My Definition of Love
Chapter 3... The Spy
By: Mikairi
Disclaimer: I do not own the wonderful world that JKR has amazingly created... Harry Potter, of course, belongs to her and this story is non-profit.
Hermione fluttered her eyelids open as she drifted out of unconsciousness. Her head ached and it took her a few moments for her mind to register that she was staring at the muddy hardwood floor. But why was she on the floor? She raised her head and grimaced as her fore head throbbed painfully. The room was dim yet she could still make out the familiar shape of Buckbeak's room; the window, the only window was opened and a light breeze swayed the long curtains...
Hermione pushed herself on to her knees feeling very confused. She wracked her brain trying to remember what had happened to her the night before, but she couldn't, her mind felt completely empty.She looked around the room and her eye caught on to the silver platter that lay a few feet away. The events from the night before came rushing back in a wave. She closed her eyes and massaged her forehead as she tried to sort it all out. She had gone to feed Buckbeak the leftover meat, she had found Kreacher, then the platter had started to glow and she had fallen...
Her eyes flew open and she pushed herself to her feet. Yes, she was still in Grimmauld Place and in Buckbeak's room, yet it felt unfamiliar...She swayed and gripped onto the nightstand for support. Something was definitely wrong, for one, Buckbeak was no where to be seen, and as the sun was just beginning to rise, the light revealed several other oddities.
The sour smell that usually foretold of the Hippogriff's presence, in its place, was a musty, slightly stagnant aroma, as if the room had not been occupied by anyone or anything for months.
She looked around and was stunned to see several shiny broomsticks hanging on the wall, a large oak dresser gleamed underneath, and on top of the smooth surface were many silver framed pictures, the occupants fast asleep.
What was going on? She rushed over to the dresser and grasped one of the silver frames. It wasn't a picture, but an award that read: For Special Services to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, this certificate is awarded to: Regulus Black.
What in the world was this doing in Buckbeak's room? Hermione remembered perfectly well the day Sirius had tied it to a box of fillibuster fireworks and blew it up.
Hermione picked up a picture, the face staring back up at her was familiar but she was sure she had never seen him before. The boy had sleek black hair and looked to be about fifteen. As her eyes wandered over the dresser, Hermione realized that the boy was in every photograph, smirking arrogantly.
She placed the picture back thoughtfully. Perhaps Kreacher had set this up... She frowned, it didn't make sense at all.
In the corner of the room on the opposite side was a large burlap sack. Curious, Hermione strode over and pulled it open, hoping she'd find some answers at the bottom of the bag.
There were black robes, a wand, hat, and many books. Were they Ron's perhaps? Maybe even Harry's? Yet these books weren't the ones required for their seventh year, in fact, these were all out of date.
She packed the bag and closed it. It was all wrong, this room made absolutely no sense. Yesterday it had been empty, but today...
Out of the corner of her eye she saw something white on the wall above her, it was a tattered piece of paper that had been nailed haphazardly. she stood and squinted at the words in the dim light. It was a calendar, and each day had been marked off with what looked like a cigarette burn. Except for one, August 31. That was yesterday, and today was September 1st, she would be leaving for Hogwarts in a few hours.Her stomach clenched as she read the calendar's year, 1977. No, that was wrong, it was 1997. September 1st, 1997...
It couldn't possibly mean that she had traveled back in time? But then, it would explain a lot of things.
A rustle from the bed on the other side of the room jolted her thoughts and body. Her heart was racing, she wasn't alone.
She wrung her hands nervously, it was probably just Kreacher, or more likely Buckbeak, it was still his room, it was still 1997, and she had not traveled back in time. This thought gave her comfort and the courage to stride boldly over to the bedside.
It definitely wasn't Buckbeak, as the sheet covered lump was far too small, it had to be Kreacher then.
Hermione whipped off the bed sheet, stared wide-eyed at the figure for ten solid seconds before she let out a blood curdling scream. The boy squinted his eyes open, and quickly shut them. He groaned, rolled over on his back, and fell back asleep.
Hermione clamped a hand over her mouth and staggered backwards. She stumbled and fell hard to the floor.
"I have got to be dreaming, this is a nightmare, just a nightmare." She muttered breathlessly. She heard footsteps outside the door and instinct told her to hide-fast. She scrambled under the bed and pulled the bed skirt down concealing her completely. She waited tensely for seconds in silence, the only sound was of her muffled, panicked breathing.
The voice that spoke came from outside the room, it was deep and groggy with sleep, "Mum, I can't find my tie."
