Onward! Redone and elongated fourth chapter. Enjoy!
Hermione and Remus sat there on the floor of the kitchen still. Each, of them, was completely silent, deep in their own thoughts. Both could feel the weight of the world on their shoulders.
"Today or tomorrow?"
Remus nodded his head to answer Hermione's question.
"But tomorrow is Harry's birthday."
Remus thought of this as he nodded again. His mind worked quickly as his intuition took over. "It's going to happen tomorrow…" he mumbled to himself.
Hermione heard this information, but it did not faze her. She had realized it too. The people who were going to attack were probably Death Eaters, and they were going to attack on the day of Harry's birth. It was logical thinking and most likely true, so Hermione turned to Remus and simply stated, "I have one day left then."
Remus agreed and then asked the last difficult question, "How are we going to save Harry and Ron and Ginny?"
Hermione shook her head. "We can't save them."
Remus turned to her in surprise with big eyes.
Hermione shook her head again. "We can't Remus. First off, we don't have enough information about what is going to happen. We can't go into a fight completely blind. I mean, that's why you had me study so much about the dark side. We're not prepared to do anything."
Remus took this information in. He realized that Hermione was finally embracing that fact that she was being thrown back in time. She seemed to fully understand how everything worked. But then he realized the most important thing of all.
"We also can't save them because if we do, it might change everything. You might not go back."
Hermione and Remus looked at each other intently and silently agreed that they would let time take its course.
"Is it possible to perform a memory charm so we can just forget the last two minutes?" Hermione asked hopefully. "I don't want to think about how we're failing our friends."
Remus shook his head. "Memory charms are too powerful. And, you made me live with the guilt for almost 20 years. I'm sure you can handle one day."
Hermione was a bit taken back. Her face was shadowed with hurt as she finally stood and took in the words Remus had just uttered.
Remus stood as well. He saw the pain he had caused Hermione and sighed. "I'm sorry Hermione. It's not your fault…yet…I guess. I'm sorry, just forget I said that please."
Hermione was stunned but managed to nod her head as she picked up the plates from the kitchen table and placed them in the sink. She performed a cleaning charm on the washcloth and the dishes began to wash themselves. She turned around to face Remus again. He looked sad and distant, and she suddenly had the urge to hug the man in front of her.
She stepped forward quickly and flung her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her and held Hermione close. Neither shed any tears, but they held on to each other as if their lives depended on it. Remus slowly took Hermione's hand from his neck and placed them on her sides.
"I'm so sorry I cannot help you more Mia. You only gave me so much to give back to you. Now, you need to cheer up and wash your face of all the tears and concerns you have. Just a few more hours and I believe that everything will make sense to you."
He kissed Hermione's forehead in a loving brother fashion and walked slowly out of the kitchen. Hermione noticed that Remus had not corrected himself when addressing her as Mia, and she smiled a bit at that fact. "I guess I am fitting into my role well." She said to herself quietly.
Hermione heard the front door close. She carefully unfolded the picture that she had been unknowingly clutching the whole conversation. Remus and the young woman, they seemed so content and smiled so brightly.
How on earth could I have be so happy under such dark and skeptical circumstances?
She sighed a little before she followed Remus' advice and went upstairs to freshen up.
When Hermione saw herself in the mirror, she was extremely grateful that she had not bumped into anyone on the stairs. Her cheeks were red and had tear streaks down her face from all the crying that she had done. Her eyes were also puffy and bloodshot, and her nose was slightly pink. Hermione quickly splashed some cool water on her face and got her wand to help the blotchy redness and puffiness to go away. After she was done, Hermione looked at herself again in the mirror and saw the same girl who had woken up this morning from a strange dream.
But her eyes were different.
Even though Hermione didn't want to see it, she saw the sadness and hurt in her own eyes. She saw the secret that she held within herself. She saw the burden that she was carrying. These were things you couldn't just make go away, even with magic.
Hermione sat in the bathroom for some time attempting to make her eyes look happy. She pulled the picture from her pocket and stared at the woman she would soon become. This woman looked beautiful. She seemed happy and confidant... and blonde...
A smile finally spread across Hermione's face as she racked her brain for the charm needed to alter her hair. She decided that the hair transformation most likely happened in the past to alter her appearance and make it a little more difficult for people in her current time to remember her. But if she cannot hide her hurt and worry, why not distract from it with something new.
