Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. Everything belongs to JK Rowling, and I'm merely allowed to play around with them. No copyright infringement is intended.
I'm very sorry about the late update, but my computer broke down for three weeks and I couldn't even write this chapter. Anyway, enjoy!
Chapter 4
-o-O-o-
The next day, the Marauders, and everyone else, for that matter, got up early to go to class. They arrived at the Great Hall for breakfast at half past seven, but Hermione wasn't there. It didn't bother any of them that much, as they thought she probably needed some rest after her arrival at Hogwarts. Or, maybe she wasn't even hungry.
The boys, however were very hungry. As James sat, wolfing down his bacon, Lily scrunched up her nose at him in disgust. "Do you have to eat that much?" she asked, eyeing the pile that was still left in his plate.
James took some time to chew before answering: "It's because I have a bottomless stomach." he declared, before stuffing some more bacon into his mouth.
Lily shook her head. "Well, if it's bottomless, it's useless trying to fill it." she philosophised.
James swallowed suddenly and looked up wordlessly at her. Remus burst out laughing. "Good one Lily! That'll leave him thoughtful for at least a couple of days."
Just then, McGonagall walked to her House's table. "Good morning gentlemen." she said, her tone clipped.
Even Sirius thought she sounded annoyed. "Good morning, Professor." he said politely, as the rest of the table did the same. "To what do we owe this visit?"
"Professor Slughorn is calling in sick this morning. Your class therefore is cancelled and you may rest until half past ten." she told them. "I trust you don't have anything to do with this?"
"None at all." James said, holding up a hand in perfect innocence.
McGonagall looked at him sceptically. "Alright." she said after a while. "Well, if you ever do get an… Let's say insight on who might have done it, I suggest you come to me immediately."
The boys all agreed and she walked away, still unbelieving their statements. "Who do you think it was?" Sirius asked when she was out of earshot.
Remus sighed. "It was you, Sirius." he said.
"Me?!" he asked, actually surprised. "I didn't do anything!"
Remus raised an eyebrow at his friend. "Don't you remember that time when you put seven vomit flavoured Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans in a bottle of brandy and gave it to him?"
Sirius thought about it for a while, before answering: "That was for Christmas." he said, finally.
Remus sighed. "It appears he hadn't tried it until today." He stood up. "Since we're starting early, I'm going to the library to revise a little for that Herbology test next week."
As he walked away, James called out: "Nerd!"
Remus flicked his friend away when the teachers weren't looking and Sirius laughed. "Love you Moony!" he told him, before he turned back to his breakfast. Then, he froze. "Wait," he said. "What Herbology test?"
Lily laughed. "You'd better go to the Library too." she told him.
"Yeah." he agreed, before digging back into his breakfast. "I'll go when I've finished my breakfast."
James rolled his eyes. "Why am I not surprised?"
"Shut up, Mr. Bottomless Stomach." Sirius retorted, digging back into his plate.
-o-O-o-
The Library itself hadn't changed much, in Hermione's point of view. It was still a bunch of shelves with heaps of books and dust on them. Madam Pince hadn't changed either; she was still the strict old lady Hermione remembered from where she came from.
The Library was just as furnished as the one from 1997, Hermione had noticed, relieved. She quickly went over to the ones one time travel.
They weren't much help, though, as she had already read most of them in her third year. Besides, none of them spoke about going more than a couple of hours back. According to one, the longest a person had ever gone back was just over four days.
Hermione groaned. Days?! She was speaking of years, even decades in her case. Not one of these bloody books could ever give her much help. She held her head in both hands, despairing.
Suddenly, she heard a soft voice from behind her. "Hermione?" Her head shot up at the sound of the new arriving person. It was Remus. He looked at her, a concerned expression on his features. "Are you all right?"
She stood up very fast, hiding the books she had been reading from him. "Yeah, yeah, sure!" she replied hastily. Liar, a small voice in the back of her head scolded. "I was just reading, because I woke up early." It was partly true.
"Oh…" he seemed unconvinced by her explanation.
She noticed the books he was holding. "What are these?" she asked, but before she got a glimpse, he hid them behind his back, sporting slightly pink cheeks.
She tried looking at him but he avoided eye contact.
"Look Remus," she started, but he still refused to look at her. "I won't tell anyone you've got strangely suspicious books and behaviour if you don't tell I've got suspiciously strange behaviour and books. Alright?"
He turned and looked straight into his eyes, as if judging her sincerity. Finally, he nodded. "Alright." he gave in.
"Brilliant!" she said, giving him a dazzling smile. "Now, was there anything you'd like to tell me?"
Remus opened his mouth to answer, but, just then, Sirius rounded a corner, looking like he was trying to evade something… Or someone.
"Sirius?" Hermione asked.
He looked at her and placed his index finger on his lips. "Shhh…" he whispered.
Hermione was about to ask why she was supposed to be quiet when she heard Marlene call out: "Siiiiriuuuus!" She rounded the corner Sirius had done a few seconds ago and exclaimed: "There you are!"
Sirius cringed but, when he turned back towards her, he was sporting a cheeky grin. "Marlene!" he exclaimed, sounding delighted. "You've found me."
