authorsnote: update, update, updateeeeee
so, please enjoy, this was fun to write! I'm getting used to different characters and loving exploring them ^^
do let me know your thoughts - who do you want to see more of? follow for updates, and most importantly - enjoy!
songrecs: lost - emily afton
The descent into said den seems to take forever.
She hears yelling, cheering, laughter and she has to fight not to cringe away from it. It is such a foreign sound, so many people together, happy, and joyful. Even after the battle had been won they'd all been sombre, surveying the dead, mourning and a little broken inside. There had been no celebrations, no joy, not as there is now.
She remembers once when she'd grinned and laughed at something as simple as a back-to-school party (though she'd often slipped away early to read in the corner), but now it seems almost impossible.
How can they have lived through what they have and still manage a cheer?
"It's alright" Harry's voice is gentle, and she offers him a smile, he knows her so well, more than anyone, he knows when she is worrying.
"I just…" She hesitates, even pauses on the landing at the 3rd floor, for soon they'll be in the common room. "It seems weird, to be back to such normal things"
He nods then, "I know, but wouldn't that have been what would have happened in the future? Even after all the pain and death? Back to normal?"
She nods, for she knows he is right, but it is still hard to process. "I guess normal felt faraway"
Harry nodded then, "Yeah" She knows more for him, she thinks of the prophecy … normalcy was always beyond that fate for him, and for her too.
"I was thinking" Harry says then, pulling her towards the boys' stairs, out of the way, so not to be misheard. "It just came to me actually; won't people wonder why I look like James?"
"Crap" All concerns over normality fly from her as she realises that should be the actual concern. Green eyes can be swept away, but Harry being so Potter-like can't. Why didn't she think of that? Trust it to be her to come up with the plan, Harry to see the issues with it.
She supposes that is what makes them such a good team, as they are.
"Here" She says with a nod, lifting her wand. It is a testament to how much Harry trusts her that he doesn't even flinch as she raises it. Still, he doesn't need to, for she does nothing and drops her wand whilst letting out a sigh.
She can't, not only on the logistical side that glamours wear off and can be seen through, but because as she looks at Harry, her best friend, she doesn't want to change anything about him, she needs him, and needs to know it is him, she doesn't want to change him.
"What if we aren't twins?" She says then, a new idea dawning on her. The twin idea had been good, easy even, but this one might be better. She pulls Harry further up the stairs then, and quickly casts, 'Homenum Revelio' It comes back empty, they are alone in the stairwell, she had gathered as much but found it worth checking.
"I can still be Hermione Blishwick" But what if we make you another branch of the family? She chews her bottom lip then, "Do you remember Fleamont and Euphemia Potter? Your parents Aunt and Uncle?"
Harry nods then, trust him to analyse the Potter family tree, well she is thankful he did. "They could be my parents then? I'd be a Potter cousin?"
"Yes" Hermione nodded, feeling a little rush they might have figured it out. With a flick of her wand she summoned the copy of The Pure-Blood directory, to find the part on the Potters.
"Yes look!" She grins as she finds the family line,
'Fleamont and Euphemia Potter, creators of Sleakeazy, moved to and settled in France'
"Perfect" She nods, her mind whirling, "Why don't we have that I was raised in France too? Jimbo and Misapinoa moved to France after a few years in Austria?"
"Neighbours to the Potters?" Harry continued and she nodded, wizarding areas were always small, it wasn't impossible.
"You and I have been friends since we were children, and when my parents died of …" She bites her lip.
"Dragonpox!" Harry exclaims and she nods, for it is the best plausible reason.
"The Potters took me in!"
"But why didn't Euphemia and Fleamont tell the Potters in England?" Harry asked then and Hermione let out a huff, he was right.
God coming up with a convincing wizarding backstory was difficult. It would be easy to be muggle-born but then how would they explain their home education?
"Well, why did they leave England?" Hermione asked, flipping back through the pureblood directory.
'Euphemia and Fleamont moved due to political differences with the British Ministry'
"Yes!" Hermione grinned then, "Easy, we simply say they didn't like England, wouldn't associate with it, it would be easy for you to pretend that's all you know" They both nodded then, it was a stretch, but it would work.
