DISCLAIMER: Somewhere there's a little person out there that is always overshadowed by the bigger, more well-known person. The well-known person is the one who is famous and owns everything while the little person is the one who lives their own fantasies by spinning the bigger person's stories. The bigger person is J.K. and the smaller person is, of course, yours truly. In case you didn't understand all that, let me say it again: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER! Thank you and Have a Nice Day.
Chapter 8: Breath In, Breath Out
The alarm buzzed loudly in the room and the pile of covers groaned loudly, curling up tighter and pulling another pillow on top of the already large mass of covers. Unfortunately, the thing that lived beneath the pile of covers would have no hopes of gaining anymore sleep as the door was thrown open and a figure came zooming in, throwing itself upon the large heap of blankets and pillows.
"UP!" James cried cheerfully as he bounced up and down on top of the body which emitted a threatening growl of frustration which the teen ignored.
The door opened and closed again and another form joined James on the bed, though this one decided to sit instead of bounce. "Padfoot," Remus said reasonably, "look at it this way, the sooner you get up, the sooner you get to see Hermione."
A shaggy black mop poked out from beneath the covers. "What are you rattling on about?" Sirius asked groggily, his eyes still closed tightly to fight the light.
Remus leaned closer to the sleepy teen. "Today is the twenty-sixth," he whispered at which Sirius finally opened his eyes and looked over at the Quidditch calendar on the wall.
James landed with a 'thunk' on top of him and the breath was knocked from Sirius. "Sorry mate," James said quickly and rolled over onto the floor, "but if you don't get up now, I'm going to resort to desperate measures."
Sirius glared at the teen and challenged him to do something by poking the end of his wand out of the covers. "Go ahead," he muttered, "try it."
James glanced at the wand and then back up to him, trying to decide the best course of action. Remus merely rolled his eyes and asked, "You go to bed with it?"
Sirius nodded his head in James' direction. "With him around, I never knew when I would need it so I keep it with me at all times."
Remus sighed exasperatedly and rose from the bed, a book tucked securely in his arms. "You two, you're perfect for each other," he muttered, walking out of the room and shutting the door behind him.
"Okay Prongsie, my friend, I'm up," Sirius said even as he threw the covers back over his head and curled up tighter. "Now be a good friend and run along and fetch me some breakfast."
James smacked him up side of the head. "First off, you're the dog. You're supposed to fetch. Second of all, didn't you hear what day it is?"
Sirius muttered something that sounded like "Yeah, yeah, the twenty-sixth, big deal."
James grinned and leaned down closer to what he hoped was the head of Sirius since it kept shifting deeper into the covers. "But don't you recall what is meant to happen on the twenty-sixth?"
A head emerged far away from where James was talking and James stared up at him. Sirius looked at him confusedly and asked, "Why are you talking to my feet?"
James glared at his friend and stood up. "Well if you would quit being a lay-about mutt then I wouldn't have to try to find your head in the mass pile of covers."
"And if you would just leave me alone, you wouldn't have to worry about finding my head under the mass pile of covers," Sirius returned, shoving the blankets back over his head.
James crossed his arms and started walking slowly to the door. "Fine then, I'll just tell Hermione that you couldn't remove yourself from the bed fast enough…"
The covers immediately sprang to life as they were flung about the room, landing in various places as the figure that was hidden beneath them quickly bounded from the bed and towards the bathroom.
"I'm up! I'm up!" James heard him call as he ran down the hallway.
Remus reentered the room, shaking his head as he walked over to one of the trunks. "I see that you successfully got the living corpse to rise from his grave."
James grinned roguishly. "One mention of a bushy-haired witch and he is ready for action."
The werewolf nodded in agreement. "Perfectly right there. I'd figure that I'd at least try to find him a decent outfit since he will, no doubt, just come in here and jerk on the first thing in sight in fear that we'll leave him behind."
James laughed. "And what a sight he will be." He paused and grinned wickedly. "Maybe you should let him choose his own outfit…you know, just for a good laugh."
Remus paused and looked up from the trunk with a disapproving look upon his face. "That wouldn't be nice," he reprimanded, but then he smiled, "but it would be funny."
