Chapter XXX

New Years was fantastic as Keller, Hermione, and the three other Marauders spend it differently to celebrate. Hermione had decided to go with Remus to meet his folks and James with Lily at her place and Keller with Sirius and them all together.

Hermione had to meet with the Lupin's, Remus' parents and had been a ball of nervous wreck when she was getting ready to go meet them.

It had been during one of their little group activities with the gang as they went from ice-skating to snowball fights in the park, girls versus boys and the girls totally plowed them and the boys kept saying how it was unfair, they cheated until they decided to shut them up with a steamy hot kiss which made them forget all about their silly little game.

Even Keller seem to have been having a blast as she and Sirius had been going ice skating, she holding onto him while learning how to properly skate with his help as he steady her until she was able to skate on her own without falling and giving a very special kiss to her teacher.

Hermione and Remus had decided to go take a quiet stroll down the park, his idea as they left James and Lily who were both making a snowman or snow witch she should say with them making it look like almost professor McGonagall or some old hag with a stiff lip and Sirius and Keller were doing snow angels and she could heard her cousin laughing, saying how she got snow in her pant and on her ass and Sirius suggest he could help rid that.

She and Remus walked hand in hand, looking at the white crisp snow, covering the trees on every branch and on the ground below their feet, making soft smooshing sounds as they stroll. Remus seem a bit nervous and Hermione had been about to asked when he told her.

He had beem telling his parents about her and that on New Year's Eve, the Lupin wanted him to invite her over for dinner and to celebrate the New Year with them.

Hermione was unsure but Remus was grabbing her hand, looking at her with soft blue eyes and telling her that everything would be all right if she came.

"They'll love you, trust me when I say they will…they just want to meet you and get to know you a little better…" Remus had assured her about at least thirty times as they walked back to the group and after some considerate thinking, agree and he smiled, saying he would come over to pick her up from the Evans at around seven that evening.

A few days had passed and the next thing she knew, it was New Years eve and she tried to not act so stiff or seem too giddy for the sake of her first impression to them while she got herself ready for seven o'clock, taking a quick shower and using a special brand of shampoo and soap that made her smell of spring rain and roses. Her hair was ring tightly in curls and quickly set a drying spell on herself then decided to have it straight and fall past her shoulders.

Merlin, it was a wonder that this would have been her first time meeting with her supposed in-laws as she was Remus' mate but they had no clue to it as of yet and hoped not to bring it up when she got there. Maybe at some other time when they've graduated and found the right time to tell them without having some difficult problem.

Lily and Keller had helped on finding the right attire for her, "After all you always got to set the right impressions to the parents, something casual yet still not too formal but also a little sexy to catch your boyfriend's eyes."

They went through most of her clothes in her trunk and Lily's closet and went to Hammonds just to see if they had good fines on sale. Hermione didn't really wanted to spend the money or galleons that she had actually brought and the things she had were funded from the school and didn't want to have Dumbledore pay for everything.

Lucky for her, Lily had a dress in her closet, perfect to use when meeting boyfriend's parents and wanting them to like you first time around.

"It looks gorgeous on you!" Lily assured as Hermione looked at herself in the mirror, amazed herself at how much she really liked how the dress seem to give her exactly what she wanted. The soft silver material looked almost like sparkling diamonds with the sequins and when the light hit it, the patterns of flowers and leaves shown, rich and shimmering, the silky soft clutch to her every curve and showing off her legs to boot, the perfect dress she thought, all three in one.

Even Keller gave a said of approval, "I'm sure you're going to knock him dead when he sees you and have his parents say, 'oh isn't she lovely, she's absolutely perfect for our son, oh I can't wait for our son to propose'."

Hermione blushed at her last remark bur was relax now thanks to her cousin's comment before she turn to her, staring at her ensemble. She was wearing torn jeans with a printed shirt that said, 'I'm nobody's bitch, so don't try to mess with a good thing'.

"What about you? Aren't you going to get ready yourself before Sirius sees you, surely you're not going dressed like that?"

