Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

prologue.

you taught me the courage of stars

(Saturn by Sleeping at Last)

December 14, 2000

It was inexplicable how Hermione could still feel irrational terror whenever they ventured out in the open. They had been doing this for a long time, after all, had rigorous escape plans in case things blew out of proportions, and Harry's Invisibility Cloak proved to be a very reliable saving grace.

But one thing Hermione Granger learned from this unending war was that things always didn't work out, no matter how she was sure everything would turn out well at first.

(Example A: She and her best friends knew that the only way to bring Voldemort down was to destroy his horcruxes. Months passed, and still, they hadn't destroyed the last two.

Example B: She knew that after the end of it all, she would marry Ronald Bilius Weasley, pop beautiful, fiery children to reign terror over their quaint little garden. Not even an hour had passed during the Battle of Hogwarts, but Hermione witnessed firsthand how Dolohov had hit Ron with a well-aimed Avada.

Example C: She knew that she would continue fighting up until her last breath. But the year was coming to an end, and Hermione had already lost all hope).

Harry had been a constant companion. The-Boy-Who-Lived, who used to be the beacon of all light and hope in Hermione's starry eyes, was now reduced to an empty shell, hardened by war and grief. His emerald eyes held emptiness and despair that clenched the very strings of her heart. Looking at Harry was difficult nowadays because if her hero had blatantly lost hope, then what was Hermione supposed to do?

When Harry came to their small tent after a raid one time, he brought a questionable book that was thick with suffocating dark magic. Hermione had seen Harry's eyes by then, how they had gleamed with life and sudden light she hadn't seen these days, and hope blossomed in her heart.

"I brought a solution," he then had said, placed the dark book in front Hermione and flipped through the pages. When he paused and pointed at a curious potion, its illustration emitting dark blue steam she had never seen a potion emit before, Hermione's eyes quickly devoured the words racing out of the yellowing pages.

By the time she was finished, she glanced at Harry, the hope in her heart morphed into horror. "Harry…" she started. "But… this is—it's dark magic!"

Harry aged quickly before her eyes as he slumped forward, his forehead almost touching the book. "Hermione," he whispered, his voice flowing into the frigid air and biting her cold cheeks. "It's been too long. The war had stretched for too long and -" His breath hitched as his eyes shone, furiously looking away from Hermione to hide the tears she knew were forming. Harry always hated to cry in front of her. "I'm so tired of fighting, Hermione."

She choked out a sob and tightly held onto his hand with both of her own, clutching onto him like he was her lifeline.

Therefore, although reluctant, she finally relented and started brewing the potion just to appease Harry's weary heart.

For the next few days, it felt refreshing to know that they were finally focusing on a plan. Hermione swallowed down her trepidation – 'Will this really work? Will we really escape from this reality?' – and her mind, which hadn't been challenged for a very long time, focused solely on perfecting the potion. Hermione sometimes fancied herself into thinking she was back at the Potions laboratory, trying to best Malfoy into brewing the perfect potion which Snape even couldn't deny. Harry had a newfound rigor too, as he procured the ingredients that were too rare and dangerous but was still able to collect them all. Hermione never questioned his methods of obtaining such things. She knew by the way Harry's hand shook while he slept that it was through things he would later on regret.

Soon, months flew by, and the potion was nearing its completion. The last ingredient it needed were chimera scales which Hermione knew could never be found in England but on the outskirts of France, safe from the hands of people who would use it for their own personal gain. They packed away their things and Hermione carefully placed the potion under the Stasis Charm, risked the use of an illegally-made International Portkey, and found themselves blinking widely at a quaint, beautiful French town that never seemed to be touched by the Second Wizarding War.

Unknowing tears formed in Hermione's eyes as she watched the little children running around, throwing snowballs at each other until they were wet and cold and absolutely happy.

"We should finish it quickly before they find us," Harry whispered, voice strangely choked as he started trudging towards a lovely hotel at the center of the town.

As Harry, hidden under the Invisibility Cloak, went out of the hotel to roam around, in search of the elusive chimera scales, Hermione found herself rereading the texts on the potion they would be completed soon.

"… beware for the effects had been unknown. The potion brewed from the darkest of ingredients, harvested from dangerous creatures, might take a month, a year, perhaps a hundred more. Once completed, with a shade of the darkest blue, two gulps are all you need to escape from this reality. No one knew where you will be brought. In another time, perhaps in another universe, but know this, drinker, that wherever you are brought to will be far away from your reality."

The potion's description almost sounded like it was written for a cheap, fiction book. It never offered facts, of accounts and testimonies of witches or wizards who attempted to brew the potion. There were no statistics of success, of deaths and accidents due to a botched potion, and Hermione's rational brain could not accept the ridiculousness of it all. But Harry had been adamant, explaining that if they wanted to get another shot in life, they should try this. Hermione once suggested using a Time-Turner. She could experiment, tinker with it a bit until she built a prototype that would bring them a few years back and not mere hours so that they could change the course of the events if they really wanted to win.

But Harry… Harry was laughing, maniacal and helpless and so, so anguished and Hermione started crying. "Don't you understand, Hermione?" he croaked, reaching out for her shaking hand with his equally shaking one. "I don't want to live this life anymore."

Hermione never voiced aloud that the potion could kill them if it wasn't brewed perfectly. With the amount of dark magic emitted she would create after finishing the potion, she knew that once consumed, it was either you become successful or you die. There was no in-between. And Hermione knew that Harry had this inkling, too, and she didn't like the look in his eyes every time she complained that it wasn't the right shade after adding a pint of each of their blood, or how she had added a little too much basilisk venom. Harry looked like whether he lived another life in a different world or died in this reality, it wouldn't matter to him because he could finally escape this cruel burden.

When Harry went back that night, excitedly telling her about an old merchant selling chimera scales living in the woods near the small town, Hermione tightly smiled and let Harry prattle on about how he was going to live in this other life. He always wanted to be a Professional Quidditch Star, or maybe he'd be a dragon tamer, too. His maybes flowed out of his mouth like a raging waterfall, breaking through with a might Hermione knew she couldn't stop, and by the time Harry was recounting his hopes and dreams, he was a shaking heap on the wooden floor and crying his heart out.

Harry fell asleep on the floor that night and Hermione didn't try to move him on the bed. Sleep had been elusive to Harry Potter for a few years now and the way his chest rose and fell with quiet rhythm meant it was a peaceful sleep. Hermione crawled beside Harry and gently removed his glasses. She then draped an arm over his shoulders, cradling his head against her chest and silently cried in his hair.

Hermione shot the old merchant a suspicious glance while Harry carefully placed ten chimera scales into a pouch. He had been acting strangely ever since they went inside his store.

"Harry, come on," she murmured under her breath, grasping his hand and pulling him away. Hermione could feel the man's eyes piercing their backs and the hair at the back of her neck prickled with fear. Her hold on Harry tightened, and she almost felt naked under the kind smiles of the townspeople despite their practiced disguise.

Harry looked lighter and happier by the time they reached the lobby of the hotel. "Do you think I should be the one to place the chimera scales?" he asked, his emerald eyes gleaming playfully under the brightly lit lamp of the hotel.

Hermione blinked and glanced over her best friend. "And ruin the potion?" she teased. "Not a chance, Harry."

He threw his head back for the first time and heartily laughed. Hermione had forgotten the discomfort she felt when they ventured into the old merchant's shop and smiled genuinely at him. She couldn't wait to see them happy once again.

But then, Harry's face darkened into an equal mixture of shock and rage. His wand was quickly on his hand, poised to attack, and with dread, Hermione followed his line of vision and swallowed. The kind receptionist, a pretty, blonde girl of nineteen who had blatantly flirted with Harry's disguised self, was pinned to the wall, held in place by various scraps of metal from the exploded cash register beside her. She stared at them with the familiar lifeless eyes of those who died under the mercy of the Killing Curse and Hermione felt instantly dreadful.

Her wand slid down her sleeves and she slowly glanced around. The lobby was devoid of any people and the air was so still it almost felt like a sin to breathe and disturb the silence.

Outside, a loud 'MORSMORDRE' reverberated through the walls, bathing the whole hotel with ominous green they had been acquainted with for years.

"RUN!" Harry screamed as numerous spells flew through the windows, crashing the glass and blasting the wood altogether. Through the chaos, Hermione was able to grasp onto Harry's rough hand and blindly followed him through the foray, hurtling practiced hexes and protective spells over her shoulder at the flurry of robes and footsteps closely following them from behind.

The air was hazy with smoke, dust, and blinding flashes of light and it was a miracle when they were able to stumble into their small room. Hermione breathed out a sigh of relief when she saw that the potion remained untouched. "Give me the chimera scales!" she exclaimed, and Harry threw her the pouch without even looking at her.

Hermione fell in front of the potion and shakily placed exactly ten chimera scales. Outside, the chaos grew louder and harsher and Hermione had to stop herself from hovering her face over the potion to keep it safe from her terrified tears.

"Hurry, Hermione!" Harry rasped out and Hermione stiffly nodded her head and vigorously mixed the potion, concentrating on not mixing more or less than twenty times.

Their door was suddenly blasted off its hinges and the glinting masks of Death Eaters greeted them menacingly. Hermione's breath hitched when one Death Eater was able to disarm Harry and kick him down onto his knees.

"HA—" She tried to scream but he cut her off with a hovering hand.

"You've lost, Harry Potter," a Death Eater said and despite the mask, Hermione knew they were rejoicing.

"Harry," she weakly whispered, stopping her mixing to hopelessly stare at her best friend's back.

Harry craned his head over his shoulders and looked at her. His emerald eyes were gleaming with life and radiance, despite the darkness that surrounded this small, dingy room. His face was cast over by various colors from the chaos outside, but she was able to see a small smile on his face.

For a moment, she saw a glimpse of the old Harry – her old Harry – who was reckless and brave and so very kind. Gone was the warrior wearied down by war and turmoil, but a child once more who genuinely wanted everything to become good and wonderful.

"Go, Hermione," he whispered, a small tear slipping down from his glinting eyes.

"No, no, I can't go without you," she sobbed, clutching the ladle to her chest.

Harry briefly closed his eyes and when he opened them once more, they were of those filled with love. "Live a happy life, Hermione," he said. The Death Eater snarled and exclaimed a booming 'Avada Kedavra'. Hermione screamed when the green light hit Harry squarely on his chest. The light from his bright eyes dimmed until there was only emptiness.

Harry slumped onto his side, unmoving.

Sudden rage fueled her veins, glaring furiously at the Death Eaters through blurry eyes. She placed the ladle back into the cauldron and mixed once, twice, thrice, until it boasted the dark blue color it was supposed to have.

Numerous wands pointed at her. Hermione desperately grabbed onto the steaming cauldron, ignoring the scorching pain that had bloomed on both of her palms. Three green lights shot from their wands, the Avada hurtling towards her, and before they hit her on her chest, Hermione took two mighty gulps and everything burst into a blinding light as white as the morning's snow.

Chapter Text

i.

our universe was brought to life - part i

(Sun by Sleeping at Last)

March 19, 1962

Hermione's body felt wrong.

She tried to move her limbs around, wanting to see if she was injured from the effects of the potion she had consumed. But try as she might, her bones felt raw and painful. She opened her mouth to cry out in pain, but instead of hearing her usual sob, a piercing cry from a baby rang throughout the room.

"Hush, now, love, dry your tears," a soft, melodious voice crooned.

Hermione clamped her mouth shut in confusion and tried to open her eyes, wanting to see the source of that soothing voice. Someone was caressing her cheeks and although she would have normally felt annoyed at being touched on her face, this hand was soft and warm like a mother's.

She tried to wriggle once more, begging for her eyes to open, and when she finally opened them, a burst of multicolored light greeted her. She squinted her eyes and cried once more in pain, and again, the noisy cries of a baby filled her ears. "Who's making that noise?" she tried to ask, but no words tumbled out from her mouth. Instead, the noisy cries grew and grew, until it was deafening and Hermione started to panic.

She was suddenly lifted into the air and Hermione wriggled around again, but when she was pressed against softness and warmth, she stilled. At the same time, the cries were soothed away and the woman started humming a soft lullaby under her breath.

"Yes, good girl," she gently whispered, dropping a kiss on the crown of Hermione's head. "Hush now, my love."

Hermione blinked her wide eyes once more and was surprised to be pressed lovingly against the woman's chest. Wildly confused, she grasped onto the brown curls of the woman, ones that almost rivaled her own and expelled a loud cry when she saw how puny her hands had become. She stilled when the woman shifted her in her arms and glanced down at her, with eyes of the deepest blue and a smile like the radiant sun.

"Hello, Hermione," she cooed, brushing away her tears tenderly. Hermione flinched away but was unable to get too far, as the woman held her close to her chest again and hummed a lullaby under her breath.

'Did it work?' Hermione asked herself, wiggling around once more to take in the room she was in. She was in a small room, walls painted blue with a single wall clock hanging on one wall. There was a lovely painted sun on the ceiling and when Hermione glanced down once more, she could make out a crib that was most undoubtedly hers.

When the book spoke about another timeline – another universe – Hermione didn't expect that she would become a baby once more. She expected to be thrust into another world, still very much in her own body, and starting her life anew.

Still, she couldn't complain. The potion was selfish with words and no one really knew what would happen if it was successful. She was glad that she was, at least, alive.

Suddenly excited, she wriggled wildly in the woman's arms until she had no choice but to deposit her back into her crib.

'It worked!' Hermione exclaimed, chanting in her head again and again. She tried to search for Harry, to tell him about the news, but when the events of last time flashed through her little mind's eye, she remembered her Harry had died and she had been the only one able to drink the potion.

Hermione plopped down on the crib, eyes wide and unseeing as the impact of Harry's death overwhelmed her. Harry was dead and she was all alone in this new world. Tears slipped down from her eyes once more, but no cries left her mouth, as she gazed at the beautiful woman still humming under her breath. The woman's eyes would dart over her frequently, her eyes soft and loving, and it could not be doubted that this was a look from a mother.

But this wasn't Hermione's mother. Her mother had dark brown, straight hair, and chestnut-brown eyes. Hermione got her unruly hair from her father and her eyes from her mother – a perfect combination of Jean and Harold Granger.

The grief that she was alone in this new world almost suffocated her whole. There was no Harry. Her mother was a stranger. And she was all alone.

Pattering footsteps from outside her crib snapped her from her thoughts and she watched curiously as a boy, perhaps a year older than her, came inside with tears in his eyes. He looked awfully familiar, but Hermione wasn't sure where she'd seen him before.

He was small and adorably plump, with sandy hair that was more wavy than curly, and deep blue eyes that resembled the woman. His bottom lip was quivering when he tugged the woman's sleeve. She glanced down and warmly smiled at the boy, lifting him off the floor to deposit him on her lap.

"Why are you crying?" she asked, lovingly wiping his tears away.

"Mama, cat," he cried, lifting his little finger and showing a small scratch with a pearl-shaped drop of blood. "Bite, bite!"

"Oh, Peter," the woman tutted with a disapproving sigh. "I told you to stay away from Mrs. Jones's cat. He doesn't like to be touched, remember?"

"No, no, play!" he whined, his tears now thankfully gone, replaced by a small pout gracing his features.

The woman was unable to act disgruntled for long, as she laughed and gathered him into her arms, pressing him against her chest like how she had done with Hermione. "I'll wait for your sister to nap and then we can play, Peter, okay?"

"Okay," he echoed, clutching onto one of her brown curls.

The boy, her brother – Peter – glanced at Hermione and she watched as a wide, lopsided grin appeared on his face. He jumped down from their mother's lap and toddled towards the crib. His gaze was warm and happy, and Hermione found herself drawn towards the adorable boy. She lifted her small hand and clutched his finger, prompting the boy to giggle.

"My-knee, hi," he greeted.

The woman – her mother – then stood up from her chair and carried Peter in her arms. "I'll let you watch the telly first before your father comes home, Peter," she said, smiling when the boy happily squealed in her arms. "After I put Hermione to sleep, we can play."

Hermione watched as the woman and the boy – her mother and brother – walked out from her nursery. She rolled under her crib blanket and wondered what universe she was thrust into. As the exhaustion of the day finally reached her, Hermione closed her eyes and hoped tomorrow would be better.

December 25, 1963

Two-year-old Hermione Pettigrew glanced at her reflection in the mirror and frowned. Her hair, although still impossibly curly, was a few shades lighter than her normal dark brown. The eyes staring back at her were the deepest blue – identical to her mother and brother.

Her brother.

It didn't take long for the infant Hermione to understand that the boy who called her My-Knee the first time she had arrived in this world, was none other than a young Peter Pettigrew. The shock of being related to a traitor had rankled Hermione's bones, and she had cried nonstop – so much so, that not even her mother – Anya Pettigrew – could appease her. It made her skin crawl, knowing she was related to a person that had unremorsefully betrayed his best friends and paved the way to Harry Potter's life being full of pain and misery.

She always cried when Peter tried to touch her or play with her. It had devastated her brother so much, who clearly loved her like one of his favourite toy cars, but Anya would only assure him that she was still a baby and she'd grow up to love him unconditionally too. Peter would then be contented in watching over her when her mother was away doing the chores and showing her all the toys he loved.

Hermione appreciated his efforts very much, and he'd been sweet too. She knew he wasn't yet the evil man from her world, and she couldn't fault him for something he hadn't done yet. So, when he reached out to hold her hand, smiling silly over something he saw in the park or something he'd seen on the television, Hermione would curl her hand around his and listen to him with rapt attention.

He was a bright, happy boy, with so much love to give. Their mother doted upon him like he was her very sun, and Hermione found herself warming up to the boy as the months passed by. He was her brother after all; she was an only child in her old life, and she had wished for a brother once if given the chance.

Said brother suddenly burst into her room, an annoyed frown plastered on his chubby face. "'Mione," the four-year-old whined. "What's taking you so long? It's Christmas!"

Hermione sheepishly smiled and looked back at her reflection for the last time before glancing at Peter. "Sorry, come," she softly claimed.

Peter expelled an exasperated sigh and trudged forward, clutching tightly onto Hermione's hand and excitedly pulling her from her dreary bedroom.

Her eyes adjusted to their brightly lit living room and she smiled when their mother came into view. She was bustling around, fixing an errant bauble from their small Christmas tree, and neatly stacking the presents underneath. She had her hair held up with a thin elastic band, which Hermione undoubtedly believed would snap soon under the pressure of her equally unruly hair.

The frown on Peter's face morphed into a delighted grin as he spotted the chocolate cake placed on top of their coffee table. He persistently tugged Hermione until she had no choice but to run faster behind him. When they reached the delectable dessert, Peter broke away from her and sat right in front of the cake.

"Not yet, love," Anya admonished, glaring lightly down at her son who was about to steal a small slice. Then, she looked at Hermione and smiled lovingly at her daughter. "Merry Christmas, Hermione."

"Merry Christmas, Mummy," she greeted in return, accepting the warm hug the woman had given her. Hermione's parents – the old ones – were not exactly openly affectionate. She knew that her dentist parents loved her endlessly through their smiles and words, but they were never one to pull her into a tight hug and drop kisses on the crown of her head.

But Anya Pettigrew made her love known through a loving touch or a warm embrace. It was a nice change, and although she had been Hermione's mother for merely two years, the young brunette knew she loved her very, very much.

"Can we open presents now?" Peter asked, hope in his blue eyes.

Anya's smile fell a bit. "We have to wait for Daddy first, Peter, okay?" she said.

A brief flash of fear crossed Peter's eyes but he didn't reply. He slumped forward and stared at the cake. "I wish he would just disappear," he murmured under his breath.

"Peter!" Anya gasped, scandalised.

Peter frowned at his mother and petulantly crossed his arms across his chest.

Hermione wordlessly reached for her brother and squeezed his arm. Peter mellowed down and unwound his tight arms and held Hermione's hand once more. "Don't be sad, Petey," she gently said. "It's Christmas."

She pointedly ignored how Anya's eyes glistened with her words, or how she desperately hid the violent bruise on her wrist with the sleeve of her lovely blouse.

"Okay, you're right, 'Mione," Peter said with a resolute nod, squeezing her hand in return.

While Anya bustled away to make some last-minute preparations for their little Christmas celebration, Hermione took that time to glance around the house which had quickly become her home. There were numerous unmoving pictures of her and Peter decorating the shelves of their small living room. The Pettigrew family lived comfortably, and although they weren't as well off as the Grangers, Anya compensated by decorating every corner of their small apartment with love and warmth. It still disturbed Hermione how her mother, who was a Pureblood witch, chose to live in a small Muggle town to start a family with their Muggle father.

If Anya was the sun in their life, Timothy Pettigrew was the thunderstorm. Every time he was at home, he left destruction in his wake. He was responsible enough to be the sole provider of the family, but his love for alcohol even surpassed his love for his family. Hermione could hear Anya mutter to herself, convincing herself again and again that he didn't mean it when he slapped her across the face, that it was her fault he would explode like a volatile volcano, and that he loved her – loved his family – no matter what he did.

Hermione glanced at Peter and wondered if, in her world, he had had to endure the wrath of Timothy Pettigrew too.

Her gaze shifted to her mother once more and she also wondered why Anya never used magic to protect herself from her abusive husband. Hermione never saw her mother use her wand when Timothy was home, and she reckoned her father wasn't fully supportive of their magical background. Hermione couldn't imagine herself living with someone who'd forbid her from using her magic – the very reason why she was alive and breathing. But it was plain to see that Anya loved her husband very much, too much even, and Hermione prayed every single night that her mother would realize one day that she and Peter alone would be enough for her.

She suddenly tensed when she heard the violent rattling of their doorknob. Anya stood ramrod straight and smoothed down her dress and waited until her drunkard husband swayed inside, an amber bottle clutched tightly in his hand.

"Hello, Tim," her mother greeted. "How was your day?"

Timothy snorted and took a few gulps from his beer. "Same old," he flippantly said, bending forwards to remove his shoes and throwing them away. "What's for dinner?"

"Chicken and mashed potato, love," she said with a hesitant smile. Hermione held her breath as a dark shadow crossed over Timothy's face.

He then snapped his neck towards Anya and glared at her. "I told you I hate chicken," he snarled.

Anya's shoulders tensed, but she steadfastly held her husband's gaze. "It's Christmas," she insisted. "The children love chicken."

An ugly sneer appeared on his face. He smashed his beer loudly on the floor, causing glass shards to fly everywhere. Peter cried out as a few pieces scattered on the ground beside him, consequently marring the palm of his hand.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Anya?!" Timothy snarled, flying through the living room until he was breathing down on their mother. Anya cowered in fear and tried to squirm away, but his bruising hold on both of her wrists kept her in place.

Fear and anger flowed through Hermione's veins and she started to wail aloud, just to keep his attention off her lovely mother. This did the trick, for Tim's hold slackened as he now glared down at the wailing Hermione.

"Shut up!" he snarled, lifting his hand to smack her down. But Anya caught his wrist and sobbed, begging him to spare their children and to just hit her instead.

Hermione's cries increased, wondering why her mother wasn't fighting back, wondering why she didn't blast him off with a hex just to keep their family happy.

Peter was determinedly tugging her onto her feet until Hermione had no choice but to follow him. Her brother silently led her inside her own bedroom, flinching when loud crashes and screams erupted outside once they couldn't see their parents.

Her brother tightly wrapped his arms around her and brushed her tears away. "It's all right, 'Mione," he whispered, voice also thick with tears of fear. "It's all right. We're safe here. We're safe."

July 25, 1966

Hermione stared at the angry bruise on her mother's neck and frowned. "Mum," she said, "you're hurt."

"Hmm?" Anya replied, seemingly distracted as she patted her injured neck and went back to making her warm cocoa. "Would you like some marshmallows, Hermione?"

"Yes, please," she quietly replied, internally sighing at her mother's change in topic. Whilst her dentist parents adamantly refused to indulge Hermione with sweets, even as a child, Anya had no hesitations in generously satisfying her sweet tooth. Hermione almost felt ashamed of craving chocolate and sweets, but after being deprived for so long, she just couldn't help herself. Toffees, most especially, were becoming her most favourite sweet treat. To compensate, she reverently brushed her teeth at night until her gums almost bled, much to Anya's horror.

Hermione was five years old now and had shown some signs of magic. Anya was delighted that both of her children had magic, but at the same time, feared Timothy's wrath. She tried her very hardest to keep this secret from their father, but accidental magic was bound to happen at some point. When their father had discovered that both of his children also had the gift, he'd gone ballistic and had almost killed Anya. Hermione was still traumatised by that day and had begged her mother to leave the bastard because she had really come to love both Anya and Peter and she wanted them safe. But Anya merely held her children close to her chest and soothed their tears, despite the pained look on her face.

Her head swivelled around at the sound of the door bursting open. Their small kitchen was suddenly filled with Peter's loud sobs as he pattered towards their mother. Anya glanced down at Peter in surprise, then worriedly hugged him close. "What happened, Peter?" she asked with worry. "Why are you crying?"

"My friends hate me, Mum," he cried, loudly sniffing and haphazardly wiping his tears away. Hermione watched in amusement as snot trailed down from her brother's nose and dripped onto Anya's blouse. Their mother didn't seem to mind, though, as she was busy appeasing him.

"And why do you say that?" Anya asked, rubbing his back to relay as much comfort as she could.

"They said… they said I'm a freak!" he wailed. He buried his tearstained face on Anya's neck, unable to see her flinch when he pressed against her bruise. "I-I told them I could make my ball fly but they just laughed at me, Mum. And… and I was so mad I told them, 'I can!', but they just continued to laugh and… and…" He paused and gulped a lungful of air. Hermione almost smiled at how he floundered with words. "And then, I made the ball fly, and they screamed, called me a freak and told me they're not my friends anymore."

"Oh, sweetheart," Anya sighed with a small smile. "You're not a freak. You're special."

Peter closed his mouth and sniffed, now pulling his face away from his mother's neck to look at her. "Spe-special?" he stuttered.

Anya resolutely nodded her head. "Yes, you're a very special boy," she said. She glanced over his head to smile at Hermione. The brunette smiled a toothy grin in return. "And Hermione, too. Both of you are special, okay? Because you both have magic. And once you turn eleven, you'll meet other special people like you in Hogwarts, and you can ask them to be your friends."

"I can?" he asked, his blue eyes widening in childlike wonder.

"Yes, love, you can," their mother said with a brilliant smile.

Hermione, on the other hand, deeply frowned and jumped from her chair. "No!" she exclaimed, much to their surprise. "No, no, no friends."

Anya knitted her eyebrows in confusion, unsure why her daughter was acting this way. Peter's face crumpled once more and he started to wail loudly again.

"You're right, you're right, nobody will like me," he cried.

"Hermione," Anya admonished.

But Hermione resolutely stood her ground and stomped towards Peter. If this weird, alternate universe was almost the same as the one she had lived in the past, then Peter Pettigrew was going to be friends with James Potter, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin. If that didn't happen, then perhaps Peter wouldn't be driven to betray his friends. If Peter didn't become friends with them, then Harry Potter would be able to live with two, very much alive parents, who'd love him, clothe him, and feed him.

"No, no, I'll be your friend," Hermione continued, grabbing onto Peter's hand and forcing him to look in her eyes. "You can't make friends in Hogwarts, Peter. No. I'll be your friend… your best friend."

Anya's eyes widened in surprise, before smiling amusedly down at her daughter. Peter's tears had thankfully abated, but he was now wrinkling his nose in disgust. "But you're a girl," he pointed out matter-of-factly. "I can't be best friends with girls. Girls are… are icky." He spoke it like it was the universal truth, and Hermione would have found it hilarious, but her heart grew indignant instead.

"I'm not icky!" Hermione cried in return. She struggled to form proper words that would rebut his claim, but her brain, cursed to be intellectually younger than her twenty-one-year-old self, was only able to say, "I brush my teeth and I take a bath. I'm not icky!"

She almost cringed at the poor rebuttal she'd blurted out. Anya burst into laughter while Peter glowered and proceeded to list down other reasons why he thought girls were icky, and why he didn't want to be her best friend.

Hermione stomped her foot in anger. 'Why couldn't he understand?' she shrilly cried in her mind, frustratingly pulling onto her curls. Tears now welled in her eyes - she wanted to be his best friend instead, just to spare him from his possible evil path and to keep Harry Potter, and many others, happy.

Seeing her daughter's absolute distress, Anya became alarmed at Hermione's tears. Even Peter stopped crying and eyed his sister's tears warily.

To her surprise, her brother expelled a huge sigh and held her hand. "All right, 'Mione, I'll be your friend," he begrudgingly said. "Just don't cry, please. Don't cry."

Hermione nodded her head and wiped her tears away. Anya fondly stared down at her children and reached out to wipe away Hermione's remaining tears.

"All right, all right, no more fighting," their mother claimed. "Why don't you both sit down on chairs and wait for me to prepare your warm cocoas?"

Both Peter and Hermione nodded their heads and clambered onto their seats, forgetting about their childish fight as they tasted Anya's delicious warm cocoa.

Chapter Text

ii.

our universe was brought to life – part ii

(Sun by Sleeping at Last)

January 30, 1971

"Really, Hermione? Reading again?"

She lifted her blue eyes from her book and glanced at her brother. Ten-year-old Peter leant against her doorframe with an amused smile on his face. Tucked underneath his armpit was his worn, but clearly beloved skateboard. It still amused Hermione immensely when she discovered Peter Pettigrew loved to play with his skateboard during his youth; she never really imagined the rat as being fond of it, much less brilliant at it. She always knew his accidental magic was at play, but it didn't ease their poor mother's heart when she saw some of the weird stunts her son would pull on the road.

"I like to read," she said, finally realising she hadn't retorted anything in return. Her brother slinked inside her room and plopped down on her bed, laying the skateboard beside him.

"It's the weekend," Peter claimed as if it was reason enough to question Hermione's hobbies. "Why don't you play with other children or something?"

"We're freaks in this neighbourhood, remember?" she quipped, closing her copy of Charlotte's Web and placing it on her desk. She glanced over at her brother and saw the small smile on his face.

"Of course," he sighed, a tad melodramatically, but Hermione knew he wasn't offended anymore. People had spoken about how eccentric the Pettigrew siblings were. Anya had tried to enrol her children in a Muggle primary school before they received their letter for Hogwarts, just to let them learn the basics math and science which they wouldn't otherwise learn. But, with Peter's disdain and Hermione's blatant disinterest in studying, coupled with the strange happenings that followed them wherever they went, Anya gave up and pulled them from school and taught them instead.

Since then, parents in their neighbourhood warned their children to keep away from the Pettigrew children because they were bound to get hurt. Although Hermione didn't mind it at all, since she wasn't interested in making friends anyway, it had deeply hurt Peter. The boy just wanted to belong in a small group of friends; Hermione now understood why his adult counterpart desperately hero-worshipped Sirius Black and James Potter before joining Voldemort's minions.

She tried her hardest to let him know that being at home, with her and their mother, was enough to keep him happy. Anya had been a blessing, keeping her children busy from the sorrow of their isolation, and Hermione wondered what had happened to Peter Pettigrew that made him the evil man he was when he had a mother like Anya Pettigrew.

"What are you doing here?" Hermione then asked, slipping away from her small desk to approach her brother. She sat at the foot of her bed and quizzically stared at him.

"Mum's making me wash the dishes," Peter explained, a meaningful glance thrown her way.

Hermione had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. "And?" she urged.

"Come on, 'Mione," he insisted, sitting up from her bed. "I hate washing dishes. And you're brilliant at it. You did say you enjoy washing the dishes."

"You can't always get away from your chores, Petey," she sighed, prompting him to sheepishly smile.

He then rummaged inside his pocket to pull out several toffees she loved dearly. "Peace offering?" he innocently asked.

Hermione snorted. "Bribery seems more fitting," she said but grabbed the delectable sweets nonetheless. "Just this once, Peter."

"You're the best sister ever," Peter said with a brilliant grin, pulling her close to give her a warm hug. In spite of herself, Hermione's lips quirked into a small smile. It really wasn't hard to become fond of this boy when he'd been kind and warm to her since she was young.

Peter then jumped down from her bed and clutched his skateboard once more. "I'll be playing outside if Mum asks for me," he said.

"Be careful."

He waved his hand in goodbye and strode out from her room.

Hermione sighed and collected her bushy hair to attempt a ponytail. She glanced at her reflection and made a face, knowing her hair would rebel soon and spring out from her elastic band. Funnily enough, even in this lifetime, her stubborn hair had followed her with fierce determination.

Sighing once more, Hermione slid down from her bed and walked out of her bedroom. She halted midway when she saw that Peter was still there. "Why are you—"

He turned around, grave-faced, and pressed a finger against his lips. Hermione clammed up and peered over his shoulders, flinching when she heard an unmistakable slap. She swallowed down a gasp when Timothy roared another thunderous tirade and glanced down her feet to block whatever was going to happen next. At the same time, she noticed Peter's tightly clenched fists. She wouldn't be surprised if half-moon marks had appeared on his palm.

Hermione reached forward and brushed her fingers along his knuckles until the tension escaped his hands and he started to relax.

When another resounding slap rang in their home, Hermione's eyes prickled with tears and she really tried her hardest to steel herself in place. She wanted to help her mother, even after all these years, but all her attempts only made Timothy hurt her mother more. Hermione's temper always flared up when she saw another bruise on her mother, and Peter had to calm her down so that she wouldn't interfere and make everything worse.

At times like these, Hermione longed for a wand just so she could hex Timothy raw for hurting the woman who did nothing but love and understand him.

A piercing scream echoed in their home and Hermione's blood ran cold. Paling in horror, she glanced towards her parents once more and gasped at the pool of blood dripping down from Anya's arm after Timothy slashed a shard of beer glass against her.

Everything stilled by then. Even Hermione didn't dare breathe, too afraid of disturbing the deathly silence.

And then, Peter was suddenly in front of his mother, hands spread apart in a mighty attempt to protect her. His blue eyes were dark and tumultuous like a raging storm and Hermione stared. She hadn't seen that expression on his face before. Peter was always quiet and kind and didn't really stand up too much against his bullies. But the Peter in front of her was almost like a giant, ready to do whatever it took to protect their mother from the despicable monster.

"Stop hurting her," were his mere words, but his voice was steady and commanding. Hermione felt the hairs on her arms prickle at his ferocity.

Timothy's eyes, black and dark like how his soul had always been, grew thunderous. He lifted his hand and smacked Peter across his face with so much force that her brother toppled on the ground. Anya screamed and begged to spare her son, to hit me, hit me instead, hit me please, and Hermione still stood frozen on the spot.

Then, blinding rage bloomed in her heart as she watched the two people she loved the most get harassed by this man she had never seen as her father. 'No, no, no,' she chanted repeatedly in her head.

Nobody hurts the people she loved. Nobody.

Her vision swam with the tears she didn't realise were already steadily streaming down her face. And before she could come to their rescue, Peter was back on his feet and growling darkly at Timothy. The air pulsed with raging magic and horror briefly flitted across Timothy's face. Hermione almost gagged at how suffocating the raw magic was and before she knew it, Peter's accidental magic concentrated at one point before it shot straight into Timothy's chest. Their father flew in the air and he smashed against the small shelf behind him. A sickening crack was heard and Anya screamed, immediately standing up and running towards the unconscious man.

This also snapped Hermione out of her stupor and she ran towards her brother. The accidental magic Peter released had exhausted him so much. He swayed on his feet and landed on his knees. If it weren't for Hermione, he would have collapsed on the ground into a messy heap.

"Peter, Peter, are you all right?" she worriedly asked, noting how pale and clammy he'd become. Her question didn't seem to register, as his blue eyes, now coloured with terror, stared at the scene behind Hermione.

Upon hearing Anya's choked sob, Hermione craned her neck and looked over her shoulder. Her heart almost stuttered at the sight of blood, so much blood, pooling behind Timothy's head.

Peter started to shake in her arms and Hermione tried to shield him from the scene he had caused.

February 3, 1971

The funeral was brief and cold. Timothy Pettigrew was a hateful man, after all.

Hermione very much didn't want to attend his funeral, because he'd caused enough turmoil in her new family, but Anya helped her get dressed into the stuffiest black dress she had ever had to wear. Hermione wanted to complain, but the look in Anya's eyes made her bite her tongue. There were still bruises hidden behind her black robe and Hermione very much wanted to use a healing spell on her mother's wounds. But of course, without the aid of her wand, she couldn't do so.

After the accident, Anya had called for an ambulance. Timothy was already declared dead even before he arrived at the hospital, his skull cracked wide open, his brain slipping down from its usual place. Anya stiffly explained that everything was an accident, that her husband came home drunk and slipped on their wet floor, hitting his head against the shelf and consequently killing him.

Hermione could see that the doctors were doubting her words, and she tightly held onto Peter's hand, afraid that they'd discover that his accidental magic had caused all of this. But she also saw how the doctors glanced at Anya's wounds, obvious signs of abuse, and hadn't said anything about the strange death of Timothy Pettigrew.

The funeral had long ended and Anya was thanking the visitors for attending. Nobody had shed a tear for Timothy, which was saddening really, but then again, he was a hateful man.

Anya never spoke about the incident after his death. When they went home from the hospital that night, she gathered both her children in her arms and earnestly cried.

Hermione knew it wasn't of sorrow.

Hermione knew it was of relief.

And Hermione hated herself for feeling relieved, too, because despite how he'd treated their mother all these years, he didn't deserve to die.

"Come on," Hermione murmured to her silent brother when Anya waved them over.

When Peter didn't budge, Hermione frowned and peered up at him. Peter's blue eyes were swimming with tears, utter remorse almost too unnatural to be seen in a young boy like him.

"I killed him, Hermione."

She stilled. Peter hadn't spoken after that incident, and although she was worried sick over her brother, she knew he needed some space to think about his actions. Anya clearly didn't blame him; although she never said it aloud, her actions were understandable enough to know that she never held her son accountable for what had happened to their father.

"It was an accident, Peter," Hermione insisted, holding onto his hand to make him understand. "Don't beat yourself over this."

A tear slipped down from his eyes and he blinked them away. "You've seen what I was capable of," he hissed. "Maybe… maybe I was destined to become like him after all. Maybe I am evil too."

Cold fear gripped her heart very tightly. "No, no, you are not like him," she exclaimed with such vehemence. "You're not evil, Peter."

"But you've seen—"

"Any witch or wizard placed under duress would have released similarly mighty accidental magic, too," she reasoned out. "Especially us children who haven't been taught how to control it yet."

She thought of her Harry, how he had random bouts of accidental magic when his feelings were roaring and palpable.

"I didn't mean…" He started to cry, huge tears rolling down from his eyes. "I didn't mean to kill him. I promise. I promise."

"I know," she croaked, her eyes also filling with tears at the raw guilt on her brother's face. "Mum knows, too, Peter. Nobody blames you."

He bowed his head, his shoulders shaking, and Hermione reached forward to give him a comforting hug. "Nobody blames you, Peter," she whispered. "Stop blaming yourself too."

They stood there clinging to each other until Anya approached them. Upon seeing the tears in their eyes, Anya questioningly looked at Hermione. The young witch merely shook her head and tightened her arms around Peter.

"Oh, my sweetheart," Anya whispered, tears slipping down from her eyes. "My sweet, sweet boy."

Peter broke away from Hermione and launched into their mother's warm arms. Anya cradled Peter like he was a new-born once more, dropping soothing kisses and whispering words of love that only made him cry louder.

Hermione shook and knew that this boy would never grow up to become the man she had once known. She never really knew what had changed, but perhaps it was because of her presence that kept Peter from spiralling down that evil, selfish path he would embark on in the future.

So before they left home, Hermione defiantly glared down at her father's grave through her tears, vowing to all the stars and the moon and everything that could hear her, that she would never let Peter Pettigrew stray away from the right path.

August 15, 1971

Hermione knew she was rudely staring, but she couldn't bring herself to look away from Albus Dumbledore. After all, the last time she'd seen him was when he was staring lifelessly heavenward.

A few days before the Headmaster's visit, the Pettigrew household had been flooded with Hogwarts letters from different kinds of Owls. Peter had resolutely refused to open any of them, reasoning out that he didn't deserve to go to Hogwarts, and no amount of insistence from both his mother and sister made him relent.

Peter had changed ever since their father's death. He still steadfastly blamed himself for the accidental murder he'd done and was convinced he was evil forevermore. Anya was getting distressed over Peter's change of attitude, and even her warmth and hug couldn't pull him away from the sudden darkness Peter surrounded himself with.

Knowing there was no other choice, Hermione sneaked inside her mother's room and penned a letter addressed to the Headmaster, saying that her brother didn't want to go to Hogwarts and begged him to convince him otherwise. Hermione didn't really expect a response too soon, seeing that the new school term was about to begin. So, it had surprised her greatly when the Headmaster himself came knocking on their door the very next day, claiming that one Hermione Pettigrew had written to him.

Peter looked betrayed, but Hermione reasoned out he needed to go to Hogwarts to control his magic. He hadn't budged ever since, petulantly sitting across from Dumbledore with his arms crossed against his chest.

"How do you like your tea, Headmaster?" her mother kindly asked.

"A dash of milk and one cube of sugar, Anastasia," the less wrinkly wizard claimed.

Her eyes gleamed in amusement. "It's been a long time since I've been addressed as such," she said with a laugh.

"It is your name, isn't it?" Dumbledore asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Oh, yes, of course," Anya replied, "but after being disinherited by my family, I think we should drop the pretentious name, yes?"

"Anastasia is a beautiful name, Mum," Hermione blurted out before she could stop herself.

Both the older witch and wizard glanced down at the young brunette. "Thank you, love, that's very sweet," Anya said, placing a few more marshmallows on top of her warm cocoa to show her gratitude.

Hermione blushed and glanced down at her hands, uncomfortable at the scrutinising gaze of the Headmaster. It was still disconcerting seeing him very much alive, with an untainted hand and fewer wrinkles on his face. His hair was still wiry and white, but there were hints of auburn hair at the roots.

"Now, I believe I have some convincing to do?" Dumbledore said, kindly smiling at the petulant boy. "Tell me, Peter, aren't you excited to go to Hogwarts?"

Hermione glanced over her brother and watched as he stiffened at Dumbledore's question. Peter had been gushing over going to Hogwarts for years; excited seemed a terrible understatement.

"I don't think I will belong there, Headmaster, sir," Peter then quietly answered, his face turning splotchy red at Dumbledore's questioning gaze.

"It isn't a matter of belonging, young man," he insisted. "I asked if you are excited to go."

Even his words commanded respect. If Hermione or Anya had asked him that very same question, Peter would have surely thrown a tantrum. But nobody dared throw a tantrum in front of Dumbledore – well, maybe Harry Potter was the delightful exception.

"I-I…" Peter's cheeks darkened as he miserably glanced at his hands. "I really want to go to Hogwarts."

Anya expelled a deep sigh and slid lower beside Hermione on their couch. "Then, you should really go, Peter," she urged.

His eyes turned steely as he stubbornly refused to look at the other three. "I can hurt other people there, too," he pointed out.

"And why do you say that?" Dumbledore calmly asked despite the sudden drop of temperature in the room.

"I can do things that hurt people!" Peter exclaimed, suddenly angry himself. Tears were threatening to pour out from his eyes and Hermione was tempted to reach over and comfort her brother. But she kept herself in place and held her mother's hand instead.

The old wizard kindly smiled at the distressed boy. "And you can also do things to help them," he gently answered. He waited as Peter deflated and slumped down on his seat. "Accidental magic is common in young children like your age. I am sure your sister here has had numerous bouts of using accidental magic before."

Hermione vigorously nodded her head, if only to appease Peter's troubled heart.

"If you come to Hogwarts, Peter," Dumbledore continued, "we can teach you how to use magic to protect those you love very much."

Peter hesitantly glanced over at his mother and sister. "But I can hurt them too," he softly replied.

"Then, you simply do your very best to learn more protective spells," the Headmaster continued. "I have taught a lot of boys like you before, Peter. I've taught children who had unwillingly hurt their loved ones because of some accidental magic. But I've seen how they steadfastly learned all the spells and turned to be good people – great people in fact. Magic isn't good or evil, per se. It is but a tool and it is up to the user how he or she would wield it."

Peter's eyes had widened at these words and Hermione had to bite back a sigh of relief, knowing that Dumbledore's words were starting to sway him.

"If you want to protect your mother and sister, Hogwarts can teach you more spells on how to do that."

The young boy clasped his hands together and grew sombre. The tears were long dispelled as he mulled over what he was being told.

Then, with considerable conviction, he stared the greatest wizard of the age right into his very eyes, and said, "Okay."

"Okay?" Dumbledore asked with an indulgent smile.

Peter resolutely nodded his head. "Okay," he said. "Okay, I'll go to Hogwarts."

September 2, 1971

It was terribly lonely now that Peter had gone to Hogwarts, but Hermione was glad he decided to go in the end.

The house was quieter now that Timothy wasn't there to wreak havoc. Anya was obviously saddened with Peter's new journey in life but tried her very hardest to hide it. Hermione had resolutely held her mother's hand after they went home from King's Cross and only let go when Anya pulled away from her hand first.

Without their father, Anya was forced to look for a job to sustain them both. Dumbledore was generous enough to put Peter on scholarship for the first year and would continue doing so until Anya found a stable job. Her mother was now working as a secretary for their small town's mayor. Hermione was therefore left to her own devices for the rest of the day, after reassuring Anya that she could very much take care of herself.

During her alone times, Hermione would roam around her house, discovering different nooks and crannies she hadn't seen before. She sometimes looked through the different pictures Anya had taken of their family through the years, smiling at the funny faces she and Peter pulled. It still felt quite surreal to be born as Peter Pettigrew's sister in this different universe, but Hermione would be lying if she'd said this wasn't home.

Sometimes, she would read her books in her room and daydream about being whisked away into another reality. One thing she understood about this world was it wasn't that different from the world she belonged to before. Ever since Timothy had died, her mother started subscribing to the Daily Prophet. Hermione would read through the news, remembering all the history lessons Professor Binns droned on and on about in their History of Magic Class and was surprised by how very little things had changed.

Hermione tried to theorise countless times what the real effect of the potion she had taken had done to her. She arrived at six conclusions:

1. She was still in the same world, with the same set of people and events.
2. Her identity was the only curious thing that had changed.
3. The potion's sole purpose was to give only the drinker a different life.
4. She was Avada'd at the same time she drank the potion.
5. Hermione was dead in that timeline and should not attempt to return.
6. She didn't know if Hermione Granger will still be born now that she exists.

She didn't have any useful books at her disposal to research more, but that was basically what she understood. Since she was technically born in this time, it meant that she belonged. Hermione had no idea if whatever she'd done would change the course of events that had happened in her past life. Peter Pettigrew now had a sister after all, and she'd be damned if she allowed him to stray away from the right path and betray his best friends in the future.

These conclusions had weighed heavily on Hermione's shoulders. With complete knowledge of a different future, Hermione knew she could change the course of events if she wanted to.

"Live a happy life, Hermione," were Harry's last words to her before everything had changed. She had kept his words close to her heart. The real reason why they had wanted to use the potion in the first place, was to escape their tiring life, after all. If she were to live a brilliant, happy life, Hermione knew she had no other choice but to keep her head down and watch from the side-lines. She vowed to only meddle if it felt right, but besides that, she would do whatever she could so that she wouldn't be placed under Voldemort's radar.

Her thoughts were halted when a soft tapping from her bedroom window rang in her room. She smiled at Toffee, the family's beautiful tawny owl, with Peter's letter tied on one of her legs. Hermione had jokingly named her as such when Peter asked for suggestions, and it had just stuck. Now, the owl wouldn't respond to any name other than 'Toffee'.

"Hello," she cooed when Toffee landed on her desk and stuck out her leg. Hermione untied the letter from her leg and absentmindedly fed her with treats as she unrolled Peter's letter.

Her eyes skimmed through the letter, eyes widening a bit when she read that Peter had been placed in Gryffindor, although he had almost become a Slytherin. In the end, he was Sorted into Gryffindor of course, and had been ecstatic about it ever since. He swore to her the Sorting was fun, but they were forbidden to tell how it would happen to those who still hadn't attended Hogwarts. He then spoke about his excitement at starting to use his wand in class and voiced out his fear that he might lag behind because everybody was brilliant.

Her heart froze when she read the names of his newfound friends. He spoke of Remus Lupin – the cleverest of them all, with weird scars on his face and who always weirdly smelled of chocolate. He spoke of Sirius Black – the boisterous Black heir of a prestigious Pureblood family, and how he had loudly celebrated at being Sorted in Gryffindor rather than Slytherin. And he spoke of James Potter – another equally boisterous Pureblood heir of the Potter family, and how he envied how confident he was.

Peter spoke about how he felt almost left out of their small band of friends since he wasn't really good at anything, but the other boys seemed intent to keep him involved anyway.

Hermione's eyes filled with tears as she brushed over the names of the people she once knew. She remembered how Harry's tear-filled eyes grieved over the death of his godfather. She remembered how Teddy Lupin wailed like there was no tomorrow, newly orphaned after the conclusion of the Battle at Hogwarts.

And when she glanced over at James Potter's name, Hermione remembered her Harry – her brave but tired Harry – and how he was robbed from a beautiful childhood that should have been filled with love and warmth.

As she collapsed on her bed, Peter's letter now limp in her hand, Hermione wondered how she could just watch from the side-lines when she knew she could prevent their deaths.

Chapter Text

iii.

it seems they have been chosen

(Say by Sleeping at Last)

August 5, 1972

"Peter, knock it out," Hermione grumbled, noting with dismay that her brother perked up every time a noise that resembled tapping reached their ears.

"Why aren't you excited?" he shot back with a frown. "You're going to Hogwarts soon!"

"You weren't this excited last year," she murmured under her breath. Peter's face turned splotchy red and he scowled upon hearing her words.

Anya sauntered into their cozy kitchen, eyebrows raised upon noticing the glaring contest between her children. "What happened and who started it this time?" she asked with an exhausted sigh, placing the steaming plate of fried chicken in front of them at the table.

Peter's glare wavered, thoroughly distracted by the food, but he was able to say, "Hermione's being a berk."

"Peter! Language!" Anya hissed, now glaring down at her sheepish son. "Where did you learn that?"

Hermione snorted and helped herself to a large spoonful of mashed potato. "I'm sure it's from his friends, Mum," she pointed out. "They've been a bad influence on Petey here."

"No they haven't!" he retorted with frown.

The brunette quirked an eyebrow in his direction. "Professor McGonagall's letter of disappointment begged to differ," she quipped in return.

"That was just one time, seriously," Peter grumbled into his food, his cheeks now a darker shade of red.

Hermione secretly smiled, remembering the letter from the furious Head of Gryffindor House about her disappointment at the numerous pranks Peter and his friends had pulled throughout their first year, just for the fun of it. McGonagall also pointed out that Peter had gone through numerous detentions and lost a lot of points for their House because he'd been tagging along with Sirius, James, and Remus. Anya was surprisingly more amused than enraged, having worried herself sick over Peter's situation in Hogwarts after what had happened the earlier that year. It placed her heart at ease that he had at least made friends with harmless, albeit rowdy, boys.

When loud tapping from their kitchen window caught their attention, Peter flinched and glared when Hermione snickered under her breath. But when the tapping persisted, Hermione's eyes widened and she glanced at the kitchen window. A handsome barn owl was patiently waiting, clutching what was obviously two Hogwarts letters in his beak.

"I'll get it!" Peter exclaimed, racing down from his chair towards the window. He pushed it open and the owl entered, landing gracefully beside Hermione's plate. While Peter brushed his feathers, Hermione caught the letters and fed the owl some treats, before he flew away once more.

Hermione passed Peter his own letter while she dumbly stared at her own—'Hermione Pettigrew' scrawled across the envelope. Although she had been through this once before, she still couldn't deny the giddiness she felt at being invited to Hogwarts to study.

"What are you waiting for?" Peter urged, his unopened letter still clutched in his hand. "Open it!"

"Honestly," Hermione said, laughing in spite of herself. "We all know what it says anyway."

But she opened it nonetheless, her smile growing wider as she read through the words Professor McGonagall had written on her Hogwarts acceptance letter.

"Congratulations, love," Anya said, leaning over to affectionately pat Hermione's hand.

"I don't want to leave you alone, Mum," Hermione honestly replied, catching her mother's hand and giving it a tight squeeze.

Anya rolled her eyes. "If you stubbornly refuse to go, I'm going to be tempted to write to Dumbledore this time," she warned, prompting Peter to turn red in the face and for Hermione to burst into giggles.

"I hope you get Sorted into Gryffindor," Peter said, distractedly reading his own letter for his second-year essentials.

"I think Hermione will be a Ravenclaw," Anya claimed.

Peter paused and frowned, glancing down at his sister. "Well, that is highly likely too," he said. "Since you're a terrible swot."

"Hey!" Hermione claimed, but Peter merely gave her a lazy grin.

"We can all go to Diagon Alley tomorrow," Anya said. "Sound good?"

Identical sounds of agreement escaped from the siblings.

"All right," their mother said. "Now finish up your lunch so that you can start with your chores."

Peter exclaimed a loud groan, earning him a reproachful look from his mother. "I'm not going to wash the dishes," he warned.

Hermione sighed, extended her upturned palm, and bent her fingers to motion a silent 'gimme' at his direction. Peter rolled his eyes and fished a bunch of toffees from his pocket. "Bribery," he hissed.

She smirked and merely shrugged her shoulders.

August 6, 1972

Since they were living in a Muggle part of London, the Pettigrew's had to ride the London Underground in order to reach Charing Cross Road.

Peter was bustling with energy and had been excitedly chattering about all the brilliant things in Diagon Alley. Hermione had opted to skip coming with Peter when Anya brought him to Diagon Alley last year, using the excuse that she was feeling under the weather. In truth, she wasn't ready to face the place which she had once feared going to, having witnessed numerous attacks and battles—numerous deaths. She knew it was inevitable now, and to conceal her nervousness, she indulged Peter by answering his giddy questions at the right time.

When they stopped in front of an inn crammed between a delightful bookshop and an old record shop, Hermione couldn't stop herself from gawking at the Leaky Cauldron. In her past life, the whole pub had been thrashed down until it was unrecognisable, as the Death Eaters had realised members of the Resistance oftentimes gathered there to convene their secret meetings. Also, since it was usually the way for Muggleborns living in the Muggle world to enter the Wizarding World, they made sure such access was restricted to keep them away from entering.

Hermione swallowed down her rising bile when they stepped inside the pub. It was brimming with people, raucous laughter echoing at a table as one drunk wizard started to climb up and do a funny dance. She half-expected the loud alarms installed by the Death Eaters to start ringing shrilly, but then caught herself and shook her head to keep those dark thoughts away.

"Are you all right, Hermione?" Anya worriedly asked, comfortingly clutching her elbow.

"I'm just a bit overwhelmed," she lied with a tight smile.

"It's wicked, isn't it?" Peter gushed out, beaming widely at the chaos that was happening inside.

Anya brought them towards the brick wall separating the Leaky Cauldron and Diagon Alley. She pulled out her wand and started tapping the right bricks, waiting for the wall to rearrange and reveal a passageway. Hermione almost backpedalled at how the whole alley was bustling with life.

Peter, mistaking her frozen demeanour for awe, grinned and held her hand. "Welcome to Diagon Alley, Hermione Pettigrew," he said.

"Hold on tight, sweetheart," Anya warned, grabbing onto her other hand. "This is your first time coming here so you can easily get lost."

"Where to first, Mum?" Peter asked, craning his neck up to look at their mother.

"Gringotts first," she said. "I have to make a withdrawal."

Hermione paled at Anya's answer and mechanically walked with her family until they finally reached Gringotts. She kept close to her mother throughout the whole ordeal, trying to make herself invisible lest a goblin recognised her as the woman who had managed to break through Gringotts' wards, steal a precious artifact from one of the highly guarded vaults, and get out unscathed.

"Why are you so jittery today?" Peter asked, amused.

"Shh," Hermione harshly exclaimed under her breath, noticing how one goblin curiously looked in her direction.

Peter's eyes widened as realisation dawned. "Are you scared of the goblins?" he asked, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

Her cheeks reddened and she petulantly glared at her brother. "No, I'm not," she retorted back. "Shut up, Peter."

He snickered under his breath but blessedly kept quiet.

Hermione silently berated herself at how ridiculous she was being. She hadn't been a thief in this time, after all. Although goblins were bright, clever creatures, she knew they could never predict a future heist by merely looking at the potential thief.

She had marginally calmed down after this thought, but still stayed silent as she trailed behind her mother. She only breathed a little better once they were able to walk out of Gringotts safely without a band of angry goblins stampeding towards them.

"We should really go to Florean's," Peter insisted, a hopeful glint in his eyes. "James said they sell the most ridiculous flavours and I would love to try them."

"Later," Anya firmly said. Peter deflated slightly, so their mother quickly added, "We need to buy a lot of things for Hermione first."

"All right," he answered with a soft sigh.

Anya next brought her children to Madam Malkin's. While Hermione's measurements were taken, she watched in amusement how Anya and Peter argued over buying the boy a new set of robes.

"Mum, I didn't grow that tall," Peter exclaimed. "My robes still perfectly fit me."

"But the hems are above your ankles," the older witch reasoned out. "Boys your age will shoot up in no time so we just have to prepare."

Peter threw an exasperated glance at Hermione. "A little help here, please," he called out.

Hermione laughed and stepped down the small dais, thanked the kind witch who got her measurements, and walked towards her mother. "We can do that next year, Mum, if the hems of his robes are now hanging below his knee," she offered.

Anya sighed and agreed in the end.

They waited for a few more minutes before their robes were given and they left for another shop.

They went to Flourish and Blotts, and Peter had sent her a teasing grin, knowing that this was the place she was most excited to visit. Hermione's eyes had grown wide, noting the towering bookshelves decorated around the quaint bookshop. She almost felt teary eyed, remembering how her precious books were ransacked by the Death Eaters when they caught the owners as supporters of the Light.

"Go grab the books you need, Peter," Anya told her son. "I'll help Hermione get her school supplies."

Peter nodded his head and bounded away. Hermione held Anya's hand and followed her mother. As the younger sibling of a wizard, obviously Hermione would inherit Peter's books. She didn't mind the hand-me-downs and appreciated that although Peter wasn't a rigorous student, he at least kept his books neat.

Anya grabbed rolls and rolls of parchments, bought pieces of quills and inkwells, and other supplies she deemed would be useful for Hermione. The young brunette pleaded to buy at least one book, and Anya thankfully relented, knowing how her daughter was a notorious bookworm.

They met Peter at the counter, a pile of thick tomes teetering on his shaking hands. Anya laughed and pulled out her wand, unburdening her son.

"Thanks, Mum," he sheepishly smiled.

Hermione grinned at her mother, feeling inexplicably happy every time she pulled out her wand and did some simple magic. After their father died, Anya had been using magic more frequently these days and Hermione had never seen her mother happier.

Her mother then paid for the purchases and the small family went back onto the streets of Diagon Alley.

-ooo-

They bought more supplies for Hermione, such as cauldrons and scales, and other standard first year equipment, before Anya declared it was time for Hermione to buy her very own wand.

This was the moment Hermione had been fearing ever since Anya told them they would be going to Diagon Alley. Although she was excited she was going to get a wand, she feared it wouldn't be her old wand. When she woke up in this world without her wand, she felt like a part of her limb had been taken away from her. Hermione knew she would feel greatly disappointed if she didn't get the magical stick she had dearly loved.

A small bell tinkled above the door when they entered Ollivander's. Thankfully, the shop was devoid of other aspiring first year students, so the family were able to quickly walk towards the counter.

Hermione gazed around, unable to see the famous wandmaker, while Anya rang the bell on the counter. The family comically flinched when Ollivander finally slid into their sights, perched almost precariously on his rickety ladder.

"Ah, welcome, welcome," he jovially greeted, climbing down and walking towards the counter. His eyes slightly widened upon seeing their mother. "Anastasia Selwyn. Elm and dragon heartstring. Twelve inches. Very swishy and flexible."

"Anya Pettigrew, please," Anya corrected, giving him a tight smile. "But quite right, Mr. Ollivander."

The wandmaker ignored her words as his eyes then swept down at Peter, who was widely staring at him with unabashed awe.

"You really do remember all the wands you've sold," he quipped. He blushed when Ollivander chuckled under his breath.

"An Ollivander never forgets the wands he sold," the wandmaker replied. "And you, young Pettigrew. Cedar and unicorn hair. Thirteen and a half inches. A little rigid, but supple."

Peter vigorously nodded his head, his eyes growing wider.

His gaze finally landed on Hermione and his smile grew. "Ah, what do we have here? A new student?"

She stiffly nodded her head for her reply.

Ollivander pulled his very own wand and swished it in the air. Instantly, measuring tapes appeared and started getting Hermione's measurements.

"Now, Miss Pettigrew," he started, "we have a different array of wands and cores, but you must note that no two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, and phoenixes are quite the same."

When he swished his wand again, the measuring tape disappeared. He sauntered towards the closest box and eyed it with keen eyes. "Hmm… cypress and unicorn hair. Ten and a half inches. Quite springy." He thrusted the wand towards Hermione. "Go on, go on. Give it a little wave."

Hermione eyed the wand with distrust. Even before she touched it, she knew they wouldn't be well-acquainted. She recalled using Bellatrix's wand when her beloved wand was snatched from her, and grew sick in the stomach. She didn't want to experience that ever again.

"I want—" She started, hesitant in voicing out her desires. But when Ollivander frowned and lowered the wand he was clutching, Hermione cleared her throat and stood a tad taller. "I think, I'd like to try vine wood with a dragon heartstring core. Ten and three-fourths inches long."

Both Anya and Peter gawked at her in surprise.

"Please," Hermione quickly squeaked under her breath, wondering if what she'd done was the right thing.

"That's awfully specific," Peter said, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

Hermione cleared her throat once again and hid her trepidation. "I did some reading before coming here, you see. I think vine wood with a dragon heartstring core would suit me. And as for the measurements… well, I hazarded a guess when your magical tape started taking my measurements."

Anya and Peter seemed to accept her explanation. "Even with choosing a wand you can really be a know-it-all," Peter teased, earning him a glare from his sister.

But Ollivander seemed very suspicious. He had grown silent after Hermione's demand, and had been observing her quietly for a few seconds.

Feeling a little uncomfortable with his gaze, Hermione cleared her throat for the third time and asked, "Well?"

"A wand chooses the wielder, Miss Pettigrew," he said, the tone of his voice now curiously devoid of his initial joviality. "Not the other way around."

"Please," she insisted. "Just let me try it."

When a deep frown graced Ollivander's face, Hermione internally sighed.

She just really missed her wand.

"As an honest suggestion from me, Mr. Ollivander," Peter suddenly quipped. "I think you should really just follow her request. Mighty stubborn, this one is—OW, HERMIONE!"

"Shut it," she hissed under her breath, glaring at her brother who was now rubbing his sore ribs.

Anya shushed her children then sheepishly smiled the wandmaker. "I apologise, Mr. Ollivander," she said, "but we really need to go."

His eyes never left Hermione, but he finally sighed. "Very well," he stonily replied. "I'll be right back."

He wasn't gone for a minute. When he came back, Hermione's breath hitched at the familiar green box that had once housed her beloved wand. She had to bite her tongue hard to stop herself from crying in relief when he finally opened the box and showed her the exact replica of her own past wand.

He offered the stick to her. "Go on. Give it a try," he said hesitantly.

The moment she touched the textured handle of the vine wood, instant warmth spread through her fingertips. The magic inside her hummed pleasurably upon being reacquainted with an old friend, and it didn't surprise her when red and gold sparks shot out from her wand like fireworks.

Peter clapped at the display, grinning widely at Hermione. Anya placed a hand on top of Hermione's shoulder, a proud grin on her face.

"Hmm… curiously you were right," Ollivander claimed, closing the green box and moving it away. "I've sold a thousand wands in my life, Miss Pettigrew, and this is the first time a witch was able to correctly choose her wand."

Hermione gave him a shaky grin, hugging her wand close to her chest. "I'm a know-it-all, remember?" she joked.

Ollivander's brows knitted at the middle, trying to decipher Hermione like she was a difficult puzzle. But then, he finally gave up and gave her a hesitant smile.

"I wish you many happy years in Hogwarts, Miss Pettigrew," he answered instead.

-ooo-

"No one's going to snatch your wand, Hermione," Peter teased when he slid inside the booth across from the brunette.

"You can't be too careful," she murmured under her breath, finally, yet reluctantly, sliding her wand inside her sleeve. She eyed the colourful ice cream in front of her brother and didn't bother asking him what flavour he had gotten. Instead, she looked around the ice cream shop and frowned. "Where's Mum?"

Peter shrugged. "She said she needed to buy something else," he answered. "We can go ahead and eat our ice creams."

Hermione nodded and ate her ice cream – a normal toffee flavoured one – and savoured how the creamy dessert melted on her tongue.

"I really wish you'd be Sorted into Gryffindor," Peter then quipped. "We'll have so much fun."

She wondered if the Sorting Hat would allow her to choose. Although she'd always be a Gryffindor through and through, the thought of staying inside their cozy common room and sleeping in the dormitories without her own friends didn't sit well with Hermione.

"Maybe I'll be a Ravenclaw," she casually replied. "You know, so no one will judge me for being a swot."

Peter grinned. "I bet you'll be at the top of your year," he said.

She lifted her chin a little higher. "Is that a challenge, Peter?" she snootily asked.

His eyes gleamed, leaning forward to meet her in the eye. "What are the stakes?"

"A yearlong supply of toffee if I win," she said without any hesitation.

"Figures you'd say that," Peter snorted. "Fine. Deal. But if you lose?"

Hermione smirked. "Oh, I think I will win," she confidently replied.

Peter guffawed and waved his spoon in her direction. "Maybe you'll be well suited in Slytherin instead, you berk," he laughed.

She was about to retort, when Peter suddenly shot up from his seat. A huge smile broke out on his face as he immediately clambered out of the booth.

"HEY!" he exclaimed. He was greeted with a chorus of 'Hellos' and curious, Hermione peeked from the booth she was sitting in. Three other boys were raucously shoving Peter's shoulders, already excitedly talking with her brother. The boy with a mildly scarred face smiled kindly at Peter, asking him about his vacation. The one with shaggy black hair was playfully messing with Peter's sandy hair. And lastly, the boy with impossibly dishevelled hair with elegant, thin-framed glasses perched on top of his nose was wildly gesticulating with his hands, perhaps enumerating his adventurous summer.

Hermione's breath hitched when the four boys looked over at her. Peter's cheeks reddened in embarrassment while the other three stared at her curiously.

Suddenly embarrassed herself, Hermione hid behind the booth once again and prayed to Merlin they wouldn't come over.

But then, when several sets of footsteps grew closer, Hermione's heart thudded in panic. She desperately tried to calm herself down, told herself repeatedly that she wouldn't show how much their presence had affected her.

Hermione suddenly stilled when a bespectacled boy slid down beside her. Peter sat on the seat across from her, a sheepish smile on his face. The scarred boy sat down beside Peter. And the boy with the shaggy hair chose to stand instead, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he stared down at Hermione.

"So…" the boy beside her started, "you are the infamous Hermione Pettigrew."

She stiffly stared at her brother instead, refusing to glance at the boy that looked exactly like her Harry. "I'm not infamous for anything," she murmured.

The shaggy haired boy – Sirius – burst into raucous laughter. He leaned down on the table and placed his chin on top of his hands. "Excited to go to Hogwarts, kitten?" he asked.

Hermione scrunched her nose, remembering the older Sirius' horrible nickname for her. She briefly threw him a scathing glare and stared at her brother again. "Don't call me that," she spat. "I have a name."

Instead of getting offended, Sirius' eyes glinted brighter under the cozy lights of Florean's.

"What's gotten her knickers in a twist?" the boy beside her – James – asked, jutting a thumb in her direction.

"She's just mighty nervous, that's all," Peter explained, giving her a small smile.

"There's nothing to be nervous about attending Hogwarts, kitten," Sirius said, ignoring how she bristled on her seat. "The Sorting can be exhausting and terrifying, but once you get through that alive, then you're all good."

James started snickering under his breath while the scarred boy – Remus – groaned. "You don't need to scare her, Sirius," he reprimanded. He gave her a small, kind smile and Hermione's eyes slightly watered, remembering her favourite Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. "The Sorting's not that terrible, Hermione. Trust me. It'll be done in a minute."

"Mine wasn't," Peter reminded with a wide smile.

"Can't believe you almost got Sorted into Slytherin," James said with a wrinkled nose. "Those bunch of snakes are evil, I tell you."

Sirius reverently nodded his head. "I'm so glad I got free from the Black family curse," he said with a dramatic sigh.

"Which is?" Remus asked with knitted eyebrows.

"Why, getting Sorted into Slytherin, of course!" Sirius cried. "Imagine sleeping in a dungeon for seven years." He made a face and shivered in disgust.

James snorted. "Funny," he started, "I thought the 'Black family curse' was when members of the family started to go mental as they aged." He grinned widely when he dodged Sirius' punch. "Mental, that's definitely you."

"Shut up, wanker," Sirius said, sticking out his tongue petulantly.

"Language," Hermione suddenly admonished with a frown.

The Black heir looked at her in surprise. "You're not my Mother," he shot back.

She sighed and looked away, once again comforting herself by staring at Peter instead.

"But seriously, though," James said, addressing Hermione again. "I hope you won't get Sorted into Slytherin. Peter talks about you all the time and we'd hate it if his sister got Sorted with the snakes. They're evil."

"You really shouldn't generalise people because of their House," she berated, glaring at him out of the corner of her eyes.

James frowned. "What?" he asked. "I'm not. I'm merely stating facts."

"Baseless facts," she corrected. "Slytherins are not all evil. Hogwarts: A History spoke about how cunning they can be, and it would be mighty helpful when planning for a raid once they become Aurors. Hufflepuffs can be brave and intelligent. And Ravenclaws can hurt other people if they want with their brains."

She was suddenly haunted by all the people she had encountered in the battlefield, lines blurred and House colors unimportant. She had long learnt that such generalisations always led to heartache and betrayals.

Her eyes unwittingly glanced at her brother once more, remembering how a Gryffindor had betrayed his friends in the end.

"Or… or you know, how not all Gryffindors grow up to be brave." She finished her speech in a small whisper, glancing at her hands and trying to keep her emotions intact.

"What?!" the boys collectively thundered.

Hermione blinked, surprised with their outburst. She lifted her head and looked at each of their faces, noting the thunderous expressions painted on their splotchy red faces. Even Peter was looking at her with a disapproving frown. "What?" she echoed, confused.

"Gryffindors are brave!" James interjected. "How can you say that?"

"Not all," she insisted, annoyed.

"Yes, all," James replied.

Hermione had to stop herself from hitting her forehead with her palm. These boys were still so blinded by their Houses and the rigid delineation of what was good or bad, of what was light or dark, it was almost saddening. If Hogwarts had taught them about how the real world was a wonderful spectrum of different, various shades of grey, then the war might not have dragged out as long.

Hermione expelled an exhausted sigh and slumped down in her seat. She knew arguing with these bright-eyed boys would be futile, anyway. "Never mind," she quietly murmured. "Believe whatever you want."

"Your sister's weird, Petey," Sirius pointed out with a frown. "She definitely won't be Sorted into Gryffindor."

In spite of herself, she snorted. "Woe is me," she dryly replied.

She saw how this made Remus laugh. "Definitely a Ravenclaw," he said with a resolute nod. "You dolts won't be able to handle that big brain of hers."

James, who had now marginally calmed down, threw a bemused glance at Peter. "You didn't tell us your sister's annoying," he joked.

Peter grinned. "A bloody know-it-all, too, if you ask me," he laughed.

Hermione, slightly affronted, scooped up her melting ice cream with her spoon and made a makeshift catapult with her finger. She flung the ice cream towards her brother, which landed squarely on his forehead.

Sirius released a low whistle while James and Remus exploded into boisterous laughter. "Nice shot, kitten," the Black heir said with a wide grin.

Peter's face steadily turned red as he tried to retaliate, scooping up a handful of his own melting ice cream and hurtling it towards his sister. Hermione laughed and dodged. The ice cream landed on James's shoulder, prompting him to yelp in surprise. He snatched Hermione's spoon and flung more of the dessert towards Peter.

Suffice to say, when Anya came back to collect her children, she was surprised by the scene that greeted her.

"What happened here?" she gasped, glancing at the massacred creamy dessert clinging to various parts of their hair and clothes.

"Hi, Mum," Hermione and Peter sheepishly said.

"Good day, Mrs. Pettigrew," Sirius said with a ridiculous bow and a charming grin. He looked extra ridiculous because most of his right cheek was covered in ice cream. "It's been a while."

Anya started reprimanding the rowdy children, lecturing them about respecting their food, and by the time all the children were clean, they were properly shamefaced.

When the other three boys bid their goodbyes, promising Peter to save him a seat on the Hogwarts Express, Anya reckoned it was time for them to go home.

"Your friends are so annoying," Hermione complained when she clung at Anya's hand.

Peter gave her a cheeky grin. "I think they like you," he shot back, clutching Hermione's other free hand.

Hermione rolled her eyes, murmured under her breath how she thought that wasn't a compliment. She promised herself she would keep as far away from the Marauder's radar as possible. They were too involved in the war after all, and well, that was not what Hermione wanted in the first place.

When they finally got home, before Hermione could deposit her new things in her bedroom, Anya stopped her.

"I bought you a congratulatory gift, Hermione," Anya said with a sad smile. "Now that my daughter is going to start her education soon, I thought it was fitting to give you a farewell gift."

Hermione threw a glance at Peter, who merely shrugged in return.

Anya then pulled out an aged copy of Hogwarts: A History that almost made her eyes bulge out from their sockets.

"A first edition?" she gasped, reverently cradling the book in her hands. "But… but Mum, this is so expensive."

Her mother kindly smiled down at her and brushed a loose curl away. "Never mind the price, love," she tenderly replied. "After seeing your expression, I knew buying it was the right thing to do."

Tears swam in Hermione's vision as she threw her arms around her. "I love you, Mum," she whispered earnestly.

Anya smiled and dropped a kiss on the crown of her head. "I love you too, sweetheart," she replied. "I know you are going to make me really proud."

"Can I join in the hug too?" Peter hopefully asked, a large grin on his face.

Hermione chuckled and pulled him close. She was then sandwiched between the two people she had cared for the most in this world and Hermione hadn't felt this happy in a long time.

Chapter Text

iv.

and so here we go bluebird

(Bluebird by Sara Bareilles)

September 1, 1972

Hermione smiled sadly at her mother who was trying her very best not to cry. Anya had been fussing over Peter for ages now, mothering him about the importance of studying and avoiding detentions. Peter's face had been red ever since they had gone through the barrier between Platforms Nine and Ten and had been loudly complaining to Anya that he knew how to properly take care of himself.

"Why can't you nag Hermione instead?" he whined, shying away from her hands as she tried to tame his hair.

Anya darkly glared at her firstborn. "I'm not worried for Hermione," she explained. "Your sister's proven to be quite responsible and bright. I'm sure she's not the one who's going to give me a headache this year, young man."

Peter glanced over at Hermione with a pleading look on his face. Deciding that her poor brother had had enough, she sauntered towards Anya and wrapped her arms around her tiny waist. This stopped her fussing all together, and their mother finally let her tears fall.

The older witch wrapped her arms around Hermione's shoulders and sagged against her. "I'm going to miss you both so much," she sniffed. "Home will not be the same without you."

Her brother looked uncomfortable with their mother's display of emotions, but was sensitive enough to pat her on her back for comfort.

Anya sniffed and chuckled, haphazardly wiping her tears away, before pulling completely from Hermione's hug. "You're going to make me proud, I'm sure of it," she declared with a shaky smile on her face. She glanced at Peter and lightly glared. "Yes, even you, Peter. So be sure to study diligently and stay away from pranking, all right?"

"I'm sure that's not going to happen," Hermione said with a teasing grin.

Peter rolled his eyes. "Hermione will be there with me, Mum. She'll do the nagging for you," he shot back.

Anya sighed and pinched his cheek. "Insolent boy," she replied tenderly.

She shooed them away when the train whistle filled the bustling train station. "I love you both," she exclaimed once both Hermione and Peter were on the train. As the train departed, they wildly waved their hands in goodbye until they weren't able to see Anya anymore.

"I'm going to find James and the others," Peter said for his goodbye. But then, he paused and reluctantly looked back at Hermione. "Well… if you want to come…"

"And spend my first time riding the Hogwarts train with a bunch of smelly boys?" Hermione said, cutting him off. She wrinkled her nose. "No thanks."

Peter rolled his eyes. "We're not smelly," he insisted.

"Your laundry basket begs to differ, though."

He pinched her side with an incredulous smile. "Berk," he said. He grasped the handle of his trunk and looked thoughtful for a moment. "If you ever need anything, Hermione. Anything. Don't hesitate to come to me for help, yeah?"

"I'll keep that in mind, Petey," she said with a brilliant smile.

He bid his goodbye and went away to search for his friends.

Now that Hermione was alone, she felt a tad nervous as she tried to search for an empty compartment. Unfamiliar faces greeted her eyes, and she was too uncomfortable to share a carriage ride with people she didn't know. Hermione was intent on finding an empty compartment and was only able to find one when she'd reached a compartment at the back of the train.

She pulled her trunk inside and sat on one of the benches.

For a moment, Hermione blinked into space, at a loss of what to do. It felt terribly surreal to be going back to Hogwarts – for the first time, so to speak. The last time she'd ridden the Hogwarts Express was when they left for summer after sixth year, entirely knowing it would be their last ride before they ventured out to search for the horcruxes. It still saddened Hermione that she wasn't able to attend their seventh year, to become a Head Girl, and to graduate at the top of her class. But then, at that time, thinking about grades and prestigious positions were silly when they had a bigger problem to address.

Now that she had a chance for a do-over, Hermione promised herself she would solely focus on studying. She wouldn't hang out with ridiculous boys with equally ridiculous thirsts for ridiculous adventures.

Resolute, she opened her trunk and pulled out her copy of Hogwarts: A History and started to quietly read.

Her moment of solitude was suddenly disturbed when her compartment door opened. Hermione lifted her blue eyes in surprise and was greeted with emerald eyes that haunted her dreams daily.

"Oh, hello," the girl with the fiery red hair greeted. "Terribly sorry for bothering you, but you see the other compartments are already full. I was hoping we can share this one with you?"

Hermione blinked her owlish eyes and glanced at the sullen boy hovering behind the girl. Although several years younger, her previous Potions professor's face was unmistakable. There were still dark shadows under his eyes, most likely from spending too much time brewing potions during ungodly hours, and his hair was still a tad greasy. The young Severus Snape narrowed his black eyes at her staring.

"Um… you're a first year, aren't you?" Lily Potter – no, Evans – said, prompting Hermione's eyes to land back on her. Lily's wide smile faltered when Hermione continued to merely stare. "It's… it's all right. We're second years, you see, but we're not going to bite."

Her smile became full blown once more at her joke, but Hermione still continued to stare. Seeing James Potter for the first time had been easier, because although he looked exactly like her Harry Potter, his eyes were hazel and he didn't act like Harry.

But Lily… Lily had Harry's eyes, and Harry's warmth, and Harry's humor, and it almost hurt Hermione's heart just looking at the young girl.

"Come on, Lily," Snape suddenly snapped. "I don't think this idiot wants us to be here."

"Sev!" Lily admonished with a light glare. "Don't be such a sourpuss. She's clearly terrified of us."

The redhead kindly smiled at Hermione again. "I'm sorry, we've really looked throughout the whole train but there are no more seats." Lily didn't wait for Hermione to talk and invited herself inside. She placed her trunk beside Hermione's and slid beside the brunette. "We're really not that terrifying, honestly. Although" – she jutted a thumb towards the frowning boy – "that bloke can be batty sometimes, but he's not that bad either."

Snape loudly sighed and went inside, closing the door behind him. He sat opposite the two girls and crossed his arms across his chest.

"Um…" Lily leaned over and looked at the book placed on Hermione's lap. "Oh! Hogwarts: A History!" She grinned once more. "I didn't know people still read that. You know what? I think I was the only one in my year who read that before coming to school. Honestly, I don't understand why they think it's such a bore to read. It's filled with fantastic facts about Hogwarts after all. I think I read it twice over the summer before school started."

"This is my third time reading it," Hermione suddenly blurted out.

Lily's eyes widened with her answer. Across from them, Severus snorted. "Ah, so she talks after all," he said with a bemused smirk.

The redhead sent him a reproachful glare but didn't humour him with a reply. Instead, she looked back at Hermione and grinned once more. "Your third time? Really? Wow, okay, hi I'm Lily Evans and I think we're going to get along swimmingly." She then offered her hand for a handshake.

Hermione reluctantly glanced at her proffered hand before grasping it lightly and giving it a slight shake. "Hermione Pettigrew," she murmured.

"Pettigrew?" Snape suddenly thundered. He made a face. "You're not related to Peter Pettigrew, are you?"

"Well, he's my older brother so—"

The Slytherin loudly groaned and frowned at Lily. "Of all the carriages you choose, you went and got a free one with that stupid Gryffindor's sister."

"And that rude boy is Severus Snape. Don't mind him, really, he's not that rude all the time." Lily gave him another scathing glare until Severus scowled and looked away.

Hermione nervously scratched her nose and briefly glanced at the sour Slytherin across from her. "Er, hi," she said.

Mentally, Hermione was smacking herself to get a grip. Although she practically knew these two people, they didn't know her. Both were just twelve-year-olds without the burden of a great war on their shoulders. Hermione just had to compose herself and start talking coherently; else, Severus's initial impression of her as an idiot might stick until Hermione reached her seventh year.

"I didn't know Peter Pettigrew has a sister," Lily quipped. "But now I can see the resemblance. You have the same shade of hair and the blue eyes."

Hermione had to bite her tongue to stop herself from blurting out that Lily had Harry Potter's eyes. 'Yes, okay, definitely an idiot, Hermione,' she told herself.

"I'm sure my brother was too busy wreaking havoc all over Hogwarts with his annoying friends, than to tell the whole school about me," the brunette answered.

Lily's eyes momentarily widened at her joke, then she burst out into a loud, lovely laugh. Even Snape looked highly amused at her words.

"Yes, okay, I think we are definitely going to get along swimmingly," Lily reiterated, the wide grin still on her face.

The rest of the carriage ride was less awkward and Hermione found herself easily communicating with Lily—if she didn't stare too long at her green eyes.

It amused her immensely how Harry's mother was a huge chatterbox. She never really knew much about Lily Potter, except that her love for Harry had saved him from Voldemort's Avada—and by extension, the whole Wizarding World. Both Sirius and Remus spoke about her with fondness and reverence, and so it disoriented Hermione a bit at how the girl never ran out of words to say. It was mighty amusing, though, and Hermione did believe she'd get along with her.

The young Severus Snape was just as sullen as his older counterpart. Although this boy was more annoyed most of the time, there wasn't any hint of grief or harshness in his eyes. She knew from Harry that he loved Lily Potter with his whole heart, willingly risking his life by becoming a double agent just to secretly protect her son, and it had admittedly painted him into a different light. Still, she couldn't entirely forgive him for bullying children. Neville's boggart was their Potions Master, for Merlin's sake. Although his intentions were perhaps noble, his attitude was still atrocious.

But this Slytherin was marginally better, lighter, even, and right now she could see the admiration in his black eyes when he would indulge Lily and listen to her endless chattering.

While Lily continued enumerating her adventurous summer with her cranky sister, Petunia, Hermione glanced down at her hands and was surprised they were clenched into tight fists. Lily was lovely and Severus wasn't all that bad right now, at least. Hermione wondered if she'd be able to look away when they finally met their end.

Such harrowing thoughts left her mind completely when their carriage door was suddenly slid open. Before any of the three could react, two dungbombs were suddenly thrown inside their carriage. A soft 'boom' was heard and smoke with the putrid smell of faeces filled their carriage. Hermione gagged, instantly pinching her nose to keep the smell away.

Raucous laughter from outside rang in their small compartment. The lovely Lily suddenly grew thunderous as she jumped off from her seat and magicked the smoke and smell away. Severus also stood up from his seat, equally enraged, and was now clutching his wand in his right hand.

"Good one, Jamesy-boy!"

Hermione's eyes narrowed when she spied the rowdy Gryffindors, her brother included.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Lily loudly shrieked, threateningly waving her wand. Hermione would have found it amusing how the four boys slightly cowered upon seeing Lily, but she too was too enraged with their stupid prank.

"Aww, Lils, come on, it was funny," James Potter insisted with his stupid, stupid lopsided grin.

"If you're the one who threw the stupid dungbombs, maybe," Hermione snarled from behind Lily.

The Gryffindor boys seemed to realise that it wasn't only Lily and Severus inside the compartment and looked at Hermione with wide eyes.

"Hermione!" Peter exclaimed, paling at the sight of his sister. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I was sitting here," Hermione shot back, cheeks reddening. "Talking with my friends. Then you suddenly ruined it with your ridiculous prank."

Lily seemed pleased with how Hermione addressed them. Even Severus quirked an eyebrow.

"You are friends with Snivellus?" Sirius asked with incredulity, scrunching his nose as if he could still smell the dungbombs.

Hermione lifted her chin and stared them down. "So what if I am?" she snapped. She never really found the fun of pranking someone just to get a laugh. Although she dearly loved the Weasley twins, their pranks sometimes bordered on atrociousness. Well, the spectacle they threw during her fifth year was a wonderful exception, of course. And oh how some of the joke items they'd invented had been incredibly helpful prior to their horcrux hunt.

But still. Ridiculous boys who thought they were a riot for pulling pranks to oblivious persons just for the fun of it were stupid and annoying.

James narrowed his eyes and turned to Peter. "Your sister's no fun," he complained.

Peter paled and threw a dark glare at Hermione. The brunette did not appreciate Peter's accusatory look and threw her own glare at him in return.

"Piss off, Potter," Severus then snarled, speaking for the first time.

"Shut up, Snape," Sirius harshly cried, pulling out his wand to point at the Slytherin.

Hermione held her breath when Severus also pointed his wand at the Gryffindor. Internally groaning, she cursed her brother for spending time with bullies when all she wanted was for this year to pass by smoothly. So much for wanting to study in peace.

"Quit it," Remus hissed under his breath, desperately clutching onto Sirius' hovering hand. "We're not even in Hogwarts yet but you're already trying to get us into detention."

Mercifully, Sirius lowered his wand. Snape still hadn't lowered his, but Lily stepped directly in front of his wand tip to stop him from throwing a hex despite Sirius's obvious retreat.

"Let's just go," Remus insisted. "We already threw the dungbombs and they're obviously annoyed. We had our fun."

Both James and Sirius still glowered at Snape. Then, the Black heir looked at Hermione and frowned. "You really shouldn't hang out with a snake like him, kitten," he admonished.

"My name is 'Hermione'!" she thundered.

James rolled his eyes and motioned for them to follow him, finally leaving the three alone.

Once Lily loudly slid the door shut, she rounded on the other two with blazing eyes. "Those… those berks!" she exclaimed. Her red hair almost crackled with energy and Hermione swore it looked aflame. "I really don't know why they're still picking on you, Sev."

"They're a bunch of idiots," he snarled, plopping down on his seat and crossing his arms petulantly. "What do you expect, Lily?"

The older witch glanced apologetically at Hermione. "I'm sorry," she said, reaching forward to squeeze her arm. "We're still on the train – and it's your first ride too – but you've been pulled into this ridiculous school rivalry between my best friend and those dolts."

Snape snorted, but didn't offer a response.

Hermione sighed and her fingers itched to rub the bridge of her nose. "It's all right," she said as she sat back down on the seats. "I grew up with a ridiculous brother for eleven years. I've had worse days."

Lily smiled prettily at Hermione, thoroughly relieved that she didn't blame them for her horrible first train ride. "I always wanted a brother," she confessed, sitting back down beside Hermione. "My sister's such a bummer – she's overbearing, seriously – so I thought a brother would have been nice, you know."

The brunette snorted. "You're lucky, that's what you are," was her reply.

-ooo-

She'd done this once, all right, but Hermione still couldn't stop her giddiness.

The boat ride was amazing, and she couldn't suppress her tears when Hogwarts finally came into view. Her last memory of Hogwarts was full of pain and grief, and she had been unable to watch as her home crumbled right before her eyes. She was glad at least that she was able to see it in its former glory once more.

Hermione stumbled out of the rickety boat and quickly trailed behind the towering form of Hagrid. She was stupidly grinning at his back as he called the first years into order, disbelieving that Hagrid looked the same the last time she had seen him.

Hagrid brought them into the castle and collective gasps of wonder from the other first years permeated the silent walls. The gatekeeper heartily laughed and bid them goodbye, before sauntering inside the Great Hall. Hermione was able to peak into the small slit of space separating them from the other older students, and she was able to briefly hear the loud merriment inside.

Her heart raced at the thought of attending Hogwarts again and she grinned at the boy standing beside her, equally mesmerised himself.

Professor McGonagall then approached the first years and told them the instructions on how to be Sorted. Hermione softly laughed when she heard sighs of relief from the students when they discovered that a Sorting Hat would place them into their respective houses. No doubt they had heard terrifying rumours about the Sorting from the older students, and had been most likely dreading it.

The Deputy Headmistress' speech was almost the same as the one the 'old' Hermione Granger had heard the first time she had come to Hogwards. By the time McGonagall was finished, Hermione's eyes had widened beyond belief. The older witch commanded them to fall into a straight line before beckoning them to follow inside the Great Hall.

The merriment she'd heard became full blast when the first years finally came inside. Hermione's cheeks were flushed with excitement and embarrassment, aware how the older students were eyeing the first years with interest in their eyes. She caught Peter's wink when she passed by their table and she grinned, momentarily forgetting how he and his friends had been prats back on the Hogwarts Express.

The Sorting Hat sat on an old stool at the very front. McGonagall then pulled out a scroll from her robe pockets and started to call out the names of the students.

Hermione recognised some of the names being called out and tried to see their resemblance with their future children.

"Black, Regulus."

A hush fell in the Great Hall as a boy that looked exactly like Sirius strutted proudly towards the small stool. The only difference he had to Sirius maybe was that little smirk on his face that was strangely reminiscent of the bully Draco Malfoy.

Hermione briefly glanced at his older brother at the Gryffindor table and it was obvious that Sirius was more nervous for his brother's Sorting than Regulus himself.

Professor McGonagall then placed the Hat on top of Regulus' perfectly styled hair and not even a few seconds had passed when the Sorting Hat blurted a proud "SLYTHERIN!"

Sirius's loud wailing was left unheard amidst the boisterous clapping of the Slytherin House. There was unmistakable relief on the young boy's face as he slid down from the stool and proudly strolled towards his new house. It didn't escape Hermione's notice, however, how the little boy threw a hasty glance at the Gryffindor table, where Sirius was lamenting over his brother's Sorting, and saw the regret in his eyes. But it was soon gone, and the youngest Black was welcomed warmly by his new Housemates.

Hermione returned her attention to the Sorting and before she knew it, her name had been called.

"Pettigrew, Hermione!" Professor McGonagall sternly shouted.

Nerves racked her body as Hermione slowly approached the stool. Before Professor McGonagall lowered the Hat over her head, she was able to see Peter gesturing a thumb's up for good luck. Then, her vision was completely blocked as the brim of the oversized hat completely covered her eyes and perched on the bridge of her nose.

"Hmm… curious, very curious," the Hat whispered in her mind. "You are a tricky little girl now, Miss Pettigrew, aren't you?"

"What do you mean?" Hermione nervously asked.

"I see… I see proud ambition in your heart. Perhaps you'd be better suited in Slytherin?" it suggested, but then it started tutting and if Hermione could describe its actions, she'd reckon it was trying to shake its head. "No, no, Slytherin will not bring out the best in you. Hmm… I feel deep bravery and loyalty within you. A ferocious lion, I'm sure you will be. Perhaps Gryffindor?"

Hermione mentally sighed. "I'm not brave," she pointed out. "Not anymore, I don't think."

"And why do you say that?" the Sorting Hat asked, surprised.

"I – well – it's complicated," she tried to explain. "I ran away, you see. It's – just – no, no, I don't think I am brave anymore."

Hermione could feel her cheeks heating up in embarrassment, realising she had almost poured out her heart to an enchanted Hat.

"Hmm… but then I see such knowledge, so vast and deep, more so than other children your age," the Hat continued. "Maybe you are suited more in Ravenclaw after all."

"You did consider putting me to Ravenclaw before, you know," she thought with a small smile on her face.

"I beg your pardon?" the Hat asked, quite confused.

"Never mind that," she quickly added.

"Well, in that case, I think I will place you in – RAVENCLAW!"

The Sorting Hat was immediately removed from her head and Hermione's eyes took a few seconds to readjust with the sudden onslaught of bright lights. The whole Ravenclaw table were clapping enthusiastically for their new housemate and Hermione, with a dazed grin on her face, jumped down from the stool and ran quickly towards her new House.

"Blimey, I think that was the longest Hatstall since, I dunno, forever!" a Ravenclaw girl, with brown hair and grey eyes exclaimed as Hermione sat down.

Hermione blushed. "What? Really? How long was it?" she asked. She had been a Hatstall in her previous life too, and she didn't expect to be one in this lifetime too.

"Hmm, maybe five or six minutes," the pretty girl said with a grin.

Hermione sheepishly smiled. "Well, the Hat did say I was a 'tricky little girl'," she said, and then laughed.

The other girl also laughed, then offered her hand. "Hi, I'm Dorothy Boot. First year, like you." She then pointed at the girl sitting beside her with silky, black hair and brown eyes. "That's Michelle Corner, also first year." The girl smiled and Hermione's eyes widened, finally seeing her resemblance with the future Michael Corner.

Dorothy then pointed at the last girl sitting beside Michelle. The girl had blonde hair and grey eyes, and she gave Hermione a toothy grin when she caught her looking. "And that's Alexandrea Goldstein."

The blonde snorted. "Please, Alex will do just fine," she quipped. "Only my mother uses my whole name, and she almost always uses it when she's pissed."

Hermione laughed and nodded. "All right," she said. "Hi, I'm Hermione Pettigrew."

Michelle leaned a little closer to Hermione and threw a quick glance over at the Gryffindor table. "You're not related to Peter Pettigrew, are you?" she asked, interest in her eyes.

"Unfortunately, he's my older brother," Hermione said with an overdramatic sigh. Dorothy grinned at her melodrama but didn't say anything. "Wait, you know my brother?"

Michelle nodded her head. "I have an older brother – he's in second year – and he's in Gryffindor, too. Said Peter Pettigrew and his other friends were bloody wicked," she gushed out, prompting Alex to snort beside her. "I heard their pranks were legendary."

Hermione wrinkled her nose. "More of a nuisance actually," she corrected. "My mother almost blew her top off when McGonagall sent her a letter about my brother's shenanigans last school year. I had to stop her from sending a Howler to Peter just to save him from further embarrassing himself."

"Really?" Alex asked, hiding a laugh. "Merlin, they sound more of a menace than anything else."

"I think you got that right," Hermione said, laughing herself.

October 25, 1972

"Seriously, Hermione. You're studying on a day like this?"

The brunette grinned and lifted her eyes off her parchment. Lily's green eyes were glistening with amusement as she sauntered closer to the library table which Hermione occupied and pulled out the chair beside her. She then deposited all of her things on top of the table and sat down. Severus, as usual, took the chair opposite Lily's and pulled out his other things to start working on his essay.

"Pot, kettle," she replied and went back to her Charms book.

Lily expelled a deep sigh. "You're still in your first year, Hermione," she explained. "You have to go around and make more friends, explore Hogwarts, and even discover secret places while you can."

"Funny," Severus said with a bemused frown on his face. "You did none of those things when you were a first year, Lily."

"Shut up, Sev, not helping," Lily said, playfully smacking his hand away.

Hermione snickered under her breath, prompting the Slytherin to glare her way. "I like studying, Lily," she explained. "There's plenty of time to make friends."

The Gryffindor frowned and finally dropped the subject.

As they started doing their own homework in peace, Hermione chanced a glance at the redhead beside her, then at the sullen boy across from her, and unwittingly smiled once again. After Hermione was settled in Hogwarts and had started going to her classes, Lily Evans had taken it upon herself to take Hermione under her wing. She insisted that she might need an older girl who would help her with her work or guide her with various things. Lily and Severus had usually studied with her since then, and Hermione would indulge the kind witch by asking various, silly questions, which she knew the answer to anyway. It was worth it upon seeing Lily's delighted face, but both the second years soon discovered that Hermione was a brilliant little thing and had started asking her about things they reckoned she would know the answer to.

Although Hermione had gained a few friends in her new House and year, she found herself spending most of her time with both Lily and Severus. They were wonderful company, and great study buddies too. It made her heart flutter at how Lily would always invite her over to study with her and the Slytherin.

It was a blessing she got Sorted into Ravenclaw, because at least she could steer clear from the rowdy Marauders and other important figures in the coming First Wizarding War, and not get herself too involved with their lives. But every time Lily looked at her with those bright bright bright green eyes of hers, inviting her over to study or to hang out with her and Severus, Hermione found herself unable to decline.

Sometimes, secretly, Hermione fancied herself into thinking that Harry Potter was the one inviting her to study or hang out with—with his bright bright bright green eyes and ridiculous smile.

"What are you studying?" Lily asked, glancing over at her Charms book. "Oh, the Levitation Charm?"

Hermione nodded her head. "Professor Flitwick said he'll teach it to us on Halloween so I'm doing some advanced reading," she explained.

The redhead hummed under her breath and once again glanced at the brunette's book. "Remember about proper pronunciation," she pointed out. "Most first years botched up their first try with this spell because they're not saying it properly. Honestly, most say it as Wingardium Le-vi-O-sa when in fact its—"

"—Le-vio-SA," Hermione finished with a grin, at the same time Lily did.

The Gryffindor's eyes widened when Hermione laughed. "I've read it countless times, Lily," she assured. "I'm sure I have the pronunciation embedded in my neurons."

Severus suddenly groaned, prompting Hermione to look over at him in question. "Great, a kindred swot," he grumbled under his breath. "One was enough, honestly."

Hermione sputtered out a laugh when the Slytherin was obviously trying to hide a smile. Lily then caught both of Hermione's hands and with bright, glittering eyes, she proclaimed, "We're going to be best friends forever, Hermione Pettigrew."

Her eyes widened at Lily's earnest declaration, before a large grin grew on her face. "I think that will be wonderful," she said, unable to glance away from Lily's green eyes.

"I think that will be a nightmare," Severus offered.

"Shut up, Severus, no one's talking to you," Lily snapped back.

Hermione laughed at the glare on the Slytherin's face, but Lily was undeterred.

Maybe her life in Hogwarts would be interesting after all.

February 10, 1973

"Hermione!"

The brunette skidded to a halt as she craned her neck over her shoulder, surprised to see her older brother running to catch up with her. "Peter?" she asked, suddenly worried. "What's wrong?" He never really went out of his way to seek her out. Not that Hermione minded, really. She was busy breezing through her first year, attending each class and attentively listening to her professors. She had been through these lessons before, of course, and admittedly she sometimes got bored with the basic lessons, but the normalcy of it all was refreshing and Hermione soaked it all up like bright, warm sunlight.

She waited until Peter had finally caught up with her and grabbed onto her elbow. "Where are you headed to?" he asked, ignoring her previous question.

"I was about to go to the Black Lake to do some light reading," she said, waving the huge tome in the air for her brother to see.

Peter's eyes almost popped out from their sockets. "You call that light reading?" he asked, incredulous. Upon seeing her eyebrow raise, he rolled his eyes. "Never mind. Don't answer that."

"What's wrong?" she repeated, this time with more urgency.

He blinked his blue eyes at her with an innocent smile on his face. "What? Do I need a decent reason to catch up with my sister?" he asked.

Hermione wrinkled her nose. "Now, something's definitely wrong," she pointed out.

Peter boisterously laughed and tugged her towards the Black Lake. They trudged through the Hogwarts grounds with Peter constantly asking her questions about how she was, how her classes were, was she coping brilliantly, and although Hermione knew it wasn't Peter's primary purpose for approaching her today, she indulged him with her honest answers.

By the time they had reached Hermione's favourite tree – a huge, towering oak with long enough branches to give her a cool shade – Peter turned to Hermione with a stern look in his eyes.

"Are you still hanging out with Snivel – Snape?" he asked, quickly correcting his mistake.

Hermione's eyebrows flew up to her hairline. "This is about Severus?" she asked in surprise, holding back a smile when he scowled at how she addressed the Slytherin.

"So you are still hanging out with him," he accused.

She shrugged her shoulders and daintily sat down on the dry grass beneath the huge tree. "So what if I am?" she bit back.

Peter groaned and fell on his knees in front of her. "Hermione, he's a Slytherin," he insisted as if it was reason enough.

"You still believe in that ridiculous House codswallop?" she asked, snorting in disbelief.

"He's slimy and he's a git," Peter continued with a glare. "He's mean and evil, Hermione."

"Oh, are we criticising each other's friends now?" she hotly asked. "Then, okay, your friends are pompous and annoying. They're bullies, for Merlin's sake, Peter. How can you step aside and watch while they reign terror over the other students?"

"They don't 'reign terror'," he vehemently defended with a frown on his face.

"And Severus isn't evil," she shot back.

Peter expelled a loud sigh and slumped forward. "Sirius and James – well, they were raised as proper Purebloods with stuffy traditions and all," he reasoned out. "And, I know they can be right arses and pompous gits, but they really do mean well, Hermione. And… and once you become friends with them, they will swear to have your back."

Her ire simmered down as she reached out and held his hand. "And Severus isn't evil, Peter," she said. "Sure, he's sullen all the time and he's not exactly sunshine and rainbows, but he's not all bad. He tries to help me with some of my Potions work and you know how he's a prodigy with it."

He gave her a pointed glance. "So it's safe to assume you're not going to listen to me?" he asked, a hint of a smile on his face despite his exasperated glance.

"Since when do I listen to you?" she asked with a snort.

Peter sighed once more and squeezed her hand. "James and Sirius with Snape – they're not really the best of mates, you know. Got off on the wrong foot even before they all got off the Hogwarts Express and were properly Sorted. So, the victim of most of their elaborate pranks is Snape. I just worry because you spend most of your time with him and you might get caught in the crossfire."

"That's very sweet of you, Peter, but don't you think it will be better if you just tell your friends to back the hell off?" Hermione asked with a smile.

He sheepishly grinned in return. "Sirius and James are mighty stubborn once they set their mind to it," he explained, his tone apologetic. "It will be hard to keep them from bothering Snape."

"You can stand up to your friends once in a while, you know," she offered. "Lily does it to Sev all the time when he's being a berk. Which is, mind you, always."

"Language," Peter admonished with a small smirk on his face.

"Lily's starting to rub off of me," she laughed. "But seriously, Petey, Sirius and James – you can't just put them on a pedestal and do whatever they say, follow them wherever they go."

His cheeks coloured and he looked away. "You – well – you don't understand, Hermione," he insisted, now with a stubborn pout on his face. "We grew up in our neighbourhood labelled as freaks by the other children. At least with my friends… I feel like I truly belong, if you know what I mean?"

Hermione grew sombre with his words and thought about Lily and Severus. Their wholehearted acceptance almost blew Hermione away because she herself struggled with making friends. Harry and Ron didn't become her friends immediately, after all. It literally took a near-death experience for them to forge a colossal bond. But with Lily and Severus… the first time they had met her on the Hogwarts Express, Lily – and by default Severus - had already decided they wanted to make Hermione their friend. It was a lovely feeling to belong immediately, without trying to prove herself too much.

"I'm glad you feel that way, Petey," Hermione said, reaching forward to squeeze his arm. "Just… just don't do anything you think is stupid if they tell you to, yeah?"

She frowned when Peter coloured once more and was unable to look into Hermione's eyes. Silently, she observed her brother and noticed the dark bags under his eyes and how his skin had grown sallower since the last time she'd seen him. She tried to rack her brain for any memory of what had happened during the Marauder's second year.

"You look tired," she pointed out, narrowing her eyes suspiciously when he paled.

"Second year is hard," he pointed out a little too quickly. "Not everybody is blessed with your brains, Hermione."

And then, it clicked.

During their second year, the Marauders discovered that Remus Lupin was a werewolf. If Hermione's deductions were correct, they were already trying to come up with the difficult plan of learning how to become Animagi.

Hermione smiled and shook her head. Although they were frightful bullies, she thought it was lovely how they were willing to do everything just to make Remus feel he wasn't alone.

"Just be careful, Peter, okay?" she asked, squeezing his arm once again. "Maybe this time I won't be able to stop Mum from sending you a Howler if she discovered you did something stupid again."

He threw her a lazy grin and shrugged his shoulders. "I'll try my best, but really, Hermione, no promises," he said.

This made her laugh, in spite of herself. "Berk," she murmured under her breath.

"Language!" he laughingly exclaimed.

Chapter Text

v.

i want to disappear and just start over

(Hercules by Sara Bareilles)

November 6, 1973

Hogwarts was truly mundane now that she wasn't pulled into various adventures.

Hermione was amazed how she breezed through her first year without much of a hitch. Sans fighting trolls, three-headed dogs, and an evil Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher with Voldemort's face hidden underneath his smelly turban, she was able to focus on her studies and managed to end the year as top of her class. The yearlong supply of toffee in her trunk—care of Peter—was proof enough of her hard work.

