Hermione ran through the gardens and up into the south wing of the house, and continued through the ballroom and the entrance hall, up the main stairwell and down the corridor to the west wing, until she found herself in front of her bedroom door. She breathed a sigh of relief at having reached her sanctuary without interruption. However, just as she put her hand on the doorknob, a shout startled her.
"Oi, Hermione!"
Hermione jumped, and her hand jerked away from the handle. She turned around to see James' head sticking out of his bedroom door down the hall. Taking a deep breath, she walked down to meet him. He greeted her with a lopsided grin.
"Is it windy outside?" James asked confusedly as he let her into his room.
"Huh?" Hermione said, distracted.
"Your hair... it's a bit..." James gestured wildly with his hands around his head.
Hermione's own hands flew to her head. "Oh my god." Her cheeks flushed as she was again reminded of her forward actions earlier.
"I know, but don't worry. It'll just help people believe that you're a Potter... well, Black. But that works too, I suppose." He ruffled the back of his hair, making it even messier than it was previously. "There," he said. "Now we match."
"Oh, ha bloody ha," Hermione said, shoving him playfully. "What did you want me for? I was on my way to bed, you know."
"It's barely eleven o'clock," James replied, aghast. Hermione had learned quickly that James and Sirius were night owls – something which clashed with her own early bird personality frequently.
"It's tiring being around you two all day." Hermione smirked as she dropped herself down onto James' bed. "And we have an early start tomorrow."
"Aw yeah, nice, thanks, Hermione," James said. He shut the door with his foot behind him. "I was just about to compliment you on how radiant you are today as well."
"I am not packing your things for you, James Potter."
"Dammit, Hermione, please?"
"I told you that you should have started when I did. Honestly, you're just as bad as Ro–" Hermione froze. "Oh," she said.
"What?" James said, also freezing where he stood. Hermione knew that she didn't often talk about things from her past... their future. Therefore it was plausible for James to think that it was very important if she were to mention something at all. But unfortunately, that wasn't the reason why she had stuttered over Ron's name. Ron, she thought breathily, what the hell am I doing?
"Hermione?" James pushed. He walked towards her. "What is it?" he asked gently. "I know we aren't the same as your friends and family from home, but goddamn will we try to make it good for you here." Hermione felt the bed dip next to her as he sat down.
The movement caught her attention and she looked up at him. "Oh, James, I know," Hermione said with a small smile. "But it's not that... I just... Oh my... I don't quite... It's... Ah... Well... Sirius and I kissed!" Hermione blurted before flopping backwards onto the bed. She covered her face with her hands.
James was silent for a few moments, which made Hermione nervous. Say something! she thought, taking her hands away from her face to look at him. Anything! Anything at all! Then, he startled her by dropping down next to her in a similar position, with them both staring up at the canvas of the double four poster.
"Hermione, why?" he whined.
"Excuse me?" Hermione blinked several times in amazement.
"Now I owe Pete two Galleons! Hermione, WHY!"
Hermione rolled onto her side and punched James in the arm. "And why exactly are you betting on that?"
James ignored her. "Why couldn't you have waited until tomorrow when you saw Moony again? Why do things like this always happen to me? Is this because of the time I got Remus detention after blaming turning McGonagall's hair into snakes on him? Because I do not regret that at all."
Hermione punched him in the arm again. "You... You bet on whether I would kiss Sirius or Remus?" she exclaimed.
James flinched. "Even Sirius thought it would be Remus," he mumbled, rubbing his arm.
"Oh, you..." Hermione stuttered. "You have a damn lot of maturing to do before Lily will even look twice at you James Potter!" She sat up and swiftly slid off the bed grumpily.
"How do you know about Evans?" James said calmly from behind her, and Hermione froze. She turned to face him (he was now sitting upright with an irritating smug smirk), her face blank.
"The Wizarding community is a small place," she said with a shrug, trying to be nonchalant.
"Oh, bollocks!" James replied, now grinning.
Hermione pointed her finger at him. "Now you, you stop that."
"I'm not doing anything," he said, smirking.
"I'm ignoring you." Hermione made for the door.
"I love you Hermione!" James shouted behind her as she opened it.
"I didn't say anything, you big prat," she replied with a smile and a shake of her head. "Go to bed." Hermione waved her wand lazily behind her and James' stuff began to pack itself. She shut the door behind her with a smirk of her own.
