[part 01|part 02|part 03|part 04|part 05]
[part 06|part 07|part 08|part 09|part 10]
[part 11|part 12|part 13|part 14|part 15]
[part 16|part 17|part 18|part 19|part 20]
[part 21|part 22|part 23|part 24|part 25]
[part 26|part 27|part 28|part 29|part 30]
[part 31|part 32|part 33|part 34]

Part 1:
Evil?

Hermione Granger glowered at her partner. She knew that Severus Snape was cruel...but she'd never considered him evil. No, she hadn't thought he was evil until now. Now, the bushy-haired brunette was convinced of the Potions Master's evilness. She had exceeded everyone's expectations when she'd gotten O's on her O.W.L.s in every class she'd taken (much to Snape's obvious dismay, she'd even gotten an O on her Potions O.W.L.) and had decided to take Advanced Potions for sixth year. She had convinced Ron and Harry (who were hoping to become Aurors) that they needed the class and they had reluctantly agreed. Hermione, Ron, and Harry were the only Gryffindors in Advanced Potions; there were a few Ravenclaws; most of the sixth-year Slytherins; there were no Hufflepuffs in class.

When Snape had found out that Hermione was taking Advanced Potions, Snape had done the most sadistic thing he could thing of. Out of pure malice, Professor Snape had made Draco Malfoy Hermione's partner. It was only the first day of sixth year but the thought of being Draco Malfoy's partner made her stomach twist painfully, she had to study with him, sit by him. Sixth year was going to be the very definition of Hell.

Draco scowled at Hermione and then at the Potions Master. How could he do this to me? A Malfoy? Malfoys don't work with Mudbloods! he thought angrily. He crossed his arms over his chest with annoyance as she meticulously added the ingredients to the cauldron simmering. He frowned thoughtfully. What are we supposed to be making again?

Trying to keep his mind on the task, he looked over his notes and added some ingredients distractedly. He frowned as the potion turned pink instead of green. He glanced over Hermione's notes and noticed the checkmarks by each of the steps. He groaned as he realized he'd added twice as much hellebore and wolfbane as the potion required to the mixture. He glanced at the next step and watched as Hermione's hand moved over the potion with a pinch of thistledown mixed with thyme.

"No!" Draco cried as the thistledown and thyme entered the concoction. It was too late, the potion roiled to the horror of the two, bubbles popping all over the pink surface. Draco and Hermione grabbed their bags to protect themselves from the potion as it exploded all over them.

Hermione dropped her bag. "What did you do to my potion?" Hermione demanded.

"Your potion, Granger?" Draco scowled. "As I remember, it's also my potion."

"And you messed it up," Hermione replied. She frowned as she looked around the dungeon classroom, there wasn't a sign of the potion...or Snape...or any of the other students. The room was darker and dingier than usual and it was completely empty. The ingredients were in their respective places as if they hadn't been moved for a Potions class yet. Draco caught the brunette's curious looks around the room and his silver eyes followed after. "What did you put in that potion?"

"Too much hellebore, too much wolfbane," Draco stated.

"How much more?" Hermione asked.

"Twice as much," Draco frowned.

"And you let me put in the thistledown and thyme?" Hermione demanded.

"I bloody well tried to stop you!" Draco scowled, shoving a strand of pale-blond hair off his brow. He gazed at the table where their cauldron had been and tried to figure out what they had accidentally concocted. Whatever it was, there shouldn't have been such an explosive reaction...and why had everyone disappeared?

The bell rang and Hermione gathered her things. She'd figure this out later; right now she had Advanced Arithmancy. Hermione frowned; she also had Advanced Arithmancy with Draco. Two classes in a row with Malfoy, what could be worse? she wondered.

The two left the dungeon and headed to Professor Vector's classroom. There were students filtering in the halls but none of them were familiar in the slightest. Hermione glanced through the crowds, looking for a glimpse of red or black in the sea of brunettes and blondes. She could tell that Draco was looking for Crabbe, Goyle, and/or Pansy Parkinson. The walked silently to Arithmancy and took their seats across the room from each other. Hermione looked around the classroom, it seemed...different. She couldn't explain how it seemed different but it just was. Out of the corner of her brown eyes, she saw Draco noticing the oddness as well.

Students filtered into the classroom and Hermione almost fell out of her seat when she saw a black-haired boy...he was identical to Harry except he had blue eyes instead of green and he didn't wear glasses. He was flanked by two other boys, a tall well-built dark-haired one with laughing eyes and a smaller, thinner brown-haired one with serious eyes. The Harry-look-alike had a shining "Head Boy" badge on his robes and the sandy-haired boy had a prefect badge on his robes. The badge-less boy was teasing the Head Boy. "Now, now, James, we don't want you to become the bighead boy, now would we?" he taunted.

James rolled his eyes. "Sirius, mate, you're just jealous," he stated.

"You're not going to go all fun-spoiling on us like Remus, are you?" Sirius asked, flicking the prefect's badge. Remus glared at Sirius teasingly.

"Sirius, Sirius, Sirius," Remus sighed, putting an arm on Sirius's shoulder. "Someone has to spoil your fun or you'll get yourself into trouble with all the hearts you break." Hermione did fall out of her seat (right in front of the trio) when she put the names together: James Potter, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin.

Sirius smiled teasingly at her. "Need some help there, love?" he asked, offering his hand. Hermione took his hand cautiously and he helped her up.

James smirked. "Someone has to keep him in line...all the girls falling at his feet," James chided to Remus and Remus grinned.

Sirius rolled his eyes even as they shone with mirth. "Don't mind James and Remus, they're idiots," Sirius said. "Are you new? I haven't seen you around before. I'm--"

"Sirius Black," Hermione said, blushing as the boy shook her hand. James and Sirius are dead! And now they're my age? How!? Hermione thought. He looked a lot different than the Sirius Black she had gotten to know the summer before fifth year. His eyes were full of life and mischief, his skin was tanned.

"Your reputation precedes you," James teased, shaking Hermione's hand. "James Potter...and this is our mate, Remus Lupin."

Remus shook Hermione's hand. "H--Hermione," Hermione stammered.

"You have a last name, Hermione?" Remus asked.

"Er...no," Hermione squeaked. James grinned and she could see his son in him.

"Well, Hermione with no last name, it's a pleasure to meet you," Sirius said, winking at her as he and his friends walked to their seats.

Hermione took her seat and the red-haired girl with a Head Girl badge on her robes sitting beside her rolled her eyes. "I see you've met Remus, James, and Sirius," she said. The redhead didn't catch the longing look James sent her before going back to talking to Remus and Sirius.

"Yeah," Hermione said. "They're...interesting."

"They're jerks," the girl said. "I'm Lily Evans."

"L--Lily?" Hermione stammered and the girl nodded slowly as if Hermione was crazy. An elderly man entered the classroom and Draco finally took note of how weird things were. Hermione jumped to her feet. "P--Professor, I suddenly don't feel so well? C--can I visit...er...the nurse?" She wasn't sure if Madam Pomfrey was still here.

"Uh...yes...Miss...?" the professor stated.

"Um...de Lioncourt?" Hermione stammered. She would have given anything to have one of Fred and George's Skiving Snackboxes right now.

"Yes, Miss de Lioncourt, you may," the professor said.

"I'll accompany Miss...de Lioncourt," Draco volunteered. "I don't feel so well either."

"Very well," the professor stated, seeming overwhelmed. Sirius raised his hand and the professor glared at him. "No, you may not go to the nurse, Mr. Black."

Draco and Hermione exited the classroom and as soon as they were clear of the Arithmancy room, Hermione dragged him up the stairs to the empty Astronomy Tower. The Astronomy Tower was hardly ever used except as a rendezvous for couples seeking a quiet getaway. It was well-furnished with soft carpets and a daybed as Professor Sinastra had often fallen asleep during her late-night searches of the sky. It was used as her office every once in a while.

Draco stared at the girl with a cock of his pale brow. "Why, Granger, on the first date?" he taunted.

"Shut up, Malfoy. We need to talk to Professor Dumbledore," Hermione announced.

"I'm not talking to that half-witted old bat, he's off his bloody rocker," Draco scowled.

"Professor Dumbledore is not off his rocker, Malfoy," Hermione said. "He's the only one that can help us out here."

"We don't need any help," Draco replied.

"Did you recognize any of those people in that classroom?" Hermione asked.

"No, but it's Advanced Arithmancy, there's only one class, all of the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs are in it," Draco shrugged it off.

"You may not have recognized any of those people but I did," Hermione stated. She reached into her satchel and pulled out a tattered old picture. "All of you that I haven't seen today, please leave the picture." Most of the people left except James, Sirius, Remus, and Lily. She showed the picture to Draco.

