Hermione Granger & the Point of No Return
Remembrance
4,377
Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love,
The things you are, the things you never want to lose. – The Wonder Years (TV Show)
To send a letter is a good way to go somewhere
Without moving anything but your heart. - Phyllis Theroux
A/N The following chapter with contain, kissing scenes, swearing and a few tears
Hogwarts, Headmasters Office, (14th November 1995)
"It seems Miss Granger I was out, apparently, a few minutes managed to pass; it is now in fact, a half six, as opposed to a quarter past six," Dumbledore's eyes twinkled merrily as he told Hermione they news. "I also thought you may want Severus here upon your arrival," his eyes twinkled even more brightly.
"Thank you sir," said Hermione, but she wasn't really paying attention. Her attention was instead focussed, on Severus. He looked gaunt, as though he'd missed several meals or been too worried to eat recently. Hermione smiled sadly at him, she couldn't help but wonder how she hadn't noticed before she left. But then again she hadn't been in love with him before had she?
Severus moved slowly around the table coming to a stop a few feet away from her and slowly he ran a hand over her face, down her cheek and over her lips, stopping to cup her chin. And without realising what she'd done she'd thrown herself into him and brought his face down to hers, kissing him. He seemed to welcome her embrace like an old friend, his arms moved, one tangled itself in her hair and the other pulled her closer and rested on her lower back. Hermione moaned faintly as he deepened the kiss.
Once separated, Hermione smiled up at him and he smiled back. They had much to talk about, but that could wait a few hours. After all, they had the rest of their lives to talk about it. Taking one of her hands Severus led Hermione to the chairs in front of the headmaster's desk. They sat down and Dumbledore smiled at them.
"We seem to have a few things to talk about Miss Granger. Firstly you will be pleased to note, I have your NEWT results. I will give them to you later. Next I have two letters, one from Miss Lily Potter and the other from her husband. Thirdly a certain Josh Scott needs to be found I believe he is currently living in Battle, near Hastings. He runs a coffee shop on the high street, it shouldn't be too hard to find. I believe you will have to prove who you are though. After all, it has been a long time. Second to last a Mr Remus Lupin and a certain Mr. Sirius Black will be arriving shortly, I believe they have a few things they wish to say. And finally I think a certain Mr Harry Potter and Mr Ronald Weasley will wish to be brought up to date, as well as your parents."
Hermione groaned. There was so much to do, talk to Severus, arrange a wedding on top of everything else. As though he felt her pessimism Severus tightened his grip on her hand.
Dumbledore smiled slightly, obviously noting the joined hands, "Now I believe you and Severus are currently engaged? That is perfectly fine, seeing as you graduated years ago. You may move down to live in his quart…"
The fire in the fireplace roared into life, cutting short Dumbledore, as out of it stepped a body which landed heavily on its feet and moved away before another one landed heavily, not on his feet. Remus laughed lightly as Sirius scrambled to his feet. Together they stared around the room, their eyes passed over Fawkes, to Dumbledore, to the paintings, to Severus and finally to Hermione. With a yell Sirius ran towards her and threw himself at her knocking her chair onto the floor with a deafening bang, he grinned sheepishly down at her from where she lay. Moving off her he held out a hand and pulled her to her feet before pulling up the chair. While he did that Remus moved forward and she smiled slightly before he to ran over to her and pulled her into a hug.
Once pleasantries were over Sirius and Remus pulled up chairs either side of Hermione and Severus. They sat in silence for a while, Sirius and Remus both basking in the fact they had finally found her. Even though, she had been under their noses since third year.
"I believe I shall leave you for a while, to catch up, Severus, would you like to join me in the great hall for a spot of dinner?" it was clear it wasn't an invitation for Severus to join him but an order. As Severus stood up he bent at the waist and planted a kiss on her cheek, before turning around and shooting the headmasters a nasty glare and striding out of the room. "We shall return later, Miss Granger, please feel free to undo the glamour. Also it might be prudent if you went to find Mr Scott, I have lifted apparition within the room for an hour that should be enough for you to talk to him and Messer's Lupin and Black. Also your results are on the table, along with the late Mr. and Mrs Potter's letters," he tipped his head, eyes still twinkling and turned around following Severus out of the room.
