***
Calling out your name
Your face is everywhere
I'm reaching out to you
To find that you're not there
I wake up every night
To see the state I'm in
It's like an endless fight
I never seem to win
I can't go on as long as I believe
Can't let you go when I keep wondering
Where are you now, what have you found
Where is your heart, when I'm not around
Where are you now, you gotta let me know
Oh, baby, so I can let you go
***
The Heaven In Your Eyes
Part II
Hermione groaned softly as she turned over in bed. It was still a little bit dark outside, and in the beds next to her, Lavender, Parvati, and Samantha, who had come to Hogwarts in Hermione's sixth year after moving back to England from America, were still fast asleep, Parvati snoring loudly.
Pushing herself off the bed, Hermione fumbled groggily towards the bathroom. She knocked twice, and pushed the door open, closing it quietly behind her.
"Lily?" she whispered, flicking on a light switch.
The bath curtains began to part, and in moments, Lily's (or rather Hermione's) face appeared, looking quite blotchy with huge purple bags hanging under the cinnamon eyes.
"What time is it?" she asked through a big yawn.
"Almost five in the morning. Here." Hermione flicked her hands towards Lily, spraying her with droplets of water.
"I needed that," smiled Lily, slowly stepping out of the tub while Hermione wet down her own face. "Towel?"
"Yes please."
"Do you have a plan?" inquired Lily, running several fingers through her now brown hair. She was surprised to find that instead of the silky texture she was used to, Hermione's hair was rather rougher, and much thicker. Still, it was pleasing to touch, though much harder to brush, as she later found out.
"Well, yes, actually. Of course, you'll have to approve of it first."
Lily nodded for her to go on, but Hermione only opened her mouth to close it again, an odd look on her face.
"Are you all right?"
"Oh-yes, I'm so sorry. Only I'm just not used to talking to myself. Or, you know, someone who looks exactly like me. It's very--"
"Disconcerting," Lily finished for her, and she laughed.
"Disconcerting," she agreed. "Anyway, I thought that I'd go down to breakfast, giving you a chance to get ready without Lavender, Parvati, and Sam trying to talk you to death. And I'm sure you're anxious to see Harry, but I'd really like to try to miss as few classes as possible."
"Of course," said Lily kindly, repressing the urge to bind and gag Hermione and live her life uninterrupted for as long as she pleased. Somehow, she was sure this wasn't what Mariel would want her to do, and she couldn't risk getting pulled away before seeing Harry.
"So I'll go to class with them after breakfast, and then break, and then the next two classes. At lunch, though, I'll come back up for you, and you can eat with everyone. And we get Friday afternoons off, so you can stay with them for as long as you like. Only-I'd really appreciate it if I could not go without dinner."
"I'll see to it that you don't," whispered Lily, giving Hermione the biggest smile she could muster.
"And one last thing. Lavender and the rest will be up soon, so I really hope you don't mind hiding under my bed for half an hour. I'm really sorry," she added, "but I can't think of any other place they wouldn't be, and we can't risk them knowing that there's two of us."
"I don't mind at all," said Lily, and she was telling the truth. She was willing to do anything at this point to see Harry as soon as possible with nothing in the way.
* * *
"Morning, Hermione," said Ron cheerfully, giving her a peck on the cheek as she lowered herself into a chair at the Gryffindor table for breakfast.
"Morning, Ron. Pass me some of those rolls, please. And the butter. Morning, Harry."
"'Lo," he murmured in response, drenching his tall stack of pancakes in maple syrup.
"Ready for that Potions quiz?" asked Ron, and Hermione suddenly noticed that instead of a plate, Ron had several papers spread out in front of him, all of which seemed to be messy, hastily scrawled notes.
"Looks like you're not."
"That's not what I asked you," muttered Ron sarcastically. "Well? Are you?"
"I suppose so."
"Oh, good, you can help me study!"
"Ron! You're supposed to do these things in advance!"
"I know. I was just-busy."
"Yeah. Playing Quidditch and jokes on Malfoy is a full-time job," piped up Harry, whose pancakes were now almost invisible under syrup, butter, and powdered sugar.
"You're not helping, Harry," scolded Hermione. "And don't you know it's unhealthy to have all that for breakfast?"
Harry shrugged and went back to shoveling food into his mouth, as Ron resumed his plea for help.
"Oh all right!" sighed Hermione, giving in.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you! I owe you one. So...In a coughing potion, do you add the leeches or the lacewing flies in first?"
"Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo."
"Hermione!"
"Huh? Oh-the flies."
"F-L-I-E-S," muttered Ron, as he scribbled on a piece of heavy yellow parchment. "And in the reverse potion, is it the cockroach legs or the diced roots you leave out?"
"What? Oh-the diced roots. Wait, what am I saying? It's the cockroach legs."
"Well? Which is it?"
"The cockroach legs," said Hermione, sounding sure.
"Hermione? Are you okay?" asked Harry finally, after three minutes of confused quizzing between Ron and Hermione.
"What do you mean? Of course I'm okay." Hermione chuckled, hoping she didn't sound nervous.
"Okay. It's just that you usually know everything right off the bat, just as if you'd swallowed a textbook. And today...Well, today, you just sound a little slower. You know."
"Oh? Really? Well, I didn't get much sleep last night. I wasn't very tired. And then I went and woke up at five this morning. So yes, I suppose I'm just not fully awake yet."
"I hope that's it," declared Ron, "or you'll be in big trouble during Potions."
Hermione smiled appreciatively, hiding her relief. Just being next to Harry made her want to blurt out everything that'd happened to her last night.
"This is going to be harder than I thought," she reflected silently, sinking her teeth into a sweet red apple.
* * *
"Finally!" exclaimed Lily, jumping off of Hermione's bed like a small child on its way to Disneyland. "It's seemed like ages."
"Sorry. Are you ready?"
"You have no idea."
Hermione grinned. "And you remember everything I told you?"
"I've had hours to go over it in my mind."
"All right then-I've just told Harry and Ron that I had to drop some of my books off. You remember how to get to the Great Hall?"
"Yes."
"Okay, then. Good luck!"
* * *
"What took you so long?" demanded Ron, as Lily approached the Gryffindor table.
"Oh-nothing. Sorry about that."
Lily's heart seemed to be stuck in her throat. Right there-right next to that boy she'd been talking with-that was him. Harry. After sixteen years of watching form afar, he was right near her, in the flesh. She swallowed slowly, calming herself.
"Sit down," said Ron, tugging at her arm slightly, and she did so.
"You're not still upset with Snape, are you? Everyone knows you didn't really cheat, Hermione," said Harry, giving her a sympathetic look.
"No, dea-er, no, I'm completely, totally, one hundred percent fine." How sweet Harry was!
"Good, because boy have we got news for you!" smirked Ron.
"Crabbe and Goyle did some spell--"
"And it backfired on them--"
"And they've both completely lost their memories!" finished Harry, glowing with mirth.
"Oh," muttered Lily, completely at a loss for a response. She cursed herself inwardly. She'd remembered everything Hermione had told her-except for who Crabbe and Goyle were. Apparently, Harry and Ron were happy about this, and she'd just have to go by that. "How-delightful."
"Of course, it's only temporary, which is really too bad, but we've still got a full day to enjoy!" Ron was grinning evilly.
"You're awfully quiet about this," said Harry, looking at Lily as if she might be sick.
"Am I? I just have a headache. That's all, really."
"Is it bad? I'll take you up to Madam Pomfrey if you'd like," offered Ron, looking concerned.
Pomfrey...Pomfrey? Oh yes! The nurse, of course, who else could she be?
"No, thank you, I'll be fine."
"All right," shrugged Ron, leaning towards her. And the next thing she knew-
BANG!
"Hermione! Hermione, are you all right?" Harry and Ron were standing above her, looking extremely confused.
"I'm perfectly all right, thanks. My head's pounding, but otherwise I'll manage quite well."
"What happened?" asked Harry, utterly befuddled (I love that word!).
"Dunno," muttered Ron, holding out a hand for Lily to take, as Harry did the same. "I just leaned in to kiss her, and...plop!"
"Well, naturally! I'm mar--," Lily swallowed her words, her eyes opening wide as she became fully aware of what she'd been about to say.
"You're..."
"I-I'm mar-mortified, Ron, really I am. You only just surprised me."
Both boys were looking at her strangely, not to mention a good portion of the other dining Gryffindors. The girls she recognized as Lavender and Parvati had their heads together, and were giggling madly.
I cannot afford to do that again.
* * *
"So, what do you say we visit Hagrid?" Ron said smirk, leaning back into his armchair in the Gryffindor common room.
