This is why I haven't updated Midnight's Wishes in so long. Oops, sorry. On with the show.
It was the only way. She had attempted to argue, tried to calmly reason with the young woman, even had a subconscious train of thought in which she Obliviated the notion straight from her head. But there was no placating Hermione Granger and Minerva knew it. She resigned herself to scrabbling around in Albus' - no, her - desk drawer for the key to the mahogany cabinet in the corner while her former student waited impatiently. Finding the cool metal as she brushed it with her wiry fingers under an envelope, she let out a long held in breath.
"Hermione, I can't stress enough that this is unexplored territory. Nobody knows if you'll make it back or what effect you'll have on the history we've made in this version of time. Even if you do make it back, things will never be the same for you. You won't know the people you know the way you do. Nobody will understand the things you've done and the memories you have. The memories of his that you've seen may never even happen-"
"I know. But if I don't at least - oh, I don't know - try, I won't be able to carry on with my life like I am. Knowing that there was a chance and I didn't take it."
She was shaking - whether with anticipation or with actual tremors from the remainder of the Cruciatus left in her body, Minerva would never know, for Hermione Granger for the most part tried to pretend that her scars didn't exist. That the battles hadn't changed her. She gave her lost Gryffindor one last long look before folding her fingers around the tiny, cold key and turning her eyes to the Pensieve cabinet. She hadn't opened it since the fall of the Dark Lord and somehow it felt like a forbidden thing to do. Nevertheless she crossed to the far corner of the office and retrieved the time-turner from its small compartment above the Pensieve's bowl, making sure not to glance at the cloudy water for fear of the memories left in it.
"To his fifth year - that's 1975. Are you sure you can make the right change? He was never simple to handle, even then." She glanced again at the determined young woman in front of her before averting her eyes again. A child of the war grown up before her time.
"I know. And I know what I have to do." Well, at least I have a goal, if not a means of achieving it. "Minerva, I don't think I've thanked you for what you're doing. I know you could just rip the time-turner from my hands but I hope one day I can make it back to this time and you'll be able to look me in the eyes again without being sad."
Minerva took one last look at her former student, taking in the worn face and calmer hair, the matured feeling in the eyes on her innocent's face.
"You'll be in my dreams." Hermione whispered with a foreign wetness in her eyes.
"23 years. That's 23 quarter-turns, if I'm not mistaken?" the Scottish witch could hardly bear to carry on the conversation as she thought on the child she had come to know and love like her own daughter.
What had to be done would be done and she let go, her eyes locked on her girl's as she became a blur, and then a memory.
oOoOoOo
The first thing as she came to was the searing pain like a hot iron being threaded through her head. Then the blackness in her vision, the weight on her limbs and the mumble of hushed voices either side of her.
"Albus, she's nowhere to be found in the records - she hasn't even got a uniform for Merlin's sakes! What on earth do you expect me to do with her?"
"Elaine, she is hurt, and I would have her treated as any other patient in the Hospital Wing until such point as she can explain how she came to be here. The presence of a time-turner already indicates an abnormality in events and frankly I'd like to keep this quiet before the whole student body is rife with rumours of how she came to be in our Infirmary. Honestly, I thought I had enough wards on my office to avoid interruption in my meetings with students, but there she suddenly was, just lying out cold on the floor behind my desk!"
A weak cough from further away indicated someone else in the room.
"Madame Hopkiiiirk. When can I leeeeave?" the croak came from the far corner.
"When your ears and nose are back to their correct colour, Mister Potter! Now, sit back down and drink some water before I put a Silencing Charm on you! It's a wonder that Mister Snape restrained himself to such a harmless jinx, the kind of language you were throwing at him."
"But Miss-"
"I'll have none of it, Mister Potter. Back to bed with you."
Another groan from the corner and another stab of pain in Hermione's head, making her flinch this time. Suddenly, it was as if she could have heard a pin drop.
"She- Albus, she hasn't moved for three hours since I brought her here from your office. She must be waking up."
"She's in pain."
"I couldn't give her any pain-relief potion while she was still unconscious but I'll fetch some now. Perhaps you ought to sit down rather than looming over her like that, you'll give the poor girl a fright."
