This one shot was written for the MAYhem challenge for the HMS Harmony Discord Server. It was originally posted on Archive of our Own on May 26th 2022.
PROMPT: Where James and Lily, and Harry and Hermione, are together in the same timeline.
Genderbent!Harry&Hermione (Fem!Harry, Male!Hermione), Time Travel
'Run! Run and protect Hermes!'
It was all that crossed Harriet's mind as she and her best friend ran through the Forbidden Forest. They had been watching the Whomping Willow from afar while waiting for the right opportunity to save her godfather Sirius with Buckbeak when they saw Professor Lupin transform into a werewolf. The sudden realization that the werewolf would run in their direction pushed her to yell at Hermes to run. She shouldn't have as the sound of her voice happened to be exactly what led the werewolf to run in their direction in the first place.
"Shit, shit, shit! This is bad!" Hermes moaned in fear.
"I know! Keep running!" she told him, looking back to see where Lupin was. She could not see him in the darkness of the forest but she could hear the barks of anger. He was close and Harriet knew it.
She suddenly let out a yelp of surprise as she tripped over a root. Hermes managed to turn around and catch her but, because of his momentum, ended up dragging them both to the ground. As Hermes fell back first on the dirt and Harriet landed in his chest, a sound of broken glass could be heard across the forest.
"Oh no! The Time-Turner!" he gasped as both quickly stood up. He quickly removed the thin gold necklace from his neck and held it up for Harriet to see. The glass of the small hourglass had cracked and the sand inside was slowly pouring out on the ground.
"Oh. That's bad." Harriet stated.
Hermes sent her a small glare at her useless comment. But, before he could say something, they heard the sound of a growl come from behind them, reminding them of the immediate danger they were in. Harriet abruptly turned around and found their transformed defence teacher standing right behind them, ready to pounce. Hermes looked over her shoulder and let out a gasp of horror, dropping the broken time-turner on the ground.
Just as the werewolf made to jump and attack the duo, the broken Time-Turner crashed on a small flat stone which was placed right between them. As Harriet closed her eyes and Hermes instinctively put himself in the way to shield her, the Time-Turner exploded. Lupin was sent flying away as Harriet and Hermes spun on themselves faster than tornadoes. The centrifugal force made them dizzy and, within seconds, the two collapsed, falling to the ground.
Harriet saw a stag walk in their direction. Before she could think more on the hallucination, she blacked-out, falling into the depth of unconsciousness.
The next thing Harriet saw was a flash of gold hovering over her. It made her think about the last time she had seen such a thing. It was right before waking up in the Hospital Wing after her confrontation with Quirrell. The memory was enough for her to realize she was in the same situation again and remind her of why exactly. With a gasp, she promptly woke up.
"Professor Dumbledore!" Harriet exclaimed as she saw the aged headmaster stand over her bed. "Where is Hermes? Is he fine? Is he alright? He didn't get him, did he?" he quickly asked him.
"I believe your friend is laying in the bed right next to yours, young Miss." Dumbledore answered before looking over her. Harriet followed his gaze and found Hermes in another bed just as the professor had described him. He was asleep.
"Is he...?"
"Your young friend is fine, yes."
Harriet turned back to look at Dumbledore. "He didn't bite him, did he?" she asked impatiently, afraid for her best friend.
"He? Bite him?" the headmaster repeated, frowning.
"Professor Lupin! He didn't bite him, did he?" she clarified before repeating her question.
"Professor... Lupin?" Dumbledore asked, sounding mighty confused, prompting Harriet to be confused in turn. She did not understand why Dumbledore would be confused in the first place.
"Yes, Professor Remus J. Lupin, our defence teacher? Ring any bell?" she said like she speaking to an especially young child. It was a strange way to act with Dumbledore, but Harriet barely had the patience to deal with the friendly old man's behaviour. Especially since she still didn't have her answer on Hermes's condition.
Dumbledore passed a hand in his beard. "Your friend is fine, young Miss. He was not injured when we took him in, and neither were you." he said, making Harriet sigh in relief. "However, I believe you have me at a disadvantage. I do not know your name or that of your companion."
"What...?" Harriet asked, confused. Dumbledore did not know her name? What?
"As for Mr. Lupin," the headmaster continued. "He is currently attending his Ancient Runes class. He is a seventh year Gryffindor student, not the Defence teacher."
Harriet blinked slowly. "What...?" she repeated like a broken record. How could Dumbledore not know her? How could Professor Lupin be a seventh year student? When she looked in the man's eyes for the sign of a joke, she found the usual twinkle but no familiarly. All of these hints were enough for the truth to suddenly hit her like a plane hitting a flock of bird mid-air. Hermes had a Time-Turner and it broke at their feet!
Feeling faint, she asked "P-Professor,... do you mind telling me the date?"
Understanding seemed to flash in the headmaster's eyes, as if he too had just resolved the riddle. "We are a week from the end of the school year. In the year 1978."
