Chapter Three: On the Train Again

I couldn't believe how fast the summer went by with James and Sirius there to share it with me. Sure, Sirius was a little wary of me, but later on in the year I ended up doing something that would change his opinion of me. Mr. and Mrs. Potter were wonderful, they had kind of reminded me of Ron's parents. Like Mrs. Weasley, Mrs. Potter treated me like a daughter, even though I wasn't. I'll always be grateful that Dumbledore asked if I could stay there, because with the Potters and Sirius, I felt safe.

Soon it was time for us to go to school. That was the fateful day I met Peter Pedigrew, Snape, and of course, that day I met Remus Lupin. I won't say that it was love at first sight but I will say that it was a very strong first impression. I know now that without his being my friend at first we never would have experienced what we did in the time we were together.

-1997 A Few Hours After Hermione's Disappearance-

Remus Lupin was sitting in the kitchen of his late-best friend's former residence. It now belonged to his other late-best friend's son and was currently being used as his former employer's Order of the Phoenix, a protection of a sorts for the wizarding world against Lord Voldemort's followers and the Dark Lord, himself. It was very confusing to keep track of that kind of stuff. Remus was thinking of the woman who made him so forlorn and distant, yet after twenty years he still loved her with all his being. Hermione Grant was of course long gone having disappeared nearly eighteen years ago. Remus sighed. He could still remember her face, her long, yet bushy brown hair, and her deep chocolate eyes. Why after all these years was she still in his head? He was with Nymphadora . . . excuse him, Tonks . . . now. Yet, he still dreamed that Mione, as they called her, was still with him. Why did she have to tell him those things, those things that made him believe that he was worth the air that he breathed . . . even when he transformed into the beast that was part of him? She had still left him without a word.

-Flashback 1981-

Remus sat with Hermione on his lap in the apartment they shared. He grinned as she snuggled against his chest. She had finally agreed that the fact that they couldn't be apart for more then 12 hours in a day was a really good reason to move in together.

"Mione? Do you truly love me? Everything about me?" He asked as she looked up at him as if to say ' Do you really have to ask, you fool?' She sighed and turned to face him straddling his legs between hers.

"Remus John Lupin! Do you seriously have to ask me that bloody question? Here I thought you were at the top of our 7th year class at Hogwarts. I've told you this so many times, but if I have to I'll say it again: It isn't what the person is, that makes them great, its how they treat others. And you, my Darling Remus, are the best kind of person there is. Your becoming a werewolf every month is just an . . . an inconvenience. Yet it doesn't make me love you less. Being with you makes me feel whole, just as being with Lily makes James . . . as for Sirius . . . if riding that blasted motorcycle of his makes him feel whole then I'm happy for him because he's happy. As for me . . . Being with you makes me feel as if I haven't a care in the world." She finished her speech by crawling back onto his lap and promptly started sighing again, this time however, she sounded annoyed that she had to tell him these things.

-End Flashback-

Remus chuckled remembering that day. Since Sirius had bought that flying motorbike of his, Hermione refused to let him convince her to take a ride with him. It was about three weeks before James and Sirius persuaded him to propose to her. Or rather force him to. That was also four weeks before she disappeared. Four weeks before Harry was born. He never knew why she left because she was the happiest she had ever been when James flooed them to tell them Harry James Potter was on the way.

Speaking of Harry, the tall, raven-haired boy skidded into the room. Not long after that, Ron ran in stopping just before he hit Harry head on.

"Professor! Hermione disappeared while we were at the Hollow!" Harry and Ron panted together.

" Boys, what on Earth are you talking about? And I told you before its Remus, as I am no longer your teacher." Remus said frowning. Then it hit him. Hermione Granger and Hermione Grant were one and the same. Why didn't he realize it before? Hermione Grant had arrived at about the same time Hermione Granger disappeared. The woman who brightened up his life twenty years ago was the girl that was his all time favorite student. No wonder she acted like she knew of his curse and why she didn't care. Surely Albus knew about this. He would have told Sirius and him about this . . . Or would he? Albus was the kind of mentor that would keep things from you if it would hurt you. Look at how he handled Harry waiting nearly six years since the boy entered the wizarding world to tell him that the whole weight of the world rested in the young man's hands.

