Chapter three: Friends

Hands, put your empty hands in mine,
And scars, show me all the scars you hide.
And hey, if your wings are broken,
Please take mine so yours can open too
'Cause I'm gonna stand by you.

June 5th1992
I carried my daughter to the Hospital Wing after the confrontation between Potter and Quirrell/the Dark Lord. She has minor cuts, but each one reminds me of what very easily could have happened. She solved my riddle. The thought makes me smile with pride. I kissed her forehead when I laid her down on the hospital bed. My little girl.

June 1oth 1992
Today I received a single note, unsigned, and delivered by Potter's owl. I recognized my girl's handwriting. 'I'm sorry I set your robes on fire and doubted you.'

September 1st came quickly and Hermione woke up early with the dawn. She spent the last week memorizing the lists her father gave her as well as reading the journal. He was her top priority over everything, which means she needed to steer clear of the Marauders. She went over her plans in her head as she walked to the Entrance Hall so she could take the train with Severus.

"Ah! You must be Miss Mason." Oh no. She'd luckily been able to avoid Professor Dumbledore so far, knowing he'd see right through her. She remembered his funeral, right before the summer she left with Harry and Ron.

"Headmaster!" She exclaimed in a strained voice, though she hoped it came across as surprised. "Er, yes, sir. I was just on my way to King's Cross."

"Well, then I shan't keep you. I will see you at the feast tonight, yes?"

She nodded enthusiastically. "Yes of course, sir."

She went to leave, but was stopped by a hand on her arm. "Why is it," he asked in his way, "that I feel as though you are early?" Then nothing but her panicked heartbeat. "No matter," he continued, less grim. "Good luck, Miss Mason." And he was gone.

Hermione gripped her beaded bag, which had significantly less than before, and proceeded to the train.

Again, she was struck by the lack of differences physically between this time and her own as she watched students be hugged by their parents and bid good bye. She waited in the shadows until just before eleven when she knew Severus would be settled by now.

Hermione wandered the train until she found him, alone as she'd predicted. He looked up when she opened the door, obviously on his guard against who he thought it might be- relaxing somewhat when he saw that it was just her.

"Hi there," she said, though it was still odd to see him looking so different and much more like her. "I was hoping to run into you. Well, actually, I was looking for you specifically."

"Why is that?" He growled. She had decided to be as frank as she could be with him, thinking he might be more receptive to that than sugar coating and well hidden manipulations.

"I told you. I'd like very much to be your friend."

"Meaning Mother sent you." She thought it was awesome to hear him use that word in reference. It showed a lot of how he felt even if she doubted he thought of it like that.

"I have never, nor will I ever, befriend someone simply because it is asked of me- but no. She didn't, though it's obvious she misses you. I find you interesting and I like you." Then the compartment door opened and there was Sirius and James. Hermione mentally facepalmed. Severus immediately stiffened, which didn't escape her notice.

"Ariel! What are you doing with the greasy git?" Sirius blurted.

She grimaced, "Must you be so rude?"

"Careful, Mason. Snivellous here doesn't care too much about being stood up for. Isn't that right, Snivellous?"

"Snivellous?" She scoffed. "Pfft, the two of you decide to bully someone and 'Snivellous' is the best you can come up with? Not very creative is it? But then, I expect you're not too terribly bright either." She turned to Sirius. "I will converse with whomever I deem worthy of conversing with. Which at the moment does not include you. Please leave." Then she wandlessly and wordlessly slammed and locked the door before turning to her companion who had been silent during the entire exchange.
The corner of his mouth turned up into what she supposed was his version of a smile. "A madman disguised as a snake charmer."

Hermione did a mental victory dance when she realized he was referring to her question about the Dark Mark. This was excellent progress. "The most dangerous madman are those created by religion, and… people whose aim is to disrupt society always know how to make good use of them on occasion."

"I like that," he said quietly. "At the time I didn't realize what I was doing. He was so eloquent and accepting; I just wanted to be somewhere I wasn't incriminated for anything and everything. But then I took the Mark and it all spun out of control. I never meant to, but now I'm stuck."

She hadn't anticipated he'd be so starved for companionship that he would unload everything so fast, and she was unsure of how to handle it. "Why not tell Dumbledore, or go to Minerva? She would help you."

"Yes, but at what cost? She'd abandon me and I couldn't blame her. She took me in and away from everything and this is how I repay her?"

She moved across to sit beside him, placing a hand on his knee. He flinched. "What can I do? I'll do whatever you need me to."

Severus' head was reeling. Why was he telling her anything? Let alone everything. He didn't know her, what if she told Mother? Then she would regret ever adopting him and he would be alone. He couldn't handle disappointing her. He was so tired of being alone and having no one to confide in. He wanted someone in his corner for once- someone he could count on and would count on him. Mother excluded. He wanted this girl to believe in him. Someone, as Lily didn't.

"What's your favorite class?" She asked him to change the subject, and he'd swear she was an angel- his guardian angel sent to Earth just for him. If he were so inclined to believe in such silly notions. She had the name for it. He smiled at the thought.

"Potions," he replied and it looked like she already knew his answer ahead of time.

"Ah, the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses." She caught him staring and blushed.

"Exactly," he said wistfully. "Why is it I feel as though you know me?"

She smiled with a shrug. "Call it a gift." He nodded, still unsure, so she changed topics again. "I once set fire to my Potion professor's robes during a Quidditch game my first." He gave her a strange look.

"Why in Merlin's name would you do that?" He asked questioningly.

She blushed. "We thought he was trying to hurt our, cursing his broom. But he was trying to counter it."

He shook his head. "What kind of school did you go to?"

