Chapter 4
The summer went by swiftly and Hermione was left clinging to the last of its rays, desperate for just one more carefree sun-kissed day. She was not at all prepared for the year to come for this would be the year she had promised herself to enter into the Chamber of Secrets, her throat tightening at the thought. It wasn't exactly her dream to be faced with a creature intent on killing those of her blood. It's asleep, she had to keep reminding herself. She entertained the thought of killing it, of smuggling a rooster into the walls of Hogwarts and getting it to crow. Although, the idea made her laugh more than it enticed her. She was just going to have to suck it up and brave it. Ron's words rung in her mind, are you a witch or not, giving her the strength she didn't know she had and she entered into her third year at Hogwarts with a renewed sense of courage.
They rode with Severus on the train this year at Lily's request as she had begun to fear they were drifting away from Severus, who had remained within the confines of his home almost all summer. Marlene had scoffed at their decision when they told as they met on platform nine and three quarters, "why do you hang out with that kid, isn't he president of the you-know-who fan club?" she had said. But Lily had haughtily denied her words and so Hermione followed her twin to a compartment where only Severus resided.
As soon as they entered, his turned his focus from the window, eyes lighting up once reaching Lily. Hermione had to fight the instinct to roll her eyes when he regarded her with little more than a muttered hello. It appeared he hadn't forgiven her for even slightly associating herself with James Potter and his friends.
Once they were all situated, it appeared Severus had something he wished to say for his eyes betrayed a frenzy sort of excitement as he voiced, "I've been researching this Summer and I've figured out something rather . . . interesting."
There was a gleeful smile on his face, almost sinister.
"What is it, Sev?" Lily asked.
"It's about Remus," he began and at once, Hermione's blood turned cold, "don't you find it funny that he mysteriously leaves school once a month?"
Hermione held her breath, fearful any sign of worry would only further betray Remus. Lily, however, appeared not as interested as Severus had hoped.
"He's ill, Sev, I thought we've already been over this," Lily said.
Severus rolled his eyes. "He's not ill, Lily, he's something much worse. He's a . . . werewolf." He whispered the last word as though he was uttering a curse.
To Hermione's relief, Lily's disinterest only heightened for as she raised an eyebrow, she crossed her arms over her chest in defiance.
"That's not funny," she said, tone cold.
"It's not a joke! He leaves once a month, every month. I bet if I checked, his 'illness' would coincide with every full moon." Severus's tone was bordering crazed.
"So this is what you've been doing all Summer? Researching whether Remus Lupin is a werewolf or not? Every time I asked you to spend time with me and Mione you were too busy with this?" Lily asked incredulously.
Severus's cheeks betrayed his embarrassment by glowing a soft pink. Still, he held his conviction high upon his shoulders, unrelenting even in the face of his best friend.
"Because it's important, Lily, don't you get it?! If he's a werewolf, he's dangerous. If people knew about it, he'd be kicked out of school!"
"So that's what this is about, huh? You're trying to get Remus kicked out? I must not 'get it' then because I don't see the importance in trying to kick out someone who just wants to learn. And even if it were true, he hasn't hurt anyone, has he? If you think someone as harmless as Remus Lupin is dangerous, I'm surprised you've even plucked up the courage to go outside your house today."
Hermione had only ever seen her sister this unflinchingly fierce to one other person in her life, and that person was the boy who would become her future husband. It felt almost unnatural to see her brandishing out this type of attention to one she usually held so high in regard. It felt as though Hermione was watching the shifting of pedestals, Severus's had just been knocked down a notch, and she could only wonder when James Potter's would be raised one.
Severus floundered for a few seconds and in that time Lily Evans stood up and grabbed the hand of her twin.
"C'mon Mione, we don't need to listen to this," she said, and Hermione followed behind her sister, too flabbergasted to say anything in reply.
Before they could reach the door, however, Severus called desperately after them, "Wait!"
Lily turned around, hands on her hips. "Yes?"
"I'm sorry," he said, head bowed, "I'll let it drop, okay, just please don't leave. I've missed you."
He mumbled the last part, but nevertheless, it was enough to cause the softening of Lily's eyes.
"Alright, fine. I've missed you too. Maybe next summer you'll think twice about wasting your time researching pointless theories."
And with that, everything returned to how it had been only minutes before.