Hermione smiled serenely after him. She barely glanced at Sirius as he stood up and moved to sit on the headmaster's desk and examined a lemon drop. Hermione's eyes found the letters on the desk. Reaching out to take them she glanced at the top one 'To a dear friend, Hermione Granger, from Lily Potter ne Evans,' smiling she put it into the pocket of her cloak, glancing at the next one she grinned as she looked at James's 'To a dear sister, in all but blood, Hermione Granger, from James Potter,' she put that one in her pocket as well and looked at the last one.
It was fairly thick, obviously this was contained the NEWT results, gulping slightly she opened it, pulled open a sheet of paper and read the results.
HERMIONE ANTOINETTE BABINEAUX NEWT RESULTS (Changes explained in A/N at bottom)
Pass:
Incomparable (I+)
Outstanding (O)
Exceeds Expectations (E)
Acceptable (A)
Fail:
Poor (P)
Dreadful (D)
Troll (T)
Hermione Antoinette Babineaux has received
Arithmancy – O
Ancient Runes – O
Charms – I+
Defence Against The Dark Arts – I+
Herbology – E
Potions – O
Transfiguration – O
Hermione smiled, it was a good, better really, than she could have hoped for. She wasn't really to fussed about Herbology, nothing she wanted to do required that, all she really wanted was a mastery in charms, which the I+ meant she could get. Glancing up she smiled at Sirius who grimaced back and spat out a lemon drop that flew through the air and hit Remus in the chest. Laughter filled the room as Remus carefully removed the sticky sweet of his robes before glaring at Sirius.
Still laughing Hermione pulled out her wand from a pocket of her robes and waved it over her face and body before conjuring a mirror to float in front of her, so she might see how she truly looked, for the first time in three years. She smiled happily, her natural brown hair was slightly darker than it used to be, almost a chocolate brown but still carrying a slight hint of red, and it wasn't a bushy as it once was, but it wasn't curly. The curls that now lived in her hair had a slight hint of being unmanageable. Her once chocolate brown eyes now resembled coffee with slight hints of caramel. Her bushy eyebrows were back, though they seemed to have calmed down a bit, and lightened in colour. She seemed to have shrunk a bit now living at a slightly shorter 5, 6 while before she had grown to almost 5, 8.
She waved her wand once, banishing the mirror, and said clearly "Dobby?"
A loud crack signalled the arrival of the slightly batty house elf, he stared up and her and said "Mizz Granger?"
"Hello Dobby," Hermione smiled down at him and he threw himself around her legs, smilingly slightly she said "could you take my trunk to Severus's room and collect Crookshanks and bring him down for me please?"
"Of course Mizz Granger, Dobby will do it now, good day to you Mizz Granger," he backed away and vanished with another loud crack.
A loud cough brought Hermione's attention back to Sirius and Remus, "that was Dobby, he uhh, has a friendship with Harry," she smiled happily at them. They grinned at each other for several seconds before Hermione said "maybe I should go see Josh," she glanced at Sirius and Remus and they nodded.
"Sirius, can I place a disillusionment charm on you, just if there are any witches and wizards around they might attack, and I wouldn't want that," with his consent she mumbled the spell and tapped his head. He vanished, watching the spot where he had been closely Hermione noticed the air move a bit, proof Sirius was there.
Once they had both taken a hand she grasped them firmly and spun on the spot. Seconds later Hermione's lungs gratefully expanded as new air flew into them. Letting go rather hastily of Sirius and Remus's hands she stared up at the back of the shop. Pulling her cloak tightly around herself she pulled out her wand and stuffed it up her sleeve, holding the tip in her palm.
