DISCLAIMER: See first chapter
A/N: Thanks heaps to my beta-reader, HPFanFicLuvr, and to all my reviewers:
Moonlit Evanescence: I'm terribly sorry for not including you when I thanked my reviewers for the last chapter, but I'm afraid I had already uploaded the chapter when I got your review. Thank you so much, I'm glad you think so! I try to make it as original as I can.
little me: Lite flummig? Gumman, det finns bara två personer som är flummgiare än du; och det är Rebecca och Sofie. Andledningen att jag skriver på HP är att det finns så mycket fler idéer på HP. Förresten, gummsan, du sa inget om ifall du tycker min story är bra eller inte. :P Kjamisar på dig med, gumman!
Jade121: Thank you so much, and for being my temporary beta-reader last chapter.
HarryGryffinGirl: Sort of. You managed to get some of what happens.
Emma Ackroyd I'll do that. Hope you like it.
BeCkY6: I know. It's sad.
"What the hell do you thing you were doing?" Mia had never seen Amos so red in the face. "Do you have any idea who you just came in with?"
She looked at the floor. Why hadn't she thought about what Amos would think?
"You just ruined my reputation, that's what you did? Riding on Potter's shoulders! How could you?"
Mia didn't look up at him. She felt terrible. If there was one thing Amos prized, it was his reputation. And now she had ruined it.
"Look, Amelia, it is your duty as my sister to make sure I keep my reputation. I realise you, like the rest of Hogwarts female population, are probably attracted by his looks, but honestly, Amelia, you need to think about you brother."
Mia felt sick at his attempt at being tolerant. He doesn't know anything about what I feel. It realised he had never cared at all. Or if he had, he hadn't made any show of it.
"Amos, James is my friend," she started, but he cut her off.
"Give it a week, and he'll ignore you," he said, in what he obviously thought was a sympathetic manner.
Like you did then? Mia wanted to scream, but she didn't. He would never forgive her if she did.
"Amelia, you've got to think about me," Amos said. As if you think about me. Mia had no idea where that thought came from. But as soon as she had thought it, she knew that it was true. All her life it had been "Amelia, be quiet, Amos would like some peace", "Amelia, Amos is going to have some friends over, do you mind going out side?" "Amelia, you need to be more social. Amos doesn't want you to trail after him all the time", and now it was "Amelia, don't make friends with James, think about Amos."
It was as if somebody had for the first time showed her her life, and she saw if from an objective view. Yes, all her life, she had been there for Amos, doing his duties, keeping up appearances, well, not any more.
"No," she said firmly. He stared at her. Mia smirked inwardly. She had never opposed him so firmly before. "James is my friend. If, after a week, he ignores me, fair enough, but I won't let you walk over me any more." She walked towards the door. Just before she went out of the classroom, she turned and said:
"And I won't be doing your last minute homework research any more," she said, before swiftly turning and walking gracefully away from the gaping Amos. She felt as if someone had lifted a heavy burden of her chest. Ha! Take that, Golden Boy!
Hermione and James earned many curious glances as they stood up and walked out of the hall, both looking quite serious. Neville gave Hermione's shoulders a comforting squeeze. Ron looked up at her, with a glance as sympathetic as he could muster. He was still peeved that Hermione went and forgot all about getting James and Lily together.
They found an empty classroom to talk in.
"James," Hermione began, "I need to tell you something."
He looked at her seriously. Is she going to tell me how I die? He wondered. He had spent lots of thought trying to figure it out, but was no closer than he had been just after he heard their conversation. He didn't even know who Harry's mother was. It bothered him. He was sure Hermione knew.
"Now, please, don't interrupt before I*m finished, okay. I'm not sure if I can go through with this." She took a deep breath. "James, I love you. I love you more than anything. But…"
He felt his blood turn to ice. But. She was going to break up with him. She was going to shatter his world. Hermione had continued talking.
"You see, Harry's important. He'll save the wizarding world." She paused. "And I'm not his mother."
