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Sands of Destiny	By : amidtheflowers Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Sirius/Hermione Views: 8603 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 3
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and its respective characters belong to J.K. Rowling. This plot line, however, belongs to me. No money or profit are made from writing this fanfiction.

Chapter List
- 5
- 6
- 7
Chapter Six

The Letter

In just one moment, everything in Hermione's mind stopped.

Slowly lifting her head off of Remus's shoulder, she stared in mortification when she spotted the rectangular picture frame in his hands. It was the one she saw earlier, with her, Harry, Ron…and apparently, Remus as well.

Her eyes slid to Remus's face. His expression was carefully composed, but she knew inside he was in complete turmoil.

Why hadn't she noticed it before? She knew exactly the day, when the four of them smiled precariously, knowing that the cheerful moment would not last for the days to come.

Why did she have to come here with Remus? She should have just told him to leave her behind; she could have avoided this.

And yet, here she was.

Her throat went dry. "I…I'm not sure," she said shakily. "I don't really recognize that picture."

Her mind began working again, and when it did it was racing. Room of Requirement. Fit to one's needs. Requirement. Change. "It…it was probably the room. You were comforting me, and it probably just added you with my friends."

Remus stared at her for a long moment, then back at the picture. Slowly he set it back at the table, his eyes still frozen on it. "The room can do that?"

Hermione suppressed a shaky breath. "I guess it can."

He paused for a moment. "I look older."

Hermione bit her lip, wanting to destroy the Room for being so precise in its detail of Ron's living room. She attempted a small smile. "You always come off older than you look, Remus. That's just my brain relaying it in the Room."

His look of apprehension did not fade, and Hermione knew that if she did not show him proof he would not be convinced. Leaning over, she grasped the frame and stared at it, concentrating and praying what she did would work.

The picture began to transform as she demanded something new from the Room of Requirement. Remus watched her carefully as her eyes narrowed in concentration. She let out a small sigh and her face brightened.

She handed over the picture frame, and he turned it over. His eyes widened and he let out a loose laugh, a mixture of confusion and genuine mirth.

On the frame was Dumbledore dressed in a very exquisitely decorated dress robe, with ruffles and sequin and a shocking pink color all throughout. "I see," Remus smiled and then set the frame back on the table.

Hermione sagged inwardly in relief. A possibly fatal mistake was averted. In her vulnerable mindset she had almost given away that she was not from this time, and by some stroke of luck Remus believed her.

Deep inside, she knew that she could not keep this secret forever. If she was true to herself, Hermione knew that she could not do this on her own, and eventually she would tell Remus who she was. But right now was not the time to dump all her problems onto a couple of fifteen-year-olds. At least, not until she found a way to destroy the horcruxes without the sword of Gryffindor.

Hermione remained in deep thought, long enough that Remus patted her shoulder gently to snap her from her reverie. "Are you feeling a bit better now?" he said with a questioning look.

She pushed wild strands of hair away from her face and swiped her hands against her cheeks, trying to remove the remnants of her mental breakdown, and nodded.

"Do you want to get something to eat?"

Hermione was about to decline when she realized that she was indeed hungry, and the time spent in Hogsmeade as well as crying in the Room of Requirement had built an extremely strong appetite inside of her. She nodded again, and Remus stood up and straightened his clothes before holding out his hand. She took it and his fingers closed around hers gently, giving her a reassuring smile.

They walked back to the Great Hall and lunch was just about to start. She sat down heavily against the bench and grabbed a sandwich that materialized on a silver plate in front of her, taking a generous bite.

Remus took his goblet and raised his eyebrows, clearly amused how it filled even though lunch had not begun, and drank deeply.

He set the goblet down and sighed, then stretched out his arms above his head. Hermione watched him yawn a bit, then run a hand through his sandy hair and shake the tiredness from his head.

She didn't even know when she started smiling until Remus gave her a curious look. "What?"

The smile vanished. "Nothing," she said quickly. "Just that…you look so young."

He chuckled lightly, looking adorably puzzled. "What else am I supposed to look like?"

Hermione wondered if he ever could imagine his life twenty years from now. How his boyish looks would fade much faster than normal, how the hardships in his life would force him to grow up quickly.

She shrugged, taking a liberal bite from the sandwich. "I don't know…I'm just more accustomed to serious-Remus, not normal-Remus, I suppose."

He gave her a withering look and rolled his eyes, which quickly lighted with relief when the tables in the Great Hall were finally filled with heaping amounts of food. "Contrary to popular belief, Miss Hermione," Remus said with a quirk of a brow as he piled his plate, "I am not as serious as you think."

Hermione raised a brow. "Oh? Are you a closet rule-breaker, Mr. Lupin?"

He gave a secretive smirk, and Hermione knew his mind was thinking of his Marauder adventures. "You'll never know, now will you?"

He watched her for a few more moments as she continued to chew thoughtfully. His eyes flickered over her before he spoke again. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," she replied.

"What's going on between you and Sirius?"

She stopped mid-chew. Swallowing hard, she set the remainder of her sandwich back down onto the plate. "I'm not sure what you mean."

Remus sighed, finding difficulty in choosing the right words. "It's just…I've never seen him like this. He's so riled up, never staying still…"

"Isn't he always like that?"

He smiled painfully. "Well yes. But ever since…" his voice trailed and his eyes flickered up at hers hesitantly, "this year started, everything about him's intensified. It's like he can't stay put, something's always churning in that deviant little mind of his…I mean, he hasn't been this way since the beginning of first year…"

Her eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, since the beginning of first year?"

Remus shrugged. "When school started he was just like this. Temperamental. Ostentatious."

Hermione slouched slightly and sighed. "Remus, I really have no idea what this has to do with me or where this is going."

He looked at her with a little trepidation. "Just—just tell me if you're serious about…Sirius. Oh, don't give that face, it wasn't meant as a joke."

Hermione sobered and sighed again. Was she serious about him? Considering Hermione wasn't exactly the outgoing type when it came to relationships, and the only people she felt attracted to were Victor Krum and Ron at some point, she was fairly certain that any feeling she would have for the opposite sex wasn't just on a whim, and Sirius was definitely included in this. The highly logical part of Hermione's brain, however, knew that harboring feelings for the Black heir would more than likely lead to an unpleasant ending…though she was not a hundred percent sure how or why.

But her focus right now should not be on hormones and kisses and stolen glances through heavily lidded eyes…

Hermione looked up resignedly. "Look, Remus. I understand that he's your best friend, but you cannot deny he was a complete arse today, as well as yesterday." Remus quirked a brow at this.

It was then that Hermione realized he had no idea about the encounter she had with both Sirius and Regulus, or the midnight trip she made to Sirius's four-poster bed last night. She assumed he would have told him everything by now.

Hermione continued, a little more unsteadily, "And while…I may have felt some serious things for him—and I still do, if I am honest with myself…" she breathed in deeply, glancing at him with apprehension, more to what she was about to admit to herself than of Remus's reaction. "I don't think I'm ready for this right now."

She glanced at him uncertainly, but was surprised to see his expression as calm as it was before.