"Now, Regulus, Kreacher left five of them on your dresser. " A woman's high voice answered back.
"I don't want to go in there, he's in there, I want my room back." The boy called Regulus groaned. Hermione jumped as the door shuddered loudly from having been kicked.
The woman sighed, "I know dear, I know, but your brother-"
But she was cut off, "Mum, it's not working, he's not going to change. Bringing him back was a mistake," Regulus cut in sounding angry and not at all sleepy.
There was silence for a moment and then the woman's voice answered coldly, "Don't you think I know that! I know it hasn't been working, but I had to try, we had to! Do you know how bad it looks to the others? Do you think the Malfoys had any bloodtraitors in their lineage? Of course not, and not just them of course, the other purebloods are starting to talk. The Dark Lord may not accept you, because of your fool of a brother," She paused a slight quiver in her voice, "I always wanted things to be different, your father and I raised the both of you in our ways, we wanted the both of you to bring respect to the name Black, I don't know where we went wrong...""Sirius betrayed us, it's not your fault. The minute he got to Hogwarts he started hanging out with that Potter." Regulus said almost comfortingly.
"I suppose he's turned his back on the Black family for good then." The woman answered, "Another smudge on the family name, oh if only Orion knew, what would he say?!" She sighed, "At least I still have you, Reggy, I'm so proud, I know your father would be too, bless him."
"Thanks, Mum." Regulus said quietly.
The woman sniffed before saying thickly, "Go get your ties, but don't wake him, I don't think I can deal with him this morning."
"I don't think I could either." Regulus muttered as the woman's footsteps retreated down the hall.
Hermione held her breath as she heard the doorknob turn, she knew it would be catastrophic if she was found and so she stayed hidden and silent.
The thin strip of light, barely an inch wide, that spanned between floor and bedskirt was her only source, and it barely illuminated the smooth glistening mass of green fabric a foot from her head. Her stomach dropped. The footsteps had stopped at the dresser and as she heard drawers being pulled open, she reached carefully for the green bundle. Her hand knocked into something hard and rough, she squinted and realized it was a leather shoe. She grasped the silk mass confirming to her horror that it was a tie, a Slytherin school tie.
The floorboards creaked as she heard Regulus creep to the bed. Hermione desperately slipped her Hogwart's class ring off her finger and threw it as hard as she could out from under the bed. She was relieved when she heard it clink loudly against the opposite wall, and as it rolled across the hardwood floor, the footsteps stopped and went in the ring's direction.
Knowing the boy's back was turned she thrust the tie out. Regulus walked back to the bed, and Hermione watched as his fingers closed around the tie and lifted it up.
She breathed in relief when he retreated and the door clicked shut, leaving the room in sleepy silence.
Hermione's hip was beginning to ache from laying on it, but she ignored the pain, thinking only of the conversation she had just heard. The boy had been Regulus Black and he had been looking for his school tie. She snorted at the absurdity of it. Regulus Black didn't live in Grimmauld Place, he was dead, and this was not his room, it was Buckbeak's.
In 1997.
Her heart pounded her chest as everything fell into place and acceptance flooded over her. The glowing platter, the calendar, Mrs. Black and Regulus's callous conversation about Sirius, who was snoring now rather loudly two feet above her.
She had gone back in time. It was 1977, but how was this possible? She knew though, the moment the platter had started to act funny at exactly nine o clock, she subconsciously knew, the platter had been a timekey.
She had read about them back in sixth year, she knew that they behaved very similarly to a more common portkey. But there were exceptions, and she couldn't remember them. A timekey would take its holder at a prearranged time to any time in the past or future.
But how was she going to get back home? The time key was useless now, expired... A cold panic filled her stomach and her pounding heart only increased its speed.She needed to get out of Grimmauld Place, that was the most important. She needed to get help from someone she knew in the future and in 1977, someone who wouldn't think she was crazy, someone who could fix her sticky situation, someone she could trust... And like a wand flaring at the spell, lumos, the name struck her, Dumbledore. The cold panic dissipated and was replaced by warm hope. Dumbledore always had the solutions to the impossible, he was the one who could get her home.
