Chapter 9 - Encounters

The next few days were fairly uneventful for Hermione, if not a bit on the boring side. Upon her return to Hogwarts after her visit to Hogsmeade, she felt as if she were walking on broken glass. Without friends, it was easy to avoid talking about where she came from. But now with Lily constantly buzzing around her - in a similar manner to Ronald Weasley - Hermione was extra careful not to let anything slip out.
She had done more research in the library on the Black family tree, but had found nothing other than her parents names, and her relation to Sirius, Regulus and Narcissa Black (her cousins),

'If only I had access to the Black Library at Grimmauld Place,' she thought at breakfast, chewing mindlessly on the end of her wand as Lily chatted about nothing particularly interesting beside her, 'then I could find out the entirety of my family history,'

Sighing, Hermione shook her head, already knowing a feat like that would be impossible in this timeline. So, to distract herself from her thoughts, Hermione glanced down the Gryffindor table at where the Marauders were sitting. All of them looked completely exhausted, Sirius practically sleeping in his bowl of shredded potato. Remus - Hermione noticed - was absent from the group this morning,

'He's probably getting over his transformation,' Hermione thought, remembering the tales of the Marauders. They had become Anamagi to help Remus, and if Hermione was remembering her facts correctly, they had only just spent their first night alone with Moony the werewolf,
'Poor guys. Probably stayed up all night until he changed back,'

"...'Mione?"

Hermione glanced up, seeing Lily leaning forward ever so slightly,

"Ever heard of personal space?" Hermione questioned, placing a finger against her friend's forehead and pushing the girl away from her, "did...did I miss something?"

"No, where do you even go anyway?"

Hermione fought with an answer, but was saved as several owls began to swoop about in the Great Hall,
"Ah! Mails here!"

Lily seemed elated as a package was dropped into her hands, making Hermione sigh in relief. Never before did she ever think she'd be thanking the post - of all things - for a save. Unfortunately, that relief didn't last long, as a large, heavy black envelope was dropped before her.
It was a pretty thing, embellished with the Black family crest and sealed with golden signet wax. But even as she took up the letter in her hands, Hermione knew what was coming. Slipping a thumb under the tab, she pulled out the top note. The handwriting on it was in a robotically neat scrawl,

'Dear Lady Hermione J. Black,

On account of your mother - Madame Josephine S. Black - I am writing this letter to you in notification of her desires. Because of recent events, it has been decided by the most Noble and Ancient house of Black, that you will be forever removed from the Black family legacy. This formally and legally strips you of your title, fortune and any sort of inheritance; including property, you may have received in Madame Josephine's last will and testament. Your current House Elf will be resigned of his duties, effective at once, and you are no longer welcome in the most Noble house of Black.
Good wishes to you,
Signed,
Radcliffe Newton, director of estates and fortunes. Gringotts Wizard Bank, Diagon Alley'

Swallowing thickly, Hermione set the note down gingerly, removing the other sheets of paper to review them. It was just a copy of the revised will, where her name had been scratched out using official Gringotts black ink. It was Goblin stamped, meaning unless the will was reinstated, there was no way to reverse the decision.
The last note was short and cold, signed by Madame Josephine Black herself,

'You have brought shame to this family. Don't even think of coming home,'

And that was it. Groaning slightly and holding her face with a hand, Hermione felt as though the weight of the world came to rest on her shoulders. If she couldn't get back to her own time, she was now left with no support whatsoever. Sighing deeply, Hermione stood from the long table, shaking slightly as Lily looked at her with a startled look on her face,

"Everything alright?"

"Not even," Hermione grumbled, removing her wand from her sleeve and pointing it at the pile of paper still on the table, "incendio,"

There was a small 'poof' as the paper went up in flames, startling Lily as she fell backwards to avoid the enchanted blaze. Staring coldly at the burning black envelope, Hermione glanced up slightly. Sirius - to her surprise - was standing up as well, as he had caught sight of the burning paperwork. Making eye contact with him for barely a moment, Hermione whipped on a heel and left the Great Hall.
She went to the only place which felt safe: The Library. Madame Pince gave her a stern look when she entered, but Hermione merely found the farthest corner from the door, grabbed the closest book and sat down.
Opening the text, she didn't really read, throwing her feet up on the table and leaning her head back to rest against the stain glass window behind her. She wasn't at all emotional about being disowned by her family. Hermione Black may have been a tad bit hurt, but Hermione Granger didn't know them at all. Instead, the weight of what exactly she was doing in 1975 was beginning to really sink in.
Everything she had done in the past month could have easily effected the future drastically. Harry might never be born in her time, Sirius could never be disowned and would become a Death Eater. There were so many possibilities! Including the possibility that she would never get back to her own time and would be stuck living a double life forever.
Groaning, Hermione ran a hand down her face in exhaustion. If only Harry and Ron were with her. The Golden Trio could do anything they set their minds too.

"Ahem?"

Hermione looked up slightly - tiredly if she were to be honest- expecting to see Madame Pince standing there. To her astonishment, a tall, dark haired boy stood instead. His tie was askew, and there was a smudge of something on his face, but it was no doubt Sirius Orion Black, her most favoring cousin,

"Sirius," she greeted, removing her feet from the table out of instinct, "do you need something?"

