Hello all! So last chapter was a bit disheartening; only 1 review... Was the chapter really that terrible? I understand if you all are getting a bit impatient with me over Hermione/Sirius, but please don't worry. I'm several chapters ahead and... I think you all will love where it's going. I just want to build a place for Hermione within the group instead of just plopping her in Sirius' lap. (As fun as that would be).
windyshoes: You are absolutely WONDERFUL. I really hope you enjoy the next few chapters. Maybe if you can encourage the others to review I'll post the next chapter more quickly... There will be a few interesting Sirius bits in 13, I promise.
Enjoy!
Hermione paced the living room of Minerva's chamber; she desperately needed to speak to her 'aunt.'
Professor McGonagall had been in her classroom working on her lesson plan for the sixth years today. She walked into her quarters with a stack of supplies levitated in front of her and her eyes focused on the parchment in her hand. McGonagall didn't even see Hermione until she spoke.
"Aunt Minerva?" Hermione stood in front of the fire place impatiently bouncing on the balls of her feet.
"Yes dear?" McGonagall answered, still distracted by the parchment.
Hermione cleared her throat loudly, but McGonagall didn't lift her eyes.
"I know that Remus Lupin is a werewolf," Hermione spoke very quickly.
McGonagall finally looked up, her eyes were shocked but she was able to control and hide the emotion from the rest of her face. "I'm not sure what you're speaking about Amelia. Who is a what?"
"Well let me just tell you a bit about the future, so you can help me decide what to do. Remus Lupin is a dear friend in the future. He was actually my professor for Defense against the Dark Arts my third year. I know he's werewolf and I know that a wizard names Damocles is currently working on a potion that he believes may 'cure' the werewolf gene. But what he doesn't realize is that his potion cannot cure a werewolf. It does however allow a werewolf to keep its human mind after the full moon transformation has occurred."
McGonagall was in shock. "This is far too much to tell someone of the future…"
"I know, I'm sorry. But I just found this in my things," Hermione picked up one of her potion books from the coffee table and held it out for Minerva to see.
Minerva levitated her stack of class things onto the floor and took the book from her outstretched hand. McGonagall was amazed at the contents. There were ingredients and instructions for a potion called Wolfsbane. It looked extremely difficult and stated that it was dangerous if not prepared correctly. But it said that it could help people afflicted with werewolf transformations by allowing them to keep a sane mind.
"I want to make it for Remus," Hermione stated.
"While that is a thoughtful idea," Minerva hesitated as she looked at the publication date on the book. "This book is dated fifteen years in the future! Amelia, you cannot use this. It's too dangerous."
"I need to help Remus. The potion that Damocles develops this year isn't even his final recipe. He will rework it several times before he can guarantee that it works consistently. The potion listed in this book is his seventh and final formula."
McGonagall closes the book and holds it to her chest, "Would I be correct in assuming that no matter what I say, you will be brewing this potion for the next full moon?"
"Yes," Hermione stood her ground, "I'm sorry Aunt Minerva. I have to do this."
"Can I at least ask you why?" McGonagall passed the book back to Hermione.
"Because Remus needs to know that he is not a monster. And this will help him realize that."
The older woman nodded understandingly, "I will ask Professor Slughorn for the ingredients, along with some others things to prevent any curiosity. I'll tell him it is for a special project." McGonagall paused as she realized a flaw in Hermione's plan, "If this is as dangerous as the book states, you will have to tell Remus. You have to explain to him what the potion is and what it does…and how you know about it."
Hermione furrowed her brow and tried to imagine scenarios where she told Remus that she was from the future. Every thought ended disastrously. "What should I do?"
"Well, if this is part of your crusade to help everyone, it comes down to only two choices. Tell Remus the truth and face the ramifications. Or don't make the potion." Minerva already knew what her answer was going to be even before Hermione spoke the words.
"How do I tell him?"
Hermione and McGonagall stayed up into the early hours of the morning discussing ways to inform Remus about the time traveling without having to reveal everything. They decided on a modified version of the current time traveling cover story.
It was two days before the start of term and the morning after the last full moon cycle. Remus was drained but happy to have another transformation behind him. James and Sirius had brought him to the hospital wing only a few hours ago, he didn't know why he was awake already until he opened his eyes and saw Hermione seated beside his bed. She was propped up on her elbow faintly snoring. Remus noticed a rather thick book in her lap; she must have been reading when she fell asleep.
Remus noticed, thankfully, that someone had left his wand by his bedside. He "accio"-ed some extra pillows and strenuously pulled himself up to a seated position. Hermione heard the whooshing of the pillows over her head and woke up with a start.
"Good morning," Hermione murmured as she wiped the sleep from her eyes.
"Good morning, Amelia." Remus gestured toward the book, "Interesting read?"
Hermione noticeably paled before she answered, "Yes, actually. It contained something that I wanted… needed to talk to you about."
Remus perked up a bit, "What is it?"
Hermione massaged her temple, "This isn't going to be easy to explain…" Hermione's thoughts trailed off to the first conversation that she and Remus had about time traveling. She chuckled at the reversal of roles in this time period. "I need you to promise me that you'll keep an open mind and you won't ask questions until I've finished explaining."
