TWENTY
JULY 12th 1995
Harry still hadn’t told Ron and Hermione what Sirius, Remus, and Hestia had told him. He wanted to keep letting this summer be the best summer of his life. And so far, even only a few weeks in, it was. Sirius and Remus had joined him and the Weasleys flying in the back garden. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had spent several evenings at the Leaky Cauldron doing homework and drinking a little too much butterbeer. Hermione and Hestia had even taken to showing everyone Muggle London.
The kids even got to choose what their days looked like, deciding where to go, where to shop, where to eat - usually with a disguised adult in tow. Unfortunately, the date of Sirius’ trial was drawing nearer. In Harry’s mind, August 12th couldn’t come faster, but also he wished it would never come at all. Sirius had been sitting in a place of half freedom. No one could come after him in the Wizarding World, but he still didn’t want to be seen all that often since he hadn’t been cleared yet. Harry couldn’t wait for him to be free to sit in parks as Sirius and not Padfoot, but the prospect of him possibly going to Azkaban loomed over everyone’s heads, no matter how they tried to pretend.
Harry was pretending in full swing when he entered the library searching for Sirius.
“This isn’t fucking funny, Black!” Hestia roared as Harry walked into the room. Harry had never seen the older witch angry before. She was terrifying. Her long straight black hair ruffled with the magical breeze her anger was creating. Hestia grabbed a book and chucked it at Sirius’ face which he dodged deftly.
“Are you saying it’s… serious?” He grinned at her and she screamed.
“You-you-” Hestia yelled as she tore her hand through her hair. “You are-” She was glaring at Sirius so intensely, Harry wasn’t sure how he kept the easy grin on his face. “You are fucking excruciating!” Hestia’s voice broke on the last word and so did Sirius’ nonchalant demeanour. His grin fell.
“Oh, come on now,” He said, reaching out to touch her. She jerked away and wiped her face furiously.
“Your trial is in a month, Sirius!” She cried, “And I just need to make sure you stay free. That you’re free for Harry and Remus and-and me,” This time she let Sirius wrap his arms around her while she buried her face in his chest. Sirius gently stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head.
“She’s right you know,” Harry said, causing them both to jump apart. “Hestia is the smartest person I know. Smarter than Hermione even. If she takes it this seriously you should too.” Sirius opened his mouth to make a joke and stopped, looking between Harry and Hestia.
“Right,” He sighed, rolling his eyes, “Okay, yes. I’ll look over my testimony with you again.” He reached out and squeezed Hestia’s hand.
“I just want it to be perfect,” she mumbled.
Sirius chuckled lightly, “I know, love.” He looked over at Harry and winked.
No matter the claims the two of them made, Harry definitely thought they liked each other. Though seeing how worried Hestia had been made him wonder if he should be worried too.
Harry expressed his concerns to Hermione and Ron as they sat on Harry’s large bed eating sweets and practising wand motions.
“Oh, I don’t think they’re really that worried,” Hermione said as she corrected Ron’s wrist position, “I’m sure they’re just all feeling the tension today.”
“What tension?” Harry and Ron asked together. Hermione sighed at them, rolling her eyes.
“Do you two ever pay attention?” She stared at them, exasperated. Harry shook his head, knowing he had to just wait until she told them whatever she was talking about.
“It’s the full moon tonight!” She explained, shaking her head.
Ron and Harry both ‘Oh’d and she rolled her eyes once more.
“So you think they’re just worried about Remus?” Harry asked, scrunching up his face as he wielded his wand.
Hermione nodded, “Well, it’s the first full moon with all of us here. They’re warding the cellar pretty heavily to protect us. Professor Lupin is on edge because he’s worried he’ll hurt us. Sirius is worried about him because they’ve done everything they can. Professor Lupin’s so on edge no matter what they do which is making them feel hopeless. Hestia is worried about them both getting hurt because Sirius is going to be Padfoot and stay down there with him and Hestia can’t do anything to help them really and that’s driving her absolutely mad,” Ron and Harry looked at her, mouths slightly open.
“Really, Hermione, how’d you find out all this?” Ron asked her.
“Well, it’s not hard if you actually listen!”
Harry smiled at her, kindly, “I just think we’re not as observant as you, Hermione.” Hermione ignored the compliment and tossed her hair back.
“Well, you could both just try to be more observant. It’s really not that hard.” She said, haughtily, though a small blush crept up the back of her neck. Harry had been going out of his way to be nice to his best friends since he’d arrived at Grimmauld Place, especially since he’d been told about the prophecy. He wanted their time together to be as good as possible since he didn’t know how much more time they might have.
Hermione and Sirius had bid the others goodnight, including her younger self, well before the sun went down. Remus had been in the cellar, reinforcing every security measure twice over.
“Moony, you’ve done it all, mate, even Dumbledore couldn’t break these wards,” Sirius said, sitting down gracefully in an armchair he’d placed next to the cage.