Sirius didn't say anything, merely tossing the remains of a charred back envelope before Hermione. She looked at it, frowned, searched for an answer but shook her head. She had no answer for him, especially since a question wasn't actually asked in the first place. Looking at him, his face held no malice, only confusion,
"What did you think was going to happen when I got transferred into Gryffindor, Sirius? That mum would be jumping up and down?"

Her voice was terse, Hermione herself too mentally drained to insert any sort of malice into her tone. She just wanted him to understand...and he would, as it would happen to him too,
"I guess I really should thank you," Hermione stated, leaning on a hand thoughtfully and sighing heavily,

"For what?"

It was the first sentence Sirius had spoken to her without his normal pompous attitude. It made Hermione smile, if not question herself for ever judging him in the first place. Shaking her head again, Hermione rubbed her temple,
"Sending me down those stairs. I never would have...well, I never would have realized how wrong I was,"

"'bout what?"

Sirius pulled up a chair and sat down, face to face with his cousin in the Hogwarts library. He was so innocent here, marble eyes gleaming as he leaned forward on his hands like they were paws. Hermione almost forgot what Sirius would have to pay for another's mistake in the future,

"About everything I guess. Without you, I never would have met Lily. She's a good friend, really she is. The first comfort I've had here for a long time,"

Hermione didn't really know what she was saying. It was a mix of Black and Granger talking at once. Black recalled the memories, while Granger supplied necessary emotion and empathy. It was a mutual relationship really - Hermione decided - as she needed both sides to fit in her new environment. Without even realizing it, Hermione's kind flicked back to the war. Harry, Ron, Luna, the twins, Remus, Tonks...Sirius...

"I think...we should start over," Hermione stated suddenly, looking up at the boy who would become the godfather of her best friend. She had to save him...even if it was from herself. Extending a hand, Hermione cleared her throat,
"Hi. My name is Hermione Black, I'm 16 and in my 5th year at Hogwarts. You are one of my many cousins, and I have just been disowned by my mother,"

Sirius doesn't say anything, looking at Hermione's hand and smiling a very small, hesitant smile. He then took her palm in his own,

"Sirius Black. I'm also your cousin, am 16 and in my 5th year. And I think this is the strangest conversation I've ever had in my life,"

Hermione smiled at that, taking her hand back as she glanced down at the book still sitting in her lap. 'Divination: Seeking the Truth'. Grimacing, she placed the book aside and looked at Sirius once more. It was good to see him this way, not glaring at her from across the room or sneering some filthy comment. She now saw him as a boy, and perhaps, a future acquaintance.
For the pair of relatives however, classes were soon to begin, and they had to separate. But as the day went on, Hermione felt relatively light, despite her receiving the letter at breakfast. When lunch came, Hermione went to the Hospital Wing to visit Remus. Entering the long room, the smell hit her like a bombshell as she inhaled. It was the same scent as it had been upon her awakening. Glancing about the beds, the full body cast boy was gone, replaced instead by a pudgy mate vomiting up into a wooden bucket. On the opposite side of the room however lay Remus, bathed in light from the upper window as he read a Potions textbook. Sighing her relief and walking towards him, he immediately looked up at her.
His face was long and shallow, and there was a small cut on his cheek,

'I can't imagine what's it's like to be a Werewolf,' Hermione thought, pulling up a chair beside the boy and smiling brightly,
"Hi Remus," she stated, inwardly chiding herself for sounding so childish. What was the matter with her? "I heard you weren't feeling well. Are you doing better?"

"Much, thank you," Remus said, though he seemed a bit anxious. Knowing she wasn't supposed to know about his condition, Hermione nodded in ignorant bliss and pulled her feet up onto the chair, pushing a lock of black hair behind her ear,

"Yeah, I wasn't feeling good myself yesterday. It was probably something at breakfast,"

Remus physically relaxed as Hermione glanced around the bed and noted the newspaper on the nightstand. Eyes widening, she frowned at the headline,

'Three muggles dead, dark mark spotted again!'

"Scary huh?" Remus pondered, leaning back on his pillow, "hopefully it's stopped soon,"

"Right...hopefully," Hermione mumbled, biting her bottom lip. If only he knew. For the rest of lunch, Hermione chatted with Remus about nothing in particular, accepting some lunch from Madame Pomfrey who was upset about how skinny she was. Hermione had to admit she wasn't used to eating massive amounts of food anymore thanks to being on the run for nearly a year, but the small meal was filling and she got to share some of the toast with Remus. She told him about the attraction between Lily and James, and how she had been disowned. Then she told him about her encounter with Sirius,

"It just takes time for some things to sink into that hard was of his," Remus assured her quietly, stirring his current cup of tea and blowing slightly, "you really have changed dramatically, Hermione,"

The young witch in question felt like she would burst. Unable to take it any longer, she whipped her head around to look for Madame Pomfrey before whipping out her wand. Ripping the curtain shut and tossing up a silencing charm, Hermione turned to her werewolf friend who looked alarmed,

"Remus, I need to tell you something important,"