Hello all and welcome back to the "Everyone Lies" series! The story continues now with "Everyone Lies For Love" right where we left off in the epilogue of "Everyone Lies Awake". If you have not read "Everyone Lies Awake", please go back and do so, as this story will make very little sense otherwise. For those of you who are just jumping on board, this is part two of what is planned to be a four part series. Given the scope of what is planned for this series, I have gone ahead and created a Facebook group that those of you inclined are welcome to join. Just go to Facebook dot come, slash groups, slash everyonelies, and that should get you there. Searching Facebook Groups for "Everyone Lies" will likely also bring it up although I have no idea how much digging that will involve. The group, aside from being a great place to meet and greet fellow fans of this series, will be a place where you can see my personal fan casts for a lot of original characters that will be coming into play in this story, as well as various author notes, trivia, and so forth that I'll spatter here and there to keep things interesting as things move along. I tend not to leave long notes on my chapter posts if I can help it, so the Group is going to be another way to help me keep these chapter posts fairly clean. Without further delay, I present the first chapter of "Everyone Lies For Love".
Chapter One
Hermione Granger woke with a groan, absently resenting the fact that Veil travel was anything but subtle. Her face was caked with dirt, made worse by the fact that it had been wet with tears when she'd come through, and the grime covered ground of wherever they'd landed had mixed with the moisture and formed a thin mask on her skin, likely making her appear more tan than she usually did. She sat up, body protesting the movement, and looked around. Quickly, she spotted Sirius, who was also beginning to stir, and a moment later, she spotted two dead bodies not far from them. "Oh, shite," she let out.
"Where are we?" Sirius muttered, rolling toward her voice.
"No idea," she answered. Then, she spotted a wand laying on the ground near one of the bodies, and lurching forward, made a grab for it, first things first casting a spell to clean her face. Vain, she knew, but it wasn't as though it took much time or effort on her part, and there did not seem to be any immediate danger in any case.
"How long have we been out?" was his next question.
Wand in hand, she cast the Tempus charm to answer that simple question, wondering if they'd been out for more than a day. "That can't be right," she said, face turning white as she saw the figure floating in front of her. Hermione cast the charm a second time, but the result was the same. "Oh Merlin. Sirius. We're in trouble."
"What?" he asked, finally sitting up. "We can't have been out that long. Honestly Hermione, what's gotten your knickers in a…"
His voice froze as he saw the date floating in the air. January eighteenth. Nineteen fifty-four. "... twist?" Sirius' voice finished, numb. "Fuck. Are we… are we in our reality though?"
"It doesn't matter," Hermione mused, thinking about it for a moment. "Everything that makes our reality ours hasn't happened yet. Albus will have only just defeated Grindelwald, less than a decade ago. Voldemort is still quite young and only beginning to amass a power base. Minerva will have only graduated Hogwarts a few years ago now, so even if she has married Dougal here, and Albus has done a bunk, there's time to draw them both back into the fold before things go to hell. Of course, we need to get out there and assess. Sirius, you haven't even been born yet, and I won't be born for years. We've such an opportunity here. We can fix everything. We can save Harry from ever suffering the way he did in our memories."
"We can save James," Sirius said, voice raw with feeling.
"Maybe," she agreed. "Temporal mechanics being what they are, we have to account for crux events. In both realities we've been to thus far, James and Lily died on Halloween, eighty-one. For all we know that event isn't mutable."
"I refuse to believe that," he said firmly.
"I'm not going to speculate much at this point," Hermione allowed. "In any case, we need to get out of here, and we need to figure out some sort of alternate identities for ourselves. We can't be Sirius Black and Hermione Granger anymore. Not if we don't want the Ministry to ultimately arrest us for altering the timeline."
Sirius eyed the bodies on the other side of the cabin they were in, and raised an eyebrow curiously. "I might still be able to be Sirius Black. Just not Sirius Black the third."
"What do you mean?" she asked, following his gaze.
He went over to one of the bodies, a man who, upon more detailed inspection, resembled Sirius a great deal. Magical bodies, she'd learned, simply didn't decompose the way Muggle ones did. Not for years and years after death. Her lover pulled a ring off the man's hand, and held it up for her to see. "It's the Black family signet ring. I've seen pictures of it, but it's been lost since the fifties, when Sirius Black the second was, by all accounts, captured by Grindelwald's forces, along with his wife Hesper. Their bodies were never found, although the family tapestry showed their deaths in fifty-four. And that, I'm pretty sure, is Sirius Black the second and his wife. The ring all but proves it. We could adopt their identities."
