Eternal Love

Chapter 3

1978

"The room of requirements" Hermione looked around in awe, it was not nearly as crowded as it was nowadays and she assumed it was because of all the antiques collected after the first wizarding war.

There weren't piles of junk stacked to the roof of the castle or battered brooms deserted across the floor. Only the odd few tables propped sideways and a rather ragged sofa covered in a white sheet that regulus was currently pulling off single-handedly.

"Considering I've never seen you before, you sure do know a lot about this place"

He was holding yet another cigarette in his other hand whilst sprawling his legs against the sofa as Hermione watched.

"you do realise those are bad for you, they're practically cancer sticks. you'll die." Ironic how she knew he would depart this life in about a year anyway.

"That's the whole point" he now had his head tilted against the arm of the sofa, sighing whilst smoke defused out of his mouth.

He wasn't as bad as Sirius had described him. Not the betraying brother who was selfish and arrogant. She would say he was more hurt than rude.

"Aren't you meant to be in lessons?"

"You are correct, I should be"

"Well then, why aren't you?"

"You asked me to stay with you"

"Oh, I suppose I did. I'd hate to keep you from attending your learning"

"You didn't seem too sure then, I'm pretty sure you stuttered" Hermione inspected his smile, white teeth, not a crooked tooth in sight. Her father always claimed you could tell who had a good soul by the shape of their teeth and how they took care of them, her parents would be happy.

"Although I'm pretty sure Slughorn will miss me in potions, did you know I'm his favourite student?"

Hermione did know. Slughorn had shown her a photo of the two together once exclaiming how he was brilliant in potions, a star student.

꧁꧂

Agitated, her feet tapped against the stone tiled floor which echoed across the large room. The constant noise had become a rhythm that the room was probably fed up of, begging for their guest to leave, but hermione couldn't leave, she didn't know how nor could she grab the courage to talk to anyone without sounding daft.

There were many possible outcomes of how she managed to find herself in 1978 and knew the best way to get her answers would be to talk to professor Dumbledor but her feet wouldn't carry her to his room. She had only managed to arrive at the stairs before tracing back her steps and slamming the room of requirements door behind her.

She had been in this era for approximately three hours and she was already sick of it. She found no comfort in hogwarts knowing that in 20 years time it would be invaded by death eaters that everyone thought had been abolished.

After several more minutes of weighing her options she decided to take a break from walking up to Dumbledor's office and retreating, instead she approached the library.

Only a couple of witches and wizards were sat in the library, she felt at peace breathing in the aura of old books and fresh parchment. She flipped through the most recent yearbooks to see whether her acquaintance from earlier had been telling the truth.

Yearbook of 1976 thumped against the wooden table. Dust particles scattered and Hermione trailed her finger down the spine, raking through the pages until she found Sirius. Looking high and mighty next to the other mauraders- Remus, James, lily... Peter petingrew. She almost gagged.

Sirius would've understood her dilemma, would've helped her.

Sirius could help her, Sirius was still alive, at least in 1978 he was and so hermione finally had a lead and companion.

The only possible way of contact since the fireplaces had been disconnected, due to the wizarding war currently developing, and believing Sirius wouldn't read a letter from a stranger, she thought of only one solution.

The youngest black brother.

Author note:
~can we just imagine this as regulus 😫 bruh I need a regulus in my life.