A/N:
Hello, and I'm sorry about the random note. It really should have been in the first chapter, but what can you do. Anywho, I know this story had quite a few reviews and followers and I hope my followers continue following even through this mass edit. My beta, keroberros and I have nine chapters to work through before any real new content starts popping up so keep your eyes out and thanks for the patience. And a HUGE thanks to keroberros for working with me on this. Now on with the story!
It was weeks later that Peter Pettigrew snuck out of the Gryffindor common room, his wand raised, his eyes glancing around him. Despite his caution, his wand was still ripped out of his hands by a silent spell.
"Well, well, well, look at what we have here, a rat out of bed," A voice from the shadows spoke, sarcastically.
"Who's there?" Pettigrew demanded.
Hermione moved out of the shadows, his wand held in one hand, her wand pointing at him with the other. "So, exactly what was it that provoked you enough to join them," she hissed. "Who was it you wanted to hurt? Who was it you wanted to get back at? James, Remus and Sirius have been nothing but the best of friends to you."
"I don't know who you are, but you don't know anything."
"Oh cut the crap, Pettigrew. I know you aren't as tough as you're trying to sound. I know what kind of coward you are Pettigrew."
Peter stood frozen to the spot, a mix between rage and fear on his face. If Hermione didn't have him at wand point, she probably would have laughed.
"Who is it Pettigrew? Who do you hate?"
"James," Pettigrew hissed.
"Why? He has been nothing but friendly, protective and supportive."
"He knew I wanted Lily!" Pettigrew almost shouted.
"So you're gonna make sure to kill them both?" Hermione snapped back.
Pettigrew pulled up short.
"You didn't even think about that, did you? You cowardly idiot! Your actions have consequences. James isn't going to be the only one who suffers for your choice! Lily will die, Sirius will suffer for the rest of his life, and Remus will too. Are you really that selfish?"
"I don't care," Pettigrew whispered. And with a sickening look in his eyes, she knew that he really didn't care.
"Petrificus Totalis," she shot out. "Incarcerous!"
Pettigrew fell to the floor stiff and motionless, and ropes tied around him tightly in case the spell wore off. Hermione levitated Wormtail and disillusioned the both of them, and keeping to the shadows, she brought him to the Headmaster's office.
"Miss Granger!" Dumbledore greeted in surprise. "Mr. Pettigrew?" He questioned.
"Professor, I've started what I was sent here for. I believe that dealing with Pettigrew is my first step."
"Dealing with him?"
"In a year, Lily Evans will marry James Potter and have a child. A year after that, Pettigrew will be named Secret Keeper, and he will tell Voldemort where the Potters are, resulting in the death of Lily and James Potter. Harry, however, will survive and remain cursed until he is 17, and defeats the Dark Lord."
Dumbledore looked at her in surprise, "And you are sure it's time to...deal with him?"
"I've been watching him for three weeks sir. He leaves the castle to the closest apparition point at least three times a week." Hermione lifted the spell, keeping the ropes on Wormtail, "If you wish to use Veritaserum it would probably prove useful. He's already admitted to me to have plans on joining the Dark Lord."
Dumbledore sighed and moved to behind his desk, removing a small vial from a drawer. After giving Wormtail the potion, he waiting five seconds before diving into his questioning.
"What is your name?"
"Peter Pettigrew."
"Have you been leaving the grounds?"
"Yes."
"How often?"
"At least three times a week."
"Why?"
"I have joined the ranks of the Death Eaters," Pettigrew hissed with a disgustingly satisfied smirk.
Hermione glared, "Is Severus Snape amongst your ranks?"
"Yes," Pettigrew sneered.
"Stupefy!" Hermione said clearly, Pettigrew slumped in the chair he had been placed in.
"Severus is one of them?" Dumbledore asked in a quiet and defeated voice.
"I can take care of it if you let me. Unlike Pettigrew, Snape doesn't handle it as well and wants out pretty much immediately. I can do this." Dumbeldore nodded. "Now, what's the Slytherin password?"
After being given the password, Hermione phased in to her wolf form and left Dumbledore to handle Pettigrew. If the boy fought him, he wouldn't last a second. She didn't worry.