And Hermione should be thankful for all of this, because she wasn't fighting for her life or keeping her friends alive, but… but it felt normal, too normal. Hermione Granger grew up not knowing what normal was because as a Muggleborn, she couldn't understand at first why she was the only one who knew how to conjure birds out of thin air. Or, as part of the Golden Trio, she didn't have the luxury of relaxing for a day knowing that a madman was after her best friend.

She wished for this normalcy, craved for this even. After all, this reason was partly why she agreed to Harry's insane idea to drink that stupid potion anyway.

But now that she was able to achieve that normalcy… well…

Hermione sighed and placed her forehead on top of her book, taking in a deep breath to rid her thoughts of such ridiculous things. 'Just be thankful for what you have, Hermione Pettigrew,' a voice admonished inside, strangely sounding like Hermione Granger, and the twelve-year-old felt a little shamefaced.

"I'm sorry," she whispered in the silent library.

"Sorry for what?"

She immediately sat up straight and coloured when Lily and Sev came towards her table. "Hey," Hermione greeted with a smile, ignoring Lily's previous question. "You're here early."

"Not earlier than you, apparently," Lily said with a laugh, settling on the chair beside her.

"Merlin, Pettigrew, have you been sleeping at all?" Severus asked, looking at her bemusedly.

"Of course I have been," Hermione retorted, with a frown. "It's you who hasn't been sleeping properly at all, Sev."

Lily snorted and pointed her wand at the Slytherin. "He's been slaving over his extra merit potions for Professor Slughorn for days now, Hermione, I tell you," she started. "I don't even understand why he's trying to make everything perfect. I mean, he's Severus Snape for Merlin's sake!. Half of the student body knows he's a child prodigy when it comes to potioneering."

"I have to make it perfect," he protested with a glare. "Slughorn expects as much."

"Professor Slughorn," Hermione corrected, prompting him to roll his eyes. "And Lily's right, Sev. You don't have to worry too much about it. It's not even graded, you know. You're just doing him a favour."

"Can we please just stop talking about what I want to do with my free time?" the exasperated Slytherin asked. "I thought you wanted to study with us because you wanted help with your Potions essay."

Hermione and Lily exchanged meaningful glances, but silently agreed they should drop this issue. Severus could be really tetchy when it came to Potions. He was often incorrigible, but when they started asking about his unhealthy obsession over brewing the perfect batch of potions, he'd be downright unreasonable.

"Fine," Hermione said after a long-suffering sigh. She then pushed the book she was reading towards him and pointed out a passage. "I have trouble understanding what this means. I tried to read about it more from other books, but so far it has been futile."

As she watched him silently read over the passage, Hermione secretly wondered if twelve-year-old Severus Snape was really as brilliant as what their professors insisted. Of course, she'd known the answer to this question, having gone through advanced potions in the future and retaining top marks. Learning about the basics was tiresome, but of course it would be mighty suspicious if Hermione Pettigrew knew about things even adult wizards never thought about. Keeping pretences, asking questions she already knew the answers to… all of these were just her cover up just to let Hogwarts in the 1970's know that Hermione Pettigrew was a brilliant witch – but not that brilliant that she should start taking up advanced classes just to challenge her brain. Being labelled as a genius in this time would be disastrous, like sticking a bright neon green sign on her chest labelled 'Pick Me' for Voldemort to immediately notice.

No, as much as how she hated the monotony of it all, Hermione must lie low and keep her head down if she wanted to live a normal life during this lifetime.

"Merlin, even a Muggle can answer your question, Pettigrew," Severus suddenly snarled with a frown, grabbing onto her spare parchment and scratching words and symbols Hermione was already familiar with.

"Nobody's a genius like you in Potions, you berk," Lily snapped back, hurtling a crumpled parchment his way. Instead of hitting its intended target, the parchment flew overhead and thumped against the window.

"Nice aim, Evans," Severus snorted. "I didn't—OW!"

"SHH!" Madame Pince shrilly called, prompting the three students to freeze in their seats.

"You didn't have to shout so loud," Lily murmured under her breath while trying to bite down a growing smile. Hermione unfortunately, was having a hard time keeping her giggles contained, her shoulders already shaking with the hilarity of it all.

"You didn't have to bloody send a Stinging Hex my way just because I stated the fact that you have poor hand-eye coordination," Severus protested.

Lily's green eyes flickered in challenge as she raised her wand again. "I'll show you my proper hand-eye coordination, Sev. You just—"

"Stop it, you prats," Hermione cried, unable to rein in her laughter. Their eyes comically widened when Madame Pince stomped towards their table and shooed them away for being ridiculously loud in the library.

Shamefaced, the three students crammed their things inside their bags and hastily walked away from the librarian's ire.

"This is all your fault," Lily laughed once they were safely outside the library. "If you weren't being a berk, we could have stayed their longer."

Severus scoffed. "My fault?" he asked with a glare, although the way his lips twitched in amusement was not unnoticed by the two. "How was it my fault?"

"Shut it," Hermione cried, loudly laughing when Lily broke into giggles and Severus gave them both a small smile. "That was the first time I have been kicked out from the library and it's because of you dolts."

Even in her past life, Hermione was never chased away by Madame Pince, even when she was researching with Harry and Ron.

Lily laughed and linked arms with Hermione. "We got kicked out all the time because we bicker a lot," she confessed, reaching for Snape to hook her other arm around his. "It's a wonder why Madame Pince still let us go there."

"I still haven't finished my Potions essay, though," the brunette lamented.

"We can do our homework near the Black Lake," Severus suggested.

The Gryffindor was wholeheartedly nodding her head and started pulling the two enthusiastically towards the Black Lake. Severus was loudly protesting about being manhandled by the petite redhead, and Hermione was unable to stop herself from laughing loudly again.

Although Hogwarts was mundane, she couldn't deny she had found wonderful friends after all.

March 17, 1974

"So, you finally finished it?"

Severus slowly blinked his heavy-lidded eyes and knitted his eyebrows. "I'm sorry?" he asked, stifling a yawn.

"Your extra merit potion," Hermione elaborated, pointing at a small vial filled with amber liquid placed on top of the table.

"Oh, right, yeah," he murmured tiredly, before letting his head fall back on the wooden table in the library.

The Ravenclaw expelled a humongous sigh. "Merlin, Sev, be kinder to yourself," she said, pulling the chair across from him and sitting on it. "When was the last time you ate?"

"Yesterday lunch, I think," he answered, voice slightly muffled.

Hermione's eyes widened. "Sev!" she softly exclaimed. "It's dinnertime already."

He snorted derisively. "Astute observation, Pettigrew," he murmured.

"Bloody hell." She shook her head disapprovingly and started shoving his things inside his backpack. "Where's Lilys?"

"Dunno," he answered. "Said she had to finish some project with McKinnon. I didn't care."

Hermione fought the urge to rub the bridge of her nose. She was aware how she was an excessive learner, sometimes skipping meals just to stick to her schedule. But, after being on the run with Harry and Ron, starved and exhausted beyond reason, she came to appreciate the importance of eating meals and sleeping enough. It was honestly a luxury for those who were in a raging war.

"Get up," she ordered, pushing the table to stand up. She slung the strap of her bag over her shoulder and grabbed onto Severus'. She made a face, realising it weighed a ton. "What are you carrying in here? Rocks?" She didn't wait for his answer and instead spelled it to be featherweight, before also slinging his strap over her other shoulder.

"Come on, Sev, get up," she said, harshly poking his arm.

He flinched and batted her hand away. "Go away, Hermione," he murmured. "I'm trying to sleep here."

"You can do that after you eat dinner, for Merlin's sake," she insisted, now starting to pull his arm away. "If Lily was here, she'd hex you good just to get you to the Great Hall."

Severus expelled a long-suffering sigh before finally relenting. "You're bloody annoying. Do you know that?" he snarled back, grabbing onto the potion vial and allowing Hermione to pull him out of the library.

"I've been told so many times before I'm not even surprised anymore," she shot back, prompting him to snort.

The corridors were almost empty because most of the student body were in the Great Hall already. Hermione had to keep Severus steady because he kept wobbling in tiredness, almost falling asleep, despite walking.

"Why are you so obsessed with perfecting your bloody potions?" Hermione cried after Sev almost tripped over a foot from a suit of armour.

He tiredly glared down at her. "Why are you so obsessed with being a swot?" he shot back.

Hermione sighed and shook her head. "You really should start taking care of yourself more," she nagged. "Eat on time, sleep enough, Merlin, even shower at least every other day!" She glanced disdainfully at his lanky hair and hazarded that his hygiene habits had never changed even after growing up.

"Piss off, Pettigrew," he said with a light glare.

She pinched his arm very hard, prompting him to hiss in pain. "Lily's such a bad influence to you," he stated, annoyed. "Now, you're resorting to violence too."

"If we have a berk for a best friend, I think violence is acceptable if it means he's going to start taking care of himself more."

He rolled his eyes and was about to retort something in return, but then, the doors of the Great Hall opened. Dread bloomed in her heart when the Gryffindor menaces – fondly christened by Severus Snape himself – strolled out from the Hall, horsing around and shoving each other's shoulders.

They stopped in their tracks when they saw both Hermione and Severus. The brunette tightly squeezed the Slytherin's arm to keep him in place when she felt him tense up.

"All right, Pettigrew?" James asked, briefly throwing a glance towards the Ravenclaw, before resuming his glaring contest with her tired best friend.

"I've been well, thank you," Hermione stiffly said. "Now, if you'll excuse us—"

"What's that?" Sirius suddenly asked.

The brunette knitted her eyebrows. "What's what?"

The Black heir suddenly shot forward and grabbed the potion vial from Snape, a menacing glint in his eyes. "Hey, Remus, do we have an assignment from Old Sluggie about making a potion like this?" he asked.

Remus grabbed the vial from Sirius and examined the sloshing amber liquid inside. "Well… no, I don't think so," he murmured. He observed the liquid for a while and knitted his eyebrows. "I don't recognise it at all, though. It looks like Pepper-Up, but its shade is darker." Snape's breath hitched when Remus removed the stopper and wafted a smell. "It doesn't smell like Pepper Up."

"Give it back," Severus ground out, hands clenched tightly at his sides.

Sirius quirked an eyebrow at his obvious ire. "Or what, Snivellus?" he taunted, grabbing the potion from Remus' hands again. "You'll hex us?"

He mocked him by waving the vial in the air.

"Sirius, quit it," Hermione cried out. "It isn't yours. Give it back."

"Stay out of this, kitten," Sirius said with a disapproving frown. He then looked over his head and glared at Peter. "Your sister's still hanging out with this berk?"

"Give it back!" Severus growled and lunged forward.

Hermione acted quickly and placed both of her hands against his chest to stop his assault. "Sev, come on," she insisted, trying to appease her suddenly furious friend.

Sirius snorted and casually threw the potion vial towards James. She felt Severus stiffen against her when he watched the potion he'd worked so hard on for months sail through the air. He was only able to breathe properly when James caught it deftly with his Quidditch-trained reflexes.

"What does this even do?" James loudly asked, removing the stopper once more to smell its contents. "Ack, it's like I'm sniffing smelly socks."

"Maybe it's to stop Snivellus from having smelly feet," Sirius cried, laughing boisterously at the thought.

"Or, maybe stop him from being smelly altogether," Peter offered. He grinned proudly when his other friends laughed loudly at his suggestion. Hermione threw him a disappointed glance, causing his grin to falter. Peter quickly looked away from his sister.

"Oh, Snivellus, haven't you heard?" the bespectacled boy sneered. "The only way to stop yourself from being smelly is by taking a nice, proper shower. Though, I wouldn't be surprised if you haven't heard of a shower before, because, you know, your hair's all greasy and shiny."

Severus struggled to break free from Hermione's grasp. "Get off, Hermione," he growled.

"They're not worth it, Sev, come on," the brunette pleaded. Then, darkly glaring, she craned her neck over her shoulder and snarled, "Give the potion back to him, Potter, or I swear."

"Oooh, feisty kitten," Sirius taunted.

James' hazel eyes glinted. "Or you swear to what?" he challenged. Hermione's eyes narrowed more when the Gryffindor pulled his wand from his sleeves and pointed it at the vial. "Try to finish that sentence, Pettigrew."

"You wouldn't dare," she harshly spat.

"Is that a challenge?" he asked with a gleeful smile. Hermione then watched with horror as James waved his wand and muttered a soft 'Evanesco'. The amber liquid inside the vial completely vanished as Severus stilled against her arms.

Behind him, Remus knitted his eyebrows. "James, mate, I think that wasn't really necess—"

"YOU! I WILL KILL YOU!" Severus thundered and struggled so strongly against Hermione, it was starting to become difficult to hold him back.

James's eyes widened at his sudden rage. "It's just a bloody potion, Snivellus," he muttered under his breath. "What's got your knickers in a twist?"

"Damn it, Potter," Hermione murmured under her breath when Severus finally broke free from her grasp. Quickly, she pulled out her wand and pointed it at Severus' back. "Petrificus Totalus!"

The Slytherin turned into stone and almost toppled backward. Hermione quickly came to his aid and gently placed him on the floor.

"Thanks, Hermione, I seriously thou—"

James' words died down from his lips as Hermione suddenly whipped at him with lightning speed, her wand threateningly pointed in his direction. "You… you arrogant, loathsome bully!" she screamed, stomping towards James until her wand tip was pointed against his nose.

"Hermione…" her brother tried to appease.

"Stay out of this, Peter," she harshly spat. Her older brother flinched at her tone and cowered away. He'd been living under the same roof with her for twelve years, after all. Seeing Hermione like this always spelled trouble.

"Merlin, calm down," James said, suddenly annoyed. "It's just a bloody potion."

Hermione tilted her head heavenward and swallowed down a scream. "You are, simply put, unbelievable," she snarled, pressing her wand tip harder against his nose. James scowled and tried to bat her hand away, but Hermione didn't budge. "He spent months trying to perfect that potion, you bloody berk. He hasn't slept properly and has skipped meals because of it."

"Hey, hey, all right, calm down," Sirius appeased. "We didn't know. We're sorry."

"Sorry isn't enough," she snapped, eyes glinting dangerously. With a mighty slash of her wand, she snarled an incantation towards James's direction. The boy exclaimed a terrified shout when boogers started zooming out of his nostrils. They soon turned into bats and flapped their wings furiously against his face.

Identical horrified looks appeared on the other three boys. It was Peter who managed to snap out of his horror first. "Hermione!" he loudly cried. "Make it stop!"

Satisfied, she waved her wand and banished the Bat-Bogeys away. James's eyes were wide with mortification as he covered his nostrils.

"If you do not want a repeat performance, stay away," she warned in a low voice. Then, turning to Severus, she hauled him up and removed the spell. He glared darkly down at her but Hermione matched his gaze. "And you, if you try to break away from my grasp again, I'm not going to hesitate throwing the same hex at you."

Severus petulantly looked away and allowed Hermione to drag him away from the other Gryffindors.

"Bloody fucking hell, Peter," Sirius breathed out, eyes still wide as he looked at the horrified boy behind him. "Your sister's terrifying."

Peter's only answer was to hide his face behind his hands.

March 18, 1974

Lily was pacing furiously in front of the Black Lake, wearing the green grass down as she stomped on it.

Currently, she, Hermione, and Severus were lounging near the banks of the Black Lake. The news that Hermione Pettigrew threw a mean Bat-Bogey Hex had spread like an unforgiving wildfire throughout Hogwarts. Apparently, they were being too loud with their row and some students were able to witness the feisty twelve-year-old Ravenclaw hexing the boogers off James Potter and thereby reduced the rowdy Gryffindors into silence.

When Lily heard about this news the next morning, she immediately pulled her friends towards the Black Lake and started ranting about rude boys and stupid egos relentlessly.

"Lily, just stop. You're giving me a headache," Severus groaned and fell on his back, shielding his face from the bright sunlight with his hand.

"Why are you so nonchalant about this, Sev?" Lily cried, stopping right in front of him. "They ruined your extra merit potion. Those… those bloody berks!" She flew into another raging rant and Hermione, with a sigh, grabbed onto Lily's hand and pulled her down until she was sitting beside her.

"Sev was anything but nonchalant yesterday, Lils, trust me," Hermione said with a roll of her eyes. "Almost tackled Potter down with sheer brute force."

Severus scowled. "You should have let me have a go at that imbecile, Pettigrew," he protested.

"And risk also getting placed under my Bat-Bogey Hex, Sev?" she innocently asked with a toothy grin. When he blushed and turned his face away, her grin widened. "I figured as much."

"I can't believe you can do a wicked Bat-Bogey Hex, Hermione," Lily said, awe in her voice. "Where the hell did you learn that?"

Hermione innocently shrugged. "A friend," was her mysterious answer, thinking about another redhead, in another lifetime, with gleaming bright brown eyes and a mischievous smile on her face.

"That's a difficult spell to master, you know," Sev said, pulling himself into a sitting position. "I didn't know you were capable of throwing such spells."

She froze a bit, before cautiously looking at the Slytherin. "Miranda Goshawk was able to throw a perfect Bat-Bogey Hex at eleven years old, Sev," she stated matter-of-factly.

"Well, yeah, because she was the one who invented it," he shot back with an eye roll.

"Never mind about my magical prowess," Hermione said, eager to change the topic. "What did Slughorn say about your extra merit potion?"

Severus frowned and absentmindedly grazed his fingertips over the grass blades. "He was… understanding, I think," he said. "A bit disappointed, too, I guess, but after properly explaining what had happened, he said he'd be willing to wait a few more months. He said I should take my time, really."

"We can help you," Lily offered. Hermione vigorously nodded her head to concur.

"Don't bother," the Slytherin said with wrinkled nose. "I'm sure you'll botch it up if I let you both help."

Hermione leaned forward and smacked his arm. "Ungrateful git," she pointed out with a frown.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," he said, a little too nonchalantly. "You didn't have to do all those stupid things just to get back at Potter, Hermione."

She smiled, knowing that he was starting to use her first name more, rather than calling her 'Pettigrew'. "'Thank you, Hermione, you've been a wonderful friend'," she started with a low voice as she tried to poorly imitate Severus' voice. "That isn't too hard now, is it?"

"Shut up," Severus said, cheeks tinged red. "But… you know, for the record, that was a wicked Bat-Bogey Hex."

Hermione laughed. "Yeah?"

He solemnly nodded his head. "You can be bloody terrifying if you want to be. Do you know that?" he asked, the corners of his lips twitching into a smile. "I would sell all my fortunes just to see Potter's terrified look again."

"Damn it!" Lily whined. "Why wasn't I there to see it?" She then held both of Hermione's hands and pleaded, "Let me see it again, Hermione. Please. Everybody's talking about it and I'm devastated I wasn't able to see it." She then pointed a finger towards Severus without breaking eye contact. "You can practice on him, if you like."

"Thanks, Lily," he growled sarcastically.

Hermione laughed and pulled away from the pleading red-head. "Maybe next time, Lils," she apologised.

"Damn it," the disappointed Gryffindor breathed out once more.

March 25, 1974

"What do you want, Peter?" Hermione asked in annoyance.

"That's not the proper way to greet your brother," he pointed out with a frown on his face.

She lightly glared and plopped down on her chair. "If he's being a rightful git, I think I can greet him any way I want," she snapped back.

Peter expelled a humongous sigh and slumped down on his chair. "Merlin, you're still angry about that?" he incredulously asked. "That's been, I dunno, days, Hermione. Surely you've forgotten about that by now."

Hermione's lips magnetised into a tight frown. "What do you want?" she repeated.

The Gryffindor sighed and scooted closer to his irritated sister. "James is sorry," he insisted. "We're all sorry. We didn't know that potion was important to Snivel— Snape."

"You should have listened to him in the first place when he asked you to give it back," she rebutted, frown still in place. "What James did… it was horrible, Peter. Sev hadn't eaten properly for days and the dark bags under his eyes were growing just because he was obsessed with brewing the perfect potion. He kept on telling Lily and me that he was over it already, that he'd just brew a new batch to pass on to Professor Slughorn, but I can tell he was devastated by the event. He worked really hard to complete it, Peter."

Peter looked properly shamefaced, his cheeks tinging red with embarrassment. "I'm sorry," he whispered once more.

"It isn't me you should be apologising to," she pointed out with a meaningful glance.

Unwittingly, he made a face. "I'm sure James would rather eat a rock than apologise to Sni – Snape," he said, followed by a deep sigh. "He got an earful from Remus afterwards. I know you think Remus lets them get away with all their stupid shenanigans, but he's the most decent of us four. James and Sirius highly respect his opinion and if he said something is stupid, then James and Sirius will believe it is stupid."

"I don't think he tried hard enough to stop James from vanishing that potion," Hermione murmured under her breath. Granted, she remembered that he did try to stop James, but had been a tad too late.

"James has been properly reprimanded," he insisted.

Hermione sighed. "I don't really care what you do with your friends, Merlin," she claimed in exasperation. "Just please, please, please, stay away from Sev. Being a half-blood Slytherin in this bloody school is already hard on him. You dolts don't have to increase his burden."

He merely shrugged, unwilling to speak out a promise they both knew would be broken anyway.

March 27, 1974

Hermione shrieked in surprise when she was suddenly doused with grimy, cold water. Both Lily and Severus, who were walking ahead of her, swivelled around and stared at her in shock. Mercifully, they were spared from the dirty water.

Raucous laughter from above reached her ears and Hermione snapped her neck upwards. Both James and Sirius were bent over, clutching their stomachs, as they continued to shake with uncontrollable laughter.

"Good one, Jamesy-boy!" Sirius said, wiping away some tears that had formed in his eyes. He grinned widely down at the furious brunette. "Sorry, kitten. I promise you, this will be a one-time thing since you're technically off limits as the sister of one of our mates."

James threw her a lazy grin and leaned down the bannister. "That's payback, Pettigrew," he blurted out.

"Piss off, Potter!" Lily exclaimed whilst Severus threw a rude hand gesture towards their general direction.

Hermione swiped away her dripping hair and darkly glared at the two Gryffindor boys. When she pulled her wand from her robe pocket and saw how they flinched in unison, a smirk grew on her face. Instead of pointing it towards the annoying boys, she charmed herself clean. Her hair had gone fluffier, prompting them to start laughing again, but Hermione merely harrumphed and walked away.

"Nice hair, Pettigrew," Severus drawled.

"Shut up, Snape," she snapped back.

Lily's eyes gleamed. "Ooh, will you throw a Bat-Bogey Hex now?" the redhead excitedly asked.

Severus paled while Hermione laughed. "Not today, Lils."

"Damn it," the redhead disappointedly replied.

Chapter Text

vi.

life is not meant to be wasted

(Chasing the Sun by Sara Bareilles)

July 20, 1974

"Hermione!"

The brunette looked up from the Transfiguration textbook she was reading and searched for Peter's voice.

"Over here!"

She blinked and glanced at their bathroom. Her brother's head was peeking out from the door, his eyes intently trained on their mother's back. He gestured for her to come towards him and confused, she mouthed 'Why?'

Instead of answering, he beckoned her more incessantly and Hermione had no choice but to jump down from her chair. She shot another look at her mother, who was busy fixing up their supper for tonight, before striding towards her brother.

He quickly yanked her inside and slammed the door behind her. Hermione frowned at his sudden pacing as she walked towards their toilet and closed the lid. She daintily sat down on top of it and expectantly looked at him. "Well?" she urged.

Peter stopped his pacing and frowned at Hermione. "Something's wrong with Mum," he whispered, loud enough for her to hear.

Hermione knitted her eyebrows. "What do you mean?" she asked.

He sighed and rolled his eyes. "I knew you wouldn't notice because you're too busy burying your nose behind your precious books," he pointed out, ignoring her glare. "But lately she's been… fidgety. I dunno, I think she's keeping something from us."

"Maybe she's just trying to search for the right time to tell us," Hermione said with a half-shrug. "If Mum doesn't want to tell us something, then it's not really our business, Petey."

"I know that," he grumbled. "It's just… I think she'd been really lonely ever since we both started going to Hogwarts. I just worry about her sometimes."

Hermione smiled and stood up from the toilet. She wound her arms around his torso and squeezed him tight. "That's really sweet, Peter," she said. "I'm sure Mum doesn't want us to worry." She paused, then tilted her head in surprise. "You've grown taller!"

"Yeah?" he asked, a proud grin on his face. When she nodded her head, his grin grew. "I thought so too, but I wasn't really sure."

Their Mum then called for both of them and the Pettigrew siblings strode out of the bathroom and quickly went to the kitchen. While Peter helped their mother prepare the plates, Hermione opted to observe instead. Admittedly, she'd been swamped with summer homework and hadn't really gone out of her room much to do other things.

Now that Peter had pointed out about their mother's strange behaviour, Hermione noticed how Anya's shoulders were tensed with worry. She had been incessantly chewing her bottom lip – one of their mother's strange quirks when she was bothered by something – and this made Hermione concerned. Maybe whatever their mother was apprehensive about might be a big deal after all.

When they had all settled down and started piling heaps of food onto their plates, Anya cleared her throat to catch both of their attention. Hermione stilled and Peter paled, anticipating whatever their mother was going to tell them.

"Children," she started, "I have something to tell you."

She looked grim and it didn't help Hermione's worry at all.

"Did somebody die?" Peter suddenly blurted out.

Anya's blue eyes widened and she looked at him incredulously. "What?"

Peter grew paler. "You look like somebody died, Mum," he pointed out.

Their mother, blessedly, released a bout of nervous laughter. "No, no, sweetheart, nobody died," she reassured. Peter visibly relaxed, but still looked wary. "It's just… oh, how can I say this?" She nervously looked away and cleared her throat. "I've been… um – well – I've been seeing someone for quite a while now."

Well, Hermione didn't expect that. "What?" she gasped in surprise. "Like a boyfriend?"

Anya coloured and sheepishly smiled. "It's a bit silly to call him that with my age now, don't you think?" she joked, trying to lighten the atmosphere. When both Peter and Hermione merely blinked at her, she sighed and continued, "Yes, yes, if you put it that way then yes. I have a boyfriend."

"Muggle?" Peter quipped, looking worried all of a sudden.

Their mother slowly nodded her head. "He knows about our, well, magic," she explained. She nervously laughed once more and tucked a stray curl behind her ear. "Accidentally caught me doing it, really, but he's very understanding about it. Unlike your—"

She swallowed down her remaining words, but they both knew who their mother was talking about.

"Oh," Hermione quickly said, feeling quite uncomfortable. "Okay, Mum."

Anya's eyes widened. "Okay?"

The younger witch knitted her eyebrows. "Yes," she deliberately enunciated.

"I was expecting a different answer actually," her mother confessed with a nervous smile. "After everything that had happened with your—" Again, she couldn't bring herself to voice out the bastard who was already buried six feet under.

"Mum," Peter sighed, "you thought we'd be against this?"

"Well—"

"Blimey, Mum, we just want you to be happy," Hermione pointed out with a disbelieving laugh. "If you want to date someone, then we'll support you wholeheartedly."

Anya's eyes watered as she looked from her daughter to Peter, who was vigorously nodding his head to agree with his sister. "Oh, I have the best children in this world," she said, reaching out to grasp both of their hands.

Peter laughed and squeezed her hand. "I was actually expecting something worse, but having a new boyfriend wasn't something I'd thought of," he pointed out.

"Unlike somebody dying," Hermione said with a teasing smirk.

He blushed. "Shut up, Hermione."

September 1, 1974

Anya hugged them both goodbye before Peter and Hermione climbed onto the Hogwarts Express. Peter also bid her goodbye, but Hermione latched onto his arm before he could get away.

"Is there something you need, 'Mione?" her brother asked with worry in his eyes.

"I just want to remind you before you go off and start doing stupid shenanigans with your friends, that you should start taking your studies very seriously this year, Peter," Hermione insisted.

He looked at her with a bemused smile. "Merlin, Hermione! We haven't reached Hogwarts yet and now you're preaching how to become a swot like you," he joked.

But Hermione was vigorously shaking her head. "No, you don't understand, Peter," she interjected. "You'll soon have your OWLs and I know how you desperately want to become an Auror. You do know that their selection process is very stringent, right? They will not even consider you if they see you have a grade lower than 'A' in your OWLs."

Peter's eyes had widened. "Really?" he gasped, clearly in disbelief.

"Oh, bloody hell, you don't know," she grumbled with a sigh.

When Peter paled and started to look panicky, Hermione appeased him by squeezing his arm. "Don't worry, I already have a plan because I knew you'd be like this," she said.

Curiosity replaced his panic. "A plan?" he asked with a frown.

"Yes," she said with a firm nod. "I've made you a study schedule for this year and we can study together so if you have questions or if you—"

Peter's eyes widened before he burst into loud, boisterous laughing. "Merlin Almighty, Hermione," he said, tears already forming at the corner of his eyes.

Her words died down as she looked at her brother in confusion. "What?" she demanded, confused.

"I knew you were an unbelievable swot but holy shite," he snorted.

She ignored his language and glared, clearly annoyed at being laughed at. "What?" she reiterated, this time through gritted teeth.

"Nothing, nothing," he said, humour still in his eyes. "Fine, good Godric. Since you've already made an elaborate plan to help me pass my OWLs – which, mind you, is two years from now – then I really can't stop you now, can I?"

Hermione grumbled under her breath. "A little thank you would suffice," she muttered.

Instead, Peter laughingly pulled her into a warm hug. "Please don't ever change, Hermione Pettigrew," he said, before letting her go and searching for his best friends.

September 2, 1974

James just had an earth-shattering revelation today that had him reeling.

He went through his day mechanically; like his whole body belonged to someone else and he was merely speculating the events going on around him. The lessons for today hadn't even registered in his mind but… but that didn't matter today, because he had just had an earth-shattering revelation and he couldn't properly breathe.

It had all started when they arrived at Hogwarts and attended the Welcoming Feast. Normally, he would have been excited about the Sorting because new Gryffindors were going to join their table. But after going through this ceremony for four years, its novelty had faded and James found himself bored beyond belief. He tried to suggest to his friends to skip the Feast all together and go to the Shrieking Shack to practice their Animagi, but, to his disgruntlement, all of his friends had wanted to stay for the Feast.

Sirius confidently declared that this year, he was a Merlin's gift to all witchkind and had been flirting unabashedly with Marlene McKinnon since he'd laid eyes on her. Remus looked tired to the bone and upon double-checking his calendar, he noted that the full moon was only two days from now. Peter seemed bloody determined to study all of a sudden and firmly told them that he might start focusing more with his academics this year.

'Bloody wankers,' James had thought by then, and started to lazily look around the Great Hall just to keep him busy. Surprisingly, his eyes landed on the Ravenclaw table – specifically, where Peter's sister sat. His nose twitched with the memory of her spell and unwittingly, he blushed and glowered at her bushy hair. Merlin, she was a menace and James had wondered ever since how she was related to Peter, who had been docile and let him get away with anything he wanted.

He rubbed the tip of his nose, remembering the Bat-Boogeys swarming all over his face. Everybody in school now knew the feisty second year – now third – threw a mean Bat-Boogey hex. They'd been pestering him incessantly about how it felt like, if he felt like he was going to die, but James scared them off with a growl. It had been bloody embarrassing he'd been bested by a girl and he'd rather not relieve that experience ever again.

Although he had his payback last year, it almost didn't seem enough. But of course, since she was the little sister of one of his best mates, he had no choice but to steer clear. She was off limits. He just had to work extra harder this year not to get under her skin.

Merlin, she was truly terrifying that day.

Lightly shivering, he glanced at the person sitting beside her and scowled. Snivellus was talking quietly to the brunette, perhaps something about school work and such. Surprisingly, his hair didn't look lanky and greasy, like how he'd always worn his hair. Perhaps, the stupid Slytherin actually washed his hair after all.

His scowl deepened, remembering that annoying feeling in his heart he now knew as guilt that had appeared after he'd vanished his potion. How could he have known it was that hard to brew? He should have told him in the first place!

'They tried telling you to give it back, idiot,' a voice hissed inside his head that strangely sounded like Remus.

James flinched and trampled down that gnawing guilt once more. Looking at the stupid Slytherin always brought out irrational anger in him and although he knew he always acted like an idiotic bully every time Snape was in the vicinity, well, he couldn't stop himself. It didn't help that Sirius hated the slimy bastard, too. Once Sirius started goading him, James couldn't help but join in. Seeing Snape all riled up was terribly fun, after all.

He then tore his gaze away and looked at the other person of their strange trio. Lily Evans' hair was as fiery as a wild flame today. He never really thought about her that much, but he found himself glancing at her every time she walked into the room. Her vibrant red hair commanded attention and, well, he just had to look for himself.

Hermione was whispering something under her breath and Lily suddenly threw her head back and laughed with abandon. The corners of her eyes crinkled and she tried her hardest to muffle her laugh but was obviously failing. Peter's sister was also grinning, and Lily had to hold on to her arm to keep herself from toppling over.

And then… and then he saw her bright, emerald eyes, glittering with humour and James was brought back to their last Astronomy Class in third year, when they all watched as numerous shooting stars darted across the black sky. James remembered being mesmerized by the beautiful show.

And now, now, he couldn't look away because Lily Evan's eyes were like shooting stars. It was as if a sudden fog was lifted from his mind and his breath hitched, disbelieving at his sudden revelation.

Bloody fucking hell, Lily Evans was breath-taking.

September 8, 1974

"May I ask why you're dragging our arses at such an ungodly time of the day?" a grumpy Severus asked, pulling out his chair in their usual library table and plopping unceremoniously onto it.

"It's not ungodly," Hermione hotly shot back, pointedly ignoring how Lily gave her a withering glare after breaking into her umpteenth yawn. "It's seven in the morning."

"On a Sunday, Hermione Pettigrew," Lily grumbled.

Hermione coloured and thought that perhaps she really had been too eager to invite them over in the library. "You could have ditched me if you're going to complain all day," she retorted in return. To her surprise, Lily and Sev exclaimed identical snorts.

"And face your ire?" the Slytherin sneered.

"We're not going to take any chances," Lily said with a solemn nod.

Her cheeks darkened. "My temper's not that explosive," she whined. Hermione prided herself that she could always keep a levelled head when faced with adversaries. She wasn't hailed as the brightest witch of her age for nothing, after all. If there was someone who had an explosive temper, it would be Ron – what with his emotional range of a teaspoon – or Harry – recalling all the terrible tantrums he threw during their teenage years.

Severus merely rolled his eyes and frowned at her. "Why are we here again?" he asked.

Hermione composed herself, still terribly offended by their insinuation about her temper, before choosing to drop it completely. They had other important matters to talk about.

She then grabbed onto her bag and pulled out colour-coded parchments and passed them to both Lily and Sev.

"What are these?" Lily gasped, eyes widening as she browsed through the parchments. "Are these… study schedules?"

"Bloody hell," Severus murmured.

"Your OWLs are next year," Hermione explained. "And I just thought… well, I know you're both still fourth years, so you have at least two more years to prepare for your OWLS. But, it won't hurt if you start studying now. After all, the topics for OWLs will cover your lessons from first year to the first semester of your fifth. I, for one, do not believe that you can cram reviewing these lessons into one semester."

Lily was still gaping at Hermione, before she snapped her gaze to Severus. "I'm not as barmy as Hermione when it comes to studying, right?" she cried with horrified eyes.

"Hey!" she exclaimed in a whisper, craning her neck to look over at Madame Pince. Thankfully, the librarian was busy reprimanding another early-rising student than to bother with the three of them.

"No, no, this is a whole different level of craziness, holy shite," Severus said, sputtering out disbelieving snickers.

"I'm not crazy," she hotly whispered in protest. "I just… I just really love studying, so you know, I wanted my best friends to at least pass their OWLs with flying colours."

Lily expelled a humongous sigh and pulled Hermione into a comforting hug. "Merlin, Hermione, you're a blessing to us all. We know that, of course," the redhead said. "But maybe, just maybe, I think you are too obsessed with studying. There are other things to focus on, like… like – right! You're in your third year now, so you can go to Hogsmeade and let loose and forget all about studying. Or, you know, you can attend Quidditch matches or swap gossips with your girlfriends in the Ravenclaw Tower. There's more to life than studying."

Hermione frowned. "You don't like my colour coded schedules," she bluntly pointed out.

"No, Merlin, no!" Lily interjected, tightly hugging the parchment against her chest to prove her point. "I'm just saying that I don't understand why you are so obsessed with studying. You're as crazy as Sev when he's obsessing over brewing the perfect potion."

"Why is this suddenly about me?" the Slytherin drawled with a flourished eye roll.

"All I am saying is that I'm sure no one is going to attempt besting you in your studies because they already know that they can't," Lily continued with a kind smile. "You have to start enjoying things outside studying for now, Hermione."

The brunette took a shaky breath, disbelieving how Lily's honest words had slapped her hard across her cheek.

She knew she had been a tad loony over studying ever since she had come to Hogwarts. Even in her past life, she could get carried away and would forget about herself until Harry and Ron snapped her back into reality. But in this lifetime, she had nothing else to do but to study. There were no crazy adventures that almost cost her life, or saving stupid best friends from their stupid fate.

Hermione briefly closed her eyes and finally became honest with herself.

The reason why she'd been obsessing over her studies for the past few years was because if she had too much fun in this lifetime, she'd inevitably come to love this world.

Then, once the horrors of the future unravelled, it would be too hard for her to look away.

"Hermione?" Lily asked, tone hesitant.

She opened her eyes and blinked a few times, noting that even Severus looked concerned with her sudden silence. "Okay," she then said with a small smile.

It warmed her heart how Lily looked terribly relieved. "Yeah?" she asked, still dubious.

Hermione mutely nodded her head.

Lily beamed brightly and pulled her into another hug. "For the record, I really do appreciate how you're fussing over our studies," she added. "I think it's really sweet. So, we'll try to stick to your schedule and make some tweaks along the way to just, you know, chill or something."

"We will?" Severus asked with a wrinkled nose.

"Yes, we will," Lily said, throwing him a withering glare. "Hermione worked hard on these after all."

"I may have gone a bit overboard with the scheduling, just so you know," Hermione said with a sheepish smile.

The Gryffindor redhead laughed. "We figured as much," she said, her emerald eyes twinkling.

"I'm sorry I get so overbearing sometimes," the brunette said. "It's a… well, a sickness I've been trying to get rid of for years."

The Slytherin snorted but did not grace her with any reply.

"We all have our faults," Lily said, waving her hand dismissively. "Anyway, now that we're in the library, I think I'll start doing my Transfiguration essay." She started pulling her things out of her bag and piling them on the table, but paused when Severus suddenly grabbed onto her Muggle notebook.

"What the hell is that?" he asked, waving it around.

"It's a notebook," she explained, rolling her eyes. "Honestly, I don't understand why the Wizarding World still opts to use parchment for everything. Notebooks are actually really handy for taking down notes."

"Agreed," Hermione said with a firm nod.

"No, no, not that," he snapped. "I know what a notebook is. I'm talking about that."

He then pointed at the design on her notebook, pointing at the faces of four boys Hermione instantly recognised.

"The Beatles?" the brunette asked, her blue eyes widening in surprise.

"You know them?" Lily asked excitedly. When Hermione nodded her head, she beamed. "They have the best music, I tell you."

Hermione remembered the days when her father – her previous father – would play old tunes during a lazy Sunday afternoon. They usually consisted of the songs from one of his favourite bands, The Beatles, so Hermione could immediately recognise them with a single glance.

"Why are Muggles so obsessed over these frivolous things?" he said with disgust, placing her notebook back on the table.

"I'm a Half-blood but I know they have decent songs," Hermione pointed out, noting Lily's disgruntlement. "They do have nice songs, Sev."

He rolled his eyes and waved them away, now perusing in his own backpack to pull out his own supplies.

"Oh, right, it's a Hogsmeade weekend next week," Lily then said. "You have to come, Hermione. We'll give you a tour."

Hermione smiled. "I think I'd like that."

September 14, 1974

"Welcome to Hogsmeade, Hermione Pettigrew."

Hermione laughed when Lily made a funny little twirl, while Severus heaved an exhausted sigh. "Evans, honestly," the sour Slytherin muttered and started trekking towards Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop.

"I thought we were going to the Three Broomsticks," Lily pointed out with a frown, but Severus merely waved her off and continued his journey towards the quill shop.

"I need some new quills too," Hermione quipped, quickly jogging towards Severus to catch up with him. Lily then had no choice but to follow her best friends inside.

The brunette couldn't help but smile at how nothing had changed in this shop. It was still terribly disappointing how there wasn't a proper bookshop in this small town, but Hermione had frequented Scrivenshaft's in the past because this was the closest she could get for her coveted bookstore. Numerous quills from various animals were proudly displayed on different wooden shelves. At the far left of the store, the ink wells of numerous shades were found. Rolls of parchments were hanging neatly above the counter.

The three students broke apart to gather their respective school supplies. By the time they met each other at the door, Hermione's hands were already full with her new studying tools.

"Three Broomsticks?" Lily offered.

"One more stop," Severus murmured, passing by the disappointed witch.

"Come on, Lils," Hermione smiled, hooking her arm with the redhead and dragging her out of the shop.

The brunette smiled widely at how beautiful Hogsmeade was in the fall. The uneven pathway was already covered with dried leaves of brown and orange and gold, happily crunching underneath their boots. There was already a chill in the air and Hermione was thankful she was able to don her thick, woollen, powder blue sweater to protect her from the cold.

It was refreshing to see Hogsmeade like this once more, and Hermione briefly closed her eyes, trying to imprint this vision in her mind forevermore.

Her eyes flew open when Lily tugged her arm. When she questioningly looked at the older witch, Lily pointed at a familiar withered structure. The Shrieking Shack looked less dilapidated but still terribly ominous. She figured Remus and his friends had maintained the place since they usually frequented it.

"That's the Shrieking Shack," Lily whispered fearfully under her breath. "Rumour has it its haunted."

Hermione glanced at Lily with a dubious smile. "Hogwarts is haunted to, you know, what with all the ghosts and poltergeists," she jokingly pointed out. Severus released a short laugh that made Lily glower at his back.

"You know what I mean," the blushing Gryffindor insisted.

"You still believe in that shite?" Severus asked, turning his head to look over his shoulder. "Some Gryffindor you are."

"No, I don't," Lily exclaimed, affronted. "It's just, I haven't really seen anyone go inside it, even in broad daylight. So, sometimes I do wonder what's inside."

Hermione bit back a grin, remembering how it had looked inside. "Some townspeople claim to hear howling at night, though," the brunette offered. "I heard Michelle and the others talking about it last night."

"Michelle?" Lily asked, knitting her eyebrows.

"Michelle Corner," she answered.

"Who?"

Hermione laughed. "They're my housemates, in my year," the brunette said.

"So, you do have friends in your own House," Severus said with a smirk on his face. He fell a few paces back so that both Hermione and Lily could catch up with him. "I always wondered why you hang out with us when you're a year younger than us. The only logical answer I can think of is that you have no friends at all."

"I have friends," Hermione hotly shot back, her cheeks warming at his words. "There's Dorothy, Michelle, and Alex."

"Who?" Lily echoed.

The brunette sighed. "Never mind that," she said.

Severus smirked at her disgruntled expression, but did not say anything anymore.

The Slytherin soon brought them into Honeydukes and proceeded to disappear before Hermione could even cross the threshold.

"The sourpuss loves sweets," Lily explained, laughing at her confused expression. "It's his fuel, so to speak. Leave him in Honeydukes unsupervised and he can actually spend his yearlong allowance until his teeth rot."

"That's not very healthy," Hermione said, wrinkling her nose.

The redhead merely shrugged and happily pulled Hermione towards the stacks of Chocolate Frogs. Lily grabbed a handful of said chocolate and offered some to Hermione. But the younger witch shook her head, much to Lily's surprise.

"I still have a few back at my dorm from Peter," she explained.

"But, Hermione, these are Chocolate Frogs," Lily insisted. "They're the best chocolates in the Wizarding World. You can never have enough."

Hermione laughed. "I'm not really fond of chocolate," she said with an apologetic smile. "I'm more of a toffee kind of girl."

"Well, more for me then," Lily sighed, before pulling Hermione towards the small drawer full of toffees for Hermione. The brunette eagerly scooped a few and hesitated to get another heap for herself. Peter's toffee payment during her first year was already dwindling, and Hermione wondered if it would be all right for her to stack up some more.

"Oh, Hermione," the redhead laughed, grabbing a handful of toffees and depositing them on Hermione's palm. "It's all right. No one's going to Avada you for loving toffees so much."

She sheepishly smiled and remembered her dentist parents – who were technically not her parents anymore – and how they'd have an aneurysm just by looking at Hermione's toffees. Convinced that it wouldn't hurt to buy a few more, Hermione grabbed another handful before bringing them over to the counter.

Lily and Hermione hovered near the door and searched for their Slytherin friend. Maybe ten more minutes passed by, before Lily looked at Hermione and asked, "Do you reckon we should start searching for him?" She looked so comically worried that Hermione couldn't help but laugh.

"I'm sure he'll be fine," she reassured.

Another five more minutes passed before they finally saw Severus. Hermione's eyes widened at the towering sweets in his arms—different kinds of candies hugged tightly against his chest—that could maybe last him until he graduated from Hogwarts.

"What the—"

"I didn't exaggerate when I said Sev loves sweets," Lily sighed. "Wait for us here, Hermione." She passed her paper bag to Hermione to hold and stomped towards the Slytherin.

Hermione watched in amusement as Lily berated him for buying too much given his budget and his teeth, warning him that his teeth would all one day rot because of his ridiculous obsession with sweets. Severus snarled his retorts in return, reasoning that he had saved enough for his Honeydukes treats, but Lily was having none of it. She tried to wrestle some liquorice wands from his hand and a few boxes of Bertie Botts before she was satisfied with his supply.

Lily was now ranting at the equally amused shop owner, telling him that they shouldn't introduce new candies yearly because they'd find themselves sold out immediately. While Lily was preoccupied with her ranting, the redhead was unable to see the soft look Severus was throwing her way.

But Hermione did, and it unsettled her deeply how there was earnest admiration in Severus's dark eyes.

Sometimes, she remembered Harry's story about how Severus Snape did everything he could just to protect him from Voldemort, all because he loved Lily Potter very much. It was laughable, because they grew up being terrorised by their Potions Master. He was ridiculously horrible at trying to show his protection for The-Boy-Who-Lived then, if Harry was speaking the truth.

She never really thought about their relationship in the past. All she saw was her same friendship with Harry and Ron, so she thought it was all just some stupid excuse to make Snape redeemable in her eyes. But recently, when Hermione found herself tired from reading and tried to rest her eyes by looking around the library, she'd see how Severus would look at an oblivious Lily and it was… it was beautiful. How his gaze spoke of his deep affection for the redhead, looking at her as if she was the sun that warmed his dark stormy nights.

Hermione knew Lily was obviously oblivious of the Slytherin's feelings for her. Lily acted as usual, like the jolly chatterbox she'd always been, and treated Sev like how she treated Hermione. The brunette didn't know how Severus felt about that, and sometimes wondered if she should urge him to start making a move just to relieve him from his misery – her misery, too, really, because it was getting annoying how he was pining over the redhead.

She'd thought they would make a wonderful pair, after all. Severus was always a sourpuss – Lily never got tired of pointing that out every day – and he really needed someone that could bring out the smile on his face. And although Lily was bright, she was a bloody true Gryffindor – reckless and brave and hot-tempered. Lily needed someone that could keep her grounded, but still challenged enough.

And Merlin, dear Merlin, Severus and Lily suited each other very much.

This disturbed Hermione infinitely because Lily belonged to James Potter. Without a Lily Potter, there would be no Harry Potter. And Hermione couldn't let that happen. Harry Potter should live, no matter how different he would treat her because she couldn't really become his best friend now.

Hermione tore her eyes away from the glowing pair with pained eyes, silently apologising to Severus for the inevitable future when he would nurse a broken heart.

"Three Broomsticks?" Lily then asked as she and Severus approached Hermione.

"Fine," Severus gruffly said.

Lily beamed brightly and hooked her arm with Hermione. As the older witch pulled the Ravenclaw out of Honeydukes, Hermione briefly shot a glance at Severus and noticed the warmth in his gaze once more. He seemed to sense Hermione's gaze, for he shifted his eyes to look at her. Upon seeing Hermione's frown, he quickly looked away, but not before Hermione noticed the redness of his cheeks.

-ooo-

Lily shrieked as Hermione instinctively pulled her away from the sudden explosion.

The trio stopped in their tracks and stared in horror at the thick smoke escaping from the Three Broomsticks.

"What the—" Severus murmured, but his words were drowned by the sudden screams erupting from inside. Lily and Hermione immediately took a few steps back as raucous shouts, mixed with boisterous laughter, grew louder.

The brunette's eyes widened when Peter suddenly tumbled out, landing quite painfully on his chest. He was quickly followed by a disgruntled Remus, but the gleaming humour in his golden eyes was unmistakable. Following him was James Potter, his glasses askew and half of his robe singed with a few embers still glinting at the hem. He was merrily laughing, tears streaming down from his hazel eyes, and was unable to notice that he was still slightly on fire. Peter quickly blew the flames away and grinned widely at him.

"Rosmerta, dearest, I swear, I swear it was an accident!" Sirius hollered, shooting out from the pub and quickly hiding behind his hysterical best friend. Madame Rosmerta, still quite young and very stunning, stomped out from the Three Broomsticks with murder in her glittering violet eyes. She was pointing her wand at Sirius, trying to growl a hex, but with James blocking him, she was unable to do so.

"You boys always bring trouble when you're in here!" she shrieked, now angrily shaking her wand around. James had to scoot his head away to keep the end of her wand from poking out his eye. "One more. One more, and you will be banned from coming here forever!"

"Come now, Rosmerta. Rosie," Sirius appeased. The barmaid did not appreciate his nickname and growled in return. "Sorry, sorry, we didn't really mean it."

Rosmerta's eyes glinted dangerously. "Lie again and I'm going to hex your tongue off, Sirius Black," she threatened.

James's laughs had died down by then, and even Sirius paled at the threat. The Black heir then slowly raised both of his hands to gesture his surrender.

With one last mighty glare, she hissed at the pranksters and turned around.

"But you will still marry me once I graduate, right, Rosie dear?" Sirius hopefully asked. Remus shushed him loudly and hit him against his ribs, effectively shutting him up.

Instead of answering Sirius, she exclaimed a loud 'Reparo' at her door and stomped inside, loudly shutting the door behind her back. Her actions rattled the walls so much it made the Gryffindor boys flinch.

It was Peter who first broke the silence. "Well… it was worth it though, yeah?" He was grinning like a bloody fool.

James burst into uncontrollable laughter once again and doubled over. "Bloody fucking worth it," he managed to wheeze through his laughing.

"What the hell was that?" Lily then demanded, lightly glaring at the boys.

They then realised that the trio standing to the side had watched the whole debacle.

"Hermione!" her brother greeted.

The brunette, despite her curiosity about their prank, smiled. "Hello, brother," she replied. "What was that all about?"

"Never mind that now, kitten," Sirius said, shooting her a huge grin. "How's your first time in Hogsmeade? I hope you've been well."

"I'm not entirely sure why you're interested," Hermione said, scrunching her nose.

The corner of Remus' lips twitched when Sirius dramatically placed a hand against his heart. "Wow, ouch, Hermione," he scoffed. "I'm just trying to be nice to my best mate's little sister."

Before Hermione could answer, James Potter was suddenly stumbling forward, his cheeks blazing red. He ran a hand through his hair and glanced down at Lily. "Evans, hi. Having fun?" he asked, attempting to throw a lazy smirk her way that only made him look ridiculous, since half of his robe was burnt by whatever prank they had pulled inside the pub.

Lily made a face. "What's it to you, Potter?" she harrumphed, turning away and pulling Hermione into the pub. Severus sneered at the Gryffindors and closely followed behind.

Hermione, however, was surprised with James' sudden change in attitude. She craned her neck and found him still stupidly grinning at Lily's back.

'Huh,' she thought, blinking her eyes. 'Well, things are starting to get interesting.'

November 26, 1974

The fire in the common room was already burning low, but none of the four Gryffindors stood up from their seats.

James lazily pulled out his golden snitch and started tossing it in the air, his hazel eyes gazing unseeingly at the licking fire. His mind was elsewhere, thinking distractedly about what would happen during the full moon two days from now. Remus looked worse for wear, and was absolutely cranky; the other three had been walking on eggshells around him lest the werewolf suddenly burst into a raging tantrum. Although Remus was the best of them, and people did say he was the kindest amongst his friends, his temper fuelled by werewolf blood was something else entirely.

They still hadn't perfected their Animagi forms. He was quite good with Transfiguration – dare he say it, he was one of the best – but transforming into an Animagus was mighty time consuming. The first time Sirius had suggested they become one to keep Remus company during the full moon, James was admittedly ecstatic. But when Remus pointed out how bothersome the steps would be just to become one, James started having doubts.

The ingredients to brew the potion weren't hard to find, especially as there were two Pureblood heirs among the group. The process, however, was almost ridiculous, but they pushed through nonetheless. They had to repeat certain steps, like placing a Mandrake leaf inside their mouth for a month because Peter sometimes swallowed it down when he was eating, or Sirius would spit it out in his sleep.

Despite the numerous failures, they continued. They still had to wait for the next thunderstorm to rage over Hogwarts to complete the ritual, and James was hoping it would happen before the full moon.

"What the bloody hell is this?" Sirius suddenly barked.

James blearily blinked his eyes and looked over at the Black heir. Sirius was waving pieces of parchment with multicolored, highlighted words. James lifted an eyebrow and looked at Peter, who turned a light shade of pink.

"Err…" he sheepishly started, "it's a colour-coded schedule made by my sister. She insists that I should start studying for my OWLs."

Remus glanced up from his Herbology textbook and lightly smiled. "She isn't entirely wrong, you know," he pointed out.

James snorted and pocketed his golden snitch. "We're still bloody fourth years," he complained. "We have another year before we worry about OWLs."

"Hermione's persistent," Peter said with an exasperated sigh. "Said that if I wanted to become an Auror, I should start working harder for my OWLs."

"She isn't entirely wrong about that either," Remus crankily murmured under his breath, prompting Peter to glare in his direction.

"I can't believe your sister's such a swot," Sirius laughed, tossing the colour-coded parchments back inside Peter's backpack. "Here I thought Remus was already a swot, but Merlin Almighty, your sister's an entirely different level of swottiness."

The sandy-haired boy shrugged. "Hermione loves to study," he explained. "Mum tried to push her to discover other hobbies when we were younger, but we always found her reading a new novel or something." A fond smile appeared on Peter's face that was not left unnoticed by the other three.

"And I also can't believe you are related to her," James pointed out with a wide grin. "Maybe she sucked out all the brains in your family and didn't leave any for you."

"Hey!" Peter cried, affronted.

"You're not really going to stick with this bloody schedule, are you?" the Black heir asked, comfortably shifting on the couch to lay his head on Remus' lap. The werewolf emitted a low growl at the back of his throat and tried to push the obnoxious boy away, but Sirius merely snuggled deeper until Remus relented.

"Hermione can be really persistent," Peter interjected. "And you know how she gets with that temper of hers…" He trailed off and meaningfully looked at James, unabashedly pointing at his nose.

James, in retaliation, gave him a tight, false smile and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose with his middle finger. Peter merely grinned, unfazed.

"Anyway," Sirius said, sitting up on the couch once more with an excited glint in his eyes. "Have you guys thought about my prank proposal for tomorrow?"

"Pass," Remus murmured without skipping a beat.

"Aw, come on, Remus!" the Black heir whined.

The werewolf glared at him out of the corner of his eyes. "If you must know, Black, the full moon is coming up so I'm not up for some stupid pranking right now," he growled.

"I hate Cranky Remus the most," Sirius sighed. He then directed his silver eyes at the sandy-haired boy. "Petey?"

"Sorry, I promised Hermione I'd study with her in the library tomorrow," he answered with an apologetic smile.

Sirius was starting to look exasperated. "Jamesy?" he asked, bordering pleading. "Please, mate, you're my only hope."

"Sorry, Sirius m'boy," the bespectacled Gryffindor said. "I have Quidditch practice tomorrow and with the upcoming match against Slytherin approaching, I can't really ditch it."

The Black heir groaned and fell back into Remus' lap. "You guys are no fun at all," he pointed out.

Chapter Text

vii.

i'll teach you everything i know

(Light by Sleeping at Last)

November 27, 1974

"Merlin, I was afraid you'd ditch me today!" was Hermione's soft greeting upon seeing Peter entering the library.

Her brother skidded to a halt when he saw her company. Unwittingly, his blue eyes narrowed at the back of Severus's head. As if sensing his hostile gaze, her Slytherin best friend turned around and sneered at him.

"What is he doing here?" he snapped, glancing over at Hermione to glare at her.

"He's my brother," she reminded, unbothered by his ire. "And I wanted to help him with his studies, so I invited him."

Severus lifted his chin and with a polished wave, all of his things were neatly placed inside his bag. He then stood up from his seat and shouldered the strap of his bag.

"Sev, come on…"

"I'd rather die than study with pompous gits like him," he harshly muttered. Hermione's eyes widened at how he swivelled around with practiced flourish, reminiscent of her Potions master in her previous lifetime.

"Melodramatic berk," she murmured under her breath once Severus was gone. She then turned to Peter and awkwardly smiled. "Sorry about that."

Peter shrugged. "Good riddance, I guess," he said.

"Peter!"

He sheepishly smiled and slid on the chair opposite Hermione. "You and I both know we don't really like each other, Hermione," he pointed out. "Why bother acting civil?"

"Because it's what a normal, decent person does?" she offered.

Peter merely rolled his eyes and started piling his things onto the table.

"What are you going to study today?" she asked, glancing at the colour-coded schedule she had prepared for her brother.

"Herbology, I think," he said, grabbing onto said parchment and scanning it for the schedule for today. "Yes, it says second year Herbology."

Peter started to study the syllabus from their second year Herbology. Hermione lightly smiled at how he struggled with remembering basic details and how he repeated it again and again under his breath to memorise it. She remembered how her favourite professor, Professor McGonagall, once pointed out that Peter Pettigrew wasn't up to par with his friends' intelligence and skills. Peter wasn't exactly that dull. He just didn't really care too much about studying. But unlike James, who was amazingly gifted with Transfiguration and Charms, or Sirius who was especially talented in Defence Against the Dark Arts, Peter did not really have something he was good at. Well, maybe there was skateboarding, but of course that wasn't something he could use for his future career.

It warmed her heart how he was now trying, though. Harry and Ron never listened to her when she insisted that they should start studying if they wanted to become Aurors in the future, claiming they have a bloody shining reputation that would land them into their dream jobs. Bloody naïve, those berks were – but Peter was earnestly trying his best, wanting to prove to everybody that he was as talented as his best friends.

Thus, Hermione was patient with him when her brother asked about things he couldn't understand. Thankfully, they were tackling second year Herbology, which Hermione had gone through already, so it wasn't questionable how she knew about these things.

"You know, you can discover which study habits work best for you," Hermione suggested when Peter grew frustrated once more upon failing to memorise the properties of a magical plant. "Like, for example, I jot down notes and rewrite important information to help me with memorising."

Peter sighed in exhaustion and let his forehead connect dully with the wooden table. "I'm hopeless, Hermione," he softly whined. "Why can't I be half as smart as you are? We're bloody related. Like is unfair."

"Maybe if you weren't busy wreaking havoc all over the school with your so-called friends, you'd have decent marks," she pointed out matter-of-factly.

His shoulders shook with his quiet laugh, before lifting his head and grinning at his sister. "Well, it's more fun wreaking havoc than slaving over school work," he reasoned out. He then rubbed his eyes and mightily stretched until he felt a pleasant crack from his back.

"You're already tired," she stated with a frown. "Why is that? You're not sleeping well, Petey?"

The Gryffindor grew quiet, eyes conflicted and she watched as he silently debated over an unknown problem.

"Hermione," he then started, "can you keep a secret?"

She blinked and worriedly gnawed her lower lip. "Depends," she deliberately said. "What will be the consequence if I let it out?"

"Twenty years imprisonment in Azkaban?" he nonchalantly offered.

When her eyes grew in horror, Peter chuckled and leaned forward. "My friends… well, we have had a special project since second year," he started.

'Oh,' Hermione thought, now realising his exhausted state. "Yeah?" she asked. "Special project about what?"

"It's… to help a friend," he insisted, now unable to meet her questioning gaze. "But we've been trying to become Animagi for years now."

He held his breath and waited for her to blow up. But Hermione, already knowing about this special project of theirs, merely narrowed her eyes and lowered her voice. "That's bloody illegal if you don't plan on getting registered after," she whispered.

"Which is why I told you, you should keep this a secret if you don't want your brother and his friends locked away in Azkaban for twenty years," he shot back.

"Why?" she asked, knowing that if she wasn't curious enough, her brother would grow suspicious with her lack of reaction.

Peter nervously rubbed the tip of his nose and frowned. "That… well, I can't tell you the reason," he hastily stated. "But… it's not for anything heinous, Hermione. I promise you. I told you we're doing this for a good friend."

"Just don't get caught," she pointed out with a frown.

"Well, that's one of the goals," Peter said with a laugh. "Just, don't tell anybody, okay? Even Mum. I know she'd go ballistic if she discovered I'm spending my time turning into an Animagus, rather than studying diligently in school."

"Becoming an Animagus is terribly impractical," she pointed out.

Peter shook his head. "It may be, because it's not really the primary method chosen if you want to escape or conceal yourself," he said. "But, with our reason— it's the best option, so we're willingly doing it."

Hermione sighed and threw him a withering glare. "Just don't get caught, for Merlin's sake," she grumbled.

He grinned and nodded his head, relieved that she was immediately accepting.

"Oh, hello."

Both Hermione and Peter looked up and saw a confused Lily Evans standing near their table.

"Hi, Lily," Peter said with a small, amicable smile, which she returned.

"I hope you don't mind if he studies with us today, Lils," Hermione said with a hesitant frown.

The redhead glanced over at the wizard and grew thoughtful for a while. Then, with a firm nod, she added, "Just as long as you don't become a toerag like Sirius and James, then it'll be fine."

Peter broke into a wide grin. "That I can do," he said.

Lily slid onto the chair besides Hermione, then paused. "Where's Sev?" she asked, looking around the library to search for their best friend.

The brunette snorted. "He said he'd rather die than study with pompous gits like him," she said, jutting her chin at a scowling Peter. "Verbatim, if you must know."

"Well, that's our sourpuss all right," Lily said with a smirk. She then started pulling out her things and when Peter saw her own copy of Hermione's colour-coded schedule, he snickered.

"She gave you one too?"

"Oh, you mean this?" Lily waved the pieces of the parchment in the air and grinned. "Your sister's bloody mental, but she means well."

"Hey, I'm right here, you know," Hermione snapped with a deep frown.

Lily laughed and merely hugged the brunette, proclaiming that she was a blessing to them all.

March 24, 1975

"Pass," Peter muttered without even looking up from the Potions book he was reading.

Sirius rounded on him, surprise written on his face. "What? Again, Peter?" he cried, stomping towards the distracted boy and grasping onto his textbook. He then proceeded to throw it over his shoulders and managed to smack James on the chest.

"HEY!" the Potter heir cried, rubbing his smarting chest. "Watch it!"

"Yes, again," Peter sighed, sidestepping the boisterous boy and grabbing onto his Potions textbook. "Sorry, mates, but I can't go again this time."

Sirius turned around and stomped towards Peter, who was once again lost in the sea of words. "You haven't been spending enough time with us, Peter," Sirius accused. "You're even turning into… turning into Remus!" He threw a finger at his other best friend to make a point. Remus was also calmly browsing through his Transfiguration textbook, completely ignoring the ranting Gryffindor.

Peter sighed and looked up from the book he was reading. "I'm sorry," he claimed. "But Hermione's been a great help for the past few months. McGonagall stopped lecturing me for not taking my studies seriously. I'm starting to get 'A's in my essays, for Merlin's sake! Whatever method Hermione uses to teach me, it's bloody effective, because I'm actually getting decent grades."

A determined look crossed his features again as he looked down at his textbook. "If this is the only way for me to secure my future as an Auror, then I can't really stop doing it now, can I?" he grumbled.

"Ugh, then I don't want to become an Auror anymore if you're being like this!" Sirius exclaimed, dramatically throwing his arms into the air. "James, talk some sense into this idiot!"

The bespectacled Gryffindor paused playing catch with his golden snitch and frowned at the boy sitting beside him. "She's friends with Snivellus, you know," he pointed out, making a face. "And they study together all the time. How have you tolerated studying with him for the past few months?"

Sirius snorted and plopped down on the couch beside Peter. "Aren't you distracted by all the grease marks he leaves on his own parchment?" he asked, earning a snort from Remus on the other couch.

"They managed to make some arrangement," Peter said with a dismissive hand. "Apparently, Hermione's a popular study partner. Can you believe she also gave her best friends these colour-coded schedules too?"

"I can believe that," James murmured with a smirk.

"So, I don't really study with Snape," he continued. "Hermione tells me if he comes over and reschedules my studying sessions with her. But Lily sometimes drops by and studies with us. She's terribly bright, too, and has also helped me with some things I didn't understand."

From beside him, James suddenly perked up, his hazel eyes wide, bright and gleaming. "What did you say?" he asked, almost breathlessly.

Peter blinked at him in confusion. "That Lily drops by and studies with us?" he repeated.

"Yeah?" he asked, a wide grin breaking on his handsome face. "How often does she drop by?"

"Well, actually, most of the time," Peter said. "Lily's very fond of my sister, if you must know." A soft chuckle escaped from his mouth as he recalled the fiery Gryffindor. "Terribly protective of her, too. They almost have the same temper too, so I guess hippogriffs of the same feather…" He trailed off and gave him a meaningful glance.

"Why are you suddenly interested?" Sirius asked with narrowed eyes.

James's cheeks flooded with colour. "I'm not," he exclaimed a little too quickly as he ran a hand through his hair and looked away from Sirius's glinting grey eyes.

Blessedly, Sirius turned his eyes away from his suddenly flustered best friend. "There's really no changing your mind, Petey?" he asked, now with an innocent smile on his face.

"Sirius…"

"Marley said she and Mary MacDonald became fast friends and wondered if she could come with us to Hogsmeade next time," the Black heir added nonchalantly. James smirked when Peter suddenly stiffened. "I haven't answered her yet, because you know, we don't really want anyone coming with us during Hogsmeade, right? I can always tell her that—"

"That's not fair, Sirius," Peter hotly cried, cheeks blazing.

Sirius snickered and threw up his hands. "Fine, fine, Merlin," he said with an exaggerated eye roll.

"Just let it go, mate," James said. "We still have plenty of time to pull off your elaborate pranks."

"Fine," the Black heir claimed, jumping onto his feet once again. "I'll be off looking for Marley now."

He waved his hand goodbye and left without looking back.

"I didn't know Sirius is now… err, serious with Marlene," Remus quipped once he was out of sight.

James snorted. "I'm not sure if you'd call it serious, but they've really hit it off," he said with a casual shrug. "Let Sirius have his fun. You know how he's being treated at home."

Peter wrinkled his nose. "I'm so glad I'm a half-blood," he said with a sigh. "Sirius got the shorter end of the stick, James, because your parents aren't as stuffy as his. Imagine if my mother, a bloody Selwyn, wasn't disinherited by her family."

"You'd be heir of the Selwyn House, then," James pointed out with a laugh.

"And Hermione would have been taken care of like a proper Pureblood witch," he added with a snicker. "I don't think my sister would have liked that very much. She's like… she's like a—"

"Ferocious lioness?" the bespectacled wizard offered. When Peter and Remus simultaneously looked at him in amusement, he coloured and sheepishly smiled. "You know, with that impossibly bushy hair of hers, she could actually make a decent Gryffindor. Thank the bloody gods that didn't happen because blimey, imagine spending your chill hours with Hermione Pettigrew in the common room."

Peter looked deeply affronted. "Hermione's not all that bad," he defended.

"Peter," Remus said with a humoured smile, "your sister's terrifying." James vigorously nodded his head to show his concurrence.

"I can't believe you grew up with her for thirteen years," the Potter heir reverently murmured, almost as if he was at awe and he respected Peter for undergoing such a difficult task in his life. "She'd never really tried that Bat-Boogey hex on you before?"

The sandy-haired boy smirked and looked back down at his book. "I'm not an arse to her," he said. "Unlike someone I know…"

James leaned forward and smacked him on the underside of his head. "Wanker," he hissed, but Peter merely laughed.

March 26, 1975

"I'll be off," Peter said with a wave of his hand. "See you later."

Sirius distractedly nodded his head and instead concentrated on successfully throwing dung beetles into sixth year Frank Longbottom's robe pocket. Remus hummed his goodbye, eyes also trained at the dung beetles soaring into the air and grimacing when they missed their target.

James, however, waited until Peter was finally gone from the common room before suddenly standing up with a purpose.

"I'll be off to the library," he proclaimed.

Both Sirius and Remus whipped their heads towards James, identical confusion on their faces.

"The library?" Sirius asked. He absentmindedly flicked the crawling dung beetle on his arm and was unable to see how it soared into the air and managed to land successfully inside Frank Longbottom's robe pocket. "Why? We never go to the library."

"You never go to the library," James corrected with an eye roll. "I sometimes do if I need to finish homework."

Sirius' eyes widened, as if he was seeing his best friend for the first time. "You do?" he gasped.

"Yes," James said with a sigh. "So, yeah, anyway, I have to go to the library."

"Why?" This time, it was Remus who asked.

James stopped himself from bristling in annoyance. "I have an essay to finish," he quickly said through gritted teeth.

Remus, ever perceptive, narrowed his eyes and slowly sat back down on the couch. "Essay?" he echoed, knitting his eyebrows in deep thought. "About what?"

"About Potions," he snapped, unable to swallow down his impatience. Upon seeing how Remus quirked his eyebrow at his attitude, James sighed. "I have trouble composing a paragraph about the properties of ginger root and its importance so I need more sources to research in the library."

"I can help you with that," Remus said with a deft shrug.

"Yeah, James, Remus can help you with that," Sirius piped in with a grin. "There's no need to haul your arse all the way to the library."

But James was already shaking his head and quickly walking away from his best friends lest they persistently suggest other things to keep him from going. "Don't bother, I'll just go search for it in the library," he called out over his shoulder and didn't wait to hear their reply. He quickly pushed open the portrait and briskly walked outside.

After making sure that Remus and Sirius weren't following him, James released a humongous sigh of relief and started his journey to the library.

It wasn't really because he was embarrassed about his new crush; Lily Evans was definitely pretty and he'd heard some of the boys in their House talk about her all the time. It was because he knew Sirius would mercilessly tease him with his newfound feelings for the Gryffindor even before he tested his theory. Although it was undeniable that he found her quite breathtaking, he still wasn't sure if this was merely a sort of admiration for her pretty eyes and fiery red hair or something else entirely.

It would be particularly harder to pursue Lily if ever he did really like her because of three things: 1. She hated him and thought of him as a toerag, 2. She was best friends with his arch-nemesis Snivellus Smelly Snape, and; 3. She was best friends with Hermione Pettigrew, who could throw a mean Bat-Boogey Hex if her life depended on it.

Still, the challenge of wooing the pretty redhead gave him a newfound purpose in life. He always loved challenges. He had been preoccupied with the Animagi transformation for years now, but since it was nearing its completion – and it looked like there would be no problems this time – James knew he had to start searching for his new quest. Lily Evan's heart seemed worthy to pursue, now that he properly thought about it.

When he finally arrived at the library, it wasn't too hard searching for his new lady love. Lily's hair was flaming red and bright and James had to blink a few times to let his eyes adjust at her sheer radiance.

Unwittingly, a huge beam appeared on his face when Lily giggled over something Hermione said, and was subsequently shushed by the equally amused brunette. Peter piped in another comment, which started Lily's giggles once more and James wondered if he'd ever be able to make Lily laugh like that.

Standing taller and more confident, James took a huge breath and sauntered towards their table.

It was Peter who first noticed him. The surprise in his eyes was evident, but a smile appeared on his face nonetheless. "James!" he greeted. "What are you doing here?"

Hermione's eyebrows flew up to her hairline while Lily narrowed her eyes in suspicion. James merely grinned and invited himself over, thrilled that the only empty seat on the table was across from Lily.

"I thought of finishing my homework in the library today," he casually greeted, throwing a smile he prayed was as handsome as he had pictured in his mind. Lily merely scrunched her nose and pointedly looked away from him.

"You never liked going to the library," Peter commented, surprised.

James shrugged his shoulders and started pulling out his things. "I needed to research more about my Potions essay," he flippantly reasoned out. His hazel eyes landed on the still surprised brunette and grinned. "I heard your tutoring sessions are very helpful, Hermione."

A calculating look settled on her face and truth be told, James started to grow a little uncomfortable. Although she shared the same eyes as Peter, there was always something else about Hermione Pettigrew's clear, blue eyes. It was like they held knowledge so vast, so deep, so – so mysterious, like the huge ocean that always seemed to hold darker secrets underneath. James still thought it was bewildering how such an enigmatic girl was related to someone as unpretentious as Peter. Besides her undoubted magical prowess—his nose still twitched uncomfortably every time he saw her—it felt like Hermione could pierce through his very soul and deftly browse through his thoughts like an open book, devouring all his thoughts up to her heart's content.

Realising he had been staring, James frowned and immediately looked away, secretly shaking the fog away from his mind after staring at Hermione for too long.

"Why are you really here?" she asked, suspicion thick in the tone of her voice.

"Like I said," he reiterated, "I needed to research more about my Potions essay." James congratulated himself for being prepared, as he pointed at his half-finished Potions essay on the Wit-Sharpening Potion for proof. "And maybe get some little help from you, oh great Hermione Pettigrew."

She didn't appreciate his teasing, but James grinned nonetheless.

Briefly, Hermione's eyes landed on Lily, who by then had resolutely ignored James's presence and had been religiously finishing a Transfiguration essay. Then, her blue eyes landed back on him, and for a moment, James wondered if she knew about his newfound feelings for her best friend.

But Hermione did not give any indication for knowing as such. He'd been perfectly careful with his new secret crush for Lily Evans, already planning numerous outrageous ways to proclaim his undying love for her. Hermione, although bloody brilliant, couldn't possibly know.

"Which part are you having a hard time with?" she finally asked, expelling a sigh of resignation. She clearly didn't accept his excuse, but he came prepared with props for his deception, and she finally relented.

James' grin widened as he shoved the unfinished essay towards her. "I'm not really expecting you to give me an answer," he started as a disclaimer. "But maybe you know the reason why the potency of Wit-Sharpening potions solely depends on the ginger roots?"

Hermione made a face. "Weren't you listening in first year?" she asked as soon as he had finished his question.

"What?" James asked, confused. He noticed that Lily was trying to bite back a smirk but was unable to do so. Peter, however, seemed intrigued by James's question. No doubt he hadn't finished this essay either and was listening with rapt attention.

The younger witch sighed. "In first year, we were taught how more than the properties of the ingredients themselves, their way of preparation is very important as well," she elaborated. "For example, adding thin slices of ginger roots to the potion will produce a different effect from circular pieces of ginger roots. But, with some potions like the Wit-Sharpening potion, the desired effect will still be the same no matter how you prepare the ingredients. The difference would be with the level of potency."

James's eyes widened. "Oh, yes, right, of course," he floundered, cheeks reddening because he knew that. "But, okay, if you say that preparation is important as well, why doesn't the effects change at all, regardless of whether you add strips or cubes of ginger roots?"

Hermione grabbed a spare parchment from her bag and listed down the correct steps in making a Wit-Sharpening potion, word for word. Both James and Peter gaped at Hermione, which she didn't seem to notice as she was too engrossed with her listing.

"To answer your question, the reason why the effect doesn't change at all, is because if you adhered to the instructions, technically, you'll still get the same potion," she said, pointing to each of the steps to emphasise her point. "The reason why ginger roots are the most essential ingredient in changing the potency of Wit-Sharpening Potion is because it will depend on how you prepare them."

"What?" Peter asked with a deep frown, now massaging the bridge of his nose.

"Look," Hermione said, pointing at the first ingredient – armadillo bile. "Armadillo bile is already prepared as a concoction so it says that you just have to add it until the potion turns blue." Then, she pointed at the next ingredient. "The instructions also tell you to add ground scarab beetles until the potion turns red. So, you grind the beetle, meaning you turn it into powder."

"So…?" James deliberately asked, undeniably enraptured by Hermione's explanation.

"So, here, the instruction only said to cut the ginger roots before placing it into the cauldron," she continued. "But cut how? Into slices? Into cubes? Will cutting a circular piece suffice? Do you need at least half an inch? Or three-fourths? The inventor didn't bother with placing the exact instructions on how to do that because no matter the preparation, you'd still have a fully functioning Wit-Sharpening Potion. But, like any other ingredients, its preparation matters when you want to adjust its potency. This potion is an antidote for the Confundus Charm, right? So if for example you are in a battle, and your mate was hit by a powerful Confundus Charm that made him very impressionable to the point that he was almost like under the Imperius Curse, you would need a very potent Wit-Sharpening potion that could cancel out its effects immediately. You can't just give him a different batch of the same potion, its ginger roots prepared differently, with its effects more gradual than immediate. Do you understand?"

James and Peter stared at Hermione in stunned silence, clear disbelief on their faces.

Hermione, confused as to why they were looking at her like that, slowly frowned. "What?" she asked.

Beside her, Lily stifled a laugh behind her hand. "I think you've managed to confound them with your brilliance, Hermione," she pointed out, highly amused. "Perhaps you have a potent Wit-Sharpening potion hidden inside your bag?"

The brunette snorted. "I wish," she murmured under her breath. Her blue eyes connected with James. "Did I answer your question?"

"Bloody fucking hell," he swore. "How can you know all of this?"

"She's bloody brilliant," Lily and Peter uttered at the same time.

Hermione's cheeks reddened. "I just love to study," she reasoned out.

"No, no, I understood what you said completely," James excitedly said, immediately jotting down her points on his Potions essay. "How can you even memorise the steps of making Wit-Sharpening Potion? You still haven't learned about that in third year!"

The Ravenclaw grew uncomfortable for a moment, before she cleared her throat and swiped her curls away from her face. "Err… I like to advance read," was her mere explanation.

James made a sound at the back of his throat for his answer. "I'm going to take my chances here but maybe you know what preparation of ginger roots would provide the most potent effect?" he asked.

Hermione grew thoughtful for a while as she started drumming her fingers on the wooden table. "Well, I haven't brewed one before, so I can't be sure," she deliberately answered. "But, if I were to make an educated guess, I think I'd go with circular pieces of ginger roots. Perhaps an inch in diameter would do."

"And why do you think that?" he followed up.

"Because you want to preserve its properties as much as possible," she explained matter-of-factly. "If you tried to slice it thinly, you might risk the chance of losing its juices and you don't want that. Slicing a circular piece means you only need to swipe with your knife once, so you can avoid pressing away too much juice."

James vigorously nodded his head and wrote down her suggestion.

"I mean, that's a guess," she pointed out quickly. "I didn't say it was right."

"Well, knowing you have a big brain, I'd say you just might be," James said with a laugh. This prompted Hermione's cheeks to turn into a lovely shade of red.

Peter looked triumphant. "See, I did tell you Hermione's a brilliant tutor," he proclaimed. "My grades really got better this year because of her."

"Your determination to pass also helped, Peter," Hermione protested. "It's not all me." But Peter merely brushed her off with a wide grin on his face.

"Well, as much as it's lovely to witness you berks get singlehandedly blown away by Hermione's wonderful brain, I have to go," Lily then stated, pulling out her wand and magicking her things into her bag.

James's eyes widened, realising that he had spent his time in the library studying instead of wooing Lily Evans. "What?" he asked before he could stop himself. "Already?"

Lily looked at him in confusion. "Yes, Potter, already," she shot back. The older witch then turned to Hermione and gave her a goodbye hug before bidding the other wizards goodbye and strolling away.

The bespectacled boy mentally berated himself for getting distracted from his primary goal. Now that his lady love wasn't there, he really didn't find any reason to stay in the library anymore. "I think I have to go, too," he said, disappointment thick in the tone of his voice. He ignored how Hermione quirked an eyebrow at his voice. "Thanks, Hermione. You've been a great help."

"Don't mention it," the younger witch said with a small smile on her face.

"I'll come with you," Peter said, hastily cramming his things inside his bag. "I forgot I have to meet with Professor Flitwick today."

Peter also gave Hermione a hug while James gave her a warm smile. Although he wasn't able to woo Lily Evans today, there were still plenty of days. Besides, it had been a productive day and he didn't think he had wasted too much time.

Before he could completely go, he halted in his steps and turned around. When Hermione lifted her head upon hearing her name, James asked, "Say, you don't mind if I drop by once in a while to study with you guys, do you?"

Hermione looked surprised with his question and darted a brief glance at her brother. Peter looked delighted with his suggestion, prompting her to smile. "I don't mind," she said.

James gave her a blinding smile and bid her goodbye once more.

As he and Peter trudged back to the Gryffindor Tower, he turned towards the shorter wizard. "Your sister is bloody brilliant," he sputtered out.

Peter laughed and nodded his head. "I heard some Ravenclaws calling her one time as the 'brightest witch of her age'," he said, chest puffing out with sheer pride for his sister. "If I had only half of her brains, I think I'd still be able to pass my classes with flying colours."

James grinned widely, not doubting that either.

Chapter Text

viii.

now hold on, let me finish

(One by Sleeping at Last)

September 1, 1975

"What's this again?"

"An amulet," Hermione explained with a tired sigh, frowning at Peter's confused expression. The red gemstone hanging on a brown thread glinted brightly under the lights of King's Cross Station. "I tried practicing my Charms over the summer and made this for you."

Peter still looked mighty confused and rubbed the nape of his neck. "Oh, okay," he simply said. "Thanks. I guess."

Hermione rolled her eyes, the corner of her lips tugging upward. "It's supposed to protect you from dark magic," she elaborated.

He gave her a bemused smile. "I don't think I'll need protecting from dark magic," he shot back, snorting afterwards.

"Yes, you will if you ever become an Auror," she said with a meaningful glance. "Just bloody keep it on yourself everywhere you go. Times aren't exactly… pleasant nowadays, so it won't hurt to be careful."

Hermione's mind went back to the series of news reports over the summer, how the Muggle newscaster had announced various weird phenomena they attributed to some terrible disturbance from nature. Any Muggle would be able to see black smoke and flashing lights, probably thinking of thunderstorms, as numerous towering trees were ruined and their homes destroyed. Sometimes, these 'thunderstorms' resulted in death. But, anyone with a magical background would be able to distinguish swiftly apparating wizards and witches, cloaked with black and faces hidden behind silver, glinting masks. The flashes of light were various spells, most undoubtedly dark curses, that destroyed and killed hundreds of lives.

The series of news had greatly bothered Hermione and encouraged her to work on practicing her charms more fervently. In the end, she managed to produce amulets that would protect both her mother and her brother everywhere they went. Anya liked it so much that she had promised to wear it anywhere she went. Peter, on the other hand, seemed terribly uncomfortable with her gift.

"Wait, you mean to say you've been practicing over summer?" Peter asked, confused. "How were you able to do that without being detected by the ministry? I mean, you're still underage."

Hermione snorted and dragged her trunk onto the train. "We can't be detected because of Mum's wards at home," she pointed out. "Honestly, that stupid law just applies to Muggleborns, who are constantly surrounded by Muggles over the break. Quite unfair, if you ask me."

"Mum placed wards on our house?" Peter thundered, clearly surprised.

"Of course," she exclaimed, throwing him a bewildered glare. "You didn't know?" When he shook his head, she frowned. "Huh, well I can feel the pulse of magic surrounding our house. I didn't notice it at first because Mum never placed any protective wards before because… you know…" Peter grimaced, and Hermione quickly added, "I just noticed it once we got home at the start of summer."

Her older brother suddenly looked worried. "Why do you reckon Mum started placing wards on our home?" he asked.

Hermione bit her bottom lip to stop herself from blurting out the most obvious thing. With the increasing attacks made by Voldemort's followers, people were growing afraid. Even her mother, who had happily lived like a Muggle for the past few years, already understood the implication of the growing attacks. Anya just wanted her home to be extra safe, especially if her children were home.

She knew Peter had instantly thought about that, too, but never voiced it aloud. "Most magical families always place wards around their home to protect them from thieves and other unwelcome guests," she reasoned out, trying to convince herself too. "It isn't uncommon, Peter."

He sighed, smiling slightly because he knew what she was trying to do.

"Anyway," she said, grabbing onto his arm. "It is OWLs year for you lot so we should continue our study sessions."

"We're not yet in Hogwarts, Hermione, have mercy," he whined. When she merely glared, he laughed and nodded. "Fine. I was planning to anyway. James has been pestering me over the summer, asking if we'd still study together once the school year starts."

Well, that was news to her. "He did?"

"Yeah," he said with an amused smile. "Said he couldn't wait to pick your brains again." This prompted Hermione's eyes to widen, but Peter merely laughed. "I'm sure that wasn't really his reason. I can't help but think he's just using your study sessions as an excuse for something else entirely. I still haven't figured it out though."

"I have," Hermione said with a deft shrug.

"What? Really?"

She snickered. "I'm sure you will know all about it in due time," she reassured. "One thing I know about James Potter is that he likes everything boisterous. I don't think he'll hold back this year anymore."

"What do you mean?" Peter asked, knitting his eyebrows in confusion.

Before she could answer, she spied the redhead that was James's object of affection. "Never mind now, Peter," she brushed off. "I see Lily over there. I'll see you around in school, yeah?"

Peter pulled her into a brief hug. "Don't study too hard, Hermione," he seriously said with a pointed stare.

"Since when do I listen to you, brother of mine?" she teased. The Ravenclaw then bid him goodbye and pulled her trunk towards the compartment where Lily was. She was immediately engulfed into a huge, warm hug and laughingly, Hermione tried to pry away the excited redhead from her arms.

"And hello to you too," she greeted as she completely walked into the compartment and closed the door behind her. "Hello, Sev."

"Pettigrew," the Slytherin replied with a small smirk on his face. "Had a good summer?"

She merely shrugged her shoulders and sat down on the seat across from him. "It was all right," she said. "Mum brought over her Muggle boyfriend to meet us and besides the awkwardness of it all, he was tolerable."

"You don't like him," Lily pointed out, quirking an eyebrow.

Hermione had no qualms of showing how she truly felt about her mother's new boyfriend, now that Anya wasn't there to see it. "He was… something," she said, scrunching up her nose. Richard Jones looked harmless, definitely better than Timothy Pettigrew, and her mother liked him enough to keep him around. But Hermione just thought that he was so… dull. Peter blessedly tried to be the sweet boy he'd always been, engaging the man in some conversation about anything Muggle he was still familiar with. Richard tried asking them about their magical school, but Peter and Hermione kept their answers curt, knowing it wouldn't still be a good idea if they divulged too much about their society to a Muggle.

Honestly, Hermione thought that the reason why Richard Jones asked her mother out was because she was a witch. She wouldn't even be surprised if this was the most exciting thing that had ever happened to him.

"Something meaning?" Lily pushed.

Her cheeks flared up because she knew it was a bad thing to say, but really Hermione couldn't help herself. "He was terribly dull," she complained. "I know my mother will pull my tongue out just saying that aloud but he is. I tried so hard to like him because my mother did, and Mum is probably the most wonderful woman in this whole world. But I really can't. He droned on and on about car parts and how fascinating his new television was and all I could hear inside my head were gears screeching and turning and bloody hell, I had to stop myself from yawning widely because I didn't want to offend him."

To her surprise, Severus barked a laugh. "Now you know how we felt when you lectured us about your precious theories," he pointed out.

Her cheeks flared once more, this time deeply affronted. "I am not dull!" she exclaimed.

"No, you're not!" Lily insisted, engulfing Hermione into another bear hug whilst shooting a dark glare at the Slytherin. "You make our lives entertaining, Hermione Pettigrew."

"You make me sound like some kind of a clown or something," Hermione sighed, patting Lily's back. "But thanks for trying, Lils."

The older witch grinned. "Anyway, I have some news!" She then excitedly flashed a shiny maroon badge, proudly bearing the letter 'P'. "I was made Prefect this year."

"Everybody knew you'd become one, Lily, honestly," Hermione teased, but hugged her in congratulations nonetheless.

"I made Prefect, too," Severus silkily announced. Lily's eyes comically widened as she whipped her head around. The Slytherin also showed them the same badge with the letter 'P' embossed on it. The only difference was that it was emerald green.

Hermione expelled a long-suffering sigh. "Great, now you're both Prefects," she said. "I'm sure you'll have a lot of responsibilities this year and you won't have enough time for me."

It was troublesome, and maybe a tad silly, how she was saddened over this simple fact. She was proud of her friends, but this also meant they'd be busier this year. Being best friends with upperclassmen was difficult enough; Hermione had to align her schedule with her best friends just to spend time with them. It was extra hard because Lily and Severus were from different Houses, so they had different schedules too. Hermione's housemates always pointed out how amazing it was they had stayed good friends despite their different year levels and houses. But they really tried looking for time to hang out together and it still made Hermione's heart flutter with delight how Lily and Severus wanted to spend time with her just as much as she wanted to spend time with them. She never really thought about the importance of spending time with her friends before, because Harry and Ron were here housemates and they were on the same year level. Now, Hermione treasured every moment she had with both Lily and Severus.

"You know," Severus quipped, dragging her mind back into reality. "You should start hanging out with your housemates more, Hermione."

"I have Ravenclaw friends," she interjected, but the Slytherin merely rolled his eyes. "But I'm sure you will miss me very much if I started spending more time with them."

Lily laughed when Severus made a sour face. "Don't delude yourself, Pettigrew," he snootily replied, but Hermione merely smiled, knowing nonetheless that he would, even though he'd rather die than admit it to her.

As Lily and Severus fell into amiable conversation, Hermione secretly started worrying about this year. According to Harry's stories, this was the year of their fallout. Hermione was glad Harry was able to provide some details about it, telling her that it happened after the end of their OWLs, with Severus calling Lily a 'Mudblood'. With their broken friendship, Snape had spiralled out of control and grew more immersed with the Dark Arts. Lily, on the other hand, had grown closer to the Marauders and by their seventh year, she had started dating James Potter.

Hermione's eyes strayed over to Severus, his eyes glittering fondly whilst Lily comically recounted how Petunia's new boyfriend – Vernon Dursley for Merlin's sake – boasted his funny little moustache and about other, boring Muggle things Lily didn't bother understanding. Severus snorted in all the right places, his attention solely on Lily, and as usual, her oblivious best friend couldn't see the clear adoration in his eyes.

The Ravenclaw felt relieved how she and Lily had managed to stop Severus from dabbling too much with the Dark Arts. He had tried to research potions that almost bordered questionable, and although Hermione had no right lecturing him about making shady potions, they managed to convince him there were other challenging potions he could brew without having to acquire ridiculously evil and dangerous ingredients.

Severus was also tolerant with Muggleborns now, mostly because he had been best friends with one since they were children. Lily was undoubtedly special to him, which was why it wasn't a surprise he treated her differently. The other Muggleborns, however, were treated civilly by him. He was still a Slytherin after all and he couldn't be seen by his Housemates as being all chummy with them. He was already bullied for his blood-status as a Half-Blood and fraternising with a Muggleborn; he didn't need another reason to be tormented by his housemates.

When Severus broke out into quiet chuckles, his face lighting up, Hermione stared in amusement. She made a promise to herself that whatever happened this year, she would not let Lily and Severus' fallout happen at all. She would fight tooth and nail if the need arose just to keep this little trio together. She had grown very fond of them both and she didn't want a single event to break their friendship.

"Damn it!" Lily suddenly exclaimed, quickly jumping onto her feet. "We have a meeting with the Heads, Severus."

"Relax, Lily, we have five more minutes to spare," he pointed out, languidly standing up from his seat.

Lily bent down to give Hermione a hug. "Sorry we have to leave," she murmured against her voluminous hair. "We'll buy you toffees from the Trolley Lady before returning."

Hermione gave them both a smile and bid them goodbye.

Once she was left alone, she sighed at the silence that was left in their wake. Deciding she didn't have to wallow with her silly misery, Hermione pulled out her Herbology textbook and browsed through their first lesson for this school year.

-ooo-

Hermione was jerked awake when the compartment door opened.

She blearily rubbed sleep out of her eyes and glanced at the door, expecting to see both Lily and Severus back from their meeting, but was greeted with someone else entirely. The silver eyes staring at her were colder than his brother's, bluer in fact, and although Sirius wore his hair charmingly dishevelled, the boy standing at the door wore his perfectly gelled and styled impeccably. He looked so much like Sirius, but he didn't exude Sirius' carefree attitude. Despite being a year younger than the Black heir, he looked much more mature and the perfect picture of Pureblood aristocracy.

"Can I help you?" Hermione slowly asked, deciding that she'd be the one to break the silence.

Regulus pursed his lips and stiffly walked inside, quietly closing the compartment door behind him. Hermione watched him warily as he sat down on the chair opposite her. His shoulders were stiff and he sat as straight as a ruler, it was quite unnerving.

He looked deeply troubled. His face was a picture of indifference, something she had always seen Draco Malfoy wear at school, but his grey eyes were tumultuous. Regulus kept on furiously glancing at the compartment window, as if expecting that someone would suddenly burst inside and drag him away.

"Are you… are you all right?" she asked, her voice a tad softer this time.

He finally seemed to realise that he was not alone in the compartment and visibly relaxed. His shoulders slumped forward and his mask briefly slipped away. Hermione was able to see a deep haunted look on his face, an expression that no fifteen-year-old should wear, and wondered what had caused him so much distress.

"May I stay here for a while?" he silkily asked, his rich baritone reverberating in the small, four walls of the compartment. He sounded so tired and Hermione couldn't say no.

Thick silence settled between them and Hermione didn't know how she should act around the elusive Slytherin. She never really looked his way in the past years. Unlike Sirius, who demanded attention everywhere he went with his loud voice and charismatic smile, Regulus was quiet and aloof – everything a Pureblood heir possessed. But that did not mean he wasn't a force to be reckoned with, too. There was something in his aura that also demanded attention, and although she never really looked at him properly, she couldn't deny that her eyes strayed over his form every time he walked into a room.

"Pettigrew, right?"

She blinked in surprise upon being addressed. The stuffy Pureblood had now marginally relaxed and this time was peering at her curiously.

"Hermione's fine," she said with a tight smile.

He briefly nodded his head and quirked a small smirk. "I'm—"

"—Regulus Black, I know," she finished for him. He looked at her in surprise, and she couldn't help but to expel a breathy laugh. "We're in the same year. And, well, your older brother's pretty famous so everybody knew about you."

His silver eyes darkened upon the mention of Sirius, but he replied nevertheless. "Of course." His jaw tensed briefly, before he relaxed once more and questioningly looked over at Hermione. "You're quite famous too, you know," he offered.

"Because I'm Peter Pettigrew's little sister?" she said with a kind smile. "He's friends with the infamous pranksters after all."

"That isn't entirely false, but I'm speaking about another thing," he continued. He peered at her with a mixture of honest curiosity and appraisal. "Brightest witch of her age, that's what the Ravenclaws have been calling you."

Her eyes widened at the familiar title. "What?" she sputtered out. "Really?"

When he nodded his head, amused at her surprise, Hermione grew panicky. If she was famously bestowed with that title, that meant everybody knew her. She silently berated herself, because she had tried her hardest to blend at least with the crowd. That, when people spoke about her, the first thing they'd think of would be "Oh, Hermione Pettigrew? Clever girl." And then, they'd move on to another topic without thinking about her again.

But now, now if people were hailing her as the brightest witch of her age, then people would talk about her more and Voldemort would inevitably notice her.

"Are you quite all right?" Regulus asked, his eyebrows now knitting together at her surprising silence.

"What?" she asked a tad squeakily. "Oh, oh… err, yes."

He merely quirked an eyebrow and proceeded to look outside the carriage window. Hermione busied herself by glancing down her open Herbology textbook, but the words swam before her eyes, refusing to be read.

Now that they were properly acquainted, Hermione couldn't help but think about Regulus' inevitable future. He was the first one to discover Voldemort's secret and had ultimately sacrificed himself trying to bring the Dark Lord down. It made her uncomfortable how he would be dead in four years, his body lost with the other Inferi in the lake guarding the horcrux. She also wondered how he would feel if he discovered his self-sacrificing act was for naught, since the Light Side had lost. Would he regret his choice of defying the Dark Lord in the end?

"Do you reckon this year will be difficult?"

He was speaking again and Hermione didn't understand why he was bothering to converse with her. She owlishly glanced at him, unsure what was going through his mind. The Slytherin slowly pulled his gaze away from the greenery passing by and settled them on her.

"We will be having our OWLs next year," she slowly pointed out. "It will be mighty difficult because most of our lessons this year will be asked in our OWLs."

"Hmm." He grew thoughtful and pursed his lips. "I suppose I should start studying soon."

"You should start studying now," she insisted. "I managed to convince my brother to start studying last year and he's gotten better academically. He thinks studying early was the best thing he'd ever done. He wants to be an Auror, you see. And Auror selection is very stringent."

Regulus now sported a small, amused smile on his face that almost made him look too much like Sirius. "I don't plan on becoming an Auror," he said. "Our vaults are filled to the brim, Pettigrew. I don't have to study my arse off to hopefully get employed in the future. The Black fortune will get us by for another century or two."

Hermione wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Of course," she scoffed. "The Sacred Twenty-Eight really have it easy." She murmured under her breath, annoyed at how unfair it was that pompous gits could sit primly on their velvety couches whilst other witches and wizards like her had to work day and night just to put food on their plates.

A booming laugh escaped from Regulus, once again bewildering Hermione. "You're an interesting witch, Hermione Pettigrew," he said, unbothered by the wide grin on his face that lit his whole features. "I'm starting to regret the years I've wasted not acquainting myself with you."

She knitted her eyebrows, unsure if he was complimenting her. "Err… thanks?" she hesitantly asked.

The compartment door suddenly drew open, capturing both of their attentions. Lily was animatedly speaking with Severus but stopped abruptly, seeing that Hermione wasn't alone.

"Oh," the redhead said, cautiously looking at the younger version of Sirius. "Hi."

"Evans," he smoothly greeted. Hermione watched in amazement at how his open emotions a while ago had quickly slid behind his aloof mask. His grey eyes slithered slowly at the tense Slytherin standing beside Lily. "Snape."

Sev's jaw tensed and merely acknowledged his greeting with a slight tip of his head.

"Well," Regulus said, his gaze snapping back to Hermione, amusement once again seeping into his silver eyes as he elegantly stood up from his seat. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Hermione Pettigrew."

"Um… likewise," she said, giving him a hesitant smile.

He bid them goodbye and left.

As soon as he had gone, Lily slid on the seat beside Hermione with wide eyes. "I still can't believe he's related to Sirius Black," she said, followed by a disbelieving laugh. "Imagine Sirius acting like a proper Pureblood. I think hell would have frozen over by then."

Severus, on the other hand, still looked tense as he sat down on the seat opposite Hermione. "When I said you should start making more friends in your year, I didn't mean Regulus Black." There was suppressed anger in Sev's dark eyes and Hermione wondered if the younger Black was one of the students who made his life a living hell.

"He wasn't… bad." Hermione frowned, wondering if that was the right way to describe her interaction with the future Death Eater.

It surprised her when Severus suddenly reached forward and tightly gripped her arm. "He's bad news," he ground out through gritted teeth. "It's best if you stay away from him."

"Sev, really, you're being a tad melodramatic," Lily said, but there was worry in her eyes at his strange behaviour.

Hermione calmly placed a hand on top of his and gave it a comforting squeeze. "You don't have to worry about me, Sev," she teased, trying to dispel the suddenly heavy atmosphere in their compartment. "But it's nice to think that you worry for my wellbeing."

Her words seemed to do the trick for Severus's face twisted in disgust and he immediately pulled his hand away from her. "Shut up, Pettigrew," he shot back, his cheeks reddening slightly from embarrassment and annoyance. Lily giggled while Hermione grinned.

They went back to their comfortable conversation, with Lily doing most of the talking. Hermione hummed and smiled at the right moments, but her mind was already elsewhere, consumed by thoughts of an enigmatic fourth year Slytherin.

September 30, 1975

Hermione knitted her eyebrows when James Potter purposively marched towards the table and sat on the chair opposite her uninvited.

"We have no study sessions today," she pointed out, wondering what had made the usually confident Gryffindor so… flustered.

"I'm not here for any study sessions," he explained, running a hand through his unruly hair. He nervously drummed his fingers on the wooden table and Hermione patiently waited for him to tell him his reason for bothering her in the library today. Years and years of being best friends with Harry Potter had made her notice some nuances that he and his father shared. Like James, Harry had a hard time voicing out the more difficult feelings and Hermione knew that no amount of coaxing would get him to talk; all she had to do was be patient with him. She didn't doubt it would be the same with James.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the Gryffindor leaned closer to Hermione. "I have a favour to ask," he simply said.

Her eyebrows flew to her hairline, intrigued. "Favour?" she echoed. James slowly nodded his head, his hazel eyes sweeping around the library as if to see if there was anyone listening in to their conversation. "About?"

His cheeks flooded red as a sheepish smile grew on his face. "About Lily Evans, actually." He nervously fluffed his hair once more and avoided her eyes.

'Oh,' she thought, internally rolling her eyes at how ridiculous he looked. "What about Lily?" she insisted, though she already knew where this was going.

"You're her best friend, right?" he asked bluntly. Hermione merely stared at him, prompting his cheeks to redden more. "I mean, yeah, yeah, of course you are." He laughed nervously and thickly swallowed. "I was wondering if you can – I dunno – put a good word about me to her. Like how I'm actually diligent and err, bloody nice if I wanted to. Maybe a tad charming, too? Or sweet. Whatever, just some good word will do, Pettigrew."

She couldn't stop the amused snort from escaping her mouth. James looked slightly offended and more embarrassed. "Lily already knows about you, Potter," she reminded him. "I don't think my good word will make her change her opinion about you."

James expelled a loud groan and tiredly removed his glasses. He rubbed his face, perhaps trying to remove the redness on his cheeks, and loudly sighed. "I was such a berk, wasn't I?" he asked.

"Yes," she said, fully knowing it was rhetorical.

He gave her a light glare, but Hermione was unfazed.

"I'm going to try to woo Lily Evans this year," he confessed, placing his glasses back on top of his nose. "I was hoping you can help me."

Hermione sighed. She didn't exactly like James as much as she liked Lily; he was, after all, a berk. It still unnerved her how a boy with Harry Potter's face could be such a bully without thinking too much about the consequences of his actions. But Hermione had long divorced the thought of her beloved best friend from the hazel-eyed Pureblood sitting across from her. They were too different for her to even think about Harry every time she looked at James.

But, if helping him meant he would be able to get together with Lily and ultimately make Harry Potter, then Hermione knew she never really had any choice.

"All right," she said, knowing fully that she was grimacing.

He laughed at the look on her face. "There's no need to look like you've eaten something rotten, Hermione," he said with that stupid, stupid lopsided grin that would look terribly out-of-place if it was Harry who had worn it.

"I love Lily very, very much," she warned with a dangerous glint in her eyes. "If you hurt her, I will not hesitate to throw another Bat-Boogey Hex your way."

Comically, he immediately covered his nose from her gaze. "Bloody terrifying, that's what you are," he murmured under his breath. When Hermione continued to glare at him, he expelled a huge sigh. "I'm not going to hurt Lily. I like her too much to do that."

"If I'm going to help you get together with Lily," she started, "it means you will have to stop bothering Severus."

He didn't like her condition, that was for sure. "Hey, I'm not going out of my way to torment the bastard now, am I?" he grumbled under his breath. He looked like he was still struggling to stop himself from asking a question, but his curiosity had won over. "They're not together, are they?"

Hermione pursed her lips, Severus's glittering eyes full of adoration for Lily flashing before her eyes. "No," she said, knowing it was the truth after all. James beamed brightly at her answer.

"So, will you help me?" he asked, eyes full of hope.

She sighed again. "Fine," she said, unable to stop smiling when he looked ridiculously happy.

James grabbed both of her hands with earnest gratitude, managing to bewilder Hermione. She mutely blinked her blue eyes at him as he said, "Thanks, Pettigrew. I owe you a butterbeer."

He gave her that lopsided smile once more and bid his goodbye. Hermione's eyes were still wide as she watched him completely leave the library.

It bothered her immensely how it took her heart at least a few more minutes to rest easy.

Chapter Text

ix.

we'll tell our stories on these walls

(North by Sleeping at Last)

November 19, 1975

James crumpled messily onto the grimy floor of the Shrieking Shack, too tired to reach the couch. Despite the obvious exhaustion, a wide grin grew on his face as he lifted his head and gazed at his other friends. Remus – now back in human form - was curled up tightly on the bed they had snuck inside the Shrieking Shack. It was a luxurious bed, bearing the Potter seal, and was 'borrowed' from the Potter Manor when Sirius had spent the summer at his house.

Peter was sprawled spread-eagle on the floor, but very much awake. Sirius, still in his Animagus form, started bounding towards Peter and proceeded to slobber over his face.

"Geroff, Sirius!" he cried, tiredly pushing him away and wiping his face with disgust in his blue eyes. James snickered when Sirius changed back into his human form and barked a laugh, reaching out for Peter to try and lick his face once more. Peter protested, a mixture of humour and disgust on his face, and shied away from Sirius's assault.