Harriet barely had time to ponder on that shocking truth when she suddenly heard Hermes's voice speak. "What?"
Harriet's head snapped in his direction just in time to see him sit up and rub his eyes, which were full of confusion. "Hermes!" she exclaimed in relief. She quickly jumped out of bed and moved to his bedside, Dumbledore following in curiosity. "How are you?" she asked him, only just refraining from throwing the covers aside to visibly ensure he was uninjured.
"A bit dizzy but good." he answered. "You?"
"Same." she said, giving him a small relieved smile.
Hermes also gave her a smile before turning to the headmaster. "What did you mean by 1978?"
"This is our current date." Dumbledore answered, looking at them with interested eyes.
Hermes visibly paled before turning to Harriet. "How did we end up in the year 1978?" he asked in horror, a hand in his short curly hair.
"It's the- your necklace, I think." she said, sending him a meaningful look. She didn't know whether owning a Time-Turner was legal or not. Hermes might have gotten a dispensation in 1993 but they certainly couldn't prove that in 1978.
"Of course! It was broken! But how could it send us years in the past when the limited range is twenty-four hours?"
"I don't know, Hermes." Harriet sighed, taking his hands in hers in a gesture of comfort. "You're more brilliant and know more about everything than me. What's your theory?" she said truthfully.
An embarrassed smile formed on his face at the praise. He squeezed her hands before letting out a sigh of his own. "I don't know, Harriet. I just don't know. No books I've ever read even approached the subject of what happens when one of them breaks." he said.
"If I may, I believe I might have a theory of my own." Dumbledore suddenly said, sitting down on Harriet's now empty bed. Said girl gave a small start. Despite having spoken to him less than a minute ago, the relief of seeing Hermes awake and well was enough to make her forget about the headmaster's presence.
"A theory, sir?" Hermes asked him, curious.
"Before I begin, the 'necklace' you are speaking of is a Time-Turner, right?"
"How did you know?" Harriet asked, shocked. Hermes rolled his eyes.
"We've been sent to the past. What else could it be?" he asked her.
"Right..." Harriet smiled sheepishly.
Dumbledore chuckled. "As said young Mister... Hermes, I believe?"
"Hermes Granger." he clarified.
"As said Mister Granger, your time travelling adventure was enough of a clue. But, I knew because the remains of the Time-Turner were found with you." he said, taking out Hermes's Time-Turner from one of his pockets and showing it to them.
"Can it be repaired?" Harriet asked.
"No." Dumbledore answered, truthfully. The duo looked at him in horror. "Thankfully, I believe it will be possible to send you back to your time."
"Really?" Hermes asked hopefully. "How? And when?"
"You are not the firsts to accidentally end up in a time period you do not belong in. Centuries ago, a ritual was invented to send someone back to their proper time. As for when, the ritual takes some time to prepare so I believe you will need to spend at least a week here before I can send you back."
"So a week. Got it." Harriet smiled as relief filled her body. She turned to look at Hermes who looked as relieved as she was. Harriet felt her heart beat faster when she saw his pink lips form a smile.
"What are we going to do in the meantime?" Hermes asked.
Harriet grinned. "Well, we have a week to spend in the 1970s. That sounds fun! I mean, we can explore a new time period by ourselves!"
Hermes grinned too. "It would be interesting to study the 1970s and see what are the differences between the 1990s and here." the ever studious boy said. But then his shoulders slumped. "We don't belong here, though. I don't think it's a good idea to go explore the world by ourselves."
"Unfortunately, you would be right, Mister Granger." Dumbledore said as Harriet let out a disappointed sigh. "However, it does not mean you should stay confined to the Hospital Wing for the reminder of your time here. Oh no! I suggest you go mix in with the student population and attend classes. It would allow you not to feel lonely and bored while ensuring you continue the magnificent privilege of learning something new every day." Harriet stifled a groan while Hermes perked up at the thought of more classes. Dumbledore chuckled. "I see you have different opinions on the matter. Amusing."
At his words, Hermes turned to give Harriet a small glare, making her smile sheepishly.
"Won't we need books and quills and ink and stuff for classes, though?" Harriet eventually asked. "We don't have money to buy any of it and I doubt it's worth it just for a week."
Hermes nodded in agreement and turned to look at Dumbledore, who hummed thoughtfully. Eventually, he said "I'm sure a solution can be arranged. Perhaps our Head students could help you by leaning you some of their spare materials. As for the books, we always keep a few spares for situations where students do not have access to their own copies." he said.
"We won't have to take exams, will we?" Harriet asked hopefully. "We were just done with ours when we arrived here!"
"No, you will not need to." Dumbledore said to the relief of the teenage girl. He then stood up. "Now, I believe the Head students will soon arrive. I already took the opportunity to prepare guest quarters for you. They were former quarters for married students but I ensure you there will be two rooms with two beds." he said, chuckling again when the young teenagers blushed furiously.
