Happy Sunday lovelies!
I was going to post this tomorrow, but I changed my mind. I really want to finish the next forty chapters (ish) aka the rest of part I by the end of the year, so hopefully my muse can keep up with me.
So, I may have taken the scene that was giving me grief a few months ago (I scrapped the whole chapter lol), and found the inspiration to re-purpose it as a flashback in this chapter. I truly hope you enjoy this chapter!
Please leave a review and let me know what you think ;)
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Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling, and only the story line and any OC's belong to me.
Flashback
Friday, September 23rd, 1977
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
"Dora, why are we here?" Xenophilius asked softly as Pandora slipped her hand into his pale hair and pressed her lips against his.
"Why would we want to be anywhere else?" The witch whispered tenderly as her lips ghosted over her boyfriend's. "Then we'd miss all the fun."
Meanwhile, a company of wix had particular, mischievous plans for the evening. Not a soul stirred: all of the ghosts were otherwise occupied, the students all tucked up inside of their dormitories, the Professors retired to their chambers, and the portraits slumbered peaceably.
"Remind me why we're doing this again?" Remus asked lowly as the Marauders crept through the darkness, cautiously ascending the staircase to Ravenclaw Tower.
"Just a spot of fun, Moony," James responded under his breath, his glasses glinting as they caught a sliver of light from one of the nearby windows. He was leading the charge, Remus and Draco inches behind him, and Sirius and Hermione brought up the rear (Peter was in the Infirmary overnight for a slight mishap during Care of Magical Creatures, nothing too serious but Pomfrey wished to be on the safe side).
"This doesn't have anything to do with the fact that you and Paws have some mysterious grievance with Smith?" Remus quirked a brow. "Aside from the fact that he's a wanker I mean."
"Don't know what you're insinuating, Moony," Draco said.
"Not my fault the bloke is too thick to understand that Hermione isn't interested." James shrugged as they reached the door with the famous bronze, eagle knocker. James glanced at Remus knowingly, "plus I'm not the one who's growled at him in the past."
"It was one time," Remus muttered.
"I highly doubt this is going to teach him a lesson, but I'm all for causing a bit of mischief," Sirius piped up, intensely examining the knocker, which appeared to be sleeping.
"You two are such children," Hermione scowled, folding her arms over her chest.
Draco was right beside her, and he leaned down to whisper in her ear, "not everything is about you, Hermione." There was a teasing wisp to his tone. Draco slipped his hands into his trouser pockets and straightened out. He inched closer to the door, tilting his head to the side as he observed Sirius poking the eagle's beak.
"Granted Smith is a prick, but it's a harmless prank that I'm sure the Claws will appreciate," Draco drawled languidly. "I made sure that the effects will only last twenty-four hours."
"What if they use it again?" Hermione asked.
"As long as it's after the twenty-four hour window they should be fine, the potion will be rendered useless around then and should dissipate."
Hermione snorted. A portrait a few feet away shifted in its frame, and the Marauders all froze. The man settled back into his plush, royal blue armchair, his monocle stuck to his cheek. They relaxed, but ceased their bickering and turned back to the endeavour at hand. This would all be moot if they couldn't even get inside.
It took an embarrassing amount of time to rouse the knocker, listen to its riddle, and subsequently solve it, but Sirius triumphed, and clamantly voiced the correct answer. They all winced and shot him dirty looks; thankfully they had not roused any of the portraits or alerted anyone of their presence. Sirius threw his hands in the air apologetically and stepped back to allow his fellow Marauders into the Common Room before him.
They stuttered to a halt when they found Pandora and Xenophilius, dishevelled, and heavily petting one another as they engaged in a fervent snog.
Draco did not allow the sight to deter him from his task: he shook himself out of his stupor, grabbed hold of Remus's wrist and dragged him left towards the winding staircase that led to boy's dormitories.
The Ravenclaw Common Room was airy and held an ethereal quality to it: the room was circular, bookshelves spanned from floor-to-ceiling interrupted only by the vast window open to the skies on the far side, and there was a skylight at the apex of the dome.
The furniture was arranged to follow the shape of the room, and there were plenty of personal window seats shoved randomly about—some several feet off the ground, as if you would be expected to levitate your way up to them—that allow you to observe the skies and grounds below.
"If you're wondering how the books don't get ruined during storms, they have all sorts of charms woven through them, not to mention that we can 'close' off the space if we so desire," Pandora said, eyes glossy as she pulled away from her boyfriend. Xenophilius's ears were bright red, and his face was hidden in Pandora's shoulder. "Also, you took your sweet time, I expected you lot here over an hour ago."