But she would need to get to Hogwarts unnoticed. She needed a plan. Today was the first day of school, when the Black family left she could sneak out, take the Knight Bus to King's Cross, and board the Hogwarts Express; it would take her right to Dumbledore.With an overall plan set she only had one problem to work out, getting out of Grimmauld Place unseen. Hermione wondered whether Mrs. Black would take Sirius when she and Regulus left, she doubted it though. So she'd have to wait until Sirius was gone, then she'd sneak out and hope that Kreacher would be off in another part of the house. It was still early, probably only seven a.m., that gave her three hours until she'd have to go, and when she left, she'd have to be very careful of what she did and said. The slightest mistake and the past and future would be altered drastically.If she were to talk to anyone, she couldn't tell them her real name. She needed an alias. She chewed her lip, and thought. Her first name would be all right to use, maybe if she just changed her last name to... Baddeley. Hermione Baddeley would work fine, she wasn't planning on talking to anyone besides Dumbledore anyways.The sun had fully risen and the strip of light that traced the bed had widened. She carefully rolled on to her back and stretched out her hand. She felt something hard and dusty and she carefully slid it towards her. She turned over on her stomach and opened the cover. Magical Mysteries Volume II, read the title page, intrigued, she turned the page and became immersed in chapter one, Creatures: Secrets of the Centaurs.It was well past nine when Hermione noticed that the rhythmic snoring above her had ceased. She silently closed her book and pressed herself against the far wall, as the bedsprings creaked and she knew that Sirius was awake. She heard him yawn loudly, before two feet lowered to the floor unsteadily. She glanced anxiously at the shoe, hoping beyond hope that Sirius wouldn't need it.
She listened as the drawers were pulled open and then slammed shut.
"Regulus!" The voice of a young man shouted, Hermione knew it was Sirius speaking, but it sounded so different from the hoarse one she knew back home... Hermione heard the young Sirius and grown and stomp across the room still shouting, "Regulus, What did you do with my ties!? Regulus!!"
From the foot of the bed, a low voice spoke up, "Kreacher wonders why Master Sirius speaks to no one but himself?"Sirius snorted, "Isn't that a bit like calling the kettle black?" He shot back.
"Not at all, Master, it's a bit more like calling the Black mad." And a hoarse laugh filled the room.
"Shut up, ha ha, aren't you funny. Why are you in here?" Sirius barked.
"My Mistress has left Kreacher a message to give to her blood traitorous son, that's what Kreacher was told before Master and Mistress left, without you." Kreacher added in, what for him, must have been cheerful tone.
"I didn't think they'd bother with me today, not that it matters, mind you." Sirius said hotly.
"Mistress also asks that you leave the Black House and never dare darken the doorstep again." Kreacher added, sounding as if Christmas had come three months early."Lovely." Sirius answered sarcastically, "And I have a message for you Kreacher, GET THE HELL OUT!!" There was a scuffle, a cry from Kreacher, which sounded like he had just been thrown down the stairs, and then the bedroom door was slammed shut.Hermione held her breath, she knew Sirius had been shunned by his family, but to actually witness the cruelty he had to endure, it was almost unbearable."Fine. Fine then." Sirius was muttering furiously, as he pounded across the room. Hermione jumped when she heard glass crash to the floor and shatter."Around here somewhere..." Sirius muttered, "Accio shoe."To Hermione's relief she watched the leather shoe zip out from under the bedskirt and disappear. Again the door was thrown open and slammed shut, but this time silence lay heavy over the room, even after Hermione waited on the floor listening for half an hour.She quietly pulled her self to the edge of the bed and peaked out from under it. The room was indeed empty. She rolled out and got to her feet, wincing as her hip ached with a dull pain. She checked her watch, it was 9:47, that gave her little over an hour until the Hogwarts Express left, she couldn't waste any more time.She crossed the room, pulling the clumps of dust from her hair. She turned the doorknob slowly, and opened it a crack; the hall was empty.Silently, she slipped out, shutting the door carefully behind her. She crept low along the wall glancing behind her, ready to run for it at any moment. She took a deep breath before turning the corner onto the landing, there was no one on the stairs, she just might make it out of the house. She hurried down the stairs, wincing at every slight creak they omitted. She thought she was home free as she ran along the front entrance hall, until a voice jolted her, and she tripped knocking over the familiar troll leg umbrella stand. She clambered to her feet and her stomach dropped like frozen iron. The portrait of Mrs. Black was staring avidly at her."What are you doing in my house." Her voice was unusually calm and cold.Hermione gazed speechless at the young and beautiful Mrs. Black; her long wavy black hair framed her oval face and created a dazzling contrast with her fair and smooth skin, though a faint pink tint was evident in her cheeks. Her lips were full and colored carefully the deepest red. But her eyes were her most fascinating features, they were a striking midnight blue, and unlike most blue eyes, they seemed to have a dark sheen to them, almost like Hagrid's, but yet very different..."I asked you what are you doing in my house!" Mrs. Black demanded, her voice rising drastically.Hermione thought quickly for an excuse, an explanation, but when none came, Mrs. Black turned into the woman Hermione knew in 1997..."KREACHER!" Mrs. Black shrieked, her eyes flashing, "Come here NOW! INTRUDER BE GONE FROM THIS PLACE, MY HOME! HOW DARE YOU TRESPASS AS YOU PLEASE!""Please," Hermione pleaded weakly, "I was just leaving!"
