Awaiting Destiny.

Sighing heavily she wondered not for the first time why she agreed to this, to give up her own life to save so many others. She was taking the seventh year that she missed because of the events of the second war with Voldemort. Hermione brushed her curls back from her face and looked down at the notes that she had been neglecting to make in Professor Binn's history of magic class. She really didn't understand how he managed to make something as interesting as founding of dragon reserves following years of their exploitation sound so damned dull.

Looking around the classroom her eyes settled on the men she had looked up to, growing up, only here and now they were seventeen years old and, sighing she realises they are flirting with the two giggling Ravenclaw's in front of them. She had heard from Harry stories of Sirius's shameless flirting exploits at Hogwarts, even in her day the girl's bathrooms were littered with praise for the wayward Marauder. But Lupin, he surprised her, she had only ever heard how studious he was, which when compared to James and Sirius he really was, but he still studied less that she remembered Ron ever trying.

It was hard to believe this was the same man, who during the battle for Hogwarts pulled her into a half destroyed classroom and begged me to save us all. Harry, Harry had been killed by Voldemort, and his body carried to the castle by a distraught and broken Hagrid. When no one but a reluctant Draco crossed the courtyard to join the Death-Eaters, not even their own children, curses were thrown and the battle ensued again. It broke Hermione's heart to see Harry pulled from Hagrid and thrown onto the broken stones. Remus had been destroyed by Tonks death when he passed me the time turner. It was on older model, able only to go backwards not forwards, this journey would be one way and I was the only one that could take it.

I'm not sure if Remus meant to send me back this far, I thought I would be arriving after Hogwarts, maybe in the order, but no, the note he sent for Dumbledore, only told him that I was a Gryffindor from the future and should be sorted into seventh year. Which joy of joys had the marauders, Lily Evans, Neville's parents, Snape, and a whole group of Death-Eaters in the making. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as finished reading, I know Remus didn't tell him why I was sent back, only that Dumbledore and the order he was creating would need my help desperately to defeat Voldemort. He asked how old I was and blinked when I said nineteen, but with all the time-turning in third year I had aged twice as fast as should have, and now, here, I haven't even been born yet.

"Professor, I understand that you have many questions about the future, but my goal here is to stop Voldemort before it can happen, before he takes over and everything you have worked for, everything you hoped for is destroyed for one man's self-hate and greed. He is recruiting your students even now and you cannot be blind to it. It's not just Slitherin's or pure bloods either, although they do rise up the ranks far quicker than his other pureblood recruits."

"Miss Granger, I understand the urgency and severity of the situation that would cause Mr Lupin to return you to this time, but that does not mean that we run needlessly into the fray before accounting what we know now in order to create the changes needed in order to, as Lupin put it 'save the innocents from the sins of the past'. I will aid you as I can, but you will have been sent here and now for a reason, and I'm sure that with some thought the reason will become clear. What was it about Mr Lupin's final year here that needs to be changed? Why request that you remain in Gryffindor when surely you would be a greater asset in Slitherin where you, yourself has claimed the most vital of allies are being recruited?

"I am told you a very intelligent young witch, one whom from the moment you stepped back in time fell into my care. Your account in Gringotts no longer exists, you have no family to claim you and you are very much alone. You cannot continue to use the name Granger either, as this will confuse your younger self when she herself attends this school." His eyes twinkled as he leaned forward over his desk and stroked Fawkes neck. "My brother Aberforth has a rather dubious reputation and could easily be persuaded to claim that you are his daughter, transferring to your uncle's school from Salem's witch Academy. The headmistress is a dear friend and will happily validate the story should anyone choose to inquire. No need to fake an accent, however you will have come home every summer to stay with your father, and following your mothers passing he has requested that you continue your education here."

Swallowing hard she looked at him, a little shocked at how quickly he recreated her life for her. Hermione had studied the Academy in Salem during third year, mostly out of curiosity and had been fascinated at the teaching style, but being an all-girls school she had no desire to transfer and leave Ron and Harry. Aberforth, she remembered owned the Hogs Head in Hogsmeade, she would be able to stay there if she chose, remembering that he wouldn't mind the company and would love to have something over the Professor, even if it was just a fake daughter. She trusted them both, but she didn't want to be sacrificed quite as easily as Harry was. Hermione knew Harry would have to die in order to destroy the Horcrux he carried, but she knew in her heart of hearts that there had to be a way to remove it without killing him.

Sighing she nodded quietly, she had no other idea to say who she was, and being Dumbledore's niece could come in handy in the future. However it had not endeared her to the Marauders, they viewed her as something akin to a spy, Sirius being the worst, he looked at her the same way she remembered him looking at Snape. It hurt, a lot actually, she had rescued him and looked up to him, he saved her from Bellatrix in the department of Ministries but this version of him, looked at her like she was lower than dirt in his eyes, and she couldn't understand it. So she avoided them, well she tried to avoid them.

It seems a year on the run with Harry hadn't taken something from her; she was still the brightest witch of the age. She had beaten a furious Lily to be top of the class, in well everything except divination, which Hermione had refused to take. Hermione however wasn't completely an outcast, Alice, Neville Longbottom's future mother had befriended her, and for the first time in her Hogwarts education, she spent more time with girls than boys. She no longer snuck off in the dead of night to carry out dangerous missions or spy on the Slitherins with Harry during his more paranoid moments.

Hermione blinked as Marlene and Alice nudged her from either side, bringing her out of her reverie and back into the dullest class she had been forced to take. "You're attracting stares again 'Mione" Marlene nodded towards Lupin and James who when she looked up saw them whispering and staring right at the note that had been fluttering before her for, well she didn't know how long.

Reaching for the note, she scanned it before passing it to Alice and Marlene, rolling her eyes at the content.

"Ladies,

Messer's Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs cordially invite you to join us in the Gryffindor common room for drinks this hallows eve after the feast in the great hall.

Yours in Mischief

The Marauders".

Hermione simply rolled her eyes, Fred and George really did do it better, and she never gave them the praise she probably should have for it. They gave Sirius and Remus so much credit for what they achieved but really, Fred and George surpassed them. She didn't bother replying, knowing full well she would feel out of place and instead made a mental note to owl Aberforth and ask to go and visit him that night instead. She missed the confused looks of the Marauders as she dismissed the note and Sirius' gloating smile "Told you mate, the Dumbledore Princess does not fraternise with us mere mortals."