“Yes but remember you have to say the incantation with-”
“Remus,” Hermione cut him off, “Love, we’ve got it.” He didn’t drop his wand, “I’ve got it,” She smiled and he couldn’t hide the corner of his mouth twitching. He let his wand hand fall to his side and looked anxiously between Sirius and Hermione.
“I just want to keep-”
“Everyone safe,” Hermione and Sirius finished for him.
Sirius sighed, “We know, Moony. And you will. We will. Promise.” Sirius shot him an easy grin and glanced down at his watch. “Sunset is in thirteen minutes. Do you want to get ready?” Without the Wolfsbane potion, Remus would not be himself tonight, Moony would take over, and there was no telling what he would do. Remus nodded and started to walk over to the cage.
“Wait,” Hermione called. She rushed over to him and wrapped him in a hug, “I will see you tomorrow morning.” He held her for a few moments too long and they parted. He pulled out his wand and placed it in her hand. Hermione knew this was a sign of ultimate trust - giving your wand willingly to another witch or wizard. Remus hugged her swiftly again and then she turned, running up the stairs with worried tears in her eyes. She stood at the top of the stairs for several minutes, waiting. Finally, she heard the telltale clicks of the cage.
“Ward the door, Hermione,” Sirius called up. She closed the door, replenishing several charms she, Sirius, and Remus had already placed on it. With that, the cellar was cut off from the world. Only Sirius and Hermione could open the door now that it was locked. Waving her wand, Hermione conjured a cushion, a book, and the warm blanket from her room. She set them up by the door and went to the kitchen to make herself some tea.
“Oh-” Hermione spun to see her younger self standing in the doorway, startled. “Hestia, sorry, I-”
“You should be upstairs,” Hermione said, trying to mask her unease. Young Hermione nodded but didn’t move.
“I know it’s safe. I trust the three of you implicitly,” She smiled, “Plus I wanted a cup of tea and I knew you’d be down here alone and thought you might need the company,” Young Hermione grabbed another cup out of the cupboard and placed it next to Hermione’s.
“That’s very kind of you,” Hermione murmured. She and her younger self had almost exclusively talked about books since they’d met. Hermione had spent a lot of time trying to not talk when the group spent time together in London, as her younger self had a lot of the same favourite places that she had.
Still, ever polite, Hermione poured them both tea and they sat down at the kitchen table. Hermione watched with grim fascination as her younger self made her tea. It was different than the way Hermione liked her tea, the way Hermione had always liked her tea. She couldn’t figure out why this Hermione made her tea differently if she had really just gone back to the past. A theory sprung into her head and she tensed. With effort, she pushed it aside and decided to stay focused on the task at hand. Converse, alone, with her self.
“Do you mind if I ask you some things?” Teenage Hermione blushed and pulled her legs up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them.
“Please,” Hermione tilted her head.
“There’s not a lot about werewolf lore in any of the books in the library and I guess I have questions that I would be too embarrassed to ask Professor Lupin and I thought you might know.” Hermione cringed at the use of ‘professor’ but nodded.
“Well,” Hermione sat her tea down, “There aren’t many books about werewolf lore in general. No one has really put in the effort of looking into it. But, I would be happy to answer any questions that I have the answers to.” Young Hermione grinned and launched into her questions about lycanthropy.
“Do you have to be bitten to become a werewolf?”
“No,” Hermione shook her head, frowning, “If two full werewolves procreate, that child will be born a werewolf.” Young Hermione’s eyes widened.
“But if a werewolf and non-werewolf…?”
“The child would not be a werewolf.” Hermione thought about Teddy, a smile coming to her face at the image of the blue-haired boy she’d only ever met once.
“Can some people, wolves, I mean, transform not on a full moon?”
Hermione searched her younger self’s face, “Yes. Only very powerful alphas. Not many people know that. Pack life is kept very secret.”
“Do you know anything about… you know, packs?”
“Only what Remus has told me,” Hermione shrugged, “Which isn’t much. He doesn’t like to talk about his times with the other wolves. Packs are formed with the others bow to the alpha. But a true Pack Bond doesn’t happen unless it’s sealed.”
“How… how do you seal a Pack Bond?” Young Hermione asked.
“Well,” Hermione smirked, “It is sealed when the alpha bites his partner - a member of the pack, during sex.” Young Hermione looked away, a blush creeping up her neck.
“Ah, okay. Right,” Young Hermione cleared her throat, “Do you have any sources for these things?”
Hermione shook her head, “Unfortunately, they’re all quite restricted. I also don’t have any in my possession.”
“Oh, okay,” She frowned, looking down. “Well, do you think I can sit here with you for a while and read?” Young Hermione asked, pointing to the books she had brought down.
“Feel free,” Hermione smiled and grabbed her own book by the door, settling down across the table from her younger self as they fell into comfortable silence.
Hours later, a large bang startled Hermione from her reading and she looked up to see her companions book on the ground and younger Hermione rubbing her eyes and looking around.
“I’m so sorry, Hestia. I must have fallen asleep.” She stood and stretched. “I think I am going to head up to bed. You’ll be alright down here?”
