"Hey, Remus, can we talk for a minute?" Hermione asked quietly, her voice barely above a whisper as she approached Remus, who was hunched over some revision notes by the fire.
The moment the words left her mouth, she felt a pang of guilt. She could see it instantly in his eyes—how he stiffened, his posture tense. He thought this was it. Despite her declaration of love, he thought she was going to dump him.
Hermione shook her head quickly, her tone soft and reassuring. "It's nothing bad," she added, trying to calm his nerves. "Just want to go somewhere private."
Remus visibly relaxed, a bit of the tension easing from his shoulders. He gave her a quiet nod and stood, not saying a word as she took his hand and led him towards the portrait hole. Her fingers tightened slightly around his as she guided him through the castle's empty corridors, her mind racing with everything Dumbledore had told her.
When they reached an unused classroom, Hermione quickly whispered a series of wards—this time, including ones specifically against Animagi remaining undetected. Her paranoia about Peter had been running rampant ever since she learned that the rest of the Marauders knew a vast majority of her secrets. If Remus noticed the extra precautions, he didn't say a word.
Once the classroom was sealed, Hermione turned to face him, her expression serious. "Were you going to tell me about the Horcrux? And the prophecy? And its relation to... me?"
Remus's eyes widened slightly, but there was no shock, only a deep weariness. "So you know?"
"I knew already. Dumbledore just told me that you do too," she confirmed, crossing her arms. "He said you brought him the diadem."
Remus ran a hand through his hair, sighing deeply. "Oh, that's a relief. He asked us not to say a word to anyone outside the room about what we found out. And you weren't there... I was really torn about it, Mina." His voice softened, his gaze searching hers. "But mostly, I was just in awe of the sheer size of the burden on your shoulders. I didn't know what to do."
Hermione nodded, understanding the conflict he must have felt. "Plus, I suppose the secrecy vows wouldn't have let you talk about my relation to the prophecy either, would they? Since that's so strongly related to the very core of that issue."
Remus shook his head. "No, I don't think they would have. It felt... impossible to say anything, even if I wanted to."
She sighed, feeling a rush of relief as the weight of her anger began to dissipate. "I'm not angry, don't worry. I'm actually happy. This just shows that when someone asks you not to say a word to anyone, you really won't. And... this means Peter wasn't told either, right?"
Remus's expression darkened slightly at the mention of Peter. "No, he wasn't told. As things stand right now, I'd rather not share the Gryffindor Tower password with him, let alone this."
Hermione couldn't help but let out a small, bitter laugh, though her worry over Peter's growing distance still gnawed at her. "Good," she said, though there was a tinge of sadness in her voice. "I really don't want him to know. It's hard enough to deal with the fact that he was the one who heard the prophecy in the first place."
Remus reached out, gently taking her hand again, his thumb brushing softly over her knuckles. "Neither do I."
For a moment, they stood in the quiet of the classroom, the weight of their shared knowledge pressing down on them. The bond they shared felt stronger than ever, but the looming shadows of what was to come, of Peter's betrayal, of the prophecy, still hung over them like a storm waiting to break.
Remus looked at her after a while, his eyes searching hers. "Are there any other secrets you're keeping from me?" he asked, his voice soft but filled with curiosity. So many things made sense already about the enigma that was his girlfriend, but it still felt like there was a piece missing from the puzzle he had been working on since the first day of term when he had first laid eyes on her.
Hermione's heart skipped a beat, and she bit her lip. She couldn't tell him everything—not yet. Especially not about being a time traveller. The weight of that secret pressed down on her, heavier than any of the others. "I... I can't tell you about it. I'm sorry."
Remus sighed, though there was no anger in his expression. "No, I figured. Though I have to say, I don't know what could be heavier than a prophecy hanging over your head, telling you that you're a great sorceress with the providence to rid us of our stubbornly pesky Dark Lord problem."
He paused for a moment, something that Sirius had said regarding the word providence coming to mind. Foresight. His eyes widened a fraction. "Wait... are you a Seer?"
Hermione just stood there for a moment, stunned, before she couldn't hold it in any longer. Laughter bubbled up inside her, and before she knew it, she was laughing so hard she had to cover her mouth.
Remus blinked in surprise. "Hey, it wasn't that funny."
