AN: Hiya! I hope everyone is enjoying this holiday season! I'm currently fighting off a cold, courtesy of my niece. It's been a while bit here we are with another chapter!As always, please leave a review and let me know what you think! I'm up for any and all constructive criticism. Enjoy, loves!
Chapter 6
September 3, 1977
Her eyes widened as she saw James grab Peter by the collar and pin him to the wall with his wand at the smaller boys throat.
"James!" Hermione, Remus and Sirius all screamed. The two boys pulled their friend off of the Peter, the later sinking to the floor and wrapping his arms around his legs.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so fucking sorry," Peter kept whispering to himself, rocking back and forth.
"Let me go! I'll kill him! He got Lily murdered!" James bellowed.
Hermione quickly cast a silencing charm and a body bind on the infuriated Marauder. Remus and Sirius carried him to the sofa and gently laid him down while Hermione went to Peter.
She laid a hand on his shoulder and he jumped.
"Peter, you didn't do those things. That was a different man. A terrified man who was backed into a corner, not knowing what to do. You, you are a Marauder, surrounded by your loved ones and brothers. What you saw and heard will not happen again. You won't turn them over to Voldemort. You won't spend twelve years as a pet rat. I am here to change things. To make sure that doesn't happen," she softly told the shaking boy. He looked up at her with watery blue eyes. Suddenly his arms circled her in a tight hug.
"I don't want to betray my friends, Hermione. Please don't let me," he cried into her shoulder. She rubbed a hand up and down his back, comforting him.
She slowly stood up, pulling Peter up along with her before walking to the couch with a frozen James laying on it.
"Now, James Charlus Potter," she glared at him."You, will not be killing anyone tonight, especially not Peter. He has not done anything to you nor Lily. He has not betrayed anyone. He has been one of your best friends since you were eleven and will continue to be so. You will calm the fuck down. That man was terrified and forced to do that in the future. He will not be this time around, I'll make sure of it. Now, I'm going to cancel the silencing charm on you so we can have a conversation like adults," Hermione told him with her hands on her hips, reminiscent of the late Molly Weasley.
James was still red in the face when she cancelled the charm.
"Cancel the body bind as well, if you don't mind. I feel a cramp coming on and I hate Charlie Horses more than anything in the world. Well… except Voldemort and sauerkraut," he said with pleading eyes.
"Are you going to attack Peter?"
"No, I'm not going to attack Wormy. I'm sorry, mate. I just… I got so angry and couldn't control myself."
Hermione waved her wand at James, wordlessly cancelling the body bind.
"Fuck! Thank you!" he yelled, massaging his right calf, before jumping at Peter and hugging him.
"I'm so fucking sorry, mate" he told the still teary eyed Peter. The blond just hugged his friend back before they all sat on the sofa.
"Well, I'm sure you have your questions so, let me have it," Hermione said
All four boys were quiet at first before Sirius slowly raised his hand.
"Sirius, you don't need to raise your hand, just ask the question," Hermione huffed, crossing her arms.
"I was wearing Azkaban robes in your memory, why? What did I do?"
"Nothing. Absolutely nothing, although, I'm positive you were trying to do something. When you went to Godric's Hollow and found James and Lily you went after Wormtail. He was the secret keeper for the Potters. You chased him into a busy street where he cut off his finger and exploded the street beneath him before shifting into a rat and scurrying off. The blast killed thirteen muggles. You were blamed and sent to Azkaban without a trial. You were there for twelve years before breaking out in my third year,"
Peter whimpered and tucked himself further into the sofa.
"Why were we all at the shack in the first place?" Remus asked her.
"Well, as I said, Sirius broke out of Azkaban. He broke out because he saw a photograph in the Prophet of the Weasley family out on vacation. Wormtail had been hiding out at the Weasleys disguised as a pet rat and he was in the photo. Sirius escaped to kill Wormtail, thinking he was after Harry. Remus, you were teaching Defense that year, " she gave him a small smile, "You saw Wormtail's name on the Map an-"
"The map? The map?" James asked. Hermione chuckled a bit to herself.
"Yes, James. The Marauder's Map. Harry received it from two fellow mischief makers that year. Remus here confiscated it after Snape caught Harry with it, claiming it was from Zonkos. Harry also got the cloak for Christmas in our first year." James grinned ear to ear. "Anyways, after you saw his name, you followed us out to the Shack." Hermione finished.
"Bloody hell, kitten, twelve years? I was in prison for twelve fucking years? Fuck no. There is no way on this good, green Earth that I'm going to fucking Azkaban. Fuck that right up Salazar's arsehole," Sirius growled, he stood up and started pacing.
"You're right. You're not. I'm not going to let that happen. My past and your future will be completely different. There will be no betrayal for any of this to come to pass, I promise you. You four may not know me or care about what happens to me but I care so much for you. Harry deserves you all and you deserve so much better than that," Hermione said with determination in her voice and tears welling up in her eyes.
Sirius stopped and stared at her for a moment before gathering her up in a big hug and spun her around.
