DISCLAIMER: Deep in the jungle there lies a mountainous tree with millions upon millions of leaves. Every year, one leaf falls off. By the time the last leaf falls, I will still not own Harry Potter.

Summary: Through the barrier and into…a different time? Hermione finds herself in the Marauder's time. In a story of hate, lies, and hurt, Hermione finds something else….love.

A/N: The "a story of hate, lies, and hurt" part will come in later on and I think a bunch of you will be cussing me up one side and down another. But there is 1 very important thing that you MUST remember: THIS IS A SIRIUS AND HERMIONE STORY! Just keep repeating that in your head no matter what you read, k pumpkins?

A/N 2: I GOT MY ACT SCORES BACK! I DIDN'T FAIL!

Chapter 8:

When Hermione woke up the next morning to first signs of morning, it took her a couple of minutes to figure out where she was at. She still had trouble believing that she was in the past and with Harry's parents. Still, one question nagged at her: why was she here?

Whatever the reason, she could figure it out later, she thought as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Right now she had to get ready for a new day of school, one where she would be the new student on display for everyone to inspect. She had teachers to impress because technically, this would be the first time they met her.

She pulled back the maroon curtains slightly and saw that everyone was still asleep. She quietly slipped out of the bed and headed towards the trunk that now sat at the foot of her bed.

She opened the trunk and found school robes with the Gryffindor crest, cloaks, and all the books that she would need for her classes and then some. She also found a bag of galleons at the bottom of the trunk and silently thanked Dumbledore.

She grabbed a pair of robes off the top and went to the bathroom. She quickly showered and changed. She did not want to be late, even though in reality she was over an hour early.

She hurried from the bathroom and back to the dorm. Everyone was still asleep in their beds with their curtains pulled tightly shut. She sighed, some things never changed.

She decided to go on down to the common room and read awhile. She walked over to her trunk and withdrew some books, tucking them safely away in her bag. A book on animagus caught her eye and she picked it up also, holding it securely in her arms.

She rose and closed the lid as softly as she could. She didn't want to wake anyone up so she tiptoed to the door and went down the stairs.

No one was in the common room when she got down there. She smiled softly, remembering that she used to like to come down when the common room was deserted and curl up in her favorite chair to read. So, she did just that.

The fire burned red and yellow roses in the black basket of the grate, tickling her eyes as they danced. She smiled softly, her thoughts going back to all her yesterdays.

She opened the book on her lap and began to read, her thoughts losing way with each word on the page. Books had always provided an escape for her.

She wasn't down there very long when she heard footsteps coming down the stairs. She looked up from the sentence she was reading and found James watching her intently.

"Hello," she said to him, nodding her head slightly in acknowledgement.

"Hello," he returned, sending her a bright smile. He walked down the rest of the stairs and over to her. He perched himself on the arm of the chair she was sitting in and looked at the book in her hands questionably. "What are you reading so early in the morning?"

"Advanced Transfiguration: Animagus' and Metamorphamagus' and for your information, the morning is the best time to read. There's no pests bugging you while you're reading."

James laughed. "So I'm a pest now, am I?"

Hermione shrugged. "Your words, not mine. Besides, this is only some light reading."

"LIGHT!" James sputtered as he took in the size of the book. "You call that light?"

Hermione bristled under his gaze. "Yes," she defended her habits, "I confess that I am what some would call a bookworm."

James smirked at her and changed the topic. "Are you interested in becoming an animagus?"

Hermione smiled. "Maybe, it sounds fascinating."

"What do you think your animal form would be?"

"Hmm…," Hermione thought really hard about it. "I don't know, maybe a cat."

"A cat?" James laughed.

"Yeah, what about it?"

"You don't strike me as the cat type. More like, a cuddly otter."

"Funny you should say that," Hermione said thoughtfully.

"Why's that?"

"The otter is my patronous," she informed him.

"You can do a patronous?" James asked in awe.

"It's actually not that hard. My friend, Harry, taught me." At the mention of Harry's name, Hermione grew sad, thoughts of the past racing through her head.

"Hey now," James put an arm around her shoulder and lightly squeezed, "no long faces. Today is your first day. You have to be happy and excited and stuff."

"Sorry, I was just thinking," Hermione said, attempting to smile softly at him.

He smiled warmly at her. "Then let's think about what your animal form would be."

"I honestly don't think it would be an otter," she told him seriously.