The beginning of the year carried on and Hermione still had yet to venture into the Chamber of Secrets. It was just that she wanted to be absolutely certain she had everything painfully planned out to the last second. If anything, anything went wrong, it could very well have fatal consequences and Hermione wasn't interested in dying again so soon. In the meantime, she was trying once again to juggle her classes with researching. What was wrong with her? Why did she always have to have good marks? Did it really matter? But the thought of not getting good grades was a cause for great anxiety. If she really was to fix the world in this timeline, then she would most likely remain in this new identity, which meant she still had to worry about her own future as well.
Not only did she have to worry about her own studies, but she had to worry about her friends' as well. Seeing as Marlene had finally made the quidditch team this year as a chaser along side James Potter and the 5th year prefect, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and was therefore too busy to worry over her own. Hermione couldn't help but feel exasperated by her friend's nonchalance. Lucky for her, however, Dorcas was more than willing to check over Marlene's essays and assist her in her workload. Hermione, once again, found herself grateful that she finally had at least some friends who cared as much about their studies as she did.
With most of Hermione's time monopolized by school things, she had taken to borrowing books from the library in bulk as the librarian had begun to get short with her whenever she attempted to stay only a tad pasting closing hours. Yes, during most breaks and even during breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Hermione could be found with her nose shoved in a book that had not even the slightest to do with her actual school work.
Like during Wednesday, at breakfast, Hermione who had arrived later than normal, had missed her friends and sat with the only other familiar face, Remus Lupin. She had come to regret her decision when Remus's other friends arrived and their loud discussion made it near impossible to focus on her reading. After yet another obnoxiously loud bout of laughter from the group, Hermione couldn't help but let out a small sigh of aggravation.
"If you want us to be quiet, other Evans, you just have to ask," it was Sirius who spoke up.
Hermione looked up, startled he had addressed her. Sirius had grown taller over the summer, his handsome features beginning to become more defined. Hermione hated the fact that she noticed this. In her other life, Sirius had been handsome, (when he wasn't on the run that is and had access to a toothbrush), but in a hallowing sort of way. Here, his features were aglow with his youth and carelessness, alight in the company of his friends. But in her other life, his isolation and bitterness dimmed the light in his eyes, Hermione felt her heart give way at the memory.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" Sirius, who only moments before, had a look on his face of taunting amusement, now had only a look of calculation, as though she were an enigma he couldn't quite solve.
"I'm not," she said, rushing to fix her mistake, "I just shouldn't have to ask you to be quiet, you know. It's basic human decency which apparently you lot don't have."
"Shame, have we run out again? Sirius, I thought I told you to pick some more up at the store," James quipped.
Peter was the only one who laughed, however, for Sirius was still watching Hermione with skeptical eyes and she had to quickly avert her own to her book so she wouldn't give herself away. Before he could say anything more, an owl swooped down and plopped itself in front of Sirius. It carried a brown box with a letter attached. Sirius took it with an air of reluctance.
"Who's that from?" Peter asked.
"Good old mum and dad," he said with a sardonic laugh. Hermione was yet again reminded of another Sirius she had known before. "It's a birthday present. Apparently mum has forgotten she gave birth to me on the third of November not the tenth." He opened the letter first.
"The usual?" James asked, looking over Sirius's shoulder to read.
"I'm surprised this isn't addressed to Regulus, seeing as he's all they've written about. We are just so proud of Regulus upholding the family honor by his sorting into Slytherin, we only wish the old could learn from the example of the young," Sirius read in a voice of pompous mocking.
James made a retching noise into his oatmeal while Remus shook his head. With a little flick of his hand, Sirius lit a small flame at the end of his wand in which he watched the letter from his parents burn with little remorse.
"But what's in the package?" Peter asked.
"Why should I care?" Sirius said savagely in return, causing Peter to flinch.
He threw it across the table and it landed in the lap of Hermione, the lid coming off in its flight. Hermione stared at Sirius's birthday gift upon her lap, transfixed by the gleaming silver. She brought it up to the light and saw that it was a small knife, hardly five inches long with a dark hilt enshrined with the Black family crest.
Sirius scoffed at the object in Hermione's hands. "What am I supposed to do with a knife?" he asked incredulously.
"Cut things?" Peter offered weakly.
"Sirius . . ." Hermione began cautiously, heart beating erratically with reckless hope, "this isn't goblin-wrought silver, is it?"
"Yeah, it is actually. They wouldn't be upholding the family honor if every object they owned wasn't. You can keep it if you want," he said, meaning it as a joke, unaware of just how useful Hermione would truly find it, "Use it to butter your toast."
