April 14th, 1998

Hermione stared at the ceiling, her eyes pinned on the small mural Fleur had drawn - there was one in each room of the house, something the woman had done to keep busy while pregnant and out of the fight. The one in her room was of a sunflower blooming in the middle of a lake, and it was beautiful.

She hadn't left the room since she'd arrived days earlier, unable to do so much as stand. Bill had been personally taking care of her, and she'd heard him mutter something about him being the one to find her, but she hadn't really been listening. She had been in a sort of numb, uncomprehending state since Malfoy Manor, one that was slowly fading but certainly not gone completely. She was certainly much more comprehending now, however.

Bill entered the room quietly, and she turned to see a tired smile on his face. He took his place on the chair next to her bed and grabbed her hand gently, rubbing patterns into the back of it.

She bit her lip. She hadn't spoken since they'd gotten there - she hadn't wanted to hear her voice, not after hearing her own screams for so long. But she had to eventually, and she knew that, and she wasn't one to ignore the fact or procrastinate. "Why are you taking care of me?"

Bill's head shot up, his eyes wide. "Hermione?" She gave him a weak smile, trying to comfort him. He seemed to be trying to process the words as a frown covered his face. "Why wouldn't I take care of you?"

"I mean… you're the only one," she clarified, and he nodded his understanding.

"We've always been close," he began, and she nodded. It was true. He'd had her love of knowledge and learning but also knew how to have fun, like his brothers, and he often wrote her while she was at school, even if just to remind her to slow down. It had begun in her third year, when her friends were worried about her, and she guessed Ron and Ginny had probably asked him to. Still, they'd formed a close friendship and he'd come to be like a brother, the same way Harry and Ron were, as well as the twins and Charlie. "Well, when you got here, I was... Upset. And I grabbed you and held you and carried you in, and a healing bond was formed."

"Like… between siblings," she muttered. He nodded confirmation and continued.

"It'll help you heal quicker. It pulls on my magic as well as yours."

"Isn't that… draining?" she wondered, and he shrugged.

"I don't mind."

"What about Fleur?" Hermione's eyes widened. "Oh my god, is she okay with it?"

"Calm down, love," Bill smiled softly. "Fluer is thrilled. She just wants you to get better. She loves you." Hermione visibly relaxed, and Bill sighed. "Has anyone talked to you about your injuries?"

"Not while I've been able to remember," she shrugged.

"The after-effects of the cruciatus are… long-term. It might be a very long time before they're gone completely."

"I… know that," she rubbed the side of her face, sitting up more. "Harry was tortured by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named in Fourth Year."

"The maze," Bill nodded his understanding before moving on. "Aside from that, you've got… your arm." Hermione tensed. "She used a cursed blade. We can heal it up, but we can't get rid of the scar."

"You mean…"

"Nothing will cover it, either. We'll figure something out, but for now, it can't be covered," he admitted reluctantly. "I'm so sorry, Mione."

She was silent at the news, and he didn't try speaking to her again. He just sat by her side, holding her hand and offering his support and his magic as she slowly drifted off to sleep.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

April 19th, 1998

It was almost a week before Hermione had recovered enough that she felt some little bit of normal again. She knew that after what had happened, she'd never really be the same, but she still had her boys with her, and others were visiting when they could.

Right then, Fred had come to visit, dropping off dinner from Molly at the same time. Fred was sat across from Harry playing exploding snap while Hermione sat next to the redhead. Bill had placed her in that chair and made her promise she wouldn't get up until after dinner unless she really needed to. And he'd provided her with books. She wasn't as upset as she pretended to be.

She fingered the time turned she held around her neck as she watched them play. She'd never been fond of the game, but she appreciated the lightness she saw in Harry that came with the childish distraction. The cool glass of the time turner had become something akin to worry beads to her, and she was always messing with it now. She'd had it in her bag, having stolen it from McGonagall's desk, but she placed it around her neck as soon as Ron had been splinched and she knew she needed a little insurance in case things went really wrong.