Hermione barely got ready for bed with the energy she had left. It truly was tiring being around James and Sirius all day. She fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow; therefore, analysing what had happened that evening would just have to wait until tomorrow.
...
The following morning was surprisingly calm, considering they had to be on the platform for quarter to eleven, and James and Sirius were most definitely not morning people or organised ones at that. It was only twenty past ten and James was already half asleep on his breakfast. Sirius wasn't far behind, which Hermione didn't mind at all. After sleeping on it, she woke up decided that she was totally not ready to talk about what happened the previous night. The boys' sleepiness was her perfect scapegoat.
"Will you be seeing us off later?" Hermione said, turning to Charlus.
"No, sorry, dear, I have to go into work. But Dorea got the morning off, the lucky sod, so she'll be going with you." He patted her shoulder. "Are you nervous?" he asked in a lower tone.
Hermione gulped. She hadn't really had the time to feel anything about going to Hogwarts. All the new people. The different teachers. A new curriculum. Well, now she was nervous.
"It's okay, dear," Charlus said. "It's entirely normal for people to be anxious about starting school... again." He winked and Hermione felt a little lighter.
It'll be okay, she thought. I have these silly boys, and I know Hogwarts. How different can it be?
"Okay!" Dorea suddenly exclaimed, clapping her hands together. James and Sirius both jolted and made vague grunts of discontent at the noise. "Time to go!" She clapped her hands together a few times more with a wink in Hermione's direction. Hermione smiled. It was definitely going to be okay.
...
Twenty minutes, two Floo journeys and a brisk walk later, the group of four were standing in front of the Hogwarts Express. The platform was busy and Hermione didn't recognise a single person in the mass of people around her. But then again, how was she to? Taking a deep breath, she struggled forward through the crowd with the boys.
Her trunk wasn't heavy because she'd cast a Feather-Weight charm on it before departing; a particular charm which Hermione had failed to remind James and Sirius to also perform. Then, while she all but tossed her own trunk onto the train, they were still squabbling over who was to help who put whose trunk on first. Sometimes, she truly did wonder how they achieved such a name for their magical abilities.
Rolling her eyes, Hermione turned to look around the platform. The day had been grey to begin with; a thick blanket of clouds covering the entirety of the London skyline. But the heat of the summer still lingered, leaving a heavy mugginess in the air and Hermione was sure that a storm was coming. Therefore, visibility across the steam covered platform was very low. It was just a sea of grey with an occasional head appearing, with loud chatter and laughter.
Someone put their hand on Hermione's shoulder, and she jumped. Hermione looked up to see Dorea smiling down at her. The elder woman led her a few feet away from the boys and stopped, facing her.
"I just wanted to remind you that while you might not be our blood, you are a part of our family now, Hermione, darling," she said softly. "It's terribly selfish of me to say so... but I am so glad you came to us."
Hermione gulped. "No... I..." Her throat felt thick and she was having difficulty talking. "Thank you," she mumbled. How was she supposed to say that in a horrible way she was glad, too?
Dorea pulled her into a tight hug. "You have a good term, dear. And keep those boys in check for me, won't you?"
Hermione's smile wrinkled as she was pressed so close to Dorea's chest. "You know I will."
"Oi, Sirius, looks like you've been replaced as the favourite!" Hermione heard James say from behind her.
"What? Dorea, NO!" Sirius exclaimed dramatically before Hermione felt another body crash into hers from behind.
"I can't believe the only one here who came out of your womb isn't included in the goodbye hug."
Dorea opened one arm out to him. "Oh come on then," she said.
James soon joined the group hug and Hermione was left crushed in a mixture of chests and armpits. "Aw, Pads, mate, you smell amazing," James said somewhere above Hermione's left ear. She stifled a giggle. Sirius really did smell great; something peppery but fruity was emanating from him and dousing them all in the scent.
"Cheers, Prongs. Shame I can't say the same about you. Seriously, you still smell like fore-"
"Hey-" James began, but Dorea cut them both off.
"Right, okay, okay. Disperse, children, disperse." She let them all go and made shooing gestures with her hands. Hermione tried to untangle herself from Sirius and James now that she could breathe again. "Child from my womb," Dorea continued, turning to James with a finger pointed at him. "Do not get in trouble this year. No matter what your father says, he does not find the details of your excursions hilarious." James smirked but nodded as she turned to Sirius. "Runaway child, same goes for you and stop encouraging Charlus by sending him letters telling him of your excursions."