"Sorry to disrupt your schedule?" James asked uncertainly, scratching the back of his head.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Get on with it. It's a brilliant bit of potioneering," Pandora encouraged, she waved the Marauders off and went back to snogging Xenophilius. The wizard was stiff, uncomfortable with an audience. Pandora's crinkly, dirty blonde hair laid across the pair like a blanket.
Hermione opened her mouth to speak, but her lips clamped shut and she shook her head. Of course Pandora knows what we have planned.
Hermione marched off to the girl's dormitories on her lonesome, and made quick work of the task at hand. Her footsteps silenced.
Hermione wound around the spiral, stone staircase. She halted in front of a large oak door—it was ajar—and she slipped inside the room. She snuck past the circular beds with their sheer, periwinkle curtains that draped down from silver rings on the ceiling (the rings were centred over each bed). The curtains glittered in the dim light.
Hermione made it to the bathroom without incident. She flitted about, in search of any bottle that she could find.
Hermione withdrew a phial from her jacket pocket, the leather making a crinkling noise. She meticulously added a few midnight blue drops of Draco's creation into each bottle. She returned them to their homes.
The potion would turn their skin and hair an inky blue, and cause it to glitter and gleam as if they'd trapped the stars. Hermione thought it was genius, but unnecessary considering the motivations behind it.
Hermione repeated this procedure on every floor: a few fifth years caused a bit of a snag in her plan as they were huddled in a bed together, pouring over an expansive star chart that was nearly as big as all three of them combined. Hermione cast a Notice-Me-Not and hoped for the best. They were either so engrossed in their passionate discourse, or she was better at sneaking than she'd originally thought, but she was in and out in a smattering of minutes and they were none the wiser.
The Sixth years went off without a hitch. There was one girl that snored at an uncomfortably high pitch, and the hairs on the back of Hermione's neck stood at attention the whole time.
Hermione hesitated outside of the seventh year's dormitories; her hands flat against the closed door. Dorcas can be vindictive when she is ready, and Emmeline is quite creative…actually, she might be impressed and decide not to seek retribution.
Hermione's internal battle ended, she threw caution to the wind, and pushed the door open. She winced as it creaked painfully on the way.
In the centre of the room a string of glass dragonflies of various blue hues hung from the ceiling, the last one a couple inches off of the ground. There were nine round beds all arranged around the circumference of the room. On the far wall there was a large window with a cosy nook built into the wall.
Emmeline was curled up in the nook, a lilac knitted blanket—it matched her hair—tucked around her, her hands fisted underneath her chin. Her forehead was pressed against the window pane.
Hermione gazed around the room: posters littered the walls, paintings were hung about with reckless abandon. There was a cork board bursting with notes, sketches and mad scribbles. Books were piled high beside each bed.
Dorcas was hanging off her bed, fingers scraping the floor, a half-full abandoned teacup just within reach. Her sheets were tangled around her legs, and Hermione saw the exposed planes of her back. She was the only girl without curtains around her bed, the silver ring on the ceiling bare.
Good to know Dorcas sleeps in the nude, Hermione thought wryly. She hastily stepped past the girl and avoided knocking into her precariously arranged set of tomes.
Hermione wasted no time, she moved past the glinting, cold stare of the glass dragonflies, and around the corner of the room, and into the bathroom.
It was as if a hurricane had blown through: bottles of perfume lined one side of the vanity— no rhyme or reason to their order— phials and potions and products filled almost every inch of the counter, and they travelled onto the floor, wrapping around the tub.
This must be a disaster in the morning, Hermiome thought.
There was a blackboard above the bathtub, with a small lip at the bottom where several sticks of chalk lay. That must be the water resistant board and chalk Emmeline told me about, Hermione thought. If she wasn't in such a hurry, she would have paused to examine it further.
"If any of us has an idea whilst we're in the bathroom, then we can write it down. Some of the best ideas come during a relaxing bath," Emmeline said, shrugging as she admired the lightning bolt tattoo on Hermione's wrist. Delighted as it cracked and exploded underneath her fingers.
Hermione made a wild guess at which products the girls used often by how empty they were, and she added the concoction to as many as she could until she ran out.
Hermione didn't linger, and she nimbly avoided the landmine of items strewn around the room as she took her leave. She swore she heard muttering trailing after her as she passed through the doorway, but she dared not stop or turn around to find out.