Hermione couldn't believe a weapon made of goblin-wrought silver, a tool essential to destroying horcruxes, had quite literally fallen into her lap just like that. She couldn't thank the universe enough. Whether intentional or not, it has just given her to key to bringing about the downfall of Voldemort. There were no longer any apprehensions she reserved of venturing into the Chamber of Secrets. On the contrary, she was so excited by her find that she wanted to go down into the Chamber of Secrets that very moment and extract the venom. But she would have to hold off until the cover of nightfall left the castle corridors deserted and safe to travel by undetected. She was going to have to use a disillusionment charm, just in case there were any others wandering the halls at night (her concerns mainly due to the Marauders). She also had prepared protective gloves so that she herself wouldn't be in danger of being in contact with the venom. Everything was meticulously planned out and Hermione was ready to create her weapon.
A week had passed before she began her journey. It was near midnight, she had laid in her bed, the shades drawn, and awaited for her friends' breathing to deepen and their snores to sound. Without further ado, she carefully crept down into the deserted common room and out of the portrait of the fat lady who did not take well to be wakened. She silently made her way down the stairs before performing the disillusionment charm and watched as her body faded into the castle's scenery.
She was careful to quiet her footsteps as she carried on to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Hermione prayed Moaning Myrtle had taken to other haunts this evening, but as she cautiously opened the door she heard a shrill, "Who's there?".
Hermione hardly breathed, frozen in her spot. She couldn't turn back now, but how was she supposed to continue on without alerting Myrtle? Although Myrtle had held witness to Harry's many adventures in the past, Hermione believed her mission too sensitive to even allow a soul, living or dead, to know. The magic that had brought her back was a magic she did not know, not even through her many researching. It was practically unheard of and she was certain the magical community would not allow her to live in peace if they learned of her miracle.
A few more seconds of silence and Hermione heard, "Peeves if that's you I swear!", and suddenly, she was struck with a wicked idea. She pressed her nails against the door and allowed them to scrape along the wood, causing an awful screeching noise to echo through the bathroom. It was enough to send chills down her own spine.
"Peeves?" Moaning Myrtle called again, voice less confident than before.
Hermione then moved towards the sink and turned each one on, one by one, aside the one that did not work. Moaning Myrtle appeared highly distraught as she began to sob.
"W-Whoever you are, l-leave, I-I-I mean it!" Myrtle cried.
Hermione needed only to shout the words, "get out!" in the most sinister, ghostly voice she could muster to send Myrtle floating out the door. With a triumphant smile, Hermione continued on with her plan, turning off the sinks, and focusing upon the one that hadn't turned on in the first place. She whispered the word, "open," in the strange hissing language of Parseltongue that she had been practicing these past few years and was delighted to watch the sink disappear and for the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets to appear in its place.
At once, so she didn't allow herself the chance to second guess her endeavors, Hermione propelled herself forward and slid down the exposed pipe. It was dark, so entirely dark that Hermione feared she was going blind. All she could feel was the grime of the pipe scrape along her body which was not at all a comforting sensation. After many twists and turns, Hermione's descent began to slow as the end of the tunnel was in sight. Before she could brace herself, however, she was shot out onto the damp floor of the Chamber of Secrets and pushed herself up with a soft groan. Although she were invisible, grime covered her body so that is gave her phantom look, the shape of a body outlined in dirt. She cursed. She was going to have to use a cleaning charm to fix that.
Down here, the dark still served as an oppressor and so she had to light her wand to guide her way. She couldn't fight the shivers running down her spine as she continued down the long corridor. This place was nothing short of haunting. Its ominous passageway decorated with a long snake skin was only a hint to the monster hidden within, slumbering, awaiting the day in which it may be awoken to hunt for tainted blood. Hermione hated to think that she was bringing its meal right to it. Why couldn't there be an easier way to destroying a horcrux? Why did everything have to be so difficult?
It wasn't long before she had reached the statue, the carving of an enormous stone man. This is where Harry had said the basilisk had come from, right out of the opening of the mouth. Hermione knew would she had to do. She hissed the word of "open," once more and watched as the mouth widened to allow her entrance. Her heart crept up to her throat, beating against its new found cage and making it difficult for Hermione to breathe. It's asleep, it's asleep, but even this mantra wasn't enough to comfort her. She closed her eyes. This is the only way to stop him. And with that, she pushed herself up and began to to search the slithering pipes for the creature's resting place.