She smiled up at him sweetly. "Yes, I have." she replied, before asking: "So, about Hogsmeade this weekend… Can I come with you?"
Sirius shrugged. "I guess, if you really want to." he agreed, although he sounded rather exasperated and put out.
"Yay!" Marlene shrieked, jumping up and down, clapping her hands. She stood up and pecked Sirius on the lips sweetly. "Thanks, Sirius!" she said, and walked off, a certain skip in her step.
When she was far enough, Sirius' shoulders slumped and he pouted like a child that had been disappointed at Christmas. He looked so ridiculous that Hermione laughed.
He glared at her. "That's not funny! We're going to have a girl in our Marauder meeting." he complained.
"Come on!" Hermione teased him. "Marlene's kind of cute, isn't she?"
"Maybe," Sirius agreed. "But she's kind of dumb, too."
"She's not!" Hermione defended her. "She's just hopelessly in love with you."
"But you'd have to be dumb to fall in love with Sirius." Remus told her.
She looked up at him questioningly. "What do you mean?" she asked.
"Well, you know." he said, scratching the back of his head. "Sirius isn't a relationship type of guy."
"That's enough!" Sirius interjected. "Please have this conversation when I'm not around."
"As you wish." Remus shrugged. "Anyway, since Marlene is coming, we might as well bring Hermione, right?"
"More female company?" Sirius asked. Then he thought about it. "Actually, that's a good idea. We could have a special 'with girls' outing… And they can keep each other company."
Hermione frowned at him. "That's not exactly very nice to say." she told him, but he just shrugged.
"I'm not a nice person." he told her sincerely.
She stood up, her face a little stiff and annoyed. "I'm just go and ask Dumbledore if I can come, but it should be alright."
"Yeah," Remus said. "Dumbledore's a nice guy, he'll surely let you. After all, you do need a little fun."
Hermione smiled a little, before regaining her angry-at-Sirius composure. "I'll just ask him, then." he declared, and walked off, leaving the two Marauders to the quiet setting of the Hogwarts library.
-o-O-o-
So Hermione found herself once more in Dumbledore's office, in the very same plush armchair as the day before. "Ah, Miss Granger." the Headmaster sighed, he twinkle in his eyes still there. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"
She cleared her throat. "I'd like a permission form to go to Hogsmeade tomorrow, please sir."
He looked at her. "But, my dear, I am afraid that your guardian is the one responsible for giving out these notes." he tried to explain gently.
"That would be you." she retorted. "Since I am here I have no family whatsoever to count on, and I am staying at Hogwarts during my holidays. Since you are the watching over the building, it makes you my guardian."
He smiled. "Well, if you put it like that," he pulled out a piece of parchment and scribbled on it for a few minutes before handing it to her. "Just give this to Professor McGonagall as you leave tomorrow."
She took the piece of parchment gingerly from the older wizard's hand. "Thank you." she said, smiling.
He chuckled. "If I may ask, Miss Granger, what do you intend to do in Hogsmeade?"
She smiled. "I'm just going to hang out with… friends." She hesitated on the term, as she had known some of them already, back where she came from.
"Am I right to suppose that you were already friends in your own timeline?" he asked, crossing his hands on his lap.
"Not exactly." she answered. His look pressed her to develop, but she refused. "I'm sorry, Professor, but I can't risk telling you any more yet. It might endanger the way things are supposed to be set."
There was an awkward pause, which Hermione disliked enormously.
Finally, she broke the silence. "When am I due to pass my O.W.L.'s sir?" she asked politely.
He sighed. "Around mid-July, to give you a little time to revise. Also, I have talked to Madam Rosmerta about you part time job. She has agreed to give you a serving role in the afternoons as well as a cleaning one after the closing, from Mondays to Fridays, not including Wednesdays. You will be paid two Galleons a day, if, I quote, 'the work has bloody well been done'."
She nodded. "Thank you sir." she said. It wasn't much, but it could keep her afloat for the time being.
"Your appointment at Gringotts has also been taken care of. I will accompany you, just after your exams, so we can discuss the opening of your vault with the goblins."
She nodded in acknowledgement. He looked at her intensely, and she found it fit to leave. She pushed her armchair gently back and headed towards the door.
Just as she opened it, he called out to her. "Miss Granger?"
She turned around. "Yes sir?" she asked politely, not really wanting to hear what he was going to say next.
He stared unblinkingly at her with his sparkling bright blue eyes for a moment, but just as she was about to turn back again, he declared: "I would have appreciated it if you had followed Miss Evan's advice and gone and talked to some one about what happened yesterday, as you left. Please try to do that next time."
There won't be a next time, she thought, but instead, she answered obediently. "I'll do just that sir." before turning around and leaving the office once more. Thankfully, no one bothered her as she made her way back to Gryffindor Tower this time.
-o-O-o-
She was reading in front of the Common Room fire when someone poked her in the shoulder. She was so deeply entranced by the content of the pages she didn't notice and it wasn't until the person cleared his throat that she looked up. "Oh, hey James." she smiled.
"Wow." he said, grinning. "Never thought I'd meet someone else who likes books so much." he remarked.