To distract herself from the thought of her and Hermes sharing the same bed, Harriet thought about the Head students. She wondered who were the Head Boy and Head Girl this year. It must be when her parents were in their seventh y-"
Her eyes suddenly widened in shock. "P-Professor!" she stuttered. "The Head students, are they James Potter and Lily Evans?" she asked. Hermes let out a gasp as he suddenly understood too.
"They are. I hope it will not be a problem, Miss Potter?" Dumbledore asked her with twinkling eyes.
"How did you- Nevermind." Harriet groaned. "People always say I look just like my mum, but with my dad's messy hair. I'm not surprised you know who I am." she grumbled. Dumbledore chuckled another time. Harriet spoke again, this time hesitant. "Professor... I'm not sure its a good idea for me to meet my parents. I don't think I could lie to them about who I am." she admitted. Hermes squeezed the hand he still held in understanding.
"If you speak true then yes, it could be a problem." Dumbledore nodded. "Alas, I believe it is already too late to hide the truth."
"What do you mean, Professor?" Hermes asked, confused.
"Mr. Potter was the one to find you in the Forbidden Forest last night." he explained. "He also found your broken Time-Turner. Along with young Miss Potter's physical appearance, I have no doubt he already thought of the possibility. And, since he is dating Miss Evans, the most curious witch I have ever met, I have no doubt she also know of the possibility. Miss Evans will never let go of a mystery, especially not one such as yours."
"So I don't have to hide it from them?" Harriet asked hopefully, ignoring Hermes' muttered "So that's where she gets it from".
"Are you sure it's a good idea, professor?" Hermes asked quietly. At Harriet's look of betrayal, he told her "Oh, Harriet! I know you want to meet then and speak to them! Anyone would in your situation! But I'm afraid it could affect the timeline! What if something we do mean you are never born? Or that Voldemort is never defeated?"
Harriet blanched. The repercussions of their visit on the timeline hadn't crossed her mind in the slightest. When she heard she would have the chance to interact with her parents, to talk to them, she immediately stuck on the idea, not thinking of what could happen. But now that she thought about it, she knew Hermes was right. After all, as far as she knew, her parents only started dating a few months prior relative to June 1978. The knowledge they would marry and have a child might reinforce their relationship but it could also ruin it. It could cause one of them to take their relationship for granted until it was too late to fix it. Or it might scare them. They hadn't even graduated, yet would learn they were going to be saddled with the responsibilities of marriage and raising a child by the end of the decade. He doubted she wouldn't feel some kind of fear if her future son or daughter appeared and told her their father was Hermes and that the two would marry in five to seven years.
Harriet suddenly blushed at the thought and looked away from Hermes. She could see it already, a boy looking just like him but with her green eyes or messy raven hair. She shook her head. No, she would not let herself be distracted.
"What should I do?" she eventually asked, looking at Dumbledore.
"Well, Mister Granger's concerns on the timeline are admirable, but unfounded." At Hermes' frown, he explained further. "You see, the timeline has a way of following its own relatively set path. In a way, time is very much like an infinite river crossing an infinite number of lakes. You can throw yourself in the river, throw objects in it or even spend time and effort reshaping the water current but, in the end, the river will always find a way to continue flowing its water through the many different lakes it encounters across its path."
Harriet's brow furrowed as she tried to decipher Professor Dumbledore's lesson. "So basically, what you're saying is that it's possible to affect the timeline but, no matter what, certain events are always bound to happen?"
"Exacty! Five points to Gryffindor!" Dumbledore exclaimed, smiling proudly.
Harriet was confused for a moment as to how Dumbledore knew her house. But she then looked down to her chest and realized she and Hermes still wore their Gryffindor school robes. When she looked up, it was to see Hermes looking proud of her, making her blush.
"So, does that mean my birth is a fixed point? That no matter what we do, I will still be born?" she eventually asked, looking back at the headmaster.
"I believe so." Dumbledore said with a nod. "All births are minor fixed points in time. While it is possible to stop someone's birth, it would take a lot of effort to do so. Believe me, Miss Potter. Sharing the truth with your parents will not be enough to stop it." he finished with a smile. Harriet let out a sigh of relief at his words.
"Now we just have to meet them." Hermes said. Just as his finished her sentence, knocks were heard at the entrance of the Hospital Wing.
"What a happy coincidence." Dumbledore muttered in amused amazement. He took out his wand and used it to unlock the doors.
Harriet felt frozen in her seat, her heart pounding like there was no tomorrow. She was about to meet her parents! Next to her, Hermes grabbed one of her hands again and held it in comfort, prompting her to squeeze it in thanks.
The doors of the Hospital Wing opened and an older clone of Harriet with red hair entered, followed by a dark haired boy with a chiselled jaw. They were Lily and James Potter. Her parents! The two were looking at each other, talking quietly. They had not noticed their presences yet.
"Ah, Miss Evans, Mr. Potter! Come in!" Dumbledore exclaimed jovially. At his words, the two Head students turned to look in their direction. Harriet's mother immediately let out a soft gasp the moment her eyes found his'.