Hermione found her boys exchanging pleasantries with Pandora—Xenophilius had retired for the night.
Sirius was seated beside the girl, a dainty teacup in hand. He blew on the piping hot liquid and took a petite sip.
"Took you bloody long enough," Draco said, hand raised to his mouth as if to stifle a yawn. He was leaning against a column beside Remus. There was a wicked glint in his eyes. Hermione shot a rude gesture in his direction.
"Whilst this is all very lovely, I suggest we make a swift exit—stage left," Hermione said, exasperatedly gesturing towards the door. They had tarried long enough as it is.
"You heard the lady, time to leave," Sirius sighed. He bestowed his teacup upon Pandora, and pressed a chaste kiss to her cheek before he stood. He dusted his hands off on his thighs, and dramatically combed his hair back with his fingers.
"You promise it will make me look like the night sky?" Pandora asked as the quintet made for the door. Sirius shot her a toothy grin, hand over his heart and nodded.
"I promise, Dora," Sirius swore, winking before he twirled on his heel and left the common room. One-by-one her boys left. Hermione was about to cross the threshold when Pandora's soft voice stopped her.
Hermione peered over her shoulder. Pandora's sharp eyes were roving up and down her person, as if searching for something.
"It's not your fault you know."
"I beg your pardon?" Hermione frowned, a stray curl falling into her face. Ice slipstreamed into her veins.
"Things were always meant to happen this way, you can't change it. You shouldn't blame yourself." The crystal clarity Pandora spoke with frightened Hermione, and her heart skipped a beat. Her palms were slick with sweat.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"I think you do. Either way, enjoy your time with them, don't waste it worrying about events beyond your control." The aura in the room was eerie, fraught with foreboding and frigid tension. Hermione blinked blankly, hand on her abdomen to steady herself.
Hermione stepped back, and her shoulder collided harshly with the doorjamb. Hermione winced, her eyes squeezed shut. She pried them open to take one more look at the serene creature before her.
Pandora was the picture of tranquility, every movement graceful as she drank Sirius's tea, her legs tucked up under her on the couch. Pandora's crimson nightgown was layers of thin material that floated around her, and gave the impression she was underwater yet simultaneously in the sky nestled on a fluffy cloud.
"Oh. I know you miss them, but fear not, brave, beautiful Hermione. You shall see them again."
Hermione's voice was hoarse when she croaked out, "them?"
"Your Knight, your lightning boy…all of them," Pandora said, her teacup cupped in her hands as she daintily rested it in her lap. She cocked her head to the side, keen eyes exploding with thick meaning.
A sharp gasp caught in Hermione's throat, and it sliced at her insides, her lungs burst and she stumbled out of the room.
The moment she was outside on the landing, air flooded her system, and she clutched at her chest. The boys had been waiting for her, and they all stared at her in concern.
"Are you okay?" Draco asked, flying to her side, hands on her shoulders.
"Fine," Hermione rasped. "I just—"
"Just?"
"It's nothing," Hermione insisted. She stared at the three boys left in front of her. "Where is James?"
"He headed back to the Head Dorms, said Lily's been overworking herself in preparation for your Ancient runes test in a few days. He wanted to make sure she goes to sleep at a reasonable time tonight," Sirius informed her, closing the distance, a hand on her cheek.
"Don't remind me," Remus groaned under his breath. He joined the others, and soon all three of her boys were worriedly hovering over her. Remus slipped his hand in between the others, and pressed the back of it to her forehead.
"You're all clammy," Remus said.
"I'm fine." Hermione shrugged them off, pushing past and heading for the staircase. A few portraits on the walls around them hissed at them to quiet down.
Hermione desperately wished to change the subject, so she did, "so who wants to bet that Lily and James are together before January."
The boys were silent for a few moments, falling quickly in step with her. They clearly didn't believe that she was fine, but they weren't going to press the matter.
"I disagree, it's not going to happen until after the Christmas hols," Remus said confidently, hands linked behind his head as he walked.
"And I respectfully disagree with you, Moony," Sirius chirped, pulling the Marauders Map out and burying his face in it as he checked for Prefects, Filch or Mrs. Norris. "Lily will finally succumb to James's charms soon."
"Who is to say Lily won't make the first move?" Draco wondered aloud. He briefly knocked Hermione's shoulder. She refused to look at him, but she subtly shook her head. She didn't wish to even think about her interaction with Pandora, much less talk about it; even with him.
