Tempus Magia
Chapter 30: Mated
Hermione Granger made a grave error during the final battle that resulted in Remus's death. Working as an unspeakable she spends two years working on a spell using powder from time turners to go back to Remus's greatest hour of need. What if Remus's greatest time of need wasn't in *this* war?
One week turned into two and two weeks turned into three. Hermione spent her time editing for the Quibbler, helping Pandora brew, and writing letters to Lily who was begging her to come home.
Home.
When had she started thinking of Godric's Hollow as home? She wasn't sure but she missed Sirius and his moaning about shagging, James doting on Lily, Lily fretting and doting on Hermione, and Remus. God. Every bone in her body missed Remus. She missed sitting on the couch with him and reading quietly. She missed when his kisses turned from sweet and soft to feral. She loved when he pinned her up against the wall, any wall really. She missed the morning cuddles. Most of all, she just missed him.
On the night of the full moon, Hermione cried into her pillow and Pandora stayed with her while she stared at the window. She didn't hear any werewolves and that just made her cry more. The next morning Xeno mentioned that Hogsmeade was completely unnerved by a werewolf that had howled in the forest the entire night. Hermione burst into tears over breakfast and stayed in her room for the rest of the day.
She had plans to spend the next day doing the same thing but she had a visitor in the form of Cordelia Vance. They had an array of potions ready to be tested and Hermione was needed to stay at a central location. Cordelia viscously mentioned the four people who had been murdered with the potion as if it was Hermione's fault it had taken the bint so long to get the potion ready. She was requested to be in attendance at the Order meeting that night where Hermione would get the details along with everyone else. She basically came all the way to the Lovegoods to tell her to come to a meeting. Hermione slammed the door in her face.
She was picked up half past eight by Albus Dumbledore, he had owled earlier but Hermione was busy drinking tea and crying. Pandora had forced her to shower before Dumbledore came to pick her up and Hermione was grateful when she left. She was wearing Remus's sweater with white jeans. She remembered the last time she wore them together. She had been on the kitchen island and he...
Hermione shook her thoughts away. She didn't need this. Not now. She needed to be able to let him go. The problem was that the harder she tried to let him go, the harder she drowned in her misery for him. She couldn't stay and she knew that but if she left she would be returning to a future without him. There would not be a chance to try her spell again, the first time had almost killed her.
"It's a beautiful night, don't you think Hermione?" Dumbledore interrupted her thoughts. They walked towards the apparition point and Hermione stared at the moon, not answering his statement.
"There is an old saying that the new moon brings new love. It's poetic, don't you think?" Hermione rolled her eyes and stiffened her shoulders. She didn't want to talk about the source of her misery with Albus Dumbledore of all people. She also knew Professor Dumbledore from school and knew he wouldn't let the topic go until he got his point across.
"Broken hearts heal, Hermione." Hermione clenched her fingers together.
"I know," she said coldly.
He smiled at her not unkindly. "Mister Lupin will recover."
"Did you ever recover from Gellert?" she snapped back.
To his credit, he took the question in stride. "Not really but I'm sure you'd have a harder time recovering from destroying and imprisoning the only boy you ever loved."
Hermione nodded sadly. "Have you ever visited him?"
Albus stopped and looked up at the moon. He sighed heavily, "No, Miss Granger I have not."
"You should-" Hermione almost missed her real name. "What? How did you-"
"Your name popped up in the Time Chamber. Saul was there when it happened and he destroyed the evidence. That and you called me Professor Dumbledore when we first met. I remember all of my students and you were not one of them."
"My name?" she asked ignoring his second comment.
"There is a device that records anyone using Time Turners or the sands of Time. Saul specializes in Time Turners but specifically this device. He apparently sent himself a message from the future to protect you. Something about recipes or some nonsense that obviously makes sense to him and not myself."
"Oh."
"You're disappointed?"
"No, but at this point, I think the only person who doesn't know I'm from the future is Voldemort."
Dumbledore sighed. "Secrets don't always stay hidden. They come out eventually."
Hermione nodded remembering the book about the Dumbledores. There were so many great things that he did, but also many terrible things.
"I can't stay with Remus. I don't belong in this time. He has a family in the future. I can't just muck that up, Professor."
Dumbledore beamed. "I had hoped you were one of my students. Ravenclaw?"
