Okay. Fanfiction was totally being horrible to me for some reason. I swear, this website hates me. I could not get the lines to stay where they were supposed to stay. Sorry about that. That being said(er... written) I hate this chapter. I just could not bring myself to like it. It had to be done, and it was like writing an EE. If any of my readers is an IB student or grad, I have some questions. (Does it get easier, how did you stay sane, will I ever sleep again...etc.) As my English teacher said a few years ago (it's on IBquotes!) this was like giving birth to a chapter. I just had to push a little harder.
Harry is next! I love chapter eleven, it is for now my favorite child- I mean Chapter. Read this and weep and anticipate Saturday. Yay for weekends! (and wizards with messy black hair and sexy green eyes) WARNING= The story had been K+ or so until now. The next chapter is where it gets to the T limit. From there, it a lot of kissing. So, 9 and under- please no unless a parent or someone reads it first and ok's you. I do not want to corrupt your innocence. Thank you.
Poll winner was (surprisingly), to tell Peter. That took me by surprise, but only eleven people voted, so if you are not happy with that, vote next time. I also take into account anon reviews, if you do not have an account. Chapter is dedicated to Tortall101 for being a Tamora Pierce fan. She is quite possibly the best author ever. I adore her and her books. If anyone is curious enough to know why I love her so much, PM me or ask me in a review. (it involves a lot of bombs and a military base. Fun, I know)
Enjoy and try not to hate me for my long author's note. I want to hear everything wrong with it so later I can go back and fix it. (note I made some changes to other chapters - mainly spell check)
***Chapter Edited as of 10-12-11. I changed plenty. I guess you could say I took some tough love reviews to heart and swallowed my pride. It only took me several months to do it, and get over my first real flames. Sigh. ***
Hermione sat down with her journal, taking a break from pacing the room. Over the last few days, she had been constantly tense. Lily and the other girls had left the dorm, leaving Hermione alone- a rare treat in a boarding school such as Hogwarts.
Privately, Lily thought Hermione was acting, well, feral. She had a wild look in her eye, and her hair appeared more untamable than ever. The small girl's subtlety developed muscles were always tense, and Hermione was constantly in motion. In class, her quill or foot was always tapping, and she was surprisingly impatient with the slower members of the class. As soon as the bell rang, she would almost sprint out of the room. After classes, she would get some kind of strenuous exercise, coming in for dinner, then completing her homework with a speed Sirius was convinced was unnatural. Then she would sneak off to the seventh floor and come back sweaty and tired before dropping off to sleep after a quick shower.
However, of all the girls, only Lily knew the true reason behind Hermione's nerves. It was December 19th. In only two days Hermione would find if her calculations were correct. Lily too was eager to meet her son, and James almost as much. Sirius and Remus were also in on the secret, and made allowances for Hermione. She was snappish and wound tight, flinching when anyone was close to her.
After writing for a while, Hermione sat on her bed. She knew she was too tense, and she needed to relax. She had been going to the Room of Requirement to wear herself out, practicing advanced magic and improving on her speed and accuracy.
But tonight, so tantalizingly close to seeing him again, Hermione wanted to try something she had read about in a book a few days ago. Meditation- a way to relax the body and mind. It would also have the added benefit of helping her remember what had happened leading up to the botched rescue. She would look back on good and bad memories, progressing from childhood, to adolescence, to the strange state she was in now. She looked down at her body and grimaced. She had gained exactly one pound before her body froze. She ate and drank, but never gained any weight. Alice and Dorcas were convinced that something was wrong with her, as she was still skeletal, even though she ate at most meals. She was still in 'prisoner' mode, and her body wasn't adverse to missed meals.
She lit her favorite candles, vanilla, and green tea and sage. She pulled the curtains around her bed and folded her legs in the lotus position. She wiggled around, trying to get comfortable without looking utterly ridiculous, then gave up, pulling the curtains of her bed around her. She didn't know when the other girls would be going to bed after all.
Taking deep breaths, Hermione looked back on her life starting at her first outburst of accidental magic.
She was about three, walking up to the bookshelf, determined to get the book on the top of the shelf. She was far too small to reach it, but had decided she would stack books on an available chair to reach it. Mommy had read part of it to her the other night, and Hermione wanted to finish it. Soon Hermione was exhausted, still far away from the book. She got down from the chair, bottom lip trembling precariously. She wanted that book more than anything. Suddenly, the book flew off the shelf, hovering neatly in front of her. She clapped her hands in glee, grabbing the book to go to her bed to read.
