A/N: Sorry I'm late!

Quick notice before we move on to the chapter - chapters 11 and 12 will be uploaded as planned next week, but after that I'm starting to upload only once a week, every Tuesday. I'm running out of chapters to post and I'd rather slow it down now and keep a scedule rather than miss several uploads due to lack of chapters.

Also, I got some reviews asking about Hermione's new name - Emerald Grey - and asking me why I didn't name her Emerald, like many other time-travel stories do. I'm pretty sure I explained it several chapters ago, but I will explain again now. Hermione didn't choose the name Emerald to herself. It was a nickname given to her at Greyback's camp. Emerald, because he insisted she would always wear green, and Grey, well, because she was Greyback's.

I'm sorry if you think that's a stupid reason, but that's just how it is in my story.

Anyhow, I hope you'd enjoy this chapter! :)

Hermione woke up the next morning crouched into a small alcove at the back of the shack. Her body burned with pain and she noticed her bleeding leg and the teeth marks that covered it.

She couldn't see Remus anywhere nearby, and was extremely grateful for that. She didn't want him to see her in that state – most of it she was certain Moony had inflicted.

Silent tears were streaming down her face. She hadn't felt so emotionally hurt and alone since Malfoy Manor. She vaguely noticed Madam Pomfrey carrying her back to the castle and saying soothing words she didn't want to hear.

Despite her tired body and mind, she couldn't sleep.

She spent all of that day and night awake at the Hospital Wing, trying to avoid looking at the teenage boy who was fast asleep next to her. The Healer must have sensed it, because she closed the curtains around her bed to give her privacy. Hermione couldn't even find it within her to thank the older witch.

At some point during the day, the three other Marauders had arrived to visit their friend who woke up especially for the occasion. They laughed and talked, but Hermione wasn't even listening.

She was nothing more than an empty shell of herself.

Even after they left, Remus didn't try to talk to her. Or maybe he had, and she couldn't hear him. It didn't matter either way, for she didn't want to interact with anyone.

Still, when a visitor arrived the next day to see her and she opened her mouth to tell him to go away, it wasn't harsh words that left her mouth, but a pained whimper.

"I want my mum."

After everything she had done, after everything she had been through, that moment she was nothing more than who she was. A young girl who was forced to grow up faster than any kid should.

All she wanted was to be held by her parents, to be told that they would protect her and that nothing would harm her any longer, but she couldn't have that. Her parents weren't even her parents in this time, and even in her own time they were living happily in Australia, completely unaware to the fact they even had a daughter.

Gideon embraced her, holding her close as she cried herself dry and then a little longer.

"Everything hurts," she told him.

"I know," he replied.

"I wish I was dead," she said, meaning it entirely. "I wish she would have killed me. I wish he had killed me, I wish I died that night – any of the nights I was there. Maybe it wouldn't hurt so much."

"It's going to be okay," he told her. "Everything's okay, Hermione. I'm here for you."

"I want my mum," she said again, tears flowing down her face before she finally fell asleep.

Remus felt terrible.

Not because of the full moon – it had actually been one of the easier transformations he ever had – but because of Emerald.

The girl was broken, it was clear to anybody who looked at her even if for a moment alone. She was hurt, physically and mentally, and broken in so many ways he couldn't even comprehend.

He wondered what Moony had done to Luna – the nickname he gave her werewolf form in his head – during the full moon. According to the disapproving glares Madam Pomfrey sent his way, it couldn't be anything good.

He tried to talk to her once or twice, but she didn't as much as looked at him and eventually he gave up. So when Professor Prewett, the cause for the stupid little bicker between them that their wolves turned into so much more, arrived to visit, he was more than upset to discover she wasn't sending him away.

At a matter of fact, he might have even dwelled at that, had he not been distracted by the words that did came out of her mouth.

"I want my mum," she said, and his heart broke.

He did this to her. It was his entire fault. If he'd just kept his mouth shut and didn't let the closeness of the full moon affect him the way it had, none of this would have happened. She wouldn't have been at the state she was currently in and she might have even spoken to him.

And because of that, he pushed every last bit of jealousy he felt aside. He let their professor calm her down and sooth her, and the older wizard succeeded where both Remus and Madam Pomfrey failed, convincing the witch to fall asleep.

Then, with nothing more than a look of disapproval towards Remus, he left the Hospital Wing.

Remus stayed another day at the Infirmary before being released back to classes, but Emerald had to stay there, as she was too weak to do anything other than lie in bed. He tried to visit her one afternoon but Madam Pomfrey sent him away.

There was nothing left for him to do other than sink in self-hatred, hope his friends wouldn't notice his bad mood, look at the other werewolf's name at the Marauder's Map and try to ignore how many times the name 'Gideon Prewett' was right beside 'Hermione Granger'.