She is grinning, Harry is grinning, it makes sense, it explains why Harry looks like a Potter (and with hindsight explains them better as friends, for they look nothing like one another to be twins), and is an easier backstory than Austria, especially since she knows some French, she thinks they can certainly get by.
"Do I get to call it my plan now?" Harry says cheekily and she rolls her eyes before they move back onto the landing. She feels more confident in this now, and she is thankful for Harry, most people take her plans and ideas and just accept them thanks to her brightness, which she likes, but she knows she often needs to be challenged, needs to be questioned, and Harry does just that, for the benefit of them both.
"Okay" She nods, and then Harry takes her hand again, and she squeezes, she feels a little better with their new plan, but it doesn't dissipate her earlier worries.
"Hey" Harry says with a smile and turns to her again, "If it is too much we'll leave, but think about it, isn't this what we're fighting for?" Another round of laughter echoes up the stairs and a rowdy cheer that can only belong to Sirius. She sees the excitement in his eyes and even though she feels a little nervous she'd die before she took him away from this.
And perhaps he is right, perhaps she needs this too. This is what they fought for.
And so, she nods, Harry squeezes her hand this time and they make it the rest of the way down. Not into the Lions Den, but into the common room, their home, to have fun, something they haven't in a while.
As soon as they step out everyone seems to turn to look at them all at once.
It isn't actually like that of course. First one person looks over, nudges his friend, and then another, and then it goes around, and then within seconds the entire House of Gryffindor is looking across at them.
She gulps, hates being the centre of attention. Once at the Yule Ball (and that moment had felt good), had been enough, now she does not like people looking at her. She knows, as Harry squirms next to her, he is the same.
Her best friend despises the fame even more than she, but then he has good reason, one better than most. She feels cheered he won't be dogged by that here, she'll have to remind him of that, she promises herself to remember to do so.
"Who are you?" She's not shocked it is Sirius who speaks, who comes to the forefront of the group of gaping Gryffindors, in fact she'd be shocked if it wasn't him.
And as he comes to stand facing them, she is shocked by how different he looks.
Many had said Sirius was handsome in his prime, but if anything, they'd undersold it. He is stunning. Long silky locks, those arrogant pureblood features, high cheekbones, and no doubt a devilish grin (though there's no grin now, just a glare – he looks dangerous and dashing). He is a pureblood pretty boy and she near laughs at such a thought. She glances at Harry then and he just looks in awe, starstruck, like he can't quite believe it.
She nudges him with an elbow to the ribs and he glares at her, before realising he had just been gawping. Though it gets worse, and she should have expected it, as three more people fight to the front of the group.
She looks first at Wormtail. He looks better, healthier, not evil, but then she supposes right now he isn't. He isn't handsome but oddly enough he looks kind, he stands with his friends, but he offers a small, nervous smile, the friendly one, how different than she'd expected.
She supposes he isn't evil … yet.
She still feels a rush of hatred, but he is not what she expected. Harry squeezes her hand as he sees him, but manages to keep his temper in check, that she is thankful for. She has been on the end of the famous Harry Potter temper; it doesn't need to rear its head now.
She turns her gaze to Remus, who is even more starkly different than Sirius. Handsome yes, but healthy. It is astonishing how changed he looks. Scars yes, but far less, no grey hairs and a youth and exuberance she'd never seen in him. It makes her near smile, to see him so well, not plagued by his condition to the point of ageing him just yet.
And then James, the only one she hasn't met. He looks just as she'd expected, like Harry, and again she is thankful for her best friends' wisdom, there's no way they'd be able to explain Harry's distinct Potter looks. He's near a mirror image.
Except the eyes of course.
She notices Lily as well, stood to one side, but again the witch ignores her, eyes on Harry. She frowns at that, not that she'd ever want to keep Harry from his Mother, but … she has some concerns.