"You might be able to pull off being your own great-grandfather," she agreed, remembering his place on the Black family tree. "Potions to confirm identity weren't that advanced in this era. If you were tested it would confirm you were a Black, but I couldn't pass as Hesper if they tested me."
"What about a story where Hesper was killed and he met and fell in love with someone else who was also with them in captivity?" Sirius suggested. "We show up, I'm confirmed as Sirius Black the second, and we get married as planned, except in this case they all believe you're a woman their long lost Head of the family met in captivity."
"That's a more feasible plan," Hermione mused. "However, you'd need to get sorted with permanent Transfiguration to alter your appearance to match Sirius the second. You resemble him a great deal, I think, but it's not perfect. He's also a bit older than you."
"Can you do the Transfiguration?" he asked.
"No," she admitted. "That's Grandmaster level work. I'm only at level two for Transfiguration. We're going to need help from somebody."
He sighed. "So who the hell do we trust enough to go to? Who is alive in this era who would have the contacts we need to get this done, who'd be nuts enough to believe a story like this?"
Hermione thought about it for a minute, running over the options. She considered Albus, but realistically she didn't want to alert him to their presence unless she had to. She may have made peace with an Albus who looked at her as an equal, but an Albus who had not been beaten down by grief was far more likely to look at her as a rival, or worse, as a potential threat, and if the Albus here was in a position to be helpful, it would be an Albus who had not done a bunk after defeating Grindelwald because he was torn up by grief. Minerva was still too young to have much influence to speak of, no matter where she was, and Pomona was younger than Minerva. Filius and Severus weren't even born yet. "Melok," she finally concluded. "Melok would have the resources and connections, and while I know you never really connected to him, I believe I know what to say to him to get him to believe we are who we say we are."
"Like what?" Sirius laughed. "You gonna tell him about his future kid?"
"Hardly," she scoffed. "I'd really rather not give anyone indications of what's to come before they come to pass. That could radically alter the future as we know it. Things should be allowed to evolve naturally where they can. That said, during the mission to Gringotts with Melok, Minerva, and Albus, do you recall me telling you that our original plan for exit was blocked, and we had to find another means to leave?"
He nodded. "Yeah. You never said how you got out of there. I just remember you guys pissing and moaning about a bunch of creatures."
"We're all under oath not to reveal what that exit was," she admitted. "Even now I can't say outright to you, but I can speak of it to Melok, given it was he who directed the oath, even if it was his alternate self. Since it was a secret path that Melok never should have shown us, and any version of Melok will know that, I figure that telling this Melok that I'm aware of it will give me some credibility to start."
"Not a terrible plan," Sirius agreed. "So basically, we send word to Melok, I find a place to lay low, and you go meet the bloke?"
She tossed the wand she'd picked up to Sirius, now realizing it had belonged to his great-grandfather. "Give this a try. It will add to your credibility if you can use his wand."
Sirius cast a few spells, seeming to have little trouble with it. "Feels decent enough. Different from the last wand I had, but frankly I'm getting used to this switching wands thing at this point. I don't see Hesper's."
Hermione shook her head in dismissal. "My wandless magic will be fine for now, Sirius. I'm sure Melok can assist in getting me suited with a wand of my own in short order, although admittedly I'll miss having Eileen's. That really did work well for me. Ebony, just like Severus'. I should like to find another Ebony wand, I think, rather than Vine like my original one was."
"What was the core of Eileen's wand?" he inquired.
"Dragon heartstring, like the core of my Vine," she replied.
She expected to have to break out of the cabin, considering it was clear that both Sirius and Hesper Black had died in captivity, but the door opened easily and Hermione and Sirius left the ramshackle abode without much fuss. Using the reclaimed wand, Sirius set to flame the cabin and bodies, ensuring that nobody would ever find evidence to suggest there was more than one Sirius Black the second, should they be successful in establishing their subterfuge. It didn't really matter that they had no idea where the hell they were, really. Once they were certain the cabin was well on the way to burnt down, the couple apparated directly to the street in front of the Leaky Cauldron, and then went inside. Fortunately, Hermione had her bottomless bag on her and was able to, once in Diagon Alley, sell a few items - rare books - to get them some Galleons to spend. She offered Sirius a handful and told him to set them up with lodging at the Leaky, and then she made her way to the nearest Owlery and sent a brief message to Melok.
