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It's been almost exactly two years since the first chapter of this? Whoops...
I hope you enjoy this one.
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"I'm Remus." The boy opposite her said, sticking his hand out. Hermione shook the extended hand.
"I'm Hermione. Hermione Danson."
"So, what you doing at the gryffindor table, Ducky?" Sirius asked from beside her once he had eaten some breakfast. Remus face-palmed on her other side. James grinned and Peter gave Hermione a small smile. Hermione's heart gave a twinge at the familiar face with the wrong eyes Hermione decided then and there that she was going to do her best to make sure that Peter never had reason to betray the Marauders. They all seemed quite close currently, so Hermione hoped that whatever had resulted in Peter joining the Dark Side hadn't happened yet. She was going to change the future.
"Excuse me?" Hermione asked, her thoughts returning to the question that Sirius asked, confused at the name, "Ducky?"
"Yeah," Sirius said, as if it made all the sense in the world to him, which it probably did, "Ducky."
"Right… Why Ducky?"
Remus rolled his eyes at Sirius. "I apologise for this one." he said, pointing towards Sirius, "Sirius doesn't seem to have this thing called a brain filter. Or a good sense in nicknames."
"Shut up Moony." Sirius mumbled, shoving another piece of toast in his mouth. Remus waved his hand, suggesting that Sirius was again demonstrating his point.
"Moony? Dare I ask the story behind that?" Hermione asked, pretending that she didn't know exactly the reason why. Remus seemed to blanch slightly. He shook his head.
"Anywho! You never answered my question. " Sirius said to Hermione, interrupting whatever Remus had been about to say.
"You never answered mine either." Hermione shot straight back. "You answer mine first and then I'll answer yours."
Sirius made eye contact with Hermione and smirked before he opened his mouth.
"Hermione's from Shakespeare, The Winter's Tale right? So is Ducky, not The Winter's Tale but A Midsummer Night's Dream. Well, duck really but it didn't quite work so I added a y."
Hermione was thrown slightly. Sirius Black knew Shakespeare? It was a confusing notion seeing as Shakespeare was a muggle. Then again, the Sirius Black she had known before loved to regale tales of how he had gone against his muggle-hating parents at every opportunity. Reading muggle literature must be a part of that. Now that Sirius had explained his thought process behind the name, it made a lot more sense, Hermione being able to follow his strange line of thought. Hermione, of course, knew the part of the play that Sirius had been speaking of.
"O dainty duck! O dear!" Hermione muttered with a smile. She didn't think that she had said it loud enough for any of them to hear, but evidently she hadn't.
"Thy mantle good,
What, stain'd with blood!
Approach, ye Furies fell!
O Fates, come, come,
Cut thread and thrum;
Quail, crush, conclude, and quell!" Hermione stared at Sirius with wide eyes. He was able to quote Shakespeare? Hermione was surprised, most people who even bothered to read the plays never bothered to memorise quotes.
Remus joined in from her other side. "This passion, and the death of a dear friend, would
go near to make a man look sad."
Hermione grinned, she had a feeling that she was going to like it here. She could never quote Shakespeare with Ron and Harry, she didn't think that Ron had even heard of the man. She finished the quote,"Beshrew my heart, but I pity the man."
"You guys know Shakespeare?" Hermione asked with a huge grin on her face. She could hardly believe that these two pranksters knew Shakespeare.
"Well Peter and I don't" James said, speaking for the first time since the four had sat down, "But these two are obsessed."
"I'm a half-blood, but Mum had the complete works. I grew up reading his stuff." Remus explained. The time-traveller nodded and turned to Sirius with a questioning look.
"My family… dislikes muggles. I don't share that sentiment, reading 'such muggle trash' enraged my mother, and what's better than that."
Hermione was slightly taken aback at the blase attitude Sirius had towards his family. Before Hermione could comment Sirius turned the conversation back to her.
"I ask again, what you doing at the Gryffindor table Ducky?"
"Well, I go here now." Hermione answered, taking another sip of her pumpkin juice.