"Alright," Remus quickly agreed. He trusted his young woman, despite only knowing her for a month now.
Hermione waved her wand at the white cloth partitions that had previously enclosed her own hospital cot. They whirled around Remus' bed as she cast a silencing spell.
"I just want you to remember that I have always considered you a very dear friend," Hermione took a deep breath, leaned forward and began her story. "I know you're a werewolf." Remus didn't react at all; it might have had something to do with shock. Hermione continued, "No one revealed your secret, I figured it out on my own."
Hermione handled a broken piece of metal and glass and placed it into Remus' hands, "I actually figured it out during my third year. You said you were very impressed by my observation since I was only 13 at the time. But I don't think I could have managed it without such a wonderful professor."
Remus stared at the broken timeturner in his hands; he realized what the young woman was trying to tell him. "You think you're a time traveler?!"
Hermione quickly dismissed the rude outburst, "You agreed to no questions until I'm finished." She stood up from the chair and began pacing at the foot of Remus' bed. "Now, I found this book a few days ago that contained a potion that can help you when you transform. I need you to understand that this potion has not actually been discovered yet. This is why I have to reveal so much to you about my true origins before I think I was originally meant to." Hermione bent her fingers back and forth to relieve some anxious tension. "I don't think I was supposed to tell you all of this until you really trusted me, but I wanted to help you. This potion allows you to keep your human mind after you've transformed. You once told me that it made you feel like less of a monster."
The young werewolf stared at her blankly. "Oh, um… I think I'm finished now. Your turn I guess Remus," Hermione sat down and gazed at the floor and waited.
Remus was at a loss of words. He inspected the timeturner's broken hourglass, "Did the lightning curse do this?"
"Yes." Hermione peered up from the floor and watched Remus turn the rings of the timeturner over in his hands as he examined it.
"Wait, did the lightning curse hit you through the timeturner?"
"That's what Dumbledore and Minerva believe." Hermione realized that her mouth had gone very dry in her nervousness. She absentmindedly scratched her neck where her scars were exposed.
"Is McGonagall your real Aunt?" Remus' eyes grew a bit wide. He couldn't imagine his professor deceiving people so blatantly.
"Not by blood," Hermione attempted to swallow with no success. "But we are very close. And she really is the only family that I have left here."
"So McGonagall knows about all of this… this time traveling?"
Hermione simply nodded her head. She was unsure if she even had a voice anymore.
"And what proof do you have other than a broken timeturner?" Remus placed the broken necklace on the side of his bed and laced his fingers together, patiently waiting for the answer.
Hermione finally raised her head enough to meet Remus' eyes. She silently placed the potions book on his lap; it was opened to the publishing page. 'Copy write 1995.'
"Well, that's a bit chilling." Remus ran his fingers over the ink and performed a simple spell to see if there were any enchantments over the page. He found nothing amiss with the book. Now Remus was the one to massage his temples; attempting to comprehend this crazy information was giving him a migraine. "You said that there was a potion that you wanted to give me?"
"Yes," Hermione's voice cracked, "Yes, it's called the Wolfsbane Potion. It's very difficult and dangerous, but if brewed correctly it can disable your 'monster' in a sense."
"And the only reason you told me this incredible secret is because you wanted to help me?"
Hermione nodded again. She didn't feel confident about how Remus was reacting to her undisclosed information.
Remus didn't know how to respond. He wanted to believe this girl. He had the feeling that he could still trust her and all the things that she was telling him; but his logical mind had trouble accepting such a tall tale. He could not deny his growing interest however, "Would it be all right if I asked you some questions about the future?"
Hermione allowed a small smile to form on her lips, "Absolutely. I may not be able to answer everything though."
"Yes of course. Well, is your name really Amelia?"
"No. But I don't think I should reveal that right now. I believe it would be less confusing for you if Amelia is the only name you know me by."
"Fair enough," Remus agreed that 'Amelia' would be safer, but it didn't feel right knowing what he knew. "Perhaps I could call you by your middle name or a nickname? I feel uncomfortable calling you 'Amelia' now."
Hermione's smile grew, "You once called me 'Mia' when you were explaining about my time traveling and preparing me for my trip."
Remus' mouth gaped, "I…I prepared…I told you?"
Laughter filled the air. The situation was finally becoming more comfortable and the subject matter more easily accepted. "Well, Mia. What am I like in the future?"
Hermione scrunched her face in concern, "Are you sure it's a good idea for me to tell you?"
"Maybe not. But who wouldn't be interested in the possibility of knowing the future." Remus settled back into his pillows and looked more relaxed.
"Well, you were one of my professors at Hogwarts. You were excellent. But you never thought you deserved to be accepted or loved by anyone. That's why I want to give you this potion. I want you to understand that you're not a monster."
Remus looked at her apprehensively, "And why the interest in making sure I don't feel like the monster I am?"
Hermione had a flash of bubble-gum pink cross her mind, "Let's just say that I've seen your future and it will be very happy and colorful if you allow yourself the luxury."
"That's all you're going to tell me?"
"Yes, well. You still need some mystery in your life," Hermione laughed as she echoed Remus' own words.
"I'll remember that for later," Remus flashed a wicked smile.
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love, Misha