Disclaimer: I do not own any Harry Potter related stuff, characters or anything else.

(A/N: I feel special today! I wrote 2 chapters, this one and one for Remus's Rue and Fiona's Fate, in one day! I feel gifted…. laughs Please Review!)

Hermione's Troubles:

Chapter Four:

Professors Snape and McGonagall stood in the doorway. Professor Snape had a look of twisted glee and surprise written on his sallow features. Professor McGonagall just looked shocked and rather horrified. Remus and Hermione snapped away instantly, looking at the two Professors in astonishment. Remus jumped to his feet.

"Please, this isn't what it seems." He said desperately to McGonagall. She looked at him coldly. "Minerva, please…" He begged. "Listen to me!" She just stared at him a cold glint in her eyes.

"Well, Remus." Snape's dark, greasy voice oiled into the conversation, "I had no idea you had such… interest… in Miss Granger's… life." He said silkily. Hermione blushed crimson. Remus looked at him, eyes blazing with fury.

"Please, Minerva, this isn't what it seems." He beseeched her. "Listen to me, please." Professor McGonagall finally appeared to have found her voice.

"You can be assured, Master Lupin," She said icily, "That the Headmaster will be informed of this." Severus looked like Christmas had come early. Minerva continued in her Scottish lilt. "I suggest you go to your chambers, now." She finished. "And Miss Granger, never have I seen such behavior from a student." She said in shock. "Five hundred points from Gryffindor." You could see this cost her, especially with Snape standing next to her, smiling maliciously.

"But, Professor, please," Hermione began, but Snape cut her off.

"Miss Granger, be quiet." Snape thundered. "Unless you would like even more points taken off Gryffindor, and I assure you, it won't be a hassle." Professor McGonagall threw him a venomous look. Hermione closed her mouth.

"Professor Lupin, I suggest you go to your quarters." McGonagall said icily. Everyone knew it was an order, not a suggestion. "Miss Granger, my office, immediately."

"Yes." Snape oozed. "Wouldn't want you following your dear Remus home, now, would we?" He asked the girl. Hermione glared at him, crimson.

"Shut it, Snivellus." Remus said in a voice of barely controlled fury. "You wouldn't want to be dangling up-side down showing the students your panties again now, would you?" He threatened, raising his wand. Snape sneered at him, anger contorting his face.

"Professor Snape, that was completely out of order!" McGonagall exclaimed. "Professor Lupin," she pronounced those two words so coldly Hermione wouldn't have been surprised to see mist coming out of her mouth, "your quarters, now." She commanded.

"Here's you book Miss Granger." He said mildly to Hermione, like nothing had happened. Then Remus gave Snape one last look of pure loathing, and strode from the room.

"Professor, I swear, nothing happened, it wasn't his fault, I-" Hermione pleaded, only to be cut off by Snape.

"Miss Granger, what ever did or did not happen in this room," he said snidely, "will be dealt with your Head of House and Professor Dumbledore. " Hermione bristled with the implications he was making. "Be assured, if you were in my House-" Hermione cut in on him.

"And I'm thankful I'm not!" She exclaimed.

"Miss Granger, don't make matters worse for yourself. Two hundred points from Gryffindor." Professor McGonagall looked like she wanted to hex him. "As I was saying, if you were in my House, you'd be expelled, and leaving right now."

"Severus, watch your tongue." Snape still looked as though Christmas had come early. "Miss Granger, follow me." Minerva said frostily. She strode out of the room, Hermione jumping up hurriedly to follow her.

"Have fun." Snape said menacingly as she brushed past him. She ignored it and caught up with Professor McGonagall, who staring determinedly straight ahead. They walked stonily to Professor Dumbledore's office. On the way there they passed Harry and Ron, who looked astonished to see Hermione apparently in trouble. Minerva gave the stone griffin the password, and they walked up the staircase and entered Dumbledore's office, which was unoccupied.

"Professor McGonagall, please." Hermione pleaded. "It really wasn't what looked like." She beseeched. "Please-"

"Silence." The elderly Professor looked at her sternly. "Miss Granger, what I saw in there astounded me. I never would have expected something like that, from you or Mr. Lupin." She said coldly, not even a glimmer of friendliness in her sharp eyes.

"But you didn't see anything!" Hermione exclaimed. "There was nothing for you to see!" She said angrily.