Meet me at the south exit of the Goblin Catacombs. You don't know me, but please understand by my knowledge of this place that you can trust me. As further proof of my trustworthiness, I offer this: it is a rare Witch to care for a Goblin, however Genia is not wholly unique.
After sending the Owl, Hermione apparated to the south exit of the Catacombs, about three miles away within the sewer system of London, magically concealed and unless one knew where to look for it, impossible to find. It was bittersweet to think of seeing Melok in short order, assuming he even came. He wouldn't be her Melok. He wouldn't be the Goblin who she loved. He wouldn't be the Goblin that she knew loved her in return. He wouldn't be the man who she'd spent six months building a relationship with, however complicated that relationship had become.
Man. Goblin. Hermione objectively knew Melok was a Goblin but she'd long since stopped seeing him that way. To her, he was a man like any other, or perhaps unlike any other. He was something special to her, and she saw beyond his skin, beyond his species, and simply saw him. She saw Melok's character and his heart, and she saw into his soul and was touched by it. However, in the here and now, Melok was not a widower. He was married to Genia Flitwick, and before long would become a young father to Filius. In the here and now she was engaged to Sirius, and before long would marry him. Whatever inkling of feelings had evolved between herself and Melok in the other reality had no future here, and she was foolish to even consider it. Still, she hoped to gain this Melok's friendship. Everything else aside, he'd been a good friend there, and he'd be a good friend here, too. That much Hermione knew without doubt.
It was nearly two hours before she heard footsteps approaching. They were familiar, even if this was an individual she'd never met. Melok's carriage and bearing had not changed over the course of the many years between nineteen fifty-four and two thousand six. Gods. They had traveled fifty-two years into the past. Hermione sighed heavily at the gravity of it, and then found herself smiling a little as the younger version of the Goblin she'd known suddenly came into sight.
"It is quite irregular," he said in greeting, "for someone who is not a Goblin to have knowledge of this place. Who are you, and how have you come by this knowledge?"
"Melok," she greeted, his voice a balm to her soul even if his tone was cool and distant. "My name is Hermione. Would you believe me if I told you that we've met before, in another reality?"
"Magically possible," he admitted with a curious look, "however improbable."
"Where I came from, it was not only another place, but another time," she admitted. "Many years into the future. In that place, we came to know one another, quite well in fact, because you were training me."
Understanding dawned in his eyes. "You're a Mage?"
"Not yet fully Awakened," she said, "but yes. The situation being what it was did not allow for my training to be completed. I've managed three of the five required Masteries, plus Arithmancy."
"I cannot imagine a situation in which a Mage's training was not the first priority," he said skeptically.
"It was a world at war," Hermione replied stiffly. "The priority was to defeat a Dark Lord who had taken over the world. The Statute of Secrecy was gone, millions slaughtered, and the survivors living in camps protected by wards which were powered by the blood of a Mage. To say the least, the situation was dire. My training program was less one designed to fully Awaken me, and more one designed to give us the quickest and best advantage in a planned offensive in six months time. That I managed two Masteries in six months was quite the feat, as when I met you, I'd only had one of the five."
"Gods," Melok breathed, finally relaxing enough to take a seat. "How did you end up here?"
"An artifact called the Veil," she explained. "An accident."
Hermione knew she was leaving a lot out. The fact of the matter was that for the time being, Melok didn't need to know everything. She knew that given time, she'd likely tell him more - tell him that the reality she'd met him in wasn't the one she'd been born to, and that the accident with the Veil had been what brought her to the war torn reality, not into the past - but for the moment he only needed the barest of details.
"I'm familiar with the Veil," Melok admitted. "It's rumored that a Mage constructed it."
Hermione scowled. "Your other self neglected to mention that."
"He likely didn't see the relevance in telling you of its history," the Goblin said with a shrug. "It does not impact how you ended up here, accidentally or otherwise. In any case, I trust you and your betrothed understand that it would be unwise to go about using your real names, less you eventually are caught by the Ministry and arrested for tampering with the timeline."
