Trigger Warnings: mention of spanking, sex, and considerable alcohol consumption. Abortion, death, and infertility.

*This is a Beta fic. This means it's not a priority story for me. That being said, this story should only be 6-7 parts long and I already have four of them fully completed. I have no idea when the last couple of parts will be finished, but I put out here in the hopes you will all read and enjoy it even in its incompleteness xx

Part One

James Potter was drunk. No — he wasn't drunk. He was so far past drunk he might as well have been in another reality. But if you asked James, he felt fine — fantastic, even.

"Absolutely, bloody, smashin'!" he shouted to the barkeep that was watching him in vague amusement as he cleaned a scotch glass. "I could - I could stand — like this," James stumbled off his stool and wobbled, "and do this —" he touched a finger to his nose, "and this." He raised his right hand and foot and fought to keep his balance.

The barkeep nodded indulgently. James pointed at the man and laughed like they were sharing a spectacular joke. They were not. Unless the joke happened to be James himself, in which case they certainly were.

An indelicate snort came from further down the bar and caught the drunken wizard's attention. The pretty, curly-haired girl was rolling her eyes at him.

"Oi! 'm havin' a conversation here." He gestured wildly between himself and the barkeep.

"Loud enough for the whole bar to hear!" she scoffed just as loudly.

James gasped dramatically. "How dare you? I am entertainment. What would these fine folks do without me?" He gestured to the bar at large, a rather rundown muggle establishment with only the regular barflies, save the two youthful drunks now talking — loudly.

"Drink in peace!" someone shouted from the back.

James held a hand to his heart. "Philip! Don't break my heart."

'Philip' who wasn't actually named 'Philip' at all, shook his head and grumbled something into his pint about 'pretty boys needing leashes.'

"See," the pretty one with the brown eyes that James found to be exceedingly distracting shouted with glee, "now shut up and let some of us get back to our wallowing at the bottom of a glass."

'Philip' raised his beer. "Cheers!"

James shot the man a glare and hissed, "Traitor."

He turned his attention back to the pretty girl. She was clearly alone and not looking for a night on the town in her jeans and giant jumper. James sidled up to her, his tall pint sloshed onto the bar as he did so.

"I didn't realize there was someone else wallowing at the bottom of the glass with me."

She narrowed her eyes at him. The flecks of gold in her eyes glittered like firewhiskey. "I'm not." She lifted her nose and sniffed imperiously. "I'm at the bottom of my own glass."

James leaned forward and in a startlingly sober moment, asked, "Care to share?"

She hesitated then quickly shook her head. "Thank you," she added as a quiet afterthought.

James shrugged, a little disappointed and took a sip of his beer. He glanced at her. "I'm James," he introduced abruptly.

"Hermione," and then she winced. Her whiskey eyes flicked back up to him and her head cocked to the side. She leaned closer. "I know you."

James raised his eyebrows. "Unlikely." This was a muggle establishment, after all.

Hermione pursed her lips, her finger tapped against the plump bottom lip. James swallowed. "It's on the tip of my tongue." As if to prove the point, she stuck out her little pink tongue and touched her top lip.

Merlin's beard, James thought, he wanted to be on the tip of her tongue. He blinked and abruptly said. "Chips," he announced and jumped to his feet. He nearly stumbled and slammed a hand down on the bar to steady himself.

Hermione shook herself from where her drunken mind was trying to find answers. She raised an eyebrow at him inquiringly.

"Let's get chips," James insisted. He took a long gulp of his pint and raised his eyebrows at Hermione. "I know a place."

Hermione narrowed her eyes. She didn't know him, but somewhere at the back of her mind she knew she did and she knew she trusted him. Finally, she nodded slowly. "I like chips."

James smiled broadly and Hermione's cheeks, already flushed prink from the alcohol, darkened further. "Brilliant!" He threw a wad of muggle bills onto the counter, more than enough to cover each of their tabs and grabbed the young woman's hand.

Hermione allowed herself to be dragged out into the hot summer air by the charismatic man, safe in the knowledge that even drunk, she could take him out with her wand if need be. But she didn't think it'd be necessary. She knew James. How did she know James?

It didn't matter.

She looped her arm through James' and they stumbled down the road.

"Are we heading in the right direction?" she slurred. The world spun as she looked around. Fresh snow covered the street. They huddled together for warmth.

