Chapter Eighteen: Shattered Time
Completely oblivious to the rising threat, James Potter sat down at the Gryffindor table and hastily searched the faces, looking rather worried. "What's up?" Sirius asked through a mouthful of food.
"It's Hera...I haven't seen her since this afternoon. She said that she wanted a couple of minutes alone after we got her necklace back, but I haven't seen her since."
Remus Lupin jumped in shock. "Her Time Tur...err, necklace?" He received odd looks from around the table, but ignored them as he ran out of the hall.
Sirius shook his head. "Don't know what's with him lately." His confused look quickly turned into a mischievous grin. "So, James, did you convince your parents to let us stay here over Christmas?" Thoughts of missing Hermione disappeared as the boys schemed of pranks to pull and people to bother over the coming break.
Remus raced through the corridors, thoughts streaming through his head. "Did she actually do it? I thought she had decided to stay. How will I explain this to everyone? I doubt that they'll believe me if I told them that she just returned to the future." He didn't notice the figure sitting outside the Gryffindor common room. That is, didn't notice until he tripped right over it.
He pulled himself off the ground. "I'm sorry," he muttered, "I was a bit..." he looked at the figure, and his face lit up with recognition. "Hermione!" he yelled, "I thought you were..."
Hermione abruptly stood and hushed him. "Keep it down! You know you should call me Hera if you're going to scream my name."
"Oh yeah, that's right," Remus turned red in embarrassment. "I just...I thought you had done it. You know, gone to the future. But I guess you didn't." He looked at her and cocked his head. "What are you doing in the hallway?"
"I know it sounds silly, but I forgot the password." She looked down at her feet, which were shifting back and forth. Remus just now noticed the dried tears on her cheeks and sad tones in her voice. He sighed. No girl so young should have to face the burdens and decisions that she did.
Remus gently took her hand and uttered the password. "C'mon, let's talk," he said, leading her into the common room.
*****
James and Sirius marched through the hall, the aura following them was the one of carelessness and pride that always did. They were, after all, notorious around the school, far above anyone else in their year, and unregistered animagi...they had done it all by themselves, too! Lately, their friendship had been lacking, especially with Sirius and "Hera" being together. But now nothing stood between the two, and their bond of mischief and friendship was at an all time peak. As usual, Peter was a couple of steps behind them, looking like a sad puppy dog being ignored by his master. The two of them and Remus were staying over break, but Peter was forced to go to his grandmother's house. Not only that, but the girls were staying, too. Lily would be left defenseless against those three brutes, and who knew what they would try. Peter seethed with anger and jealousy as he watched the two boys in front of him, knowing he would never fit in.
When they reached the portrait hole, Sirius stepped back. "Got a date with a Hufflepuff," he said with a wink as he slipped away. James laughed and Peter looked disgusted. As they stepped into the room, they suddenly realized where "Hera" had been during dinner- she was sitting on the couch, her arms wrapped around Remus.
"Oh, this will be good," said Peter under his breath, taking a seat in the corner where he could observe it all. He quickly looked for Lily, but remembering that once again she had an unwarranted potions detention, he turned back to the scene that was sure to transpire in front of him.
"What's going on?" demanded James, his voice firm. The couple on the couch abruptly parted. His anger was immediately gone when he saw the look on both their faces. "Oh Hera," his voice softened, "I'm sorry, I just assumed..." He sat down next to her and brought a hand to her face, gently brushing away the tears. "I'm sorry I wasn't here to comfort you. Guess I make a lousy boyfriend."
The grin on James's face was lopsided and goofy, the same one that she had fell in love with, and Hermione couldn't help but laugh as she threw her arms around his neck. "Everything's fine, James, I was just talking to Remus here about my family and friends." She pulled back, the sad look returning to her face. "I just today realized that I'll never see them again."
Peter stood up and walked to the room he shared with the other boys. So much for a show. The three stared after him. "What's with him?" asked Remus.
"His parents won't let him stay for break," said James. "Mine, on the other hand..."
"Really?" asked Hermione excitedly.
"And me too," grinned Remus, "and Sirius is of course the same as James, seeing how they live together, and Lily also got permission. We all told our parents about you and managed to convince them to let us stay."
Hermione smiled bigger than she ever remembered smiling before. "You guys are the best friends a girl could ever wish for!"
*****
Unfortunately, they weren't the only ones staying. Across the castle, Bellatrix Black paced the Slytherin girl's dormitory in an air of anticipation and malice.
"We'll do it over Christmas break," she said to Snape, who was reading the book she had previously shown him. "I heard that git Potter saying that they're all going to stay. Not only that, but we're expecting a visitor." Snape looked at her inquisitively, and Bellatrix sat next to him, lowering her voice. "Voldemort himself."
Snape was shocked. "How did you pull that off?"
"Well," Her chest puffed with pride, and she made sure that her sleeve was rolled up for all to see where her loyalties lie. "Voldemort is rallying support around the country, and needs lots of people to follow him and commit to the dark cause in order for everything to work out effectively. It just so happens that the day after Christmas he'll be in the area, in the Forbidden Forest to be exact."
"This is all too good," said Snape, an evil look on his face.
"You have no idea, my friend," Bellatrix stood and returned to her pacing. "Not only will you be able to get your mark, but just imagine how horrified the 'dream team' would be if their little slut got one too."
"You don't mean..." Snape grinned wickedly. This was much better that he had imagined.
"Of course I do!" Bellatrix's spiteful sneer matched Snape's. "We just have to keep on practicing the Imperious Curse, and come the holiday, Potter and company will have quite the Christmas gift-right the arm of little Hera."