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" Keller stared down at herself and looked up with her eyebrows raised, "Oh I guess yeah I kind of see your point, we'll have time to find out, depending what I should wear of course…"

Lily, being a fashion expert, along with Hermione's assistance helped Keller, scouting around in her trunk and closet, tossing random dresses, skirts, blouses, etc. on her bed and such before she came up with a said outfit, a saucy little scarlet number with strings tied in the back and low in the front, just enough to be a eye candy view for a certain lucky puppy.

Keller almost had the shock of her life when she saw it in Lily's hand.

"Oh my god, are you trying to make my date have a heart attack! There's no way I'm wearing that!" She stared at it, thinking her heart would have exploded and dropped dead looking at it and thinking she would not wear that dress, not even for Sirius.

Lily and Hermione looked at each other and then smiled with those same evil grins they had before and Keller, learning from past experience rather to obey than face their wrath, took the dress with a huff, "Fine I'll put it on, but like I said, this is going to have him dead when he sees this on me."

And went into the bathroom and Lily and Hermione giggled as they waited for her to change while Hermione replied through the closed door, "No we're trying to get his blood boiling with desire and you are going to do that with this dress, so get in that immediately or you can go naked to him, which we doubt he wouldn't mind either!"

Ten minutes later she came out dressed and they went to help fix each other's hair and makeup before they heard Mrs. Evans call them down.

Sirius, James and Remus were waiting downstairs in the living room, talking with Mr. Evans, saying how they couldn't wait to celebrate New Years with them.

He was about to ask how it was so when they were going to be at different places before the girls came in. Sirius whistled low, watching Keller and the way her dress was showing the fleeting glimpse of her legs as she walked over to him and Remus couldn't take his eyes off Hermione either as she looked absolutely stunning and told her exactly that while she kissed him on the lips, thanking him for his compliment. James was already there and he was giving Lily a fair kiss, especially when her father was still watching them before Sirius decided that it was time to get going.

"Shall we go then, loves? Our carriage awaits, well actually our carriage is the Knight bus, hope you don't mind then, fastest vehicle to get us anywhere than a pumpkin." Sirius stuck out his arm and Keller took it while Hermione linked arms with Remus'. They promised to meet back with the Evans in time for the New Year celebration.

"But how are we going to be doing that?" Keller question curious as she and Sirius were going to be at the Potter's to celebrate and also Remus and Hermione were going to the Lupin's, all saying they would meet at each houses at once.

The two boys smiled with Cheshire grins on their face, having something up their sleeve and then Remus pulled out a little silver hourglass hanging from the chain around his neck and Hermione recognized the timepiece, "A Timeturner! But how, I mean, I didn't, I—"

"Relax Mione, James' old man allowed us to use it for us to get ready for all the celebrations, the Evans, the Potters and Lupin's when you go to meet his folk, that way we'll all hang together when the time comes."

"Sounds complicated and risky." Keller said, taking everything in as when even Dumbledore had told no going forward to their future but to the past in seconds, it was still confusing in a way but she didn't really mind and thought she would have fun hanging out at three parties at once. The bus launched into gear, Keller gripping on to Sirius like she was riding on a wild roller coaster, which he didn't seem to mind holding her as Remus and Mione were dropped off at the Lupin's neighborhood.

"Tell Esme I said hello Moony!" Sirius called out as he and Keller stayed on the bus and it sped off once again. Hermione looked to him questionable, "Esme?"

Remus blushed, "My mom, she's prefers Sirius to call her by her first name." He told her thought she guess that any woman would want to be called by their first name by Sirius.

"Oh, all right, do you suppose I should call her that too or Mrs. Lupin for now?" He smiled, "I think for now until she gets use to you, call her Mrs. Lupin until she gets to know you."

And maybe one day you'll become Mrs. Lupin yourself Mione, he thought as they walked towards his house and rung the doorbell. The door opened and an older version of Remus appeared and Hermione was almost startled into saying, "Professor Lupin!" before she saw that the man had green eyes not cobalt like Remus' and didn't really have that tired somber look which he would in some years have.

"Hey dad." The man, Mr. Lupin looked to both his son and Hermione, smiling at them as he said, "Hey son, and whose this, is this the girl you've been sending us owls for these last few months now, is this the Sonja Lucian? Well it's a pleasure to meet you." He said extending out his hand and Hermione taking it and shaking it, "The pleasure all mine Mr. Remus."