Remus inhaled deeply, then picked up his fork. "Okay."

Hermione blinked. "That's it?"

Remus nodded. "That's it."

"Aren't you going to say something back?" Hermione couldn't help but ask.

Remus shrugged slightly. "I understand Hermione, more than anyone. I know why you wouldn't want to tangle up in a relationship right now, why you can't right now. I get it." Her eyes lowered, knowing he was referring to the incident that 'happened' to her over the summer. His eyes glanced to meet hers briefly. "I also agree that Sirius's behavior towards you today was completely uncalled for. I should mention that we—James, Peter, and I—knew nothing about the girl he was with today…and I'm assuming it was done to spark something inside of you." He gave a smirk. "And spark you did."

Her face heated at the memory of literally punching Sirius and standing face-to-face with him, unafraid that he could easily overpower her any second. Adrenaline clearly did strange and miraculous things to her bravery.

"Well," she muttered, clearly flustered, "some things can't be helped." She pinned Remus with a direct gaze. "And all the more reason to remember that there are other things fifth-years should focus on than snogging."

Remus chuckled, unable to contain the grin. "You are quite the witch, Hermione," Remus said with a shake of his head. "All circumstances aside…I'm very glad someone like you showed up at Hogwarts. I was beginning to think there would be no one else as accepting as you."

Hermione tilted her head slightly. "Remus," she lowered her voice slightly. "Does…does Lily know?"

The smile on Remus's face faltered a little. "No," he said quietly.

Hermione nodded slowly. Remus sighed. "It's not something I tell people at all."

Hermione nodded in understanding, but her eyebrows furrowed when a thought struck her. "But…James and Sirius and—"

"I never told them," he said honestly. "The only ones who knew were Dumbledore and the professors. They figured it out all on their own. I suppose anyone even slightly observant would be able to figure out why I would disappear the night of and after the full moon."

Hermione nodded in agreement. After all, that was exactly what she'd done in her third year when Lupin was her Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.

"Forget I even asked," Hermione said, and resumed eating her sandwich again and effectively dismissing the subject.

Remus slowly began eating again, and soon the pair were both lost in their own thoughts. Remus's were more centered on his lycanthropy, wishing Hermione never had to know the gruesome side of him…whereas Hermione's thoughts halted when she saw a group of cloaked figures laughing and entering the Great Hall.

Hermione easily recognized the grey, steely eyes with hair around his face as Regulus. He was accompanied with his fellow Slytherin friends, snickering at a joke someone had made.

His eyes slid over to Hermione's, the grin freezing in place. She wasn't sure what to expect, so she merely tilted her head.

Regulus then blinked and turned around, deciding the best action was to ignore her.

Hermione sighed. Why did everything she set out to do end up working in the reverse?

"Remus," Hermione asked suddenly. "Can you tell me more about Sirius's brother?"

Remus blinked and then followed Hermione's gaze to where Regulus currently seated. He raised a brow. "It's quite a long and complex story that I'm not sure even I know fully." When Hermione continued to stare at him expectantly, he caved in. "They've been tense around each other since Regulus was sorted into Slytherin. Sirius thinks he's become a traditional Black family clone, mindlessly following their ancestor's footsteps. I think he's being just a tad dramatic about it, if you ask me. Then again, I don't even know the full story."

Hermione frowned. It was odd that Sirius would keep his private life so tightly wound up that he did not even disclose a lot of information to his closest friends in the world. She watched the boys at the Slytherin table thoughtfully. Regulus did not seem the type to follow orders given by his mother and father, very much like Sirius. But it was undeniable that Regulus was enticed by the Dark Arts, especially when she saw the necklace he was fiddling around with the day she met him…

She glanced at Regulus one last time before standing up from the table. "I'm going to go the library," she said, and Remus nodded.

"Do you want me to come with you?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, it's alright. I'll see you in the common room later."

She left the Great Hall quickly, striding down the long stretches of corridors. It was cold, but Hermione steeled herself against it. A lot had happened today, and a lot was churning through her mind. It was time she pushed all other thing aside and focused on the task at hand.

A much younger Madam Prince gave her a calculating glance as Hermione stepped into the library. She knew the place by heart, having walked along the dusty shelves crammed with massive textbooks hundreds of times.

Spotting Regulus in the Great Hall was a wake-up call for her. She had to mentally shake herself to get her mind back on track, for while she may be stuck spending the rest of her life in this era, it did not mean that Hermione should get lost into the drama and forget why she even used the damned red-sanded Time-Turner a few months ago.

…A few months ago?

The realization struck her hard, and she mentally berated herself for getting so caught up in…well, everything. But what the hell was she supposed to do? Yes, she found one of Voldemort's horcruxes, but she had no means of destroying it yet. There were still six others out there, and that was only if Voldemort had actually made them all yet. But it would be wiser to begin searching and destroying now, and be ahead of the game. It was the most effective move she could play, but not one she was certain was going to be as easy said as done.

She had also set her aspiration to become an Animagus on the back burner. It could be extremely useful, especially if she was in a tight situation and needed a quick escape. Transfiguring oneself into an animal counterpart would prove effective on more than one occasion. If she remembered well, the way Sirius had escaped when imprisoned in Azkaban was transforming into a black dog and slipping through the bars.

Hermione realized going to the library was useless at the moment. She needed to read about Horcruxes, and if even Tom bloody Riddle had some difficulty researching it thirty years ago, she doubted it would be any easier right now.

She sighed and leaned against a book shelf. She would need to go to the restricted section, if anything. She supposed a Disillusionment charm would suffice, but it was times like these that she sorely wished the Invisibility cloak she was positive James Potter had in his possession was at her disposal.

She snorted at the thought of asking him to borrow it for the night. The fact that she even knew James had one would dump her in a thick situation.

Blowing a wisp of hair out of her eyes, Hermione sighed and decided to research transfiguration instead, not wishing to return to the common room just yet. Though she already knew quite a lot about Animagi, especially after having six years of Transfiguration with McGonagall, it never hurt to brush up on the details. And if she was going to breach the subject of actually transforming herself into a creature, she felt much safer knowing every possible thing about it first.

As she perused the shelves, the stack of books in her arms began piling up until the last book created a wobbly tower that reached up to her nose. Struggling heavily, she managed to reach a table in the corner of the library and dumped the old texts from her arms. She massaged her arms a bit after relieving herself of the heavy strain, wincing at the deep indents made in her skin from the leather bindings of the books.

Hermione sat down quietly, staring at the mass of parchment before her. Taking a breath, she grasped one and began to read.

xxx

Remus was just about to walk up to the boys' dormitory when the common room's portrait hole swung open and students began pouring inside.

He was greeted by several fellow Gryffindors, a few younger ones braving to talk to his fifth-year self. What he really wanted to do was escape the irritatingly loud noise and retreat to his four-poster for a much needed nap, but the moment he spotted James, Sirius, Lily, and Peter, he knew it was a wistful dream.

Sirius did not look so much angry as generally pissed off at whatever breathed in his direction. James looked slightly annoyed but a refreshing smile lit his face when saw Remus, and Peter looked like…well, Peter.