The kind in the midst of a war.

September 1st1992
I'm sorry to say that my Hermione has fallen to the charms of Gilderoy Lockhart, that imbecile. I missed most of the feast due to her dunderheaded friends, but I did catch her lovesick face among the other female (and some male) students. Sigh.

Halloween 1992
Why is it them again? Bad things are coming. I can feel it.

November 30th1992
Of course he's a bloody Parselmouth.

Hermione laughed loudly, frightening Severus from his Potions theory book he was reading. He raised an eyebrow at her, but she just shook her head chuckling.

Christmas 1992
My daughter- is a cat. My guess is Polyjuice, but with cat hair instead of human. Neither of her friends are in a similar state so I can only assume it worked well for them. I doubt she did it for only herself. My daughter successfully made Polyjuice Potion at thirteen. This year I gave her Utopia this year. Now, if only I could stop laughing.

Hermione blushed as Severus tried to get her attention. "I think it's time to get into our robes. I'm going to go change." Hermione nodded and tucked the journal back into her bag.

She had been finished for about fifteen minutes when she became worried and went looking for him. The bathrooms were all empty and she had a déjà vu moment to first year when looking for a toad.

There was a strangled sound and she just knew it was Severus. She ran toward it, bursting into a compartment to find Severus being held down by Peter Pettigrew with James and Sirius shooting hexes at him. He had the beginnings of a black eye and the others looked vaguely mussed from a scuffle. Hermione saw red and stormed up to Sirius who seemed the ringleader. He laughed as though expecting her to join in. Severus obviously expected that too, as he completely deflated in disappointment.

"Hey, beautiful." Sirius said. "Come to see the show?" With those words, she was reminded of Draco Malfoy in her third year- and just like that she reared her fist back, feeling his nose break. He doubled over with a groan of pain as he held his nose and she felt someone grab her from behind to hold her back.

"HEY!" Severus shouted. "Don't you touch her! Don't you dare touch her!"

The door opened and the five of them looked over to see Remus, who'd come back from getting into his robes. He stopped to observe the scene. "What is going on?"

Sirius spit at Ariel's feet, but it was James that spoke. "We were just teaching Snivellous here a lesson when Mason- "

Hermione growled. "A lesson?! You can't even seem to teach your mutt," she kicked Sirius' side, "some manners." While he was forward she stomped her foot on James' toes, making him let go of her, and started toward Peter and Severus. The rat paled and moved away from them both. She held her hand out to her friend/father so he could get up. "Are you alright, Severus?" He nodded.

"Where did you learn to throw a punch like that?" He asked, visibly impressed.

Sirius, ironically. He insisted, telling her she never knew when she would need to break some git's nose. She actually got the idea now that he was giving his consent to her violence.

Remus watched the scene with growing irritated confusion. "HEY! What happened?" No one said anything with Peter cowering, Severus being fussed over by Ariel, and James and Sirius glaring at her. "Ariel?"

She huffed. "Your heathen friends attacked Severus for no reason at all other than they were bored- so I came to retrieve him."

"You broke my nose." Sirius whined nasally.

"You blackened my friend's eye! Really, you should have seen it coming," she pointed out, crossing her arms.

Remus sighed and touched her shoulder. "Are you okay? I'm sorry about them." Sirius made a noise of disbelief, but she gave him a weak smile. He looked at Severus and held his hand out. "Severus."

Severus went rigid, which reminded Hermione of Sirius' 'prank' and she glared at him. Sirius took a step back in surprise. She grabbed Severus' hand and pulled him with her. "I'll see you later, Remus." He watched her go before turning to the other Marauders.

Severus helped Hermione down from the Thestral drawn carriage and they walked to the castle.

"Write me all the time since we aren't in the same House? We can still hang out outside of class, right?"

He nodded, nervous about the logistics of having another Gryffindor friend. He hoped this one would turn out better than the last. "Watch out for Potter and company."

"I will, promise. But you know, Remus isn't like the other."

"You're right. He's worse." Hermione put a hand on his shoulder. "You should probably get to your table."

She nodded and left to find Remus.

The feast was delicious, as usual, and Hermione sat with Remus exchanging quotes and anecdotes while the other Marauders glared at her. They said nothing though, having already been lectured by Moony on the train incident. For his part, Remus was confused. This girl comes out of nowhere and suddenly he can't stop thinking about her and Moony is claiming her as Mate. When he was with her, he had never felt so at peace with the world. He found that on top of being incredibly pretty in an unconventional way, she was intelligent and well-read, kind and compassionate, witty with a wonderful laugh. He almost agreed with James about Lily Evans- love at first sight. Was it?

And yet, he thought as he fell asleep that night to the snores of the other three, four if you included Frank Longbottom, there's a mystery about her. Like a secret he couldn't wait to find out.

~~~
So, yes Hermione was perhaps a little more violent than some people would like to think. Keep in mind that she is very protective of Severus and he is her ONLY priority at this moment. Yes, Remus will find out rather soon about the truth, but there is a lot of stuff that has to happen first. Also, Severus is kind of very OOC in this- at least at this point in time. With him remember that a lot of what happened to make him our beloved Potions professor in all his snarkiness hasn't quite happened yet. He is very vulnerable right now. Is he trying to replace Lily? That is open for interpretation. I think it is both yes and no as he knows Lily didn't believe in him but he wants Ariel to. Last thing! Whew. I will switch between calling her Ariel and Hermione, depending on how it feels in the scene. It will usually be Hermione. I'm sorry if this confuses you. If it does too much, tell me and I will try to just stick to Hermione. I'm loving the reviews! xoSkye