"Yes," James hurriedly agreed with a faraway look in his eyes and a smile on his face, "that would be a funny thing to see."
A shirt slapped James up side the face and he glared at the lycan knelt in front of the open trunk. "Now that wasn't nice, my furry little friend."
Remus merely smirked at him as James launched himself at him, pinning him to the ground. The former easily maneuvered the little match to where he was the one dominating and had James expertly pinned to the floor when Sirius walked in.
"Riiigghhttt," he drawled out slowly, backing out of the room, "maybe I should leave you two love birds alone today and explain to the girls why you're not there."
James and Remus smirked at each other and went for Sirius, resulting in a large wrestling match that lasted for well over fifteen minutes and would have undoubtedly lasted longer if Mrs. Potter hadn't threatened to leave them all at the house if they weren't ready to leave in five minutes.
That threat resulted in the quickest time limit that any of the three boys had ever gotten ready in and that was saying something since most of the time two of the three were severely late for class.
"All ready now?" Rachel Potter asked with a slight disapproving frown directed at them.
"Yes, Mrs. P," Sirius replied, smirking. He slung his arm around her shoulders and gave one a light squeeze. "You know you wouldn't leave us," he teased, "you enjoy spending time with us just too much."
Rachel rolled her eyes and moved away from the flirtatious teen to stand by her husband. Harold just laughed and grabbed up some floo powder.
"Where are we going with floo?" James asked.
"To Diagon Alley," was his reply.
"But…but…aren't we going to apparate there?" James stuttered.
Rachel looked at him and laughed. "Heavens, no, James. You lot are useless in the morning, except Remus of course, you'd probably end up splinching yourself."
"Thanks for the confidence mum," James muttered darkly.
Meanwhile, Sirius yawned widely and slapped James on the back. "Actually, mate," he said sleepily, "I think she's probably right."
"Of course I'm right," Rachel replied haughtily, "I'm a mother and mothers are…"
"Always right," Sirius and James chimed together and smirked at the older woman who glared at them. Harold chuckled, "Come along boys before she decides that mothers should beat their children into submission."
The boys hurriedly agreed and stepped one at a time into the fireplace, throwing a little bit of floo powder in as they called, "Diagon Alley," in a crisp, clear voice.
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Hermione looked around her as she entered Diagon Alley via the floo network with Professor Vector as her escort. Aunt Minerva had matters to attend to at Hogwarts and so the middle-aged Arithmancy Professor kindly volunteered to take the time traveler seeing how he had to collect some extra supplies anyways.
Hermione watched for any sign that this was not her Diagon Alley, though she knew that her search was useless. She saw the vague yet noticeable differences in the large wizarding shopping district, but that was understandable seeing how things tended to change over a twenty year duration.
"My dear," Artimus Vector said, trying to comfort the sad witch, "do not look so down. For today, if it will only today, let your troubles disappear and simply be you."
Hermione wanted to scream, But this isn't me, this isn't where I'm supposed to be! but instead, she simply gave him a passing smile which didn't quite meet her eyes. It seemed to satisfy him, though, for he started to whistle cheerfully as they squeezed down the packed streets.
"HERMIONE!"
The two stopped within the road and turned towards the voice calling her name. Lily, her red hair visibly noticeable in the sun, was quickly approaching with Lauri by her side. The Marauders followed a little ways back, laughing and joking merrily with one another.
Hermione found her gaze riveted on the dark haired teen in the middle of the group who was equally staring back at her though he we was laughing alongside James as Remus rolled his eyes. Hermione wrenched her eyes away from him, forcing her thoughts away from who he was and instead focused on what Artimus was saying to her.
"…and I'll meet you at the Leaky Cauldron at five o'clock," he finished, looking at her and obviously waiting for an answer.
Hermione tried desperately to recall what he had just said to her but couldn't seem to draw it from the murky depths of her mind.
"Oh…..er, right," Hermione stammered, berating herself on not hearing what he said, though she got the sneaky impression by the secret smile on his face that he knew she had been temporarily distracted. "Five o'clock, Leaky Cauldron, right."