Lily was the first to come up to him. Her cheeks were tinged pink, undoubtedly from the frosty air outside. "Is Hermione upstairs?" she inquired.

Remus shook his head. "No, I don't think so. She said she wanted to go to the library."

Lily smiled in thanks and headed back for the portrait hole.

"Wheedled your way out of staying in Hogsmeade, did you, Moony?" James smiled as he came up next to Remus.

He shrugged, walking over to a stuffed armchair and sinking down tiredly. "It wasn't like I wanted to, mind you. I was a bit occupied."

A snort came from Sirius's direction, who also had decided to sit nearby. "That's a funny way of putting it, Remus," Sirius said mockingly

"Oh shut it, you great prune," James snapped with surprisingly genuine irritation. "Because of your little act we're thrown out from half of Hogsmeade's shops indefinitely."

"What happened?" Remus asked, his curiosity sparked.

It was Peter who gave the stiff reply. "Sirius decided it would be fun to turn the windows of each shop into caramel," he said dryly. "We're not allowed in Madame Puddifoots, Zonko's, and Honeydukes for a very long time."

"I personally though Zonko's of all places would've had a laugh at the caramel stint," said James somberly. "But I guess when everybody started eating the store they were a bit angry…"

"They're tossers," Sirius glowered, "and if they can't have a laugh a bit of harmless magic, we don't need to be in those shops anyway."

"What I still don't get is why you felt the compulsion to turn the stores into an afternoon dessert," said James. He stared at Sirius intently.

Sirius looked up and glanced around, noticed all three of his friends staring at him expectantly. "Oh come off it," he snapped. "We're bloody Marauders, we do this all the time."

"Not usually in fits of rage, though," said Peter quietly.

"He's got a point, Padfoot," said James.

Sirius huffed and seeing he would be getting no sympathy from the two, he turned to Remus. Remus merely frowned and looked down at his folded hands. Sirius's expression turned sour.

"What the fuck is this, an intervention?" Sirius glared and stood up from his seat. "I was bored, the end. Why is this such a big deal?"

James stood up. "Because ever since this year started, you haven't been the same," he said, standing in front of him until they were a foot away. "And we're just trying to keep up, Pads. One minute you're fine and the next you're snogging little miss bitchfit at Puddifoot's before dumping her and casting hexes at anything that moves."

"Again, how is this not normal for me?"

"I think you know the answer to that question," said Remus quietly. They stared at each other for a long moment, neither willing to back down and neither willing to say aloud what everyone was thinking.

"To hell with you all," said Sirius quietly, and he strode out of the common room and ripped the portrait open and slammed it shut, causing the Fat Lady to let out a string of unladylike words of anger.

James stood for a few more seconds after Sirius's exit, then finally lowered himself onto an armchair. "Shit," he murmured.

"No kidding," Peter said dully.

Remus turned his head towards James, who looked back at him incredulously. "I think that's the first time we've gotten in an argument since…shit, I can't even remember."

Remus nodded, but his mind was going in circles. Was Sirius's behavior really an onset because of Hermione? He could not believe that he would go this outrageous because of a girl. No, surely there was more to this than was being let on…

Suddenly he stood, maneuvering towards the portrait hole.

"Where are you going?" James called.

Remus turned around and shrugged lightly. "For a walk." Without another word, Remus stepped through the hole and swung the portrait open.

"Are you going to slam my frame too?" the Fat Lady said accusingly once he was out of the common room. Remus tilted his head and offered her a polite smile.

"I wouldn't dream of it."

xxx

Hermione was knee-deep in ancient text when a figure plopped down next to her. Hermione jolted slightly, only to sigh and run a hand through her head when the girl next to her began to snicker.

"Don't you have anyone else to terrorize?" groaned Hermione, though if she was honest with herself seeing Lily right now was a very welcome change of scenery.

Lily's bright green eyes glinted against the soft yellow glow of the candles glittering around the room. "Everyone else is far too boring," she replied with a devious smile. "Besides, I'd much rather spend my day in the library reading up on…" her head tilted to read the cover of one of the many books littered across the table. "…The Art of Shape-Shifting," she said dryly. "I'm pretty sure McGonagall didn't assign us anything over our first Hogsmeade weekend."

"I like to be very thorough," was the best she could answer. She couldn't very well tell her that she was researching her own path to becoming an Animagus.

Lily sighed deeply. "So, how come you disappeared so early today? Didn't you have fun at Hogsmeade?"

Hermione suppressed rolling her eyes. Instead, she answered, "I've had better days." Hermione narrowed her eyes shrewdly. "But what of you, Evans? How was your day with the forever elusive potions master?"

Hermione's lips almost quirked at her own words, knowing full well that that title would indeed become Snape's in the years to come.

Lily shrugged. "It was alright."

Hermione stared at her until she finally caved in. "Oh alright! It was nice! Though I still don't see what all the fuss was about, we did exactly the same things we've done any other Hogsmeade trip!" Lily huffed a little. "And plus, Potter and his band of hooligans showed up midway through the trip, so that wasn't exactly a highlight of our day. Did you know Sirius threw a hexing fit all over the shops?"

"What?"

Lily smiled at her aghast expression. "Oh yes, it was quite a sight," she said conversationally. "Turned the shops' windows into fudge. Or was it caramel? The details tend to become fuzzy after a while."

Hermione looked away with a blank sort of expression. "That's…well, creative, I guess," was her only response. Her thoughts were scattered between amused and confused at Sirius's erratic behavior, and she was certain it had some linkage to her.

Lily nodded. "I think that was the first time I saw James seriously irritated," noted Lily with an amused smile. She observed Hermione for a moment before saying, "He also had some girl on his arm, didn't really recognize her though. Looked a bit snobbish, if you ask me."

Hermione shrugged. "Yes I saw her, but not for too long."

Lily sighed and leaned her elbows on the table. "I know you're quite perceptive about things, love, especially when it comes to me and Severus and—unfortunately—me and James," she said his name a little bitterly, as if she didn't want to admit feeling something less than complete aversion to him. "But give me some credit, Hermione. I'm not as dim as you think. I know you two have something going on."

Hermione wanted to groan. Lily was quickly becoming the fast-witted equivalent to Ginny Weasley back in her own time, and while it was extremely flattering to have a friend who knew her well enough to read between the lines, it also became quite troublesome in leading a solitary life.

"I don't know what to say, Lily," Hermione said honestly. "He's being difficult over something stupid, and I don't have the energy to deal with it right now."

"What is he being difficult over?" she inquired.

Hermione shook her head. "He caught me talking with his brother and he hasn't been the same since. I did not realize I was not allowed to speak to certain people," Hermione said bitterly.

"Ah, the mysterious Black junior," Lily nodded. "Yes, they've always had somewhat of a strained relationship from what I've gathered. Never talks about him, except maybe in his first year before Regulus arrived at Hogwarts. I wonder what happened, he's never—"

"Talked about it," Hermione finished for her, and at Lily's nod Hermione sighed again. "I'm not surprised. Anyway, it's not like we were exclusive or anything, so it doesn't even matter. I have a bit more important things to worry about right now."

