A/N: I would like to thank all of you who reviewed! You guys are awesome!
Thank you DeltaGamma Liv, Nynaeve80, Good Girl'z Dead, and FredWeasleyLover1126!
In the last chapter, there was a space of about a week between the breakfast scene and the forest scene. One of my lovely reviewers mentioned that fact to me. Thank you!
Thank you DeltaGamma Liv for beta-ing me story. It was very helpful! I didn't want to fix everything because I wanted it to look like how people speak.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter! Do I even need to do this anymore? We all know who owns him!
Hermione woke to find herself in a room filled with medical tools and potions sitting on shelves all around the walls. The room was dimly lit, with a medical smell. Turning her head, she looked towards the door on her right.
Sitting next to the door was a human shape, but she was unable to decipher whom. Trying to sit up so she could see better, she let out a tiny moan of pain.
Instantly, the human form was up and coming toward her. The pain clouded her vision, making it impossible to tell whom it was.
"Corie, everything is alright. You are alive and healing," Sirius' voice came from the form.
"Sirius…I hurt…"
"Shhhh, I know. That was a very large werewolf you ran into. I cannot believe you ran right into the territory of a werewolf… I know you know better," he said scornfully.
"Sirius, I'm sorry… I never meant to… if you had not been chasing me…"
"You know something about us and we want to know. Can you blame us? I want to know who you are and how you know our future… at least, I think you know something about our future… are you a seer?" Sirius asked her, tilting his head to the side.
"Sirius, do not make me laugh. If I were a seer, I would be in divination. I abhor that dreadful class. I cannot tell you yet of how I know anything…at least, not until I speak to Dumbledore. How long are you going to keep me here?"
"Until you tell me who you really are. I know that your real name is not Coriel. I know it is not even remotely near that."
Hermione smiled, "I see that you have been looking at the Marauder's map. What, then, is the name that shows up for me?"
Sirius looked nervous as he pulled out the map.
"How do you know about this?"
Hermione sighed. There was no use hiding the truth from him, at least about how she knew about it. She didn't have to tell him anything about James and Remus.
"Sirius, I come from a time 20 years after this. I have met you as an older person, I know James and Lily Evans' son, Harry…"
"Hold up! Lily Evans?" The look on his face was hilarious.
"Yes, James marries Lily Evans. My real name is Hermione Granger," she waved her hand at him impatiently, as if telling him to be quiet.
"That's a pretty name. The only part of that story you told me that I don't believe is the Lily Evans part. She hates James with a passion!"
Hermione smiled vaguely, "Hate that passionate often turns to love."
Her thoughts fell on her boyfriend, Andy Johnson, a muggle whom she had absolutely hated, until he started to be a sweetheart to her.
Sirius was studying the look on Hermione's face, certain she was speaking from experience.
"I'm sorry, Hermione…"
Hermione looked alarmed, "Do not, under any circumstances, unless I tell you to, call me by my given name. You can only call me 'Corie'. Otherwise, everyone that I do not want to know will know. Do you understand Sirius?"
He nodded gravely, then carefully said, "I'm sorry, Corie. If I had known that you had found the person you were meant to be with…"
She turned sharp eyes onto him, "What do you mean?"
Sirius cleared his throat before answering, "The look on your face, it just said that you had found someone. If that is the case, I'll back off…"
Hermione's face showed signs of shock, but she quickly recovered.
"Sirius, chances are that I will be here forever. Besides, he didn't matter anyway. He was a muggle, a very old-fashioned muggle. He would kill me the second that he found out what I was. Consider me single. All the other guys are," she said, the most flirtatious look on her face.
Sirius looked at her for a minute, not sure if she was joking or not. Deciding that it did not matter, he started to lean forward.
Hermione stared into Sirius' eyes as he leaned down and gently kissed her. A sudden wave of emotion filled her. She had never experienced anything like this before. She was disappointed when he pulled away. Looking him in the eyes, she pouted.
Sirius grinned, then silently pointed to the map that was open on the bed. Outside in the corridor, James and Remus were coming.
000
The next day, Hermione was released from the 'hospital'. She could not have been happier. She had several essays that she had to finish, plus get the homework for the classes that she had missed. She was not looking forward to talking to McGonagall.
Gritting her teeth, she knocked on each of her professors' doors, collecting class work to be completed and being lectured on the importance of coming to class.
Finally, Hermione was able to settle down in her favorite chair in the common room. The room was virtually empty, with everyone down in the Great Hall, eating.
Pulling out her Transfiguration essay, she looked at what she had done. Smiling at herself, she dipped her quill and started to write where she had left off.
Completely engrossed in the essay she was writing, she did not notice the red haired girl come and sit in a chair near her. Hermione was being closely watched as the girl pulled out a book and opened it, but did not read.
