February, 1976.

Hermione hadn't experienced a crisis of this magnitude since she was ten years old and had been caught sneaking out to a Muggle park with Sirius. Undoubtedly, she'd received harsh hexes from Walburga, but the worst feeling had been the unhelpfulness that hit her at the inability to rescue her brother.

The same kind of unease was back when she saw Regulus at the Slytherin table, well aware that she couldn't snatch that letter out of his hands. She had an inkling that their mother had found out about him hanging out with his Gryffindor siblings a few weeks prior and was keen on forbidding him from doing that ever again.

Of course, Professor Dumbledore had recommended keeping their meetings secret from now on, as not to put further accusations of Regulus turning into a Blood Traitor.

"Make it seem like a mistake that the young Black regretted," he had said a couple of weeks earlier.

Regulus needed to be seen neutral to be safe from Voldemort's eyes and begrudgingly, she knew that they had to keep their distance for it.

Once she received a quick, reassuring eye contact from her little brother, she dragged her eyes away and moved them to Snape, who had seemingly taken Regulus under his wing.

It came as a surprise to her, when she found out that they'd in fact been friends since his first year and were only now talking in public. Of course, she wasn't sure what their reasoning behind it was but since she was put in a similar situation just now, she couldn't judge them.

Noticing that the Slytherin was done with his meal, Hermione got up as well and silently headed towards the library, looking back a few times to check that he was following her.

Once she was inside, she took the usual right turn as soon as she reached the last shelf in the room and made her way to sit at her usual spot.

A couple of moments later, she could hear the drag of his chair as Snape sat down with a sour look on his face.

"You look like you've been fed a bunch of bad Bettie Bott's Beans. Want some chocolate?" she offered, the side of her lips quirking up at the reaction she got.

His eyes had widened at the sight of the sweet, but he quickly rid his face of any sign of how desperately he wanted a piece.

"You'll change your mind," she sang, taking a bite of the bar that she'd held with one hand while she set her bag down on the floor with the other. "Would it hurt to tell me what the letter said?"

He eyed her appraisingly, arching a stiff brow at her. "Yes," he muttered. "If you're so interested, you could just ask your brother." He paused and gauged for a reaction and when he got none, he leaned back in his chair.

"Fine," Hermione said, sporting the most neutral look she could. "I don't really care of what goes on in that family. I'd rather just get started with the lesson if it's fine with you."

The Wizarding World has some great actors, Granger muttered.

Snape hummed, immediately whispering Legilimency the moment he met her eyes. Her walls started to build up slow by slow, less faster than they had before winter break. The Cruciatus Curse had really affected her mind badly, no matter what the Healer had said at Potter Manor.

By the time there was only an inch of space left for him to enter her mind, she could tell he was looking for a specific setting in her mind — Grimmauld Place. She couldn't blame him, she'd instigated his curiosity but it didn't mean that she would let him see some of the most vulnerable moments in her life.

That place is truly awful. The basement especially was so . . . started Granger and Hermione froze - immediately questioning in her mind as to how the woman knew about the Manor. She'd been forbidden to enter the basement, so there was no way Granger would've seen it in her mind.

Oh. I - well, I had to visit it in my time, Granger replied. Come on, we can't risk talking right now. Severus could still enter your mind again.

But the boy in question had already exited her mind and she let out a heavy, ragged breath, closing her eyes for a minute to stop her mind from playing her worst nightmares continuously.

Except they were reality - the fruit of Walburga's love for her children. Or well, the opposite of that.

"I didn't like that," she told him, knowing well that she had no place to complain. But still - a loud rush of anger had filled her chest, surely it was just her projecting her ire at him rather than at her mother.

Her jaw was locked tight but the moment Snape opened his mouth, it fell open.

"I'm sorry," he said and kept his dark eyes on her. Had she not trusted him, she would've thought he was trying to enter her mind once again. "I needed to make sure that you can keep out your worst memories."

She rubbed her palm against the harsh surface of her jeans. "How did you know that's where they are?" she asked, genuinely surprised at his intuition.

He looked away and for the first time ever, she saw him scratch his neck - as if that was his nervous tick. She had never seen Severus Snape nervous, of all things.

"I recognize some things when I see them."

Her mouth formed an 'o' and she hesitated. "Do you - is it because you can . . . relate to them?"

