Part I: Year One.
It didn't take long for the world to realize Hermione Jean Granger was a special child. Ever since she was a baby, things would get displaced or even disappear. Her parents did their best not to pressure her and find out how she was doing it, but the people at school weren't as kind and patient.
Even if the bushy hair wasn't already an excuse, she became a quick target for most bullies, who mocked and teased her repeatedly. They were never specific as to why they did so. Was it the hair, her alarmingly amount of books and knowledge, or her freakish powers?
Needless to say, Hermione had been having a hard time. Things changed. For better or for worse, no one knew. Still, they changed when a stern looking woman, with a Scottish accent they'd never encountered before, came into their house to give her parents her Hogwarts letter.
Apparently, Hermione wasn't a freak. No, she was just a witch. As if that made things sound any better. The little girl still didn't mind. No, she continued to anticipate the arrival of September 1st, 1971.
That day, she dragged her parents inside a wall and came to find the platform 9 3/4. Hermione let her parents come to terms with the fact that it would be the last time they'll be seeing her until Christmas. Of course, a lot of tears were shed and instructions of taking care of her teeth were given. No matter what wizarding candy it is, brush your teeth after.
She'd read books on wizarding families and she knew there were people like her. She wasn't the only one with muggle parents. The problem was that most came from at least one magical parent, or both. Hermione had already learned she was a muggleborn, but sitting down in her compartment all by herself settled a kind of uneasiness in her gut. There were going to be kids who grew up with magic and other magical kids. She feared she'd once again be alone.
Refusing herself to brood, she took out Hogwarts: A History and started reading. A good book could always put her in a good mood. That was what she believed until two boys slid the door open and sauntered in. Trying to hide her scowl over the noise they were making, she straightened in her seat and looked at them.
There stood two boys with the same black coloured hair, but still different in many ways. On the left stood a boy whose messy hair locks could rival hers. He wore round glasses in front of his hazel eyes, which crinkled thanks to the smile he wore when he immediately put his hand forward for her to shake. Of course, she took it and murmured, "Hermione Granger."
She soon found out his name was James Potter.
The boy on the right though wore no glasses. He had long shaggy hair and his silver eyes met her caramel ones right as he took her hand to place a kiss on it. He introduced himself first, mostly due to her taking the time to get over his unusual act. Wizards were definitely a different kind. He turned out to be Sirius Black, the III. The last part, she didn't want to know but got to hear regardless. She quickly told him her name and forced him to let go of her hand, much to his dismay.
The boys sat down in front of her and started asking immediate questions about a game called Quidditch. She was hesitant to tell them about being muggleborn but did it anyways because she was not going to hide how proud she was of her parentage, muggle or not. Sirius picked up the uneasiness right away and assured her that they didn't mind and would never call her that name. For once, Hermione didn't know what they were talking about, but eagerly accepted their offer of teaching her about the game.
She confessed she had a fear of heights and wasn't sure she'd want to fly on a broom. James gave her an offended look before going on a proper explanation as to why it was completely safe and they'd both make sure she falls in love with flying just like they did.
She didn't have the heart to refuse, so she let their excitement be. When talks about the Houses started being made, she told them she liked the idea of being a Gryffindor but might end up in Ravenclaw instead. Sirius also said the same thing but frowned when telling them about all his family being sorted in Slytherin. On the other hand, James was the only one who grew up with Gryffindor blood and he firmly believed that they'd all get sorted into their preferred house of lions.
Unfortunately, this was overheard by a couple of friends who were looking for their own seats somewhere in the train. "If you'd rather be brawny than brainy," the rather greasy haired looking boy had said. The boys were quick to retaliate and the redhead girl standing next to him had to drag him away. Though, that was after all three of them received a glare from her.
"What did I do?" she'd exclaimed loudly and they merely snickered.
While the boys played Exploding Snap, she saw a tired looking boy standing in front of the door window. Hermione had asked if they were alright with inviting him in and when she got a shrug, she got up and gestured to join them. The sandy haired boy looked bewildered by her actions for a second before he slowly made his way in and sat next to her. James and Sirius asked right away what house he wanted to be in and he gave them the exact same answer she had.
When at the end of his explanation as to why he might end up in Ravenclaw, he mentioned her favourite book, she knew they'd be close friends and if his bright smile after she showed it to him was anything to go by, Remus knew that too. That wasn't the end of her first journey on the train though. A slightly plump boy entered their compartment looking quite scared to be interrupting. The boys cheered for him when he agreed to play the game with them and not talk about books. Remus and her both rolled their eyes at that.