That only made her laugh harder, and she doubled over, clutching her stomach.
"Now you're just being mean," Remus said, feigning hurt, though a smile tugged at his lips.
Finally, Hermione caught her breath, wiping a tear from her cheek. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she gasped between laughs. "But that's just the most ridiculous thing. My former Divination teacher told me my third eye is firmly shut. She said not even a Wide-Eye Potion would get it open—if such a thing even existed for the third eye."
Remus chuckled, shaking his head. "Well, that solves that mystery then. I'll stop worrying about you seeing into my future."
Hermione's mirth vanished in an instant, the laughter dying on her lips. Because that was decidedly not true. She did know one possible future—one that weighed heavily on her heart. But she couldn't tell him, not yet. Not ever, if she could help it.
She forced herself to chuckle again, though it felt hollow. "Trust me, you're safe from my nonexistent Seer abilities."
Remus didn't notice the shift, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "Good to know. But if you ever start seeing the future, promise to give me a heads-up."
Hermione smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes. "I'll let you know if the stars ever realign themselves and I suddenly become clairvoyant."
They shared another brief laugh, but Hermione's heart remained heavy with the unspoken truth she carried. The weight of the future, the one she was trying so desperately to change, loomed over her, even in moments like this.
She tried to reign in the anxiety bubbling beneath the surface. She had told herself she was doing the right thing—protecting Remus, keeping him safe from the full extent of the burden she carried. But now, standing here, holding his hand, she wasn't so sure. Doubt gnawed at her, a persistent voice in the back of her mind questioning whether she should have told him everything.
She missed her best friend, missed Harry so much. If he were here, she wouldn't be second-guessing herself like this. With Harry, she could say anything. He would listen, cut through all the noise, and somehow get straight to the heart of the matter. He always had that ability, while Hermione often got tangled in the thousand different threads of each problem, each consequence, each possibility. It was overwhelming sometimes, and without him here, the weight of her thoughts felt heavier than ever.
She needed someone to talk to, someone who could help her find clarity. If Harry wasn't here, she'd have to go for the next best thing: Lily.
She had at least already guessed the time travel aspect, and to be honest if the last eight months of knowing Lily had told Hermione anything, it was that Harry had inherited this wonderful quality from his mother.
Politely, she excused herself from Remus, forcing a smile to hide her inner turmoil. "I need to catch up with Lily," she said lightly, as though everything was fine. "Regarding our project."
Remus didn't protest, giving her a gentle nod. "Alright. I'll see you later, then."
Hermione smiled again, but it didn't reach her eyes. She gave his hand a final squeeze before slipping out of the room. As soon as she was in the corridor, she quickened her pace. If she had Lily's schedule right, she'd probably be in the potions lab version of the Room of Requirement right now, working on the Emerald Potion antidote.
The thought of seeing Lily gave Hermione a small sense of relief. Maybe she could help untangle the mess of thoughts swirling in her mind, and maybe—just maybe—talking to her would make Hermione feel a little less alone.
Hermione paced the corridor outside the Room of Requirement, her mind buzzing with doubts and uncertainties. As she walked back and forth, focusing on her need to see Lily, the door finally appeared. She paused, eyeing it curiously. She'd been in the room many times before, but something felt different. Still, with a deep breath, she reached for the handle and pushed the door open.
The sight that greeted her was Lily, hard at work in the potions lab that the Room of Requirement had conjured for her. Various vials, cauldrons, and ingredient jars were neatly arranged across the tables. Lily didn't look up at first, too absorbed in her work, but after a moment, she glanced toward the door and saw Hermione standing there.
"Mina," Lily greeted, smiling slightly. "I wasn't expecting anyone."
Hermione raised an eyebrow. "I thought the Room wouldn't let anyone in while you were working."
Lily grinned, turning back to her cauldron. "Well, I might have phrased it to keep everyone out—except for you."
Hermione couldn't help but smile at that. "You're too clever for your own good sometimes."
Lily chuckled. "What can I say? I figured you'd need a way to reach me even if I was in here."
Hermione wandered over, glancing at the ingredients spread out on the table. But her mind was far too tangled to focus on potions. She needed to talk, and the words came spilling out before she could stop herself.