His head snapped back towards her and Hermione could feel his own walls closing in. "No," he bit out. "Why? Do you want to have a counseling session too now?"

Her hands rose up in surrender and she shook her head. "Of course not. I'd never force you to listen to me, or to have you talk to me instead. I just believe that mental health is very important when it comes to matters like - like abuse."

Snape stood up instantly, grabbing his bag in a swift and harsh motion. "This lesson is over. Tell Dumbledore you passed this test as well."

With that, he walked away from the table with his robes levitating from the floor so gracefully that she thought he had put a spell on them.

She let out a sigh. With Snape, it was always one step forward and two steps back. With this pace, she wasn't sure when they'd reach a genuine friendship.

Hermione ran a hand through her long curls and contemplated reading over her History of Magic essay again — Grindelwald had been a rather interesting figure — but just then, she was interrupted by a tap on her shoulders. She craned her neck to find a young, black haired girl, whose eyes were fixed to the floor.

"Hi?" Unsure on what else to say, she waited and waited for the first year Ravenclaw's mouth to open, but the girl silently handed her a small note and scurried away right that instant.

Hermione bit her lips and they pulled into a pout. She didn't look so intimidating, did she? Shaking her head, she opened the note to read the contents.

Flibble Quivers after dinner.

She wasted no time in burning the piece of paper and packing her stuff.


Well aware that the boys had Astronomy class right after dinner, she waited for dessert to disappear to see them finally leave and exited the Great Hall right after. Greeted by only a few portraits on the way, she noticed the appraising looks some wore at the little girl who was constantly bothering the Headmaster.

Hermione found that she didn't care. She would've been embarrassed previously but oh well.

Her process of getting inside his office got quicker every time, since it had started to become a habit for the Gargoyles to move away as soon as she faced them.

Not bothering to sit at her usual spot, she stood by the desk and watched as the Headmaster rose as well. "Miss Black, I hope you had a good day."

"You as well, Sir," she said with a smile. She had an inkling that he'd been satisfied with both her training with Moody and Snape. "Are we learning more about Riddle today?"

"Ah, yes. We are, so why don't we immediately move to the Pensieve?"

He moved towards the corner of the room, his hand reaching out to a specific bottled memory that he'd kept on the dedicated shelf. "Today, we'll be seeing my meeting with a young boy."

She didn't wait any longer and immediately let the large basin suck her into the liquid, finding herself at the doorway of a small, filthy room. Her eyes quickly found the younger version of Professor Dumbledore, who was sitting on a wooden chair that faced the bed.

On the mattress sat a young boy. He didn't seem to be a teen quite yet, but the mature look on his face had her in doubt. His black hair was swept back neatly and his pale skin seemed even whiter at the low light that crept through the dirty window.

"Have you experienced anything of this sort, Tom?"

Sitting primly with his knees together, the boy spoke up, "I was able to move objects with my mind . . . I am rather sure that my ability to talk to snakes comes from magic as well. Is it very common?"

Professor Dumbledore's blue eyes widened, his lips then folded in a tight line. "I believe it is time to take my leave. Tom, do stop bothering other kids and stealing from the orphanage. Make sure to return everything you've taken and apologize. This kind of behaviour will not be tolerated at Hogwarts," he admonished in a chill voice — nothing like the usual tone she'd heard him use.

He hadn't even answered the young boy's question, which had obviously upset him.

Hermione knew that Parseltongue wasn't very common. It was a gift notoriously common among the heirs of Slytherin, so it was a topic that wasn't introduced in a positive light. Still, hadn't the Headmaster been too harsh on a confused boy that knew nothing about it?

The vision in front of her began to swirl and soon, she found herself standing right outside the Pensieve. Professor Dumbledore was already in his seat by the time she composed herself and made herself comfortable in her own chair.

A question had been stuck in her mind since the moment she entered that memory and she needed to get it out before anything else could be discussed. "Professor . . . exactly how old is Tom Riddle supposed to be?"

The old wizard in front of her gave her an approving nod, leaning against his large chair with a sigh. "Quite swift of you to notice that so soon, Miss Black. I myself regret not thinking about it years ago. The memory I showed you, it was of 1938."

He gave her a knowing look as soon as she let out a gasp. "He should be forty nine, but he certainly does not look like it. Professor, I — he looked like he was in his twenties when I met him! How is this possible?"

