Sitting in Dumbledore's office, Hermione couldn't help but be swept away by memories of the past—of the time when Ron, Harry, and she were the inseparable Golden Trio. The room itself was a reflection of the wizard who occupied it, adorned with peculiar artifacts and eccentric magical instruments, hinting at the enigmatic nature of Albus Dumbledore. Bookshelves lined the walls, holding countless tomes, while a silver, intricate Pensieve on a table hinted at the multitude of memories it contained.
However, Hermione's focus was not on the grandeur of the office. Her eyes bore into Dumbledore with a mix of frustration, disappointment, and simmering anger. The old wizard, sitting behind his desk, met her gaze with a twinkle in his eyes.
The memories of Harry's struggles and sacrifices, along with the finality of his fate, played in her mind like a haunting melody. They had turned their best friend into a weapon and told him to find peace.
"What are we doing here, Albus?" Her father frowned at the former director, showing signs of weariness. Glancing at the other adult members of the Order of Cain with similar expressions, she wondered what they were up to now.
"It has come to my attention that your daughter, along with her friends, has had something to do with an incident involving Ms. Goldman," Dumbledore stated, his gaze penetrating and trying to probe into her mind. Hermione immediately erected her Occlumency shields, making him raise a curious eyebrow.
Celine Grengrass, resembling an adult version of Alice with brown hair, stepped forward. "Is there evidence that it was them, or are these unfounded accusations? As far as I know, they merely had a conversation in the bathroom and nothing else."
"Miss Goldman appears to have been subjected to a powerful curse that took us months to undo, and according to Madam Pomfrey, it is a very advanced spell for your daughter's age. Yet, Miss Goldman accuses your daughter, along with her friends," Dumbledore continued, his gaze still fixed on Hermione with a mixture of curiosity and something darker.
Arabella whispered between giggles, "Can't say she didn't deserve it," Hermione had used the same spell she used on Marietta Edgecombe and every time Jessica opened her mouth to say what had really happened, the word 'LIAR' appeared on her face.
"It seems to me that we have not heard the full version of events." As accusations unfolded, Lyall voiced his skepticism. "Surely there must be an explanation for this, right?" he asked, looking at his daughter, concern etched on his face.
"I didn't..." Hermione began, crossing her arms reluctantly, but her father's stern expression made her speak. "Okay, wait a minute, that... yes, I did that. But in my defense, I'll say that she deserved it. Who the hell does she think she is to sleep with my boyfriend knowing that he was my boyfriend?" she snorted, leaning back on the chair.
"Baby, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but that boy is already your ex. You should accept it," Lucy said, looking at her with fake sad eyes. "We're all sorry that he died, he was a good guy. A bastard and a terrible Quidditch player, why lie, but he didn't deserve to die."
After the not-so-accidental death of Giacomo, they had sent the body to New York and, pulling a couple of strings, courtesy of Orion, they had confronted the four remaining families of the Big Five, making everyone think that the murder of the Luchesse family had been a setting of scores.
"Let's see if I understand, you made us come to tell us that Miss Goldman has accused my daughter and her friends of cursing her without any type of evidence or witness to corroborate her version?" Anastasia, Arabella's mother, walked around the office looking at everything with slight disdain, until she stopped in front of Dumbledore's large desk. "I'm sure that an apology from Miss Lupin would be enough to put this behind us, right, Albus? They're still young."
Dumbledore stroked his long white beard, his gaze distant for a moment. "Due to the lack of evidence, an apology from Miss Lupine will suffice. But don't let this be a daily occurrence. You are brilliant students; don't let trifles stain your records,"The quartet internally rolled their eyes but smiled and nodded.
"Not that he knows of," Alice mumbled, earning a smack on the back of the head from her mother. "That hurt, Mom."
And it will hurt even more if you don't shut up, young lady," her mother scolded.
Still nursing the spot where her mother had smacked her, the blonde muttered under her breath, "This is a load of Hippogriff dung." Celine shot her a stern look, but the corners of her lips twitched, betraying a hint of amusement.
"How do you handle being judged by other people?"
"I don't acknowledge lesser life forms, ma cherie. You should know by now. I'm—"
"A Black - I know, baby B." His best friend interrupted, a hint of amusement in her eyes. "I don't know why I tell you things."
The sun dipped low on the horizon, casting a warm, golden glow across the Hogwarts grounds. Hermione and Regulus found themselves near the Black , lounging lazily on the grass, opened one eye watching her troubled expression. She had been worried for months and many times he had caught her looking at him with the saddest eyes he had ever seen. It was as if Hermione knew something about him that he didn't.