Hermione got to use her first charm when James broke his glasses doing God—or Merlin—knows what. She ignored his horrified look when she pointed her wand in between his eyes and said, "Oculus Reparo." The boys gaped at her and insisted that she helped them with their pranks when time would come. She gnawed on her bottom lip, making a mental list on the pros and cons of helping them break numerous rules. It was the first time it truly felt like the beginning of a long and loyal friendship, and if Hermione was anything like the most loyal person to have ever lived, she was going to say yes. And yes she did say.
Later, when the Marauders will be born, she will wonder what might've happened if she had said no. But of course, her boys immediately stopped that train of thought.
At the moment, she had a sorting to be done with. After getting off the train and having her new robes dripping because of the water, they all made their way inside the gigantic castle. She couldn't stop herself from explaining how the sky was enchanted and Remus gave her an enthusiastic nod. She also recognized the same Professor who had come to her house. She caught her eye and the older woman gave her a really brief nod before she gathered all the first years and shut them up.
After agonizing moments of listening through a song and seeing Sirius already be sorted into Gryffindor, she sat under the weight of the Sorting Hat. Hermione barely had time to register the fact that it was talking to her, before it screamed out the House name. She resisted the urge to gape at the audience watching her, and made her way to the tables. She had wanted to, but never did she think she'd actually be sorted in Gryffindor. The ones who already sat there cheered for her and gave her wide smiles. Ducking her head, she let her hair cover her reddening face and sat where Sirius had made space for her. He looked genuinely happy with them sharing the same colours and she was glad to say the same when the rest of the boys later joined them.
She separated from them when a Prefect led them up the enchanted stairs and showed her the girls' dorm. She recognized the redhead from earlier, who gave her a small smile. The other girls though were truly eager to learn about each other and she let them chat all night. Her worries over their next day's classes still haunted her head. It wasn't until the blonde girl, Marlene Mckinnon, reassured her with a suffocating hug that she slept peacefully.
Classes started and Hermione Granger slowly fell into a routine she planned on keeping for the next seven years. She would wake up to Marlene's radiating smile and grumpily make herself look presentable. She would then join Remus downstairs to head to breakfast. The others would join them later because waking up early sounded like a sin to them. Finally, they would all re-group and make their way to their classes.
She soon realized that the Gryffindor-Slytherin rivalry was not as silly as it sounded on the first day.
Despite being recognized as a know-it-all at Hogwarts as well, she was also known as the brains behind the boys' pranks. This confused everyone at the castle greatly. How could someone who knows and loves all rules help the greatest pranks come to life? It was due to her loyalty, which also slowly became the elephant in the room whenever Lily and Hermione talked. She had to keep her distance because the redhead loathed her friends for bothering Snape's friends. Hermione would wear a tight expression because she knew firsthand what his Slytherin classmates really thought of muggleborns.
Still, Hermione would always scold her friends for targeting people. She told them that bullying was unacceptable and if they wanted to make people laugh around them, they had to make sure they weren't laughing at someone. She knew she hit it too close to home when she ended up in a group hug after re-telling the awful stories of her previous school. Sirius even stopped teasing her bushy hair.
It was on Halloween, when Hermione was cornered by a Slytherin boy, who they had to sneak up under the invisibility cloak, to get him to leave her alone. The girl burst into tears and they begged her to let them still come up with hilarious pranks for the snakes. She reluctantly agreed, but made them promise that they'd never do anything mean. Professor McGonagall still chastised them for it, no matter how funny and harmless their acts may be.
"I am tired of your marauding around," she told them, when they were caught in the middle of the night. James was quick to adopt the name Marauders for the group. Hermione believed it was something that their Transfiguration professor regretted immensely. Oh, well.
Part II: Year Two.
That wasn't the only time she interacted with green and silver adoring students. After another awful encounter with Avery and Snape in second year, she let Madam Pomfrey shrink her teeth to the normal size she always wanted.
"Hermione!" she heard James yell from across the bed.
She watched her best friends stumble on their steps and scramble towards her. They all sported concerned looks and her heart melted at the sight. She hated worrying them and was suddenly embarrassed over changing a part of her. "What are you doing here?" she asked them.
Sirius rolled his eyes. "We should be asking you that."