Glancing around Hermione saw a few dustbins and a stay cat eating in one that had tipped over. The building was old, possibly Tudor, maybe older. It stood slightly wonky seemingly held up by the houses on one side of it. Motioning for the others to follow her Hermione walked through the alley at one side and stepped out into the street. Opposite her lay a butchery, several dead pigs lay strung up in the window. Glancing away from the slightly sickening sight Hermione turned to glance at the opposite end of the street. I castle lay there, much like Hogwarts, but obviously slightly younger, it hinted at being built in about 900 A.D. Turning around again Hermione glanced at where Remus was, she could just make out a faint shimmer where she knew Sirius was, motioning for them to follow.
The shop was even more wonky at the front almost laying diagonally in the air. From the outside it appeared to have a cosy feel, tables rested in random places around the room and a man in his mid-thirties and a woman about the same age were flitting around clearing up. Hermione moved away towards the door and pushed it open; a bell tinkered above her head.
The man barely glanced at her as he carried moving around, "sorry, we're closed for the day," he turned to give her a faint smile before carrying on, the women moved away through a door.
Moving forward Hermione ignored him and glanced around, the coffee shop was even cosier on the inside, a roaring fire was visible on one side of the room, while, on the other there were several doors. As Hermione moved closer it aloud Remus to come into view.
"I'm sorry but we're close, so I really must ask you to …" the man trailed off as he raised his head and looked at Remus.
Remus smiled back at him, "Hi Josh."
Josh just stared at Remus before saying "Remus?"
Remus tripped forward pushing Hermione further into the shop, apparently though Remus hadn't tripped as a second later a voice said "Oi! Hermione, take the bloody charm off!"
Ignoring Josh's stare Hermione pulled out her wand and motioned for Sirius to move closer to her, as he did the air shimmered when it stopped; Hermione reached up and tapped Sirius on the head. Sirius's shimmered into view, ignoring Hermione and Remus he said "Hello Scott, long time no see."
"Oh god," the man didn't seem able to talk; he was staring from Sirius to Remus to Hermione and back to Remus again. "How did you find me?"
Hermione smiled at the man, he obviously was in shock, "well, about twenty years ago a friend of mine told me to let him know when a war was over. He said to go and ask Albus Dumbledore for the information. Unfortunately, however, I was unable to let him know the war finished, for a brief time, in 1981, because at the time I was currently about a year old. So here I am now, telling you that the war isn't over, but I need you to come back," she smiled even wider at him.
Josh stared at her before saying "Hermione?"
Hermione smiled sadly, echoing Sirius's words from earlier, she said "yeah, long time no see."
"Oh god," Josh said again before calling loudly, "Louise? I could do with your help, please?"
Their was a faint, smash, as thought of breaking china then the witch who Hermione had previously seen tidying the shop had run into the room. "This had better be important, because I just broke the best china!" She took no notice of Hermione or Sirius as she glared at him. Josh however wasn't looking at her; instead he was staring at Hermione.
The witch, Louise, turned around and looked at them. She glanced at Hermione and the others shortly before saying "sorry, we're closed," before she turned around and said in a carrying whisper, "I thought this was important!"
"Louise, honey, that's Remus and the girl, says she's Hermione Babineaux," Josh trembled before Louise.
She however ignored him and turned around, her eyes passed over Remus before resting on Hermione. "Well that's defiantly Lupin, I could recognise him a mile away. But wouldn't Hermione be about our age now? This girl is barely seventeen," she stared at Hermione before carrying on, "though she does look a bit like her, her face shape is the same. Not to mention, I always thought that her aura appeared a bit blurry, maybe it was glamour… but that still wouldn't explain the age…" she drifted off.
Her eyes passed around the shop before her eyes darted back to Remus. Her voice changed, "Black?"
Sirius it seemed had been hiding behind Remus but now appeared in Louise's line of view as Remus moved. A loud choking noise erupted from Sirius as he stared at the witch, "Diamond?"
The witch smiled grimly at him, before turning back to Josh.
"You know, now that Remus and Black are here it seems that possibly could be Hermione, but still. I'll leave you guys to sort it out," she moved away picking up more china and cutlery before exiting the room.
There was silence for a moment before Sirius burst out, "you married Diamond? Why?"
