A/N: As promised a new chapter for new year's. I hope 2019 was a good year and that you're ending it on a good note. I hope you all stay healthy and have a wonderful 2020! Happy New Year!

Ultimately, they had all fallen asleep. One by one they had fallen silent and had closed their eyes. No one was really surprised when they woke up, still in the common room.

It seemed like neither Alice nor Marlene had moved a muscle, still huddled together. Peter was rolled up into a little ball and James used Remus as a pillow while the werewolf was still in some kind of sitting position with his legs stretched out. Lily was using one of the armrests as a pillow, legs curled up the sofa. Hermione found herself in the same position, though one of her hands was laying atop Sirius' chest, having fallen of the side. Sirius had fallen asleep with his back still against the sofa, his head tilted slightly to the side. A few of them would be certain to have a kink in the neck when they woke up.

Hermione was the first to wake up. But what else was new? She stirred a little, her eyes fluttering open. She looked at everyone else only to realize they were still out cold. She stayed still, not moving, not wanting to risk waking them up.

Lily was next to wake up.

"Morning," Hermione said in a whisper.

"Morning. Have you been awake long?"

"A while," the brunette admitted.

"They're actually not so bad, are they?"

"Who?"

"The marauders. I mean, at least now and last night."

"I haven't known them for as long as you have, but they aren't as bad as you think they are, Lily."

"I know, but it just gets on my nerves with how loud and immature they act sometimes."

"They'll grow up, eventually. Everyone does. Besides, look at them. Don't they look kinda sweet and innocent right now?"

The redhead hummed, looking at the boys one by one. "Maybe," she said. That was as close as she would get to a positive answer right now, Hermione knew this. "But don't tell them I said that. Any of that."

"My lips are sealed." A snicker escaped them.

They laid in silence for a while, minds still a little clouded from sleep. "Lily?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad I have you as a friend. I mean I know I have the marauders as well and Alice and Marlene but… I've never really had a girl as a friend. Not like you anyway. Not even back at home. There was one girl, but she was more like Marlene, outspoken, outgoing and very tough in the way she behaved just like her brothers. But I like this. Someone a little like me."

She didn't know where this was coming from. They had been partying last night, they had had fun. Now it was maybe seven or eight in the morning and she was already talking like this. Why? Was everything becoming too much? Did she just want to express her thanks for the redheaded witch? Why? She didn't know. She just felt like saying it, so she did.

"I'm glad too. Glad that you decided to open up and glad to have you as a friend. I think I'm closer to you than I am with my own sister." They just gave each other a nudge with their feet, trying to keep the atmosphere somewhat light.

"You want to go get breakfast?"

"Yes, please. I'm starving." Slowly they sat up. "What do we do with the others? Do we wake them up or…?"

"Let them sleep. Merlin knows they could use all the rest they can get," Hermione replied. And with that they left the common room, not realizing not everyone had been asleep. A certain marauder having heard their entire conversation.

Of course the festive, buzzing feeling couldn't last. Everyone was stressing about the exams. People formed study groups, others – including three quarters of the marauders – were cramming like their lives depended on it. Everywhere you went you saw students with their books out, the library, the Great Hall, the common room, even outside when the weather allowed it.

Even Hermione was so busy with it, she actually managed to forget about the whole ordeal she found herself in. Even if it was only for a moment.

"I can't take it anymore! I'm going insane, there's just too much ingredients to remember." Sirius proclaimed suddenly, jumping upright in his seat.

"That's what you get for not doing anything beforehand," Lily told him without looking away from her notes. Who would've imagined? Now she's even studying together with the marauders. What had happened for it to come to this?

"Mioneee," he whined. "Evans is being mean."

"Padfoot, how is she being mean? She just told the truth."

"You traitor, Moony!" Apparently too much studying and too little pranks brought out his dramatic side.

"Sirius," she said as she let out a sigh. "Look at it this way, the faster you learn everything, the faster you're free to do what you want. Making plans for the summer, pull pranks, whatever, but first you need to study. You need to let us study."

"I just go crazy sitting here an entire day just studying."

"Then go take a walk." She wasn't exactly rude or insensitive but she was stressed and that became clear when she opened her mouth, a little less agreeable to his whims.