"Yes, we did consider that," she replied. "Especially considering that they'd be quite right to accuse us. Sirius and I didn't ask for this opportunity, but that does not mean we won't take advantage of what's in front of us."
"Then you do mean to alter what you know as the future," Melok concluded. "Why?"
"The reality we come from was decimated by war," Hermione explained. "I know by now Grindelwald is finished, but there is another Dark Lord on the rise, even now, who will spiral the Wizarding World into another war in the coming years that will be even more devastating than Grindelwald managed. I do nothing - there are dozens of Wizarding families that will be extinct or on the brink of extinction, and of those who are still alive, few will be able to look back and say they were untouched by the war. St. Mungos ward for long term care will be filled mostly with those who were left under the Cruciatus for too long. The trials after will go on for years as they try to sort out who was under the Imperius and who is lying and trying to get out of Azkaban sentences. That doesn't even account for the general post traumatic stress that nearly everyone is going through, especially the young ones, given we were a generation of child soldiers, raised to fight in a war we had no choice but to be part of. You'll have to forgive me, Melok, for wanting to shape a better future than that horror show."
He looked at her thoughtfully for a few minutes, saying nothing as he processed everything. Eventually, he let out a sigh and spoke. "What is it you need from me?"
"My betrothed is Sirius Black the third. Sirius Black the second is by rights his great-grandfather. He also happens to be dead," Hermione explained. "When we arrived, we were dumped in a cabin in the middle of nowhere, in the company of two dead bodies. We were able to identify them as Sirius and Hesper Black. Our idea is for Sirius to assume the identity of his grandfather, allowing him to have a great deal of political clout as we move forward and try to reshape the future, as he'd become Head of a very noted Pureblood family. He needs some permanent Transfiguration to adjust his features to match his grandfather. They resemble one another a great deal, but it's not perfect, and while I am a Transfiguration Master, I am not a Grandmaster."
"What identity will you be assuming?" Melok inquired. "You'll not pass as Hesper Black, even if I arranged for the Transfiguration to make you appear like her."
"Our idea is to toss the Blacks a story about how I was also in captivity, and that we fell in love after Hesper died, but before we were able to escape," she explained. "Once he's established, he'll explain to the family that he intends to marry me, which we wanted to do anyway, and in that stroke I merely need to present them with an alternate surname that cannot be tied to my younger self down the road. Hermione is not very common, but it isn't unique, either, and I'd prefer to keep it than to cause problems when Sirius accidentally calls me by my real name."
"Won't your family recognize you?" Melok asked. "Much as Sirius' family might have recognized him, due to his similar bearing to his grandfather?"
She laughed. "My family is Muggle, Melok. I don't come from a Wizarding line. There will be nobody to recognize me unless I wander into the Muggle world a few decades from now. My father is only a child now. My mother hasn't even been born."
"A Muggleborn Mage?" Melok asked, looking intrigued. "Interesting. What wand core have you got?"
"At the moment I don't even have a wand," she admitted. "I still need to go over to Ollivanders and get one, as our wands didn't come with us through the Veil. That said, our funds are somewhat limited until we are accepted by the Blacks, and wands are not inexpensive, so I wanted to speak with you about our options before committing to the purchase. My wandless magic is adequate but that's not something I generally like to advertise. My last core was a dragon heartstring, though."
"You grow more and more curious by the minute, Hermione," Melok admitted. "What did you say your surname was?"
"I didn't," she remarked slyly. "Technically speaking it's Granger, although I'll have to drop that like a hat. I figured I'd tell the Blacks it's Baker for the short time I need a surname of my own, before I take Black when Sirius and I marry."
"Where's Baker come from?" he inquired.
"Thin air," she laughed. "I'm not so foolish as to give anyone a trail to follow. Baker is a common enough Muggle surname, so I doubt anyone would think twice about it."
Melok looked thoughtful. "I am still curious as to your inclination to come to me. While it makes a certain sense that you'd eventually seek me out to complete your training, even a version of myself who had met and been training you as a Mage would not have shown you this place without either great need or a deep affection. I'll be requiring an explanation."
