authorsnote: sorry for the wait! but I'm back in the rhythm of this fic and have worked out a niggling plot detail thats been bothering me for months! so here we go...
do enjoy
songrecs: dont blame me - taylor swift (as I've said, tay owns this fic, her songs just fit)
Night had long fallen when they snuck out, stooping to hide under the invisibility cloak (Harry had made such a habit of stuffing it in his pocket, had even learned to shrink it to fit in his moleskin bag, and for that she was thankful), making their way to the Astronomy Tower.
They needed somewhere private, and they didn't know who knew about the Room of Requirement here. She didn't trust the Marauders not to eavesdrop in their dorm or common room, and so sneaking out it was.
"This makes me feel weirdly nostalgic" Harry whisperer which elicited a grin from Hermione, even as she jabbed an elbow in his side to quiet him, they could not get caught.
They'd settled into life at Hogwarts fairy well. The teachers loved Hermione, especially with her hard-working attitude and cleverness. Harry however was universally beloved, he was popular, the Quidditch team loved him (and he was Professor McGonagall's favourite, sometimes history did repeat itself), Professor Greyweir had been raving about him (and that was the only sting of jealousy, she didn't care about not being as popular, however she did care, just a little, about Harry now completely eclipsing her in one of her favourite subjects, at least she'd been coming out top of the class in Arithmancy).
Hermione was happy to fly under the radar. The impression she got from students was that Harry was the saviour to any Quidditch woes, handsome and popular alongside the Marauders. She was seen as clever, but a bit of a snob (as she'd cultivated), and a bit too self-righteous and sure of herself. Honestly, she didn't mind that.
According to Sirius most of the student body were convinced she and Harry were together. Her cheeks had been pink but Harry had shrugged, "Let people think what they want" Which had made her feel a little … warm and mushy inside, they'd shared a smile (and the Marauders a knowing look), before moving on.
They crept up the stairs of the Astronomy Tower, avoiding the fifth trick step and the fifteenth that squeaked, and when they reached the top Hermione looked around, nodded and they shed the invisibility cloak, both rolling their shoulders, Harry shut the door behind them, and they turned to one another.
It was peaceful.
Hogwarts was lovely, the only home she and Harry had left, but it was rarely peaceful. It was loud, bustling, busy, which both of them liked, but as they turned to look at the stars overhead, not a whisper on the air, sometimes it was nice to capture some peace.
"I've missed this place" Harry whispered and Hermione smiled, nodded, she had too.
"Me too" She said gently, "I've missed us being here"
Harry nodded but then they fell into silence. They stood side by side, shoulder to shoulder, looking up at the stars. Quiet, peaceful, soaking it all in for a moment. They both knew, moments like this would be rare, and they wanted to revel in it, just for a moment.
A moment together.
But soon, they could remain suspended in peace, pretending this was normal, that Ron would soon join them, maybe Ginny, Neville and Luna would meet them for breakfast in the morning. All of that was gone now, all that was left was them.
Then, the Marauders, and whatever changes travelling such a distance through time had wrought.
"I can't believe this morning" Hermione said, because well … she couldn't. It should have been impossible, Harry had never studied Runes, had probably only seen them from glancing at the copy of the Tales of Beedle the Bard Dumbledore had left her, he shouldn't have been able to understand the most basic of Runes, never mind breakdown lengthy combinations at such a speed that very few people alive could do.
It was almost like he could read and understand Runes to a native level, but she wasn't sure there was even anyone alive now, or from the future they'd left that could do that.
"Have you noticed anything else?" Hermione asked as she and Harry sunk to the floor, sitting opposite one another in one of the archways of the tower, the night breeze dancing over them, cold but not bitter, the stars overhead their only witness …
Or so they thought.
"Any other unusual changes?" Harry asked, brow furrowed. Hermione took his hand; this was confusing and scary for her, and though Harry was the bravest man she knew, she also knew he was worried too, of course he was.
"None" Harry said, "I think I've had enough for five lifetimes" He said with a nervous smile and Hermione nodded, she quite agreed.
"But apparently there's more to come" She said with a sigh, she knew coming back presented risks but she had hoped Harry's Boy Who Lived, magneticness towards individual trouble and craziness would be dampened, but no.
Harry Potter, her best friend, who she loved more than anyone else in the world, would always be special.
It was like he walked bathed in stardust and trouble, whoever looked down on them was both rooting for and condemning him, of that she had no doubt.
"But why?" Harry asked, eyebrows knitting together, "Why?"
"Why did this happen?" Hermione asked, her own eyebrow raising, she had no answer for that, and they were unlikely to get any.