Everyone was stressed, uptight. Even more so on the actual days of the exams but once they were over and done with everyone seemed to relax, starting to lounge around on the school grounds, enjoying the warm weather and free time before they had to get ready to go back home.

Their group was making their way outside after lunch, wanting to go sit at the lake, enjoy the fresh air. Yet before they could make it out of the Great Hall, Professor McGonagall came up to them.

"Miss Granger, Professor Dumbledore asked for you to meet him in his office." She gave the girl a look. Immediately it was clear what he wanted to talk to her about. But then again, what else could it have been?

"You go ahead. I'll catch up later," she informed her friends before she turned to follow her transfiguration professor towards the Headmaster's office.

"You wanted to talk to me, Professor?" she asked as she entered his office.

"Ah, Miss Granger, take a seat."

"Is there any news?" Always the same question. And even though there was a very high chance of getting the usual disappointing answer, she had to ask.

"I'm afraid not. No progress has been made, therefore I apologize." See? The same answer. "I just wanted to let you know who you'll be spending your summer with."

This got her attention. "Yes?"

"You'll be staying with Arthur Weasley and his family. They are part of the Order and I have complete trust in them."

"Mr Weasley and his family? Really?"

"I assume you know them?"

"I do, Sir." He regarded her for a moment. Then she asked, "Do they know why I'm staying with them? Do they know I'm not from here?"

"Yes, I have told them that you are from the future. However, I did not give any details from where exactly in the future you came. I also informed them that they should not, under any circumstances, try to get information out of you."

That is what he said and it was the truth, but he was wondering if he shouldn't try to get some information from her himself. As things were going now she would probably stay in this timeline, permanently. With the information she had, they could alter the future she came from. They could try to stop Voldemort, permanently. Seeing as she claimed he would come back. And even if he wanted the information and she would somehow cooperate, when should he start asking for it? When would it come in handy? When would it be too late?

"Now off you go. I bet your friends are wondering where you are."

She made her way outside. From his office, through the corridors, out the double doors, making her way towards the lake, her mind racing the entire way there. She was going to stay with the Weasleys. She would get know them, even in this timeline. Would they treat her like a daughter just like they did in her own time? Or would they treat her like a stranger?

But she couldn't dwell on that for too long. She might have to stay here and if that indeed became the case, should she prevent the future from happening as she knows it? Should she change something? Several things? And if so, would she do it on her own? Would she be able to do it on her own? Should she inform Dumbledore? The Order? Both? And was everyone in the Order to be trusted? The longer she was here, the more complicated things became.

By the time she took a seat underneath the tree with her friends, she had tried to push everything to the back of her mind. She would worry about it when she was alone.

"So what did Dumbledore want?" James asked immediately.

"Nothing important," she tried to weasel her way out. They all just looked at her, some raising an eyebrow.

"There is no way old Dumbles would ask you to go to his office for nothing."

"Hermione, did something happen?" Remus asked, beating Lily to it by a second.

She took a breath, looking at the ground for a moment before looking back up. "Just… a few things happened back home and he called me in to let me know that I'll be spending my summer with some friends of the family instead of going back home."

Sirius looked at her, concerned, remembering their conversation from a few weeks ago.

"Is it serious? Did something bad happen?" There it was, the questions, the worried look on Lily's face. And the redhead called her a mom. She had to smile internally at the thought.

"No, nothing bad. It's all just a little complicated right now."

"Who are you staying with?" Peter asked.

"Oh, uhm, I'm staying with the Weasleys."

"The Weasleys, really?" James asked.

"Yes, why? Do you know them?"

"Yes, they're friends of my parents."

"Really?" She hadn't known about that. She knew the Weasleys had known Lily and James but she didn't know they had been friends of James' parents too.

"Nice, that means we'll be able to meet up."

"Yeah, we'll be able to get the whole group together. That means you too, Evans," Sirius addressed her.

"Fine, but only because Hermione's going to be there." But they all knew she didn't really mean that. Or at least Hermione and Remus knew that. The other three only hoped she didn't mean it. It was a fact though, that the redhead had started warming up to the four trouble-seeking boys, sometimes even sitting with them when Hermione wasn't there. It was only a matter of time now before they were inseparably close.