"I have good news!" Gideon beamed as he walked into the Hospital Wing.

It was already the first day of the Christmas holidays, and Hermione was finally free to go. She paused in the middle of changing into her normal clothes to give him a peck on the lips before asking, "What happened?"

"Molly just replied on my letter – You're invited to Christmas at the Burrow."

"What?" Hermione asked, surprised and amazed. "You didn't tell me you were asking her! Did she really say yes? Gid, that's amazing!"

"That's not even all of it," Gideon said. "There's an Order meeting a couple of days before the new term starts. It's the night before the full moon and Dumbledore said you could join."

"But…" she looked at him, trying to understand all of those good news. "But I'm not in the Order."

"You've been through more than some of the members have," he reminded her. "You have every right to be at the meeting, even Dumbledore said."

"That's… Thank you!" she called, jumping on him and kissing him. "Best Christmas present ever!"

"Are you coming, then?" he asked. "I told Molly we'll be there around three, and you need to pack your bag."

"I'm going!" she said, running outside. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

If only for the look of pure joy on her face as she ran out of the Infirmary, the true happiness he hadn't seen since before the last full moon, he knew it was worth it. It was even worth fighting with Dumbledore.

For the old Headmaster wasn't nearly as supportive about Emerald joining the Order meeting as Gideon made it sound.

"She's underage," he had said.

"Only officially," Gideon replied. "She's over nineteen."

"She's too young," the Headmaster insisted.

"We were just as young when we joined," Gideon told him.

"But you were Aurors-in-training," Dumbledore replied. "You were well prepared, practiced and –"

"Oh, stop it, will you?" Fabian interrupted, talking for the first time since he entered the Headmaster's office with his brother. "She's more prepared than most of the Order members are now. She already fought in war, a real war. Don't make her seem like a stupid teenager who can't protect herself and just let her come."

And so, it was settled that Emerald would join.

Gideon knew he was taking a huge risk. He knew that only talking and hearing about the war that was going on could remind Emerald of the war in her time, and of everything she went through.

If it will, we would deal with it, he decided. At the moment, all that matters is her happiness.

And happy she was indeed.

"I suppose you are Miss Grey?" Molly asked with a smile when Gideon, Fabian and Hermione walked through the door.

"Please, call me Emerald," she replied. "Or even Hermione. It would be too weird if you call me Emerald."

"Of course, dear," Molly smiled at her, motherly. "My, my, you are most certainly too thin. Don't they ever feed you?"

Tears immediately rose to Hermione's eyes and she jumped on Molly with a hug.

"Did I say something wrong?" Molly asked, surprised.

"No," the younger witch whispered. "You said just the right thing."

The rest of the visit flew by. Dinners with the Weasleys, playtimes with Bill and Charlie, and stealing moments alone with Gideon. It was so much like every other holiday she spent at the Burrow, and it made it all so amazing that she didn't even feel the heartbreak.

Before she knew it, Christmas Day arrived, and Hermione woke up to a small pile of presents next to her bed, immediately causing tears to rise to her eyes. Then again, nowadays almost everything caused tears to rise to her eyes.

Smiling softly, she started unwrapping her presents. Lily gave her all kinds of sweets. James, Sirius and Peter gave her joke products. Remus gave her a book – "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" – and she smiled sadly.

She wasn't angry with him, not any more, at least, but she still felt hurt with the way he treated her. She also knew he was giving himself hell for what Moony did, and she was sad for that. He couldn't control the wolf, yet he blamed himself for everything the wolf did.

Fabian gave her books about Defense, Molly knitted a sweater from her and Arthur, and from Gideon she received a lovely necklace.

When she went down for breakfast, Hermione was already wearing normal clothes, the sweater on top of them, and the necklace was shining on her neck.

"Hello, love," Gideon said, planting a kiss on her lips. "Slept well?"

"As good as it can get," she said. "Thank you for the present, it's beautiful. Thanks to all of you," she said, looking at the people who sat in the kitchen.

"Don't mention it, dear," Molly said as she put pancakes on the table.

"It's really been our pleasure, Hermione," Arthur added, smiling. "You're the only one who can stand Charlie when he's talking about animals."

"It's really alright, Mr. – Arthur," Hermione corrected herself. "He really is adorable."

"Auntie Mere!" the four year old in question called. "Thank you for the dragon!"

He waved the toy dragon in his hand and Hermione smiled.

"No problem, honey," she said. "Do you know what dragon is it?"

"Hugarian Horntail!"

"Hungarian," she corrected. "Maybe later you can tell me all about him?" The boy nodded enthusiastically and Hermione turned back to the other adults. "He really is adorable," she smiled.

"I don't think he loved any of our presents as much as he loved yours," Fabian told her, smiling as well.