And Sirius! He had to have realized that the two girls were one and the same. He spent more time with the three kids than, Remus, himself did. If Sirius wasn't dead. . . and he knew abour it Remus would have killed him himself.

"Hermione's disappeared! She went for a walk in the woods and never came back. We didn't know what to do. And seeing that you were here was the first thing we could think of." Harry said looking panicked.

"Don't worry boys. Hermione is safe. I am sure of it. She's traveled back in time . . . to . . . to . . . take care of some things. As for getting her back I am sure that's nearly impossible to do at the moment. But we can try. I'll talk to Minerva and see what she has to say about this. But for now, there is . . . there is nothing we can do."

"Gone back?" Ron asked with a wide expression on his face.

"In time?" Harry finished for him. "How far back in time has she gone?" He asked narrowing his eyes at Remus. He didn't quite believe the idea that she was gone possibly for good. Though until Remus confirmed his suspicions he wasn't going to trust his gut feelings.

"If I understand right . . . I believe she's gone back nearly twenty years ago . . . I'd say about June . . . perhaps early July. Her name back then was Hermione Grant. She bunked with James, Sirius and Mr. and Mrs. Potter. She was . . . was a really good friend, but she disappeared the day Harry was born . . . " Remus broke off and got up and left the room to let the news sink in.

After Remus left Harry looked around to Ron, whose mouth was hanging open slightly.

"What the bloody hell was that about?" Ron asked Harry closing his mouth only to open it again.

"How should I know? Godric . . . Hermione . . . In the Seventies . . . Those poor hippies have no clue what's about to hit them." Harry said with a small smirk at Ron, who burst into laughter.

Outside the kitchen . . . Remus leaned against the wall and sighed. Things were happening. He just hoped in the end Harry and Ron would accept the loss of their friend . . . Because Remus never did.

-1977- September-

The summer went by fast for James, Sirius, and Hermione and soon it was time for them to return to Hogwarts. Hermione was nervous beyond measure. She and James had become fast and to Sirius close friends. She guessed it was because he reminded her of Harry. As for Sirius and Hermione, he tended to tolerate her and didn't quite trust her. That bothered Hermione to the point of asking James if she had done anything to offend him. James had just chuckled and pulled Hermione to his side.

"No, you aren't doing anything wrong. Sirius . . . Sirius tends to have a problem trusting people. His parents made it hard for him to confide in anyone other then Remus, Peter and myself. Don't worry about it much, Hermione. In time he will learn to trust you." He said ruffling her hair. Still Hermione was uneased.

The time' had come for the Potters to send the three students off to school. Mrs. Potter was going to be taking them early since she was going to visit a friend in a town nearby at noon and didn't want to have to hurry. James, the newly appointed Head Boy, was a bundle of energy when he, Sirius, and Hermione arrived at King's Cross and walked through the barrier. Hermione looked at Sirius with a raised eyebrow.

"Does he always get hyper before the train leaves? She asked looking at the said hyper-black-haired boy. Sirius just grinned at her.

"It's just because he knows Lily is Head Girl . . . plus the fact that it's our last year." He said as the subject of their quick and rare conversation scanned the platform as if he was looking for something . . . or perhaps someone.

"Lily?" Hermione asked looking perplexed for a moment before the name hit her. Sirius was talking about Harry's mother. "So . . . How long has James fancied this Lily-person?" she asked with a smirk.

"Only since he hit puberty. It's sad really. Lily loathes him." He said as a voice spoke behind them making Hermione jump and Sirius scream like a little girl.

"Lily doesn't loath James, she just highly disapproves of the way he acts." Turning around Hermione got her first look at a young Professor Lupin. REMUS . . . Remember to call him Remus! Hermione thought to herself.

"Moony! Sirius said on a gasp. "Do that again and I'll have to knock you to the ground." he added, his features narrowing into a glare. Hermione nearly burst into laughter.

"Sorry Padfoot . . . didn't mean to scare you that bad." Remus said grinning at Sirius. "Oi! Who's this?" He asked looking at Hermione as if noticing her for the first time.

"Exchange student . . . Hermione Grant, meet Remus Lupin. But to us he's Moony." James said coming back over and clasping Remus on the shoulder.