Draco exhaled deeply through his nostrils. He was most assuredly going to ask about it when they were next alone, but for now he was going to drop it.
"So you're betting with us that they'll be together before January?" Sirius asked, throwing an arm around Draco's shoulders.
"No, I think Remus is right. Lily is going to make the first move, but not until after Christmas holidays."
"Ha! Well, it seems like we've reached an arrangement…oh! We should go visit Pete in the infirmary and ask him to be the tiebreaker!" Sirius exclaimed. Hermione winced at the pitch of his booming declaration as it rebounded throughout the vast space, echoing for eons.
"We should get back to our own tower," Remus said, he shook his head but he was smiling. He led the way to a moving staircase on their left. He paused on the landing in front of the open air, patiently waiting for the stone staircase to swing back in their direction.
"I agree with Remus," Hermione said. The staircase slid into place. Sirius slotted in behind her, arms looped loosely around her front and her shoulders; he forced her to slow her pace as they awkwardly descended the stairs. Hermione smirked and reached up to grab hold of his forearms.
"That is no fun."
"We should just make it a quick visit, plus I'm sure Peter will love the company," Draco stated, fiddling with his hair; he was ahead of them, having fallen in step with Remus.
"Fine, we'll go see, Peter…now maybe we shouldn't be so loud," Hermione admonished her boys in a harsh whisper.
By some miracle (and the liberal use of the Marauders Map) the quarter found themselves in the Hogwarts Infirmary without incident. Somewhere on the fourth floor, Sirius had offered to give Hermione a piggyback ride for the rest of their journey, and she had graciously accepted.
Peter's snores reverberated through the space; it was a whistling, nasally sound. The majority of the starch white, neat, single beds were empty, except for a few at the end of the row. Peter was occupying one of them, sheets furled around his limbs, his leg twitching in his slumber.
Sirius set Hermione down, and gently shook Peter awake. The boy bolted up—almost butting Sirius in the head, but he jumped back in the nick of time—eyes bulging, chest rising and falling heavily, his hands raised as if to strike someone. Hermione smiled softly at him, but wander over to the closest window.
Hermione gazed down at the dark grounds, eyes glazing over. She leaned against the stone surrounding the window, and a shiver prickled across her as she recalled the image of Pandora's repose. It unsettled her.
I guess there is some truth to the rumour that Pandora Lovegood is a Seer, Hermione mused. She pressed her fingertips against the glass, her hand splayed like a starfish. There was no other reasonable explanation for why the witch would have said the things she had. The warmth from her hand spread out across the pane's surface, fogging it up.
Soft footfalls alerted her of his presence just before the swirl of mint tickled her nostrils. "Are you sure you're okay?"
She nodded dully, "fine. It's nothing to worry about."
"Hermione." There was a warning to the deep, smooth voice, but there was also an anxious whiff braided through it.
"Draco. It—I'm fine."
Sirius, Remus, and Peter's faint chatter reached her ears, and she sagged against the wall with a feeble smile. If only things could stay like this forever, but alas, Pandora's comments had only served to remind her that they couldn't.
Sunday, December 4th, 1977
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Great Hall
The piece of bacon in Sirius's mouth dropped out and onto his plate as he gaped at the sight before him. Sirius harshly nudged Remus with his elbow. "Moony. Moony, they're holding hands."
Pockets of wix around the Great Hall had also noticed the pair that had strolled in moments ago, hand-in-hand. The whispering began, and the news spirited around the room.
"Yes, Padfoot. I have eyes, I can see that," Remus said sardonically, biting into his toast—the blackberry jam oozed onto the corner of his mouth, and he swiftly swiped it away with his tongue.
"Which means you owe me a few galleons," Sirius beamed, happily munching away at his bacon. Lily and James cautiously approached their fellow lions, silently slotting in beside Sirius. Hermione noted Lily blushed prettily when James bumped his shoulder against hers.
"Don't forget me!" Hermione chirped. Draco nudged her knee with his under the table, and she peered at him with raised eyebrows. The frown pressing his eyebrows into his eye sockets was a touch amusing. Draco was clearly grumpy, because that meant that he too owed the witch and wizard galleons.
Peter shook his head, cutting up his sausage as he loftily said, "this is why I didn't place a bet."
"Which is no fun," Sirius remarked. "You would have won as well from the way you were talking."
"Not worth the risk," Peter said, raising a brow as he carefully ate his sausage. They had seen more of him in the past month than they had the majority of the school year thus far, and Hermione found herself missing the mousy hair wizard.
