DISCLAIMER: The following stories are based on situations and characters from the Harry Potter books which are created and owned by J. K. Rowling, and various other publishers, including, but not limited to Warner Bros., Inc., Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books, and Raincoat Books. No use other than entertainment is intended and no financial gain is being made. No trademark or copyright infringement is intended.
A/N: This is unbetad. I write for my own enjoyment. Drum roll please! *bangs fingers on table* I give you…For Being You:
"Hermione turned the hourglass three times.
The dark ward dissolved. Harry had the sensation that he was flying very fast, backward. A blur of colors and shapes rushed past him, his ears were pounding, he tried to yell but he couldn't hear his own voice –.
And then he felt solid ground beneath his feet, and everything came into focus again." (PoA)
"Hermione "
"Quick, this way," she whispered shortly, taking the chain from his neck and pulling him down the hallway.
"Hermione," Harry whispered back, "where are we? Where is Ron? What's "
Sighing softly, Hermione stopped, turned and lifted the small hourglass from under her blouse. "This is a time-turner, Harry. We're still at Hogwarts, only we've gone back in time three hours. I suspect Ron is with you and me, walking to Hagrid's."
Because he was only blinking at her, she grabbed his hand and, once more, they began walking down the long corridor.
At the sound of her voice, Harry looked to his left.
"More than one life may be spared…. I don't understand. Unless…" she stopped them again. "Harry, Dumbledore sent us back to save them!"
"Save who? Sirius?"
"Yes! We have to save Sirius, and Buckbeak."
"Well, how hey!" he yelped as she pulled a little too forcefully on his arm. "How are we going to save them?"
"I'm not sure, yet. But, we mustn't be seen, Harry."
"Why?"
"Bad things happen to people who aren't careful, Harry."
"Erm, 'Mione? Exactly how is this going to work?"
They were currently sitting behind a large stack of pumpkins, waiting for themselves to leave Hagrid's hut.
"We'll get Buckbeak, when we leave. And don't call me that." Hermione replied, blushing slightly.
"That makes no sense. How are we getting Buckbeak, and when is it that we leave, anyhow?"
"Wait…your right."
"I am? About what?"
"We aren't leaving. Why are we not leaving?"
The two teens could hear warbled voices coming from the direction of the castle. Hermione cursed softly, earning a raised brow from her companion, and looked down. Quickly thinking, she grabbed a small stone from the ground and hurled it toward the open window. When the sound of breaking glass reached them, Hermione smirked, and threw a second stone. This one hit Harry in the back of the head.
"Ouch! You know, that really hurt!" The Harry beside her complained.
"Sorry," she replied. "Oh no, hurry! Back here, we're coming!"
The duo rushed into the tree line as their present counterparts hurried toward the pumpkins. After a few moments, Hermione stepped forward.
"Is that really what my hair looks like from the back?" She stepped backward, onto a small twig, and snapped it.
Harry pulled her to him, but the other Hermione caught a glimpse.
"What happened to not being seen, Granger?" He asked, chuckling softly.
"Shut it, Potter," Hermione replied, and then, realizing where she was, blushed like a tomato.
She could feel the vibrations of his laughter on her cheek, through his worn blue t-shirt. Looking up, she tried to give him her worst glare, but seeing him smiling softly down at her, she lost her nerve, and burrowed back into his chest.
"You can let go of me now, Harry" she mumbled. Harry jumped and quickly releasing her looked back towards the tree-opening.
"Come on, 'Mione. I think the coast is clear.
"Now that was close!" Hermione laughed, as she fed Buckbeak another ferret. "I thought for sure, they would see us." She grinned at the liberated hippogriff, and turned toward her silent best friend. "Harry?"
"Why'd you do that?" he asked solemnly.
"Do what?"
"Why'd you hug Ron? When you thought that Beaky had been killed… you hugged Ron. Why?"
"Well, I was standing by him and…. I don't think I hugged him. I just… hid my face in his arm, is all," she replied.
"Do you fancy him?" Harry countered bluntly.
Hermione's eyes bugged out, and she began giggling madly. She took two steps and stopped. Bending over, she wrapped her arms around her middle and let loose great, big, belly laughs. "F-f-f-fancy R-Ron?"
"Oi, it ain't that funny, 'Mione. He fancies you, I think." Harry answered sulkily.
"Harry," Hermione spoke, after gaining her breath, "I know he does, or at least he thinks he does. However, I do not, nor will I ever, fancy Ronald Weasley."
"Why not?"
"He's just a friend, Harry. More like an annoying little brother, actually," she grinned at him.
