Author's Note: I own nothing but the plot and any new characters introduced, all other credit goes to the lovely J.K. Rowling. This story is set shortly a few months after the last book ends, not including the Epilogue. Also, Remus lives through the war, and him and Tonks never got together. Everything else is the same though!
On to the story! Happy Reading :)
Chapter 1 – The Forbidden Forest
Hermione Granger, Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley and Ginny Weasley sat in the Gryffindor Common Room. Due to the war, they were all in their seventh year. Professor, now Headmistress McGonagall, had given the students that had fought in the war the option of returning the next year to finish their schooling but it was not required. Very few students had returned, most choosing to take their graduation certificate and start their lives.
"Hermione?" Ron asked, looking up from his potions essay. She glanced up at him. "Can you help me finish my essay?" Hermione sighed. She was tired of helping them with their homework. The potions essay was due the next morning and Ron wasn't even halfway finished with it.
"No, Ron. If you had started on it when we got the assignment, I might have said yes. But the fact that you held off until the last possible moment just shows that you don't care." She got up from her chair and announced that she was going to bed.
The next morning, Ron had yet to finish his essay. He got reprimanded by Professor Slughorn in class and Hermione secretly took pleasure in it. She was tired of being an easy out for their homework. Harry seemed to get the hint but Ron simply wouldn't listen.
That night in the common room, Ron started yelling at her.
"If you had helped me with my essay, Slughorn wouldn't have yelled at me." Hermione quickly turned red and stood up from the couch where she had been looking through a book with Ginny.
"No, Ronald. If you had done your essay last week, you wouldn't have gotten yelled at. It wasn't my fault that you didn't do your essay on time." She placed her hands on her hips and gave Ron a look that could have rivaled Mrs. Weasley's.
"You know, you've been a real bitch lately." Ron yelled. Everyone turned towards them. No one had heard anyone call Hermione Granger a bitch. It was bound to be a good show. Hermione glared at Ronald for a moment, weighing her options. She finally exploded.
"Fuck you, Ronald Weasley!" She screamed. "I've never been anything but an easy out for your bloody homework! And these last few months you've been almost unbearable! Why didn't you just take your fucking certificate and graduate and save everyone from your bloody attitude!" She slapped him across the face and ran out of the common room.
Ginny stood up, glaring at her brother, who was now pale.
"Way to go Ron!" Ginny yelled at him before running after Hermione.
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Hermione ran through the castle and out the front doors. It was nearly Christmas and a thick layer of snow covered the grounds. She paused momentarily to cast a warming charm on herself then sprinted towards the Forbidden Forest. After battling Death Eaters and coming face to face with death, the Forbidden Forest no longer scared her. She knew that anything she might run into would be no match. She ran through the forest lithely, jumping over fallen trees and bushes and ducking under branches. She finally came to a halt in a clearing and looked around. Spider webs hung from the branches, creating an eerie look. A fire had burned in the middle of the clearing not too long ago. She found a slightly damp log and sat down on it, trying to catch her breath.
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Ginny ran after Hermione, trying to find her friend. When she saw Hermione run into the Forbidden Forest, she paused, wondering if she should go back for help. She quickly decided against it and sprinted towards the forest.
She jogged through the forest for a bit until she found Hermione sitting on a log in a clearing. She walked over and sat next to her.
"Ron's a right bastard." Ginny said after a moment of silence. Hermione simply snorted. "He had no right to get mad at you." Ginny rested her head on Hermione's shoulder. "I'm sometimes ashamed to be related to him." She joked, hoping to receive a response from the girl. "He'll have a bruise for quite a while." Hermione finally laughed.
"He better." She said. Ginny finally took a moment to look around the clearing.
"What's that?" Ginny asked, standing up from the log. She walked over to the far side of the clearing and bent down, studying something. Hermione heard footstep and she glanced away for a moment. She looked back and Ginny was gone. Hermione stood up from the log abruptly, striding over to the place where Ginny was standing moments before. Bending over and studying the ground she saw a small bush with red flowers. She pushed the bush to the side and gasped as she fell headfirst into the swirling blackness.