Later in the day, Hermione heard the front door open. Her mother was home and her room was messy. Hermione thought about what she had done before, and one by one the books floated up to their proper positions. When she finished, she wiped her brow. It was hard work moving books with her mind. She glanced up, and saw the astonished looks her parents were giving her.
"Did you do that, honey?" her mom asked. Hermione nodded eagerly.
"Yes, Mommy. I made a mess getting the Alanna book out, so I cleaned up." She reached out her arms for her mother to pick her up, which Emma Granger did without much thought. Hermione tucked her head in her mother's shoulder, not quite missing the worried looks her parents shot each other.
1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1
It was her eleventh birthday, and Hermione was hurrying home from school. Her parents had promised to take her out for dinner at her favorite restaurant, Costa's. She turned the corner at the entrance to her neighborhood. When she was only ten minutes from home, two boys and three girls circled around her.
The first, a boy in her class, John, stepped up to her and sneered, saying "I knew you were smart Granger, but did you really need to get a hundred on that test? You're so freakish, you try on purpose to get the rest of us in trouble." The rest of the class failed, and the teacher could not do a curve because Hermione had passed.
This particular teacher hated Hermione, as she had realized four days into the school year that Hermione was the brightest person in the classroom on any given day. So when she handed back the test, she made sure the class knew whose fault it was that they didn't get a curve.
One of the girls behind Hermione pushed her, and when they saw she was frozen in fear, they attacked, Hermione curling into the fetal position as they beat her. She reached down deep within herself, and grabbed the light she saw. The white light was expanding, flooding her senses. She heard screams, and saw the other children running away. She looked down at her body, and saw she was on fire, but she was not burning. The smell of charred flesh was still in the air, and Hermione cried all the way home.
When she arrived, she heard voices in the sitting room, so she headed there, surprised to see her parents with a strangely dressed lady. The lady turned to her, saying, "Hello Miss Granger. I am Professor McGonagall, and I am from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry..."
Twenty minutes later, Hermione was completely healed, a trip to Diagon Alley planned, and a ticket reading Platform Nine and Three Quarters in Emma Granger's wallet.
1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1
Hermione was in the Hospital Wing, she knew that much. She could hear voices around her, but she couldn't move. She was panicking in her head, unable to see after Madam Pomfrey closed her eyes. In her clenched fist she had vital information that Harry needed to see. She knew the monster was a basilisk, and-
Someone was touching her. Then someone started speaking. It took effort, but she could make out what he was saying. "Hey 'Mione. It's me, Harry. I know you probably can't hear me right now, but I want you to know I'm here for you if you can hear me. Right now in Transfiguration we're learning about-"
Over the next few days, Harry moved from school work to his life, he wasn't interested in Hogwarts gossip, and knew Hermione wasn't either. He ran out of other things to talk about, so he moved on to his life at the Dursleys. Then one day she could feel a faint tugging on her right hand, the one with the piece of parchment in it.
Yes! Harry would take the information to Dumbledore, who would solve the problem. Everything would be alright, and Harry told her that she should be given the Mandrake potion the next day. The only problem was she wasn't sure if she would be allowed to take the exams.
1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1
"TELL ME!" Bellatrix's dark, sunken eyes were alight with furious rage, glaring down at her menacingly.
Hermione just grinned and waved her hand lazily, although the effect was somewhat ruined by the shaking from the damaged nerves. "Bite me."
"Crucio!"
1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1
Hermione was tapping her foot in a corner of the Common Room, waiting for Sirius to say something. "Well?" she asked, wincing at how harsh her voice sounded. She really was annoyed, he was refusing to meet her eye, instead looking at her arm or the floor.
Sirius flinched, finally looking up at her guiltily. "I'm sorry Hermione. It was none of my business and I promise never to hurt you again. Forgive me?"
He was giving her the puppy dog eyes, a move he had perfected about two years ago. Hermione shook her head, grinning softly. "Of course. But you have to understand that Sev and I are just friends, and that I have a man back home. Okay?" A small part curled at the lie she told the gray eyed boy, but she brutally shoved it down.