"It does help that I know how he'll turn in the future," Hermione said.

"I suggest you be careful," Gideon said as he wrapped his arm around her. "He'll develop a crush on you if you're not."

"Scared of a little competition?" she asked him, playfully.

"Me? Scared?" Gideon looked at her with shock. "Never!"

"Of course not," Hermione said.

"Are you suggesting otherwise?"

"No, no," Hermione couldn't help but smile. "Why would I?"

"Oh, stop it, you two," Fabian called. "Some of us are trying to eat here!"

Hermione laughed at that and kissed the frown off Gideon's face before turning back to her food.

"If you will please all sit down!" Dumbledore called and silence fell in the guest room of Potter Manor.

A Manor. Hermione wondered, not for the first time that evening, if Harry knew he had a Manor, and if so, why didn't he ever tell any of them?

It could have been terribly useful during the hunt for the Horcruxes. Then again, they had to consider the possibility that Voldemort and the Death Eaters knew of this house's existence, and were as prepared for their arrival here as they were at Godric's Hollow.

"Thank you," Dumbledore said, smiling at the crowd.

From the corner of her eye, Hermione thought she saw a movement but she overruled it as her tired imagination as she leaned on Gideon's shoulder. The full moon was tomorrow night, and it was taking every bit of strength she had.

"We have several things we wish to discuss today," the Headmaster went on. "First of all, I would like to introduce to those who haven't met her before – Miss Emerald Grey." Hermione nodded her head tiredly at the curious glances that were sent her way, but didn't speak. "Now that it's covered, Alastor, your update?"

"Thank you, Albus," Mad-Eye grumped as he stood up and started talking about people within the ministry whom he had thought to be Death Eaters and such. After about five minutes, he seemed to be done but Hermione stopped him.

"Malfoy," she said. "Lucius Malfoy, he's a Death Eater."

"Are you certain, child?" McGonagall asked and Hermione couldn't help but smile sadly at her Professor.

"Certain of it, ma'am," she said. "It would be nearly impossible to prove, but I would still be careful with what you say when he's nearby."

"Thank you, Emerald," Dumbledore said in a fatherly manner and the meeting resumed.

Hermione didn't have much to say from that point onwards. She listened to people talk about their missions, but didn't say anything, and tried her hardest not to think about the fact that in five years, most of the people in this room would be dead.

When the meeting was over, she stood up gracefully and headed towards Mrs. Potter, trying to ignore that odd movement at the corner of her eye yet again.

"Thank you for your hospitality," she said.

"No trouble, dear," Dorea replied. "I wanted to speak to you – Dumbledore informed me of your… condition, and young Mr. Lupin is here for the holiday, and will spend the full moon at the forests around the mansion. I wanted to tell you that you are more than welcome to join him, if you'd like."

"I'm not sure if that's the best idea," Hermione replied, thinking about the last full moon she shared with Remus.

"Well, the offer still stands," Dorea said. "And it must be better than spending the full moon on your own, isn't it?"

"We must be going now," Gideon barged in, saving Hermione from the need to reply. "Thank you for the offer, Dorea."

"You're welcome," the woman replied. "Please do think about it, Emerald."

"I will," Hermione said before turning back to Gideon. "I'm tired," she told him, resting her head on his chest.

"I know you are, love," he said. "Let's get you back to the Burrow, shall we?"

She nodded and kissed him quickly before the two of them disappeared in the green flames.

From across the room, four teenagers watched the exchange from underneath the invisibility cloak. Silently and carefully, they walked their way back to James' room before taking off the cloak.

"I can't believe it!" James called.

"Which part?" Sirius asked. "The fact that they allowed her to be at the meeting despite the fact she's still a student or the fact that she's dating Professor Gideon?"

"Both!" James said. "It's not fair! Why is she allowed to be there and we need to use the cloak to hear what they've got to say?"

"And how did she know that Malfoy was a Death Eater?" Peter questioned. "Besides common logic, that is."

"I wonder what she talked to my mom about," James mused. "Moony, did you hear something?"

"What?" the werewolf asked after being ripped from his thoughts.

"Are you even here?" Sirius questioned. "Did you hear what we've said?"

"Something about Emerald," Remus replied and his three friends shook their heads in disbelieve.

"I asked if you heard what she talked to my mom about," James repeated.

"No," Remus lied, going back to thinking about the conversation he overheard. "It was too… crowded."

Emerald, spending the full moon with him and his friends. It could have been a great idea, a brilliant idea, if not for the fact that he knew she wouldn't agree. Not after what happened the last full moon.

"I'm going to sleep," he said. "Full moon tomorrow. Good night."

"Good night, mate," James said.

"Dream about good-looking birds," Sirius added with a smile.

Little did he know, there was only one woman who visited his friend's dreams, and she did so every night.