xiii.
it's the fireworks when two souls collide
(Falling in Love Pie by Sara Bareilles)
__________
August 14, 1976
Hermione blearily opened her eyes as her alarm went off. She grasped for her wand and gave it a tiny wave. The sound instantly vanished and it took the brunette a few more seconds before she hauled herself up from her bed.
She glanced at the handsome arch-shaped window in the guest room and saw the beginnings of sunrise. Wand in hand, Hermione pressed its tip against her heart and murmured, "Amato. Animo. Animato. Animagus."
A thrill ran down her spine when she felt a second heartbeat the book about Animagi transformation had spoken of. She first felt it yesterday during sundown, but she wasn't entirely sure what it was as it was so fleeting. Now that she had felt it once more, it meant she was on the right track. Now all that was left was waiting for a thunderstorm and drinking her hidden potion, for the ritual to be complete.
Hermione let herself marvel the beautiful sunrise, a burst of bright orange and yellow painting the whole sky, and illuminating the lovely garden of the Potter Manor.
It had already been a few days since she and Peter had come to stay in said Manor. Tomorrow, they would be going home to meet Anya and would start getting ready for the next school-year. It surprised her greatly how there was a certain sadness at the thought. Staying at the Potter Manor had been fun, and she had grown considerably closer to the Marauders, despite the shortness of time. They were still rowdy berks, but tolerable enough for Hermione to now join in their fun most of the time. It was laughable, but she would surely miss Sirius' barking laugh, or Remus' snarky retorts, and James' mischievous hazel eyes.
A part of her hoped it would soon be September 1st.
She stared outside for a few more minutes before deciding to start freshening up for the day. It was still too early and because it was summer, the other occupants of the Manor wouldn't get out from their beds for another two or three hours more. Ever since she had started doing this ritual, Hermione found herself unable to sleep anymore and had decided to explore Potter Manor until she was called for breakfast.
For the last few days, she had discovered delightful rooms and even talked with some of the illustrious ancestors of the Potter family. Hermione was particularly acquainted with the portrait of Linfred of Stinchcombe, who was said to be the founding patriarch of the Potter family.
Linfred was an eccentric man, with the famous raven, dishevelled hair of a Potter, who had different potted plants scattered around him in his portrait. He often spoke about his fascinating potion experiments that ultimately led to the development of Skele-Gro and Pepper-Up. Hermione once pointed out to the talkative man that her best friend would love to meet him, seeing he was a Potions prodigy himself. Linfred had told her to invite him over, but Hermione softly snorted, imagining Severus Snape's horror when he discovered he was invited to come over Potter Manor.
As Hermione donned a turquoise sweater and placed her wand in the back pocket of her jeans, she had already decided she would peruse the library today. She had been there a few times in the past, accomplishing her homework and doing some light reading, but she was always swept away by the Marauders for another adventure. She would appreciate some quiet before she was surrounded by testosterone-filled boys with a thirst for ridiculous quests.
She walked out of her quaint bedroom. The corridors were still quiet; most of the portraits were still dozing.
Hermione travelled along the corridor until she reached the imposing oak wooden doors of the library.
Her breath still hitched every time she entered the huge library. They weren't as well off as the Potters, so Anya was only able to afford a few shelves for Hermione's piling book collection. If they had a library as humongous as this back home, Hermione knew she wouldn't be able to leave.
She randomly picked a book on Arithmancy and settled on the comfortable maroon, velvety chair in front of a smaller fireplace. She swished her wand at the fireplace to start a fire.
Comfortable, she leaned her head against the backrest and lost herself in the sea of words and numbers.
She was in a particularly gripping part of the book when a hand touched her shoulder. She stiffened and straightened up, wand instantly in her hand in case she needed to attack.
"Hey, it's just me."
She met her brother's amused eyes and felt a blush creep up to her cheeks. "You didn't have to sneak up on me," she reprimanded.
Peter quirked an eyebrow. "I called your name thrice but you never looked up from your book." He leaned closer to read the words on the page and then snorted. "Typical of you to become engrossed with Arithmancy."
"It's a very good book," she defended, hugging said book against her chest as if to give it comfort.
"Yes, yes, if you say so," he flippantly said. "Anyway, breakfast is ready and we're all waiting for you."
"Already?" she asked, surprised. It felt like she had just started reading ten minutes ago.
Peter grinned, highly amused by her confusion. "Yes, already," he said, lightly clutching her elbow to pull her up. "Come on. You know how Sirius gets when he's forced to wait to eat."