"Have fun," he whispered to her quietly in a serious tone, his eyes meeting her for a brief second before he walked away down the street, leaving her standing alone in the middle of the bustling crowds.
Lauri reached her first with Lily closely behind. They both smiled at her while they looked her over quickly as if inspecting to see whether she was well or not.
"Oh Hermione, you look simply beautiful this morning," Lauri exclaimed, the smile on her face brightening as she nodded her head in approval.
Hermione blushed prettily. She was nothing of the sort and she knew it. Her ordinary brown hair was more than a tad frizzy (though it was not as bushy as your younger years) and her face was simply plain. She didn't have Lily's "to-die-for" body or Lauri's petite frame, instead she had a few curves here and there but nothing to brag about.
No, she didn't think herself beautiful at all. She pictured the girl she faced in the mirror every morning and wondered what anyone could see in that girl.
"Oh, don't look so modest now," Lily chimed, smiling brightly at the girl which she returned though somewhat hesitantly and weakly.
Hermione tried once again to force a smile upon her face but found it a great waste of time, though that all changed when she heard the voices behind her.
"Hello Hermione," the Marauder's greeted cheerfully and Hermione felt the familiar carefree smile tugging at her lips as she turned to face them.
They were still laughing, she noticed, amongst themselves as though they were sharing a private joke that only themselves would ever know. They looked so blithe and innocent, a rarity in a time of war and death.
"Hello," she said back, offering them each a genuine smile.
"Glad to see that you decided to join us," James said as he took his place beside Lily. He failed to see the look that sprang to the red head's eye as he did this, though the other two girls did not and wondered briefly at the fleeting look.
"Well, my leaving was so abrupt," Hermione said while thinking of the full truth of that statement, a truth she wasn't planning on telling, "that I didn't have time to grab up everything that I would need or just wanted to have around."
"Did you not buy them when you went shopping with McGonagall?" Sirius asked, his grey eyes immediately wishing to make contact with her own russet ones.
"I'm afraid my head was in the cloud's the day I went shopping with Aunt Minerva so I still need a few things that I forgot to buy the first time around," Hermione answered. She smiled, "And anyways, I, like many others, always think of something else I could have bought."
James turned around, looking for someone. "HEY MUM!" he called and an older looking woman (though not too old from Hermione's prospective) with dark brown hair turned and looked at where her son was.
"What James?" she asked, sounding a wee bit miffed at being interrupted during her conversation with one of her old school friends.
"I now have proof that it is impossible for anyone to get everything they need on one trip," he called happily. "Hermione, here, is staying with McGonagall and even she forgot something."
Rachel Potter rolled her eyes and shook her head as she turned back to the blonde she was previously conversing with as everyone in the small group laughed at James.
"Come on you lot," he said as he took Lily's right arm before she could protest, "to the book store we go!"
They filed in with James and Lily in the front, talking in hushed voices. Next came Remus and Lauri who were happily discussing the latest discoveries. Finally, Sirius and Hermione brought up the rear.
Silence. That's what descended upon them as soon as the other left them to themselves. Both were searching for a topic, any topic, to discuss with the other but they each squashed their own ideas before voicing them.
As they each turned (and finally too) towards each other, mouth open to voice what was on their minds, the book store was upon them. James and Lily had already entered through the large door and Remus was calmly waiting for them as he held the door open politely to allow them entrance.
"Thank you," Hermione muttered as she passed him and found herself instantly thrown behind a bookshop with Sirius and Remus pressed closed, a hand clapped firmly over her mouth.
Hermione started to struggle against him but Sirius instantly hushed her with a look. She watched as he slowly peered around the corner, his eyes wide and observant.
"Is he gone, Moony?" Sirius asked the lycan beside him.
Remus tried to sniff the air discreetly but Hermione, of course, knew what he was truly doing but did not say anything about it. "I think so," he said after a minute.
Sirius let out a sigh of relief and smiled sheepishly at Hermione. "Sorry bout that."