As soon as she opened her eyes the tiniest bit, she had to squeeze them shut again. Too bright. Agh. Why did nobody ever think to get curtains in the Hospital Wing? She groaned and tried to shift herself upright but was stopped by the familiar voice of Dumbledore.
"Now, now, dear. I wouldn't exert myself too much if I were you. You'll need your energy to explain to me how you came to be in possession of a time-turner. They're Ministry-protected and registered as I understand it." he chided. Some footsteps came closer to Hermione and cold glass to her lips. Ah. That's the pain relief potion we all know and love. A wave of ease washed over her whole body and she was suddenly able to move painlessly as the weight lifted from her limbs and the sharp stabs ceased from attacking her head. She opened her eyes again to take in her surroundings. The Hospital Wing apparently hadn't changed one bit since 1975. "Perhaps we could start with your name, my dear?" Dumbledore continued softly.
"Her-Hermione. Hermione Grang-" she stopped, "Well the thing is, Professor, I'm not sure that considering my current predicament I can tell you my full name. It might change things, bias events that are yet to happen." She crumpled her forehead, trying to stop herself from ruining her mission before it even started.
"I see. Well, Hermione, when have you come from? Surely it can't be more than a couple of years - time-turners aren't so advanced as to-"
"1998, sir." That stopped him in his tracks.
"1998- why that's- no it's just- my, incredible! Are all time-turners so advanced in 1998?"
"I'm afraid not, sir, and in fact this is the last time-turner left in Britain in 1998. It's- I'm here for a reason and it was altered to help me. Nobody's ever gone back this far in recorded history."
"So your path must be an important one, Miss-"
"If it helps, you can call me Hermione Green. It's close enough."
"Miss Green. Right, well I rather think you'll be with us for a while and though I don't intend to pry, perhaps you could tell me which house you were in, and what year, in your time?" the dead man's eyes twinkled with that intense kindness that gave Hermione a sick feeling in her stomach.
"Gryffindor, sir. Er- fifth year." she stammered. Damn. That didn't sound too convincing. Hermione just hoped that Dumbledore wasn't searching her mind and that her Occlumens barriers were stable and strong enough. Dumbledore hinted at nothing amiss and stood up, gathering his particularly putrid violet robes.
"In that case, Miss Green, I suggest you stay here until Mister Potter is up to going back to the common room seeing as it has gone five o' clock and if you'd care to write down on a piece of parchment which OWLs you'll be taking this year and give it to a house-elf for me, I'll have you issued with a timetable in the morning. Then you can start your classes on Monday, the day after tomorrow. Good day to you, Miss Green."
And with that, he turned on his heel and left the hospital wing with just enough flourish for him to look like a great peacock, Hermione thought. With a sigh at the Headmaster's almost youthful flamboyance, she sat up in the bed and saw a scruffy head of black hair attached to what appeared to be James Potter. Well, James Potter with a green nose and bright blue ears, that is.
He flashed her a toothy smile and jumped off his bed, ignoring a glare from the healer behind her desk, who Hermione assumed was called Madame Hopkirk, and practically bounced over to sit on the side of Hermione's bed and stuck out his hand for her to shake.
"James Potter, Gryffindor. You can call me Prongs, all my mates do." he grinned. She took his hand and he shook it vigorously, to the point that she was worried her arm would fall off.
"Er- Hermione. Hermione Green. Gryffindor. I don't have a nickname." she replied, suppressing a giggle despite herself at how arrogantly similar James was to Harry, even though Harry barely had one memory of his father.
Her mind was diverted from a sudden sadness from thinking of the Harry she had left behind when three other rambunctious messes burst through the doors of the Hospital Wing.
"That was bloody brilliant, James! And Snivellus! That white ink all over his robes-" the the dark-haired ruffian was struggling to keep a straight face, "Nice one, Prongs!"
"Yeah, James! The look on his face!" exclaimed another lanky, sandy-haired assailant on the Infirmary as the other two jumped on the bed, apparently oblivious to Hermione's presence as the taller of the two crushed her foot as he sat on it. James promptly stood up, shaking his head in mock disgust at his three comrades.
"Gentlemen, where are your manners in the presence of a lady?"and suddenly, the three musketeers to her left stood up beside her as though they'd been shocked off the bed.
"My lady!" The dark haired one cawed at her, "Allow me to introduce myself - Sirius Black at your service!" he punctuated each word and bowed with a flounce, whipping off his imaginary hat.