It was late afternoon, and Harry, Ron, and Lily had spent the time after lunch in the common room. Ron and Harry had just finished a game of chess, which Ron had won by a long shot, leaving Harry in a would-be injured mood. Lily sat in a chair next to them, pretending to be involved in 'her' homework, while really allowing her eyes to rest on her son when she thought he wasn't looking.
At the mention of Hagrid, Lily's eyes lit up. Hagrid had been an old friend of hers, and James especially, when they had been at Hogwarts. Memories of sneaking off to the gamekeeper's hut at night to hatch wild plans and dream wild dreams, helping him with his crazy pets, and pretending to enjoy his rather interesting cooking, flooded back to her, and she couldn't resist a wide, although somewhat saddened, smile.
"Oh yes, let's!" she exclaimed, closing her book, and gathering up some loose papers. "I'd love a break. History of Magic can be so tedious!"
Harry and Ron looked at each other, alarmed by the fact that Hermione wanted a break from her homework, but in the end it was decided that they'd visit Hagrid anyway.
As it turned out, Hagrid was extremely excited to see them. When the trio knocked on his door, he swung it open and ushered them inside, Fang barking uncontrollably as usual. But instead of running to Harry, like the boarhound usually did, he made right for Lily, knocking her over as he jumped.
"Whoa, easy there, Fang," said Hagrid, petting him soothingly, allowing Lily time to get up and dust off her robes. "Just excited ter see yeh. I am too, yeh know. Tea, anyone?"
"Yes, please," answered Ron, and Lily and Harry nodded their heads in agreement.
"So, what's been up with yeh?" inquired Hagrid, bustling about his kitchen. "Seems like ages since yeh've been ter see me."
"Sorry, Hagrid," apologized Harry. "They're giving us loads of work up at school. You know, with graduation coming up so soon and all."
"It's hardly fair," muttered Ron, "as we've got to study for our NEWTs, as well."
"Well, I wouldn' worry too much. Some folks work for years ter study fer their NEWT tests, and they still come out miserably. Sometimes, yeh've just gotta be born with the talent."
"I'm sure that would reassure us-if we'd been born with it." Harry ran both hands through his messy black hair, and Lily was strongly reminded of James.
"Which we weren't," added Ron.
"I wouldn' be too sure abou' that." Then Hagrid put their tea down in front of them and refused to say any more on the subject.
"What've you been doing?" asked Lily, sipping her tea. The leaves were swirling at the bottom, making an intoxicating pattern. For some reason, they made Lily feel sick to her stomach. She was reminded too strongly of Sybill Trelawny. And she hated to think about Sybill Trelawny. It hurt too much.
"Oh-not too much ter interest yeh."
There was something about the way he said that small sentence that made Ron, Harry, and Lily glance at each other. One look into each pair of eyes, and Lily could tell that they were thinking the same thing-Hagrid sure was up to something interesting. A little too interesting, probably.
"It's not another dragon, is it?" asked Ron immediately.
"Don' know what yeh're talking about."
"Come on, Hagrid!" whined Lily. "You do know what we're talking about, whether you want to admit it or not."
"I--"
"We could do this the easy way, or the hard way." Lily felt the urge to giggle at Harry's words, and it seemed like Ron did, too. However, both of them managed to hold it in, because Hagrid had taken him seriously enough.
"Yeh've got ter promise not ter tell anyone."
The three of them rolled their eyes.
"Honestly, Hagrid," muttered Ron.
"You know we'd never," added Harry.
"Never," repeated Lily, with emphasis.
Hagrid beckoned for them to lean in closer, which they all did.
"Yeh won't believe it. It's really amazing, it is. Even I still have trouble. But-here it is."
"Are you going to tell us or not?"
"Er, sorry. I-I adopted a baby griffin!"
There was a rather long, very uncomfortable silence. Hagrid's eyes wandered over Harry, Ron, and Lily, trying to make out their expressions. Ron was wide-eyed. Harry looked disbelieving. Lily wasn't quite sure she wanted to know how she looked.
"Er...Hagrid? Griffins-well, griffins are extinct," said
"Of course. Everyone knows that. But everyone's wrong. There are a very few griffins still alive. Yeh know how much of a prize they are. Them hunter folks-a horrible lot...they say a lot of 'em went and became Death Eaters-love to hang head an such in their livin rooms, to show off ter all their bloody friends."
"But if they're so rare, how'd you manage to get a hold of one?" Harry still looked disbelieving.