Her eyes fell on Bill as he entered the room, just as Fred grabbed her arm, diving out of the way of a small explosion, which only pulled it closer to her as it followed Fred, the way the game worked.

And then, there was a blinding, golden light. It was horrible and lasted for what seemed like an eternity. Hermione tried to move, to look around, but she was frozen in place like she'd been stunned. Her mind rebelled against being restrained again, but her body refused to cooperate.

But as suddenly as it started, it was over. The light faded away, leaving her to fall to the ground in pain. Every nerve felt like it was on fire, and her barely healed injuries screamed in pain, making her shake uncontrollably.

"Hermione!" A voice called, snapping her out of it very suddenly. Her eyes wide, she rolled over and looked up at a head of messy red hair with… brown eyes? She looked closer.

"Fred," she breathed. "What… happened?"

"I don't know," he shook his head, kneeling next to her. "Are you okay?"

"I think… it's just the injuries, they were irritated by whatever happened," she sighed, looking around them, only to freeze. "Does this look… familiar?"

Fred did the same, and she watched a frown fall on his lips. "The Forbidden Forest…"

"But that means…" she gasped. "We could be captured anytime."

"Why haven't we been?" Fred corrected, and she paused to think about it.

"Let's try and figure out exactly what happened," she decided. "It's a good place to start."

"Okay," the twin agreed, nodding. He looked so serious. Hermione wasn't sure she'd ever had such a long, private conversation with him. "What do you remember?"

She thought about it. "You were playing exploding snap with Harry, and I was sitting next to you."

"What were you doing?"

"I was…" her eyes widened dramatically as her hand flew to her chest, only to find the time turner broken into shards of small glass that were, apparently, embedded into her skin. She gasped, and Fred looked down, his eyes widening at the sight. "Shit."

"Mione," he said, surprised.

"No, Fred, you don't understand," she shook her head, running her hands through her hair anxiously. "The sands of time are very temperamental. They've only experimented on them very carefully, over twenty years, and they've only sent people back to the past for a total of five hours. Exploding them, we don't know what that could do! I… I think the first thing we need to figure out is how far we've gone."

"Well, we're at Hogwarts," he pointed out uselessly. "Let's just… hope for the best?"

Hermione frowned but, not having any better options, nodded. It was a relatively short walk through the forest and they came out to find themselves near Hagrid's hut. Their question was answered rather quickly as they saw students laughing and messing around during Care of Magical Creatures.

"So… not right, then," Fred sighed. Hermione threw her head back, trying to calm herself down. The pair stayed near the entrance to the forest, where no one usually went, hoping for privacy.

Which was, apparently, too much to hope for.

"Bloody hell," a voice called. Hermione's head tilted down to glance at the clearing in front of them, startled. "You really did smell blood, Moony."

"I told you," he sighed, running over to the pair. Hermione's mind ran faster than she could keep up with as she watched the group of three boys that moved quickly over to them.

She saw Remus first, in all of his young glory. He looked worried, and she almost laughed. He looked at her like that far too much in the future.

And then…

"Maybe it was some poor bunny being devoured by a centaur," Sirius shrugged, coming to stand next to his friend. "We never know."

"You don't think centaurs have a better food supply than bunnies, Padfoot?"

Hermione's breath left her as the last boy came into view. He wore a concerned face as he stared at her, and it was almost too much to bear.

"What happened?" Remus asked gently, touching Hermione's arm. She flinched lightly, shaking her head.

This was all so wrong.

"There was… an accident," Fred spoke beside her, making her jump. She nodded weakly. "We need to see Professor Dumbledore and… probably Madame Pomfrey as well."

The three boys looked at each other and nodded. James reached into his bag and pulled out a very familiar cloak, handing it to Remus and Sirius. "Take them to the infirmary - I'll find Dumbles."

