Chapter 6
"The Boggart"
If Hermione had avoided them before it was nothing compared to how she was avoiding them now. The truth, they were wondering how she was managing to do it, they shared the same common room plus the boys had the Marauders map even though it was not working properly.
James couldn't understand it, he thought after that night everything would change between them and Hermione. He blamed it for falling sleep in his chair while watching her sleep, if only he had stayed awake maybe he was able to talk to her, but no he fell asleep and now he wasn't sure how to approach her without her running away from him.
James sighed again while watching Hermione who was currently eating silently at the end of the Gryffindor table along with Anica. He didn't know how she seemed so unaffected while here he was, only focused on her.
"Prongs stop sighing and just eat."
"Padfoot how can I do that ,if I don't still know how to talk to Hermione."
"Why is it so important to talk to her? It's obvious she doesn't want to talk to us right now, lets just leave her alone and find another thing to do. Hogwarts has became so boring since we stopped pranking just to follow Granger."
"I-I—I want to be her -friend…" James said as if very proud that he finished his sentence.
Sirius almost choked on his food, his best friend obliviousness was now quite disturbing, even their fellow students noticed how they followed Hermione especially James but it seemed that he still didn't have any idea. He liked her and everyone noticed it but except him and probably Granger.
Sirius looked at Remus and Peter only for them to gave him a shrug as an answer. Even the two of them just gave up and decided to let James realized everything by himself, though judging by his cluelessness it seems that they would be waiting for a long time.
Hermione POV
She knew that avoiding the Marauders was childish but she couldn't be close to them while not having the urge to tell them everything about the future. When she woke up in the familiar room she really thought that she was finally back in her own time when she recognized it as Harry's room but when she saw James ,she instantly knew where she is because despite having the same look as Harry, for her James would never be Harry.
Hermione walked as fast as she could not wanting to be late atProfessor Lain's class who's dislikes towards her were kind a, obvious. Or maybe it was his Auror instinct that could feel the dark magic coming off her.
Hermione stopped in her tracks when she noticed Malfoy casually leaning against the wall as if waiting for someone, she almost changed her direction but Malfoy saw her. So to remain casual she continued walking.
"Granger." Lucius said to her when she was within a short distance of him.
Automatically Hermione stopped walking and faced him.
"Are you really okay?"
"Huh?"
She had expected him to drawl or say a negative remark the way a Malfoy should react to anyone but to her shock, he looked rather concerned about her.
She could also see how uncomfortable he was getting while he was trying to form a sentence without embarrassing himself.
"Are you deaf! I said if y-"
"I heard you, I'm just clarifying if I heard you right."
Okay she might be slightly relieved to hear his usual annoying remarks, but it doesn't mean that she wouldn't be irritated at him for being an smart arse.
"Very feisty aren't you Granger."
She couldn't help but scowl at him upon seeing his amusement.
"Don't you have anything better to do than bother me Malfoy."
Lucius smirked, this girl was really interesting.
"I'm in my free period, how about you if I am correct you have DADA right now, right?"
Hermione's eyes widened when she realised that she was 10 minutes late.
"You!"
She couldn't help but glare at him.
"I would really love to chat Granger, but do you have time to do that?"
Hermione growled out of irritation before she ran as fast as she could toward her DADA classroom but not before giving Malfoy a very sharp glare that he answered with a very amused smile.
Why couldn't the people here leave her alone! First the Marauders then Malfoy! Who's next?! Hermione was so irritated, she couldn't understand their fascination towards here or what they found so interesting about her. For Merlin sake! They need to leave her alone before she lost her sanity.
Hermione took a deep breath before calmly entering her DADA classroom and just as she expected she managed to attract the attention of both her Gryffindor housemates and the Ravenclaw's who shared their class. She silently cursed Malfoy for that.
"Well it seems that Ms. Granger has finally decided that attending my class is worthwhile after all."
She remained calm and collected despite the fact that her teacher wanted to embarrass her in front of the class, and he succeeded when the class erupted with a laugh except for the Marauders who were looking at her curiously probably wondering where she had been.
"Sorry Professor." She said quietly while starting to walk in her chair only to stop when she noticed a very familiar object in the right corner of the classroom.
"Hurry up girl we don't have all the time to wait for you!"
Not minding her professor's irritated tone she sat quietly at the back where she sat as far as she could away from the Marauders and Lily.
"Oh by the way, Miss Granger 20 points to Gryffindor house for your tardiness." Her professor said in an irritated voice earning a groan from her housemates, some glared at her including Lily and quite frankly she was quite used to her indifference towards her. But what made her uneasy was the look of pity that the Marauders are giving her and she hated it, she didn't need their sympathy.
Professor Lain waited for her to complain or even to show any negative emotion towards him but as always she remained passive as if not even slightly affected by losing points, and honestly he had never met another person like Dumbledore who could cover their emotions easily like this girl and that made him suspicious towards her, the feeling of dark magic her got off her didn't help either.
"Okay class as I was saying before Miss Granger interrupted us…"
Hermione concealed her groan. It seemed that their Professor finally found a way to show his dislike towards her. She couldn't remember him in her own time but she is sure that he wasn't a death eater.
