Chapter 13:

"Oh, there's Sirius!" James shouted, pulling Hermione towards the scarlet train

Hermione's breath caught in her throat. The face of Sirius, the Sirius she had known, dark, haunted eyes peaking out from a sunken face, came to her mind. "Jay?" She questioned, pulling a very excited James to a stop. "There's a lot of people, I think I'll just wait here for you?" It was an excuse, a good one, Hermione thought, but, Hermione needed a few moments to collect herself before seeing a younger, alive, Sirius.

James looked apprehensive. "I don't know, maybe I should just stay back here with you."

Hermione shook her head "you go find Sirius so we can get out of here faster. If you're quick enough you can point out Miss Evans to me?"

James face lit up with a truly breathtaking smile, a smile Hermione hadn't seen on Harry's face in years. "I'll hurry then!" And off he ran into the crowd of students around the train.

Hermione closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. "This is not the same person," she muttered to herself. "He hasn't gone to Azkaban, he hasn't lost his best friend. You don't know this person." Hermione nodded to herself feeling marginally better.

Scanning through the crowd, trying to find James, her eyes locked on a familiar pair of grey eyes. Wracking her brain she realized that the person who's eyes she had found were Regulus'.

The dark-haired teenager offered her a small smile, Hermione returned his smile and gave him a small wave. An action the pure-blood mirrored promptly.

He made his way towards Hermione, "I'll see you around Hogwarts next term?" He muttered quietly, almost passing her before she could respond.

"Maybe sooner, I still have to take my O.W.L's."

Regulus stopped momentarily and nodded "alright, I'll see you then."

Hermione gave him another small smile, an expression which still felt foreign to her, as he continued to walk past.

"Mia! Mia!" Hermione started, searching for the voice that sounded so similar to her best friend. She was not disappointed when the messy, dark head of her brother peaking through the now thinning crowd. "I found him!" And indeed he was dragging another dark-haired boy behind him.

Hermione gasped, Sirius looked so different from the man that she knew that if she hadn't seen the picture in Harry's scrapbook of James and Lily's wedding she would have never realized that the two were the same person. His hair, while long and shaggy, was clean and groomed, there were no tattoo's covering his body, at least not that she could see, and he wasn't sickly thin, his skin was slightly tanned, not pasty white from spending twelve years in prison. But, the biggest change was this Sirius's eyes. They were so alive, sparkling with happiness as he laughed.

Hermione's chest felt heavy at the sight of such an alive Sirius. This young man looked nothing like the godfather that Harry knew.

James stopped directly in front of her, pulling Hermione from her thoughts. "This, my dear Mia, is my bestest friend, Sirius Black."

Sirius bent down in a slight bow, taking Hermione's proffered hand in his own, and kiss the back of it lightly. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance Miss Potter."

Hermione gave the young man a sad smile, then James whacked his best friend on the back of the head. "Oi man-whore! Don't charm my baby sister!"

Sirius crossed his arms across his chest, "humph, I can't control the charm, it just exudes naturally from my pores."

James rolled his eyes as Hermione giggled, these two boys were extremely close and Hermione couldn't help but think that they had had a similar conversation previously.

James frowned slightly at the sound of his sisters giggle, before looping her arm through his own. Hermione flinched briefly as his muscled arm brushed the still healing cut on her right forearm, then relaxed into her brother's soothing presence. James and Sirius were chatting next to Hermione about the past two days, Hermione was content to just listen and watch the two friends interact until Sirius mentioned one Lily Evans. "Lily told Remus that she hoped everything was alright at home?"

James' face lit up at the comment "really? I knew she cared about me!"

Sirius just shook his head and leaned down to Hermione "James has been convinced Lily would date him since Second Year."

Hermione turned towards Sirius, surprised, "really?" She echoed her brother's question, that was something Harry hadn't told her, or perhaps he had never been told, nor James, while they had been talking over the last two days.

Sirius nodded solemnly, "yes, it would help if she actually like him, but, she said she'd rather date the giant squid that lives in the Black Lake."

Hermione laughed, remembering when Harry had told her and Ron about the memory of Snape's which he had seen that exact conversation.

James wasn't even listening to Sirius and Hermione's conversation. He was too busy peering through the crowd, looking for the woman who had held his affections for so long. "There she is!" He unlocked his arm from his sisters and grabbed her hand before dragging Hermione towards the exit. "Evans, Oi Evans!" He shouted, trying to get the girls attention.

As a head of dark, red hair turned towards the noise, Hermione gasped. The people who had told Harry he had his mother's eyes were not exaggerating. Harry's eyes locked onto her own as James pulled her to a stop.

"What do you want Potter?" The pretty girl asked icily.

James just smiled, unable to realize that Lily spoke with a great amount of distain in her voice. But, Hermione could tell, many of her mannerisms were much like her son's, and Harry's eyes showed a great amount of adoration. Much like how Harry had looked at Ginny after he had broken up with her, for her own good. "I just wanted to introduce you to my sister, Mia."

Lily's gaze moved from James to Hermione, lingering briefly on their clasped hands, she shuffled her bag so her right hand was free, and she outstretched her hand towards the younger girl, causing Hermione to let go of her life-line to meet it. "Nice to meet you, Mia." Lily's voice became soft, much different than the tone she had previously used towards James.

"You too." Hermione's voice became soft as she fought the tears that were threatening to fall. Oh Harry, I miss you so much, I wish you were here. Hermione looked down from Harry's eyes as Lily let go of her hand.

"Jay," Hermione spoke so softly that she wasn't sure if he could hear her, "can we leave?"

James looked at her, disappointment coloring his features, Hermione knew he wanted to talk to the girl with her best friend's eyes, but she couldn't stay here. Once her brother saw her face, his expression changed from disappointment to concern, "of course," he put his arm around her shoulders and started towards the exit. "See you after break Evans." He called over his shoulder, Hermione peeked and saw Harry's eyes shining in disappointment and sadness. Hermione laid her head on James' shoulder, and Sirius, knowing that his brother's sister was upset, linked his fingers through Hermione's free hand. They walked like that through Kings Cross Station to the waiting car with the Minister of Magic.

A/N: I hope y'all liked this chapter! Sirius and Lily made an appearance in this one, wonder what the next chapter will bring? Leave me some love to motivate me to update faster. (I have school, so that takes precedence most of the time…. But I'll try to update ASAP!)