KINGS CROSS STATION, LONDON, ENGLAND; 1ST SEPTEMBER 1977

The remainder of August had been quiet, and Hermione had managed to keep any thoughts of Regulus Black at bay. For whatever reason, following the disastrous dinner, the Greengrass family had not reciprocated the invitation from the House of Black and had neglected to seek them out. Hermione hadn't been shocked in the least.

Despite not responding to a single message that Regulus had sent her, Hermione still had a stack of unopened envelopes sitting in her trunk. She had considered leaving them home with Helen for a moment, but then Hermione had thought better of it and brought them with her.

It would give her something to review and try to sort out what made Regulus Black tick if he continued his unreciprocated pursuits.

Not only that, but Hermione had also taken to the Greengrass library with a new pursuit and intent, which had not been something Hermione was even slightly interested in before her encounters with Regulus. She learned all about pureblood culture and protocol. She had been horrified and disgusted at the lack of rights women were afforded, and when she'd reached out to Helen for confirmation, she'd been even more gutted.

Alas, she did not want to exchange correspondence with Regulus Black for the remainder of the summer.

"Are you nervous?" Helen asked as Hermione walked between her adopted parents towards a scarlet-colored train. The platform was overly crowded, and it was pure chaos with all the children and pets running about.

It was madness, but as Hermione looked around, she again felt the same familiarity in Diagon Alley and Grimmauld Place. How was it that she knew someplace that she didn't remember? It was unnerving, and though she could have confided in Helen without fear of judgment or the witch thinking she was going mad, Hermione decided it was best to keep these thoughts private. The mystery behind her sudden appearance was still there, and if Hermione knew all of these places so well, then that would raise more questions for which she didn't have answers.

"No, the deputy headmistress replied to my letter of concerns with the sorting ceremony. She offered not to make a spectacle of me and that I would get a private sorting. She also stated that I wouldn't be required to be a part of the other first-year traditions, and I could stay with the rest of the school."

Truthfully, Hermione wasn't looking for any special treatment. From the curious looks other students on the platform were giving her as she stood with her trunk, she would be the topic of conversation and much speculation. She hoped she wasn't the only transfer student; however, she would have no way of knowing until they arrived at Hogwarts.

Everyone around her had spent years together, growing up beside one another and getting to know each other. Hermione realized that she was an outsider, and as an outsider, no matter how much she tried, she'd never truly belong. Hermione needed to spend her last two years of schooling focused on blending in and not standing out or drawing attention to herself. After a while, the novelty of a new student would fade, and then she'd be able to become another face in the crowd.

"Hm," Hector replied, waving his wand so Hermione's trunk floated before him. Hermione looked up at him, her brows scrunching as she tried to sort out his thoughts. A glance down at her and his stern look faded into a softer one, a smile curving at his lips, though he said nothing.

"If anything happens, know that you can write to us," Helen said, grasping one of Hermione's freely hanging ones. "We've already been in touch with Professor McGonagall. Anything–"

"I'll write and let you know," Hermione finished, though she doubted she'd take Helen up on her offer. The familiarity wasn't lost as Hermione watched the steam engine again. The sights, smells, sounds, all of it was doing something to her subconscious, and Hermione feared that if she continued to use the crutch of the Greengrasses, she'd never figure out her real identity. "Thank you for everything," Hermione said, smiling in the direction of her adopted parents as she stepped toward the train.

Helen released Hermione's hand as she took a step away from them. Hector watched her as if he understood what she was doing. Hermione was drawing a line between them, appreciative of the parental support she'd found in them, but simultaneously, she was a lost girl trying to figure out where her place was. More so than other teens her age.

"We'll see you at Christmas," Helen called, brushing a tear away from her face as Hermione made it to the train. Hector released her trunk of his spell and let it set gently on the entry, and Hermione gave them one last look before she took hold of the handle and searched for a compartment.

Hermione wove through the crowd, keeping her head down, not drawing any attention to herself as she went. The crowds of students were loud, and she had the distinct feeling that she'd once been one of them, racing down the corridors in search of a place for herself and her friends. She'd said tearful farewells to her parents, the ones who had raised her, and then she'd had a group of peers she'd grown up with and then had ridden on this same train to the same destination.

