Several hours and books later, she realized that lunch had started at least five minutes ago. This meant the arguing outside was her companions for todays lunch party, if she could even call it that. She rose from the chair and drew her wand.

"Expelliarmus!" she called sternly the moment she stepped through the door. Seven pairs of eyes looked towards her in agitation. "Honestly, can't any of you be near each other without sending a hex? Get in here already!" she hissed impatiently.

Severus and Sirius smiled at her, the others gave curious looks. Remus kept his head down and refused to meet her eye. 'Probably embarrassed about this morning.' She grabbed Remus' sleeve and pulled him toward her.

"Look at me," she whispered quietly enough that only he could hear. Remus looked up. "Don't feel embarrassed about this morning, Remus." Hermione laid her palm against his cheek and smiled, before turning around and entering the Room of Requirement again. Remus shut the door behind them before taking a seat on the floor near James and Sirius.

Hermione stayed standing in front of them, not even worried about the seven pairs of eyes watching her carefully, five were guarded.

"Two of you know my story, though some of it, not all. I know events that are going to happen between now and twenty years from now, and let me tell you, it isn't pretty," Hermione began, which caught the attention of many. "Lucius, I'm going to start with you. No one say a word, I mean it. Have you taken the Dark Mark?"

Lucius froze.

"You can trust me, I won't hurt you. And if any of them try to they won't get very far."

Lucius nodded cautiously. Hermione swore, ignoring Severus' raised eyebrow.

"Well, that makes things slightly more complicated. Regulus, have you?"

The fifth year shook his head no.

"Good! Some good news. Narcissa, I don't really have to worry about you, you never took the Dark Mark. You were loyal to your family, not him." Hermione began to pace. "I have three years to fix this, to get all of this right, to change everything for the better. I guess having a guy on the inside will do me wonders, it's not like we can tell you to leave -"

"Hermia," Severus spoke up.

Hermione's head shot up to look at him. "Sorry," she said sheepishly.

"Excuse me, but I thought I was getting answers," James snarled.

"James, humor suits you better than anger," Hermione chastised. "Anyway, I'll give you an edited version. I've seen some negative events that happen over the next twenty years, and I'm going to stop it. I need you all to help me do it."

"I'm in," Sirius and Severus said in unison. The expressions on their faces however, were quite comical.

"I know you two are in, I've explained this to you already. Peter Pettigrew was a Death Eater-"

"That's rubbish!" James yelled, standing. Remus looked shocked and hurt. "He was gentle and wouldn't harm a fly! He would never raise his wand at anyone with negative thoughts!"

"James, calm down," Sirius reasoned.

"Calm down? Sirius, how the hell are you so calm about this! He was our friend!" James bellowed.

"I am calm because I know. Am I hurt? Yeah. Annoyed? Definitely. But I trust Hermia enough to know that what she says is the truth."

"You've known her for four weeks, we've known Peter for seven years!"

"Peter Pettigrew was sneaking off campus to the apparition point three times a week, every week," Hermione threw in, forcing all outside arguments to cease. "Dumbledore and I checked his arm, it had the Dark Mark. We questioned him using veritaserum. He joined to get revenge."

James sat down, pale.

"He has been taken to Azkaban. The only thing saving him from the kiss is that he hadn't killed anyone. So James, you and Lily are safe now, and Sirius won't have to deal with the horrible fate he had. I have swayed Severus' thoughts of taking the Dark Mark, therefore you are both completely safe. Dumbledore knows how to prevent certain events from happening that are directly related to his own actions, so most of this has been taken care of. Lucius that leaves you."

"What do you mean?"

"You may want to be a Death Eater now, I don't know. But I do know in twenty years you regret this decision more than anything. You betray him to protect your wife and son. Your son was dragged into the war because of a mistake that you made, landing you in Azkaban. Therefore, your son was given a task that he was not expected to pass in order to punish you."

Lucius paled. When it came to purebloods, family loyalty was more important than any other attachment.

"Seeing as you already have the Dark Mark I can't protect you much, but having someone on the inside might help."