"My lord, James!" Lily exclaimed as they moved to them. "I think you were right. She look just like me but…"
"She has my hair." Harriet's father completed with the grin of someone who couldn't be happier. "Are you still denying my theory, now?" he asked cheekily.
Lily ignored her boyfriend in favour of Harriet. She moved just to stand in front of her and gently put her hands on her cheeks, looking at her straight in the eyes. Harriet let her.
"You're our daughter from the future, aren't you?" she asked softly.
Harriet wasn't surprised she already knew the truth. It wasn't that Dumbledore already warned her it could be the case, but simply because she didn't feel like she could be surprised right now. The fact that her mother was alive and well and standing just in front of her left little else for her to think about.
"Y-Yeah. Yeah I am." she nodded emotionally. And, despite not being a physically emotional person, Harriet immediately hugged her. If Lily was surprised, she didn't show it and simply hugged her back. And, for the first time since she was a baby, Harriet was able to enjoy the warmth of a maternal hug. She felt tears form in the corners of her eyes as she embraced her mum.
"Something terrible has happened to you, didn't it?" Lily asked softly in her ear.
This time, Harriet was surprised. "How did you know?" she asked, looking back at her mother's face.
"Lily always had a knack at figuring out that sort of stuff. Sometimes I think she's a seer. Or a secret Legilimens." James joked.
Harriet turned to look at him. Her eyes widened. So focused on her mother had she been that, while she was consciously aware her father was with them, it hadn't truly hit her until now. "Dad!" she exclaimed, jumping to her feet to give him a hug of his own. James was surprised for a moment but quickly brought his arms around her and gave Harriet pats in the back.
While it was as warm and loving as Lily's embrace, James' hug felt a bit more awkward. Unlike Lily's, who was very much that of a mother with her child, James' embrace felt like that of an older student. It was a reminder that this James and Lily were two seventh-year students about to graduate, not the parents who birthed and raised her until their deaths.
Harriet only hugged her father for half as long as she did her mother. Seconds later, she had already let go of him and was sitting back down next to Hermes, who grabbed her hand again and gave him a warm smile.
"What is your name, my dear?" Lily asked her.
"Harriet." she answered. "Harriet Lily Potter."
"That's a sweet name." she said with a soft smile.
"I like it. Especially the 'Lily Potter' part." James grinned. Lily blushed, making their future daughter smile at the exchange.
Still basking in the warmth left by her parents' hugs, Harriet almost didn't hear Dumbledore suggest to James and Lily to lead the time travellers to their rooms. Still holding hands, Harriet and Hermes stood up and followed after her parents as they exited the Hospital Wing.
As they made their way to an upper floor, Lily turned around and looked at Hermes, asking "Are you Harriet's friend?"
"My best friend!" Harriet exclaimed, giving a grin to him, who blushed.
"I see..." Lily hummed, sharing a knowing look to James.
James frowned slightly. "Aren't they too young for that?" he asked his girlfriend quietly, for a moment sounding protective.
Lily rolled her eyes. "Aren't you the one who tried to ask me out when we were eleven?" she asked him. James smiled sheepishly.
"Touché." he chuckled.
"Wait, wait, wait! What are you talking about?" Harriet asked, feeling at a lost.
"The fact you and Hermes are dating." Lily answered, like it was obvious.
Hermes choked on his own spit while Harriet blushed furiously. "We- We aren't dating!" she exclaimed.
"Really?" her mother asked, surprised. "I mean – you haven't stopped holding hands since you were in the Hospital Wing."
Harriet and Hermes looked down at their joined hands. They immediately let go of each other and Harriet brought her hand to her neck, which she rubbed in her embarrassment.
James chuckled again. "I think I know what's going on, Lils. They are O-B-L-I-V-I-O-U-S – obli-vi-ous!" he sang, making his girlfriend snort.
"Dad...!" Harriet whined, her face burning more than ever.
"Stop embarrassing them, James." Lily said. Despite her tone of warning, it was obvious in her face that she was enjoying it as much as he did.
"Me? You're the one who started it!" James returned with mock offence.
As the older teenagers bickered, Harriet could not help but put some serious thought on Hermes. She wondered whether or not her mother and father were right – if they had seen something between her and Hermes that they were missing because they were oblivious to the truth. No matter what, she could not deny that not holding his hand brought a strange sense of loss. And that wasn't even mentioning how she felt at the thought of having a child with him earlier in the Hospital Wing.
James and Lily were still bickering by the time they arrived at their destination. Hermes, who had stayed silent since Lily and James' accusations, asked "Is that where we will stay?"
"Yes!" Lily said, turning to look at the painting of a strange witch stirring two cauldrons at once. "What's the password again?" she asked to herself.
"Explorasus!" James immediately answered.
The strange witch in the painting gave a nod and moved out of the way, unveiling a door. James opened it, revealing a parlour with three doors, two on their right and one at the back of the room.
