It was finally the first of September. The teens had spent the remainder of the summer relaxing and just being teenagers. From pickup quidditch games to a trip to a muggle theme park, they had done it all.

Currently, Sirius and Regulus were watching Hermione try to keep from hyperventilating. "Mione, you've already had six years of Hogwarts, you fought in a bloody war, and you came back in time. I think you can handle Hogwarts again." Sirius said, putting his arm around Hermione.

"I don't think it has anything to do with going back to the school," Regulus said. "But maybe who she'll see there."

Hermione nodded at Regulus, thankful he understood her anxiety. "Most of the students that are there right now were dead when I came back here. I mean bloody hell, the first set of redhead twins just graduated last year, and they died before my redhead twins were born! Oh, no! Molly's pregnant with the twins now, I have to talk to Al and Kings before they escort us to Hogsmeade!"

Hermione made her way downstairs where everyone was getting ready to leave. "Al, Kings, there's going to be some kind of mission soon that kills Gideon and Fabian Prewett. Molly told me before that her twins middle names are to honor her brothers she lost when she was about three months pregnant. She's roughly two months pregnant now!"

"Aye, they've been put on desk duty at the ministry," the old auror said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "They also aren't goin' on any Order missions for further notice."

Hermione hugged the auror. "Oh, thank you, Al!"

The teens were on the Hogwarts Express, all crammed into one compartment. After spending almost the entire summer together, they couldn't bear to be separated now. When the train was roughly fifteen minutes from Hogsmeade Station, the boys left the compartment so Lily and Hermione could change into their school uniforms, Petunia sighing sadly.

"Tunie," Lily said while tying her tie. "You're still going to Hogwarts! What's with the sigh?"

"It's just that we've all spent every day together, and we all usually share the same bed," Petunia said, pulling Lily's hair from her collar. "I honestly don't know if I can sleep without being between you and Regulus."

Hermione smiled at her. "We can talk to Professor McGonagall, she's head of Gryffindor and my favorite professor from my other life." Hermione had started calling her previous timeline her "other life" since so much had already changed, and even if she could go back today, she was sure she wouldn't recognize the world she went back to.

Petunia nodded and opened the door to the boys waiting impatiently. James, Sirius and Regulus went straight for Lily, Hermione, and Petunia, respectively, having asked the girls out on the same day in August.

"Remus, we really need to find you a girlfriend," James said, smiling.

"About that," Remus said, suddenly nervous. "Remember when Andi brought her daughter and Ted's niece over for the girls to babysit while she went out with Padfoot and Regulus?"

"Of course I do," James said, his arm around Lily. "Julia was obsessed with you, tripping over herself to follow you wherever you went."

"That's a Tonks trait," Sirius said, laughing. "She definitely didn't get the clumsiness from Andi!"

"Well, erm, about that," Remus said, now looking at the floor. "Moony chose Julia as his mate."

His mate isn't Tonks? Hermione thought suddenly. "Remy? Remember when we first met, I wouldn't tell you who your mate was?"

"Of course I do," Remus said, looking at Hermione. "It wasn't Julia, was it?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, in my past life, Andi's daughter was your mate. It seems that's something else that's changed."

Sirius looked thoughtful for a second. "Well, Julia's closer to our age anyway, she's fifteen. Nymphie is only six now. As much as I don't think anyone is good enough for my cousins, I'm glad it's someone I trust that's meant for Julia."

"I agree with Sirius," Regulus said, smiling at Remus. "Besides, Julia already knows about Moony, Andi and Ted sat her down and gave her the option to stay with Ted's family instead. Julia told me she wanted to get to know our friends, and chose to come, even though she's a muggle. I know for a fact Julia fancies you, Remus."

"She does?" Remus asked, surprised. "But, she's a muggle! She has no defenses against Moony, what if we do get together, and Moony hurts her?"

"A werewolf will never hurt their mate," Hermione finally said. "I can't tell you how many times I've seen Moony transform and his mate was with him, and not in an animagus form. Which, by the way, as a metamorphagus, she can't be anyway."

"I-I still don't know," Remus said.

"Remus," Petunia said, holding Regulus' hand tightly. "I've read up a lot about werewolves since meeting you, to understand everything better. I remember reading a passage that said if a werewolf is aware who their mate is, and doesn't accept her, or enter into a relationship and eventually bond with them, the werewolf will die."

Remus sighed, knowing Petunia was right. "Okay, okay. I'll write Julia when we get to Hogwarts."

Finally, the train came to a stop at the station. With the teens having an auror guard, they were the first to leave after the first years. When they finally made their way to the castle, Professor McGonagall stopped the group.

"Miss Granger, Mister Black, Miss Evans," the firm Scottish woman said, smiling at the group. "Could you three come with me for a moment? Your friends and family are welcome to join us." The professor's eyes landing on the clasped hands of Regulus and Petunia and smiling. "Can I just say that I am incredibly proud of all of you, for all you've gone through and how you have all persevered."

"Thank you, professor," Lily and Hermione said, both smiling at their favorite professor.

