Chapter Eleven – Halloween and Leaving
(Later that day, 10/31/81)
Hermione hadn't slept a wink. She didn't tell Remus that of course when he had woken up and gotten ready for a meeting with Sirius and Dumbledore. Remus was still seething about the night before and planned to fully let Dumbledore have a piece of his mind for leaving Hermione wounded and not explaining anything to him. She had done all she could to calm the furious werewolf, kissed his cheek, and told him she'd try to be home when he returned. He looked at her questioningly for a minute before leaving.
Hermione paced the house, her conscious fighting against itself. On one hand, she wanted to go and save the Potters and on the other, she knew that doing so would severely mess with the future. 'It couldn't hurt to spend the afternoon with my best friend. This will be my closure…I'll leave her before it gets dark, before Voldemort goes to her house, and that way I don't mess with the future…' Hermione thought to herself, but she felt vile for thinking it. She couldn't just leave her best friend to die…
Hermione made up her mind and sent an owl off with a request to go shopping with Lily, who quickly replied a very excited 'YES!' and the two met on a corner in London. Hermione made sure to leave a note for Remus, just in case. The two girls spent almost the whole day shopping; Hermione easily losing track of time with her best friend. The war had taken its toll on their friendship and she was quite glad to see that despite their lack of visitations to the other, they were still as close as before. Lily had made sure to have a Glamour charm on, just to be safe.
"You're saying you're going to be alone tonight, Hermione? Well if Remus still isn't back by the time we finish here, why don't you come over for dinner? It's getting dark now; James will want to eat soon. Why don't we just head to my place now?" Lily asked as she shrunk her bags and put them in her pocket.
"That sounds excellent! How bout I quickly take my bags home and drop them. I'll just be a minute!" Lily nodded and Hermione disapparated. Hermione quickly set her bags down on the couch and noticed Remus still wasn't home. She was about to disapparate when she heard the door unlock and open. Remus saw her and smiled.
"Hey, Love, Sirius was wanting to do dinner here tomorrow night, that okay with you?" Hermione looked at the time and froze. She needed to be quick so that she wasn't in the Potter residence when Voldemort attacked. She just needed to say goodbye to James…
"That sounds good, Sweetheart," Hermione replied hurriedly as she rushed to the front door.
"Hey, you okay?" Remus asked as he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to him. Hermione stared at him for a moment before kissing him fiercely. She put all her love and fear in to that kiss and when she pulled away, Remus was still reeling from the feeling of it. He had a small smile on his face and he leant back down to reclaim her lips when she stopped him.
"I'm so…so sorry, Remus. No matter what happens, always know that I love you. I always will. I have to go now…I'll see you again…" Hermione mumbled just barely loud enough for him to hear before she took off out of their house. She quickly turned around and placed many strong charms on the house, sealing the door and windows. She then locked the floo network and put up a spell to keep him from disapparating.
"I can't risk you coming after me…I'm so sorry, Love…" Hermione whispered as tears came to her eyes. She blinked them away quickly and took one last look at their house. She could hear a muffled and panicked yell from Remus inside the house. She looked at the time and realized that she had only left Lily five minutes ago. It felt like much longer to the brunette. Hermione shook her head and disapparated to rejoin Lily.
"I must say James; I am shocked you know how to cook so well!" Hermione said with a chuckle. Dinner had been delicious and Hermione and the Potters had lost track of time. It took baby Harry yawning for Hermione to realize how late it was. She quickly stood up and was about to say her hurried goodbyes when Harry was put in her arms. Lily smiled at the brunette before picking up the dirty dishes and disappearing in to the kitchen.
"I'll just go put Harry to bed really quickly, but I've desperately got to go…" Hermione started up the stairs, carrying the sleepy Harry up with her. Lily soon joined her and the two put Harry to bed when James yelled from the living room. Hermione's stomach knotted and she ran down the stairs to James.
"It's him! Lily, Hermione, get Harry and run!" Hermione spun and pushed Lily up the stairs before turning and grabbing James roughly.
"You need to go with her, James! Go, I'll be fine!" She yelled, shoving James as hard as she could up the stairs to Lily.
"No, Hermione! We can't just leave you…" James began, fully intending on fighting the stubborn brunette. He didn't have much of a chance as Hermione fired a stunning spell at him before beginning a duel with Voldemort. Hermione blocked spell after spell and dodged several killing curses.
"You must be the one with the werewolf…how is your pathetic little half breed?" Voldemort asked, a sneer coming across his face as he dodged one of her spells and hit her with one. Hermione flew a couple feet and hit the wall. She let out a groan and cried out as the tattoo on her ring finger burned. She had a funny feeling Remus felt it hurting as well and he probably knew she was in danger by how it pulsed on her finger.
"He….is not…pathetic!" Hermione shouted as she stood and began firing spell after spell at the dark wizard, who was caught by surprise. A very pleasant surprise.
"You should be on my side, Miss Granger…Come join me and I'll make sure your werewolf remains unharmed," Voldemort offered her his hand with a sickening smile.
"I can keep him safe without your help!" She shouted and threw a spell his way that she didn't recognize. It gave off a bright glow as it hurtled into the Dark Wizard, who let out a cry of anguish. His body turned to smoke and flew at Hermione, going through her and up the stairs to Harry's room. As Voldemort passed through her, Hermione felt all her wounds from the day of her arrival to 1977 reopen and she passed out, hearing Lily scream for Harry.
