Hermione sighed happily, placing a soft kiss on his shoulder as he pulled her deep into his embrace, sweat-slicked bodies pressed together. Her body was slightly sore from the use of muscles she didn't even know existed, but she felt like she was soaring.
"I didn't hurt you, did I?" he asked, his hand resting on her hip.
"Only as much as anyone would, and that's just the human body." She smiled, "But you… you were incredible." She ran a hand down his chest to his stomach, staring into his eyes. Ocean blue, dark and filled with passion, and they were staring into her soul, twisting into her stomach and pulling her towards him.
"So were you, my goddess." She grinned. "What?" she pushed his damp hair out of his face fondly.
"You are so cheesy!" She squeaked as he pinned her underneath him, and began tickling her. "Remus, stop it!" She squirmed, but still laughing.
"Not until you apologise." She gasped for air.
"Sorry! Please stop the onslaught!" He stilled his hands as they sat on her waist, and kissed her to shut her up. They curled up in each other once again, and with a final soft kiss they fell asleep.
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The mood in the common room became much more sombre as the students headed into March, and even Sirius began to do work. In only three months they would be taking their NEWTs and after that, leaving school. It was now that Dumbledore decided was best to register her under a new name so she was seen as a real person as she was entered for her exams.
"What was your mother's maiden name?" He asked as he filled out a form in his office.
"Megans." She said sadly, thinking of her dead parents.
"Then from this moment you will be so called Hermione Athena Megans. Please sign here." She studied the form, checking her details. Her birthday was now September the 16th 1959, and her guardian was now Albus Dumbledore She signed the parchment with a quick, similar signature to her old one. She leaned back in her chair heavily.
"Was there anything else you needed, sir?" His eyes twinkled.
"Well, as a matter of fact… I thought that one without the other two really wasn't quite fair. And I believe that as a team you could, shall we say, prevent a lot of things happening."
Hermione frowned. "I'm sorry sir, but I don't quite follow you."
"Oh, well in that case, I must show you. Boys?" Hermione blinked rapidly as Ron and Harry stepped out from their hiding place.
"Oh my god!" She screamed and before she knew what was happening she was enfolded in a giant hug. "Ron, Harry." She sobbed, "Oh god, you're here, you're real!" She pushed them back to look at them.
"Missed us?" Harry asked cheekily.
"Harry, you look… you just look so much like him…" She whispered. "You have really no idea. He must be so proud of you in the future."
"Hermione, that's not…" The professor cleared his throat.
"Memory charm, Mr Potter." He reminded him, making Harry wince.
"I know." He said sombrely. "It's going to be hard, pretending that … yeah." He sighed, wishing that Hermione hadn't had her memory erased.
Hermione grinned from ear to ear manically. "You'll love them… Oh by the way, Ron, your dad's little sisters are in our year. They're like the female versions of Fred and George, but gave up on the pranks a while back; the Marauders have too, with NEWTs coming up and all."
"Right. Goodbye professor." They waved goodbye to the smiling old man, descending down the stairs from his office.
"Well, I suppose there's something I should tell you. I made some of my free time worthwhile, and let's say I did a little extra work in potions. I now have a certain ability, and go out with the others once a month." Her eyes twinkled as she linked arms between the two taller boys who couldn't seem to stop grinning.
"Animagus?" Ron gaped. "How? Why? Bloody hell!" He swore, but grinned. "You broke a big rule Hermione." He laughed. "You've loosened up a bit, and I think it's done you good. You're glowing." Hermione poked her tongue out. "Oh, very mature."
Harry had stayed silent, knowing why he had been sent here, desperate not to have to break his friends' hearts like he would have to do. "Neither can live whilst the other survives…" He repeated the line of the prophecy, thoughts steaming through his mind, and bitterly he wished that he had never been born.
"Lily!" Hermione shouted through the common room, holding the portrait to hide Harry and Ron. "Remus!" She beckoned the two over.
"Remember I told you about Ron … and Harry?" She looked at Lily, whose emerald eyes were bright with curiosity. "Come out here."
She pulled them through the portrait and closed it, letting the four face each other. "Meet Ron and Harry."
Lily squeaked, her hand coming up to her mouth, whilst Remus was blinking rapidly.
"James is stood in front of me, why is James stood in front of me; I was just talking to him inside...?" He stared at Hermione, then at Lily, then at Harry, then at Hermione again. "No bloody way."
Lily was hyperventilating, and pulled at Hermione, dragging her to a corner.
"He's my son?" Hermione nodded. "Oh lord, my son is a mirror of my boyfriend; this is so very, very wrong…What am I going to tell James?" She hissed.
"The truth, you may as well. Heck, now we've totally screwed up the future!"
"Sugar Honey Iced Tea!" She said slowly under her breath. "Ok, I'm fine. I'm good." She paused, looking at Harry who was leaning against the wall, grinning as he talked with Remus, and Lily groaned as he ran a hand through his hair.
"It's another James, isn't it?" Hermione shrugged.
"Yeah, pretty much. Has some sense though, unlike Prongs. Ron is the nephew of Laurel and Adriana; you should see his older brothers though. The twins are fine!" She giggled.
"How do you suggest I talk to him?" She asked, eyeing Harry.
"Like a brother, that's all he'll ever be… Remember, you're real son wont be born for two years yet. Accept him as more of a close friend, and I swear you'll love him as much as I do. Him and Ron are just the ultimate mad-act, hey, you never know, you might even like Ron." Hermione joked. Lily beamed and turned, walking up to Harry and holding out her hand.
"Hi, I'm Lily Evans." He shook her hand timidly, but he began to loose his nervousness.
