Time Defyer

Chapter VII: And It Gets Complicated…

1976

Hermione, for a fraction of a second, was sure her lips were going to connect with Sirius's. It was then that her mind's wires actually connected and she realized exactly what she'd been about to do. Her eyes snapping open, she gasped and retracted her head from Sirius. It took him a second to figure out that they weren't, in fact, kissing, and he looked at her strangely. And yet with a hint of…disappointment? Hermione's mind reeled at the thought.

"Something wrong?" Sirius whispered. Hermione wasn't sure why exactly he was doing so, but she got the strange sense that it was the only appropriate thing to do.

"No, I just—I'm sorry, Sirius, really." And she was. She had been fully ready to lock lips with him, but that was just her inner Lavender wanting to do so. She hadn't even considered that she, Hermione Granger, would go that route. Would want to kiss someone whom she'd not only barely met, but whose counterpart was a good twenty or so years older than she. Not to mention he was Harry's godfather and currently deceased. The thought that she had nearly been a budding necrophiliac made her feel sick.

"But?" he asked, obviously wanting to know a precise reason—which Hermione lacked at the moment. "I have to say this whole rejection thing is pretty new to me."

Hermione wrinkled her nose at that statement. Of course it's new, Sirius, she mused scathingly, you're the self-dubbed player in all of Hogwarts! She almost indulged herself with a smile, knowing that she must have been the first female that Sirius had set his sights on who had said no to him. She wished she could tell that to Harry and Ron, but unfortunately she knew she wouldn't be able to get past "Sirius was about to kiss me" without them jumping all over her in spluttering expletives.

"Yeah, well for that, I feel sorry for you," she answered slowly. Sirius's comment wasn't exactly one that was easy to respond to. "But I just can't do this right now, Sirius. I just…can't."

"But why?" he wheedled seriously. He looked so pitiful that she almost felt regretful that she hadn't just humored him.

"Because I'm not…attracted to you." It was mostly true, anyway. She did concede that he was appealing in his own way, and she was sure that, had he not been someone she knew well, she would have fallen for him. However, that was far from the case, and she wasn't keen to throw all her knowledge out the window, especially for some schoolgirl crush. Especially considering she knew at some point she would have to be returning to a future where, unfortunately, Sirius was far from existing. A fact she hated to remember but had to bring to her forefront in case of a situation she was now in.

He started to no doubt object to what she said—his eyes were certainly put-off—when the portrait hole opened loudly, followed by a curse by the Fat Lady. Hermione's eyes snapped over, ecstatic for the interruption, but she could still feel Sirius's perturbed eyes on her. She studiously ignored it and watched as three very familiar faces stepped inside, chattering away animatedly. Currently, the hazel-eyed one was speaking.

"…freaking amazing," he said, obviously finishing a part of a humorous sentence, as both Lupin and Peter started guffawing. They finally noticed the two students in the room, and the laughter started to fade. "We were wondering where you'd gotten off to, Padfoot! What are you doing?"

"Well, I was…er…talking…to Granger here, when you three cut in on it," he said. Hermione did not fail to notice his hesitation on the word "talking." She severely hoped the boys' perverted minds did not catch it. Luckily for her, they either didn't or were very good at hiding it.

Their gazes switched to Hermione, as if just noticing she was there. "So how did you come across our skipping friend?" Lupin asked. Hermione was quite pleased some of the coldness he'd had towards her had started to recede.

She felt four pairs of eyes on her, and explained as truthfully as she could. "I was exploring the castle," she said nonchalantly. "I've been excused from classes, at least for today, and thought it'd be a good opportunity to look around at the place that will be my home for another year or so. Then Sirius so rudely came across my path, and invited me up here, and there you are."

She swore she saw something devious flicker in Lupin's face, but she daren't dwell upon it. She didn't really want to know what would happen if she did. "So, er, what were you guys all laughing at?" she asked, as interested as possible.

Thankfully, she knew she'd hit the goldmine as James's expression lit up and he began retelling the story. It was obvious it had been discussed many times, as Lupin looked slightly exasperated and took a seat on the floor by Sirius, but Peter, ever the golden retriever-like conformist, looked enraptured by each letter James said.

"Okay, so we're in Potions, right?" James began, Hermione having to listen carefully in order to catch the words considering how fast James was talking. "It was near the end of the class, when we had to bring up our projects, and Snivellus—that's Snape, this weaselly ingrate, in case you didn't know, Granger—must've said something really snide to Lily, because her face got all twisted-like and then there was this flash of anger (though keep in mind she still looked beautiful through the whole thing, of course) and without further ado, Snape hit the stone with a thud that was more than satisfying. It was pretty epic."

"Wait, so Lily Evans was the one who tripped Snape?" Hermione asked, agape. She tried to hold back just how shocked she was, but she thought some of it leaked through.

Fortunately, James was obviously too enamored and impressed to catch it. Hermione avoided Lupin's eyes. "Yeah, and it was amazing," James said dreamily. "Arguably the best time of my entire Hogwarts career. Potions has never really been all that fun, particularly when he have Double with the Slytherins, but today was rather all right. Don't you agree, Moony?"

"Yeah, sure," Lupin said with a chuckle. "Though I may have to choose other times. I'm not as obsessed with Lily as you are."