"We've actually done it, mates," James declared, slowly sitting up from the dirty floor. "We've actually become Animagi."

Both Sirius and Peter paused in their horsing around to beam brightly at James. They had been working their very best to achieve this, after all. Even Peter, who doubted his skills, was able to change into a fully-formed Animagus.

James's eyes landed on Remus and although he never partook in the transformation, he seemed the happiest of them all. Remus voiced out his doubts about their little project; he'd read about the gruelling steps on how to become an Animagi and it was a huge waste of time. But the other three had persisted, explaining to him that he shouldn't be alone during his transformations, and the only way to achieve that without anyone getting hurt, was for them to become Animagi. Remus had watched them as they had failed and failed, assuring them that he wouldn't be hurt if they all decided to give up.

But James couldn't give up. Not when it brought out a certain life in Remus' golden eyes every time they excitedly talked about the progress in their potions.

In his stag form last night, he'd observed Remus in his werewolf form. The other three waited with bated breath, testing out their theory that Remus wouldn't hurt them when they were animals, and James only managed to properly breathe when Remus merely playfully chased Sirius in his dog form. Peter, the smallest of them all, decided to perch on James's antlers all throughout the night as they happily perused the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest and some parts of Hogsmeade.

"I had so much fun last night," Remus confessed, his voice barely heard in the small dingy room of the Shrieking Shack. But the three heard him perfectly, for their beams almost stretched far and wide like the horizon.

"How could you know, wanker?" Sirius playfully asked, throwing him a smirk. "You're too busy being all… all… moony last night."

"Moony?" James echoed, knitting his eyebrows in confusion.

Sirius snorted out a laugh. "You know how he gets when it's the full moon and he's in his werewolf form," he pointed out.

"I don't think you're using the word right, Sirius," Peter said with a laugh.

The Black heir snickered and blearily rubbed his eyes. "'Moony' has a nice ring to it, don't you think?" he offered. He comically stood up and brandished his wand, clambering towards Remus. The werewolf, too tired and sore all over to move, was only able to manage to glare at Sirius when the other wizard started tapping his wand on his shoulders.

"What the hell are you doing?" James asked, grinning.

"Henceforth, I dub thee 'Moony'," he confidently boomed, squaring his shoulders and lifting his chin like the true Pureblood heir he was. "Arise, good sir."

"Shut up," Remus said, batting his wand away. He was unable to stop his snickering, though, admittedly finding it hilarious.

James perked up. "Hey, here's an idea!" he said. "Why don't we start calling each other by different nicknames. You know, like an inside joke or something."

"You think becoming an Animagus is an inside joke?" Peter asked him, incredulous.

James rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean… Wormtail," he said, grinning teasingly at Peter's blush. "I think 'Wormtail' suits you fine, Petey. Remember last night when one raven thought your tail was food for her children and snapped her beak around your wormy little tail?"

Sirius doubled over in laughter while Peter gave him a murderous glare. "Berk," he growled, lunging forward to smack him on the head. But James was fast and rolled away, prompting Peter to fall down on his face.

James snorted and patted him on the back.

"Me, Jamesy, me," Sirius excitedly asked. "What do you think my nickname should be?"

"Mutt," Remus suggested.

"Or Mongrel," Peter said with a reverent nod.

Sirius both gave them the middle finger, while James laughed. "I dunno…" the Potter heir started, thoughtfully tapping his fingers against his thigh. "What about… 'Padfoot'?"

"Where the hell did that come from?" Remus asked with a brief laugh.

James shrugged, sheepishly grinning. "Well, your Animagus had padded feet so…"

"'Padfoot' sounds good enough for me," Sirius grinned. "I like it."

"I still think 'Mutt' is a better choice," the werewolf murmured.

Peter grinned. "Or 'Mongrel."

"Shut up."

"And as for me…" James trailed off and thought very hard what his nickname would be. His Animagus form was a magnificent stag, standing tall and proud with antlers that could poke somebody's eye out if he wanted. He was as white as snow too, almost perfectly blending in with the blanketed snow outside the little shack.

"I think," Sirius started, a huge grin growing on his face, "I think 'Prongs' suits you just fine, Jamesy-boy."

"Prongs," James echoed, mirroring Sirius' smile. "I like it."

Remus slowly sat up from his bed, a teasing glint in his tired eyes. "Don't you think we are too old for nicknames?"

"Shut up, Lupin—"

"—way to ruin the mood, Moony—"

"—they're not so bad—"

And Remus was laughing – loud, honest-to-Merlin, heartily laughing – and James couldn't stop the grin on his face from growing. This was the most human Remus had looked a day after the full moon. Despite the new self-inflicted scratches on his face and arms and the dark bags under his eyes, Remus almost looked like he hadn't transformed last night.

James caught both of Sirius's and Peter's gazes, knowing they were thinking exactly the same thing.

"Well," the weary Gryffindor said after stifling his laughter, "maybe we should also start calling our little group with a different name, too." When Sirius gave him a bemused smile, Remus shrugged and exhaustedly rubbed his right eye. "I mean it would really… it would really be wicked."

"Now, we're talking," Sirius said, clapping Remus at his shoulder that almost toppled him forward. Remus threw him a glare, but Sirius didn't notice.

James grew quiet and seriously thought of a nice name for their little group. They needed something that would make them sound like themselves – pranksters and glorious and all – that would have an impact to their school even after they left. A legacy, he thought, when their name would be breathed out reverently by future generations of pranksters, thanking them for being a wonderful role model to them all.

"The Marauders?" Peter tentatively asked.

"The what?" James asked, intrigued.

"The Marauders," Peter repeated, this time more confidently.

Remus was grinning at him. "We're not looting or attacking anything, Wormtail," he pointed out, prompting both Sirius and James to grin because he had casually called Peter by his newly christened nickname.

"Well," Peter started, "I mean we roam around the Forbidden Forest and Hogsmeade during the full moon. Besides, I think it sounds pretty cool."

"If there's anyone who's a true marauder, I'd say it's me," Remus said with a tired sigh.

Peter awkwardly scratched his chin and sheepishly grinned. "We can always say we roam around in search for trouble?" He blushed when Remus quirked his eyebrow in amusement. "Well… you can suggest another name if you don't like it."

But Sirius was already vigorously shaking his head, his luscious locks whipping against his cheek. "No, no, that's brilliant!" he exclaimed as he excitedly looked at all of his friends. "'The Marauders'. Imagine… future generations will remember us as the greatest pranksters that have ever graced Hogwarts."

"'The Marauders'," James repeated, a brilliant grin on his face. "It has a nice little ring to it, don't you think?" The bespectacled wizard then noisily cleared his throat and donned a serious look. "Messrs, all in favour of the name 'Marauder' say aye."

The booming 'ayes' cracked his serious look as a huge grin appeared on his face again.

Sirius's smile widened as he also cleared his throat and waved his wand. Standing taller, he proclaimed, "Henceforth, we are to be remembered as 'The Marauders', Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers!"

Peter broke into excited clapping while Remus rolled his eyes. He was unable to hide his growing grin, however, when Sirius started to comically bow with practiced ease. James grinned at all of them, even jumping up from the floor and bowing at Sirius in return, thinking quite warmly how their bond of friendship had grown stronger today.

November 25, 1975

Hermione felt them first before seeing them.

The Marauders were a force to be reckoned with, commanding attention every time they entered a room. They just emitted this certain brightness that enveloped every corner of the room, stubbornly refusing to be ignored until every head was turned in their direction. Hermione sometimes wondered if they did this on purpose or were wholly oblivious to how powerful their presence could be.

"Hermione!" her brother greeted.

She slowly looked up from the parchment she was holding to tightly smile at her brother. Her eyes then landed on the grinning James, his hazel eyes already latched onto the redhead beside her. Then, with her amusement wearing thin, Sirius stepped forward and enthusiastically waved his hand, a sheepish Remus not too far behind.

"Err… I hope it's not bothersome to join you today," Remus kindly said, now with an apology on his face. Hermione instantly quelled the annoyance she felt and curtly shook her head in answer.

"Come now, kitten," Sirius teased, pulling the chair directly across from her. "Pretend to at least be happy to see us."

"Why are you all here?" Lily asked with a frown. She made a face when James started making googly eyes at her.

"I'm sorry, they were bloody persistent," Peter answered. He sat on the empty seat beside Lily and nervously laughed. "I tried to tell them we're serious about studying but they insisted to come anyway, promising to be on their best behaviour."

"I am serious," Sirius interjected, grinning widely at the pun he had made. "Well, I am Sirius, too. And I am serious with my studies. Seriously serious Sirius." He turned to Remus, his grey eyes glinting in amusement. "Hey! I think I've made a decent tongue twister."

Remus hit him in the chest with his elbow. "Shut up," he murmured under his breath, apologetically smiling at the witches again. "I'll try to keep them in place." He took the seat beside Sirius, while James finally occupied the last chair on the table. "We thought since it's OWLs year, we should start focusing on our studies more. And, well, Peter and James had been yammering about Hermione's brilliance and we admittedly got curious."

Hermione's cheeks darkened at the compliment. "It's not all me," she murmured with a frown. "I just try to help whenever I can."

James snorted, much to her surprise. "Don't underestimate yourself, Pettigrew," he said, throwing her a playful wink. "I started getting more Exceeds Expectations in my essays last year because of your help."

Her blush intensified as she lightly glared at him, noting his teasing tone.

"Besides," Sirius added, "I'm jealous of your colour-coded schedules, kitten. Even Prongsie here got one!"

"Prongsie?" Lily asked, knitting her eyebrows in confusion.

"That is me, Lils," James said, suddenly eager to be talking to the redhead. "Besides Hermione, you've been a great help too, my Lily flower. How can someone as pretty as you have brains like that? It should be illegal, I tell you. Merlin really has his favourites, don't you think?"

Hermione wanted to smack herself at how overtly cheesy he was. Lily was clearly not amused, and it didn't help that Sirius kept on sniggering under his breath.

"Piss off, Potter," the redhead snapped, cheeks reddening, which Hermione knew was more from ire than embarrassment. "Direct your stupid lines to someone interested."

"And you're not?" he asked, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. "Say, Lily, maybe you'd like to hang out with me on our next Hogsmeade weekend? Have a few butterbeers in the Three Broomsticks, hold each other's hand, and maybe give a few kisses if you fancy it?"

The brunette had to bite her lip to stop herself from laughing at how a look of complete and utter disgust appeared on Lily's face. "Did I stutter, Potter?" she snarled. "I told you to direct your stupid lines at someone interested." She vehemently pointed at her face. "Does this look like someone who's interested?"

James, ridiculous, ridiculous James, looked unfazed by her temper. "I'm not entirely sure, Lils," he said, lazily placing his chin on top of his upturned palm. "I'm too busy appreciating the little sparkles in your emerald eyes. Have I told you already that you have the prettiest eyes?"

"Yeah, mate, like the umpteenth time," Sirius clipped, prompting Remus to snort in amusement.

"Well, that's just it!" Lily half-shrieked, half-whispered, and shot up from her seat. She swished her wand in one swift motion and all of her things flew inside her backpack.

"Lily…" Hermione called, but the redhead snootily looked down at her.

"Sorry, Hermione, I think I'll study in our common room tonight," she said, her icy tone warming a bit upon speaking to her best friend. Lily bent down and gave her a brief, but tight hug before completely pulling away. "Good night gentlemen." Her green eyes hardened when landing on the bespectacled Gryffindor. "And James."

"Oooh," Peter snickered.

"Shut up, Wormtail," James hissed, cheeks slightly warming. He then stood up suddenly, almost toppling over his chair and exclaimed, "I will not give up, Lily Evans! Someday you will love me too!"

"Mister Potter!" Madame Pince shrieked from across the library.

James was shamefaced and shouted a clear 'Sorry' to the irate librarian that earned him another scolding.

"Lily's starting crack, I'm telling you guys," James whispered once he plopped down on his seat again. "Did you see how she was trying to hold back a smile?"

"James, mate, maybe it's time to let the healers check your eyesight again because I think you are seeing things," Remus said, giving him a comforting pat on his shoulders.

The only Ravenclaw in the group sniggered under her breath, clearly concurring with Remus. Ever since James had proclaimed to the whole school that he was in love with the most beautiful girl, Lily Evans, his moves to woo her had become more and more obnoxious. Lily at first ignored it all and persisted with her schoolwork, but it was only a matter of time before she had snapped with that short temper of hers. James had happily dodged her wicked spells thrown his way just to shut him up, believing it was progress because at least Lily was giving him attention. It was bloody obvious that James Potter never took 'no' as an answer and only did his very hardest every day to continue pursuing Lily.

It would have been admittedly amusing if she were a mere spectator, but she was best friends with Lily. The redhead had been ranting nonstop about the irritating Gryffindor, harshly listing down things she wanted to do to him just to make him shut up. It didn't help that she was also best friends with Severus. Ever since James had made Lily the object of his affection, he'd become moodier and difficult. Lily couldn't understand why he'd snap easily and stalk off, then proceeded to rant about Severus and listed things she wanted to do to him, to stop him from being such a sourpuss.

Overall, it had been a tiring month for Hermione. She had been working incessantly to keep her friends and brother focused on their OWLs this year, but their stupid teenage drama kept on interfering.

"You know, for the record," Hermione nonchalantly said, refusing to lift her blue eyes away from the essay she was making. "If you channelled that same energy into your studies, I don't doubt you'd start topping your classes, Potter." He was brilliant after all and he could throw a mean spell if he wanted to. Amongst the three aspiring Aurors, she knew it would be James who would be the most incredible at it.

"I'm going to take that as a compliment, Pettigrew." She heard his smirk more than saw it. "I didn't know you thought so highly of my intelligence."

Hermione sighed and tiredly rubbed the bridge of her nose. Trust James Potter to twist her words to better suit his ego. She didn't grace him with an answer in the end because she knew it would just further stroke his sun-sized ego.

"What are you writing?" Remus then asked, tapping a finger on her parchment.

She dragged her eyes away from her homework and kindly smiled at the werewolf. "Arithmancy essay. We are tasked with choosing a famous wizard or witch and to correlate their personalities and achievements with their Character Number."

"Oh, I remember that homework!" he exclaimed, delighted. "I chose Gellert Grindelwald, I think."

"An 8," Hermione said with a smile. When Remus beamed and nodded his head, she continued, "I chose Bathilda Bagshot for this homework."

Peter smiled fondly at his sister. "Why am I not surprised?" he cheekily asked. "Did I ever tell you that Hermione's made it her ritual to read Hogwarts: A History once every summer?"

Her cheeks flared when the four boys snickered. "Honestly, Hogwarts: A History isn't getting enough love," she protested. "Besides, Bathilda Bagshot has an interesting Character Number. She had a complicated life, after all, and Arithmancy somehow predicted some of it."

"Why choose Arithmancy when there's Divination?" Sirius pointed out, grimacing when he briefly glanced over Hermione's half-finished essay. "At least with Divination, you can pass with your eyes closed."

"Like literally," James concurred with a solid nod. "You just have to dream some bloody weird shite to jot down on your dream journal and Professor Cayce will pass you in a heartbeat, proclaiming to everyone that you could become a powerful seer in the future."

"Because Divination is a load of codswallop," Hermione hotly exclaimed, unconsciously gripping her quill more tightly. "Why rely on predictions from stupid lines on your palms or cards when you can rely on precise answers like numbers and computations. At least numbers don't lie. Your palms, however, may be unfortunately callused, their ridiculous bumps suggesting an obscure way of dying."

Remus was heartily laughing by the end of her tirade. "Your sister is really something, Peter," the future Defence Against the Dark Arts professor exclaimed. "Forgive me in advance if I try to seek your company to study in the library in the future."

Hermione kindly smiled at him, because Remus was the most tolerable after all. "I don't really mind," she said with a shrug.

"You'll allow us to join your little study sessions then?" Sirius asked with a hopeful gleam in his eyes.

The brunette gave him a stern glare. "If you promise to really study, then who am I to refuse?" she asked.

"I'm going to study, I promise," the Black heir eagerly said. When Hermione still looked highly doubtful with his words, he raised his right hand and said, "Marauder's honour."

Hermione expelled a small laugh, knowing it was an honour of the highest degree. She briefly glanced at the other three, wondering when they had started calling each other those infamous names and acknowledging themselves as the Marauders.

"And I'd really like to have one of your personalised colour-coded schedules," Sirius continued. "Jamesy wasn't exaggerating when he said his grades started increasing after adhering to the bloody schedule you made. I still need high grades if I want to become an Auror in the future."

Hermione remembered her previous conversation with Regulus Black on the Hogwarts Express and was unable to stop herself from saying, "Aren't your vaults filled to the brim? Why are you so adamant on pursuing a career you won't even need to last you for another century?"

She was surprised at how his eyes turned steely grey instead of the usual warm, molten mercury. "To be honest with you, Miss Pettigrew," he said, a cold smile spreading on his face. "I'd rather not sit with fancy-shmancy holier-than-thou Purebloods for the rest of my life but instead travel around the country to hunt the bad guys."

Her blue eyes widened at his cold declaration, watching as Sirius hastily broke away their eye contact and took a deep, shuddering breath. When he looked back at her, his eyes were the usual warm grey once more. "So, a colour-coded schedule?" he quipped, the smile on his face now bright and warm, as if the cold Sirius a while ago had never even made an appearance.

Hermione sighed. "I'll give it to you tomorrow," she said, finally relenting. Her blue eyes swept towards the boy sitting beside Sirius and she smiled. "I can make one for you too, if you like, Remus."

His chest rumbled with a quiet laugh. "I think that would be nice," he agreed.

The group soon fell into silence, with some of them occasionally talking about a certain assignment or asking questions they couldn't understand. Hermione mostly kept to herself and quietly observed the Marauders with keen eyes. Remus truly was clever, and even before Hermione could offer an answer to one of their questions, he was already halfway through explaining the reason for that solution. He really tried his hardest to make his explanation simpler; no wonder students loved him when he was their Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.

And it surprised her more how both Sirius and James were diligently doing their homework. When one of them got a tad distracted, Remus would smack them on the underside of their heads and point out that they still had work to do. Despite the glares they would give him, the two Purebloods would follow him nonetheless. Peter wasn't kidding when he said that they unquestionably listened to Remus, utmost respect in their eyes when they were properly apprehended.

Hermione's eyes finally landed on her brother, who was content with quietly laughing at their stupid antics. His blue eyes were alit with happiness; Hermione had only ever seen his eyes like this when he was with his friends. Her heart was already at ease with the thought that Peter may not stray away from the right path and ultimately betray his best friends, but sometimes she did wonder what his trigger for changing sides had been. The older Sirius had once harshly spat how he was a spineless coward, blindly following whomever was more powerful for his own personal gain.

But the laughing Peter with twinkling eyes didn't look like a spineless coward to her. Not even in the slightest. Hermione's own blue eyes softened with warmth and love for her brother, knowing that one day he'd do something great. That the world would finally recognise him as a great person of his own, not some faithful sidekick running around to catch up with Sirius and James.

"All right, Pettigrew?"

She blinked in surprise and looked at the curious eyes of James Potter. "Yes, of course," she said, feeling her cheeks warming with embarrassment at being caught staring. "Just dazed off for a while, I suppose."

"You study too much," the bespectacled boy teased, flashing her his boyish, lopsided smile. Hermione's heart stuttered at the sight and she immediately tore her gaze away from him, frowning at her strange reaction concerning the hazel-eyed boy.

She knew how to interact with Sirius and Remus because she'd met their older counterparts. Peter was her brother so she was comfortable with his presence. But James… James was a wild card. She only knew stories about him, golden memories of his bravery and selflessness uttered reverently by his mourning best friends. But actually interacting with James was an entirely different story. Hermione sometimes found herself staring thoughtfully at him during meals, wondering what went on inside that egotistical head of his. How could someone so brave and selfless be so arrogant and self-absorbed at the same time? She comforted herself into thinking that he was still young and naïve, that he was still a wide-eyed boy who did not yet know about war and suffering.

'I should cut him some slack,' she told herself countless times, whenever she found herself staring at the back of his dishevelled hair disapprovingly.

Like what Peter had told her before, he was raised as a proper Pureblood, doted upon by his parents because he was an only child. He got everything he wanted and he never knew about the perils of war and suffering. Hermione just hoped that the golden James Potter who older Sirius and Remus kept on talking about, would one day finally appear.

Ridding her mind of such an incorrigible boy, Hermione forced herself to focus on her other homework.

By the time she was finished, the Marauders were cajoling her to return to her dormitories before curfew.

"Let me escort the lady back to her dormitories," James announced. "Just to prove to everyone I can be a proper gentleman, too."

The Pettigrew siblings simultaneously narrowed their eyes in suspicion.

"You don't have to do that," Peter deliberately said. "I can take her there myself."

"Don't bother, Petey," James flippantly said, his tone of voice insisting there was no room for protest. Hermione had to hide a smile when her brother openly scowled at his suspicious best friend.

"Don't tell me you're two-timing, Prongsie," Sirius cajoled, prompting Hermione's eyes to widen while James merely laughed.

"There's only Lily flower in my heart, mate," the bespectacled Gryffindor seriously declared.

Remus snorted and bid them both goodbye, pulling Sirius and Peter with him. Her brother threw a warning glare their way, before allowing Remus to finally drag him out of the library.

James grabbed onto Hermione's bag and slung it across his shoulders despite her protests. "Shall we?" he asked with that cheeky grin.

Hermione frowned and walked behind him until they were outside the library. "So why are you really escorting me to the Ravenclaw Tower?" she asked, eyes still narrowed suspiciously at his back.

His hazel eyes glinted in amusement. "I'm just curious where the elusive Ravenclaw Tower is located," he said with a half-hearted shrug.

The brunette scoffed, prompting his smile to widen. "Please, I know you figured out how to get inside the Ravenclaw Common Room in your first year," she pointed out.

"Second year, actually," he corrected with a laugh. He nervously ran a hand through his hair and Hermione instantly knew what this was all about. "Say… has Lily…"

She sighed and politely shook her head. "Sorry," she whispered with an apologetic smile. "You can't change someone's opinion of you overnight."

James deflated, the usual pompous git that strutted around Hogwarts every day, gone. Hermione admittedly stared a bit because it was disconcerting to see James Potter like this. Her heart lurched at how she remembered similar instances of a dejected Harry Potter and, well, they really were different all together, but they still shared almost the same face. Hermione had to stop herself from wounding her arms around him for comfort, knowing it would only confuse him.

Confuse her too, no doubt.

"What does Lily like?" he shyly asked, peering at Hermione with an uncertain smile on his face. "Her favourite food? Sweets? Hobbies maybe?"

"You're not giving up easily, are you?" she asked with a small laugh.

"James Potter? Give up?" he asked, pretend disdain on his face at the mere suggestion. "Never."

"I figured as much," Hermione said with a wide grin. James matched hers with his own lopsided grin and Hermione forced herself to look away, suddenly feeling uncomfortably warm. She loudly cleared her throat before adding, "Lily loves Chocolate Frogs the most. She's also obsessively collecting the cards, so every time we go to Hogsmeade, she buys a handful."

He nodded his head, intently listening to Hermione's words. "Okay, Chocolate Frogs. Got it."

The witch absentmindedly scratched her chin, trying to rack her brain for more of Lily's likes. "I'm sure she's fond of white lilies, too," she continued. "I caught her appreciating the wild lilies growing outside Hagrid's hut one time."

James made a sound in the back of his throat, most likely tucking that memory in his mind.

"And" – a huge grin appeared on Hermione's face – "Lily's hopelessly in love with The Beatles."

The Gryffindor knitted his eyebrows in confusion. "Beetles?" he echoed. "What kind? Well, that's some strange fascination, but if it's what Lily wants…"

"No, no, not beetles. The Beatles," Hermione corrected. James dumbly looked at her, still clearly confused. She laughed and tucked a stray curl behind her ear. "Figures you wouldn't recognise them. They're a Muggle band, extremely famous too, mind you. Lily once said if a boy sang to her 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' whilst strumming a guitar, she'd snog him senselessly."

His eyes sparkled with interest at the mention of 'snogging'. "You must teach me," he demanded. "How to play a guitar. I've seen some of the boys tinkering with their guitars, but I never really bothered learning how to play one. You know how to play one, right?"

Hermione frowned. "Well I know how but I haven't played in a while," she dubiously replied, knowing full well that the last time she had played a guitar was in her past life, the day before she had Obliviated the Grangers and before she had gone on the run with her best friends.

"Good enough for me," he said with a shrug.

"I'm not even good," she insisted. "Why don't you ask the others to teach you?"

"Eh, why bother when I have a stellar tutor," he said, throwing her an easy wink.

She grimaced at his cheeky smile. "I don't even have a guitar," she protested. "You don't even have a guitar." But James was already waving her off flippantly.

"Don't worry your bushy little head about those things," he said. "I'll handle the procurement of the instrument. Just make sure you can teach me how to play this song by The Bugs—"

"—The Beatles—"

"—so that I can get a proper snog from Lily Evans after learning her favourite song." His eyes had already glazed over, most likely imagining Lily's wonderful reward for his hard work. His cheeks reddened but the ridiculous grin was still on his face. "What say you, Pettigrew?"

She groaned and tiredly rubbed her hand across her face. Looking at James right now, she knew he wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. "You're incorrigible. Do you know that?" she snapped.

This only seemed to broaden his smile. "You did promise to help me in wooing Lily Evans," he pointed out.

Hermione sighed, wondering if it was the right thing to do after all.

"Fine," she relented. "But we can't practice playing guitar often. Merlin, it's your OWLs year and you should be focusing more on passing your exams with flying colours."

"Aren't I lucky I have the best tutor then?" he asked with a wide grin, waggling his eyebrows at her.

In spite of her frustration, Hermione found herself unable to suppress a laugh. "Fine, Merlin," she repeated.

They finally reached the entrance of the Ravenclaw Tower and James gave his goodbyes. Before Hermione could enter her dormitory, she surreptitiously glanced at his retreating back, a warm smile spreading on her face.

James Potter was definitely a wild card. One moment he would be impossibly pompous and confident, swaggering all over the Hogwarts corridors while playing pranks to unsuspecting victims. But then, he could be impossibly sweet too, painstakingly learning the likes and dislikes of Lily Evans just to get her attention.

Hermione really had no idea how she should treat him whenever he was around.

The eagle door knocker suddenly cleared its throat. Hermione flinched, before she sheepishly looked back at the entrance door to her common room.

"Are you ready to enter?" it boomed.

Her cheeks flared in embarrassment. "Err… err, yes, of course," she said.

Chapter Text

x.

i don't want your wicked love

(Wicked Love by Sara Bareilles)

November 30, 1975

There was a huge commotion over at the Gryffindor table, and intrigued, Hermione looked up from her Arithmancy textbook to glance at the ruckus. A huge owl, larger than Hermione had ever seen, was flying over in the general direction of the Marauder's, before dropping a huge package in front of James. A few porridge bowls flew in various directions, drenching some of the poor Gryffindors in the process, but the Potter heir ignored their shrieks of annoyance.

James was grinning widely at his package and excitedly tore away the brown wrapping.

"That doesn't look like a broomstick," Lily quipped, a mixture of annoyance and curiosity in her green eyes.

"Who cares about whiny pompous gits like him?" Severus grumbled under his breath, pointedly ignoring James Potter and his merry band of pranksters.

Lily and Hermione exchanged a glance. Sev had been in such a sour mood these past few days. Lily thought he was merely stressed over the OWLs; Professor Slughorn had once said he'd expect no less than an 'O' in Sev's Potions OWLs. But Hermione had seen how Severus's mood worsened every time James proclaimed his love for Lily.

Although he was undoubtedly a Slytherin through and through, green definitely did not suit Severus Snape.

Once James was able to rip away the package paper, Hermione's eyes widened when she recognised a guitar case. Sirius and Peter were already marvelling his new instrument, trying to have a go at strumming it.

The hazel-eyed boy then looked over at the Ravenclaw table. Lily was already scowling, watching as his eyes searched for someone, and to Hermione's utmost surprise, James's eyes landed on her. His grin reached far and wide as he gestured excitedly at his new guitar and in spite of herself, Hermione smiled and rolled her eyes. This only made his smile grow as his eyes briefly landed on Lily's, the blush on his cheeks unmistakable.

'I think I should start re-teaching myself how to play the guitar,' she thought to herself, knowing full well that James would start pestering her to teach him now.

December 1, 1975

"Good afternoon, Pettigrew."

Hermione's eyes widened, recognising Regulus Black's voice, and she immediately looked up from her Transfiguration essay. The youngest Black was impeccable as always, his black curls parted stylishly and held in place. He was wearing a handsome set of black robes and despite it being a weekend, he looked like he was going to attend a charity ball or something.

His grey eyes looked like molten mercury however, warm and definitely dangerous. A small smirk was plastered on his face, undoubtedly amused at the surprise on her face.

The Ravenclaw realised she had been staring and instantly shook her head. "Hello," she hesitantly greeted, frowning when his smirk turned into a full-fledged smile. Regulus invited himself over and sat on the chair opposite Hermione, placing his expensive leather satchel on top of the table. Hermione watched in confusion as he started pulling out his things and placing them on the table.

"What are you doing?" she dumbly asked, eyebrows knitting in confusion.

"Studying, obviously," he pointed out with a bemused smile. "I remember a certain brunette telling me during the first day of term that I should start studying soon."

Hermione's frown deepened as she swivelled her head around, noting that there were a lot of vacant tables, seeing that it was a Saturday and most of the students were probably still sleeping in or lounging around the Hogwarts grounds.

"I heard that Hermione Pettigrew was a brilliant study partner," he explained, recognising the confusion on her face. "I admittedly got curious, so here I am."

"Oh," she said, awkwardly scratching her chin with the tip of her quill.

Regulus quietly laughed and pointed at her chin. "You've got some ink smeared on your chin now, Pettigrew," he claimed.

"Right, of course," Hermione said with reddened cheeks and immediately rubbed the ink away.

His eyes lit up in amusement, before they flickered on the parchment in front of her. "What are you writing?" he casually asked.

He looked perfectly at ease when Hermione felt anything but. Sev's warning back on the Hogwarts Express still rang loudly inside her head, and she wondered if Regulus was already dabbling with the Dark Arts. Or worse, he was already acquainted with the Dark Lord. What if he had already seen that slimy snake? Shook hands with him? Dined with him?

All these thoughts made Hermione sick in the stomach. It would be a bad idea to associate with someone so intricately tangled with Voldemort and his web of sorrow and destruction.

"Transfiguration essay," she curtly replied, realising she hadn't answered his question.

"The Cross-Spell Switches essay?" the Slytherin asked in surprise. After Hermione slowly nodded her head in confirmation, he smirked, "The deadline is two weeks from now, you know."

"Err… yes," she said, unsure of his statement. "I had nothing else to do so I figured I should start doing it now."

Regulus leaned back on his chair and crossed his arms against his chest. His silver eyes intently bore holes into Hermione, and the Ravenclaw fought her hardest not to squirm under his intense gaze.

"You have nothing else to do?" he quipped, quirking a perfectly arched eyebrow.

"Yes," she shot back with a frown.

His shoulders shook as he quietly laughed, his lips tightly pursed together to stop himself from bursting out into boisterous laughter. When he was like this, he looked like Sirius and Hermione suddenly felt annoyed.

"What's funny?" she hissed, cheeks already warming with embarrassment.

But he shook his head and leant closer, placing his pointy, aristocratic chin on top of his upturned palm. "You don't mind if I start studying with you, Hermione Pettigrew?" he asked, amusement still in his eyes. "My other Housemates are terribly dull – in intelligence and humour, so to speak."

"And I'm not?" she quipped back, her eyebrows once again drawing together.

"Merlin, no," he shot back with a soft laugh. "You're the farthest girl I know from being dull. Maybe this year will be more tolerable if I started hanging around with you."

There was a certain bite in his tone when he spoke his last sentence. Hermione's eyes instantly snapped back to him, trying to gauge any hint of what he meant. But Regulus still looked mildly amused – at her, to her disgruntlement – and did not give any indication of any meaning to his words.

Hermione once again remembered his behaviour back on the Hogwarts Express. The boy looked deeply troubled and Hermione couldn't help but compare him with the sixth year Draco Malfoy, who had been secretly working on an impossible task just to please the Dark Lord.

For a moment, terror struck her heart, wondering if he really was already dabbling in Voldemort's dangerous games. A loud siren rang inside Hermione's head and a voice that strangely sounded like a tired, terrified Harry Potter told her again and again, that she should run away, that she should look away. Because the boy sitting across from her would only bring the danger and grief she had worked bloody fucking hard to run away from.

But… but she remembered Draco Malfoy, sixteen and terrified and so, so lost and Hermione had wondered then if they'd only reached out earlier, if Harry hadn't been obsessively trying to catch him red-handed… she wondered if the war could have changed course if they had put their hatred aside and reached out to Malfoy. Perhaps then, he wouldn't have let the Death Eaters in. Perhaps then, Albus Dumbledore wouldn't have died.

Swallowing down her trepidation, Hermione's eyes hardened as she looked once more at Regulus Black.

'He isn't a Death Eater yet,' Hermione harshly told herself. 'He isn't. Not yet. He's just like all of us. A teenager in need of a study buddy.'

'But he soon will be,' Harry's sensible voice cut through her denials.

And Merlin it was the truth but Hermione… Hermione couldn't look away. Not yet, anyway. Not now, when the youngest Black only wanted a study partner, to exchange conversation about their lessons, and maybe some help with his homework.

'Not yet, Harry,' she insisted with mighty resolve. 'Not yet.'

Hermione took a deep breath and gave him a small, tentative smile.

"What are you planning to study today, Regulus?" she finally asked.

His eyes merely lit up in response.

December 5, 1975

"Sorry, I've got to go," Hermione said after briefly looking down at her wrist watch. She then proceeded to shove her things inside her bag, meaning she was unable to notice the surprised looks exchanged by Lily and Severus.

"Already, Hermione?" the older witch asked. "You haven't stayed in the library for over an hour yet, you know."

The brunette softly laughed. "I have something else to do," she said, thinking it would be better not to reveal to her best friends she was going to teach James Potter how to play a guitar to woo the redhead. Lily and Sev had already been complaining to her how easily she had agreed to let the Marauders study with her sometimes; she hazarded they wouldn't speak kindly now she was helping the pompous Gryffindor in winning Lily's heart.

"Well, that's bloody new," the sour Slytherin said with an eyebrow raise. "You never do anything besides studying."

"That's not true," Hermione interjected, throwing a light glare towards him. "I do a lot of other things than studying."

"Like?" Lily had no qualms hiding her teasing grin, prompting Hermione to redden in annoyance.

"I have other things to do," she interjected once more, pointedly ignoring Lily's question. The younger witch both gave them a warning glare. "Don't start bickering. That might get you kicked out of the library."

Comically, Lily paled and grasped onto Hermione's hand. Severus, on the other hand, rolled his eyes and darkly muttered under his breath, this time pressing the tip of his quill on his parchment with more force than necessary.

"Please don't leave me alone with this sourpuss," Lily pleaded, looking genuinely worried. "I don't know what has gotten into him lately but he's been so… so… incorrigible."

Hermione merely laughed and engulfed the lovely redhead in her arms. "Just do what we usually do when Sev's in one of his moods, Lils," she said, patting her back comfortingly. "Leave him alone most of the time and poke him carefully if we need something from him."

"I'm right here, you know," Severus grumbled with a glower, but Lily merely giggled under her breath.

"I'll try to drop by later when I'm done with this thing," Hermione assured, but highly doubted she'd be done before curfew. James looked bloody set on mastering how to play a guitar today and she knew he wouldn't let her leave until he had done so.

The brunette gave Lily a mighty squeeze before pulling away from her. She gave Severus a bright smile for goodbye, to which he only scowled at.

"Be nice," was Hermione's parting words. She finally walked out of the library and sauntered towards her meeting place with James. The Gryffindor once suggested they could hang out in the Gryffindor Common Room so that she could teach him there, but Hermione hastily declined. James had then asked why they couldn't go there since it was bloody convenient. Besides, his friends had other things to do than bother them, so Hermione didn't have to worry.

But Hermione still politely refused, insisting that an abandoned Charms classroom on the second floor could be their meeting place. It had been under renovation for years after a disastrous accident in the last decade, but the repercussions were too huge and the teachers had all agreed to move the Charms class into another room.

James finally agreed, but still looked mighty suspicious at her rejection. But how could she possibly tell him the Gryffindor Common Room held too many memories for her to handle? Granted, it might have looked different at this time period but still, she doubted much would have changed. She'd rather not get teary while she taught him how to play his guitar, memories of Harry and Ron bickering over Wizard Chess near the roaring fire flooding her mind. It would raise too many questions.

When she arrived at the abandoned classroom, James was still nowhere to be found. Hermione wandered towards the teacher's desk at the very front and hopped onto it. It was one of the desks still mercifully intact in this room. Mostly everything at the back had been blasted into smithereens and no amount of magic could restore the damage or shift the leftover furniture.

"Whoa."

She blinked in surprise and looked at the new arrival. James was gaping at the disastrous part of the classroom, then comically looked at Hermione, still with wide eyes. "I would have paid a handsome sum just to witness whatever the hell happened here," he said, breaking into a brilliant smile that made the corners of his eyes crinkle.

Hermione weakly smiled in return, then gestured at the guitar case slung over his shoulders. "Shall we start?" she asked.

James grinned and pulled a chair closer to Hermione. He plopped down and removed the new guitar from its case and Hermione's eyes widened, admiring the brand-new wood and the other parts of the instrument. She didn't doubt that this one would have cost a fortune. James Potter's parents really doted on their son so much it was almost saddening, because Harry Potter was neglected all his life when his father had been showered with love and affection.

She secretly shook her head to get rid of any thoughts about Harry Potter. She was tasked to teach his father how to play a guitar to woo his mother, after all. Hermione couldn't afford to get distracted now.

"Do you know any chords?" she asked.

James scrunched up his nose and started strumming randomly. The resulting sound he made was atrocious to Hermione's ears. He sheepishly smiled upon seeing the look on her face. "Judging from your expression, I think you already know the answer," he replied.

Hermione heaved a deep sigh and pulled out her wand. Like clockwork, James hid his nose behind his hands.

"I'm not going to hex you," she laughed, then murmured a soft 'Muffliato' at the door.

"You can never be too careful," he murmured, cheeks tinging red.

"Merlin, that was ages ago," she reminded, but James scowled and started rubbing the tip of his nose. She grinned once more then started rummaging inside her backpack. She pulled out a sheet with written basic guitar chords and passed it over to James. He briefly scanned it and frowned, obviously unfamiliar with everything on it.

"Those are just the basics," she explained. "Playing the guitar is pretty simple once you get the hang of the basics. Most of the songs actually only use repeating chords." Hermione proceeded to point at each string and their corresponding note. James listened in rapt attention, deep concentration on his face every time Hermione listed down a pointer. "You have to press hard or else the sound won't be nice."

James sighed and thrust the guitar at her. "This is bloody hard," he complained. "Show it to me instead."

Hermione glared. "If you're giving up so easily, then I don't think you'll be able to play the guitar even if I tried to teach you," she hotly shot back.

The Gryffindor wearily sighed, but still persistently handed the guitar at the brunette. "Just show me, come on," he pleaded.

The brunette sighed and positioned the guitar in her arms. Although it had been a really long time since she had played, her hands mechanically went into position. She'd painstakingly learned by herself all those summers back when she was Hermione Granger. Her dentist father had been musically-inclined after all, and Hermione wanted to surprise him on his birthday by playing his favourite Beatles song, 'The Long and Winding Road'. Since then, besides reading, Hermione liked playing the guitar to pass the time.

"Fine," she gruffly said. "This is a G." She positioned her fingers then strummed twice. A pleasant melody echoed in the abandoned classroom and James's eyes lit up in delight. "This is A." She strummed once more. "And this is a D."

"Play a song," he suggested, his hazel eyes twinkling brightly even though the lights in the abandoned classroom were dim.

Hermione hesitated. "Well, I'm a little rusty because I haven't played for a while," she disclaimed.

James loudly snorted. "Hermione, really, I have no clue how to play a guitar so I can't really judge you if you played a wrong chord or something," he said, his lopsided grin once again plastered on his handsome face. "Go on. Show me. Play me a song, Hermione Pettigrew."

Her cheeks unwittingly flushed under his gaze and she ducked her head down before he could see it. "Fine," she answered haltingly. "There's only one song I've memorised so…"

He gave her his rapt attention when Hermione started strumming the chords to 'The Long and Winding Road'. James's eyes widened at her fingers, awed with her movements, and she softly laughed at the ridiculous look on his face. Not really a good singer, Hermione opted to hum the song under her breath, memories of Harold Granger with bright brown eyes and impossibly dishevelled curls swimming before her eyes. Although they weren't as openly affectionate as Anya Pettigrew, her parents had shown her how much they had loved her in their own little way. As Hermione continued strumming and humming the song under her breath, her heart lurched as she remembered how Harold's eyes lit up in recognition, a proud smile stretching wide on his face when Hermione strummed and sang through the song without any mistakes.

Her eyes watered slightly as she neared the end, remembering how Harold had engulfed her into a big bear hug and told her it was the best birthday gift he had ever had.

When she finished the song, she stared unseeingly for a while, wondering where Harold Granger was and if he had finally met Jean Lowell by now.

Her mind was brought back to reality when James broke into a slow clap. Hermione's cheeks flared and she lightly glared at him, but the Gryffindor merely laughed, his clap growing thunderous, as he also slid off his chair to give her his very own standing ovation.

"That was brilliant!" he exclaimed.

In spite of her embarrassment, Hermione snorted. "I'd like to think it's a compliment, but you did say you don't know anything about playing the guitar so you wouldn't be able to notice the slight mistakes I made," she pointed out.

"All right, all right, I think I'll be diligent enough now to study," he said, grasping the guitar from her hands to position it against his chest again.

A few minutes passed with James continuing to learn and Hermione pointing out his mistakes, and by the time it was nearing curfew, the Gryffindor had been able to finally learn the basic chords by memory. Hermione thought it was mighty unfair how he was able to at least get the hang of it in just a few hours. But he was brilliant at it, and she knew that in no time, he'd be able to play even better than she could.

"We can start practicing 'I Wanna Hold Your Hand'," Hermione offered after glancing at her watch. "But it's nearing curfew."

"Tomorrow sounds fine," he said.

She glanced at him as if he'd gone barmy. "No," she corrected. "Tomorrow, we're going to study for your OWLs."

James didn't look pleased. "Herms, really," he said, prompting Hermione's lips to curl in disdain at the awful nickname, "there are far more important things than studying."

"Like learning how to play a guitar?" she sputtered out, disbelieving his words.

"Like wooing a girl, who by the way, will most likely be the future Mrs. Potter," he elaborated with a lazy smirk.

Hermione's hand twitched, but she was determined not to smack her forehead in frustration. "Why do you like Lily so much?" she asked before she could stop herself.

James's eyes widened at her question, before a small, besotted smile grew on his face. "Lily has the prettiest eyes," he pointed out. "Have you seen her eyes?"

"I'm her best friend, you berk," she shot out with a flourished eye roll. "I see her eyes all the time."

"But have you really seen them?" he insisted. "They're like – I dunno – shooting stars when they're twinkling brightly." He blushed and awkwardly chuckled as he ran a hand through his dishevelled hair. "And, you know, I think pursuing her is a goddamn challenge. The thrill of it all – like how you're trying to learn a difficult spell. Once you get it right, euphoria." His hazel eyes intently focused on Hermione. "It's a little exciting to know that she doesn't give up easy. Because once she relents and goes out with me, I'm sure it will all be worth it."

By the time he was finished with his explanation, Hermione was frowning. "This isn't a game, Potter," she deliberately said, watching as confusion appeared on his face. "Lily is not some prize to win."

"I know that," he shot back with a frown.

"Do you?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow. "If you finally get together and the euphoria of winning, of conquering a challenge, fizzled, what then?"

It disturbed her deeply when James grew sombre and a little confused. "But—" He bit his bottom lip and slightly glared at Hermione. "We'll cross the bridge once we get there, yeah?"

"Lily's my best friend," Hermione hotly replied. "If you're just going to hurt her, then I think you shouldn't waste your bloody time, Potter."

Hermione bit her tongue hard after such an accusation, silently berating herself for even spouting the words. James and Lily were supposed to be together so that Harry Potter would be born, right? She shouldn't reprimand this boy – although, he rightfully deserved it as a berk – and discourage him from pursuing her lovely best friend.

"I'm not going to hurt her," he defended, his cheeks red once more but this time due to annoyance. "I'm trying to learn her favourite song, am I not? I don't think a bastard would even bother doing all of this if he's just in it for the thrill of it."

The brunette deflated and looked properly shamefaced. "Right, of course," she said with a sigh. "I'm sorry. That was terribly presumptuous of me."

James tightly clenched his jaw, but then finally nodded slightly to acknowledge her apology.

"We can practice again tomorrow," she offered as her apology. James's hazel eyes glinted in excitement, but Hermione wasn't done. "After you've reviewed your fourth year Potions. Although pursuing relationships you deem worthy of your time is important, studying hard for your future career shouldn't be neglected."

"Fine," he sourly said, although his hazel eyes were still glinting in amusement. "Peter wasn't kidding when he said his sister's a bossy, know-it-a—OW!"

"Berk," she glowered, but James merely laughed as he absentmindedly rubbed his smarting arm.

February 28, 1976

Hermione's throat ran dry as she stared at the familiar parchment on top of the table.

She was once again in the library, goading Peter and his friends into studying for their OWLs now that they were fast approaching. Lily had already retired to bed for the night, fed up with James Potter's constant boisterous wooing. Severus, as usual, never approached their table if the Marauders were present.

The said Gryffindors' minds were far from their OWLs, even studious Remus, as they excitedly showed her one of their projects since their fourth year.

"Now, Hermione, consider this as a privilege," Sirius told her, his grey eyes staring deeply into hers. "No one in this school except the four of us knows what we have been creating."

"Best map Hogwarts has ever seen," James eagerly said, practically brimming with excitement as he pulled out his wand and tapped the end of it on the parchment.

"It's a bit tricky," Remus said with a reverent nod. "It requires skill and the perfect execution of the Homonculus Charm. Are you aware of that spell?"

Even before she could answer, James and Peter claimed, "Of course she is!" Madame Pince harshly shushed them quiet, but the boys merely smirked and ducked their heads nearer the quiet brunette.

"I am," Hermione croaked, smiling kindly at the future Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor. "It lets you track the movements of every person in a mapped area."

Remus nodded his head. "Yes," he replied, "and besides mastering this charm, you should also have extensive knowledge of every nook and cranny of whatever mapped area you want."

"And in this case, we want one of our legacies as Marauders to be a completed, perfect map of Hogwarts – people and secret passages and all - for future generations of pranksters," Sirius added. "Please tell me we're bloody brilliant, kitten. If it came from you, then we will all feel wonderfully validated. Which was why we wanted it to be you who knew about this secret project of ours."

Hermione's eyes widened when she looked at each of their eager faces. It flattered her greatly that they wanted her approval. "It is bloody brilliant," she said, chuckling softly when their eyes comically lit up with her praise. "I mean, like what you said, it takes great skill to master the Homonculus Charm. But, are you quite sure this map will show all the secret passages in this school?"

"Of course it will," James hotly defended. "We're Marauders and – well – we have a way of covering all the secret passages and places in Hogwarts to put in this map."

"Like when you turn into an Animagus?"

"Exactly, I me—what?"

Sirius, James, and Remus all gaped at her in surprise. "How in Merlin's name—" Hermione was unable to hold in her snort when all of their heads swivelled around to throw an accusatory glare at her sheepish brother. "Bloody fucking Peter."

"It's all right," Hermione laughed as Peter shrank lower in his seat. "I'm not going to tell anybody."

Remus suddenly paled and was unable to meet Hermione's eyes. "He didn't say anything else?" he casually asked, trying to sound nonchalant, but his tensed jaw and pale face gave away his terror.

Hermione's heart swelled at his obvious nervousness. "What else does he need to tell me?" she asked, feigning confusion.

The werewolf visibly relaxed and shot another glance at Peter. Her brother's blue eyes were boring intently into Remus, as if wordlessly communicating that his secret was still safe among them, before Remus strongly nodded his head and looked back at Hermione.

"Is it done yet?" Hermione asked, curiously peering over the parchment.

"No, not yet," Sirius said with a disappointed sigh. "We still haven't covered most of the east part of Hogwarts. That will take a few more full mo – err, months." Sirius darted a sheepish smile at Remus for his almost slip.

"And," James added, "we wanted to place a spell or something on the parchment before its secrets are revealed. There's a spell for that, mind you, and Moony has been practicing it for months. Sort of like the Revelio Charm. But more than that, we wanted to come up with a password – an oath – by the possessor of the map, promising that he will put the map to good use."

The words tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop herself. "How about… I solemnly swear that I am up to no good?" Hermione's mouth dropped open at her words, and she mentally smacked herself for carelessly muttering the words she had heard Harry utter countless times during their adventures. "I – I mean, since you said this map is designed with future generations of pranksters in mind and… um… yes…"

The Marauders stilled, then slowly looked at each other.

"That was—" Peter faltered, a deep frown appearing on his face.

"I mean we could—" Sirius beamed, ruffling his curls.

"It's like an oath—" James helpfully supplied.

Remus blinked then beamed at Hermione. "I should give it a try," he announced. Then, pointing the tip of his wand on the parchment, he whispered, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

They watched with bated breath as an accurate drawing of Hogwarts appeared on the cover. Hermione laughed when she read their familiar greeting. "Berks," she called out, but the Marauders were proudly grinning in return.

"We should utter a phrase too to keep it hidden once more," Sirius suggested. "We can't let other bastards see our work of art when they're just going to bloody confiscate it."

This time, Hermione sighed in relief when she didn't sputter out the familiar phrase that would conceal the map.

"Peace out, pranksters," James deadpanned. Sirius snickered under his breath while Remus rolled his eyes.

"Not catchy enough, Prongsie," the Black heir pointed out.

"How about… Our work is done?" Remus offered with a shrug.

Both James and Sirius scrunched up their noses. "Terribly dull, Remus, what the hell," James pointed out.

"Oh, oh!" Peter exclaimed, excitedly waving his arm in the air to get their attention.

"Merlin's balls, Peter, you don't have to raise your hand to offer a suggestion," Sirius said with a loud snort.

"How about… Mischief managed?" Peter's eyes were twinkling, obviously fond with his suggestion.

Hermione couldn't help it; she smiled upon hearing the famous line.

"How are you so good at this, Petey?" James gushed out, awe in his eyes. "You're the one who even suggested what our group should be called." His hazel eyes briefly landed on Hermione, prompting him to widen his smile. "Look, even Hermione loved it."

James then cleared his throat and looked at his friends. "Messrs," he drawled, "all in favour say 'aye'."

"Aye," the other three chanted.

They all grinned as their eyes landed on Hermione, expectant.

"What?" she asked with a confused laugh. "Me too?"

"Just bloody say 'aye', kitten, if you love it," Sirius pointed out.

Hermione laughed and softly uttered "Aye".

"All right," Remus said as he pointed his wand at the parchment once more. "Mischief managed."

The words and Hogwarts logo slowly vanished.

The Marauders' smiles were blinding by then.

June 10, 1976

Hermione luxuriously stretched her arms overhead and sighed when she heard satisfying cricks from her bones.

Fourth year was drawing to an end and blessedly, Hermione still found herself very much alive and not entangled in some ridiculous adventure that would have cost her her life. She was still steadily at the top of her class and all was going really rather well. Hermione felt like she was settling well in this world and that was all that really mattered.

She greeted some of the familiar students as she finally walked out of the castle. The sun was high and bright overhead and the sky was cloudless and clear. It was undeniably a beautiful day and it was a shame it was OWLs week for the fifth years. She could have hung out with Lily and Severus near their usual tree at the Black Lake and just lazed around conversing about random things.

But her two best friends were frazzled over the exams. Severus hadn't slept properly in days and had skipped showering again. Hermione had incessantly told him he wouldn't fail his bloody exams if he only washed his hair but the sourpuss glared at her darkly and continued muttering different Potion ingredients under his breath. Lily was marginally better than Sev, but she had become quite tetchy for the past few days. Hermione reverently stayed by their sides though, offering help if they asked for it. But most of the time, she would silently watch in amusement as her best friends broke down quite a few times as the OWLs neared.

Since it was Thursday, they had just finished their Defence Against the Dark Arts exam. They had Transfiguration tomorrow and Hermione, having nothing left to do for the week, promised to quiz her best friends about random Transfiguration questions that would most likely appear in their OWLs.

Hermione's happiness dampened a bit when two excited third years rushed past her, one of them bumping against her, but not even stopping to apologise. The brunette lightly glared at her back, but when her eyes strayed at where the running girls were going, her jaw dropped.

Right in front of her were the cackling Marauders, James's wand brandished and pointing menacingly at an upturned Severus. The Slytherin's robe had fallen over his head, exposing Sev's greying underpants. It mortified Hermione how everyone was laughing at his expense and although Sev's face was covered, she was sure that he was already red in the face.

James, Sirius, and even her brother were roaring with laughter and Hermione could feel bile rising up in her throat. Here she thought they had somehow changed their ways after she had agreed to tutor them. Here she thought that James had changed, remembering the bespectacled wizard had promised he'd stop tormenting Severus if Hermione would start helping him woo Lily.

"LET HIM DOWN!" a fiery redhead screamed. Lily was already red in the face and furiously lashing out at James.

The pompous Gryffindor glanced towards Lily with a frown. "Fine," he sighed. With a mighty flick, his charm vanished and Severus fell unceremoniously on the ground. Hermione's eyes prickled when she saw clear mortification on his face, but the Slytherin's black eyes were burning with unadulterated fury.

The Slytherin quickly darted towards his fallen wand, but Sirius was fast. "Petrificus Totalus!" he exclaimed. The spell hit Severus squarely on his chest and he toppled forward with a dull thud on the ground.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Lily shrieked, stomping her feet angrily as she pulled out her wand and threateningly pointed it towards the Black-Potter duo.

This snapped Hermione into action as she hastily ran forward.

"Evans, come on, don't make me hex you too," James pleaded, his hazel eyes still trained intently on the tip of her wand.

Hermione stumbled forward and landed beside Severus.

"Take the curse off him," the brunette snarled, her blue eyes narrowed angrily at the Marauders. She tried to catch Peter's eyes, but he was steadfastly ignoring her. Instead, she directed her eyes at both James and Sirius.

"Kitten, please, stay out of this," Sirius sighed.

"You heard Hermione!" Lily shrieked. "Take the damn spell off."

"Fine, Merlin," James cried exasperatedly. He flicked his wand once more and Severus was already furiously climbing onto his feet.

"Sev…" Hermione cautiously called as she tried to latch onto his wrist. But Severus looked inconsolable, like a volcano ready to erupt and cause destruction in his wake, no matter who was in the way.

Even Lily.

Hermione immediately stood up when she heard James say, "There you go, Snivellus. You're lucky Evans was here, or I would have—"

"I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!"

'Fuck,' Hermione internally screamed, watching as Lily's face crumpled like she had been slapped painfully across her face. 'Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.'

Severus looked clearly horrified at his words. "I didn't—" His words were left unheard as Lily's face morphed into unadulterated anger and whipped away from him.

"APOLOGISE TO EVANS, YOU FUCKI—"

Lily angrily shot a spell towards James that turned his legs into jelly. The Gryffindor stared at her in shock, watching warily as Lily stomped closer to him, her wand still trained intently on him. "I don't want you to make him apologise," she harshly cried. "You're as bad as he is."

"Lily…" Hermione cried, but her best friend stubbornly refused to look her way. The brunette looked over at Severus and saw him breathing deeply, eyes still furiously dark. She wasn't entirely sure who he was furious with anymore.

"What?" James exclaimed. He undid her spell and sprang back onto his feet. "I'd never call you a – a you-know-what, Lily!"

The angry redhead closed the few remaining gaps between them and pointed her wand underneath his chin. James visibly swallowed nervously and had blessedly shut up. "Messing up your hair because you think it looks cool to look like you've just got off your broomstick," she snarled, ignoring how James was steadily growing redder with her words, "showing off with that stupid Snitch, walking down corridors and hexing anyone who annoys you just because you can – I'm bloody surprised your broomstick can get off the ground with your fat head on it. YOU MAKE ME SICK, JAMES POTTER!"

Her angry tirade rang loudly in the open field. Even the spectators had grown quiet after Lily's outburst. James by then was red from his neck up to the roots of his hair.

Lily pushed him away with all her might. James would have almost toppled backwards, if Sirius hadn't broken his fall. The irate witch then turned away and ran back inside without a single glance back.

"Evans!" James called after her. "LILY!"

Hermione watched warily as Lily's furious stomps hastened. She wouldn't even be surprised if there were already tears pouring down from her eyes.

She glanced at her other silent best friend and glared. "You really had to call her that despicable word, Sev?" she growled.

Severus stiffened and clenched his hands into fists at his sides. He didn't offer an answer to Hermione's accusation.

"What is with her?" James complained, clearly put-out by Lily's words.

Sirius grinned and placed a hand on top of James'. "Reading between the lines," he started with a snicker, "I'd say she thinks you're a bit conceited, mate."

"A bit," Hermione shrieked, snapping her head quickly in their direction. "Biggest understatement of the year, Black."

James looked positively livid now. "Right," he growled. "Right." He pointed his wand at Severus once more and hotly hollered for all of the spectators to hear, "Who wants to see me take off Snivelly's pants?"

"Enough!" the brunette roared, stepping in between the furious boys to stop any spells from hurtling.

"Hermione," Peter pleaded, finally catching her eyes. "Just… just stay away."

"Like hell I will!" she bellowed. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Severus direct his wand at James, a spell – most likely a dark one – on the tip of his tongue. But Hermione turned to him and placed both of her hands on his chest. "Back away, Sev. I'm warning you."

"Let me have a go at him, Hermione," he angrily snarled. "Just let me fucking—"

A light whizzed past her curls and almost hit Severus on his face. It was lucky he was fast enough to duck away.

Hermione turned on her heel and scowled at James, whose wand was raised once more and pointed in their general direction. "Really, Potter?" she cried.

"I don't want to hex you either, Hermione," he snapped, hazel eyes still trained intently at Severus. "Stay out of this."

"I am so tired of being told what to do," she snarled, stomping closer to James to forcefully bat his hand away. He looked very displeased with her actions as he finally directed his gaze down at her. "Just get out of here, Potter. You've had your fun."

"You don't understand!" he yelled, angrily pointing his wand at Severus. "He called Lily that stupid name. How can you still defend him?"

"Let me deal with my own friends, Potter," she clipped, matching his irate glare with an equally powerful one. "Get the hell out of here."

James's jaw tensed. "I don't like being told what to do either," he coldly replied.

Remus finally thought it was the right time to intervene. He shot forward and wrapped a tight hand around James's arm. "Come on, James. I think we should just go," he appeased.

When Hermione felt Severus move behind her, she glanced over her shoulder with lightning speed. "Don't even think about it, Sev," she warned. The Slytherin briefly glared at her but blessedly faltered, deliberately pocketing his wand.

"Fine," James snapped. Hermione's gaze landed back on him. "I still don't think you should be hanging around people who carelessly throw slurs at their friends."

The Ravenclaw scoffed. "And you think you're different than him?" she snapped. "You're nothing but an arrogant bully, James Potter. Lily was right; you're a bloody toerag." Her heart clenched tightly, painfully, an invisible hand wrapping tighter and tighter until her chest hurt. James was wearing Harry's face and it hurt her heart to see him defile her best friend's face with his arrogant words and bullying jibes. "I expected so much from you, James."

She uttered the last words in a whisper and for a moment, James's hazel eyes widened in surprise. It was brief, however, as anger clouded his face once more and he stiffly allowed Remus to finally pull him away.

Hermione's shoulders sagged, knowing the fight was already over. James had his head held high as Remus incessantly tugged him away. Sirius glared at Hermione and immediately ran ahead to follow his best friends. Peter had thrown her a look that was mixture of apology and disappointment, before looking away and following his friends.

But Hermione's relief was premature, for Sirius suddenly skidded to a halt and turned around. Hermione's hand tightened around her wand but Sirius steadfastly ignored her and instead glared challengingly at the silent Slytherin behind her.

"Say, Snivelly," he snapped, a dangerous glint in his steely grey eyes, "if you really want to have a go at us, why don't you meet us this Saturday at the Shrieking Shack at around midnight? What say you?"

Hermione was at first confused with his specific instructions, but when she saw how Remus paled and froze, horror bloomed in her heart.

Her eyes widened in disbelief; she knew they all hated Severus but she didn't know they would be this petty to lure him out unprepared, not knowing at all that a werewolf was lurking around.

"Sirius!" Remus harshly reprimanded. Even James looked surprised with Sirius's challenge. The werewolf threw a panicked glance at the bespectacled boy. "Tell Sirius he shouldn't bloody push through with this."

"Padfoot, mate. I don't think that's a good idea. It's…" James trailed off, uncertainly looking at Severus.

But Hermione knew the damage was already done. When she glanced at her best friend, there was suspicion in his eyes. She knew Severus already had suspicions about Remus – he had once reckoned he always looked tired to the bone once a month – and to see that it was him who had reacted badly to Sirius's challenge, Sev's curiosity was piqued.

Peter then quickly clambered towards Sirius and pulled him away. The four Marauders meandered through the gathered crowd without another single glance back.

"You," Hermione breathed out once the crowd had thinned and the Marauders were far away. She levelled her gaze at Severus, who slightly shrank back. "We need to talk."

-ooo-

"Lily hates me."

Hermione stopped her pacing and finally faced her best friend.

After that exhausting debacle, Hermione purposively pulled him along until they had reached the very back of the library. Blessedly, students had steered clear from this room now that summer was nearing. Besides Madame Pince and a handful of scattered students around, there was no one else in this room that would bother them.

Severus looked bloody exhausted, now that she properly looked at him. There were dark bags under his eyes and his hair was the greasiest she had ever seen. He looked like he hadn't been sleeping enough, eating enough, and she knew that he had been obsessing over getting acceptable scores for his OWLs.

"That was a hateful word, Sev," she whispered, plopping down on the seat beside him.

The Slytherin guiltily hid his face behind his hands. "I know," he grunted. A pause. "Gods, I'm so fucking stupid. I can't believe—" He swallowed thickly and pulled his hands away. His eyes were shining and Hermione thought he would start crying. But no tears fell. "The Slytherins used it all the time and I never… I vowed never to use that because Lily and— but I was so exhausted from the OWLs, and Potter was a fucking berk, and I was so fucking embarrassed and I just— I didn't mean it."

He paused and took a deep shuddering breath. "Lily hates me," he mournfully repeated.

"You should apologise to her," she insisted.

Severus quietly snorted. "And you think she'll forgive me?" he dubiously asked. "I've been best friends with her for years, Hermione. Even longer than you've known her. She wouldn't— I'm sure she wouldn't even talk to me if I tried."

"Are we really talking about Lily right now?" she asked. "Because the Lily Evans I know has a big, golden heart and even the vilest wizard can squeeze a way into it if he tried really, really hard."

In spite of himself, he hollowly laughed. "Not before she hexed his ballsacks off, I'm sure," he pointed out.

Hermione softly chuckled. "That's Lily Evans, all right," she said.

The laughter died from his lips as Severus remorsefully glanced at his hands. "I really didn't mean it," he whispered.

The brunette expelled a mighty sigh and leant forward. "I really hated how you carelessly threw that slur," she confessed. He flinched at her words, but didn't reply. "Lily must have been really hurt. You know how she's anything but that."

"Of course," he croaked. "Of course, Hermione. Of course."

The corner of her lips twitched into a small smile. "It was a shitty day for all of you and James Potter just had to—" She paused to swallow down her anger. "Just apologise to Lily, Sev. If you really mean it, and promise to never hurt Lily with your words anymore, then we're all good. I can't just… I can't just stand back and watch as my two best friends stop talking to each other."

Severus ran a tired hand through his hair. "I'll try," he promised.

"Not good enough," Hermione snapped, furiously shaking her head. "You have to do. Apologise, Severus Snape."

"Fine," he sighed. "But maybe I should just give her some time to simmer down…"

Hermione didn't have a good retort to that because she knew Lily would need time. Her temper was as fiery as her auburn hair after all.

"Fine," Hermione echoed. "And promise me that you will not listen to Sirius and stupidly go to the Shrieking Shack on Saturday."

He knitted his eyebrows and looked away.

"Promise me, Sev," she insisted.

"Fine," he ground out, but his eyes were still averted. "I'm not that stupid, Hermione."

The brunette bit back a groan.

He was bloody stupid because she sure as hell knew he would still go.

Chapter Text

xi.

forgiveness is a lesson he cursed you to learn

(Uneven Odds by Sleeping at Last)

June 12, 1976

Hermione stared at the canopy of her bed and waited for midnight.

She had gone through the day in a daze, mechanically finishing her Herbology essay, which she knew she hadn't written properly. Hermione had religiously stayed beside Severus in case he showed any signs of breaching his promise and going to the Shrieking Shack later that night, but Sev had been normal all throughout the day. He still shot longing looks at the back of Lily's fiery red head, the Gryffindor now opting to sit at the Gryffindor table with Marlene McKinnon and Mary MacDonald. Lily still warmly greeted Hermione, gave her hugs and talked to her when they crossed paths, but she had been steering clear of her too, because the Ravenclaw made it a point to keep an eye on Severus. Although she missed Lily terribly, she reckoned that Severus needed her more than Lily did.

Mercifully, the day came into an end. Severus quietly ate with her at the Ravenclaw table. With Lily not accompanying them, conversations between them were curt and only necessary. Lily was the chatterbox after all, and she never ran out of words. Severus was still lost in his sea of despondence to converse with her. Hermione was busy trying to come up with any exit plans if Severus really did choose to go after the Marauders.

Suffice to say, the two had so many other things on their minds that they didn't really notice the quiet between them.

The brunette then slowly sat up once she saw that her wristwatch had now struck midnight. She hadn't bothered to remove her school uniform from the day, too tired to change into her pyjamas when she knew she'd be gone at night anyway. Hermione grabbed one of her thick, blue woollen sweaters and donned it over her head. She then pointed her wand at her black shoes to silence her footsteps.

Slowly drawing away her bed curtains, Hermione furtively glanced around her dormitory. Alex, Michelle and Dorothy were blessedly fast asleep as Hermione stood up from her bed. She darted a quick, amused glance at the towering books on Dorothy's bedside table – the girl was definitely a more ferocious bookworm than Hermione could ever dream of.

She then quietly meandered through the stream of strewn clothes on the floor courtesy of Alex, and had to bite her bottom lip to stop herself from chuckling when Michelle released loud, adorable snores. Once she had stumbled out of their dormitory without rousing any of her roommates, Hermione expelled an inaudible sigh.

She then peeked at their airy common room and was relieved that no one was awake at this time of night. Normally, the Ravenclaw common room was still brimming with students despite this late hour, as most were slaving over an essay or diligently reading in advance for their future lessons. But seeing that it was nearing summer vacation, almost all of the Claws had started to relax.

Hermione daintily stepped down the stairs and briefly admired the empty common room. While the Gryffindor Common Room screamed cosiness and warmth, the Ravenclaw Common Room boasted airiness and space. Hermione had admittedly stared when she had first walked into her new common room, marvelling at the rich, midnight blue carpet decorated with stars, which was reflected wonderfully by the glass, domed ceiling. Since this was the house that appreciated studying the most, there were numerous individual desks surrounding the periphery of the circular common room. They were positioned in the perfect places, because you could admire the beauty of Hogwarts when you peered through the huge, arched windows. In the middle were royal blue couches and some elegant chairs, a place for relaxing for tired students. The fire in the fireplace by then was crackling low since no one was around to reignite it.

After another huge sweep, Hermione was convinced that no one was there to witness her rule breaking. With a twirl of her wand over her head, she murmured a soft incantation and instantly blended in with her surroundings. She wished that her Disillusionment Charm would hold until she walked out of the castle.

Luck may have been with her that day, for she was able to roam through the empty corridors without encountering any authorities. By the time Hermione had burst through the oak doors, a gust of warm wind brushed her flushed cheeks. The full moon above was huge and ominous, and Hermione fervently prayed to whomever could hear that Severus wasn't stupid enough to go to the Shrieking Shack.

'Might as well get this over with,' she told herself, as Hermione purposively sped through the huge expanse of the Hogwarts grounds until she spied the Whomping Willow in the distance.

Dread grew in the pit of her stomach when she saw that it was unmoving. She was able to make out a silhouette, both hands pressed tightly against the giant knot on the bark of the tree. Hermione urged her feet to go faster and swore under her breath when she saw Severus's pale face.

"I bloody well knew you were going to be an idiot!" she harshly whispered, cautiously eyeing the immobilised Whomping Willow in case it started to move again.

"Hermione?" Severus called out, wildly looking around to locate her.

Realising she was still under the Disillusionment Charm, Hermione waved her wand once more to undo the spell. The Slytherin's eyes instantly landed on her when she became visible.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he angrily snarled. "Go back inside, Pettigrew. It's— I have a bad feeling that this is going to be dangerous."

"What the hell are you doing here then?" she sniped back. He scowled at the thunderous expression on her face. "You promised you would not come here tonight, Sev."

He angrily looked away from her glaring eyes. "I was curious, all right?" he drawled back. "It was suspicious why Black specifically said those instructions." His narrowed, black eyes landed back on her. "Admit it, Hermione. You were curious too."

Hermione wanted to scream bloody murder for the sudden turn of events. "Let's just go back, Sev, please," she begged. "Black is a berk. He's just pulling your leg."

"No," he grounded out. "There's something—"

His words died down from his lips when a loud howl somewhere in the distance resounded in the whole, empty field. Severus's eyes widened and he instantly ducked inside the tunnel. Hermione shot forward and closely followed behind, already pulling her wand out to defend them.

"Sev, please," she tried once more, blood now pounding loudly inside her ears as they neared the ground floor of the Shrieking Shack. Memories of her third-year adventures came crashing back to her like a huge tidal wave, drowning her deeper and deeper with harrowing thoughts of werewolves and danger and… and… bloody fucking hell, they should go back.

Hermione tightly wrapped a hand around his arm and tried to pull him away, but the idiot was stubborn and continued to trudge on.

They finally arrived inside the ground floor of the Shrieking Shack. It was relatively cleaner than the last time she'd been here. It was obviously recently occupied, too, because there were half-eaten plates of treacle tarts and mugs of lukewarm coffee scattered on the dusty floor. Hermione was also able to notice decent pieces of furniture that weren't there before, even some fluffy pillows and clean blankets dumped haphazardly on a worn, squashy, maroon couch.

"Where the hell are we?" Severus harshly whispered.

"The Shrieking Shack," Hermione deadpanned.

His eyes widened as he looked at the brunette. "What?" he gasped.

An ear-splitting howl, one that was louder – closer – than the last one they heard rang throughout the shack, reverberating through the rickety wood of the haunted establishment. Hermione instantly latched onto Severus's arm, her nails digging quite painfully on his skin. But the Slytherin didn't mind, too busy backing off slowly when thundering footsteps were heard from above.

"I told you we should have gone back," Hermione half-whispered and half-shrieked. "You idiot. You idiot. You should have listened to me!"

A menacing growl echoed in the shack and both Hermione and Severus took a few more steps back, eyeing the stairs with bated breath. Hermione swallowed down a scream when an oversized rat suddenly ran down the stairs. She immediately recognised her brother's Animagus form as the rat started to wildly shriek.

Severus eyed the rat with unconcealed disgust. A huge, black dog then jumped down from the stairs and loudly barked at the pair. He tried to nip Sev's leg, seemingly urging them to leave, but the Slytherin growled at it in annoyance and tried to cast a spell on him.

"Don't," Hermione harshly whispered, tightly clutching onto his wand arm.

"Bloody mutt's trying to bite my leg off," he complained.

"We should leave, Severus," she snapped and grabbed onto his hand once more to pull him away.

Her finally relented and allowed Hermione to yank him away. The brunette saw a brief flash of white from behind them, but she was already busily pulling him towards the tunnel hole they'd come from. But, they hadn't even gone a few steps when suddenly there was a mighty thud from behind.

Everything had gone deathly quiet. Even the rat's skittering and the dog's boisterous barking had ceased. Although their backs were still turned, Hermione could feel a piercing stare on her back that made the hairs on her neck stand on end. A footstep then echoed from behind, then another, and another, until Hermione could feel warm breath wafting against her exposed skin.

"Is that—"

Sev's terrified question was cut off when another piercing howl thundered around the whole shack.

"RUN!" Hermione shrieked and dashed through the tunnel without a single glance back, fervently praying that Severus had listened to her this time.

She flew through the dark tunnel as fast as she could. Adrenaline coursed through her veins and despite the stitches in her side, she continued to run.

Hermione could already spy their exit, but the Whomping Willow had awoken. Its unforgiving branches were twisting around.

"IMMOBULUS!" she shrieked. The spell hit one of its branches and it blessedly stayed still once more. She chanced a glance over her shoulder and was relieved that Severus's pale face was closely behind. But Hermione also made a mistake of looking over the Slytherin's shoulder. Remus' familiar golden eyes stared back at her, his pupils blown wide as he continued to chase the two humans.

"Fuck, Hermione, don't get distracted now!" Severus hollered.

The brunette finally stumbled out of the tunnel and hastily grabbed onto Sev's hand. "Hurry, hurry," she pleaded, her vision already getting blurry with the terrified tears running down her face.

She could make out numerous footsteps from behind and reckoned the Marauders had also followed them out.

Hermione then made a split decision in leading the chase towards the Forbidden Forest. At least in there, they would be away from any other students who might fall victim to the werewolf.

Severus was loudly cursing behind her and tried to throw spells over his shoulders.

"No," she grounded out. "You can't. You know you can't hit him, Sev."

A werewolf's fur was impenetrable to any kind of magic, which was why the best solution every time you came across a hungry werewolf was to run.

Hermione managed to pull Severus behind a huge tree and they held their breaths as they hid. Remus was growling lowly under his breath as his golden eyes swept around to search for his victims.

"I knew it," Severus kept muttering under his breath.

"Shut up!" Hermione shrieked quietly, covering his mouth with one of her hands. She trained her ears intently for any tell-tale signs of the furious werewolf. Another howl broke through the night and Hermione unconsciously shivered, drawing closer to Severus for some semblance of comfort. The Slytherin automatically gripped her arm, tightly so, but Hermione was too busy breathing quietly to notice the pain.

Even the whole forest was deathly silent as they waited with bated breath. The usual twittering of night birds and rustling of leaves were absent and Hermione tightly closed her eyes, wishing there was at least some noise that could mask her loudly beating heart.

Severus suddenly stiffened and Hermione bit back a sob. She felt his breath even before she opened her eyes. Warm air fanned along her exposed neck and she tightly pressed herself against the Slytherin.

"Fuck," Severus moaned. "Fuck. Fuck. Fuck."

Remus suddenly bared his teeth and tried to slash at them, but Hermione immediately pushed Severus away and ducked on the ground. Severus toppled onto his side and tried to hastily get up, but his robes got stuck in a thorny bush.

The werewolf's eyes were trained intently on Hermione as she slowly backed away. "Remus, Remus," she begged, raising her right hand to gesture that she meant no harm. "It's me. Please, it's Hermione."

But his eyes were wild and unforgiving as he started bounding towards her. Hermione screamed and hastily ran away, aware of Severus's ear-splitting exclamation of her name.

The brunette sped through the forest, jumping over fallen logs and brambles. She shot a few well-aimed hexes just to distract Remus and buy her some time, but the werewolf continued in pursuit. Hermione felt like she was once again running for her life back in the Forest of Dean, Snatchers including Fenrir Greyback hot on her heels.

She urged herself incessantly to keep going, keep going damn it, because if she stopped – if she even rested for a second, then it would be the end of her.

Hermione suddenly lurched forward as she tripped over an unsuspected fallen tree trunk. She landed face first on the ground and tried to immediately stand up. But there was a painful lurch on her right ankle and under the full moon, she could see that her ankle was bent awkwardly and was quickly swelling.

Tears steadily poured from her eyes as she lifted her wand. Remus was drawing closer, his teeth already poised to snap her neck. Hermione furiously threw one hex after another, distracting the werewolf, but Remus was unfazed. Fear gripped her heart very tightly as she scrambled onto her feet once more, ignoring the blinding pain that almost made her pass out.

Remus was almost a meter from her now and Hermione desperately backed away. He lifted a sharp claw and tried to swipe her down, but then, a large white stag appeared and launched towards the werewolf. Remus emitted a loud whine as he and James tumbled on the ground.

"HERMIONE!"

A relieved sob escaped from her mouth when she saw Severus. His robes were tattered and there were twigs sticking out of his raven hair. Nonetheless, he looked well, despite the unadulterated fear in his eyes.

Sirius in his Animagus form abruptly bounded towards Hermione and barked incessantly at her feet. He started to run around, persistently looking behind him at Hermione and Severus.

"He wants us to follow him," Hermione urgently said, reaching out towards Severus to grasp his hand. She worriedly looked at where James was still trying to pin Remus down, but she knew he would be all right. Werewolves never really bothered with animals.

"Hermione, come on!" Sev said, pulling her arm to get her attention.

The brunette nodded her head and took a step forward. Blinding pain once again shot through her leg and she almost crumpled down.

"You're hurt," the Slytherin cried.

"I'm fine," she snapped. "Let's go. Let's bloody go!"

She bit her tongue to keep her pained cries inside as she urged Severus forward. Sirius was already bounding away, he looked over his shoulder once in a while just to check they were following closely behind. Remus's whines were growing softer and softer and by the time they emerged out of the Forbidden Forest, Severus almost collapsed on the ground in a mixture of exhaustion and relief.

"Not yet," Hermione said, hauling him back onto his feet. She jutted her chin at Sirius who was now impatiently running in circles. The brunette gave him a small nod of understanding and limped towards him, Severus in tow.

They were once again in front of the Whomping Willow, its branches dancing dangerously around. Hermione caught a small movement on the ground and saw the oversized rat scampering towards the huge knot on the tree's bark. Instantly, the Whomping Willow stomped moving.

Sirius slid inside the small tunnel and Hermione quickly followed inside. Her hand tightly held onto Severus as she led him through the narrow, dark tunnel.

They finally emerged once more onto the ground floor of the Shrieking Shack. Sirius climbed up the stairs and Hermione made a move to follow, but Severus held her in place.

"We should go back to Hogwarts," he exclaimed.

Hermione vigorously shook her head and tugged him upstairs. "We can't," she grounded out. "It's too dangerous. If Rem – if the werewolf manages to escape from the forest, he might see us and follow us into the school. There are too many children inside, Sev. We can't let that happen."

"It will be dangerous if he found his way back here," he snarled. "You're bloody hurt, Hermione. We can't fight him alone."

But Hermione continued to stay stubborn, even when errant tears escaped from her eyes. "No, we can't," she said, pulling him with her. "We can't, Sev."

Fury flared in his dark, black eyes, but he blessedly didn't stop Hermione anymore when she pulled him upstairs.

A surprised gasp tore away from Severus's mouth, when instead of the huge, black dog they had followed, Sirius Black greeted them. His face was as pale as the full moon and there was clear terror in his silver eyes. His breath hitched when he saw Hermione and he opened his mouth, trying to speak words that never formed.

"What the hell are you doing here, Black?" the Slytherin barked and lifted his wand, but Hermione quickly gripped his arm to appease him.

"It's all right, Sev," she gently whispered. "They're here to… to protect us."

A hollow laugh escaped from Sirius's lips, his grey eyes glinting wildly under the dim light of the Shrieking Shack. His gaze never broke away from Hermione, but she grimly ignored him and collapsed on a squashy, mustard yellow chair tucked in the left corner of the room. Severus stiffly collapsed on the floor beside her and never looked away from Sirius, his wand still tightly gripped in his hand.

Hermione slowly looked around the room, noting a huge maroon bed bearing the Potter insignia occupying most of the room. There were a few strewn books around, some empty boxes of Chocolate Frogs and Bertie Botts, and bottles of half-empty butterbeer scattered around. This room looked definitely frequented and homier compared to the dust-filled, moldy Shrieking Shack they had visited back in their third year.

"You're hurt."

The Ravenclaw blearily blinked and focused her gaze on Sirius. He was stiffly sitting on the edge of the bed this time. Half of his face was already obscured in shadow, but his grey eyes still glinted brightly. Hermione wasn't sure what expression he was wearing, but based on his rigid posture, she could already hazard a guess.

"Astute observation, Black," Severus snarled.

If it were possible, Sirius's posture grew more rigid. Hermione gently placed a hand on top of Sev's shoulder to calm him down.

"I'm all right," she whispered. "I don't think I broke my ankle. It's more of a sprain, actually. Some ice will reduce the swelling."

Sirius took a deep shuddering breath before standing up from the bed. Hermione watched him as he sauntered towards one of the cabinets and pulled out an unopened butterbeer bottle. "Glacius," he whispered, ice shooting from the tip of his wand and freezing the bottle completely.

"Here," he said, offering the frozen bottle towards her.

"Thank you," she quipped as she immediately placed the icy cold bottle against her swollen ankle. She flinched with the pain and cold before giving Sirius a small smile. Instead of his usual cheeky smile, Sirius merely nodded and sat back down on the edge of the bed.

Hermione didn't know how long they had stayed in the shack. Severus had already dozed off on the floor, his head leaning against Hermione's thigh. Sirius hadn't moved from his position and this time, resolutely refused to meet Hermione's roaming eyes.

She was already blinking back sleep when galloping hooves from downstairs suddenly resounded in the silent shack. Sirius was instantly on his feet and drew the door open.

A magnificent white stag then emerged inside the room. Remus, now in his human form, was slung over the stag's back, and although he looked worse for wear, he was mercifully alive and unhurt. Sirius quickly unburdened James from Remus's body and gently placed the exhausted werewolf on the bed.

"YOU!" Severus loudly snarled, charging towards Remus. Sirius and the stag instantly blocked Severus's way as Hermione lurched forward to keep him in place. A soft hiss escaped from her mouth when she placed some pressure on her ankle, and this distracted Severus for a bit as he turned back to Hermione to check if she was okay.

Sev's eyes widened, however, when James transformed back into his human form. Peter followed soon enough, and both of them looked like they had been through war. Peter was shaking, tears in his eyes, as he looked at his sister. James looked marginally better, but still exhausted, his hazel eyes hard and burning behind his glasses.

"Are you fucki—" Severus' face steadily turned purple as he pointed an accusatory finger in their direction. "Animagi? Illegal Animagi? I can't fucking believe it! And you!" He harshly snapped at Remus, who shrank against the deep covers of the maroon bed. "A werewolf? In Hogwarts?"

He directed his crazed gaze at Hermione. "We have to go back and tell Dumbledore," he angrily cried. "We have to tell them that there's a fucking werewolf and illegal Animagi in this bloody school—"

"Sev…" she appeased. "That's not necessary."

"We have to Obliviate them," Sirius gravely murmured, already raising his wand.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Severus thundered, brandishing out his wand once more.

"NO!" Hermione shrieked amidst the forming tension. She hobbled in between and spread out her arms. "No, no one is going to forget what happened today." She pierced the Marauders with her blue eyes, meaning evident in her gaze. "No one."

James rubbed the bridge of his nose and scowled. Peter took a deep, shaky breath as more tears slipped down from his eyes. Sirius still resolutely held his wand high, and Severus… Severus looked like he was ready to murder someone.

"You have to keep this a secret, Sev," Hermione begged. When his eyes widened at her suggestion, she continued, "Please. You can't tell anyone about this."

"How can you even—"

"Severus—"

"YOU ALMOST DIED!" the Slytherin blew up. His outburst had increased the tension tenfold and Hermione watched as the others blanched at Severus's words. The magnitude of last night's events weighed heavily on their shoulders. Even Hermione realised how she had truly been in danger last night and the memory of her on the ground, helplessly under the mercy of an unforgiving werewolf… "Hermione, you almost died. Or… or almost turned into one. I saw how— he was so close— if he hadn't have been knocked off— it's— "

Severus deflated and allowed his angry mask to break, genuine terror – for her – seeping through the cracks. A tear slipped down from Hermione's eyes as she reached forward and grabbed his hand and gave it a tight squeeze.

"Well, I didn't," she simply said. Severus expelled a shaky a breath and honestly looked like he was going to start crying too. "I'm all right, Sev. I'm– I'm not dead."

Hermione moved closer and drew him into a hug. Severus leaned heavily against her, all his ire now leaving his system as he tightly wound his arms around her, pulling her closer to comfort himself that she was very much alive.

"Please," she begged against his ear, "please don't tell anyone about this. Not about Remus being a werewolf. Not about the others being illegal Animagi." His arms tightened around her in protest. "They're not your secret to tell, Severus."

Although gentle, the tone of her voice spoke a finality even Severus couldn't deny. He sighed and squeezed her one last time before pulling away.

"Fine," he gruffly said. In the corner of her eyes, Hermione saw how the Gryffindor's marginally sagged down in relief. "I still don't fucking understand why you want to keep this a secret, but fine."

"Thank you, Sev," she said with a kind smile. "Go back to Hogwarts now."

"Let me accompany you back to your dormitories," he said, but Hermione was already shaking her head.

"There's still something I want to do," she insisted.

"But Hermione—"

"Please, Sev," she pleaded. "Trust me, I'm safe. My brother is here. Please, please just go."

He looked highly displeased with her suggestion, but he finally gave her a curt nod. With one final glare at the Marauders, he stiffly turned on his heel and went down the stairs. Hermione listened until she was satisfied he was gone, before turning back to the Gryffindors with a resolute gaze.

She was immediately engulfed in a bone-crushing hug by Peter, who by then, had started to sob loudly against her shoulder. He was violently shaking against her embrace and Hermione allowed herself to shed a few more tears, burying her face in his rich, sandy-coloured hair.

"I-I'm fine, Petey," she stammered, rubbing comforting circles on his back. "I'm fine."

Hermione peeked over his broad shoulder and glanced at the other three. Remus looked pale and sickly, fresh bite marks and scratches on his body, and he was steadfastly refusing to meet Hermione's eyes.

"I'm not going to tell," she repeated, voice firm as she gently pulled her brother away from her. Peter took a mighty sniff and stepped aside, but his hand was still wrapped tightly around her arm, seemingly afraid that something bad would happen to her once more. "But… I have a condition."

Sirius flinched and tightened his grip on his wand.

"What condition?" James echoed, his voice sounding strangely strained.

"Teach me how to become an Animagus," she demanded.

All of their eyes widened simultaneously. Even Remus looked at her in surprise.

"Why?" James asked, knitting his eyebrows in confusion.

Hermione honestly didn't know why she wanted to become one. It was a waste of time, something she firmly told herself in her past life that although it would be bloody convenient for escaping and concealing one's self, the process of becoming one was too time-consuming. She had other important matters to attend to, after all.

But after witnessing how the three Animagi were able to face a bloody werewolf, who still had not discovered the wonders of the Wolfsbane Potion, Hermione felt like it was a handy skill. She had nothing else to do, and she had hated feeling so hopeless back in the Forbidden Forest.

"You have to teach me," she grounded out. "Or I will tell."

"No, you won't," James deadpanned, his hazel eyes piercing straight into her very soul.

Of course she wouldn't, but she kept her gaze resolute.

James then expelled a soft sigh and silently glanced at Sirius. "I mean, if she really wants to…" the Black heir said, slightly shrugging his shoulders.

"It will be dangerous, Hermione," her brother rasped out. The brunette glanced at him and frowned. "If the potion wasn't made properly, or the right environment wasn't chosen, you might get stuck as a half-transformed Animagus. There are even some instances when an Animagus is unable to transform back into a human."

Hermione wanted to point out that it wouldn't have been the most dangerous potion she had ever taken in her life but stopped herself. "I know that," she replied instead. "I studied it during third year after all. But, I still want to learn it, Peter. I'm going to be meticulous with the potion-making part. You of all people know how mighty stubborn and detail-oriented I am. I will not botch this up."

Peter wrinkled his nose, clearly displeased, but he finally relented with a sigh.

The brunette looked back at the other Animagi and knew they silently agreed with her condition. Her eyes then strayed to Remus, who still hadn't said anything ever since they had returned.

"You should bring him to the infirmary," she blurted out. "He doesn't look well."

"He always doesn't look well after the full moon," James murmured under his breath.

Remus still refused to look at her. Hermione gently pulled away from Peter and limped towards the silent werewolf. James looked at her questioningly and was hesitant about whether to step aside or not, but one brief glance from Hermione made him move away.

The witch finally reached Remus, but he still refused to look at her. His shoulders had grown tenser with her close proximity and Hermione's heart lurched, knowing that his golden eyes held so much remorse that was uncalled for.

"It wasn't your fault," she whispered, tentatively reaching forward, waiting for him to react. But when Remus continued not to meet her eyes, Hermione gingerly deposited her fingers on top of his messy hair. "It wasn't your fault, Remus. So, don't blame yourself."

"Snape was right," he harshly bit, swivelling around with so much speed. "You almost— if it weren't for—" He paused and thickly swallowed. "I almost hurt you, Hermione."

Suppressed tears were shining in his eyes, but Hermione didn't bother wiping away her own. "I don't blame you," she softly claimed. "You didn't mean it. Any of it. You can't control yourself."

A few tears managed to escape from his eyes as she spoke. "I'm a monster, that's what I am," he hissed.

Hermione earnestly shook her head, her curls whipping across her cheek. "No," she vehemently cried. "Just because you have an affliction doesn't make you any less of a human." He made a move to protest but Hermione placed a hand on his shoulder. "I hope you believe that more than anyone else."

Remus swiftly looked away from her again, this time to hide his tumbling tears.

She then turned around and sternly glared at James and Sirius. "I hope this serves as a lesson for you lot," she sniped. James looked properly shamefaced and was unable to meet her gaze. Sirius, however, tightly clenched his jaw and resolutely matched her eyes. "Your stupid ego nearly cost not only one life, but two."

Hermione won their staring contest. Sirius's cheeks flushed and he immediately looked away from her.

"I'm going back to my dormitory," she then announced with a tired sigh. "It's been an exhausting night."

"Let me take you to the infirmary instead," Peter insisted.

Hermione kindly smiled at her brother, eyes already red and puffy from crying too much. "Madame Pomfrey might ask too many questions," she said. "Besides, I only have a sprain. I have some medicine in my trunk that can help reduce the inflammation."

Peter stiffly nodded his head and clambered towards her. "Let me escort you back to your dormitory then," he offered.

The brunette didn't protest as she heavily leaned against her brother. Her ankle was aching and she felt so tired. She was afraid she wouldn't be able to make it to the dormitory before everybody woke up to start their day.

Before they could go down the stairs, they were stopped when Sirius called her name. Hermione slowly turned around and looked questioningly at him. His eyes were steely once more, serious and earnest and so, so guilty.

"Hermione, I—" He paused and scowled at the wooden boards. Apologising never came easily to Sirius Black, but Hermione appreciated that he was trying nonetheless.

"I know," she whispered in reply as she slowly pulled out her wand. "I'm sorry for this too."

With two mighty slashes of her wand, she sent two hurtling hexes towards James and Sirius. The two wizards were too surprised to dodge her spell, the yellow light hitting them squarely on their noses. Both wizards yelped as boogers shot out from their nostrils and formed into bats, incessantly flapping their green wings against their horrified faces.

"Come on," she murmured to her gaping brother, ignoring their pleas to stop the assault.

June 14, 1976

Blessedly, the fifth years had no classes today, so they could focus on studying for their remaining OWLs. Peter thought it was a blessing too because after everything that had happened two days ago, he was sure he wouldn't be able to focus on studying at all.

The fifth year Gryffindor sighed and buried himself deeper into the squashy armchairs his friends frequented in the Gryffindor Common Room. He long discovered that being best friends with Sirius Black and James Potter had magnificent perks. One was having a claim on the best couches in the cozy common room near the roaring fire. Although Peter was alone, the other Gryffindors didn't dare occupy the other couches where he was currently sitting.

Try as he might, Peter couldn't forget the events that had happened last full moon. The image of Hermione almost mauled by Remus in his werewolf form haunted him in his dreams. He had visited Hermione yesterday just to make sure she was all right. The swelling on her ankle had reduced and she had repeatedly assured him that she was all right. Peter still couldn't believe how easily she had bounced back to her usual self; she was studying when he sought her out, for goodness' sake! If it were him, he would have been thoroughly distracted for days.

'Like now,' he sneered to himself, embarrassed that he was wallowing instead of studying. Unlike Hermione. Sometimes, he really wondered if they were siblings. Hermione was different from him, loads better than anyone he could ever dream of. The only comfort and proof they were siblings was in their eyes. Otherwise, he would have thought she was from an entirely different universe than him.

But he really couldn't stop his worrying. After what he had done with his father, he swore that he would protect his mother and sister until his very last breath. He agreed to go to Hogwarts in the end because Dumbledore promised he'd be able to learn more spells that could protect them both. But so far, Peter had been doing a really piss poor job and he hated himself for it. He felt like he had failed Hermione somehow and he knew that if she ever realised what he was thinking right now, she would loudly call him an idiot for even blaming himself for what had happened to her.

"Hey."

Peter blearily blinked his mind back into focus and was surprised to see that Remus was now sitting across from him. His werewolf best friend looked marginally better today, but he still looked sickly pale and there were dark half-moons under his eyes.

"Hey," he greeted back, slowly righting himself. "All right, Moony?"

The corner of his lips twitched. "Yeah," he whispered. Remus's eyes then fell on both of his clasped hands, scratches from his transformation still raw and healing.

Peter awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, waiting for Remus to break the silence. Ever since the full moon, the Marauders had been walking around each other on eggshells. The silence amongst them was unbearable – suffocating even – and Peter just wished they would all go back to normal. Sirius and James most especially were different, like they'd grown a few years and were silently brooding over everything they had done in the past. It disconcerted Peter greatly, because his friends were always boisterous and happy. Not this… not like these weird sombre doppelgangers.

"Listen, Peter, I just want to—" Remus sounded strangely choked up and his golden eyes shone with unshed tears. Peter's eyes softened at what he was trying to do. "I'm sorry about what happened to Hermione."

Peter expelled a soft sigh, knowing that the werewolf was still blaming himself over the whole ordeal. He really, truly wanted to blame him because it was him who almost mauled Hermione, but how could he when he knew who the true Remus was? He may have botched up the OWLs question about the signs of a werewolf, but he knew that a werewolf had no control over his actions.

"Remus, really, it wasn't your fault," he insisted. When Remus made a move to protest, Peter sighed once more and pulled out a bar of chocolate from his pocket. "You heard what Hermione said – you have no control over yourself. Only an idiot would continue blaming you." He then offered the chocolate, but Remus merely stared at it.

"Come on, take it," he said. "I went to see Hermione yesterday and she insisted I should give this to you. Said chocolates help a lot after the full moon."

A small tear slipped down unknowingly from Remus's eyes as he clutched the bar of chocolate in his hands. He held it like it was sacred, and Peter wanted to laugh because it was just bloody chocolate.

"It's not your fault," Peter repeated.

"He's right. It's not. It's mine."

Both of their eyes snapped towards Sirius, who was sombrely looking at the duo. His hands were buried deep in his pockets and there was uncertainty in his eyes. He then slowly walked forward and stiffly sat down on the other end of the couch and glared darkly at the rich, carpeted floor.

"I'm sorry, Peter, truly I am," he gruffly said. Sirius made a sour look on his face, all of them knowing he always had a difficulty in apologising. "Your sister was right; it was my stupid ego that got us in this mess."

"If we're taking about stupid egos, it's mine that got us in this mess." James suddenly appeared and grabbed onto the back of the couch.

Peter couldn't help it; he actually laughed. The other three looked at him as if he'd gone barmy. "Were you all just lurking about, waiting for the right moment to butt in?" he accused.

A sheepish smile appeared on James and Sirius's faces. Peter felt greatly relieved that the tension that had been unwittingly building up among them was starting to dissipate.

"Petey—"

"It's fine," he grounded out. "Hermione's fine. Bloody hell, even Snape is fine. So, we're all good. I cannot say that no harm was done, because that's not true, but I'm just really glad everybody's still bloody fucking alive."

The smiles on their faces were humongous and Peter was relieved they were back to normal. The four Marauders gazed at the crackling fire, lost in thought, and Peter suddenly wanted to say something he wished his friends would listen to. Hermione had once told him he should stand up to his friends, especially if they were doing something ridiculous, and Peter had brushed that off before. He was already satisfied with following them around, doing their bidding, because what else was he supposed to do? He didn't have Sirius's charisma, or James's wicked skills, nor Remus's intelligence. He was just plain, ol' Peter Pettigrew, so he really shouldn't complain if things didn't suit him.

But… but after everything that had happened, Peter knew he should finally put his foot down. He had feared before that Hermione might get caught between the rivalry of his best friends and the Slytherin, and now that it had really happened, Peter couldn't stand aside and say nothing any longer.

Thus, swallowing his trepidation, he straightened on his seat and murmured, "Don't you think we've gone overboard this time?" His cheeks inflamed when three sets of eyes instantly latched onto him. "I – I mean, don't get me wrong, I still hate Snivellus Snape. It's just– he's Hermione's best friend, and I don't think she'll ever listen to me if I tell her yet again to stay away from him." He nervously glanced at his silent friends and swallowed once more. "Hermione was hurt because of us. We can't blame Snape either because he didn't do anything wrong. Snape almost died protecting my sister while I was a berk, standing aside and doing nothing. And – and I don't want that to happen again." He tightly closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I don't want to reach a point where I have to choose between my sister and my friends because… because I already know my choice. I know what it would be in a heartbeat."

Silence met his claim and Peter slowly opened his eyes, trying to gauge their reactions. It surprised him how they were all gaping at him, like they had never seen him before. He felt heat climbing up from his neck up to his cheeks, before James broke into a small, tentative smile.

"You are right, Petey," he concurred with a small nod. "I think we've really gone overboard this time."

"We have to stop doing ridiculous things," Remus sighed, tiredly running a hand through his hair. He threw a scathing glare at the Purebloods. "You have to stop doing ridiculous things. We're fifteen, for Merlin's sake. We're not a bunch of children anymore."

Sirius made a face and threw a throw pillow at Remus. "Technically, we're still children, Moony," he pointed out. "In Wizarding standards, you're considered as an adult once you reach—" The rest of his words were muffled when Remus threw the pillow right back at him, squarely hitting him on his face.

"I mean it," Remus grumbled with a firm glare. "I should really punch you, Sirius, because it's your whole bloody fault Hermione and Snape were in the Shrieking Shack in the first place. But I think you've been scarred by Hermione's Bat-Bogey anyway."

The Black heir's smile faltered. "The Bat-Bogey wasn't enough," he quietly replied, genuine remorse on his face.

"No, it wasn't," Remus said.

Sirius made a huge show of swiping his hair away from his face. "Come on then, Remus," he bravely said. "Give me your best shot. Just… just not the nose. It's still a tad sensitive from Hermione's spell."

Remus snorted. "I'm not going to punch you, wanker," he replied. "I don't see the point of it."

He then expelled a huge sigh and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "But Wormy's really right. We've gone overboard. I know we had our fun. I mean Merlin we have a bloody reputation in this school. I know I'm partly to blame too, not intervening soon enough even though I knew what we're doing isn't right. But… but I really don't want this friendship to be ruined by our stupid egos and childish rivalries." His pressed his lips tightly and gave them a sad glance. "This friendship is all I have."

Peter felt his eyes prickling with tears but he tried to hold them back in, knowing the others would incessantly tease him for being such a crybaby. But his blue eyes widened, noticing the sheen in the others' eyes.

"Oh, Moony-pie!" Sirius lamented, throwing his arms around Remus's shoulders. The werewolf scowled and pushed him away, but Sirius latched tighter. James, not wanting to miss out from the fun, also threw his arms around Remus. The two Purebloods had a mini competition on who could hug Remus the tightest, and the said wizard was growling and shoving them away. Peter, however, noted the twitching of Remus's lips.

A small smile grew on Peter's face. While his other friends playfully bickered, he found himself leaning back and contentedly watching them.

At least, they were back to normal.

June 29, 1976

The last Feast of the school-year had started without much of a hitch. Most of the students were livelier now that summer was approaching and even Hermione felt excited to go home. Her own OWLs would be next school-year and she knew she had to relax and rest for the next two months before the battle. She missed her mother, too, and promised herself she would spend more time with Anya once she was home.

"What are you going to do during summer, Sev?" she asked, glancing at her silent best friend.

The Slytherin nonchalantly shrugged and continued to stare at his pumpkin soup. Hermione sighed and looked at her other best friend sitting at the Gryffindor table. Lily still wasn't talking to Severus and the Slytherin had become crankier as the days passed by.

Hermione knew their bond had strengthened ever since the werewolf incident, but still, it wasn't the same without Lily. She missed the fiery redhead too and wished they could patch things up and spend time together once more.

Her thoughts were disturbed when a sudden commotion over at the Gryffindor table arose. Her eyes widened when she saw James confidently climbing on the dining table, oblivious to the food he'd stepped on or kicked away. He meandered through the throngs of scrumptious meals until he was standing right in front of Lily.

He pointed his wand against his throat and murmured a soft 'Sonorus'. "Lily Evans," his voice boomed, echoing throughout the suddenly silent Great Hall. "I would like to take this opportunity to show you how much you mean to me."

Lily was steadily becoming a brilliant shade of red, but her glaring daggers were left unnoticed by the giddy Gryffindor. James then proceeded to summon his guitar, which instantly hurtled into his awaiting hands.

Hermione couldn't help but to snort when she heard the unmistakable intro to 'I Want to Hold Your Hand'. James was singing at the top of his voice, and although it was atrocious, his strumming was flawless. Lily's eyes had widened, obviously surprised with his newly acquired skill and his choice of song. James even made ridiculous dance movements to embellish his show and people were loving it.

As he finished the song, everyone in the Great Hall broke into raucous applause. Even Dumbledore looked highly amused as he clapped his hands too.

Lily, whose face was now bright red like a tomato, immediately stood up from the bench and stalked away.

"Evans, hey!" James cried, voice still magically increased in volume. "Lils! Come on, where's my snog?"

"Mister Potter!" a scandalised Professor McGonagall exclaimed. "Get down from there this instant!"

A boisterously laughing Sirius pulled the disappointed James down from the table. Their Head of House had finally reached them and was properly reprimanding James. His face was already turning red from embarrassment and a sheepish grin bloomed on his face.

Even after Professor McGonagall had stalked away, James's friends were still laughing at his expense. James scowled and shoved their shoulders, muttering something under his breath. And while the other Gryffindors continued to excitedly talk about his spectacular show, James's hazel eyes landed on the Ravenclaw table, seemingly searching for someone.

Hermione's breathing turned erratic, hating herself for hoping it would be her he was searching for. She didn't understand why her heart thudded loudly inside her chest, knowing that obviously it would be her he was searching for. He never really had any friends from the Ravenclaw House except her, right?

Which was why it mightily confused her when her breath hitched once his eyes found hers. James broke into a humongous smile and despite his flaming cheeks, he proudly gestured at his guitar, silently conveying that he had strummed it perfectly.

In spite of the confusion, Hermione found herself smiling hesitantly in return. She wasn't entirely sure, but the redness on his cheeks intensified, and before she could properly decipher what the bloody hell had just happened, James's attention was caught by Sirius and Peter again.

"What's wrong with you?" Sev suddenly asked. He was frowning at her cheeks, which she knew were undoubtedly red, too.

"Nothing," she said, a tad too quickly, a tad too hopeful that it surely, surely was nothing.

June 30, 1976

"I'm going to hex you both if you leave this compartment."

Lily's emerald eyes were blazing with fury and although it made her falter a bit, Hermione squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. Severus looked more exhausted than mad, and had merely tucked himself into the far corner of the compartment, relentlessly gazing at the scenery outside.

"Hermi—" But Lily's words died down when Hermione immediately shut the compartment door in front of her. She muttered a soft Locking Charm, in case Lily didn't listen and blasted the door open. She also charmed a few more advanced spells just to be safe.

Hermione then steadfastly stood guard in front of the compartment door and hoped against hope that Severus would stop being such an arse and just bloody apologise. Now that they were travelling back to King's Cross for summer, Hermione knew this was her last chance to amend their broken friendship. She had an inkling it would be mighty difficult for Severus to apologise if he did it after summer.

So yes, if they were going to mend their friendship, it should be now, and Hermione would be damned if that never happened at all.

"Pettigrew!"

She unwittingly flinched, recognising James Potter's voice, and mentally smacked herself to calm down. Ever since his bloody debacle yesterday, Hermione had been disoriented every time he was in the vicinity. She tried to convince herself it was merely stress from the previous werewolf attack and the fight between her best friends, but even her inner voice was doubtful of her excuses.

Which was why she promised herself not to think too much about it. She had the whole of summer to spend time with her mother, catch up with her non-academic related reading, and even figure out a new hobby.

"Have you seen Lily?" James asked once he was standing in front of her.

Wordlessly, she tilted her head towards the compartment door. James's eyes lit up eagerly and made a move to grab for the door, but Hermione clutched it tightly in her hands.

"Don't," she snapped.

He looked at her in surprise and leaned closer to peer through the small window. Hermione's nose was instantly filled with dizzying scents – freshly mowed grass, summer and treacle tarts – and had to hold her breath until James pulled away and took a few steps back.