Hermione loved her brown hair, it came from her father's side of the family and it did feel a bit sad to say goodbye to it. She tried a few different shades before settling on an ash blonde that had some lighter pieces on the bottom. When Hermione references the picture again, it was uncanny. She looked exactly like the woman smiling back at her.
Finally pleased with the results, Hermione left the bathroom and ventured downstairs to find Ginny.
Ginny had grown more frustrated by the minute after she heard Remus leave half an hour before. She could not fathom where Hermione was or what she was doing. Someone come save me!
Mrs. Weasley had moved onto the dining room now and had Ginny arranging chairs and pushing the tables together for the small dinner party they were having for Harry tomorrow. And worst of all the boys were still not awake to rescue her or even help her.
Hermione swept into the kitchen grinning from ear to ear as she witnessed Ginny's foul expression turn to complete astonishment. Ginny's mouth even hung open as Hermione approached her and asked if she could help in any way.
"What did you do to your hair?" Ginny asked in an awestruck voice.
"Is it completely ridiculous? I thought I needed something different." Hermione's courage wavered a bit as she waited for Ginny's answer.
"No, I honestly love it. I just never thought you would do something so drastic." Ginny had moved closer to Hermione and was now stroking and examining the new hair color. "It's brilliant."
Hermione smiled in relief.
"It will actually be great for tonight as well. The boys want to go out to Hogsmeade to celebrate Harry's birthday and see the school one last time before you all have to go after the horcurxes." Ginny addressed this with an offhanded tone, as if she was trying not to care about the trio leaving. "Some disguises would probably be a good idea too, just to be cautious."
Hermione nodded in agreement. "Well what should we do with your hair then?" She asked Ginny in as upbeat a voice as she could muster.
Mrs. Weasley was busy examining the dishes and counting for tomorrow's guests, so the girls took the opportunity to sneak out and covertly ascend the stairs to the attic. The boys had to be woken up. There were plans to be made.
Ginny and Hermione whispered intently about how to get revenge on the boys for ignoring Ginny for so long this morning. They decided on testing one of the twin's new inventions, the Hailing Herald. It was a little cube with two wheels placed on opposite corners; Fred had said that this was for easy maneuverability. All that was needed was to push the top button, clearly state what you needed the Herald to say, and point it in the direction of the victims.
"Wake up, boys." Ginny slowly articulated to the box. She carefully placed it on the floor of the attic and pointed the wheels in the direction of Harry's bed. The girls quickly shut the door and descended the stairs as the little item rolled toward its targets.
"WAKE UP, BOYS!" could be heard clearly from the landing by the front door. The whirling and crashing noises were accompanied by blaring sirens. Ginny and Hermione could barely contain their laughter as they stumbled outside.
They heard slamming doors and something fall to the floor before they were out of earshot. "They are going to be fuming when they get down here, Ginny. Maybe that was a step too far?" Hermione was still laughing so it was very difficult for Ginny to take the question seriously.
"Oh, please. This is the most fun we've had in ages." Ginny was doubled over, clutching her stomach as the laughter split her sides.
"Very true, but they're going to do something horrible to get revenge."
"Oh, let them try," Ginny grinned widely at Hermione. "They can't take the both of us; we're more powerful than they are."
Hermione's smile fell as she remembered that her time was counting down here. She might not be here to endure the wrath of the boys counter attack.
The boys appeared more like zombies then able body fighters when they finally reached the first floor of the Burrow. Harry even absentmindedly kissed Ginny's head before he sat down to eat, almost completely forgetting the rude wake up call.
The rest of the morning and afternoon was spent planning their "escape" to Hogsmeade to celebrate Harry's birthday with their friends. They all admitted that this probably wasn't the safest idea, but the excursion was necessary so they took precautions. With Hermione's help, Ginny made her hair a very dark brown, almost black. They all practiced some transfiguration on their faces as they waited for return Owls from the others who were invited. It would mostly be students and former students of Dumbledore's Army in attendance tonight, so safety in numbers was an encouraging thought.
After a simple dinner with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, the foursome went to their respective rooms and dressed for the night's festivities.
Just fyi: no, I do not think blondes are better. I just thought it would be fun for Hermione to change things up a bit. =)
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