This is a new story I'm trying out. It's not the usual time travel fic but it takes place during the Marauder's area and I hope you enjoy it. Let me know what you think x

"Hermione" came the soft voice of her mother from the other side of the door, before it slowly pushed open.

"Are you up, darling?", she asked, coming into the room.

"Of course, mother. I have been up for a while, packed my trunk last night and changed into my school clothing for the train ride", she says with a small smile, sitting on her desk, reading a book.

"I know why you're my favourite", her mother laughed, stepping close to her daughter.

"Hey! I heard you!", came another voice from somewhere across the hall.

"Of course, Hermione is my favourite daughter, while you are my favourite son", Euphemia Potter said with a wink in Hermione's direction, leaving the room to go look after her other child, who sadly was not as organized as his twin sister.

"James Potter! You're not even dressed!", she shouts at James, who was currently running around his room, chucking various items carelessly into his trunk.

"Not everyone likes to get up early in the morning, mum", he groans, fishing a shirt from the floor and throwing it over his head.

"You could have at least packed your trunk last night, as I told you oh so many times", Hermione chimes in, watching her brother in amusement, after following her mother to her brother's room.

"I was busy", he snaps at her.

"Doing what?", she laughs.

"Nothing that concerns you little sister", he says, coming up and pinching her in the nose.

"We're twins! I'm not your little sister!"

"You are, you better start accepting it", he laughs at her scrunched-up face.

"What is this commotion?", asks a dark booming voice, coming up the steps.

"Minnie is being a know-it-all, dad", James says, while putting the last items in his trunk before closing it with a thud.

"Just because I am more organized than you, does not make me a know-it-all and stop calling me Minnie", she tells him, crossing her arms.

"Now, now. James, we told you that if you wanted to go to Hogwarts you would have to pack your own trunk. If you left it to the last minute, that is not Hermione's fault. Remember, if you forgot something, we won't send it to you", Fleamont Potter says, watching his two children in amusement.

"Yes, dad", both his children say, looking a little calmer.

"Race you to breakfast?", Hermione says with an eager glint in her eyes and before James could even blink, she dashed off towards the stairs.

"Hey! You cheat", he yells running after her, leaving their chuckling parents behind.

"I can't believe they are going off to Hogwarts this year", Euphemia says, taking her husband's hand.

"I'd say I'm relieved to get some peace and quiet in this house for a little while, but I fear for Albus and Minerva", he chuckles, leading her down the stairs to the dining room, where their children were already pestering their house elf Dora.

"Yous must have a healthy breakfast, young Master and young Mistress, before yous go off to Hogwarts", Dora says, while convincing them to have a full English breakfast instead of waffles with ice cream.

"But, Dori. They won't have waffles with ice cream at Hogwarts! This might be the last time we can have them!", James and Hermione say at the same time.

"Listen to Dora, children. You will need to have a good breakfast in your stomach as you will be on the train for the day and you will be eating enough sweets on the train", their mother says, taking a seat next to Hermione, while Fleamont takes a seat next to James.

"Thank you, Mistress Euphemia", Dora says, and with a snap of her long fingers their plates are filled with beans, toast, eggs and mushrooms.

"Trunks?", Fleamont asks as they stand in the foyer of their home, ready to leave for Kings Cross Train Station, from where the Hogwarts express would depart from.

"Yes!", both his children reply, standing next to them, one hand on the handle.

"Wands?", he asks again.

"Yes!", they reply again, holding onto their wands with the other hand.

"Benji?", Euphemia questions.

"Yes", says Hermione, putting her wand away to grab the owl cage from the floor, inside a beautiful male Verreaux's Eagle-Owl, currently sleeping.

"Alright. Hermione you grab onto me, I take the cage. James you go with your father. We will see you at the Platform", Euphemia instructs and the second Hermione's hand falls into her own, they apparated from their house to the Apparation point at Kings Cross Train Station on Platform 9 ¾ , where children were already running around with excited smiles on their faces, returning students meeting up with their friends from school. James and Hermione were sporting identical grins, begging their parents to move along faster down the platform.

"You will want to get on the train soon to get a good compartment", Fleamont says, stopping his children in front of one of the coaches.

"Here are your tickets, don't lose them, you have to show them to one of the staff-members before bording the train", Euphemia instructs as she hands them their Hogwarts Express tickets.

"We won't lose them, mum", Hermione says.

"Good. Remember to send an owl after the sorting ceremony. Study hard and keep an eye out for each other."

"We will, mum", James says, feeling a little sad, leaving his parents behind, but the excitement for Hogwarts was pushing forward just by glancing at the train behind him.