The look on his face was thunderous. "I can't believe—"

Hermione cut him off with a sigh. "Just leave them be, Potter," she said with a frown.

"Hermione," he grounded out, "he called her that… that stupid word."

"I know, and he's sorry for it," she casually said. "This is between Lily and Sev. You can't stop Lily if she decides to forgive him."

"If I were her, I'd never forgive him."

She lightly grinned, ignoring how he glared down at her. "Well, it's a good thing Lily's not you now, isn't it?" she pointed out. "I don't think Hogwarts could take it if there were two students walking around with egos the size of the sun."

His eyes slightly widened at her joke. Still frowning, he added, "I'd never call Lily that despicable name. Or anyone, for that matter."

"I know," she said with a small nod. "You're too much of a Gryffindor for that crap." Hermione briefly looked over her shoulder and grimaced. "It was stupid and hurtful and I'd really, truly understand Lily if she didn't forgive him. But… you know, teenagers say and do the stupidest things when under duress. For example, humiliated and bullied in front of the whole school."

Hermione smirked when she got her intended reaction. James's cheeks instantly flared up and his hazel eyes couldn't meet hers.

"Your attitude that day wasn't exactly stellar either, Potter," she deliberately reprimanded. "Lily wasn't kidding when she said you were as bad as Sev that day."

He made a face, clearly not pleased with her comparison. "I should apologise too, right?" he sourly murmured.

"Yes," she nodded. "And not only to Lily."

Hazel met blue. "I'm sorry," he told her in a heartbeat.

Hermione snorted. "Not to me, you dolt," she insisted. "Severus."

"Oh." His lips curled once more in disdain. "Well— I'm not— maybe that's not—"

She sighed, completely understanding his hesitation. "Maybe not outright say it if it displeases you," she pointed out. "But you know, just back off next school year, especially if Severus is minding his own business and ignoring you lot."

"Hey, after that day, we didn't go out of our way to torment him now, did we?" When Hermione merely frowned, James sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I'll try," he murmured, his face pinched.

"Not good enough, Potter" she glowered. "You have to do."

James nervously shuffled his feet and ran a hand through his hair. "We've talked about it," he slowly continued. "We were rightful berks and you almost—" Genuine remorse was painted on his face. "Snape too. And as much as I dislike that smarmy, annoying bas—" He paused when Hermione quirked an unamused eyebrow. "What I'm trying to say is, we went overboard this time. I don't like Snape and that's a fact, but I don't want him dead, especially if I'm the one who caused it. It's…" He was struggling for words and Hermione patiently waited, knowing that this event had not only shaken her and Sev, but also the Marauders. "I know sorry won't suffice because what we did was unacceptable. I know even your terrifying Bat-Bogey Hex wasn't enough to punish us. What we did wasn't a mere prank." He pinned her with his gaze. "So yes, we will. We will stop pestering Snape, even if I don't like his face."

In spite of how flummoxed she had become because of his earnest words, Hermione wryly smiled. "Insulting him should be at a minimum too," she pointed out.

He grimaced. "Fine," he grumbled. He glanced at her once more, deep in thought. Hermione wasn't sure what he was thinking but she sure as hell knew his gaze made her a tad uncomfortable. "Are you okay?" he softly asked. "After the full moon…"

Her eyes widened at his concern. "I've never been better, Potter," she said.

He ducked his head and peered at her closely. "Yeah?" he tentatively asked.

"Honest," she breathlessly replied.

James broke into that stupid, stupid lopsided grin of his and ran a hand through his hair once more. "All right," he said. He then rummaged inside his robe pocket and pulled out a leaf. "I also meant to give you this."

Hermione snatched the leaf from his hand and examined it under the dim light of the train. "Oh," she gasped, recognising the leaf. "A mandrake leaf?"

"Well, you said you wanted our help to become a… a you-know-what," he said with a grin. "So, for starters, put that inside your mouth for a full month. Remember, you can't take it out, swallow it, or spit it out. You have to start over otherwise."

"I know that," she replied with a frown.

"Pettigrew," he claimed exasperatedly, "you don't understand. It will be bloody difficult. We repeated this step – the first step, mind you – countless times because one of us accidentally ingested it or spat it out in our sleep."

The brunette rolled her eyes. She then turned the leaf over and pointed at the underside. "It will be easier if this side sticks under your tongue. It has really tiny thorns that can latch onto the grooves on your tongue. It's not terribly hard if you had researched it further."

His eyes almost popped out from their sockets. "Blimey," he gasped, "we should have asked for your help when we first thought of becoming a you-know-what. Maybe it wouldn't have taken us years to perfect it."

Hermione shrugged and slipped the leaf inside her pocket. "It's still time consuming, though," she said with a sigh. "I still have to wait for the next full moon to put the leaf inside my mouth."

"That's on the eleventh of July," James reminded.

"All right," she replied. "In the meantime, I'd try to find some suitable dew for the potion."

James grimaced. "Merlin, I can't believe we actually managed to do it in the end," he pointed out.

"It might not be too hard since it's summer," she continued. "Maybe I'll even become one before the next school-year starts!"

"I wouldn't be surprised if you actually did," he answered, lowly chuckling under his breath. "Anyway, I have to go back. Have a good summer, Pettigrew, yeah?"

"You too, Potter," she replied with a brilliant smile.

James smiled at her once more before turning on his heels. She watched him as he casually pulled out the Golden Snitch from his pocket and started tossing it in the air, deftly catching it even before it zoomed away from him.

"Show-off," she murmured, smiling at his back until he had disappeared into a compartment.

Hermione's gaze then slowly snapped back towards the small compartment window, where she peered inside. Hermione smile grew larger when she saw the scene. Severus was on his knees beside Lily, tightly clutching one of her hands. She couldn't hear what he was saying, but judging from the pinched look on his face, he was most definitely reciting a litany of apologies. What relieved Hermione, though, was Lily's face – the redhead had her left hand tangled in his hair, a soft, fond smile on her face.

The brunette expelled a deep sigh of relief and turned around, knowing it would be best if she left her two best friends to catch up once more.

Chapter Text

xii.

the sunlight shines a little brighter

(Daughter by Sleeping at Last)

August 8, 1976

"Hermione, come on!" Peter's annoyed voice called outside her bedroom.

"I'm coming, blimey!" she exclaimed in return. Hermione finally gave her wand a mighty swish and all her things – books, clothes, parchments, and quills – flew into her small satchel and arranged themselves neatly. Satisfied with her handiwork, Hermione grabbed onto her bag and slung the strap across her shoulders.

When she walked out of her bedroom, Peter was already impatiently bouncing on his heels.

"Girls take a bloody long time to get ready," he whined, then turned on his heel and eagerly went to their fireplace.

Hermione rolled her eyes at his back and slowly pattered behind her brother. Peter was already half-way in getting a pinch of Floo powder from the small pouch beside their fireplace, when she arrived in their living room. Anya surprised her children when she announced she had decided to connect their fireplace to the Floo Network. "It makes travelling terribly easy," their mother had explained. Ever since they had started going to Hogwarts, their mother ventured frequently into the Wizarding World. Peter and Hermione were happy that Anya was starting to enjoy all wizarding things once more.

"I don't even know why I have to come," she glumly pointed out.

"No one's stopping you from ditching, 'Mione. We can always tell Mum you felt sick or something."

She glanced at him like he was barmy. "And face our mother's ire?" she asked. Peter snorted and threw the magical powder into the unlit fireplace. Emerald fire blazed upward and Peter quickly stood inside. "Potter Manor!" he exclaimed. He was gone in an instant and Hermione sighed, wondering why he was so bloody excited to see his friends when they see each other every day back in Hogwarts.

Hermione hesitated, wondering if tagging along was a good idea. She was already perfectly contented to stay at home with her mother for the whole summer, but when Anya had found out that Peter would be spending a week at the Potter Manor, she suggested for Hermione to go along as well. Anya knew Hermione had grown considerably close to the Marauders after tutoring them during their OWLs year, and reckoned her daughter should spend a few days out of their house. Besides, she was an acquaintance of Euphemia Potter and knew Hermione would be properly taken care of.

Staying behind was tempting, but Hermione was admittedly curious how Potter Manor looked. She'd always wondered why James Potter lived in a humble house in Godric's Hollow with his family, when he was a rich Pureblood heir. A Manor made sense, and she wanted to see if Peter's shoddy description of the Manor was as he'd portrayed. Her stay at the Manor would also coincide with the last day of keeping the Mandrake leaf inside her mouth. At least with the Marauders gathered in one house, they'd be able to help her complete her Animagus transformation.

Hermione expelled a deep sigh, knowing full well her curiosity had already won. She grabbed a pinch of Floo powder, threw it into the fireplace, and stepped inside. "Potter Manor!" she exclaimed. The familiar disorienting travel via the Floo Network flashed before her eyes. Hermione tightly clamped her mouth and barely breathed to stop herself from inhaling a lungful of soot.

The journey had ended in an instant. Hermione's eyes adjusted at the sudden onslaught of bright lights and she wobbly stumbled out of the fireplace to behold a brightly lit foyer. Her eyes widened as she spied two stylish maroon couches near the brick wall fireplace. The floor was covered with thick carpets with intricate designs, of which Hermione vowed to observe later, because she swore they were twinkling. The whole room was spacious, almost rivalling the Ravenclaw Common Room, only this time, the foyer was decorated with maroon and gold. The occupants were definitely Gryffindors.

Hermione spied some various statues and armour, all speaking of a different place and a different time, and despite the clashing cultures of the diverse statues, they all blended together elegantly. There was also a handsome grandfather clock standing beside the maroon divans, the golden pendulum looking polished and very new. Near the grand, marble staircase hung a painting of a lovely town, with a huge, formidable Manor standing proudly at the epicentre.

"You're gaping," Peter pointed out with a snicker.

The brunette's jaw instantly shut close and she blushed. "It's… huge," she lamely replied, clearly still at a loss of what to say.

"The Potters are old money," Peter said with a casual shrug. "What did you expect?"

"I didn't realise—" She swallowed down her words, her heart clenching unexpectedly at the thought of her raven-haired, emerald-eyed best friend.

Harry Potter could have lived in this huge Manor, with a lovely foyer, and most likely other beautiful rooms she had yet to explore. But of course, of course, Voldemort just had to ruin his whole life.

Hasty footsteps from the marble staircase caught their attention and they watched as three excited boys bounded down.

"I knew I heard your stupid voice, Wormta— oh."

James abruptly skidded into a halt. Sirius almost crashed against his back, and would have, if Remus hadn't latched onto his wrist to keep him from lurching forward. All their eyes were now on Hermione and the brunette unwittingly blushed.

"Err, I'm sorry I should have Owled beforehand," Peter said with a sheepish smile. "But Mum suddenly told us she'd be spending a few days with her new boyfriend's family and insisted I bring Hermione along. I hope you don't mind?"

The Potter heir awkwardly rubbed the nape of his neck. "I guess," he said, followed by a half-hearted shrug. "I'm sure Mum and Dad won't mind either."

"I won't be a bother," Hermione promised, prompting Sirius to snort loudly.

"I highly doubt that, kitten," he cheekily pointed out. She threw him a light glare, but Sirius merely grinned in return. He then stepped forward and gave a flourished bow. "Welcome to Potter Manor, Monsieur and Mademoiselle. I'm Sirius Potter and I will be your tour guide for today."

"What?" Peter sputtered out, a bubble of laughter escaping from his lips.

James shoved Sirius away and laughed. "Wanker," he said. He grinned at the stunned expression on the siblings' faces. "You see, Sirius ran away from home—"

"—best damn thing I've ever done in my whole damn life—"

"—and, he's currently crashing with us," James continued. "Basically, we kind of adopted him, but if you want to be technical, he couldn't really be a Potter."

"Some bureaucratic shite," Sirius flippantly said, waving his hand dismissively. "It doesn't matter if I get stuck with this vile last name all my life, just as long as I escaped those fools."

Remus pursed his lips very tightly. "They're still your family," he reminded.

Sirius's eyes dangerously flashed. "They're no family of mine," he harshly shot back. He threw an arm over James's shoulders and pulled him possessively towards himself. "This is my family."

"All right, all right, Merlin," James said with a tired sigh. Judging from their expressions, Hermione hazarded this wasn't the first time they'd fought about this. "Anyway, we've got some tea in the Drawing Room. Fancy some?"

Hermione politely nodded her head while Peter quipped a small 'yes'.

"Brilliant," he said with a toothy grin. "Pokey!"

A small house-elf, perhaps even younger than Dobby, appeared beside James. She was wearing a ridiculous ensemble of a pink dress with a black bowtie and cute yellow kitten heels with silk, ribbon-like straps that wound up to her thighs. To complete her outfit, she was sporting a small black hat on top of her wispy hair, held in place by a gaudy, silver hairpin.

"Lovely outfit, Pokey, truly you astound me every day," James greeted with a soft laugh. His hazel eyes sparkled with amusement, and his house-elf took it as a compliment.

"Pokey thanks the Young Master," she said with a delicate, low bow, the tips of her ears almost touching the carpeted floor.

Sirius was snickering behind him. "Blimey, I would love to have a house-elf like her," he pointed out. "Kreacher was… grouchy."

"Young Master James requires Pokey's assistance?" the house-elf asked.

"Yes," the bespectacled boy said. He gestured at their two, new guests and smiled. "Please bring their things to the guest rooms. I'm sorry, we have an additional guest today, so I hope it isn't too much of a bother if you fixed another guest room."

Pokey's eyes landed on Hermione. A soft gasp escaped from her mouth as both of her hands landed on her heart. "Could it be?" she wailed, big, fat tears starting to form in her eyes. She looked at her bemused master once more and added, "The future Mistress of the House?"

"What?!" Hermione shrieked as Peter paled and James blushed a brilliant shade of red. Sirius was the only one who found the whole thing hilarious.

"What? NO!" the Potter heir bellowed, suddenly unable to meet Hermione's eyes. "A friend, Pokey. Blimey, why are you always like this?"

"Oh," the house-elf said. It was comical how all her tears had instantly stopped and a look of mild amusement appeared on her face. "Pokey is sorry for the confusion, Young Master. Pokey promises it will never happen again."

James emitted a large snort. "Knowing you, I highly doubt that," he pointed out. Pokey grew sheepish, the ends of her ears drooping a tad bit. "So, anyway, tea is ready, I hope."

"Of course, Young Master James!" Pokey cried, as if scandalised that he even thought of doubting her. "Tea is always ready for young master and his friends."

"All right, thank you," he said with a laugh. "You may go now, Pokey."

She bowed low for her goodbye and snapped her fingers. She disappeared with a crack, together with Peter and Hermione's things. James then ran a hand through his hair and beckoned them to follow him.

While the boys settled into an easy conversation about summer and the impending release of their OWL scores, Hermione took that opportunity to further survey the Potter Manor. She had concluded during the journey that the foyer was perhaps one of the largest rooms in the house. The corridors were lined by various portraits of previous Potters, and it amused Hermione greatly, how their impossible hair seemed to stem from the middle ages. She was able to take a peek at various rooms, the same gold and maroon ensemble arranged inside.

James suddenly stopped in front of an imposing oak door with the proud Potter seal emblazoned on it. To her surprise, he threw her a wicked smirk. "This is our library," he told her. "It's not as huge as the Black's. Definitely smaller than the Hogwarts library. But my ancestors were notorious readers, some even wrote various novels to pass the time. Dad used to tell me that, before they built the other rooms, they made sure the library was finished first."

He pushed the door open and lifted his arm so Hermione could duck underneath and take a peek. She bloody well knew she was gaping once more, because holy Mother of Merlin, the shelves were endless, with books even reaching up to the highest point of the ceiling. James wasn't lying when he said it wasn't as huge as the one in Grimmauld Place or Hogwarts, but this was still something.

"You shouldn't have shown her the library," Peter teased, gently pulling Hermione away to stop her gawking. "She'll start drooling."

"Shut up, berk," she hissed with a blush as she lightly swatted his arm.

"Her face looked like Christmas had come early," Sirius pointed out, boisterously laughing.

"You can do all your summer homework here, Pettigrew," James teased. "I'm sure you're itching to start doing it soon."

She glowered at their teasing, and wondered how she would survive the next few days staying with these annoying boys. Harry and Ron were already difficult to handle together, especially when they were in one of their moods. Handling four, well blimey, Hermione felt like she had just aged a hundred more years.

-ooo-

The Drawing Room wasn't as huge as the foyer, but still spacious enough to display various antiques decorated against the pale-pink wallpaper of the room. They were currently lounging on chairs that were suspiciously as squashy as the overstuffed couches in the Gryffindor Common Room. Even the arrangement of the chairs was reminiscent of the beloved house, and Hermione had this inkling that Potters usually got Sorted into Gryffindor.

While Sirius recounted how he'd had his last, fantastic row with his family and had run away – surely, he was embellishing a lot of the details – an old couple strode inside to greet the other boys. James was instantly on his feet and bounded towards them, grinning widely as he encircled his arms around their waist.

"You're back early," he said.

"Your father hates the Ministry," the witch – James's mother – reminded with a teasing glare. "Of course he'd want to finish everything up so that he could get out immediately."

"That place is a mess," the wizard – James's father – complained. "I never want to step foot in there again."

"I take it they weren't pleased when you turned down their offer for a position in the Wizengamot," their son guessed with a glint in his hazel eyes. "Again."

His father expelled a loud snort. "I don't even know why they keep on trying every year, when I made it a point I could never associate with those stuffy bast" – his wife gave him a scathing glare – "gentlemen. Imagine trying to strike up a conversation with Abraxas Malfoy. Or, Merlin forbid, Orion Black." He threw a quick apologetic smile at the only Black in the room. "No offense, Sirius."

"S'alright, Fleamont," Sirius grinned. "In fact, I fully agree."

The older wizard broke into merry laughter that was so infectious Hermione couldn't help but smile herself. He looked exactly like James, with the raven hair and chiselled nose. His hair was tamer than the teenager, though, stylishly slicked back like how Regulus wore his hair most of the time. He wore a rich, maroon robe and was leaning against an ornate walking stick with a golden head of a lion on top. He screamed Pureblood aristocracy that could even put Lucius Malfoy to shame, but despite this, there were crinkles in the corner of his eyes, a silly multi-coloured necktie that didn't seem to match his outfit all together, and a relaxed posture no Sacred Twenty-Eight would be caught dead to be sporting when in company of others.

"Oh, your other guests have arrived," the older witch pointed out, bringing Hermione's attention to her.

James definitely got his eyes and atrocious eyesight from his mother. Her hazel eyes shone behind stylishly thin-framed glasses as she observed them. She was wearing elegant midnight blue robes that slightly shimmered when hit by light. Her hair was light brown, twisted into a pretty bun on top of her head. Although there were already wrinkles on her face, it was undeniable that she had been beautiful in her youth.

Hermione watched as she smiled kindly at Peter, having recognised him, but once her eyes stopped on Hermione, they widened in surprise. "I didn't know we'd have another visitor," she said. Her husband's brown eyes also settled on her and mirrored the surprise of the witch standing beside him.

"Oh, right," James said with a sheepish smile. "She's Peter's sister and I didn't know that she'd be staying with us until today either."

"Um," the brunette unconsciously started, immediately sliding off the couch to stand on her feet. "Good afternoon, Mr. and Mrs. Potter. My name is Hermione Pettigrew."

The older wizard quirked an eyebrow, unabashedly amused by her greeting. "Are you sure she is a friend of yours, James?" he asked. "She is terribly polite."

"The politest of us all," Sirius seriously replied while Remus reverently nodded his head. Her brother was fighting a smile but was failing miserably.

Her cheeks flared up when James boisterously laughed. "Most of the time, yes, but she has a mean temper," he pointed out with a meaningful glance at his parents.

A sly glint appeared in Mr. Potter's eyes. "Bat-Bogey Hex?" he asked, delighted.

"Bat-Bogey Hex?" Mrs. Potter echoed, amused.

"Bat-Bogey Hex," James confirmed with his lopsided grin.

"That was in second year!" she blurted out before she could stop herself. When both James and Sirius gave her a pointed glance, her blush intensified. "Well, there was an incident two months ago too, and I know it wasn't my proudest moment, but with all due respect, your son was being a bully to one of my best friends. My temper may have gotten the better of me."

She was aware how the other three boys were trying to stop their sniggering. She bit her tongue to stop herself from cursing them all – something she knew would further solidify their primary impression of her as having a mean temper – but then, to her utmost surprise, the Potter patriarch was already excitedly crossing the Drawing Room to meet her.

"It is not every day someone can put my impossible son in his place," he said with a laugh. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Pettigrew. I'm Fleamont Potter." He thrust his hand and politely waited for her to grasp it.

"Hermione's fine, Mr. Potter," she said with a kind smile as she grasped his proffered hand and gave it a slight shake.

"Fleamont's fine, too," he said with a deep rumble. "It still makes me uncomfortable being addressed as such because 'Mr. Potter' will always be my father."

His wife elegantly walked beside him and gave Hermione a pretty smile. "Euphemia Potter," she greeted.

"She's also the tutor we've been yammering about," Sirius piped in, trudging forward to place Euphemia's hand on the crook of his arm. "You know, the one who made the ridiculous colour-coded schedules that practically saved our lives."

Sirius directed the old witch to comfortably sit on one of the arm chairs. Mrs. Potter smiled at him appreciatively.

"I've been getting more Exceeds Expectations in my essays over the last school-year," James added, plopping down on the couch beside Remus.

"Although I've tried really hard to make these blokes study more since first year," Remus continued, "Hermione managed to do it in just a year."

"You always let us get away with things, Moony," Peter pointed out. "Hermione rules with an iron fist."

"That's not true!" the brunette sputtered out. Fleamont and James were boisterously laughing, their facial expressions ridiculously identical, and Hermione tried her very hardest not to laugh because they were teasing her, but they were all so light-hearted and carefree and she really couldn't stay annoyed now, could she.

"So, I will be right in guessing that you are the one who introduced the guitar to my son too," Euphemia continued amidst their laughs.

Hermione merely smiled and nodded her head. She finally slid on the couch beside her brother.

"Ah, so you're the reason why he's strumming that blasted thing until the wee hours of the morning," James's father said with a melodramatic sigh.

"Hey, I don't hear any complaints!" James pointed out with a put-out frown. "Besides, I'm actually quite good at it. Tell them, Hermione. You said so yourself."

The brunette rolled her eyes. "I never said that," she shot back.

"Your year-end spectacle was brilliant, though," Sirius said. "If I were Lily, I would have snogged you senselessly right there and then."

"Shut it, Padfoot," the blushing wizard murmured under his breath, hitting Sirius on his chest with the pointy end of his elbow.

His parents exchanged amused glances; clearly, they had no idea that James was doing all of these ridiculous things just to woo a girl.

"Who is this Lily?" Euphemia deliberately asked, leaning a tad closer to her son with interest in her eyes.

"You've never talked about a 'Lily' before, James," Fleamont supplemented.

This surprised Hermione greatly because judging from what she had witnessed a while ago, the three Potters were very close. James had no qualms telling them everything, even embarrassing things that had happened to him like getting hexed by a twelve-year-old feisty witch. Surely, James would have spoken about his beloved Lily flower to his parents before.

'Unless…'

Her eyes widened as a disbelieving thought appeared in her mind. The Potters were amicable, even warm and welcoming, but they were still Purebloods. They still had a bloody house-elf, and their Manor screamed elegance and rich money. Hermione didn't doubt that they'd still be practicing some of the Pureblood customs they were introduced to since time immemorial.

Her heart lurched with pain at the thought that perhaps, perhaps James was ashamed of Lily because of her blood status. Sure, he had specifically told her that he would never casually throw that slur to her, or to anyone at all, but just because they never openly showed their disdain to those of lower blood, didn't mean they never had any hidden hatred for those who didn't share their Pureblood status.

"She's my best friend," Hermione suddenly explained. James gave her a warning glare, but she steadfastly ignored it. "Brilliant witch with a huge, lovely heart. She was Sorted in Gryffindor, too, and an incoming sixth year like James and the rest." She swallowed down the bile that seemed to rise up from her throat. "She's a Muggle-born."

She waited in bated breath, trying to gauge the reactions of the older Potters. She expected a slight curl of the lip or maybe a brief glint of disgust. She desperately prayed none of those would show because they were really nice people and Hermione wanted to like them both.

"Oh," Euphemia said with recognition. "You mean Lily Evans?"

"Ah," Fleamont chuckled. "Yes, yes, of course. He never really said her name that frequently. Always 'Evans' this or 'Evans' that." He shared a conspiratorial grin with his wife. "We've always wondered who this elusive 'Evans' was."

James's cheeks were flaming red and he was still glaring darkly at her. Hermione, on the other hand, silently sighed in relief. It was ridiculous of her to even think they were bigots like the Blacks and the Malfoys. James had been really pleasant to the Muggle-borns at school despite his blood status. Surely, this stemmed from his upbringing.

"Anyway, we've bothered you long enough," Fleamont said as he rose up from the couch. He sauntered closer to his wife and pulled her to her feet. "We'll leave you younglings to have fun without the adults."

"But not too much fun," Euphemia warned with a small frown on her face. Her eyes settled on Sirius, who grew sheepish under her gaze. "Am I making myself clear?"

Their chorus of 'yes' brought a smile to her face. She then looked at Hermione and her smile grew. "But now that you are here, I am not quite so worried anymore," she added, prompting the younger witch to laugh.

"I have some handy spells up my sleeves if they get out of line," Hermione promised.

"Iron fist," Peter hissed with a teasing glint in his eyes.

The couple laughed and bid them goodbye, promising to call for them once dinner was ready.

Once they were gone, a huge grin that spelled danger appeared on Sirius's face. "Anyone fancy a game of Exploding Snap?" he asked.

Hermione sighed.

This would be a long day.

August 9, 1976

She was idly reading a book in the guest bedroom when she spied the Marauders marching outside, blankets and pieces of tent tucked under their armpits. The boys were also clutching some pillows and board games, looking as if they were about to go camping.

The brunette frowned and shot up from her seat, a little put-out at not being invited. She quickly ran from her room and out of Potter Manor, briefly halting to marvel the lovely garden at the back of the Manor. Hermione took a mental note to visit this garden once more.

"Where are you going?" she cried, urging her feet to go faster to catch up with the boys. Thankfully, they had stopped and had turned around to face Hermione.

"We're going somewhere, kitten," Sirius explained, an uncertain smile on his face.

"I can see that," she said, pointedly looking at the things they were holding. "But where?"

James sighed and ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "There's a small cabin near the Potter Manor. It isn't too far away; you can actually see it on top of a little hill from the Manor window. But it's secluded enough to stop passers-by from stumbling across it."

Hermione narrowed her eyes in curiosity as her gaze landed on Remus. The werewolf looked already tired and a bit impatient, listlessly bristling as his eyes constantly darted heavenward.

"Oh," she deadpanned, realisation dawning. "It's a full moon today."

"Clever observation," Remus angrily snapped.

The brunette quirked an eyebrow, surprised with his attitude. The werewolf deflated and grumpily looked away.

"Cranky Remus always makes an appearance when the full moon is near," Sirius explained. "You must forgive him."

"I'm coming with you," she said without thinking. Remus instantly paled, while Peter's jaw dropped and he instantly trudged towards Hermione.

"Are you insane?" he sputtered out. "Hermione, no. It's dangerous."

The witch thoughtfully bit her bottom lip, trying to come up with a solution. It was undeniably dangerous, of course. Her last encounter with Remus in his werewolf form was still fresh in her mind, and undoubtedly also fresh in theirs. But she really wanted to come and she was curious as to how the Animagi transformed into their animal forms. Besides, she could finally complete her potion tonight and spit out the Mandrake leaf from inside her mouth.

Her eyes then resolutely settled on James. "Potter Manor is heavily warded, right?" she started.

James frowned in suspicion. "Yes," he answered. "Ancient magic and all that shite. Although we do not dabble with blood wards because Merlin my mother would have a conniption if we ever did that. The wards my father use to keep the Manor safe are quite complicated."

"And these wards," she continued, "they're not merely confined to your Manor but to the surrounding vicinity too, right?"

"Where's this conversation going?" he asked, his frown deepening with obvious discomfort.

"This cabin you're going to, I'm sure it is heavily warded, too," she continued. She apologetically met Remus's eyes. "Of course they both know about your affliction, and still welcomed you openly, but they also knew about the dangers of housing a werewolf during a full moon. I'm quite sure Mr. Potter placed enough wards surrounding the cabin to make sure that no one will get hurt; not even you, Remus."

His gold eyes held her gaze, an indecipherable look in them. "There are wards," he slowly started, "that make sure I will not be able to get out of the cabin once I'm transformed. It's more restricting than the Shrieking Shack, but unlike Hogwarts, there isn't a Forbidden Forest. The population in the town near the Manor is also thrice more than Hogsmeade. We all agreed we have to take necessary precautions."

"Remus!" Peter exclaimed. "Don't say anything else that might give her ideas."

Hermione ignored her brother. "Well, there you have it," she casually said. "Just as long as I don't enter the cabin, I will be safe."

Remus slumped forward and gave her a withering glance. "I almost hurt you last time, Hermione," he reminded, his jaw tensed. "It will really be best if you stay away."

"I can run away again," she said with a half-hearted shrug. "Now, come on. The moon is about to ascend the horizon."

She turned on her heel and marched forward, aware of the pairs of eyes boring holes into the back of her skull. Hermione was determined to learn more about becoming an Animagi tonight and no one was going to stop her. She was being mighty stubborn about this, as it was truly dangerous after all, but she'd be ready if things didn't go her way. They just have to trust her.

She heard collective sighs behind her and secretly grinned, knowing they had realised that arguing with her would be pointless once she had set her mind to something.

Peter soon rushed forward to walk beside her. She darted a sideway glance at her brother and softly smiled, seeing the disgruntled look on his face. "I'll be fine," she appeased, looping her arm with his.

He sighed once more but didn't offer any reply, only steadfastly matching his pace with hers.

They finally reached the small cabin on the outskirts of the Potter Manor Estate. It was smaller than the Shrieking Shack, but definitely more well-kept.

"Well, see you tomorrow," Remus gruffly claimed, trudging inside the cabin and slamming the door behind him with a soft thud.

"You're not going with him?" Hermione asked, glancing at the other three.

"Mum forbids it," James glumly said as he deposited the blankets and pillows on a nearby tree stump. "I know she means well, and she worries for our safety. We even told her we're illegal Animagi just to convince her Remus wouldn't harm us if we are in our animal forms. But… yeah."

"Remus agreed immediately, that wanker," Sirius said as he pulled out his wand and waved it in the air. The poles and tent sheets danced in the air as they rearranged themselves to form a decent tent. "We all know he didn't like the arrangement but he bloody agreed. We tried to break in once, but Euphemia found out and went ballistic. She almost banned us from accompanying Remus, so the stupid bastard insisted that we should just listen to her."

"That's Remus for you," Peter said with a sigh, grabbing onto the blankets and pillows and disappearing behind the tent flap.

"Then, what do you do while you wait for him to transform back?" she asked.

James shrugged. "Stuff," he said. "Most of the time, we roam around the nearby town in our Animagi forms. Sometimes we just hang out inside the tent. But now that you're here…"

Hermione scoffed and gave him a withering glare. "Please," she snapped, "don't let my presence stop you from doing your shenanigans."

The bespectacled boy grinned and ruffled his hair. "Who said you're going to stop us?" he shot back. He laughed and turned on his heel, promptly changing into his majestic Animagus form. Hermione emitted a soft gasp, finally beholding James fully in his stag form. She hadn't really properly looked at him, because last time, she was busy running for her life. But now, with the soft moonlight shining down on him, she couldn't deny that he was really beautiful. Harry's Patronus was spectacular, of course, but it paled in comparison with James's form.

The stag proudly held up his head and stood a tad taller, obviously preening under her appreciative gaze.

"Berk," she said, laughing when he tried to nuzzle his nose against her hand.

Inside the cabin, Remus's familiar howl resounded across the vast field. Hermione unwittingly flinched and then smiled when James nuzzled his nose against her hand once more.

"I'm all right," she said, patting his snout.

Peter and Sirius both emerged from the tent and grinned upon seeing James. Sirius shifted into a black dog and excitedly padded towards James, playfully sniping at one of his hind legs. She watched in amusement as the two chased each other around the field.

Her eyes landed on Peter when he touched her elbow. "You can spit out the Mandrake leaf now," he pointed out, tilting his head up at the visible full moon.

Hermione wordlessly nodded her head and rummaged inside her satchel. She pulled out the empty crystal vial and lifted it in the air until the moonlight hit the glass, breaking into small glittering lights that twinkled like the stars above.

Satisfied the whole glass was touched by the rays of the moon, Hermione uncorked the vial and spat the saliva-filled Mandrake leaf inside. "Good riddance," she sighed in relief, prompting Peter to softly chuckle beside her.

"It has a weird taste," he concurred with a grin. "I couldn't eat properly for months because it always spoiled the food."

Hermione then sat down on the tree stump and pulled out the other ingredients for the potion. She plucked a strand of her hair, placed the fresh, untouched morning dew inside, and lastly, added the chrysalis of a Death's-head Hawk Moth Sirius had graciously given to her a while ago.

Once everything was inside, Hermione gave it a small swish, watching as the ingredients dissolved and turned into a concoction as silver as the moonlight itself.

"Now, we just wait for a thunderstorm," Peter said with a sigh. "Prior to that, remember to repeat—"

"Amato Animo Animato Animagus," Hermione finished off, grinning when her brother rolled his eyes. "I know, Peter. I've memorised the steps."

"Of course you have."

She laughed and carefully placed the complete concoction inside her satchel. Weather forecasts for the following days spoke of an impending thunderstorm and all Hermione had to do was repeat the incantation every sunrise and sundown until thunder struck. It wouldn't be too hard now.

"You're not going to transform?" she asked, glancing sideways at her brother when Peter comfortably sat down on the grass beside her.

"Eh," he dismissively claimed. "I'm small compared to the other two so if I tried to engage in their ridiculous chase, I might get trampled upon." When he saw Hermione's look, he growled. "I know, I know, it sucks to be a rat when your best friends can change into a majestic stag or a frightening dog. I was annoyed for a bit when I found out I could only transform into a rat."

"Your Animagus has its merits," Hermione comforted, reaching forward to squeeze his arm. "Like, for example, you can escape from a dark wizard unnoticed. I'm sure you will pass your Concealment and Disguise course during your Auror training without much of a hitch."

He made a noncommittal sound at the back of his throat and stretched his legs in front of him. He watched contentedly as his best friends continued playing around, the corner of his mouth twitching every time Sirius started barking too loud or when James's antlers got stuck against a low branch.

"You're really all right, Hermione?"

Hermione furrowed her brows and looked at her brother again. "Never been better, Petey," she replied.

He worriedly peered at her, his lips tugged into a small frown. "I know it's already weeks ago but… you know, with the full moon and Moony…"

"I'm really fine," she reassured with a small smile. She patted her satchel and added, "I'm going to turn into an Animagus soon, so the worry is unnecessary."

Peter sighed and watched his best friends again, guilt in his eyes. "We're truly sorry for that day," he quietly continued.

"I know."

"After everything that had happened…" Peter paused and slumped forward. "We were total berks that day, Hermione. Because of our stupid bullying, you and Snape almost died. I told them maybe we went a little overboard and we agreed we shouldn't have let our stupid egos get the better of us."

"You told them?" she gasped, swivelling around to train her blue eyes on her brother.

Peter coloured under the pale moonlight. "Well, you did say I should stand up to my best friends if I think they're being berks. So, I did." He gave her a toothy grin, his eyes lit up with a certain happiness Hermione had never seen him wear before. "It felt good to be listened to by your best friends, you know."

Hermione mirrored his grin, her heart fluttering at the thought that her brother - who worshipped Sirius and James like they both were his heroes; who hesitated on defying his best friends request, because he feared they would dislike him; who sometimes turned a blind eye when they were being too insolent to those they pranked – had stood up against them because he knew they were doing something wrong and that it had to be stopped.

Tears prickled her blue eyes because she now fervently believed that this boy – her brother – who she had grown up with and had come to love unconditionally, had grown out of his shell of insecurity and fear and had become the brave, loyal Gryffindor she hoped he would be.

She leaned down and drew him into a tight hug. "I'm so proud of you, Petey," she whispered, feeling a tad silly how a tear slipped down from her eye. But she really couldn't deny the relief she felt.

"Merlin, Hermione, no need to get all sappy," he complained.

Hermione merely chuckled and squeezed him tight.

August 10, 1976

James was jerked awake when sudden movement disturbed his sleep.

He blearily blinked his hazy eyes and grabbed onto his spectacles which lay on his bedside table. A yawn tore away from his mouth as he sat up and glanced at the other occupants of the spacious tent. Peter and Sirius were still fast asleep, the former trying to wake up the whole town with his ridiculous snoring, whilst the latter muttered incomprehensible words, clearly dreaming. He looked at the other bed where Hermione slept but was surprised to see that the bed was made and she was gone.

Frowning, James stood up from his bed and ruffled his hair, knowing full well he'd just made his bed hair more impossibly dishevelled.

Another silent yawn fought its way out of his mouth as he ducked through the tent flap. He froze when he spied Hermione's bushy hair, disappearing inside the cabin.

"Fuck," he gasped, but then willed his heart to slow down when he spied the sun making its slow ascent over the horizon. Besides, if she were able to pass through the barrier, it meant that Remus had transformed back into his human form.

Curiosity now trampled his consternation as James continued to quietly trail behind the brunette.

He was now used to the mess Remus always made when he was in werewolf form, but Hermione wasn't. The corner of his lips twitched when she stared at the destruction with abject horror, before she pulled out her wand and absentmindedly Reparo-ed as much as she could.

James didn't know why he opted to keep his presence unknown. He was more content watching her furrow her brows in concentration and bite her plump, bottom lip, trying to release a large amount of magic during this early hour.

By the time she was finished, a few of her curls stuck against her forehead and she absentmindedly brushed them away and continued.

He trailed not too far behind, skipped a few floorboards he knew would noisily creak, and stopped at the doorframe when Hermione zoomed inside the room and instantly went besides Remus's sleeping form. His best friend was sprawled on top of the ripped bed, fitfully sleeping. There were new gashes on his face and arms and he even had a busted lip.

James sighed. Last night's transformation might have been hard for Remus because they weren't beside him. If only he hadn't agreed so easily to Euphemia when his mother gave her conditions, then he wouldn't be suffering alone.

Hermione's face crumpled when she saw his wounds and immediately fell on her knees beside the bed. He curiously watched as she rummaged inside her satchel and pulled out a small tub. When she opened the lid, he recognised a healing ointment of some sort, something Madame Pomfrey had kept stacked inside the school infirmary.

She then daintily applied the ointment on all of Remus's wounds, double-checking everything to make sure she didn't miss a spot or to check she had applied enough.

Something stirred in James's heart, something he hadn't really felt before, something foreign and uncomfortable but definitely, definitely not unpleasant.

There was a certain softness on her face, concentrating with all her might just to bloody apply an ointment on his best friend's wounds. Her ridiculous curls kept on rebelliously blocking her view, but Hermione would just brush them away to continue her small ministrations.

By the time she was done, she admired her handiwork and stood up. Hermione then gently tucked Remus under the blanket, brushed a few hairs of his fringe away, and dug inside her satchel. She pulled out a bar of chocolate and placed it beside Remus's sleeping form.

James saw her blue eyes then and he instantly thought of his most favourite of days, when the blue sky was cloudless and clear, perfect for flying. He liked those days the most, because when he was airborne, he'd tilt his head and stare heavenward, feeling marvellously tiny under the vastness of the clear, blue sky. And Hermione's blue eyes were like the sky – clear and bright and so, so vast, like the depths in them could spiral him into a universe he had never explored before.

A beat skipped. And another. And try as he might, he couldn't make sense of it.

By then, Hermione had fully stood up and had turned on her heel, only to expel a soft scream upon seeing she wasn't alone.

"How long have you been there?" she demanded, a hand flying up to her heart to calm its beating.

James dumbly stared for a while, suddenly tongue-tied and confused. He wanted to say words that never formed, his mind still swirling with the image of her eyes and the sky and the euphoria of staring at their endless beauty.

"Potter?" she asked, slowly knitting her eyebrows in worry at his silence.

This snapped him out of his reverie and felt himself warming under her curious gaze. "I – I wanted to check on Remus," he managed to stumble out. "Turns out you've beaten me to it."

"Oh," she said, a small smile growing on her face as she stared down at the slumbering boy. "He's all right. Quite tired, I'm sure."

Hermione's gaze landed back on him again, uncertainty written on her face. "I should go back," she deliberately said.

James mutely nodded, his heartbeat quickening when she walked towards him. He froze when she stopped in front of him – was she always this tiny? – and tilted her head. Her forehead briefly brushed against his chin; the touch was brief, but it jolted all of his nerves awake. Her blue eyes glinted in amusement. "You're in the way, Potter," she said, one corner of her mouth lifting into a small smirk.

"Right, of course," he said, hastily stepping aside to let her through.

Hermione gave him another dubious glance before passing by, walking away without another single glance back.

But his eyes found themselves latched onto her wild, bushy hair and James couldn't seem to look away.

Chapter Text

xiii.

it's the fireworks when two souls collide

(Falling in Love Pie by Sara Bareilles)

August 14, 1976

Hermione blearily opened her eyes as her alarm went off. She grasped for her wand and gave it a tiny wave. The sound instantly vanished and it took the brunette a few more seconds before she hauled herself up from her bed.

She glanced at the handsome arch-shaped window in the guest room and saw the beginnings of sunrise. Wand in hand, Hermione pressed its tip against her heart and murmured, "Amato. Animo. Animato. Animagus."

A thrill ran down her spine when she felt a second heartbeat the book about Animagi transformation had spoken of. She first felt it yesterday during sundown, but she wasn't entirely sure what it was as it was so fleeting. Now that she had felt it once more, it meant she was on the right track. Now all that was left was waiting for a thunderstorm and drinking her hidden potion, for the ritual to be complete.

Hermione let herself marvel the beautiful sunrise, a burst of bright orange and yellow painting the whole sky, and illuminating the lovely garden of the Potter Manor.

It had already been a few days since she and Peter had come to stay in said Manor. Tomorrow, they would be going home to meet Anya and would start getting ready for the next school-year. It surprised her greatly how there was a certain sadness at the thought. Staying at the Potter Manor had been fun, and she had grown considerably closer to the Marauders, despite the shortness of time. They were still rowdy berks, but tolerable enough for Hermione to now join in their fun most of the time. It was laughable, but she would surely miss Sirius's barking laugh, or Remus's snarky retorts, and James's mischievous hazel eyes.

A part of her hoped it would soon be September 1st.

She stared outside for a few more minutes before deciding to start freshening up for the day. It was still too early and because it was summer, the other occupants of the Manor wouldn't get out from their beds for another two or three hours more. Ever since she had started doing this ritual, Hermione found herself unable to sleep anymore and had decided to explore Potter Manor until she was called for breakfast.

For the last few days, she had discovered delightful rooms and even talked with some of the illustrious ancestors of the Potter family. Hermione was particularly acquainted with the portrait of Linfred of Stinchcombe, who was said to be the founding patriarch of the Potter family. He was an eccentric man, with the famous raven, dishevelled hair of a Potter, who had different potted plants scattered around him in his portrait. He often spoke about his fascinating potion experiments that ultimately led to the development of Skele-Gro and Pepper-Up. Hermione once pointed out to the talkative man that her best friend would love to meet him, seeing he was a Potions prodigy himself. Linfred had told her to invite him over, but Hermione softly snorted, imagining Severus Snape's horror when he discovered he was invited to come over Potter Manor.

As Hermione donned a turquoise sweater and placed her wand in the back pocket of her jeans, she had already decided she would peruse the library today. She had been there a few times in the past, accomplishing her homework and doing some light reading, but she was always swept away by the Marauders for another adventure. She would appreciate some quiet before she was surrounded by testosterone-filled boys with a thirst for ridiculous quests.

She walked out of her quaint bedroom and opened the door. The corridors were still quiet; most of the paintings were still dozing.

Hermione travelled along the corridor until she reached the imposing oak wooden doors of the library.

Her breath still hitched every time she entered the huge library. They weren't as well off as the Potters, so Anya was only able to afford a few shelves for Hermione's piling book collection. If they had a library as humongous as this back home, Hermione knew she wouldn't be able to leave.

She randomly picked a book on Arithmancy and settled on the comfortable maroon, velvety chair in front of a smaller fireplace. She swished her wand at the fireplace to start a fire.

Comfortable, she leaned her head against the backrest and lost herself in the sea of words and numbers.

She was in a particularly gripping part of the book when a hand touched her shoulder. She stiffened and straightened up, wand instantly in her hand in case she needed to attack.

"Hey, it's just me."

She met her brother's amused eyes and felt a blush creep up to her cheeks. "You didn't have to sneak up on me," she reprimanded.

Peter quirked an eyebrow. "I called your name thrice but you never looked up from your book." He leaned closer to read the words on the page and then snorted. "Typical of you to become engrossed with Arithmancy."

"It's a very good book," she defended, hugging said book against her chest as if to give it comfort.

"Yes, yes, if you say so," he flippantly said. "Anyway, breakfast is ready and we're all waiting for you."

"Already?" she asked, surprised. It felt like she had just started reading ten minutes ago.

Peter grinned, highly amused by her confusion. "Yes, already," he said, lightly clutching her elbow to pull her up. "Come on. You know how Sirius gets when he's forced to wait to eat."

"He's not even a Potter, blimey," she murmured under her breath.

The sandy-haired boy expelled a soft laugh. "Don't let him hear that."

-ooo-

The tension was thick in the Drawing Room of Potter Manor later that day, when Hermione received a letter from Severus announcing he had finally got his OWL scores. The Slytherin boasted all 'O's in the core subjects, another 'O' for Divination, and two 'Es' for Arithmancy and Care of Magical Creatures. She had already penned her congratulations to her best friend and promised to treat him during their first Hogsmeade weekend.

Lily still hadn't contacted Hermione about her OWL scores, but she knew it wouldn't take too long.

Since then, the other sixth years were on edge. Perhaps it was Remus who was the most relaxed of them all, seeing that he wasn't aiming to become an Auror after graduation. But, Hermione still noticed how he clenched and unclenched his jaw and had been poorly concealing how unfocused he was on the book he was reading.

Sirius and James comically started wearing down the rich carpet with their constant pacing. Hermione mentally counted that they were already on their fifteenth march.

It was Peter who was the most nervous of them all, incessantly voicing out his fears of failing the important OWLs. Hermione by now had been mechanically soothing his nerves, telling him he did very well and he shouldn't get too ahead of himself.

Truthfully, Hermione was nervous for them too and hadn't been able to make any further progress with her Arithmancy book. Pokey had brought over tea and scones an hour ago, but they were still left untouched by the jittery teenagers.

All their eyes landed on the window when a small, lovely owl pecked its beak against the pane.

"Is it—" Peter tightly gripped the edge of the coffee table, looking like he might faint.

"Sorry, blokes," Hermione said with a sheepish smile. "But I recognise that owl. It's Lily's."

James cursed under his breath and resumed his pacing. Sirius had now plopped down on the carpeted floor, his eyes already staring blankly at the roaring fire.

Hermione bit her bottom lip, knowing it wouldn't be wise if she started to laugh at them, and sprang out from the divan she was sitting on. She unlatched the window and let Lily's owl, Daisy, fly inside. Hermione grabbed a few treats from the pouch near the window and thanked Daisy. The bird hooted her thanks and stuck out her claw, waiting for Hermione to untangle the letter. The owl took flight as soon as the letter was freed and zoomed out of the window.

She immediately scanned Lily's letter and grinned.

"How did Lily do?"

Hermione craned her neck and met James' curious eyes. "Nine 'O's and one 'E'," she answered.

Sirius emitted a low whistle. "Way to go, Evans," he murmured.

She made a mental note to pen her congratulations to her other best friend with another promise to treat her on their first Hogsmeade weekend.

Before Hermione could take her seat, incessant tapping from the window was heard once more. This time, multiple pecks were heard and everybody in the room stilled.

Hermione moved first and turned on her heel. Four, excitedly flapping birds were waiting impatiently to be let inside the room, clutching an official Hogwarts letter in their beaks. "I don't have other best friends," she slowly started, "so I'm quite sure those owls are for you."

"Fuuuck," James whined, plopping down beside Sirius, their backs facing the window. Peter had buried his face beneath his arms and had stopped moving all together.

Hermione then questioningly darted a glance at Remus, who looked paler, his healing scars now stark under the dim lights of the drawing room. "Honestly?" the werewolf said, a shaky smile stretched wide on his face. "I don't think I can stand, Hermione."

The brunette expelled a huge sigh and trudged towards the window once more. The owls immediately flew inside when she pushed the window open and respectively went to the wizards bearing the name on the envelopes they were clutching between their beaks. Hermione waited until they had deposited their letters and gave each of them treats.

Once they had flown away, Hermione closed the window once more, before looking back at the silent wizards.

"Moment of truth," she announced, the corner of her lips twitching when they suddenly erupted into groaning litanies of flowery curses.

Hermione immediately went towards her brother and tightly held his hand. Remus was already deliberately opening his letter. Sirius and James exchanged theirs, demanding that the other should only shout at the top of his lungs if they had decent grades.

"Come on, Petey," Hermione urged, waving the letter in front of his face.

"I can't open it, Hermione," he moaned. "Read it for me."

She flinched when Sirius and James erupted into an ear-splitting shout, immediately climbing onto their feet and giddily jumping up and down like a bunch of kids who had discovered that Father Christmas as real. Remus was marginally calmer, but the smile that broke on his face was far and wide like the horizon.

They were now quizzically looking over the Pettigrew siblings, silent apprehension on their faces as they waited to hear how Peter had done on his OWLs.

"Moment of truth," she repeated once more. She softly giggled, noting that her hands were also shaking as she broke off the Hogwarts seal. She had stopped breathing all together as her eyes quickly devoured the words written on the parchment.

"Well?" Peter squeaked, still unable to look at his sister.

Hermione suddenly expelled an uncharacteristic squeal and threw her arms around her brother. "You did it!" she cried.

"He did?" James asked as the other three scrambled towards them. Remus snatched the letter from Hermione's limp hands and they fought each other to take a peek at Peter's letter.

"Holy shite, Wormtail," James guffawed, a look of utter disbelief and unconcealed happiness in his hazel eyes. "You got two 'O's, seven 'E's, and an 'A'. But that's all right, because you've passed all of the subjects needed to qualify as an Auror. The acceptable was Divination because you were bloody fucking sleeping during the exam, you wanker! It was a miracle you even passed it."

"I did it," Peter gasped, his blue eyes widening in incredulity. "I – I actually did it!"

Sirius pulled him onto his feet and the four Marauders went into a huge group hug that made Hermione fondly laugh. Their happiness was ridiculously infectious and Hermione felt like she had passed her OWLs too even though she still hadn't taken them.

James's eyes met hers and the grin on his face widened. "Come join in, Hermione," he teased. "If it weren't for you, we'd be bloody failures right now. Except Moony, of course, because he would have surely still gotten all 'O's even without you."

"I got nine," Remus cheekily corrected. "So not all."

"Berk, that's still amazing!" Sirius pointed out with a barking laugh.

Peter grasped Hermione's arm and pulled her towards the group. She was immediately enveloped by different pairs of arms, crushed tightly until she couldn't breathe. But Hermione was merrily laughing, genuinely happy for these people she had come to consider as her friends.

-ooo-

Since James had gotten five 'O's, three 'E's, and two 'A's; and Sirius had managed to get four 'O's, five 'E's, and one 'A', Fleamont and Euphemia had agreed they could have a celebration that night. James suggested a bonfire near the cabin on the hill, announcing that according to the Daily Prophet, the skies would be clear that night.

James and Sirius went to Diagon Alley to do some last-minute buying of snacks and drinks, while the other three were left to build the bonfire. Remus placed comfortable blankets near the fireplace and added some throw pillows they could relax on while they gazed at the stars and played some board games. Hermione thought it would be lovely to string up some fairy lights on the nearby trees, to illuminate the whole field. Peter threw a spell towards the stacks of wood and started a blazing fire.

By the time James and Sirius were back, hauling piles of food and cases of drink Hermione definitely knew were alcoholic, they were ready for their small party.

"Do your parents know you're drinking?" she asked with a disapproving frown. It wasn't that she disliked drinking, but they were still underage.

James and Sirius exchanged wicked grins. "They will if someone tells them, kitten," Sirius said, throwing her a conspiratorial grin.

"Liven up, 'Mione," Peter said with a laugh. "It'll just be today, promise. Besides, I know you always keep a bunch of Sobering Potions in your bag."

"Hermione!" James gasped, a mock scandalised expression on his face.

"It's not like that," she lamely protested, knowing they wouldn't understand that it had become some sort of habit for her to bring a range of potions along with her – Sobering Potion in particular, as in her past life, Harry Potter sometimes turned to alcohol to drown his misery away. She knew it was a stupid habit, because none of the people she was close with in this timeline were on the verge of spiralling out of control.

"We'll keep your dirty little secret, kitten, don't worry," Sirius said as he lazily slung an arm over Hermione's shoulder.

Peter's eyes almost looked like they would pop out from their sockets. "Hermione!" he gasped, this time in real, abject horror.

Hermione sighed and gruffly pushed Sirius's heavy arm away. "It's not what you think, Peter," she said and immediately stalked off towards the pile of various snacks to stop them from asking any more dangerous questions.

Thankfully, the Marauders let it slide and started horsing around. James and Remus managed to transfigure one tree into a radio that actually managed to produce lovely music that echoed in the vast field.

Hermione started to relax soon after, even letting herself drink a shot or two of firewhiskey, but never more than that, because that was when her head got very fuzzy and she couldn't think clearly.

The boys were growing more boisterous and obnoxious, as Sirius challenged Peter to a game of some kind of drunken Wizard Chess she didn't bother understanding. They appointed Remus as their referee and the werewolf was content making snide, scathing remarks when a stupid mistake was made by a player. Hermione found it quite amusing that Cranky Remus also appeared when he was very drunk and would have loved to mercifully tease him. But she would do that once he was sober.

Her veins buzzed with the excitement of the party and alcohol and Hermione decided she would just relax for a bit. She sat down on one of the blankets near the fire and hugged a pillow against her chest, letting the crackling fire and the cool breeze lull her into a peaceful trance.

-ooo-

"No, you idiot, what were you thinking?"

James snorted and watched as Sirius cowered and sheepishly glanced at the irate Remus. It always amused him every time Remus got drunk because his cranky self would appear and would start criticising everyone around him. Even his best friends weren't safe from his snarky attitude.

Peter comically placed both of his hands under his chin, deep in thought, as he blearily gazed at the chessboard. His hand hovered on a pawn, before he questioningly looked at Remus. The werewolf glowered, prompting him to flinch. Peter immediately moved his hand over his queen, took another peek at Remus, and sighed in relief when he looked approving.

"Cheat!" Sirius loudly accused, pointing a finger towards the smaller boy.

"I am not!" he hotly replied with a glare.

Sirius narrowed his eyes and purposively hovered his hand over a knight. He then pointedly looked at Remus, who was now baring his teeth, and snorted. "Look at this berk, scowling even before we make mistakes," he said, jutting a thumb towards him. "I don't think you are fit to be our referee, Moony."

Remus grumbled and grabbed a discarded pawn. He then flicked it towards Sirius, which hit him squarely on his forehead. The shaggy-haired teen gaped at him in surprise, before his silver eyes glinted menacingly and he proceeded to twirl his wand in the air. All the chess pieces lifted in the air and, with a mischievous smile, Sirius boomed a loud, "ATTACK!"

The chess pieces suddenly zoomed towards Remus and the werewolf jumped onto his feet, ready to defend himself.

Peter was now bent over the grass, laughing uncontrollably, while Remus haphazardly swung his wand in the air like a sword, trying to block the attack.

"Fucking wankers," James roared, also laughing gleefully at their drunken antics. He and Sirius had made a good decision to buy firewhiskey, even though Hermione loudly disapproved of it.

'Speaking of the witch…'

His eyes blearily looked around, trying to locate the brunette. He spotted her almost immediately - snuggled on one of the blankets near the bonfire. She looked deep in thought, her blue eyes staring almost unseeing at the fire, but her face looked relaxed and open. Perhaps it was the alcohol or the ambiance tonight, but her guard was definitely down.

James frowned and looked away, trying to make sense of the sudden stirrings in his heart once more. Ever since he'd seen her the day after the full moon, James had started to notice her more. Mostly insignificant things, really, like how she'd always softly hum when she browsed for the right book to read; or how she bit her bottom lip when she was deep in thought; or how sometimes, he'd notice that when she was disapproving, her nose scrunched up a little. They were little nuances he'd never noticed before, subtle but already speaking volumes of Hermione as a person.

It was jarring, especially for him, because he'd never really taken the time to properly observe her. It required too much effort, too much silence, and James was never a silent, patient man. But he found himself unable to stop his staring, trying to pry open whatever other secrets Hermione Pettigrew hid, that would make him understand whatever it was he was feeling.

While his other friends continued their ridiculous squabble, James found himself drawing closer to the younger witch. He wasn't even aware that his feet were acting on their own, his head already fuzzy from too much alcohol and the warmth emitted by the crackling fire.

But it was too late now to return to his friends because Hermione looked over her shoulder and noticed him. He thickly swallowed when he noted how the licking fire danced in her clear, blue eyes and he had to force himself to look away before he got burnt.

"All right, Pettigrew?" he casually asked. His right hand twitched mercilessly and he couldn't stop himself when he lifted it and ran it through his hair.

Merlin, his body really had a mind of its own today.

"Yeah," she replied, gazing at the fire once more. "You?"

"Same," he dully said, lowering himself onto the ground to sit beside her.

For a moment, he basked under the warmth of the bonfire, mesmerised at how it crackled and swayed in the wind. From behind, the ruckus his friends were making, was starting to fade, and all he could see was the fire in front of his eyes and the enigmatic brunette sitting beside him.

Quite close, he reckoned.

Too close.

"I want to show you something," he blurted out before he could stop himself. His cheeks reddened when she looked at him questioningly, but James was already pulling his wand from his pocket. "Accio guitar!"

A small smile appeared on her face as they both gazed in the direction of the Potter Manor. James soon spotted his guitar flying toward him. He lifted his awaiting hands and grasped the handle, bringing it closer to his chest.

"I've been practicing a lot," he rambled, seemingly unable to look at her blue eyes. "I think my parents started putting Silencing Charms around the house every time I strum the blasted thing."

"You've grown quite fond of it," she pointed out matter-of-factly.

A corner of his lips twitched upward. "It is a good companion," he confessed. "It actually cleared my mind when I was too stressed over the OWLs."

His eyes widened when Hermione reached forward and tenderly placed a hand on his guitar. Her small hand was inches away from his, but he could feel it – the warmth, the softness, all of its curves – and his hand twitched once more, begging for a touch, just to see if his thoughts were congruent with the reality of holding her hand.

He balked at his thoughts and hastily positioned his hands into their proper place. His heart was stupidly stuttering and he was unable to look at Hermione. He knew the brunette looked confused, but had thankfully stayed quiet.

"So, yes, I want to show you something," he nervously sputtered out. He started strumming, his fingers moving effortlessly to play the chords he had now memorised by heart.

She gasped in recognition and ducked her head. "Oh," she said. "I know this song!"

In spite of the confusion he was feeling, James managed to smile. "I figured this was an important song for you," he said, continuing to strum the intro for 'The Long and Winding Road'. "It was, after all, the song you showed me before."

He allowed himself to take a peek at her face. Hermione had closed her eyes and was happily humming the song under her breath. James wasn't sure what she was thinking, what memory she had conjured in her mind, but the corners of her eyes were crinkled – like she was really, truly happy just hearing the song.

While his fingers worked to strum the chords, his eyes were unable to look away from her face. Her bushy hair almost looked golden, the blazing fire illuminating every strand. Up close, he noticed that she actually had a dusting of freckles across her nose, and if he just moved closer, he'd be able to count them individually. Her lips were drawn into a smile, and he wasn't entirely sure why it looked almost forlorn.

He drew in a deep breath and forced himself to look away. His heartbeat had grown erratic, as if a million pixies were let loose and wreaking havoc inside his heart. James blamed it entirely to having one too many firewhiskeys that night, the fuzziness in his mind heightened by the warmth of the bonfire.

He finally strummed the last chord and his hands stopped moving. His other three friends were still boisterously laughing, but the ruckus was drowned out by the sudden rush of blood in his ears.

"Thank you, James," she whispered.

There was something in the tone of her voice that made him look at her again. Hermione's eyes had fluttered open, as a small tear trailed down her freckled cheek. The smile on her face was strangely happy and sad at the same time.

James truly wanted to blame the alcohol, or the rushing blood in his ears, even the blazing warmth in front of him. He wanted to blame his uncooperative body, or the twitching of his hands, even her clear, blue eyes that almost looked like the morning sky despite the darkness surrounding them.

He truly wanted to blame something else because it didn't make any sense to him when he suddenly leant down and pressed his lips against hers.

Her lips were soft and warm. One of his hands lifted to cradle her jaw, but before he could even touch her cheek he stilled, realised what the bloody fucking hell he was doing, and immediately pulled away as if he had been burnt by a roaring, all-consuming fire.

Hermione was staring at him with wide eyes, her pink lips parted open with unadulterated shock. James was sure he mirrored her expression.

"I – I, holy shite, I don't know what came over me," he sputtered out, watching in amazement as blood slowly crept to cover her whole face. "I – I mean, fuck, sorry that wasn't meant to happen. I think I had too much to drink, and it was really warm, and you were so close, and your eyes were—" He bit his tongue very hard before he continued to make a fool out of himself.

He nervously ran a hand through his hair and briefly glanced over at his friends. Blessedly, they were still busy horsing around and had not witnessed what had just transpired between them. He nervously swallowed when Peter threw a painful punch at Sirius's shoulder after the dark-haired boy had thrown a poorly-aimed hex in his direction. It wasn't that he was afraid of Peter; far from it really because he was usually impressionable and he always let them get away with things. But he'd seen how mightily protective of his sister he was, and had grown a rigid spine and glared at anyone who wished to harm her. James didn't doubt it would be his face he would be punching right now if Peter had seen what he had just done to his little sister.

"I'm sorry," he breathed out. "Truly I am, Hermione. I was drunk and you were drunk so I wasn't thinking clearly. Shite, it wasn't even a decent excuse but – but I can't really think—"

He paused when he heard her laugh. Granted, it was soft and maybe a tad nervous, but it was a laugh nonetheless.

"It's all right," she said. "It's – well – maybe it's the alcohol. I'm—" She took a deep breath and expelled it with another laugh. "It's all right, Potter. No harm done."

James knew he should feel relieved that she was letting him get away with it. But a lump had lodged inside his throat and no matter how much he swallowed it down, it wouldn't leave.

He couldn't look at Hermione, not when he didn't trust himself to not act foolishly once more. He also knew he should get away before he did something he'd later regret. "Right, right, yes," he sputtered out, immediately scrambling onto his feet. "I should…"

"Yeah," she said, turning her head away so that he couldn't see her expression.

James quickly ran towards his friends and collapsed beside a cranky Remus.

"What the hell's wrong with you, Prongsie?" Sirius slurred, falling onto his knees beside James. He placed both of his hands on James's cheeks and hissed. "Merlin, you're burning up."

"Am I?" he breathed out, his traitorous eyes landing on Hermione's curls. She was blessedly facing away from him, because he didn't know what he'd do if he'd seen her clear, blue eyes again.

Beside him, Peter sprawled on the green grass and was quietly staring heavenward for a moment before he quipped, "I think it's going to rain."

Remus snorted. "No, it's not," he said.

"Yes, it is!" Peter protested and wildly gestured his hands into the air. "Look!"

James drew his eyes away from Hermione's hair and looked at the sky. He knitted his eyebrows when he noted the thick, grey clouds rolling into the sky, obscuring the moon and the stars. A distant rumbling echoed in the dark night, and with widened eyes, James once again looked back at Hermione.

The brunette was suddenly on her feet, her eyes also staring at the impending thunderstorm.

"Rain!" Peter exclaimed, immediately shooting up from the ground. He moaned and briefly clutched his head, dizzied by his sudden movement, but he still managed to throw a wonky grin at his sister. "Hermione! Rain!"

Hermione's eyes landed on the Marauders and there was brilliant smile on her face. James momentarily gazed at the sky as the beginnings of rain started showering down on them.

"You still need to do it in a thunderstorm," Remus warned, but there was also undeniable excitement in his eyes.

"Shh!" Sirius hissed when great rumbling was heard above. James held his breath, disregarding the increasing force of the rain and waited for the tell-tale signs of lightning. They were all drenched to the bone but none of them moved. Hermione was still excitedly bouncing on her heels, her eyes darting furiously heavenward in the hope that there would be a sudden flash of light tearing through the night sky.

His friends started to excitedly beg for some thunder, beg for some lightning, just so Hermione's ritual on becoming an Animagus could be completed. Sirius was even loudly listing off things he promised he'd do just so there would be lightning.

A mighty rumble boomed, reducing them into silence. With wide eyes, James caught Hermione's anticipated ones. One, two, and then three seconds passed before her whole face became illuminated in a brief flash of lightning.

Sirius whooped happily as Hermione broke into loud laughter.

"Get the potion!" Peter roared in excitement.

Hermione nodded her head and started to run back to the Manor.

"You can just Accio it, kitten!" Sirius hollered.

The brunette skidded into a halt and craned her neck. "And risk the chance of ruining the potion?" she asked, her blue eyes glittering brightly. "I don't think so!"

She continued her journey back inside. It didn't take too long for her to come back, her wand pointed over head to serve as her umbrella, whilst she cradled the familiar blood-red potion against her chest.

James caught Hermione's eyes once more and pointed at his heart. "Amato. Animo. Animato. Animagus," he mouthed.

She gave a stern nod and took a deep breath. She pointed her wand against her heart, the rain once again pattering down around her, and loudly echoed the Animagus spell. As soon as she had said the spell, Hermione drank the potion in three, large gulps.

James felt Peter stiffen beside him, because they all knew what was coming next if the potion had been brewed correctly. Lightning tore through the sky again, as Hermione's face twisted in the familiar fiery pain that still brought nightmares to James. It amazed him immensely how she was trying to bite back a cry of pain. When he and his friends had drunk the potion, his ears were filled with their agonised screams.

The brunette doubled over and gasped. Peter darted forward to stand by her side, but James tightly held onto his elbow to stop him. "Stay put," he said when his best friend gave him a glare. "You know that dire consequences happen if she was to lose her focus."

The sandy-haired boy was clearly not pleased, but he sternly nodded his head. With a tensed jaw, he looked back at his sister, only to gasp loudly in surprise.

James whipped his head back to where the brunette stood, but the thing was, she was gone. Peter shrugged his hand off and darted forward, and this time, James didn't stop him.

The bespectacled wizard wiped away some of the rain now clouding his vision and blinked. Peter was now grinning broadly as he bent down and lifted something from the ground. A long, lean honey-coloured cat with round, clear blue eyes blinked back at them in return.

"She did it!" Sirius roared, laughing loudly when Hermione in cat form meowed in reply.

The other three bounded excitedly towards Peter and the newly transformed Animagus. Up close, James could see the long, white whiskers protruding underneath a pink nose. Before he could stop himself, he reached forward and ran a hand through the cat's hair. Hermione released a soft purr and nuzzled against his palm.

"I think," James started, "that she should get a nickname, too."

"I was thinking about that, too!" Sirius excitedly exclaimed.

"How about," Peter deliberately started, "Whiskers?"

Hermione hissed in protest, clearly disgruntled by the suggestion.

"It suits her perfectly," Remus pointed out with a laugh.

Sirius pushed forward and pulled out his wand. He then cleared his throat and tapped them on her shoulders. "Henceforth, I dub thee, 'Whiskers'," he confidently proclaimed.

Hermione meowed unhappily.

-ooo-

It took her an hour and a half before she finally went back into her human form. It had taken longer than what she had wanted, but the Marauders assured her it was hard for everyone to revert to and from an Animagus form at the beginning. They didn't doubt she'd be able to transform into her cat form soon in the blink of an eye.

They now moved inside the Drawing Room of the Manor, since the storm outside had become torrential. After murmured drying and warming spells, with blankets thrown over their shoulders, they all huddled close to the fire for some warmth. Hermione opted to towel dry her hair for now, because she knew it would fluff ridiculously and the boys would relentlessly tease her.

Peter was heavily leaning against her arm, his eyes already drooping from exhaustion and alcohol. "You have to sober up first," she murmured, glancing at the other boys who all wore the same expressions of drunken bleariness. It would save them from having a hangover the next day if she forced them to drink the Sobering Potion.

Hermione summoned her satchel, which came hurtling towards her within seconds. She rummaged inside and pulled out four potion bottles and passed one to her brother. "Come on, Petey, drink it first," she urged.

Her brother groggily straightened up and clutched the vial in his hands. He drank it in big gulps and passed the empty vial back to her. "Thanks, Hermione. You're the best," he murmured, the glassiness in his eyes already clearing up.

She stood up from her seat and went next to Remus. The werewolf murmured his thanks and drank it all up.

"Thanks, Whiskers," Sirius said when she passed him the potion.

"That's worse than 'kitten', honestly," she protested.

He merely lazily smirked and drank the Sobering Potion. Sirius then plopped down on the carpeted floor and snuggled beside Remus. The still slightly cranky boy pushed him away, his lips curled in displeasure.

Peter was already snoring on the couch, and both Remus and Sirius's eyes were already closing.

So.

There was only one left.

He was already waiting for her to come, his hazel eyes trained intently on her form as she straightened up and deliberately made her way towards him. James was tucked on one of the armchairs, a midnight blue comforter draped around his shoulders.

The unwitting feeling of his lips pressed against hers ignited in her heart once more and Hermione knew she was furiously blushing as she finally reached his side. With her close proximity, James now couldn't seem to look at her. His high cheekbones were also dusted in red, and her eyes slid down to look at his slightly parted lips.

Her breath hitched and her hold on the potion vial tightened. She knew the kiss was unintentional; James had drunk too much alcohol and the bonfire had been really, truly warm. The night sky had been beautiful and he really had done a sweet thing for her, so maybe emotions were heightened and some things were unexpectedly committed.

She did tell him there was no harm done. He was genuinely horrified with what he had done, a tad confused too, and had incessantly apologised, saying he hadn't really meant it. There was no point trying to make sense of whatever had happened between them.

"Err… here," she said, her voice cracking a little.

The corner of his lips lifted in thanks and he wordlessly grasped the vial away from her hands. "Bottoms up," he murmured, before tilting his head and gulping down the liquid. He passed her back the empty vial and properly looked at her this time. "Thanks, Whiskers."

Her nose involuntarily wrinkled at the nickname, prompting him to shake with silent laughter. His hazel eyes were alit with teasing and Hermione breathed out in silent relief, thankful that things hadn't become awkward between them after all.

"I hate that nickname," she grumbled under her breath.

A small smile grew on his face. "Too bad it's going to stick from now on," he replied.

Hermione expelled a soft sigh and rolled her eyes. "You should rest," she said. Her eyes travelled towards the slumbering boys and she frowned. "I don't think I'll be able to wake them up and force them to go to their own rooms."

"Let them rest here," he said, already shifting on the chair to find a comfortable position. He closed his eyes and leant his head against the headrest. "I think I'm also going to sleep here."

"All right," she said. "I – well, I'm going upstairs. Goodnight, Potter."

"James."

"What?"

He slowly opened his eyes, an indecipherable look on his face. "Please. Just call me James," he said, his lips lifting once more into a smile. "I honestly think you're about to hex me when you address me by my last name."

A soft laugh escaped from her lips. "Fine," she replied. "Goodnight, James."

His eyes glinted briefly before he completely closed them once more. "Goodnight, Hermione."

August 15, 1976

"It would really be lovely if you visited us again," Euphemia said, her warm hand grasping Hermione's. "After being surrounded by testosterone-fuelled boys for years, having a girl in this house was a breath of fresh air."

The brunette chuckled and fondly patted her hand. "That would be lovely, Mrs. Potter," she answered.

Her eyes shifted towards Peter, who was still playing around with his friends as they stumbled into the foyer. Fleamont wasn't too far behind, boisterously laughing over something Sirius had said, and teasingly musing up James's hair just to make it more dishevelled.

"Err, if you don't mind me saying," the younger witch started, "I really think you should avoid crowded places from now on. You and Mr. Potter."

James's father had heard her advice and exchanged a confused glance with his wife.

"I – I mean, I've read in the Daily Prophet that there was an outbreak of Dragon Pox, and well, as we age, our immune system declines," she hurriedly explained. "But, of course, if you cannot avoid going into crowded places, maybe practice some distancing, especially from people who look sickly. It wouldn't hurt if you started stacking up on potions for curing dragon pox too. You can never be too careful, you know."

Fleamont's laugh reverberated all around the walls of the foyer. "No one has ever reminded us to keep healthy," he said, giving Hermione an indulgent smile. "But we'll keep your suggestion in mind. Thank you, Hermione."

Her cheeks coloured when the couple exchanged a glance once more, this one laced with amusement. She really couldn't help but warn them about dragon pox, of all the diseases, because she knew it would be their cause of death in the future. James would surely be devastated once he lost both of his parents from such a preventable disease. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt if Hermione warned them constantly about the importance of protecting themselves from dragon pox from now on…

"All set, Hermione?" Peter asked, grabbing onto her elbow.

She wordlessly nodded and smiled at the old couple once more. "Thank you for having us," she politely said. "I've had a really lovely time."

"Bye, Whiskers," Sirius teased.

Her eyes instantly narrowed as they landed on the cheeky boy. "My name's 'Hermione'," she grounded out.

"Of course," he merely said with a brilliant smile.

"See you in September, yeah?" Remus said, his packed belongings also sitting on the floor beside him. "Relax for the remaining days, Hermione, seriously. You'll have plenty of time to study for your OWLs once school starts."

She sheepishly smiled, knowing she wouldn't listen to his advice. Remus thought so too because he rolled his eyes in the end.

"Goodbye," James quipped. "See you."

Hermione hesitantly looked at the bespectacled wizard, who looked mildly amused as he stared back at her. Yesterday's events were blessedly forgotten – or not broached, really, because Hermione surely couldn't forget it. James treated her exactly as how he had always treated her, and she decided she shouldn't act all nervous every time she interacted with him.

"See you," she echoed, smiling slightly when his lips twitched into a small smile.

"Goodbye!" Peter exclaimed, more enthusiastically than his cautious sister.

Peter urged her to go first and she nodded. After flashing them another smile in goodbye, Hermione walked towards the ornate fireplace and grasped a pinch of Floo powder from the small pouch. She threw it into the fireplace and waited until it roared emerald green.

As Hermione stepped inside and exclaimed her address, the last thing she saw was James's bright, hazel eyes, intently staring at her in return.

Chapter Text

xiv.

no doubt in my mind where you belong

(Make You Feel My Love by Sleeping at Last)

August 20, 1976

"Oh, Hermione, a letter arrived for you this morning."

The brunette quizzically looked at her mother, who was busy bustling around the kitchen to prepare for their supper that night. She met Peter's eyes, who merely shrugged and then slipped inside his bedroom.

Both she and Peter had just come back from Diagon Alley after shopping for their new books and school supplies. Peter had to order new robes because he'd grown taller yet again - his previous school robes were already hanging in the middle of his shins. It was mighty unfair how boys his age shot up like bamboo; even his friends were already towering over her, when Hermione's growth spurt seemed to be taking a really long time. It unnerved her a bit, because she and Harry were almost always the same height every time they come back for the next school-year. Ron was just a delightful anomaly in their group, all arms and legs and basically towering over everyone in school.

"Whose it from?" Hermione asked, absentmindedly depositing her new things on top of the table and glancing at the letter.

"I didn't really read the name," Anya said, "but I think it's from one of your friends."

Worry instantly bloomed in the pit of her stomach. Lily rarely wrote to her during the summer because her Muggle family restricted her owl post. They were living in a Muggle neighbourhood after all. Severus was never much of a writer, opting to dump everything that had happened to him during the break, once they met up on September 1st.

Deciding to quell her curiosity, she grabbed onto the letter and recognised Lily's neat handwriting. She slowly flipped the parchment open, her eyes quickly roving through the letter. By the time she was finished, her face was very pale.

"Did something happen to your friends, sweetheart?" Anya said, noticing her daughter's face.

"It's Sev," she murmured. "His mother died."

August 21, 1976

Hermione fidgeted with the itchy collar of the black robes she was wearing. She never really had anything formal and black for a wizarding funeral. The dress she had worn during her father's funeral was too small for her already.

So, Anya rummaged through her cabinet and pulled out the dress Hermione was currently wearing. It was something her mother used to own when she was a teenager, and the way Anya's eyes appreciatively glittered when she went down and showed her the dress brought Hermione some discomfort. It was a stuffy dress, admittedly elegant though and screamed Pureblood aristocracy, but it was itchy and Hermione was uncomfortable wearing it.

"Hermione, stay still, Merlin," Anya tutted, reaching forward to brush some of her hair away and to clip it neatly to keep from falling over her eyes.

Anya held both of Hermione's hands and fondly smiled, beholding her daughter with sparkling eyes. "I'd forgotten why I wanted a daughter in the first place," she said with a chuckle. "Your father only wanted one child, and don't get me wrong, I love Peter more than the stars above, but I always imagined myself taking care of a daughter too."

"Mum," Hermione complained. "I'm attending a funeral, not some bloody fashion show."

"Language," she clucked, and smoothed down her dress robes. She then looped her arm around Hermione's and sadly smiled. "Send Severus my love. I'm sorry for his loss."

The brunette merely nodded. She wasn't entirely sure how Severus felt today. Lily's letter had been brief, telling her about their best friend's mother's passing and an invitation to attend her funeral. Severus never sent a letter telling her about his mother's passing, which admittedly hurt her quite a bit because they were still best friends. But she brushed it off, accepting that Sev and Lily's friendship was always different than their friendship with her. Besides, they lived near each other so she didn't doubt that Lily had heard about his mother's passing, even if Severus had never explicitly told her.

"I'll side-along apparate you," Anya offered, cutting through her worried thoughts.

Hermione's eyes widened in surprise. "You will?" she gasped.

Her mother looked at her with a bemused smile. "Darling, I think sometimes you and your brother forget that I'm a certified witch too," she said. Hermione sheepishly smiled in apology, but Anya only laughed. "Come now."

Hermione readied herself as she felt the familiar squeeze of apparition in her belly button. They materialised almost immediately under a busted streetlamp. Anya expelled a soft gasp upon seeing the poor state of the neighbourhood. Rows and rows of identical, dilapidated brick houses lined the whole street. Hermione noted that the streetlamp they were standing under wasn't the only one with a broken bulb.

It was a silent neighbourhood, save from the ripples of water coming from a small, dirty lake not too far ahead. Hermione spied an ominous building with a huge chimney, which didn't spout any smoke.

She was grateful for her dress robes, for the street was thick with a chilly fog. Hermione could imagine Severus growing up in such a dreadful neighbourhood, but Lily – who was so full of life and warmth – would seem terribly out-of-place on a street like this.

"Owl me if you need to get home, love," her mother murmured and brushed a kiss on top of her bushy hair.

Hermione whispered her goodbye and Anya was gone once more.

The brunette suspiciously eyed a post with the street name on it, standing erect beside a streetlamp - the blurred words Spinner's End written in a stiff font. As she passed through the empty alley, Hermione had newfound appreciation for her warm neighbourhood. Although they were isolated by those in their neighbourhood due to their nature, at least the street was bright and liveable.

Lily had specifically told her that Snape's house would be distinct from the others, because its gates were made from wrought iron, giving it an image of a prison cell.

'He didn't exactly have a happy childhood,' Lily added after showing Hermione the depressing simile.

Lily was right, after all, for Severus's house was the only one that projected an image of a prison. The wrought iron gates were rusting from time and nature. Some weeds were wrapped around the metal bars, prompting Hermione to sigh with a heavy heart.

The house itself didn't look liveable, each nook and cranny whispering memories of neglect and an unhappy childhood. Severus had commented once that Hogwarts felt like home more than his house had ever done, and now Hermione understood clearly what he meant.

Swallowing down the sympathy she knew Severus would scoff at, Hermione pushed the iron gates open. It gave a loud creak that made her flinch. She then trudged through a pathway made of uneven stones until she stood in front of an unimposing, simple wooden door.

Hermione tentatively knocked thrice and waited. She heard heavy footsteps from the other side before it swung open, revealing her Slytherin best friend. Severus looked worse than the last time she'd seen him, with dark bags under his eyes and sallower skin. His hair was surprisingly clean today, even parted neatly with the wavy end of his hair tucked behind his ears.

Her eyes watered a bit as she threw her arms around him. "I'm sorry, Sev," she whispered against his ear.

Severus sighed and lightly pulled her away from him. "You shouldn't have come," he darkly muttered under his breath. "I didn't invite you to come."

"She should have come," Lily's voice drifted from behind. Hermione craned her head above Sev's shoulder and saw her other best friend. Lily was wearing a simple black Muggle dress, her red hair held away from her face in a low bun. Her emerald eyes were dimmer today and the smile she gave Hermione was a tad too sad. "Hello, Hermione."

"You look like a proper Pureblood," Severus suddenly commented, glancing down at her uncomfortable dress robes.

Hermione blushed and fidgeted with her collar once more. "It used to be my Mum's," she explained, noting the teasing glint in Lily's eyes. "Back when she was a proper Selwyn."

Lily suddenly leant forwards and slapped the back of Sev's head. "Let Hermione inside, you berk," she snapped. He craned his neck and glared at the redhead, but stepped aside and let the brunette in.

She took that time to survey his home. The walls were lined with huge bookshelves brimming with different genres of books. There was a dimly lit lamp hanging from the ceiling, illuminating a small sitting room with few, tattered pieces of furniture scattered around.

"It isn't much," Severus said slowly, his high cheekbones turning pink under her rapt observation. "But it's home."

"Hogwarts is your home," Hermione said before she could stop herself. Her eyes widened in mortification and immediately glanced at him. "I'm sorry. That wasn't very polite."

A hollow laugh escaped from Sev's lips. "You aren't entirely wrong, Pettigrew," he murmured, a dark shadow full of bad memories clouding his face. Hermione tried her hardest to stamp down the sympathy, but it was increasingly getting difficult now that she was in his house, which had no semblance of love hidden in the corners. She instinctively reached for his hand and gave it a tiny squeeze.

They sat on the only couch in the room, cramped tightly together because Severus had grown ridiculously tall over the break too. He offered them tea, which the girls accepted politely, and they all basked in the silence as they let their thoughts run away from them.

"What time will the funeral be?" Hermione asked, breaking the silence.

"In an hour or so," he clipped.

"Will there be visitors?" Lily softly asked, peering hesitantly at the brooding wizard sandwiched between them.

Severus frowned and tiredly rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I'm estranged with my father's family," he said with a casual shrug. "I did send them the news, but they never really bothered to visit us when both of them were still alive. As for my mother's family…" He trailed off for a bit, clenching his jaw with raw tension. "Let us just say my mother had the same fate as your mother."

"Purebloods really do love disowning their family members," Lily said with an eye roll.

Hermione laughed. "Tell me about it," she said, once again absentmindedly scratching her itchy collarbone. "Imagine if I was raised like a proper Pureblood witch, though."

Mock horror appeared on Severus' place. "Merlin, that would be a disaster," he muttered.

She lightly swatted his arm. "Berk," she growled, but secretly, she was relieved that he was still able to be snarky like his usual self.

-ooo-

Severus was surprised that some of their neighbours had dropped by to pay their respects. "My mother was not exactly a pleasant woman," he whispered under his breath as he pasted a fake smile on his face and thanked the well-wishers.

There were only a few, however, and by the time the last soil was placed on top of her buried coffin, it was only Lily, Severus and Hermione who were left behind. The two witches steadfastly held Severus's hands. Normally, he would have scoffed at their ridiculous show of affection, but Hermione knew he needed comfort that both she and Lily could freely give.

There was no love lost between him and his mother, that was for sure. Lily had hinted before that when she and Sev had met up over the summer to hang out, she'd notice weird bruises on his wrists and arms. Hermione was instantly reminded of her abusive father, and the bruises he forcefully decorated on her mother's skin.

"Sev," Lily gasped, tightly clutching onto his arm.

Hermione glanced at Lily, who had gone paler as her green eyes stared somewhere near the direction of Sev's house. The brunette curiously turned around and followed Lily's line of vision. A group of three, black-clad people came striding towards the tombstone. Their attire almost rivalled Hermione's in terms of stuffiness and they held their heads high like everybody was beneath them. The sullen look Severus always wore was mirrored on the eldest of the group, her stance commanding attention that almost seemed to follow powerful, aloof Purebloods in their wake.

Severus had gone very still as they finally reached the trio. They were undoubtedly wizards and witches, the discomfort on their faces upon being surrounded by Muggles evident. The eldest matriarch disdainfully glanced at the frozen wizard.

"Severus," she silkily greeted, her lip curling with thinly veiled disgust. "It's been a while."

"More like thirteen years," the young wizard drawled, his back snapping ramrod straight and his chin lifting to match her glare.

"I see," she scoffed. "Still as insolent as ever."

His hands curled into tight fists. "Why are you here, Mistress Prince?" he spat his address towards her like he was drinking poison.

The witch – Mistress Prince – lightly glared at him. "It came to my knowledge that Eileen has passed away," she said coldly, her black eyes briefly flicking towards the gravestone over his shoulder. Hermione frowned at the sudden display of emotion, of raw anguish and guilt and sadness, that flashed in the older witch's eyes. But it was gone once she had slid her gaze back towards Severus. "We came to pay our respects."

"I thought," he drawled, a nasty sneer now growing on his face, "that she wasn't family of yours. I remember clearly how my mother begged to be recognised as a Prince once more, because her bastard husband left her and their son almost close to poverty. And I remember, how you, Mistress Prince, spat on her face and said that you do not have a daughter."

The silent wizard behind Mistress Prince shot forward and bared his teeth. "Show your respects, Blood-Traitor," he hissed.

Hermione's eyes almost popped out of their sockets. Severus's jaw tensed at the slur, but he resolutely held their gazes, utter loathing colouring his already dark eyes.

"Forgive me," he snarled sarcastically, "for I've never known how to properly show respect, remember? You looked at me for the first time, told me I would grow up to be like my father – insolent, bastardly, impertinent – because his blood courses through my veins and it disgusts you" – he took a deep, shuttering breath – "it disgusts you so much how his filthy Muggle blood mingles with your beloved pure blood."

Mistress Prince's face had gone pale, but Severus wasn't done. "You called me an abomination," he bitterly spat. "You told me I should never have been born. You told me that if you could, you'd do whatever it takes to wipe me off that pretty, family tapestry of yours. You told m—"

His words were halted when the furious witch suddenly raised her hand and slapped him sharply across his pallid face. The force was so great, Severus accidentally bit his bottom lip and now had pearls of blood – red blood – dripping down his chin.

"You have no right," Mistress Prince shrieked, her eyes blazing furiously in unsuppressed rage. "You will grow up just like him. Just like your father who was worthless and irresponsible, a person beneath us in all ways. He tricked your mother into running away with him and it was because of him that you are penniless. Looking at you right now disgusts me because you look like him, so much like him and every day, as you look in the mirror, you'll realise that you were as worthless and irresponsible, bound to fail at everything and die like a penniless fool. Just like your father."

Severus was breathing hard, his eyes shining bright with a myriad of emotions Hermione couldn't decipher. The blood from his lips still flowed, undoubtedly exacerbated by his constant grinding.

And then… and then Lily, with all of her green-eyed, red-haired glory, slid in between the older witch and her furious best friend. She stood tall and proud, her green eyes sparkling with so much energy even Hermione could feel it with just a touch of her hand.

"Severus is not worthless," she thundered, her infamous temper making an appearance. "He is nothing like his father. He is intelligent and responsible and one day, one day, the whole world will hail him as the greatest Potions Master we have ever seen. Not even you can then deny how successful he will be, and you will spend your dying days full of regret, for not making amends, for neglecting him all these years. Severus will prove that he didn't need you at all, that he would never need you at all. Severus will prove to you that he has everything he needs – friends that will stand beside him, die for him, who believe he is worthy of something."

Hermione gaped at Lily, flummoxed by the words formed by her sharp tongue. Mistress Prince, and her other two companions, looked just as gobsmacked by the Muggle-born's words as the young witch was.

But Severus had the most amazing reaction to their fiery best friend. She didn't realise someone could feel so many things in such a short span of time, but Severus proved her wrong. The shock was brief, before it melted into indignation, perhaps embarrassment by the fact that he was being defended. Then the indignation morphed into mild amusement, watching as the colour drained from Mistress Prince's face until she was stark white and mortified. The amusement then changed into deep respect, for a witch who could ramble ferocious words to a supposedly respectable Pureblood.

And lastly, all of these emotions merged together until there was love, pure love, written clearly in Severus's eyes. If Lily could only turn around, if Lily could only stop her tirade and look at Severus, she'd realise how much he loved her after all these years.

Hermione's eyes watered at the raw vulnerability in his eyes and was unable to blink the tears back when Lily's eyes were also shining, steadfastly defending her best friend to this complete stranger that never even took an effort to truly know Severus.

"I think it is time for you to go, Mistress Prince," Lily harshly spat, a single tear sliding down from her bright, green eyes. "You've overstayed your welcome."

"How – how dare you?" the wizard floundered, his face turning purple as he stepped forward and tried to smack her face. Severus was suddenly in front, his wand pointed threateningly under the man's chin.

"Leave," he boomed, his voice cracking with so much emotion. "Leave. Now."

Mistress Prince's eyes narrowed in abject disgust. She finally turned on her heel and stomped away, her two companions quickly matching her pace.

They stood frozen, waiting for them to disappear, and once they had apparated with a pop, Lily threw her arms around Severus and hugged him fiercely.

"You are not worthless, Severus Snape," she vehemently declared even when tears steadily slid down her face. "You will not become worthless. I will make sure of it!"

And Lily was sobbing loudly against his shoulders, pulling him close like she needed the comfort more than he did. Hermione shakily smiled at her endearing best friend, watching as Severus melted against Lily's hug and wound his arms around her. She had never seen him wear that expression before, an expression that softened the hardness on his face, brightened even his black eyes, and she knew that Severus would only reserve that expression for Lily.

Only Lily.

-ooo-

"We really should change the colour of the wallpaper, Sev," Lily admonished, her nose wrinkling as she surveyed the peeling decorations on the wall. "It's depressing."

"Thanks, Lils, I never really noticed it before," he snarled sarcastically.

Hermione sighed and smiled at her best friends in amusement, wondering how they could so easily slide back into their normal, bickering selves.

After composing themselves, Hermione suggested they should go back to Sev's house and get some rest. Lily by then had a newfound vigour as she tore through the house, pointing numerous things that should be discarded, removed, or changed. It was like she was trying to flip the house over, to strip away all of the bad memories Severus had encountered in every corner, and to make it as bright and lively as she was.

And Severus, despite the constant rolling of his eyes or the sarcastic quips escaping from his lips, appreciated what they were trying to do. He quirked an eyebrow when Hermione casually lit his uncomfortable chair on fire, promising to send over a lovely spare couch stored in their attic back home. It was still quite comfortable and cozy, and the only reason why they stashed it away was because it didn't match Anya's new decorations at home. Lily followed Hermione's lead and had been ransacking Severus' house, Evanesco-ing things that wrinkled her nose, until all that was left were the handsome towering bookshelves, his coffee table, and an armchair that was quite worn, but squashy enough to sit on.

This happened all afternoon and by the time they were done, the trio were spent. Severus transfigured the comfortable armchair into a divan, large enough to accommodate them all and flicked his wrist towards the fireplace to start a fire.

Lily, the chatterbox, went on and on about her new misadventures with Petunia and her new fiancé – previously her boyfriend – Vernon Dursley. Severus sneered and laughed at the right moments, offering insights when Lily demanded him to do so, and disagreeing with things he didn't deem agreeable.

Hermione was silent most of the time. Severus pointed out that she wasn't herself today as she wasn't spouting ridiculous facts that no one wanted to hear, but she merely laughed and contentedly watched as her best friends interacted as they always had.

"Maybe we should get some takeaway," Hermione quipped when Lily voiced out how hungry she was.

"Shouldn't you be going home now?" Sev grumbled. He was now sprawled on the couch, his head comfortably lying on top of Lily's lap. The redhead was absentmindedly running her fingers through his hair, her fingernails scraping through his scalp, making him hum appreciatively.

The brunette stared at the small, oval window near the door and noted that it was already sunset. "I can still spare a few more hours," she said with a shrug. "I finished all my homework anyway and I'm already half-packed for Hogwarts." Her blue eyes landed on the redhead. "Lils?"

"I can still stay for a bit," she said with a casual shrug. "Oh! I know a decent Vietnamese place near here. They sell a mean pho. We should try it tonight."

"Sounds good to me," Hermione said. When she questioningly looked at Severus, the raven-haired boy merely shrugged.

"We'll be back soon," Lily promised. Severus reluctantly lifted his head up to let Lily stand. The redhead instantly hooked arms with Hermione and uncertainly looked at the Slytherin. "You'll be all right?"

Severus rolled his eyes. "Blimey, Evans, what am I? Five?" he spat.

Lily expelled a humongous sigh and pulled Hermione away, darkly muttering under her breath that worrying for an impossible wizard was a huge waste of time.

Their journey towards the restaurant and consequent buying of food, did not take too long. When Lily and Hermione announced they were back, they weren't able to hear Sev's gruff greeting.

They entered through the door and saw that Severus was already fast asleep. He was using his arm as a pillow and he looked obviously uncomfortable. His eyebrows were knitted at the middle, his face twisted in discomfort, and he was murmuring words that didn't make sense.

"It has been a tiring day," Hermione whispered, fondly staring down at the Slytherin.

Lily wordlessly placed the paper bag on the coffee table and strode towards the divan. She daintily shifted Severus's head so that it could rest on her lap. She then fixed his blanket, tucked the exhausted wizard underneath, and incessantly fussed with the edges until she was sure it covered every part of him.

There were tears in Lily's eyes once more when she softly rubbed a finger between his knitted eyebrows until he relaxed and grew silent. One lone tear slid down from her eyes and landed on his hair, buried until it mingled with the strands.

"Hermione," she softly croaked, lifting her head to connect her shining eyes with the brunette. "Sev needs us now more than ever. Do you understand?"

"Of course, Lily," Hermione said in a heartbeat, tears already forming in the corner of her eyes.

The redhead gave her a shaky smile and looked down at the sleeping wizard once more. Severus looked peaceful this time, as if a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders and he could finally, finally be himself.

Hermione's blue eyes travelled back to Lily's face and she felt her throat run dry. She could recognise that gaze in an instant, because it was what Severus always wore when he was looking at an oblivious Lily. Hermione's heart clenched at the look, because she now understood that Sev's feelings might not be one-sided after all.

She was torn whether to be happy or horrified at that conclusion. She loved her best friends more than anything in this world – except for her mother and brother, of course – and she wanted them to be happy. Really, truly happy. Something that neither Ron nor Harry were able to achieve in her past life. But if it meant they were to be happy with each other… well, what was Hermione supposed to do? Lily's eyes belonged to Harry Potter, but if Severus got in the way…

'No,' a voice whispered inside her head. 'Not today, Hermione.'

She shouldn't worry about such things for now, because Severus's mother had died and he needed a friend. And that was what Hermione would be to him today.

"Severus had a really terrible childhood, Hermione," she continued, sniffing daintily as she swiped the tears from her eyes. "Petunia was a monster, but Sev's parents… they were different, entirely different. I don't know how he was able to survive all these years."

But Hermione knew. She knew that if he hadn't have stumbled upon a small, inquisitive redhead, with eyes as green as the trees surrounding him, he wouldn't have been able to push through all the hardships he'd been through.

"You've really been beside him ever since, haven't you?" Hermione whispered. "After everything he's been through… after everything he will go through, you still stay beside him."

Lily's eyes sparkled with such resolution it almost knocked the breath out of Hermione. "Always" she said. The redhead gazed tenderly over Sev's sleeping face once more and brushed an errant strand of hair away from his peaceful face. "Always."

-ooo-

It had been an emotionally draining day, which was why Hermione had no qualms wrapping her arms around Anya when she spotted her waiting at the apparition point.

"How is Severus?" Anya asked, fondly brushing some stray tears away from her daughter's eyes.

"He's managing," she replied with a soft sniff. Hermione tightened her grip around her mother's waist. "He will be okay, I'm sure. He has Lily after all."

"And you," Anya added.

Hermione merely smiled, the expression on her face a tad forlorn. She knew Severus appreciated her, considered her as a close friend, and had sought for her company often. But she knew, deep inside, that even if she wasn't there to stay beside him, Lily was enough.

Lily in his eyes, was colossal - his everything and more - and if the world crashed and burned down around them, just as long as she was there, holding his hand, then Severus knew nothing else would matter.

Lily was enough.

Chapter Text

xv.

i love you means you're never, ever, ever getting rid of me

(Never Ever Getting Rid of Me by Sara Bareilles)

September 9, 1976

Hermione's eyes widened when Lily and Severus piled heaps and heaps of parchment at her feet.

"Well, you did say you'd like to have our OWLs notes," Lily said, her green eyes glinting in amusement. "So, here they are."

"I didn't think it would be this… towering," the brunette said, shifting her legs on the green grass to make more room for her best friends' notes.

"Please, Hermione," Severus scoffed, "we took our studies seriously last year, compared to the four Gryffindor buffoons you started to babysit." His lips curled in disgust at the mere thought of the Marauders. "I still can't believe you managed to last hanging out with those imbeciles. Didn't your brain shrivel up from engaging with inane conversations with such fools?"

Hermione snorted. "Remus's humongous brain makes up for it," she joked, followed by a laugh. "And they're not imbeciles. They managed to get decent OWL grades that could still qualify them to become Aurors in the future."

"Did they get more than five 'O's?" Severus asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Well, no—"

"End of discussion," the Slytherin said as he snootily lifted his pointy nose.

Hermione rolled her eyes and started to browse through their notes. She scooted over a bit to give more room for Lily, who sprawled on the grass across from Hermione and started to take out some of her school materials. "Not everybody's a genius like you, Severus Snape," Hermione snapped back. "Besides, Remus got nine 'O's! That's as many as Lily's. You got eight."

Lily snickered when Sev's eyes narrowed in retaliation.

"But they really did well on their OWLs," Hermione quickly added. "None of them got a failing grade. Even my brother!"

"And it's all thanks to you," Lily teased.

The Ravenclaw's cheeks reddened. "I just forced them to focus," she interjected. "They did most of the hard work, really."

"Humility doesn't suit you, Pettigrew," Severus said, pushing Lily further towards Hermione so that he could sit on the patch of grass beside her.

"Berk," Hermione hissed, grasping a few of their parchments to swat him on the arm.

Severus darkly glared, muttering 'violence' and 'annoying witches' under his breath. In spite of his sour mood, Hermione smiled, happy that at least Severus was acting normal. She had worried greatly over the remaining days of summer about what would happen to him after his mother's death. Hermione had exchanged letters with Lily for an update on their best friend, because Sev always responded curtly to her letters. Lily assured Hermione that Severus was doing well, that he had spent the last few days of summer making his home more liveable.

"Are you making your own study schedule again this year?" Lily asked incredulously, grasping onto the abandoned parchment Hermione had been working on before they had arrived.

"It's my OWLs year," she pointed out. "I can't afford to slack off."

"Blimey, Hermione, this is more rigid than the ones you made for us last year!" Lily exclaimed. Severus quickly grasped the parchment from her hands to scan it with his own eyes.

Hermione absentmindedly scratched her cheek and snatched her unfinished schedule away from the Slytherin's hands. "I can't afford to slack off now," she repeated with more emphasis. "Speaking of which, you can't afford to slack off now. You might not have any major exams this year, but you will have your NEWTs next year."

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear you say anything at all," Severus drawled, closing his eyes and calmly leaning his head on the oak tree behind him.

"NEWTs are more important!" Hermione cried.

Lily sighed and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Shh, Hermione, let us have our well-deserved rest," the redhead said, grinning widely at the younger witch's glare. "But tell you what? I'm going to study with you this year as often as possible, because I know you're going to study yourself sick and you need someone to take care of you."

"I can take care of myself," she pointed out with a petulant frown.

"Now, I'm going to pretend you never said that because you and I both know you go bonkers over studying, resorting to unhealthy practices that any sane human shouldn't do," Lily said with a sigh. She placed her chin on top of Hermione's shoulder and intently looked at her. "Seriously, though, you should take it easy this year, Hermione. We've taken the OWLs and I can vouch that it isn't too hard, contrary to popular belief. I even think you have enough stock knowledge to get you an 'O' in all of your exams as you are now."

Hermione knew that too, because she'd taken these exams once before. She highly doubted the coverage of the exams had changed. But, she couldn't afford to slack off now. Loathe as she was to admit it, but she had been mighty embarrassed with her lone 'E' in her last OWLs. She vowed to herself that since she had a second chance this time, she'd pass her Defence Against the Dark Arts with flying colours.

"I'll be fine," Hermione lamely replied.

"Pettigrew, please," Severus sighed. "If you're going to spout more lies, I think it's best if you just keep quiet."

Lily grinned at the sourpuss, then apologetically smiled at Hermione. "He's right," she said, chuckling lightly at Hermione's annoyed scowl. "You should— SHITE!"

The redhead tried to make herself as small as possible, even using Hermione as a human shield. The brunette, startled by Lily's sudden change of attitude, craned her neck over her shoulder and looked at her best friend in confusion. "What's wrong, Lils?" she asked, worried.

"Please tell me Potter and his stupid posse aren't coming towards us," Lily begged, hope tinged in the tone of her voice.

Hermione's head swivelled around, her eyes scanning the throngs of students in search of the Marauders. It wasn't too hard to spot them, with James and his glinting hazel eyes leading the whole group. They all caught Hermione staring and Sirius sent her a wicked wink.

The brunette frowned and looked away.

"Well," she slowly started, "you said if I'm just going to spout more lies, I should just keep quiet."

Lily groaned. "I can't believe he's still being so persistent," the redhead complained. "Not even a week has passed since the school-year began, but he's already been so obnoxious."

Hermione was brought back to their Welcoming Feast - after all the first years had been Sorted, James had spectacularly conspired with the Hogwarts house-elves to pile all of Lily's favourite meals for her to devour on the table in front of her. Lily was red in the face, screaming her disgust at the outrageous boy, and had no choice but to accept all the meals prepared by the sweet, sweet house-elves, lest they realised she wasn't pleased with their work and started banging their heads in shame. Hermione's nose had crunched at the thought of using poor house-elves for his extravagant wooing, and whole-heartedly agreed when Professor McGonagall bestowed a week of detention for James.

James was growing persistent, that much she deduced. Usually, it was obvious when he was brewing some great wooing, but this time, he did it unexpectedly. Lily was always caught off guard and frustrated in the end. It was mighty obvious that the Gryffindor redhead was starting to grow uncomfortable with all of James's advances. Hermione herself couldn't deny that James's behaviour was bordering inappropriate.

She made a mental note to reprimand him then, because really, she somehow fancied herself into thinking that they were already friends – closer than the previous years – and he might listen to her.

But then, she'd remember the kiss and she'd get flustered.

It was a huge relief that James didn't seem bothered by it at all, continuing to act like the utter toerag he was. And Hermione was fine with that because at least she didn't have to tiptoe around him, avoiding him at all costs, and thereby making everybody suspicious. But it frustrated her immensely how her body reacted every time he was near. Her cheeks flushed red, and her eyes always magnetised towards him, no matter the distance between them.

It was mortifying too because she knew what was happening to her. She'd felt this briefly with Viktor, and then for years with Ron and it was confusing and terrifying at the same time because this was James Potter. He was Harry's dad, Lily's future husband, and Peter's best friend. He should only be a friend to her, nothing more, because then it would be disastrous and Hermione had been trying so hard over the years to avoid any disasters.

She blamed this unwarranted attraction purely on adolescent hormones. She told herself countless times he looked exactly like Harry, and that was enough to curb whatever physical admiration she had for the bespectacled wizard. All she felt for Harry was purely platonic, a deep friendship forged by a war and numerous adventures.

But the thing was James was not Harry. He was far from being like Harry with those ridiculously mesmerising hazel eyes, or that lopsided smile that made her insides clench, or that air of confidence that always followed him wherever he went.

And he was a bully! Hermione hated bullies, cursed them endlessly for making her life a living hell during her days as Hermione Granger. So it didn't make sense, not at all, why looking at James Potter now evoked a certain gooey feeling in the pit of her stomach that she didn't like at all.

'No, no, fuck no,' she told herself again, firmly this time. There was no time for these silly feelings – emotions she knew would only produce disastrous consequences for the future. She was in fifth year now, so she had OWLs to focus on. Hermione just had to bury herself in studying and this stupid crush for James would soon subside. It happened with Viktor. It almost happened with Ron, but that wasn't the point. The point was it would happen with James too, she was sure.

"I'm going to scat," Lily hurriedly said, shouldering her strap and jumping up. "Bye, Hermione!"

The redhead then pulled Severus onto his feet and dragged him with her. The Slytherin loudly protested at why he had to leave too, but glared darkly at the Marauders when they zoomed past them.