"We're transfer students" Hermione says, hoping to inject a little disdain in her voice, they are supposed to be purebloods after all, nice, quirky purebloods sure, but if Harry is meant to be the son of the Potters who left England in a huff, and she the daughter of the no doubt snobby Blishwicks they needed to perhaps be a tad standoffish – nice but with an air of aloofness, that's how she can sell it. And besides that suits her, she is hardly a social butterfly.
Also, she feels that a slightly snobby air (she tries to think of how Pansy Parkinson would upturn her nose), will sell their story some more, and more importantly stop too many unwelcome questions.
"Yeah" Harry follows and she near rolls her eyes. She adores her best friend, but he can't act, and she knows he wouldn't be able to act like a snob if his life depended on it. She supposes that's a good thing, if mildly inconvenient here. "We transferred from France"
"Beauxbatons?" A female student asks, head cocked, eyes wide and curious. She can see now, (and feels relief), that the hostile, worried looks are turning to curious, though the Marauders remain wands out.
She feels no offense in that, rather pleased their so cautious, though her gaze flickers to Pettrigrew again.
Not cautious enough.
"Homeschooled" Hermione shoots back, "Preferable"
Everyone looks slightly ruffled then, and Hermione cocks her head, snobby yes, but quirky. Now she tries to emanate Luna and feels a pang – how she already misses her eccentric friend, no doubt she knows where they've gone, she would, she imagines the blonde is wishing them luck and feels that pang again.
"Then why have you come here?" James asks, stepping forward, always a leader, though Sirius and Remus have his back, Pettigrew too she notices, Gryffindor for a reason then.
"Not that it is your business" Hermione says, and glances at Harry again, at least he's got his expression under control, but remains silent, she knows he's likely screaming on the inside, she'll talk for both of them, "But our parents died"
"You're siblings then?" Remus asks, and she's shocked at how arrogant he sounds, that she doesn't remember, it is strange.
"No" Harry speaks then, rallying a little she realises, lie he can't but he'd never leave her out on a ledge alone, "Friends, best friends"
"And I don't think we owe you anything more than that" Hermione said with a shrug, hoping some politeness would stop them probing, but she can see James looking at Harry now … ahh, again she's thankful for Harry's thinking.
"Come on Hermione" Harry offered then, and she resisted the urge to glare at him. He was always friendlier, and though she was going for the 'slightly hostile pureblood, i.e. leave us alone' vibe, he was clearly keen to make friends.
He was probably in the right, not that she'd admit that.
"Hermione's parents died of dragonpox 2 years ago, I was neighbours with Hermione, my parents died over summer" Harry said, and she glanced at him. He was good at weaving a story, a terrible liar he was, but he always came through in a pinch.
"I'm sorry" The girl who'd ask about Beauxbatons said, and Hermione nodded, and realised Harry had been right, nothing better than a bit of sympathy to cure suspicion. She can see everyone around them looking on in sympathy.
"You look like James" Sirius said with a bit of a glare, but even he was backing down, though she noted James had relaxed more so, though he was staring at Harry, just as Lily still was.
Fuck, they needed to be careful.
"James?" Hermione asked, and looked at Harry then, squeezing his hand hard, "Harry, didn't your Father mention a James once? In passing?"
"I think so" Harry said, his nails digging a little in her palm now, she could tell it was harder for him, of course the situation would be, "But then Mother and Father never liked to talk about the family back in England"
"Family back in England?" James asked then, and Harry clutched her harder, he had admirable restraint, something her best friend wasn't known for, she was glad he was employing it now.
"Yeah" Harry said, and she noted him poking at his scar then, as he always did when nervous, his tell. He didn't elaborate, how could he?
"We haven't introduced ourselves" Hermione jumped in then, better to get that out of the way. She hoped all questions about them could be answered here, they didn't need suspicion following them. "I'm Hermione Blishwick" She noticed a light of recognition in Sirius's eyes then, and she was pleased to see him nod, as though he knew the name, though he didn't relax, too many bad pureblood experiences probably.
"And I'm Harry Potter" Harry said then, eyes fixed to James, it was odd of him, but she couldn't begrudge him, she wouldn't.
She suddenly felt a pang of sadness, for her own parents … never to see them again. At least Harry was here with his, no matter how strange, how difficult not to just be able to come out and say the truth. At least they're here.