"Off you go then, we love you", Fleamont says, pulling Hermione into his arms one last time, Euphemia following after.

The twins make their way to the coach door where an older looking wizard checks their ticket before taking their trunks off them, leaving them with only their wands, a small pouch full of Galleons, Robes and their owl Benji. They turn one last time to wave at their parents before rushing inside the already half full coach, eagerly looking for seats to their liking.

"Hello, do you mind if we sit with you?", Hermione asks when they come by an almost empty compartment, except for a young boy with blonde hair.

"No, no, of course not", he stutters out, surprised that someone talked to him.

"Great! My name is James and that is my sister Hermione", James introduces himself, plopping down opposite the boy.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Remus", he mumbles not meeting their eyes.

"Are you a first year as well?", Hermione asks, noting the book in his lap to be Hogwarts a History, one of her own favourites.

"Yes, I am."

"What house would you like to be sorted into?", James asks eagerly.

"Ravenclaw or Gryffindor sound nice", he says, a little clearer this time around.

"We are going to be in Gryffindor for sure", James says with a happy look on his face.

"You don't know that, James", Hermione says with a frown on her face.

"Right, you could end up in Ravenclaw as well with how many books you go through every week", he jokes, to what Hermione only pokes her tongue out at him.

"You like to read?", Remus asks, his eyes turning to Hermione, looking at either one of them for the first time and Hermione suddenly feels very protective of him. She noted that there is so much sadness in his eyes that she is determined to befriend this boy. He sure looks like he could need a friend.

"Yes. In fact, you're reading one of my favourite books. Not that one who likes to read can have a favourite, I personally think all book are equally great, each in their own way", she says, the words rushing out of her mouth.

"I know, there is so many genre and different styles of writing that you don't want to pin yourself to one single book", Remus replies, excitement coming over his face and the two of them dive off into a very animated discussion about what they read over the summer, leaving James to look dumbstruck between the two. He was happy his sister found someone who shares her passion for reading, but he was also hoping on already making a friend on the train.

Just then the cabin door pushes open revealing a boy about their age with messy black curls – not as messy as Hermione's curls though.

"Mind if I join you?", he asks a little out of breath.

"Course not, come on in. The more the merrier", James almost shouts, happy to see another boy their age, who was hopefully enthusiastic about something else than books.

"I'm James, this is my twin sister Hermione, and this is Remus. We just met him here", James explains to the boy sitting down next to Remus, who had stopped his conversation with Hermione to look wearily at the new boy.

"I'm Sirius Black", the boy says, extending his hand to all three of them.

"You'll be in Slytherin I presume?", James sighs, knowing that the Blacks were always sorted into Slytherin.

"Not if I can help it", the boy chuckles, making James hopeful.

"What house do you want to be in then?"

"Gryffindor would be my first choice", Sirius says proudly.

"Brilliant! Us too! Do you like quidditch?", James asks with a grin on his face.

"Who doesn't", the boy exclaims.

"This one here isn't too keen on it", James replies, pointing at his sister.

"Just because I'd rather spend my time watching than playing doesn't mean I don't like it", she huffs with a roll of her eyes.

"What is your favourite team?"

And with that James and Sirius continued to talk about quidditch while Hermione and Remus picked up their conversation about books and novels. They weren't interrupted, apart from the Honeydukes trolley where Hermione and James bought a little bit of everything and iced Pumpkin juice for their two new friends, though Remus tried to refuse it, but after a little convincing from Sirius he joined his new friends while they talked about the coming school year.

"Please change into your robes! We will be arriving at Hogsmeade train station shortly", older looking students said, rushing through the compartments. The four first years, scrambled up and put on their school robes, as suggested by the older students. When Hermione gazed out of the window, she could see the illuminated lights from the little wizarding town called Hogsmeade.

"Wow", she let out a shaky breath, the boys rushing to her side all staring out the window as the train pulled into the station.

"It's beautiful", Remus comments to which the other eagerly agree.

"Let's go", Sirius says and pulls James with him, Hermione and Remus quick on their feet rushing after the two.

"Can you take Benji?", Hermione asks a little out of breath to her brother.

"Sure, give him here", he says, taking the big cage from her hand.

"First years over here", a booming voice shouts as soon as the doors to their coach open.

"First years over here", the voice shouted again, and Hermione urged her brother and their new friends to get a move on as to not halt the exit of the train.

