"Mr. Weasley is well aware of the situation, Miss Granger, and is keeping a close eye out for anything resembling the clock in question along with any other curious object that may be considered time travel equipment." Dumbledore pressed a serious, yet concerning glance toward Hermione who sat on the other side of his desk, arms folded across her chest, lips tightly pressed together.

"There's not much more we can do but wait for the apparatus to be found." He added on gently. Hermione knew he was right and was unable to find anything to say to fight back, to at least quell the anxious knot in her stomach by saying something she'd likely regret in turn for some of the pressure that had built up to make her feel better.

"Now as for socializing..." Dumbledore's eyebrow lifted while the other one stubbornly dug into the bridge of his nose. Hermione bowed her head slightly, already guilty of the lecture he was sure to give.

"...I understand how lonely you may feel, as this is a lonely path you are taking, but the whole school seems to be aware of your presence and not for the better. While you're mainly liked and accepted by the majority of your peers, it has come to my attention that there's been some unfortunate circumstances against a few in your house?"

"Yes, sir." Hermione whispered. "I've been trying to work on that, avoiding them as much as I can."

"Avoiding can only take you so far. Experience with these certain boys has proved to be difficult as they do love attention and should they not get that, their want of gaining it will eventually grow and lead you to mistakenly fall for one of their laughs or will expose them in a way they ought not be seen."

"Then what can be done?" She asked, meeting his gaze. "I'll be happy to switch houses for the duration of my stay if it helps prevent the situation from growing."

"As nice as that sounds it is not that easy I'm afraid. A student has never switched houses once they've been sorted in the history of Hogwarts, especially over something as little as a bit of teasing among housemates. Might I suggest attempting to make amends? It would be a world of difference to get along rather than to avoid them."

Hermione paled, the thought of befriending Potter, Black, and worse, Pettigrew, had churned her insides. She pretended to give his advice thought, but shook her head.

"I can't. I wish I could, but I can't. From what I've seen and what I know..." Her arms unfolded, her hands rubbed at her face. "What if I left Hogwarts? Remove me from the problem here. I'm sure if we can explain things right to Arthur and Molly, they'd take me in and let me stay with them for the time being."

"That is a beautiful dream, Miss Granger, but one that will have to remain a dream."

Hermione glanced at him through her fingers. He was pouring slightly.

"I'm afraid Mr. And Mrs. Weasley are hard on money right now, any guest they have will set them back farther."

"They have a pretty large family in my time. Always able to make ends meet-"

"-because they were able to be prepared for it, as little as they could. If they did agree to take you in, what little they have saved now would hinder their own future and make it unavailable to them. It's too large a chance to take, especially if you're to marry one of their sons."

His point did drive home the situation with Hermione. She pressed her back against the chair, her head tilting to look up at the ceiling as if the rafters of the Headmasters office would provide an answer.

"Then I can leave. I can find a place of my own outside the school and not be a bother to anyone here, and be less of a temptation."

"All very good ideas, Miss Granger, but I'm afraid it is not a safe place out there for anyone on their own right now, especially for you."

"Not safe?"

"You are familiar with Voldemort?" Dumbledore said, hinting more than asking. Hermione squeezed her eyes shut.

"If he found out that someone with knowledge of the future was living among our kind in public, a sitting duck as they say, there'd be no guessing when or how he'd strike. I'm quite positive that by now, from what you've told me about Hogwarts students already teaming up with him, he's well aware of your presence in this time, and he's just waiting for the opportune moment to meet with you. No, letting you leave the safety of the castle and my direct protection is out of the question."

Hermione's head tilted back again in defeat, but a new thought did start swirling around her head.

"Professor?" She asked hesitantly. "About Voldemort..."

"Yes?" He was looking at her over his half moon spectacles, and for a moment decided not to continue, but at the same time knew that if he accepted her idea, at least part of the futures troubles could be avoided.

"Please stop me if I'm speaking out of bounds, but there are horcruxes-"

"Hor-" Dumbledore's brow furrowed.

"Horcruxes." Hermione repeated. "They're dark objects that have-"

"-I'm well aware of horcruxes, indeed, yes." His head reclined. "And I'm assuming you're going to tell me that Voldemort has made one."

"Not one. If memory serves me right there should be five right this instant."

"Five?" Dumbledore let out an unbelieving laugh. "That's improbable. The manner in which he would have to make them would have left him unable to function."

"He has a diary, a ring-"

"-even if he did have five of them, there's no knowing where they'd be."

"Harry, Ron and I found them all in the future, if we can't find them now at least I could tell you where they will be and how to destroy them so that you may start your quest to get to them before the second wizarding war even has a chance to begin."

Dumbledore regarded Hermione more carefully this time, a hand raised and stroked a few times at his beard, a distant look filling beyond the lenses of his glasses. He almost looked like Trelawney when she was attempting to see into the beyond. She continued.

"There's six of them by my time, seven if you wish to include Harry, but at the same time, if we can prevent Voldemort from killing Lily-"

"-Voldemort kills Lily." Dumbledore was pulled back from that far away place, worried now and leaning ever so slightly forward. Hermione bit her lip and nodded.

"Yes, sir." She answered meekly wondering if she had spoken too much.

"I see." Dumbledore said after a while, raising a hand to stop Hermione from any explanation. "I fear if I know further of Lily's future, I too may become a changed man. I beg of you, do not tempt me."

"...the Horcruxes?" Hermione asked, understanding very well to not continue speaking. Dumbledore nodded, agreeing to the change of subject and leaned back into his chair before heaving himself to his feet.

"I agree these are something to keep an eye on, but destroying them before their proper time would bring consequences in its wake that I do not wish to participate in."

"But, sir, stopping it as soon as possible may bring Harry a better life than the one he grew up with, it may save those he killed on his way to-"

"-should we destroy his Horcruxes and he found out, surely even more would be made and who knows what effects that may have on anyone. For now I just need you to make me a list of all artifacts he has and will obtain and I will do my best to keep them as safe as possible until the future needs them to appear."

Dumbledore walked around his table and lifted a hand to Hermione for him to join. Hermione stood and allowed herself to be ushered to the door where Dumbledore turned to her.

"As for your classmates, please consider my advice. Now is not the time to be making enemies, Miss Granger."

Hermione sighed, but nodded knowing their conversation had come to a close. Though she'd try to be friendly to James, Sirius and for Merlins sake, Peter, being friends with them seemed a request too far gone to even consider.