Hogsmeade
Revised July 13, 2004.
Hermione woke up early. It was around seven o'clock. "Wake up, Parvati," Hermione muttered, shaking the body in the bed next to hers. It was a routine of Hermione's to wake up Parvati, because she was so slow.
"What? Hermione, it's Lily," Lily said groggily, sitting up.
Lily.
The night before came flooding back. Hermione was back in the past.
It all came flooding back.
Lily and Hermione dressed; Lily in a red sweater, Hermione in a green one that belonged to Lily.
"The boys are coming along, too." Lily said at breakfast. "I hope you don't mind."
"Mind?" Hermione said innocently. "Why would I mind?"
"You and Sirius didn't exactly get off on the right foot." Lily took a bite of toast.
"It's not that, Lily. I just–I have a boyfriend back home."
"And you don't want to let anyone else in your heart," Lily finished knowingly. "I know. Sirius is quite the charmer when he wants to be. He's been with lots of girls."
"That's another reason I don't want anything to happen between us."
"You know, when I first met James I thought he was, well, a pompous ass." Lily said.
"So what changed your mind?" Hermione asked, spreading treacle on her toast.
"He finally got to me. And I stopped closing my heart off."
Hermione nodded thoughtfully, and finished her toast.
When they entered Hogsmeade, Lily and James headed off by themselves. Lily agreed to meet Hermione at the clothing store in a few hours.
Remus, as it turned out, stayed back at Hogwarts to study. ("A man after my own heart," Hermione had said.) Peter stayed with him.
Hermione began to think it had been a setup.
Hermione walked silently through Hogsmeade with Sirius. Finally they sat down in the Three Broomsticks. "Hermione, do you have a problem with me or something?" he asked.
"A problem? No."
"Then why are you so quiet? Usually the girls I go out with can't stop babbling. Bit annoying really."
"I am not one of the girls, Sirius. And I have a boyfriend back home." Sirius broke out in a grin. "And you thought I was gonna romance you to death? Come on, Hermione. There are plenty of other girls who will go out with me. I'll bounce back."
"I don't doubt that. I guess we can be friends, then?" Hermione asked.
Sirius looked slightly disappointed, then smiled. "Sure." He thought, In your dreams. I'll make you mine.
Hermione was much more friendly after that. "So, Sirius. What did you do over the summer?"
"Spent my summer at James' house. My parents are opposed to all the non-purebloods, I didn't like that, so I left."
"They don't like half-bloods?"
"No. They're ignorant, Hermione. They don't know that some of the best people are non-purebloods."
"My parents are Muggles," Hermione admitted.
"You see my point."
As they talked Hermione noticed girls staring at herself and Sirius–well, Sirius, really. They gazed at Hermione in wild jealousy. Sirius noticed this and laughed.
Hermione and Sirius were served by a waitress. She asked for their order.
"Two butterbeers, please, if your fine self can handle it." Sirius said.
The waitress smiled flirtatiously. "Anything you want...er..."
"Sirius. And your name is?"
"My name is Elizabeth." She acted as if Hermione wasn't even there.
Sirius gave her his famous smile. "Elizabeth," he said, as if trying the name out on his tongue. "Beautiful."
Hermione sat through the entire scene, her mood growing grimmer. She wanted to throw her butterbeer over the both of them. And she wanted Elizabeth to leave Sirius alone.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Are you about done with the show?"
Sirius smiled. "It's only getting started."
Elizabeth brought the butterbeer much more quickly than usual. She flirted with Sirius for a few minutes, even sitting on top of their table.
Hermione cleared her throat loudly. That was Elizabeth's cue.
"Do you need anything else?" Elizabeth asked, getting back to business.
"Yes," Hermione said. "A room so the two of you can take your passion elsewhere." Hermione stormed out of the Three Broomsticks.
Sirius rolled his eyes. "You're no fun."
They continued through Hogsmeade. "Sirius," she said thoughtfully.
"Yes?" "Your name. . .Sirius is the Dog Star, isn't it?" "And the brightest star in the sky," He added, smiling. "My parents used to be astronomers, before Voldemort got in the way of that."
"Oh. I am sorry."
"No big deal," Sirius said lightly. "I don't care anymore." But Hermione heard the pain in his voice. She put her hand on his shoulder to offer comfort.
There it was again. The electricity. This time they both noticed it, and looked at each other. This time Hermione could not escape Sirius' eyes. They pulled her in. Sirius was similarly affected. She was so beautiful, and she was strong. She didn't fall for his easiest lines. No, she was going to take time. The others were meaningless because he had won them so easily.
Sirius leaned forward, and so did Hermione. . .until she pulled back quickly at the last minute. "We should go," she said softly.
Hermione sat at the edge of Hogsmeade and took out her sketchbook. She opened it and started to sketch.
"What are you doing?" Sirius asked curiously.
"Drawing," Hermione replied. "I always wanted to be an artist when I was younger." It was a secret hobby for her. Harry and Ron didn't even know. She drew to relieve stress, she drew to have fun, she drew for no reason at all. "What about now?"
"I don't know what I want to be. An Auror, maybe."
He watched her work. He hands worked diligently and her artist's eye seemed to catch everything. She pursed her lips in concentration. He'd never seen anyone so focused and calm.
Hermione began to draw Sirius' face. She drew the strong jaw, manly eyebrows, and lips. But the hardest part was the eyes. She wanted so badly to reflect what she saw in them, but could not.
Frustrated, she closed the sketchbook. "I'm afraid," she admitted.
"Of what?" Sirius asked concernedly.
"Of.....never mind."
Of falling for you.
Hermione and Sirius met Lily and James at the clothing store, as planned. Lily, though a tad disheveled, went in with Hermione to pick out clothes.
Hermione could not help but laugh at the fashions of the time. Why anyone would want to wear robes with puffed up sleeves was beyond her. But she did as she was told, and bought the clothing. Dumbledore had given her money and she promised to 'pay him back' as soon as she could.
"Ooh, Hermione, come here!" Lily cried. She pulled out a beautiful black dress. It was misted with gold at the top and the back crisscrossed. It was just Hermione's size.
"Try it on," Lily urged.
Hermione stepped into the dressing room and tried it on. It was wonderful and it seemed made for her. Hermione stepped out of the dressing room and onto to the platform.
Lily gasped in delight, James smiled, and Sirius–oh, Sirius was something else! His eyes turned wide.
Hermione looked like an angel. Sirius had never been moved so much by anyone. It was all he could do not to take her in his arms.
"It's perfect," Lily breathed.
From the looks of it, Sirius thought so too.
"You have to wear that to the Autumn Ball, Hermione. You'll knock their socks off." Lily said confidently.
On their way out, Hermione bought a diary. Just to remember everything that had happened and what would eventually happen.