"It was some Slytherin." She didn't mention any names, knowing full well that they'd go after them and get into much worse trouble than they were used to. "They used Densaugeo on my teeth, so I had Madam Pomfrey shrink them to where I wanted," she explained, giving them a smile that showed her perfect smile.
Their eyes had widened comically and she made sure to recall their reaction whenever she wanted to have a good laugh.
Part III: Year Three.
After that, a year passed by and she surprisingly went on a few Hogsmeade dates. Even Remus asked a couple of girls out, much to Peter's dismay, considering he turned out to be the only one without a girl.
The werewolf didn't go any further than a few kisses due to his "furry little problem." Hermione thought that was silly but he refused to listen so she let him be. She even joined him sometimes when Sirius left Three Broomsticks to snog a random Ravenclaw and James was busy confessing his love for Lily Evans.
How that came to be, Hermione did not know. If anything, she felt bad for her friend, who always got rejected and hit by an impressive hex.
It was obviously in their third year that they found out Remus' secret. Hermione was reading ahead for their DADA class and there was a section reserved for information on werewolves. Seeing his boggart just confirmed her suspicion and she eventually confronted him in their dorm with the boys. He had paled and grimaced, still refusing to say anything. They made sure to reassure him they could care less of him turning into something else for one night every month. He was doubtful initially, but they didn't stop insisting.
Part IV: Year Four.
1974 was uneventful. If Hermione were to recall anything of importance that happened in her fourth year, she would say, "The Mysterious Disappearance of Her Bushy Hair." Lack of creativity aside, it was quite dramatic, though truthful. Her hair ended up transforming into something blissfully much better than just a frizzy bush. Her curls softened and her growth spurt allowed her to show them off, along with her newly discovered curves. It was in moments like this that she loved being young and her only worries being about her future O.W.L.s.
She no longer had to use a disturbing amount of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion and she happily gave her collection to James, who glared at her and at the amused looks the boys sent him.
Part V: Year Five.
It was when they succeeded in becoming an Animagus in fifth year, that Remus Lupin realized how much they cared for him.
They hated seeing him all by himself in the Hospital Wing. His body always sported new scars Moony inflicted upon himself. Thankfully, the four of them exceeded in Transfiguration and it took them only about five months to turn into the stag, rat, dog and fox they came to be.
Hermione feared Remus was going to pass out of shock when they all entered the Shrieking Shack through the passage and turned in front of him. Again, it took him time to accept the risk they had taken for the boy. Of course, he came around. They were his best friends after all. Their fifth year symbolized the birth of Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, Prongs and Madame Vulpy.
Moony and Vulpy obviously rhymed to reflect how close the two were. Outsiders said they were as connected to the hip as were James and Sirius to each other. Perhaps, that was why things turned out to be the way they did with Peter. Though, she would get to that later . . .
Part VI: Year Six.
It was at the beginning of sixth year that things started changing. Sirius had been blasted off his family tapestry and he'd officially moved in with the Potter's. James insisted that Hermione came as well.
"You're my sister and my parents practically call you their daughter," he explained with pleading eyes.
She opened her mouth to ask what he was going to do about her actual parents, but was stopped when Sirius whined, "I thought I was your brother."
James rolled his eyes at him. "You can both be my siblings."
The cup of tea he was holding dropped and a terrified look marred his face. Ignoring the knowing gaze everyone sported, he stumbled on his words and yelled a final, "No!"
Hermione just continued to spread butter on her toast, blissfully ignoring her two best friends.
Sirius and Hermione had a different kind of friendship. Their banters were known to everyone, even Headmaster Dumbledore.
He loved riling her up for some stupid reason that she would love to loath as much as she hated his behaviour. They always ignored the warning looks they got from the boys and ended up saying things that shouldn't be said. Apologies would then be exchanged and Sirius would sling his arm around Hermione's shoulders as if nothing had happened. She would then roll her eyes and kiss him on the cheek just like she did with the rest of her best friends. Of course, he wasn't treated like he was special. Why would he be?
There were special boys like Gideon Prewett and Edgar Bones, who she had liked and dated briefly. For some reason, relationships never seemed to last for her but she didn't mind. She preferred focusing on Prefect duties and her exams, especially considering they'd be getting tested for their N.E.W.T.s in the following year.
"You're too frigid," Sirius told her once. It was a few months later when he caught a glimpse of her marked neck that wiped that smug look of his off his face. After that, he started acting weirdly. Peter also changed. She couldn't exactly pinpoint what the difference was but he got much more touchy than she was used to. He was an unusually nervous boy and Hermione always tried her best to listen to his worries and even tutor him in the library. Her hugs strangely helped his nerves disappear instantly.