She moved through the corridors, keeping to the shadows and remaining unnoticed, even the paintings looked over her. When she reached the painting standing guard over the Slytherin common room, she phased long enough to give the password and was back to her wolf form. Hermione had a week before she had to show herself to the remaining three marauders to help them into the Shrieking Shack. And in that time, her plan was to sway Snape away from the Dark Lord and back to Dumbledore's side.
Hermione didn't know how she was going to plan this, but she knew that even without extensive planning, she could do this. So with that thought in mind, she curled up on an emerald rug in front of the glowing embers to sleep a while until a certain black haired, crooked nosed wizard showed himself.
o~O~o
It was quite a surprise for the Slytherins when they came into the common room to find a honey colored wolf curled up in front of the fire, but most left her alone. Those who didn't, she glared and sniffed at and went back to laying her head down on her paws. Almost like she didn't find any of them worth her attention. That was, until Snape came into the common room. When Severus Snape showed himself, Hermione picked herself up off the floor and watched him closely before wagging her tail happily. The young witches and wizards watched on in amusement as Hermione moved slowly towards a very confused Severus.
Hermione grabbed his sleeve between her teeth and pulled him gently to the ground in front of her and stared into his eyes. She pushed into his mind like a gentle whisper, and his eyes grew wide.
'I need you to come with me. We need a secure place to talk without both sides watching us closely. Meet me on the seventh floor,' she said into his mind. She saw his confirmation in his mind and she turned and ran out of the common room. Snape stared after her, completely bewildered.
"Severus, what was that all about?" Severus looked over at the other boy and shrugged.
"I have no idea, Lucius," he responded before leaving the common room and heading towards the seventh floor. Snape was going to get answers, and he didn't care if it was a battle of minds to get it.
Hermione paced in front of a bare wall on the seventh floor, waiting as patiently as humanly possible for Severus to show. He showed up just as a door appeared in front of them both on the once was empty wall. She grabbed his robes and tugged him through the door and put up wards around the entire room. When she turned, Severus had his wand pointing at her.
"Please put your wand away, Severus. It will do you no good." Hermione rolled her eyes as she moved to a couch in front of the fire, motioning for him to sit on the chair near her. He kept his wand in his hand but lowered it, watching her closely. "It's good of you to be on your guard at all times, but if you are going to pull your wand at someone, don't just hold it pointing at them while they still have theirs. If I really was your enemy like you believe me to be, I would have had you disarmed and incapacitated within five seconds with how you are reacting. Now, it makes it very difficult for me to have a completely serious conversation with you if you are still waiting by the door, and I only have a week to get my point across before I have to move onto other plans. Now. Sit."
"You aren't here as an enemy?" Snape pocketed his wand and moved to sit near her, in the chair she suggested.
"No," she smiled. "In fact, I'm here to try and change a horrible fate for you."
"What do you mean?"'
"Have you taken the Dark Mark, Mr. Snape?" Snape's eyes grew wide. "You call yourself a Slytherin. I, as a Gryffindor, have more of a poker face than that. Have you or have you not received the Dark Mark?"
"No," he answered, cautiously.
"Good, that makes my job ten times easier and much safer for you."
"What do you want?" Snape snapped.
"Look. You do realize that the Dark Lord wishes to get rid of all muggleborns? Do you know what that means? Complete genocide. He isn't just going to enslave them, he's going to kill them all and no one here is safe."
"I'm joining to keep someone safe."
"Yes, well, what happens when she gets in the way of something he wants, what will you do then, hmm?"
"I will do everything in my power to keep her safe no matter the consequences."
"Even if those consequences lead to her death anyway?" It was a low blow, but Hermione knew it had to be said. She needed to plant a seed of doubt deep into his mind. It seemed to work, because he looked more uncertain than he did when he was dragged in. "I know there is someone in this castle who you care deeply for, and I'm not going to tell you how or why, but I know what happens to her if you join the Dark Lord's ranks. I also know what happens to this world because of what happens to her. It's my job to fix this and I can't do that unless you help me."
Severus sat and watched her, looking for any sign of deceit, but she saw right through him and opened her mind for him. She kept her memories away from him of course, he couldn't know where or when she came from. Hermione gave him a peek of her emotions, showed Severus that she was sincere and he bowed his head.