"So you have a picture of them," Draco rolled his eyes. "Get to the point, Mudblood."

"That's Lily and James Potter," Hermione said, ignoring Draco's comment and pointing at the happy couple. "They've been dead for fifteen years. You've met Professor Lupin, you know...the only good Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've had...the one that your father had sacked." She pointed at Remus sitting near them and then her finger flew to Sirius Black. "And that's Sirius Black; he died earlier this year because of your father's master." Hermione glared menacingly at him.

Draco scowled at Hermione. "Is there a point to this?"

"Damn it, Malfoy, I've seen dead people! And they were very alive and in their teens," Hermione stated.

"Okay, I admit. Dumbledore's not off his rocker, you are," Draco said.

"You can tell that to your father," Hermione said, looking past Draco. She had finally noticed the blonde that looked remarkably like Draco except his hair was longer and pulled into a ponytail. A blonde woman had unbuttoned his shirt and was now kissing his neck.

"I will," Draco said.

"Well, here's your chance," Hermione stated, turning the blonde around. Draco's jaw dropped as he saw the boy that could be his twin. "Now do you believe me?"

Draco turned around and winced, his face beet-red. "Blimey, Granger, the last thing a bloke wants to see is his father...like that," Draco said with a shudder.

"Care to join us, you two?" Lucius Malfoy's voice came.

"Father?" Draco whimpered as Hermione managed to keep her composure but blushed at the Lucius's comment, more out of embarrassment for Draco than for herself. She had once stumbled upon her parents like this and had been scarred ever since.

"N--no, thank you, we were, uh, just leaving. Going to find ourselves a nice, quiet dungeon or something..." Hermione stated, her face the color of Weasley hair.

"My, my, love, didn't know you were so kinky," Draco said and Hermione hit him upside the head as they exited the Astronomy Tower.

Part 2:
Things That Were...

Snape sat at his desk, glancing around the class, relieved that he had weeded out most of the idiots from the past five years. Merlin, he had finally gotten rid of Neville Longbottom. The thought of ridding the bumbling Gryffindor was almost enough for him to give points to Gryffindors. Almost. He could be relatively relaxed (except for the fact that Crabbe and Goyle had managed to stay in the class) to Snape's annoyance.

His dark eyes took in the classroom; Potter looked about ready to kill Gregory Goyle, Weasley glared at Vincent Crabbe, Granger's hand trembled with suppressed rage as she carefully measured the ingredients for the Animus Potion. A sadistic smile curved Snape's lips...sure the pairs were enjoyable. But they had a purpose as well. Under Dumbledore's orders, the professors had been doing all in their power to create a bond between the Houses. This had led Snape down the path he had chosen in partnering the Slytherins and Gryffindors.

He looked back at the Witch Weekly crossword he had been filling out, thinking of the next day's lesson. Thankfully, he didn't have to keep that close an eye on anyone...excluding Crabbe and Goyle, of course. He paid attention to his class even as he tried to think up a eight-letter word for "horrible mistake," never missing a chance to take House points from the three Gryffindors. So how Draco's mistake got past him was something that Snape never did find out...

There was a loud explosion and Snape looked up, staring at the cauldron as it spewed its contents all over Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy. "Granger! What on earth are you doing!?" Professor Snape demanded as the cauldron exploded all over Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy. He hadn't expected this from his two best students. He had made it that way so...they would benefit from each other's intelligence. He had rather hoped the two most-likely candidates for Head Boy and Girl would get over their differences.

He walked over to where they had been sitting and noticed that the two had disappeared with their satchels. Severus Snape groaned softly, rubbing his forehead. What did they do to their potion? he thought, examining the pink substance and then it came to him. "Class is dismissed!" he yelled.

There was a murmur of curiosity through the class; there was still a while until the bell rang. "I said, get out!" he growled. The students hurriedly gathered their things. "Potter, Weasley, you stay." Harry Potter and Ron Weasley stopped mid-motion as the class scrambled out. "Get the Headmaster." The two dropped their things.

"Er...professor, what do you want us to tell him?" Ron asked.

"Five points from Gryffindor, each! Just do what I say," Snape stated. The two raced out of the room to avoid any more points being taken from their House. He frowned. "How could they have been so stupid?"

He frowned as shadows of things that were and things that had not yet happened taunted him. If the two ever got back, he wouldn't remember what had happened before...only what they had changed. He swallowed hard as he remembered a bushy-haired brunette and a pale platinum-blonde during his Arithmancy class on the second day of school in his seventh year. He knew exactly where Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy had ended up...

The greasy-haired professor's black eyes turned to his crossword and he immediately knew what the elusive word was: disaster.

Part 3:
Tales and Threats
(Friday, September 2, 1977)

The two walked through the halls of Hogwarts toward Dumbledore's office, each of them milling over their individual thoughts. They stopped in front of the stone gargoyle that guarded the entrance to Dumbledore's office. Draco smirked at Hermione. "Do you just happen to know his password?"

Hermione frowned, she hadn't thought of that...but Harry had told her that Professor Dumbledore did have a penchant for sweets. "Lemon drop?" The gargoyle made no movement. "Pepper imps?" Again, no movement. "Cockroach clusters?" No movement. "Sugar quills?" The gargoyle slid out of the way and a spiral staircase twirled upwards. She smiled smugly at Draco. "I just happen to know his password."

The brunette climbed onto the spiral staircase, Draco following close behind. Hermione sighed with relief as Dumbledore's office came into view. It looked much like Harry and Ron had described, the portraits of past Headmasters and Headmistresses snoozed in their frames. Fawkes the phoenix cocked its head and examined the two newcomers and Hermione noted that the phoenix was a beautiful creature with golden, red, and orange feathers. Dumbledore took his seat behind the large desk and examined the two over his half-moon spectacles. He didn't look that different, just about twenty or so years younger. "Hello, professor," Hermione said, "I'm Hermione Granger."

"How may I help you?" the Headmaster asked.

"Well...this is going to sound very odd, but it's the truth, I swear," Hermione said, explaining what had happened while Draco stood in complete silence.

"Is this the truth, Mister...Malfoy?" Dumbledore inquired.

"Er...yes, Professor," Draco stammered. "Granger's telling the truth."

"This is a very interesting predicament you two have gotten yourselves into," Dumbledore stated. "I've never heard of a memory charm backfiring like that."

"There has to be, you know, some...way to get back, right Professor?" Hermione whimpered. "I have to study for my N.E.W.T.s. A--and Harry and Ron'll never pass their classes if I don't help them."

"Get a hold of yourself, Granger," Draco spat. "Potty and the Weasel can fend for themselves."

"Shut up, ferret-boy!" Hermione snapped. Dumbledore smiled warmly, a mischievous twinkle in his blue eyes.

"Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy, I do hope you'll control yourselves," Dumbledore stated. "I'm not quite certain if there is a way for you to get back to your own time. I'll have Professor Flaherty working on it."

"Professor...Flaherty?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, Professor Flaherty, our Potions Master," Dumbledore replied.

"Oh," Hermione said. "I hope this is just a really, really bad dream."

Draco snorted. "You're not the only one," he stated. "So, professor, what do you suggest we do until a potion is found?"

"I suggest you take the classes that you were supposed to take this year," Dumbledore stated.

"Advanced Potions, Advanced Arithmancy, Advanced Charms, Advanced Transfiguration, Advanced History of Magic, Advanced Care of Magical Creatures, Advanced Ancient Runes, Advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts, Advanced Herbology, Advanced Astronomy," Hermione rattled off.

Draco frowned. "Bloody hell, you're in every single class I have," he muttered.

"Of course I am, I made O.W.L.s in all my classes," Hermione replied airily.

"Fantastic idea," Dumbledore said, clapping his hands. "You will go to every class together...that way there is less chance for change."

"What do you mean 'less chance for change'?" Malfoy demanded.

"We're in the past, Malfoy...everything we do changes something. We're not supposed to be here," she murmured softly, fingering the photograph in her pocket. Mad-Eye Moody had given it to her last summer on her request after Harry hadn't wanted it. Whenever she was about to give up, she'd look at the picture of the Order of the Phoenix and find her will and courage. All of those people (excluding Wormtail) had tried to stop Voldemort and many of them had lost. They were her inspiration.

Dumbledore gazed at the girl for a long moment, no sense of mirth or merriment in his blue eyes...simply curiosity. She seemed upset about something out of her control, something that had nothing to do with her ending up back in time. She looked at Draco, her dark eyes unreadable. "We can't change anything...no matter how bad we want to."

Draco eyed Hermione curiously. "Right, then," he stated. "Professor? Where are we supposed to sleep?"

