Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I don't make money from this fic.
January 3, 1979 Hogwarts, Scotland - Headmaster's Office
Hermione sat before Dumbledore once more, drinking tea and discussing the holidays. It was a business call, and they both knew it, but that didn't stop them exchanging pleasantries where they could. During her sixth year, Dumbledore had noticed her struggling in her classes, and invited her round for tea whenever she needed help with her homework. She took him up on the offer, and ever since, tea with Dumbledore had a calming effect on her. He even knew how she took her tea.
"So I finally told the boys the truth." Hermione said, as calmly as though she was commenting on the weather.
"Oh?" Dumbledore asked, raising an eyebrow and sipping his tea. "How did that turn out?"
"Surprisingly well. They took it better than I hoped." Hermione said.
"Good! Perhaps they'll be more willing to cooperate when you talk to them about Order business, now." Dumbledore said.
"That's what started the whole thing. Sirius thought Remus was going to betray the Order." Hermione rolled her eyes.
"So you're confident he will not?" He asked.
"Positive. In my time, it was Peter who betrayed James and Lily." Hermione said.
"And in this time, do you feel he will make the same choices?" he asked.
"I hope not. I've put the fear of Merlin in him. I hope I've done enough." Hermione said.
"He's been spotted meeting hopefuls in Hogsmeade. Regulus Black, along with a few others. Severus Snape was seen with him, as well."
"He could be spying, but I'm not sure. Regulus, I know, is acting as a spy. He's been feeding me what little information he has access to. As for Snape, I admit, I know little of his past from my time. I have no idea what led him to defect and join the Order." Hermione sighed.
"What do you recall of Voldemort's activity in your time?" Dumbledore asked.
"Well, I've already told you about what Harry told me, how Voldemort came back. We went to the Ministry that night in 1996 to save Sirius, but we were ambushed, instead. There was a prophecy concerning Harry and Lord Voldemort. He must have known about it, but not its entire contents, as it seemed fairly important. I don't know who gave the prophecy, it just said S.P.T., but I believe the date inscribed on it was 1980."
"I'm afraid we will have to wait to see if this prophecy comes into play in this timeline, then. It seems as though there is nothing more we can do but watch and listen." Dumbledore said. Hermione sighed, but nodded.
"How's Healer training going?" He asked, and Hermione smiled at him. She knew he was trying to make her feel like an asset, and that he was trying to boost her morale. She hated waiting for things to happen.
"Healer Fawley says I'm a natural. Might even finish the program before the end of the year." she told him.
"Very good! I'm glad you seem to be acclimating well to life after Hogwarts." He said, looking her over.
"I'm trying. And that's all I can do, right?" She said, and Dumbledore smiled at her, a twinkle in his eye.
"How right you are, dear."
Later that night, London, England - Sirius and Hermione's Flat
Hermione shuffled into the flat with a couple bags of groceries, closing the door with her foot behind her. She was surprised to find Sirius in the kitchen, wearing her apron, and actually not burning anything. He looked up when she came in, and he hurried over to take the groceries from her hands.
"How'd your Dumbledate go, love?" He asked, with a grin. She laughed at him, shaking her head.
"It went fine, just talked business with the Order. He wanted to know a bit more information about my time. Then we just talked about Mungo's and such. What're you making?"
"Spaghetti and garlic bread." He said, putting the groceries on the table and starting to put things away.
"Sounds good," she said. "Wasn't expecting you to cook, tonight, though." She said, giggling.
"Well, James wrote me and he wanted to come over tonight, so I told him to bring Lily and we'd have dinner. Besides, you cook all the time. About time I stepped up." He said, dropping a wink her way.
"How was work today?" She asked, helping him store the rest of the groceries.
"Brutal. Swear Moody's harder on me than any of the other new recruits." Sirius groaned. "I have bruises in places I didn't know I had."
"You know it's just because he likes you." Hermione said.
"Well, that, and I'm the only one directly affiliated with the Order in this class." He said, with a shrug. Hermione heard a knock on the door just then, and as she turned to answer it, she called over her shoulder to Sirius.
"By the way, your pasta's about to boil over." she smirked, giggling when she heard a string of expletives from him. She left him to deal with the noodles and peeked through the peephole to ensure it was really James and Lily. She opened the door when she was sure it was her friends, and let them in, but something about them felt off.
"Hey, 'Mione." James said, hugging her. While it wasn't unusual for James to greet her with a hug, he lingered a bit longer than usual, and hugged her just a bit tighter than she was used to. Sirius must have noticed from his vantage point in the open kitchen, too.
"Everything alright, Prongs?" Sirius called as Hermione moved to hug Lily. James tried to smile but met Sirius with what looked like a grimace.
"I wanted to tell you in person, mate. Both of you." He said, and Lily slipped her hand into his, squeezing it reassuringly. "Mum… Mum's sick."
"Sick?" Hermione asked, furrowing her brow. "I haven't seen her at Mungo's, what kind of sick?"
"She's been quarantined in the house. Hermione, they're saying it's Dragon Pox." James said. Hermione's hand went to her mouth. She knew Euphemia and Fleamont were advancing in age, and that particular disease was deadly, in particular, to young children and the elderly.
