The days at Hogwarts had passed by too fast for her taste. Now she was
sitting in a room at The Leaky Caldron trying to figure out what to do.
When the professor, uh...her grandfather, had told her she'd be staying the
night in Diagon Alley, she figured he'd bring her here later on in the
evening. But instead, it was barely 9AM. As she resigned herself to
possibly taking a morning nap, there was a knock at her door. Hermione
bolted out of bed and practically ran to it. She didn't really care who
was on the other side; another human face would be a blessing right now.
Hermione practically flung it open and was face to face with a beautiful
green-eyed young woman. She wore cut-off blue jeans, a white t-shirt and
an old beat up pair of tennis shoes with no socks. Her red hair was pulled
back into a messy bun and she smiled at Hermione.
"Hermione Granger?"
Hermione nodded. And shook the girl's outstretched hand.
"Hi. I'm Lily Evans. I imagine you weren't expecting me a day early but my parents said I could stay the night here so maybe we could hang out. Unless, of course, you'd like to stay cooped up all day."
Hermione laughed, "No, I would love to hang out with you. And please, call me Mione. Let me grab my bag."
Mione. She had practically killed Ron for calling her that. Then, she practically killed him again when it got around school and every one began to refer to her that way. At one time, she thought she hated it but it was the first thing that came out of her mouth. The nickname made her yearn for her old friends. She quenched the feelings and turned around to grab her bag off the table. Well, they all may refer to her as that but she was still Ms. Hermione Granger, Hogwarts Know-it-all, in her own head. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and smiled slightly to herself, she looked like she really belonged in this time. The clothing she had decided on for today was simple and non "futuristic", as Dumbledore put it. Actually, except for a few patterned skirts and t-shirts, most of her clothing was acceptable. She'd shown these all to Dumbledore and he agreed that no more clothes were needed. Hermione had decided on a pair of khaki shorts and a white button down short-sleeved shirt with a pair of sandals. She pulled her long brown hair into a quick ponytail and then walked back to the doorway.
"Okay. Ready."
Hermione and Lily quickly warmed up to each other and walked from store to store talking and giggling as if they'd known each other for years. Lily told her about school, about the teachers, and about the other kids. Lily stopped when she talked about the other kids. She looked at Hermione with those big green eyes.
"Then...there are the Marauders."
Hermione knew who they were but she couldn't tell that to Lily so, she played dumb.
"Who are they?"
"That would be us, love."
Hermione slowly turned around and was face to face with James Potter. The resemblance to him and his future son was uncanny. Hermione Granger now knew exactly where Harry got his attractiveness. On either side of him were a very handsome Sirius Black and nervous looking Peter Pettigrew. Behind the three of them was the most beautiful man she'd ever seen. It took her a moment to realize whom she was gawking at. It was Remus Lupin. Hermione's heart skipped a beat. In the time she grew up in, she had had the biggest crush on him and now here he was, her age. Calmly, Hermione raised an eyebrow.
"And, you are?"
James bowed slightly though he was looking at a blushing Lily the whole time.
"I am James Potter. Also known as the one who is madly in love with Lily Evans."
Now, Hermione understood the sudden blushing. Something had happened between the two of them over the summer. Something wonderful. James stepped over to Lily and brushed his lips against her cheek and took her hand.
Before Hermione could say anything, Sirius stepped forward. He took her hand and brought it up to his lips. If she hadn't been so shocked, she probably would have punched him.
"I am Sirius Black and I give you myself as a welcome present."
Mione thought for a moment and pulled her hand away.
"I'm sorry. I don't except cheap gifts."
Sirius laughed, "That was a good one."
She smiled back at him.
"You and I can be good friends if you don't hit on my any more."
He nodded, "Sounds like a deal. What's your name, anyway?"
"Hermione Granger. But you can call me Mione."
Peter stepped forward and held out his hand.
"Nice to meet you Mione. I'm Peter Pettigrew."
Hermione greeted him politely. Finally, the one she'd had been waiting for. He stepped between Sirius and Peter looking at her with those gray eyes and smiled that smile that she'd dreamed about so often before.
"Hello Hermione Granger. I'm Remus Lupin. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Before Hermione could think, the words just stumbled out of her mouth.
"The pleasure is mine, Remus."
There was a silence around them as they stared at each other. Hermione thought she heard Lily whisper to James but couldn't make out the words and didn't really care. Her insides felt warm and butterflies flew quickly around her stomach as she kept eye contact with Remus. Someone cleared their throat, breaking the trance for both of them. Hermione blushed and noticed that he did to. Sirius laughed and patted his friend on the back. He turned back around and seemed to look over Hermione's shoulder.
"Well looky here. If it isn't Snivellus."
Hermione turned around and saw her cousin walking towards the group. Is head was in a book and didn't notice them standing there. Before she could step aside, he ran into her. Severus looked up; ready to curse whoever was in is way. But when he saw her standing there he was taken aback. She thought she heard him say "Jaeda" but wasn't sure.
"Hello! I'm so sorry."
Severus shook his head, "No...Uh...I'm the one who ran into you. I'm sorry." He tried to step around her but Hermione stepped in front of him again.
"My name is Hermione Granger. People just call me Mione for short."
He looked down at the hand she held out than back at her. Hermione guessed there was sometime of internal conflict going on but finally after a few seconds he shook it.
"Severus. Severus Snape."
Mione nodded, "Nice to meet you, Severus."
He nodded then quickly walked away. Hermione turned back to the group. Lily and Remus were smiling but James, Sirius, and Peter were scowling. Sirius was the first one to speak.
