Mrs Cole
End of July 1977
“...thank you Mrs Cole, it would be a great help.” Lily spoke softly into what she called a ‘payphone’ as James watched from outside of the glass box, playing with the small coins she had given him with their little numbers on, that she had said didn’t amount to much.
He watched as she pulled a small notebook from her bag and a pen, as he pondered how the paper money could be more than the coins when coins were made from precious metals and paper was made from...well trees. Muggles just didn’t seem to understand the value of such things.
The coins jingled in his hand as he looked back up to Lily, allowing a smile to spread over his face as he took in the ponytail of auburn hair, slightly messy and loose, the crinkle around her emerald eyes and the rosy cheeks and creamy skin – an outfit of a thin green jumper and some flared jeans with her trainers, simple and effective.
So fucking beautiful that it didn’t seem fair.
They had had one date and that was all, mentioned a second one and then nothing happened, and he knew it wasn’t because of them but it almost seemed like too good of an opportunity to pass up.
“Of course, Mrs Cole, we will see you soon.” Lily spoke with a small laugh as she hung up the phone and turned to face James with wide eyes and a sigh. “She’ll talk to us, but it has to be today, in like twenty minutes.” She muttered as she glanced down at her watch, Muggle and small, nothing like his own.
“Rock, paper, scissors on who has to tell Hermione we went investigating without her?” James joked as he held out his hand to Lily who rolled her eyes.
“I can always call back and ask for another day when Hermione is free – or we could leave this – I mean what does this even have to do with anything?” Lily asked as she scratched the back of her head and shook her head while James shrugged his shoulders.
“Hermione thinks it could lead to something, and I trust that it will too, even if it drags up some memories – and plus, I mean – we will hopefully have a few hours after speaking to this Cole lady, maybe we could explore London – it would be nice to see where everyone thinks I’m from.” James joked with a nervous grin, hands sweating at his side as Lily frowned at him slightly.
“What did you have in mind?”
“Coffee somewhere...maybe a walk around one of those parks people seem to like.”
“Are you asking me on a date?” Lily asked suddenly with her own teasing grin as she stepped forward and he nodded mutely. “I guess I could agree to that – after we talk to Mrs Cole.” She added with a slight wince as he smiled at her.
It was hard to keep a shit eating grin off of his face or from letting out what felt like his eleven year old James who wanted to fall to his knees and scream to the Muggle Gods for everyone to hear, to run around and thank everyone who might have witnessed such a life changing event but instead he remained calm.
“Hermione will be angry that she couldn’t join us or that it might take a little longer for us to come back and tell her what we found.” James spoke softly, waiting for her to change her mind but instead she gave him an amused look.
“She’ll be fine, and if she really is annoyed then perhaps she should remember the repercussions that come with having naked cuddles with her boyfriend under your parents roof.” A teasing glint came to her eyes as James’ smile dropped and turned to one of disgust.
As much as he had enjoyed the sight of his sister and best friend being scolded, and then grounded and banned from the others room by their mother (Fleamont had been slightly kept in the dark which James had thought was wise), the reason why was one that would haunt him forever and had only fuelled the need to punch Sirius in the face.
“Don’t remind me.” He mumbled before Lily took a deep breath and held out her arm. “You know where we are going?” He asked slightly nervous, he put a lot of faith in her abilities but this was still something fairly new to the both of them.
Hermione could do it because she was Hermione, and to even question her would be wrong – even if he had lost a toenail in apparating to Little Hangleton, a place neither of them had ever been to, but it seemed his sister was more than skilled in getting wherever they needed to go with just a quick glimpse of a picture.
“Just hold on and let me lead.” Lily whispered back as they ducked behind a building, no one to see them or question where they might have gone.
“Try not to leave half of me behind.”
...
James had been a to London a few times with his parents and Hermione, but he had never really been to the outskirts.
It was slightly greyer and more dingy than he had thought, nothing like the village he had grown up in, small and slightly contained – manors outside the town on a big hill and the village below full of Muggles that no idea they were living inside on of the first Wizarding places and home of the notorious Godric Gryffindor.
