Hey, wassup? So, here's another story I wanted to start. It's a story in which Voldemort took power and Snape never heard the prophecy. So, Lily and James are alive.

Summary: Voldemort took power and defeated Albus Dumbledore. He is not after the Potters as Snape did not hear the prophecy. Muggle-Borns are being persecuted for who they are by the Death Eaters. Harry and James save a teenaged, orphaned Muggle-Born girl one day and invite her to stay with them. Soon, she and Harry fall in love.

Don't exactly have a full plot, though. Thinking of a prophecy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does.

Dark Days

Chapter One

Saved!

Everyone knew about the green light murders. Some people were terrified of going outside of their homes. The murders were unstoppable and no one knew who caused them. The people that were at the scene of the crime couldn't remember what had happened. It was like their minds were wiped away. They were called the "green light murders" because a green flash could be seen before someone died.

Orphaned, eighteen-year-old Hermione Granger didn't really care about this warning. In fact, she preferred books over precaution. It was getting late as she walked home from the Barnes & Noble in the city. She had stayed until closing time. Then, the owner had threatened to toss her out when she didn't want to leave. She didn't have a car as she did not have the money for it. She held her purse to her closely and looked around her cautiously. It was true she didn't care, but no harm in being cautious, right?

Suddenly, she felt like she was being followed. She turned around quickly and spastically. No one was there. She shook her head, trying to clear the frightened thoughts in her mind, faced forward, and walked on. She felt brave a second ago. Why was she suddenly so scared? She thought about what her cat was doing, trying to get her mind off of her nervousness. She wondered if he was pacing around his bowl waiting for her to come home and fill it with his dinner.

"Crucio!" she heard a cold voice shout. She saw a red light out of the corner of her eye and was blasted into an alley. She landed on her side, but didn't feel the pain from the impact of the stony street. Instead, she felt pain all over her body as of there were a thousand knives being stuck into her all over. She was riveting thriving in agony. She screamed at the top of her lungs. Hoping someone would hear her and come rescue her from this torture. But no one came.

"Well, well, well, look what we got here, Lucius," a sneering voice said coming closer to her. "A poor, defenseless, little bitch."

Hermione felt whatever torture was under her disintegrate and was replaced with a slight numbness. She opened her eyes and looked at her attacker. Or rather, attackers. It was three men in black cloaks holding strange sticks like they were weapons.

"Please, leave me alone," she said shaking with fear.

They just laughed at her. The tall one had blonde hair that went to the middle of his back and cold, grey eyes. The one that had spoken had dark eyes and hair and had some stubble on his chin. The last one had a blonde buzz cut and brown eyes and was largely built.

"Shut up, Mudblood!" Buzz Cut spat at her and raised his stick again. "Crucio!" Hermione felt that pain again. It was worse now that she barely had time to recover from the last one. She squeezed her eyes shut wanting it all to go away. Wanting someone to take her pain away. In the midst of all of this, she was thinking that this was how she was going to die. This was it. Of all things to think about before she died she wondered who would take care of Crookshanks when she was gone. 'He would be quite lonely' she thought to herself.

"Crucio!"came a shout just as Hermione felt the pain leaving again. She screamed so loud, she was sure someone could hear her. After a few moments, she realized that no one would come. No one could hear her. No one would care that she died.

Finally, a voice that sounded like angels to her shouted, "Stupefy!" The pain went away and she heard more shouting and yelling.

"Ah, Papa Potter, Baby Potter, Lupin, and Black, come to join us?"

"Leave her alone," a young, yet strong voice growled. More strange words-Hermione recognized some of them to be Latin-were being shouted and she saw more flashes. Finally, it stopped and she saw her three attackers lying on the ground unconscious. She smiled weakly, but then realized she had other company and she didn't know what they would do to her.

"Sirius! Harry! Remus and I best get this lot to the Ministry," she heard one of the newcomers say. "Harry, go check on her."

Hermione heard footsteps getting closer and closer to her. A figure knelt down and gently took her arm. She recoiled immediately. Even though the touch was soft, she decided to be more cautious now. "No, shh, it's okay. We're here to help you. I won't hurt you. I promise."