“I’ll be fine,” Hermione smiled, though she was surprised that she was unhappy to be left alone, “Have a good night, Hermione.”
“Goodnight Hestia.” Young Hermione stopped before she got to the door, “Oh! Can you give this to Professor Lupin when he wakes up tomorrow?” She placed a large chocolate bar on the table and smiled at her older self before turning and leaving Hermione alone in the kitchen.
JULY 13th, 1995
Moony howled as his bones broke back into his human form. Cracking, tearing, splintering. The howls slowly turned to screams as Remus came back to himself. And then the screams turned to broken sobs. The pain was much worse now that he was in human form. It was the worst transformation that he could ever remember having. His body twitched in excruciating pain as he curled up on the hard stone floor of the cellar. Padfoot whined from outside the cage before turning back into Sirius.
Remus couldn’t focus on Sirius unlocking the cage, his vision was blurred, black spots filling it.
“Moony!” Remus could feel, but not see Sirius’ hands on him, “Oh, fuck. Okay. I’m getting Hermione. I’ll be right back. It’s okay. Fuck, okay.”
Remus heard the footsteps run up the cellar stairs as spells resounded through the room and he groaned loudly, begging for Sirius to come back.
“Hermione! Fuck, something’s wrong!” Sirius was screaming and then two pairs of hands were on him, unfolding him, turning him over. Hermione must have forgotten her potion, he thought, because her unruly honey-coloured hair created a halo around her head. A halo that was going in and out of focus as she whispered to him. Something dribbled down his throat and he swallowed it greedily. Immediately, thankfully, the pain subsided, if only infinitesimally. Remus’ eyes could see again, and the first thing they saw was Hermione’s dark brown ones looking at him in concern.
“I need to get him to stop shaking, so I can heal him,” Hermione’s voice was wavering, “Fuck, Sirius, what happened?”
“I… I don’t know. The wolf was crazy agitated all night. Kept throwing himself against the walls and bars over and over again,” Sirius swore, “And biting himself, scratching himself. I don’t know. I’ve never seen him transform back in this much pain.”
Warmth flooded Remus and he knew Hermione had cast a warming charm. Another two pain potions down his throat and the shaking slowly stopped. He knew it was bad. He could feel it. Several new scars would cover his body after this transformation.
“Why did this happen?” Hermione asked, tearfully while she cast spell after spell on his body. Sirius didn’t answer so Remus opened his clenched, tight mouth, but all that came out was a deep, painful groan. “I’m sorry!” Hermione cried, putting a cool hand on his cheek, “I’m almost through with the worst bits, but I have to set your shoulder; it’s popped out of place.” Remus tried to respond, but instead just nodded and reached out the moving hand to Sirius who grabbed it and squeezed.
“Do you need my help?” Sirius asked Hermione. She nodded but didn’t speak as she poured almost a full bottle of Dittany on his chest.
“I’ll need you to hold that side of him. Try to make sure he doesn’t move.” Hermione waited while Sirius braced Remus. “Okay, Remus, love, this is going to hurt, I’m so sorry, but it can’t wait.” Remus nodded at her, clenching his teeth harder. She lifted up the out of place shoulder and pain tore through his body and he jerked hard. But Sirius held him down as Hermione lined the joint up. “Okay, here we go,” She pushed, hard and Remus let out a yell that receded almost at once as the shoulder came back into place. He sucked in a deep breath and let his head fall back onto Sirius’ thigh. He looked up at his friend who was staring down at him in concern. Sirius’ deep grey eyes were filled with worried tears.
“Okay, okay, that’s the worst of it,” Hermione said with a sigh. Remus knew she was right. The pain was almost completely bearable now, though he knew he’d be covered head-to-toe in bruises by this evening. She stood and grabbed Remus’ clothing and helped Sirius slide it on him slowly and carefully.
She took in a deep breath, “I can’t help you carry him. My polyjuice wore off, obviously, and I forgot to bring more,” She rolled her eyes, “Like an idiot,” Both men open their mouths to tell her off but she waved them away, “Anyway, Sirius I need you to get Remus up to bed and then bring me some potion so I can go upstairs and tend to him.” Sirius nodded and they both bent to help Remus up from the ground. Once he was up, Hermione cast what seemed to be a modified Featherlight Charm to make it easier for Sirius to help him up the stairs.
“I just don’t understand…” Sirius murmured as they travelled up the cellar steps.
Remus groaned, “Mate,” He croaked out, low so that only Sirius could hear as Hermione stayed back from the open cellar door.
Sirius swore again, “You mean Moony is upset because you know your mate and you won’t be with her?” He asked as Remus nodded along.
“You can’t go through this again, Moony.”
“I know,” he said as they came into the kitchen. He knew he couldn’t. He frankly didn’t think he would survive it. Thankfully it was still too early for anyone to be awake as they moved through the halls. Remus glanced at the kitchen clock as they passed by. Just after 4:45. He swore over and over as they made their way up the several more flights of stairs to his bedroom. Once inside, he crawled gingerly to bed and didn’t even make it to Sirius pulling the blankets over him before he was dead asleep.