"I dunno. Maybe?"

Hermione snorted out a laugh.

This was probably a bad idea. No, it was definitely a bad idea, which was probably why Hermione had agreed to it. Hermione was famous for making bad decisions when she was drunk. Alcohol didn't lower her inhibitions, it completely shattered them. She was also prone to forgetting important pieces of information. James was definitely an important piece of information, which she thought might be connected to a larger piece of important information.

The young witch had a sneaking suspicion that the information might have been exactly what she'd been drinking to forget, which was undoubtedly why she didn't remember. Hermione was very good at nearly everything she did, even if that was just getting pissed enough to not remember her own name.

James and Hermione giggled as they swayed.

"Oh!" he gasped loudly. He pointed to a chip place. "I said I knew a place!"

"Is this that place?"

"I don't think so." He shrugged. "Come on!" He pulled on her arm in his and they moved towards the 24hr chip shop. The scent of fish and chips greeted them and both of them moaned loudly as they stumbled into the shop.

There were several other, equally drunk, patrons sitting around eating. James and Hermione made a beeline for the counter. Several minutes of squabbling later and a small wrestle on who was going to pay, the two exited the shop with warm fish and chips in hand and in search of a place to eat.

"Why aren't we eating in the shop?" Hermione asked as she stole one of James' chips.

"Oi!" He brought his food close to his chest and glared. Hermione stuck her tongue out at him. "It's not pretty. I want food and a view."

She shook her head. "So picky."

"You're just upset that I've got good taste."

"Said the bloke that was drinking beer."

"What's wrong with beer?"

Hermione sniffed and threw her head back dramatically as she sashayed. "Peasants," was her only response and James laughed loudly. "How 'bout this?" she gestured to a snow-covered park bench by Big Ben.

James shrugged.

They dusted off the snow and sat down on the cold, hardwood slats. Both shivered. James discreetly stuck a hand in his pocket and a whispered spell muffled by a cough later, they were both blanketed under a warming charm. Hermione froze. She turned to him, her whiskey eyes wide and startled.

"You're a wizard!" she whispered loud enough that it was definitely not a whisper.

James startled. He blinked widely. "Are you a witch?" She nodded quickly. James smiled brightly. "Brilliant!" He grabbed her hand a second later and they were sitting high up in the air before the clock face of Big Ben.

"Oh my god!" Hermione hollered. She wobbled precariously and James pulled her back before she fell. Hermione closed her eyes, her entire body tense. "I'm going to die."

James laughed. "Nah," he popped a chip in his mouth and explained, "my friends and I come up here all the time. Got'a load of protection wards about this place. You can't fall."

Hermione peeked an eye open at him. "I don't believe you."

He raised an eyebrow as if sensing a dare. Without another word, James leapt off the ledge. Hermione screamed but the stupidly drunk wizard didn't go anywhere. He stood before her on some sort of invisible floor. He shrugged and smiled happily.

Hermione swallowed before she was sick all over his shoes. "Please sit down." She slowly lowered herself down on the ledge of the clock face.

James laughed and plopped back down beside her. He ate another chip and smiled charmingly. It eased the young witch's fears and she forced herself to eat a chip of her own. "Not a fan of heights?"

"Understatement of the century," she grumbled.

James pouted. "You're missin' out. Nothin' like flying up real high on a broom."

Hermione grimaced and ate another chip. "I can do without, thanks."

"So, you've never ridden a broom?"

"I have," she informed him, thinking about her ride with Kingsley Shaklebolt when they'd gone to retrieve Harry after he'd turned seventeen. The thought of Harry made her sigh nostalgically. She turned to the wizard beside her. Merlin, he looked a lot like Harry. There it was again, some sort of knowledge just on the tip of her tongue. "I also rode a thestral once," she continued suddenly.

James' eyes widened. "You can see them?"

She snorted and nearly fell forward. James caught her elbow. "Not even in the slightest." She paused. "Well… suppose I could now."

They both fell silent.

"War is rubbish," James declared. Hermione nodded sadly. They ate their fish and chips in sullen sadness. The sun was just cresting over the horizon. "What time is it?" James asked suddenly. He pulled out a pocket watch that Hermione snorted at. "Oi. This is an heirloom."

Hermione hummed and raised an eyebrow mockingly.

"Merlin, it's eight in the morning."

Hermione's eyes widened.