She felt that pang, but a lift of joy as James Potter's eyebrows raised. Yes, at least Harry had his parents here, and she knew regardless of the lies, at least he's able to see them, alive and well, and that is enough.
It would have to be.
"Potter?" James spoke and Hermione nodded. Again, she saw Harry fighting back his instinctual reactions, to run at his Father, to grin, to look up in awe. She clutched his hand tightly, support, she'll support him through anything.
They hadn't planned this, hadn't thought about how hard it would be, hell they'd come up with a story off the cuff. There had been no plan, no forethought, no idea of what to do. It was all reckless, and she smiled at that – now that was what Harry was known for her. Her now too it seemed.
They had grabbed the Elder Wand, and not thought about how hard it would be to assimilate, how Harry looks so much like James, how they have no money, no backstory, no plan. They're stumbling.
She feels her resolve harden then, not for much longer. Now they can stumble through, but tomorrow they'll make a plan.
Harry just nodded, and so Hermione knew she'd need to jump in.
"Yes, why?" She asked, hoping to cure suspicion, she knew who to mention, "Harry's parents Euphemia and Fleamont never liked England nor did mine, but before Harry's parents died they encouraged us to go to Hogwarts" She sniffed then, again it seemed this air was working. Harry garnered sympathy, and she was 'pureblood' enough to not seem too trite, "My parents disparaged the idea but when they passed, and then the Potters, they felt it was better than us being alone, and Dumbledore welcomed us as soon as he heard"
She saw the crowd visibly ease at that, Gryffindors would always trust Dumbledore, and though their story seemed outlandish, it had just enough truth, enough facts, enough to sell it, and the mention of Dumbledore was the cherry on the cake.
"My Father has mentioned Fleamont, said he left England in a huff, they were the more traditional side of the family" James nodded, and then she saw Remus and Pettigrew ease at that, James's endorsement means a lot, and he was nodding, apparently convinced, she was suddenly pleased Harry had thought to change their story, "Though why did they never mention you?"
"They always said they were done with England" Harry spoke then, evidently he'd picked enough skills in lying to teachers over the years, and she near laughed she was pleased about that now, "Never mentioned much family, but a name or two in passing"
"And what about you?" She noticed Sirius still seemed tense, annoyed, and she knew why, the Blishwicks were related to the Blacks, and blood fanatics too. The more 'traditional' Potters may have been snobs against too much integration, but they'd still been Potter's, still Gryffindor enough, but the Blishwicks? No doubt Sirius is surprised she's not in Slytherin.
"My parents despised England even more than Harry's, said it had gone to the dogs" She paused then and wrinkled her nose, "Said and I quote, the British Ministry would have our bloodlines sullied by all types of people, and we won't be part of that" She shrugged then but made sure to show the distaste on her face, she wanted to come off aloof not as a blood purist.
If only people knew, it made her laugh to be stood pretending to be a snobby pureblood, considering what was carved into her arm, considering her real blood, considering the slurs she'd experienced herself, considering she'd fought against her own eradication.
"And do you agree with them?" Sirius sneered, and she rolled her eyes, she knew Sirius wouldn't be pandered too, better to call him out on it.
"No" She said with her own sneer and she saw Sirius blink in surprise, "I dated a muggle over summer once, received a cane to the thighs three times" She shrugged again and saw Sirius's eyes alight – a kindred spirit of a pureblood rebel, "Didn't change my mind"
Something hung in the air for a moment, just a moment as everyone seemed to process, whether to accept or not. Could they accept? She tensed, felt Harry tense and then …
Sirius let out a bark like laugh, and suddenly had an arm around her shoulder and was steering her to the drinks table, as he turned her she saw James doing the same to Harry, and then he let out the shout.
"Let's give our new housemates a Gryffindor welcome!" He yelled, and she saw Harry grinning, now letting the awe on his face show a little more, she was too. A cheer rang up through Gryffindor, music was switched back on and the atmosphere immediately lightened.