"Excellent question, Mr. Malfoy, I suppose you can share the Head Boy and Girl's dorms," Dumbledore answered. "But first, we will have to change your robes around. There would be some suspicion if a Gryffindor and Slytherin came to Hogwarts for their first year as prefects."

Hermione's eyes widened as she carefully took off the prefect pin and Draco grimaced as he did the same. With a flick of his wand, Dumbledore turned their robes into the standard issue black that they'd had first year before being Sorted.

"Lily and James were nice...they're a lot like Harry," Hermione mused out loud as she tried to take her mind off of the fact that she was no longer a prefect.

"Like Potter?" Draco scowled. "Perfect! I get to spend God knows how long with a Potter duplicate!"

"Actually James is the original, Harry's the duplicate," Hermione corrected.

"Whatever, I'm not spending any time with any Potters!" Draco stated, crossing his arms over his chest petulantly.

"Just shut up!" Hermione growled. Draco stared at the girl in surprise. "I'm sick of your holier-than-thou attitude, Malfoy. If you don't stop it, I'm going to make what happened to you on the train back home for the past two years seem like Heaven!" Hermione growled. "Guess what, Draco." The blonde seemed shocked that Granger had actually used his first name. "It's just you and me...no Harry, no Ron, no Crabbe, no Goyle. We both know that I can hex you so well that you can spend the rest of our time here at St. Mungo's!" A mischievous gleam shone in her golden-brown eyes and Draco felt a shiver of apprehension slide down his spine. "Or, ooh, maybe I can learn how to Transfigure you back into Draco Malfoy the Amazing Bouncing Ferret!"

Blimey, Granger was devious...she'd have made a great Slytherin...well, except for the Mudblood part.

Part 4:
Hermione and the Head Girl
(Friday, September 2, 1977 – Continued...)

Professor Dumbledore led the two to the Head Boy and Girl's quarters. Guarding the entrance was a likeness of Lily Evans and James Potter. Hermione arched a brow as James winked teasingly at her. "The portrait...it changes yearly," Dumbledore explained. "Dragon's Keep."

The painted people nodded and the portrait swung open. Dumbledore ducked and made his way into the Head Boy and Girl's common room. Lily Evans was poring over her notes and the scratch-scratch of her quill mingled with the laughter of James, Sirius, Remus, and a rat-faced chubby boy. Hermione stared at the fourth one with barely-concealed hatred. Peter Pettigrew, Hermione thought, her stomach clenching. Wormtail...Scabbers. He gave Lily and James to Voldemort on a silver platter! And he's the reason that Sirius died. Half of the Marauders are dead because of him!

Draco noted her barely-disguised disgust with curiosity. Even she didn't look at him with that much hate and disgust. James stopped midway through an animated conversation which was obviously a tale of how he bravely rescued the Snitch in a Quidditch match. Peter frowned as James stopped his tale. Obviously not the brightest, that one, Draco mused.

Sirius smirked. "Hermione...what brings you here?" He finally noticed the professor and the blonde boy beside her and frowned slightly.

"Miss de Lioncourt and Mister--" Dumbledore eyed Draco.

"Aquilus," Draco stated with a curt nod.

"Yes, yes. Miss de Lioncourt and Mr. Aquilus will be sharing your quarters," Dumbledore explained. "They just transferred from the Agnitio Academy of Magic." Sirius looked like Christmas had come early.

Sirius winked at Hermione. "I'll make sure to tuck you in," Sirius stated.

"You will do no such thing, Mr. Black," Dumbledore said.

Hermione's eyes left Peter's as she heard Sirius's comment with a blush. Unconsciously, she moved closer to Draco and took his hand in hers. The entire thing was almost worth it, just to see the shocked look cross over the Slytherin's face. He regained his composure and shot a challenging look to Sirius. Sirius arched a dark brow as he examined the pale, thinner boy.

James shook his head slightly as he noticed his friend's behavior. Sirius was smitten with the brunette girl just like he himself was smitten with Lily. James could see why Sirius had become infatuated with her...the girl was a beautiful creature and the best part was that she didn't even notice it. He looked over his shoulder to watch Lily; she hadn't even noticed the Headmaster had entered their common room. She gingerly tucked a strand of her copper hair behind an ear and James felt a tug in his stomach.

"Miss Evans?" came Dumbledore's voice. Lily looked up and darted to her feet.

"Professor Dumbledore," Lily stated, blushing the color of her hair. Hermione smiled, Lily reminded her of Ginny Weasley for some reason. Maybe it was the red hair or the shyness...although; no one could call Ginevra Weasley shy anymore. She had blossomed since she'd first attended Hogwarts and had helped Hermione, Ron, Harry, Luna, and Neville in the siege of the Ministry of Magic last June...Hermione's eyes left Lily to meet Sirius's dark ones. You can't change anything... she told herself, no matter how much you want to. You have to let Wormtail betray James, Lily, and Harry. You have to let Bellatrix Lestrange torture the Longbottoms. You have to let Sirius Black die. She felt tears begin to form in her eyes and she wiped them away on the sleeve of her robe. Sirius frowned as he saw the shimmer of tears in the girl's eyes and looked at his friends, confused.

"Miss Evans, I'd like you to meet Miss Hermione de Lioncourt and Mr. Draco Aquilus," Dumbledore said and Lily smiled at Hermione. Hermione came out of her thoughts and smiled back.

"Hello, Hermione," Lily smiled. "Hello, Draco."

"They will be sharing the Head Boy and Girl quarters," Dumbledore said and Lily nodded.

"We've just transferred here from Agnitio Academy of Magic," Draco stated, taking Dumbledore's story.

Lily frowned and looked curiously at Draco. "Are you veela?" she asked curiously.

Draco blushed and Hermione did a double-take. Oh...my...God, Draco Malfoy just blushed! Hermione thought.

"Part...my great-great grandmother on my father's side was a veela," Draco murmured, shoving a hand through his white-blonde hair.

"I never knew you were a veela," Hermione murmured. "That makes sense."

Draco smirked and arched a brow at Hermione. "You finally realize how much sex appeal I ooze?" he taunted.

Hermione snorted. "Give it up, ferret-boy," she said, crossing her arms over her chest and Sirius smirked at Malfoy in a "she's mine" kind of way. The brunette winced slightly and Malfoy raised an eyebrow toward Hermione in an "it's either him or me" kind of way.

Hermione frowned. It was a lose-lose situation...she could either pretend that Draco the Amazing Bouncing Ferret was her boyfriend or have her best friend's godfather Sirius "I-was-accused-of-killing-fourteen-people-with-one-curse-but-I-didn't-do-it-my-slimy-friend-did-it" Black a.k.a. Padfoot hit on her. What was wrong with these people? She had been hit on twice as many times here as she had back home: she'd even been propositioned with Draco to join his father in a foursome! She shuddered at the memory but couldn't help remembering that Lucius Malfoy's chest was pretty nice. Wonder if Draco's chest is that nice, she thought.

Her eyes went wide as if someone had just poured a bucket of ice water over her head. I just wondered about Dra--Malfoy's chest and thought that Lucius Malfoy was hot?! What the hell is wrong with me? Oh right, they're veelas, those bastards have used their veela charm on me! Or I need sleep, that's it; a good, long nap, Hermione thought. And the hitting on of me? Maybe the extra wolfbane and hellebore made some kind of pheromone toward the opposite sex? Okay, Draco isn't hitting on me but he's being nice...well, as nice as a Malfoy can be...er...correction, as nice as a Malfoy can be without unwanted naughty propositions. Or, hey, maybe it scrambled my brain to think Malfoy's hot?

She frowned. Okay...so I have thought Malfoy was hot before. So nope, it has to be the veela, she admitted to herself. Or maybe this is some weird dream resultant from studying too much. Maybe I just need to go to sleep and I'll wake up finding out that I just fell asleep in Potions? She rather dreaded that confrontation if it were true, could almost hear Severus Snape telling her that she'd just lost fifty points from Gryffindor. And he'd do it too; she had no doubt about that.

"I'm really tired and I'd like to be shown my sleeping area," Hermione stated. Dumbledore nodded toward Lily.

"Miss de Lioncourt and Mr. Aquilus, I leave you in the capable hands of Lily Evans and James Potter," Dumbledore nodded and left the common room.

"Hermione, you know my idiot friends Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. This is Peter Pettigrew," James said, tapping the rat-faced boy's head. "I assume you know Lily Evans."

Lily glared at James and Hermione wondered how they had ever gotten together when they hated each other. Lily nodded toward a door with "Head Girl" carved on a brass plate on it. "Our room is through here," Lily said. She opened the door and Hermione noticed that it was larger than the room that she had shared with the rest of the sixth-year Gryffindor girls and only had two beds decorated in the red and gold of Gryffindor. There were also a great deal of posters of the Beatles covering the walls. A few of them were moving wizard type. "The Beatles were wizards?" she mused, examining one of the moving posters where the Beatles were performing "She Loves You."

