Sitting in the quiet kitchen of Number 12 Grimauld Place, a now 16 year old Hermione Granger thinks of the past events, Sirius dead, Harry back at those horrible Dursleys, her sitting helplessly in a kitchen while Voldemort ran loose. How could people go about there everyday lives when so much was at stake. No one seemed to care Sirius Black was dead, because nobody knew the truth, nobody except them. The Order Of the Pheonix, her sancuary. A place where witches and wizards grouped together to stop the Dark Lord from taking over.
"Why hello Hermione. Long time no see." came a voice from the doorway. " Oh Hello Emmeline." Hermione said. Emmeline Vance, a stately looking woman, with dark hair and eyes, slim body, and tan skin. Hermione always thought she was pretty. Although she never got to know Emmeline very well there was something intreaging about her, though Hermione could never put her finger on it. Emmeline was a very mysterious person. Full of secrets, Hermione expected her to be rather smart and was glad she was in the Order. She never came to headquarters often, but when she did, Hermione always made way to say hi, hoping to hear of one of her stories. A Woman like her had to have stories. " All alone are we. Where is your boyfriend? Ryan was it?" Hermione snorted, " Ron, he's not my boyfriend, he'd out with the rest of his family checking up on Fred and George." She smiled, " Oh I see, and you're all alone? Not like Dumbeldore to leave only one person here at a time." " oh, no. Lupins just upstairs. " Emmeline smiled and took a seat across from Hermione at the table. She looked very busy. She had papers out and Hermione didn't want to disturb. " Well, I think I'll go and read a book." she said, after waiting for the chance to hear a story that unsurprisingly didn't come. Emmeline nodded, and Hermione got up and quietly walked out of the kitchen and up the stairs trying no to disturb Mrs.Black's portrait. Normally quiet, the upstairs was not. Hermione heard quiet sobs coming from the drawing room. Curiousity got the best of Hermione as she walked to the drawing room door. Indead someone was in there. She creaked open the door, and to her suprise, there stood Remus Lupin. Still fairly young, Remus looked tired and aged, one of the many side effects of being a werewolf. Yes Remus Lupin a werewolf, and has been for years. He told the trio that when he was a kid he was walking in a forest and he was bit. He didn't like going into the ordeal much, but Hermione understood why. Remus was kind in nature but had his secrets, like all people, and Hermione respected that. He and Hermione had always connected. He was sitting over a box of what looked like old books and pictures. " Prof-I mean Lupin are you alright?" asked Hermione. " Wha- oh Hello Hermione, didn't see you there. Yes I'm fine just looking at some old pictures." he replied, trying not to show he had been crying. "can I see?" asked Hermione. Lupin nodded, but didn't hand her the book. This was weird, considering Lupin would usually hand it to her gladly. Hermione walked over and took the book from the man. It was the 77/78 Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardary year book. It was turned to Cute Couples page, and in the center there was a picture of Remus and a girl smiling and hugging under a tree. It read Remus Lupin and Emmeline Vance, forever together. " As in Emmeline Vance, the woman in the Order? The same Emmeline Vance thats so secretive and works with you! I didn't know you two are, you know." said Hermione curiously. Remus sighed, " Yes it is her, and no its not. I must sound crazy, excuse me. We're not together anymore." He turned his head away from the old year book. " You loved her, didn't you?' asked Hermione. " Did and still do Hermione." He said. "what happened? I mean working in the Order together must be occward, and you two act like nothing ever happened. It can't be good." said Hermione. " Its because she doesn't think anything happened, and why o you care. People change!" snapped Lupin. Hermione jumped, it wasn't in Lupins characteristics. "Sorry Hermione, Its just Em was such a big part of my life, and you can never forget someone like that." He said immediatly after realizing he had snapped. " Y-You know it helps to get it off your chest." Hermione offered. He smiled alittle, " You know you really are the brightest witch of your age." Hermione blushed, somehow Remus never let her forget about how intelligent she is. "Well," sighed Lupin, " It all started in the 6th year, when I was about your age. James and Sirius were continously nagging me to get out of the library and hook up with girls. They thought I spent to much time in the library and even thought I was having an affair with the libraian. Ha, that was them though...
