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.
Chapter 14:
"Aw, come on Lily," James pleaded, drawing stares from the few students who had decided for whatever reason not to go to Hogsmeade and were passing down the corridor at that time, "open the door. Can't we just talk?"
After the scene in Hogsmeade, Lily ran off back to the school with James closely following. She had the fact that she had got a head start on him to help her, but she knew she couldn't continue to out run him for long. The boy was fast.
So, being the ever clever girl she is, she locked herself in the first empty classroom that she had came too, sealing the door shut against him with every powerful locking charm she knew. She also knew, though, that if he wanted to, he couldn't easily break the charms.
"Lily…," James pleaded, leaning his head against the door and closing his eyes. "Please open the door so we can talk about this like civilized adults."
"Go away!" she shouted from behind the closed doors. "I don't want to talk to you, not now, not ever!" She lied, she did want to talk to him. She wanted to do more than just talk to him actually but she forced herself to not bend to the temptation.
"Lily…," James said softly, his voice breaking a little, "…I'm sorry."
That almost broke her. The barrier between them gave her a little added strength, though, to remain strong and away from him. "There is nothing to talk about!"
"Then why are you so upset!" James cried out in frustration.
The door suddenly swung open with enough force that James nearly fell but he stumbled and caught his balance. Lily stood there, her face an odd color of red that matched her hair well, and her emerald eyes flashing dangerously.
"I am upset," she said as she walked dangerously towards him, "because you claimed to fancy me." She jabbed a finger at his chest causing him to stumble backwards. "I am upset because you refused to talk to me after I kissed Sirius."
By now she had him backed against the wall and was yelling at him. "I am upset because you were kissing Hermione!"
James stared down into her anger filled eyes. Suddenly it all hit him and a small smile started to spread slowly across his face. "So you fancy me then."
She growled in frustration and his chest with her fist as hard as she could but he didn't even flinch. "You are the most arrogant, conceited, male chauvinistic, dominating…"
"You forgot handsome, wonderful, and sexy," James said smugly. He caught her fists and pulled her against him, her face a breath from his. "Admit it, you fancy me."
"No! I could never fancy you. You are just…."
"The guy who you can't resist," James supplied, grinning stupidly.
That stupid grin plastered on his face only succeeding in making her more mad and she narrowed her eyes on him. "You are impossible, James Potter! To think that I would actually fancy you!"
James switched their positions, imprisoning her against the wall. "You, Lily Evans, are in denial."
Before she could refute, he brought his lips down to crush hers. The kiss as she gasped, his tongue seeking refuge in her mouth. Before she knew what she was doing, she was kissing him back with as much passion as him, her hands clinging to him.
He pulled back and smiled down at her. She could only stare back, afraid to speak and ruin the moment.
"I only kissed Hermione to make you jealous," James explained, placing a soft kiss on the tip of her nose. "You are, and always will be, the only girl for me. There will never be anyone else. Understand?"
Lily stared into his intense eyes filled with so much passion and knew he was not lying. She slowly nodded her head and his smiled widened.
"I love you, Lily Evans," he said sincerely, running a finger down her cheek. "I always have I think. You, with your fiery temper and beautiful eyes, had me from the first glance." He kissed her forehead and looked down into her eyes. "Please tell me that you feel the same way."
She smiled and ran her fingers through his hair, messing it up more. "Why do you think I go so upset?"
He kissed her then, smiling into the kiss and picked her up. Spinning her around and around, he whispered his love for her. He pulled her close to him and hugged her tightly, afraid to let go of her and let this moment slip away. "Be my girl?"
"Of course," she whispered, bringing his lips down to meet hers.
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Sirius tried to ponder what Hermione had just told him. "You don't know how long you'll be here?" he repeated slowly, his face a mask of confusion. Sirius watched her reaction closely as he asked this question and saw that it did not waver one bit.
"How do you not know?" he continued in an outraged voice when he saw that she had no intention of answering or elaborating on the point.
"I just don't," Hermione said simply, her eyes never leaving his.
"Come on Hermione, you can do better than that," Sirius said dryly. "After all, aren't they always telling you that your second only to Lily?"
"I'm sorry, but I can't," she said finally. "I don't even know how I got here."
Sirius looked at her now in general confusion. "What do you mean you don't know how you got here?" he asked incredulously. "You walked through the barrier then hopped onto the train. It's not that hard!"
