Now, things get moving! We're officially in the past!

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Since it's my birthday, I've decided to post this chapter a day early :) enjoy!

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Chapter 3: Break on Through

"We chased our pleasures here, dug our treasures here.

But you can still recall the time we cried."

Break on Through – The Doors

23 August 1976

Hermione awoke to her senses being muddled. She could feel wetness against her back and her chest felt heavier than it should. Her head was pounding as she tried to open her eyes, cringing at how bright the sun was.

She was outside?

"Uh, Miss? Are you all right?"

The little witch groaned and opened her eyes, making out a vaguely familiar face. She scrunched up her nose, "Remus?"

"You found her in the field?"

"Yes, mum," Remus replied, looking down at the young woman in confusion, "She was on a broom, or at least, she had been. It looks like she fell."

Hope Lupin nodded, her blue eyes shining with worry. Having a young witch show up unexpected was worrisome in this time, especially to a family of a werewolf. She had examined the girl, cleaning the wounds on her chest and applying bandages.

"She knew my name," he said quietly.

Hope looked at her son, noticing how the girl's fingers twitched slightly, "Why don't you go fetch us some tea? Your father will be home soon." She waited until he was out of the room before she spoke again, "I know you're awake; it does no good to pretend."

Hermione opened her eyes, narrowing slightly when she saw the woman, "Where am I?"

"Britain, the country," Hope answered, "We don't have much time before my son gets back, so let's get on with it, shall we? You have a nasty bruise on your chest, not to mention cuts. You had some glass shards imbedded in your skin as well…and I'm afraid whatever necklace you were wearing has been lost; I could only find the chain."

She blinked. The Quaffle must have hit her in just the right way to shatter the time-turner she had been wearing under her shirt. Groaning at her stupidity, she asked, "What year is it?"

Hope gave her a strange look, "1976…sweetheart…where are you from?"

"1999," she whispered, tears glistening in her eyes, "Oh, no…"

"You know my Remus."

It wasn't a question and she wasn't expecting an answer.

"We can't send you back and we can't have you walking around the wizarding world without a purpose," Hope continued, taking a pen and pad of paper out from the nightstand next to the bed the witch was occupying, "Now, What's your name, love?"

"Hermione Granger," she rasped out.

"Blood status?"

She hesitated, "Muggle-born."

Hope nodded, writing it down before looking her over once more, "You're, what, seventeen? Eighteen?"

"Nineteen in December-"

"We'll need a de-aging potion. Not too hard to get in Knockturn Alley. We'll send you off to Hogwarts with Remus next month. I'll need to think up a reason to get into Knockturn Alley, but it shouldn't be too hard. Lyall, my husband, spends enough time there for his job."

Hermione tried to sit up, gasping in pain before falling back against the pillows. She looked at Hope pitifully, "Do you know any healing spells? I can't perform them on myself, but I could show you-"

"Wouldn't do any good, love," Hope said, shaking her head and putting her writing utensils back, "I'm a Muggle. No wand for me."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know-"

Hope's eyes twinkled, "And why would you, dear? We've never met."

"Mum, Dad owled and said he'd be late – oh, you're awake," Remus said awkwardly, looking at Hermione.

"This is your cousin, Remus. Her family was attacked in Paris…she'll be staying with us indefinitely," Hope smiled, patting Hermione's hand reassuringly, "Remus, meet Mia Lupin."

30 August 1976 – Diagon Alley

A week had passed, giving Hermione enough time to adjust to her new life in the Lupin household. While she was shocked to find out that Remus' mother had been a Muggle, the woman had no qualms about being non-magical. She still managed to run her house as well as Molly Weasley and all without the aid of magic. Lyall had been skeptical about a distant relative cropping up seemingly over night, but Hope had such a way with words that Hermione was begrudgingly accepted as a Lupin with minor questioning.

Currently, the now family of four, were making their way to Diagon Alley since the school term started in less than a few short days. Hermione and Remus had become nearly inseparable; he liked having someone his age to talk to about books and potion theories.

"I need to stop by Flourish and Blotts," Lyall said, eyeing the bookstore, "I can pick up the kids' books as well."

Hope nodded, "Why don't you take Remus with you? Mia and I have to shop for some girl things."

The boys nodded swiftly, not wanting to be dragged into that conversation, and left without a backwards glance. As much as she wanted to get lost in her favourite bookstore, she knew that she had appearances to keep up. It had come as a shock to hear Hope refer to her as Mia Lupin. She had to be the one Sirius fell in love with. However, she wouldn't allow herself to be distracted with boys while she was at Hogwarts; she had to figure out a way back to her own time. She couldn't be stuck in the past without risk of severely damaging the future.

"She went missing the spring of 1981. No one could find her and we just assumed she had been targeted by Death Eaters."

