Disclaimer: I don't own any Harry Potter characters.
Changes Two Chap 3
"Harry." Hermione mutters staring at the wall of the now empty room. It was morning so the boy was supposed to be here by now. The question is would he be the same, or will Sirius' trip through the veil have changed him?
Crookshanks paws at his mistress' leg, purring when she begins to pet him. "Oh Crookshanks, why is it you've suddenly come to accept me again?" She asks the cat knowing he couldn't answer. "When I came back you ignored me, even snubbed me. Yet now you act as though nothing's changed. What happened? Were you actually worried about me when I did the exorcism?"
The half-kneazle purrs louder rubbing his head against Hermione's hand.
"I'm confused." The witch admits quietly, confiding in her furry familiar. "I'm not sure how to proceed now that I'm back. The horcruxes must be destroyed…" Pausing the young time-traveler shakes her head and climbs from the bed beginning to pace the room. "My magic is completely mature, the only problem is that now my body isn't. I'm a teenager again; my body doesn't have the training to handle the control I've learned. If I lose control, or if I overload then- then I could die, or, waste away at the very least."
Taking a deep breath Hermione plops onto the bed, dropping her head into her hands. "I need Sirius, even if he's not my Sirius, I need to see him." Sighing Hermione closes her eyes and tries to relax only to jump startled as the bedroom door is thrown open. Whipping out her wand she points it at the intruder blinking when she realizes that it was only Ron.
"Oi! Hermione, what's with the hello?" He asks slightly surprised yet not nearly affected enough for someone who just came so close to death. "Mum told us you finally woke up so I came to get your for breakfast and what thanks do I get?" He asks teasingly. "A wand to the face is what!"
Hermione huffs moodily as she stores the former horcrux up her sleeve. "Honestly Ron! You startled me! You should know better than to go barging into someone's room, especially a girl's. What if I had been changing?" She demands scowling at the boy.
Ron stammers out an answer as his ears go a flaming red. "Well-I-I mean-foods ready!" He announces before practically flying out the door.
"He'll never change." Hermione comments shaking her head as she follows the redhead's earlier path.
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Hermione strolled through the aisles of Borgin and Burkes humming cheerily. She knew the boys were just outside under the invisibility cloak and would be listening closely to whatever was said. Therefore it was imperative that she act as innocent as possible. If anyone were to ever figure out that Hermione Granger had become a near regular of Borgin's, even if she usually wore a disguise, then her reputation would be ruined.
"Out." Borgin says sharply obviously not believing her farfetched story. "Get out!"
The young witch hurries from the store practically diving under the invisibility cloak. Her work there was done.
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"Yes, I've already agreed it was fishy, Harry." Hermione says a little impatiently. She was sitting on the windowsill in Fred and George's room with her feet up on one of the cardboard boxes and had only grudgingly looked up from her new copy of Advanced Rune Translation. "But haven't we agreed there could be a lot of explanations?"
Honestly the boy was bent on talking about Draco Malfoy. He was like a dog with a bone, chewing on it until there's nothing left. The former teacher briefly contemplates telling Harry exactly what Draco's up to but quickly tosses the thought away. After all, it was fairly easy to figure out, according to the layout of Borgin's the only thing Draco could have been pointing at would be the old black cabinet. Question is, why would he be so energetic over fixing an old cabinet? The time-traveler's train of thought is broken however when Harry's eyes fix on the window just behind her a strange look on his face. "Harry?" Hermione says anxiously. "What's wrong?" Did he actually figure it out?
"Your scar's not hurting again, is it?" Ron asks nervously.
"He's a Death Eater." Harry says slowly as though it was suddenly obvious. "He's replaced his father as a Death Eater!"
She really did have too much faith in the boy didn't she? "It seems very unlikely Harry." Hermione states, repressing the urge to groan and bash her head against the wall. "What makes you think-?" The rest of her question is cut off as the boy-who-lived attempts to prove his claim.
Draco Malfoy wasn't a Death Eater, not completely at least. She had taught the boy after all and though Draco may be spoiled Hermione knew he wasn't evil. The witch truly doubted that the Malfoy heir could willingly take a life, and without doing so to prove his allegiance Riddle would never allow him into his inner circle.
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Hermione stared at the head table in shock. No, it couldn't be true! Dumbledore was giving Snape her old position-er-well in the other time-line at least. "But, Harry, you said that Slughorn was going to be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts!" She says scornfully turning her gaze to said wizard.
"I thought he was!" Harry defends himself glaring at the head table.
This won't do, this won't do at all. Hermione mentally comments, she could handle Snape teaching her potions but to be forced to watch him in her classroom teaching things that she had already taught-even if no one knew it… That's it; I'm going to the Ministry tonight. Tonight Sirius will be freed from the veil and the Hermione Granger that everyone believes they know will forever be altered in their minds.
TO BE CONTINUED…
Please Review! Sorry about the long wait but things have finally begun to slow down. Hope you like the story and if you have any ideas you want to bounce off then do so. Okay, I had to add the Borgin and Burkes scene, I mean honestly we've already been showed that Hermione can be a wonderful liar when need be in the book so why does she suddenly act so ditzy with Borgin? Our little witch is going to get herself into major trouble. Sirius will be coming in next chapter! The question is, will he remember the alternate time or not?