June 23st, 1979 - Puddlemere - 07:30
Hermione leaned back on the kitchen counter as she held a warm mug of Earl Grey in both hands. Short curls hung loosely around her face as she puckered her lips to blow softly at the steam that rolled up from the tea. Sirius has returned to the Puddlemere flat a day before she followed, using an excuse of wanting to tidy up the guest room before leaving to allow the friends a moment in their home before she invaded. Sirius had insisted Remus was okay with her staying with them until she returned back to 1999, but she had a funny feeling that Sirius had embellished that fact to get her to agree to staying over.
Taking a small sip of amber liquid, she let the bergamot orange flavor permeate in her mouth for a moment before swallowing it down. She had had a late night, staying up past midnight pouring over newspapers around England, Muggle and Wizarding alike, in an attempt to pinpoint the location of some upcoming Death Eater activity. She was kicking herself for not coming more prepared, but the decision to stay past Kingsley's time limit was not exactly well-planned out was it? Crossing the room her bare feet sunk into the soft carpet as she moved to the rolltop desk in the corner which she had the papers strewn across.
Her fingertips glided across newspaper clippings she had read what felt like hundreds of times before, except here they were new, only a couple days old instead of years. She was wearing a knit jumper of Sirius', the same gray one she had been favoring recently because it reminded her of the color of his eyes, so deeply beautiful and rich. A pair of jean shorts were selected because despite the recent rains, the evenings tended to become far too humid for comfort. She had dressed in a hurry after a quick shower, not wanting to turn on the light in the bedroom and disrupt her boyfriend's slumber.
Reaching out she picked up a copy of The Daily Telegraph from three days prior. As she lifted it up her eyes scanned a small article on the back page. The journalist was covering some strange activity happening around London. Flocks of owls covering the city in broad daylight, the summer storms that seemed to carry on longer than normal, and the recent uptick in missing persons. She had lived through this one before to know this was the work of Death Eaters, but pinpointing their location in a sprawling city was difficult, even with magic.
She was so engrossed in her thoughts as she read the article she did not hear Remus' bedroom door open down the hall. Dressed in a pair of athletic shorts and a dingy white shirt, the sleepy werewolf moved down the hallway. He woke up earlier to the sound of the running water from the shared bathroom and knew immediately the insufferable witch was the blame. Sirius would rarely rise before 10:00 if he could help it, and the clock read 06:45 when he was rudely awaken.
Moving through the living room to the kitchen he didn't even grunt a hello towards her. His nose wrinkled in distaste as he spotted a pot of tea already sitting on the counter. Of course she would make herself right at home. His only consolation was that she had selected his least favorite pot; it was painted with a disgusting blue floral pattern that reminded him of the wallpaper in his Great Aunt Muriel's home. As a small child he would sit quietly on her couch eating stale biscuits while his parents made their biweekly visits to the old witch who was the last remaining elder in the Lupin family. She made no qualms about her disappointment in Lyall marrying a Muggle girl, often remaking that Remus ought to consider himself lucky that he favored his father's side of the family in appearance and magical prowess. 'Wouldn't want people thinking you were a Mudblood, would we?' she would quip as her wrinkly weathered hand pinched the flesh of his cheek. This was the first memory Remus could have where he realised how utterly stupid blood prejudice was. His mother was the epitome of beauty, with her long beautiful auburn waves, and bright blue eyes. She was far from being the filthy disgusting things Great Aunt Muriel spoke of. His mother, the supposed blight on his family's pitiful name, would take the remarks with a grace he only hoped he could possess one day. She would smile sweetly towards the crotchety old hag and pour another cup of Earl Gray before asking about the weather, or how her garden was coming long. If being a half-blood meant he was able to be half as gracious as his mother was, then he could only be so lucky, because clearly the other half of his inherited personality traits were showing in full swing in the present. Lifting the lid he peered at the amber liquid and sniffed at the steam that was emitted. "You've made it too strong."
