable."

Sirius smirked at the truth of it. "Yeah...I guess so. What about you? Mother pushing you to be a stuck-up Ministry ponce?"

Regulus lips twitched. "Something like that. Thinks I've got what it takes to take over father's seat at the Wizengamot, but she really can't wait for me to join..." he suddenly became silent and the atmosphere went suddenly tense.

Sirius's voice was toneless. "Aaand we're right on the issue."

Regulus frowned. "Yes,” he said and then glanced at Hermione.

She gave him a reassuring nod.

Regulus turned back to his brother. "I don't want to join them, Sirius," he said quietly.

"Reggie," Sirius muttered. "Reg...you don't have to do anything you don't want to", he said wearily.

"It's not that easy. I have to go to live with our parents and they'd kill me if they knew that I'm even discussing this with you." Regulus snapped and sighed. "He already requested a meeting. I cannot not go. He'll kill me if I don't show up. He'd kill our parents too."

Sirius clenched his jaw and ran a hand through his hair, inwardly cursing his parents for putting his brother through what he would be forced to face. "Yes. I know."

There was a long moment of silence. No one seemed willing to break it.

"Maybe we can figure it out…together," Sirius said hesitantly while giving his brother a scrutinising look.

Regulus gave him a small sincere smile in return. "Yeah, I'd like that."

"You'll have to take Veritaserum to prove you are for real though, you know?" Sirius said, knowing there was a hint of concern in his voice.

"I wouldn't expect anything less, big brother."

Hermione had watched the brothers silently from the sides and just then she let out a deep sigh of relief. Both Sirius and his brother turned to look at her, before two identical smirks were trained at her direction. Hermione rolled her eyes and shook her head at them.

They agreed that Hermione would talk with the Headmaster about Regulus and his plans and the possibility to place him as a spy amongst Voldemort's troops. Then Regulus was to take the Veritaserum with Dumbledore and if proven honest, he would be part of the Order.

Hermione promised to keep Regulus informed before she headed towards the door with Sirius.

"Sirius?"

"Reggie?" Sirius turned and lifted his brows.

"It was, uh, good to talk with you." Regulus said slowly.

Sirius smiled. "Yeah. It was...nice."

Regulus's mouth curved into a smile. "Alright. See you around...big brother."

"You too, little brother."

Chapter Text

Chapter 13: Confessions

Monday, 3 October 1977

Hermione had sent a note to the Headmaster about a development in their mission, after she and Sirius had met with Regulus. Dumbledore had asked her to meet him in his office on Monday evening, after dinner. As she entered his office, Professor McGonagall and the Headmaster were already waiting for her.

"Good evening, Hermione," Dumbledore said, surveying her over his half-moon spectacles. He was wearing a light blue set of robes, the same colour as his eyes.

"I understand you have some news you would like to share with us?" He continued and gestured for her to sit down in an armchair facing his desk, next to McGonagall, who smiled and nodded at Hermione in greeting.

Hermione sat down and compiled her thoughts. "It's Regulus. I met him after classes the other day and he told me he wants to defect," she said, looking carefully at the professors.

Dumbledore's brows lifted up in surprise. "Well done, Hermione. This truly is a pleasant progress in our quest," he said and smiled brightly.

Hermione nodded. "Well, yes. But I reckon I didn't do much. I mean, I only said a couple of things to him. I believe he has wanted this for a while now, and I've merely given him an excuse…" Hermione trailed off thoughtfully.

"Nevertheless, it is a great progress, Hermione." McGonagall said, beaming at her.

"Indeed." Dumbledore said with a smile and waited for Hermione to continue.

"So… Regulus wanted to talk with Sirius and we all met yesterday. Regulus told us that Voldemort has already requested a meeting with him and that he can't back out from it. He told us that he doesn't want to join Voldemort, but he thinks he has to in order to keep his family safe…" she explained.

Dumbledore studied her, humming quietly. "Then Regulus should meet Voldemort," Dumbledore said simply.

"What do you mean, Albus?" McGonagall asked sharply, her brows furrowed.

Hermione watched Dumbledore cautiously.

Dumbledore sighed and adjusted his half-moon spectacles. "It will be dangerous, but if he is willing, the Order could benefit from him being a spy. We could benefit from it," he said pointedly.

Hermione frowned but gave a hesitant nod of agreement. She didn't like the idea, even though they had discussed it with Regulus and Sirius. It was risky, even with Regulus's Occlumency skills. They all knew how powerful the Dark Lord was. But they needed Regulus’s help with the Horcruxes and they needed him to be in Voldemort's good graces in order to get enough information about them.

"And if Regulus agrees to what we are about to ask him to do, would you be his contact in the Order?" Dumbledore asked, eyeing Hermione with a searching look.

"His contact?" Hermione repeated in confusion.

"We cannot include him in the meetings, so he has to have a contact inside the Order. If Voldemort searches his mind with Legilimency, he will try to focus on finding information about the Order meetings and myself. That is the reason someone else has to be in communication with him," he clarified.

Hermione contemplated it for a moment before she inclined her head, knowing it was a reasonable request. "Sure, of course."

Dumbledore smiled briefly. "Excellent. Young Mr. Black may expose himself into great danger and we will be grateful to him for his actions," he said gravely.

"I shall meet with Regulus and I will let you know what we agree upon," Dumbledore continued and clapped his hands. "Now, should we move on to other equally pressing matters?" He asked and both McGonagall and Hermione looked at him expectantly.

"I received a letter from the Prewetts regarding their agreement to join our cause. They will be joining our meetings from now on, as well as our sessions in training to master the Fiendfyre curse," he said, looking pleased of the proceeding of matters.

"When do we start training? And where? We can hardly practice such a horrible curse inside the castle?" McGonagall asked, giving the Headmaster a sceptical look.

Dumbledore looked thoughtful for a moment. "I might have a solution for that," he said obscurely. "I will have to examine the possibility first. I will notify you about the time and place when I have more information," he continued, beaming at the women.

After a short silence, McGonagall spoke again. "If that was all, I will retreat to my quarters. Goodnight, Albus. Hermione." She nodded to them both, stood up and walked to the fireplace to floo away.

"Um…Sir…?" Hermione asked carefully after McGonagall had left through the fireplace.

"Yes, dear?"

"Do you have any new information about my situation?" She asked, bracing herself for the answer, whatever it was going to be. They hadn't really had the time to talk about her situation the last time she had met him, with Gideon and Fabian being there as well. The past month had gone so quickly, that she felt slightly guilty for not talking sooner with the Headmaster.

Dumbledore eyed her with an unreadable expression before he crossed his fingers on the table and spoke. "I have received some information regarding the circumstances of your arrival to this time."

Hermione sat straighter in her chair and waited anxiously for him to continue.

"I have consulted an associate of mine who is working with Time Magic at the Ministry." Dumbledore said, looking at her solemnly, the twinkle in his eyes missing.

Dread shivered down her spine. "You spoke with an Unspeakable? What did they say?" She asked with haste and worried her lip in anticipation.

"I am afraid there is no way to send you back to your old life, that they know of. They believe that your arrival has in fact created an alternate timeline. They also believe that if you had merely travelled back in time, you either would have ceased to exist, or you couldn't have changed anything in the past, because it had already happened," he explained carefully, while she stared back with a blank look.

"The fact that we strongly believe you have managed to change something, indicates that you are now in another timeline. I am now quite certain of it and my associate in the Ministry agrees to this presumption. I am sorry, dear," he said with a compassionate smile.

Her shoulders sagged with defeat. Although she had known it was possible, she somehow had still kept hoping that Dumbledore would have some revelation about her circumstances and found out that she could indeed be sent back. She reckoned that this verification to Dumbledore's theory from an Unspeakable, indeed decreased the possibility of her going back to her old life. She knew that if Dumbledore and the Ministry couldn't help her, there wasn't really hope left for her. She clenched her jaw and nodded, not wanting to show him how her world felt like collapsing inside her head.

Dumbledore stood up and Hermione followed suit, both walking towards the door. Before she turned to leave, he put a hand to her shoulder and spoke. "I understand we are not as close as the story we have made up for you insinuates. However, my door is always open for you, should you want to talk," he said with a kind smile, his eyes twinkling again.

Hermione couldn't say anything, as she was sure she would have either let out a sob or simply vomited. She was briefly enthralled to know which one it would've been, before she nodded and left his office.

Hermione blinked away tears as she quickly made her way to the empty seventh floor, towards the familiar corridor. She stopped just in front of the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy and turned around and began pacing in front of a blank wall. She needed to be somewhere where she could cry her heart out without anyone asking questions. And probably break a few things. She needed someplace hidden. Somewhere no one could find her. Where everything was hidden.

A door appeared in front of her and she walked inside. Hermione gaped at the sight that was waiting for her and could not help but be overwhelmed by what she was seeing. When she had asked the room for a place where no one could find her, where she could break down in peace, she hadn't expected this.

The room was the size of a large cathedral, with high windows from where the moonlight spilled in. Several torches were lit along the walls, emitting flickers of light. There were endless piles and towers of objects, probably hidden by generations of Hogwarts students, professors and house-elves. There were narrow roads between the unbalanced piles of broken and grimy furniture, as well as thousands and thousands of books which Hermione reckoned were probably banned or stolen.

She lit her wand as she started to walk further down the room. She saw chipped bottles of suspicious looking potions, hats, jewels, cloaks; something what looked like dragon eggshells, as well as corked bottles with contents that still shimmered. Hermione shivered as she realised that the place was probably the same one where Harry had hidden the Half-blood Prince's book. He had described the room to her later on and by the looks of it, she was in the same place.

Hermione let out a weary sigh and began to walk leisurely forward along one of the many alleyways between all the hidden objects. She walked past an enormous stuffed troll, and then took a random left, finally stopping beside a cupboard that seemed to have had acid thrown at its surface.

She couldn't help her curiosity and opened one of the cupboard's creaking doors. There was a cage and inside it was something that had long since died; a skeleton with five legs. She scrunched up her nose and closed the door. Her eyes flickered to a box next to the cupboard, where a chipped bust of an old warlock stood, and next to it, a tarnished tiara was lying forgotten. She continued her walk and watched her surroundings with interest until she found an old, Victorian chaise longue, on where she finally slumped.

Hermione pressed her lips together and let the memories and thoughts of her old life flood into her mind while she cried silently. She shook in place, her face buried in her hands, as she sat on the old dusty divan. She thought of her parents, her best friends and everyone else she would possibly never meet again. Eventually she lay down on the soft, albeit dirty pillows and shut her eyes, weeping until no more tears came and she only shivered, feeling utterly empty.

Some time passed and after nearly drifting into a slumber, she stood up. Hermione reckoned it would be best to leave the room before she would actually fall asleep in the midst of all the hidden junk. Who knew what else was there, waiting behind a corner. She stood up, brushed the dust from her clothes and hair and headed towards the exit.

As Hermione stepped into the corridor, she gasped loudly, holding her hand to her chest from the fright she experienced. Sirius was sitting under the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy, his knees bent and arms resting on them. He had a parchment dangling on his other hand and his wand on the other. He looked up from the sound of her and scampered up to his feet and took in her appearance.

"Hermione! What the hell happened to you? Where did you just come from?" He demanded with concern as he grabbed her from her shoulders.

Hermione figured she must've looked like a bloody nutter, considering his reaction. She let out a deep breath of relief. Sirius was there. "Oh, Sirius," she whispered and pressed herself against him, burying her face against his neck as she took shuddering breaths. "Thank Godric you are here," she continued, her voice faltering.

"Of course I'm here…What happened?" He murmured to her ear gently and soothed his hand up and down her back.

Hermione took a moment before she spoke. "I miss my old life…" she said miserably.

He didn't say anything and only hugged her tightly.

"Come on, it's getting late," Sirius said quietly after a moment, tugging her hand and leading them away from the seventh floor, towards the Gryffindor tower.

He kept glancing at her with a mix of worry and alarm in his eyes, but he stayed quiet. As they reached the empty common room, Hermione realised it had to be past curfew already. Sirius took her into his dormitory. She didn't resist or say anything to him, but simply followed him numbly.

The boys' dormitory was quiet and dark, as all the boys were fast asleep in their beds. Hermione and Sirius made their way to his bed and sat on it, across from each other. Sirius flicked his wand to shut the curtains and cast a silencing charm before looking at her closely, his eyes wide with worry as they flickered across her face.

"You want to talk about it?" He asked hesitantly, taking her hand and tracing his thumb against her knuckles.

Hermione heaved a great sigh and was quiet for a moment as she stared at their joined hands. She had to tell him something. She wanted to give him something that was real.

"Ab's not my dad," she whispered and glanced at him. "He adopted me a couple of months ago."

Sirius looked surprised but nodded. "Why?"

"Because I'm a muggleborn… To keep me safe. Because he is the reason my family isn't around anymore."

His eyes widened with shock at her mentioning Voldemort. "In Australia?" He asked. There was a hint of confusion and disbelief in his voice.

"Yes. He wanted something…someone. My friend. We were captured and brought to Wiltshire," she said and sighed inwardly; the lies were slowly eating her from the inside out.

She couldn't tell him the whole truth. There was too much at stake. She hoped it would be possible someday, perhaps when he joined the Order – if he even was going to join.

Sirius stared at her in shock. "Wiltshire…Malfoy Manor?" He said slowly, his face paling with dread.

"Yes."

"How did you get out?" He asked sharply, a calculative look in his eyes. "Do they know who you are? What happened to your friends?"

Hermione knew she couldn't tell him the truth. She had to make something up. "I managed to grab a wand and apparate the hell out of there. I was polyjuiced, so no, they didn't know who I was. And as for my friends. I left them behind. They didn't make it," she whispered the last sentence and swallowed hard, feeling anguished.

Sirius frowned and stared at her with an obscure look. "Hermione…I'm sorry," he said then, his expression turning into a sympathetic one. He had evidently seen the regret she was feeling from her eyes. "I'm sure you did what you could," Sirius continued reassuringly, squeezing her hand.

Hermione looked away and wondered for the hundredth time, what actually had happened to her friends.

"What happened in there?" He asked after a moment, although it seemed that he already had a good suspicion about it.

"What do you think happened?" She whispered and gave him an exhausted huff. "They tortured me. They beat me. They tried to rape me," she said with a tired voice.

She hadn't talked about it, not in so many words to even Dumbledore when he had asked. And even though Sirius had a nauseated and painful look in his eyes, she still reckoned it felt good to let it out. She had the right to receive pity from that at least.

"Who?" He demanded as he shook from a mix of anger and upset, clenching his jaw.

Hermione took a sharp breath. "I can't tell you that," she said with regret. She couldn't tell him their names, as she was sure he would be on his way to seek revenge on her behalf.

Sirius's eyes hardened. "Was it Lucius? His father? That fucking son of a bitch…" he growled.

Hermione shook her head. "No, it wasn't them," she said quickly.

His expression became cold, as he stared at her with a bitter look in his eyes. "But I know them, don't I? And you don't trust me not to retaliate?" He finally said quietly.

Hermione averted her eyes and stared at the bed between them.

"No, you don't know them. And even if you did, it wouldn't matter. I got out," she said and her eyes travelled back up to his piercing grey ones which displayed a hint of regret. She reached a hand to push his silky hair away from his face.

Sirius cleared his throat and frowned. "Where were you just now? On the seventh floor? How did you appear out of nowhere…?" He asked and watched her in puzzlement.

"Oh! I, uh…was thinking. I was just so lost in my thoughts I didn't see you when I was wandering through the halls," she said vaguely.

She didn't know if Sirius and the others knew about the Room of Requirement, considering it wasn't on their map, but she wasn't going to mention it, at least not yet. Before she had left the room, she had thought briefly about the room being a possible place for Dumbledore to teach them the curse – at least she was going to suggest it to him later on.

Sirius eyed her suspiciously. "What exactly are you doing with Dumbledore?"

Hermione gave him a small smile. "What do you reckon?" She said and gave him a pointed look.

His eyes widened slightly. "The Order…"

She nodded in acknowledgement.

"I want in. I want to fight," he said immediately, a determined look on his face.

Hermione sighed. "Well, it's up to the Headmaster. But I don't think he takes in any students."

He lifted his brows at her.

"Niece." She said with an innocent smirk.

Sirius huffed and shook his head in mild amusement.

Hermione stifled a yawn.

"Let's go to sleep," he said and gave her a hesitant look. "Stay with me?"

"Okay." She smiled and stretched her back. "Merlin, I need to bring a toothbrush in here," she joked, shaking her head slightly.

Sirius merely smirked and tugged her hand as he stood up, pulling her out of the bed with him.

"What are you – "

"Shhh," he shushed and led her to the bathroom.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him but followed him quietly.

"Here," he handed her his toothbrush as soon as they closed the bathroom door behind them.

Then, Sirius stripped his clothes right in front of her and slipped into the shower. Hermione's mouth dropped from the unexpected move and she just stood in place, blinking, her round eyes trained on the darkened glass door that led to the shower.

"You okay there, Hermione?" Sirius asked with a gleeful voice while he washed himself.

Hermione cleared her throat and went towards the sink. She regarded herself from the mirror and almost gave herself a fright when she saw that her hair was bushier than usual, her skin was blotchy and her eyes and lips were swollen and red from crying. As she started to brush her teeth, her thoughts wandered back to Sirius and what she had just witnessed. She thought of his rippling stomach and flawless chest, how every tiny section of him was perfectly contoured, the way his skin looked so smooth and the light dusting of black hair that ran down his belly, leading to his…

"You done?" He murmured behind her, in all his naked glory, water dripping down his hair and body. Hermione gaped at him through the mirror and coughed awkwardly. Sirius smirked at her, seeming to be pleased with her reaction. She just nodded, wide-eyed and handed him the toothbrush before dashing out of the bathroom. He laughed and went to brush his teeth.

A moment later Sirius came back to his bed, where Hermione was waiting for him with a wary look. She felt relieved as she saw him wearing his pyjama bottoms. Sirius merely smiled and lay down next to her, tugging her closer and placing his chin on top of her head.

"Sirius…"

"Yeah?"

"Have you practiced Occlumency?"

"Sure. Everyone in my family does," he said easily.

Hermione resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"You can't tell anyone what we discussed," she said, backing away slightly and looking at him into his eyes.

Sirius nodded and gave her a sincere look. "You can trust me, Hermione."

"I know." She smiled and pressed herself against him, breathing in his soothing scent.

"By the way...How did you happen to be on the seventh floor, right where I was?" She whispered. She knew he had had the Marauder's Map in his hands, so he must've seen her leaving the Headmaster's office and disappearing from the Map, since the Room of Requirement wasn't in it.

"Ask me no questions and I tell you no lies, Dumbledore," he murmured and gave her a kiss on the top of her head.

Hermione huffed and rolled her eyes. They both drifted quickly to sleep.

Sunday, 9 October 1977

Hermione was devoting her Sunday morning to her studies again, as Sirius and the other seventh year Gryffindors were sleeping late.

She had somewhat given up researching time magic after the discussion she had had with Dumbledore earlier that week, when the Headmaster had practically told her that there was no hope for her to return back into her old life.

However, there were still a handful of other things to look into. There was the mystery of the fifth Horcrux, something that had proven to be quite difficult to find out. There was also the poison and antidote research regarding the locket, for which Hermione had now found several mind-altering and torturing poisons that could've been used to protect the Horcrux.

Unfortunately, she had less time to look into those things these days, as she had started to spend more time with Sirius and the rest of the seventh year Gryffindors outside of classes. And when Hermione had thought the weekend mornings would be the perfect time for research, Regulus had made an occurring theme to join her in the library during those hours. Even if Regulus was going to join their cause, she wasn't going to reveal anything to him until Dumbledore had approved it. 

True to his habit, Regulus approached her some time later.

"May I join you?" he asked quietly as he walked up to her table in the corner, watching her with an unreadable expression.

"Yes, of course." Hermione said with a kind smile.

"So... How are things?" She asked tentatively as he sat down next to her.

On Friday, Sirius and Regulus had met the Headmaster to confirm Regulus's allegiances with the help of Veritaserum. Sirius had insisted that he should attend the meeting and also be the one asking some of the questions from his brother, since, according to him, he was the only one who truly knew how Regulus thought and functioned. All Hermione knew, was that Dumbledore himself had asked a couple of questions before appearing satisfied, but Sirius had apparently dug a bit deeper, wanting to know exactly what his brother's motives were and why he had chosen to do this now. She had also learned that Regulus came out clear, as the Headmaster had sent her a letter in which he briefly mentioned that their plans were going to be set in motion.

"Brilliant." He replied with a hint of sarcasm, glancing at her without emotion.

Hermione was somewhat confused because he was so hard to read, that she didn't know what to say to him. She merely frowned and turned back to her studies. It was frustrating since she was now his contact and she barely knew him and still, she was supposed to interact with him frequently.

"I mean, who wouldn't love it, when the Headmaster himself hears your deepest and darkest thoughts, because your own brother decides to torment you for fun," he glanced at her with a small smirk.

Hermione chuckled. "Well, I'm sure you would have done the same to him, right?" She muttered.

Regulus laughed. "I would've, but the guy doesn't exactly have any secrets, not when he's always walking around the school and bragging about himself," he said humorously.

A smile tugged at Hermione's lips. She did know that Sirius had his moments.

She studied him silently for a moment. "How can you be so unreadable at times and so…unreserved at others?" she asked him with a cautious smile.

"I'm a Black?" he suggested blankly.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Very funny."

Regulus smirked. "I know."

She stifled a laugh and shook her head in exasperation. She had the feeling that perhaps them working together wouldn't be so difficult, after all.

They studied for a while without speaking until he glanced at her direction to see what she was scribbling in her parchment. There was a list of potion ingredients as well as some other notes.

"What are you planning to brew?" He asked and watched her reaction, his mouth twitching a bit as she flinched.

"Oh! Well, nothing, I'm just researching for our potion's project," she said vaguely. After finishing her schoolwork, she had found a couple of things from their potions textbook which she decided to add to her own poisons research.

Regulus studied her closely. She had a feeling that he saw right through her. She tried not to blush and instead held his stare.

"What it is about?" He asked, his brow arching slightly as she shuffled the parchment under her Transfiguration notes.

She grimaced inwardly at her lack of subtlety and tried to appear nonchalant. "Um…you know, uncommon poisons and antidotes," she said with a shrug.

He gave her a sceptical look, but didn't press the matter. She had an inkling that he knew that she wasn't telling him the truth.

"Yeah, I know," he said quietly.

Hermione changed the topic to NEWT level Transfiguration and together they speculated what was likely to be tested in the NEWTs. Regulus seemed to be quite pleased to have a conversation about their courses, even though she was a year ahead of him.

Saturday, 22 October 1977

It was their third Hogsmeade weekend and Hermione had promised to go shopping with the seventh year Gryffindor girls in order to find them dresses for the Halloween ball next weekend. During the past couple of weeks, between her studies, research and spending time with Sirius, Hermione barely had had the time to talk with her dorm mates, even though she lived with them and had meals and classes with them. Hermione reckoned that she missed some girl time and so she left the castle in high spirits, even though shopping itself wasn't one of her favourite things to do.

As they walked along the main street of the village, which was bustling with eager students from third year and up, Hermione thought about her previous Hogsmeade trip with Sirius. He had taken her to the Shrieking Shack, through a hidden and charmed door in the back of the building. It had been odd to be there again. She had been instantly reminded about the night when Pettigrew had escaped and when Sirius and Remus had been reunited after twelve years.

Sirius had quickly caught her sudden change of mood and had managed to cheer her up and make the pressing thoughts disappear from the forefront of her mind. Eventually, they had cleaned the place up and had spent the day in a clean and intact bed, kissing and talking.

She was snapped out from her thoughts as Lily opened the door to the Gladrags Wizardwear, where they all marched inside. The shop was packed with girls who all swarmed through the store, excitedly browsing the racks of dresses. The seventh year Gryffindors scattered in different ways, flipping through the gowns and dresses suited for a Halloween ball. Hermione reckoned the shop was always stocked to respond for demand, since the place wasn't that big after all.

Hermione looked over a couple of gowns, not having a clue of what she should wear. The girls had talked about a simple gown and mask combination and she had thought it sounded fairly manageable. At least she did before she saw all the dresses hanging on the racks, waiting for her to go through them. Hermione sighed inwardly and moved further in the shop.

Fifteen minutes later, Lily called for her from the other side of the shop. "Mione, come here! I found just the perfect one for you.”

Hermione went to her and scrunched up her nose when she saw what Lily was holding up.

She shook her head vigorously. "Absolutely not," she said and gave Lily an incredulous look. Although the dress was a charming black one, with an intricate bead pattern across the seams, the bust dipped far too low for her taste. Lily regarded the dress for a moment.

"Well, I suppose it is a bit revealing. Although you could totally pull it off. And since you are going with the bad boy…" she said, waggling her brows at Hermione.

Hermione huffed at her in response.

"Okay. I'll just find you something less revealing then." Lily said with a laugh and went to search the racks.

Hermione chuckled. "Lily, you don't have to, I'll manage on my own, really. Besides, shouldn't you be searching for your own gown?"

"Oh, I already found one." She said with a bright smile and showed Hermione a simple, emerald green chiffon gown, the colour matching her eyes perfectly.

"It's beautiful." Hermione said quietly and smiled at Lily.

They both turned to browse the racks again and after a while, Hermione had grabbed a couple of gowns with her to try on. In the dressing room, she saw Marlene eyeing herself appreciatively from a tall mirror. She was wearing the revealing black dress with a plunging neckline, the one Lily had offered to her first. Hermione couldn't help but feel inadequate when she saw the dress fitting Marlene's flawless figure perfectly. She reckoned that Sirius was probably used to dating the model-like girls. Girls like Marlene…

Hermione knew it was silly to feel that way since Sirius had been nothing but eager to be with her, even though he probably could've chosen almost any girl in the school. She also knew it was pointless to stress over what anyone thought of her. Still, she couldn't help it, feeling a bit insecure. She had never dated anyone, never had sex with anyone, hell, she had barely kissed a boy before Sirius. And when she had been fancying Ron when they had been in school, he had chosen Lavender instead. That really hadn't helped matters. Heaving a sigh, Hermione shook away the thoughts and went to try the gowns she had brought with her.

"Well?" Lily called from the other side of the stall. Hermione was trying out her third dress and the others had already found what they were looking for. Lily and Mary were waiting in the dressing room while Alice was absently browsing through racks, with Marlene having gone already as she had told the girls she was meeting someone for an early lunch.

"Er…I'm not so sure about this…I mean, I love it, but…" Hermione said hesitantly and came out from the stall. Both Lily and Mary gasped.

She wore a long, fuchsia and silver gown with a crystal encrusted, high halter neckline bodice with an open back. The rich satin skirt reached to the floor.

"Bugger me…" Mary muttered distractedly, while gaping at the sight in front of her. "You look amazing, Hermione!" Mary exclaimed while Lily nodded beside her fervently.

"Think so? Should I take it?" Hermione asked with uncertainty.

"YES!" Both girls exclaimed and Hermione laughed.

She quite liked the gown and so she bought it, vowing herself to use it more than in this one occasion, since the dress had cost an arm and a leg. After Hermione was done with her purchase, the girls left to visit the other shops before lunch.

"Are you going to the ball with someone?" Hermione asked, glancing at Mary, who was walking beside her along the main street.

Lily and Alice were ahead of them, chattering animatedly about the upcoming ball. There were still many students wandering around the village, some of them browsing the shop windows and others merely walking and enjoying the crisp, outside air. It had been raining for several days before their Hogsmeade weekend, but now the sky had finally cleared.

Mary looked a bit sad. "No…I, uh… Well, I suppose you know how I feel about Remus, don't you?" She asked, cringing a little and glancing back at Hermione.

"Oh! No… Well, yes, I suppose I had my assumptions," Hermione said politely. "So…have you told him?" She asked and watched Mary with a frown.

She wondered if Remus knew and tried to think back if he had said something about Mary.

Mary sighed. "Yeah, I told him just the other week. I mean, we've had something going on for a while now and he even kissed me once before summer. We were at a party and we were both drunk when it happened and I think he regretted it the next day. He apologised his behaviour and kept his distance for some time." Mary explained, adjusting her scarf. "When the school started again and we were at the start of school party, we danced together and it was, um…pretty intense for a bit," she said and smirked at Hermione.

Hermione smiled. "Did you talk after the party?" She hadn't seen their dance but remembered the chaste kiss Remus had given Mary during the game of drink or dare.

Mary shook her head and looked down. "I kinda waited for him to bring it up, but when he didn't, I confronted him. It only took over a month to do so…" She worried her lip and looked at Hermione.

"What did he say?" Hermione was intrigued, although she suspected it probably wasn't anything good since Mary was not happy about it. Hermione had talked with Remus occasionally and he at least hadn't mentioned anything to her.

"Well…" Mary started and sighed. "He said that he can't be with anyone. That he doesn't want to hurt me. It's like he already knows it's going to end, you know?" She said with frustration, looking miserable.

Hermione sighed inwardly. It seemed that Remus was protecting Mary from himself. Hermione felt quite sad for them both. Remus deserved happiness. She remembered the older him trying to push Tonks away as well and probably would have succeeded if the Metamorphmagus hadn't been as determined as she was.

"Yeah, I have a faint idea…" Hermione muttered.

She thought that it was perhaps a time to have a little chat with Moony.

Chapter Text

Chapter 14: Confrontation

Monday, 24 October 1977

Dumbledore had sent a note to Hermione on the weekend, asking her to join in a meeting on Monday evening. She assumed that the Headmaster had finally found a place where they could start practicing the Fiendfyre curse. Dumbledore had instructed her to meet with Gideon, who would bring her to their meeting place. Hermione was curious to see where they would be going and was waiting anxiously for the evening to come.

At the end of their Defence class Gideon asked Hermione to stay behind again. Her classmates didn't seem to think anything of it anymore, since everyone thought that Hermione was going through the Hogwarts's curriculum with their professor. Her friends packed their belongings and left the class, while Sirius lingered a bit longer, kissing her on the cheek and promising to wait outside, before he too exited the classroom.

Hermione walked into the front of the classroom, eyeing a large picture of a Dullahan, a type of an evil fairy, from the open book that lay on Gideon's desk as they waited for the last of the students to leave the classroom.

Gideon spoke after the door closed. "So…I believe you received a note from the Headmaster about my brother and me joining the, ah…mission," he said and watched her expectantly.

"Yes, he told me. And did you receive a note about today's meeting?" Hermione asked nervously.

"Yes, I did."

"Okay. So…"

"It is beginning, Hermione,” he said with a sombre look.

She nodded.

"Are you ready?" He added with a hint of concern in his eyes.

Hermione frowned. Did she have any choice? "Are you?" Hermione asked, challenging him.

"No." Gideon said with a serious face but then he broke into a grin and laughed.

Hermione smiled. "Well, I suppose neither am I, but I have to try at least, right?" Hermione said quietly, giving him a look of determination.

"Yeah," he said and chewed the inside of his cheek. "Come here after dinner and we'll leave through my floo,” he said and stood up, dismissing her.

Hermione nodded and left the classroom, her thoughts wandering. She had forgotten that Sirius had said he would wait for her and was startled when she saw him leaning against the wall next to the classroom.

"Oh, hi," she stammered, her mind still in disorder.

Sirius grinned. "So that kind of visit, then? Forgetting me already…" he said teasingly.

Hermione rolled her eyes at him.

Sirius barked a laugh. "I'm just messing with you, love," he said. "Let's go to lunch, yeah?" He continued and took her hand in his.

Her expression softened and she followed him as they headed towards the Great Hall.

"Gonna tell me what Prewett wanted?" he asked, glancing at her warily. "Are you even going through the DADA material anymore? Or were you just using it as a red herring to talk Order business?" He asked quietly, a knowing look on his face.

Hermione blanched and looked around them. She spotted an empty classroom on her left and dragged Sirius inside the dim lit room, the only light coming from between the closed window shutters. After a couple of wards and silencing charms at the door, she hissed, "You know better than to talk about that in the halls, Sirius!"

He merely lifted his brows at her, arms crossed over his lean chest. Her focus faltered a bit as her gaze wandered over his muscular arms and chest.

She then sighed. "Yes, it's a diversion," she said and worried her lip in contemplation.

"So he's in the Order too?" Sirius asked blankly.

"Yes," Hermione said and nodded. "And I'm meeting him tonight as well. Just so you know," she said quietly and took a step closer to him. He unfolded his arms and took a hold of her waist, while she placed her hands flat against his chest.

"Why are you seeing him?" He asked mutedly, eyeing her closely.

Hermione knew she couldn't say anything about it. "You know I can't talk about it with anyone…" She said carefully, studying his reaction.

Sirius looked annoyed and she understood why. He wanted to join the fight, to do something that mattered. She slid her arms around his waist, hugging him close and breathing in his calming scent. She felt him relax against her.

"Keep nuzzling me like that and we'll skip lunch, Dumbledore," he murmured roughly while his hands smoothed up and down her curves.

"You are insatiable, you know?" She said and looked up at him with a small smile.

"Nope. Just a bloke." Sirius replied with a smirk. "A patient one, might I add."

Although they had had quite a heated snog in the Shrieking Shack the other day, he still hadn't urged them to move forward. Hermione knew Sirius had been fairly patient with her, letting her set the pace. She appreciated it a lot.

"Yes, you are," she whispered and reached up to kiss him.

Sirius hummed as Hermione slid her hands into his wild tangle of hair. The kiss grew more passionate, more urgent and soon it seemed that the feel of their lips and tongues against each other were not enough to satisfy their growing need. Hermione shivered with desire as Sirius’s hands trailed down her back, caressing her bum and pulling her against his hips.

Sirius's lips followed the angle of her jaw and the curve of her neck with soft kisses until he scraped his teeth gently down her skin. Hermione gasped, feeling charged and warm. She tugged at his hair and pressed herself closer to him, drawing out a quiet groan from his lips.

He walked them to lean against the nearest wall, kissing her lips with a slow but hungry pace, his fingers skimming downwards over the fabric of her skirt and then slowly trailing up her bare thigh, while his other hand held her waist. Hermione could only kiss back with eagerness and arch herself against him, desperate to be as close to him as possible. She knew where they were going, but she didn’t want to stop.

Sirius broke their kiss and turned his heated gaze at her, to silently ask her permission to go forward, while his hands moved over her bare skin, caressing the sensitive skin of her inner thighs. Trembling, she gave him a slight nod and let out a breathy sigh as he brushed his fingertips over her knickers.

Sirius watched her closely, a look of awe on his face as he saw the way she writhed when he touched her and as he heard the sounds she made when he caressed her core through the thin fabric of her underwear. His gaze was so intense and heated that Hermione closed her eyes, frowning slightly as she tried to suppress the small feeling of embarrassment on the back of her head.

Sirius hesitated and stilled.

Hermione blinked, eyeing him hesitantly. "Don't stop," she whispered.

Sirius licked his lips, seeming to be fighting off the urge to rip their clothes off and have his way with her. He swallowed hard. "I won't, love,” he breathed and continued paying attention to the junction of her thighs, leaning down to mouth the side of her neck.

Hermione twitched against him, her breathing quickening. The next moment, his hand dipped inside her knickers and her breath hitched as he touched her wet slit.

"Fuck, you feel amazing…" Sirius grunted against her neck, slowly stroking her wet core.

When he pushed one finger inside her, followed quickly by another, she moaned in pleasure. Sirius nibbled her throat, his fingers caressing her with a leisurely pace as he explored her.

Hermione closed her eyes, almost getting lost into the feeling. No one had ever done that to her. It was…exquisite, intimate and thrilling, to feel someone's touch like that. To feel Sirius like that. It was like he knew exactly how to pleasure her, where to touch to make her melt, to make her moan.

It was almost unbearable.

Sirius slowly dragged his lips up, over her jaw and cheek, until they hovered over her lips, his hot breath coming in puffs against her lips.

"Look at me, Hermione," he whispered, his hand between her legs stilling. "I want you to see me when I make you come."

Hermione breath caught in her throat before she opened her eyes, her cheeks flaming at his words. "Kiss me."

He closed the distance between their lips, kissing her softly, patiently. As she sighed against his mouth, tugging his black locks in urgency, he deepened the kiss, tasting her with his tongue, licking the seam of her lips. She could only pant against his lips and pull him closer to her, kiss him back with every bit of skill she possessed, all the while his expert fingers did the most delicious things to her body.

"Hermione," Sirius murmured, moving back to watch her. "You're so fucking beautiful."

He captured her lips again to devour her. Hermione nearly lost herself in the singing of her blood, in his touch and flavour. She sighed longingly as her hips moved against his hand. "Sirius... Oh, gods! More!"

Sirius cursed under his breath, thrusting his hips against her as his hand moved inside her at the same pace. Hermione could feel his erection through the layers of their clothing and the thought of it made shivers run down her spine. Then, Sirius slid his other hand inside his slacks, reaching to please himself. Hermione writhed at the thought and the building need under his fingers, her inner muscles clenching, silently pleading him to go faster.

Sirius let out a strangled sound, dropping his head against her shoulder. He curled his fingers inside her, drawing out another whimper from her lips.

"Sirius, please!" She gasped as he rubbed along her inner walls.

"Please what?" He murmured. "You mean this?" He asked and looked up at her, his lips twitching as he swiped his thumb against her clit.

Hermione’s breath hitched and she practically lurched towards him. "Ah...yes!" She whispered urgently, pulling him closer to her, crashing her lips to his with an intensified desire.

A mix of tension and pleasure was burning in her, surging through her. Sirius licked and bit her lips fervently until she tensed, until the pleasure began to explode through her body, until her every cell vibrated and until she found her bliss. She clamped her legs together around his hand and cried out in release, quivering against him as he followed her over the edge with a muffled groan.

Hermione held onto him tightly, trembling as they both caught their breath, their warm breaths mingling, their lips brushing against one another. Sirius took his wand and cast a quick cleaning charm to his hands and slacks, before pulling her closer to him, soothing his hands against her back.

As they broke off from their embrace, she looked up at him in a mix of shyness and awe.

"That was incredible. Not even close to what I've experienced before." She whispered with a bashful look.

"I know." Sirius gave her a cocky grin.

When Hermione pursed her lips at him, his expression quickly turned into a sincere smile. He pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "There might be still time to have lunch. Do you want to go?"

"Yes, please." She gave him a smile.

After tidying up their appearances, they left the classroom and headed towards the Great Hall again.

"I can't believe we actually did that…in a classroom! In broad daylight nonetheless..." Hermione muttered, feeling shocked, only then realising what had happened between them.

Sirius chuckled and squeezed her closer to him. "Oh, Dumbledore. We're gonna have so much fun."

While the girls, Remus and Peter were in Herbology, James and Sirius had a free period. They were spending it in their dorm, planning their next pranks and playing a game of Exploding Snap.

After a game of Snap, during which James's bed hangings had caught fire, they were both lounging on their respective beds, with Sirius flipping through a muggle motorcycle magazine and James studying the Marauder's Map.

"How are things with Hermione?" James asked, in the middle of trying out some new enchantments on the Map.

"Okay, I guess…" Sirius replied absently, browsing the magazine before throwing it on the nightstand next to his bed. He thought about what had happened with Hermione earlier that day and how mind-blowing it had been. "It's really good. If I'm ignoring the waiting part…" he said, giving his friend a small grimace.

James chuckled. "Yeah, that's a bitch. How are you handling it?" He questioned, his gaze moving over Sirius's face.

"I can wait as long as it takes," Sirius replied, shrugging nonchalantly.

Sirius knew he hadn't been nearly as patient with anyone before, which was probably the reason why James seemed somewhat surprised.

James's questioning look turned into a knowing one. "You loooooove her, mate," he laughed.

"Sod off, Prongs." Sirius said with a roll of his eyes. "I fancy her. It's just…I'm giving her time. I mean…she hasn’t done anything like that before," he said hesitantly.

"Yeah? So…what were you up to before lunch, in an empty classroom?" James questioned, giving his friend a meaningful look.

"Nothing much. Just having a talk," Sirius said with an indifferent look, assuming James had probably spotted them from the Map. “And stop stalking me, mate," he added with a pointed look.

James seemed unaffected by his demands and merely shrugged innocently.

"Has she told you about Australia? Seems to keep oddly quiet about it…" James asked after a brief silence, watching Sirius with a searching look.

Sirius grunted in acknowledgement. "Some things, yeah."

Even though he wanted to tell his friend about Hermione's past – everything that she had told him – he still had promised her that he wouldn't talk about it to anyone.

James eyed him sceptically but said nothing more to the subject.

Later in the evening, the Gryffindors were spending time in front of the fireplace in their common room. Hermione told her friends that she was off to meet the Headmaster before she got up from the sofa and gave a quick kiss to Sirius, who pulled her on his lap and surprised her by proceeding to snog her thoroughly.

As Sirius’s fingers slid over her bum, a move that earned disgusted groans from their friends, Hermione quickly pried his hands away and scampered back on her feet. She narrowed her eyes at the raven-haired wizard as James and Peter sniggered next to them, while Sirius merely smiled innocently at her. With a huff, she left the common room and headed towards Gideon's office, nervous in anticipation.

Once there, she knocked enthusiastically on the door. Gideon let her in, smiling as he saw the impatient look in her eyes.

"A bit eager, are we?" He asked teasingly, earning an arched brow from her.

Further from the room came a short laugh. It was Fabian.

"I reckon you ought to be careful with her, brother…I know that look and it usually doesn't lead to anything delightful." Fabian said with a sly grin. He turned to Hermione who stepped inside Gideon's office.

"Nice to meet you again, Hermione," Fabian said easily, eyeing her with an appreciative look.

Gideon gave his brother a wry glance.

"What? I am not her professor," Fabian continued and winked at Hermione.

Although she wasn't used to that kind of attention from the male population, she had still grown up with the Weasley twins. The Prewett twins' antics were shockingly similar to their future nephews, which made her feel bit of at ease in their presence. She merely rolled her eyes at Fabian and greeted them both.

"So, are we waiting for Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall, or…?" She asked a bit awkwardly.

"No, we shall meet them in our destination." Gideon replied and gestured for her to follow him towards the fireplace.

"Last moment to back out, little Dumbledore…" Fabian said with a teasing voice.

"Back at you, Prewett," Hermione pointed out and walked up to Gideon who was waiting in front of the fireplace.

The brothers exchanged an amused look.

Gideon took a handful of floo powder, threw it in the flames and yelled, "Druidaig Cottage!" before stepping into the flames and disappearing from his office.

Fabian motioned Hermione to go next. She followed Gideon's example, anxious of what was waiting for her in her destination. After her short floo-trip, she stumbled out of the fireplace on the other end and saw the familiar figures of the Headmaster, Professor McGonagall and Gideon. She moved to the side to give Fabian room as she heard him coming behind her.

Hermione took in her surroundings. They were inside a charming cottage and based on the view from the large windows, which were opening to the majestic mountains overlooking a lake and an old castle that was looming further, she reckoned they were somewhere in Scottish Highlands.

"Wow," she muttered as she eyed the spectacular view and reckoned it was probably even more breath-taking in daylight. She then remembered the reason she was there and turned to the Headmaster and her head of house.

Dumbledore surveyed them all. "Thank you for coming. And first, may I offer my gratitude to Minerva here, who graciously invited us to Letterfearn, her home," he nodded at McGonagall who gave him a small smile in return.

Hermione's brows rose up at the bit of information, but based on their expressions it seemed that the Prewetts already knew they were in McGonagall's house.

They were in the sitting room, or so she suspected as she spotted a large bookshelf that was filled with books on the opposite wall and a seating area surrounding them and the fireplace behind her. Hermione saw a glimpse of the kitchen from an archway, holding a small, round table and chairs around it. She glanced on the opposite side of the room and saw a similar archway that led to the hallway and third archway on the other side where she spotted a stairway up. Between the large windows in the sitting room, she noticed a door that led to the patio she hadn't seen when she had first taken a look at the view.

"The nearest village being quite far away from here, I thought the place would be suitable for our purpose. There is an ancient underground fortification nearby and I have managed to strengthen it magically, making it more sufficient for our activities." Dumbledore explained matter-of-factly.

Dumbledore then eyed the others for a moment before he continued. "Shall we?"

Everyone nodded before Dumbledore led the way outside where they met the freezing air. Hermione shivered and berated herself for not taking her winter coat with her. Suddenly warmth spread through her. She looked around in surprise.

"Are you a witch or not?" Fabian whispered to her ear and laughed lightly when he heard Hermione mutter under her breath.

After a short stride down the hill and a couple of warming charms later, they entered the underground complex, blinking in the darkness until Dumbledore flicked his wand and several lit torches appeared on the walls.

Hermione's eyes widened at the sight. The place was an enormous chamber, larger than the Great Hall at Hogwarts. Its walls stretched up so far that the ceiling was beyond her field of vision. There must've been an extension charm of some sort, since she was certain they hadn't descended that much down the hill. The chamber itself was empty, without any decoration except the many torches along the walls which were emitting a flickering light to the room.

Dumbledore walked in front of them and turned to face them. "I believe you all have looked into this curse you are trying to master?" He asked and Hermione and the others nodded.

"As you probably now know, the difficult part is to control and cease the flames. We will go through the steps how to cast, control and cease the cursed fire. There is also one useful charm against the curse that you should learn. Are you familiar with the Partis Temporis charm?" Dumbledore asked, eyeing them expectantly.

They all nodded and he continued, "It is an effective charm to disperse the flames temporarily, not allowing the curse to take full form and thus making it less destructive. The wand movement is similar to the one ceasing the flames. The curse itself is a non-verbal charm, as is the charm to cease the flames. First, we will go through the wand movements for casting and ceasing the curse. Then you will go through them in pairs while I will add some reinforcements to the chamber."

Dumbledore went through the wand movements multiple times and they paired up. Gideon turned to Hermione, while Fabian smirked at his brother before he turned to pair with McGonagall.

They practiced the wand movements for the curse in silence for some time and then practiced the Partis Temporis charm by conjuring a pile of sand and casting the dispersing charm on the sand.

When Dumbledore seemed satisfied with their wand movements, he motioned for them to get ready. Hermione braced herself, her wand at the ready. Somehow, she hadn't thought that they would jump that fast into action, but then again, she knew that charms were always better learnt by practicing - not only the wand movements but casting as well. She noticed that Gideon was clenching his jaw next to her, watching Dumbledore in anticipation.

The Headmaster waved his wand in an intricate pattern and just before a large form of fire soared up from his wand, Hermione felt coldness spread down from her neck. She wondered if her body was reacting to dark magic and if the others felt the same. The flame took the form of an eagle and it was obvious that Dumbledore was putting everything he had to keep the curse from attacking them.

"Hermione!" The Headmaster shouted.

She jumped next to him, blood rushing in her ears as she cast the dispersing charm. Her charm parted the eagle with a channel that was created in the middle of the wild, encircling flames, making the curse loose its form. After a moment, sweat coated her brow and her hand started to shake as the dispersing charm took too much of her powers.

"Minerva!" The Headmaster shouted again.

McGonagall walked up to stand next to Hermione, using the non-verbal incantation to cease the flames. It took her many attempts but the flames stayed put, flickering only slightly as she waved her wand.

Hermione was losing her strength quickly and shouted in panic, "I can't hold on much longer!"

Dumbledore's focus never wavered from the cursed fire, which had taken a form of a raging chimaera. "Switch!" He shouted and Gideon and Fabian took place next to him, while Hermione and McGonagall stepped back, both breathing heavily.

Fabian cast the dispersing charm which made the cursed fire lose its form again, while his brother tried to cease the flames. Hermione watched the scene anxiously and noticed that Dumbledore was swaying slightly.

"Stop it now!" Hermione shouted in panic.

McGonagall too stared at the Headmaster, her expression tightened with worry and shock.

Dumbledore waved his wand again, ceasing the flames effectively. He shook a little and breathed heavily. McGonagall quickly conjured a chair for him and the Headmaster sat down, resting after the ordeal.

"That was an acceptable start," he said quietly, looking thoughtful as he glanced at the others.

Hermione gaped at him. "Acceptable? You almost lost your strength! Do you have any idea of what might've happened then? We would have died!" She cried in panic.

The Prewetts stared at her outburst in surprise, as she all but screamed bloody murder at Dumbledore. McGonagall watched the scene with a small smile tugging her lips. Dumbledore eyed Hermione calmly and finally he chuckled.

"I suppose you are right, dear niece." He looked at her over his half-moon spectacles, his eyes twinkling.

Hermione let out a weary sigh. "I'm sorry. For yelling at you," she muttered in embarrassment.

"Not to worry, dear. Next time I will stop sooner. I have to say, it is quite nice to have someone taking care of my wellbeing, Hermione," he said with a kind smile.

They agreed to call it a night and the Headmaster promised to contact them again before their next practice. They walked back to McGonagall's house in the darkness, the only light coming from their wands and the stars above them. Everyone was silent and Hermione suspected that the others were as exhausted as she was. It really had taken almost all her powers and she didn't even want to imagine what it would be like to cast the curse and maintain it.

She stumbled out of the floo in Gideon's office with Gideon and Fabian following her, while Dumbledore and McGonagall stayed behind in cottage. Hermione felt a hand on her shoulder as she turned to leave the office.

"You okay, Hermione?" Gideon asked with concern.

"Yes, of course. Just a bit knackered, that's all," she muttered and headed towards the door.

"You know you can come to me if there is anything you want to talk about," Gideon said quietly.

"Yes. Thanks Gideon. Goodnight," Hermione replied, glancing back at him and Fabian, who were both watching her with drained expressions.

"Night." The twins replied to her, before she left the office.

She walked back to the Gryffindor Tower through the dark and quiet halls. It was late and she couldn't wait to get into her bed and have a good night's rest before their classes the next day.

Hermione had thought the common room would be empty, since it was probably past midnight already, but as she stepped inside the tower, she was startled.

James was sitting in front of the fireplace, in an armchair that faced the portrait hole. He stared at her with an expressionless look on his face that made her feel a bit uncomfortable.

"Hi James. Why are you up so late?" She asked, a bit out of breath as she approached him slowly.

He lifted a brow at her. "Could ask you the same thing."

Hermione shrugged. "I told you, I was meeting the Headmaster."

"Is that so?" He asked darkly, obviously not believing a word.

Hermione let out a small sigh, realising that James must have seen her in the Map, at Gideon's office.

"Well, yes. Not that it's any of your business – "

James bolted up from the chair and came closer to her. "It is actually if you are going to be in Sirius's life. And if you are lying to him and the rest of us," he hissed and glared at her.

Hermione thought bitterly that James was just like Harry in the sense of letting his temper get the best of him. However, she was taken a bit aback by his accusations.

"So tell me, where were – " James didn't finish his sentence as his eyes widened in shock and he snatched his wand, pointing it at her. "I can sense it. Dark Magic. What the hell are you playing at?"

Hermione felt stunned. "James, it's nothing. I haven't done anything. Please move your wand away," she said slowly, her voice wavering a bit as she tried to calm him down and give him an earnest look. She couldn’t just tell him what she had been up to, but she had to make him understand that she wasn’t a threat to anyone.

James didn't move and merely glared at her and snatched her wand from her pocket, where her hand was slowly reaching.

"Stop it, James! Honestly! You have misunderstood this," Hermione said sharply, narrowing her eyes at him.

James arched a brow at her. "Then tell me something real," he said with a demanding voice.

Hermione gritted her teeth, her mind whirling. What the hell was she supposed to tell him? She had to make him trust her and she knew she had to give him something that would make him get off her back. "Fine."

He lowered his wand hesitantly and gave hers back. She took her wand and began walking around them, casting charms non-verbally.

"What are you doing?" James asked with alarm in his voice.

"Just protective charms. I don't want to be overheard if you are demanding information from me."

"We are in the Gryffindor Common room, Hermione…" he said incredulously.

"Yes, I know that. But I also know that you have an Invisibility Cloak and I know the way to enter the other houses' common rooms." She said plainly and continued casting.

"How in name of Merlin's wrinkled ballsack – " he began, but stopped when she gave him a sharp look.

He watched her in shock for a moment before he spoke again. "Okay, I suppose you are right. But I'll want to know exactly how you found out about the cloak," he muttered, frowning at her in irritation.

When she was done with her charms, she turned back to him, her expression serious.

"You wanted to know something real?"

"Yeah."

“And you promise not to tell a soul what you’re about to learn?” She demanded, knowing he would probably still talk with Sirius, Remus and Peter, but confident that the information would stay between them.

James gave her a tight nod. “Wizard’s oath.”

"…I'm in the Order," she said quietly, staring into his hazel eyes with a daring look.

James's brows lifted in surprise. "Oh," he said, looking slightly impressed. "I thought students aren't allowed – "

"Well, yes, they aren't. Dumbledore made an exception with me," she said, interrupting him.

James eyed her thoughtfully. "What were you doing tonight? I can sense Dark Magic all over you," he asked with a frown.

Hermione couldn't help but feel impressed. James truly was a powerful wizard if he could sense the magic in her even though she hadn't really cast any curses.

Hermione sighed. "I can't tell you that," she said with a shrug.

James looked annoyed.

"Look, James. I am on your side. If you have any doubts, you are welcome to turn to the Headmaster. I was with him tonight. There were others as well, but I can't talk about that with you. If you doubt my intentions with Sirius, well frankly, there's nothing I can do to change your mind if you don't believe me. I wish him no harm and I would never hurt him intentionally. And that goes to all of your friends, yourself included," she explained, giving him a sincere look.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I would like to retreat to my dormitory, so that I can catch a little sleep before tomorrow," she finished with a yawn and turned to walk to her dormitory, not looking back or waiting for his answer, leaving James and his bewildered expression in the common room.

Thursday, 27 October 1977

It was the morning after the full moon and Hermione had decided to visit the hospital wing, where she knew Remus would be recovering from his transformation. She stood up before the other girls in her dorm did - it was only half six in the morning, so the others were still fast asleep. She quickly showered, got dressed in her school robes and left quietly towards the hospital wing. The halls were silent and dark; it was the morning twilight before sunrise. The breakfast would start in an hour.

Hermione slipped into the infirmary and made her way to the last bed, where the curtains were drawn all around it. She knew Remus would be there and even though she doubted he would be awake, she wanted to see him. Hermione glanced between the curtains and saw him lying there, white as a sheet and with a collection of new scars that scattered around his face. Some of them were already healing, supposedly with the help of Dittany. Hermione frowned and blinked rapidly as her eyes started to burn at the sight of him. She slipped between the curtains to stand next to his bed and took a good look at him. Despite being a seventeen-year-old young man, he still looked innocent and fragile lying there like that. She briefly wondered if he would be mad if he woke up to see her gaping at him.

As if sensing her presence, Remus opened his eyes slowly, blinking slightly before his gaze was fixed on Hermione. He looked exhausted and then his eyes widened comically as he realised where they were.

"H-Hermione," he stammered, his eyes flashing with panic.

She smiled calmly at him. "Hello, Remus. How are you feeling? Do you need anything? Pain relief Potion? Calming Draught? Do you want me to get Madam Pomfrey?" She asked quietly as he stared at her with a mix of shock and disorientation.

"W-Why are you here, Hermione?" He whispered, sitting up slowly. He gritted his teeth, a small wince escaping from his lips as he moved.

"I'm here to see you, of course." Hermione explained calmly while moving closer to him, finally sitting on the edge of his bed. He shifted further away from her.

"I'm, er…feeling a bit under the weather, so…you should keep your distance. You should go, Hermione," he said hastily and frowned at his lap.

Hermione let out a soft sigh. "Remus. You're not sick and I'd like to stay. I know why you're here."

He gave her an alarmed look. "How?" He asked, clenching his jaw while his eyes darted around his hospital bed.

"I figured it out. You were 'sick' the last full moons, so sick, in fact that you had to come into the hospital wing. You prefer your meat raw and near the full moon you become rather sullen," she said kindly. "Not to mention that your friends call you Moony in front of everyone and joke about your 'furry little problem'," Hermione continued with a wry smile. "Really, you guys should be more careful if you didn't wish for someone realising your secret…" she muttered with a hesitant smirk.

Remus stared at her with a dumbfounded look. "I'm…I…" he began but didn't seem to know how to respond to her. Sighing, he threaded his hand through his hair. "You do realise what happens if this gets out?"

"I'm not going to tell anyone, I promise," Hermione said quickly. "You can trust me," she said with a smile and took his hand. He flinched at her touch.

"I…I don't know what to say…" he muttered, his eyes again moving around the curtained hospital bed.

Hermione squeezed his hand, drawing his gaze back to her. "You don't have to say anything. This is what friends do," she said simply.

Remus let out a strained chuckle as he studied her expression. He shook his head and sighed. "Thanks, I guess. For keeping my secret," he said and watched her in a mix of awe and bewilderment. Hermione knew that look – the wonder in his eyes, the surprise to find people who accepted his illness this easily. It made a her stomach twist with sadness.

Hermione gave him a quick briefing of yesterday's classes, which was about Potions, as he didn't take Arithmancy. They had been working on a new potion with the same partners. After she had explained their assignment, he studied her uneasily.

"How is it? Being partnered with him?"

Hermione sighed. She had been Snape's partner in Potions since the term had started, as Slughorn said it was easier for him that students didn't change partners. "I don't know. I mean, we sort of came along in September, but now…he's just been ignoring me. Which is fine, I guess. Rather that, than him being a menace, right?" She said with a mirthless laugh. Remus nodded sympathetically.

"So…You're up for the Halloween ball?" She asked brightly, changing the subject away from her bothersome Potions partner.

Truthfully, she didn't understand why Snape acted like that, as if he was upset that she had been slowly befriending his friend, Regulus. She sighed inwardly. Her life was a relationship mess.

"Yeah, I guess," he said with a noncommittal shrug.

"Going with someone?" Hermione pressed on.

"What?" He looked at her incredulously. "Why would I go with someone? Did you just miss the part of me being a bloody werewolf, Hermione?" he snapped at her, looking annoyed.

Hermione pursed her lips. "No, but that shouldn't stop you from dating? Or simply going to a ball with someone? I'm sure that if it is the right person, she won't care about your Lycanthropy, but about your honesty. You should open yourself up more. Not everyone think the way you assume," she said sincerely.

Remus let out a weary sigh. "I...but what if I hurt her…? What if she's afraid of me…?" He mumbled and didn't look at her.

"You won't. She won't be. And it's not like you have to give all your secrets away on the first date, right?" She said and smirked at him when he glanced at her.

"I have a feeling you have someone certain in mind," he grumbled under his breath.

"Maybe I have. But so do you…" she said with a mischievous smile. "I guess I just hate to see two people longing for each other and not doing anything about it…" she continued with a knowing look.

Remus rolled his eyes.

"Fine. I'll ask her," he said quietly after a while.

Hermione beamed at him.

Chapter Text

Chapter 15: Halloween

Saturday, 29 October 1977

The Halloween Ball was organised by Head Girl, Head Boy and the Prefects. They had all presumed that had the ball been held on a weekday, there would have been more students skiving off classes the next day. Therefore, it was to be held on Saturday, a couple of days before actual Halloween.

The ball was meant to be a bit more elegant and formal than their normal Halloween party, and although the decorations and food were matching the holiday, the dress code for the evening was black tie instead of costumes. The participating students were also encouraged to wear masks.

Even though the Head Boy and Girl were expected to go to the ball together, Lily had told the girls that there was nothing going on between her and James. Apparently, lately James had been a bit distant but still polite towards her. To Hermione it was obvious that the two housemates fancied one another, but it seemed that neither of them had the courage to take the first step – in fear of being turned down.

The seventh year Gryffindor girls were getting ready for the ball in their dormitory. As Hermione stepped into the room after her long shower, dressed into a comfortable t-shirt and yoga pants, she rolled her eyes at the mess that was waiting for her. There were clothes, makeup and hair products scattered around the dormitory. She sat on her bed, pulled her hair into a bun and started to apply makeup.

Twenty minutes later Hermione was grumbling under her breath as she tried to figure out how to do her hair so that it wasn't a tangled heap on top of her head.

"I think you should leave your hair open, since you have an open back in the dress. Just charm it maybe…" Alice said, her mouth quirking up a bit as she came to see what was the problem.

"Well that's the plan but unfortunately, I'm quite terrible with beauty charms. Hence the birds nest." Hermione chuckled and pointed her hair which was even more unruly than usual.

"I can do it. It'll take just a couple of minutes." Alice said with a shrug and swished her wand in simple patterns over Hermione's head. A moment later her hair cascaded down her back in soft and sleek curls. Hermione glanced at the mirror in awe. She had put on a light makeup, since her dress itself was so bright and full of colour. The curls framed her face perfectly and Hermione couldn't help but grin at her reflection.

"Thanks, Alice." She smiled.

"No problem." Alice beamed back.

It looked like Alice was already done with her preparations. She was dressed into an off-white, nude embellished chiffon gown. The beaded bodice was sheer and long sleeved in nude colour with a discreet V-neck, while the off-white coloured skirt flowed to the floor. She wore light makeup and cherry coloured lip gloss that gave her lips a pinkish tint, making her appearance look delicate and elegant. Hermione reckoned she looked quite beautiful, with her petite figure and her black pixie haircut.

"How's Frank doing in the DMLE?" Hermione asked while she charmed her beaded bag to match her dress – not that they needed any bags in the ball, but Hermione just couldn't part with hers.

Hermione had learned that Frank Longbottom and Alice had started dating a couple of years back when he too had been at Hogwarts. As Frank was a year older than most of them, he had graduated before Alice’s seventh year and was now training to be an Auror.

Alice's smile faltered a bit and she looked down. "He's fine. I think. I just…haven't had the chance to talk with him properly for a while. The last time I saw him was September first. He's been working every time we've had a Hogsmeade weekend and while we've been owling each other, there are just some things you cannot write in a letter…" she said gloomily.

Hermione smiled sympathetically and squeezed Alice's hand. "I'm sure you'll have a chance to meet soon. I can't even imagine how hard a long-distance relationship must be… But you shouldn't wallow in that today! You should have fun, right?" Hermione tried to cheer her up.

Alice gave her a smile and a hesitant nod.

"Merlin's saggy pants! The day has come when Hermione Dumbledore urges someone to have fun!" Mary called with a teasing voice from her own bed.

Marlene, Mary and Alice laughed.

Hermione rolled her eyes at her friends. "I'm not that disciplined."

Mary snorted. "Er…Yes you are. And so is Lils. You two are our little adorable rule-abiding bookworms," she said with a wink and slipped into her dress.

Mary wore a multi-coloured chiffon dress with bright print pattern. Her dress was long and flowy, with a thin embellished belt and a sleeveless pleated bodice. The dress had a slightly plunging neckline that continued on the other side with a low V-back. Mary looked absolutely gorgeous in it. Hermione briefly wondered, whether Remus would fall tail over teakettle when he would see his date. She smiled at the pun she had just inwardly and accidentally made before she returned her focus to the conversation.

"Hey!" Lily started as she emerged from the bathroom, but eventually shrugged. "Yeah, Mary's probably right. We are a bit…methodical, I suppose." Mary and Marlene both snorted before Lily continued, "Although, you might even be a bit worse, Mione, since you willingly go to the library every Sunday before sunrise." Lily said and smirked at Hermione.

The girls laughed.

"Oh, sod off, the lot of you," Hermione said, biting away a grin as she threw a pillow at Lily. "For the record, I do not go there before sunrise," she grumbled and took her dress from the top of her trunk, where it was neatly folded. After putting her dress and heels on, she went to look at the whole ensemble from a mirror on the wall next to their bathroom. The girls had enlarged a simple full-length mirror to reach from floor to ceiling, filling the whole wall lengthwise as well. Now all of them could use it at the same time.

Hermione took in her appearance and almost didn't recognise the girl looking back from the mirror wearing the fuchsia and silver gown. The back of the dress was open and her sleek curls cascaded on her bare back. The rich satin A-line skirt reached to the floor, hiding her silver heels. One of the reasons she had bought the gown, was that the skirt had pockets. A practical feature on her opinion. She put her beaded bag in one pocket and her wand in the other before she glanced at her dormmates.

Marlene was standing next to her and finishing her hairdo, looking like a model in her floor length, well-fitting black velvet gown. The dress had a sleeveless bodice and a plunging neckline which, Hermione admitted with a hint of bitterness, was filled very becomingly. The sides and the back of her dress were open too. All in all, it was a very revealing dress, but she carried it off easily. Her golden locks were pulled in a simple up-do and she wore otherwise a light makeup, but her lips were painted in vibrant red.

"Wow… You look amazing, Marlene." Hermione said, admiring her through the mirror.

Marlene flashed a bright smile and eyed her. "You too, Dumbledore," she said with a wink. She turned to the others behind her. "Ladies, shall we?"

Lily was putting her golden earrings on, ready in her simple emerald, high neckline chiffon gown. Her dress was floor-length as well and sleeveless, with spaghetti straps on the otherwise open back. She looked absolutely stunning. Her long auburn curls were pinned up, with some loose strands falling to frame her face. She had chosen a slightly heavier eye makeup than the rest of the girls, but it brought out her eyes nicely.

"Remember to take your masks," Lily reminded them as they started to move towards the door.

The Gryffindors had decided to wear golden masks, Slytherins silver, Hufflepuffs black and Ravenclaws bronze.

As they descended the stairs and reached the common room, Hermione saw a group of handsome wizards clad in tasteful black dress robes and golden masks standing near the fire, chatting and laughing with each other. Like summoned, they all turned their heads to the girls.

Hermione saw James take a sharp breath as his eyes landed on his date. Even though James had been keeping his distance from her lately, and even though Lily had assured there was nothing between them, they both still looked very pleased to be going to the party together.

"Lily," James murmured as he approached the girls, his eyes locked into hers in a mix of awe and determination.

Everyone else eyed the scene expectantly.

Lily took a couple hesitant steps towards him. Both of them took their masks off. She looked nervous, her eyes moving up and down on James's body, before her gaze finally met his. She then let out a small puff of breath. "James."

James took her hand and tugged her closer, an intense look in his eyes. He looked like he was about to say something, but instead he closed the distance between their lips slowly, like he was giving her time to back off if she so wished. She didn't. He kissed her hesitantly at first, just a brush of his lips against hers and only deepened the kiss when Lily brought her arms around his neck, moving them into his messy black hair and pulling him closer to her. James groaned softly, pulling her firmly against him, his hands drifting lower on her back.

It felt a bit like Hermione and the rest of them were forced to watch a private moment between the two head students. Still, no one dared to interrupt the couple, knowing how significant it was. At least, until Sirius cleared his throat loudly.

"As much as some of us would love to watch you continue that, I think we all have a ball to get to, eh?" He said while smirking slyly at his friend.

The others laughed quietly while James and Lily both looked somewhat embarrassed.

"Er…Yeah. The ball." James stammered awkwardly, ruffling his hair. He obviously hadn't thought to make that kind of a scene in front of everyone.

With his cheeks glowing, James offered his arm to Lily who took it graciously. They started to head towards the portrait hole. Marlene and Alice sniggered as they followed the Head Boy and Girl along with Peter, leaving behind Remus, Sirius, Hermione and Mary.

Hermione came to stand next to Sirius, who grabbed her from her hips, yanked her against him and proceeded to kiss her heatedly. At first, she squeaked and tried to push him away, but soon she melted into his touch, her fingers curling around his neck. Sirius Black most definitely knew how to kiss. After a moment, Sirius lifted her off her feet and then spun her around, their lips still locked.

They parted and Sirius winked at Remus before he spoke in a teasing voice. "Try to one-up on that, mate."

Hermione let out an exasperated sigh, grabbed Sirius's arm and dragged him away from the common room, before he could sabotage his friend's fragile confidence.

The Great Hall was transformed into an eerie but elegant place, with heavy black velvet curtains draping around the large windows and all the existing furnishings covered with black tulle and red embellishments. The candles that flowed over the Great Hall were charmed black, bringing a dimmer light than the usual white ones. The house tables had been turned into several small round tables, which were scattered around the hall. Each round table was decorated with a pumpkin votive, while the long buffet table, which was situated where the professors usually sat, was decorated with ornamental masquerade masks between the pots, drinks and servings. Behind the buffet table, Hermione could see an extension to the Great Hall; a vast dance floor with small alcoves on every wall that were hidden by similar heavy black curtains that framed the windows everywhere else.

Hermione grinned at Lily, who was standing with James near the doors that lead to the Great Hall. She smiled back at Hermione as she welcomed the students to the ball. Sirius winked at his best friend who smirked in return, before he led Hermione to one of the tables, where Alice and Peter were already seated. Marlene had chosen another table where her date, a Hufflepuff boy, and his friends were situated. The Great Hall began to fill quickly.

"Can I get you anything, Hermione? Something to drink, perhaps?" Sirius murmured to her ear as he helped her to her chair.

"Oh…sure. Thanks," she said and gave him a quick smile before he dashed off to the drinks table.

Alice smiled at her knowingly.

"What?" Hermione asked, slightly baffled.

"Oh, nothing. Just watching the it-couple of Hogwarts." She said with a fond smile.

Hermione turned to look at Lily and James who were still standing at the doors. "Yes, well. It was a long time coming." She said with a chuckle, turning back to her friend.

"No, I meant you and Sirius, you daft." Alice said with a grin.

"Oh," Hermione muttered awkwardly, blushing slightly.

Sirius appeared to her side a moment later with a couple of Butterbeers, just in time to see Remus and Mary approaching them.

"Well, well, well, look at that. The lone wolf finally has company," Sirius drawled with a teasing smirk, eyeing the pair appreciatively.

Remus lifted an unimpressed brow at his pun, while Peter sniggered. Hermione coughed loudly as her drink went down the wrong pipe. Sirius glanced at her with a frown before turning back to his friend.

"What took you so long, mate?" Sirius asked with a knowing smile.

"Sod off, Pads." Remus muttered while his cheeks turned red.

Mary however, was not at all embarrassed, as she stated, "Stayed for a snog, of course." She gave Sirius a wink and sat down.

Sirius barked a laugh and patted Remus on the back as he sat down next to him.

People started to make their way towards the buffet and the seventh year Gryffindors followed suit after Lily and James had joined them. The food table was filled with all kinds of treats; pumpkin pasties, cauldron cakes, treacle tart, witch finger cookies with berry jam, spooky scull shaped pot pies, stuffed peppers with carvings, pumpkin chowder, curried pumpkin and peas, pumpkin bread and roasted chicken. Hermione almost heard her stomach rumbling when she took it all in. They filled their plates and moved on to the drinks table.

"I wouldn't touch that if I were you," Sirius muttered next to her, as Hermione was about fill her goblet with punch from a large cauldron on the table.

Hermione frowned but then she understood and turned to him with her eyes narrowed. "Sirius! Tell me you didn't spike the punch," she hissed at him.

"Don't know what you're talking about, dearest." Sirius said with an innocent face as he reached towards another large cauldron that was filled with ice and bottles of Butterbeer and Pumpkin juice, snatching a bottle of Butterbeer and giving it to her. He took the goblet she had discarded on the table for himself and filled it with punch. Hermione sighed and retreated to their table, while Sirius huffed a laugh behind her.

Apparently, his little stunt went unnoticed, since all the teachers were enjoying their meals and chatting with each other at their tables. She did notice though, that Lily too was drinking Butterbeer, while the boys all had goblets of punch in front of them.

The music was playing on the background while they ate, but as the first students started to drift towards the dance floor, it grew louder. Eventually Hermione and her friends moved to the dance floor, where Remus danced with Mary, James with Lily, Hermione with Sirius and Peter with Alice. They danced to several songs, switching partners every now and then. Hermione couldn't recall the last time she had had so much fun as she then had, dancing around with her friends. She vaguely remembered the Yule Ball in her fourth year, but even then, the fun had been short-lived.

Some time later, after visiting the ladies' room, which was also decorated accordingly by several spooky black spectral mirrors that were charmed with a silver hue, Hermione went to retrieve a Butterbeer from the drinks table. She snorted as she saw James and Sirius fooling around at the dance floor and took a sip of her drink.

"You look beautiful, Hermione."

She was startled by Regulus's voice as she hadn’t noticed him standing next to her.

"Oh…Hi. Thank you." She said, a bit awkwardly. "You don't look so bad yourself." She added with a small smile as she eyed him.

Regulus looked very handsome in his black dress robes and his silver mask. His mouth curved up a bit.

"Will you honour me with your hand for a dance?" He asked politely, ever the courteous pureblood.

Hermione lifted her brows slightly but gave him a nod and put her drink on the table. He offered her his arm and when she took it, he led them towards the dance floor. She hoped that Sirius wouldn't mind her dancing with his brother, mainly because the music switched into a slow song the moment they walked onto the dance floor. It was a bit odd to go dancing with Regulus, even though they had been getting to know each other for the past month, as they always studied together on Saturdays or Sundays.

They usually talked about their school subjects, but sometimes Hermione would include him in on some bits of the Order business, at least the things she was allowed to tell him. Hermione reckoned it was a bit frustrating, to keep in mind who knew what of her affairs. Her thoughts were drawn back to the ball as she felt Regulus place his hand on her waist and take her hand with his other one. He watched her with an unreadable expression as he led her on the dance floor. She had to give it to him – he was an excellent dancer.

"What are you thinking?" She asked after a while, eager to break the tension she was feeling. She was slowly growing a bit uncomfortable under his intense stare.

He blinked a couple of times before he answered. "I was thinking of what else you are possibly keeping from everyone, besides the obvious Order business."

Hermione's brows shot up. "Oh. And what do you reckon?" She asked with a hint of challenge in her voice.

"That you are easier to read than you think." He said quietly, his eyes searching hers.

Hermione swallowed deeply and averted her eyes. What the hell was that supposed to mean?

"I've made you uncomfortable." He said, still watching her expression.

Hermione's eyes flickered back to his as he spoke. Talking to him confused her at times, as he usually had the indifferent mask in place, rarely letting it falter.

She huffed. "Yes, you have. You know I –" She didn't have a chance to finish her sentence before Sirius appeared behind his brother and placed his hand on Regulus's shoulder.

"Thanks, Reggie, for keeping my witch entertained." He said, smirking at his little brother and moving to stand between them. "May I cut in?"

"By all means, brother." Regulus said, eyeing Sirius with hint of a smile his face. He glanced at Hermione, nodded at her and left without another word.

"Miss me?" Sirius asked with a wink, before he swept her away in a glorious waltz, making others look at their direction.

"Sirius. You are attracting attention. Everyone is staring," Hermione whispered sharply.

Sirius merely laughed. "Let them!" He said and twirled her on the dance floor, bumping to others. Hermione tried to scowl at him but she eventually caught his good mood.

After their dance, he took her hand and tugged her towards the back wall. They slipped inside an alcove and Hermione was suddenly a bit taken aback by what she saw – there were large windows in the alcove and the view was beautiful.

"Wow, look at that," she breathed.

The sky was clear, she could see the stars and the moon, which was waning Gibbous.

"Yeah." Sirius said quietly as he came to stand behind her, wrapping his arms around her. "It's almost full moon."

Hermione snorted. "Don't be a prat. You know the full moon was a couple of days ago. I know about Remus." She said quietly.

Sirius tensed behind her. "You know?" He said with reserve in his voice, his grip on her tightening a bit.

Hermione tilted her head to look him in the eye and gave him a sincere smile. "I know. And I don't care about it. He's my friend." She whispered seriously.

Sirius lifted his brows in surprise and watched her thoughtfully.

"Where did you come from, Hermione?" He murmured with an awed voice, closing the distance between them, brushing her lips with his.

She turned to face him, stroking his cheek with her fingers, following the angle of his jaw. His gaze flickered across her face, taking all the details in, before he kissed her again, his lips parting against hers. He licked the seam of her lips and as Hermione opened her mouth, he slid his tongue deep into her mouth, tasting her hungrily. Sirius gave a muffled moan as she stroked her tongue against his, tasting him back.

His hands roamed all over her back and ribcage, his thumbs grazing her breasts through the fabric, making her let out a strangled sigh. Hermione thought she was going to burn inside out from his touch. She buried her hands in his hair, pulling him down, closer to her. A shudder racked through him; as if he simply relished in the need she felt for him, the way she threaded her hands through his locks and tried in vain to pull him closer to her.

Sirius nibbled at her bottom lip and then licked her lips with small licks, finally sucking the swollen flesh into his mouth. She wanted to crawl into his drugging warmth, to let him continue cherishing her lips. But the reality settled down – they were in a ball, in the middle of several people, after all. He seemed to remember it too, as he broke their kiss and rested his forehead against hers, calming his breath.

"Wanna take off?" He breathed, watching her under heavy lids.

She glanced at the party through the small crack between the curtains. It was apparently getting late, since there weren't that many people anymore.

"Yes." She smiled. "Let's find the others first, okay?"

"Yeah," Sirius smiled and took her hand as they went to search their friends.

After some time, they finally found James and Lily in a heated rendezvous behind the curtains of another alcove.

Sirius sniggered as he managed to interrupt them, muttering something about a 'tit for tat.'

James on the other hand wasn't overly delighted by his friend's glee and hexed Sirius's hair into dreadlocks. Hermione and Lily both burst in laughter, shutting up only when they saw Sirius's expression as he touched his head. He was horrified.

He quickly conjured a hand mirror and screamed.

"Not the hair! I can't even – You made it look like a dog's breakfast, mate!" Sirius moaned in panic, trying in vain to smooth his locks in place.

James snorted, while Hermione and Lily tried to suppress their grins.

"Charm it back." Sirius demanded with a hint of worry on his serious face.

James smirked. "Nope. Maybe you'll learn something," he chuckled and added, "gotta keep the dog on his leash."

Sirius growled. "You're one to talk, arsehole, since you can't apparently keep your own dog in a leash," Sirius said with a pointed look at the bulging in James's slacks, smirking when James averted his eyes and shifted in embarrassment.

Lily blushed furiously and looked anywhere but at James.

"Wanker," James muttered to his friend, who smirked back at him triumphantly.

Hermione tried not to snigger at their banter and instead looked at Lily, who was smoothing her gown and eyeing the party, her cheeks flaming and a slight worry in her eyes. She was probably concerned that someone had seen her acting like that in public. Hermione smiled at her and nodded her head towards the party.

"We were thinking about leaving. Do you want to stay or come with us?" She asked, while James and Sirius were glaring at each other next to them.

Lily glanced at James.

James shrugged back. "I'm good to go. You?"

"Sure, let's leave. I'll just go and inform McGonagall that we are going." Lily said, evidently glad to escape the embarrassing incident.

James smiled fondly at his date as she headed towards their Head of House and came back a moment after, informing them that they were ready to leave.

They left the Great Hall and started to ascend the stairs towards the Gryffindor Tower.

"Did you guys see Pete? Or Remus?" James asked, looking over his shoulder mainly at Hermione, as Sirius was still looking at his friend grumpily for not charming his hair back to normal.

"Oh…Actually no, we didn't. I didn't see any of the girls there either. Perhaps they are all sleeping already? Or maybe they are outside?" Hermione said thoughtfully.

"Yeah…" James muttered and turned to face the way they were going.

They stayed silent for the rest of their walk. Still, Hermione couldn't help but grin every time she glanced at Sirius and his hair. Truthfully, he could totally pull off the dreadlocks. It seemed that any hairstyle would suit him. She was very much aware that she was somewhat engrossed by his looks.

As they entered the empty common room, Hermione and Lily went to check their dorm for their roommates. Only Alice was there, sleeping soundly in her bed. Both girls changed quickly into a more comfortable attire; Hermione into her yoga pants and a shirt and Lily into her nightgown and her dressing gown. They tiptoed back to the common room, where James and Sirius were lounging by the fire, smirking at each other.

"Well, Mary and Marley are missing. What about Remus and Pete?" Lily asked, as she perched herself on the arm of the sofa on which James was stretched out.

Hermione came to stand next to Sirius, who was sprawled in an armchair. He snatched her hand and pulled her to sit on his lap.

Sirius barked a laugh. "Well, the guys are in our dorm. Marley is probably with her current heartthrob and Mary is with hers."

Hermione and Lily gave each other confused looks, while James and Sirius eyed them with wide grins. Then it dawned on them, and both girls gaped at Sirius in shock.

"Mary is in Remus's bed?!" Lily shrieked in horror.

Sirius snorted. "So what? Hermione sleeps in my bed every now and then," he said nonchalantly.

Lily turned her shocked gaze to her friend, gaping at her. "Hermione?!" Lily squeaked with a high-pitched voice.

Hermione shrugged, feeling rather uncomfortable. Sirius and James clearly enjoyed watching the scene in front of them. "I, uh…yeah. Sometimes. I thought you knew though…" She muttered awkwardly, a faint blush rising to her cheeks.

Lily huffed and moved to sit in an empty armchair, folding her hands and staring ahead with an annoyed look.

"Lily…Come off it. It's not like Hermione is there every night." James said carefully to her. "Besides, can't we just celebrate a little that Moony finally has a bird in his bed, eh?"

Lily glanced at James, her features softening. Hermione knew Lily was happy for Remus and Mary, since they were both her dear friends.

"I guess so…" Lily said with a small smile to the others.

Sirius grabbed a Firewhiskey bottle from the floor. "That's sorted then!"

Hermione arched a brow at the bottle.

Sirius scoffed. "The least Moony can do after kicking us out for the night, is serving us drinks," he said with a mischievous grin and then leaned towards the table, holding Hermione by her waist with his other hand as he poured the liquid into four glasses with the other.

"Hang on…You said that Peter is in there too?" Hermione asked with a frown.

"Yeah, he apparently passed out after too much punch, so they didn't move him away…"

"And you are banned for the night? Why?" Lily asked incredulously.

James looked a bit uncomfortable, while Sirius's mouth kept quirking up.

"They, uh…you know…He’s getting his end way…" James muttered to Lily.

Hermione was a bit surprised by the news, as she had thought Mary had gone there merely to sleep, but they were actually hitting the sack. Apparently, Lily still hadn't grasped the idea, since she was looking at James with confusion written all over her face.

Sirius sighed exasperatedly. "You know, Lily, for someone so bright, you are not that fast. They are getting stuffed. You know, bonking. Having a bit of 'How's ya' father'. Getting a leg over. Rogering. Shagging." He said, smirking at the redhead's shocked expression. Lily’s eyes were widened comically and she glanced towards the boys' dormitory and then back at them. Her face became red with embarrassment and she looked like she was going to say something but refrained.

Instead, Lily took a glass of Firewhiskey from the round table and downed it in a single gulp. The others chuckled and followed suit, toasting for Remus after Sirius refilled Lily's glass.

After another shot, Lily watched Hermione and Sirius with her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "So, are you two having sex?"

Sirius spluttered to his glass as he was about to take a sip of his drink, while James snorted.

"No, we're not." Hermione mumbled defiantly.

Sirius coughed with a silent 'yet'. James laughed and Hermione slapped Sirius on the arm, scowling at him.

"And you are a virgin?" Lily asked from her friend bluntly, ignoring the uncomfortable look Hermione was giving her and the clearing of a throat that came from James's direction.

Sirius watched the girls with an intrigued expression.

Hermione's face burned as she gave Lily an incredulous look. "Yes! And can we not openly discuss my non-existent sex life in front of them?!" She snapped and glanced at the boys.

Sirius bit back a grin behind her, sipping his drink while Lily merely shrugged, muttering, "Just checking."

They changed the topic and talked about the ball Lily and James had organised and soon everyone was yawning, as it was already way past midnight. James went to check their dorm if they could soon turn in and came back a moment later, informing them that the new couple fast asleep.

"We're good to go, mate," James said, biting back a yawn.

Sirius stretched, with Hermione still sitting on his lap. He stood up, pulling her up with him and leaned to kiss her slowly. Hermione lifted her brows as she saw Lily and James already heading towards the boys’ dormitory, together.

"Well, at least she's not wasting any time, eh?" Sirius whispered to her teasingly.

Hermione scowled at him. "Git."

"Come with me?" He asked, eyeing her hesitantly, taking a couple of steps towards his dorm.

Hermione chewed the corner of her lips before she spoke. "Okay. But just for sleeping. I’m very tired. Just so you know." She said before following him to the staircase.

He turned to look at her and waggled his brows. "Promises, promises," he muttered, a wide grin on his lips.

Sunday, 30 October 1977

The next morning, Hermione said her good mornings to Sirius - who mumbled something in reply - placed a kiss on his cheek and made her way to the boys' dormitory door.

Before leaving, she glanced back to the room; everyone else was still asleep. Peter was snoring behind his closed curtains, while Remus and Mary were wrapped around each other in Remus's bed. Next to Remus's bed was James's bed, where Lily was sleeping under the covers while James was stretched next to her on top of the covers. Both of them were fully clothed. Sirius on the other hand was sprawled on his bed opposite to James's, half naked, the comforter kicked out of the bed. He was taking every inch available now that she had left. 

Smiling at the scene, she finally left and made her way to the girls' dormitory to have a quick shower and a change of clothes. She then headed to the Great Hall to have some breakfast. As Hermione reached the Great Hall, she realised that it was nearly nine and the breakfast was almost over. She was utterly surprised. She had never slept over breakfast during her years at Hogwarts. But it seemed that now she had.