"I don't know if I'm doing the right thing," she blurted, pulling up a chair next to Lily. "With Remus, I mean. About keeping him in the dark."
Lily frowned, stirring the potion in front of her with careful precision but keeping one eye on Hermione. "What do you mean?"
Hermione sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I've already changed so much. Every day that passes, the future I know becomes less and less relevant. Things are happening differently now—what does it matter that I know a version of the future that probably won't come to pass?"
Lily nodded, her brow furrowing as she listened intently. "But you still think there's a chance some of what you know could be important?"
"Yes," Hermione admitted. "That's the problem. I was planning on telling him everything after I defeat You-Know-Who, but now I'm wondering if I'm just sowing mistrust by keeping things from him. He figured out the prophecy is about me, and... he doesn't seem to mind that I'm keeping something from him."
Lily stirred her potion thoughtfully, giving Hermione space to continue.
"And then... he thought I was a Seer," Hermione added, shaking her head with a wry smile. "Can you imagine? Me, a Seer?"
Lily let out a small laugh at that. "I mean, it's not completely out of the realm of possibility, is it?"
"Oh, it is," Hermione said with a grin. "I was told my mind is too clouded by reason to allow the subtle art of Divination in."
Lily smiled, but then her expression turned serious again. "But about Remus... do you really think telling him everything only after it's all over is the right plan?"
Hermione hesitated. "I thought so. I thought it would protect him. But now... I don't know. The more things change, the more I feel like I'm losing control over what happens next. Maybe it doesn't matter anymore. Maybe I'm holding onto something that's already irrelevant."
Lily set down her stirring rod, turning fully to face Hermione. "It sounds like you're trying to protect him, but also questioning if that's the best way to do it."
Hermione nodded, her anxiety creeping back in. "Exactly. I'm not even sure what I'm protecting him from anymore."
For a long moment, the room was filled with the soft bubbling of the potion in the cauldron. Then Lily placed a gentle hand on Hermione's arm. "I think... you need to trust yourself more, Mina. If you're questioning whether keeping things from him is right, maybe that's your answer."
Hermione stared down at the table, Lily's words sinking in. Trust herself. It felt like such a simple idea, yet the weight of everything she carried made it seem so far out of reach.
"I'll think about it," she said softly, feeling the weight of her uncertainty lift, if only a little.
Lily gave her a reassuring smile before turning back to her potion. "Take your time. But just know, whatever you decide, I'll back you up."
Hermione hesitated for a moment, her brow furrowing slightly. "That's the other thing... he's going to be so upset that you knew before him."
Lily smirked, not missing a beat. "Well, it's not my fault I'm cleverer than him."
Hermione tried to laugh, but the knot in her stomach only tightened. "Yeah, well, I'm sure he'll love hearing that." Her voice wavered as she said it, and she found herself clutching the edge of the table. There was just so much more going on.
"Oh, I'll tell him," Lily said with a wink, turning back to her potion with a playful air, not noticing Hermione's continued inner turmoil. "It's only fair he knows."
Before she knew what she was saying, the words tumbled out. "I can't believe the boys know about the Horcruxes."
Lily blinked in surprise, her stirring hand pausing mid-air. "I'm guessing I'm not supposed to know that—whatever that is." She tilted her head slightly, looking at Hermione with a half-smile. "So, I'll just pretend I didn't hear it."
Hermione's heart sank. Merlin's pants, she thought, feeling her panic rising again. "I can't keep doing this, Lily," she blurted, her voice cracking. "I can't hold this whole web of secrets and misdirects together. I'm losing track of what I've said, what I haven't said, who knows what—everything is spiralling out of control!"
Lily frowned, setting down her stirring rod and moving closer to Hermione. "Mina, breathe. It's going to be okay."
But Hermione shook her head, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. "I don't know if it is. I don't know if I'm doing the right thing anymore. I feel like everything is slipping, and I'm—"
"Okay, you need to calm down," Lily said gently but firmly. She stepped away from the table and called out, "Tipsy!"
With a soft pop, a small house-elf appeared in front of them, dressed in a neat tea towel with the Hogwarts crest. "Miss Head Girl calls Tipsy?"
Lily smiled warmly at the elf. "Tipsy, could you please go to the Hospital Wing and fetch us a calming draught?"