"You're braking up with me." His voice was shaking, and he fought desperately to keep the lump in his throat where it was. He loved her, and she was breaking up with him. He looked at her, and she seemed genuinely sorry. He thought he could even see tears glistening in her eyes.
"I'm sorry," was all she said, and rushed out of the room.
He thought she loved him back, he had been so sure of it. It just didn't make sense.
So this is what it feels like, James thought miserably. An empty void. He sat in the classroom, staring at a spot on the wall for what he felt must be hours. Hermione had left him.
As soon as her tears had dried up enough, Hermione ventured outside the broom cupboard. She had no idea how long time she had spent there, just that it had been a while. She was sure Ron and Neville would be waiting for her when she returned to the Common Room, wanting to hear if she did what she was supposed to do. It's not fair, she thought angrily. They don't really care about me, all they care about id getting James and Lily together. But then she stopped herself. It was she who wasn't being fair. She blamed Ron and Neville because it was easier than to put the blame where it really belonged; on her.
She was miserable and tired as she walked out from the cupboard. The only thing she wanted was to return to her own time, and forget everything about James. The only problem was, she had no idea how to get back. Oh, if only Ron hadn't messed up the potion! It wasn't such a hard potion, either, just a simple truth potion, rather weak. Not at all as complicated as Veritaserum. Maybe… maybe if they had gone back with the help of a potion, they would go forward with a similar potion! She would have to investigate that.
As Hermione walked brooding down the corridor, she heard a voice behind her.
"Hermione! Hermione, wait up!" the voice panted. She turned, and found none other than Peter Pettigrew running to keep up with her. Hermione froze. For a moment she panicked. Her instincts told her to run, to get as far away from the traitor as possible. She fought that instinct. He's not with Voldemort yet, he's not with Voldemort yet, she kept repeating in her head, to calm her nerves. She did flinch, however, when he stuck his hand in hers, an affectionate gesture he had seen Ron and Neville do countless times. She quickly pulled away her hand. He looked at her, with a hurt expression on his face. For the first time since seeing him in the Shrieking Shack that night during their third year, Hermione did not hate Peter Pettigrew.
"You don't like me." It was not a question. "I did something terrible to you in the future, didn't I?"
His voice was quiet, but it shook slightly. She didn't know what to reply. She felt as if she was torn in two. Part of her hated the traitoring bastard, yet part of her felt sorry for the meek boy.
"I did, didn't I? What did I do? Did I do something terrible? Did I kill someone?" Peter was working himself up in a frenzy. I don't know if you personally killed any one, Wormtail, Hermione told him in her mind, but your actions lead, directly and indirectly, to many deaths.
"I killed someone, didn't I? Tell me what I did!" He was on the verge of hysterics.
"Tell me why you hate me, so I can go feed myself to the giant squid! Maybe I killed a friend of yours? I'll go jump of the Astronomy Tower if I killed someone!" He was almost crying by this point. She had to comfort him somehow. It was going to be difficult, seeing as she partly hated him, but she could not let him commit suicide.
"I'll drown myself in the lake, I'll tell Hagrid to bring the most vicious creature he knows so it'll kill me, I'll drink undiluted Bubotuber pus, or maybe some poison Snape cocked up, I'll…"
"Peter," interrupted Hermione sharply. Make up a story Hermione, quick. "When you grow up, you get into a fight with your friends. James' son is our best friend. It's natural we don't like you very "
Not too far from the truth, she comforted herself, although she did feel bad about lying. Just don't tell him the part about him betraying his best friend, leading directly to his death.
Peter stared at her.
"That's why you feel uncomfortable with me?" he asked incredulously. It was clear he thought that he had done something terrible. Little do you know, Wormtail¸ thought Hermione grimly. "I didn't do anything evil?"
"In fact," continued Hermione, dodging the question, "you play an important role in Voldemort's downfall."
Which isn't too far from the truth either, she comforted herself again. If Wormtail hadn't betrayed Lily and James Voldemort would still have been around.
