𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐄𝐑 ❧ sirius black

VIII - Little Sluggy

As dawn broke, Sirius left the Astronomy tower so that he could settle into the dorm room before everyone else started to wake up. He arrived in a better mood than when he left; embracing the good magic thankfully always left Sirius in a better place.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the hall, the Gryffindor girls, most of which were plagued with nasty hangovers from the night before, slowly began to wake up. Fast asleep, Hermione was knee-deep in a dream about what she was missing back home. It had only been one day, of course, but that didn't mean that Hermione didn't miss Harry, Ron, and Ginny. She pondered over what they were doing all the way in 1996, but technically, they were frozen in time. Even though they didn't know it, all they could do was wait for Hermione to return so that life could carry on a usual.

But wait, what was that soft thing she could feel? With fur similar to Crookshanks back home?

And just like that, Hermione was startled awake from her dream about her past and the future, to an unfamiliar feline snuggled up near her legs. A small bit of her confusion faded as Marlene scrambled to the side of Hermione's bed and snatched the cat from it.

"Bloody cat," Marlene cursed, "Doesn't ever sleep in his bed."

"I see you've met Pickles," Alice laughed as she exited the dorm's bathroom, "he's Marlene's."

"He's quite cute," responded Hermione while smiling. The sight of Pickles made her miss Crookshanks and everything else she couldn't bring with her to this timeline.

Within moments Alice had already left, saying that she was going to meet Frank Longbottom for breakfast before the first class of the day. It still continued to amaze Hermione how Neville's parents were alive, sane, and right in front of her at a moment's notice. Maybe if she succeeded in saving James and Lily, it could help the Longbottom's escape their heart-wrenching fate too. Anything to give Neville the opportunity to be raised by two loving parents.

Marlene had already gotten dressed and tended to Pickles while Lily took over the bathroom. Hermione waited her turn; she could get ready fast, with no problem. But starting another year of school in a completely different timeline made it difficult for Hermione to stick to her normal, quick, routine. Back here, she didn't have to be Hermione. She was Harper Slughorn now. And Harper Slughorn had a load of new classes for today, and a lifetime to worry about being Hermione. Those personal demands could wait; there was a great task a hand for her now.

With that said, Hermione knew that it was important now more than ever to bond with Lily, James, and their friends early on. A lack of trust would get her nowhere in the future; finding dirt on Peter could wait until she was closer with them.

So, Hermione stayed with Lily as she went down to the Great Hall with the boys for breakfast. Each boy was dressed in new Gryffindor robes, the only time of the year in which all of them would look somewhat tidy. But just based on the stories she had heard, Hermione had a gut feeling that their tidiness wouldn't last more than a few days. But at breakfast that day, Hermione started to learn more about each of them, more than she could've picked up from the stories she had heard. She even shared a bit about herself, about Harper, of course.

James and Sirius tossed their iconic jokes and comebacks into each conversation like clockwork, while Remus and Lily talked of the upcoming course schedule and Peter added his usual minimalistic tidbit to every few sentences. It was such a sight for Hermione's eyes, seeing them interact on a normal basis. Without dangerous threats, without having to worry about whether one of them would lose their mind, or die within the next week. Hermione hoped that she could rid them of any of those worries, that was the reason for her being here, after all.

Breakfast quickly passed, and it was time for Hermione to experience her first class of the year. It just so happened to be Potions, with the man she had to pretend was her uncle.