Tipsy nodded eagerly. "Tipsy goes get potion right away, Miss Head Girl!" And with another pop, the elf disappeared.
Hermione blinked in surprise, momentarily distracted from her spiralling thoughts. "You can call on the house-elves like that?"
Lily shrugged, giving her a small smile. "Yeah, one of the perks of being Head Girl. You'd be surprised how helpful they can be."
Hermione frowned. "You do know they're practically slaves, right?"
Lily's expression softened as she sat back down beside Hermione. "I thought that too at first. But James told me a bit more about them. House-elves need to be bound to magical places to thrive. They draw their magic from it. That's why they're bound to places like Hogwarts or old wizarding families. What really needs to change is how wizards treat them—respect for other intelligent beings has never been their strongest trait."
Hermione chewed on Lily's words for a moment, her anxiety ebbing slightly at the shift in conversation. "I suppose that makes sense... in a way. But I still think wizards should free them, give them a choice."
Lily nodded thoughtfully, her brow furrowing as she considered Hermione's point. "Choice about where to be bonded? Sure. But they're not really suited to be free elves. They go a bit mad after a while when they aren't bound to a magical place. I think, instead of just setting them free, safeguards and controls need to be in place to ensure their welfare. A system that respects their needs while giving them dignity."
She glanced at Hermione, smiling softly. "It's something to work on, once we survive all of this."
Hermione's heart swelled with admiration. She had always liked Lily, admired her kindness and intelligence. But now, seeing how deeply Lily understood things, how aligned their thoughts were, Hermione felt a pang of protectiveness. She wished she could somehow shield Lily from the dangers of the next four years. She knew the world would be a better place with someone like Lily in it—strong, compassionate, and wise beyond her years.
The thought twisted painfully inside Hermione. She had already lost so much, and the knowledge of what was to come weighed on her. Lily was precious, and it felt unbearable to think of what fate held in store for her.
Before Hermione could respond, a soft pop interrupted her thoughts. Tipsy the house-elf reappeared, holding a small vial in her hands.
"Here is the calming draught, Miss Head Girl," the elf squeaked, bowing slightly before handing it over.
"Thank you, Tipsy," Lily said kindly, taking the vial. "You've been a great help."
Tipsy beamed. "Anything for Miss Head Girl and Miss Delacour!" With another pop, the elf vanished.
Hermione took the vial from Lily, feeling a little more settled, though the thought of house-elves lingered in her mind. As she uncorked the calming draught and took a sip, she muttered under her breath, "I need to find out if there are anti-house-elf wards. That's a serious hole in security."
Lily looked at her, eyebrows raised. "What?"
Hermione shook her head. "It's nothing... I just—I've been thinking about it for a while. There are usually no wards to stop house-elves from entering places they shouldn't. That's... a vulnerability."
Lily tilted her head. "I guess that's true... But why are you so worried about that?"
Hermione sighed, setting the empty vial down on the table. "Because I've been trying to exploit it. To get to something... something dangerous." She glanced at Lily, guilt gnawing at her. "And if I thought about it, who is to say someone else won't?"
Lily didn't press further, sensing it was a subject for another time. "Well, first things first—let's get you calm."
Hermione sat in silence for a few moments after drinking the calming draught, feeling the potion ease her panic. But there was still one more thing weighing on her, something she hadn't told anyone yet. She took a deep breath and glanced at Lily, her voice quieter than before.
"There's something else," she began, her fingers fidgeting nervously with the edge of her sleeve. "Dumbledore... he wants me to get close to Peter."
Lily's brow furrowed in confusion. "Peter? Why?"
Hermione sighed, looking down at the table. "To make sure he doesn't turn. Dumbledore's worried that he could end up telling You-Know-Who about the prophecy."
Lily blinked, clearly taken aback. "But... I thought he was under a secrecy vow?"
Hermione nodded, but her expression was grim. "Yes, he is. And it does make it difficult for him to talk about the prophecy with someone who doesn't already know. He'd bear the consequences if he tried to reveal it outright."
Lily tilted her head, still frowning. "So... if he's bound by the vow, why would Dumbledore be so worried?"
