Reaching across time

Chapter 27: Giving in

Sirius and James were impatiently shifting from foot to foot as they waited for the headmaster to enter his office. Their parents had already given up trying to tell them to stay still.

Once Dumbledore arrived, he had said that the decision was all Hermione's and that if she wished to, she could go home with the Potter's and the two boys had rushed out of the room to go get her.

Sirius checked the map and once sure that she was in the common room, the two boys put on their cloak and snuck in through the portrait hole, deciding to give her a proper surprise

"Where did she go?" James mumbled as they stared at a common room empty except for the stacks and stacks of books.

"She's still here" Sirius replied, checking the map again.

Confused and positive that the map wouldn't malfunction they pulled off their cloak and heard a loud gasp of shock.

"Mione?" James called with a frown.

"What are you two doing here?" Hermione asked in surprise.

"Ummm where are you love?" Sirius asked still looking at the spot the map said she was in.

"What? Oh right! I was just-" she mumbled before appearing in front of them out of thin air.

Sirius watched in surprise as a very flustered looking Hermione stood in front of them, for once wearing a khaki colored skirt instead of her worn out old jeans and a beige top that didn't go with it at all. Her hair was held up in a high pony tail and her eyebrows were drawn into a very deep frown.

"How did you do that?" James asked in awe.

"I was practicing" she mumbled.

"Practicing what exactly?" Sirius asked, his eyes straying down to her shapely legs despite his best efforts.

"Invisibility spells, now why are you here?" She asked them.

"Mom and dad wanted to meet you" James shrugged in response. Her eyes widened in surprise as she looked from one to the other before agreeing to follow them.

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She had never thought of what had happened to the older Potters or how they had died and she was completely unsettled as she followed the two marauders to the headmaster's office. Taking a moment to compose herself, she entered the circular office followed by the two smirking dark haired boys.

"Ah! Miss granger. So nice of you to meet us, these are Charlus and Dorea Potter" Dumbledore said with his twinkling eyes on her.

She looked at James's father who to her surprise looked startlingly like the other two potter's she had known. In fact he was an older version of James himself, with the same hazel eyes, glasses and messy hair. Dorea Black Potter was true to her blood beautiful, a little round with dark hair and grey eyes but looked kind and reminded her of Mrs. Weasley.

"It's nice to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Potter" She said politely as the older couple smiled.

"They insist that you join them for Christmas" The headmaster said with a kind smile.

Hermione's blood drained from her face and she began to panic. What if somehow her presence drew the death eaters there? What if the kind looking couple died because of her? Why hadn't she found out much about them before? How was she supposed to turn them down?

"I wouldn't want to trouble-" Hermione began but the woman waved her off.

"Its no trouble dear, I've always wanted a daughter to spoil not to mention you are practically family now that you have our son head over heels in love with you" She said pleasantly as Sirius beamed.