A/N: I want to take a minute and give a big shout out to my friend and beta, ohnobetty. She's helped me with this story so much. You all should also totally go check out her new story, Albus & The Wolf!
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I don't make money from this fic.
March 5, 1977 Hogwarts, Scotland - Seventh Floor Corridor
It was the night of the full moon, and as usual on these nights, Hermione couldn't sleep. She found herself wandering the halls almost before realizing it. She knew where her feet were taking her, though, so she followed the instinct she had and walked quickly in the direction of the Astronomy Tower.
A lot had happened since her Valentine's date with Sirius, and she found herself lost in thought about the last month, which seemed to have flown by; James and Lily weren't really a couple, not yet, though they did have plans to go on a date over Easter holidays. Hermione and Sirius, though, the whole school knew about. Frankly, Hermione was just about fed up with being on the receiving end of endless jealous stares while walking in the corridors with Sirius.
Then there was her nightmares. They'd all but stopped, and Hermione wasn't sure if that was a good thing, or a bad thing. She'd been keeping up with her nightly meditation and had improved leaps and bounds in the way of compartmentalizing her emotions. She hadn't had much luck in repressing the visions and nightmares, though, until one day at the end of February. They simply stopped. Months of nightmares nearly every day flipped off like a light switch. The first night, Hermione could hardly believe it. The week following, though, she began to worry.
Her visions and nightmares were how she kept tabs on Voldemort's attacks. Without them, she was blind, and virtually a non-asset to the Order. Her hope in repressing the nightmares had been to learn how to control them, which she was still hoping to do. But now she was having a problem; none of the books she'd read had come close to teaching her how to go about that. She was on her own for this one.
On the bright side, though, she was sleeping better, when she slept, but a new problem had arisen: she didn't go to bed until midnight or later, these days. Between her homework, research, and worrying about the implications of her lack of visions, she stayed up in the common room most nights. Sirius had started picking up on her poor sleeping habits and she knew he was worried about her, but of course he thought that it was PTSD from her "attack" that summer.
She sighed, trudging up the last few stairs, grunting as she reached the top. She moved to one of the observation decks, specifically the deck facing the Whomping Willow. James, Peter and Sirius had left an hour before, under the cover of darkness (and James's invisibility cloak). Hermione knew that they'd likely be roaming the grounds with Moony, but she didn't expect to see a figure headed for the tree, especially not a human. The clouds in front of the moon cleared, and Hermione saw the figure come into clear focus. It was Snape.
Hermione gasped. She suddenly remembered the story Remus, the Remus she knew in her own time, had told her, Harry, and Ron during their third year, the first time she'd met Sirius Black. Snape had seen Remus being led to the Whomping Willow and Sirius had thought it funny to tell him how to access it. Even as Hermione watched, Snape prodded at the knot at the base of the tree to calm it. Her heart tightened. She knew there was nothing she could do. James would have to save the day, and, for Remus and Snape's sakes, alike, Hermione hoped history repeated itself. She sat on the ledge of the observation deck, determined to wait it out and ensure Snape left the tunnel unharmed. As she shifted her weight, she heard a noise behind her. In a moment, she had her wand out, turning towards the noise.
It was Regulus. Hermione lowered her wand, frowning at the boy. He had his hands held up in surrender, and as she lowered her wand, he lowered his hands.
"Regulus. What are you doing out of bed?" Hermione asked.
"Couldn't sleep. I come up here lots of nights when that's the case. Though usually, I'm alone." He grinned at her. "What brings you here?" he asked, moving to join her on the observation deck.
"Couldn't turn my brain off. Sirius and I have a- thing. We come up here and watch the sky if we can't sleep. 'Course, tonight it's just me." Hermione said. Regulus chuckled softly.
"Sirius and I used to watch the stars growing up. We had to have a telescope to see them- Mum bought us a real nice one, encouraged us to study the stars. After all, we're both named after one. It became a source of comfort for us. If he couldn't sleep, he'd wake me up and we'd sneak up to the attic and take turns looking at the sky." he said. Hermione looked him over. He had a peaceful expression on his face as he looked up at the night sky.
"Suppose watching the stars just wouldn't be the same without a Black." Hermione said, smiling. Regulus smiled faintly, not meeting her eyes.
"Hermione, when are you going to tell him?" He said, his face nearly a mask. Her brows pulled together.
"Tell him what?" She asked.
"That you're not from this time." He said, his eyes finally meeting hers. Her blood ran cold.
"How do you know?" She asked softly.
"Lucius Malfoy. He's the Death Eater recruiter that's been in contact with me recently. Asked for information regarding you, and I, of course, had some questions as well." Regulus told her.
"What did you-" She began, stiffly.
"I didn't tell him anything he didn't already know. Just what I'm expected to know." He said. "But I do wonder if you knew any of us in the future." Hermione sighed. She had already changed the time stream with her visions. If telling Regulus about what she knew would help her save her friends, she'd do it.
"Yes. I knew Sirius and Remus in my time. And Peter, briefly, though that acquaintance was far from pleasant." Hermione said, scrunching her nose as she remembered the interaction between Remus, Sirius, and Peter in the Shrieking Shack.
"So then you know where his loyalties lie?" Regulus asked.