Professor McGonagall led them to a small anteroom that Hermione had only seen once or twice during prefect rounds. "Dorea wrote me over the summer," she began. "She told me of your situation and how you've all grown to draw comfort from one another. Therefore, since all but two of you are in Gryffindor, I have made the decision to allow you all to move into the Gryffindor Head Boy and Girl dorm. Now, you may still re-sort, Regulus, and Petunia, you were going to be wherever Lily lived anyway. Please know that the other professors, aside from Professor Flitwick, were against this, but Professor Flitwick and I have volunteered to act as honor witnesses for the seven of you. I understand that, aside from Mr. Lupin, you are all in relationships with one another. We also realize that you are all almost of age, and we have removed the ward preventing males from entering the female rooms on the Head's quarters. Please do not make us regret that decision."

"We won't, Professor McGonagall," James said, more serious than she'd ever seen him. "We understand that you and Professor Flitwick put a lot on the line for us, and I think I'm speaking for us all when I say we all deeply appreciate it. You've actually calmed Petunia's main worry of being unable to continue our sleeping situation here. We will not let you down."

McGonagall nodded at her second favorite student. "Now, Mister Black, do you wish to re-sort?"

"I do, Professor," he said, Petunia squeezing his hand in assurance.

"Very well, we shall do it now then."

The ancient sorting hat had no sooner touched Regulus' head when it shouted "GRYFFINDOR!" to the cheers of his friends.

"Regulus," the hat suddenly said from Professor McGonagall's arms. "That was where I wanted to sort you originally, had you not begged me to put you in Slytherin to protect Sirius. I'm glad you're finally where you belong."

"I am too," he said to the hat, smiling. "Thank you."

A few hours had passed since the teens entered Hogwarts, and after a filling meal at the welcoming feast, they made their way to the Gryffindor common room and into the Head's rooms. They all decided to unpack their trunks in their assigned rooms, with James and Lily finding an empty room with a huge bed in the center.

"Hey guys, come look at this," James called.

"Did Mipsy have anything to do with this?" Lily asked, bemused. "The way the bed is turned down and the amount of pillows looks like she set this up."

The elf in question popped into the room. "Missy Dorea let Mipsy set up her family's sleeping room. Missy Dorea also tells Mipsy that her family will bes allowed to leave Hogwarts when Mipsy and Tilly has their babies."

"We can do that?" Lily asked, amazed. "I've never seen a baby elf!"

"There's always been the facility for students to leave for any reason during the school year," Hermione said. "Hogwarts, a History was my favorite book in my other life and I remember reading that. As long as our head of house has written and signed permission from our guardians, or we're of age, they'll let us leave."

"Mispy and Tilly bes having our babies just before Christmas," Mipsy said, nodding at Hermione. "Missys Dorea, Hope, and Evelyn all sent the papers to Missy Minnie so family can bes there when we has the babies."

The girls gave Mipsy a group hug before the elf popped away. Exhausted, the teens all went into what the elf called their sleeping room and fell into a deep sleep in their usual positions.

The days passed quickly, and before Hermione knew it, it was her second seventeenth birthday. When she woke, she noticed the boys were conspicuously absent from the bed, and suspected they had something planned in their common room. Slowly, Lily and Petunia woke up too, with muttered happy birthdays before they were off to the bathroom.

Once the girls were ready for the day, they entered their shared common room. Hermione smiled tearfully when she saw the room decorated with ribbons, balloons, and a large pile of presents in the middle of the room. "You know you didn't have to do this."

"Hey, you only turn seventeen twice," James said, laughing at his own joke. "Besides, this was all Remus and Sirus' idea, Reg and I wanted to take the three of you on a shopping spree in Hogsmeade."

"Thank you, Remy," Hermione said, hugging her cousin before turning to her boyfriend and kissing his cheek. "Thank you, Siri."

Sirius smiled at her and gestured to the pile of presents. "Moony is dying to get into the chocolate he smells in there, you better dig in before he does!"

Hermione smiled and began opening presents. From Petunia, she received a leather bound, first edition copy of Hogwarts, a History. "I remember you saying that this was your favorite book, I asked Professor McGonagall for help finding it. The gift in the tartan bag is from her as well."

Hermione hugged her and opened her gift from her favorite professor. "It's a bag of cat toys, but I don't have a cat," she said, confused.

"McGonagall came by at five this morning to hand me this," Sirius said, handing her an all too familiar orange kneazle with a squashed face, the only difference was this cat was a quarter of the size she remembered. "She said you'd recognize him?"

"Oh! My baby Crookshanks!" Hermione exclaimed, kissing the cat. "I can't believe you were that old when I got you last time! You're just a baby now!"

Hermione opened the rest of her gifts with the small cat in her lap, next up was Lily's gift, which was a beautiful planner. "It automatically organizes your tasks, I use something similar for studying." From James, she received two eagle quills and a large selection of colored inks. "It goes with Lily's gift," he said as she smiled. From Remus, she received a ring with the Howell crest on it, Hope's maiden name. "Mum and I went to Gringotts when we first found out about you, and got this from the vault. Mum had two heir rings made before I was born, one for her daughter, and one for her son. This is from both of us." Hermione reverently placed the ring on her hand and opened Regulus' gift of hair potions and combs. "Black women have wildly curly hair, this will help tame your curls and the combs will smooth your hair as you use them as well as style your hair." Finally, she got to Sirius' gift. Inside the small box was a bracelet with a pendant. Hermione's eyes teared up as she read the inscription on the pendant. SB + HG "I love it, Sirius," she said, kissing him.

Suddenly, Robby popped into the room.

"Robby bes sorry for ruining Missy Mione's birthday, but the family needs to be getting to Potter Manor, Master Charlus bes very sick. Tilly bes telling Missy Minnie now."