Disclaimer: Anything you recognize from the Harry Potter books and/or movies is not mine.

Thank you everyone who reviewed for my last chapter! (I would put the pennames down right here, but my emails were deleted and I don't want to be bothered by going to look at all my reviews and finding the new ones)
A/N: Read the bottom A/N if you're interested in my excuse for the lack of updates. But moving on!

Seasons Change

By: xScenex

a.k.a. Min

Chapter 18

A small moan was heard, echoing softly against the damp walls of the small cell. There was a small movement, and then a bit more, before a figure sat up, clutching their head in what seemed to be pain.

"Hermione?" A male voice called out quietly, almost uncertainly.

"Uh," was the only reply as Hermione gently massaged her temples and pursed her lips.

"Are you…" there was an awkward pause, "okay?"

"In a way," the girl whispered hoarsely. "Where are we?"

"I have no idea."

There was another moment of silence following that statement. "So.. They captured us?"

Hermione removed her hands from her head to glance over at the shadowed figure of Severus, the only other occupant of the cell. Even in the darkness, she could see the faint outline of his body against the stone wall which was softly illuminated by the slit windows near the ceiling. She faintly saw him nodding to her question and she sighed.

"I was stupid," she stated suddenly. "For leading you -- us -- out there like a blind fool. I don't understand why I would do something so thick -- something as stupid as that. The teachers could have handled it -- I know they could have. They had Dumbledore there with them!" Severus didn't say anything as she ranted. Hermione brushed angrily at her eyes that were now welling up with unwanted tears, "Why was I so stupid? Why did I do something as foolish as that? It's something that I would have expected from Harry, or Ron, but me? Oh, what would they say--"

Hermione sobbed at her irrational plan. Truth be told, she didn't understand why she had done something like that. She had always been one to think things through before acting on them. What she did was something she would have expected from one of her fellow classmates -- from the present or the future.

The girl slumped forwards on the floor in a heap, vaguely allowing the image of her dirty, broken, and captured, self lying on the floor of a cell to drift through her mind. She would have laughed at the irony of it all -- she had always had nightmares in the past about Harry being the one in a cell such as that, but instead, the roles were switched.

Before she could succumb to the insane laughter though, she felt a hand gently rest against her shoulder. She looked up through the curtain of brown hair that fell into her face and saw dark eyes staring back at her.

"This is no time for this, Hermione. We need to find a way out of here."

Hermione blinked up at him and nodded slowly before pushing herself up again. She winced in slight pain at the throbbing bruises and cuts that covered her arms and legs. "You're right. But how are we going to get out? I'm pretty sure we've been locked away in a secure cell, and it's obvious that we don't have any wands with us."

"True, but it doesn't hurt to look for a way, is it?" Severus spoke from the darkness beside her.

"I guess you're right once again," she brushed once more at her eyes before straightening up. "I'll check over here to the far right."

"I'll get up in that left hand corner then."

So they moved on, looking and looking throughout the cell for any signs of escape. Sadly, they found no way out -- or for that matter, no way in which they had come in either. She figured they had been brought there by portkey.

"So we're stuck," she muttered, feeling thoroughly exhausted emotionally and physically. She slumped down onto the cold stone floor once more and was soon joined by her companion.

"I wouldn't say stuck. More like, imprisoned."

Hermione could tell he was sneering -- but at what, she had the slightest clue. She wouldn't be surprised if it was at her.

"Sev?" She heard a slight grunt, indicating that he heard her. She took a deep breath, then began speaking again, "I'm sorry about this; all of this, actually. You would be safe in Hogwarts right now if you hadn't followed me. It's my fault that we've been taken to this place to meet Merlin knows what. If I had just let Dumbledore and the others handle things with the Death Eaters, I doubt we'd be here right now, in this cell. I'm so sorry."

She covered her face with her hands, sobbing quietly in the shadows. After a moment, Severus spoke to her.

"Are you finished talking?" He asked, though not unkindly.

Hermione looked up at him and sniffed, "I am."