"He's not even a Potter, blimey," she murmured under her breath.
The sandy-haired boy expelled a soft laugh. "Don't let him hear that."
__________
The tension was thick in the Drawing Room of Potter Manor later that day, when Hermione received a letter from Severus announcing he had finally gotten his OWL scores. The Slytherin boasted all 'O's in the core subjects, another 'O' for Divination, and two 'Es' for Arithmancy and Care of Magical Creatures. She had already penned her congratulations to her best friend and promised to treat him during their first Hogsmeade weekend.
Lily still hadn't contacted Hermione about her OWL scores, but she knew it wouldn't take too long.
Since then, the other sixth years were on edge. Perhaps it was Remus who was the most relaxed of them all, seeing that he wasn't aiming to become an Auror after graduation. But, Hermione still noticed how he clenched and unclenched his jaw and had been poorly concealing how unfocused he was on the book he was reading.
Sirius and James comically started wearing down the rich carpet with their constant pacing. Hermione mentally counted that they were already on their fifteenth march.
It was Peter who was the most nervous of them all, incessantly voicing out his fears of failing the important OWLs. Hermione by now had been mechanically soothing his nerves, telling him he did very well and he shouldn't get too ahead of himself.
Truthfully, Hermione was nervous for them too and hadn't been able to make any further progress with her Arithmancy book. Pokey had brought over tea and scones an hour ago, but they were still left untouched by the jittery teenagers.
All their eyes landed on the window when a small, lovely owl pecked its beak against the pane.
"Is it—" Peter tightly gripped the edge of the coffee table, looking like he might faint.
"Sorry, blokes," Hermione said with a sheepish smile. "But I recognise that owl. It's Lily's."
James cursed under his breath and resumed his pacing. Sirius had now plopped down on the carpeted floor, his eyes already staring blankly at the roaring fire.
Hermione bit her bottom lip, knowing it wouldn't be wise if she started to laugh at them, and sprang out from the divan she was sitting on. She unlatched the window and let Lily's owl, Daisy, fly inside. Hermione grabbed a few treats from the pouch near the window and thanked Daisy. The bird hooted her thanks and stuck out her claw, waiting for Hermione to untangle the letter. The owl took flight as soon as the letter was freed and zoomed out of the window.
She immediately scanned Lily's letter and grinned.
"How did Lily do?"
Hermione craned her neck and met James' curious eyes. "Nine 'O's and one 'E'," she answered.
Sirius emitted a low whistle. "Way to go, Evans," he murmured.
She made a mental note to pen her congratulations to her other best friend with another promise to treat her on their first Hogsmeade weekend.
Before Hermione could take her seat, incessant tapping from the window was heard once more. This time, multiple pecks were heard and everybody in the room stilled.
Hermione moved first and turned on her heel. Four, excitedly flapping birds were waiting impatiently to be let inside the room, clutching an official Hogwarts letter in their beaks. "I don't have other best friends," she slowly started, "so I'm quite sure those owls are for you."
"Fuuuck," James whined, plopping down beside Sirius, their backs facing the window. Peter had buried his face beneath his arms and had stopped moving all together.
Hermione then questioningly darted a glance at Remus, who looked paler, his healing scars now stark under the dim lights of the drawing room. "Honestly?" the werewolf said, a shaky smile stretched wide on his face. "I don't think I can stand, Hermione."
The brunette expelled a huge sigh and trudged towards the window once more. The owls immediately flew inside when she pushed the window open and respectively went to the wizards bearing the name on the envelopes they were clutching between their beaks. Hermione waited until they had deposited their letters and gave each of them treats.
Once they had flown away, Hermione closed the window once more, before looking back at the silent wizards.
"Moment of truth," she announced, the corner of her lips twitching when they suddenly erupted into groaning litanies of flowery curses.
Hermione immediately went towards her brother and tightly held his hand. Remus was already deliberately opening his letter. Sirius and James exchanged theirs, demanding that the other should only shout at the top of his lungs if they had decent grades.
"Come on, Petey," Hermione urged, waving the letter in front of his face.
"I can't open it, Hermione," he moaned. "Read it for me."
She flinched when Sirius and James erupted into an ear-splitting shout, immediately climbing onto their feet and giddily jumping up and down like a bunch of kids who had discovered that Father Christmas as real. Remus was marginally calmer, but the smile that broke on his face was far and wide like the horizon.