"Yeh didn' let me finish. Anyway, they were bein' hunted so badly that the Ministry went and decided to say they were extinct, so no one'd look for em anymore. They took the few that were left and put em in the care of good people, so they could breed 'em an such. A friend of mine had a friend who had one. Then his friend went an died, and he's givin me the griffin!"
"You-you actually took it in?" Ron, too had started to share Harry's disbelieving look.
"Of course! Why shouldn' I?"
"There are a million reasons!"
"What if it turns out like Norbert?"
"A student could attack it!"
"Calm down, you three! Nothing is gonna go wrong. No one can know about this, outside the three of yeh, and me. Oh, and Dumbledore."
"You told Dumbledore?" cried Harry and Ron at the same time.
"He's okay with it?" asked Lily incredulously.
"Reckon he realizes the value of it," shrugged Hagrid. "Great man, Dumbledore. And really, it's gonna turn out okay this time."
No one had anything else to say about it.
* * *
They spent the evening with Hagrid that night. Around seven a handful of busy-looking house elves came by with dinner trays, so they ate together, too. Lily was grateful for this. It meant Hermione could go down to the great hall for dinner without having anyone realize there were two of her running around the school. Besides, it was fun to have Harry and Hagrid to herself, and Ron reminded her, in a way, of Sirius Black.
When they finally did leave the gamekeeper's hut, it had long since turned dark. Harry, Ron, and Lily huddled together, hugging their cloaks tightly about them and standing close together for warmth. It was a night without stars, although there was plenty of wind.
"D'you really think this whole griffin business is going to turn out okay?" asked Lily, feeling awkward in the eerie silence.
"Dumbledore does know about it this time. That means he can help Hagrid out if anything goes terribly wrong." Harry didn't look as confident as he felt, and Lily couldn't help but feeling proud that her son could put on a good brave face to comfort his friends.
"Yeah. Don't reckon it could be that bad. But remember Norbert?"
Lily laughed along with Ron and Harry, although she didn't really have any idea what they were talking about.
"That bite he gave me-it was horrible! Hurt like anything."
"And remember what a great prat Malfoy acted like?"
"You lost so many points for Gryffindor!"
"That part was horrible. But I suppose it's sort of funny now, looking back."
"I reckon so," muttered Lily, trying her hardest to pitch into the conversation.
"Hey-what's that?"
Harry stopped walking suddenly, staring behind them into the Forbidden Forest. Lily turned around and looked too.
"What's that light?" asked Ron wonderingly.
"Looks just like a little fire from here," answered Lily.
"You think someone's trying to burn down the forest?" asked Harry.
"Nah. Just looks like a camp fire."
"You don't think someone's camping out in the forest?" whispered Harry, and Ron snorted loudly.
"Oh yeah, that would be great fun! Sitting by the fire with the centaurs, toasting marshmallows."
"Would you like a smore, Mr. Aragog sir?"
Ron and Harry almost collapsed under the weight of their giggles. Lily stopped herself from snickering.
"Let's get back to the school. We're not supposed to be out this late. It's detention if they find us."
* * *
The door to the girls' dormitory creaked open, and Lily cringed. However, no one inside moved. Parvati, whose bed was closest to the door, was muttering in her sleep about submarines and midgets, and Lavender lay upside down in the next one over.
Creeping to the other side of the room, Lily saw that Hermione was curled up on her bed, an open book lying next to her. Guiltily, Lily took the sleeping girl's shoulders and shook gently. Hermione groaned.
"Wha-oh, it's you."
Rubbing her eyes and looking rather grumpy, she sat up.
"What is it?"
Lily wasn't quite sure what to say.
"Well, it's a good thing you took a nap, because we're going to be up late tonight. I have a lot to acquaint you with."
* * *
A/N: Well now. I started out not liking the beginning part of this installment, but the second one sort of made up for it. A lot of new ideas that will make the story a lot better occurred to me while writing this, so I'm excited to continue. I'm sorry this has taken a while. School just started, and there's a whole lot to do.
Disclaimer: I really don't think these are necessary. I mean, this is fanfiction.net, right? People know that if they're not reading originals, the general gist of it is they're not reading completely original stuff. But anyway, Harry Potter and all that belong to J K Rowling, and the song excerpt at the beginning is from 'Where Are You Now' by Britney Spears. You're all the best. I love reviews *hint, hint*.