"Lemon Drop?"
Sirius sat in Dumbledore's office, shook his head no, and stared at the man impatient to be done with this meeting. The room was circular and filled to bursting with various magical artifacts and books. He waited with a slight frown as the Headmaster popped one of the treats in his mouth, sucking on the sour candy with a slight pucker that made his white mustache stick out under his nose. After a moment, he spoke.
"As you know, Sirius, the Wizarding world is on the verge of war," he was uncharacteristically somber, his eyes had none of their usual sparkling humor. "A war that could rent the entire world as we know it. As of now, the board is still being set. Voldemort is still gathering strength, only testing it in small scale attacks and acts of terror." He seemed lost in thought for a moment, his tongue clicked when he gave the sweet a particularly strong pull.
Sirius said nothing. Just watched the man and waited for the point of this conversation, although he suspected what was coming. He sat, ankle over knee, slightly slouched with his ever present air of rebelliousness.
"I've also been setting up our side of the board. I'm sure the Potters have mentioned the Order to you and James," he raised an expectant eyebrow waiting for Sirius to nod. Of course the Potters had mentioned it to him and James, although they never gave details. "Unfortunately we cannot trust the Ministry. Despite the unified front they portray, even in a good climate they barely can be trusted to maintain the best interest of the people they represent. In the current climate I fear they are either on the brink of collapse or on the brink of being overrun. Soon to be a puppet organization run by Voldemort and his Death Eaters."
Sirius was now leaning forward, drinking in this moment of freely given information that the Potters and the school staff had been shielding from them. He had suspected as much, one of the few things he was grateful to have learned from his ancestral family was to distrust those in authority. So, the Ministry's apparent collapse was unsurprising but gratefully confirmed.
"The Daily Prophet is already showing bias by making like of the attacks and in some cases denying them all together. With so much skewed information being thrown around, this makes the vetting process for the Order...Taxing. Verifying the allegiance to find those who we can trust is difficult and we need as many witches and wizards in this fight as we can. We have healers, fighters, spies, and sponsors. But, they are few, and our information network is small, and in need of constant verification." Resting his elbows on the table, his hands in a scholar's cradle, evidently coming to the point of this discussion. "Miss. Granger's appearance is a gift we couldn't have asked for. Her knowledge, her experience, her on the chess board of this war, could be what guarantees victory for us."
Sirius felt cold. It wasn't that he disagreed with the headmaster, it was true. Hermione could very well have all the information to nip this war in the bud before it dragged out twenty years to her time. It was the way the old Headmaster talked about it, as if it were a game, as if the people were pieces and Hermione was to be set up to check the king. But, if there was one thing Sirius knew about chess, it is that pieces were set up to be sacrificed. No matter the piece, they were all expendable so long as the checkmate was assured. He knew Dumbledore was shrewd, calculating, and a master of strategy, but the way he spoke was so at odds with how Sirius always saw him. Someone who saw the individual and their worth.
He cleared his throat, trying to keep his feelings off his face. "So, you want information from her?" Dumbledore nodded. "But that can't be all you want. She seems willing enough to offer that information up."
"Yes, well. I believe she will be as well. I have gathered the Miss. Granger would be willing to do a great deal to help us," something about the way he said this made Sirius uneasy. Like the man had a better read on her intentions and mind than someone who had as little contact with her as he, supposedly, should have. It made him think of her just awake, panicked, frozen in place by the gaze of pale blue. "Unfortunately, she seems somewhat on edge around me. She seems perfectly comfortable in your presence though, Mr. Black." His eyes twinkled with some sort of mischievousness.
Sirius was starting to see what Dumbledore wanted from him. He narrowed his eyes. "So, you want me to gather information. Information that she would freely give you anyway?" It didn't make sense.
Dumbledore only smiled. "Yes, indeed. See I don't believe Miss Granger would willingly hide anything but even the best of us will forget small details. I just want you to keep an ear out for anything she might say that got lost in the larger tale. I also would ask that you continue to act as her guardian." The last part came out almost as an afterthought. So innocuous.
Sirius was confused. What Dumbledore was asking wasn't unreasonable, in fact it could have been left unsaid. The fact that it wasn't made him suspicious.
"Of course, Professor."
"Good. Good," Dumbledore said cheerfully. Leaning back into his chair more comfortably. "Now Miss. Granger will need school supplies; we can provide most of them here or through Hogsmeade. But, for a wand I'll have to send her to Diagon Alley to visit Olivanders. Of course this will have to wait until after she's recovered enough to travel. In the meantime, I'll provide a general school supply list and some money for you to retrieve her things during the first Hogsmeade visit."