She shook Sirius' words away. If that was true, then she had almost five years she had to live through before she found her way home. That was depressing.

"Come along, we haven't much time before Lyall will come looking," Hope said, nudging Hermione towards Knockturn Alley. The streets were the same as in her time, dark, dreary, and exuding danger. They passed Borgin and Burkes, nearly giving the younger witch a heart attack, and continued on to a small apothecary tucked at the end of one of the streets.

Magical Remedies

She cocked her eyebrow at the sign, but shrugged. Hope obviously knew what she was doing and she didn't have the heart to question the older woman.

"You've still a wand, haven't you?" Hope asked, looking over her shoulder as she pushed the door open.

"What? Of course-"

"Good. Now, let me do the talking."

She listened and walked towards the back of the store, looking at all the potion ingredients. Being fairly good with potions, she had learned almost every ingredient that was helpful to the task, but some of the mysterious bottles eluded her. For example, she had no idea what was glimmering in a blue bottle in the back cabinet, however, she could deduce that it was expensive or dangerous, possibly both, to be locked up in such a way.

Grabbing a small basket next to the vials, she began picking out a few herbs and plants that might be needed for research. Time travel wasn't something she was well versed in, but for her sake she had to try. Agrippa, Asphodel, Belladonna, and Boomslang were on her short list to collect given that they were hard to find in a reputable apothecary. She'd rather be safe than sorry if it turned out she needed them. Wandering back up front, she paused when she heard Hope's voice.

"I just need enough of it to de-age a few years, nothing too drastic! I can pay, if that's what you're worried about-"

"You still haven't paid for your son's Wolfsbane from last month! Your tab is running high, Lupin."

Hermione wanted to yell at the shopkeeper, but she knew it wouldn't get her anywhere. Thankful that she still had her beaded bag, she reached into it and pulled out a small bag of galleons that she kept separate from the rest for certain occasions. Walking up to the owner, she put her basket on the counter and gave him a smile, "It's actually me that needs the de-aging potion. I'm working on a few projects for my internship with a Potions Master and the recipe calls for it, along with my other purchases."

The old man looked her over, adjusting his glasses a few times before grunting, "Fine. But it'll be sixty galleons. De-aging potion takes a long time to brew-"

"And it's very difficult," Hermione nodded in agreement, "I would've brewed it myself, but it's a time sensitive potion and I simply couldn't wait." She took the pouch of galleons and set it on the counter, "There's one-hundred and forty-five galleons in there. I expect that it will cover my purchases and I would like the rest applied to the Lupins' tab for future purchases."

He nodded eagerly, grabbing the de-aging potion for behind the counter, "Of course, Miss. Whatever you say."

Hermione smiled slightly, shrinking her ingredients and putting them in her bag. Hope stared at her in wonder as they made their way out of the shop.

"You didn't have to do that-"

"Remus is very important to me," Hermione said quietly as they approached Diagon Alley, "You know where I'm from, so I don't have to explain, but Remus…we're very close."

Hope's eyes lit up, "You're my daughter-in-law?"

"No," she answered honestly, albeit a little sadly as her thoughts drifted towards Tonks. "Nothing like that. We've just helped each other through hard times and…I never judged him based on his lycanthropy. He's still a man underneath all of that. A good man."

The older woman nodded, her eyes glistening as she listened. It had always been a fear of hers that her Remus would have trouble once he graduated Hogwarts, but knowing that the little witch befriended him, despite his illness, gave her hope.

"There you two are!" Lyall said, loaded down with shopping bags, "I was about to take Remus to Quidditch Supplies and look at the new broom that just came out. Mia, want to tag along?"

"Ah, no," she replied, "I actually would like to browse the Magical Menagerie. I, uh, left my familiar behind and I've been missing him."

Hope smiled, cutting off whatever her husband was about to say, "We'll meet you at the Leaky in an hour, love. If you need anything, I'm sure you'll be able to find us."

The petite brunette was cooing over the Kneazle kittens. She was missing Crookshanks more than she cared to admit, but she knew another cat couldn't fix that. Hermione had pondered getting an owl for practical purposes, but one couldn't particularly cuddle an owl. None of the kittens were orange – strangely, she was thankful for that – and she currently had her eye on a black and white mixture.

She had been thankful that Hope had allowed her to borrow enough clothes to fill her trunk – she hated shopping – and she made a mental note to even up with the woman before she left on the train. Since everything else had already been bought, she simply couldn't refuse adoring the kittens.

"It's a boy," a voice said behind her, nearly causing her to jump out of her skin.

Whirling around with her hand over her heart, she came face to chest with a tall man. Looking up, she was met with happy green eyes and shoulder-length deep red hair. There was a smattering of freckles across his nose and a wide smile that reminded her of someone. Furrowing her brows, she scolded him, "Merlin! You don't just sneak up on someone like that!"