"Home sweet home! Or at least it will be yours for the following week." James said, entering without preamble. Lily, Harriet and Hermes followed after. "If I'm correct, the door at the back is the bathroom while the doors on the right are the bedrooms. One for each of you!" he said sternly, turning to look at Hermes. "I trust I won't find you in my daughter's bed, will I?"
"Dad!" Harriet exclaimed in horrified embarrassment as Hermes blushed furiously. "Hermes would never do such a thing without consent!"
"James, I think you can wait a few years before becoming an overprotective father." Lily said, rolling her eyes.
"They're thirteen, and I know very well how boys think at that age." he huffed.
"James, not everyone is like you, you know? You're kind of unique." Lily said. Harriet almost let out a giggle when she saw her dad's chest swell in pride.
"Oh yes, I know that. I'm one of a kind!" he said, grinning. This time, Harriet did giggle, something that made the other three share smiles.
After sharing last hugs with her parents, the two Head students left to attend their next class, leaving Harriet and Hermes alone in their quarters.
"We should go to the library to study for tomorrow classes!" Hermes eventually said with the usual cheerful voice he used whenever he thought of studying.
"Do we have to?" Harriet groaned.
Hermes rolled his eyes. "Ron has clearly been rubbing off on you. I remember you being more studious in the past."
"Don't you meant the future?" she asked cheekily.
"You know what I mean." Hermes said, rolling his eyes once more.
Harriet sighed. "Alright, let's go to the library." she said. Hermes beamed, grabbed her hand and immediately dragged them out of the room.
While the boy had forgotten about her parents' comments, Harriet hadn't and her hand in Hermes' made her think about them once more. With the way her heart was beating wildly, she was starting to wonder whether or not she truly had feelings for Hermes Granger or not. One thing was true though: Harriet liked very much to hold his hand. Hers fit perfectly in his'.
The duo spent a productive day at the library. Or, rather, Hermes spent a productive day. Harriet tried very hard to keep up but the mental exhaustion only a teenager could reach at the end of a long school year prevented her from focusing long on any text Hermes placed in front of her. By the end of the day, as they returned to the guest quarters, Hermes was beaming while Harriet was exhausted.
As they entered the room, they found Professor Dumbledore patiently sitting on one of the two couches in the room, twiddling his thumbs.
"Ah, Mister Granger, Miss Potter!" he exclaimed jovially, standing up to join them when he saw them enter the room.
"Professor? What are you doing here?" Hermes asked with surprise as he dropped the book he had rented from the library on a nearby table.
"I came to tell you I have organized your classes for this week." he answered. A hand reached for the inside of his robes and Dumbledore took out two sheets of parchment. He gave one to each of them.
Harriet grabbed one and took a look at it. It was a schedule for the week. As it was Monday evening already, only Tuesday to Friday were filled. She found that the schedule was relatively empty, leaving them with plenty of free time. They only had to attend the essential classes. No electives.
"What about books and materials?" she asked as Hermes looked at the schedule like he wanted to memorize it.
"Each professor will lean you books in class. As for ink and parchment, one of our house-elves will come deliver them to you this evening – along with spare clothing." he added.
Hermes let out a disappointing sigh. "I wish we had the books now so we could study ahead to make sure we wouldn't be loss in class." he said.
"Please don't." Harriet immediately told the headmaster before he could suggest to bring them here now. Dumbledore simply chuckled and, after wishing them a good evening, departed, leaving them alone.
Despite being forced to attend classes by her best friend and the headmaster, Harriet couldn't help but see her trip to the past as some sort of vacation. She loved being here in the 70s, thanks mostly to the presence of her parents.
James and Lily loved spending time with their future daughter and her best friend and visited them at least once every day, usually in the evening after classes. They would spend an hour or two with the time travellers before leaving for their own rooms. They used that time well, learning as much about them as they could.
However, despite Harriet and Hermes trying their best to hide it, James and Lily quickly figured out that Harriet's childhood was not a happy one thanks to the odd comment here and there about Harriet's life. Before long, the couple theorized they died in Harriet's early childhood, leaving her to be raised by someone who did not show her love or care. While they had not many pieces of evidence to back that belief up, it was the theory they felt was the closest to reality. Being the most curious witch of her age, Lily refused to let the mystery go – and neither did James. Not only did they want to know what happened to them but they wanted to prevent it to ensure Harriet grew up happy and loved.
While James and Lily tried to figure out what happened in the future, Harriet and Hermes were getting cozier and cozier with each other every day. While she only suspected it at the beginning of the week, by the time the weekend arrived, Harriet knew it. She was in love with Hermes Granger, her best friend.
Unfortunately, she had no way of knowing whether or not her feelings were reciprocated. She attempted to leave hints by giving him hugs and even kisses on the cheeks before they went to sleep but she had a feeling the bloke did not catch a single one of them. Eventually, she gave up and, for the first time in her life, willingly decided to ask for help.