"Miss Granger," Professor McGonagall said frigidly, "What we saw was you and Professor Lupin, millimeters apart, about to-" She was incapable of finishing the sentence.

"About to WHAT?" Hermione exploded. "About to WHAT? You can't even finish the sentence!" She burst out uncharacteristically.

"MISS GRANGER!" Professor McGonagall thundered. "BE QUIET!" Hermione shut her mouth in shock. Professor McGonagall had almost never lost her temper.

"Minerva, calm down." A voice said behind them. "Miss Granger, Professor McGonagall, what is this about?" Dumbledore said quietly, seating himself at his desk. "Please explain." He folded his hands on his desk. "Sit." He offered, conjuring to chairs infront of him. They sat.

"Professor Dumbledore," Hermione began. One look from McGonagall silenced her.

"Professor Dumbledore," Minerva picked up, "Severus Snape and I made our way to Professor Lupin's office, as we had a message to give to him from you," Professor Dumbledore inclined his head in acknowledgement, "and on arriving the door was closed. I opened the door, and the first thing Severus and I encountered was Miss Granger and Professor Lupin." She stated.

"And what is it that they were doing that you see fit to send Remus to his room, take five hundred points from Gryffindor, by the way, I restored 150 of the points Professor Snape took, and drag Miss Granger into my office?" Hermione felt smug at the fact Snape had lost nearly all of the points he took from her House. Professor McGonagall faltered, and she took the advantage to jump in.

"She – er – Professor McGonagall -" Hermione corrected herself, seeing Dumbledore give her a stern look, "- thinks she walked in on us kissing!" She answered angrily. Dumbledore raised an eyebrow.

"Minerva, would you please step into my study for a moment?" He requested, rising and opening a door. "I wish to speak to Miss Granger privately for a few minutes." Professor McGonagall rose and walked through the door, closing it behind her. Dumbledore sat down again, looking carefully at Hermione over his half-moon spectacles. "Miss Granger, please explain, in your own words, what happened." He asked gravely. "What ever you say will not incriminate either you or Mr. Lupin further, I just want your version of events." He explained gently, seeing Hermione's reluctance.

"Well Professor, the truth is," She faltered wondering if she should tell him. She looked up into Dumbledore's wise blue eyes, and saw such a degree of trust in them that she knew she could say anything, and he would not repeat it. "The truth is, I do like Professor Lupin." She admitted, staring at the desk. "Do you want the long version, or the short version?" She asked.

"The full version, Miss Granger." He replied seriously.

"Well, I've liked Professor Lupin since around the end of my third year," she started, "and Harry and Ron only found out yesterday." She sighed. "They upset me this morning about it. We were in the library, and I ran off. I know this place…" She trailed off, not wanting to betray Remus's trust. Dumbledore nodded.

"I know, I gave Remus permission to create that space many years ago. I felt he needed it." Dumbledore said simply, solving the problem.

"Well, I was upset, and I ran in there. I collided with Professor Lupin as soon as I entered the little alcove space. He saw I was upset, so he sat down beside me on the window seat and kept me company. We were just talking. He mentioned how he'd found the place. I asked if anyone other than us had been in there, since he'd said none of the Marauders had known about it, and he said yes, one other person. I asked who, and he showed me the Ward memory, but only two people came up, me and him. I asked about the other person, and he said her name was Hermione, and that she was amazingly like me. He kept me company and cheered me up, then left. I hugged him just before he left, and he hugged me back." She admitted, blushing slightly. "Although I knew it was totally platonic and a cheering up thing." She added. "After he left I was thinking about him, me, the little space, and the other Hermione. Then I realized that there couldn't have been another Hermione if she didn't register on the Ward memory, no matter how much she was like me. There was no way he could have been lying, not the way he spoke of her. So we must have been the same person. I realized that and went to find the 1987 yearbook, hoping it would give me some clues. It wasn't in the Library, and someone told me that he had the book. So I went to his office to get the book."

"And what happened then? I gather we're near the point Professors McGonagall and Snape walked in?" Professor Dumbledore inquired.

"Yes. Well Professor Lupin said of course I could borrow the book. He fetched it, and went to ass it too me, and, and," She blushed crimson.

"And? Don't be embarrassed Miss Granger."