For a few moments that felt like hours, there was nothing. There was only the sound of her heart beat and her echoing footsteps. But then she saw it and she had to clamp her hand over her mouth to stop the scream. Its head rested along the pipe, its long slithering body hidden from behind. Its eyes were shut tight, its dark green skin reflecting off the light of her wand. Carefully, she crept towards it. She feared the moment it would awaken to the sound of her presence and kill her with only the glow of its eyes, but the moment never came and so she was able to approach its monstrous mouth with ease.
With a brief calming breath, Hermione found the slit along the face in which the mouth resided and lifted the top lip, exposing its fangs. Please stay asleep, please stay asleep. Cautiously, she tapped her wand to the roof of the mouth and whispered, "accio venom". She hadn't known what she was expecting to happen, honestly. She truly hadn't expected it to work, but by some trick, as she began to pull her wand away from the mouth, a thick black liquid carried along like a string tied to the tip of the wand. She quickly brought out a phial to capture the substance. All the while, the beast lay slumbering entirely unaware of what Hermione was doing.
Her legs were shaking terribly when she extracted herself from beside the basilisk. Perhaps the fates truly were in her favor for the odds of that working were highly unlikely. She couldn't believe it. She felt as though she were on the Knight Bus, obstacles and dangers jumping out her way rather than her having to sidestep them herself. Carefully, she walked out the way she came and out of the stone statue. Her shaking feet landed with a soft loud, echoing out through the corridor. Deciding this place was secure enough to apply the venom to Sirius's knife, Hermione took it from her pocket and carefully dribbled the black substance upon it. Like water to a sponge, the venom was successively absorbed by the knife. Hermione sighed with disbelieving relieve.
By the time she reached the girl's bathroom, Moaning Myrtle was back. However, at the sight of a grime encrusted blank space, she subsequently fled sobbing. Hermione couldn't help her laughter. With a quick charm, she divulged her body of all dirt and headed out the corridor, giddier than when she received house points in class for answering a question correctly.
In order to reward herself for having created a weapon, Hermione decided to take it easy on herself for the remainder of the year. There would be no more extensive planning, she was only to enjoy her time as though she were a normal thirteen year old attending a perfectly ordinary third year at Hogwarts. This meant no unnecessary trips to the library, her many checked out books having been returned. She focused on her classes, attended Quidditch games and cheered her lungs out when Marlene scored, and even ventured out to the village of Hogsmeade with her friends when they were given leave to. Hermione found she was the happiest she had been in a very long time, and it was a truly wonderful feeling.
This Hogsmeade trip landed only weeks before the winter holiday, the girls racing through the grounds to the village as the flurries of snow began to descend upon them. It was so terribly cold, they wore layers upon layers and had their scarves wrapped up to their noses, but even the cold wasn't enough to dampen Hermione's spirits. She was here, with her wonderful friends, and they were laughing as Marlene had scooped up a snowball to pelt at the passing James Potter who had already began to scoop up his own in retaliation. Hermione and the other girls had to dodge into the nearest shop just to avoid being caught in the crossfire.
Once they loaded up on sweets from Honeydukes and had gone to observe the many flutterings of owls within the post office, they arrived to the Three Broomsticks to have themselves a couple of butter beers.
"Oi Rosmerta!" Marlene called as they took their seats, "You lovely thing, would you be a dear and get us four butter beers?"
Rosmerta turned and Hermione was astounded by just how much younger she looked. She appeared to be hardly over 20 and had long beautiful blonde hair swept into a ponytail and her face was quite line-less. She wasn't as plump either, but still had the curves many of the boys had fawned over, including Ron. Rosmerta looked on Marlene with a smile.
"Anything for my favorite girl," she said and turned to the bar to produce the drinks.
Marlene winked at her once she returned with four sloshing cups of butter beer.
"Is anything better than this?" Marlene began, "Enjoying a couple of butter beers with my best friends after a Gryffindor win over Slytherin."
"A match in which you scored 60 points," Dorcas added and Marlene gave her a clap on the shoulder, causing her cheeks to become a tinted pink.
"Oh Dorcas, good thing I have you to boost my ego," Marlene said.
"As if you need it," Lily snorted, receiving a kick from Marlene.