"Am " he sighed forlornly, "Am I like a little brother, too?" He left out the 'annoying' bit, hoping he wasn't that bad.
"No, Harry, you're not. Now, come along. We have a mass murderer to rescue!"
"That sounds rather odd, don't you think?"
"Yes it does. That, my dear boy-who-lived, is why I said it."
She grinned cheekily at him, and he grinned back. She did notice, however, that his cheeks were a tad pink. The couple walked through the woods, toward the castle.
"So, how do we rescue Sirius, 'Mione?"
"Don't call me that. Hmm… well, we could wait until Professor Lupin turns "
"But that's dangerous, and I don't want to fight a werewolf."
"Harry, you've got it! Merlin, why didn't I think of it sooner! Come on!"
"What "
"Hurry, we have to get to Professor Lupin's office!"
Pulling him by the hand once more, Hermione and Harry rushed into the castle, up the stairs, down the halls, through a trap-door, and out the other side to land in front of the DADA classroom. "Come on," she called, opening the door and rushing inside.
"Professor? Professor Lupin?" she cried, "Oh, he must be in here. He said he was "
"Miss Granger? Harry? What are you doing in here?" Hermione turned and saw her DADA professor walking down the stairs from his office. "It's getting late, you two. I won't take points, but please, return to your common room."
"Professor, No! Don't leave. If you do I mean, uh…um, y-you haven't taken your potion!" she yelled shrilly.
"M-my potion, what potion?"
"I know, professor,"
He heaved a long sigh, and gravely asked how long she had known.
"Since Snape set the essay." She replied.
"I don't know how you know, but your right. I haven't taken the Wolfsbane. I'll be right back, do not leave." He turned, and, giving them one final wary glance, rushed back into his office.
"Quick Harry, we have to go!" Hermione whispered.
"But "
"But nothing, we have to be down there. Come on!"
The two sprinted through the classroom door, just as Remus rushed from his office.
He stopped upon seeing the empty room, cursed, and ran after them.
"Hermione, what now? We made sure Remus had the potion, and "
"And now we go down to the Shrieking Shack. Dumbledore sent us back to save two lives. I realized earlier, I have the opportunity to save more."
Harry was dumbfounded as they ran across the grounds toward the Womping Willow. They crouched down near the trap-door, and waited.
"Harry, what did Sirius say to you, before?"
"He asked me to come and live with him, actually."
"Oh, Harry, that's wonderful! And that adds another life to my list!"
"What list?" He asked, curious.
"My list of people we can save. Without our interference, Buckbeak would've been killed, Sirius kissed, Professor Lupin sacked, and Pettigrew would have escaped. Now, Buckbeak is free, Professor Lupin will not be sacked because he took his potion. Did you know that werewolves have senses superior to humans? 5x superior in wolf-form, and 3x superior in human. Even if Pettigrew escapes again, he'll be wolf chow. We'll catch him, and Sirius will be free. That means "
" I can live with him!"
"Yes. And Harry?" He grunted, "Not to be too presumptuous, but the house across the road from mine in Oxford is for sale."
"That'd be great Hermione. I've never been to Oxford. I don't know whether Sirius has or not, but I think he'd like that."
"I would as well. And Harry?" She replied.
"Yeah?"
"I just added you to my list." She smiled.
He smiled back, thanked her and, blushing slightly, hugged her. Although, when he tried to pull away quickly, she held fast, and squeezed him tight.
They heard the tree moving restlessly, and saw themselves exit the trap door.
"Come on, Harry." Hermione sigh reluctantly, and let go, "It's time."
Needless to say, things happened differently this time around.
"Severus," Remus called, "Take the rat. I need to go back into the shack."
Snape looked to the sky, and back to Remus. "My pleasure…Wolf," he sneered. Remus grinned, Pettigrew whimpered.
Snape, Sirius, Pettigrew, Harry, and Hermione cautiously continued their trek to the castle. Hermione and Harry followed in the woods nearby. Suddenly, everything got dark, and cold. They could hear Remus' howling in the shack. He sensed it too.
Hundreds of Dementors were floating towards the group. Restless tendrils of icy fear licked at the stunned group. Sirius started screaming, Pettigrew started scuffling and nabbed Snape's wand. Before Harry could shout Expelliarmus! Pettigrew had released the spell binding his animagus, morphed, and ran toward the woods. The sound of splintering wood could be heard, and a few moments later, a solid mass of gray-black fur sprinted from under the Womping Willow in pursuit of Pettigrew.