"You make it sound like I've already accepted."

Hermione shot her wand out in his face. "If you value your future, you will accept. If the Dark Lord gains as much power as I've seen, our world will be doomed. It won't stop at muggleborns, it will go to halfbloods next, and then when there are none of them left, he will start picking off pureblood families for one reason or another. Whether it be questionable loyalty, or a stupid law that one could not even fathom being a law, he will go after the purebloods. From what I've seen of your future, your family will be next. You and your son will be the last of the family line. Sirius is the last of his. In the future I see, there are a good number of pureblood families who are already dwindling out of existence." Lucius nodded, looking defeated. Hermione lowered her wand.

"I don't believe in the blood purity talk and beliefs that have been going around," Regulus whispered, staring at his hands.

Hermione's face softened. "You were never cut out for it. You realized what was happening in the end and you died trying to stop it. You were eighteen."

"What can I do?" Lucius asked.

"Voldemort is making Horcruxes." All the Slytherin's heads shot up. "Ah, good you know what they are. Count on Slytherin," Hermione smirked. "I don't know how many he has right now. The locket of Salazar Slytherin and the Gaunt family ring should already be in existence, as those were undoubtedly the first he made. Next will probably be his diary from when he was in school. In the future I saw, Regulus was given the locket to protect, Lucius was given the diary. I need to know which Horcruxes have been made already." Hermione started pacing. "I wish I had a time frame on when everything was created." She swore some more.

James, Sirius and Remus had all been sitting relatively quietly up until that point, before James spoke up, agitated.

"Exactly what are we talking about?"

"Horcruxes are objects in which someone places a piece of his soul. As you can imagine, splitting one's soul is dark, dangerous and barbaric at best," Hermione supplied.

"He's made more than one?" Lucius asked, disgustedly.

Hermione nodded.

"It's hard to imagine someone making just one, how many does he end up making?" Regulus asked.

"Six intentionally, one accidentally," Hermione admitted.

Severus and Narcissa paled.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts is my best subject," Remus began. "There is a spell in one of the DADA books in the restricted section that will reveal the existence of any Horcrux."

Hermione's head shot up. "Find it," she demanded. He stood. "Not right now, but I want to see all of you here tomorrow after dinner. We'll set up meeting times. I'm going to give you your wands back and you will not hex each other." With that, Hermione gave all seven people their wands back. "Oh and James?"

He looked at her curiously.

"This doesn't concern Lily now that Severus and Peter have been taken from the equation. She doesn't need to know any of this."

James nodded, disappointed. Hermione smiled and watched as each of them left and went their separate ways.

Hermione closed the doors behind her and leaned against them with a sigh. She couldn't save Lucius from his fate, but maybe she could save his future son. It was all so complex and the only hope she really had at that moment was Remus and that spell. Sirius and Severus were getting attached already, which wasn't good. Hermione made it very clear to them both that they shouldn't get attached, they knew her days were numbered. It was a dangerous mission Hermione set for herself, a dangerous mission the Timekey had obviously thought only she could complete. She couldn't put roots down. She was merely a visitor for the time being.

"Hermia?" a voice asked from within the room. Hermione's head shot up.

"Remus!" she gasped. "What are you still doing here? Aren't you going to miss class?"

"I felt that we needed to talk about...the full moon..." Hermione blinked. "You know...when I woke up beside you?" Remus clarified, obviously embarrassed and nervous.

"There really isn't anything to talk about, Remus," Hermione said.

Remus could see her body language change and her facial expression became guarded.

"Hermia, James and Sirius told me my eyes dilated. You have to know what that means."

"Remus, I simply proved my dominance over you to keep you in the shack. That's it, end of story."

"That's not true, Hermia," Remus whispered.

Hermione visibly softened."I'm going to die in three years, Remus. If I admitted to knowing what you are obviously hinting at, then that gives you hope of us having more. You can't become attached to me. I'm just a phantom as far as anyone here is concerned. I am condemned. The only reason why I'm here is because of a Timekey." Hermione stiffened and pursed her lips. She didn't mean to say too much, but his eyes were slowly filling with dread. She felt as if those amber eyes could see into her very soul, and the sadness and desperation in those eyes tore at her heart.