He nodded and she hugged him, and the two of them walked back to their circle of friends, giggling at the looks on the Marauder's faces when they each had to hand over ten Galleons to Lily. "Told you she'd hug him."
1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1
Hermione ducked through a secret passage, going up to Dumbledore's office. She ran up the stairs, muttering to herself about stupid boys. When she got to the office, she put her gold hands on her hips and glared at them. Her hair was now redder than Lily's, and her skin the color of a Galleon.
Sirius, Remus, Peter, and James quailed under her glare. "Is there a reason everyone is colored red and gold?" she shrieked at them. "I told you to cheer Alice up. As if losing her parents to that over grown pair of moldy shorts isn't enough, now she has to deal with red hair and gold skin! You boys should be ashamed of your selves!"
She then looked at Dumbledore, then her cheeks turned a delightful orange color. The teachers were the opposite, red skin and gold hair. As she looked and the calm, red skinned Dumbledore, she fought the desire to break out in laughter. Dumbledore looked at the boys, and smiled. "I, for one found the prank delightful. I think having Misses Granger and Evans yell at you boys will be punishment enough. You may go."
Hermione led the way down the stairs, waiting until they were past the gargoyle before glaring harshly at Sirius, then James. She then turned to Remus. "Remus John Lupin! I expected better of you. You're a prefect for God's sake!" Next in line was James. "James Harry Potter!" She had to look away for a second, blinking fast. She hadn't expected saying his name would hurt so much. She looked back at the cowering James, who had an infuriatingly smug grin pasted on his face. "You are Head Boy! Have some sense!"
As soon as she finished chewing out Sirius, Lily appeared around the corner. "JAMES HARRY POTTER! What did you do to my HAIR?"
1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1
Hermione and Snape were sitting in the dungeons, were Snape was helping Hermione make the potion for Remus. They were also discussing Severus' future.
Hermione glanced at him, adding the powdered nightshade slowly. "Sev? Have you decided what you're going to do now?"
He looked at her, and took a deep breath. "Yes. I'm going to spy. Can- can you help me tell Dumbledore?"
She smiled at him warmly. "Of course. What are friends for?"
He smirked, the said, "Handing you the lacewings."
1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1
Lily and Hermione were sitting on Hermione's bed. "You have to tell them soon, Hermione. They aren't stupid. They know you're not normal. And they are trustworthy," Lily was flushed, and her eyes were sparkling, just like Harry's did when he was talking about Hallows. She had to look away for a second, pushing back tears.
"I can't, Lily. They are happy. What are they going to do when they find out one of their number betrayed them? I'm trying to help Peter, and Regulus, and everyone Lily. I'm trying to save the world -"
"And you need help. They can help you, Hermione. Please. James and I got in a fight, and he thinks I'm keeping something from him and I am, Hermione. He knows a little, but not much. And it's straining his friendship with Sirius and Remus. And speaking of the boys-"
"I'm not interested. They need to get that in their thick skulls before I knock it in for them."
"Please, Hermione. I need this, you need this. Please."
"Fine, Lily. I'll do it for you." The taller girl hugged the other, and the two left the room.
1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1
"You're from another dimension. One that is twenty years in the future. Hermione, are you crazy?" Sirius was staring at Hermione in undisguised shock, with a wary glint in his eye.
"No. You, Sirius Orion Black, are wrong. Do I need to prove it to you?" Hermione said frostily. She wasn't quite comfortable with the situation.
"Yeah. That'd be nice," drawled Sirius sarcastically. "When you fail this test miserably we can just cart you off to St. Mungos."
Hermione just sighed, starting in a low voice that strengthened as she went on. "You have a Grim Animagus, you run around with a werewolf on full moons, you want a motorbike, and your mum blasted you off the family tapestry. You live at Number 12 Grimmauld Place. You have a demented house elf named Kreacher. Your bedroom is on the second floor, and is decorated with Gryffindor colors and muggle models."
She turned to face all of them. "I know plenty about each of you. I know when you will die, who you will marry, what job you have. But the sad part is, twenty years in the future, only one of you is still alive."
She was met with four dumbfounded expressions. Peter was the first to speak. "Am I dead?"
She thought for a moment. "I'm pretty sure you're dead by now. You have some very powerful people who have major grudges against you."