"No," Lily smiled. "I charmed a few of the posters to do that. I absolutely love the Beatles."

"How long ago did they break up?" Hermione conversed.

"You're not Muggle-born, are you?" Lily sighed.

Every Muggle-born would know about the Beatles, she realized. "I am...my parents just don't like them," Hermione blushed.

"Seven years ago and I'm still upset about it...Paul McCartney was my first crush after all," Lily stated, eyeing Hermione. So it's 1977. Two years before I was even born... Hermione realized, her mother had been madly in love with the Beatles and the brunette knew a lot about them. Lily nodded toward the bed farthest away from the door. "That's my bed." The redhead gestured toward another door by the door to the common room. "That's the bathroom."

"You share a bathroom with the Head Boy?" Hermione asked, her eyes widening. That means I'll have to share a bathroom with Malfoy, she thought. And it's pretty much a given that Malfoy's going to be Head Boy next year unless the Fates and all the deities are on my side and I'll be shown mercy with Harry or Ron being Head Boy. But judging by how dismal their grades will be since I'm not there to help them, there isn't the slightest chance of that happening.

Lily looked displeased. "Unfortunately, yes. If it wasn't bad enough being a Gryffindor with him. How on earth he got Head Boy with all the points he's lost us. That...and he disappears for nights at a time," Lily sighed. Hermione knew why this was: it had to be a full moon and James was spending the night as Prongs with Moony, Padfoot, and Wormtail. "As per Head Boy, it was either him or Severus Snape, who's just as bad." Lily's anger was evident on her face and she glared menacingly at the bathroom door. "I tried to help Snape once and he called me a 'Mudblood.' Of course, the whole stupid thing wouldn't have happened if James hadn't hexed him."

Hermione seriously began to doubt that Harry James Potter would ever be born at the one step forward, a million steps back rate that his parents were going at. "Is James really that bad?" Hermione asked.

"Yes...he's a right prat. He's always casting spells on people," Lily stated, frowning as she remembered the display of James using his wand to hold Severus Snape upside down two years ago. "He always looks for trouble."

Hermione smiled softly, Harry Potter was a lot like his father. "I have a couple of friends back home like that. There's Harry and Ron, we've been friends since first year and the two of them are always looking for trouble but they're not that bad. Ron's older brothers are pains, they're good guys, but they're still pains..." she smiled as she remembered the Weasley twins. "James and his friends kind of remind me of them." Lily frowned and began laying out her clothes for bed.

The brunette looked out the window and noticed the moon would soon be full and Hermione decided that if she was still here during the full moon she'd follow the Marauders. She knew it'd be easier said than done because of James's invisibility cloak. Hermione had memorized the bump that would freeze the Whomping Willow and had been magical ways to move the bump. Finally figuring it out after that toad Umbridge had found out about Dumbledore's Army. If she had figured it out earlier, maybe they could have met in the Shrieking Shack like Sirius had suggested. Her eyes turned to Lily and she frowned. I don't have any clothes! she thought wildly.

Part 5:
The First Mission
(Friday, September 2, 1977 – Continued...)

In the common room, Draco, James, Sirius, and Remus were sizing each other up as Peter's eyes bounced from the Marauders to the new boy. Sirius's arms were crossed over his chest and he stood at his full height. He was a little taller than Draco but much beefier. Draco arched a brow. "Problem, mate?" he asked cheekily. My father would kill me if he knew I wasn't attempting to kill Potter's godfather, he thought. But my father also hit on me earlier so I don't think he'll mind that much. I can always hold that over his head when I get back. Draco let a sadistic smile pass over his lips as he thought of that occurrence:

"Where have you been, Draco?" Lucius would say.

"I went back in time with Granger," Draco would reply.

"You were with her (enter x amount of how long he was, would be -- whatever -- with her) and you didn't kill Potter's little Mudblood?" Lucius would say.

Draco would frown. "Of course not, I was emotionally scarred by the fact that my father hit on me when I went back in time," Draco would state.

"I did no such thing!" Lucius would reply hotly.

"You did! Remember? 'Care to join us, you two.' You hit on me...and Hermione Granger, Harry Potter's little Mudblood," Draco would come back.

Sirius, James, Remus, and Peter eyed the devious look on the boy's face. They exchanged a look and James, Sirius, and Peter nodded. Remus adamantly shook his head no. "So, Aquilus, do you like trouble?" James asked.

Draco was pulled out of his reverie and eyed The Boy That Would Be the Boy Who Lived's Father. "Can't get enough of it," Draco stated.

"You see, Sirius, Remus, Peter, and I...we're the Marauders and we could always use another troublemaker to make Filch pull out his hair," James offered. "And since this is our last year, we need someone to pass it on to."

They're Animagi, they could teach me. Ha, see if Granger can do that! Draco thought. He let a wicked grin that would rival his father's pass over his lips. "Sounds like a plan to me," Draco said, pushing out the reaction his father and Professor Snape would have if they ever found out that he was making an alliance with Gryffindors; not just any Gryffindors but the future-father and godfather of his future-nemesis, Harry Potter.

"That's not a good idea,” Remus said with a hard edge in his voice. "I still haven’t forgiven you for what Sirius did to Snape.”

"Don't worry, this one's nothing like Snape," Peter said.

"Snape's a tosser. This one has potential," James stated.

"Wh--what about your girlfriend?" Peter stammered.

"My girlfriend?" Draco asked and the four nodded toward the Head Girl's quarters. Draco's eyes widened. They think that that Mudblood is my girlfriend! he thought. It had its quirks...Granger will be absolutely pissed that I told her boyfriend's father that she was indeed my girlfriend. "Oh, Mione? She'll be fine without me...for a while. She's sometimes clingy but she does the most amazing thing..." he trailed off, closing his eyes and pretending to remember something very delightfully naughty.

"Go on..." Peter said.

"Don't mind Peter, he has no sex life," Sirius stated. "But you can go on..."

"She'd kill me...she pretends to be such a goody-goody but when you get her naked...she's anything but," Draco stated, delighting in his torment of the girl.

"Wonder if Lily's like that," James wondered out loud.

"James is smitten with Lily...she doesn't even notice him though," Remus explained and James Potter blushed. He eyed Draco curiously and the platinum-blonde shivered under the boy's gaze.

James frowned and gathered the Marauders in a huddle. "I don't trust him," Remus stated.

"Well, you've got the most to lose if he betrays us," Sirius stated. The "if" sounded a lot like a "when."

"We can put him through tests," James stated. "Each of us will come up with a task for him to complete...and if he passes each of them, we'll let him in. Okay, boys?"

Sirius and Remus took the longest to decide. Peter agreed immediately and Remus gnawed his bottom lip as he contemplated. "Okay...but I'll Obliviate his memory if he even thinks of betraying us," the werewolf stated.

Sirius grudgingly agreed to the thought of letting Draco into the Marauders. "Who's first?" he asked, his dark eyes lighting with mischief as he thought of his task.

"Peter," James said.

"Me?" Peter squeaked. "Oh, I know! He could sneak down to the kitchens and bring us something to eat?"

"Is food all you ever think about?" Sirius sighed.

"It works...if he can sneak to the kitchens undetected; I think he'd make a good Marauder," James said. "We need some kind of reward to get him to go though."

"What about letting him use your cloak?" Peter asked. James bit his bottom lip and nodded.

"Now that that's taken care of," James said. The four left the huddle. "We have a mission for you. If you succeed, you'll have three more tasks and then you can be one of us." "Why--" Draco bit off the rest of his response. Me having to stoop to doing tasks for someone! he thought bitterly. But it's worth it to become an Animagus. "Okay...what's in it for me?" he asked.

The four boys led the blonde into the Head Boy's room. Two four-poster beds were in the large room, both bedecked in scarlet and gold. Bloody Gryffindors, Draco thought in distaste. James opened the trunk at the end of his bed and pulled out a cloak. "You get to use this," James said.

Draco frowned. "A cloak?" he said disdainfully.

"I guess it's time for us to let you in on one of our secrets," James chuckled. "This isn't just any cloak." He threw it on over his shoulders and his head became suspended in midair, no body holding it up.

"An Invisibility Cloak," Draco stated. Of course! I didn't imagine Potter's head floating, he was wearing an Invisibility Cloak, he mused.

"Your mission--" James started.

"Should you choose to accept it," Peter interjected. Sirius, Remus, James, and Draco gave the boy looks.

"Is to get some dinner from the kitchens," James continued.

"Okay, where are the kitchens?" Draco asked.

"That's what you have to find out," James said, tossing Draco the cloak.