Hermione couldn't help but smile upon her friends. She was glad that at least for the time being, she didn't have to worry about which horcrux was where or about large killer snakes living in the pipes of Hogwarts. No, in this moment, she could let go and let herself live, to be here with her friends and truly enjoy it. There really was nothing better. At the thought, she found tears pricking in her eyes.
"Everything alright, Hermione?" Dorcas asked, having noticed.
"Yes, yes, of course," Hermione said at once, trying to hide her face, "I'm just going to pop into the bathroom, be right back."
As she walked away, she heard Marlene say, "poor girl, can't handle her drinks."
She stepped into the bathroom, happy to find it unoccupied. Turning to the mirror, she took in her reflection. Her red hair, bushy as ever, framed her slightly freckled face. It was a pity to have to go through puberty again, but she was happy to find she was beginning to look older. Her chubby cheeks had left, giving way to high cheek bones and a strong chin. She was only slightly taller though, which was a bit upsetting, but at least her body was starting to take some shape. As she gazed into her deep brown eyes through the mirror, she found herself saying, "Get it together".
"That's right, dear, you've got this," the mirror replied.
Hermione thanked the mirror before leaving the bathroom. As she was about to push through the crowded pub, she heard whispered conversations that caught her attention. Outside the boys bathroom, near a secluded crevice, she caught sight of both Black brothers who seemed to be in entered in a heated conversation. Curiosity got the better of her and she hid behind a decorative Christmas tree a couple feet away.
Sirius's was the voice she could decipher saying, "I don't know what you think you're doing, hanging around that greasy git Snivellus and his little henchmen but--"
"They're my friends, Sirius," Regulus bit back.
"Friends, Yeah? What do you lot do your free time, then? Hang around writing love notes to your pal, Voldy."
"Don't you dare say his name!" Regulus hissed.
"Why not? I'm not afraid of him," Sirius said, which Hermione thought was pretty bold for a fourteen year old.
"You should be," Regulus's voice was quieter now, she had to strain to hear.
"And why's that, Reggy?" Sirius asked, bemused.
"Because-- Because-- Oh, because you're a blood traitor!" He exclaimed.
Sirius let out a humorless laugh. "You're starting to sound like mum, Reg. Next you'll be telling me I'm a stain on the family tree."
"She's not wrong," Regulus muttered.
"What was that? I'm afraid you're going to have to speak up."
"I said she's not wrong! Look at who you hang out with! The Potter boy comes from a whole family of blood traitors and don't think I don't see you hanging around that mudblood girl, Hermy-one or whatever her name is."
Hermione's heart thudded. He was talking about her. So Severus wasn't the only who had noticed Hermione hanging around the boys. Maybe she was spending a bit of time around them, but it was just for Remus of course.
"Don't," Sirius said in a low threatening voice, "call her that."
"Well it's true, she is a mudblood and if mum knew-- stop pointing that at me!" Regulus cried and Hermione could only assume Sirius had taken his wand out.
"I'm trying to knock some sense into that thick head of yours, Reg. Don't you get it yet? You don't have to listen to mum and dad, they've got it wrong! That whole pure blood business is rubbish, we're no better just because we've got a pretentious little family motto. I'm your brother, Reg, I'm trying to look out for you," Sirius implored.
"If that's what you think Sirius, then you're no brother of mine. Why don't you run away if you hate mum and dad so much? We don't want you around anyway. Our lives would be much better without a blood traitor in them."
These were the last words of Sirius's little brother as he stormed out of the Three Broomsticks, not even noticing Hermione hiding behind the tree. It only took a few more seconds for Sirius to do the same. She just caught the white, stricken expression across his face as he turned the corner and headed towards the door.
For a few moments Hermione stood, mind racing with the conversation she had just heard. Little did Regulus know, his older brother would run away in a few years and it wasn't difficult to see why. Hermione found herself feeling bad for Sirius. He annoyed her, yes, but she didn't actually hate him. And to think, he had to call home a place where he faced animosity at every corner. She remembered him in his older years, locked away in that very home, and she found herself understanding the older Sirius's behavior just a little bit.
She walked back to the girl's tables and they all looked surprised to see her.
"There you are, Hermione, you've been ages," Lily said.
"Yeah, I've been looking for my purse," Hermione replied, quickly coming up with a lie, "I think I've left it in Honeydukes, I'm going to go back to check."
"Looking for your purse? I thought you were just in the bathroom?" Mary questioned.