The eighteen-year-old let him touch her arm and she opened her eyes and looked at him. He was so beautiful. He was about her age and had pitch-black, untidy hair, and the greenest eyes she'd ever seen behind round, wire glasses. He was a little pale and had a strong, set jaw. He was well-built and looked very strong. He, too, had a stick in his hand. Hermione wanted to run away, but she found herself too tired to do just that. Worn out from the pain. So, she closed her eyes, letting her companion's green orbs be the last thing she saw.

Hermione heard someone moving around her as she stirred awake. She felt warm and comfortable...wherever she was. "Where...where am I?" she asked whomever it was that was around her. Her eyes were still closed, wanting to know where she was first before opening them.

"It's okay. You're alright. You're in my home. You're safe," a soft, feminine voice said. Hermione was soothed by it. It was very motherly and affectionate.

She opened her eyes and saw those same green eyes she had seen before she had blacked out. This time they were attached to a middle-aged woman with beautiful, red hair. She had a kind face and loving smile. Hermione asked curiously, "Who are you?"

"My name is Lily Potter. My husband and son saved you. What's your name, dear?"

"Hermione. Hermione Granger," she answered for some reason trusting this woman. Hermione was in a neutral-colored bedroom, lying in a soft, queen-sized bed with red covers and bedsheets. There was a wooden dresser to the left of her bed hehind the chair Lily Potter sat in. On the other side of her was a vanity and a door that must have led into the bathroom. She was still in her jeans, she noticed as her legs were very uncomfortable. Suddenly, she noticed that Lily Potter had a stick like the others had and she widened her eyes at the sight of it. Immediately, she tried to rush out of the bed and get away, but Lily Potter stopped her.

"It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you," she said softly.

"You have one of those," she pointed to the stick in her hand. "The ones who attacked me each had one, too."

Lily smiled at the younger girl. "Yes, but I will not harm you with it. I promise. You can trust me," she reassured her.

Hermione settled back down onto the bed, deciding to trust this woman.

"What's your name, dear?" Lily asked.

"Hermione. Hermione Granger," she answered.

"It's nice to meet you, Hermione."

Suddenly, the door flew open and a tall, thin, yet muscular, young man stood there. Hermione recognized him as the one who had touched her arm and soothed her before she blacked out. He looked at her and then at Lily. That was when Hermione noticed that they both had the same green eyes. She guessed they must be related.

He gave her an annoyed look. "Mum..." 'So they are related' Hermione thought. "...you promised you would tell me when she woke up."

"Oh, Harry, give the poor girl a break. She's had a long night. She was tortured by Death Eaters. And besides, she just woke up," Lily chastised him, making him blush.

He looked back at her and gave her a cute, boyish, shy smile. Hermione rather liked looking at his smile. He looked back at his mother. "Sorry, Mum." Just then, there was a shout from downstairs, "Lily! Harry! I'm home!"

"Oh, that'll be your father. I need to speak to him privately. I'll be back in a moment." She left the room, leaving the young man and Hermione alone. He walked in and sat in the chair his mother had occupied just before.

"You're the one that saved me," Hermione pointed out a little stupidly.

He nodded, "Yeah, my name is Harry Potter. What's yours?"

She told him and then said, "I want to thank you for saving me. If you don't mind me asking, who were they?"

Harry inhaled deeply and exhaled heavily, looking a little nervous. Hermione wondered if it was forbidden for him to tell her. She had so many questions. Who were they? What were they? What was that light that came out of that stick? What was the stick? Why did they need it? What was it for?

"Erm...well, do you-do you believe in magic?" he asked her in response.

"Magic? I don't know. I'm pretty logical," she replied not sure why this had to do with her question.

"Well...it's real. I'm a wizard. They were, too. But much darker wizards. Wizards that inflict harm on other people just for the fun of it," he said this last part in despise. "Mum thinks you are a witch, too."

Hermione just stared at him for a moment and then started to laugh. It sounded so ridiculous to her! Magic is real? That's maddening! What was he playing at? But he didn't laugh with her. He just sat there with a serious look on his face.

"You're not joking..." she concluded breathlessly.

"No, I'm serious. Watch..." He raised his stick-Hermione guessed that was his magical wand-pointed it at a picture frame on the bedside table on the other side of her. It was a picture himself and a snowy-white owl was perched on his shoulder and said, "Wingardium Leviosa!" Hermione's eyes widened as the picture frame began to rise up into the air and float toward him. Her eyes followed it as it passed right in front of her face. He caught it in his hand.

"How did you do that?" she asked in disbelief.