"Because it's not perfect," Hermione said quietly, her voice tinged with frustration. "There are loopholes. Ways to work around the vow if Peter really put his mind to it."
Lily's eyes widened in understanding. "Oh. So even though he can't just say it outright, he could still... imply things. Or guide someone to the truth."
"Exactly," Hermione replied, her stomach twisting. "And that's what Dumbledore is afraid of. He thinks Peter could be manipulated, or worse—he could choose to find a way around the vow if he thought it would save his skin."
Lily sat back, absorbing Hermione's words. "So Dumbledore wants you to keep an eye on him. Make sure he doesn't stray."
Hermione nodded, feeling the weight of Dumbledore's request settle on her shoulders once again. "Yeah. But it's not easy. I don't trust Peter, and I don't know if I can get close to him without him realising what I'm doing."
Lily pursed her lips, her gaze thoughtful. "It's a lot to ask of you, Mina. Especially with everything else you're dealing with."
Hermione managed a small, humourless smile. "Tell me about it."
Lily frowned, her expression growing more serious. "Do you think he'll turn?"
Hermione hesitated, her fingers drumming lightly on the table as she considered the question. "I don't know," she said slowly, her voice uncertain. "He did in the other timeline, as I told you weeks ago. The prophecy is different this time, sure, but..."
She paused, her eyes darkening slightly as her thoughts turned toward Peter. "I have the feeling Peter doesn't really like me either," she added, her tone more bitter than she intended. "And if he ever finds out that the prophecy is about me, he might just do it out of spite."
Lily's eyes widened. "Out of spite?"
Hermione nodded. "He's been growing more distant, and I think he resents the fact that I'm part of your group now. If he realises I'm the one in the prophecy, it could push him over the edge. He doesn't have much loyalty left, and if the Dark Lord promises him safety in exchange for my secret..."
Lily leaned back in her chair, her lips pressed into a thin line. "That's a scary thought."
"It is," Hermione admitted, her voice quiet. "But it's possible. That's why Dumbledore wants me to watch him, make sure he doesn't get any closer to You-Know-Who."
Lily shook her head, disbelief clouding her features. "It's hard to think that Peter—our Peter—could even consider betraying us. But... if what you say is true, I suppose anything's possible."
Hermione's stomach twisted at the thought. "I wish it wasn't true, but I can't ignore what I know. He betrayed them once. He could do it again."
Lily sighed, her brow furrowing as she considered everything Hermione had told her. "I think you might need to tell all of this to the boys as well. They're at odds with Peter right now. I'm not sure what about—James wouldn't say. But if they mended their relationship..."
Hermione's stomach twisted at the thought. She leaned forward, her expression serious. "Lily, if I tell you something right now, will you promise not to get angry or say anything to the boys about it?"
Lily blinked in confusion. "About what?"
"Promise me," Hermione insisted, her voice soft but firm.
Lily hesitated for a moment, her curiosity piqued, then nodded. "Alright, I promise."
Hermione exhaled slowly, preparing herself. "The reason my shoulder is injured... it's because Peter deliberately led Moony toward Hogsmeade on the full moon. I had to tackle Moony to stop him from... well, it would have been a tragedy. He bit me in the process."
Lily's eyes widened in shock. "You left the Shack?"
Hermione grimaced, feeling the weight of her decision once again. "I know it was reckless, but the boys have done it many times. We would have had it under control if not for Peter."
Lily's face softened, but her eyes were still filled with concern. "So... are you a werewolf now?"
"No," Hermione replied quickly, shaking her head. "I was in Animagus form, of course. It's just healing slowly."
Lily let out a sigh of relief but remained tense. "But Remus must feel awful."
Hermione nodded. "He's torn up about it. But it wasn't his fault—it was Peter's. The plan was to stay close to the tunnel entrance in the woods, just to get some fresh air. The wolf is usually less restless when he's not cooped up. But Peter... he deliberately led Moony toward Hogsmeade. I had to stop him."
Lily was silent for a moment, absorbing Hermione's words. "Peter did that on purpose?"
"I'm certain of it," Hermione said quietly, her eyes dark and troubled. "I think Peter wove some story about panicking with so many large predators around him while he's just a rat. You know that Sirius is a large black dog, right?"
Lily nodded, her lips pursed tightly.
