Note: "Hermes" is the name of the ship Hermione x James. It's awful, but better than Jamione. Ugh.


Last week of June, 1996

Diagon Alley

Hermione Granger stood outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Shop, enjoying a sweet with her mother as they waited for her boyfriend – yes, her boyfriend! – to show up.

"How does he look like again?" asked Jean Granger, Hermione's mother.

"Tall, broad shoulders, long dark hair, dark eyes," Hermione replied, blushing at the other characteristics that her mind provided but that she would never speak out loud to her mother. Delicious soft lips, a sexy voice, firm elegant hands.

"Is that him?" her mother said, interrupting Hermione's unspeakable thoughts and pointing at someone amongst the crowd that walked up and down Diagon Alley.

Hermione looked up and smiled.

"Yes. That's him."

James looked at his beautiful clever girlfriend standing near the ice cream shop with her mother and walked towards them, greeting her mother first, as the suck-up Slytherin Hermione had accused him of being many many times.

"You must be Hermione's mother," he said, picking up Jean's hand and laying a kiss on it, "What a pleasure to meet you, Mrs Granger. Hope it's true what they say about girls turning into their mothers as they grow," he winked at her.

"Well," Jean blushed, "Thank you, James."

Hermione rolled her eyes, "I told you he was a flirt, mum."

"Oh, but he's harmless, love," Jean replied, smiling, "A flirtatious man is so much better than a boring one – believe me. Your father can still make me laugh and blush even after all these years of marriage."

"Don't I know it," whispered Hermione, "It's embarrassing."

James laughed, "Just another thing we have on common, Mione!"

But she looked at him with a frown, "Your parents are not embarrassing."

James snorted: "Trust me, they can be disgustingly so."

"Hermione mentioned both your parents work at Hogwarts," commented Jean.

"Yes, Ma'am," he nodded, "A teacher and a healer."

"Healer? Oh, that's like a doctor, right?" Jean looked at Hermione for confirmation and her daughter nodded.

James added: "Mum's the best healer in the wizarding world. And dad's a Potions Master."

That had Jean frowning and looking at her daughter: "Wait. He's the son of that teacher?"

Hermione blushed and James looked at her with a smirk.

"Yes, mum," the girl replied, "And I told you my opinion on Prof. Snape has changed over the past two years."

James chuckled, "Don't worry, sweetheart, whatever you've called him, I've certainly called him worse."

"You don't have a good relationship with your father, James?" worried Jean.

"Oh, no! He's the best! But we've clashed a lot throughout the years. Not so much now, but it can still happen."

Jean nodded, understanding, "I'm glad Hermione is an atypical teenager. I don't know what I'd do with a rebel," she looked at the young couple, "I'll leave her under your care, then. And I'll expect her back home in time for dinner – and you'll dine with us tonight."

"Certainly, Mrs Granger," he bowed his head.

Jean hugged her daughter and then pulled him into a hug as well, "I'm trusting you, young man."

"We'll just go to a library, Ma'am," he reassured her.

"Alright. See you two at dinner."

And she walked up the Alley, going to the Leaky Cauldron.

"A library?" Hermione asked him, surprised, "I thought we'd be going to your house."

"My house has a library," James said, "But first, we need to find ourselves a corner," he held her hand and walked down Diagon Alley streets, moving close to Knockturn Alley.

"A corner?" Hermione whispered, knowing pretty well what he wanted to do in said corner.

"Yes. Me and you and that dress of yours... in a dark hidden corner," James whispered sensually in her year, making her tremble as he dragged her down the narrow corridor that led to the suspicious Alley and pushed her against the wall, "No one would dare guess the sweet Gryffindor girl from the Golden Trio is being snogged in such a depraved place," he whispered, taking her lips before she could say anything.

And all coherent thoughts vanished from Hermione's mind. The feeling of his larger body pressing her against a dirty wall on Knockturn Alley, having his wicked way with her, was more than enough to have her ever-busy mind go blank – turning James, and how he made her feel, into the only thought she was able of having.

And she loved him for it. How could she not?

He stimulated her mind whenever they had in-depth discussions about the most varied subjects.

And when his hands touched her – he took over her mind and made her body his.

James had her moaning softly in his mouth within minutes, and he had to force himself to stop kissing her.

"Damn, kitten. You make me lose control," he gasped, grabbing her arse with both hands.

"Kitten?" she frowned, remembering he had mentioned that nickname in one of their letters, "You're really calling me that?"

"Yes, I am. Every time I touch you, you purr like a kitten, so I'm calling you one," and he ran his hands down her curves, feeling her soft and delicate body against his larger and harder one; he licked her lips, teasing her mouth, before making a path of small bites down her neck.

She made a sound at the back of her throat, something between a whimper and a gasp.

"There," James said in a low and sexy voice, "I love that sound," he hoisted her up, making her wrap her legs around his waist, "Get ready to apparate with me, kitten."