"Here?" Sirius replied confusedly. Hermione blinked, hadn't she just said so? What was so confusing?
"Yes, this is a school. Where people go to learn things." Hermione said sarcastically slowly so that Sirius would be able to understand the simple words. James snorted into his juice.
"Ha. Funny." The dog animagus replied with a grin, "But seriously, it's not the beginning of the year. Why now?"
"Sirius, she doesn't have to answer that."
"It's okay Remus. I'm here because the portkey my parents had made activated." Hermione said, using the story that Dumbledore, Minerva and herself had decided upon. "It wasn't the… smoothest ride, hence my injuries. It was made to bring me to my godmother if my parents were ever-" Hermione's throat closed up, her voice breaking at the thought of her parents, who were indeed dead to her. "-If they ever died" She finished in a whisper.
Hermione heard gasps from all around her, not just from the boys, but from those who had been eavesdropping on their conversation, interested by the 'new girl'.
"I'm sorry." James said. Hermione bristled immediately.
"I don't need your pity." She almost spat at the boy. James glared at her before speaking.
"I'm not pitying you, I'm empathising you clotpole. My parents passed away a month ago, two days after I left for school. I know what it's like."
Hermione's eyes widened, so that was why Harry never knew that set of grandparents. Hermione felt awful. "I- I didn't-"
"It's okay."
"Who's your godmother?" Sirius asked in a more than obvious attempt to change the conversation subject. Hermione turned and gave the boy a small smile.
"Minerva McGonnagall, she's the-"
"Minnie? Minnie is your godmother‽" Sirius exclaimed, slack jawed. Hermione looked down away from the boy, her hair automatically falling and creating a barrier between her and the world.
"Uh,Yeah."
"Hey, there's nothing wrong with that ducky. Minnie's awesome" Sirius said, tucking Hermione's hair behind her ear."
"Isn't she supposed to be Professor McGonagall to you?" Hermione asked.
"Indeed Mr Black." Minerva said from behind them, making everyone around them jump.
"Minnie!" Sirius exclaimed, leaping up from his seat and bowing overdramatically to her, "It is a pleasure to see you mi'lady."
Minerva pursed her lips and then grimaced. "Mr Black, I would advise ceasing unless you wish to spend your weekend polishing the trophy room by hand."
Sirius smirked at her, but nevertheless did as he was told and sat down. Minerva turned to Hermione and handed her a piece of parchment.
"This is your class schedule, if you have any problems, any problems at all, "She said, sparing a glance towards the marauder as she did so, "feel free to come and find me."
"Yes, Professor." Hermione replied with a small smile. She didn't deserve how well her head of house had been treating her. The professor had readily taken her under her wing and Hermione was slightly overwhelmed by how much she seemed to care. Once Minerva had left Sirius tore the parchment from her hand.
"Ancient runes, arithmancy, potions, history of magic, transfiguration, charms. Ducky, how many classes are you taking?" Sirius exclaimed.
"Nine."
"Nine? Are you crazy?"
"Yes, yes I am. Will that be a problem?" Hermione replied, eyebrow raised.
"No ma'am, will not be a problem ma'am!" Sirius said with a salute. Hermione rolled her eyes at his antics.
"So you're taking ancient runes?" Remus asked and drew Hermione into what ended up as an intelligent discussion about the finer points of rune cluster creation.
Soon breakfast was over and with it her discussion with Remus. Hermione claimed a need to use the loo, in doing so ditching the boys. After a few minutes Hermione left, making sure that she 'got lost' on the way. Hermione hated being late with a passion, but for the sake of not blowing her cover story she needed to credibly be 'the new girl'. She could claim a little familiarity with Hogwarts with Minerva being her Godmother, but it wouldn't do for the other students to become suspicious. Thus she made sure that she was late to charms. Professor Flitwick would be understanding, it was her first day after all.
By the time that Hermione made it to Charms class she was a good five minutes late to the lesson. She would have only been two minutes late, but one of the staircases decided that it didn't like her and so Hermione had to go the long way round. As she walked in she made her apologies to the professor. Hermione could only see one free seat in the room.
