A/N: I know it's been a long time (about 4 months) since I last updated this story and I'm sorry for that. But here it is, chapter 9. I know it's been a long time but I want to make something clear: I will NOT abandon this story. The updates will take some time so they won't be that regular or close to each other. The main reasons for this is that I'm busy with two other projects and I'm getting ready to start another year at University, so things will only get busier. Sorry in advance for the slow updates. You know the drill: if there are any mistakes (grammar/spelling), just let me know. Please read and review.

Thanks to Angel From Above Is Here for proofreading.

The closer Christmas came, the more excited the students became. They were looking forward to going home and spending some time with their family. And before the holidays they still had a visit planned to Hogsmeade, which was for many a last chance to buy gifts and enjoy the picturesque village covered in snow.

And this time Hermione would also go visit Hogsmeade with the others. How could she not when Lily did nothing but keep reminding her of her promise. However, Hermione had to admit that she was indeed looking forward to it.

Finally, the day of the Hogsmeade visit was here and Lily hadn't taken her eyes of Hermione all morning until they were a good way on their way to the village. This made Hermione laugh internally because it reminded her a little of what Ginny would have done.

"So, what do you want to do first?" Lily asked as they set foot in the village.

"The bookshop?"

"Okay, come on. You know, it's not really that big of a shop but they do have a lot."

Making their way inside they were greeted by the sight of Remus going through the shelves and Peter legging a little behind, sometimes looking at a book himself.

"Oh, hey Remus, Peter." Lily greeted them. "Were are the other two? Making trouble in the back?" she asked with a slight frown.

"Lily, Hermione." Remus said in greeting. Then he let out a chuckle and said, "No, they're not here. They're probably making trouble outside."

Lily let it go and started to make her way towards the aisles. Hermione also started to look around and though she saw many interesting books she had to be careful with what she bought. She had only a limited amount of money and she still wanted to buy something, even if it was something small, for Lily and the others.

She only bought one book, something about the history of magical creatures. When they were finished Hermione and Lily made their way towards Honeydukes, parting ways with Remus and Peter.

At Honeydukes Hermione bought quite a large amount of chocolate and a few sugar quills while Lily bought a few liquorice wands and pumpkin pasties. When they were finished there it was already noon. With the snow falling down and going from one place to the other, the two girls decided to go to the Three Broomsticks to get something warm to drink.

They had been there for a total of fifteen minutes when the door opened and the four marauders walked in. They looked drenched, which probably meant that they had had a snowball fight. Hermione saw that Lily ducked a little lower and looked away from them, probably hoping they wouldn't see them and just go to a table of their own. However, the boys spotted them with ease and made their way over to the two girls. Hermione let out a small chuckle at this.

The boys didn't even ask if they could sit with them, just pulling the chairs back and taking a seat, much to the chagrin of Lily.

"Yeah, take a seat. No need to ask anyway." Lily said in an annoyed manner.

"Oh, thanks Evans. We'll do just that." Sirius replied, a teasing grin on his face.

Rosmerta came to get their orders and after another five minutes when everyone had gotten their drinks, they started talking.

"So what did you guys do that you're soaked?" Hermione asked amused.

"A snowball fight of course. What else?" Sirius replied.

"I don't know, maybe you jumped into the fountain out of boredom?" Lily answered sarcastically.

"Oh come on, Evans. You know we only do that in summer."

The rest had to laugh a little at the bickering between the two. Then Hermione turned to Remus and asked, "Did you find what you were looking for in the book shop?"

"Oh yeah, you?"

"Well, I found this one book I liked but it's a little frustrating that they don't have any muggle books, you know."

"I know what you mean."

"Yeah, I love books about the wizarding world but sometimes when I'm here I miss the books from home." Lily chimed in.

"Do you like muggle books so much?" James asked Hermione.

She looked at him and said, "Well yeah, I grew up with them."

"Wait, are you a muggleborn?" Sirus asked in surprise.

"Yeah, I am."

"Oh, I didn't know. It seems like we have another thing in common, Hermione." Lily told her with a smile.

Hermione saw the way Sirius looked at her and asked, "What?"

"Nothing, just surprised to find out that you're a muggleborn I guess."

She knew he didn't feel any contempt towards muggleborns. She knew it from back in her own time but she couldn't help but ask, "Is that something bad?"

Sirius looked her straight in the eyes, a serious look on his face when he said, "No, it's not. I may be a Black, unfortunately, but I do not have anything against muggleborns."

The tension at the table rose a little and while Hermione and Sirius were looking at each other, the others were watching them with slightly bated breath. Then Hermione gave him a small, happy smile and said, "Good to know." His face relaxed and he gave her a small nod in return, the tension leaving the table.

From there on they started talking about different things, from the things they had bought to the shops they still planned to visit to their plans for Christmas.

"So what are you going to do for Christmas?" Lily asked Hermione.

"Oh, I'll probably stay at Hogwarts. What about you?"

At her answer, everyone turned to look at her. Then James asked, "You're staying at the castle? You're not going home?"

"Yeah, probably." she said, giving a shrug. However, inside she started to feel sad and slightly homesick.

"Why?" he asked.

"No particular reason. I just can't go home during break this time." She saw everyone looking at her like they wanted to ask more but hesitated like asking themselves if it was the right thing to do. Wanting to get rid of those looks and of the silence that had settled among them she asked, "So what are your plans?"

"I'm going home to spend Christmas with my family. Though, there'll probably be more fighting with my sister than anything else I guess." Lily replied, the last statement a little softer and a little less happy.

