CHAPTER 17

"Since when ?" James asked once they were inside her cottage.

"Your seventh year." She answered.

"Why?" he asked, his voice pained.

"He was too convinced that his' was the winning side. He wanted to be on the side that had power."

"Will you tell us the truth now ?" Sirius asked. Hermione had always known they doubted her story but said nothing because of what she had said under Veritaserum.

"I guess its about time that you knew." She nodded at them and went inside the room. When she returned she had an album in her hand.

"Here, look at it. Then I will explain." It was Harry's album.

Remus took the album in his hands and opened it. The first picture was of James' and Lily but what surprised her was the baby they held in their hand. All of them looked at the picture and then at Hermione, "What does this mean?" Lily asked.

"Finish it and I will explain."

The next picture was of the day James and Lily were married, there were a few from their school days, one of the entire order though it hadn't been taken yet. In one picture there was a baby with green eyes, flying on a toy broom as James ran after him. After this there were pictures of Hermione but she was young in probably in her first year , there were two boys on her either side, one had red hair while the other was a younger version of James with green eyes. There were many of their pictures. In all the pictures as the kids grew up, he could see the green eyed boy looked more and more similar to James.

He turned to look at Sirius who had just made a weird noise and saw all of his friends looking at him and the album and back at him again. He soon saw the object of their surprise, in one picture, behind the trio who had been until now constant in most of the picture , stood an old Remus Lupin. His hair was grey at certain places and he had more scars on his face but no one could deny it was him. If he was shocked to see himself it was nothing in comparison to how he felt when he saw the older copy of Sirius. He looked as if all his happiness had been sucked out. As they continued, there were many pictures of Sirius and Remus with Hermione and the boys as they all grew up but there were none of James and Lily. The older people they recognized as, Dumbledore, Minerva, Moody, Kingsley, Arthur and Molly Weasley, Snape and others.

"Why do you have older pictures of us?" Sirius asked. "and who is the boy who looked like James?"

"He is Harry."

Remus gasped as understanding dawned upon him. Hermione appearing out of no where in the house. Her knowing about everything and recognizing everyone. She wasn't a seer , she had lived through the future. He wasn't the only one who had realized it.

"Harry is my… son?"

"That's not possible." James said waving away Lily.

"It is, James. My best friend, Harry is your son."

They looked at her incredulously. "BUT HOW?"

"Hermione Granger was born in 1979."

Sirius laughed at her but he was the only one doing that.

"You mean you are a toddler?"

When Hermione didn't say anything, he shook his head. "Fucking hell , Mione. You are a time traveler."

A heavy silence followed the words.

"Is it true?" Remus asked after a long silence.

"What?" she said confused. Everything she had said was true. What was he asking about?

"The potion?" his eyes were hopeful.

Hermione felt her face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Of course Remus. I was hoping to give it to you on your birthday but…" she let the words hang in air. She didn't want to say anything about peter yet. The marauders were yet to acknowledge it.

Remus stood up and pulled hermione in his arms hugging her tightly. And she could feel emotions swirling from within him. he was sad for her, angry with Peter, Happy with the fact that his transformation could be easy. James, Sirius and Lily were looking at Remus with a smile. If it was really true then Remus would never suffer again in his life.

"Mione?" lily asked.

"Yes lily." She asked as Remus released her.

"Is future really a bad place?"

"It was. But I will change it. Nothing will ever happen the same again."

"What did Peter do in your timeline?" Remus asked and suddenly all of their faces sobered.

"It doesn't matter it won't happen again." She promised.

"It does matter. We need to know what that rat was capable of. Today he could have killed my child if you hadn't intervened. We need to know what the traitor could have done."

Hermione sighed. They needed to know the truth if they had to understand his treachery.

"Somewhere around June , a prophecy will be made about a child born on the end of July."

"Lily is due then." James said.

"Yes. Somehow Voldemort came to know of this prophecy and decides that it is Harry." She excluded the fact that it was Severus otherwise, it would have been difficult to make them trust him. "Dumbledore asks you both to go into hiding with Sirius as the secret keeper of Godric's Hollow. But Sirius thinks he is the most obvious choice and instead make Peter the secret keeper without telling anyone." Sirius looked outraged. He had guessed the implications of it. "peter sold out your location to Voldemort. He came on the Halloween of 1981 , and killed both of you." They gasped. " but due to some ancient magic caused by your love for him and the fact that Severus had begged for your life from him and he had granted him that and then broken it by killing you, magic retaliated. The killing curse he shot on harry instead killed him." Sirius and remus were fuming with anger. James was holding Lily protectively while Lily had tears in her eyes and a smile on her lips.

"Severus comes back. Voldemort dies. Harry was safe with both of you. " She said looking at Sirius ans Remus, " what more could I ask for."

"No lily." Hermione said before anyone else. She needed to be finished with it. " Sirius had realized something was wrong and came to check on you. He found your bodies and Harry. He went after Peter but he shouted for whole street to hear that he had betrayed you, killed thirteen muggles, cut his own finger and then transformed and disappeared in the sewers." She looked at Sirius and said sadly, "You were thrown in Azkaban without a trial."

Lily started sobbing in James' chest. "It won't happen , Lily." James said. " we have that rat. He wont hurt our family."

Remus tightened his grip on his friend's shoulder. Now the hollow look on his face made sense. But he were in the picture, he must gotten out somehow. He name must have been cleared.

"How long?" Remus asked.

"Twelve years."

Twelve years! He had been in that hell hole for Twelve freaking years.

"It was in our third year" hermione continued, " you escaped. You had found out that peter was in Hogwarts as Ron's rat, there was a manhunt for you. Dementors guarded Hogwarts. By the end of year you managed to convince me, Harry , Ron and Remus of your innocence, though Peter escaped, next year he raised Voldemort again."

"But you said he died?" Sirius said, coming out of his shock.

"He can't die."

"The horcruxes." Sirius said in understanding.

"Did you say horcruxes , in plural?" Remus asked, "Voldemort has them?"

"In my time he had seven, right now five."

"Merlin!" Remus exclaimed in horror.

"What are you talking about?" Lily asked. Sirius explained to them what he had learnt from hermione and regulus. He knew about them being a part of the Black house which associated with Dark magic , while Remus had read about them in dark arts books.

"I know what they are and where they are. We will kill him before he even gets to Harry."

"Who did Harry lived with Mione?" Lily asked.

"Petunia," she saw the look of horror on her face, "Dumbledor refused to let Remus meet him for twelve years, The weasleys wanted to take him in but he refused."

"It isn't happening." She said angrily trying to convince herself. " If anything ever happens to me or James, you three will look after my son. No one else, not even Dumbledore." She ordered and the three nodded.

"We still have a traitor to dispose of." Sirius said.

Hermione decided to follow them back but Lily held her.

" Let them deal it among themselves. They have done a lot for him." she said and Hermione nodded. Then she looked at the tired woman in front of her. It had been too much drama for the pregnant woman.

"Why don't you rest?" she asked taking out a dreamless sleep potion for her.

"Thanks Mione."

Hermione took her to one of the guest rooms and Lily fell asleep as soon as she had hit the bed. It had been a tiring day, both emotionally and physically.

daichisjuicythighs

I LOVE THAT YOU LOVE THIS.

Meglin024

Thanks a lott... I have always believed Sirius and Hermione could be great friends. And well, isn't Moony one of the reason why we love Remus! Just keep reading. I hope you continue to enjoy the story.