He had seen Lily’s home, with smaller houses and neatly kept gardens, near the industry houses that had sprung up not that long ago, but they hadn’t ventured far enough into town for him to see the rest.
Yet here, he couldn’t help but grimace at what they stood before – tall rectangle buildings with no features other than bricks and what looked like a whole lot of windows. Lily had called them flats, and them mentioned something about a council and their blocks, but James couldn’t see why a council would want to put people in such a place.
He grimaced as Lily moved forward towards the door before turning back to James with an amused smirk. “You’re such a snob.” She scoffed out as she reached forward to press a button.
“I am not.” He hissed as the door made a sharp noise and then Lily was pulling it open and stepping inside, himself following and wincing once again.
Cold and empty was all he could see as she lead him up the stairs and past various doors that seemed far too close together for comfort, his eyes widening as an old woman stepped out, giving him a quick glance into what could only be a small home before they stopped at another door.
Lily took a deep breath as she raised her hand to knock on the door, the wood springing open as the old woman had been waiting, face lined and eyes like two little slits as she tried to focus on them.
She didn’t seem that much older than his parents but perhaps by Muggle standards she was getting on a bit, and that much was obvious in the way she shuffled to open the door wider as Lily tried to grin at her.
“Mrs Cole?”
“Lily and James, right?”
“Yes Ma’am.” Lily spoke as the woman narrowed her eyes at him again and Lily’s smile seemed to fall slightly, something sharp in her eyes that dimmed the moment Mrs Cole gave him a small smile and opened her door further.
“Come on in.” Her accent was thicker, less ‘posh’ than his own and more cockney, but her eyes were kind as the pair followed her into her house. A small hall with what looked like two bedrooms on one side, a bathroom opposite, a living room at the end and a small kitchen that they entered on the left.
Tinier than his own home and tinier than Lily’s lovely home.
“Thank you for taking time to speak to us.” Lily spoke as she looked around, eyes flashing to James once more as the woman shuffled to put on her electric kettle.
“Always nice to have visitors in my old age, though not sure what I can offer as help but we will see – take a seat both of you – would you like a cup of tea?” She asked as the pair of them nodded. “I would offer a cup of gin, but you both seem quite young and I’m not looking to send two teenagers home drunk.”
“I prefer Whisky anyway.” James spoke as he sat down, wincing as Lily’s foot connected with his leg and a sharp look was sent his way but Mrs Cole didn’t seem to mind as she gave him an amused smile and began pouring the hot water into cups. “Tea’s fine though.”
“Can’t say I like whisky much, but I appreciate it – here you go.” She spoke as she slid the cups before them, shuffling to get her own before sitting at the little circular table – James frowned, she hadn’t asked how he liked it, but it seemed dark and strong and he wouldn’t complain.
“Thank you, Mrs Cole.” Lily spoke as she gripped the steaming cup tightly. “We really appreciate the time you are giving us to speak about Tom.”
Mrs Cole nodded her head and turned to look at Lily. “And you say he was your mothers cousin?” She asked, almost nervously as Lily nodded her head.
“It seems like it, his father mentioned something when she was young, and well she recently got around to finding out he was in your orphanage while you were the working there.” Lily explained, the lie falling easily from her tongue even as Mrs Cole gave her a once over with narrowed eyes that had Lily blushing.
“Sorry dear, you just don’t look like him at all.”
“I take after my father.” Lily answered with a hesitant smile. “So I -”
“I don’t remember too much, it was a long time ago – but I do remember the day he was born.” Mrs Cole began, a slightly sad expression taking over her face. “Thirty-first of December 1926, New Years Eve, one of the coldest nights I had ever experienced, thick with snow – and then this girl comes in, few years older than you, very pregnant and about to give birth – we took her in of course, and within the hour the baby was born and within the next she was dead.”
“That’s horrible.” Lily whispered, face slightly pale as James nodded in agreement, it did seem horrible and such a cost to bring life into the world.