"A Gryffindor and hold onto that smirk. I smuggled a dragon out of the school in my first year." Dumbledore chuckled.
"Now this is why I enjoy educating. The wonders of youth."
Hermione rolled her eyes. They had reached the apparition point. Hermione's stomach was doing flips. She hadn't seen any of them in weeks. What if they didn't want to talk to her?
"Given your importance to the cure of this potion, Alice Longbottom has been assigned your Auror protection for the night. If I may add, she is extremely excited to see you. Something about you helping her with a flobberworm infestation in her kitchen." Hermione had almost laughed when she heard Alice complaining about the infestation. Neville had gotten rid of her infestation and she felt it only right to return the favor.
She gripped Dumbledore's hand and apparated with him. They were in an empty parlor. The rest of the noisy guests were in the next room and Hermione was grateful to not have been dropped in on the entire Order.
"Would you like a moment to compose yourself?" Hermione nodded at her Professor. She turned to look at the pictures on the wall. It was clearly a Dumbledore family home. There were photos of a young Ariana and Aberforth. It was clear that the two were close in their youth.
"Hermione!" Hermione turned in time to be tackled by Lily. "I missed you so much! I know we owl every day but it's not the same. You're hair got longer. It definitely got longer and thicker? I didn't think that was possible, to be honest."
Hermione beamed at Lily and hugged her back warmly. "I missed you too Lily."
"Ooh, look I have a little bump!" Hermione found the little bump that was Harry. She smiled at her tiny best friend growing in her other best friend's stomach. Time travel was confusing. "We've missed you so much, Hermione. I wish you would come home."
Hermione shrugged. "I think Remus and I need space."
Lily sighed. "He moved into Peter's for a but, we just convinced him to come home. To be honest, I think he's moving back out again. He says everything reminds him of you. Can you at least come for dinner? It's just me and James and we're so lonely. Sirius has a new mission out in Scotland tracking wolves with Remus. They only come home once a week and we could read books with you and-"
Hermione hugged Lily. "I'll come for dinner."
Lily held onto her hand tightly and dragged her into the room. The meeting was short and the arguments were long. In the end, they drew names out of a hat for who was going to do what jobs to stop the Potions distribution.
The problem was no one wanted to do monitoring shifts. As a werewolf, Remus was immune and he already offered to take as many shifts as possible to minimize the risk. Hermione felt her heart clench listening to him talk as if his life was worthless because he was a werewolf. She wanted to get up and strangle the Vance bitch.
It wasn't just the content that made her feel like her heart was going through a cheese grater. Often, Remus would read to her before bed. His voice was soft and had a musical lilt that he credited his mother for. Now, his voice was bland and colorless. Almost as if he was lifeless. She felt how he sounded.
A younger wizard complained that Alice and Lily's names were not entered in the raffle. Hermione rolled her eyes. "They're both pregnant you dolt. Even if it wasn't a dangerous mission and just patrolling they would still be exempt because pregnancy is considered a medical condition."
"And who is exempting them?" he said throwing his fingers up in air quotes.
"Section 14b of the Order of the Phoenix charter." Hermione heard Saul chuckle from behind the boy.
"Is this true Albus?"
"Yes, Maverick," he replied. "Though technically 14c and 14e apply to them as well."
Hermione shrugged. She was allowed an off day.
"Now, Miss Vance is going to hand out the assignments."
Hermione knew her assignment. She was in charge of working on the antidote with whoever was pulled out of the hat.
"Remus Lupin and Hermione Granger." Hermione's head snapped up from the butterbeer she was sipping. "Will be working on the antidote, here in Albus's home. Due to the sensitivity of the potion, it cannot be moved."
Hermione and Remus eyed each other nervously. As did the other Marauders, Peter was absent again though at this meeting it was noticed and Hermione almost cheered when someone called his loyalties in question.
"I think that concludes this meeting. Feel free to take some sweets. Please leave one at a time and remember to never go anywhere alone and confirm everyone's identities. Hermione was abducted by a polyjuiced Minerva McGonagall."
Frank came to get Alice, who had been dutifully trailing her the whole evening. They had decided that with Remus to protect her, Alice didn't need to stay overnight. Hermione really wished she would stay so it wouldn't just be the two of them. She hugged her goodnight.