Hermione jumped at his words, glancing over her shoulder in surprise to see the sleepy boyish version of her future professor. "Godric, you scared me. I didn't even hear you get up." Setting the paper down on the rolltop, she turned to lean back on the desk. She watched as he placed the lid back on the pot roughly, causing the porcelain to clang in protest. "I'm used to finishing the pot before Sirius wakes up so I made it for my taste. I did not realize you were an early riser."
"Well I would rather be asleep…." he muttered under his breath as he filled the kettle before setting it back on the now-ignited burner to brew himself a more palatable pot. He heard her heavy footfalls approach as she move across the living room towards the kitchen. When the sound of the ceramic mug scraping across the countertop behind him gave way to her exact location, he still did not turn to face her. Instead he brought his hands to his face in an attempt to rub some of the sleep away and block the unfamiliar, and nauseating, scent of Hermione Granger from invading his senses.
"Did I wake you?" Her index finger danced around the rim of the mug as brown eyes studied his form behind him. He looked so much younger now than when she knew him, even more so than Sirius. She wondered if premature aging was a side effect from the lycanthropy, or if his years during the first war had added the extra worry lines around his eyes by the time she met him in her youth. "You know, instead of making a new pot, you can always just add some more water to the one I made. I won't mind," she offered.
"How gracious of you. So willing to accomodate my tastes when you're staying in my flat, using my tea pot and drinking from my mug." He paused his filling the loose leaf into a tea strainer to let the words sink in for a moment, making no attempt to hide his snark. Snapping the mesh ball closed he deposited into a white teapot that had been summoned from the top shelf magically, letting it serve as a final punctuation to his crisp sentence. "As tempting as your offer sounds, I'll make my own."
Hermione averted her gaze as he turned from the counter and began to make his way towards the cupboard she knew contained the sugar and honey, as she did not want to let him know that she had been watching him. Bringing her mug to her lips she took a small sip before setting it down on the counter, letting the action curb her gut reaction to snap back. "I'd like to get to you know you, Remus. They've all told me some great stories about you. I think we might actually get along..." Brown eyes lifted away from her gaze on the mug in her hands and to her surprise, he had turned his attention to her.
"Well I would like to not have a stranger in my flat. So we all want things we don't get." His arms crossed over his chest as he leaned back on the counter, eyeing the witch curiously. He could see what Sirius found appealing, she was pretty enough, and Sirius had had a thing for curly hair since taking that 6th year to Hogsmeade when they were just fourteen. But there was something about her Remus couldn't quite put his finger on that made his hair on the back of his neck stand on edge. It was like Moony was telling him she didn't belong, like she was hiding something so vastly important and the rest of his friends were just too trusting to notice.
"I'm trying not to be a stranger, but you're making it nearly impossible to accomplish that," she replied quickly as her brows knitted together when the corners of her mouth flattened in a small frown. She knew that befriending Remus was not going to be an easy task, but she had never in her wildest dreams assumed him to be so rude. "Look. I get it. You don't like me, but-"
"There are no 'buts'. You can end that sentence right there and it would fit the bill."
Her lips pursed just slightly at his words. The professor she knew would have never been so cross! When did Remus Lupin jump to judgment so quickly? He had always been so level-headed when she knew him, even standing up for Dumbledore's trust in Snape when questions of loyalty arose during the final years of the second war, despite his personal feelings about him. He was most decidedly not the man she knew, and perhaps it was naive of her to assume that some of the rapport he had with her in the future would be here now, but it was obvious this Remus had no intention of allowing her into his inner circle of confidants without earning her place. This Remus was not Professor Lupin. "I am not asking to be your friend, but I think it best that we figure out how to work together because the reason I'm here is bigger than some hurt feelings."
Remus lifted a single brow as he cocked his head ever so slightly to the side. "Do tell me, Hermione, what is the reason you're here? Because I have yet to hear a good explanation. And while you're at it, where the bleeding hell are you from? Because unlike my friends, I remember Hogwarts and I wouldn't have forgotten someone like you."