"Please call me John and don't worry about Mrs. Lupin, she's in the kitchen, fixing dinner. Hope you haven't eaten yet, we're having Chicken a la King your favorite with your favorite dessert, hope you like that Sonja."

"I think I will thank you." She said as she stepped into the hallway looking around. Remus showed her the other rooms, the living room, the dining room where everyone was to sit and the kitchen where Mrs. Lupin was seasoning the chicken.

"Hey mom, I like you to meet Sonja Lucian." Mrs. Lupin was very lovely, with long tawny blond hair, tan skin compared to her son and husband's and the blue eyes Remus inherited. She looked her up and down and Hermione felt she should hold still in case she saw something wrong with her position.

Mrs. Lupin smiled at her, "Well it's nice to see my son bring someone other than the Marauders around here to cause so many pranks on this kitchen I have." Hermione couldn't help but agree silently to herself as she asked if there was anything she could do to help when Mr. Lupin called his son into the living room.

"You know how to cook rice?" Hermione nodded, "Yes my grandmother taught me it."

"Wonderful, the rice is in that jar by the cabinet, and add some herbs in it just to add some flavor please." Mrs. Lupin was finishing basking the chicken and setting it in the oven. Hermione set to work on getting the rice and herbs and doing as Mrs. Lupin was asking her before she said, "Oh and please, call me Esme." She saw her son and winked mouthing, 'She's a keeper.'

Dinner went well, Mr. Lupin compliment them on their cooking same with Remus as he looked at his girlfriend, feeling for sure his parents were definitely liking her.

The conversation turn to them about how things were in school, Remus and Hermione's grades, how the marauders were and just before the plates could be picked up and set the dessert, chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, Remus favorite.

I got to remember that, after all Remus does like chocolate but maybe if we add to our list for things to use on our 'nights' together. She wonder how he would react in seeing her body covered in chocolate syrup and probably liked the idea of tasting her body with the delicious delicacy all over her. Remus seem to have the same thought looking at her over his plate and watching her eat her piece while looking at him. This went unnoticed by the Lupin as they decided to talk to her about herself.

She told them as much she could, telling them that she and her cousin were both orphaned when their parents got into an accident and went to live with Keller's aunt from her father's side. Some of it she had made up as much as possible and rehearsed it with Keller in case the Potter's asked her the same questions while over their house with Sirius.

"So Sonja, is it all right if we call you by your first name dear?" Esme asked and Hermione didn't seem to mind as she prefer they called her by her named, well not her actually name but the one she used at least, "We've heard from Remus you went to Durmstrung and we wondered as to why you left there in your seventh year?"

She almost choke on her fork that was in her mouth and had been able to swallow the chocolate, feeling it was like paste down her throat. She had been at first reluctant to talk about Durmstrung about why she and her cousin transferred from said school and why Hogwarts.

She swallowed then said, "I find that brooding my horizon on all other studies helps me understand more that we have, not based on purity on blood or learning only the dark arts because there's more than one field and I wanted to study a few different one and that I wish my cousin and I had been accepted into Hogwarts instead of Durmstrung."

They seem to believe it though if Hermione and Keller had really gone there, they would have probably head to Hogwarts in a second flat. While they cleared up the table and washed them in the kitchen, they heard the doorbell rang and Remus went to go answer it, "Hey Padfoot, Prongs, Lily, Keller! Good to see you're right on time!"

James, Sirius and the girls step in as Hermione was getting out of the kitchen and saw them. "Hey guys!" She went to hug them all while Keller was holding her cousin and then being introduced to the Lupin.

"They're nice..." Keller said as she and her cousin took a seat on the couch while the boys talked with one another, only half an hour before New Years. Hermione nodded.

"So they didn't put too much pressure on you did they?" Hermione told her they didn't and asked how it fared at the Potter's. "They asked me a couple things, about us and the school and I plainly told them what you told me. So no worries." Then Mr. Lupin came into the room, telling them that New Years was starting. She and Keller went to stand next to their dates, waiting as they listen on the radio starting the countdown.

"Five…four…three…two…one! Happy New YEAR!" Everyone said as the girls kissed their boyfriends with a New Year kiss before an hour or so they asked to go outside to catch some air and then James, Sirius and Remus took out the timeturners and looped it over their girlfriend's neck. "So where to, my house or Lily's?"