"Great need drove us," Hermione replied. "Although between you and I, deep affection was not absent either. In the course of the war, there was a need to break into Gringotts. Our initial plan for escape after our aim was met was compromised. Taking the passage through the Catacombs became our only means to exit, and your alternate self did require a vow of me and our two companions before showing us through. Of course, neither of the other two came through the Veil with me, so short of my telling their counterparts here, the secret remains intact."
"Who are they?" he demanded fiercely. "At present trust between you and I is minimal, Miss Granger. I would hear the names of those you could feasibly betray this location to."
She understood his feeling, even though hearing him address her formally stung. "Albus Dumbledore," she said, keeping her voice even, "and Minerva McGregor were our companions. I've yet to confirm it, but I believe Minerva will still be McGonagall, here. I dearly hope so, anyway, as it will simplify things a great deal."
Melok's eyes widened in recognition. "Dumbledore is Transfiguration Professor and Head of Gryffindor up at Hogwarts," he said. "Minerva, and yes, she is still McGonagall, is a friend of my wife's. She works at the Ministry."
Hermione let out a breath of relief. "I knew she and Genia were friends. Excellent."
The Goblin sighed. "Well, let's go get you a wand, if you can apparate us back to the surface. After that, we'll meet your betrothed and get you both sorted with Gringotts. I've got someone in the bank who can handle the Transfiguration - no questions asked - and after that I'd suggest you select a member of the Black family most likely to believe your story to test your hair brained scheme on before going directly to Grimmauld Place. Perhaps Cedrella Weasley; she's disowned but for a pitiful reason, and given this version of Sirius Black will be marrying a Muggleborn, many of the disownments will need to be rescinded. You understand this, yes?"
"Good riddance, I say," she agreed. "Good call on Cedrella though. She's Arthur Weasley's mother, right? He should be born by now."
Melok paused, clearly thinking. "I believe she has two sons at this point, and yes, I think one of them is called Arthur. Someone you know?"
"A very good friend, in my time," Hermione said with a nod. "Arthur's children will be my own peers, although when you're fighting a war together, age matters less, and you form friendships with like personalities more than you do around those your own age."
"Such as between the two of us?" Melok asked pointedly. "You keep insinuating a closeness between yourself and my counterpart, and yet if you are of age with Cedrella's grandchildren in the future but seem to be close to my age at present, then the age gap between us would have been significant. Still, Witches don't get close to Goblins."
"Yes, well, I did," Hermione said, looking exasperated. To make a point, she reached out and placed her hand tenderly on his shoulder. "We did become good friends."
There it was. As her contact continued, and he clearly sensed that this was a touch she was well used to and did not find uncomfortable in the slightest, he stared at her one part in complete bafflement and one part in total acceptance, as if everything she had told him suddenly sunk in all at once. "Bloody hell," he let out.
Hermione thought about kissing him on the cheek but she didn't think giving him a heart attack was a good idea. "Shall we go to Ollivanders, then?"
"Certainly," he agreed with a nod, carefully placing his hand over hers, where it still rested on his shoulder. "Whenever you are ready… Hermione."
They apparated outside the Leaky Cauldron, and then went inside and through to Diagon Alley, and before long found themselves inside Ollivander's wand shop. Hermione smiled at the wandmaker, years younger than when she'd last seen him. "Melok," Garrick greeted. "Will you introduce me to your companion?"
"Garrick, this is Hermione Baker, soon to be Black. Miss Baker, clearly, is in need of a new wand, hers having been destroyed in the course of her captivity alongside her betrothed," Melok lied smoothly. "Miss Baker, this is Garrick Ollivander, Wandmaker."
"A pleasure," she greeted, forcing her voice to remain calm and even, thinking that her feelings for him were not unlike her feelings for Albus Dumbledore. She didn't hate him, but she very much saw his flaws, and had a deep desire to hex him for his idiocy, especially in regard to his daughter Elise. Perhaps, she mused, in this reality the relationship between Elise and Garrick Ollivander need not be so stress-filled. She could work on fixing that. In fact, she should probably start making a list of things she intended to fix. Hermione Granger liked lists.
Pleasantries aside, Ollivander began the task of fitting her for a wand. It took him longer to find her one than it had the first time she'd been here, and he'd needed to go into the very back of his shop to get what he called the rare core selections before they found the right one for her. "Oh, sweet Merlin," she said when she picked up the right one. She hadn't even cast a spell yet. Just touching the thing made her feel more alive than she had in years. "Wow."