Hermione felt her voice catch in her throat as he eyed her like she was a wounded bird his wolf found on the forest floor, ready to pounce and tear her to shreds if she did or said the wrong thing. She knew how intelligent Remus was, often picking up on small details or bringing up facts that others had glossed over during the Order meetings, and perhaps she should give him more credit for not wanting to ignore the fact that her sudden appearance into 1979 made zero sense, but she couldn't help but feel slightly perturbed by his tone. "I am here to help the Order, same as you."
Remus could feel the truth in her words. The witch wasn't lying, that much he could discern, but there was something gnawing at him that told him that wasn't the full truth. It was like the last pages of her book were ripped from its binding and squirreled away so no one might find out just exactly who Hermione Granger was. Jade eyes narrowed on her, watching the way she shifted uncomfortably under his examination.
"I was assigned by Christopher Hammersmith from MACUSA's Auror Department to work with-"
"To work with Alastor to catch a rogue Goblin who was embezzling money from Gringott's and funneling it into an illegal gambling hall based in New York and once you arrived you were recruited to help in the Order…" he finished her sentence, obviously have been spoon-fed that line of bullshit more than once since he had returned. His hand rose to stop her from cutting him off. "How about you remove all that bullshit and just tell me the truth. Why...are...you...here?" With his last question every word was enunciated precisely, giving no hidden meaning to them.
It felt as if her heart was going to beat through her chest the longer she sat there in silence looking at Remus. Her hands were curled around the warm mug, nails scratching lightly against the faded pattern on the outside. That was the million pound question, wasn't it? It was a question she had been asking herself since Arthur's death. Why was she here? Originally it was to kill Voldemort, but now…..now there were so many more reasons to her being in 1979. She was here to help her friends, the ones from 1999 and 1979. She was here to figure out if these feelings for Sirius were real, or just lust. She was here because back home she didn't have a family; she was the perfect choice for this mission because if she died, the mess would be easier to hide. Oh, yeah, and she was here to kill Voldemort before October 31st, 1981. Brown eyes flickered between Remus' jade green, watching the way that just beside his black pupils hints of yellow swirled, indicating the ever-present Moony who lay waiting to come have his turn cross-examining her. "I-"
"She's here because we needed to get you home and she's pretty good at her job," Sirius' sleepily voice cut through the tension between the pair like ice water to a burn, pulling them both from the unintentional staring contest each was participating in. Sirius ambled across the room as he pushed his shaggy black hair back from his eyes. Sliding up next to Hermione his hand pressed into her lower back, fingertips sliding beneath the soft jumper to brush across her satin skin as he leaned over to press a kiss onto her temple. "Morning"
As the kettle began to whistle, Remus took the opportunity to turn away from the intimate greeting with an eye roll. Pulling the screaming pot off the burner, he carefully filled the teapot. "Well, I'm home now. Mission complete. You can leave at any time."
Hermione flashed a grateful smile up to Sirius briefly before perching up off the stool to press her lips against his jawline, letting her lips linger against the soft stubble of two days' growth, her warm breath tickling across his sensitive skin. At Remus' statement she let out a small irritated sigh as she sat back down in her seat. Reaching out to snag her mug, she lifted it to her mouth and drained its contents before she unceremoniously deposited it onto the countertop before her. "I'm on leave for a bit longer. I'll be out of your hair in…" Her fingers tapped absentmindedly against the side of the ceramic mug as she tallied up her remaining days and the moment the number was reached her belly gave a small pang in discomfort. "Fourteen days."
"Fourteen days?" both men replied in unison, although each holding an entirely different context. Sirius' was brimming with disbelief because fourteen days seemed too soon; it was not enough time. Remus' was full of irritation, knowing he would half to spend nearly half a month dealing with the repugnant scent of the witch clinging to all the fibers in his flat.
Hermione's tongue darted out to drag across her lower lip nervously. "Give or take." Pushing off the stool she waved her hand towards her mug and with a soft incantation mumbling under her breath moved towards the sink, following the direction her index finger directed. "The point is that Remus, I'd like to go over some of the information I have available before I leave. Alastor mentioned you were able to gather some intel on the Death Eaters while you were in Germany."