"You bet on if we would get together or not?" Lily asked, stunned. The witch was absentmindedly piling food onto her plate with the assistance of Alice, who was watching her best friend in amusement from her other side. Frank was twirling some of Alice's short locks between his fingers.
"Not if, but when," Hermione corrected. Draco propped an elbow on Hermione's shoulder, and shot the pair across from him a playful glare.
"You cost me galleons, Evans," Draco complained, mouth twisted in bitterness. He hated losing. Hermione patted his thigh sympathetically under the table.
Remus huffed out a sigh from Hermione's left, he finished the last few bites of his toast before saying, "I swore you would hold out until at least after the Christmas Holidays," Remus said wistfully, fixing Lily with a pleased yet scolding stare.
"Agreed," Draco groaned.
"Well, I personally always had faith in you, Prongs," Sirius said proudly, joyously clapping his best mate on the back, before affectionately ruffling his hair.
"I feel betrayed," James grinned.
Lily dropped her head against his shoulder, hiding her face behind a curtain of hair, "you lot are mental."
"But you love us," Hermione sang, stealing a piece of Bacon from Draco's hand and taking a large bite.
"There's more right there, you do know that?" Draco grumbled.
"Not as fun," Hermione answered, hand held up in front of her mouth as she chewed.
Pinpricks rolled across her neck, and Hermione shifted her attention over her shoulder: she found Pandora staring at her. Riley was visiting the Ravenclaw table, and was running her hands through Pandora's locks, a merry expression skipping across her features.
Pandora's sharp, eagle-like gaze was fixed on Hermione as she listened to the Hufflepuff talk, nodding every so often. She is a peculiar witch, yet a stark contrast to Luna, and for some reason Hermione had originally imagined she would be similar to her daughter. She could not have been more wrong.
Hermione curtly nodded, and Pandora wistfully smiled. There was a bouquet of wildflowers on the table in front of Pandora, and Riley plucked a few up off the wooden surface and happily set about braiding them into Pandora's hair.
Hermione faced forwards, and moments later, one of their fellow lions made a vibrant entrance.
"Oi! Finally!" Kira exclaimed from the aisle.
The mocha skinned witch was unkempt: her tie crooked and tied hastily, her shirt untucked at the front, and one sock was higher than the other. She had been fast asleep when Hermione left the dorm that morning. Hermione waved her wand, and helped right her friend. Kira smiled appreciatively, her wild mane bobbing about as she did.
Lily's face was as red as a ripe tomato ready to be plucked from the vine. She busied herself by straightening James's shirt collar. Kira excitedly clapped her hands together at the sight. She skipped over to them, and bent down beside the couple, hands on her knees.
"Which one of you pulled your head out of your arse and made the first move?" Kira asked, blue eyes flashing with mirth.
"If it was Lily then I deserve some of my galleons back," Draco grumbled. Hermione rolled her eyes, itching the side of her nose. Draco really hated to lose.
"Wasn't part of the bet, mate," Hermione said. Draco shot her a dirty glare, and went back to his breakfast; his golden yolk from his sunny side up eggs spread across his plate as his knife pierced it.
Breakfast that morning was an uproarious affair: Sirius heavily teased Lily (she gave back as good as she got), James stole a kiss here and there which set everyone off into lively cheers, Kira dramatically eulogised on their journey to this point and how bright times were on the horizon, and Nancy proposed they raised their pumpkin juice to toast the new couple.
The only smear on Hermione's morning was the tormented, dark energy that emitted off of Severus Snape. Gloom clung to his angular features. He caught Hermione's eye for a second, and gifted her with a sullen sneer. She kept her face impassive, and didn't give him the satisfaction of a reaction.
"Things were always meant to happen this way, you can't change it. You shouldn't blame yourself." Pandora's words from a couple months ago echoed in Hermione's head. Hermione tuned back into her friends as Sirius exuberantly recalled one of the many occasions in which Lily had hexed him in the past.
"You deserved it," Lily shrugged, her arm looped through James's, her cheek resting against his bicep. She snuck a glance at James, who was already staring at her, and the pair exchanged a silent conversation which ended in Lily blushing furiously and turning to ask Alice about her morning.
Draco 'accidentally' brushed his finger against her earlobe, and a shudder ran through Hermione. She peered up at him. The unabashed joy she found there caused warmth to flood her system. She knew that this moment wouldn't last forever, but she was determined to enjoy it as much as she possibly could. Her time was limited, and she wasn't going to waste an ounce of it.