"Actually it's more complicated than that," Hermione said between clenched teeth. You don't know me nor what I've been through so don't go making assumptions."
"I don't understand why you won't let me help you through whatever it is you're going through," Sirius said exasperatedly. "I want to know you; I want to help."
"But you can't!" she cried loudly, her voice breaking slightly. She ran her hands through her hair in an attempt to calm herself down. "Look, I don't want to fight with you. I have some problems that I need to work through before…."
"And I can help," Sirius interrupted. He walked over to her and took her hand up in his. "Hermione, I'm not going to let you push me away…not this time. I'm going to help you through whatever it is that you're going through. I'm not leaving you, not after I just got you."
Hermione felt her mouth turn up into a smile at his sweet words and fought back the tears. "I can't tell you, Sirius…not yet. I want to, really I do, but I can't."
Sirius softly kissed her. "I'm going to be right by your side the whole way," he whispered against her lips.
"Really?" Hermione asked, smiling against his lips. "You don't care that I'll have a secret that I'm keeping from you and not knowing when I'll tell you?"
"Well…," he said slowly, "I might care but I'm willing to be patient until you're ready to tell me. I want to make us work, Hermione, I really do."
"Me too," Hermione whispered honestly, "me too."
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Lily and James were cuddling on the couch when Sirius and Hermione entered the Gryffindor common room, holding hands, thirty minutes later. The two new couples looked at each other for a moment or two before bursting out laughing.
Sirius squeezed Hermione's hand as they walked over to where James and Lily were sitting. "Hey mate," Sirius greeted as they approached.
Sirius plopped himself down onto an empty chair, and without waiting for Hermione's permission, pulled her down onto his lap. She shifted a little as if to get up and move but his arms imprisoned her and would not allow her to bulge. He just smiled smugly when she sent him a glare over her shoulder.
"Hey," James said cheerfully, his eyes bright. He was smiling like an eager kid ready to open the biggest present on Christmas morning.
"So are you two together?" Sirius was the one to ask this.
James and Lily looked at each other and smiled. "Yeah. Are you two?" James answered.
Sirius looked into Hermione's eyes and knew that he wasn't going to let her go anytime soon. "Yeah," he said gently, his eyes never leaving her, "we are."
"Took you guys long enough," an agitated werewolf commented from the portrait hole and Remus stalked his way over to them.
"All the best things in life take time, Moony old friend," Sirius said happily.
"I can see that," Remus came over and took the only other available chair. He was not going to sit on the couch with the two love birds nor was he going to take his usual seat on the floor by the fire which was near the chair occupied by the other two lovebirds.
They sat for a while in silence before Remus said, "Have you guys seen Peter anywhere?"
Sirius and James looked around as if suddenly noticing his absence. Hermione bit her lip and couldn't help but wonder whether his treachery had already started.
"No," Sirius said with a grin, "he's probably out scurrying around."
"Maybe we should look for him," Lily suggested, the worry evident in her voice and Hermione looked at her. She knew that Lily didn't care much for the fourth Marauder, and it surprised her that she was the one to suggest it.
James and Sirius looked at each other, silently communicating between one another. "Naw," they said simultaneously with a shrug of their shoulders.
"But what if he's hurt?" the red head insisted.
"He's been in our classes, hun," James pointed out, hugging her shoulders.
"He's probably off at the library doing some homework," Sirius commented. "Either that or off trying to hook up with some random girl."
James' face lit up like the fourth of July and he sat up in his seat. "Hey Pads, do you notice anything wrong with this picture?" He grinned and kept looking over at a lonely Remus.
Sirius, totally oblivious, looked around. "Other than the fact that it's too quiet, no."
"Think harder," James insisted, nudging his head in Remus' direction.
It took Sirius a few more minutes to figure out what James' point was. "Oh," he said in sudden understanding, gleaming mischievously at the girlfriendless boy.
Remus looked from one mischievous face to another and sighed. "What now?"
"I wouldn't ask," Hermione commented, climbing off of Sirius' lap despite his protests and efforts to hold her down. "If there is one thing that I've learnt since coming here, it is to never question a Marauder."
"I'm going to bed. Goodnight," she whispered, leaning over to give Sirius a quick peck on the lips, but he caught a hold of her and deepened the kiss.
"Sweet dreams love," he whispered against her lips and watched her as she left the room.
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A/N: Happy New Year! Hope your 2006 will be better than mine… only 3 months and 25 days till I graduate! Anyways, remember to review and much love, Amaya.