"Um how about yours James, Keller and I are already there and we'll be at Lily's house so while you finish up New Years there, Remus and Sonja will meet at Lily's kay?" They turn the hourglass a couple turns and everyone watch one another as they started fading and calling out, 'See ya later' and then the whole night started over. A New Year celebrated three times was something Hermione enjoy most, especially hanging with her boyfriend and friends.

When winter break was over and it was time to head back to Hogwarts, the gang couldn't be happier as their new year resolution had been to have either, get a lot of NEWTS (Lily, Hermione and Remus), do a lot of pranks before graduation (Sirius and James) and hoping their relationships would last forever between friends and well with their boyfriends/girlfriends, (All of them thinking that at the same time before giving their new years kisses).

Hermione and Keller had only one together as they thought of how much they wanted to stay in the past now, even as they knew it was wrong to be but had no choice as Dumbledore had no way of getting them back and didn't feel like leaving the ones they have become attached to. They all were walking to the train station, pushing their trolley with their trunks on them.

James and Lily were talking as they walked side by side and Lily giggling while Hermione and Remus were both holding each others hand and looked behind to see Sirius and Keller and not so surprising to see them yet again snogging.

They were doing this all the time almost during the break but Keller had tried to control him down as she didn't want to seem like a slut type but this agitated Sirius more, which lead to intense snogging while on the train in their compartment, everyone watching them as they were doing this before their eyes.

Hermione had thought she would never see the day her cousin snogged to death but here it was sitting across from her and Remus and Lily and James. Just as the four were about to tease the newly made couple and tell them to get their own compartment, the door slide open and Peter step in.

"Hey guys, sorry I couldn't see you over the holiday to celebrate Christmas and New Years, my aunt had become really sick you know and…"

Keller and Hermione didn't pay attention to what he was saying as already sense something completely different about him, smelling like death and murder and saw him scratching his arm absentminded before their very eyes and Keller's seem to widen.

He's a DEATH EATER! Keller practically shrieked in Hermione's mind while she tried to tell her to calm down, not wanting to make a scene in the compartment now.

How can you be fucking calm when we're practically sitting with him! He's one of them now, he's a Death Eater! As Peter was about to take the seat next to Keller and for a second Hermione thought she might have hissed at him to get lost before waiting to about five minutes and stood up rather quickly, saying she was going to use the restroom.

"I'll be right back." And got out of the compartment to head down the aisle to the bathroom when a moment later her cousin followed in, shutting the door and placing a lock charm in there.

Hermione shudder as they got to the bathroom, seeing no one else in the room where they could talk properly. "God this is worse than I ever thought to imagine, to think that he would turn into a rat now." Keller nodded, leaning her body against the wall to the cubicle.

"Yeah I'm sure they're without a doubt not going to think how simple, small naive Peter would dare turn them over to Voldemort, frame Sirius in a murder he would never commit because of that slimy son of a bitch and got away with it!"

Keller walked towards the faucet and turn on the water to ice cold and placed her hands under the tap and brought it to her face.

"God, and you would think he wouldn't go up and do something this low, that's just plain sick!" She grabbed the towel Hermione handed it to her and pat dry her face, "Personally, I think the sorting hat was having an off day and must've put him in the wrong house. He should be put in Slytherin as he's nothing but as slimy like them with no decent sense of loyalty to his own comrades in the future."

"Well we can't do anything about that can we? Even if we could, we be breaking the time law and that is as I told you…"

"Dangerous because we could ruin the timeline yeah I know you told me at least a hundred times. By the elder…" She said placing her on the rim, her knuckles turning white and the porcelain was cracking under her clenching fists, "But I still think we should be able to do something since we're stuck here and all."

"Like what? How do you propose we do that?" Keller turn around and was looking to her with a dark glint. "Dumbledore had an organization didn't he?"

"Yeah it was called 'Order of the Phoenix'. It's not organized yet but, oh no, please Keller don't tell me, you want to—"

"Hermione we'll tell only the boys, Sirius and Remus. They'll need it and maybe Lily and James if they agree to it. They can come train in the room of requirements. Come on, if we do something we might be able to outweigh the odds and put it in a good direction."