"Or Fluffy . . ." Sirius added making Remus glare at his friend.

" It's a pleasure to meet you." Hermione said haltingly. It was strange to meet the young man that would be a teacher in the future. Never mind that Hermione . . . think of now, not later. She thought to herself.

"You too . . . " he said then turned to grin at James. "So any sign of our new Head Girl?" He asked teasingly. James just sighed.

"Nope. I doubt she'll be excited to see me though. Like Padfoot said, she loathes me." he said his voice a little disappointed.

Hermione smiled a little sadly to know that she was being pushed back into the background.

Sure, she was the new girl, but honestly she was hoping to get to talk to James and Sirius a little before she made friends of her own. Going off to sit on a bench not far from the guys she was able to see the students that started entering the platform with their parents. She wished she could see hers again one last time. She scoffed to herself. What the hell was she thinking she wasn't going to ever see her parents again and she knew it. Looking up as a tall, gangly, semi-greasy-haired teenager walked through alone she gasped as she recognized a younger Snape. Not noticing the girl the boy looked right at the Marauders and frowned turning the opposite way escaping their notice. Hermione looked down at her hands, which were clenched into fists. This was the first time that she had seen him since the day Dumbledore had died. Looking at his younger self made her want to retch.

"Hey, Hermione!" a rather loud voice carried across to her. The young girl looked up to see James walking over. "Whatcha doing over here by yourself?" he asked sitting down next to her.

"Oh . . . um . . . you both were greeting your friend. I didn't want to be in the way. Don't worry about me that much, James. I'm fine over here." She said giving him a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"Don't give me that Hermione. I would think that living with me for two months would have made you know me better than that. Besides the train will be here in a couple of minutes. Come back and join us. Moony won't mind." he said pointing at his two friends. Hermione shot him a look with a raised eyebrow.

"Sure Remus wouldn't mind . . . but I think that Sirius would though . . . you can't ignore it, James . . . he doesn't like me all that much. He doesn't hide it all that well. And don't forget Remus . . . he didn't even say hi." She said trying not to sound all that sad about it. James smiled sadly but didn't deny what she said.

"Please, Hermione come back and join us. I don't want you to be alone on your first day of school. It's just not right." James said giving her a small pout. She smiled and nodded but didn't say anything but got up and waited for him to do the same. After he did, she followed him back over to his group of friends.

"Look who decided to join us again." James said to the others pulling Hermione next to him. Remus nodded in her direction and Sirius just grunted. Hermione looked at James with a raised eyebrow as if to say 'See I told you so'. James frowned.

Hermione shrugged as the train pulled up and the group of four grabbed their things to board the train.

Now I know what you are thinking . . . Sirius and Remus totally ignored me the first day of school. But they didn't trust me completely. I don't blame them. James, however, was an angel. He treated me like his parents did. Well, okay I was more like a sister then a daughter to him . . . but anyway . . .

I also met Lily that day. Now the stories I had heard about Lily Evans weren't any thing like the girl, herself, she was. Lily was kind, caring and very open to me at the first moment I met her. Yet like the others . . . She didn't trust me all that well either . . .

To tell you the truth . . . I'm not sure anyone did, even Dumbledore. I know now the reason that I wasn't trusted. Back then, it either was kill or get killed so to speak. Voldemort was in the highlight of his powers and it was dangerous even for us students to go to Hogsmeade.

Hermione stared at the passing scenery. The boys were yakking 20 miles a minute about their summer. She, however, was fine being left alone with her thoughts. About a half an hour later James came into the compartment and sat down heavily and sighed. Sirius looked at him with a roll of his eyes.

"What now Jamesy? Lily do her best to ignore you? Poor Galahad! You're supposed to be a great knight . . . instead, but you're a great knot." He said as Hermione snorted. During her stay with the Potters Sirius had bugged poor James about his middle name constantly. She, however, had to act surprised about it, seeing as she had visited James and Lily's grave the day she had gone into the past.

