A/N: Yo. Chapter 34, for your perusal...

(also, 35 is the start of one of my fav scenes so i'm excited for that!)

Chapter 34

Unaware she was zoning out again, Hermione's hands clenched in her blanket, and her gaze dropped to the floor.

Everything would be easier if Harry was here.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

"-ione?"

Hermione jolted back to reality, flushing as she realised she had drifted off again, and looked up into the concerned face of James Potter.

"Are you okay?" His eyebrows drew together at his softly asked question.

Hermione shook her head, "I'm fine. Just tired." She attempted to stand, only to be pushed back against the chair by James.

"Bullshit."

She looked up at him, suddenly angry. Opening her mouth to let him know just what she thought of that, she was cut off by James continuing.

"You're not okay, and you haven't been since you got here. I told you I would wait, but it seems that you're too bull-headed to accept help. So, consider this an intervention." He crossed his arms as he looked at her sternly.

Suddenly too tired to argue, Hermione slouched back in the chair with a sigh.

James' posture softened, and he uncrossed his arms, shuffling closer to the chair and offering her his hand. He waited until she had taken it before continuing.

"Lily says you don't even talk that much to Alice and Marlene, Hermione." He shook his head, rubbing circles into the back of her hand, "I thought that maybe you would open up to your roommates at least, but it seems I was wrong. You've been drifting through Hogwarts, giving the illusion of interacting, while not letting anyone close."

His eyes begged her for answers as he looked at her, ensnaring her in his gaze with the same ease Harry had occasionally managed. Hermione found she couldn't look away, and was only aware she had started crying when James reached out to brush the tears away.

Silently, Sirius retrieved a tissue box from behind him, nudging James' arm with it. The boy took it, not looking away from Hermione as he offered her the box.

With a watery laugh, Hermione took a tissue, finally breaking eye contact as she dabbed at her face.

Truthfully, Hermione had been unwilling to allow anyone else to help her. Without the presence of Harry and Ron, she had fallen back into her pre-Hogwarts state of doing everything alone. Confronted with the concerned face of James Potter, and the quietly supportive presence of the other Marauders, Hermione was forced to acknowledge this.

Even Amaya hadn't been able to get much out of Hermione, and she regularly checked in with her. Hermione had been holding onto everything since the first moment she had arrived in this time, and truth be told, she was exhausted.

Dropping the hand holding the tissue to her lap, Hermione studied the hand which was now enclosed within James' two much larger ones. Looking back up at James when he gave her hand a comforting squeeze, she smiled weakly.

"You're right." She shrugged, "It was just easier, I guess."

James shook his head. "Easier for now, maybe. But in the end, all you're doing is hurting yourself."

Looking at her hands, Hermione was silent for a moment as she fidgeted. Finally, she mumbled, "It's all my fault."

James started, sitting up straight as he violently shook his head. Remus and Sirius exchanged a troubled look, and Peter let out something sounding suspiciously like a squeak, flailing out of the sofa and landing on the floor.

Hermione and the other boys looked over at him in vague amusement, as he scrambled to his feet and crowded close to Hermione, shaking his head violently all the way.

"Nuh uh. No way. Nope. Not happening." He spoke forcefully. Hermione shrunk back from him as he pushed James out the way and leaned his hands on the arms of the chair. He drew back a bit, catching her eye seriously, and she sat up again slowly, not moving her eyes from his.

Peter shook his head one more time, and whispered softly, "Don't listen to that voice. I don't care what has happened, or is happening or…shit, the voice is a liar, and it is not. Your. Fault. Okay?"

Hermione swallowed, nodding hesitantly, her voice coming out weakly, "Okay."

Peter withdrew completely, ignoring the incredulous looks of his friends as he dropped back onto the sofa again, humming softly.

Hermione's eyes softened, studying the smallest Marauder in a new light. He smiled gently at her, getting cut off by a massive yawn, which he quickly covered, eyes darting around in embarrassment. Hermione smiled, her tiredness suddenly catching up with her as she too let out a yawn.

Blinking, she looked at her hands for a moment, before standing up and grabbing her blanket before it could fall. Wrapping the fabric around her shoulders, she yawned again, closing her eyes and murmuring, "I think it's time for bed."

James stood up beside her, placing a hand gently on her shoulder with a quiet question in his eyes.

Are you going to be okay?

With a nod, Hermione removed his hand, giving it a squeeze before turning to leave.

"Where do you think you're going without saying goodbye?!" Sirius protested in scandalised tones. That was all the warning Hermione got before she was engulfed in a bear hug from behind. She let out a surprised laugh, throat still croaky from her impromptu crying session.

Letting her go, Sirius gave her a fond look, ruffling her hair with his hand as he moved away to the stairs to the boy's dorms, Peter trailing along after giving her a shy wave.

Remus passed her, putting a hand on her shoulder briefly with a smile, before he was gone too.

With a quiet, "Thanks" to James, Hermione walked over to the girl's dormitory stairs, disappearing up them to where the two other girls were already asleep.

She slipped quietly into the darkened room and made her way over to her bed.

She had a lot of thinking to do.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Back in the common room, James frowned. He still had the cloak, which he needed in order to get back to the Head Dorms, where Lily was no doubt waiting to scold him about setting a good example in order to disguise her concern for him. The thought brought a smile to his face, before remembering the news he was planning to tell her about their mutual friend, and the smile slid away.

Scrubbing a hand over his face, his gaze fell to the floor by the chair Hermione was vacated a moment ago. Specifically, to the book laying there.

With a frown, he ducked down to pick it up, looking to the girl's staircase in consideration. Shaking his head, he decided that returning the book could wait till morning.

Tucking it into his pocket and swinging the invisibility cloak around himself, he made his way out of the common room.

After all, he had a date with an irate Head Girl and he wouldn't miss it for the world.

A/N: I wasn't happy (and I'm still not tbh) about the way I split these chapters up, but it had to be done. idk, prepare for a bit of back'n'forth. If this style gives you headaches, I apologise. it'll only be for a few more chapters.

Feel free to drop me a line about it, your fav scenes so far, fav characters, idk, anything at all. I love hearing feedback even if it's just vague screaming. At least i'll know i'm heading in the right direction :)