It didn't take long for all the first years to find themselves waiting by the very large man who was still shouting for first years. He had dark long hair and a thick beard, but he didn't look intimidating to Hermione. His gentle eyes roamed over the first years and Hermione was sure he was doing a head-count by the muttering he did mostly to himself.

"Alright. First years follow me – we go down to the boats."

Their parents had told them all about Hogwarts and how you get there during your first year, but Hermione and James were just as excited and in awe of the little boats that would carry them across the great lake. They quickly got into a boat with Sirius and Remus chatting away happily until the castle came into view and Hermione was sure that no matter what her parents told her, the first view of Hogwarts took her breath away. It looked to be painted into night sky with the warm candle lights shining from different areas of the castle.

"I don't think there are words to describe this view", Remus mutters next to her.

The way up to the castle was quick, the insides just like they expected it to look, but it was warmer than they anticipated. The closer they drew to the great hall, the louder the noise got. Hagrid told them to all wait in front of the giant oak doors as the deputy headmistress Professor McGonagall would take them from there. The longer they waited the more nervous Hermione got. She was fidgeting to the point where James put his hands on her shoulders, keeping her grounded, looking deep into her eyes.

"You'll be fine Minnie, I promise", he whispers so no one else could hear apart from Remus and Sirius who smirked at the use of her nickname.

"What if they separate us, Jamie?", she whispers back, using her own nickname for her brother, which she only used when she was scared.

"They won't! We will stay together, I promise you", he says softly, tucking on of her mad curls behind her ear. Just then they heard footstep and they turned around in time to see Professor McGonagall wearing deep red robes and a matching pointy hat, looking at them sternly.

"Good evening, first year student and welcome to Hogwarts. We will now head inside where you will be placed into your house. Your house will be you family for the time you are attending this school. You should treat it as one. There are four houses. Hufflepuff, with the head of house Professor Sprout, Ravenclaw, head of house Professor Flitwick, Slytherin, head of house Professor Slughorn and Gryffindor, with myself as head of house. After being placed into your house you will join your house table, where the prefects of each house will be waiting for you. Please follow me", she says, turns around and the heavy oak doors to the great hall open. Candles were floating in the air, the night sky littered with stars shining where the ceiling was supposed to be.

"This will be the best year of my life", Sirius says, looking around in awe, a happy smile on his face, James sporting the same expression.

Professor McGonagall ushers them to wait at the bottom staircase, next to what looked like a podium, where all the teachers were seated. In the middle was a single chair with a pretty roughed up brown hat.

"When I call your name, you will step forward and I will place the hat on your head", Professor McGonagall says, taking the hat into her hand and lifting up from the chair.

"The hat will then place you into your new house here at Hogwarts."

"Did you know that if the sorting takes longer than 5 Minutes it's considered a hat stall. I heard McGonagall was one, when she was sorted into Gryffindor", Hermione whispered to Remus as the first few students were called up.

"Why would it take so long to be sorted?", James asks his sister.

"When the hat doesn't know where to put you because you have an affinity to all the houses", Remus explains quietly, watching the first few students being sorted.

"Black, Sirius!", Professor McGonagall's voice range through the hall and Sirius took a deep breath before going up to sit on the stool. It took a little while for the hat to make a decision and Sirius' brows were furrowed in annoyance.

"Gryffindor!", the hat yelled loudly and while the Gryffindor table cheered, whisper broke out at the Slytherin table. As Hermione understood the Black family had always been in Slytherin. Sirius grinned from ear to ear before jumping down the steps and joining his new house at the Gryffindor table, giving an encouraging nod to James as he walked past.

Hermione's hands began shaking again as they got closer and closer to the letter "P".

"Pettigrew, Peter", Professor McGonagall said, the boy making his way up to the chair and before Hermione could stop herself her eyes absent, mind clouded. She reached out for James' hand, gripping it tightly, while she drifted off. Her mind was fuzzy, and she could not make out everything she saw, but she saw an older looking Peter Pettigrew hanging around with her brother and herself outside the Hogwarts grounds. They were all laughing and talking, but Hermione couldn't make out the words. James gripped her hand tightly, holding onto her, knowing that Hermione was going through one of her 'visions' of the future. She had them for a few years now and their parents explained, that the gift of a seer was passed down in their family from her father's side, but it had skipped several generations only now coming through again in Hermione. Their parents told them that it must be kept a secret as the knowledge of a seer in England was a dangerous affair if placed in the wrong hands. They were so rare that only a few know they exist at all.