“It happens, more so back then – medicine has vastly improved, but it is always a risk.” Mrs Cole answered as she sipped her tea, thin lips smacking together. “She named him before she died, Tom Marvolo Riddle, after his father and her own, told us she hoped he looked like his father – and he truthfully there was someone looking out for the kid because thank God he didn’t take after his mother – she was no looker.” Her head shook and her lips thinned even more.
“So you know his dads name?” James asked with a frown as he leaned forward onto the table. “Did you not try and get in touch?” He added with a slight anger as the woman looked back to him.
“We did, hard to know where to look, but we did try and we heard nothing back – for years we thought that he was maybe a bastard, one that the family didn’t want to claim which wouldn’t be unheard of but now I think that it was perhaps how odd the whole situation and he was.” Mrs Cole spoke, shaking her head once again before she pulled out a cigarette from the packet on the table, placing one in her mouth as she offered one to the both of them.
“No thank you.” Lily spoke, with a small smile but her eyes eyed the fag – James wasn’t sure how much she smoked, he did his fair share of it with Sirius, but clearly it was not enough to feel that compulsive need to reach for one. “He was odd?”
“He never cried as a baby, not even once nor as he got older – he was cold and something of a bully, even up until he went to that school.” Mrs Cole scoffed. “Some special school called Hogforts or something, and I can’t say I was upset to see him gone for nine months a year.” She added with a small laugh as Lily raised her eyebrows.
“Why?”
“Like I said, a bit of a bully, not that I ever caught him at anything but he always seemed to be involved one way or another.” There was a distant look in her eyes and a shiver seeming to run up her spine. “He had a fight with a kid once, and the next day the kids rabbit was hung from the rafters – hard to do for anyone, almost impossible but there was something in the way Tom had all but smiled when it was blamed on him.” Her lips pursed and she shook her head. “Then the stealing, pushing – and then whatever happened in that cave.”
“A cave?” James asked instead of Lily as Mrs Cole turned to look at him.
“We took them on holiday, left them have some freedom – I didn’t worry that I didn’t see him, but I do remember the worry that came when Amy Benson and Dennis Bishop came back from a cave with him, cowering and scared, no one told me what happened but they were never the same afterwards.” James felt a shiver go up his own spine as Lily’s face paled.
Magic was a wonder, something to be proud of, but something dangerous – and that was what he had been told as a child the moment he could move things with his hands. There were so many spells that could help control it, but sometimes emotions could control it too – and the power of the mind was a tool that needed to be trained.
It was why they went to school and held a wand, why they practised for so many years and why James didn’t want to think too much about what Tom might have done before he turned eleven, how much control he might have had at such a young age.
“You were scared of him.” Lily spoke as Mrs Cole nodded her head.
“There was something odd about him, cold and calculated and I was worried one day he might snap – but then he was gone and we could breath, and even when he came back for the summer he was quiet and seemingly disgusted to be around us.” She didn’t seem too upset about it at all, instead she seemed amused. “I got the impression that he thought he was above us all, even more so when he started dressing like some pretentious posh tosser and wearing that ring everywhere.”
What James would give to have this woman say that to Voldemort’s face, to see him now in his robed glory and his followers. She had been right to be scared of him – they all should be scared of him, but he couldn’t help but snort slightly. “A ring?”
“A god awful thing, gold and tacky, with this shape craved in the stone, that he claimed to one of the kids was some family heirloom he had managed to obtain – no doubt he stole it from some poorly dressed gentlemen or a costume shop.” James’ interest was peaked as he thought about Pureblood momentos, and then the shack the Gaunts lived in and the Manor of the Riddles, maybe he had stolen something as a reminder. “And then he was gone for good.”
“You never saw him after that?” Lily asked with raised eyebrows as Mrs Cole shook her head.
“The moment he finished that school he was gone, and he never came back.” She didn’t sound upset about it and James could hardly blame her for it. Sounded like Voldemort was just as much of a tosser as a kid than he was now.
It was silent for a few moments as they all drank their tea, seeming to contemplate what had been said, he was sure Hermione would have had more questions to ask, picked up on small things and gotten another story from the old lady with a few simple words, but James had never quite had her skill for seeing things that weren’t actually said and Lily was far too polite to keep pestering the woman.