Sirius looked at her, frightened. "What about me?"
Hermione got tears in her eyes for a second. "I saw you die in my fifth year at Hogwarts. Your death impacted my life and the lives of my best friends a lot."
Remus looked thoughtful. "So I'm guessing I'm dead?"
Hermione chuckled grimly. "As far as I know, not yet. But it is a very distinct possibility."
James looked at Lily, then Hermione. "Lily and I?"
She nodded. "Yes. Your orphaned son is my best friend."
"You're gonna make me godfather for the Prongslet, aren't you James?" Sirius asked with a strained grin.
James grinned back. "Of course. Who else would teach him to play pranks and hate Slytherins?" Remus and Peter made an elaborate show of shunning the two of them. "Aww, Moony. You guys will be Uncles. You lot can spoil him rotten."
Hermione shook her head. "That never happened in my timeline. Sirus was sent to Azkaban, Peter was presumed dead for thirteen years, and Remus was not allowed to contact Harry. Your son was sent to Lily's sister, who abused him. Until Harry had to go to school, he thought his name was 'boy.' He slept in the closet under the stairs until he went to Hogwarts. Petunia was scared Dumbledore would punish her if he saw Harry's living conditions, so she gave him her son's second bedroom, with the newly added additions of locks, a cat door for food, and bars on the window."
Lily started to cry softly into James' shoulder. "The last time I had a civil conversation with my sister was in 1970. She always hated me after I got my Hogwarts letter."
James patted her back to console her. "That should have never happened. In our wills we would have given-" he looked at Hermione, "Harry was it?" she nodded. "We would have given Harry to Frank and Alice, or to Andy and Ted."
Hermione cut in. "You did. Dumbledore bypassed your wills to make sure Harry was with the Dursleys. Anyway, Frank and Alice were tortured into insanity the day after you were killed."
Peter was ashen. "What can we do to prevent this? Why are you telling us this?"
Hermione had a determined glint in her eye, a stubborn set to her chin. "Because. I want to change the timeline, and make sure you are all there for Harry's eleventh birthday."
1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1
Hermione and Lily were sitting together on Lily's bed. Lily had a small writing desk out, with a blank piece of parchment and a quill. Cluttering the bed were many ripped up pieces of parchment.
"Hermione! What can I tell her? We've barely spoken for seven years, and she's really jealous of me," Lily moaned, believing this was her own special torture, guaranteed to make her break down in less than ten minutes. She could not really believe that writing a letter to her sister would be so hard.
"Just do it Lily. Apologize, say you admire her, and ask if you can meet over break. I've already gotten permission from Dumbledore to let you Floo to Muggle London on the 30th. Tell her you can't wait to see her. She's your sister, and you know what's best to say. Come on Lily!"
Two hours later the girls had what they thought was a perfect letter to Petunia Evans. They politely asked a house elf to get it to Dumbledore, so he could mail it through the Muggle post.
Lily collapsed on the bed, groaning. "I am never doing that again. I swear, kill me now before I have to write another letter to Tunie."
1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1
"Miss Granger! Please stay after class for a minute," Professor McGonagall barked, looking at the girl before her with worried eyes.
"Yes, Professor?" Hermione questioned nervously.
"Miss Granger, the staff is concerned for you. You hardly eat at mealtimes, and we fear you are dangerously underweight. In fact, the Miss Skeeter came to me yesterday to tell me that she heard you telling Miss Evans that you are anorexic. Are you healthy, Miss Granger?" The brutal words would have shielded the compassion in Professor McGonagall's eyes from anyone who didn't know her well. As it was, Hermione was almost too shocked to notice.
Hermione saw red for a moment. "I am fine, Professor. Amanda Skeeter has a grudge against me, and would do almost anything to smear my reputation. I do not have an eating disorder, Professor. I'm still recovering from being starved for around four months." The sarcasm in her voice did not escape the Transfiguration Professor.
Really, she had only been captive in Malfoy Manor for two months. But the months they had spent camping had been almost as bad. With Ron gobbling everything in sight and her awful cooking skills, food had been scarce.
McGonagall looked away for a moment. "I apologize, Miss Granger. I wish you well on your recovery. You may go."
It was a clear dismissal, so Hermione took her leave.
1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1
Hermione was with Sirius and James, watching from a secret passage as Amanda Skeeter walked past them.