"Mum? Can I talk to you in private, please?" she timidly asked to Lily on Friday evening. Lily, who had been talking with James and Hermes about something unimportant, nodded and stood up. She followed her daughter as Harriet led her toward her room.
"What is it, honey?" Lily asked kindly.
"Uh – I need your help." she said with a small blush, rubbing the back of her neck in embarrassment.
Lily let out a knowing hum. "Is this about Hermes?" she asked with a smile. Harriet blushed even more and looked down. "Oh, honey. You don't need to be embarrassed." she said with a quiet chuckle, bringing an arm around her black-haired daughter's shoulders.
As she leaned in Lily's warmth, Harriet said "I... I think I love him, Mum. I want him to ask me out but I don't know how. I tried giving him hints but I don't think he's catching on..."
This time, Lily did chuckle aloud. "Harriet, Hermes is a fourteen-year-old boy. I don't think he is capable of catching on yet. Not only that but, from what I've got to learn about him, I don't think he would ask you out even if he did know you liked him." At Harriet's look of despair, she quickly corrected herself. "Not because he wouldn't be interested! But because he would be afraid to ruin your friendship by making things awkward if you were to refuse."
"Then what should I do?"
"You need to take the initiative! Show him in a way he can't fail to understand that you love him and want to date him." Lily told her daughter.
A glint appeared in Harriet's eyes. "Okay. I will show him." she said, suddenly sounding confident and sure.
Lily only had time to blink before she saw Harriet turn around, open the door of the bedroom and storm where the boys were. "Wait, now?" she asked before following behind.
As she arrived to the others, Lily saw Harriet go stand straight in front of Hermes with the face of someone on a mission. When the boy looked up from his book in confusion, Harriet did not give him any time to react. She put her hands on his cheeks and brought his face to hers. She kissed him.
Lily found it amusing and cute how Hermes' eyes blew wide open in shock before, slowly but surely, they closed down in pleasure as he kissed Harriet back. What she found even funnier was James' expression. His jaw had fallen as he looked at the new couple in utter shock.
"Wha-?... What?" he stuttered.
"Leave them be, James." Lily warned, moving to sit next to him. "They're clearly enjoying it."
James sighed. "Well, I suppose it's all that matters. Doesn't mean I have to like seeing it." he muttered.
"Then don't look." Harriet told him as she stopped kissing her best friend. Her eyes did not stray for Hermes', however, as she mentally pleaded him to ask her out. Thankfully, she did not have to wait.
"Do – uh – do you want to be my girlfriend?" Hermes asked somewhat clumsily. Harriet didn't care though. Grinning, she said "Yes!" and kissed him again, to Lily's delight and James' discomfort.
With her and Hermes now being a couple, Harriet discovered in the following days that she was a very good at distracting him from his studies. She didn't to it often but, when she believed Hermes spent too much time working and needed a break, she would walk up to him, sit in his lap and kiss him. Hermes tried to pretend it was annoying but Harriet knew he loved it – and so did she.
On Sunday evening, the day before the time travellers were due to return to the future, Lily decided to organize a picnic for them outside. After James went to the kitchen to grab food, the two couples walked out of the castle. With a clear blue sky and a comfortable temperature, the weather was perfect for such a moment.
Once they were sitting down and the four students had taken a few bites of their meal, James suddenly asked "Harriet, are you playing Quidditch?"
Lily started laughing. "Can't believe it took you a week before asking about it!" she said.
Harriet was about to answer when she suddenly had an idea. Lily must have noticed something because she sent her an amused smile. "Quidditch? Berk! It's a barbaric sport! I would never play it!" Harriet exclaimed, pretending to be disgusted. She almost burst out laughing at James' distraught expression.
Slowly, he gathered himself up and cleared his throat. "Well, I quite like it myself but if you don't, then its okay. I still love you." he said quietly, looking down in his lap. It was too much and, this time, Harriet did burst out laughing, quickly followed by Hermes and Lily.
"Oh James, you should see your face!" his girlfriend laughed as James slowly realized the truth.
"Wait, wait, wait! You mean she play Quidditch?" he asked, turning to Hermes who nodded.
"She's been the Gryffindor Seeker ever since Professor McGonagall saw her fly on a broom in our first year."
James turned to Harriet. "You pranked me!" he accused.
"Well what did you expect? I'm your daughter!" she laughed.
James stayed silent for a moment. Just as Harriet began to wonder if he was angry, he shot to his feet, grabbed her in his arms and started swinging her around in circles.
"My daughter is a prankster and Quidditch player! She's all grown up!" he exclaimed delightfully.
"DAD, PUT ME DOWN! DAD!" Harriet shrieked as her father continued to spin her around, her face red in embarrassment as the others continued laughing.
"What's in it for me-eee?" James sang.
"I-I'm n-not going t-to b-barf on y-you?" she stuttered, gulping.