Instead she gave James a quick look and a tap to her watch as she pushed away her cup and gave Mrs Cole a soft smile. “Thank you for helping us today, you’ve given us a lot to think about.”
Mrs Cole nodded and smacked her lips together, swallowing nosily. “I hope your mum is happy with whatever information I could provide, even if it is no help.” She answered back as Lily nodded and stood up from her chair.
“I’m sure she’ll be grateful.” The woman nodded as James grimaced. Hermione was going to be furious when she found out what they had done. “We better be off, we’ve taken up too much of your time, but I do really mean it when I say thank you.” Lily spoke as she began to pull James back towards the hallway, his longer legs almost tripping over themselves.
“More than welcome anytime.” She didn’t move to let them out and Lily seemed to take that as an inclination to head towards the door, only stopping as Mrs Cole yelled from behind them, appearing shuffling on unsteady legs. “You’re not the only one who asked about him.”
“Sorry?” James muttered as Lily’s hand gripped the handle.
“That teacher who came for him, came back a few years later – a few years after Tom had left, asking questions much like the both of you, he didn’t say much and I didn’t have much more to say, but he did mention some job – a Bargain shop or something.” She spoke as she moved forward, it was far too crowded into the small hallway but neither teenager moved.
“A Bargain shop?”
“He pronounced more like Borgin, and some other name, I remember because I thought it was weird – I’ve spent a lot of my life in London and never seen it.” Mrs Cole commented as she reached around Lily to open the door for them, tilting her head to the side. “I hope that helps.”
“Of course, Mrs Cole – thank you and take care.” James didn’t have a chance to comment as Lily pulled him out of the house, a small laugh following and the door shutting behind them as their footsteps seemed to echo all around then as they sped down the stairs.
“Evans...Evans, Lil’ – I don’t think running down these stairs is a good idea.” James spoke as he almost stumbled, the sleeve of his jumper dropping from her hand as she stopped on the stairs and turned to face him. “What?”
“Borgin.” She spoke as he frowned at her in confusion. “As in Borgin and Burkes.” James’ mouth dropped at it finally clicked in his head, his mouth opening to reply only for Lily to start running down the stairs again. “And what do you want to bet that the bloke asking questions was Dumbledore?” She added as James followed behind her and back outside, the door shutting behind them.
“We need to tell Hermione.”
“We will.” Lily commented before she grinned and reached down to grip his hand tightly. “Once we finish our date.”
…………………………………………
Hermione stared at the rundown house in the middle of fucking nowhere, not much different from the shack the Gaunts had lived in – well maybe a bit bigger and slightly more cared for, and she knew the inside would be as well decorated as it could – Hope was good like that.
Her hand raised to knock, the door swinging open to reveal Remus, he should have taken more care. It could have been anyone if they had found a way to get past the wards.
“Hermione?”
“Hello.”
He stared at her for far too long, like he couldn’t imagine why she would even be at his house, raising her eyebrows and crossing her arms, she moved into the house and took a look around. Run down and yet still comfortable in a way that made Hermione want to curl up with a good book and drink tea all day, which made sense considering Remus.
Who had shut the door behind her and was regarding her with narrowed eyes. “What are you doing here? I thought you were grounded.” He added as Hermione scoffed.
“I am.” She spoke, rolling her eyes – her mother would be angry if she found out but Hermione had ways of getting around that and everyone else seemed distracted for the day. “James and Lily went out, mum allowed Sirius to accompany Marlene to see Regulus, though she doesn’t know that – and thus here I am.”
“Why?” He asked with a frown before he seemed to backtrack. “Not that I’m not happy to see you but -”
“Cut the bullshit, Remus, you know why I’m here.” She snapped, sitting down in one of the comfy armchairs with a sigh. “You’ve been avoiding me.”
“I haven’t.” He answered back, sitting on the two seater and glaring at her. He didn’t seem worse for wear, there were no new scars littering his skin, so he had been taking his potion.