When Hermione came to it again, she gave James a small smile, promising to tell him later and quickly looking around, seeing Remus staring at her with a curious face. She shrugged it off and turned to look back up at Peter just in time for the Sorting hat to yell out "Gryffindor!". Peter, less enthusiastic than Sirius, made his way down and took a seat beside a girl with long red hair and fair looking skin.

"Potter, Hermione", Professor McGonagall said next and Hermione's insides turned. Her brother gave her hand one last encouraging squeeze before she slowly and with shaking legs made her way up to the chair where Professor McGonagall was waiting for her with a kind smile.

"Ah, a young Potter! I haven't had one of you in a long time! Daughter to Fleamont Potter, a carefree child he was! I see, I see", the hat spoke in her head and the feeling left a shudder on her skin.

"Please, Mr. Hat, I don't want to be apart from my brother", Hermione thought pleadingly.

"But my dear, I don't know where your brother will be placed", the hat responded with a chuckle.

"You have a sharp mind, young one. You could achieve brilliant things in Ravenclaw. It has been a long time since we had one as smart as you. But I also sense loyalty and friendship mean a lot to you, you'd be great in Hufflepuff."

"I like to read, Mr. Hat", Hermione thought, turning a little red at the compliments the hat was giving her.

"So polite", he chuckles, making Hermione blush further. She looked around the great hall, where the other students were watching her intently, murmuring between them, but Hermione could not make out any words. She felt uneasy that the other students were already talking about her, but she sat a little straighter and held her chin high.

"Brave and courageous. The traits of a true Gryffindor. Keep your head held high, my dear, I am not quite through with you", he says, sensing her emotions, while reading her mind.

"The way you are with you brother, some might say you'd be a cunning Slytherin", he laughs, feeling the panic rise inside of her.

"Anything but Slytherin, please, Mr. Hat. I'll leave Hogwarts if you sort me into Slytherin", she pleaded quietly, hoping the hat would listen to her wishes.

"Are you threatening me girl?", the asks with an amused voice.

"No, I'm merely telling you", she huffs in her head. The quiet murmurs around her grew louder with each passing second.

"With that attitude I would have to sort you into Slytherin, but you wouldn't prosper there. It's not meant for you as cunning as you might be", the hat says.

"Mr. Hat, there must be a house for me", she thinks nervously in her head. What if she would have to leave Hogwarts because she didn't fit in?

"The problem isn't that you don't fit in. The problem is that you fit in every single house and I am not sure where to put you", the hat finally admits.

"I could choose my own house, if I may", Hermione says.

"That has never happened before, my dear."

"But if I don't choose or you don't decide then we will be here forever", she moans, looking around at the students of all four houses talking vividly with each other now. She looked to Professor McGonagall who looked at the girl with a curious face and Hermione wished in that moment she knew what she was thinking.

"You're a seer yet you have never seen yourself here in Hogwarts, that would have made things a lot easier", he murmurs.

For a while Hermione heard nothing of him.

"Are you still there?"

"Ah yes, my dear, merely thinking of what to do", he huffs.

"How about Gryffindor? I can be a smart, cunning, loyal Gryffindor", she says with a smile.

"You can be that, yes. Yes. Alright, you won. But never will I ever let a student choose their own house", the hat says.

"Thank you, Mr. Hat", Hermione says.

"Gryffindor!", the hat shouts for the entire hall to hear and the Gryffindor table erupts into cheers.

"We were beginning to think something was wrong with the hat", Professor McGonagall said as she lifts the hat from her head.

"I'm afraid there still is", Hermione said with a big grin.

"I can still hear you, young lady", the head barks out, making Hermione laugh.

"Miss Potter, please come see me tomorrow morning after breakfast", Professor McGonagall said, and Hermione immediately thought that she had done something wrong.

"You have done nothing wrong, but it has been a while since a student was with the hat for so long – in fact I think you set a new record, my dear. I just wish to know what the reason was for the hat stall. I'm sure so does Professor Dumbledore. Now off you go, your brother is next, and heaven help us all if it takes this long again", Professor McGonagall says, ushering Hermione down the steps. She rushed down, her head held high, while the students in the hall were still talking loudly about her sorting. She passed her brother, who grinned at her with a thumbs up, before she sat down next to Sirius. He patted her on the back, before turning his attention back to the front of the hall, where James was taking his place on the chair. Hermione watched with anticipation, praying that James would be sorted into Gryffindor as well. Almost in slow-motion the hat descended upon James' head and it merely touched his messy hair, before the hat yells out "Gryffindor!" and Hermione could feel herself tearing up with the relief of being in the same house as her brother. Her brother had the biggest grin on his face as he rushed down the steps, engulfing his sister in a big hug, high fiving Sirius and settling down next to Hermione.