The small scattering of students who had managed to get up for breakfast after the ball last night was drifting out from the Great Hall. Regulus was amongst them and when he saw her, he came towards her with a small smirk playing on his lips.

"You've managed to surprise me at last, Dumbledore. I think I've never seen you coming this late to breakfast."

Hermione huffed. "Well, there was a party last night, after all." She muttered, trying in vain to ignore the grumbling sounds her stomach was giving her.

"Let's go then," Regulus said, jerking his head towards the hallway – the opposite direction where the library was.

"Where?" Hermione asked in bewilderment.

"You honestly expect me to study next to you when your stomach is making the most vulgar sounds?" He grinned and started walking down the corridor.

"Prat." She muttered under her breath, but decided to follow him down the staircase.

"A prat who is getting you some breakfast," Regulus replied lightly as they turned to the corridor, approaching the painting of a bowl of fruit. "Have you been here before?" He asked while tickling the pear in the painting and opening the door with the door-knob that appeared.

"Er…yes." She said absently, stepping in and watching the army of house-elves in work, cleaning up the remains of breakfast. She smiled as she passed the four long wooden tables that stood there. At the moment they were almost empty, as the house-elves were levitating the plates, cutlers and cups to the side tables for cleaning. Most of the elves were working, but some stood around the kitchen, beaming, bowing and curtsying as Hermione and Regulus walked past them.

"Regulus, sir!" Some of them squeaked, beaming at him.

Regulus nodded at them and sat down in an armchair by the fire. Hermione joined him and instantly, four house-elves came up behind them, carrying a large tray with a teapot and two cups and a plate of biscuits.

"Totty. Miss Dumbledore here missed her breakfast, unfortunately. Could it be possible for you to whip up something for her?" Regulus asked kindly from one of the elves.

The elf looked happy and bowed to them. "Of course, sir. Miss," the elf replied and then the elves swiftly went on their way.

Hermione was somewhat surprised by Regulus's warm behaviour towards the elves - he was a Black after all and she knew what his family thought about magical creatures. But then she remembered Kreacher and what Regulus had done with the Horcrux, how he himself had drunk the poison so that his house-elf would be safe. She studied him with a small smile.

Regulus averted his eyes and cleared his throat. "What?" He asked as he glanced at her again.

She kept watching him, with an expression that Hermione reckoned, made him a bit uncomfortable.

"Oh, nothing. Just remembered something." She said and her gaze turned to another tray the house-elves were placing on the table. They bowed again and Hermione and Regulus both thanked them before the elves retreated.

She stared at the tray in awe; it was filled with food – fried eggs, smoked bacon, thick sausages, grilled tomatoes, fried mushroom, toast and baked beans. There was also a small pot of porridge and a cup full of fresh berries, and finally, a plateful of scones with clotted cream, Chelsea buns and an assortment of confectionery.

"Wow…" Hermione said with her eyes widened in surprise. "I can't eat all that." She whispered anxiously to Regulus who smiled at her.

"Don't worry about that. Just eat, Hermione," he said and poured tea into their cups before he snatched a scone from the tray.

Hermione ate in silence and contemplated what he had said to her the previous night. She was still a bit perplexed by his words and wanted to know exactly what he had meant.

"What was that yesterday?" She asked after finishing her breakfast, which was not even near half of the food that was brought to her. She glanced at him and took a sip from her teacup. "What you said to me on the dance floor."

He watched her for a moment before he spoke. "Nothing."

She gave him a quizzical brow and a small smile tugged his lips.

"I merely stated the fact that you are very easy to read. I know you have secrets."

Hermione frowned at him as she took a biscuit from the tray. "What do mean read? Are you a Legilimens?" She said lightly. When he didn't say anything, her frown deepened. "Regulus?" She said carefully.

He locked his eyes with hers and suddenly she felt the familiar, albeit uncomfortable sensation of someone probing her mind. She gasped loudly and tore her gaze away. Her teacup shattered on the floor as she jumped up from her chair and took a couple of steps away from him while breathing heavily. He followed quickly, after mending the teacup.

"Hermione," Regulus said, coming closer and watching her with regret. "I apologise. I shouldn't have done that," he said sincerely.

When she didn't reply or even look at him,  but merely kept her eyes fixed on the floor, he took her hand gently between his.

"Please."

Hermione blinked a couple of times, gathering her thoughts that were all over the place. Regulus was a Legilimens? How was that even possible? He was still in school, how in the name of Merlin was he a Legilimens?

But what was the most pressing thought in her mind, was what he had just seen in her mind?

She turned to him as anger finally started to place the shock and confusion she felt. She snatched her hand away and glared at him with malice.

"Don't ever do that to me again!" She hissed at him furiously, fear surging inside her.

She wanted to ask what he had seen but she didn’t want to talk about it there, in the open. He had been inside her head for mere seconds, but there was still the possibility that he had seen something dangerous. She eyed him suspiciously as he gave her a deeply apologetic look.

"Of course not. I'm so sorry, Hermione," he said quietly.

She huffed and sat down. Regulus followed her example a moment later. Three house-elves appeared to clean the table and asked if they wanted something else.

"We're good, thanks Mipky. The breakfast was delicious," Regulus said quietly, smiling to the elf.

Hermione blinked at him in surprise once more, forgetting already her anger towards him. She wondered how many of the elves he knew by their names. As they left the kitchen, she couldn't help but ask about his relationship with them.

"You seem oddly familiar with the house-elves…why is that?" She asked as they walked up the stairs.

Regulus glanced at her, shrugged and said, "I just think they are undervalued…"

As they reached the Entrance Hall, he took a glance outside from the windows and his expression brightened. "Come on," he said, tugging her by her hand.

"What are you doing?"

"You'll see," he said with a small smile.

Hermione was again surprised by his mood swings – if she could call it that. He was all the sudden a young, playful boy, his eyes shining with glee. Just a handful of minutes ago, his emotions were closed behind the walls he kept around his mind. Either way, out of curiosity, she followed him outside through the front doors.

Hermione shivered as the cold wind hit her – she was wearing light clothes after all. But what she saw there stopped her. It was snowing.

A wide smile spread on her face. She turned to look at Regulus, giving him an delighted look. He was already watching her, his own smile faltering slightly as his eyes moved over her face. Then he blinked and looked at snowy grounds.

"Oh Godric, it's snowing!" Hermione bounced in excitement.

Regulus smiled at her. "Well? Shall we?" He asked, eyeing her with a challenge in his eyes.

Hermione gave him an incredulous look. "Have you gone completely off your trolley? I don't have my cloak on and neither do you!"

He lifted his brows pointedly before flicking his wand. A beautiful winter cloak with a warm hood was conjured on top of her clothes. Her attire was completed with matching mittens and a scarf. Regulus charmed his own attire as well.

"Coming?" He smirked and stepped outside.

Hermione shook her head, feeling a mix of confusion and awe.

There were several inches of snow and it was all untouched, since most of the students hadn't even risen up from their beds. Hermione followed Regulus further to the paved grounds, scooping a bit of snow and throwing it at his back. It was just too good to resist.

Regulus stopped as the snow hit him. He turned slowly and gave her an unimpressed look. But then, the next moment he quickly scooped up snow from the ground and hurled it at her direction. Squeaking, Hermione dodged his throw and burst in laughter.

"You have to be better than that, Black!" She shouted tauntingly, throwing another snowball at his direction.

They continued their one-on-one snowball fight until Hermione saw several others joining the outside air and their snowball fight. Soon they had formed opposite teams with Hermione, James, Remus and Mary in one and Regulus, Sirius, Peter and Alice in the other. James, Sirius and Regulus, all playing Quidditch and being athletes, were of course excellent in a snowball fight. Although Hermione came a good second with her quick reflexes learnt during the war.

When the lunchtime was in hand, the group decided to end their match before they missed it altogether. They retreated back to the castle, laughing merrily with their faces red and their cloaks filled with wet blotches of snow. It was a good day.

Chapter Text

Chapter 16: Birthdays

Tuesday, 1 November 1977

It was the morning after Halloween and the Gryffindors were having breakfast in the Great Hall. The boys were talking about Sirius's 18th birthday, which was next Thursday.

"So, my dearest, have you got a birthday present for me already?" Sirius grinned at Hermione and gave her a soft nudge.

Hermione sat next to him, as usual, while Lily and James were situated on the other side of the table, with Remus and Mary beside them. Peter sat next to Sirius, while Alice and Marlene sat next to Hermione.

Hermione gave him an amused huff. "You'll just have to wait and see," she said with a secretive look.

Sirius smiled at her and took a piece of toast.

"Well, I for one think we've managed to come up with the best present there is for our Pads here," James said and winked at his best mate. Sirius, Remus and Peter all sniggered and eyed each other slyly.

"Do I even want to know, James?" Lily asked with a wry voice. "Do I need to remind you that you are a Head student?"

James merely kissed her on her temple and grinned at her. "We'll see, love."

Despite slightly doubting what the boys were up to, Lily eyed James affectionately and gave him a warm smile and kissed him on the cheek. Hermione grinned at her friends, who were so obviously engrossed with each other, finally having confessed their feelings to one another. This time nothing was standing between them. Hermione was happy for them both, as it was something she had been looking forward to witnessing. There had been a small period of time when she had feared that she had somehow changed the outcome of their relationship, since James was dating another girl when Hermione had first met them. But now it seemed that the events from the beginning of the term had been forgotten for good.

"You're officially together then?" Marlene asked from Lily and James with a sly grin, while pouring herself coffee. She had had her fair share of fun teasing Lily about her obvious infatuation with the messy haired Gryffindor. Needless to say, Lily had been in denial for some time.

"Yeah, she's my witch." James said confidently, puffing his chest a bit at the same time.

Lily blushed as James took her hand in his, lacing their fingers together. Sirius smirked at Hermione, who tried to suppress the grin that was threatening to spread across her face. She glanced at Remus and Mary who were eating in silence. When the girls had talked on Sunday evening about the previous night, the others had badgered Mary to confess every sordid detail of her night before. Although Mary usually had no qualms of talking straightforwardly, she turned out to be quite adamant not to say nothing about this occasion.

Mary had merely told her friends that she and Remus had talked and that they had decided to see where their relationship was going. Hermione made a mental note to ask Remus about it later, during their Ancient Runes class.

"About birthdays…Hermione," Lily said, changing the subject away from her and James, "When's yours?" She asked curiously.

Hermione cringed inwardly. Her birthday had of course been on September 19th, but she hadn't exactly told anyone about it. Only Aberforth and the Headmaster had sent her presents; her 'father' had given her a beautiful leather-bound journal along with a large eagle feather quill and her 'uncle' had given her a unique copy of a children's tale, the Fountain of Fair Fortune, in runic script.

"Er…September 19th…" She muttered, looking hesitantly at the others who were all more or less gaping at her.

"What? Why didn't you tell me?" Sirius asked with a slightly affronted look on his face.

"Yes, I would like to know that, too." Lily said pointedly, eyeing Hermione with an expectant look.

The others muttered their agreements. Remus eyed Hermione with a deep frown, supposedly remembering that they had talked about her age at some point, but not actually shared details about their birthdays.

Hermione gave her friends a sheepish smile. "Well…I was new here and didn't want you to…you know, feel compelled to do something." She said quietly.

James frowned at her. "We wouldn't have felt compelled. In fact, why don't we celebrate Hermione's birthday at the same time as Sirius's?" James said, looking at the others inquiringly. Everyone nodded enthusiastically. James turned to Hermione and lifted his brows in a questioning look.

"Fine," she grumbled. "But no presents."

"Deal." James said.

"Damn. I'm not the oldest anymore." Sirius said pouting, like he had just figured it out that Hermione's birthday was actually before November. "Well, Dumbledore. You win me by almost two months." He said, smirking at her.

"Um…" Hermione said awkwardly.

Remus snorted into his tea. "Pads…She's a year older than us." Remus said.

Everyone burst in laughter. All but Sirius, who gaped at her.

"Merlin…" Sirius muttered, looking like he had difficulties to find enough words to describe his astonishment.

Hermione shrugged innocently, patting Sirius on the shoulder.

"When are all of your birthdays?" Hermione asked from the others, intrigued. She didn't know about anyone's birthday, not even Remus’s. She vaguely remembered the cemetery at Godric's Hollow, when she and Harry had visited his parents' grave. She quickly pushed the thought from her mind, not wanting to go there right now.

"Mine is March 27th, Remus's is the 10th. Lily's birthday is January 30th and Pete's is July 12th," James explained.

Lily glanced at him in surprise at the mention of her birthday, clearly not thinking that he remembered it. James winked at her, looking pleased with himself.

"Mine's July 1st," Mary said.

"And mine is June 25th," Alice quipped from beside Hermione.

Sirius glanced at Marlene. "Marley's is February 14th." He said with a knowing smirk.

Marlene rolled her eyes before she spoke to Hermione. "Probably the only birthday he remembers, besides his own. Trust me, don't hold your breath." She said and winked at her.

Hermione chuckled and decided to ignore the small pang of jealousy she felt. They continued their talk until it was time to go to the first class, which was double Transfiguration, followed by double Charms after lunch and Ancient Runes after that. Tuesday's were tough.

Friday, 4 November 1977

On Friday evening Hermione was alone in the library, since her friends were all otherwise occupied. Some more than others. The boys were in detention, cleaning the trophy room. Lily was on Heads' business, organising patrol charts, while Mary and Alice were hanging at their dorm. Marlene was yet again with her current boyfriend somewhere in the castle.

Hermione hadn't researched anything regarding the Horcruxes in a while, as she really hadn't had the time between all her other activities. Feeling rather guilty of letting her focus drift like that, she wandered through the restricted section in the quiet library and decided to see if she could find anything about possible poisons, as they were already practicing a way to destroy the vile objects.

"Didn't figure you for one to spend time in here." A voice spoke behind her, making her jump in fright.

Hermione whirled around to see Regulus leaning against the shelves near her, staring at her with a nonchalant expression.

"Merlin, you have to stop creeping up on me like that!" Hermione hissed at him, clutching her chest as she caught her breath.

A smile tugged at Regulus's lips and his eyes wandered down to her other hand that was holding a couple of books against her side. His expression went cold. "What are those?" He asked, almost demanded with a stony expression.

"W-What? Nothing. Nothing for you to be concerned about," she stammered quickly and shifted her school bag to cover the books, knowing exactly how subtle she was. She rolled her eyes inwardly.

Regulus lifted his brows, came closer to her and snatched the books from her, holding them up so that she couldn't reach for them. He glanced at the books and frowned a bit.

"Hey!"

"Nothing? Why are you looking into this?" He said quietly, looking at her searchingly, confusion written over his face.

At first, Hermione averted her eyes, but soon looked back at him in defiance. "What? Going to read my mind again?" She asked coldly.

Regulus's posture faltered. He frowned at her. "Of course not. You told me not to," he muttered, giving the books back to her and taking a step back.

Hermione sighed, took the books and put them into her bag before looking at him. "Come with me," she said with a serious voice, turning around and exiting the library, not waiting for him to follow her.

He did follow her though, with a hint of annoyance on his features. They eventually reached the seventh floor. Hermione started to pace in front of a wall, and Regulus watched her in bewilderment.

"What is this, Hermione?"

"Shush!" She snapped at him.

Regulus narrowed his eyes at her but said nothing. His brows lifted in surprise when a door appeared in front of them.

She opened the door and motioned for him to step in after her. He followed her in and stared at the room in shock. They were in the Slytherin common room. Well, the replica of it, at least.

Regulus’s gaze trailed over the long, low-ceilinged, dungeon-like room, over the high-backed chairs and the antique sofa next to the fireplace – and Hermione wondered if the place was in fact exactly what he'd seen before he had left towards the library, or did he notice some changes in it.

"Where are we?" He asked cautiously as he turned his gaze back to her.

"Isn't it a bit obvious?" Hermione asked cheekily, smirking at him.

"Well, you tell me. I know this is not my common room, since this place is empty and something doesn't…feel right." He muttered while walking towards the fireplace, to examine the intricate details of the carved mantelpiece.

Hermione smiled and sat down on the sofa. "Had to try though?"

Regulus turned and came to sit next to her, staring at her again with a stony expression. Hermione shifted awkwardly from his close presence.

"This is the Room of Requirement. The room can turn into practically anything you ask from it." She said nonchalantly. "But that's not the reason I brought you here. I needed a place where no one would be snooping on our conversation."

Regulus gave her a small nod, his eyes moving carefully between hers, searching for something.

"You are a Legilimens?"

"I thought we already established that." He said with an arched brow.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Okay then. How? Since when?"

He looked at her with a thoughtful expression before he answered. "In my family, we are taught at young age to close one's mind against those who might seek access to it," he said quietly.

"You mean Occlumency?" She asked, looking at him searchingly.

Regulus nodded. "Some in my family are accomplished in delving into the minds of others and navigating through them as well," he said and watched her carefully. "My cousin taught me."

Hermione flinched at the thought of her. Bellatrix. She saw a small flicker of realisation in his eyes. Her blood went cold.

"What did you see?" She whispered anxiously. She now knew he had seen something when he had used Legilimency against her the other day.

He stared into her eyes and Hermione could only look back to him, hoping that he wouldn't disappoint her, hoping that he hadn't seen anything crucial. There was something in his eyes that she couldn't shake off. His emotions were almost always masked by the walls of his mind, but sometimes, like right that moment, she could see something real in them. Something raw, something that made her feel a bit sad. She blinked and the next moment that something had faded away, replaced by a hint of exhaustion.

He sighed. "I saw her," he whispered.

Hermione hung her head and focused on her breathing. So…Regulus had seen her being tortured by his cousin. Was he close to her? What did he think of it? Did he realise his cousin was several years older in her mind than what she probably now looked?

"You want to talk about it?" He asked quietly, his voice tentative.

She turned to him with an incredulous look, anger rising in her chest. "What? You mean my torture?" She asked coldly.

Regulus looked away, flinching a little. There was a deep frown between his brows.

They were quiet for a while until she muttered, "I'm sorry. But I don't want to talk about it. Not now at least."

Regulus nodded slowly, looking at the fireplace where the fire was dancing merrily. "I saw the Fiendfyre," he said.

Hermione gasped and he turned back to her from the sound. She stared at him in alarm.

"What else?" She whispered again, her voice trembling.

Regulus gave her a strained look. "I…Nothing. Nothing else," he said and looked into her eyes with a mix of reassurance and pity.

She instantly knew he had seen something else, and she didn’t have to guess two times what it was. She saw it from the way he was looking at her, with sadness, with confusion, with anger in his eyes. He’d seen Greyback.

Still, Hermione merely gave him a relieved nod and took in a calming breath. His eyes were darker now and he stared at her with a piercing look. Hermione shifted under his gaze.

"What about the books?" He asked finally.

"I can't tell you everything, at least not yet. But…I'm learning the Fiendfyre curse," she said and his brows lifted in surprise before she continued, "And I'm not doing it to harm anyone, I promise," she continued, her brown eyes shining with sincerity. Except Voldemort, she thought wryly.

Regulus's eyes moved over her face, studying her carefully. Hermione couldn't stop herself from staring back at him, fascinated by the different shades of grey in his gaze, by his inscrutable expression and by his ability to communicate with his eyes only. A short moment after, their eyes met and Regulus stiffened and stood up abruptly, walking towards the fire again.

"I believe you," he muttered, not turning to her.

She watched his cold exterior in bewilderment. She wondered what he was thinking and why his behaviour changed like that.

Hermione took a deep breath. "Reg…" She said and he tensed as she addressed him like that, like…they knew each other. And perhaps they did. "You can't tell anyone about this. Not even Sirius. You know why…" she whispered.

Hermione knew that he would understand. They both knew that Sirius would have never let her go to the meetings if he knew what dangers she was facing.

Regulus huffed softly, staring at the fire. "I won't tell anyone, Hermione." He said quietly, still not facing her.

She let out a small sigh of relief.

"Where is my brother anyway? He'll probably wonder why you are spending your time on a Friday night with me, instead of him," he said, glancing at her finally with an inquisitive expression.

"Oh…Sirius is in detention," she said, wincing as she saw the irritation flash in his eyes.

Yesterday, it had been Sirius's 18th birthday, and as James had promised, they had had a present for him, indeed. The Marauders had somehow managed to slip Bulbadox powder in the bedsheets and clothing in the Slytherin house, making every last student in said house wearing a scattering of boils the next morning – the morning of the raven-haired Gryffindor's birthday. The boils – and the obvious itching – had appeared only after the students had sat at their table in the Great Hall, probably because of an added charm. Hermione was actually quite impressed by their spellwork, but wasn't going to admit it to the boys. The Marauders had howled in laughter, with Sirius stating that the boil-faced Slytherins had been the best birthday present he had received in years.

That was also how they got caught. McGonagall was handing them detentions right after their laughter had died. At least she had let them enjoy their prank first.

"Do not remind me. I've suffered enough as it is." Regulus said, rolling his eyes.

Hermione snorted. "Oh? Poor little Regulus has suffered in the hands of his older brother," she said with a teasing grin.

Regulus tried to suppress the smile that was tugging his lips. "Come on, it's late. I'll walk you to your quarters."

Saturday, 5 November 1977

On Saturday, the group of Gryffindors was walking together towards Hogsmeade. James and Lily were on their first official date, with Remus and Mary on a sort-of-a-date, at least according to Mary. Hermione was visiting Aberforth by herself at first and then Sirius would fetch her to grab lunch with Peter, Alice and Marlene at the Three Broomsticks. On Thursday morning, Sirius had found a large parcel amongst his birthday gifts from his friends and James's parents. Hermione had given him a motorcycle helmet for his birthday. She smiled as she remembered his puzzled face when he had met her at the common room before breakfast.

"Hermione…You gave me a helmet?" He said, looking at her perplexedly.

Hermione smirked at him. "Yes?"

"I love it. Thank you. But…Why?" He asked while taking a hold of her waist and nuzzling her neck.

Her breath hitched and it took a while for her to remember that he was expecting an answer. "Well…You said the other day that you're going to buy a motorcycle? I thought it would be only suitable to take care of your safety, since I doubt you yourself would do it." She said, grinning at him.

Sirius huffed a laugh and nodded at her. "Perhaps. Although it might take some time before I actually buy the thing, you know, being disowned and all," he winked at her.

Hermione smiled at him, thinking that perhaps he might get the motorcycle sooner than he expected…

Now he actually had enough money to buy a motorcycle for himself if he wanted, since he had received a large amount of money from his uncle. His uncle had sent him a letter on his birthday, stating that he was leaving an early inheritance for him, as he thought it would be time for Sirius to move into his own place and thus move on with his life.

Nevertheless, Hermione had a surprise for him. She had come across an old motorcycle, lying broken in the shed in the garden of Hog's Head. She had asked about it from Aberforth, who had merely said that a patron had wanted to trade it for a glass of Firewhiskey. Aberforth knew it was reparable, but he hadn't had the time to fix it. Eventually he had tossed the thing in the shed and forgotten about it. Hermione had asked if she could by any change buy it from him, as she thought it would be a suitable present for Sirius's birthday. Aberforth had merely shaken his head and told her to go for it.

As they headed towards the village, Sirius and Hermione walked side by side, with the two new couples in front of them and the rest of their group behind them.

"I really hope we are not that disgusting." Sirius said in a low voice and shuddered, while watching James lift Lily's hand to his lips while they walked, giving it a chaste kiss. The couple glanced at each other adoringly every now and then.

"You're exactly like that, Pads." Remus quipped, looking at them over his shoulder, nothing going past his wolfish hearing. "No, scratch that…you're both worse than that. A couple of closet saps," he said with a wide smile, while Hermione and Sirius both scowled at him and James, who was busy sniggering to the conversation.

Sirius huffed. “I’m not a sap,” he muttered quietly.

"You are," Hermione said with a grin and pecked him on the cheek.

He leaned closer to her. "I'll show you a sap, witch," he grumbled in her ear, pinching her bum and making her squeak in surprise.

Remus snorted in front of them and resumed back to his conversation with Mary.

As they reached the village, Hermione kissed Sirius goodbye and waved to the others before marching towards the Hog's Head. Aberforth was behind the bar, wiping the dirty counter with an equally dirty rag.

"Hi Ab," Hermione greeted him with a smile and sat on a bar stool.

"Mione," Aberforth grunted.

Hermione was somewhat used to his Neanderthal ways and knew he was actually happy to see her.

"Shall we go upstairs? I'll open the pub in a few hours." Aberforth said, motioning towards the door that lead upstairs.

"Sure," Hermione said, hopping off the stool and following him to their living quarters.

As they settled in the sitting room, Aberforth summoned tea and biscuits for them. Hermione told him everything that had happened since the last time they'd seen each other, which was almost a month ago.

"Still with the Black boy? Going to introduce him to me at some point?" Aberforth asked with a teasing voice, his brows lifted expectantly.

Hermione laughed and said, "Actually, he will come by later to take me to lunch and to meet you."

Hermione swore she heard him snigger behind his teacup.

"Ab…Promise you'll be nice to him, okay?" She asked slowly, feeling somewhat nervous.

She knew by now that Aberforth was a righteous and unprejudiced man, but she also knew that he liked to provoke and tease others. Not her that much, probably because he felt he was responsible of her or maybe he was protecting her. Or so she reckoned.

"I make no promises," he said and winked at her.

Hermione rolled her eyes in mild amusement.

Aberforth proceeded to inform her about the events at the pub during the past month, as well as asking her about Christmas.

"What are your plans for Christmas? Staying here? Or in the castle?"

"Oh…I'd like to stay with you, if that's okay? I thought we could go to the castle together though, for Christmas dinner?" She asked, looking at him expectantly.

Aberforth grumbled something under his breath.

"Didn't catch that?" Hermione said, even though she had a strong suspicion what it was about.

Aberforth and Albus weren't exactly in speaking terms. After her arrival, when the relationship between the brothers had become clear to her, Hermione had been surprised that Albus had managed to persuade Aberforth to take her in in the first place. Neither of them had exactly spoken about it, but she guessed it was about their sister, based on what she had read from Skeeter's book, and the little she had gathered from between lines.

What had happened to their sister, happened a long time ago and Hermione reckoned it was time to bury the hatchet. At least a part of it.

"You can go. I'll stay at the pub." Aberforth muttered, staring at the fire.

"Ab…I think it's time to let the past go. He is your brother, after all… And I think he would be happily surprised if you made an appearance," she said carefully. He didn't answer, or look at her.

"Just this once? For me? I'd like to have Christmas dinner there with you," she whispered, eyeing him pleadingly.

He turned slowly to look at her and finally gave a sigh. "Fine." He grumbled. "But don't expect me to change pleasantries. With anyone," he muttered stubbornly.

Inwardly, Hermione was whooping and cheering. It had to be counted as an achievement. On the outside, she merely gave him a smile. "Sure."

When the lunchtime was nearing, Aberforth opened the pub and Hermione dashed into her own room to get some of her belongings before Sirius would arrive. While she was there, she heard voices downstairs. Sirius's voice and…laughter. Hermione frowned in confusion as she listened carefully. Soon there was a knock on her door and she went to open it. Sirius leaned against the frame with a smug smile playing on his lips.

"How…What…?" Hermione mumbled in bewilderment. Had Aberforth really laughed with Sirius and let him come to her room upstairs? She wondered what in the name of Merlin was going on.

"You seem to be a bit surprised, dearest?" Sirius said, chuckling as he entered her room and closed the door behind him.

Hermione blinked at him. "H-How did you manage to smooth down Ab so quickly? And how did he let you come to my room nonetheless?" She questioned as she stumbled back a bit when he approached her, with a predatory expression in his eyes.

Sirius shrugged innocently. "I'm just that good with parents," he said, took her hand and tugged her closer. "Scratch that. I'm good with other people's parents." He smirked and proceeded to kiss her chastely, while his hands feathered up and down her ribcage. She didn’t miss the small flicker of sadness in his eyes as he mentioned his parents.

Her thoughts soon faded away as Sirius continued to kiss her with more intent, more thoroughly and with more urgency, making her shiver with need and grab a fistful of his shirt. He pressed his lips against hers again and again, slipping his tongue into her mouth, tasting her, teasing her until she was panting against his mouth.

When they kissed, it was like lighting a fire that was melting every part of her. He made her head spin, her knees weak and the way he held her, so close to him, made her feel secure, made her want to hold on to him and not let go.

Sirius’s hands drifted lower, stopping over her bum, slowly tracing her clothes with his fingers, before pressing them against her, pulling her flush against his pelvis. Hermione arched towards him, ground her hips to him, making him shudder and take deep breaths.

"Fuck," he grunted, panting as he buried his face in her wild hair.

There was so much sexual frustration between them that Hermione was certain neither of them knew how long they could continue like that.

"Mmhmm," Hermione hummed, equally breathless.

"We should go before Ab comes to check on us," she said after a moment, worrying her lip. Even though Aberforth wasn't really her father, Hermione still respected him.

"Yeah. Just gimme a moment." Sirius said quietly, calming his breath and adjusting his slacks.

He finally pulled away from her, gave her a charming grin and took her hand in his.

They went downstairs, where Aberforth eyed them with a stern look. Sirius coughed awkwardly, while Hermione blushed. Chuckling, Aberforth jerked his head to the back door, which led to the garden.

"It's in the back." Aberforth grumbled and continued working behind the bar.

Sirius frowned at Hermione, who was already walking towards the door. He followed and was about to question her as he stepped outside behind her.

"Hermione – "

He didn't get to finish. There was a motorcycle in front of him. An old, very dirty and obviously broken motorcycle. Hermione was grinning next to it, looking excitedly at his reaction.

"What…? How…?" He stammered, looking at her in bewilderment.

Hermione smiled. It was the first time she had seen him that perplexed and speechless. "I know it's a wreck, but it is reparable. And, isn't fixing it the best part?" She asked, a bit hesitantly.

Sirius's eyes widened. "It's for me?" He asked with his brows lifted and a grin lifting his mouth.

"Yes. Who else?" Hermione laughed.

"…Hermione. Just…wow," he breathed, looking at her and the bike in awe. "It's brilliant!" He said with a laugh and took her in his arms, spinning her around. When he put her back on the ground, he kissed her soundly.

"Thank you." Sirius said finally, looking into her eyes with admiration, the grin never leaving his face.

"You're welcome. Just…wear the helmet at all times you're riding it, okay?" She asked, smiling at his enthusiasm.

"Sure thing. And you know…now we have to get you a helmet too," he answered, winking at her.

"Oh, no. I'm not getting on that death trap!" Hermione said resolutely.

Sirius laughed, eyeing her with mischief. "We'll see." He gave a final kiss to her temple and together they left the pub, giving their goodbyes to Aberforth and heading towards the Three Broomsticks to meet their friends.

As promised, the seventh year Gryffindors held a party in favour of Sirius's and Hermione's birthdays later that night. This time, as the evening turned into night and all but the seventh years went to bed, the group skipped the drink or dare –games and just sat with each other near the fire, telling funny stories about Sirius. Not forgetting the Firewhiskey, of course.

"Okay I'll start." Alice said, sniggering. "You remember in our fifth year, when you guys figured out a way to get into the girls' dorm?" She asked, looking at the Marauders.

The boys nodded, while Hermione looked a bit suspicious and the other girls laughed. Sirius rolled his eyes with amusement.

"Well, actually, it was Sirius who sneaked to our dorm one night, probably to stalk Marley, or something. Anyways, when he walked further into the room, Lily attacked him and beat him with a book." Alice explained to Hermione.

Everyone but Sirius laughed.

"He screamed like a girl and ran away, never returning after that," Lily stated, a fond look on her face.

"Oi, Evans! How do you know I haven't returned since?" Sirius asked, lifting his brows pointedly.

Lily merely rolled her eyes at him. "You wouldn't dare, Black," she replied with a warning in her voice.

Sirius chuckled and took a swig from the Firewhiskey bottle.

"My turn," Peter quipped from the couch, where he was sitting with Remus and Mary. "The guys already know this, but once, I think it was in our fourth year, Sirius was sure that he could fly his broom standing up." Peter grinned. "He tried to impress a couple of girls from Ravenclaw, but he hadn't bothered to practice it, so naturally, he landed on his arse straight away," he chuckled, the others smirking and sniggering with him.

Sirius shook his head with amusement before he spoke, "It wasn't all that pleasant, let me tell you…"

"Then there's the time when Pads broke into McGonagall's quarters and stole her knickers," James said, smirking at his friend and joining the laughter with the others.

Hermione stared at her boyfriend in shock, who lounged on the floor, leaning against the cosy armchair where she sat. "Godric…why?" She asked incredulously.

Sirius turned to look at her with a grin and shook his head. "Don't actually remember. Might've been drunk at the time," he said with a small frown.

"But how did you manage to sneak into her quarters in the middle of the night? Wasn't she there, you know, sleeping?" Alice asked.

James and Sirius sniggered.

"Well, it wasn't exactly night time then…" Sirius said lightly.

Hermione and Lily stared at him with dumbfounded looks while the others laughed.

"And then we get straight to the occasion when Sirius was passed out, naked, without his wand, in a broom closet on the first floor," Remus said, and everyone burst again in a howling laughter.

"Fucking hell, Moony…way to shame a bloke," Sirius grumbled.

"Do I even want to know why you ended up there, naked?" Hermione asked, while giggling with the others.

"Dunno. Was drunk as a lord," he shrugged, grinning widely back at her.

"Okay, this has got to go to the top three at least," Mary said, after gulping the rest of her Butterbeer down. "It was last year. You showed up in a pink gown for breakfast," she started, laughing as she went. "Why was that? I mean, don't get me wrong. You looked absolutely stunning with your hair done and makeup on."

The others chortled with laughter, wiping tears of joy from their eyes. Hermione sniggered at the image in her head and shook her head.

"Well...As much as I enjoyed the little experiment, it was a bet. That I lost." Sirius said wryly, narrowing his eyes at James, who merely waggled his brows back at him from opposite of him, where he sat with Lily. "And, it was a muggle prom dress," he continued proudly.

Lily and Hermione giggled.

"If we are talking about the top three, then we should also take into account Sirius's little acting stunt last year?" Lily said, eyeing James slyly. He groaned and hung his head.

Sirius burst in laughter. "Shite, I almost forgot that, mate!" Sirius said to James, grinning at him.

"Anyway, Sirius managed to impersonate James without any of us realising and then, in the middle of class he declared that he was gay and that for some time now, he had had eyes only for a certain black haired boy," Lily explained to Hermione, sniggering and patting James's shoulder.

Everyone laughed while James groaned and leaned his elbows on his knees, his hands covering his face in embarrassment.

"I think the top position goes to one particular Valentine's Day, am I right?" Marlene chuckled.

Everyone howled in laughter, except Lily and Hermione. Sirius pinched her thigh before he started to tell the story.

"Last Valentine's, I sent a mild love potion infused chocolates to old Sluggie. He of course gobbled them up without hesitation," he explained to Hermione with a mischievous grin.

"Oh, Merlin…You actually poisoned a teacher..." Hermione whispered, her eyes widened in shock.

Lily glared at Sirius, shaking her head in disappointment. The boys sniggered and somehow Hermione knew there was more to it.

"Who was it he thought gave him the chocolates?" She asked cautiously.

"McGonagall."

The boys, Mary and Marlene laughed at the memory. Lily wasn't at all amused. Hermione couldn't agree more.

"She, um…didn't take it that well," Sirius said, biting back a grin. "Sluggie went to her at the breakfast and confessed his feelings towards her, in front of everyone. When he tried to snog her, she hexed him." He laughed, wiping tears from his eyes as he stood up from the floor.

"Circe, you are just…horrible." Hermione said, still a bit shocked by his accomplishments.

"Hey," he said, a daring look in his eyes as he leaned closer to her and murmured to her ear, "Love me, love my dog." Then he proceeded to kiss her, leaning his hands on the arms of the chair, cherishing her lips in a way that made her very aware of the fact that the others were watching them and therefore making her feel slightly embarrassed.

After Sirius broke their kiss, he walked towards the boys' dormitory. "Goin' to see a man about a dog," he muttered to no one particular as he started to walk up the stairs.

The others eyed Hermione with knowing looks and she quickly changed the topic before any of them had the time to make remarks about their relationship.

"So how did James manage to convince everyone that it wasn't him confessing that he was…not that interested in girls?"

Chapter Text

Chapter 17: Banned

Wednesday, 9 November 1977

"It's not working!" Hermione shouted in a mix of panic and frustration, as she faced a fiery beast with Dumbledore and Gideon Prewett.

They were in Letterfearn again, inside the vast chamber, training to master the horrible Fiendfyre curse. This time both Hermione and Gideon tried to cease the flames while McGonagall and Fabian were having a rest. It took every ounce of their strength and utterly exhausted them. Hermione was in awe of the Headmaster and couldn't even imagine how powerful he was, as he was able to endure all that alone.

Gideon cast the spell again and after a couple of tries, he finally managed to cease the flames.

"Nicely done, Gideon," Dumbledore said, looking slightly tired but still beaming at the Defence professor over his half-moon spectacles.

McGonagall too nodded approvingly at her colleague.

"Thanks," Gideon breathed, as he sat heavily on the ground and rubbed his face with his hands.

"Way to go, bro," Fabian chuckled and sat down next to him, patting his brother on the shoulder, while McGonagall sat down with Dumbledore on a small sofa they had conjured.

Hermione felt somewhat disappointed by her own spellwork, but smiled at the others nonetheless. Gideon and McGonagall had already managed to extinguish the cursed fire and Hermione felt like she was nowhere near that yet. She thought bitterly that at least some in their group were making progress, even though she wasn't.

"Come here, little Dumbledore," Fabian said, smirking at her.

"Please don't call me that," Hermione grumbled, while the Headmaster and her Head of House chuckled quietly near them.

When Hermione sat down next to Fabian, he threw an arm around her shoulders. "You know, if he hadn't succeeded before you, he'd be a quite shite teacher, eh?" He said jokingly.

Hermione gave him a small smile. "I guess so," she said wearily, leaning her head back against the wall, feeling the exhaustion take over again.

"I personally think that this calls for a pub crawl, what do you say? Shall we hit the Three B's?" Fabian asked, eyeing Hermione mischievously.

"You're not taking the mickey are you? You do realise I have school tomorrow and my Head of House and the Headmaster are right there?" Hermione asked incredulously.

Both Prewetts laughed. "Okay, since Gideon here has to work tomorrow too, I propose one drink," Fabian said and turned to the Headmaster, "Would that be okay, Albus? One drink? And we'll escort her right back to her dorm after."

Albus gave a small nod, his mouth twitching a bit in amusement while McGonagall eyed the brothers and Hermione with a stern look in her eyes.

"Just one. I think you have earned it, after the progress we have made today," McGonagall remarked, a ghost of a smile on her lips.

"So? How 'bout it, little Dumbledore?" Fabian turned to Hermione and winked at her.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Fine. Only if you stop calling me that."

Fabian laughed. "I'll make no such promise. Come on," he said, grinning at her.

Hermione followed the Prewetts as they stood up. The group left the chamber and walked towards McGonagall's house again. The brothers and Hermione apparated to Hogsmeade, while Albus and McGonagall went inside her house.

As they entered the pub, Fabian went to the bar to buy them drinks while Hermione and Gideon sat next to each other at a table in the corner.

"You did great today, Hermione. Trust me, you'll get it right soon," Gideon said, smiling at her.

Hermione nodded, picking invisible lint from her sweater. She had at least managed to dress warmly, she thought bitterly, most of her thoughts still lingering in the cave. She knew it was pointless to be frustrated about not learning something, she knew it, but still, she couldn’t stop feeling inadequate.

"How are you doing?" Gideon asked, looking at her with a hint of concern in his eyes. "I mean, you have a lot on your plate…"

Hermione shrugged. "I'm okay," she said, not exactly convincing anyone.

Gideon frowned at her and was about to say something but refrained when Fabian came back from the bar with their drinks – three glasses of Firewhiskey – which he placed on the table. He sat down next to his brother and pushed a glass towards Hermione.

Hermione lifted her brows at the alcohol and then at Fabian, who smirked back at her.

"Bottoms up," he winked and took a sip from his glass.

Hermione worried her lip but then took a sip from her own drink as well. She instantly felt the liquid warm her insides. Perhaps it was a good idea after all, considering what they had been through that night. Even if they hadn't cast the curse, simply trying to extinguish it and being around that much of dark magic for that long affected them, or at least, it affected her. She felt like something cold and dark was trying to entwine with her insides, ready to cover the light in her if the opportunity presented itself. Hermione wondered if the others felt the same.

"So. Did you go to school with one of our nephews?" Fabian asked with a grin, breaking the silence.

Hermione's eyes widened with surprise and she looked around them quickly. "Are you mental? What if someone heard you?" She hissed at him quietly.

Fabian laughed. "Well, that'd be hard after my silencing charm," he said with a wink.

Gideon rolled his eyes with amusement.

Hermione's brows lifted slightly up, impressed by his subtlety.

"Well?" Fabian asked, looking intrigued.

Hermione shifted uncomfortably. Even if they had cast a silencing charm around them, she was still a bit hesitant speaking about her past publicly. She leaned closer to the brothers and whispered, "Yes, I did actually. I was very close to one of them," she said, taking a deep breath to keep her voice from wavering.

Both brothers eyed her with surprise.

"Close, huh?" Fabian drawled and shared a devilish grin with his brother.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "He was my best friend. Nothing more," she said, giving the brothers a sharp look.

She knew there had been something more to her and Ron's relationship, but she certainly wasn't going to reveal the information to them.

Gideon and Fabian nodded sincerely.

"You knew Molly? And her family?" Gideon asked with a small smile. "It feels so…bizarre, you know?" He continued and Fabian nodded in agreement.

Hermione smiled at the brothers. "Yes, I knew them. Molly and Arthur were like the second set of parents to me. I actually spent a lot of time at the Burrow during my holidays," she said with a pensive smile, looking at the table as memories of Christmases and summers started to swarm in her head.

She thought of the orchard behind the Burrow, where she and Ginny had spent time on summer nights, giggling about boys and worrying about the future. She remembered the cookings of Mrs Weasley, the overgrown garden with a pond full of frogs, the narrow river next to the cornfields, where the Weasley children, Hermione and Harry had gone swimming on the hottest days of summer.

Hermione felt overwhelmed by longing and sadness and she blinked rapidly as her eyes started to sting. She kept her gaze on the table, a deep frown between her brows as the brothers stared at her with a mix of confusion and surprise.

She knew that Gideon and Fabian probably hadn’t known that she had been that close with their sister and her family. She didn’t miss the look of uncertainty they exchanged before Gideon put his arm around her shoulders. Hermione stayed quiet, not trusting her voice as Gideon patted her on the shoulder, trying to comfort her.

"You must miss them a lot…" Fabian said carefully, eyeing Hermione with a sad smile.

Hermione glanced at the brothers and cleared her throat, trying to swallow down the lump she had there. She took her glass and gulped down the rest of her drink. The liquid burned and numbed the pain, sadness and hopelessness that was threatening to rise inside her. Both brothers lifted their brows but said nothing.

She sighed. "I do. Very much, actually. But for now, there's nothing I can do about it," she said weakly.

Gideon and Fabian nodded. They knew Hermione hadn't yet given up researching the way back to her own time, even though the Headmaster had said there was slim to none chance for her to find anything. And Hermione was grateful for them not bringing up the fact.

"I think we should go back to the castle, if you don't mind? It's getting late," she muttered, standing up. Gideon and Fabian both murmured their agreements and followed her outside. They walked back to the castle in silence.

As she reached the empty common room, after Gideon and Fabian had escorted her to the portrait, she headed straight to the staircase that lead to the boys' dormitory. She simply couldn't go to bed alone, not with all the memories swarming in her head. She needed someone to hold her, to sooth the disorder she was feeling. She needed someone to distract her.

She stepped quietly inside the seventh-year boys' dormitory, moving towards Sirius's bed. The room was dark and filled with sounds of the four sleeping Marauders. She glanced to the furthest bed, where Peter was snoring behind the curtains. Opposite to his bed was Remus, who was sleeping quietly, his hangings open and his back turned to the others. James was sprawled in his bed, which was opposite to Sirius's. James slept with the curtains open and he had a leg dangling off the bed.

The curtains around Sirius's bed were drawn closed, so she slipped between them quickly and sat on the edge of his bed. Sirius was lying on his back, the comforter kicked away again. He was wearing only his pyjama bottoms that hung low on his hips like they always did. Her eyes wandered over his body, over his lean, muscular form. Just looking at his defined abdomen and strong arms, which were thrown over his head and eyes, brought a shiver of incitement in her.

She leaned closer to him and kissed his lips softly. He hummed quietly in his sleep. Her heart thrummed in her chest. Hermione hesitated, hoping it was okay to kiss him while he was asleep. She then saw his lips curve upwards a bit and thought that perhaps he wasn't sleeping so deeply as she had thought. Biting her lip, she looked at him for a moment, admiring him. She wanted... well, she wasn't exactly certain what but something that involved him. She wanted to touch him. She wanted to feel him.

Hermione continued giving feathery kisses down his jaw, his neck and over his chest. His chest rumbled at her touch, but his eyes were still closed. She could see that his breathing was faster.

Hermione swallowed deeply before she continued. Her kisses travelled lower hesitantly, down his belly. Sirius squirmed slightly, humming in his sleep. As her lips were nearing the waistband of his pyjama bottoms, kissing the strip of black hair running from his belly button down under his pants, Sirius's took a sharp breath and his eyes snapped open.

"Hermione...?" He mumbled, breathing heavily.

She could see his obvious arousal through the fabric of his pants.

"Yes?" She whispered hesitantly.

She traced the skin over the waistband of his pants with her fingers while she continued watching his reaction. Sirius licked his lips and shuddered, the muscles in his lower abdomen clenching.

"Is this okay?" She asked tentatively. Her fingers were curled inside the waistband as she started to pull his pyjama bottoms down slowly.

He let out a strangled noise and nodded. "Yes. Yeah. More than okay," he stammered, watching her ministrations in awe.

Hermione pulled his pants all the way down after he lifted his hips in order to help her.

"Am I dreaming?" He breathed unsteadily as her gaze flickered to his shaft, which was jutting tall and proud, aching to be touched.

Hermione worried her lip and glanced at him hesitantly as her hands wandered up his thighs, towards his pelvis. She had no idea if what she was doing was right, but she gathered that it was, as he trembled beneath her fingers. When her fingers brushed his sex, he let out a shivery low moan.

Sirius watched her with his mouth open in shock and anticipation, as if he wasn't sure if it was really happening. She took him in her hand and began to stroke him, in a way she thought was correct. Sirius's eyes widened in response and he let out a sharp groan, his gaze heated and exposed.

His cock jerked in her hand and Hermione stilled, staring at him unsurely. "Um. Am I doing it right?" Hermione whispered, her whole face flushed red in embarrassment.

Sirius gave her a soft grin. "Yeah, just…Ah…a bit more pressure," he breathed heavily as her hand started to move along his shaft. "Do you want me to show you?" He asked quietly.

Hermione nodded, her head filled with anticipation.

He placed his hand over hers and moved with long and slow movements, stroking him with a firm grip. Hermione bit her lip in concentration, something that seemed to amuse him a bit. However, his mirth quickly vanished as she brushed the pad of her thumb over his swollen tip.

Sirius groaned and panted, grabbing the sheets with his both hands, like he was trying to stop himself from having her right there and then. He moved his hips in the same rhythm as her hand did, staring into her eyes with a heated look.

"Yes…Shit…feels so good…" he moaned.

Hermione felt her own arousal grow, just by looking at him reacting to her touch. She frowned and thought briefly, what he would taste like. She wondered if she would dare to do that.

"What is it?" Sirius whispered, eyeing her expression with a hint of worry in his eyes.

Hermione chewed the corner of her lips. "Um. Can I… Is it okay if I, um…taste you?" She cringed and could feel her cheeks burning.

Sirius's body shook and she could see desire cross his face. "Fuck…You're killing me…" he panted.

"Is that a yes?" She asked, her mouth quirking up a bit.

Sirius let out a nervous laugh. "Merlin, yes," he breathed and watched her tensely as she moistened her lips and leaned forwards.

As she licked the head of his cock, Sirius's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he let out a loud moan. She repeated her movements, over and over again, making him groan and shudder in pleasure, his body tightening under her.

"Hermione…" Sirius gasped, feathering his fingers against her cheek as he watched her actions in admiration. “You look so fucking beautiful…” he murmured, his fingers stroking her lips, his eyes staring at her with a mesmerised look.

Hermione smiled at him and wrapped her mouth around his cock, taking him in as deep as she could. As she did so, she looked up and saw Sirius throwing his head on the pillows, moaning loudly. His hips were trembling, supposedly from the need to thrust into her mouth.

"Yes…ahh…just like that…" he mumbled incoherently through gritted teeth. He slid his hand into her hair and held her gently as she started to move, her mouth gliding up and down on his erection.

"Ah…fuck. That's a fucking incredible sight," he mumbled, watching her with a dark look in his eyes.

As Hermione glanced at him, she realised that he was probably enjoying the view as much as the sensation. The knowledge set off a shiver of excitement in her lower belly and she hummed, her mouth still around his cock. Sirius gasped and shuddered, like her voice and the vibrating sensations made desire racking through his body. He grabbed his sheets again as she took him deep in her mouth and swallowed, her throat sucking the head of his knob while his back arched in the bed.

"Wait…Fuck. Hermione…I'm gonna come," Sirius groaned somewhat urgently.

Hermione continued, feeling how he swelled further in her mouth. She repeated the act once, twice, and he cursed, his hips jerking towards her slightly as she brought him closer and closer to the edge.

His cock kept swelling until he tensed and held his breath. With a loud moan, he came into her mouth, his thighs trembling from the force of his climax. Hermione swallowed quickly the thick, salty essence, her eyes watering a bit from the unexpected flavour. When she felt him relax in her mouth, she pulled off with a sounding 'pop' and watched him with uncertainty. It felt a bit awkward, as it had been her first time of doing so and she didn't know if she had done everything correctly. But besides that, the experience had been surprisingly wonderful.

"Fuck…I can't even…Circe…" Sirius rambled and took deep breaths as he lay his head down against the pillows, eyes closed, his whole body relaxed and his expression somewhat close to bliss. After calming his breath, he opened his eyes finally and stared at her in wonder.

“Was it…good?” She asked hesitantly, although all the evidence told her already that it had been.

Sirius gave her a captivated smile. "It was amazing, love. I enjoyed every minute of it,” he said quietly, before continuing with a slight puzzlement in his eyes, “You just keep amazing me."

He took her hand and tugged her closer to him. Hermione followed and lay down next to him. He eyed at her with an intense look and began to kiss her passionately. As his hands trailed down her body, caressing her curves, finally resting at the buckle of her jeans, she took his hands in hers.

"Can we just sleep?" She asked, holding back a yawn and looking at him sleepily.

He frowned slightly. "Yeah, of course. I just don't want to leave you unsatisfied," he said with a small smile, kissing her lips softly and reaching for the comforter.

Hermione smiled and snuggled closer to him after he pulled the comforter over them.

"You're not. I'm content being right here, in your arms." She whispered, half asleep already.

Sirius stared her in bewilderment for a long moment, then kissed the top of her head and drifted quickly to sleep, hugging her close to him.

Saturday, 12 November 1977

After staying the night in Sirius's bed earlier that week, Hermione had retreated to her own dormitory as soon as she had woken up. Thankfully, it had been early and everyone else had still been asleep.

She had rather mixed feelings about the night. On the other hand, she felt embarrassed and bewildered that she had done something so daring, in a dormitory where Sirius's friends had been sleeping not many feet away. And then on the other hand, it had been enjoyable, incredible and very, very arousing.

Hermione hadn't had the opportunity to talk about it with Sirius after that night, as he had been in extra Quidditch practices two nights in a row. Their practices had taken a lot more time lately than they usually did, something Hermione knew Sirius did not appreciate. She reckoned that James was somewhat determined to win the Quidditch Cup in his final year and thus had organised several extra practices for the team.

Still, she had seen him at mealtimes and between classes. There had been long looks exchanged between them. Looks that made her shiver in delight.

And as it was Saturday, Hermione thought that there was finally time to talk about their night together without any distractions.

She was already finishing her breakfast when Sirius entered the Great Hall and sat next to Hermione.

"Good morning," he said lightly and gave her a quick kiss on her cheek, before turning towards the table to grab some toast from a large plate.

Hermione smiled and poured him coffee. She swallowed hard as she felt his thumb brushing along her spine through the fabric of her robes and she hastily put the coffee pot back on the table.

Sirius smirked at her flustered expression and was about to say something but was interrupted by James, who walked behind him and smacked him round the head, making the raven-haired boy wince slightly before his friend marched to the other side of the table.

"What did you do, Pads?" Remus asked resignedly, as James sat next to him and started to load his plate with food, glaring at Sirius who was sitting opposite to him.

The girls eyed the pair with a mix of confusion and amusement.

Sirius chuckled. "Nothing much. Just pulled a teeny prank on Prongs," he said simply.

Hermione lifted her brows. "Sirius?" She asked cautiously and glanced at James, who looked irritated.

Sirius sniggered. "I really didn't do much…Just, you know, replaced his broom with a Muggle one before he got the chance to go to his morning fly," he said with an innocent shrug.

Hermione sighed and shook her head. "Did you give the real one back?"

"No," Sirius said incredulously. "Why would I do that? You do remember the dreadlocks, right?" He asked with a slight bitterness in his voice.

James narrowed his eyes at his mate. "You want to tell her the real reason for your stupid prank, Pads?" He asked with a challenging look.

Sirius lifted his brows in irritation and James seemed to be a bit pleased with himself.

"What?" Hermione asked slowly, giving Sirius a puzzled look.

Sirius groaned and ran a hand through his hair. "He uh…banned you from our dorm for a month," he grumbled, not looking at her and instead glaring at James, who was smirking at him.

"W-What? Why?" Hermione asked quietly, looking at James in confusion.

Lily and the others too were watching James in bewilderment.

"Let's just say…I'm a bit of a light sleeper. And you didn't use a silencing charm," he said and gave Hermione a pointed look.

Hermione's eyes widened with embarrassment and her face flushed bright red. The others eyed the scene with a variety of expressions from amusement to shock.

Sirius rolled his eyes to James. "Like anyone would believe you were a light sleeper...your snoring makes the windows rattle," he huffed.

James arched a brow at his friend. "Although, now that I think about it, I only heard Padfoot making noises…" James said and glanced at Hermione with a mischievous look in his eyes. "I mean, perhaps your mouth was otherwise occupied?" He asked pointedly, his remark sparking guffaws from the others.

“Prongs. That’s enough.” Sirius said with a warning in his voice.

"Oh, Merlin…" Hermione whispered, burying her face in her hands. Sirius smoothed his hand up and down her back, trying to calm her.

Lily looked like she was torn between laughter and disdain. In the end, she seemed to decide to change the subject for her Hermione's sake.

"So…um…who do you suppose will win today?" The redhead asked with a slightly squeaky voice, trying to school her features as she eyed the others.

It was the first Quidditch match of the season, between Ravenclaw and Slytherin.

"Ravenclaw, obviously," James scoffed, "Slytherin team is shite. Although it would be better if they won…Then we'd have an easy lead in the points," he continued thoughtfully.

Hermione's attention drifted elsewhere as her friends started to talk about Quidditch. She simply wasn't that interested in the sport. Her eyes travelled along the Great Hall, eyeing the excited students in every table. Most of them were wearing blue or green, supporting either one or the other team. She glanced at the enchanted ceiling – it was covered with grey clouds. She really hoped it wasn't going to rain, as it was quite horrible to sit in the Quidditch stands during a bad weather.

Her eyes flickered towards the Slytherin table, where she saw Regulus next to his teammates. He ate silently as the others talked around him with hushed tones. A moment passed and he looked up, straight into her eyes. Hermione swallowed as they stared at each other for a long moment. It felt like she should've looked away, but she couldn't. She frowned as she felt her stomach twist all of a sudden and blinked in bewilderment. Regulus's gaze shifted next to her. Hermione knew he was looking at his brother, even before she saw Sirius looking back. It seemed like the boys were having a silent conversation as they simply stared at each other before averting their eyes, both then smirking to their own plates.

Hermione tried to focus on her tea and gather her thoughts. She couldn’t place the feeling she now had inside her. But what was it?

She was so immersed in her thoughts that she actually jumped when Sirius spoke to her. "Shall we go?" He asked, giving her a slight nudge.

Most of the students were already drifting towards the Quidditch pitch. "Sure," she replied and smiled at him as they stood up and left the Great Hall with the other Gryffindors.

The game had been a close call. Ravenclaw had eventually won, but Slytherin had caught the Snitch. Sirius and Hermione had both grinned and whooped at the dark haired Slytherin Seeker, who had flown by near them. Regulus had merely shaken his head in amusement, smirking at the pair before he had returned to his sour-faced teammates.

After the game, the seventh year Gryffindor girls had gone to Hogsmeade – McGonagall had given them a special permission to go. Hermione suspected that their Head of House probably had a soft spot for the Head Girl, since she apparently hadn't needed that much of persuasion. Alice had finally a chance to meet her boyfriend, Frank, who had a day off, while Lily, Mary and Marlene were going to grab lunch in the village. Hermione had opted to stay in the castle, as she had much to accomplish in research and studying front. After lunch, she had browsed through the books she had loaned from the restricted section the week before, as she had had the whole dormitory to herself.

Later in the evening Hermione was doing her homework in common room, sitting near the fire. Remus had joined her, while the rest of the boys were somewhere in the castle, causing mischief. After some time, she eyed him hesitantly, trying to figure out a way to ask him about something that was in her mind.

"Just let it out, Hermione," Remus muttered while he scribbled something into his parchment.

Hermione flinched. "What? How did you know I was about to speak?"

Remus glanced at her, smirking. "Besides the fact that I can hear your heart rate speeding up and down?" He chuckled at her flustered look. "I knew you'd want to talk sooner or later…" he said, putting his quill away and giving her his full attention.

"Well…Yes. I do. Um…How are you doing?" Hermione asked, eyeing him with concern.

"You mean, how am I handling the fact that I have a…girlfriend?" He asked, cringing a little. "Peachy," he continued with a mirthless laugh and rubbed his face.

There was a short silence. Remus stared into the distance, evidently thinking it over.

"I dunno, Hermione. Mary's great, I mean...We really hit it off." Remus said eventually with a sheepish smile.

"Oh, I know," Hermione smirked, giving him a knowing look. Mary hadn't talked much about him after Halloween ball, but some details had slipped.

Remus gave her a puzzled look.

"She said you're quite - ah - physical," Hermione said innocently and laughed as she saw his face pale and his eyes widen with shock.

"W-What?" Remus stammered.

Hermione snorted. "I think it was meant in a good way," she said, giving him a meaningful smile.

Remus cleared his throat nervously and averted his gaze. "I…I'm still a bit worried that I might hurt her," he muttered, turning his uncertain eyes back to her.

Hermione smiled at him. She understood that his illness affected him even without the full moon. "You won't, trust me. And…I think you should talk to her. I mean, not necessary tell about the…wolf," she said the last word inaudibly, after glancing around them and making sure they were alone. "But the feelings you have and the thoughts that are going through your head. That you are afraid that you'll be too rough with her?"

He looked at the table thoughtfully for a moment. "Yeah, I guess you're right," he said finally, giving her a small smile.

She patted his hand and they continued to work on their Charms homework in silence, occasionally asking detailed questions on the subject from each other.

Friday, 25 November 1977

It was the night of the full moon and the girls were having a 'girls' night in' at their dorm. The guys had told them that they would be sneaking off to Hogsmeade for the night, hitting the pubs there, while Lily and Hermione were told that they were actually sneaking to grab a load of sweets for Remus since the two girls knew that their werewolf friend was going to stay in the infirmary.

Regardless of Lily's reluctance to drinking on school premises, Mary and Marlene had insisted they should be having a few drinks. At first, the girls had decided to entertain themselves with a bit of a drinking game, not to get sloshed, but to have fun and relax a bit. They were supposed to take a sip from their Mimosas Mary had made them, every time the Marauders were mentioned, including their names and/or their nicknames.

Eventually they had to put a stop to the game, as apparently all their topics involved a marauder or two. They really needed to fix their lives to not revolve around men only, Hermione thought and said so to the girls.

"But I love men," Mary whined, sprawled on her bed, while Alice was sitting at the foot of it.

"I'll drink to that," Alice agreed, emptying her glass.

Marlene smirked from her bed, where she was lying on her stomach. "I think you both mean, one man?"

"Well, yeah," Mary said, rolling her eyes with amusement. "Even though I have a feeling that Remus is not completely honest with me," she said with a hint of frustration in her voice, as she stood up from her bed to fix Alice and herself another Mimosa on her expanded night stand.

Hermione exchanged a sharp look with Lily.

"I'm sure he'll open up to you eventually, Mary," Lily said gently. "Remus has always been somewhat private, hasn't he?"

Mary let out a noncommittal grunt and slid back to her bed, handing Alice her drink.

"And can I just state the fact that James is being a prat for banning the girls from their dorm," Mary continued, pouting at the unfairness of it.

Apparently, James's ban did not only concern Hermione, but all the girls. James had told them later on, that he and Sirius had to be in top condition for Quidditch, as Gryffindor's first match was to be played in the middle of December. He had said that they needed a good night's sleep every night to accomplish that. Sirius had then slyly proposed that perhaps something else could keep James energetic, winking at Lily as he spoke. James had punched his friend for his comment and that had been the end of that discussion.

Lily arched a brow to her friends. "I think, for once in his life James is being reasonable. The dorms are not for some fun night life, they are for sleeping," she said matter-of-factly.

Marlene snorted. "Just call it shagging, Lily."

Lily pursed her lips while Marlene eyed her. "You know, soon you'll be changing your mind. When you and your Head Boy start your 'fun night life'." Marlene finished with a teasing grin.

"And that, I assure you, is not happening in the near future. I'm far too busy with school and my Heads' duties," Lily said confidently.

"Oh? How's James handling it?" Marlene asked with interest, a smile tugging at her lips.

Lily shrugged. "He's not complaining."

Marlene snorted and muttered something under her breath.

"You still snog each other, right?" Mary asked, her face scrunched up in confusion. "And do some other stuff, too?"

"Yes, of course we do!" Lily huffed, "But that's between me and him, just so you know," She replied sternly.

Hermione felt pensive as her thoughts drifted to another redhead she had been close with. Sometimes Lily resembled a lot of Ginny, but certainly not now. Ginny would've been spilling every single sordid detail there was to give, enjoying every minute of it.

Mary rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, Lils. You have to give us something, eh?" She said, grinning mischievously at the redhead.

"I agree! How is he?" Alice asked with a devilish grin, "You know, at snogging?"

Lily blushed a bit. "Um…Good, I suppose… It's not like I have that much to compare to."

Hermione knew her friend had kissed only one boy before James and apparently that was some time ago.

"Well, was he better than Daniel?" Mary asked, waggling her brows.

Lily rolled her eyes before she spoke. "Yes."

"What about Snape?" Marlene asked.

Hermione let out a loud cough. She blinked at her friends. Lily and Snape?

"W-What?" Lily breathed, her eyes widening in shock.

"Did you ever snog him?" Mary asked, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "You know, when you were spending time together…Before the um, you know…" she said and cringed as she ended her sentence with awkward silence.

Lily dropped her gaze down and didn't say anything. The girls looked at each other discreetly and waited for Lily to say something. She didn't. Instead she stood up from her bed, where she and Hermione were sitting on and walked away from the dormitory.

"Lily?" Hermione called her as the red-haired girl stormed off.

The door shut with a quiet click.

Hermione sighed.

Mary looked at the others regretfully. "Shit…I didn't mean to…"

"I know. I'll go check on her," Hermione said and gave Mary a small smile before she left the dorm and went after Lily.

As she stepped into the empty common room, Hermione saw Lily sitting on the sofa by the fading fire, immersed in her thoughts.

"Have you talked with him?" Hermione asked cautiously as she approached her friend and sat down next to her.

Lily stared ahead and sighed. "No. But…well…lately I've been having some second thoughts. You know? Did I end it too easily after all? Our friendship?" She muttered, glancing at Hermione with a deep frown.

Hermione smiled at her sadly. "I don't know…Only you know if you did, but no one else. That being said…I'm sure you didn't cut him out of your life because of just a onetime slur?" Hermione asked tentatively. "I mean, it was wrong of him to call you names, but if there hadn't been anything else going on, I'm sure you would've forgiven him. Right?" She asked and eyed her friend searchingly.

Lily blinked. "Yes, of course. It would've been a bit high handed of me to shun him based on one mistake," she muttered thoughtfully. "Of course there were other things too. You know what I mean. You know who he is friends with and what he's planning to do…" she continued, giving Hermione a helpless look. "It's like he didn't even try to say no to them. To refuse them. To disagree with them. That's what bothered me the most," Lily muttered, staring ahead, a strained look in her eyes.

"I know." Hermione said quietly. "But I think there could be a chance for him to change sides after all...You know he's friends with Regulus, right?" She said and looked at Lily pointedly.

Her brows shot up. "Has Sev said anything?" She whispered anxiously.

"Well, no. I was in speaking terms with him until I made friends with Regulus. For some reason that seemed to bother him and now he is acting like a prat most of the time we're at Potions." Hermione huffed, irritated by the thought of her Potions partner.

"But…I could ask Regulus to talk to him about it. Only…" Hermione stopped and watched Lily hesitantly.

"What?" Lily asked urgently.

"I think he wants your forgiveness…otherwise he probably won't do it. I mean, he's not friends with anyone on 'our side'. I don't know if he sees any point in joining us if everyone hates him…" Hermione said carefully, watching Lily's expression harden.

Hermione sighed. "Look, I am not asking you to forgive him right away and forget everything that has happened, but… Just think about it, okay?" She said while giving her a quick hug.

"I will," Lily said quietly.

The boys were walking back to the castle from the forest, leaving Remus in the Shack to sleep in his wolf form for the rest of the night. Dawn was about to break soon and the boys had resumed to an earlier argument about the girl-ban regarding their dorm. Sirius was pouting after James had suggested that he should go and have a wank if it was bothering him that much.

James snorted at his friend as they walked through the halls, checking the map as they went. "Come on, mate. The match is in a couple of weeks. I'm sure you can manage, as you have so far," he said airily.

"Yes, Prongs, I believe it is easy for you, since you've probably grown your virginity back by now, as the result of your Victorian ways," Sirius muttered, glaring at his friend, while Peter snickered.

James merely rolled his eyes as he checked the map.

"Have you and Hermione…you know?" Peter asked while they ascended the stairs.

"What do you think, Pete?" Sirius said, winking at his friend.

James smirked. "Based on the sounds, which by the way, are constantly ringing in my head – no, they haven't," he said pointedly.

"Oh, Prongs, I'm flattered. Didn't know you thought of me that much," Sirius said, grinning at his friend. "Do you think of me when you get off too?" He continued lightly.

"Bugger off."

Sirius laughed at him. "Make me."

James sighed irritably.

"Admit it, Prongs. I'd rock your world," Sirius stated smugly. "I mean, I'd want to shag me too if I were you," he continued and poked his friend on his ribs.

James growled. "Piss off, Pads. I'm not in the mood for your jokes. I just want to head to our dorm, so that I can catch a couple of hours of sleep before morning."

Sirius chuckled. "Oh, you were so much more fun when you were getting some…" he said, earning a punch on the shoulder from his friend.

"…Damn…You're strong for a little thing," Sirius muttered and ducked behind Peter as James tried another swing at him.

Peter merely laughed at their banter, shaking his head in exasperation.

"I'm warning you, Pads," James said darkly, glaring at his friend.

Sirius lifted his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay," he said, biting back a grin as they entered their common room.

Soon they were walking up the stairs to their dorm, all of them yawning heavily. Each boy collapsed on their respective bed, exhausted from the night.

Chapter Text

Chapter 18: An Encounter

Saturday, 26 November 1977

"You know, you could've just stayed in bed after staying up for better part of last night…" Hermione said, giving a worried look at Sirius's pale, drained complexion and the dark circles under his eyes as they walked towards the village.

It was their last Hogsmeade weekend in November and second to last trip to the village that year. The rest of the seventh year Gryffindors were staying in the castle.

Sirius yawned. "I'm perfectly capable of joining my girlfriend on this lovely Saturday walk," he said, stretching his arms. "Besides, as soon as we'll enter the bookshop, you know I'll be dozing off in one of the daybeds in the corner."

Hermione snorted. "It's not a daybed, Sirius. It's an ottoman. And you're not supposed to sleep in it…" she said and gave him an incredulous look as they reached the main road of the village.

Sirius smirked. "Well, I can't help it. The place bores me to tears," he said with a shrug.

Hermione shook her head in exasperation as they walked along the relatively empty streets of Hogsmeade. It was lunchtime already, and they had decided to head towards the Three Broomsticks first.

After lunch and a quick trip to Tomes and Scrolls, Hermione and Sirius were walking along one of the side alleys, in order to visit a recently opened Quidditch shop.

"Well, well, well…Look who it is. Itty…bitty…cousin…" a woman's voice cooed behind them.

Hermione's eyes widened in recognition as she and Sirius both stopped in their tracks and turned swiftly around. She knew already what her eyes would see before she looked up and met her torturer.

Bellatrix Lestrange stood there with her husband Rodolphus.

Hermione stared the woman in horror, the last time she had seen her flashing in her mind, bringing nauseating shivers down her spine. She reckoned the woman looked much the same as she remembered. Bellatrix had the same hooded eyes and the same sharp, angular features. Not forgetting the loathing sneer edged to her face. Only now she looked a bit younger.

Sirius gritted his teeth. "Bella. I'd say it's nice to see you, but since your face makes me want to scratch my eyes out…"

Bellatrix smirked at him unpleasantly. "Be careful what you wish for, Sirius…" she cackled as she approached him.

Rodolphus followed his wife and his gaze flickered to Hermione. "And who might this little witch be?" Rodolphus grunted at Hermione, looking at her features with a nasty leer.

Hermione suppressed a shiver and saw Sirius clench his jaw.

"Leave her alone, Lestrange," Sirius growled.

"Oh, little Sirius has a girlfriend?" Bella hissed venomously, her eyes flashing with excitement. Her focus too shifted to Hermione, who was standing rigidly next to Sirius, trying not to panic as her eyes met Bellatrix's.

"And an intriguing friend you have, cousin, indeed. Miss Dumbledore, I presume…" she cackled again with glee, turning back to Sirius.

Bellatrix's words made Hermione's blood run cold. Her eyes darted behind the Lestranges in the hopes of finding someone who could assist them. She could see a glimpse of the main road, where the side street joined it, but the streets were empty.

"I think you should leave now, Bella," Sirius growled at his cousin.

"I think not. I think you are not in a position to place commands," Bellatrix said sweetly as she smiled maniacally at Sirius. "Isn't that right, dear?" She continued with a warning in her tone as she glanced at her husband.

"It would be wise to drop the attitude, Black. Even after your little stunt, your parents might be willing to take you back. That is, if you beg for their forgiveness and do what is expected from you," Rodolphus spat, taking a step towards the raven-haired Gryffindor.

Sirius's stance didn't falter. "Never going to happen," Sirius bit back through his teeth, his eyes flashing with rage.

Hermione swallowed hard and briefly wondered if she would be able to send Aberforth a messenger patronus without the Lestranges noticing.

Bellatrix came closer. Too close. She leaned towards Sirius's ear. "You know, dear cousin…we could make it happen the hard way. What will it take? Kill one of your friends? Believe me, it would be so easy, as you have no shortage of them…or loved ones…" she whispered venomously and her eyes flashed briefly at Hermione before she gave Sirius a meaningful look.

Sirius's eyes went cold, his expression stony and Hermione could feel him shaking slightly as he moved to stand partly in front of Hermione.

Seconds later Hermione finally saw someone familiar on the street. Relief flooded into her as she called, "Professor Prewett!"

Gideon's attention was drawn towards their direction. After he had realised exactly who were accompanying his students, he quickly approached them. "What is going on in here?" He asked, eyeing the Lestranges with a mild disgust edged onto his face.

"Just havin' a bit of a chat," Rodolphus said with an indifferent shrug and took a step back, glancing at his wife who was still staring at Sirius and invading his personal space.

Gideon cleared his throat loudly.

After giving her cousin a final smirk, Bellatrix stepped back and turned, walking with her husband towards the main street.

Hermione let out a heavy breath as they vanished from their sight. She didn't even want to think about what would have happened if Gideon hadn't been there.

"Everything okay?" Gideon asked, glancing at Sirius before his eyes settled at Hermione.

Sirius was staring at the ground with an angry expression.

Hermione nodded and gave their professor a small smile. "Yes, it is now. Thank you."

Gideon nodded. "No problem. Perhaps it would be best if you headed back to the school…" he said tersely and motioned them to follow him.

Hermione and Sirius walked back to the castle in a tense silence.

Hermione's mind was spinning, as she debated what she should say to him.

"Sirius." Hermione said softly, as they walked up the staircase towards the Gryffindor Tower. "Don't overthink it. It's okay, everything is okay. I'm fine."

"Yeah," he replied with an unconvincing voice, as he stared absently ahead.

He didn't say anything else until they reached their common room.

"Hermione, I have to…I've got some things to do, so…I'll see you later," he muttered, not looking at her and heading straight to his dorm.

Hermione huffed as he hadn't bothered to wait for her to reply and glanced over the nearly empty common room. None of the seventh year Gryffindors were there. She sighed and rubbed her face with her hands before she left towards the library. She needed some distraction and she knew the place would give it to her.

Wednesday, 30 November 1977

A couple of days later Hermione and Lily were watching the Gryffindor Quidditch practice, sitting alone on a stand in the middle of the pitch. Sirius had been avoiding Hermione since the incident on Saturday and she was now determined to have a chat with him. During the past days, he had sat next to her at mealtimes and during some of their lessons, barely speaking to her. After classes he had been outside by himself or alone in the boys' dormitory.

Hermione frowned as she looked at him play; there was a sullen expression edged on his face. Throughout the practice, James had thrown her some dubious looks which made her think that he suspected she had something to do with Sirius's current mood. Or perhaps the raven-haired Gryffindor had informed his friend about what had happened in the village. Hermione hadn't spoken about the incident, but of course her friends had noticed that something was amiss.

When the practice was over, Lily squeezed Hermione's shoulder. "Just talk to him, okay?" She said with a reassuring smile before she left the stand to meet James on the pitch.

Hermione took in a calming breath. Sirius had to know they needed to talk about what had happened. He had to know that he couldn't keep avoiding her like he had been doing for the past days. The next moment, she saw him looking at her, his jaw tight as he mounted his broom and flew towards her, while some of his teammates made their way towards the locker rooms and some straight towards the school.

Only a couple of seconds later, Sirius had landed on the stand, close to where she sat. She watched him hesitantly, trying to read him, trying to figure out what was going on with him.

Sirius placed his broom to lean against the bench behind them and took a seat next to her, his gaze trained ahead on the pitch. They both sat there in silence, until Sirius let out a heavy sigh and shoved his hands through his hair, freeing it from the hair tie he kept on whenever he was flying.

"Sirius?" Hermione asked hesitantly, her eyes moving over his face.

Sirius swallowed hard and turned to look at her with a crestfallen look. "You know who threatened us?"

Hermione nodded slowly. "Bellatrix Lestrange and her husband Rodolphus. She's, um…your cousin, right?" She asked vaguely, forcing herself to stay unaffected by the mention of the horrible witch. 

"No. I mean you know her, right?" He asked sharply, giving her a scrutinising look.

"I…" Hermione said, her voice dying in her throat. She looked at her lap and wondered what the hell she was supposed to say to him.

"She did something to you." Sirius said quietly. "Didn't she?"

"No…" Hermione whispered, not looking at him, even though she could feel his hard gaze trained on the side of her face.

Sirius huffed and cursed under his breath. "Don't lie to me, Hermione. I saw your face," he said darkly, looking away.

Hermione swallowed convulsively. "Can't we - can't we just forget about her?"

Sirius whirled to stare at her in disbelief. "No! We can't ignore that crazy bitch. I know better than to ignore her threats," he said through clenched teeth. "I would never forgive myself if something happened to you because of her. Or because of me…" he continued quietly and took her hand between his.

Hermione licked her lips. There were so many things she wanted to say to him, but nothing came out. Sirius was staring at her with a beseeching look. With a hopeless expression. Like he was hoping she would understand how terrible it felt.

Hermione frowned at him, having an inkling of what he was thinking, but at the same time, she hoped that she was wrong.

"Sirius, what do you…" she started but didn't finish her question when she saw his eyes fill with remorse and his face scrunch up in anguish.

She knew he was going to leave her. She knew it and in her heart, she knew why. Even though she didn't want to accept his reasons, she knew he wanted her to be safe. She knew that he thought he was endangering her. When it really was her who was the one endangering everyone around her, because she was the one who knew the future. And how to destroy Voldemort. 

"No." Hermione shook her head sharply, feeling angry and afraid. "No. Don't," she whispered, giving him a pleading look. "Don't let her win."

Sirius dropped her hand, a pained look on his face. "I'm sorry," he said quietly, his voice filled with sadness and shame.

It felt a bit like she was suffocating, like realising what he was about to do had made something heavy press her lungs and something unpleasant crawling up her throat. She reached out to him, not ready to lose him yet and hoping that he would come to his senses. She leaned closer to him, taking a hold of his neck. But Sirius simply stared at her with a miserable look, a deep frown between his eyes and his mouth turned down in a dejected look.

"Don't do this, Sirius." She whispered urgently, pressing her lips against his.

Sirius swallowed hard, his eyes shining as she kissed him desperately, trying to reassure him that she was safe with him. That he worried for nothing. She smoothed her fingers up the length of his neck and sighed as he answered to her kiss, enjoying the feeling as his hands settled over her hips and as his fingers caressed her softly.

They kissed and touched each other so softly, so gently, until it wasn't enough for her. She climbed over to his lap and pressed herself against him. Sirius groaned against her lips and stroked her thighs before he took a hold of her hips, their lips still caressing each other. She was vaguely reminded of a certain afternoon they had spent at the Quidditch stands together after his practice. It had been one of the first times they had done something more than kissing.

But Hermione knew this time it was different. This time he was holding her back, instead of pulling her towards him. Kissing him felt different too. She knew that he felt it too. It felt like a goodbye. Her chest ached as she saw how he fought back tears, as he fought back giving into it.

He soon broke their kiss and pushed her gently back to her seat.

"Hermione…I'm so sorry. I can't do this. Not anymore. Please don't hate me," he murmured as he looked at her in anguish and wretchedness.

Hermione looked away, swallowing hard as a variety of emotions surged through her. Disbelief. Sadness. Anger. Helplessness. Tears were burning her eyes as she finally turned to him and gave him a heartbroken look.

She wanted him to forget everything that had happened, she wanted him to tell her that everything was going to be okay. That he’d take care of her and that Bellatrix wouldn't be a problem.

But she knew that he could not.

There was a long silence. When Hermione didn't say anything to him, Sirius let out a long breath and stood up.

"I wish I wouldn't have to do this. But I do," he whispered and averted his eyes.

Then, he walked away from her and did not look back.

It felt like she was drowning.

Sirius walked numbly towards the castle. He felt horrible. He felt nauseated. He felt like he had made the worst mistake in his life - and that was counting that time he hadn't dragged his brother with him to the Potters. And the time he had told Snape how to bypass the Whomping Willow after being irritated at the git for stalking them all the damned time.

Sirius felt like he was lost and didn’t know where to go and what to do. He only knew that he didn’t want to feel anything on the inside anymore. It was too overwhelming. He needed to punch someone, to have someone take a couple of good swings at him so he’d feel physical pain instead.

So, after he entered the castle, he decided that brawling with Slytherins would do it. He made his way to the dungeons, thinking that there had to be someone willing to fight with him, with or without wands. He moved towards the voices that came from further along the corridor and approached a group of Slytherins.

"Flipendo!" Sirius shouted angrily, aiming his wand at the group.

The four Slytherins were knocked back with a loud bang.

"What the fuck?!" One of them yelled.

" - You're dead, Black!" Another one shouted as they scrambled back to their feet and drew their wands.

Three curses left at the same time and came soaring towards Sirius. He blocked deftly all of them with a strong shield charm, but then the fourth curse, "Sectumsempra!", was uttered right after the others and Sirius didn't have time to deflect it. For a second, he actually thought he would be dead, because Sirius knew what the curse did.

Suddenly a shield charm was thrown in front of him, right before the curse would have hit him in the chest. Sirius turned his stunned gaze to his side and saw his brother. Regulus was holding his wand up with an angry expression on his face.

"Back the fuck off, Burke." Regulus growled coldly to his housemate. "I'll deal with him."

He then approached Sirius, drew away his shield charm and grabbed him by his collar, leading him away from the Slytherins. Burke and the others snarled at the brothers before leaving as well and moving along the corridor towards the opposite way. Sirius merely stared ahead with empty eyes as they moved forward.

Regulus dragged him into an empty classroom on the first floor. After he closed the door behind them, he threw Sirius forward, rounding on him.

"What the fuck was that, Sirius? Do you have any sanity left in that small Gryffindor brain of yours?" Regulus asked with a mix of anger and worry in his expression.

Sirius scowled back, feeling broken-down. "You should've just let them hex me."

"Are you fucking kidding me? You do realise what that spell was Burke shot at you?!" Regulus yelled and sighed, his voice a lot more calmer as he continued, "What the hell is the matter with you? I mean…has something happened?" He asked, studying his features.

Sirius looked away, scoffing. "The crazy bitch of our cousin is what happened," he muttered and sneered at the wall.

"What? Bella? What did she do?" Regulus asked with a restrained voice.

Sirius turned to look at his brother, clenching his jaw before he spoke. "She threatened my friends. And Hermione. We were at the village the other day and ran into her along with that idiot husband of hers. Said if I'm not going home soon and be what I was supposed to be, they'll start persuading me through the ones close to me…"

He felt the mix of anger and defeat surge through him once more. He shoved both hands into his hair and gripped tightly. "FUCK!" He cursed loudly and kicked a chair that fell to the floor. He let go of his hair and his arms fell to his sides as the feeling of misery took over.

Regulus watched him silently. "Are you going to be okay? Is Hermione okay?" He asked finally, a hint of discomfort in his voice.

"No…I don't know. She said she was, afterwards, but I just couldn't, Reg, I…I can't put her in danger," Sirius said quietly, not quite meeting his brother's eyes. He knew what his brother thought and he didn't want to be reminded how ashamed he felt.

Regulus was silent for a while and simply stared at Sirius. "You left her, didn't you?" He demanded with a dark voice.

Sirius looked away, because there were pinpricks behind his eyes and even though his brother had seen him tear up before, he sure as hell didn't want him to see it now. He cleared his throat and swallowed hard, forcing himself to calm down. "I wish I didn't have to."

He knew that even though Regulus was displeased at him for making the choices he had made, his brother still understood why. They both knew that their family was waiting to get their hands on Sirius and punish him if he didn't turn up and beg for their forgiveness. And they both knew that Sirius wasn’t going back, but he wasn’t going to let anyone suffer the consequences either.

"Where is she?" Regulus asked quietly.

"The Quidditch stands." Sirius replied without looking back at him.

He knew Regulus would go to her. He knew his brother and Hermione had developed a friendship during the past few months and he wasn't going to stand between it. After all, it had been Hermione who had brought Sirius and Regulus together. Sirius knew they weren't now as close as they had been as children, but they were getting there.

Sirius let out a weary sigh when he saw that Regulus had left him alone. Slowly, he made his way back to the Gryffindor tower.

Hermione wiped angrily at her face, but the tears she willed not to fall in front of him were cascading now freely and it seemed that there was no end to it.

She knew why he had done it and deep down, there was a fraction of her that understood. But that fraction was now stomped by the feelings of sorrow, betrayal and a heart wrenching ache.

"Confrigo!" Hermione shouted furiously, blasting away the fence in front of her.

She felt a mix of thrill and guilt for violating the school property as she pulled her knees under her chin and stared at the empty pitch, her tears finally subsiding.

"I believe that would bring a bit of suspense for the next match, wouldn't you agree?" Regulus said quietly as he sat down next to her.

Hermione tensed as she hadn't heard anyone approaching her, but soon relief flooded into her as she glanced at him and saw a friendly face. Even though the Black brothers resembled quite a lot one another, there were still some differences between them, those of which she was glad of at the moment. She took a deep breath and rested her head against his shoulder.

"What has my brother done now?"

Hermione huffed. "I don't want to talk about it. Besides, I bet he just sent you to me, so you probably know exactly what happened," she muttered, feeling forlorn.

Regulus sighed wearily. "Yes. I'm sorry, Hermione," he said and put an arm around her, pulling her closer to him.

