The two girls walked together in silence back to the Gryffindor common room. Every now and then Solarius would try to make conversation, asking Hermione if she was feeling any better, she also tried asking her how she had ended up out on the grounds unconscious, she even went on to the topic of the weather. Yet Hermione remained silent, the recent events leaving her too shaken up to talk, and after a while Solarius also gave up trying to make conversation and was content to walk in silence next to the frightened girl.
It was not long before they were facing the portrait of the Fat Lady. Solarius cast a smile towards Hermione and said: "Hippogriff's flight," and with that the Fat Lady gave a gentle smile and opened up for the two girls, yet the peace and prosperity were not to last. As soon as the two girls walked through the threshold a waterfall of ice cold water was dropped on the tem.
Solarius barely flinched at the cold water, Hermione however was not so lucky: as she was still in a daze the feel of the temperature drop and the electrical shock that was sent straight to her nerves ripped a scream from her throat, the cold feeling brought her crashing back down to earth where she was brutally reminded of what had happened, and where she was.
When the shock subsided, they could hear the snickering that came from further within the common room. Solarius was not impressed in the least and straightening her back she marched into the room.
"Well done, mate!" Sirius said as he patted his friend on the back, while Remus merely grinned but also congratulating his friend on his achievement, while Peter sat in the corner giggling.
"JAMES!!!" Solarius yelled as she quickly approached the boy with a look that could kill. Immediately the cheering and congratulating stopped as James realized just who he had gotten with the water, and the look that crossed his face was one that Hermione never thought that would cross the face of her best friend's father; and that was when it hit her, this was Harry's father, James Potter.
"Oops," James muttered under his breath, and then quickly went to cover up his mistake. "Hi Sol," he said in a sheepish and innocent voice.
"Oh, don't give me that, James Potter! I know very well that it was you who put that waterfall there," she said as she looked at him in an attempt to intimidate him, but they all knew that she did not truly mean it as she still had a twinkle of humour and mischief in her blue eyes.
"But we would never try and prank you Sol, you are one of us!" – giving her a puppy dog look, hoping that it would be enough to make her forgive them. Solarius however was not going to let him off the hook that easily, and grabbed a nearby pillow, effectively smacking him over the head with it. At this the boys could not take it anymore and burst out laughing. Solarius tried to hide her amusement and turned around, smacking Remus over the head for good measure.
"You! You should be standing up for me, not just laughing at me," she said as she poked him lightly on the shoulder.
Remus took it in his stride as he pulled Solarius down to sit on his lap dripping wet. "Aw love, don't be like that," he murmured as he kissed her softly and slowly.
It was a gesture that completely and totally threw Hermione. Remus seemed to be completely in love with this girl, and yet he had never mentioned her. Furthermore, she had never even heard of Lucius having a sister. It was the first time that she was sorry that she was not in the present, because it meant that she could not go to the library and look up this Solarius Malfoy. Hermione could not help but wonder why she had not heard of this girl in turn this quickly made her to jump to the conclusion that maybe Solarius were to become one of Voldemort's victims just like Lily and James.
"What's going on?" Hermione turned in the direction of the new voice, only to come across a beautiful red head... Lily, Hermione realized. Stories had been told about Lily Potter but none if it did her any justice, she was truly stunning.
"Hey Lily," Solarius said as she broke away from Remus' kiss, who in the meantime pulled out his wand and with a quick flick dried both himself and his girlfriend. "Thanks love," she said as she dipped down for another kiss.
"You're very welcome," he replied as he brought her down to snuggle against him.
"Hey, are you feeling any better?" Lily asked Hermione, and it was the trigger that Sol needed to be reminded of the girl standing in their common room.
"Oops! Guys, this is Hermione Granger, she is an exchange student from America, and will be finishing her studies here."
Hermione looked up at Solarius in question, as she had never told that story to her, only to realize that it was a story that she had come up with for her, so with a gentle smile of thanks she turned back to Lily and the boys.
"Hi," she said, although it was the most pathetic greeting, it was the only one that she could think of, having all these people in front of her who, apart from Remus, were dead in her time and here they were alive in front of her.
As she looked forward again she was greeted by a warm embrace from Lily.
"Welcome to Hogwarts, Hermione," she said giving her a warm smile and stepped aside to allow the others to greet her as well.
James gave her a boyish smile and with a flick of his wand she was once again dry.
"Thank you," she said, smiling at him.
"No problem, sorry for getting you wet. Any friend of Solarius is a friend of ours," he replied.
Remus gave a warm and knowledgeable smile but said nothing. The gesture reminded her so much of the Remus from her time.
Peter smiled and waved, but at his greeting Hermione had to use all of her strength not to show her disgust. It was his fault that they were all dead, but she knew that she could not let them know the future, at least not yet.
Sirius however was a totally different case. He merely smiled at her, but the look in his eyes was intense, his piercing blue eyes burrowing deep within her soul, and it was then that Hermione knew that she had to be careful that she did not fall in love with this man.