"But what if it goes wrong Keller, what if it went down the other!"

"Well at least we try something other than let this go without a second thought! You're always being negative when you should try and think positive for once." She said throwing her hands in the air, "I mean do you want to sit by, watch Voldemort kill off every muggle and witch and wizard when they should at least give an all out fighting chance."

Hermione sighed, she knew what her cousin was saying and would have love to help but if they did something to change it, then there might be still some chance it change, but only back in similar direction. She recalled what Dumbledore told her back in his office on Halloween that night Keller was attacked.

…No matter how many time one tries to defy its laws or order of the way fate is written for all of us from when we are born to the very end of our life's journey.

Dumbledore had said fate was for all of them and had it included her and Keller going back to this time she didn't know but had to guess had to be of some purpose they were send back for.

"Keller, you have to listen to me, whether your intentions are good and well-intention, not everything can work out for the best, I want to do everything in my power but we can't, you got to understand that we're trapped but fate had us brought here somehow for I don't know what purpose but for something ok."

Keller, her face unreadable but she sighed, closing her eyes in defeat, "I suppose you are right, whatever purpose we've been brought here. And I guess nothing can be change even if we had told Sirius and Remus more than what we already told them."

Hermione nodded and exit the bathroom, "But I'm not going to sit by and let some things happen, I'm sorry." And then walked out of the bathroom as well.

They got to Hogwarts where everyone placed their stuff back in their dorms and head down for some relax time, see friends in the common room and downstairs, asking how everyone's holiday was before starting the school day all over again.

Sirius and Keller walked together, hands linked and chatting. Everyone seem to have noticed and thought it was official which both of them didn't deny any longer which made any of the girls bawled their eyes out or glare jealously at her.

When they got ready to head for Potions, she asked Sirius outside the door to not get jealous when she had to go sit with Snape because he was her partner.

"Well I don't know how I can, with Snivellus, I mean Snape sitting next to you and well I…I…." She brushed his bangs aside and kissed him on the lips and pulled back, whispering huskily.

"Just do it for me please?" She asked, nuzzling her face in his neck and purring in his ear, the easiest way to get him to agree. Sirius found it hard to resist as his body temperature was rising and he could feel himself growing hard and had to keep it in otherwise he might have a huge problem.

He said, through a dry voice, "All right fine, but you owe me, big time! Tell Slughorn I'll be back, I need to use the boy's room." And gave her rear a light slap and she looked at him mocked annoyed before stepping into Slughorn's class.

I'm sure I wouldn't mind ridding his little problem, but she had to wait and see as she took her seat next to Snape, waiting for the rest to come in and the lesson to start.

They were working on the Strengthening solution which Keller thought she and Hermione didn't exactly needed but worked on the potion anyways. Sirius came back in time and patted her shoulder, Next time we go somewhere private…

Oh I bet you want that, we'll just have to see where don't we… She watched Sirius smiled at her and smiled back, giving him a sly wink before getting back to her notes.

She and Snape were doing fine as she did everything to the last ingredient, adding salamander's blood and the pomegranate juice in the potion and watching the color change to the result it should be on the board before she heard Snape say, "So I heard you two got together. You and Black."

She turn to see he was looking at her, more than at his book as she answered, "Yeah we did, over Christmas break." She said, stirring the potion. "Yes but why? If I remembered correctly you told him that you hated him and wished to never speak to him again?"

It was like he was trying to find out why she was being on more friendly terms with Sirius and wish he hadn't pried in her business.

But gave him an honest answer anyways, "You know, people can sometimes change after what happen and I've seen him punished himself enough and I forgave him for that Severus. People tend to make foolish mistakes and take it out on themselves which is fairly enough in most."

She grabbed the ladle and pour the contents of her potion inside. Just as she put the stopper and about to get up and hand it to the professor, he said once again, in low tone to her, for her ears alone.

"You know this won't last for him. He'll grow tired of you, many have seen it, especially the girls, he flirts and goes out with one and then a few days later, find someone else to snog with. Trust me he does not deserve you…"

She ignored him but was shocked at what she heard him say. She knew that what he said had been true and looked from the corner of her eyes to where Sirius was.