"Then let me say something now," said the boy as he shifted a bit, "For one, it isn't your fault that I'm here. I chose to follow you on my own free will -- if it wasn't because of you, I would be in a far worse situation, actually. And another thing; even if I were still at Hogwarts, I would have other matters to address that I'm not to keen on dealing with."

The girl blinked at his words, then sniffed loudly. "You're only saying that to make me feel better."

She heard a snort coming from his direction, "Actually, I'm only saying it to keep us both sane." He paused, then added, "And it's the truth. So don't worry too much about that. We have more important matters to deal with."

"Like what? Besides the fact that we're stuck here, that is."

A moment of silence before Severus whispered, "Like the fact that we're not alone anymore."

"We wish you a Merry Christmas--!"

Lily Evans sat Indian style in front of the fake fireplace of her parents house, listening longingly to the singing coming from across the room. She could hear the laughter in the singing, belonging to her Mother, Father, and her dear sister, Petunia, as they all sung along to old Christmas carols playing on the stereo.

It had been a little over six years since she had last participated in those wonderful family moments. Ever since she had been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, nothing between her and her family had been the same.

Not that her parents didn't like her being there.

It was more of the fact that Petunia didn't like her being there. Her sister hated her to the point of exploding -- although, theoretically speaking, she shouldn't. Although it wouldn't surprise her if her sister did just go out with a loud 'boom!' someday.

But Lily didn't wish anything like that upon her sister. In truth, she loved her sister more than she loved almost anything else.

Just because she was a so-called freak, her sister had outcast her from the family. It hurt her to even think that her own flesh and blood couldn't accept her the way she was. She felt pity for the older woman.

"We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year --!"

The song ended and giggles and light laughter drifted to were the redheaded witch sat, staring into the fake flames inside of the fireplace.

The girl sighed inwardly, wanting to go join her family in the holiday festivities, but she didn't want to cause Petunia to leave. She'd rather give up something then make someone she cared about sacrifice their own fun for her own. She knew that if she tried to have fun with their parents, her sister would up and leave in a huff.

But of course, Lily was a one of a kind girl.

Given that she was a brilliant, top-of-her-class witch, she had many more qualities than most could see.

She was kind, caring, loving, loyal, and above all, selfless.

Most would call her foolish, but she would never think of it like that. She just put others in front of herself.

The girl shifted her weight slightly as her bottom had become rather numb from the long period of sitting in one place. She turned her head away from the fake, orange flames in the hearth to look behind her towards the other three occupants.

She could see, from where she sat, her short, petite mother, her tall, broad father, and her beloved sister all sitting together on the rug in front of the Christmas tree, smiling and laughing away their worries.

It was truly a picture fit for a greeting card. The sparkling evergreen behind them, adorned with silver and red tensile and bulbs with the classic angle on the top, and the large pile of beautifully decorated presents underneath it, all outlined by the large, bay windows behind it where the curtains were pulled back, allowing the reflection of the inside of the room to waver over the glassy surface. The white, billowing snow from outside drifted about behind the glass, obscuring the night sky and surrounding houses.

It nearly made Lily's heart break at the beautiful scene, but instead of feeling sadness for herself, she smiled serenely at her family.

"Merry Christmas, Mom, Dad… Petunia," she whispered quietly, getting up off of the floor and walking quietly out of the room.

She wished the best for everyone that night. Little did she know, a certain teenager in the same house stared after the redheaded figure retreating from the room, feeling the same way as her, but knowing she'd never admit to it.

"Merry Christmas, Lily…"

Mr. and Mrs. Potter were sitting happily in the sitting room of their family vacation home, enjoying their late afternoon tea while talking casually about their school years. It wasn't often that the two of them were able to have some quality time together. The moment seemed a perfect time to reflect on their pasts since the boys were still out doing Merlin knew what.

That is, until they received a certain firecall.

"Harold! Emily!"

Both adults looked over at the fireplace with alarm etched against their features.

"Albus?"

It was never a good thing for Albus Dumbledore to be fire-calling you without a known reason.