"Well, our fingers touched. It felt like a lightening bolt was running up my arm. We both pulled back, and the book fell to the desk. I was embarrassed, and I guess he was too. I finally looked up at him, and…" She trailed off.

"You don't have to explain that part." Dumbledore replied, smiling. "It's okay."

"Well, I looked at him, and, and, well, um, I looked at him, and then I sort of, sort of leant towards him." She blushed furiously, and looked at the desk in awkwardness. "Well, I leant towards him, we were only a few millimeters apart, I'm not quite sure why I did that all of a sudden." She said, looking down. "And he was just about to pull back, I could sense his muscles tensing to pull away, when the door flew open." She stated simply. Dumbledore nodded.

"And I guess that was what Minerva and Severus saw?" Dumbledore questioned gently. "And took it the wrong way?"

"Yes!" Hermione said gratefully. "Truly, he was about to pull away, I should never have let it happen in the first place, and they jumped to conclusions!" She said sharply. "I even have the book he was lending me!" She said, holding the book up.

"Well, Miss Granger, I understand completely. Now, I want you to look for the information you wanted."

"Now?"

"Yes." Hermione flipped open the book.

"Index, index…" She muttered. Dumbledore smiled to himself, twiddling his thumbs. "Ah, here!" She flipped the book open to a list of everyone in that seventh year. "Wow, there weren't very many students, I suppose that was because of Voldemort. Now, hmmm, here she is! It says, 'Hermione Granger'!" She announced incredulously.

"Go to the student page on her, if you please." Dumbledore instructed. "The number will be next to her name."

"Okay…" Her eyes scanned the page. "Page 371!" She said triumphantly, flicking through the pages. "Oh my gosh!" She whispered, seeing the photo of the 'Hermione.' It's me."

"Yes." Professor Dumbledore acknowledged. "You've found out. You traveled back to the past on the 14th of December, 2005." Hermione gasped.

"But, Professor, that's today." She said incredulously.

"I know." He said simply. "It's me who will send you back. It caused a time loop the very first time you went back. I don't know how it happened, but it will require me to send you back now. You will stay in the past for a month at least, although not that much time will pass here. Be warned, if you go back, nothing for you will ever be the same, especially concerning Professor Lupin. If you don't go back… well, it's just impossible, if I don't send you back… I'm not sure what will happen, but it won't be good. For all I know, the very universe could collapse." For some reason he smiled.

"Okay…" Hermione said in astonishment. "So you're sending me into the past, in a few minutes?"

"Yes. Right back to 1987. Be warned; do not say anything of the future. Tell my past self what happened, tell him the truth, and introduce yourself as Hermione Granger. In your caption, as you can see in the yearbook, it says 'She only stayed for a few months, but made many close friends.' Be careful Miss Granger, and I wish you luck. Remember, nothing of the future, and…" There was a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, "I seem to remember a very nice Hermione Granger from quite a few years ago. She made one Remus Lupin very happy. Remember, what ever he is now, an older man, your Professor, and so forth, in the past, he's none of that. Treat him as you would anyone else. You were special to him; I hope that remains when you return." He said warmly. "Good luck. Will you do this? It's you choice."

"Yes Professor. How long will I be gone from here?"

"A few weeks at the most. Don't worry. And here, for you expenses." He passed a bag of money to her.

"Thank you Professor. Okay, I'm ready." Hermione stated, squaring her shoulders. Professor Dumbledore lifted his wand in his long, thin fingers. Hermione stood in a cleared area of the room. Dumbledore raised his wand, pointed it at Hermione, and started chanting.

"Magic, Future, Present, Past.

Back in time this spell does cast.

To nineteen-eighty-seven go,

In the time of Christmas, friends and snow."

Hermione looked at her Headmaster in wonder. Why was he singing? Everyone knew spells weren't in normal English! Suddenly a jet of silver sparkles shot out of Dumbledore's wand, like glitter, covering Hermione in tiny bits of silver stuff. The jet of silver glitter kept coming out of Dumbledore's wand, the stream thickening. Soon there was so much falling glitter Hermione couldn't see a thing. Suddenly she was enveloped by pure, white light. In 2005, Professor Dumbledore stopped covering Hermione in silver sparkles, as she was no longer there.

(A/N: So, what do you think? I personally though this chapter was just a bit repetitive when Hermione had to relate what happened, but I couldn't think of another way to write it.)