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Hermione woke to voices. She sat up, holding her head and looked around. She was in the hospital wing but… something was off. She turned her head to the voices and realized what was wrong. Dumbledore stood in the hospital wing talking to Madam Pomfrey.
"Al-Pro-Dumbledore?" She stuttered. He turned towards her, the sparkle still fresh in his eyes.
"Hello." He strode towards her bed and sat down in a chair, pulling it towards her. "Would you like to tell me how you landed on Hogwarts grounds?" He asked, politely. They heard a groan and Hermione looked over to see Ginny laying on the bed to her right. Ginny sat up and looked around then gasped in shock at seeing Dumbledore.
"I'm Hermione Granger, sir. And this is Ginny Weasley." Hermione started.
"Weasley? Any relation to Arthur Weasley?" Dumbledore asked.
"No!" Hermione said quickly, glancing at Ginny to keep her quiet. Dumbledore nodded and Hermione continued her story. "We're from the future. Though I'm not sure how far in the future. What year is it?"
"It is 1975, my dear." Dumbledore replied. Hermione did the math in her head quickly.
"We're from 23 years in the future." Hermione glanced at Ginny then continued her story of how they landed on the steps of Hogwarts, 23 years in the past.
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"Well, that is quite a tale." Dumbledore said, after Hermione had finished. "I guess the only option is to let you stay here until we can find a way to get you back to your time. I must impress upon you the seriousness of this situation however. You must not tell anyone their futures or it could drastically change your time. Now what house and year were the two of you in when you left?"
"Gryffindor, seventh year." Ginny replied.
"Then it seems fit that you will return to Gryffindor. The story we will tell is that you have been studying at your own pace from home but decided to be around people your own age." Dumbledore told them. "You will be able to go in to Hogsmeade tonight to get whatever you need." He handed Hermione a plastic-like card. "Every shop in Hogsmeade takes this card. Your purchases will be charged to the school. Rest-up, dinner is in a few hours. I will send the Head Girl up to take you to dinner and then Hogsmeade. Meanwhile, I will be searching for ways to get you back home and will let you know if anything new arrises." With that, he stood and walked out of the hospital wing, leaving the girls to their thoughts.
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Three hours later, a girl walked into the hospital wing. She had laming red hair and eyes the color of emeralds that held an almost childlike curiosity.
"I'm the head girl, Lily Evans." Hermione and Ginny looked at each other in shock. Harry's mother. "Are you ready for dinner?" She asked politely, looking between the two girls. They both nodded and climbed off their beds. Lily led them to the Great Hall, talking about Hogwarts, pointing things out. The girls acted appropriately, pretending they had never been to the castle. "…And this is the Great Hall!" Lily said excitedly, walking into the hall. She led them down the table and set next to a boy with jet black hair, blue eyes and glasses. Hermione sat next to her with Ginny on her other side.
"Well, well, well. Who do we have here?" Asked a boy across the table. His shaggy black hair hung to his shoulders and his brown eyes served them thoroughly.
"James, Sirius, Remus, Peter. This is Hermione and Ginny. They've come to finish up their last year. Girls, this is James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew." She said, pointing to each of them. Hermione resisted the urge to wrap her hands around Peter's neck and choke the life out of him. She smiled politely and focused on what Dumbledore was saying.
"We have two new students, both of whom are in Gryffindor. Hermione Granger and Ginerva Weasley. I expect everyone to make them feel at home. Tuck in!" He sat down as food appeared on all the tables.
"So, where have you two been the last six years?" Remus asked. Hermione blushed and Ginny answered his question. His sandy blonde hair fell gracefully into his electric blue eyes. Hermione had always found Remus Lupin to be quite handsome. But when he was younger, he was absolutely gorgeous. He didn't have the same 'look-at-me' attitude that James and Sirius seemed to have and that made him all the more attractive. "What do you two like to do?" Remus continued.
"Well, I prefer Quidditch but Hermione here is a complete bookworm." Ginny said, grinning at her red-faced friend. Remus grinned at her and Hermione blushed once more.