Peter practically glowed at this last part of information. He had always been the tag-along and the coward of the group. Hearing that he'd help bring down You-Know-Who lifted a stone from his breast, a stone he never knew he carried around. He felt light and as if nothing could make him feel unhappy.
"Can I walk you to the Tower," he asked happily. She smiled half-heartedly. This is getting more trying every day.
Ron's chin almost touched the floor when he saw Hermione come in with Wormtail. He exchanged a glance with Neville. What was Hermione doing with the traitor? I think I prefer James to Wormtail, he thought.
She sat down with them, and he shot her an accusing glance.
"What's the deal with you and him, 'Mione?"
She glared at him. Didn't he understand anything?
"For your information," she said coolly, "Peter wondered why we hated him, and if he had done something terrible. He worked himself up in hysterics and threatened to commit suicide. We couldn't have that, could we?"
"You mean, he cares? About his friends?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. She liked Ron, he was a very good friend, but sometimes he was a bit shortsighted.
"Yes, he cares," she snapped.
"At least now," Neville said quietly. She smiled at him. Maybe he wasn't the most graceful person in the world, but he had a good heart, and was usually an excellent judge of character, and Hermione was proud to be his sister. The time when they weren't siblings seemed very distant.
Neville felt that Hermione was not as happy as she seemed, and decided to stay clear of the topics concerning James, at least for the time being. He felt terrible at making her break up with him, but if they were to get James and Lily together…
He wished Ron would have the sense to realise that he oughtn't either.
"So, how did it go with James?"
Neville sighed. Apparently he didn't. Ron pressed Hermione for all the details about how she had broken up with him. Neville was feeling quite irritated. Sometimes, Ron could be so insensitive! Neville was usually a rather patient person, knowing how humiliated you felt when people always snapped at you, but he felt his patience slowly running out, being replaced by a boiling irritation at Ron.
"Oh, for goodness sake Ron!" he exclaimed, startling both Ron and Hermione. "Can't you see she's not feeling up to talking about it?"
Hermione sent a thankful smile towards him, and a warm, fuzzy feeling spread through his stomach. He had stood up for his sister. It was a very pleasant feeling.
"You're the best brother anyone could have," said Hermione, resting her head on his shoulder. He put a comforting arm around her. Ron didn't look too happy.
Lily came in to the Common Room, and Hermione went up and exchanged a few words with her. Neville tried to figure out what they were saying. Hermione had a pleading look in her eyes, and Lily smiled.
"I bet she's telling Lily to pick up the pieces of James," Ron said. "Pretty smart of her, actually."
Neville rolled his eyes. This was Hermione they were talking about. Of course she was smart.
James came in after a while.
"He looks like shit," Ron observed calmly. Neville shot him a quick glance. Did he have to be so insensitive?
James did, indeed, look like shit. His eyes were red, and her looked weary. Neville put a comforting arm around Hermione's shoulder, and she leaned her head against his. Lily stood up and went over to him. She took him to another chair and talked to him. The time travellers smiled. Hermione was grateful to have such a good friend as Lily.
After some time, James and Lily joined them at the chairs around the fire. James shot a quick glance at Hermione, enough to see that her eyes were also red and puffy.
Presently, the other Marauders joined them, as did Sirius' girlfriend. Nora and Sirius sat very closely together. Whenever they kissed, Nora would shoot a pointed glance at Hermione. The latter made no attempts to conceal her dislike. The evening ended with a stare-out match between Hermione and Nora. The boys looked curiously form one to the other. Both faces were expressionless. Sirius was becoming very uncomfortable. It was clear that the two didn't like each other, and he had a feeling that the time would come when he would have to choose between his girlfriend and his friend.
Both girls stared coolly at each other, trying to see who would budge first. The suddenly, a small smile broke out on Hermione's face, and she winked at Nora. Nora returned with a careful smile. Sirius was relieved, but mostly puzzled. What was that all about? Everyone knew that Nora and Hermione hated each other. They did not have secrets together. At least not for long, because Sirius Black would find out what those two concealed.