"I know where his loyalties ended up." Hermione said, looking up at the sky. "Though it caused a lot of unnecessary death. If I can keep it from happening, I will." Hermione told him. Regulus nodded.
"You didn't answer my question, though, 'Mione. When are you going to tell him?" He repeated. Hermione locked eyes with him.
"I'm not sure." Hermione sighed. "He needs to know, I understand that. Especially since this war is going to get bad. I know what happens, Reg. But- this is something you can't tell anyone, I need your word." Hermione said, locking eyes with him.
"I swear on the House of Black, Hermione, whatever you tell me shall not pass my lips." he told her, meeting her gaze. His grey eyes held nothing but truth, and she knew that Regulus's name meant the world to him. To swear on the House of Black- yes, she trusted him.
"I was sent back in time via a time turner that fell on my head in a battle in the Department of Mysteries. Ever since, I've been having visions about the near future. Dumbledore knows, and as such, he's been able to act upon the information I've given him and has prevented several incidents."
"So you're changing time. Are you sure that's wise, Hermione?" he asked.
"My best friend in my time grew up an orphan because of this war, Reg." Hermione told him. "His parents were Lily and James Potter."
"Did you- did you know me in your time?" he asked. She looked down. She'd known this conversation would happen.
"No, Reg. You were- already gone." Hermione said, trying to remember what it was Harry had told her about Sirius's family two summers before. "All I know is that you were a Death Eater. But you had little contact with Sirius." the corner of Regulus's mouth twitched up at that.
"Well then, we're already looking better." he said. "Sirius and I may not be the closest, but I know if I need him, he's there." He said. "Do you think we can really change things, Hermione? Do you think we save people?"
"I hope so." She said. She looked up as a shadow burst from the tunnel under the Whomping Willow. She watched Snape run back towards the castle, tripping over himself several times. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. That was that, then.
"Do I want to know what that was all about?" Regulus asked, looking her over in the moonlight. Hermione thought about it.
"Probably not. It's complicated." Hermione said. Regulus nodded. "So you're a pureblood in this timeline. What are you really?" he asked.
"You really want to know?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah." He said, looking her over.
"I'm a Muggleborn." Hermione said. Regulus looked down, chuckling. "What?"
"Sorry, it's just-" Regulus burst out laughing. "Just, you know if you and Sirius get serious enough, you'll probably have to meet Mum at some point. She'd think you're a pureblood, top of your class. She'd be so proud of Sirius for finding a respectable girlfriend. Knowing what I do, it's just sort of ironic, you know? You're everything Mum hates, disguised as everything she loves, Gryffindor aside." Hermione smirked.
"I never got to meet Walburga in person, but if she's anything like the portrait of her, I will enjoy the irony if I ever have to deal with her." Hermione said.
"For what it's worth, I'm glad you and Sirius are together." He told her, sobering. "You bring out the best in my brother."
"I try." Hermione grinned, "But he's still an idiot sometimes."
March 19, 1977 Hogwarts, Scotland - Gryffindor Common Room
Hermione sat in Sirius's lap, despite her many protests against that type of public displays of affection. She blushed when she felt Sirius run a hand over her back and side, and tried to ignore the sensations that his touch nearly always brought about in her.
"What's the matter, 'Mione?" James called from his spot on the couch between Lily and Remus. "Thought Sirius already took you for a ride on his broom." he waggled his eyebrows ridiculously.
"Well, it was your broom, James, first of all. And if you must know, I was terribly uncomfortable the entire time." She huffed.
"Not the entire time, according to my sources." James said, and Hermione blushed. She'd known Sirius would tell the boys about the date, that's what boys did. She just had thought she'd be teased about her reactions.
"Oh, leave her alone, James, and open your presents, so Remus can open his." Lily chided him.
The were having James and Remus's birthday party, which, according to Sirius, they always held in the middle of March. Remus's birthday had already past, being on tenth, and James's was on the twenty-seventh. Hermione had owled Aunt Euphemia asking her to help her get the boys' presents, so that Sirius wouldn't have to smuggle them past James and Remus.
"Fine, I'll stop." James pouted. Hermione giggled at his reaction. He and Lily weren't official, but they both acted like it so much that Hermione had called them out on it a couple times.
"Peter, hand me that box, would you?" James asked, and like he had flipped a switch, Hermione's vision went black. She felt herself fall into Sirius's chest before she was suddenly not in Gryffindor Common Room any longer.
"The boy, the weak one. What is his name?" Voldemort said, pacing back and forth in front of a group of men, all of whom were sitting. It looked very like a board meeting, save the downcast eyes of all the men present.
"Pettigrew, my Lord. Peter Pettigrew. He's begun to run in some of the Slytherin circles, despite being a Gryffindor, and has expressed interest in our cause. According to Snape and his friend, Black, he's very close to her."
"Yes. We can most certainly use him. Lucius, you will do all you can to get this boy on our side, am I clear?" He barked.
"Yes, of course, my Lord." Lucius Malfoy said, bowing his head.
And suddenly Hermione came to; Sirius was shaking her, slapping her face gently.
"Hermione! Are you alright?" He asked, seeing her eyes flutter open.
"P-pe-" Hermione struggled to say the word, "Peter." She said, looking up at Sirius, eyes wide. Then she passed out.