Time Boat

{17}

{17-I Am Happy To Report The World DID NOT Fall Apart}

When Hermione got back from DeLancey's office, she was surprised to find the Gryffindor common room filled with her friends. Last she'd known of them they'd gone out to relax and attempt to forget the plethora of studying they'd been doing. Though, it didn't look like they were having any fun at all. 

Remus noticed her first, as if that wasn't obvious enough, however, she didn't get the usual charming smile, only a curious brow and a summons. They were seriously quiet for the lot of them, and this gave Hermione a slight clue as to what may be happening. Severus had probably gotten a hold of Lily. 

Sitting in what could have almost been considered Remus' lap, Hermione was filled in. 

"Snivellus had the nerve to finally apologize to Lils today." James did not look apologetic.

"Isn't that a good thing?" She wondered, thinking that if they were as good as people as they claimed to be, they would forgive him for it. 

Varied faces looked at her telling her this might not be the case. 

"The thing is," Remus started, taking her hand reassuringly, "He's been quite the arse since we started here, and then what he did to Lily... it was curious. And... we wanted to make sure that you hadn't convinced him to do this somehow." 

Oh, she could have slapped them all silly. 

"I didn't even know he wanted to apologize until this morning! It completely startled me, and I even tried to talk him out of it," she confessed. 

More curious looks, only one audible gasp which came from Peter who seemed to be in shock. 

"Not because I didn't want him to!" She corrected quickly, not caring for the disgusted glances, "But because I didn't want him to risk the chance of getting hurt, it would have ruined him."

"He hurt me," Lily said gently, one of the few times she'd ever spoken to Hermione directly was in this moment. 

"And it hurt him to do so. He's... changed, I suppose. I've spent a lot of time with him and I have never seen the person he described being to you."

"Well, if it were up to me, I'd let Snivellus to the dogs," Sirius said, Remus and James throwing him dirty looks for making such a terrible joke, although Peter seemed to find it funny. 

"Right," Lily said warily, giving Hermione slight shock that she didn't know any of them were animagi. Gods, even she knew! Although... she hadn't quite been told either. "I suppose I will give him another chance, it seems like the right thing to do." 

"Lils!" James protested, but she gave him a stern glare and his resilience fell. 

"Everyone deserves a second chance," Sirius glanced briefly at Remus when Lily said this, "and that includes Severus. I will talk to him tomorrow." 

Remus leaned over and kissed Hermione on the cheek, leaning into her just after, "Can we sneak away for a moment?" 

She nodded, and they only briefly explained where they were going before ducking off into the halls. It wasn't really late, so they'd be back before getting into any trouble. Their destination was obvious as they went upstairs, hand in hand towards the seventh floor. 

The room of requirement was gloriously quiet, and Hermione practically ripped her charms off of her. Sometimes they felt suffocating, and the fact that she only needed them for a little while longer was fantastic. 

"I forget how pretty you are sometimes," Remus said, his eyes locked onto her natural state. 

"Thanks," she replied, "Why did you want to come here?" Not that she wasn't grateful for the repute with him, but she did care about what their friends would think they were doing.