Hello! I'm posting the second chapter today in hopes of keeping my muse going. She's a bit finicky, this one. This chapter is a bit rough, but hopefully once the story starts moving it'll smooth out.

Thank you, little loves, and enjoy!

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Chapter Two

"J…James Potter?" Hermione's eyes were wide as she glanced between James and the other boy. "You're… Oh, Godric you must be Sirius." There was pain in her eyes when she looked at him, and Sirius gave her an odd look, but nodded anyway.

"MOONY! C'MERE!" Fred and Hermione both winced at the volume, and James gave them an apologetic look before turning to the sandy haired boy who looked rather annoyed as he walked to them a moment later.

"What is it, Pads? I'm actually trying to take…" he trailed off, seeing the strange people on the ground looking rather disgruntled. "Ah." He walked over to them and kneeled, smiling kindly. Hermione's heart hurt.

"Remus." She breathed out quietly, so quiet that, if he had normal hearing, he wouldn't have heard.

"I'm.. Yes. Do I know you?" Her eyes widened as she realized what she said. Fred nudged her, giving her a comforting smile before turning to the Marauders and giving them his usual lopsided grin.

"I'm Fred! That's…" he paused for a minute, letting her take over, practically seeing the gears turning in her head.

"Mia. I'm Mia." Mia?

"Are you two alright? You look like you just came from a funeral," Remus joked softly before seeing the pain flicker across Hermione's face. "Oh."

"It's alright, we just… Oh Merlin, Fred, the wand!" she practically screamed, causing Fred and Remus both to wince, though Fred jumped up along with Hermione.

"Can you guys slow down? What's going on?" Sirius looked pained and confused.

"We… we lost a wand and-" Fred cut off, looking around a little before he caught sight of the wand on the grass. Carefully, he pocketed it before turning to see his old head of house approaching the small group.

"Mister Potter, Mister Lupin, Mister Black, you and your... friends are to report straight to the headmaster." McGonagall turned and walked away as suddenly as she had appeared.

"I'm… Fred, we have to see him anyway. We should hurry." Mia spoke gently, but he could practically feel the panic rolling off of her. He glanced up at three of the Marauders, sighing slightly. He'd dreamed of meeting them for years before he found out who they were, and now they were there in person, and he wasn't supposed to be there at all. "Fine. Let's hurry."

Fred and Mia stood shakily and began walking, both of them glancing back to the wary teenagers behind them.

"Come on, I think we may have gotten you three into trouble as well. Might as well get you out of it." Mia spoke to the animagi friends gently, and they followed, reluctant as ever.

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"Ice Mice." Professor McGonagall spoke the password clearly, and then waved the students ahead of her. Mia almost let out a sob when she saw Dumbledore with his back to her, and Fred awkwardly took her hand in his own, rubbing her palm gently with his thumb. Remus stared at them curiously, and Mia knew on some level that he could sense the pain, the loss, the confusion.

"Please, sit. It seems we have much to talk about." Dumbledore paused for all of them to sit, gave McGonagall a small smile of dismissal, then turned to sit at his own desk to watch them.

"See, there are some very strong wards against apparition or portkeys or really any other type of travel into the school, so you'll imagine my surprise when my own wand broke the wards down and two teenagers fell into the forbidden forest, only to have some of the school's favorite trouble makers to find them."

Mia paled at his words, tears forming in her eyes. She glanced at the young Marauders sitting on her right and took a shaky breath. "We shouldn't be here." She spoke the words once before taking a violent, sharp breath and repeating them. It was something Remus knew and understood: the girl was going into a panic attack.

"Sir, she's panicking!" Even as he spoke, he and Fred both moved closer to her and Remus grabbed the hand Fred didn't have. Dumbledore wore an expression of shock for a tiny moment before he moved to a cabinet, bringing out a Calming Draught. As Remus and Fred spoke meaningless nothings to calm her and James and Sirius looked on in confusion and worry, Dumbledore stepped forward and gently gave Fred the Draught, allowing him to help her drink it. Once the bottle was empty, Dumbledore returned to his seat and smiled kindly at her.

"I'm so sorry sir, it's just… We don't belong here." Mia gestured to herself and Fred, still calming her breathing.

"Don't worry. Why don't you take some deep breaths and let your friend here talk for you?" She nodded a little, still nervous, and began to focus on calming down.

"Professor Dumbledore… Sir, we…" he sighed in frustration and just pulled the wand from his pocket, giving it to Dumbledore with shaky hands. His old headmaster frowned at the sight, picking his own wand from his robe pockets.