Remus looked away from the witch as she moved away from the countertop to stand in the entryway to the kitchen, blocking his escape route. He could feel both Sirius' eyes on him, silently begging him to drop his standoffish attitude. Stubbornly he rotated his jaw as he thought her proposition over. "...fine, but you might as well get the whole Order together." He'd do it, but it wasn't because she asked. He'd do it for his friends, and for the people it could save.
"I was actually thinking just the Marauders," Hermione glanced over to Sirius for some sort of reassurance that was the right move. She could include the whole Order, but some of the intel she had was not exactly public news yet. It wouldn't be for several years, but if she could name-drop a couple of key Death Eaters then perhaps they could apprehend them before more destruction was made? "Peter is not available until Thursday from what he told Lily, but I think this needs to happen sooner than that. I was hoping to have the rest of us meet tomorrow over dinner."
Remus could not help but let her words bristle underneath his skin. Of course she had checked everyone's schedule to try to accommodate the group, but he couldn't help but dislike how willingly they all seemed to allow her into their personal lives. She had just asserted herself into their group so seamlessly. It was almost as if she knew their personalities and habits already. "Why don't you want to include the rest of the Order? Better yet, why don't you want to wait for Pete? If this is a Marauder meeting, shouldn't he be present? He is actually a Marauder, unlike-"
"I am well aware I am not a part of your band of misfits-"
"Lovable misfits!" Sirius added as he moved into the kitchen, picking up the fresh pot of tea that Remus had made to pour himself a cup. He knew how Hermione took her morning tea by now and with that knowledge came a valuable nugget that unless you liked your tea strong enough to bite back, it was best to avoid it entirely.
Remus and her both couldn't help but roll their eyes at his intrusion on their tense dialogue. "Loveable misfits. No need to remind me of my place as an outsider, but we need to meet as soon as possible because I am leaving soon and..." Hermione pressed her lips together as she struggled to find the right words, her teeth capturing her bottom lip for a moment before she let out a small breath. She couldn't very well say that the conversation needed to happen without Peter because he was weeks away from possibly shifting his allegiance from his friends to Voldemort. That fact was something she had purposefully left out of the retelling of her past to Sirius, because part of her was hoping that something could change. Maybe a key event would not occur and Peter wouldn't turn his back on his friends, but the more time she spent with the group, she could already see the signs of Peter looking for comfort elsewhere. He was distant, and missed too many get-togethers with the excuse of a hectic schedule and needy boss at the Apothecary. Rubbing her palms against the rough denim of her shorts she replied, "Because sometimes doing the right thing does not mean it is legal. And this needs to happen sooner than later."
"Oh, I get it. You want us to do your dirty work while you what? Return to whatever hole you crawled out of until it's convenient to come back. Lily told me what you did to Sirius! Shagged him, disappeared for weeks and then you turn back up and act like nothing's wrong. You might have everyone else fooled Hermione, but I can smell a liar from a mile away and I'll let you in on a little secret. You stink," Remus shot back quickly.
"Moony," Sirius scolded, his arms crossing over his chest at his friend. "That's not-"
"You know what, fuck you Remus!" Hermione snapped, her magic crackling beneath her skin as the fire of annoyance present in her belly grew into an inferno of anger, the flames licking her words as she spoke. She couldn't help but take his misguided attack personally. Logically she knew he was not privy to more than half of the facts that resulted in her abrupt departure last time and therefore she should not take his harsh inquisition personally. But it didn't matter, because he was partially correct. She would be gone for an undisclosed amount of time, and possibly forever. If she had a choice in the matter, she wouldn't leave. Not yet at least, not while so much had to be done. Lily and James had become her friends, and her loyalty to protect them ran much deeper than Harry now. She wouldn't be able to handle the guilt if their fate still ended their time on earth on Oct. 31, 1981, not after losing Arthur, Ron and Ginny.
"Hermione!" Sirius abandoned his half-prepared cup of tea on the countertop quickly to move in front of his friend who was being advanced upon by his girlfriend. "Hermione, stop. This is just a misunderstanding. Moony didn't mean what he said. He doesn't know-" His hand went up to show his posed no threat, but each time she tried to sidestep him to get toe-to-toe with Remus he tracked her movement and followed.