"I don't know if they really believed him," Hermione continued, her voice filled with frustration. "Hence why they're still so pissy around him. But how am I supposed to tell them that 'hey, I know that just happened, but we really need to be nice to Peter or he might blab about the prophecy and then we're really in trouble?'"
Lily's expression darkened, understanding Hermione's impossible situation. "You can't tell them, can you?"
Hermione shook her head, exasperation clear on her face. "No. If I say anything, they'll just think I'm excusing Peter's behaviour, and they'll hate him even more. But if we don't keep him close—if we push him away—there's a real chance he could turn. And then everything we're fighting for..."
She trailed off, her voice barely a whisper, the weight of the situation hanging heavy between them.
Lily leaned forward, her eyes soft but resolute. "You're in a tough spot, Mina. But you're right—we can't let him slip through our fingers. Not when there's so much at stake."
Hermione sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I'm sorry for dumping all this on you. It's just... you remind me so much of Harry."
Lily blinked, surprised by the comment. "Harry?"
Hermione froze, realising her slip. She looked up to see Lily's eyes narrowing slightly, her mind clearly working through the pieces. "You called James that name once," Lily continued, her voice thoughtful. "Back at the party in November, when you were drugged."
Hermione swallowed, feeling the weight of her mistake. She could almost see the cogs turning in Lily's mind, slowly piecing everything together. Her ramblings from that night, the information Lily had since learned—Hermione being from the future, not knowing Lily personally, warning her not to trust Peter with the Fidelius Charm. And now this: someone named Harry who was connected in Hermione's mind not just to James, but to her as well.
Lily's face grew pale as the realisation hit her. Her voice was quiet, but it trembled slightly. "I died, didn't I? And Harry... Harry is my son?"
Hermione opened her mouth to respond, but the words caught in her throat as she saw the dawning understanding in Lily's eyes.
"You knew my son," Lily continued, her voice barely above a whisper. "In the future, didn't you?"
Hermione slowly nodded, swallowing hard. "He was my best friend."
Lily's eyes widened, and she blinked rapidly, her mind racing. "So... which one is he? The one with the saving people complex, or the emotional range of a teaspoon?"
Hermione's breath caught, her heart aching at the memories that flooded back. Lily's question pulled her back to the stories she'd shared before, the glimpses she'd given of her two best friends.
"Harry," Hermione said softly, her voice thick with emotion. "He's the one with the saving people complex."
Lily's lips trembled, her eyes shimmering as the truth hit her fully. "My son..."
Hermione nodded again, her heart heavy. "He's so much like you. Kind, stubborn, selfless. And he carried so much on his shoulders, even when he shouldn't have had to."
Lily swallowed, her hand reaching up to cover her mouth as she processed the revelation. "I had a son... and you knew him."
Tears pricked at Hermione's eyes. "He was incredible, Lily. Brave and loyal, and he never gave up, no matter how impossible things seemed."
Lily let out a shaky breath, her hands trembling as she lowered them to her lap. "I don't know what to say."
Hermione's voice was soft, full of both grief and pride. "I miss him every day."
Lily swallowed hard, trying to process everything. "And I had to die to save him? From You-Know-Who?"
Hermione hesitated, then shook her head slightly. "Well, the good news is, the prophecy has changed. You-Know-Who doesn't have any reason to go after your family directly anymore. You're still in danger, of course—this is a war, after all. But there's no reason for you to be singled out as a target."
Lily let out a small, trembling sigh of relief. But then her eyes flickered with a new fear, and she stared at Hermione, her face pale. "Except that it's you now, isn't it?"
Before Hermione could respond, Lily burst into tears. She wrapped her arms around Hermione, pulling her into a tight hug. The relief of knowing her family's fate had changed mingled with the overwhelming worry she now felt for her friend. Hermione could feel the gratitude in Lily's embrace, but also the fear—the fear of losing someone she had come to regard as a very dear friend.
Hermione hugged her back, her own heart heavy with the weight of it all. She hadn't intended for things to turn out this way, but she had hoped, at the very least, that saving Lily and James might be possible. And now, seeing the raw emotion pouring from Lily, she knew just how much it meant.
"You've changed everything," Lily whispered through her tears, her voice breaking. "Thank you. Thank you for giving me a chance... for giving Harry a chance."
