Be Silently Drawn || Remus Lupin & Hermione Granger

Chapter 4

Thankfully, Hermione felt the awkwardness between her and Lupin diminish considerably after they "started over." They made their way to the Great Hall together and headed toward a group of students at the Gryffindor table that included Marcia, Kirsten, and two boys Hermione recognized instantly.

Peter Pettigrew looked much like his older self—pointed, rat-like face and beady eyes—but her attention was taken by the person sitting next to him. Sirius Black had been a handsome man even after spending over a decade in Azkaban, but his younger, less troubled self was simply gorgeous. He had movie star good looks with his dark hair, smoldering eyes, and devil-may-care aura. His gaze met hers as she walked up to his group, and Hermione couldn't help but blush.

"Let's ask the new girl," she heard him say.

Kirsten turned around.

"Hey, guys. Have you seen Lily and James? Neither of them has showed up to breakfast, and we're dying to know what's going on between them."

"James was waiting for Lily outside our dorm earlier," Hermione told them as she and Lupin settled down on the bench. "I left them alone so they could talk."

"You didn't hear if Lily said yes?"

Hermione shook her head and grabbed some toast. "James is quite persistent, though, isn't he?"

"That he is," Sirius agreed.

"I think it's finally paid off," Lupin said, and everyone followed his gaze.

Walking towards them, hand in hand, were Lily and James. James grinned at his staring friends, and Lupin, Sirius, and Peter erupted into exultant cheers. Marcia, Kirsten, and Hermione joined in, as did some of their spontaneous fellow Gryffindors. They were so loud that people from all around the Great Hall glanced around to see what the commotion was about.

"Thanks guys, but can you stop that now, please," Lily said as she sat down, pink in the face from all the attention.

"You heard my girlfriend," said James, and Lily rolled her eyes at his emphasis on the last two words. "Cut it out."

"All I have to say is: finally!" Marcia said, and everyone laughed.

Lily and James looked at each other sheepishly and smiled.

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"They looked really happy together," Hermione remarked to Lupin on the way to their first class.

"James has fancied Lily since the first train ride to Hogwarts," he told her. "This is a dream come true for him."

Hermione felt so privileged to have been here to see James and Lily officially get together. This was the start of their beautiful relationship. She knew that they would come to love each other, get married, and have a son named Harry.

But in a few short years, their happiness would come to an end. Their lives would be robbed...

No — she shouldn't think about that. Hermione had promised herself she wouldn't dwell on the fate of anyone she met. There was nothing she could do to change it. Nothing she should do, anyway.

"What's wrong?" asked Lupin, looking concerned by the sudden change in her expression.

"It's nothing," she lied. "I'm just nervous because it's my first day of classes here, but I'll be okay."

An hour and a half later, Hermione was absolutely not okay.

"I'm so far behind!" she exclaimed, skimming through the notes she'd just taken. She'd never been in a situation like this before. She was always a prepared student, always ahead of the class, not behind. "And we have an exam next week!"