James looked up at the sunrise, completely astounded. "I'm still drunk." She snorted. He looked down with a pout. "Guess Christmas is one day closer now." He didn't sound enthusiastic.

"Ugh," Hermione shook her head.

James raised an eyebrow at her. "Bet I have a better reason for being upset about the upcoming holidays than you do."

She narrowed her eyes on him and stuck her nose in the air. "You're on."

He swung his head around to her. "I was supposed to be getting married."

Hermione pouted. "Me too."

James wrapped his arm around her shoulders and tugged her into his side. "Knew there was a reason I liked you." Hermione sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder. "What happened?"

"He didn't love me," she whispered and gave a sad little shrug. "Strung me along until he found something better."

"Arse."

"Yeah… you?"

"Same story, different tune. She never stopped loving her best friend who just so happens to be a terrible human being and treats her like dirt." He paused. "I'm not bitter."

"I was about to say you don't sound it at all." He nodded and turned his face towards her curls. She smelled like lavender. "I miss this," she whispered. "It's nice."

James raised his eyebrows. "I miss sex."

Hermione snorted a laugh. "Sex is nice."

"Nice?" James choked. "Sex isn't nice." Hermione leaned back and wrinkled her nose at him. "Sex is toe-curling, mind-melting, and hot. It's sweaty and tingling and breathtaking."

Hermione clenched her thighs together at his impassioned words. She took a steadying breath and hoped he didn't notice. His hazel eyes were tracing the curve of her lips.

"And you called it 'nice,'" he finished in a whisper.

"It was," she whispered back.

James raised his hand and threaded his fingers through her curls. "You've been missing out." And then they were kissing. James wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. His tongue pushed past her lips and Hermione moaned. She leaned into him. Her leg curled over his knee and her fingers fisted into his jacket. James pulled back. Hermione panted. "Mine or yours?"

She nodded quickly. "Yours."

"Deep breath."

A moment later, they had apparated away.

Hermione felt a bit like death rolled over. Her head was pounding, her body ached. She tried to swallow but her mouth was dry and her tongue felt swollen. Merlin's beard, she'd gotten well and truly messed up the night before. Why had she done that? Why would anyone do this to themselves?

She rubbed her eyes as she stretched her aching limbs. Her sheets were silky smooth, a quality she knew immediately that she would never spend the money on. A hand moved against her stomach. Hermione froze. She slowly lowered both her hands to make sure both were accounted for. The fingers on her lower stomach smoothed against her skin. Hermione's heart raced. She took a deep, slightly panicked, breath and turned to her right.

Messy black hair and a scruffy square jaw could be spotted above the silky red bed sheets. Slowly, the wild-haired witch raised herself up on one elbow. She couldn't help feeling mildly disturbed. She hesitantly reached across the bed and pushed the dark curls back. No scar.

Hermione released a breath of relief. Thank Merlin. Logically, she knew that it wasn't Harry. Harry had straight hair and smaller lips and his nose was different but… Merlin, he looked a lot like Harry. But of course, it could never be Harry. Harry was… Harry was gone.

Everything was gone.

Hermione's eyes teared and she took a deep breath. Clothes first, mental breakdown second. With that ingenious plan in mind, she slipped from beneath the covers. The man's fingers fell away and dropped to the mattress. A shiver passed over her.

She stood and nearly dropped back to the bed with a groan. Everything hurt. She glanced down the length of her body and blushed madly at the dark hickeys on her skin. Merlin, she looked like she'd been ravished.

Flashes of - earlier that morning - raced through her mind. Him bending her over the edge of the bed. Crying out as he made her come for the fifth time. She vaguely recalled blood at one point and turned to see the scratches she'd left along his back still bright and tender looking.

Hermione had to bite her lip to hold back a smile. 'Wow' didn't begin to cover it. Ron had never made her come even twice in one night. Her December Lover had been very generous. Hermione bit back her giggle and began her search for her knickers. Earth-shattering sex or not, she needed to get home. Being here when he woke up would add more complications than had already been created from her drunken stupidity.

Hermione managed to collect and don all of her clothes bar her jacket and runners. She hoped they were by the door. The second Hermione left the safety of the bedroom, her heart sank into her stomach.

Standing in the kitchen directly across from James' bedroom was Remus Lupin. He was smirking as he leaned back against the kitchen bar, a cup of tea in hand. "Good morning," he greeted with a devious twinkle in his eye.