His friends agreed and he ran off to do as he said. She was sure someone was speaking, and she was vaguely aware of the cloak extending to reach over all of them, but she couldn't tell. She didn't even notice as they walked, Fred gently pushing her ahead. It wasn't until they reached the infirmary and Madame Pomfrey shoved a calming draught down her throat that she was able to pay attention or even process anything.

"What happened here, girl?" the witch asked, gently trying to pull her shirt off.

"No!" She snapped, her heart skipping a couple beats. She'd been wearing long sleeved shirts to hide the scar, and she didn't want to let anyone see. Fred hadn't even seen, though she was sure he'd heard. She blushed under the surprised gaze of the mediwitch. "I- I just mean, I'm uncomfortable in front of anyone else."

Pomfrey understood immediately and conjured a curtain, closing it around them. When it was done, she resigned herself to treatment and only winced when she heard the horrified gasp. "Child-,"

"It's been healed," she muttered. "There's no point worrying about it."

Madame Pomfrey's lips thinned, but she said nothing as she cast a diagnostic charm. When it was finished, she put up a silencing charm and stared down at Hermione uncomfortably. "You've been through quite a lot recently."

"Yes."

"You haven't recovered from the cruciatus," the witch murmured. "And you've had a healing bond severed. Did someone… pass?"

Hermione shook her head. "It's hard to explain. I can't… reach them anymore. I'll be fine. I just need the glass removed."

Madame Pomfrey shook her head as she took down the charm and handed Hermione a blanket, leaving the area, likely to get potions and whatever else she needed.

Before she could relax, Hermione found herself surrounded by three boys and scrambled to pull the blanket over herself.

"Are you okay?" Fred asked softly, and she nodded.

"So…" Sirius began slowly. "Who are you?"

"Sirius!" Remus sighed, rolling his eyes. The boy shrugged, and Hermione gave them a small smile.

"I'm Mia," she said. She felt Fred stiffen in surprise but ignored it.

"Fred here says he doesn't remember showing up here," Sirius raised an eyebrow. Hermione shrugged.

"Neither do I," she lied. "There was just this… pain, and then we were here."

"But who are you?" Sirius continued. Mia shrugged.

"I don't remember much."

"What was in your chest?"

"Glass," she frowned.

"And you have no clue how it got there, or where you're from?"

"Stop interrogating her, Pads," Remus sighed tiredly. Mia looked him over carefully and realized it must be close to the full moon, especially considering their conversation when they'd found them. Remus had smelled her blood.

"I'm just curious!"

"Curiosity killed the cat," Remus said. He sounded vaguely like a parent scolding their child.

"Satisfaction brought him back," Fred joked, groaning as Mia elbowed him.

The curtain opened and Mia could've hugged the poor mediwitch. "What are you all doing in here? Go! Out!"

The boys left sheepishly and it was rather quick to pull out the glass and heal the small cuts. One, apparently, would scar, but Mia really just did not care. She had plenty of them, and they weren't going anywhere. She didn't care.

The last thing Pomfrey did was give her a muscle relaxer and pain potion before leaving her alone. All in all, it took barely ten minutes.

When she was done, Mia was released from the infirmary, however reluctantly. James had shown up again, and he was sitting with Sirius and Remus while Madame Pomfrey cast a quick diagnosis charm on Fred, even as he insisted he was fine. Chuckling at the scene, Mia made her way over to the Marauders.

"What did Dumbledore say?" she asked, getting James's attention. He gave her a small smile.

"He wants all of us in his office as soon as you're both released," he told her, and she nodded. His smile was so similar to Harry's that it hurt. She saw it now, why everyone thought they looked so similar.

"What's on your arm, kitten?" Sirius wondered, reaching for her. She flinched, pulling it back to her chest.

"I forgot my sweater," she cursed, running away from the trio and leaving them confused.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

September 11th, 1976

The group of five entered Dumbledore's office ten minutes later, the five-minute walk from the infirmary going extremely slow. He smiled softly at all of them and waved for them to sit, and Mia's gut twisted.