More silence greeted Sirius's words, "maybe he loves her?" Hermione said sarcastically. Turning around, back to face Josh, she said "Josh look it's really me, remember the great hall when you looked at me and said Daniel loved me? Remember all those times in quidditch? Remember the photograph of the team in fifth year? Please tell me you believe me!"
Josh stared at her for a moment before smiling widely and darting over to her and pulling her into a hug. Mumbling into her hair he said "you must tell me everything."
Hogwarts, Headmasters Office, (Saturday, 15th November 1995) (Around 1am)
Hermione dropped into an armchair in the headmaster's office that evening fully worn out. Sirius and Remus had long since returned home and now only Severus, Dumbledore and Hermione were left in the room, along with Fawkes and the paintings. She had arrived back from Daniel's alone; Sirius and Remus had left earlier, to Hogwarts and then flooing home. Josh, her and Louise had spoken late into the night when Hermione had finally dragged herself away and back to Hogwarts it had been with a much lighter heart. Josh and Louise had decided to move back to the wizarding world. Josh had confided in her that they hadn't fully given magic up, however the only used it when necessary. They were going to try to find a place in Hogsmead and move in by the end of the month.
So now, Hermione sat in the headmaster's office going over the story they had made up. They had decided that they would have to say Hermione had been into the past but would say it was during her early childhood to keep a look out for a younger self, as her magic when she was a child was slightly dangerous, being as powerful as she was. That would also be why she was now engaged to Severus, as they had been working together.
On Monday she would be starting work at the school, taking an apprenticeship under Flitwick to be the new Charms teacher when he retired at the end of the year. Apparently the little wizard was older than he looked, according to Dumbledore Flitwick had been a year ahead of him at Hogwarts.
Yawning loudly Hermione closed her eyes and leant heavily against Severus in the chair next to her.
Hogwarts, Severus's private rooms, (Saturday 15th November 1995) Around 1.30 pm)
When Hermione woke up she found herself laying in a bed, fully clothed still, with someone's arm wrapped around her. Smiling a she recognised the musky scent that came from Severus she moved closer to him and savoured the heat he gave off. A little while later once she had decided she was fully awake she opened her eyes again and smiled as she caught Severus look down at her with nothing but pure love on his face.
"I would have changed you into your pyjamas last night, but I wasn't sure you would appreciate it," he smiled sheepishly at her.
Grinning Hermione mumbled "I'd appreciate anything you offered me."
They lay like that for several more minutes before Hermione moved away and made her way towards a door. Pulling it open she smiled as she saw a bathroom decked in silver. When she left the bathroom about five minutes later Hermione left the bedroom through the only other door and found herself in what appeared to be the Kitchen, Living room and study all in one. Severus was drinking a cup of something while reading the paper. Moving over to him Hermione wrapped her arms around his chest and smiled at the way they fit together, like two pieces of the same jigsaw.
"It's almost two in the afternoon," mumbled Severus as Hermione stole his cup of coffee. Taking the seat opposite him she nodded to show she had heard him. He smiled before nodding towards his paper and disappearing behind it. Taking another deep glug of coffee Hermione heard a crinkle of paper and pulled out from her pocket the letters from Lily and James.
Putting James's letter on the table Hermione ripped open Lily's and started to read.
Dear Hermione,
You have no idea how much your letter meant to me. For you to tell me where you came from meant so much to me. Thank you. I to, love you like a sister. It is for that reason I have appointed you godmother to my son, Harry, if anything is to happen to James or I, you and Sirius are the people who I want to take care of him. I would say Remus to, but with his moony side I don't think it's really wise, especially around full moon.
Your letter however did leave a few things wit holes in them, but I suppose that is your way of trying to warn me. Unfortunately I was unable to understand what you were trying to say. Harry is exactly a year old now, he's sleeping currently, along with my darling husband. I must confess that when you mentioned mine and James's I almost had heart failure. I thought me and James wouldn't last, we're too different. But here we are, almost two years later. James proposed on the train, personally I thought it was incredibly sweet maybe I bit unrehearsed. Sirius, of course, found it hilarious; he couldn't stop laughing for weeks. The wedding was a quiet affair, just The Marauders and family as well as Dumbledore.