Lily smiled, but it quickly faded. "You really believe that, don't you?" she asked softly. Hermione was puzzled, but Lily waved her hand. "Well, boys are just too quarrelsome of a subject to think about without getting a headache. I say, off with their heads and more chocolate for us," she grinned, pulling Hermione to her feet and taking her away from the desk.

"Wait, I'm not finished," she protested, looking back forlornly at the pile of books.

"I don't really care," said Lily airily. "It's the weekend and I bought stuff from Hogsmeade that I'm quite sure I won't be able to finish all by myself."

Before they left the library Hermione quickly waved her wand towards the desk she was sitting on and the books rose in the air, flying to their respective bookshelves and tucking neatly onto the shelves.

xxx

Remus felt the chill October air hit him icily, and he crossed his arms across his chest in effort to retain some warmth to his body. It had grown darker outside, and the sky was already glittering a few stars. He climbed up a few steps that led to the top of the Astronomy tower, his eyes moving searchingly for who he was looking for. When he saw a figure leaning across the ledge, he almost smiled.

Remus did not say anything as he slowly made his way next to Sirius. He leaned against the ledge, just as he was. Through the corner of his eye he saw Sirius stiffen next to him, but remained silent.

A puff of smoke passed through Sirius's lips, and Remus raised an eyebrow. "Since when did you start fancying that?"

A smile twitched on Sirius's lips. "Since I started passing off as older than I look in muggle convenience stores." He shook a square pack of cigarettes with a roguish grin. "Got this when I ditched mum at that wizarding convention over the summer. But I told you that already."

"Yes, you did," nodded Remus. "But I didn't think you'd actually start."

Sirius grunted. "I'm turning bloody sixteen in a few weeks anyway, yeah. Might as well try it instead of staring at the damn pack for the next two years."

Sirius brought the white cylinder to his lips again and Remus stared out the tower over to the Hogwarts grounds. He saw the Forbidden forest, the tops of the leaves rustling softly against a gust of wind. All the monsters and creatures and silent predators were carefully stowed inside the vast stretch of wood, and with a glint of irony Remus wondered if sooner or later he would be thrust in there as well.

Remus stared at his folded hands. "Hermione was asking about Regulus today," he said. Sirius made no comment, and exhaled a puff of smoke a little slower than normal.

"Is that so," he said nonchalantly. "What did you say?"

Remus looked over at his friend and shrugged lightly. "What I always say. The question is, where does this involve you?"

A ragged breath escaped Sirius, and his posture deflated against the ledge. He flicked the cigarette down the tower and lowered his head, reaching into his robe pocket.

He held out a letter, and Remus grasped it lightly. Turning it over he saw the Black family crest sealed on the back, though it was already broken. Remus lifted the flap and took out the square of parchment inside.

Sirius watched as Remus's eyes moved carefully over the scripted words, watched as a deep set frown began carving its way on his mouth. Finally he blinked and tucked the letter back inside the envelope, then handed it back to Sirius.

"I see," said Remus quietly.

Sirius nodded, raking a hand tensely through his wavy locks. "I won't go," he said quietly. "I don't—and that little shit struts around here, knowing what's happening—"

"Sirius, he's still young, he's not like them yet," said Remus patiently.

"Like hell he's not!" snapped Sirius. "He's just like mummy dearest, always sticking his nose up in the air. And father just loves him, wishes he was first born—fuck, he can have the damn spot. I want nothing to do with it."

"And you don't have to," said Remus forcefully. Sirius glanced up at him, half with barely repressed frustration and half with hopeless desperation. "You decide how you live your life, Sirius."

A ghost of a smile hinted on Sirius's lips, his eyes staring far off in a distance. "I think someone said that to me before…"

He sighed and stared out across the ledge again. Almost hesitantly, he spoke again. "I know…I know I haven't been the same lately. But at least now you must know why."

Remus nodded, but pinned him with a stern look. "I just don't understand why you kept this from me. From James and Peter. You know we don't keep secrets from each other."

Sirius smiled ironically. "Says the master of secrets himself." Remus glanced away and Sirius sighed. "I can't help it sometimes, mate. I can't force you three to keep me standing all the time. Sometimes…I have to deal with it on my own."

"Is that what you're going to do over the Christmas holidays?" asked Remus, his eyes filled with sadness. "Deal with it on your own?"

Sirius stared at his friend for a long moment. Quietly, he replied, "I have no other choice."

Remus breathed in deeply, glancing away again. His heart pounded heavily in his chest, the weight of a ton of bricks resting on his shoulders, but he knew that it was nothing compared to the weight forced upon Sirius. Clearing his throat, he walked over and slung his arm around Sirius's shoulders. "I don't know about you, but I'm ready to hit the sack now," he began walking towards the stairs, Sirius following him by his side.

"Yeah, I'm pretty knackered," Sirius agreed, yawning wide. They walked in agreeable silence before Sirius broke it, suddenly asking, "Did…did Hermione say anything else?"

Remus gave a sidelong look before shrugging. "Not much, just the usual. You were an arse. She has other things to focus on. Life moves on."

Sirius groaned and Remus chuckled. "I don't even want to know what's going on between you two. Just leave her alone for a while, mate. She just got here, she's adjusting, and with her background history it seems like she's got a lot on her plate right now."

"I know that," he replied swiftly. "I just…fuck, I didn't handle this well, did I?"

"Nope."

He made a noise of distress and sighed. Finally, he said, "Maybe it's for the best."

Remus glanced his way before giving a half-shrug. "Maybe."

Remus frowned thoughtfully as he recalled the events of the day. He hesitated before saying, "She concerns me, Sirius."

Sirius paused. "Why?"

Remus shook his head. "That's the thing…I just don't know. She really is a nice girl, she's smart and genuine and funny and everything a person should be. But something is off, and it's not just with what happened to her over the summer. Something about her…just doesn't sit well."

Sirius nodded slowly. "I know…she's lovely, I'll give you that, but the day on the train when we first met…" he trailed, not knowing what words to say. "I know what you mean."

Remus thought back to the incident in the Room of Requirement that occurred earlier in the day, and he grew even more unsettled just thinking about it. He opened his mouth to speak when a distant shout made the pair jump.

"Get to bed already!" they heard Professor McGonagall shout, and they turned to see her striding across the hall.

"It's only eight o'clock," Sirius protested.

"I don't care, seeing the two of you at nighttime is never a good sign," said McGonagall sternly as she paused in front of him. She scrutinized the two boys before waving off her hand. "Off you go, now. Curfew is about to begin anyway, and I don't want any other teacher finding a reason to deduct more house points than I already will."

The two boys blanched. "Why are you taking away points?" said Remus incredulously.

McGonagall stared at them, her eyes narrowing. "I was going to do this in the morning, but since you're already here I might as well start." She turned to Sirius, who shrank slightly under her intense gaze. "I received several distressed owls today about your little bout of fun in Hogsmeade," said McGongall, looking none too amused. Sirius grimaced and rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"About that…"

She raised a hand and silenced him. "I don't want to know. I told you in your third year that any misbehaviors in Hogsmeade would revoke your visiting privileges." Sirius's eyes widened instantly, his expression completely floored. McGonagall observed this with dry humor. "For now, though, you are banned from visiting until the spring, as well as serving detention with me up until, and on, Halloween."