"Ah. I see."

Sirius and James were looking back and forth, both helplessly confused. "See what? What's going on, sir?" James spoke calmly and respectfully, but Dumbledore just gave him a soft smile and shook his head a bit.

"Mister Potter, Mister Black, Mister Lupin, you're excused from your classes, but I must insist that you leave us to speak in privacy for a bit. If you wouldn't mind, I'm sure these two would appreciate it if you'd wait in Gryffindor Tower for them?"

The young Marauders all nodded, albeit reluctantly, and left silently.

"Now, if you don't mind me asking, why do you have my wand when I, too, have my wand?" Mia sighed, taking a deep breath, before speaking.

"There's no delicate way to say this, sir, but we've just come from your… funeral. Fred and I, we were put in charge of finding your wand. When we were both touching it, however, we were sent back in time. I know that feeling, though it was accompanied with a great deal of pain this time. I wouldn't assume we were more than a few days back if it weren't for… James Potter, sir, and Sirius and Remus. We've gone back twenty years." Mia paused, taking a moment to collect herself. She knew she was on the brink of another panic attack, and she just couldn't handle it.

"Twenty years? Well, I'm glad to know I've lived to a nice old age. May I ask, has the war ended yet?"

His question made Mia go cold, and she tried to swallow down the pain in her chest. "No. No, sir, it's worse than ever." Dumbledore nodded, the twinkle in his eye disappearing.

"Well. I had hoped we could win it a bit faster, but nothing to be done, I suppose." He paused for a moment, as if waiting for them to correct him. When they didn't, he smiled once again and clapped his hands together. "I suppose we must enroll you in classes, don't you think? I believe sixth year will do well for you, Miss…"

"Granger, sir. Mia Granger."

He nodded. "Miss Granger. And perhaps seventh year for you, Mister…?"

"Erm… Weasley. I'm Fred Weasley."

Dumbledore's twinkle was back and he nodded. "I'll get your schedules, but if you wouldn't mind, I need to make a quick Floo call. It'll only take a moment." They nodded and he stood, walking to the fireplace.

Fred frowned at Mia, her small hand still in his large hand. "Mia? Where did that come from?" She shrugged, rubbing her forehead gently with her free hand. "I don't know, Fred, I panicked. It's not like you've been saying much, which is fine, but still." He shrugged helplessly, giving her a small smile.

"'Mione, we're with the Marauders." His smile grew into his trademark grin, and it set her at ease fairly quickly. She nodded a bit.

"Harry's mum and dad are alive, Fred. Everyone is. Do you think… maybe we could save them?"

Before Fred could respond, Dumbledore walked back in front of his desk and smiled. "I've found a family that is willing to take you in as their wards until you're grown. For your safety and to relieve any confusion, you'll be taking their last name for the time being. You've already met their son, James."

Mia's eyes widened to a comical size. "James… Potter? You mean… I'm sorry, Professor, I'm afraid I don't understand. You're saying we're going to be staying with the Potters?" Dumbledore simply nodded.

"Is there a problem with that, Miss Granger?" Fred shook his head, answering for her.

"That's amazing!" Dumbledore chuckled softly.

"Good. I've asked Mister Potter and Mister Black to return, and I've requested that their parents, Charlus and Dorea Potter, come visit to meet you."

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"Mum? Dad? What are you doing here?" Sirius frowned as he and James walked into the office.

"Well, love, Professor Dumbledore was explaining to us how there were two kids your age that needed a home for a while. We've decided to take them in." Dorea smiled at her sons, her tone final before they could even consider arguing.

"Wait…" James looked over at Mia and Fred and grinned brightly. "So you'll be like a brother and sister, huh? Cool! I was getting bored with this wanker anyway." He smirked at Sirius.

"Hey!" Sirius's grey eyes were bright with excitement as he brushed off James's remark. "That is cool though. What House are you in? Oh! What Quidditch team do you support?" Mia rolled her eyes as the boys quickly began to debate Puddlemore versus Chuddley Canons and walked over to Charlus and Dorea, a small, sad smile on her face.

"Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Potter. It's so kind of you to take us in."

"Oh, no need to thank us, dear. And please, you can call us Mum and Dad if you like, or Charlus and Dorea. We're family now." Mia's eyes widened just a little bit, and she felt the sob from earlier form in her throat. She didn't trust herself to speak, so she merely nodded.

This was going to be long and hard, and she knew it. Her eyes drifted over to Fred, animatedly talking to his new "brothers" and she knew right then that as long as she had him, she might just be able to hold on.