"Yes, but no" Harry said agitated, "Why Runes?"
"Why Runes?" Hermione asked, for once she was frustratingly not following.
"Why am I suddenly fluent in Runes? Out of everything else?" Harry said, "Parsletongue makes sense, and my duelling ability. It's because of him, but Runes? He wasn't a specialist or never enough for it to be raised" Hs said with a frown.
"That's true" Hermione said, she hadn't thought on that. Though she hadn't been thinking about Voldemort, it saddened her that Harry was, truly Voldemort was his life.
Something occurred to her then and she felt a bit of panic claw up her throat, she took Harry's hands then, squeezed them, guilt coming to her.
"Harry I'm sorry. I didn't even think coming back would mean Voldemort lives again, and the whole cycle happens again, I'm so sorry" She said, it hadn't even occurred to her.
"Don't apologise" Harry insisted, he squeezed her hands back and offered her a smile, strained but it was there, "I wanted to come back too, it's more than worth it, and …"
"And?" Hermione prompted.
"I think this means we can stop him earlier. The prophecy might not have been spoken yet but it's still going to happen, maybe that means I'm still fated to beat him"
Neither can live whilst the other survives…
The prophecy was memorised by Hermione, she imagined it was burned on Harry's brain.
"You want to put that on yourself again?" Hermione asked, voice dropping to a whisper.
"I have too" Harry replied, and Hermione nodded, she knew it, knew Harry wouldn't rest until Voldemort was gone again. And so, she wouldn't rest either.
"We can stop him" Harry said, "And this time he won't come back"
"We'll make sure of it" Hermione said and then she got a real smile from Harry. This time they'd make sure when he was gone, he was gone.
"And with the Runes I don't know" Again, she hated not knowing, but the truth was she had no idea, not even a theory as to why Harry was suddenly fluent in Runes, fluent and native. "But I don't think it's to do with him"
"Then what?" Harry asked, and for a moment they both just sat, sat and sighed, and held onto one another's hands. There was no Dumbledore to ask now … they couldn't tell him everything, he didn't want them too and had no context for it. They were on their own.
"It has to have a use" Hermione said, "And a reason, maybe we should do some research?"
Harry did grin then and Hermione poked him, daring him to tease her, though he didn't, his grin at the fact she had smiled when suggesting research was enough to make her roll her eyes with a giggle.
"It just doesn't make any sense" Harry said with a furrowed brow, and Hermione agreed, annoyed that she too couldn't see why Harry suddenly had this gift, it didn't make any sense.
"I wonder if us going back has effected stuff?" Hermione asked, speculating out of annoyance with the lack of information, for what else could they do? They were alone, in an extremely unique situation, research would only get them so far.
But before they could speculate further, they heard a bump, and Hermione's eyes flew to the door.
"Crap" She said quickly, pulling Harry to his feet, "Get the cloak-
"STUDENTS OUT OF BED" A voice screeched across the corridors.
"Peeves" They both groaned; somethings, irregardless of time travel, did not change.
"Fuck" Harry jolted up, Hermione did too, remembered,
"Language!" A quick grin from Harry but they quickly jumped to their feet, Hermione grabbed Harry's hand, and he wound his fingers through hers and they dashed for the door.
Dashed for the door, eyes wide, clutching one another, as it swung open and they were greeted by not one, but two Prefects, one Hufflepuff, the other Ravenclaw, wand held aloft, lumos casting a light at the end of the tips.
"Curfew was two hours ago" The one at the front said, she wasn't sure who it was, a girl frowning, the boy at the back was smirking.
"I had two galleons that the new kids were together" He said with a grin, "Totally collecting from Toby"
"We're not-"Hermione began, but his smirk as he raised an eyebrow at their still joined hands had her just glaring at him, "Shut up"
Harry's cheeks were pink, hers too.
"Ooh and telling a Prefect to shut up?" The smug boy said, Ravenclaw, and thinking he was too clever, probably thought he was cleverer than he was, very few things got Hermione's back up like being talked down to, her glare turned cold, "I think that's points and detention little Miss Snobby"
"Don't speak to her like that" Harry stepped in then and Hermione felt comforted but also moderately worried, Harry was worse than her when it came to acting rashly when defending their friends.
They were quite the pair. She felt a pang again for Ron then, standing up to Snape for her knowing it meant detention, Gryffindor bravery in spades the three of them had.