She hadn't considered, really, how it would feel to be sitting in front of her old headmaster again. She'd been sad when he died, and she'd grieved with everyone else, but eventually, she'd come to see his significant flaws, and she wasn't sure she could forgive him for being so… human, especially since he always seemed to be above everyone else in that way, to have some great all knowing power.

So she sat in front of him, her hands in her lap, Fred on her left and Sirius on her right, Remus and James next to him.

"Miss…?" Dumbledore questioned. Mia hesitated.

"My name is Mia," she offered. The man nodded slowly, looking concerned.

"Mia. Poppy said you were hurt rather extensively. Are you alright?"

Mia tensed as the Marauders turned to look at her. "It was just some glass caught in my chest."

"She said-,"

"What she found were old injuries," she informed him, trying to be as polite as possible. "They have been dealt with prior to my arrival."

"I see," Dumbledore gave her a smile with that stupid twinkle in his eye. "Well, whatever the matter, I am glad you're alright."

"Thank you, sir."

"But I'd rather like to know how you got here," he continued, raising an eyebrow.

"Sir, I'd be more comfortable if… for now, we speak in private?" she requested. Dumbledore nodded quickly and dismissed the Marauders, who pouted and complained but did as they were told.

"What happened, Mia?" Dumbledore asked. She took a deep breath in.

"I don't… know how to prove to you that I'm telling the truth," she sighed. "I'm not open to Occlumency, however, I wouldn't disagree with Veritaserum, as long as the questions were approved beforehand."

Dumbledore frowned at her. "I'm not sure that's necessary."

"We're from the future."

There was a beat of silence.

"I'll be right back," the man said, moving to a room to his right. He returned barely a moment later with a small, clear vial, and Mia nodded, reaching out for it.

It took them a few minutes to agree on the questions, but finally, Mia tipped the vial back and downed the tasteless potion.

She felt the effects immediately as she got the urge to spill her every secret.

"What is your name?" Dumbledore asked, and she winced.

"Hermione Granger," she rubbed her forehead. "I only lied because I did not know the situation and it's better to be safe."

"Of course," the old man nodded. "What year were you born?"

"1979," she answered immediately. He nodded slowly, marking off the question and moving onto the next one.

"What year were you in yesterday?"

"1998."

"How did you get your injuries?"

Hermione fought against the Veritiserum, furious that he'd gone off of the planned questioned. "B-Bellatrix Lestrange- tortured me for hours and carved 'mudblood' into my arm."

He paled.

"Fuck!" she spat, clenching her fists. "That was not necessary information, Albus."

"I apologize," he bowed his head and she even believed him a little bit. "How did you get sent here?"

"As far as I can tell," she began, still angry but ready to move on. She knew Fred was paying close attention, but he was extremely quiet and he'd seemed overwhelmed, so she'd left him alone. "My time turned got too close to a game of exploding snap. It broke, and myself and the person closest to me - Fred - got sent back here."

"Do you know why you're here?"

"I think it might have something to do with some people we know in the future, them being my only real connection to any past time in the Wizarding World since I'm muggleborn."

Dumbledore nodded slowly. "That would make sense."

"Are we done?"

"Yes, the potion should have worn off before the last question."

Mia nodded. She hadn't really felt like she'd had to tell him anymore. "You believe us?"

"Yes, dear, I do," he sighed. "But I'm afraid that puts us in an unfortunate position."

"Where we go now," she nodded, understanding. "Well, we might be able to see if any of our boltholes are available now-,"

"No, no, you misunderstand," Dumbledore interrupted. "You will be staying here, at Hogwarts."

"Both of us?" Fred asked, speaking for the first time in a while. Dumbledore nodded.

"I'll put you both in sixth year, with the boys you met-,"

"Sweet!" Fred grinned and Mia couldn't help but smile at him. He was excited to be in school with the Marauders. She knew they were his heroes.