She stared at the pitch, feeling empty and remained quiet as Regulus mended the fence in front of them. Several warming charms later it was nearly curfew, so they had to return to the castle. Regulus escorted Hermione back to her quarters, holding her hand as they walked. As they stood in front of the portrait in the entrance of the Gryffindor Tower, he tucked a curl behind her ear and hugged her close to him.

"Goodnight, love," he whispered to her ear.

As they broke their embrace, Hermione gave him a strained smile and climbed through the portrait hole, walked straight to the girls' dormitory and went to sleep.

Tuesday, 6 December 1977

Everything was slowly going back to normal after Hermione's and Sirius's breakup. The girls hadn't questioned Hermione after she had come to their dormitory looking dishevelled and teary-eyed. Hermione was glad of it. She knew she would talk with her friends when she was ready and they seemed to understand it. What she didn't know, until much later, was that Sirius had received a good hexing from Lily on the corridors the next day after the breakup. Apparently, McGonagall herself had witnessed it and given the redhead her first detention ever.

The first couple of days after their breakup had been quite bad in Hermione's opinion. Sirius had barely glanced at her, not to mention talked to her. Not that she sought his company or tried to talk to him herself. Even though she was quite hurt that he had left her because of some crazed woman's threats, she still understood him. She knew why he had done it. She knew by experience that Bellatrix was a psychopath and that her threats shouldn't be taken lightly. She knew Sirius was only trying to protect her, but she still couldn't stop resenting his actions.

On Tuesday, over a week after their breakup, Hermione sat in the Charms classroom after lunch. Her focus was drifting away from Professor Flitwick's description of today's charm they would be practicing – the Geminio Charm. To her credit, she already had cast it successfully, on her fifth year nonetheless. She knew that a few of her classmates had mastered the charm as well.

Hermione was sitting furthest from her group of friends and only a slight distance away from the group of Slytherins who took NEWT Charms. Lily and Alice, who sat next to her, were scribbling notes to their parchments as Flitwick went into detail about the charm in question.

As she was trying to gather her thoughts and get back to her notes, Hermione heard voices from the row behind her. She heard Snape muttering something under his breath to another Slytherin next to him. As Hermione glanced subtly towards their direction, she saw that their heads were drawn together; clearly talking about something else than the lesson. Curious of what they were discussing, she strained to hear what they were saying.

"What the fuck is going on with him?" The other Slytherin, whom Hermione recognised as Amycus Carrow, hissed. "One would think he's gone soft from the way he's befriending the Gryffs. If he's not turning up to Nott's on hols, Salazar knows he's going to be in deep shit."

Snape let out a quiet sigh of annoyance. "He'll be there. But let's not talk about this in here, Carrow. Too many prying ears," he muttered, glancing at Hermione and narrowing his eyes at her.

Hermione quickly shifted her focus towards the front of the class, wondering if they had been talking about Regulus.

A while later, Hermione waved her wand and cast the Protean Charm on the fake galleon Flitwick had handed everyone at the start of their class and then duplicated it with Geminio Charm.

"Wow, you did that fast," Alice said, looking at her work appreciatively.

Hermione gave her a small smile in return. "Here." Hermione said, using the Geminio Charm again and handing the girls copies of her own Galleon.

"I used a Protean Charm in the original. Now we can write each other messages," she said, smiling at her friends.

The girls looked surprised and each took their own fake galleon from her. Hermione remembered when she had first used the two charms and her thoughts wandered back to the DA meetings she, Harry and Ron had organised during their 5th year. Her smile turned downwards as the memories swarmed in her head. She was quickly shaken from her musings when Lily interrupted her.

"Hey. I think it's great, Hermione. Thanks," she said, grinning and pocketing her coin after sending a message to the coins.

HI LADIES! –LE

Hermione read her coin and chuckled at her friend. She didn't miss the way Remus watched them with a small smile playing on his lips.

As Hermione entered the girls' dormitory after studying in the library instead of joining everyone for dinner in the Great Hall, she saw her friends waiting for her. Lily, Mary, Alice and Marlene were all sitting on a large bed with food and treats on trays next to them. Hermione was momentarily taken aback by their thoughtfulness, their kindness and the way they were looking after her. They were her friends. She blinked away tears as she smiled at the girls, who all stood up and came to hug her before urging her to sit down with them.

"I'm sorry I haven't been spending time with you recently," Hermione said with a worried smile and rubbed her eyes with her hands.

She had been spending a lot of time in the library and she had missed more than one meal after the breakup. Most nights, she had gone to bed early, pulling her curtains shut and withdrawing from the company.

Alice smiled at her. "You don't have to apologise, Mione. We understand. And we're here for you, you know?" She said kindly and Hermione gave her a nod.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Lily asked hesitantly, giving her hand a light squeeze.

Hermione shrugged. "Well, I don't know what to say…" she muttered and let out a weary sigh. "Someone threatened Sirius they'd hurt me and his friends and I guess he wanted to protect me. So he left me," she said heavily.

The girls gave a collective gasp.

"Who was it?" Marlene asked anxiously.

"What did they say?" Alice followed with a concerned look.

"Fuck," Mary cursed, looking angry.

Lily eyed the bed with a troubled look. "So…he thought he was being noble or something? He wanted to be with you but he couldn't? Oh, Godric, it's like from some sort of a muggle novel," Lily muttered, mainly to herself, turning to look Hermione. "But with actual threats…" she continued, her eyes widening with shock as she looked at her apprehensively. "You should go to talk with your uncle. Just in case."

Hermione smiled at the girls, feeling grateful and cared for. It was what she had needed all along.

"Well, yes, I already informed the Headmaster about the incident, but unfortunately he cannot do much because no harm was done to anyone and it was outside the school grounds. But he did mention there would be possibly more patrolling in the village on Hogsmeade weekends." Hermione said with a helpless shrug.

"As for who and what – I can't say. It does involve Sirius as well and I think he doesn't want anyone to know about his business," Hermione said quietly, looking at her lap.

She didn't miss the way Lily and Marlene lifted their brows and glanced at each other with meaningful looks. Hermione reckoned her friends had a good suspicion on whom and what she was talking about.

"Are you going to do something about it? Is he going to?" Alice asked, frowning slightly.

"What is there to be done?" Hermione asked gravely. "He made his choice," she continued roughly. "We're over."

They sat in silence for a while, eating the food the girls had got them from the kitchen. Hermione smiled as Lily explained about meeting the elves for the first time and how nervous she had been. They also told Hermione that a few of the elves had actually sent Hermione their regards and told them to tell her not to hesitate visiting them. Hermione's heart warmed. She had stopped by the kitchen a couple of times after her and Regulus's visit, not to ask about their working conditions but mainly to have tea and a chat with them.

"Well…As much as this makes me sound like a bitch, especially now that we've just talked about your breakup…We, uh… I'm finally officially dating Remus." Mary said, giving Hermione an apologetic look.

Hermione laughed. "It's about time," she said with a smile.

She knew that if someone deserved happiness, it was Remus and Mary.

They started talking about Remus's and Mary's relationship and Hermione was quickly distracted from her own thoughts and misery. The night went on with laughter and in high spirits and for the first time in over a week, Hermione reckoned that perhaps everything was going to be okay.

Monday, 12 December 1977

"You done hexing my brother for this month?" Regulus asked as he slumped into a chair opposite to his friend.

They were in the library after dinner, doing their homework. The place was fairly empty and they both preferred it that way.

"What? I thought you'd be pleased, giving as your brother broke up with your…friend." Severus said with a hint of a sneer on his face.

Regulus gave him an unimpressed look. "You want to talk about friends, Severus?" He asked, eyeing the other wizard with a meaningful look.

Severus scoffed but said nothing.

Regulus sighed. "I know you hate him, but I can't turn my back on him. Not anymore," he said quietly.

Severus's lip curled into a sneer. "And why is that? You suddenly care about him?"

Regulus rolled his eyes, knowing that his friend was simply trying to irk him. "Dunno if you should be moralising me about caring. I've seen you staring at the Gryffindor table and I'm quite sure those looks aren't meant for Potter…" he said with a knowing smirk.

"Don't know what you are on about." Severus said with a cold voice. “And did you know that Carrow was speaking of your affiliations with Gryffindors the other day?” he continued with a stern look as he changed the discussion away from himself.

Regulus eyed his friend silently for a long moment.

"You have to be more careful. You know this cannot continue. If you are not an idiot, you will have to at least pretend to cut ties with them,” Severus said with a low voice.

Regulus nodded slowly. It was something he was fairly good at, pretending, that was.

Regulus hadn't told his friend everything about his collaboration with the Order, but spy or not, he knew he had to lie to the Dark Lord in order to protect the people he cared about. And he knew he would soon have to cut ties with the people who were opposing the pure-blood supremacism philosophy. Or at least pretend to do so. He also knew there would be things he had to do under the orders of the Dark Lord. Things he was sure his brother and Hermione wouldn't approve.

"And what about your own wandering eyes?" Severus asked after a moment of silence. "How long are you going to keep that pretence of being nothing but her friend?"

Regulus gritted his teeth and quickly schooled his expression into an indifferent one. "Don't know what you're talking about," he said harshly, taking his books from his bag and opening his Transfiguration homework.

He could feel his friend smirking at him.

"Bugger off," Regulus snarled, his gaze still at his books.

"Oh! Sorry I… I'll just go then." Hermione said with a surprised voice.

Regulus's eyes widened in shock as he looked up to see Hermione standing there, her expression a mix of bewilderment and hurt. He jumped up from his chair before she had the chance to turn and leave them.

"No, Hermione! I'm sorry. I was talking to Severus," Regulus said quickly, taking her hand. "I didn't see you, I promise," he continued sincerely.

Hermione studied him for a bit before she smiled tentatively and nodded at him. They stood there, staring at each other a bit longer than usual, until he realised that he was still holding her hand. He dropped it quickly and glanced at the table. Severus was eyeing them with a smug look on his face. Regulus groaned inwardly and turned back to Hermione.

"Would you like to join us?"

"Um…sure, that'd be nice," she said warily and moved towards the table, sitting down next to Regulus's seat and pulling her books from her bag.

Regulus sat down next to her, holding himself stiffly upright as he eyed her from the corner of his eye.

Severus rolled his eyes at him and stood up. "If you don't mind, there's someplace else I'm needed," he drawled as he swept his belongings into his schoolbag.

Regulus gave him a warning glance before his friend left the library with a satisfied smirk plastered on his face, his robes billowing behind him.

"So…why were you telling Snape to bugger off?" Hermione asked, glancing at Regulus as she dipped her quill into the ink pot.

"No reason," he muttered, watching her features closely.

"What?" She asked with a bemused smile after noticing he was watching her.

Regulus shrugged. "You seem happier," he said, turning to flip the pages of his book.

"I am." She said after a moment, a smile in her voice.

Regulus looked into her eyes and swallowed deeply, before focusing back to his schoolwork.

"Those are seventh year Transfigurations," Hermione stated with a frown, sounding intrigued as she leaned on closer to him, to see what he was reading and writing about.

He nearly stopped breathing when she came so close that he could feel the warmth of her body radiating towards him and her unruly hair, which was flowing freely, touching him, the tips of it tickling the skin on his hand.

"Yeah," he said almost breathlessly.

She turned her face toward his. She was so near. As his gaze dropped down to her lips, he briefly wondered if he simply leaned forward a bit, would their lips touch?

"Sorry, didn't mean to snoop…I'm just a bit surprised you're studying seventh year Transfiguration already," Hermione said quickly, backing off to her own space and frowning at her own schoolwork.

She looked distracted, as if something was bothering her but that she wasn’t quite sure what it was.

"Yeah, no problem." Regulus muttered, forcing away the sudden urge he had felt towards her.

They continued comparing notes and talking about their other classes, some of which he was also studying further than his classmates.

"When is your birthday?" Hermione asked suddenly, eyeing him with a scrutinising look.

Regulus arched a brow in suspicion. "What? Why do you want to know that?" He asked with a reserved tone in his voice.

Hermione let out a short laugh. "Just for knowledge. No need to get your tail in a twist," she said, lifting her brows at him in inquiry.

Regulus nodded slowly, knowing there was no harm to tell her that since it was something that could be found out somewhere anyway. "It's May 5th. And yours?"

"September 19th."

"So, you're, what, a year and eight months older than me?" He asked after working quickly out their age difference.

"Um…Actually. I'm nineteen," she said, cringing a little.

"What?" Regulus asked, somewhat taken aback by the news. She was nineteen? She was almost three years older than him. That was…a lot.

Hermione looked slightly uncomfortable. "Yeah, uh…The school where I was ends a year later than the schooling in here. I was taking my last year before I came here, so my uncle decided it would be best to finish my schooling, regardless of my age," she explained, a bit out of breath.

It seemed like talking about her old school and Australia was something that bothered her a lot. Regulus eyed her thoughtfully. He had heard her story about Australia, but something in it didn’t feel right. Then there were her memories of Malfoy Manor, which they hadn’t really talked about. He knew she was hiding something. He was determined to learn what.

To ease her discomfort, he decided to draw the conversation away from her previous school. "So…you're almost three years older than me…" he said wryly.

Hermione laughed. "Well, two years and almost eight months, to be certain. Not that it matters…right?" She asked, a slight hesitance in her voice.

"I guess not," Regulus murmured and eyed her before his mouth curved into a smile.

They turned back to their studies for a moment before she spoke to him again.

"Do you have any news?" She whispered, leaning closer to him and watching him carefully.

Regulus glanced at her and then around them. Hermione waved her wand, casting a subtle silencing charm around them, to prevent them to be overheard by someone.

Regulus’s mind whirled as he thought about the impending meeting.

"During Christmas hols. There's a gathering at Nott's, and I'm expected to show up," he said quietly.

He saw worry flicker in her her eyes as she stared at him apprehensively.

"What do you reckon they'll do to you? Or make you do?" She asked anxiously, her eyes moving over his face, reflecting her emotions perfectly, as always.

Regulus wanted to keep staring into her eyes, to forget himself in their deepness. But he knew that it wasn’t possible. He cleared the sudden tightness from his throat before he answered. "To prove myself."

Hermione let out a small gasp, supposedly understanding what it meant. She frowned at him, her eyes shining with concern and something else, something he couldn't quite place.

"Are you going to be okay? Should I talk with my uncle?" She asked uncertainly.

Regulus gave her a small shake of his head. "No. I'll be fine, Hermione. Don't worry about it," he whispered and squeezed her arm reassuringly.

Hermione frowned as he turned back to his book. She too returned back to her studies slowly and perhaps a bit reluctantly. Regulus knew that it was dangerous to talk about these things in the library and hell, it was probably dangerous to be seen with her altogether. He would worry about that later on. He could see how anxious the information about the meeting had made her and how worried she obviously was for him.

And he couldn’t stop feeling pleased about how light and excited it made him feel.

Chapter Text

Chapter 19: A Match and a party

Saturday, 17 December 1977

"This is not how I planned spending my Saturday…" Hermione grumbled as she shivered from the cold and pulled her cloak tighter around her.

The Quidditch game was starting after lunch and the girls had persuaded Hermione to watch the game and attend the celebration party afterwards. James and Sirius had been just a tad overconfident over how the match would end.

And even though the girls probably knew that Hermione's reluctance to watch the match wasn't really about Quidditch, as much as it was about watching a certain black-haired Gryffindor play while sitting at the same place where she got dumped, Hermione reckoned that her friends thought that it would do her good to spend some time together.

Mary turned around to look at Hermione. "Come off it, Mione…We're here to support our house team. I mean, Snitches before bitches," Mary said matter-of-factly, giving a pointed look at the girls and Remus as she adjusted her Gryffindor scarf, before she turned her eyes back to the pitch.

Hermione and Lily exchanged an incredulous look. They knew Mary was a bit of a Quidditch enthusiast and that was putting it mildly.

Remus eyed Mary with a slightly terrified look in his eyes. "So, let me get this straight…I'm your…bitch?" He asked carefully.

Peter snorted on Remus's other side while Hermione, Lily, Marlene and Alice all sniggered behind them.

Mary gave him an innocent shrug. "Well…You're the one who pointed that out," she said and grinned at him.

Remus shook his head in bemusement.

"And besides, it's not like we were going to let you spend your whole Saturday alone in the tower, Mione," Mary said, giving Hermione a knowing look, as if she had guessed what Hermione had been planning on doing before she was dragged outside. "Even your library-buddy is playing today," she added and glanced towards the pitch.

The game was about to start.

Hermione frowned slightly, forcing her eyes to stay at her friends. "He's not my library-buddy," she grumbled as Alice turned to look at Hermione and Mary.

"Oh, I totally forgot that Regulus is playing too," Alice said as the Slytherin team flew into the pitch and took their positions. "You're still hoping for Gryffindor to win, right?" She asked pointedly.

Hermione lifted an eyebrow. "Why would I be supporting Slytherin?"

Alice shrugged. "Dunno…You seem to be quite close to him, so I thought you might," Alice said absently as she looked over at the players.

Hermione pursed her lips, ignoring the way Alice’s remark had made her insides twist slightly. "Well, I do study with him sometimes, but Quidditch is something we rarely discuss." Hermione said simply.

Mary shushed them, glancing at Hermione and Alice with a stern look. "The game's beginning!"

Alice smirked at Hermione after Mary had turned her focus back to the pitch.

Seconds later all six Chasers were fighting over the Quaffle, flying back and forth on the pitch. After dodging a well-aimed Bludger with a Sloth Grip Roll – a tactic which Mary, the Quidditch fanatic, explained to everyone – James managed to catch the Quaffle. He was nearing the Slytherin goal hoops with the ball tucked under his arm and every Gryffindor was holding their breath. The silence turned into wild cheers as James threw the ball through the middle hoop, making his team's first goal.

After James scored three more goals in a short period, the Slytherin team started to look a bit upset. Hermione cringed slightly as she saw the two Slytherin Beaters looking at each other with evil smirks as they sent both Bludgers soaring towards the Gryffindor Captain. Luckily Sirius and the other Gryffindor Beater were quick to ward off the attack and James was left without a scratch. After the incident and after Lily heaved a great sigh of relief, Hermione's focus shifted to the opposite team's Seeker. Regulus was separated from his teammates, as was the Gryffindor Seeker. Both Seekers were circling the pitch, their eyes searching for the Snitch. Hermione briefly thought how different Regulus looked while playing the sport, as she was used to seeing him in the library, browsing a book or scribbling on a parchment. And somehow, this look, him soaring through the air with his broom, it suited him.

As the match went on, Hermione tried to focus on the game. She watched Slytherin make five goals, leading the game by ten points. Gryffindor had the chance to try to score when one of the Beaters from the Slytherin team received a penalty for deliberately ramming into one of the Gryffindor Chasers.

"Yeah!" Mary and Lily cheered as James scored the penalty throw.

The game was now tied and the Slytherin players were going nastier by the minute with their questionable tactics.

As the game had been going on for almost an hour, the score was two-hundred to one-hundred and seventy, Gryffindor leading the game. The players were becoming impatient since the Snitch hadn't made its appearance yet. Suddenly the Gryffindor Seeker took a deep drive towards the grounds. Regulus took off after her like a lightning and together they soared through the pitch, side by side, reaching towards the tiny ball. They dived beneath the grandstands, disappearing from sight, and a couple of minutes later, the Gryffindor Seeker rose triumphantly back to the pitch, clutching the Snitch tightly in her hand.

Wild cheering erupted from the stands – Gryffindor had won the game. Sirius and James high-fived in mid-air before speeding down to the ground. Their teammates followed them, as did the rest of the Gryffindors who descended down the stands, celebrating their victory.

"Party in our common room!" Sirius shouted, grinning when he saw McGonagall give him a stern glare.

His gaze flickered to Hermione, who was watching the scene from further ahead. They stared at each other for a short moment before he looked away and started to head towards the castle with his teammates and the rest of the students. Hermione stayed behind, not really in the mood for a party or being around that many people. She decided to pay Hagrid a visit before returning to the castle.

"Hi there Hermione! Surprised ter see yeh here," Hagrid said, looking at her with his brows lifted in a mild surprise as he opened the door to his hut.

"Hello Hagrid. Are you busy? Can I come in?" She asked a bit hesitantly.

She had seen him only a couple of times since the term had started, as she had had so much going on lately. She decided to visit him more frequently from then on.

"Sure, sure. Jus' thought yeh'd be celebrating with yer friends. Come in, an' I'll put the kettle on," he said, returning to his hut with Hermione following him in.

"So, Gryffindor won, eh?" Hagrid said while making the tea and grabbing two mugs, one giant sized and one normal one. He placed them on the table before pouring tea into them. "Saw it 'course. Brilliant game, wasn' it?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes. I'm not really that much into the sport but…It's quite nice our team won though," she said absently, while looking around the place.

"Yeh all righ'?" Hagrid asked after a short silence.

When she turned to look at him she noticed he was watching her thoughtfully.

Hermione forced a smile on her face. "Sure," she said and then sighed, her smile dropping. "Well, not exactly, but I will be…"

Hagrid nodded slowly. "Like my ol' dad used ter say; No good sittin' worryin' abou' it," he said. "What's comin' will come, an' we'll meet it when it does."

She could remember clearly the last time she had heard him say the words to her. And like then, now too the words gave her comfort. Hermione gave him a warm smile and took a sip of her tea. It was actually better than she remembered. Her gaze wandered over his hut again and stopped at a small table next to the armchair. What froze her in place was a colourful egg that was sitting in a small bowl.

"Hagrid?" Hermione asked warily.

"Hmm?"

"W-What is that?" She asked cautiously as she stood up and approached the patterned egg. "Please don't say a dragon's egg…" She whispered.

Hagrid chuckled. "Jus' a fwooper egg. But now tha yeh mention it, a dragon egg would be somethin', eh?" He said and eyed to the distance thoughtfully.

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief and rolled her eyes. Even though she now saw that the egg wasn't as large as she knew dragon eggs were, there still had been a small moment of dread coursing through her.

"Fwooper…Its feathers are used in quills, right?" Hermione asked absently as she admired the beautiful orange and pink patterned egg.

Hagrid came to stand next to her in front of the egg and nodded, "Yeah, they are. Goin' ter drop this little beauty to Magical Menagerie next week. Couldn' exactly keep it, since its singing drives the list'ner insane." He explained with a sorrowful look.

Hermione had to bite back a grin that was threatening to spread on her lips and instead nodded with an understanding look. She was a bit surprised that Hagrid wasn't trying harder to keep the magical bird for himself.

She stayed for a while, talking with Hagrid about her studies and magical beasts. Hagrid offered her food, but she politely declined and eventually headed back to the castle with a promise to visit him soon again.

As Hermione returned to the Gryffindor common room a couple of hours after the game, the Gryffindors were already setting up the room for the night's festivities. Hermione stood in place near the portrait hole and watched as Peter hung banners and balloons across the room with a few sixth-year girls, while Sirius and James were setting up the bar. A couple of boys from the Quidditch team were organising the furniture and conjuring more places to sit with the help of Remus.

This was the third party in the Gryffindor common room that Hermione was attending since the term had started and it was only mid-December. She briefly wondered if going into that many parties was in fact normal behaviour, as in her time there had barely been any time to celebrate their Quidditch victories.

"There you are!" Lily called as she stepped into the common room from the girls' dormitories.

Lily was already wearing a white dress and her auburn hair was curled into soft ringlets that fell over her shoulders. "Come on, Mione, the party is starting soon and you haven't even begun to ready yourself!"

Hermione sighed inwardly but followed her friend back to their dormitory.

Upstairs, Hermione watched the other girls for a moment, a small smile tugging her lips. Mary was standing in front of an enlarged mirror, wearing a bathrobe while she applied mascara on her already long and thick lashes. Marlene stood next to her, curling her blonde hair into soft waves with her wand. Alice was sitting on her bed, holding a small mirror in front of her as she plucked her eyebrows with the help of her wand, her towel still on after showering and her hair in a wet mess.

"So…you're all almost ready?" Hermione asked, turning to give Lily a wry look.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Well, you know how it goes…" she said with a grin and sat on her bed. "What are you wearing?"

Hermione looked down at her jeans and jumper. "Um…" She glanced at Marlene, who too was wearing a dress.

"Um, I think not," Mary called from the other side of the room, eyeing Hermione through the mirror and giving her a wink.

Hermione huffed. "Fine. I'll see what I can find. Although I don't know if I even have anything to wear," she muttered as she went to rummage through her school trunk. She saw Lily and Mary exchange a knowing look as Hermione grudgingly started to get ready.

A while later, the girls were situated in front of the mirror, standing side by side. Lily was wearing her white tassel dress with spaghetti straps and silver earrings for accessory. Mary wore a long, black sleeveless dress and several golden bracelets in both wrists. Marlene had put on a cute red dress with long sleeves and a very short hem. Her long blonde hair was in perfect sleek curls, framing her face. Alice had opted to wear white smart shorts and a black lacy top. Her short pixie hair was charmed into lavender colour.

Hermione had put on her red, decently short pleated skirt and a black, short-sleeved silk turtleneck sweater. Her outfit was completed with black set of bracelets, borrowed from Alice. She had put on a light smoky-eye makeup and had spelled her hair into submission. This time her hair was straight, reaching easily all the way down to her bum. As she eyed her outfit from the mirror, she had to admit that the overall look was rather sensual – but nice.

"So…Someone's gonna regret his decisions after he sees you," Mary said with a knowing smile as she eyed Hermione through the mirror. "You look stunning, Hermione," she continued and winked at her.

Alice and Lily beamed at Hermione and nodded in agreement.

Hermione worried her lip. "Not that I want to make him regret or anything…but, thanks. So do all of you," she said and smiled at her friends.

Marlene frowned. "I still don't get it why he ended it. He was so different with you. Like…really into you…" she muttered as she put on her earrings.

Hermione gave her a tight smile but said nothing. Everyone was now ready and they started to head towards the door.

"Well, it couldn't hurt to have someone new pining after you, you know…" Marlene continued and gave Hermione a mischievous smile while Lily and Alice giggled.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Just to be clear. I don't want anyone to pine after me," she said seriously.

Marlene shrugged and together they left the dormitory.

In the common room, the party was already going strong. Hermione saw a party game taking place near the staircase to the boys' dormitories and a group of sixth year boys drinking shots at the bar. The Marauders and the Quidditch team members were sitting near the fireplace, chatting and laughing with each other, while a mix of fourth- and fifth-year girls were giggling in the centre of the room that was transfigured into a dance floor. Alice, Mary and Marlene made their way towards the fireplace, while Lily stayed behind with Hermione and gave her a tentative look.

"Are you coming?" Lily asked and nudged her head towards the fireplace.

Hermione eyed the scene in front of them with a small frown. "You go, I'll be there in a moment, okay?" She replied and gave her friend a reassuring smile.

Lily looked a bit hesitant but said nothing. Instead she nodded and made her way towards the fireplace where the rest of her friends and her boyfriend were situated.

As Hermione watched Sirius laugh with his teammates and friends, she felt a pang of loneliness wash over her. She heaved a sigh and contemplated what to do. Hermione knew it would be awkward if she was in the same group as he, since everything was still rather tense between them. She also felt a bit resentful towards her friends, as none of them seemed to realise that. Besides Lily.

Hermione decided that she needed some fresh air. She knew she was only avoiding the inevitable, but she still snatched a tumbler of Firewhiskey, a drink she generally disliked, from the table and slipped out of the room.

She glanced around her – the balcony was empty. It was so quiet and peaceful there and quite warm too, courtesy of several warming charms that had been placed on the balcony. Hermione took a couple of steps towards the railing and stuck her hand over it. She felt a rush of cold, fresh wind biting the tips of her fingers. She moved her hand back inside the balcony and gulped her drink down in one mouthful. It burned and she coughed afterwards, her eyes watering. How someone could enjoy drinking the vile drink without making a face, was beyond her, Hermione thought and eyed the grounds under her as she leaned against the railing.

She could see a glimpse of the Quidditch pitch further away, the path towards the village passing it. She saw Hagrid's Hut positioned on the edge of the Forbidden Forest and could see a faint light glimmering on its window. Her eyes were drawn to the dark and eerie forest, with its secrets and various creatures. She thought about how much had happened during the small amount of time she had been there. How different everything had been only a couple of weeks ago.

The door to the balcony opened behind her and Hermione tensed as Sirius came to lean against the railing beside her.

After a short moment, she turned to look at him.

"Hey," he said casually, offering her a glass of amber liquid.

Hermione shook her head. "I shouldn't. Thank you though," she replied, forcing a small smile on her lips.

She already felt the effects of her first drink and feared that if she was too drunk, she would say or do something that she might regret later.

She gave him a quick once over, wondering what was on his mind. He was wearing skin-tight and ripped black jeans and a black t-shirt, paired with his worn leather jacket and dragonhide boots. When he saw her looking at him, Hermione averted her eyes quickly and scolded herself for checking him out.

Sirius watched her with an inquiring look, his mouth curving up a bit before he spoke. "Come on," he said softly, taking her hand and leading her towards a bench in the far corner of the balcony.

Hermione followed him obediently, capable to focus only on his touch - which brought chills on her skin, making her shiver.

As they reached the bench, she raised her eyebrows at him, giving him a questioning look.

Sirius sat down and watched her through a small frown. "I'm not gonna bite you," he said quietly, supposedly meaning to joke, but it all came out too flat.

Hermione stood stiffly in place for a beat before she eventually sat down next to him, too curious not to.

Sirius sipped his drink in a moment of silence. "How're you doing?" He asked and gave her a searching look.

"I'm okay," she said and eyed him warily, wondering why he was suddenly asking about her well-being.

Sirius frowned, as if guessing her line of thought. "Why're you here alone?"

Hermione chewed the inside of her cheek. "It's just… A bit difficult to be in the same group of friends, I guess..." Hermione muttered and shrugged.

His jaw twitched and he glanced at his drink. "I know. And I don't want it to be like that…" he said quietly.

Hermione nodded in agreement. "Me neither…"

"So…We're going to be in the same group and not be bothered by it, right?" He asked with a hopeful smile.

Hermione gave a mirthless laugh. "Sure." She said flatly.

His expression became wistful as he studied her features. Hermione cleared her throat and began to feel a bit uncomfortable under his gaze.

"You look beautiful, Hermione," Sirius said softly, watching her intently.

"Thank you," she replied awkwardly, willing herself not to blush and not to avert her eyes.

"Hermione…" he continued, his gaze burning into her, "I miss you."

She felt breathless and dizzy. "Sirius…"

He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and stared deeply into her eyes as he caressed her cheek with his thumb. His gaze dropped to her lips and he leaned slowly forward. Hermione could feel her heart pounding and she swallowed hard, having an inward conflict of what was about to happen. She wanted it to happen. She wanted him to kiss her. She wanted to be near him. But at the same time, she had to be certain things between them would change. That they would go back to how they were. Because she couldn't go through breaking up again.

Sirius finally closed the distance between them and his lips found hers. Every thought fled from her mind as his lips caressed hers with such warmth and restrained need that she let herself get lost in the moment. For a short while, she let herself enjoy the softness of his lips and the taste of his tongue and the way it felt as he moved against her.

But as wonderful as it felt, Hermione knew they would have to have a talk before engaging into anything more. Did the kiss mean something? Or was it simply a small moment to satisfy their longing for each other, before returning back to being friends, or whatever they had been during the past weeks?

She shook her head to clear her mind and broke their kiss, backing away from him.

There was regret in Sirius's eyes as he dropped his hand and cleared his throat, an apologetic expression taking over his features. That was all it took to answer the question. Apparently, nothing had changed between them. Hermione started to feel suffocated and she needed to go somewhere else, to let herself breathe for a moment, to let her compile her thoughts for a while.

"I can't. I have to go," she whispered to him and with one final look to his beautiful stormy eyes that now were swirling with emotion, she left him to the balcony and went back to the common room and exited the tower.

She had to think things through.

Hermione had ended up into an unused classroom on the fourth floor – the same one she and Sirius had used when they had met Regulus a couple of months ago. She had been there for some time before the door opened quietly.

There was a pause before a familiar and amused voice drawled, "So, this is what you Gryffindors do when you're having a party. Sitting in an empty classroom, alone, sulking."

Hermione turned to see Regulus standing at the door, a small smile tugging his lips. He stepped inside and closed the door behind him.

"Reg," Hermione breathed in relief. She stood up from the floor where she was sitting and walked up to him.

Without hesitation, she circled her arms around his waist and buried her face into his neck.

"W-What?" Regulus stammered with a stunned voice.

He seemed to be quite taken aback for a long moment, but then, slowly, his arms embraced her, his fingertips stroking her back lightly.

“Has something happened?” Regulus murmured against her hair.

When Hermione didn’t reply to him, Regulus pulled back slightly and cradled her cheek with his other hand, while the other stayed against her shoulder.

His eyes moved between hers, taking in her supposedly frustrated and sorrowful expression before he spoke. “Has my brother done something?" He asked calmly.

Hermione stared into his questioning eyes, eyes that were exactly the same beautiful stormy grey colour than his brother's. Hermione frowned and tried not to think about him.

"Nothing…" Hermione mumbled, but as Regulus gave her a pointed look, she swallowed hard before she spoke again, "He…sort of kissed me at the party…"

"And?" He asked mutedly, his gaze unwavering.

Hermione chewed the corner of her lips. "I said I couldn't…I mean, I don't think he even wanted anything more than... He hasn't even spoken to me after our breakup..." she muttered incoherently and gave him a helpless look.

Regulus was quiet for a moment before he spoke, his eyes moving somewhere over her shoulder. "I don't mean to make any excuses for him but…I think he's just a bit messed up right now. I think…even he doesn't know what he's doing," he said quietly, glancing back at her before dropping his hands away from her cheek and her shoulder.

Hermione pressed her lips together. "I don't want to talk about him… How did you know I was here?" She asked, eyeing him in confusion.

He shrugged. "I didn't. Needed a place to think, and you happened to be here. Perhaps we're drawn in together or something," he said jokingly and gave her a feeble smile, as if trying to make the situation lighter, to make her laugh.

But it did the exact opposite. It made her stomach jolt and her head spin slightly.

"Perhaps," Hermione whispered and looked at him carefully, only then realising how intimately they were positioned. Only moments before she was pressed against him. Even now she was so close to him she could almost count the lashes in his eyes. She was still holding him by his waist.

Regulus stared back with a piercing look. Something fluttered again in her belly and she averted her eyes from his and swallowed hard. She knew what it was. She knew the feeling. The urge to be closer to him, to touch him, to kiss him. Hermione took a deep breath as she realised that she was feeling something more than a platonic friendship towards him.

The attraction was now rather obvious and she wondered if it had been there the entire time and she simply hadn’t realised it before. And he was still there, standing still. Hermione slowly moved her eyes back to his face, trying to see what he was thinking and if the feeling was in fact mutual. She licked her lips hesitantly and as his eyes dropped slightly to follow her tongue’s movements, she knew there was something.

Slowly, hesitantly, she moved her hands up to rest against his chest, trying to gauge his reaction. Hermione could feel his muscles tensing under her touch as he eyed her closely, his breath slightly quickened. As her eyes dropped down to his lips, she saw him swallow deeply, his throat bobbing.

Hermione took in a shaky breath, gathered her courage and raised herself onto the tips of her toes. She brought her lips against his and kissed him softly. He didn't move. He didn't even blink. He only breathed heavily against her lips and held himself very still, as if trying to decide whether to stay or to leave.

"Reg…?" Hermione asked hesitantly as she drew away from him, starting to feel alarmed.

Oh no. Oh, Merlin…What had she done? She screamed to herself inwardly, but before she could think of anything else, he was reaching for her.

One hand slid beneath the fall of her hair. His other hand caught her around her waist and pulled her tightly against him. He crushed his lips against hers and kissed her with such a hunger and wild desire that it made a great shudder rack through her body. Needing to feel him, to touch him, she slid her hands up his chest, over his shoulders, her fingertips skimming his neck as she studied the curves and hollows of his muscular frame.

Hermione trailed kisses down his jaw while his hand slid from her waist to her hips, his breath hot and unsteady against her cheek. She brushed her lips along his neck and felt his muscles flex against her breasts as he let out a soft groan, his fingers pressing against her skin through her clothing. Regulus pulled her back up to meet his lips, groaning as he took possession of her mouth, devouring her as she writhed in need against him, as she sighed in pleasure while their lips glided against each other.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him even closer, opening her lips to his tongue. Regulus let out a huff of breath as their tongues met, before he proceeded to taste her slowly, sensually, humming approvingly as he felt her tongue start stroking his in the same pace.

His touch and his taste awakened an urgent and restless yearning inside her and sent heat pooling low and deep in her belly. She revelled in the taste of him, the feel of him and the sounds he let out as she slid her fingers into his black hair. She lightly yanked his hair and felt him shiver against him, receiving a soft nip on her lips afterwards.

Without breaking their kiss, Regulus's both hands slid under her shirt, his knuckles skimming the skin on her waist. Hermione shivered and panted against his lips as she felt the hot rush of desire fill her again.

"You're so soft," he whispered against her mouth, breathing heavily as his fingers continued to trace slow, teasing patterns on her skin.

His hands were ascending slowly towards her breasts. Hermione almost forgot to breathe.

"You're so perfect," Regulus murmured and Hermione gasped as his fingers traced the undersides of her breasts.

She pressed her pelvis against his, feeling him hot and hard inside his slacks, before she pulled him to meet her lips again.

With a groan of defeat, he took her hands from his neck and brought them in front of him. "Hermione…we need to stop." He said panting heavily, his eyes widened with arousal and horror. "I know I don't want to, trust me, but - " he grunted and swallowed hard. "You've just broken up with my brother," he continued and frowned at her, looking disappointed and apologising at the same time.

Hermione was taken aback, embarrassed by her behaviour and hastily took a step back, pulling her hands away from his grasp.

"I-I’m sorry," she stammered, looking away from him, feeling nothing but shame and confusion. What had she done?

Hermione couldn’t even grasp what had just happened and how she could’ve acted like she had. She had kissed Regulus, kissed him, for Merlin's sake! And, no…she hadn't just kissed him, she had thoroughly snogged him.

Sirius's brother.

Hermione bit her lip hard, tasting blood in her mouth, starting to feel nauseated. She glanced at Regulus and even though she felt horrified by her actions, she couldn't help but think how good he had felt, how perfect he had seemed. How right it had been. She was left with a longing to be in his arms again.

She wondered what in the Merlin was happening to her.

Regulus observed her rush of panic silently before he spoke. "Hermione…love…don't be. I'm not sorry I kissed you..." he said softly, giving her arm a squeeze. "But I don't want to be used to get back at my brother..." he continued grimly, studying her reaction.

Hermione took in a sharp breath. "You're not. I'm not trying get back at him," Hermione said sincerely and swallowed. "I just…I don't know what to do now…" she said slowly and gave him a helpless look.

Regulus gave her a small smile. "You have to figure that out. And perhaps talk things through with Sirius…" he muttered, giving her a hesitant look.

Hermione nodded in agreement.

They parted their ways and Hermione walked back to the Gryffindor tower, her mind in a haze. She barely noticed that the party was still going on and that her friends were all having fun as she walked across the common room and climbed up to the seventh-year girls' dormitory.

She quickly put on her nightgown and washed her face and teeth before slipping under her warm comforter. She couldn't sleep. All her thoughts were at her recent encounter with Regulus. She felt stricken and embarrassed by her actions. She didn't even know how she felt about Sirius.

What did he want? What did she want?

Hermione felt guilty as she realised that the year was soon ending and she had been in this time for almost five months and not succeeding in doing almost anything that mattered.

She still hadn't found a way back to her old life. She still hadn't managed to destroy a single Horcrux. She still hadn't learned to master the Fiendfyre curse. All she had done was letting herself get caught in a romance drama. She wanted to scream at her stupidity.

Of course, she had studied. She had changed the fates of Gideon and Fabian. Maybe. And she had made an ally of Regulus – they needed him to obtain at least one of the Horcruxes. Although…it seemed that she had now managed to make even that more complicated than it had to be.

Sighing, she decided to focus on what she was meant to do from then on.

Sunday, 18 December 1977

Hermione was determined to avoid everyone on Sunday, the day after the party. She needed to think things through, to sort out her priorities. As the girls were leaving for lunch, Hermione had informed them that she was feeling a bit under the weather and opting to stay in bed.

As the hours went by and her friends hadn’t come back to the dorm, she decided to pay a quick visit to the kitchen, since she was starting to feel a bit hungry. Unfortunately, she ran into Sirius as she entered the common room on her way back from the kitchen.

"Oh…Hey," Sirius grunted, looking slightly uncomfortable. "Where were you?"

Hermione shrugged. "I had a late lunch in the kitchen…Just wanted to be by myself for a bit…" she said tightly.

Sirius looked regretful. "Yeah, sure. I'm sorry…I um…" he muttered and let out a sigh, threading a hand through his hair. "I shouldn't have done that. I shouldn't have kissed you. Please forgive me?" He asked quietly, giving her an apologetic look.

Hermione felt a mix of hurt and shame as she thought about the previous night. She was still slightly bothered by his behaviour, since it had obviously been a drunken mistake, but that wasn't even close to the guilt she was feeling by her own actions. She knew he wouldn't take it well if she told him about her kissing Regulus.

"Sirius…what's going on? What was that yesterday?" She asked hesitantly, even though she assumed she knew what it had been.

Sirius looked at her guiltily. "I made a real hash of things…" he muttered.

Hermione sighed with disappointment. "So…nothing's changed?" She asked quietly, feeling a mix of relief and discontent settle into her as he nodded in agreement.

"Nothing's changed…" he repeated remorsefully, his gaze at the floor.

After a short silence, Hermione took in a deep breath and turned to leave.

"Can't we just be friends?" He asked quickly, looking dejected.

Hermione frowned at him, her emotions in disorder. A small part of her had wished that everything had changed. That they could continue from where they left off. But nothing had and even if it would have changed, she couldn't be with him anymore. She had to focus on the Horcruxes. And if she were to be with him, she knew he would expect her to tell him the truth. She knew he wouldn't approve her endeavours regarding the cursed objects.

Then there was Regulus and the fact that she had kissed him and how she had realised that she had more than friendly feelings for him. She knew she should have told Sirius then and there, but she couldn't. Hermione wondered if she could just forget about it. Perhaps it didn't mean anything. But somehow, she knew she was lying to herself if she was thinking along those lines.

What she could do now, was to accept his offer. She knew it would make things easier.

"I think that will take time. But…I'd like that," she said finally.

Sirius gave her a nod and eyed her carefully. "You…um…You know how we talked about catching up on the holidays? To see a couple of flats?" He asked and grimaced. "I mean…It'd be nice if you still wanted to come, but I understand if don't want to…" he muttered, eyeing her with an unsure look.

She had already forgotten about that. When Sirius's uncle had left him his early inheritance, the raven-haired boy had asked Hermione to go to apartment hunting with him during the holidays. It felt like a lifetime ago when they had discussed it.

"Oh, well, all right. I'll…I’ll come. Just…Owl me?" She said aloofly, taking a few cautious steps towards the girls' dormitory.

Sirius seemed a bit surprised but merely nodded in agreement. She gave him a one last glance before she exited the common room and headed back to her dormitory to spend the rest of the day in bed.

Wednesday, 21 December 1977

It was the last day of school for the year and the train was leaving the next day, taking the students to their homes for the holidays. Everyone was in high spirits at the breakfast table, sharing their holiday plans to one another.

"We're staying home, probably having some family over. Although there's this New Year's party my folks throw every year, to which you're all invited," James announced happily to the seventh year Gryffindors, who all promised to come.

The invitation caused an excited discussion, mainly on the girls' behalf - about the nature of the party and the apparently massive guest list. Hermione tuned out from the conversation after a while and let her gaze wander around the Great Hall.

Her eyes landed at the Slytherin table and she spotted Regulus easily. He was sitting next to Snape and they were in the middle of a discussion. Suddenly, Regulus turned slightly and glanced at her, as if sensing that she was looking at him. He stared at her with a blank expression at first, but then his mouth curved up a bit. She gave him a hesitant smile and noticed then that Snape was looking at her as well, with an annoyed glare plastered on his face. Hermione averted her eyes and turned to pay attention to her friends again.

"What about you, Hermione?" Lily asked from the other side of the table, where she was sitting with James, Sirius, Remus and Mary, their backs to the Slytherin table.

Hermione shrugged. "Just staying with my father," she said vaguely.

Although that was not exactly the case. On Monday, they had had another encounter of 'Taming of the Fiendfyre' – something that she had started to call their practices in her head. After a long and exhausting night, during which everyone had made progress – some more than others, Hermione thought bitterly, remembering quite well how both Prewetts had extinguish the cursed flames successfully – Gideon and Fabian had walked her back to the Gryffindor tower.

"So Hermione. Do you have any holiday plans?" Fabian asked as they walked along the dark and empty corridors.

She shrugged. "Nothing much. Just staying with Ab and having a Christmas dinner in the castle."

The twins glanced at each other, exchanging a meaningful look.

"Would you like to come to the Burrow with us some day during your holidays?" Gideon asked, while Fabian eyed her expectantly.

"Oh…I don't know…" she said hesitantly.

The truth was, she wanted to go. Badly. She just didn't want to intrude.

"You're not intruding." Fabian clarified after reading her expression.

Gideon gave her a smirk.

Hermione tensed and then grinned at how good they had become knowing what she was thinking.

Fabian gave her a nudge as they neared the Gryffindor tower. "So? Will you come?"

Hermione frowned. "I'd love to, if that's okay with everyone…But won't Molly and Arthur suspect something if you bring a student to dinner?" She asked, eyeing the brothers warily.

"Nah, we'll just tell them you're Gideon's girlfriend," Fabian said with a teasing smirk.

Hermione's eyes widened. "W-What? You can't do that! And…he's a teacher, Fabian," she scolded him.

Both twins sniggered.

"Okay, Okay," Fabian said with lifting his hands in surrender. "I already told them you're with me," he said with a wink.

Hermione sent him a glare and huffed in annoyance.

In the end, they had agreed that she would meet Gideon and Fabian in the village next Wednesday, the 28th of December and from there, they would head towards the Burrow together. She had decided not to say anything about it to anyone, as her friends probably wouldn't have understood it. Because they would've only seen her spending time with their teacher and his family during the holidays.

Hermione also had plans to meet Sirius during the holidays, but she didn't want to talk about that with the others. Because their friends probably wouldn't have understood that either. She didn't know how she felt about seeing him or why she had even agreed to meet him. She only hoped it would go well and that they could soon be the friends they had agreed to be.

When everyone had shared their plans, the Gryffindors started to get ready for their first class, which was Arithmancy for Hermione, Lily and Alice, and Care of Magical Creatures for the boys and Mary.

"Are you prepared for the Christmas Eve gathering?" Severus murmured quietly next to Regulus.

"Of course." Regulus replied absently.

He glanced at the Gryffindor table and saw Hermione eyeing him with a thoughtful expression. Severus voiced something next to him but Regulus's focus was entirely on her. His mouth unintentionally curved a bit and she replied to him with a sweet little smile.

"Your inability to feign close attention doesn't really astonish me," Severus hissed, watching him with an irritated look.

Regulus turned to look at his friend and saw the fuming Slytherin send a dirty look towards Hermione.

"Watch it," Regulus said quietly, narrowing his eyes at his friend.

Severus turned to face him with an unimpressed look. "You think I liked watching your little tryst on Saturday?" He asked with a disgusted voice.

They had been practicing Legilimency against each other, trying to block the other intruding their mind by putting up their Occlumency shields. Severus had managed to break through Regulus's shields, catching a glimpse of the memory of Regulus snogging Hermione. His friend had also, unfortunately, caught up on the feelings that had coursed through him at that moment – how Regulus had felt a surge of yearning and bliss as Hermione's lips had touched his and how the feelings had quickly turned into craving and lust.

Regulus merely shrugged. "Well, you never know…" he replied wryly.

Severus rolled his eyes. "You know you have to do better than that. My skills are nothing compared to his, and you know it," he hissed.

Regulus sighed and looked down. His friend was right. The Dark Lord wouldn't have any hindrances delving through his mind, if he didn't try harder to empty it. The problem was that the kiss with Hermione was constantly on the forefront of his mind. He would have to try to bury it somewhere deep, in case the Dark Lord would search his mind.

And he probably would.

"You talked with her?" James asked as they were walking along the path on the grounds, towards where their class took place, while Remus, Mary and Peter were strolling ahead of them.

"Yeah." Sirius grunted, not looking at his friend.

He wasn't sure if it had helped, talking to Hermione after the party. Since last weekend, she had seemed even more distant than she had been after their breakup. Which had made him confident that he had managed to bodge everything up during those few minutes they had had in the balcony during the party.

Why had he kissed her? Why had he ruined everything? What the hell was wrong with him?

"And?" James pressed on, his eyes trained at the side of Sirius's face.

"What?" Sirius asked sharply, scowling at his friend as he stopped in his tracks, in the middle of the grounds.

James sighed and turned to him. "Are you two okay now?" He asked tentatively.

Sirius shrugged and looked away. "Guess so."

He didn't know that for certain. He didn't know what to think. He wanted to throw caution to the wind and go to her and tell her that he would do anything to get her back, to be with her. But then he would be endangering her, wouldn't he? He would then be selfish and only think of his own benefit. And he didn't want to be like that. Not with her.

They continued to walk towards their class.

"Just friends?" James inquired quietly. 

"Yeah," Sirius said heavily.

"Shite." James murmured, threading a hand through his hair, making it stick up even more than before.

Sirius glanced at his friend and sighed wearily. "Yeah."

After lunch, Hermione slumped into her seat in the Potions class and glanced at her partner, who was staring at her.

"How graceful of you," Snape taunted.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "What is your problem, Snape?" She hissed at him.

The class hadn't yet started, as the students were still moving onto their seats.

"I beg your pardon?" He drawled, giving her an arched brow, his face otherwise void of emotion.

"You heard me. Have I done something to offend you?" Hermione asked and stared at him defiantly.

Snape looked back with a stony expression for a moment. "You Gryffindors always think the world revolves around you," he jeered, rolling his eyes and turning to look at the front of the class where Slughorn had started to hand the assignments.

Hermione let out an annoyed huff and Snape gritted his teeth.

"What? My breathing is annoying you?" Hermione asked sharply.

He merely glanced at her direction before he stood up. "Start the cauldron," he said with a demanding voice, before heading towards the cupboard to get the ingredients.

Hermione sighed and counted to ten inwardly, before getting to work. He didn't talk to her for the rest of their lesson, as they prepared a Potion for Dreamless Sleep. When their class was over, Hermione turned to Snape.

"Can I talk to you for a moment?" She asked after Snape had given samples of their brew to Slughorn and returned to pack away his belongings.

Snape regarded her coolly and then nodded stiffly. Hermione lifted her brows in mild surprise and followed him out from the classroom, glancing back to her friends, who hadn't noticed her leaving with the Slytherin.

He led them into an empty classroom in the dungeons and stood near to the door, with a stony expression edged on his face, waiting for her to talk.

She frowned for a moment before she spoke. "Why do I have a feeling that you don't accept Regulus's friendship with me?" She asked slowly, staring at him with an expectant look.

Snape watched her, a faint sneer outlining his face. "Friendship?" he drawled with an arched brow.

Hermione sighed wearily, realising that Regulus had evidently told him something. "Well, whatever it is. For some reason you've become more hostile towards me than you were in the beginning of our term. Why is that?" She asked exasperatedly.

"Perhaps I just don't like you." Snape said with an emotionless voice.

Hermione scoffed. "That doesn't mean you have to be rude to me, does it?"

He stared at her for a while with a blank look. "Do you enjoy having both Blacks worshipping at your shrine?" He asked darkly.

Hermione’s brows shot up at his words. "What are you, jealous that I'm spending time with your friend?" Hermione asked incredulously.

Snape rolled his eyes. "You really are as unintelligent as you look," he said coldly.

"What does that mean? You are protecting him? From me?" Hermione continued. "I hardly think that's necessary. I mean him no harm," she said, shaking her head in bewilderment.

"Your mere presence around him gives him harm. I trust you know what is expected of him?" Snape hissed, looking at her with an arched brow.

Hermione blanched. "You…you mean to tell me that I should…What? Back off? Not be his friend?" She asked faintly.

Snape merely looked at her.

She cleared her throat, feeling a bit taken aback. "Is that why you and Lily are no longer friends?" She asked and gave him a pointed look.

His eyes widened only slightly, but she saw it nevertheless.

"That is none of your business." Snape snapped.

Hermione hummed in response. "There you have it," she said and gave him a pointed look.

If it was none of her business to ask him about him and Lily, then it most definitely was none of his business to meddle in her friendship with Regulus.

Snape sneered at her.

Hermione hesitated a bit. "So…You're really over it? Over her? You don't wish to be her friend anymore?" She asked cautiously.

Snape looked away, clenching his jaw. "Even if I wanted to, I'm quite sure she will never forgive me," he grumbled quietly, not quite meeting her eyes.

Hermione tried not to look surprised. Perhaps all he needed was a kick on his arse? Not that she really was a fan of him. Even if there was more to Dumbledore's death than what seemed to be obvious and even if Snape had had an agreement with the Headmaster, he still had been horrible to her during her school years. Nevertheless, she knew that if Lily and Snape were to be friends, it would change certain events. She could prevent bad things from happening to her friends.

She was quiet for a while before she spoke. "You know…she might forgive you, if you tried apologising. But you'd have to really try then. You'd have to make an effort. Because if you continue on the path on which you are now, you will lose her forever," she said grimly.

When he didn't say anything back, she left the room.

Chapter Text

Chapter 20: Christmas & New Year

Thursday, 22 December 1977

Regulus slipped into the compartment where Severus was already sitting at, alone, his nose buried in a book. He sat down opposite to his friend and gave him a long stare as the train left the Hogsmeade station.

"By all means, say what it is that you're bursting to get out." Severus drawled while looking up from his book.

"Did you speak with Hermione?" Regulus asked calmly. Even though his voice was calm, his eyes were not.

Professor Slughorn had organised a small Christmas party for his selected students the previous night. Hermione had been there, but she hadn't even spared a glance at Regulus's direction; instead she had merely chatted with others the entire night. After some time, Regulus had figured out that Severus probably had something to do with her behaviour, since the Gryffindor girl had sent dirty glares towards his Slytherin friend throughout the night.

Severus scoffed. "That is the only detail you're worried about?" He asked and gave Regulus an incredulous look.

Regulus merely huffed at him.

Severus’s brow twitched slightly. "I simply implied to her that her friendship with you might cause you harm in the end. And that she ought to stay away from you," he said indifferently and threw a silencing charm to the door. "You do realise what is about to happen during the holidays? And what is expected from us?" He hissed with a dark voice.

"Yes. I know, Sev. Thank you for reminding me," Regulus said wryly, looking away from him. "But my friendship with Hermione doesn't concern you."

Regulus knew there was no place for any doubt when facing the Dark Lord. Regulus and Severus had gathered that the Dark Lord would indeed use Legilimency against them to ensure their allegiances. Regulus could only hope that his Occlumency shields were strong enough and that the Dark Lord wouldn't be overly interested to look what else could be found from the corners of his mind and instead would only focus on the thoughts and memories regarding Regulus's genuineness to participate in his cause.

Severus shook his head in disbelief. "You are as ignorant as your brother," he said with resentment. Regulus huffed before Severus continued, "Why are you so eager to risk your life, and mine as well for that matter, because of some insignificant bint you desire at the moment?" He snapped.

Regulus narrowed his eyes at him. "Then let me express my gratitude for keeping my business to yourself," he replied snidely, while Severus scoffed. Regulus ignored his friend and continued, "But you know quite well that Hermione is not the reason," he said and gave Severus a pointed look.

For some reason, Severus looked more or less unbelieving with his assertion but chose not to argue with him. Instead his expression turned quickly into a sneer. "Your brother?"

Regulus's mouth quirked up a bit. "Of course, there is also the aspect of him being, you know, a genocidal sociopath, but whatever suits you." Regulus muttered with a shrug.

Severus suppressed a smirk.

They were silent for a while before Regulus spoke again. "I know where my loyalties lie, Sev. Do you?" He asked quietly, staring at his friend straight into his black eyes and emotionless features.

Severus didn't reply to his question. "You're digging your own grave," he said instead, with a hint of consternation slipping through his indifferent mask.

Regulus smirked. "Don’t tell me you have begun to care about me, Sev."

When his friend gave him a mild glare in reply, Regulus continued more solemnly. "I have to do this. I don't have a choice," he said with a determined look in his eyes.

Severus merely eyed him with a slight frown edged onto his brow.

Saturday, 24 December 1977

They were escorted through the entrance of a large ballroom in the Nott Manor, where their host of the evening was waiting for them. The man was tall and he had wavy black hair and a cunning look in his eyes as he eyed the arriving guests. Regulus believed that the man was around his fifties, the same age as his parents.

"Orion, Walburga. Always a pleasure." Mr Nott said, shaking their hands with a small nod that indicated a bow. His smile did not reach his eyes. "And this must be the heir to the House Black? Regulus, I presume?" Mr Nott continued as his eyes moved to the left, where Regulus stood.

"Indeed. This is our son, Regulus." Walburga smiled proudly, as Regulus nodded his head politely and shook the extended hand Mr Nott held out to him.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," Regulus said to the older wizard.

Mr Nott nodded in approval and then gestured for them to enter further to the room.

With a grunt, Orion navigated towards the bar, leaving Regulus with his mother.

Walburga nudged at Regulus. "Go on, dear, mingle. I believe some of your friends have already arrived," she whispered and gave a pointed look towards the opposite side of the room, where Regulus saw Severus and Amycus Carrow talking with two other men, whom he recognised as Slytherins who had graduated last year.

Regulus nodded curtly at his mother and headed towards his friend, while Walburga spotted some of her acquaintances and approached them. As Regulus reached the group of young men, he shared a meaningful look with Severus before nodding at him in greeting.

"Black," Amycus Carrow greeted coolly.

"Carrow."

"We are expected in the drawing room," Carrow continued after Regulus had given a curt nod at the other two men in their company.

Carrow turned towards the hall and the drawing room. Regulus, Severus and the two men followed him.

As they reached their destination, they saw a long table, around which nearly every seat was taken. The two men who had come into the room with them took their seats at the table. As Regulus's eyes took in his surroundings, he saw familiar faces everywhere he looked. On one side of the table sat the Malfoys, the Averys, and the Lestranges with his cousin Bellatrix. On the other side sat Nott, Rosier, Mulciber, Dolohov and Alecto Carrow.

Regulus hadn't met everyone in person yet, but as the heir of House Black, it was expected of him to recognise the members of the Sacred Twenty-Eight. His eyes travelled to the head of the table, where a man with black hair and pale skin was seated. The man watched the arrivals with interest as Carrow spoke, presenting the new arrivals to him. To the Dark Lord. After making the announcement, Carrow bowed deeply and retreated to the table, taking a seat next to his sister.

Regulus and Severus too bowed politely at the Dark Lord.

The Dark Lord eyed them for a moment. "I've heard many praises regarding the both of you. The young Black heir and the half-blood who runs with muggles," he said with a threatening chuckle.

Regulus and Severus both stared ahead with blank expressions.

"I am curious, Mister Snape, have your thoughts regarding the ill-bred changed?"

"Yes, they have, my Lord. I've learned that muggleborns are simply not the same as the rest of us and I acknowledge that they are indeed unworthy of possessing magical ability," Severus said mildly.

Regulus knew his friend was fighting to appear nonchalant.

The Dark Lord seemed to contemplate Severus’s words and said nothing as his eyes turned to Regulus. "Mister Black. As a member of an ancient pureblood family which is known for their devotion to blood purity, I'm rather curious to hear your thoughts regarding half-bloods. Seeing as you have formed companionships with them," he said in a serpentine way.

Regulus suppressed a shiver and instead tried to seem thoughtful. "I believe some of them have their place in this world and can be tolerated out of necessity. They can be taught to pureblood customs and traditions," he said indifferently, inwardly hoping that the Dark Lord's reference hadn't been about Hermione but about Severus.

The Dark Lord lifted a brow and looked at him thoughtfully. "Is that so...?" He muttered darkly. "And what about the blood-traitors?"

Regulus had known that they would be questioned how they felt about muggles, muggleborns and blood-traitors, since they were seen as enemies of the Dark Lord and his followers. They both had to prove themselves, as the Dark Lord evidently knew about Severus's history with the certain red-haired Gryffindor, as well as the fact that Regulus's brother was disowned from his family and was now living with known blood-traitors.

"I consider them to be nearly as bad as the muggleborns. As you might be aware, in my family we tend to disown the blood-traitors," he said matter-of-factly, fighting back the nausea he was feeling. "That being said, I believe that it is a pity to spill pure blood."

The Dark Lord smiled with an evil glint in his eyes. "Indeed it is," he said cunningly and flicked his wand.

Regulus tried not to show the fear and anxiety that were coursing through him and instead tried to focus on watching ahead and keeping himself still.

An unconscious and apparently injured man appeared above the table, floating a few inches in the air.

"And now…To those of you who haven't had the pleasure of meeting our guest, we are joined tonight by Frank Meadowes, a muggle policeman, who is married to a blood-traitor, Dorcas Meadowes," the Dark Lord said with malice.

Many of his followers around the table began to chuckle.

The Dark Lord flicked his wand and revived the man, who began to groan in pain and fear, as his eyes started to dart around in panic.

The Dark Lord stared at Regulus and Severus, his gaze unwavering. Regulus could feel his mind being searched. Neither of them dared to look away.

After a moment the Dark Lord spoke. "Does he, a mere muggle, serve a purpose in this world?" He asked with a chilling tone, his wand pointed on the man floating above the table. A man who had started to make muffled sounds of horror.

Regulus glanced at the muggle and then at the Dark Lord, forcing himself to breathe steadily, forcing his voice not to waver. "No."

"Avada Kedavra!"

Sunday, 25 December 1977

On Christmas Day, Hermione woke up to several inches of fresh snow outside. As she took a walk through the village in the morning, she couldn't help but think that Hogsmeade looked like a Christmas card; the little thatched cottages and shops were all covered in a layer of crisp snow. She saw holly wreaths on doors and strings of enchanted candles hanging on the trees. It was a beautiful sight, so peaceful and quiet. After her walk, she went back to the pub to have breakfast with Aberforth and to open the small pile of presents that was stacked under the Christmas tree in their sitting room.

"Told you not to get me anything," Aberforth muttered, inspecting a book he had found inside the wrappings; 'The myth of Theseus and Ariadne'.

He stared at the book for a moment and then turned his eyes on Hermione. She cringed slightly in anticipation, wondering how he would react. He was probably aware of the parallels between the myth and his sister Ariana's relationship with her two elder brothers.

"Thank you," he grumbled and gave her a small nod.

She sighed in relief. "No problem. And you didn't have to get me anything either," she said with a bashful smile, glancing at the luxury eagle-feather quill and a pouch of galleons he had given her.

Aberforth chuckled. "Would have been a bit inconsiderate…you are my daughter after all."

He gave her a smile when Hermione thanked him for the presents.

She opened her other presents which included a piece of too-hard treacle fudge from Hagrid, a fragrance in a beautiful bottle from Lily, a vast selection of beauty and bath products from Mary and Marlene and a book of beauty spells from Alice.

Hermione had known the girls in her dorm would exchange gifts and she had found something for them as well. For Lily, she had bought a beautiful bracelet set in Gryffindor colours, for Mary a men-themed muggle calendar to replace her old one and for Alice, a set of two-way mirrors, one of them to be given to Frank, so that they could keep in touch. The set of mirrors had easily been her most expensive purchase, but definitely worth it. For Marlene she had given a gift certificate to a beauty product shop in Hogsmeade.

Dumbledore had given Hermione a resizable potions kit that included a variety of different potions and antidotes to common and uncommon poisons, as well as a bezoar.

She was surprised to have received a present from Sirius – an original collection of William Shakespeare's plays; the 1623 First Folio. She had once told him that Shakespeare was her all-time favourite author and that her mother had read her The Winter's tale – by which she was named after – when she had been a child.

He had remembered. But she certainly hadn’t expected anything from him, especially not an original and rare collection.

"Merlin…" Hermione breathed, inspecting the book. "This must've cost an arm and a leg…Where did he even find one?" She whispered in astonishment, while Aberforth watched her closely.

It was a very thoughtful and personal gift, but it was too much. She knew that the First Folio was one of the most valuable printed books in the world. It must’ve been worth at least two million pounds. Why on earth would he give it to her? She knew he still cared about her a lot, the book alone told her as much. And even though she cared for him too, she couldn't help but think that the gift was not…appropriate. During the past weeks, Hermione had succeeded to not think about their breakup and now she couldn't think of anything else. Why did he have to be so confusing? She put the book carefully back into its box, inside the silk covers.

Aberforth interrupted her gloomy thoughts. "Hermione…" he muttered. He seemed to sense her forlornness and gave her shoulder a soft squeeze.

"There's still one left," he said, distracting her and pointing at the table where they had gathered the presents.

Curiosity won the melancholy she felt and she picked up the small gift, wondering by whom it was given. Inside the wrappings, she found a small pouch. As she turned it upside down, a beautiful white gold and emerald bracelet fell into her palm. She let out a small gasp as the bangle touched her skin, feeling a jolt of magic surge through her. Hermione blinked at the obviously expensive piece of jewellery, with its graduated prong-set emeralds which were set against white gold, on a delicate cable chain. There wasn't any room for inscription but she found a note inside the parcel.

It read 'libera a malo'.

"Who do you reckon gave you that?" Aberforth asked, eyeing the bracelet with a hint of suspicion.

Hermione had a fair guess. The inscription in Latin screamed of a pureblood, while the colouring hinted towards a certain house at Hogwarts. Not to mention the Latin words, translated to deliver from harm, which served probably as an inscription as well as an enchantment, to protect the wearer. The gift was from someone who knew she was facing dangers or needed protection. Regulus.

Hermione gave the bracelet an incredulous shake of head. "I think I know who gave it," she said and huffed, "and it's far too expensive!"

Aberforth smirked and said nothing on the matter.

They spent their morning leisurely in the closed pub, talking and reading their books, until it was time to get ready for the Christmas feast at the school. Hermione went to her room to freshen up and change her clothing. She put on a small amount of makeup and tamed her hair into sleek curls, using a spell she had learned from the book Alice had given her. She put on a simple but nice grey dress and went downstairs where Aberforth was waiting for her.

As they walked towards the school, Hermione could sense the argument Aberforth was having inside his head. He was about to say something to her when she interrupted him.

"You are coming, Ab. It is time you start putting your past, the guilt and hatred behind and move on. I know it won't happen in a flick of a wand, but showing up to the meal and being on your best behaviour is a start," she said reassuringly, looking at his eyes intently. "Okay?"

Aberforth groaned a bit. "Fine," he grumbled.

Hermione smirked at herself, looping her arm with his as they neared the school premises. The whole school was decorated beautifully, with holly hung around every doorway and with shining white Christmas trees in every corner, covered in magical snow and glittering icicles, each topped with a gleaming gold star. The Great Hall was decorated with the usual twelve enormous Christmas trees with tiny sparkling icicles and hundreds of glittering candles. There was only one long table placed in the middle of the Great Hall, where all the teachers and students who were staying in the school over the holidays could fit.

As Hermione and Aberforth sat down at the table, which was stacked with several roast turkeys, mountains of roasted and boiled potatoes, platters of chipolatas, tureens of buttered peas, silver boats of thick, rich gravy and cranberry sauce, Hermione heard her stomach rumble loudly.

The Headmaster was clearly astounded that his brother was joining them, but managed to smile nonetheless. "How wonderful to have you both here," Dumbledore said, greeting them kindly.

Hermione smiled and nodded at him, while Aberforth merely glanced at his brother and began to help himself some food. Everyone else was sitting still and waiting for a signal from the Headmaster to start the feast.

"Yes, by all means, tuck in everyone!" Dumbledore said to the people sitting around the table, with a hint of a smile tugging at his lips.

Hermione shook her head in a mild amusement and started to fill her own plate. The Dumbledore brothers did not share any words during the Christmas feast, but Hermione could see a flash of gratefulness in the Headmaster's eyes as his gaze moved from his brother to Hermione.

After the feast, everyone started pulling wizard crackers and laughing at the items they found inside. Hermione pulled one with Aberforth and it went off with a blast like cannon and engulfed them all in a cloud of blue smoke, while from the inside exploded a rear admiral's hat and several live, white mice. On the opposite to them, Dumbledore had swapped his pointed wizard's hat for a baseball cap, and was chuckling merrily with Professor Flitwick who sat next to him, wearing a sombrero. Some time later, Dumbledore led them in a few of his favourite carols, to which Hagrid boomed along loudly, a goblet of eggnog sloshing in his hands as he sang.

It was nearing dusk when Hermione and Aberforth finally left the castle and walked towards the village. She reckoned she had had a wonderful time, and suspected that Aberforth too had enjoyed the evening in the castle.

Wednesday, 28 December 1977

The Prewetts came to collect Hermione from the Hog's Head on Wednesday, early afternoon. They exchanged pleasantries with Aberforth, as they knew him already from the Order and saw him every now and then in the meetings. Even though Aberforth was in the Order, he never wanted to discuss Order business with Hermione. He had once told her that she ought to have at least one adult in her life who wasn't planning the next mission with her.

The twins waited downstairs as she made finishing touches on her attire – Hermione wanted to look her best when meeting the Weasleys for the first time. Again. Truth to be told, she was a tad nervous. What if they didn't like her?

"Hermione, if you're not coming downstairs and be ready to leave, I'm coming into your room." Fabian drawled behind her door, a grin evident in his voice.

Hermione rolled her eyes in exasperation and went to open the door.

"I'm ready. Shall we?" She asked and glanced back at the room for one last time to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything.

"Wow. You cleaned up nicely, little Dumbledore," Fabian said, giving her a once over and a wink.

Hermione pursed her lips and slapped him in the arm.

"Stop it. And we're not dating, by the way," she said with a no-nonsense voice, her brows lifted pointedly.

She walked past him and Fabian followed, laughing quietly.

"I have to say I'm a little disappointed. And I'm sure Molly will be too when she hears that the girl of my dreams broke my heart," he said, with mischief in his voice as they descended the stairs.

Hermione whirled around in shock. "Please tell me you did not say that to her?!"

He merely grinned in reply and squeezed her shoulder as he walked past her in the stairway. Hermione huffed in irritation and followed him down into the pub where Gideon and Aberforth were waiting.

"I'll see you tonight, Ab," Hermione said and gave the man a quick hug.

He stiffened at the gesture but still gave her back a little pat.

"One of you sad sods better be escorting my girl back home tonight, alright?" Aberforth asked while giving both twins a narrow-eyed look.

Hermione was sure that the twins would give him some witty remark but instead both looked solemnly at the older wizard.

"Sure thing, Ab." Gideon said, while Fabian nodded in agreement.

They left the pub and headed towards the village apparition point. As they reached their destination, Gideon smirked at Hermione. "See you at the Burrow," he said and turned on the spot.

When Fabian took her hand, she snatched it back. "I know where it is," she said, giving him an incredulous look.

Fabian chuckled, holding his hand for her to take. "Yeah, I trust you do. But I'm not apparating miles outside the grounds when I can go straight through the wards and you can too if you side-along," he said matter-of-factly.

Of course. She couldn't go past the wards anymore, because Molly and Arthur had never even met her. Hermione narrowed her eyes at Fabian. "Fine," she said, taking his hand.

Fabian smirked and together they disapparated from the village.

As they landed in the front of the Weasley home, Gideon was already running with two boys along the snowy front yard, throwing snowballs at each other. Fabian took Hermione's hand and guided her towards the house where a woman stood waiting with a wide smile on her face.

Hermione was taken aback as she realised Molly Weasley had the exact same warm smile, the one Hermione had seen so many times in her past. She quickly blinked to stop tearing up, as a pang of memories and melancholy lifted its ugly head inside her, telling her that if she was doomed to stay in this time, she would never have the kind of relationship she had had with Ron's parents. The Weasleys had been like parents to her, helping her and Harry to adjust into the Wizarding world. Now, they weren't that far apart in age and they barely knew who Hermione was.

"Sis," Fabian grinned at his sister, reaching out to envelope her into a crushing hug. Fabian's sister laughed and as they broke apart, she eyed her brother and Hermione expectantly.

"This is Hermione Dumbledore," Fabian said.

Hermione nervously shook Molly Weasley’s outstretched hand.

"It's good to finally meet you, Miss Dumbledore," Molly Weasley said with a warm smile.

Hermione smiled back at the younger Molly Weasley, trying not to delve on the thoughts in her head. As Hermione regarded the other witch, she thought she was very beautiful at the age of twenty-eight. She looked very much like Ginny, with the similar long red hair and a twinkle of mischief in her eyes.

"It’s Hermione,” she replied softly. “It is good to meet you too, Mrs Weasley. Thank you for inviting me to your home. And by the way, we're not together." Hermione said quickly, nodding at Fabian.

Both Molly Weasley and Fabian burst in laughter.

"I certainly hope not, seeing as Fabian is engaged to my dear friend," Mrs Weasley said, chuckling and wiping tears of laughter from her eyes. "And call me Molly."

Hermione flushed red in embarrassment and narrowed her eyes at Fabian.

He lifted his hands up in surrender. "Hey, I never said I wasn't taken," he said, winking at her.

Hermione pursed her lips at him before she turned to look at Molly. Only then did she notice that the red-haired witch was pregnant. Hermione's eyebrows shot up a bit in surprise but she said nothing out of politeness. She wondered if she was expecting the twins.

"I'm twenty-five weeks in, in my second trimester," Molly explained as she noticed Hermione's expression. "Twins…and both boys," she gave an exasperated sigh and smiled. "Have three of those already."

"They must be a handful," Hermione said and smiled knowingly at her.

Molly and Fabian laughed, while Gideon and the boys were coming back towards the house.

"Kids, come meet a friend of ours," Molly said to the two boys who came to stand next to her. "This is Hermione."

A seven-year-old Bill and a-five-year-old Charlie stared at her curiously. Hermione knelt down to greet the boys. "Hi there," Hermione said to the boys with a wide smile, even though she felt a bit disoriented when meeting the boys she had known as grown men.

"This is my oldest, Bill," Molly said, and the boy in question gave Hermione a grin, with two front teeth missing. "And this is Charlie," She nodded at the younger boy, who eyed her thoughtfully for a moment.

"Are you Uncle Gideon's girlfriend?" Charlie asked.

Hermione, Gideon and Fabian all chuckled, while Molly narrowed her eyes at Bill.

"William! Did you put your brother up to this?" Molly inquired sternly.

Bill merely shrugged innocently and smirked at his brother. Molly let out a huff of exasperation.

"No, she's not. She's a student. I'm her teacher," Gideon explained to Charlie, leaning to whisper in the younger boy's ear and ruffling his hair.

Charlie's eyes widened in understanding.

"Shall we go inside?" Molly asked, shivering a bit from the cold wind. "Arthur will be home soon, and you two," she said, nodding at her brothers, "Can set the table."

The twins smirked at each other as they all went inside.

"Where's Perce?" Gideon asked as he started to set the plates on the table while Molly checked on the dinner. Fabian went to the sitting room with the boys and Hermione stood awkwardly in place, wondering if she could do something.

"He's napping upstairs," Molly quipped from the kitchen.

"I'd love to help if there's anything needed to be done?" Hermione asked from Molly.

"No, no, you are a guest," she said, shaking her head as she came from the kitchen to the dining area. "Besides, everything is almost ready." She then turned to Gideon. "You could offer the lady something to drink, hmm?" she said with a twinkle in her eyes.

Gideon chuckled. "Well, since we are not at school at the moment…Hermione, can I get you a drink?" He asked as he finished with the table, moving towards a cabinet to grab a bottle. "Wine?"

Hermione shrugged. "Sure, why not," she said with a polite smile and a moment after took the glass of Merlot he handed her. Gideon gave a goblet of pumpkin juice to Molly, before filling his own wine glass.

"So…um…Fabian has a…fiancée?" Hermione asked awkwardly as they sat down at the table.

Molly smiled. "Yes, I mean, they are a bit secretive about their relationship, Emmie and him, but they've been together, what, two or three years already?" She said, turning to her brother for confirmation. Gideon nodded and sipped his wine.

"I guess they're waiting for calmer times, if you know what I mean." Molly muttered and gave Hermione a pointed look.

Hermione nodded in understanding. The war hadn't yet reached its peak, but it had started already. There had been disappearances every now and then, and Hermione knew that in her time, that was exactly how everything had started.

"Babbling about my love life are we?" Fabian chuckled as he sat down next to Molly and gave his sister a nudge.

Molly rolled her eyes at him as the front door opened.

"Daddy!" Bill and Charlie yelled, both running into their father's arms.

Hermione smiled at them and stood up, a bit anxious to meet the father-figure she had had in her past.

As the boys released their father and went to sit down at the table, Arthur Weasley followed them and turned towards their guest with a huge grin on his face.

"You must be Miss Dumbledore?" He said and offered his hand for her to shake. "Arthur Weasley, a pleasure to meet you."

Hermione smiled politely back to the young man, who looked a lot like an older version of Percy. "It's Hermione. And it's a pleasure to meet you too, sir."

Arthur chuckled. "Well then, by all means, call me Arthur," he smiled and nodded, and then went to kiss his wife and shake hands with his brothers in law.

Molly poured her husband a glass of wine as he sat down at the table, seeming to be tired from the long day at work. Hermione returned to her seat next to Gideon.

"Dinner's ready soon, love. How was work?" Molly asked from Arthur, gazing at her husband with an affectionate look in her eyes.

Arthur gave an exasperated sigh. "You wouldn't believe what we managed to confiscate today at an inspection…" he said and shook his head slightly, explaining everyone about a number of regurgitating toilets that had been set for muggle-baiting.

Hermione sipped her wine and listened as Molly began to recount her day. She eyed the couple with a pensive look in her eyes as they looked warmly at each other, even after both having a tiresome day. Fabian saw her expression and nudged her leg under the table, shaking his head lightly after Hermione looked at him. She knew there was no use dwelling in her past, not there, in front of them.

A while after Molly stood up and levitated their dinner to the table. They all tucked in and for a while, the scraping of cutlery was the only noise echoing in the room.

"So, Hermione. Gideon told us about, erm, that you are partly from a muggle heritage, is that right?” Arthur asked kindly, looking intrigued.

Hermione smiled. "Yes, I am."

Arthur beamed at her. "I myself am a bit of a Muggle enthusiast," he explained, while Gideon and Fabian snorted. "Would you happen to know how exactly does a fellytone work?" Arthur continued with a serious look.

Hermione tried not to grin and explained him about telephones, while Gideon, Fabian and Molly shook their heads in amusement at Arthur's passion for muggle devices.

A while later Percy woke up from his nap, just in time for them to have finished their dinner. Molly brought him to sit into a highchair next to her seat.

"This is Percy, my youngest," she said to Hermione, who waved to the little man.

While Molly started to feed the happily jabbering toddler, Arthur, Gideon and Fabian stepped outside with the boys.

"I heard you have recently moved here from Australia," Molly said, while helping Percy to eat his dinner. "How are you adapting? Did you know anyone when you moved in here?" She asked and glanced at Hermione.

"Well, yes, I moved here during the summer," Hermione said, chewing the corner of her lips. "…I think I have adjusted well. I mean, I've been a bit busy after the start of term, with the new classes and people," she said slowly and shrugged. "Originally, I didn't know anyone here other than my father and my uncle, but I'm lucky to have made some new friends at Hogwarts," Hermione explained, smiling as she thought of how the seventh year Gryffindors had taken her in with open arms and without a doubt to be part of their group.

Molly smiled back at her. "That's nice. I also heard that you are exceptionally brilliant in your studies. By the sound of it, I believe you've become one of Gideon's favourite pupils," she said with a chuckle.

Hermione tried to keep herself from smiling. "I'm sure he is just exaggerating," she mumbled sheepishly.

"Well, whatever the case, I'm glad to have you here. We don't get that many visitors, since almost all my friends are working and not having children. Our schedules don't really match and I'm nearly always with the kids, since Arthur works long hours…" she said with a frown.

"Thank you for having me," Hermione smiled and hesitated a bit. "If it's not an inconvenience…could I…write to you?" She asked uncertainly while Molly wiped Percy's face and lifted him from the highchair.

"That would be wonderful," Molly said, smiling brightly.

She went to put Percy onto the sitting room floor and Hermione followed them there. Percy played with his toys, while Molly and Hermione chatted about Hogwarts. Molly even went as far as telling Hermione about one occasion when she and her dorm mates had gone skinny dipping into the Great Lake. Hermione guffawed and shook her head in astonishment while laughing with Molly. Who knew Mrs Weasley had had such a reckless youth?

As the men and the children came inside after an hour or so, Molly gave the boys their evening snack and baths and told Bill and Charlie to go to their beds as she went to put Percy to sleep. Arthur went to help, while Hermione and the twins stayed in the sitting room.

"So, Hermione. As regrettable as it is that you're not dating either one of us…is there someone special you have set your eyes on?" Fabian asked with a teasing voice, eyeing her with a questioning look.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "No, there is not. Don't exactly have the time to date anyone, if you know what I mean," she said and gave him a pointed look.

Fabian inclined his head in agreement, while Gideon lifted his brows but said nothing. He of course knew Hermione had dated Sirius, but didn’t know that they had broken up.

"What are you planning to do when you graduate?" Gideon asked, eyeing her thoughtfully.

Hermione hadn't actually thought about it. She reckoned she would make the decision if it was actually happening. "I don't really know yet," she said with a slight cringe and a shrug.

The truth was that she hadn't really thought about her time in this era further than destroying Voldemort and leaving the place if possible. It was all still very confusing to her. She wanted to change things, to save people. But at the same time, she couldn't help but think if the place wasn't actually an alternate timeline and that her future would change because of her actions. And what if she was stuck in this time, in this supposedly different strand of time? What would she do for the rest of her life if she couldn't go back? Hermione knew she needed to make some plans, but she was reluctant to admit the possibility of losing what she had.

The twins eyed her silently, their expressions contemplative, before Fabian spoke. "Perhaps you'll join us in the DMLE," he said and smirked. "I mean, seriously, you have very much potential," he continued with an earnest smile.

"Well…I don't really know if I'll stay here, you know? …I mean, if there's a possibility for me to go back home, I will," she said quietly, looking at the brothers with uncertainty.

They smiled at her before glancing at each other with indecisive looks. When Molly and Arthur returned to the sitting room, they continued chatting about different matters until it was getting late.

"We should go, Hermione." Gideon said, standing up and stretching a bit.

Hermione couldn't help but give him a subtle once over as his well-built body was in full height. It wasn't that she fancied him or anything, but he was a good looking wizard. Unfortunately, Fabian took note of her wandering eyes and when she glanced at him, he gave her a knowing smirk. Hermione groaned inwardly and went to grab her bag while Molly said goodbye to her brother. Hermione said her goodbyes to Molly and Arthur, thanking them again for inviting her to their home. They hugged her and told her that she was more than welcome to come again.

Fabian, who was going to stay at the Burrow, enveloped Hermione into a crushing hug. "Careful there, Hermione," he whispered and as they broke off, he gave her a wink.

Hermione shook her head in frustration before following Gideon outside to the back yard.

"You know he's only messing with you, right?" Gideon asked, trying to suppress a smile as they walked away from the house.

Hermione huffed. "Yes, I know, thank you…I really don't understand how you endure him," she said jokingly. "And how can you two be so different?" She continued and gave him an incredulous look, while Gideon huffed a laugh.

As they walked, Hermione took in all the details of the Burrow yard and garden that she could see under the snow. Her heart ached as they moved away from the house she had once thought as her second home.

"We're not. I just have to give a good example for my students," he smirked and gave her a nudge.

Hermione laughed. "Perhaps…Or maybe you're just better restraining yourself…"

Gideon gave her a grin. "Possibly. I mean, Moody's always yelling at Fabian to restrain himself in our Occlumency training…" he said, shaking his head slightly.

"Occlumency training?" Hermione asked with a puzzled look and stopped in her tracks.

Gideon frowned. "Didn't I tell you that it's part of the Auror program? Anyway, we were taught the skill in training, as well as Legilimency, and are expected to practice them continuously with our partners…And you know, Moody being Moody, he likes to attack into the minds of his Aurors when they least expect it," he said, lifting his brows in amusement.

Of course! How could she have forgotten that the Aurors trained Occlumency and Legilimency? Hermione could only stare at him. Gideon was a couple of steps ahead of her and she was still rooted to her place.

"Hermione?" He asked hesitantly.

She blinked. "Sorry. I just…Could you, um…teach me?" She asked with a slight cringe and walked towards him.

His brows shot up. "Oh. I…I guess I assumed you knew Occlumency already," he said and eyed her with a perplexed look.

Hermione nodded. "I know a bit…But, unfortunately, that's not enough. So…I would need a Legilimens to, you know, train me properly. And, well, it just can't be anyone, as you very well know…And I don't really want to bother the Headmaster…" she said, worrying her lip.

