AN: So, yeah. Another chapter. Yipee! This is where the story actually gets good. Or at least… this is where I think it gets good… Enjoy!
"-just leave her alone?"
"Oh, yes, Peter. Grand idea. Why don't we just leave the mysterious girl passed out in our common room alone? Makes perfect sense!"
"So what should we do?"
"That's what I'm trying to figure out. Give me a second."
Oh, no. Those voices were too familiar. Hermione's eyes shot open and she let out an internal groan. Two very familiar faces were leaning over her, too close to her face to be comfortable.
"Oh!" A shocked Peter yelped, as he hurried away from the now conscious girl, managing to fall over his own feet in the process and land firmly on the hard floor.
The other boy simply grinned, choosing to ignore his friend, "Fabulous. You're awake. Sorry about my friend. Doesn't very well know how to act around pretty girls," He finished with a wink.
Hermione stifled her gag. Of all people in the castle, Sirius Black had to be the one to find her. And hit on her. If only he knew that she was more than twenty years younger than him.
When she didn't respond Sirius piped up again, "Oh, how terribly rude of me! I'm Sirius," He offered his hand which she feebly shook, "And that dolt in the corner," He gestured to where his friend sat in a corner trying to appear as if he wasn''t listening to them, "is Peter. He's harmless, honestly."
Hermione nodded slowly before getting up without a word and walking towards the portrait hole.
Sirius grabbed her arm, "Wait! Where are you going?"
Hermione yanked away instinctively and tried not to notice the shocked look on his face, "I have to find Dumbledore." She explained vaguely, taking another step closer to the portrait hole.
"But Dumbledore is gone. Won't be back until Monday," Sirius responded, stepping closer to her but keeping his hands to himself this time.
Hermione mumbled a few choice words under her breath, "And what day is it now?"
"Saturday. We were just about to go to Hogsmeade, actually. Would you like to join us?" He said, his signature cocky grin plastered across his handsome face.
"I can't. Filch wouldn't let me through," She said. At least she had a good excuse for not going on this outing.
Sirius looked at her puzzled, "You know about Filch. So you must be a student here," He looked at her, deep in thought, "How is it that I've never noticed you before?"
Hermione shrugged and tried to make a quick escape.
"But, wait. It's not a trip with the school. We—my friends and I, that is—know how to get into Hogsmeade from the castle. We go almost every Saturday."
"Sounds great, but I wouldn't want to impose," Hermione tried.
"Of course not. Actually James, my mate, has been feeling a bit down lately. Perhaps new company might cheer him up."
"Oh, I couldn't-"
"Nonsense. I will not take no for an answer," Sirius declared, turned toward the staircase, "Moony! Come down here!"
"What do you want, Sirius?" Another familiar voice asked rather moodily as he came down the stairs into view.
"Sorry bout him. It's his time of the month," Sirius stage whispered with a wink.
Actually, he was quite surprised that he did not earn himself a hard smack on the head as he usually did when he pulled that line. Curiously he looked up to find Remus staring unashamed at Hermione.
"And who is this, Sirius?" Remus asked slightly suspicious.
Sirius grinned hugely, "Oh this is… Well, honestly I'm not sure," He turned to Hermione, "What did you say your name was, love?"
"I didn't," She answered.
"Now we can't have you running around nameless, now can we? Come out with it or I will be forced to name you myself," Sirius stated smugly.
Hermione rolled her eyes, "My name is Hermione."
"And a lovely name it is. A bit odd, but, honestly, those are the best kind." Another wink. Really, was he always like this?
"Well it's nice to meet you, Hermione. " Remus said before turning to leave.
"Now, Remmy, you're being awfully rude," Sirius reprimanded.
"I am not," Remus said defensively.
"Are so. You are making this lovely young lady feel like you don't want to speak to her," Sirius stated.
Remus sighed, "I apologize. I'm not feeling well. I do hope you understand."
Hermione simply nodded but Sirius was not about to let the subject drop so easily, "Well I should hope you are feeling better within the next half hour because that's when we are leaving to go to Hogsmeade."
Remus scoffed, "You can't be serious right now."
"I'm always Sirius, Remus." He smirked and Remus shook his head at his friend's corniness.