Sirius looked over from the stovetop and winked at her. "Good evening actually. Though I heard it was a very good morning for you. Very good. Your sweet moans are going in my spank bank, sweetheart."

Hermione's face was so hot, she thought she might burst into flames.

Remus nodded to the coffee table in front of her. "Your jacket and shoes, m'lady."

She looked down and sure enough, her jacket had been neatly folded and placed on the wood surface. Just above it were her runners. Hermione picked them up and clutched them to her chest. "Thank you," she murmured and hurried towards the door.

"No, thank you," Sirius hollered in her direction. "And please, come again soon!"

The door slammed shut behind her. The sound of Sirius' laughter followed her all the way home, that and the confirmation that she had just spent the entire night having wild sex with James Potter.

"Oh, dear, what do we have here?" Sirius quipped with exaggeration.

James groaned with his eyes still closed. He stumbled past the couch and into the kitchen.

Remus took pity on him and handed him a cup of coffee. "You look like shit, mate."

James grunted in response.

Sirius and Remus shared an amused smile. "So," the former drawled, "guess this means you're over Lily."

James' entire body tensed. His eyes shot wide open. The golden flecks in his hazel eyes nearly glowed as his mind raced with images of last night. Brown doe eyes and pretty little freckles across a pert nose. A tinkling laugh and the taste of strawberries. Breathless moans, sweat-slicked skin, cries of delight, and - oh, Merlin. Spanking.

James flushed red. He remembered holding her down with her wrists trapped in his hands. Her cries of pleasure as he fucked her so hard she screamed. Merlin's balls, no wonder his body ached. Another thought occurred to him and his heart constricted. His mother will kill him if she finds out.

James winced and covered his face with a hand. "Please don't tell mum."

Sirius snorted. "Got a bit rough with her?" he nodded knowingly at his friend.

"I don't want to talk about it." James sank down into the stool at the breakfast bar and Sirius placed a plate piled high with food in front of him. He grimaced but picked up his fork regardless.

"From the sounds of it," Remus put in, obvious amusement in his voice, "it was quite the event to talk about."

"Please shut up."

Both of his friends snickered.

Sirius took a long drink of his butterbeer. "Evan's is going to have kittens."

James sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth. He dropped his fork. "Fuck. Lily!"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "She didn't want you back anyway, mate."

"Not the point," he whined. "We should have been celebrating our first Christmas as a married couple in a few weeks and I-" He gestured where words failed him.

"Had the best shag of your life with a little sex kitten?" Sirius finished. James groaned into his coffee. "Who was she, anyway? Because let me tell you, the sounds that the witch was making were so bloody tempting I nearly joined."

Remus laughed loudly.

"Well?" Sirius pressed.

Hermione, James thought. Her name was Hermione. She smelled like lavender and had the prettiest, wildest hair he'd ever seen. She had a soft smile and a warm gaze that made him feel like he could move mountains.

"Hermione." Without another word, he turned back to his food.

Hermione kept her hood firmly over her head. Her curls were pulled back into a plait to keep from peaking through. She passed down the aisle of the apothecary and picked out the best herbs she could find. She was low on a number of things but mostly she needed to restock her healing potions.

Hermione had come down with some sort of sickness. It had only started about a week ago, but every day she was feeling worse than the day before. She wasn't sure what it was, but desperately hoped it wasn't something to do with the accidental time travel.

Honestly, she never should have taken that internship with the Department of Mysteries. Harry had said - he had said - that she was bound to find trouble. And here she had thought trouble only ever found Harry Potter.

Hermione's eyes fell shut in a moment of sadness. Harry. She missed him every day. Maybe her illness was heartbreak. Everyone was either gone or… young. There was a silver lining, of course. Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Fred, Moody, and even Dumbledore. All of them and so many more were still alive.

But Harry wasn't. He would never be born.

She didn't remember much from her night with James, but she remembered enough to know that he and Lily weren't together. Maybe they had broken up originally? Maybe Lily was pregnant and they were back together and married now? One could only hope. It was March now, Lily would probably be showing by this point.

Harry. Hermione really hoped her best friend would be born.

She shook herself from her melancholy and headed down the aisle with readymade potions. She grabbed anything that would make her dizziness, nausea, and incredible headache go away. Maybe a sledgehammer to the side of her head would work. Hermione paid for her things and tucked them away into her beaded purse.

