It wasn't supposed to turn out this way.

He should have been with someone else. That's what history told her. In theory, she shouldn't have survived the trip that she took. She shouldn't have even survived what happened before she catapulted back in time to the first war.

As she has come to learn, though, fate is a fickle thing.

It all started when she stared too long at the Marauders, and they took notice of her. She made it a point to try and avoid them at all costs, knowing that any meddling in their timelines could mean millions of changes in her time. She would purposely take the longer route to classes and back to Gryffindor tower, knowing the Marauders would take their sneaky shortcuts to get anywhere in the castle.

"Hi, I'm James," he said to her, sticking his hand out in greeting. He reminded her so much of Harry that it hurt to look at him, so she gave him a small smile and told him she was late for something. He looked at her, a bit confused as to why she's making it a point to avoid him, but determined to get to know this mysterious girl who decided to enroll into Hogwarts halfway into their year.

It was like this up until their graduation.

Then she disappeared.

No one knew where the mysterious girl went, and any information Dumbledore knew, he kept to himself.

"Then let us join the Order!" James said, rather frustratingly. They had been dealing with the rise of Voldemort for some time, but Dumbledore insisted that they not consider being Order members until they have finished their education. Even after they had graduated, Dumbledore skirted around their enlistment, pushing it aside for "other pressing matters".

Two weeks later, the four young graduates were inducted into the Order.

And he found her.

Her name was Hermione, James learned. He also learned her past and where she came from. She still refused to talk to him, though she seemed to open up a bit more to Remus and Sirius.

He was determined to find out what the full story was behind Hermione.

"You were a stubborn witch back then," James laughed, wrapping his arms around her as they sat in front of the fireplace.

"And you we're such a git back then! You just didn't know how to keep your nose out of other people's business," Hermione said, turning around to look at James.

"But," James started, matter-of-factly. "If I didn't stick my nose in your business, we wouldn't be here, would we?"

Hermione sighed, looking at the dancing flames, then looking down at their fingers intertwined with each other. "No, we wouldn't."

James kissed her cheek. "I wouldn't want it any other way," he said, reaching behind him and bringing out a heart-shaped box of chocolates.

"Happy Valentine's, love."