"Bloody hell," the blonde muttered. The Marauders grinned at him as he slipped on the cloak and disappeared.

The Head Boy's door to the common room opened and closed. "Do you think he'll make it without being caught?" Peter asked.

"Not a chance," Sirius smirked. "Even with the cloak."

Part 6:
For the Love of Pyjamas
(Friday, September 2, 1977 – Continued...)

Draco exited the Head Boy quarters and found Hermione in the common room. She was pacing and obviously trying to think of something. He found himself hoping that she wasn't trying to figure out how to get back. He leaned against the wall and watched the brunette pace. "Still awake? Figured a goody-goody like you'd either be studying or sleeping."

Hermione jumped. "You're really annoying," she sighed.

"Oh, Granger! You wound me with your insignificant words," Draco said melodramatically.

Hermione frowned and looked around the room. Her eyes widened when she found herself unable to find Draco. "Where are you?"

"I'm right here," Draco smirked. Hermione's eyes narrowed and she headed toward the source of the voice. She reached out an unseeing hand right in front of his face and moving carefully closer. Her fingers brushed some invisible fabric and her hand clenched. She pulled her hand back, full of the cloak and Draco was revealed.

Draco's eyes widened in shock. "How'd you--?" he stammered.

"You stole James's Invisibility Cloak!" the brunette scowled.

"Only a little, he'll have it back tomorrow," he stated, taking it back from her.

"And Slytherins are honest," Hermione muttered, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Why were you pacing anyway?" the blonde demanded.

"I was trying to think of a way to get clothes," Hermione stated. Her eyes widened in triumph. "The Room of Requirement!"

"What?" Draco asked.

"It's a room that turns into whatever you need it for. I'm sure it'll have clothes if we need them badly enough," Hermione answered.

"Okay..." Draco muttered. "Is it anywhere near the kitchens?"

Hermione frowned. "Why do you want to know where the kitchens are?" Hermione asked.

"I'm hungry and I promised I'd get the boys some food," Draco said.

Hermione's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "You, Draco Malfoy, are going to get something for someone else? Are you feeling well, do you need to see Madam Pomfrey or whoever the nurse is?" Hermione stated.

"Shut up, Mudblood," Draco scowled.

"In that case, I don't know where the kitchens are," she scowled and started toward the door.

"It's after curfew," the blonde stated with a smirk.

"And I'm a prefect," Hermione stated.

"Were a prefect," Draco drawled.

"What?" she asked.

"You were a prefect...not anymore," the boy said and Hermione reached to touch her uniform where the prefect's badge usually was. "I do have this nifty little Invisibility Cloak though. With more than enough room for two."

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Hermione scowled.

"We go to the Room of Requirement and then you take me to the kitchens," Draco said.

"Fine," Hermione sighed. They slipped under the Invisibility Cloak and headed out of the common room. "Scoot over."

"I am over," Draco hissed.

"Shut up, we're going to get caught," Hermione whispered.

"Stop hogging the cloak, Mud--" he growled. He was cut off as Hermione stomped on his foot. "Ow!"

"Oops, was that your foot?" Hermione asked innocently. They miraculously made it to the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy without being heard by a prefect or Filch.

"Concentrate on what you really need and it should appear," Hermione whispered to Draco. The two concentrated and then Hermione opened the door. She let out a sigh of relief: inside was a wide array of robes and clothes that put Madame Malkin's and Gladrags to shame. That and two trunks. The two filled their trunks with the robes, uniforms, pajamas, and underclothes. Hermione blushed as she realized that Draco Malfoy wore silk boxers. She closed her trunk before he could see her underclothes. She Reduced their trunks into the size of matchbooks and they carefully tucked them into the pockets of their robes that also held their wands.

"Now, the kitchens," Draco said, Hermione sighed and led him down some stone stairs into a brightly-lit corridor decorated with mostly paintings of food. She stopped in front of a painting with a silver bowl full of fruits.

"Tickle the pear," Hermione said.

Draco coughed noisily. "What?" he managed.

"You're disgusting," Hermione scowled, reaching out and tickling the green pear which giggled then turned into a doorknob. She opened the door and they entered the kitchen where hundreds of house-elves bustled about. She shrugged off the Invisibility Cloak, leaving Draco still covered by his portion and the house-elves immediately surrounded her, offering plates of delicious food and frosty mugs of butterbeer.

Her stomach growled mercilessly as she realized that she hadn't eaten since lunch. Draco pulled off the Invisibility Cloak and was also besieged by the house-elves. The two ate their fill silently and then took some back to the common room. Hermione exited to the Head Girl's room and Draco entered the Head Boy's room, still hidden under the cloak.

The four Marauders were playing a game of Exploding Snap on James's bed. In a dramatic gesture, Draco tossed off the cloak. The four boys stared at him in shock as they noticed his hands were full of food.

"That was brilliant," Peter murmured, his beady little eyes full of pleasure. The four ate the food taken from the kitchens.

Remus stretched. "I'd better go, it's almost time for patrol," he said. "It was nice meeting you, Draco."

"You too, Remus," Draco said. Remus led Sirius and Peter from the Head Boy's room and apparently to the Gryffindor tower. James yawned fitfully and changed into his pajamas and went to bed.

Draco put James's Invisibility Cloak in the Head Boy's trunk, changed into a pair of green and silver plaid pajama bottoms and lie down. He was asleep in seconds.

While Draco and his new friends munched on the food that she had helped him nick from the kitchens, Hermione changed into a set of blue pajamas with white crescent moons, suns, and stars dancing over it and crawled into bed.

She simply stared up at the hangings to her bed for what seemed like hours. Her brain just wouldn't shut down. So much had happened that day. She had gone back in time nineteen years. It was a lot even for Hogwarts' biggest brain. There had to be a way to process everything.

She sat up and rifled in her satchel, she withdrew the diary that her parents had gotten her for her birthday last year (they hadn't known about the Tom Riddle disaster). She had never written in it but she felt that she had to now. Maybe a warning for her future-past self? Hermione winced, this time travel was giving her a headache. It was easy with the Time-Turner. A few hours here, a few hours there...no big change. But an entire lifetime? That was a change. She began to write:

September 2, 1977

Love,
Hermione Jane Granger

Hermione glanced over her diary and decided that she'd leave it with Professor Dumbledore just before she returned to her time so Ron and Harry wouldn't worry too much about her. Before she went to sleep she cast a secrecy charm on the book so that only someone she wanted to read it could.

Part 7:
Of Gryffindors and Slytherins
(Saturday, September 3, 1977)

Hermione frowned as she awoke to "Twist and Shout" by the Beatles playing. She looked around the room curiously. Where am I? she wondered. Then it all came back to her. In the past, Lily's room, Beatles posters. The Beatles posters singing had indeed awakened her.

Lily stretched out and yawned. "Thanks for the wake up, boys." She winked at the poster and Ringo winked back. "I love those posters."

Hermione nodded. "They make a good wake-up call," she stated. With a frown, she thought about what she knew about Lily and James. She knew things about them that their own son didn't know. It was sad. Harry never got to know that his mother was mad about the Beatles; he never got to know how entertaining his father was.

She shoved a curl behind her ear and stepped out of bed. She wiggled her toes and headed toward the bathroom. "James is in there," Lily said, flushing.

Hermione arched a brow at her new friend. "Oh?" she asked.

Lily looked mortified. "He didn't lock the door." She grimaced.

"Was he really that bad looking?" Hermione questioned.

"Unfortunately...no," Lily sighed. "But I didn't want to see him naked! He's James Potter after all."

"He's a Seeker, right? Aren't they supposed to have nice bodies?" Hermione said distractedly, inwardly cursing at her derailment of thought. Blame Parvati and Lavender, she told herself.

"He's also my mortal enemy," Lily stated.

"Things change, circumstances arise." Hermione shrugged, blushing.

"An hour." Lily rolled her eyes. "He has to 'artfully' muss his hair. Honestly, I've never met a vainer man."

Hermione snorted. "You've obviously never been that close to Draco Mal--Aquilus," Hermione caught herself. "Draco is so vain."

"It's the veela in him. Veelas are extremely vain," Lily said. "I did an extra credit research project about veelas for History of Magic."

"They're scary when they're angry," Hermione said, shuddering as she remembered the Quidditch World Cup.

"It must take a lot of patience to date one," Lily said, her voice soft with understanding.

"Date--oh, you mean me and Draco?" Hermione asked, wincing at her poor grammar. "Draco and me."

Lily nodded. "So what's the story?" Lily asked.

Hermione sunk onto her bed. "I wish I could tell you...but I'm not even sure," Hermione stated. She wasn't liking this heart-to-heart girl moment. She strode across the room and knocked on the door. "Hurry up in there."