"A misunderstanding? You cannot be serious?" she snapped, her brow knitting as her eyes narrowed on Remus over Sirius' shoulder. "I've taken your shit since Germany. I gave you space because I knew you were hurting, and I wanted to respect that, but don't you dare question my motives, Remus Lupin. I'm not your bleeding enemy! I'm here to stop them, to stop him. Because if I don't..." Her voice trailed off as she swallowed down the rest of her sentence, stopping her outburst before she could expose the truth behind her appearance. When Sirius placed a hand on her shoulder she shrugged away from him quickly, her head shaking as she backed up. "Don't!...Just…. Don't."
"Hermione, he doesn't know." Sirius frowned as he watched her back away from the kitchen, her hands going up to push her shortened curls back from her face.
"What don't know I?" Remus questioned skeptically, moving from behind Sirius to glance between the two expectantly.
Hermione spun on her heels, her hand going up to silence Sirius' pleading for her to not leave so they could figure this conflict out as she began her retreat towards the bedroom and upon reaching the archway to the hallway she paused, a shaky hand going out to rest against the wooden frame. "You trust him, don't you Remus?" Looking over her shoulder to the kitchen. "You trust Sirius, James and Peter, right? Lily too?"
"Of course. What kind of question is that?"
"Then maybe you should start trusting their opinion about me. I'm here to fucking help you, to help all of you. Take that for face value." She allowed for their gaze to be held, brown meeting jade, silently urging him to stop the need to be nasty towards her and just trust she was doing the right thing. A heavy sigh was given before she turned from the room, disappearing into Sirius' bedroom.
Sirius stood there for a moment, replaying the turn of events over in his head before he looked over to his friend to his right and without warning he reached out to connect his balled fist into Remus' shoulder.
Gasping in shock from the stinging pain that ran down his limb, Remus winced, reaching up to cup the wounded shoulder. "Ouch! What the fuck Pads?!"
"You can be a royal prick, Moony. She's not wrong and you know it. She hasn't done a thing except be with me to earn the third degree you've been giving her," Sirius said as he shook out his fist, moving back into the kitchen to finish making his cup. Roughly slamming the lid on the sugar container he pushed it back on the counter until the canister was up against the wall before he grabbed his mug and turned, looking to Remus with an expectant look.
Remus leaned back on the cabinets behind him, watching his friend silently berate him with his judgemental stare, the same one that Remus would often use against Sirius while a Prefect and the boy had been caught doing something against school rules. The role reversal was torture for a number of reasons, but mainly because Remus knew he was being unnecessarily harsh towards Hermione, but he couldn't resist getting under her skin the way she got under his. He just knew there was more to her than what she was willing to share, whatever secrets made up Hermione he intended on finding and bringing to light. Maybe then Sirius could see her for what she really was. But his tactics about finding that information clearly needed to change. The staring contest lasted less than a minute before Remus threw up his hands in defeat. "Okay, fine. I'm sorry. I'll apologize to her later for being rude."
"For being a prick," Sirius corrected over his lifted mug.
"For being a prick," Remus mimicked back, his arms crossing over his chest.
"You also owe me an apology, Remus," Sirius informed his friend as he began to pass him, heading out of the small kitchen towards the hallway. He needed to go check on Hermione, and hopefully talk her off the ledge of doing bodily harm to their friendly neighborhood werewolf.
"What?-What do I owe you an apology for?" Remus questioned quizzically.
"For fucking up my morning before I was able to finish a cup," Sirius explained as he crossed the living room. "And because now I will most definitely not be getting laid tonight."
Remus snorted a chuckle in response to Sirius' reasoning. "I'll make a mental note to be sure I piss her off for the next fourteen days," he murmured under his breath, ignoring the two finger salute Sirius tossed up over his shoulder towards him before he disappeared into his bedroom.
Author's Note:
Please excuse my small break in posting. I've been insanely busy this past week and I am now finally able to take a breather. As always, thank you to Islndgurl777 & KnitKnitRead. You both are amazing. And I thank you for the lovely reviews. ~ MM