A Fresh Start. In the Past
"She was quite hot if I'm honest" Sirius smirked. The boys were all in the common room talking about the mysterious new girl. "Is that all you care about is if a girl is hot or not?" Remus snapped back. "I agree with padfoot, she is good looking but not my type" James looked over at Lily Evans and winked. "Piss off Potter" She put her head back down and carried on studying. "Well I don't see Lily all over you yet prongs so don't get your hopes up" Sirius laughed at his friend while he tried to fight him. Peter had not said a word, just laughed at his friends. After a while of messing around in the common room the portrait door flew open and there stood Professor McGonagall and Hermione. Remus and Sirius stared at Hermione and when she caught eye contact with both of them Remus blushed and looked away and Sirius winked. "Everybody this is Hermione Granger, she is in seventh year. Miss Evans could you show our new student to the dormitories, a bed is already there" Lily got up and took Hermione away from the staring eyes from the common room and into the dormitory. "Lily Evans, head girl. This is Alice, Emmeline, Marlene and Mary. We are your dorm mates" Lily smiled and sat on her bed. "We were a bit confused when a bed suddenly appeared and a house elf came up with your stuff. Nice to have a new face around" Alice smiled at Hermione. She saw Neville's face in hers and her stomach dropped. "Are you okay Hermione?" Lily asked. Hermione walked to her bed "Yeah I'm fine. I need some sleep that's all" the other girls respected Hermione's wish and joined everyone else in the common room. Hermione got changed into the pyjamas Dumbledore had given her and fell straight to sleep.
"Wake up Hermione, it's half 8. Come down for breakfast" Hermione looked up and saw Harry's eyes but Lily's face. This would take time to get used to. Lily left the room whilst Hermione put on a black skirt a blue shirt with flat pumps. She wasn't fussed with make up so tied her log wavy hair into a pony tail and left the dorm. Lily and Alice were in the common room waiting for Hermione. "Ooh I like your skirt" Alice claimed. "Thank you" Hermione never got many compliments. She never had the chance to wear skirts very often, she felt good about herself.
The three girls went to the great hall and sat on the Gryffindor table. Everything looked the same as it did when Hermione first joined Hogwarts. As Hermione was eating her cereal she felt eyes stare at her. The boys who she fell on yesterday were looking at her. Hermione did not like this. "Do you want something?" She asked them. "You of course" Sirius said and laughed. He did the stupid annoying wink that irritated Hermione yesterday. "You wish" Hermione rolled her eyes. She wish he was like the Sirius she knew from the future. Things were too weird for Hermione at this stage. Sirius scowled whilst James and Peter laughed. Remus had a slight smile on his face.
Hermione turned to Lily, "what's your first lesson today?" Lily finished her mouthful of her apple. "Transfiguration, what about you?" Hermione looked down to her new timetable. "Oh, I have potions"
"I have potions next- I can take you there if you want" Remus mentioned after eavesdropping in the conversation. Hermione smiled, she was glad he did, there was something about him that got her attention. "Let's go early, I will convince Professor Slughorn to let us pair up, don't think I can cope with Severus much longer"
"Mooney he is called snivellus stop forgetting!" James spoke. Remus just laughed as he and Hermione left the Gryffindor table. Hermione felt like she was being stared at and as she turned around she found out she was right, Sirius was scowling at the pair. "So what brings you late to Hogwarts" Remus asked, Hermione turned around to face Remus. "Oh I was home schooled" Remus nodded "How come you aren't anymore?" Hermione didn't know what to say, her real parents weren't even married yet in this era, she could only think of one answer. "They passed away"
Remus looked upset wishing he never asked "Hermione I'm so sorry I didn't mean to upset you" He gave her a tight hug, Hermione didn't want to let go she felt so safe in his arms and warm. He let go of her and held her hand "If you need someone I'm here for you, doesn't matter what time of the day it is" Hermione's eyes started to well up with tears, she hated lying to him but she couldn't risk him knowing about her true past.
As they got to potions Professor Slughorn was pottering around his class humming a muggle tune. "Sir?" Remus asked. "Mr Lupin! Lovely to see you and I don't think we have met?" He looked over at Hermione. "Hermione Granger sir" she smiled at the younger version of her potions teacher. "Sir Hermione's new here and I'm the only one she knows so maybe it's better if she pairs up with me?" He sounded more like he was pleading than asking. Professor Slughorn thought about it for a few moments before replying. "Yes, very well you two pair up but I want Severus to stay with you, don't like seeing him on his own" The professor gave them a smile and Remus and Hermione couldn't reject. Least they got to work together she thought. They sat down at a table in the back of the room and spoke about random books and potions they knew of. It was time for class to start and everyone piled into the room, Hermione recognised some faces she saw in her friends from the future and instantly felt sad, she forgot she wouldn't see her friends again but maybe in the future when they were only her class mates children not her closest friends. "Hermione are you okay?" Hermione shook herself out of her daydream. "Yeah I'm fine don't worry about me" she smiled and carried on their conversation about books. "What's this girl doing in my seat?" A drone voice echoed behind her and she instantly knew who it was, she only just realised the Severus they were talking about was her future potions teacher, and a man she knew was dead. She gave a little gasp of shock, this was too weird she thought. "Sniv-Severus this is Hermione, new student. Sir said she was to pair up with us" Lupin looked up to an angry looked Snape and faintly smiled at him. Snape scowled back and sat in the empty stool next to Hermione. Hermione felt very uncomfortable between the two boys and could feel the tension. The three listened to their professor about the potion they were making today, there was excitement but also groans from the class at what it was.
Amortentia.