“Because spending the past five summers at my house and then not turning up for this one isn’t avoiding.” Hermione spoke rolling her eyes and leaning forward slightly as she glared back. “And don’t give me any excuses about your parents because you’ve made time to see everyone else, except me...and maybe Lily.”
“Everyone else has come here.” He commented, pouting slightly as he looked away while Hermione scoffed.
“They were invited – they had their letters answers, but I suppose I’m just someone who helped with a potion and then could be ignored, though I did hear you made time to write a certain someone.” Hermione smiled sarcastically, a bitter feeling settling in her chest.
Remus sighed and ran a hand over his face, as Hermione picked at a loose thread. She hated not understanding what she had done, hated how she felt like they were miles apart instead of sat across from each other, hated the guarded look that Remus wore.
They were friends, maybe not as close as other friends, but he was a good friend, one she cared about and wanted by her side – and he didn’t want the same for whatever reason.
“Sirius running his mouth again?” Remus finally spoke, his mouth curving into an amused smile. “I swear he gossips like an old woman.”
“Maybe he wouldn’t have to if you would just talk to me.” Hermione countered with a glare as Remus looked away. “I suppose that is just too much to ask of your friends nowadays.” She added, rolling her eyes and looking around the room.
“Hermione -”
“You know me, Remus, I don’t like playing games – so just tell what the problem is so I can fix it.” Hermione snapped, turning back to look at him. He seemed to find some courage to look back at her, his own frown marring his face.
“You can’t fix everything.” He mumbled. “Just...er...it’s nothing you need to worry about, ok?” He added, rubbing his hands down his thighs and offering her a tense smile.
“But there is something to be fixed, something wrong, so I would say I do need to worry about it.” Hermione snapped as he stood up, following him into the kitchen and glaring at his tall back. “Remus – tell me -”
“Your dad spoke to mine.” Hermione frowned, while they might have been friends, Fleamont and Lyall weren’t exactly close based on a lot of things about work that her father had never really gotten into. Remus let out a breath. “Not Fleamont…”
Hermione’s stomach seemed to drop as Remus regarded her warily, she couldn’t be sure whether she wanted to be sick or wanted to scream. A year had passed and she had heard barely anything about him other than from Regulus and fucking Mulciber of all people, not that she was looking for anything – she wanted him as far away as possible.
But now he was stalking the fucking Lupin’s of all people for whatever reason.
“Look my dad doesn’t blame you -” Remus started speaking as Hermione frowned at him in confusion. “ - he knows you don’t have anything to do with him, but it still doesn’t make the situation any easier.” She had no idea what was going on or why Remus was looking at her with so much pity.
“What are you talking about?”
“He was asking about werewolves, or implying – and dads a bit worried about where he might have gotten the information from that we might know or be connected somehow.” And there it was, the implication under everything, one that made Hermione’s blood run cold and tears fill her eyes.
She had been Remus’ friend since they were eleven, or at least been in his life, had helped him with things and been there for him – they had fought, yes, but it didn’t change anything, but it didn’t mean anything against family.
She had hoped it would, had hoped the more she tried to differentiate herself, the more time she spent with the Potter’s, that they would forget and see her as one of the good ones – but they all knew her story, they had all heard of her dad and had read about him been free and probably had no doubt about where he would go and who he would join.
And they looked at her and saw the same, someone pretending to be someone else – someone dangerous and cruel – and it hurt more than she wanted to admit.
“He thinks I told him.” Hermione whispered as she stepped away and Remus frowned, his mouth hanging open. “Do you think I did too?” She sounded young and Remus was staring at her with wide eyes, unsure of what to say.
Unsure of what to do with a sad and hurt, Hermione. He stared for another second before he moved forward and placed his hands on her shoulders, bending down to her height.
“No.” He spoke firmly, confidently but there was something else there. “It’s not like it’s exactly a secret, if you searched deep enough at the Ministry, and my dad knows that too but he’s scared – and it hasn’t exactly been easy going recently.” He added as he moved one hand to wipe away a tear. “I know you would never do that to me, Hermione.”