They were now quizzically looking over the Pettigrew siblings, silent apprehension on their faces as they waited to hear how Peter had done on his OWLs.
"Moment of truth," she repeated once more. She softly giggled, noting that her hands were also shaking as she broke off the Hogwarts seal. She had stopped breathing altogether as her eyes quickly devoured the words written on the parchment.
"Well?" Peter squeaked, still unable to look at his sister.
Hermione suddenly expelled an uncharacteristic squeal and threw her arms around her brother. "You did it!" she cried.
"He did?" James asked as the other three scrambled towards them. Remus snatched the letter from Hermione's limp hands and they fought each other to take a peek at Peter's letter.
"Holy shite, Wormtail," James guffawed, a look of utter disbelief and unconcealed happiness in his hazel eyes. "You got two 'O's, seven 'E's, and an 'A'. But that's all right, because you've passed all of the subjects needed to qualify as an Auror. The acceptable was Divination because you were bloody fucking sleeping during the exam, you wanker! It was a miracle you even passed it."
"I did it," Peter gasped, his blue eyes widening in incredulity. "I – I actually did it!"
Sirius pulled him onto his feet and the four Marauders went into a huge group hug that made Hermione fondly laugh. Their happiness was ridiculously infectious and Hermione felt like she had passed her OWLs too even though she still hadn't taken them.
James' eyes met hers and the grin on his face widened. "Come join in, Hermione," he teased. "If it weren't for you, we'd be bloody failures right now. Except Moony, of course, because he would have surely still gotten all 'O's even without you."
"I got nine," Remus cheekily corrected. "So not all."
"Berk, that's still amazing!" Sirius pointed out with a barking laugh.
Peter grasped Hermione's arm and pulled her towards the group. She was immediately enveloped by different pairs of arms, crushed tightly until she couldn't breathe. But Hermione was merrily laughing, genuinely happy for these people she had come to consider as her friends.
__________
Since James had gotten five 'O's, three 'E's, and two 'A's; and Sirius had managed to get four 'O's, five 'E's, and one 'A', Fleamont and Euphemia had agreed they could have a celebration that night. James suggested a bonfire near the cabin on the hill, announcing that according to the Daily Prophet, the skies would be clear that night.
James and Sirius went to Diagon Alley to do some last-minute buying of snacks and drinks, while the other three were left to build the bonfire. Remus placed comfortable blankets near the fireplace and added some throw pillows they could relax on while they gazed at the stars and played some board games. Hermione thought it would be lovely to string up some fairy lights on the nearby trees, to illuminate the whole field. Peter threw a spell towards the stacks of wood and started a blazing fire.
By the time James and Sirius were back, hauling piles of food and cases of drink Hermione definitely knew were alcoholic, they were ready for their small party.
"Do your parents know you're drinking?" she asked with a disapproving frown. It wasn't that she disliked drinking, but they were still underage.
James and Sirius exchanged wicked grins. "They will if someone tells them, kitten," Sirius said, throwing her a conspiratorial grin.
"Liven up, 'Mione," Peter said with a laugh. "It'll just be today, promise. Besides, I know you always keep a bunch of Sobering Potions in your bag."
"Hermione!" James gasped, a mock scandalised expression on his face.
"It's not like that," she lamely protested, knowing they wouldn't understand that it had become some sort of habit for her to bring a range of potions along with her – Sobering Potion in particular, as in her past life, Harry Potter sometimes turned to alcohol to drown his misery away. She knew it was a stupid habit, because none of the people she was close with in this timeline were on the verge of spiralling out of control.
"We'll keep your dirty little secret, kitten, don't worry," Sirius said as he lazily slung an arm over Hermione's shoulder.
Peter's eyes almost looked like they would pop out from their sockets. "Hermione!" he gasped, this time in real, abject horror.
Hermione sighed and gruffly pushed Sirius' heavy arm away. "It's not what you think, Peter," she said and immediately stalked off towards the pile of various snacks to stop them from asking any more dangerous questions.
Thankfully, the Marauders let it slide and started horsing around. James and Remus managed to transfigure one tree into a radio that actually managed to produce lovely music that echoed in the vast field.
Hermione started to relax soon after, even letting herself drink a shot or two of firewhiskey, but never more than that, because that was when her head got very fuzzy and she couldn't think clearly.