"Yeah, I realized I lost it in the bathroom. Listen, I'll catch you guys later," she said, turning away before they could further question her behavior. She was even questioning her own behavior. Why on earth she was going after Sirius, she hadn't the slightest clue.
When she stepped out into the snowy streets, she was glad to see most people had evacuated them to take cover from the cold. It made it easier to discern Sirius. She found his familiar dark hair bouncing along the way to the Shrieking Shack. She hurried her movements in order to keep up with him, but his longer legs took the lead as she was left huffing far behind.
He finally stopped just outside the shack, his elbows coming to rest along the rickety fence as he bowed his head. Hermione crept carefully and quietly behind. Now that she was here, she hadn't the slightest clue what to say. Maybe she should cut her losses and turn around. Just as she was contemplating it, however, Sirius, who must have been alerted to her presence by the sound of her footsteps, whipped around. Hermione froze, unsure what to do now.
"Following me, other Evans?" He attempted his usual humor although she could see his eyes were a bit bloodshot.
"No," Hermione replied without her usual tone of annoyance she saved just for him, "I was just coming to see the Shrieking Shack, that's all."
He raised an eyebrow. "All on your own?"
She felt her cheeks prick pink. "My friends didn't want to come in the snow."
His eyebrow remained raised. Nevertheless, messing with Hermione seemed to improve his mood. For his eyes had returned to their usual brightness.
"It's alright, other Evans, I've known for a while you fancy me."
Hermione couldn't help herself from rolling her eyes. "Fine, you've caught me. I am madly in love with you, Sirius Black. I would love nothing more than to have your babies," she deadpanned.
Sirius stood still for a moment, dumfounded, and then with a start, he threw his head back with his signature bark of laughter. The sight made Hermione's heart jump. She was just happy to see he was feeling better, that's all.
"She confesses," he said, speaking to the wind, "oh, did my heart love till now?"
"You know Shakespeare?" Hermione asked, surprised.
"Course I do," he replied, "what do you think we learn in Muggle Studies, the function of a rubber duck?"
"You take Muggle Studies?"
"Course I do. Wow Hermione, you really don't know me at all, do you?"
Hermione found herself smiling at him. No, she didn't, she really didn't. But finding out Sirius took Muggle Studies and knew Romeo and Juliet enough to actually quote it, caused him to fall under a new light in her mind. He was neither the annoying friend of Remus nor the reckless godfather of Harry. He was Sirius, a teenage boy who came from a pure-blood mania family but who reads Shakespeare and still stuck up for her when she was being called a mudblood by his own brother.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" He asked.
She continued smiling at him although her cheeks were now pink once again. "You just surprise me, that's all," she said.
"Ah," he mused, "not just the dumb pretty boy you thought I was, hmm? You've realized I'm actually a clever pretty boy."
"Never mind," Hermione said, "you're still the same."
Sirius let out another bark of laughter. "I'm glad to see you've finally got a sense of humor. James and I are starting to rub off on you."
"I don't spend that much time with you guys. I don't know why everyone thinks I do."
"Says the girl who just followed me to the Shrieking Shack," Sirius retorted.
Hermione's cheeks burned. "I wasn't following!"
He laughed once more and threw a hand over her shoulder. "Sure you weren't, Hermione, sure. Now come on, just accept that we're friends so we can go meet James in Zonko's because I'm cold."
Any attempts to argue were futile for Sirius was already dragging her along the path. "Fine," she conceded, "just don't let my other friends see because I sort of ditched them for you." And then she froze, realizing her mistake. Lucky for her, Sirius found it funnier than he found it odd.
"Ah, other Evans, so you do fancy me."
And thus began their infuriating game all over again, Sirius claiming Hermione was in love with him and Hermione fiercely denying it, all the way to Zonko's and all the way back to the castle.
The snow came and went. The spring arrived with a flourish of heavy rains and muddy grounds in which they had to trudge through to get to their classes. All was going well for Hermione, she had her weapon safely hidden in her trunk, she was getting top marks in all her classes, and she had finally accepted her friendship with the Marauders. Although this acceptance came with great reluctance and backlash from her other friends. Marlene didn't mind much, after all she was friends with James Potter due to Quidditch. Mary, who hadn't hated the boys to begin with, didn't mind either and neither did Dorcas, who said she didn't know enough about them to care. It was Lily and Severus, however, that had a lot to say on the matter.
"How?" Severus asked, "How can you be friends with them?