“But you haven’t been coming around, you haven’t even answered my -”
“For my parents and for my own reasons.” He spoke as he winced and moved away, it annoyed her that despite that he believed her, he still stood by his parents.
That wasn’t fair, even as a part of her hated it, it wasn’t fair to use that against him when his parents where what he had. She would throw away a lot for her parents and brother, maybe even her friends under the right circumstances, she had just never had to, and she hoped she never would have to.
But this was a war, one where people seemed to be rapidly choosing sides or running away altogether, and they had all heard which side the werewolves seemed to be leaning towards – and the Lupin’s had someone they had to protect and keep away from that.
Even if they never knew that Hermione would do everything she could to make sure he lived a long and healthy as he could life – and that she would keep him safe from this war.
“What reasons do you have?” Hermione asked, almost nervously as Remus looked away once again, cheeks flushing and guilt tightened at her throat. “Oh.”
Despite what everyone thought, she wasn’t blind to how her friend might have felt towards her, even if she never felt the same, and she wasn’t about to exploit that, not when it must have been harder than he wanted to admit to watch her go down the path she had with Sirius.
He looked guilty now, and that wasn’t what she had been aiming for.
“I think it’s good you’re talking to Edith, she seems like a smart girl with a good head on her shoulders, and that maybe she understands the world better than I thought she did.” Hermione spoke, a smile on her face that didn’t seem too force as Remus turned to look at her in confusion and amusement. “I can talk about her nicely, you know.”
“I’ve just never seen it.” He joked back, the tension seeming to sink away as Hermione let her shoulders relax and a more natural smile settle on her face. “Hermione -”
“Whatever it is, I am happy for you – you deserve it.” She spoke as the smile fell and she looked around, there was something else in his expression that made her feel that she wasn’t ready to hear what else he had to say.
“What are you hiding?”
“What?”
“You think because I haven’t seen you that I don’t know things.” He began as Hermione kept her face straight and waited for whatever he had to say. “You, James and Lily, going off places together or meeting up without telling anyone -”
“I’m allowed to spend time with my best friend and brother without other people there.” She countered with a small amused smile that had Remus looking at her with his own small smirk.
“Something I would believe more if the other people in your house weren’t your boyfriend and other best friend – granted they think it’s just because you were too coped up – but the whole thing seems strange to me.” Remus spoke, but it was light, almost as though he was testing the water before he jumped in.
“Very strange, almost as strange as my boyfriend and best friend coming to see one of my other best friends who has been ignoring me for weeks.” Hermione countered, but Remus didn’t seem bothered at all as he shrugged his shoulders and leaned against the counter.
“Do you know what I think?” He asked, raising an eyebrow as Hermione shook her head and waited. “I think all this is connected to what happened last year, and with all the nose bleeds and fainting that have happened this year.” Hermione clenched her hands as she willed herself to breath evenly and force a small smile on her face.
What was it with her friends figuring things out and connecting things? She hadn’t been that obvious and it wasn’t like she was walking around fainting and bleeding all the time and it had only really been done once in front of him and because of him.
Or was he simply linking every strange thing he found and hoping for her to spill her guts to him?
Hermione grinned and tilted her head to the side. “Well done, you’ve figured out that the trauma of last year still has an effect on my broken little brain, and that pushing too hard or stressing me out can cause side effects.”
Remus narrowed his eyes at her but then smile, before he spoke gently. “You know the truth mixed with a lie is still a lie.”
“I don’t know what you are talking about.”
“One of the best things about being a wolf means that my senses are a bit sharper than a normal persons – for instance, the chemical changes of a body or the stuttering of a heart, in even the best liar is telling.” Remus smirked back as Hermione paled and sucked in a deep breath before she turned and fled from the house.
…
The Potter Manor was empty when she got there, both her parents too busy to even notice she had sneaked out from their watching eyes, her friends still doing their own things, allowing her to run up to her room and gently close the door behind her.
A sigh left her as she stared at her room, messy and unorganised in a way that only added to the tension she felt.