"Oh. Yeah. Sure, I can teach you," he said with a shrug. "Perhaps we could start when you return to school?" He asked and offered his arm for her to grasp in order to side-along-apparate them to Hogsmeade.

"That would be great!" She said and beamed at him as she took a hold on his arm.

Gideon smirked. "Don't thank me yet," he said and turned on the spot.

As they apparated into the village, Gideon escorted Hermione back to the pub and gave a nod to Aberforth who was working behind the counter. The pub was not full, but Aberforth was quite busy, so Hermione went straight upstairs after bidding Gideon goodnight.

Friday, 30 December 1977

Hermione met Sirius in a café in muggle London on Friday morning like they had agreed when they had owled to each other earlier that week. She saw him standing next to the counter, eyeing the sandwiches and baked goods that were on display. She approached him and cleared her throat quietly.

Sirius turned to look at her. "Hi," he said timidly, eyeing her features.

"Yeah…Hi," she replied awkwardly.

Sirius groaned and threaded a hand through his hair. "Fuck…This is awkward, isn't it?" He said with a wince.

Hermione grimaced. "I suppose it is," she muttered, her eyes darting around the café.

He was silent for a moment before he sighed. "Look. Hermione. I don't want us to be uncomfortable around each other. If this is too much for you, just say so and we'll go different ways, okay?" He said, and continued, "That being said, I'd really want us to be friends. I do enjoy your company and I think we had some great conversations before I buggered everything up," he muttered, looking down.

Hermione eyed him during his speech and frowned. She didn't know what to think or how to act around him. He was the one who had dumped her. He claimed he did it to protect her and she believed him. But now he wanted to spend time with her. To be her friend. Did that make any difference, if she still would be a part of his life? Did he think that them spending time together as friends wouldn’t be as dangerous?

Regardless of her thoughts, Hermione knew that even though she had fallen for him quickly, they had been friends at first. Perhaps they could try to be that again.

She sighed. "I know. And I want that too. I want us to be friends too," she said with small smile, glancing at his grey eyes with hesitation.

He let out a breath of relief. "Okay, brilliant," he said sincerely. "Can I get you a coffee?"

"Sure." Hermione nodded. "By the way, about your Christmas present…" Hermione said, feeling uncertain.

Sirius grinned. "You mean the dusty old book? Don't worry about it," he said with a wave of his hand.

Hermione gaped at him and was about to argue when Sirius interrupted.

"Really, don't. It's just something I knew my family had lying around in their library. I knew you would appreciate it more than they do, so I asked my uncle to pick it up for me…" he said and shrugged.

Hermione gave him a dumbfounded look. "Well…Thank you. I really appreciate it. I know how valuable it is," she said earnestly and worried her lip. "Although, I have to ask…Why? How? I mean, why would your family have a book from…you know…a muggle writer?" She asked tentatively.

Sirius barked a laugh. "Oh, Dumbledore…Finally I know something you don't…" he said with a bright grin. "That Shakespeare bloke was a wizard," he continued matter-of-factly. "I mean, why else would he have written about witches, ghosts and fairies?" He asked as he sniggered.

Hermione was speechless. Her favourite author…was a wizard. That was something she had to chew on.

"So, what do you think of this one?" Sirius asked as he walked towards Hermione across the reception room hardwood floor, in a three-bedroom period house.

Hermione was shaken from her musings when Sirius spoke to her. She had been staring at nothingness through the large windows in the five-floor home, situated on the outskirts of Regent’s Park. The two other places they had seen had been much the same; well-located buildings from historical periods, very well presented and very much out of her affordability. Hermione didn’t even want to think of how much Sirius’s uncle had left him gold, if he was able to buy himself a house from one of the most expensive areas in London.

Things had been a bit awkward between them at first, but after their conversation at the café, the atmosphere had lightened up quite a bit. It almost felt like old times, when she had started the term and before they had started dating. Their conversation flowed and his jokes made her laugh again. And she could clearly see he tried to be her friend. If nothing else, she knew she wanted that too. But there was something that was nagging at the back of her head. Something she ought to tell him. She knew exactly what it was.

"The kitchen has been renovated recently and the patio area was redecorated as well," Steven, the realtor said as he gestured at the terrace that opened from the reception room.

Sirius nodded at Steven and gave Hermione a nudge as he came to stand next to her. "Hmm?" He hummed at her questioningly.

"I don't know..." Hermione said and shrugged. "It might be a bit too much if I you ask me, but whatever suits you," Hermione said and gave Sirius a small smile.

The house was clearly too big for just one person, but since he obviously had the money and probably was used to spacious homes, why not, Hermione thought.

They walked upstairs from the reception room and after a quick glance to the other rooms on each floor, as well as the kitchen and utility rooms in the basement, they stepped into the terrace on the ground floor.

Hermione lifted her brows. "Oh, I take it back. It's not too much at all," she said wryly, as she saw a small swimming pool attached to the terrace, where a line of white cedar trees brought cover over it. Not that anyone passing the house could see into the yard, since there was over a three meter high brick wall surrounding the garden and terrace. Sirius laughed before she continued, "Perfect for sunbathing or perhaps a pool party isn't it?" Hermione said mockingly as they walked past the pool to look around the garden on the back.

Sirius smirked. "As long as you are the one to sunbathe in here…" he muttered quietly, giving Hermione a playful look.

She slapped his arm and he burst into laughter.

"Prat." She said and tried to glare at him but finally joined his laughter.

Steven smiled at their banter. "How long have you two been together?"

Humour died quickly and Hermione became tense. "No, um. We're just friends," she said politely and walked back to the terrace and slipped inside the house to wait for the men in the hall.

A while later Sirius and Steven were walking through the reception room towards the entrance hall and Hermione could hear them talking.

"So…what do you think of the place?" Steven asked.

Sirius was silent for a moment before he spoke. "I'll take it."

Hermione looked up as they turned the corner to her vision. "Are you sure you don't want to see other places?" Hermione asked from Sirius with a sceptical look.

He shook his head. "Nah. You know me…don’t really have the patience to ponder over things…” he said and gave her a wink.

Hermione shook her head in amusement. “Yes, I know…”

After dealing with the payment and the papers with Steven, the realtor handed Sirius keys to his new home and left Hermione and Sirius standing dumbfounded in the middle of the empty apartment.

"I reckon this calls for a celebration. You in?" He grinned at her.

"Um...no. I should go." Hermione said uncomfortably and looked away from him.

Sirius sighed exasperatedly. "I thought we were doing okay? Was it something I said?" He asked in confusion.

Hermione turned to look at him and tried to think how to say what she had to. She took a shuddering breath before she spoke. "I…I kissed Regulus," she whispered and stared at him anxiously, waiting for his reaction. She didn't dare to breathe.

"W-What?" He stammered as his eyes widened in shock.

Hermione swallowed hard and eyed him guiltily. "It just...happened. It was after the Quidditch party, the other week," she spoke quickly. "I didn't mean to do it, I swear. And I'm sorry Sirius. I wanted you to hear it from me..." Hermione continued, her voice wavering as she regarded him remorsefully.

Sirius stared her with a blank look in his eyes. Hermione waited for him to say something, to lash out to her, but he simply stared at her in silence. A moment later, his gaze dropped down to her wrist, where the emerald bracelet she had received as a Christmas gift rested. His eyes widened slightly in recognition.

Hermione's stomach twisted with shame. She wanted to explain herself to him properly. She wanted to apologise again, to express her regret and remorse. But she was afraid that he wouldn't listen, that he wouldn't forgive her no matter what she said.

"Sirius - "

" - You should go. I don't want you here anymore," Sirius interrupted her with a cold voice.

His eyes flashed with confusion and hurt before an indifferent mask slipped back onto his face. He turned around and walked away from her, slamming the door to the terrace closed behind him.

Hermione let out a long breath and disapparated back to Hogsmeade, feeling terrible.

Saturday, 31 December 1977

The Potters were celebrating the coming year with a yearly New Year's party at their Manor. The guest list was quite massive and this year James had asked all of his friends to join as well. Previously only James's best friends had been invited to the Potters’ gatherings and the boys had formed a bit of a habit of nicking a bottle or two of Ogden's finest and secluding themselves into James’s room for the night.

Now, as James's girlfriend and her friends were coming as well, the plan was to enjoy the party with the rest of the guests and possibly have an after party in his room.

"What's bothering you mate?" James asked as the boys lounged in James's room, waiting for the party to start.

Sirius had already started the celebrations with several heavy gulps of Firewhiskey from a bottle he had grabbed from the kitchen earlier. Even without him drinking, the others could see something was not right with their friend.

Sirius gave an indifferent shrug. "Nothing much. Just looking forward to the night. And, you know, to end the year with a bang," he said and gave James a knowing smirk.

Remus rolled his eyes and focused on his book while Peter sniggered next to him.

James chuckled and shook his head in amusement. "You better hope this time your date doesn't have a boyfriend. Or at least that he's not attending the same party," James said pointedly.

Sirius scoffed. “She wasn’t my date. We only got acquainted in the cloak room,” he said with a sly look and then merely waved his hand. "And whatever. I could've taken him if you guys hadn't interrupted."

James and Peter both snorted. Sirius was talking about the previous party in the Potter Manor, last summer, when he had disappeared into the cloak room with some girl a couple of years older than them and later on ended up in an argument with the girl's boyfriend in the backyard. James and Remus had come to interrupt their quarrel before the situation had gotten out of hand.

"So…you're back in the game, huh?" Remus asked as he eyed Sirius closely over his book.

Sirius arched a brow. "Something like that," he grumbled and took another swig from his bottle.

Hermione and Lily met after lunch on Saturday, as the redhead had come to the Hog's Head to get ready for the party with Hermione. Lily had spent her holidays at the Potters since her sister, Petunia, had wanted to spend her Christmas with her fiancé's family and Lily's parents were travelling abroad. Her parents had originally suggested that Lily could come with them, but because Lily too wanted to spend some time with her boyfriend, she had proposed that her parents could go on the trip by themselves and have a romantic getaway or so, and Lily could stay in the Potter Manor, as James had already asked her to stay at his place. They all seemed to be quite happy with the arrangement, although Hermione couldn't understand why they hadn't wanted to spend the holiday as a family.

On their last day of school and before stepping on the train with James and the rest of the seventh year Gryffindors, Lily had insisted to Hermione that neither she nor James were ready to sleep in the same bed yet and that she would be sleeping in the guest bedroom during her stay. Hermione had been a bit doubtful that James felt that way too, but she hadn't said anything to her friend.

The girls giggled together as they talked about some of the funny and somewhat embarrassing incidents Lily had had with James during their holidays, while getting ready for the party. When it was early evening, they said their goodbyes to Aberforth and apparated to the Potter Manor.

"Wow, it's beautiful." Hermione said as they walked towards the manor, over the massive front yard, which was illuminated with hundreds of candles.

"Tell me about it…" Lily muttered, a slightly overwhelmed look in her eyes even though she had spent over a week there already.

As they walked inside through the great front doors, James and his parents were waiting for the guests in the hall. His parents enveloped Lily into a warm hug, before letting James greet her. While James pulled Lily into a kiss, James's parents welcomed Hermione into their home.

"How wonderful to meet you, Miss Dumbledore. We've heard so much about you," Mrs Potter said with a smile.

The older witch eyed Hermione with a calculating look and she couldn't help but wonder that perhaps they had heard Sirius talk about her. She could only hope that he hadn't said anything awful, especially after what had happened the previous day.

"Nothing bad I hope?" Hermione asked with a nervous laugh. "Thank you for inviting me, Mrs Potter. Mr Potter," she said, shaking their outstretched hands.

James's father chuckled. "The pleasure is all ours. We're glad to have so many James's friends with us to celebrate. And you may call us Fleamont and Euphemia," he said and winked.

Hermione smiled and nodded before she followed Lily further to the spacious home.

They joined Remus, Peter, Mary, Alice and Frank at a table in the corner and talked about their holidays as they sipped their drinks and waited for the party to start. A while later James emerged, loosening his collar a bit and huffing in exasperation.

"Hate the formalities…" he muttered before bending to give Lily a kiss. "Have you guys eaten already?"

When all of them shook their heads, James nudged his head towards the buffet and they followed him.

After eating, some dancing and drinking, Hermione found herself standing at the edge of the dance floor, close to the wall. She sipped her drink as she watched her friends dancing, occasionally laughing quietly when some of her friends fooled around and showed some unique kind of dance moves.

Suddenly she saw Sirius approaching her with a cold look in his eyes and she felt herself tense as he came closer. He hadn't made an appearance the whole night and they all had wondered where he had been. Hermione opened her mouth to speak to him but didn't have the chance before he grabbed her arm and dragged her towards the empty terrace, away from the party and prying eyes.

"Sirius, what are you –"

Sirius rounded on her as soon as the door clicked shut behind them. "Didn't get your fill from one Black, did you? Who's next? Huh? The Prewetts? Should I go and warn them?" He snarled venomously, his fingers still curled over her forearm with a tight grip.

Hermione blanched at his tone. She could see that he wasn't sober, but neither was she for that matter. "Let go of me, Sirius," Hermione hissed sharply and tried to tug her arm away.

"What the fuck is this, Hermione?" Sirius hissed angrily, lifting her arm up and revealing the bracelet.

Hermione frowned and was about to answer when the door to the terrace opened.

"Mate, what's going on?" James asked tentatively, as he and Lily walked into the terrace, the sounds of the party momentarily filling the quietness outside before the door closed again.

Lily eyed at the pair with an alarmed look in her eyes. "Hermione?" She asked carefully.

"Nothing's going on, let's just go inside to enjoy the party, okay?" Hermione snapped and yanked her arm back from Sirius's grip.

"Oh, nothing, you say?" Sirius growled angrily. "You snog my brother and that's nothing?!" He shouted and stared at her in disbelief.

Lily let out a quiet gasp, while James gaped at Sirius and Hermione.

Hermione felt her face flush with embarrassment and she gritted her teeth. "Like I said, it just happened, it's not like either one of us planned to do it. And I said I'm sorry. I really am," she said apologetically to Sirius, looking into his eyes earnestly.

He sent a glare at her. "I fucking knew he had a thing for you!" He shouted and shoved both of his hands through his hair with a resentful look in his eyes. He turned to her again. "How could you do this to me, Hermione? My brother?" He shouted to her, an incredulous expression on his face.

Hermione looked away shamefully and tried to blink away the tears that were on their way.

"You go after my brother, after everything between us?" Sirius continued bitterly.

Hermione felt annoyance rise inside her. "Between us?" She said in disbelief. "You made sure there's nothing between us anymore," she hissed, her voice faltering as tears ran from the corners of her eyes.

Sirius huffed. "You know why I did it. But what I didn't expect, was that you would jump into bed with my brother the minute we break up!" He snarled angrily, looking so hurt and betrayed.

Hermione stared at him in shock, her heart racing. She swallowed repeatedly as a lump formed itself into her throat and blinked hard as she felt pressure in her cheeks and a stinging sensation in her eyes.

"He is my fucking brother, Hermione!" Sirius shouted, his voice cracking, his eyes rimmed red.

Hermione pressed her hand to her throat, her whole body trembling. She couldn't stop the tears from coming and she couldn't look at him in the eyes anymore.

"Pads. I think that’s enough, mate…Come on, let's go inside," James said pointedly, looking anxious as he waited for Sirius to follow him inside.

Lily watched the whole encounter with her mouth open in shock and a scowl trained at Sirius, but remembered her friend finally. "Hermione, come here," she whispered and approached her with concern and sympathy in her eyes, holding out her hand to her.

"No," Hermione said, took a step back and stared at James and Lily with an expressionless face. "I should leave. James, please tell your parents I'm sorry I had to leave without notice. They're really lovely people and it was wonderful to meet them," she said, her voice a bit too airy.

"Yeah, uh, sure. Thanks for coming," James muttered, looking uncomfortable.

Hermione turned to leave towards the apparition point and Lily followed her, taking her hand.

"Hermione you don't have to go." Lily whispered, walking with her, away from the terrace.

"Yes, I do. I don't want to cause any more trouble. It was foolish of me to come here in the first place," Hermione said quietly, feeling terrible, feeling so foolish.

They had finally reached the apparition point. Hermione turned to look at her friend, forcing a small smile on her lips. "It was good to see you," she said and hugged her friend, inwardly praying that what had happened with Regulus wouldn't change anything in her friendship with Lily. "We'll see each other in school, okay?"

As they pulled away from each other, Lily frowned at her and bit her lip. "Are you going to be okay, Hermione?"

Hermione tried to give her friend a reassuring nod, "Yeah. I have to go."

"Just...write to me before the schools starts. In case you need to talk about anything," Lily said sympathetically.

"Okay." Hermione gave her friend a curd nod.

She then turned on the spot and apparated straight into her room, on the third floor of the Hog's Head.

At the Potter Manor, Lily walked back to the terrace where James and Sirius were still standing.

"You foul git," Lily hissed at Sirius as she briskly approached him.

Lily slapped Sirius on the cheek when she was close enough. Sirius's head turned on the impact and a red handprint formed onto his cheek for evidence.

Just then, Remus and Mary came into the terrace, laughing with each other and holding hands. As they saw their friends' grim looks and felt the cold atmosphere, they quickly sobered. Remus's eyes travelled from Lily, who seemed to shake from rage, to James who was looking at Sirius with a dumbfounded expression, and finally, to Sirius who stared at the ground with a resentful look in his eyes while his cheek was glowing red.

"What is going on, Prongs?" Remus asked slowly, as he frowned at the scene.

Sirius spoke before James had the chance to open his mouth. "You know, just the basic New Year's drama, nothing else..." he grunted.

A moment later he turned away and walked towards the apparition point and turned on the spot.

Chapter Text

Chapter 21: The Ring

Sunday, 1 January 1978

It was the first day of the New Year and Hermione woke up bleary-eyed, after a night of tossing and turning in her bed. She could only hope that the upcoming year would be better than the previous one. Last year, she had suffered a torture, lost the life and people she knew and loved, had her heart broken and developed some confusing feelings towards her ex's brother. That being said, she had also formed new friendships and alliances and might have already saved some lives with her information regarding the future.

The year had still ended with a bad tone, with Sirius enraged at her. She knew she was partly to blame; it was his brother after all. Still, a small part of her thought that he didn't have the right to say who she was allowed to kiss, because he was the one who had left her and they weren't together anymore. It was all a big mess and she was sure that she hadn't heard the last of it yet.

Hermione wished she could go back home. She wished she could be with Harry and Ron, who would have known what to say to her and how to make her feel better. They would have known to focus on what mattered – they knew what was important. She wished she didn't feel as lonely as she now felt.

Hermione couldn't help but worry over the possibility that she truly was stuck in this possibly different timeline. Would Harry and Ron, her parents and loved ones continue their lives without her? Would they even have lives to continue? She felt nauseated every time she thought about the circumstances where she had left them; the Malfoy Manor, Harry and Ron in the basement as prisoners. Her parents in Australia with their memories wiped.

She missed them badly.

Sighing, she stood up from her bed and went downstairs to have breakfast with Aberforth.

The previous night, when Hermione had apparated straight into her bedroom, Aberforth had come knocking on her door a moment later.

"Hermione? Is everything all right?" He grunted from the hallway.

Hermione tried to calm down before she answered, a slight waver still in her voice. "Yes, Ab, everything's fine."

"Okay…I'll be downstairs then," he said, but Hermione could hear the hesitation in his voice. "Hermione?" He muttered quietly.

"Yes?" She whispered.

"If you want to talk about it, I'm here for you," he said before he started to descend the stairs.

They hadn't talked after that and as Hermione entered the kitchen, Aberforth eyed her for a moment from behind his teacup.

"You alright?" He asked before taking a sip of tea.

Hermione smiled at him weakly. "Um…yes, I suppose. I just had an argument with Sirius at the party, so I decided to leave early…" she muttered and turned away from him to make herself tea and a sandwich.

"Mm-hmm." Aberforth voiced, staring at her quietly.

As Hermione sat down on a chair opposite to him, he pushed a parchment in front of her.

"From my brother," he grunted, looking annoyed.

Hermione lifted her brows in surprise. "Oh?"

"He wants to go into some treasure hunt with you," he grumbled. "Asked my permission, as your guardian, if you could visit him in the castle tomorrow and plan a trip, which would take place later next week."

Hermione immediately thought it had to be about the first Horcrux, feeling both excited and anxious.

"Yes. I should go then. If…that's okay?" She asked carefully.

Aberforth barked a laugh. "I think you're old enough to decide for yourself, Hermione," he said. "Although, I do hope you look out for yourself…I mean it. I know my brother. He won't hesitate to sacrifice people when he's pursuing the greater good," he continued with a dark look.

Hermione frowned at him. "Ab…please don't," she said weakly.

She really didn't want to delve into Aberforth's animosity towards his brother at the moment.

"I'll be fine. McGonagall, Gideon and Fabian will be there too. It's not like I have to do anything by myself," she continued reassuringly and gave him a small smile.

Aberforth grumbled something under his breath as a response.

After breakfast, Hermione owled a reply to Dumbledore and told him that she would meet him in the castle the next day after lunch, as he had requested. After her morning routine, another owl was waiting for her, tapping its beak on her closed window.

Hermione opened the window and a sleek black owl, which Hermione recognised as James's familiar, flew on the top of her writing desk with a parchment tied to its leg. Hermione took the letter warily off from the owl's outstretched leg and gave the animal a treat. It stayed put and Hermione reckoned it was waiting for her to send a reply to the letter in question, so she slumped into her chair and began to read.

It was from Lily. Hermione let out a small sigh of relief. For a moment, she had thought it had been from James or Sirius and hadn't really even wanted to open it, as she thought that neither of the boys had anything nice to say to her. Hermione reckoned that James would evidently take his best friend's side over hers.

Dear Mione,

I hope everything is okay and you got home safely last night. About last night…what a drama!

I'm sure you know this already, but Sirius acted like a spoiled little (drunken) brat. And I'm not going to make him any excuses, as he didn't have the right to yell at you like that, in the middle of a party for that matter. But I have to ask…Has he contacted you? Tried to apologise?

We haven't seen him since he took off right after you left and James (and his parents) are a bit worried about him. If you know anything, please tell us, as we have no way to contact him.

Okay, enough about him.

Why in the name of Merlin didn't you tell me about your rendezvous with Regulus? How did that even happen? I am a bit curious about your…friendship. He seems so withdrawn and aloof…Although, I have to admit that there is a certain…appeal in the whole dark and brooding demeanour. Don't get me wrong, I love James (oh Godric! Did I just write that?!), even though he is probably the complete opposite.

Anyway…Do you have any plans for the upcoming week? Would it be okay for me to drop by some time? …And perhaps spend the night at your place? I'd love to see you and I hope you'll be able to meet me!

Your friend,

Lily

Hermione smiled and began to write back her reply. It would be great to see Lily, but the visit couldn't interfere with her upcoming mission.

Dear Lily,

Unfortunately, I haven't received any note from Sirius or seen him since yesterday.

…I really do not wish to write about the incident, I'm sure you understand. But it would be great if you could come to stay with me for a night! I have to ask from my father though, so if it is okay, I'll get back to you tomorrow?

Hermione

After sending her reply with James's owl and closing the window after it took away, Hermione slumped back into her chair and frowned at the table.

Where on earth had Sirius run to?

Monday, 2 January 1978

The next day Hermione was so excited she could barely eat her lunch. Aberforth tried to hide his smirk as he watched her fidgety exterior. She had stayed up late last night, thinking over their upcoming trip. Originally, they had agreed that Dumbledore would acquire the ring by himself from the Gaunt shack and that they would destroy it together after mastering the Fiendfyre curse. Apparently, they were now all joining the Headmaster on his trip to Little Hangleton. Hermione was glad to go, as there wasn't that much she could do with destroying the object, since she hadn't still managed to extinguish the cursed flames perfectly.

"Well, go on already!" Aberforth grunted and started to clean their plates away.

Hermione jumped up from her seat, remembering her manners and thanked him for the food before she dashed into her room to get her essential belongings – which was the beaded bag. She walked briskly towards the school, not really paying attention to her surroundings, only just so that she didn't trip on her own feet.

Finally, they were going to do something concrete to destroy the Horcruxes. After months of researching, training the Fiendfyre and waiting, they would finally go to acquire and destroy the first item.

As Hermione arrived at the Headmaster's office, the others were already seated in front of Dumbledore's desk. The Headmaster greeted her warmly before gesturing for her to sit down beside McGonagall, into an empty armchair. Hermione sat down after greeting the others.

"So." Dumbledore said as he drew himself up in his seat. The others eyed the Headmaster expectantly, waiting for him to speak. "Thank you all for joining me during the holiday time and for Fabian making his schedule free. I trust Alastor doesn't grant days off without difficulty?" He asked, turning to Fabian who smirked back at the Headmaster.

"Well, usually not, but I might've told him you requested me for the week, so I wouldn't hold it impossible that he'll interrogate you later on," Fabian said cheekily.

Gideon shook his head in amusement while McGonagall seemed to suppress the urge to roll her eyes.

Dumbledore chuckled. "Very well," he said, his blue eyes twinkling. "Now, to the topic why we all are here today," he said with his expression becoming more serious as he drew the tips of his fingers together.

"We have now reached a point where we can indeed face and destroy a Horcrux, as every one of us can sufficiently cast, maintain and extinguish the cursed flames. That gives us an advantage, if for some reason the caster of the curse cannot extinguish the flames when necessary." Dumbledore said and the others nodded in agreement.

"Based on Hermione's information and my research, I have located the ring and can verify that it is placed in a deserted house, protected by spells and curses uncomplicated enough for the five of us to handle." Dumbledore explained while the others listened carefully.

"Is it in the Gaunt home?" McGonagall asked, confirming the information they already suspected.

Dumbledore nodded.

"How is it protected?" Hermione asked with a frown. "Other than the curse in the ring itself?"

Dumbledore smiled. "It seems to me that Voldemort was somewhat…arrogant and has underestimated others. From what I have gathered, he has only placed fairly simple shield charms, banishing spells and a notice-me-not spell to the house, as he probably trusts that no one could stumble upon his parentage and the Horcruxes."

The others lifted their brows but Hermione huffed. "That sounds accurate," she muttered. "But how do we bring the ring with us if we cannot touch it? How do we know whether the curse is effective through fabric as well?" She asked.

Dumbledore chuckled. "Always the practical approach. But if it is acceptable, I would like to make my proposal how we proceed from here and all of you can make suggestions and remarks afterwards?" The others nodded, and Hermione felt a bit embarrassed for interrupting the Headmaster.

"As I said, it seems that the shack is protected by simple protection spells and curses, which we are able to specify and dismantle on the spot. I propose that we meet in the Hog's Head before sunrise on Wednesday, the day after tomorrow. From there we disillusion ourselves and apparate to Little Hangleton and work on the protections placed on the shack. As for the ring – I have a magical container in my possession where we can place the ring, without touching it. Although I believe that the curse is only active when a person wears the ring, since Voldemort wouldn't take any chances of harming himself with the curse. Nevertheless, we ought to be careful this time," he said and gave a small smile at Hermione.

"When the ring is secured, we shall apparate to Letterfearn and enter the cave again, this time with the intention of destroying the ring," Dumbledore said matter-of-factly, smiling at the others as if he had just explained a simple first year spell to them.

"What if we are seen? Do we engage into a fight or merely disapparate?" Gideon asked with a frown.

Even though the plan sounded fairly simple, there was always the possibility for something to go wrong.

"If someone is guarding the Horcrux or we are spotted, I think the only option is to capture the guards if possible and modify their memories. If Voldemort finds out someone has been there, he will also know someone is after his Horcruxes." Dumbledore said seriously.

Gideon nodded.

"Do you have the cloak in your possession?" Dumbledore asked from Hermione after a moment of silence.

"What?" Hermione asked, her eyes widening a bit.

"James Potter's Invisibility Cloak. I believe his son would have inherited it." Dumbledore said plainly.

Of course Dumbledore knew about James's cloak, Hermione thought wryly.

Hermione's brows lifted. "How would you know if I had it, though?" She asked with a hint of suspicion.

McGonagall narrowed her eyes at the Headmaster. "Excuse me for interrupting, but…Potter has an Invisibility Cloak? And Hermione here has another one?" She asked sharply, glancing at Hermione.

Gideon and Fabian smirked at each other.

Dumbledore merely smiled and nodded at McGonagall, who huffed in annoyance, before he turned to Hermione. "I didn't, actually. I merely hoped it would be in your possession, as you were on the run with James's son before you came here," he explained and Hermione nodded in understanding.

The others eyed their conversation with interest.

"Well, yes, I have it. I mean, James Potter has his own cloak, but I have the one that was passed on to Harry. Why do you ask though?" Hermione asked hesitantly, wondering what use would Dumbledore have for it.

"Because it is unique. It is able to completely shield the wearer from sight. It cannot be worn out by time or spells, or be summoned by magic. That might give us a small advantage, if there would be someone to guard the Horcrux," Dumbledore explained carefully.

"But it's suitable for only one person, maybe two…" Hermione said with a frown.

"Then, if everyone agrees, I could approach the shack under the Invisibility Cloak while the rest of you stay within a short distance and wait for my signal," Dumbledore said, looking at the others expectantly.

The others murmured their agreements.

"Do you have any questions about our mission?" Dumbledore asked while eyeing the others kindly.

As the others merely shook their heads, Dumbledore clapped his hands together. "Splendid!" He said enthusiastically. "Then we shall meet the day after tomorrow, before sunrise," he said with finality and stood up.

The twins and Hermione exited his office while McGonagall stayed behind to handle some other business with the Headmaster.

They walked back to the village in silence, from where Gideon and Fabian were to disapparate into their respective homes.

"Nervous, little Dumbledore?" Fabian asked her with a nudge to her side.

Hermione jumped as she was shaken back from her thoughts. "No," she said quickly, knowing exactly how reassuring she must have sounded.

The twins eyed her warily but said nothing. As they reached the apparition point, Fabian turned on the spot after pulling Hermione into a crushing hug.

Gideon gazed at her with a deep frown between his brows. "Hermione…Are you ready for this?" He asked, giving her a scrutinising look.

"Yes," Hermione replied, slightly affronted. "I've faced worse, trust me. Things you couldn't even imagine," she said dryly.

Gideon smiled and lifted his hands in surrender. "Okay, I apologise. Just wanted to make sure you'll be good to go on Wednesday," he said, threading a hand through his hair. "I know I'm nervous."

"Oh." Hermione said, surprised. "Why? I thought you were an Auror? Aren't you used to this kind of…stuff?" She asked hesitantly.

Gideon smirked. "Yeah, guess so. Although not exactly this kind of stuff but…" he said and sighed. "I dunno. I think it's good to be a bit nervous, you know…Makes you more alert or something."

"Yes, I know. Constant vigilance…" she muttered, rolling her eyes.

Gideon's eyes widened. "How do you…You know – ?" He laughed and shook his head while Hermione grinned at him. "Of course you'd know Moody…" he said finally, between chuckles.

Hermione nodded and laughed with him. As they parted their ways, Hermione went to the pub to inform Aberforth about the upcoming trip. She gave him only a small amount of the details regarding the actual Horcrux, as he maintained that the less he knew about it, the better.

After their discussion regarding her trip, Hermione remembered to ask about Lily's visit. Aberforth agreed and Hermione went to her room to owl her friend. She suggested that their sleepover could take place from Thursday to Friday, so that they both would have Saturday to get ready for the spring term. The Hogwarts train would take the students back to Hogwarts on Sunday and even though Hermione was going to walk back to the school for the start of term feast, Lily was expected to be on the train, as she was a Head student. Their classes were starting again on Monday morning.

Lily had sent her reply shortly after, confirming her arrival next Thursday. Hermione smiled and went to help Aberforth in the pub downstairs.

Wednesday 4 January 1978

It was still dark as the group disapparated out of Hogsmeade, disillusioned, so that no one could see them leave. They apparated into the outskirts of a small village in Yorkshire called Little Hangleton. The Gaunt shack was situated just outside the village, on the other side where they were. They had decided to apparate a safe distance away and to walk the rest of the way, just in case there were anti-apparition wards or caterwauling charms placed near the shack or the village to alert Voldemort when intruders were approaching the shack.

The sun was slowly rising as they neared the shack. Dumbledore instructed the others to stay put while he approached the place under the invisibility cloak. Hermione eyed her surroundings nervously, with constant vigilance, as did the others. She could see the house behind a patch of dark trees. It seemed a very strange location to choose for a home, in the middle of several thick trees that blocked all the light and the view of the valley below. The walls of the house were stained and so many tiles had fallen off the roof that Hermione doubted it would hold rain. Long hay grew around the place, covering the lands.

It was a while later when they saw Dumbledore's hand giving a subtle wave near the doorway of the shack, to signal them it was safe to approach. After dismantling the wards and making sure the inside of the house was clear from spells, they stepped into the decaying and filthy place. Hermione and the others took in her surroundings. The house seemed to contain three tiny rooms; a sitting room with a small kitchen nook and two small bedrooms. There was a broken sofa and a table near the crumbling fireplace. In the other bedroom they saw two overturned cots and nothing else but cobwebs, grime and dirt.

The other room had one small bed and a dusty trunk at the end of the bed. There was also miscellaneous garbage here and there on the floors. Hermione and the twins searched the room with the two cot beds, rifling through the trash on the floor with the help of their wands while Dumbledore and McGonagall searched the other room.

Finally, Dumbledore spoke quietly. "It's in here." Hermione, Gideon and Fabian made their way quickly to the other room after covering their tracks, just in case. Dumbledore was levitating the ring into the container – a small box which was thrumming with magic. For a moment, Hermione saw a small hesitation in the Headmaster's eyes as he guided the ring into the box. When the ring was securely put inside the box, they wiped their tracks and Dumbledore put the same protection spells and curses that had surrounded the shack before they exited the place.

The group walked in silence, disillusioned again, towards their apparition point. Their walk was taking more time as they had to dodge the villagers, who were now bustling through the streets. As they reached their apparition point, one by one they apparated into the familiar surroundings of Letterfearn, near the cave. The cave was warded with strong enchantments, so there was no way to apparate straight inside. It was a short walk and then they were inside. Everyone was eyeing the Headmaster expectantly.

Dumbledore frowned as he opened the box. He was looking at the ring as if he had recognised something.

"Can I see it?" Hermione asked hesitantly, feeling somewhat wary as she studied the Headmaster's expression.

Dumbledore nodded and levitated the box into a small stone table he had conjured in the middle of the cave. Hermione approached the ring, eyeing it suspiciously. It was a gold ring inset with a black stone, which was engraved with a symbol. Hermione frowned at it. It was as if she had seen it somewhere. But she didn't know where. Dumbledore made a sudden move towards the ring but then stilled again. Time seemed to go slower. She glanced at the Headmaster again and his expression was calculating…and frightened. He was eyeing Hermione and the others carefully and she could see his eyes flash with dread. It seemed that he was unable to decide what to do.

And then Hermione understood. An argument with Harry suddenly came crashing into her mind.

“The ring, the ring that became the Horcrux, Marvolo Gaunt said it had the Peverell coat of arms on it! I saw him waving it in the bloke from the Ministry’s face, he nearly shoved it up his nose!” Harry said excitedly.

“The Peverell coat of arms?” Hermione asked sharply. “Could you see what it looked like?”

“Not really,” said Harry, trying to remember. “There was nothing fancy on there, as far as I could see; maybe a few scratches. I only ever saw it really close up after it had been cracked open.”

Ron stared between Hermione and Harry with an astonished look in his eyes. “Blimey…You reckon it was this sign again? The sign of the Hallows?”

“Why not,” Harry said quickly, “Marvolo Gaunt was an ignorant old git who lived like a pig, all he cared about was his ancestry. If that ring had been passed down through the centuries, he might not have known what it really was. There were no books in that house, and trust me, he wasn’t the type to read fairy tales to his kids. He’d have loved to think the scratches on the stone were a coat of arms, because as far as he was concerned, having pure blood made you practically royal.”

She remembered how Harry had been somewhat obsessed by the Deathly Hallows, so certain that the stone in the Horcrux ring had been the Resurrection stone and how he had been so sure that the Invisibility cloak he had inherited, was actually the Cloak of Invisibility, one of the Deathly Hallows. She also remembered how Harry was sure that Voldemort had been after the elder wand and that he was searching for it abroad. She hadn't believed they were true. Sure, the elder wand perhaps and the cloak. But the stone? It was real? That just seemed so hard to believe.

But seeing Dumbledore now seemed to confirm Harry’s assumptions. Did they really have the Resurrection stone within their reach? Did they actually possess two of the Deathly Hallows since she had Harry’s Cloak? Hermione knew that according to the tale, the one who had all three legendary Hallows in possession was the Master of Death. But what did that mean? An Immortality? It sure would be useful when facing Voldemort, but that meant that they couldn't destroy the ring. And she knew they had to destroy it. Otherwise they wouldn't really destroy Voldemort.

"Uncle…" she whispered. "I know what the stone is," she said intently, staring straight into his blue eyes that had now lost their twinkle.

McGonagall and the twins eyed them cautiously, not understanding what she was talking about. Dumbledore watched Hermione with an obscure expression.

"It won't do any good," Hermione continued steadily. "It won't bring her back. Not really. You know it," she whispered with a hard voice, shaking her head slightly.

Dumbledore merely stared at her, his eyes reflecting fear and sadness.

"Albus," Hermione said, her voice louder. "We have to destroy it. Otherwise he will live. Please," she said with a pleading tone.

Dumbledore averted his eyes and watched the ring intently.

"Albus?" McGonagall asked hesitantly. Gideon and Fabian stared at Hermione in bewilderment, trying to understand what it all was about.

"The ring needs to be destroyed. Or he will win," Hermione said to Dumbledore again, who was still watching the ring.

Finally, after a long moment, he seemed to make up his mind and turned to look at Hermione with regret.

"I know. I apologise," Dumbledore said with a sigh.

Hermione went to him and gave him a hug.

Dumbledore seemed surprised by the gesture, as was everyone else. McGonagall eyed at the pair with a fond look as Dumbledore patted Hermione on the back and blinked away the tears that had gathered into his blue eyes.

"Again, you have accomplished to astonish me with your strength and compassion, my dear niece," Dumbledore whispered into her ear. "I will try to follow your example whenever I feel irresolute," he said before she released him and took a step back.

Hermione swallowed down the lump in her throat before she spoke to him. "Thank you. I know how difficult it must be to do this," she said, while McGonagall, Gideon and Fabian eyed them curiously.

Hermione knew it must've been difficult for Dumbledore to destroy the one object he could have used to bring back his sister Ariana and one of the objects that could give him immortality. She suspected that the Headmaster missed his sister badly and even held himself responsible of her death, just like his brother did. If only the stone could bring back her loved ones, Hermione thought bitterly. But the stone didn't bring anyone back, really, did it?

Dumbledore nodded and looked at the ring with determination, lifting his wand. The others took a couple of steps back, their wands at the ready. Then Dumbledore cast the curse. A fiery phoenix erupted from the tip of his wand, circling around the cave aggressively. The fiery animal took a sharp turn and lunged towards them.

And then everything went dark.

Chapter Text

Chapter 22: Back to School

Thursday, 5 January 1978

Hermione woke up, blinking at the bright light that was glimmering from the window. The sun was rising. She was lying in her bed, under covers.  

With a frown, Hermione and pushed up into a sitting position, wincing at the sharp pain on her ribs. She stood up from the bed slowly, surveying her injuries at the same time. Aside the small migraine, it seemed that her ribcage was the only sore spot in her body.

The last thing she remembered was the cave and Dumbledore casting the Fiendfyre curse. Something must have happened because she had no memory of anything after that. She had obviously hurt herself. She wondered how she had come back to Hog's Head and if everyone else was all right.

There was a knock on her door.

"Come in," Hermione said quietly, after making sure she was decent.

She was still wearing the same clothes she had put on in the morning before leaving towards Little Hangleton.

Aberforth walked in, giving her a scrutinising look. "You okay kid?" He asked, before taking a seat on the chair next to her desk.

Hermione frowned at him as she sat down on the edge of her bed. "I suppose…What happened? Is it morning? What…what day is it?" She asked, confusion evident in her voice.

Aberforth gritted his teeth, which made her even more puzzled. "It is Thursday morning. And I knew this would be too dangerous for you," he grunted, looking angry.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked quickly, taken aback.

She had obviously lost consciousness, but she tried to think back if something severe had happened before that. She racked her brain, trying to remember.

"You were knocked down because some fiery beast my brother conjured tried to swallow you!" Aberforth exclaimed sharply.

Hermione stifled a shocked gasp. "What happened? Did we succeed?" Hermione asked urgently.

"Is that all you care about?" Aberforth asked with a frustrated sigh. "Yes, the thing was destroyed. Your defence professor was able to put an end to it," he grumbled.

Hermione let out a small sigh of relief. "I'm sorry Ab. But this is important. You must understand that," she explained carefully, while studying his expression.

Aberforth narrowed his eyes at her. "Is that so? Are you willing to risk your own life for the greater good, Hermione?" He asked with an aversion to the wording.

She was quiet for a moment.

"Yes, I am," she whispered, looking down.

She was damned if she didn't at least try to destroy Voldemort and save the lives and people that had grown dear to her.

"Mione!" Lily shouted with a bright grin from the other side of the main road in Hogsmeade village.

The redhead had stepped out from the Honeydukes shop and had spotted Hermione walking towards her. The girls had agreed to meet in the village around lunch time on Thursday and then have lunch and visit the shops before retreating to Hermione's quarters in the Hog's Head pub.

"Lily!" Hermione replied and ran up to her friend.

They hugged each other - Hermione tried to angle her body in a way that she didn't feel much of pain during their embrace - and giggled as if they hadn't seen each other in a very long time.

"How are things?" Hermione asked, grinning as they walked down the main road, towards the Three Broomsticks.

Hermione knew Lily had stayed at the Potters during her holidays until now and would go back to her home the next day.

Lily beamed at her. "Well, aside from the awful incident at the New Year's party, everything is really good," she said, a slight blush rising to her cheeks. "So good, that I'm actually a bit depressed to go back home…" she continued and cringed slightly.

"Oh? Do tell?" Hermione said with a tight smile, shrugging away the despicable sting she felt at the mention of the party.

"Well, it's just…everything is going so well with James and his parents really like me, and I like them," Lily prattled cheerfully.

Hermione had a feeling her friend had left something out as her blush only deepened.

They reached the pub counter and placed their orders before continuing their chat at a table in the corner.

"And?" Hermione pressed on as they sat down, giving her friend a knowing look.

Lily buried her face in her hands. "Oh, Godric…it's just that we…you know…" she mumbled, looking anywhere but at Hermione.

Hermione snorted and shook her head in mild exasperation. "You had sex, right?"

Lily bit her lip and nodded guiltily.

"I knew it would happen!" Hermione exclaimed with a cheerful laugh.

Lily looked embarrassed. "I know I said something in the lines of me and James not yet being ready to take that step…"

" - Yes, you said it right before you left to spend almost the whole holiday in his Manor. Next to his bedroom," Hermione interrupted with an arched brow, grinning slyly at her friend.

"I know!" Lily said, looking ashamed. "But it just happened… Am I a total slag?" She asked, her face scrunching up in worry.

Hermione let out a huff of laughter. "Lily, please…You are dating him, are you not? And you wrote me that you love him, correct?" She asked pointedly.

Lily sighed. "Yes, I am…I do…it's just happening so fast, you know…? By the way, do not tell James that I love him. Otherwise he won't let me hear the last of it if he knows I was first to admit it," she said with a serious face.

Hermione sniggered and promised to keep her mouth shut. She suspected that James most likely had felt like that longer than Lily had, but said nothing to her friend.

They visited the shops after lunch, both ending up buying a couple of newly released books from Tomes and Scrolls. The girls spent the afternoon outside, walking along the narrow side streets of the village until it was dinnertime. They retreated into Hermione's and Aberforth's personal quarters after exchanging a few words with Aberforth. He was mending the pub, which was not packed but busy enough, so the girls left him be. They had dinner upstairs and afterwards lounged in the sitting room, both reading their new books in front of the fireplace.

Lily eventually snapped her book shut and stared at Hermione with a stern look in her eyes.

"What?" Hermione asked slowly, giving her friend a bewildered look over her book.

"You know what, Dumbledore." Lily said pointedly. "I have given you many hours to fess up, but now my limit is up. Speak," she said, crossing her arms after putting her book down on the table, an expectant expression on her face.

Hermione groaned and put her book next to Lily's. "It just happened…I didn't plan to do anything, but…" she sighed heavily. "It was after the party, and you know, after Sirius came on to me in the balcony, I really wanted some peace and quiet, so I went into an empty classroom –" Hermione explained but Lily interrupted her.

" - Sirius what?!" Lily asked with a shrill voice. "Why didn't you say anything?”

Hermione took in a deep breath, suppressing the mixed feelings of guilt and resentment as she thought about Sirius. “There was nothing to say… He told me he missed me. We kissed. And then he seemed to regret it right after it happened,” Hermione explained wearily. “He confirmed it the next day, when he apologised and told me that nothing had changed between us.”

Lily gaped at her. “You kissed Regulus and Sirius on the same night?” She asked, her voice rising into high octaves. At Hermione’s deep frown, Lily quickly continued, “But, um…Sirius. What a git," she muttered, shaking her head incredulously.

Hermione bit the inside of her cheek, stifling a grin. "Well, we did talk the next day and he did apologise. So, I reckon that incident was settled…"

"And Regulus?" Lily asked after a short moment, a small smile tugging at her lips.

Hermione sighed. "I went into an empty classroom to think and just be by myself. Then…Regulus came there. He said he didn't know I was there, and I don't really know why he stayed there in the first place, but then I hugged him and he looked at me in a way he has never looked before. And…and I kissed him…" Hermione said quietly, worrying her lip and staring at the fire.

"Oh." Lily breathed. "How was it?" She asked carefully.

Hermione's brows lifted as she eyed her friend in surprise.

Lily merely shrugged. "What? You asked me about me having sex with James, so I think I have the right to know," Lily said matter-of-factly. "And besides, it is quite crucial to know how it felt, if we are trying to have some conclusion in this," Lily said simply.

"We are?" Hermione asked in confusion.

Lily grinned. "Well, of course we are. Now, spill!" She urged, looking at Hermione again in anticipation.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Fine," she grumbled before looking away from her friend and thinking back to that night.

Until that moment, she had actively tried not to think about kissing Regulus, even though deep down, she knew exactly what it had felt like.

"It felt like…the moment after a rainstorm. When everything is fresh and clean… And like the tension after the lightning, when you're expecting the thunder," she said distantly, her mind whirling with images, her chest fluttering as she remembered exactly what it had felt like. "And…his lips were warm and softer than I had imagined and as he kissed me back, I just…I stopped thinking. It was like…" she spoke in a dazed voice that eventually trailed off.

"Magic?" Lily quipped slyly.

Hermione was pulled back from her stupor. She narrowed her eyes at Lily, who winked back at her.

"But really, that sounds…amazing?" Lily said hesitantly after becoming serious.

"Yes…I suppose it does." Hermione whispered, absorbed in her thoughts.

She remembered the warmth that had spread throughout her body and how addicted she had felt at that moment, wanting to taste his lips again, to be as near him as possible. Perhaps it had indeed meant something? Perhaps it was something she couldn't forget after all…?

Lily smiled at her knowingly. When Hermione noticed her friend eyeing her, she threw a pillow at her.

"Stop it, Lils. Let's talk about something else, okay?" Hermione said seriously.

Lily sighed. "Okay. Well. Sirius?"

"No!" Hermione yelled quickly but then resigned with a sigh. "Okay. You did find him, right?" She asked, feeling slightly worried for the wizard in question.

"Yes, he stumbled back home the next morning, reeking of alcohol. Apparently, he'd gotten himself properly rat-arsed on his two-day bender." Lily said, pursing her lips and shaking her head in disapproval.

"He has been in a very foul mood since, not talking to anyone and merely sulking in his room every day," Lily said and gave Hermione a hesitant look. "What happened between you two? Did he see you and Regulus?"

Hermione huffed. "No. He didn't see anything. I told him because I wanted to be honest with him and I thought it would be better that he heard it from me than from someone else. It was the day before the New Year's party, when we were looking at the apartments. I told him after he had bought himself a flat," she said wearily.

She had known Sirius wouldn't take it lightly but she couldn't change what had happened with Regulus. And now she wasn't sure that she even hoped that things had happened differently.

"Oh." Lily said, sounding surprised. "He didn't even mention the flat. Perhaps it's good that I'll go home tomorrow so James can have a proper talk with him…" she muttered, staring at the fire.

Lily had decided to spend the Friday evening and Saturday with her parents, before she would be returning to Hogwarts on Sunday. She hadn't had a chance to see them at all during their holidays, as they had been in Paris and she had been with James.

The girls sat in silence for a while before they headed upstairs into Hermione's room. She had transfigured her cosy armchair into a guest bed and positioned it next to her own bed. After they both had showered and brushed their teeth, they lay under covers in their beds, both staring at the ceiling, lost in their thoughts.

"Hermione?"

"Hmm?"

"Was that the reason you were so withdrawn at Professor Slughorn's Christmas party? Because of Regulus?" Lily asked thoughtfully.

Hermione sighed. "Well, I suppose yes. I mean, it's all a bit confusing…"

Lily hummed in understanding.

"So…you reckon it's going to happen again? …You kissing Regulus?" Lily whispered after a moment of silence.

Hermione contemplated the possibility of that. "I don't know…" she replied quietly.

"…Do you want it to?"

Hermione was silent for a while as she examined her feelings. "Honestly… Even if I did, I don't know if that's a good idea."

"Well, I'm sure everything will work out for the best..." Lily said encouragingly, before yawning. "Good night Mione."

"Night, Lils."

Friday, 6 January 1978

The girls were walking through the village after having breakfast in the Hog's Head.

"I think it's kind of sweet, you know… The way your father worries about you." Lily said, beaming at Hermione.

After Aberforth had been inquiring about Hermione's wellbeing at breakfast, Hermione had quickly explained to Lily that she had taken a fall in the stairs the other day. Lily had of course been concerned for her friend and had been quite relieved when Aberforth had insisted casting diagnostic charms on Hermione's side and her head. Hermione knew that under all the grunting and gruff exterior, Aberforth was actually very affectionate.

Hermione smiled. "Yes, he likes to give the impression of being a grumpy old man, but he truly is something else underneath."

They walked forward and Hermione almost bumped into someone as she was glancing at the Honeydukes's shop windows. She stopped abruptly, lifting her brows in surprise as she saw a familiar face.

"Gideon!" Hermione said with a smile.

Lily shot a surprised glance at her.

"Hey, Hermione," Gideon smiled and noticed that Lily was standing in front of him as well. "Lily," he said with a polite nod.

"Professor Prewett," the redhead replied cordially.

Gideon turned to look at Hermione. "How are you feeling?" He asked anxiously, his eyes moving over her body, as if he was searching for something.

Hermione didn't miss the arched brow Lily gave them. She shook her head slightly at Gideon and gave him a meaningful look.

Gideon seemed to realise that he was being too familiar with Hermione and cleared his throat awkwardly. "I, um…just visited your father. He told me you..."

" - fell down the stairs," Hermione quickly finished his sentence.

Gideon gave her a quick nod. "Yeah. Uh. Are you okay?" He asked, studying Hermione with a concerned look, while giving a brisk glance towards Lily.

"Oh. Yes, it's nothing, really. Just a sore rib," Hermione said with a reassuring smile, trying to give Gideon a look that told him to shut the bloody hell up, so that Lily wouldn't start suspecting something or asking any questions from her afterwards.

Still, she knew the reason Gideon was so worried about her and she wanted to let him know that she was completely all right. After arguing with Aberforth the day before, Aberforth had told her that Gideon had sent Hermione flying across the cave with a banishing charm as the Fiendfyre had been barely a couple of feet away from her. Hermione reckoned that it had been the right thing to do, since none of them wouldn't have had the time to cast the distinguishing charm without her burning alive – the spell required much more focus and willpower than a simple banishing charm.

The last thing she remembered was the fiery phoenix closing in on her and how the air had been hot, burning almost. And then, nothing. Apparently, Dumbledore hadn't had the strength to maintain the cursed fire to destroy the ring. He had crumbled in exhaustion and the others had had to step in. They were all lucky to be alive. Hermione also felt somewhat frustrated that she hadn't acted. That she had been too slow to even lift her wand. She had wondered, more than once, if she had been alone with the Headmaster, would they had both died?

Gideon gazed at her for a moment, smiling at her and looking like he was relieved and grateful that she was standing there in one piece, but also looking like he felt guilty that she had hurt herself because of him.

He then cleared his throat, his expression becoming politely distant. "Well, I must go. I'll see you both in school next week," he said, nodding at the girls before leaving towards the Three Broomsticks.

Hermione watched him leave with a small frown between her eyes.

"Okay…what in the name of Merlin was that about?" Lily hissed at Hermione as they watched their teacher's furthering back.

Hermione turned her eyes quickly to her friend. "It's nothing. He's just friends with my father, I suppose," she said with a shrug, trying to seem nonchalant.

Lily eyed her sceptically. "Even you don't believe that, Hermione," she said grimly and sighed. "But…I suppose you'll tell me when you're ready, yeah?"

Hermione smiled at her friend's perceptiveness. "Yes, I will."

"You're not having a fling with him, though?" Lily asked, her expression somewhere between joking and suspicion.

Hermione burst in laughter. "No!"

Both girls laughed as they walked back to the Hog's Head to gather Lily's belongings before she was leaving towards home.

Sunday, 8 January 1978

On Sunday evening, it was time to go back to school. As Hermione saw Lily and her other roommates hopping off from the carriage that was pulled by Thestrals, she knew something was amiss. She saw it edged on their faces; Lily, Mary, Alice and Marlene shared nervous glances before they started approaching Hermione, who was waiting for them near the front doors of the castle.

Hermione hugged her friends before she eyed them in confusion. "What's going on?" She asked slowly, as the other students walked past them into the castle and towards the Great Hall.

Alice and Lily looked a bit uncomfortable, while Mary was quick to explain the situation. "Sirius was fighting in the train," she said, watching Hermione's reaction carefully.

"Oh."

"With his brother." Marlene said pointedly and arched a brow at Hermione.

Hermione's eyes widened. "Oh, Godric."

"Yep." Mary said. "You've got some explaining to do, Mione," she continued lightly. "But not now, later, okay? Otherwise we'll miss the feast," she said and nudged Hermione to move towards the castle.

Hermione looked down, feeling embarrassed. "I'd rather not," she muttered but followed the others into the Great Hall.

Hermione sat down between Marlene and Mary at their house table, while Lily and Alice took the seats opposite to them. Hermione looked around the table for the Marauders. The boys hadn't arrived yet and she noticed the others were looking for them as well.

As if summoned, James, Remus and Peter walked towards the table. James and Peter sat beside Lily, while Remus settled next to Mary. Hermione greeted the boys, since she hadn't spent the day with them in the Hogwarts Express like her roommates had. Remus and Peter nodded at her a bit more reserved manner than they usually did, while James merely sent her a glare. Even though Hermione had expected it, she was still a bit taken aback by James's cold demeanour.

Soon all the students seemed to be seated at their respective house tables in the Great Hall, except for the Black brothers. Marlene eyed James with her brows furrowed. "Where's Sirius?" She whispered.

"He'll be here in a minute." James replied calmly and gave Hermione a disappointed look.

Hermione averted her eyes and looked towards the Entrance Hall, from where McGonagall was entering the Great Hall. Their Head of House walked briskly towards the teachers table with Professor Slughorn by her side, who was trying to keep up with her. Behind them trailed Sirius and Regulus, both looking ahead with blank expressions.

Hermione let out a stunned gasp as she noticed their dishevelled looks. Sirius was sporting a black eye, with a patch of dried blood trailing towards his temple from his cut eyebrow. There were bruises on his jaw as well. His hair was even more messier than usual and his shirt was severely crumpled. Regulus looked no better. His lip was bleeding and he too had bruises and cuts over his face, his hair and clothing in the same condition as Sirius's. There was no question if the boys had been engaging in a brawl.

Without acknowledging the other, the boys headed straight towards their own house tables. Regulus took a seat opposite to Snape, his back to the Gryffindor table, while Sirius sat between James and Peter, his back to the Slytherin table. Unfortunately, Sirius now had a clear view at Hermione, and as he glanced at her with his eyes flickering momentarily towards something resembling revulsion, she tried not to let herself be affected by him. James gave her an expression that said, you know this is your fault, before the boys started talking quietly with each other.

The feast started after Dumbledore had given a few words to welcome the students back and for a moment, everyone was solely focused on filling their plates. Before Hermione reached to the servers in the middle of the table, brimming with delicious food, she glanced at the Slytherin table. Snape was staring at her with a bitter look in his black eyes. He cocked an eyebrow as his mouth curved into a sneer. Hermione groaned inwardly and looked away. She had made one hell of a mess. She was content keeping her eyes on her plate for the rest of the meal.

"So…How was everyone's holidays?" Marlene asked from the group as she took a bite of the roasted chicken.

James shrugged, Sirius didn't even look at the others and the rest of them looked uncomfortable. The atmosphere was tense, there was no doubt of that.

"Well. I had a quite nice holiday," Remus said kindly and turned to give Mary a smirk. "Spent time with a certain special girl," he said knowingly.

"Oh? And who might that be?" Mary asked with a teasing voice. "Should I keep better care of my territory?" She continued, nudging Remus.

Peter and James snorted at their plates, while Remus narrowed his eyes at them.

Hermione was glad that her two friends had found an understanding. Remus seemed to have gained much more confidence and was now generally more open and participating, and Hermione reckoned that part of it was because of Mary.

Mary took a sip from her pumpkin juice before she spoke. "Yeah, mine was great as well. The usual…Visited a bunch of relatives and then played house with this handsome man while my folks were on a small trip," she said, glancing at Remus affectionately.

The boys gave their werewolf friend knowing smirks while the boy in question blushed slightly.

"I had a lovely time in France at Frank's grandparents' home," Alice quipped and smiled nervously. "And…Frank proposed," she said with a flustered grin.

All the girls in their group squealed in surprise and the boys eyed her in astonishment.

"You've been keeping this from us the whole day?" Lily asked in bewilderment.

Alice shrugged guiltily and then glanced at Hermione. "Well…I kinda wanted all of us to be there when I shared the news."

Hermione gave her friend a warm smile.

"Let's see the bauble," Mary commanded from the opposite side of the table, eyeing Alice expectantly. Alice showed her hand that was adorned with a white gold ring full of sparkling diamonds which sat in the band, surrounding one alluring, luxurious ruby. Between the diamonds and the ruby there were curvy lines, forming a Celtic knot. It was a classic ring, and suited Alice perfectly.

"Wow," Lily, Marlene and Hermione whispered in unison, as the girls leaned closer to take a look at the astonishing ring.

"Fuck me," Mary muttered.

The boys sniggered at Mary's crude language and everyone offered their congratulations to Alice. The news of Alice's engagement had lifted the mood quite a bit, and for a moment everything seemed to be normal.

As the feast was ending, Dumbledore made some announcements before he sent the students to their beds. Hermione was quick to dash out of the Great Hall to escape the uncomfortable tension that had started to build up again. She was unpacking her belongings when the rest of the girls entered the dormitory.

"So, Hermione. What was all that about? I mean, the boys didn't actually say anything, but…were Sirius and Regulus fighting because of you?" Marlene asked casually once she and the others had settled in and started to prepare themselves to bed.

Lily gave Hermione a tight smile and went to the bathroom to shower and brush her teeth.

"Well…" Hermione trailed and heaved a frustrated sigh. "I might as well tell you. You'll hear it eventually anyway," she said quietly, looking at her lap and feeling her cheeks warm up in embarrassment. "I kissed Regulus."

As Hermione looked up at her friends, she saw that Marlene and Alice stared at her in utter surprise, while Mary chewed the inside of her cheek.

"Oh…" Alice finally said, trying to form other words as well but failed.

Marlene was still gaping at her, while Mary cleared her throat and gave Hermione a sheepish grin.

"Lily filled me in about what happened at the party. Remus and I came to the terrace right after you left," Mary said hesitantly. "I don't know about the details, but I think Sirius was a bit out of line in there," she said, turning to look at Alice and Marlene. "He yelled at her and said some lousy things about her in front of James and Lily."

Alice nodded but Marlene scoffed, turning her eyes at Hermione. "Well…what did you expect? And why in the name of Merlin would you snog his brother?" Marlene asked incredulously. "I mean, when I suggested that you should get someone new pining after you, I didn't mean you should move on to his brother..." she shook her head disapprovingly.

Hermione sighed, feeling terrible. "We were broken up with Sirius. I know it doesn't come as an excuse but I didn't plan to kiss Regulus…it just happened." She said helplessly, feeling very much like she was trying to make excuses for her actions.

"Do you regret it?" Alice asked carefully, a small frown between her brows.

Hermione was silent for a moment. "I regret that Sirius was hurt by it," she said quietly. 

Marlene looked at her with her lips pursed and it was obvious that she disapproved Hermione’s actions. Nevertheless, she said nothing more to the matter.

Alice eyed Hermione thoughtfully. "So, are you two a couple now?"

Hermione gave a mirthless laugh. "No, we are not."

"Have you talked with him? Or Sirius? After the party I mean," Mary asked, looking intrigued.

Hermione shook her head, feeling somewhat exhausted by the situation. "No…Sirius won't even look at me and…well. I suppose I'll have to have a talk with Regulus eventually."

"Just give him time, Hermione." Lily said, emerging from the bathroom.

"Which one?" Mary asked with a smirk.

Marlene rolled her eyes and went to the bathroom. Hermione groaned inwardly, hoping that their friendship wouldn't be affected more than it already had by what had happened.

"Sirius." Lily said with a pointed look. "I'm sure he will eventually realise what an arse he has been and then he'll apologise to you," Lily continued, giving Hermione a small smile. "Regulus has no reason to be angry at you. He should've known how his brother would react once he found out," Lily stated with a shrug and hopped on to her bed after pulling the covers off.

Hermione sighed and rubbed her face. "I suppose you're right. Can we please just drop this?" She asked wearily.

The others gave her sympathetic looks and agreeing nods, before moving the conversation to other topics. After Marlene came out of the bathroom, Hermione went to have a long shower, trying to wash away the unpleasantness of the evening.

Soon all the girls were in their beds, one by one drifting to sleep. Only Hermione was wide awake. She wished she had a vial of sleeping draught, as she was quite sure she was going to be up all night with her erratic thoughts.

Sirius followed his mates into their dorm after the feast, scowling ahead and slumping onto his bed.

"What did McGonagall say?" James asked as he started to unpack his trunk.

Remus and Peter were organising their belongings onto their personal shelves.

Sirius shrugged, looking down with an angry glare. "Detention next weekend," he grunted.

"Not bad, mate. Honestly, I thought it would have been much worse," James said with an impressed look.

James had been the one who had caught Sirius having his own brother in a headlock in an empty compartment of the Hogwarts Express. James had been patrolling the train with Lily, like the Head Boy and Girl were expected to, Lily on one end of the train and he on the other. It had been pretty bad, with both boys covered in blood, cuts and bruises, their clothes shredded and the compartment a mess. The bright side of it was that neither of them had used magic against one another, but only their fists. James suspected the consequences would've been much worse if they had been duelling in the train. Nevertheless, he had to confiscate their wands and report the incident to McGonagall as they arrived to Hogsmeade.

"She took fifty points from both houses."

"Oh." James said, cringing a little but then shrugged. "No matter, we'll get them back like, in a week."

As arrogant as it sounded, they were bright students and earning points in classes was easy for them.

Remus smiled at James and turned to Sirius. "Yeah, Pads. Don't worry about it."

"I don't." Sirius said with a glare to Remus.

Remus lifted his hands in a sign of surrender. "All right then. Care to fill me and Pete in, why you were trying to mould your brother's face back in the train?" He asked grimly. "Or why you and Prongs suddenly act like two bloody knobheads towards Hermione?"

"No."

James sighed and looked at Sirius, his brows lifted expectantly. "Mate," he said wearily.

"Fine." Sirius said and huffed. "My dear brother snogged Hermione," he grumbled at Remus and Peter, who both stared at him in surprise and shock.

Peter gave Remus a helpless look, asking for the werewolf to take the lead in the matter. They all knew Peter wasn't great in situations like they were now facing. When Sirius was outraged.

Remus threaded his hand through his shaggy brown hair and sighed. "When?"

"What do you mean, when?" Sirius spat, eyeing his friend with an incredulous look.

James could see Remus was forcing himself not to roll his eyes.

"I meant, when did it happen? Were you and Hermione together when it occurred?" Remus asked calmly.

James eyed their conversation with a slight frown between his brows. As far as he was concerned, siblings and friends were off limits even after a breakup. He didn't think it mattered if it had happened when Sirius and Hermione had dated or after they had broken up. He still considered it as betrayal.

Sirius huffed in irritation. "We weren't together then. It was after the last party we had in our common room," he said and then shrugged. "But I don't see the difference. He's my brother, Moony," he growled and gave Remus a challenging expression.

Remus sighed. They all knew better than to argue with Sirius when he was in such a mood. James didn't say anything and merely eyed Remus with the same expression as Sirius. He hoped their werewolf friend wouldn't side with Hermione. It would only make things worse.

"Have you talked with her since the New Year's party?" Remus asked hesitantly.

"No."

"Are you going to?" Remus pressed on.

"Dunno." Sirius grunted and hopped to lie on his bed, flicking his wand on the hangings that closed around him and thus cutting their conversation short.

James shook his head at Remus. "Just give it a rest, will you?"

Remus gave James a disappointed look, before heading towards the bathroom.

The boys didn't talk about anything after that and everyone went straight to bed after their nightly routines.

Monday, 9 January 1978

Hermione stood up early, after staying awake the whole night. She showered, got dressed quickly and was out of the dorm before her roommates had even woken up.

She decided to skip the breakfast and instead found an empty space near their Defence classroom, where she opted to wait the remaining hours before their first lesson, Defence Against the Dark Arts, would start.

Her plans were interrupted, when someone opened the door to the classroom where she was sitting on the floor, leaning against a wall.

"Hermione?" Gideon asked with a surprise. "What are you doing here? You know it's not even seven in the morning?" He asked, stifling a yawn.

Hermione eyed him suspiciously. "How did you know I was here?"

"You know my office is next door…" he said with an arched brow. "My Secrecy Sensor went off… It tends to do that when students sneak in the castle near its range, but it is usually quiet at this time of day."

"Oh."

"So? What are you doing here?" Gideon pressed on, giving her a scrutinising stare.

Hermione shrugged. "Just, you know. Waiting for the first class to start…" she mumbled and looked down.

"The first…but why? Why aren't you in your common room? Or at breakfast? Or sleeping?" He asked in bewilderment.

Hermione grimaced inwardly. "I just wanted to be by myself for a bit. And…I'm not really in the mood for all the drama…" she trailed off without looking at him.

"Oh. You mean the drama between the Black brothers?" He asked pointedly.

Hermione sighed and rubbed her temple. "Yes," she said, her voice wavering slightly.

Gideon was silent for a moment, eyeing her thoughtfully. "Come on, then," he said finally, making a move towards the door.

"What?"

"You can have breakfast in my office. I won't have you in my class undernourished. We're going to have a tough lesson today," he said sternly.

Hermione wanted to scowl at him but as she knew he had a point and he was simply trying to be nice to her, she followed him without another word.

"What happened in the cave, Gideon?" Hermione asked as she took a sip of her coffee.

They were both eating breakfast at his desk. She only knew what Aberforth had told her – that the ring had been destroyed, but apparently not by the Headmaster. Dumbledore had somehow lost consciousness before he had managed to do that. She also knew that Gideon had knocked her down when the flames had been closing in on her and that it was Gideon who had managed to destroy the ring and extinguish the cursed flames. The events in the cave before her concussion were still a bit hazy in her mind and Hermione reckoned that she had hit her head pretty badly.

Gideon eyed her from behind his cup before answering. "When Dumbledore cast the curse, the ring fought back somehow. It whispered some nasty things to Albus and made his stance waver. It was like he was in some sort of trance," he explained with a contemplative look.

"What did it say?" Hermione asked anxiously. She remembered Ron and Harry both explaining how the Horcruxes they had destroyed had resisted them.

Gideon frowned and seemed to contemplate his answer. "Something about his sister and the events that led to her death," he said finally.

Hermione's eyes widened. "Merlin…"

"Yeah. He couldn't move, he couldn't say anything. He couldn't control the flames. I'm not lying to you, Hermione. It was pretty horrifying. That, and the fact that you were nearly succumbed by the flames," he said and let out a shuddering breath.

"I had to knock you down and it wasn't a modest fall, let me tell you. I'm still stunned how you were even able to stand the next day," he pondered with a worried expression. "Minerva and Fabian were trying to control the fire so that it didn't get you or the Headmaster. It was chaotic," he said wearily.

Hermione nodded and gave him a small smile. "But you managed to end it? You destroyed the ring?"

"Yeah." Gideon huffed. "Feels like it was more luck than skill though," he said heavily.

Hermione frowned and took another sip of her coffee. "In my old life, I think everything we managed to do regarding the Horcruxes was by luck," she noted thoughtfully.

Gideon sighed. "We need to be better prepared the next one," he murmured and rubbed his face.

Hermione nodded. "I agree. We should be able to close our minds, as it seems that the Horcruxes attack our minds and use our weaknesses," she said thoughtfully.

"We'll discuss it with the others." Gideon agreed and continued, "That reminds me, when do you want to start your Occlumency training?"

Hermione smiled tightly. "As soon as possible."

Hermione was already sitting in the Defence classroom when the rest of the students drifted in. Lily looked surprised and relieved to see her friend, and quickly took a seat next to her.

"Where were you? We missed you at breakfast," Lily whispered as their housemates took their places near them.

Hermione lifted her brows at her friend, eyeing her doubtfully.

"Well, the girls and I did," she insisted with a shrug.

Hermione smiled at her friend. The class started and they were divided into pairs by Gideon. Hermione was facing Remus, Mary was paired with Sirius, Alice with James and Marlene with Peter. Lily was paired with Snape. James was already heading towards the pair, with every intention to stop them partnering up, but Lily turned to her boyfriend before he had the chance to say anything.

Hermione watched the scene in mild anticipation, as did the rest of her friends.

"James, it's okay. I can handle it." Lily said sharply, a hint of warning in her voice.

"Lily, you can't be serious. Let's switch. I'll take care of Snivellus," James said quietly and eyed the Slytherin with a dark look.

Snape sneered back at him, evidently having heard what James had said.

"James." Lily said coldly, her nostrils flaring.

James gritted his teeth and shoved a hand to his hair in exasperation. Snape, on the other hand, eyed the pair with mild exasperation.

"Fine." James said with a huff as their professor started to hand instructions. He returned back to Alice, who was standing on the other side of the class with most of their friends.

Only Hermione and Remus remained closer to Lily and Snape, and even though they were supposed to start their duels soon, Hermione was more focused on her friend and the Slytherin than her own partner.

Lily gave Snape a polite nod. "Thank you for not taking his bait," she said quietly.

Snape stared at her in silence. He nodded slowly and eyed her carefully as she took her duelling position. His stony expression faltered a bit. "Lily…" he muttered.

"Yes?" Lily asked sternly, eyeing him expectantly.

Hermione could hear Remus clearing his throat quietly, trying to make her focus on what they were supposed to do. She glanced at Remus and gave him an apologetic look, before listening to Lily's and Snape's conversation.

"...I wanted to thank you for the Christmas present. It was most kind of you. Although I wasn't in the knowledge that we were exchanging gifts. Otherwise I would've got something for you," Snape said with an inscrutable voice.

Hermione knew that Lily had debated it for quite some time and in the end had decided to give Snape a small Christmas present, as a peace offering, as well as a sign of her forgiveness. It was a new muggle novel that had been recently released, along with a small box of Snape's favourite Honeydukes sweets; Liquorice Wands.

Lily stared at him for a moment and sighed in defeat.

Hermione grimaced inwardly. Apparently, Lily's gift hadn't made the effect she was expecting.

"Yeah, no problem," Lily said with a hint of resignation.

Snape gave her a curt nod and took his duelling stance as well.

"Hermione." Remus said pointedly.

Hermione blinked and moved her focus on Remus. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm ready, let's start, all right?"

Remus gave a small frown at Lily and Snape, who were already duelling next to them, before turning back to Hermione and preparing for their own duel.

Hermione joined the others for lunch and was slightly relieved to see that neither James nor Sirius was present. The two Marauders had apparently opted to skip lunch and use the time, as well as their free time in the afternoon for something no one seemed to know about. She had seen Regulus in the Great Hall, sitting next to Snape and facing the Gryffindor table, but he hadn't looked up from his plate when she had glanced at their direction.

After lunch Remus, Peter, Mary, Hermione, Alice and Lily walked to the greenrooms, where Professor Sprout divided the NEWT students into small groups.

"Today we are starting with the general education on Fungi, which will last until the end of March," Professor Sprout spoke in front of the greenroom. "The first subject is the Bursting Mushroom," she continued as she walked towards the table where several pots stood, each filled with a scattering of odd looking red and white mushrooms.

"The Bursting Mushroom can be disarmed with an Extinguishing Spell. Once neutralised, it can be picked up from the soil, which will permanently disable the Mushroom from exploding," she explained before performing the spell on one of the mushrooms in the nearest pot. The mushroom, which had been weaving slightly before, stood now still. "After the harvest, the mushrooms are to be given to our potioneer, Professor Slughorn, to use in your potion making," she continued, flourishing her wand on the mushroom and collecting it from the soil and then levitating it into a large jar.

"I want each group to grab a pot and disarm all the mushrooms in there and then to harvest them into these jars," she instructed, pointing on the side where several empty jars were waiting.

The students complied and soon the greenroom was filled with incantations of extinguishing and levitating spells.

As Lily was the first in their group to examine their Mushroom pot, Remus turned to look at Hermione.

"How are you?" He asked hesitantly.

They hadn't had the chance to talk after the previous night. Truthfully, Hermione hadn't even tried, as she had assumed Remus wanted to keep his distance to her and not get in the middle of her dispute with Sirius and James.

She gave him a mild shrug. "I'm okay. Just don't know what exactly I was expecting when we came back to school…" she muttered, feeling somewhat upset and resentful.

"You know how he is, right?" Remus asked with a frown. "Acting impulsively and then when he's calmed down enough, he regrets his actions…"

Hermione nodded and gave Remus a sad smile. "That doesn't remove the fact that I am hurt."

"No, it doesn't." Remus agreed and smiled wearily. "But it is his brother, Hermione. Even if there had been years between you dating them, he still would’ve got angry and acted irrationally. Because in his eyes, you were his first. And he probably thinks that you still are his in some way," he explained carefully.

Hermione scoffed. "I'm not dating his brother. And he left me," she snapped.

"I know." Remus said quietly, a tight smile on his lips.

Hermione let out a small sigh. "But I understand what you mean. And I know I shouldn't have done that. But what is done is done," she murmured, contemplating her next words a bit before she continued, more hesitantly, "Do you think I should just leave Sirius be for now, and ignore him?"

Remus made a noncommittal sound. "I suppose. I think he will talk to you eventually. Just let him mull things for a while and let him come to you, yeah?"

Hermione let out a deep breath. "Yeah, okay."

"And how are you, then?" She asked after a moment of silence, forcing a smile on her face.

Remus gave her a shy smile. He looked at Mary, who was laughing at something either Peter or Alice had said, a couple of tables on their left. "Never been better," he murmured, his eyes still at his girlfriend.

Hermione let out a quiet laugh. "I'm really happy for you, Remus." Hermione said, beaming at her friend.

Lily listened to their conversation and smirked. "Has the relationship advice been traded already? Can we get to work?" She asked with a teasing look.

Hermione and Remus both rolled their eyes and started to work on the mushrooms.

It was dinnertime and all the Marauders were present again. Hermione sat as far away as she could from James and Sirius, as she wasn't in the mood to receive more glares from them. While she listened to Alice chat with Lily about her holiday with Frank and his relatives, Hermione's eyes wandered over to the Slytherin table. Regulus was there, eating his dinner next to Snape, exchanging words with him every now and then. Suddenly he glanced at her from the corner of his eye and as their eyes locked, Hermione nudged her head towards the hallway. He gave her an insignificant nod and Hermione stood up.

"See you in the common room," she muttered to Alice and Lily, who gave her slightly puzzled looks. Hermione gave her friends a reassuring smile before she left the table.

She walked to the staircase and moved up the stairs until she reached the seventh floor. She pulled the Map from her schoolbag to check that no one was in the hallway. Her eyes stayed on the small dot that displayed her name on the Map. Even though it was already been a while since the adoption, she still was not quite used to seeing her name as Hermione Dumbledore.

She shook her head to clear her thoughts and put the Map away before she approached the wall across the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy. Moments later, as the door appeared on the wall, she heard footsteps behind her. She glanced at Regulus and entered through the door, with him following her.

Hermione walked further into the replica of the Gryffindor common room, situating herself on the sofa in front of the fireplace. Regulus stayed behind, eyeing the room in mild interest. He walked towards the fire and stood there facing it, his back to Hermione.

"Reg…" she said softly.

He slowly turned around and looked into her eyes, his expression giving nothing away.

"I'm sorry you're hurt," Hermione said, looking at the fading bruises on his face.

"Why? You weren't the one attacking me on the train," he said indifferently.

Hermione eyed him warily and thought about what to say next. "But I told him. Sirius. I had to. I didn't want to keep it from him."

"I know." Regulus sighed and threaded a hand through his hair. "I shouldn't have kissed you," he said quietly.

Hermione swallowed. "You…regret it?" She asked hesitantly, waiting his answer in anticipation.

"No."

"Oh…neither do I," she said with a relieved smile.

She saw a hint of smile on his lips.

Regulus sat down next to her, propped his elbows upon his knees and dropped his face into his hands. He let out a muffled groan. "Hermione…we can't be together," he said quietly, glancing at her with a furrowed brow.

Hermione nodded at him and chewed the inside of her cheek.

"…I want to, Salazar only knows how much. Even if I somehow managed to get my brother to accept it, which by the way will never happen, there's still the fact that I'm being watched. It's too dangerous," he said and watched her expression intently as she took his words in.

Hermione nodded slowly. "I know. We can't risk anything, not when there are far more important things to do," she said, referring to the Order and its goal.

Regulus nodded in understanding as he turned to face her, examining her with a hint of disappointment in his eyes. He pushed a tendril of her hair behind her ear.

"What…What if no one knew? …About us?" Hermione asked, feeling uncertain. "I mean, we are still going to meet because of the Order business," she pointed out quietly.

Regulus stared her for a moment before he smirked at her. "You want to engage in a clandestine affair?" He asked with a low voice.

Hermione blushed and bit her lip.

"Is that a yes?" Regulus murmured, leaning towards her.

Hermione let out a nervous breath. "Yes," she whispered and swallowed deeply.

"Okay then," he grumbled, his face so close to her, that she could feel his breath against her lips.

Hermione shivered in anticipation as his gaze dropped momentarily to her lips. He studied her with a piercing gaze before he gently pressed his lips against hers. A shiver ran through her spine. He nipped at the corner of her lips and then at her bottom lip. Hermione breathed heavily, her heart racing as he explored her lips; he seemed to be intent on taking his time to get to know her. Hermione suppressed a groan as he continued fluttering kisses against her jawline and her neck. When he gently sucked the skin over her pulse, she let out an embarrassingly breathy moan.

Regulus chuckled. 

Hermione rolled her eyes after realising how much like his brother Regulus sounded.

However, her thoughts soon evaporated as Regulus dragged his lips back against hers, brushing her lips with his while staring into her eyes. Each time his lips touched hers, he lingered longer. When Hermione was frustrated enough to nearly grab his hair and pull him tight against her, his tongue swept across her bottom lip. She sighed as the sensation shimmered through her, making her crave him, wanting to press herself against him. Finally, his lips covered hers properly and he slipped his tongue inside her mouth, her breathy gasp muffling against his mouth. His taste was fresh, exciting and hot as she gently touched his tongue with hers. Regulus moaned at the touch, the sound of him sending a wave of heat rushing through her. She felt her body warm and arch towards him, as his hands took a hold of her waist. Hermione slid her hands around his neck and pulled him closer to her.

Regulus let out a muffled groan against her lips and deepened the kiss, gently pushing her to lie down on the sofa, covering her body with his while kissing her at the same time. Hermione lost her ability to think just then and it seemed that all she was capable of doing was to kiss, to taste and to touch Regulus. She could feel his body responding to her, hard and soft at the same time. He was breathing heavier and as she sucked on his bottom lip, Regulus let out a deep groan that sounded very much like her name. She longed to touch his skin, to press her body against him without any fabric between them. As she trailed her hands down his torso and slid them under his shirt and touched the warm skin, she felt his body tense up. Regulus pulled slightly back to look at her in the eye.

Her eyes moved over his face as she touched his body, taking in his expression, trying to determine what he was feeling right then. It had to be the first time she saw him completely unguarded. He looked like he would explode in need, like all he wanted was to touch her, to kiss her, to ravish her. But that he was straining not to. It made her feel both thrilled and nervous.

Regulus leaned down to kiss her again, his lips moving against hers slowly, teasing her, not giving her what she needed. It made her feverish with want, made her squirm against him. When she ground her hips against his pelvis, Regulus hissed loudly and broke their kiss, shuddering on top of her.

"Wait..." Regulus murmured, breathing heavily, his eyes closed and his mouth hovering next to hers.

Hermione knew that neither of them had been thinking clearly, and that perhaps it was a good moment to put a stop to whatever it was that was happening between them. They had come to the room for a reason, after all.

Hermione drew her hands back to rest against the sofa and took shaky breaths as they both calmed down. 

"Perhaps we could continue this another time?" Regulus murmured against her lips, before pulling slightly away. "I think we have some talking to do, and I’m afraid that if we continue like this, we aren't ready until the morning," he said, smiling slightly down at her.

Hermione chuckled. "Perhaps you're right," she said and touched the side of his face affectionately.

She felt him leaning against her hand before he sat back on his knees and lifted her into a sitting position as well.

There was a short silence while they looked at one another, scrutinising the other.

"So…" Hermione started, her eyes moving over his face. "…How did the gathering go?" She asked hesitantly.

Regulus's expression hardened. He frowned a bit before he spoke, looking like he was going the events over in his head. "What do you wish to know?"

"Everything?" Hermione replied, feeling somewhat bewildered by his sudden change of mood. Only moments before he had seemed so open and warm. Now he was guarded and withdrawn. 

Regulus sighed, looking slightly amused by her answer. "He's planning a raid against the Order on Easter Holidays. He wants my and Severus's attendance."

"But you're not marked yet…right?" Hermione asked quickly, her gaze shifting to his left forearm that was covered by his shirt.

Regulus rolled his eyes and pulled up his sleeve to show her his unblemished skin. "No. I'm not seventeen yet. That he intends to do at the next Summer Solstice."

"Why?" Hermione asked in confusion. "I mean, why then?"

Regulus shrugged. "It is a celestial event and after the Summer Solstice, the daylight will gradually grow shorter each day, while the darkness grows," he explained vaguely.

Hermione nodded slowly, her brows pulled down into a small frown as she went through the information in her head. "So…his followers take the mark after their seventeenth birthday, during midsummer?" She asked curiously.

Regulus merely inclined his head.

“Does that mean that Snape is already a Death Eater?" Hermione asked hastily, dread filling her.

"No. Sev's birthday is not until July, so he will take the mark with me." Regulus said plainly.

"Oh." Hermione muttered, mulling the information she had received in her head. "Do you know anything else about the upcoming raid?" She asked, worrying her lip anxiously. Regulus’s eyes flickered briefly to them, and she had to force herself not to think about how only a moment ago, she had been lying under him and writhing in need as he had kissed her into a near stupor.

Regulus cleared his throat. "No. And I doubt he'd tell us anything before we are marked," he said wearily, turning his eyes towards the fire.

"What happened in there?" Hermione whispered, feeling nervous.

She had her own suspicions about the meeting but she needed to have some sort of confirmation. 

Regulus turned to look at her for a moment. "You don't want to know, Hermione," he said seriously, his eyes flashing with something she couldn't quite place.

"Tell me," she demanded, her tone evidently amusing him as his lips quirked up a bit before he schooled his expression into solemn one again.

Regulus’s eyes moved between hers before he spoke. "Just the usual, I suppose. He made us watch while he tortured and killed a bunch of people, at the same time using Legilimency to examine our thoughts and reactions about his actions."

Hermione gasped, her stomach curling with nausea and her chest coiling with worry. Regulus shot her a pointed look, like he had been expecting her reaction.

She gathered her thoughts before she spoke a short moment after. "Anyone the Order knows of?" She asked tightly, bracing herself.