"Lily Evans, I'm Harry Potter." A pair of arms snaked around Hermione's waist whilst Ron, Harry and Lily got to know each other.
"James is just going to love this, they look similar enough to be the same person, and with a few simple charms, they could be." Remus smirked. "This is going to be fun." Hermione frowned.
"Wait until after the NEWTs thank you, I will not have you fail even if it kills me."
"There is a reason I'm a prefect you know, I am actually one of the top students in our year. DADA is my best subject, as is charms."
"Ooh, Charms is one of mine! Potions and Transfiguration are second and third." She leaned back, folding her arms over his.
"I had a feeling with the Transfiguration, becoming an Animagus in a few weeks." He joked, resting his chin on her head.
Hermione smiled as Lily, bouncing happily, called James and Sirius to meet Harry and Ron. James stood, looking at Hermione, then at Harry.
"Mione, please tell me Lily is joking." Hermione rolled her eyes.
"She's not joking."
"At least he got my looks." He said boastfully, earning him a swift punch in the arm by Lily, who smiled innocently. "Ow." He moaned dramatically, swaggering and gripping his arm.
Harry was banging his head against the wall, muttering. Hermione sighed, disentangling herself from Remus so she could pull Harry from the wall. No-one heard what she said to him, but he nodded as she traced a finger across his forehead. They hugged, and Remus felt a surge of jealousy, their closeness unnerving him.
"So you think that because there are two of you at the same place at the same time… Neither can live whilst the other survives… Two of you would weaken Voldemort, right?" Harry nodded.
"Hermione, I spent very little of our summer doing anything but trying to find the Horcruxes, I found the last one." He gave a small sigh.
"You did? Harry that's wonderful!" He shook his head sadly.
"No it's not." He pointed at his scar. "I'm the last Horcrux, Hermione. For Voldemort to be destroyed, I have to be killed. Do you understand, Hermione?"
"No…" Her eyes filled with tears. "Harry, you can't die… not like this!" She felt tears drip steadily down her cheeks.
He shook her. "Hermione, I have to! Otherwise you can't kill him! I'm not important now; I knew this was going to kill me months ago, before you even disappeared. Hermione, listen very carefully; I can only say this once. Voldemort's soul is split into seven pieces, so it will take seven people to kill him. I need you to lead it, with my mum, dad, Sirius, Remus and Ron. There is one last person you need to help you… Dumbledore.
"He knows how to perform the Avada Kedavera curse. He must teach every single one of you the curse and you must perform it at the same time from all directions around him. He knows I'm here, Hermione, that I've destroyed the Horcruxes, and that I've come to the past to kill him. He will do anything he can to try and keep me alive. Hermione, I want you to do it, to kill me."
Hermione sobbed, shaking her head. "I can't Harry, I can't! Please don't ask me to, please!"
"Hermione, you have to do it! Don't you understand? I'm not important! I need to die, Hermione." He pulled something out of his pocket, holding up a small piece of metal.
"Engorgio." The piece of metal grew in his hands to a large shining sword. "This belonged to Godric Gryffindor. I want you to kill me with this. We need to find where Voldemort is hiding, and attack him before I'm born. The prophecy won't exist until around when I'm born, so I'm altogether defying the prophecy by existing when it doesn't."
"I have to kill my best friend…" She said, staring into his eyes. "I have to kill you." He nodded, and she threw her arms around him in a desperate embrace.
"I'll be a murderer." She whispered.
"NO! Hermione, you are everything that is so far from a murderer. You are the bravest witch in existence, who will stare in the face of death, and you will laugh. You will save the world."
"I'll save the world?" Harry nodded, a gentle smile gracing his lips. "I will laugh at Voldemort, prove him beaten. And I will avenge your death by killing him." Harry nodded again.
"Can you do it?" He asked. "If the one woman I love can't kill me and smile because she has just defeated evil, who else can?"
"You love me?" He felt his heart sadden.
"More than anything, Hermione. I am dying to save you, to save my parents, to save everything that I would otherwise loose. And I want to see you happy." He looked over at Remus, who was gazing at him and Hermione steadily. He met Harry's eyes, almost as if he knew, and he gave a nod, turning away.
Harry realised he had been given permission to kiss Hermione. He held her tightly and pressed his lips to hers in a loving kiss. She stared up at him as they split, her eyes still brimming with tears.
"Harry, I'm sorry, but I can't…" He placed a lone finger to her lips.
"Shhh, I already know, and I was just given permission. He loves you and will be able to provide for you better than I ever could, Hermione. I'm going to be in a discussion with Dumbledore, telling him my plan, and ask him to be the final person to complete the circle. I'll tell you when he will meet with each of you in turn to teach you the curse. Be ready Hermione." She nodded. "And practice that smile, I want Voldemort to be dazzled."
She had to laugh. "Only you would make a joke over this situation, Harry Potter."
"I know."
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A/N! Hello! Wow… I have reviews, it's a miracle! Lol. Anyway, thank you so much!
Beth: I know about the grammatical errors, I do try and they have been through my beta reader, but hey, no-one's perfect and once its finished I'll go through it properly. I know about the canon thing, but honestly I am really not very good at sticking with canon, as you have noticed! But I need to add my own flare to things; it's a compulsive thing…like shopping. Thanks for reviewing and it will probably keep me in check if I write another Harry Potter story!
CrimsonReality: hey I'm glad I made someone laugh! I have a very bad sense of humour, according to my friends, but that's because they suck… or don't understand my sarcasm (Shrugs) either way, thanks for reviewing and I'll update soon, I've nearly almost finished, wooot!
And to my beta reader, ShySky, you are my lifesaver, with all my extra U's in words! Thanks for putting up with me! And I'll send you the beginning of the sequel soon!