"Three more feet... Two, Now Remus!" James whispered into the mirror he was holding.
Hermione clapped a hand over her mouth, stifling a laugh. Skeeter had just gotten about three gallons of goop (specially colored puke yellow) dumped on her head. The goop had the special effect of making a person expand rapidly.
Amanda Skeeter was shrieking, watching as she got fatter by the second. Triple chins, a large beer belly, sausage fingers, the entire package. On her forehead, the pimples spelling Gossip were still there, spread out, angry and red. She had gone to Madam Pomfrey for them, but the healer had no clue how to remove them. She had hexed her nose off trying to remove them herself, and after that she had left them alone.
Amanda ran, well, waddled really, to the Hospital Wing, love handles bouncing. As soon as she had turned the corner, Hermione and the Marauders spilled from the passages they had been hiding in. Hermione hugged James, thanking him over and over again.
"That was brilliant, James! Thank you so much!" Hermione was laughing and her eyes were sparkling happily. However, when Remus looked back on the memory later, he could still see the sadness that never left her eyes.
1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1
Hermione slid into the seat next to Snape, whispering in his ear, "How's the Occulomency going?"
He winced. "Okay. Dumbledore still manages to get in my head every single time. The problem is that my barriers take a beating and that gives me a killer headache."
She patted his hand sympathetically, and shushed him when Slughorn entered the room. She took careless notes, not paying much attention. She had brewed Polyjuice in her second year. She could do it in her sleep, but Slughorn was doing a week of notes and prep. It would take a month to make this potion, and it was going to be a large part of their grade. Hermione had gotten twice the ingredients she had needed, and was brewing it along with the Wolfsbane for Remus.
She had plans for that potion. She and Harry would have to get Voldemort's horcruxes fast, before he made anymore. She knew the cup and the diary were already made, the snake and locket maybe not. She was also sure about the ring, but was worried about getting to it. If Dumbledore had almost died getting it, what chance would they have?"
She looked down at her notes, then blushed. In the margins she had doodled, mermaids and princesses, but most often, HJG loves HJP or Hermione Jane Potter.
Severus looked at her, and her flaming red cheeks. He looked down at her notes, where she was looking. Her hand was covering most of it, but he could make out -ione Jane Potter. His heart felt like it was breaking again. Why did every girl he ever even liked fall for Potter?
When class was over, he swept out of the classroom without even looking at Hermione.
1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1
McGonagall was going around with the list for those staying for the Winter Holidays. Hermione signed her name quickly, then looked in shock as the Marauders (minus Peter whose mother was making him come home) and Lily all signed as well.
She touched Lily's arm gently. "Lily, you don't have to stay with me, really. Go ahead and see your parents and Tunie." Petunia and Lily had exchanged several letters, and now they were on much better terms.
Lily shook her head. "No, Hermione. I love my parents and sister, but I'll see them on the 30th. I want to see my son. And James wants to see the 'Prongslet' and Sirius wants to see his godson-"
Hermione laughed. "I get it." She lowered her voice slightly, almost whispering, "Thank you, Lily. I don't know how well I'll hold up if I was wrong."
1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1
Hermione was sitting across from the Headmaster, holding out her Christmas present to him. "Merry Christmas, sir," she said, watching with glee to see how he would react to the candies.
"Merry Christmas, Miss Granger," he replied, looking at the muggle candies warily, putting one of them in his mouth. "Why, Miss Granger! These are delicious! Pray tell, what are they?"
Hermione grinned. "Lemon drops, sir."
1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1`1
Hermione yawned and slowly brought herself out of her meditative state, stretching and groaning. It had really been a good idea, she was now much calmer. Her muscles were no longer tense and she was breathing easier. She looked at the candles, then at the clock. A good two hours had passed, and Hermione decided to go down to the Common Room. She hadn't really talked to the Marauders for days. It would also do her good to finish the rest of the homework she had for the Break.
So... hate it? Love it? Want me to scrap it completely?
New poll up, concerning the date I'm planning for Harry and 'Mione. Vote if you can!
Review! Please. The reviews you give me inspire me and give me ideas. (Note- I did incorporate some suggestions) Reviews also make my family think I'm crazy because I'm smiling and am super happy all day.
*** I hope you enjoyed. Next chapter, Harry arrives. ***