Regulus watched her carefully. "Dorcas Meadows's husband Frank; he's the only one that was mentioned by name. About the rest…I don't know." He muttered quietly, looking away from her.

Hermione let out a shuddering breath, fear gripping her throat. Dorcas's husband. She wondered if Dumbledore already knew. "Did he…make you do anything?" She asked carefully, somewhat afraid to hear his answer.

She had suspected that he would have to prove himself in some way, but hearing it had happened was completely a different thing. She watched him with concern and compassion, trying to let him know that it was okay to tell her, that she could take it. And that she wouldn't blame him for it.

Regulus stared at her with an intense gaze. He looked like he was going through an inward battle, about what to tell her. About what to show her.

His expression settled into a blank look. "He won't expect us to use magic against his enemies until we are of age. But…For some reason, regardless of his hate towards the muggles, he isn't opposed to using their methods of torture and pain," Regulus said, averting his eyes from hers again.

"You tortured someone?" Hermione breathed, feeling a mix of shock and disbelief.

He wasn't even of age yet, and Voldemort had already made him torture someone.

Regulus merely stared at her with a blank look.

"Reg?" She whispered urgently. She was starting to feel nauseated. She briefly wondered if he hadn't already killed someone, how soon would he be forced to take someone's life?

Regulus regarded her with an exasperated and bitter look. "What? You didn't expect me to exchange mere pleasantries with him, did you?" He asked roughly. "I'm going to be a Death Eater, Hermione. If I want to be in his inner circle, I have to play the part," he scoffed, resentment evident in his voice.

Hermione was silent for a while, frowning in disagreement. She didn't know what to think. He didn't really want to be in his inner circle. Or did he? She wanted to trust him completely, but then again, they hadn't known each other for that long. They had only met a handful of months ago.

She gave him a hesitant look before she spoke. "Do you? Want to be in his inner circle and do as he commands?" Hermione asked eventually, eyeing him with unease.

Regulus looked taken aback by her words, like she had disappointed him. Like she had offended him by hesitating. He gave her a piercing look, showing her his earnestness and his fear. It felt like he was trying to let her know that she could trust him. And she did. Not completely, not yet. But the rest would come with time.

"Of course not," he said quietly.

Hermione nodded, giving him a hesitant smile. His eyes softened in reaction.

Feeling relieved, she picked up two galleons from her pocket and handed him the other one.

Regulus frowned at the galleon as soon as it touched his palm. He moved it between his fingers, inspecting it with interest. "Protean charm?" He asked after a moment, smirking slightly at her surprised expression.

"How did you…" she started, but then shook her head in bewilderment. "Well, yes, it is actually. These two are connected to each other,” she explained, wondering how he had managed to recognise the charm.

Regulus smiled at her. "I can identify some charms by their magical signature," he explained to her inquiring expression. "Some of the charms can be figured out based on the type of magic in an object."

Hermione blinked at him. It was rather advanced, sensing magic like that. But she knew that some witches and wizards were more tuned into it than others.

"It's quite inventive," Regulus murmured, gesturing the coin.

Hermione gave him a small nod. “Thank you. Um. I suggest we use them to contact each other and only meet in here. Is that okay?" She continued, her brows lifted in question.

"Yes. Only…does it have to be the Gryffindor common room?" He asked and gave her a teasing look.

Hermione let out a small huff. "Well, I certainly won't change it to the Slytherin quarters again," she said wryly. "The place gives me the creeps.”

"Understood." Regulus said with laughter in his voice. "Whatever you want is fine by me," he continued, his eyes moving over her face.

Hermione could feel her spine tingle with anticipation and excitement when his gaze stopped at her lips for a long moment.

Regulus blinked and cleared his throat. "And how was your holiday?"

Hermione pursed her lips. "Well…compared to yours, I suppose it was a dull one," she said with a shrug. 

Regulus’s jaw tightened slightly and he looked somewhat exasperated.

She briefly wondered if he was angry at her for telling Sirius, after all. 

Regulus's expression changed then and he lifted his brows with interest and took her hand in his, brushing her knuckles with his thumb. A shiver of warmth travelled up her hand and arm at his touch.

"I, um…Just spent some time with friends and family." She said nonchalantly, shrugging lightly.

She definitely wasn't going to tell him about the cave or the incident.

Regulus frowned at her, his eyes moving quickly between hers, like he was trying to figure out all of her unspoken words. "You saw my brother?" He asked softly, watching her reaction carefully.

Hermione knew that even if Sirius hadn't told his brother that he had seen Hermione, it was a fairly good guess from Regulus, seeing as the brothers had both travelled to London before the holidays and there hadn't been any dispute between them then. What she had understood was that Sirius had sought out his brother on the train ride back to Hogwarts.

Hermione gave him an apologising look. "Yes. We went to see an apartment for him," she explained, somewhat flatly, as she recalled her conversation with Sirius at the end of that day.

Regulus’s brows lifted in surprise. "Oh."

Hermione didn't know if he was surprised that Sirius was searching for an apartment, or that she had gone with him. Either way, she felt the need to explain herself to him. "We, uh…agreed to do it a long time ago, and after we broke up, he asked me to go with him…as his friend," she said awkwardly.

"Okay." Regulus said and eyed her thoughtfully, if not a bit doubtfully.

Hermione wanted to tell him that there wasn't anything between her and Sirius anymore, that she didn't have any feelings towards him anymore. But that wasn't completely true. Of course she still had feelings. It was only natural. And they would fade away eventually, like they somewhat already had.

Instead, she continued her explanation about the day when she and Sirius had gone to see apartments. "I told him then. That I kissed you. And then I went to the Potters' New Year's party the next day, and…he pretty much lashed out at me at the party," she muttered, cringing slightly.

Regulus didn't look exactly surprised to hear how Sirius had acted. "What did he say?" He asked quietly, staring at her impassively.

Hermione sighed. "It doesn't matter. Something similar what he said to you I suppose…" she said with a shrug, actively trying not to recall that night.

Regulus's gaze hardened. "I certainly hope not," he said coldly.

Hermione wondered what exactly Sirius had said to Regulus on the train. She hoped it wasn't something irreversible.

She gazed at him for a moment, taking in his features that were still as beautiful and as perfectly shaped even with the faint bruises and cuts on his skin. She touched his face affectionately. "Hey…I know we have to have a talk about him…and with him eventually but…let's not talk about it now, okay?" She asked quietly.

Regulus looked indecisive for a moment, before he gave her a nod. "Anything else you want to share? About your holiday?" He asked carefully, glancing at her hand that was still clasped against his, his eyes fixated on the bracelet, his thumb brushing the cold jewels and the thin chain around her wrist.

As he glanced at her, Hermione’s eyes widened in recognition. "Oh! Thank you. It's lovely," she said with sincerity, smiling at him.

Regulus's lips twitched a bit. "I'm glad you like it. And wear it," he murmured, looking thoughtful for a moment. "That's not what I meant though," he continued and gave her a slightly demanding look.

Hermione felt somewhat bewildered and nervous, because it seemed like he was expecting her to say something else. It seemed like he knew something she hadn't told him, and was now looking if she would say it aloud.

"What do you mean?" She whispered with uncertainty.

"We both know that something happened to you during the holidays," he said gravely. "Something that hurt you."

Hermione let out a small gasp. "What? How –" then her eyes dropped down to her wrist and she realised how. "The bracelet," she whispered, staring at the jewellery in surprise.

"I assume you know it is charmed?" Regulus asked simply.

Hermione gave him a hesitant nod. She had suspected it ever since she had touched it the first time and felt the jolt of magic.

"It gives a strong protection for the wearer, lessening the pain and damage one might receive," he explained, his eyes moving over her face, studying her.

Hermione frowned, processing the information. Gideon's words echoed in her head, about her surviving nearly without a scratch even though she had been thrown across the cave into a hard surface. Apparently, the bracelet had healed some of the damage. Still, there was the question of how Regulus had found out about her injury.

"But that doesn't explain how you would know I was hurt?" Hermione asked after a moment, her eyes searching his.

"When using magic like this, absorbing something physical through an object rather than using your wand, one has to direct it somewhere, as it can't simply vanish into thin air," Regulus explained, his voice light while his gaze was trained on the bracelet.

Hermione swallowed audibly. "Where is it directed?" She asked, her voice filled with dread. She had an inkling of what the answer would be, but it was so unbelievable she had hear him say it.

He slowly lifted his gaze to meet her eyes, his expression giving nothing away. "I think you already know, Hermione."

She was startled, even though she had suspected it already. Regulus had directed her physical pain and damage to...himself? Why would he do that?

"But…why? Why would you voluntarily hurt yourself on my behalf?" Hermione whispered, looking at him in a mix of shock and astonishment.

He shrugged before he spoke. "The effect that comes through is weakened considerably. Don't worry about it, love," he said and brought her hand up to meet his lips, kissing her wrist tenderly.

Hermione was speechless. She also had the feeling that Regulus hadn't been completely honest with her and that the effect that came through wasn't in fact less than it actually was. She tried to understand why he would do something like that for her. His gift wasn't something he would simply hand off to a stranger. It meant something. She meant something to him. And she couldn't stop wondering if she deserved his affection. 

She felt overwhelmed, doubtful, anxious and awestruck at the same time. She also felt undecided whether she should scold him for his foolishness or express her gratitude for his thoughtfulness.

As she tried to solve her thoughts, she noticed that Regulus was watching her closely. 

"Reg…I…it's too much," She stammered, finally finding her voice.

Regulus merely smiled at her. "It really isn’t,” he said, and as she opened her mouth to disagree, he continued, “Hermione, can we not talk about it right now?" He asked, his fingers moving up on her arm, leaving goosebumps in its wake.

She shivered at his touch, her body coiling with excitement. As Regulus stared into her eyes with an intense gaze, she wanted so many things at the same time, all of them related to him. She admired the way he seemed to know how to touch her and how to make her breathless simply by looking at her. She needed to be closer to him. She needed to feel him again.

"In fact, what if we don't talk at all for now?" He murmured and leaned down closer to her, closing the distance between them and capturing her lips in a bruising kiss.

Chapter Text

Chapter 23: Libraries and bathrooms

Thursday, 12 January 1978

Gideon and Hermione had agreed to have their first Occlumency training after the Defence lessons on Thursday. After their class was dismissed and everyone else started to head towards the Great Hall for lunch, Hermione gathered her things slowly and waited for the room to empty, staying behind to ‘talk’ with their professor. 

Even though it wasn't the first time Hermione stayed after class to talk with Gideon, her friends still occasionally gave her the quizzical brow, wondering what exactly she was doing with him. Therefore Lily's meaningful look between Hermione and their professor that day wasn't exactly surprising Hermione. Still, it was somewhat inconvenient, as she had to make up some sort of explanation to her friend afterwards.

It seemed that Lily had started questioning Hermione’s meetings with Gideon and her familiarity with him. Lily hadn’t yet said anything about it, but Hermione could see it from her eyes.

Even though Hermione thought that her relationship with Gideon was appropriate for a student and a teacher, she understood why Lily might have been suspicious. She reckoned that she ought to tell her friend about her participation in the Order sooner rather than later.

As usual, Gideon gestured for them to move into his office and took his usual place behind his desk. Hermione sat down in the armchair opposite to him and eyed him tensely.

“Before we start, the Headmaster informed me that we have a meeting today. In his office,” Gideon said as he studied her face.

“Oh.” Hermione wasn’t really surprised, as they hadn’t yet had the chance to meet after destroying the Horcrux. “Okay. What time?”

“After dinner. Now, Hermione… Are you sure you’re prepared for this? For the Occlumency training?” He asked with mild concern.

Supposedly, she had been a bit withdrawn during their first week back in school and there were multiple reasons why. Even though they had managed to destroy one Horcrux, their mission had almost failed. They could’ve died if Gideon hadn’t managed to destroy the Horcrux. And then Gideon had confessed it was merely by luck that he had succeeded. Even though she had talked with Gideon about the mission and being prepared before the next one, she was still constantly worrying about how they would be able to destroy the rest of them, not to mention acquiring them first.

Then there was Regulus…Voldemort was turning him into a killing machine, a child not even the age of seventeen. She felt torn and she wanted nothing more than to make it stop even though she knew it wasn’t an option. On the other hand, she knew he would be a valuable asset to the Order if he remained a spy. But for what price? His soul would be ripped apart by all the horrifying things he had done and would do under his new master. And Hermione couldn’t help but feel guilty about it.

And then of course there was the awkward tension in their group of friends, at least whenever Hermione, Sirius and James were all present. It wasn’t that the others were mad at her, but merely that they didn’t want to interfere with their qualm, or to take sides. It was easier when the boys weren’t present and she reckoned it was like that when she wasn’t either. Lily didn’t approve James’s way of acting, but she was still his girlfriend and in love with him. And Hermione would be damned if she meddled in their relationship in any way. She wouldn't do anything that could compromise the birth of Harry Potter.

What made her jittery and on edge was the knowledge that as they would start the Occlumency training, Gideon would be able to see everything. Everything in her past, every moment of joy and despair. Everything. Even her unresolved feelings towards Regulus.

Hermione took in a deep breath. “I’m ready,” was all she managed to say after her complicated thoughts.

Gideon eyed her for a moment before he nodded. “Has my sister written to you?” He asked, a grin spreading across his face, evidently aiming to lift the mood.

Hermione smiled. “Yes, she has actually. We made some plans to meet at the village, on the next Hogsmeade weekend.”

He looked surprised. “Oh? What about the kids?”

“She’s bringing them with her. Apparently Mr Weasley has to go to work then,” Hermione said with a shrug.

Gideon smirked. “Mr Weasley… If you two want to grab lunch or something, I can take care of the kids,” he suggested.

“Oh. Well, I’m fine with whatever Mrs Weas…I mean, Molly, wants,” Hermione said and rolled her eyes at Gideon’s amused expression.

“I’ll owl Molly to let her know,” Gideon said and drew himself up in his seat, his expression becoming grave.

Hermione swallowed hard and tried to clear her mind before she nodded at him.

"Legilimens," Gideon said after a tense silence, his voice steady.

Hermione tried to resist him at first and tried to stay focused, but couldn’t hold him away for long.

Immediately the office blurred around her and vanished, and then she appeared to her garden, crying on her father’s lap after getting stung by a bee. She was six. She hadn’t walked barefoot after that incident for several years.

The scene disappeared and then another one appeared. She didn’t even try to resist this time.

She had received her Hogwarts letter and sat in her sitting room with her parents and McGonagall. Her mother held her hand.

More images swirled across her mind.

She was walking in London with her parents, going to a theatre, feeling excited. In the next image, she was older, running along the same street in panic, trying to get to safety.

She was young and carefree and camping with her parents. The next moment, she was starved and camping with Harry and Ron, talking about someone who had been killed.

Then suddenly, she was back in Gideon’s office, blinking ahead, trying to clear her blurry vision and the obvious tears from her eyes as her professor watched her with a mix of worry and sympathy.

“What happened?” Gideon asked quietly.

Hermione swallowed hard. “I… I didn’t try hard enough.”

Gideon nodded slowly, his concerned eyes moving over her face. “Is it too much? Perhaps we could try this another – ”

“ – it’s fine,” Hermione said sharply and forced herself to calm down. To clear her mind. To clear the surge of longing and despair she felt.

She missed Harry and Ron. She missed her parents so, so much that it hurt. But she had to do it. She had to learn to close her mind even when she felt weak.

Hermione took in a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment. After she felt that she was in control once more, she opened her eyes and gave Gideon a firm nod.

Gideon licked his lips in hesitation but gave her a small nod back.

“Legilimens.”

After dinner, Hermione found herself sitting next to the Prewett twins and McGonagall, facing a severe looking Headmaster.

“I trust you all have some thoughts regarding our latest mission. Let me say something first,” Dumbledore started, folding his hands on the table.

“The last mission stirred something very personal in me. Something I have longed and been consumed with for a long time," he said with a sigh.

The others stared at him warily.

“The Gaunt Ring was inset with a black stone. Not an average stone, might I add…but one with magical powers. I imagine Voldemort wasn’t even aware of those powers, or if he was, he probably had no use for it," Dumbledore concluded.

“What was the power?” Gideon asked, intrigued.

Hermione knew the answer already, as she had seen the stone and its engraving, but remained quiet and let the Headmaster speak.

“The power to recall your loved ones from Death,” Dumbledore said simply.

McGonagall gasped, while the Prewetts stared at him in shock.

“The Resurrection Stone?” McGonagall whispered in disbelief.

“What? From the children’s book?” Fabian asked in confusion.

Dumbledore nodded. “It seems that at least the stone was in fact a real magical artefact,” he said and Hermione frowned at him.

Although she had had her doubts about the Hallows’ existence, she kept thinking if it was possible that only one of them was real and the others a mere story? She hadn’t believed in any of them before they had been in the cave, where she had taken a look at the Gaunt Ring. She had seen the markings of the Deathly Hallows engraved into the black stone and reckoned it had to have been the Resurrection stone. The stone had been the reason why the Headmaster had hesitated destroying the ring in the cave.

And if the Deathly Hallows were in fact real, was the Invisibility cloak she had in her beaded bag, as well as the one James had in his possession, one of the Hallows, as Harry had believed and she now suspected? She chose not to say anything for now and to look into it later. Perhaps she could have a chat with the Headmaster about the Deathly Hallows on some other time.

“But it is destroyed now?” McGonagall asked, bringing Hermione back from her thoughts.

“Yes.” Dumbledore nodded and looked down. “As you all heard in the cave, my sister Ariana’s passing was partially my fault. I will not bore you with the details, but only state that I regret everything that lead to the incident. I wish I could take it all back, to change the past. To bring her back," he said and glanced at Hermione with a hint of agony flashing in his blue eyes.

Hermione gave him a sad smile. McGonagall dabbed the corners of her eyes with a tissue and reached over to pat Dumbledore’s hand.

The Headmaster took a deep breath and looked at the others. “The reason we nearly failed in our mission was my hesitance to destroy the stone. I let him get inside my head in a moment of weakness and tried to find a way to save the stone while destroying the ring, but found nothing. The part of Voldemort’s soul on the other hand obtained the possibility to feast upon my guilt and to use my weaknesses against me. I made a mistake, which could’ve costed our lives. And for that, I offer you my deepest apologies,” he said eyeing the others with a mix of defeat and regret, the twinkle in his eyes lost somewhere.

Hermione stood from where she sat and made her way around the table. “Uncle, there's no shame admitting you've made a mistake,” she said softly and gave him a hug.

Albus hugged her back, holding on tightly. “I must’ve done something right in this life to gain such a wise person as my niece,” he said quietly before she walked back to her chair.

Hermione smiled sheepishly and sat down.

McGonagall beamed at Hermione and the Headmaster. “Indeed. A true leader is one who is humble enough to admit their errors," she stated and the Prewetts nodded in agreement.

Dumbledore seemed a bit overwhelmed but cleared his throat and nodded.

“So. Shall we discuss and plan how we are going to continue, regarding the remaining Horcruxes and the methods to destroy them, as well as strengthening our minds?” Dumbledore asked with a determined look.

“Methods? I thought we agreed the Fiendfyre was our only option?” Gideon asked from the Headmaster, glancing at the others. “And, as for improving our Occlumency shields, I have agreed with Hermione to train her, while I will brush up my skills with Fabian,” he continued.

Dumbledore gave him a satisfied nod. “That sounds perfectly acceptable. About the methods…the Fiendfyre certainly is the only available option for now. However, I will investigate other possibilities. As Hermione has informed us, Basilisk Venom is one of the substances that can in fact destroy a Horcrux.”

“But how?” Hermione asked in bewilderment. “We cannot access the Chamber of Secrets without a Parselmouth, can we?”

“Merlin…It still beats me to hear that the place and the thing in there actually exist,” Fabian muttered.

Dumbledore smiled at them. “There might be something else, something so destructive that the Horcrux can’t repair itself,” he said simply.

“Will we still continue training the Fiendfyre curse?” Hermione asked with a slight concern in her voice. She really didn’t fancy going back into that cave but she knew it was inevitable.

Dumbledore eyed her over his half-moon spectacles, probably guessing her line of thought as he replied, “I suggest we take a short break from training and in the meantime, we focus on strengthening our minds, as well as a way to acquire the next Horcrux. Would that be suitable for everyone?” He asked with a small smile.

Everyone murmured their agreements.

“What is the next object, Albus?” McGonagall asked with a grim look.

Dumbledore contemplated his answer before he spoke. “At the moment the remaining Horcruxes that we know of are Tom Riddle’s diary, Salazar Slytherin’s locket and Helga Hufflepuff’s cup. Then there is the one unknown object we assume Voldemort has already created,” he outlined. “According to our information, the diary is supposedly in the possession of the Malfoys, while the locket is in the cave. The cup’s location is yet uncertain, although the Lestrange vault in Gringotts and the Lestrange Manor are possible places, if you agree?” He asked, eyeing Hermione, who nodded in agreement.

“There are some powerful and famous magical artefacts in our world, some of which are known as myths, and we can suspect one of these to be the unknown Horcrux. But the problem is that some of them are merely myths and the ones that are not, are going to be quite difficult to acquire," he went on with a thoughtful expression.

“As we have no way to the Malfoy or Lestrange vaults in Gringotts, or their family Manors at the moment, I suggest we focus on the remaining two Horcruxes. According to Hermione, Voldemort will soon test the defences of the locket, so I suggest we will simply wait until we can act. In the meantime, we all should look into the known lost magical items. Would that be acceptable?” He asked.

Hermione nodded. “Yes, I think it is a good plan, and since we have Regulus on our side, we will get the confirmation about the locket from him eventually.”

Gideon frowned at her. “Have you told him about the Horcruxes?”

“No. But…I think we will tell him eventually?” Hermione asked from Albus.

He watched Hermione in contemplation, before he gave her a weary look. "It might be best not to give him much of the details, for his own safety."

Hermione frowned at him, knowing that he had a point but still disliking the fact that she was forced to lie to Regulus. “About Regulus…He was in a Death Eater gathering on Christmas Eve, the one I told you about earlier. I had a chance to talk with him about what happened in there, and he informed me that Voldemort is planning a raid against the Order during Easter holidays.”

Everyone stared at her intently.

“But he didn’t know any details about it, as he reckoned that he would receive the necessary information only in a very short notice.” Hermione concluded.

“What do you mean, in a very short notice?” Gideon asked with a furrowed brow.

Hermione looked a bit uncomfortable. “He and Severus Snape are expected to join the raid.”

McGonagall gasped. “But they are students. They are children,” she stammered.

“I know,” Hermione said with a frown. “And that’s not all. Regulus witnessed several killings in the gathering,” she said, worrying her lip. Everyone stared at her in shock and disbelief.

“The only one he knew by name was Frank Meadows. The others he didn’t recognize and they weren’t named," she continued, trying to ignore the lump in her throat. “They were all muggles," she whispered, her throat burning.

McGonagall let out a silent sob while Dumbledore took a sharp breath. The twins both looked down helplessly.

“We knew Frank was missing, as Dorcas, his wife, is a member of the Order. Of course, she and everyone else knew there was the possibility that he was dead, but now having the confirmation…” McGonagall whispered to Hermione, her voice trembling. Hermione gave a sad nod at her Head of House.

They were all silent for a while.

Dumbledore eyed Hermione gravely. “Is he going to mark them?”

“Not until the summer,” Hermione said and stared at her uncle with a hint of bitterness. “You knew what he was in for when you suggested that he could be a spy, didn't you?”

He nodded while the others eyed her grimly. It seemed like they all had had a fair guess what one was expected to do when joining Voldemort’s cause. Except Hermione.

“Unfortunately, I did. And I believe so did young Regulus,” Dumbledore said solemnly.

Friday, 13 January 1978

On Friday morning, Hermione and the girls were having breakfast in the Great Hall. The boys came to sit down at the Gryffindor table, all of them wearing identical smirks. 

Hermione rolled her eyes inwardly, knowing they were up to something.

“Why do I have the feeling something bad is about to happen soon?” Mary muttered next to Hermione, glancing at the Marauders.

Hermione hummed in agreement.

Lily turned to look at her boyfriend who had just sat down beside her. “James?” She asked with a warning tone in her voice.

“Yes, love?” He replied with an innocent expression. 

Hermione suppressed a laugh as she watched the couple. Her eyes flickered to Sirius, who sat next to James and was staring at her with a scowl on his face, like he was bothered that she had been in a good mood. Hermione sighed inwardly and turned her eyes back to her plate, not exactly surprised by his behaviour. Still, it was getting a bit tiresome, receiving glares from Sirius and James every single day. At least Snape had backed off and eyed her now indifferently, or not at all, as usual.

BOOM!

A loud rumbling came from the Entrance Hall, followed by a whooshing sound. Dumbledore and several teachers stood up alerted, their wands at the ready. A moment later the caretaker ran into the Great Hall, with a cascade of water racing him from the hallway.

“The toilets!” The caretaker yelled as he ran towards the teachers table, panting as he had barely escaped the several meters high water turmoil that thankfully came down as it reached the Great Hall, now filling the floor with water and…

Several high-pitched screams and yelling echoed throughout the hall. People were panicking and every student quickly stood up on top of the benches they had been sitting on a moment ago, trying to avoid the soiled water that was now everywhere on the floor, slowly rising up.

The Marauders were smirking subtly at each other, trying to keep a straight face while every other person in the hall looked either frightened or annoyed. Some were still screaming and yelling, while others tried to mutter incantations to vanish the water. It was chaotic. Hermione shook her head in annoyance when she saw the boys stifling chuckles and moved her gaze towards the teachers table. Some of them tried to calm the students from where they stood and some tried to charm the water or vanish it.

“What in the name of Merlin is happening?” McGonagall’s voice demanded over the others, as she lifted her wand to make intricate patterns towards the water.

When nothing happened, Hermione reckoned the water was charmed somehow, making it immune to regular vanishing and siphoning spells.

Hermione could see faint amusement on the Headmaster’s expression before he stood up and waved his wand over the hall, finally vanishing the water and making most of the students quiet down. As Hermione stepped down on the floor, she saw Regulus do the same and roll his eyes towards the Marauders before moving his gaze to her.

A faint smile tugged his lips before he looked away. Hermione took a deep breath, frowned and focused on her irked roommates. Particularly one of them was outraged.

“You bloody git!” Lily shrieked as she slapped James on the arm.

“Hey!” James exclaimed in a wounded voice.

“Oi, Evans, don’t get your knickers in a twist! Why do you always expect the worst of him?” Sirius asked playfully, winking at her.

Lily gave Sirius a scorching glare. “Don’t even get me started with you, Black," she snarled and stood up abruptly; giving Remus and Peter a stern look, making the two boys shrink a bit in height, before she walked briskly towards the teachers’ table.

She scowled at James over her shoulder. “Come on, Potter. We are expected to offer our help as Head students," she said and continued forward.

James looked a bit frightened of his girlfriend as he followed her, while Sirius, Remus and Peter smiled at their friend’s expense.

Mary and Alice eyed the whole situation with mild amusement, while Marlene was cursing next to them.

“Bloody wankers…” she muttered as she levitated her dirty and wet schoolbag from the floor.

Remus was instantly by her side, helping her clean and dry it with a remorseful expression while Sirius merely huffed and left the hall for a smoke.

The students were starting to drift away from the Great Hall and as Hermione reached her Ancient Runes class, she had learned that some people had managed to clog every toilet in the school, except the Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

Sirius and James had a free period, which they spent mostly by hanging outside Myrtle’s bathroom, chuckling at the students who dared to enter there. Every single one of them exited a while later with terror edged into their eyes.

“Everything okay with the Head Girl?” Sirius asked with a smirk as they watched two younger Gryffindor girls entering the bathroom.

James rolled his eyes at his friend and threaded a hand through his hair. “Fuck if I knew. She stomped to her class before I had a chance to even open my mouth," he said with an exasperated sigh.

Sirius hummed in agreement. “You know, Prongs…It was so much easier to throw a prank before you hooked up with her," he pointed out and pursed his lips, knowing that there would be a detention waiting for them, sooner or later.

James groaned. “Tell me about it…Wouldn’t change a thing though," he said with a shrug.

Sirius eyed his friend for a moment. He knew James had fancied the redhead for so many years. And now that he finally had the girl of his dreams, there was no way he would let her go. And even though Evans occasionally rubbed Sirius up the wrong way, she had her tolerable moments. Sirius hoped she would stick with his best friend.

He cleared his throat and smirked at his friend. “Yeah, I know. She’s cool. You know, she has her moments. And she’s hot,” he added, waggling his brows.

James punched him. “Dick.”

“Ouch.”

“Talked with your brother lately?” James asked, with every intention to annoy him, as he very well knew that Sirius hadn’t even glanced at his brother’s direction.

“Belt up.” Sirius said with an irked glance at his friend. “Got nothing to say to that little arsehole.”

Not that Regulus had even tried to come near him. He apparently knew it would only lead into a brawl between them. He knew to give Sirius his space. Still. Sirius was equally pissed off that his brother had the audacity to not come to him and apologise for snogging Hermione. Even though they hadn't been together when it had apparently happened, it had still been a shitty thing to do. From both of them.

James shrugged. “Dunno. I reckon you might have more in common than your feelings towards a certain girl…” he said with a grin.

“Wanker.” Sirius muttered, turning to look at the bathroom from where a third year Hufflepuff came running, looking horrified.

For some reason, watching petrified students wasn't amusing him anymore.

His thoughts were once again stuck with the thought of Hermione and his brother. Sirius gritted his teeth, suppressing the urge to throw something.

She had meant something to him, something that no one else had before. She still did.

Why had she gone for his brother? Why hadn't he been enough for her?

He let out a sigh, swallowing down his disappointment. “I’m going for a fag. You in?” Sirius asked and stood up from the floor where they were lounging, looking at his friend expectantly.

James hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded and stood up. “Yeah, why the hell not.”

After their classes that day, no one had managed to unclog the toilets. It was a bit unnerving situation and Hermione had heard several people talking about how Myrtle had been beside herself with joy as there was a constant queue into her bathroom, it being the only one working in the entire school.

As Hermione was sitting with her housemates at dinner, there was suddenly a burning sensation against her thigh. She hissed silently, more in surprise than in pain and then remembered the charmed galleon she had in her pocket. Hermione quickly took it so that no one saw and looked at the message, keeping the coin under the table.

After dinner RoR? -RB

She smiled and looked up. Regulus was wearing a subtle smirk as he talked with Snape. She tapped her wand at the galleon to reply to him.

Homework? -HD

She eyed the others at her table to make sure no one saw her ministrations with the galleon. Luckily no one paid her any attention, as the Gryffindors were all engrossed into a debate about who was responsible of clogging the toilets. As if they had to try to guess…

That too. -RB

Hermione lifted her brows and looked up to the Slytherin table again. This time he was looking at her, with a searing gaze that made her skin warm up and her heart beating fast. She swallowed deeply, trying to prevent the blush rising to her cheeks but failed. He seemed to notice and smirked at her with arrogance. That Black arrogance…

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him and could see him suppressing a grin.

“How was your week?” Regulus asked as he gave her neck all his attention, kissing and sucking it in a way that made her babble incoherently.

Their homework – which they had actually managed to do without any difficulties – lay on the table in front of the fireplace. He had her pinned under him on the sofa again, and this time he was pressed against her so snugly, that she could feel his every muscle, his every move and his obvious sign of arousal.

Hermione let out a needy sigh when he nipped her neck in order to make her answer.

“I, um…” she breathed, trying to remember what he had asked, while Regulus continued his ministrations. “Reg…”

“Yes, love?” He grumbled in a low voice, between open mouthed kisses that trailed down towards her breasts.

He had already opened half of the buttons of her oxford shirt and stopped just as he reached the top of her breasts, concentrating on the visible skin with his soft mouth. It made her squirm under him, it made her want to rip the rest of her shirt open so that his lips could kiss her everywhere.

Hermione shivered as his lips moved over the tender skin before trailing back up.

“I can’t…focus,” she whimpered as he kissed her mouth thoroughly, his tongue pushing between her lips as she parted them, inviting him in.

He tasted her, tracing her tongue with his and she positively ached as the sensations made her body warm and tremble.

Regulus breathed heavily and looked down at her. “Me neither. Let’s talk later,” he murmured before proceeding to kiss her senseless.

Wednesday, 18 January 1978

The next week Hermione, Lily and Alice were waiting in front of the Arithmancy classroom for their first class of the day to start. The boys and Mary were having Care of Magical Creatures while Marlene had a free period.

“…I don’t even know where it is,” Alice said in frustration, after she had explained to her friends that Frank’s mother had wanted for the wedding to take place next July in some old mill that apparently was a traditional venue for the Longbottom weddings.

Lily frowned. “I’m sorry Allie. Frank’s mother seems to be a bit…determined?” She said with a slight cringe.

“She’s downright tyrannical, let me tell you,” Alice grumbled, shaking her head.

Hermione and Lily both stifled a chuckle.

“You know, you do have a say in your own wedding,” Hermione comforted her friend. “But I can see you don’t wish to argue with her…” she continued and thought back to when she had met the hard-headed matriarch of the house Longbottom. Even Neville, her own grandson had thought that she was a force of nature and not one to be messed with.

Alice heaved a sigh. “Yeah…” she muttered, glancing away from Hermione and Lily, a small frown appearing between her brow.

Lily and Hermione followed her line of sight and saw Snape eyeing them from the other side of the hallway, looking contemplative. He then cleared his throat and approached the girls.

“Lily…” Snape said with a hint of hesitance in his voice. “Can I have a word?” He asked, giving a quick glance at Hermione and Alice.

Hermione and Alice both gave their friend looks of surprise, but Lily seemed unaffected.

“Sure.” Lily said with a nod and glanced at Hermione and Alice with a furtive look. She followed him as they walked slightly away from the other students, to the end of the hallway.

Hermione and Alice stayed behind, both of them trying to appear casual, trying not to watch the scene.

"What do you reckon they are talking about?" Alice whispered to Hermione, glancing at Lily's and Snape's direction. "Is he - is that a gift?"

Hermione too looked at the end of the hallway, curiosity getting the best of her.

Snape was indeed handing Lily a gift-wrapped parcel. Perhaps it was for her birthday. Hermione saw Lily frown at Snape in confusion, before her expression softened and she gave him a searching look.

"I think he might be apologising to her," Hermione whispered.

Alice hummed in agreement. "He better be."

"We really shouldn't be watching this..." Hermione muttered, but neither of them drew their eyes away from them.

"Watching what?" Remus inquired next to her.

Hermione and Alice both jumped in fright and whirled to look at him.

"Remus!" Hermione breathed. "Um. Nothing."

"Why is Lily talking to Snivellus?" Peter asked slowly, appearing next to Remus.

Remus gave his friend a tight lipped look, before he turned to look at Hermione and Alice with a serious expression. "I'm sure she'll fill you in about what was discussed. Perhaps we ought to give her some privacy."

"Yes, yes," Alice said hastily, not even looking at Remus. She then gasped. "Merlin. They're smiling at each other," she quipped quietly, grimacing when Remus cleared his throat pointedly and lifted his brows at her.

"I'm going to drag the both of you into class and I'll enjoy it," Remus said meaningfully, gesturing for them to move towards the classroom that was now open, and where most of their classmates had already gone to.

Hermione snorted at her friend and followed him into their class, as did Alice.

She reckoned that Lily had decided to give Snape a chance, after all.

After lunch Hermione sat next to Snape in their Potions class. Today’s assignment was to brew the Elixir to Induce Euphoria, and after Slughorn had given them instructions, Hermione started their cauldron while Snape went to the storage room to get the ingredients, as usual.

As he came back, he put the ingredients on the table and eyed Hermione from the corner of his eye.

“What?” Hermione asked hesitantly.

Snape narrowed his eyes at her as he handed over the Bloodroot Sterns to be cut lengthwise and scraped from fluids and fibrous material. He added the appropriate amount of Fluxweed oil into their cauldron with a serious look on his face.

Hermione rolled her eyes. “Perhaps you should take a dose of this when it’s ready,” she said with a wry smirk.

She was used to her sullen Potions partner, but she couldn’t always resist retaliating to his snappy attitude. To her astonishment, Snape actually tried to suppress a smirk of his own. Hermione lifted her brows and shook her head in bewilderment.

Snape cleared his throat. “Are you possibly going to the library after classes?” He asked with an unreadable expression as he stirred their potion.

Now she was even more taken aback. He never inquired her about anything. Other than her intentions with Regulus.

Hermione arched a brow at him. “Why?” She asked warily. She was in fact going and Lily had promised to accompany her, since James would be in Quidditch practice before dinner.

He rolled his eyes. “May I join you?” He asked in an almost inaudible voice.

Hermione actually leaned closer to him to make sure she understood. He wanted to join her to the library? It was unheard of. At least, until she realised that Snape had to know that she was going with Lily, and that the redheaded Gryffindor was in fact the reason he wanted to join there as well.

Hermione gave him a suspicious look. “Are you asking just because you want to meet a certain red-haired friend of mine?” She asked, glancing at Lily who was sitting with James a couple of desks to their left.

Snape sent a glare at her. “Would you keep your voice down?” He hissed. “I’ll bring my friend if you bring yours," he continued coldly and eyed her with a pointed look.

Regulus. It wasn’t that she couldn’t be in the same place with him, but they had agreed to spend as little time as possible together when outside the Room of Requirement. She frowned and reckoned that it probably wouldn’t be that bad if he was accompanying Snape and if they would stay in one of the secluded corners in the library, away from prying eyes and ears.

“What? You wish to not see him?” Snape taunted when she didn’t reply to him. “Got what you wanted and now you’re over him?” He spoke to her with a low voice, giving a dirty look at the jewellery on her wrist.

Hermione scowled at him. “You know nothing, Snape,” she said sharply.

Snape merely smirked at her.

“Five o’clock. Don’t be late," she then snapped and turned her focus back to the Bloodroot Sterns and started to crush them into fine paste with her mortar, probably with more force than necessary. She really wanted to tell him to bugger off but she had been the one who had suggested Lily to forgive him in the first place and she reckoned that he was too proud – or a coward – to ask her to the library himself.

They didn’t exchange words for the rest of their double Potions class and when Slughorn announced that their lesson was ending, Hermione jumped from her seat, delivered the glass phial containing their potion to the Professor and left the room without looking back. She would meet Lily later in their common room, before they would head towards the library.

Lily and Hermione made their way to the far corner of the library, the part Hermione occasionally used when she wanted privacy. The girls sat down opposite to each other and started to do their homework, occasionally exchanging comments about their assignment. Not long after they had arrived, they heard footsteps heading their direction.

Snape and Regulus came to stand at the end of their table, eyeing the girls warily. Lily stared back at them in surprise, as Hermione hadn’t told her they would be coming. Snape seemed to understand what was going on and he sent an annoyed glare at Hermione, but Lily missed it as she was busy smiling politely at the boys.

“This taken?” Regulus asked from Hermione, regarding the chair beside her.

She could see softness in his eyes and a tiny quirk on his lip, but otherwise his expression gave nothing away.

“It is now.” Hermione said with a wide smile and gestured him to sit down.

He gave her a subtle once over before he came to sit down beside her, pulling the chair a bit closer to her than it was originally placed.

“May I join you, Lily?” Snape asked awkwardly.

Lily nodded in bewilderment, a tense smile on her lips. “Sure," she managed to say and proceeded to move some of their books into neat piles, making room for the boys at their table.

The two Slytherins placed their books, parchments and quills on the table and started to work, and the girls followed suit. They studied in a comfortable silence for some time and everyone was focused on their assignments, at least until Hermione’s thoughts began to wander.

Being that close to Regulus brought her back images from last Friday, when they had met in the Room of Requirement. It was as if she could feel the heat of his body, floating over from him, and sitting as close to him as she now did, was not enough. She ached for his touch and wondered would the others notice if she touched his hand under the table? But where would that lead them… Would she be satisfied with a mere hand holding? She bit her lip as she remembered how his hands had caressed her body and how his soft lips had made her blood sing.

She must’ve had squirmed in her seat because Regulus turned slightly to look at her. Hermione saw him examining her features from the corner of her eye, supposedly taking in the faint blush on her cheeks and her slightly darkened eyes. She glanced at him, staring straight into his grey eyes, and Hermione could see that he was breathing slightly heavier than normally, as was she most likely. As he licked his lips slowly, his gaze focused on her lips, Hermione’s breath hitched.

“I, uh…have to grab a book for reference,” Hermione stammered breathlessly and stood up abruptly, storming away from where they sat.

Regulus stood up right after her, not bothering with an excuse to the others, and followed Hermione between the shelves.

Lily rolled her eyes to their friends' empty chairs. “They aren’t fooling anyone,” she muttered to quietly.

Snape turned to look at her. “What do you mean?”

Lily scoffed. “I mean I have seen how they ogle each other every meal time and I know she has sneaked out to see him at least once since the term started," she explained matter-of-factly.

He lifted his brows in slight surprise. “Didn’t realise they were that obvious.”

“They aren’t, but I’m her friend and I’m worried about her, so I tend to look after her. But I’m sure no one else has noticed," Lily said simply, an edge in her voice, partly expecting him to say something negative.

Snape nodded. “You should keep the information to yourself. It does no one good if it gets out,” he said slowly.

Lily whirled towards him. “What do you mean, Severus?” She asked sharply. “That she’s not good enough for your little Slytherin friends? I thought they accepted half-bloods," she said pointedly, giving him a bitter look.

Snape let out a quiet groan. “No, that’s not what I meant at all, Lily," he drawled with a frustrated sigh. “I merely meant that they both might be in danger if the word got out," he finally said, moving his eyes back to his homework.

Lily gaped at him and was about to argue but she felt suddenly uncertain. She knew that some of the Slytherins had done some nasty things during her schoolyears, and she had heard even worse rumours regarding some of those who had already left Hogwarts. What if he was right? What if Hermione was in danger?

Hermione stared at some large Charms related tomes when she felt tentative hands sliding against her waist. Regulus pressed his forehead on her shoulder and breathed deeply through his nose.

“Are you smelling me?” She whispered incredulously.

“Yeah.”

Hermione shivered at his breathy voice. “All right…well…what do I smell like?” She asked quietly, her heart beating faster as she felt her skin warming under his fingers. Fingers which were now tracing patterns against her waist.

He took another deep breath through his nose and hummed in satisfaction. “Intoxicating,” he murmured, tilting his head to kiss her neck and simultaneously moving his hands down to caress her hips.

Hermione gave a lustful sigh and leaned her back against his chest, drawing a muffled groan from him as he traced his open mouth down the side of her neck, stopping to suck and nip her tender skin. One of her hands lifted to grasp his neck for support and the other one sneaked to rest against his thigh, her fingers spread.

“Circe,” Regulus said abruptly, taking a step back.

Hermione turned around, feeling flustered.

Regulus glanced suspiciously around them before giving her an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have...not in here," he whispered, looking like he was barely restraining himself from snogging her into a stupor. “Okay?” He added, with more hesitation.

“Yes…of course,” Hermione muttered, slightly embarrassed of her wantonness and looked away.

He came closer and lifted her chin up with his fingers, drawing her gaze back to him. “I want this. You. Merlin forbid,” he said and gave her lips a chaste kiss.

Hermione gave him a warm smile.

Saturday, 28 January 1978

It was their second Hogsmeade weekend and while everyone else was at the village enjoying its attractions, Hermione and Regulus were enjoying each other’s company in the Room of Requirement. They had met there the previous weekend as well, spending their day with their homework and studies, talking about the details of the Death Eater gathering in December and about Sirius.

Sirius still wasn’t speaking to either one of them, but it seemed that he – and James, in extension – was over glaring and ignoring them. Sirius simply acknowledged their presence, but nothing more than that. It was a bit more difficult for Hermione, as she was friends with his friends and they spent time as a group during their free time. Even though they weren’t actually together, Hermione and Regulus had agreed to talk about their relationship with Sirius when was ready to speak to them again.

As she was finishing her schoolwork, too many thoughts lingered on the forefront of her mind, making it almost impossible to concentrate. Thoughts about Sirius, thoughts about her mission and thoughts about her past were pushing forward, and Hermione let out an audible huff of exasperation as she thought of all the secrets she was keeping. It was getting more exhausting every day.

“What are you thinking about?” Regulus asked while he scribbled something on his parchment, not looking up.

Hermione shrugged. “Nothing,” she muttered and gathered her finished Herbology assignment and pushed it back into her schoolbag.

She sighed, stood up and walked to look at the bookshelves. This time, they weren’t in the replica of the Gryffindor common room. They were in the Library of Grimmauld Place. But it wasn’t anything like she remembered.

The room was clean, airy and quite beautiful, as light came down from the tall windows that were decorated with long, heavy dark green curtains. The walls were white, at least where a wall could be seen, since there were several tall bookshelves on every wall. The room was completed with a couple of study corners and a set of armchairs and sofas in front of the fireplace. She didn’t know what had happened to the room between what she now saw and what she knew of, but she hadn’t said anything as she had followed Regulus further into the room, after letting him decide where they would be spending their day.

“Are you going to include me in on your secret researches and missions?” He asked as she eyed the spine of a book that was called Nature’s Nobility: A Treasury of Myths, Legends and Facts of the Wizarding World. Hermione took it from the shelf and started to browse through the pages as she felt him come to stand next to her.

Regulus gently took the book from her hands and turned the pages himself, eyeing them with a mild interest. “You know I might know a thing or two about…whatever it is you are searching,” he finally said and turned his eyes to hers, giving her a knowing look.

Hermione’s eyes widened a bit in surprise. He couldn’t know what exactly she was trying to find, could he? She knew he hadn’t read her mind, as she would’ve felt it. No. It seemed like he merely read her that easily, without needing to use Legilimency. It was like he knew her and all that was hidden inside her.

Regulus tucked a stray curl behind her ear, his fingers tracing her jawline.

Hermione cleared her throat. “I will tell you, eventually," she whispered, giving him a sincere look. She hoped she could tell him everything eventually. “You just have to be patient.”

“I’ll try," he murmured, dropping the book on a nearby table and taking a hold of her waist. “You done already? With studying?” He asked and gave her a small smirk.

“Yes,” she breathed as he leaned closer and kissed her softly.

“Good,” he murmured between kisses that grew more passionate each time.

His hands travelled down her back, the tips of his fingers skimming the curve of her bum as Hermione slid her hands around his neck. Regulus pushed his tongue into her mouth, tasting her softly, sweetly and Hermione shivered at the feeling. His hands kneaded her backside while he slowly nibbled at her mouth, allowing her to catch her breath before thrusting his tongue back into her mouth.

“Reg…” Hermione whimpered as she breathed heavily, her hands threading into his hair and tugging slightly.

He merely hummed in response, while continuing his ministrations. Then his hands moved lower, against the backs of her thighs. He lifted her abruptly and carried her to the other end of the room, while kissing her mouth and sucking her lips in a very distracting way.

“Reg? Where are you going?” She managed to ask as he broke the kiss in order to open a door he had reached.

Regulus didn’t answer, as he had already walked inside the room. His room. His bedroom. Hermione knew what it was, since she had visited the place when they had been hiding at Grimmauld Place during the start of their Horcrux hunt.

“I hope it’s okay?” He asked hesitantly, before leaning to give soft kisses to the corners of her mouth.

Hermione merely let out a breathy sigh and kissed him hungrily, her fingers tangling into his black locks. He groaned softly into her mouth before he placed her down on his bed, lowering himself on top of her. As his lips started to move down her neck, Hermione let her hands roam everywhere. She traced the muscles on his shoulders, brushed along the line of his spine and up and down his sides, while his back and his stomach tightened in anticipation. Regulus’s grunt was muffled against her neck as her hands moved down his stomach and reached his thighs before moving slightly back up to tug his shirt from his slacks. He pulled back to straddle her legs, pushing his shirt up and over his head. Hermione followed his example and took her own shirt off, leaving her with her bra and jeans.

She didn’t miss the appreciative look Regulus gave her, his eyes filling with longing and want, before he leaned towards her again and settled on top of her as she rested her head against the pillow. And then his mouth was on her neck again, trailing little kisses down her throat on his way to her cleavage. Hermione arched to him, offering herself to him, hoping he would keep kissing her body like he did. The warmth in her stomach drifted lower and lower until she was unconsciously grinding her hips against him, desperate for friction. Regulus groaned and thrust his hips against hers and Hermione could feel his hard length against her core, as she shuddered from the delicious throbbing she felt at the apex of her thighs.

His hand sneaked back to unclasp her bra and with slight manoeuvring, he managed to get the garment off of her before he lowered his mouth onto her breast. He flicked his tongue over her nipple, making Hermione cry out by the delicious sensation. He drew the hardened peak into his mouth, sucking it in a way that made her shiver as the waves of desire floated towards her lower abdomen. He continued paying her both breasts an equal admiration before his mouth trailed lower, to her belly where he placed open mouthed kisses while his hands caressed her thighs softly.

“Reg…I…” she stammered, her hips lifting in reflex as he drew circles against her thighs with his thumbs.

Regulus’s mouth skimmed against the waistline of her jeans, before he lifted his head to give her a questioning look, as if to seek permission to continue.

“Can I kiss you here, love?” He asked, his voice hoarse with need.

When Hermione managed to only nod, he unbuttoned her jeans and peeled them off swiftly.

Regulus touched her everywhere with gentle caresses, kisses and nibbles of teeth. When Hermione stopped breathing, he reached back up to mouth her lips, her neck and her breasts, trying to make her relax before moving downwards again to kiss her belly and her thighs.

Hermione writhed beneath him, unable to do anything but arch towards him, to thread her fingers through his hair and hold him closer while moaning from his every touch. Everything he did was making her mindless with desire. When he finally took off the last scrap of clothing she was wearing, her knickers, she felt a bit awkward being sprawled in his bed, clad in nothing, in broad daylight. But her thoughts soon vanished as he settled between her thighs, nudging them apart with his hands.

As she felt his hot breath against her core, Hermione’s breath hitched and she stiffened slightly. Regulus nipped her thigh, supposedly in order to distract her, and then swiped his tongue down the seam of her flesh, tasting her with a long, slow stroke.

Hermione’s eyes rolled into the back of her head and she let out a loud cry of need. Regulus groaned softly right after her and continued brushing his tongue against her slit, occasionally circling her clit. Hermione squirmed, panted and moaned as waves of pleasure hit her, every time his tongue touched her. And as his tongue was seeking out her most responsive spots, Regulus slid a finger inside of her, exploring her, and finally touching a place that made her hips buck and her jaw slacken.

“Reg…” she panted, blindly trying to form coherent thoughts but it seemed impossible. It felt too good. “Ah…”

Regulus hummed against her core, continued sucking, licking and kissing her clit as the sounds Hermione made came more urgent. Every moan she made, seemed to make him double his attention to her. It was intoxicating, overpowering and she only wanted more of it, more of him.

When Regulus replaced his finger with his tongue, thrusting it inside her, Hermione screamed and unintentionally pushed her hips up against his mouth as the pressure steadily built inside her. His fingers pressed hard against her thighs and she could hear him groaning against her wetness as his tongue pushed in and out, harder and faster, stopping to suck and lick up her slit before thrusting back inside her. Hermione’s breath caught in her throat, her head was dizzy, and all she could feel was the building heat and the consuming hunger as his tongue moved up to rub against her clit while his fingers filled her again.

The desire and the heat became so intense, that Hermione let herself go and became completely lost in his touch and in the feeling of bliss. She whimpered and cried out, barely aware that she was tugging his hair as the burning wave of heat crashed over her body, making her thighs tense around his head as she quivered with release.

“Ah…Circe,” Regulus groaned against her, panting as he lost control, shuddering while he continued his ministrations on her quim until the last of her spasms quieted.

Regulus pulled slightly away and rested his head against her thigh as they both caught their breaths.

“You taste like heaven,” he murmured and glanced at her face.

He looked as dazed as she felt. He looked so contented and satisfied and not at all bothered to lean against her thigh, his face inches away from her sex. Hermione blushed and averted her eyes, but not before she saw him flash a grin at her.

Regulus pulled up and collapsed next to her on the bed. He then took his wand from his pocket and flicked it quickly against his slacks before he gathered her into his arms and drew her closer to him.

“Cleaning charm?” Hermione whispered with a hoarse voice, biting back a smile as she eyed him.

Regulus glanced at her, looking wrecked. “Couldn't stop myself," he murmured softly, a smile tugging at his lips as he placed a kiss on the top of her head. Hermione giggled and buried her face against his chest.

“You know…No one has ever done that to me…” she whispered after a moment.

“Yeah? Was is what you expected?” He asked quietly, pulling his comforter over them and stroking her back.

Hermione smiled against his chest. “It was amazing,” she said softly, pulling back slightly to look up to him with a hesitant smile.

“Yeah, it was,” he said and smiled back to her.

They were both quiet for a moment. “So…this is your room?” She asked, even though she knew the answer already. “And that was your library?”

“Yes.” He replied as he continued to soothe her back. “Although I have a feeling that you already knew that.”

Regulus kissed her lips as she glanced up to him, her eyes widened in surprise.

She didn’t say anything to the matter, and neither did he. They stayed like that for a while, relishing the moment and enjoying each other’s company before exiting the Room of Requirement and returning to two different groups of friends, to two different houses, and to separate corners of the castle.

Chapter Text

Chapter 24: Will you be my Valentine?

Friday, 3 February 1978

The bell on the door dinged as five girls walked into the Three Broomsticks, drawing many curious eyes on them. The pub was packed; it was Friday evening. The seventh year Gryffindor girls were celebrating Lily’s eighteenth birthday, and as Lily had felt that lately, she had spent too much of her time with her boyfriend and not enough with her friends, she had proposed they would have a girls’ night.

Mary and Marlene had persuaded Lily to spend the night out instead of hanging in their dorm, and after Lily had caved in, she had used her reliability and good manners to get permission from McGonagall so that the girls could go to the village.

As they walked further into the pub, Lily, Alice and Hermione managed to find them a table in the midst of people, while Mary and Marlene went to the bar to buy them drinks. Based on the looks in their eyes, Hermione could only presume there would be some strong liquids included in their order.

Hermione sat down next to Alice and glanced around the pub. Every seat was taken and the bar was full too. She recognised a couple of Hogwarts students sitting in one corner, likely without permission to be there since they kept glancing cautiously around them every now and then. On the other side she saw a group of young men, old enough to be out of school, toasting together and laughing with each other. Then there was a selection of older wizards and witches scattered around the pub, as well as another group of young men.

Mary and Marlene came back with a tray heavy with drinks. They had brought five shots of Firewhiskey, a bottle of Butterbeer for each and a large Pumpkintini for the birthday girl. After toasting to Lily, who first eyed the drinks with her lips pursed but with a subtle smile before eventually snatching a Butterbeer, the girls went through the usual Hogwarts gossip.

A while after, Hermione and Lily set out to acquire their second round of drinks, while Marlene took a quick visit to the toilet and Mary and Alice stayed at their table.

“So. Is there something going on between you and Prewett?” Lily asked bluntly as they waited for their turn at the crowded bar.

Hermione whirled to look at her friend and then around them, making sure no one had heard her. “Lily! Someone could hear you,” Hermione hissed to her friend, who rolled her eyes.

“Like anyone would hear anything spoken in a normal voice in here,” she muttered, glancing at the loudly chattering people around the pub. “Well? Are you going to tell me? Or should I ask him?” She asked, her expression turning to slightly mischievous as she glanced at the other end of the counter.

Hermione’s eyes followed her gaze and her brows lifted in mild surprise as she saw Gideon there, supposedly with his friends as he kept talking and laughing with the group beside him.

“No. You shouldn’t,” Hermione warned her friend.

Lily chuckled. “Take a chill pill, Hermione," she said, waving her hand a bit sluggishly.

Hermione actually snorted. “Lils? Are you drunk?” She asked while biting her lip to suppress a grin.

Lily rolled her eyes. “Of course I’m not. I’m the Head Girl, Hermione. It is my responsibility to make sure all of you get safely back to the castle after having your knees up in here," she said simply.

Hermione shook her head with amusement, not quite agreeing with her friend.

“What about Regulus?” Lily asked after they both had been silent for a moment.

Hermione whirled at Lily, who eyed her with a knowing look. “I know you’ve been seeing him, Mione.” Lily continued with a serious tone, giving her a meaningful look.

Hermione’s brows lifted in surprise. “Oh…” Hermione managed to say.

Lily gave her a stern look and sighed. “I’m worried about you,” she finally said, her eyes moving over Hermione's face.

“What? Why?” Hermione asked in confusion.

“Well…Even if they are supposedly the good ones, that doesn’t mean their friends are. I just don’t want you to get hurt," Lily explained with a troubled look, and Hermione didn’t have to guess who 'they' were.

“He wouldn’t let them hurt me,” Hermione said reassuringly, even though she knew she couldn’t put Regulus into a place where he would have to choose between her and them, especially when he had to remain a spy for the Order. That was the reason they had decided to only meet in the Room of Requirement.

“As for his so-called friends…I know what they are. And I know what is expected from him,” Hermione continued, chewing the inside of her cheek, her thoughts flickering to her conversation with Regulus about the Christmas holiday meeting.

Lily’s eyes widened. “And you’re okay with it?” She asked with an alarmed look.

“Of course not!” Hermione quietly exclaimed, frowning at her friend.

“Then what? I don’t understand, Hermione. Even if he says he doesn’t want it, how can you be sure?” Lily asked and shook her head in confusion.

Hermione knew Lily still doubted Snape. She let out a soft sigh. “Come on,” she said, tugging Lily’s hand and moving towards the toilets.

The redhead followed without a word, as Hermione led them into one of the cubicles the moment they had entered the restroom. Lily lifted her brows in suspicion as Hermione took her wand and began to wave it around them in intricate patterns. Lily’s eyes widened as she realised which spells Hermione was casting.

“Did you just – “

“Shush!”

Lily rolled her eyes in mild annoyance but said nothing. When Hermione was ready, Lily opened her mouth.

“Why did you just put protection spells around us?” Lily asked warily. "Why are we stuffed into a toilet cubicle?"

Hermione sighed. “It’s merely a precaution. I’m not telling you anything when there is a risk of being overheard,” she informed her friend with a frown.

“Oh.”

“I’m in the Order,” Hermione said with a serious face.

Lily’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped in surprise. “W-what?”

“Your heard me. Gideon is too. There’s nothing going on between us, except the fact that we are friends," Hermione explained, as Lily continued to gape at her.

Lily blinked for a short moment, before she spoke. "But - but - is it safe? You're - how is your uncle okay with it?" Lily stammered, gazing at her with a deep worry in her eyes.

Hermione gave her a small smile. "It's all right, don't worry about it. I'm not in the middle of it. Just - I'm helping them from the side."

Lily's eyes widened slightly. "Is... Is Regulus your - you know - mission?" Lily asked cautiously.

He had been, hadn't he? He probably still was. Hermione thought quickly what she could say to her friend.

“About Reg…” Hermione said heavily. “He probably was in the beginning. Because of his family. Because we knew he would be pressured to his side."

Lily swallowed hard, staring at Hermione with alarm in her eyes. "Is he a spy? Can he be trusted?"

Hermione sighed. "I don’t know if I'm allowed to tell you everything. I can say that I do trust him,” Hermione said softly.

Lily nodded slowly, a contemplative look in her eyes.

"Thank you for telling me, Hermione," she said softly, squeezing Hermione's arm.

Hermione smiled back at her friend. "I'm glad I was able to."

There was a short silence, before Lily spoke again.

“Do you love him?” Lily asked, watching her reaction closely.

Hermione blinked at the blunt question and thought about her tangled feelings. What she had with Regulus, was something so unexpected, so intense, and so…enticing. She hadn’t felt like that with anyone, not even Sirius. And then there was Sirius…whom she still harboured some kind of feelings. Not love, no. But…something. How could she love Regulus if there was still a tiny part of her that felt something for his brother?

She gave her friend a helpless look and shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s complicated.”

Lily smiled at her and huffed out a laugh. “What about you is not?”

Hermione joined her laughter and let out a deep breath as Lily enveloped her into a hug, promising to keep the information regarding the Order and Regulus to herself.

They returned to their friends and stayed at the pub for a while before they had to leave in order to make it back to the castle before midnight.

“Sorry to pull you from your flavour of the week, Marley,” Mary said teasingly as they were walking towards the castle. “But the rest of us need their beauty sleep.”

Marlene rolled her eyes at her friend. She had hooked up with some random guy, a couple of years older than them. He and Marlene had hit it off pretty quickly, and right before the girls had left, Mary had come across them at the restroom, where they had been entangled with each other in an unlocked booth, their clothes askew and some of them missing. While Marlene had told her friend to bugger off, Mary had merely smirked at the couple and told Marlene they would be leaving in five.

As the girls were enjoying their night out in the village, the boys were playing a drinking game in their dorm. They were simultaneously planning their next prank, after Sirius had insisted that all great minds thought properly after a drink.

“You’re up Moony,” James quipped as he took a long swig from the Firewhiskey bottle.

Remus cleared his throat and seemed thoughtful for a moment. “Okay. Drunk or a kid? I, um…pissed into a trash bag instead of using the toilet in my own house.”

Sirius barked a laugh and James and Peter chuckled, while Remus gave his friends a noncommittal shrug.

“Kid,” James and Peter said in unison.

“Boring. I’ll go with drunk.” Sirius grinned.

“Well, it was after my cousin's wedding. Which was last summer, and I was indeed quite pissed at the time,” Remus said and chuckled as Sirius hit his fist in the air for triumph, while James and Peter took swigs from the bottle.

“Okay, mate. Your turn,” Remus said to Sirius.

Sirius smirked at his friends, thinking back to the hilarious and bizarre incidents he had had. “All right. True or false? Shagged a Hufflepuff on her house table last weekend.”

James snorted. “In the Great Hall?”

Sirius merely waggled his brows, feeling confident his friends wouldn't get it right.

Remus rolled his eyes. “You were supposed to ask us if you were drunk or kid. But I’ll go with false. You would’ve gloated about it and we’d never heard the end of it.”

James eyed Remus thoughtfully. “I dunno Moony. He just might be that smug to reveal it like this,” he said and laughed, exchanging a grin with Sirius. “I’ll go with true.”

“Me too,” Peter quipped.

“Gents. I’m afraid it is…True,” Sirius finally said, feeling both pleased and thrilled.

Remus shook his head in disbelief and took a swig from the bottle. "How in the Merlin’s saggy balls didn’t you get caught?” He asked incredulously after setting the bottle down. 

Sirius gave him an innocent shrug back. "I'm that good."

Remus arched a brow at him, looking unimpressed. "Or you're simply that fast," he said wryly and grinned when James and Peter both guffawed.

Sirius shook his head in amusement, giving his friend a meaningful look. "I'll get you for that."

“Okay, okay," Peter quipped. "True or False? A bird from Ravenclaw flashed me," he said with a straight face.

“True.” All boys said in unison.

Peter grinned. “Yeah, true. It was during the Halloween ball.”

James smirked at him. “Was she hot?”

“Yeah, but…she was weird.” Peter said with a frown.

“Hot trumps weird,” Sirius said and winked at Peter. He had met his fair share of weird but hot girls and he had always managed to overlook the weird stuff because, well, the girl had been hot.

James and Remus nodded in agreement.

They all sniggered.

“Are we pranking only the Slytherins this time, or the entire school?” Peter asked after another round of their drinking game.

Sirius eyed his friends slyly. “I reckon the Slytherins deserve some attention, eh?”

James cracked a smile. “Okay, will do...”

“What if we transfigure their hair red?” Peter asked after a moment of silence.

“Too easy. And we did it in fifth year with the Colovaria Charm, remember Pete?” Remus said absently, his brow furrowed in concentration.

Sirius's mind whirled. Then he came up with the perfect prank. He laughed before he became solemn. “Mates. I think it’s time for us to trespass their dorms.”

James eyed him with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “What are you thinking, Pads?”

“Have you two gone raving bonkers?” Remus said in bewilderment. When the two wizards merely shrugged at him, he continued, “I think it’s a bad idea.”

“Moony, my friend.” Sirius said with a sigh and gave him a look like he was going to talk to him with simple words. “There’s no such thing as a bad idea, just poorly executed brilliant ones," he said and winked at the werewolf.

Remus narrowed his eyes as Sirius filled four shot glasses with Firewhiskey.

“I say we toast to the amazing idea, provided by yours truly,” Sirius smirked, gesturing the others to take their shots.

James and Peter took their glasses while Remus eyed Sirius with an arched brow.

“C’mon, Moony, I can’t drink all this by myself. I mean, I can…but if I do, somebody’s getting naked," he grinned wolfishly as he gulped down the shot.

James shook his head in amusement and he, Peter and eventually Remus followed suit.

The night went on as they planned their break-in into the Slytherin common room and dormitories, while continuing their drinking game until they all were on their way to be properly inebriated.

Sunday, 5 February 1978

“Hey. Can I sit with you?” Remus asked, looking slightly uncomfortable as he gestured at the empty seat opposite to Hermione.

Hermione lifted her gaze from the book about wizarding history she was reading and smiled kindly at him. “Sure.”

She had come to the library after lunch, when James and Sirius had left for their Quidditch practice with the rest of their friends accompanying them, intending to watch the practice. Apparently, Remus hadn't joined them, after all.

Remus smiled back and sat down after going through his schoolbag and placing his books and parchments on the table. He studied her features as she turned her eyes back to the book she was holding.

“Hermione…” He said quietly, eyeing her carefully.

She turned to look at him and frowned at his expression. “Yes? Is everything okay, Remus?”

Remus huffed. “It’s just that…I’m sorry," he said earnestly. “I’m sorry I haven’t been a good friend to you, lately...”

“Remus, it’s – “

“No, let me finish," Remus quickly continued and smiled at her. “I made a decision not to choose any sides when you and Sirius broke up. Because even though I’ve known him for several years now and he is like a brother to me, I still think of you as my friend. And then I chose him anyway," he said heavily. “Can you forgive me?”

Hermione gave him a small smile. “Of course. And I don’t blame you. I know you are very close with Sirius and the others, and I didn’t want to interfere with that. And I know you’ve been busy with your new girlfriend as well,” she said, smiling slyly at the one particular word while Remus blushed a bit and nodded.

“How are you?” She asked as she closed the book and put it into her bag. “How are things with Mary?” She smiled. “I mean I’ve heard some rumours, but I’d like to hear your thoughts,” she said, sniggering as Remus shook his head in embarrassment.

“Well…everything is good, I guess. She’s a lovely witch,” Remus said discreetly.

“And have you told her about…you-know-what?” She asked in a lowered voice.

Remus shook his head sharply.

“How has that been going? The transformations?” Hermione inquired, whispering the last word.

Remus shifted his gaze to his books. He was silent for a moment, before he shrugged, evidently trying to seem nonchalant. “Okay I guess.”

“Remus…You can talk to me about it. If it’s horrible. If you’re upset. You can trust me. You know that," Hermione said sincerely.

He looked at her and sighed. “I know, Hermione. It’s just that…I haven’t really talked with anyone about how it makes me feel, besides you," he muttered. “The guys know, but it’s not like I pour my heart out to them,” he continued with a faint smirk.

Hermione nodded and waited for him to speak.

“I hate it. You know. The wolf,” he said quietly.

There was something vulnerable in his eyes.

Remus sighed wearily, before he continued. “It makes me weak and it changes me, even when it’s not full moon," he said exasperatedly. “And sometimes I’m afraid of myself, of how angry and uncontrollable it makes me.”

Hermione gave him a sad smile. “I’m sorry Remus. It must be terrible...” she comforted.

She remembered again that she had decided to look into the Wolfsbane potion she knew the future Remus took, but had completely forgotten about it. At that moment, she decided to do better.

“...On the bright side, I reckon Mary doesn’t object…the uncontrollableness," she said with a meaningful grin.

Remus paled noticeably. “She told you about it?” He asked weakly.

Hermione chuckled. “Oh, yes, she did. She described that you were quite…physical,” she said through her laughter.

When the girls had been in the village to celebrate Lily’s birthday, they had managed to get Mary to fess up details about her relationship with Remus.

Remus groaned and laid his head against his arms that were folded over the table. “It was an oversight on my part. Engaging in anything so close to the full moon," he mumbled with a muffled voice, his face still against his arms.

“You don’t have to explain, I’m not judging you, you know,” Hermione said, and continued to laugh heartily.

He eventually lifted his head to look at her. “And you?” He asked with a frown. “How are you doing?”

Hermione shrugged. “I’m okay, I think. It’s easier now that Sirius and James are not complete arseholes towards me,” she said with a dry laugh. She gave him another shrug.

“Do you miss him?” Remus asked carefully.

“Sirius? …Yes, I suppose…But it’s not like I’m waiting for him to come around or anything…” she mused, knowing that if he suddenly decided to come around and ask them to return to how they were and not care about his family, it wouldn't necessarily happen anymore. Because now there was Regulus.

She decided to change the subject, as she really didn’t care to talk about her feelings towards Sirius. “So…what are you going to do after Hogwarts?” She asked, trying to remember if she had ever heard what Remus had actually done in her past, after his school years.

Remus gave her a mirthless laugh. “Now that you know what I am, you're probably not surprised that I don’t have any grand future career plans prepared for myself?”

“Well, what would you want to do? If you could?” Hermione asked kindly.

He looked thoughtful for a while. “Dunno…perhaps…writing?” He said with a mild cringe.

Hermione lifted her brows in surprise. “What would you write?” She asked, intrigued.

Remus eyed her hesitantly. “Poetry,” he said quietly.

“Okay. So…Why don’t you do it?” Hermione asked simply.

“Well, it doesn’t bring me any galleons, and I don’t know if I’m good enough to, you know, make a living with it," he said with a shrug.

“Have you thought about university? You know, to study English?” Hermione asked thoughtfully.

Remus grimaced. “With what money?” He asked and shook his head. “I’m afraid that’s not an option for me, Hermione.”

There was a short silence.

“What about you?” He asked, lifting his brows in inquiry.

“What about me?” Hermione blinked. “Have I thought about studying at a university?”

“No. Well, that too, but you know, what do you want to do after Hogwarts?” Remus asked curiously.

Hermione frowned. She hadn’t really given it much thought because her focus had been directed on more important things. “I don’t know,” she muttered and bit her lip. “I guess I used to think that I wanted to work at the Ministry, in the Magical law department,” she said and quickly added, “You know, in Australia.”

“But…I don’t know anymore,” Hermione continued thoughtfully. She wondered if it was perhaps time to look into that as well…

They continued their talk for a while until they started their Transfiguration assignments, sharing comments while they worked.

Saturday, 11 February 1978

It was the first Hogsmeade weekend in February, and Lily had asked Hermione to walk with her there, as there was something she wanted to talk about. They left a bit later than everyone else and made their way slowly along the path towards the village. The sky was heavy with falling snow, and the trees and the ground were already covered with several inches of glistening white powder. Hermione blinked at the sight ahead of her, remembering all the times she had gone to the village with Harry and Ron, engaging into a snowball fight or running to the Three Broomsticks for a hot cup of tea.

“Hermione…about what you told me last week… About, you know. The Order,” Lily started hesitantly, whispering the last words after glancing around them to be sure no one was close.

Hermione turned to look at her. “Yes. What do you want to know?” She asked, eyeing her friend closely.

Lily’s brows lifted in surprise.

“What?” Hermione asked with a hint of amusement.

“Oh…well. I suppose I thought you weren’t going to talk about it, even if I asked,” Lily replied with a shrug.

Hermione smiled. “Although I can’t get into much detail, there are some things I can share with you," she said and eyed her friend expectantly.

Lily nodded and looked thoughtful. “Why are you a part of it? I mean, you are a student. Shouldn’t you focus on your education first, before rushing into danger?” She asked, her voice laced with worry.

Hermione smiled. “I’m not really participating in any danger, just…you know, mostly doing some research for them.” That wasn’t exactly the truth, but she knew Lily wouldn’t let it go if she knew the truth and the dangers she would have to face. Not to mention the dangers she had already been through. Hermione took a deep breath before she continued. “The reason I’m with them, is that…” she worried her lip. She wanted to tell Lily the truth. Or some parts of it at least.

“I’m a muggleborn,” Hermione said quietly.

Lily stopped dead in her tracks and whirled towards her, staring at her in shock.

“I-I’m sorry, what?!” Lily shrieked.

Hermione shot her friend a stern look and glanced around them. They hadn’t yet reached the village and no one was close by. Still, she didn’t exactly want her secrets to be cried out to anyone who might've been within earshot.

Lily stared at her with a stubborn look edged on her face.

“I’m sorry I haven’t told you, Lils,” Hermione said sheepishly. “But…Ab adopted me." She gave a helpless shrug. “I was attacked by a bunch of Death Eaters in Australia, because they were looking for my friend. They wanted something from him. They brought us here. I managed to escape but I lost everyone I knew. My family. My friends,” she said, clenching her jaw and trying not to think of the circumstances from where she had actually left.  “Dumbledore helped me when I had no one and he arranged for his brother to take me in…” she continued with a shaky voice.

Lily gaped at her, her eyes filling with tears. “Godric,” she finally whispered, looking horrified. “Hermione, I’m…I’m so sorry!” She squeaked and threw her arms around Hermione, enveloping her into a crushing hug, sniffling against her.

“Can you forgive me?” Hermione whispered in her friend's ear, not really surprised by Lily’s emotional reaction.

“W-What? Of course! Oh, Mione…I’m just so…shocked! I’m so sorry! It must’ve been terrible…I wish I’d known sooner…” Lily babbled, tears escaping from the corners of her eyes.

They hugged each other for a while, until they broke off and slowly continued their walk towards the village.

“What…What if they come back? You know, the ones who attacked you…” Lily asked and gave Hermione a troubled look.

Hermione frowned. “I was polyjuiced, so they don't really know who I am. I’m safe at Hogwarts. I have Dumbledore. And Ab,” she said and tried to give Lily a reassuring look. “Don’t worry, Lils.”

Hermione hated lying. She hated not being able to tell her friends the truth.

Lily nodded but Hermione could see she wasn’t entirely convinced. They had finally reached the village and Hermione decided to change the subject as they begun visiting the shops.

Monday, 13 February 1978

“This is fucking insane,” Remus muttered as they stared at the spot in the dungeons they knew was the entrance to the Slytherin common room.

“Oh Moony, ever the poet,” Sirius smirked next to him.

They were waiting in an alcove while Peter had gone in to check if the Slytherin Dungeon was empty. They had agreed it was safer to make sure, even though the Map clearly showed no one was inside.

“Yeah, Moony, relax,” James said with an amused voice, staring at the entrance intently. “Nothing bad is going to happen. We have the Map and we’ll know if someone comes to this direction. And we’ve sent Pete to double check that the dungeons are empty.”

Remus sighed. “Even so…I don’t like this. And if they figure out it was us, they’ll make us pay for it.”

James snorted. “Oh, they’ll know alright," he said and shared a devilish grin with Sirius.

“Guys…What are you not telling me?” Remus asked sharply, narrowing his eyes at Sirius and James. “You know I hate it when you don’t tell me stuff.”

Sirius and James sniggered.

“Just that…we intend leaving a little message on their common room wall for them,"  Sirius explained with a wicked grin.

Remus grumbled. “I don’t even want to know how you managed to come up with an idea that stupid.”

“Well, it came to me in a dream. I was naked. You would’ve loved it, Moony,” Sirius said and winked at Remus.

James snorted while Remus rolled his eyes at his friends. Finally, they saw a familiar rat scurrying out from a hole in the wall, approaching them. Peter transformed back after James threw the invisibility cloak over him.

“It’s empty! I did the Homenum Revelio charm; they must all be at dinner.” Peter whispered urgently under the cloak. The boys grinned mischievously and disillusioned themselves before stepping out from the shadows.

“Shall we?” James asked with glee in his voice.

Sirius chuckled. “We shall.”

Tuesday, 14 February 1978

It was Valentine’s Day and Hermione was having breakfast in the Great Hall with her housemates. At the end of their meal, the owls flew into the hall, carrying an assortment of envelopes, boxes and packages. Everyone at their table received letters, cards and small rectangular boxes, most of which were pink or red.

Hermione glanced at Sirius, who was quickly going through the dozens of letters and boxes the owls had dropped in front of him on the table. He pushed the boxes of chocolate to Remus, who graciously accepted them, and after opening some of the letters he stuffed them into his schoolbag and finished his breakfast. She knew that Sirius was the most popular boy in the school, but still, the amount of letters and gifts was...somewhat astonishing. 

There were three letters next to her plate. Hermione opened the first one with interest. It was from Lily. She smiled at the note, which said ‘Sod the February 14^th. I love you every day. – Lily’.

The next one was from Remus. He had attached a poem in it. It was very good, from what she understood of poetry and was a bit moved by the gesture.

The last one had a Latin phrase written in it.

‘Notitiam primosque gradus vicinia fecit, tempore crevit amor’

She smiled at the text, which was from Ovid’s Metamorphoses and was translated as following;

Proximity caused acquaintance and first approaches, love grew with time.

The story described Pyramus and Thisbe, a pair of lovers who occupy connected houses, forbidden by their parents to be wed, because of their parents’ rivalry. Through a crack in one of the walls, they whisper their love for each other, and later on arrange to meet and state their feelings for each other. They never end up meeting each other though, and in the end, they die by their own hand.

She smiled at the near parallels of their secret affair and sneaked a glance at the Slytherin table. Regulus was there, staring at her with a subtle quirk on his lips. Hermione couldn’t help but smile at him widely when she saw him suppressing a grin and schooling his features to neutral.

“You coming to Professor Slughorn’s Valentine’s Day get-together, Hermione?” Lily asked, something pointed in her voice.

Hermione quickly teared her eyes away from Regulus and smiled at her friend sheepishly. “Um, sorry, what?”

Lily rolled her eyes. “Slughorn. Valentine’s party. Friday,” she said with an exasperated tone.

Their friends around them turned to listen to the conversation.

Hermione groaned. “I guess I have to…” she grumbled, giving Lily a displeased look.

Mary chuckled. “It can’t be that bad, Mione…” she said, sounding amused before she exchanged a sly smile with Alice. 

It appeared to Hermione that her friends knew exactly how bad it was.

“Last time Slughorn made me sing Christmas carols. In front of everyone,” Hermione growled, narrowing her eyes at the girls, Remus and Peter who were all sniggering.

Even James snorted and she could also see a faint smirk tugging Sirius’s lips. 

Everyone seemed to find her embarrassment hilarious.

Lily tried to school her expression. “I admit it was quite funny, but I’m sure it was a one-off. He was rather out of his tree then…” she said with a small grimace.

Sirius laughed. “Old Sluggie properly sozzled? That’s something I’d like to witness.”

Lily pursed her lips to him. “Well, if it is an occurring event, you can ask James to describe it to you. He’s coming with me.”

“I am?” James asked in bewilderment.

Lily scowled at him. “You can’t be serious. We talked about this last month!”

James smirked at her, evidently thinking of a witty remark for her choice of words. “Well, I’m actually J– “

“Shut it, James!” Lily warned him. Everyone around them either grinned or tried not to.

During their lessons and mealtimes that day, Hermione and the others didn't fail to notice how nearly every Slytherin was either yawning and dozing off, or bitterly glaring at the Gryffindors. When Hermione pointed it out to Mary during their dinner, her friend chuckled back.

“Some people we know broke into their quarters yesterday and spelled their dorm doors to open only when one would utter a password,” Mary said with an amused expression.

Hermione rolled her eyes as she glanced at the sniggering Marauders who had their eyes trained at the Slytherin table. “Could they be any more obvious?” She sighed in exasperation.

“Oh, the Slytherins know it was them. They wrote the password on their common room wall. It’s just that…no one will use it,” Mary explained with laughter in her voice.

Hermione lifted her brows. “Oh?”

“And because of that, every single student slept on their common room floor last night,” James quipped with a bright grin as he heard their conversation.

Lily narrowed her eyes at him but said nothing. Hermione guessed they had had a conversation or two about it already.

“And how long is that spell in place?” Hermione asked curiously from James.

Sirius and James had identical smirks on their faces.

“As long as it takes for someone to admit they love Gryffindor…or when they go to old Sluggie and admit they were bested by one,” James said innocently.

The boys shared a laugh.

Hermione shook her head in disbelief and returned to her meal. When she was finished, she excused herself while the others stayed in the Great Hall. She walked to the seventh floor, and after making sure that no one had seen her by checking the map, she entered through the door that had appeared in front of her. She knew Regulus was already inside, since she hadn’t seen him at dinner.

They had discovered that if the room was given the correct description, they could enter the same place even though one of them was already inside.

“Hey,” Hermione said softly as she walked through the library of Grimmauld Place, towards the sofa where Regulus was stretched on.

“Didn’t catch any sleep last night?” Hermione asked with slight amusement in her voice as she approached him.

He merely groaned in response. His eyes were closed and he moved his legs when she nudged him to move over.

“Bloody Gryffindors,” he muttered, yawning as he pulled up to lean on his elbows. “No offence.”

Hermione chuckled. “None taken. Although, I’m surprised you didn’t come here to sleep last night,” she said thoughtfully.

He shrugged. “Thought it would’ve been a bit suspicious if I’d left in the middle of the night to wander through the halls.”

“Fair enough,” she said with a smile. “Thank you for the Valentine’s Day note,” she said quietly, a small blush rising to her cheeks.

A smile tugged at his lips. “I’m glad you liked it,” Regulus said, his eyes dark as he gave her a once over.

Hermione tried to remember to breathe, as his mere stare made her heart flutter in her chest.

“Come here," he muttered, taking her hand and tugging her towards him.

She complied, eagerly, laying herself on top of him, as he studied her features and traced his fingers against her jawline.

Regulus’s hand slid around to her nape, his fingers caressing the skin under her hairline, making her shiver in anticipation. He then pulled her down to meet his lips. As he kissed her softly, his fingers moved into her hair, holding her in place so that he could devour her mouth in the pace he desired.

Hermione let her hand slip under his shirt, making contact with bare skin, while the other gripped his shoulder for support. She felt his muscles tighten under her hand as she explored his chest and abdomen, drifting slowly lower, nearing the waistband of his slacks as he leisurely continued caressing her lips with his. As the tips of her fingers slipped under his waistband, she felt him shudder and breathe heavily into her mouth. She deepened the kiss, slipping her tongue between his lips and drawing a groan from his mouth while her fingers edged further inside his slacks. With a loud gasp, he stilled her hand with his and broke their kiss. They both breathed heavily, their eyes hooded with desire.

“As much as I’d love to continue this, love, I’m afraid I’d fall asleep before I’d leave you sated,” Regulus said, raising up to give a chaste kiss on her lips and resting back against the cushion, soothing his hands on her back and eyeing her sleepily.

Hermione blushed slightly at her wantonness. “What if we just slept?” She asked with a small smile as he kept caressing her.

He hummed in agreement, squeezing her tight against him as she lay her head upon his chest. They stayed in place for some time, and eventually Hermione stood up to let him sleep in peace while she wandered around in the library.

She eventually grabbed the book she had browsed the other week, about magical objects in wizarding history, and sat in an armchair next to Regulus, who was now sleeping soundly. She curled her legs under her and let herself be absorbed in the book.

Friday, 17 February 1978

“Well, this isn’t that bad, is it?” Lily asked as she came to stand next to Hermione in the corner.

They were in Professor Slughorn’s office that was evidently enlarged with an extension charm, at a Valentine’s party hosted by Professor Slughorn for his selected students and their dates, as well as some of his associates and former Slug Club members.

Hermione cringed. “I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” she said as she saw Slughorn eye around him in order to introduce one of his club members to Tiberius Ogden, a member of the Wizengamot.

She let out a sigh of relief when Slughorn managed to catch Regulus for the purpose and suppressed a smile when she saw the young Slytherin greet the older man rather stiffly.

It wasn’t that their Professor’s intentions were bad in any way, because his students could derive a benefit from the connections they made at his parties, but since Hermione tried to avoid any attention, she was glad that Slughorn was focusing on someone else. Also, she hadn’t still quite recovered from the last party, where she had been at the centre of his attention for the most part of the night.

Lily huffed as she saw James gulp down a glass of Firewhiskey. “He’s had far too many of those. I already had to stop him from advancing Severus. Who knows what he’ll do next…” she grumbled next to Hermione, her eyes narrowed at her boyfriend who was busy filling his glass at the drinks table.

“How did he take it, by the way?” Hermione asked, her eyes still glued on Regulus. He gave her subtle but heated glances at her every now and then, and she felt her pulse quicken.

Luckily Lily didn’t notice. “Take what?”

Hermione cleared her throat and turned to Lily. “That you’re friends with Snape?” She asked pointedly.

Lily blushed. “I’m not friends with him. We only met once in the library, where you and your…boytoy left us to survive by ourselves. You know, when you went to make out with him behind the bookshelves,” she finished with a knowing smirk.

It was Hermione’s time to blush.

“No, James doesn’t know. But if I will see Sev again, or spend time with him, I will tell James,” Lily said simply. “Now…if you would excuse me, I have to go restrain my boyfriend before he’s completely inebriated and makes an arse of himself,” Lily said tightly and strolled towards James with a stern look in her eyes.