The boys were growing more boisterous and obnoxious, as Sirius challenged Peter to a game of some kind of drunken Wizard Chess she didn't bother understanding. They appointed Remus as their referee and the werewolf was content making snide, scathing remarks when a stupid mistake was made by a player. Hermione found it quite amusing that Cranky Remus also appeared when he was very drunk and would have loved to mercifully tease him. But she would do that once he was sober; else, she'd be the receiving end of his crankiness.
Her veins buzzed with the excitement of the party and alcohol and Hermione decided she would just relax for a bit. She sat down on one of the blankets near the fire and hugged a pillow against her chest, letting the crackling fire and the cool breeze lull her into a peaceful trance.
__________
"No, you idiot, what were you thinking?"
James snorted and watched as Sirius cowered and sheepishly glanced at the irate Remus. It always amused him every time Remus got drunk because his cranky self would appear and would start criticising everyone around him. Even his best friends weren't safe from his snarky attitude.
Peter comically placed both of his hands under his chin, deep in thought, as he blearily gazed at the chessboard. His hand hovered on a pawn, before he questioningly looked at Remus. The werewolf glowered, prompting him to flinch. Peter immediately moved his hand over his queen, took another peek at Remus, and sighed in relief when he looked approving.
"Cheat!" Sirius loudly accused, pointing a finger towards the smaller boy.
"I am not!" he hotly replied with a glare.
Sirius narrowed his eyes and purposefully hovered his hand over a knight. He then pointedly looked at Remus, who was now baring his teeth, and snorted. "Look at this berk, scowling even before we make mistakes," he said, jutting a thumb towards him. "I don't think you are fit to be our referee, Moony."
Remus grumbled and grabbed a discarded pawn. He then flicked it towards Sirius, which hit him squarely on his forehead. The shaggy-haired teen gaped at him in surprise, before his silver eyes glinted menacingly and he proceeded to twirl his wand in the air. All the chess pieces lifted in the air and, with a mischievous smile, Sirius boomed a loud, "ATTACK!"
The chess pieces suddenly zoomed towards Remus and the werewolf jumped onto his feet, ready to defend himself.
Peter was now bent over the grass, laughing uncontrollably, while Remus haphazardly swung his wand in the air like a sword, trying to block the attack.
"Fucking wankers," James roared, also laughing gleefully at their drunken antics. He and Sirius had made a good decision to buy firewhiskey, even though Hermione loudly disapproved of it.
'Speaking of the witch...'
His eyes blearily looked around, trying to locate the brunette. He spotted her almost immediately - snuggled on one of the blankets near the bonfire. She looked deep in thought, her blue eyes staring almost unseeing at the fire, but her face looked relaxed and open. Perhaps it was the alcohol or the ambiance tonight, but her guard was definitely down.
James frowned and looked away, trying to make sense of the sudden stirrings in his heart once more. Ever since he'd seen her the day after the full moon, James had started to notice her more. Mostly insignificant things, really, like how she'd always softly hum when she browsed for the right book to read; or how she bit her bottom lip when she was deep in thought; or how sometimes, he'd notice that when she was disapproving, her nose scrunched up a little. They were little nuances he'd never noticed before, subtle but already speaking volumes of Hermione as a person.
It was jarring, especially for him, because he'd never really taken the time to properly observe her. It required too much effort, too much silence, and James was never a silent, patient man. But he found himself unable to stop his staring, trying to pry open whatever other secrets Hermione Pettigrew hid, that would make him understand whatever it was he was feeling.
While his other friends continued their ridiculous squabble, James found himself drawing closer to the younger witch. He wasn't even aware that his feet were acting on their own, his head already fuzzy from too much alcohol and the warmth emitted by the crackling fire.
It was too late now to return to his friends because Hermione looked over her shoulder and noticed him. He thickly swallowed when he noted how the licking fire danced in her clear, blue eyes and he had to force himself to look away before he got burnt.
"All right, Pettigrew?" he casually asked. His right hand twitched mercilessly and he couldn't stop himself when he lifted it and ran it through his hair.
Merlin, his body really had a mind of its own today.
"Yeah," she replied, gazing at the fire once more. "You?"
"Same," he dully said, lowering himself onto the ground to sit beside her.
For a moment, he basked under the warmth of the bonfire, mesmerised at how it crackled and swayed in the wind. From behind, the ruckus his friends were making was starting to fade, and all he could see was the fire in front of his eyes and the enigmatic brunette sitting beside him.
Quite close, he reckoned.