James immediately stopped and put her down on her feet, suddenly feeling like an idiot. When her feet touched the ground, Harriet listed, looking like she was going to fall over at any moment. "Shit, Harriet! Are you okay? I didn't think-"
Unfortunately, James realized too late that Harriet was not actually going to be sick. It was all a ruse. When her father least expected it, she tackled him and held him by the legs as both came crashing down on the ground. She quickly used the opportunity to sit over his chest to make sure he wouldn't stand back up.
"There you go! You stay there and stop swinging me!" she ordered with a grin. James pouted as he playfully glared at his daughter. Said girl looked back to her mother and boyfriend and winked at them.
"That's what happens when you annoy Harriet. Ron and I learned a long time ago not to do so." Hermes said, shaking in head in fondness.
"The Great James Potter, down at last!" Lily laughed, her own face red.
"Oh, you think I'm down, Lily-flower?" James asked. Harriet suddenly felt fingers on her ribs near her armpits. She only had a moment to understand the magnitude of her mistake before her dad acted.
He tickled her.
Harriet fell back first on the ground. "N-No, D-Dad! S-Stop!" she laughed as she tried to move his hands away.
"Not until you admit I'm the best!"
"N-Nev-ver!" she exclaimed. James only tickled her harder. "M-Mum! H-Herm-mes! H-Help!" she cried in laughter.
"Should we help them?" Lily asked in amusement to her daughter's boyfriend.
"I'm tempted to say no because Harriet put herself in that situation but we're dating now and I don't want to look like a bad boyfriend."
She chuckled. Then, she let out a loud whistle. "Alright, James, I think you can stop!" she said.
"Yeah, leave your hands off my girlfriend!" Hermes added playfully.
"She's my daughter, I'll put my hands wherever I want!" he exclaimed before stilling. "Wait, that sounded wrong! Hey, stop laughing! That's not what I meant and you know it!" he pleaded as the others laughed and mocked him for his mistake.
"I want to make a joke about it but it would just be disgusting." Harriet said with a pant as she sat back down next to Hermes.
"Right. Let's forget I ever said that! Got it?"
Lily snorted. "Sorry, James. I love you but you're never living that down." she told him with a grin, making him groan.
The following morning, Harriet woke up feeling a terrible sense of dread. Today, the students were taking the Hogwarts Express back home. Today, Professor Dumbledore was sending them back to the 1990s. Suddenly, she felt tears form in her eyes as she realized she would never see her parents after today. By the time she would go back to sleep tonight, her parents would be dead and buried six feet underground. She would never see them again.
She was softly crying in her pillow when she heard someone knock on her door. "Come in." she whined. She did not look up to see who it was. Eventually, a soft hand passed in her hair. "Harriet?" came Hermes' comforting voice.
"I'm leaving them." she muttered. "I'll never see them again." Another sob of grief escaped her lips at the words.
"Oh, Harriet." Hermes said sadly. He took her in his arms and let her cry in his shoulder.
"I know we've only been with them for a week but I don't want to leave them. I love them so much! I want my Mum and Dad!" she cried harder, sobbing in his shoulder.
Hermes felt his heart break. He knew never seeing James and Lily again would be like losing them all over again for their daughter. It would create a scar that might not heal for years and years – if at all. He didn't want the girl he loved to be broken by their separation, but he did not know how to fix it.
In silence, the young couple changed to the clothes they were wearing on the day of the arrival in their rooms. Then, they made their way to the Great Hall for breakfast where they found James and Lily. The other couple was also grim, knowing it was the day Harriet and Hermes would go back home.
As they ate in silence, bathing in the presence of the other couple, they were visited by Dumbledore. "I've organized for the... you know what."
"When?" Harriet quietly asked, not in the mood to speak more.
"In my office in one hour. The password is 'Pine'." the headmaster said. Harriet and Hermes nodded.
At the end of breakfast, the two couples stood up and walked together to the headmaster's office. As they arrived, Harriet suddenly spoke. "The train is leaving soon..." she said, trailing off. "You should go before its too late."
Lily put her hands on her shoulders. When Harriet looked up, it was to see tears rolling down her mother's cheeks. "Doesn't matter." she simply said. "You're more important." Next to her, James nodded in acknowledgement.
Harriet gave them a small smile. "Thanks." she said, happy that her parents would see her off to the future.
After giving the password, they entered the office to find it empty of any furniture. Instead, a white runic circle was traced on the ground. "Perfect timing!" Dumbledore exclaimed cheerfully with a clap of the hands, either blind or simply not caring about the grim mood of his audience. "The ritual is now ready to send Mister Granger and Miss Potter back to the year 1994. Are you ready to return home?" he asked to the two younger teenagers.
"C-Can I say goodbye, first?" Harriet asked, her own cheeks wet with tears. Dumbledore nodded. Harriet turned to her father first and hugged him with all her strength. "I love you dad, I'll miss you so much!" she sobbed, not caring how her words could be interpreted. She so wanted to tell him about Pettigrew's betrayal to ensure they would survive but she knew she couldn't or she could risk the future.
"I'll miss you too, baby girl." James said softly, kissing her on the forehead. This time, the hug he gave her held no awkwardness. It was simply full of warmth and love.