"I need you to come to Hogwarts as soon as you can. If you have to, bring the boys. Something has happened to some of the students and we need the Auror's to come. And I believe your son and his friends would like to know about this--"

"Alright Albus, we'll be there as soon as the boys get back. That should be anytime now," Mr. Potter replied in a more professional voice. He stood up quickly, his wife following suit.

"I have set up the floo so that you may come directly into my office. Until then," then with a small, inaudible pop, the face of the Headmaster disappeared.

"Emily, I believe this might be an overnight stay. Go upstairs, Dear, and pack a few things that we might need," the man directed towards his wife, who nodded in agreement before hurrying off.

Only seconds later, the front door was heard opening and the laughter of several teenage boys could be heard echoing throughout the hall.

The four Marauders made their way towards the sitting room hoping to find snacks or some type of edible food sitting about for them to devour. What they were met with, though, was the solemn face of one Harold Potter.

"What's wrong Dad?" James questioned, feeling as if his limbs had turned to lead. His father never looked so serious unless something bad had happened.

"Son, you and your friends go get a few things together -- we're going to Hogwarts. I just got an urgent firecall from Albus, asking for us to go to his office. He also said it would be a good idea to bring you four with us."

The boys' eyebrows wrinkled in confusion, "Did he say what happened?"

"No, but we will find out when we get there. Now hurry up, we're about to leave," interrupted Mrs. Potter as she came back into the sitting room with a small bag in her arms.

The boys complied and hurried upstairs to their rooms.

"Do you think this has something to do with Voldemort?" Sirius asked shakily.

"I don't know, Padfoot," James murmured as he shoved his invisibility cloak into his pocket. "I hope it isn't."

"Maybe someone died," Peter supplied shakily, "In the paper, loads of people have been disappearing or dying. Do you think someone died?"

"No, I don't think so," James replied, tossing a pair of orange socks at Sirius' head by accident. The latter yelped in shock before realizing what his assailant was.

"Bugger," he glared at his friend.

Remus had been silent the whole time. His mind was running a hundred miles per second, thinking up as many possibilities as there were possible, and even then some.

He just didn't like how things seemed to be turning out. Was someone in trouble? Worse by far, could someone they knew be in trouble? Dead? Hurt? It had to be bad news, whatever it was, otherwise Dumbledore wouldn't have sent for them so late in the evening.

He thought about how Hermione was one of the only few remaining students there. He paled dramatically, "What if something happened to Hermione?"

Sirius, although still angry at the girl from the previous affairs, shrugged almost indifferently, but there was a slight stiffen in his form. James looked up worriedly, exchanging almost unnoticeable glances with Peter. They all knew how much Remus cared about the girl.

"I bet she's fine. She knows how to take care of herself," James spoke calmly, trying to lessen the tension that had filled the room.

"I know she can, but still."

James spared Remus a small smile before tossing his bag over his shoulder, "You guys ready?"

"Yeah."

"Uh huh."

"I believe so."

After the affirmative, they all trudged into the sitting area where their parents were waiting patiently.

Mr. Potter stepped towards the fireplace, picking up the floo pot. He motioned for the others to come forward, "Now, just say 'Dumbledore's Office' clearly, alright?" The boys nodded and the older man smiled gently, "In you go."

After a few moments, the Potters and the guest teenagers had arrived piled up in the Headmaster's office. They were greeted with the solemn faces of the professors and Aurors, and the soft, comforting song of the red phoenix that sat perched in the corner.

"Please, take a seat," the wizened Headmaster said while gesturing to six newly transfigured chairs.

The others obliged, sitting down nervously and waiting anxiously for any sign of what had happened.

"I believe it is time I tell you why you all are here," Dumbledore began, mainly direction the statement to the newest arrivals. The others nodded in agreement and the man continued, "As I told you earlier, Harold, something has happened to some of our holiday students. As to why I asked you to bring the boys, it's because I believe they would like to know what happened to their friend, Mrs. Granger."

A sharp intake of breath came from where the werewolf sat, and Sirius let out a defeated sigh. James and the others could tell that he was beginning to feel guilty for all the things he had said before they had left Hogwarts, but he was too stubborn to apologize for anything.