Too close.
"I want to show you something," he blurted out before he could stop himself. His cheeks reddened when she looked at him questioningly, but James was already pulling his wand from his pocket. "Accio guitar!"
A small smile appeared on her face as they both gazed in the direction of the Potter Manor. James soon spotted his guitar flying toward him. He lifted his awaiting hands and grasped the handle, bringing it closer to his chest.
"I've been practicing a lot," he rambled, seemingly unable to look at her blue eyes. "I think my parents started putting Silencing Charms around the house every time I strum the blasted thing."
"You've grown quite fond of it," she pointed out matter-of-factly.
A corner of his lips twitched upward. "It is a good companion," he confessed. "It actually cleared my mind when I was too stressed over the OWLs."
His eyes widened when Hermione reached forward and tenderly placed a hand on his guitar. Her small hand was inches away from his, but he could feel it – the warmth, the softness, all of its curves – and his hand twitched once more, begging for a touch, just to see if his thoughts were congruent with the reality of holding her hand.
He balked at his thoughts and hastily positioned his hands into their proper place. His heart was stupidly stuttering and he was still unable to look at Hermione. He knew the brunette looked confused, but had thankfully stayed quiet.
"So, yes, I want to show you something," he nervously sputtered out. He started strumming, his fingers moving effortlessly to play the chords he had now memorised by heart.
She gasped in recognition and ducked her head. "Oh," she said. "I know this song!"
In spite of the confusion he was feeling, James managed to smile. "I figured this was an important song for you," he said, continuing to strum the intro for 'The Long and Winding Road'. "It was, after all, the song you showed me before."
He allowed himself to take a peek at her face. Hermione had closed her eyes and was happily humming the song under her breath. James wasn't sure what she was thinking, what memory she had conjured in her mind, but the corners of her eyes were wrinkled – like she was really, truly happy just hearing the song.
While his fingers worked to strum the chords, his eyes were unable to look away from her face. Her bushy hair almost looked golden, the blazing fire illuminating every strand. Up close, he noticed that she actually had a dusting of freckles across her nose, and if he just moved closer, he'd be able to count them individually. Her lips were drawn into a smile, and he wasn't entirely sure why it looked almost forlorn.
He drew in a deep breath and forced himself to look away. His heartbeat had grown erratic, as if a million pixies were let loose and wreaking havoc inside his heart. James blamed it entirely to having one too many firewhiskeys that night, the fuzziness in his mind heightened by the warmth of the bonfire.
He finally strummed the last chord and his hands stopped moving. His other three friends were still boisterously laughing, but the ruckus was drowned out by the sudden rush of blood in his ears.
"Thank you, James," she whispered.
There was something in the tone of her voice that made him look at her again. Hermione's eyes had fluttered open, as a small tear trailed down her freckled cheek. The smile on her face was strangely happy and sad at the same time.
James truly wanted to blame the alcohol, or the rushing blood in his ears, even the blazing warmth in front of him. He wanted to blame his uncooperative body, or the twitching of his hands, even her clear, blue eyes that almost looked like the morning sky despite the darkness surrounding them.
He truly wanted to blame something else because it didn't make any sense to him when he suddenly leant down and pressed his lips against hers.
Her lips were soft and warm. One of his hands lifted to cradle her jaw, but before he could even touch her cheek he stilled, realised what the bloody fucking hell he was doing, and immediately pulled away as if he had been burnt by a roaring, all-consuming fire.
Hermione was staring at him with wide eyes, her pink lips parted open with unadulterated shock. James was sure he mirrored her expression.
"I – I, holy shite, I don't know what came over me," he sputtered out, watching in amazement as blood slowly crept to cover her whole face. "I – I mean, fuck, sorry that wasn't meant to happen. I think I had too much to drink, and it was really warm, and you were so close, and your eyes were—" He bit his tongue very hard before he continued to make a fool out of himself.
He nervously ran a hand through his hair and briefly glanced over at his friends. Blessedly, they were still busy horsing around and had not witnessed what had just transpired between them. He nervously swallowed when Peter threw a painful punch at Sirius' shoulder after the dark-haired boy had thrown a poorly-aimed hex in his direction.
It wasn't that he was afraid of Peter; far from it really because he was usually impressionable and he always let them get away with things. But he'd seen how mightily protective of his sister he was, and had grown a rigid spine and glared at anyone who wished to harm her. James didn't doubt it would be his face he would be punching right now if Peter had seen what he had just done to his little sister.