Hermione was about to make her way towards the drinks table to fill her goblet with elderflower wine, but just as she was walking across the room, she heard Slughorn hiccupping happily on the other side of the room and wondering loudly ‘where the young Miss Dumbledore had run off’. With a wince, she quickly slipped behind the emerald green and golden drapes that hung from the ceiling, creating small alcoves or private nooks in the corners. She glanced through a gap in the curtains, and to her relief, their Professor had found another student to present to his guests.

“Should I announce that you’re hiding back here?” A voice murmured behind her.

She jolted with surprise and turned around. “Don’t sneak up on me like that!” She hissed, but her expression softened when Regulus pulled her against him, eyeing her with hunger.

Her insides clenched deliciously as his fingers traced her hips. Regulus leaned in to close his mouth over hers in a heated kiss. She sighed into his mouth while his fingers rubbed her waist, her hips and continued to knead her bum. There was something barely contained in his touch, as if any minute he might somehow lose control of himself. His kisses were gentle and soft, but hard and demanding at the same time. Hermione thought briefly that she could very easily get lost in him.

“Circe…” he gasped, breaking their kiss and moving his lips against her neck. “I want you…I want you so fucking much…” he whispered, his breath hitting her neck in warm puffs.

Hermione squirmed at his words and rolled her hips against him, drawing out a strained groan from his mouth. Safe to say the feeling was mutual.

“I want you too,” she whispered, her one hand tangled in his hair and the other slowly making its way downwards, towards the bulging in his slacks.

The party was in a full swing behind them and occasionally they could hear a burst of laughter, or clinking of goblets.

“Ah…” Regulus breathed as her fingers gently squeezed his hardness.

He bit her neck lightly, and Hermione let out an embarrassingly loud whimper. She quickly broke off their embrace, blushing furiously. “W-We’re in the middle of a party,” she stammered, shocked by her own behaviour.

Regulus smirked, his cheeks flushed and his eyes dark. “So it seems.”

Hermione huffed. “Don’t look at me like that,” she said breathlessly.

His gaze was so intense, so filled with need, that she wanted nothing more than to undress him and jump on him.

“Like what?” He asked innocently and took a step closer.

His lips pressed against hers as his fingers brushed her breasts. Hermione arched into him, letting out a breathy sigh.

“Let’s go somewhere…okay?” She whispered against his neck as his hands continued palming her breasts.

“Where?” He asked hoarsely.

“Your library…your bedroom…” she breathed, feeling embarrassed, nervous and excited.

Regulus pulled her slightly away from him and stared into her eyes. “Are you sure?” He asked with a careful look.

Hermione nodded, feeling her face warm up.

“Okay then. Let’s get the fuck out of here,” he said harshly and pulled her with him.

Hermione stopped in her tracks. “Wait! We can’t just leave, everyone will see! And if someone sees us wandering through the halls, we’re probably going to receive detention!” She hissed at him.

She took her beaded bag and rifled through it for a moment. Regulus stared at her with interest but said nothing as she pulled a silky material from it.

“What is it?”

“Something you’re going to forget you ever saw,” she said and gave him a stern look.

His mouth curved up. “Okay.”

She threw the invisibility cloak over them and they made their way towards the seventh floor.

After entering the room, which was morphed into the Grimmauld Place library, Hermione stood next to Regulus, feeling nervous as she didn’t quite know how to proceed now.

“Hermione…” Regulus muttered quietly while his eyes looked at her searchingly, hungrily.

He took her hand and tugged her closer to him. She placed her palms flat against his chest as his hands slid over her hips. Regulus leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers, parting them with his tongue, tasting her. Hermione let out a breathy sigh as his hands moved to pull up the hem of her dress and caress the backs of her thighs, his fingers skimming over her knickers. He pressed her closer to him, and Hermione could feel him hard against her hip. He groaned as he involuntarily thrust against her, earning a gasp from her lips before she slid her fingers up his chest, around his neck and through his silky black locks. Hermione curled her fingers around his hair, grasped it when he squeezed her bum, and drew out a low groan from him.

He kissed her with a growing desire, each sweep of his tongue and touch of his lips more feverish and heated than the last one. Then his hands came to her front, reaching under the hem of her dress. Regulus grazed his knuckles over the bare skin of her belly, his fingers tickling their way up over her skin. Hermione shivered at his touch, moaned when he cupped her breasts and caressed them through her bra, kissing, sucking and biting her lips, driving her wild with lust. He broke their kiss only to pull her dress off with a swift move, before he leaned back to suck and bite her bottom lip and to open her bra. She was breathless, her head was spinning, and she tried to not lose herself in desire as he slowly but surely made her skin sing and her heart race.

Regulus broke the kiss and slowly stripped her loosely hanging bra off. He sucked in a breath as his gaze dropped on her breasts, his mouth curving a bit. Hermione blushed under his gaze and swallowed deeply before she reached for his shirt. He gave her a quick smile before he hastily rid himself off from his clothes. She didn’t have time to admire his naked body before he dropped his head on her chest and closed his lips around her nipple while plucking and pinching the other one with his fingers. Hermione gasped and writhed under his touch. With each flick of his tongue or a brush of his fingers on her breasts, she felt herself wound tighter, she felt the heat pool low in her belly, making her shake with need.

“Oh gods…” she moaned with a breathy voice.

He hummed against her breasts, lowering his other hand between her thighs. She instinctively spread her legs for him, giving him access. As he slowly caressed her thighs and her core through her knickers, he lifted his mouth up to hover against hers, his eyes hooded with need, his lips swollen from kissing her.

“Make love to me," Hermione whispered against his mouth, summoning all the courage she had in her.

Regulus gave a yearning sigh. “Are you sure?” He murmured, his eyes examining hers.

“Yes,” she breathed. “More sure than I have ever been.”

Regulus nodded and with a swift move, he gathered her into his arms and walked into his bedroom. He laid her gently down upon his bed and crawled on top of her before leaning in to kiss her again. His lips soon moved away from hers, trailing lower to her jaw, to her neck and her breasts. Hermione arched against him as he left open mouthed kisses against her belly, travelling lower and lower, until he reached the waistband of her underwear. He gently started to pull them down while he stared straight into her eyes with a burning gaze, breathing heavily.

She could only stare back and wonder how amazing he was and how good he felt as she absently touched his cheek and traced the line of his jaw with her fingertips. Regulus placed soft kisses against her thighs and let out an uneven breath as he pushed her thighs apart and settled between them. He licked up her cleft with a firm and long stroke before circling his tongue over her clit.

Hermione moaned and gripped his shoulders for support. “Ah…Reg…”

He groaned against her core at every sound she made, and as he sucked her clit into his mouth, the vibrating sensation was making new waves of pleasure surge through her, making her body spasm and another whimper escape from her mouth. He seemed to enjoy the way he could make her moan and crave for him.

Then Regulus slipped a finger inside her, slowly licking the sensitive skin around her clit while his finger found the spot that made her tremble and cry out in pleasure. Hermione could feel his other hand tightening over her thigh, and the way he started to suck her tender skin and lick her wetness faster and harder, made all the thoughts leave her head, leaving only pleasure and need behind. It felt like he was desperate to touch her, to taste her, and the thought by itself made her linger on the edge of the peak of pleasure. She was close, so close that she barely registered when she started to involuntarily flex her hips towards his mouth, her body tensing and reaching higher towards her release. He continued licking and sucking her until Hermione pushed her head back into the pillow and her cries filled the room, her hips bucking and her fingertips digging into his neck. 

As she came back from her high, panting, he was watching her with a mixed look of awe and smugness. She then realised that she had called his name as she had come.

Regulus placed soft kisses against her damp thighs before he crawled back up to kiss her mouth chastely. Hermione could taste her own essence on his lips, but for some reason, it didn’t bother her like she had thought. They continued kissing, soft and savouring at first, then urgent and demanding. Regulus shuddered as her fingers brushed against his chest, then his stomach, then his hips. When her hand closed around his cock and stroked him slowly, he made a needy, high-pitched sound she had never heard him make before. Gritting his teeth against the obvious pleasure, Regulus broke their kiss and pulled slightly back to look at her with an admiring expression. As he studied her features hungrily, Hermione started to feel nervous. She wondered if Regulus had done it before? He appeared so sure in his actions.

He seemed to notice her hesitation. “What is it, love?” He asked with a small frown as he settled next to her, caressing her cheekbone with his thumb.

“I, um…just wanted to say that…I’ve never done this…” she said hesitantly, folding her fingers with his when he grasped her hand.

He eyed her in mild surprise. “You’re a virgin?” He asked carefully.

Hermione nodded.

Regulus nodded slowly, studying her features. “I assumed you’d…you know. With my brother…” he muttered and then grimaced, evidently uncomfortable to talk about her relationship with Sirius.

Hermione shook her head quickly, not exactly eager to talk about Sirius right that moment. “Is it an issue?” She asked quietly.

Regulus visibly relaxed, the corners of his mouth curving slightly upwards. “No. Of course not, love. I mean, I haven’t been with anyone either," he explained somewhat shyly. He kept staring at her in wonder.

It was Hermione’s turn to be surprised. “What? How is that possible… You are like the most wanted brooding boy in the school,” she said teasingly.

Regulus laughed. “Brooding, huh?” He asked, his gaze darkening.

Hermione’s breath hitched into her throat.

He traced her lips with his thumb before he leaned in to kiss her. “Do you still want it?” He asked hesitantly, searching her eyes with his.

She nodded. “Yes,” she whispered, sliding her hands around his neck and pulling him closer to her.

He started caressing her waist, her breasts, tugging her hardened nipples and sweeping his tongue into her mouth as she moaned at his touch. And like someone had turned a switch, she was hot and expectant all over again, as his hands sought the right places, caressed her in a way she desired while his mouth devoured hers. Regulus slipped a hand between her thighs, drawing a breathy sigh from her mouth as he parted her slick folds and stroked her, gliding his finger against her core with a minimal pressure, his touch light against her skin. It was enough to make her squirm in need.

“Reg…” she whimpered at his mouth as she broke their kiss. “I need… I need more…” she whispered and stared with yearning into his stormy eyes.

Regulus huffed out an uneven breath and nodded, looking like he was drunk with pleasure and anticipation.

He shifted to lie on top of her, supporting his weight on his arms. He kissed her lips and her neck, making her writhe and moan as she felt him hard and ready at her entrance. After a final glance into her eyes, he slowly nudged the tip of his cock into her and then he pressed his hips forwards, all the way to the hilt. He stilled when she sucked in a deep breath, wincing in pain.

Regulus gaped at her, looking very much like he forgot to breathe. “Oh fuck…love…oh that feels…” he gasped incoherently.

…It felt like ecstasy he had never felt before. His body was screaming for him to move, to thrust against her, to go deeper, but he knew he had to give her time to adjust.

“Hermione? Love?” He asked with a strained voice, gritting his teeth as he forced himself to stay still until he knew she was okay with it. She was so tight, her core holding his cock with an unbearable grip.

Hermione’s breathing seemed to ease slightly and then her face relaxed. “I’m…I’m okay, Reg. You can move now,” she whispered and stared into his eyes with an affectionate look.

Regulus exhaled deeply and started to move, slowly, steadily, his face flushed from exertion and bliss, the emotions crossing her face making his heart stutter and his chest warm.

He took a hold of her hips to steady his pace, while her hands glided against his arms, his shoulders and his back, soothing him, urging him. Every time he pushed into her, filling her, a small sigh escaped from her open mouth, and he could not tear his eyes away from her.

Knowing he wasn’t going to last long, he lowered himself closer to her, placing soft kisses against her lips, and as he slightly changed his angle, he reached onto something deep and sensitive inside her, something that had her cry in pleasure. He ground against that spot until he felt her body tighten again, her hips rocking against his, her hands tugging his hair, pulling his mouth closer to hers.

Regulus’s heart was pounding in his throat with the need to explode inside her. He quickly sneaked his hand between them to flick his thumb against her clit, making her gasp and tighten around him. He buried himself into her, his pace now faster, harder, while her hips lifted up to meet his. And then she screamed, louder than she had before as she shattered around him in release, her pulsating warmth taking him with her, milking him as her inner muscles brought him into his climax.

It felt like nothing he had experienced before. All he could do was to feel how everything went bursting inside him. It felt good, so good, like blissful agony, like stars were exploding behind his eyes. His own cry of pleasure echoed in the room before he collapsed into her arms.

Exhausted, he shifted to lie next to her, holding her close, pressing chaste kisses over her face, whispering to her incoherently. “Hermione…love…Circe, that was…I can’t even…”

She too seemed too dazed to form sentences and merely snuggled closer to him, pulling him tightly against her as they both caught their breath, drowsiness slowly creeping up on them. The last thing he remembered was pulling the comforter over them and placing a soft, lingering kiss on her lips.

Saturday, 18 February 1978

Hermione woke up the next morning, stretching her body and feeling a slight soreness at the junction of her thighs. Other than that, she felt quite sated, like something was fulfilled. Regulus was embracing her from her back, and a delicious feeling was starting to grow under her waist as the hands that were wound around her started leisurely caressing her, the fingertips skimming the nest of curls below her belly. Images from last night began to flood into her mind. Her eyes slammed open as she heard Regulus let out a small groan against her neck.

“Reg?” She asked anxiously.

“Mmmhmm?” He voiced against her, his hands dipping lower against her naked body.

“Regulus!”

“Yes, love?” He mumbled with a sleepy voice.

She could feel him hard against her bum. A delightful shiver ran through her, but she shook the feeling off quickly.

“It’s morning. We’ve slept through the night,” she said impatiently as she took his hands in hers, stopping his ministrations.

“W-what?” He mumbled. “Fuck,” he said with a clearer voice, prodding himself quickly up with one arm and looking down at her with a startled look.

She turned on her back to look back at him, chewing her lip with worry. “Where’s my wand?” She muttered and searched it with her gaze around the room. She spotted it on the nightstand and grabbed it, quickly casting the tempus spell.

“Godric…it’s eight in the morning!” She winced. “…Everyone will notice I haven’t slept in my bed," she said with a slight panic in her voice, looking back at Regulus helplessly. “What will we do?” She cried in panic.

He smiled and looked at Hermione with sleepy eyes and tousled hair. Hermione couldn’t help but think how incredibly adorable he looked right in that moment.

“Calm down, love. Let’s just go to breakfast, yeah?” He said and tucked a curl behind her ear. When she didn’t give any signs of relaxing, he continued. “Just go to the Great Hall and tell your friends that you stopped by the library on your way back from Slughorn’s party and accidentally fell asleep in there,” he said with a shrug. “I mean…it’s almost the truth,” he said and smirked as he looked back to the Grimmauld Place library from the open door of his bedroom.

“We can’t just go there together,” she said incredulously, looking at him like he was out of his mind.

“We’re not. I’ll go after you,” he smiled and leaned to kiss her lips.

After a quick shower and a change of clothes, Hermione walked down from the Gryffindor Tower, and into the Great Hall. The room was filled with delicious smells of breakfast, and the cheerful chatter of students who were waiting eagerly for the upcoming Quidditch match was blaring throughout the large room. Hermione slipped into an empty seat, trying to be subtle and sit as far away from Sirius and Remus as possible, as she speculated that they could possibly smell the last night’s activities on her right away with their heightened sense of smell, regardless that she had showered and changed her clothes. At least she wasn’t going to take any risks.

“Where’ve you been, Hermione? We were really worried!” Lily said with a mix of concern and scold in her voice as she saw Hermione take a seat next to a couple of fourth year girls who were sitting near their group. “Come here, we’ll make room for you,” she continued and gestured for the boys to move.

Hermione grimaced inwardly as she stood up and took a seat between Peter and Remus. She tried to keep a convincing smile on her face as she sat down and looked at everyone.

“I just woke up in the library!” She said quickly, before any of her friends had time to open their mouths, trying to sound and look embarrassed but convincing. “I left the party early yesterday and, on my way back to the tower, I just had to check something from a book in the library, so I went there and I don’t know…I must’ve fallen asleep,” she wondered aloud while the others stared at her in a mix of amusement and surprise, chuckling at her misstep.

James sniggered at her from opposite to her. “You really ought to learn how to take a breather every now and then, Hermione,” he said and smirked at her dishevelled appearance.

She hadn’t had the time to wash her hair, and reckoned it probably resembled an eagle’s nest. Hermione briefly narrowed her eyes at James but turned soon to look at her plate.

Remus turned sharply towards her, his nostrils flaring a bit, an alarmed look on his face. Hermione glanced at him and forced herself not to react, even though it was somewhat obvious that Remus had sensed something. Perhaps he had heard her heart beating faster and suspected that she was lying, or... perhaps he had perceived something else.

“Who were you with?” Remus asked nonchalantly as he poured her tea.

Sirius and James watched them carefully.

Hermione swallowed hard. “Thank you. Oh. No one. Just me," she said with a tight smile. Remus lifted his brows at her a bit, but said nothing and turned back to the conversation that had been flowing before Hermione had sat with them. The boys were placing small bets on who would win today’s match.

“Well, I think it’s quite obvious. Hufflepuff’s gonna win this time,” Sirius stated beside James. “Ravenclaw’s team is shite.”

“Yeah, Pads, but their Seeker is faster than Hufflepuff’s,” Remus argued as he took another toast from the large tray.

Sirius looked at Remus and contemplated the bit of information for a while. Then, he suddenly glanced at Hermione, a small frown between his brows. The moment was over before Hermione was able to question it inside her head, and Sirius's focus was soon back on friend.

“I guess we’ll see Moony,” Sirius said, winking at his friend.

As the boys left towards the Quidditch pitch, Hermione glanced at the Slytherin table, where Regulus was sitting. His hair and clothing were neatly fixed up, as usual, and the only telling fact what differed from his everyday appearance, was the subtle rose on his cheeks. She could only hope no one managed to put two and two together.

“And the Quaffle is in possession of Annie Jones of Ravenclaw, and she’s moving really fast towards the Hufflepuff goal posts,” Jackson Abbott, a sixth year Hufflepuff and the Quidditch commentator yelled to the magical megaphone.

“Neat pass to Mark McAdams, back to Jones and – no, Hufflepuff has taken the Quaffle, Hufflepuff Chaser Jordan Barnett gains the Quaffle and off he goes – he’s going to score – aaand HUFFLEPUFF SCORES!”

Hufflepuff cheers filled the cold February air, along with the booing sounds made by the Ravenclaw supporters.

Hermione sat with her housemates on one of the Quidditch stands with James, Sirius, Remus and Peter on the front row, and the girls behind them on the second row. Hermione sat next to the aisle, on the last seat, with only Lily beside her. Lily glanced at her direction every now and then from the corner of her eye, but said nothing. When the redhead looked again for what must have been the fifth time, Hermione rolled her eyes and turned towards her.

“What is it, Lils?” She asked quietly. 

Lily arched a brow at her. “You weren’t in the library, right?” She asked almost silently, a knowing look in her eyes.

Hermione blushed slightly. “No. But don’t tell anyone, okay?” She whispered hastily.

Lily merely smirked at her and nodded, turning her eyes ahead when James turned to look at them.

“Oi, less talking and more focusing on what’s important,” he quipped before he turned back to watch the game.

Hermione heaved a sigh and her gaze wandered over the stands. She spotted Regulus on the next stand, not far from them. His head was turned slightly towards her, his eyed fixed at her. She instantly felt herself flush red as the memories from last night started to play in a loop in her head. He gave her a heated look and she could only guess he probably thought the same things she did.

“Ravenclaw in possession,” the commentator spoke.

Hermione turned back to the game, but not before she saw Sirius’s eyes settling over where she had just looked. Then Sirius moved his gaze to Hermione, and eyed her...with revelation in his eyes.

Hermione cursed inwardly. She averted her eyes from Sirius’s, frowning at the pitch but not really noticing the game going on in there.

“...Barnett dodges a Bludger and speeds towards the Ravenclaw goal posts!”

“ - Aaand HUFFLEPUFFS SCORES AGAIN! The game is now one hundred to thirty, for Hufflepuff,” the commentator declared, while Hufflepuff supporters cheered wildly.

Hermione was so lost in her thoughts, that she missed it when the Snitch was caught by the Ravenclaw Seeker, making the points turn in their favour. As Ravenclaw supporters cheered and screamed throughout the pitch, Hermione only hoped she could leave as quickly as possible and go back to her dormitory.

Ravenclaw Quidditch team had decided to set up a party in their common room, and all houses were invited.

Hermione found herself standing next to the bar, eyeing the people around her and sipping her Butterbeer. There were many students from every house except Slytherin, and everyone was having fun with each other, regardless of the rather intense Quidditch game between the two opponents.

She saw Mary and Alice on the makeshift dance floor with a couple of Ravenclaw girls from their year, as well as a group of boys who were watching their dancing appreciatively. Hermione bit back a grin as she saw Mary rolling her eyes at the boys and pulling Alice closer to her as they kept dancing. Lily and Marlene were laughing with James and Remus near the fireplace, along with a number of Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. On another set of armchairs near the entrance, a slightly raunchy version of the game spin the bottle took place between some Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors. Hermione pursed her lips in distaste and turned her eyes elsewhere.

There had to be a charm set up to expand the common room, in order to accumulate all of them, as she knew it couldn’t have been this large normally. There were several sitting areas, a large dance floor and several secluded reading nooks behind large bookshelves, not to mention the drinks table, which was actually an imitation of a bar, with bar stools and everything. She was quite impressed by the spellwork but reckoned that the Ravenclaws knew their business.

“So. Where’s my brother?” Sirius asked as he took a drink from the table and came to stand next to her, his eyes trained on the dance floor.

Hermione tensed as she hadn’t seen him approach her, and turned to look at him. “I…I don’t know,” she said hesitantly.

He merely lifted a brow at her. “Don’t play vague with me," he grunted and eyed her with a grim look.

She looked away, feeling bewildered and uncomfortable. She wasn't quite sure what to say to him, even though she knew they had to eventually talk about what had happened between Hermione and Regulus.

“Are you a couple now?” Sirius asked with a flat voice.

“No,” Hermione said quickly, turning to him again. He was staring at her with a blank expression.

She bit her lip and gave him an unsure look. “But there…there is something going on between us," she said uneasily.

Sirius's eyes narrowed slightly, before his expression became unreadable once more. “Figured. You having sex with him?” He asked harshly.

Hermione flinched.

“I see how it is,” he muttered, his eyes hard. He downed the shot of Firewhiskey he had been holding.

“Sirius, I – “

“Don’t, Hermione," he said quietly, shaking his head.

She could see a hint of regret in his eyes.

Sirius put the empty glass on the table and turned to her. “You know, the past month… It’s been killing me. I don’t want us to be in bad terms," he said, looking at her with an contemplative expression.

Hermione nodded at him.

“Can we get along?” He asked while he studied her features with a small frown between his brows.

“You tell me. I’ve been only honest with you,” Hermione said weakly.

Sirius lifted his brows a bit. “So, sneaking behind everyone’s backs with your new boyfriend is the honesty you are speaking about?” He asked dryly.

Hermione pressed her lips together for a bit, before she spoke. “Is it just because he’s your brother that makes you bothered? Because if it’s not, then… if I remember correctly, you were the one who moved on to a new girlfriend. Or several if the rumours are true…” she said sharply.

She had seen and heard enough of his adventures after they had come back to school to know what she was talking about. Hermione suspected that some of it was probably because of her. A small part of her was bothered by his behaviour, and slightly hurt. But mostly she knew that it wasn’t her business. Not anymore.

“Really? You’re going to play morality police with me?” Sirius asked with an arched brow, a ghost of a smile on his lips.

Hermione sighed inwardly, feeling exasperated. She knew there was no point to continue exchanging remarks with him. He clearly wasn't giving her the nod about her and Regulus, and she wasn't expecting him to. She hoped he would though, with time.

"No," Hermione finally said, giving him a rueful smile. "I'm not."

Sirius nodded slowly, his eyes moving over hers, a contemplative look in his eyes. It felt like there were a lot of things he wanted to say to her, but instead he cleared his throat and muttered, "Brilliant. Friends?”

Hermione gave him a sincere smile. "I’d like that."

He inclined his head stiffly.

There was a short silence, before he spoke again. "Uh. How's Ab?"

It was uncanny, to suddenly stand there with him and talk with him after so many weeks of him not even looking at her direction. Still, they had agreed to be friends, so she tried to suppress the strange feeling and told him about the last time she had seen Aberforth, which had been a week ago when they had had their Hogsmeade weekend.

A bit later, Lily came over to drag her off to the dance floor, something she appreciated a lot. She hoped it would get easier with Sirius. And while Hermione wasn’t the dancing kind of person, she ended up having fun dancing with the girls.

As the girls had to eventually take a break from all the physical efforts, they retreated on a set of vacant sofas near the spiral staircase that led up to the Ravenclaw dormitories.

“Who do you reckon that is?” Alice wondered after plopping down on the sofa and eyeing at the marble statue near on their left.

The others looked at the direction she was staring.

“That’s Rowena Ravenclaw,” Hermione said matter-of-factly, eyeing the statue of a beautiful, albeit strict looking witch. “What? I read it somewhere,” she said innocently, as the others looked at her with their brows lifted. “You can identify her from the diadem, as well as the fact that the statue is situated in the Ravenclaw common room,” Hermione finished with a shrug.

Lily giggled. “A diadem.”

Hermione rolled her eyes as Mary and Alice sniggered with Lily. Obviously, the girls had had several drinks more than she had had, based on how they were acting like a group of ten-year-olds.

“What is a diadem?” Mary asked with an amused frown, her words slurring a bit.

Lily snorted next to Hermione.

“It’s like a tiara.” Hermione said, eyeing the girls with an arched brow. “The legend says it is the lost diadem of the Ravenclaw,” Hermione continued, quoting it from the Hogwarts, A History.

Then something hit her. 

The lost diadem of Ravenclaw.

…As in, a lost relic. A powerful magical artefact.

Why hadn’t she thought of it sooner? What if the diadem was one of the Horcruxes? After all, Voldemort had already acquired something from Slytherin, as well as from Hufflepuff. What if she had just identified the final Horcrux? A shiver ran through her as she stared at the statue in a mix of wonder and shock.  

“You read too much, Mione,” Mary said with a grunt as she lifted her legs on the table in front of them.

Alice nodded in agreement beside her. “Even Lily isn’t that bad," she quipped.

Lily narrowed her eyes. “Hey? I’m right here,” she snapped, looking annoyed.

Mary and Alice chuckled. Hermione frowned as she was trying to think of an excuse to leave the party early, so that she could go to Dumbledore and tell him about her revelation.

“And besides, I’m not the one who’s sleeping in the library to be the first one there in the morning,” Lily said with a teasing grin.

Hermione blanched. “I was not sleeping there on purpose," she grumbled.

Lily arched a brow at her. “Oh? Did you wake up sore?” She smirked as Hermione paled. 

Hermione had to hand it to her friend. She was good...

“I mean, those library chairs can be quite uncomfortable,” Lily continued with a grin, while Mary and Alice seemed oblivious to what she was really talking about.

Hermione rolled her eyes at Lily’s words. She needed to make an excuse, now. “I need a drink,” she muttered, standing up and heading towards the drinks table.

Only she didn’t grab a drink, but made her way towards the entrance of the Ravenclaw common room.

“Hermione! Where d’ya think you’re goin’?” James voiced and grabbed her hand before she had a chance to exit, whirling her back to him.

Hermione scowled at him. “What are you doing?” She asked sharply.

James cringed. “Okay, I deserve that. Look. I’m sorry…I’ve been a dickhead, and I’d like to be friends again," he said with a slightly slurred voice. “Will you forgive me?” He asked, giving her a puppy eyed look.

Hermione’s brows lifted. “It's the second time today one of you comes to befriend me," she muttered, eyeing him suspiciously. “Did Remus put you up to this?”

James gave her a sheepish look. “Yeah, well…we might’ve had a talk,” he said with a small smirk.

Hermione nodded slowly.

“So? Bygones be bygones?” James asked with a slowly widening grin, his eyes still resembling the eyes of a golden retriever puppy.

Hermione grumbled. “Okay, fine. I’ll forgive you," she said with a tight smile.

“YESSSS!” James exclaimed, crushing her into a hug, giving her a kiss on the cheek and lifting her up.

He spun her around once. Hermione screamed bloody murder, which gathered amused looks from the others. Laughing, he put her down.

“We have to celebrate this, come on,” James announced and started to drag her towards the drinks table, stumbling a little as he led them there through a group of Hufflepuffs.

Hermione muttered her protests and told him that she had been about to leave the party.

James blanched. “No way,” he said loudly in a mix of shock and amusement. “As I said before, Mione. If you wanna be a true Marauder, you’ll need to lay back a bit," he went on with a drunken grin, pouring two shots of Firewhiskey for them.

“But I don’t want to be a Marauder," Hermione said incredulously, while James ignored her protests and shoved the shot into her hands, grinning widely.

“Bottoms up,” he said and waggled his brows and downed his shot.

Hermione rolled her eyes inwardly. It was certainly not what she had had in mind, damnit. With a sigh, she tipped the shot down her throat and put the empty glass down, coughing.

James was smirking at her. “Better?”

Hermione stared at him blankly. “I suppose," she said, even though she didn’t quite catch his meaning.

“Okay then, one more. Then we dance, yeah?” James said with a wide grin.

Hermione stared at him sceptically. She wondered why he was bothering her like that, and how was she supposed to leave the party and go to the Headmaster if she reeked of Firewhiskey? Hermione groaned inwardly as James tucked another shot into her hand, the liquid in his own glass sloshing a bit as he raised it towards her before tossing it down.

She knew she wasn’t going to shake him before he was pleased, so she downed the shot, cursing James in her mind for screwing up her plans.

“Happy?” She snapped.

“Very,” James laughed. “Now. Dancing," he stated, putting their glasses away and pulling her to the dance floor.

All the seventh year Gryffindors were there, along with several other partiers, and even if Hermione had been annoyed that her plans had gone awry, she was slowly starting to enjoy herself. Perhaps it was the alcohol…or the fact that she was surrounded by her friends, who all were having fun. Either way, she reckoned there was always the next day.

The rest of the evening went by quickly, and Hermione ended up stumbling back towards the Gryffindor tower long after curfew, at ungodly hours. Only Marlene had suspiciously disappeared at some point during the party, presumably not alone.

“Who do you reckon Marley was hooking up with this time?” James asked as they were walking up the staircase.

Remus was leading the group with a piece of parchment - their map. The girls all had tried to have a look at it, to see what it was, but the boys maintained that if the girls wanted to gain something, they had to lose something. Which was their clothing. The girls had made disgusted noises, and Lily and Mary had both sent a pair of angry glares towards their boyfriends, who had merely shrugged innocently. In the end, the parchment and the boys’ secrets were left with Remus, while the others followed obediently behind him.

“Dunno mate, probably some misguided Hufflepuff, as usual,” Sirius said with laughter in his voice.

Lily narrowed her eyes to him. “That’s our friend, who you are talking about,” she said with a stern voice. “And well…she dated you," she added with a pointed look.

“Ouch,” Sirius said with a chuckle. “But since we are being truthful here, I am quite unforgettable. I reckon one would have a hard time finding someone as brilliant as me, which is probably why Marley's not even trying,” he said and winked at Lily, who rolled her eyes at him.

James shook his head in amusement while Peter was walking sluggishly behind everyone, stumbling on the steps every now and then.

“Oh, I doubt that, Black.” Lily scoffed.

“Really?” Sirius challenged, glancing at Hermione’s direction, as if to point out she hadn’t gotten further than his brother.

Hermione was getting uncomfortable by the minute. She really didn’t want to be involved in the conversation.

To her relief, Sirius merely shrugged as they neared the portrait hole to the Gryffindor Tower.

After entering their dark and empty common room, they bid each other good night before disappearing into their respective dorms.

Chapter Text

Chapter 25: A Revelation

Monday, 20 February 1978

Monday started with a double Defence class, and the NEWT students were practicing duelling again. This time Hermione was paired with a slightly ill looking Remus. Even though she knew the full moon would be on Thursday, she only now realised how affected he was already, several days before the full moon. She could see him trying to put on a cheerful face, even though he probably felt quite awful.

"Remus… are you okay?" She whispered as the others paired up around them.

He frowned at her, his jaw clenching. "Yeah."

"You look a bit ill. Shouldn't you go back to your dorm and rest?"

Remus narrowed his eyes at her. "Please stop, Hermione. Let's just start with the duel," he said harshly.

Hermione blinked at him, somewhat taken aback. "Okay," she murmured quietly.

They took their positions, and after the duelling formalities, they started throwing jinxes and hexes in a slow pace. Hermione tried to attack as little as possible, as she saw how much effort it took for him to cast a basic shield charm. As they  went on, Remus went paler and breathed heavier, and Hermione knew she had to do something, before Remus would pass out. She gave a helpless look at Sirius, who was partnered with a Ravenclaw near them, and beckoned him over.

"What is it?" Sirius asked as he came to them, his gaze focused on his friend. "Moony… You are supposed to take it easy," Sirius whispered to him.

Remus rolled his eyes in annoyance.

Sirius turned to Hermione. "Go to Prewett. Tell him I'll take Remus to the hospital wing," he said tensely.

Hermione's brows lifted slightly. She had thought Remus simply needed to go to his dormitory, but that he actually needed to see Pomfrey...

"Pads, I'm fine. I can take care of myself," Remus said quietly, glancing quickly around them, evidently trying to see if anyone was listening them.

Sirius merely lifted his brows at him and turned to Hermione again, gesturing for her to move.

"Oh. Okay, I'll go," Hermione said and turned to walk away.

As she moved between the duelling students towards Gideon, Mary grabbed her hand. She had been duelling Lily, and both girls eyed Hermione with curiosity and worry.

"Mione? What's going on? Is Remus okay?" Mary asked with confusion, nodding at Sirius and Remus who were bickering in the back of the classroom.

"Oh, um, he's a bit ill, I think. I'm just going to inform Prewett about it," Hermione said and tried to smile reassuringly.

Mary frowned. "Can you…go with him?" Mary asked hesitantly.

Hermione chewed the inside of her cheek in hesitation.

"Mione…Please? He's been acting weird lately and he won't talk to me about what's bothering him…" Mary whispered with a confused expression. "I know he talks to you about some of it..."

Lily and Hermione shared a wary look.

"Um. All right. I'll go," Hermione smiled. "I'll see you at lunch."

She left the class after informing Gideon about Remus, and spotted Sirius and Remus walking further along the corridor. Gideon seemed to be aware of Remus's illness and had only replied that Remus was lucky to have such good friends to take care of him, before he had waved her off and returned his focus on the duellers in his class.

"Hey, can I help?" Hermione said as she fell into step with the boys.

Both of them eyed her in surprise.

"Why are you here?" Sirius asked curiously.

"Well, since someone has been acting like a stubborn little boyfriend recently, Mary asked me to go with you," she said softly, smiling at Remus who frowned and looked away.

Sirius smirked. "Yep, that's our Moony," he said as they walked forward. "He's been speaking Welsh all night and morning," he added with a dry chuckle. "Told him to come here straight away but the sad sod wanted to go gambling," Sirius continued with a wry tone as they neared the hospital wing.

"I'm right here, Pads," Remus said tightly. He entered the hospital wing with a huff, while Sirius merely shook his head in a mix of exasperation and amusement.

"After you," Sirius said to Hermione, holding the door politely.

Hermione nodded and followed Remus in. Madam Pomfrey had him already sitting on one of the hospital beds and was in the process of asking him a set of questions that seemed to be a regularity between them.

"So…is this normal?" Hermione asked with puzzlement as she stood next to Sirius, slightly further away from Remus's bed in order to give the matron space to work.

Of course she had known Remus wasn't in his full strength during the days before the full moon, but she hadn't known that he would have to stop by in the hospital wing to take some potions to make himself feel better.

Sirius shrugged. "Sometimes," he said simply.

Hermione could see concern edged on his face.

"He's just having a hard time accepting the effects of his illness. Happens every once in a while," Sirius continued quietly, glancing at Hermione.

She understood. Remus didn't want to back out from the duelling class, because he didn't want his illness to affect his school grades, or his life.

"I just wish there was something I could do to help him…you know?" Sirius muttered with a sigh, his eyes trained at his friend on the hospital bed, who probably heard every word they said, thanks to his lupine hearing.

Hermione eyed Sirius thoughtfully. She knew the boys had done so much already to help Remus by accompanying him in their Animagus forms during the full moon, but of course she couldn't say anything about the matter. But perhaps there was something more that could be done to help Remus through the full moons. And she possibly had a solution to that.

"What?" Sirius asked, shifting awkwardly as she still stared him.

Hermione blinked and looked away. "Oh, nothing. I was just…thinking about something," she explained vaguely.

The truth was that she had been alone in the Grimmauld Place library the day before and had browsed through the endless bookshelves, ending up with a book about advanced potions and poisons.

In the end, the book itself hadn't held her interest so much as the photograph that had fallen from the middle of it. It was of the Black family – Sirius wasn't in the photo, naturally. They were sitting, rather stiffly in her opinion, with another family, discussing something as the picture moved.

"What's this?" Hermione muttered as she studied the picture, and after staring it for a while, she turned it over. There was writing on the back of it, and she had to squint in order to read the text.

"Belby…" she said softly.

"I know that name…Where do I know that name from?" She said absently, eyeing around her in the empty library. Nothing came to her mind, and eventually she abandoned the book and left towards the Gryffindor tower.

As she was lying in her own bed that night, ready to go to sleep, it came to her.

Damocles Belby, the inventor of the Wolfsbane Potion.

In the morning, she had sent a message to Regulus to ask if he could meet her in the Room of Requirement after lunch, before their afternoon classes. She hoped he could help her to get in touch with Damocles Belby.

After a while, Madam Pomfrey retreated back to her office, ordering Remus to stay in the hospital wing until dinnertime, and urging him to come back again if he felt ill.

"Well, I'm off to have some fresh air," Sirius said and took a pack of cigarettes from his pockets, chuckling as Hermione pursed her lips in disapproval. "Cheers then," he said with a wave and exited the hospital wing.

Hermione and Remus waved at him before she sat down next to Remus's bed. She eyed him with a stern look in her eyes.

"Don't look at me like that," Remus muttered with an annoyed voice.

Hermione gave him a faint smile. Boys…

"Why didn't you tell me you're seeing him?" Remus asked suddenly, eyeing her searchingly.

"What?" Hermione asked, her smile faltering.

"You know what I'm talking about… You do know I…smelled you…on Saturday," he said, grimacing at the words.

She flushed bright red. "Merlin…this is so embarrassing."

"Tell me about it," he grumbled.

Hermione sighed. "I think…I think I wanted to tell Sirius first, but…he sort of figured it out," she explained slowly.

Remus nodded. "So…you're together? You and Regulus?"

"No. I don't know… It's complicated," Hermione said with a frown.

Remus laughed. "I thought my life was complicated."

Hermione joined his laughter. He had no idea exactly how complicated her life was.

They were silent for a while before she spoke. "Have you, um…heard about the Wolfsbane Potion?" Hermione asked vaguely.

Remus gave her a perplexed look. "Yeah. Heard rumours of it. Why do you ask?" He asked suspiciously.

Hermione shrugged. "No reason," she said innocently and decided to change the topic before Remus could press the issue any further. "What about you and Mary? What’s going on between you two?" She asked tentatively.

Remus groaned. "I dunno," he grunted and sighed. "I like her. A lot…It's just that...I want to tell her about me. About my illness. But…"

"You're afraid she runs for the hills?" She finished the sentence for him, eyeing him with a sad smile.

His gaze moved down. "Yeah."

"She won't. I know her. Yes, she might freak out a bit but she will see past that. Trust me," Hermione said, trying to encourage him.

Remus didn't say anything back, but simply stared ahead in thought.

After lunch, and reassuring Mary that everything was okay with her boyfriend, Hermione met with Regulus in the Room of Requirement.

"Is everything okay?" Regulus asked as he entered the room, which was transfigured to match the Ravenclaw common room this time.

Hermione was examining the statue of Rowena Ravenclaw and turned to smile shyly at him as she heard him speak. She hadn't still quite wrapped her head around what had happened between them during the weekend. His mouth curved a bit and as he came to stand next to her, he placed a chaste kiss on her lips and brushed his thumb against her cheekbone.

"Yes," she said, blushing under his gaze.

"Why are we in the Ravenclaw tower?" He asked absently as he observed her flushed features with a small smile playing on his lips.

Hermione shrugged. "Just wanted a bit of change."

He arched a brow but said nothing. "So…why am I here?" he murmured, staring at her intently.

Hermione cleared her throat. "Actually…there's something I wanted to talk to you about," she said and turned to search her schoolbag. "Ah-ha," she muttered after a moment, pulled out a moving photograph and handed it to him.

"Where did you get this?" He asked slowly. There was a small frown between his brows as he stared at the picture. It was the photograph in which Regulus sat with his parents, along with Damocles Belby and his family.

She cringed a bit. "I, uh…might've looked around a bit in your library," she said and gave him an innocent smile.

He smirked at her. "Okay. And this?" He lifted the photograph.

"Well…I found it between some old potions book and then I recognised the man in the picture. That is Damocles Belby, right?" She explained, eyeing Regulus carefully.

Regulus stared at her with an unreadable expression. "How do you know him?"

Hermione bit her lip, wondering what she ought to say to him "Um… He's, uh, the inventor of the - the Wolfsbane potion," she said clumsily.

Regulus's gaze hardened. "I know."

Hermione shifted in her place. "Are you…friends with him?" She asked hesitantly.

He watched her for a moment before he replied, with reserve in his voice. "We're in speaking terms."

She let out a sigh of relief. "Okay…"

"What is it that you wish to achieve, Hermione?" He asked bluntly.

He really wasn't making it easy. And she clearly had to tell him something…

"I…I have a friend. Who would benefit a lot if he –"

"You mean Lupin?" He asked sharply.

Hermione blanched. "You…know about him?" She asked with a faint voice.

Regulus inclined his head.

"Oh."

"So…you want me to contact him? Belby?" He asked, staring at her with a piercing gaze.

She had a feeling he knew her every thought by merely looking at her. Her brows lifted slightly, a flicker of hope crossing through her. "Could you? I mean, I would like to know if the potion is going into production soon, or if it is already, or if it's still in a testing phase," she babbled.

He gave her a curt nod. "Yeah, okay. I'll owl him."

Hermione smiled at him, feeling grateful and relieved. "Thank you," she said and leaned to kiss him.

Regulus immediately answered the kiss, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her tightly against him, a move that had her sigh affectionately into his mouth. Her hands found their way into his silky hair, tugging it every time he nipped and sucked her lips. He pushed his tongue inside her mouth, tasting her as she tasted him back. The kiss had quickly turned into a heated one, and as their stifled moans echoed through the room, their bodies wound around each other more tightly, their hips bucking against one another.

Regulus suddenly grinned against her lips, breaking their moment of passion, leaving them both panting heavily against each other's mouths.

"We'll miss classes, love," he murmured as his hands stroked her sides.

Hermione let out a disappointed sigh. "You're right. I'd better go if I want to make it into the greenrooms in time. What do you have?" She asked, smoothed her hands affectionately through his hair, before placing them to rest against his shoulders.

He took her hands in his and kissed her fingertips. "Potions."

Regulus leaned to give her lips a final soft kiss before they parted their ways.

Dinner went slowly by, and Hermione was starting to feel anxious – she was going to meet Dumbledore, McGonagall and Gideon afterwards at the Headmaster’s office. On Sunday, she had sent a note to the Headmaster as soon as she had woken up and gathered enough strength to get up from bed, and Dumbledore had then suggested that they would meet on Monday evening, after dinner. As their plans to gather had come in such a short notice, Fabian wasn’t able to join them this time.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the Marauders who were sniggering near her. She was sitting on her usual seat, across from Lily and between Mary and Marlene. James and Sirius sat on Lily's other side with Remus and Peter opposite to them.

"You seriously told the professor a dog ate your homework? And you expected him to believe it?" Lily asked from Peter incredulously.

Peter shrugged helplessly back, while the rest of the Marauders laughed.

"Oh, great…" Mary grumbled after glancing at Sirius, who looked overjoyed by the pun and was grinning at Lily. Hermione swore she heard everyone in their table let out a frustrated groan.

"No Lils, Pete here told the professor a dog ate his homework," Sirius said and winked at the redhead. The boys smirked at each other.

Lily sent a glare at Sirius's direction and turned back to Peter.

"Did you get detention?" She asked from Peter, shaking her head in exasperation.

Peter nodded.

Sirius cleared his throat. "I hope you learn something from this, Pete. It's not very beneficial to leave your homework undone," Sirius scolded him teasingly, while James and Remus both suppressed their grins.

"But…I didn't leave it undone," Peter argued weakly.

Sirius, James and Remus continued laughing.

"You are one to talk. In how many detentions have you boys been since the start of our seventh year?" Alice asked from the Marauders, her brow arched in a knowing look.

"I'm pretty sure the question is directed to you two," Remus said and smirked at Sirius and James.

Sirius shrugged. "Dunno. Something around twelve…Or perhaps fifteen?" He said and tapped his finger against his lips, looking thoughtful. James chuckled next to him while Lily glared at them. "But I have to say Prongs and I have never received detention because of such a lame-arsed excuse as Pete has," Sirius continued and exchanged a wolfish grin with James.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Hey, Pete? Next time a dog eats your homework, come to me okay?" Hermione asked, smiling sweetly at Peter, and then turned her eyes to Sirius. "I'll hunt it down," she continued with narrowed eyes.

Sirius flinched and averted his eyes, and the boys eyed each other nervously.

After dinner Hermione walked quickly towards the Headmaster's office and after entering, she sat down next to McGonagall and Gideon.

"So, Hermione. I believe you have some news for us?" Dumbledore asked, smiling kindly at Hermione.

She nodded. "It's about the last Horcrux. The one we don't know about," she said quickly, when the others eyed her with interest.

"I stumbled into Rowena Ravenclaw's statue the other day and saw the diadem on her head. At first, I thought nothing of it, but then I recalled what was said about it in the Hogwarts, A History. That it was the only known relic that once belonged to Rowena Ravenclaw. And that the legend says it is the Lost Diadem of Ravenclaw," she explained enthusiastically.

McGonagall lifted her brows. "Of course…The Diadem of Ravenclaw," she murmured, while Dumbledore merely smiled.

"So…you reckon it could be a Horcrux?" Gideon asked, turning to look at Dumbledore.

Dumbledore looked thoughtful for a moment. "It would make sense, as Voldemort has gathered some powerful magical objects from the other houses. But…there is another possibility, if we are thinking specifically about the known relics belonging to the founders of Hogwarts," he muttered, eyeing the others.

"The sword of Gryffindor," Hermione said quietly.

Dumbledore nodded.

She shook her head. "No. Only a true Gryffindor would even be able to acquire the sword, and then there's the fact that I know it wasn't a Horcrux," she explained.

"How?" McGonagall asked, a small frown between her brows.

"We used it to destroy one," Hermione said simply, while the others gave her bewildered looks. Hermione sighed. "You remember Harry? Well…he killed the Basilisk with the Sword of Gryffindor, and as the sword is goblin made, it –"

"Only takes in that which makes it stronger," Dumbledore finished calmly.

Gideon gave Hermione a baffled look. "When was this? I thought the Basilisk was defeated when you were in school?"

"Yes. It was our second year. Harry was twelve," Hermione said weakly.

McGonagall and Gideon gaped at her. "Twelve…" McGonagall exclaimed with a horrified expression.

Hermione nodded grimly. "So…the sword can probably be factored out."

Dumbledore inclined his head with a solemn look on his face.

"Perhaps we could now start to inspect the possibility that Voldemort has somehow managed to find the Lost Diadem of Ravenclaw," Dumbledore finally said, after a moment of silence.

Hermione, Gideon and McGonagall all nodded at him before they continued into other topics.

"What were you doing in the Ravenclaw Tower?" Gideon asked nonchalantly as Hermione walked with him away from the Headmaster's office.

She lifted her brows in surprise. "How did you…oh. The statue," she said with comprehension.

He nodded as his mouth curved a bit.

"I, uh…well. I was in a gathering of sorts…" she said vaguely.

Gideon laughed. "You were in the Quidditch party last Saturday, right?"

Hermione smiled sheepishly. "Yeah."

It wasn't that parties were banned in the school, but this particular party had gotten a bit out of hand, as several students had been caught wandering through the halls after curfew, on their way to their own dorms. Hermione was a bit surprised that their group had managed to get into their tower without being seen.

Saturday, 25 February 1978

"How’s the wedding planning going?" Mary asked from Alice as they sat down in the small and steamy tea shop of Madam Puddifoot's.

Hermione didn't exactly fancy the place, and had actually managed to avoid it…until now at least. The girls had wanted to go somewhere else than the pub for a change, and since there weren't really any other options, they had come into the cramped tea shop, which was decorated with frills, lace and bows. There were winged cherubs, left from the Valentine's Day celebrations, hovering over the tables and throwing pink confetti here and there.

Hermione noticed that the place was crowded with couples who were holding hands. She tried to push away the bitter thought of never really having the opportunity to date. She had never had the time, and now…it was too complicated. It really seemed like a lifetime ago, when she had wished that Ron would have taken her out on a date and held her hand. In the end, he had chosen someone else and then Hermione had been thrown into a never-ending Horcrux hunt.

"Still fighting with Frank's mother, about everything it seems," Alice replied with a frustrated sigh. "Although now we've agreed that I can wear whichever dress I want. That at least is something I get to decide on," she said with a dry chuckle.

"I mean, it's a farce," Alice continued, rolling her eyes. "But Frank's worth it," she added with a small smile.

Marlene chuckled. "So, everything's good in that front?" She asked with a wink.

"Yep," Alice smiled shyly.

Mary snorted while Hermione and Lily grinned at their friend.

"What about the bridesmaids' dresses?" Mary asked suddenly.

Alice looked a bit uncomfortable. "Eh…Augusta picked them already," she said with a slight grimace, her eyes flickering away from Mary.

"Allie…" Mary warned. "Please tell me they are not the horrible tablecloths we laughed at, hmm?" She asked, a hint of alarm in her eyes.

Alice winced. "Do you want me to lie?" She asked while shrinking back in her chair.

Lily, Hermione and Marlene tried to keep a straight face. Mary was the only bridesmaid from their group, as Augusta had insisted Alice should only have two bridesmaids, and the other one had to come from Frank's side.

While Mary scowled at the table, the girls continued their talk.

"When’s the big day?" Hermione asked and took a sip of her tea.

"July 15th, and you're all invited. You will receive official invitations later," Alice said promptly, looking somewhat excited.

"And the venue?" Lily asked carefully, evidently remembering their friend’s unhappiness towards the place.

Alice made a face. "Well, it's the Old Mill, in Reading, Berkshire. I went to see the place on our last Hogsmeade visit, and, well…I have to say that I thought it would be much, much worse than it was," she said with a shrug.

"So…I reckon the plans are going quite well then? I mean, you have already decided on the venue, the guests and the day?" Hermione asked kindly and Alice nodded.

"Although…I still don't have a dress…" Alice said with a worried look. "I actually wanted to go to Gladrags today, to see if they have any appropriate dresses, and whether it's possible to order them there for a fitting," she muttered while Lily and Marlene looked at her with enthusiasm.

"Can we come? Oh, I love wedding dresses!" Lily squeaked and stared into distance with a dreamy gaze.

Marlene nodded in agreement, her eyes glinting with excitement. Hermione smiled at their expressions.

Alice laughed. "Yeah, I was actually counting on that. You didn't think I'd go alone there, or with my sulking bridesmaid?" Alice said teasingly, giving Mary a nudge and smirking at her.

Mary stuck her tongue out at her but smiled back nonetheless.

They left towards the Gladrags Wizardwear after a while. The main road was almost empty, and everyone seemed to have escaped the cold weather inside the shops and pubs. Snow was slowly falling to the ground and the village looked quite peaceful, wrapped up in a snowy blanket.

At Gladrags Wizardwear, the girls divided into two groups, searching suitable dresses for Alice. Hermione and Mary searched one side of the shop while Lily, Alice and Marlene went through the other side.

"How's Remus?" Hermione asked from Mary as they browsed through their third clothing rack.

Mary shrugged. "Dunno. He's been pretty distant lately. And now he's taken ill," she frowned. "I know there's something he's not telling me, and it's like...he's gathering courage to spill the bloody thing out for me."

Hermione sighed. "I'm sure he talks to you when he's ready," she said, giving her friend a cheering smile.

"That's just it. I think what he's itching to say is that he wants to break up with me," Mary commented and bit her lip, looking somewhat helpless.

"I'm sure that's not it. Just the other day he told me how much he likes you," Hermione encouraged.

Mary gave her a small smile and sighed. "Fucking men."

"Yeah."

They didn't find any suitable dresses from the shop, and while Alice went to have a chat with the shopkeeper to go through a dress catalogue, the rest of the girls waited in the seating area near the changing rooms.

"So, what about you, Mione?" Mary asked. "How's your dating life?" She asked, continuing their conversation about relationships.

Hermione bit her lip. "Nothing to tell."

"Really?" Lily asked with a teasing look.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at her. Mary and Marlene eyed them curiously, but said nothing.

"Well, I for one have something to divulge," Marlene said and smirked at the others. "I'm dating Giles. Exclusively," she stated proudly.

Mary, Lily and Hermione frowned, glancing quickly at each other. Clearly none of them had any idea who Giles was.

"Who's Giles?" Mary asked after a moment, a ghost of a smile on her lips.

Marlene rolled her eyes. "The bloke from Ravenclaw?" She said simply. When the others were still staring at her in confusion, she continued exasperatedly, "The one I shagged last weekend."

"Ooh..." The girls finally said in comprehension.

Marlene narrowed her eyes at them.

"You're like a couple now?" Alice asked behind them, eyeing Marlene cheerfully.

Marlene nodded. "Yeah."

"Brilliant! I'll change your invite to plus one," Alice said excitedly.

"What? I didn't have a plus one?" Marlene asked, looking affronted.

Alice looked a bit troublesome. "Well…you know. You haven't been going that steady with anyone since the thing with you and Sirius ended and I just…" she stammered, looking like she didn't know how to continue. Alice glanced at the others, evidently trying to get some help from one of them.

Marlene cracked a smile. "I'm just messing with you, Brown," she said and stood up, sniggering at Alice's expression, which turned quickly into annoyance.

They left the clothing store and decided to have a quick lunch before leaving the village.

"When do you reckon James's going to pop the question?" Mary asked thoughtfully as they walked back to the castle.

Lily's eyes widened with dread and she whirled to look at Mary. "What? He hasn't said anything, has he?" She asked quickly, anxiety edged on her face.

Mary chuckled. "Well, since that's your reaction, I hope to Merlin he's not going to do it too soon," Mary said, smirking at her while Marlene and Alice laughed.

Lily heaved a sigh of relief and joined their laughter.

Hermione frowned. "You don't want him to propose? I mean, eventually?"

"Of course I want it to happen someday…But not now. I'm young, and I want to live properly before I become someone’s wife…and mother," she said simply. "No offence, Allie," she added.

Alice smiled at her. "None taken. And I've been with Frank for ages. We both know what we want," she answered confidently.

Hermione could only admire her. She wished she too had someone she was sure of. Or even someone she could talk about with the girls.

"But everything is good with James, right?" Hermione asked, still feeling a bit worried as she glanced at Lily who was walking next to her.

"Yes, of course." Lily smiled. "I mean, he can be an extreme prat sometimes, but mainly he's adorable. I don't know why I waited this long for us to happen…" she muttered with a soft expression.

Alice cracked a smile. "You were waiting for him to grow up a bit, or so we reckon," she stated while Mary and Marlene nodded in agreement.

Lily shrugged. "Perhaps."

"Have you seen Snape?" Hermione asked tentatively.

The others whirled to look at them.

Lily shrugged. "Not since last month at the library."

"What? You went to the library with him?" Mary asked in bewilderment. "Are you like…buddies now? How does James feel about it? You know they hate each other, right?"

"I think it's kind of sweet that he gave you a late Christmas present though." Alice said with a shrug.

"Yeah, but does that erase how he acted?" Marlene asked with a disapproving look.

Lily sighed. "I went to the library with Hermione, but he joined our company, and then we studied together. Nothing more. And James doesn't have a say who I'm friends with, but if it soothes you," she looked at Marlene pointedly, "I don't really see us going back to the way we were. Not after everything that has happened," she finished wearily.

The others gave her somewhat uncomfortable nods.

"But…I still forgave him." Lily said quietly.

Hermione gave her hand a squeeze. "I think you did the right thing. There's no point holding a grudge against someone," she said, speaking from experience. She had had to let go of many grudges after her arrival to this time.

The girls all went silent, and with thoughtful looks on their faces they continued their walk towards the school.

"I'm telling you, she didn't have any hair in, you know…down under," Sirius said with a wink, while James stared at him suspicion.

"Nothing?" Remus asked in bewilderment.

"Yep."

"Really?" Peter asked in disbelief.

"Yep."

"Oh…fuck me." James muttered, a deep frown on his face as he evidently tried to picture it.

Sirius smirked at his friend. "Nah…I'll fuck her."

James rolled his eyes at him, while Remus and Peter chuckled. Sirius decided to mess with his friend a bit more.

"Although Prongs…anytime you think Lily's not enough, don't hesitate to come to me," Sirius continued with a sincere look. "I'll make it worth your while," he said and sniggered when James sent a glare at him.

"Bugger off," James said with a huff.

"Why? Am I making you uncomfortable?" Sirius replied with laughter in his voice, standing up from his armchair beside Remus's bed, a sly grin plastered on his face as he approached James, who was sitting at the foot of the bed. "By the way, interesting choice of words," he added, grinning as he leaned closer to James.

James narrowed his eyes at his friend. "I swear to Merlin if you touch me, Pads, I'm gonna kick you square in the nuts," he growled.

Sirius barked a laugh and returned to his seat. Remus and Peter eyed their banter with amused grins.

"Just because it has to be said; Lily's quite adequate," James muttered with a challenging look.

Sirius smirked. "If she's as bossy in the sack as she's the rest of the time, I don't really doubt it," he muttered and shared a sly grin with Peter.

"Watch it," James warned.

Remus grinned and shook his head in amusement. They started talking about Quidditch and the approaching match that was to be played between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff.

"I reckon we don't have anything to worry about," Sirius drawled, stifling a yawn. He knew they were in top shape, and was confident that the Hufflepuff team didn't actually stand a chance.

Remus frowned. "But you have to admit, Pads, they've put together quite a team this year."

"Yeah, I'm with Moony on this one. You can never be too careful," James muttered. "Although the last game did give some perspective about their game style and how aggressive they are on the pitch..." he continued thoughtfully.

"By the way, do you reckon Hermione knows about us?" James asked suddenly, eyeing Sirius and Peter with a dubious look. "You know, the way she spoke the other day…"

Sirius thought back to what she had said to them. It sure as hell had sounded like she knew what he was in his animagus form. He also recalled one time she had talked about Peter with reference to a rat. He gave his friends a grimace. "Dunno actually. She might. I mean, she knows about Moony, but I never told her about him or the rest of us."

"Maybe you could, I don't know…ask her?" Remus suggested.

James snorted. "What? 'Hey, Hermione. Did ya know we're all animals?'"

Sirius smirked. "Some more than others if the rumours are true," he continued and gave Remus a pointed look.

Remus groaned while James and Peter laughed.

"No, well, I don't really know a subtle way of asking if she knows about you guys, without making her suspicious, so…perhaps we'll just have to wait and look closely how she reacts when either one of you dickheads throws your stupid jokes around her," Remus said exasperatedly, while the others still chuckled.

Hermione was waiting for Regulus in the Room of Requirement's version of the Gryffindor common room. He had sent her a message to her charmed galleon earlier that day. His 'pen-pal' had replied to him, and Regulus had asked if they could meet in the Room of Requirement that night after dinner.

"Hey," Regulus said and walked towards the seating area in front of the fireplace where she sat, in the corner of the sofa, with her legs tucked under her.

"Hey," Hermione replied as he leaned to kiss her before sitting next to her.

"He replied?" Hermione asked and eyed him in anticipation.

A smile tugged his lips, evidently because of her excitement.

He nodded and handed over a letter from his pocket. Hermione took it quickly and started to read it, biting her lip in concentration as her eyes skimmed over the parchment.

"Wow…This is…" she muttered, after finishing the letter.

"Yeah," Regulus murmured. He watched her features closely, looking relaxed.

"So…he's searching for volunteer werewolves to study the effects of the Wolfsbane potion…" Hermione muttered, her eyes moving fervently across the letter.

"If your friend is interested in joining the study, please contact me as soon as possible. We are hoping to start the experiment during the summer at the latest," Hermione read aloud, whirling to look at Regulus and barely holding back an excited squeal.

"This is brilliant!" She cried, grinning at him widely.

Regulus's lips twitched. "If you say so."

Hermione shook her head in amazement. "I have to tell him! Reg…he'll be over the moon…" she rambled on enthusiastically and chuckled inwardly at the pun.

His mouth curved up into a small smile. "Well, go on then…"

Hermione pecked him on the cheek and jumped from the sofa, sprinting away from the room, the letter clutched in her hand.

Hermione entered the hospital wing, glancing quickly around. The place was quiet, as it was too late for an official visiting hour. She slipped behind the curtains of the bed she knew Remus was situated in, being the only bed that was occupied in the infirmary.

He was sleeping but stirred when he felt her sit on the edge of the bed.

"Hermione?" Remus mumbled sleepily, frowning at her. He sat up quickly, the covers falling onto his lap and revealing his bare chest. "What are you doing here?" He asked in confusion, shifting awkwardly as Hermione's eyes moved down his chest, which was covered in bruises and cuts, some of them quite deep.

She cleared her throat and moved her eyes back to his, handing him the letter.

"What is this?" He muttered, taking the letter and reading it, his eyes widening as he went on. "W-What?" He mumbled, glancing at Hermione with a mix of shock and anxiety on his features. "Is this real? You're not taking the piss?"

Hermione nodded excitedly. "He is the inventor of the potion. And he wants you to join the testing before it goes into production. I reckon there will be some others attending as well…" Hermione continued, and then eyed his reaction. "…Will you do it?" She asked hesitantly.

Remus barked a laugh. "Will I do it? Of course I'll do it!" He cried and quickly closed his mouth, cringing as he seemed to remember they were in the hospital wing.

After listening for a moment to make sure the matron wasn't alerted by the yelling, Hermione cast a silencing charm around them, so they could continue their talk freely.

"How?" Remus asked, eyeing Hermione intently after re-reading the letter.

Hermione shrugged. "He's friends with Regulus…I asked him to contact Belby, to merely ask in which phase the potion is at the moment," Hermione said. "I didn't assume he'd suggest for you to join the experiment."

Hermione had started to suspect that maybe Regulus had asked far more than a simple question.

Remus shook his head in awe. "Thank you," he said and stared into her eyes with such sincerity and gratitude that it made her almost avert her eyes.

"Don't thank me yet. It might not work, you never know…" Hermione said with a smile. 

It would work. She was sure of it.

He chuckled. "Even the possibility of something that might make this easier for me, is something I'm grateful for," he said and smiled, staring at her with an astonished expression.

"I'll let him know then, and perhaps he can contact you after that?" Hermione asked enthusiastically.

"Yeah, of course," Remus said with a dazed voice, still a bit taken aback by the news.

Friday, 3 March 1978

Hermione was standing in the cave, accompanied by Gideon, Fabian, McGonagall and Dumbledore. It was the first time they were there since destroying the Ring.

"I swear this place gives me the creeps…" Fabian muttered as he put an assortment of potions on a small table they had conjured next to a pair of armchairs.

The general mood amongst them was not as cheerful as it had been last year, as their near failure the month before was still darkening their thoughts.

"It's going to be okay, Fabian," Hermione said with a reassuring voice, although she herself was feeling rather unsure about how things could escalate.

Gideon eyed them for a moment. "Are you guys ready for this?" He asked and glanced at McGonagall and Dumbledore who were waiting for them further along the vast cave.

"Yeah, of course, brother," Fabian said and shrugged. "I mean, slaying fiery beasts is what I live for…" he continued dryly, walking past Gideon, who shook his head at his brother.

"Hermione?" Gideon asked with a hint of worry in his eyes.

Hermione merely nodded and followed Fabian.

Later on, she reckoned that perhaps she should have said that she wasn't in fact ready for it. She also later wondered if she would ever be ready for it. Everything had gone quite alright, until it was her turn to cast the curse. Somehow, she had lost her focus and had almost ended up being eaten by a fiery chimaera. As she had been staring stonily at the approaching cursed fire, the only thing she had thought was that if she died, she could finally be reunited with Harry, Ron and her parents.

What had happened afterwards was a big blur in her head. Dumbledore had put out the flames, but not before the cursed fire had touched her skin. As Hermione had been screaming in agony and pain, Gideon had carried her quickly onto a conjured sofa and poured some potions down her throat before mending the wounds in her hands and chest with the help of the others.

They had decided to end their practice on that note, and as Hermione had rested miserably on the sofa, staring at the cave ceiling before she was allowed to travel back to the castle, she tried not think of anything. It wasn't that she was badly injured or at least nothing a little magic and potions couldn't cure, but what bothered her was the emotional turmoil she was in. The dark magic was crawling inside her, trying to take a hold of her, darkening her mind and spirit.

When Gideon and Fabian escorted her to the Gryffindor Tower, Hermione spoke nothing to them, only bid the two men good night and glanced at their worried expressions before she walked through the portrait hole into the dark and empty common room.

She slumped on the sofa and stared at the embers of the fire. A moment later a tear escaped from the corner of her eye. What if she had seen them? 

She knew her Harry, her Ron and her parents weren't here. They were in a different universe. They could be dead for what she knew. More tears rolled down her cheeks. She let out a strangled moan as she began to cry in earnest, shuddering on the sofa, her knees drawn up and hands draped around them. She cried for the friends she had lost, the parents she no longer had and her near-death experience. What frightened her the most, was the fact that for a small moment, she had considered it. Giving up. Letting go. Dying.

Her breath was stuttering when she tried to take deep breaths to calm down, failing brilliantly.

A bit later, there was a noise coming from the girls' dormitories. Someone was coming down to the common room.

"Mione?" Lily asked hesitantly, as soon as she stepped into the common room, wearing her pyjamas. "I was hoping you had come back from - what's wrong?" She asked with worry and walked the rest of her steps quickly as she noticed Hermione's shaken appearance.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" Lily asked again anxiously, as Hermione continued crying, shuddering and staring ahead, feeling empty.

Lily looked around them helplessly before she sat down next to Hermione, hugging her close.

"Shh…it's okay, Mione. Just tell me what's wrong and we'll figure it out, okay?" Lily whispered, but nothing she did or said made any difference.

Hermione couldn't stop. It felt like she didn't have the strength to do anything.

"Shite," Lily cursed under her breath, seeming properly concerned now. "Let's go to the hospital wing, okay?" She asked, but Hermione didn't even look at her.

She didn't want to see the worry in her friend's eyes, she didn't want to see her pity. And it felt like she couldn't move even if she wanted to. It was like she was in some kind of a trance, aware of what was happening around her but so deeply tied to her thoughts that she couldn't let them go.

"What's going on?" Sirius's voice questioned as he exited the boys' dormitory, wearing only his pyjama bottoms.

Lily whirled to see him. "I don't know!" She exclaimed impatiently. “I found her like this a moment ago, and it's like she doesn't even realise I'm here!" She hissed at him, her voice filled with worry and dread.

Hermione wanted to say something, but then she remembered the moment once more - the moment in the cave, right before she had nearly died. She covered her face with her hands and sobbed quietly, her body shaking.

"What?" Sirius mumbled, walking quickly closer. "Hermione? What's wrong?" Sirius asked gently, prying her hands away from her face, holding them between his while kneeling in front of her.

"Hermione?" He asked again, with more force in his voice.

Hermione only shook her head, not looking at either of them, her tears slowly ebbing.

Sirius frowned. "Can I take you to the hospital wing?" He asked softly, while Lily made an agreeing sound.

Hermione shook her head again, her eyes staring emptily ahead. She didn't feel like crying anymore, but she still felt empty. She was still consumed by her thoughts about Harry, Ron and her parents.

"Okay. Just…lie down okay?" Sirius murmured, and to his and Lily's surprise, she obeyed and went to lie down on the sofa, her face towards the fireplace.

Hermione closed her eyes and tried not to remember. Tried not to feel empty anymore.

"What now?" Lily whispered to Sirius, sounding anxious.

Sirius grunted. "Fuck if I know," he snapped quietly. "What the hell was wrong with her in the first place?" He asked, sounding bewildered.

Lily huffed. "I said I don't know! I just found her like that," she hissed back to him.

Then Sirius's focus was on the table next to the sofa, where Hermione's wand was lying on. There was a galleon beside it, and for some reason, it piqued his interest.

"What's this?" He murmured, taking the coin in his hand. “A fake galleon?”

"Oh, that's just a way of communicating. The other girls and I have similar ones, they are exact copies of hers," Lily explained. "Although…that does not look like the ones we have," she said absently, looking at the coin in Sirius's hand.

"That's because it isn't," he said grimly, evidently finding out who had the other coin.

Hermione opened her eyes but she didn't have the energy to argue or to explain. She didn't have the power to remove herself from the depressing and consuming thoughts.

"Is that…" Lily started but didn't finish as Sirius grabbed his own wand and tapped it at the coin. "I'll ask him what the fuck did he do."

"Sirius…" Lily said with an exasperated voice. "You shouldn't," she said but Hermione could hear a hint of doubt on her voice.

Sirius huffed. "He's asking where she is..." he grumbled and tapped his wand against the coin once more. "If that fucking piece of shit has done something to her, I'm gonna kill him," Sirius growled angrily, moving further away to pace in front of the fire.

Lily eyed him warily, but said nothing. There was a long silence, during which Lily and Sirius both kept throwing worried glanced during Hermione's direction.

When Lily finally suggested that she would go to the infirmary to get Madam Pomfrey to see Hermione in their common room, the portrait to their common room opened. Regulus came inside, frowning at the assembly in front of the fire.

"What's going on?" He asked cautiously, his eyes moving from Sirius to Lily, and finally resting on Hermione. "Hermione? Love?" He said quietly.

Sirius glared at him. "Did you do this to her?" He snarled, walking in front of his brother before he reached the sitting area.

"Of course not," Regulus said quietly, a small frown between his brows.

Sirius hesitated. "Then what the fuck is wrong with her?" He hissed at his brother.

"Fuck if I know, Sirius. Calm down and let me talk to her," Regulus said exasperatedly.

Sirius's nostrils flared a bit.

"Sirius…" Hermione croaked, finally finding her voice. Finally able to exist in the present and to push the awful thoughts away into a far corner of her mind.

Everyone turned to look at her.

"I'm fine…just go to sleep, okay?" Hermione continued without looking at anyone.

"Hermione…" Lily whispered hesitantly.

"You too Lily. I'll come up in a minute." Hermione reassured.

Lily stared back in confusion. "Um…okay," she muttered, glancing at Sirius and Regulus with a sharp look in her eyes, as if she was ordering them to behave after she had left the common room. Then, she left, quietly retreating to the girls' dormitories.

"Hermione, are you sure?" Sirius asked, looking undecided.

She nodded.

Sirius sighed. "Okay then." Before he took a step towards his dormitory, he glanced at his brother. "Reggie," he said coldly, his eyes holding a clear warning.

Regulus nodded at his brother and sat down next to Hermione, who had moved up into a sitting position.

"What's going on?" Regulus asked quietly and took her hand between his, tracing her wrist with his fingertips.

Hermione shivered a little. "Nothing," she merely replied, not looking at him.

"Don't lie to me. You were hurt," he said softly and glanced at the bracelet that was dangling on her wrist. "I felt it."

Hermione grimaced slightly but she couldn't make herself be concerned about him hurting himself on her behalf. She couldn't make herself feel regret that she had put him through it.

"Tell me." Regulus murmured. "I can feel it. The dark magic. What have you done, love?" He demanded, sounding worried.

Hermione didn't reply to him and merely turned to stare at him with a blank look, challenging him. She knew he would do it. And she wasn't even sure if it bothered her that much.

"Legilimens," he whispered, his eyes shining with concern and alarm.

Hermione didn't have the strength to fight him. She didn't have the strength to be angry with him, as he delved through her mind like it was an open book. Or several books. She could only let the tears cascade down her cheeks as she saw everything that he saw. Which was too much. He had seen too much. He had seen everything.

"Fuck." Regulus hissed abruptly and stumbled out from her mind, falling on his back on the sofa.

He stared at her in complete shock, in dread and horror. Hermione eyed him calmly, her expression void of emotion.

"Now you know," she said softly, standing up and heading towards her dorm, leaving him alone in the dark common room.

Chapter Text

Chapter 26: The Future unfolds

Saturday, 4 March 1978

It had been well past midnight when Regulus had left the Gryffindor Tower. What had happened with Hermione; what he had seen, had been both shocking and astounding. Everything about her made more sense to him now.

The way she walked around the school – like she had had years of experience and knowledge about the castle, it made sense now. She had already been there. She had studied at Hogwarts. The way she looked at him, the way she looked at everyone. She had known everyone. It all made sense.

The faint scars and marks on her skin, the ones he had assumed were caused by her collaboration with the Order. But now he knew where those had come from. He had seen her encounter many dangers with her friends. And he had seen and felt how she yearned for them. Her family. Her loved ones.

But there was something else. She had been running from someone. From him. She was trying to find something to use against the Dark Lord. Something that could destroy him. Even though the images he had seen had been a big blur and not everything made sense to him, he was still sure of that particular fact. It chilled him to the core. It made him numb. It made him terrified.

The next day, Regulus had seen her in the Great Hall, but she hadn't even glanced up from her plate.

He kept wondering, what she was thinking. He dwelled in the thought of her not forgiving him. He felt ashamed for reading her mind without her consent, but he couldn't regret it.

It had only made him understand her and care more for her.

Monday, 6 March 1978

Hermione had stayed in her dormitory for the whole weekend, only stepping out to eat in the Great Hall on Saturday and Sunday. Lily had tried to talk with her, about what had happened, but Hermione had told her friend that she wasn't ready to talk about it. Alice, Mary and Marlene had seemed concerned for Hermione's well-being, but had also kept their distance, evidently aware about the situation. 

During the two days of silence and contemplation, Hermione had thought over and over how she had acted. How she had faced the cursed flames and actually considered dying. She was sure that Regulus now knew her every deepest and darkest secret. She was upset that he had read her mind, but even more so as she considered the risks it brought up. She felt fear gnawing her insides.

On Monday, Hermione left the Defence class alone, after having a brief discussion with Gideon. Their professor had tried to inquire how she was holding up after the incident in the cave, and Hermione had assured him she was okay. Even though she really wasn't. Not completely.

She turned around the corner and stopped abruptly. Regulus stood there, leaning against the wall, watching her with an unreadable expression.

"Hermione," Regulus said quietly.

"Reg…" she whispered, anger and sadness coursing through her.

Without realising what happened, she lifted her hand and slapped him on the cheek.

His head turned to the side from the impact and Hermione stared at him in shock, only then realising what she had done. She didn't regret her instinctive reaction though - he had read her mind without her consent, after all.

Regulus's lips twitched a bit and he took a step closer. "Can we talk?" He asked softly, as if she hadn't just smacked him.

She could see the red hand print on his skin. Hermione swallowed, her eyes tearing up. Everything was now amiss. Damaged.

"Come here, love," Regulus murmured, took her hand and pulled her into a tight embrace.

She let him. His hands ran down her back soothingly, making her shiver. Hermione pressed her face against his neck and breathed in his scent, trying in vain to calm herself.

"It's okay, love," he whispered softly, kissing her temple.

"No, it's not…and what if someone sees us?" She argued and glanced around them. The halls were empty, but she could hear footsteps not far from them.

"I don't give a fuck, Hermione," Regulus said sharply, looking at her eyes with a piercing gaze. "Not when you're like this."

Her heart ached for him, but she clenched her jaw, trying to stay rational. "Even so…let's go to the Room of Requirement," she said and disentangled herself from his arms.

He frowned at her, but nodded. "Okay. I'll see you there," he said, his grey eyes cloudy with thought as he watched her leave and make her way towards the seventh floor.

"What…?" Regulus muttered as he glanced around the Room of Requirement, inspecting the place in confusion.

Hermione had brought them straight into his bedroom. He knew it was his, but it wasn't like he remembered it. It didn't look like it had the last time they had been in the Room of Requirement. Or the last time he had been at home. There were the familiar colours of emerald and silver everywhere draping the bed, the walls and the windows. But everything was dusty and untouched, indicating that it hadn't been inhabited for many years. He knew what it meant.

He slowly turned to look at Hermione, who stood at the door, eyeing him anxiously.

"You're from the future," he said blankly. That much was obvious, as he had seen people he knew in her mind, people, who looked quite a lot older than they now were. He wondered, how far from the future she actually was.

Hermione grimaced. "Sort of, yes," she said, seemingly stalling, as if she was prepared to answer only the minimum amount of questions.

Regulus huffed and threaded a hand through his hair, feeling frustrated. He saw her looking at him with reserve and alarm, as if she was dreading the question Regulus knew she was going to ask.

"What did you see?" Hermione finally asked, chewing the inside of her cheek anxiously.

She must have known he had seen many things, but as some of her memories had flashed through her mind so fast, he was sure he had missed a lot. And now she was making sure she wasn’t telling him more than what was necessary. Regulus felt disappointed but understood her. And even though he wanted to know everything there was about her, he knew that what information he already had, was dangerous. For both of them.

Regulus studied her features as he replied to her. "You've studied here. You had a life already. You knew of us," he said quietly. He had seen her, surrounded by a different set of friends, looking happy, looking cared for.

Hermione nodded and waited for him to continue, wringing her hands in agitation.

He knew he had to mention the Dark Lord, even though he knew it probably was the most dangerous bit of information he had learned. "You were running from him, trying to find something that could destroy him," he continued flatly, watching her reaction carefully as he spoke.

Hermione's eyes widened with dread as she nodded again.

Regulus eyed her for a small moment, his stomach clenching nastily as he recalled one of her memories - the one in the cave where she had faced an enormous fiery beast, and how she’d frozen in front of it, how emotions of hopelessness and giving up had been the only things coursing through her mind at that moment. "You wanted to die,"he said quietly, disbelief evident in his voice.

Hermione pressed her lips together and looked away.

"Yes," she whispered, giving him a desperate look.

"Why?" He asked with a thick voice, closing their distance and pulling her against him. She placed her hands against his chest as he gripped her arms tightly.

Hermione set her forehead against his shoulder, taking a deep breath before she spoke. “Because for a small moment, I wanted to see them…for a small moment, it felt like the easy option. No more secrets, no more living in danger, no more staying hidden…” she whispered, her voice faltering.

Regulus swallowed hard, before placing his fingers against the line of her jaw and pulling her gently to meet his gaze. The look she had shone of despair, and yet it seemed to soften as their eyes locked. He couldn’t look away from her eyes. He wanted to forget himself into them.

"I miss them," she said quietly. "My friends. My family. I didn't plan to come here, Reg. I didn't want to leave them."

He nodded and was silent for a while as he studied her, smoothing his hand up and down her back. He then cleared his throat, needing to know something. Something that had become more and more clear now, as they were standing in his decaying bedroom. "Seeing as you've already been at my home…You knew me? Or rather of me?" He asked eventually, his eyes searching hers.

"Yes," she said warily.

There was another short silence.

"I don't make it, do I?" He asked calmly, staring deeply into her eyes.

Hermione gaped at him in disbelief. It was the answer he needed, but he still waited for her to speak. To confirm it.

"No," she gasped, seeming to be too stunned to say anything more.

He nodded. "Okay then," he said slowly.

It wasn't like he hadn't thought about the possibility before. After all, he was going to be a part of the Dark Lord's inner circle.

“W-What?” Hermione blurted. “How can you be so calm about it?” She asked, her voice wavering as she gazed at him with a horrified look.

When Regulus didn’t reply, Hermione continued, becoming slightly hysterical. “Don’t you want to know how it happens? When it happens? I mean – “

“ - No, Hermione. No. I don’t want to know how I die,” he said sharply, interrupting her.

There was a moment when she merely stared at him, looking hurt and conflicted. "I doesn't matter. Because I…I won't let you," she whispered, staring at him intently.

Feeling all kinds of emotions surging inside him, Regulus looked quickly away and swallowed deeply, pushing everything away into a dark corner of his mind.

"How? How could you prevent things from happening that will happen?" He asked plainly, now feeling more calm.

Hermione’s eyes moved studiously over his face. "I just…I know how to do it, trust me. I've changed some things already," she said solemnly.

Regulus stared at her with a blank look and said nothing more to the matter. Having the information that she knew what would happen to him and how to prevent it, made chills run down his spine. What would she have to do in order to save his life?

What she had said about wanting to give up, about even considering the option of sacrificing her life in order to meet her loved ones…It was unbearable. It made him struggle for breath. Regulus brought his hand to cup her cheek gently. "Don't leave me, Hermione," he said quietly, pleading her, hoping to Salazar that he would be enough for her.

Tears seeped slowly down her cheeks and he brushed them away, staring at her intently, relieved to see some kind of resolve in her eyes.

“I won't. If there will ever be another situation like that, I wouldn't make the same choice,” she said solemnly and took a deep breath. “I…I don’t want to give up my life…” she continued, her voice now faltering, her throat moving as she swallowed deeply, “…Because then I’d have to give up you too.”

Her final words came out almost inaudibly, and Regulus felt his chest twist with equal agony and happiness before he leaned down to kiss her softly.

After their kiss, Hermione buried her face in the crook of his neck. "Can we give it a rest for now?" She asked weakly. "I just want to be with you."

He sighed, knowing that they had merely scratched the surface, but also feeling that perhaps it was necessary for them both to think really hard what was safe and essential for Regulus to know. "Okay," he said and held her close to him.

"Reg?" She asked after a moment, leaning back and looking somewhat uncertain.

"Yes, love?" He asked, brushing back a curl of hair from her face.

"Do you have to go to Potions?" She asked hesitantly.

His mouth curved upwards. "No."

She smiled. "Let's stay here, okay?"

He glanced around them. "I might have a problem with that." He murmured and took his wand from his pocket.

He waved it around the room, making the dust disappear and the air clear a bit. Hermione smiled at him.

"Come here," he beckoned, tugging her towards his bed.

Hermione followed him and together they lay in his bed, curled against one another for the rest of the afternoon.

Saturday, 11 March 1978

The game had barely started and Gryffindor was already leading the score ninety to twenty. It was Gryffindor against Hufflepuff, and although Gryffindor was likely to win, the opponents had formed a good team this year.

Gryffindor was gathering points rapidly and James himself had made at least half of the goals. Their housemates were all screaming excitedly and every time their team scored, they loudly sang a new song they had made for the occasion.

"Here comes Gryffindor with the lion's bite – "

"Hufflepuffs are terrified and just shite!"

Hermione rolled her eyes in mild amusement as her friends were singing along with the rest of the students who supported the Gryffindor team. She tugged her red and gold scarf tighter around her, shivering as the cold wind tore through her clothes, even though she was crammed between Lily and Remus. Mary was sitting on Remus's other side, along with Alice and Peter, while Marlene sat on Lily's other side.

"And look at that, ladies and gents, the Gryffindor Beater sends a nasty little Bludger towards Hufflepuff Seeker Grayson Green, and – OUCH! He takes the hit!" The Quidditch commentator, Jackson Abbott from Hufflepuff, exclaimed.

"To them the Snitch is out of sight –"

"And the Quaffle won't go in even a slight."

"We're the ones who gonna party tonight!"

The Gryffindor supporters sang again as their Chaser approached the Hufflepuff goal posts fast, the Quaffle under her arm.

"Gryffindor in possession. Gryffindor Chaser Hannah Marshall approaching the goal posts – Aaand GRYFFINDOR SCORES AGAIN! The game is now one hundred against twenty, folks," the commentator yelled, shaking his head in disappointment.

Hermione's thigh burned abruptly as the Gryffindor supporters sang again, and her surprised gasp disappeared into the screaming crowd. She dug the coin from her pocket and glanced at it, flushing bright red and quickly covering the galleon with her hand. Merlin forbid…He was utterly shameless…

They had spent the previous night in the Room of Requirement again, only this time she had got up early in the next morning in order to make it to her dorm before the girls woke up. Regulus had stayed in the room, opting to skip breakfast and instead grab some much-needed sleep. She glanced at the stand next to theirs, where she knew he would be sitting. He was eyeing her with a self-satisfied look in his eyes.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. Merlin if he knew how much he resembled his brother…

"Hermione? You okay?" Remus asked with a frown, his eyes moving over her face.

"Yes, of course!" She said loudly. "Just excited about the game," she continued, trying to sound convincing.

