Hero of the Story || James Potter x Hermione Granger Fanfiction

31 | outside the world seems a violent place

xxxi.

outside the world seems a violent place

(Various Storms and Saints by Florence + The Machine)

__________

September 1, 1978

As Peter carried Hermione's school trunk down the staircase with her closely trailing behind, their doorbell rang.

"Are we expecting someone?" she asked with a deep frown.

Peter looked equally confused himself, before his jaw dropped and his eyes widened in surprise. "Those wankers!" he exclaimed. "I thought they were kidding!"

He then proceeded to run off towards their front door, leaving Hermione to struggle with her trunk.

As she landed on the last step, she heard a familiar barking laugh and shouts of exclamation. Shuffling footsteps pattered across their floor, and then there was James, smiling brightly at her. Hermione paused, her eyes widening, as she was too surprised to see that he was here, in her own home.

"Hi," he cheekily greeted.

"What are you doing here?" she breathed out.

Before he could answer her question, more sets of footsteps padded on their floor and three more boys joined James. A laugh bubbled out of her lips upon seeing Sirius and Remus smiling widely at her. "Whiskers! Did you miss us?" Sirius greeted, shooting forward to pull Hermione into a huge, bear hug.

"What are you all doing here?" she asked in between laughs.

"We wanted to send you off on your last school-year at Hogwarts," Remus explained, prying Hermione off Sirius to also give her a hug. "Head Girl! I knew it'd be you the moment you sent that Bat-Bogey Hex on James."

Hermione smiled warmly at the other two, realising it had been a while since she had last seen them. Like Peter, James and Sirius were wearing the standard uniform of an Auror-in-training – a three-piece suit, with a black tie hanging around their neck, black trousers, combative dragonhide boots, leather fingerless gloves, and a midnight black robe bearing the Auror seal on the breast pocket. Hermione stared a little too long when her eyes landed on James, mouth growing dry at how ridiculously attractive he was in his attire. They all looked like proper ministry officials and Hermione felt a little naïve in their presence, still readying herself to attend a new school-year at Hogwarts.

"How do I look?" James smugly asked, his pompous smirk growing as he knew full well that she had been admiring his appearance.

She flushed red and glowered at James, who merely laughed and pulled her away from Remus to give her a hug. Hermione instantly melted against James' warm embrace, smiling against his shoulder when she felt him drop a kiss on the side of her temple.

"Oh! You're all here!"

They all turned to look at Anya Pettigrew standing in the doorframe near the kitchen, a huge, surprised smile on her face.

"Sorry to intrude, Anya," James said with a lopsided smile as he stepped away from Hermione's embrace. "The blokes just wanted to send Hermione off for her last school-year at Hogwarts."

Anya's eyes were glittering at the guests. "Have you eaten breakfast yet?" she asked. "I can prepare a meal—"

"Mum, Hermione's going to be late," Peter cut her off with a laugh.

Their mother deflated in disappointment but her smile was still on her face. "You should drop by again," she said, her eyes directed at both Sirius and Remus.