They were sitting underneath the tree during an uncharacteristically warm spring day. Hermione was simply trying to finish her Potions essay in peace, but Severus kept pestering her.
"I don't know, Sev," she said, "How can you be friends with Avery and Mulciber?"
"Don't turn this around on me!" Severus exclaimed, "Lily agrees with me, don't you Lily?"
Lily looked up from her own Potions essay. "Well Remus is fine--" Severus gave her an exasperated look "--but James and Sirius are detestable, yes."
Hermione, sad to find her twin wasn't on her side, was now the one to give Lily an exasperated look.
"Don't look at me like that Mione, you know I don't like them. You're free to be friends with who you want, but I agree with Severus on the matter."
Hermione put down her quill. "They're not so bad, once you get to know them," she attempted to defend herself.
Severus choked. "You're just like everyone else. James scores a few goals in quidditch and suddenly everyone adores him."
"I don't like him because of quidditch," Hermione snorted, "I could care less for quidditch!"
"Then why? Why?"
She was surprised to find she couldn't tell him why. Ever since she had gone after Sirius on that snowy Hogsmeade visit, she had begun to seek him out more, even without Remus around. And as usual, when she went to find him, he was with James and she found she didn't mind James either. There was a small part of her that knew it was because she missed Ron and Harry. It was funny. When she was friends with Ron and Harry, she longed for a close friendship with another girl, just to know what that was like. Now that she had it, she longed for her old dynamic. Although being friends with James and Sirius was nothing like being friends with Ron and Harry, it was still a comfort. And it certainly didn't hurt that James looked just like Harry and even acted a bit like him at times.
"Because Severus, I get that you have this whole rivalry with them, but--"
"Exactly!" He cut her off, "if you know I don't like them then how can you be friends with them!"
"Because they let me finish my sentences unlike you," Hermione huffed.
Severus scowled. "Fine, continue."
"But, you don't know them beyond that. You guys have hated each other ever since a meeting on the Hogwarts express at the ages of 11, when you all hardly knew anything about each other other than what houses you wanted to be in. If you guys had met under different circumstances, maybe you wouldn't have hated each other. It's just these prejudices over houses, that's all. James and Sirius are more than that meeting on the Hogwarts express, Sev, and so are you."
Hermione finished to find Lily watching her with a peculiar expression on her face. Severus, however, did not appear moved in the slightest.
"That's great Hermione, you should put that in a book and call it, I'm a Traitorous Friend."
"Okay, now you're just being dramatic," Hermione said, rolling her eyes.
"No! I'm not! And if you were my friend you wouldn't be friends with them!
"What are you trying to say?"
"I'm saying that if you don't stop talking to them, I'll stop talking to you!"
"Sev!" Lily butted in, "Don't say things like that!"
But he was already storming off and Hermione wasn't bothering to go after him. She was so mad she could punch him. Who was he to give her ultimatums? He had hardly been a friend to her all year. Whenever he saw her, he simply complained about her being seen around James and his friends. She had have a mind to be the one to stop talking to him. But then she remembered how fatal those consequences would be. If she didn't attempt to steer him in the right path, he was going to become a death eater and unbeknownst to him, cause the deaths of Lily and James. However, as Hermione went to get up, Lily beat her to the chase.
"I'll go after him," Lily said to her twin, "Just please, if you don't want to stop being friends with James and Sirius at least try not to make it as obvious, will you?"
Hermione was hurt to be on the receiving end of her sister's wit. She nodded, unable to find the words to say, and watched as her sister ran after Severus.
And for the the rest of the year, Hermione kept to her promise. She didn't exactly stop being friends with James and Sirius, but she didn't spend as much time with them in the open as she once did. Most of the time she spent with them was in the Gryffindor common room, sitting on the couch with Remus as he read, and watching with Peter while James and Sirius played chess. And then in the open, she would be with her other friends, studying with Dorcas in the library, or talking with Lily and Mary in the halls, or snorting out her drink due to one of Marlene's jokes at dinner.
Severus, who hadn't seen Hermione with James and Sirius in months, was sufficiently satisfied. Thus, Hermione's third year at Hogwarts came to a peaceful close. It was only as the train ride took her away from the towering fortress that she realized just how much time she had wasted. She still had horcruxes to destroy and an evil dark lord to overthrow. And as she turned to the laughing faces of her friends within the compartment, she remembered just what she was fighting for.