"I'm sorry," he breathed out. "Truly I am, Hermione. I was drunk and you were drunk so I wasn't thinking clearly. Shite, it wasn't even a decent excuse but – but I can't really think—"
He paused when he heard her laugh. Granted, it was soft and maybe a tad nervous, but it was a laugh nonetheless.
"It's all right," she said. "It's – well – maybe it's the alcohol. I'm—" She took a deep breath and expelled it with another laugh. "It's all right, Potter. No harm done."
James knew he should feel relieved that she was letting him get away with it. But a lump had lodged inside his throat and no matter how much he swallowed it down, it wouldn't leave.
He couldn't look at Hermione, not when he didn't trust himself to not act foolishly once more. He also knew he should get away before he did something he'd later regret. "Right, right, yes," he sputtered out, immediately scrambling onto his feet. "I should..."
"Yeah," she said, turning her head away so that he couldn't see her expression.
James quickly ran towards his friends and collapsed beside a cranky Remus.
"What the hell's wrong with you, Prongsie?" Sirius slurred, falling onto his knees beside James. He placed both of his hands on James' cheeks and hissed. "Merlin, you're burning up."
"Am I?" he breathed out, his traitorous eyes landing on Hermione's curls. She was blessedly facing away from him, because he didn't know what he'd do if he'd seen her clear, blue eyes again.
Beside him, Peter sprawled on the green grass and was quietly staring heavenward for a moment before he quipped, "I think it's going to rain."
Remus snorted. "No, it's not," he said.
"Yes, it is!" Peter protested and wildly gestured his hands into the air. "Look!"
James drew his eyes away from Hermione's hair and looked at the sky. He knitted his eyebrows when he noted the thick, grey clouds rolling into the sky, obscuring the moon and the stars. A distant rumbling echoed in the dark night, and with widened eyes, James once again looked back at Hermione.
The brunette was suddenly on her feet, her eyes also staring at the impending thunderstorm.
"Rain!" Peter exclaimed, immediately shooting up from the ground. He moaned and briefly clutched his head, dizzied by his sudden movement, but he still managed to throw a wonky grin at his sister. "Hermione! Rain!"
Hermione's eyes landed on the Marauders and there was brilliant smile on her face. James momentarily gazed at the sky as the beginnings of rain started showering down on them.
"You still need to do it in a thunderstorm," Remus warned, but there was also undeniable excitement in his eyes.
"Shh!" Sirius hissed when great rumbling was heard above. James held his breath, disregarding the increasing force of the rain and waited for the tell-tale signs of lightning. They were all drenched to the bone but none of them moved. Hermione was still excitedly bouncing on her heels, her eyes darting furiously heavenward in the hope that there would be a sudden flash of light tearing through the night sky.
His friends started to excitedly beg for some thunder, beg for some lightning, just so Hermione's ritual on becoming an Animagus could be completed. Sirius was even loudly listing off things he promised he'd do just so there would be lightning.
A mighty rumble boomed, reducing them into silence. With wide eyes, James caught Hermione's anticipated ones. One, two, and then three seconds passed before her whole face became illuminated in a brief flash of lightning.
Sirius whooped happily as Hermione broke into loud laughter.
"Get the potion!" Peter roared in excitement.
Hermione nodded her head and started to run back to the Manor.
"You can just Accio it, kitten!" Sirius hollered.
The brunette skidded into a halt and craned her neck. "And risk the chance of ruining the potion?" she asked, her blue eyes glittering brightly. "I don't think so!"
She continued her journey back inside. It didn't take too long for her to come back, her wand pointed overhead to serve as her umbrella, whilst she cradled the familiar blood-red potion against her chest.
James caught Hermione's eyes once more and pointed at his heart. "Amato. Animo. Animato. Animagus," he mouthed.
She gave a stern nod and took a deep breath. She pointed her wand against her heart, the rain once again pattering down around her, and loudly echoed the Animagus spell. As soon as she had said the spell, Hermione drank the potion in three, large gulps.
James felt Peter stiffen beside him, because they all knew what was coming next if the potion had been brewed correctly. Lightning tore through the sky again, as Hermione's face twisted in the familiar fiery pain that still brought nightmares to James. It amazed him immensely how she was trying to bite back a cry of pain. When he and his friends had drunk the potion, his ears were filled with their agonised screams.