"That's perfectly okay for today, just try not to do so in future. Why don't you take a seat?" Professor Flitwick asked, gesturing to the one free one nearer the front of the classroom. Hermione got note taking materials out and listened to what Flitwick was saying. They were studying the Hydratonne charm. Hermione already could do this charm, having learnt it despite not having attended for her original seventh year. She still took a copious amount of notes because anything was sure to come in handy when revising for NEWTS at the end of the year.
The class soon came to an end and Hermione made her way to transfiguration, "following" some of the other students that had been in her Charms class that had mentioned having the lesson next. The classroom was mostly empty when the students she was "following" arrived at the class. Hermione immediately headed for the same seat in which she had always sat in in her past and sat down. Hermione set up her writing utensils as the other students trickled in. Hermione lost herself in her thoughts as she waited for the lesson to start. It was for that reason that she didn't notice Sirius beside her until he whispered into her ear, making her jump.
"You're in my seat Ducky. I guess I'll just have to make do and just bask in the glory that is that particular seat from here instead." He said, sitting down in the chair next to her.
Hermione clutched at her heart which was racing. When had Sirius arrived? And how had she not noticed his approach? Mad-Eye would have been disappointed in her lack of attention.
"Mr Black, if you have had enough of giving heart attacks to your classmates then we will proceed with today's lesson" Professor McGonagall said, her laughter only just concealed in her voice to those who didn't know her. Hermione could see through her though and flushed bright red.
"Human transfiguration is a complex art and fatal if it goes wrong." McGonagall started her lecture. Hermione was hooked. She had always been fascinated by the subject but had never attempted any of the spells herself in fear of accidentally injuring someone. One did not simply mess around with human transfiguration. The professor continued to explain the complexities behind such spells before explaining the task they were to do. Hermione was almost bouncing in her seat. She was going to do human transfiguration! She had waited years for this moment!
"You will be working with the person sat next to you. You may begin."
Hermione turned to Sirius with a grin on her face.
"What's gotten you so excited Ducky?" He asked.
"We're doing human transfiguration!" She exclaimed, "I've been looking forward to thing since I was 11!"
Sirius smiled at her. "Well then, what are you waiting for?"
Hermione took her wand out of it's holder and pointed it at Sirius's face, startling him slightly.
"Mutatio nasum."
Hermione frowned when the spell didn't work. Why hadn't it worked? She had put the correct amount of focus and energy into the spell.
"Mutatio nasum." She said again, watching with triumph as Sirius' nose changed gradually into an elephant's trunk. The people around them laughed as they saw what had happened to Sirius' nose. Sirius tried to say something, but the words couldn't be heard through the trunk in front of his mouth.
"Well done Her-Miss Danson! 10 point to Gryffindor!" Professor McGonagall said from across the room, noticing the commotion was due to somebody getting the spell correctly. Hermione couldn't help but laugh at the look on Sirius' face. Hermione reversed the spell after a few minutes and Sirius' hands flew up to his face, checking that everything was normal. Hermione had considered playing a prank on the prankster by changing it into something else, rather than reversing what she had done, but she decided not too.
"Nice one Hermione!" James called from across the room, drawing attention to himself. He currently had little cat ears poking out of his hair, thanks to Remus. Hermione had to admit that the ears were adorable. Hermione smiled to herself. Harry would have loved to have seen James like this. Hermione immediately felt an almost overwhelming wave of guilt and grief wash over her. She tugged on the cuffs of her outer robe, almost hiding her hands in the material. Harry should have been the one there. Harry should have had the chance to meet his parents; to have memories of them that weren't of their dying moments. But Harry didn't exist anymore. He only existed in her head, her Harry that is. Her Harry was gone.
She needed out. She couldn't sit here and laugh with dead people, like she didn't know how they had died. Hermione felt the panic in her rise. What if she couldn't save anybody? What if she had to watch them all die again, unable to do anything. Question after question raced through her mind, but Hermione didn't have any of the answers.