"-and I've got a call to make, but I'll be sending you home with a family, too. I've got an idea for that. I'd like to take care of that quickly, and then we can settle anything else we need to talk about."

Mia nodded, and the man turned and left, heading toward the fireplace, presumably to floo call someone. She leaned back in her chair and let out a deep breath.

"Hermione, how long do you think we'll be stuck here?"

She bit her lip. "I really don't know, Fred."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"What?"

"I said-,"

"No, thanks, I heard you. I just… why them?" Mia blinked, frowning at Dumbledore.

"They're very kind people, and they're powerful enough to protect you if you need it," the man reasoned. "And you'll be going to school with their son, and he seems to like you."

"But… the Potters!" Mia heard her protest and knew how weak it was.

"That's us," a voice called, and she spun around to find a man and a woman standing at the entrance to the room. Her breath caught in her throat.

"Ah, Charlus, Dorea! Thank you for coming," Dumbledore greeted happily, smiling kindly. He shook hands with Charlus and kissed Dorea's knuckles before leading the couple over to her and Fred, both of whom stood immediately.

They stared at each other for one long moment before Dorea's smile grew. "I always wanted more children."

"She keeps collecting them," Charlus winked, rubbing his wife's arm sweetly.

"Really though," Mia said with a frown. This wasn't right. She didn't deserve this love, this open affection. Harry did. She shouldn't be there. "We… Mr. and Mrs. Potter, we couldn't possibly-,"

"No, that won't do," Dorea shook her head. "Call us Charlus and Dorea, or even mum and dad, if you'd like. You're family."

Mia stared at the woman for a long moment before she realized that really, arguing was pointless. So, she smiled weakly and nodded. The muscle relaxer she'd gotten earlier was wearing off, and she could feel herself twitching again. She wished it was unnoticeable, but she saw Dorea exchange a worried look with her husband and knew they had questions.

"Mum!" a voice called. She jerked around to find James and Sirius at the door, both looking equally surprised and pleased. With a start, she realized it was Sirius that had spoken rather than James. The boys ran over and were swept up in tight hugs by their parents. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, Professor Dumbledore called and told us that there were two lost kids in need of a home," Charlus explained, waving his hand at Mia and Fred. The boys turned and they saw understanding dawn.

"Wait… so you'll be like a brother and a sister?" James surmised, grinning. "Good. I was getting tired of this wanker anyways."

"Oi!" Sirius paused. "But that's nice. What house will you be in?"

Dumbledore glanced at the pair briefly. "We'll get them sorted now if you'd like?"

Everyone agreed, and Fred went first. It was quick, and the hat - who was grumpy at being woken - called out the only house that made sense.

"Gryffindor!"

Everyone celebrated, and Mia sat down confidently. She'd really grown to appreciate her placing, and she felt much like she'd earned her Gryffindor title.

The hat fell on her head too, and she only felt a tickle against her mind before it announced her house, just as quick as it had Fred's.

"Slytherin!"

There was silence in the room as Dumbledore slowly removed the hat.

"No!" Mia frowned. "Put it back. It's wrong."

"I'm sorry," Dumbledore shook his head. "But the hat is never wrong."

"I can't be," she breathed. She glanced up to find James and Sirius frowning at her. "I'm not even a good liar!"

Dorea chuckled. "That is not, contrary to popular belief, the only trait of a Slytherin."

"But-,"

"I was a Slytherin," the woman revealed, and Mia paused. Harry's grandmother was a Slytherin? Still, she supposed it made sense considering Harry was almost placed in Slytherin. "Which means I expect you to treat her just as kindly as you would if she were in Gryffindor."

James and Sirius nodded a little.

"More so, because she doesn't know anyone there," their mother continued. "As a matter of fact, I'd like to speak with you two privately."

And then the boys were being pulled away, and Mia looked at Charlus in confusion. He gave her a kind smile.