She leaned back comfortably in her seat and listened to her professor while thinking about her plan to get the horcruxes. They already had the Gaunt ring and they had plans to get Hufflepuff's Goblet but it was in Malfoy Manor and going there is like throwing yourself in obvious danger because there is no doubt that if Abraxas Malfoy caught her, it would not be a good confrontation.
"Okay class who knows what a Boggart is?"
Professor Lain's question woke her from her musing, and as expected Lily's hand shot up and she wondered if that's what she looked like in her time.
"Okay Ms. Evans give us your answer please."
"A boggart is an shape-shifting non being that takes on the form of the viewer's worst fear. When facing a Boggart, it is best to have someone else along, to try to confuse it, since facing more than one person at once would make it indecisive as to what form it must take, usually a mixed-up algorithm of the victim's fear. Because of their shape-shifting ability, no one knows what a boggart looks like when it is alone, as it instantly changes into your worst fears when you first see it."
Before her boggart was Professor Mcgonagall telling her that she failed her exams, it was so simple back then and she would give anything just to be back to the time when the only thing that she feared was a big T in her exams but now,even before she saw the boggart she knew that it wouldn't be Professor McGonagall.
"Okay all of you line up and remember the spell Riddikulus."
Hermione lined up at the end of the line hoping that the bell would ring before it was her turn. She might be curious to what her boggart was but it didn't mean she wanted to find out in a room full of her school mates.
"I'm s-sorry." Said James who was very red due to blushing, he looked like a child caught in the act doing naughty things. When she saw Sirius with a very mischievous smirk she already knew that he was the one that pushed James towards her.
"That's okay…" Hermione's attention was diverted again when the boggart changed, that's why she didn't see James stunned face that turned into a huge smile.
"She talked to me!" He mouthed to his friends happily, only to receive a very amused smile from Remus and Peter, and a snort from Sirius.
Hermione almost snorted when she saw Lily's boggart. It was her boggart when she was in third year the only difference was that McGonagall was a little bit younger. While watching the others fears she couldn't help but noticed how innocent they all were, they still didn't have any idea about the horrors of this world and they still hadn't experienced the pain that living can give you.
"Okay, Miss Granger it's your turn, don't forget Riddikulus."
Hermione stopped the urge to roll her eyes knowing that if she did that her Professor's irritation towards her would only increase. Taking a deep breath she stepped forward and look closely at the boggart, truly curious as to what form it would take. When it changed to mimic her appearance but smiling happily and contented she couldn't help but laugh bitterly knowing what it meant.
The others were stunned seeing Hermione's boggart. James looked at the boggart and it was probably the first time he had seen Hermione with a smile but he couldn't help but be confused when he felt nothing while staring the boggart, he didn't feel the urge to be close to her nor the happiness in seeing that smile and instead he felt nothing it was like looking at an emotionless dummy despite the wide smile of the boggart.
He looked at Hermione when he heard her laughing bitterly. The look on her face was one he never wanted to see again.
James could clearly see pain in her eyes, too much pain that he desperately wanted to know the reason why it was there. He stepped towards her to touch and hold her, to make her know that he was there for her, she just needed to need him, because from now on whatever the reason was he vowed to take away all her pain.
When he was almost an inch away from her the bell rung signaling the end of their class and it was too late for him to stop her because Hermione had already gathered all her things and manage to leave the room as fast as she could.
Hermione didn't know where to go but she needed to get away from anything that would remind her that she is not in home. She ran and ran until her feet brought her to the familiar wall of the Room of Requirement. She thought hard and when a door appeared she entered quickly. She saw the familiar house of the Weasleys and all her strength seemed to fade and she broke down in tears.
When she traveled back in time she never expected to feel that much more pain than she had already experience in her own time, but now she wondered how her heart could still function despite the damage that it constantly bore. She laughed bitterly. Merlin how she wanted to destroy that boggart! She really hated that thing.
When she arrived she thought her biggest fear was failing but now she realized that her biggest fears is to forget her reason for being here. She fears that she might enjoy the peacefulness and having a normal life, to be contented and forget everything…to forget Ron..Harry and others.
Seeing her boggart scared her more than she could ever imagine. Seeing her with that contentment is despicable because she could never be that girl…No! She will never be that girl, because having that happiness only means forgetting about her past and that is unacceptable. No matter what happened, even though her pains hurt her repeatedly she could never forget everything.
That's right she Hermione Granger a war survivor was afraid to be that boggart because in order to become that person she would need to forget…everything and be happy here in this time. Be a normal Gryffindor student that would forget her pain and anger and if that happened she might also forget her mission which means forgetting those that suffered for the Light. And she couldn't do that she could never hurt Harry in that way...she would never betray him.
She couldn't forget and she would never forget…she would fight until the very last drop of her life…and she didn't care even if fighting meant she suffered for eternity…
AN…
The next chapter are already done but I need a new beta, my current beta can't edit my new chapter for me so please if anyone is interested please PM me ASAP, I will really appreciate any help that you can give me…thank you all and may God bless you always..