McGonagall gave one last look before moving past them and began walking with a swish of her robes. She stopped and looked back at Sirius, who was still frozen on the spot. "Oh right, and forty points from Gryffindor for your misconduct…and for lack of creativity."

Both Remus and Sirius blanched, and McGonagall gave them a disappointed look. "Five years I've taught you, and the best transfiguration spell you thought of was that?" Shaking her head one last time, she turned and disappeared into the next corridor.

Sirius stood stunned, watching where McGonagall had been just moments before. Remus shook his head and patted his friend's shoulder. "Let it go, mate," he said somberly.

"Banned until spring…" he mumbled slowly as he resumed walking.

"Be happy she didn't say forever," Remus reminded. "It could have been far worse."

Sirius gave a withering look and rolled his eyes. "Says the one who's never gotten a detention in his life."

Remus smiled good-naturedly and told him to get over it.

xxx

Hermione swatted a lingering fly from her ear and forced her mind to pay attention to the Care of Magical Creatures professor, but it was becoming increasingly difficult. Her toes were already frozen from the crisp ground, and as much as Hermione hated to admit it, having to repeat her schooling was, for lack of better word…boring.

She had thought that perhaps in the seventies there were some spells or enchantments they did not teach students in the nineties anymore, and while that was the case sometimes (exceptionally in potions), most of the material was a line-for-line regurgitation of the lessons she learned in her own time. Also, the fact that Care of Magical Creatures had never been her particularly favorite subject had a hand in her boredom, especially without having Hagrid teaching.

Hermione smiled wryly at the memory of lessons with Hagrid. It had started magnificently with his first lesson with the hippogriff Buckbeak, but after the Malfoy incident, his lessons had spiraled downwards into mundane teachings of Blast-ended Skrewts creatures even ghosts would yawn at.

The good thing about the lesson, however, was that it gave her plenty of time to reflect upon how to spend the remainder of her time before the Christmas holidays. It was already nearing the end of October, tonight being Hallow's eve. Hermione had done quite a lot of research on Animagi and had finally begun practicing at the start of the week, sneaking into the Room of Requirement again at the dead of night. It was immensely difficult, and Hermione quickly realized it did not matter how many books she read or how many theories she'd observed; becoming and Animagus was unlike any form of magic she'd ever done. Yes, she was proficient in nonverbal spells, but wandless magic, magic from within, was not something she had ever dabbled into, or thought plausible at such a young age.

The horcrux under her bed was also making its presence known even more than normal each night when she would come back to her dormitory to sleep. She could feel it, like a second heartbeat in her chest, vibrating against her own soul like a parasite. It disturbed her greatly, enough that she had begun to avoid her bed and assumed sleeping down on the common room sofas. She would pretend to study and have her books laid out each night, but would quickly find herself passed out within seconds of sitting on the sofa. Luckily she awoke before the other students and managed to slip upstairs just in time to freshen up and get ready for classes, but she would by lying to herself if she said that it wasn't taking a toll on her.

The sudden movement of the fifth years around her caused her to snap back into reality, and Hermione belatedly realized the lesson was over. Stretching her arms out, Hermione sighed and began retreating from the part of the forbidden forest that their lessons were held in.

She was far behind than the rest of the class, and even her professor had hobbled away quite some time ago as well. She supposed that was one difference between her time and the current one; before, the students would be escorted together back to the castle grounds in fear of having one or two students wandering on their own in the dangerous forest. Now that policy was a bit more lenient.

She sighed. She'd been through these parts plenty of times with Harry and Ron, and she knew where the herd of centaurs lived—much deeper in the forest—so she did not feel particularly unsafe.

As her eyes wandered up the great trunks of the trees surrounding her, she heard a muffled sound near the left. Frowning, her pace slowed a bit. It was probably just an animal wandering about, and Hermione was disinclined to explore and find out which creature she'd discovered. Shaking her head, she continued her pace.

She had only made it a few steps when she heard the sound again, only this time she knew for certain that it belonged to a person.

Perhaps a student got lost on their way back to the castle after class? Hermione mused, and began a hesitant walk towards the sounds. The voices grew louder but only by a fraction, and finally Hermione reached a small clearing where she saw huddle figures speaking amongst themselves.

What she saw before her made her freeze on the spot.

"I don't see why that is a problem," she heard the voice of Severus say coolly.

"It just seems like a double standard," a boy, considerably taller than him who she identified as a Slytherin based on his clothes, said with a sneer. "Claiming to agree with us, and yet your actions far outweigh the promising words…"

"You don't know me at all," Severus hissed softly.

"We know what we see, and what we see is not encouraging."

She watched Severus take a step closer to the boy fearlessly, and tilted his head. "That spell that you're planning on using right now? The one that's become exceedingly popular over the years…what was it again…?"

A second later the boy was hanging upside down, as if being held by the ankle. Hermione recognized the spell as levicorpus, but was puzzled when she noted that she had not heard Severus utter it though his wand was firmly gripped in his hand.

The surrounding boys around the pair growled and stepped forward, but Snape merely raised his wand and had them all petrified within moments. Hermione's jaw dropped; what the in Merlin'sname was he doing?

"How did you know?" said Avery with a hint of fear.

"You see, Avery," said Severus calmly, and Hermione widened her eyes as he began rolling his wand between his fingers, "the irony is that the very jinxes you adore to use, are the very same ones that I created."

"What?" Hermione breathed in consternation. Levicorpus…that spell was invented by Snape?

"What do you want?" Avery growled.

Severus looked up at him with a sneer. Slowly leaning forward, he hissed, "A little more respect."

With a slash of his wand Avery fell to the ground, knocked unconscious. Snape grimaced down at him and shook his head in disgust, then muttered, "You can release your little friends from the spell once you come 'round."

Giving one last glance at the boys he petrified, he turned on his heal and began walking away.

Hermione was stunned. The exchange she saw was not just with a group of Slytherins…it was a group of future Death Eaters. She recognized the other boys now as Crabbe and Goyle senior, along with Mulciber.

Not only that, but Severus had used Occlumency on Avery and read his mind.

Casting a disillusionment charm on herself, she approached the clearing quietly. Raising her wand, she released the boys from the petrificus totalus spell and watched them stagger to their feet, then scurrying over to the unconscious Avery.

Hermione turned and began running, her feet pounding against the unstable forest ground, and more than once she nearly twisted her ankle from landing on a gnarled root or a stone. Her breath was shallow, her vision only allowing her the sight of the castle a few hundred feet away. When she finally emerged from the forest entrance, she staggered a little and leaned against a tree.

She was already too late.

The beginnings of alliances and formations of the Death Eaters had begun. It was too early, far too early, and nothing that Hermione had ever anticipated. She thought she had time; she thought that her budding friendship with Severus would help prevent him being lured into the fanatical followers of Lord Voldemort.

She was wrong.