"Alright, Padfoot, don't pile it on." came a murmur and a slap on the back of Sirius' head from the next along, who rolled his eyes at Sirius' melodramatics, obviously used to him. "I'm Remus, and this," he jabbed a thumb to his left "is Peter."
Peter looked up from his knotted fingers to flash Hermione a weak smile. Pettigrew. That son of a bitch. I swear when I get him alone I'll- No. No collateral damage.
Her face lit up with laughter. It was hard to think that, given twenty-three years - or twenty-one in Sirius' case and even less for James - these faces before her could become so tarnished and scarred, hollowed by the cold embrace of war. No, don't think about them. On with the show.
"I'm Hermione," she forced out, "Hermione Green."
oOoOoOo
Dinner was, if anything, even better than it was in her own time. Well, it would have been even better if not for the stares that nobody but the Hufflepuffs seemed to be attempting to hide - Thank God some of them have a conscience - and she recognised a good few faces from around the Wizarding World, Cornelius Fudge for one at the badgers' table. Dumbledore was right, we do sort too soon.
"Hey, I hope those four idiots aren't bothering you." muttered a voice behind Hermione. She turned and found a concerned, green-eyed and red-haired girl she recognised from the memories. The redhead shot James a glare. "I don't believe you, Potter! She just got here, and already you're trying your luck, you absolute fuck-wit." she looked around to the other three. "Remus," she exclaimed "I thought better of you, for the love of Merlin!"
And with that, she grabbed Hermione's arm and dragged her to the other end of the Gryffindor table while Hermione flashed the gobsmacked boys an apologetic smile. Sitting down again after the quick dash, Hermione took in the gaggle of girls surrounding her and realised she had never been around so many women at the same time in her life.
"You're Hermione, aren't you?" the redhead said confidently and Hermione gave a small nod and a somewhat abashed smile. "I'm not going to pretend the whole school isn't talking about you since you turned up in the Head Boy's meeting with Professor Dumbledore and managed to keep up a conversation with James "God's Gift to Women" Potter without throwing up, but I suppose the least I can do is help you get comfortable at Hogwarts since nobody's ever seen you before. I'm Lily - Lily Evans. This is Marlene McKinnon," she gestured to a twiggy blonde with spidery lashes, "Eleanora Parks," a tan girl who seemed slightly suffocated by the tie-dye bandana around her forehead, "and Jenny Prewett." an athletic creature with cropped, mousey-brown hair. Hermione gave a shy wave and a new plate appeared before her, with a slice of some sort of jelly pie atop it. As she poked at it, one of the girls obviously noticed the confusion in her furrowed brow and she was surprised by Jenny's giggling exclamation.
"What is it? You look like you've never seen a pineapple upside-down cake in your li- oh, what the HELL is that?" she began to shout as a charmed paper swan pecked at the side of her head and she grabbed it in her fist, its wings trying to beat helplessly against her fingers. A sharp whistle came from the other end of the Gryffindor table.
"Oi, Prewett!" hollered Sirius "You're sort of in the way." He grinned and blew a kiss to Marlene whose cheeks turned bright pink as she mimed catching it behind Jenny's back. Jenny promptly pointed her wand at the swan before being begged by Marlene to give it to her. The power was relinquished as Jenny's face soured and the swan limped over the Marlene's open palm. The blonde opened it and rolled her eyes.
"It's for you, Lily. Ignore the note at the top, that's for me from Sirius." she said, handing the note over and preening herself. Lily opened the swan up, scanned it and groaned. In barely a blink of an eye, she was up and out of her seat holding her wand to James Potter's throat.
"I am not - I repeat, not - coming to the Three Broomsticks with you on the next Hogsmeade weekend. Or the next, or the next. And I swear to Merlin, James Potter, if you ask me one more time after that catastrophe on the train, I will hex your sorry balls off - cliché poetry or no cliché poetry in charmed objects. Do I make myself quite clear?" the tip of her wand pressed further into his neck with every word, but James kept a solid grin on his face and then plucked her wand out of her grasp and placed it in her robe pocket.