"W-What's happened to her?" Remus whispered, half wishing to know the answer.

With a deep sigh, the Headmaster replied, "It seems that Voldemort had a plan to attack Hogwarts in attempt to capture Mrs. Granger sometime around Christmas when almost no one was at the school. I have a slight idea of why he would do such a thing, but how information would have leaked out is beyond me. As most of you know, Mrs. Granger is in a delicate situation here." There were a few nods around the room, "And I believe that Voldemort is after something that only she possesses." More nods and knowing glances. "And because of that, she has been captured, along with Mr. Snape."

As Dumbledore continued to tell the story of what happened, the Marauders were in deep thought, each thinking of different things.

Remus was shaking because of all of the emotions that ran through his body at once. Anger, confusion, worry. Anger at Hermione for letting herself get captured, and more angry at Voldemort. Confusion as to why things were happening -- what had gotten beyond his knowing? Had Hermione forgot to tell him something? But then again, as she held the facts of the future, it was dangerous for her to go about. Anyone would kill to get the knowledge of what was to come. But most importantly, he was worried for her safety.

Minutes went by and soon, it had been almost an hour that everyone had been gathered into the small, cramped room.

Dumbledore had discussed with the Aurors and professors what they had planned to do about the situation -- which was practically nothing so far.

"I want her here," Remus found himself whispering over and over again. James shot him a curious look, but said nothing otherwise. None of the others had heard him, fortunately.

And truthfully, he really did want her there. He missed her laughter, her smile. He missed the way she'd look at him with that curious, almost thoughtful look, her large eyes knowing and caring. Unknowingly, the werewolf felt tears beginning to well up in his eyes.

He didn't know why he felt as he did. He didn't know where the sudden urge to find her and hold her tightly in his arms was coming from. Had he become attached to her without realizing it?

But somewhere deep down inside of him, he knew. He knew that with him being the creature he was, he had become protective of her. But it didn't make any sense to him. Werewolves only felt that way about the ones they loved… and he didn't love her. Did he?

Shaking his head, the russet haired boy slowly stood up, excusing himself from the group in the office. He walked out the door and down the spiraling staircase and into the long, winding halls of the castle.

He was deep in thought, running his feelings, thoughts, and cravings through his mind. He was scared. He didn't want to know the truth of what he felt for the dark haired girl. He refused to think about it.

The only thing he allowed himself to think about was a way to get her back safe and sound.

A/N: FINALLY! The next chapter. I KNOW! It's shorter than usual, and not to mention it sucks. But lets just say, after not updating for a LONG time, I've found it harder to write.

Now, let me explain to you a few things that happened. I know I should have updated, but I had a bit of writers block. I knew what I wanted to write, but I just couldn't get it to come out right. I tried writing this chapter three times -- the first time, it got deleted about halfway through. The second time, I was almost done when I re-read it and didn't like the outcome. This was my third attempt, and I'm still not happy with it, but meh. It's an update, nonetheless. Sorry about the cliffhanger in the beginning, but I just can't force myself to write anymore. I'm sick, and I want to sleep soon, so yeah.

Anywho, hope you like this. I decided to add a bit of Lily's Christmas into it, since she hasn't been in the story much. It's not much, or great for that matter, but it's the best I could do right now.

Oh! And for anyone who's interested, a while back (sometime about a month or two ago) I began a new story. I haven't gotten far on it, it's only 2 chapters long so far, and the first one isn't more than 200 words long, but if you're interested in reading it, please do so. It's called Iron Butterlies, and here's the summary:

In the end, almost everyone that The-Boy-Who-Lived loved is gone and departed. Harry's becomes desperate to make things right, and in the process of trying to re-do his whole life, he's thrown back in time. Not only is he in a place and time that he vaguely remembered from his childhood, but also, he is now in the body of a muggle man who was supposed to die. So, what's a man to do, when he has an extensive knowledge of the magical world, the future, past, present, and is just supposed to be a normal un-magical muggle? Well, there's only one way to find out!

And now, I'm off. Thanks for staying tuned with the story -- I know I should have updated. -- Min.