He threw back his head and laughed heartily, "Sorry, love, I didn't realize you scared easily."

"Well, perhaps you should've asked," she sniffed, looking back at the kittens. "You said it's a boy?"

"Yeah, Archie's definitely a boy," he nodded, picking up the kitten by the scruff and placing it in her hands, "He doesn't like other boys too much, but he's definitely a lady's man. Learned young and all." He winked, causing her to blush. "Now, what's a pretty bird like you doing in here?"

Hermione held Archie close to her face and watched as his big blue eyes took her in. She giggled when he started purring and looked at the man in front of her, "I recently had to leave my familiar behind. He was only half-Kneazle though. I'm starting Hogwarts on the first and I wanted to have something comforting."

"Hogwarts? Aren't you a little old just to be starting?"

"I'm a transfer student," Hermione lied smoothly, setting Archie down in the playpen so she could get a few galleons out of her bag, "Originally from France. My parents…passed away, so I had to move in with my cousin's family."

"I'm sorry about your parents, love, that must be hard. Who're you staying with?"

"The Lupins. My name's Mia Lupin," she smiled slightly, extending her hand to the redhead.

"Ah, Remus' cousin, then?" When she nodded, he smiled, "His friends are troublemakers. Stick with me and I'll sort you out. My name's Fabian Prewett." He took her hand and brought it to his mouth, kissing the back of it delicately. "Although, I can't say that I'm much better. I, however, never manage to get caught."

"My hero," she smirked, rolling her eyes. "I think I'd like to take Archie home with me. How much do I owe you? I need food for him, too."

Fabian seemed to ponder for a moment before he grinned again, "Ten galleons and we'll call it even."

She was going to protest, but thought better of it instead. Counting out the money, she set it into his open hand and asked, "Are you still in school?"

"This is my last year," he answered, walking towards the counter to grab a small cage and deposit the money into the register. She noticed how his Muggle jeans hugged his behind and she had to keep herself from thinking dirty thoughts. He smirked, picking up Archie and setting him in the cage, "And what year will you be going into, lovely?"

"Sixth," she said, taking the cage when he handed it to her. She smiled slyly, "Any particular House I should hope for?"

Fabian scoffed, "Gryffindor, of course! Blimey, I didn't realize you'd have to be Sorted. I wonder if you'll have to take the boats to the castle, too… Either way, Gryffindor is the best. Just stay as far away from Slytherin as you can; strange things have been happening to the wizards in that House."

She nodded. She hadn't realized that Voldemort had already started recruiting within the school, but, of course, it all made sense. He was trying to build an army; what better way to do so than recruit children?

"Got it, hope for Gryffindor."

He smiled, "I mean, Ravenclaw's not too bad either, but you're a lion, love. I can already tell."

"Oh? And how is that?"

"Because you make me want to roar."

"Did you have to get a cat?" Remus whined, looking at the little furball that was hiding under his bed.

Lunch at the Leaky Cauldron had been as painless as it could be before Lyall had to go back to work. Remus had seen to it that his little family made it home without incident, easily taking on the role as the man of the house in his father's absence.

"I happen to like cats," she flounced, pulling Archie out from under the bed and holding him against her chest. He purred happily before she spoke again, "Besides, there's no other animals here except for your father's owl; Archie won't bother it. Familiars are smarter than normal pets."

"Yes," Remus agreed, eyeing the cat nervously, "I know."

"He knows you're a werewolf," Hermione said bluntly, setting the furball down.

He sputtered, "What-how-when-"

"Your mother told me. And no, I don't care," she smiled, cupping his face in her hands and staring into his green eyes with flecks of gold, "You're my family and I'm not disgusted by you. You just have to show Archie that you're not a threat and I'm sure he'll love you as much as I do."

Remus smiled and hugged her, "Thank you, Mia."

She kissed his jaw lightly, "You deserve happiness, Remus. You're a great man."

When she was sure that the house was asleep for the night, Hermione snuck out of her room and into the bathroom, the de-aging potion in hand. She knew that she could get away with looking how she did, but she didn't want to push it. Shaking off her nerves, she pulled the cork out of the phial and drank the purple liquid down, shuddering slightly at the taste. She watched the mirror as her skin smoothed out slightly, removing the remnants of the war, her hair frizzed a bit more, and her eyes lightened as if they hadn't seen the world destroyed. It was a subtle difference until she shrunk about three inches.

Cursing, she realized that she hit a growth spurt in fifth year, but the potion was only supposed to take away three years of her age, not four. She groaned, realizing she was practically a fifteen-year-old in appearance. Pulling out her wand, she set about using a strong glamour charm on her scars. The one of her forearm was the hardest to conceal because of the Dark Magic, but it finally disappeared as well, leaving behind pale, unblemished skin.