"Magic," he replied with a smile. "Have you ever made anything happen? When you were angry or scared? Anything...strange?"

Hermione thought about this. She remembered when she was only eight years old and she had a tree in her backyard that housed a magpie's nest. One morning she had went outside and heard small chirping, indicating that the mother magpie had laid eggs and they had hatched. She had wanted to see what they looked like, but the nearest limb was too high up for her to reach. A moment later, she found herself in the tree looking at the bird's nest without any knowledge of how she got there. She began to get scared and her father had to come and get her using a ladder. The eighteen-year-old nodded at her companion.

"Then, you must be a witch," he said thoughtfully. Hermione was going to respond, but they heard footsteps on the wooden floor in the hall and Mrs. Potter appeared in the doorway with an older man that also looked middle-aged. He looked just like Harry, except for the eyes. He had brown ones. He smiled at her.

"Hello, Hermione Granger. Welcome to my home. My name is James Potter. I believe you've already met my wife and this rascal." He walked over to his son and ruffled his hair playfully.

"Dad!" he cried, trying to fix his hair.

"It's no use trying to flatten it!" Lily retorted playfully.

"I'm a witch?" Hermione asked all three of them randomly. They looked at her blankly and Lily said, "Yes, I sense magic within your core. You're very powerful. Did you parents ever do magic?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, not that I know of."

"Then you must be a Muggle-Born," she said half to her and half to herself. "Like me."

"A what?"

"A 'Muggle-Born' is someone who has magic in them but whose parents didn't."

"This is just too much for me right now," she said feeling a headache coming on. She rubbed her temples in little circles with her fingers. "I need to go home. I need to check on my cat." She pulled the covers off of her and swung her legs off of the side of the bed and she stood up.

"Are you in pain?" Lily asked her. She shook her head. "No, ma'am. Could I borrow your phone? I would like to call a cab to come and get me."

"Oh, you don't need to do that, dear. We can drive you."

"I don't want to be a bother," she politely declined looking at the ground.

Harry had stood up. "You're not a bother, Hermione. We'd be happy to take you home." Hermione looked up at him. He was giving her that boyish half-smile again. She looked his parents, who were smiling as well. They were so nice. And if what they said was true, she could be a magical witch. It's not that she didn't want to take them up on their offer. She just didn't want them to see where she lived. They lived in what looked like an elegant home and she She sighed and nodded at them. "Okay."

Half an hour later, the three Potters and Hermione were standing in front of Hermione's apartment door. There was a white paper on the door. Stamped in red, it said, 'Evicted'. Hermione closed her eyes in anguish, squeezing them tightly. Trying not to cry.

"I'm so sorry," came Harry's sad voice. Hermione wanted him to wrap his arms around her and hold her tight to him. She mentally shook her head. She had only known this boy for almost an hour.

Hermione unlocked the door to her house and opened the door. Immediately, an orange cat ran up to her and walked through her legs, brushing his fur against her legs. "Hey, Crookshanks." He meowed and she gave him a weak smile.

She turned to the Potters. "Thank you so much. I don't know how to repay you. I think you'd better go now. I have to start packing."

"Do you have anywhere to go?" Lily asked her.

'No' she wanted to say. "I'll find a place," was what she said.

"Mum, can she stay with us?" Harry asked his mother.

"Harry!" James chastised.

"No, that's a good idea," Lily said thoughtfully. She walked to the teenaged girl. "Would you like to live with us, Hermione? We could teach you about magic and help you to harness your powers?"

"I don't know, ma'am. I don't want to impose or anything," Hermione declined them again.

"You won't, Hermione," Harry said. "Please, you need a place to stay. We won't let you sleep on the streets." Once again he flashed her that boyish smile and Hermione had to accept their offer.

"Alright, but if you don't mind, I would like to help around the house," she looked at Lily when she said this, who nodded.

Harry and James shrunk all of her belongings-which wasn't much-and they put them in boxes. Hermione gave her key to her landlord as they left the building. James drove back to their house in Godric's Hollow.

"So, tell me more about our world," Hermione asked Lily petting Crookshanks' fur as they set off to her new home.

TBC...

Sooo, what do you think? Should I continue? I know it seems that Hermione is accepting that she's a witch all too quickly, but she's just happy she has an explanation for all of the strange things that had happened when she was younger.

Need a good plot. I've got some ideas.

Pleez review!

DREWHHR