"Wait your turn," came James's voice.

"Men," Lily sighed. "I'm a girl and I don't even spend that much time in the bathroom. It sucks being Head Girl...sometimes." A thoughtful look passed over the redhead's face.

Hermione smiled at Lily. She liked her friend's mum more and more. "Lily and I need to take showers, so get out of there|" She scowled at the door. The shower ended and Hermione heard a door close. Hermione entered the bathroom, making sure to lock both doors. She took a quick shower, Lily following after.

Hermione got dressed in one of the school uniforms she'd found in the Room of Requirement as Lily showered. When the redhead reappeared, she dressed and the two left the Head Girl's room. They were early so Lily let Hermione look over her notes for yesterday's classes. Hermione was impressed by her meticulous note-taking, much like her own. She already knew most of the things in Lily's notes and figuring in the fact that Lily was a year ahead of her, Hermione Granger wasn't going to be behind.

Eventually, Draco and James appeared from the Head Boy's room and the four started out. "I suppose they'll Sort you," Lily stated.

"Sort me?" Hermione asked. "I'm just a...visitor, why would they need to Sort me?" The brunette frowned.

"To tell what House gets your points," Lily replied, shrugging.

Hermione sighed. They didn't sort the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students, so why me? she mused as they entered to the Great Hall. It didn't look much different from the Hogwarts Hermione knew...except the Head Table. Most of the staff was the same: Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Professor Sprout, and Professor Flitwick. Professor Snape wasn't there and there were two professors that Hermione didn't know; Hermione guessed that one of them was Professor Flaherty but she had no clue who the other teacher was.

"I have a special announcement to make," Professor Dumbledore said and the Great Hall was silent. "I would like to introduce Mr. Draco Aquilus and Miss Hermione de Lioncourt; they have transferred to Hogwarts from the Agnitio Academy of Magic in Salisbury. Please welcome them."

The Great Hall was filled with applause and Hermione blushed darkly under the school's scrutiny. "Due to the fact that they were delayed from the Sorting Ceremony, they will be Sorted now," Dumbledore said. Professor McGonagall disappeared and reappeared with the Sorting Hat and a stool.

"Draco Aquilus," Professor McGonagall said and Draco took a seat on the stool. The Sorting Hat was placed on Draco's head.

"Well, how odd," came the Sorting Hat's voice in Draco's head. "You are very ambitious, Mr. Malfoy...but your ambitions have changed greatly recently. Defying both your father and a very powerful wizard is a very brave thing to do...I know just where to put you." Draco stiffened noticeably and Hermione frowned. "GRYFFINDOR!"

Hermione Granger came very near to passing out at the Sorting Hat's proclamation. Draco...Malfoy...was...just...Sorted...into...Gryffindor? Hermione asked herself. The Gryffindors including Lily, James, and the rest of the Marauders clapped enthusiastically. Draco looked sick as he made his way to the Gryffindor table and sitting by Remus. James and Peter clapped him on the shoulder. What happened last night?

"Hermione de Lioncourt," McGonagall said and Hermione made her way to the stool, knees wobbling slightly. She had been nervous last time she'd been Sorted but this...this was much, much worse.

The Hat was placed on Hermione's bushy head and Hermione feared the outcome. "Brave, yes...but your bravery has turned into ambition as of late, Miss Granger," the Hat told her. "SLYTHERIN!"

When the Slytherins cheered, Draco looked as if he was going to fall out of his seat as did Lily, James, and the rest of the Marauders. The brunette's body was numb as she climbed off the stool and walked to the Slytherin table, where she slumped down beside a dark-haired boy who was poring over an ancient tome. She suddenly didn't feel hungry anymore. I'm a Slytherin, how can I be a Slytherin? I'm a Muggle-born for Merlin's sake! she thought anxiously. Then again, Voldemort was half-Muggle.

The boy looked up from his book and stared at the girl who had sat by him in shock. Hermione's eyes widened in disbelief; she knew this boy. The same pale skin that looked as if sunlight had never touched it, greasy black hair, black eyes, and the hooked nose. She had just sat by Professor Snape as a teenager. "S--Snape?" she squeaked.

He frowned and then glared at her. Hermione found herself frightened of that glare even when he was nineteen years younger than he was. She could almost hear him telling her that she'd lost points from Gryffindor. Which couldn't happen now, I'm a Slytherin, she scowled. "How did you know my name?" he asked.

Hermione scoffed. "I was told," she said evasively.

"Who told you?" he scowled.

"It's none of your concern," she stated. Desperate to change the subject she added, "What are you reading?"

"Potion Theory and Application," he said.

"So you like Potions?" Hermione asked. I'm having an almost-civil conversation with Professor Snape. What now, will pigs start flying? Hermione mused.

Snape nodded. "They're more scientific than most magic courses," Snape replied. "You can do so many things with potions."

Hermione nodded. "Yes...you can bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death," she murmured. Snape looked at her in admiration and Hermione froze. Oh sweet Merlin, no! she thought. Not Snape too! If it isn't weird enough with Sirius and Lucius!

But Snape wasn't attracted to her in the "date" way but in the friend way, thankfully enough. The two spent breakfast talking about Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts. "You can make a corporeal Patronus?" Snape asked.

Hermione blushed. "Yes...my Patronus is an otter," Hermione stated, flattered. "I learned it last year."

"Wow," Snape said, smiling. Hermione realized that this was the first time that she had seen Severus Snape smile at anyone, even his beloved Slytherins. She was actually surprised that she was finding Snape as entertaining as Ron and Harry.

From the Gryffindor table, James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, and Draco stared in shock as Hermione talked to Snape. "I can't bloody well believe it; your girlfriend's talking with Severus Snape!" Sirius stated.

"Snape?!" Draco demanded, eying the two. Bloody hell, he actually looks young! Draco mused. He felt a strange sensation as he watched. Was that...jealousy? No...not jealousy. Malfoys don't get jealous over Mudbloods. It's just...disgust. I'm disgusted that she's making Snape smile.

James smirked. "Don't worry about your bird, mate...Snivellus doesn't stand a chance with her," the dark-haired boy said.

"I know...I just never expected Hermione to end up a Slytherin," Draco stated with a frown. "I mean, she's a Mu...ggle-born. And I thought Slytherin was all about purebloods."

"More about ambition...but blood's a big thing," Remus replied. "But I wouldn't recommend you telling anyone of her lineage. The last Muggle-born in Slytherin didn't last very long." Draco frowned, curious at the emotion that Remus's words caused to stir in him.

"Slytherins are a bad lot, you know," Sirius stated and Draco chose to ignore that comment.

"They can't all be bad," Lily piped up. "Hermione's nice."

The Marauders ignored Lily and eyed the brunette across the room. "But that's Snivellus!" Sirius whined.

Lily rolled her emerald eyes. "Honestly, if anyone has a reason to dislike Severus Snape, it's me. You've heard what he calls me."

"He's a git, Li--I mean, Evans," James stated.

"Smooth, Potter," Draco muttered under his breath to his newfound friend. The dark-haired boy blushed darkly, mussing his hair nervously. Sirius sighed and Remus rolled his eyes. "Try to be nice to the girl..."

"Is that how you got Hermione?" Peter inquired.

Draco took a sip of the pumpkin juice and sputtered it out all over Peter Pettigrew as he realized what the rat-faced boy had said. "Oh...yes, right," he stated. The four eyed the blonde curiously.

"So...you're not dating her?" Sirius asked, casting a glance at the brunette who was laughing at something Snape had said.

Draco scowled at Sirius. "Sirius, mate, the girl's mine," Draco murmured. He cocked his head curiously as he felt a shiver go up his spine. Since when did I get all possessive about Herm--Granger? Possessive and jealous of Hermione Granger? Bloody hell, I'm going to be disowned, Draco thought. He suppressed a shudder as he watched his fake girlfriend talking to Severus Snape and the scariest part was that Snape was...smiling; really, truly smiling. It was creepy.

Part 8:
Sorting Out the Sorting
(Saturday, September 3, 1977 – Continued...)

To say that Hermione Granger was simply shocked about the day's events was like saying that Earth reversing its orbit around the Sun was just a "little change." Hermione "Know-it-All, Prefect Mudblood" Granger had just been Sorted into Slytherin House. And was making friends with her loathed Potions professor and future Head of Slytherin House, Severus Snape. Hermione was amazed at how wrong she'd been about the sallow-faced, hook-nosed prat of a man. He was actually quite -- perish the thought -- nice. Ron and Harry were going to be having kittens when they read about it in her journal.

"Hermione?" Snape asked as he noticed the secretive grin on her face.

"I was just thinking of my friends," Hermione stated. "They'd never think I'd be...here."

"Here?" Snape asked, arching a black brow curiously.