"Those are very rare," Remus whispered, wide eyed.

"How can you know of them?"

"I spend a lot of time in the restricted section," Remus admitted.

"They shouldn't even be in existence in this time."

"Knowledge about them is far more rare than the artifacts themselves. I'm assuming that from now and your time, all information about them was destroyed somehow, but I know about them. Not much, mind you, but I've read a little."

Hermione moved over to the couch in front of the fire and sat down. Remus could see the wheels turning in her mind and it was obvious to him that she was very intelligent. She was sifting through all of the information she had retained throughout the years that she spent in the Wizarding world.

Some information regarding the Timekeys may have been destroyed or there may be copies out there, but I highly doubt it. I believe that most were moved to a more secure library."

"What are you suggesting?"

"The Department of Mysteries has it's own personal library. It's twice the size of the library here at Hogwarts, but more of what you would find in the restricted section." Hermione looked up at him, and she could almost see the utter glee on his face. She always knew that Remus was studious, but to find that he was just as excited about the concept of the Department of Mysteries' library as she was, was refreshing and she smiled.

"What's your real name, Hermia?"

Hermione pulled up short, "What?"

"You're from the future, you are far too clever to let everyone use your real name. I deserve to know."

"Remus..."

"Dammit Hermia!" Remus growled. "My eyes dilated! You were able to establish dominance over me while I was a werewolf. You have to know what that means!"

"Hermione," she whispered.

Remus took a step forward. "How long do you have?" he whispered, staring down into her eyes.

"Three years at the most."

"Why can't we make the most out of those years."

"Remus -"

"No." Remus put his finger up to her lips to stop her. "Don't tell me not to get attached. Don't tell me that I should just throw everything away because your time is limited, because at least I would have had that. You use your imminent demise as a reason for me to stay away so I won't have that time with you. Don't you think I would be happier if I at least had those three years with you, rather than be near you but only able to watch you?"

"It's dangerous to get involved with a time traveler. You must know that."

"If that's the case, then why would Moony have chosen you as his mate? It isn't a choice really, you must know that."

"Remus, you only choose me in this time. Later on down the road you marry someone else, you never look at me as anything other than a friend, a student."

"Then this is the time that you and I were meant to be together. This is the time that you were meant to come back to, meant to come to me. Give me this time, Hermione. Don't throw me away when you know what this is supposed to be," Remus gestured to himself. Hermione bit her lip in hesitation and Remus could see more of an argument in her eyes, but before she was given the chance to voice those concerns, he captured her lips with his own.

Remus in her time wasn't bold. He was brave, yes, but when it concerned his own heart, he turned away from his own happiness. The way his lips moved on hers showed her that he wasn't always timid. He didn't always hold back and shy away from his own happiness to keep others safe. Because of her, he was taking charge of his happiness. Hermione sighed, and leaned more into him. The way he felt against her clouded her mind and pushed away any doubt that she may have clung to, because in all reality, Remus Lupin was right. He was a werewolf, she was his mate. Hermione's time in this world may have been limited by the very dangerous game that she was playing, but at least they would have that much, at least he would be able to hold onto something of her rather than nothing. Hermione gained her senses and pulled away suddenly and stared into his eyes.

"If this is going to happen, it needs to wait."

"Why?" Remus glared down at her. He couldn't believe Hermione was still fighting what they both knew was inevitable.

"You're in school, Remus. I have to stay hidden. The only people who are allowed to even know about my presence here are the ones who I need to work with to change the terrible future ahead of them. I am three years older than you right now. This needs to wait."

"No. We have something, even if we won't be able to see each other too often. This is happening. I am not going to sit back and wait for you to come to me when I know that we only have three years together."

