(Since I forgot this: I do not own anything except for my ideas and creations. All Harry Potter references are the creation and property of JK Rowling. -Rae)

Chapter 3

Hermione's hands trembled as she waited for Dumbledore to return to his office. Earlier that day she had been released from the hospital wing, fed with the Gryffindor students (considering that's who'd found her), and then sent up to wait in Dumbledore's spacey office.

She'd been here for nearly an hour and couldn't understand what was taking the man so long. Sickness crept into her belly, taking over the anxiety she'd experienced only hours before.

Before she had time to relax herself the door was pushed open and Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, and young Lily Evans walked through the door.

"Miss Evans has been informed of your mishap. She's not allowed to tell anyone else in this castle where you're from or who you really are," Dumbledore began, a stern look on his usually jolly features.

Hermione nodded in understanding, noting the expression of sympathy on Lily's delicate features. Harry really did favor her; in Hermione's opinion, more so than James.

"Your name will be the same, but your surname is to be changed to Evans. You are a distant cousin of Lily's and somehow you ended up here at Hogwarts. Lily didn't recognize you at first because you haven't seen her in years," McGonagall added in.

"What about sorting?" Hermione asked quietly, nervous about which house she'd be assigned.

"What was your house in the future?" Dumbledore inquired as he took the few steps behind his desk and took a seat.

"Gryffindor," she answered softly.

"Then you will be in Gryffindor. There is a spare bed in the fourth year's dorms, is their not, Miss Evans?" McGonagall asked a sad hearted Lily.

Lily gave a simple nod.

"We'll allow Lily to take you around a tour of the school, simply to keep up appearances," Dumbledore offered a small smile but it didn't reach his eyes. "Until the time turner is complete you will be staying with Professor McGonagall in the summer time."

Hermione sighed and fought back tears.

"Unless she could come home with me?" Lily asked softly.

"Of course. I will write to your parents this evening," Dumbledore shooed the girls out the door with a wave of his hand.

Lily and Hermione scurried out the door and down the corridor, headed for the grand staircase. Hermione needed to get back to Gryffindor tower for a rest.

"I suppose you already know where everything is," Lily said quickly, green eyes flashing at Hermione for a brief second before she looked back down the corridor.

"Yes. I do," Hermione answered simply.

The girls walked in silence for a good five minutes before Lily stopped and grabbed Hermione, spinning her around, "Listen... I think you and I could make great mates. But.. I just want you to know that James Potter is mine."

Hermione blinked and stared for a moment before bursting into laughter. Lily wasn't quite sure what was so funny. She shifted her weight to one leg, crossing her arms over her budding chest in a haughty manner.

"Oh. I'm sorry," Hermione giggled, "It's just that.. Well, I probably shouldn't tell you."

"What?" Lily looked at her wide eyed, interest obviously caught by Hermione's last statement, "Do you know him in your lifetime? Is he ugly? Did he go bald?"

Hermione giggled a bit more, "No, nothing of the sort. It's just... Your son is my best friend. And I couldn't imagine shagging his dad," she burst into another fit of laughter.

Lily beamed, "So we're going to get married, then?"

"Well, yes," Hermione nodded, calming considerably. It had just hit her that James and Lily died when Harry was still a tiny baby.

"That's wonderful. Fantastic," Lily grinned and kept on walking, blissfully unaware of future events. Hermione felt a horrible sadness creep up inside her. Why couldn't they have been spared? She knew that she couldn't change anything simply because Harry was who he was because his parents died. They made the sacrifice to die for him, to protect him for the rest of his life with such an old, powerful magic. Love.

The girls reached the common room and Lily gave the password, allowing Hermione to climb in first. As the portrait swung closed behind them Hermione noted four boys seated by the crackling fire, supposedly doing homework, however enchanted paper airplanes were zooming around the common room. One that belonged to Sirius crashed unceremoniously in Lily's hair, catching fire. Lily squealed and swatted it on the floor, stomping ferociously on the burning paper.

"You all are such prats!" She wacked Sirius in the back of the head and fell down onto the couch, arms crossed angrily.

"We know," the four boys answered in unison. Hermione took note of Peter Pettigrew who was watching every little thing James did. She knew he followed James around like a lost puppy in school.

"Mutiny!" James roared, slamming his palm down on the table in front of him. "Codswallop!"

"I won fair and square!" Remus bellowed.

"Bull sh-"

"James!"

"Sorry Lil's."

"I won!" Remus pointed hard at the piece of paper in front of the two and Hermione took it upon herself to lean over, seeing a game of Tic-Tac-Toe.

"You, you, you cheat!" James pounded his fist, sending homework papers everywhere.

"How the bloody hell do you cheat at Tic-Tac-Toe?" Sirius inquired as he took a rather large bite of his orange.

"I dunno, but he did!" James snarled.

"Boys," Lily rolled her eyes and smirked at Hermione.

"Hey. It's that girl," Sirius caught sight of Hermione who'd consequently been standing there for about ten minutes.

"Oh, so you've spotted," Hermione answered in a cheeky tone.

"What's your name?" James asked with a smile, all thoughts of the lost game gone now.

"Hermione. Hermione Evans," she cleared her throat. The name didn't sound right to her.

"So you're related to Lily?" Remus quirked a brow.

"Cousin," Lily answered for Hermione, hoping that the two could pull it off.

"Oh. Well that's cool," the four went back to their silliness, completely ignoring the two females in the room.

"Are they always like this?" Hermione murmured, squatting down beside Lily.

"Always."

(Hope you enjoyed. Please review! -Rae)