"In Slytherin," she clarified. "I must have read Hogwarts, A History a hundred times...I'm just not used to the thought of being a Slytherin." She would never add the fact that she was Muggle-born, God knows what the Slytherins would do to her if they found out.

"What's wrong with being a Slytherin?" Snape asked with a smirk.

"Well...I just never thought myself to be that ambitious...other than schoolwork, of course. I'm dead clever; I could've seen myself as a Ravenclaw. I'm a loyal friend; I could've been a Hufflepuff. I guess...I'm brave, I could have been a Gryffindor," she murmured, blushing.

"The Sorting Hat sees inside you. It wouldn't have put you in Slytherin if it didn't think you'd make a good Slytherin," Snape explained.

She nodded. This is totally and completely unbelievable, Hermione thought. I'm having a heart-to-heart with Snape. She shivered off the weird sensation she was getting from this. "I've heard a lot of bad things about Slytherins," the brunette finally admitted.

Snape nodded. "It's understandable," he stated.

Hermione looked at him curiously. "That's all you can say? 'It's understandable'?" she asked.

Across the room, Draco, the Marauders and Lily watched the Slytherins. A few other Gryffindors noticed the way the blonde was watching the new Slytherin and Severus Snape. "Bloody hell, Snivellus is actually talking to a girl," a Gryffindor stated.

Snape hadn't answered Hermione's question, his gaze had settled on the blonde woman that had been making out with Lucius Malfoy the night before. There was a niggling feeling of recognition in the back of her mind. "Who is that?" she asked.

"That's Narcissa Black," Snape said, his voice had a saccharine edge to it. Snape...fancies Draco's mum? Hermione thought, forcing back laughter. Narcissa was a pretty blonde woman, her riotous golden curls framing an angelic face and her bright blue eyes danced as she laughed. Lucius -- no, no, Malfoy Senior -- must have given Draco -- bloody hell, Malfoy -- his eyes, Hermione noted. She frowned as she realized that she'd been paying enough attention to Draco to know his eye color. Hermione shook off that thought and noticed that Narcissa didn't have the look that Hermione had seen on her before: the look of someone that had smelled something rotten. Maybe it had been Lucius's influence?

The blonde looked young and carefree and Hermione felt a wince of sympathy for her. In three years, Narcissa Black would be married to Lucius Malfoy and have that horrible prat of a son named Draco. The brunette scowled across the room at Draco and he smirked in return. She turned to face Severus. "You fancy Narcissa?" Hermione asked.

Severus Snape's face flushed crimson and he stammered. "Er...well...I...um," he stuttered.

Hermione giggled. "Oh, so you do fancy her," she stated and Severus gave her a less-practiced version of the scowl that he sent so many Gryffindors -- especially her -- in the future. She was chastised. The brunette instantly stopped her laughter and began to examine the bacon and eggs on her plate like it was the most interesting thing she'd ever seen.

"Sorry. It's...just..." he sighed. Hermione was still caught on the part where Severus Snape had said he was sorry. "My family used to be one of the greatest pureblood wizarding families. Then my father--" his dark eyes hardened to the look that Hermione was most familiar with "--he gambled away our fortunes...and the family name was tarnished. There's no way Narcissa would ever..."

Hermione had the strongest urge to comfort her potions professor. She patted his back and he flinched but he didn't pull away. "She's not good enough for you, Severus," she reassured him, rubbing her hand in comforting circles.

Realization dawned on her about his flinch...she had read in a psychology book that sometimes people that were abused were more likely to pull away from human interaction. Mingling it with the visions that Harry had gotten from Snape during their Occlumency lessons made a picture that Hermione didn't want. Snape's father had abused him. Her jaw clenched and she wanted nothing more than to hit her professor's father good and hard with some kind of nasty hex.

Sirius saw the scowl that Hermione sent Draco's way and the wheels in his head began to turn. The two obviously weren't a couple as Draco had proclaimed the night before. A smirk lifted the corner of his mouth and fell away as he noticed the flush creep over Severus's sallow skin. She laughed at his expression, golden-brown eyes filled with mirth and silvery tears. He sent her a glare and she was instantly serious again.

Sirius fought his urge to beat Severus to a bloody pulp while Draco watched, amused. The blonde frowned as he noticed something. Had Snape been looking at his mother? He blanched as a sudden unwanted vision of Narcissa Malfoy and Severus Snape involved in a clandestine affair made his stomach roil and his hands clench.

Sirius frowned as he noticed the sudden angry/sickened expression that passed over Draco's face and believed it was caused by Hermione's closeness to Snape. He sighed. Apparently, they were involved after all.

Part 9:
The Kiss of the Serpent
(Saturday, September 3, 1977 – Continued...)

Severus bit his bottom lip and looked at Hermione nervously. "T--thanks," he stammered.

"It's the truth, Severus, Narcissa isn't good enough for you," she stated.

The bell rang, Snape hurried to his first class of the day; he was obviously still unnerved by her affectionate back rubs...truth be told, so was Hermione. I wonder what he's going to think in the future... she mused. Maybe he'll stop taking so many points from Gryffindor -- or at least me -- because I remind him of, well, me.

With a shake, Hermione brought herself back and realized that she needed her schedule...and, egads, the password to the Slytherin dungeons. She noticed Draco had already asked Remus Lupin about the Gryffindor password.

She searched the Great Hall for any straggling prefects and her eyes widened as she finally noticed a dark-haired Slytherin prefect with cold gray eyes and a long face. "Oh, hi, what's our password?" the girl asked.

His dark eyes slid down her body speculatively, a smirk playing at his lips. Hermione shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. "Sinister," he murmured.

"Oh, well...that's--that's a very Slytherin password," Hermione murmured. "I'm Hermione de Lioncourt. Sixth year." She held out her hand in greeting.

His lips brushed her knuckles and Hermione jerked her hand away. She suddenly felt dirty. She didn't trust this guy. "Welcome to Slytherin, Hermione. It's certainly the best House. I'm Antonin Dolohov," he stated. "Seventh year."

A shiver danced its cold fingers down her spine as she examined the man that had attacked her at the Ministry of Magic's Department of Mysteries. "I--It was nice to meet you, Antonin," she stammered. By the time her conversation with him was over, most of the Slytherins and Gryffindors had left the Great Hall.

"I suppose you need to find the Slytherin House then?" he asked.

"N--no, I'll manage on my own," she stated. Antonin nodded and exited the Great Hall. Draco Malfoy had obviously told his fellow Gryffindors that he could manage on his own as well. She walked across the Great Hall to the blonde. "Need some help?"

"What? Oh, it's you," the boy drawled. "Of course not."

"So...where's your House located?" Or for that matter, where my House is located, she added mentally. "You know, where our schedule is."

"It's...it's..." Draco stammered.

"Need some help?" the brunette repeated.

"Fine," the blonde scowled. She led him from the Great Hall and up several flights of stairs. On the seventh floor, they finally found the Fat Lady's portrait.

"Password?" the woman asked.

"Valor," Draco sniffed. The portrait swung open and the two entered the Gryffindor common room. Draco immediately noticed how warm and comfortable the room seemed especially when compared to the Slytherin common room. They walked to the posting board where the Gryffindor schedule was. "Advanced Potions first period. It doesn't say anything about Slytherins."

"We have the exact same classes, remember?" Hermione said.

The bell rang signaling the start of the first period. They were late on their first day of school -- well, their first full day of school -- in the past. The two raced through the halls of Hogwarts to the dungeons. The class was already assembled and Professor Flaherty, the balding, gray-haired professor in olive-green robes with hard blue eyes, looked over his wire-rimmed glasses at the two. "Miss de Lioncourt, Mr. Aquilus...they may tolerate tardiness at Agnitio," he sniffed the name as if it was a vile curse word, "but not here at Hogwarts. Twenty points from Gryffindor, twenty from Slytherin."

Right bastard, that one, Draco thought. Even Snape wouldn't take points from Slytherin! He made a disgusted face as he remembered the sappy, puppy-dog look that Snape had given his mother over breakfast. Oh, bloody hell...Snape and my mother...that's just...disgusting.

Hermione's eyes widened as she sunk onto the bench behind the last empty table, Draco slipping beside her. The double Advanced Potions was the longest Potions class Hermione had ever had. Professor Flaherty, the Muggle-born learned, on a good day was worse than Snape had been toward Neville after Neville's boggart combined with Professor Umbridge. If that didn't stir anyone into a right bit of panic, nothing would.

Hermione longed to talk to Draco but after the last disaster in Potions, the two silently checked, double-checked and triple-checked everything to make sure it was right. "So what's the story with you and Snape?" Draco asked.

"There's no story, we were talking about potions," Hermione stated. "Maybe he can help us get back."