"I'm here," he whispered, a rare warmth in his voice. "You can talk to me or not talk to me, but I'm here."
"I-" Hermione hesitated.
"The past cannot be changed, cherie, forgotten, edited, or erased. It can only be accepted." Regulus said, his thoughts seemingly on the haunting specter of her ex-boyfriend's death. Little did he know, Hermione's struggle ran much deeper – a battle with her own existence in this alternate timeline.
She was in constant battle with her mind and the memories. She had promised herself that she would not interfere much and that she would keep a low profile but it was impossible or rather, people made it difficult for her.
James. He was the one who made it the most difficult for her. The boy could be downright arrogant and annoying and the next, be the sweetest boy in the entire world and that frustrated her.
What shocked her the most was that James had completely stopped his declarations of love for Lily. The Gryffindor continued to attend their study sessions with the redhead and there were times when she would raise her head and see James looking at her. The boy blushed and gave her a small smile and then continued teasing Lily, who would beg Hermione to change places with her.
"Do you ever regret this? Our friendship?" Her sudden question pierced the air, prompting Regulus to turn and look at her with a raised eyebrow.
"I signed a contract, didn't I, ma cherie? I think it's a little late to regret it," he chuckled, injecting a touch of lightness into the moment. "You promised me the fall of an empire."
"What if I'm the one who falls? What if—" her voice quivered, panic threatening to take over. She couldn't breathe, she had a hard time breathing. "Can't-"
Regulus sensed her escalating panic and swiftly moved in front of hands gently cradling her face, "Cherie, look at me. I need you to calm down, okay? You're having an anxiety attack, but you're going to be okay. I'm here," he reassured, his gray eyes filled with genuine concern.
As Hermione struggled to steady her breathing, Regulus continued to reassure her. The summer breeze, the grass beneath her, and his hands on her face became anchors in her swirling thoughts. "What am I doing?" she wondered as she closed her eyes. Lately the only thing she did was screw up big time. What kind of person had she become?
"Hey, you're okay. You're okay." As her breathing steadied, Hermione buried her head in Regulus's shoulder as he held her. All she could think of was that she needed him. She needed his arms around her. She needed him to hold her and whisper that they were going to find a way to make it to the end. "I can't do it alone. I can't do this alone," she confessed softly.
"Fucking finally," Regulus smirked,making her look at him in surprise. "Don't look at me like that. We've all noticed you've been stressed. You're not alone, Hermione. The Order, us, you're not alone. If one of us fall, we all fall."
Opening up, Hermione admitted, "I've never been good at emotional stuff, except anger." At least not in this life, she thought. "anger I'm good at."
Anger was better than tears. Anger was better than grief. Anger was better than guilt. She felt more comfortable with anger because if she thought about the guilt that washed over her every day she woke up, she felt like she would drown in a bottomless pit.
"I'm not a good person," Hermione was going to protest but he waved his hand to downplay what he was saying, "I'm not the nice guy. I'm the selfish one. I take what I want. I do what I want. I don't do the right thing."
Hermione quipped, "That's only because Daddy Dearest has a lot of money." Sometimes talking to Regulus was like talking to Harry, she forgot about her problems. It was just the two of them and no one else.
The corners of his mouth twitched upwards, "That helps too. Otherwise, how would I fulfill your every whim?" he laughed as Hermione slapped his chest indignantly.
"I hate you," Hermione teased.
"You love me," he grinned, resting his head in her lap.
"That I do."
James Potter strolled through the Hogwarts grounds, his mind filled with the pending conversation with Hermione. He didn't know exactly what he wanted to say, but he felt an undeniable need to speak to her.
He often found himself drawn to the study sessions Hermione attended with Peter, Lily, and occasionally Sirius and Remus. No matter how hard he tried to conceal it, his eyes betrayed him, always seeking her out. Caught in the act, he'd blush, feigning interest in Lily, but it was always Hermione that held his gaze. An intensity that mirrored what he once felt for Lily now surged tenfold for the enigmatic brunette.
Her brown eyes, with a hint of danger, captivated him like an Imperio. They seemed to whisper 'danger' and 'don't come close.' But for James, it was an irresistible pull, a drug that demanded more. There was an internal voice warning him of the potential consequences, like playing with fire, it both terrified and fascinated him, a feeling he couldn't shake off. She ignited something within him, making him feel truly alive.