"I'm not obsessed!" James objected hotly. Hermione, Lupin, Peter, and Sirius all raised an eyebrow, and James flushed slightly.

"Biggest lie I've ever heard in my entire life," Sirius said, finally entering the conversation. Hermione guessed he still felt a little hurt, but he obviously couldn't resist joining in. "You're more obsessed with Evans than my family is with the Dark Arts."

An awkward silence followed, and Sirius finally realized how his statement must've sounded. Hermione got the sense that James would oppose the comment rather loudly, but he obviously thought it wouldn't be the most prudent thing to do. Hermione knew that Sirius was still insanely bitter about his family in years to come, and so she could hardly imagine how horrible he felt about it in this time.

Lupin cleared his throat, and was met with grateful glances. "I should probably get going," he said. "I've got to finish that essay for Arithmancy."

Sirius frowned, looking at him confusedly. "Didn't you say that essay was due like next Wednesday?" he asked, perplexed. "That's in four days, Moony."

Hermione had a definite feeling of déjà vu, particularly when Lupin answered with, "Exactly. But I know how hard-pressed you are to understand something like that."

Hermione looked down to the floor, struck with how much she missed being able to say that. "Well, I understand, Lupin," she said, looking up at him.

There must have been something in her face, because Lupin gave her a small smile. "Thanks," he replied simply. And with that, he turned and retreated up into the boys' dormitory, leaving an amusing wake.

Peter's unsure switching of weight caught everyone's attention, and he looked apologetically at James. "Could you help me with the Defense homework? It's dreadfully difficult," whined Peter. Hermione cringed.

James sighed in exasperation. "Wormtail, not only have we been over the homework many times, but you do need to learn it yourself, you know," said James crossly. Hermione got the distinct impression this was a common event.

"Please, Prongs? I won't ask you again, promise," Peter beseeched. Hermione could already see the resolve diminish in James's eyes and she had the urge to shake him by the shoulders and tell him he was seconds away from helping the traitor.

"Yes you will, Peter," James said, but grabbed Peter by the arm and brought him over to one of the desks, Peter smiling in glee.

Another uncomfortable quiet fell between Sirius and Hermione, Hermione hardly able to look into Sirius's face. She doubted she'd like what she saw there. After a few minutes of sitting there not talking, Hermione gave up and stood from her chair, fully ready to go to her Dumbledore-instigated room, in order to simply ponder the mind-blowing events of what happened that day. The moment she turned around, though, she felt a warm hand on her arm, pulling her around gently; it was Sirius. Before she knew what he was doing, he pressed his lips to hers for a couple long moments, Hermione too shocked to do anything. Finally, he pulled away, and she blinked at him in a daze, her mind rather fuzzy.

"I knew I'd be able to do that," Sirius said, his smile not quite reaching his eyes. "Some way or another."

Hermione looked at him sadly, and then walked away, surprised she could walk straight. She muttered the spell to enter her room, and after she shut the door, she collapsed on the bed, staring up at the ceiling, her thoughts running rampant.

1997

Hours after they left the library, both Harry and Ron were wide awake, both listening vaguely to Neville's snores and Dean's mumblings of how gypped Manchester United was in their last competition. Harry heard Ron's deep sigh, and knew his friend was lucid just like he was. He wished Ron weren't, just so he could be alone with his thoughts, but he couldn't exactly tell Ron to stop without sounding like a hypocrite.

"Harry, you awake?" Ron whispered through the darkness. His voice was laced with hope.

Harry considered not answering, but knew he shouldn't. "Yeah, Ron, I'm awake," he replied finally, tension filling their unspoken words.

"Do you really think we'll find her?" Ron asked, voice rather choked.

"I—I have faith in Dumbledore," Harry said, wishing he could say something more concrete. "He's not let us down before, and I don't think he will this time. We by ourselves may not be able to find her, but with his help, I am sure we will be able to."

I hope were the two words left silent from Harry's sentence, and he was sure Ron knew it. "What do you think will happen if we don't find her?"

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, slightly perplexed by Ron's query.

"I mean—" He paused, as if thinking through his reasoning again. "I mean what will have changed if we don't find her? What has she changed by being back there?"

Harry frowned, wanting very badly to have an answer. "I don't know," he said, hating the words. "I really don't know. I think the only way we will ever know is if she comes back and tells us herself."

"I was afraid of that," said Ron dismally. "I was really hoping you wouldn't say that."

It was clear by Ron's tone that that was what he wanted more than anything, apart from having Hermione back in their time. Still, though he knew his words were for naught for the most part, Harry felt a slight responsibility to perhaps mollify Ron a tiny bit. Every little part would help.

"We can keep looking if you want, Ron," said Harry with false brightness. "But I have to be frank with you: I think we'll just have to wait it out, as undesirable as that prospect is."

Ron sighed in answer, and Harry, with a substantial drop in his mood, turned his back to his friend and pulled the covers over himself further, finding solace in the ensuing dreams containing the three of them, together again and happy; a circumstance he desperately wanted to resurface.

Though this chapter is revised, I'm not sure how I feel about it, especially the part with Harry and Ron; I don't know what's wrong with it, but it feels like something's off. If you have any edits you wish me to make, don't hesitate to review and/or PM me. Thanks!