"KREACHER, Come fast! There is a thief among us!" Mrs. Black still screamed, ignoring Hermione.
"I'm not a thief!" Hermione shouted back.
Mrs. Black hissed, "A spy. No doubt, Sirius's doing, he will pay though. AND, YOU, A SPY, TARNISHING THE SECRETS OF THE NOBLE BLACK FAMILY, OH HOW YOU DARE!!!"
"You don't understand!"But the sounds of something clambering down the stairs was Hermione's signal to leave, she yanked the front door open and dashed out into the sunlight, heaving the door shut on Mrs. Black's shrieks of rage and Kreacher's face.
Hermione sprinted across the front lawn and to the sidewalk, she didn't stop until Grimmauld Place was out of sight and far behind her. Panting heavily she pulled her wand from her back pocket and waved it in the street.There was a loud BANG and the familiar purple Knight Bus screeched to a halt on the street in front of her.
A short plump, man with a curly mop of orange hair stepped off, opened his mouth to speak, but Hermione pushed past him, shoving the silver into his hand, "Yes, I know, 'Welcome to the Knight Bus.' I need to get to King's Cross Station, it's an emergency." She said in one breath.The man raised an orange eyebrow and shrugged his shoulders, looking a bit miffed. Hermione clambered on board, following the man, who indicated a mauve armchair for her to sit. Hermione perched nervously on it, dreading the ride and what she had just done.
"Right, Ernie, you heard the woman, it's an 'emergency,' meaning step on it." The man said with a hint of sarcasm.
Hermione glared at him before turning to the window and tightening her grip on her armrests.
How could she have forgotten about the portrait? Mrs. Black's words haunted her conscience, she had blamed Sirius for her presence in the house. Would this change anything? She squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed her forehead, this was not good, keeping the past undisturbed was going to be more difficult than she thought.The Knight Bus banged along the narrow cobblestone road before it clattered and reappeared on a windy dirt road surrounded by pines.Hermione having been thrown from her chair, pulled herself up and turned the chair back on its feet. She situated herself and grasped on tightly to the metal pole in front of her.
"So what's the big emergency?" The orange haired man asked.
"First day of school, I need to catch the Hogwarts Express before it leaves at eleven." Hermione said carefully.The mad nodded his head, "Cutting it a bit close, eh?" He asked glancing at his watch.Hermione nodded dully, if only he knew...
The Bus swung wildly around a tight corner before it came to a sudden stop, knocking Hermione head over heels.
"Right, King's Cross Station, watch your step now," The man said genially, "And I'd hurry to your platform, time's against ya." He called as she stumbled off the Bus.
"I'll say." Hermione mumbled.She regained her balance and sprinted through the doors of King's Cross and down the long boarding station, apologizing as she bumped and knocked into people.
She reached the barrier between nine and ten and ran through it relieved to see the shining maroon Hogwarts Express still in its station. A second later the whistle sounded and the train began to roll slowly away.She dashed to the edge of the platform and ran alongside the steam engine, looking for something she could hold and jump on to. Her chance came when a window slid open and a girl leaned out from one of the compartments and called, "Hey! Listen, wait for the last cart, there's a platform you can jump on to!"
Hermione nodded and glanced behind her, the end of the train was coming up, and a handrail stuck out, if she could just reach it. She stretched out her hand and grasped on, Hermione wrapped her right arm around it and pulled herself up. She swung her legs over the railing and fell clumsily onto a small platform off the back of the train. She sat up panting and watched as the platform grew smaller and smaller, until the track curved and it was lost from sight.
The door behind her opened and the girl from the window stepped out, "Good, you made it," The girl said smiling, she bent down and helped Hermione up, "Are you all right?"
"Yeah, thanks." Hermione replied while trying to catch her breath."Come on, I'll help you find a seat." The girl offered, "I'm Lily Evans by the way."
Hermione stumbled over the doorstep at this. The girl standing in front of her was Harry's mother. Even if she hadn't said her name, she could see it, as slight as it was. Lily had beautiful auburn hair that fell down her back in careful waves. Her green eyes were so much like Harry's, they flickered with light, and when she looked into them she was sure she had seen a shadow of him, but only for a moment.