Hermione closed her eyes, trying to keep her own tears at bay. "You're my friend, Lily. I'd do anything for you."
Lily held her tightly, her sobs quieting, though her grip remained firm. "But now it's you in danger. And I can't bear the thought of losing you either."
"I'm working on it," Hermione sniffled, just as affected by the notion of being in danger. "I can't tell you how good it is to have at least one person fully in the know."
Lily nodded, stepping back and wiping away a tear. "Speaking of working on stuff, in slightly unrelated news... I think this last batch of antidote is it. I haven't tested it yet, and all the data I have on the previous variations are only from rats too, but I'm fairly confident."
Hermione felt a flicker of elation, but she was too emotionally drained to process it fully. She gave Lily a small, tired smile. "Let's wait on telling Dumbledore until tomorrow. I just... I can't deal with him right now."
Lily nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I think we both definitely deserve a night off. Let's go back to the common room."
They began walking toward the exit, leaving the Room of Requirement behind. But as they stepped out into the corridor, they froze. Standing there, waiting for them, was none other than Severus Snape.
Snape's eyes narrowed as he saw the two of them. His gaze flicked from Hermione to Lily, suspicion written all over his face. "What were you doing?"
Hermione crossed her arms, her voice sharp. "Were you following me?"
Snape ignored the question, his eyes darting to where the door to the Room of Requirement had just vanished behind them.
Lily stepped forward, her tone reprimanding. "You're out of bounds, Severus. It's after curfew."
Snape barely spared her a glance, his attention fixed on the spot where the door had been. "What were you doing?" he repeated, his voice low and accusatory.
Lily's eyes flashed, and she pulled herself up with authority. "That's none of your business. Five points from Slytherin for being out after hours."
Snape's gaze remained on the wall for a moment longer, as if trying to decipher what had just happened. But after a tense pause, he turned away with a sneer, disappearing down the corridor without another word.
Hermione let out a breath she hadn't realised she was holding. "Do you think he was following us?"
Lily shook her head, frowning. "I don't know. But whatever it was, he didn't get any answers."
Hermione nodded, glancing back at where the door had been. "At least the Room's protections are reliable. He won't be able to figure out what's going on in there."
Lily sighed, her shoulders relaxing slightly. "Yeah. Let's leave it as is for now. We've had enough excitement for one night."
When Hermione and Lily returned to the Gryffindor common room, it didn't take long for James and Remus to notice something was off. Both girls had clearly been crying, their eyes still red and puffy despite their efforts to compose themselves.
James raised an eyebrow, his concern evident. "Lils, what's wrong?"
Lily shook her head, brushing it off with a soft smile. "It's nothing," she murmured, leaning in to kiss him gently. But as she did, the weight of what she had learned—the knowledge that one day she would have a child with this man—settled heavily in her mind. She didn't say anything, but the unspoken truth lingered between them, a secret she now shared with Hermione.
Meanwhile, Remus's gaze lingered on Hermione, his worry clear. "Mina, are you alright?" he asked softly.
Hermione forced a smile, pushing down the whirlwind of emotions swirling inside her. "Just girl stuff," she said, giving him a quick, chaste kiss on the lips. "Nothing to worry about."
Remus didn't look entirely convinced, but he nodded, accepting her explanation for now.
Sirius, ever the jokester, seemed to sense the lingering tension in the room. With a dramatic sigh, he leaned back in his chair and called out, "Well, I guess I'm the only one here without someone to snog!"
Before anyone could respond, he turned his attention to Marlene, who was sitting in the other corner of the room, her head buried in a book. "Oi, Marlene!"
Marlene looked up, startled, just as Sirius strode over to her, pulled her to her feet, and—without any further warning—planted a passionate kiss on her lips.
The room erupted into laughter, and Marlene, though taken by surprise, didn't seem to mind the attention. When Sirius finally pulled away, grinning cheekily, she raised an eyebrow at him.
"Well," she said, a small smile tugging at her lips, "that was... unexpected."
Sirius winked, giving her a playful bow. "What can I say? It's a tough job, being this irresistible."
The tension in the room dissipated as laughter spread among the group, and for a moment, the weight of their secrets was forgotten.
