Disclaimer: I don't own any Harry Potter characters.
Changes Two Chap 12
Hermione stops as she reaches the first floor of the shack and flops down on the stairs. Letting out a breath the woman runs a hand across her face trying not to burst into tears again. She wasn't sure how much longer she could do this, keep up this charade. Even now the urge to take control and fight was practically choking her. Shaking her head the girl reaches under her robes and pulls out her time-turner absentmindedly twisting the empty trinket between her fingers. She wasn't Hermione Granger any longer, there was no question of that, but she would never be able to fully become Jane either.
Letting loose a sigh Hermione grips the time device even tighter letting out a hiss as it digs into her hand drawing blood. The necklace glistens even brighter, if possible, as her blood coats the gold and glass.
"Hermione?"
Said girl jerks and hurriedly tucks the time-turner under her shirt wincing slightly as it sticks to her skin. "On the stairs." She calls as Harry crawls out of the tunnel.
The raven haired boy offers a wobbly smile as he wipes off the dirt on his hands before handing Hermione a small basket. "I realized I haven't seen you since earlier so I figured you probably didn't eat lunch or dinner."
"You got me something from the kitchens." Hermione states tearfully as she opens the basket. Wonderful, now she wanted to cry because Harry was thoughtful enough to realize she was hungry.
Obviously her urge to cry showed because Harry looked decidedly uncomfortable. "Uhh, it's nothing really, it's pretty late and I had the invisibility cloak so it's not like I risked getting caught or anything. You've done so much for me it's the least I can do." The boy states, looking relieved when Hermione begins eating instead of fighting his comment or crying. "So- me and Sirius talked some and-" Harry pauses and flounders for a moment trying to figure out what to say next. "We're worried about you. You know if you need to you can tell me anything… right?"
Hermione nods and nibbles on her sandwich before freezing as a thought hits her. Harry hadn't been gone long enough to reach the castle kitchens and come back. The entire group had just disbanded a few minutes ago. Turning her head she grips her wand harder and glances out the window feeling a wave of vertigo hit her when she realizes everything was completely drenched in night. "How long have I sat here?" She asks faintly staring out the dirty window, her food forgotten. Twisting around she pins Harry with a shocked wide-eyed gaze. "What time is it?"
The boy leans slightly away from his friend and offers a partial shrug. "You've been in here a few hours, it's way pass curfew."
Few hours? The time traveler felt the world tilt around her, if she hadn't of already been sitting then she probably would have fallen over. Dumbledore had summoned her in the middle of dinner and the shack meeting had started not to long after that. So she was missing what- two or more hours?
"Hermione?"
Turning her attention to the boy beside her Hermione forces her grip on the wand to loosen, she couldn't risk breaking the delicate wood. "Time's moving faster than I thought it was." She mutters waving away her former student's questioning look. Hermione stuffs the sandwich into her mouth to keep from saying anything else as she rises off of the stairs.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
The question was whispered and Hermione froze as she tried to make sure she heard right. "About what?" The time traveler asks noting how Harry was looking over her instead of at her. 'He can't know.' She mentally comments hopefully, not quite sure what she would do if he did know everything.
"About Sirius." Harry finally says tilting his head up as Hermione slowly sits back beside him.
The girl opens her mouth to lie before pausing and taking another bite of her food. "I didn't want to get your hopes up." She says truthfully, that was her reasoning when all this began. Her research began with the need to save Harry through Sirius, and she hadn't told anyone because she didn't want to get their hopes up if it didn't work out. "I wasn't sure anything would work and I knew if I told you and it didn't work then…" Trailing off she finally shrugs feeling odd under Harry's gaze. He was looking at her differently now, like something had changed her in his eyes.
The green eyed boy sighs and takes the food basket from his friend before wrapping her in hug. Usually, it was Hermione that always gave hugs and Harry could feel her shock before she relaxed against him. "I'm sorry, for everything. At the ministry, when you got hurt- when Sirius died I couldn't think, everything happened so fast and he was just gone. I kept thinking that it was a nightmare and I had to wake up, and then I was so angry with everyone. I didn't even think-" He paused then swallowing hard as he pulls away. "All I could think about was how I needed him, and how he was dead because of me. I didn't think about how anyone else felt."
