The Rowdy Bunch
The air seemed to drag her down, slowing her frantic running about as she darted in and out of each compartment of the train. Every single one was empty, and had been since she started her search for her friends.
"HARRY? RON?" she yelled, tears pouring down her feet as she stumbled forward blindly. The train was moving faster and faster, the countryside racing by in a green blur. Usually she would try to find something to focus on until it whipped by, disappearing forever from sight, her own game to pass the time. Not today.
She came to the end of the train and fell to the ground in a shivering heap. "No, no," she wept. "Please don't leave me, please. I swear, I've changed so much from last year. Pl-please don't leave me, give me a chance. I need a chance. A chance to show you-"
Hermione's swimming eyes snapped open as a bang rocketed the compartment. Raucous laughter rang out and she saw a sandy haired boy who looked her age covered in soot with a sheepish look on his face. Two raven haired wizards were flat on their back overcome with hilarity as the dirtied boy bemoaned his fate. A fourth wizard had a gaunt expression on his face, but he laughed along nervously in the background, although not as joyfully.
"Oh, hullo!" the fourth one said brightly, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he smiled widely. "Sorry for them lot, never learnt how to keep it quiet when a fair lady be sleeping," he whispered in a playful tone.
Hermione smiled bemusedly back at him, looking at the three boys who had started up another game of exploding snap, but with a set of rules she had never heard of before. Listening in on their conversation, it sounded as if they were making them up as they went and were cause of great humor.
"Now, now, Peter, don't be poisoning said fair lady's cute ears against us," one of the black haired wizards interjected, having heard the whisper.
One hand jumped out to her ears, tracing them with a small hand. Hermione held her unoccupied right hand out to Peter. "I'm Hermione Granger," she said.
"Peter," he replied, grasping her hand with his pudgy, slightly sweaty one. "Peter Pettigrew."
Hermione wrenched her hand back, surprise glazing her eyes as well as a look of horror. Peter Pettigrew? No, that wasn't possible. That dirty filthy traitor wouldn't dare touch her, in fact, he wouldn't even be able to touch her. Because he wouldn't be on the train to Hogwarts, or looking like he was her age. Or looking hurt for her sudden action and before she could stop herself, Hermione felt pity for the pain she had caused.
While trying to reassure Pettigrew with a blank smile, Hermione calmly pinched the skin on her arm together. A yelp of pain drew the attention of the rest of the compartment and Hermione glared at the reddening spot angrily. This is when she was supposed to wake up!
"Whats wrong?" the sandy haired boy asked, coming to sit next to Pettigrew while wiping the soot off his face. Pettigrew shrugged in response.
"Pro-professor Lupin?" Hermione asked softly. When the boys eyes widened in surprise, Hermione slumped against the wall in a faint.
"Enervate!"
Hermione groaned in response to the spell, her hands coming up to support her heavy head as a pounding headache made itself known. Years of adventures told her to observe her surroundings and expect the worst.
The worst seemed to be four boys peering curiously at her, one pocketing his wand, and an owl tapping at the window.
"Were you attacked by nargles?"
Hermione blinked. The boy didn't look like he was related to Loony Luna Lovegood, but instead looked like… "Sirius?" she asked incredulously.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
"Someone get the owl," a curiously familiar version of Harry said irritably as Sirius sat back with an amused expression.
"Told you my reputation was bigger than yours," he drawled in a confident tone to the other raven headed boy.
Hermione tuned out James, for that's who the Harry replicate with hazel eyes was, and Sirius; they had begun to bicker in a good natured way. Instead, her fingers quickly opened the scroll that Pettigrew had gotten from the owl.
"Actually," Lupin was saying loudly, I'll have you appreciate she acknowledged MY notorious self foremost, so it appears to be that my reputation seems to be the most prevalent out of all."
Sirius snorted and shot him a look. "Yes, but you use too many big words for it to count."
"My reputation is biggest," Remus translated with a sigh.
Dear Miss Granger,
Hermione read as the boys began to bicker, Pettigrew taking sides and adding nonsense to the conversation.
I hope you enjoyed your arrival to Kings Cross. I'm told that your 'old,' or should I say future, school has the same curriculum as Hogwarts has in 1977. As the mouth has a way of running off by accident, I understand if you tell a few people that your knowledge is attributed to your 'visions.' I wont hold you up any longer, but please travel to school by carriage and proceed to the High Table. You will be sorted right after the first years, best of luck for that. After dinner, please do me the honor of adjoining to my office. Until then,
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore
Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
'That man is brilliant,' Hermione thought. "And never misses a thing."
"Who's that?" Sirius asked, bringing Hermione from her reverie.
Hermione winced, she hadn't meant to say that out loud. "Oh, er, Headmaster Dumbledore."
James nodded enthusiastically. Jumping to his feet, he teetered on the tips of his toes, clapping his hands together nervously and a grin stretched impossibly far across his face. "I do believe introductions are in order," he beckoned Sirius to join him and the two boys mirrored each other in grins.
"Here is one James Phillip Potter-"
"And Sirius Orion Black."