"Sirius's brother by blood, Regulus, is in Slytherin. They don't get along well, and Sirius is convinced he's a Death Eater. As for James… it's about a girl," the man said with a slight shrug. Mia assumed it had to do with Lily, and possibly Snape, considering what Harry had told her he'd seen in the man's memories.

"I… don't know if I can do it," she sighed. "Be in Slytherin, away from anyone I know."

"I happen to know," Dumbledore said quietly. "Of a curious Slytherin girl that has… moved into the Gryffindor dorms. I'd request you try spending time in your own house, but if it's more than you can handle, you may move into the sixth year Gryffindor dorms."

Mia let out a sharp breath and offered the man a thankful smile. "I appreciate it, Professor."

Fred and Charlus spoke quietly for a few minutes, getting to know each other, before Dorea came back into the room with her sons behind her, looking both scolded and concerned.

"Well," she smiled. "I think it's time we let them get to their dormitories. James said he will escort Fred to Gryffindor and then help Mia find the dungeons."

"Wonderful," Dumbledore stood, giving them all happy smiles.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Mia sagged behind the group as her mind finally intruded on the silence she'd been trying to maintain. She didn't want to feel that anxiety, that panic, but she couldn't push it away. It was tearing at her stomach and overtaking her mind. She worried her lip between her teeth as she walked, her hand clenched so tightly around her wand that her knuckles were going white. She knew Fred was fitting in fine with the group of friends, a fact that she was grateful for. He didn't have his twin, and she regretted taking him from his best friend.

But as she watched the group, she wondered if she'd be able to befriend them at all. Aside from the fact that Sirius was intimidating and James reminded her way too much of Harry, she was wary of Remus. He had a brilliant, curious mind and the senses of a werewolf. But he'd become something like a friend to her, in the future, and he'd saved her life the night Dumbledore died. She wanted to be friends with him more than anything. He was the least painful reminder of home that she had, aside from Fred.

Still, her thoughts turned back to Sirius and James. She wanted to befriend them, too. If not for her sake, for Harry's.

James was… like his son. He seemed reckless, but he also obviously cared a lot. He seemed like such a mother hen, the position she typically held. Still, she didn't think it would be that hard to become friends with him, if he was able to get past her House. But… Harry. He deserved to be there, not her. Still, she was, and there was no real point in regretting that fact. She could just put memories into a pensieve for him to look at later.

Then her thoughts turned to Sirius again. He was… odd. Just as impatient as he was when he was… alive. He was relentless, but there was a pain missing from his eyes that hurt her heart. The years that had been taken from him while he was in Azkaban hadn't happened yet, and he was so light.

He had told her, on the nights when they talked, about the house they were staying in. He never went into much detail, except for telling her of the night he'd been blasted off the tree and arrived at the Potter's, mostly dead but alive enough to save. It had broken her heart then, but it enraged her now that someone would hurt that boy so badly. She wondered vaguely on when he'd be attacked and gasped sharply as she realized it was soon. That Christmas. She had to do something, give him some way to Potter Manor. Content with the task, she went back to her thoughts.

Sirius was fiercely protective of anyone he loved, and he loved hard. She knew that. She'd seen it, and she'd even felt it when they'd grown close during the summer before fifth year.

She sighed. She wanted to protect him. To save him, and maybe love him like she'd loved him in that familial way back home.

And then, her mind slipped to the one she was trying to forget about.

Peter Pettigrew.

She didn't know what she could do. She thought the only thing she could do was avoid him, and probably hate him at a distance. She just had so much anger and hatred for the man that had caused her best friend's life to be so awful that she truly didn't think she could continuously be kind to him.

Her breath caught as her body shook again, her knees buckling and nearly sending her to the floor. She felt arms wrap around her at the last second, supporting her as her body shook violently, the muscle relaxer having finally worn off completely.