However, intertwined with the exhilaration was a searing anger. Every time he witnessed her with Regulus, Evan, Barty, or Sirius, jealousy burned through him. Hermione was oblivious to the effect she had on him – the butterflies, the jealousy. He reminded himself she wasn't his to be jealous over.
As he spotted Hermione in the distance, engaged in conversation with Regulus, a growl escaping him, "Fuck this," he muttered as he approached. He needed to talk to her, to get his feelings off his chest.
"Dolcezza, come stai?" James greeted her with a forced smile, trying to hide the bitterness as she absentmindedly stroked Sirius' little brother's hair. He wished it were him.
"Jamie, hello," her voice, a melody to his ears, interrupted his bitter thoughts. "I thought you'd be packing your trunk by now."
"I-I've already done that," James nervously admitted, unable to hide the awkwardness in his voice. He struggled to find words, feeling a level of nervousness he hadn't experienced, even with Lily. "Although I really came to tell you or rather ask you something."He cleared his throat, attempting to regain composure.
Hermione stood up, drawing a growl from Regulus, who frowned at James. Ignoring the disapproval, James seized the moment.
"What did you want to ask me? I'm sorry we couldn't talk sooner. I've been busy with a lot of things and a little lost, and—Oh my God, I'm not letting you talk. I'm sorry," Hermione blushed, her nervous laugh filling the air.
"Hermione, I-I—" James attempted to speak, but she interrupted him, again.
"This is about Lily, isn't it?"
"Yes," he blurted out without thinking, mesmerized by her beauty, sleeves rolled up, hair in a bun. Horror painted his face as he put his hands over his mouth realizing his mistake.. "No."
"Yes or no?" Hermione tilted her head, amusement dancing in her eyes.
"It's not about Lily. It's about us – but not us in that sense – Merlin, that's not what I meant," he rambled nervously.
"James."
"-what I wanted to say is that if you want, don't feel obligated."
"James."
"- I would like."
"JAMES CHARLUS POTTER!" Hermione's shout silenced him, her gaze demanding attention.
"You must think I'm pathetic," he groaned, face buried in his hands. "I ramble too much"
"Jamie, breathe." Her use of the nickname brought a small smile to his face. "Now tell me. If it's not Lily, what do you want from me?"
"I wanted—I wanted to invite you to Potter Manor this summer," he nervously scratched the back of his neck. "Remus too."
"Thanks for the invitation. I'll try to stop by sometime, but I'll be pretty busy this summer. I have plans," Hermione replied with a half-smile, her eyes slightly embarrassed.
"Plans? With who?" James frowned, curiosity piqued, wondering who could be more important than an invitation to Potter Manor.
"With me, Potter," Regulus appeared, standing in front of Hermione, an air of possession about him. "Taking advantage of the fact that it's already summer, ma cherie and I are going to be very busy," he said, a wicked smile directed at James.
"You are an idiot," Hermione laughed, punching Regulus playfully. "You're making it seem like we're dating."
If James had learned one thing about Hermione, it was that she didn't say 'I love you' like a normal person. She would laugh, shake her head, give you a little smile and say 'you're an idiot'. If she called you an idiot, you were undoubtedly a lucky guy.
"But I have professed my love for you, ma cherie, many times. I treat you like a princess, what more do you want from me?" Regulus teased in his smooth and confident demeanor, a sly smile playing on his lips.
With a deep breath, James decided to step into the conversation, injecting a boastful tone into his words, "So what do you say, dolcezza? Will you come? I have a lake behind the Manor where you can bathe." His eyes locked with Regulus' with a hint of arrogance. He knew the grandeur of Potter Manor surpassed that of Grimmauld Place, and he wanted Hermione to see it.
"I guess someday I'll stop by. I'll have to see if that lake is as magnificent as Pete says." Hermione's laughter filled the air, captivating James once again. Her casual response fueled his hopes, and he couldn't help but smile.
"Great. See you this summer, someday. I guess," James bid his farewell, his attempt at casualness only thinly veiling the eagerness in his voice. He made a hasty exit before he could make a bigger fool of himself.
As the Gryffindor walked away, Regulus narrowed his eyes, a hint of suspicion in his gaze. "Potter is still after Evans?" he questioned, observing the retreating figure.
"Sure," Hermione replied swiftly, her words carrying a nonchalant tone. "It's just that Jamie seems calmer by the looks of it. I honestly think Lily will appreciate it. He can be a little intense, but deep down he's a good guy.".
Regulus remained unconvinced, his focus shifting away from James as he turned his attention back to Hermione. "Whatever you say, cherie," his expression masking any deeper thoughts he might have harbored.