A crack later, three feet tall polka doted hats with a splash of colors appeared and were promptly swept off their heads as the two wizards bowed with unison. Still half bent, the two mischievous angled up their heads and shot goofy smiles at Hermione. It was charming, really and Hermione giggled.
A giggle that would turn into a full blown laugh as Remus and Pettigrew stealthily snuck behind the two and kicked them to the floor.
"We," Remus began imperiously, mocking the boys who were now sputtering as they lay indignantly sprawled on the floor at Remus' and Peter's feet.
"Are the better half of these two," Peter continued.
"I am, Sir Remus Lupin at your service," Remus said bowing to a ridiculous low.
"And Lady Petunia Pettigrew!" Peter squeaked, his voice having risen up an octave. A flash of light later had Hermione gasping with laughter, tears rolling down her eyes.
James and Sirius quickly hid their wands and darted out of the compartment as Peter and Remus, now dressed in high heels and very tight dresses that would have been scandalous on a girl, chased them.
No sooner had the door closed then it was opened again and the fiery red head stood in the doorway. "I see you've met our resident troublemakers," she said to Hermione with a grin on her face.
Hermione nodded, grinning, and wiped the tears out of her eyes. "Hi, I'm Hermione Granger."
"I'm Lily Evans," the girl said, sitting down. "They'll be back in a few minutes, its happened before I'm sorry to say. Except last time was rather worse." Lily had a rather conniving smirk on her face and Hermione could only gasp as she stared at the green-eyed girl who would grow up to die for her baby boy.
"Er, what happened last time?" Hermione said after a pregnant pause.
Lily's smirk deepened. "Well, last time, someone else charmed them. All four of them," she clarified. "Whoever that someone was, did a slightly better job. I recall the Marauders complaining for weeks about back aches and wondering how us women deal with having breasts all the time. The outfits were a bit more, filled out, you could say."
Hermione had no doubt at all who had pranked the infamous Marauders and could only stare at shock at the slight figured girl in front of her. "Y-you?" she asked in confirmation. A nod was received.
"So, tell me about yourself," Lily commanded, stretching her bare legs down the bench, she was wearing an almost knee length black skirt and an emerald green tang top with a lighter green cardigan over that. "You obviously knew who the Marauders were before they introduced themselves in that formal way of theirs," there was a sneer on Lily's face for a second, "and you already knew they were called the Marauders."
Hermione stammered, one fist clutched the letter where Dumbledore had provided her with an acceptable lie. To attribute her knowledge to visions, but could she lie to her best friends parents? Apparently she could.
"Oh you must have just missed part of the conversation," she said flippantly. She would just lie in her own way. Lily crossed her eyes suspiciously, but before she could refute this claim the compartment door slid open again to reveal a very much endowed, shoulder lengthened hair, dress and high heel wearing James entered.
"Lily! Darling, a lily by any other name would smell as sweet," he cooed, fluttering his eyelashes. Hermione wondered briefly why a pureblood wizard knew Shakespeare, but then that thought was quickly driven from her mind.
"Are you wearing make up?" she asked incredulously.
James looked scandalized as loud laughter came from behind. A very normal looking Remus and Peter came in, supporting each other as a sullen Sirius Black came after them sporting a matching feminine style as James.
"Good job, boys," Lily said, closing the compartment behind her as she strode out.
"Lily, wait!" James hollered down, sprinting after her until he tripped and fell over himself.
Hermione's compartment emptied itself, Hermione included as Sirius dragged her out, and they watched the spectacle in front of them. It seemed that they weren't the only ones, as all along the train people were poking out their heads and then gleefully calling their friends to watch.
"James, sweetheart," Lily simpered, sweetness absurdly coloring her tone; she bent down to where a red faced James lay, trying to regain his breath. "I'm sorry to tell you this, but I like men, not boys. And even though you are usually the latter, you seem to be neither right now and unfortunately for you I'm not into girls."
As Lily disappeared into the crowd, the humiliating spell was lifted off the two afflicted boys and a fan club of girls tried consoling him as James lethargically made his way to his safe haven.
Sirius was grumbling when everyone filed back into the compartment and James shot him a dirty glare.
"Sorry mate, but come on, I didn't even get to feel myself up this time," Sirius said without taking his eyes off James. "And come on, us two make hot girls."
James broke out into a grin, his spirits lifted, and in no time the boys were back to bantering as Hermione and Remus started debating about Ancient Runes and Peter Pettigrew looked dolefully out the window. In the reflection he watched the oblivious brunette girl, the most stunning girl he had ever seen. But from the second she had heard his name, she had given him the cold shoulder. He sighed, there was no hope, not that there ever was for him.
A/N: Yay! I got my first reviews, thank you laplam and AbsinthePierson! And to Airyn Amora, daydreaming readhead, itcouldbeyou, twinfeathers, and wolfie 22 for adding me to your alert list
Anyways. I thought I'd get this little chapter out now, and the next one is already started because it was connected to this one before I realized how long it was getting. But I just thought I'd get the introductions out of the way and I tried to throw in a little humor.
Please read and review and tell me if I'm doing anything right... or wrong, heh or anything. And while your reviewing hint hint , do you think I should keep it from Hermione's point of view or switch it to one of the Marauders every once in a while?