The rest of this visit concluded quickly and left Sirius somewhat perplexed. He walked back to the common room, uncharacteristically ponderous. The sky was pinking through the windows as he passed the Front Hall.
Did Dumbledore think that Hermione would hide things from him? If she did, probably had a good reason too. Having seen how things would have unfolded before she was dropped into this time gave her a perspective on things that no one else could duplicate. She would have a greater understanding of how peoples actions would impact the future.
Dumbledore for all his grandfatherly demeanor, he was a master strategist. Hermione is a rogue piece on this chess board. He would either need to reign her in as his queen or she would be used as bait.
The thought stopped him dead in his tracks in front of the Fat Lady. For a moment he stood there, wide eyed with the realization. She is bait. Hermione is Bait. It made so much sense. There were Death Eaters hidden among the student body at Hogwarts with precious little to ferret them out other than small attacks on muggleborns that get brushed off as inter-house rivalries and general bullying. Although Hermione's past was to remain secret, her sudden and dramatic arrival, scars, and any slip of the tongue would make her an interesting tidbit to bring to their higher ups. If enough information got leaked about her, she would even catch the attention of Voldemort himself. And she knew a lot. He hadn't seen much of her past, but what he did see showed him that she was entrenched in this war so deeply that she could be considered one of it's principle characters. In the memory she was the one chosen to be tortured for information. Bellatrix, the Russian, and Greyback had known her, and had history with her. Voldemort was summoned solely because she and her friends were captured.
The sound of someone clearing their throat broke him from his thoughts. He found himself looking up at the Fat Lady as she imperiously rose an eyebrow at him. "Well Mr. Black? I don't have all day."
Sirius, with a deep breath, relaxed his fist and drew upon his usual flirtatious smile. "Aw, most beautiful Lady! You aren't seeing someone else are you? After all these years?"
"Mr Black, the password please," she said, ignoring him. Although her cheeks were painted extra pink for a moment. He gave the password and the frame swung open.
Stepping through the portrait hole, Sirius entered only to be greeted by the indignant shouting of Lily Evans. She was standing, arms crossed, a look of righteous indignation on her face as she stared up at James.
"Why would you do that?! It was a perfectly horrid prank!" She yelled, eyes flinty. Evidently she didn't find their prank on Snape funny.
"You have no proof that it was us, Evans. And even if it were us, it wasn't like it hurt him," James said. He looked like he was trying not to laugh."Come on, Lily! He wasn't hurt. He didn't even miss his lessons, and why do you care so much?"
"That's not the point! You humiliated him in front of the whole school!"
"And? Snape gives as good as he gets, Evans. I've never seen you get mad at him for taking the mick out of someone before," the humor previously dancing on his face was beginning to dwindle.
"That's because...because…" she was obviously scrambling what to say.
"What because I grew up 'privileged' and Snape isn't?" he asked frostily, crossing his own arms and looking down his nose at her. "So, what you're saying is that because of my family, I'm held at a higher standard than someone who grew up less fortunate? Gee, Lily I had no idea that you bought into that sort of bigotry." He turned around and sat down on the couch in front of the fire and pulled his homework to him. Obviously done with the conversation. He quietly discussed the answer to one of the question sheets from Herbology with Peter who sat on the floor.
Sirius cleared his throat and walked over to his friends, passing a gaping Lily with a glare. He sat next to his brothers and pulled out his own homework while ignoring the girl. As much as he admired Evans, and appreciated her kindness, she had her own prejudices. Most of which fell on James and his friends. She had a persistent blind spot towards Snape which infuriated James.
She seemed to think that they picked on Snape because he was in Slytherin, because he always had shabby second hand robes and books. Which was a load of hinkypunk scat because if they really had cared about shabby robes then Remus wouldn't be their best friend. The reality though was much simpler, they just detested each other. Snape and his general disdain for others had rubbed them all the wrong way from day one. He always had a mean comment for anyone who wasn't Lily, or a fellow Slytherin. Even in his own house there seemed to be a hierarchy of power and he seemed pretty low on the totem poll among the upperclassmen, but they had seen him shove the younger students around just as much as he got shoved around by 6th and 7th years. He also displayed open jealousy towards the Marauders, in part because of James' and Sirius' prowess on the quidditch field, and in another part for them being smart, good looking, well liked among the students and faculty, despite their penchant for mischief. At least in the beginning, that's how the rivalry started.