Hermione wanted to collapse and wring her hair out of her head until she bled. Why was it never enough? Even going to the past to fix things, she was still failing. How could Dumbledore ever think that a sixteen-year-old girl could rewrite the future? How could he put something like this on her and expect her to succeed?

Everything she had been doing up until now…useless. She had already probably encouraged Regulus Black's enticement to the Death Eater ways, and from what she saw that afternoon at the Black lake, he was already heavily immersed in the Dark Arts.

Her hands began to shake, and the bark of the tree was biting into the skin of her back through her robes. Pushing off from it, Hermione planted one foot in front of the other and walked unsteadily back into the castle.

Students were bustling around, heading to their next class fervently. Hermione walked up the grand staircase and to her dormitory to get her books for the evening, but her mind was far and away.

The dorm was vacant, and Hermione sat on her bed and retrieved the books in the satchel next to it. Taking a few out, she picked out those that she needed for today and took out the ones that could be left behind.

Her eyes caught glimpse of her potions book, and with a sinking feeling she reminded herself that her next class would be Potions.

The bag in her hands began shaking. Angrily she thrust it away from her and dropped to her knees on the floor. Ripping out her trunk, she disabled the various charms and spells she put on it and tore out the sparkling diadem. It burned in her hands, filling her mind with a thick blanket of darkness. Her eyes were dry but her throat still constricted as her fingers gripped the metal bruisingly.

An animal scream left her mouth as she flung it in the air and snatched her wand out of her pocket, and began belting out curse after curse, hitting it repeatedly with every malevolent thought in her mind. It tossed and turned in the air wretchedly, and she heard a shriek-like scream erupt from the horcrux that only her ears could hear. Her eyes went mad as it dropped harmlessly to the floor after a vicious attack of incendio, but she knew from the start that her attempts would do nothing to the crown. The only spell that was powerful to destroy the horcrux at the moment was fiendfyre, and that was not something she could control, especially in her state of mind.

She wanted to cry, but she could not. They would not come anyway if she tried. Her eyes were horribly dry, her mind nauseously empty, and her body thoroughly drained.

"What do I do?" she whispered to herself in a hollow voice, and in the back of her head a small voice replied, "Everything."

Slowly she walked over to where the diadem had fallen and put it back carefully in her trunk, placing the charms on it again. Her eyes fell on the pack that she had taken with her from the future, filled with textbooks and pictures and everything that was her last tie to the life she once had. Sighing, she closed the trunk and pushed it back under her bed.

The freakish attack of nerves Hermione experienced was a first for her. Usually she was calm, collected, quick-witted and logical even in the most stressful situations. But the evidence of her failure had been too much for her, had always been too much for her. She never stopped to think that Severus had always been attracted to the Dark Magic, and that her friendship alone would not be enough to stop him from converting. Why didn't she see it? Even Lily Evans's friendship had not been enough for him in the other past. He had still become a Death Eater and had inadvertently caused her death.

After a few minutes, Hermione recollected herself and headed towards the dungeons for her Potions lesson. She entered the chilly classroom, walking over to the bench where Severus was waiting for her.

She sat down mechanically and Severus immediately smiled. "Hello Hermione," he said cheerfully.

Hermione glanced at him for a second, not trusting herself to look at him completely. "Good evening, Severus," she replied.

"You're usually more punctual than this, Hermione. I expected you to be here five minutes before I arrived. I'm a bit disappointed."

Her eyes flashed and suddenly she was glaring at him. "You're one to talk," she said in a scathing tone, but the true wrath of her did not yet reach the surface. Severus was taken aback for a moment and frowned.

Before he could speak, Slughorn walked in and began his lesson. He lectured for a good ten minutes then assigned the draft they were to make that evening. She noticed Severus giving her several uncertain glances, and Hermione did her best to pretend she didn't notice. She hopped off the stool the moment Slughorn finished speaking and said, "I'll get the ingredients."

She walked over to the shelf and picked out the ingredients carefully. She knew she should be more careful not ruin the scraps of friendship they shared, even if she caught had him in what was probably the beginnings of a Death Eater meeting. She knew all this. She just hoped she would stick to her guns.

When she couldn't prolong her perusal any longer, Hermione walked back to the bench. Severus already had set up the cauldron and had it on a low simmer.

Hermione methodically began making the draft with him, keeping her voice neutral and calm. It was an immense effort, but she pulled through. They had finished a good twenty minutes early when Severus tried to get her attention again.

"Hermione, is something wrong?"

Yes, everything. "No," she answered.

"Why won't you look at me?"

Because I'll start crying if I do. Or screaming. "Don't be silly," she said, and looked him directly in the eye. "See?"

He opened his mouth to say more when Slughorn reached their table. "Done already?" he said happily. "Why am I still surprised? You two are the most brilliant brewers of the class!"

Hermione handed him a vial with the sample of the draft to him, and Slughorn smiled. "I'm very impressed. Young Mister Snape is already a part of it, but I see no reason why I shouldn't extend my invitation to a mind as brilliant as yours." He lowered his voice, leaning towards Hermione secretively. "I would like you to consider being a part of a club I started many, many years ago. Elite students with exceptional potential. I greatly consider you to be one of the best of your year, Miss Granger. Would you like to join?"

The Slug Club? The one Harry and Ginny and she had dreaded going to in her sixth year?

Hermione couldn't help to glance at Severus uncertainly, but his eyes were hopeful. It would be useful, and it meant perhaps spending more time with Severus which meant more of a chance to prevent him from becoming something he would later regret.

"It would be an honor, sir," replied Hermione with a smile, and Slughorn looked positively thrilled.

"Excellent! I shall inform you of the first meeting of the year. Look for my owl!" With that, the old potions professor hobbled away. Briefly he turned and said, "Oh, and you two are free to go since you've finished your assignment. Have a nice evening."

"Thank you professor," Severus and Hermione said in unison. Immediately Hermione gathered her books and stuffed them in her bag. "I'll see you tomorrow," she said, and quickly made for the exit.

"Wait, Hermione," Severus protested, hastily grabbing his things to catch up with her. She walked speedily down the corridor as he trailed after her.

"Sorry, I just don't want to be late for my next class," she answered.

"You don't have a next class, Hermione. The only thing left is dinner and then bed." Snape quickly caught up with her and grabbed her arm.

"Seriously, what is with you today? You barely said two words to me all day." His face darkened. "Was it Black again? Did he bring another girl to flaunt in front of you today?"

Hermione closed her eyes, breathing deeply through her nose. It had been two weeks since the incident, but the moment she told Severus he had grown an even more intense hatred for Sirius than she thought possible.

"No, Severus, it was not Sirius."

"Then what was it?" Severus said exasperatedly.

She looked at him tiredly. "It's been a long day. I'd like to just go to bed."

He was about to respond when suddenly he closed his mouth. "I see then." He looked at her with thinly veiled disdain. "It seems they've finally gotten to you."

Hermione blinked. "What?"

"Am I too shabby to be your friend now? Have you finally reached the common conclusion that I am not worthy of your time?" His voice dripped with disgust. "Potter and Black must be so proud."