"Really?" she teased. "Who's the other person?" He shoved his hands down his pocket, grinning suggestively. She rolled her eyes. "You're joking."
He laughed. "Yes, I am. I couldn't like a book to save my life." He shook his head. "Anyway, Remus told me you went to ask Professor Dumbledore for a Hogsmeade permission form. How did it go?"
"Oh, relatively well." she answered vaguely. "I've got it, if that's what you mean."
He shifted to his other legs. "No more trouble, I hope?" he asked, and behind all the jokes and the mischief in his eyes, she could see genuine concern.
"Nope." she reassured him. "Absolutely none."
"Oh!" he said, sounding relieved. "Well… I guess I'll see you tomorrow then." he said, and turned around to go to his dormitory.
"Yeah, see you there." she replied softly, before remembering something. "Oh, and, James?" he stopped in his tracks and turned around, a questioning look in his hazel eyes. "Lily, huh?" The blush now forming on his cheeks was all she needed to confirm her suspicions. She smiled up at him sweetly. "I'll see what I can do."
James grinned broadly. "Thanks, Mione, you're the best!" he exclaimed, hoping down the stairs to hug her tight, before scampering back up.
Hermione was so surprised that she didn't even scold him for the use of her nickname. She tried getting back to reading her book, but found herself unable to do so, as she felt his arms around her. They were really warm and friendly.
Decidedly, she slammed her book and vowed to do whatever was in her power to help James conquer Lily. He deserved it.
-o-O-o-
"Which books?" Sirius asked Remus that night, when both boys were alone in their dormitory.
The latter sighed. "Books about werewolves. I was looking for something to help with the pain." he admitted, bowing his head, ashamed.
Sirius sighed and ran his hand through his raven black hair. "What did she say?"
He shrugged. "Not much. She didn't sound suspicious, though." he added, as if that would make the situation better.
Sirius was quiet. Why? He had one thing running through his mind; or, should I say, one person.
"Sirius?" Remus asked. "Are you alright?"
"I…" Sirius said, before shutting his mouth once more.
Remus sat down on his bed, staring at his best friend. "What's wrong, Sirius, you've been acting kind of weird these past few days."
"It's Hermione." Sirius admitted bluntly.
Remus groaned. "Not her again!" he went, slumping down onto his bed, his hands covering his face.
"It's not like that!" Sirius yelled out. "I know I don't love her! Sirius Black doesn't love anybody! He doesn't need anyone! He's not superstitious, never got attached to girls, never wanted them too near, or understanding anything! Sirius Black liked being left alone when it came to that!"
Remus sat back up, his hands now on his lap. "And now?" he asked. "What's changed?"
Sirius sat down on his own bed, facing the werewolf. He suddenly looked exhausted. "I don't know." he admitted, sounding a little scared.
Remus raised an eyebrow at him. "Then… How have your feelings changed?" he asked.
Sirius gave a short laugh, more because of the ridiculousness of the situation than the awkwardness of it. "You're going to think that I'm crazy." he said.
"I know you're crazy." Remus said bluntly. "It hasn't bothered me that much since that ride in the Hogwarts Express, almost six years ago."
Sirius fidgeted nervously. "Well… My feeling are kind of conflicting." he admitted. "When I met her, I felt incredibly attracted to her. It was like I would for a normal girl, only stronger. Then, I got a little scared by those feelings when I started getting… interested in her safety, I guess. When she came back all bloody… Hell, that was scary. Then yesterday night, for some strange reason, I felt that what I felt had to do with the stars. It felt like Fate was pushing me to do things that I wouldn't normally have done.
"And now… Now, I kind of hate her. Well, not her, but what she evokes in me. I just want to keep away from her, you know? It's like… Like she was a beautiful demon summoned from my own personal hell to haunt me as a punishment for earlier deeds… And it's working a little too well for my taste." he finished.
Remus sighed. "Well, Sirius, it appears that you right." he said gravely.
Sirius froze. Hermione was a demon? "I beg your pardon?" he asked his friend, genuinely afraid.
Remus looked up at him. "You really are crazy." he declared, before bursting out laughing.
Sirius smiled, relieved, but was angry at his friend. "You retard!" he yelled at him, throwing a pillow in his direction and missing pathetically.
"You should have seen your face!" Remus chortled. "You almost shat your pants!" he added, before going back to his laughter.
James burst in the room, screaming at the top of his lungs. "I'm going to marry Lily Evans!" He started tap-dancing and repeated this sentence again and again, sounding very happy indeed.
Sirius sighed and slumped down on his bed, exasperated. "Saint Mungo's, here we come." he muttered, and placing his hands over his ears to block out Remus' laughter and James' yelling and dancing, ineffectively.
-o-O-o-
Please review! Thanks to SuperPotterWhoLockFan, Alessandra.12, Thrae Elddim and Hermione-Fan (who should get an account so I can answer him/her!) for reviewing the last chapter! I always take the time to answer reviews, so feel free to leave one! They are always very much appreciated! :)
Fun fact: If you like Sirius and Hermione together, I wrote a one-shot with this pairing called 'The Cliff', so feel free to check it out!