He was doing much better on his potion now and when he saw Keller look his way, smiled at her warmly before getting back to his cauldron and getting the right potion. Even Slughorn was impressed as he saw the content of his potion and praised him for a well-done job on getting it right. Keller smiled.

He changed a little, not a lot but a little, she thought to herself. Everyone's potion was finished and placing the bottle with their names and partners on Mr. Slughorn's desk then leaving the classroom, everyone heading to their next class.

Everyone but Snape as he was the last to leave as stood in his seat and was staring at the two, glaring at Sirius and Keller who stood together side by side and walked out, but mostly he was glaring daggers at Sirius who gave a bark-like laugh and Keller giggling and kissed his cheek.

In Defense Against the Dark Arts, the professor announced that there was going to be a Dueling match.

"Each of you will need a partner for this as I will be partner with Flitwick. We'll be dueling in two weeks from now, so everyone, we'll discuss little about the next dark practice a few jinxes and then you have the rest of the day to chose your partners and practice and discuss them." Everyone was muttering excited and Hermione saw Keller looking to Sirius.

"If you want to go with him as your partner you can, don't worry I have mine picked already." Keller looked at her, "Cool thanks." She walked to Sirius and discuss with him as her partner, which he look more than happy to. Hermione went to Remus side and asked him. "Sure I was going to ask you the same thing." They went and signed their names on the board but were surprised who Peter was partner with.

"Can you believe Peter's partners with a Slytherin?! That's injustice, that's inhuman, that's, that's, um Remus you think of something!"

Remus rolled his eyes, "Look I know this is hard but Peter had to be partners to someone and there had been only Snivellous. It's not like those two will get along somehow."

Everyone laughed at the thought that Severus and Peter would become friends. Hermione and Keller looked at each other queerly and didn't make attempt to comment. When class was over, they had gone to lunch, Keller finished early, and decided she was going to go visit Orion and probably do a few practice spell.

"Might be good, to get an idea or two what kind of spell to use, care to join me Sirius?" She ask as he was more than oblige as they got up and head to the grounds and to the stable.

After checking on Orion, they practiced by the lake, shooting defense and counteract spells before lunch was finished and headed back inside to find the others ready as they went for their Care of Magical Creatures.

Professor Kettleburn was teaching them about Manticore after the tadfoal and other small and harmless creatures to the bigger and dangerous ones. He had a manticore in a strong steel cage along with Hagrid in case it escape.

Hermione and Keller took notes while the marauders tried to get near its cage, daring one another to try and stick their hands in and the girls decided to bring their boyfriends back safely to the side before they lost a limb or two.

Back in the common room as everyone was finished with dinner, the marauders decided to play a round of exploding snap and then plot another prank. And so far Sirius was winning and he was enjoying the victory he had in creaming them.

"It's good to have the old Padfoot back! Yeah yeah, I'm winning and I'm kicking all you Marauders, especially you Prongs!"

"Well then I think I should give you this since it's about time you came back!" James lunged over and gripped Sirius's neck and gave him a good rubbing on his head with his knuckles.

"Prongs stop it! You're ruining my hair, Moony, Wormtail! Help me out here you two!" The boys laughed, shaking their heads, saying, "No way, we don't want to get nuggy ourselves thank you!' before he look at the girls in last desperate hope.

"Lily, tell James off, he'll listen to you, Sonja, come on please! Keller for Merlin sake, I'm your boyfriend and tell Lily's to knock it off!"

The girls were having a laugh before Keller finally had enough, seeing she had laugh so hard tears were coming out of her eyes. She wiped them on her sleeve and said, "Ok James let my boyfriend go. I think he had enough punishment now and I can handle him from here. Here Padfoot. Come here boy, come on Padfoot…"

She whistled to him, calling him over like a dog as James release Sirius and he went to Keller's side, putting his arms around her waist while she pushed his mussed up hair from his face while the others continue to laugh while he glared at them.

"Meanies! All of you, except for Kell, my white ivory princess, my savior, my…Keller what's wrong?" He saw she was looking pale and touch her forehead, feeling it was warm under his hand, "Keller, you're burning up!" She didn't hear what he said as the throbbing in her temple worsen and winced in pain as she could feel it was happening again just like last time.