Her eyes grew large for a moment before they narrowed. He thought that she was convinced not to be his friend anymore? And because of what, Sirius and James?

"You're just like the rest of them. Snobbish and dull."

Unchecked fury began building up inside of her and she stopped walking, whirling around on Severus and throwing her bag of books on the floor. She tilted her head up angrily at him and said without thinking, "You know what's not worthy of my time Severus? You want to know?"

"Enlighten me," he sneered.

She gritted her teeth and said, "People who hang others upside down alone in the Forbidden Forest. People who use Occlumency on fifteen-year-olds to get what they want. People who would rather prance around with the kind of crowd that murdered my parents."

The reaction was immediate. Severus stilled, the mocking leer wiped off his face. His eyes widened before he softly said, "How…"

"I was on my way back from a Care of Magical Creatures lesson when I saw you." She looked at him coldly. "What you did was disgusting. What was even more disgusting was why you were there with them."

Severus shook his head. "No, you don't know them Hermione," he placated, "They were testing me, they're my friends—"

"Friends? Friends don't do that, Severus! And I know what I saw, and they're exactly the kind of people that you're going to get yourself in trouble with, even if it was you who did the hurting this time!"

He was about to object when she growled and grabbed the front of his robes. At the moment she was not thinking of fixing the past, of making sure everything went according to plan. The only thought in her head was saving the person who had become her friend; it would kill her inside to see someone so genuinely kind as Severus Snape to become the embittered, cruel, recluse she had grown up learning potions from. She did not want his demise, did not want him to go down a path that he would regret for the rest of his life.

"Don't do this, Severus," she pleaded softly. Her hands were fisted deeply into his robes as she clung to him desperately, bringing him closer to her until they were inches apart. "You think I don't know, that I don't understand, but I do. You have no idea what I've seen…what I know…" She squeezed her eyes shut, pushing painful thoughts from her head.

Severus hesitantly brought his hands to enclose around hers. "It was nothing," he said gently, his face stricken at her sudden words and actions. "I'm sorry I upset you. We're just fooling around, Hermione. You're looking too much into this."

She shook her head, her eyes still closed. "That's the thing," she whispered. "It won't be like that for long."

Slowly she released her iron grasp on his robes, but Severus did not release her hands. He held them lightly, peering into her eyes unsurely.

Hermione was hit with a wave of sadness. It didn't matter what she said to him; it was difficult to change someone when they had already been on a path for a long time. Inside she knew his loyalties in the end would be in the right place…but she would do everything, everything, to keep him from walking further along a path that would lead to a tragic end. She had to.

"Am I your friend, Severus?"

He cracked a small smile. "Of course you are," he said softly.

"You don't even know me. Not really."

He glanced down, his expression unreadable. "Sometimes…it doesn't matter." He looked up at her with a light expression. "You remind me of Lily sometimes. It's very subtle, but it's there. This…kindness. For anybody, unreservedly." He looked at her sincerely. "I would hate myself if I did something to ruin that."

Hermione looked at him sadly and gripped his hands tightly, before letting go of all reservations and throwing her arms around his neck and pressing against him almost in desperation. Severus hesitantly lifted his arms and wrapped them around her waist. "I will never hate you, Sev. No matter how mad I get…I could never truly hate you." Hermione pulled back a little and looked up at him. "That doesn't mean Lily will be as forgiving."

She let go of him and slowly shuffled over to where her bag was thrown. Leaning down to grasp it, she slung it over her shoulder and looked at him tiredly. "Just…think of what you're getting into, Sev. Don't let your feelings cloud your judgement."

He watched her retreat down the corridor but made no move this time to follow. Everything that had passed between them just now confused him immensely, and he couldn't help but feel helplessly sad at their exchange. Something was bothering her, and it had to do with more than what happened between them.

His eyes lowered as he recalled the scene in the forest, and how Hermione had been watching without his knowledge. It deeply unsettled him, and her words began ringing in his ears. Shaking his head, he turned towards the end of the corridor and went to the Great Hall for dinner, uneasy thoughts sifting in his head.

xxx

Halloween night was unlike any other at Hogwarts, at least not in Hermione's experience. Hermione jumped a step along a staircase to avoid sinking into one and getting stuck, wondering what tricks she would encounter today that she hadn't already. So far she had dodged an onslaught of bats upon waking up in the morning, a suit of armor had tried chasing her down the dungeons, and Peeves had finally made his appearance and pelted eggs at the first years, where Hermione was unfortunate enough to be mixed in with at the time. She looked down the front of her robes sadly as she tried removing most of the damage magically, but knew the robe would never be the same.

Luckily she had dodged the worst of the pranks, and she had no doubt that half of them were set up by the mischievous quartet of tricksters.

Yesterday had drained her to the point of collapsing on her bed without giving the diadem's horrid presence a second thought. She hadn't planned on telling Severus that she'd seen him in the forest, but then she realized there was no point in keeping it hidden. Some things had to be revealed, and if Hermione tried living the rest of her life bottling up things inside of her, eventually she would explode worse than ever before.

She did not know for certain if her words had any impact on the young potions proficient, but she could only hope that he at least considered her warning.

"Please tell me your expression will not remain this sour for the rest of today," a chipper voice said behind her. She smiled at James who fell in step next to her. "Big day today," he grinned. "All the masters of manipulation and deviancy will be roaming around tonight. I'd be careful if I were you."

"That must mean something coming from you," Hermione raised a brow.

"Of course. I'm the cleverest wizard of our year."

"I think you've got the wrong adjective down. You probably mean du—"

"Oh don't be a spoilsport, this is no time for name calling," said James airily, waving off Hermione's retort with ease. "You've never had a Hogwarts Halloween before, Herms—"

"Hermione," she corrected automatically.

"—and let me tell you, they really outdo themselves each year—"

"Truly fascinating, do tell me more—"

"You're late," said McGonagall as the pair entered the classroom. Immediately Hermione froze.

"No, professor I was sure I had ten minutes," she squeaked, checking her watch.

"Have a seat."

Hermione glared at James who threw his hands up in the air in his defense, and walked over to an available seat. Her eyes glanced over to the figure beside her who was, of course, Sirius.

They had not spoken since the Hogsmeade trip, and it wasn't that she was ignoring him but more that she had too much on her mind to think of anything else.

He glanced at her discreetly as she lowered herself in the seat. She noticed this and turned her attention to McGonagall, wondering what thoughts were crossing his mind.

"Today we will be doing something different," said McGonagall promptly. "The lesson will center mostly on methods of concealment without aid of a polyjuice potion. As you already know, a situation may rise where you need to hide your identity fast and effectively. Transfiguring yourself by altering certain features is just as good as any flask of polyjuice, so long as you know the proper methods of doing so."

She looked around the classroom and stopped at Peter. He flinched slightly when she said, "Mr. Pettigrew, come up please."

Peter shot a helpless look at James who was closest, and stood from his seat. McGonagall raised her wand and Peter instantly grimaced.

"Don't look so glum, boy, I'm not going to hex you."

She waved it in the air lightly and said clearly, "Dissimulo."