The Dementors were drifting closer, and by now, Sirius was on the ground, in the fetal position, whimpering. Severus was hovering over Harry and Hermione, trying to hide them, or at least to provide a little warmth. Harry rushed away from Hermione, and turned to face the Dementors. He gathered all his courage, and thought of the moment when Hermione had pulled him closer after he hugged her, and shouted "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"
A large, glowing, white mass erupted from the tip of his wand. Taking the shape a humongous stag, the Patronus leaped and bounded towards the pursuing Dementors. The air was rampant with sizzling and the putrid smell of scorched flesh as the stag literally burned through the solid wall of undead soul suckers. Severus, Sirius, both Hermione's and the other Harry stood dumbfounded as the stag gracefully flew to and fro until all was well once more.
The stag drifted back toward Harry, and he motioned for it to go to Sirius.
"Prongs?" the broken man whispered once, before he lost consciousness and fell back to the ground.
The next day was rather hectic.
Because of the undeniable proof of his innocence, that being one critically injured, but successfully veritaserumed rat, Sirius received a full pardon, and custody of Harry. He also was awarded fifty thousand galleons in damages, and an Order of Merlin 1st Class. Severus was awarded an Order of Merlin 1st class as well. Remus was given a 2nd Class, though everyone knew he had earned a 1st Class. He was, however, allowed, by Minister Fudge, himself, to stay on as DADA professor, essentially breaking the fabled curse. After all, according to a simpering minister, 'if he can teach a 3rd year to manifest a corporeal Patronus, he must be doing something right'.
Pettigrew was granted a speedy trial where he was sentenced to, and given the Dementor's kiss.
It was time to go home for the students of Hogwarts. Harry, Hermione, and Ron were boarding the Hogwarts Express, once more.
"I can't believe it, mate, you're going to live with Hermione? Bloody hell, you'll be doing homework all summer." Ron chortled.
"I'll be living with Sirius, Ron, not Hermione. And we aren't gonna be doing homework all summer."
"I still don't see why you and Sirius couldn't have built a house near the Burrow. I mean, come on! Homework or no, you'll still be spending the whole summer with our resident know-it-all. You get back next year and you'll be worse than she is. Bloody hell, what if you turn into Percy?!"
"That's enough, Ron!" Ron may not have noticed how his words cut Hermione, but Harry could see the sheen of moisture in her caramel-brown eyes. "Obviously you can't be happy that I have Sirius, or that I never have to go back to Privet Drive."
"Harry, mate, come on. I didn't mean it like that!"
"That's the problem, Ron," Harry replied and he escorted Hermione out the door, "You never do." He shut the door.
"You didn't have to do that, Harry. I'm okay, really. You go sit with Ron, I'll go somewhere else." She gave him a small smile, but it was brittle, and didn't reach her eyes.
"No. I want to come with you 'Mione. I " he sighed, and blushed red. Running his fingers through his unruly hair, and took a deep breath, turned to his companion and said, "'Mione?"
"Yes, Harry?"
"I-I like you. A lot. As," he paused, "well, uh, as more than a friend," he bit his lip, and looked at his trainers.
"I-I like you, too, Harry. Err, the same way." She whispered.
He looked up, smiled and pulled her into a hug.
"Y-you can k-kiss me, if you want to, Harry" she spoke into his shirt.
"Okay, "Mione… but only if you'll be my girlfriend."
She smiled up at him, stood on her tip-toes, and met his lips with hers in a sweet, chaste kiss.
The couple pulled away, smiling and blushing like mad, and turned around to find an empty compartment.
Only to practically run into the dynamic duo that was the Weasley twins.
"Oi, look here, Freddie," said George with a mock sniffle, "Our ickle Harry-kins is all grown up and kissing girls,"
"Maybe we should give him a talking-to, Georgie," said Fred, "We don't want him breaking our dear Hermione's heart, do we?"
Harry and Hermione honestly tried to keep straight faces as they gazed into the smirking faces before them. They were, however, unable to remain stoic, and succumbed to the massive fit of giggles the twins had been aiming for.
But, like all good things, the rain ride home eventually came to an end.
"Thank-you," Harry whispered to Hermione as they waited to go through the portal to meet her parents, Sirius, and Remus.
"For what?" she asked.
"For being you." He replied, and tugged on her hand, pulling her toward their families.
The End
Author's note:
I'm writing this as a one-shot. While I don't expect it, if anyone wants to continue this, let me know, and you may.
This is my first real story, I tried something before, but it was too ambiguous, and too ambitious for so early on in my fan fiction career, so I discontinued it.