"Evans! Hey!" James called, a put-out frown on his face. "Where are you going?"

But Lily and Severus were already stomping into the castle, leaving the frustrated bespectacled boy alone.

"All right, Whiskers?" Sirius hollered, as he now tugged James towards the brunette.

"Whoa, what are these?" Peter asked, leaning towards the pile of notes that reached almost to his hip.

Hermione smiled in greeting and shifted aside to let her brother sit down beside her. Remus occupied Severus's place and silently snatched a parchment off the towering pile. "Lily and Severus gave me their OWLs notes," she explained.

"I can lend you my notes, too," Remus offhandedly offered. "They're still in the dormitories."

"That would be lovely, Remus, thank you," Hermione said with a smile.

"You take notes?" Sirius asked, wrinkling his nose.

James snorted and shoved his shoulder. "Of course he takes notes," he pointed out. "Have you forgotten we have a swot as a best friend?"

Remus merely sighed and rolled his eyes, not even bothering to give a comment. Hermione smiled in sympathy and rummaged inside her pocket, pulling out a half-eaten chocolate bar from her robes. "Here," she offered, leaning over Peter to look at the exhausted werewolf. "Just to trigger some endorphins."

"Endor-what?" Sirius asked, grabbing onto the chocolate bar and taking a bite.

The werewolf glowered and snatched the candy bar for himself. "I thought chocolates were poisonous to dogs like you, Black?" he snarled, hugging the chocolate to himself like it was a treasure.

"I'm not exactly a dog, Cranky Remus," the shaggy-haired Gryffindor reminded. "If I die, then who would you insult during your crankiest moods?"

Remus sighed once more and sourly took a bite from the chocolate.

"You always carry around chocolate with you?" James asked, addressing Hermione for the first time.

She willed her cheeks not to flare up as she casually glanced at the curious wizard. "Habit," she vaguely said. Like her habit of bringing a Sobering Potion anywhere she went, Hermione knew Harry loved chocolates too. If he'd been too despondent, she found out that chocolate may lift his spirits a bit. Of course, these sweets had been a luxury during their run, and Hermione now made it a point to always purchase some and carry in her robes, especially because there was someone – namely, Remus – who needed some boost of happiness. "Besides, someone needs to take care of Remus."

"I don't need to be taken care of," the werewolf protested. His cheeks, however were painted red, clearly embarrassed by Hermione's words.

Something glinted in James's hazel eyes that made her tear her gaze away from him. "Of course you do, Moony," she teased, leaning across Peter once more to pat Remus on his shoulder.

Sirius then snatched her half-finished schedule and scanned it with a sneer. "Why are you even bothering to study for your OWLs this year?" he asked in disbelief. "You practically studied the coverage already because you studied with us last year!"

"I cannot afford to slack off," she repeated for the umpteenth time, lifting her chin in defiance.

"Hermione," Peter drawled, a warning glint in his eyes, "don't tire yourself too much. Or I'll be forced to owl Mum! I won't be surprised if she sends over a Howler to you, yammering about the importance of taking breaks."

"As if Mum can stop me," Hermione said with a laugh. She yelped when Peter suddenly pinched her side. "Peter!"

"Stubborn witch," he grumbled, wrapping an arm over Hermione's shoulders. "But seriously, Herms, don't study too hard."

Hermione expelled a humongous sigh. "I'll try," she said, the corner of her lips twitching when he frowned. "I'm sure if I said 'I will', you wouldn't even believe me."

"Clever kitten," Sirius pointed out with a smirk.

"Fine," Peter said with a soft laugh. "That's enough, I guess."

Hermione then pierced the four with a glare. "I'm going to be really busy this year but that doesn't mean you can neglect your studies," she said. "NEWTs are coming and you have to be prepared."

Their collective groans made her smile. "Iron fist, remember?" she teasingly reminded. "Anyway, don't you have to go to class now?" She briefly glanced at her wristwatch and noted that lunch break was over.

"And you don't?" James asked.

She looked at Sirius like he was the one who had asked her the question. "I have free time for the rest of the afternoon," she said.

"Free time to do what?" he insisted.

"To study, of course," she answered with a frown.

"Of course."

There was something in the tone of his voice that made her glance at him. James's hazel eyes were impossibly glinting and it made her a tad dizzy. The small, lopsided smile on his face wasn't helping her suddenly frazzled mind at all, honestly.

"So, yes," she briefly said, immediately lifting her half-finished schedule to hide her pink face behind. "You had all better go."

Peter gave her a hug and they all bid her a chorus of 'goodbyes'. Hermione slowly lowered her parchment and looked at their retreating backs, her gaze once again latching onto James's back as he wildly laughed over something Sirius had said.

'Bugger,' she sourly thought, catching herself. 'This will be harder than I thought.'

September 10, 1976

"May I join you?"

She lifted her large eyes and looked at the smirking Regulus Black. She stared a tad bit, surprised that he himself had grown taller over the summer. His hair was still gelled stylishly so strands wouldn't fall and obscure his eyes. His uniform was ridiculously impeccable and pressed, and she hazarded that the velvety robes he donned over it would have cost more than all of Hermione's clothes combined.

"Of course," she said, realising that he had quirked an eyebrow at her long silence.

The Slytherin's smirk morphed into a small smile before pulling the chair and sitting down across her. Hermione watched him cautiously as he pulled out a Potions textbook from his bag and neatly placed a parchment and some writing materials on the desk.

He looked up, feeling her gaze on him, and frowned. "Is something the matter?" he asked.

"What are you doing?" she blurted out.

His frown deepened as he lightly gestured at his things. "Studying, obviously," he said. When Hermione continued to look confused, he sighed and leant back on his chair. "I'm in need of a competent study partner this year for OWLs too."

"You still want to study with me?" she asked, surprised. They'd studied together a few times last year, but most of the time they did it in silence. Regulus occasionally asked questions, and Hermione would answer, that was it.

"You simplify things I need to understand," he confessed. "I plan on sticking around again this year to keep my grades up."

"I thought you said grades didn't really matter when you're practically swimming in galleons," Hermione pointed out.

Regulus expelled a soft snort. "I didn't say that," he interjected. "I mean, yes, grades don't really matter if you're now officially the heir to the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black" – Hermione swore there was snark when he spoke those words – "but my parents still expect the best from me. A worthy Black heir should still have decent OWLs marks."

It didn't escape her notice how his jaw tensed at his words. In fact, she now noticed that the black circles under his eyes were more prominent than the last time she'd seen him. He looked gaunter, more tired, and Hermione wondered what he had had to undergo just to become the new heir to the Black family.

She wasn't privy to how Sirius had been officially disinherited. Every time the topic about his family was brought up, Sirius becomes so tetchy that no one even bothered asking anymore. She knew that James knew, though, seeing as he was his closest friend. But even James was tight-lipped about it.

"I study madly," Hermione finally said, unsure how to react to his previous statements. "Especially now that OWLs are approaching. Even though we studied a few times last year, my study habits will differ now."

To her surprise, Regulus slipped an easy grin on his face. "I heard you had gone mental with my bro – Sirius and his friends last year," he lightly said, his grey eyes brightening up in amusement. "I also heard that none of them got a failing grade, which is saying something because everybody knows Peter Pettigrew isn't exactly the brightest of the lot."

"Watch it," Hermione warned, her eyes narrowing.

"Apologies, I meant no harm," he said, briefly raising his hand to appease the annoyed brunette. "What I am trying to say is that your reputation as the brightest witch of her age precedes you, Pettigrew. Maybe if I studied with you for the rest of the year, my grades may be decent enough to make my parents proud."

She silently stared at him, slowly ingesting the words he was saying. She knew he was one of the intelligent students in her year, having been part of the top group of students consistently each school-year. She'd seen him study in the library too, so she knew he'd take this seriously.

However, he was still a future Death Eater, never mind how he changed sides prior to his untimely death. Also, she highly doubted he was a Death Eater now, but soon…

Although he was coolly looking at her, waiting for a reply to his proposition, she could see his underlying hopefulness and nervousness in his eyes. He genuinely wanted to study to get good OWLs grades and maybe he genuinely wanted to make his parents proud too. Being the new heir might have already taken a toll on him, and the added pressure of doing great in his studies might be too much. Maybe he needed someone he knew he could rely on academically, and well, who else could help him but the brightest witch of her age herself?

Yes, this relationship would be purely based on their desire to pass the OWLs with flying colours. It would strictly be academic, and if Hermione didn't engage him on topics other than their lessons, then this might work. So that after he was finally Branded, she could turn a blind eye and might not feel too much remorse.

That particular thought left a bitter taste in her mouth, but Hermione swallowed that down and grew resolute. She wouldn't meddle too much with his life – granted, it would be a difficult one – and she shouldn't concern herself with whatever he was bound to choose in the future.

He just needed a study partner. That was it. She could do that.

"Fine," she finally said. Her lips twitched unwittingly when he visibly deflated in relief. "But, I must warn you that I study with Sirius and his friends sometimes. Your paths may cross multiple times."

His gaze hardened at the mention of his brother. "Whatever my bro – that bastard does with his time does not concern me," he harshly spat.

Hermione narrowed her eyes, not liking his tone one bit. "Your brother isn't all bad," she slowly said. "I don't appreciate it when someone insults my friends and my brother all in the span of ten minutes."

Regulus scoffed. "Not all bad?" he said, disregarding her last sentence. "He is a coward who ran away from his responsibilities. A Blood-Traitor in cahoots with Mudbloods and fellow Blood-Traitors. He is no brother of mine."

Her heart clenched at how passionate he was in his speech. "Well then," she snarled, "if I understand how you categorise people in that head of yours, I am also a Blood-Traitor in cahoots with Mudbloods and fellow Blood-Traitors."

Her ire flared at his casual insults. Hermione wasn't really bothered by the word 'Mudblood' anymore after being called that vile name for years during her past life as Hermione Granger. But to hear someone insult her friends as such, well, Hermione just really couldn't keep quiet.

"If you want to be my study partner," she continued with a deathly glare, "then I suggest you stop spouting those ridiculous things in front of me. Better yet, I hope you realise that what you're saying is born out of bigotry and stupidity because I will never, ever associate myself with people with such a ridiculous mindset."

She was breathing heavily now and she knew she'd stunned him, for Regulus's eyes had widened at her words. He could get mad at her for all she cared; if he had Sirius's temper, she was sure he would never associate himself with her again.

But Regulus Black surprised her greatly because he looked properly shamefaced. Whatever mask he constantly wore around people shattered into pieces, guilt shining through his eyes. His cheeks grew pink with embarrassment and he couldn't even match her gaze.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I was out of line."

"W – what?" she gasped, mightily confused. "Seriously?"

The Slytherin uncharacteristically slumped forward and braced his arms on the table. "If you spend a lot of time with Slytherins with such an ideology," he lowly started, "it is quite hard to resist adopting such things, right?"

Regulus then suddenly stiffened, his eyes widening, as he lifted his face and stared at Hermione in shock. "I – I wasn't supposed to say that," he murmured with raw panic painted on his face. He clenched his hands and willed for his eyes to harden, the mask he had carefully crafted once again piecing together to cover whatever vulnerability he had shown to Hermione a while ago.

"What?" she gasped once more, disconcerted with the sudden turn of events.

He lowly chuckled, unable to meet Hermione's eyes. "It has been a, well, an exhausting month," he said, an air of aloofness in his voice again. "Forgive me."

Hermione unabashedly gaped at him as Regulus coolly grasped his quill and started to write notes on his parchment. He looked unbothered once more, as if he hadn't just shown that side of him to Hermione.

She wasn't even sure why Regulus had showed that side of him, but perhaps he was right in saying it had been an exhausting month for him. Sirius had been a mess when he had heard he was officially disinherited, getting obnoxious and boisterous whilst his friends tried to calm him down. Maybe Regulus had been a mess during the transfer of heirship too.

"This one passage always confused me," he suddenly said, snapping Hermione's jaw shut. "I tried to ask Professor Slughorn once to explain this to me, but I still couldn't get it." He pushed the textbook towards the stunned brunette and placed a finger on the passage he was talking about. "Maybe you can explain it?" He was expectantly looking at Hermione, so she had no choice but to gingerly grasp his textbook and glanced over it.

"Err," she said, sliding the spare parchment across and grabbing a quill. "It's not really that hard to understand. You just have to remember this." She scribbled some symbols on the parchment while Regulus intently listened.

It was like that between them for a few more hours. Regulus would ask a question and Hermione would answer. She actually appreciated his questions too, because it exercised her brain. They never broached on his insults and sudden vulnerability for the rest of the hour. Hermione begrudgingly admitted that the Slytherin could be tolerable and witty if he wasn't being ridiculous.

"Hermione!"

She lifted her eyes to see her Ravenclaw housemates – Dorothy, Alex, and Michelle.

"Oh, hello," she greeted in return.

The trio had been inseparable ever since first year. She was good friends with them, actually, since they weren't too simpering like Parvati and Lavender, or too rowdy like the Marauders. Since she had been living in the same dormitory with them for years, she sometimes swapped stories with them and even studied with them, if her other friends were indisposed. Hermione knew she would have been part of their group if Lily and Severus hadn't have been so clingy with her.

"We actually thought we'd study with you today," Alex said, her eyes now resting on Regulus's impeccable hair. "But we see you already have company."

Hermione shifted her gaze back at Regulus, who now was casually fixing his things.

"I have to go actually," he said as he now slowly rose up from his seat. He tilted his head in Hermione's direction and gave her another small smile. "This had been an enlightening day, Pettigrew. Until next time."

She dumbly nodded her head as the Slytherin left. He also tilted his head at the other Ravenclaws when he passed by them.

Once he was gone, the trio sat down on the chairs uninvited.

"I didn't know you were friends with Regulus Black!" Michelle whispered under her breath.

"We're not technically friends," Hermione deliberately said.

Dorothy leaned closer. "Did you notice how he smiled?" she softly added. "Regulus Black never smiles!"

"Regulus Black never spends his days away from his cronies," Alex said with an eye roll.

"Maybe," Michelle added, "Regulus Black likes Hermione."

Dorothy snorted in disbelief. "Regulus Black doesn't like people in general," she pointed out.

"Maybe Regulus Black only likes Hermione," Alex pointed out.

"Blimey," the brunette breathed out in annoyance, "I'm right here, you know."

"Right, of course, sorry," Alex quipped, unbothered by her glare. She dumped her things on the table and started to browse through her Transfiguration book. "I've pondered about this passage for days but I can never understand it. Maybe you can, Hermione?"

Hermione blinked at the blonde's sudden change of mood. She glanced at the other two, who were now busy taking down notes on their parchments.

It amazed her immensely how they could quickly dive into their works. The Marauders always had a hard time in starting to study, they always found something to delay the inevitable. Lily, on the other hand, always talked to her about her day first before she even opened a book. It was refreshing to sit with students whose actual intent was to really study in the library and not dawdle around.

Hermione was unable to suppress a growing smile as she pulled out her Transfiguration book and gave it a quick scan. "Well," she started, "if you put it this way…"

September 11, 1976

Hermione smiled when Lily dropped on the bench beside her on the Ravenclaw table. "Blimey, I'm starving," she said, and proceeded to pile some mashed potatoes and friend chicken onto her plate.

Now that her best friends had made up, Lily and Severus sat on the Ravenclaw table with her again. Hermione had once suggested they should take turns sitting on each other's Houses, but both Lily and Severus loudly protested. Lily said the Gryffindors didn't like Sev at all, so he'd be mercilessly bullied. Sev said Lily was a Muggle-born so of course the Slytherins would be disgusted to have her over. The Ravenclaw table was their neutral ground, so Hermione had now grown accustomed to both Lily and Severus sitting beside her on her House's table.

Lily started chattering about her Care of Magical Creatures lesson while Hermione and Sev listened in silence, exchanging amused glances every time Lily gesticulated wildly or laughed loudly over something she'd said.

They were too engrossed with their conversation that none of them noticed James sneaking behind. "Evans!" he exclaimed.

The redhead jumped in surprise and looked like she was about to bolt away, but James was blocking her exit so she had no choice but to glower at him instead.

"What do you want?" the redhead hotly asked.

"Just passing by to say that your eyes look extra lovely today," he said with a ridiculous grin on his face. Sev snorted besides Hermione and glared at his plate.

"Piss off, Potter," Lily snarled, already standing on the bench and slinging the strap of her bag over her shoulders. "Why can't you ever take a hint?"

James casually leaned closer and smirked. "About what?" he asked.

Lily groaned in annoyance and Hermione had to bite her bottom lip to stop from smiling. Lily looked so disgruntled right now; anyone within the vicinity would notice how she couldn't stand the bespectacled Gryffindor. But James looked annoyingly persistent, even unbothered by her anger. Hermione wondered how he could have such perseverance to continue pursuing the obviously uninterested redhead.

"I also heard that you love Chocolate Frogs," he continued. His hazel eyes briefly landed on Hermione, before he grinned and pulled out his wand. With a little wave, Chocolate Frogs started piling in Lily's arms until her head was obscured by the towering sweets. "I may have gone overboard and bought you a lot, but I hope you appreciate them."

"PISS OFF, POTTER!" Lily screamed once more, thrusting the sweets into his arms, and stomping away. Severus stiffly stood up from the bench, excused himself and left, most likely following Lily.

"NEVER!" James hollered back.

Hermione looked at James. "Better luck next time, James," she said with a sigh. James looked strangely unbothered at Lily's rejection and merely smiled at Hermione and shrugged.

"Eh," he flippantly said. "There's always another time."

"That's the spirit," she snorted, rolling her eyes when he chuckled.

"What a waste, though," he said with a sigh, lifting the piles of Chocolate Frogs in his arm. James looked contemplative for a while before he surprisingly deposited the sweets in her arms instead. "Maybe you'll put them to good use."

"Thanks," she said with a tight smile. "But I'm more of a toffee kind of girl." Hermione sighed when he frowned. "Fine, I'll put them to good use."

She balanced the sweets with one arm and pulled out her wand. With a swish, they all flew inside her bag until Hermione's arms were free. She then realised that James was still there, and that this was the first real conversation they had had alone after the debacle back at Potter Manor.

Hermione stilled for a moment, before slowly looking back at James once more. He looked a bit flustered and nervous too, she noted. He fiddled with a loose thread from his worn and well-loved Gryffindor sweater.

"Um, you know," the brunette started, thinking perhaps it was the right time to start telling him the truth. "Some words of advice, James." She nervously tucked a stray curl behind her ear and tentatively looked up at him. His hazel eyes were trained on her this time, a guarded look in them. "Maybe you should tone down your outrageous displays of affection, especially if a girl makes it clear she is getting uncomfortable with it."

"Oh," he said simply, his eyebrows meeting at the middle. "Okay."

The young witch sighed, knowing he hadn't completely understood what she had said. "There are other ways to woo a girl, Potter," she pointed out with a frown. "Being ridiculously boisterous or extravagant with your actions isn't always a sure way to make a girl like you."

James thoughtfully bit his lip and glanced down at his feet. "So," he started, "how do you suggest I woo Lily?"

"For starters, she must really like you," she teased. When he lightly glared at her, she laughed. "I'm not entirely sure. Lily is a delightful girl, but I don't really know what she really likes in a boy. I know she likes The Beatles, and I know she loves to study too, but when it comes to the matters of her heart…" She sighed and absentmindedly scratched her chin. "But maybe like me, she'd want someone who is earnest. Small gestures count, you know. Lily hates attracting too much unwanted attention. She likes to be noticed, but for the right kind of attention. You're making her bloody uncomfortable, honestly. I know you like all things grand and boisterous but Lily doesn't." She pierced him with a pointed glance. "You can't get everything by being grand and boisterous, James."

His eyebrows flew up to his hairline, hidden behind his messy fringes. "Way to be frank, Pettigrew," he said with a smirk.

"I was being honest," she corrected, rolling her eyes when she noticed his lips twitching in amusement. "Sometimes, you're too… overwhelming."

"Wow, okay, I get it," he sighed.

"No," she hastily added, "all I'm saying is that Lily doesn't really know your other side. She only knows you as a bully or too cocksure all the time. And Lily hates those sides of you. Maybe if you show her some of your really good sides, then she'd start to like you more."

"Good sides?" he asked. "Like?"

Hermione was starting to grow flustered. "Well," she said, unable to meet his gaze all of a sudden, "you can be really sweet and kind if you want to. And you're a great friend – a great best friend. Quite thoughtful too at times."

"Go on," he edged.

She scowled when she heard his teasing grin more than saw it. "But that – like that. You can be so arrogant at times and it's annoying," she pointed out. "Lily wasn't kidding when she said you can be such a toerag."

"What does that even mean?" he asked with a brief laugh.

In spite of her embarrassment, she weakly chuckled. "I honestly don't know but it suits you," she stated matter-of-factly.

"Back to listing down my faults now, I see," he said, quirking an eyebrow.

Hermione expelled a soft laugh and shook her head. "All I am saying is it isn't too late to change tactic now, for lack of a better word," she said with a small smile. "You did ask me to help you woo Lily before so I am giving you some pieces of advice."

"And Hermione Pettigrew gives wondrous pieces of advice," he said seriously with a reverent nod. She petulantly frowned at him but he merely gave her a handsome smile. "All right, fine, I might listen to your advice this time."

"A part of me wants to believe what you just said, but knowing you…" She laughed when he threw her a scathing glare. "Good luck on wooing Lily Evans, James Potter. I hope you are successful soon."

Something shifted in his eyes that made his gaze intense and her heartbeat quicken. The smile on his face faltered a bit and Hermione wasn't sure what he was thinking of right now. She knew she was slowly blushing under his intense gaze, but she couldn't seem to look away.

It was James who finally snapped away and ran a hand through his hair. "I hope you're right," he murmured under his breath. He sneaked another shy glance her way and gave her a small smile. "Thanks, anyway. See you around."

He turned on his heel and walked away. Hermione watched him as he slid beside Peter, secretly hoping that Lily would start noticing James soon, so she could trample down these stupid feelings before they festered and swallowed her whole.

Chapter Text

xvi.

it starts with a feeling

(Falling in Love Pie by Sara Bareilles)

December 4, 1976

"Go away, Peter," Hermione muttered, batting away at his hands which were trying to pull her study materials away.

"Hermione," he claimed in exasperation, "it's Hogsmeade Day today. Don't you want to go out and have fun with your friends?"

"Why aren't you with your friends?" she snapped irritably, giving up all together when Peter crammed all of her things inside her backpack.

Peter sighed. "Sirius bailed on us because he said he had a date with Marlene McKinnon," he started with a frown. "Remus has some Prefect duties that make him currently indisposed. James has Quidditch practice today, since their match against the Claws are fast approaching. So, I have no one else to be with today."

"Why don't you ask Mary MacDonald then?" she casually asked, quirking an eyebrow.

Her brother's face instantly turned a brilliant shade of red. "W– what?" he asked, trying to act nonchalant but failing miserably. "I mean, why should I even ask her? We're not even friends." He broke off and expelled a soft, nervous laugh that made Hermione roll her eyes.

"You're hopeless, Petey," she sighed. While her brother glowered at her, Hermione took that time to glance around the empty library. Even her classmates were enjoying this day in Hogsmeade and ditching an opportunity to study without distractions.

"So, come to Hogsmeade with me," Peter insisted once more. "Just take a breather, Hermione, Merlin!"

She frowned and thought about it for a while. She glanced at her colour-coded schedule and admitted to herself that her brain was already getting a bit fuzzy from her rigorous studying. If she skipped today, she could always compensate the following week. She did assign a cheat day for herself next week, where she wouldn't touch any textbooks, and had been meaning to start reading a new novel she had found in the small library in the Ravenclaw Common Room.

"Blimey, you're not trying to come up with a new schedule, are you?" Peter accused, his eyes narrowing into slits.

Hermione sheepishly smiled at being caught. "Petey," she interjected. "It's my OWLs year."

"If you haul your arse out of this library, I promise to buy you a yearlong supply of toffee," he said.

"Resorting to bribery, I see," she said, quirking an eyebrow.

"If I have a stubborn witch for a sister, then I should use whatever means," he shot back.

The brunette laughed. "Fine," she said, already rising up from her chair. She stretched her arms over her head luxuriously and groaned when she felt her back crick. "I was getting a bit saturated from all my studying anyway. Let me just deposit my things and see you at the entrance?"

Peter narrowed his eyes. "If you ditch me, Hermione, I swear—"

"Ugh, Peter, I won't," she scoffed. "Just wait for me at the entrance. I'll be there soon, honest."

"Fine," he said begrudgingly. "Make it quick!"

-ooo-

It took her a few minutes to return to the Ravenclaw Common Room and leave her things. Hermione opted to wear a thick denim jacket and changed into sensible boots. After winding her Ravenclaw scarf around her neck, she walked out of the dormitory and sought out her brother.

Peter complained she had taken too long, but Hermione just tuned him out and sat inside the carriage. The Gryffindor soon followed and started asking her about how her year had been, what was she studying now, and would she watch James's upcoming Quidditch match.

Whilst Hermione indulged him with an answer, she realised she hadn't actually spent much time with her brother at Hogwarts. With her growing circle of friends and her upcoming OWLs, she hadn't really had the time to sit down and talk with Peter. He was always with his friends, and she had been trying to avoid an annoying hazel-eyed boy after all, so she spent most of the time by herself or with her other friends.

Regulus had been a frequent study partner for a while now, and they had a silent mutual agreement they would never voice out any opinions about their blood status and their choice of company when together. Regulus was steadily becoming Hermione's new favourite study partner, even topping Lily and Severus, because he also knew the importance of keeping quiet. Mostly, they studied in comfortable silence which would only be broken when one of them asked a question.

Hermione was also starting to spend more time with her Ravenclaw friends. Dorothy, Michelle, and Alex always sought for Hermione every time they ventured in the library to study together. Lily had once lamented that Hermione was starting to have other friends than them, but the brunette merely laughed at her and swore she would always be her most favourite friend.

They finally reached the edge of Hogsmeade and hopped off the thestral-drawn carriages. The skeleton horses had still given her the creeps when she had seen them for the first time in this lifetime.

"You see them, too, don't you?"

Her eyes landed on her pensive brother. "Yeah," she breathed out.

Peter's face darkened as he looked away and buried his mitten-clad hands inside his pockets. She knew he was thinking about their deceased father once more. Peter had gotten over his death and believed that it truly was an accident, that it wasn't his fault, but sometimes he'd have his moments of self-doubt.

Hermione instantly looped her arm around his and tugged him. "Idiot," was all she fondly said.

Her brother gave her a sad smile and pulled her towards Honeydukes. Despite their late arrival, the whole shop was still brimming with students. Hermione greeted some of her Ravenclaw friends she recognised before trailing behind Peter. Her brother had instantly gone to the toffee section and was already scooping a bagful into his hands.

"My teeth are really going to rot soon," she glumly said, watching as Peter got another handful to add to her growing pile.

"No they're not," he laughed. "You brush your teeth like crazy. I've never seen anyone so obsessed with getting clean teeth."

Peter grabbed a bunch of other sweets before going to the counter. Hermione tried to pay for her half, but her brother just waved her off.

Once their sweets were packed, they walked out of the busy streets of Hogsmeade.

"Where to next?" he asked.

"Scrivenshaft's," she replied instantly.

He sighed and smiled in exasperation. "Of course," he said. "I shouldn't have asked."

Hermione made her purchases in said shop while Peter meandered around, grabbing some random school supplies he needed for this school-year. Ever since Hermione had introduced multi-coloured ink to her brother – and by extension his friends – they'd been using it religiously. Peter agreed the different coloured inks highlighted some of the most important things for him, so studying had been easier.

Peter finally dragged her to the Three Broomsticks, complaining he was parched from all the walking. Hermione relented and let him search for an empty booth in the busy pub. Hermione craned her neck around, trying to search for Lily or Severus, wondering if they had gone to Hogsmeade today.

She was a tad disappointed she wasn't able to see them and glumly walked towards Peter, who by then, had been waving his hand enthusiastically at her.

Her brother ordered butterbeers and a few snacks for them to munch on. Hermione contented herself by observing everybody in silence, happy to see that there weren't any war-stricken looks on their faces. The brunette then glanced at her brother and noted the troubled look on his face.

Worried, she placed her butterbeer down and asked, "Is everything all right, Peter?"

He blushed and nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "Well," he started, unable to meet her eyes, "I don't think I'll be able to become an Auror after all."

The brunette frowned, unsure why he was suddenly talking about his future. "What do you mean?" she asked. "You passed the needed OWLs!"

He looked hesitant for a while, most likely debating whether to tell her or not. Hermione patiently waited for him to crack, because Peter always cracked, and she had to bite her bottom lip when he expelled a resigned sigh. "Well," he started, "I… kind of overheard Professor McGonagall saying things yesterday."

"About?" she urged.

"About me, actually," he added.

Hermione knitted her eyebrows. "A little elaboration may help," she said with a small laugh.

This only made Peter disgruntled as he slid deeper on his seat. "She told some teachers how I'm not up to par with my friends," he grumbled. His blue eyes hesitantly landed on Hermione. "And you."

A lump lodged in Hermione's throat, as she remembered a memory of Professor McGonagall back in her previous life, confessing how she'd been especially hard on Peter and had regretted it immensely.

"Said it was ridiculous how I hero-worshipped James and Sirius," he continued, tiredly running a hand down his face. "And always wondered why I was related to such a brilliant witch like you."

Her hand instantly latched onto his and gave it a comforting squeeze. "I'm sorry," she said, guilty and sorrowful at the same time. She knew Professor McGonagall always meant well, but she never sugar-coated her words and expected everybody to be at their best - knowledge and attitude wise.

Peter snorted and gave her a withering glance. "She wasn't wrong, you know," he pointed out. "Everybody in school knows you are the better Pettigrew."

"No," she ground out, suddenly impassioned. "No one is better than the two of us. We have different strengths, different faults. You shouldn't doubt yourself at all, Petey, because you are great. You are bloody great. Ask Mum; she knows that, too. Listening to criticism should always be a norm, because of course we still need to leave a lot of room for improvement. But, if such criticisms are baseless, spoken by people you never really interact with, who never really made it their job to know you, then I say you just ignore them all together, because you know yourself better than anyone else."

She was deeply frowning by the end of her speech, her hand around Peter's, which was tightening with every syllable.

His eyes glistened but they still refused to meet hers. "Sometimes," he added, "I fear I will grow up to be like him, Hermione."

Her heart clenched in pain, because she thought he was over their father's death. She was once again brought back to a terrified ten-year-old Peter, sobbing over their father's grave because of guilt he wasn't supposed to feel.

She had watched him all these years, grew up beside him for goodness' sake! She had been beside her brother, reverently trying to keep him on the right path, and helping him become better because he was family. And she already knew that he would never grow up to become that traitor; she knew Peter Pettigrew would not grow up like a coward, hiding in the guise of his Animagus form in hopes of running away from all the sins he had committed.

"No," she vehemently replied, her eyes blurring with tears. "No, you're not going to grow up like him. You are loads better than him, Peter. In many ways… in all ways." She stubbornly swiped some stray tears escaping from her eyes and furiously glared at him. "How could you even think about that, after all these years? You have brilliant friends who love you, Peter. You have Mum and me. That… that man – he was alone with his insecurities and hate and I really hated how he became such a huge part of our childhood. I sometimes wished I had done something more because he hurt Mum. He hurt you. All he cared about was himself, Peter. Unlike you. Because you care a lot, about others so much, and that alone makes you so much better. So what if you aren't as good as James at Transfiguration? Or as good as Sirius at Defence? Or as ridiculously smart as Remus? You have the biggest heart amongst your annoying friends! And they know that too, which is why they let you stick with them, through all their stupid pranks and ridiculous shenanigans, because their group wouldn't be complete without you, Peter. So no, no, no you are not going to grow up like him. You were never even like him in the first place!"

She was crying then, trying to instil in her brother that he was better than what he thought about himself. Peter's eyes had gone wide after her tirade and he broke into a huge smile that made her sigh in relief.

"Blimey, Hermione," he chuckled, briefly looking away to discreetly wipe an errant tear. "You didn't have to blow your top off." He wrinkled his nose slightly and glared. "And why in Merlin's balls are you crying, honestly?"

She took a huge sniff and squeezed his hand once more. "Please don't ever doubt yourself, Peter," she pleaded. The slight teasing on his face disappeared as he openly stared back at her. "You are surrounded by people who can see your worth. Don't let others tell you otherwise."

The smile on his face looked relieved, more than anything else. "Okay," he said, vigorously nodding his head. "Okay, Hermione."

December 12, 1976

"I don't think that's right," Regulus protested, grabbing onto the parchment she had been furiously scribbling down on a while ago. "Professor Vector said you have to cancel this out first before trying to interpret the numbers."

"No," she interjected with a dark scowl, "she said you have to multiply this first before trying to interpret the numbers." She grabbed the quill from his hand and multiplied the number on the parchment. "Honestly, Regulus, were you even looking at the blackboard?"

"I was!" he snapped. "But your bushy hair kept on obscuring my vision."

She gave him a dark glare. "Then you should have changed seats if my hair annoys you so much," she growled.

"And miss an opportunity to annoy you?" he asked, a small smirk growing on his handsome face. "Fat chance, Pettigrew."

Hermione rolled her eyes and slid the parchment closer to herself. "I still think you have to multiply it first," she insisted. She thrust her Arithmancy textbook towards him and glared. "If you still don't believe me, then bloody read this, for Merlin's sake."

She ignored how his lips twitched in amusement and actually followed her advice.

She and Regulus had met up in the library once more to study for their OWLs. Regulus had finally been a constant companion in Hermione's life and was awarded with one of her most coveted colour-coded schedules. Regulus promised he was religiously following the schedule she had made, even hinting he had been doing some advanced reading.

Merlin, he was really starting to become her favourite study partner.

"Hermione!" a harsh whisper reached her ears.

Surprised, she looked up from her parchment. She was not expecting to see James Potter standing near her table, his hazel eyes dark and furious as they latched onto the Slytherin sitting across from her.

"James?" she asked, hesitant. "Is something the matter?"

His eyes never left Regulus. The Slytherin was now coolly looking at James, seemingly bored, without any hint of emotion on his face. "We need to talk," he ground out. His eyes angrily swept from Regulus to her and Hermione did not appreciate being glared at.

"You can talk to me here," she shot back, growing slightly annoyed.

"No, I can't actually," he snarled in return.

Her eyes narrowed. "Why not?" she spat.

"Because it's obviously about me, Pettigrew," Regulus drawled in a bored tone.

The Gryffindor's anger increased as James stared down at the witch in front of him. "What is he doing here?" he said, pointing an accusatory finger in Regulus' direction.

"He's studying with me," Hermione defended. "I— why are you angry?"

"I'm not," he snapped.

"Yes, you are," she hotly replied back.

He took a deep breath and glowered at the Slytherin across from her. "He's a – you know—" He tightly clamped his jaw, tensing with an emotion Hermione didn't understand at all. "He's a Slytherin," he finally said.

Hermione snorted. "Really? Still going on about House rivalry crap and all?" She matched his glare, even when his cheeks reddened. "He happens to be a decent study partner, James. And we're both really just studying for our OWLs. Is that even so bad? And I— why are you angry?"

"I am not!" he hissed, his hands clenching at his sides.

"Yes, you are, you berk," she echoed. "What are you even doing here?"

He hesitated for a moment, uncertainty painted in his hazel eyes, and Hermione was so confused. "I… I thought of dropping by to ask if you would come to the Gryffindor Quidditch match tomorrow," he sourly said, his glaring eyes now directed at his shoes.

Hermione blinked in confusion as her eyebrows knitted together. "I might," she deliberately replied. "You're playing against my House after all."

James fluffed his hair and huffed in annoyance. "All right," he said. He paused, looked suddenly irritable once more, and glared at Regulus. "You shouldn't associate with the likes of him, Hermione."

"Excuse me?" the Slytherin scoffed.

"What?" she snapped, furious again.

"He's bad news," he hotly replied, pointing another finger at the Slytherin. "He's a prejudiced bastard who thinks the world would be a better place if people like you didn't exist. You, of all people, should know that, Hermione."

She knew he was right. She still remembered their disastrous conversation that forged the way to this tentative, albeit very weird, friendship. But Hermione did not appreciate being talked to like that, with judgment and fury laced together into an ugly snarl. And why the bloody fucking hell was he so angry?

"First, Sev, and now Regulus," she snarled under her breath. "I don't care what you think about them, but I don't appreciate it when you question my decisions on who I should and should not associate with."

"Hermione—"

The brunette resolutely looked away from the fuming Gryffindor. "I think you've already achieved your purpose for seeking me out in the library," she snapped in dismissal. "Goodbye, James."

She was unable to see what expression he was making. Hermione heard him expel a sigh of resignation before murmuring his own goodbye. Once she was sure he wasn't going to come back, the brunette once again found herself unwittingly staring at his retreating back.

"Well, that was entertaining," Regulus then commented.

Hermione's gaze landed on the mildly amused Slytherin and frowned. "I'm sorry," she said. "I don't know what has gotten into him."

His eyes were calculating. "Potter's still wooing Evans?" he asked.

She knitted her eyebrows together in confusion. "Yes," she slowly responded. "Why do you ask?"

"Interesting," he murmured, ignoring her question, as a frown now marred his aristocratic face. The Black heir snorted and casually leant against the backrest of his chair. "He isn't entirely wrong, though," he said, his gaze turning intense and meaningful. "I am bad news, Pettigrew. You shouldn't associate yourself with me."

"Then, why do you keep on seeking me out in the library?" she shot back in confusion.

Regulus quirked an eyebrow. "I did tell you I needed a decent study partner who'd help me achieve decent grades on my OWLs," he stated matter-of-factly. "This… association benefits me immensely. I don't see why you're allowing me to use you, Pettigrew."

It unnerved her how he was casually confessing how he viewed their association. And Hermione knew she should be angry with him, but she'd remembered how vulnerable he had looked back on the day he had sought her out in the library early this school-year.

To his surprise, Hermione smiled. "You're not using me," she pointed out.

"I'm not?" he asked, dubious.

"No," she said, her smile growing larger. "You want to be my friend."

Surprise briefly flitted in Regulus's eyes, but it was soon hidden behind his usual mask of indifference. The corner of his mouth kept on twitching, though, when he replied, "Don't be ridiculous."

Hermione merely laughed.

December 13, 1976

Hermione found herself blinking widely at the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Password?" she asked, busy tinkling with her wine glass. When Hermione still hadn't talked, she glanced down at the silent brunette and noted her school tie. "You're not a Gryffindor."

"I got invited for the party," she stated, belatedly wishing she had at least gone back to her dormitory to dress out of her school uniform. But she was running late after spending the remaining hours of the day in the library. Lily would surely go ballistic if she ditched her today. "Camelot."

The Fat Lady still looked a tad suspicious, but she finally swung her portrait open and allowed Hermione to enter inside.

Hermione nervously meandered through the rowdy group, trying to search for her best friend amongst the crowd. She still firmly believed this was a bad idea; she should have just stayed in the library until curfew. But Lily insisted she should drop by the Gryffindor Common Room for the celebration party being thrown by the Quidditch team. After their House spectacularly won against Ravenclaw a while ago, the Gryffindors had agreed to throw a party to celebrate their win.

She was able to watch the game, of course. Although the Gryffindor Seeker caught the Snitch, it was undeniable that James Potter's amazing performance as the Chaser guaranteed the win. Without him, Ravenclaw may have had a chance to defeat them. Now, Hermione understood that Quidditch really did run in the blood of the Potters. She felt like she was watching her Harry play Quidditch once more, making her feel teary and uncomfortable, which was why she excused herself a bit earlier before the end of the match to compose herself in the library.

Lily soon found her in the library slaving over a Transfiguration text book, and demanded that she should come over to the Gryffindor Common Room. "Everybody wants to meet the brightest witch of her age," she had teased, prompting Severus to snort and Hermione to blush. "I would have invited Sev, too, but I don't want the whole tower to blow up. I'm quite fond of our common room, actually."

Hermione promised she would come after Lily's persistence, saying that she still had some last-minute revision to do. Lily and Sev left her alone then, and Hermione had been debating for the last hour whether she should really go or not.

She had dodged Lily's invitations before and she knew Lily would drag her arse to the tower herself, if Hermione still refused to come. Besides, it was just the Gryffindor Common Room. Granted, each corner would most probably overwhelm her with memories of Hermione Granger, but she could just distract herself with the rowdy Gryffindors. After all, parties thrown by Gryffindors were infamous throughout the school, no matter what timeline they were in.

The lone Ravenclaw backpedalled a bit when she was greeted with a blasting song from a Wizarding band she didn't recognise. The whole place was decorated with proud lions, red and gold, and someone had bewitched red and gold fireworks that illuminated the whole ceiling. Most of the squashy chairs were pushed to the sides to give some space in the middle, for dancing or playing, or whatever the students wanted to do. Hermione was able to spy a small table holding towering piles of food they had undoubtedly snuck out of the kitchens. There was a punch bowl too, most likely spiked by a Gryffindor prankster, since some of the students were already swaying on their feet and giggling over something ridiculous.

"HERMIONE!"

She heard her name amongst the ruckus and was greeted with a mouthful of red hair obscuring her vision. "Lily," she greeted, pulling the overexcited Gryffindor away from herself. The older witch's cheeks were already flushed red and Hermione guessed she had fallen victim to the spiked punch too. "You're drunk," she tutted.

"Maybe a bit tipsy, but I can still think clearly," Lily sheepishly said. "I'm still a Prefect after all. We don't want anything to get out of control, yeah? So, did you just arrive? Welcome to the Gryffindor Common Room! Blimey, honestly, it isn't this rowdy most of the time but you know what they say about Gryffindors throwing a party, eh?"

Hermione snorted in bemusement. A tipsy Lily was more talkative than usual and Hermione bet that Lily's mouth would be like a motorboat once she was stupidly drunk.

Lily pulled her around, introducing her to different Gryffindors, fondly calling her the brightest witch of her age and her beloved best friend. Hermione was able to meet new people she had never interacted with before, surprised that they knew her even though she didn't know them. "Your reputation precedes you," Regulus had once said, and perhaps he wasn't embellishing at all.

Although the Gryffindors were lovely and welcoming, Hermione was getting overwhelmed by the new people she'd met and the rowdiness all together. She had long ditched her school robe, now slung over her arm, and she'd rolled her sleeves up to her elbow. She eyed Lily's comfortable Muggle clothes – modest plaid skirt and a tank top – and once again wished she'd at least gone back to her dormitory to change out of her stuffy school uniform.

"HERMIONE!"

She heard her name being called amidst the noisy crowd for the second time that night. She craned her neck to search for the source of the voice, and saw her brother.

Sheepish desperation briefly appeared on her face, discreetly tilting her head towards her overexcited best friend. Peter thankfully understood her plea for help as he started meandering through the crowd. By the time he reached her, his eyes were laughing at her expense.

"Lils, mind if I steal my sister for a while?" Peter asked.

"—and Petunia's stupid fiancé suddenly got up from his chair— oh, what? Hi, Peter. Yeah, sure, sure," Lily distractedly said as she looked back at Marlene and Mary, recounting another disastrous encounter she'd had with Petunia and Vernon Dursley that Hermione had heard for the umpteenth time. Judging from the looks on the other girls' faces, they had heard that story before too, but were just indulging the redhead.

"Thanks," Hermione whispered once they were out of earshot from Lily. "I love Lily to the moon but she's just so… so vivacious. I can't keep up with her relentless energy."

Her older brother chuckled and slung an arm over her shoulders, steering her towards someplace she didn't know. "That's Lily Evans for you," he said with a wide smile on his face. He then looked down at her out of the corner of his eyes. "I didn't know you'd drop by."

"Lily invited me," she answered. "And I got curious about how Gryffindors throw a party."

"How do Ravenclaws throw a party?" Peter asked, a teasing glint in his eyes. "Passing around book reviews and exchanging brand new quills?"

"Very funny, berk," she said with a flourished eye roll. "Definitely less rule breaking, though."

Peter snorted and looked at her like she was barmy. "Hermione, really, the greatest pranksters Hogwarts has ever seen are currently Gryffindors," he pointed out. "Of course it wouldn't be a magnificent party if we stuck to the rules."

"Of course," she echoed with a small smirk on her face.

Her brother finally brought her towards the squashy couches near the roaring fire. The place was scarce of other partygoers, except for three wizards who were bent over a game of Wizard's chess.

"Whiskers!" Sirius exclaimed, who was the first one to see her. "You're here."

"Lily invited me," she said, chuckling under her breath when Sirius made a huge show of toppling towards her to throw his arms around her for a mighty hug. Sirius Black was definitely drunk, but he was a handsome drunk and she finally realised he might be the one Marlene McKinnon kept on distractedly glancing at while Lily chattered on endlessly.

"You shouldn't have come," Remus said with an exasperated sigh. "If you wanted to get out alive."

"Nonsense, Moony," Sirius slurred, batting him away. "Don't listen to him, kitten. He's just cranky because the full moon's about to come."

The irate werewolf glared back at Sirius. "Right, of course, announce to the whole world I'm a bloody fucking werewolf," he growled.

Hermione's eyes widened as she looked at Remus, a tad nervous that somebody had heard his casual confession of his affliction. But those who were near them were either too inebriated to care or were too busy gyrating their hips to the ridiculous music.

"Sorry about that," Remus said, his cheeks reddening a bit as he saw Hermione's eyes. "It's been a tiring day."

The brunette gave him an understanding smile and fished out two boxes of Chocolate Frogs from her skirt pocket. "Endorphins," she said, throwing them towards his waiting hands. "I somehow got a huge supply from some idiot so I thought I should share them."

Said idiot had grown quiet ever since Hermione had arrived, his hazel eyes only snapping towards her when she commented on her supply of Chocolate Frogs.

Hermione congratulated herself for staying composed as her blue eyes connected with James. He was already out of his Gryffindor Quidditch robes, which was a relief, because Merlin Almighty, Hermione had felt strange things when she saw him on that broomstick looking so… so…

'Shut up, Hermione,' she told herself, sighing internally because her hopes of getting over her ridiculous crush for the Gryffindor still hadn't been realised.

"All right, Pettigrew?" James hesitantly asked, his right hand running through his windswept hair.

Her eyes softened, noting his nervousness. She still had no idea what made him blow up in the library yesterday, but he looked genuinely remorseful so she couldn't really stay mad anymore. "Yeah," she said, a small smile growing on her face. "Good game, though. Congratulations."

The smile he gave her was blinding. "Yeah?" he asked, puffing out his chest like the arrogant toerag he was. "It wasn't one of my best performances but I still was amazing."

Hermione sighed. "It's too crowded in this common room already to accommodate your huge ego, James," she said with a frown.

He boisterously laughed, his hazel eyes glinting under the showering red and gold ceiling. He looked so relieved that he was forgiven for being a berk that Hermione couldn't stop herself from smiling at him in return.

Peter sat Hermione beside him and they contentedly watched as the other three Gryffindors continued their game of Wizard's Chess. Sirius and James kept on drinking the spiked punch, steadily growing rowdier and rowdier.

"It's a full moon tomorrow," Hermione pointed out under her breath. "Shouldn't you be resting or something?"

"We plan on asking for some of your Sobering Potion, actually," Peter said with a sheepish smile.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I knew the punch would be spiked so I did bring some," she said.

"You're a life-saver, Whiskers, honest," Sirius said with a lopsided grin.

Remus was grumbling something under his breath and Hermione absentmindedly fished two more Chocolate Frogs inside her pocket and threw them towards the cranky werewolf. He immediately devoured the sweets and marginally calmed down, but still looked a tad annoyed at Sirius.

"How much are you hiding in your pockets?" James asked with wide eyes.

"Enough," she said dismissively. "Anyway, I want to join you in the Shrieking Shack tomorrow."

The four boys froze on their seats, before hesitantly looking at the resolute brunette. "It's going to be dangerous," Sirius deliberately said, his grey eyes glassy as they worriedly latched onto her form.

"The last time you were in the Shrieking Shack, things almost didn't end well," James added with a stubborn frown.

"It's best if you just stayed here like a good little sister," Peter said with reverent nod. "Study yourself all throughout the night if you must."

Hermione lightly scowled and looked at Remus, who had grown quiet after her declaration. "I'm already an" – she briefly glanced around and ducked her head – "Animagus, so it won't be dangerous for me at all. Besides, I haven't exercised my transformation since the start of the school-year. This is a good opportunity to perfect it."

"Fine," Remus said with a disgruntled sigh.

"Remus!" Peter and James exclaimed at the same time, looking betrayed.

Sirius, on the other hand, snorted. "Once she gets that look on her face, no one's going to stop her," he said, the corner of his mouth twitching.

"I'll be an Animagus anyway," she pressed on. "Remus will not hurt me."

"You don't know that," Peter protested. His cheeks reddened when he realised what he had said and apologetically looked at his best friend. "No offense, Moony."

Remus merely shrugged and opened another Chocolate Frog. "Just get away as fast as you can if things start to get disastrous," the werewolf casually said in between bites.

Hermione smiled. "I can do that."

December 14, 1976

They were waiting for her near the great oak doors of the castle. Hermione quirked an eyebrow at their all-black attire but didn't voice out her observation. Her eyes swept towards the werewolf; Remus already looked sickly and a brief glance overhead showed that the moon would be fully visible soon.

"Here," James said, extending a familiar cloak.

Hermione's eyes widened at the Invisibility Cloak, reverently grasping it in her hands. It looked the same, like it was still brand new. Hermione was always curious as to why Harry's Invisibility Cloak still functioned perfectly despite being used consistently over the years. Harry told her he wasn't entirely sure either, but Dumbledore had once offered he came from a long line of inventors.

"Dumbledore knows about us breaking curfew, but not you," James explained, mistaking her silence for curiosity. "Honestly, it was always easiest for us to get away from Filch when there was a full moon."

"Come on," Sirius murmured, worriedly staring at the night sky. "We have to get there before the transformation."

Hermione hastily threw the cloak over her body and trailed behind Peter. She was feeling irrationally nervous, and she knew her brother could feel it. Peter kept close to her along the journey. Hermione found it difficult to keep up with the four, unbelievably tall adolescent boys and she had to hastily jog behind them.

James deftly ducked through the dancing branches of the Whomping Willow to press the knot on the bark. Once the tree had stilled, he and Sirius tightly gripped Remus's arms and hastily slid inside.

"Come on," Peter whispered, allowing her to pass through first. Once she was inside the tunnel, Hermione removed the cloak and blindly followed behind the other three.

The ground floor of the Shrieking Shack was tidier this time, but Hermione had no time to observe more as James and Sirius hastily hauled Remus up the stairs. Remus was already contorting strangely, low groans of pain escaping from his mouth. Hermione unthinkably followed, but Peter held her hand to stop her.

"You don't want to see his transformation," he said with a shake of his head.

"But—"

"I know that Remus doesn't want you to see him transform either, Hermione," he continued with a grave stare. "Just stay here. Sirius and James can handle him."

The brunette bit her bottom lip before slightly nodding her head. Her hold on his hand tightened and they waited for Remus's complete transformation. After a moment, Remus began howling loudly, and she could hear muffled curses which came from the other two.

Her eyes prickled with unshed tears when Remus's howls of pain reverberated through the walls of the Shrieking Shack. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see that even Peter was pale from the horrifying sounds. They had been accompanying Remus during his transformations for years already, but it was plain to see that it didn't make it less difficult to witness and hear him transform.

"We should transform now," Peter said, as Remus's howls grew louder and more incessant. "It'll be better if Remus's werewolf form cannot catch a whiff of human scent. It will be easier for him."

Hermione firmly nodded her head and pulled out her wand. Peter instantly changed into his rat form and scuttled around Hermione's feet. She knew it was possible to change wandless, but her skills still weren't up to par with the Marauders yet. She had practiced a little before, but she still hadn't mastered wandless transformation.

The witch then tightly gripped her wand and closed her eyes, vividly imaging her Animagus form. An Abyssinian cat with honey-coloured fur and bright, blue eyes appeared in her mind's eye. Hermione fought a shiver when she could feel her clothes shifting, melting within her skin that had started to grow fur. She could feel herself shrinking in size and when the feeling had gone, she opened her eyes. It took her a minute to adapt to her sudden change in vision, now being able to observe the room with a broader visual range. Peter instantly curled against Hermione's furry abdomen and they waited for Remus's transformation to become complete.

A few minutes passed when loud hooves echoed on the stairs. Both Hermione and Peter stood on their paws as James in his stag form trudged towards them. Hermione realised that James's Animagus form was really huge; the end of his antlers scraped the wooden ceiling and he had to duck his head down a couple of times just to avoid hitting the low hanging lamps.

James stood up to his fullest height and stopped right in front of Hermione and Peter. His hazel eyes briefly met hers, before he turned his head back towards the stairs.

Sirius in his dog form soon came jumping down from the stairs, incessantly barking as if he was calling someone to play. Another set of footsteps from upstairs soon reached Hermione's pointy ears and she held her breath, watching with keen eyes as Remus in his werewolf form came tumbling forwards.

Briefly, the memory of her under his mercy flashed before her eyes and she involuntary shivered. Peter sensed her discomfort, for he pressed all of himself against her just to give her some semblance of support.

Remus's golden eyes swept in their direction. James shifted slightly so that he could fully cover both Hermione and Peter from Remus's gaze, but the werewolf was already distracted by Sirius's constant barking. The huge dog then bounded towards the tunnel, the werewolf not too far behind.

Once their yipping had grown softer and farther away, James canted his head towards the tunnel. Peter immediately skittered towards the tunnel, his small build giving him the advantage of speed. Hermione stood up on her paws once more and tested her limbs, tentatively slinking towards the tunnel.

She meowed in surprise when she was suddenly nudged forward. She glanced at the humongous stag behind her and hissed her displeasure, but James only expelled a weird sound that strangely sounded like a laugh. Hermione immediately bounded away and emerged out of the tunnel.

Peter was waiting for her to arrive. He lifted his tiny paw and gestured her down. Hermione wasn't sure what he wanted to do, but she followed him nonetheless. Peter instantly climbed onto her head and settled on her shoulder.

Amused, she meowed once more and lifted herself up. They waited for James to emerge out, and Hermione could hear more scrapings and annoyed huffs. By the time James had emerged, he was disgruntled and a bit dishevelled. The tunnel was impossibly narrow, after all, and James's Animagus demanded a huge space. Merlin, he was really enormous.

James then soon galloped towards the Forbidden Forest and Hermione, with Peter, immediately followed him. She was pleased that her Animagus form was fast and lithe. Despite his longer legs, Hermione was able to keep up with James.

They could soon hear playful yelps and howls, so they followed those sounds. They arrived at a clearing and Hermione was amused to see that Remus was chasing Sirius around, howling loudly as if he was having fun. It had unnerved her a bit, because all she had ever experienced with a werewolf was terror, and to see one having fun was a strange sight.

The stag then ran towards the playing duo and joined in the fun. Hermione contented herself by curling near a huge boulder, knowing they would undoubtedly trample her if she joined in. Peter, having the same thought, jumped down from her shoulders and instead sat down on the dewy grass.

They stayed there for quite some time. Hermione had actually dozed off a few times, jerking awake every time a loud bark or howl came from the other three. Remus didn't even glance in their direction, too busy chasing his two other best friends.

Perhaps, a few hours had passed when she was suddenly prodded awake by a wet muzzle. She meowed in displeasure and lightly glared into Sirius's grey eyes, his mouth stretched frightfully into a huge smile, his pointy teeth peeking underneath.

Hermione then blearily blinked her eyes and looked heavenward, noting the beginnings of a sunrise. She glanced at the other two and saw that Remus was once again back in his human form and was slumped on top of James's back.

They journeyed back to the Shrieking Shack, this time less urgent and lazier. Peter kept on falling asleep on her back and they had to stop countless times just to stop him from careening downward.

They all followed James when he climbed up the stairs. He then deposited the slumbering Remus on the bed and proceeded to transform back to his human form. His hair was sticking up in all directions and his glasses were askew; there were a few leaves stuck in his hair and Hermione's hand itched to reach forward and remove them one by one.

But, she stopped herself and instead looked at Remus. He had fewer fresh scratches and wounds on his face and body today, perhaps because he had been too busy playing around with his best friends to remember his innate need to hunt for humans. Both Sirius and Peter also went back to their human forms and slumped on the bed with Remus. Sirius occupied the other side while Peter curled up at the foot of the bed. They instantly passed out due to exhaustion, prompting Hermione to fondly roll her eyes.

It took her a longer time than them to transform back to her human form, but definitely less than the ten minutes it had taken before. Hermione took that as progress and sleepily grinned at their slumbering forms, already trudging forward and grabbing onto the discarded blankets on the floor. She tucked both Sirius and Remus under one blanket, and covered Peter with another.

There was only one huge gash on Remus's cheek, and she decided to ditch using dittany on it. It was after all, an expensive healing balm, and she was admittedly feeling guilty for 'borrowing' the balm from Madame Pomfrey's stash. A simple healing charm would do the trick.

Hermione pulled out her wand, murmured a soft spell under her breath, and watched as his wound knitted together until a barely visible scar was left.

Satisfied with her work, Hermione straightened up and allowed a huge yawn to escape. She turned on her heel and was about to leave the Shrieking Shack, but almost yelped in surprise at forgetting that there had been another wizard in the room.

James was still awake, obviously exhausted, but he was sitting on the worn, maroon couch with an unreadable expression on his face. There was something in his hazel eyes that made her heart race, and Hermione forced herself to look away to keep herself sane.

"I'm going to go back to Hogwarts first," she said, explaining her departure. "You should rest for now, James."

"Aren't you going to tuck me in?"

Hermione's eyes widened as they snapped to him in shock. There was challenge in his tired eyes, a teasing smirk on his handsome face, and Hermione felt her breath hitching. "W – what?" she stammered, hating herself for getting immediately flustered.

"Don't you think it's mighty unfair even Sirius got your special treatment?" he innocently asked.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she watched as he haphazardly removed his dragonhide boots and sprawled on the couch. He extended the blanket towards her, though, steadfastly looking at her. "Come on, Whiskers," he said.

"Seriously?" she ground out, rounding on him with clear astonishment in her eyes.

James's hazel eyes didn't falter, but there were suspicious red splotches on his high cheekbones. "Tuck me in," he demanded, with the air of confidence that never left James Potter.

Hermione gaped at him, disbelieving, but James started to vigorously shake the blanket until she had no choice but clutch onto it.

The Gryffindor shifted on the couch until he was comfortable and Hermione uncertainly hovered over him. She was trying her best not to meet his eyes, but James demanded attention and damn it all, she couldn't stop herself.

His hazel eyes seemed darker at such a close proximity, the brown colour more prominent. The specks of green in his eyes were barely noticeable from a distance, but as she leant closer, she could see them – count how many specks there were, even.

Her bushy hair curtained in front of her face, blessedly hiding her sudden blush, as she gingerly covered him with the blanket. She wanted to convince herself this was all because of her hormones, that her body was acting up every time she was close to an attractive boy. But, it frustrated her so immensely, because she was only like this with James. Sirius was undoubtedly a sight for sore eyes, with his rebellious, shaggy hair and a smile that could even make her stare. Remus was handsome, too, with his golden eyes and kind smile. But neither evoked such dizzying feelings from Hermione and it was terrifying, so terrifying, that no matter how much she tried to convince herself it would pass, she couldn't stop herself from seeking James out, even when he was miles away from her.

"Blimey, Hermione, your hair is monstrous," he commented with a soft laugh. He lifted his fingers and grasped a few of her curls. "I bet you'd have to finish a tub of my Dad's potion just to tame them all."

"Two whole tubs, actually," she corrected without much thought.

His fingers stilled. "You've used Sleekeazy's before?" he asked, surprised. "When?"

Hermione's eyes widened at her slip and mentally berated herself for being so careless. "Never mind that," she dismissed, instantly pulling away to put some comfortable distance between her and the dizzying boy. "Go to sleep, James."

She hesitantly looked down at him and saw his small, handsome smile. Her heart stuttered at the sight once more and she almost groaned in frustration, wondering why she suddenly found herself in this situation. She had never even thought about James before! He was just her brother's best friend, an arrogant bully who wanted all the attention for himself.

But because of that kiss… that blasted kiss…

Hermione blew a frustrated breath instead and reached down to grab his glasses. She stilled when James suddenly grasped her wrist, his eyes a little wide.

"What are you doing?" he breathed out.

She had tucked Harry to bed countless times before - it had been a ritual for her to remove his glasses and place them on the table beside him. Her hand must have acted automatically due to muscle memory, when she had unconsciously noticed the askew glasses perched on James's nose.

"I was going to remove your glasses," she slowly explained. "I've known quite a few people who have fallen asleep with their glasses on and woken up to find them broken."

"Oh," James merely said.

Hermione uncertainly glanced at his warm hand around her wrist. "Um," she said, her eyes darting meaningfully to his eyes and then to her wrist.

"Right," he said, instantly removing his hand as if it had been burned. A disturbed look appeared in James's eyes and the confidence he exuded a while ago was extinguished.

"May I?" she hesitantly asked. When James merely nodded, she grasped the frame of his glasses and removed them from his face. Her fingers unwittingly brushed against his cheek, noting some growing stubble, and felt herself blushing once more.

Hermione instantly straightened up and took a few steps back just until she could properly breathe. "Go to sleep, James," she repeated in a whisper, placing his glasses on the unit beside the couch.

The Gryffindor made a sound at the back of his throat and didn't meet her eyes.

The brunette bid a hasty goodbye and ran down the stairs embarrassed, cursing herself all the way for being easily swayed by a stupidly handsome boy.

Chapter Text

xvii.

sweetheart, you look a little tired

(Two by Sleeping at Last)

February 14, 1977

"I give up."

Regulus angrily pushed the bundles of parchment on the library table and glared at them liked they'd committed a great offense. Hermione blearily looked up from the notes she was taking and knitted her eyebrows.

"Already?" she asked, briefly glancing at her wristwatch. "You haven't been here for an hour yet."

He irately crammed his things inside his designer satchel and scowled. "I feel like my brain is going to burst," he complained, pausing his attack just to glare at his colour-coded schedule. "If I study for another minute, I swear I'm going to burn something down."

He looked so incensed it was comical and Hermione had to fight back a grin. It wasn't every day a person could see Regulus Black so flustered and out-of-sorts. Judging from the gapes from the three Ravenclaws sitting on the table behind them, Hermione was sure they were bewildered by the Black heir's breakdown too.

"I'm going," he gruffly said, already standing up from his seat and shouldering his satchel.

"But the schedule—"

"Fuck the schedule," he cursed. He turned on his heel and marched out of the library, none-too-gently closing the doors behind him.

"Well, would you look at that," Alex drawled, craning her neck to look at Hermione with a wide grin. "Who knew Regulus Black's feathers could actually get ruffled, eh?"

Michelle slumped down on her table and groaned. "He's bloody right, though," she complained. "If I study for another minute, I might start a fire or something."

"Maybe, we should call it a day," Dorothy offered as she glanced at her wristwatch.

Hermione's eyes widened. "What? Already?" she asked, a tad panicky. "But the schedule—"

"Fuck the schedule," Alex echoed with a small smirk. "Besides, it's Valentine's Day! Don't you have a date with a handsome boy today, Hermione?"

The bushy-haired witch knitted her eyebrows. "It's Valentine's Day?" she asked, grabbing onto her colour-coded schedule. She had been so distracted by the neon green highlighting of her Herbology study lessons that she hadn't even realised what the date was.

"Do you have a date?" Michelle asked the blonde witch, waggling her eyebrows suggestively.

"I wish," Alex said with a scoff, tossing her silky blonde hair over her shoulders. "Boys in our year are such buffoons. Regulus Black is the dreamiest of them all, and he doesn't even know my name, even though we've been studying with him for weeks."

"Except Hermione's," Dorothy pointed out with a smirk.

"Except Hermione's," Michelle echoed with a sigh.

Hermione scrunched her nose at their glinting eyes. "We're just study partners," she corrected. "Why are you so adamant that something's going on between us?"

"Are you sure there's nothing going on between you?" Dorothy asked with a wicked grin. "Regulus Black is notorious in the Slytherin House as someone who never associates himself with people who aren't Pureblood. Granted, you're Half-Blood, Hermione, but your best friend is a Muggle-born and you hang out with the Marauders! You're everything Regulus Black shouldn't associate with and yet, he always seeks you out."

The brunette could already feel a headache forming. "Think whatever you want, blimey," she said with an exasperated glance at her Ravenclaw friends.

"Speaking of the Marauders," Alex said with a hopeful glint in her eyes. "Is Sirius Black dating someone?"

"Marlene McKinnon, I suppose," Hermione said, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. "Why?"

Alex made a face. "Shame," she said with a sigh. "How about Remus Lupin?"

"None as of the moment," the brunette said, her eyes already straying back to her parchment.

"Mmhmm, okay, noted," the blonde said with a faraway look on her face. "So, James Potter is off limits, of course, since he only has his eyes on Lily… so that leaves your brother?"

"You're interested in my brother too?" Hermione asked with wide eyes.

The blonde girl merely shrugged. "He grew a little taller over the summer and he's shed that cute baby fat," she explained. "He's nice to look at too, you know."

Hermione grimaced. "I'd rather not know, thank you very much," she said. "But I think he fancies Mary MacDonald and— why are we talking about boys instead of studying again?" Hermione flustered a bit, realising she was gossiping about her Gryffindor friends, and glowered at the other girls.

"It's Valentine's Day," Michelle simply stated, as if that answer explained her question perfectly.

"Right," Hermione said with a sigh.

"Come on, Hermione, let's have a break today. Dumbledore cancelled all the classes after all," Dorothy said, grasping onto Hermione's arm to stop her furious scribbling. "My mother sent me a box of chocolates and Alex smuggled some wine from the kitchens, so you know, we can hang out in our dormitory and talk about boys and how ridiculous they are."

"I don't like talking about boys," Hermione snorted.

"Talk about Arithmancy then, Merlin's balls!" Alex exclaimed with an amused smile. "Just as long as we don't spend the rest of our time here in the library. It's bloody depressing. Come on, Hermione!"

The brunette hesitated, her headache already pounding. She knew she needed to rest, but she also knew she'd get terribly uncomfortable if she didn't finish her studying for today. "Maybe later," she answered as compensation. She smiled when the girls looked disappointed. "Look, you can go on without me. I'll catch up later."

"Sure?" Dorothy asked with a sigh. "The chocolates Mum sent are insanely delicious, honest."

"It's fine," Hermione said with a laugh. "Besides, I love toffees more than any kind of chocolates."

Alex made a face. "Who likes toffees more than chocolate?" she said.

"I do," the brunette retorted, slightly offended.

"Are you really sure, Hermione?" Michelle tentatively asked. "We can… well, we can wait for you before we hang out in our dormitory?"

She thought it was sweet how they wanted to wait for her. But, she'd seen the disappointment on their faces and she didn't want them to have any negative feelings today. It was Valentine's Day after all and if anyone in this school deserved a break today, it would be Hermione Pettigrew's study partners.

"I'll be fine," Hermione reassured. "You go on without me. I promise I'll head back soon."

The three girls exchanged glances before Dorothy sighed. "All right," she said. They started gathering their things and stood up from their seats. "But please, Hermione, don't study yourself crazy today, yeah? It's Valentine's Day. Love yourself a little."

Hermione laughed and nodded her head, waving goodbye as her Housemates left.

Once they were gone, Hermione's hand climbed up to her head once more and gave it a massage. The pounding headache persisted, prompting Hermione to sigh. Her forehead connected with the wooden table as she tightly closed her eyes.

'Only a few more pages, Hermione,' she thought to herself.

-ooo-

James was mentally listing everything that was going to happen later at dinner. His elaborate plan to yet again woo Lily Evans seemed solid enough. Remus reckoned there was less obnoxiousness now and Sirius firmly agreed that James sounded earnest, whatever the hell that meant anyway. Peter, as usual, just agreed with whatever the majority agreed with, and with a tired sigh, James knew he shouldn't trust his best friends' opinions. Besides Sirius, they were pants with wooing a girl. Peter still had trouble confessing to Mary MacDonald and Remus seemed much more interested with reading than catching a girl's eyes. Sirius wasn't exactly a stellar mentor either, because he was notorious for his flings and a not-so-serious relationship with Marlene McKinnon.

So, he knew there was only one solution to his current predicament: ask Hermione.

It was her who had told him he had to change tactics in wooing Lily after all. Maybe she'd give more insightful suggestions on how he could pull off his Valentine's plan for tonight.

Thus, knowing Hermione, he knew she'd be tucked away somewhere in the library, madly studying about her upcoming OWLs. He just hoped she would be alone, or without Regulus Black really. The ugly feelings that climbed from his stomach and wrapped tightly around his heart were still fresh in his mind. James was still unsure as to why seeing Regulus with Hermione that day had evoked such ferocious feelings in him. Sure, he had been a bastard to his brother, and anyone who picked on his best friends were already on his bad list. But still, the ugly feelings unnerved him and he had vowed to steer clear from the library ever since, in fear of becoming irrationally angry once again.

He shook his head and got rid of such thoughts when he finally arrived in front of the library doors. Before he could enter, the doors burst open. Three fifth year girls came out and he instantly recognised them as Hermione's Ravenclaw classmates.

"Hey!" he called out.

They halted and glanced at him, surprise evident on their faces.

"Is Hermione inside?" he asked, suddenly feeling uncomfortable under their curious gazes.

"She's inside," the girl with ebony hair replied, a small smile on her face. "Still studying."

"I think she's trying to kill herself," a pretty blonde replied with a flourished eye roll, prompting James to grin.

"Alex," the brown-haired girl said reproachfully. She apologetically glanced at him and smiled. "Tell Hermione she needs to take a break. She didn't listen to us so maybe she'll listen to you, James."

It still perturbed him how people knew his name when he didn't even know theirs. He gave them a hesitant smile for thanks and bid them goodbye. James then quickly went inside and scanned the whole library for Hermione.

He easily spied her near one of the humongous windows. He quirked an eyebrow when he saw her bent down on the table, her crazy curls a messy halo around her head. James cautiously approached the brunette, wondering if she was resting.

He furtively looked around, trying to see if anyone was watching him. Satisfied that he was left alone, James inserted his hand inside his robe pocket and fished out a toffee candy. She did say she was a toffee kind of girl, so she wouldn't appreciate a Chocolate Frog. He had bought a lot of Chocolate Frogs last Hogsmeade weekend for his Valentine's plan for Lily, but then added a few toffees as an afterthought – for Hermione.

James gingerly placed it on the table and slid it closer to the resting brunette. He almost yelped in surprise when Hermione suddenly lifted her head and stared at him suspiciously. His eyes instantly latched on the bright, red spot on her forehead, before travelling towards her dishevelled hair. He bit back a laugh, remembering how his father had wondered how much Sleekeazy's Hermione would need to tame her hair after the brunette had left their Manor. Euphemia and James thought one tub was enough but Fleamont, with a boisterous laugh, bet she would need two. Seems he had won the better, if what Hermione had told him back at the Shrieking Shack was true.

"James?" she asked, cutting him off from his musings.

"Hi," he greeted. His right hand twitched and ran through his hair before he could even stop it. "I brought you something."

She blearily glanced at the single toffee on the table and blinked. "Oh," she said dumbly. Her blue eyes landed back on him. "Thanks."

His eyes narrowed suspiciously at how unnaturally glassy her eyes were. The dark, half-moons under her eyes were more prominent too. The younger witch didn't look well at all.

"When was the last time you ate?" he asked with a frown.

"Hmm?" she absentmindedly asked, grabbing onto the toffee and removing it from its wrapper. "Yesterday dinner, I think."

"What?!" he exclaimed. "Lunch time is almost over, Whiskers. You have to eat."

She dismissively waved the toffee in the air. "I'm eating," she interjected, popping the toffee inside her mouth. The brunette instantly closed her eyes and expelled a soft, little sigh that made his head spin. Her face was a picture of pure bliss and James found his throat drying up at the sight. His lower abdomen twitched uncomfortably and horrified, he immediately looked away lest he started conjuring sinful thoughts.

"What are you doing here?" she asked after some chewing and sucking.

James took a deep, shuddering breath and glanced upward, thinking that life was being purposively cruel to him.

"Never mind why I'm here," he said, running a frustrated hand through his hair. After composing himself, he glanced back at Hermione and frowned. "You haven't been taking care of yourself."

She mirrored his frown. "I might have skipped some meals today but I'm still taking care of myself," she cried defensively.

James sighed and pulled out the chair across from Hermione. She stared at him dubiously but he ignored her and instead grabbed onto her colour-coded schedule. As his eyes scanned the parchment, they steadily grew in incredulity. "Do you want to die early?" he ground out.

Affronted, she immediately snatched her schedule away and hugged it against her chest. "What's wrong with my schedule?" she petulantly asked.

"What is wrong— are you kidding me?" James scanned the library, trying to catch any sign of the fiery redhead he'd come to like for the past couple of years. "Where's Lily? Or, Merlin, even Snape? Why aren't they supervising your studying?"

Hermione snorted. "I don't need any supervision," she hotly shot back. "And, as for my best friends… well…" She frowned as realisation dawned. "Come to think of it, I don't know where they are either. Huh."

James could already feel a headache forming. His hand climbed up to his temples and rubbed to ease the pain. "There's no helping it then," he said with a humongous sigh. He leant back against his chair and pierced her with a glare. "Wrap everything up because you're going to the Great Hall to eat lunch, Pettigrew."

"Later," she replied with an eye roll. "I'm almost done, promise. Besides, I'm not even that hungry. I ate some biscuits before coming to the library."

"Blimey, you're exasperating," he exclaimed. "How was Peter able to survive living with such a stubborn witch?"

The corner of her lips twitched upward. "I think about that too sometimes," she replied.

A laugh escaped from James's lips. "At this rate, you're going to die early, Hermione. No kidding," he said.

"Nobody would die just because they're studying hard," she pointed out.

James unabashedly snorted. "I wouldn't be surprised if you were the first one to achieve that."

-ooo-

Hermione's studying had stretched out way beyond lunch time. James was thankful he had eaten something before seeking out the brunette. He tried to persuade her once more that she should at least take a break, but Hermione had snapped at him that she wanted to finish her study schedule for today before she left the library. He had tried to be persistent, but Hermione had started waving her wand vigorously in his direction, threatening to hurtle another Bat-Bogey Hex his way.

Knowing it was futile, James sighed and left her alone. It seemed like Hermione wasn't done yet, and he decided he should at least get himself preoccupied whilst waiting for her, by finishing his homework.

"I'm going to get my things," he told her. "Might as well finish my Potions essay."

"Hmm?" she distractedly said, her eyes not leaving the parchment on the table as she furiously scribbled away. Her eyebrows were knitted together in deep concentration, creases on her forehead already. She was relentlessly nibbling her bottom lip and he swore her hair had grown more voluminous since he came in a few hours ago.

"Merlin, you're mental," he sighed, standing up from his seat with a bemused smile on his face. "Don't die while I'm gone, Hermione."

"All right," she deadpanned and he knew full well that his words hadn't even registered in her overactive brain.

James snickered and slipped out of the library.

As he continued his short trek towards the Gryffindor Tower, James remembered he still hadn't consulted Hermione about the Valentine's Day plan he was going to pull that night. He already had this inkling she'd relentlessly berate him, because honestly, it was a bit ridiculous now that he properly thought about it. The corners of his mouth twitched into a smile, already imagining how her curls would increase in volume by her sheer, crackling magic. Merlin, she was definitely terrifying when she wanted to be. And mesmerising too, thinking how he was sometimes unable to look away from her.

Catching his thoughts, James's eyebrows slowly knitted together in bothersome confusion. He would be lying if he said he hadn't thought about Hermione often since the start of the school-year. Although their study sessions had lessened since she was busy with her OWLs, James usually found himself unintentionally seeking her out on the Ravenclaw table, wondering if she had finally taken a break and eaten her meals on time. He had even sometimes found himself sauntering into the library, his hazel eyes scanning for her bushy curls, wondering if she remembered that curfew was approaching.

It was disconcerting, to say the least, because he couldn't seem to get her out of his head. He still found Lily Evans unbelievably pretty, of course. Since she came back from summer, she'd grown more beautiful, her form already moulded into a certain feminine softness that even the other wizards couldn't help but to look at. But Hermione… Hermione's hair looked rich and golden brown, her eyes still clear and bright like the blue skies he loved so much, and he often found himself trying to connect the freckled dots on her nose, wondering what image he could conjure.

He was grateful the redhead kept on sitting beside Hermione, because he now had a decent excuse as to why he kept on looking at the Ravenclaw table during meal times. He was grateful Lily sometimes kept Hermione company while studying in the library, because he then had a decent excuse as to why he kept on visiting the library.

At night, whilst he laid awake on his bed and stared unseeingly up at the canopy, there was a ridiculous voice - tiny and easily trampled down - that would mercilessly tease him that perhaps, perhaps, pursuing Lily Evans was already a waste of time.

That perhaps, perhaps he didn't like Lily Evans anymore.

But it was so preposterous! And before the voice grew boisterous and persistent, James would firmly tell himself that his Lily flower was the only person in his heart. There wasn't room for anyone else, no matter how ridiculously bushy her hair was, or how soft and warm her pink, pink lips…

'No, no, not that again,' he moaned internally. One thing he still secretly repeated in his mind, over and over and over again, was the feeling of her lips pressed against his. He knew it was brief since he was the one who had immediately pulled away, but those brief seconds had shaken him to his very core and it was insane. That, added with the traitorous memory of her happily eating the toffee, emitting little breathy sighs and sounds of wondrous delight that should be bloody fucking illegal, meant trouble.

His thoughts were interrupted when fiery red hair and emerald eyes caught his attention. His mind registered it was Lily and he distractedly greeted her with a small smile and a "Hey, Evans."

It was only when he reached the end of the corridor when he realised it was Lily Evans who had passed by him. James skidded to a halt and turned around, her name on the tip of his tongue, but he clamped his lips tight when Lily was also looking at him with wide, disbelieving eyes.

The redhead slowly narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Are you brewing a huge prank or something?" she asked with a frown.

"What? No!" he exclaimed almost immediately.

The suspicion on her face was completely replaced by confusion. "No?" she echoed, her eyebrows now knitting together. "Are you sick, Potter?"

He could feel his cheeks heating up. "No," he hotly replied, trying to come up with some obnoxious love declaration for the pretty redhead across from him. But strangely, his head was still too muddled with thoughts of Hermione that he couldn't come up with a decent, cheesy pick-up line.

Lily now looked downright flabbergasted as her jaw dropped. James felt uncomfortable under her gaze and was about to say goodbye, when Lily said, "Will this strange behaviour of yours continue?"

He felt mightily confused, so all he could do was nervously smile. "I don't know," he said, his hand climbing up to rub the nape of his neck. "I hope it won't."

"I hope it will," the redhead interjected with a laugh. "This is honestly infinitely better than your previous behaviour, you bloody toerag."

Lily then cocked her head to the side and observed him once more. James realised this was perhaps the longest conversation they had ever had, without him declaring his undying love for her and her telling him to piss off. "Later, Potter."

She then turned on her heel and walked away, her bright, red hair swaying prettily on her back.

James stared and waited for the fireworks. He stared a little longer, a little harder, and waited for the fuzziness in his brain to appear, or the wild fluttering in his heart.

But they were gone, all gone, and James found himself gaping at her back in disbelief.

-ooo-

The journey back to the Gryffindor Tower was a blur for James. His mind was still filled with the startling revelation that he didn't like Lily Evans anymore. He was just thankful he didn't see any familiar faces along the way, because he sure as hell knew he wouldn't be able to answer any questions coherently.

James stopped right at the doors of the library and sighed. He removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose, willing himself to stop thinking for now. There would be plenty of days to ponder these things. For now, he just wanted to finish his essay in peace.

He blindly meandered through the tables and walked towards the direction of Hermione's table. He only wore his glasses once more when her blurry, bushy hair was nearer.

He came to a sudden halt when he realised Hermione was fast asleep. Her head was buried on her arms, her face directed away from the window. Her bushy curls were splayed messily on top of the table and there was this errant curl that kept on brushing against her nose. Hermione's face scrunched up, obviously uncomfortable.

James sighed in relief since she finally had her much-needed break. He quietly placed his things on top of the table and was about to sit down on the chair, when he noticed that Hermione was really annoyed by the strand brushing against her face.

The Gryffindor scanned the room to see if anyone would see what he was about to do. After realising he and Hermione were practically alone in the library, James crept closer to the brunette and crouched down so his eyes were level with her sleeping face.

He gingerly grasped the curl and brushed it behind her ear. Her face instantly cleared, the discomfort gone, and James found himself unable to stop a ridiculous grin from growing.

Up close, he was able to see her freckles and realised that if he had observed long enough, the dots could create the constellation, Cassiopeia. Her thick lashes brushed gently against the top of her cheek and her lips were slightly parted, blowing puffs of air that warmed his cheek.

His grin faltered as his finger unconsciously fell on her cheeks and traced Cassiopeia. Hermione released a breathy sigh that made him thickly swallow. His eyes were then magnetised to her pink lips, and the feeling of pressing his own lips against them resurfaced in his mind once more. They looked as soft and warm as they had felt and what if… what if he leant just close enough and found out if they still felt the same…

He withdrew as if electrocuted.

The fireworks. The staring. The fuzziness. The fluttering.

All of them drew up like a tidal wave as he shakily stood up and sat on the chair across from the slumbering brunette.

All the feelings he had been expecting to appear when looking at Lily Evans a while ago were present right now, all evoked by merely staring at Hermione's face. These feelings were quite different too, because the feelings he had felt for Lily always appeared gradually, stacking up one after the other, until he couldn't stop looking at her.

But with Hermione, they all drew up in a single force, drowning him deeper and deeper until he couldn't breathe and he had no choice but to stay still and let them wash over him and bring him back to shore.

He knew something in him had changed ever since he'd seen her taking care of Remus back at the Potter Manor. A change that grew monumental when he had given her that unintended kiss in front of the bonfire. And James had tried to dismiss the feelings away because they didn't make sense at all. Lily made sense, so he had latched onto his feelings for her and obsessively come up with new plans to woo the redhead.

But now, with his feelings for Lily simmered down into polite admiration… with his feelings for Hermione wreaking havoc in every recess of his body, James finally silenced everything inside him and listened intently to that tiny voice whispering words that finally made sense.

'You like Hermione,' it mercilessly teased. The voice grew louder and louder, until it was thunderous and its words were the only thing he could hear.

James shakily leaned his chin on top of his upturned palm and stared disbelieving at the oblivious, slumbering, breath-taking witch.

He liked Hermione Pettigrew.

Bloody fucking hell, Peter was going to kill him.

-ooo-

Hermione bolted upright, realising she wasn't reading. Panicked, she glanced at the textbook in front of her and only marginally calmed down when she noted she had finished her study coverage for the day.

A soft yawn tore away from her lips as she glanced outside, surprised that it was already night time.

"Had a good nap?"

She flinched in surprise as her blue eyes landed on the wizard sitting opposite her. James was idly scratching words on parchment, his eyes trained intently on his essay. Hermione was a bit surprised he had stayed and had actually diligently done his homework. She honestly expected him to be gone and to have left her alone, especially when she was tetchy a while ago.

"How long was I asleep?" she asked, rubbing sleep out of her right eye.

"Long enough to cure your headache," was his mere answer.

She suspiciously glanced at him, noting how the corner of his mouth twitched into a small smile. James, however, still hadn't looked up from the parchment.

Hermione reluctantly tore her gaze away from him and looked at her watch. She noted it was already seven in the evening.

"Have you eaten dinner?" she asked.

James quietly shook his head.

The brunette thoughtfully nibbled her lower lip and glanced at her colour-coded schedule. She still had one essay to finish today and she could really finish it fast if she put her mind into it. But she was admittedly hungry, and she doubted that James would leave the library if she chose to stay. Despite her skipping meals, she didn't want her friends doing that too.

"I'm hungry," she announced, already coming to a decision. James's quill stilled. "We should get dinner."

"All right," he answered as he pulled out his wand and waved their things away. He stood up from his seat and grasped both of their bags. "Come on."

Hermione looked at his back in confusion, wondering why he was suddenly acting all distant. She dispelled such thoughts when her stomach started protesting.

He was silent as they journeyed towards the Great Hall. Hermione debated whether she should initiate some small talk, but thought otherwise in the end. Although her mind was clearer this time after her well-deserved nap, she didn't trust herself from spouting words to James that might fluster her.

The Great Hall was already abuzz with hungry students when they arrived. Hermione blinked in amazement, noting the silly red and pink hearts strewn across the walls. There were zooming cupids in the air, crooning love songs she didn't recognise.

"Right, Valentine's Day," she unconsciously murmured, rolling her eyes when she spied house-elves running around and giving away one-stemmed red roses.

Hermione was about to bid him goodbye and walk towards the Ravenclaw table, but James steered her towards the Gryffindor table instead.

"Hermione!" Sirius exclaimed. "You're still alive!"

"Of course I am," she sighed with a petulant frown. Her eyes landed on the table, prompting her nose to scrunch up in disgust. There were overflowing chocolate fondues with various biscuits and fruits surrounding them. There were heart-shaped meat pies, pink pumpkin juices, and other Valentine's Day-themed food served on the table. "The house-elves sure didn't hold back."

"I love Valentine's Day the most," Sirius declared with a dramatic sigh.

From beside him, Remus snorted. "Of course you would, you wanker," the werewolf said, shoving Sirius away when his arm obscured his vision of his plate.

"Hey, James," Peter started, "what about your plan for Lil—"

"Your sister hasn't eaten since breakfast," James then said, cutting Peter off from whatever he was saying.

A chorus of horrified 'what!' erupted in their group, and three pairs of arms were suddenly pulling her down on the Gryffindor bench.

"Hermione," Peter reprimanded, worry in his eyes. "You should really take care of yourself!"

"You can't skip meals, Whiskers," Sirius tutted, already grabbing a plate and piling various kinds of food onto it for her to devour. "Your brain also needs food, blimey."

"Breaks are important," Remus sighed, filling her glass with the ridiculous pink pumpkin juice. "You can't afford to pass out during your OWLs, you know."

Hermione softly laughed at their mothering, her heart warming in fondness for their obvious worry for her. "I'm fine, guys, honest," she said, grabbing onto her utensils to start digging into her meat pie. Peter kept on cajoling her to take another bite. Remus kept on refiling her glass. Sirius kept piling food onto her plate. James was strangely silent the whole time, but his lips were stretched into a warm smile.

To her dismay, however, he still hadn't looked at her.

By the time she was full, most of the students were already retiring back to their dormitories. The house-elves were starting to vanish the flying cupids and the heart streamers.

"Don't you dare go back to the library," her brother warned, hauling her gently onto her feet. James still had her bag hanging on his shoulders. The Marauders had formed a ridiculous circle around her, barring her from escaping.

"I still have an essay to finish," she grumbled.

"I'm sure the deadline isn't tomorrow," Remus guessed with a slightly exasperated smile. "You'll live if you skip it tonight, Hermione."

"But—" Four glares glanced her way, prompting Hermione to sigh in defeat. "Fine," she said. "I'm going to retire to my dormitories then."

"Good kitten," Sirius said, reaching forward to pat the crown of her head. She batted his arm away with a small scowl.

"Shite!" Peter suddenly exclaimed, drawing to a halt. He directed his huge, blue eyes to James. "We forgot about your Valentine's plan for Lily!"

Sirius and Remus also paused in their walking and glanced at James, looks of panic on their faces.

James nervously ruffled his hair and smiled tentatively at his friends. "It was stupid anyway," he deliberately said. "There's always next time."

"Aww, but we put so much effort into it," Sirius complained.

Remus snorted. "Which would still go to waste if Evans chose to storm away," he pointed out, as Peter nodded his head to concur.

Hermione wondered what this elaborate plan had been, that required so much effort from the Marauders, and why in Merlin's rotting teeth James had chosen not to execute it. He had never really paused to think whether his plans were stupid or not before.

She sneaked another glance at James, but as usual, he wasn't looking at her.

The boys were gracious enough to escort her back to the Ravenclaw Tower. Sirius and Remus were already busy cracking the riddle spoken by the eagle-shaped door knocker as Peter drew her into a tight hug and warned her to take everything easy.

"Here," James said, sliding the strap of her bag off his shoulder to extend it towards her.

"Thanks," she murmured, pulling her bag away. She tentatively glanced at him once more and was surprised to see that James was finally looking at her. His eyes almost looked brown under the dim lights of the corridor. James was wearing a small, warm smile on his face when he bid her good night and turned on his heel.

"Goodnight, Whiskers," Sirius murmured, playfully ruffling her hair, before swinging both of his arms over Remus and Peter's shoulders.

She shouted her good night and watched as they walked away.

Just before they disappeared around a corner, James looked over his shoulder and gave her a secret smile that made her breath hitch.

Chapter Text

xviii.

you take more than just my sanity

(One Sweet Love by Sara Bareilles)

June 25, 1977

Hermione luxuriously stretched her arms overhead as she stepped out of Hogwarts castle. The warm, summer breeze blew against her flushed cheeks and she allowed herself to finally, finally relax for the first time this school-year.

Their last OWL exam had just ended and the fifth years were all in a relieved mood. Blessedly, today was also Hogsmeade Day, so they could immediately celebrate in the said town. Hermione had promised to meet Lily and Sev at the Three Broomsticks to celebrate the end of her exams and truthfully, she had missed them so much. Her last few months had been spent in the library with Regulus and her Ravenclaw study partners; Lily and Sev scarcely accompanied her - for unknown reasons - but Hermione didn't seem to mind. She knew they would have only worried themselves sick about her crazy studying, so she had opted to study with the fifth-year students instead.

Hermione's hand climbed to her neck and massaged the knots away. She briefly scanned the Hogwarts grounds in case she saw a familiar face, but most of the students had already gone to Hogsmeade.

"Pettigrew."

She craned her neck and smiled at Regulus, who had casually sauntered beside her. He'd already changed from his impeccable uniform and had donned casual grey robes that brought out the silver of his eyes. He was still terribly overdressed, but Hermione had never really seen him out of such extravagant clothes. She glanced at her own attire – simple Muggle flare jeans and a white, peasant top – and bit back a smile, knowing how uncomfortable Pureblood casual robes could be. The style in this time was weird, but Hermione couldn't deny how comfortable and flowy everything was. She instantly fell in love with flare jeans, since it allowed her legs to breathe. She could still remember the uncomfortable jeans she had to wear during their hunt for the horcruxes.

"How did you do in your OWLs?" he amicably asked, falling into step with Hermione. His head was tilted towards her, but his eyes were staring straight ahead.

Hermione deftly shrugged. "I can't be too sure," she slowly started, "but I think I did well."

A small smirk appeared on the Slytherin's face. "No doubt you'll get all 'O's," he pointed out.

"You can't possibly know that," she retorted back. Though, she did far better in her Defence Against the Dark Arts OWL this year, so he might actually be right.

"Please, humility doesn't suit you, Pettigrew," Regulus said with a small laugh. "With that huge brain of yours, you should be flaunting it and smothering people with inane facts only you apparently know."

Hermione rolled her eyes but wasn't able to stop the corner of her lips from lifting. "I bet you did well yourself," she replied.

"Hmm, we'll see about that," he said, tightly pursing his lips. He was wearing his usual indifferent mask but Hermione could feel his nervousness regarding the results. "Anyway, are you going to Hogsmeade?"

She nodded her head and started to gather her voluminous hair in one hand. It was sweltering hot and she wished she could at least wear short skirts or even shorts in this timeline. But then again, the fashion was still obstinate in the Wizarding World and she would be most likely be frowned at if she showed too much skin.

Hermione once again threw a glance at Regulus's robes and scrunched her nose. "It's ridiculously hot," she said, now tying her hair into a high ponytail. "Why are you even wearing robes?"

He looked honestly confused by her question. "What is wrong with my robes?" he cautiously asked. Regulus started smoothing it down, trying to remove any invisible creases and lint on his impeccable clothes. "I always wear these kinds of clothes on weekends."

The brunette sighed. "Purebloods wear really stuffy clothes," she grumbled, remembering the funeral dress robes she had to wear to attend Sev's mother's funeral. "You're going to Hogsmeade, too, yeah?"

He gave his head a slight tilt. "Say, Pettigrew," he casually started, "maybe you'd fancy having a butterbeer with me today?"

Hermione's eyes slightly widened and she looked back at him. Regulus was once again staring straight ahead, but his cheeks had gone splotchy red. "Oh," she started, "well—"

"As just acquaintances," he quickly added, glancing at her from the corner of his eyes.

The brunette smiled. "You mean as friends?" she corrected.

"Think whatever you want, Pettigrew," he said, the smirk back on his face. He stood a little taller and squared his shoulders, exuding casual confidence that seemed out-of-place during such a relaxing day. "So, will you do me the honour?"

Hermione awkwardly rubbed her cheek and grimaced. "Sorry," she said. "But I promised I'd spend the day with Lily and Sev. I miss them, too, since I was too swamped with OWLs and I haven't spent much time with them."

"Oh," he breathed out, his shoulders slumping a little with dejection. "I – no matter." He gave her another sideways glance as a small smile he rarely showed to people now pasted on his face. "There are still plenty of Hogsmeade Days in the future."

"Yes," Hermione said with a nod. "Maybe we can go to one next school-year as friends."

"As acquaintances," Regulus corrected, his smile growing.

"Merlin, just say that we're friends like a normal human being," Hermione pointed out with a laugh. "You sound like some Wizengamot judge sitting on a coveted Sacred Twenty-Eight seat."

"If you have forgotten, I am an heir to the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black," he reminded, his smile still on his face. "That comparison of yours isn't too farfetched."

A snort escaped from her mouth. "How could I forget when it's something you've constantly yammered about?" she asked.

Regulus's eyes brightened with amusement. Hermione had never seen him this relaxed before and it was actually quite refreshing to see the usually serious and stuffy Pureblood heir having fun.

The Slytherin accompanied her on the carriage ride towards Hogsmeade and conversed with her about all the random topics under the sun. Along the way, Hermione noticed surprised looks on his fellow Slytherin Housemates when their thestral-drawn carriage passed by them.

"The other Slytherins are staring," Hermione blurted out.

The relaxed expression he had been sporting drew into a dark, serious look. There was a hardness in his grey eyes she'd often seen him wear when he was not in a particularly chatty mood, and would furiously write on his parchment like his life depended on it. "Let them stare," he hissed under his breath. She noted how his hands curled into fists, prompting her to frown.

"Are they giving you a hard time because of me?" she tentatively asked.

Briefly, surprise flitted his eyes before he once again hid behind his mask of indifference. "Don't be ridiculous, Pettigrew," he said. "I wouldn't let anyone step out of line. I am the heir to the Most—"

"—Ancient and Noble House of Black. Yes, yes, I know," she said, her frown deepening when he gave her a quick smirk. "They seemed surprised to see you accompanying me, though. Are you sure they're not giving you a hard time?"

"They wouldn't dare," he scoffed, looking every bit like an arrogant Slytherin Pureblood. "Don't concern yourself over the matters of my House. You're just wasting your time."

Hermione swallowed down her remaining questions and instead silently glanced at the brooding Slytherin beside her. She remembered her Ravenclaw friends pointing out that Regulus couldn't afford to be caught associating with someone other than a Pureblood. She would be lying if she said she hadn't tried to think of a reason as to why he kept on pestering her.

Silence settled between them and Hermione silently wondered if she'd like to continue her friendship with Regulus. She was at first resolute this relationship would be purely based on their mutual desire to do well in their OWLs and Hermione was fine with that at first. But, as she had gotten to spend more time with the Slytherin, she had gotten to know sides of him that made him a tolerable and quite witty companion. He reminded her of Viktor sometimes; gruff and broody from some angles, but who could be sweet and kind if he wanted to. It didn't surprise her anymore when she started considering him as a friend, because he was pleasant company.

As they reached the border of Hogsmeade, Hermione firmly told herself she'd ponder more about her continuing friendship with Regulus Black once they had returned for the next school-year.

The Slytherin bid her goodbye and disappeared amongst the crowd. Hermione made a quick stop at Honeydukes and bought Chocolate Frogs for Lily and assorted sweets for Sev. She also grabbed a few toffees for herself and left the sweet shop with less money, but more sweets in hand.

When she entered the Three Broomsticks, she immediately spotted her friends. They were crammed into a booth at the very back of the pub. For a while, she thought they were too closely seated than normal, but brushed that thought away when Lily saw her and broke into a huge smile.

"She's alive!" the redhead happily declared, jumping down from the bench and engulfing Hermione into a bone-crushing hug. "I missed you so much, Hermione. You have no idea."

"I have an inkling," the brunette said, half-gasping and half-chuckling as she pulled Lily's tight arms around her. Her blue eyes landed on a smirking Sev and she smiled. "How have you been, Sev?"

He merely waved his hand dismissively and didn't give her a reply. Instead, his dark eyes were glued on the Honeydukes bag in her hand. "What sweets did you buy?" he asked, trying to look nonchalant.

Lily rolled her eyes and plopped on the chair across from Severus. "Look how he's trying to curb his excitement over new sweets, Hermione," the redhead said with a laugh.

Hermione snorted when Sev's face turned red with embarrassment. "Shut up, Lily," he grumbled.

The brunette slid down on the bench beside the older witch and smiled. "I bought you some Chocolate Frogs, Lily," she said, fishing the said sweets from the bag to pass to the redhead. Then, to Sev, she said, "I bought you as many as humanely possible."

Hermione laughed when Sev's eyes lit up. She grabbed her toffees before passing the whole bag to the excited Slytherin. Severus immediately perused his new sweets and ignored the witches all together.

"How were your OWLs?" Lily then asked. "And don't you dare tell me you're not so sure and we should just wait for your grades, because you and I both know you've done well. Very well, actually. Which is why I don't know why I asked you that stupid question in the first place."

Hermione wound her arms around the vivacious girl. "I missed your incessant chattering, Lils," she sighed, snuggling her head against Lily's neck. "The library was too quiet."

"You were spending an awful lot of time with your Ravenclaw friends," Severus pointed out once the witches had settled back on their seats. "And Regulus Black." The Slytherin grimaced and pinned Hermione with a glare. "Why are you still spending time with him? I told you he's bad news, Hermione."

"He wasn't all bad," she quickly defended. "He was actually a decent study partner. Almost as good as you and Lils."

To her surprise, Sev groaned. "He hangs out with people like Crouch and Rosier," he ground out through gritted teeth. "Those blokes are bad news, too. No, they're terrible news because they dabble with magic that should be deemed illegal in this school."

"How the hell do you know that?" the redhead cried, eyes a little wide.

Severus grew serious. "Hermione, I mean it, stay away from Black," he growled.

Hermione swallowed down the sudden panic that rose up from her stomach. In the confines of the library, it was easy to forget Regulus's future. He was tolerable and intelligent, able to pick her brain on topics that interested her. But she knew that after the end of their OWLs, the reality of his future would soon catch up with her. Even before Sev had told her, she initially had every intention of staying away from him. But, after spending so much time with him, of conversing with him, even knowing a part of him that he sometimes reluctantly, unknowingly, showed to her, she knew it would be too damn difficult to look away.

She cursed herself mentally because she always knew it would end up this way. Hermione, no matter what universe or timeline she was in, always cared. Too much, if she was being honest herself. Because if she didn't care too much, then she would have walked away from both Harry and Ron even before danger caught up with them. If she didn't care too much, she would have stayed silent at home, distanced herself from Peter Pettigrew who grew up to be the brother she loved as much as life itself. If she didn't care too much, then she wouldn't be best friends with Lily and Severus and the Marauders and… and James.

Hermione suddenly found herself unable to breathe properly.

"Live a happy life, Hermione," Harry had told her before he died. He told her to live a happy life, no matter where she was brought into, because she deserved it… because he wanted her to. But if living a happy life meant she had to protect those she had come to care about, then, could Hermione really turn a blind eye when things started to become too heavy, too dangerous… too painful?

Perhaps, Hermione was really cursed to be entangled with people who would have a huge role during this war. Their primary intention with brewing the suspicious potion was to run away from it all. What if the universe didn't want Hermione to run away after all? What if, with a new chance at life in a different timeline with a different name and body all together, meant Hermione could alter the future so it would be devoid of pain and suffering?

"Hermione?" Lily's voice broke through her panicked haze. "Are you all right?"

Her blue eyes focused on the redhead's worried green eyes, comforting herself once more that these were Harry's eyes she was looking at. "Yeah," she breathed out. She glanced at Severus, who looked suddenly worried himself, and forced herself to smile. "Sorry. I'm still exhausted from OWLs." Severus opened his mouth, but Hermione took a sharp intake of breath and pierced him with a glare, "And, you have no right to dictate who I associate myself with. I can take care of myself, Sev."

His hand clenched into a tight fist. "You don't understand," he claimed. "You might get hurt if you continue associating with him."

She knew that, even when she reluctantly agreed to be his study partner for this school year. But, Hermione also knew that there was always a lingering thought in the back of her mind whenever she continued spending time with both Lily and Sev, or when she'd hug Peter tight, or when she'd stare at James Potter's back a little too long.

A wry smile grew on her face. Maybe she was an emotional masochist, trained by a relentless war to endure pain and to continue trudging on.

"Sev, shut up," Lily said, leaning forward to swat his arm reproachfully. "Hermione's obviously tired. Why don't you be a proper gentleman and buy us some drinks, yeah?"

Severus deflated and hesitantly looked at Hermione, knowing his interjections would fall on deaf ears. Hermione gave him an apologetic smile, appreciating that he had at least tried.

"Fine," he gruffly said. "Be right back." He stood up from his seat and walked towards the counter.

"Are you really all right?" Lily asked, touching her elbow for comfort. "Severus is a berk, you know that, but I think he means well."

"I know," Hermione said with a sad smile.

Lily drew her into a hug again and sighed. "I also feel a little uncomfortable with your friendship with Regulus Black, if I'm being honest," she haltingly started. "But, I trust your judgment, Hermione. I know you try to see the good in everybody even though they're hopeless cases. I mean, Merlin, I still don't understand how you can tolerate talking with Potter when he's been an utter toerag for the past few years."

Hermione laughed. "What does that even mean?" she asked.

The redhead sheepishly smiled and pulled away. "I'm not entirely sure," she confessed. "But it's what I started calling Petunia when she kept on calling me a 'freak'."

The Ravenclaw's eyes softened, but Lily merely laughed. "I'm honestly over that already," she said a tad eagerly. "I think the real reason why the three of us have stuck together is because of our mutual dislike for our childhood days."

"Mine wasn't all bad," Hermione said with a soft smile.

"Your mother's lovely," Lily said in agreement. "And at least your brother is Peter. He's the least threatening of the four."

"Too right," the brunette answered with a reverent nod.

While they waited for Severus, the two witches fell into a comfortable conversation revolving around the random things that had happened in the past few days.

While Lily was recounting her disastrous attempt to change Marlene's hair colour, a butterbeer was suddenly slid in front of Hermione. Lily's words died down and both witches looked up, only to see James Potter standing in front of their table.

He looked a bit nervous, but Hermione wasn't entirely sure why. She glanced at the butterbeer in front of her and wondered if James had made a mistake by giving it to her instead.

Frowning, she gripped the neck of the bottle and started to slide it towards Lily, but James suddenly leant forward and gripped the bottle too. Hermione instantly drew her hand back when she felt his finger brush unintentionally against hers.

"It's yours," he said, noting the confusion on her face. "I did promise to treat you to a butterbeer before." James then flashed her a lopsided grin and ran a hand through his hair, making it stick in different directions. "How were your OWLs?"

"They were fine," she slowly said. She looked at Lily in confusion before glancing back at James.

Hermione waited for a sudden burst of love declaration, or even for James to look at Lily, who was sitting right beside her. But he didn't look away and instead focused all of his attention on her. "Are you all right, James?" she slowly asked as her eyebrows knitted in suspicion.

"Why do people keep on asking me that?" James asked in slight exasperation. This only deepened Hermione's frown.

Lily burst into soft chuckles. "I asked him the same question once," she pointed out, a huge grin stretched on her face.

Hermione briefly glanced at Lily, who looked like she wasn't going to scat soon. Her confused blue eyes latched onto the butterbeer once more and she blurted out, "You didn't buy one for Lily?"

James looked surprised. "Err, I didn't," he said, awkwardly rubbing his nape. He tentatively glanced at Lily. "Should I buy you one, too?"

"That wasn't what I meant," Hermione grumbled when Lily slightly shook her head.

"PRONGSIE!"

The three students flinched in surprised at the sudden shout across the busy pub. Some of the people inside paused in their conversation and gaped at the boisterous Sirius Black, who was quickly meandering through the throngs of people, Remus and Peter exasperatedly trailing behind.

"Merlin, do you really have to shout, Sirius?" James asked with a bemused smile.

"Why did you suddenly bolt away like your life depended on it?" Sirius whined, swinging an arm over James's shoulders. "We were in the middle of a prank, honestly."

Instead of answering, James turned a brilliant shade of red and glanced away. Sirius by then, had noticed the two witches seated on the booth and threw a meaningful glance at Lily. The Gryffindor redhead glowered in return.

"Whiskers, hi," Sirius greeted, his grey eyes landing on Hermione. "How were your OWLs?"

"She did great, I'm sure," Peter piped in before Hermione could answer. "I bet she got all 'O's in her OWLs."