The little purse had saved her when she'd accidentally ended up in 1979. There wasn't much in it, but enough to help her get started in her new time. The only true benefit of working in the Department of Mysteries just before the accident was that it had allowed her to research time travel before it happened. This is why she knew that there was absolutely no way back.

She was stuck here.

Just bloody great.

Hermione ducked out of the apothecary, head down, and barged past the two men in her path.

"Oi!" a voice called. She kept moving. James glared at the cloaked figure's back. He turned and kept walking. "Bloody people."

"Alright, alright," Sirius placated. "No changing the topic. You're still looking for this witch?"

James shrugged off his annoyance and sighed. "Yeah, I can't find any trace of her. No one knows her, no one recognizes her. I even asked Tom, I mean… everyone passes through the Leaky at some point."

"And?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Nothing."

"Damn." Sirius shrugged. "Well, guess that's that."

"What? What're you talking about?" They came to a stop by Flourish and Blotts where they would wait for Remus.

Sirius raised his eyebrows. "You're not going to keep on this witch." James blinked. Sirius leaned forward. "Are you?"

The Potter heir shuffled his feet and ran a hand through his messy curls. "Why not?"

"It's February! Nearly March. You can't honestly still be hung up about a one night stand from three months ago," Sirius exclaimed incredulously.

James huffed. "Well, what if I am? There's just. I want to just see her. Talk to her. I don't do one night stands so… so there must have been something about her. There is something about her." He stared off into the distance, thinking about the glint in her eyes as she'd teased him in the pub. "I need to find her."

Sirius rolled his eyes and groaned loudly. "Why're you such a bloody hopeless romantic? Emphasis on 'hopeless.'" James glared and decided that he didn't need to answer. Sirius stepped closer and lowered his voice. "Look, I get you're upset about Lily."

James groaned this time. "This isn't about Lily!"

"But what she's doing," he continued as if James hadn't spoken, "has nothing to do with you. Obsessing over this witch isn't going to help you get over Lily."

"I don't give a shit about Lily," James hissed. It was the most vicious tone he'd ever taken when using the woman's name and Sirius actually stilled when he heard it. "I don't care. I know she loved me, she just didn't love me enough. That hurts, yeah, and I'm sure it'll always hurt a bit but… She's not what this is about."

"Then what is it about this bird?"

"I don't know. But I need to find her." He grasped his friend's shoulders. "Please help me. Please."

Sirius sighed and rolled his eyes. "You're such a pansy."

James grinned broadly. "I love you."

"Shut up."

He pulled Sirius in. "Come here, lover." Sirius laughed but accepted the hug. And that's how Remus found them.

"I always knew you two would end up together."

James and Sirius laughed. The latter threw out his arm and cried, "Join us, Moony baby. Be our third." Remus shook his head. He sighed and stepped forward, allowing the two others to drag him into the hug.

"Alright, alright," he pulled back a moment later. "That's enough." He nodded to the side and the three stepped away from the entrance of the bookstore. "I saw Frank today."

Both Sirius and James' heads shot up. "Oh?"

Remus looked around before stepping closer and lowering his voice. "Alice got rid of the baby."

Both of his friends looked thunderstruck. "She what?" Sirius spluttered.

James shook his head. "How? That's not possible, not with magical babies."

Remus sighed and explained, "They went to some place in France. It's a fairly new procedure and there can be side effects." Remus paused and looked around again. "She can't have kids now."

James sucked in a breath. He shook his head. "Poor Allie."

"She hasn't gotten out of bed for weeks."

Sirius crossed his arms, upset and uncomfortable. "How's Frank doing?"

"He claimed to be fine but he looked a wreck."

"Well, it's no bloody wonder." They were silent for a long moment. Finally, Sirius whispered, "Does Dumbledore know?"

Remus and James were silent. If he didn't, he would learn soon. None of them wanted to be there when Dumbledore found out. The old Headmaster had been disturbingly optimistic when he found out about the prophecy. When Frank and Alice had announced her pregnancy, he had been ecstatic. Someone who would solve all their problems - a baby.

"Well," Sirius said at length, "I'm skipping the next Order meeting. Who's with me?"

Welp. Lots of things have already changed in this world. Next chapter involves a lot more Hermione. Hope you enjoyed the start of this!

Stay safe xx