"Uncle Fleamont, does he-?" Sirius asked.
"They don't know yet, but they're keeping the two of them together. She had been undiagnosed for about a month. You know how Mum is, stubborn woman refused to go to the doctor." James shook his head.
"How long?" Hermione asked, meeting James's eye.
"We don't know. Could be weeks, could be a few months." He said.
"Anything you need, James," Sirius said, crossing to him and embracing his best friend. "Literally anything, you let us know, alright?"
"Yeah, I will." James said, hugging the man who was like a brother to him tightly. "Thanks for having us over. I really needed you two right now. Remus isn't back yet, but I got a letter from him before he went off the grid again. He hopes to be back by May."
"Did you tell him?" Hermione asked. James shook his head.
"It was a do-not-reply. And even if I did write him back, I wouldn't have told him. Would have distracted him from the mission." James said, and Sirius nodded. "Told Peter earlier today. He's a bit torn up about it."
"He loves Aunt Effie." Hermione said, fondly. "Doesn't help that she dotes on him like he's her own."
"She dotes on everyone like they're her own." Sirius said. "Especially you, Hermione."
"Yeah, Mum went on about you for weeks when you first moved out, you know." James said, moving to take a seat at the table.
"She did?" Hermione asked. But before he could reply, Hermione smelled something. "Sirius, did you forget about the garlic bread?"
"Fuck." Three voices laughed as yet another string of expletives left Sirius's mouth as he hurried back to the little kitchen to try and save his scorched garlic bread.
March 11, 1979 London, England - St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries
Hermione, Sirius, James, and Lily sat in a cramped waiting room on the second floor of the hospital. Hermione and Lily had been crying off and on for the span of several days, and all of them had notified their employers of Euphemia's death just days before, along with the impending death of Fleamont.
The four of them had been summoned earlier in the day for the reading of Euphemia's will, and Hermione was surprised just how much Euphemia had cared about her. She had left all her worldly possessions to "my children, James and Lily Potter, Hermione Potter, and Sirius Black." Fleamont had pointed out, before slipping into a coma the day after Euphemia died, that he had expanded upon his wife's will, detailing what portion of the estate should go to whom, but that he wasn't worried about squabbling over money.
"You four are better than that, I know." He had said.
Sirius had been a wreck, Hermione knew, since Euphemia passed. It didn't help matters that it had been while he was visiting with her, while James was gone, no less, that she had passed. She had whispered something to him, in the moments before her death, something that he refused to tell Hermione. He looked haunted, his face pale and drawn. He lost a mother just the same as James had. And now they were losing a father, as well. Hermione was trying to be strong for the boys, but she couldn't help but feel that she had lost the closest thing to parents she had, as well. And so Lily had been the anchor that held them all together.
Hermione was shaken from her reverie by the door to the ward opening and a Healer, one whom she had met a few times throughout her training, a wizard named Grant Lues, came out into the wait area to talk to them.
"Healer Lues," Hermione said, looking up. "How is he?"
"I'm afraid I have some bad news." He said. Before he could say much else, Sirius leapt up and stormed out of the waiting room, heading down the stairs. Hermione looked to James and they shared a knowing look.
"He's had a rough week." Hermione explained. Healer Lues seemed to understand.
"As I was saying, I'm afraid your father has passed, Mr. Potter. Just moments ago." Hermione looked to James, and saw that his face had gone pale. They knew this was coming, but it didn't make things any easier. He nodded once and Lily leaned into him, letting him know they were there.
"There's a fair bit of paperwork, but we can get that taken care of tomorrow. I suggest you go home and try to get some rest." The healer told them. "I'm sorry for your loss."
"James," Hermione said, reaching out to hug him. He grasped her tightly to his chest and she could feel him breaking apart even as they hugged.
"I know." He murmured into her hair, fighting a sob. "Go find Sirius. He needs you right now. I've got Lily. We'll be over to the flat tomorrow." Hermione nodded, willing herself to keep it together so that she could get back to the flat, knowing that's where Sirius retreated to.
Hermione hugged Lily and turned to follow after Sirius, headed for the floos.
Hermione found Sirius curled up in a ball in the living room floor, sobbing. Her heart broke for him, but she feared he would pull away from her if she tried to comfort him. She approached him cautiously, sitting on the floor beside him. It took several minutes for him to register that she was even there.
When he finally noticed her, he tried to sit up, tried to stop his sobbing, but Hermione just slid closer to him and wrapped her arms around him.
"You don't have to stop because of me." She said, tears escaping. "I'm a mess, too. I just want you to know that it's okay to be a mess. And that you're not alone." Sirius broke down again, burying his face into her shoulder and holding on to her as though his life depended on it.
They sat like that, holding each other on the floor, and grieved the loss of two people who had claimed them as their own. Hermione knew there was nothing she could have done to prevent these deaths, but somehow, that didn't make her feel better. Somehow, that only made her cling to Sirius and cherish her friends more than ever. The couple stayed in the floor until they eventually cried themselves to sleep, too exhausted to stay awake.