He nodded, a hand stuck in his frizzy, white beard. "While I haven't seen him in a long time, I know what you are saying is correct and if I am going on the right path, I'd say that Miss Granger has an answer for that question."

"We should ask her th—"

"No." He put his hand up, letting her enthusiasm crumble to the ground. "We can't risk you knowing the information she knows until your Occlumency barriers are strong enough."

She opened her mouth to protest, but his serious look made her shy away. Instead, Hermione allowed him to address another matter.

"I'm sure you noticed how harsh I was on Tom Riddle," he began and waited for her nod before he continued. "It is one of my many regrets. One that I find myself believing was what started his hatred for me."

No shit, she almost said but she bit her tongue. It wasn't a good time for her inner Sirius to come out. "Did you ever talk to him about Parseltongue again?" she asked curiously.

"I'm afraid he learned more than I ever got to teach him." With that cryptic message, he fixed his glasses and gave her a tired smile. "I think that's enough for today, Hermione. Have a goodnight."

Unable to argue with him, she said, "Goodnight." Hermione stood with a sigh and left the office more confused than she had been when she'd entered it.


It didn't take her long to find herself climbing to the top of the Astronomy Tower. Her current favourite book, Tuck Everlasting, safe in her hands with a tight grip, she stepped to the other side and quite frankly let her body drop to the floor, slumping against the parapet.

Over the period of five years at Hogwarts, Hermione had always loved moments of loneliness, not just for the silence that was welcomed by it but also for the chances of self-reflection that she got. It wasn't often that she got that sort of opportunity with loud friends like the Marauders.

But now, it admittedly didn't feel as nice as it often did. A constant urge to sigh into the empty space followed her chest, even as she flipped through the pages of the book. The story too couldn't distract her mind, what with being about immortality of all things.

Was it a book that Lord Voldemort would enjoy too?

She clenched her jaw and continued her reading, allowing the soft night breeze to fly past the window and hit her rosy cheeks.

It was only after she heard the soft pit pat of footsteps that she froze, her wand instantly in her hand and pointed at a spot in the dark. The sound got louder and louder, until James appeared before her eyes with his arms raised in surrender.

"Woah — easy there," he said, much faster in walking towards her than earlier. In just a few seconds, he was sitting in the spot beside her, glancing at her curiously.

"Watched a horror movie once and now you keep thinking you're part of one," she muttered, remembering the day Sirius had convinced her to sneak out of Grimmauld Place for a whole day to watch Jaws with the boys. Ever since then, they had been trying to scare her at random times, well aware that she wouldn't be getting so scared ever again.

He snickered. "Stop trying to demotivate me. Be a good friend, Hermione!" he said, a hand over his heart as though she would fall for his dramatics.

"Do you convince Lily like that?" she asked, genuinely curious if he managed to trick the redhead.

His smile dropped for a couple of beats, until he bit his lower lip and the corners of his mouth lifted. "She's too smart for that."

She had the option to let the mood change go but concerned as she was, her brows furrowed instantly and she asked, "What? Did she do something again?"

While she'd thought that things could get better with Lily on her birthday, they hadn't changed much or rather, they had only worsened. The Prefect was having a hard time getting used to the dynamics of the group.

Hermione was unsure as to what the specific parts exactly were — James refused to tell her — but she still thought it wasn't a good excuse.

No matter what, the redhead needed to stop looking utterly upset at the thought of sharing James with the group, which was obvious whenever he convinced her to hang with the Marauders.

And Hermione - well, she could only take her brother being insulted so many times. Sirius kept saying it was fine as Lily was his good mate's girlfriend, but that was unjustified. What had the boy even done to bother her so much?

"She got into a fight with Pads," James muttered, scratching the back of his neck. The moment she learned that fact and noticed the unease on her best friend's face, she could quite confidently say that she'd never wanted to hex the girl so much.

She wasn't one for violence, but Merlin forbid anyone even dared to raise their voice at Sirius, let alone lay a finger on him.

She had seen and heard enough when she was a child.

Hermione was tired of it but more than that, she was much stronger than when she was a nine year old.

What a bitch, she wanted to say but the voice of Granger stopped her before she could even utter the very first word.