"What do you need me to do?" he whispered.
"We will protect you, Severus," Hermione whispered back, "But you can't go back there, you can't go back to him. I will always be by your side if you need me." Severus nodded. "Don't do anything to draw attention to yourself. Stay as far away from the Marauders as possible, and if I am near by in wolf form, stick to me. I know with your history it will be difficult to be unnoticed by those around you, but try." Severus nodded again. "I'm going to walk with you to class, we should have just enough time." Hermione stood and phased and he watched her with guarded eyes, as he too rose from his chair. The duo left the Room of Requirement in silence.
The week went by, and just as she promised, she stayed by his side. Occasionally, when his housemates were really bad towards him, she stayed in his dorm with him. Always curled up on the floor in her wolf form, but always wary. Sometimes they would stay up late with their minds open for a conversation with each other, and that was how she warned him where she was going to be on the night of the full moon. Knowing his history with the, Hermione felt the warning necessary.
'You can't be serious!' he snarled into her mind. 'Werewolves are dangerous, stay here!'
'Severus, I can't. The only way to keep him under control and away from the rest of the school is by escorting those three into the Shrieking Shack. Pettigrew used to, but I had to remove him from the picture.'
'Wait...what?'
'Pettigrew was a Death Eater, he had taken the Dark Mark and he didn't feel remorseful at all. He did it for revenge and his mind is so clouded with the thoughts of revenge that I can't pull him back into reality on what his Master is.'
'You'll be careful, won't you, Hermia?' Severus pleaded.
'Yes, Severus,' Hermione sighed. 'Severus I need to warn you. We can be friends, but you can't become attached to me. In a few years, I am going to die and I'm going to do it willingly. In fact, I'm losing years of time every day I interfere with anyone here.'
'You make it sound like you are changing history,' Severus chuckled.
'I am,' Hermione whispered into his mind. He froze.
'You...are changing history...'
'I'm from 20 or so years in the future. I was sent here by a rare object that only appears to those who's destiny is to change events in a timeline to bring balance or whatever.'
'And why does that history have to involve the werewolf?'
'I can't explain, Severus. You and Pettigrew were just the start of the changes I made. Several lives have been spared already.'
'If you can't explain, then I'll just have to accept it. Lets get some sleep, you're going to need it, tomorrow being the full moon and all.'
Severus and Hermione closed their connection, but she stayed alert until she heard his soft breathing even out. She listened to every sound in the dorm, every boy was sleeping peacefully. She rose to her feet and phased into her human form and leaned over to plant a soft kiss on Severus' forehead. "I hope you never become the man you were in my timeline. You don't deserve that kind of pain." With that, she left the Slytherin common room completely and made her way outside the castle walls.
The moon was beautiful, almost full and bright, illuminating the grounds around her as she made her way to the Black Lake. She breathed in the cool night air as she let her mind wander. If all of her meddling made a difference here many lives would be spared and her friends would be happier. They wouldn't know her, but they can't miss what they didn't have to begin with, so that was ok. Hermione knew the circumstances here, she knew exactly how things were going to play out. Her timeline has already changed. Harry had his parents, the prophecy was still a complete secret, and therefore obsolete by the time Harry gets his Hogwarts letter. Neville had his parents still, and didn't have to go to St. Mungo's to visit them. She'd done a lot of good already but Hermione still didn't feel overly successful. After all, she had picked through several Slytherin's minds and knew there were a few who were still questioning their positions with the Dark Lord. Regulus Black was terrified. He didn't have anyone to go to because he believed everyone to be in the same boat as he was. Narcissa Black was very nervous knowing that her betrothed had taken the Mark the start of the previous summer, and what would be expected of her as his wife. Lucius Malfoy hadn't wanted to take the mark either but in order to protect his family and his future wife, he had had very little choice in the matter.
Hermione was lost in thought, thinking of the possibilities of talking to the few Slytherin's she knew of when a soft, masculine hand was placed on her shoulder. She stiffened until she smelled a very familiar, if not younger scent.
"Shouldn't you know better than to sneak up on someone who could potentially kill you with all sorts of nasty little hexes," she muttered.