"But he loves hearing the stories!" Sirius pouted.
Dorea shook her head before finally turning to Hermione. "My time-travelling child," she said quietly with a smile. "Make sure these two do what they're told, but most importantly, have fun." Dorea then began to usher them all to the train door. "I'll see you toerags at Christmas. Remember, I love you!" Then she all but pushed them up the step.
Hermione shut the door behind her as James and Sirius continued to shout at Dorea out of the window.
"I love you, too, Mother!"
"No, I love you too!"
"Oh shush and be gone with you."
The guard blew the whistle and a gust of fresh steam blew over the station; the train was getting ready to leave. Hermione ran to the window between Sirius and James. The platform was then filled with the shouts of farewell and the slamming of doors. Seconds later, the train started to move and Hermione, James and Sirius began to wave enthusiastically at Dorea. She walked with the moving train for a few steps before stopping and blowing them a kiss. "Remember to write!" she called as they rounded the corner and out of sight.
Hermione turned away from the window and took a deep breath. It had been an emotional farewell – something that she had never experienced before. With her own parents, it had always simply been a few kisses and a 'cheerio'. Why was saying goodbye to a woman who wasn't her mother so difficult?
James then interrupted her thoughts by nudging her arm with his elbow. "Come on," he said when she looked up. "Maybe Pete and Remus will already be in the compartment."
"'The' compartment?" Hermione questioned as she followed the two boys down the corridor.
"Yeah, same one for six years," Sirius said over his shoulder. "Couldn't be like the rest of them – grappling for one at the last minute or having to share. Oh, the horror." He shuddered.
Hermione laughed. "I should have figured you lot would have your own compartment."
"Only the best for The Marauders," James said with a wink.
"You act as if you own Hogwarts itself."
"What? You think we don't?" Sirius stopped and turned around with a sly grin on his face.
"Oh come on," Hermione replied, rolling her eyes.
"You'll see, Hermione," James said and clapped her on the shoulder, as Sirius opened the compartment door nearest him. They all filed in after him.
"Well, it looks just like an ordinary compartment to me," Hermione said as she dropped down onto one of the seats.
James sat down next to her. "Well, it is," he shrugged. "Except that it's charmed so that only we can see it." He shared a smirk with Sirius, who sat down across from them.
"You can't!" Hermione exclaimed, looking between them. "That's vandalism! And some serious magic..." She frowned.
"You want to know how we did it, don't you?" James said teasingly. He nudged her with his shoulder.
"Oh stop it," Hermione scolded. "Whether it's impressive or not, it's selfish and I'm disappointed in you all." She huffed and crossed her arms, pointedly keeping her eyes set on the window.
"Ah, darling Hermione." Hermione sharply glared at Sirius, ignoring the rapid increase of her heartbeat at his intense look. "You're one of us now, so whatever we do, is also a reflection on you... Whiskers." He winked and sat back in his chair.
James looked between them for a moment. "Oh so that's what you were doing," he said.
"Excuse me?" Hermione raised an eyebrow at him.
"I put her on the map," Sirius stated as if that explained it all.
"Moony will be a little put out that he didn't get to do it," James said with a smirk. Sirius replied with a shrug.
"Speaking of," Hermione interrupted. "Where are Remus and Peter? Shouldn't they be here by now?"
They had now been on the train for around fifteen minutes, and it only took seven to walk the entire length of it, and that was if they'd gotten on at the other end. James and Sirius shared a look.
"They shouldn't be long. Probably got held up by some firsties. You know how much they get in the way," James said with a careless wave of his hand. Hermione narrowed her eyes at him, but he continued to talk. "So... why Whiskers?" he asked, blatantly trying to change the subject.
But before Hermione could open her mouth to respond, Sirius spoke over her. "Since Hermione isn't an Animagus, we used her Patronus." He was sitting with his legs stretched out over the entire bench across from Hermione and James, with one arm behind his head. Hermione took this opportunity to take a good look at Sirius, since he was facing the window and not looking at them as he spoke. "Apparently they're the same," he continued.