"You can't know that for sure," she interjected.

Her brother cocked a challenging eyebrow. "A yearlong supply of toffees if you actually did," he said.

Hermione grinned, unable to resist the temptation of her favourite sweets. "Deal," she said.

"And if she doesn't?" Remus asked.

The Pettigrew siblings shared a look. "She'll be the one to wash the dishes for the rest of our lives while we're still living together under the same house," Peter suggested.

"Figures, you'd want something like that," Hermione pointed out with a laugh. "Fine."

It was at that moment Severus chose to come back, a hovering tray with three bottles of butterbeer and chips behind him.

Hermione still found it mildly amusing how the five boys would simultaneously grimace at the sight of each other. But, surprisingly, their public banters had been reduced to merely silently glaring at each other. No wands were brandished, no goadings, nothing. Hermione was just glad that after the whole werewolf debacle, the Marauders did actually stop going out of their way to torment her best friend.

"We've got to go, Jamesy-boy," Sirius said, clutching onto James's arm to pull him away from the group. "We still have a prank to do, remember?"

"Don't do anything stupid," Hermione warned with a frown.

The identical, scheming grins on their faces prompted her to roll her eyes. "Never mind," she added. "I'm sure you already did."

"You know us very well," James teased, his hazel eyes glinting with trouble only he and his friends could actually pull off.

The four Marauders bid their goodbyes and Hermione waited for James to blurt out some parting love declaration for Lily. But still, James only gave Lily a small smile and left with his friends.

"You already bought a butterbeer," Sev snapped, annoyed.

"No, James gave it to me."

This surprised the Slytherin. "For you?" he asked, surprise in his voice. His eyes scanned the table briefly before glancing at Lily. "And none for you?"

The redhead shook her head.

Now, Severus looked very confused. "Is something wrong with Potter?"

Both witches burst into soft giggles. "We've been asking the same question, honestly," Hermione pointed out.

"Come to think of it, he's been really different since… I dunno, maybe Valentine's Day," Lily continued as Sev took a seat beside her. "The last time I had a conversation with him was that day, and he was out-of-it, like he was deeply disturbed by something I didn't know. I thought at first he was just too troubled to be his usual toerag self, but since then…" Lily lightly drummed her fingers on the wooden table. "He hasn't gone out of his way to pull off those ridiculous and obnoxious plans of his to woo me."

"It's a relief, if you ask me," Sev offered, prompting Lily to snort and vigorously nod her head to concur.

Hermione frowned in confusion and glanced at the butterbeer James had bought for her.

June 30, 1977

Hermione immediately flew into Anya's waiting arms when they spotted her at King's Cross.

"Tough year?" her mother warmly asked as she dropped a kiss on her bushy hair.

"She almost killed herself by studying too much, Mum," Peter snitched, quickly clambering towards the mother-daughter pair whilst pulling both of their trunks.

Anya sighed and lightly glared at her daughter. "No studying this summer," her mother announced. Hermione's eyes widened in disbelief, but Anya was resolute. "I can't believe I'm banning studying, but you need to rest, sweetheart. Invite your best friends over, get out of the house, just no studying."

Hermione glowered at her sniggering brother. "Fine," she petulantly said. "I wasn't even planning to study at all, besides accomplishing my summer homework." She paused and frowned. "I can do that, though, right?"

Her mother pretended to think, the corner of her lips twitching. "Fine," she finally agreed.

Peter laughed and started scanning the train station in search of a familiar silver sedan. "Richard didn't come with you, Mum?" he asked with a frown.

To Hermione's surprise, Anya's cheeks dusted with pink. "Ah – well – I broke up with him," she casually said, unable to meet their eyes.

Hermione's eyes widened in surprise. "What? Why?" her brother spluttered out, immediately wounding his arms around his mother. "You okay, Mum?"

Anya lightly laughed and waved her hand dismissively. "It wasn't working," she said with a grin. Hermione noted her mother wasn't that much affected by the end of her relationship, so that was a relief. "Besides, I knew you both didn't like him very much."

"That's not true," Hermione quickly protested, positively sure her cheeks had gained more colour too.

Their mother gave them a meaningful glance. "He was terribly dull," she flippantly said. "I kept on catching you stifling a yawn, Hermione."

"I wasn't trying to be obvious, I swear," the brunette said with a sheepish smile. "But, you're really okay, Mum?"

Anya expelled a deep sigh. "I think I'm over dating anyway," she said with a laugh. "I've wanted to do a lot of different things - ever since you both started Hogwarts. Maybe this is the time to do it, you know, since we are in the midst of terrible times."

Her face clouded with worry and Hermione remembered the news splattered on the latest issue of the Daily Prophet today. The attacks had increased and there were more deaths with unknown causes. Voldemort was growing restless, was all she could conclude.

"Besides," Anya said, pasting back the smile on her face, "I have two brilliant children to take care of. I don't need another person to take under my wing."

Hermione hugged her mother again and gave her a squeeze. "We want you to be happy, too, Mum," she said. Beside her, Peter nodded his head to concur.

Anya's eyes looked slightly shinier. "You both already make me so happy," she said with a sigh. Hermione smiled against her mother's shoulder and gave her another squeeze. "Now, come on. I've prepared a scrumptious meal for tonight."

Anya held both of their hands and directed them towards the Apparation spot. With a soft pop, the Pettigrew family went home.

Chapter Text

xix.

my memory is cruel

(Between the Lines by Sara Bareilles)

August 5, 1977

Hermione almost toppled over when Lily threw her arms around her. The younger witch laughed and pried Lily away, smiling brilliantly at how genuinely happy Lily was to see her. "Hello," she greeted. Her blue eyes landed on the boy behind her and she stared. "You've grown taller!"

"Hello to you too," Severus said, uneasily gazing around the empty street behind them. "Your street is…" He scrunched up his nose, unable to come up with a decent word. Finally, he settled with "… lively" and nervously ruffled his hair.

"It's lovely," Lily gushed out, also glancing at the potted daisies lining the Pettigrews' small, neat front yard. "Living in Cokeworth for years has been terribly depressing and dull. The bursts of colour and sunlight in your street is refreshing."

Hermione grinned and gestured them to come inside. After Anya's constant pestering for her daughter to just relax during the summer vacation, Hermione had finally thought of inviting her best friends over to make her mother happy. Anya had been bustling around the kitchen ever since she had announced that Lily and Sev would be coming over for a few days. Both Peter and Hermione knew it would be wise to keep out of the kitchen if they wanted to live.

Lily instantly sauntered towards the small table where framed pictures of the Pettigrew family were displayed. Hermione stifled a grin when Sev frowned at the still pictures, as if staring longer would make them move. Among the trio, it was Sev who had grown up in a Wizarding household after all. Besides, despite her Pureblood heritage, Anya wanted the infusion of anything Muggle in their home, after living as such when Timothy Pettigrew was still alive.

"I know I've said this before, but you really look like your mother," Lily pointed out as she lifted a brown picture frame showing a younger Anya and a six-year-old Hermione smiling widely at the camera.

"I get that a lot," Hermione answered with a smile.

"You really look like a Selwyn," Sev pointed out, prompting Hermione to grimace. "Anyone who's obsessed with Purebloods can clearly see the golden curls and blue eyes as a distinct trait of the Selwyns."

"They're not my family," she said with a flourished eye roll.

Sev merely shrugged and started to look around - thinly-veiled amusement and suspicion painted in his black eyes. "What's that?" he asked, pointing at a black box with different buttons on it. He leant down and pressed a random button. A news reporter suddenly appeared, prompting Severus to yelp in surprise and glance at Hermione with wild eyes. "What the bloody hell is that?"

"A telly, Sev," Lily said with a laugh. "Think of it as different moving pictures strewn together to tell a story."

The Slytherin glanced at the television once more, this time with obvious fascination.

"Fancy some tea?" Hermione then asked. "I can prepare some in the kitchen." Lily nodded her head and smiled in thanks while Sev reluctantly glanced away from the television, this time showing a red carpet and various beautifully dressed Muggles strutting amidst blinding flashes of cameras.

The younger witch grinned and hooked arms with Sev, pulling him away. "I'll let you watch later, promise," she said.

Hermione brought her friends towards the kitchen, but stopped midway as she beheld the sight inside. Their table boasted various delicious meals, varying from meat and pasta and desserts, so much so that the table was almost over crowded. Towering pots and plates were deposited in the kitchen sink, some hovering mid-air while an invisible hand scrubbed them clean.

Amidst the chaos stood her mother, her favourite worn pink apron tied around her small waist. Anya's hair had grown voluminous due to the humidity, but her mother didn't seem to mind.

"Mum!" the brunette gasped. "What have you done?"

"Oh!" Anya exclaimed, swivelling around to glance at the newcomers. She beamed brightly at Hermione's best friends, who were both gaping in disbelief at the feast in front of them. "Hello Lily and Severus. I didn't know you had arrived." She absentmindedly wiped her hands against the apron and gestured at the table teeming with food. "Go on then. Don't be shy. I'm not done yet though, but I will be soon."

"Not done?" Hermione squeaked. "Mum, you've prepared enough food to feed a school!"

Her mother merely laughed and waved her hand dismissively. "Don't be ridiculous, darling," she clucked, striding forward to grasp both Lily and Sev's arms. "Come now, come sit down children. Severus! You've gotten thinner since the last time I saw you. You can't get out of your chair without gaining at least a pound!"

"Err…" The young wizard paled and allowed Anya to push him down on his chair.

"Mum!"

"I was kidding, darling," Anya said with a pretty smile. She then smiled kindly at the redhead and placed her on the empty seat beside Sev. "Lily, love, how are you?"

"I'm fine, Mrs. Pettigrew," she politely replied.

"Please, Anya will do," her mother said with a laugh. "I prepared a chocolate cake today. I may have placed some Chocolate Frogs inside, since Hermione told me they're your favourites."

Lily's cheeks matched her fiery, red hair. "Oh, thank you, that's very kind," she said once more, her smile almost blinding.

"Come now, Hermione, don't just stand there," Anya ushered. She then glanced around and frowned. "Where's your brother? PETER!"

Heavy footsteps from upstairs was heard. Her brother, who had grown taller again over the summer, came bounding down the stairs. "I'm here, I'm he— whoa." He gaped at the overflowing food with wide eyes, before glancing at his mother. "Mum, you've prepared enough food to feed a school!"

Hermione snorted and sat on the chair beside Lily. "That's exactly what I told her," she pointed out. "I think Mum got a bit excited since we have visitors today."

"You never bring your friends home," Anya huffed as Peter took the last empty seat. "You've never brought your friends over either, Peter."

"Mum, trust me, it's for the best," Peter claimed with a laugh. "Sirius will mostly likely woo the magic out of you. Remus will be cranky if it's – ah – well. And James will most probably brew up a prank that might make you ban him from coming over forever."

"Besides," Hermione added, "our house cannot handle four rowdy boys, Mum."

Anya sighed and smiled at their visitors. "Go on then, tuck in!" she claimed.

Peter smiled at Lily in greeting. "Lily, hello," he said. When his blue eyes landed on Sev, the smile faltered. "Sniv – Snape."

"Pettigrew," Sev coolly replied, before focusing his attention on slicing his roast beef.

Hermione and Anya exchanged amused glances. The younger witch had told her mother before about the rivalry between her best friend and the Marauders. Hermione had previously hesitated in inviting Severus over, because she was nervous he would only spend his whole stay snarling at Peter, which her brother would gladly return, no doubt. But the civility between them was surprising, albeit amusing, and Hermione was just thankful they wouldn't make this difficult at all.

Their oven suddenly dinged, bringing Anya to her feet. "Anyone want to taste my freshly-baked biscuits?"

"You made biscuits too?" Peter asked incredulously.

"And a new batch of chocolate chip cookies," Anya added.

Hermione chuckled and fondly looked at her beaming mother. "Mum, honestly." If Anya acted like this every time she brought over her friends, then Hermione made a mental note to invite Lily and Sev over as often as she could.

August 6, 1977

"Another movie?" Hermione asked as the credits rolled onto the screen. Lily moaned and buried her head under the throw pillows on the couch. Sev, on the other hand, glanced at Hermione with silent hope in his eyes. "All right, the sourpuss wants to watch another one."

"No more, please," Lily pleaded. "If I watch another movie, my head is going to burst open."

The brunette shifted on the couch and plopped her head down on top of Lily's lap. "Come on," Hermione cajoled. "Look at Sev. Have you ever seen him so engrossed before? The only time we see him like that is when he's brewing another one of his ridiculously complicated potions."

The redhead moaned again but didn't say anything in return. Hermione chuckled and started changing channels, in search for another movie they could watch. She browsed through different shows, of sitcoms and cooking shows and of various commercials that sold everything under the sun. Hermione had never really found it fun watching the television before, but since she was in a new timeline and things were different, she sometimes tried to watch it to compare shows with those shown in the 90's.

"Wait," Sev gravelly said.

Hermione immediately paused and knitted her eyebrows at the news that was flashing on the screen. Lily gasped, eyes growing wide as they watched a news reporter talk about the mass murder of a few Muggle families from a quaint street in Notting Hill. Although their bodies were censored, the media had no qualms showing how these bodies, about twenty or more, were lining the streets whilst spectators with horrified faces gathered at the sides. Cameras continuously flashed and reporters swarmed around, facing their respective cameras while they announced the unusual deaths.

"… said the cause of death was still unidentified," said the news reporter, a greying man with a terrible grimace on his face. "The coroner, however, insisted they all died the same way. It was said the victim's organ systems suddenly shut down without any underlying diseases. The youngest victim, a five-year-old girl, had no other reported diseases prior to her untimely death."

The screen then shifted to another news reporter at the crime scene with a trembling witness beside him. "… a strange mark overhead," the elderly woman sobbed. "It was green and I'm not sure but I think – I think there was a skull and a snake. Oh, it was horrible, so horrible. They were good people. I don't know why this happened to them."

Severus took a sharp intake of breath. "The Dark Mark," he shakily murmured, his face growing as white as a sheet. "It was the Dark Mark."

"Voldemort's mark?" Lily whispered.

"Don't say his name!" the Slytherin hissed, his head whipping around so fast Hermione heard his neck crick. "Never say his name."

"Why?" Hermione blurted out.

Sev slowly swivelled his head this time until his dark eyes were piercing Hermione's. "Just… don't," he said, looking tired all of a sudden.

"It's getting worse, isn't it?" the redhead asked, worry now painted on her pretty face. "I mean, I know he has always been a threat. And his band of followers – what are they called?"

"Death Eaters," Hermione gravelly murmured.

If it was more possible, Sev grew paler and stared intently at his hands.

"Yeah, them," Lily breathlessly said. Her green eyes were almost stark against her pale face. "I think the Daily Prophet isn't reporting the extent of the attacks, but I always felt that…" She bit her bottom lip and glanced at her feet. "… that you know, since he hates Muggleborns so much – people like me – sometimes I worry if he'll get to me, to my family."

"I will never let that happen!" Sev vehemently said, much to the surprise of the redhead.

Lily's eyes glistened with unshed tears as a shaky smile appeared on her face. "You are nothing against him, Sev, honestly," she lightly joked, but Hermione could see there was warmth behind her gaze.

"We have Dumbledore," he insisted, looking away from Lily once more, his cheeks suspiciously pink. "They said he is the only wizard You-Know-Who fears."

Hermione swallowed down her words, wanting to point out that even Dumbledore was powerless to stop him in the future. With that thought, her panic flared into a blazing inferno and Hermione suddenly couldn't breathe. She quickly excused herself, lest she broke down in front of her friends, and went to the kitchen.

Her body brought her towards the refrigerator, and Hermione fumbled with the door handle. Images of the war, of turmoil and grief and pain and destruction, flashed before her eyes. She remembered all of the adventures she had gone on with Harry and Ron during their Hogwarts years, of how they had always luckily dodged death, secretly wondering when it would all end. She remembered the Battle at the Department of Mysteries, and the spell Antonin Dolohov had thrown her way - that would have killed her, if she hadn't had been fast enough to dodge it. She remembered Albus Dumbledore's lifeless eyes staring heavenward. She remembered the horcrux hunt, the Gringotts break-in, Bill and Fleur's wedding… She remembered the Battle of Hogwarts, the lives they'd lost. She remembered Ron – sweet, sweet Ron – who'd she'd loved with all of her heart, eyes dull and unseeing.

And above all, she remembered Harry Potter, whose emerald eyes had dimmed as the war had stretched on. She remembered the hopelessness in them, the anger, the exhaustion, the resignation.

Her grip on the fridge door handle tightened, belatedly realising tears had now steadily started pouring down from her eyes. Sobs tore through her chest and she had to bite on her bottom lip hard so as not to alert the other people in the house.

She had always waited for a breakdown. After everything she had been through, Hermione had always anticipated there would come a day when everything that had happened to Hermione Granger would catch up with her, overwhelm her, suffocate her, until it was hard for her to breathe. There were moments when she almost lost it, but then, she'd see a face she'd come to love in this timeline, and she'd latch onto them like an anchor, until their mere presence brought her back to earth.

But, after witnessing murders that were undoubtedly committed by Voldemort and his followers, because of their irrational hate for those who weren't like them, all those memories came back to her as a great tsunami. Hermione gulped down large amounts of air, afraid that she would drown from all the terror she had witnessed in the past. There was no anchor around her, and she was sinking and sinking, going farther away from the surface.

"Hermione?"

A mixture of a gasp and a sob tore away from her mouth as she swivelled around. Peter was standing at the doorframe, worry and uncertainty in his blue eyes. Hermione found herself able to properly breathe once more; at the same time, sobs poured out from her mouth.

"What's wrong?" Peter worriedly asked as he immediately went to her side. His blue eyes were clear with worry and fear, and Hermione just couldn't stop crying.

He wound his arms around hers and rubbed circles on her back, murmuring incoherent words she didn't bother to understand. Hermione grasped the back of his shirt, like he was the tightrope that would pull her back to the surface.

Peter held her for minutes, or maybe hours; Hermione wasn't sure. By the time her sobs had quietened into silent tears, her cheeks had coloured in embarrassment and horror at being caught breaking down.

"Will you tell me what just happened?" he asked, but the brunette was already shaking her head.

He pulled her away from his arms and peered down. "Hermione," he sternly said, "I told you that if you need anything, you can always come to me, yeah?"

She gave him a watery smile. "I– I'm sorry," she sniffed, haphazardly wiping her tears away. "I was just trying to search for a drink, and ah – well – we only have cheap soda and I don't like soda and—"

"You're bloody crying because of cheap soda?" Peter asked in bewilderment. "Maybe you're more mental than what I originally thought."

Hermione swatted his arm, prompting him to lightly glare in her direction.

His glare morphed into silent worry once more. "Are you really all right, Hermione?" he anxiously asked. "Did… did something happen between you and your best friends?" A frown bloomed on his face. "Did Snivellus—"

"Severus," she grounded out, "didn't do anything. And, I'm – well – I think I am all right now." She wiped away the remaining tears from her face and shakily smiled at her brother. "Don't worry about me now, Petey."

"Are you sure?" he dubiously asked. "You know that I'm going to James's manor tomorrow, but if you're not feeling well, maybe I can just skip that—"

"No, no, don't cancel," she insistently said. "You've been excited about this for days and I don't want you to ditch them." Peter opened his mouth to protest, but Hermione beat him to it. "I'm fine, Peter. Besides, Lily and Sev will be with me tomorrow."

He still looked uncertain. "You sure?" he asked.

Hermione expelled a soft laugh and nodded. "Yes," she replied, pulling away from his arms. She then washed her face to remove any remnants of her breakdown. "Don't mind me now, Peter. Go pack your things because surely you're still avoiding that and won't do it until the last minute."

"Ah, yes, she's bloody fine," he grumbled, rolling his eyes at her nagging.

The brunette merely smiled.

She was finally back on land, all thanks to her brother.

August 7, 1977

Peter strode out from the fireplace and brushed the soot from his shoulders. Even before he could place his bag down, loud footsteps from upstairs resounded around the lavish foyer of the Potter's Manor. His eyes widened when James ran down two steps at a time, and by the time he had landed on the last step, he was already panting, his face glowing red.

"Oh," James faltered and slowly frowned. "You're alone?"

A look of confusion appeared on Peter's face. "Um, yes," he said, lamely gesturing at himself.

The bespectacled wizard didn't meet his eyes as his hand climbed to the back of his neck. "Hermione didn't come with you?" he asked in a rush that Peter almost didn't catch it.

"No," Peter said, still mightily confused. "Lily and Snape came over a few days ago and Hermione's playing host. I didn't know you were expecting her."

"Oh," James repeated, slumping dejectedly as he trudged upstairs, his steps now slower and timid.

"Bloody hell, James!" Sirius exclaimed as he and Remus finally caught up with their best friend. "I didn't know you were that excited to see Wormtail."

The Potter heir merely sighed and pushed them away as he continued upstairs. Peter glanced at the other two questioningly, but both Sirius and Remus merely shrugged their shoulders, obviously confused with James's sudden demeanour.

"Come on, then," Remus said, ushering him upstairs.

Peter clambered up behind the two, casually asking them how they'd been during the summer. Sirius was busy recounting a particularly hilarious prank he and James had pulled with Euphemia a week ago, that had barred them from going into the Drawing Room until they returned to Hogwarts.

"James's parents are too lenient with your rowdiness," Remus tutted.

"They love James," Sirius pointed out with a laugh. "And me, obviously. Of course, they'd let us get away with almost anything."

Peter snickered, wondering how Anya would react if she suddenly found herself victim to his best friends' pranks. He really wanted to invite his friends over, but he knew them too well. His mother may be lovely and kind, but she had this fantastic temper that was definitely a trademark of a Selwyn. He knew she wouldn't be lenient with James and Sirius with their pranks. Hermione's knack for ruling with an iron fist undoubtedly came from Anya, after all.

Sirius directed them inside James's bedroom and immediately settled on an elegant maroon armchair with golden trimmings. James was sitting on his King-sized bed, a burgundy blanket draped over his lap.

Peter slightly blinked at the room, still unused to how ridiculously neat and lavish James's room was. It was easy to forget that he was best friends with an insanely rich heir, since James never really acted like a usual, snooty Pureblood bigot when they were at school. Which was why he was still caught off-guard every time he stepped inside the Potter Manor - with every nook and cranny screaming old money.

He chose to sit on an ottoman while Remus invited himself over to sit at the foot of James's bed.

James finally snapped out of his weird mood and played with his Golden Snitch. "Any news, Petey?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Well," he started, "nothing much. Same old, I guess."

The only exciting thing that had happened to him during the break was yesterday, when he had caught Hermione sobbing her eyes out over a can of cheap soda in their fridge. He admittedly panicked at first, because he had never seen his sister cry her eyes out like that, and it had taken him a few minutes to calm her down. Of course, he never bought her lie about hating cheap soda to the point of crying, but at least she looked marginally better after. He still worried about what had bothered her, but he knew she'd tell him if something was wrong with her. Hermione always did after all.

James stopped tossing the Snitch and pulled out his wand. With a brief wave, his door latched closed. Peter's eyes widened, surprised with his display of non-verbal magic, but James had always been brilliant at Charms.

"Have you seen the latest news?" James asked in a low voice, his eyebrows knitting together.

"What news?" Remus asked, confused. "I mean, there was the news about a new Keeper for the Chudley Cannons—"

"No, not that kind of news," James said, cutting him off. "I meant about the attack on Muggles living in Notting Hill."

Peter's eyes widened in recognition. "I heard about that," he gravely replied with a solemn nod. "Hermione and her friends were listening to that yesterday and I overheard."

"The Daily Prophet said it shouldn't cause any alarm," Sirius pointed out with a derisive snort. "Said it was an accident by some wayward wizard."

"Then, how can they explain the Dark Mark?" Peter seriously asked. Identical grave looks appeared on the others' faces. "The witness said she'd seen a mark in the sky – green, with a skull and snake. Isn't that the symbol for Voldemort?"

Sirius flinched at the mention of the evil wizard's name and frowned. "Merlin, I'd actually forgotten about him," he drawled. "My parents wouldn't shut up about him for ages, praising his works and ideology. It was sickening, honestly."

"Well, I overheard my parents talking about it yesterday," James continued. He jumped off his bed and started to pace, absentmindedly tossing the Golden Snitch in the air once more. "They caught me almost immediately, but I demanded them to tell me what they knew about the attack."

"Let me guess," Remus said with a sigh, dramatically falling onto his back. "They said you're too young to know."

"Bingo, Moony," James said, snapping a nod in his direction. "But I insisted I've already turned seventeen, practically an adult by Wizarding standards." He stopped his pacing and frowned deeply at his friends. "And besides, I told them if I were to become an Auror in the future, I should know who I'll be dealing with."

Peter leant forward, his blue eyes trained intently on James. "And they relented?" he asked, hope in the tone of his voice.

He slowly nodded his head and plopped down on his bed again. "They confirmed it was Voldemort who did it," he continued. "There were a lot of victims during the attack, so it was only logical that a huge group of people wreaked havoc." He gravely stared at his friends. "Dad said there were a bunch of wizards and witches, their faces hidden behind silver masks, who mercilessly cast the Killing Curse on the innocent Muggles."

"The Death Eaters," Sirius growled. "Of course."

James nodded his head. "They've grown larger, Dad said. Voldemort has been unceasingly recruiting for years and – well—" He paused and grew worried, his hands now playing with the fluttering wings of the Golden Snitch. "He feared that Voldemort would try to recruit me in the future, since I'm a Pureblood with decent magical skills." His hazel eyes latched onto Sirius's worried ones. "You too, Dad said. As a Black." His eyes then landed on Remus and grimaced. "With your furry little problem, you're possibly off the hook."

Remus snorted, his lips curled into a sneer. "Lucky me," he drawled sarcastically.

"But aren't you a bunch of Blood-Traitors?" Peter blurted out. His cheeks flooded red at their simultaneous eye rolls. "I mean, obviously, you don't share his ideology of ridding the Wizarding World of people who do not have Pureblood running in their veins. Why should he waste time recruiting you both when he can scour the whole Sacred Twenty-Eight to recruit worthy followers?"

Sirius stiffened at his words, and Peter didn't doubt he was thinking about his brother. This made Peter worried too, because he knew from James that Hermione had spent a lot of time with the Black heir last year. If he was bad news, entangled with Voldemort and his scheming ways, then he worried for Hermione's safety.

"Because he wants to build an army," Remus deadpanned. "The Sacred Twenty-Eight isn't enough. He's trying to search for other worthy, strong followers, no matter their blood statuses. Pledging their loyalty to him would be enough."

Peter blanched at Remus's words and fearfully looked at James and Sirius. He didn't really know much about Voldemort since he practically grew up in a Muggle household. Anya's stories about Voldemort were merely fairy tales, something to scare him if he was being naughty. Somehow, he felt that Anya was warning him of Voldemort's dangerous ways, since she grew up in a Pureblood household that was as entangled with the Dark Arts as the Blacks.

"He might come for you too, Peter," James pointed out.

"Me?" he squeaked.

"You're a Selwyn," Sirius explained, nodding his head to agree with James's words. "Despite being a Half-blood, an ancient Pureblood family's blood still courses through your veins. Voldemort might deem you worthy."

Cold fear gripped his heart, blanching at the thought. "I'm not even good at anything," he said with a nervous laugh.

James snorted and continued to toss the Golden Snitch in the air. "I'm sure your golden blood will overshadow whatever faults you have, Wormtail," he pointed out.

"Shite," Remus suddenly said, shooting upright. His eyes were wide like a full moon. "He might come for Hermione."

"What?!" Peter gasped. James fumbled with the Golden Snitch, unable to catch it for the first time in ages. The winged ball zoomed around the room, but the wizards were unable to notice it, their heads filled with Remus's words.

"Shite," Sirius echoed, face growing paler. "It makes sense. Hermione's bloody brilliant, and terrifying, and she's half Selwyn. She's everything the bloody bastard is searching for." The normally carefree wizard suddenly looked too serious, too afraid, and Peter didn't like it one bit. "I don't doubt it either, if he's heard of her already."

The cold fear morphed into a roaring feeling of indignation and overprotection. "No, no, I won't let that happen," he snarled, his hands curling into tight fists.

James distractedly lifted his hand and deftly caught the zooming Snitch. His hand tightly enclosed around the golden ball as he glared darkly at his feet. "Me too," he swore. "He'd have to get through me first."

"And me," Sirius said with a resolute nod.

"And me," Remus echoed with a tense jaw.

Their declaration marginally calmed him down. Peter lightly smiled at his friends, grateful and surprised at the same time, that they were thinking about his sister's welfare too. He didn't really know when it had happened, but Hermione had deeply ingrained herself in the Marauder's life. Sirius had once joked that she was an honorary member of their little club, prompting Hermione to roll her eyes, but somehow, Peter knew Sirius didn't purely mean it as a joke.

"Dad also revealed something to me," James continued, plopping down onto his bed once more. "Our family has always been vocal about our opinions on Pureblood bigotry and all that shite, so we've gained a few enemies along the way. At the same time, we caught the eye of Dumbledore and we have been funding his cause ever since."

"What has Dumbledore got to do with all of this Voldemort drama?" Sirius asked with a frown.

James's hazel eyes lit up in sudden excitement. "Dad said Dumbledore has been secretly building a resistance against Voldemort and his Death Eaters," he lowly said. "The Order of the Phoenix, is what it's called."

Sirius whistled under his breath. "Wicked name," he commended.

"I know," James continued with a wide grin. "Dumbledore's trying to recruit too, and Dad said he might ask us to join after graduating."

"I know it's too early to say," Peter slowly said, "but I'm going to join in a heartbeat. If it means we can get rid of that vile dark lord."

James's grin had grown full blown. "That's the spirit, Peter," he claimed. "I told my parents I will join too if Dumbledore asks me. Mum was hesitant, said things are about to get messier now that Voldemort's army is growing, but I insisted. We're at war after all. We can't afford not to choose sides."

"Besides, Dumbledore is the only wizard Voldemort fears," Sirius piped in, a wicked grin on his face. "If we want to defeat him, then siding with Dumbledore is the wisest decision."

"So, that's settled then," James said with a firm nod. "Messrs, all in favour of joining 'The Order of the Phoenix' after graduating say aye."

The booming 'Ayes' in the bedroom reverberated against the rich wallpapers.

"Right," James continued with a laugh. "I have one last piece of news."

He rummaged inside his robe pocket and pulled out a shiny object. He tossed it in the air, towards Peter's direction. As someone who wasn't gifted with James's stellar Quidditch reflexes, Peter slightly fumbled with the object and almost didn't catch it.

He threw a light glare at the snickering wizard before he glanced down at the object in his hands, noticing its shiny, maroon colour, bearing a proud, golden 'H' in the middle of it.

"You've made Head Boy?" Peter asked with wide, surprised eyes.

"And this." James quickly pulled out another object in his pocket and threw it in Sirius' direction this time. He was able to catch it more elegantly than Peter and showed another maroon badge, this time with the golden word 'Captain' embossed on it.

"The wanker actually made Quidditch Captain too," Sirius snorted, although a proud smile was stretched on his face.

"Well, I thought Moony'd make Head Boy," Peter pointed out with a quirked eyebrow.

Remus sighed and shrugged. "Dumbledore did offer me the position but I politely declined," he said with a wry smile. "I think being a werewolf is already too much of a responsibility. Besides, I'll still retain my Prefect status, so there's that."

"Hogwarts will surely crash and burn under Prongsie's dictatorship," Sirius joked, immediately ducking when a pillow soared over his head.

"I'm going to be the best Head Boy Hogwarts has ever seen, you just wait," James passionately declared, comically shaking the Golden Snitch in the air.

Peter snorted at his claim. "Imagine Hermione's horror when she discovers you made Head Boy," he pointed out.

The smile on James's face was blinding as he ran a hand through his hair. "She'd be proud of me, yeah?" he said, hope in his voice.

"After she's nagged you first on the importance of being Head Boy, I'm sure, yeah," Peter said with a laugh.

James guffawed and lifted a clenched fist in the air. "Iron fist," he said.

Peter mirrored his hand gesture and widely grinned. "Iron fist," he echoed.

September 1, 1977

People were sombre, Hermione noticed.

As she pulled her trunk along the corridor on the Hogwarts Express in search of her best friends, Hermione couldn't shake away the terrified faces she had seen on parents when they had dropped off their children for another school-year. She knew it was from the increasing attacks in both Muggle and Wizarding London. The massacre of Muggle families in Notting Hill wasn't the last. News about wizards and witches, both young and old, dying due to the Killing Curse and other dark curses, had been plastered all over the Daily Prophet. Hermione still scoffed at how they yammered on and on that the world was safe, but the menacing Dark Mark splashed on the front pages every day begged to differ.

Hermione had a feeling prior to boarding the train that this year would be different, magnificently different. A niggling feeling at the back of her mind constantly told her to be vigilant this school-year, to keep her eyes open for any strange activities, and to observe people who had started to act oddly.

She paused her inner turmoil when she spied Regulus's familiar black hair inside a compartment. The Black heir was alone, his silver eyes trained intently outside the window, seemingly lost in thought.

Shaking her head to get rid of any depressing thoughts, Hermione pasted a small, pleasant smile on her face and opened the compartment door.

"Hey," she greeted.

Instead of his usual drawl, Regulus stiffened at the sound of her voice. The smile on her face faltered as he slowly turned to face her, a dark scowl marring his handsome face. Hermione instantly noticed the dark moons under his eyes, the dangerous glint in his molten silver eyes, and his tense jaw.

"What do you want?" he irately snapped.

Hermione's eyebrows knitted together in confusion, wondering why Regulus was in such a bad mood. "Well, somebody got up on the wrong side of bed," she deliberately said, hoping her tone sounded teasing instead of confused and angry.

She watched as his hands on his lap balled into tight fists. "Get out," he harshly whispered.

"What?" she snapped, growing a tad furious at the tone of his voice.

"I said get out, Pettigrew," he ground out through gritted teeth. "Do I have to repeat myself again?"

"Blimey, what has gotten into you?" she said, rolling her eyes at his ridiculous temper.

Regulus was suddenly on his feet, his wand clutched tightly in his right hand. "Get out, Pettigrew, or I'll—"

"What, hex me?" she growled, glaring darkly at his brandished wand. "No need to waste your energy, Black. I'm leaving. And here I thought we were actually friends."

She harrumphed away and stomped out of the compartment, but not before she saw a certain flicker in his silver eyes that bothered her immensely.

As she crossed the threshold, her path was blocked by a towering form. Blinking in surprise, she lifted her face and was greeted by Barty Crouch Jr.'s snarling face. His tongue still did that weird, flicking thing as he met her gaze with wild, beady eyes.

"You're in my way," she softly murmured, trying to stamp down whatever discomfort he made her feel. There was something about the young version of the Death Eater that still gave her the creeps. Perhaps, she remembered how he'd consumed bottles of Polyjuice Potion in order to impersonate a respectable veteran Auror, just to orchestrate the return of Voldemort.

"Is she bothering you, Regulus?" he casually asked, looking over her shoulder to stare at the silent heir behind her.

She kept her gaze on the Slytherin in front of her, unable to see whatever movement Regulus did.

"Let her go," he coldly commanded. "She was just leaving."

Disappointment bloomed on Crouch's face as he looked back at Hermione. Briefly, she remembered an image of Crouch disguised as Moody, his wand pointed at a poor spider as he uttered Unforgivables.

Hermione swallowed down her fear and pushed past him, ignoring the other Slytherin lurking behind the menacing wizard.

She soon found Lily and Sev a few compartments away from where Regulus had been. By the time she had slid inside, she was more bothered with Regulus's odd behaviour than furious. Such was her distraction, she didn't even notice the new shining badge pinned on Lily's robe, or how she hastily withdrew her hand from Sev's warm hold.

"Is something the matter, Hermione?" the redhead asked, worry on her face as she stood up from her seat beside the Slytherin and sat down beside the brunette instead.

"I just had the strangest encounter with Regulus Black," the brunette said with a frown, unwilling to let her thoughts run wild in fear of what she'd conclude.

Severus's face darkened at the mention of his name. "Hermione," he growled, "I told you to stay away from him."

Hermione rolled her eyes, too tired to snap at him. "And I told you I'd associate myself with whoever I want, Sev," she tiredly pointed out.

His jaw tensed as he suddenly shot forward and tightly gripped her hands. "Hermione, please," he beseeched. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw how Lily's eyes widened at his begging. "I know you are mighty stubborn and I know you can take care of yourself, but all I'm asking is for you to stop being friends with Black. Especially now. Not when he's—" He tentatively trailed off, his black eyes shifting away from Hermione's horrified stare. "If you want to live a happy life, you should stay away from him, and anybody else he associates with for that matter."

Bile rose up in her throat.

She wanted to stop herself from thinking, knowing that she'd arrive at a conclusion that would make one of her worst fears realised. But with Sev's eyes and words, Hermione already had this inkling as to why Regulus was acting as such.

'It's happening,' a panicked voice whispered. 'It's happening. The war. It's here. It's here.'

"Hermione?" Lily's voice cut through her inner terror. "You don't look good."

"I – I'm going to the loo," she excused.

Before Lily or Sev could stop her, Hermione scrambled out of their compartment and blindly sought for the comfort of the toilet. As soon as she got there, she doubled over the toilet and proceeded to empty her stomach. Tears pricked her eyes at the force and she shakily wiped away the beads of sweat on her forehead once she was done.

"It's happening," she whispered to no one. The tears in her eyes increased as dread grew and engulfed her whole. She worried about Regulus Black, who had become her friend.

As she leaned her head against the cold wall, Hermione had a single thought running inside of her mind.

The war was here and she knew she couldn't look away anymore.

Chapter Text

xx.

and suddenly i see you

(Venus by Sleeping at Last)

September 9, 1977

Hermione grinned when she spied the Head Girl sprawled tiredly on the grass near the Black Lake. Lily had begged Hermione to accompany her at said lake that afternoon, wanting to get away from her suddenly overwhelming responsibilities.

"Hello," the brunette greeted, obscuring Lily's face as she peered down at her.

Lily's green eyes popped open. "Hermione," she groaned. "Hi, come. Lie down beside me. I don't think I can get up."

The Ravenclaw snorted and chose to sit cross-legged beside the exhausted Head Girl. "It hasn't even been a week since you were appointed as Head Girl," she pointed out. "You look like a year has already passed."

"Well, it bloody feels like it," she grumbled under her breath. Lily shifted so that her head could rest on Hermione's lap. "I always knew being Head Girl would be hard. I mean, I aimed to become one after all. But now that I'm actually here – well – I love it, of course. But it's too much work."

"What's this?" Hermione asked with a mock gasp. "Lily Evans is starting to complain about too much work?"

Lily lightly swatted her arm, prompting Hermione to laugh. "Headmaster Dumbledore expects so much it's exasperating," she complained. She lightly glared at the still-laughing brunette. "Oh you, go on, laugh. I'm sure you'll be Head Girl next year and you'll see what I'm complaining about."

"You don't know that," Hermione pointed out.

"Please, Hermione," Lily said with a snort. "You got ten 'O's in your OWLs. All 'O's in your OWLs, blimey! Your colour-coded schedules are famous in this school. If anybody's worthy of becoming a Head Girl, I'm placing all of my bets on you."

This thought made Hermione pause, knowing this was a true possibility. It hadn't really bothered her when she wasn't given the position of Prefect in this timeline. It was too much work and she really, truly wanted to focus on her studies instead. But most of the time, the appointed Heads hadn't held a Prefect position in previous years. Besides, she had the grades and the diligence to become one.

A pleasant thrill ran down her spine. Hermione Granger always wanted to become a Head Girl and she had worked her very best to be given that position. Professor McGonagall had hinted at the end of their sixth year that she would undoubtedly be given it the following school-year, but then, of course, the horcrux hunt had happened and those dreams weren't realised. Perhaps, Hermione Pettigrew could finally uphold that dream.

"At least our personal dormitory is lovely," Lily said with a sigh, snuggling closer to Hermione. "I love my roommates but they can be a bit noisy when I want a moment of peace."

Hermione looked down at the redhead in bemusement. "I didn't know Lily Evans coveted me-time," she pointed out with a teasing grin.

"Of course, I covet me-time!" she exclaimed. "I love being surrounded by people most of the time, yes, but there are moments I want to be alone."

The brunette hummed her agreement and brushed away Lily's hair from her face. "How does it feel sharing a dormitory with James Potter, though?" she casually asked, ignoring the niggling voice in the back of her mind. She was genuinely curious, that was all. Besides, Harry had told her that his parents had gotten together during their seventh year when they were both named as Heads. Hermione wanted to know if there had been progress in their relationship.

To her amusement, Lily wrinkled her nose and pushed herself up into a sitting position. "He's still a toerag," Lily complained.

Hermione noted the confused look on Lily's face. "But?" she edged on.

"But… he's different," she continued, a frown now blooming on her pretty face. "He's still pompous with an ego the size of the sun. Merlin, you should have seen him during our initial meeting with the Prefects. Arrogant git was practically brimming with self-confidence and the Prefects were hanging on to his every word."

"James is diligent," Hermione blurted out before she could stop herself.

Lily gave her a weird look, prompting her to look away and hide her blush. "Well… surprisingly, he is," she said. "I had doubts when I first found out he was made Head Boy, but when did Professor Dumbledore ever get it wrong, right? He actually managed to finish up the Patrol schedule for the Prefects all by himself yesterday! Honestly, if he'd shown this side of him in previous years, I'd have thought he was tolerable."

"So…" Hermione slowly said, her blue eyes landing on her clasped hands. "You think he's tolerable now?"

"Oh, loads," Lily immediately said. Hermione grimaced. "He's stopped doing those ridiculous love declarations, too, and has been conversing with me like a normal person. He and his annoying friends stopped pestering Sev too, so that's an added bonus."

The Ravenclaw tucked a stray curl behind her ear. "So, you'll give him a chance this year?" she softly asked, hating how her voice cracked in the middle of her question.

Lily expelled a loud snort. "Merlin, no," she exclaimed, like it was the most ridiculous thing in the whole world. "He's still James Potter, and he's still a toerag in my eyes, despite how he's marvellously toned down his arrogance. Besides…" Lily trailed off as a small blush appeared on her cheeks. "I've actually been seeing someone."

"What?!" Hermione exclaimed, her blue eyes growing wide. "When? I mean, who are you dating? Merlin, was I really so swamped with OWLs last year that I never really found the proper time to hang out with you guys?"

The Head Girl was giggling. "You didn't really miss a lot," she said, shyly tucking a red strand behind her ear. "It just happened… suddenly, like unbelievably out of nowhere."

"Who are you dating?" Hermione repeated, more insistent. "Is he someone I know? Someone in your year?"

"Blimey, you have a lot of questions today," Lily said, nervously smiling as she refused to meet Hermione's eyes. Then, with a mighty groan, she hid herself behind Hermione. "Toerag's coming our way."

Hermione stiffened and slowly turned her head. True to Lily's words, James and his friends were striding towards them. Sirius was already excitedly waving his hand in greeting, while Remus made a face at his ridiculous antics.

"All right, Whiskers?" James asked and proceeded to run a hand through his hair. Hermione's eyes were trained intently on his wild hair.

"Yeah," she replied, praying to the cosmos above that her cheeks would stay blush-free. To her dismay, her bloody crush on the new Head Boy was still thriving.

A sudden object soared through the air which caught her attention and Hermione, acting on instinct, grabbed it with her hands before it could hit her face. With curious eyes, she looked at the object in her hand and was surprised to see her favourite candy.

"Um, thanks," she said, blinking at a grinning Head Boy.

"Don't mention it," he flippantly said, his grin growing wide. Hermione had to stop herself from smacking her forehead, because bloody Merlin, he looked ridiculously handsome - it was mighty unfair.

"You're not studying," Peter suddenly pointed out.

Hermione mentally sighed in relief and playfully glared at her brother. "I'm taking a break," she announced.

Sirius gasped loudly. "Is… is hell freezing over?" he exclaimed. "Are fucking pigs starting to fly?!"

"Well, technically there are a race of pigs in Greece that—"

"Moony, shut up," James pointed out with a loud laugh.

Remus clamped his lips shut and grinned at Hermione. "Good to see you're not obsessing over your studies this year, Hermione," he said.

Peter expelled a snort. "Remus, please, only a week has passed," her brother pointed out. "Don't jinx it."

Hermione lightly scowled and swatted his shin, prompting him to laugh.

"Anyway, we just stopped by to say hi," Sirius said, swinging his arm over James's shoulders. "We're about to pull off a wonderful prank on Madame Pince, you see, but Prongsie caught sight of his lady love and dragged us all just to bloody say hi."

He threw a wink at Lily, who made a face. James, on the other hand, turned a brilliant shade of red and hit Sirius's ribs with his elbow.

"And now, we're leaving," James insisted, steering Sirius away with a light glare.

"Bye!" Sirius happily cried, madly waving his hand once more, and grabbed onto both Remus and Peter's arms to pull them away.

James hesitated for a while and glanced at the witches once more. "Evans," he politely said with a small smile. Lily merely tipped her head in reply. When James's hazel eyes swept to her, Hermione swore his mouth stretched wider, his hazel eyes twinkled brighter, and his cheeks dusted with pink once again. "Bye, Hermione."

She matched his smile, unable to stop her heart from skipping a beat, and bid him goodbye.

Hermione grinned at the candy in her hand and removed the wrapper. When she popped the toffee inside her mouth, she glanced at Lily and frowned. "What?" she asked, now knitting her eyebrows in confusion.

Lily's jaw was open and her green eyes almost popped out of their sockets. "You've got to be kidding me!" she breathlessly exclaimed.

"What?" Hermione asked once more, this time more insistent.

The Head Girl suddenly burst into loud, disbelieving laughter and merely engulfed Hermione in a bear hug.

September 10, 1977

Lily's eyes had been scrutinising James ever since he had walked inside their dormitory. As usual, he greeted her with a cool, "Hey, Evans" and that ridiculous lopsided smile of his that made a lot of women sigh dreamily. Lily still stiffened every time James Potter was within her line of vision, getting ready to bolt away once he started to spout declarations of love with obnoxious displays to woo her heart. None of this had happened since the start of the school-year, of course, and although Lily was relieved, she was also admittedly curious with his sudden change in attitude.

She had at first thought he had grown tired of pursuing her, especially now that he was both the Head Boy and Gryffindor Quidditch Captain. On top of that, it was their NEWTs year and he was set on becoming an Auror after graduation. James couldn't afford to lose sight of his priorities, and apparently wooing his supposed love of his life wasn't part of them.

It never really occurred to her that he had stopped liking her because he had realised he liked another. After that strange encounter at the Black Lake yesterday, everything had slotted into place and had started to make sense. The weird smiles, the buying of butterbeer, the giving of toffees, the ridiculous coincidence of his company every time her best friend was present… All of this boiled down to a conclusion that James Potter apparently liked Hermione Pettigrew now.

It was laughable, now that Lily properly thought about it. Hermione was comically oblivious with the change in tide, still insisting for Lily to give James a chance, because he had better qualities than what he usually showed to her. But James never showed a different side when he tried to pursue Lily. He was always the arrogant toerag, walking around the school like the whole world revolved around him. She couldn't digest the fact that he had another side, a sweeter, kinder side.

"All set, Evans?" James asked, breaking through her chaotic thoughts.

Lily stared at him for a moment, waiting for him to become flustered, but James merely quirked an eyebrow. "Yeah, let's go," she finally said with a sigh.

They walked out of the portrait hole together and started their nightly patrol. Lily was usually content with the silence, but today, she wanted to test her theory.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she watched as James fished out his Golden Snitch and started to absentmindedly toss it in the air whilst whistling a soft tune under his breath. She quirked an eyebrow, recognising 'The Long and Winding Road', and was unable to stop herself when she blurted out, "You know that song?"

James paused his whistling and briefly glanced at Lily. His cheeks turned pink as a sheepish smile grew on his face. "Err, well, it was the first song Hermione played for me when she was teaching me how to play the guitar," he confessed. "It's kind of stuck in my mind ever since."

Lily stopped walking and gaped at his back. "I'm sorry, do you mean Hermione taught you how to play the guitar?" she exclaimed in disbelief.

The Head Boy also stopped walking and craned his neck over his shoulder. "Ah – well – I thought Hermione would have told you," he said, followed by a soft laugh. "Back when we were in fifth year, I asked for her help to woo you, seeing that she's your best friend. She let it slip that you were hopelessly in love with the band, The Beatles, and once joked that if someone sang 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' while strumming a guitar, you'd snog me senselessly."

Her green eyes almost popped out of their sockets. "I always wondered how you knew that song!" she cried. "That rat."

James held up his hands and laughed once more. "Hey, hey, don't get mad at Hermione now," he appeased. "I was mighty persistent back then and she genuinely wanted to help." A soft look appeared on his face as he stupidly grinned at the floor. "She's always been really kind, you know."

There it was again, that sappy look on James's face. Her initial feelings of betrayal about Hermione helping this annoying wizard melted, replaced with persistent curiosity once more. "But then, you stopped," she simply stated.

"Sorry?"

"The wooing," Lily expounded. "The boisterous declarations of love. The ridiculous displays of affection. That all stopped."

James fully turned around to face Lily now, an uncertain look on his face. "Well, I figured out you didn't like it at all," he said, his hand climbing up to the back of his neck where he started to awkwardly rub it. "Actually, Hermione had to explicitly tell me that I had to back the fuck off because it was making you uncomfortable. Sorry about that, Evans, really. I am, as you've fondly called me a thousand times before, a toerag. I was terribly forward and tried to outdo myself every time I wooed you."

If it were more possible, Lily's eyes widened at his words. Where was this James Potter before? Lily had never seen this side of him! Perhaps, Hermione had been right when she had said that James had other sides to him.

'Hermione,' Lily thought, the corners of her mouth twitching.

Time to test her theory.

"Go out with me, Potter," she casually drawled, her green eyes not leaving his form. "As in just the two of us. Without your annoying friends and without my best friends. The first Hogsmeade Day will be two weeks from now. Maybe, you want to grab some butterbeers and get to know each other more?"

She had to stop herself from laughing when James's hazel eyes grew as round as the Golden Snitch in his hand. His cheeks turned splotchy red and secretly, Lily thought it was stupidly unfair how such an incorrigible boy could look as handsome as he did. She did find him nice to look at, even before when he was still trying to pursue her, but his annoying personality had overshadowed whatever physical attractiveness the Potter heir exuded.

"Evans," he deliberately said. "I mean – Lily." He paused and thickly swallowed, his hazel eyes now unable to meet her piercing ones. He nervously ruffled his hair and frowned. "I still think you are pretty. Bloody fucking pretty, if I were to be honest. And you're brilliant too! I always knew you'd become Head Girl what with that huge brain of yours."

She heard the word 'but' loud and clear even though he never voiced it aloud. Lily languidly strolled closer, shrinking the distance between them.

James didn't even flinch.

"But?" she breathed out.

His eyes finally snapped back to her, a resolute firmness in them that almost knocked her off her feet. James Potter was never serious. James Potter never looked this serious. It was disconcerting. The bully toerag she'd grown up with in the past seemed like a distant memory now. James looked every bit a proper adult in this world and Lily wondered when he had started to grow up.

"But I really, truly, honestly think you're a little too late," he ground out, his jaw slightly tensed whilst his gaze was unwavering.

Lily stared, watching as James slowly grew nervous under her intense gaze.

'So,' she thought. 'Theory is fact.'

To James's confusion, a huge grin broke out on Lily's face. "All right," she flippantly said. "Besides, I'm sure my boyfriend would go ballistic if he found out I had asked James Potter out on a Hogsmeade date."

The Head Boy looked like a fish out of water, his mouth opening and closing ridiculously - no words tumbled out.

"Well," Lily said, casually brushing her red hair over one shoulder, "Severus and I will be busy on Hogsmeade Day so Hermione might need some company."

Lily didn't bother hiding her smile when James furiously blushed and ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah?" he nervously asked, slowly turning around once more so that his back was facing her.

"Godric, Potter, you're hopeless," Lily said with a derisive snort.

"What?"

The redhead sighed and ignored his question, instead striding forward and continuing her patrol. James had blessedly kept silent throughout, but his hazel eyes still darted curiously at her back.

Secretly, Lily smiled. If she were being honest with herself, she had almost cracked last year and agreed to go out on one date with him. He had become so annoying that she had thought this may have stopped him from pestering her. But she was glad she had never given in, because if she had seen this side of James, she may have started to have doubts - which would have distracted her from the feelings she'd been having for another certain bloke.

Besides, Lily had this inkling Hermione liked James, too, and she didn't want to rob her best friend of possible happiness, even if it meant she had to tolerate the annoying toerag for the rest of her life.

September 23, 1977

Hermione blinked and stopped her trek towards her usual library table.

Sitting on her table, with his back facing her, was Regulus Black. Said Slytherin was religiously writing something down on parchment, most likely finishing an essay.

She glanced around the library, noting there were a lot of empty tables. She wondered if Regulus had gone there unconsciously, seeing that he had been sitting there often last year. Hermione thought it was silly to claim a table as her own, but she'd been sitting there since she was eleven years old. Other frequent library-goers had already made a silent agreement that this table was reserved for Hermione Pettigrew and had thankfully steered clear from it.

Her stomach churned with the thought that the Slytherin might already be Branded, her dinner threatening to spill out. She told herself she could choose another table to sit on today, not wanting to share a table with a possible Death Eater. Besides, Regulus had made it a point to avoid her. September was almost ending, but Regulus did not even give her a mere glance. He was constantly flanked by Barty Crouch Jr. and another Slytherin she knew by the name of Evan Rosier. Regulus looked reminiscent of Draco Malfoy, accompanied by his cronies, Crabbe and Goyle, reverently following him everywhere he went.

But despite her protesting, logical mind, Hermione's feet brought her towards Regulus and stopped once she was standing behind him.

Regulus suddenly stiffened, sensing her presence, before he slowly craned his neck around to look at her.

"You're on my table," she blurted out.

Brief surprise flitted in Regulus's grey eyes, before any emotions were shielded behind his indifferent mask. "There are plenty of seats in the library, Pettigrew," he coolly drawled, his tone almost making Hermione shiver at how icy he sounded.

"I've always sat on this table," Hermione persisted. "And you're sitting at it."

Regulus glowered.

"Unless you're going to willingly share this seat with me," she hotly continued, "I suggest you move to another table, Regulus."

She knew she was becoming petty, but she'd been understandably hurt by his cold indifference on the train.

Regulus bared his teeth then hastily crammed his things into his bag. Hermione sighed, having hoped that he wouldn't be like this, but of course, she remembered how he had easily brushed her off on the train.

Her eyes strayed to his covered left forearm and she felt the bile rise up in her throat once more. She tried her hardest to see any sign of a Dark Mark marring his white skin, but Regulus's robe was in the way. Without thinking, before he could move away, Hermione shot forward and clutched his left forearm. Tight.

The Slytherin instantly froze and stopped breathing all together, his eyes growing wide as he stared at Hermione.

"If you need any help," she lowly whispered for only him to hear, "please, please, please don't hesitate to come ask for mine, Regulus."

Regulus had grown pale at her words, his indifferent mask starting to crack. Vulnerability peeked through and Hermione's heart soared, wondering if he'd relent and tell her his deepest, darkest secret.

"I—" The words wouldn't stumble from his lips and his grey eyes looked terrified.

"Hermione!"

The spell was instantly broken as Regulus pulled his arm away, a look of utter disdain on his face again.

Hermione bit back a groan and looked over her shoulder, unable to stop herself from glaring upon seeing the Marauders standing a few paces away from her and the Slytherin. It was Sirius who had called for her, but his eyes were trained intently on his brother.

The brunette glanced quickly at Regulus, noting that the Slytherin was unable to meet anyone's eyes. His jaw was set and his face still pale, but thinly-veiled annoyance now covered whatever shred of vulnerability he had shown to Hermione.

"Everything all right, Hermione?"

Her eyes met James's and she was surprised at how his eyes were mostly dark brown with thunderous emotions. She was instantly reminded of the time when James had caught her studying with Regulus last year, and how he'd lashed out with a fury she didn't know the reasoning behind.

"I'm fine," she ground out.

James didn't seem to believe her as his wand hand twitched. Undoubtedly he wanted to brandish his wand and lash out at Regulus again.

"I'm fine," she repeated once more, this time with vehemence. Her stare was unwavering, unwilling to back down, until James gave the tiniest of nods and averted his glaring eyes towards his feet instead.

Regulus then tightly gripped his satchel and brushed past Hermione. The brunette toppled a bit at the force he used, but Peter was instantly beside her and kept her upright.

Hermione tensely watched as Regulus walked out of the library and ignored the Marauders.

"Did something happen?" Peter worriedly asked, gripping her arm to get her attention.

She shook her head and tiredly sighed. "Why are you all here?" she asked, desperately wanting to dispel whatever thick tension had settled in the library.

"We were wondering if you'd make us another one of your colour-coded schedules," Remus said, a look of understanding on his face. Hermione still fervently thanked the stars above at how sensitive Remus was towards people's feelings, always remaining attuned to what they truly wanted in that moment.

A corner of Hermione's lips twitched upward in amusement. "Back to using me now, are you?" she lightly teased.

Sirius expelled a humongous sigh and schooled whatever despondency he'd shown when he'd stared at Regulus. "Using you?" he asked with a snort, a hand climbing to his heart. "When did we ever?"

Hermione laughed softly at his melodrama, relieved that the tension had gone. "Lucky for you, I did make them over the summer," she said, sauntering towards her table and pulling out a chair. Peter instantly took the seat beside her, silent worry still on his face. Thankfully, he didn't ask any more questions.

Sirius and Remus clambered towards the table while Hermione pulled out the schedules from her bag.

"What are you glaring at, Prongsie mate?" Sirius called out with a snort. "Come now, sit down."

Hermione cautiously glanced at James, who was still glowering at the floor before pulling out the chair across from her. He lifted his eyes to meet hers, but Hermione immediately looked away.

"So, yes, here are your schedules," she said, distributing them to the Marauders. "You may think it's stricter than your OWLs schedules, but we're talking about NEWTs here. To qualify as Aurors, the ministry expects at least five Exceeds Expectations, and want none to go below Acceptable."

Peter considerably paled at her reminder, prompting Hermione to reach out for his hand and to give it a slight squeeze. "I've added extra attention on reviewing Defence Against the Dark Arts, Potions, Transfiguration and Charms, since they'd be the subjects they're going to focus on."

She turned to Peter and pointed at a yellow highlighted section. "I've also focused on your Herbology, Peter, because you're hopeless in that subject," she claimed. "If you get at least an A, then we're all good."

She glanced at Remus. "I focused on Potions for you more, because you're pants at that, Remus." Her eyes swivelled towards Sirius and she kindly smiled. "I know you hate Care of Magical Creatures, so I placed extra days for that subject."

Her eyes finally landed on James, whose hazel eyes had now simmered down into a curios stare. He had his chin placed on top of his upturned palm, his head cocked to the side. "You… well – um, I added more study time for Arithmancy because it's your weakest subject."

"So, you really do know our weaknesses like a loon, blimey," Sirius snorted.

Hermione's gaze landed on Sirius and she gave him a glare. "'Thank you, Hermione. You're a life saver'," she snapped. "Some gratitude would have sufficed."

"Thank you, Hermione. You're a life saver," James echoed. She looked at him in surprise, her cheeks turning red at the handsome smile he flashed at her.

Hermione cleared her throat and looked down at her things. "Right, okay, time to study," she declared. She threw a glare at Sirius, who was in the middle of expelling a loud groan. He caught her eyes and promptly snapped his lips shut.

They breezed through the remaining hours in silence. Hermione easily lost herself in a flurry of her parchments and textbooks, furiously scribbling down words to complete her essay. And by the time she tore her gaze away from her paper, the Marauders were ready to go, identical amused smiles on their faces.

"Hi," Peter teased, "we thought you wouldn't snap out of it for a moment there."

Her cheeks reddened. "Sorry," she said, "I tend to do this a lot."

Remus chuckled. "We know, Hermione. We've studied with you before," he added.

"It's almost curfew," James pointed out. "And as much as I love the perks of being a Head Boy, I'm afraid I cannot extend such privileges to my friends, no matter how swotty they are." Hermione's cheeks reddened in annoyance when he shot her a smile.

"Aww, you've stopped being fun ever since you became Head Boy, Jamesy," Sirius petulantly said.

Remus rolled his eyes. "At least somebody decided to grow up this year," he pointed out. "Unlike other people."

Sirius reached forward and hit the werewolf on the back of his head, prompting Remus to scowl at him in return.

"I'll escort Hermione back to Ravenclaw Tower," Peter said, helping Hermione fix her things. "You guys go ahead."

James suddenly strode forward, an uncertain look on his face. "Let me do that instead," he said, his eyes never straying away from Peter's.

Hermione's eyes widened while Peter frowned. "Why?" he asked, confused.

"Ah – well – I have a favour to ask," he told him quickly, a nervous smile stretched widely on his face.

Remus quirked an eyebrow. "Favour?" he slowly asked. "What favour?"

"Never mind that," James immediately dismissed. Hermione noted the frown on Remus's face as she glanced back at James, wondering what this favour he was so eager to ask of her. "Go on, blokes, before I start deducting points from you for being outside your dormitories after curfew."

"You wouldn't dare!" Sirius gasped.

"Try me, Pads," he said with a pointed glare.

"Iron fist," Sirius hissed in return.

Hermione snorted, much to James's surprise. When he questioningly looked at her, she'd deftly shrugged. "I mean, you have become stricter since becoming Head Boy," she pointed out.

"That is a good thing, right?" he deliberately asked.

"Oh, yes, of course," she said, nodding her head vigorously. "I was afraid you'd become lenient with your friends once you had assumed the highest position in the student body. So far, you've proved me wrong."

James was practically preening at her words and Hermione couldn't stop her eyes from rolling. "Right, of course, I've stroked your bloody ego once more," she claimed with a disbelieving laugh.

"The only thing he's proved so far is that he's a wanker lately, Hermione, honest," Peter cajoled. James punched him on the shoulder, earning him another dark glare from his best friend.

"Go back to your dormitories, wankers," the Head Boy growled.

Peter expelled a long-suffering sigh and pulled Hermione into a goodbye hug, before trailing behind Remus and Sirius as they walked out of the library.

"Come on then," James said, grabbing her bag and slinging it over his shoulder, "before I'm forced to deduct points from you for being outside after curfew."

"I'm with the Head Boy himself," Hermione pointed out matter-of-factly. "I'm sure there are exceptions to that rule."

James's eyes widened as he stared down at her. "Did those words really come out of your mouth?" he asked with a mock gasp. "What about being stricter, even with your friends? What about ruling with an iron fist?" He lifted his clenched hand and shook it with gusto.

"Prat," Hermione laughed, shoving him away as she sauntered towards the library doors. Her cheeks flushed red when she heard his laugh, before he quickly walked forwards until he was standing beside her.

The corridors were almost vacant, save from students who had also lost track of time. Hermione took a quick peek at her wristwatch and noted it was ten minutes before curfew. At this pace, it'd take her about eighteen minutes to reach Ravenclaw Tower. Out of the corner of her eyes, she watched as James coolly walked beside her, as if he didn't care about being caught outside of their dormitories past curfew. Her eyes slid towards his glinting Head Boy badge and she suppressed a snort, knowing he'd get away with it easily, with his sweet talking and charming smile.

"This favour you spoke of," Hermione said, deciding it was finally time to break the silence. "What is it?"

James hummed under his breath and briefly looked down at Hermione. He merely smiled, prompting Hermione to sigh.

"Look, James, as much as I like walking beside you," she said, praying to Merlin she sounded a tad sarcastic and not ridiculously nervous, "not everybody can walk around with a 'Heads' badge pinned on their robes. If you must know, I only have" – she briefly checked her watch – "nine more minutes before curfew and I don't really plan on crossing paths with Filch, the first month back at school."

"Well, then, it's good I have this, isn't it?" James then pulled out the familiar Marauder's Map from his pocket and gave it to Hermione.

"It's done?" she asked, eyeing the parchment with wide, reverent eyes.

"More or else," James said with a shrug. "We tried to finish it during the summer, since it's our last year at Hogwarts. We should at least put it to good use before giving it to future pranksters."

Hermione snorted and pulled out her wand. She was about to utter the password, but then paused and questioningly glanced at James. "May I?" she asked.

"By all means," he said, gesturing at the map.

The Ravenclaw took a deep breath and tapped her wand tip onto the parchment. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," she whispered.

Ink bled into the parchment, forming the familiar greeting of the Marauders. She rolled her eyes at the ridiculous greeting, knowing full well this was Sirius's spiel.

She was about to open it, but James placed a hand on top of the parchment, halting her from doing so. She glanced at him in surprise, noting the wide, excited smile on his face. "Wait, don't open it yet. Look at the words in front first. It doesn't stop there," he said.

Hermione's eyes widened at this new information. She remembered there had been no further additions to the Marauders' greetings back then, so what had changed?

Highly curious, Hermione's eyes landed on the greeting again. The usual greeting flashed for a few seconds, before new words appeared.

"Special thanks to Miss Whiskers, Muse and Mentor of the Messrs.," she murmured, eyes growing wider after each word she uttered. "The truest Marauder of us all."

Hermione laughed in disbelief, her blue eyes glinting brightly in the dim corridor. "That's not even a compliment," she cried, pointing at the last sentence.

James matched her laugh and absentmindedly ruffled his hair. "For us, it is," he insisted. He nervously tugged the ends of his sticking hair and chuckled once more. "It was my idea, actually."

She stupidly grinned at the map and brushed her fingertips against her christened nickname. "Merlin, I still hate this name," she murmured. "And – well – I didn't know I was going to be mentioned! I didn't even contribute to making this, after all."

"You provided that wicked password, Hermione," James pointed out. "That's a huge contribution already." He uncertainly peered down at her and tentatively smiled. "You like it?"

"Of course I like it!" she exclaimed, another laugh bubbling from her lips. She shook the parchment in the air and added, "This thing is bloody brilliant, if you must know. Granted, it will be used for nefarious reasons, but the process of making it used very advanced magic."

James puffed out his chest, obviously proud at her glowing praise.

She laughed and chanced a glance on her watch. "Blimey, we just wasted seven minutes!" she exclaimed. Hermione immediately opened the map and glanced around, noting that Filch and Mrs. Norris were already walking out of their office. "At this rate, I'll be caught outside after curfew."

James leant down, his face almost touching hers, and pointed at a passageway Hermione had never gone through before. "Good thing we discovered these secret passages in Hogwarts then, yeah?" he whispered, his warm breath washing over her cheeks. Hermione jerked back in surprise, flustered at his close proximity, and only mutely nodded her head when James steered her towards a tapestry of fluttering pixies.

Darkness instantly drenched the two students. James pulled out his own wand and murmured a soft Lumos, illuminating the corridor. Hermione followed suit and murmured the spell, bringing her wand tip lower, to glance at the map once more. So far, no professors or caretakers were near them.

"I don't even know why we're hiding when I'm Head Boy," James whispered in the dark, pressing himself closer to Hermione. "I can always make up an excuse."

"It'll be too exhausting to argue with Filch," Hermione replied, a nervous laugh escaping from her lips at the feel of James's arm brushing against her bare forearm. She belatedly regretted removing her robe prior to leaving the library. She was glad the corridor was almost dark, so her blushing cheeks could be concealed.

"So… the favour," she reiterated, training her eyes on the map. "Do you need help with wooing Lily once again?"

Silence met her question at first, and curious, Hermione lifted her blue eyes to glance at James. She almost backpedalled in surprise when she discovered he was already looking at her, his face too close for her heart to handle.

"Ah – well," James said, breaking their gaze and looking straight ahead. "Actually, I was wondering if you'd help me on the first Hogsmeade weekend."

"Okay, go on," she urged.

"Sirius is going on a date with Marley. Remus has to assist Professor Flitwick with a project that day. Even Peter, that wanker, is busy that day. He's going on a date with Mary MacDonald, you see," James said.

That was news to her. "What?" she gasped in surprise. "Really?"

"Your brother finally grew some balls this year, eh?" he asked with a derisive snort. "He still cannot believe she said yes, though, and he's been over the moon ever since."

Hermione took a mental note to interrogate Peter about this, then shoved the thought away and focused her attention on James again. "So… what favour do you need?" she repeated.

His arm shifted, once again unwittingly brushing against Hermione, as he ran a hand through his hair. "I was hoping you'd help me on the Hogsmeade weekend by keeping me company?" he asked, hope thick in his voice. "I've been meaning to tell you something and – ah – err, I think that day's the perfect day to tell you. So, what do you think, Hermione?"

Her eyebrows slowly stitched together in the middle, trying to rack her brain for whatever James was trying to tell her. She was instantly reminded of the day where she and Lily were hanging out near the Black Lake.

"I'm actually seeing someone," Lily had said that day.

Could it be James? But Lily was adamant that she'd never give the toerag a chance. Or perhaps Lily was embarrassed to admit she had started dating him, after years and years of complaining about his general attitude. It could explain the odd way they'd been interacting with each other; perhaps, they'd insisted on making it as casual as possible, so that no one would get suspicious.

It didn't make sense why James would want to tell her about that during Hogsmeade weekend, but it was honestly the only explanation she could think of.

Well, there was another explanation, but that was too farfetched to even be considered! Of course, there were strange looks from the Head Boy she'd never seen him wear before every time he'd seen her or there were weird, awkward silences that bothered Hermione immensely. But then she'd brush off those odd instances, not wanting to delve on them deeper because surely, surely she was wrong.

Realising she still hadn't given him an answer, Hermione swallowed down an uncomfortable lump and gave him a shaky smile. She wasn't sure if he'd notice how weird her smile was, but hoped not, since it was too dark in the secret passage. "All right," she finally said.

James looked marvellously relieved. "Yeah?" he asked, that handsome, lopsided smile on his face once more. Hermione groaned at how mighty unfair it was that she could still see how good-looking he was, despite walking in a poorly-lit corridor.

"Yeah," she echoed. "Lily and Sev bailed on me too, so I don't really have anyone to hang out with on that day."

"All right," he said, still with that stupid grin on his face. "I'll meet you in front of Ravenclaw Tower at 10. Sound good?"

Hermione didn't trust herself to speak so she merely nodded her head - unbelievably relieved when they finally reached the end of the corridor.

It took her a few seconds for her eyes to adjust to the sudden onslaught of bright lights, before noticing they were already near the entrance of her Common Room. Her eyes widened as she glanced at James, noting the amused smile on his face.

"Well, here's your stop," James said, gesturing at the unimposing door with the eagle-shaped doorknocker. "Goodnight, Hermione."

"Goodnight," she echoed in return. She then offered the map back to James, which he deftly took.

"10am here, yeah?" he asked again.

Hermione lightly smiled. "Yeah."

James flashed another wide, lopsided smile that always made her heart stutter. Without breaking eye contact, he pressed his wand tip on the map and murmured a soft, "Mischief Managed."

Something in his eyes flickered, but he had already turned on his heel. Hermione found herself staring at his back until he reached the end of the corridor. A part of her wondered if he'd glance over his shoulder to give her another smile. A part of her wished he'd glance over his shoulder to give her another smile.

She held her breath when he reached the end, and then expelled a surprised, pleased laugh from her lips when James didn't disappoint. His eyes widened a bit, discovering that she still hadn't gone inside her Common Room. He stopped walking all together and turned his body to face her completely, gave her a silly little wave that made her laugh.

He then disappeared behind the corner and Hermione could properly breathe again.

Chapter Text

xxi.

you plus me is bad news

(Love on the Rocks by Sara Bareilles)

September 24, 1977

She started getting ready at seven in the morning.

Fuelled by excitement and nervousness, Hermione had woken up at five, whilst the sun was just rising over the horizon. She tried to sleep again, because Merlin it was a Saturday after all, but sleep had been elusive. Hermione busied herself instead, grabbing her Arithmancy textbook from her trunk, and trying to read, but the words grew blurry. Hermione gave up after rereading the same line ten times and threw her book back in her trunk.

The brunette found herself staring up at her canopy as the minutes passed by, wondering if it would be all right to get up so early for Hogsmeade today.

It was silly how she was feeling this way, when in the end, James would tell her he was dating Lily. But, an annoying voice in the back of her mind reminded her that he didn't need to invite her for a full Hogsmeade trip together (and alone) just to break the news. The rational side of her brain pointed out it was probably his way of showing his gratitude for her help. The irrational side, the one who'd always short circuit every time she was talking to James, blubbered out that perhaps James just wanted to genuinely spend time with her.

'No, no, no,' she told herself countless times, every time her thoughts would stray in that direction.

She spent the remaining hours clearing her mind and calming herself down. Once her small clock struck seven, Hermione hauled herself out of bed and started to get ready.

Hermione rarely took long dressing for the day, but for some strange reason, she had a difficult time choosing what to wear. The 70's fashion still made her nose wrinkle a bit, since she mostly found the Muggle clothes too loud and extravagant. Anya still bought Hermione clothes the brunette knew she would never wear, but she didn't have the heart to tell her excited mother.

As she opened her trunk and scanned through her array of clothes, Hermione started to have a mini panic at the thought that she had nothing decent to wear. 'All right, calm down, all right,' she told herself, taking in a deep breath and closing her eyes. Her fingers ran through the different clothes, blindly pulling random garments and tossing them on her bed.

Hermione finally decided to wear a blue plaid jumper dress over a black turtleneck sweater. It was terribly cold outside since it was autumn, so she also pulled on some black tights to warm her legs.

By the time she was done, she clambered towards the full-length mirror in their room and blinked, surprised that she didn't look awkward in her clothes. As expected from a previous Pureblood socialite, Anya knew how to dress properly, even with Muggle fashion.

The brunette finally glanced at her voluminous hair and worried her bottom lip, wondering what she would do with it. There was a tub of Sleekeazy's in her trunk, so maybe it wouldn't hurt if she applied a few scoops on her hair just to tame it down.

Catching her thoughts, Hermione's hand climbed up to the bridge of her nose and massaged it in exhaustion. 'This isn't a bloody date,' a voice sniped snidely in her ear. 'You don't need to do such a ridiculous thing.'

In the end, she decided to just tie her hair into a long braid just to get it out of her face.

The door suddenly burst open and Hermione flinched, craning her neck over her shoulder to stare sheepishly at Dorothy.

"Blimey, Hermione, you're a sight for sore eyes!" the sweet witch tittered, appreciatively glancing at the brunette from head to toe. A teasing smile bloomed on her face. "Are you going on a date today?"

"NO!" she exclaimed almost immediately. Dorothy quirked an eyebrow at her vehemence, prompting Hermione to blush and look away. "It's not like that."

The other Ravenclaw hummed, looking like she didn't believe her at all. "So, anyway, I just came back to tell you that James Potter's been lurking in front of the Tower," she said, that knowing grin still on her face.

Hermione's eyes widened in surprise. "What?" she gasped, glancing at her small clock once more and noting it was only nine in the morning. "But it's too early!"

Dorothy quirked an amused eyebrow as Hermione gathered her things and stumbled out of the dormitory. The airy common room was still packed with students, because it was weird to get to Hogsmeade earlier than ten in the morning. Most were still lazing around and hanging out with their friends. Of course, since she was in the Ravenclaw Common Room, there were diligent students buried under huge tomes of books at the desks.

Her footsteps faltered as she neared the entrance door. Hermione nervously tugged the ends of her braid, calming herself down. She told herself again and again that this was just some harmless hanging out between two friends. Granted, one had an irrational crush on the other, but that was beside the point. The point was, James was already dating Lily and he wanted to thank Hermione for helping him finally win the girl.

Mustering the Gryffindor courage she knew she had never lost, Hermione pushed the door open and stepped outside.

It was easy to find James, his form now towering over the other scuttling fourth years behind him. He was pacing, deeply nervous as he kept on running a hand through his hair, ruining whatever style he had worn prior to arriving. James hadn't noticed her yet and Hermione faltered, her blue eyes secretly admiring the clothes he had chosen to compliment his looks. James and Sirius had started dressing in a mixture of Muggle and Wizarding clothes alike; something about rebelling, Sirius had once pointed out.

Today, James was wearing Muggle jeans and a rich, burgundy turtle neck she knew would have cost a fortune. Draped over his shoulders were thick, silk midnight blue casual robes, she didn't doubt would feel very soft to touch.

Merlin, he was annoyingly dashing today. Hermione bit her bottom lip to stop a groan from bursting out.

"Hi," she called out instead.

James suddenly skidded to a halt and twisted around, facing Hermione completely. Unfiltered surprise crossed his features as he beheld her, his hazel eyes painstakingly drifting from her head to toe, before snapping quickly back to her eyes. "You look… um, I mean…" He trailed off and ran another nervous hand through his hair.

Hermione's heart fluttered at his reaction, secretly pleased that she had chosen to dress up today.

For him, Merlin help her. Hermione Granger would be very disappointed with her.

She dispelled such thoughts and gave him a small smile in greeting. "You're here early," she pointed out. "I thought you said we'd meet at 10?"

His face flushed, a sheepish smile growing. "I woke up very early today," he confessed. "Couldn't sleep even if I tried. So I decided to get ready and – well – here I am."

Hermione looked at him in surprise, unsure how to interpret his words. She did exactly the same thing this morning, with reasons she knew she shouldn't have. Was James that excited to tell her that Lily had finally agreed to date him?

Or…

'Shut up, Hermione,' that same snide voice snapped inside her head.

Slightly frowning, Hermione strode forward. James's eyes snapped back at her, hardening with a certain intensity at each step she took.

"Um," Hermione said, nervously tugging the ends of her braid once more, "maybe we should get going?"

James took a sharp intake of breath. "Yeah," he breathlessly whispered, "Good idea."

Their walk towards the thestral-drawn carriages was unbearably awkward. She and James had always slipped into easy conversation before, but there was something about today that made everything odd and uncomfortable.

Such was her desperation to at least do something, that when they reached the carriages, her hand automatically touched the skeleton horse by her carriage and gave him a small pat.

James looked at her weirdly. "What are you doing?" he asked, knitting his eyebrows together.

"Oh, just silently telling him he's been a good boy for working so hard," she said with a small laugh.

"What?"

The Gryffindor looked marvellously confused, and that was when Hermione realised he still couldn't see the thestrals. "You never knew the carriages were drawn by thestrals?" she asked, trying to rack her brain for any mention of them during their previous Care of Magical Creatures classes.

"Oh, I know," he said, blindly reaching forward near Hermione's hand. He flinched back almost instantly upon touching something solid. "Blimey, I used to think the carriages were autonomous, spelled to transport students to and from the school premises." After a short pause, he glanced back at Hermione. "You see them?"

She smiled sadly and nodded her head.

"Ah, right, of course," he said, ruffling his hair whilst flashing her an apologetic smile. "I remember fondly how Peter almost shite himself the first time we rode the carriage together. He's the only one who can see them amongst the four of us."

Her smile turned sadder, her heart growing heavier, knowing that in a few years, the four Marauders would all be able to see the thestrals in their skeleton, black-eyed, winged-form glory.

"And, we've actually made everything depressing," James joked, a laugh bubbling out. "Come on. No time for those. It's Hogsmeade weekend!"

She echoed his laugh and instantly climbed in the carriage, faltering a bit when James deftly held her hand to help her climb. Her cheeks flushed redder at his offhanded gesture. She couldn't see how he looked right now since she was busy looking away and willing her cheeks to return to their normal colour.

Conversation was easier then. James told her the exact details of how they had pranked Madame Pince and gotten themselves banned from the library for a month. "Too bad we can't attend your study sessions now," James pointed out with a relieved grin.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "We can always find another place to study," she interjected. "Like the abandoned Charms classroom where I taught you how to play the guitar. Or, maybe I can invite you over to the Ravenclaw Common Room. We have really nice study desks, you know. I'm sure my housemates wouldn't mind."

James made a face and loudly groaned. "Hermione, please, spare me," he beseeched. "It's Hogsmeade weekend! Can we not talk about studying for now?"

"Well, okay, I can do that," she said with a huff. "Just remember that you have to start your fifth-year coverage for Arithmancy if you want to get an 'A' for that subject."

"Hermione," he groaned in misery, prompting Hermione to start laughing at the ridiculous look on his face.

"Blimey, you and your friends are so predictable," she laughingly claimed. "As soon as I start talking about studying, you're reduced to whiny five-year-olds."

His eyes glinted in amusement, his petulant frown melting into a small smile. "Merlin, I can't imagine how we'd have survived our Hogwarts years without you, Hermione," he earnestly said.

The brunette's eyes widened a bit at his words. James survived his Hogwarts years without her before; he grew up with his friends, wreaked havoc in Hogwarts, fell in love with Lily, and graduated in one piece. She wanted to tell him that he could survive through seven years at Hogwarts without her, that he'd done it before, but surely, she would sound barmy. He may have said those words without much thought, but it had a great impact on Hermione.

She'd been so deeply entangled with all of their lives - the Marauders, Lily and Sev, and even Regulus - and she had arrived at a startling truth she had never realised before: she couldn't imagine her life without them either.

As much as she loved Harry and Ron and everything Hermione Granger had been, Hermione Pettigrew had grown up in this world, surrounded by people who unwaveringly loved and supported her. It was inevitable that Hermione would fall in love with this world and everything it had given her.

She had been Hermione Pettigrew for sixteen years already and Merlin Almighty, she felt like she truly belonged in this world.

"Hey," James called, his face swimming back into her vision. "Everything all right?"

"Yes," Hermione replied with a kind smile. "I just realised something important today."

His gaze grew questioning, but Hermione merely shook her head. "It doesn't matter," she dismissed. "Look, we're nearing Hogsmeade now."

The thestral slowed into a trot until he stopped all together. James quickly jumped down from the carriage and offered his hand again. This time, Hermione blinked at him in surprise.

"Err, Pureblood etiquette and all that shite, Hermione," James pointed out with a nervous laugh. He shook his hand. "It doesn't bite, I promise."

Hermione snorted, relieved he wasn't making this more awkward between the two of them, and gingerly placed her hand on top of his. His hand was warm and calloused, no doubt from years of gripping a wooden broom. A blush bloomed on her cheeks once more, as he deftly helped her down, immediately retrieving his hand once Hermione's feet were firmly on the ground.

"Where to first?" James casually asked, his eyes scanning the town. Students were still scarce, seeing that it was still earlier than usual.

"Scrivenshaft's?" she suggested with a sheepish smile. "Sixth year essays demand more length and my parchment supply is dwindling so…"

James laughed and steered Hermione towards said shop.

Predictably, there were only one or two customers inside. James left Hermione alone, much to her relief. It was uncomfortable for her when people were hovering over her shoulder whilst she bought her things, most especially books. She always had this feeling they wanted her to make haste, and Hermione ended up panic buying, forgetting, or regretting her purchases in the end.

She grabbed a few spare quills and more ink wells, pulled out some rolls of parchment, and bought some more for her friends who would be taking their NEWTs this year.

By the time she was done, Hermione scanned the small shop in search of James's messy mop of hair. She soon saw him near the different displays of quality quills from various kinds of animals.

He glanced at her when Hermione sauntered beside him. "Which do you think is better, an eagle quill or a peacock quill?" he asked.

"In terms of what?"

"Durability, style, weight… all that stuff," he said with a deft shrug. "I figured you'd know something about these things since you study a lot."

Hermione snorted. "Any quill for me will do, honestly," she pointed out. "But… if you're really interested, well, I read that eagle quills are quite durable, but they're plain and a little heavy. Peacock quills" – she grimaced – "I think it's more for aesthetic use than for actual writing." The brunette paused and glanced over at the displayed quills, then smiled upon finding the one she'd been searching for. Her fingertips brushed the soft tip of a black and gold quill and continued. "If you really want a quill with the best quality, I suggest you go for turkey quills. They're very light, so it's useful for speedy note-taking. It doesn't break easily either and they're not too plain like an eagle quill or too gaudy like a peacock quill. It's very costly, though, so there's a con."

She jerked away when James lifted the turkey quill from its stand, keenly inspecting it with bright eyes. "Figures you'd know something about quills and their merits," he said with a teasing grin. "All right, I'll take this. Thanks, Hermione."

She trailed behind him whilst he paid for his purchase.

"Where to next?" he asked.

Hermione lifted her purchases in the air. "I've already bought what I wanted to," she said with a shrug. "Where do you want to go next?"

"Zonko's?"

He guffawed when Hermione made a face. "Fine," she said with an exaggerated sigh. "Since you came with me to Scrivenshaft's."

"Zonko's isn't so bad," he interjected, striding towards the joke shop. "It actually sells nifty stuff. I know most view it as useless, but they don't know how to put the stuff to good use."

"Like using it to pull an elaborate prank?" she pointed out with a snort.

"That and more," he answered, a wide grin on his face. "Come on, I'm sure you've at least found them useful before, Hermione."

She was instantly brought back to the horcrux hunt, and how the Weasley twins' invention of jokes and tricks had come in handy. It was a shame their inventions weren't present yet; Hermione could have really used some Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder or Extendable Ears during this time.

It took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust to the burst of multi-coloured light when they entered the joke shop. A bell merrily tinkled above when James pushed the door open. She bit back a smile when his face instantly lit up with wonder and excitement. Although he had considerably mellowed down as the years passed by, and the Marauders' obnoxious, elaborate pranks really had become less frequent, there was no doubt that this was James Potter's favourite shop in the whole town.

As opposed to their small trip to Scrivenshaft's, Hermione kept close to James as he scoured the whole shop. She distastefully eyed the Nose-Biting Cups, having fallen victim to those once when Peter had thought she was being incorrigible. Her eyes widened when James scooped up a handful of Dungbombs and placed them inside a basket.

"I hope you're not going to use those on Sev," she said in a warning tone.

"Of course not," James replied with a laugh. "It's for Filch and Peeves."

"Should I be concerned?" Hermione asked, when James bounded towards the shelf which displayed Frog-Spawn Soap.

"If you steer clear of the second floor next week, then you shouldn't be," he pointed out with a wicked grin, placing stacks and stacks of the joke item inside the basket.

"But you're Head Boy," she exclaimed. "You can't possibly pull off an elaborate prank and set a bad example to your constituents."

James snorted at her words and grabbed a few Sugar Quills. "I won't be there physically, if that worries you," he said, sending a wink her way when Hermione bristled. "Relax, Hermione. This will be a harmless prank, I promise. It's just that we'll be graduating soon and we wanted to leave with a blast. Hogwarts will never forget the Marauders once we graduate."

"You might be seventh years, but you still might get expelled, blimey," she protested.

The Head Boy pulled out his wand and playfully pointed it at Hermione. "If you plan on intervening, I might be forced to Obliviate you," he said seriously, the previously handsome smile on his face now falling into a thin line.

Hermione batted his hand away and harrumphed, striding towards the counter with her head held high. She heard James snickering whilst trailing behind her.

"No one's going to get hurt," he promised, now depositing the contents of his basket on the counter. He lifted his right hand and earnestly stared down at Hermione. "No bullying, no goading people to the brink of their deaths. Marauder's honour and Merlin, that's the highest honour. You know that, Whiskers."

His grin was stretched wide when Hermione rolled her eyes.

When they walked out of the shop, James this time didn't ask for Hermione's suggestion on where they'd go next. Instead, he directed her towards Honeydukes. The whole place was busier than the other two shops they'd visited, students now swarming in and excitedly grabbing onto the new candies boasted inside. Hermione ignored them all and sauntered towards the toffee section and grabbed a few that would last her for at least a month. Her trunk was still bursting from Peter's payment, after it was discovered that Hermione had gotten all 'O's for her OWLs – finally earning a rightful 'O' for DADA, much to her delight.

To her surprise, James also grabbed a handful of toffees and placed them inside a basket filled with assorted sweets. "You like toffees too?" she asked, surprised. As far as she knew, she was the only one who was obsessed with them amongst their group of friends. They usually went for the more popular ones, like Chocolate Frogs and Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans.

James's cheeks dusted with pink and he merely gave her a half-hearted shrug.

They paid for their purchases, with Hermione's eyes popping out of their sockets at the amount of galleons James had to pay for his. He had bought that expensive turkey quill and those expensive joke items, after all. Hermione's pouch was already getting lighter and lighter as the day passed by, but James never seemed to have the same problem as her.

"Old Pureblood," was his mere explanation upon seeing Hermione's wide eyes.

"Your parents spoil you too much," Hermione tutted.

"They love me," he interjected. "Too much, quite honestly. And besides, our Gringotts vault is constantly restocked, thanks to Dad's Sleekeazy's. It'd be a waste not to spend the galleons now, eh?"

Hermione rolled her eyes this time, once again finding it quite unfair that Harry had never had the luxury his father had during his youth. But then again, maybe if Harry had been raised the same way as James, he'd be a pompous toerag, too. Hermione firmly believed that would have been a disaster.

"Do you still need to buy something?" James asked once they were out in the open. Hermione unconsciously scanned the growing crowd, trying to search for any familiar faces.

When she didn't see any of her friends, she shook her head and looked at James. "I'm all good," she said.

James glanced at his wristwatch and grinned. "Fancy some lunch now?"

Hermione nodded and followed James when he directed them towards the Three Broomsticks. Her eyes roamed around the pub, this time packed with students, but once again, she didn't see any of her friends or even her brother.

The bespectacled wizard chose a large enough booth for them to sit at. While he walked towards Madame Rosmerta to order them drinks, Hermione peeked at the swarming people inside the pub.

She thought it was mighty suspicious when both Lily and Sev bailed on her at the last minute. She was meaning to treat them to celebrate her full 'O's on her OWLs, but they both claimed they had something else to do. She knew Lily would be coming to Hogsmeade today, because she had been relentlessly telling Hermione about this Muggle outfit she bought last summer, swearing she'd definitely wear it on their first Hogsmeade trip.

Still, there was no sign of Lily or Sev, prompting Hermione to sigh.

Just before she turned around, the door of the Three Broomsticks opened and in came Peter with a laughing Mary MacDonald beside him. Hermione ducked behind and strained her ears, observing Peter and his date as they chose a seat on the opposite side of the pub to where she was.

However, curiosity got the best of her, and really, she wanted to know why Peter liked this girl so much. Hermione wanted to know as much as possible, so she could blurt it all out to Anya. Her mother had been pestering them to bring over a girlfriend or boyfriend for years. This would surely delight her mother.

The booth behind them was blessedly empty and Hermione instantly slipped inside it.

"… didn't know you'd been seriously studying for NEWTs!" Mary exclaimed, followed by a lovely laugh that Hermione knew she could never pull off.

"My sister's been bloody persistent, but she means well," Peter sheepishly replied. "She even made colour-coded schedules for me and the others, just so we would take our studies seriously this year."

"As expected from the brightest witch of her age," the Gryffindor witch said, a tinge of awe in her tone. Hermione's cheeks flushed a bit at her golden words.

"That's really what people call her now, isn't it?" her brother asked bemusedly. "But it suits her nonetheless. She's always been the better Pettigrew sibling."

Hermione frowned. Peter still thought that?

"That's not true!" Mary exclaimed with a vehemence Hermione never would have thought the sweet girl possessed. "You're brilliant with – what was that Muggle thing you called again – snailboard?"

"Skateboard?" Peter asked, bemused.

"Yes! That! I bet your sister doesn't know how to use that."

Her brother was roaring with laughter and even though she couldn't see him, she knew his blue eyes would be bright with amusement. "She's pants at that," he revealed. "I tried to teach her one summer, but Hermione doesn't really have decent hand-eye coordination. She's not exactly sporty, you know."

"Insulting you behind your back? Well that's not very nice."

Hermione swivelled around at hearing James's voice. He was grinning down at her while clutching two bottles of butterbeer in his hands.

"Shh," she furiously said, clutching onto his arm and pulling him down beside her.

"Spying on your brother and his date isn't nice either," James pointed out.

Hermione's cheeks flushed, lightly glaring at the amused Gryffindor. "I got curious," she explained in a low voice. "I'm not really friends with Mary, so I'm not sure if she'll take proper care of my brother."

James's eyes softened at the obvious concern in her blue eyes. "Mary's a riot," James said with a comforting smile. "She sits beside Lily and Marlene McKinnon during classes, if it helps. She's very nice too."

She remembered her answer to Peter's claim that his sister was the better Pettigrew sibling and smiled. "I figured," she said with a small nod.

"So, did Mary pass your sibling test?" James teased.

Hermione softly laughed. "With flying colours."

-ooo-

They stayed in the Three Broomsticks for the remaining afternoon talking about endless things. James, like Lily, never seemed to run out of words to say. Hermione listened with rapt attention, replying in the right places, and earnestly laughing when he made a joke.

It was a nice not-date and Hermione reluctantly admitted to herself that spending time with James alone wasn't so bad after all. Her initial nervousness had simmered down into random awkward silences, when James would lean a little closer or accidentally brush his fingers against hers. She believed they were unintended, of course, because James still acted the same, treated her the same as always.

She then froze in surprise when Peter and Mary suddenly stood up from the booth they were at. James looked suspiciously terrified and fully turned his body towards Hermione, to shield her completely from Peter's gaze. She was sure her brother would curse her endlessly for eavesdropping on his date, especially when he seemed to have had so much fun and had let himself loose a bit. Hermione was wildly amused at his stupid flirting, which Mary soaked up like an oasis after travelling through a long, dry desert.

Neither of the two Gryffindors gave them a single glance though, too enraptured in a conversation about something Hermione didn't catch. She slowly peeked above James's shoulder to see if they were finally gone. Once they had stepped out of the pub, Hermione visibly relaxed.

"The coast is clear," she said with a low chuckle.

Hermione made a mistake by glancing up at James's face, discovering that he was now pressed closely to her, his face a hairsbreadth away from hers.

She froze for the second time that day, but for an entirely different reason.

James stared at her with an intensity she'd seen him wear before. His hazel eyes hardened with an unknown emotion, the brown almost engulfing the green. His pink lips were set into a thin, hard line and his jaw was tensed, like he was trying to hold himself back.

But from what?

Hermione felt herself flushing and immediately pushed him away. "They're gone," she breathed out and looked away from his confusing gaze. "Maybe it's time we go back too?"

James didn't move for a few more seconds and Hermione grew worried. Out of the corner of her eyes, she watched as the Head Boy shook himself from whatever reverie he was in and swiftly nodded his head to concur with her.

He slid out of the booth and Hermione followed, trailing uncertainly behind him.

The suffocating tension that had blanketed over them prior to the carriage ride appeared once more. James was walking stiffly, his hands clenched by his side, and Hermione couldn't understand why his mood had suddenly changed.

As the thestral-drawn carriages came into view, Hermione remembered the real reason why she had agreed to come to Hogsmeade with him.

"You said you wanted to tell me something today," she blurted out, slightly desperate to break the tense silence between them. James's footsteps faltered and Hermione took that as a sign to continue. "We're about to leave Hogsmeade and you still haven't told me what it was."

James drew into a full stop and deliberately turned around to look at her. His cheeks were flushed red and there was firm resoluteness in his eyes. "Hermione, I—" He paused, blew a frustrated breath, and ran a hand through his hair. "Godric, this is more difficult than what I originally thought."

She didn't understand why telling her about his new relationship with Lily was hard for him. She would have waited for him to compose himself and to draw courage, but Hermione was inexplicably exhausted all of a sudden. She wanted to go back to her room, lie down on her bed, and to pray for the umpteenth time for these ridiculous feelings for this ridiculous boy to cease.

"You're dating Lily, aren't you?" She said it more matter-of-factly than questioningly, secretly trampling down whatever lump was forming in her throat.

James's hazel eyes widened in surprise before they slowly narrowed in genuine confusion. "Evans?" he asked.

Hermione petulantly tugged the ends of her braid and sighed. "Lily told me she's seeing someone," she elaborated. "And honestly, you two have been acting strange ever since the start of the school year so I figured. It is inevitable, after all. Everyone's been waiting for Lily to crack and to agree to go out with you. Since both of you are Heads and sharing a dormitory, not to mention how you're actually more tolerable to be with nowadays, it was only a matter of time."

Her voice had grown unbelievably quiet as the words tumbled out of her mouth. Hermione hated whatever she was feeling right now, knowing that this wasn't right – Lily and James were supposed to be together. In a few years, they'd be married and they'd have Harry Potter. That was all that really mattered to Hermione.

But then, to her utmost surprise, James expelled a disbelieving laugh. Hermione's eyes snapped back to him in confusion and scowled in silent indignation at being laughed at.

"Where the bloody hell did that conclusion come from?" he asked, his hazel eyes glinting brilliantly under the orange sky.

"What?"

"Hermione, whoever Lily Evans is seeing right now, it's most definitely not me," he explained, the corner of his lips still twitching with obvious amusement. "Lily's old news. Honest."

"What?" she asked once more, now downright confused.

James was suddenly striding towards her, too close, too near, and Hermione took a few steps back. "For someone hailed as the brightest witch of her age, you're mighty obtuse today, Hermione," he cajoled.

Her face flushed red at his teasing. "Excuse me?" she asked in offense.

The Head Boy ran a hand through his hair once more as his face turned splotchy red. "Bloody hell, you're really making me say it out loud, Whiskers," he said with a nervous chuckle. When Hermione blankly stared at him, James expelled a soft sigh. "I've been seeing you in a different light lately, Hermione, and I really, truly want to get to know you better."

Her heart skidded into a brief halt, his words ringing wildly inside her ears. She tried to piece his words together, trying to make sense of whatever he had just told her. Her heartbeat then jumpstarted, its pace harder and stronger, as realisation dawned.

"What?" was all her jumbled brain could come up with.

"Blimey, I like you, Hermione Pettigrew," James implored, almost exasperatedly. "More than a friend. More than Peter's little sister. I like you as… as… you."

Thunderous noises erupted inside her brain and Hermione couldn't properly think. She blindly took a few more steps back, just to let herself breathe properly, but her back soon collided with the railing and she was trapped.

Pathetically, she merely stared at James. She had no idea what expression she was making right now, but judging from James's wounded look, she hazarded it wasn't a pleasant one. "But Lily—"

"There is no Lily," he whispered firmly, his eyes hardening once more with that familiar intensity she now realised was because of her. "For a few months now. There hasn't been any Lily anymore. You're—" He thickly swallowed and turned his gaze away. "You're always in my head, Hermione. Popping up at the weirdest of times and I've tried to brush it off because bloody fucking hell, you're Peter's sister, and Peter will surely kill me if he knows I've been having inappropriate thoughts about his sister and—"

He clamped his mouth tightly, his words registering promptly. James's eyes grew wide in horror and his face turned red for the umpteenth time. "Merlin's ballsacks, I didn't intend to say that," he groaned.

James took a deep shuddering breath and deflated, his hazel eyes turning earnest – resigned even – and gave her a small, handsome smile that always made her breath hitch. "I really like you, Hermione," he continued, calmer this time. "It's mighty insane, I know. But I really do. And – well – judging from your face, I may have fucked things up by confessing."

Hermione tried to come up with something decent to say, to tell him that he surely, surely fucked everything up now that her stupid, unwarranted crush for him wasn't one-sided at all. But, all she managed to say was, "You didn't."

Hope blossomed in his beautiful hazel eyes and Hermione wanted to run away. "But, this isn't right," she insisted, panic now rising and seizing her whole. "Lily will be— I mean— I need… I need some time. To think. Clearly, about all of this."

"Waiting," he said, vigorously nodding his head. "Right, of course, you want me to wait. Better than a blatant no, I guess." And then James was nervously laughing - it was painful to watch.

He managed to cajole her towards the carriage so they could return to Hogwarts. All the way, the journey was painfully awkward and quiet. James insisted on walking her back to the Ravenclaw Tower and Hermione mutely agreed, mechanically walking beside him as he guided her back to her common room.

Hogwarts felt like it was shrinking, the whole castle awfully cramped and claustrophobic, when all Hermione wanted was to run far away from this ridiculous, perplexing, mesmerising boy.

It almost felt like an eternity when they finally reached the Ravenclaw Tower. Hermione had to bite her lip from sobbing in relief. Instead, she mumbled a hasty goodbye to James and climbed inside, not even craning over her shoulder to look back.

Hermione didn't bother changing from her clothes. She plopped down on her bed, drew the curtains, and stared at her canopy. The thunderous noises in her head had now calmed down, replaced by an uncomfortable panic.

This wasn't supposed to happen. She had long accepted that she was attracted to James Potter, but surely it would pass. But for James to confess that he liked her too in that way – for Hermione to realise that Lily was most likely dating somebody else and not James…

Well, she was completely and utterly fucked.

She fell into a fitful sleep, dreaming of blood and screams and Dark Marks and red eyes. The red eyes soon morphed into green, and she was staring once more at Harry - her Harry. "Live a happy life, Hermione," he whispered with his crooked smile, reaching forward to let his fingertips graze her cheek.

Green eyes then turned into hazel – eyes that plagued her during the darkest of nights – his lips pink and parted and tempting. "Hermione," he whispered, drawing closer and closer until the softness of James's lips were pressed against hers.

Hermione's eyes snapped open as her hand snaked to her chest and willed her heart to calm down. Dumbly, she stared at the canopy, unable to sleep anymore until sunlight stubbornly broke through her curtains.

Chapter Text

xxii.

you can make me wait forever

(1000 Times by Sara Bareilles)

September 30, 1977

James was blessedly, suspiciously, normal the following days after the disastrous Hogsmeade trip.

Hermione couldn't sleep all throughout the night due to a mixture of panic and grief and other feelings she could not understand. She worried herself sick too and locked herself inside the Ravenclaw Tower for the whole day just to avoid James, and any of her friends, really.

Monday came too soon and Hermione had no choice but to haul her arse out of her hiding place. She skipped breakfast that day, only popping a few toffees in her mouth to give her a bit of sugar, and breezed through her morning lessons.

By the time lunch time came, Hermione's stomach was already protesting. She knew she couldn't skip it this time, knowing that this would arise suspicion from her best friends and even Peter.

She kept her head down all throughout the journey, mechanically plopping down on a vacant seat in the Ravenclaw table, and started piling food on her plate. Lily and Sev immediately arrived, the former voicing her questions on Hermione's whereabouts since yesterday.

"I wasn't feeling well yesterday," she said, which technically wasn't a lie.

Lily grew worried and placed the back of her hand against her forehead. "You're not sick," she pointed out matter-of-factly.

Hermione lightly batted her hand away. "I feel better now," she insisted.

Sev peered closer at her face and frowned. "Have you been sleeping properly?" he asked, also growing a tad concerned. "Merlin, have you been staying up all night just to study again, Pettigrew? It isn't your NEWTs year and blimey, it's only been a month since we came back."

"I'm fine," she cried in exhaustion. "Can I please eat in peace now?"

She ignored the bemused glance Lily and Sev shared and focused on filling her stomach. She resolutely stopped herself from glancing at the Gryffindor table, knowing full well that James was there. She'd heard his voice – laughing over something her brother had said – and he was boisterous and obnoxious like he typically was.

Thankfully, she steered clear of him that day too, and the next, and the day after that. The initial panic James's confession had brought to her had simmered down into an uncomfortable itch in her brain. There were times when she'd have to tamper it down to keep her emotions at bay, but once she was alone with her thoughts, they would all burst free and she'd be panicky once more.

The bigger problem, she admitted, was perhaps her heart. To know that her feelings were reciprocated made her heart flutter pleasantly inside her chest. Then her brain would loudly tell her to stop whatever foolishness she was doing and her heart would gently goad her to take a peek, to see if he was all right, to wonder if he would really wait for her answer.

Now, Hermione was usually logical. Her rational side trumped whatever illogical feeling she sometimes had. This was an important part of her that had kept her and her friends alive after all. Harry had often told her that if it weren't for her brains, he'd be dead by their first year.

But, Hermione was also wholehearted. When she felt things, she felt it deeply and strongly. This was the side of her that had cried her eyes out in the girls' bathroom when she'd overheard two buffoons claiming she was annoying. Or the side of her who was swayed by Ron, blue eyes, freckles, humour and all. This was also the side who steadfastly stayed by Harry Potter, after all the years of hardships and pain, because she loved him like he was her own brother.

And so, this whole James Potter thing was a conundrum. The logical side of her kept on placing down facts as to why this was bad news. Unsurprisingly, the fact that Harry Potter would not exist was at the very forefront.

The wholehearted side whispered that she just wanted to be happy.

This went on for days and Hermione knew crossing paths with James was inevitable.

The Marauders were bloody serious with their studies this year because of their NEWTs. Peter was a nervous wreck, knowing that more than the OWLs, this year could make or break his dream of becoming an Auror. As usual, Remus was the less rigid among the four when studying, because he wasn't planning on becoming an Auror anyway. Sirius was – well – Sirius and then, there was James.

When she spied the group sauntering inside the library, silently horsing around until Remus had to shush them, Hermione's back had snapped ramrod straight. Her jaw was set, her eyes wide and wild, and she had been mercilessly worrying her bottom lip. James brought up the rear of the group, too busy scanning a parchment in his hands.

Peter greeted her with a hug and slid down on the seat beside her. Remus gave her a kind smile while Sirius winked. "Miss us, Whiskers?" the smug wizard asked.

Hermione merely rolled her eyes and wordlessly glanced down at her textbook once more. She tried to start reading and to ignore the wizards all together, but much to her horror, James chose to sit on the chair across from her.

"All right, Hermione?"

She stiffened at his address, unsure how to answer his question. Hermione slowly lifted her eyes towards him and tried to decipher what he was feeling. James was coolly look at her, his mesmerising eyes never betraying any emotion besides mild amusement.