Hermione nodded, wrapping her arms around his neck and closing her eyes.


When Hermione opened her eyes, she was in a very beautiful backyard with a garden pond, flowers and some tall trees. There was even a medium-sized ground pool near the backyard patio and kids' toys by the sectional sofa.

"This is lovely," she said as her feet touched the ground, "Look at that beautiful pond!"

"Dad made that. That's Queen's pond," James explained.

"Who's Queen?" she asked, surprised.

"Our snake-friend. She died last year though. Now her babies enjoy the pond. Nick and I named her Queen because her belly looked like a chessboard, black and white."

Hermione shook her head and chuckled, "Even the Malfoy's have dogs. But not you. Of course Queen would be a snake."

James smiled and led her towards the house; however, Hermione couldn't help but notice how he moved slightly away from the pool.

Then she asked, softly: "Is that where you...?"

"Where I nearly drowned?" he finished it for her, "Yes," he exhaled, "I apparated home, like we did just now, and threw myself in the frozen pool."

"Like a Mad Go-Under," Hermione added.

James just nodded, "I'm a little afraid of going near it now. Mum offered to get rid of it but... my little brother Chris loves to swim, so it wouldn't be fair to him... I just have to learn to live with it."

She wrapped an arm around his waist and walked very close to him as they moved towards the house, trying to forget how close she had got to losing him to the Noxious potion.

James smiled at her and briefly kissed her lips before using his wand to open the backyard door.

"Welcome to my home."

Hermione walked in and looked around the living room with a smile, "This is your mother's house alright. But your father doesn't live here, it's too bright and airy," she said, jokingly.

James laughed.

"He sure does. That's his favourite armchair," he pointed at a dark-blue armchair in front of the fireplace.

"It's very hard to believe that," she shook her head, "He's so different than who he pretends to be at the school," she looked at the pictures on the wall, smiling at the happy children she saw in them. "Wait. Is that... Draco Malfoy?" she pointed at a picture where a blond boy sat between his two dark-haired friends at what seemed to be an ice-cream shop.

"Yes. We were the best of friends when we were kids. Then his father forbade him to keep playing with us for we are unregistered bastards."

"Sounds like something his father would say," she looked at the pictures for a little longer, "Is anyone home? I'd love to see Sophie."

"She's at grandma's with Chris and Liz. Mum and dad are at Hogwarts helping Dumbledore with the mess Umbridge left behind. And Nick is with Fred," he pulled her towards the library, "And here is the place I promised to show you."

James opened the door to the library and Hermione gasped.

"Holy shit! This is amazing!" she immediately walked in and moved closer to the shelves, checking the titles of the books she could see, "Wow. There's a lot of illegal books here."

"Yep. This is a Slytherin library, love," James winked at her, "I'm not sure your pure and delicate Gryffindor hands should be touching any of them actually," he teased her.

She narrowed her eyes at him, "Then maybe I shouldn't be here at all, since my pure delicate hands shouldn't be near Slytherin things," she looked at him up and down, making it clear he was one of the things she shouldn't be touching then.

James laughed and closed the door, walking towards her.

"Tut tut, Hermione. I don't think that attitude is up to par with your Gryffindor values."

She crossed her arms, staring at him defiantly, "According to your mother, my Gryffindor values have been severely compromised since I started talking to you."

James laughed and kissed her hard, pushing her against a bookshelf and quickly having his hands on her thighs under her dress, "I believe that's right."

Hermione moaned in delight, being snogged in a library was a merging of pleasures that was quickly going to her head and making her feel light-headed.

"I love this smell," she exhaled as James kissed down her neck.

"What smell?"

"Books, parchment, leather... and you," she finished in a soft moan.

He hummed in appreciation, touching a hand to her chin and rubbing his thumb on her bottom lip.

"So you like the way I smell?" he whispered.

"Yes," she admitted breathlessly, "I want to lick you all over."

"Damn, kitten," James replied, trembling at the mere thought of having her licking down his body and wrapping her sweet mouth around his cock, "You're a fucking tease, love," then he carried her to the nearest desk and sat her there amongst large potions books he had been studying.

James stood between her thighs and kissed her lips again, feeling her wrap her legs around him, bringing him very close to her centre. He tangled his tongue with hers while his hands explored her curves, making her moan.

He kissed down her neck, seeing her pebbled nipples beneath her dress, so he mouthed one, closing his lips over the fabric-covered tip and watching her arch and tremble, fisting her hands on his hair.

"Yes, Jamie," she gasped, trying to pull his shirt off of him, needing to feel his skin.

He pressed himself between her legs and watched, in surprise, her beginning to move her hips against him.

James noticed she was actually rubbing herself on him, a soft blush on her skin as she lay down on her back and circled her hips, finding her pleasure on his body.

"Fuck," he whispered, "Are you using me to get off, kitten?"

"Yes. Now shut up and kiss me, Jamie. Help me get there," she whimpered needily.