True to his name, Sirius indeed wore a lot of black – which was something Hermione had noticed over the past month. He also wore a lot of skinny jeans, but made Hermione question whether they had been fashionable in the seventies that she knew of. But even so, if they weren't in the Muggle world, who was to say that they also wouldn't be in the Wizarding world? There were certain things that Hermione was still getting to grips with in the generation gap aspect. In particular: the fashion. Her own seventies wardrobe consisted mainly of sundresses, as Hermione had discovered that flared jeans were unfortunately not her thing and dresses were apparently the only other alternative apart from either excessively long skirts or impossibly short ones. She was desperate to get her hands on some skinny jeans of her own.
Hermione hated to admit it, but Sirius was fit. As in, he was a stunning teenage boy. In fact, all of the Marauders were good-looking in their own way, if she were to think about it. It was as if they covered every spectrum of handsomeness possible in their little friend group, therefore it was not surprising to Hermione now that when people in the Order had said that girls had flocked to them.
A movement in her left eye brought her attention to the window; Sirius was jiggling his foot off the seat and it was reflected in the window. Then, as Hermione brought her eyes up, she saw that he was looking at her, and by the way he was smirking, he had been for a while.
Hermione turned away, blushing. Luckily, their attention was then grabbed by the opening of the compartment door and two teenage boys all but falling in. There was silence in the compartment apart from the heaving breathing of Peter and Remus, leaning on each other on the inside of the door.
"Took you long enough," Sirius finally said.
"Lo... Lockhart," was all Remus managed to pant before he sat down in a slump on the bench next to James. Sirius sat up and shuffled over to allow Peter to sit next to him.
"Lockhart... As in Gilderoy Lockhart?" Hermione asked, her mouth hanging open. It couldn't be.
"Oh god," James said with a groan. "Do not tell me that's who one of us marries."
Hermione snorted and laughed loudly. "Ha!" she exclaimed. "You wish. What's he like? Is he in our year? What was he doing?"
Sirius groaned loudly. "Urgh, looks like we've got another fangirl here. And I thought you were different, Hermione. I am so disappointed."
Hermione glared at him. "I am not one of his fangirls. He is a fraud and a liar and a joke of a wizard."
Sirius gave out a low whistle. "Jeez, wonder what he did to get your wand in a twist."
"You really need to ask that?" Remus said quietly. He was sitting in the corner of the bench with his eyes shut. Hermione noticed that he looked tremendously pale and tired. But then again, of course he would – it was the day after the full moon.
Sirius nodded his head. "Very true, Moony. So," he said, turning his attention directly to Hermione. "Did he try to charm your hair into ringlets but instead turn your eyelashes blue?"
Hermione blinked at him. "No… he did not," she said warily. "Why?"
Sirius smirked and gestured his head towards Remus, who looked as if he wanted to just melt into the train seat and never come out.
"No!" Hermione said with a giggle.
"Yep," Sirius replied proudly. "Couldn't fix it for three weeks, eh Moony?"
Remus groaned. "All I can say is that thank Merlin it he decided to do it on the journey home for the Christmas holidays."
"Well," Hermione stated. "He may be inept at every aspect of magic, but I would advise you to avoid one of his Memory Charms, should it come your way. He seems to have mastered that, at the very least."
"Huh," Sirius said. "Who would've thought?"
"Remus tutored Lockhart for Charms a few years ago, and even now he still comes up to Moony every time he learns a new spell," James explained. "But every single bloody time, it goes wrong. Hilarious, but irritating."
Hermione bit the inside of her cheek to refrain from laughing. At James' statement, Remus had gone from rosy pink to traffic light in a matter of seconds. She really shouldn't have been laughing at his expense, but he really didn't have to look so hilariously uncomfortable about it. Sirius and James, on the other hand, had no qualms about laughing at their friend's expense.
"But... how come you know Lockhart if you've never been to Hogwarts before?" Peter's confused voice carried over the laughter and hit Hermione like she'd been punched in the stomach. She had entirely forgotten that Peter didn't know. Should he know? In foresight, it was a terrible idea, but now she knew that she could change the timeline – maybe it was okay for Peter to know. Surely, it was better than forcing three Marauders to keep a secret from the fourth?
"Well, Peter," Hermione said quickly, so that the other three wouldn't have an opportunity to speak first. "I have a bit of a story behind that, if you'd like to hear it?"
A/N: I'm having particular fun with seeing which characters come back in the past, and I hope you like what I have lined up! Peter isn't going to be a bad guy, I mean, he was just a kid here, so don't expect assery (from him anyway). Next chapter is Hogwarts and Lily yay! Please review!
Holly - xo