"Harry, you were grieving." Hermione began trying to placate her friend only to have him interrupt.
"I should have noticed something though. I wasn't even there when you woke up- when you found out." Harry states, clenching his hands together as he looks away from his friend. "You loved him and I didn't even know."
The proverbial light bulb flickered on in her head. Sirius must have said something to Harry about them being together, probably seeking assurance that he would be happy for them. Of course, considering how fast everything has happened, Harry thought that they were together before Sirius fell. "Hardly anyone knows. Most people would frown heavily upon our relationship, Harry. There's also the fact that Sirius has a way of making me want to hex him most of the time." Hermione comments allowing him to believe what he would.
"Who all knows?"
The brunette frowns for a moment. "You, Remus most likely, the twins might suspect something." She informs her friend not adding on that Snape knew. The last thing Harry needed to know was that Snape caught them snogging in the hall. Of course it was possible that if Severus hadn't interrupted then they might have done more than just snog. Hermione purses her lips before letting out a sigh. "And what do you think about it? Sirius and I?"
The boy-who-lived shrugs before digging into the food basket and pulling out an apple for himself. "You're happy, aren't you?"
"We didn't end on the best of notes- before he fell. In fact, I'm not even sure we can currently be considered 'together.' And with everything else…" Trailing off she shrugs and lets the idea drop. Straightening suddenly the time traveler once again rises off of the stairs. "We should head back to the dormitory." She comments gathering up the basket.
Harry frowns and slowly nods, "You're so different now."
Hermione smiles softly and kisses Harry's forehead, the scar on her chest tugging when her lips brush against his own scar. "No matter how different I become I will always care about you." She states softly.
Green eyes stare at the girl as she moves toward the tunnel. Harry examines her again, counting off the changes before giving himself a shake and clambering to his feet. "Ginny and the twins think they know where Slytherin's locket is. We found it when we were cleaning out Grimmauld Place that summer, remember- the locket with the S on it that wouldn't open. Fred and George are going to see if they can't get it and bring it up here."
The time traveler stares at her friend, one hand upon the tunnel. "Well, at least something is proving easy." She finally comments before ducking into the hole.
Even though she went to bed late Hermione still woke up before most of the other Gryffindors and was able to get ready in peace. Stepping onto the stairs the brunette sighs and clutches her school bag before letting out a yelp and nearly dropping it as a ghost floats through her.
"Good morning Hermione." Nearly-headless Nick says smiling.
Hermione shudders trying to shake off the cold. "Good morning, Nicholas." She comments gripping the staircase as it suddenly turns.
"Care to walk with me?" The ghost asks floating onto the new dias.
The girl glances down towards the Great Hall before sighing and following the ghost. At this rate she was never going to have a proper meal.
A portrait on the wall frowns. "What do you think you're doing? Let her go eat her breakfast!"
Nicholas waves a pale hand at the painted wizard. "I must say, it's rather strange- everything that's happened that is. Quite a few of us have decided to simply watch and see what happens."
"Boy!"
Hermione glances back at the portrait before turning back to her companion as his icy hand tries to pat her shoulder.
"Just ignore him." The ghost states serenely. "Now, as I was saying, a few of us have made this choice but there are those of us who are willing to help." Nicholas comments, finally coming to a stop beside a portrait of a wolf.
"I'm not sure I understand." Hermione comments before stiffening as she realizes where she is. Taking a step forward she raises her hand and gently places it against the portrait, swallowing when she feels fur under her hand. "It can't be." She mutters watching the wolf nuzzle her hand before throwing back his head and howling at the full moon.
"He missed you." Nicholas states still smiling as he watches her shock. "You have allies, because whether the living remember or not, Hogwarts knows."
The time traveler's eyes widen at the realization of what he means. "Ookami-sama." She intones holding her breath until the portrait swings open and her old teacher's rooms are open. Slamming a hand over her mouth in shock the girl slowly enters the rooms and looks around. It all looked exactly the same, the furniture, decorations. "My trunk, is it in my room?" Hermione asks Nicholas, noting that he floated just in the doorway not coming in any further.
"I'm afraid not, when you returned these weren't your rooms and so your trunk wasn't needed, it was put up."