Now to the important things. From what the letter you left me was saying I gather I will not be around much longer. So therefore necessary precautions must be done.
You and Sirius are the first people to look after Harry should we die. My sister is not aloud within a mile of the child, which is important; I feel she would try to quash the magic out of him. Also I have left a will in the Potter volt, half to Harry, with most of our possessions but the rest is to be split between you, Sirius and Remus. Dumbledore knows all these things. Tell Harry I love him. And let Sirius and Remus know how much I love them as well.
Good luck Hermione Granger,
Love, your sister in all but blood,
Lily Rose Potter
P.S I thought you might like to know, I'm currently a healer, but due to the fidelius charm I may not work.
Hermione wiped a tear from her cheek that was running down her face. There would be more time to dwell on the letter later but now she needed to read James's. Putting Lily's aside she pulled James's forward, opening she set about reading it.
Dear Hermione,
The letter you wrote me was incredibly hard to understand, but I think I did.
You to Hermione are a sister I never had in everything but blood. Which is why we (Lily and I) have appointed you Harry's godmother, take care of our son. Speaking of Lily and I, I did propose to her, I was going to wait, but you made it seem like we had such little time left and I wanted to marry her as soon as possible. So as soon as I finished reading your letter I asked her, on the Hogwarts Express. Not very romantic, but I'm not really a romantic person. Our wedding was beautiful and I don't think it's possible for me to love Lily any more than I do. Please not this, I will protect Lily with me life if I have to.
You certainly caught my attention when you mentioned Prongs. You're a very clever girl, that or you someone know someone in the future who knew that bit of information. And you're certainly not stupid.
I do not understand what you were trying to say when you spoke of Sirius and Remus. I am sorry. We are currently in hiding now, it's the first of September and I can't help but think of the little first years off to start a new life at Hogwarts. I wish I was going with them, what I wouldn't give to be young again, but I'm sure we all would.
Good Luck Hermione Granger,
Love, your brother,
James Charlus Potter
P.S I thought you would like to know, I'm an auror, with Sirius!
Hermione put the letter down quickly as more tears set about running down her face, onto her chin and dropped onto James's letter. They were so sweet towards her. Tears leaked more heavily down her face. They knew that she knew what was going to happen to them and something bad would happen. Yet they weren't passing judgement, rather saying how much they loved her and how they considered her family. It felt like a stab in her heart when she realized she would never see them alive again.
End of Chapter
Feel free to review
I tried really hard to capture Dumbledore, Hermione is quite an easy character to write about because she's so important and you can relate to her, but Dumbledore is much harder. Hopefully I did okay, I tried my best.
I will be going away, again, on Sunday, which means probably no updates for a week. I might write, its not like my grandparents don't have internet, pshh, they basically live on their computers. Guess where they live? Battle. So it was very easy for me to describe the village. But maybe being there will give me more inspiration.
Also, a note to Twilight fans, I might be doing another twilight one, all human.
I know there isn't a fire place in Dumbledore's office, but bare with me, there is now.
We never knew what the NEWT results looked like. So (I+) is like the highest grade ever scored. It also means you could gain a Master degree in this subject.
Don't forget they take apparition lessons in 6th year, I didn't mention them, they weren't important, and I forgot.
With the Battle bit, I was going to choose somewhere else, maybe surrey. But I know Battle more, it is a real place. I go there every month and trust me, it is amazing, not to mention they have the worlds best candle shop! Also, all the places mentioned in Battle, with exception to the Coffee shop (in whose place is really a cooking shop) are real.
Also, I'm not really a speech person, I'm more description. So excuse the talking n the chapter.
Wow. I cannot believe I have over 400 reviews, I don't even know where they all came from! As always your reviews made me smile, thank you so much.
Also, I keep changing the summary, but don't worry, it's still me writing.
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