Time Boat

{12}

{12-Houston, I Have So Many Problems}

Hermione was very efficient, and by the time the game rolled around, she was prepared for not only the excitement, but also when the time to erase her friends memories came. 

It was a terrifying thought, but she needed to fix things sooner rather than later. Not only that, but she couldn't spend all of the upcoming Holiday break worrying over what she was going to do. Hermione wouldn't do it until the end of the school-year obviously, she just hoped that nothing terrible would go wrong before then. It couldn't,  she hoped, if Remus knowing she was Hermione Granger, and not Florizel, didn't ruin the fabric of time, then what else could? 

The common room was empty, as Hermione expected. Most people had already been at the pitch for a while she imagined, wanting to get good seats, but if she knew Remus, he'd saved her one. 

So, Hermione began throwing various layers on as she went downstairs, a cluster of students here or there. And then, one lone student she recognized very well. 

"Severus!"

He turned around at the call, and he smiled briefly before it was replaced by a common facade of pleasantness. 

"Zel, how have you been?"

"Busy," Hermione replied as she jogged a tiny bit to catch up with him, he was significantly taller than her at this point, "You?"

"I've been doing a lot of thinking lately."

Hermione looked over at the Slytherin blankly, "What do you mean by that?" 

"I've just been looking back on some life choices these past couple days, is all. Also some self-inspection."

"Sounds very muggle," Hermione replied seriously, pushing the doors open in front of them and holding it for Severus. 

"Funny," he said straightly, "And what about, you, hm? Where have you been? I feel like I haven't actually seen you in ages."

He was sort of right, and Hermione felt bad for letting Dumbledore get in her head, but she didn't want to get kicked out of the school, so her not seeing him was a lose-lose situation. 

"Studying a lot, I suppose."

"Yeah, studying Lupin. You know, there's something weird about him."

"Oh, come off it," she said defensively, "You've never fancied anyone?"

"Not a boy," Severus defended, "Nothing by it, I just haven't been much exposed to it."

Which Hermione had a feeling was code for his father was a right terrible bastard who was also most likely homophobic as was a lot of Britain in those days. 

"Well, it's not all that bad."

She only earned a skeptical look. 

Hermione realized they were halfway to the pitch and that Severus had yet to break off from her. 

"Are you going to the match?"

"Yes," he replied suspiciously, "What of it?" 

"Nothing," Hermione said quickly, shaking her head. He didn't really seem like the sporting type. 

"Are you sitting with anyone?" Severus asked suddenly, not even risking looking at Florizel, though Hermione definitely was looking at him. 

"Yeah, Remus invited me to sit with him and Sirius..." She wasn't sure what else to say. 

"Oh, well, do you care if I join? I won't bother them, I'll sit on your other side."

Had hell frozen over so soon? Was Time finally falling in on her?