Lily snorted. "Since when have you been excited about Quidditch?" She asked, glancing at her in amusement.

Hermione shrugged. "I have my moments," she said simply, turning her gaze back to the game. When the others were singing again – as James scored, again – she quickly sent a message back to Regulus.

A bit too smug for your own good? –HD

Always. –RB

Hermione shook her head, biting back a grin.

Didn't hear any complaints last night. –RB

She pressed her lips together and glanced at him again. There was a subtle smirk on his lips, while his focus was turned on the game.

The game continued like it had started – rapidly, with both teams scoring many goals before the Snitch even made its first appearance. Then it was a battle between the two Seekers.

"Aaand GRYFFINDOR SEEKER CATCHES THE SNITCH! GRYFFINDOR WINS!" The commentator exclaimed, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

Every Gryffindor supporter was standing, cheering wildly and singing to their team. Hermione too stood up, joining the cheering, smiling at James and Sirius who high-fived in the air, looking happier than she had ever seen them.

"Here comes Gryffindor with the lion's bite,"

"Hufflepuffs are terrified and just shite."

"To them the Snitch is out of sight,"

"And the Quaffle won't go in even a slight."

"We're the ones who gonna party tonight!"

The Gryffindors were singing loudly the whole way back to the castle and throughout the rest of the day. When they returned to their common room that evening after dinner, the party was on.

The girls went to their dormitory to change, while every Gryffindor team member opted to join the party with their Quidditch gear on. Hermione changed into a long-sleeved satin wrap dress in nude colour she had purchased from Gladrags the other week, and as the girls descended the stairs back to the common room after an hour or so, they smiled at the scene playing in front of them.

James and Sirius were singing their Quidditch song while embracing each other, both gripping their own Firewhiskey bottles. Hermione could see the contents of the bottles sloshing around the floor each time they moved.

"Here comes Gryffindor with the lion's bite"

"Hey, Hermione!" Sirius exclaimed abruptly, noticing her in mid singing.

He stumbled a bit as he walked to her and swept her into his arms into a crushing hug. She saw James do a similar move with Lily, although their embrace seemed to end with a bruising kiss.

Sirius spun her around, and she slapped him on the shoulder. "Put me down, Sirius! You're drunk!" She screamed, although laughing at the same time. "Put me down. Now."

Laughing, he finally put her on her feet and pushed the Firewhiskey bottle in her hand. "One for the team, eh?" He said with a wink.

Hermione shook her head in exasperation and took a swig from the bottle, grimacing at the taste. In the meanwhile, James belted out the song again and the rest of the team sang with him. Lily and the girls had joined Remus and Peter who were sitting near the fireplace.

As Hermione eyed the team's chanting, and then saw how happy and carefree Sirius looked, her mind drifted to an occurrence earlier that week.

She was walking to Transfiguration class on Tuesday morning after breakfast, when Sirius suddenly grabbed her by the arm.

"Sirius! What are you doing?! Let me go!" Hermione hissed, punching him with her free hand.

He didn't comply, or say anything to her, but took her to the nearest classroom and released her after closing the door behind him. Hermione glared at him and was about to yell at him, but then she heard someone clear their throat behind her.

She whirled around to look around the classroom and saw Lily sitting in a chair near the teacher's desk, eyeing her with a small frown between her brows.

"Hermione…We need to talk," Lily said gravely.

Hermione glanced from her to Sirius in confusion. "What? What is it?" She asked, a bit taken aback by Lily's tone. She wondered what was going on that involved both of them.

Sirius sighed. "Just sit down, Hermione," he muttered, eyeing her with an unreadable expression.

Hermione looked at both of them again, finally realising what it was about. "This is because of last Friday, right?" She asked quietly, feeling wary.

"Yeah." Sirius grunted, while Lily nodded sharply.

Hermione heaved a sigh. "Fine," she finally said, plopping down on a chair opposite to Lily.

Sirius sat next to Lily. It felt like some sort of intervention.

"Look." Hermione started before either of them managed to utter a word. "Last Friday had nothing to do with…Regulus," she said his name awkwardly, glancing at Sirius, who still stared at her with a blank look.

"Then what was it about?" Lily asked harshly. "Hermione I was so worried about you! I thought you were cursed!" She exclaimed, her eyes glimmering with tears.

Hermione felt bad for not talking about it with them sooner. "I was," she said softly, not looking at either of them.

"W-What?" Sirius asked with a cold voice. "Did someone – "

"No." Hermione said quickly, looking at him and shaking her head. "It was…me," she said with a helpless shrug.

"What does that even mean?" Sirius asked in bewilderment, his voice sharp.

Lily suddenly gasped. "It has something to do with… You know… The…hasn't it?" She said hastily, glancing at Sirius with uncertainty before she turned her eyes back to Hermione.

Hermione nodded, and Lily's eyes widened.

"You mean…the Order?" Sirius asked with a low voice, mouthing the last word.

Lily lifted her brows at Sirius while Hermione nodded again. "We can't really talk about it in here… And I can't really talk about it, period," she said tightly.

Sirius huffed. "You can't expect us to let it go this easily?" Sirius asked exasperatedly.

Hermione was silent for a moment. "I…Something h-happened," she murmured, her voice faltering a bit. "Something went wrong and I… The only thing I could think of was everyone I've lost," she whispered, tears gathering in her eyes.

She blinked them away and looked at her friends, trying to swallow the lump in her throat.

"Hermione…" Sirius muttered and leaned closer to give her hand a squeeze while Lily took her other hand.

"Hermione, you know you can talk to me…And Sirius. About anything. You can trust us, okay?" Lily said while observing her with a sad look. "Are you sure you're ready for whatever it is that is expected from you?"

Hermione frowned. "I knew it would be dangerous. Even if it hadn't gone pear shaped. But I'm fine now," she said with a reassuring look.

Still, both Sirius and Lily shook their heads in disbelief.

"Last Friday was far from fine," Lily said with a strained voice.

Hermione sighed. "Please understand…I have to do this. I have no other choice," she insisted and stared at her friends with a pleading look.

After their conversation, she had noticed that Sirius had become much friendlier towards her, and Lily was looking after her even more than ever. She knew it was her fault, having suffered something reminding a panic attack or possibly even a psychotic episode in front of them. She knew they cared for her, and at the same time she was glad that they apparently hadn't shared the details about her incident with anyone else.

Sirius's voice broke through her reminiscence. "And now, Dumbledore. We'll have a drinking game," he said with a smirk on his lips.

The singing had ended and everyone had gathered in front of the fireplace. Sirius took her wrist and made a move towards the others.

"Sirius, no…"

"Aww, that's sweet. You thought I was asking," he said and grinned.

Hermione grumbled under her breath but eventually followed him.

They were playing the Wizards' truth or dare. Which was basically the usual spin the bottle game, but with Veritaserum. Hermione eyed the potion-laced liquor wryly, but decided that she would bail out the game the minute she would feel uncomfortable. Or if it became dangerous.

James was explaining the rules of the game to everyone while Sirius organised several glasses on the table.

"So Moony…Ready to cut the wolf loose?" Sirius asked as he poured the Veritaserum-laced Firewhiskey to the empty shot glasses on the table.

Laughing as the werewolf flipped him the bird, Sirius sat on the floor next to the sofa where Remus was sitting on. Hermione pursed her lips and sat on the arm of the sofa, narrowing her eyes at Sirius. He merely winked at her.

"For you, milady," Sirius murmured and handed Hermione a shot and then another one to Remus.

Hermione eyed the liquor cautiously, knowing fully well that if was like playing with fire – if the right questions were asked. Nevertheless, she was quite confident no one would ask anything too personal, as there were so many of them – mainly fifth to seventh years – and even though they all were in the same house, they rarely spent time together. Shamefully, Hermione admitted that she didn't even know everyone by name. As she was trying to remember the name of a brunette witch from sixth year, she heard James call her name and felt Remus nudge her softly.

"Hermione, you're up. Truth or dare?" James asked with a smirk.

Hermione arched a brow. "Truth. I'm not taking the chance of you trying to make me snog Lily again, like you did in the last party," she said dryly.

Sirius snorted while others sniggered. "What! I missed that. Did it happen?" He asked enthusiastically and glanced at Lily, lifting his brows knowingly.

"No," Lily said and narrowed her eyes to him.

James merely chuckled. "Okay, Hermione. Bottoms up."

She sighed and gulped down the burning liquor.

"Who is the best-looking seventh year?" James asked with a smirk.

Hermione gritted her teeth. "Sirius," she said, the truth falling out from her mouth quickly. Her nostrils flared in annoyance as the Marauders howled in laughter.

"Cheers, love, but I knew that already." Sirius murmured and smiled at her.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him, but gave him a small smile all the same and spun the bottle.

It turned to point at Sirius. "Sirius. Truth or dare?" Hermione asked with a mischievous grin.

"Dare," he said confidently.

"Snog James. Good and proper," Hermione said simply.

James blanched and was about to argue before Sirius stood up, glanced at Hermione with a wicked grin, and walked to James while everyone else was chuckling and watching the scene in anticipation. Lily eyed her boyfriend and his best mate in horror.

"I swear to fucking Merlin, Pads, if I feel your tongue, I'll bite you," James snarled, and was about to say something else but his voice was muffled when Sirius crashed his mouth against James’s, kissing him heatedly. Good and proper.

Everyone burst in laughter, whooping and cheering as the boys kissed each other for a long minute.

When Sirius broke the kiss and returned to sit on the floor next to Hermione, James was left on his seat looking bright red with embarrassment.

Sirius gave her a triumphant grin. "Satisfied?"

Hermione rolled her eyes at him. "It was acceptable."

Both Remus and Sirius snorted.

"You know he'll make you pay for that," Sirius replied with a knowing look.

Hermione suppressed a grimace and glanced at James who shook his head at her in mild amusement. The game went on. Several people ended up without their shirts on, while some had to snog others. Hermione had to perform a lap dance for Peter on some point, which she awkwardly did, while others were snickering and grinning at them. It seemed that mostly everyone stayed with the truths, since no one really wanted to snog their mates in front of everyone.

"Okay, Hermione," Marlene said when it was Hermione's turn to answer to a truth once more. "How many blokes have you slept with?" She asked slyly.

"One," Hermione muttered, grimacing at the floor, feeling very uncomfortable. She could easily feel Sirius's and Remus's stare on the side of her face.

Marlene's jaw dropped in surprise, evidently having anticipated Hermione to answer 'none'.

The truth serum hadn't exactly given her a chance to hide the truth. She tried like hell not to look at Sirius or her other friends, as she knew some of them probably thought she hadn't been with anyone. Hermione knew she would have to stop playing the game, because she couldn't take the risk that someone other than Sirius, Lily or Remus would know about her relationship with Regulus. It wasn't about teenage drama anymore. It was dangerous for both their lives.

Sighing, she spun the bottle one last time. It landed on Peter, and he chose the truth.

"Did a dog really eat your homework?" She asked somewhat distantly, not even interested to hear Peter's answer anymore.

"No. It was Sirius." Peter quipped, clamping his hands over his mouth in horror.

While nearly everyone roared in laughter, Sirius, James and Remus all stared at Hermione in distraught.

Hermione smiled at everyone. "I need some fresh air. I'm out," she said, left the common room and went to the balcony.

It was cold outside that time of year, but the balcony was charmed with heating spells. She sank on the bench and let out a weary sigh. The door opened soon after, and Sirius and James walked outside, stopping in front of her.

"So…this is awkward," James muttered and ruffled his messy black hair.

Sirius heaved a sigh and sat next to Hermione. "You know? About us?" He asked curiously as he took a fag from the pack of cigarettes he had in his pocket, handing the pack to James who was now leaning his back to the railing, standing opposite to them.

James took one too and offered the cigarettes to Hermione, who shook her head in mild disgust.

Sirius lit his cigarette and gave James a small light from the tip of his wand. James took it and inhaled, coughing the smoke out of his lungs a moment later.

"You shouldn't smoke," Hermione merely said, pursing her lips.

Sirius barked a laugh and nudged her. "There she is…"

"Yes, I know. About you," Hermione said with a shrug as she tried to blow the smoke away from her direction.

"How?" James asked with a frown as he took another drag, this time without coughing.

Hermione thought quickly how to explain it so that they would both believe her. She couldn't exactly tell them the truth. "I've known some time now. You guys aren't really that subtle, with the nicknames, the jokes and such…" she said plainly.

James and Sirius exchanged an inconspicuous look, before Sirius turned to her, a slow, mischievous grin growing on his face. "So, you know that I'm –"

" - An animal," Hermione said, but regretted her wording as both boys burst into laughter, making her flush in annoyance.

"Too true, dearest," Sirius said and winked at her.

She grumbled under her breath. "I know that you're a dog," she started, but stopped, groaning in exasperation as the boys continued to howl in laughter. "Okay there really is no way of saying it!" Hermione exclaimed, standing up angrily and snatching Sirius's cigarette from his lips and throwing it on the ground, stomping over it.

Sirius merely snorted in amusement and took another fag from the pack.

"Okay, Dumbledore. We won't laugh. Much," he said, chuckling as he lit another fag.

James grinned at her as he worked on his cigarette.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I know that you're Animagi. Peter too," she finally said.

James and Sirius shared a silent look and then eyed her cautiously.

"You do realise you can't tell anyone?" James asked grimly.

Hermione arched a brow at him.

"We're not in the registry." Sirius quipped, taking a long draw from his cigarette and puffing rings of smoke in the cold air.

"Why is that, by the way? Why don't you just register yourselves?" Hermione asked, intrigued.

James smirked at her. "Where's the fun in that?"

Sirius threaded his hand through his hair, puffing smoke from his lungs. "We could hardly accompany Moony every month if everyone knew what we were…" he said, eyeing Hermione warily. "That's why we did it, you know. To make it easier for him."

Hermione smiled warmly. Of course she knew. And she knew it meant the world to Remus.

"I understand. And it makes sense," she said finally. "Don't worry. I'm not going to tell anyone," she said and gave the boys a reassuring look.

The boys nodded at her, both eyeing her with contemplative looks.

They were all silent for a while, before the boys decided to head back inside.

"Sirius? Can I talk to you for a moment?" Hermione asked before the raven-haired wizard had the chance to step away from the balcony.

Sirius looked back at her, a small frown between his brows. "Yeah…Sure."

He glanced at James, seeming to have a silent conversation with him, before James finally left the balcony, shaking his head.

"What is it?" Sirius asked as he sat down on the bench next to her.

"I'm..." She said, biting her lip. "I'm sorry." She continued after a moment. "I'm sorry that when you finally had your brother back, I came between you two…" she muttered, looking into his unreadable grey eyes.

He studied her features for a while before he sighed. "Yeah, well…you and I weren't exactly together when you two…you know," he muttered, looking uncomfortable.

Hermione nodded.

"I guess I knew he fancied you…" Sirius continued, rubbing his neck. "And I still left you."

"Can you forgive him?" She asked hesitantly.

He shrugged. "Perhaps…" he said quietly, looking at the dark forest over the railing, his jaw working.

Hermione watched him in silence, wondering what he was thinking, wondering how he was doing these days. After a moment she stood up and pulled a smile on her face. "Let's go inside, okay?"

She knew not to push further on the matter.

Sirius swallowed hard and turned back to her, a smirk tugging his lips. "What? Eager to snog Evans, huh?" He asked and stood up, nudging her as they walked towards the door.

Sunday, 12 March 1978

The next morning most of the older Gryffindor students woke up with a raging hangover. After Hermione had managed to get herself up from bed, she met Remus and Lily in the Great Hall for breakfast, and could see that many of her housemates had opted to skip the meal and sleep off their Irish flu.

"I swear I've never seen her that sozzled," Lily chuckled to Remus at the almost empty table.

Hermione smiled at her friends and sat next to Remus. "Who?" She asked as she took a piece of toast and put some marmalade on top of it.

Remus grinned and poured her coffee. "Allie. She was a bit smashed last night."

Hermione smirked. After having too many drinks, Alice had babbled with a foreign accent for the rest of the night. It had been quite hilarious, as she was the epitome of Britishness.

"Yeah, I suppose she was." Hermione smiled.

"And you? Making Sirius and James snog each other. Merlin, I'll never forget that," Remus said between laughter, wiping his eyes.

Hermione shrugged innocently while Lily was torn between looking amused and embarrassed.

"Although I usually don't mind bringing James's floating head down a notch, I have to say…It was quite unnerving, how they…you know…" Lily stammered, frowning.

"Enjoyed each other's company?" Sirius asked slyly behind Lily, chuckling as he sat down next to her.

Lily turned to look at him with her eyes narrowed. "I swear if you turn my boyfriend bent, I'll make you pay," she snarled at him.

Remus, Hermione and Sirius burst in laughter, and Lily too joined them eventually.

"Don't worry, love. I'm willing to share," Sirius winked.

Lily slapped him on the arm.

Remus shook his head in amusement. "Where is James? And Pete?"

Sirius shrugged. "They're not really up for a public appearance yet," he said nonchalantly.

Lily merely lifted her brows at him.

"You know, them being with the throb and all," he said with a low voice, winking slyly at Lily.

She punched him.

"Ouch," Sirius chuckled. "Will you stop harassing me, Evans?"

Eventually Peter and Marlene came to breakfast. When Lily asked Marlene where the rest of them were, she merely shrugged and said, "Well, Mary's praying to the porcelain god and Allie's just praying Merlin to make everyone forget her little acting stunt last night."

Everyone burst in laughter.

"And Prongs?" Remus asked from Peter.

Peter yawned and shrugged. "Snoring like a freight train."

After breakfast, Hermione decided to head to the library for some light reading, and Remus asked if he could join her. The others went back to their common room and their dormitories to rest.

"I've been meaning to ask, has Belby been in contact with you?" Hermione asked quietly as they walked towards the library.

Remus smiled at her excitedly. "Yeah, actually. I haven't had a chance to talk to you about it earlier, but we've been owling to each other, and he asked me to meet him during the Easter hols. He wants me to join the study and start right after graduation…"

"Wow, that's great," Hermione smiled at him. "Let me know how it goes, okay? And if you want company, I'll be happy to join you on Easter," she said kindly.

He scrunched up his face in apology. "Yeah…I might be seeing him alone though, if you don't mind…But I'll certainly keep you posted," he said hesitantly.

"Of course I don't mind, Remus." Hermione said softly. "I'm only excited for you," she smiled.

He grinned. "Me too."

Sunday, 19 March 1978

"So…you're expected at the Malfoy Manor next Friday, but you don't have any other knowledge about the raid and where it will take place?" Hermione asked, frowning as she sat on the sofa facing Regulus.

They were in the Room of Requirement's version of the Gryffindor common room, sitting in front of the fire and talking about the upcoming Death Eater raid during Easter holidays. Apparently, Regulus had received a message that informed him of the time and place he was supposed to show up next Friday. Their last lessons would be on Wednesday, and the Hogwarts train would take the students home on Thursday, for a two-week Easter holiday.

He merely nodded, his face blank of emotion.

"Do you have any suspicions?" She asked carefully.

"No." He said finally, after a moment of silence. "I've told you everything I know."

She could practically feel the accusation behind his words. They still hadn't really talked about her past - or the future, to be specific. Regulus was evidently waiting for her to initiate that conversation.

Hermione sighed. "You want to do this now?" She asked wearily.

He arched a brow at her and sighed. "Probably not the best time to delve into that since I'm meeting the greatest Legilimens there is in less than a week," he said quietly.

"Are you angry with me?" She asked hesitantly, taking his hand and giving it a squeeze.

He took his hand away from her reach, making her flinch.

"I'm sorry, love. Even though there's nothing I want more, I can't indulge myself to you now… Otherwise he'll see it right away," he muttered, staring into her eyes intently. 

Hermione realised he hadn't actually answered her question. She felt a bit hurt, even though she understood. He needed emotional – and physical – distance, in order to keep all the feelings and memories away from him. She was also somewhat frightened by the fact that Regulus now knew dangerously much about the events of the future, even though they hadn't properly talked about what he had seen. She was worried that Regulus couldn't keep the crucial things hidden from him, and that Voldemort would read his mind and kill him. 

"Don't worry, love." Regulus murmured, probably sensing her thoughts and trying to reassure her.

Hermione frowned, worrying her lip. His words didn't soothe her. Nothing could make her not stress about next Friday.

Friday, 24 March 1978

Hermione had spoken with Dumbledore right after having her latest conversation with Regulus. But there was little to be done when he only knew a date and nothing else. They suspected the raid was against the Order members, so they remained in alert. James's parents had asked the boys to stay in school for the Easter Holidays, offering some lame excuse about some event they would have to attend. The boys knew it was a ruse, but they didn't argue. Remus had opted to stay in school too, as the full moon was on Friday and he would otherwise be spending it alone in his parents' cellar.

Hermione had gone to stay with Aberforth for the holidays. Aberforth had decided to close the pub for the weekend, as he knew he might be summoned to a fight on Friday. Aberforth had originally asked Hermione to stay in the castle too, as there was a possibility that the raid would be targeted on them, but naturally, she hadn't agreed, and instead had insisted that she wouldn't be leaving him alone. In the end, they had warded the pub with strong charms, making it a fortress and practically impossible to breach.

Hermione had been on edge the whole day, anxious for Regulus, her 'father', and every other Order member. Aberforth had told her that if he would have to leave to fight, she was to stay in the pub. She knew it was dangerous for her to face the Death Eaters, or Voldemort himself, because of the knowledge in her possession. The risk of being killed or captured was too high.

But that didn't mean she was okay with staying.

Later that night, Hermione retreated to her bedroom after her nightly routine. It was already quite late, nearly midnight, and they hadn't heard anything from anyone. She lay in her bed, but she couldn't sleep. She was anxious, dreading something. She had a feeling that everything was not all right.

Then there was a knock on the door downstairs.

She sprung up from her bed, in alert, her wand at the ready and practically ran to the hallway. Aberforth was already there, stopping her.

"I'll go first and you'll stay behind. You disapparate the hell out of here if necessary. Understood?" He asked harshly.

Hermione nodded hastily and walked downstairs to their sitting room on the second floor, waiting there in suspense as Aberforth descended the stairs to the pub.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she listened Aberforth mutter some spells, probably trying to identify the people outside before dismantling their wards enough to open the door.

"Mione!" Aberforth suddenly shouted from downstairs. "Come here!"

She could hear sounds of moaning and stumbling. Shaking, she ran downstairs with her wand at the ready and a spell on her lips, but what she saw as she dashed through the door, made her heart stop and her blood run cold.

"Reg!" She finally gasped.

Chapter Text

Chapter 27: The Raid

Friday, 24 March 1978

“Up for a little bit of fun, Black?” Rodolphus Lestrange drawled with his face split into a nasty grin as he walked towards him.

They were gathered in the parlour of Malfoy Manor, waiting for the rest of the Death Eaters to arrive. When everyone had come, they would be on the move, divided into two groups and heading towards different locations. It was the night of the raid.

Regulus stared back at his cousin’s husband with a blank expression and merely arched a brow at him.

Bellatrix’s full-throated cackle echoed across the room. “Now, now, dear husband. Let’s not tease my baby cousin,” she said, her full mouth curved into an evil smirk as she approached them, holding her hand out to Regulus.

“Bella. Wonderful to see you.” Regulus said stonily, before bowing towards her offered hand and nearly touching her knuckles with his lips while holding her hand lightly. He forced himself not to look away when he straightened up and saw her eyes flashing with hunger.

“Where is the grumpy mudblood-lover?” Bellatrix asked from Regulus while her haughty eyes took in the room, her nose held high as she assessed the people around them.

There were over twenty of them, mingling amongst each other as they waited for the sign to leave.

Regulus too glanced around him, looking for Severus. “He’ll be here.”

Bellatrix smirked at him. “He better be. The Dark Lord does not tolerate disobedience," she said with a honeyed voice, gripping Regulus by his arm while her eyes swept over his face, eyeing him closely. “You’ve grown, baby cousin. Almost a man, you are," she cooed venomously, licking her lips suggestively.

Regulus gagged inwardly and suppressed the urge to roll his eyes at Rodolphus, who was oblivious to Bellatrix’s antics, and was merely gawking at his wife with a sick expression, something between lust and worship, regardless of how the mad woman was clearly eyeing her own cousin in the most inappropriate way.

“Such a handsome boy must have a line of girls behind his door,” Bellatrix continued while her eyes roamed over his body in a way that made his skin crawl with nausea.

Regulus tried to remain indifferent. Her nails dug into his skin and he tried to focus on not giving her the opportunity to look into his eyes. She was a powerful Legilimens, he knew. He knew, because she had taught him. He also knew he was no match for her.

“Trust me, he has,” Severus said coldly, as he appeared next to Regulus. He nodded at Bellatrix and Rodolphus, who both stared him with a hint of arrogance in their eyes.

“I trust they are all purebloods?” Rodolphus asked darkly.

“Naturally,” Regulus merely said.

Bellatrix looked at him with a gleeful expression.

“Snape, you are coming with me, and you, dear cousin, are going with Rodolphus tonight,” Bella spoke, with overwhelming enthusiasm in her voice before turning to walk towards one of the two larger groups. She pulled her mask on and cackled as she went.

Severus glanced at Regulus, silently communicating with him before he moved to follow Bellatrix. The Dark Lord had given the raid to the Lestranges as a gift – or so Rodolphus had earlier explained – to his most devoted followers, and Regulus could see that his cousin and her husband were beside themselves. It made him sick.

Regulus could only try to stay calm. If he stayed calm and followed the others, he wouldn’t be harmed. He knew he wasn’t placed high enough in their ranks to be trusted with a killing order. Or so he hoped. The Dark Lord himself wasn’t attending the raid, but instead he was letting his followers do the dirty work. Regulus didn’t mind though, because the risk of his mind being read was significantly smaller, even more so now, when Bella would be with the other group.

Regulus glanced at Rodolphus, who gave him a curt nod and pulled on his mask. He walked slowly towards the other group. Regulus took a deep breath and followed him.

The nightfall had come and the full moon brightened the darkness. Regulus and the group of Death Eaters were led by Rodolphus, into a small village in Kent. It was agreed that the other group, that was led by Bella, would make a mess in the muggle London, targeting as many people as possible and thus drawing the Order’s focus away from their own people. In the meantime, Rodolphus’s group would attack a family of known blood-traitors and Order members.

It had been too easy. It was as if they were indifferent to their safety. Like they assumed they would not be the ones targeted. Even though Regulus had told Hermione they would attack tonight. It took almost no time to dismantle the wards around the house. Half of their group had circled to the back door of the building, and then they stepped in.

Curses were cast, but the family of four was no match for the ten Death Eaters, and one by one, they were beaten. Regulus had thrown a couple of curses himself, but hadn’t really hit anyone. He had thought that that was it. That they would end their victims’ lives quickly with the killing curse, cast the Dark Mark and then leave, but Rodolphus appeared to have different plans.

Their leader ordered them to stun the woman, the man and their two daughters.

“Bring the girl here,” Rodolphus grunted behind his mask, and as two Death Eaters dragged one of the unconscious girls into a bedroom where Rodolphus was waiting, he continued. “You can have her here, Carrow. I’ll take the other one.”

The Death Eater – Carrow – nodded, and dragged the girl further into the room, and another Death Eater followed him in. They revived the girl and Imperioed her. Meanwhile, others were tying up the man and the woman – the girls’ parents onto two chairs, and made them face the door to the bedroom. So that they would have to watch their child being molested before they were all killed.

It was sick. It was too much. Regulus felt like he couldn’t breathe. But he had to. They would kill him the minute he disobeyed, before he would even have a chance to call for help. Before he could even lift his wand.

Rodolphus beckoned for Regulus to follow him while he dragged the other girl by her hair towards the sitting room. Golden hair flashed and Regulus blanched as he recognised her. Marlene.

Regulus gritted his teeth in dread as Rodolphus waved his wand over her. Marlene whimpered as she was being revived, immediately trying to struggle away from the man’s grasp. She moved slightly, so that Regulus could see her face. She was terrified. She was scared and shocked and panic-stricken. Rodolphus grinned maliciously and growled enthusiastically as he felt her up with rough hands.

“I just want to have some fun with you, little blood-traitor…Don’t you want to have some fun, too?” Rodolphus taunted, pushing the girl down on her knees in front of him, gripping her hair in a way that must’ve hurt like hell.

Marlene screamed in pain and terror, trying to struggle free.

Regulus swallowed deeply. He was going to be sick. “Just kill her and be over with it,” Regulus said quickly with the most even voice he could master.

Rodolphus turned to look at him, an angry snarl escaping from his mouth. “I knew you were too soft for this. You’re trying to make it easier for the blood-traitor, huh? You’ll be sorry when your cousin hears about this, little boy…” He said darkly. “Be quiet or you are next, Black,” Rodolphus growled and turned to the girl again.

Marlene glanced at Regulus in horror, her eyes widening with disbelief and recognition. A tear escaped from the corner of her eye.

Rodolphus unbuttoned his fly and freed his member, dragging the girl’s face closer to his crotch. “Suck it. If you use any teeth, I’ll make you pay, you filthy slag.”

She struggled again, refusing to do what he had told her, and soon Rodolphus was losing his patience. He growled and cuffed her hard on her face, dragging her face up again with a firm grip on her hair.

Regulus could see that her lip was bleeding while she sobbed in hysteria. He felt like he was going to vomit or faint any minute now. He wanted to do something - anything - to help her. But he couldn't. He was condemned to stand there and watch her suffer.

“We’ll just do it the easy way then, eh?” Rodolphus grinned venomously, turning to look at Regulus.

Regulus tried to breathe calmly, swallowing bile from his throat and choking down a sob that was threatening to come out. He was glad he was wearing his mask.

“Imperio her.” Rodolphus commanded.

Regulus’s face screwed up in anguish as he cast the curse.

“Reg!” Hermione gasped, running towards him.

Regulus was kneeling on the floor in the empty pub, his hands covered in blood. His whole body was shaking as he wept uncontrollably. At first, Hermione had been in shock to see his state. Then she had felt the urge to comfort him, to help him.

“Reg…? Regulus? What’s wrong?” She asked quickly as she knelt in front of him, her hands searching his body for wounds.

Aberforth was busy warding their home. “Is he wounded, Mione?” He asked roughly, while throwing spells around them, putting the wards back up.

“No, I don’t think so,” Hermione said with a wavery voice when she didn’t find any open wounds. 

She then realised that the blood had to be someone else’s. She tried not to think about it as she took his face between her hands.

“Reg? Does it hurt somewhere?” She asked helplessly, her eyes moving over his face.

Regulus merely shook his head, staring into her eyes with agony and regret while tears ran down his cheeks.

“What happened, Reg?” She exclaimed, the panic again taking control, now that she had made sure he wasn’t physically hurt. Emotionally…that was probably a different case.

“Marlene…” he croaked, averting his eyes.

Aberforth finally came to them, crouching and looking grimly at Regulus. “McKinnons?” He asked sharply.

Regulus nodded, staring at the floor. “They didn’t make it," he breathed.

Hermione stilled in shock. No. It couldn’t be...

Aberforth cursed and stood up abruptly. “Hermione, you’ll stay here. I have to go,” he grumbled, pulling his cloak on.

“Ab –“

“No, Mione,” he interrupted stiffly. “I’ll send a Patronus to my brother. Do not leave this house,” he snapped, turning on the spot and disapparating with a pop that echoed through the quiet pub.

Hermione stared at Regulus in terror. 

Marlene…

She took a look at his red hands and suddenly felt nauseated. She was going to vomit.

She ran towards the trash bin on the other side of the counter, bent over it and retched. And again. When she had vomited her stomach empty, she stood up, shaking from head to toe.

“L-Let’s go upstairs,” she stammered, taking a hold of his elbow.

Regulus followed her without restraint as she led them to their sitting room on the second floor and gestured for him to sit down on the sofa. It was like she was in someone else’s body. She moved and spoke, but her mind was still downstairs, paused on the last words he had uttered to her. She tried to take deep breaths to calm herself down.

“Reg…what happened? Is Marley okay?” She whispered, glancing at his hands again. Her stomach twisted with revulsion. No. She couldn’t be dead…he had meant something else. Perhaps there was something else, something he had left out?

Regulus was still crying silently. He lifted his gaze and met her eyes. “I’m sorry Hermione,” he breathed, looking grief-stricken, “I’m so sorry.”

Hermione let out a loud sob. “No!” She gasped. “No!” She yelled.

Tears were burning her eyes and flowing down her cheeks. She took a few strides towards him and slapped him hard on his cheek. Regulus merely stared at her with his mouth twisted into a pained frown and a sorrowful and weary look in his grey eyes.

“No!” She screamed, sobbing hysterically. She slapped him again. He didn’t even move.

Hermione buried her face in her hands and sank on her knees on the floor, letting out loud, convulsive gasps as she wept.

Marlene. She couldn't be gone. She couldn't.

They stayed like that, Regulus on the sofa, staring at the fireplace with an empty look in his eyes and Hermione on the floor, numbly looking into nothingness. It felt like hours had passed until they heard noise from downstairs. Aberforth had come back. They both leaped on their feet, both gripping their wands, just in case, staring at the door to the staircase intently.

“It’s me, Mione. I’m okay,” Aberforth grunted from the stairs before he opened the door.

Hermione lowered her wand and rushed to hug him, crying violently against his chest. “W-What happened?” Hermione stammered with a thick voice and pulled back to meet his eyes.

Aberforth sighed. “McKinnons. None of them survived," he said gravely.

Hermione gasped and broke down to another set of sobs.

Aberforth soothed her hair and held her close to him for a while. Regulus stood further in the room, watching them silently.

“Go to rest, Hermione. Both of you. We’ll talk in the morning,” Aberforth said eventually, looking grief-stricken and tired. He broke off their embrace and gave Hermione a look that told her to obey.

Hermione nodded stiffly.

“It’s best if you stayed here tonight,” Aberforth said to Regulus, before he gave a final pat on Hermione’s shoulder and vanished to the stairway, heading downstairs.

Hermione stared after him for a while, until she cleared her throat and turned to Regulus. “Come on,” Hermione muttered, slowly making her way upstairs.

Regulus followed her, and they both were silent as they washed up and changed into their pyjamas – Regulus borrowed a set of Harry’s old clothes Hermione dug from her beaded bag – and lay down on her bed.

“I’m sorry I slapped you,” she whispered, as they both stared at the ceiling.

“It’s all right,” Regulus murmured quietly.

“Can you hold me?” Hermione asked with a broken voice. She needed to feel warm again. She needed him to take away the cold, the numbness.

“Of course, love," he said softly, pulling her back against his chest, enveloping her in a warm embrace.

Hermione glanced down at the hands that were holding her and tried hard not to think what they had done some hours ago. She was glad he had managed to scrub the blood off of them. She blinked and moved her gaze away, shaking the thoughts from her head. She didn’t want to think about it now, even though the question burned in her head.

She was afraid to learn the truth.

Saturday, 25 March 1978

The next morning, Hermione woke up alone in her bed. She briefly thought – hoped - that the previous night had simply been a horrible nightmare, but the feeling soon disappeared and grief took place in her mind again as she saw Regulus sitting in an armchair close to her bed, leaning his elbows against his knees, his face buried in his hands.

“Reg?” She croaked, sitting up in her bed. Her voice was hoarse from all the crying and screaming last night.

Regulus turned slowly to look at her. He looked tormented. He looked beaten. He looked guilty. She could see it all in his eyes.

“What happened?” She asked unwillingly, dreading his answer. Even though she didn’t want to hear what he had to say, she knew she needed to hear it from him.

He was silent for a while, eyeing her mournfully. “I was there," he whispered.

Hermione pressed her lips together to prevent herself from letting out a sob.

“There were ten Death Eaters, myself included, and we…attacked the McKinnons’ home," Regulus continued, his voice faltering, his eyes moving slowly over her face.

Hermione felt her eyes sting with tears and she gritted her teeth to suppress them. She wasn’t going to cry now. She needed to hear everything there was to know about it.

“Did you kill someone?” She asked with a strained voice, her face scrunching up in dread.

She had to know. Even though it would be too much. She had to know if he had been the one who had...who had...

Regulus shook his head, clenching his jaw, looking nauseated.

She felt a small tinge of relief, but something in his expression made her stomach twist with terror. “Then whose blood was it?” She demanded quietly.

Regulus's eyes widened in alarm. “Marlene’s.”

It felt like the air had left her lungs and like there was suddenly something blocking her airway. “No…” she gasped, feeling cold. Feeling petrified.

His face was twisted in pain and self-loathing. “Lestrange cut her. Then he wanted to have her without her resisting. I had to hold her down," he whispered, his voice thick with despair, a wretched look in his eyes.

Hermione cried aloud in shock. "No..." she gasped. "No - you - " Hermione stammered, blinking furiously as her vision kept blurring. "You were there - you were - " she continued, trying to form a sentence. "Y-You stood there and watched - and - and - you knew her!"

Regulus swallowed hard and moved his gaze down, looking anguished.

“H-How could you do that?” She whispered bitterly, her voice unsteady. Tears were seeping from her eyes and her whole body was shaking in fright. “How could you?!” She screamed.

Regulus took a wavering breath while his eyes filled with tears.

Aberforth knocked on the door. “Hermione…can I come in?” He asked.

“Y-Yes,” she stuttered, wiping her wet face.

Aberforth came in and eyed the situation warily before he turned to Regulus. “The Headmaster is downstairs expecting you,” he said grimly.

Regulus nodded and stood up, exiting the room after one last sorrowful glance at Hermione.

Aberforth sat down on the edge of her bed, taking in her blotchy skin and red nose. He looked at her sad eyes and pulled her into a comforting hug.

Monday, 27 March 1978

The news of the McKinnon family raid had reached everyone before Sunday, as it had been printed in the Daily Prophet. Hermione had contacted her friends on Saturday morning, and the boys had come to visit her at the pub later that night. Peter, Alice and Mary hadn't been able to come, as their parents had insisted that they should stay at home and not travel anywhere before the school started. Lily was visiting her relatives, but she had managed to persuade her parents to let her go back to school earlier, and had agreed to spend the weekend at Hermione’s before the school started.

The Hog’s Head had been closed during the weekend, but on Monday, it was back in business. While Aberforth was quite busy downstairs, Hermione, James, Sirius and Remus were upstairs in the sitting room, silently staring at the fire and exchanging a few words every now and then. The boys had decided to spend the Monday evening with Hermione in the pub before they would travel to James’s home on Tuesday to spend the rest of their holiday there.

James sighed and eyed his Butterbeer bottle with a displeased look. “I wish I had Firewhiskey. This is just depressing…” James said absently, taking a swig from the bottle.

Hermione pursed her lips at him. “You’re welcome to go downstairs to the pub,” she said with a challenging look. She knew the boys wouldn’t dare. Even though they were of-age, the bartender was still her ‘father’.

James rolled his eyes. “Like that’s gonna happen…”

Sirius gave James a sad little smile. “Luckily you have mates who think of everything,” he said and placed a Firewhiskey bottle on the table, smirking slightly as Hermione arched a brow at him. “Happy birthday, Prongs.”

James gave him a satisfied nod. “Cheers, mate.”

“That better not be nicked from downstairs,” Hermione warned.

Sirius merely gave her an amused look before he summoned glasses from Hermione’s kitchen and filled the glasses with the liquor, handing one to everyone.

They toasted for James and then remained quiet.

There were no raging birthday parties, no spin the bottle, no dancing or cheering. There were only four friends sitting next to each other in a comfortable silence, occasionally sipping their drinks while reminiscing someone they had lost.

Hermione knew Marlene had been closer with the other seventh year Gryffindors, as they’d known each other for several years. While she was sad because of her death, she was more shocked because she had known it would happen, but she hadn’t managed to stop it. Somehow it made her feel responsible. And frightened. What if she couldn’t save them after all?

Sunday, 2 April 1978

The week had gone quickly. Everyone was still on alert because of the raid. The Daily Prophet had published instructions for safety, and Hermione could see that the streets in Hogsmeade were abnormally quiet. But nothing more had happened. Voldemort’s troops hadn’t struck again. Hermione had learned that none of the muggles had died on the night of the raid, but only suffered several injuries, and she reckoned that it had probably served as a diversion.

Regulus had sent her a message, to ask if he could come to see her on Sunday evening. At first, she hadn’t wanted to see him. She resented his actions during the raid, but at the same time, she felt ashamed how she had acted towards him, when he clearly had been in so much pain and feeling guilty for what he had seen and done. A small part of her knew it was unreasonable to blame him like that, but another part wondered if it really had been so that he hadn’t had any choice in the matter? She had eventually answered him and agreed to meet him.

Hermione was sitting in their sitting room on Sunday evening, a teacup warming her hands as she stared at the fire. The door from the stairs opened.

Hermione turned to look at the stairway and saw Regulus closing the door behind him. He walked towards her, eyeing her with an unreadable expression. She stood up, placed her cup on the table and turned to him, studying his features. When she saw desolation in his eyes, she sighed longingly and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in the crook of his neck.

Regulus let out a deep breath, a choked sob, and pulled her closer to him, his hands gently caressing her neck and back as he trembled against her.

They stayed like that for a while, until she broke their embrace, looking up to him.

“I’m sorry you had to be there," she whispered, looking at him searchingly, a tear escaping from the corner of her eye as she thought about the previous week.

He looked at her dejectedly, brushing her tear away with his thumb. The weariness in his eyes racked her insides.

“Reg…” she whispered. “Talk to me, okay?”

He averted his eyes, breaking away from their embrace and walked to sit on the sofa where she had been moments earlier.

“What do you wish to know?” He asked with a blank voice. He rested his elbows against his knees and looked down, his hair framing his face.

Hermione sighed inwardly and sat gently next to him. “Don’t close yourself off from me, Regulus…please…” she pleaded with a trembling voice, pushing his hair away from his face to see him better.

“What the fuck do you want me to say, Hermione?” He growled, turning to look at her, his grey eyes blazing with anger. With fear. With guilt.

Hermione flinched.

“I’m fucking terrified,” Regulus continued harshly, rubbing his face angrily and looking away. “I don’t even want to think about it,” he muttered, his voice thick with emotion, a nauseated look in his eyes.

Her heart ached for him. “Can I hold you?” She whispered after a short silence.

He nodded, glancing at her, a lost look in his eyes. Hermione pulled him close to her and Regulus pressed his face against her neck, shuddering as she held him tightly.

There was a long silence before he spoke again. “How does it happen?” He asked quietly, not moving up to look at her.

“What?” She asked softly, having quite a good suspicion of what he was talking about.

“My death.”

Hermione sighed. She knew they had to talk about it, eventually.

“You were on a mission. Trying to destroy him," she said vaguely, not sure if it was the right moment to talk about Horcruxes.

“How?” He asked sharply.

“You were drowned by an army of Inferi,” she said gravely.

Regulus was quiet for a moment before he snorted. “That sounds fucking ridiculous," he said dryly.

Hermione rolled her eyes. “Well. I guess you’ll never have to find out exactly how ridiculous it is," she replied snidely.

She could feel him grin against her skin before he placed a tender kiss to her neck.

“Reg…” Hermione breathed as he began to trail soft kisses along her neck and jaw, his hands caressing her sides, pulling her closer to him.

“We shouldn’t… We have so much to talk about…” she said hesitantly. She wanted him, of course, but she knew they had to talk about the future eventually. They had to talk about everything.

Regulus sucked her neck and made her gasp. “I can’t. I don’t give a fuck. Not now," he said harshly, while his hands moved to caress her thighs.

Soon they were both breathing heavily, and Hermione’s fingers had found their way into his hair, gripping him, pulling him closer as he ravaged her mouth with his lips. She arched to him and moaned into his mouth as he caressed the junction of her thighs through her jeans. 

“Reg…” she whimpered.

With a low groan, he pulled her onto his lap to straddle him, never breaking the kiss.

A moment later, he did break the kiss to moan against her lips when she rocked her hips against his pelvis. He gripped her bum and pulled her tightly against his erection. “Circe…I have to have you, love,” he said with a strangled voice.

A delicious shiver went through her spine as she saw him staring at her with such hunger and such devastation.

“My room,” Hermione said, her voice shaking.

Regulus stood up abruptly, pulling her with him and strode quickly towards the stairway. As they stepped inside her room, he pulled her into another bruising kiss. He leaned his back against the closed door, and Hermione writhed against him as his hands sought the hem of her shirt, pulling it off swiftly, soon followed by her bra. She whimpered as his fingers found the hardened tips of her breasts, caressing them the way she wanted.

Regulus backed her towards her desk, one hand on her neck to keep her head in place as he sucked and licked her lips, and one hand caressing nipples, making her stumble slightly as desire surged through her. As soon as they reached the desk, Regulus turned them around and started to quickly strip off the remaining of her clothes. He undid his slacks just enough to free himself and sat down on the chair by the desk, and pulled her to sit on top of him.

Hermione shivered with want as he stared hard into her eyes, his fingers pressing against her hips, desperately pulling her closer to meet his erection. There weren’t any slow and savouring caresses; this time everything was rushed and uncontrollable. They were lost in each other, trying to find some sort of comfort in the midst of everything that was happening.

Regulus panted as she ground her hips against him, her wet core stroking his cock. “Ahh…Hermione…love, I have to be inside you,” he moaned as she continued rubbing her centre against his hardness, simultaneously gasping at the exquisite feeling.

His grey eyes were filled with hunger, with longing and despair, and she was mesmerised by them. Then her focus was disturbed as she felt him align himself at her entrance, pulling her slowly down on him and drawing out a stuttering gasp from her lips. Regulus hissed out a breath, his eyes rolling to the back of his head as she took in his whole length.

Hermione’s mind whirled as she started to move, to grind her hips against him while his hands urged her to go faster. It felt so good, so intimate, and so untamed.

Feeling the need inside him climb higher and higher, Regulus gripped Hermione’s hips and thrust faster, harder, drawing a strangled moan from her lips, as if she was trying to hold back from making loud noises, to not alert anyone downstairs.

But Regulus couldn’t think of anything or anyone else. Only her. How beautiful she looked, straddling him, her hair cascading to her shoulders and back, how her breasts moved in the same pace she did, how good she felt, surrounding him, so hot, so tight. Her core was gripping him with an unbearable force, and Regulus was struggling not to come. He wanted it to last, to feel the passion and warmth for a bit longer.

Hermione was making it nearly impossible, and as she slammed her hips into him, Regulus had to grit his teeth as his vision swam and darkened, while pleasure racked through him. He could feel her body shaking, tightening around his shaft as she climbed higher, rushing towards what both of their bodies ached for. What they craved for.

“I need you to come, love…” Regulus gasped, barely holding himself together. He was desperate to see how it made her look, how it made her feel around his cock.

Hermione merely whimpered at his words, her eyes hooded with desire. He sneaked a hand between them, brushing her clit with his fingers and drawing a loud moan from her lips.

Then she was crying out his name, her inner muscles gripping him vice-like, taking his release from him as she went over the edge. Regulus let out a hoarse groan, shuddering under her, losing himself into her, not able to tear his eyes away from her face.

When Hermione came down from her high, she collapsed against him, leaning her head against his shoulder, her hot breath puffing against him. Regulus could only relish the warmth of their bodies and hold her tightly as their breathing calmed.

“Shower with me?” He asked quietly, when Hermione started to shiver slightly in the cool air.

“Okay,” she said softly.

She stood up from his lap and went to the cupboard, grabbed two towels and handed him the other after draping the other around her. Their eyes finally met and he was staring at her intently.

“What?” Hermione asked hesitantly, seeming a bit uneasy under his stare.

“Nothing,” he said sombrely.

Regulus couldn’t help but think that while he was giving away his soul to the Dark Lord’s cause, she would be his anchor, the one thing that kept him sane. Even though he knew that what they had, wouldn’t - couldn’t - last long, he still wanted to have every single memory of her he could get. Because the reality was that he was going to be a Death Eater and she was with the light. And he knew that very soon would come that day when she couldn’t be in his life anymore.

After showering, they retreated back to Hermione’s bedroom and went straight to bed. It was already late. Hermione was glad that Aberforth was still busy in the pub, and thus being oblivious to the occurrences taking place upstairs.

They were snuggled against each other, her back against his chest, his arms circling around her, holding her close to him. Hermione had already drifted into a soft slumber when he spoke quietly to her ear.

“Tell me about them.”

She blinked. “Who?”

“Your friends.”

She turned to face him. “Harry and Ron?” She whispered with a frown.

He nodded, staring at her with a searching look.

Hermione sighed, her mind whirling as he thought what to say. “We met on the Hogwarts Express, our first year, but we didn’t become friends right away,” she said, looking at his bare chest. “I was kind of a know-it-all, and didn’t really have any friends at first…”

“Was?” He asked with a hint of a smirk on his lips.

Hermione narrowed her eyes to him. Regulus grinned back.

“But then we became best friends. It was always the three of us. And we were like that, until…until I came here,” she finished with a frown.

“Do you want to go back?” He asked softly, his fingers drawing patterns against her stomach.

Hermione took a deep breath. “I…I don’t know,” she whispered earnestly.

The truth was that she didn’t really know anymore. Somehow, this life here had become important to her, the people here, her friends, they meant something to her, while the memories of her old life drifted further and further away. And she wasn’t sure if she wanted to leave this new life behind, if she somehow would manage to find a solution to travel back to her old life.

Of course, she missed them - Harry and Ron, the Weasleys and her parents. But what if the future she knew didn’t exist to her anymore? She had already changed things and didn’t know how that affected the future. Even though she had a strong suspicion that she was indeed in an alternate timeline, she couldn’t know for certain.

And even if the previous week’s raid proved that she couldn’t rewrite everyone’s fate, she knew that she had been able to change at least some things. What if she was able to change her friends’ lives for the better? Harry could have his parents and Sirius. Neville could have his parents. Ron and Ginny could have their uncles. And Sirius, he could have his brother... Was she really that selfish that she would deny that from them?

Regulus kissed her forehead and pulled her snugly against him, breathing in her scent, seemingly savouring the feel of her body against his. Soon they drifted into sleep in each other’s arms.

Friday, 7 April 1978

Lily had arrived in Hogsmeade on Thursday night, surprising Hermione, as she had thought her friend would be arriving the next day, on Friday. Nevertheless, Hermione was grateful for Lily’s arrival, even if they did spend the first night crying over the loss of their friend.

Lily hadn’t seen James during the holidays, but they had owled each other nearly every day. Even so, it seemed that she couldn’t wait to see him on Sunday, when they would be returning to school. Hermione and Lily had agreed to rest and relax during the weekend, as both girls were way ahead in their studies, having completed their homework days ago. The only plan was to visit Tomes and Scrolls on Friday and buy the newest wizarding novels there was, and then get back to the Hog’s Head and be absorbed in them.

“So, about today…” Lily said as she took a piece of toast and lathed some jam on it.

They were having breakfast on the second floor of the pub. Aberforth was occupied with his paper and tea, while the girls made themselves breakfast and talked about the books they were hoping to find in the book shop.

“Yes?” Hermione asked and took a sip of her coffee.

Lily cringed a bit. “I know we agreed to take it easy and just stay here, but James owled me, and…” she trailed off, glancing in Aberforth’s direction.

“He wants to see you?” Hermione asked, somewhat amused by her friend’s troubled look.

“Well…yes. He and the guys are coming to Hogsmeade today and he asked if we can meet them in the Three Broomsticks, if that’s okay with you?” Lily asked, waiting Hermione’s answer in anticipation.

Hermione suppressed a chuckle as she saw a faint smirk tugging Aberforth’s lips. “Of course. What time are we meeting them?”

Some time later, Hermione, Sirius and Remus sat at a corner table in the Three Broomsticks. Even though the village had been quiet after the raid, the business was now slowly improving, and it meant the pub was nearly packed that night. They had a couple rounds of Butterbeer together while they chatted about their holidays. Everyone had decided to leave the raid out of discussion, as it would’ve been too depressing.

Later on, Hermione realised that James and Lily had been away from their table for quite some time. As she was about to go to the bar and ask Rosmerta if she had seen them, Sirius pulled her back to their table, a grin curving his lips.

“They’re fine, Hermione,” he said and shared a knowing look with Remus.

Hermione frowned. “What do you mean, fine? Where are they?” She snapped, eyeing the boys with a stern look.

Sirius laughed. “Don’t look at us with your judge-y little eyes. They’re probably just shagging in the restroom,” he replied with a small lift in his brows, while Remus shook his head in mild amusement.

Hermione scrunched up her nose. “Ugh. Thank you for sharing that, Sirius,” she drawled snidely.

“You asked. Is someone feeling a bit sour tonight, huh?” He asked teasingly. “Reggie been brushing you off?” Sirius continued, a grin spreading across his face.

“Pads…” Remus said with a warning in his voice.

Hermione rolled her eyes. “If you must know, I’m quite satisfied in that area,” she said with a smirk of her own.

Sirius groaned, his expression resembling something between nauseated and repulsed.

She shrugged. “You asked.”

“You’re evil, Hermione,” Sirius muttered and shook his head in disbelief.

Remus let out an exasperated huff and went to buy them the next round. As their werewolf friend left the table, Sirius turned to look at Hermione with a thoughtful expression.

“You’ve seen him lately?” He asked vaguely.

Hermione frowned. “Why?”

The look in his grey eyes hardened. “Do you know where he was on Easter Friday?”

Hermione grimaced. But apparently, that was all he needed to know. Sirius clenched his jaw and cursed silently.

“Sirius…you know he’s on our side…” she whispered after glancing around them.

He narrowed his eyes at her. “So, he’s forgiven even if he kills one of my friends?” He growled darkly.

Hermione blanched. “He didn’t…Sirius, we can’t discuss this here!” She hissed at him.

Sirius scowled at her but said nothing more to the subject.

Soon Remus came back to the table with their drinks, evidently noticing the tension between his two friends. There was an awkward silence before they continued their discussion about school and Sirius’s motorcycle, which the boys had apparently been fixing during the holidays, until Lily and James joined them, both in an obviously dishevelled state.

Sunday, 9 April 1978 

Marlene’s and her family’s funeral had been the day before. Many members of the Order had been present, since Marlene’s parents had been part of the organisation. Marlene’s and her sister’s friends had attended, as well as some of their relatives. The Ministry had placed several Aurors to provide security just in case, but luckily nothing exceptional had happened during the burial.

As Hermione had watched everyone cry and mourn their losses, she had only been able to blame herself for not having prevented it from happening.

On Sunday night, the girls left the Hog’s Head and walked to the school. The students were arriving from the train station as they reached the front doors, and it felt like everyone was staring at Hermione and Lily. Of course…because of Marlene…

The boys, Mary and Alice were already sitting at their house table, saving seats for them. Hermione sat next to Mary, opposite to Alice. She was now sitting where Marlene used to sit, and the others seemed to notice it too. Everyone was quiet, even though every other student around them was chattering and laughing with each other. Well, not everyone, Hermione thought when she glanced at the Slytherin table. Regulus and Snape were sitting there, staring blankly ahead, both of them paler than usual.

“Any problems in the train?” Lily asked from Remus after the Headmaster had welcomed them back and said a couple of words about the McKinnons and after they had had a moment of silence to acknowledge their deaths.

The Head students were expected to patrol Hogwarts Express, but since Lily had stayed at Hermione’s for the whole weekend, James had been the only Head student in the train on Sunday.

James turned to look at Lily. “Why don’t you ask me? I’m the Head boy,” he said incredulously.

Lily arched a brow at him. “Are you seriously asking me that, Potter?” She asked wearily. “Ugh. Don’t even think about it, Black,” she added when she saw that Sirius was grinning at her.

Hermione’s lips turned up slightly. It was just so…normal. Lily and James bickering. Lily snapping at Sirius as he tried to joke and make stupid puns. Hermione knew they were far from normal, but still, a glimpse of it reminded everyone that everything was not lost.

As the feast was over and everyone started to drift towards their dormitories, Regulus noticed his brother wasn’t following his group of friends, but instead seemed to stall for a bit, before slowly making his way towards the Entrance hall.

Regulus knew that his brother would eventually want an explanation about the raid and to know about his participation in it. Sirius knew he was a spy, but Regulus reckoned Sirius still doubted his allegiance with the Order, and feared that Regulus would be easily persuaded to the dark side.

Anticipating that his brother would confront him after the feast, Regulus decided to walk slowly towards the Slytherin dungeons.

“Hello, Reggie,” Sirius said suddenly with a cold voice, stepping away from the shadows in the corridor near the Potions classroom.

Regulus stilled in mid-walk and turned around to look at his brother, who was practically seething with anger. “Sirius,” he nodded. “If you wish to talk to me, I suggest we get out of the hallway…” he said quietly, staring blankly at his brother.

“Fine. Where?” Sirius asked impatiently.

Regulus jerked his head towards a near classroom. “There,” he muttered and walked into the room.

Sirius followed him in, and after closing the door he threw a few privacy spells on it.

“So? What did you want to talk about?” Regulus asked calmly. He of course knew what was on his brother’s mind, but let him do the talking.

Sirius narrowed his eyes. “You know what. You were in the raid,” he growled.

“Yes.” Regulus said plainly.

Anger flashed in Sirius’s eyes before he surged forward and punched Regulus in the face, knocking him down and breaking his nose in the process.

“Ouch, fuck!” Regulus hissed out as he pulled up on his knees. Pain flared over his face, throbbing between his eyes.

“I fucking new it!” Sirius spat at Regulus, who was now holding his bleeding nose with one hand, as he stood up with the help of the other.

“Did you kill someone?” Sirius asked with a hateful look.

“No. I didn’t,” Regulus said quietly and eyed his brother warily, trying not to flinch from the way his brother looked at him back. Like he was disgusted with Regulus. Like he loathed him.

“But you were there. You were fucking there. You – what, watched on the sides when they killed her? When they raped her?” Sirius spat, baring his teeth.

Regulus blanched, his eyes widening with dread. He suppressed the urge to gag as the scene momentarily played itself at the forefront of his mind.

“Oh, don’t look so surprised, Reggie. I know how your new friends function,” Sirius growled at him. “You’re just a fucking coward.”

Regulus swallowed bile from his throat, trying to stay calm. Trying to shake away all the memories from Easter Friday that were threatening to overpower him.

He took in a deep breath and gave his brother a nod. “I know,” he said hoarsely, looking at Sirius with regret. “I’m not like you, Sirius. I’m not brave…” he continued, his voice wavering.

He wished he was. Then perhaps he wouldn’t feel so terrible.

Sirius gaped at him, seemingly speechless when seeing his brother’s façade crumbling down.

“I was just so…so frightened.” Regulus breathed, giving his brother a pleading look, his face screwed up in pain. His whole neck was now covered in blood that had seeped from his broken nose.

Sirius frowned, looking contemplative. Regulus knew that Sirius understood that he hadn’t had any choice – otherwise he would’ve been killed for disobeying rules.

Sirius let out a weary sigh and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I hate it. I hate that you’re part of it…” he said quietly and then gave Regulus a look filled with regret. “And I hate myself for letting you join them…for not being able to look after my little brother…” he muttered, swallowing hard as his face scrunched up with guilt and worry.

It was the most honest thing his brother had ever said to him. Regulus could only try to breathe calmly and not let the emotions that were surging inside of him take control. Clenching his jaw, he gave his brother a curt nod. “Thank you,” he whispered, not trusting himself to say more without breaking down.

Sirius seemed to understand, as his lips curved slightly up. “Come here, Reggie,” he said tightly and walked closer, wrapping him in a bear hug.

Regulus pressed his eyes closed and let out a sigh of relief. Perhaps he hadn’t lost his brother after all.

Chapter Text

Chapter 28: Dark and desolate

Monday, 10 April 1978

On Monday morning, Hermione was startled when she glanced at the Slytherin table while having her breakfast. Regulus sat there next to Snape like always, but she could see that something had happened to him. There was faint bruising on his nose and under his eyes. She quickly searched the charmed galleon from her schoolbag and sent him a message.

What happened? –HD

Regulus glanced at her, and the coin warmed in her hand.

Nothing to worry about –RB

Hermione scoffed and narrowed her eyes at him. Someone had punched him in the face, and she could make a fair guess who. Her eyes moved along their table and stopped at Sirius, who was nursing a cup of coffee, looking bleary eyed and sullen, as did the rest of the seventh year Gryffindors. Hermione sighed inwardly.

Meet me in RoR after lunch. –HD

Regulus glanced at her and gave her a curt nod.

After breakfast, the seventh year Gryffindors waited in the hallway for their Defence class to start.

"Sirius? Can I have a word?" Hermione asked, eyeing him tentatively. He looked slightly annoyed.

He sighed. "Yeah, okay," he murmured wearily.

They moved further along the hall, while their friends eyed them with curious expressions.

"Look, Hermione. I think I know what you are on about…" he muttered, looking at her with an exasperated expression.

"You punched him?" Hermione asked, her brow furrowing. "Do you think that was necessary? That he hasn't been through enough?" She asked quietly, lifting her brows to make a point.

Sirius clenched his jaw. "Leave it, Hermione," he said moodily and walked back to their friends.

Hermione gaped at him. She wondered, what the hell was wrong with him.

She didn't have time to find out as Gideon had arrived and the students were slowly walking into the classroom. During their double lesson they focused on dark creatures, such as Lethifolds, Basilisks and Chimaeras, and Hermione could feel Gideon's eyes glancing at her every now and then.

After Gideon had announced their class to be over, he asked for Hermione to stay behind. When everyone had left, Gideon and Hermione moved into Gideon's office and sat down on opposite sides at his desk. Hermione studied his features carefully. His brows were furrowed and he had an exhausted look in his blue eyes. She reckoned he too was affected by the raid. She wondered if he had been close with the McKinnons, seeing as they had been in the Order.

Gideon cleared his throat and Hermione was shaken from her reverie. "How are you?" He asked as he crossed his fingers on the desk, his eyes boring into hers.

Hermione shrugged. "I'm okay."

She was not, but she felt like she would burst if she said anything else.

He frowned. "Do you want to talk about it? The raid?" He asked hesitantly.

Hermione sighed. "No, not really. There's nothing to talk about…" she said, her voice faltering a bit.

"What do you mean?" Gideon asked, slightly curious expression on his face.

She narrowed her eyes. "The damage is done, isn't it?" Hermione asked bitterly, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. "I told you everything I knew. Regulus put his life at risk when he told me everything he knew. And somehow, the McKinnons died. M-Marlene died," she said, stumbling in her words. "And Regulus…he ended up suffering as well. He has to carry it with him – what he had to do, what he had to witness – for the rest of his life," Hermione said tightly, gritting her teeth in frustration.

Gideon frowned. "Look, Hermione – "

"No. You were supposed to stop it!" She exclaimed, her eyes burning with angry tears. "The Order was supposed to stop it!"

Gideon gave her a sad smile while she breathed heavily.

"I was supposed to prevent it," she whispered, looking down. "I was supposed to change things…"

Gideon cleared his throat and stared at her with a solemn look. "I'm sorry Hermione. I'm sorry we didn't stop it before it was too late. I'm sorry we couldn't save them. But you can't control everything. You have to accept the fact that someone will die eventually. It might happen to someone close to you, and you can't prevent it. It might happen exactly like you knew it would, or it might happen in an entirely different way," he said gravely.

He was silent for a while before he spoke again. "I know this isn't any of my business, but…you're getting too close to him, Hermione.”

Her eyes snapped to his, feeling slightly affronted.

"You know as well as I do what I've seen during our Occlumency training," Gideon continued quietly, grimacing at his desk.

Hermione knew he had seen her spending time with Regulus and that he had felt her feelings towards Regulus. Still, he hadn’t brought it up before.

"It's dangerous. What you're doing. You know what he is and with whom he's associated. He might not be able to protect you," Gideon said steadily, staring at her with a worried expression.

Hermione swallowed hard. "You're right. It is none of your concern," she said blankly.

Gideon sighed and looked disappointed. "Okay then…I'll see you in next class," he said and gave her a small smile.

Hermione nodded and left the class.

After lunch, Hermione stepped into the duplicate of Grimmauld Place library and found Regulus staring at the bookshelf with a pensive look in his eyes.

"Reg…?" She asked as she neared him.

He turned to look at her. "Hey," he merely said.

"Hey," she replied as her eyes searched his face, trying to gauge his mood. She worried her lip and took his hand. "How are you feeling?" She asked carefully.

"Fine."

She sighed inwardly. "What happened to your face?" She asked hesitantly.

"Nothing."

"Reg, please. Don't shut me out, okay?" She pleaded softly, lifting her hand to his cheek and tracing his cheekbone with her thumb.

Regulus blinked rapidly.

"It was Sirius…" he muttered, looking away from her when she huffed. "But don't worry about it. We've talked it through already…"

Hermione stared at him in bewilderment. "Oh?"

"Yeah."

"So...the two of you are…speaking to each other again?" She asked hesitantly.

"So it seems."

"Oh. Well, that's something, I guess," she said with a small smile.

He nodded, locking eyes with hers. His intense gaze made her shiver.

"Regulus – "

"Can we not talk about it, love?" He asked, taking a hold of her waist, pulling her closer to him, his eyes drawn to her lips.

"Are you sure?" Hermione asked with a frown, while she wrapped her hands around his neck.

Regulus nodded. "I just want to forget about it," he muttered, caressing her waist with his fingertips, bringing his lips close to her ear. “…Help me forget about it…” he murmured against her neck, his warm breath sending shivers down her skin.

Hermione let out a stuttering breath. She only wanted to make it easier for him, but she had thought that they would talk about the raid now. "Okay," she said eventually.

He leaned back a bit and kissed her lips fleetingly. Then he crushed his lips against hers, his touch and taste burning her insides. She gasped against his mouth, and he immediately pushed his tongue in, tasting her, caressing her tongue.

She knew he was unburdening his anguish, seeking distraction; something he could use to bury his feelings somewhere deep. And she let him do it. She wanted to be there for him. She wanted it. So, she let him carry her to his bed and ravage her in ways like never before, leaving them both in a state of delirium.

Wednesday, 12 April 1978

It was the third day of school, and everything seemed to be almost like before. But it wasn't. Everyone around Hermione was feeling down, immersed in their own thoughts, barely doing their schoolwork. During the evenings, the seventh year Gryffindors either sat in their common room gloomily or retreated early to their respective dormitories. It seemed like the cold and desolate weather outside was reflecting everyone's mood. Hermione could see her dorm mates missing their friend dearly, and every time she heard one of them sobbing silently behind the closed curtains of their four-poster beds, she felt another pang of guilt in her stomach, another twist in her chest.

When they had walked into their dormitory last Sunday for the first time after Easter break, the girls were greeted with an empty spot in the room where once had been the bed that had belonged to Marlene. Lily and Alice had immediately burst in tears, while Mary had left the dormitory without a word, returning late, when everyone else had already been sleeping.

On Wednesday morning Hermione, Lily and Alice had double Arithmancy class, while the boys and Mary were in the Care of Magical Creatures. As the girls waited silently for their class to start, Hermione let her eyes wander along the hallway. She saw Snape leaning on the wall and eyeing their group every now and then. She examined his features; he was as pale as always, but there was something new in his expression. Something close to remorse. Had he been there? Had he seen Marlene? Had he hurt someone? 

Hermione frowned and felt her eyes prickling. She looked away and gritted her teeth, willing the tears away. Luckily their professor appeared and their class was about to start. Hermione walked quickly inside the classroom and took her seat. She knew she would have to have a conversation with Snape soon. She wanted to know.

Later that day, Hermione found herself sitting next to Snape in their Potions classroom. They both had been silent for most of the double class, their focus on their brew. Hermione was waiting for the right time to speak to him, but every time she glanced at him and their eyes met, he merely gave her an icy stare in reply. Eventually she sighed and turned towards him.

"Snape?" She asked quietly.

"Dumbledore," he gritted through his teeth.

"Um…could I have a word with you? After the class?" Hermione asked hesitantly.

Snape narrowed his eyes. "If it's about the potion, then by all means, say it now. I have no interest whatsoever engaging into a discussion with you about anything else," he said coldly.

Hermione's brows lifted up in surprise. He was angry. Knowing that there was no point to argue with him about it, she simply nodded at him and turned back to their cauldron.

At the end of their lesson, Snape stormed away and left her to clean the table and deliver their sample to Slughorn.

She thought Regulus wasn't much better than Snape. Hermione had met him in the Room of Requirement twice already, and during both times he hadn't said almost anything to her. He had only sought comfort from her and kept her close to him before they had parted their ways and returned back to their separate quarters.

Hermione and Remus decided to head towards the library after their Potions class while James and Sirius left to their Quidditch practice. The rest of their group opted to study in their common room.

"How are you getting by?" Remus asked softly as they sat down at their usual table and pulled out their books, quills and parchments from their schoolbags.

Hermione sighed. "I'm okay, I guess…I mean, I miss Marlene, of course. But I think it's harder for the girls. You know, they lived with her for almost seven years. They knew each other so well…" Hermione said, her voice trembling slightly. She tried to ignore the voice in her head that reminded her of how she hadn't been able to save her.

"And you?" Hermione asked carefully, glancing at him.

Remus frowned. "I don't know…It's like one of us is missing. You know… even though I'm closer with the guys and rarely spent time with her, she was still around. I was used to seeing her, even more so when she dated Sirius," he said pensively and was silent for a moment. "Perhaps it gets easier with time, right?"

Hermione hummed in response. They continued to do their homework in silence for a while.

"Is…everything okay with you and Sirius?" Remus asked after some time, eyeing her closely.

She shrugged. "I suppose. He's angry about what happened to Marley and her family. I think he suspects that his family had something to do with it…" she said hesitantly.

Remus nodded. "Yeah, that makes sense," he said slowly and gave her a searching look.

Hermione briefly wondered if Remus knew. If Sirius had told his friend that Regulus had been there, that his brother's hands had been red with Marlene's blood. She cleared her throat and changed the subject, quickly shaking away the horrifying image at the forefront of her mind. "So, how did the meeting go? You know, with Belby?"

Suddenly the grim look Remus had on his face disappeared and was replaced with a hesitant grin. "It was great! I mean, I'm going to participate in his study, and I'll be going to Germany as soon as we have graduated."

Hermione's smile faltered. "You'll be gone? For how long?"

He shrugged. "Couple of months, half a year. Something like that."

"Does Mary know about this?" She asked carefully, not really wanting to ruin his happiness.

Remus sighed and rubbed his face. "No…and I'm not going to tell her."

Hermione's brows shot up. "What? Why? But she'll be wondering where you are…" she said incredulously.

He gave her a guilty frown but said nothing.

Then she understood. "You're going to break up with her…" she said quietly.

Remus averted his eyes from hers, as if he couldn't face the disappointment in her expression.

"It's for the best," he muttered, staring at his transfiguration book that lay open on the table.

Hermione scoffed. "For her? Or for you?"

"Hermione, can we not talk about this?" He asked tightly, looking annoyed.

She sighed, but eventually nodded and didn't push further. She could only hope that he would change his mind.

"It's like you wish an early death," Regulus said as he neared his brother who was leaning against the back of greenhouse number three, inhaling smoke into his lungs.

Sirius turned to look at him and lifted his brows. "A bit early for the death jokes, huh?"

Regulus grimaced and averted his eyes. He was immediately transferred back to that night, as images flooded at the forefront of his mind. Even though he was able to push the thoughts away, the screams echoed in his head. The smell of blood lingered in his nostrils.

He blinked quickly as his brother punched him softly on his shoulder. 

"Oh, come off it," Sirius grunted and took the pack of cigarettes from his pockets. "Here. Take one."

Regulus arched a brow. "That's vile."

"I know. But the girls love it," Sirius said with a wink that looked a bit too strained to be believable.

Regulus rolled his eyes. "I highly doubt that…" he muttered but took one eventually.

"That's more like it, little brother," Sirius chuckled. "I have to say I'm thrilled that you finally have the sense to follow my lead," he continued with a small smile curving his lips.

"Sod off," Regulus grumbled and coughed when he inhaled the smoke.

Sirius barked a laugh, the tightness edged on his face diminishing slightly.

"So…how are you doing?" Sirius asked after a moment of silence that had been filled by only the sound of inhaling and exhaling smoke.

Regulus merely shrugged. He wasn't doing. He was existing. He was actively trying not to do or feel. He was trying not to remember.

Sirius frowned and eyed him carefully as he took a long drag from his cigarette before tossing it away. "Listen, Reggie…I know we aren't exactly best mates or anything and probably will never return to the way we once were," he said heavily. "But…you know…I'm here for you, brother. If you don't push me away," he continued softly, staring at him intently.

Regulus glanced at him, a spray of emotions coursing through him. He saw how serious his brother looked, how worried he was. He couldn't find the right words so he simply gave him a nod in reply, hoping that his brother could see from his eyes what it meant to him. What he meant to him.

Saturday, 15 April 1978

On Saturday night, Hermione met Dumbledore, McGonagall, Gideon and Fabian in the Headmaster's office.

"First I would like to talk about the McKinnon raid, and then perhaps we could go through our current situation with the Horcruxes," Dumbledore said to everyone, his expression solemn.

Of course, the Order had gathered after the raid, right after Dumbledore had questioned Regulus and Hermione in the Hog's Head. Hermione didn't know what the Headmaster had asked from Regulus, and truth to be told, she wasn't sure she even wanted to know. What Regulus had told her had surely only scraped the surface and it had been enough to make her feel horrified. She couldn't even imagine the terrors he had seen.

"Hermione?" Dumbledore said, eyeing her.

Hermione blinked, feeling slightly startled. "Yes?"

"Do you want to share your thoughts? Your feelings?" He asked kindly.

Hermione suspected that Gideon had had a talk with the Headmaster about her harsh words regarding the Order and the raid. She sighed. "It should've been prevented," she said with a frown. "It wasn't supposed to happen."

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, it should have been prevented."

Hermione gritted her teeth. "Why wasn't it?" She asked, anger growing inside her. "Why? I gave you every bit of information I had. You – the Order was supposed to prevent it!" Hermione said roughly.

Dumbledore gave her a sad smile.

"Hermione…we did everything we could…" Gideon said quietly.

Hermione scowled at him. "That wasn't enough though," she snapped.

Gideon looked back wearily and ran a hand through his hair. "Every single member of the Order knew when the raid was taking place. Everyone took precautions to add security. And it wasn't enough," he said grimly.

"You can't blame the Order, Hermione. Or yourself. The Order, or you for that matter are not responsible of the McKinnons' deaths. Voldemort is. His followers are. Those who willingly follow him, those who revel in hurting others," Dumbledore stated gravely, staring intently at Hermione.

Hermione clenched her jaw. She wished it wouldn't be like this. The guilt was slowly eating her from the inside. She felt they should have been able to prevent the attack against the McKinnons. She felt responsible. She knew it hadn't been how it had happened before, because the McKinnons had been attacked some years from now, but still, it felt like she should have prevented it.

"I happen to agree with the Headmaster, Hermione," McGonagall said sternly. "The only one who should be blamed is Voldemort," she said with a determined expression.

The Prewetts nodded in agreement.

Dumbledore gave McGonagall a small smile before he turned to look at Hermione again. "I think the only thing we can do is to honour those who have left this world and to keep ourselves focused on our goals. And also try to be more prepared in the future. Do you agree?" He asked, looking at her kindly.

Hermione swallowed down a weary sigh. "Yes."

They were all silent for a while.

"I suggest we now move on to our next subject. Does anyone have any new information about the possible locations of the diadem?" Dumbledore asked and eyed the others expectantly.

"I haven't found anything while searching through the books in the library," Hermione said with a small shrug.

"Same here," Gideon said. Fabian and McGonagall shook their heads.

"Then we shall continue the research and hopefully stumble on something," Dumbledore said simply and continued. "And what about your research with the potion?" Dumbledore asked, looking at Hermione.

She sighed. "Well, I've found a couple of possibilities while researching and reading books, but I don't know whether I have found the one that is used in the cave," she said hesitantly.

"As a matter of fact, I have some news on that front," McGonagall said and drew herself up in her seat. "I inquired about these kinds of potions from a good friend, discreetly, may I add," she said and glanced at the others.

Fabian tried to suppress a grin, while Dumbledore eyed her with a pleased look.

"My friend is a potioneer, and he wrote me a list of several potential poisons and their antidotes. Here is the list," McGonagall continued and handed the parchment to Dumbledore.

He inspected it for a moment, looking thoughtful. "I can see these are all somewhat challenging to prepare. In order to produce one potion that would work as an antidote for all the mind-altering and torture potions listed in here, you first would have to prepare every single potion from the list, successfully for that matter. Are you up for it, Hermione?" Dumbledore asked and handed the parchment to Hermione.

She read the list quickly, her eyes widening a bit. Challenging was an understatement. They were nearly impossible to brew without the risk of making a mistake. How in the name of Merlin was she supposed to brew them?

"I'm up for it," she replied finally and pocketed the list. She simply had to practice like hell.

The others gave her pleased looks while Dumbledore clapped his hands together. "Brilliant. Now there is one more thing for us to consider."

Everyone turned to look at him with expectant looks.

"As I haven't yet received any information about other means to use against the Horcruxes, our only option to destroy them is with the Fiendfyre curse," he said and gave the others a mildly apologising look.

Hermione assumed that the others as well had hoped for another solution, based on the disappointed looks on their faces.

"Are you ready for another session?" Dumbledore asked carefully, his gaze lingering at Hermione a bit longer.

Everyone nodded grimly.

As Hermione left the Headmaster's office and walked towards the Room of Requirement, her thoughts were focused on the fact that she would have to face the Fiendfyre again. She knew she was ready. And she was determined not to let Regulus suffer because of her mistakes this time. That was something she could control. If there was nothing else, she could at least do that, she thought, a lump forming in her throat again as memories flashed in her mind.

The last time she had been in the cave and had nearly been succumbed by the cursed flames, every burn and cut she had received were all passed on to Regulus because of the bracelet. She had found out about it afterwards, when she had seen the fading marks on his arms. Needless to say, it had been horrifying. She had tried to apologise, but Regulus had only brushed her off, insisting it was nothing.

Later that night Hermione fell asleep in Regulus's arms with distressing thoughts circling her mind. What if she couldn't save him? What if he would only suffer because of her?

Sunday, 16 April 1978

As Hermione woke up in the Room of Requirement the next morning, she decided to head to the library to grab the essential books she would need for the potions McGonagall had on her list. If she had the time, she would start testing one of them in the potions lab. Some of the potions included instructions, and as for the rest of them, she knew she could find the instructions in the books in the library's Restricted Section, now that she knew what exactly she was going to brew.

"I know you're awake." Regulus murmured to her neck. "I can hear your brain working."

Hermione chuckled. "Is that so?"

"Mm-hmm," he hummed.

Regulus pushed her hair away from her neck and pressed his lips against her nape, kissing the spot lightly, leaving it just a little bit wet. Then he breathed warm air from his nose to the spot, making her tremble in his arms. A tingle of anticipation ran through her. He continued his ministrations with her neck while his hands skimmed over her body. Soon she was writhing against him, aching for him and feeling exactly how awake he was as he pressed himself against her.

After lunch, Hermione was heading towards the potions lab. She had visited the Restricted Section in the library after she had left the Room of Requirement, and had found a few promising books about some of the potions on McGonagall's list.

Feeling slightly ashamed of herself, she realised the last time she had been in the potions lab was months ago. She had been focusing on school, practicing Fiendfyre, practicing Occlumency, and, well…on everything else. As she reached the lab which was close to their potions classroom in the dungeons, Hermione pushed the door open, not really expecting for anyone to be there. But there was. Snape.

She blanched, halting in place. "What are you doing in here?" She asked, her voice wavering a bit from the surprise.

Snape glanced at her from his cauldron. "Might ask you the same thing," he said snidely, his focus returning back to his potion.

She blinked. "Are you doing schoolwork?" She asked, even though she knew he wasn't. He was her potions partner and they always handed their assignments to Slughorn in time.

He merely gave her an arched brow.

Hermione's brows lifted. So, Snape was there brewing his own potions…

"What are you working on?" She asked, intrigued by what he was brewing, and walked towards his table.

He didn't glance away from his cauldron, where he kept stirring the potion. "None of your concern."

Hermione huffed and turned away from him, shaking her head. She decided to begin her attempt on the first potion on the list. As the room was quite small, and there were only three separate desks, she put her belongings to the furthest one from him and began to work.

After an hour or so, she was making progress with her potion. At least she thought she was.

"Planning to kill someone?" Snape asked indifferently from his place.

Hermione startled. She had forgotten he was there. And apparently, he had immediately figured out what she was doing.

"Why?" She asked innocently, not turning to look at him.

She could feel him approach her. He stopped when he was near the edge of her table.

"Even if you look like it, you don't need to act like a simple-minded bint," he said with a faint sneer.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Well, thank you for the compliment, Severus," she replied with a sweet smile before turning back to her cauldron. She wiped her brow, almost certain that she was going to screw it up. She also couldn't help to feel a bit worried by the fact that Snape knew what she was brewing. She wondered if he would he keep his mouth shut.

"How fast did you add the Manchineel Tree Bark Powder?" Snape asked bluntly.

Hermione whirled to look at him and narrowed her eyes. Of course he would know how to do it properly. Even though the potion was too complicated for students to brew…

"Just a moment ago…why?" She asked hesitantly, swallowing her pride.

He smirked at her. "What you should've done, was to add it in the beginning. That way it would've had the time to brew the needed time before you added the Bulbadox Juice," he explained, a hint of enthusiasm crossing his eyes.

Hermione knew it made sense. But why hadn't it been in the instructions? She felt somewhat bitter and tried not to reminisce her sixth year when Harry had used the Half-Blood Prince's book in Potions and bested her in every single brew. Snape's book.

"Oh," she said quietly. "Thank you."

Snape shrugged. "You're welcome. But for your information, I will be testing my drinks on your boyfriend from now on," he said grimly.

Hermione was taken aback. Boyfriend? Regulus wasn't her boyfriend. Or was he? And then another thought hit her. He had made a joke. Snape had actually joked. With her.

She let out a stifled laugh, surprising him. His mouth curved a bit before he schooled his expression back to a blank look.

Hermione examined his features for a moment. Snape merely stared back, and she briefly wondered why he was still standing there.

"How…how are you?" She asked carefully, searching his eyes.

Snape lifted his brows in surprise, certainly not expecting her to inquire his well being. His mouth curved into a sneer. "What do you think?" He asked pointedly. He didn't ask what she had meant. Apparently, he knew exactly what she was talking about.

Hermione stared at him expectantly. Snape huffed. "You have no idea," he hissed at her, returning to his table.

Hermione sighed, turning to look at him. "I'm sorry. I don't understand. I don't know what you're going through," she said quietly and saw him flinch. "The door is open for you, you know?" She added quietly.

He glared at her. "I know. That doesn't mean I'll walk through it."

There was a short silence.

"Not even for Lily?" She asked perceptively.

His expression softened a bit and he looked away.

Hermione turned back to her cauldron when he became passive. But then she heard it. He spoke it so softly, that she almost missed it.

"I'll think about it."

Tuesday, 18 April 1978

Since the school had started, Hermione had spent several evenings and nights in the Room of Requirement with Regulus. It felt like all the seventh year Gryffindor girls were avoiding their dormitory, and even when Hermione had wanted to be there for her friends, it seemed that they weren't ready to talk about the events of the Easter holidays. It had been easier to be away from the empty dormitory and not face the empty spot in the room where Marlene used to sleep. The sight of it was simply too painful, too disturbing.

On Tuesday night, Hermione stepped into the seventh-year girls' dormitory and found the room almost empty, yet again, despite it nearing almost curfew. There was only Lily, who was curled on her bed, her back against the door.

"Lily?" Hermione whispered, not wanting to wake her up if she was already asleep.

Lily turned to look at her. Hermione could see that her friend's eyes were puffy and her nose was red. Lily had been crying.

"Hermione?" Lily said with a thick voice.

Hermione felt her stomach twist with grief and guilt as she approached Lily, her brows furrowed with worry. She sat down at the foot of Lily's bed, eyeing her with a sad smile.

"How are you?" Hermione asked, wincing inwardly. Of course Lily was not okay, but she had to start from somewhere.

Lily grimaced. "I feel like crap," she huffed and sniffed, tears gathering into her eyes.

Hermione sighed, feeling miserable. She hated seeing her like that. "I'm sorry, Lils. I'm sorry I haven't been there for you," she said quietly, blinking away her own tears.

"Oh, Hermione. Don't be…you have just as much the right to be sad than the rest of us. Regardless how long you knew each other, Marley was still your friend too…" Lily whispered, taking Hermione's hand and giving it a light squeeze. "And I haven't exactly been ready to talk about it until now…" Lily said gloomily.

Hermione leaned in closer and enveloped her friend into a hug, soothing her hand against Lily's back as she felt her trembling. They stayed like that for a while. Hermione could hear her friend crying again.

"I miss her," Lily said with a shaky voice, her words slightly muffling against Hermione's shoulder.

Hermione took in a deep breath. "Me too," she whispered, tears of grief and anger burning in her eyes.