Draco smirked. "You looked...awfully close," he said.

"Snape and me? Did you forget the past five years?" she asked. "He made my life miserable even though I was the best--"

"Second best," Draco stated.

"Second best?" Hermione demanded.

"You were the second best student in Potions," he answered. "Remember, I was first?" Hermione opened her mouth to counter his accusation when the beady-eyed professor's thunderous voice boomed out.

"Aquilus, de Lioncourt! Enough with the lover's quarrel, another fifty points from Slytherin and Gryffindor...apiece," Flaherty said.

Hermione eyes widened and she caught her fellow Slytherins (including Narcissa) -- Fellow Slytherins? Hermione wondered -- glare at her. She clenched her hands, blunt nails digging into her palms, to keep from throttling the short man with his bulbous nose. Draco was also fighting his baser homicidal urges toward the professor. Draco only managed to keep himself calm by a slow mantra of breathe in, breathe out.

By the time the class was over, Draco's need to kill the professor had dulled to an almost-bearable niggle in the back of his mind. Forget killing Voldemort, let's kill this shit, Draco thought as he and Hermione turned in their potion. The professor scowled at them and Hermione shivered. As soon as they were out of Flaherty's hearing range, Hurricane Hermione went off. "I CAN'T BELIVE THAT MAN!" she cried. "He thought you and I were having a lover's quarrel?! Honestly, you're a pure-blooded Slytherin snob and I'm just little old Muggle-born Gryffindor me!"

Draco's eyes danced with amusement as he watched her cheeks flush with anger. She was almost...attractive. "I lost seventy points! Seventy points! On my first day, it's a good thing that I'm staying with Lily or the Slytherins would murder me in my sleep!" Hermione raged. "Ooh, I can't wait until I get home and the first thing I'm going to do is give Snape a hug and tell him what a wonderful job he's doing."

"I'm sure you will," Draco stated.

"You're sure I will what?" Hermione asked, confusion marring her brow.

"I'm sure you'll give him a great big hug and a wet, sloppy kiss," Draco smirked.

"You bastard!" Hermione gasped, her hand shooting out and smacking his cheek with a resounding smack. His head was pushed to the side from the force, a scarlet handprint flaming on his cheek; his usually impassive gray eyes stormed with anger.

He grabbed her wrists and shoved her roughly against the nearest stone wall. His grip was bruising on her delicately-boned wrists and he pushed his body against hers. "You got your free shot in third year, Mudblood, you never get another one," he growled.

Hermione's eyes widened in terror, her heart pounding violently. His lips were curled up in an evil sneer and were mere millimeters from her own lips. "Let me go," Hermione whimpered.

There was the echo of footsteps. Students were going through the dungeons to Professor Flaherty's classroom and Draco realized how this would look. So he did the only thing he could think of, he placed his lips to Hermione's. She gasped and Draco took this moment to push his tongue past her lips.

Her blood turned to lava and her nerves danced with electricity. The kiss was brief but it left both parties breathless and applause filled the hallway. Hermione's cheeks flamed as she noticed the collection of Slytherin and Gryffindor first years applauding and cat-calling. She was going to kill Draco Malfoy.

Her eyes scanned the crowd, trying to look anywhere but at the man who had just kissed her so thoroughly. She finally realized that Draco had let her go. She pulled away from him, making her way through the first years and racing to the Transfiguration classroom. Draco watched her go, a look of shock plastered to his face before he too went to the Transfiguration classroom.

Part 10:
Tradition
(Saturday, September 3, 1977 – Continued...)

By the time the class period was through, every single person at Hogwarts knew about the infamous between-class kiss that Draco had given her. Hermione had been mortified; her lips were still swollen and slightly bruised. She had gone to Madam Pomfrey (whom Hermione was glad to see still there) for something to make the well-kissed appearance go away but Madam Pomfrey simply tut-tutted, saying that she wasn't supposed to heal non-magic-inflicted wounds. The Slytherins looked like they would kill her for daring to touch a Gryffindor. Everyone except Narcissa Black, Narcissa looked...to put it simply...jealous?

Even though Hermione had earned back most of the points that Flaherty had taken away earlier and earning the respect of Professor McGonagall. That was a masterful feat for a Slytherin. As she entered the Great Hall for lunch, the Slytherins cast glares at her for daring to appear.

Merlin, is it so horrible that I kissed a Gryffindor? Hermione thought. She frowned as she realized what she had just thought. Honestly! The Gryffindors are the ones that should be upset because a Gryffindor kissed a Slytherin. No, no! I wasn't the one who did the kissing. Draco kissed me...and for that, I am going to turn him into something really...dreadful.

Severus didn't care who she had kissed (well, who had kissed her); he sat beside her at lunch. "I can't believe how--how mean Professor Flaherty is," she whined, trying to think of anything to say except mentioning Draco.

"That's what everyone thinks. Some say he's the Dark Wizard Grindelwald come back," Severus stated.

She frowned. "He can't be as bad as other wizards I've heard of," Hermione stated, shivering as she cast another look at the Marauders and Lily. Draco was involved in deep conversation with James; the handprint (unfortunately) had faded. Hermione wondered what he was up to; she didn't trust Draco as far as she could throw him to use a cliché. Especially after that kiss.

Severus swallowed hard and looked at Hermione. "Er...Hermione," Severus stated. "There's a dance on Halloween for the seventh years and I was wondering if you'd like to be my date?"

"In the friend way?" Hermione asked, eyes widening.

Severus snorted. "Of course in the friend way," he stated. "You're the sweetest girl, but..." his eyes were directed to Narcissa and Hermione suppressed another giggle.

"Why don't you ask Narcissa?" Hermione couldn't stop the words from tumbling from her mouth. Her eyes widened. Severus's face hardened. Note to self, keep far away from any mention of Narcissa Mal--Black, she mused. "I mean, money and power aren't everything, Severus. She might have hidden depths." Very, very, very hidden depths if she's shallow enough to marry Lucius, she mused and again visions of Lucius Malfoy's alabaster chest floated past her mind's eye. This whole trip is really messing up my hormones. I've gone through five entire years of relatively no influx of hormones whatsoever and now I'm drooling over Lucius Malfoy's chest. There is something terribly wrong with me.

Severus didn't seem to notice Hermione's sudden blush. "Even if my father hadn't ruined the Snape name...it's not like I have a chance...she's already betrothed," he said miserably.

"Betrothed? You mean, engaged?" Hermione asked.

"What else would I mean?" Severus asked.

"She's engaged? She's what, sixteen?" Hermione asked, eying the blonde that had ensnared Severus's senses.

"She's been engaged to one of the school governors, Lucius Malfoy, since her birth," Severus said.

"Since her birth?" Hermione frowned. "That's not right."

Severus's eyebrow rose. "It's a tradition to high-ranking pureblood families," he stated.

"And Lucius's and Narcissa's son?" she asked.

"Or daughter," Severus said with an arch of his dark brow. "I've heard that Lucius is already talking of a betrothal between his child and a Parkinson."

"Pansy," Hermione whispered, her eyes widening as she stared at Draco. Suddenly, she felt sorry for Draco (an emotion that she wasn't soon to ever have again): he didn't have a choice; he was already forced to marry that hag, Pansy Parkinson. Pansy wasn't ugly even with her stupid pug-nose; she was a pretty blonde thing with curves that Hermione had even caught Ron and Harry ogling on occasion...but her personality. Hermione shuddered; she had the personality of a troll and a simpering voice (not unlike Umbridge's) that would grate on a banshee's nerves.

"Excuse me?" Severus asked.

"Nothing," Hermione stammered but Severus gave her an odd look and the girl blushed under his scrutiny. "Okay, fine, it reminds me of someone I know. He's a pureblood and he's betrothed to this horrible, horrible girl named Pansy."

Severus seemed to want to ask her some questions but shook his head as his lips thinned. "Fair enough," he finally stated. There was a tense silence and Hermione watched Lily talk to a guy with dark hair that was about Hermione's age. He seemed vaguely familiar to her.

"Who's that?" she asked, nodding toward the black-haired boy.

"Regulus Black," he stated. "Much less annoying than his brother, Sirius." Severus scowled at the mention of Sirius.

Hermione's eyes widened. "He's a Gryffindor," she stated. Severus gave her a look that clearly said "and your point is?" Hermione frowned and decided not to go into depth why she had made the comment about Regulus Black being a Gryffindor. He would be a Death Eater and he was a Gryffindor. She had thought only Slytherins became Death Eaters. Her eyes traveled to Peter who gnawed his fingernails as he concentrated on the book lying before him, obviously doing some very last minute studying on something...Peter would become a Death Eater too. Suddenly, Hermione wasn't hungry anymore.