Remus wouldn’t follow her, not yet and not without letting someone know. He was many things, like a lie detecting wolf, but he was never impolite – and to turn up at his friends house without fourwarning the people who owned it or his own worrying parents, was not his way, but he would come – whether today or tomorrow, he would come because she hadn’t given him enough doubt not to.
A million thoughts ran through her head as she moved her dirty clothes to beside her door before moving to straighten her bedsheets, and then to her desk to straighten things out, before settling before the stacks upon stacks of books she had.
So many ways to sort them; biggest to smallest, colour, titles or authors in alphabetical order – she would figure it out.
It was almost methodical to do, pulling books from her shelves to replace them with something else, only to start over again because it didn’t seem right, then to stop and scan through a book because she had forgotten it was there.
She wasn’t sure how long she sat like that for until her door was opened, piles of books around her, her shelves half filed, and Tales of Beedle the Bard open on her lap.
Looking over her shoulder, she frowned as James and Lily made their way in, checking the hallway before shutting the door behind them as Lily waved her wand. Both their cheeks were flushed and they seemed to have happy smiles on their faces.
“Can I help you?” She asked as she turned back to her book, rolling her eyes as James jumped onto her bed carelessly, while Lily sat at her desk much calmer.
“What are you doing?” Lily asked as Hermione slid her book to the side, only for Lily to pick it up with a frown, looking over the pages. “What is this?” She asked, with a bemused frown and what sounded like a nervous chuckle.
“Wizarding children’s stories.” James explained before he sat up and frowned at his sister. “What happened?” He asked and Hermione clenched her jaw, her brother knew her far too well.
“Weird – what do you mean what happened? Did something happen?” Lily asked with concern, the book open on her lap, like she wanted to read it – Hermione would let her, it’s not like there wasn’t more than one copy in the house, it seemed every child owned one at one point and held onto them for later reading in life when new morals and perspectives took hold.
“She’s re-organising her books – I always think colour and height look better.” He spoke as Hermione frowned and looked at them, before agreeing and pulling the books back out. Lily watched with wide eyes as James leaned back against the wall her bed rested against. “So…”
“I went to speak to Remus.” Hermione began, keeping her eyes firmly on her books. “Let’s just say his dad is worried about me spilling secrets to Octans, and Remus is knows we are keeping something – all but tried to out me on it, called me a liar too.” She finished, sighing as she held up two books to check the height.
“What?” James asked, she looked at him from the corner of her eye. Furious and annoyed, looking half tempted to run out of the room and tell off their friend. “Ocatns…”
“Is apparently going around and asking about werewolves, understandably it’s scared the Lupin’s and they think I’m connected – again understandable.” Hermione muttered, sighing as her bottom shelf was filled and one stack of books was gone from her floor.
“What do you mean understandable – there is nothing understandable about that.” James snapped as he stood up from the bed, for a second she thought he might leave but then he was crouching beside her. “None of this is your fault, so don’t even think about accepting what blame Mr Lupin is trying to pin on anyone but himself.”
“James -”
“No, Mi’, the whole reason Remus is even in this mess is because of what he did at the Ministry and the things he said – and Greyback – but just because Octans is running around doesn’t mean it has anything to do with you.” Hermione nodded her head as James let out a huff and plonked himself down on the ground beside her, pulling a stack of books towards himself. “We’ll figure out what to tell Remus, don’t worry about that now.”
Her eyes felt watery again as she watched her brother place her books back on her bookshelf in a way that made the panic calm slightly, perfectly how she would have done it herself, and she was struck once again for how grateful she was to have him in her life, by her side.
Grateful to have a friend like Lily who sat quiet, but made her comfort known by simply running a hand down her back and offering a gentle smile before going back to the book on her lap.
“What did you two do today – finally a second date?” She asked, slightly teasing, if not to take the spotlight off of herself. The pair seemed to freeze, their eyes quickly looking to each other nervously. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to -”
“We went to see Mrs Cole.” Lily spoke, hand frozen on turning the page she was on – seemingly half way through the book like she had picked the story that most interested her.
Hermione frowned as James sighed beside her. “Who?”