It was when she bumped into Sirius in October that she found her answer. She had her hands stuck in her bag, in attempts of closing the zipper despite the flock of books it contained. Hermione failed to see the body she eventually slammed into. A strong pair of hands grabbed her waist and when she caught the familiar smell of leather and spearmint toothpaste, her head snapped up to look at Sirius. She didn't bother thanking him and instead asked, "Don't you have Divination right now?"
Still not moving his hands away, he smiled wickedly at her. "That's for me to know and for you to never find out," he said, faking a shudder.
She swatted his hands away and crossed her arms. "Do you have the map?" she questioned with a raised brow.
At his confused nod, she took out the map out of his robe's pocket and whispered, "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good." She checked the corridors that lead to the Black Lake and when she confirmed them to be empty, she grabbed Sirius' hand and dragged him along, ignoring his protests.
.
He sighed and then sat down on the grass. Sirius Black was not one to think about girls. Girls were the ones daydreaming about him. How did he ever end up staring at the sky, with his best friend's voice replaying in his head, he did not know. Never did he think the phrase used on the map would sound so sinfully pleasant.
He obviously refused to voice it out loud. Instead, he tugged Hermione to sit between his legs so her back could lean against his chest. Her wild mass of curls tickled his chin, which was propped on her shoulders.
"I swear, you and Peter have started being extra touchy," she murmured and his hold on her tightened.
Peter, his lovely friend, had obviously started liking Hermione and a strange feeling in the gut had been following him since the end of their fifth year. He scoffed at the oblivious girl in his arms and wondered how the boys she previously dated ended up scoring her. Did they just bluntly confess that they liked her?
He didn't know what she even ever saw in them. Sirius considered himself to be much better. Even if he were to be modest, he just knew how well his charms worked on girls. What he didn't know was why they never worked on Hermione. He blamed it on Padfoot accidentally stepping on Vulpy's tail once. He still proudly wore the scar on his chest that he got for his mistake.
"He likes you," he told her, stating the obvious.
She laughed, the sound growing the furious hammer of his heart. "No, he doesn't."
It was only when he insisted that she believed him. "But I don't like him like that," she confessed.
Despite having her back on him, he could tell her expression was changing into a sad pitiful one. She had way too kind of a heart and he lov—adored her for it. Yes.
He grasped her shoulders and spun her around. Sirius instantly regretted his actions when he realized that she was practically close to straddling him. Ignoring that fact, he grabbed her chin, forcing her to peer at him through her beautiful long eyelashes.
"It's alright if you don't like that way," he reassured her and himself as well. "He'll still be your friend no matter what."
A moment of silence passed and the corners of his lips tugged into a smirk as he looked at her cheeks reddening at the closeness.
If given the chance, he wanted to count each one of the freckles splattered across them.
Her breath tickled his face due to the proximity and he swallowed a lump when his canine senses breathed in the scent of roses and parchment. His eyes flickered to her plump, full lips and the tip of his tongue darted out to slip along his lower lip.
Her eyes followed the movement and she copied it, doing the same. He slowly leaned closer, praying to Merlin—and every mighty presence out there—that he'll finally get the chance to feel her lips against his like he'd been dreaming of for the past couple of years. He remembered being horrified at the thought. It was his best friend, for Godric's Sake!
His hand came up to cup her jaw and he leaned in more. He cherished how soft her tanned skin felt under his palm. Just as he was about to inch even closer, she blinked at him and instantly pulled back with wide eyes.
They were both breathing rapidly despite not having kissed at all and he resisted the urge to watch her chest rise, flaunting her assets. She broke through his thoughts when she stood up, detangling her limbs from his. Her cheeks reddened even more and she cleared her throat, though the dark glint in her eyes could still be seen. Thank Merlin for small favours. His ego wasn't that hurt.
"Um. I think I should go. I have a Charms essay, you know—Wait, of course you know," she let out a short, strained laugh and he continued to watch in amusement.
"We're in the same class, right. You should finish it as well. I'm not helping you and Peter—Peter, oh no. Well, bye."
With that, she hurriedly left and his gaze followed the sway of her hips until she was gone. He leaned back and laid his head against his arms. Sixth year was definitely going to be interesting, he thought with a fond smile.