Completely oblivious to the rising threat, James Potter sat down at the Gryffindor table and hastily searched the faces, looking rather worried. "What's up?" Sirius asked through a mouthful of food.
"It's Hera...I haven't seen her since this afternoon. She said that she wanted a couple of minutes alone after we got her necklace back, but I haven't seen her since."
Remus Lupin jumped in shock. "Her Time Tur...err, necklace?" He received odd looks from around the table, but ignored them as he ran out of the hall.
Sirius shook his head. "Don't know what's with him lately." His confused look quickly turned into a mischievous grin. "So, James, did you convince your parents to let us stay here over Christmas?" Thoughts of missing Hermione disappeared as the boys schemed of pranks to pull and people to bother over the coming break.
Remus raced through the corridors, thoughts streaming through his head. "Did she actually do it? I thought she had decided to stay. How will I explain this to everyone? I doubt that they'll believe me if I told them that she just returned to the future." He didn't notice the figure sitting outside the Gryffindor common room. That is, didn't notice until he tripped right over it.
He pulled himself off the ground. "I'm sorry," he muttered, "I was a bit..." he looked at the figure, and his face lit up with recognition. "Hermione!" he yelled, "I thought you were..."
Hermione abruptly stood and hushed him. "Keep it down! You know you should call me Hera if you're going to scream my name."
"Oh yeah, that's right," Remus turned red in embarrassment. "I just...I thought you had done it. You know, gone to the future. But I guess you didn't." He looked at her and cocked his head. "What are you doing in the hallway?"
"I know it sounds silly, but I forgot the password." She looked down at her feet, which were shifting back and forth. Remus just now noticed the dried tears on her cheeks and sad tones in her voice. He sighed. No girl so young should have to face the burdens and decisions that she did.
Remus gently took her hand and uttered the password. "C'mon, let's talk," he said, leading her into the common room.
*****
James and Sirius marched through the hall, the aura following them was the one of carelessness and pride that always did. They were, after all, notorious around the school, far above anyone else in their year, and unregistered animagi...they had done it all by themselves, too! Lately, their friendship had been lacking, especially with Sirius and "Hera" being together. But now nothing stood between the two, and their bond of mischief and friendship was at an all time peak. As usual, Peter was a couple of steps behind them, looking like a sad puppy dog being ignored by his master. The two of them and Remus were staying over break, but Peter was forced to go to his grandmother's house. Not only that, but the girls were staying, too. Lily would be left defenseless against those three brutes, and who knew what they would try. Peter seethed with anger and jealousy as he watched the two boys in front of him, knowing he would never fit in.
When they reached the portrait hole, Sirius stepped back. "Got a date with a Hufflepuff," he said with a wink as he slipped away. James laughed and Peter looked disgusted. As they stepped into the room, they suddenly realized where "Hera" had been during dinner- she was sitting on the couch, her arms wrapped around Remus.
"Oh, this will be good," said Peter under his breath, taking a seat in the corner where he could observe it all. He quickly looked for Lily, but remembering that once again she had an unwarranted potions detention, he turned back to the scene that was sure to transpire in front of him.
"What's going on?" demanded James, his voice firm. The couple on the couch abruptly parted. His anger was immediately gone when he saw the look on both their faces. "Oh Hera," his voice softened, "I'm sorry, I just assumed..." He sat down next to her and brought a hand to her face, gently brushing away the tears. "I'm sorry I wasn't here to comfort you. Guess I make a lousy boyfriend."
The grin on James's face was lopsided and goofy, the same one that she had fell in love with, and Hermione couldn't help but laugh as she threw her arms around his neck. "Everything's fine, James, I was just talking to Remus here about my family and friends." She pulled back, the sad look returning to her face. "I just today realized that I'll never see them again."
Peter stood up and walked to the room he shared with the other boys. So much for a show. The three stared after him. "What's with him?" asked Remus.
"His parents won't let him stay for break," said James. "Mine, on the other hand..."
"Really?" asked Hermione excitedly.
"And me too," grinned Remus, "and Sirius is of course the same as James, seeing how they live together, and Lily also got permission. We all told our parents about you and managed to convince them to let us stay."
Hermione smiled bigger than she ever remembered smiling before. "You guys are the best friends a girl could ever wish for!"
*****
Unfortunately, they weren't the only ones staying. Across the castle, Bellatrix Black paced the Slytherin girl's dormitory in an air of anticipation and malice.
"We'll do it over Christmas break," she said to Snape, who was reading the book she had previously shown him. "I heard that git Potter saying that they're all going to stay. Not only that, but we're expecting a visitor." Snape looked at her inquisitively, and Bellatrix sat next to him, lowering her voice. "Voldemort himself."
Snape was shocked. "How did you pull that off?"
"Well," Her chest puffed with pride, and she made sure that her sleeve was rolled up for all to see where her loyalties lie. "Voldemort is rallying support around the country, and needs lots of people to follow him and commit to the dark cause in order for everything to work out effectively. It just so happens that the day after Christmas he'll be in the area, in the Forbidden Forest to be exact."
"This is all too good," said Snape, an evil look on his face.
"You have no idea, my friend," Bellatrix stood and returned to her pacing. "Not only will you be able to get your mark, but just imagine how horrified the 'dream team' would be if their little slut got one too."
"You don't mean..." Snape grinned wickedly. This was much better that he had imagined.
"Of course I do!" Bellatrix's spiteful sneer matched Snape's. "We just have to keep on practicing the Imperious Curse, and come the holiday, Potter and company will have quite the Christmas gift-right the arm of little Hera."