Put up where? Hermione mentally asks sinking onto the soft couch. "Does Dumbledore know? Has he been told?"
The ghost sighs and slowly floats over to her. "No, the Headmaster has far to much to worry about without adding more to his plate. Hermione, for all his faults Professor Dumbledore is a good man, he's just been forced to make some hard choices."
"We all make hard choices, that doesn't excuse every move he's made."
"He's only human."
Hermione groans and drops her head into her hands feeling her hair frizz as the stress starts to give her a headache. "I'm never going to get a decent meal." She mutters before rising and heading to the Headmaster office knowing that she couldn't just leave it with what happened yesterday.
Dumbledore wasn't in his office but Hermione knew he'd show up soon. Walking over to the sleeping phoenix she smiles and gently rubs her fingers against the soft feathers of his chest. Fawkes raises his head and chirps at the girl nuzzling her hand when she begins rubbing his neck as well. "Do you remember to, boy?" She asks quietly feeling slightly lost.
"Ms. Granger?"
Hermione stiffens and drops her hand as she turns to the large desk and the elderly wizard standing behind it. "My outburst yesterday was inappropriate; I should have been able to control my temper." She states hurriedly taking a seat as the Headmaster does the same. "You're dying." Hermione comments holding up her hand so that she can continue uninterrupted. "And currently we have several things that this may prove an advantage to us in. The Ministry needs to be informed of Sirius' return soon and the moment you die, you know they will attempt to place me in Azkaban. I won't go of course but the moment I fight I'll become wanted and it'll be an inconvenience at the very least."
Dumbledore steeples his fingers as he stares at the young woman before him. She was stiff in the chair, not fidgeting and her fingers were white from the grip they had on her school bag. The elderly man frowns when his eyes slip off of the bag instead of focusing. "Ms. Granger, may I ask why you've spelled your bag?"
Time for the peace offering. Hermione mentally comments stating a simple finite before digging into her bag and pulling out the tiara. This time it was Dumbledore who stiffened as he stared at the crown. "Ravenclaw's diadem, it was a horcrux- however, I managed to remove the soul." She informs the man as she places the tiara on his desk.
Albus Dumbledore paled even more as he shakily picks up the relic.
"Unlike you I was prepared for what I might face." Hermione comments before forcing herself to relax into the chair. "And Slytherin's locket has been located and is on its way here to be purified." That's right, I've managed to do in weeks what has taken you years. I've placed my bet, are you going to call or add to the pot?
The headmaster stares at the woman in front of him before finally talking. "Ms. Granger, you are truly a force to be reckoned with, I pity for the Ministry for trying to target you." Sitting the diadem back on the desk he sighs and glances at his shriveled hand. "I will tell the Ministry that I brought Sirius Black back, that I entered the Ministry in secrecy so as not to draw attention to what I was attempting to do. The magical signature they have recorded must simply be a leftover of the veil's demise."
"I didn't use any so called 'black magic' Sirius was retrieved with a prayer and an accio, nothing more." Hermione informs the man sighing when her stomach growls. "So any mention of blood rituals or sacrifice or whatever codswallop they're trying to say I did is in fact codswallop. No matter what you might believe I haven't turned evil."
"The road to Hell is paved with good intentions." Albus quotes before glancing Fawkes. "I believe you Ms. Granger, and I'm sorry as well for my part in yesterday's confrontation. Come now, it's best we head down to breakfast. I can already tell today is going to be busy."
With a nod Hermione rises and hurriedly leaves the office finally heading down to eat. Of course, she should have expected it wouldn't have been that easy. She was nearly to the Great Hall, in fact she was in the same hall Sirius had accosted her in, when a paper was thrust in her face.
"What did you do?" Draco Malfoy desperately demands waving the Daily Prophet in her face.
Hermione takes a step back and snatches the paper from the boy before looking at the heading.
Explosion rocks Diagon Alley
After Knockturn Alley Attack
TO BE CONTINUED…
Please Review! A reviewer asked why Hermione didn't just destroy the cabinet at the school so I thought I should explain. If the cabinet at the school was destroyed then a deatheater might try and say Draco did it. So to keep Draco safe she asked Remus to destroy the one in Burgin's.