She waved her wand around Peter with a calculating look, and slowly parts of him began to transfigure. His hair went from blond to a light shade of brown, his face grew thinner and his shoulders broadened; a goatee began growing down his face and his eyes went from blue to brown to grey.

After a few moments McGonagall lowered her wand with a satisfied expression. Peter turned towards the classroom and a few eyebrows raised, as well as a shriek of giggles from one side of the classroom. Peter's ears went pink as McGonagall explained, "You have to have the image in your mind when you perform this spell. Think of what you want, concentrate, and cast the spell. These transfigurations usually last between six to seven hours if uninterrupted, but can be easily reverted back with the counterspell."

Hermione smiled as she remembered this lesson. She ended up sporting a rather thick handlebar moustache shamelessly.

"Partner up with the person next to you, and begin."

Hermione's good mood instantly dissipated. She looked over to Sirius, who was mirroring her expression of dread.

"Well, let's get to it then," he muttered and stood from his seat.

Hermione took her wand out of her robe. "Would you like to go first?"

Sirius shrugged. Hermione waited for a definitive answer, but when it didn't come she frowned. "O-kay…I guess I'll start then."

She raised her wand and stared hard at Sirius's face. He had very prominent features, very nice features if she were honest with herself. She began to smile.

She noticed Sirius stiffen at her sudden smile, and he began, "On second thought, I wouldn't mind going first—"

"Too late, I've already started."

Her wand waved deliberately in the air as she muttered, "Dissimulo!" and concentrated on Sirius's face. The wand lowered down his neck to his torso, and Sirius shifted uncomfortably as he felt the transformations begin.

After a full three minutes, Hermione lowered her wand and was fighting down a grin. "You look great," Hermione managed to say. James, who was standing not too far from them and was partnered with a Hufflepuff girl, burst into raucous laughter.

Sirius scowled. "What the hell did you do to me?" he hissed, looking around for a mirror. By now he had gained the attention of the other students, and James sidled up against Sirius and slung his arm around his waist.

Sirius jumped at the strange contact and glared at his friend in confusion. James smiled handsomely and said, "I can't help myself, Sirius. You just look so damn beautiful, I've forgotten all about Lily."

The other students were both impressed and incredibly amused with Hermione's work, and she was proud that she had managed to pull it off quite nicely.

"What is it?" Sirius asked. He looked to James for an answer who was still chuckling like mad, but all James said was, "Look down."

Sirius followed his gaze down his torso and blanched. "WHAT THE HELL?"

McGonagall came up next to Hermione and observed her handiwork. The witch kept her composure and looked at the now very feminine Sirius Black, who was letting out a line of curses under his breath as he touched his face and hair. "Impressive," said McGonagall finally, with the barest trace of a smile. "Ten points to Gryffindor."

Hermione beamed up at the professor and looked back at Sirius. "Happy Halloween."

As much as Hermione detested being the center of attention, McGonagall made sure each student marveled at her creation. Sirius sulked against a desk, having lost the will to fight against the crowds of students around him. One student reached for his chest when Sirius slapped his hand away and growled, "Goddamn it, I may be a boy but you can't just grab whatever you like!"

When he was finally allowed out of the transfiguration, he was glowering at Hermione as if she were the devil incarnate himself.

She looked at him innocently and he scowled. "Don't," he said, and raised his wand. "Or I'll be distracted from my retribution."

His retribution was nothing she hadn't expected; facial hair, bulging muscles, a unibrow, and several other things that ensured her to be the ugliest imposter of a man humanly possible. "Bravo," she muttered as she undid the spell several agonizing minutes later. Class was already over, and most of the students had left by the time Hermione had gathered her things. Striding out of the transfiguration classroom, Hermione headed towards the Great Hall to push the day's troubles away and immerse herself into a very large slice of pumpkin pie.

The Great Hall was glittering with decorations of a multitude of objects; the sky was enchanted black with shimmering stars and lightning. The tables were already filled with students, and Hermione saw rows upon rows of the feast already lined up and brimming with food.

Finding a seat near the edge of the table, she finally caught her breath and stretched. Before she could immerse herself completely in the much-missed solitude, Lily plopped down next to her.

"Happy Halloween!" she said cheerfully.

Hermione sighed and replied, "Let's hope so."

"What's wrong?"

Hermione frowned. "…Nothing at all, actually. Perhaps I'm just waiting for the ball to drop." Another figure sat down in front of them. "Hello James," she greeted.

"Evening, Hermione; might I add that you look absolutely stunning today, Lily? The sweater really does well with your eyes, and your hair for that matter; actually everything you wear looks perfect on you—"

"Don't you have other friends to talk to?" Lily snapped.

"Why would I talk to them when I could spend the rest of the night talking with you?"

Lily blinked a few times before groaning and looking away helplessly.

"Are we sitting at the end of the table now?" Peter's voice said as he sat down next to James.

"Looks like it," said Remus.

"Where's Sirius?" asked Lily.

"Serving detention, as usual," replied Remus. "Even on Halloween night, thanks to McGonagall. Working with Filch on the third floor."

All five of them shuddered and began piling their plates with food. Hermione had to admit, it was quite a nice dinner, and it was not just because of the spectacular food. For the first time she was not reminded painfully of sitting at this very table eating the feast with Parvati and Lavender and Harry and Ron; she didn't look at James and Lily with sadness knowing that it was on Halloween that their lives were taken away from them; her mind was far from these forboding thoughts. They did drift casually to Sirius, and she realized the initial irritation she held for him had long gone. Yes, she had no plans of involving herself with him any more than just friendship at this point, but it was better than nothing. Perhaps in the next few years she could think about relationships, when she had destroyed at least a horcrux and found a few more.

Hermione gathered a few cakes and treats from the table and piled it onto a plate, then took a tissue and covered it. Standing up, she carefully grabbed the plated and bid the group of Gryffindors goodbye.

"Where are you going?" asked Peter.

"I thought it'd be nice if I gave Sirius something to eat," she shrugged. She received mixed looks from the entire lot, and she shook her head tiredly. "Nothing of that sort, give me some credit. I'll see you in a few minutes in the common room?"

They nodded in assent and Hermione walked out of the Great Hall with gusto, but as she continued it began to shrink little by little. He probably didn't want to see her, or anybody for that matter, for it was their strained exchange that had brought Sirius this detention in the first place.

Thoughts flying through her head, Hermione did not notice someone walking in her direction until she collided hard into him and stumbled backwards, the plate falling tragically to the floor.

A hand caught her arm and pulled her upright, landing her straight against the figure's chest.

She looked up to apologize but the words lodged in her throat. Hermione was staring straight into a pair of black-rimmed eyes and wild hair tied with a rubber band. A rugged sort of face looked down at her and gave her a raised eyebrow.

"Hello beautiful."

xxx

And there you have it! I should probably mention at this point that I update this story monthly just because college is pretty much taking over my life. So don't fret! It will be here once a month :)

Thank you Recordkeeper, Domina Noctis, sarahdaye9, ChaosLady (how could I not mention you? You're lovely!), TwistedBeauty, Eva Brick, and Allison for your feedback! There's much, much more to come.
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Sands of Destiny