Don't say that. Lily, she - well, she's just taking her time getting used to the company of your brother!

Hermione was confused as to why the woman in her unconscious was so adamant to defend Lily. The only reason she could think of was that Granger had met Lily in her life. Oh, Godric - was she the Minister of Magic in her dimension?

No, but—

At that moment, James spoke up once again. "I don't know what to do. I know you're mad at her, too. Fuck, maybe even at me for letting her act like that."

Well, at least he knew.

Closing her eyes briefly, she moved closer to grab both of his hands. Looking at him right in the eye — no matter how dark it may be, she shook her head.

"James, you are not the one arguing with Sirius. It's Lily, and I admit, as much as she's trying to fit in, she has also been angering me a lot. The reason I'm telling you is that we are best friends and I'm comfortable enough not to lie to you, which is why I'm also letting you know that next time she comes at Sirius, I won't hesitate giving her a piece of my mind."

His eyes flew to the ground and she could tell he was restraining his lips from completely quirking down - just to show that he wasn't upset. She gnawed on her lower lip before retracting a bit.

"Never mind. You know what? This is Sirius's fight, not mine so I'm not going to say more on it. If he doesn't mind it, then I guess I don't care either. I . . . I am happy for you, I swear. Merlin knows how long you've waited to finally hold her hands and look into her bright, gorgeous emerald eyes."

As if she'd flicked on a switch, he turned into his usual cocky self and said, "She has been waiting for me too. She just didn't know it." He shrugged with a lazy genuine smile, so she let go of his hands and moved back to her original spot.

"What were you doing here? All alone reading this," he murmured, poking the book on her lap carefully like it was a ticking bomb.

She rolled her eyes. "A book. You know, a printed work with a lot of words? I should get you one for your birthday."

His mouth fell open in shock and he moved away from her. "Why would you even do that to me? When they're releasing a new series of broomsticks right before March?"

She tapped her chin with her index finger and hummed. "Sirius is there for that gift anyways. Remus and Peter . . . I don't know what they have planned."

He scrunched his nose in defeat, knowing well that he had no other points for his argument. After a few beats, he started, "Moony's birthday is this Friday."

"It is," she confirmed, continuing to flip through her book. It didn't quite remind her of Voldemort anymore. "What about it?" she asked.

"Lily's coming with us, too. Do you want to invite Marlene as well?" he asked, stretching his long legs out and looking at her carefully.

They had planned to sneak Remus into Honeydukes and celebrate it there, ever since they'd gotten permission from the owner, Weston Kines. The elderly man had found out about the passage one day in fourth year, when Peter had caused too much ruckus getting out.

Fortunately, the kind man he was, he found it quite amusing that they had chosen to skip classes and spend the day at his store of all places in Hogsmeade. He'd also been reassured to always find money paid for all the candy they ate, so he let them come whenever they wanted.

"Marlene has a tutoring lesson with Benjy," James smirked at that, "and I don't think we should let anyone else know about the passage, especially after Mr. Kines told us to be careful about it."

"Alright, I'm just glad we are going there before Valentine's day." He shuddered. "Godric, can you imagine if his birthday had been one day later, instead?"

She snorted. "He'd be quite the target for his little fangirls. It's a pity that he refuses to give anyone a chance anymore."

James fell quiet and she took that as a sign that he didn't have much to say on that matter, so she shut her book and rubbed her eyes tiredly.

It had gotten quite late and when she turned to look at James, he was already standing. He offered her a hand and she took it, rising on her sore legs with a grunt.

Morning workouts were still not fun.

Moody said you'll get used to it, Granger said and Hermione hoped that they were both right.

"Maybe he likes someone else," James said suddenly as they walked down the stairs.

She stopped, making sure to show him the slow, dramatic roll of her eyes and her baffled look. "Him liking someone and not telling me? Impossible. He tells me everything."

James looked away and shrugged, his hand immersed in a bunch of flyaway black curls. "I guess."

They fell into a comfortable silence, and the starlight continued to shine over them as they walked to their dorm in peace.


A/N: It has been a long time, but with self-isolation and quarantine going on, I thought it was only right to finally write something. Thank you for the lovely reviews you have all written. They have been very reassuring and I hope everyone is doing alright. Please stay at home, not only for your own safety but also for those who are immunocompromised. Stay safe!