Promise to the Past | 🐾 ᴍᴀʀᴀᴜᴅᴇʀs ✓

12 | Delayed Timelines

~ November 30, 1981

In the following few weeks Hermione found a schedule for herself, which proved to be a salvation for her more pragmatic mind. Every other day she'd train with Moody, and their sessions had gone beyond Fiendfyre as he'd begun to teach her more advanced defensive and survival spells. 

Part of her wondered if she'd known them on the run, would she have been able to protect Harry and Ron better? Would they have survived? Part of her felt guilty for being so reckless at the time. They were barely adults, yet they'd taken the weight of the world on their shoulders; she should've made sure they had help. Remus, or Kingsley, or anyone really. Despite the few weeks it had been since her life fell apart, she felt years older. While she'd never really felt like a child her age with all the problems they'd had to face, Hermione couldn't help but mourn for that part of her life. 

They still had weekly Order meetings or dinners, and everyone would gather together each time. Remus still maintained his cordial friendliness but wouldn't seek her out anymore, which Hermione learned to stop taking personally. She made small talk with him every now and then, but never pushed it. Instead she chose to remember Remus from the interactions she'd had with him in her time. Regardless, she couldn't help but notice he seemed too haggard around the time of the full moon. When she finally realized in horror that the Wolfsbane potion hadn't been created yet and Remus was still enduring the full moons the hard way, she made a note to herself to brew it for him for the next cycle. 

James stopped snapping at her and was perfectly polite, which Hermione suspected had been Lily's doing. It puzzled Hermione how he was so warm and playful with everyone else, acting every bit the cocky jokester people remembered him as, but with her would recede into a guarded shell. He was never cruel, but she could still tell he was wary of her. 

Not that she made any compromises to win them over. Once over the weekly dinners, Peter had approached her from across the room after Lily said something to him. He asked whether she'd like to join them as she was just sitting by herself near the fireplace with Ron snoozing in her arms, and she'd bluntly said 'no, thank you,' turning away to ignore him. Ever since then Peter had approached her a few times on his own accord, trying to break through her shell. If he were any other person, she probably would've been receptive to him because he asked her about current events and cracked jokes about some of the dynamics between other Order members, trying to make her feel more welcome. But each time she'd just give him a half-hearted smile and quickly make some excuse to walk away from him. While Peter's efforts did nothing to change Hermione's attitude, they only further convinced the Marauders that they were doing the right thing giving him a chance.             

During that time, Fabian and eventually his brother Gideon proved to be a good company. Anytime they'd see her glazed off in a corner with Harry, Ron, or Ginny, they'd immediately come cheer her up. They didn't try to become her friend per say, but much like George and Fred had done in her time, they did their best to put a smile on her face every now and then. 

Sirius for the most part followed James' lead, treating Hermione amicably but steering out of her way. She found herself watching him sometimes, but his gaze wouldn't so much as wander in her direction. 

During one of their dinners, Hermione offered to go do the dishes, which Molly had only allowed once she promised to use magic. She was right at the threshold of the kitchen when she heard voices coming from the kitchen. She would've kept going if she hadn't heard her name being mentioned. 

"-quite reclusive isn't she?" someone asked curiously. "I almost thought she was the Weasley's nanny, to be honest." 

"Hermione is Dumbledore's niece, Marlene," Lily said sternly. "And she's really a very nice girl."