A Second Channe Through Time

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Page count: 11

Lupin Cottage - Saturday 23rd January 1982

Hermione, James and Sirius had attended their second date and it had gone just as well as their first and Hermione was grateful that they kept everything casual. Their first date they took her mini-golfing. Their second date they took her to a muggle zoo where they'd laughed and talked for hours and Hermione once more kissed their cheeks, leaving Sirius and James grinning. Now they were on their third date and they'd taken her back to Lupin Cottage so they could have a picnic and wander and explore the woods.

Hermione was surprised that she didn't feel awkward around them giving the situation they were in. In their presence, she was relaxed, happy...Content. She knew she ought to see them as she did in her original timeline, but she just couldn't. They weren't the same. James for a start was alive, and Sirius, he was different. He hadn't suffered in Azkaban for over a decade, he hadn't faced the things he'd been forced to in her time. This Sirius was mischievous, always grinning and laughing.

She shook her head and answered the question James had just asked her.

"Hide and seek,"

"What?"

"Hide and seek. You're it!"

She jumped to her feet and darted from the blanket away from them, ducking and diving between trees, diving under low tree branches and jumping over roots and logs so she wouldn't trip. She could hear their laughter echoing through the woods and their footsteps as they crushed the fallen leaves beneath their weight. When she reached a large tree, the largest she had seen, she proceeded to climb it until she was perched out of sight on a tree branch. She could see below her, but they wouldn't be able to see her, not unless they were looking closely.

She heard twigs crunching under a heavyweight and she looked down to see James, who was climbing the tree until he was eye level with her. He smirked at her and her mouth pulled into a little pout of disappointment.

"You're going to have to do better than that to hide from, Padfoot; his senses are stronger than mine and I found you fairly easily," he said amused.

She grinned at him and then proceeded to climb back down the tree until her feet were on the ground and he followed her. They could hear movement in the distance and they looked to each other before sprinting forward. They ran for several minutes, until James stopped, panting with his hands on his knees.

"We need to lose him."

Hermione strained her hearing, she heard something in the distance and she grinned when she realised what it was. She grabbed his hand and dragged him forward as he groaned in protest, clearly being tired.

"This way, I can hear something," she explained.

They ran forward and after five minutes they came to a stop by a large pond, it wasn't big enough to be a lake but it still fairly big.

"Do you trust me?" She asked with a scary-looking grin.

"I want to say yes, but that look on your face tells me I should run for the hills and not look back," he replied, watching her warily. She laughed loudly.

Before he could stop her, she gave a push on his chest and he fell backwards, landing in the water with a splash. He emerged from the water with a look of disbelief on his face and she laughed loudly. She took deep breaths to calm herself before she stepped forward, walking into the pond and immersing herself up to her waist. The water was surprisingly warm considering they were in the woods at it was the middle of winter.