Instead, she was alone in a parallel world, even with hundreds of students swarming her.

Looking through a window, Hermione found a sandy-haired wizard sitting alone looking out the window. His long nose was pointed, making him look nearly rat-like when it twitched, though he was so lost in thought that he didn't even notice when she opened the door. With his eyes focused on whatever was on the platform, he didn't realize Hermione had invaded his sanctuary. She said nothing as she stepped in and flicked her wand to put her trunk above her. Sitting on the bench opposite him, she pulled out the earmuffs required for herbology to dampen the rest of the world before pulling a copy of Hogwarts: a History from her bag.

With her focus entirely on the text in her lap, Hermione didn't know when the boy had noticed her presence, but at some point, he had. However, instead of acknowledging her, he left her in peace, not that she would have known if he'd said anything, thanks to the earmuffs she wore.

It wasn't until very long into the ride that she was finally disrupted from her thoughts.

A hand grasped the earmuffs from her and ripped them off her head, startling Hermione so that she panicked to reach for her wand and pointed it toward the thief of her seclusion.

"Whoo!" A boy said, holding his hands up, her earmuffs hanging off his thumb. "I just wanted to know what your name was."

However, instead of answering, Hermione found herself staring openmouthed at him. His black hair hung long in his face, though the dragon tooth earrings were somehow visible. His eyes were a startling pale gray framed with thick lashes.

Instead of wearing robes as she was accustomed to seeing paired with a similar face, the boy was wearing jeans and a leather jacket. On his hands, she could see runes tattooed over the tops and on his fingers.

When he pushed his hair out of his face and smiled at her, she felt her stomach do something funny. The scar on his right brow, another on his cheek, the slightly crooked nose as if it'd been broken and then not healed properly, and a mouth that was a bit too wide but somehow fit his thin face perfectly.

Her magic ran through her blood and warmed her, begging to be released and reach out to him. With a start, she scrambled back in her seat, her heart racing in her chest as she looked him over again quickly.

She knew him.

"Who are you?" Hermione snapped, her voice sharper than it should have. "What's your name?" She demanded, her wand still pointed at him in a threatening manner.

"I asked first," he replied, the scarred brow lifting in amusement at her.

"Hermione," she supplied, feeling no need to give this boy her surname.

"Alright, if that's how you want it," the boy said, tossing the earmuffs onto the bench beside her. "I'm Sirius." Her magic burned in her veins, and Hermione felt a stabbing pain in her head as if something were trying to claw its way out. She ignored the feeling as her eyes flickered to the sandy-haired boy now watching her intently. "Oh, yeah, that's Wormtail," Sirius supplied as if introducing his friend were an afterthought.

"That's an awful name," Hermione clipped, finally lowering her wand before turning her attention toward the bag beside her. She began to dig through the contents in search of the potions that Helen had sent with her.

The injuries Hermione sustained when she'd lost her memory still had to be carefully cared for with the specialty potions. Thankfully, Helen had supplied her with enough that Hermione could avoid the school matron and stay tight-lipped on her condition—the fewer people who knew, the better.

"Well, I guess you can call him Peter," Sirius replied, watching Hermione curiously as she found a pain potion; she swallowed it and then winced at the taste. "So, you're new?"

"Have you ever seen me before?" Hermione asked as she reached for her earmuffs.

"No…"

"Then you should be able to answer your question." Without waiting for a response, Hermione shoved the earmuffs over her head, leaned her head against the bench seat, and closed her eyes, waiting for the potion's effects to take over.

If Hermione thought that she'd be able to find peace so simply, she was wrong.

Notes:

Hey there! I'm giving a little PSA in my notes. I'm currently in grad school and have a heavy workload that goes along with that. With that being said, it is impacting my update schedule, meaning that updates will be sporadic as I have time.

With that out, I'd still love to hear your thoughts about the story and chapter. She's now met Sirius and realizes that she knows him... Hmm, what will that mean for her budding relationship with Regulus? Now that they're heading to Hogwarts, how will this change things with them? Reminder: we do have a Slytherin Hermione tag...

All the kudos, favorites, comments, and reviews are always appreciated!