"I didn't think you would. You looked so deep in thought that I was surprised you couldn't hear me," Sirius spoke from beside her. "I hardly snuck up on you."
Hermione cracked a smile, "I'll give you that."
Sirius chuckled, "So, what are you doing all the way out here, in human form."
"My orders changed."
"Dumbledore letting you stay in human form?"
"Let me rephrase it. I have changed my own plans, requiring me to be in this form at least occasionally. Plus, it's well after curfew and no one should be out of bed. I figured the only few who would be undoubtedly roaming the corridors at night would already know of my existence."
"I didn't tell anybody." Hermione turned and looked Sirius in the eyes.
"Why?"
"Because I figured if you were staying in your animagus form, you were doing it for a reason and didn't want others to know about you, and seeing as I kind of forcefully revealed your presence, I felt I owed you your privacy," he said sincerely.
"What a loyal pup you are," Hermione beamed up at him.
"What are you thinking all the way out here then, hmm?"
"Planning my next move. After tomorrow I'm going to have a month to sway a number of Slytherins away from the Dark Lord, but most of them are in danger of losing their families if they don't join. Your brother included."
"My brother is only too eager to join," Sirius spat.
Hermione looked back out to the water. "I've seen into his mind Sirius. He's just a terrified little boy being forced into something he doesn't want in the name of honor," she whispered. "There is no honor in following a madman, and killing in cold blood." She looked back into his eyes. "He isn't cut out for what he's being forced to do, not any more than you are. He just hides it better because he's known his fate since you left."
"I didn't leave-"
"I know. I was being delicate."
"Why do you seem to know so much?" Sirius turned to face her, she looked up at him honestly.
"Before I came here to Hogwarts, I knew all of your fates. I know all who will die within the next 20 years. Within the next two years alone your friend James and his future wife will be murdered in cold blood," Hermione whispered. Sirius froze. "You will be framed for it, and will spend the next twelve years after in Azkaban before escaping, only to die protecting their orphaned son, two years later." Hermione looked back out over the water. "Severus Snape will spend the last eighteen years of his life as a double agent between the Dark Lord and the Order. Remus will live in the muggle world on and off because it will be the only way for him to find work, and he will believe that you killed his two best friends and Lily."
"What about Peter?" She saw the rage slowly creep up on him.
"Peter has been dealt with and none of that will happen. You will not be framed and thrown in Azkaban, James and Lily will survive, Harry will have his mum and dad, and Remus won't live the rest of his life in a depression."
"What are you saying?" Sirius snarled, pulling Hermione around to look at him.
"Peter Pettigrew had the Dark Mark." Hermione said softly. "I discovered it a week ago and he has been carted off to Azkaban. The only thing that saved him from the Dementor's Kiss is that he hadn't yet taken a life."
Sirius paled and Hermione regretted telling him so soon. "Why? Why would he join them! He's our friend, he's a Gryffindor!"
"He was angry with James, saying that James knew he was in love with Lily," she said soothingly, laying her hand on the side of his face. "And you should know that Slytherins aren't the only ones who are recruited." Sirius hung his head. "And they aren't the only ones who join freely."
"What are we going to do? The full moon is tomorrow."
"I am going to help you into the tunnel under the tree and I will stay with you. An extra larger animal might prove useful. I want to be your friend and I hope that all of you could be mine as well, even if my time in this world is limited."
"What do you mean limited?" he asked alarmed. "Are you sick?"
Hermione smiled up at him. "No, but the more time I spend here, the more things I change, the more numbered my days are. I expect I'll only be here for the next three years at the most."
"Why?" Sirius asked almost pained, and her heart went out to the young marauder.
"I can't tell you that. Now, you need to get to your common room before you get caught. Professor McGonagall has a habit of patrolling long after all the other professors have gone to bed, specifically to catch you and your friends out of bed."
Sirius nodded but grabbed her hand. "I'll escort you to the castle."
Hermione shook her head and pulled out her wand, tapping him on the head. She gave him an amused smile when he looked at her shocked, before his form melted into invisibility.
"Be careful and hurry. When you get to the common room cast a Finite Incantantem and the charm will stop. Go." She heard his foot steps as he ran towards the castle doors.
