Disclaimer: JK owns HP

1989

Chapter 3

'What predicament have I got myself into now?' Hermione asked herself as she stared into the face of her best friend's second eldest brother.

She had only been in the past for a few hours and she was already risking changing it. She couldn't believe she hadn't thought about younger versions of people she knew being here.

If it had only been Charlie in Hogwarts current school year things might have been okay, as he was the Weasley she knew the least. In fact, he probably wouldn't even remember Jean Walters by the time he met fourteen year old Hermione Granger five years from now anyway. But the real problem lay with his siblings. If Charlie was a seventh year, then that meant Percy, Fred, and George were here as well; and that was just the Weasleys. Lee Jordan and Angelina Johnson would be first years just like the twins; and Oliver Wood a third year with Percy. It was highly likely that any one of them might recognize her later as the seventh year transfer student from their youth.

"Nice to meet you Jean." Charlie held out his hand with a large friendly smile on his face.

Having only met him twice before, both times in the hectic environment of the Weasley home, Hermione could honestly say that she'd barely noticed him before. In fact, she could count the conversations she'd had with him on one hand. Maybe it was his smile that reminded her slightly of Ron's, maybe it was the fact that he had the bluest eyes she had ever seen, or maybe it was just the fact that he was an unexpected familiar face; but there was definitely something that caused her to notice him now.

He was shorter than most of the other Weasleys, but more built.; less muscular than she remembered but she assumed he would gain that later on at the dragon reserve in Romania. His hair was longer than Rons, but shorter than Bills; shaggy and coming just below his ears.

"Likewise." She answered with only a slight delay, shaking his outstretched hand.

If Dumbledore noticed her discomfort he did not show it, but spoke to both of them as if everything was normal. "Jean here has had a mishap with her wand and is in desperate need of a new one. Having just transferred here, she is not familiar with Diagon Alley enough for me to let her go by herself to Ollivanders. I was hoping you would be willing to escort her in the morning before your second class starts at eleven."

"Of course." Charlie agreed, looking curiously at her.

"Excellent." Dumbledore clapped his hands together. "You will both need to meet me here at eight tomorrow morning. I will arrange it so you can floo directly to the Leaky Cauldron."

"Sounds like a plan to me." He agreed, as Hermione nodded.

"And If there isn't anything else either of you can think of, I think it is best for all of us to turn in for the night."

"I think that covers everything." Hermione said, knowing she couldn't warn Dumbledore about being good friends with the Weasleys in the future in front of Charlie. "Thank you Professor."

"Off you go then." Dumbledore shooed them toward the door.

Charlie held the door open so Hermione could exit first, being the gentleman Molly had obviously taught him to be. 'Too bad those lessons didn't rub off on Ron.' She thought to herself silently.

"Gryffindor tower is this way." He gestured to the right.

Her only response was a nod as she began to follow him, beaded bag tucked under her arm, already knowing the way quite well.

"So what happened to your wand?" Charlie asked, striking up a conversation in the silence that had grown between them as they walked along.

"I lost it." She lied, trying to keep the conversation short. She couldn't risk becoming friends with him or he would definitely recognize her later in his life.

"Did you try getting someone to accio it for you?" He suggested. It was a long walk back to Gryffindor tower and it was obvious he was trying to keep it from being a silent one.

"No, it wouldn't have done any good because it's currently broken in two." She replied solemnly.

"So it's both broken, and lost?" He asked in disbelief.

"Yup." She answered shortly again.

"Bummer." He gave her a funny look, but pressed on undeterred. "So you got sorted into Gryffindor tonight?"

"Yes."

"Being a Gryffindor is the best. My entire family has been in it. Both my parents, and all my brothers as well." Charlie kept talking, hoping to loosen her up a bit.

"I hear houses run in families." She couldn't help but respond.

"Usually. In fact, my younger twin brothers just got sorted in tonight as well. They are first years, real pranksters too. I'll point them out to you later so you'll know to watch out for them." His grin returned.

