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"I don't know why I even bother? You obviously won't listen to reason!"
Sirius' voice called out across the Gryffindor common room, startling its occupants and drawing attention to the girl climbing the stair's that would take her to the girl's dormitories.
He had followed her back to the tower calling out to her the whole way along after finding her for the third time that week squeezed into a corner of the library with the greasy Slytherin.
"Well don't ask me," she shouted back with equal temper, her foot on the first step of the stairwell. "I didn't ask you to filter my friends for me and I don't appreciate it either."
"FRIENDS?!" he practically screamed, incredulous. "You're FRIENDS with him now?"
She turned around just in time to see James, Remus and Peter scramble through the round portal.
Sirius, oblivious and uncaring of the new additions to the common room, shook his head at Hermione. "He's a Slytherin My!" he said as if she had forgotten it and now everything would be resolved.
When she responded with only one angry raised eyebrow he continued "You can't be friends with one of them. You – You just can't. Heck – it's probably not even possible."
"Oh thankyou Sirius!" she exclaimed with sickly sweet sarcasm. "I mean – I had no idea. But know that you've told me I'll be sure to stay away from the big bad Slytherins. You don't think you can walk me to my classes tomorrow just in case one of them might you know – look at me?"
Sirius scowled darkly.
Hermione returned it equally.
Sirius opened his mouth to start again, determined to open her eyes to her obvious misdemeanour.
However before he could even point out that tomorrow was the weekend and they didn't even have classes he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.
It was Peter.
Sirius looked at him puzzled, not that he had stopped him, even though that in itself didn't happen often (if ever), but by the look of pure sadness etched in his normally happy boyish face.
Peter nodded towards Hermione as if in explanation and Sirius looked back at the fuming witch only to this time really see her.
She was angry yes; he had seen that the first time – but he noticed now that although her stance and face was only one of pure rage her eyes were filled with tears.
It looked so misfitting he was surprised that it had taken another to point it out to him.
Her eyes were so sad.
Aware of the fast-becoming awkward moment and scared of Sirius' slowly wilting face, Hermione turned and scrambled up the stars as fast as her legs would take her with her eyes shut tight and finally allowing her mutinous tears to escape.
She fell onto her bed and curled into a ball hugging her pillow to her stomach and letting the tears wet her pillow case.
This wasn't the first time she had fought with Sirius in the past two weeks since her first potions lesson – no definitely not the first – but it was the first she had let her emotions get away from her. Usually she lasted until when she was safely wrapped in the bed hangings in the girl's dormitory or at least until the nearest girl's bathroom.
She couldn't do it anymore.
She didn't want to interfere with the future but the more time she spent in the library, searching her most trusted tomes that had never seemed to fail her before, the more she realised the dire situation she was in and the unlikelihood of ever returning.
She didn't want to give up hope, and she still hadn't heard from Dumbledore after all, but at the same time she couldn't keep going the way she was.
Severus had turned out to be quite the unlikely friend and she was glad either way that she had given the time to get to know him but her resulting aggressive fights with Sirius were killing her more than she had anticipated.
Hermione didn't remember falling asleep that night but awoke in the morning, although fully dressed in yesterday's clothes, her shoes had been removed and the blankets tucked tight around her.
She smiled at her still sleeping room mates, warm with gratitude and sorry for the worry she must have caused them.
She knew that they heard her cry at night, more nights than not, and had told them that she was simply homesick but didn't want to talk about it. They believed her of course and offered a shoulder should she ever need it, giving her the space she requested but not letting her forget they were there for her with actions such as that night, making sure she was warm and comfortable in her restless sleep.
Still slightly dazed in her sleepy thoughts, it took her a few moments to recognise that the light tapping to the side of her head was not her imagination but a flying folded parchment that reminded her of the flying memo's she had once seen in the Ministry of Magic.
She raised her hand to catch it as it aimed its next attack on her rumpled curls.
The note was brief, a request from Dumbledore to come to his office when she was dressed, nothing urgent but hoping she would get there before breakfast because he was particularly looking forward to the blueberry pancakes the elves were making that morning in the Great Hall.
Hermione smiled at Dumbledore's child-like fascination and hopped out of bed to get dressed.
Twenty minutes later she was sitting in his office, hot chocolate in hand and absentmindedly feeding Fawkes a marshmallow as he started to explain his progress on "the situation".
Unfortunately his conclusions had been no better than her own. He explained that he still hadn't received word from some of his contacts and was optimistic that they might still provide light for them but reiterated his concerns that should they inevitably come up blank they still might find themselves with no other option but for Hermione to remain and live as she is… in their time… in her past.
If she hadn't have come to a similar conclusion herself she might have been shocked but she was starting to see, no matter how reluctantly, that this might indeed be her future.
In the child-like part of her mind she thought it ironic to be contemplating finding her future in the past.
Dumbledore didn't however end their meeting there.
"Hermione," he started cautiously, his blue eyes twinkling behind his precariously placed glasses. "I have noticed you have been… well not exactly getting along with the young Mr Black."
As he predicted she immediately tightened up, her body unconsciously poised defensively.
"Might I assume he is somewhat of an acquaintance from your own future?" he asked delicately with his choice of words.
She remained silent for a moment, contemplating if she should answer him at all.
"Yes." She relented.
"I will not be so presumptuous as to tell you what is best Hermione," Dumbledore said, relaxing once again into his chair. "But might I suggest that you think about your actions in regards to your own future whatever that so happens to be."
Hermione looked confused but he cut her off before she had the chance to speak.
"Your future Hermione. One that might inevitably become among the here and now. In all reality your mere presence here might constitute a vast change in the future you wish to return to.
"Although I know all your actions so far have been in your endeavour to resist any change in that future should you so return, I beg you please not to arrest your own life but instead perhaps work towards building a life you would wish to continue here if that became your only option… or choice."
Hermione nodded slowly absorbing the weight of his words… make her own life… here… one that she would want… what do I want?
When Hermione reached the Gryffindor table it was almost completely full, all forth years and above eager to eat their breakfast quickly in the hope that it would encourage Filch to let them out early. It was a Hogsmeade weekend.
There weren't any clear spots left around the seated Marauder's but a sweet eye-banter to a timid looking third year seated next to Remus made the young boys at the end shuffle up.
She immediately slid into the small opening and leaned over to Sirius who was sitting across from her newly acquired seat.
She waited until he looked up at her, acknowledging her waiting presence, his dark locks falling into his eyes in that charming way that only he can manage.
She took in a deep breath.
"Sirius... I'm sorry."