Hermione smiled and took a step back from him when she realized just how close they actually were. "That's okay," she paused, "mind explaining why you shoved me behind a book shelf though?"
"Since you're staying at Hogwarts," Sirius started slowly, "have you had the, er, 'pleasure' of meeting Professor Slughorn yet?"
Hermione's face instantly scrunched up into one of disgust. Though she didn't mind the man that much during her sixth year, she found herself increasingly annoyed with the pesterous (completely made that up) individual during her seventh.
"I take it you have," Sirius said with a face that equaled her own. It was obvious that the three teens present did not harbor any nice feelings for the Potions Master.
"I haven't actually met him," Hermione explained though she was lying, "I've actually been avoiding him since I arrived at the castle."
Seeing their looks of confusion, Hermione felt the need to explain. "Aunt Minerva told me a little about the man and suggested that I do my best to not be cornered by him. From what I hear, he can be a little persistent in getting students to join his little club."
"A little?" Sirius croaked, his eyes wide and skeptical. Hermione chucked, "Well, quite persistent was the words that were actually used."
"Just do yourself a favor," Sirius said seriously, "and avoid him at all costs."
Hermione nodded and looked at both boys. "Why are you two avoiding him?"
Sirius and Remus both let out a bark of laughter. "Why?" Sirius repeated, still laughing. "He's been after us to join his 'Slug Club', that's why."
Hermione smiled. "And, of course, neither of you want to join."
"No," the both said quickly, a look of pure horror at the very thought on their faces. Hermione could almost laugh at the identical looks if she wasn't so terrified that Slughorn would indeed track her down at school and try to insist that she join the illicit group.
"Well, he sounds positively dreadful," Hermione replied honestly, thinking of the Slughorn she knew in her own time.
"Just don't say anything about him around Lily," Remus warned in a hushed voice.
"Why's that?" Hermione asked, trying to remember whether Slughorn had said anything about Harry's mother during her time.
"Well," Sirius started slowly, glancing at Remus quickly, "Lily's a bit of a…"
"A what?" a voice came from behind them and all three spun around to see Lily standing alongside James and Lauri, each looking at them questionably.
Hermione and Remus had the decency to look away from the prying eyes while Sirius, not being as clever to avoid the upcoming confrontation, opened and closed his mouth like a gaping fish as he looked at one and then another.
"Well, you see Lily dear," Sirius said charmingly, though he didn't sound to sure of himself, "we were just discussing Professor Slughorn and how you don't see how much of a pompous arse he is."
James groaned and slapped his forehead while Remus muttered something that Hermione thought sounded like, "might as well be hanged for a dragon as an egg," though she wasn't sure of that.
Lily's face, in the meantime, went through eight different shades of red, her eyes flashing dangerously as she glared at the teen in front of her who was trying to discreetly edge behind Hermione. Hermione was having none of it, though, and quickly moved to Lauri's side and away from the conflict that was likely to ensue.
"Er…Lily," Lauri said bravely, lightly taking the angry girl's arm, "how about we go outside for a moment of two out of this stuffy bookstore."
The temperamental red-head looked eager to disagree but Lauri and Hermione jointly pushed her out the opened door and away from the building.
The trio watched the girls until they were out of eyesight and then they turned to Sirius, both with identical disbelieving looks on their faces.
"Padfoot," James started but then closed his mouth and glanced at Remus as if saying, 'it's your turn, you deal with him.'
Remus merely remained his ground and looked at Sirius seriously, never faltering in the silent eye battle.
"What?" Sirius asked innocently and both boys shook their heads and brushed past him, leaving him to stare after them as they made their way out the door and after the girls. Sirius quickly followed them.
A/N: Done! Mwhahahaha…when will I get to update again, you ask? Good question. Competition is in less than 5 weeks and we just started on one of our routines so the pace is going to be picking up and I'll have less time. I'll shoot for Saturday though. For all you American Football watchers, I hope you will be cheering for the Steelers tomorrow night. GO STEELERS! small print Opinions are welcomed on this front, I only ask that you do not dis the Steelers… Neither are my team.
As always, much love and remember to review! Thanks Lauri for all your help!
Amaya