Ever since last year, the Marauders couldn't help but notice that Snape had begun to hang out with more of the upperclassmen. They'd be seen in the halls, whispering together, glaring at muggleborns and throwing small hexes out at them. Nothing that would alert the teachers to anything other than general bullying but enough that those who were watching closely would get a clue. During DADA classes they noticed his interest would be peeked at any mention of dark curses. His quill would scribble extra furiously whenever they came up.
The final straw had been when he had actively tried to expose Remus as a werewolf. While Sirius regretted the action, he more regretted the effect it had on his friend.
Sirius patted James on the back, lending some brotherly comfort to him once he heard Lily's footsteps going up to the girls' dorm. "She'll see reason eventually, Prongs. She's too smart not too."
"Yeah, they're friends, James, she's just loyal to him. But, Pads is right, she's too smart to stay blind to it," conferred Remus with an assuring smile. Peter just nodded, his focus still mostly on his Herbology homework.
"Thanks guys," James said with a smile. "She'll have to come around. Since we're meant to be!"
The whole group just rolled their eyes.
Hermione was awake that night when he came in to visit her. She jumped and hid something behind her back as she looked around. When she spotted him she sighed in relief and smiled, pulling out the notepad from behind her back and re-opened it.
"I lost track of time and thought you were Madame Pomfrey. She would be seriously displeased if she found me awake right now," she explained. She scooted over to one side of the bed and patted the free space for him to sit next to her.
Grinning, he obliged after taking a cursory look of her. She looked so much healthier, her skin had color to it, her cheeks had a flattering rosy glow, and she had started gaining weight. Sirius felt himself swell with pride at the positive changes.
"I nicked some chocolate cake from the kitchens for you," he said, producing the treat with a flourish. Hermione's eyes lit up as she took it from him with thanks. Eyes closing in pleasure as she took a bite she groaned in delight. Sirius laughed, "Wow, if I had known chocolate was the way to your heart I would have brought you some earlier. I'll have to keep you away from Moony though, he gets territorial around the stuff."
"I had been living off what we could scavenge in the Forest of Dean for months, I haven't had dessert since Bill and Fleurs wedding, the night we went on the run," she said matter-of- factly , licking the fork completely clean before taking another bite.
Sirius grinned past the lump forming in his throat. "Well, if I had known that, I would have brought the whole damn cake with me."
She laughed brightly as she took another bite. "Nah that wouldn't be any good. That would definitely make me sick and Madame Pomfrey would become a nightmare. She'd probably lynch both of us if she saw me eating this - she seems to think if I have more than chicken soup and nutrient potions I'll keel over."
Sirius suddenly became apprehensive about the cake. What if it actually made her sick? Hermione seemed to sense his thoughts and nudged him with her elbow. "I'll be fine, Sirius. One piece of cake will hardly kill me. You know Madame Pomfrey, she's a worrywart." He just nodded and slung an arm over her shoulder leaning her into his side.
"What were you writing?" He asked, looking at the journal, curiously. It was bookmarked by a long, yellow wooden stick, he identified as
a muggle pencil he remembered learning about in Muggle Studies the one year he took it.
"Its an outline of events that happened since I was eleven and whatever events I can remember being told about the First War," replied Hermione, opening the book up to let him look at it. "I'm marking the areas where I think showing my memories would be the most useful. But, I wouldn't be surprised if Dumbledore wants to see others."
The mention of Dumbledore soured his stomach. But he pushed it aside to look through the neat notes in his hand.
She wrote everything out in perfunctory bullet points with longer paragraphs underneath some of the points to explain certain things or detail out important conversations. But, all of his observations went straight to the fact that the principal character written about was named Harry Potter.
He looked up at her, the question already in his eyes. "Is that…"
"James and Lily Potter's son?" She finished for him. Ignoring the shocked look when she called Evans Potter in conjunction with James. "Yes. And he was my best friend."
He just goggled at her. "No way…" he breathed in disbelief. "You're telling me Evan's Marries James?!'' He was laughing. Eyes closing as brings the journal up to cover his face in mirth. Hermione just smiled at him.
"I don't believe it. All that time he spent chasing after her really does pay off." He felt like his face was about to split. Hermione just smiled wistfully at him as he slung an arm around her and took the forkful of cake from her hand as she was just raising to her mouth and ate it. "By the way, did you see Snape come in earlier today?"