A huge thanks to Angelic Bladez, harmswife, Pretty Lily Potter, An Anti-Sheep Cheese Muffin, rowenarave565, Darkness-Lightness, HappeeGoLuckee, Missblondie, XIII Welcome To My Nightmare, 1wyldblonde, ProperT and notwritten.
Disclaimer: TACO MAN IS REAL I OWN HARRY POTTER NOW! … But only in my dreams.
Chapter 7: Relationships and a Trip to the Village
As there was little room in the heads office the group moved down to where the Room of Requirement was on the seventh floor. The room had arranged itself into a large sitting room setting and they sat down, Harry, Ron, Sirius and Remus on one couch and Draco, Severus and Lucius on another. Dumbledore sat in an over stuffed armchair, present more as a peace keeper rather than a story teller in case things got out of hand.
When they were all settled down Remus looked around at the other men who had known Hermione in the past. None seemed to want to go first so he sighed and turned the attention of Harry, Ron and Draco to himself.
"Hermione Storm was in Gryffindor in our time and, though being the topic of conversation for her sudden appearance, had only a few true friends. I, myself, was lucky to be one of them. She didn't really spend large amounts of time in my company, only in the common room and in any classes we shared when Lily wasn't there."
Harry's face lit up at the mention of his mother.
"Hermione knew my mum in the past?"
Remus smiled lightly at Harry. "Yes, the two were almost inseparable when together. Though of course, we weren't her only friends."
Ron looked over to where Sirius sat and grinned.
"I'll bet you were friends with Mione, weren't you mate?" Ron asked Sirius cheerfully.
Sirius looked down and mumbled something that the rest couldn't quiet hear.
"What was that Black?" Lucius said, smirking slightly. "Sorry but we couldn't quite hear you with your face in your hands."
That seemed to get Sirius as he looked up, though with his eyes closed, and almost yelled his reply back in Lucius' general direction, temporarily forgetting the others presence.
"Fine! I was rude, mean and terrible to her! And that never would've happened if she just listened to what James and me said and kept away from you!"
Harry and Ron both gasped, looking on at Sirius with disbelief. Even Draco seemed stunned at what he had just said, though his father just looked at the ex convict with a smug expression on his face. Dumbledore and Snape were the only two with out any reaction to Sirius' words.
"Harry I hate to tell you this, but Hermione made a big mistake in the past. One of them was befriending that – that thing" – he shot Lucius a disgusted look – "over there!"
Before Harry could open his mouth Ron began to protest.
"There's no way she would have done that! I mean how could she, when he wasn't even at the school then?"
"I think I can answer that," Lucius said, clearing his throat. "To work in the ministry I first needed to work full time for a year, and Hogwarts was in need of a Defence professor."
Ron looked uncomfortable now.
"Yeah well, I still don't believe that she made friends with the likes of you!" Ron said sounding as disgusted as Sirius had felt all those years ago when he first saw who Hermione had befriended.
Harry, who had remained quiet through the exchange, looked up at Lucius.
"If Hermione really did befriend you then you must have been different then. But I still wouldn't mind knowing how she chose you over Sirius and my dad."
"What? Don't tell me that you're ok with this Harry!" Ron said, looking at Harry incredulously.
"Well why not? Hermione doesn't do things with out thinking about them first so –"
"So nothing! I can't believe you're taking this so calmly," Ron snarled. "I'm with Sirius on this one mate, what she did was a huge mistake."
Ron got up and moved over to where Sirius sat, giving him an understanding look. Sirius, after seeing Ron's reaction, seemed to think that he had more of a justification to his actions in the past, though he wished that his godson saw it the same way.
Remus, after giving Ron a disappointed look, looked over to where Lucius sat.
"Would you like to answer Harry's question and get your part done, Lucius?"
"Fine," Lucius agreed.
"To answer your question Potter, Hermione simply did not get off on the right foot with your dear father and godfather. Do not ask me for details because I do not know, you would have to ask her that as the only other person who knew isn't talking." He paused looking briefly in Snape's direction.
"We became friends when I called her back after our first class. Severus had written to me about her so I wanted to know who had caught my friend's eye; he never usually mentions anyone so I was intrigued about her. We became proper friends not long after, much to the dislike of Black and his little group."
"Except for Remus. Why you were ok with it was beyond me," Sirius said, looking at where his lupine friend sat quietly.
"I trusted her and did not wish to lose the friendship we formed," Remus replied simply.
"Now I believe that only leaves you now, Severus."
All the boys' eyes turned to their normally sullen potions master. Snape was still yet to speak a word since the arrival of the two Gryffindor wizards, keeping unusually silent. He sighed softly and opened his mouth to speak.
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(Past – 1976)
"So, you two have been informed of the Hogsmeade trip this weekend?"
Hermione was lounging on a couch in the Room of Requirement talking with Severus and Lucius. They had decided that it was the best place to talk with out being interrupted and they could act as they please with out giving the school heart attacks. Hermione had found that Lucius was very different from how others pictured him when he no longer had to act in front of others. She found his company rather enjoyable and, like with Severus, found his occasional sarcasm funny as it was now no longer directed at her. She often wondered how they had both turned out the way they had, considering the way the two acted now.
"Yes we have. Me and Lily were planning to go shopping for Christmas presents there."
"She's finally abandoned us then, Severus?" Lucius asked, sounding mock-hurt.
"Yes, leaving us for her little Gryffindor friends."
"Pity, we were going to have such a good time too," Lucius wiped away a fake tear.
Laughter began to ring out in the small room.
"It's not funny Mione," Severus stated. "We had spent hours getting that right."
"Only because you refused for the first hour, complained about acting childish for another. The real practicing only took 5 minutes."
Hermione just laughed louder and when she stopped she said, "Shopping won't take the whole day, you know! And I was going to ask if you wanted to meet up in the Three Broomsticks but I guess I shall just ask Remus if I can go with him instead, though that will mean going with James and Sirius too…"
Severus looked at her in disgust.
"You didn't have to go that far. But still, meeting at the Three Broomsticks sounds good."
Lucius nodded his head in agreement, to both things, Hermione gathered.
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'Hogsmeade didn't really look that different in the past at all,' Hermione thought, as she and Lily passed by all the little shops and cottages. Everything was how she remembered it more or less though Zonko's and Honeydukes definitely looked newer. Lily had shown her all the best places in Hogsmeade, including some that Hermione had never noticed before.
While shopping she had brought a charm bracelet (with phoenix, dragon, griffin and dragonfly charms) for Lily, a new set of robes that change to the colour he wishes for Remus, a silver snake cloak clasp for Lucius and a set of rare potions books for Severus.
When they were done Hermione bid good bye to Lily and headed off to the Three Broomsticks so the boys wouldn't wonder why she was taking so long.
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Thank you all so far for sticking with the story. Another long chapter but don't get used to them. Not much Hermione/Sev but there will be in the next chapter. The Three Broomstick scene isn't here but you'll find out what happened next chapter too.
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Lady of Elysion
By the way I'm back in school now so if I don't update like normal blame the homework they give! If there are any delays it will only be three days tops.