"Me neither," James admitted. "You strike me as the kind of person that could easily be anything. How about…an owl?"

"Why an owl?"

"Because you seem really smart. But no, that wouldn't be the perfect animal."

"Then what is?"

James thought about it out loud. "Well, you're smart, but you hide a lot of stuff from the world. You would probable seek revenge but you seem like you would first think all the consequences and stuff out first. You're also loyal to those you love."

Hermione raised an eyebrow as she watched him name all her good points and bad points.

"I've got it!" he exclaimed after a bit, raising a finger in the air proudly. "A bookworm!"

Hermione shook her head as James laughed at his own joke. "See if I tell you any of my other secrets from now on."

James smirked, "I would have figured out that little secret eventually, Hermione, when we can't coax you from the library to eat, sleep, or go on any adventures."

"I don't spend all my time in the library," Hermione said quickly, defending herself.

James raised an eyebrow but did not say anything else. "Okay, maybe not a bookworm. How about….a hawk?"

"A hawk," Hermione repeated thoughtfully, nodding her head. "I like it."

"Then it's settled. You would be a hawk."

"You know, I probably won't be if I did become an animagus."

"Actually, you can kind of decide what you want to be," James informed her. "You just have to have that frame of mind."

Hermione smiled slyly at him. "And what would you know about that Mr. Potter?"

James looked like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "Er…nothing. I was… just…er….saying that….er…."

"What are you two doing?" A deep voice asked from the stairs.

James quickly removed his arm from around Hermione's shoulders and jumped from the arm of the chair. He stared at his angry friend. "Nothing Sirius. Just talking."

Sirius looked from James' guilty face to Hermione's innocent one then back to James'. "You were gone when I got up and usually you're never up this early," he said to James.

"Yeah, well….I couldn't sleep," James answered lamely. "I came down here and found Hermione. She looked like she could use some company.

Sirius still looked angry as he looked at James. Hermione couldn't figure out why Sirius was mad, and she certainly couldn't reason what possible reason he could be mad at James.

She decided quickly that her best option would be to change the subject. "I'm hungry," she spoke up, smiling softly at both boys. "Is breakfast being served yet?"

Sirius smiled warmly at her, walking across the room to her side. "I think so, but if not, I can get you something from the kitchens," he offered.

Hermione smiled at both of them. "Then, let's go get some breakfast."

"You two go," James said, "I'll wait for Remus and Peter."

Hermione frowned. "Are you sure James?

The messy-haired teen nodded. "Yeah, I'm not that hungry at the moment. Remus should be getting up pretty soon if he isn't already getting ready. We'll be down in a bit."

"Well…if you're sure…," Hermione said slowly, still frowning.

"I am," James said, smiling. "Go on and eat."

Hermione nodded and took the arm that Sirius offered her. She waved at James as her and Sirius exited the portrait hole and started the long trek to the Great Hall.

The silence between them was getting to Hermione. She needed conversation, anything to stop the raging silence between them. "Er, James and I were discussing what my animagus was," she offered, hoping he would say something.

"Really?" He looked down at her and grinned wolfishly. "And what do you think your animagus form would be?"

Hermione shrugged. "Not sure really. We narrowed it down to a hawk, but somehow that just doesn't seem right. I mean, it would be great to be a hawk, but that doesn't really seem like me." She looked up at him. "Does that make sense?"

"Perfect sense. Your animal form should reflect what's inside of you: your personality, your desires, your thoughts. You should be able to feel that animal inside of you, feel it trying to free itself. The animal is a part of you." He paused. "Does that make sense?"

She smiled and laughed a little. "Yes, actually, it did."

"If you want to become an animagus," Sirius said slowly, "maybe you should talk to McGonagall. She could help you."

Hermione watched him as he determinedly did not look at her. "Maybe I will…"

Sirius was saved from answering as they arrived at the Great Hall doors. "Breakfast is served, my lady," he said as he opened the door.

A/N: AHHH! I know, it took me a long time to update. But I have good news! This week is my Thanksgiving break so I will update by Friday at least. TWO UPDATES IN ONE WEEK! Lol…. Anyways…

Are you addicted to Fan Fiction? Well then, I have a site for you! Me and a few others decided to start a website for all those fan fiction addicts out there…well, actually it's a group called the FFAA or Fan Fiction Addicts Anonymous. Visit the website at www.ffaa. if that showed up…

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