"Careful Potter" The boy said with a smirk, "Marauders aren't here to save you or your stuck-up girlfriend"
"We don't need saving" Hermione said, stepping in, sensing Harry was approaching boiling point and she tried to calm down a bit, she and Harry couldn't attack Prefects after all, she felt annoyed then, she wasn't a Prefect here, and she wondered if maybe they could award it to her for 6th year if she came top of the class? Something to mull on. "You can't take points, you can only report us, which is fine, but you shouldn't abuse your position" She turned to the Hufflepuff girl then who'd been quiet, "And you shouldn't let him"
"She's right Reece" The girl said, indicating for Hermione and Harry to move on, "We'll report this, nothing more, get to bed" She said, Hermione nodded, shot Reece a vicious glare who held his hands up mock wounded, Harry did pause though.
"Speak to her like that again and we'll have a problem" Harry said, before he turned back to her and held out his hand, her friends temper might have calmed since the war, but he still had little tolerance for injustice, and so she slipped her hand into his, not caring about the rumours, not now.
And they walked away, hand in hand.
Come morning it was no surprise they were summoned to Professor McGonagalls office.
"Eeee" Hermione groaned as they made their way out of the Common Room for the Saturday 8am summons, Hermione wrung her hands together nervous, "I hate getting in trouble"
"You set Snape on fire in our first year" Harry reminded her, and she glared at him but managed a small grin to match his.
"I didn't get caught for that remember"
The night before they'd hurried back to the Common Room and fallen asleep side by side, still holding hands, neither of them acknowledged it wasn't quite normal friendship behaviour, that perhaps Reece had been hitting closer to the point than they liked, they didn't, but it didn't stop them falling asleep hand in hand.
"Its fine" Harry said as they made their way to the Transfiguration classroom, "It's a first offense"
"We should have just obliviated them or something" Hermione grumbled, "I can do it properly now, we could have sent them on their way and carried on our conversation"
"Sometimes I forget how ruthless you are" Harry said but with a smile, as after a knock and an affirmative call he pushed open McGonagalls office door, and Hermione stepped inside first, Harry followed, to find their Head of House, stood, glaring at them.
This was not going to be fun.
She did glance at Harry then, she hoped him thinking she was ruthless was a good thing.
"I've had a report from two Prefects last night, that they caught you past curfew at the Astronomy Tower and when confronted you talked back to them" McGonagall said, and Hermione could see Harry wince, it was like a day hadn't passed, Professor McGonagall was one of the few adults that had ever got Harry to toe the line.
"We were out past curfew" Hermione said, no point trying to fight that charge, she could feel her hands sweating, she really did hate getting in trouble, "But-"
"But the Prefects were horrible to Hermione, Reece something" Harry said with a scowl, and she had to supress a smile, "And the other one just let him threaten to take points and give us detention, we were just standing up for ourselves"
"Reece? A Ravenclaw per chance?" McGonagall asked, and Hermione nodded quickly, to which the Professor sighed.
"Yes, we've had problems with him before, but be that as it may, you were out past curfew" She said with a glare, and Hermione had to supress a squeak.
"Yes, we're not used to having one" Harry said, a story they'd come up with together that wasn't far from the truth and fit with their fake background.
"Well, you'll get used to it" McGonagall said in a sharp tone, "And detention Monday for both of you, and 20 points from Gryffindor, next time it will be 50, do we understand each other?"
"Yes Professor" Hermione said, immediately, it was silly, she could feel her mood plummeting, it was nothing, just one detention, but she really did hate getting in trouble.
"Yes Professor" Harry repeated but he sounded more nonchalant than her, he'd never been too bothered about getting into trouble, lucky.
"Go on then, I've heard from all your Professors you've made a fantastic start, particularly in Arithmancy Miss Granger you've been commended, and Mr Potter, Professor Greyweir in Runes is very impressed with you, do not squander academic talent by being trouble makers, do you understand?"
Another round of contrite (sincerely from Hermione, forced from Harry), nods and they were released.
"Troublemakers" Hermione said with a sigh and a glum expression, "That's our reputation"
"Cheer up Hermione" Harry said, and his grin promised more trouble, in fact Hermiones brow furrowed as she noticed Harry speed up, just a fraction, "I promise not to call you Little Miss"
A gasp of indignation left her lips, and with a laugh Harry sped off, clearly happy to tease but not to face her, and so she tore after him, laughing along with him eventually (after a well placed tripping jinx), their laughter and joy filling the morning corridors, doing absolutely nothing to dispel the rumour running around the school that the 'new kids' were already taken, with each other, and quite besotted.
For all to see.
thoughts?
I love writing goody too-shoes hermione, I think its lost in the movies lol
and yes harry and hermione are just a tad oblivious, give them time
do review, speak soon