“She used to work at the orphanage that house Tom Riddle.” Her brother all but whispered beside her before he flinched away and brought his hands to his face as Hermione frowned at him, the words sinking in slower than she would have liked.
“What?” She hissed out, turning back to her best friend. “What are you two playing at?”
“Well, you were grounded or you were supposed to be and we thought we could help, and well we found her and asked some questions – it was nothing really.” Lily spoke, waving her hand but the flickering of her eyes gave her away.
“Are you two stupid?”
“Hermione!”
“Did it ever occur to either of you the risk you might have put yourself in if someone was paying attention to the both of you digging into Tom’s hidden past?” Hermione snapped as she pushed some of her books to the side and turned to glare more at her brother than Lily.
“We’re fine.” He muttered back with his own frown. “Nothing happened other than Lily calling the orphanage, talking to Mrs Cole, and then actually going on our second date.” If he wished to distract her with that knowledge and his nervous grin then he would have to wait until she had properly told him off.
“You do know there is a good possibility his people are watching our family, right?” She asked as he rolled his eyes. “Which means they are watching our friends – dragging Lily out there for them to see is -”
“My choice.” Lily countered back. “I’m fully aware of who might be watching, but if you think I am going to sit back – that we are going to let you do this alone when you have trusted us with this secret – then you are very wrong.” She added with a frown as Hermione tensed her jaw.
“Mi’, she’s right, we didn’t do something to make you angry, though we expected this reaction – we did it because we want to help, and you don’t have to do this all alone.” James whispered, rubbing her arm as Hermione blinked and looked away.
There was so much she wanted to say and argue about but what would it do now that the pair of them had already gone and done exactly what they wanted to do without even informing her. “What did she say?” She asked instead through clenched teeth.
“That Voldy was just as creepy and murdery when he was a kid as he is now.” James spoke as Hermione frowned. “Apparently he liked hanging rabbits and scaring kids in caves.” He added as her frown deepened and Lily sighed.
“His mum died within an hour of giving birth at the Orphanage and only requested that he be named Tom Marvolo Riddle and that he looked like his dad.” Lily added as Hermione raised her eyebrows and tried to remain sympathetic, but it was hard when they weren’t really giving her anything to go on.
“Then he grew up and became murdery.”
“He was odd and like stealing, but they couldn’t pin anything on him, and then he went to Hogwarts and they thought everything would stop, and maybe it did but the stealing might have continued and then he left and Dumbledore might have come around asking questions later and let it slip he worked at Borgin and Burkes.” Lily spoke as Hermione’s frown deepened, at least that was something.
James seemed to sense her mood as he held a hand out to stop her frown standing up. “No, we can check it out another day.” She didn’t move, curling her lip and crossing her hands over her chest.
“And that’s all she said?” It was a bit disappointing but she hadn’t had too much faith in what a Muggle orphanage might know about a man they hadn’t seen in longer than she had been alive.
“Other than Mrs Cole thought he was a bit of a tosser who wore gaudy rings.”
Hermione frowned as she turned to look at Lily to explain, and without even glancing up from her book, started speaking. “In his later years, before he left, he started wearing this ring that he told everyone came from some family member – Mrs Cole just thought he stole it from somewhere, gaudy gold thing.”
Her scar began to itch, her hand raising unconsciously as James raised his eyebrows and pulled her hand away. “Seriously, that’s what gets that ticking?” He asked as Hermione frowned.
“What?” Hermione asked before she pulled her hand away and avoided his pointed look. “It’s just...a ring…” Her eyes focused on Tales of Beedle the Bard in Lily’s hands, a strange sort of fuzzy feeling settling over her.
“Speaking of weird things – what’s with this story?” Lily asked with a small laugh as she turned the page around to show them both, James looked a second away from telling her to leave it alone, his hand on Hermione’s back as she tried to focus on the picture.
Three brothers, Death behind them, and their three objects; A wand, a cloak and a stone.
A strange sick feeling settled over her as James sucked in a breath. “Are you going to go?” He asked, both hands holding her back as Hermione gave a weak nod, letting her body fall back, head landing on James’ lap.