Turning Back Time
Chapter Four: Meddling
Hermione stood watch close by the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy trying to teach trolls ballet, waiting for the seventh floor to empty. She stood there, pretending to be studying the tapestry in great detail. After half an hour, the floor was clear and she walked by the blank wall three times thinking to herself I need a room to live in that no one can see. She hoped with all her heart that it would happen and soon enough a door appeared from the wall. She sneaked inside, making sure no one saw her disappear.
When she entered the room she was overwhelmed by the power of magic. With a simple thought she had brought to life this amazing room. A large bed with dozens of pillows sat innocently in the corner. There was a small, quaint kitchen tucked in another of the corners across from what appeared to be the door to a bathroom.
She went around the room, exploring it all with ease, and found a pantry filled to the brim with food, cabinets with dishes, a small closet with a few garments that looked to be about her size and enough toilet tissue and soap in the bathroom to get her through World War III. Most importantly, in the drawers beside the bed she found a bag with parchment, quills and ink in it. "Thank you," she said aloud, as if the room would hear and appreciate her gratitude.
She sat on the bed and looked around. Not until that moment had she realized just how tired she was. Alas, she had no time for a nap. Perhaps later. She smiled at the room for a moment before heading out.
As she entered the hall, she could see the sun was about to set. She didn't have much time left in the day. Walking through the halls, she noted again how different the castle looked in the smallest of ways. A rug here, a cupboard there. When she passed by the trophy room she noticed what she guessed to be 20 years of awards missing from their homes to-be.
She ducked into the library and looked around. Judging by the number of people there, she noted it must not be any time near finals. The stacks were close to deserted. She set her things down at a table and headed to the section about time travel.
Three hours later, she found herself completely surrounded by books and nowhere near an answer to her predicament. The books covered very little about time travel outside of time-turners and hopping into peoples' memories. Time reversal was mentioned but never jumping entirely to another decade. Great, she thought, I've found a problem that centuries of magical history have never run into before. That makes me feel great.
"This is why I haven't met you before," a voice called. Sirius stepped into view from behind a particularly high stack of her books. "You're one of those studious types."
"Bug off," she mumbled. Hermione had read too many books on the negative impacts of meddling in the past to want to write one of her own.
"Not saying it's a bad thing. It's a very attractive quality in a woman," Sirius flashed her what she thought was a rather unconvincing grin.
"Maybe you should pick up a book now and again," she said.
He reached over to one of her stacks of books, picked one off the top, looked at the cover and set it back down. "Wow. You're right. I feel loads smarter."
"Leave me alone, please. This is very important."
"Important, eh? Time travel? Trying to figure out how to go back in time to our first meeting and not tell me I'm dead and not myself. Really puts a damper on our relationship." He nodded in a condescending sort of way.
"Relationship? We have no relationship. Now go," she said. She needed him gone. She needed to concentrate. She needed to stop being so distracted by the light in his eyes. A light she had never seen in his older self.
"You don't know anything about me, lady," Sirius said, crossing his arms over his chest.
"I know more than you'd think. Now leave." She pointed emphatically toward the door.
"Oh, really?" He pulled up a chair and sat next to her. "Enlighten me, then."
"No. I'm busy. Go. Or I will." She stood and looked down at his smug face.
"You're quite the fire-breather. I guess I'll see you around," he said before winking and walking away. She shuddered for a moment. Too many things could go too wrong if she continued to bump into him. She had to be more careful in the future. She collected her things, grabbed a few of the books off the tallest stack and headed for the door.