" Moony! There you are mate!" yelled Sirius from the other side of the libray. " SHH! Mr.Black!" hushed the libraian. Sirius just rolled his eyes. " You spend so much time in here, come on lets go." James proposed. " You know you two ought to spend alittle more time on studying and less time on girls and pranks!" Remus said, closing a very thick book. " WHAT!" said James dumbfounded, " Give up pranks! Not to mention girls, not Mr.Moony I thought you knew us better than that!" Remus rolled his eyes. Yes he did love pranks but school work always came first in his eyes. " Besides Moony look, not a single good looking girl here. THe librarian isn't even hot, I don't know what you see in her." mocked Sirius. " Come on Padfoot, lay off." said Remus. Somehow the only thing James and Sirius could conclude about Remus being in the library so much was having an affair with the librarian. Of course those aligantions were false. It was something the two boys liked to tease their smart, sandy haired friend about nonetheless. Tired of James and Sirius' constant whining, Remus decided that he should get out of the library and have some free time to himself. He was infact ahead in all his classes, even one of the if not the top student in all his classes, yes a break would do him good. " Hurry Remus!" said James, as Remus picked up his very large books and piled them on his arms. Sirius and James walked ahead to the exit while Remus balanced his heavy books to the Common room. He was doing rather well, until, BANG! remus hit someone falling onto the ground, along with all his books." Oh-h I-I'm really sorry." came a soft voice. Remus looked up to see a girl with dark hair, glasses, and a green cardigan. Her glasses were thick but not so that it was over baring." Oh no, its my fault really." said Remus, " I wasn't watching.Sorry Emmeline." She smiled, and then bent over to help him pick up his books. " Moony you okay?" asked James. " Oh yah, wasn't watching." he repeated, not taking his his eyes off the girl. " Oh and who is this." asked Sirius, raising his eye brow. " Emmeline Vance." she said, blushing. Sirius had that effect on all girls. " Oh your Evans friend aren't you." said James, suddenly taking an interest in the girl. " yah." she said quietly, standing up and picking her own books up. " You sit behind me in Potions don't you?" said Sirius. Emmeline nodded. " Gryffindor right?" She nodded again. " you and Evans are good friend?" said James agian. She nodded, polietly, even though James was repeating his sentences. "quit bugging her guys." said Remus. " thanks agian for helping me with these books." She smiled and nodded. Then turning around, she went over to the farthest table and opened her books and began reading. Remus watched her all the way. " Ohh someone likes Vance, wouldn't you say Prongs." said Sirius, nudging James. "Shut it guys. I do not. Lets go, these books weigh a ton!" said Remus, breaking the gaze and turning to leave. " did she say she was good friends with Evans?" said James as they were leaving. " YES PRONGS!" yelled Sirius, getting annoyed. Anyone who knew the Marauders knew that James was crazy for Lily Evans, or as he put it, Evans, but she never did find him desireable like all the other girls at school. She was different, just like Miss Emmeline Vance.
" I still can't believe you like Emmeline Vance, Moony." said James, about a half hour after bumping into her in the library. " I don't Prongs, and if I did why do you care. You didn't even know who she was until a half hour ago!" protested Remus. " Hey! I knew she was. She's just not hard to forget. I mean come on, she doesn't stand out at all. She doesn't try and fit in, all she does is read." " Hes got a point there mate, though I always remeber her. She was one of the only people who didn't let me copy her Arthimacy homework.Likes green doesn't she." Sirius pointed out. Remus snorted. " So what if she doesn't fit in, and anyway why are we talking about her. Me and her are just friends, well more like aquantices." said Remus. "okay, okay Moony we got it. You don't like Emmeline. Now can we please change the subject. I've got this great idea on a prank." Sirius said.
As harsh as these things might seem they are all, for the most part, true. Emmeline Vance didn't hang around with the "popular clique and by the standards of someone of James Potter standards, people could say she wasn't hard to forget, and she wasn't the smartest person in class, but she did do fairly well. Like all people all Emmeline wanted was to be accepted. She was on the social ladder, beneath the Marauders, but not totally forgettable. Friends with everyone, Emmeline never liked the idea of being horrible to another person because they were " beneath her" or how horrible they were. In that asspect she was extrodinary. An average girl, in an extrodinary school, things you could say, even out.