Hermione couldn't help but smile a little at the thought of seeing a young Fred and George getting into their usual brand of trouble. "I'm sure I'll recognize them. I'll just look for the first year Gryffindor twins with red hair."

One eyebrow raised slightly at her. "What makes you think they have red hair?"

"I guess I just assumed it ran in the family as well." She played innocent.

He chuckled. "You are right there. We do all have red hair. All nine of us."

"Wow. That's a big family." She pretended to be surprised at the amount of Weasleys.

"You're telling me. I'm the second oldest of seven. I have five brothers and a sister." He slipped his hands into his pockets. "What about you? Do you have any siblings?"

"No, Just my mum and dad." She answered, while taking the next left.

Silence grew between them for a moment as he gave her a funny look again. "I thought you'd only been sorted into Gryffindor tonight?"

"I was. Why?" She asked, taken aback by his question.

"How did you know which way to go then?" He was still looking at her curiously.

'Uh oh,' she thought. She had forgotten to pretend she had no clue where Gryffindor tower was.

"What do you mean?" She faked innocence again.

"You turned three steps before I did." He replied accusingly.

"I did? Must have just been intuition then." Hermione continued to brush it off as nothing.

"Okay." He shrugged his shoulders, though still looked suspicious. "So how did you end up at Hogwarts? Where were you before?"

"Ilvermorny in America. My dad is a muggle and his job transferred him back to London this summer after nearly ten years away."

"But why come to Hogwarts? Couldn't you have just traveled back to America for your final year?" He was asking way too many questions for her comfort.

"My mom and I both thought it would be better to make contacts here for a little while before trying to find a job after school." She lied on the spot.

"I guess that makes sense." He nodded with a tilt of his head. "So how did you get here?"

"Hmm?" Hermione asked, confused by his question.

"To Hogwarts." He clarified. "You didn't take the train with everyone else, so how did you get here this evening?"

"What makes you think I wasn't on the train?" He was way too observant and it was making her uncomfortable.

"I'm a prefect. I patrolled the train and never once saw you the entire trip." Charlie claimed.

"You remember everyone you saw while patrolling the train today?" She raised an eyebrow at him as they moved along to the common room.

His cheeks turned slightly pink at her question, but he ended up playing it off cool with another large grin. "Not necessarily everyone...but I definitely would have remembered you."

It was her turn for her cheeks to turn pink, but they had finally arrived at the portrait of the fat lady. Another possible problem for future recognition of Hermione Granger. 'Maybe I should have pretended to be a Ravenclaw instead,' she thought regretfully.

"Opaleye." Charlie said to the fat lady, who swung forward in response.

"It's the password." He told her even though she looked as if it was no real shock. "It changes once a month."

Hermione entered the cozy common room, which was currently empty due to the late hour. It felt like home and she wrapped her arms around herself in comfort. It was nice to be here again, or rather before, after not coming back since just after Dumbledore's funeral. It was nice to be in a time where the war didn't exist yet. Where people were happy instead of scared for the lives of their families.

Thoughts of the war made her worry about what would happen to Harry and Ron if she ended up stuck in the past. She knew she would still go to the battle, still try to find them. But what would they think when she aged eight years in what would only be minutes to them?

"Are you alright Jean?" Charlie stepped in close and placed a hand on her shoulder, startling her out of her thoughts.

"Fine." She claimed, though in reality she was far from it. "It's just been a long day."

"I can understand that." He looked worried about her. "Would you like me to walk you up to your dorm?"

"No, it's okay. I think I can manage." She faked a small smile to encourage him that she was okay.

"Alright then." He squeezed her shoulder before letting it go. "Girls dorms are the staircase on the right. Seventh year's are all the way up."

"Thanks Charlie." She nodded as he headed to the boy's staircase on the left. "I'll see you in the morning."

He suddenly turned to look at her with the biggest grin she'd seen on him yet.

"It's a date."