"I'm going to go to James' house like usual." Sirius told them with a smile like he couldn't wait to leave the castle.

"I'm going to spend it with my mom and help out in the shop." Peter said.

"Oh, I didn't know your mom had a shop." Hermione said.

"Yeah, but it's a small one and not many people know it." he replied.

"I'm just going to spend Christmas with my parents. Maybe go to James' house for a few days." Remus told them.

"Yeah, come whenever you like. You know my parents, the more, the merrier." James said with a smile. Then he added, "Peter, if you can, feel free to come too." Then he turned to Lily and said, "You're also allowed to come and visit me, Lily-flower."

Lily rolled her eyes and just said, "No, thanks. I think I'll pass."

James didn't let it show on his face that he was hurt, always keeping his smile in place. However, the marauders and Hermione, from what she was told in the future, knew he was hurt, smile on his face or not.

From there on they talked some more until the girls started to get up, wanting to go to a few more shops. The boys, especially James, wanted to accompany them but Lily made sure to ignore that statement and almost dragged Hermione out of there before the boys could say or do anything.

After the afternoon had gone, the girls going from one shop to the other and the boys stocking up on new items from Zonko's, they made their way back towards the castle. They went to dinner, the girls sitting together and talking about their day in the village, the marauders sitting not that far from them and sometimes making a comment of their own. Mostly both groups talked among themselves, at least the girls did. The boys were more goofing off while talking and doing silly tricks than actually talking.

After dinner they made their way towards the common room. Once in the common room and when everyone had calmed down a little from their funny day in Hogsmeade, James suddenly asked Hermione, "Why can't you go home?"

Hermione looked at him for a moment, the question being so sudden. Lily and Remus looked at James as if to say that he was being rude and Sirius and Peter looked at Hermione, also wanting to know the answer.

"My parents won't be home this break." she told them.

"Then why don't you come to my house like Sirius?"

She gave him a surprised look and said, "Thanks but I think I'll pass."

"Why? Don't you like our company?" Sirius chimed in, teasing her a little.

"That's not it." she said. "It's just that I still don't know you that well so it would be a little awkward?" It was more of a question than a statement.

"Of course not. It would be tot –"

Sirius was interrupted by Remus who gave him a look that said he should leave it alone. Seeing this, Hermione gave him a smile in thanks. He just gave her a smile back. After a moment of silence Lily said, "Well, I would invite you but my sister doesn't really like wizards. I mean, she's always angry enough with me and I don't want to put you through that."

"Don't worry, just go home. It's not like it's the first time I've spent my Christmas at the castle."

This resulted in questioning looks on everyone's faces. Hermione didn't know why they would look at her like that, had she said something wrong? Then she knew, how could she slip up on that. Trying to clarify, she said, "At Beauxbatons. I sometimes spent my breaks at the castle there because my parents would go on trips."

The questioning looks stayed on their faces a few moments longer before they seemed to accept the answer. From there they just started talking like normal, not really touching the subject of Christmas anymore. When it was getting late everyone went to their respective rooms.

The girls immediately went to bed. The marauders, however, were having a discussion among themselves.

"What do you think she meant by 'not the first time I've spent my Christmas at the castle'?" Sirius asked them.

"Padfoot, she told us, she meant her breaks at Beauxbatons." Remus replied.

"But she looked nervous when she said that." Sirius may be a goofball and an flirting idiot at times but he was also very perceptive. Being raised in the Black family but not agreeing with their views or what he was taught, he learned to keep an eye out for people. What they did, when they did it, how they did it, how they reacted to things, he saw most of those things. And when he got older, it also came in handy that his animagus was a dog. A dog had very good hearing and smell and they could pick up the tiniest signs of nervousness or anxiousness.

Not getting an answer he also said, "And do you remember the DADA lesson during Halloween? Why was James in her biggest fear? And who was that ginger guy?" Still not getting an answer he asked, "Guys?"

"Maybe that guy only looked like James?" Peter eventually answered.

"How could he only look like him? Then they have to be a carbon copy. I tell you it was James."

Sirius turned to look at James and asked, "Prongs, have you seen her before? You know, before she came to the castle?"

James thought for a minute and said, "No, I haven't."

Sirius let out a groan at that answer. But before he could say or do anything else James said, "But I saw her before the morning we met her." At this all three boys sat up in their beds and looked at him.

"Where? How?"

"The day before we met her at breakfast, she stopped me in one of the corridors. She kept calling the name 'Harry' and started talking to me like I was that person. But when I told her my name she said she had mistaken me for someone else and left."

"Harry?" Remus asked. "Then maybe that's the boy in her fear that looks like James?"

"But like I said he would have to be a carbon copy. That's as good as impossible."

"Maybe not. She even thought James was Harry when she was talking to him. Maybe they really do look a lot like each other." Remus said.

A silence fell over the boys and they decided to leave it at that for now. They went to bed and turned out the light. However, Remus didn't fall asleep immediately. Instead he kept thinking about what Hermione had said, 'It's not like it's my first Christmas at the castle'.

In the past few months he had talked with her quite a lot and he had gotten to know her fairly well. She reminded him of Lily and a little bit of himself. So she wasn't one to make a mistake like that. If she really had meant her breaks at Beauxbatons wouldn't she have said 'at a castle'? And if Sirius was right, why was she nervous when she told them that? Was the boy in her worst fear James or this Harry who she had never even spoken a word off before?

It was all a little much to think about. And why did he even think about it in the first place? It wasn't that she had given them any reason to distrust her. However, when he thought about it all, there was just something that didn't seem right about it all. Deciding to leave it alone for now, Remus also fell asleep.