Harriet then moved to Lily and also hugged her with all of her might, something Lily reciprocated.
As Harriet shared her own words with Lily and enjoyed her maternal warmth one last time, James and Hermes shared their own goodbyes.
"Take care of my daughter, will you?" James asked to Hermes, who nodded.
"I will. Always" he answered truthfully, making the young man smile.
As they shared a one-harmed hug, Hermes took the sudden decision to quickly and quietly whisper in his ear something very important. Then, before James could say something in return, Hermes moved away and joined Harriet who was just letting go of her mother, not seeing the shocked expression on her father's face.
"Are you ready, love?" he asked softly. Harriet closed her wet eyes and gave a painful nod.
As they moved inside the runic circle per Dumbledore's instructions, Harriet gave her parents a last "Love you!" before both she and Hermes began spinning on themselves. Then, they collapsed.
The last thing Harriet saw was the dark Forbidden Forest before she blacked-out, her mind knowing she would never see her parents again.
When she woke up the following morning, she did not want to open her eyes. She knew her parents were dead once again and that she would never see them again. She didn't want to open her eyes because it would give certainty to that fact.
However, as she attempted to go back to sleep to ignore the pain in her heart, she overheard voices speak quietly next to her. They sounded similar but Harriet only recognized Hermes'. Eventually, after a few minutes where she tried to ignore them, she gave up and opened her eyes. She immediately saw the ceiling of the Hospital Wing and knew she was back in 1994. She let out a sob.
"Hey, baby-girl, don't cry!" suddenly said one of the voices. She recognized the voice this time. Her eyes wide, she turned to look at her bedside where she found Hermes sitting with her parents, who were about fifteen years older than when she had last seen them.
"You're alive?" Harriet gasped.
James and Lily shared smiles. "We are. We didn't trust Wormtail this time and Voldemort was defeated without us or anyone else dying."
"What? How did you know?" she blurted. "I wanted to tell you about his betrayal but I didn't think I could in case I broke the timeline!"
"Well, we overheard a few things between you that allowed us to get an idea of what would happen." Lily answered. She then turned to smile at Hermes, who was blushing slightly but whose face was full of pride. "Hermes was the one to warn us about Peter, giving us the last clue we needed to complete the picture."
Harriet turned to look at her boyfriend, her expression gobsmacked. Hermes had told them about Peter? Had helped keep her parents alive? "But what about all that talk about screwing up the future?" she asked.
Hermes smirked. "Well, I figured, what the hell?"
Harriet suddenly jumped to her feet. She felt so much love for the boy who had risked everything for her. She had to kiss him. So, she sat in his lap and snogged him like there was no tomorrow.
"Thank you so much!" she cried in his ear after she let go of his lips.
"I'd do anything for you." Hermes returned, making her grin.
By the end of Harriet and Hermes' final year at Hogwarts, a lot of things had changed. Yet, one thing stayed exactly the same: Harriet loved Hermes and Hermes loved Harriet. They loved each other so much that, on Harriet's sixteen birthday and with the blessing of her parents, Hermes proposed to her, not caring how young others would consider them to be for marriage. Harriet did not even hesitate. She said yes immediately.
As for James and Lily, they used their second chance at life well. While they abstained for the sake of keeping the future familiar for the time travellers, by the beginning of the 1994-1995 school year, Lily and James were ready to have their second child. Alex Potter was born only a few days before Harriet and Hermes were due to return home from their fourth year. The couple followed suite with a third child, this time a second girl who was born in the middle of the teenagers' sixth year. Harriet's younger sister was named Hermione in honour of Hermes who had once told them it was the name her parents planned to give him had he been born a girl.
By the end of Hermes and Harriet's last year at Hogwarts, James and Lily decided to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of their first time meeting the teenagers by having another picnic on the Hogwarts grounds.
As Harriet and Hermes discussed softly about what they wanted for their future, they suddenly heard a loud noise which sounded a lot like a tornado. And, it came from right in front of them.
"What is that?" Lily asked as she and Hermes took the children to protect them. Harriet and James, who had their wands out and pointed at the disturbance, did not answer immediately. It was James who first spoke a few seconds later.
"I don't know, Lily. I can't help but think it's something familiar – like I've seen it before." he said.
Just as he finished his words, there was a loud bang and, with a powerful flash of golden light, two heavy masses collapsed on the ground. After shielding her eyes, Harriet looked down at the masses. She found two young teenagers laying down on the ground. A boy and a girl.
James immediately burst out laughing, lowering his wand. "Oh, I remember where I saw it before! It was when you two arrived in the forest twenty years ago!" he told Harriet and Hermes.
When Harriet noticed the appearance of the boy, she knew he was right. The boy looked very much like Hermes but had a black mop of hair and round glasses like her dad did. She knew what it meant.
They were time travellers. And, one of them was hers and Hermes' son from the future.
Harriet groaned. "Not again..."