A tug on her arm pulled Hermione out of her thoughts and into the present, her wand shooting up to apprehend whoever had touched her. It took Hermione's brain a few moments to catch up with her body, and she realised that it was Sirius that was tugging on her arm.
"Come on." Sirius murmured. Hermione gave him a look of confusion. "You're crying. Do you really want others to notice?"
"Hermione shook her head, and touched her cheek with her hand. It was wet. Hermione hadn't even realised that she had been crying. The two of them left the room, Hermione glanced at Professor McGonagall who nodded at her. Hermione felt a lot better leaving the classroom knowing that she has the professor's permission.
Sirius led Hermione by the hand to an empty classroom a few corridors away. Hermione attempted to shove down the overwhelming feelings of grief and confusion, determined to not show her weak side to Sirius. He wasn't the Sirius she had know; the Sirius she had bonded with at Grimmauld Place.
Sirius gently placed his hands on her shoulders and Hermione felt the dam break. It shouldn't have been her. She shouldn't be here. She shouldn't have survived. She should be dead. She wasn't meant to be here. Harry should have lived. Harry should be here. They were gone. There were all gone. Even if there was some way to get back to the future they were all dead. They were gone and there wasn't anything that Hermione could do about it.
"Go. Just go." She whispered, her voice thick with tears and breaking halfway through.
Hermione felt her knees give way and she dropped to the floor, her knees smarting as they hit the cold stone floor. She shook with the force of the sobs that stole their way through her body. Everything was different. Everything was gone; and Hermione didn't know if she was going to be enough to change things the way that she wanted to. She couldn't fail; not this time. There was far too much at stake.
Hermione splayed her hands across the floor. It was cold. Her fingers started stroking the floor. The cool temperature of the floor slowing grounding her and bringing her back to reality. She took a deep breath in, embarrassed that she had broken down and lost control like that, especially in front of someone. Hermione looked up and around the room to find that she was alone, although the door was slightly ajar.
Hermione wiped the tears from her face with the sleeve of her robes and stood up. She tried to get back to normal before exiting the room; trying to not be too stiff, too formal. However she was unsure of what to do with her hands, and so ended up shoving them deep into the pockets of her robe.
On the floor a small way down the corridor sat Sirius Black. His head snapped up upon hearing the classroom door creak. Hermione gave him a small watery smile, praying that he wouldn't question why she had been crying.
"Sometimes one just need to have a good cry. Feeling any better Ducky?"
Hermione nodded numbly, astounded at how maturely Sirius was handling the situation. From what she had heard from the Sirius at Grimmauld, Hermione had been expecting him to joke and make light of the situation. Incredibly, she did actually feel better for having had a good long cry.
"How-" Hermione coughed to clear the croaky voice that came out at first, "How long was I-?
Sirius grinned sheepishly.
"It's currently lunch, so a couple of hours or so."
Hermione blinked. Had she really been crying for that long? She hadn't thought that it had been more than a half hour at most. Although, it did feel as though she had cried for an age and well as no time at all. She was surprised that Sirius had waited for her. Hermione cast a tempus charm and confirmed that it was indeed three quarters of the way through their lunch hour. The only plus side of this was that Hermione hadn't missed any classes as she had two free periods Hermione's stomach gave a loud rumble at this news, causing Sirius to chuckle lightly.
"Come on. Let's go get something from the kitchens."
Hermione forced a look of surprise onto her face. "You know where the kitchens are?" She asked as the two of them started walking.
"Oh Ducky, you have a lot to learn about Hogwarts. A marauder knows where everything is." Sirius said arrogantly as he walked backwards with his arms stretched out wide. Hermione arched an eyebrow at his statement. Sirius stuck his tongue out her and then proceeded to trip over the edge of one of the flagstones. Hermione felt a grin slip onto her face.
"So you did that purposefully?"
"Of course I did!"
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The rest of the day took far too long to pass and Hermione was exhausted mentally and emotionally, as well as physically by the time she made it up to her dorm room. She didn't even talk to her new roommates, but just flopped face first onto her bed fully clothed, and was asleep in an instant.
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PLEASE REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!
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