The brunette doubled over and gasped. Peter darted forward to stand by her side, but James tightly held onto his elbow to stop him. "Stay put," he said when his best friend gave him a glare. "You know that dire consequences happen if she was to lose her focus."
The sandy-haired boy was clearly not pleased, but he sternly nodded his head. With a tensed jaw, he looked back at his sister, only to gasp loudly in surprise.
James whipped his head back to where the brunette stood, but the thing was, she was gone. Peter shrugged his hand off and darted forward, and this time, James didn't stop him.
The bespectacled wizard wiped away some of the rain now clouding his vision. Peter was now grinning broadly as he bent down and lifted something from the ground. A long, lean honey-coloured cat with round, clear blue eyes blinked back at them in return.
"She did it!" Sirius roared, laughing loudly when Hermione in cat form meowed in reply.
The other three bounded excitedly towards Peter and the newly transformed Animagus. Up close, James could see the long, white whiskers protruding underneath a pink nose. Before he could stop himself, he reached forward and ran a hand through the cat's hair. Hermione released a soft purr and nuzzled against his palm.
"I think," James started, "that she should get a nickname, too."
"I was thinking about that, too!" Sirius excitedly exclaimed.
"How about," Peter deliberately started, "Whiskers?"
Hermione hissed in protest, clearly disgruntled by the suggestion.
"It suits her perfectly," Remus pointed out with a laugh.
Sirius pushed forward and pulled out his wand. He then cleared his throat and tapped them on her shoulders. "Henceforth, I dub thee, 'Whiskers'," he confidently proclaimed.
Hermione meowed unhappily.
__________
It took her an hour and a half before she finally went back into her human form. It had taken longer than what she had wanted, but the Marauders assured her it was hard for everyone to revert to and from an Animagus form at the beginning. They didn't doubt she'd be able to transform into her cat form soon in the blink of an eye.
They now moved inside the Drawing Room of the Manor, since the storm outside had become torrential. After murmured drying and warming spells, with blankets thrown over their shoulders, they all huddled close to the fire for some warmth. Hermione opted to towel dry her hair for now, because she knew it would fluff ridiculously and the boys would relentlessly tease her.
Peter was heavily leaning against her arm, his eyes already drooping from exhaustion and alcohol. "You have to sober up first," she murmured, glancing at the other boys who all wore the same expressions of drunken bleariness. It would save them from having a hangover the next day if she forced them to drink the Sobering Potion.
Hermione summoned her satchel, which came hurtling towards her within seconds. She rummaged inside and pulled out four potion bottles and passed one to her brother. "Come on, Petey, drink it first," she urged.
Her brother groggily straightened up and clutched the vial in his hands. He drank it in big gulps and passed the empty vial back to her. "Thanks, Hermione. You're the best," he murmured, the glassiness in his eyes already clearing up.
She stood up from her seat and went next to Remus. The werewolf murmured his thanks and drank it all up.
"Thanks, Whiskers," Sirius said when she passed him the potion.
"That's worse than 'kitten', honestly," she protested.
He merely lazily smirked and drank the Sobering Potion. Sirius then plopped down on the carpeted floor and snuggled beside Remus. The still slightly cranky boy pushed him away, his lips curled in displeasure.
Peter was already snoring on the couch, and both Remus and Sirius' eyes were already closing.
So.
There was only one left.
He was already waiting for her to come, his hazel eyes trained intently on her form as she straightened up and deliberately made her way towards him. James was tucked on one of the armchairs, a midnight blue comforter draped around his shoulders.
The unwitting feeling of his lips pressed against hers ignited in her heart once more and Hermione knew she was furiously blushing as she finally reached his side. With her close proximity, James now couldn't seem to look at her. His high cheekbones were also dusted in red, and her eyes slid down to look at his slightly parted lips.
Her breath hitched and her hold on the potion vial tightened. She knew the kiss was unintentional; James had drunk too much alcohol and the bonfire had been really, truly warm. The night sky had been beautiful and he really had done a sweet thing for her, so maybe emotions were heightened and some things were unexpectedly committed.
She did tell him there was no harm done. He was genuinely horrified with what he had done, a tad confused too, and had incessantly apologised, saying he hadn't really meant it. There was no point trying to make sense of whatever had happened between them.
"Err... here," she said, her voice cracking a little.
The corner of his lips lifted in thanks and he wordlessly grasped the vial away from her hands. "Bottoms up," he murmured, before tilting his head back and gulping down the liquid. He passed her back the empty vial and properly looked at her this time. "Thanks, Whiskers."