"Sadly, she ignored me the entire time we were walking back from the meeting. But," he said perking up a bit, "When I mentioned Hermione here she started asking questions about her." he said grinning at the girl who was ignoring them. "OI! Hermione! Earth to Mione! Look at me I'm talking to you, woman!" James said poking her in the shoulder. Looking at him he saw the sadness in her eyes and gave her a warm smile. "Come with me, Mione, There's someone I want you to meet." he said tugging on her hand. Remus and Sirius gave each other a look that clearly said, 'Not again! James is going to kill himself' as Hermione grudgingly followed him out of the compartment.

"Merlin's Beard, James, where in bloody hell are you taking me?" she asked little worried knowing the way James was, outside the compartment James looked around trying to find the way he wanted to take her.

"Shhh I'm trying to think of where I'm going . . . She said she was toward the front of the fourth car . . . Ah yes . . . this way Mione." he said pulling her toward the front of the compartment.

"James . . . can I ask who she is?" Hermione asked with a raised eyebrow. James ignored her and tugged at her hand. "This way! Come on . . . four-fifty . . . four-fifty-fi-Ah here . . ." he stopped suddenly and Hermione ran into his shoulder.

"Umph! James... where- Oh!" she said as he opened the compartment to reveal a group of what looked to be seventh year girls. The one Hermione was looking at had the shocking green eyes that Harry had inherited from his mother. This must be the illustrious Lily Evans. She's lovely.

"Potter... What?" Lily looked confused for a moment then saw Hermione peeking behind James's shoulder and a look of acknowledgment lit the girl's face. "Oh! I see . . . Be right back, girls. Head Girl stuff." Lily said smiling at her friends. Getting up she followed James out of the car toward the back of the train. Hermione just followed the two Head Students toward the luggage compartment.

Once there James opened the door and let the two girls in then shut the door. Lily looked at Hermione with interest. Hermione was looking at James. He was looking at Lily waiting for her to say something to him or Hermione. Unable to take it any more apparently James spoke up.

"Lily Evans, Hermione Grant. Hermione, this is the one and only Lily Evans. Hermione stayed with me and my parents for the summer." James said making the introduction. Hermione smiled and held out her hand to the redhead.

"Its nice to fin . . . uh meet you, Lily. I've heard a lot about you from James, Sirius, and Remus . . . All good things . . . kind of . . . sort of . . . Yeah all good." Hermione faltered making Lily smile.

"Potter said that the new exchange student was different but I don't mind. It's wonderful to meet you too. Potter dotes on you . . . it makes me-well we can talk about that later. That is if you'd like to." She said with a shrug of her shoulders. Hermione shot James an annoyed look. James, however shrugged. She fought the urge to smack him upside the head.

"I'd love to, I mean what new kid wouldn't want to make friends. Um? What I mean is I'd like that." Hermione said smiling.

"Right, that's good . . . Um . . . Lily?" James interrupted the girls to look at the redhead. Lily looked at Hermione like she was going to shoot sparks out of her wand . . . "I was wondering . . . would you like to go to Hogsmeade with me this first trip?" He asked. Hermione was surprised to find him looking a little pathetic and she rolled her eyes.

"I'm going back to our compartment, James. I'll see you later, Lily?" she asked the Head Girl. Lily nodded quickly then grabbed her arm.

"Don't leave me alone with him. He'll drive me mad . . . Please?" She whispered in Hermione's ear. Hermione sighed leaned back over toward Lily.

"Why don't you give him one chance to prove he isn't the biggest git in Hogwarts? He's actually quite pleasant to be around." She whispered back. Lily stared at James for a second. Then turned to Hermione and nodded.

"All right, Potter . . . You get one chance to prove to me you've changed and then we'll go from there. I'll go to Hogsmeade with you on our first trip." She said and James grinned at her. Hermione was once again pushed into the background as they walked Lily back to her compartment. Hermione had snuck into their compartment without James noticing. She shut the door, turned around and grinned as the now three boys stared at her. Peter Pedigrew had joined the group sometime after they had left. She looked at Sirius.

"I'm warning you now. James is going to be one happy camper when he gets back, which should be any moment. He's gotten Lily Evans to go out on one date with him . . . so act surprised when he gets back here." She said sitting down next to Sirius and Remus. Just then the last member of the group came in. James looked like he was on the moon. Settling down next to Peter he looked at Hermione and gave her a big grin.