She wanted to sag immediately but didn't keeping her shoulders a little tense under Sirius's, she couldn't give away how relieved she was their story had worked, though she was.
As Sirius thrust a butterbeer into her hand, and James began to waffle to Harry about the Potter family she gave her slightly starstruck best friend a grin though, one of relief and something else…
It felt good to be home.
Home.
Hogwarts had been his 1st home, his only home, and he felt that again now, stood in the Gryffindor common room, music playing, fire crackling, the same plush chairs. It felt natural, right.
And then more now, so much more…
James Potter, his Dad, stood opposite him, talking about his own Father … his Grandfather, Charlus Potter, and Dorea, his Grandmother, talking about their differences, how they'd never mentioned him.
"But you're a Potter none the less" He said with a grin, and Harry had to stop himself flinging his arms around his Dad, and just nodded, looking slightly struck, he just hoped his Dad took it as awkward, though he felt anything but.
He felt happy, blissfully happy. Here was his family, his flesh and blood family alive and well, happy, smiling. He had Hermione here too, it was like a dream come true. He felt a pang for the people they'd left behind, but he wouldn't be bogged down with sadness, this was too good to be marred.
There was a downside, he hated having to lie, to conceal the truth, he wanted to just blurt it out, but a glance at Hermione (who was now deep in conversation with Remus, who looked delighted to be in debate with her about some kind of Arithmancy theory), he knew they couldn't, knew it would be too dangerous.
But he could still bask in this, and he did, a little in awe.
His Dad was here, and he was friendly, a little arrogant yes, but friendly, enthusiastic, charming even. Harry wondered if he'd have been the same having been raised by him, but that thought slid away from him soon, as he just listened, nodded, sipped his drink, and basked in it, trying not to seem too gleeful.
This made it worth it, it all worth it, even if he couldn't tell the truth, it did. He'd accept having to lie to be here, with family.
"How's it going new Potter?" Sirius said, at ease now it seemed he'd accepted them, and he smiled as Harry grinned at the new nickname.
He was trying not to smile like a total looney, but he knew he was partially failing. How could he not? Seeing his family, his Father, Godfather, Remus, his Mother (though he hadn't seen her at the party yet). He couldn't help himself, and as Hermione and Remus wondered over, she smiled at him too.
Tonight, he wouldn't worry too much about his behaviour, not tonight, tomorrow they'd need to figure things out (and he knew Hermione would be thinking the same, and likely had an hour ago), but for tonight? Tonight, he wouldn't worry.
It had been a long time since he'd had no worry.
"Good" He nodded, "Just a lot to take in" He said, and they all nodded, Hermione slipped her hand into his then, and he saw James glance at them and he grinned, devilish as it was.
"Well, you'll be welcome here" Remus nodded, and Harry grinned.
"Yeah, already feeling that" More than that, but he was pleased to see everyone smiling.
"So, you two friends?" His Dad asked then, nodding at his and Hermione's entwined hands, and he saw Sirius grinning then, catching on, as did Remus, though his smile was kinder, and Pettigrew who had wondered over, though Harry was trying to ignore him without giving it away.
"Best friends" Hermione said with a glare, and he near laughed, he was no socialite himself, but he knew Hermione felt uncomfortable with all the people around. He hated the fame more, but she would much rather be curled up with a book he knew.
"You sure about that?" Sirius said with a cheeky grin, "Are you friends in the way James wants Lily to be his friend?"
"Oi" His Dad said, and Harry had to cough to conceal a laugh.
"Who's Lily?" Hermione asked, she was a far better liar than him, which he was thankful for. He squeezed her hand then, trust Hermione to always help him, and he did trust her, with his life.
"Oh, just James's big crush" Sirius said with a laugh and Harry laughed too as he saw James blush pink.
"Oh Lily!" Sirius yelled in a sing-songy voice, and James shoved him then, as Remus and Pettigrew laughed, as Hermione rolled her eyes but cracked a grin herself. He was just smiling, he knew his parents weren't together, not yet, but just seeing them, it warmed him.
"Shut it Black" He heard his Mother fire back and he felt that rush of air to his lungs again. He couldn't see her, but it was his Mother … Lily Potter, his Mum.