"Yes," she breathed out, realising her silence had stretched too long.

James lightly smiled at her and went back to scanning his parchment.

Hermione suspiciously stared at him, waiting for another quip that would broach their conversation they'd had back at Hogsmeade, but James started to pull out his things from his bag to study.

The brunette reluctantly went back to her textbook and blocked any external distractions. Good thing this was an Arithmancy textbook; Hermione soon found herself lost in the sea of words.

She jotted down notes on her parchment, her fingers furiously gripping the stem of the quill to quickly put her thoughts into words. Such was her grip that the stem of her eagle quill broke in two. "Damn it," she hissed, blindly rummaging inside her backpack in search of a spare quill.

A handsome black quill with golden strands was then pushed towards her. Hermione instantly recognised it as the turkey quill James had bought during Hogsmeade weekend.

Blinking in surprise, her blue eyes landed on James. He was smiling at her in amusement, his hazel eyes trained intently on her broken quill. "Well, somebody once told me turkey quills are the finest ones," he said, gesturing at the quill in front of her.

His hazel eyes then shifted to her face and Hermione felt a blush creeping up from her chest.

"Thanks," she murmured, hastily glancing down at her parchment and grabbing onto the turkey quill. It was soft and light to touch, and Hermione was almost hesitant to use it. She was aware how tightly she gripped her quills, and this one in her hand had cost a fortune!

"They're durable," James whispered, bemused with how she deliberately scratched on her parchment. "It won't break easy. Promise."

Hermione wordlessly nodded and focused once more on her homework.

A few hours passed by without much of a hitch. The next time Hermione tore her gaze away from her parchment was when Peter touched her elbow. Hermione blearily lifted her eyes and glanced at the Marauders, who were all standing already.

"We need to leave first, Hermione," her brother said.

Hermione frowned and glanced at her wristwatch, noting they still had at least two hours before curfew. "Already?" she asked.

"Unlike some, we have other important matters to do, Whiskers," Sirius teased.

She narrowed her eyes, noting the identical excited grins on their faces. When her eyes unwittingly swept on James's, she was surprised to see that he was staring at her, hazel eyes glinting mischievously under the light. Instantly, she remembered their little adventure back at Zonko's, an unending supply of Dungbombs and Frog-Spawn Soap purchased by the Head Boy himself.

"What are you planning to do?" she asked suspiciously.

"No one's going to get hurt," James said with a blinding grin. "Marauder's honour."

Peter snickered under his breath and raised his right hand in mock seriousness. "Marauder's honour," he echoed.

Hermione exasperatedly glanced at Remus. "You're the most sensible of the lot, Remus," she said. "Don't let them do anything stupid."

The werewolf apologetically smiled at Hermione. "This is too good an opportunity to pass, Hermione," he claimed. "I'm sorry."

The brunette softly groaned. "Fine, do whatever you want," she snarled. "If you get expelled, don't expect me to come to your aid."

"Aww, come now, Whiskers, no one's getting expelled," Sirius said with a soft bark of laughter. "Dumbledore loves us too much to let us go without graduating."

Hermione grimaced. That was entirely true. They'd been obnoxious during the previous years and Hermione was honestly expecting graver punishments than mere detentions and the deduction of House points. But she sometimes saw the twinkling delight in the Headmaster's eyes every time the Marauders pulled off an elaborate prank.

"Don't study too much," were Peter's parting words, throwing his arm over her shoulders for a one-armed hug.

Remus and Sirius also bid their goodbyes and followed the sandy-haired boy. Hermione lightly smiled at James for her goodbye and glanced down at her parchment.

Two toffee candies were suddenly slid in front of her. Surprised, she snapped her eyes back up, but the Head Boy was already catching up with his friends, sniggering slightly under his breath as they discussed their prank for that night.

Hermione gingerly grabbed one toffee and unwrapped it, suppressing a mighty groan before she popping it inside her mouth.

October 1, 1977

James was driving her mad.

Albeit treating her like normal, like nothing out of the ordinary had happened, he'd suddenly do things – minuscule things – that would put her mind and heart into a frenzy. Hermione was positively sure he was doing all of these things purposively, with the intent of tormenting her until she would break and finally, finally agree to his plea of going out with him more.

He'd do things out of the blue, like how he'd secretly shove toffees into her robe pockets when he thought she wasn't looking, or how he'd sling her bag over his shoulders when the Marauders escorted her back to the Ravenclaw Tower. Sometimes, he'd breach her personal space even for a just a few seconds, his chest pressed so close to her back, like the one time she had been trying to reach for a book on a high shelf and he'd come to the rescue. There were also moments when his hand would linger closely on her lower back when they'd meander through a crowded corridor.

She knew they were little things, but they always made her heart beat crazily inside her ribcage.

There were times when she had almost snapped from all of his sweet gestures, but then, she'd seek out Lily, stare at her eyes a little too long, and then calm herself down. 'Harry must live,' she had always firmly told herself when James would send her a handsome smile that made her head spin. 'Harry must live.'

Hermione constantly trailed behind Lily, and by extension Sev, after she discovered that staring at Harry's eyes made her resolute once more. Lily was already noticing her strange behaviour, asking her what was wrong, but Hermione would merely shake her head and smile at her apologetically.

Currently, she was studying with both Lily and Sev and thankfully, there was no Marauder in sight. Hermione was glad Peter and his friends were taking their studies seriously this year, but she did want to have some sanity break from James and his mesmerising eyes.

"Professor Slughorn's driving you insane," Lily hissed under her breath, glaring daggers at the parchment Severus was currently poring himself over.

Hermione snapped out of her thoughts about James Potter and glanced over Sev's notes. It was no doubt another set of instructions for brewing a potion that would cost him his meals and his sleep.

"This isn't too bad," Sev defended with a scowl.

"It won't be if you don't become a zombie whilst brewing that potion," Hermione lightly added. Sev glanced at her in confusion, prompting her to laugh. "An inferi, then."

He took offense, his face grimacing at being compared with the dead. "I don't look like an inferi when I'm doing a potions project!" he snarled in indignation.

"Yes, you are, sourpuss," Lily hissed once more, still glaring daggers at the potions instructions.

Sev snorted and started cramming his things inside his bag. "I have to go," he announced. "Slughorn asked to meet me tonight to discuss the potions project and more."

"What does the 'and more' mean?" Hermione asked, quirking her eyebrow in curiosity.

"It means, Slughorn wants to talk about Sev becoming a Potions professor once he graduates, and replacing him," Lily said, a suspiciously proud smile stretching on her face.

Both of Hermione's eyebrows flew up to her hairline. "Really?" she asked.

Sev rolled his eyes, but his cheeks were dusted with pink. "Nothing's sure yet," he snapped, crankily scowling at the redhead. "Besides, I was thinking about becoming a Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. I'm actually quite good at that subject too."

Hermione remembered her sixth year when Snape took over the vacant position of DADA. Although he followed Dolores Umbridge – who was, hands down, the worst of them all – Hermione couldn't deny that he also taught that subject decently.

Sev slung the strap of his bag over his shoulders and gave Hermione a small smile in goodbye. When he turned to Lily, he unconsciously bent down. The redhead was already tilting her head, halfway meeting him in the middle, just so he could press a kiss on her lips. "Goodbye," he whispered, his features softening a bit as he gazed down fondly at the pretty redhead. Lily's pink lips stretched into a small smile, her cheeks matching her red hair.

But then, the two seventh years froze, realising that Hermione was sitting across from them. When they looked at her simultaneously, Hermione's jaw was open and her blue eyes had popped out from their sockets. Unfiltered shock painted her pale face.

"Err… surprise," Lily weakly said, her cheeks turning more furiously red. Even Sev looked embarrassed at being caught.

Her voice broke Hermione out of her shocked reverie. "What in Merlin's name—" Her eyes darted to and from the Gryffindor and Slytherin. "How the— I mean, since when?" Her face crumpled imploringly. "Why didn't I know about this?!"

"Calm down, Pettigrew," Sev said with an exhausted sigh, plopping back down on his seat once more. "It isn't even that long when we started to—" He made a series of weird hand gestures between him and Lily, much to the latter's amusement.

"We meant to tell you, Hermione," Lily appeased with an apologetic smile. "After we spent time at your home last summer, things just started to… escalate." The identical blushes on their faces made Hermione wonder as to what extent the relationship had escalated to. "We wanted to tell you on the train ride here, but you were distracted after your encounter with Regulus Black."

Hermione frowned, remembering the train incident. "But it's been a month," Hermione weakly protested.

"Actually, you've been distracted most of the time," Sev pointed out with a firm frown. "More so these past few days."

She looked away from them. "I just have a lot of things on my mind," she murmured under her breath.

Her hand was suddenly enclosed in Lily's warm ones. "What is really wrong, Hermione?" the redhead earnestly asked, her green eyes melting into worry that Hermione had grown accustomed to.

"Never mind about me," she quickly dismissed. "What about you?" Her eyes comically widened when she glanced back at Lily. "When you said you'd been seeing someone, you meant Sev?"

Lily shyly smiled and slowly nodded her head. "I was planning to tell you that day, too," she said, expelling a soft laugh. "But Potter and his posse suddenly came so I lost my chance." She gave Hermione's hand a comforting squeeze. "We didn't really mean to hide it from you, Hermione. We were also a bit worried how, you know, you might feel left out."

Hermione glanced at her best friends incredulously. She'd had the same thoughts when she had started going out with Ron, wondering if Harry would feel left out because they shared a relationship he couldn't participate in. She remembered Harry's face, clear as day, when he playfully whacked Ron's head and engulfed Hermione in a big hug, undoubtedly happy for the progress in their relationship. "Are you kidding me?" she said, echoing Harry's words with a brilliant smile. "I think this is lovely! I love you both very much and you must believe me when I say that I'm very happy for you."

Sev deflated in relief, giving Hermione a tentative smile. Lily beamed brightly and stood up from her chair, only to jog towards Hermione to give her a big hug. "I love you, too, Hermione!" she cried passionately, prompting Sev to roll his eyes and Hermione to chuckle with fondness.

When Lily pulled away and sat on the chair beside Hermione, another thought came into her mind. "But James—"

Sev snorted before she could finish her sentence. "He's another reason why we didn't want the whole school to know about our relationship," he explained. A dark scowl appeared on his face. "Potter's a pain-in-the-arse, and I know he'd incessantly pester us. I'm not even going to be surprised if he starts going out of his way to torment me once again."

"No he won't," Hermione blurted out a little too quickly. When two sets of eyes glanced at her questioningly, Hermione flushed and glanced at the top of the table. "I'm sure he won't. James has… well, he's matured from those kinds of things."

How could she possibly tell them that no pestering would happen because James Potter apparently liked her instead?

Lily touched her elbow to get her attention once more. There was something meaningful in her glance, but Hermione couldn't quite decipher it. "I heard he took you out on Hogsmeade Day," she said as a small smile stretched on her face.

Sev quirked an eyebrow. "Alone?" he asked.

"Alone," the Gryffindor said with a slow nod, her smile turning into a teasing one.

Hermione's cheeks flushed, remembering that awful, awful day once again. "It wasn't that kind of thing you're thinking about, Lily Evans," she hotly exclaimed. Lily merely quirked an eyebrow.

With Lily's reminder of that day, the impact of Lily and Sev's new relationship dawned heavily on Hermione. She had been fighting tooth and nail to keep James at arm's length because she knew he belonged to Lily. But what if Lily didn't want to be with him either?

She remembered the silent moments, observing how her best friends looked at each other, and she knew this wasn't just some ridiculous fancy that would pass.

The panic grew in the pit of her stomach once more as she wildly looked at Lily. "But James—"

Lily cut her off with a soft, pretty laugh. "But James what, Hermione?" she asked, her green eyes dancing with amusement. "I'd never go out with a berk like him, you know. He's so incorrigible and yes, yes, okay I admit he's mellowed down. Blimey, he's even sweet to you! I sometimes wondered what would have happened if he'd showed that side of him to me before. I might have actually gone out with him."

Sev threw her a scathing glare, prompting Lily to smile widely. "But of course, I'm stuck with a sourpuss like him," she said, jutting a thumb in his direction. "I shouldn't really complain."

"Thanks, Lily," he drawled.

The redhead merely smiled and wordlessly reached for his hand. A lump grew in Hermione's throat when she noticed the fond gaze they shared.

She wasn't kidding when she had said she loved both of them, like how she had loved Harry. Hermione had sworn she would stick by their side if the need arose. Seeing that they'd be important figures in this war, she also knew she couldn't turn a blind eye once the future caught up with them.

But Harry…

If Lily and Sev got together, then there was a huge possibility that Harry might not even be born. That thought threw her into a downward spiral of blind panic and grief. The world wouldn't be the same if there was no Harry Potter.

"Hermione?"

The brunette slowly stared back at her best friend, once again with worry in her eyes.

"You okay?" the redhead asked.

Hermione hoped the smile she gave her wasn't too strained. "I'm fine, Lils," she said, drawing the redhead into a huge hug just to hide the conflicting emotions on her face. "I'm really so happy for you both."

She felt Lily smile against her shoulder as she lifted her arms and wound them around her.

Hermione could see how much happiness Lily and Sev were exuding. She knew she couldn't stomach it if she was the reason why they were torn apart.

-ooo-

"Hermione."

"Hmm?"

She heard Lily's soft chuckle as the redhead forced her to lift her chin. "It's almost curfew," the Gryffindor pointed out, her green eyes glinting in amusement.

"Already?" the brunette asked with a frown, glancing at her wristwatch to confirm Lily's words. To her dismay, she only had thirty minutes left. "I'm not yet done with my essay." She smiled when Lily opened her mouth, about to protest. "You go ahead, Lils. I just need to write another paragraph then I'll be good to go."

"Much as I love you endlessly, Hermione, I'm Head Girl," the older witch said. "I might be forced to deduct points from you if you stay out of bed after curfew."

Hermione bit back a smile, thinking of a similar conversation with the Head Boy a week ago. "I'll be mindful of the time," she promised.

Lily's lips turned into a small frown, before she sighed. "All right," she replied. "I can't wait up for you, though. Potter and I need to discuss some Head stuff."

The Head Girl bent down to give her a goodbye hug. "I'll send Potter your love," she whispered with a teasing smile.

Her cheeks flared at her words, an indignant cry escaping from her lips. Lily merely laughed and gave her another squeeze, before letting go and leaving the library.

Hermione deeply frowned, but shook such distractions away, once again returning to her essay.

Contrary to what she had promised her best friend, Hermione did lose track of time. When she realised this, she noted that she only had ten minutes to sprint from the library to Ravenclaw Tower. Slightly cursing under her breath, she waved her wand to pack her things.

The brunette briskly walked out of the library, intent on reaching her dormitory on time. The corridors were already void of students, the shadows her only companion.

As she reached the great staircases, Hermione paused upon spying a familiar, impeccable head of black curls lurking around. Regulus did not seem to notice her presence as his silver eyes swept throughout the corridor, possibly searching for any signs of Filch or the other professors.

All thoughts of reaching her dormitory on time flew out of the window. Hermione's heart thudded nervously, wondering why he was out of bed. Looking positively anxious and on guard too, if she were to describe his facial expression.

Regulus flew down the staircases with amazing speed and Hermione instantly hid behind a suit of armour. She peeked through, watching as the Slytherin purposively walked towards the entrance door of the castle.

Wherever Regulus was going, it didn't seem like he was going to stay in Hogwarts at all.

Hermione was suddenly fuelled by adrenaline and fear, unthinkably darting out of her hiding place and hastily running towards him.

Her footsteps rang loudly through the empty corridors, drawing attention to herself. Regulus's shoulders instantly tensed as he brandished his wand and turned on his heel.

"Pettigrew," he breathed out in surprise, his eyebrows flying towards his hairline.

"Where in Merlin's name are you going?" she harshly asked. She finally caught up with him and steadily held his gaze. Regulus's eyes immediately hardened into icy blocks, a carefully guarded mask sliding over his face.

"None of your business," he quickly dismissed. "What are you doing out of bed? It's already past curfew."

"I lost track of time while I was studying in the library," she explained.

To her surprise, the corner of his lips twitched, undoubtedly amused. "Of course you did," he murmured.

For a moment, he let his guard down and Hermione felt like she was staring back at an old friend. "Where are you going?" she asked, this time letting her worry be known to the Slytherin.

His emotions shifted behind his mask once more as he coolly stared down at her. "None of your business," he echoed through gritted teeth. "Just go back to your dormitory, Pettigrew."

Hermione darted forwards and clutched his arm before he could slip away. "Regulus," she beseeched.

His eyes flared up furiously as he tried to shake her off, but then, the unmistakable voice of Filch rang from the other end of the corridor. Panic flittered on his face and without thinking, Hermione dragged him towards a secret passage.

"Get off me," he protested, but this only made her grip on him tighten.

Filch and his blasted cat were nowhere to be found when they stumbled out into another corridor. It was dimly lit, the flickering fire from the torches casting ominous shadows over them.

"Where were you going?" she tried again. Regulus predictably clenched his jaw and glared at her, already turning on his heel to stomp away.

Desperately, Hermione clenched his left forearm and glanced at him imploringly. "Why are you avoiding me?" she softly asked. His avoidance had genuinely hurt her, because she had treated him as a friend. She also had this inkling that the Slytherin was already carrying a great burden, and Hermione, for the life of her, promised herself she wouldn't stand aside and watch as Regulus's life spiralled out of control.

Her grip on his arm tightened when his face grew thunderous. With wild, furious eyes, he glared down at Hermione and spat, "If you want to live, you have to stay away from me."

She recoiled at his ferocity, her hand slipping back to her side. Regulus was suddenly breathing heavily and his eyes shone with terror and pain and more. He reminded her of another sixteen-year-old Slytherin back when she was Hermione Granger, whose face was gaunt and afraid… so afraid, like he had to do this. Like he had no choice.

Tears prickled her eyes as she lifted her hand again to reach out for him. But Regulus flinched and took a few steps back, the vulnerability he'd shown her before peeking through the cracks of his mask. "Let me help you, Regulus," she whispered. "Please, let me help you. Whatever you are going through, tell me, and I will do whatever I can to help you."

Regulus took a deep, shuddering breath as a wry smile appeared on his face. "No one can help me, Pettigrew," he said.

With a grand flourish, he swivelled around, his black robes billowing behind his back.

Hermione dumbly stared at his back as tears steadily poured from her blue eyes. Based on what had happened a while ago, her belief that he was already Branded was strengthened. With her resolute vow not to step aside and look away anymore, Hermione swore she would take the first step in helping him this time, even if he thought it would all be futile.

Chapter Text

xxiii.

surely someone will reach out a hand

(A Safe Place to Land by Sara Bareilles)

October 5, 1977

Hermione swallowed down her nervousness as she entered the library. She immediately spied Regulus who was as usual, flanked by Barty Crouch Jr. and Evan Rosier. The Slytherins were busy doing their homework, and it made her disconcerted a bit at the sight. Here were a bunch of Death Eaters, still doing menial, student things like studying. Hermione almost laughed at the odd sight.

Purposively walking towards Regulus, she ignored the other two, even though she saw that Crouch was the first one to notice her. He hit Regulus with the end of his elbow, prompting the Black heir to scowl. But then, Crouch tipped his chin in her direction and Regulus followed his line of vision.

Brief surprise flitted in his silver eyes but it was soon replaced by cold indifference. Hermione fought the urge to shiver at his steely gaze and instead concentrated on the shrinking distance between her and their table.

"Regulus," she stiffly greeted. "I'm here to return a book."

The other Slytherins glanced at Regulus uncertainly, who had now narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "You didn't borrow a book from me," he pointed out.

Hermione tightened her grip on her fifth year Transfiguration textbook. "Yes, I did," she ground out as she slammed the book in front of him.

Regulus knitted his eyebrows in suspicion and glanced at the book. Both Crouch and Rosier looked affronted at her actions and were blessedly distracted when Regulus opened the cover of the book. A small piece of parchment fluttered out. Hermione watched as his eyes scanned the words she had written on it – 'I know you are a Death Eater. I know you are working for Voldemort.' Her heart turned to lead and dropped to her stomach when he furiously snapped the book shut, effectively hiding the parchment from prying eyes.

"What do you want?" he growled ferociously, baring his teeth.

"You haven't returned my Potions textbook either," she hastily lied, surprised she had managed to utter such words when her tongue felt so thick and dry. "I wish to get it back."

Regulus's grip on the book tightened, his knuckles turning white.

"Get out of here, Blood-Traitor," Crouch taunted, his tongue flickering out menacingly. "If you know what's good for you."

"I'm not talking to you," she hotly said. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Regulus hastily scribble something on the parchment she'd given him. He then suddenly shot up from his seat and stomped towards Hermione.

He stood at his tallest height and towered over her. His grey eyes were tumultuous, like a raging storm over troubled seas, but Hermione met his gaze, unwilling to back down.

"Keep it," he hissed, slapping the Transfiguration book against her chest. "I don't need your grubby little germs contaminating my things."

Ire flared in her eyes when Regulus turned away and sat back down on his seat, now resolutely keeping his eyes glued on the parchment in front of him. Hermione darkly glared at his snickering friends, before turning on her heel and stiffly walking out of the library.

Once she had emerged out of the wooden doors, her anger and nervousness fizzled, replaced by exhaustion and anticipation. She immediately strode towards an alcove and eyed the book in her hand. She had an inkling that what Regulus had just done was all for show, to appease his Slytherin mates, and Hermione fervently prayed that she was right.

Shakily opening the cover, the piece of parchment she'd tucked inside was still there, only this time, a new note was scribbled on the back.

Hermione picked it up and read the words: 'Astronomy Tower. Midnight.'

A relieved smile bloomed on her face. At least she'd finally caught Regulus's attention.

The Ravenclaw pulled out her wand and Incendio-d the letter before striding out of the alcove, anticipating tonight.

-ooo-

Hermione's eyes widened when Peter slid down on the bench beside her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, scanning the Great Hall in search of her best friends. She caught Lily's eyes as she was striding inside, her boyfriend trailing not too far behind her. The redhead's eyes narrowed in her direction, before pulling Severus towards the Gryffindor table, ignoring his protests.

"Can't I eat with my sister?" Peter snorted with a flourished eye roll.

Hermione frowned. "You never eat with me when we're at Hogwarts," she pointed out matter-of-factly.

"He and Mary had a row."

The brunette craned her neck and was surprised to see the other Marauders standing casually near the Ravenclaw table. It was Sirius who had spoken, seeing that Peter's glaring eyes were directed at him. The curly-haired Gryffindor ignored him and grinned, taking the seat across from Hermione. "It was fantastic, Whiskers," he said, "you should have seen it."

Remus greeted her with a small smile and clambered on the seat beside Sirius.

"What are you all doing here?" she asked incredulously.

Hermione instantly stiffened when James chose to sit on the vacant seat beside her. "The Gryffindor table is particularly sad without Wormtail," the bespectacled wizard joked, prompting Peter to lean towards him and smack his arm. Hermione, who was sitting between the rowdy boys, found herself leaning towards James, her right arm briefly pressing against him. Her cheeks instantly flushed red and she immediately moved away, managing to topple Peter nearly off his seat.

"Blimey, Hermione," her brother whined, straightening himself on the bench.

The other wizard beside her was silently shaking with laughter, his hazel eyes lit up in amusement.

Hermione noisily cleared her throat and focused all of her attention on Peter. "I didn't know you and Mary were going serious," she claimed.

Peter's cheeks flushed red and he moodily stared at his empty plate. "I'm not sure if we'll ever be going there anyway," he murmured under his breath.

"Nonsense, Petey!" Sirius gasped. "The girl's smitten with you. You should have seen how she was making googly eyes at you during classes. It was honestly sickening, but sweet." Sirius made a face. "But sickening."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," the sandy-haired boy said with a light glare, his cheeks dusted with pink once more. He slumped despondently on the table and sighed. "Maybe I was a complete buffoon a while ago."

"What did you do this time, Peter?" Hermione asked with narrowed eyes.

Peter merely snorted and started gloomily piling food onto his plate. Hermione glanced at his friends, but James and Sirius merely shrugged their shoulders. Remus, surprisingly, was the one who answered her question.

"Something about meeting the family," Remus casually said, coolly spreading jam over his muffin. "I'm not entirely sure. There were a lot of groans from Peter and shrieks from Mary." The corners of his lips twitched in amusement. "You should have seen it, Hermione. It was bonkers."

"It wasn't bonkers," Peter whined. His cheeks reddened more and he steadfastly avoided Hermione's eyes. "She thought it might be lovely if she could come over next break and meet Mum." Peter shyly glanced at Hermione and grimaced. "And you, apparently. She said she hears a lot of things about you from Lily, and they are quite close. She thought it would be wonderful if you and her got close, too, you know. She had always been intrigued by the smartest Pettigrew."

Hermione looked at him dubiously. "And what the hell is wrong with that?" she exclaimed. "Mum's been pestering us for years about our love lives."

The corner of Peter's lips twitched upward. "Yeah, Mum's been particularly interested with the boys in your life," he said with a weak chuckle.

James choked on his pumpkin juice. Peter gave him a weird glance whilst Remus leant forward and thumped his back. Hermione, on the other hand, could feel a blush creeping up from her chest and resolutely avoided looking at the boy who had apparently liked her for months.

"So, yeah, I don't see any problem - why do you not want to bring Mary over?" Hermione continued. "Mum will be over the moon. I'm sure she'll cook another feast if she discovers you're bringing over a guest at Christmas."

Peter groaned and rubbed his face. "But it means things have gone way serious," he pointed out matter-of-factly.

His sister knitted her eyebrows in confusion. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but based from what I've deduced, I think it's what you wanted," Hermione deliberately said.

The older Pettigrew expelled a soft sigh as a blush dusted his cheeks. "I don't think I deserve her, Hermione," he murmured sadly. "Mary's a… Mary's wonderful and very pretty. I don't know what she sees in me, honestly."

"I wonder about that sometimes, Wormtail," Sirius piped in.

"Shut it, Pads, not helping," James snorted, throwing a small grape towards the annoying Gryffindor. Sirius deftly dodged the fruit, which unfortunately bounced off Remus' cheek. Annoyed, the werewolf grabbed a piece of his muffin and flicked it towards James.

Hermione rolled her eyes as a mini food fight broke out amongst the three. She could see the other Ravenclaws were staring at the Gryffindors, obviously unused to such a ruckus on their table.

"So, the point is," Peter lamented, "I told her that maybe it would be better if she came over after we've graduated." He blushed and absentmindedly scratched his chin. "After I got accepted as an Auror. Maybe then, I'd be something. I think Mary interpreted it differently and it made her angry."

The brunette huffed in frustration and leant over to whack him on the back of his neck. Peter scowled at her, surprised and indignant at the same time, but she ignored it. "Blimey, that's some load of codswallop, Peter Pettigrew," she admonished with a dark glare. "If you don't bring Mary over for Christmas dinner, I'm going to tell Mum and demand her to send you a Howler until you get those ridiculous thoughts out of your head," she threatened.

"I don't know about you, mate," James piped in, his mini food fight with his friends ceasing. "But I think you should listen to your sister."

"She gets terrifying when she gets that look," Remus concurred with a firm nod.

"I think she might send you a Bat-Bogey Hex if you still refuse," Sirius offered with a smile.

Peter slightly paled and warily stared at Hermione. "You won't do that, will you?" he deliberately asked.

"If my brother continues being a berk, then I just might," Hermione said, casually brandishing her wand from her robe pocket. The other boys started snickering under their breaths, prompting Peter to send a scathing glare their way.

"Fine, blimey," Peter exclaimed in exasperation. "I knew it was a bad idea sitting beside you today."

Hermione broke into a grin. "Mum will go ballistic with Christmas dinner," she said with a short laugh. "I'm bloody well sure of it."

"Why don't you ever invite us over to your house, Petey?" Sirius complained. "Your mother's lovely and we've always been curious as to how you and Hermione grew up in a Muggle neighbourhood."

"You grew up in a Muggle neighbourhood," Hermione retorted with a quirked eyebrow.

"Ah, well, my situation is different," Sirius said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I honestly don't know why my ancestors, Pureblood bigots through and through, wanted to stay in a Muggle townhouse of all places."

"Maybe because your family is barmy?" James helpfully suggested.

Sirius barked a laugh and vigorously nodded his head. "Yes, of course, the infamous Black family curse," he continued.

"I didn't invite you over because I know you'd prank our mother and face her ire first hand," Peter said with a smirk. "If it helps, her temper is worse than Hermione's. Probably a Selwyn trait, I'm not too sure."

Hermione snorted, absolutely agreeing with Peter's claim.

"But maybe sometime in the future," Peter said. "Mum really likes visitors. You should have seen the feast she made when Lily and Snape came over last summer. It was enough to feed the whole Gryffindor House, honestly."

"Speaking of Lily and Snape," James casually piped in, staring pointedly at Hermione. "Is it true they're going out?"

Hermione's heart thudded at being addressed by the wizard beside her. Forcing indifference, she coolly looked at him and said, "And why do you care?"

The brunette internally cringed, berating herself for choosing – of all things – to ask that question instead. She wanted to tell him the truth just to get it over with, but there was this annoying itch in her heart that made her irrationally annoyed at his interest.

James quirked an eyebrow at her question. "Just curious, Whiskers," he plainly said. A small smirk grew on his face as he ducked his head closer, the distance appropriate enough for Peter but mighty dizzying for Hermione. "Lily's old news. You know that."

His hazel eyes held a silent challenge and Hermione didn't want to back down. She knew her cheeks were already blazing red from his close proximity, but that stupid smirk on his face, or that glint in his eyes forced her to stubbornly keep the stare.

"Yes," she breathlessly replied. "I know that."

Lily and Sev didn't bother hiding their relationship now that their other best friend knew. No one really batted an eye when the two came inside the Great Hall, hand-in-hand, without any care in the world. They'd been really close after all. However, they were all waiting for James Potter's reaction, which, to the dismay of the student body, never came. James gave their hand holding a brief stare, before he deftly shrugged and went back to his conversation with his friends. It wasn't hard to conclude that the Head Boy didn't like the Head Girl anymore.

"Don't tell me you're still interested with Evans, mate," Sirius said with a snort. "She's bloody off limits now, even though it's with Snivellus." His nose scrunched up as if he'd eaten something rotten. "Blimey, I didn't think she'd settle with that greasy-haired git."

"Who happens to be my best friend too, Black," Hermione snapped, throwing him a scathing glare. "Watch it."

He raised his hands in defence and sheepishly smiled.

"Lily's old news," James insisted once more. He went back to his plate and secretly smiled. "I like somebody else now."

The chorus of 'whats' shook Hermione, as the brunette paled and stared at James, wondering if he'd confess to his friends what he'd told her back at Hogsmeade.

"Calm down, wankers," James said with a laugh. "I'm still waiting for her reply."

"Waiting?" Sirius gasped with wide eyes. "Since when do you wait for a girl to agree to go out with you?" He threw his hands at the general direction of where Lily and Sev sat. "Exhibit A: Lily Evans."

James coloured in embarrassment. "She told me she doesn't like the grand, obnoxious gestures," he reasoned out.

"Lily didn't like the grand, obnoxious gestures either," Remus quipped, cocking an eyebrow in amusement.

"Yeah, well, this girl isn't the same as Lily."

Hermione could feel her cheeks heating up once more, and refused to look at James.

Peter whistled under his breath. "Whoever this new girl is, you must be absolutely whipped," her brother quipped, oblivious to how Hermione had stiffened beside him. "James Potter never waits for a reply. Bloke's too impatient for things like that." He burst into loud laughter as he looked at his other friends.

"Bloody impatient," Remus agreed with a sigh, the corner of his lips twitching into a small smile. "Do you remember back in third year when he hexed Sirius because he came an hour late to Diagon Alley?"

Sirius snorted. "Bloody git turned my hair pink," he scowled, touching his curls reverently. "Whoever this girl is must protect her hair at all times, honestly."

Hermione unconsciously clutched some of her curls and stared at James with wide eyes. The wizard's cheeks were blazing red with embarrassment, once again attempting to instigate a food fight by throwing grapes in Sirius's direction.

Remus lazily swished his wand and disappeared whatever food James was clutching in his hands. "Sorry to disturb the fun but we have to get going," he declared. "Transfiguration's in a few minutes."

"Shite, I haven't finished the career essay yet!" Peter cried, immediately scrambling from his chair.

Sirius's eyes were wide. "What career essay?" he gasped, paling in panic.

"Berk, of course you forgot about it," Remus said with a laugh, sliding off the bench to sling his bag over his shoulders.

"Moony let me copy yours," the raven-haired boy pleaded.

"We have different career paths, Sirius, blimey." Sirius persistently hounded on Remus as they followed Peter, the latter doing a good job at writing on a parchment whilst walking.

James finally slid off the bench. "Later, Hermione," he said with a small smile, before turning around and following the others.

Hermione stared at their retreating backs, smiling fondly at the small ruckus they were making.

She packed up her things to get ready for her Charms class. Hermione slipped her wand back inside her robe pocket, but then paused with a frown. She rummaged inside her pocket and pulled out a few pieces of toffee. She clearly remembered she didn't have any in her pockets this morning.

Blushing, Hermione glanced at James, as he threw an arm over Sirius' shoulders and pulled him away from an annoyed Remus.

Merlin Almighty, he was really making everything hard for her.

-ooo-

Later that night, after making sure that her roommates were fast asleep, Hermione slid down from her bed and walked towards the door. She peeked out to see if any students were still awake and burning the midnight oil. Predictably, some seventh years were bent over their desks, furiously scribbling notes on their parchment or mouthing out words.

Before striding out, Hermione pulled out her wand and Disillusioned herself. Although the lights were still on, at least she'd blend in with the background. The seventh years might merely get distracted by some distortion in the air and attribute it to their lack of sleep.

Hermione slowly strode out of her room and managed to reach the entrance door without a hitch. She slipped out of the Tower and breathed a sigh of relief. Hermione removed the charm on herself and closed her eyes, concentrating on her Animagus form.

She felt the familiar shifting and melting until it had stopped. When Hermione opened her eyes once more, the world was blurrier and taller. She briefly gazed at her paws and was pleased to note that she could transform herself without using her wand anymore.

Hermione, in cat form, slinked through the corridors, making sure to hide herself by blending in with the shadows. Her vision was distorted, like the world had suddenly became less colourful, which was a downside of becoming a cat. The good thing, however, was that she could see more clearly in the dark. Hermione took advantage of that by slinking into dark corridors until she had reached the Astronomy Tower.

She hovered near the door, uncertain as to whether this was a good idea. She was going to be alone with a Death Eater. Granted, he was a newbie and maybe he hadn't yet committed darker crimes that would put him in Azkaban in a heartbeat. But the fact that he was Branded, meant he was already deeply entangled with Voldemort and his web of evil and deceit.

'No, you were the one who wanted to reach out,' a voice firmly told Hermione. She couldn't back out now. She told herself she wouldn't turn a blind eye anymore. Now that Regulus needed someone to help him get out of this mess alive, Hermione knew it was up to her.

Hermione transformed back into her human form and slowly crept inside the Astronomy Tower. She instantly found Regulus wearing down the stone floor. He wasn't wearing his usual mask either. Raw panic showed on his face as he mercilessly worried his bottom lip. At this distance, Hermione could see that his stark, silver eyes looked dangerously like liquid mercury.

She'd been through war and fought many battles. Hermione instantly knew what that look meant – fear. Danger.

She pulled out her wand and tightly gripped it in her hand, cautiously stepping forward to approach the panicking Slytherin. Hermione accidentally stepped on a creaking floorboard, which alerted Regulus to her presence. He instantly stood still and Hermione watched as he carefully crafted a mask to cover all the tumultuous feelings he was experiencing.

"Regulus," she greeted, slowly approaching him again until she was a few meters away. Her eyes flickered to his hand, noting that he too, was tightly gripping his own wand.

"You cannot prove anything," he spat in return.

Her grip tightened on her wand, resolutely staring at him. "Yes, I can," she coolly replied.

Before Regulus could act, Hermione lifted her wand and boomed a loud "Expelliarmus!" His wand flew into the air and she deftly caught it. Regulus looked murderous, his teeth bared, and tried to stomp towards Hermione, but she was faster. With another wave, she exclaimed "Petrificus Totalus!" and then pointed her wand swiftly at the ground and hissed "Molliare!"

Regulus became as rigid as a board and he toppled forward, his face landing on the cushioned stone floor.

For a moment, everything was still except for Hermione's loud breathing. The Ravenclaw then shakily placed Regulus's wand inside her robe pocket, lest he stole it back and tried to hex her in retaliation.

Hermione closed the remaining distance between her and Regulus. Once she reached him, she turned him over so that she could see his face. His stormy eyes were the only thing that moved, darting to and fro, to relay how furious he was.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, tears already pricking her eyes. "It's the only way I can prove it."

She then grasped onto his left sleeve and pushed it up to his elbow. Hermione's breath hitched at the familiar image of the black tattoo, the snake slithering mockingly, making her remember all the horrible things Hermione Granger had gone through. Bile rose up from her throat as horrified tears slowly trailed down from her eyes.

Hermione tentatively looked back at Regulus's eyes, only to discover they had stopped moving all together. Regulus was staring at her with wide, terrified eyes, knowing that she had finally discovered his well-kept secret.

"Oh, Regulus," she whispered. "What have you done?"

She instantly thought of older Sirius, hate and disgust on his face for his Death Eater brother, unknown to him that he was trying to right his wrongs in the end.

Eyes hardening, Hermione grew resolute. She wouldn't let that happen, wouldn't let Regulus die in vain. She wouldn't even let Regulus die at all! She was going to help him, however she could, and she'd be damned if Regulus refused her help.

The spell soon wore off and Regulus was left to stare at Hermione. His breathing grew shaky and ragged as he slowly sat up and angrily covered the Dark Mark once more.

Before Hermione could move, Regulus's hand was tight around her arm. His initial shock disappeared and was replaced by a murderous glint in his eyes. "You had no right," he angrily spat through gritted teeth. His face twisted, a mixture of fury and panic marring his pale face.

"You wouldn't tell me, even when I was persistent," Hermione murmured through her thick tears. "I had to get proof."

His hold tightened around her arm. "What now, then? Will you tell your precious Dumbledore? Will you tell him that the Black heir is finally Branded by a mark so vile that even you cannot tolerate to look at it?" His words poured out harshly from his pale lips, but his eyes spoke of unadulterated, genuine fear of what Hermione would actually do with her newfound knowledge.

Hermione vigorously shook her head. "No, no, that's not my intention at all," she protested.

Regulus paused and knitted his eyebrows in confusion. "Then what is?" he asked in exasperation. "Isn't that what you wanted? To threaten me with your stupid words?"

Despite her tears, Hermione expelled a soft, hollow laugh. "Is that what you think this is all about?" she asked. "Blackmailing?" His hand loosened as he faltered. Another laugh escaped from her lips. "Why do all Slytherins think all good deeds have ulterior motives?"

"Because they do," he interjected. "They always do."

"No," she grounded out. "No, Regulus, I'm doing this because you are my friend. I'm doing this because I want to help you."

He recoiled at her words, as if he had been slapped. Hermione's heart clenched at his genuine confusion. Perhaps, Regulus had never really understood what friendship truly meant. She always thought he was joking when he said he merely thought of her as an acquaintance, but maybe it was the only thing he knew.

"Let me help you," she whispered, reaching out to hold his hand. "You don't have to go through all of this alone, Regulus."

Conflicting emotions rushed through his face. Hope bloomed in Hermione's heart, wondering if she was actually getting through him.

But then, Regulus hardened his expression once more and roughly snatched his hand away from Hermione's. "You can't help, Pettigrew," he furiously replied. "Nobody can help. The Dark Lord is bloody fucking powerful. We are mere bugs under his sneering, red eyes. He could crush us without blinking an eye. I— you—" He shakily took a deep breath, his anger now replaced by an unending despair. "You are asking for a death sentence if you plan to leave his tyranny. He is invincible."

"Wrong," Hermione exclaimed with unwavering vehemence. "You're wrong. He's not."

Regulus made a face and lightly glared at Hermione. "Did you hear what I just said, Pettigrew? I said—"

"I know what you said and I am telling you, you are wrong," Hermione interjected. "All wrong." She swallowed down her trepidation and pierced him with a pointed glance. "I know what his downfall is."

The Slytherin gaped at her in disbelief. "What?" he managed to crack.

"I know what his weakness is," she continued resolutely. "And if you agree to let me help, then there's a chance you'll get out of it all alive."

Regulus stared at her with wide eyes, before deflating once more, his eyes turning wary. "If you're just pulling my leg, Pettigrew—"

"Damn it, Regulus!" she shrieked, much to his surprise. "Just trust me for now."

He clamped his mouth tightly into a thin line, his silver eyes now curiously scrutinising her face, trying to see any sign that she was lying. "How do I know I can trust you?"

Hermione sighed. "I cannot show any proof yet," she said in apology. "But… please, Regulus. Can't you hold on to my word for now?"

He hesitated for a bit, understandably so, because Hermione knew it was bloody weird how an ordinary Ravenclaw sixth year would suddenly be spouting about weaknesses of a Dark Lord Regulus believed she had never met in her entire life.

"Fine," he sighed. His steely eyes bore into her blue ones and he continued, "Tell me what this weakness is?"

Her heart calmed down in relief as she shook her head. "Not today," she replied. "I— this is bloody dangerous, Regulus. Once you start with this – this task, there is no turning back. If you think this path will be much easier than becoming a Death Eater and blindly following the bastard with his stupid ideologies, then I'm telling you that you would be wrong. You might be forced to give everything you have – your family, your prestige, your… your life. But I promise you, if you let me help, I will do whatever it takes to help you bring Voldemort down and to free you from whatever tight hold he has on you."

Before he could retort something, Hermione pulled out a spare parchment from her pocket and the turkey quill she still hadn't returned to James. She tore a piece and scribbled down words, then shoved it into Regulus's hands. "If you've thought this through, and you still want to do this, search for me and bring that. Think of it as a proverbial olive branch for even thinking you could avoid me, Regulus Black."

Hermione then wordlessly stood up and pulled out Regulus's wand. She slowly placed it on the floor beside him, but Regulus didn't seem to notice it at all. Hermione turned on her heel and started to walked away.

"Why are you doing this?"

She paused in her steps and deliberately turned around. Regulus was still on the floor, the pale moonlight shining on his equally pale face. His silver eyes were the clearest she'd seen in the past few weeks, as if he'd finally found something that could bring him out of this hellhole.

"Because," she started, "you're my friend, Regulus. I just can't…" She lifted her hand to swipe a few tears from her face. "I can't turn a blind eye anymore."

Chapter Text

xxiv.

a brute force with the sweetest disguise

(Falling in Love Pie by Sara Bareilles)

November 5, 1977

A month flew by without any news from Regulus.

Sitting on the Ravenclaw table, Hermione tried to catch his attention, but Regulus was too busy conversing with Crouch and Rosier. She grimaced at how smirky the other two were, with mischievous glints in their eyes as they most likely talked about new ways to torment Muggleborns and how best to please their Dark Lord.

Hermione scowled at her fried chicken and furiously sliced through the meat, wondering if her conversation with the Black heir in the Astronomy Tower had been in vain after all. She honestly thought he'd crack by now; she'd seen his desperate eyes and the hope that had bloomed in them when she spoke of a way to bring Voldemort down. She also knew she was the one who had suggested for him to think things through, but Hermione hadn't expected it would stretch on for an entire month. A few days after their meeting would have been all right, but as October had bled into a cold November, Hermione was starting to lose hope herself.

"What did that poor chicken do to you this time?"

The Ravenclaw lifted her eyes and weakly smiled at a bemused Lily. Her eyes briefly flickered towards her and Sev's interlaced fingers before sighing. "It's been a tiring day," she easily lied, scooting over a bit to give them room. Lily took the seat beside Hermione whilst Sev took the vacant seat across from them.

"I sometimes wonder who's really taking NEWTs this year," Sev drawled with a quirked eyebrow, pointedly looking at the opened Herbology textbook beside her plate.

Hermione frowned and protectively held her book. "I like to study," she protested, perhaps for the umpteenth time. "You, on the other hand, are not studying enough."

"You mean enough to match your standards," Lily corrected with a laugh. "Hermione, honestly, we may not have gotten all 'O's in our OWLs, but we still managed to get more than others. We do set aside time to study. I promise."

"How was I to know that when you've been studying so infrequently with me," the brunette petulantly murmured.

Lily and Sev exchanged amused glances. "You've been spending an awful amount of time with the Marauders," Lily pointed out with a wide grin. "The blokes may have stopped going out of their way to torment Sev, but there's still bad blood between them."

"Yeah, well, they needed someone to mother them."

Sev snorted and threw her a wary glance. "They're not a bunch of children for you to mother, Hermione," he tutted. "Potter, most especially, shouldn't be coddled, seeing as he's a spoiled, arrogant toerag."

The corner of her lips twitched at his words. "That's not entirely false," she said, followed by a soft chuckle. "I'm sorry; I'm just really worried about their NEWTs, especially Peter's. They'd all be so devastated if they weren't accepted by the ministry."

"Sometimes, I wonder if you're in the wrong House," Lily said with a deep sigh. "Your golden heart must be envied by all the Hufflepuffs."

"They wouldn't be able to handle her big brain," Sev pointed out matter-of-factly.

"Hey, I know Hufflepuffs who are smart," Hermione protested, secretly thinking about Hannah Abbot and Ernie MacMillan. Sev merely made a face at her comment and went back to eating his lunch.

Lily spent the whole of lunch chattering incessantly about the conclusion of her career essay and how she felt like she'd be a good Unspeakable in the future. "I've already talked to Professor McGonagall and she said I'd be brilliant at it," Lily continued. "I'd never really thought about being one before, to be honest. I always thought I'd be a paper pusher in the ministry instead."

"Unspeakables push papers, too, Lils," Hermione pointed out with an amused smile.

"Oh, I know that," the redhead said, rolling her eyes. "What I mean is, I never really considered being an Unspeakable before because I heard it's quite hard. Not to mention, rumour has it that most of the employees there, have grown barmy over the years, unable to handle the mysteries they were confronted with."

"Ah, well, it looks like you will belong perfectly then," Sev claimed with a teasing smirk.

Lily laughed and swatted him playfully. "Shut up, sourpuss," she grinned.

"You'll need loads of knowledge about Arithmancy, Lily," Hermione reminded. "It will be hard, but quite enjoyable, too. I did consider becoming an Unspeakable myself, since Arithmancy's my favourite subject."

"It needs loads of Divination too, you know," Lily quipped with a grin. "And I know how you loathe that subject."

"An unfortunate downside," Hermione replied, her nose scrunching up in distaste. "Honestly, I think most wizards or witches who claim to be 'seers' are bloody frauds, spouting ridiculous predictions that suit the desires of others. At least with Arithmancy, numbers don't lie."

"Figures you'd say something like that," the older witch said. "But unlike you, I actually find Divination interesting. So, with the right mixture of Arithmancy and Divination, I think being an Unspeakable would be good for me."

Sev frowned and leant closer to Lily. "The year-long training takes up too much time and effort," he stiffly pointed out. "Professor Slughorn once told us their working hours almost rivalled the schedules of Healers."

"So, in short, you'll miss me terribly whilst you're running around with your beloved Slughorn," Lily teased, prompting Sev's cheeks to redden in embarrassment.

"Excuse me," he huffed, lifting his crooked nose in the air. "Bold of you to assume that."

Lily rolled her eyes and glanced at Hermione. "Look how melodramatic he becomes when we start to talk about feelings," the redhead said, followed by a snort of laughter. "Admit it, Sev; you're invested in my future too, because you want to be a huge part of it."

His cheeks reddened more, drawling words that only made Lily roll her eyes more and laugh.

Hermione quietly observed her best friends, slightly uncomfortable with how they were ridiculously adorable. Sev was stupid with his feelings, but the embarrassment in his eyes already spoke volumes about Lily's speculation. And Lily, bless her bloody soul, understood him completely – his attitude, his thoughts, his everything – and Hermione had never seen a relationship like that before.

It was sweet and sad at the same time. Judging from how they were acting right now, she doubted their relationship was coming to an end. Their graduation was already drawing nearer, yet Lily had never shown any interest in James.

'There's plenty of time,' she assured herself. 'Let them have their fun.'

Hermione smiled sadly as Lily threw back her head and released a boisterous laugh, before standing up from the bench and jogging towards Sev. She pressed against him and grinned, whispering things against his ear that made him flush redder.

"Please don't be gross in front of me," Hermione murmured, her nose scrunching up when Lily placed a sweet kiss on his cheek.

"Apologies, Hermione," Lily said unapologetically, her green eyes glinting brightly when Sev unconsciously gave her a small smile.

Their relationship was definitely getting stronger. Hermione had no idea how Lily and James would end up together.

November 7, 1977

James was still a huge problem for Hermione. With Regulus not contacting her at all, Hermione had no other choice but to focus on her studies and diligently do her homework. But, since she had no major exams this year, she found herself mostly at a loss of what to do.

The Marauders frequently studied with her, though, and had been growing nervous as the weeks flew by. Their professors had been constantly stressing about the importance of NEWTs for their future career paths, which didn't help the nerves of her aspiring Auror friends. Sometimes, Marlene and Mary dropped by to accompany their boyfriends, and inevitably got gifted with Hermione's infamous colour-coded schedule as a result.

Suffice to say, her study group had become crowded, which Hermione didn't really mind. She was just glad more and more of her seventh-year friends were taking their upcoming NEWTs seriously.

The problem however, was that her constant accompaniment with the Marauders meant she was spending an awful lot of time with James, too.

The bespectacled wizard was still suspiciously and patiently waiting for her answer, secretly doing little sweet things behind the others' back that made her heart ache a bit. Now that Lily and Sev were dating, Hermione couldn't help but wonder if it wouldn't hurt to try things out with James. Her annoying feelings for him had persisted after all. No, damn it, she believed the feelings had actually grown, especially after discovering her feelings weren't one-sided.

James didn't seem like he'd be stopping soon either. He was still sneaking toffees inside her robe pocket when he thought she wasn't looking. He would insist on escorting her back to her dormitory, sometimes letting his fingers brush against hers when they were walking.

It was so hard to get rid of him because he was everywhere. Even when they were apart, Hermione's eyes would unconsciously scan the whole corridor just to search for his familiar, untidy dark hair. And then, if she'd see him, her heart would flutter in delight and her lips would stretch into a small smile.

It was maddening how she was going barmy over a boy. It was unlike Hermione, to pine over a boy at a time when she should be concentrating on her studies. But then again, she'd been like this with Ron, irrationally getting jealous when she'd see him interact with Lavender or how she'd unconsciously singling him out in a sea of people.

She finally found a moment of solitude for herself when she chose to do her homework near the Black Lake. Lily and Sev were away doing something Hermione didn't want to concern herself with. There were no study sessions today either, so Hermione had the day all to herself.

The Ravenclaw started pulling her things out of her bag and piling them on her lap, mentally trying to schedule her to-do list for the day. She unrolled a blank parchment and smoothed down the edges, before rummaging inside her bag for a quill. What she pulled out was the turkey quill she had borrowed from James.

Hermione blinked at the quill, finally realising it had been with her for a month already. James had never asked for it back, so Hermione had forgotten about it.

With a firm nod, she promised herself she'd return the quill as soon as she crossed paths with James. She would be sad to part with it, because it really was an amazing quill, but it wasn't hers, and it did cost a fortune. James would surely want it back.

The Ravenclaw started writing on the parchment, her mind already getting lost in all of the information she was gathering.

She wasn't entirely sure how much time had passed, but she was suddenly staring into the hazel eyes which had been the object of her dreams lately.

Hermione's eyes widened and she owlishly blinked at a grinning James.

"What the hell are you doing outside?" he asked with a laugh. "Blimey, Whiskers. It's freezing!"

Now that he mentioned it, she was actually a bit cold. Hermione frowned at the slightly wet ground and was annoyed the warming and drying charm she had simultaneously placed on herself and the grass underneath her was starting to wear off.

"It's a nice day to be outside the castle," she explained. Hermione absentmindedly rubbed her slightly numb nose and grimaced. "Apparently a nice day to get sick too."

"We don't want that now, do we?" James seriously asked.

The corner of Hermione's lips lifted into a small smile. "What are you doing here?" she asked as she crammed her things inside her bag.

"You weren't in the library," James said, nervously ruffling his hair. It was sticking in various directions, much to Hermione's amusement. "So I thought you'd be here."

She threw a silent question in his direction, prompting him to sheepishly smile. "I was planning to do some studying today," he explained. "I'm not sure what the others are up to, but I'm sure they wouldn't want to study with me today."

"Remus would," she pointed out matter-of-factly.

"Yes, well, he isn't a pretty study partner, so why invite him over when there's someone else I have in mind?" James gave her a cheeky smile while she rolled her eyes.

Hermione slowly climbed onto her feet whilst James immediately grabbed onto her bag and swung it over his shoulders.

"I can carry it, you know," she stated.

"Pureblood etiquette and all that shite," he said with a dismissive wave of hand. "Mum would go ballistic if she discovered I never carried your things when we were together."

Hermione made a face but didn't comment about it any further. Times like these, she was secretly relieved her mother had been disowned by her family. Else, she'd have been raised like a proper Selwyn. It was already weird for her being a Half-Blood in this timeline, but she had managed to adjust quickly, because Anya had raised them mostly through Muggle ways. Hermione would surely have gone crazy if she'd found out she was a Pureblood instead.

Slightly shivering from the cold, Hermione placed her bare hands inside her thin sweater. Her fingers touched the soft material of the turkey quill and she immediately remembered her promise to return it to James as soon as possible.

She pulled out the handsome quill and extended it towards him. "Sorry, I think I've kept this with me for too long," she said with an apologetic smile. "I'm returning it now."

James knitted his eyebrows briefly at the turkey quill, but then recognition sparked in his eyes. "You can keep it," he said, lightly blushing. His hand nervously ran through his hair. "Actually, I bought it for you."

Her eyes popped out in surprise. "What? But it's so expensive!" she exclaimed, pressing the quill towards his chest.

The older Gryffindor merely laughed and gently pushed it back into her hands. "Why'd you think I asked for your opinion about what the best quill was?" he said with a meaningful glance. "I use whatever quill is available, but I know you always break yours due to your mighty grip. I thought I'd save you from the constant need to replace your quills by buying you the best one."

Her cheeks flushed, her heartbeat quickening at the fact that he'd been thinking about her and her small discomforts in life.

"Uh-oh, did I sway your heart already?" he asked with a triumphant grin.

She narrowed her eyes and harrumphed away, stomping purposively towards the castle. She heard James's lovely laugh as he caught up with her.

Hermione slipped the turkey quill inside her sweater once more, knowing it'd be futile to insist returning it. Besides, she'd grown really fond with it and she had been hesitant to part with it.

A cool breeze then brushed against her exposed cheeks, prompting her to lightly shiver again.

"Cold?" he asked.

"A bit," she confessed, already pulling out her wand from her pocket.

But, before she could cast a warming spell on herself, James was already shrugging off his outer robe and draping it over her shoulders.

Hermione froze, the cloak slightly heavier than what she'd expected. Since James was a head taller than her, the cloak almost dragged at the hems.

"You should start to bundle up, Whiskers," the Head Boy admonished. "You shouldn't rush outside without a thick cloak or even a scarf to warm you up."

His robe smelled so much like him and Hermione couldn't stop herself from smiling stupidly. She slipped her hands inside his pockets to keep her hands warm, but then paused when her fingertips touched something familiar.

Heart thudding loudly inside her chest, she pulled out a handful of toffees from his pockets and stared at him with wide eyes.

"Um, you did say toffees are your most favourite candy," he explained with a sheepish smile. "I happened to buy a lot last Hogsmeade weekend, and well, I admittedly prefer other sweets to toffees. So, when you're not looking, I sneak them inside your pockets. You tend to skip meals when you're too engrossed with your studies, after all. At least I thought I'd give you some extra sugar that you might need to keep your brain awake."

Hermione tightly clenched the sweets in her hands and glanced heavenward. "Fuck," she hissed. "Fuck. Fuck. Fuck this."

She proceeded to storm away from James, her footsteps heavier as her heart fluttered wildly inside her ribcage. 'No, no, no,' she told herself countless times. She wouldn't get swayed, not even when he was being ridiculously sweet and kind and… and earnest. Sometimes, Hermione wished he'd just be an obnoxious little twat, proclaiming his interest for her through grand gestures that she'd surely cringe at. But no, oh no, James Potter chose to do it in the sweetest way possible and she was not having any of it!

"Hermione!" the Gryffindor shouted, running quickly towards her and grabbing her arm. He peered down at her flushed face with worry. "What's wrong? Did I say anything wrong?"

"YES!" she bellowed, rounding on him with furious, blue eyes.

James looked uncertain, his grip on her arm loosening. "I'm sorry," he apologised, though it was obvious he didn't even know what he had done wrong. "I – well, if I offended you in any way, I'm really sorry."

"No, no, you can't be like – like that!" she shrieked, gesturing wildly in his general direction.

"What? Her—"

"Why do you have to be so persistent?" she claimed as her hand climbed to her heart. "This wasn't supposed to happen. You and me— it's not— it's wrong." She felt stupid at best, especially when her eyes prickled with tears she didn't even wish to show. "But – but you went ahead and proceeded to be all sweet and kind and bloody earnest. I can't—" She deflated, all her energy suddenly dissipating with the cold wind as she slumped forward and hung her head. "You're making it so hard for me to avoid you, James Potter."

Her blue eyes met his stunned hazels. A huge, radiant grin then broke out on his face as he clutched both of her cold hands in his big, warm ones. "Then don't avoid me, Hermione," he declared matter-of-factly. "I can see that you like me too, just as much as I like you and blimey you have no idea how frustrating it is to see you dance around your feelings."

"Well, aren't we terribly presumptuous?" she petulantly spat.

But James was unfazed. In fact, he laughed and ducked his head lower so that he could peer at her flushed face. "I don't really understand why you're trying so hard to keep me at an arm's length," he said. "I think we're going to be great together, Hermione."

"James—"

"I've been mighty patient with you because Good Godric, Hermione, I really like you," he said, cutting her off. "And I don't want to botch things up before you've agreed to go on any more dates with me. I knew you'd hate the grand, obnoxious displays of affection I used to pull off for Lily, so I did what you told me to do. I was earnest and – and—"

He dared to draw closer, his face only a hairsbreadth away from hers, and Hermione stopped breathing all together. "I promise I'll make you laugh every day," he continued. "If you'd like, I'll always study with you or escort you back to the Ravenclaw Tower. Just please, please, please, give this a chance."

Despite how confused she felt, Hermione softly snorted. "I will never get rid of you, will I?" she said.

His smile was almost blinding. "Tough luck, Whiskers," he replied. "I don't think I'm going anywhere."

Hermione took a sharp intake of breath and gazed heavenward once more. "Blast it all," she sighed in resignation. When her blue eyes snapped towards James's hopeful ones, she grew determined. "Fine. Go to the next Hogsmeade weekend with me. Like a date."

James laughed and playfully ruffled his hair. "Blimey, Hermione, you don't need to look so terrifying when asking me out for a date," he joked.

He looked like Christmas had come early, and although a part of her still thought it was a bad idea, she couldn't help but smile ridiculously at how giddy he looked. His hazel eyes almost looked bright brown now, like the very soil after a light drizzle of rain, and the corners of his eyes crinkled in genuine happiness.

James reached forward and tucked a stray curl behind her ear. "I might arrive early for our date again," he lightly warned.

His smile grew lopsided, and armed with his mesmerising eyes and windswept hair, Hermione couldn't help but to sigh. He still looked so much like Harry, but looking at him evoked different emotions. Every time she had gazed at Harry Potter, all Hermione felt was a strong sense of duty and protection. Looking at James Potter, however, gave her dizzying emotions, a whirlwind of both familiar and strange, confusing feelings that she truly wanted to unravel to her heart's content.

Perhaps this was still a bad idea, but Hermione couldn't hold back anymore.

November 8, 1977

Hermione was startled when a book was slid in front of her.

For a moment, she blinked dumbly at the book, the words Magick Moste Evile scrawled menacingly on the front, and the cover almost peeling off from age and use. A brief glance at the spine made her conclude this book had been really well loved.

Grimacing, she directed her eyes towards Regulus Black. "I brought the proverbial olive branch," he said, stiffly gesturing at the vile book.

Blood rushed to Hermione's ears, and she once again glanced at the book with newfound excitement. "I thought you'd never come," she confessed.

Regulus slumped forward, his curls curtaining his gaunt face. "I had a lot of things to think about," he gruffly explained. His steely grey eyes met hers, hardened with a determination Hermione had never seen him wear before. "And I've already arrived at a decision."

Hermione nodded her head and instantly pulled out her wand. She scanned the library, relieved that it was relatively devoid of students today. With a few, quick waves, she incanted various spells which would protect them from being overheard.

Satisfied with her handiwork, Hermione pocketed her wand and glanced at Regulus once more. "Last chance, Regulus," she whispered. "Do you really want to do this?"

He clenched his hands into tight fists, his knuckles almost stark white against the dark, wooden table. His jaw tensed with nervous anticipation, but his eyes still looked resolute. "I'm sure," he said with a tight nod. "I know it's stupid to trust you easily, especially someone as brilliant as you, but I—" He clamped his lips tight, his fists clenching more. "I want to trust you, Pettigrew, because I'm so tired of doing what is expected of me."

Hermione's heart went out to the poor boy, her hand immediately darting forward to hold one of his fists. "I'll try my best to help you," she proclaimed unwaveringly. "There might be things that confuse you, things that might make you suspicious, but I promise you, everything will make sense in the end. Please always trust me."

In spite of the tense atmosphere, Regulus lightly smirked. "That isn't something you should say when you want someone to trust you, Pettigrew," he drawled. "No wonder you weren't Sorted into Slytherin."

"Besides my Blood Status?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"There are plenty of Half-Bloods in our House. And please, you have Selwyn blood coursing in your veins," he pointed out with a scoff. "The Slytherin House would have gained an asset if you had been Sorted there."

"I'll take that as a compliment," she said with a soft chuckle. "But pass. I heard the Slytherin dormitories are terribly cold, especially in winter."

"Of course there are a bunch of heating charms," Regulus said, followed by a derisive snort. "We're bloody witches and wizards. We're not some cold-blooded reptiles who thrive in cold temperatures."

Hermione broke into a huge grin, relieved that they could still easily fall into conversation, even if he'd avoided her like the plague for the past two months.

Regulus grew a bit uncomfortable at her earnest expression and gestured at the thick tome instead. "So, why'd you want me to get this from Grimmauld?" he asked.

"Because Voldemort's downfall is written in here," she stated matter-of-factly, ignoring how he flinched at the mention of his name. "There's a copy here in the library, but it's in the Restricted Section. Professor Flitwick would surely grow suspicious if I asked for his permission slip."

"It is an evil book," Regulus said, lips curling at the tattered book. "Unsurprisingly, it's my mother's favourite book."

Hermione scowled at the mention of Walburga, memories of her shrieking painting resurfacing in her mind. Shaking her head to rid herself of thoughts of the incorrigible woman, Hermione opened the book and breezed through the pages.

Finally, she arrived at the chapter she was looking for. "Here," she said, pointing at the title of the book designed with black smoke and skulls.

"Hor… crux?" Regulus mouthed, eyebrows knitting together in confusion. He briefly scanned the chapter, which was more of a paragraph, really. "'Of the Horcruxes, wickedest of magical inventions, we shall not speak nor give direction…'." He lifted his eyes to frown at Hermione. "Well, that's terribly helpful."

"This is the only book I know which even briefly mentions them," she said with a frustrated sigh. "You see, it is the vilest of all Dark Arts. Even a book boasting descriptions of the evilest magic refuses to speak about it. There is only one book that details how to make a horcrux. Though, I doubt it would be housed in Grimmauld Place."

"Then, how do you know about this?" Regulus asked, his grey eyes suspiciously narrowing.

Hermione merely shook her head. "I cannot answer that yet," she said with a dismissive frown. "What I can tell you is what a horcrux is. Are you sure you've never heard about them before? Something your parents might have mentioned in passing?" She sighed when Regulus shook his head. "Figures. Even Voldemort had a hard time researching them before."

Regulus looked like he was about to ask another question, but bit his bottom lip to stop himself in the end.

"Basically, a horcrux is an artifact that houses a piece of a wizard's or witch's soul," she sombrely continued, her voice low enough that Regulus had to lean closer just to hear her words. "It is said that if the maker commits a crime most foul – murder – the soul will be damaged. A fragment of one's soul can then be ripped off from the maker via a spell and can be housed in whatever artifact he wishes. The sole purpose of why a horcrux is created is—"

"—immortality," Regulus breathlessly claimed. He looked highly disturbed and scooted away from the book. "It makes sense. If Vol – the Dark Lord claims he is invincible, then his body cannot be destroyed."

"Technically, you can do it," she corrected matter-of-factly. "It just means you cannot entirely get rid of that person since he still has a horcrux binding him to this very earth. Dark magic can be used to give the dark wizard another corporeal form."

Regulus knitted his eyebrows, deep in thought. "So, the only way to destroy an invincible wizard such as Voldemort is to destroy his horcrux," he deliberately said, realisation dawning on him.

"Horcruxes, plural, actually."

His eyes grew wide with horror and surprise. "What?" he asked.

"I think, if I'm not wrong, Voldemort has already made five horcruxes," she explained calmly.

"Five?" he gasped, considerably paling at this information. "How do you know all about this? Are you a fucking Seer?"

Hermione wryly smiled. "Hardly," she replied.

"Then how—"

"Just trust me for now, Regulus," she hastily said, closing the vile book and pushing it towards him. She took a quick glance at her wristwatch and grimaced. "It's best if you leave. Curfew's in a few minutes."

"Pettigrew—"

"I'll answer some of your questions tomorrow night at the Astronomy Tower, I promise," she said with a tone of finality in her voice.

"But—"

Hermione pierced him with a firm glare. "I will tell you everything," she vowed. "But not now. All in due time. Just please, please trust me for now, Regulus."

He looked like he still wanted to ask a question, but before he could open his mouth, her name was suddenly called.

Hermione's eyes widened. Her eyes met James's steely hazel ones, his lips pressed firmly. Underneath the table, she deftly terminated the spells she placed around their table. "James," she slowly said. "What are you doing here?"

"It's almost curfew," he blurted out. When his hazel eyes swept to the silent Slytherin, he frowned. "I came to escort you back to the Ravenclaw Tower."

She glanced at Regulus, who now was casually gazing at the Head Boy, looking as if he they weren't talking about Voldemort's downfall just a while ago. Hermione silently kicked his shin under the table, forcing him to look at her. "Leave. Now," she mouthed.

A strange smirk flitted on his face, deftly glancing back at James and ignoring her all together. This prompted James to scowl in annoyance.

"You're not done for the day?" the Gryffindor gruffly asked.

Hermione surreptitiously pushed Magick Moste Evile towards Regulus. "He's just leaving," she said. "I will be leaving soon too."

Regulus stubbornly kept himself seated on the chair across from her. Hermione kicked his shin again, this time with more force. This made the Slytherin flinch a bit as he threw a light glare her way. "Leave," she mouthed once more, slightly panicking at the thought that James might see the evil book on their table and start asking difficult questions.

The Black heir rolled his eyes and finally, blessedly, stood up from his chair. He grabbed Magick Moste Evile, gave her a curt goodbye, and swiftly swept out of the library.

Her gaze settled back on the tense Head Boy once Regulus completely disappeared from the library. "You didn't have to escort me back to the Ravenclaw Tower," she said, internally sighing in relief. James didn't seem to notice the book at all.

"And I promised you I will anyway."

She frowned at his grumpy tone. "Why are you mad?" she snapped.

His scowl deepened as he started to wordlessly cram Hermione's things inside her bag. "No, I'm not," he shot back.

His expression was strangely reminiscent of that time he came to the library and found her studying with Regulus. She didn't understand his behaviour back then, but as she silently observed the annoyed Head Boy, his declaration of affection for her echoing in her ears, Hermione's eyes widened in realisation.

"Are you… are you jealous?"

The way his cheeks reddened was already telling. "No, I'm not," he petulantly replied.

Hermione snorted in disbelief. "Yes you are, you berk," she said. "And with Regulus?"

He bristled with the mention of his name. "You're spending an awful lot of time with him," he cried, not bothering to come up with a lie anymore.

A soft laugh escaped from her lips as she stood up. This only made him more embarrassed. "We're just friends," she reassured. "And… we're not even together, James Potter. Blimey."

"Yet," he sniped back, swinging the strap of her back on his shoulder. "Need I remind you you asked me out for a Hogsmeade date, Whiskers?"

This time, it was her turn to blush. "Yes," she replied. "But it's just that. A date."

"Hmm."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

James sighed, almost exasperatedly. "Nothing." He awkwardly scratched his chin and glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes. "So you and Sirius's brother—"

"We're just friends," she insisted once more.

"Well, you really do spend an awful lot of time with him," he blurted out. "I mean, every time I searched for your name in the Map, you're always with him and—" James's eyes widened in horror, realising what he had just revealed.

Hermione had skidded into a halt and gaped at the Head Boy. "You were spying on me? On the bloody Map?" Her voice had grown shrilly, prompting James to flinch.

"It was just one time," he hastily assured. Hermione scoffed and crossed her arms against her chest. "Okay, so maybe I did it twice or thrice…" Her eyes turned steely, watching as a blush bloomed on both of his cheeks. "Not more than five times, Hermione. I promise!" He groaned and ran a hand through his face. "I know, I know. It's not a nice thing to do. Bordering creepy, even."

"You got that bloody right, you prat," she sniped. Mentally, she thought that it would be disastrous if the Marauders started to get suspicious with her constant secret meetings with Regulus. Helping Regulus was already a spur-of-the-moment kind of thing and Hermione still had no clear idea how she would do it. She'd rather she didn't drag the Marauders into this mess.

An idea suddenly formed in her mind as she extended her hand. "Give it to me," she said. "I'm confiscating it."

"You can't do that!" he exclaimed. "You're not even a Marauder."

Hermione snorted. "I thought I am the truest Marauder of us all?" she cheekily replied.

"Is it really necessary, Hermione?" he whined, his bottom lip protruding into a small pout.

"I'm going to return it to you soon enough," she reassured. "You and your friends have become very dependent of it, though. Not to mention, you're using it to spy on me, so there's that too."

"The other blokes will get mad."

Hermione rolled her eyes and incessantly shook her hand. "I don't care, Potter," she demanded. "If you don't give it to me, I'm going to cancel our Hogsmeade date."

"Resorting to blackmailing me now, are we?" he grumbled. Hermione stood her ground and gave him a firm glare. Finally, James expelled a huge, resigned sigh. "Fine. Blimey. Thank Merlin, I really bloody like you."

Her cheeks reddened at his casual declaration. James rummaged inside his bag and pulled out the Marauder's Map. Hermione was about to snatch it from his hands, but the Head Boy pressed it against his chest. "This is a treasure, Hermione," he lightly warned. "Take care of it."

She remembered all the adventures she had with Harry and Ron, able to sneak around Hogwarts just to bloody save the whole world. "I'm going to return it to you," she promised.

He sighed once more and tentatively placed the parchment on her awaiting hand.

Chapter Text

xxv.

fall in love in a single touch

(Touch by Sleeping at Last)

November 9, 1977

She was the first one to arrive at the Astronomy Tower this time.

Hermione transformed back into her human form and silently strode towards the railing. Blessedly, it was dark, for Hermione could not see the ground clearly from where she stood. Normally, she would have balked at the thought of staring down at such a great height, but darkness protectively blanketed the grounds, giving Hermione a sense of safety.

Her blue eyes drifted towards the inky, night sky, the crescent moon hanging peacefully amongst the twinkling stars. She quirked a small smile upon spying the constellation Cassiopeia, her hand unwittingly touching the freckles on her face that shared the same image. Peter used to connect her freckles into ridiculous shapes using markers when they were younger, which always got him into trouble. He loved to draw Cassiopeia though - told her it suited her pale face, and Hermione would release a small bit of her accidental magic, just to get back at her brother.

"Pettigrew."

She quickly swivelled around and saw Regulus coolly standing near the threshold of the Tower. Hermione silently observed him, noting that compared to the last time they had spoken here, Regulus looked calmer and more relaxed today.

"Hello," she said, pushing herself off the railing to saunter towards the Slytherin.

"Let's cut the pleasantries and get on with the matter at hand," he lightly snapped, striding towards Hermione to shorten the distance between them.

Hermione looked at him bemusedly, surprised at his sudden energy.

"What do you mean by five horcruxes," he harshly asked.

"No 'Hello, Hermione. How was your day'?"

Regulus made a face and pulled out his wand. "I said no pleasantries," he reiterated as he absentmindedly transfigured two armchairs for them to sit on. "So. Five horcruxes."

Hermione sighed and plopped down on one of the chairs. She pulled out her wand and shot a series of spells towards the door, just in case they needed to be alerted to approaching professors or caretakers. The Marauder's Map was hidden inside her pockets too, but so far, no authorities were venturing towards the Tower.

"So, like I said, Voldemort made five horcruxes," she then said, rummaging inside her pocket to pull out a parchment, an ink well, and her turkey quill.

"How much can you fit in your pockets?" Regulus asked with wide, amused eyes.

"Enough," Hermione distractedly said. She then proceeded to jot down notes on her parchment, aware that Regulus was hovering near her, trying to make out the words she was writing.

Once she was done, she pushed the parchment in his direction and pointed at the list. "These are the possible horcruxes he's already made to keep himself immortal. There's Ravenclaw's Diadem" – "What? But that's been lost for like ages?" – "his diary" – "The Dark Lord kept a diary?" – "Hufflepuff's Cup and Slytherin's Locket" – "Well now he's just desecrating treasures" – "And lastly a ring, a family heirloom. And, Merlin, can you keep the side comments to a minimum!"

Regulus blinked at Hermione in surprise, before quirking an eyebrow in amusement. "Right, of course. Apologies," he haughtily said.

Hermione sighed and gestured at the parchment. "If we want to destroy Voldemort, we have to collect all of these before he starts making more," she insisted.

"He plans to make more?" Regulus paled considerably, warily glaring at the parchment in her hands.

"You have no idea," she murmured under her breath, smoothing down the edges of the parchment in slight worry. "Procuring the horcruxes may be easier said than done, but I have an idea about where they're hidden. Destroying them, on the other hand, well that's an entirely different story."

Hermione made a face and wondered about the dormant basilisk sleeping at the base of this beloved school. Fiendfyre was out of the question because she knew she could never control it, unless she asked for help from powerful wizards. Like Dumbledore. But Hermione didn't want to get involved with Dumbledore yet. She still somewhat blamed him for their lack of preparedness before. If only he'd have divulged a fraction of what they had discovered on their own, then Hermione felt like the war wouldn't have stretched on for much longer than they had intended.

"How the hell do you know all of this?" he asked, perhaps for the umpteenth time. "This is crazy bullshite, Pettigrew. I'd like to think you are lying, but you've been too bloody detailed for me to even consider this as an elaborate lie. Granted, you have the brains to conjure such a ridiculous thing, but I don't think your imagination would run that wild, just to convince me to turn my back on the Dark Lord."

She swallowed down a lump in her throat and glanced down at the parchment once more. "I truly wish I could tell you, Regulus," she softly said. "But I – it's too risky for you to know. I'll tell you when I'm ready because I'm sure you'll think I'm off my rocker. I just want you to trust me."

Regulus grew pensive for a while, an indecipherable glint in his silver eyes. "If you're worried your secret might be revealed to others, then you have nothing to worry about," he slowly said. "I'm a natural Occlumens and my Father has trained me these past few years to strengthen my talent. It's a useful thing, especially if you are under the Dark Lord's very beck and call."

Hermione gave him a sad smile. "I trust you, Regulus," she said reassuringly. "But, I'm really not ready yet. Helping you wasn't even part of the plan. But" – she gestured at herself – "here I am now."

His gaze never strayed from Hermione. "Why are you really doing this?" he tentatively asked. "Why do you want to help me."

The answer tumbled from her lips before she could even think of it. "Because I want Voldemort to die," she breathlessly revealed. "Maybe even more than you do."

Regulus's eyes narrowed in curiosity, no doubt wondering what she meant. Hermione, on the other hand, found herself lost in Hermione Granger's memories - near-death encounters with the vilest wizard she had never met and how he, and his cronies, were the reason for all the turmoil back in her previous life.

Her eyes grew resolute even when they became blurred with tears. Hermione Granger may have failed, but Hermione Pettigrew sure as hell knew she would fight tooth and nail just to get another shot at destroying the purveyor of evil in this world. If it meant Ron would live until a ripe old age, if it meant Harry's face would be unmarred by a scar, if it meant all of Hermione Granger's friends would never even have to face Voldemort and his wrath at such a young age, then so be it.

"What do we do next?" the Slytherin whispered, breaking through her tumultuous thoughts.

Hermione rapidly blinked before glancing back at him. She pointed at the number one on her list, a determined grimace on her face. "Retrieving Ravenclaw's Diadem will be the easiest of them all because it's here, in Hogwarts," she said.

"A horcrux in Hogwarts?" he asked, looking as if it was the most preposterous thing he'd ever heard of.

"Yes," she replied. "And I know where it's hidden."

Regulus still looked deeply disturbed, but nodded nonetheless. "All right," he agreed. "When do you propose to retrieve it?"

Hermione pierced him with her blue eyes. "Collecting the horcruxes will be a difficult task, Regulus," she gravely said. "We can do it after we return from the holidays." Regulus opened his mouth to protest, but Hermione was already shaking her head. "I'm asking a lot from you. If you agree to team up with me and to collect all the horcruxes, then I have to rely on your Death Eater status to retrieve the other, more difficult ones."

He made a face, clearly displeased with her words, but stiffly nodded in the end.

"I'll give you another few weeks to think this through," she said, reaching forward to grasp his arm. "This will be dangerous. You might end up sacrificing your life if the situation calls for it."

It was unspoken how she resolutely refused for that situation to ever arise. She'd lost too much already in the war in her previous world. Hermione would do whatever it took to keep all of her friends alive and to bring Voldemort down at the same time.

His face was pale and his eyes were mighty nervous, but Regulus clenched his jaw and resolutely stared at Hermione. "I don't need to think about it anymore," he said with vehemence. "I really want all of this to end, Pettigrew."

She squeezed his arm for comfort and stiffly nodded her head. "Okay," she whispered. "Okay."

November 27, 1977

James had been true to his words and had arrived early to meet her at Ravenclaw Tower. He was less nervous now, cockier even, and he unabashedly stared at Hermione's attire with thinly-veiled appreciation in his eyes. "You look nice," was his greeting, flashing his handsome, lopsided grin. "No, scratch that. You look amazing."

Her cheeks flushed at his compliment, unused to being called as such. Hermione briefly glanced at her Muggle winter attire, noting she wasn't even wearing anything special. She definitely hadn't put too much thought into her clothes, but she had tried to still look decent for her date. Hermione was currently wearing Muggle denim jeans and boots to protect her from the cold. She also donned a maroon corduroy jacket that was toasty enough to make her comfortable.

James's grin widened at her flustered state, prompting her to glare at him and stomp down the staircase. The Gryffindor easily caught up with her as they strode towards the castle doors.

As they neared the outside, Hermione spied three familiar blokes leaning against the wall, obviously waiting for someone.

"Shite," James cursed, quickly scanning around for an escape route. But it was already too late, as Remus spied the two of them and quickly slapped both Sirius's and Peter's arms.

"Hermione?" her brother asked, his eyebrows drawn together in confusion.

"Why are you still here?" James quickly asked, cheeks flaring as he took a few steps away from Hermione.

"It was bloody suspicious why you wanted to ditch us today all of a sudden," Sirius complained.

Peter's eyes never left Hermione's. "I thought you said you were going on a date," he said, his question directed at James.

Hermione heard James's soft shite once more and couldn't stop herself from snorting. "He is," she simply said.

"With whom?" Sirius asked, wildly looking around, expecting this mysterious girl to pop out any minute now.

Remus, rolling his eyes, whacked him on the underside of his head. "With her," he said, jutting his chin in her direction. "Obviously." There was unadulterated amusement in Remus's golden eyes, his gaze shifting from a steadily flushing James to an equally amused Hermione.

"What?" Peter thundered. Hermione's eyes swivelled back to her brother, who by now was stomping closer with a thunderous expression on his face.

Hermione had never seen Peter wear such an expression before. Much less an expression directed at James, the boy he'd been hero-worshipping since he was eleven years old. To add to the bizarreness of it all, James looked absolutely terrified of Peter.

"Look now, mate," James tried to appease. "I really wanted to tell you, but I hadn't found the right time."

She rolled her eyes when James shrank before Peter, who was ridiculously trying to tower over him, even though he was a few inches shorter than the Head Boy. Both Sirius and Remus found the whole thing hilarious and had been trying – but failing – to keep their bubbling laughter inside.

"Peter, honestly," Hermione implored with an exasperated sigh. "It's just a date."

Peter's blue eyes swivelled to Hermione, suddenly looking confused. "But you're—" He vigorously gestured at her, trying to convey his emotions through his actions, which Hermione didn't understand. "Hermione, you're just a—"

"Try to finish that sentence, you berk, and we'll see what the first spell I come up with is," Hermione warned with a deep frown. James's eyes almost popped out of their sockets, gaping at the Ravenclaw with the same equal terror he'd shown Peter a while ago.

Her brother clamped his lips together tightly and frowned. A staring contest between the Pettigrew siblings happened, something she and Peter usually engaged with during days when they'd had a terrible row. Hermione never backed down, unwilling to stare away first. Peter was stubborn, too, especially on his most incorrigible days. But Hermione never lost a staring contest with her brother. Predictably, it was Peter who looked away first, a dark scowl now plastered on his face.

"Peter," James suddenly called, drawing their attention to him. The bespectacled wizard looked nervous, yet resolute, as he ruffled his hair once more to make it stick in impossible directions. "I'm terribly, terribly sorry, but I really really like your sister."

A blush crept from her chest up to the roots of her hair, disbelieving how genuine James's expression was. Hermione found herself unable to bite back a small smile, shyly glancing down at the ground so that she could hide it from the others.

Sirius blew a low whistle. "So, you're the girl our Jamesy boy's been patiently waiting for," he pointed out, clarity now on his face.

"It's just a simple date, Peter," Hermione insisted once more. "I think your… overprotectiveness is sweet, but bloody uncalled for. I know a litany of spells that would make any man run for his life, before he even attempted to hurt me."

James released a soft, nervous chuckle, paling slightly at her claim. "Good thing you have other stellar features that outshine how truly terrifying you are, eh, Whiskers?" he said, attempting to ease the tension amongst the group.

Peter ignored James and frowned at his sister once more. "Hermione—"

"It's just a simple date," she blurted out for the third time. "If things don't work out, we can all go back to our old, merry ways."

She knew this would never work out because James would realise before he graduated that he still loved Lily after all. Hermione ignored the uncomfortable clench her heart had made at the thought, steadfastly latching onto the fact that Harry Potter must be born in this world, with James's face and Lily's eyes. That was all that mattered.

She even ignored how James frowned at her words because she knew if she dwelled on it deeper, it would be more difficult to detach herself from this exasperating boy.

Peter finally expelled a resigned sigh and warily threw a glare at James. "If you hurt her, James, I swear…"

"Peter," Hermione groaned. "Honestly."

"I won't," James ground out with a determined stare. "Marauder's honour."

Her brother stared at the taller wizard for a moment, before he stiffly nodded his head and looked away. He wordlessly strode back to Sirius and Remus, who had identical smiles of amusement on their faces.

"Don't worry about us today," Sirius assured as he threw an arm over Peter's shoulders and pulled him close. "Just go have fun, you kids."

"I bloody well knew it," Remus then revealed with a short laugh. Upon seeing the confused faces on James and Hermione, he continued, "You weren't being discreet about it, if you must know. And Prongs has been acting really strange for the past few days, especially with Hermione around. It was easy to piece two and two together."

The shaggy-haired Marauder nodded his head to concur. "I sometimes wondered why you'd been extra sweet to Hermione," he revealed.

James, now visibly relieved that Peter had backed down, immediately strode towards Hermione and casually threw his arm over her shoulders. Hermione stiffened at the action, her eyes widening a bit as she gazed up at the triumphant wizard. "See you later, wankers," he said.

Sirius threw him a mock salute while Remus bid them goodbye with a smile. Peter still petulantly stared ahead, unwilling to look back at his sister and his best mate.

"Don't worry about Peter," Hermione assured once the other three were out of earshot. "He's a buffoon. He'll get over it soon."

James grinned down at her, his eyes twinkling behind his spectacles. "He adores you, Hermione," he continued. "Peter really changes when something concerns his little sister. Blimey, you should have seen him after, you know, the incident with Snivellus and the full moon. He told us that if you had been hurt because of us, he'd choose you over our friendship in a heartbeat."

Hermione's eyes widened in disbelief. "He said that?" she gasped, surprised.

His smile turned soft. "Yeah," he answered. "He definitely has the Selwyn's temper, Hermione. Especially when the people he loves gets hurt."

She gazed back at the tiny dot that was her brother, her heart swelling with warmth and love. Peter really was the brother Hermione Granger had always wanted. She admittedly questioned before why, of all families, she had fallen into the Pettigrew's lives, most especially when the boy would grow up to become a traitor. But now… now, Hermione was glad that she had grown up as a Pettigrew, with Peter as her brother and Anya as her mother.

She wouldn't change them for the world.

-ooo-

James was the first one to jump off the carriage and he held out his hand, waiting for Hermione to take it. She still warily stared at his proffered hand, but took it nonetheless. She deftly jumped out of the carriage and nodded her thanks. James grinned and lightly squeezed her hand before letting it go. The warmth his hand had given her was gone, and frowning, Hermione clenched it into a fist to stop herself from reaching out.

"Where to first?" she quizzically asked, glancing around the crowded streets of Hogsmeade.

"Schrivenshaft's."

Hermione looked at him in surprise, but James was already striding towards the said shop.

The quill shop was filled with students pulling rolls and rolls of parchment from the shelves and buying new school supplies. Christmas holidays were fast approaching; thus, the professors were already piling them with Christmas homework.

James purposively strode towards the counter while Hermione trailed behind. She had nothing to buy here, so she just stuck close to James to stop herself from buying unnecessary things.

"Give me your most expensive quills," the Head Boy haughtily demanded. "Also, the most expensive ink well and parchment too."

"What are you doing?" Hermione asked with wide eyes as the store clerk nodded his head and grabbed said items from James's demands.

He grinned impishly down at Hermione. "You deserve the best," was his mere answer.

Her jaw dropped as the store clerk came back, showing the finest turkey and swan quills, stocks of inkwells in different colours, and parchments charmed not to crease. James thoughtfully picked out the things that caught his eyes and separated them from the rest.

"How much?" he asked.

The store clerk glanced at a yellowing parchment with a hovering Quick Quotes Quill computing the price above it. "That'll be twenty-five galleons," he said.

Hermione took a sharp intake of breath while James merely nodded his head and fished a leather pouch from his robes.

"James," she chided. "It's too expensive."

"'Thank you, James. You're really sweet' will suffice, Hermione," he cheekily replied, tossing the galleons towards the store clerk and grabbing his new purchases. "Think of this as part of my Christmas gift to you."

"A part?" she gasped.

He looked at her like she was barmy. "Well, yes," he said. "Who only wants to get school supplies as a Christmas gift?"

"I do," she snapped, taking offense.

The bespectacled wizard laughed and muttered, "Of course you do." He then walked out of the store together with Hermione, already scanning around. "Do you want to go to Honeydukes next?"

"I still have lots of my toffees," she said. "Besides, someone keeps on giving me enough to last the whole year."

"Lunch then?" he asked, his eyes dancing with laughter. She matched his smile and nodded her head, already walking towards the Three Broomsticks and planning the meal she'd order.

When she entered, her eyes instantly magnetised towards fiery red hair. Lily's eyes lit up when she saw her too, excitedly waving her hand in greeting. Sev gave her a brief smile, but then grimaced upon seeing her companion. One look at James showed he mirrored Sev's face, prompting Hermione to roll her eyes.

"This place is awfully packed today," James complained, gazing around in search of an empty table. "Maybe we can go to Madam Puddifoot's?"

Hermione's eyes widened in horror. "No, I'd rather die," she claimed in an impassioned voice.

James snorted. "I know the place is tacky and all, but they serve decent tea, Hermione," he said.

But the brunette still refused, persistently gazing around the small pub to search for an empty table they could sit at. She even tried to stare down a couple sitting a few tables away, who weren't eating anymore but were too busy making googly eyes at each other.

Frustrated, she blew another breath and glanced back to where Lily and Sev were sitting. Lily was already looking at her, lifting an eyebrow in question.

An idea suddenly formed in Hermione's head and she sheepishly smiled at her best friend. The redhead immediately understood what her gaze meant, for she was vigorously shaking her head, looking at Hermione as if she'd gone barmy. She gestured wildly at her boyfriend, relaying that it would be bloody disastrous. But Hermione was already hungry and she'd rather not step foot in a teashop that reminded her so much of Dolores Umbridge.

"What are you doing?" James asked, bemused.

For her reply, Hermione grabbed onto his sleeve and pulled him towards Lily and Sev. James realised where she was taking him and dug his heels in the ground.

"Hermione," he complained, "this is a bad idea."

"Oh, hush," she tutted, yanking him forward once more until he relented and allowed her to drag him until they had reached her best friends' table.

"Hi," the brunette said with a brilliant smile. Lily was looking at her like she'd grown another head, while Sev was busy staring daggers at James. "There are no more empty tables. Do you mind if we join you?"

"Yes," Sev and James blurted out at the same time.

Hermione's smile grew tight and she pretended she hadn't heard their replies. She proceeded to plop down on the seat across from Sev, yanking James's sleeve once more, until he had no other choice but to slide on the vacant seat beside her.

"Potter," Lily greeted with a hesitant smile, absentmindedly placing a hand on Sev's clenched fist on top of the table to calm him down.

James's eyes swivelled momentarily towards Lily. "Evans," he greeted, then looked back at Sev to glare at him again.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Blimey, what are you both? Five?" she exclaimed in exasperation.

"He's on our table, Pettigrew," Sev gruffly said, glaring darkly at Hermione.

"He's with me," she said, lifting her nose in the air.

Lily's green eyes glinted in curiosity as she leant down closer to the two. "So, is this some kind of a date or something?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow when Hermione's cheeks reddened almost immediately.

James shyly grinned and ruffled his hair. "Yeah," he said, his glare melting into an amused look as he looked back at Lily. "Jealous, Evans?"

"Piss off, Potter," Lily said with a loud snort, but Hermione could see how the corners of her lips were twitching upwards.

"Funny, I remember you asking me out that one time – about bringing you to Hogsmeade," James drawled cockily, leaning back on the chair with a smug smile. "When was that again? Two months ago?"

"What?" Hermione and Sev asked at the same time, eyes growing wide as they stared at Lily in disbelief.

Lily scowled at James then sheepishly glanced at the other two. "It was a test," she explained, appeasing her suddenly infuriated boyfriend. "Potter had been acting really strange and I wanted to test a theory." Her eyes landed on Hermione and she smiled. "It didn't take too long for me to conclude that Potter liked you instead, Hermione - which explained his strange behaviour."

This time, James flushed in embarrassment, but his smile was still in place. "Conniving witch," James said, followed by a boisterous laugh. "I always wondered why you asked me. What a very Slytherin thing to do, Evans."

"Well, I'm dating a Slytherin," she said, looping an arm around Sev's. "After spending too much time with him, you can't help but pick up his traits."

Hermione silently observed their playful banter, frowning deeply at how annoyingly benign it was. She was expecting some thick tension, nervousness from James' part – even jealousy, if she were being honest with herself – but the two acted like proper, good-natured friends.

"That's absolutely true," James said as he casually swung his arm across Hermione's chair. "After spending a lot of time with Hermione, I think I'm turning into a swot."

She slightly stiffened at the feel of his arm, his fingers lightly brushing through her curls.

James then turned to her. "Fancy some butterbeer, Whiskers?" he asked, throwing her an easy smile.

Not trusting herself to speak, she mutely nodded her head. Bloody bloke pointedly stared at her flushed cheeks and smirked triumphantly, knowing full well how his close proximity made her feel.

He deliberately pulled his arm away, intentionally letting his fingers brush the curve of her shoulders, before standing up from his seat and striding towards Madame Rosmerta.

"Godric, Hermione," Lily gushed out, "you're hopeless. I can't believe I missed your feelings for Potter when you're being bloody obvious about them now."

Hermione's cheeks reddened more as she scowled at her best friend. "You knew about his… his feelings," she exclaimed. "How come you didn't tell me?"

Lily snorted. "And miss all the fun?" she asked, tossing her glossy red hair over her shoulder. "Potter was bloody obvious, Hermione. He may be a toerag, but he most definitely wears his heart on his sleeve. I admit it took me a while to realise it, because I was busy trying to get away from him before he started being annoying again. But, once I had pieced everything together, it made perfect sense." She jutted a thumb at the Slytherin beside her. "Even Sev arrived at that conclusion."

Hermione looked at Sev with wide eyes, prompting him to roll his eyes. "I can't believe you're being mighty obtuse about this, Hermione," he said with a disappointed sigh. "Brightest witch of her age, my arse."

The Ravenclaw leaned forward and swatted his arm. Lily released a mock gasp and hugged her boyfriend, seemingly protecting him from Hermione's violent outbursts. "Not the sourpuss, Hermione!" she exclaimed. "He growls easily."

Said sourpuss caught himself mid-growl and threw a dark glare at his girlfriend instead.

Hermione laughed when Lily merely grinned, mercilessly teasing Sev until the Slytherin was flustered and annoyed. James chose that moment to saunter back to their table, a hovering tray with butterbeers and chips following him from behind.

"Ack, are they always this gross?" James said, scrunching his nose.

The brunette laughed and looked at him with twinkling eyes. "Always."

-ooo-

Surprisingly, conversation among them had been easy and relaxed. James and Sev still continuously glared at each other, but they would become distracted by a question asked by the witches. James constantly teased Lily, and the redhead would constantly tell him to piss off, but Hermione noted that Lily was steadily warming up to the Potter heir. Perhaps, it was a step in the right direction, and Hermione forced herself to smile throughout the conversation, convincing herself this was the right thing to do.

Their stay at The Three Broomsticks stretched on until the sun began setting outside. Lily and Sev bid them goodbye first, claiming they still needed to go to Honeydukes to buy their sweets.

"You know," James idly said, facing Hermione once the couple had gone, "I have a confession to make."

Her heart clenched painfully inside her chest, unsure what his words pertained to. "Yeah?" she breathlessly asked.

"After spending time with your best friends today, I have concluded that Evans and I could never have worked out," James said, followed by a soft laugh. Hermione's eyes widened at his declaration. "I hate to bloody say this, but Snive – Snape is good for Lily. I mean, really, really good, considering who he is and how smarmy he can be."

Hermione wordlessly glanced at this boy, trying to search his face for even any semblance of animosity or jealousy. But James looked anything but, his hazel eyes bright, an amused smile stretched on his face.

Hermione didn't know how to feel about that.

James suggested they went back to Hogwarts since it was getting darker. Hermione was silent throughout their journey, her mind still a jumbled mess from thinking about all things James, Lily and the future. She knew James was sending nervous, worried looks at her, but she couldn't form any words that would reassure him.

Before she knew it, she was staring at the entrance door to Ravenclaw Tower.

"Hey, Hermione, I—" James awkwardly ran a hand through his hair and smiled shyly at her. "I had fun today, honest."

She managed to show a small smile. "Yeah, me too," she said. Despite the contemplating she had done, she did have fun with James today.

He looked highly doubtful. "Yeah?" he asked, uncertain. "You became quiet on the way back to Hogwarts so I was worried things didn't end well."

"I'm sorry," she sighed, her cheeks splattering with pink. "I just had a lot of things on my mind."

"Like?"

"Never mind that," she said with a soft smile. "Thank you for today, James. I really had fun, too."

He nervously ran a hand through his hair once more, looking as if he wanted to say something more. Hermione patiently waited for him to start speaking, watching him with mild amusement as he relentlessly fussed with his hair.

"This isn't the last date, right?" he finally blurted out, his face crumpling in ridiculous terror.

Something in Hermione's heart stirred. She somehow felt exhausted - from all the denying and the pulling away. With a tentative smile, she replied, "Maybe this isn't the last. Maybe another one won't hurt at all."

The relieved smile he gave her made her breath hitch. "So, does this mean we really are going out?" he asked giddily, his hazel eyes glinting with hope and happiness again

She flushed and nervously laughed. "I don't know," she honestly said. "I haven't really been in a lot of relationships to know how things become official. And… I… there's still a lot of confusing things to work out, and—"

James cut her off with a chuckle, reaching forward to cup her cheek with his big, warm hand. Hermione froze, her eyes growing wide, as James leant closer so that his eyes were level with hers. She honestly thought he would kiss her right there and then, and Hermione wondered whether she would lean forward or pull away. His eyes briefly darted at her parted lips, his hazel eyes darkening with an emotion that almost stole her breath away.

"We'll slow things down," he whispered, his lips almost brushing against hers. "There's no need to rush."

Not trusting herself to speak, Hermione nodded her head twice.

A teasing smirk slowly grew on his face as he finally pulled away. Hermione bit her bottom lip, trying to swallow down a disappointed groan. "It's terribly easy to fluster you, Whiskers," he claimed. He laughingly dodged her heavy hand, muttering a brief apology for his teasing. Hermione lifted her hand once more to swat his arm, but James caught it with his hand, halting her in the process.

His eyes softened as he stared at their clasped hands. He shifted their hands together until his fingers laced through hers. "If," he whispered, cheeks reddening a bit, "If I come here tomorrow to walk you down to breakfast, would you let me hold your hand?"

He slowly met her startled gaze and smiled. "I promise not to cross a line if it makes you uncomfortable, Hermione," he quickly added.

Hermione tore her gaze away from him and looked at their clasped hands. James's hand was big and warm, and calloused from constantly holding his wooden broom. His hand perfectly fit hers, like a puzzle piece clicking into the right place.

Her heart thudded loudly against her ribcage and she wondered if James could hear it.

"Yes," she finally breathed out. Her eyes met his once more. "Yes, you can."

November 28, 1977

The next day, Hermione woke up due to a deafening crack of thunder. There was a torrential storm outside her window, which made her miserable. Her hair was more monstrous and she didn't want to leave her bed at all. But her stomach was protesting and she didn't want to skip breakfast.

She freshened up, donned her uniform and grabbed for her bag, before striding out of her room. She noted with mild amusement that the other students were annoyed by the sudden storm. It was extra cold and despite the roaring fire and murmured warming charms, the chill stubbornly stayed.

Hermione sighed and hugged herself tighter as she climbed out of their common room.

She instantly saw James, leaning casually against the bannister whilst absentmindedly tossing his Golden Snitch in the air. His eyes immediately landed on hers when he heard the door closing behind her.

"Hi," he greeted with a toothy grin.

"Hi," she replied back.

James pushed himself away from the bannister and pocketed the golden ball. He wordlessly grabbed her bag and slung it across his shoulders. "Hungry?" he asked.

"Bloody starving," Hermione moodily replied.

He laughed and leaned closer to Hermione, his arm sliding down until he clutched her cold hand. Hermione shyly shifted them together until her fingers could lace through his.

James's smile was like the bright sun, which was absolutely ridiculous, because the storm outside was raging and persistent. And Hermione couldn't look away.

Chapter Text

xxvi.

it starts with our eyes well acquainted with the dark

(Overture by Sleeping at Last)

December 25, 1977

Hermione watched her brother in amusement as he nervously darted from one room to another.

Today was Christmas Day, meaning that Mary MacDonald was coming over and joining the Pettigrew family for Christmas lunch. Peter had thankfully gotten over his initial hesitation and had invited Mary over to finally meet his family. Anya was actually the first one to know about this. Hermione was only able to discover it when her mother sent an owl, excitedly breaking the news and already wondering what she would do for Christmas lunch.

Hermione's amused glance landed on their small dining table, decorated with stuffed Christmas turkey and pigs in blankets, baked potatoes, delectable puddings and pies with pitchers of pumpkin juice and tea. It was relatively less grand than the last meal Anya had prepared for Lily and Sev. Knowing her mother, Hermione had taken it upon herself to help Anya make Christmas lunch, making sure she didn't get too excited and start baking and cooking enough to feed a battalion.

"Peter," Hermione called out with a laugh. "Blimey, just sit down."

Peter walked out of the toilet looking paler than usual. "Listen, Mary is brilliant," he vehemently reassured. "Maybe she gets a little too excited with things she loves – Sirius did once say she gushes a lot – but she's terribly sweet and very kind and—"

His sister laughed once more, cutting him off from his tirade. "I'm sure she'll be fantastic," she replied. "James did say she's a riot and she's close with Lily."

"Speaking of James," her mother piped up as she laid a tray of various biscuits on the table, "why didn't you invite him over?"

Hermione's cheeks reddened, unable to meet her mother's eyes. "It's not the same as Peter, Mum," she said with a deep frown on her face.

"Oh, it's definitely like my relationship with Mary!" Peter exclaimed, stomping inside the kitchens. "You should have seen how much hand-holding they've been doing lately, Mum."

"Shut up," she hissed with a glare, swatting him across his chest.

Anya quirked an eyebrow, clear interest in her eyes. "Well, sweetheart," her mother said, "why don't you invite him over for New Years?"

"It's not like that," the brunette insisted once more. "Besides, the Potters are spending the holiday in Italy to visit family. They'll be gone until a few days before the start of term."

She noticed how Peter and Anya exchanged meaningful glances, prompting her to scowl darkly at the Yorkshire pudding she was making.

Her relationship with James was still… complicated, simply put. She already allowed herself to give in to temptation and had basked under the sunshine she realised he had always been. She had already allowed herself to hold his hand while they walked through the school corridors, or to spend study sessions with him alone in the library, or to even let him carry whatever things she had around just so he could shift them in his arms and hold her hand again.

Hermione knew she was venturing through dangerous waters. It had been exhausting fighting to pull away from James's orbit, which was why she had finally relented. What was worrisome, however, was what would happen if she let herself get too attached. What would happen to her if James realised Lily Evans was the only one for him? What would she do then?

Which was why, no, this relationship wasn't the same as Peter and Mary, because Peter looked like he wanted to spend his forever with her.

Hermione couldn't, for obvious reasons, of course.

These thoughts ceased when their doorbell rang. Peter stiffened momentarily, before he broke into the widest smile, and ran off towards the door.

He soon came back, Mary MacDonald towing behind.

The raven-haired witch with a sweet face shyly smiled at them. Hermione noted how she still wore semi-formal dress robes despite Peter's insistence that she could wear something casual. Although a Half-blood like them, Mary mostly grew up in a Wizarding household and such traditions were hard to break.

"Good afternoon," she politely said.

"Hello," Anya said, hastily wiping her hands on her apron. She strode quickly towards the witch and beamed brightly. "I'm Anya, Peter and Hermione's mother. Come and sit down, sweetheart. I heard you like biscuits with chamomile tea? I've prepared enough to last you a year." And she started to sweetly laugh, melting whatever nervousness Mary had.

As Anya pulled the witch towards the table, Hermione smiled, noting what Sirius meant when he'd said Mary gushed a lot. But the girl was sweet, and very polite to her mother. Hermione could already see the twinkling in Anya's eyes, no doubt imagining a future with babies that looked like Peter and Mary.

She glanced at her brother, whose cheeks were flushed and his lips stretched wide.

"I can't believe I hesitated at first," Peter whispered to her when he strode forward.

Hermione beamed and briefly held his hand. "Mum likes her already," she said. "Don't worry about unnecessary things anymore."

"And you?"

Her heart swelled with warmth at the fact he genuinely cared about her opinion. "Why should my opinion matter?" she asked, followed by a small laugh.

Peter softly snorted. "I'd rather my sister didn't torment the girl I'm going to like for the rest of our lives," he pointed out.

Hermione remembered the conversation she'd overheard between them, of Mary fiercely protesting that Peter wasn't the lesser Pettigrew, prompting her to smile fondly at him, and then at the girl who had undoubtedly already stolen their mother's heart.

"She is good to you, Peter," she finally said. "Any girl who thinks Peter Pettigrew is worthy of her time is instantly a good person in my mind."

Peter looked marvellously relieved by her words. "She chatters a lot," he warned.

"I'm best friends with Lily Evans," Hermione pointed out with a laugh. "Have you seen how her mouth runs?"

"Point taken," he concurred, mirroring her laugh.

-ooo-

Hermione excused herself when Peter and Mary got cozy on their couch as they watched an inane Christmas movie.

"Oh, Merry Christmas, Hermione!" Mary exclaimed, entangling herself from Peter's arms to catch up with the brunette.

"Merry Christmas to you too," she replied with a smile.

Mary then hastily rummaged inside her pocket and pulled out a neatly wrapped medium-sized gift, with a silver ribbon tied on top. "I'm sorry if it's terribly imposing, but I wanted to give you a gift today," she said as a sheepish smile bloomed on her face.

Hermione glanced at it in surprise. "Oh," she said, suddenly feeling flustered. "You shouldn't have. I – well – I didn't even buy you anything!"