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"What is up with you?" Ginny asked, while they were walking to Hogsmeade. "You've never been at a loss for words before!" Hermione glanced ahead where Lily, James, Remus and Sirius were walking. Peter had detention thankfully. Hermione blushed again.
"Remus." She simply said. Ginny stared at her for a moment before gasping.
"You like him, don't you?" She accused. Hermione simply glared at her. "You do!"
"Hey! Get up here girls!" Sirius yelled back.
"We'll talk about this later." Ginny warned, speeding up to catch up with the group. Hermione followed suit and she was soon walking next to Remus, trying desperately not to trip.
"You're awfully quiet." Remus said to her as they reached the magical town. Hermione simply shrugged. Remus frowned and slowed his pace, falling behind the group. He watched in dismay as Sirius took his pot beside Hermione and easily struck up a conversation. Maybe she didn't like him…
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Hermione arranged her things in the dormitory and climbed into bed. There was only one girl besides Lily in this year and house and she was already asleep.
"Are you two awake?" Lily whispered.
"Yes." Ginny and Hermione replied. Lily got out of bed and went to sit on the floor between Hermione's and Ginny's beds.
"So how do you like Hogwarts so far?" Lily asked.
"I love it." Hermione replied, Ginny nodded.
"You seemed kind of quiet today." Lily said, looking at Hermione.
"Which is strange because usually I can't shut her up." Ginny said, grinning. Hermione blushed again, almost getting irritated at herself. She had never been like this with a guy before. "Spill, Granger." Ginny said, jokingly.
"I really like Remus." Hermione blurted out. Lily frowned.
"Really? He said something about you not liking him." The red-head quirked an eyebrow and looked at Hermione, who shrugged.
"I don't know." She rolled over and started at the ceiling. "I mean, I do know. I really like him. I just… I've never been like this around a guy before. Granted I've only ever had one boyfriend. But still… I just feel like I can't breathe or think around him." She sighed. "I don't know how to act around him."
"Just be yourself." Lily said.
"But… We're not sure how long we'll be here. I don't want to get into anything too deep and then have to leave." Hermione admitted.
"You won't be too far away though. You do live in England, correct?" The girls nodded slowly.
"Then see? You would still be able to see him." Lily yawned and bid them good night. A few moments later, Hermione crept out of her bed and over to Ginny. Motioning for her to be quiet, she lead her to the common room. Hermione sat down on the couch in front of the fire and sighed.
"What should I do Ginny?" Hermione asked, looking at her best friend. "Lily's almost right. If I start up something with Remus now, I'll still be able to see him but he'll be 23 years older than me!" Hermione growled and rubbed her face with her hands.
"Something I don't understand is in our time, Remus obviously doesn't remember us from now. And I'm fairly certain that Sirius didn't either." Ginny said frowning.
"Dumbledore must have cast a spell on them or something."
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Meanwhile, back in their time
Harry and Ron burst into the office of Professor McGonagall. She looked up, shocked.
"Can I help you boys?" She asked, lifting an eyebrow.
"Hermione and Ginny have disappeared. We saw them go into the Forbidden Forest and we followed them. We saw them fall into the ground!" Ron exclaimed.
"Fall into the ground?" McGonagall asked skeptically. She suddenly got a vacant look in her eyes, snapping out of it in a few moments. "Don't worry boys." She said smiling. "Hermione and Ginny will be back before you know it. They fell into a small portal that shot them back through time." She chuckled. "Albus was a smart man. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go check on Professor Lupin." The boys left her office a bit confused. Minerva took the passage to Remus' office to find him crying near the fire. "Remus?" She asked softly. He looked up at her sadly.
"Why?" He asked. "Why wasn't I allowed to remember? I went through 23 years of thinking I would be alone forever when… when I could have had her." He looked away from his long time mentor. "She's 23 years younger than me for Merlin's sake! I can't be with her!" Minerva walked to him slowly.
"No one would condemn you for being happy Remus. I remember the two of you from back then. It was the happiest I had ever and have ever seen you. You deserve happiness after what fate has put you through." Minerva assured him.
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Author's note: I love it when stories pop into your head and you just have to write them out!
Hope you like it so far!
Reviews give me confidence!
AliceLupin