When James and Lily left, James had to physically detangle his wife from Hermione. "Dinner, tomorrow!"
Hermione nodded. "I'll cook. I have a chicken recipe I wanted to make for you."
All too soon Hermione and Remus were left behind in the large empty house. Professor Dumbledore gave them a short tour. "I can send a house elf to help with the cooking and the cleaning if that would make it easier on both of you."
"Absolutely not!" Remus said his eyebrows raising in anger.
"House elves are just another form of slavery," Hermione said. Interesting, she hadn't known that Remus was against house-elf slavery. She wondered if he had heard about her SPEW campaign. Hermione swallowed nervously. He probably did know and had purposely distanced himself from her in the future. She broke his heart. Why wouldn't he?
"Alright, I take my leave. Good night." Dumbledore left through the Floo leaving them standing in the parlor.
Hermione walked towards the kitchen that they had been shown earlier, Remus followed her. She hadn't really eaten dinner yet and she was hungry.
"Are you hungry?"
Remus nodded.
"Scrambled?"
Remus nodded. Hermione made herself an omelet and Remus an omelet with onions, mushrooms, and tomatoes. Sirius liked the same things in his omelet but he liked cilantro. Remus hated cilantro as much as he hated coriander.
She placed the plates on the table and drank from the orange juice he had put out. They ate in silence for several minutes.
"Vance is considering taking me off of the patrols. She says finding the antidote is more important and with the last three people who worked on it ending up dead…"
Hermione grimaced. Cordelia probably gave Remus the assignment on purpose, hoping he would be their next fatality.
"I've been meaning to talk to you," Remus mumbled. Hermione put her fork down and listened.
"Umm... not about… you and me. I… When we left the packs it was under the condition we return within a certain time frame."
Hermione nodded. "What are they threatening you with?"
"Turning my friends or random children until we return. Lily was stalked by Jormungand at the grocery store the other day. He was the werewolf that collapsed James and Lily's cottage. His twin sister, Vali grabbed you and collapsed their cottage." Remus's voice was tight and he winced when he said Vali's name. Hermione knew he blamed himself.
"How long do we have?"
"A little over three weeks," she nodded and continued eating her eggs. She noted that he did not pick back up his fork. He was staring at her, but she was actually hungry and she didn't really want to engage him. She needed to give him a clean break.
Tonks.
Teddy.
"Seriously?" Hermione rose an eyebrow in confusion.
"I'm confused."
"That's it? I'm dragging you into a werewolf camp and that's your reaction?"
Hermione put her fork down softly. "What would you like me to say?"
"I don't know," his voice steadily rose. "Tell me I fucked up. Throw things at me, anything!"
"But you didn't fuck up. You haven't done anything wrong."
"Then why," his voice broke and Hermione saw tears slide down his cheeks. "Did you leave me?"
Hermione wished she had never come back in time. She wished she hadn't- "Answer me, Hermione."
"I can't."
"Why?" he stood abruptly his chair falling back and onto the floor.
"Because you didn't do anything wrong, you idiot. I came back to save you and then I ruined you!"
"Ruined me?" His hand gripped the table and the wrought iron candelabra flickered overhead. "How could you possibly have ruined me? I love you!"
Hermione shook her head angry tears spilling out. "No."
"You can't tell me how I feel!"
"Yes, I can!" Hermione stood forcefully. "Remus, you have a son in the future!"
"I'm not in the future! I'm in the now. Live in the now with me!"
"And what about Teddy?"
Remus balked. "Teddy?"
"Yes, he's named after your father-in-law and your dad. You named Harry godfather. What will happen to your sweet son's whose third birthday I just went to?"
"I'll be there!"
"No," Hermione stomped her foot angry tears pouring down her cheeks. "You won't! Your wife dies in the war and you died to protect me! You left your son an orphan like Harry because of me!"
Everything in the room stood still for a moment and then the candles shot up so high that the room's light blinded Hermione. She cried out and covered her eyes from the blinding light. Which was fortunate because in the next second everything exploded. Hermione felt glass shatter around her and she screamed as the glass buried itself in her skin and in her hands that were shielding her eyes.