"I don't know how you did it, Mione but I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart." He said leaning over and hugging her. "Hermione here went and somehow convinced Lily to go out with me." he said sitting back.

"What? How on earth did you do that?" Sirius turned to looked at the only girl in the group.

"I have my secrets." she said. Then leaned toward Sirius and grinned. "I'll tell you later." she whispered. For once Sirius was actually talking to her. She was surprised. Sirius just smiled at James, who was looking out of the window with a loopy grin on his face. Hermione smiled. And it starts. She thought as she pulled out a book and started to read.

The time went by fast on the train. James, Remus, Sirius and Peter were making a lot of noise. I, however, was the only quiet one in the entire car. I look back now and smile as I remember Peter joking around with his only friends. I also look back to the scenario in my third year when Harry, Ron and I learned the truth to how Lily and James died on that Halloween night and look at my pictures in disgust. How could a boy, who was shy and kind to me and our friends, turn on those same friends and turn them in to the darkest man on the planet. If I were to ever meet Peter again, I would . . . Well I don't know what I'd do . . . I know that if I go back I'd want to hunt him down and do him in . . . probably after I beat him down with my fists. I'd also want to ask him questions about why he did what he did. Those questions are always in my mind.

After the sorting was done, the feast was starting. Hermione and the others were eating and the boys were getting up to no good. It had all started when Sirius made a snide comment to James about Severus Snape.

"As much as I loathe seeing Snivelus," Sirius had started looking at the back of the other boy's head. "His greasy hair makes it all the while." Hermione was starting to see why Remus had said in her third year . . . Sirius liked to bait Snape. He was getting a real kick out of seeing the pathetic-looking boy turn into something that looked, in her mind like a greasy-faced tomato.

"Why's that, Padfoot?" James had asked looking over toward the object of their fun. Hermione had looked over to Remus, who gave her a 'what can you do, you can't kill them' shrug. As Hermione looked into Remus' eyes she felt a slight spark within her as he stared at her. She then felt a tingle down her spine.

" 'Cause eventually his pillow will get so greasy that he might fall out of bed and injure his already empty head." he finished as James burst into laughter. Snape, tired of getting picked on, started toward the Gryffindor table to put an end to it. Hermione not wanting a scene put a hand on James' shoulder. James looked over at her and smiled one of Harry's famous 'let's do this' smiles. Sighing she went back to eating but was really getting ready to intervene if it came to that. As Severus walked over James and Sirius were whispering together. Hermione looked toward Lily and rolled her eyes. Lily smiled.

"Honestly!" she said looking at James and Sirius and huffing as she turned right back to her plate. James had heard her mutter something that sounded like, 'immature dolts'. He placed a hand on Hermione's stopping her mid muttering rant.

"He's been a thorn in our side since first year... you'll see why in a moment. He apparently wants to meet the new Gryffindor. If he gives you any trouble you can leave him to us, okay?" he was giving her an all too innocent grin.

"Fine... but if you say one more horrible thing to him I won't talk to you for the rest of the year... and NO that's a not a promise." she looked at Peter, Remus and Sirius. "That goes for the rest of you too." she said glaring. James looked rather scared at that thought.

"But Mione! He's a pain in the ass!" James whined again. "He lives to torture us. He's a two-faced Slytherin. He's also greasy."

"James... I don't care what he is... when he comes over try to be nice... for me just this once?" Hermione pleaded.

"Fine... Sni... uh Snape... what can I do for you today?" James asked faltering as the Slytherin came up to him and his friends.

"I'm here to warn you Potty... that this year I won't call for any pranks and bullshit. By the way, I'm Severus Snape... You would do nicely if you didn't hang out with Potty and his gang... they corrupt you."

Hermione bit back the retort that she wanted to say to him. Snape could drown in a toilet for all she cared. Yet she wanted to try to be kind to the boy. "I'm Hermione Grant. Thanks for the warning about James and the boys, but I choose my own friends and I'll stick by those friends if anyone tries to mess with them. You'd do kindly to remember that. Mess with my friends... and you'll be answering to me." she warned. Snape grunted and returned to the Slytherin Table just in time for Dumbledore to make his final comments about the beginning of the year. James and the other three boys stared at the bushy-haired girl. She was tough even though she'd been through a lot in the last couple of months.