Hermione felt it too, her skull being hammered on the inside with sharp picks and each second became worse and knowing that it wouldn't stop until they were about to encounter another of those strange visions.

She thought they should do go and hurry upstairs in the privacy of their dorm room than with Peter and Lily around in the common room.

"I think we need to lie down, upstairs in our bed. Bloody headache these buggers you know…" She said, trying to convince them as she helped her cousin who held her up as well and stagger up the stairs, Hermione holding the railing while Keller used the wall as they went up and closed the door.

"I better go up there and check if they ok?" Lily said as she got up before any of the boys could say anything and watched her go up to their room to keep a watch over them.

Remus and Sirius were both hoping that the two girls would be all right while James tried to wonder what his girlfriend might say when the two disappeared again like last time. They were all silent, pondering what was to happen. Peter looked plainly confused on why the sudden silent tension.

"Um, what's up with those two, is it their time of the month or something?" He had been the only one in the group having no clue as to what happened during Christmas, as the others didn't say anything and hoping nothing bad happened to Keller or Hermione.

Hermione laid Keller down first on her bed then joined her as they lay there together, looking fluster and panting heavily, their chest heaving up and down in shallow breaths.

"Close the curtains." Keller said as Hermione struggled to give a wave of her hand to get the curtains to move around them. "Don't want anyone to see what happens to us, okay?"

Keller smiled but her smiled turn into a grim as pain spasm in her abdomen and swore and Hermione felt her gut twisted, giving a tortured moan as the pain became unbearable and felt around her cousin's hand and gripped it tight, trying to ignore the pain.

Just as they were looking to one another and seeing their eyes changed and their canines elongating inside their mouths, the curtains were pulled to the side and both gasped as they saw Lily staring at them with shock and possibly concern.

Hermione could hear the rapid heartbeat inside Lily's chest and the blood rushing in her vein. She had to resist, she didn't want to hurt her, no not Harry's mom or her friend. Lily gradually touch her hand and held it still in hers, "Do you guys want me to stand by your sides?"

The two looked at each other and Hermione was about to say no but the intense pain took over and she howled followed by Keller's. Lily held onto her hand as the strange light surround them and instantly blinded the room and disappeared, along with the three girls sitting on the bed.

"You know Mione I wish somehow we land somewhere where we didn't always have to land on the goddamn hard floor! I would prefer a stack of hay or something other than this." Keller mutter as she got up once and rubbing her back from the freefall and looking over to Hermione who was standing up as well and her eyes widen.

"LILY?!" Hermione turn around and saw Lily behind her, she was looking around them confused and startled, totally bewildered as she look to Hermione and Keller for answer, "What-what happened and where are we exactly?"

"To tell you the truth Lily, this one's different than the last one, so sorry we don't know where we are but are as much curious as you." Hermione grabbed Lily's hand, giving the poor girl some support as they explore the new surroundings together as they went.

It was different than the other castle not so cold and gloomy but there was still a foreboding air surrounding them and Keller looked outside the window seeing what was happening, "HOLY SHIT?! MIONE LILY, LOOK OUT HERE!" Lily and Hermione joined her and saw with shocked and stun horror at what they saw outside.

There were bodies laying everywhere, some tossed into a pile and men with armor came to put the torch to them while others still laid in the street, rotting and smelling the sickening stench of foul ripen corpses as ravens came and devour their carcasses while others covered in some mottled scabs or mutilating disease were moving about and dying.

Lily saw one woman, cradling a dead child to her bosom, screaming, "The plague…the plague…" before falling to the street herself and laid there like all the others.

"This is monstrous." The girls turned to see it was the prince, only he looked a lot older, his hair almost gray but still flaming red, his face with wrinkles but Alexander Corvinus watched the village below them as he paced from them and the girls followed after.

"Absolutely monstrous…" He went to the throne room where he stood by the tapestry staring at his victor during the first conquer he had achieved after his bargain. He stared at it before turning away speaking again to his self, "I have to see them again, I must speak to the two sisters!"

"Don't bother milord we're already here." Alexander turn to see two dark figures coming in from the shadows, both wearing dark cloaks and then pulled back the hoods to reveal the dark queen herself and a young man he had never seen before but felt he must have with the way he looked at him with those startling blue eyes.