Lily broke their embrace and frowned at the bed, looking contemplative. "Why? Why did no one stop them? The D-Death Eaters?" She asked and swallowed. "Marlene's family. They were with the…Order, right?" She continued, whispering the word, staring at Hermione in confusion.

Hermione tried to swallow away the sudden tightness in her throat. What could she say? Hermione wanted to tell Lily everything she knew. But she knew that she couldn't. "I don't know, Lils…" she merely said and sighed.

They were silent for a while.

"You know, I'm not angry at them. The Order. Not really..." Lily said quietly, chewing the inside of her cheek. "I'm angry at those who did it," she continued coldly.

Hermione tried not to flinch. She knew that not everyone who took part on the raid had done it willingly. Regulus and Snape. But she couldn't say it to Lily. It wasn't going to make her feel better and Hermione was quite certain the redhead wouldn't understand. Not yet, at least.

It seemed that Lily wanted to say something else but was struggling with the words. Hermione waited in silence.

"I'm scared, Mione…" Lily finally said, looking at her with an anxious look. "What if…what if I don't make it? What if James doesn't? What if I lose another friend?" She asked with a sob, her eyes filling with tears.

Hermione's breath caught in her throat. What she wanted to say to her friend, was that she would be okay, that everyone would be okay. She wanted to tell her that she was going to make sure of that. But the words died in her throat. She just wasn't sure anymore.

Friday, 21 April 1978

Hermione was spending her Friday evening in the vast cave, where their group was practicing the Fiendfyre curse after over a month's break. As she watched Gideon and McGonagall cast and control the cursed flames, Hermione was determined not to screw it up this time. She was ready now. She had to be.

"Molly's been asking after you…" Fabian said as he watched his brother, who was now holding his wand up and controlling a fiery phoenix that was flying high in the cave ceiling. Hermione and Fabian were sitting in one corner behind the others, leaning their backs against the stone wall.

Hermione sighed. She had been writing to Molly and the ginger-haired witch had tried to subtly inquire about Hermione's general mood after the raid. But she hadn't really wanted to talk about it and even less to write about it. She felt bad for not visiting Molly, even more so since she knew the woman had given birth to Fred and George less than three weeks ago. Of course, Hermione had owled her and congratulated her and Arthur the moment she had received the news and with her reply, Molly had sent her a photo of the two future mischief-makers. Hermione had planned to go and visit her in the Burrow, but her plans had changed dramatically as a consequence of the raid.

"I know…I just…" she frowned, not really knowing how to say it. Or what to say, to be exact.

"Look, she understands. She lost someone too," Fabian said quietly.

Hermione turned to look at him in shock. "Oh?"

"Yeah, Melissa. Marlene's sister. They were friends," Fabian continued, looking uncomfortable. "It's good that the twins are taking all her time, you know?" He said with a sad smile.

Hermione felt nauseated. Another friend was suffering because of the raid.

"Just talk to her when you're ready, yeah?" Fabian asked and gave her a reassuring nudge. "She'll understand."

Hermione nodded, swallowing the lump from her throat.

A while later, Fabian cleared his throat and stood up. "Okay, little Dumbledore, you're up," Fabian said with a wink and held a hand for her.

Hermione took in a calming breath and clutched his hand as she stood up. She tried to be calm and collected, reassuring herself that she was going to succeed. She knew the incantation. She knew how to control the flames. She knew how to extinguish them. It was all in her head and she just had to use the knowledge and control herself.

While McGonagall and Gideon stepped aside to rest after their successful practice, Hermione took her place in the middle of the cave. She nodded at the Headmaster who stood slightly behind her with Fabian, and lifted her wand. She thought the incantation in her mind and cast the curse, instantly feeling the Dark Magic course through her, tingling in her fingertips and bursting from the tip of her wand in the form of cursed flames.

The flames took a form of an animal – a fierce, but beautiful dragon. Hermione knew that she wasn't going to last long, as she felt the curse use all of her powers. Sweat was beading on her upper lip and her hand trembled as she tried to focus on controlling the flames. She knew she had to put the flames out and cast the counter-spell for the curse. But the curse was more powerful than she was. It all happened in seconds. She saw Dumbledore and Fabian both lift their wands, with the intention to cast the counter-curse, to put out the flames, but then the fiery beast attacked and spit fire towards her.

Hermione had only a second to move, and as she lunged to the side to avoid the fiery ball from scorching her, the flames managed to brush her left hand. She let out a scream as she waved her wand, which luckily was in her right hand, and managed to perform the counter-curse to extinguish the flames.

As soon as the flames vanished, the others rushed towards her. Hermione was kneeling on the stone floor, cradling her hand and shaking uncontrollably. She was relieved. She had succeeded, finally. Only it hurt like hell. Her hand was throbbing with a searing pain, like thousand knives were stabbing it.

"Mmph..." she moaned through her gritted teeth as Dumbledore and Gideon started to check the extent of her injuries.

"It's okay, Hermione," Gideon said soothingly as Dumbledore waved his wand over her hand and then started to apply the burning paste on the burns.

"I know," she panted.

She knew the wounds were insignificant compared to what she had endured the last time, but this time, the pain was much, much worse without the bracelet. She shuddered as she briefly thought exactly what Regulus had endured on her behalf.

Soon the pain eased and she was left with only a mild throbbing in her palm. Dumbledore cast several diagnostic charms over her arm before he seemed to be pleased with the results. Hermione was adamant to continue their practice, but Dumbledore insisted she was to rest and watch from the sides for the rest of the evening. Even though she didn't get to continue practicing, Hermione couldn't help but feel satisfied that she had finally managed. Sure, she had been hurt and it hadn't been perfect, but she still had managed to put out the flames. She had managed to control the flames. Finally.

After their practice, Hermione slipped into the Room of Requirement and was surprised to see Regulus still awake.

"Hey," Hermione said softly and walked towards him. He looked so relaxed lying on the sofa, a book between his hands.

He turned to look at her and sat up. He smiled at her and put the book on the table, but his movements stilled suddenly, his expression went from relaxed to anxious, and the small smile on his lips disappeared.

"Hermione…love…what happened to you?" He asked in mild panic and sprang up from the sofa. He took her hand in his and inspected the faint red marks on the otherwise light skin. "What is this?" He asked with a demanding voice, his eyes searching hers uneasily. "Were you hurt?"

Hermione opened her mouth, but nothing came out.

"Where's the bracelet?" He asked harshly, grabbing her both wrists and pulling them up, holding them in a firm grip.

Hermione hissed in surprise as his fingers dug slightly into her skin of her still healing hand.

He gritted his teeth together. "Where is the bracelet I gave you?" He demanded with fear and anger in his eyes.

Hermione winced as his grip on her wrist tightened.

"You're hurting me, Regulus," she said with a small whimper.

He let go as if her hand had burned him, staring at her with a startled look.

Hermione took the bracelet quickly from her pocket. "It's here, look," she said, putting it on again and taking a few steps away from him, sitting on the sofa where he had been a mere moment ago.

"Why would you take it off?" He asked with a rough voice, clenching his jaw.

Hermione worried her lip and then sighed. "You know why…" she muttered, looking him apologetically. He knew where she had been that night, but she hadn't told him about taking off the bracelet. She just couldn't let him get hurt because of her.

He cursed under his breath. "Never take it off, Hermione!" He yelled, and Hermione blanched when he looked at her like that. With his eyes full of anger and resentment.

"I had to!" She cried. "I saw what it did to you the last time, Reg…I saw what I did," she said miserably and looked down.

Last time, he had taken the most of her wounds and pain. But when would it be too much for him to take? What if he would die because of her? She would never forgive herself for that.

He took a couple of deep breaths and then knelt down in front of her, taking her hands in his, gently this time. "Please, Hermione. Love. Never take it off. I can't bear the thought of something or someone hurting you. Say that you'll never take it off. Promise me," he murmured with a trembling voice, his grey eyes pleading her, a whirl of emotions flickering in them.

Hermione felt her throat constricting.

"Your life over mine," he whispered, his eyes searching hers.

Hermione choked back a sob. It was so intense. The way he spoke to her. The way he looked at her. Like she was everything to him. Like the bracelet was the only thing he could do in order to protect her. And perhaps it was.

Gideon's words rang in her head. That what she did with Regulus was dangerous, and that he might not be able to protect her. Perhaps Gideon was right. And Regulus knew it too.

She stared into his stormy grey eyes that were filled with fear, terror, anger and longing. Eyes that were pleading her, begging her. How could she not give him everything he asked? Tears burned in her eyes and she swallowed deeply before she managed to find her voice.

"I'll never take it off. I promise," she whispered and watched relief fill his eyes.

Chapter Text

Chapter 29: Deciding about the future

Sunday, 23 April 1978

Hermione watched the golden and purple hue of the sunrise through a gap between the curtains on Regulus's bedroom windows. Regulus was still breathing deeply, lying on his back with one arm thrown over his head on the pillow while the other one was holding her tightly against him. Their legs were tangled and Hermione rested her head against his chest. She looked up to his relaxed, sleeping face. His lips were pouting a bit as he breathed through his mouth. A small groan escaped between his lips when she absently skimmed her fingers against his lower abdomen.

"Hmm." Regulus hummed and squeezed her closer to him, blinking and slowly waking up. "Do you have to leave already?" He murmured in his still-sleepy voice, planting a kiss on the top of her head.

Hermione checked the time with her wand. "It's almost six…I'll have to go in a moment," she said with a sigh. She knew the girls would sleet late, as it was Sunday, but she wanted to be there well before any of them woke up.

Regulus gave her a contemplative look.

"What is it?" She asked, watching him curiously.

"Are you sure your roommates don't suspect anything? I mean, we're here nearly every night…" he muttered, his fingers tracing patterns against her back.

Hermione shook her head. "I'm sure," she said and lifted her brows at him pointedly. "And might I add that you're here nearly every night. I usually go to my dorm to sleep for the night," she continued with a small smile.

For the past two weeks, since the school had started, Regulus had stayed many nights in the Room of Requirement, staying there even when she didn't. Hermione was a bit surprised that no one had questioned why Regulus didn't sleep in the dungeons. His dorm mates surely had noticed his absence.

"And have I mentioned how enjoyable it is when you spend the night in here with me?" He asked with a low voice that made her heart skip a beat.

Her skin was tingling where he touched her. "No…but you can show me…next time," she breathed, her fingers trailing innocently over his pelvis. "I have to get up now," she murmured and placed a quick kiss on his cheek.

Regulus groaned when she climbed over him and out of the bed. "You're killing me," he murmured, his arm drawn over his eyes.

Hermione gave him an amused look. "You'll live. Besides, I'll see you tonight, right?" She asked while she pulled on a sweater.

"Of course," he replied and frowned as he watched her getting dressed.

He was still lying in his bed, his hands now crossed under his head, his bare chest on display as black silk sheets hung low on his hips, covering him from waist down. Hermione's eyes roamed over his body for a moment before she noticed his thoughtful expression.

"What?" She asked, eyeing him searchingly.

"Where are you going?" He asked coolly.

Hermione gave him an incredulous look. "…To my dorm?"

He arched a brow at her. "After that. After breakfast," he said and stared at her with a blank look.

Hermione sighed inwardly. It seemed like Snape had tattled about her little potions project.

"The potions lab," she merely said, pulling her jeans on.

"And what are you working on in there?" Regulus asked, watching her intently.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Since you obviously know already, why don't you tell me?" She asked, giving him a wry look.

Regulus tried to suppress a smile. "Sev told me you're making Mancinella draught," he said, his expression serious now. "Why are you brewing a poison?"

She sighed, quickly thinking what she could tell him. "I'm trying to make an antidote for several poisons and toxic potions actually. But in order to do so, I must – "

" - Brew the poison first," he murmured with a curt nod. "And this project of yours is something you're doing for the Order?" He asked as he stood up and walked to an armchair in which his clothes were neatly folded.

She chewed the inside of her cheek. "Yes."

He arched a brow at her. "Let me guess. You're not going to tell me what for?" He asked as he started to pull his clothes on.

"Soon. I promise," she said softly and walked to him. She slid her hands around his neck and pulled him down into a lingering kiss.

"Okay?" She whispered against his mouth, their breaths mingling.

"Okay."

The day started pretty badly, at least after Hermione left the Room of Requirement. In their dorm, Hermione learned that Remus and Mary had broken up the night before. Mary insisted staying in bed and she didn't even want to talk about it with the girls. Lily, Alice and Hermione tried to coax her to join them for breakfast, but eventually backed off when Mary stated that she didn't want to see Remus right then. Hermione wanted to comfort her friend, but she really didn't know what to say or what to do to make Mary feel better. She felt bad for Mary, but at the same time she couldn't be angry at Remus, since he was her friend as well and Hermione knew what he was thinking and why he had broken up with Mary.

As Hermione, Lily and Alice entered the Great Hall for breakfast, the Marauders were already there. Lily and Alice took their usual seats next to James, but as Hermione was taking her usual seat opposite to the girls, she noticed their seating arrangement had changed a bit. Again. Remus was now sitting on James's other side, opposite to Peter, and Sirius had moved to sit next to Hermione. Again. If the situation hadn't been as troubled, she would've made a joke about things coming full circle.

"So…things have come full circle, eh?" Sirius muttered next to Hermione.

Hermione rolled her eyes at him and glanced at Remus. He looked terrible. The full moon would be that night. Remus usually was more or less ill during the day preceding the full moon, sometimes opting to stay in bed or in the infirmary the whole day. But now he looked much worse than he usually did and she couldn't help but feel sorry for him. She sighed and proceeded to have breakfast. The boys tried to talk to Remus, to cheer him up, but he merely stared at his plate, not really eating anything nor talking with anyone. The girls didn't talk much either, other than agreeing to take some food to Mary when they would leave towards the Gryffindor Tower.

After breakfast, Lily and Alice left to their dormitory and Hermione promised to join them before lunch. When her friends walked towards the grand staircase, Hermione headed towards the potions lab.

He was there again. Snape.

"Good morning," Hermione said, nodding politely and taking the same table she had sat at last week.

"Morning," Snape muttered, glancing at her over his cauldron.

Neither of them said another word while being immersed in their own projects. Before she was absorbed into potion making, Hermione briefly wondered, what exactly was Snape brewing. Later, when she had managed to prepare the next potion from her list, a Potion of Hallucination, successfully, she turned to look at him.

"What are you working on?" She asked curiously as she gathered her things.

His eyes snapped to hers, giving her a speculative look. "Wiggenweld Potion," he said coolly.

"Oh." Hermione said in surprise. The potion wasn't exactly the most difficult one to brew. She walked hesitantly towards him and glanced into his cauldron. "But why is it turquoise?" She asked, knowing already he had made some alterations to it, since if the potion had been done by textbook, the colour would now be closer to teal.

He lifted a brow. "When you add a double amount of honey water, the effect is more rapid," he said simply.

Hermione nodded. Of course…

"And you? Who are you planning to torture this time?" Snape asked with a pointed look.

Hermione suppressed a snort. "No one. Just trying to produce an advanced antidote for a couple of fatal poisons…" she replied vaguely.

He narrowed his eyes at her. "And a mere bezoar wouldn't work?"

Hermione bit her lip. "Well, now that you mention it, it couldn't hurt to try that as well…" she muttered, not really talking to him.

His brows lifted in surprise. "And who is it that is in need of a cure?" He asked slowly.

Hermione cursed inwardly, before clearing her throat. She needed to be more careful with him. "No one. I'm simply interested of making one, as it doesn't exist," she said with a shrug, trying to sound indifferent. She knew the antidotes to common and uncommon poisons wouldn't work on something Voldemort was using to secure his locket. And she was doubtful that the bezoar alone would work either.

Snape frowned at her but didn't continue their discussion. Hermione picked up her schoolbag and left the potions lab quickly after bidding him a good day.

Mary was missing from lunch in the Great Hall. The other seventh year Gryffindors were present and the air was slightly tense at their table. Hermione glanced at the enchanted ceiling that reflected the sky and weather outside – it was cloudy and grey, like everyone's mood, it seemed. Her eyes travelled over the other house tables in the Great Hall, from where a loud chatter carried to their silent group. At some point, Hermione turned her focus on her friends.

Lily and Alice were both immersed in their thoughts, Sirius pushed the food around on his plate and Peter kept sending worried glances towards Remus. Hermione followed his gaze and turned to look at Remus. James tried to chat with him but Remus only grunted back in reply.

When everyone was finishing their meals, Remus excused himself and stood up, supposedly heading towards the Gryffindor Tower to catch some sleep. Lily and Alice soon followed him, while Hermione stayed behind on purpose.

When she was left with only James, Sirius and Peter, Hermione gave the boys an inquiring look. "How is he?"

James shrugged, worry evident in his eyes. "Not good, I suppose. Dunno why he had to break up with her the day before the moon though… Should've waited until after," he said grimly.

Sirius and Peter nodded in agreement.

"Yeah…sure is gonna be a riot tonight…" Sirius muttered with a tight smile.

Hermione gave him a puzzled look.

"He's not that…friendly when he's upset during the moon…" Sirius said with a slight cringe.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked in confusion.

Sirius glanced around them before lifting his shirt a bit to let her see four deep, but healed gashes lining next to each other on his stomach.

"Merlin…" she whispered, as he quickly pulled his shirt down. "Sirius…when did that happen? Were you –"

"Couple of months ago. And yeah, I was Padfoot. But don't mention it to him. He feels bad enough as it is…" he said with an uneasy smile.

Hermione nodded, her widened eyes still drawn to his stomach, which was covered now. "I should talk with him…" she muttered, tearing her eyes away and glancing at the boys. She didn't know how much Remus confided in the boys, but she wanted him to know she was there for him, if he wanted to talk about Mary.

James shook his head. "I think it's better to let him rest today. But you can see him tomorrow in the infirmary, yeah?"

"Yes, of course." Hermione said absently. "I should go now…see you later."

The boys mumbled their farewells as she stood up and left the Great Hall.

Monday, 24 April 1978

"Hey," Hermione said as she peeked between the curtains around the hospital bed.

The infirmary was almost empty, the only occupants being Remus and a first year Ravenclaw who was situated on the opposite side of the room.

"Hey," Remus mumbled with a sleepy voice, already sitting up in the hospital bed.

Hermione suspected he had only just woken up after sleeping throughout the day. She had visited him in the morning before her classes, but he hadn't been awake. Sirius, James and Peter were all missing from classes as well, and Hermione assumed the boys were catching some much needed sleep after keeping Remus company the night before.

"I brought you some notes," she said with a small smile and placed the parchments on the side table.

He rubbed his face. "Thanks," he grunted, not looking at her.

"Remus…" she said carefully. "How was it?" She asked, cringing inwardly.

"I don't want to talk about it, Hermione," he muttered, glancing at the notes she had brought.

"Okay. What about…you and Mary?" She asked hesitantly.

He sighed. "Can we not talk about that either?" He said and looked at her with pleading eyes.

Hermione smiled sympathetically. "Of course."

"So…Have you decided what you want to do after school?" He asked after a moment of silence.

Hermione blinked.

Remus let out a tired chuckle. "You know, McGonagall's counselling? This week?" He asked and studied her features with mild amusement.

"Merlin…I completely forgot about that!" She squeaked, scolding herself for not remembering it. Luckily her session wasn't until Friday, so she had some time to figure out what exactly she wanted from her future. Somehow, deciding what to do after Hogwarts seemed rather irrelevant in the midst of everything. On the other hand, making plans for time after Hogwarts felt like it would make this life really real for her. Like her old life wouldn't be there for her anymore.

"So, I assume you don't know yet?" He asked kindly.

Hermione shook her head and sighed. "No…I mean, I'm a bit curious about a career as a potioneer, but…I don't know if I'm qualified enough to be accepted into any apprenticeships," she said with a shrug.

Remus smiled at her. "I'm sure you'd be accepted. I mean, you're brilliant at potions."

Hermione gave him a bashful smile and guided the conversation away from her. "And what about you? Have you thought about the possibility of studying at a muggle university?" She asked. "I don't know if you've looked into it, but I think Hogwarts offers scholarships for students with outstanding NEWT results. So…perhaps that could be your solution," she said and gave him an encouraging smile.

He was about to argue but she interrupted him. "I happen to know you and Lily have had the best grades every year since you've started here," she added with a smirk.

Remus rolled his eyes in amusement. "Well, wouldn't be so sure of that this year," he murmured, giving her a pointed look.

Thursday, 27 April 1978

Thursday after dinner Hermione sat in her usual place in an armchair near the fire in the Gryffindor common room, waiting for her Astronomy lesson to start. As the common room was quite empty and all her friends were somewhere else, she had decided to research the diadem a bit. During the past weeks, she had focused on her potions project, but since there was nothing to do on that front at the moment and all her schoolwork was up to date, and even Regulus was elsewhere engaged, she had some extra time on her hands.

She kept browsing through the second book she had picked up from the Room of Requirement's Grimmauld Place library the other day, not finding anything useful from it but hoping something would miraculously turn up. She felt frustrated. There hadn't been anything new about the diadem that she hadn't already read from somewhere. It felt like there wouldn't be anything else, even if she read all the books from the Grimmauld Place library.

"Aarhg!" Hermione growled and snapped the book on her lap shut and shoved it into her bag with a bit more force than necessary.

"What's this? Hermione Dumbledore mistreating books?" Sirius chuckled behind her.

Hermione turned to look at him as he approached her from the boys' dormitory and plopped down on the sofa next to her armchair.

"Hey," she muttered in greeting, still annoyed by her findings. Or rather the by the lack of them.

"What?" Sirius asked and looked around them in mock surprise. "Where's the annoying brat that is my brother? Isn't he like…attached to you by now?" He asked with a smirk.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. "Very funny. You know very well we don't meet in here. Or anywhere else where someone could see us," she muttered. "And you know he has Quidditch practice," she added with an arched brow.

Sirius grinned. "So that's the reason you're granting us your presence," he said and eyed her sullen exterior for a moment. "That's why you're so miffed? Missing the lover boy?" He asked with amusement in his voice.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Don't push me," she warned.

Sirius merely laughed and stretched out to lie on the sofa.

"So, what is it?" He asked after a moment of silence. "Why are you upset?" He continued and craned his neck to look at her, studying her expression.

Hermione chewed the inside of her cheek, thinking of what exactly she could tell him.

"Well…I'm researching wizarding history…specifically I am trying to find some legendary magical artefacts," she explained vaguely.

"Why?" He asked incredulously.

Hermione shrugged. "For fun. For knowledge."

He snorted. "You and I have very different opinions on what's fun, darling…" he said with a mix of bewilderment and amusement in his voice.

Hermione pursed her lips.

"Okay. You're searching for information on something. And...what?" He asked, eyeing her intently.

"Yes, that's just it. There's not really that much information about the objects. I mean, there isn't literally a person alive today who's seen any of them. And in every book I've read, the artefacts are mentioned to have been lost for centuries," she sighed and rubbed her face.

He looked at her thoughtfully for a moment. "Well…it's quite obvious, isn't it? You have to talk to someone who's dead," he said with a shrug.

Hermione let out a strangled sound from her throat and turned to stare at the fire, feeling utterly dumbfounded. When she briefly glanced at him, she saw him flipping through a motorcycle magazine, a hint of a smile on his lips.

Thoughts were whirling in her head. …someone who's dead. Of course! Sirius was a genius! Not that she would tell him that, but… How could she forget about the ghosts? She felt so foolish of not thinking about asking them. She cast a quick tempus charm – no, she wouldn't have the time to search for any of the ghosts around the castle before her Astronomy class. She decided to go to Dumbledore after the class, to inform him about her revelation.

A while later Hermione, Lily, Sirius and James left towards the Astronomy tower. As Lily and James walked ahead of Hermione and Sirius, arguing about some Heads' business, Hermione gave Sirius a small nudge. He turned to look at her with his brows lifted in question.

"Thanks," she said with a grateful smile.

He smiled back. "No problem."

"Good evening class. Tonight we will revise the galaxies, as they are a part of your NEWT curriculum," Professor Moonshine started after the students had sat down in the classroom.

Hermione was sitting next to Lily, as usual, and the boys were sitting behind them in the last row.

"Can anyone name a famous galaxy?" The professor asked as he eyed the class expectantly. "Yes, Miss Evans?"

As Lily gave their professor a list of famous galaxies, the boys were exchanging their usual astronomy related jokes again. Hermione couldn't understand how they managed to have such good grades, since they barely listened during the class. Although, she knew they were more serious with their other subjects.

"Okay I have one," James said quietly. "A spiral galaxy walked into a bar for a drink. The barman threw him out and said 'You're barred!'"

Both boys chuckled. Lily threw a glare at them after finishing her answer. Hermione tried to keep a straight face, staring at the front of the classroom. It wasn't that their jokes were good on any scale. They were quite bad actually. Perhaps that was the reason she occasionally couldn't help but be amused by them.

"What about this," Sirius said with a smirk in his voice. "What did the Sun say to Canis Major?"

James let out an unimpressed grunt, evidently knowing already what the joke was about.

"Why so Sirius?" Sirius continued, chuckling at his own joke.

Professor Moonshine was handing the assignments and Lily had stood up to ask the professor some specified questions about a galaxy.

"...You've got to have something better than that, mate…" James said with a groan.

Sirius huffed. "Hey, Hermione."

Hermione turned around slowly and arched a brow at him.

"Was my joke funny?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Do not presume I listen to your lame jokes when we're in the middle of a class," she said exasperatedly. "It wasn't funny," she added before turning back to face the front of the class.

James sniggered next to Sirius.

"A-ha!" Sirius exclaimed at Hermione, a grin in his voice. "So you do listen to us. Tell me, have you got something better than that, hmm?" He asked, giving her a challenging look when she turned to face them again.

Hermione sighed. "Hmm…Okay. What did the moon say to his therapist?" She asked.

Sirius and James eyed her curiously.

"I'm just going through a phase," she concluded when neither of them seemed to be none the wiser.

Both boys stared at her in confusion.

"I didn't get that…" James finally muttered, looking contemplative. "What was the joke?"

"Yeah. What's a therapist?" Sirius asked, looking at Hermione strangely.

Hermione groaned inwardly. Were they for real? She shook her head in exasperation. She knew there weren't any therapists in the wizarding world, since all the health professionals were called healers, but she had thought that the boys would've known more about the muggle world. "Never mind," she muttered and turned her back to the boys.

The rest of their class went by without much disturbance and soon the students were gathering their things and leaving the Astronomy Tower.

In the hallway, Hermione turned to walk into a different direction where Lily, James and Sirius were heading.

"See you in a bit, Lils," Hermione called after them.

Lily gave her a nod and a smile before she followed James towards the Gryffindor Tower. Hermione had told Lily earlier that she would visit the Headmaster after their class. The redhead hadn't asked any questions, but Hermione knew her friend had assumed it had something to do with the Order.

"Where are you going?" Sirius asked with a frown and stopped in place.

"I'm just meeting the Headmaster," Hermione said with a shrug.

"Okay. I'll come with and wait for you," he said nonchalantly, walking the short distance to her and waited for her to move forward.

"What?" She asked in bewilderment. "No, you don't have to. I can walk back to the tower by myself," she said, eyeing him warily.

"Well, it's nearly ten. And it probably is after curfew when you're coming back, so…" he muttered. "And I don't mind. I can wait downstairs."

Hermione was a somewhat baffled, wondering why he was suddenly eager to walk her back to their house. As Sirius simply lifted his brows at her in expectation, she shrugged the confused thoughts away and made her way towards the Headmaster's office with him. 

Later that night Hermione lay in her bed, staring at the canopy. Their dormitory was dark and quiet and she could hear the faint breathing sounds coming from the other beds. Thoughts were whirling in her head and she desperately wished she had a Pensieve, so she could extract some of them for later reviewing.

It turned out that Sirius hadn't had any other motive than merely being nice to her when he had waited for her and walked with her back to their common room. She had been with Dumbledore for over an hour, first explaining him the theory of asking about the diadem from a ghost and after a short moment actually talking to a ghost.

She had felt only a little embarrassed for barging into his office that late at night after seeing the Headmaster in his night robes.

After they had discussed the possibilities of a ghost having some information about the diadem, Dumbledore had summoned the Ravenclaw ghost, the Grey Lady, and when she had come and told them her story, everything had suddenly made sense.

"Hermione, meet the Grey Lady, the ghost of Ravenclaw Tower," Dumbledore said with a kind smile.

Hermione stared at the ghost hesitantly. "It's, um…nice to meet you."

The ghost nodded.

Hermione cleared her throat. "Would you, um…happen to know anything about the lost diadem of Ravenclaw?" She asked from the ghost, cringing inwardly.

A cold smile curved the ghost's lips. "You are not the first one who asks about the diadem," she said aloofly.

Dumbledore stared at the ghost intently. "We believe the diadem has been stolen by a former student. And that he might've stained it with Dark Magic," he said and looked at the ghost's reaction carefully.

The Grey Lady averted her eyes, a shocked expression on her face.

"My mother's diadem…" she whispered.

Hermione gasped. "You are Helena Ravenclaw?" Hermione asked urgently.

The ghost turned to look at her. "Yes, when I lived," she answered tightly.

Hermione pressed her lips together in thought.

Dumbledore eyed the ghost for a moment before he spoke. "You had the diadem in your possession?"

Helena nodded, remaining quite still while floating in the air, looking somewhat dejected.

"I took it from her. I wanted to be more powerful, more skilled than my mother. I took it and I ran away with it. My mother knew I took it, but she never told anyone about it, or that she had lost it. Then she fell ill and sent a man to find me, to take me back to her. She wanted to see me for one last time," Helena explained quietly, staring at the floor, an ashamed look in her eyes.

"The man found me, and when I refused to return with him, he killed me. The Bloody Baron," she whispered.

Dumbledore nodded at her, encouraging her to continue. Hermione could only gape at the ghost, as the whole story sounded like it was pretty much out there. But at the same time, it made sense.

Helena gave a bitter huff. "After that, he killed himself."

"And…the diadem?" Hermione asked hesitantly.

"It stayed where I had hidden it, a forest in Albania, inside a hollow tree," she merely said.

Dumbledore frowned at her. "You have told this story to Tom Riddle?"

Helena blanched and was quiet for a moment. "Yes," she whispered with a regretful expression.

"Do you know where the diadem is currently situated?" Dumbledore asked simply.

She shook her head. "No. I'm afraid not."

Dumbledore eyed her for a moment. "You may go now. I thank you for sharing this with us."

Helena nodded and glided away through a wall.

Hermione and Dumbledore were silent for a while before the Headmaster spoke. "I think it is best that you go to bed now, Hermione. I will inform the others about this and we can continue to discuss the topic in our next meeting," he said wearily.

Hermione nodded at the Headmaster before leaving his office.

They now knew Voldemort had had the diadem, and it was now confirmed that the diadem was one of the Horcruxes. The question was, where was it hidden?

It was close to morning hours when she finally fell asleep.

Saturday, 29 April 1978

It was their first Hogsmeade weekend since the Easter holidays, and Hermione was finally meeting Molly and the babies in the village. Arthur was staying home with Bill, Charlie and Percy, so that Molly could focus on Hermione and the twins.

Molly was sitting on a bench in the rather bustling main street, reading a magazine and gently rocking the twin pram next to her as she waited for her friend to arrive.

"Molly!" Hermione greeted with a bright grin as she neared the bench.

It had been too long since she had seen her, and while they had owled to each other, it hadn't been the same.

"Hermione!" Molly said enthusiastically, standing up and hugging Hermione close. "How are you?" She asked with a kind smile as they broke the hug.

Hermione sighed in relief. It was good to see her. "I'm okay. Just keeping myself occupied..." she said sincerely, but her brow furrowed when she remembered what Fabian had told her. "Your brother mentioned that, um…you lost a friend too…I'm sorry for your loss," Hermione said quietly, not really sure if she said the right words. Not really sure if Molly wanted to discuss it.

The ginger haired witch took in a shaky breath. "I, uh…" she stammered and swallowed. "Yes. Melissa. We were in school together, same house and dormitory for seven years…" she said wistfully. "She was a dear friend, even though we didn't see each other often enough after school," Molly concluded, a sorrowful look in her eyes.

Hermione placed a comforting hand on her friend’s shoulder. "I'm sorry. And I'm sorry I haven't visited you," she added with a troubled look.

Molly waved a hand in dismissal and cleared her throat. "You want to see the boys?" She asked lightly, changing the subject.

Hermione smiled. "Of course!"

Molly opened the curtains of the pram and Hermione saw two perfect little babies asleep under their covers. She couldn't stop the 'Aww' -sound that escaped from her lips as she watched their peaceful sleep.

"Congratulations, Molly. They are beautiful," Hermione said tenderly and hugged her friend again.

Molly sniffed a bit and hugged her back, patting Hermione's back. "I'm sorry…I'm just a bit overwhelmed…hormones, you know?" She said with a chuckle as they broke apart.

Hermione smiled. "Shall we walk a bit? Or do you want to browse the shops?" She asked and glanced around them.

It was a surprisingly warm day. Somehow, spring had sneaked up on them, and Hermione hadn't even realised it until now. The back garden of the Hog's Head would soon be blooming. Everything was so different from what it was not even a month ago, the last time she had been in the village.

"You decide. I'm up for anything." Molly smiled at her warmly.

Hermione nodded. They ended up visiting the bookshop, and then Molly made a quick stop to the joke shop while Hermione kept an eye on the twins. Molly had promised to bring the boys who were staying at home something from the village after they had been rather displeased with the fact that she hadn't taken them with her.

At lunch time, they decided to go to Hog's Head and eat in the back garden, since it was warm enough to stay outside. The twins had finally woken up and after Molly had fed them, Hermione held both boys in her arms, so that Molly could have a moment of peace. Hermione had eyes only for the small bundles, both worn out by the laborious act of eating.

"Careful there…soon you'll want one for yourself," Molly said with a smirk as she ate her salad.

Hermione chuckled. "Somehow I doubt it. I mean, they are wonderful, but…I dunno. I don't exactly have anything planned for my future. There's so much going on…" she said with a sigh and stared at the now sleeping babies with a small smile on her lips.

Molly nodded. "You're young. And you have time to think what it is that you want," she said kindly. "Have you already decided what you will do after Hogwarts?" She asked as she finished her meal and put the plate down.

"Actually, I think I have. It's not certain yet…but hopefully I'll be accepted into an apprenticeship as a potioneer," Hermione said hesitantly.

Molly looked impressed. "That sound's great, Hermione. A potioneer," she said excitedly.

Hermione smiled. "Yes, well, we'll see," she said with a shrug.

Molly gave her a confident nod. "I'm sure everything will be fine. Gideon tells me you're a very talented witch, so you needn't worry, dear," she said with a knowing smile.

Hermione blushed. "I really hope he's not exaggerating too much…" she muttered, feeling embarrassed.

Molly shrugged. "I suppose he feels certain fondness for you…" she said, her voice trailing off. She put the babies, one by one, back to their pram to sleep, so Hermione could have her hands free.

Hermione stared at Molly thoughtfully. "What do you mean?"

Molly arched a brow at her friend. "Well, he seems to talk awfully lot about you," she said pointedly, waggling her brows in the most Ginny-ish manner.

Hermione gasped. "We're just friends!" She said with a berating look. "There's nothing going on between us."

Molly eyed her for a moment before she shrugged. "A girl can always hope. I mean, it would've been amazing to have you as my sister-in-law, you know?" She said and glanced at her sheepishly.

Hermione shook her head in amusement but smiled at her friend. "It would've been great," she said with a grin.

They walked in silence along the busy main street of Hogsmeade.

"So…you're seeing someone?" Molly asked eventually as they stopped in front of a shop to browse the windows.

Hermione flinched and turned to look at her. "Why do you assume that?"

Molly rolled her eyes and glanced at Hermione's wrist. "That is a beautiful bracelet. Charmed?" She asked vaguely.

"Yes."

"You haven't worn it before." Molly continued with a knowing look.

Hermione sighed inwardly. She hadn't worn it daily for the exact reason. Even though the bracelet was delicate and quite simple, it still caught the interest of certain people. Sirius…Snape. And now Molly. Sirius and Snape had of course immediately realised the bracelet was from Regulus, and Molly had noticed its magic. Nevertheless, she had promised Regulus to never take it off again.

"I actually received it as a Christmas gift," Hermione said with a tight smile. "Hadn't got used to wearing it, until now…" she added with a shrug.

"Oh? A boy gave it to you?" Molly asked with a teasing smile.

"Yes," Hermione said obscurely, a faint blush rising on her cheeks.

Molly chuckled. "Okay, I will not pester you anymore. But I expect you'll tell me some day. Deal?" She asked with a daring look.

Hermione grinned. "Deal."

After walking leisurely in the warm but still a bit crisp air, eyeing the villagers and students going on with their business, Molly had to eventually leave and Hermione returned to school.

Later that night Hermione, Dumbledore, McGonagall and the Prewetts met in the Headmaster's office.

"Good evening everyone," Dumbledore greeted as everyone sat down on their usual seats in front of him.

Everyone greeted him back before the Headmaster continued, "Hermione came to see me two nights ago with some essential information regarding the diadem," Dumbledore said, giving Hermione a small nod. The others turned to look at her curiously.

"She had a theory, that as no one had seen the diadem in living memory, one should ask about it from someone who's not alive," he said simply, his blue eyes twinkling behind his half-moon spectacles.

Hermione cleared her throat. "Well, it was actually Sirius's idea, but I didn't mention anything about the Horcruxes to him. I only told him that I was researching some old artefacts in the wizarding history for fun, and that there wasn't literally a person alive who would know about them. He then suggested that I ought to ask someone who is dead…" she explained quickly.

Fabian shifted in his place. "You mean…a ghost?" He asked, glancing at Hermione.

She nodded.

"And so we did," Dumbledore said simply. "It turns out that the Grey Lady – the ghost of Ravenclaw Tower – is actually Helena Ravenclaw.”

Gideon, Fabian and McGonagall all gaped at the Headmaster.

"Blimey…" Gideon muttered, seeming too stunned to say anything else.

McGonagall was the first to speak after him. "Does she know where the diadem is? Does Voldemort have it?" She asked grimly.

Dumbledore nodded. "It turns out that Helena stole her mother's diadem, hid it in Albania and then died shortly after. She told the story to Voldemort, years later, when he was a student in here. He then obtained the diadem. Or so we believe," Dumbledore explained calmly.

"Albania…" Gideon repeated slowly. "Could it still be there?" He asked with anticipation in his voice.

Dumbledore gave him a thoughtful look. "I couldn't say. But we must examine the possibility."

Hermione cleared her throat. "You mean…we're going to Albania?" She asked in bewilderment.

"No. Not all of us. It would raise suspicion, if Voldemort's followers are observing the movements over there," Dumbledore said slowly, his brows furrowed in thought. "No…We should figure out a way to make it less…obvious."

Everyone was silent for a while as they tried to think of the possibilities.

"I suggest that neither you nor Minerva will undertake this mission, since you are both quite well recognised," Fabian said to Dumbledore, glancing at McGonagall. "Even if you used some kind of disguise, your absence would be quickly noticed," Fabian continued, while Gideon nodded in agreement.

"I want in." Hermione said with a determined voice.

"Too dangerous." Gideon merely said and shook his head.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. "And you are one to determine that?" She asked sharply.

Gideon smirked at her defiance. "As your teacher, yes," he said simply.

Hermione huffed and crossed her arms stubbornly.

"I happen to agree with Gideon on this," Dumbledore said solemnly. "It is a very dangerous mission. If Voldemort is keeping the diadem hidden in Albania, it is most likely guarded somehow. If he succeeds to capture you, he would have all your knowledge in his possession," he continued and gave Hermione a pointed look.

Hermione frowned as she bit back a retort and thought rationally. She knew Dumbledore was right, but she wanted to help. She wanted to do something else than just research.

"So, Gideon, Fabian. Are you ready for the mission?" Dumbledore asked gravely.

The twins nodded.

"Should we wait until the term has ended?" McGonagall asked with a stern voice. "That way Gideon's absence wouldn't be noticed."

"I agree, Minerva." Dumbledore said.

Gideon and Fabian murmured their agreements.

Dumbledore clapped his hands together. "Splendid. Now we have to think of a cover story for you," he said with a hint of enthusiasm in his voice.

Sunday, 30 April 1978

"So…what did she say?" Hermione asked from Remus as they sat opposite to each other in the library, both revising for their NEWTs.

Remus had kept quiet about his counselling with McGonagall, as had she, when the seventh year Gryffindors had been discussing about them during breakfast that morning. James, Sirius – and surprisingly, Alice – had all applied to the Auror training, while Lily and Mary had both left their applications to healer training in St Mungo's. Peter had applied into an apprenticeship as an advanced rune translator.

Remus read a few more lines before he put a marker between his charms book and turned to look at her. "Well…she said that…I'm qualified for the scholarship," he said, finishing with a huge grin.

"Godric! That's brilliant! Congratulations, Remus!" Hermione exclaimed quietly and beamed at him. "Why didn't you say anything sooner?" Hermione asked and slapped his arm playfully.

Remus chuckled. "Just wanted to think it over a bit…" he said with a shrug, looking both sheepish and bewildered.

"I'm so thrilled for you, Remus. Are you applying to a muggle University? Which one? Which degree and course? How are your grades converted into muggle ones?" She asked, shooting questions so fast that he didn't keep up.

"Just take a breather, Hermione," Remus said with nervous excitement. "I don't know all the details yet, and I might not even get in. I'm filling in my application with McGonagall next week – she'll help with the examination results and such…" he explained steadily. "I'm applying to the English Language and Literature course and thinking of Durham, St Andrews, UCL and Cambridge," he concluded with a nervous smile.

"That sounds amazing, Remus! I really hope you'll get in…" Hermione said and gave him a warm smile.

"Yeah, me too…I'll let you know more as soon as I get a reply," he said, still looking rather baffled by the topic. "So…potioneer, huh?" He asked, changing the focus to her.

Hermione worried her lip. "Yes, well, in our meeting on Friday, McGonagall said that she had a possibility in mind for my apprenticeship, which she would have to confirm. Yesterday she asked me to visit her office and there was someone else as well," Hermione explained, feeling a bit unsure.

Remus eyed her curiously. "Who was it?" He asked quietly.

Hermione shook her head in bewilderment. "You're not going to believe this… But. Um…Invictus Viridian?"

Remus's brows shot up in surprise. "As in Vindictus Viridian's descendant?" He asked incredulously, his voice rising a bit.

Vindictus Viridian was a former Headmaster of Hogwarts, a known potioneer and author. And his son, Invictus, was a known potioneer as well.

Hermione gave him a helpless shrug. "Turns out he's friends with McGonagall and wanted to offer me an apprenticeship in his own company, in their research and development department."

Remus's eyes widened with astonishment. "Merlin…That sounds like an amazing opportunity," he exclaimed quietly and grinned at her.

Hermione smiled as well. "Well, the pay is not much during the training, so I'll have to ask if Aberforth could give me some shifts at the pub…But...I have finally figured out what to do after Hogwarts," she said, grinning at him, feeling perplexed and stress-free at the same time.

Remus beamed at her.

Hermione cleared her throat as a thought came into her mind. "But what about the…you know, your summer activities?" She asked quietly, looking at Remus pointedly. "Are you able to enrol and attend the University?"

Remus nodded. "Yeah, I should be able to. Belby said that he would need me only for two to three moons."

Hermione was surprised. "That's three months…" she whispered with a hint of worry in her voice.

Remus gave her another nod, grimacing slightly. "Yeah, he needs several months to get reliable results, so…I'll be gone the entire summer. But if I get in to the University, it won't start until October, so it should be okay…" He said with a low voice, so that they could not be overheard by anyone.

Hermione nodded and gave him a sad smile. "I'll miss you," she said with a frown. "How am I supposed to endure the others when you're not around? Like James and Sirius? They are bound to do something stupid, when you're not there to keep them in line..." she said and pursed her lips.

Remus huffed a quiet laugh. "You'll just have to fill in for me, I guess."

Chapter Text

Chapter 30: Shenanigans

Monday, 1 May 1978

It was Monday morning and the sun was shining brightly outside, the charmed ceiling of the Great Hall reflecting the clear sky outside. The seventh year Gryffindor girls were in the middle of their breakfasts when the Marauders joined them.

The boys lined up beside Hermione and Mary, which was a slightly unusual move – and a rather obvious one. They were up to something. Every Gryffindor sitting near them could conclude that, even without the boys eyeing each other with identical smirks plastered on their faces.

“Do I even want to know what you guys are planning to do?” Lily asked, eyeing them warily.

James gave his girlfriend an innocent look. “I don’t know what you are on about, Lils,” he said, trying to appear nonchalant as he started to fill his plate with bacon, eggs and toast.

Hermione glanced at Remus who sat a couple of seats to her left. He gave her an obscure shrug. Great. So, they were up to something… Hermione thought and sighed inwardly.

“So, Hermione…you seen my brother today?” Sirius whispered next to her, his lips quirking up a bit.

Hermione frowned at him and her eyes were automatically drawn towards the Slytherin table. Of course. That was why they were seated like that, facing the Slytherin table.

She rolled her eyes at the sniggering Marauders. Every Slytherin sitting at their house table was sporting either yellow or blue hair. Very subtle… Hermione thought as she glanced at Regulus, who was looking quite…bizarre with his yellow hair. He and his classmates were just realising what had happened. Hermione suppressed a smile and shook her head in mild amusement.

“Well?” Sirius asked, both he and James eyeing Hermione with an expectant grin.

“Yes, very clever. You charmed their food with what? Colovaria? They probably won’t guess who’s behind this…” Hermione replied scornfully. It would’ve been less obvious if the Slytherins were sporting red hairs as well…

The boys burst in laughter, as did many others throughout the Great Hall when students around them started to notice the new hair colours at the Slytherin table.

“Pair up again and choose someone you haven’t duelled against yet,” Gideon instructed from the front of the classroom.

It was their first lesson of the day and they were having duelling practice again.

Hermione glanced around the room, but before she could take a step towards a group of Ravenclaws, James moved in front of her.

“Do you have the guts?” He asked her with a challenging smirk on his lips.

Hermione arched a brow. “To duel you?”

He nodded. “Only if you’re up for the challenge,” he said smugly and lifted his brows once while grinning at her.

Hermione shrugged. “Okay," she said, trying to sound indifferent. She knew James was very good at duelling, as she had seen him many times during their defence lessons. She also knew she wasn’t that bad herself, but not quite reaching his level.

James winked at her and took his position after bowing to her. Hermione followed suit and then they waited for the professor to make the call for them to start.

“…three, two, one, go!”

As soon as Gideon had uttered the final word, hexes, jinxes and mild curses started streaming from both James’s and Hermione’s wands. Both either ducked the other one’s spells or blocked them with shield charms, while throwing back a spell or two. It was an intense duel, both determined to win it. Hermione could vaguely fathom that every student around them was staring at them and making room for them on the floor, instead of taking part in their own duels.

James threw hexes so rapidly towards her, that sweat started to drip down her neck, her muscles crying from the jumping, dodging and blocking his spells. She noticed that James too was breathing heavily from exertion, but his eyes were locked into hers with perfect focus.

She knew he would win. He was too strong, too quick for her, blocking her spells with such an ease she could only dream of. After a while, he managed to send a jinx she couldn’t block or dodge, hitting her straight in the chest.

She landed hard on her bum from his Knockback Jinx, her wand flying through the air straight into his outstretched palm.

“Ouch!” Hermione hissed, scampering up.

James smirked at her. “Nice show, Dumbledore,” he said with a wicked grin, eyeing her torso pointedly.

Hermione could hear faint sniggering and whooping amongst some of the boys in the class and glanced down. James had severed her shirt from the middle, and her bare stomach and bra were now on display between the torn fabrics.

“All right, people! Show’s over!” Gideon exclaimed hastily, eyeing his students with a stern look. “On with your duels, now.”

Hermione blushed furiously and pulled her shirt to cover herself, while marching up to James, who bit back a grin as he handed her wand back to her. She narrowed her eyes at him as she mended the torn fabric with a swish of her wand while most of the students around them started their duels.

“This isn’t over, Potter," she hissed at him, a scowl edged on her face.

Hermione didn’t miss how Lily sent her boyfriend a couple of scorching glares while Sirius, Peter and Remus eyed the pair with amusement.

James chuckled. “Oh? Well, if you wish to show more, I suggest you pair up with Sirius next time. I know he won’t mind looking at you," he spoke quietly so that no one else heard them, and lifted his brows quickly.

Hermione seethed. “God, you’re arrogant, James!”

James huffed a laugh. “I know. And you know, payback’s a bitch…” he said, a knowing grin on his lips.

Hermione gritted her teeth and refrained from smacking him on the face. So, he was apparently paying back for making him and Sirius snog at the Gryffindor Quidditch party a couple of months ago.

She had to hand it to him…He was patient…

Hermione stayed behind the duelling class, as she had agreed with Gideon that they would practice Occlumency during lunchtime. They had been training the skill every week since January, until the raid. This was the first time after the raid, and Hermione was feeling a bit edgy as she headed towards his office, trying to clear her mind.

“Even without Legilimency, I can see your mind is full of thoughts. Are you sure you want to continue?” Gideon asked hesitantly as they took seats in his office, on different sides of his desk.

Hermione sighed wearily. “Yes, I’m sure,” she said and took a deep breath, trying to clear her mind for the last time, trying to build a wall in front of the thoughts she wanted to shield from him. She imagined a door that was locked, and in her mind she threw away the key.

Gideon nodded, cleared his throat and stared at her calmly while lifting his wand. “Legilimens,” he said softly, a deep frown forming slowly between his brows as he tried to get through the barriers in her mind.

They stared at each other in silence, both breathing heavily, never breaking the eye contact and both shaking from the effort.

After some minutes, the office blurred around her and she was at Hog's Head, standing above Regulus who was kneeling on the floor, weeping, his hands red with blood. Marlene's blood. Then she was vomiting after hearing the news. The next moment, she was upstairs, sobbing on the floor in their sitting room. Then it was the next morning after the raid and she was screaming at Regulus, asking him how could he have stood there and watch her die.

Gideon suddenly sucked a deep breath, breaking the contact, panting as he closed his eyes. Hermione acted the same, physically drained by the mental strain as the office materialised around her again.

“Shit,” he muttered, pressing the heels of his palms against his eyes as he took a moment.

Hermione swallowed, feeling nauseated. Gideon had seen the night Regulus had come to her covered in blood. The night of the raid. He had heard what Regulus had said to her. What he had done. Gideon had felt her agony when she had realised what had happened to Marlene and her family.

They were silent for a moment, both trying to pull themselves together.

“Okay,” Gideon eventually said, his voice trembling as he gave her a troubled look. “Let’s continue. Are you ready?”

Hermione pressed her lips together and nodded, breathing deeply through her nose.

“Legilimens.”

Hermione was exhausted and close to tears when she came to lunch, only having fifteen minutes or so before she would have to be in the greenrooms. She knew she could’ve asked for Gideon to stop and to continue their Occlumency practice on another time. But then she would never make progress. She would probably be in a stressful situation anyway, if there ever would be a time when she would have to use the skill.

“Hey, Hermione…you alright?” Sirius asked with a frown as she plopped next to him and started to add food on her plate.

Hermione made a sound in the back of her throat, meant to be a noncommittal one, that instead came out as a wince. She knew she couldn’t say anything about her meeting with Gideon to the boys. Even though she wanted to. She wanted to tell someone how horrible she felt and how painful it was to relive everything she had seen and felt. But she knew she couldn’t. So, Hermione kept her focus on her plate and started to eat quickly, as her next lesson was about to start soon. The girls, Remus and Peter had already left. Sirius and James were there only ones sitting in their usual spot at the table as they had a free period next. She glanced quickly around the hall – it was almost empty, just a few students scattered around every house table.

“Look, Hermione…” James muttered uncomfortably, eyeing her from his seat, opposite to her and Sirius. “I didn’t mean to be a prick…I’m sorry."

He was clearly regretting his behaviour at their Defence class, after seeing her sullen mood.

Hermione chewed down her food and waved a hand to him, trying to seem nonchalant. “No worries,” she said blankly and gulped her water down before wiping her mouth and standing up. “Sorry guys, I’m late for class,” she said, keeping her voice steady. She stood up and left the Great Hall in a rush, leaving the two bewildered boys to stare at her fleeting back.

She rushed into the greenhouse three just in time and quickly took the empty seat beside Lily.

“Where were you?” Lily asked quietly as Professor Sprout was starting to hand the assignments in front of the greenroom. Lily eyed Hermione before she continued. “What’s wrong? Is it what James did? …I’m going to strangle him,” she hissed venomously.

Hermione’s mouth twitched slightly. “No, it’s not him. And he already apologised. Don’t worry about it,” she said with a tight smile, trying to lock down the nasty memories Gideon had managed to dig up into the forefront of her mind.

Lily stared at her warily for a moment before she spoke. “If you say so,” she muttered. “So, um…would you be up for a girls’ night in?” Lily continued hesitantly, a small cringe curving her mouth.

Last time they had had a girls’ night, was when Marlene had been with them. Hermione could see that that was where Lily’s mind was too.

Hermione sighed. “Yeah, sure. It’s been too long," she said with a small smile.

Lily nodded, looking relieved. “Saturday okay? Or…are you going to console your boyfriend?” She asked teasingly, whispering the last bit.

Slytherin was playing against Hufflepuff the coming Saturday, and of course every Gryffindor hoped the serpents would lose. Gryffindor was leading in the points with Ravenclaw and Slytherin following.

Hermione rolled her eyes. “He’s not my boyfriend,” she muttered quietly and narrowed her eyes at Lily when the redhead gave her a knowing look. “And he hardly is the type who needs soothing. And who’s to say they won’t win?” She asked with a smirk.

Lily snorted quietly. “Don’t let James hear that. Beating Slytherin is the only thing he’s been talking about for the past weeks,” she said with laughter in her voice and put her gloves on.

They were peeling squill bulbs and cutting them into thin slices before they would be dried and used as potions ingredients in their Potions class. It wasn’t a challenging assignment, so the girls continued their chatter while they worked.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Lily asked as she put the sliced pieces on a plate.

Hermione glanced at her. “Um, yes…just had a talk with Gideon and the subject wasn’t that cheerful…we talked about the raid,” she said quietly, so that no one but Lily would hear her.

Lily let out a small gasp but gave Hermione a small nod. “I can’t believe it’s been over a month,” she said, looking sorrowful.

“Yeah, tell me about it…” Hermione muttered solemnly.

They were silent for a while.

“You know…I just realised the other day… We’re leaving Hogwarts soon,” Lily said slowly, her expression something between excitement and anxiety. “And…I don’t even know where I’ll go after Hogwarts,” she continued, sounding troubled.

Hermione arched a brow at her friend. “Didn’t you send your application to St Mungo’s?”

Lily nodded. “I did, but what if they don’t accept me?” She asked with a hint of panic in her voice. “And I have to get out from my parents place. Petunia and her fiancé are living there since they’re saving for their own home and I just can’t live there if he’s going to stay there. I hate him. He’s really awful, you know…” she muttered with a frown as she worked with the bulbs.

Hermione sighed inwardly. Oh, she knew exactly how awful Vernon Dursley was. “Yeah, I understand it could get a bit crowded in there. What about James? Have you two considered moving in together?” Hermione asked nonchalantly.

Lily froze and turned to look at her. “Has he said something?”

Hermione chuckled. “No. Why?”

Lily shrugged. “I dunno. I mean, I’d like that, maybe. But I don’t know if it’s too soon…and, well…he hasn’t even asked me,” she prattled hastily and stared at Hermione with a worried look, biting her lip.

Hermione suppressed a laugh and only smiled at her friend. “I’m sure he’ll ask,” she said and nudged her friend reassuringly.

They continued their work and planned their upcoming girls’ night.

Friday, 5 May 1978

As Hermione sat down at the Gryffindor table on Friday morning, she glanced at the Slytherin table after taking a sip of her coffee – and nearly choked on her drink. Regulus was sitting there, having a staring contest with Sirius, who sat next to Hermione. There was something odd about his looks...and something quite familiar…

“Sirius…” Hermione said slowly, trying to keep her tone calm as her gaze shifted to the Black sitting next to her.

Sirius turned to look at her, his lips tugging upwards. “Yes?”

“What did you do to Regulus?” She asked quietly and gave him a withering look.

He grinned at her. “What? I didn’t quite catch that?” He asked with a loud voice.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him and looked back to the Slytherin table. Regulus’s hair looked exactly like Sirius’s at the moment, exactly the same length and equally shaggy. Regulus was shaking his head in bored exasperation as he ate his breakfast.

Sirius was beside himself with joy. “I’ve always told him he ought to loosen up a bit," he said and winked at Hermione, who rolled her eyes at him.

“Like what you see?” Sirius continued and lifted a single brow.

“Ugh. Please stop. You’re making me lose my appetite…” Hermione growled at him.

The rest of the boys eyed their conversation with amusement while Lily, Mary and Alice were engaged in a conversation about Alice’s wedding.

“Speaking of appetite…” Sirius drawled. “You know, he’s of-age now…” he said with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Hermione arched a brow. “And?”

“It’s now legal for him to engage in certain activity…” he continued with a teasing voice, sniggering when she blanched.

James snorted into his pumpkin juice while Remus and Peter chuckled. The girls luckily didn’t hear their conversation. It wasn’t like Hermione wanted for anyone to know about her…relationship with Regulus. But she wasn’t going to just sit there and let Sirius embarrass her.

“For your information, Sirius, he’s been engaging in lots of different activities before this day,” Hermione whispered to him, eyeing him with a pointed look.

“Yuck…” Sirius gagged, making a face, while James, Remus and Peter sniggered at their friend.

Later that night Hermione met Regulus in the Room of Requirement.

“Hey,” Hermione said as she stepped into the Grimmauld Place library and walked up to him.

Regulus was sitting in an armchair, his homework sprawled on the coffee table in front of him. Hermione put her bag on the floor, next to his.

“Hey,” he replied and looked at her as he stood up, his expression unreadable. He took her hand and pulled her closer.

“I have something for you,” Hermione said softly as he leaned forward to brush his lips against hers.

“Oh? Can I have something else first?” He murmured against her lips, a small grin tugging his lips as he placed small kisses on the corners of her lips. 

How could she refuse when he asked so nicely?

“Mm-hmm…” she hummed as his lips slowly worshipped hers, his hands fluttering along her sides, rubbing her hips and then skimming up to cup her breasts.

With a whimper, her lips parted, giving his tongue access. Her hands found their way to his shaggy black locks, tugging him closer to her. Her skin burned under his touch as he slid his fingers under her shirt, and then he parted from her momentarily, only to pull the shirt over her head. Regulus wasted no time and leaned back to continue his ministrations, caressing her with his fingertips and ravishing her mouth with his lips, tongue and teeth.

He quickly got rid of her bra and his mouth trailed down to her neck to suck and nip her skin, making her gasp and pull his hair. With a groan he continued cherishing her with his mouth, trailing lower and reaching her breasts. He brushed his lips against the hardened peak of her breast, making her shiver and arch against him. His hand moved to her other breast, tugging her nipple, rolling it between his thumb and forefinger, while he sucked the other one into his mouth, swirling his tongue around the tender tip. Hermione moaned and writhed against him.

A moment later, Regulus dropped onto his knees, watching her with lust filled eyes, his hands on the buttons of her jeans. He slowly opened her jeans and started to peel them off, while staring straight into her eyes with a heated gaze. Hermione let out shuddering breaths as she watched him slid her jeans off. She stepped out of them and then his hands caressed her legs, starting from her ankles, trailing slowly up. His hot breath fluttered over the junction of her thighs as he leaned his forehead against her lower belly.

Hermione gasped as Regulus’s hands neared her apex, rubbing and kneading her thighs. He slowly pulled her knickers down, placing wet kisses on her hipbones, her thighs, and finally, on her sex. He gently lifted her leg on his shoulder, gazing into her eyes as she balanced herself and took a hold of his shoulder with her other hand, while the other was holding his hair with a firm grip.

Hermione’s lips were parted and she could feel her cheeks burning as she took in the image; how incredibly hot he looked, there on his knees, staring at her with hunger in his eyes, while her core was fully exposed to him. He then leaned in closer, his lips and tongue finding her centre. Her body jerked in response to his touch, with jolts of pleasure running through her spine as he swiped his tongue up and down her slit. She moaned. She shivered.

Regulus devoured her with his tongue, circling her clit, dipping to tease her entrance, finally pushing his tongue inside her, making her moan and writhe helplessly against him. His lips sucked her nub as he slid two fingers inside her, massaging the sweet spot inside her he had found long ago.

“Ahh…” Hermione moaned, and Regulus hummed against her sex, his face buried on her flesh, holding her in place with a tight grip on her bum as he feasted on her.

“Reg…” she whimpered, her grip in his hair tightening, her nails scraping gently his scalp.

She shuddered and could feel her core tightening around his fingers, reaching towards a sweet release. Regulus seemed to feel it too as he increased the pace of his fingers and the pressure of his tongue, making her buck her hips towards him and to grind her sex against his face. Regulus groaned as he sucked her clit into his mouth again.

“Oh!” Hermione moaned, trembling as her inner muscles tightened around his fingers with a firmer grip, as waves of pleasure flowed over her. “Reg!” She screamed his name with a strangled voice, her whole body quivering when she came.

He gently lowered her on the floor, on top of a large Persian rug as she was still coming down from her high and panting heavily.

He lay down next to her, still fully clothed, his lips glistening from her juices and a smug smirk plastered on his face.

Hermione glanced at him. “If I had the strength, I’d tell you to wipe that arrogant look off of your face,” she breathed as she eyed him lazily.

Regulus chuckled and quickly discarded his own clothing, grinning down at her, seemingly thrilled to see her gaze darkening after her eyes swept over his body.

He settled himself between her thighs which she eagerly parted for him, holding his weight on his elbows as he looked down into her eyes. Her breath hitched as he slid inside of her wet heat, filling her deliciously with one effortless thrust. Regulus groaned and stilled, bringing his forehead to rest on her shoulder, breathing heavily.

“Circe, I’ve missed you…” he murmured against her skin.

Hermione huffed a laugh. “It’s Hermione,” she said teasingly.

He lifted his head, eyeing her in mock surprise. “Really? Well, fuck me…” he said with a smirk and started to move, flexing his hips, slowly, taking his time.

Hermione whimpered and clutched at his shoulders, the teasing look quickly disappearing from her face, as her eyes clouded with want and her lips parted as she let out small gasps every time he sank into her.

“That’s more like it,” Regulus hummed with a satisfied smirk, as if pleased to make her writhe under him, to want him, to make her hips move to meet his every thrust.

While it felt amazing, Hermione reckoned he still looked a bit too smug for his own good. She moved her hands on his back, gliding them down against his muscles which were flexed from holding his weight above her. She dragged her nails up his back, making him shudder and moan, causing a snag in their rhythm.

“Aahh,” he breathed as his eyes rolled into the back of his head.

Hermione bit her lip to suppress a grin.

His stormy grey eyes locked with hers as he drew back enough to slam his hips against hers again. And again. Something inside him seemed to snap, as if he was no longer able to hold back. Hermione moaned and tightened her inner muscles around him, trying to drag him in deeper.

“Sweet Salazar...” Regulus groaned, pounding into her with urgency they both wanted and needed.

He was taking them both higher and higher, and as his lips latched on her neck, sucking the tender skin below her jaw, Hermione shattered beneath him, convulsing around him tightly, whimpering loudly, his name echoing in the large room. Breathing hard, Regulus’s body shook as he stole two more thrusts before he followed her over the edge with a throaty groan, the force of his release taking his breath away.

Panting, he collapsed on top of her. Hermione enveloped him in her arms, breathing in his scent, savouring the moment. She relished his closeness, his warmth, and the feelings he stirred inside her.

After they both had caught their breaths, Regulus rolled over to lie next to her, staring deeply into her eyes, his eyes filled with adoration.

For a moment, it seemed that he was about to say something, but then he closed his mouth and averted his eyes, making her feel a bit disappointed, making her wonder what it had been about.

Regulus grabbed his wand from the table near them, summoned a blanket and placed it over them.

“You had something for me?” He asked softly as his fingertips skimmed along her curves.

“Well, yes, I have…” she said hesitantly, studying his features.

Regulus merely lifted his brows and leaned over to kiss her lips chastely.

Hermione smiled and reached for her schoolbag which was lying close to them and took a small parcel from one of its pockets. She gave it to him, eyeing him with an uncertain look.

“Happy birthday,” she said softly.

Regulus gave her a delighted smile and opened the gift. He pulled a golden chain out from the box. At the end of the chain was a small pocket watch.

“Oh…thank you,” he murmured slowly, eyeing the watch with a contemplative look.

“Do you not like it?” Hermione asked with a frown, watching his reaction closely.

Regulus glanced at her. “Of course I do, love. It’s just that…a watch can represent different things in pureblood culture. Depending on who is presenting the gift," he explained a bit cautiously, a calculative look in his eyes.

“Oh?” Hermione lifted her brows at him in puzzlement. She had always felt a bit annoyed and left out regarding pureblood traditions. There really were no books where she could learn about them, and while the Weasleys were pureblood, they weren’t really following any traditions or customs, except gifting a watch on witch’s or wizard’s seventeenth birthday. And she wasn’t aware there could’ve been some hidden meanings behind it.

Regulus cleared his throat. “The um...certain gifts, like a watch, that are exchanged outside family, between a witch and a wizard, signify an understanding," he said quietly, his eyes flickering to hers. 

Was he nervous?

Hermione stared at him in confusion before she understood. “Oh…Oh! You mean…a relationship or something like that?”

A smile tugged at his lips. “A betrothal," he merely said.

Hermione’s eyes widened and she opened her mouth to say something but Regulus cut her off.

“But you didn’t know that, so…I’m not really treating this that way," he said and smiled at her expression.

“Oh,” she merely said and tried to ignore the mixed feelings of disappointment and relief.

“But really, it’s amazing. Thanks love,” he said and kissed her lips softly before examining the watch more closely.

“What’s…this is not a…” he mumbled at the watch before glancing at her with a puzzled expression.

Hermione smirked. “Yes, actually it’s not just a pocket watch,” she said with a satisfied smile.

“Oh?” He murmured, looking a bit surprised. “I can feel some charms in it. What is it?” He asked, examining the watch with an intrigued look in his eyes.

“It’s a compass. Although it will show you the time as well, but when you hold it in your hands and think of a certain thing, it will change into a compass, and ultimately will lead you to where you want to go,” she explained.

He frowned. “And what should I think of?” He asked, glancing at her before studying the piece in his hands.

“Something your heart desires the most," she said simply and blushed furiously when the clock in his palm changed into a compass, and its red arrow pointed straight to her.

He grinned at her. “I guess it works.”

She averted her eyes in embarrassment and pressed her lips together. “I think I don’t want to stay on the floor, so, um…” she muttered, stood up and gathered her clothes from the floor.

Regulus stared at her as she got dressed, his eyes now giving nothing away. How he managed to do that, to close himself off like that, was beyond her grasp.

Regulus eventually stood up as well and put his clothes on while Hermione was rummaging about her schoolbag and pulling a couple of heavy tomes from it. Her hands stilled before she put the books on the table next to his schoolwork.

“We don’t have to do schoolwork if you’d rather do something else? I mean, it is your birthday…” she said hesitantly.

Regulus smiled at her. “I don’t mind. But…can I borrow a quill?”

“Sure. Although…why aren’t you using one of those?” She asked, frowning at the five quills which were lined neatly on the table.

He rolled his eyes. “I guess my brother thought it was funny to charm every single one of my quills to write arse face when I’m trying to write my name," he said and Hermione tried to hold back a snort. “Makes writing your essays a bit difficult when the professors expect them to be named.”

“I’m sorry Reg…” she said, grinning and looking anything but. “Here, luckily I have always an extra quill with me,” she added and handed him a charm-free quill.

“Thanks.”

“So…what about your hair?” She asked slowly. It was still a perfect copy of his brother’s hair, now even shaggier, if possible, after their activities.

He groaned. “Don’t remind me. Sirius won’t charm it back and I haven’t really found anything that would work on it…” he said with a hint of despair and gestured at the table. Now that she had a better look at the books scattered on it, she noticed they weren’t all school books.

“Oh…” she said, her mouth curving a bit in amusement. The Blacks and their hair…

He sat down on the sofa and pulled the pocket watch from the pocket of his slacks, examining it a bit further. “Revealing charm?” He asked, and Hermione nodded. “Point me charm?” He asked again, and she nodded.

“Do you recognise the spells?” She asked, eyeing him curiously.

“Some of them.”

Hermione was impressed. It wasn’t that easy to detect spells from objects without the help of a wand.

“What else?” He asked.

“A modified Epoximise - a Transfiguration spell that bonds two objects together,” she explained and he nodded.

“It’s impressive," he said earnestly. “You’re very talented,” he murmured with an affectionate smile and put the watch back to his pocket.

Hermione blushed at his compliments. “Thank you. So…shall we look into a spell for your hair, or…?”

“No, he’ll change it back eventually. You want to revise for your NEWTs?” He asked absently, making room on the table.

“Okay,” she smiled.

After studying the rest of the evening, they both decided to stay in the Room of Requirement for the night, opting to go to sleep early, as Regulus had a Quidditch match next morning.

Saturday, 6 May 1978

“Are you awake?” Regulus murmured against her neck as the first rays of the rising sun began to brighten his bedroom between the curtains hanging around the windows.

“Mm-hmm…” Hermione hummed in response, still somewhere between sleep and awake.

Regulus’s hand was resting on her hip and his fingers were lazily drawing patterns on her bare skin. He pressed soft kisses on the nape of her neck while his hand trailed down to follow the curve of her bum. It was a lovely way to wake up, Hermione thought and arched against him as his fingers caressed her skin.

Then his wand started buzzing. Regulus let out a soft groan of frustration. “I have to go…” he said and when Hermione turned to look at him, he leaned down to kiss her lips slowly, sweetly, before he pulled away and stood up from his bed.

Hermione sighed but followed and after they were both clothed, they went back to his library to gather their belongings.

“What’s that?” Hermione asked as she saw a silver envelope, with decorations around its edges. It had been under his Transfiguration book, and she had missed it the previous night.

Regulus took the envelope from the table. “My cousin’s getting married,” he said simply and pushed it into his schoolbag with the rest of his books.

Hermione blanched. Cousin…Narcissa? Narcissa Malfoy? As in, Malfoy Manor. The diary…Merlin!

“Oh. When? Where?” She asked, perhaps a bit too enthusiastically.

Regulus seemed to notice and frowned at her slightly. “Malfoy Manor. June 21st,” he said and gave her a wary look.

“Okay,” Hermione said nonchalantly.

He arched a brow at her.

“Go, now. You’ll be late!” She exclaimed, trying to change the subject.

Hermione could see that Regulus wanted to ask about her sudden interest about his relatives, but he chose not to continue the conversation. Instead he smirked at her. “You’re going to wear green?” He asked, even though they both knew she wouldn’t.

Hermione shrugged. “Perhaps,” she said airily, smiling mischievously and reached up to kiss him one last time before he left the Room of Requirement.

The Slytherin-Hufflepuff match was quite unpredictable. And unnerving. As soon as the whistle was blown, both teams were fighting tooth and nail for the Quaffle. Chasers were searing through the pitch as Bludgers flew in every direction. Several goals were scored by both teams, and when Slytherin made their 28^th goal, James groaned loudly while Sirius cursed next to him.

Gryffindor was leading in the points at the moment, and although their team still had one game left, they would now need to score many goals in order to secure the Quidditch Cup. The more the Slytherin now got points, the more the Gryffindors had to score in their next match.

“Fucking Slytherins…” Sirius grumbled, as they saw the Slytherin Chaser, Andrew Higgs score another goal.

James was clenching his jaw. “Pads, if they get sixty more points, we’re tied…”

“I fucking know, mate” Sirius hissed at him. “Fuck. Fucking Reggie better not get the Snitch…”

Hermione and Lily glanced at each other behind them, amused by the boys’ distress.

“You know, Pads, I think he might just get it, look,” Remus said next to Sirius, pointing at Regulus, who was flying through the pitch, his eyes locked into something.

“Fuuuuck!” Sirius and James groaned in unison, drawing a severe look from McGonagall who was sitting in the next Quidditch stand.

Regulus got the Snitch. James, Sirius, and the rest of the Gryffindors wailed in despair, while every Slytherin supporter cheered wildly. The Slytherin team was now leading in the points, making the last, upcoming match important and very interesting.

As Regulus flew past their stand, he slowed his speed notably and gave his brother a quick lift of his brows, a wide grin splitting his face. Sirius scowled and replied by sticking two fingers up at him. Hermione pressed her lips together to suppress the snort that was threatening to come out and heard Lily snigger beside her. The rest of their group eyed the brothers with amusement, and then the younger Black flew back to his team, ready to celebrate their victory.

After the game, Hermione went straight into the Headmaster’s office. They had agreed to meet and talk about the mission regarding the diadem, as well as trying to figure out how Gideon and Fabian would be able to travel to Albania without being noticed by anyone.

“Well, how about this; we’ll go on a small vacation to Corfu, one of the islands of Greece, and we make it seem like we’re there just to have fun and relax. And after making sure we’re not followed, we’ll travel to Albania by boat, in case there’s someone monitoring apparition. We’ll transfigure our looks a bit and start searching for the diadem,” Fabian said matter-of-factly, eyeing the others.

Gideon arched a brow at him. “So, what, you’ll expect us to search through the whole country?”

Fabian rolled his eyes at his brother. “Well, it would be beneficial to know some details of the possible location…” he said with a smirk and turned to look the Headmaster expectantly.

“I will consult the Grey Lady about it,” Dumbledore said, looking thoughtful. “I believe your plan is otherwise sufficient. Since we do not know if there is someone monitoring the people arriving through apparition or other magical transportation or guarding the diadem, it is best to be careful and take as many precautions as possible,” he said grimly.

“When would you leave?” McGonagall asked curiously.

“As soon as the term ends,” Gideon said simply, and McGonagall nodded.

“But what if you don’t find it?” Hermione asked with her brows furrowed. “How long will you be searching for it?”

Gideon glanced at the Headmaster before he spoke. “I suppose a month or two. Otherwise people will start asking questions about Fabian’s absence at the DMLE.”

Hermione nodded. “If we are done talking about the mission regarding the diadem, I have rather important news,” she said anxiously, eyeing the others with a mix of anxiety and excitement.

Everyone stared at her curiously.

“We have a shot at the diary,” she said steadily.

Dumbledore’s brows lifted up. “Oh? By all means, enlighten us,” he said, a hint of surprise in his voice.

McGonagall, Gideon and Fabian all stared at her intently and equally surprised.

“Yes. Regulus mentioned that his cousin, Narcissa is getting married. At Malfoy Manor. And as we’ve discussed, it is a possible place for the diary, along with the Malfoy vault in Gringotts, of course,” Hermione explained quickly.

Everyone was taking in the news, looking contemplative.

Dumbledore was the first to speak. “When does the wedding take place?” He asked hastily.

“June 21st.” Hermione said.

“Thank you, Hermione. This is indeed important news. Since this is a unique opportunity to acquire the diary, we have to form a plan immediately, in order to seize it,” Dumbledore said severely, his fingers crossed on the table and a deep frown lining his brow.

“Well, there’s one option that’s quite obvious,” Hermione said plainly. The others eyed her in puzzlement. “I’ll go with Regulus,” she continued, chewing the inside of her cheek.

“No.” Dumbledore said, shaking his head.

“What? Sir – I mean, uncle, I’m perfectly capable of –“

“Hermione, it’s too dangerous,” Gideon said, frowning at her.

Hermione scoffed. “It’s a wedding. It’s not some Death Eater gathering, and I highly doubt that Voldemort is even invited,” she said dryly.

Gideon shook his head. “You don’t know that. And even if he isn’t, the place will still be crawling with Death Eaters, Hermione.”

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him and glanced at Fabian, who merely shrugged. When she turned to her Head of House, she saw McGonagall eyeing her with her lips pursed.

McGonagall sighed and turned to the Headmaster. “Albus…I believe it could work. If Hermione is in a disguise, she could succeed by attending the party with young Mr Black. She’s the only one who knows what the diary looks like, and…then there is the fact that she has been at the Malfoy Manor before,” she said, cringing a bit in the end and giving Hermione an apologetic look.

Hermione wasn’t disconcerted by McGonagall mentioning her previous visit to the Manor, and was only excited that someone other than herself thought that she could get involved with the mission.

Dumbledore frowned. “Hermione? What are your thoughts on this? Even if I would not like to see you in danger, I cannot deny Minerva has a point. Do you trust Mr Black? Will he protect you if you are endangered?” He asked dubiously.

Hermione nodded. “Yes, he’ll protect me. I trust him," she said confidently. “And I’m ready. I want do to this," she said with determination.

Gideon opened his mouth to argue but the look McGonagall gave him made him close his mouth.

“What about her disguise?” Fabian asked, eyeing the Headmaster before he turned to Hermione. “I mean, you can’t really put on a dress and say your name is Hermione Dumbledore…?” He said with a smirk tugging at his lips.

Hermione worried her lip in thought, but McGonagall spoke before she could think of anything to say.

“Her looks can be transfigured, and they could say she’s a foreigner, on a vacation from France. A half-blood, so that she wouldn’t draw that much attention to herself,” McGonagall said briskly at the others and glanced at Hermione. “You speak French, correct?” She asked and Hermione nodded.

“There you have it,” McGonagall said simply, and everyone was silent for a moment.

“Very well, Hermione. You may take part in the mission in order to acquire the diary. You should go this over with Regulus as soon as possible, but if you can, do not include him in with the information about the Horcruxes. I suggest we keep the knowledge from him as long as we can, since the risk of Voldemort finding out about our operations will increase by the amount of information he has,” Dumbledore said, eyeing Hermione solemnly.

She nodded in understanding. She knew Regulus would find out about them – and everything else soon enough, but it was best that he, and everyone else, was kept from the information as long as possible. The less people knew, the better their chances of succeeding were. And even though she trusted Regulus, she knew that it was dangerous for him to know certain things, as Voldemort was the greatest Legilimens there was.

“After you have discussed this with him, I ask for you to share the plan with us, so that we know of every detail,” Dumbledore said kindly.

Hermione nodded. “Of course.”

“Finally! Where were you?” Mary exclaimed as Hermione entered the girls’ dormitory, coming straight from the Headmaster’s office.

“I was meeting the Headmaster,” Hermione said vaguely and changed the subject. “So, has the Hogwarts’ grapevine already been shared?” She asked with a small smirk as she discarded her robes, which were draped over her muggle clothing, and folded them neatly on the top of her school trunk. Hermione then walked to Lily’s bed and sat on the foot of it, next to the redhead. Alice and Mary were sitting on Alice’s bed, next to Lily’s.

Alice sniggered. “No, we decided to save it for later, just so you wouldn’t miss anything,” she said and winked at her.

They all knew Hermione didn’t exactly enjoy gossiping, but they wanted her to join the talk just for their own amusement.

“But now, into more demanding subjects,” Mary said in a severe tone as she stood up and rummaged through Alice’s bedside table. “A-ha!” She exclaimed as she pulled three bottles of Elderflower wine from the drawer.

Lily and Hermione lifted their brows in a mix of bewilderment and suspicion, while Alice clapped her hands excitedly. Mary filled four glasses and handed those to the girls.

“How did they even fit in there?” Lily asked and frowned at the small drawer of the table.

Mary smirked at her. “Not the only bright witch here, Lils.”

Lily shook her head in amusement, grumbling under her breath something about focusing one’s talent into something that counted.

“Um…what should we drink to?” Hermione asked as they lifted their glasses.

“Hmm… How about…figuring out an ultimate prank which we can pull on the guys?” Mary asked, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

Alice snorted. “I like the sound of that…”

Hermione and Lily nodded in agreement, both grinning slyly.

“But how? What? I mean, it has to be good. They aren’t exactly that moronic, even though you might get that impression of them at times…” Lily said thoughtfully, and Hermione, Alice and Mary giggled while sipping wine from their glasses.

They were silent for a while as everyone thought about possible pranks.

“Okay, how about we break into their dorm?” Alice suggested.

Mary frowned. “Yeah, that’s okay but…we have to actually do something in there, not just break in there…” she said thoughtfully.

“Hmm…how about…invisible ink in their toothpaste?” Alice offered, making Hermione and Mary burst in laughter.

“No, absolutely not! You forget that I have to kiss one of them. And who knows how long it will take to wear out…” Lily protested, gulping her glass empty. Mary flicked her wand and all glasses were filled.

Lily gave Mary a withering look, but the brown-haired girl merely shrugged back innocently.

“Okay, what if we just leave a message for them, that they’ll know we were there. I mean, they pride themselves with the fact that no one can enter there without their permission. They must’ve used some wards on their dorm. Which brings me to the next matter. How are we going to enter there?” Lily asked, eyeing the others and chewing her lip in contemplation.

“I can probably dismantle the wards,” Hermione said and shrugged when the others stared at her with their brows lifted. “What? It’s not like we haven’t gone through basic wards in Defence…” she said defensively.

Although they all knew the boys wouldn’t use basic wards if they truly wanted no one to enter their dorm. 

“Okay then, that’s settled!” Mary said enthusiastically, filling their glasses once more.

An hour or so later, the girls were all properly tipsy; giggling at every bit of gossip they had and shared.

They talked a bit about Alice’s wedding and the place she and Frank were going to move after Hogwarts. Frank had apparently been gifted some gold by his aunt, to help the new family of two settle down. Their new home was a decent sized cottage, in a small wizarding village not far from Godric’s Hollow.

Mary told them she would be staying with her parents for a while, as she wanted to save money for her own apartment. She had applied for a secretary position in the Administrative Registration Department of the Ministry and had already been given the job based on her OWLs. She would be starting as soon as the school ended. Mary had also applied for the healer training at St Mungo’s, and would work in the Ministry until the training started – if she would get in.

Hermione listened to their plans and wished she too had everything planned like that. Even though she had secured an apprenticeship, she had no idea where she would be living. With Aberforth? She didn’t have enough gold to live on her own. And she didn’t even know if Aberforth would have enough shifts for her to work during the weekends. She sighed inwardly.

“So…there’s something I’ve wanted to tell you…” Lily said excitedly, her voice slurring a bit. “James asked me to move in with him!” Lily squealed, jumping on her bed in excitement.

“Ooh!” Mary and Alice squealed, both beaming at their friend, along with Hermione.

“To Godric’s Hollow?” Hermione asked automatically, and nearly slammed a hand on her mouth when Lily turned to look at her incredulously.

“How in the name of Merlin did you know about it?” Lily asked in a demanding voice.

Hermione winced. Shit…

“Oh…um…James or Sirius must’ve mentioned the place earlier…I mean, it belongs to his family, right?” Hermione asked, and visibly relaxed when Lily smiled and nodded at her.

“Yeah, it does. And although I haven’t seen the cottage yet, he told me it’s beautiful. I can’t wait to move in with him…” she mumbled, her eyes glazing as she stared dreamily ahead. 

Perhaps they had enjoyed a bit too much of the wine…

Mary snorted. “Oi! Stop dream-shagging your boyfriend on every surface of your new place!” She said with laughter in her voice. Lily blushed furiously and the others giggled.

“So, Hermione…You’ve been very secretive about your love life…” Alice quipped, eyeing Hermione suspiciously.

Hermione cringed. “What love life?”

Lily rolled her eyes, as did Mary and Alice.

“Oh, please. Don’t tell me you think we haven’t noticed you and a certain…young black-haired boy ogling each other every other second, thinking that no one notices?” Mary asked pointedly.

Hermione’s eyes widened and she turned to look at Lily.

Lily lifted her hands defensively. “I haven’t said anything,” she said with a shrug.

Hermione sighed and turned back to Mary and Alice. “How long have you known?”

Mary and Alice shared a look. “Since our last Quidditch party,” Mary said nonchalantly.

“What?” Hermione stared them in horror. “Since March? How?”

Alice rolled her eyes. “Well, you do remember the drinking game we were playing? With Veritaserum? And when Marley asked you if you’d been with anyone?” She asked, frowning a bit at Marlene’s name.

Hermione nodded. How could she forget that one?

“Well, since we all gathered it was a recent occurrence, we started to pay attention to you. And soon we figured it out,” Alice said and exchanged a devilish grin with Mary.

Mary and Alice tried to high-five but their hands didn’t really meet. After a couple of tries they gave up and turned back to the others.

“So…you communicate with him through a charmed galleon?” Mary asked, eyeing her knowingly while Alice hiccoughed.

Hermione cursed inwardly and looked down. How could she have been so stupid, so careless? And who else knew?

“Hey. We won’t tell anyone. You can trust us,” Alice said, smiling at her kindly.

Hermione eyed the girls. Her friends. Of course she trusted them. She eventually smiled back and nodded. They continued their earlier discussion about the prank they were going to pull on the boys, trying to think of a suitable time when they could put it in action.