"Now that we are stuffed to the proverbial gills, I want to make a few announcements for the start of term. Our younger students, would do kindly to stay away from the Forbidden Forest as would our older students, would remember that also." he stared pointedly to the Marauders. Hermione felt something like deja vu. Dumbledore did the exact same thing to Harry, Ron and her. "As for our new staff please give welcome to Professor Amara Gibbly. She will be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts." he waited for the students to stop clapping politely for the new professor. As if he knew when the clapping would stop he continued. "You older students may have noticed the absence of one of our students and a new face in the crowd. Margaret MacKenzie of Slytherin is studying abroad in Salem's Academy for the Gifted for her final year of schooling. We would also like to give welcome to a new Gryffindor student. Please greet Hermione Grant. She came from Beauxbatons, in the south of France, you may notice she speaks impeccable English as she was born and raised here in Great Britain yet chose to go to France for her schooling and had the opportunity to study for her last year here at Hogwarts." Dumbledore said. Hermione was impressed that he had come up with a rather good story for her reason of being here at Hogwarts as well as sending a student to America so she wouldn't be suspected of stowing away from her family or some other thing. Hermione listened to James and Sirius whispering about Margaret Mackenzie. She had known her daughter, Caitlin, from Hogwarts. The girl was a year older then Harry, Ron and her. She was a Hufflepuff.

"Margaret's not going to be here this year?" James said looking disappointed. Hermione had a good feeling that he was sarcastic. "Damn . . . where am I going to go to find a good laugh? Other then Snivels there." He said grinning. Hermione rolled her eyes. Sirius too looked sorry that the girl was gone.

"Salem Academy for the Gifted Sluts should be the true name of the school. How many men did she supposedly sleep with last year? Ten? Twenty? Two hundred?"

"Sirius!" Hermione looked offended. Sirius looked at her with sympathizing eyes.

"Hermione, that girl was the biggest hussy on this side of the Atlantic Ocean. She'd sleep with anyone."

"Even you?" Remus asked with a smirk.

"Oh ish." Sirius said with a roll of his eyes.

"Still, You shouldn't say that about Salem. Its suppose to be the best school in America. Besides," she said going along with Dumbledore's story. "It was a choice between there and Hogwarts. I didn't want to go far from my parents and before they... uh died... I was debating after their insistence to go to Salem." she frowned. She didn't know what else to say if anyone asked about her parents. James placed a hand on top of her's.

"Sorry, Mione... We didn't know about your parents. Why didn't you tell Mum or Dad? Or even me?" he asked looking disappointed that she didn't confide in him.

"I didn't think it was important." she said simply. James just looked at her blankly.

"Not important... Hermione you can't honestly think that your parents dying isn't important. It would explain a lot about your turning up at the house looking a little worse for wear and very thin." he said and Remus looked at James oddly.

"What do you mean turn up at your house Prongs? I thought she was placed at Godric's Hollow. Dumbledore didn't mention that she was a refugee of the war."

Probably because Remus didn't know Hermione as well as James and Sirius did, and he didn't think that she would want to be on everyone's pity list. So he just let the subject go for a later date.

"And further more, we ask that the Head Boy, Head Girl, and the Prefects show our First Years to their respective Common Rooms. With that I bid you all a good night." Dumbledore finished his speech. The Marauders and Hermione got up as James walked over to Lily and conversed quickly then came back over to the group of his friends. Nodding to Sirius and Remus, James hooked his arm through Hermione's arm and started leading her to the Entrance Hall.

"Let's go to the Common Room... I hope you like Red and Gold.. Come on new Gryffindor let's introduce you to our House." James said grinning as Hermione giggled, the mention of her supposed parents death long gone. Remus however took this time to look at the young woman. Granted he wasn't very welcoming to her at the train station. He wanted to try though. There was something about her that almost drew him to her. He was ready for a different year.

GAHHHHH I thought I lost this chapter... took me over a year to find it and get it finished. I thought that I would never do it... took me a month to get one part of the chapter done. Welll I hope you enjoy.. For my InuYasha story An Office Affair will be up hopefully before Christmas. And the next chapter of this story will be up sometime after that. Toodles- Allie