Putting the final period on the parchment, Hermione smiled. She felt that she had done extremely well, for having missed class. Stoppering the inkbottle, she looked up. She was startled to see that there was a red haired girl watching her only a few feet away.
"When did you come in?"
"About fifteen minutes ago. I did not want to disturb you." Hermione was shocked to see bright green eyes, eyes so much like Harry's.
"I don't think we have been introduced, have we?"
The girl smile, a very pretty smile, "No, we have not. Although I hear you are new. My name is Lily Evans. What is yours?"
Hermione stammered, "Coriel De Bois. Pleased to meet you. You can just call me Corie. Everyone else does."
Lily smiled again, "Where did you come from? All I heard was that you were a transfer student."
"I came from Normandy, France. I moved here about a week before I came to school. Father got a job here that he could not refuse, so he moved the whole family."
"Now that I think about it, I believe I've seen you around James Potter and Sirius Black. You should be careful around them. They tend to get a little wild."
Hermione smiled; glad she had something witty to say, "Aren't we all a little wild? Besides, Sirius is the only one who is in all of my classes. He had been showing me around."
Lily pursed her lips. She looked as if she were about to say something, but thought against it. "I would not suggest always taking advice from them. I don't know how trustworthy they are. And Sirius gets around a lot, so I would not look for romance in that area."
Hermione nearly laughed at the motherly protection Lily was having over her. "Don't worry, Lily. And some of their friends aren't so bad. Look at Remus. He is very friendly and smart. Is he trustworthy?"
"Corie, that isn't the point. I am talking about just those two. I have not seen you around Remus as often as when I see you with Sirius and James."
Hermione sat for a minute, trying to see deeply into what Lily was saying. There had to be something other than what she was saying, a deeper meaning. Suddenly, an idea hit her.
"Lily, I'm not trying to steal James' attention from you. He is quite smitten with you. Even if I tried, he is attached to you and only you."
Lily's mouth fell open.
"Don't worry. You can tell me everything you are feeling. James sure does, and my, the things I could tell you! All those compliments he gives you. If only you would listen to him!"
Lily virtually sagged into her seat. "It isn't that I don't like him, Corie. It's just, I cannot go back on everything that I have said against him. I do not want to be called a hypocrite!"
Hermione smiled, "Feelings change. That is the way of things. You can not change fate…"
Lily laughed, a truly attractive sound. "You are so cryptic, Corie! But… it makes sense," she tapped her finger against her mouth as she thought, "I have decided! If he asks me again, I'm going to say yes."
Hermione laughed, "You have to be sincere about it. Do not act like a bitch when he asks. Guys do not like that. Although, James is attracted to you for what he sees in you. I guess being a bitch turns him on!"
As Lily and Hermione were laughing together, James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter walked into the common room, stuffed from their supper.
Instantly, Sirius and James rushed to Hermione and gave her a group hug, saying in a singsong voice, "Is our little baby okay?"
Giggling, Hermione pushed the boys off of her, flattered at the attention.
"I'm fine. I just was not hungry. And besides, I got to meet Lily," She said, inclining her head in Lily's direction. "Now, go get your homework. I want to check it over while you work on other things. No, Remus, I will not check yours. I do not think you need my help. Now scat!"
Hermione repositioned herself as she watched all four boys go to gather their book bags. Turning to Lily, she said, "You should ask James to go for a walk with you. It would do you good."
Lily chuckled, then winked at her as James and Sirius came down the stairs with their books. Hermione sighed. She could tell by the look on Sirius' face that he would need help with something.
Next to her, she heard Lily clear her throat, then ask, "James, would you like to take a walk with me?"
Hermione nearly fell out of her chair laughing when she saw the look on James' face.
"Lily, what are you up to? Am I in trouble?"
She looked shocked at the insinuation that she was getting him in trouble.
Hermione sighed, "James, you are not in trouble. Just get your ass out that door."
Sirius snorted next to her, trying to cover up a laugh. He watched as James and Lily walked outside, then stated his question, "Are you trying to help the falling in love process?"
She smiled at him, relieved to be alone with him. "Just a little. You know, Lily already loves him. There should be no problems that I would have to fix. Yet," she said, depression setting in.
How would she handle it, knowing these people as friends and then having them dying on her. Someday, she would have to say good-bye. Hopefully when they reached an old age, if she had anything to do with it. Starting right now, she thought, I will search for some way to keep them alive. Even if it requires a lot of sacrifices on my part.
"Herm—Corie, what's on your mind?"
Sirius' voice startled her out of her thoughts. She smiled at him, "I'm just thinking of the future I know. If…if there is anyway I could change some of the events that happen…"
"Corie, what's going to happen?" Sirius' tone was sharp, demanding.
She looked up into eyes as hard as flint. She gulped, then answered, "Nothing that can not be reversed."
A/N: Not as long as the last chapter, I know, but I try. You can't hate me for trying. Remember, Review!