"I'm Hermione... Hermione Baddeley." She squeaked, trying out her new name.
Lily smiled and rolled her eyes, "They're such troublemakers, no doubt you'll see them soon, pulling another prank, always looking for trouble. They call themselves the Marauders, but don't get me wrong, they're all really nice." Lily added quickly.
Of course Hermione knew who the Marauders were, it was true they were trouble makers, and she was learning it was true that Lily Evans was very kind as well."They sound like my friends, except trouble usually finds them." Hermione replied thinking of Harry, Fred, and George.Lily grinned as she slid back a compartment door Three students were sitting inside at their ease. "What are you doing in here?" She demanded in an authoritative voice, "This compartment is for older students, Smith, I know for a fact you're a second year.""Aww, you're just upset because you didn't find James in here." The boy called Smith retorted. The other children started giggling when Smith made kissing faces.
Hermione couldn't help but grin at this, though she kept it hidden as Lily turned beet red."Get out now, you three!" She ordered.The three second years ran out of the compartment giggling while Smith led the group in an enthusiastic song of "James and Lillyyy sitting in a tree! K-I-S-I-N-G...""You spelt 'kissing' wrong!" Lily muttered, still blushing furiously.Lily stepped inside the now vacant compartment just before the response of, "Well you would know." was heard, and Hermione followed and shut the door.Lily flopped down on the seat, "I'm supposed to be Head Girl this year. You know, make sure that the students stay out of trouble." Lily explained, assuming Hermione didn't know, "But do you think they listen to me? Of course not."Hermione smiled bracingly. "Umm, if you don't mind me asking, is your friend James the same one those kids were talking about?" Hermione was positive that it was, but she wanted to her it from Lily herself. Maybe if, no. When she got back home she could tell Harry all about the conversation she had had with his mother, she could tell him how nice and kind she was, maybe that would bring some kind of comfort to him...Lily's face flared pink again, "Yeah, we're more than friends now. We started going out a couple weeks ago."Hermione smiled and nodded."Oh! speaking of which, he's Head Boy this year, and we have to take care of the students on the train." Lily frowned, "Do you know anyone on the train that you could sit with?"Hermione bit her lip, she knew some of them in the future... "No, I don't.""I'm sorry, I don't want to leave you by yourself, you're new and all, I know how it is." Lily said apologetically.Hermione shook her head, "Don't worry about me, I was thinking of having a nap anyways."Lily nodded, "All right, well how about if I stop by later, I can explain the school and everything you'll need to know about Hogwarts.""Are you sure?" Hermione asked, "I mean I'm sure you'd rather sit with your friends..." As nice as Lily was, Hermione knew that she couldn't become friends or even acquaintances to anyone-even having a simple conversation, because when she left, people would wonder why she had transferred to Hogwarts and then left all in one day."It's fine, besides, it's kind of my job to welcome the new students that we get, though we never usually get transfers," Lily explained. She got up and walked to the door, "I'll see you later then."Hermione smiled feebly as she left the compartment. She didn't want to be alone right now, though she knew she couldn't really talk to anyone on board. Seeing and talking to Harry's mother had shaken her greatly, it was as if she had been talking to a ghost, someone who didn't really exist...
The train ride that she had come to associate with happy memories now felt penetrated by an eeriness only perceivable to her. As if she had been left in the compartment with an invisible dementor... Only a few hours ago she had witnessed Sirius's expulsion from his own home, if he could call it that, the way he was treated, it reminded her of what Harry had told her of his life at four Privet Drive. It was hard to believe, but she missed Harry and Ron already, she had never ridden the Hogwarts Express without them with her, ever.
Hermione stretched her legs over the seat and tucked her arm under her head. Something was nagging at her in the back of her mind, yet she was too tired to think of what it was. Her eyes drifted closed, and dreamt of her home in 1997...
The light was blocked out, and Hermione rolled over wondering why through a sleepy haze. A deep voice broke out through the silence, "Sleep well?"
Hermione creaked her eyes open, and let out a shriek of happiness as her eyes focused on the black, messy hair, round glasses, and the grin she knew only too well...
A/N: phew! you have no idea how long it took me to write this chapter, so hopefully it came out pretty good :) well thanks again to my wonderful reviewers, (ilu guys!) I hope you liked it, I was hoping to get Hermione off the train in this chapter but, ehh, it just didn't work out, so next chapter she'll get to Hogwarts and learn more about her "predicament." Until then, happy reading :)
-:- Mikairi -:-