Hermione stared up into his eyes, she knew in her very core that he was right. She was scared though, even he had to admit it was obvious. She was from the future, she was on an impossible mission to save countless lives and she was terrified of her own death. She accepted it when she was sent back to this time, but Hermione was still scared of dying. She was scared of dying before making a difference, before having lived a worthy life. All Hermione had seen since she was eleven was war, pain and fear. She had friendship, yes, she had love even, but when it came right down to it, there was a constant prickling sensation on the back of her neck that made her think 'What next? What is this world going to throw at me and my friend now? Will we still stand tall despite it all?' All were worthy questions to ask and it kept her on her guard, but to die after a life of that, she found it quite pitiful.

"I know it's scary, Hermione. You barely know me, but we can do this even if it is for three years. It'll be hard, but I'll let you go because I'll have no other choice. Even then I will be yours forever and there really isn't anything that either one of us can do about it."

"You have to realize Remus, since I was eleven and came here to Hogwarts, I lived my life looking over my shoulder. Voldemort had something to do with all the trouble in my life every single year I attended Hogwarts, the only year he wasn't present was third year, and then we were told that a mass murderer had escaped Azkaban! I have fought in a war, Remus and I'm about to fight in another one so that that world doesn't exist for anyone. I'm going to just fade away. I am going to die after living in war for a decade. What do I have to show for it? Nothing. I have scars from being tortured. I have a scrapbook full of newspaper clippings and pictures from my school days. I've been happy, but there was always that undertone of fear present in all of us. I haven't lived my life without that slight fear. I felt so messed up that I couldn't make a relationship work, I worked in the Department of Mysteries not because I wanted to, but because I didn't feel that my life would ever be normal, that I would always need a dose of mystery and maybe a little fear in my life to feel like me. I've forgotten what it was like to just be free of all of that. You are asking for a relationship with a girl who has died time and time again emotionally," Hermione paused and looked down at her feet, "And even after knowing that I am going to die completely in three years, you are still asking me to have something with you, to throw caution to the wind. I'm not that kind of girl. I want to be, Remus. I want so bad to just live for me for once, but the Timekey decided differently."

Remus' eyes softened. No one would be able to tell just by looking at her that her life had been full of so much pain and suffering. She held herself confidently, like nothing would ever phase her, but that was a mask. Deep into her eyes he saw darkness that no one would have noticed at first glance. In her body language he saw someone who was fighting for their life at every waking moment. Remus saw someone who cared more for others than herself, because she knew she didn't matter anymore. Her time in this world was over anyway. In her mind, Hermione had an expiration date.

"Hermione," Remus whispered, pushing a stray curl behind her ear. "I know you don't believe it right now, but you matter. You matter to me, and this world will rejoice what you are doing for it, even if they don't know about you specifically. Hell, I'll be more than willing to write your story as we go along, but I want you to have happiness. And if you are too afraid to enter a relationship with a man-eating werewolf, then I'm going to make you. I'm going to be selfish. Hermione, I can see it in your eyes that you would do anything to make someone else happy, even at the cost of your own happiness. Be with me. Make me happy. I know you are scared, but you will never fade away. I promise you that." Remus leaned down and captured her lips again. His kiss soothed Hermione in a way that she wasn't even used to and she couldn't help but return his affections. She gave in.

"All right," she whispered when they pulled away from each other. "But right now, you have classes and a book to find in the restricted section, and I have some planning I need to do and the role of watchdog to play."

"Why are you playing watchdog?" Remus asked, amused.

"I need to protect Regulus and Severus." Hermione looked up at him, and pulled out of his arms. "With them pulling away from becoming Death Eaters, their lives are going to be in constant danger and because I'm the cause of it, I need to stand by them and make sure nothing is going to happen. It would be a hell of a lot easier if they were both in the same year rather than two years apart from each other, then I wouldn't have to run back and forth between two different rooms."

"Okay, well, be careful." Remus kissed her on the forehead. "I'll do what I can to find that book. I'll meet you here straight after dinner. Make sure that Regulus and Severus know to stick together so you have a little bit of free time before guard duty starts."

Hermione nodded as she watched him walk out the door. Suddenly, her stay in the past just became a lot more complex than she anticipated.