She swiped blindly to clear the blood from her eyes so that she could see. Dumbledore's kitchen was destroyed. There was no salvaging it. Half of the wall was caved in, everything glass was shattered and the marble counter was in chunks scattered all over the floor.
In the very center of the wreckage stood Remus. He was pale and shaking. Hermione felt the glass move in her skin with every step she took, but her mind and body had only one goal and it was Remus.
"Remus?" she called his name several times but he didn't answer. She could feel her body protesting as she reached him. She was light headed due to loss of blood. "Remus?"
She did a field examination of him. He had several small cuts but otherwise, he was okay. He was in shock.
Her own wounds forgotten she lifted him by his shoulders and dragged him from the room. She deposited him on the couch and removed a shard of glass from his left shoulder and tiny flecks of glass and marble from his left cheek. She healed them as best as she could.
The world began to sway and the last thing she remembered before she passed out was sending a Patronus to Lily calling for help.
He was going to lose Hermione.
He was going to lose Lily and James.
He was going to lose his wife.
He was going to abandon his son and leave him an orphan.
Remus felt someone shaking his shoulder roughly. It hurt. "Remus!"
"Fuck, Sirius it's like they were attacked but there's no one here. Sirius?" Remus heard heavy footfalls. "Hermione! Sirius, is she breathing? I'm going to get Lily."
Remus heard the sound of the Floo roar.
Hermione is in danger? Moony resurfaced.
You're going to lose Hermione.
You're going to lose Lily and James.
You're going to lose your wife.
Then you're going to abandon your son and leave him an orphan for a girl who didn't love you.
For your mate, Moony insisted.
I don't want a mate, Moony. It hurts my heart too much. I can't… it hurts. Moony bowed his head. This is what it means to love Remus.
Then I don't want it.
Good. It will make grieving for her easier.
What?! Remus felt his body jolt upwards.
You had an accidental burst of magic. She is dying. Alpha Reynir can save her now, but to go to him will ensure both of your deaths. Fenrir is challenged by you and he will not let you live in your weekend state.
What can we do?
I can bite her.
I won't turn her!
It won't turn her, but it will mark her as your mate. She'll be able to heal quicker using our werewolf magic.
Remus shook himself free of Moony just as Lily came bolting through the Floo. He tried to stand but his body was frozen. Overwhelmed by the metallic smell he was drowning in. Cucumber and Mint and parchment. His mate's blood was everywhere.
He picked up his hands and saw that they were red and sticky. "Hermione?" he said hoarsely.
"Merlin," James was sitting in front of him flashing a Lumos in front of his eyes. "Remus are you there? Pomfrey is on her way. "
"Pomfrey?"
"Yeah, there was an accident. Hermione isn't looking too good." Remus tilted his head. Lily was shouting at Sirius and pouring potions down her throat but she wasn't moving. Lily leaned over and started pumping on her chest and breathing in her throat.
"Hermione, please!" Lily cried.
Remus stood. He felt James pull his arm back but he pushed him away. Moony took over and pushed Lily out of the way. Sirius caught her as she fell. He felt multiple stupefies hit his back but he didn't stop.
Moony shifted partially, his jaw elongating until his teeth sprouted from his mouth. He heard multiple shouts but he struck down and bit Hermione's shoulder before anyone could remove him. Lily's screams echoed in the background as Sirius began to use more lethal spells against him. He wasn't going to be able to hold up against Sirius for much longer. He had to, though. He held onto the feeling of the magic sweep through him and then into Hermione.
Give her everything I have, Moony.
Her back arched off the ground as she screamed soundlessly in his arms. Remus broke free of Moony and cried out for her as she dropped. He caught her and they both collapsed unconscious on the ground as humans.
Lily screamed as James held her back. Sirius had dropped her into her husband's horrified arms. He crept over to their still forms. He was aware of the eleven wands behind James aimed at him and his two friends lying on the ground. Whatever magic Remus had just used had blown the actual walls off of the house and Aurors out with them.
Realizing it was a stupid thing to do, he pocketed his wand and pressed two fingers to each of their jugular veins. He sighed in relief. "They're both alive."
Lily collapsed into James' arms and sobbed into his arms. "She was dead, James. She was dead, James. She was dead, James."
Just wanted to pop by and thank everyone who has been leaving comments! It really makes my day and I'm so glad to hear that you're enjoying the story. -Chefke