"Maybe not this time, Evans, but one day you'll see. We were totally made for each other." he chanted. Lily just rolled her eyes and strutted back to her seat next to Hermione and glared off a knowing smile from Eleanora who had a face full of bread. The sudden thunder in Lily's eyes was unmistakeable as she murmured under her breath murderously - something about murdering that self-righteous pig-headed piece-of-shit bastard.
Much to Hermione's relief, Lily's murderous expression lifted as she sat down across from her again.
"He is such an insufferable, incorrigible bastard" she said with an eerie calm. "Anyway, to business." she smiled sweetly at Hermione.
"Business?"
"Business." Lily glanced at the others in the corner of her eye and suddenly Marlene seemed to jump into life.
"What she means is - how did you get here?" she almost shouted, "I mean, nobody's ever seen you before and people don't just show up for no reason every day and I'm not being funny but you're like, really, properly gorgeous and like, everyone just wants to know why you're here." Her eyes were wide with a puppy-like curiosity, not lessened in the least by the colony of eyelashes around them, but Jenny quickly cut in as she was about to open her mouth again.
"Look, she's always this gobby, don't mind her. You don't have to tell us anything if you don't want to. We get it if there's something you want to keep to yourself." she said with an almost motherly kindness that didn't quite fit her boyish face, almost as if she could have been related to Molly Weasley.
Hermione was - as she might have put it in the Muggle world - saved by the bell when the feast spread on the tables vanished with a soft pop and large groups of students began to make their way out of the Great Hall and to their dormitories.
"Is that really the time?" said Eleanora as she cast a wordless Tempus as if the tables were wrong, "Well, I suppose we'd better take you up to Gryffindor Tower before James and co. catch us up. Did anyone tell you where you're sleeping?"
Hermione replied with a timid "no" and Eleanora and Lily shot quick looks at each other. Lily swallowed, and said "Well, there are only four beds to a room, and we all bunk together, so I suppose you'll have to talk to Professor McGonagall."
Her teeth engulfed her bottom lip and she grabbed Hermione's hand, pulled her up from the bench and dragged her up to Minerva at the head table. It was odd seeing her like this, so young - she couldn't have been a day over thirty-five. As Lily gabbed on to her Head of House, Hermione noticed her old friend look at her in an odd way, like she knew something about Hermione that nobody else had noticed and seemed to be for the most part ignoring Lily.
"There are no spare beds in Gryffindor - I am not entirely sure why Proffessor Dumbledore omitted the fact until yesterday - but since the abrupt removal of Miss Black from the castle last week, I believe there is an extra bed in the dungeons, if that is agreeable to you, Miss Green?"
Hermione looked back over her shoulder to Eleanora, Jenny and Marlene, who were among the few stragglers left after the disappearance of dinner had emptied out the hall, with concerned looks on their faces. I suppose I'll see them during the day, and it'll save me at least one night of questioning if nothing else.
"That won't be a problem at all. Thank you Min- Professor." the name caught in her throat and the Professor looked at her with a strange knowing.
"Perfect. I suggest. Miss Green, that you meet me before breakfast in my office, it's not far from here. I'm sure you'll find it well." she tapped a passing boy with shoulder length oily black hair and a green tie. "Mister Snape. If you'd be so kind, Miss Green will need help finding her way to the Slytherin dormitories. I'm sure you'll be quite able to guide her."
Oh Merlin. Not him. Not now.
"Yes, Professor. Of course." and off he went, head down so Hermione couldn't yet see his face and she turned to mouth a hasty goodbye to the girls as she trotted to catch up with Severus Snape. She didn't see his face the entire walk to the dungeons. Until he turned to her at the large iron vaulted door and spoke.
"I don't know why you're here. I don't know why you turned up from nowhere in the Headmaster's office or why the whole school has been buzzing with gossip and speculations since. I don't know if you are who you say you are but I will make one thing clear: the Slytherins don't welcome strangers with open arms."
A/N: Well, here's the first chapter of my new project. (I think the paragraph spacing got a little weird but I'll sort it out, I promise) I can't promise regular updates because I have exams coming up but I'm hoping to be able to write a little daily at least so you won't wait too long for the next part. Especially considering this has kind of been in the works since the middle of the summer oops. Anyway, give it a favourite and tell me what you think. I'll be looking for a beta reader for this story, so please message me if you're interested. Other than that, I'm out - smell you later, muggles 3