"Oh my Merlin, Keller she looks like you!" Lily said staring at the woman who was wearing a dark black gown and her long hair held in a bun and in many plaits behind her back.

Her male consort wore black pants and a red tailor shirt and his hair hung in a low ponytail pulled back from his handsome face which devilishly looked at the king and grin showing his somewhat sharp canines.

Alexander felt the fear rise in him and had his hand brushed over the sword by his side for strength at this unknown person. He looked to them both, not taking the time to greet the queen properly as he got right to the point, "What is happening?" A plague has ravage my village but has yet to come anywhere near me! Why is that!"

The queen merely smiled in content, "My lord, do you not know that what comes with great conquest comes an even greater prices to pay which is not so small in which you see lying before you."

Alexander looked shocked and outraged as his blood rush to his face turning it a dark red as he stared furiously at her, "You mean you, you did this!"

He made to reach his sword and strike her where she stood but the other man stopped him, moving with such speed and holding him against the wall with one hand, grasping him tight and placing to his throat a burnished steel dagger with a polished ebony hilt that had been carved a wolf's head at the pommel. He bared his fangs and growl like a mad beast with molten blue eyes staring coldly at him.

The queen move towards them, gliding, her dress barely making a sound and place a hand on her lover's arm and whispered in his ear, "That's enough love, put him down. You mustn't kill him unless I order you to and I do not. Now release him."

The man pulled his dagger away and let Alexander lean against the wall while he went to join his mistress's side as she stood over him as he lay there gasping at her feet. "Do you really think it is our doing for this after we had given you what you wanted, what you asked of us in return what we have demanded?"

Alexander was rubbing his throat while glaring at her, "Then why is this happening? Tell me then! I demand to know the answer as to why you have cursed this upon my village."

"With every new life that enter this world, an old one must leave it. Yours is only beginning after the bargain we've set."

"W-What are you talking about." He watched as she moved to the tapestry staring at it, gazing at him in all his former glory then turn to him, "Did you ever wonder how you are able to survive this plague that has been taking every man, woman and child? Everyone but you that is, you being able to walk around, seeing the horror, breathing in the smell of death and decay, yet still looking as fresh and healthy like when you came to us."

She reached out to touch his face and he shivered under her cold touch and looked at them with wide-eyes. "I sold my soul then after all…"

"Do not be foolish, we only preserve your body with the blood from our veins to yours to become immune to this disease. Our gift to you of your demand for power, which was what you had asked for and in the end we had agreed."

She tossed back her braids and lowered her body to look at him at eye level, "Now there some chances you will be you become an immortal but that will have to be yet too soon to see."

The queen turned away, her lover standing by waiting for her before turning back around as she looked to him, "Tell me how is your wife, Helen is it. Hopefully she is feeling well and safe from all this. I rather it was wise of you to keep her from this, knowing for in her condition, she wouldn't be much safe here. Neither would the young ones growing inside her womb."

Alexander's eyes widen, "You-how did you—"

"We'll see you later my lord, my sister and I will pay you a visit again when it's time to fulfill the rest of our bargain." And they disappeared and then as Hermione, Keller and Lily, everything grew dark, feeling the whirling motion and falling back.

Lily, Hermione and Keller flopped back on the bed as they return. "Ack!" Lily almost tumble off but Hermione caught her wrist and pulled her towards her, "You ok Lily?"

Lily look like she had been on a roller coaster and back while trying to control the swirling motion she was feeling and nodded.

"Yeah I think so, but that was sure strange but it had been all real huh?" Both Keller and Hermione nodded as Lily took this in. She then looked towards Keller questionable as she sat up, "um Keller, why did you call your cousin 'Mione' instead of Sonja?"

Keller looked at Hermione and she sighed, knowing well that they should tell her, "Lily, first you have to promise never to tell anyone else, including Peter even though James, Sirius and Remus know my real name."

It took almost half the night to tell Lily everything, her real name was and what she and her cousins were and possible a bit of where they were from.

Keller smiled as Hermione finished her story. "You know you are breaking the whole 'don't tell anyone about us from the future' thing again."

Hermione frowned, "Keller, shut up." And Keller chuckled as she went to go off to her bed while Hermione decided to give her the bird behind her back.