"What was that about, Mione?"
She smiled sweetly at him, "Well, by your tone, it was apparent you don't really like the boy. I, on the other hand, am new here and I am completely against making enemies before schools starts."
Sirius raised and eyebrow at her.
"Well...I guess you have a point. Just don't expect us to be friends with Snivellus."
Hermione smiled, "I won't."
"Hermione Granger?"
Hermione nodded. And shook the girl's outstretched hand.
"Hi. I'm Lily Evans. I imagine you weren't expecting me a day early but my parents said I could stay the night here so maybe we could hang out. Unless, of course, you'd like to stay cooped up all day."
Hermione laughed, "No, I would love to hang out with you. And please, call me Mione. Let me grab my bag."
Mione. She had practically killed Ron for calling her that. Then, she practically killed him again when it got around school and every one began to refer to her that way. At one time, she thought she hated it but it was the first thing that came out of her mouth. The nickname made her yearn for her old friends. She quenched the feelings and turned around to grab her bag off the table. Well, they all may refer to her as that but she was still Ms. Hermione Granger, Hogwarts Know-it-all, in her own head. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and smiled slightly to herself, she looked like she really belonged in this time. The clothing she had decided on for today was simple and non "futuristic", as Dumbledore put it. Actually, except for a few patterned skirts and t-shirts, most of her clothing was acceptable. She'd shown these all to Dumbledore and he agreed that no more clothes were needed. Hermione had decided on a pair of khaki shorts and a white button down short-sleeved shirt with a pair of sandals. She pulled her long brown hair into a quick ponytail and then walked back to the doorway.
"Okay. Ready."
Hermione and Lily quickly warmed up to each other and walked from store to store talking and giggling as if they'd known each other for years. Lily told her about school, about the teachers, and about the other kids. Lily stopped when she talked about the other kids. She looked at Hermione with those big green eyes.
"Then...there are the Marauders."
Hermione knew who they were but she couldn't tell that to Lily so, she played dumb.
"Who are they?"
"That would be us, love."
Hermione slowly turned around and was face to face with James Potter. The resemblance to him and his future son was uncanny. Hermione Granger now knew exactly where Harry got his attractiveness. On either side of him were a very handsome Sirius Black and nervous looking Peter Pettigrew. Behind the three of them was the most beautiful man she'd ever seen. It took her a moment to realize whom she was gawking at. It was Remus Lupin. Hermione's heart skipped a beat. In the time she grew up in, she had had the biggest crush on him and now here he was, her age. Calmly, Hermione raised an eyebrow.
"And, you are?"
James bowed slightly though he was looking at a blushing Lily the whole time.
"I am James Potter. Also known as the one who is madly in love with Lily Evans."
Now, Hermione understood the sudden blushing. Something had happened between the two of them over the summer. Something wonderful. James stepped over to Lily and brushed his lips against her cheek and took her hand.
Before Hermione could say anything, Sirius stepped forward. He took her hand and brought it up to his lips. If she hadn't been so shocked, she probably would have punched him.
"I am Sirius Black and I give you myself as a welcome present."
Mione thought for a moment and pulled her hand away.
"I'm sorry. I don't except cheap gifts."
Sirius laughed, "That was a good one."
She smiled back at him.
"You and I can be good friends if you don't hit on my any more."
He nodded, "Sounds like a deal. What's your name, anyway?"
"Hermione Granger. But you can call me Mione."
Peter stepped forward and held out his hand.
"Nice to meet you Mione. I'm Peter Pettigrew."
Hermione greeted him politely. Finally, the one she'd had been waiting for. He stepped between Sirius and Peter looking at her with those gray eyes and smiled that smile that she'd dreamed about so often before.
"Hello Hermione Granger. I'm Remus Lupin. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Before Hermione could think, the words just stumbled out of her mouth.
"The pleasure is mine, Remus."
There was a silence around them as they stared at each other. Hermione thought she heard Lily whisper to James but couldn't make out the words and didn't really care. Her insides felt warm and butterflies flew quickly around her stomach as she kept eye contact with Remus. Someone cleared their throat, breaking the trance for both of them. Hermione blushed and noticed that he did to. Sirius laughed and patted his friend on the back. He turned back around and seemed to look over Hermione's shoulder.
"Well looky here. If it isn't Snivellus."
Hermione turned around and saw her cousin walking towards the group. Is head was in a book and didn't notice them standing there. Before she could step aside, he ran into her. Severus looked up; ready to curse whoever was in is way. But when he saw her standing there he was taken aback. She thought she heard him say "Jaeda" but wasn't sure.
"Hello! I'm so sorry."
Severus shook his head, "No...Uh...I'm the one who ran into you. I'm sorry." He tried to step around her but Hermione stepped in front of him again.
"My name is Hermione Granger. People just call me Mione for short."
He looked down at the hand she held out than back at her. Hermione guessed there was sometime of internal conflict going on but finally after a few seconds he shook it.
"Severus. Severus Snape."
Mione nodded, "Nice to meet you, Severus."
He nodded then quickly walked away. Hermione turned back to the group. Lily and Remus were smiling but James, Sirius, and Peter were scowling. Sirius was the first one to speak.
"What was that about, Mione?"
She smiled sweetly at him, "Well, by your tone, it was apparent you don't really like the boy. I, on the other hand, am new here and I am completely against making enemies before schools starts."
Sirius raised and eyebrow at her.
"Well...I guess you have a point. Just don't expect us to be friends with Snivellus."
Hermione smiled, "I won't."