His Father was here, good naturedly wrestling with Sirius now, Sirius was laughing, Remus was here rolling his eyes, and that was great, but with his Mother … it was different. He could barely keep the awe off his face with his Father, he knew with his Mother he wouldn't be able to.
She had given her life for him; in his eyes she was the closest thing to a Saint he knew.
"You okay?" Hermione nudged him and he nodded, though he felt his eyes welling up then. As amazing as this was (and it was), it could become too much, especially as he caught a glance at his Mother, who looked back at him with that odd puzzled expression.
Possibly too much.
"Let's go to bed" Hermione said with a nod, hand in his squeezing, and he shook his head, they'd only been here for an hour or so, he didn't want to leave.
"No, I want to stay" And Hermione shook her head then.
"This is a lot Harry, for me too, I can't imagine how much for you" He felt some relief to hear her say that, it wasn't him freaking out alone, and she understood, as Hermione always did. "We should rest, reset, and then tomorrow make our plan and go to Diagon, and then have breakfast with them or something, something easy"
"Don't worry" She said with a smile, a kind smile that helped calm him, "It is a lot, and we're still battle worn, a lot to take in" She said, and he laughed a little then before nodding.
Hermione always knew what was best for him, and knew often what was best for him when he didn't want to agree.
"We're going to turn in" Hermione said, and Sirius booed at that to which she laughed, as did he, and felt something ease in him, but he still knew Hermione was right. He had suddenly felt bone tired, and knew sleep called.
"It's only 11!" James said with a scoff.
"And we are on little sleep and had to do continental appiration earlier" That seemed to sell it as they all winced and nodded, and Harry felt relief.
It was a lot, to have his dead parents, young and in front of him again, well and treating him like a friend … well it was a lot with his Dad, Sirius and Remus, as he glanced over at his Mother (who was looking away now, but seemed to sense his gaze and look back at him), it was a lot, like the air stolen from his lungs, and he knew he needed a pause.
And Hermione sensing that, well it just showed their bond.
"Night all" Hermione said, and he nodded, people called out goodnight to them as they made it to the stairs, and he felt warm again. He glanced back at his Mother who was looking away again, but he felt that sensation again, that she was here, close, and then he felt a tear slip down.
"Come on" Hermione said, voice gentle as she led him upstairs. Once again, they ignored the separate beds, she quickly excused herself to change in the bathroom and he stumbled through changing himself.
Once she returned, he felt a deep ease as she settled in next to him, and reached for his hand, waving her wand, 'Nox'. He clutched her hand tightly, and felt his body relax, felt the night drain through him, felt the ease that only Hermione could bring next to him.
They'd slept like this many times whilst on the run, and he had gotten so used to it, he didn't think he could be without it.
"You okay?" She asked, and he nodded, squeezing her hand, for he was. A lot to take in … a lot, she was right, but then when wasn't she?
"Tomorrow we'll plan" Her voice was soft as she rolled to her side, still clutching his hand, "Tonight we bask in what happened, we sleep, rest and we process" He nodded, and felt another tear fall, to which Hermione leaned over, resting her head on his shoulder, in comfort, which was the thing that gave him enough ease to slip into sleep.
sooo thoughts?
I am loving writing this fic - so much fun and I hope you are enjoying!
just a few bits to address that ppl have been asking/commenting:
- no, harry/hermione ain't having romance yet, this is slow burn.
- I understand harry and hermiones choices can be frustrating! ofc, but they didn't plan to go back, they did it in the moment (our reckless bbys lol), they are working off the cuff, it ain't gunna be perfect, they ain't master planners and manipulators.
- I appreciate reviews and comments hugely! but pls keep them constructive, if you don't like something thats fine! but no need to berate or insult.
- pls stop telling me what to do with the storyline/what I should change, I am writing this how I want, I'll ask for suggestions when I want them, otherwise ya'll need to stop inboxing me how you 'think' I should write it - no, no, no.
otherwise - I do hope you're enjoyed! and continue to - thanks to everyone for reviewing, following and favouriting!
speak soon