He gulped, looking down at the sexy picture she made sprawled on the desk; he ran his hands up and down her body, thinking how she had called him 'Jamie' – something she had never done before.

Hermione arched on the desk, her legs closing tightly around his lower back.

"You're so fucking sexy, kitten," he groaned, lowering one hand between her legs, touching her drenched knickers lightly. He had never asked her, but he was almost certain she was a virgin.

James felt her trying to unfasten his trousers and found himself stopping her – and if his dick could scream, it would have.

"No. Mione. We'd better stop," he was panting, his cock so hard inside the confines of his pants that he knew it would have zip marks, "If you touch me, kitten, I'll lose it."

"You don't want me?"

"Want you?" James let out a strangled laugh, "Fuck, love, all I want is to have you on your back and get my dick deep inside you."

"So let's do this," she tried to open up his trousers again.

"No. You just told me you're a virgin. Don't you want your first time to be special?"

She laughed, "What place would be more special to me than a library, Jamie? I want this. I want you. And I want it to be here. Now!"

"Figures you'd be bossy," James chuckled for a moment, before, being the good boyfriend he was, giving her exactly what she wanted.


After a few hours together in the library reading and discussing the most varied subjects, from potions to the rights of house-elves – when even Tiffany was dragged into the conversation and rudely told Hermione to mind the business of her own species – they sat at the table to have tea together.

Melody attended to them, eyeing Hermione with just as much anger as Tiffany.


Later that night

Snapes' family home

Florence, Severus and their three younger children were at the table having dinner, but neither of the twins were home.

Severus had made Elizabeth join them for dinner, completely fed up with the girl's tantrum and avoidance of her mother – he could see how much that was hurting his wife.

"Liz, where are your brothers?" he asked, knowing that if Florence asked, the girl wouldn't answer.

"James is having dinner at the Hermione's," Liz said.

Severus looked at Florence, "It is that serious?"

She nodded, "After what happened in the library this afternoon, it better be."

Elizabeth looked at her mother with wide eyes, understanding exactly what she meant.

"What?" he asked out loud, James fucked Granger in our library?

"Yes. And I don't think we are in any position to judge him," she arched an eyebrow at him.

He was forced to agree. After all, the sofa in the library was huge for a reason.

"Nicholas said he'd go to Freddie's," said Christopher, unaware of what his parents and sister were talking about.

Severus frowned, "At the Burrow?"

Elizabeth explained: "No the redheaded twins have a flat now at Diagon Alley."

Severus looked at Florence, "Don't you think it's a little dangerous for both of them to be out?"

"They are almost eighteen, Severus, I can't keep them locked inside the house as if they were ten. At least we know where they are," she replied, feeding Sophie.

"Did they say what time they'd be back, Liz?" he kept trying to make the girl talk.

"No, dad," she answered, but didn't look her father in the eyes, something she had been doing a lot.

"Is there something you wish to tell me, Elizabeth?" he asked.

The girl shivered and glanced at him, quickly.

"I know you are hiding something," said Severus, looking at her intently, "You've been avoiding looking at me for a while now."

"Stop it!" Elizabeth shouted, dropping her fork on her plate, "Don't use Legilimens on me! Mum!" she called for Florence's help.

Despite her problems with Elizabeth, Florence did intervene, putting her hand on her husband's arm – he really shouldn't be reading Liz's mind, for he could find out about Draco.

"I noticed you got a letter from Lucius Malfoy," she asked her husband, "What does he want from you? As far as I know, they don't allow inmates to write in Azkaban."

Severus sighed, "It was from a Malfoy, but it wasn't Lucius who wrote me. Narcissa is worried about Draco."

"What about him?" Florence asked, glancing at Elizabeth, hoping her daughter kept eating without looking up.

"She was brief in her letter, in case it got into the wrong hands, so I don't know details. But she wants to meet me. So I told her to go to my mother's house in Spinner's End, tomorrow evening."

"I hope there's something you can do for him," Florence said with a heavy sigh, "Draco is a good boy. His heart is in the right place but, unfortunately, Lucius has been poisoning his mind for so long..."

"I believe he hasn't got the Dark Mark yet, even though, before going to Azkaban, Lucius had been pushing hard for that to happen soon. I strongly suspect Draco's received instructions for his final test, got cold feet, told his mother about them and now Narcissa is having second thoughts."

"I like Cissy," said Florence, "I really hope she realises Lucius is not the prince charming she thinks she married."

Elizabeth heard that talk attentively, although her eyes never left her plate.

Severus kept talking, completely unaware of his daughter's interest in what was happening with the Malfoy family. Then he seemed to remember something: "Granger knows about us, but has Nick told Fred anything about our family?"

"No. Nick hasn't told Fred yet. The Weasleys are already in danger, being that they are like a family to Harry; they don't need the added risk of knowing about us."

Severus nodded, "Yes. It's better this way," feeling unsettled by seeing his past bad choices affect his kids' lives.