"But that is beside the point. I refuse to let you skip out on us. We have been planning this outing for ages," Sirius continued.
Remus rolled his eyes, "You and James planned it Tuesday. And it really isn't a good day for me. Besides, James isn't exactly in a wonderful mood either. In fact, he hasn't left his bed."
Sirius looked appalled, "And why the bloody hell not?"
"It's Lily again. He really thought she would say yes this time," Remus relayed sadly.
Sirius frowned, "Really, you would think he would have given up on this girl by now."
Remus shrugged and continued up the stairs, "No!" Sirius shouted, "I will not allow you both to mope around and feel sorry for yourselves all day. We are going out with a pretty, mysterious girl and that is that."
"I can't believe you guys wouldn't go out. It's such a beautiful day!" Sirius exclaimed just as a particularly loud peal of thunder resounded through the common room.
Hermione eyed him as if questioning his sanity while the other Marauders simply rolled their eyes and continued whatever they were doing.
"I can't believe you want to go out in this kind of weather." Remus spoke up, his eyes never leaving the thick book resting on his lap.
"You lot are making Hermione think that we are a bunch of wimpy little boys," Sirius pouted.
Hermione laughed despite herself and James's snapped around and he grinned at her.
"Are you questioning our manhood?" He asked jokingly, with the same twinkle in his eyes that Harry had when he was up to no good.
Hermione laughed and shook her head.
James turned back to Sirius, "I think we're good."
Sirius shook his head, "Of course she's not going to tell you."
Remus shook his head with a chuckle and Hermione looked at the clock with a groan. Nearly lunch time.
"I have to go. Is McGonagall here, at least?" She insisted, standing up and hurrying towards the portrait hole.
"Yeah. She should be in her office. Why are you in such a hurry?" Sirius asked, confused. He had actually come to like this girl in the past few hours. Was she really leaving so quickly?
"Thank you!" She said and with a quick wave she was gone.
"You can't be serious." Hermione announced.
"Oh, quite serious, my dear. I'm afraid that there is no other way." McGonagall responded dully, "That is unless, of course, you have decided not to continue with your mission."
Hermione shook her head, "No. No, II will continue my mission. I'm just… surprised is all."
"Perfect. We will enroll you in proper classes immediately, then. Let me just go find the Sorting Hat and we will take care of everything right now."
"That's not necessary. I have already been Sorted."
"Oh, then by all means. What house are you in?"
"Gryffindor."
"Right, then I will give you a class schedule at lunch. Until then, Miss Granger." McGonagall dismissed her and, with a eave of her wand, the door to her office flew open.
"And you're sure this is the only way?" Hermione questioned one last time as she stood to leave.
"Yes, quite," McGonagall confirmed.
Hermione nodded and left the office, slowly making her way back to the Gryffindor common room.
Remus frowned at the ground, distracted for a moment from his book. He had only spent a few hours with Hermione and spoken very few words but already he knew that he was going to like this girl. And yet she had all but sprinted away from them only minutes before.
"Hey, mates, Hermione dropped something," James said, waving around a small folded piece of parchment.
"Well what is it?" Sirius inquired impatiently when James did not immediately unfold it and read the contents yet.
James unfolded it slowly to show a worn newspaper clipping. He quickly scanned the writing and his eyes widened.
The picture was of a dark haired boy that could have been James if not for the striking green eyes and the caption the read, 'Harry Potter—The Boy Who Died'.
"I don't understand," James managed after fully reading the page.
Remus gently pulled it from James's hands and read it. Slowly understanding lit his face, "I think I know what this is," He announced after a long silent minute.
"What is it?" James asked frantically. It couldn't possibly be what he thought it was.
"I—I think it's a newspaper article… from the future. The date says it was written in 1997."
"But that would mean…" Peter started and looked at Sirius like he must be wrong.
"That means that we need to talk to Miss Hermione."
AN: So I feel like I got a lot established in this chapter. Beginnings of friendships are built, we find out that Hermione is going to have to enroll as a student and—dun dun dun—the boys find out she's from the future. This story is pretty fast paced, but that's okay. That just means there won't be that many filler chapters and who doesn't love that?. (:
Love you! Jess