Sirius gently lowered her to the floor, setting her down so she leaned against him for support. "What happened?" he whispered, looking down at the girl next to him. She let out a sharp breath, breathing in quickly, the cycle repeating as her breathing only quickened. "Hey, it's okay, kitten. You're okay." They sat like that for a long moment as she fought for control over her lungs and, finally, won. After calming down, he spoke again, somehow more gentle than before. "Mia, what happened to you?"

"Death Eater," she whispered. She felt him stiffen. "I know we lied, but we just… can't tell you where we came from. Dumbledore knows the truth, he used Veritaserum."

"A Death Eater did this to you?" Sirius asked, ignoring her other words. They'd assumed she was lying, mostly because she was so bad at it. But if Dumbledore trusted them, then he did, too. She just nodded a little. "Do you know who?" There was hesitation. "Mia, who did this?"

"It's complicated-,"

"It's not complicated," he interrupted, careful not to snap at her. "I know what the after effects of the cruciatus look like. This is it."

"It doesn't even matter," she muttered. "It's over with, and I'm here. Hogwarts is the safest place, that's what I've heard."

"Yeah, safe when you go sleep in a room with a bunch of Death Eaters," Sirius hissed. "You can't go there."

"Why do you care?" she sighed. "I thought you hate Slytherins."

"No," he said slowly. "I don't hate mum, and I don't hate you."

"Wow, two whole Slytherins," she rolled her eyes. They were quiet for a moment before she sighed. "It only happened… well, I'm not entirely sure, because I was in a small coma for a bit, but I think it was a week ago. I wasn't supposed to do more than sit in a chair and let people do stuff for me, but there was an accident."

"What happened?" Sirius frowned.

"There was... An explosion," she answered slowly. "And we somehow ended up here."

"That's why you had the glass in your chest," he realized, and she nodded.

They were silent for a few minutes, Sirius with his arm around her as she leaned into him, letting him support her.

"Well, sleep in Gryffindor common rooms tonight," he offered. She frowned, about to say no, but he gave her a small smile. "Just to make me feel better. Then tomorrow, we'll get you a supply of whatever potions you need and set you up in Slytherin."

"Okay," she agreed warily. "Do I… have to sleep with the girls?"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Nah, James'll conjure you a bed and you can sleep with us." She was unsure, but she agreed.

It was another five minutes sitting there silently before Mia spoke again.

"Sirius, can I tell you something without you asking questions?" He nodded eagerly, and she sighed. "When I turned eleven, I was introduced to the magical world. And then I met this boy, Harry. And he was brilliant. And I just… became so fiercely protective of him, and we're always together. When- when I got hurt, we were doing something dangerous. He was going to be killed. He's always in danger. And I… if I'd given in, it would've stopped. But if I gave in, she'd have known who he was and she'd have killed him. So I- I just kept waiting. It was the worst kind of pain I've ever known, Sirius. They think it lasted for hours. She was having so much fun, and she was so good at it. I don't think I can ever get it out of my mind. But it was all worth it. She didn't get him. He- he was okay. But now I'm here, and he's gone, and I've just… never really done anything without him. Harry was my brother in any way that's important. Merlin… I know people die. This is a war, or it will be. But he is so important. And we all sort of agreed, you know, that if anyone survived, it was him. People died for him. Some of the people he loved most, they've given their lives for him. But now he's gone, and… And I don't know how to do this without him. I don't know how to be alone."

The boy was quiet as she spoke, but when she was done, he reached his hand out in front of her. She stared for a long moment before taking it, intertwining their fingers. He squeezed, and she relaxed.

"I know I'm not him," he whispered. "But I'm here."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Their companionable silence was abruptly broken when they went through the portrait. They shared a look and moved inside to find James standing on a table, screaming.

"-she's got fluffy hair," he described loudly, and Mia snorted. "And… oh, Merlin, I don't know!"