"You're wonderful, Hermione. Absolutely wonderful," he sat her back gently on her feet. "Now, let's push all of this doom and gloom to the back of our minds and pop in the kitchen for a spot of tea and something to munch on. I'm starving and pretty sure I'm going to wither away at any moment now," Sirius finished, his bottom lip jutting out and eyes wide like a puppy's.
As they all filed out of the Room of Requirement and made their way towards the kitchen James sidled up beside Hermione.
"So, you were pretty close to my future son, yeah?" he asked, a bit awkwardly.
"Yeah, why?" She asked, eyeing him a bit.
"We're y'all, ya know, like, together? Like, boyfriend and girlfriend?"
"Oh good Godric, no! Har-Harry and I were just friends. Best friends. He was like a brother to me. Although there were rumors started by a 'journalist' that we were together and then I broke his heart our fourth year. Complete rubbish. He did have a girlfriend though. They loved each other very much. He was awkwardly adorable about it and she gave him a run for his money. They were perfect for one another," Hermione smiled sadly at the thought of Harry and Ginny together.
James caught her look of sadness and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close.
"I'm sorry, Hermione. I know it must be hard for you. But, you're going to save him! My son. He's going to fine this time around. We're going to love him to bits and pieces!" James grinned at her, looking so much like the boy they were speaking of. Except for his eyes, those were Lily's.
"James, who is that?"
Speak of the devil. Hermione turned to see a head of long, fiery red hair followed by two other girls. This was Lily Evans. Her emerald green eyes were full of curiosity and we're eyeing Hermione up and down. She was beautiful, just as everyone had said. Long red hair, green eyes, a cute button nose and so many freckles.
"Lils, this here is Hermione Granger. She's in seventh and a Gryffindor," James said as Lily caught up to them, he let loose of Hermione to wrap an arm around Lily's waist and give her a kiss on her temple.
"Really? Why are we just now meeting you?" Lily asked with an eyebrow quirked.
"I- uh, I was with Madam Pomfrey. I had taken a nasty fall and was pretty banged up. She had me stay a few days to make sure my head and arm were all right," Hermione smiled at the curious girl. She had no doubt that Lily didn't believe her but she would tell her everything soon enough. It's not like she could ask James to keep Lily out of the loop.
Lily looked at her disbelievingly and glanced at her friends but thankfully left well enough alone.
"Okay. Why are you just starting here? Are you a transfer?"
"Actually, I was homeschooled until the end of last year. M-my parents were working with a memory potion that backfired and they… they forgot about me. I was erased from their lives. Professor Dumbledore was good friends with them and took me in. I was so distraught that he made sure it wasn't in the papers. I'll be finishing out my schooling here at Hogwarts," Hermione said, spewing the story that her and Dumbledore had fabricated.
Lily gasped and one of her hands covered her mouth.
"Oh, Merlin. I'm so sorry, Hermione. That's horrible. If there is anything I can do for you, you be sure to let me know, okay? I won't be in the Tower with you but if you can't reach me Alice here would be able to help you as well," Lily gestured to a short and curvy woman that had short brown hair and bright hazel eyes.
"Alice Brown, well, soon to be Longbottom, nice to meet you. Sorry about your parents, dear," she held a hand out for Hermione to shake.
Neville. Sweet Neville. Hermione could see him in the woman before her and she smiled sweetly at her. He had her cute little nose and dimples along with the same eye color.
"Hi, Alice, I'm Hermione. I promise I won't be too much trouble. I'm sure I'll get the hang of everything within a day or so," Hermione said shaking the girls hand.
"Oh, and this is Marlene McKinnon, she's a Ravenclaw and- shit, there she goes,"
Hermione watched the blond headed girl stalk passed her and stomped directly to Sirius, who was trying to hide behind one of the large tapestries along the corridor.
"Sirius Orion Black get your mangy arse over here! Now!" She screamed, smacking at the large lump behind the tapestry.
"Ow, shite! Stop!, McKinnon, stop! I'll come out!" Sirius' muffled yell came.
As the young man stepped from his hiding place an ink pot was thrown at his head.
"Fucking shite, McKinnon! Calm the fuck down! It was a fucking joke!"
"A joke?! You think scattering all of my panties and bras around the Great Hall was a fucking joke?! I'm going to kill you if it's the last thing I ever do, Black," Marlene hissed at him, leveling her wand between his grey eyes.
"Rictusempra," she muttered and walked away, giving Sirius the middle finger.
Sirius crumpled on the floor, half laughing, half crying from the tickling charm she cast on him.
"Pl-please, make i-it s-st-stop," he cried.
Everyone looked at one another before bursting out in laughter at Sirius.
"Nah, Pads, I think you should suffer just a teensy bit longer," James chuckled, twirling his wand between his fingers.
"F-fuc-uck yo-you, P-Pro-Prongs-s."
James grinned and shot a 'Finite' towards his best friend.
Sirius laid on his back, breathing heavily and staring at the high ceiling of the castle.
"Mate, can we go get some fucking food, please?"