"It doesn't matter," Mary said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Actually, I didn't plan on buying you a gift. But, while I was out shopping, I came across this book and instantly thought of you." Her eyes comically widened. "Oh, silly me, of course I just had to ruin the surprise." She expelled a lovely laugh, her blue eyes glinting brightly. "Peter said you're a mean bookworm. So am I! I hope we can exchange books in the future? I love this book with a reverence. I'm not sure if you've read it already, but if Peter wasn't exaggerating then, maybe you already did, but oh well. More books to add to your collection, eh?"

The brunette stared at her with wide eyes. Peter wasn't kidding when he'd said she was a chatterbox. She glanced over Mary's shoulder and saw her brother watching them in amusement, his shoulders shaking with his suppressed chuckles.

"Thank you," Hermione said, gingerly taking the gift from Mary's hands. "This is very thoughtful of you, Mary. I – well – I'll scour my bookshelf and search for anything that might interest you." She looked hesitant. "You don't mind Muggle books, do you?"

"Oh, dear me, of course not!" Mary exclaimed. "That's a Muggle book you're holding. In fact, I think wizard fiction is very weird."

Hermione grinned. "Tell me about it."

"Anyway, I hope you enjoy that!" Mary said, surprising Hermione yet again when she enveloped her in a quick hug.

The brunette chuckled and patted her back, thanking her once again.

Hermione went to her room and left the couple alone, thinking of continuing some of her holiday homework now that she had nothing left to do.

She settled on her desk and softly smiled at the gift, before neatly tearing it open. Anne of Green Gables stared right back at her and Hermione smiled in surprise as she honestly hadn't expected this book. She had read this before, of course, but she had read this as Hermione Granger. Hermione gingerly brushed her fingers across the title, fondly remembering the feelings that were evoked from reading the novel.

Hermione placed the book away, promising to read it after she was finished with her studies, and pulled out her school materials.

While she was engrossed on a particularly interesting Arithmancy question, her attention was suddenly diverted towards her bedroom window. She instantly recognised James's owl, Thunderbolt, merrily pecking the window with his beak.

Surprised, Hermione opened the window and let the handsome owl inside. He hooted happily when he landed on Hermione's desk, sticking out his leg.

Hermione knitted her eyebrows as she untied the small, silver box with a gold ribbon tied around it. She'd already received James's gift earlier this morning amidst the various gifts she had received from friends and family. He, of course, had sent her the ridiculously expensive school materials he'd bought during their last Hogsmeade date.

Thunderbolt affectionately nipped her finger, begging for treats. Hermione absentmindedly scooped a few from a jar on her table and let him eat on her palm.

"Merry Christmas," was her goodbye, as the owl happily hooted before opening his magnificent wings and flying out of the window.

Hermione gingerly unwrapped the box, frowning instantly upon recognising it as a jewellery box. She opened it, a gasp tearing from her lips, as she beheld a beautiful bracelet resting on a velvet cushion inside.

It was a round sapphire gemstone flanked with two, glinting diamonds strung through a silver band. Hermione highly suspected this bracelet had cost more than the school supplies James had bought for her.

There was a rolled parchment placed next to the bracelet. As Hermione unrolled it, her eyes instantly flew through the words.

Hermione,

I hope you don't mind. I hope this isn't crossing a line. The first time I saw this, I instantly thought of your eyes.

Merry Christmas,

James

P.S. Because seriously, who wants to get school supplies for Christmas?

She rolled her eyes at his postscript and tenderly lifted the bracelet from its box. It was really beautiful and Hermione thought it was sweet James had thought about her eyes when he'd seen it.

Unable to stop a smile from stretching on her face, Hermione unclasped the bracelet and wore it around her wrist.

Merlin, it looked even prettier when worn.

January 6, 1978

Anya gave them both a hug goodbye and shooed them towards the Hogwarts Express. "Promise to write!" she called, and waved her hand happily until Peter had ushered Hermione further inside.

"It's weird, isn't it?" Peter said, leading Hermione as he searched throughout the train for his friends, "how a new year has come and things are still ridiculously the same?"

Hermione glanced at Peter's back in surprise, unsure as to why he was suddenly saying such thoughts. However, Hermione couldn't help but slightly disagree with her brother. News about increasing attacks decorated the Daily Prophet and their television. Not even the forced censorship from the ministry could stop people from speculating – was Voldemort steadily gaining enough power to finally wage an ultimate war? It didn't help that Hermione had once caught her mother applying more spells to strengthen their wards at home. "Thieves have been rampant, don't you know?" was Anya's mere answer, but Hermione saw her mother's eyes and the fear in them.

She knew this year would be different, especially now that Regulus was a Death Eater and she wanted to voluntarily help him destroy the horcruxes. Gone were the quiet days of Hermione Pettigrew. With the war steadily gaining momentum, Hermione had to work double time in order to really bring Voldemort down and save the people she cared about in the present and future.

"There you are!"

A compartment door was suddenly slammed open, James's head peeking outside. Her mind instantly went blank, mouth going dry, as he fully sauntered out of the compartment he was staying in, to approach the Pettigrew siblings.

Merlin and Morgana, she realised she had missed him.

Very much.

"Wormtail, hi, all right?" he asked, good-naturedly thumping him on the back.

"Yes, actually," Peter said, a wide, goofy grin appearing on his face. "Mary did come over during Christmas and it was amazing! You should—" His words died down as his smile turned into an annoyed scowl. "Yeah, why am I even talking when it's obvious you're not even listening to me?"

"Hmm?" James distractedly asked, his hazel eyes trained intently on Hermione.

"Berk," Peter sighed, already dragging his trunk inside the compartment.

"Hi," Hermione shyly said, her cheeks warming in embarrassment.

James's smile grew as he took a few more steps, shrinking the distance between them. "Had a good holiday?" he asked, already reaching forward to hold Hermione's hand. His hand was still big and warm and fitted perfectly with her own.

"It was lovely," she said with a laugh. James grabbed her trunk and started pulling her towards the opened compartment. "Peter wasn't kidding when he said it was amazing. Mary was wonderful and my mother instantly liked her. She won't stop pestering Peter about when he'd ask for her hand in marriage." She gave his hand a tender squeeze and asked, "How was Italy?"

"È stato bellissimo," he answered with a handsome grin and a perfect accent. "I'd love to take you there someday, Hermione."

Her eyes widened at his claim, but James didn't seem to notice as he finally led her inside the compartment.

"Hey!" Sirius exclaimed with a petulant frown. "What happened to the rule 'no girlfriends allowed'?"

Hermione made a face at the word 'girlfriend' and was about to correct Sirius, but James snorted and pushed Peter to the side until the scowling blond was pressed against the window. "She's Peter's sister," James explained, directing Hermione to sit in the middle whilst he took her other side. "She's also your friend. Hermione's an exception."

Hermione examined the whole compartment with a scrunched nose. The floor was already littered with snack wrappers and Wizard's chess was open on the floor, the chess pieces merrily prancing around and waving their little swords in the air.

"Had a great Christmas, Hermione?" Remus asked with a kind smile.

Peter answered for her, already gushing about the events that happened with Mary at their home. Sirius was making various, ridiculous comments, earning him some punches from Peter and Remus, but it was obvious how they were genuinely happy for her brother. It was obvious how happy Peter was too.

Hermione distractedly glanced at James when she felt him suddenly squeeze her hand tightly. Glancing at him in question, she noted how his eyes were trained intently on her hand. Or, more appropriately, on the gleaming bracelet wrapped around her wrist.

"It's very beautiful," she said, feeling her cheeks reddening. James slowly lifted his eyes to meet hers, and Hermione felt her breath hitching with emotions. His eyes were the brownest she had ever seen, the green merely flecks around the outside, like a halo. The handsome smile on his face reached his eyes and Hermione found herself unable to stifle her own smile.

"It looks like your eyes," he finally said, giving her hand another fond squeeze. "Very beautiful."

A crumpled parchment suddenly zoomed in between them. "Oi, lovebirds," Sirius exclaimed. "No googly eyes in front of us."

Hermione flushed and glared at the disgusted wizard. James threw him a rude hand gesture, but his cheeks were also sprinkled with pink. "Shut up, Pads," he grumbled under his breath.

Conversation after that, was mostly the boys talking about their plans on how to graduate with a blast – literally. Hermione's eyes didn't return to their normal shape for the entirety of the conversation, after listening to Sirius and Peter pitching various ideas that bordered insane. Remus remained amused throughout, even suggesting things that he thought would help. James wasn't any different, loudly insisting how the timing of their plans should be after the graduation speech, or about how they would sneak everything inside Hogwarts without getting caught.

"You're Head Boy," she exclaimed, aghast. "How can you even support this preposterous idea?"

James boisterously laughed. "Hermione, relax," he said. "We're all going to do this after Dumbledore has declared us as graduates. After that, we're students no more and they can't really expel us then, can they?"

Hermione groaned while the other three excitedly cheered, once again adding more suggestions that could embellish their already elaborate plan.

Despite the disbelief, Hermione found herself laughing at some jokes Peter would crack, or roll her eyes at Sirius when he spouted more ridiculous things.

This train ride was definitely the most eventful she'd ever had. Lily and Sev were nice companions, but they mostly talked about the holidays and future lessons. Hermione wondered if they were even worried she hadn't sat with them this time. But then, she realised she may have given them some private time together and they were most likely thanking the lucky stars above.

Speaking of her best friends, Hermione deduced that the couple was definitely going steady. Like what Peter had done, Lily invited Sev to her home for Christmas and New Year. Lily reverently wrote to Hermione despite her parents' rule, wanting to recount detail-by-detail how her holidays had gone, most especially because Petunia also invited over Vernon, and she had been unwilling to be bested by her younger sister.

"It was a bloody disaster," Lily wrote. "Petunia and Vernon were extra nasty, snarling untoward comments at Sev and his 'grubby, little clothes'. They were even more cruel than Potter and Black! You should have seen how I was trying my best to hold my tears and my tongue. But Sev was… Sev was brilliant and a sourpuss, calmly retorting thinly-veiled sarcastic quips that even made Vernon turn purple. I think the whole ordeal was ruined when Petunia caught Dad trying to hold in a laugh. Suffice to say, Petunia hates me more but my parents love Sev, sourpuss and snarky comments and all."

Hermione was infinitely happy for her friends. But, at the same time, worry bloomed in her heart. They only had six months to go before the Marauders and her best friends graduated, and yet, James and Lily weren't together. In fact, they didn't seem to like each other at all. Harry had told her before that his parents had gotten together when they were in seventh year, so it was understandable how worried Hermione had become.

Added to that, was the fact that Hermione seemed to like James more and more each day. Despite the distance, they constantly swapped letters over the holidays. James was arrogant but sweet, quipping things in his letters that made her blush in embarrassment. James was, well, rather forward with his words, hiding behind the guise of his letter to tell Hermione how she truly made him feel. They weren't scandalous, of course, but Hermione was sure Peter would see red if he ever read one of James' letters for her.

So, with James and Lily dating other people right now, things weren't exactly in their proper place. Hermione often wondered if dating James meant betraying Harry, by stealing his right to be born in this world.

Panic was starting to rise up from her stomach again and Hermione tried to tug her hand away from James, but his grip was firm and warm and safe.

Hermione hated herself for not trying harder.

She blinked her eyes widely when James suddenly ducked his face closer to hers. "Knut for your thoughts?" he asked, even fishing the copper coin from his hand and extending it towards Hermione.

Sirius loudly snorted. "With that big brain of hers," he started, "her thoughts must cost at least two galleons, Prongsie-mate."

James laughed and slipped the knut inside his robe pocket, only to pull out two galleons and a piece of toffee. Hermione rolled her eyes but accepted the toffee. "Nothing exciting, honestly," she lied through her teeth. "I was just wondering how you will all fair in the upcoming NEWTs."

Predictably, they expelled numerous groans, prompting Hermione to smile.

"You only have at least five months before the exams," she continued despite their protests.

"Hermione," Peter whined, "we're adhering to your colour-coded schedule, blimey."

"We're really fond of you, Whiskers, which is why we keep you around," Sirius seriously said. "But please, can you bloody fucking spare us today? We're not even at Hogwarts yet!"

"Language," Hermione clucked, but Sirius merely pouted.

"Save your swottiness for Hogwarts," James sighed. "You'll have plenty of time to mother us once we get there."

Hermione was unable to keep in her laugh. "I'm just trying to remind you of the inevitable," she pointed out. "Don't look at me like that."

"I don't even know why I'm bothering to adhere to your rigorous scheduling," Remus said with a grimace. "I'm not even planning to become an Auror. The ministry would surely gloss over my name if I ever attempted."

"That's not true!" she blurted out almost immediately. Remus quirked an eyebrow, prompting her to blush. "Well, okay, we all know the world is fond of discriminating against people just because they're not like the rest, but that's bullshite. If I have my way, I'm going to rigorously write laws in the future and abolish any discriminatory practices for people like you, Remus, because it's so outdated and unfair."

Remus's golden eyes shone fondly at her words. "I'm not going to be surprised if you really did purse that, Hermione," he said. "But, really, I don't mind not becoming an Auror. It'd be too much of a hassle. Besides, I plan on applying for the Defence Against the Dark Arts post."

"But that position is cursed!" James exclaimed with a gasp. "We didn't know you wanted to do that."

The werewolf sheepishly smiled and rubbed the back of his neck. "I wasn't really planning on it," he confessed. "But Dumbledore mentioned in passing how Professor Sullen plans to retire after the school-year ends." He grinned at Hermione. "Perhaps, I'll be able to see you all-year round and will teach you Defence next year, Hermione."

James's eyes widened. "Maybe, I should apply as a teacher too," he seriously declared. "If it meant I'll be able to see you all-year round, too."

"Don't be ridiculous," Hermione said as she threw a light glare at James. "Your schedule's already designed to focus on the knowledge and skills needed to be an Auror. It'd be a waste to give up what you really want to do for just one year teaching me."

"Aww, but Hermione, at least I could see you every day," he whined, but the brunette merely laughed and pushed him away.

"So, you do plan on accepting Dumbledore's offer?" Peter asked, shooting a disgusted look at his sister and best friend.

Remus shrugged and leaned back in his chair. "Well, Dumbledore already knows about my affliction," he said. "At least I'd still have the Shrieking Shack for my transformations. The only difference is that you lot won't be there."

"What the hell are you talking about, Moony?" Sirius asked, looking at Remus like he'd grown another head. "Of course we'll be there! Granted, we may have all graduated and chosen a different career path, but that doesn't mean we won't try to accompany you during the full moon."

Hermione noted how Remus's eyes shone a little brighter when Peter and James vigorously nodded their heads. "Auror training is ridiculously hard," he pointed out. "I'm sure the ministry will work you like a horse, especially with the environment nowadays."

"Oh, right! Speaking of the ministry," Hermione exclaimed. "I just remembered something I've been meaning to tell you." When they gave her identical looks of curiosity, she continued. "I think it's best if you register yourselves as Animagi." Their faces scrunched up in protest, but Hermione wasn't done. "Animagi are scarce, as we've always been taught, and the ministry will surely consider you more favourably as Aurors because of this skill. Besides, the ministry doesn't even consider anyone for the post of Auror if they have committed a crime. It is better if you adhere to the law."

"I know you're right, but that's bloody bothersome," Sirius muttered, crossing his arms against his chest. "All that bureaucratic shite."

"Better safe than sorry," she said with a deft shrug.

"Fine," James said with a sigh. "We can just lie and say we've managed to become one recently. You know, because technically it was illegal."

Hermione nodded her head to concur.

-ooo-

Hermione walked out of the Great Hall after bidding goodbye to Lily and Sev. James apologised to her profusely, telling her he had some Head Boy crap he needed to do and had to go to Dumbledore and therefore couldn't escort her back to Ravenclaw Tower.

"It's fine, James," Hermione said with a laugh. "I'll see you tomorrow."

James looked at her with stars in his eyes and tucked a stray curl behind her ear. "Goodnight, Hermione," he said. He grabbed her hand once more and stared at the bracelet on her wrist. A ridiculous smile stretched widely on his face as he bid her another goodbye and walked away.

Hermione made a brief stop at the library to borrow a few books she had been meaning to read for advance studying. Madame Pince had given her a surprised look, obviously unused to having students in the library on the first day back after the Christmas holidays.

She bid the strict librarian goodnight and was surprised when Madame Pince gave her a small smile in return. She knew the librarian was wary of her and her friends because they were admittedly always quite rowdy when inside. Hermione hoped the smile meant the librarian liked her more.

Hermione was journeying back to Ravenclaw Tower, the corridors now scarce of students, when she was suddenly pulled into an alcove. A scream sat on the tip of her tongue, but her wand hand was quicker. The brunette blindly poked her wand tip into the person's side.

"If you don't release me," she darkly hissed, her grip on her wand tightening, "I'm going to hex you."

A low chuckle washed over the exposed flesh of her neck, creating goosebumps. "Blimey, Pettigrew, it's just me."

Hermione scowled and twirled around, her wand now pressed threateningly under Regulus' chin. "You shouldn't sneak up on people like that!" she whispered shrilly.

Brief fear crossed his silver eyes as he slowly raised his hands to gesture surrender. "Apologies," he murmured.

Hermione gave him a glare before slowly lowering her wand. "What do you want?" she asked. "What's the matter? Why did you suddenly pull me into a dark alcove?"

Regulus looked at her in mild amusement. "I was trying to find the time to corner you, but Potter's been joined to your hip the whole time," he pointed out. "So, the rumours are really true, then? You're really dating James Potter?"

"None of your business," she said, hoping that the darkness was enough to cover the redness on her cheeks.

"And he's over Lily Evans?" he persisted.

"None of your bloody business," she continued with a sigh. "What do you really want, Regulus? It's been a rather tiring day and we have classes at eight in the morning tomorrow. I'd like to retire to my bed as soon as possible."

The amused smile on his face melted into a firm, hard line. "I've done a lot of thinking - like what you said to do last year," he said. "And I've made up my mind. I'm still in, if you are."

Hermione's eyes widened, hope forming in her heart. "Are you really sure, Regulus?" she asked. "This isn't some test you can pass if you study hard enough. This isn't some Quidditch game you can win if you catch the Golden Snitch. This is war, and in war you have to accept the fact that lives may be sacrificed in the end."

Regulus had an indecipherable look in his eyes. "Will you do it then?" he softly asked. "Sacrifice yourself for the people you care about?"

She thought of Anya and Peter, of Remus and Sirius and Lily and Sev. She thought of Regulus too, and how desperate he was of righting his wrongs. She thought of James with hazel eyes and a golden smile, managing to make her heart flutter even with a single glance. She thought of Ron, with eyes as blue as the deepest ocean, staring lifelessly heavenward. And she thought of Harry, who only wanted to be happy in this world.

"If it's the only way, I will," she firmly whispered, her words reverberating around the stony walls of the small alcove.

Desperation appeared in Regulus' eyes, his hold on Hermione's arm tightening. "Then I'll help you," he resolutely said. "I hope we will survive through all of this. I just want – I just want the Dark Lord—" He took a sharp intake of breath as his silver eyes turned steely with determination. "I just want Voldemort to die."

The way he said his name, with disgust and exhaustion and fear, made Hermione's eyes water with overwhelming emotions.

"Me too," she whispered. "Me too, Regulus."

January 28, 1978

Hermione was awakened on Saturday morning by incessant tapping on her window.

She blearily glanced at her alarm clock, annoyed to see that it was still five in the morning. It was Saturday after all, and although Hermione woke up earlier than her roommates, she still had two more hours to go before her supposed alarm.

The Ravenclaw groggily stood up from her bed and briefly glanced at her roommates, noting that they were all still asleep. Hermione scowled in envy as she opened the window, letting a handsome, sooty owl swoop inside and land on her bedside table. He howled in annoyance, perhaps reprimanding Hermione for making him wait outside in the cold, before sticking out his leg.

Hermione stared at the owl with mild amusement, already guessing that he most likely belonged to a haughty, Pureblood wizard. She untied the parchment from his leg. The owl took flight even before being given treats, and Hermione hastily closed the window to protect herself from the cold.

She unrolled the parchment and smiled, recognising Regulus's handwriting.

Pettigrew,

Who wakes up at seven am on a Sunday? But fine, I'll meet you on the seventh floor. Don't be late.

R.A.B.

Hermione snorted at the letter, wondering how Regulus could complain about waking up early on a weekend, when he'd practically done the same thing today. Her eyes slowly latched onto his signature, her smile faltering. She gingerly brushed the initials of his name, fondly remembering the letter he'd penned to Voldemort in the future, telling him he'd discovered his secrets and vowed to take him down.

Shaking such thoughts away, Hermione walked towards her small desk and grabbed spare parchment and her turkey quill. She penned her reply, all the while thinking how she could slip this short note to Regulus without his Slytherin cronies noticing.

After writing the letter, Hermione slipped back into her bed and closed her eyes once more, hoping to catch a few more winks before her alarm went off.

-ooo-

Hermione smiled warmly when the Marauders sauntered inside the Great Hall and journeyed towards the Ravenclaw table. James and Peter, as usual, flanked her sides whilst Remus and Sirius sat across from her.

With Hermione's new relationship with James, the Head Boy had announced to his friends that he'd like to spend his meals with his lady love. Hermione rolled her eyes at his antics, but James insisted. Since the Marauders were basically joined at the hip, it didn't surprise Hermione when the other three also joined James on the Ravenclaw table.

The new arrangements of course, changed Lily and Sev's schedule of having meals with their best friend. During breakfast, Hermione found herself usually alone. She always woke up earlier than her friends so she really didn't mind. Lily also often woke up early, but she spent her breakfast chattering away with her Gryffindor friends, Mary and Marlene. During lunch time, Lily and Sev would join her on the Ravenclaw table, and Hermione would watch with thinly-veiled amusement - mixed with slight disgust - how sickeningly adorable the two were being. Hence, James had no choice but to agree to eat with her at dinnertimes, his other friends clambering behind him.

"All right, Hermione?" the bespectacled wizard asked, sliding down on the bench beside her. Like clockwork, his hand gripped hers and gave it a tiny squeeze.

"Yeah," she said, smiling at her brother and the other two. "How was the career orientation?"

Sirius made a face and started piling food on his plate. "Waste of two hours," he murmured. Then, to Remus, he asked, "Hey, do you think I could be a Dragon Tamer?"

Remus snorted. "McGonagall said that 8 in 10 Dragon Tamers had to shave their heads because hair can be a fire hazard. I'm sure you won't let anyone touch your hair just to work, Pads."

"Too true," Sirius said with a loud guffaw, fondly cradling his hair like it was Merlin's gift to humanity.

"I can't believe so many students want to become Aurors," Peter moaned, despondently tearing his bread into pieces on his plate. "How am I to compete against them?"

"You heard what McGonagall said," James pointed out with a frown. "Things today are… tense, what with the increase in attacks and the threat of Voldemort growing stronger each day. We're a bunch of Gryffindors, Peter. Of course we'd want to fight."

"And recklessly get yourself killed, I'm sure," Hermione snapped, scowling darkly at her plate.

James silently squeezed her hand once more, smiling handsomely at the brunette. "Nobody's going to get killed, Whiskers," he assured. "Nobody can easily kill us."

Except there was somebody, and that somebody had mercilessly killed him with a well-aimed Avada Kedavra. Hermione tried to shake the image of a dead James Potter, hazel eyes empty and dull, just to keep her emotions at bay. It was too early to worry about things like that. She still had the task of procuring all of Voldemort's scattered horcruxes and destroying them, just to make the bastard mortal once more.

"I think I need a break from all these NEWTs and this career crap," said Sirius with an exhausted groan. "Fancy a stroll tonight, lads?"

Hermione mentally projected her calendar and frowned. "The full moon has already passed," she slowly pointed out under her breath.

"We sometimes like to venture outside, even if Moony's not going to, you know," James said. "Just to discover more secret passages to add to the map. Speaking of which, when are you going to return the Marauder's Map?"

"I thought you said it's done?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow and opting to ignore his question.

"There's always room for improvement," he replied with chuckle. "So, fancy a stroll tonight, Whiskers?"

Hermione would have loved to transform into her Animagus and trailed behind the Marauders, but she had an early appointment with Regulus tomorrow. She didn't need to think thoroughly to decide which one was priority. "Sorry," she finally said with an apologetic smile. "I think I'll pass this time."

"Why?" Peter asked with a frown. "Don't tell me you're going to stay up late to study tonight, Hermione."

"So what if I am?" she petulantly asked, not bothering to dispel his accusations. Sometimes being a swot actually had its merits.

"You're really no fun sometimes," Sirius said with a sigh. "Come on, Hermione. We'll show you the different secret passages we've discovered through the years."

Hermione mentally thought those passages might not be so secret for her already, after years and years of trailing behind Harry Potter. "I still think I'll pass," she stated matter-of-factly. Her eyes landed on Remus and frowned. "What do you do on nights when you don't have to, you know?"

Remus shrugged and grinned roguishly at his friends. "Pretend I'm walking my pet dog and stag for the night," he joked. "I let Wormtail ride on my shoulders. It gives him the illusion he's taller than Prongs."

"Very funny, Moony," Peter grumbled under his breath, his cheeks flushing at the joke. Hermione apologetically smiled at her brother, knowing that he was still tetchy about his puny Animagus form compared to his other friends.

"It'll be fun. Promise," James said, peering at her with his hopeful, hazel eyes. "We need someone who'll get us out of trouble."

Hermione snorted. "Please, I know you'd just tune me out if I continued to nag you about your idiotic shenanigans," she deadpanned.

James innocently grinned. "When did we ever tune you out, Hermione? Honestly?" he asked amidst the chuckles his other friends were trying to suppress.

The Ravenclaw sighed and gave them a withering glare. "Just stay out of trouble," she warned. "If you get expelled before you even take your NEWTs, all of my efforts to get you diligently studying would have gone to waste."

January 29, 1978

Hermione woke up at five in the morning, much to her disgruntlement. She blamed her adrenaline for waking her up before her alarm, knowing full well what this day meant for her. She tried to close her eyes and catch a few more winks, but her body was uncooperative. Knowing it was futile, Hermione hauled herself out of her bed and started to get ready.

She silently shook her head at the small mess her roommates had made. It was mighty amusing how they had planned a pseudo girl's night out yesterday, with Alex displaying various nail polishes she had brought from home. Hermione had wanted to politely excuse herself, wanting to sleep early to get ready for the next day, but her roommates had cajoled her into joining. Hermione had relented, having no choice but to sit on the floor and let Dorothy paint her nails in pretty midnight blue and bronze colours.

Hermione eyed her newly painted nails and smiled in amusement. She must admit, they were actually pretty. Besides, her Ravenclaw friends had been a nice distraction for her last night. When they'd finally let Hermione slip away to her bed, she'd been so knackered that sleep instantly claimed her.

Since it was still terribly cold out, Hermione donned a worn dark blue, thick sweater that matched her bracelet. She wore a button-down denim skirt and some tights to protect her legs from the cold.

She brandished out her wand and magicked the mess away, most of the belongings landing on Alex's equally messy bedside table. Hermione then quietly left their room and journeyed out of the Ravenclaw Common Room.

The corridors, as predicted, were devoid of students. Even most of the portraits were still dozing off in their frames.

Hogwarts was serene that day and Hermione took that moment to stop in her tracks and gaze appreciatively at the worn, stone walls and high ceilings of the castle she fondly called home.

When she arrived at the seventh floor, Hermione was surprised to see that Regulus was already there.

"It's not even seven!" was her greeting, quickening her footsteps to reach the Slytherin.

He merely quirked an eyebrow. "Well, you're here too," he stated matter-of-factly. "Besides, I couldn't sleep last night."

Hermione noted the dark bags under his tired, silver eyes, but it was obvious how he had been anticipating this day too. Regulus was practically humming with a nervous energy she'd never felt from him before. He constantly glanced around, as if expecting that someone would finally jump out and kill him for betraying the Dark Lord.

The brunette smiled sadly at the Slytherin, knowing this would be his life from now on until they'd finally killed Voldemort.

"Regulus," she coolly greeted. "Are you all—"

"No time for pleasantries," he cut her off. "Why are we here?" He wildly gestured at the empty corridor and eyed the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy with disdain.

Hermione rolled her eyes at his melodrama. No doubt a Black trait, remembering all the times Sirius dramatically pointed out things.

"Because the horcrux is here," she said in a low voice.

"Where?" Regulus insisted, his eyes now narrowing suspiciously. "Is this a trap, Pettigrew? Luring me somewhere abandoned just to kill me and get away with murder?"

The brunette snorted. "If you continue being annoying, I just might do that," she offhandedly threatened. Regulus merely stared at her with thinly-veiled amusement in his eyes.

Hermione then turned towards the bare stone wall opposite the tapestry, her hand climbing up to brush it. It had been ages since she'd been here. She clearly remembered how the whole room had been destroyed by Crabbe's blazing Fiendfyre, also costing him his life.

"Where's the horcrux?" Regulus insisted once more.

"Here," Hermione plainly said. "Behind this wall."

The Slytherin's eyes roamed across the huge stretch of bare wall as a frown appeared on his face. "There is no door," he said.

"There is," she replied. "If you know where to look."

Hermione closed her eyes and ignored Regulus's dubious look. 'We need a place to look for Ravenclaw's Diadem,' she chanted inside her mind as she walked in front of the wall. She did it twice more and before she could open her eyes, she knew it had worked when Regulus released a soft yelp of surprise.

"Told you there's a door," she said with a smirk as her eyes snapped open and saw how his eyes had almost bulged out of their sockets.

"How did you—" The words died down from his lips as he looked at Hermione like he'd never seen her before. "Does anyone know about this place?"

The brunette shrugged. "Maybe," she said. "I don't doubt some desperate students might have stumbled upon this room, even though they don't really know the magic it entails."

"Your Gryffindor friends?" he continued.

Hermione wore a secretive smile. She admittedly had been curious as to whether the Marauders had discovered the Room of Requirement during this time. Apparently, after skimming through the Map she still possessed, she found out that nothing had changed and they still hadn't discovered this elusive room. It gave Hermione a sense of satisfaction that she knew something secret they didn't.

"Merlin, no wonder Potter likes you so much," he murmured under his breath as he opened the door and tentatively peeked inside. Hermione's blush was left unnoticed by Regulus, who by now was busy ogling the towering knick knacks the room boasted. "What the fuck?"

Hermione pushed him further inside so she could step in and had another wave of déjà vu. Her skin prickled at the memory of the licking Fiendfyre and she half-expected that a blazing inferno would appear and swallow them whole. But the room stayed fire-free and safe, save from the precarious pieces of furniture stacked high up to the ceiling of the whole room.

It looked the same the last time she'd been here. Hermione hoped the diadem was still where they'd last seen it, buried under decades of grime and dust.

"What are we looking for again?" Regulus asked, snapping out of his surprised stupor to look at the silent witch.

"Ravenclaw's Diadem," she said. "Are you aware what it looks like?"

The Slytherin shrugged. "I remember from History of Magic that Binns said it had three oblong sapphires and an inscription of Ravenclaw's quote. Something about wit…"

"'Wit beyond measure is a man's greatest treasure'," Hermione absentmindedly murmured, her fingers already brushing over tattered books and worn couches, and of suspicious-looking sweaters and dust-filled blankets, all neglected and collecting century-old dust. Some things looked relatively new, untouched by time and dust, and some looked like they had been in this room since the foundation of the school. "We should split up."

Regulus grew wary at her suggestion, prompting her to continue. "This will make the search easier," she said. "Just as long as you don't touch anything suspicious, you'll live, Regulus."

"That isn't exactly helpful, Pettigrew," he murmured darkly under his breath.

Hermione expelled a soft laugh. "This room is relatively harmless," she assured. "Most things here are unintentionally lost by unsuspecting students."

"Except there's a horcrux in this bloody place."

Her smile widened in amusement. "Yes, well, Voldemort intended to keep it here because the bastard thought he was the only one who could purposively search for this place." When Regulus still looked doubtful with her suggestion, Hermione sighed. "Just look for a diadem with sapphires and the inscription. It's easy to notice. I promise. I think it's worn by an ugly bust, but maybe it's different in this timeline."

Regulus's eyebrows slowly knitted together. "What do you mean 'in this timeline'?" he asked, looking at her with more suspicion.

"Never mind that," she said a tad too quickly. "Just don't touch it if you see it. Horcruxes are really evil and they can manipulate you."

"That's not very helpful either," he ground out once more.

Hermione's hand itched, terribly tempted to slap her palm against her forehead. "Merlin, just don't touch it and you'll live, Regulus," she gasped exasperatedly. "Whoever finds the horcrux first will call the other over, especially if it's you. I need to confirm if it's the real diadem or not."

Regulus glowered, still hesitant at her suggestion, until he finally sighed. "Fine," he said. "If I die today, I'll haunt you for the rest of your life."

"What happened with 'I'm willing to sacrifice my life for this cause'?" Hermione teased, prompting Regulus to snarl at her in annoyance and proceed to scour the east side of the room.

The brunette chuckled and started at the opposite side, training her eyes to quickly scan the numerous piles of junk and treasures in search of the familiar diadem.

Hermione spied broken broomsticks and new dragonhide gloves, some ridiculous wigs and gaudy baubles, and tomes so old she wondered if they were overdue books from the library. The different knickknacks piqued her curiosity, as she tried to imagine their story and how they had lost themselves in this room forevermore.

The brunette recognised the towering junk which she and Ron had climbed up in order to avoid the unforgiving fire of Crabbe's Fiendfyre. It still looked as precarious as ever, and she remembered how as Hermione Granger, she had been constantly thinking that if she let go or missed a step, she'd plummet down to her death. Hermione shivered at the memory and firmly told herself that she would never let that happen ever again.

Hermione suddenly paused as a tall cabinet, covered by a moth-eaten blanket, greeted her eyes. Her heart stuttered at the sight, instantly recognising it as the Vanishing Cabinet Draco Malfoy had fixed during their sixth year.

With shaky hands, Hermione pulled the cloth down, disturbing a flurry of dust that prompted her to release a mighty sneeze.

Her eyes watered at the sight of the unimposing wooden cabinet, her right hand tentatively touching its cool wood. This was the cabinet that had let the Death Eaters inside, subsequently reigning terror over the whole school and ultimately leading to Dumbledore's death. Hermione had always wondered, if this cabinet had never been discovered or had never existed, there would have been any way for the Death Eaters to infiltrate Hogwarts. She figured, probably not.

"I FOUND THE DIADEM!"

She flinched at Regulus's Sonorus-ed voice and reluctantly pulled away from the cabinet.

Hastily wiping her tears away, Hermione followed the direction of Regulus's voice and found him staring wide-eyed at an ugly bust with a tarnished diadem sitting on top of its head.

Despite the rust and dust, the sapphire still proudly gleamed under the bright light of the Room of Requirement. Hermione slowly pulled out her wand and pointed it at the diadem. "Wingardium Leviosa," she whispered. As expected, the diadem did not even budge, the horcrux protecting it from any simple spell.

"That's it, isn't it?" Regulus asked, his voice strangely hollow and strained.

The brunette grabbed a small, discarded cloth and slowly approached the diadem. Her heart thudded loudly inside her ribcage, her blood rushing to her ears. The diadem twinkled menacingly, mocking her of the future she had lost and the future she wanted to desperately save.

With the cloth's protection, Hermione lifted the diadem from the bust's head and looked at the reverse side. Ravenclaw's famous quote was inscribed there, suspiciously spared from rust. "It is," she thickly said, swallowing down her sudden trepidation. "It's the horcrux."

"You feel it too, don't you?" he breathlessly whispered, eyeing the diadem with an intense gaze. "The dark magic it emits."

Hermione slowly nodded her head and placed the diadem back onto the bust. She transfigured a red, unpaired slipper into a box that could fit the diadem inside. She then gingerly placed the diadem inside and locked it with vehemence, numerous warding charms spilling out from her lips until she was satisfied it was protected enough.

When she looked back at Regulus, he was staring at her strangely. "What?" she asked, grasping onto the box.

"Where'd you learn all those warding spells?" he curiously asked. "Most of them I haven't even heard of."

Hermione bit her tongue, unwilling to divulge that, after being on the run from Voldemort and his Death Eaters for years, learning as many warding spells as possible was important. "Never mind that," she said once more. Regulus's face crumpled in frustration, undoubtedly annoyed by all of his unanswered questions. Hermione gave him an apologetic smile and a silent promise that he'd know one day. Just not right now.

"Well then," he said, "we finally got the diadem. What's next?"

Hermione uncertainly glanced at the box. "I – well – I still need to figure it out," she said.

"Can't we destroy it?" he asked, warily glancing at the box too.

"It's not that simple," she said with a sigh. "You saw how it didn't even budge with a simple Wingardium Leviosa. Horcruxes are impenetrable to simple spells. You have to use other means."

"Such as?"

"Fiendfyre," she simply said. "And basilisk venom, to name a few." Her eyes darkened, remembering the suffocating despair she had felt upon discovering that Harry Potter was a horcrux too. "The Killing Curse, too, apparently."

"You can make a horcrux out of another living thing?" he gasped. "Much less a person?"

Hermione wryly smiled. "It came as a shocker too, trust me," she said, her heart painfully clenching at the thought of Harry Potter once more. Sixteen years had passed since she had last seen her best friend, but she still felt the grief - raw and palpable. Now that she had finally found the first horcrux, her grief over Harry Potter's death seemed much more tangible.

"Fiendfyre is a complicated spell," Regulus pointed out, lips curling in annoyance. "Only a well-trained wizard or witch can control it."

She nodded her head, thinking about Crabbe and his untimely death.

"Basilisk venom, on the other hand…" He sighed and ruffled his hair. "That's very rare, seeing as how basilisks themselves are impossible to find. I doubt I'd be able to haggle some on the black market without spending such a fortune that even my parents would become suspicious."

"Well, there's a basilisk under this school," she distractedly said, failing to see the look of horror that appeared on Regulus's face. "It'd be unwise if only the two of us went down and faced the beast. It's class XXXXX after all. We need someone trained to handle creatures with that danger level to confront the basilisk instead."

"I'm sorry," Regulus calmly drawled, "but do you mean there is a fucking basilisk in this fucking school?"

Hermione knitted her eyebrows in confusion, uncertain as to why Regulus was looking at her with such a wild look in his silver eyes. But then, she realised that said basilisk didn't even make an appearance until 1992. Of course he'd be horrified at the thought.

"It's dormant right now, if it helps," she sheepishly said, noting how a vein popped at his temple. "Just as long as nobody opens the Chamber of Secrets, then we're all good."

"I'm sorry," Regulus drawled once more, his voice strangely high pitched, "but do you mean the fucking Chamber of Secrets is fucking real?"

Hermione this time didn't stop her hand from slapping her forehead. "Damn it," she whispered under her breath. She didn't want to reveal too much, especially because she still had no clear plan on how to go about this 'destroying horcruxes' thing.

"Why the hell do you know all this?" he snapped. "Are you sure you're not a Seer?"

The brunette shook her head. "I'm really not," she answered.

"Then how—"

"Not yet, Regulus," she said with a pointed glare. "I'll tell you soon enough. I promise." When Regulus glowered, she reiterated, "I promise."

The Slytherin glared at her for a few more seconds before he shifted his eyes towards the ground and deflated. "Fine," he mumbled. He composed himself by breathing in deeply before lifting his head once more, this time marginally calmer. "What will we do with the diadem?"

"I'm going to keep it in my trunk," she explained. "I know it's not the wisest decision, but it's the safest. I can't let you keep it because your Slytherin friends might find it."

"I'm not worried about those buffoons," he insisted. "I'm worried about you."

Hermione's eyes widened in surprise, but Regulus ignored it. "You've felt the dark magic from it and I don't doubt that it'd try to tempt you to wear it," he said. "Dark artifacts like that manipulate anyone who's near. Trust me, I've been around enough of them too many times to know."

She smiled at his concern. "I know that too," she said, thoughts of Slytherin's locket weighing heavily down on her neck creeping into her mind. "Which is why I've warded it with the most complicated spells I know. Breaking said wards requires too much concentration - enough to distract you from dark magic temptation."

He still looked highly doubtful, but didn't comment on it further. Instead he said, "I think it's best if we leave now."

Hermione nodded her head to concur, tightly clutching onto the box which held the diadem.

Before they had completely walked out of the Room of Requirement, Hermione paused, a sudden idea forming in her mind.

"What's the matter?" Regulus asked, but Hermione was already stomping in a new direction.

She was once again standing in front of the Vanishing Cabinet when Regulus caught up with her. Wordlessly, Hermione pulled out her wand and tightly clutched it in her hand.

Without blinking an eye, she whispered "Incendio." Fire licked out of her wand and reached the cabinet, and she watched with satisfaction as the fire mercilessly swallowed the wood until there was a blazing inferno.

"Are you mad?" Regulus bellowed. "Why the hell did you do that?" He immediately shot protective spells around the burning cabinet to stop the fire from spreading.

Hermione hardened her gaze, her eyes not straying from the blazing Vanishing Cabinet. "To save this school," she steadfastly said, memories of a smirky blond she used to hate so much, with a gaunt face and dark bags under his eyes, flashing before her eyes. "To save a boy."

-ooo-

Hermione warily eyed the box placed on top of her bed.

It was a relief that the dark magic was unfelt underneath all the warding spells she had placed, but the mere fact that she knew a horcrux was lying beside her bed made her uneasy.

She knew that the Great Hall was already filled with hungry students merrily eating their lunch. Lily and Sev were most likely already waiting for her, but Hermione couldn't bring herself to leave. She wasn't hungry, after all. Her stomach churned uncomfortably and she had this inkling she'd empty her stomach even before she had finished her meal.

This was really it. She'd really started the horcrux hunt, with Regulus Black of all people, and Hermione started questioning her choices again. With the Ravenclaw Diadem in her possession, it was already the point of no return. Especially now that Regulus was on board, set to search for all of Voldemort's present horcruxes and destroy them once and for all - if it meant he'd be able to help in bringing the vile monster down. Especially now that Hermione had come to love everything this world had offered to her and looking away meant betraying all the people she cared about.

Her heart clenched at the thought of Harry, of how he'd be staring at her with such disappointment in his eyes. Her choices right now meant she'd go back to where Hermione Granger had always been – at the centre of the war, fighting tooth and nail to keep herself alive and the people she loved. It was a journey full of turmoil and pain and Hermione Pettigrew wasn't so sure if she wanted to put herself in that position once more.

Her grip on the box tightened as tears blurred her vision. "I'll do this for you, Harry," she whispered brokenly into the air. Everything Hermione Granger had done in the past had been for Harry Potter after all. It was all she had ever known.

Swiping her tears away, Hermione opened her trunk and accessed the secret compartment. She gently laid the imprisoned horcrux inside and threw another litany of protective, warding spells on her trunk.

As she closed her trunk, Hermione grew more resolute. Harry wanted her to be happy in this life and she knew that the only way to achieve that was to finally bring Voldemort down. She'd gladly go through all the hardships once more if it meant her friends would be safe.

If it meant Harry would be safe.

Chapter Text

xxvii.

something always brings me back to you

(Gravity by Sara Bareilles)

March 11, 1978

"Have you ever thought about dating James Potter?"

Lily's eyes widened as they landed on Hermione. "Is that a trick question?" she deliberately asked, her eyebrows knitting together at the middle. "I mean, you are dating James Potter now, so will my answer really matter?"

Hermione bristled on the grass, fully turning her body to look at Lily. "Just answer my question, Lils," she ground out with a frown.

"Merlin, what's gotten into you?" the redhead murmured, scanning the grounds, possibly in search of an escape. Hermione patiently waited as the Head Girl's cheeks reddened in embarrassment. Her fidgety actions already spoke volumes of what Lily's answer might have been in response to her question, and Hermione's heart jumped. Perhaps, there was still a chance for James and Lily to get together.

She ignored how loudly her heart was beating or how shaky she had become. She ignored the brief image of James's mesmerising, hazel eyes or how his warm hand felt whilst holding hers. Ever since she'd gotten Ravenclaw's Diadem, her desire to protect Harry at all costs, blazed like the burning fire she'd directed at the Vanishing Cabinet. Regulus hadn't contacted her since that day, as Hermione had reassured him, she'd still think of a plan on how to procure the next horcruxes. Hence, with that task pushed to the back of her mind, Hermione was confronted with another obstacle – get Lily and James together.

Never mind what she felt about that, of course.

Lily finally sighed and closed her textbook, setting it aside on the grass beside her. She didn't meet Hermione's eyes but instead stared at the Giant Squid, which was performing various strokes across the Black Lake.

"Well," she slowly started, "I did think of cracking last year. I told you he's tolerable now. In fact, lately, he's more than tolerable and you and I both know why that is." Lily's green eyes pierced her meaningfully and Hermione looked away, her cheeks flushing red.

"And, you know, it's undeniable he's handsome," Lily continued with a low voice, her face scrunched up as if pained to even say the words escaping from her lips. "Sometimes, I admit, my eyes do stray in his direction when I know he isn't looking, just to admire how square his jaw is or… or how ridiculously amazing the glasses make him look." Lily chuckled and shook her head. "I know I insulted him once about always running his hand through his hair to make him look freshly windswept after a broomstick ride, but Merlin, James Potter can really pull off the 'stylishly dishevelled look', don't you think?"

She was expectantly looking at Hermione for her answer, but the brunette only nodded once, not trusting herself to speak.

"And, like what you told me, I've actually managed to see the other sides of James Potter." Lily stretched her legs in front of her and smiled. "It disconcerted me a bit because he'd always been the pompous toerag for me. But Potter does really have a sweet, kind side to him. A diligent side even. A brilliant side – you should have seen him during Transfiguration and Charms, Hermione. He's – well – he's these different kinds of people all at once and it made me wonder why he never really showed those sides to me before."

Hermione snorted and copied Lily's position. "Perhaps because he has a bloody reputation to uphold," she joked with a small grin. "You know, 'arrogant sod with an ego the size of the sun and stylishly dishevelled hair'. His fangirls would not have been able to take it if James wasn't all that after all."

"But you see," Lily continued, "he shows all of these sides when he's with you." Hermione glanced at Lily in surprise, prompting the older witch's smile to widen. "I think it's really sweet, how he truly treats you, Hermione. Potter was never like that to me and I doubt he'd even be like that to me if we ever did get together – Merlin forbid."

Lily continued to blink unseeingly at the Black Lake, oblivious to the myriad of emotions crossing over Hermione's face. "So, in summary, yes I did think of trying to date James Potter before," she continued, followed by a disbelieving laugh. "But that curiosity fizzled, now that I have my own sourpuss whom I love more than life itself."

"Love?" the brunette breathed out in surprise.

The redhead's cheeks turned a lovely shade of red upon realising her slip-up. "It's inevitable, Hermione," she pointed out with a shy grin. "We've been friends for years, even longer than our friendship with you. I know people always thought I'd stop becoming friends with him or that Sev would choose his Housemates and their stupid beliefs over me, but I seriously cannot understand that. Maybe like how James Potter shows himself to you, I'm the only one who has seen all the sides of Severus Snape. And let me tell you, Hermione; I love them all – the good, the bad, and the sourpuss."

Hermione stared at Lily and noticed how there was a lovely smile on her face, her green eyes shining extra brighter today. The softness of her expression was enough to clench Hermione's heart tightly, forcing her to look away.

She had forgotten this was Lily Evans after all, the woman who was famously known for her undying love for her son. If it weren't for Lily's love, then Harry wouldn't have been saved at all.

When Lily Evans loved, she loved hard and fierce.

"I wasn't really meaning to say this today," Lily continued, oblivious to the inner turmoil in Hermione. "Sev insisted we should wait to tell you until after NEWTs, but with your ridiculous questions, maybe you need some reassurance that I will never, ever date James Potter."

Hermione quizzically looked back at Lily, but the redhead still held her gaze towards the horizon.

"Sev asked me to move in with him at Spinner's End after graduation," she revealed. "I've told my parents already and they instantly agreed. I did tell you they love Sev, so they knew he'd take care of me properly." Lily chuckled and stretched her arms heavenward, luxuriously bending on her side until she heard a satisfying crick. "I can't wait to tear his whole house down and make it liveable."

The brunette thickly swallowed. "You seem awfully set to spend your future with Sev," Hermione whispered.

Lily's green eyes glinted under the bright sky, eyes that belonged to her best friend – present and future. "I always knew I'd be stuck with him until the end of time," Lily confessed with a brilliant smile. "And, to tell you the truth, I can't bloody wait."

March 14, 1978

James Potter was distracting.

Very distracting to the point that Hermione couldn't properly study her Arithmancy textbook. The words and numbers all seemed garbled in her eyes, stubbornly refusing to stay put so that she could devour the new information she needed for her essay.

Hermione glowered darkly at the oblivious seventh year, whose head was buried behind a Herbology textbook. His glasses were precariously perched on the tip of his nose, and James kept on distractedly pushing them up, only for his glasses to slip down once more.

The brunette had found out recently that she liked to look at James the most when he was studying. There was something about the way his forehead creased in concentration, or how he'd mercilessly nibble his bottom lip in deep thought that captivated Hermione's attention. The green in his hazel eyes was always most prominent when he was deeply in thought like this. Sometimes, James would silently mouth words repeatedly until he was satisfied he'd put the words into his memory.

He was so handsome when he was so diligent and Hermione wished, at times like this, that her friends were at least there to keep her sanity in check. At least Peter would often crack a joke that would make her smile, Sirius would come up with another ridiculous prank, and Remus would ask her questions and challenge her brain. Even Lily and Sev could keep her from getting distracted, always forcing her to take a break or goading her to eat in the Great Hall with them.

But James… James understood her obsession with finishing her studies to match her schedule. He still looked at her disapprovingly when she'd willingly skip a few hours of lunch just to finish an essay, but he'd stubbornly refuse to leave without her by his side. James was mostly silent too, much to her appreciation, only occasionally disturbing her if he wanted to ask a question. Sometimes, he'd silently reach out for her hand and hold it tight while he continued to furiously write his essay on his parchment. Often, he'd sneak toffees on the table towards her, which Hermione would gratefully accept. She never understood why James would unabashedly stare at her while she happily chewed her candy, but there was something in his look that made her heart thud loudly inside her ribcage like he was… he was starved.

James was steadily becoming a problem – a huge, human-sized, handsome problem - and Hermione didn't know what to do. Planning for horcrux hunting was definitely hard, especially now she was confronted with the fact that the other horcruxes were mostly hidden in places impossible for her to access. But at least, planning about this specific task was straightforward, with clear cut facts she could work with. Hermione had already formulated a half-arsed plan on how to steal Helga Hufflepuff's Cup and she only needed to add a few more details before telling Regulus.

But James… letting James see that she wasn't worthy of his time, that he should spend the remaining days of his seventh year with Lily Evans instead, was mighty difficult. Never mind the fact that Lily just practically told Hermione she was very much in love with Severus Snape and couldn't wait to spend her forever with him. Because she knew, she bloody well knew she was largely at fault as to why James continued to spend his time with her.

Hermione embarrassingly craved his presence. Her day always seemed incomplete if she hadn't at least seen him briefly and seen his smile. Just the thought that his hand would be wrapped around hers or knowing he'd be sitting across from her or beside her, either quiet or boisterous or just there, already placed her mind at ease. Lily wasn't exaggerating when she said that James was sweet to her; he'd always do a lot of things that made Hermione's heart flutter, and try as she might, she could never fully pull herself away.

Maybe, she thought, she'd indulge herself for a few more weeks. She constantly convinced herself that it would be disastrous if she tried to break up with James prior to NEWTs. She still wanted him to pass with flying colours and to achieve his dreams of becoming an Auror. Hermione didn't want to be cruel, especially when the last few months were crucial for James.

Hermione blinked in surprise when James suddenly pushed a toffee her way, his eyes still trained intently on his parchment.

"Thanks," she murmured, grabbing the candy and removing the wrapper.

When she popped it inside her mouth, she expelled a soft sigh and closed her eyes. The candy melted and coated her tongue, and Hermione happily chewed on it before opening her eyes.

She was surprised that James was staring at her again, with that disarming look in his eyes, and she paused. "What?" she bluntly asked.

James seemed to catch himself staring and furiously blushed. "Nothing," he said, going back to his essay and rigorously scribbling again.

Hermione frowned at him, but decided to let it go. She went back to her Arithmancy textbook and concentrated very hard, but not even a paragraph was done when the words started to swim out of her vision once more.

The Ravenclaw sighed and glanced back at the older wizard, contentedly watching him as he browsed through his Herbology book and jotted a few notes on his parchment.

A small smirk suddenly appeared on his face and without glancing up, he said, "I didn't know I could distract the brightest witch of her age from studying."

Hermione's cheeks coloured in mortification and she hastily hid her face behind her book. "What are you talking about?" she hotly asked.

She heard James'x chuckle as he gently ripped the book from her hands. Hermione scowled and ducked her head, unwilling to stroke his ego more by showing him how flustered he made her.

"Maybe it's time to call it a day," James suggested, the handsome smirk still plastered on his face.

Hermione eyed him suspiciously, wondering why he wasn't gloating about how he'd made her distracted. His smirk morphed into an innocent smile, and Hermione finally sighed and nodded her head twice.

James waved his wand to clean up their things. He grabbed onto both of their backpacks and stretched out his hand, wriggling his fingers to silently demand for Hermione to hold it.

The brunette snorted in amusement and easily interlaced her fingers with his, secretly wondering how in Merlin's rotting teeth she would be able to stop herself from reaching out to him in the near future.

James was steadily becoming a constant presence in her life, just like Peter and Anya had become very important to her as Hermione Pettigrew. She was delusional if she thought they'd continue staying as friends if she broke everything off with him. And Hermione tried to trample that uncomfortable itch in her heart with the fact that she couldn't imagine her life without James Potter in it anymore.

She secretly glanced at James, whose face had suddenly grown serious. She wondered what he was thinking that had brought out such a humongous frown on his face.

As if sensing Hermione's gaze, James looked down at her. "Well somebody can't stop looking at me today," he teased, one corner of his mouth lifting once more into a handsome smirk.

"Shut up, Potter," she murmured under her breath, her cheeks blazing red at being caught again.

He tugged her closer to him while chuckling under his breath. "There's no need to be shy about it, Hermione," he said. "I know I'm really nice to look at."

Despite her embarrassment, Hermione sighed in exasperation. "Last time I checked it was already night time," she pointed out. "Careful there, James. We don't want everybody to be awakened by your sun-sized ego."

"You like that about me. Admit it, you maddening witch," he tutted.

Hermione was unable to suppress a smile, knowing full well that his annoying confidence had been more endearing to her lately than irksome.

"But really, Hermione, is something wrong?"

She looked at him in surprise. "What makes you ask?"

James squeezed her hand and gave her a withering glance. "I don't know. You seemed out of it most of the time," he said. "Much as I love to know that my girlfriend likes to look at my handsome face, I had this inkling that something else troubles you deeply. Enough to distract you from your studies."

She swallowed at how he'd casually addressed her as 'his girlfriend', when Hermione had been trying to avoid calling him her boyfriend, even in her mind. It meant that things were starting to get serious, and Hermione couldn't afford that.

James saw something in her expression, because he stopped walking all together, an uncertain look on his face. "What?" he asked, worried. "What is it? I said something wrong, didn't I?"

"N– no, you didn't," she stammered lamely, unable to meet his hazel eyes.

His grip on her hand tightened. "Is it— I mean— We are going out, aren't we?" he blurted out.

Hermione sighed and slowly looked back at him. James's face looked pinched, as if he was trying to school whatever emotions he had brewing inside his chest. "I…" She bit her bottom lip and took a deep breath. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess so."

"Well then," he said, his hazel eyes turning steely, "it's only natural I start calling you my girlfriend then, isn't it?"

Her heart thudded once more at the word, unsure how to reply to his question. "It's just a silly label, James, honestly," she said with a nervous laugh.

The way his emotions stuttered made her conclude that it wasn't silly for him. It had never been silly for him - ever since he'd confessed his feelings for her. He had always been earnest with his feelings, his eyes speaking volumes on how much he really, truly liked her.

Her tongue turned thick with the guilt that started to bloom inside her heart. She wanted to apologise, just to remove that terrified emotion from his face, to smooth out the worry lines on his forehead, to assure him that no, no, no this wasn't silly for her either. But no words tumbled out from her lips, the panic of betraying Harry Potter, by robbing him the chance to live, clouding her thoughts.

"Will we still continue doing this?" he finally whispered.

Hermione looked at him questioningly and James continued. "Of… of going out on dates. Or holding each other's hands while walking or eating or studying. Or exchanging letters with contents I bloody well know Peter would never approve of." James paused and thickly swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing in the process. "I'm going to graduate soon, Hermione. We're not going to see each other as frequently as I would like. So please, please tell me, will we still continue doing this, even if I graduate?"

Her panic increased tenfold, mentally chanting to herself that they shouldn't have this conversation yet. Hermione still had no plan on how to elaborately let him down easy after NEWTs, but James was already asking all the difficult questions. "We'll cross over that bridge once we get there, James," she lightly said, trying to dispel the sudden tension blanketing over them.

A myriad of emotions passed through his hazel eyes – dark brown with flecks of green until it was clear and bright and earnest. It hurt Hermione's heart to look at them, because James suddenly looked so serious and deeply upset.

"I'd like to talk about it now, Hermione," he firmly said, his stare unforgiving.

Hermione flushed under his gaze and tried to pull her hand away, but James tightly held her in place. "Please," she pleaded, "don't do this, James."

"Do what?" he asked with a small, hollow laugh. "Ask the difficult questions?"

His words struck her squarely at her heart. James took a mighty, stuttering breath and released it with a soft whoosh, until all that was left in his eyes was raw exhaustion. There was something else, something honest, but Hermione refused to peer at them closely, afraid she'd find herself forever lost in his eyes, unable to crawl far away anymore.

"I have a confession to make," he murmured. "Remember the career essay McGonagall gave us last time?"

Hermione curiously looked at him, unsure where this conversation was going. "Yes," she finally croaked. "I do. Peter hadn't finished his on time and Sirius forgot to do his."

"That's the one," he said with a wry smile. He took another deep breath and squeezed her hand. "There was one question there: where do you see yourself in fifteen years?" His eyes glazed over as he fondly remembered his answer, his wry smile turning kind. "And I really planned to write that I'd be the best Auror the DMLE has ever seen, or I'd be fighting tooth and nail to bring all those dark wizards down. But, after some deep thought, I realised that the future is uncertain. Especially because we are at war. Voldemort and his Death Eaters are growing persistent and no matter how much the ministry tries to cover up all the mess they leave, it is glaringly obvious that the pinnacle of this war is approaching." A dry laugh escaped from his mouth. "Who knows? I might not even survive this war."

Hermione's breath hitched at his cruel joke. Tears unknowingly prickled her eyes because there was a time in his joke that was true, leaving a beautiful, brilliant boy to embark on this journey called life alone.

"And so, I was truthful in my answer," James continued, voice turning soft upon noting the tears in her eyes. "I wrote in my essay that it was uncertain where I'd be fifteen years from now, because I don't want to be too optimistic when a Dark Lord is threatening to ruin this world. I was uncertain of everything. Except… except for one thing." His words died down when his eyes steadfastly held her gaze. "Except for you."

An embarrassed chuckle escaped from his lips when her eyes widened at his claim. "I wrote down on my essay that amidst the uncertainties in this world, I was only most certain about you. How I'd want to change this world to let you live in it peacefully. I know it's ridiculously romantic, perhaps terribly cliché, but it was all I could think about at the time. I did tell you you're all I could think about and…" He made a face. "Merlin, now that I've spoken it aloud, I realized that was a shitty answer."

"James—" She paused. What was she going to say to that?

He gave her hand another gentle squeeze as his gaze turned sorrowful. "So, yes, I'm in it for the long run," he confessed, his cheeks reddening in embarrassment. "And I want to know if you would still like to try things out with me, even beyond Hogwarts, because I don't want to waste your time. Hermione Pettigrew can't afford to waste time, especially when she could give so much to this world."

A tear slid down from her eyes, too overwhelmed at his truthful words. James was expectantly waiting for an answer and Hermione didn't know what to do. His face was steadily crumpling in despair, her long silence already telling. His hold on her hand was slackening, her fingers one by one unwinding from his reverent hold.

And, in that moment, Hermione realised she could never hurt James Potter.

It scared her that Harry Potter might not be born because James and Lily weren't in love. But it scared her much more that she would never see James's smile anymore, or hold his hand, or just… just bask under his warmth and obnoxiousness and kindness.

Hermione tightly closed her eyes at the same time she tightly gripped James's hand.

She knew this was a difficult decision to make, one that might have repercussions that would give her a broken heart. But she finally surrendered to the fact that James Potter had managed to squeeze himself into her heart – huge ego and hazel eyes and all – even though she had tried to distance herself.

When she opened her eyes, more tears tumbled out. James was looking at her with an intense gaze, patiently waiting for her to give him an answer. Smiling sadly through her tears, James had been like that to her ever since she'd agreed to go on more dates with him. Patient with her, waiting for her to make the first move, not letting himself cross the line because he knew he might upset her.

She slowly took a few steps towards him, shrinking the distance between them once more, until he was merely a hairsbreadth away. His breath hitched when she tenderly placed a hand against his cheek, letting her fingers fondly rub against his skin.

The past, present and future all crumbled down around her, until all that was left was him, standing stark and bright with Hermione unable to look away. The mere thought that there was somewhere, sometime when she would have gone on with her life without knowing him, really knowing him, made her heart ache. And maybe this was a bad idea, of continuing to let him be part of her life, because it would be difficult to pull away in the end.

But Hermione was tired, so tired of pulling away and denying all the feelings he evoked from her every time he gave her a smile she knew was only reserved for her. There was a different kind of war in her heart, one that forced her to continue building a mighty fortress that separated her from all the people she knew and everything in this world. She'd managed to build bridges to let Peter and Anya in. She tore down some walls so that she could truly love Lily and Sev and genuinely be happy for them. She'd already thrown a rope to pull Regulus from the deep waters he had found himself in.

And then, there was James, patiently waiting for her to let him cross the other side and for her to finally invite him over.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm sorry, James. I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm sorry." Her tears increased as her hand slipped behind his neck. "I'm so tired. I don't think I can pull away anymore. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

She didn't know if her apologies were for James – for hurting him, for being distant and cold, for her being unwilling to bring down her walls to let him in.

Or maybe it was for Harry – for letting her heart be stolen by his father, for most likely ruining his chance of being born into a world where there was happiness, true happiness, that he had never been acquainted with.

"Live a happy life, Hermione," her Harry had whispered to her and she was afraid she would only, truly achieve that if she continued staying by James's side.

James lifted his hand and cradled her jaw against his palm, peering down at Hermione with so much relief and happiness. "Will you… will you let me kiss you?" he tentatively asked. "I've really wanted to for a while now but I—" He thickly swallowed and glanced at her parted lips. "I promise I won't if you tell me not to."

Hermione didn't need to think about his question anymore. Instead, she leaned forward and pressed her lips against his.

The Gryffindor froze against her, still unsure if she was really giving him permission. Hermione's grip on his neck tightened and she pressed deeper, harder, parting her lips slightly to nip his bottom lip.

This seemed to bring him back to life as his hands curled protectively around her waist to pull her closer to him. His lips weren't tentative anymore. His lips moved against hers with such ferocity and certainty as one of his hands climbed up to cradle her head. Hermione lifted her other arm to loop around his neck, pulling him closer as she tried to stand on her toes, just so she could shrink whatever minuscule distance was left between them.

He was kissing her like he'd held back for so long and it surprised Hermione greatly, discovering that she herself had been holding back just as much.

James blindly pushed her towards an alcove, unwilling to break the kiss. Once her back collided against the wall, Hermione gasped briefly from the sudden impact, pain bolting up her spine.

"Shite, shite," James whispered, finally breaking the kiss. "Are you all right?"

Hermione softly laughed and pulled him closer. "Yes," she replied. "I'm all right."

He grinned goofily and ducked his head down, capturing her lips once more in a searing kiss. His lips were gentler this time, lazily memorising every inch of her lips with his mouth and his tongue.

Hermione melted against him and met his lips with equal fervour, also memorising every corner of him, trying to tattoo inside her mind the feel of his lips pressed warmly against hers.

Her heart stuttered at the thought of how much she'd been depriving herself of - when kissing James Potter was perhaps the greatest memory she'd ever treasure in her whole life.

"I might," he whispered, distractedly pressing a few more kisses against her lips. "I might start crossing this line a lot of times, Hermione."

The fact was, Hermione knew the line between them had long been blurred. She neither knew where it started or where it even ended.

Hermione gently pulled his face away and cradled both of his cheeks against her hands. She peered at him through the darkly-lit alcove, positively sure that his hazel eyes were warm brown. "You don't have to ask permission to do this anymore," she said. She leaned forward and pressed her forehead against his, chuckling softly when his glasses became askew by her close proximity.

"Yeah?" he asked, hope gleaming in his eyes. "No more looking as if you're torn between fainting in shock or sending a Bat-Bogey Hex my way if I did something… untoward?"

Hermione sighed and closed her eyes, briefly pressing a kiss against his lips.

"No more."

Chapter Text

xxviii.

i'll show you good, restore your faith

(Orpheus by Sara Bareilles)

June 24, 1978

"Well isn't this adorable?"

Both witches glanced at Severus, whose lips had curled up in disdain at the quaint picnic Hermione had prepared behind the Shrieking Shack.

"Wipe that ridiculous look from your face, Sev," Lily demanded with a small scowl. "It is adorable and I don't mean that sarcastically, Hermione." She crawled closer to Hermione and held her hand. "I really love what you've prepared today."

Hermione's cheeks turned red as a small chuckle escaped from her lips. "Hogsmeade is terribly packed with people," she explained. "I'd rather we enjoy our last Hogsmeade weekend together with just the three of us."

Lily's smile turned forlorn, lightly squeezing Hermione's hand. Even Sev's eyes softened as he sat on the picnic blanket beside his girlfriend.

The seventh years had finally finished their NEWTs, much to Hermione's relief. The remaining days prior to the final exams had been rigorous and stressful, to say the least. Peter had numerous breakdowns and Hermione had to calm him down most of the time, reassuring him that he'd do well in the end. Mary was a blessing as she was able to calm him down with just her mere presence. Since then, every time Peter was studying in the library for his NEWTs, Hermione made sure that Mary was there to keep his sanity in check.

Even Sirius had grown serious, keeping his quips to a minimum as he tried to cram as much information into his head as possible. Remus had been his usual diligent self, but Hermione could see how the stress of a full moon combined with NEWTs had steadily been taking its toll on the werewolf. Hermione reverently supplied him with bars of chocolate to keep him going, and Remus always looked at her appreciatively. James had his own share of breakdowns too, topped with his growing pile of Head Boy responsibilities and the frustration of studying Arithmancy. Hermione had been the dutiful girlfriend, always soothing his worries with brief kisses on the cheek and even letting him hold her hand while he furiously studied, squeezing her hand every so often to get as much comfort as he could.

Hermione was a bundle of nerves during the weeks of their NEWTs. Admittedly, she had been distracted from her own final exams, constantly praying to the cosmic stars above that her friends would be able to breeze through the most important tests of their whole life.

She was only able to breathe easy when the last day of NEWTs finally arrived. Hermione still hadn't seen the Marauders, opting to search for them after lunch with her best friends. She just hoped they were well.

Hermione sadly smiled at her best friends and reached for Sev with her other free hand. The Slytherin, who normally scorned at any affection besides Lily's, gripped her hand equally tight. "I'm going to miss you both so much," she said, tears glistening in her eyes.

Lily was comically trying to wipe away her tears but failed terribly in the end. "I'm going to miss you too," the fiery redhead said as she threw her arms around the younger witch and held on tight.

Sev sighed at their ridiculousness, but the corners of his lips twitched into a small, fond smile. "I'm going to see you often next year, I'm sure," he reassured.

Hermione peeked over Lily's shoulder and frowned. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"He's going to apply for a teaching position here at Hogwarts," Lily answered for the Slytherin, completely pulling away to grin at her boyfriend. "Tell her what good deed you've done, Sev."

"What good deed?" Hermione asked, glancing at Sev with curious eyes. Said wizard's cheeks were already blazing red with embarrassment as he glowered petulantly at Lily.

"Nothing," he said through gritted teeth. "It wasn't a big deal anyway."

"Oh, it is a big deal," Lily insisted, beaming proudly at Sev. "You know how he thought of applying for the DADA position? Well, he overheard from Slughorn that Remus was eyeing that position too, so Sev opted to try applying for the Potions position instead, knowing he's brilliant at it anyway."

Hermione smiled warmly at Sev, who directed his glaring eyes at her this time. "It wasn't a big deal," he grumbled again under his breath, petulantly grabbing onto a muffin. "I'm sure Lupin will have a hard time searching for a job outside Hogwarts because…" His words died down, tentatively glancing at Lily, who was still oblivious to Remus's lycanthropy.

"Why? He's the smartest Marauder!" Lily exclaimed. "I'm sure he'd be a brilliant Auror, too, like his friends."

Sev merely shrugged. "Perhaps he's the sanest of the lot," he coolly pointed out. "Everybody knows becoming an Auror in this climate is asking for a death sentence."

Hermione considerably paled at his words, which wasn't left unnoticed by her best friends.

"I'm sure they'll be fine," Lily assured with a small smile. "Potter's really brilliant at Transfiguration and Charms. Black and your brother are above average with Defence Against the Dark Arts. You have nothing to worry about."

"Except, of course, they're reckless Gryffindors through and through," Hermione said with a soft sigh. Lily's smile turned apologetic, prompting the brunette to chuckle. "It's fine. I'm sure they'll be great Aurors in the end."

Lily leaned against Hermione and gave her a one-armed hug for comfort. "I'll start my Unspeakable training as soon as I graduate," she said. "I can keep an eye on your boys in the ministry, if you'd like."

Hermione snorted. "They'll be unstoppable, no matter what," she said with a fond smile. "Just focus on your Unspeakable training, Lils."

The trio spoke about random things after that, with Hermione asking questions about their future. Lily was still going to move in with Sev at Spinner's End, and the lovely redhead had been gushing about all the furniture and wallpapers she'd been browsing in a catalogue. Sev would roll his eyes, pointing out how much he was dreading how she'd surely 'Lily-fy' his home, but the warmth in his eyes was obvious. Hermione genuinely felt happy, and excited, for her best friends.

"Oh, I promised to meet James and the others for a butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks!" Hermione exclaimed, as she glanced down at her wristwatch to look at the time. "I'm sorry I have to go."

"That's fine," Lily said with a small smirk growing on her face. "More time with the sourpuss."

The brunette made a face in disgust while Sev turned a brilliant shade of red. "You're both really gross. Do you know that?" she complained.

Lily expelled a loud laugh. "And you think you and Potter are any different?" she shot back. "Merlin, the googly, pining eyes must stop. It's annoying!"

"I don't make googly eyes," Hermione lamely defended, knowing full well that she, without any ounce of doubt, always made googly eyes at James when he wasn't sitting beside her. After that fateful night with that wonderful kiss, things had been lovely with James. Now that she had promised herself she would never hold back, Hermione made it a point to spend as much time as she could with him, seeing that he was leaving Hogwarts soon. Even the Marauders voiced out their annoyance with their newfound clinginess, but James would merely laugh and pull her closer to him, warmly wrapping an arm around her waist like it truly belonged there.

"She's making it again," Sev said with a disgusted sneer. "The googly eyes."

The redhead was torn between laughing and gagging in disgust. "Fine, go to your boyfriend, Merlin," she said, making shooing motions with her hands.

Hermione sheepishly smiled at her best friends, her cheeks already blazing red. "Wait, I still have something to give you both." She pulled out a small pouch from her pocket and removed two medium-sized boxes. Lily was gaping at her.

"How'd you do that?" she asked with a gasp.

Sev's eyes were narrowed suspiciously. "Did you use an Undetectable Extension Charm?" he asked, a mixture of disbelief and awe in his voice.

"Shh," Hermione furiously said. "You know that it's technically—"

"—illegal, yes we know," Sev finished, now with a sneaky smirk on his face. "I didn't know you had it in you, Pettigrew."

"Shut up," she snapped, throwing him a withering glare. "It's useful and I'm not hiding anything shady inside."

Lily looked dubious, but her green eyes were already trained on the two boxes beside Hermione. "What are those?" she curiously asked.

"My graduation gifts for you both," Hermione said with a warm smile. "Now that NEWTs are finished and your graduation is in a few days, I thought it'd be best to give you a parting gift."

Hermione grabbed onto a green gift with a silver and bow and gave it to Sev. The red gift with a gold ribbon was for Lily. "Go on. Open them," she urged.

Lily was the first to open her gift, excitedly tearing through the neatly wrapped paper Hermione had worked on last night. "Oh," Lily gasped, her eyes pooling with tears, as she gazed at the stacks of five, thick tomes about being an Unspeakable, and other important subjects she would need to pursue, like Arithmancy and Divination. The redhead had no words as she threw her arms around Hermione and softly cried against her shoulder. Hermione smiled fondly at the redhead and patted her shoulder for comfort.

Sev finally opened his gift – a handsome copper cauldron – prompting his eyes to widen. "Copper cauldrons are the most expensive of all," he pointed out, his dark eyes glittering as he reverently held the prized cauldron in his hands. "It must have cost you a fortune, Hermione."

"Yes, well, I'm a mean saver," the brunette merely said, secretly thinking of how Anya had increased her allowance for this year, knowing that it would be her last year with her friends.

"Thank you," Sev whispered, a small, kind smile appearing on his face. "I will use it well."

Hermione beamed and pulled his arm towards her, so she could hug him too. "I'm going to miss you both so much," she said with a sigh, knowing that the next school year would be different now that her friends were gone.

-ooo-

Predictably, the Three Broomsticks was packed when Hermione went inside. She scanned the whole crowd to see any tell-tale signs of the Marauders. Even before she found them, Sirius's barking laugh resounded in the whole pub, making her smile.

She spied them sitting at one booth, heads bent together as Sirius recounted a particularly gripping anecdote that made him shake with uncontrollable laughter. Remus was rolling his eyes at his best friend's antics, but the corner of his lips was twitching into a small smile. Peter was unabashedly slapping the table, raucous laughter escaping from his lips, undoubtedly amused by whatever Sirius was talking about.

James was missing, though, and after another brief scan around the pub, she saw him at the counter, placing bottles of butterbeer and chips on a tray. Hermione purposively meandered through the crowded place until she had reached the bespectacled wizard.

"Hi," she greeted, grabbing onto his elbow to get his attention.

His hazel eyes landed on her as a huge smile broke out on his face. "Hermione," he said, looking genuinely happy to see her. Her cheeks flushed when he bent down and placed a kiss on the crown of her head, unable to stop a silly smile from growing on her face.

"How were the NEWTs?" she asked, trailing behind him as he led them back to where the others were seated.

"Bloody fucking hard," he grumbled.

Peter quickly stood up from his seat when he saw his sister. "Hermione!" he whined, throwing his arms around her shoulders. "I survived!"

Hermione snorted and fondly patted his back, knowing full well how much stress the NEWTs had caused her brother. "Good for you," she said, grinning widely at Remus and Sirius. "How were the NEWTs?"

A chorus of grumbled responses ran through the small group, prompting her to laugh. "At least it's done," she said, smiling briefly at James when he pulled out a chair for her to sit on.

"I'm so done with this stupid year," Sirius exclaimed, expelling a melodramatic sigh and leaning tiredly against Remus's shoulder. "I just want to sleep."

Remus roughly pushed him away and grimaced. "I think after hanging out here, I'm going to crash on my bed and call it a day," he said with a sombre nod.

Hermione smiled kindly at the exhausted Marauders and quickly placed the bottles of butterbeer in each of their hands. "Come on, then," she urged. "Drink up and eat. We'll leave once you've finished those so you can rest."

"Always so bossy," James said with a fond smile. "Who's going to mother us now that we're graduating soon, Whiskers?"

"We're going to miss you so much," Sirius said with a deep frown, reaching forward to hold Hermione's hand with both of his big hands. "We'll try to visit as much as we can, kitten. Promise."

The younger witch laughed and pulled her hand away. "It's just going to be a year," she reminded them. "It's not as if we'll never see each other anymore."

"But it's not the same," Remus pointed out with a sad smile. "No one's going to stop you from studying like crazy, Hermione."

"No one's going to force you to eat or take a nap," James added, grimacing as he took a huge gulp from his butterbeer. "You'll start hanging out with your Ravenclaw friends and they won't even be able to stop you from exhausting yourself too much."

Peter softly chuckled under his breath and tenderly squeezed Hermione's elbow. "No one has ever been able to stop Hermione Pettigrew, not when her mind is set on something," he corrected.

"Don't worry about me," she said. "Worry about your future careers. I heard Auror recruitment starts a week after your graduation."

Sirius expelled a mighty groan. "Don't remind us," he grumbled. "We still haven't had enough rest from seven years of school and now we're expected to start pursuing a career?" He sneered and glumly crammed a chip inside his mouth. "Maybe I shouldn't apply. Despite being disinherited, I'm still filthy rich - enough to last me a lifetime, all thanks to my Uncle Alphard."

"Shh, don't let Wormtail hear you say that," James mock whispered while obviously peering at Hermione's brother. "You know he'd be hurt if his 'Pureblood friends' finally decided that being an Auror was a waste of time."

Peter glowered at the two and gave them a rude gesture. "What happened to brothers through and through?" he snapped.

James laughed and leaned forward to pat his hand. "Don't worry, Petey," he said with a wicked smirk. "We won't leave you behind." He pulled back, his smirk now morphing into a smile. "Besides, it'd be boring not to do anything for the rest of my life, never mind how filthy rich we are."

"Purebloods," Hermione and Peter murmured under their breaths at the same time, prompting James to laugh.

Their merry conversation was momentarily halted when the doors of the Three Broomsticks opened. In came Regulus Black and his other Slytherin friends, Crouch and Rosier. Hermione's eyes met Regulus's, who gave the tiniest of nods before looking away.

"Berk."

Hermione's eyes landed on Sirius, who was glowering darkly at his younger brother's back. The brunette bit her tongue, knowing that if she revealed that Regulus had been working with her to bring down Voldemort, all hell would break loose. Besides, they didn't even know what she'd been doing behind their backs. Still, it was uncomfortable how Sirius gazed at his brother like he'd betrayed everything he believed in, when in fact he and Regulus were on the same side.

"I heard something disturbing a few days ago," James suddenly murmured, leaning forward and looking very grim. "Voldemort's already been able to recruit students and had been chummying up with various heirs of Pureblood families."

Out of the corner of her eyes, Hermione saw how Sirius stiffened at James's words.

The Potter heir's jaw tensed and Hermione secretly reached for his hand underneath the table, if only to provide some comfort from whatever bothered him. His face softened at her touch, but there were still creases on his forehead. "I'm not sure if I should say this but…" His words trailed off as he scooted much closer, disallowing others from overhearing what he was about to say. "A few days before NEWTs, I received a suspicious letter. It wasn't signed or anything. It just said that if I wanted a glorious, new world, I should go to the Hog's Head." His lips twisted in disgust. "Any sane person would know it's Voldemort's concealed invitation to become part of his stupid army."

Hermione paled at his story, her hand tightly gripping his at the thought that Voldemort had invited him to join the Death Eaters. Only, of course, brave and just James Potter would never even imagine joining the Dark Lord's cause.

"I received one too," Sirius revealed. Hermione's eyes widened as she glanced at him, a grim frown on his face. "I burnt it into smithereens even before I'd finished reading it."

Peter expelled a soft sigh and pierced James with his blue eyes. "You were right," he said. "He came after me too."

"You too?" Hermione gasped, her other free hand grasping onto Peter's arm, as if her hold could keep him in place and stop him from running towards the dark side.

"We have Selwyn blood, Hermione," her brother sombrely pointed out. "It's still Sacred Twenty-Eight." Unadulterated fear flashed in his blue eyes, darkening whatever brightness they'd always had when looking at her. "He might come for you, too."

Her breath hitched at his words, her head swimming with raw fear and panic. She had tried her best to lie low all of these years so that she would never move into Voldemort's radar. She knew that was impossible now, especially because she was actively participating in his demise. Still, the thought that the Dark Lord may most likely know about her already, the brightest witch of her age, made her terrified. A flash of the ominous dark mark, green and menacing, enveloping the hotel where she and Harry had last been together, resurfaced in her memory.

Two hands squeezed her hands tight, as if trying to anchor her back to reality. The worried faces of the Marauders swam into her vision and Hermione silently shook her head, ridding herself of the dark memories she didn't wish to think about right now.

"We're not going to let that happen," James vehemently promised.

Hermione took a deep, shuddering breath, willing her heart to slow down. "I know," she whispered, her tongue thick inside her mouth. But she managed to give them a small, reassuring smile, which marginally relieved the tension in their small group.

"Besides," the bespectacled wizard continued, "Dad told me he's been talking with Dumbledore for the past few days now." A small, proud smile bloomed on his face. "He revealed that he was planning to recruit us, the four of us, once we have graduated, to join the Order of the Phoenix."

She perked up at the mention of the resistance, her heart beating wildly once more, this time for an entirely different reason.

"It's an order Dumbledore made, whose primary goal is to bring Voldemort down," Peter explained, mistaking her expression as one of confusion. "It's… I'm sure you'll know about it soon. I have no doubt that Dumbledore might try to recruit you too after you graduate. He might deem you too young right now."

Hermione expelled a hollow laugh, remembering eleven-year-old Harry Potter confronting Voldemort's soul and coming out alive. "There's no young or old in war," she bitterly said. "There's only survive or be killed."

Peter looked stricken by her words. "Blimey, Hermione, that's just… disturbing," Sirius quipped, looking deeply bothered by her words.

"You're not supposed to say things like that," Remus worriedly said. "It's… we're going to win this war, right? It's Dumbledore. He's strong. If anybody can take Voldemort down, it's him."

The brunette bit her tongue, not wanting to spout words that would disturb their innocent optimism.

"All right," James said, nervously chuckling and running a hand through his hair. "Maybe talking about the war isn't a good topic on our last Hogsmeade weekend, lads."

Sirius snorted while Remus sadly smiled. Hermione peered at her brother and saw the fear and determination was still in his eyes, but Peter started to smile too.

"I got you all something," she then declared. "Graduation gifts. Just to – just so we can stop thinking about the war for now." She shakily grinned and started fishing for four coins in her pocket. The cheap knuts she showed were eyed weirdly by the Marauders, but she merely smiled and passed them around.

"Um… thank you?" Peter tentatively said, peering at the knut, just to see if there was anything special about it.

"It has a Protean Charm, you dolts," Hermione laughed, noting how the collective clarity appeared on their faces. "Since you'll mostly be sent on missions as Aurors – and, apparently as Order members too – I thought it'd be easier for you to communicate through it."

"This is NEWT level Charms work," Remus claimed, very impressed with Hermione's handiwork. He flipped the coin to the other side and grinned. "This is actually very handy. Thanks, Hermione."

She smiled in return. "Don't put it in your pockets," she said, this time directing her words at the two Purebloods in their group. "You might end up spending it. It's complicated magic and I've spent a few days perfecting them."

James grinned and placed the coin against his heart. "We'll protect it at all costs, Whiskers," he said. "Marauder's honour."

Hermione rolled her eyes and proceeded to pull out her pouch with the Undetectable Extension Charm on it and fished out three, various sized-gifts, all wrapped in Gryffindor red with a golden bow and a letter.

When she passed the first gift to Sirius, she snorted at how they were still gaping at her. "Yes, I've placed an Undetectable Expansion Charm on my bag," she said. "Yes, I know it's bloody illegal. And no, I'm not hiding anything shady."

James beamed and threw an arm around her shoulders. "I knew you were the truest marauder of us all," he said, awe in his voice, as he smacked a huge kiss on her cheek. She laughed and blushed, pulling away from him, while Peter made gagging noises beside him.

"Please, not in front of me," he whined.

"Holy Mother of—" They all glanced at Sirius as he had finally unwrapped his gift. He pulled out a black, Muggle leather jacket. Hermione grinned when Sirius gaped at his gift and quickly donned it over his thin, grey robes. "How do I look?"

"Like an idiot," Remus quipped.

Sirius rolled his eyes and winked at Hermione instead. "How do I look, kitten?" he asked, a cheshire grin growing on his face.

Hermione's eyes sparkled, admittedly finding him ridiculously attractive in the black, leather jacket. She remembered older Sirius Black's stories, of his undying love for anything black and leathery, because it made him look like the rebellious disinherited heir he'd wanted to project. "Really good, actually," she said, her smile widening when James lightly scowled and tugged her arm, as if demanding her attention was returned to him.

"I've been dying to get my hands on something like this," he said, plopping down on his chair. Sirius didn't look like he'd shrug the leather jacket off any time soon. "How'd you know?"

The brunette snorted. "You own a monstrous motorcycle and you always wear those ridiculous, leather boots of yours," she simply said. "Why not complete the look with a leather jacket?"

"I really, really like you, Hermione Pettigrew," Sirius declared with a barking laugh. "Tell me as soon as possible if Prongs breaks your heart. I'll take good care of you."

"OI!" both Peter and James boomed, the former turning sickly white whilst the latter comically covered both of Hermione's ears. The Ravenclaw flushed red and batted James's hands away, unable to hold in a bubbling laugh.

"Aren't you dating Marlene?" Remus asked with a frown.

Sirius casually shrugged and leant back in his chair. "It isn't anything serious," he flippantly said. He then jutted his chin out at the remaining gifts on the table. "Go on, lads. Open Hermione's gifts."

Peter opened his gift next and smiled upon seeing a sneakoscope. Hermione fondly smiled at the contraption, remembering how she'd given the exact same thing to Harry on his seventeenth birthday. "Use it well," Hermione said, remembering how said contraption had alerted the Golden Trio once to nearby Snatchers. "I'm sure once you become an Auror, you'll need it to alert you as to whether someone is trustworthy or not."

"I'm not even an Auror yet, blimey," he said, cheeks reddening as a sheepish smile appeared on his face. "Thanks, Hermione."

"Mum and I also bought you another gift," she excitedly said. "It'll be a hassle if we give it you here, so Mum decided you'd get to see it once we got home."

"What is it?" he asked, narrowing his eyes in curiosity.

Her smile merely grew wider as she tried to project meaning in her eyes.

His blue eyes grew wide as his jaw dropped. "You didn't—"

"We did," she pointed out with a laugh.

Peter yelped and drew Hermione into a bone-crushing hug. "Blimey, that must have cost a fortune!" he exclaimed, his smile reaching his clear, blue eyes.

"What? What is it? What did you get Wormtail?" Sirius excitedly asked.

"A car," Hermione answered. Peter whooped and hugged her tight once more. "He'd been lamenting how he's wanted one since last year, I think. Mum thought it was a terrible waste, since we have other convenient means of travelling, but Peter was insistent." She sheepishly smiled at her brother and continued, "It's not brand new, though. Mum had to 'borrow' a few galleons from her secret Selwyn vault, so a second hand car was the only thing we could afford."

"It doesn't matter," Peter said. "I have my own car!"

"Do you even know how to drive?" Remus asked, quirking an eyebrow in amusement.

"Peter's really good with anything to do with automobiles," Hermione proudly said with a grin. "I think it stemmed from his earlier obsession with skateboards."

Peter suddenly groaned and hid his face behind his hands. "Now, I really do have to become an Auror," he cried. "Mum's gonna kill me if I botch that up."

"No, she won't," Hermione said, squeezing his arm in comfort. "You know that she'd be infinitely proud of you whatever career you choose in the end."

Her older brother sighed and grinned, drawing Hermione into another hug.

"My turn!" James happily quipped, spying his name on the remaining box. He excitedly tore the wrapper away, his eyebrows flying up to his hairline, when he saw an eyeglasses case. Hermione peered at him in silent anticipation as he opened the case. Nestled inside was a pair of black, thick-rimmed glasses, the style of which was currently very trendy in the Muggle world.

"They aren't ordinary glasses," Hermione explained as James lifted them from the case. "It lets you see through any precipitation or smoke and they will even protect you from the wind when you're flying on your broom." The brunette shyly smiled when James removed his current glasses and perched his new ones on his nose. "Also, I noticed your old glasses annoyed you - since they kept on slipping down your nose. I figured you hadn't changed glasses for years and merely used Reparos when the need arose."

James glanced at her and casually grinned. "How do I look?" he asked, his hazel eyes solely on her.

"Um…" Hermione thickly swallowed, noting how his new glasses made him more unfairly attractive. Thick-rimmed glasses suited his dishevelled hair and gleaming hazel eyes and Merlin, Hermione embarrassingly thought that if she and James had been alone right now, she would have snogged him senselessly. "Really good."

"Only good?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow as he ducked his head and neared his face towards the flustered brunette. Her nose was instantly filled by his masculine scent, prompting her throat to go dry. "Try again, Hermione."

She suddenly flinched when Peter's new sneakoscope spun madly. Her eyes widened, wondering if there was anyone untrustworthy nearby. She was then pulled back by her brother, who was now scowling lightly at his best friend. "My new sneakoscope tells me you are bloody untrustworthy right now, Prongs. Back off," he admonished.

Hermione's cheeks flushed redder when there was a dangerous glint in James's eyes, his gaze briefly landing on her parted lips.

"Right, sorry," James laughed, ruffling his hair and looking away, his cheeks also dusted with red.

Ever since she'd told him he didn't need to ask for her permission when he wanted to do something untoward, James had become bolder. Sometimes, his hands would hover over body parts society would deem inappropriate to touch in public, or his lips would travel lower than her neck to nip at her collarbone. Snogging James Potter was steadily becoming Hermione's most favourite pastime, but things were starting to get a tad dangerous, and Hermione didn't trust herself enough not to give in to too much temptation.

A handsome smirk grew on James's face as he unabashedly quirked an eyebrow in Hermione's direction. She lightly glared at him, her cheeks still bloody red, knowing full well she'd stroked his ego once more for openly staring at him, admiring how ridiculously handsome he was in his new glasses.

"And my gift?" A hopeful voice spoke up.

She forced herself to look away from the mesmerising boy and kindly smiled at Remus. "Here," she said, offering the only letter on the table.

Remus tentatively grasped the parchment and slowly opened it, his golden eyes already running through the words written by Damocles Belby.

"I really wanted to give you something helpful, Remus," she explained, clasping her hands tightly as she watched his face. "This is the only thing I could think of and Merlin, I'm so glad he agreed."

The expression on Remus's face flittered quickly. First, he was in shock, then he was in disbelief, and then a huge smile stretched widely on his scarred face, his golden eyes glistening from suppressed tears.

"I recently heard that Damocles Belby was trying to formulate a cure for lycanthropy," she continued. This piqued the other three's interests, who had all been eyeing Remus curiously when he'd silently read the letter. "So, I reached out to him and tried to help. He at first thought it was hopeless and – well – maybe I gave him quite a few inputs of my own." Hermione chuckled, fondly remembering her persistent research that would help create the Wolfsbane potion. "He experimented for months after that and he recently told me that he thinks he's created a useful potion. Granted, it cannot cure the ailment, but it can help make the transformation less painful and tiring. I think the most important thing, too, is that you would be able to keep your sanity, preventing you from wreaking havoc during the full moon."

Remus's eyes lifted from the letter as a small tear trailed down from his eyes.

"He's looking for volunteers to test his potion," she continued, "and I might have told him I know someone who'd be willing." She looked uncertain for a moment. "You are willing, right?"

"Of course," he said in a heartbeat. "Of course, Hermione. Of course."

Her grin stretched wide on her face once more. "The ingredients to make it will be really expensive and brewing the potion can take a lot of skill and time," she continued. "And I know you don't have the money nor the Potions skill, so I asked Mister Belby that if his potion proved to be successful, you'd get a lifetime supply until he died. It's – well – I hope it isn't too much. It wasn't really that hard talking to Damocles Belby. He's terribly accommodating, actually, and he appreciated my insights. I think he really, truly wanted to create a potion for people like you, Remus."

The werewolf suddenly stood up from his seat, the chair toppling behind him. Remus didn't seem to mind as he quickly jogged towards Hermione and pulled her up, wrapping his arms around her in a breath-taking hug.

"Thank you, Hermione," he said, voice thick with emotion, even though more tears didn't fall from his eyes. "This is— I can't— thank you."

Tears formed in Hermione's eyes as she tenderly returned the hug. "Your ailment… it's just that, Remus," she said. "It doesn't make you a monster, you know. I hope you'll soon accept that."

He squeezed her tight, prompting her to expel a surprised squeak.

"Oi!" James then exclaimed. "Stop harassing my girlfriend, you berk."

Remus laughed and slowly released Hermione, the tears he'd been suppressing now tumbling down from his eyes. Hermione beamed at the others, noting how their eyes were extra glassier now, undoubtedly happy for their best friend too.

-ooo-

"I still have a gift for you, actually."

James stopped walking and turned to Hermione, question in his eyes. "Yeah?" he asked, squeezing her hand slightly as a small smile appeared on his face. "Why didn't you give it to me back at the Three Broomsticks?"

Hermione flushed. "It's— never mind that," she snapped, already pulling out the amulet she'd spent the last few months perfecting. As opposed to the red one she'd given to Peter years ago, the gemstone hanging on the brown thread was a handsome shade of light brown with flecks of mossy green that glinted brightly when hit by moonlight.

Like James's eyes.

"It's an amulet," she explained, unsure why she couldn't meet his eyes. "It's supposed to protect you from dark magic. You know, make invisible shields that can dampen the damage or… or alert you if a dark spell comes your way. It's going to be useful once you become an Auror and an Order member."

When silence met her words, she hesitantly glanced back at James. He was gazing at her intensely, prompting her to thickly swallow. "I– I mean, it isn't really that special," she hotly continued. "I've given Peter one before for his protection, too, so you're not the only one who has an amulet made by me."

James laughed and easily slid an arm around her waist, pulling her flush against his chest. "You don't have to deny that I'm special to you, Hermione," he cheekily said, sneakily placing a light kiss on her lips that almost made her heart burst out from her chest.

"Now, don't get too cocky," she breathlessly whispered, meaning for her words to be indignant, but her brain was already fuzzy at his close proximity. "You might flunk your Concealment and Disguise test, for failing to hide that humongous ego of yours."

James laughed again and leant down, capturing Hermione's lips once more. Whatever thoughts she had in mind, all flew out of the window, as she eagerly tiptoed to press herself closer to him. James grinned against her lips and pulled away. Hermione embarrassingly released a soft whine in protest, prompting his grin to widen.

"So, I stumbled upon this nifty alcove yesterday," he casually said, already tugging Hermione to Merlin-knows-where. "It's quite hidden, not even Filch could find it."

Her lower abdomen twitched sinfully at how he threw her a suggestive smirk. "Um… curfew's in a few," she distractedly said.

"I'm Head Boy," he stated matter-of-factly. "I can always tell Filch I've been teaching you a lesson if we get caught."

Her eyes widened, scandalised at his innuendo.

"I'm kidding, Hermione, Merlin," James exclaimed with a small, nervous laugh. "We're going to take things slow, remember?"

She swatted his arm. "Berk," she said, trying to bite her lips to stop from grinning silly when James laughed again and proceeded to pull her inside the hidden alcove he'd discovered.

June 30, 1978

Hermione beamed brightly and clapped enthusiastically as Lily finished her graduation speech and smiled warmly at the crowd. Her eyes lingered on Sev, who was proudly smiling at his girlfriend.

Headmaster Dumbledore then stood up and approached the graduating class of 1978, pride clear in his twinkling blue eyes. "Before I send you off into the real world," he started, a kind, small smile appearing on his wrinkled face, "I would like to remind you that at times like this, we have to start choosing a side." His smile faltered, his eyes dimmed a bit, and Hermione paled, recognising that look after seeing it a lot in the past. "I may not be able to dictate what choices you make in the future, but know this, my dear students, that I hope you make all the right choices. You may stumble down and swerve from the correct path, but never lose sight of what you truly believe in. I will not sugar-coat my words and promise that the real world will be a bright, exciting adventure, because it is not." He paused and pinned the whole crowd with a stare. When his eyes briefly landed on Hermione's, she took a sharp intake of breath, overwhelmed by sudden emotions – of fear and uncertainty – and she was only able to breathe easy when he looked away.

"Know who your friends are because they will help you walk through life," he added, his voice now softer. "Remember the only thing that can conquer evil is love." He briefly smiled, noting how some of the students, and even the guests rolled their eyes at his clichéd speech. "It is true, nonetheless. Thus, love hard. Love fierce. Love unwaveringly. That is the only time when light can truly shine upon us."

He then brandished his wand with a flourish and made a series of complicated spells. Hermione felt a shiver as collectively, all the House colours of the graduating students were stripped from their robes. Now, they all bore identical black robes, reminiscent of how they had all looked as frightened first years - hope and nervous anticipation in their eyes.

"Congratulations to the Class of 1978," the Headmaster finished with a boom. "Allons-y!"

Hermione snorted at his ridiculous quip, which was so Dumbledore, and laughed when the seventh years echoed it with enthusiasm.

After the graduation ceremony, Hermione was pulled into various directions. Posing with Anya and Peter to add to their growing collection of pictures, laughing and crying with Lily and Sev as they tried to knock the breath out of Hermione by hugging her really tightly, and trying to dodge the playful pats and pinches by the Marauders.

"ATTENTION, EVERYBODY!"

The crowd grew silent as they stared at the front of the Great Hall. Hermione's eyes widened at seeing James standing on top of Dumbledore's podium, as if he had no care in the world. The professors were looking at James in horror, but the other Marauders erected a protective shield around James.

Hermione exchanged glances at Lily. "Aren't you going to do something as Head Girl?" she asked, unable to suppress a smile from growing.

Lily gave her a smirk. "I'm not Head Girl anymore," she simply said.

Hermione snorted and looked back at her boyfriend.

"It has been a great pleasure entertaining you all for the past seven years," he continued with his Sonorus-ed voice. "But alas, all good things must come to an end. I would like to thank all of you who have supported us through and through, and although there have been some huge roadblocks to our path as the greatest pranksters Hogwarts has ever had the privilege of seeing – huge shout out to you Filch and your ugly cat! – I think we've served this school well."

His eyes briefly landed on Hermione and he smirked, prompting her to roll her eyes. "And thus, dear professors, teachers, and guests, Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs are officially signing out."

The four Gryffindors deeply bowed and the whole crowd erupted into raucous applause. Even Lily was screaming at the top of her lungs, excitedly clapping for these rowdy boys that used to make her life a living hell. Hermione laughed and heartily clapped for her boys.

"FOR HOGWARTS!" James screamed, pointing his wand upwards.

"FOR HOGWARTS!" Peter, Sirius and Remus repeated, also with pointed wands.

The protective shield surrounding James shattered with a loud boom, as identical lights shot out from their wands. The lights flew out of the Great Hall and everybody excitedly ran outside, wanting to see the last spectacular performance the Marauders would create.

Hermione grinned widely as the lights shot upwards like fireworks into the sky and burst into multi-coloured sparkles, forming distinctive shapes of a stag, a dog, a wolf, and a rat. The four animals pranced playfully in the air before coalescing into one image – that of the Hogwarts crest. The whole crowd cheered once more as more fireworks were released into the air, much to Filch's disgruntlement and Dumbledore's delight.

"So," James said, sliding beside her and wrapping an arm around her shoulders, "was it spectacular enough?"

Hermione smiled widely at the wizard beside her. "You're definitely leaving with a boom," she pointed out with a laugh. She looked back at the sky, delighted as more fireworks sparkled in the sky, colourful showers raining down, before disappearing into smoke and being swept idly away by the wind.

"Whose idea was this?" she asked.

He squeezed her shoulder affectionately, forcing her to look back at him. "All four of us, of course," he stated matter-of-factly.

Hermione's eyes landed on the other three - Sirius and Peter were jumping up and down like giddy, little boys while Remus boisterously laughed, tears of happiness already trailing down from his golden eyes.

"Hogwarts will not be the same without you four," she whispered amidst the cheering crowd, as sadness crept into her heart.

James placed a sweet kiss on the side of her temple. "All good things must come to an end," he echoed with a sad smile. "Besides, the four of us will have plenty of fun in the outside world. I can't wait for you to join us out there, Whiskers."

She looked up at the sky once more and smiled. For now, there was no war outside, no horcruxes to hunt, and no Dark Lords to kill. There was only Hogwarts, and this warm boy, and hope – for a brighter future, for a better future.

"I can't wait either."

Chapter Text

xxix.

where there is light, a shadow appears

(Sorrow by Sleeping at Last)

July 15, 1978

Hermione stared at the blank parchment on top of her table and tried to formulate the proper words to tell Regulus that she finally had a plan for their horcrux hunt. She hummed under her breath and thoughtfully brushed the soft ends of her turkey quill against her chin, before dipping the nib inside the inkwell.

Regulus,

I think the next best thing to do for our mission is to procure the Cup.

The brunette paused, wondering if it would be wise to add more details in this letter. Regulus was living at Grimmauld Place, after all, and no doubt it would be swarming with fellow Death Eaters who were too blinded by Voldemort's promises of power and prestige. She'd rather he didn't get into trouble just by corresponding with her.

She finally decided the brief letter was enough and signed it with her initials.

"Bring this to Regulus Black of 12 Grimmauld Place, Toffee," she softly requested, running a finger over the owl's head. She hooted happily and flew out of the window.

Now, all Hermione had to do was to wait for his reply.

-ooo-

Toffee came back a few hours after that, this time with a new parchment tied around her claw.

Hermione was in the middle of reading Anne of Green Gables, whichMary had given to her last Christmas, when her owl arrived.

She set the book aside and excitedly unrolled the parchment.

Bloody hell, you have to elaborate more. This isn't some mere note passing in school.

R.A.B.

Hermione snorted at his snarky reply, imagining his smirky face whilst penning this letter. She noted that he didn't write her name, which was good. If ever the letter was intercepted, then no one would speculate that he and a Half-Blood Ravenclaw were brewing a plan to overthrow the Dark Lord.

She quickly grabbed another spare parchment from her table and wrote down her reply.

The Cup is most likely inside the Lestrange's Vault. I was hoping with your connection to the Lestranges, procuring it would be an easy task.

H.P.

"I'm sorry, Toffee," she said, sheepishly smiling at the family owl as she tied the letter around her foot. Their small, tawny owl hooted in understanding and affectionately nipped Hermione's finger, before flying out of the window once more.

-ooo-

'Easy task'? Biggest understatement of the century. The Lestranges are famously known for their paranoia. Their Gringotts vault is heavily warded. I'm not sure if the rumours are true, but they said there's an actual dragon guarding their treasures. With the addition of my crazy cousin to their family, the paranoia had increased ten-fold.

So no, HP, procuring it is  not  an easy task at all.

R.A.B.

Hermione sighed in disappointment, but she'd expected this anyway. Even though she had Regulus as an ally, she knew getting the Cup would be really difficult. But amongst the other four remaining horcruxes, this one seemed the most feasible to get as of the moment. Riddle's diary was still most likely housed in Malfoy Manor. Hermione's head was still filled with Bellatrix Lestrange's torture in the drawing room of said house, and no matter how many times she tried to come up with a concrete plan to get the diary, Hermione always ended up balking and shaking with fear. Slytherin's locket may still be in Voldemort's possession and not hidden in the Cave Harry had described to her. The Gaunt ring, although perhaps easy to procure too, may be the most dangerous of them all. She remembered the unforgiving curse the ring had bestowed upon one of the greatest wizards the world had ever known. Hermione really wanted to get the ring, but only when she had already figured out how to destroy the horcruxes.

Thus, Hufflepuff's Cup was left.

Hermione grimaced as she pulled another parchment and wrote down her reply.

I thought as much.

Quick question: is the Black family vault as heavily guarded as the Lestrange family vault?

H.P.

-ooo-

Instead of toffee sitting on her windowsill that night, a proud, sooty owl hooted at her in greeting.

"Oh, hello, Mercury," she said, smiling warmly at the dark, beady eyes of Regulus's owl.

Mercury hooted once more and stuck out his foot, waiting for Hermione to untie the parchment around his leg.

Your blasted owl refuses to send any more letters. I'm forced to use my owl instead.

As for your question, yes, of course. Why do you ask? Is my family vault also housing a you-know-what? Please don't tell me our vault is also housing a you-know-what.

R.A.B.

Hermione grinned, imagining the panic the Black heir may have been feeling whilst writing this letter. Now that she properly knew who he truly was and whose side he was really on, Hermione couldn't help but think that Regulus Black was easily flustered and quite emotive. Very much like his older brother - only Sirius had no qualms about hiding what he truly felt to the whole world.

Her smile turned forlorn as she brushed her thumb across his initials. Being a Black heir must be really sad. No wonder Sirius always proclaimed running away from his family was the best decision he'd ever made in his whole life.

Hermione sat down at her desk once more to pen her reply.

No, your family vault is not housing a you-know-what. We just need it for my plan to work.

If I were you, I'd go to the Black family vault as soon as possible and tell the goblins you have to withdraw a hefty amount of galleons. Maybe a prized treasure too. Tell them your mother's birthday is coming up and you want to give her something grand.

After doing so, tell me in detail what happened as you ride that blasted cart to reach your vault.

H.P.

P.S. Do you have any means of getting a strand of Bellatrix Lestrange's hair?

She smiled kindly at Mercury and tied the parchment to his feet. "Don't accept any letters from your master tonight," she cooed, brushing a finger on top of his feathery head. The owl hooted appreciatively before spreading out his wings and flying out of her window, blending perfectly with the night sky.

June 18, 1978