Hermione didn't pay much attention to the rest of the sorting, going through her conversation with the sorting hat. When Remus was sorted into Gryffindor as well and Hermione had the feeling that her time in Hogwarts was going to be brilliant, being surrounded by her friends.

When Remus sat next to Peter he was congratulated by his new friends from the train, not believing his own luck.

"Hermione, why did it take the hat so long to place you?", Remus asks curiously, and Hermione could see the red headed girl next to Peter leaning in as well, curiosity getting the best of her.

"It wasn't that long now", Hermione says blushing, avoiding their gaze.

"It took ages, Minnie. Professor McGonagall looked concerned, while Professor Dumbledore looked like he had the best time, grinning from ear to ear, looking at his watch the entire time", James says with a chuckle, throwing his arm over her shoulder.

"The hat just couldn't decide where to put me", Hermione says with a small smile.

"What houses were an option? He did the same to me, said I either belong in Gryffindor or Ravenclaw and when I said that I didn't care he just yelled out Gryffindor", the red headed girl says, and Hermione watched her curiously.

"I'm Lily Evans by the way", she added with a blush on her cheeks.

"I'm Hermione, this is my twin brother James, and these are our friends Sirius and Remus", Hermione introduce them as no one else was speaking and when he looked at James, he was staring open mouthed at Lily.

"You are the most beautiful witch I have ever seen", he says all of a sudden, looking at Lily as she blushes a deeper red, looking down at the table.

"Back to Lily's question. What houses were an option for you?", Remus asks, sensing the tension spreading.

"All four of them", Hermione mumbles, not meeting anyone's eyes.

"All four?", Lily almost shout whispered.

"That has never been recorded in all of Hogwarts history", she says in awe.

"Slytherin?", James and Sirius ask with shocked voices, staring a her.

"He said I was cunning, because of how James and I are with each other and then I said if he so much as dares to put me in Slytherin I would leave Hogwarts", Hermione told them.

"No wonder he wanted to put you in Slytherin. Threatening the sorting hat on your very first night", Sirius chuckles. They were so busy with their conversation that they missed the song the sorting hat busted out, something their parents told them about.

"Welcome to Hogwarts to our new students and a welcome back to our returning students", Professor Dumbledore says, and the hall was quiet immediately.

"Before I begin to inform you of a few things this year, I would like to congratulate Miss Hermione Potter on the longest hat stall in the history of Hogwarts with an impressive 9 Minutes and 37 seconds. For this accomplishment I shall award 50 points to Gryffindor", the headmaster says, and the Gryffindor table erupt into cheers. The first night was not even over and they were already in the lead.

"I would also like to award 20 points to Gryffindor for Mister James Potter for the quickest Sorting in the history of Hogwarts with an impressive 0.2 seconds", he continues and once again cheers ring through the Gryffindor table.

"I can't believe you two! First night here and already heroes", Sirius chuckles with glee. He didn't miss the look his cousin Narcissa had sent him from the Slytherin table as he was sorted into Gryffindor and it brought him immense joy that Gryffindor already had 70 house points.

"It was hardly our fault, nor our work, merely luck", Hermione says, but her friends looked skeptical.

"It's always special when someone gets sorted fast, meaning that they truly are the embodiment of the house they are sorted into. Even more so when a student is considered for more than one house, signaling that they have more strength than other wizards and witches", Lily explained.

"Now, I must tell all new students as well as the returning students that the Forbidden Forest, is just that: forbidden. Please remember this when venturing the grounds of Hogwarts. I'm sure a great school year lies ahead of us, but as I am rather famished myself, I think we can skip the speech and go straight to the best part of the night. Let the dinner begin", he says and with his last words the tables are instantly filled with food and plates and everything your heart could wish for. Hermione, James, Sirius and Remus all stared at the food in front of them, before coming out of their daze and quickly filling their plates to the brim with food. They spoke with their new friends and two more girls introduced themselves as first year Gryffindors, sitting next to the four. Mary Macdonald and Marlene McKinnon. Hermione and Lily instantly found a liking to the two girls and they began chatting happily all through dinner about the upcoming school year.

When Hermione retired that night in their warm Gryffindor tower, all four girls sharing a dorm together with another girl called Alice Dalworth, she knew that the next few years were going to be the best years of her life. Everything turned out perfectly. She was with James in Gryffindor and she had already made friends, even some who liked to read as much as her. James and Hermione had decided that they would write their parents in the morning, as it was rather late when they all left to cozy common room that night.