One Year
Revised February 23, 2004. Revised again July 13, 2004.
Hermione had spent the last five minutes trying to convince herself she wasn't crazy.
Maybe this is some elaborate joke Harry and Ron played, Hermione thought to herself.
Or maybe I really did fall back in time, Hermione rubbed her temples. "Are you. . .okay?" The boy–Sirius-- asked.
"I'm fine," she snapped. Just as she said that she started to fall forward. Sirius caught her swiftly.
"Thanks," she muttered. She turned to him, and stared into his dark eyes. They were like a deep ocean.
"You're welcome," he whispered huskily in her ear. Hermione's pulse began to race.
"I need to see Dumbledore," she said, pulling herself out of the reverie. "Could you help me get there?"
"Sure," he said. He took her arm for balance and walked her to Dumbledore's. Neither had much to say. Hermione breathed in his scent. He smelled like a cologne she'd seen in Hogsmeade. It was a wonderfully masculine scent.
He noticed her breathing in deeply and smirked. "Like it? Got it in Hogsmeade. The girls love it."
Hermione pulled away, apparently not liking being compared to 'the girls.' He seemed to notice this and take it to heart.
As they walked through the halls Hermione noticed the girls' stares, and, above all else, their robes. They wore robes that puffed up at the sleeve, and their hair was braided. Hermione vaguely remembered looking in in back issues of Witch Weekly and seeing the puffed up sleeves. She also remembered laughing for hours over the fashion style. Things had been crazy back in the '70s. She hoped she wouldn't have to wear those ugly sleeves to fit in.
When they reached Dumbledore's, Hermione said to the boy (Sirius?) "Thank you," He smiled cockily. "My pleasure," he said in a deep voice. He touched her cheek briefly, then left.
Hermione recoiled from his touch, rolled her eyes, and entered Dumbledore's office.
"Ah....please come in," Dumbledore said.
"Thank you, Headmaster," Hermione said. She sat down, grateful to see a familiar face. His office had not changed since 1975, Hermione thought amusedly.
"I know my coming here was a bit of a shock," Hermione said. "I just fell out of the sky like that."
"I know why you are here, Miss Granger."
Hermione was shocked. "How did you know my name?"
"From this," Dumbledore replied simply. He held up a piece of parchment and what looked like a gold necklace. "I found this in your robes."
"What is it?" Hermione asked, perplexed. The only things she carried with her at all times was a picture of herself and Ron, and her wand.
"It is a letter from Professor McGonagall, the Professor McGonagall of your time. She wrote this letter and slipped it into your robes."
"Why?"
"Simple. She was the one who put the Time Turner on you. And she was the one who put you under the Imperius Curse."
"She—why?"
"Professor McGonagall says you have to complete a mission in 1975. She put the time turner on you and put you on the broomstick so the turner would activate. You will use it to go home when your task is completed. She will not tell me what it is. All I know is that you have exactly one year to complete that task, without knowing what it is, and that it is a matter of life and death. And she says when you complete the task, you will know that you have."
"She sent me back in time to complete a task? Without my knowing?"
"Correct."
"What else does it say?"
"It says not to worry about your friends or family–she has taken care of all that. And she wishes you the best of luck."
Hermione reached for the letter but Dumbledore shook his head and took it back. Hermione sat for a moment, taking it all in. "So I really am in 1975."
"Yes."
After a moment of silence, Dumbledore went on. "I will of course put you back into your old house and your old classes. What house was it?"
"G–Gryffindor."
"The house of bravery. I daresay you'll need it."
"Professor, what am I going to tell everyone? About how I simply fell out of the sky?"
"You will say nothing."
"Professor!"
"Miss Granger, you know as well as I, the students will believe whatever they want to believe. We will let them draw their own conclusions. We'll tell them you are an exchange student from Beauxbatons, that you are here to finish off your seventh year. You are a smart girl, it seems, and if you choose to tell someone who you really are you must also consider how telling the person will tamper with time."
Hermione sat down heavily.
"It is a lot to take in, isn't it." Dumbledore commented.
"You have no idea."
One year.
(A/N: Thank you all for the reviews! I didn't expect 11; I thought I'd have to wait for days just to get 5! Is that weird, excited over 11 reviews?)
Thanks to:
Fallen Angel of Hell (love the name!) Thanks!
Willow Rose Edra (ditto)Yes, it'll all be cleared up! :)
Lauren I understand the confusion about Ron and Hermione. I personally don't like them at all, as you'll soon see :)
Avestia I did! :)
Jaina Thanks! I have 5 chapters written, but I think I'll be updating weekly from now on.
Sploogal Thank you for the suggestion. I began this fic yesterday, and I think I am rushing it a bit, but that's because I really want to tell the story. :) I think I'll have my beta go over the storyline with me more.
fy Thank you so much!
Siriusly Lovin It I love Time turner fics too. (there'll be a lot of Sirius in this fic!)
Babybluecrest Sirius is my fav, he always gets all the girls!
gg thanks! :)
tawnyfawn I'll go read your fics as soon as I can get a minute.:) thank you
Thanks all of you. I hope I am not rushing things, so once this is posted I'll go and fine-tune the other chapters I have:)