Her nose involuntarily wrinkled at the nickname, prompting him to shake with silent laughter. His hazel eyes were alit with teasing and Hermione breathed out in silent relief, thankful that things hadn't become awkward between them after all.
"I hate that nickname," she grumbled under her breath.
A small smile grew on his face. "Too bad it's going to stick from now on," he replied.
Hermione expelled a soft sigh and rolled her eyes. "You should rest," she said. Her eyes travelled towards the slumbering boys and she frowned. "I don't think I'll be able to wake them up and force them to go to their own rooms."
"Let them rest here," he said, already shifting on the chair to find a comfortable position. He closed his eyes and leant his head against the headrest. "I think I'm also going to sleep here."
"All right," she said. "I – well, I'm going upstairs. Goodnight, Potter."
"James."
"What?"
He slowly opened his eyes, an indecipherable look on his face. "Please. Just call me 'James'," he said, his lips lifting once more into a smile. "I honestly think you're about to hex me when you address me by my last name."
A soft laugh escaped from her lips. "Fine," she replied. "Goodnight, James."
His eyes glinted briefly before he completely closed them once more. "Goodnight, Hermione."
__________
August 15, 1976
"It would really be lovely if you visited us again," Euphemia said, her warm hand grasping Hermione's. "After being surrounded by testosterone-fuelled boys for years, having a girl in this house was a breath of fresh air."
The brunette chuckled and fondly patted her hand. "That would be lovely, Mrs. Potter," she answered.
Her eyes shifted towards Peter, who was still playing around with his friends as they stumbled into the foyer. Fleamont wasn't too far behind, boisterously laughing over something Sirius had said, and teasingly musing up James' hair just to make it more dishevelled.
"Err, if you don't mind me saying," the younger witch started, "I really think you should avoid crowded places from now on. You and Mr. Potter."
James' father had heard her advice and exchanged a confused glance with his wife.
"I – I mean, I've read in the Daily Prophet that there was an outbreak of Dragon Pox, and well, as we age, our immune system declines," she hurriedly explained. "But, of course, if you cannot avoid going into crowded places, maybe practice some distancing, especially from people who look sickly. It wouldn't hurt if you started stacking up on potions for curing dragon pox too. You can never be too careful, you know."
Fleamont's laugh reverberated all around the walls of the foyer. "No one has ever reminded us to keep healthy," he said, giving Hermione an indulgent smile. "But we'll keep your suggestion in mind. Thank you, Hermione."
Her cheeks coloured when the couple exchanged a glance once more, this one laced with amusement. She really couldn't help but warn them about dragon pox, of all the diseases, because she knew it would be their cause of death in the future. James would surely be devastated once he lost both of his parents from such a preventable disease. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt if Hermione warned them constantly about the importance of protecting themselves from dragon pox from now on...
"All set, Hermione?" Peter asked, grabbing onto her elbow.
She wordlessly nodded and smiled at the old couple once more. "Thank you for having us," she politely said. "I've had a really lovely time."
"Bye, Whiskers," Sirius teased.
Her eyes instantly narrowed as they landed on the cheeky boy. "My name's 'Hermione'," she grounded out.
"Of course," he merely said with a brilliant smile.
"See you in September, yeah?" Remus said, his packed belongings also sitting on the floor beside him. "Relax for the remaining days, Hermione, seriously. You'll have plenty of time to study for your OWLs once school starts."
She sheepishly smiled, knowing she wouldn't listen to his advice. Remus thought so too because he rolled his eyes in the end.
"Goodbye," James quipped. "See you."
Hermione hesitantly looked at the bespectacled wizard, who looked mildly amused as he stared back at her. Yesterday's events were blessedly forgotten – or not broached, really, because Hermione surely couldn't forget it. James treated her exactly as how he had always treated her, and she decided she shouldn't act all nervous every time she interacted with him.
"See you," she echoed, smiling slightly when his lips twitched into a small smile.
"Goodbye!" Peter exclaimed, more enthusiastically than his cautious sister.
Peter urged her to go first and she nodded. After flashing them another smile in goodbye, Hermione walked towards the ornate fireplace and grasped a pinch of Floo powder from the small pouch. She threw it into the fireplace and waited until it roared emerald green.
As Hermione stepped inside and exclaimed her address, the last thing she saw was James' bright, hazel eyes, intently staring at her in return.