She could do this. She could stay in 1976 and do what she needed before she returned. But she wouldn't stop trying; getting home was her main priority.

1 September 1976 – King's Cross Station – Platform 9 ¾

"Remus John Lupin, the least you could do is carry your cousin's trunk," Hope scolded as they made their way to Platform 9 ¾.

It was just after ten in the morning and Hermione and Remus had been sure to pack the night before, not wanting any reason to be late to King's Cross. It had been a peculiar morning, especially when Remus mentioned how she looked different.

"Honestly, it's wonderful what a good night's sleep can do," she had replied before stuffing her face with oatmeal in a very Ron-like fashion.

Hope had waved off her son's remark and ushered them to London before anything more could be said. They had driven to the train station – Hermione regularly forgot that Hope was a Muggle – and had made it with time to spare.

Remus looked at his mother incredulously, "I have my own trunk to carry, otherwise, I would gladly help her."

"It's not too heavy, really," Hermione said, a bit embarrassed.

Hope clicked her tongue, but said nothing. She was thankful that Hermione had fallen into their lives, literally, but she wasn't sure how to repay the girl. Changing the subject, she asked, "Are Fleamont and Euphemia dropping off James?"

Remus nodded, "And Sirius. Mrs. Black has…decided she doesn't want to be responsible for him any more."

Hope shook her head, "That poor dear."

Hermione had nearly frozen up at the mention of James and Sirius. She had practically forgotten that she would have to attend school with James as well. Did he truly look like Harry? Would it be difficult to be near him? She shook her head and put one foot in front of the other until they reached the wall between Platforms 9 and 10.

"In you go, love," Hope said, nudging Hermione forward.

Nodding to the older woman, she walked through the wall, instantly engulfed by noise on the other side. Moving to the side, she waited for Hope and Remus who appeared not even a second later.

"I'm going to go find James and Sirius," Remus said to his mother, giving her a hug and a kiss before turning towards Hermione, "Do you want to come with or…"

"I'm going to get a spot on the train, if that's all right," she declined with a smile. The werewolf nodded and made his way through the crowd with his trunk.

"You're going to be fine, you know. Remus will take care of you," Hope said, wrapping her arm around Hermione's shoulder in a friendly hug, "His friends aren't too bad either, except perhaps Peter. Such a little rat, that one is."

She tried to stifle her laugh at the comment and sighed, giving Hope a proper hug before grabbing her trunk. "I knew you wouldn't take it if I asked, but I left a pouch of galleons in the nightstand in my room should you need it. I can't imagine it's been easy having to provide for a second child…but thank you. I don't know what would've happened if I hadn't ended up where I did."

Hope smiled and kissed her forehead, "You're the daughter I always wanted. Lyall never wanted any more in case they didn't turn out magical…but you're like a second chance. I won the lottery with you, my dear Mia."

"I'll write!" She smiled, wiping away the tear that fell down her cheek, "And I'll see you for Christmas if Remus decides he wants to come home."

"Be safe!" Hope called, watching Hermione disappear into the crowd and onto the train.

Hermione walked past the compartments, searching for an empty one as she lugged her trunk behind her. She could've sworn it had gotten heavier, but that was impossible. Finally, she happened upon an empty compartment and pushed herself inside of it. She looked at her trunk helplessly knowing she couldn't lift it on her own.

"I've got it, love," a familiar voice said behind her.

She turned and was greeted by Fabian's smiling face.

"I thought I told you not to sneak up on me," she scolded lightly, stepping back so he could pick up the trunk.

"Ah, but you didn't jump that time," he said, lodging the trunk above the seat. He grinned at her, "I think you're getting used to me."

"Maybe," she conceded.

"Where's Archie? Didn't leave him at home, did you?"

Hermione reached into her purse and pulled out the cage, presenting it to the redhead, "Of course not! He's been sleeping almost all day; I think he knows he's going somewhere new and he's going to be up exploring all night."

Fabian shrugged, "Kneazles are smart." He looked around the compartment and asked, "Do you mind if I ride with you? My brother's got his compartment filled with birds – actual birds, mind you – and I don't fancy being used as a perch."

She giggled, "That's fine. I think Remus went to find his friends; I bet they already have a compartment."

Just then, the door slid open and Remus popped his head inside, "Do you mind if we sit with you?"

"We?" She mimicked, her brows furrowing.

"The Marauders, of course!"

Hermione felt her heart drop at the sound of the voice – her best friend's voice. Nodding mutely, she stood and took the spot next to Fabian before Remus sat down beside her. She watched as a pudgy brunet and two raven-haired boys made their way in, setting their trunks above their seat and sitting down.

Her eyes landed on James and it felt as if all the air had left her body. The next thing she knew was darkness as she collapsed against Fabian.

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~Grace