"Potter!" A voice screeched. Silence fell abruptly over the crowd, and Sirius's grin widened. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Uh- I'm trying to find Sirius and our friend-,"

"Oh, we're right here," Sirius laughed. "But we appreciate your deep concern." James's eyes widened as his eyes fell on the pair. He stumbled as he jumped off the table, rushing over to them.

"Sirius! I thought Mrs. Norris ate you!"

"She's a cat, mate."

"But a scary one," James nodded like that was obviously proof that she could easily eat them before turning to Mia. "Mia! Are you staying here?"

"Yeah," Sirius answered for her. "I asked her to."

"Ew," James made a face. "Pads isn't she like… our sister?"

"Merlin," Sirius shook his head. "No, not like that. I just think we should help her get settled in the castle tonight and then tomorrow we can feed her to the snakes."

"Oh, okay." He paused. "Where'd you go?"

"I, um, forgot my wand in Dumbledore's office," Mia lied. Sirius blinked at her. She was an awful liar.

"Anyway," Sirius said, changing the subject before James could push. "I told her she could sleep with us tonight, so I'm gonna go show her around." James nodded, his attention lost to a head of fiery red hair, leaving them to go apologize.

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Sirius led Mia up to the dorms and was quiet as he conjured her bed, James having been lost to Lily once more. Once it was there, he found some extra pillows and blankets with Remus's things and placed them on the bed for her.

"Thank you, Sirius," Mia smiled softly.

"You should sit down," he told her before staring directly at her, his face serious. "Bellatrix is relentless. It takes longer to heal after her."

Mia stiffened, and he wondered if she was even breathing. "What?"

"Kitten, what you said sounds just like… something she'd do," he told her, hesitating. He didn't want to immediately reveal his deep family traumas, but he recognized it from her words. No one was as good at torture as Bellatrix.

"I- you don't- you can't-," Mia stopped herself, placing herself on the bed gently. "Please don't say anything to anyone."

"Why?" he frowned. "It's not a secret that she's crazy."

"But it's much more complicated than you think," she sighed. "It's part of the stuff I told Dumbledore but can't tell you."

Sirius paused. "Okay. But… can I ask you something?"

She nodded slowly.

"What's on your arm?" He saw her trapped look and placed a gentle hand on her arm. "If it was Bellatrix, I might be able to help."

Against her will, she gave him a hopeful look. "Really?"

His gut twisted. That was as much confirmation as he needed. "I've seen the tools she's used. It's all based on dark magic, but… there are dark healing spells to counter them, typically."

"How can a healing spell be dark?"

"Blood magic."

She paused before waving her hand at the door, locking it and putting a ward up. When that was done, she bit her lip and held her arm out. He glanced at her and, after a nod, gently moved her sleeve up.

There was a beat where he said nothing and didn't react, and then the window exploded in a burst of accidental magic as he yelled "Fuck!"

He was up and pacing immediately while she sat on the bed, waiting for him to calm down.

"My stupid fucking cousin," he screamed. She put up a shield as he sent a bombarda at the wall in anger. It absorbed the spell easily. He shot off three more spells, one of which Mia was fairly certain was rectumsempra - the tickling charm. He was burning off his anger, she knew, and she let him. She placed a circular shield around him and stood he shot spells in every direction of increasing severity. One flew through the shield, and Mia barely had time to duck before it grazed the side of her neck.

"Ow!" She gasped. "Fuck." Sirius froze, his wand falling to his side as he heard her swear. He turned to look at her, his eyes widening at the sight of blood trickling down into her hair and shirt.

"Oh, god," he whispered, rushing over to her side. "Mia, I'm so-,"

"It's okay," she winced. "Just felt like a cutting hex. I'll live." His wand came up as he began healing her, and she smiled when it felt completely better. "Thanks."

Sirius sat down next to her, sighing. "Why don't you get some sleep? It'll be a long day tomorrow. We can talk in the morning."

She agreed quietly and crawled into bed after removing the charms and wards on the door. Sirius winked at her and gave her a small smile before heading out of the room.

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