Ollivander looked pleased, but confused. "Strange," he admitted. "I would not have expected that."
"Expected what, sir?" she asked.
"The core of your wand is a Goblin artery," he explained. "I only use that core on a rare wand because now and then, Goblin half-breeds are born and that is a core that tends to work well with them, as it funnels the Goblin portion of their magic well. I'd not have expected it to work so well in an ordinary Witch. Curious indeed."
Melok also looked intrigued. "Clearly your bond with my people is… tangible."
Hermione laughed. "Clearly!"
"Ebony, sixteen inches, Goblin artery core," Ollivander declared. "Twenty-six Galleons, if you please."
Melok paid, laughing a little when Hermione attempted to object to his generosity. As they left the Wandmaker's shop, he was quick to offer an explanation. "Beyond the fact that at present you can hardly afford it, it's within my purview as your Master to cover certain expenses, Hermione. Think nothing of it."
"Then you mean to continue my training," she concluded, raising an eyebrow at his presumptuousness.
"Unless you happen to know any others qualified," the Goblin remarked. "I'll certainly not allow you to just linger on half-trained. What Masteries do you already have?"
"Defense, Transfiguration, and Charms," she replied calmly. "As well as the Arithmancy one."
"That tells me you have an interest, if not expertise, in Warding."
The pair continued discussing her training thus far as they walked from Ollivanders toward the Leaky Cauldron, having concluded that it was too late in the day at this point to try and sort out the rest of their identity issues at Gringotts, and that they should meet tomorrow, at the bank, to do so. Melok had insisted on escorting her back to where she and Sirius were staying, ever the gentleman, which while unnecessary, she found sweet. "Thank you," Hermione said when they'd arrived at the pub and inn. "For everything."
"Of course," he said with a tip of his head in acknowledgement. "I'll expect you and Mister Black on the front steps of Gringotts at eight thirty in the morning."
"We'll be there at eight fifteen," she replied with a smile.
He smirked. "I guess you did know my counterpart well. I shan't promise, but I may be able to set up a meeting with a Herbology Master for tomorrow after we get your identities sorted. Angus is American, but he's one of the best in the field, and you couldn't ask for a better instructor."
"I'll trust your judgment so far as Herbology goes," Hermione admitted. "I'm afraid I know very few Masters in that field, and the only one I know who I'd trust is too young at this point to have achieved enough Mastery to teach a Mage. When we get to the Potions Mastery, I'll tell you right now I will not work under Horace Slughorn. I know he's well respected but he's a complete arse and I can't stand him."
Melok looked amused. "Horace is an acquired taste, admittedly. He would have been my first choice, though, as he is very skilled and his attachment to the high profile means he'd have taken you on without a second thought. I'll have to rethink things, now. Anyone you know you'd prefer to work with?"
"Not who is old enough to teach me yet," Hermione admitted. "The Master I'd have chosen won't be born until nineteen sixty. He'll be a Grandmaster by the time he's twenty-five though."
"That is genuinely impressive," the Goblin admitted. "However, I'm not waiting that long for you to get your Potions Mastery. I'll think of somebody else. Slughorn isn't the only Grandmaster out there who can be discreet. Now, Hermione, I bid you a good evening. I shall see you in the morning."
Hermione resisted the urge, again, to press a kiss to his cheek, instead touching his arm once more. "Good evening, Melok. My regards to your wife."
At that, he turned and left and Hermione made her way inside and upstairs to the room Sirius had rented, eager to update her lover on the events of the day, and feeling far more optimistic about what lay ahead. Yes, they were stuck fifty-two years in the past, and no, they didn't have much in the way of a plan, or much in the way of friends, but they weren't completely alone and they were facing forward with an opportunity of a lifetime. Hermione and Sirius had a chance, now, to mold a future where their loved ones didn't have to suffer through quite as much war and death as they themselves had. Harry could grow up loved, without a prophecy hanging over his head. Her own parents could live, without uprooting their lives or having their memories erased. Sirius' younger counterpart would never go to Azkaban, and her younger counterpart would never become a child soldier and be tortured. All of this, and more, was possible.
The future was what they made it.
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